Tokyo, Taitō Ward.An ordinary three-bedroom apartment.
Leon, Kamo Mayumi, and Gardevoir sat around a small oak dining table, raising their glasses together.
"To our new home," Mayumi said with a gentle smile. "And to our new life."
Nearly half a month had passed since their late-night decision to move. Eight years in the countryside meant relocation wasn't simple—finding the right apartment, completing registration paperwork, and arranging transportation had taken careful planning. Fortunately, modern online services made the process far faster than it would have been in the past.
Now that everything was finally settled, a small family dinner was the perfect way to celebrate.
Mayumi cooked.Leon handled the ingredients.Gardevoir… took care of everything else.
Telekinesis was truly an incredible ability. In battle, it could attack and defend; in daily life, it made chores effortless. Vegetables floated through running water under Gardevoir's precise control, rotating gently to ensure they were washed perfectly—practice disguised as housework.
Leon's Trainer System could display Pokémon levels, but real combat wasn't like a game. Raw strength meant little without control. A kitchen knife in a professional chef's hands was entirely different from one held by an amateur, and the same principle applied to psychic abilities. Since the day Ralts hatched, Leon had focused heavily on precision training.
After eight years, the results spoke for themselves.
Gardevoir could manage household work, fight on the battlefield, and maintain delicate psychic control simultaneously—an elite partner in every sense.
The three glasses clinked softly.
Mayumi took a polite sip. Gardevoir carefully mirrored her gesture. Leon, on the other hand, finished half his drink in one gulp and let out a satisfied breath.
Mayumi frowned. "Watch your manners. You're not a child anymore."
"We're at home. No one else is watching," Leon replied with a grin.
Despite leaving the Kamo clan, Mayumi still carried many of the refined habits she had learned there. Leon, however, retained far more of the casual habits from his previous life.
"Careful," she said lightly. "Xiaosha might start disliking you."
"Would you dislike me?" Leon asked.
Gardevoir shook her head immediately. "Sha~ sha~"
Leon laughed and patted her head, earning a contented expression as her eyes curved into crescents.
Mayumi watched them, muttering, "Ever since I made you sleep in separate rooms, you two seem even closer."
Leon chuckled. "That's how springs work. When you compress them, the rebound gets stronger."
Spending fewer hours together each day had only made Gardevoir more affectionate than before. According to the Trainer System, her personality leaned toward quiet and emotionally attached—something not far from "afraid of loneliness," Leon suspected.
"As long as you're happy," Mayumi said softly.
Before leaving the clan, she might have lectured him about tradition or social expectations. Now, she only wanted her children—Leon, Haruto, and even Gardevoir, whom she treated like a daughter—to live well.
She gently stroked Gardevoir's head. "From tomorrow, I'll be going out to work during the day, so I won't be around much."
Leon blinked. "Work? Why?"
"Because this is Tokyo, not a mountain town," Mayumi replied.
Living costs here were on a completely different level. The settlement funds provided by the Kamo clan had been more than enough in the countryside, but in Tokyo, rent alone consumed a large portion of it. The financial support had clearly been calculated—comfortable enough to survive quietly, but not enough to encourage a luxurious life.
"I graduated from Kyoto University," she added. "Finding a job won't be difficult."
Leon nearly dropped his chopsticks. "Since when?"
"That certification comes automatically after graduating from the sorcerer training academy," she explained calmly. "It ensures injured or retired sorcerers can still support themselves. Kyoto campus graduates are registered under Kyoto University, Tokyo campus graduates under the University of Tokyo, and so on."
Leon blinked, then let out a low whistle. "That's surprisingly considerate."
Given how dangerous sorcerer work was, the system made sense. Without strong benefits, few people would willingly risk their lives fighting curses.
Still, Leon leaned back and said, "You don't have to push yourself, Mom. I've already planned how to earn money. Supporting you is my responsibility."
Mayumi's expression softened, though she shook her head. "You're only sixteen. There's plenty of time for that later."
"The sooner I start, the better." Leon turned toward Gardevoir. "Laptop, please."
"Sha~"
With a gentle motion of her hand, the laptop floated across the room and landed neatly in front of him. Leon opened a browser window and pulled up a popular light novel ranking site. At the top sat a familiar title—one published under his pen name.
"I wrote this series," he said casually. "Based on its current popularity, a print deal is almost guaranteed. I've already finished drafts covering the first ten volumes, enough to carry me financially for years."
Mayumi stared at the screen, verifying the author page again and again before finally looking up at him.
"When did you even have time to do this?"
"Back in the countryside. I had plenty of spare time."
Leon smiled slightly.
Enduring eight quiet years hadn't been wasted time. While the world thought he was living in obscurity, he had been preparing—training Gardevoir, building financial plans, and laying down the first steps of his future.
And this… was only the beginning.