Genius

He followed Mana Takamiya into the courtyard of the Takamiya family home. The house was small, a two-story Japanese-style building, and there were several unidentified flowers planted in the yard.

There were two pairs of shoes in the entryway, one large and one small.

"Sister, you're back?"

A voice came from inside the house.

Mana Takamiya peeked out from the end of the corridor, her blue ponytail slightly disheveled, her face still flushed from just waking up.

She was wearing white pajamas and fluffy slippers. She was petite and looked a few years younger than Mana Takamiya.

"Mana, we have guests."

Mana Takamiya walked to the entrance, saw Higashino Makoto, and then saw Mio Takamiya in his arms. Her brows furrowed.

Who is this?

"This gentleman's sister is injured and is staying with us temporarily."

Mana Takamiya stared at Higashino Makoto for two seconds, her eyes scrutinizing him.

Then she nodded and stepped aside.

"Come in."

Higashino Makoto's lips twitched slightly.

You believe that already?

Not even a single question?

Are these two sisters really from the same production line?

They're all so easy to fool.

He carried Mio Takamiya into the house and they were seated in a room on the first floor by the window.

The room wasn't big, but it was very clean. The bed was already made, and the blankets were neatly folded.

He placed Mio Takamiya on the bed and covered her with the blanket.

She turned over in her sleep, grabbed his sleeve, mumbled something inaudible, and then fell back into a deep sleep.

Higashino Makoto sat on the edge of the bed, looking at that exquisite face, and a thought popped into his mind.

These two sisters are so innocent; if he wanted to fool them, he could probably get them to have eight children.

He quickly banished the dangerous thought from his mind.

I am a virtuous person, I cannot think about such nonsense.

Not long after, Mio Takamiya woke up.

She opened her eyes, her pale blue pupils gleaming softly in the sunlight.

She sat up, her long white hair falling over her shoulders, and Higashino Makoto's outer robe slipped off her shoulders, revealing a section of her fair shoulder.

"Dad, where is this?"

Her voice was much clearer than before, and her pronunciation was more standard.

Higashino Makoto stood up from the chair and walked to the bedside.

"The Takamiya family. You fell asleep yesterday, so I brought you here."

"The Chonggong family?"

She tilted her head, her long white hair slipping down her shoulder, giving her an alluring, almost sinister look.

"Yes. Mana Takamiya and Mana Takamiya, they are sisters, and they kindly took us in."

Mio Takamiya nodded and did not ask any further questions.

Remembering that she was mentioned as a genius in the original work, Higashino Makoto ruffled her hair and continued speaking.

"Mio, from now on your name will be Mio Takamiya, and my name is Higashino Makoto. Remember to call me 'brother' in front of others. I'll teach you the language and writing of this world later, so study hard!"

She lowered her head and looked at her hands, her five fingers nimbly bending and straightening.

Then she looked up at Higashino Makoto.

"Then I want to learn to speak."

"You're speaking now."

"It's not good enough; I want to learn to be better."

Higashino Makoto couldn't help but marvel; had she already learned to speak without any instruction, even though he had never met her before?

He relied solely on his conversations with the Takamiya sisters.

"Fine, whatever makes you happy."

He walked to the desk, took a dictionary out of the drawer, and handed it to her.

"Look at this first. If you don't recognize any words, ask me."

Mio Takamiya took the dictionary and turned to the first page.

Her eyes swept over the densely packed words as she turned the pages, one by one, at an increasingly faster pace.

Ten minutes later, she closed the dictionary.

"I've finished watching."

Higashino Makoto raised an eyebrow.

"All?"

"All."

She picked up a pen and a piece of paper from the table and began to write.

The handwriting is neat and the strokes are smooth, not at all like someone who has just learned to write.

She wrote a message and handed it to Higashino Makoto.

Higashino Makoto took it and glanced at it; it was a self-introduction she had written herself.

The grammar is correct, the word choice is precise, and even the honorifics are used correctly.

He put down the paper and looked at Mio Takamiya.

"That's right, my Mio is truly a genius! She learned it after just one look."

Higashino Makoto praised the girl, then sighed inwardly.

Good heavens, is this the true value of a deity?

Over the next two days, Mio Takamiya grew at a rate visible to the naked eye.

On the first morning, she learned English.

While Higashino Makoto was having breakfast in the kitchen, he overheard her talking Mana Takamiya in English with Maori Takamiya in the living room. Their conversation ranged from the weather to Shakespeare.

Mana Takamiya was shocked; even she wasn't that good at English.

"Mio, have you ever lived abroad before?"

"No, but I've seen the English novels on your bookshelf; they're quite interesting."

Mana Takamiya opened her mouth, but said nothing.

On the first afternoon, she learned to play the violin.

There was an old violin in Mana Takamiya's room. She borrowed it and played a piece by Bach.

The music was melodious, and the fingering was skillful; it was undoubtedly world-class.

Mana Takamiya stood at the door, her mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg.

"Have you studied violin before?"

"No, but I just looked at a music theory book."

Mana Takamiya was silent for a moment, then turned to look at Higashino Makoto.

Who exactly is your sister?

Higashino Makoto remained unfazed and gestured with his fingertips as if he were in a universe.

"Just an average person, maybe a little too smart."

Mana Takamiya glanced at him, clearly disbelieving, but didn't press him for details.

The next day, she learned medicine.

While Mana Takamiya accidentally cut her finger. The wound was quite deep, and blood was flowing freely.

Mio Takamiya walked over, took her hand and examined it, then pressed a clean cloth against the wound to stop the bleeding, disinfect it, and bandage it—all in one swift motion.

Mana Takamiya stared wide-eyed at her bandaged finger.

"Mio, you studied medicine?"

"No, but I've read the first aid manual."

Mana Takamiya paused for a moment, then shook her head with a wry smile.

Is your sister really just an ordinary person?

Higashino Makoto remained unfazed, sticking to his usual rhetoric.

"Probably just an average person, only a little too smart."

Yes, throughout the world, there are those who have connections to the heavens.

Mana Takamiya didn't believe it either, but she didn't press the matter.

Over the past two days, she had grown accustomed to Mio Takamiya's various "extraordinary performances."

What's more, she also learned to fly.

She mobilized the immense spiritual power within her body, which lifted her body and levitated her in mid-air.

She stood in the courtyard, her feet about a meter off the ground, her long white hair fluttering in the wind, her pale blue eyes gazing at the distant sky.

"Daddy, I can fly now."

Higashino Makoto stood on the steps, arms crossed, looking at her.

"I saw it. Don't fly too high, be careful."

Although there was no one in this world who could threaten her except herself.

"Good."

She descended, landing in front of him, her toes touching the ground without making a sound.

"Dad, I want to learn more."

What do you want to learn?

I want to learn everything.

Higashino Makoto looked into her earnest, light blue eyes and remained silent for a moment.

"Okay, I'll try my best to teach you before I leave."

Leave?

Why leave?

Will it take me with it?

Mio Takamiya frowned slightly, but did not ask any further questions.