Chapter 46: Side story 5: A heavenly man.

*POV Mia*

I opened my eyes and started looking around. I see the gentle sunlight coming through the paper-like windows.

Oh, I accidentally fell asleep. My sleeping schedule is still as messed up as ever.

Well, I wasn't able to sense anything yesterday, it could be that I just can't sense it yet. But I want to keep on trying.

I kept on trying to sense anything. I tried to imagine a substance around or inside me. I kept on trying for an hour, until I finally felt something. Just as quickly as I felt it, it had gone away.

Huh, it's gone now.

Enough practicing for now, but I actually made progress that time, so it definitely is a victory!

Well, now what? I guess I'll just continue looking around. I held on to the bars on the bed, and started pulling myself up. The bed was already practically on the ground, so standing up was a brand new experience.

Now I can see far better. And now that I'm looking around more clearly, doesn't this place look like a traditional Japanese or Chinese room?

It's pretty cool though, I do like the aesthetic. Now that I think about it, that lady yesterday also wore something like a kimono, I was just pretty overwhelmed with being in a fantasy world to notice.

Hm, it's pretty weird how a society in a different world became at least similar to one on earth, but a few civilizations had a lot of similarities despite being isolated from each other. I guess our environment also influences it.

Whatever, maybe I'll find a history book that explains how stuff came to be. But I can't do anything about it.

Now, I want to get out of here. Maybe I can climb over the fence?

I hold onto the top of it and start pulling myself to overcome it. Surprisingly, I managed to pull myself over it without much difficulty.

Before I could move towards the door, I started hearing footsteps. And then saw the door slide open.

But it wasn't that lady that had opened the door. Instead, it was a man. His appearance almost seemed like it was straight out of a painting. And made the area around him seem to distort. With long graceful eyelashes, skin so clean and pristine it seemed sterile, a face that could bewitch anyone, and silver flowing hair.

I could only stare at him as he approached me, and held me up into his arms. He smelled incredibly well, better than even the finest perfumes.

Then, he began to talk to me, I couldn't understand any of his words, but I could almost feel them.

This person is out of this world, I've never felt so comfortable just by being besides someone. But, who is this person?

Suddenly, the lady had arrived, she flinched the moment she saw him and gave a quick short bow.

The man had started talking to the lady, his tone of voice was comforting and calm. He even laughed a little while speaking to her. Until he finally handed me over to her.

Then he finally left the room. Leaving me and the lady stunned.

The lady had brought me back to the area with the books and toys and had picked up another book to read for me.

But I didn't really hear her that well, since I was still stunned from what had happened. But I knew one thing.

I want to follow him when I grow up.

And so, I got my head cleared and focused with her. And kept practicing all the while, until I finally got another shocking revelation.

[Skill "Energy perception lv. 1" was added]

A skill? First off, how the hell? Second of, why the hell? And third of, what the hell? I definitely have to ask someone about this when I am able to speak... But it definitely is pretty awesome.

And if it is like a game, wouldn't there be stats? Like a menu? Or a start button of some sorts. Wait can I say quit game? What would that even do? Heh, you just press quit game and get sent to the shadow realm or something. Anyway, maybe there is something like... Appraisal?

[Would you like to obtain skill "Appraisal" for 1 point?]

Well there it is, huh, I wonder how the hell there is a god damn skill shop. Does this make it pay to win? How is skill economy decided? Is there a skill marketplace? A skill stock exchange? A skill great depression? A skill communism- nah, I'm just making stuff up at that point, but I do wonder how? Oh yeah the skill, hm, yes I do want the skill.

[Skill "Appraisal lv. 1" was added]

Great now we jus- Ahahaha!

No stop! That tickles! Hahaha!

I tried to slap her arm, but it was like trying to hit a mountain, she eventually stopped when I started focusing on her.

I guess she thought I was zoned out or something. Damn skill economics, they distracted me.

Ahem, as I was saying, now we just, er, look at something then think of activating it? I looked at my hand then activated the skill.

[Tenshima Ayako]

Status: Alive

This is just a hello world program, what the heck is this useless information? I guess I at least know my name, so that's something.

Well skills improve after leveling up, so I better train.

And so, after this, I kept on practicing until the day turned to night, and the days turned to weeks. That person only popped up for extremely short periods of time. I tried to appraise him one time, but it simply didn't work.

I appraised the lady and it did work on her, then I discovered that her name was Shiroyama Yuki.

Throughout all of this, I was taken around the estate, to the back where there was a large garden, where I saw a brilliant number of flowers and pink leaved trees. Although we sat on the porch of the building.

One day, I had finally gotten the skill [Otsukigo lv. 1] and then I began to understand a bit more about what they were saying.

From what I understood, the lady was trying to get me to say a word like mom or mama, maybe she was trying for the past month or so. But that makes me wonder, is she actually my mom? And is that person my dad? Well, their positions seem extremely unequal, but she is respected by everyone here. So it could be something else? Well, I'm a baby right now, so I can't do much now, can I? I'm just going to leave that for the future.

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Anyways, I'll now try to speak to her, and what better way other than saying the word she wants me to say.

"Mama"

"Huh?! ... ... to ... ...? ..., I'm ... mama."

"... ... ... to be ..."

And then she pinched my cheek and gave me a kiss on my forehead.

Aw, thanks mom. I love you too.

I then hugged her while she was picking me up.

She carried me in her arms and proceeded to travel around the estate, telling anyone that would pass by something, and then they'd reply to her enthusiastically before bowing and leaving. All of them were wearing the same blue kimono with a grey hakama, and haori of a large variety of patterns and colors. They also carried two swords and a rifle with them. And some of them had horns similar to antlers.

Yeesh, I can never get used to how armed they are. That's a lot of weapons to carry in a house.

In the end, she ended up travelling across the entire estate, and kept on telling people she came across something I didn't understand. Although she didn't meet with father.

Later on in the night, mom took me to a smaller building on the outside of the main house, on our path there, we met with dad. Mom bowed when she met with him. He bowed back, and then spoke to her. They exchanged a few words, then he walked by us. Not before pinching me as he left.

Me and mom were there first, and she set 6 miniature tables, 3 on the left and right, then one directly in front of us.

The tables had food on them, some slightly glowing rice wrapped with seaweed or served with fish, some ball like sweets of differing colors adorned with flowers, and a few pink rolls with a leaf holding it with some red filling in it.

Woah, that rice is actually glowing, what the heck?

And, I guess we're moving again.

Mom left the room to an outside area, where she exchanged bows with 6 people there, she walked them over to a basin, where they washed their hands and mouths from it.

Then they walked through a door into the tea room, where they sat down. One of them was a little fidgety, almost impatient, the dude with the red hair, and the black kimono. But it was barely noticable. But I think another person, the one with black hair and a white haori noticed it.

They all sat down, then mom started making tea, they looked around for a while, then red hair started speaking with mom.

Let me just appraise him to figure out his name.

[Ashigara Kintaro]

Mom talked back with him, and then poured tea for the guests, they drank their tea in quiet. Then the same person started speaking with her again, although a lot less formally.

The others also started speaking, and soon, some started laughing, quietly, but laughing nonetheless. The person with the blue haori talked with Ashigara, but he just waved his hand and told him something.

I appraised him as well.

[Taishi Fuyuto]

A lady wearing a white haori with pink flowers and petals on it, interrupted them by picking up a gift, then bowing to mom and giving it to her.

[Harumoto Hanami]

Mom refused the gift, but she insisted and eventually, mom accepted the gift.

Thankfully, the gift exchange seemed to distract the two, and they decided to give their own gifts.

Unfortunately, it seems that it was a temporary solution, and Ashigara returned to talking with Taishi again, he didn't pay him much attention, and kept sitting in a dignified way. Talking with his fellow, until Ashigara said something that got his attention.

He talked with him, then both of them exited into the garden, we could see them; mom shook her head from this development. But didn't do anything.

Both of them drew their swords underneath the tree, Ashigara hit the tree with his elbow. The tree shook and dropped many leaves, then both of them began.

They swung their blades with unbelievable speed, slashing hundreds of times within a second, their swords would split the leaves that would fall right down the middle. And would create something that almost looked like a dance.

My jaw nearly dropped from their speed, strength and grace.

Eventually both of them stopped. With Ashigara looking slightly annoyed as they went back. Taishi bowed deeply to mom and said something to her while Ashigara told her something and sat back down. After that, the tree ended up losing three branches worth of leaves. Poor tree.

Eventually, the party ended, and with a bow. Everyone left, Ashigara stayed to talk with mom a little, then left along with the others.

Mom brought me back to my room, where she held the gifts for me with a smile. Then we began opening them.

And the gifts were... a few wooden swords. From Ashigara, Mate, I don't think that's very appropriate for a one year old. The one from Taishi was a fancy painting set. A bit too much for a one year old, don't you think? I mean I'm thankful, but if I was a regular one year old, then what the hell was I going to do with it?

Harumoto brought me a few small figurines of a few creatures, one looked like a dragon, another like a Phoenix, and one was similar to a tanuki. He had also brought a few plushie toys, such as a small rabbit plush, and a fox.

Plushies? Hah, I'm an adult, why would you give me a plushie? I totally don't like them... even though they're super cute.

Fine, maybe I do like them, but I'm not gonna sleep with them. I would die of embarrassment from that, maybe.

Ahem, anyways, she has the right idea, this gift is far more appropriate for a child than the others.

The rest of the gifts were: a butterfly shaped brooch; a talisman; and a music box.

After opening the gifts, I was smiling slightly, mom pinched me when she saw this. Then, she put me into bed with the plushies.

... well, I'm not gonna bother removing them, I'm a bit too tired for that. Besides, I guess they're a little cute.