Chapter 13: The Beginning of a New Life

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The Roxfall household does not have a designated cook.

Instead, the maid Sara prepares the meals, her granddaughter Lara assists her, and the butler Johnson serves them.

Lord Roxfall sat at the head of the table, with my mother and me seated opposite each other, flanking him.

“It may seem modest compared to the Lightstar household’s meals, but we’ll do our best to show our hospitality. Welcome to our home, the Roxfall family.”

The dishes spread out on the table were simple, but I actually preferred it this way. In the Lightstar household, even in the annex, we had a cook who prepared our meals. But it always felt like dining on French cuisine, where every meal came with strict manners and a tense atmosphere.

“No, we’re grateful to you for providing us with a place to live and food to eat.”

“Thank you.”

For my mother, who had endured a harsh life as a former slave, living in such a large house and having proper meals was already something to be grateful for.

When I thought back to my infancy, the difference was as stark as heaven and earth; I had no reason to feel dissatisfied.

“Although the formalities have not yet been completed, you are already part of my family. I’d prefer if you spoke to me more casually and didn’t use such formal language.”

“…Understood. From now on, I will do my best to treat you as a husband. However, it will take me a little time to adjust my tone, so please allow me some grace.”

“Understood. Toma-kun, or rather, Toma, will also be my son. Don’t call me Lord Roxfall—call me Father.”

Calling him “Father” all of a sudden felt... challenging.

“…Please allow me to call you Father, formally.”

“Well, if you must. But, eventually, I hope you’ll call me Father without any formality.”

“I’ll try.”

“Good. Let’s eat! Let us give thanks to the Goddess of Bountiful Harvest, Nirgneed.”

“Thanks be to the Goddess of Bountiful Harvest, Nirgneed.”

Nirgneed is the god of harvest and the chief deity. In the Kingdom of Kuldia, the Nirgneed faith is widely practiced, and it seems Lord Roxfall also follows it.

But to me, the only god I recognize is the Nameless One, the Forgotten. The rest of the gods are likely allies of that loathsome deity, so I haven’t ever uttered words of thanks to Nirgneed.

“Thank you for the meal.”

That was all I said aloud.

I might not express gratitude to Nirgneed, but I was thankful for those who grew and hunted the food, and to the ingredients that would nourish me.

The butler Johnson carved the roast bird, seasoned only with herbs and salt to remove any gamey flavor, and it was delicious.

“This meat is fantastic.”

“That’s the meat of a magical bird called the Lightning Bird.”

“A magical bird?”

“It seems the Lightstar Marquisate didn’t serve monster meat. But here, it’s common to eat the meat of magical creatures. I hope you’ll get used to it.”

“I don’t need to get used to it; this meat tastes far better than anything I had back at that mansion.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Please, eat as much as you like.”

The meat was firm and had a nice chew, releasing a juicy sweetness that combined perfectly with the saltiness to create a beautiful harmony.

“Tomorrow, we’ll go to the temple to formalize the marriage and adoption, so be prepared.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Yes.”

Lord Roxfall… no, Father truly seems like a good person. I believe he’ll make Mother happy. I’m relieved.

The following day, we headed to the temple.

It was a small temple in a small village, but it was well-maintained. The grass in the garden was carefully tended, indicating the villagers’ strong faith.

The temple, built of stone, resembled a Japanese shrine in some ways—perhaps it was the atmosphere?

Inside, there were statues of gods. In total… thirteen.

That’s strange. Apart from the chief deity, Nirgneed, there are only supposed to be eleven Great Gods. Why are there thirteen statues?

“Alyusha and I will take care of the paperwork. Would you like to come, Toma?”

“I’ll wait here.”

Father and Mother followed the priest into the back room.

There were four other villagers praying, and they gave a slight nod to Father before resuming their prayers.

Left alone, I examined each statue.

“Tch.”

The god of space, Tilraia. I knew this deity was one of the Great Gods from the books in the Lightstar Marquisate. This statue bore a striking resemblance to that loathsome deity. Hatred welled up from the depths of my heart.

Then there was the Thunder God Doras, and the God of Craft, Shylie.

“Just wait. I’ll make sure to bring you down.”

I muttered these words filled with malice, quietly enough that no one could hear.

When I looked at the other statues, I noticed that the thirteenth statue had no face.

It didn’t make sense; only the chief deity and the Great Gods were supposed to be represented here, so why were there thirteen statues? And why was this one faceless, with the pedestal bearing the god’s name scraped off?

I realized that this must be the statue of the Nameless One, the Forgotten.

I hadn’t yet reached level one hundred. But kneeling before the statue, I prayed.

Using the Transformation skill alone wasn’t enough to level up easily. But level one hundred was merely a stepping stone.

After witnessing Father’s level of three hundred and twenty, I couldn’t help but feel that way.

“Toma, it’s time to go home.”

“Yes.”

Today is just a greeting. Once I reach level one hundred, I’ll come back again.