The Slippery Mage

Today, I should go back home after a long time. It has been three and a half year since I last met my own family.

And I can't leave Julian alone. I promised Cornelia. I guess I'll bring him home and introduce him to my family. If he can get closer to my family, then at least we have a place we can get Julian to stay if it's difficult to do it here.

"Julian, I'm going back to my parents since it's been so long since I last met them. Fortunately, they're not like your parents. We're going to meet them," I say.

"Can I just stay here?"

The thought of meeting parents even if it's someone else's makes him scared. The one who doesn't want to be alone and feel abandoned prefer to be left alone. That's how bad his trauma is.

But that doesn't matter to me. I wasn't asking if he wants to come. I'm telling him we're going.

"I'm not asking. We're going there and you don't have a choice because I have decided to be partially responsible for your life and that means I will teach you many things. One of them would be to handle things you don't like," I say.

And so we left Dahlia. We'll return back in the afternoon so it's okay.

Do you know how insane slip magic is after one and a half year of training? It's much more insane than before. Because I can fly. I can slip myself in the air because air pressure still gives me friction and that's what helps me manipulate my movement in the air.

But flying while carrying someone else is too hard for me so we'll travel on land. Seriously, I have traveled more places than probably anyone else in this world. Even Rosalinda who can use teleportation never traveled as far as I did.

For now I'm still being careful to not get discovered while travelling. It will only bring me trouble if since I have no reputation at the moment.

Yes, I'm thinking seriously how to gain fame. Obviously by clearing unexplored dungeons or defeating powerful monsters. I can do that. I have done that. Mostly discovering new dungeons and clearing them. I just need the right moment of when I should report it. Sabine will help me on her side so I can quickly increase my fame.

But before that I will need more people. At least two more since Rosalinda said that she's willing to join. Keith will join once my clan is more established so no one would bat an eye for a retired adventurer to return. But that's in the future so I still need two more.

And being the leader of a clan, I should have some credibility. For that, I need to graduate from Dahlia Academy. That's why I will still attend the academy.

It's normal for adventurers who joined a clan to be students at an academy. But it's not normal for the clan leader to be a student.

There's a first to everything. It's just enduring four year of studying after all. And the main focus in Dahlia Academy is combat practice. I should be able to handle it.

Returning back home after three years, my family greets me happily.

"Miro home! Where money?"

Well, that's my family. We joke around about many things. Though I think my father is not joking right now.

"Money here. No ask more."

And I casually give my father some money. Of course my parents are shocked but when I show them my adventurer license to show them that I'm a B-rank adventurer, they keep the money safe right away with a look saying they won't return the money to me at all. Well, it's for them anyway. And with those money, my family shouldn't be worried about financial problem for a few years.

"I thought you're attending Dahlia Academy. Did you fail the test?" my mom asks me. I remember I told them I should be attending the academy at this time but instead, I didn't even take the exam.

"Due to an unavoidable situation, I couldn't take the entrance exam. I'll take one next year," I say.

"And who is this kid?"

My father finally points at the kid hiding behind me. Julian is afraid to meet my parents.

"A kid I'm currently taking care of at the moment," I reply simply.

Talking with my parents about my adventures and things I missed here is fun. I really think of them as my parents. Both them and the parents in my previous life are real parents. I'm lucky to have been born to a good family twice.

When Julian is sleepy and is sleeping in my bedroom, I told my parents about what he went through. Now they understand why he's afraid of them. The word parents doesn't mean good thing to him.

"You're going to stay today?" my mother asks.

"No. I have things to do later. If you need me for anything, you can ask Keith next door. I'm the one who told him that this city is good to live in and he moved right away," I say.

"That bastard brought a spider here for fun not long ago. I hate him," my father says.

Right. I remember the scream of my own father just so I can learn Aura.

Even though Sven and Jaden both didn't believe that I could learn Aura so quickly, they went through with it and trained me. And I finally learned how to use Aura. I don't know what their plan after my training was over but I know that they won't lack in training ever again knowing that they haven't fully reached their limit.

"I'm going to visit Keith now. I'll leave right away after picking up Julian," I say.

And so I visit my new next door neighbor. As soon as the door is open and it's a man who is opening the door, I didn't hesitate to throw a punch straight to his nose.

"Ow! What the fuck!? Oh, it was not my plan!" Keith says knowing full well why I punched him.

"That doesn't mean you didn't deserve a punch. Well, how do you like this place?" I ask.

"Busy. Too crowded. The only good thing is that you know that in the next four year at least this place is the one untouched by the demons. So, why are you here?" Keith asks as he wipes the blood on his nose.

"Just asking if you're still willing to join my clan in the near future," I say.

"You're really going to create a clan? Well, I doubt I can easily join in the near future. Maybe two or three years after the creation. How many people have joined?"

"At least Cornelia and Rosalinda have promised that they will join the clan. I need two more. I still have time before I take the next entrance exam so I'm thinking of finding some talented people," I say.

"I'll ask some of my old acquaintances when you create one if they want to join the clan. They're powerful people. But I think you can still make them more powerful," Keith says knowing that I even made Keith stronger when he believed that he has reached his limit.

"Thanks. So, how was archery training with Natasha?" I ask.

He has visited Natasha after I told him I taught her a bit and she has talent in archery. They trained together for a bit afterwards.

"I haven't met her for so long. I think you need to meet her and ask her if she's going to join your clan. There are some skills in archery where she's better than me but I have experience so I'm not losing at all."

If even Keith said it himself, then that's true. I think I need to visit her in the future. And while I do, I shall visit Duchess Johanna as well.

Right. Maybe I should invite Hal as well. Though I don't know where he is currently. I should ask Duchess Johanna if her intelligent network can find him.

Hmm… but I still need a vanguard. Most of us will be ranged dealer or mages. And I'm just someone who prefers to not fight. I guess I need to look for one.

After a short chat with him, I returned home and pick up Julian. We rushed back to Dahlia where I teach Cornelia things she was not taught at the academy.

"If the cigarette is sweeter that would be better," Cornelia says as she starts lighting up her cigarette.

"Right? But no one is researching about this. Someone should make this more widespread. Then everyone will smoke this instead of other things," Rosalinda says.

…We have another smoker here. In fact, almost everyone I know is a smoker.

Wait! Doesn't that make me at fault for spreading the cigarettes?

"Do they taste good?"

And finally, the young kid Julian asks curiously if cigarettes taste good. And all the smokers in the library office say the same thing at the same time.

"""No!"""

And training goes on without any trouble.