NOVEL NEXT chapter 3
3: Baby, Realizing His Potential
“Hey, Camilla. You know when a baby suddenly makes a serious face, why do you think that is?”
“I wonder. Why do you think? Oh, but you see, as soon as he makes a serious face, he immediately smiles. I wonder why.”
“I wonder why.”
I chuckled to myself, realizing my own power.
By the time I could hold my head up and turn over, I had become aware of the dormant power within me.
In other words—magic.
This world is a world of swords and magic.
Alternate worlds can generally be divided into two types: the “world of magic” and the “world of science.”
There are various differences between these two, but the major one is whether the world is powered by “individual energy” or “resource energy.”
The world of magic is a world powered by individual energy.
The social structure is also based on the premise that “each person possesses energy.”
The advantage of this is that in a world of magic, even a baby has the potential to defeat adults.
In the world of science, one needs a certain level of intelligence and power to handle weapons. But in the world of magic, as long as there is a firm will to “cause a phenomenon,” magic can be used.
In other words, the reason they try to please me and treat me with respect is because they are wary of my magic.
But—I don’t intend to casually unleash magic just because of that.
Because adversity is my standard. In a world where magic is important, the energy required to use it… magical power, is surely at the lowest level in humanity.
If it’s an ability necessary for survival, it’s definitely the weakest.
That’s been my life until now.
So, I want to practice magic quietly, without letting my parents notice.
That’s what I thought, but…
My parents are always watching the baby.
An abnormal level of surveillance.
Won’t they look away for a moment?
I don’t understand. Does the baby have such power that they need to be so cautious? Why are they staring so intently, reacting to every move and gesture? I don’t understand. It’s completely incomprehensible.
What pleasure do they find in watching the baby?
…!
Could it be—Is the baby strong!?
There was always something that bothered me.
When I cried “I’m hungry,” I was immediately offered breast milk, and when I cried “I need a diaper change,” it was done immediately.
Even when I was a little cranky and cried, they immediately took care of me, and their care was always gentle, as if they were handling something fragile.
And even when I wasn’t doing anything, they read stories to me, played music for me…
A VIP.
Is the baby a VIP? A being that is so powerless and only excretes waste? That can’t be. Therefore, there must be a reason for them to treat me as a VIP.
In other words—The weak are fawning over the strong.
The baby was the strongest.
If that theory holds, then all of my parents’ actions can be explained—otherwise, I can only think that my parents are taking care of me because they like to.
Maybe Mama, but not Papa.
The concept of “Papa” that I know couldn’t possibly involve ‘enjoying taking care of a baby.’
Because a baby could potentially become a future enemy. There are parents who may seek to eliminate them early on, but there are no parents who would nurture them with love.
I smirked.
But then, I suddenly became serious—right, if the baby is the strongest, time is running out. In the world I came from, newly born larvae grow bigger day by day, approaching adulthood.
And if Papa, who is likely to be an adult, is trying to keep me happy and fears my power, then as I approach adulthood, there’s a possibility that I will lose this strongest power I have now.
However, even if I want to practice magic, my parents’ surveillance is strict, and someone is always by my side, whether I’m awake or asleep.
…Damn! They’ve thought of everything!
So, the baby is planning to rebel against their parents, huh? They saw right through it! This abnormal surveillance network must be the reason… Cruel. But there’s no other explanation for this magnificent and cunning countermeasure.
Can I just do it without any practice?
…No, that won’t work. I have experience in many magical worlds and know about a total of five hundred thousand different magical systems—but even if I can categorize them, each one has its own unique details. The magical system in this world is also gradually different from what I know.
And that “slight difference” could potentially corner me to a fatal extent.
Furthermore, the “baby is the strongest” theory is just my assumption. I have to confirm if it’s true or not as well.
The problems are piling up.
The situation is so dire that I agonized over it. I cried.
“Oh, you’re crying again. Rex, your expressions change so quickly…”
“Yeah, babies sometimes get surprised by their own crying and make a serious face.”
Wah!