I Already Know My Magic Power Is Ridiculously High! Now I Just Need a Cute Wife... - Episode 95

The next morning, I left the room quietly so as not to wake Elmia, who was sleeping soundly beside me.

After that, I bathed, got dressed, and prepared for the day ahead.

Clutching a gold coin in my right hand, I waited for the moment to arrive.

By late morning, a noblewoman finally arrived at Ortenatris Castle.

“L-Long time no see, Mother.”

My voice wavered slightly as I watched the woman step down from the carriage.

She was a beautiful woman with raven-black hair.

Just being in her presence made me tense.

“Shalka, thank you for welcoming me. I’m so happy to finally see your face again.”

Camilla la Nevrim.

My mother in this world.

To me, she was as familiar. If not more so than Elmia.

Since she had given birth to me at sixteen, she was now twenty-eight.

By my past life’s standards, that would still be considered young for having a child.

Tall and dignified, her sharp, upturned eyes gave her an alluring charm.

Her appearance could only be described as provocative.

A corset paired with dangerously high-cut shorts.

Half of her I-line was exposed, bordering on public indecency.

“Mother, how was your journey? If you’re tired, perhaps you should rest first—”

“No, I want to speak with you right away. The tea party is ready, isn’t it?”

I had hoped to delay things, but that was impossible.

As she stepped out of the carriage, she adjusted her high-cut shorts with her fingers. A gesture that seemed more like an outright display than a mere adjustment.

Eventually finding the right position, she let go, and the fabric snapped back against her skin with a sharp sound.

It was said that noblewomen in their late twenties and beyond tended to favor high-cut shorts and micro-bikinis, and Mother was no exception.

“Y-Yes. Everything is prepared in the rear garden.”

“Then let us go…”

When I was nine, I was shocked when Mother suddenly embraced the high-cut fashion.

No one else seemed to mind, but from that moment on, I could no longer see her as just my mother.

I didn’t know where to look, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t help but see her in a different light.

In that sense, I had developed a certain discomfort around her.

“…But before that—”

“Huh?—Guh!”

Suddenly, Mother pulled me into a silent embrace.

My face was buried in her ample bosom, leaving me breathless.

“Shalka, I’m so relieved you’re safe. You’ve truly grown strong.”

She spoke with deep emotion, as if rejoicing in my growth.

Perhaps it was the equivalent of “Three days apart, and a man changes beyond recognition.”

For a while, I was enveloped in her warmth, wrapped in a special sense of comfort.

(Ahh~ This feels so good…)

If this continued, I might regress into a baby, succumbing to the primal urge to suckle.

But such blissful moments never last.

“Camilla! What are you doing to Shalka? Let him go!”

Elmia tore me away from Mother’s embrace.

“Oh my, Elmia. What are you doing here? Today is my celebration for Shalka. This isn’t your place.”

“Oh, I disagree. Shalka is my precious attendant. As his superior, it’s only natural for me to oversee things.”

Elmia responded to Mother’s words with a firm tone.

The two began walking while bickering.

(Sigh… I knew it would come to this.)

Hadn’t Elmia promised yesterday that she’d behave?

The thought of having to mediate between them already weighed on me.

(No choice. Time to bring out the trump card.)

I gave Nicolette a single instruction.

◇◇◇◇

The rear garden of Ortenatris Castle.

A beautiful garden with a fountain.

We sat around the same tea table, chatting amicably.

“This fluffy ‘pancake’ texture is truly delicious. I might have to visit Ortenatris Castle regularly just to eat it.”

“It really is delicious. Only you could come up with such a dessert, Brother.”

Mother and Elmia relaxed their expressions as they enjoyed the sweets.

This world had baked goods, but they were all stiff, tart-like pastries topped with fruit paste.

Knowing that meringue or baking powder could soften them, I had the castle’s pastry chef experiment with the former.

After much trial and error, these pancakes were born.

Their fluffy texture was a hit with the ladies.

“Shalka, you always loved exploring the city, didn’t you? I scolded you for it countless times, but perhaps it was the right choice after all.”

Whenever I introduced ideas from my past life, I excused them as things I “thought up while exploring the city.”

The trade-off was a slight dent in my noble reputation, but if it led to peaceful moments like this, it was worth it.

However, the peace didn’t last.

“Now, Shalka. I’ll get straight to the point, you must become the head of House Ortenos.”

Mother delivered the statement with a serious expression.

(Mother, dropping that out of nowhere?)

As the most vocal advocate for making me the next head of House Ortenos, Mother had been maneuvering behind the scenes during my absence.

Now that I was back, she had come to persuade me in person.

“Did I mishear you, Camilla? I am the next head of Ortenos. Shalka is merely my attendant. Would you kindly correct yourself?”

“I do not recognize you as the next head, Elmia. In your current state, you are unfit for the role. With Shalka’s achievements, he is the rightful successor.”

Though her words were polite, Mother’s hostility toward Elmia was unmistakable.

“Camilla, Shalka has no desire to inherit the family. As his mother, shouldn’t you respect that?”

Elmia stood her ground against Mother’s pressure.

Impressive.

“Shalka, you’ve always been a boy without greed. Blessed with talent, mastering every combat skill, yet never once acting like a spoiled noble. That’s precisely why I worry for you.”

Mother approached me, her tone gentle yet firm.

Elmia frowned as she watched us.

“Shalka, in your current position, you cannot fully utilize your talents. You’ll only be buried in this aristocratic society.”

“Enough, Camilla.”

“No, Elmia. Deep down, you know it too, don’t you? Having watched Shalka’s talents up close all this time.”

“That’s…”

Elmia faltered, as if struck where it hurt.

Mother wasn’t the scheming type like Father—she was more passionate.

Elmia, on the other hand, preferred the roundabout, deductive speech typical of nobles, making her ill-suited to handle Mother’s directness.

“Shalka, I know you care for your family more than anyone. But in this noble society, that alone won’t suffice. The world isn’t kind enough to survive on sentiment.”

“…But Mother, I have no right of succession.”

“Don’t be naive! Everything I say is for your sake. In times like these, I could die at any moment. If war breaks out again, I won’t be able to protect you alone. You must learn to stand on your own.”

Her words were stern, carrying the weight of a warrior’s resolve.

Was this the strength of a woman who had lived through battle?

Her love, deeper than most nobles’, was embarrassing yet comforting.

But knowing she was preparing for a future without her filled me with unbearable sadness.

“Mother, please don’t say such heartbreaking things…”

“No. As long as the Ranecki bind your legitimacy, they’ll keep sending you to the frontlines to be exploited in war.”

“I won’t allow that.”

“You’re the daughter of House Ranecki’s Elena. How can you say that?”

Elmia glared at Mother, her expression resolute.

“I’ll take Shalka as my husband.”

(Oh, she said it.)

I had thought Elmia was still in a state where she couldn’t speak freely until we dealt with her fiancé, Gilga.

But being cornered by Mother must have forced her hand.

“Huh?”

Mother’s mouth hung open in shock.

“Sorry, but Shalka is mine. So your role here is over, Camilla. From now on, I’ll take care of him. Feel free to retreat to your estate.”

Elmia pulled me close as she spoke.

Honestly, my heart skipped a beat.

Was this what it felt like to be the heroine of a story?

“E-Elmia, are you saying you and Shalka have already…?”

Mother pointed at us, her arm trembling.

“That’s right. Shalka and I are very close. Just last night, I slept in the same bed as him.”

“Eeeek?!”

Elmia wrapped her arms around me and stuck out her tongue.

What’s with this little sister? She’s cheeky and adorable.

But this was bad, Mother was screeching.

(Ahh… It’s out in the open now.)

What do we do? This is spiraling out of control.

The mood for discussing me becoming head of the family was long gone.

“Hey, Elmia, stop provoking Mother.”

I whispered a warning to her.

Angering Mother was dangerous.

“What? Shalka, who’s more important your mother or your wife?”

Are we really doing the mother-in-law vs. wife conflict now?!

“Both are important, idiot.”

I flicked her forehead lightly.

“Ow! Brother, you hit me!”

Elmia pouted adorably in protest.

“…I refuse to accept this. Absolutely not.”

Mother exhaled sharply, her breath white, as if cursing under it.

The temperature seemed to drop around us.

“Say what you want, but Sharka and I love each other. Nothing you say will change that.”

Elmia was right.

With the depth of our magical bond, the idea of separation was unthinkable.

“…Very well, Elmia. If that’s how it is—we’ll settle this with a duel!”

Mother declared war.

“Fine. I accept.”

Elmia agreed without hesitation.

Wait, how did we get here?!

◇◇◇◇

Ortenatris Third Training Grounds.

A coliseum-style arena carved into a mountain, spanning a radius of about two hundred meters.

Built to withstand even the strongest stellar-ranked magic.

Somehow, Mother and Elmia had ended up dueling here.

“Sharka, what in the world is happening?”

“Ah, Father, well, it’s a long story…”

After explaining the situation, Father let out a heavy sigh.

“Sigh… This is my fault. I never told Camilla that I had already approached you about becoming head.”

“It couldn’t be helped.”

Giving Mother classified information was like pouring oil on fire.

She would’ve spread it everywhere to create facts on the ground.

Not that she was untrustworthy. Prioritizing family interests was standard for nobles.

“Sigh… Camilla never changes. At this point, there’s no stopping it. Try to talk Elmia down.”

Father shook his head before heading off to act as Mother’s second.

Probably to convince her to call off the duel.

…A futile effort, no doubt.

“Brother, why are Sister and Mother dueling?”

Roa asked me with innocent curiosity.

“Roa, life is full of surprises. Mother will probably do the same when you get married.”

“Huh? I’m getting married?”

“…No, I meant when someone marries you.”

“O-Oh… But I’m fine as long as I have you, Brother.”

As always, Roa’s beauty rivaled that of any girl.

I really needed to find him a fiancé soon.

I couldn’t keep relieving him forever.

◇◇◇◇

After that, I went to Elmia.

She was meditating with her favorite staff in hand.

“Elmia.”

“Brother, you came to cheer for me?”

“Of course.”

“…I always knew this day would come.”

She spoke as if she had foreseen this moment.

“Did you?”

“Yes. Camilla is your mother, after all. I never thought she’d let me take you as my husband without a fight.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

“‘Suppose’? Couldn’t you stand up for your future wife a little more?”

“Fair. But Mother is a formidable opponent.”

“I know. But I’m actually a little excited to face her. It feels like I’m getting closer to my own mother, who once stood beside Camilla as an equal…”

Elmia’s mother and mine had been the main wife and concubine, respectively, and their relationship had apparently been strained.

According to Father, they reconciled after we were born.

Elena, Elmia’s mother, had been far gentler and more beautiful than one would expect from a Raanekki.

Her long lashes and delicate eyes had been perfectly inherited by her daughter.

“If I had to give you advice, avoid close combat.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. If you enter Mother’s range, she’ll cut you down instantly. Her skill is that refined.”

“Understood…”

Elmia suddenly stepped closer.

She pressed her forehead to mine and cupped my cheek.

“…I won’t lose, so keep your eyes only on me. I’ll prove that your wife is the best.”

Her golden eyes were unwavering.

I was speechless under their intensity.

(…When did she become so cool?)

Had my own exploits inspired her?

Seeing the once-crybaby Elmia like this nearly moved me to tears.

“Yeah. Go get her, Elmia.”

I sent her off with a smile.