As a Magician family with a distinguished reputation in Japan, the Sajyou’s house was quite large.
And among the facilities in the Sajyou residence, the most striking was undoubtedly the garden.
Coming out of the washroom, opening the door at the end of the corridor, and stepping outside.
Continuing along the corridor, one finally reached it by opening the glass door at the end.
The garden was built by the deceased mistress of the Sajyou family, a Witch from England.
It was planted with lush vegetation and vibrant blossoms, and in addition, there were countless pigeons teeming with life.
The numerous free-roaming pigeons were offerings for Sajyou Hiroki’s black Magic.
“Black Magic and offerings are inseparable. The pain felt by the offerings is the source of black Magic’s power,” the master of the house once said.
As soon as Rhodes pushed open the garden gate, the pigeons scattered and flew away as if they had seen a formidable predator.
However, one gray pigeon flew straight towards him, landing on the young man’s shoulder.
“You’re the only one who will get close to me, aren’t you?”
Rhodes stroked the pigeon on his shoulder, calmly calling out its name.
“Good morning, Yahweh.”
Chirp, chirp, chirp!
Tilting its neck, the gray pigeon let out a cheerful cry.
“You want to go to Fuyuki too? Alright, I’ll take you there when the war starts.”
Chirp chirp!
After Yahweh flew away, Rhodes turned towards the glass door.
“Are you talking to the pigeons again? Father said you shouldn’t talk to pigeons.”
Rhodes’s young aunt by household registration said imperiously as she walked towards him.
“Although I don’t know what method you used… but even if you deceived Father and Sister, you can’t deceive my eyes. You, who infiltrated my garden… are an anomaly, a demon.”
The young practitioner gazed at Rhodes with her clear, watery blue eyes, making the young man somewhat lost in thought.
To get Rhodes to live in their house, Manaka used Magic to subtly influence her father.
But she didn’t pay much attention to her obedient younger sister, and didn’t use any suggestions on her, which resulted in Sajo Ayaka being the only member of the family who noticed anything unusual.
The eldest daughter, Manaka, was a versatile Genius who kept the household in perfect order.
The second daughter, Ayaka, admired her older sister, and while studying Magic, she also often did what she could to help with household chores.
The father, Sajyou Hiroki, was not only the family’s source of income, but he also actively helped his daughters with housework on a daily basis, being so virtuous that he hardly seemed like a typical traditional man.
In contrast, Rhodes never did housework, stayed out all night, and asked Manaka for money every few days.
From anyone’s perspective, Rhodes was a parasite in the family, and it was understandable that Ayaka disliked him.
A strange sense of heroic melancholy inexplicably rose in Rhodes’s heart: Hmph, I’m silently protecting humanity in places you don’t know about.
“Who exactly are you? And what’s your relationship with Sister?”
“Sister doesn’t need a garden,” Father once said to his second daughter, so Sajo Ayaka had always regarded this place as her treasure.
His frequent visits to the garden probably intensified her dislike.
Looking at Ayaka’s precocious attitude, Rhodes said with a hint of mischief.
“Hmm, being an adopted son is a lie. My true identity is Manaka’s biological son, you know?”
…Biological son.
The young girl’s expression stiffened.
Rhodes wasn’t exactly lying; before transforming from black mud into a human, he had only devoured two people.
One was Manaka, and the other was himself.
So, this body he created has 50% of its factors from his mother, and the other 50%…
the father is—myself?
Hail Mary!
Father, Son, Spirit, a unified existence of the Trinity, even science fiction novels wouldn’t dare easily adopt such an exaggerated setting.
Don’t you agree, Yahweh.
“I—I don’t believe it! How could Sister have a child! You must be a demon lurking in my house.”
“So what are you going to do with me?”
“Hmph hmph, don’t be scared when you hear this…” Sajo Ayaka said triumphantly, “Once I save enough pocket money, I’ll order holy water and a cross from a church publication by mail order and purify you!”
“Hahaha, have mercy on me.”
If it were the genuine holy water sold by the Holy Church to citizens, it might actually have an effect on him—mixing it into food would likely cause stomach distress or an allergic reaction.
“…I might be willing to spare you?”
Suddenly, Ayaka proudly turned her face away.
Intrigued, Rhodes raised an eyebrow and said, “Oh? Noble Magician, are you willing to let this humble one go?”
“Yes, but there’s a condition.”
“What is it?”
After Rhodes asked, Ayaka simply lowered her head.
After more than five seconds, she finally looked up, still looking rather stubborn.
“Could you… pat my head like you did to my sister in the restaurant earlier? If you do that, I’ll acknowledge you as my sister’s child.”
“…Huh?”
Rhodes was stunned.
This girl should hate me intensely.
As everyone knows, the eldest daughter of the Sajyou family is devoted to her creation, while the second daughter is deeply attached to her father and sister.
Rhodes, who had gained their father’s trust and their sister’s doting, should be someone Sajo Ayaka would avoid at all costs.
He instinctively asked, “Why?”
The huffing girl said in frustration, “Because you’re a guy, right? I want to experience what it feels like to have my head patted by a brother figure! Father has never patted my head, so you’ll have to do! That’s all! Really, that’s all it is!”
“…I see.”
Rhodes nodded vaguely, then without thinking, placed his hand on the girl’s head and began stroking it.
“…Mmm.”
Sajo Ayaka narrowed her eyes slightly, accepting the gesture.
But gradually, she felt her head beginning to heat up from the friction.
“Good, good, good…”
Sajo Ayaka looked up and asked the youth who was rapidly rubbing her hair with displeasure.
“…I’ve been sensing a subtle malice since just now. Is it my imagination?”
“It’s your imagination. What’s coming from your head is fiery sincerity,” Rhodes replied decisively.
Younger teenagers are still quite naive.
She accepted Rhodes’s explanation, adjusted her glasses, and said quietly.
“By the way, next time… can you teach me how to talk to pigeons?”
“That’s easy. After I finish my business in Fuyuki, I’ll come help in the garden too.”
Hearing this, the young girl’s expression brightened.
“Hmph… hmph, well, I can’t help it then. From now on, I’ll specially allow you to enter my garden… Mmm, what else can I do since I’m technically your aunt.”
…
…
…
In the Sajyou kitchen after breakfast, a lovely apron-clad fairy was hard at work.
Her limbs were graceful, her movements elegant.
Her sleeves were rolled up high, revealing snow-white skin adorned with dreamlike bubbles.
Even though Sajo Manaka was merely washing dishes, from an outsider’s perspective, it looked like a scene from a fairy tale painting.
“Having my head patted by Rhodes… hehe, this is the first time something like this has happened.”
A light tint spread across the girl’s beautiful face, her cherry lips slightly parted, emitting a mysterious tone.
“How can I get him to pat my head again.”