Something Wrong with This Family

In a side room of the Castle, Fana dismissed the surrounding maids and walked toward the trembling David.

She reached out and took Little Arro, carefully examining him for a moment before raising her head and saying coolly, "Mr. David Gana, you studied at Wendell Wizardry Academy for six years, successfully brought back Lady Nicole, and had Little Arro. I am deeply grateful to you."

David muttered, "Ms. Fana, Wendell Wizardry Academy isn't a matchmaking agency."

"And besides—six years is far too long for matchmaking."

"Mr. David, you actually knew that?"

Fana looked rather surprised. "Then why, after six years of study, did you still not understand the difficulty Transcendents face in producing offspring?"

I fell for it!

David realized it.

"The activation of wizardry comes with energy radiation. Powerful wizards do not even need to use wizardry; their residences will be covered by the energy radiation spreading from them, producing the effect of Material Activation."

Fana explained briefly, then looked at David again.

"A newborn's soul is underdeveloped, and its body has yet to mature. A fragile soul can easily be shattered by energy radiation, while a delicate body may be stimulated by it and develop all kinds of mutations..."

Little Arro quietly watched the two of them. He could tell that the maid was currently lecturing someone.

What was going on?

An elderly maid was scolding the Castle's master?

Was that normal?

Could it be that he was not actually the Castle's heir?

Why had wind-like wings appeared behind that maid just now?

Had his father turned invisible earlier?

Fana had no idea that Little Arro in her arms was filled with doubts. She glanced at David. "Let me remind you once again."

"Your wife, Lady Nicole, even drank a Wizard Power Suppression Potion specially refined for prisoners for the sake of this newborn."

"Your father, Lord Pachez Gana, had long heard of Little Arro's birth and specifically sent five Formal Knights to come and go from this Small Castle in rotation, solely to hear every little thing that happened to Little Arro each day."

"But trapped by old age and frailty, with the energy radiation in his body worsening, no matter how much he loved and missed him, he did not dare come to visit in person."

"Under such circumstances, honorable Mr. David Gana."

"You—actually held Little Arro in your arms and cast wizardry against your body!"

"Do you know how serious the consequences could have been for Little Arro?"

Arro raised his head in confusion. Although he still could not understand the language of this new world, he could recognize his new name.

Was this maid scolding Father because of me?

David defended himself. "What I cast just now was the Ilumi Refraction Concealment Technique. It is wizardry specifically meant to conceal oneself. The energy fluctuations of concealment wizardry are weak to begin with."

"I also cast it inside my body. The resulting energy fluctuations would not differ much from the normal energy fluctuations in my body."

"Energy fluctuations at that level would not affect Little Arro at all."

Fana smiled without really smiling. "I am merely a pitiful knight, so naturally I cannot understand the knowledge of noble wizards. I only hope that, later, you can repeat those words to Lord Pachez Gana."

David's face changed drastically. "What? My father... knows about this?"

"It would be impossible for me to hide this matter from my master."

"Ms. Fana, you can't do this!" David wailed in misery. "Do you know what he'll do to me?"

Hearing that agitated tone and seeing that exaggerated expression from the corner of his eye, Arro could not help wondering whether his father had committed some offense and was about to be severely punished.

Could no one else be allowed to find out that he could turn invisible?

Was he some strange race?

The complicated memories from his previous life gave Little Arro a powerful imagination, but while they improved his ability to accept things, they also made it harder for him to judge his present situation.

The problem was... I haven't discovered any strange abilities in myself.

Arro composed himself.

Right now, he should think of a way to help his father in this life. He had not grown up yet. Father was his best shield, and he could not fall.

That was right. When he had cried out in fright earlier, this maid had immediately responded.

Over the past days, he had often been fed by this elderly maid as well.

If not for the fact that she dressed like the other maids and worked with them every day, he would have thought she was his grandmother in this life.

In that case...

"Fa... na."

Little Arro imitated David's call in a weak voice.

When he heard his own soft, sweet voice, Little Arro's sense of shame surged uncontrollably.

He did not truly want to make such a sound, but he was far too young, only half a year old. His vocal cords had barely begun to develop.

Moreover, Little Arro had deliberately kept quiet. Since his birth, he had hardly made a sound, so this new body was simply too unfamiliar with speaking.

"What? You want him to fight knights without using Mental Strength?"

Ms. Fana prepared to end her meaningless conversation with David. Holding Little Arro, she turned and walked out.

"I think it's a good idea. You could even do it several times. It would train your combat awareness very well."

"Not just one knight, but knights! He'll call a whole group of knights to gang up on me!" David wailed repeatedly. "No, Ms. Fana, Aunt Fana..."

Seeing this, Little Arro stopped trying to adjust his voice. He hurriedly grabbed the older maid's collar, blinked his eyes, and spoke in a childish voice.

"Fa... na!"

Ms. Fana's body stiffened, and she could not help stopping.

"This..." David also looked at Little Arro in shock. The room immediately fell silent.

Arro's heart tightened as he pondered anxiously.

Did I do something wrong?

No!

I endured more than six months without speaking for safety.

But I was only a baby. If something happened to Father and the family lost him, how could I possibly still be safe?

For Father's sake, exposing myself was definitely worth it!

Besides, I was already half a year old. Making two "simple" sounds now was not too exaggerated... right?

"Fa... na!" Little Arro murmured again.

David shuddered, raised his head, and smiled bitterly. "All right! Looks like you won't need to notify him. I'll go find him right away."

That very day, Father David left the Castle. When Little Arro saw David again the next day, he almost failed to recognize his father if not for the unchanged clothes.

There was no need to mention his bruised and swollen face. Even his golden hair, which he normally cherished and kept exceptionally smooth, was now gray-black.

His ragged, chewed-up-looking hair even carried the smell of scorched leather.

In the days that followed, Arro discovered that his treatment had changed completely. The peaceful days of before were gone.

All sorts of scholars now frequently came and went around him, beginning to teach Little Arro, who was still held in someone's arms, all kinds of boring knowledge.

Why was it boring?

One only had to watch the drool drip from Father's mouth each time to roughly understand.

Arro even classified the degree of boredom based on how quickly Father fell asleep.

The strongest level could be called the Eye-Closing Professor.

That was, the scholar entered the room, and Father fell asleep.

The weakest could be called the Lunch Professor.

About half an hour after the scholar started speaking, Father began nodding off.

...Father!

Don't even think about building up some grand image in front of me in this life!

Your identity as a poor student was exposed far too early!

It was not only David who was bored. Little Arro was bored too.

He really did not know what the people in this family were thinking. Did it make any sense to teach a baby only a few months old?

He could not understand a thing!

It was not that he could not understand the content. He directly could not understand the language, and could only barely glean the slightest bit from a few illustrated diagrams.

After all, since his birth, he had only spoken two words in total!

The first was "Daddy." Little Arro had only said it a few times because David carried him around every day, and deserved some credit for his hard work.

The second was the "Fana" Little Arro had called a few days ago... though the pronunciation had not been very accurate.

That's right, he had not even called out "Mother"!

Having never practiced speaking, how could he learn a new language so quickly just by listening!

Speaking of which, his mother in this life was strange too. Ever since he was born, he had never witnessed her again, yet her voice often rang through the Castle.

"Little Arro, have you missed Mother?"

Look, that voice was here again!

Miss you my ass. A voice suddenly echoed beside him, yet there was no one else around. If he were a normal baby, he would probably have been frightened into a nervous breakdown long ago.

Little Arro rolled his eyes. He had heard that sentence so often that he could roughly guess its meaning.

He ignored it and turned his head instead, pushing aside the soft things blocking his view.

Father was far too irresponsible. He actually let such a large maid hold me. Didn't he know that being too large made my life very inconvenient?

While Little Arro grumbled inwardly, David, who had been napping in a side room, suddenly woke with a start. He sprang up, ran to the windowsill, spotted the Beautiful Figure outside the Castle, and immediately ran out while shouting happily, "Nicole, you're finally back!"

"Yes, I finished recuperating and hurried over right away!"

Nicole's face was exceptionally pale, as though she had not seen sunlight for a long time. Yet her damp brown hair and fresh clothes showed that she had just washed up.

David hurried forward. Seeing Nicole's haggard face, he said sympathetically, "I told you long ago that you didn't need to be so harsh on yourself. Look, there are quite a few Formal Wizards in the Academy who did not go to such lengths when having children!"

Nicole's Mental State was not very good, but her face was filled with excitement. She said carelessly, "I agree with the reasoning your father gave. Since we discovered that energy fluctuations can affect babies, we naturally have to do our best. As long as Little Arro grows up healthy, that is enough."

"Anything that talks about toxicity without considering dosage is a lie."

David muttered gloomily, but if his reasoning could have convinced Nicole, she would not have acted that way in the first place.

"What happened to your hair? You're not as handsome as before. Your place in my heart has Lowered by one percent!"

Nicole stared at David's head and teased him as she walked.

Less than half a month had passed since David used wizardry. The swelling and redness on his face had faded, but his hair had not grown back so quickly.

"Hm? Ah?"

How could David dare confess what he had done? In his view, it had not been excessive, but saying it outright would only bring him trouble. So he evaded the question and changed the subject.

"What did you just say? Right, how about we go see Little Arro?"

At those words, Nicole perked up. She clasped her hands before her chest, anticipation shining in her beautiful eyes as she turned back with an eager expression. "Where is Little Arro? Hurry and take me to him. He must have grown so cute by now, right?"

In the study, the middle-aged bald lecturer at the front spoke with animated gestures and an impassioned expression. Yet Little Arro only discovered after watching for a long time that this "professor" was teaching mathematics—and elementary school first-grade mathematics at that!

For someone dressed so neatly and formally, you're just an elementary-level teacher.

Although Little Arro complained inwardly, he still listened seriously for a while.

After confirming that this world also used a decimal system, barely memorizing the symbols for zero through ten, and confirming that this world's plus sign was the multiplication sign from his previous life—

Little Arro helplessly discovered that the things this "professor" taught afterward brought him no benefit whatsoever.

Yet the young maid holding Little Arro was completely engrossed. To her, this was an opportunity she could never hope to obtain.

One spoke with enthusiasm, while the other listened attentively. The two were surprisingly in sync.

Only poor Little Arro, without realizing it, had once again fallen into a sea of softness.

Listening to that passionate tone he did not understand and feeling the softness around him, Little Arro's eyelids could not help drooping.

A young body became tired far too easily!

Little Arro sighed inwardly, wriggled to make himself more comfortable, and prepared to rest.

Tap, tap, tap...

After several months of adjustment, Little Arro immediately recognized Father's Footsteps. Mixed among them was another unfamiliar set of Footsteps.

Father was here?

Was it time for some fresh air?

Little Arro lazily closed his eyes.

Whatever. I'll deal with it after I wake up. Right now, heaven comes first, earth comes second, and I come third.

Who would dare cut short my fresh-air time?

Just as he was drifting off, his body suddenly lifted into the air. The abrupt sensation of weightlessness jolted him awake.

"My Little Arro!"

Amid the noisy voices, a huge female face entered Little Arro's dazed field of vision. Before he could react, that large face affectionately moved close and began kneading his little cheeks.

Ugh...

The space kept swaying. He barely glanced toward Father, who was walking over nearby, from the corner of his eye, but found no trace of nervousness on David's face. Instead, there was a hint of pity.

Then he saw her comparing their Five Senses from time to time, as if she were saying, "This part looks like me, that part looks like me..."

Only after Little Arro noticed a familiar, warm heartbeat did he finally realize.

This was—his mother?

He could not be blamed for taking so long to think of it. He had only seen Mother once on the day he was born, and his eyesight had not developed then. If not for the memories from the ten months in the womb, he might not have recognized her now.

"Wah wah."

Little Arro casually cried out twice, giving his mother in this life some face as a greeting.

Yet his unintentional cry brought about a huge reaction. Mother excitedly said something to Father, her face full of a proud, foolish grin, and her Eyes toward Little Arro brimming with adoration.

The bald "professor" beside them saw that no one paid him any attention and became somewhat at a loss. After looking around, he gathered his courage and said, "Mr. David, since Madam has returned today, I won't disturb you any longer. I'll take my leave first."

Nicole raised her head in surprise. Only then did she notice that there was someone else in the study.

After David returned from seeing the man out, Nicole could not help asking, "David, who was that? Your friend? Did something happen again?"

"No, he's a teacher hired to teach Arro."

"What?"

Nicole's eyes widened as she asked incredulously, "Teach Arro? Did I hear that right?"

"That was Father's idea." David avoided mentioning what he had done and told her everything else.

In short, Arro might be a genius.

Upon learning this, Nicole became even more interested. She completely rejected the Genius Training Plan David and the others had devised, dismissed the teacher, and began personally teaching him herself.

On the first day, Nicole kept repeating "Call me Mama" beside Little Arro's ear. Whenever she saw Little Arro Opened His Eyes, she would rush over and start nagging again, with the determination to keep at it until the seas ran dry and the rocks crumbled.

At that moment, Little Arro finally understood how Sun Wukong had felt in A Chinese Odyssey!

The same sentence repeated beside his ear, over and over and over again... It was even more brainwashing than the Brainwashing Demon Song!

From morning until evening, Little Arro was Mentally and Physically Exhausted and dazed. In a moment of carelessness, he blurted out, "Call... Mama!"

Then Pandora's Box was opened.

Nicole seemed as though she never needed sleep. Day or night, as long as Little Arro woke up, she would immediately appear and tirelessly teach him all kinds of words.

In just three short months, he successfully learned the language of this world and could communicate with Mother.

But this was also the beginning of another nightmare.

"Little Arro is amazing! He can even hold his own bottle and drink from it!"

"Mother, please shut up."

"Little Arro is amazing! He even knows how to dress himself!"

"Mother, please leave."

"Little Arro is amazing! He's even pooping solid poop!"

"Mother, please shut up and get out!"

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