The growth of a child is naturally something to be happy about, but such a sudden growth is only troublesome for both the child and the parents.
How will they even get along with friends at the academy if they grow that much?
It’s difficult to go outside when there are no clothes to wear or proper underwear ready, and it also creates issues for sleeping together in bed as usual.
If I’m worried and conflicted like this, how must Luke feel?
His expression while looking at his own body has been far from bright since earlier.
Typically, physical growth should occur slowly and naturally alongside various psychological developments for a healthy mindset to take root.
However, Luke is entirely unprepared for his physical growth right now.
As a girl, Luke needs to go through the processes that all girls experience.
But right now, Luke has skipped all of that and is left with only a grown body.
Along with the ‘power’ he recently gained, this sort of side effect must be immensely confusing.
“So, how can I help now? Do you need anything?”
Yerna asked in a genuinely concerned voice.
But Luke shook his head and replied.
“There’s nothing specific I need you to do. I think I can manage on my own.”
If he hadn’t spaced out and foolishly dozed off during meditation, he could have finished the task before Yerna arrived.
All he needed was time and focus.
“Is that so? It seems like you’re figuring things out. That makes me relieved… But are you really okay?”
With a confident expression, Luke nodded.
“Ah, by the way, there’s one thing I would like. I’d appreciate it if you could not disturb me while I’m concentrating on meditation.”
“Got it. I was planning to sleep on the sofa after taking a shower anyway.”
“Thanks for your concern.”
“I too, wish for things to be resolved well.”
Yerna thought that she hoped Luke would quickly return to his adorable self.
That was the outcome both she and Luke wished for.
——
After finishing a quick shower, Yerna went into the living room and saw a woman.
‘…….’
Yerna gulped while looking at Luke.
Sitting silently in a chair, eyes closed with a serene expression focused on something, Luke looked so sacred and beautiful that it felt like she were seeing a goddess.
Would Luke look like this when she grows up?
Always so cute, Luke will grow up to be that beautifully.
Thinking about it felt quite peculiar.
It hadn’t even been a year since she first met Luke, yet she had gone through so many experiences with Luke.
Well, Luke couldn’t remain an eternally cute 10-year-old.
Luke, like everyone else, would eventually graduate from the academy and get a job.
If she looks that pretty, she might even have many boyfriends.
If she does, she hopes to fall in love with a kind and good man.
Since Luke is smart, her judgment about men will surely be sharp as well.
Yerna felt reassured that she didn’t need to worry about Luke in that regard; Luke would manage just fine.
‘Hehe, I’m already worrying like a mother.’
Yerna silently smiled.
Watching Luke’s grown appearance, she lost track of time imagining future events.
Even though she didn’t give birth to him, Luke was still undeniably Yerna’s child.
“…….”
However, Luke’s current appearance had aspects that couldn’t simply be described as ‘grown.’
It was those horns.
Four horns, they were too conspicuous.
Surely everyone would think it was strange.
Given that the shape is different from ordinary people, would others’ gazes wound him?
That was Yerna’s biggest concern.
Nonetheless, seeing how Luke had remained so far, she was confident that Luke would soon brush off such things and live confidently.
Yerna nodded and turned to look out the window.
The sky was a little cloudy.
It might rain in the afternoon.
‘Now that I think about it, won’t it be cold if I just wear a bathrobe?’
The weather was quite chilly, fitting for autumn.
Even though it was home, wearing just a bathrobe during a season change could lead to catching a cold.
‘I should bring a blanket to cover him.’
Though she asked not to disturb him, this should be fine.
Having a warm body would surely help with his concentration.
Just as Yerna draped the blanket over Luke’s shoulders…
“Hmm….”
Luke started to mumble and gradually lowered his head.
“……!”
Yerna was momentarily startled by Luke’s actions and pulled her hands away, wondering if she had done something wrong.
However, what Luke did next was entirely unexpected.
He quickly lifted his lowered head and, after a few seconds, slowly lowered it again.
As he brought his head down again, he swiftly raised it to its original position and then slowly lowered it once more.
It felt like the slow motion of pounding something.
After repeating this several times, Yerna became convinced.
She understood the meaning of this behavior.
“Luke…? Are you perhaps asleep?”
What she saw was not just her impression; anyone would say he was dozing off.
This couldn’t be meditation.
“Luke?”
“Mm… Ah… Mmm…”
Hearing the mumbling look like sleep-talking, Yerna let out a frustrated laugh.
It seemed that meditation had turned into sleep.
“Haha. You must be really tired.”
She said while gently patting Luke’s head.
“If you’re sleepy, go lie down on the bed, I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
“Uh-huh… Just a bit more…”
Hearing Luke’s drowsy murmuring, Yerna paused her hand for a moment and spoke.
“Did you wake up? Then let’s get you to bed quickly.”
However, Luke continued to mumble in a sluggish voice.
“Just a little more… Mom.”
“……Luke? Did you… just call me Mom?”
Yerna startled as the unexpected title popped out of Luke’s sleep-talking and quickly withdrew her hand.
Luke mumbled with disappointment.
“Mom, don’t go… just pet me a bit more…”
“Ah… It was sleep-talk after all.”
Realizing that Luke was still sleep-talking, Yerna let out a sigh.
The ‘Mom’ Luke called wasn’t referring to her.
Perhaps, right now, Luke was dreaming of his ‘real mom.’
Yerna resumed her soothing movements, gently petting Luke’s head.
“…You know, with your body grown, you look even more childish, Luke.”
“Hehe….”
Yerna continued to pet Luke’s head for a while.
——–
A few days later.
Luke, who had grown to a height comparable to an adult male, had now shrunk down to fit within the category of a child, and the impressive size and weight of his chest had diminished to just slightly larger than before, and the four horns that adorned his head had been reduced to the usual two.
“Finally, I’ve finally reached the 5th circle….”
Returning to the body of a child, Luke banged his forehead on the table and slumped over.
‘I’ll measure my height later.’
Under normal circumstances, he would immediately measure his height to prove his theory that ‘if the circle grows, so does height,’ but Luke lacked the energy to do so now.
Raising the circle was much harder than he had expected.
“Ugh….”
Luke sighed heavily from fatigue.
‘How could I keep falling asleep every time I meditate…?’
After many attempts at meditation, he had dozed off each time.
If it were just once or twice, it could be a mistake, but how could he keep falling asleep in every situation?
This was no longer a matter of concentration.
It felt like a rejection of the refined mana from his body.
‘Perhaps it’s because I’m trying to handle the circle with an excessive amount of divine power…’
The number of beings who have experience handling both divine power and magic throughout history is not many, and whether that fact is generally applicable is uncertain, but at the very least, it seems that his physical condition is like that.
As Yerna watched Luke collapse in exhaustion, she smiled and clapped.
“Congratulations, you’re finally back.”
“Thank you for the congratulations, Yerna…”
Luke received a cup filled with a restorative potion from Liv, who had come over, and took a sip while looking at Yerna.
Yerna had a somewhat disappointed expression.
“……”
Understanding why, Luke found it hard to raise his head.
Perhaps, she felt a sense of loss at the thought that there would be no more sleep-talking from him.
For some reason, whenever he woke up from his meditation, he always found himself waking on Yerna’s lap.
Each time, Yerna asked, “Did you have a good dream?” but Luke never remembered what dream he had and replied that he never dreamed.
Yet whenever he said that, Yerna would always give him a meaningful smile and say, “Is that so?” which always sparked Luke’s curiosity.
Slightly frustrated at not being able to remember what he had sleep-talked about, Luke had eventually asked what he said in his sleep, and the answers he received were shocking.
He had been uttering things like loving his mom, wanting hugs, wanting to be petted…
Things that he would never say in his right mind, yet he had been babbling them happily while smiling.
It was incomprehensible.
But if that were true, the answer was simple.
‘……Perhaps… that could be Parvati’s lingering personality…’
In any case, it was definitely not himself.
“Ugh…!”
Recalling that incident, Luke raised his cup high to hide his flushed face and gulped down the entire potion, using it to cover his face.
