Reincarnated in Another World at the Age of 82!? - Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7

My Beloved Daughter
Stanley’s Point of View
I have a five-year-old daughter.

Having two older sons, I may have raised her a bit too leniently.

Even at her young age, she throws tantrums if she isn’t the center of attention, and she’s incredibly picky, refusing to eat any vegetables.

This daughter of mine was judged to have the Null attribute at her baptism.

Honestly, I was shocked.

I am of the Fire attribute and have the skills to back it up, having served as the Vice-captain of a Monster Hunting Corps until I inherited my title.

My wife, Margaret, is similar. As a Wind attribute, she served as the deputy head of the Magician Division until we married.

Our two older children also possess elemental attributes.

Our eldest, Noel, has the same Fire attribute as me. Even at his age, he demonstrates considerable control, and if he continues at this pace, he’ll likely be able to join the Magician Division as he hopes.

Our second son, Gene, shares his mother’s Wind attribute. Though he’s still working on control, he diligently practices swordsmanship daily under the guidance of both me and our butler, Gray.

So, the judgment of the Null attribute was truly a shock.

However, after her judgment, Joan fainted, and it was then that I realized she was more shocked by the result than I was. Knowing her, she must have overestimated herself.

When she wakes, she’ll surely throw a fit.

What should I do…?

The next day, shortly after noon, my daughter woke up.

Without any anger or tears, she apologized for worrying us, even smiling in a way I had never seen before.

It seemed she still hadn’t recovered from the shock.

At dinnertime, Joan arrived late as usual.

What was unusual, though, was that she apologized for being late, performing a graceful curtsey.

I hid my surprise and invited her to take her seat.

The meal proceeded as usual: soup, salad, main course, and bread. But tonight, there were more vegetables than usual. Normally, Joan would make a fuss about it. I just want a quiet dinner, but…

Tonight was different.

Before she even began eating, Joan said, "Itadakimasu." I’m not sure what she meant by that…

And then, to my astonishment, this girl who normally despises vegetables ate without a single complaint. She didn’t finish everything, but this was a drastic improvement from before.

As we moved to the living room after the meal, I noticed Joan speaking with Gray. Fearing she was complaining about the food, I checked with Gray, only to find that she had asked him to apologize to the cooks on her behalf for not finishing her meal.

What has happened to my daughter?

Did she hit her head and change?

Once she was settled in the living room, I decided it was time to bring up the topic of her baptism.

But suddenly, Joan dropped to the floor, pleading for us to let her stay in the house, even if it meant working as a maid.

Even if she’s of the Null attribute, she’s still my beloved daughter. Why has she come to feel this way?

Exhausted from crying after everyone’s attempts to comfort her, she eventually fell asleep on my lap.

I carried her to her room and tucked her into bed.

As moonlight streamed in, I stroked her head.

I need to think carefully about how I can ensure she lives without hardship… so that her smile never fades.

“Goodnight. Sweet dreams.”

I left her room and headed to the living room.

We need to discuss what lies ahead.

----------

Brothers Who Care Deeply for Their Little Sister
Stanley’s Point of View
When I returned to the living room, Margaret, Noel, and Gene were waiting.

“My dear, will Joan be alright?”

Of course, it was natural for my wife to be worried.

“Yes, she’ll be fine. She’s sleeping well, though I’m sure she’s still feeling some confusion from the shock.”

“There’s no way Joan is truly a Null attribute; it must be some kind of mistake. Maybe if we have her judged again, we’ll get a different result.”

“Margaret, there’s no mistake. The result from the judgment stone is absolute, no matter the attribute it reveals.”

I, too, wished it were a mistake. But I knew it was a verdict we could not overturn…

“Father, if I may.”

Noel spoke up, holding a book in one hand.

“After the baptism yesterday, I looked into various texts about the Null attribute. Though I haven’t found a definitive answer yet…”

He had been researching for his sister’s sake. Truly, he was a wonderful, caring older brother.

“Go on, I’m listening.”

“Yes. The Null attribute is generally considered undesirable because it lacks any of the primary five elemental strengths. However, one of the books I borrowed from the academy’s library mentioned that, ‘Null attributes may sometimes display average capabilities across all elements.’”

“What? What does that mean?”

“The text explains that ‘individuals with the Null attribute tend to lack strong correlations with other attributes, or if they do have them, these connections are usually very minor.’”

“Wait! So does that mean Jo might actually have all the attributes?”

Gene exclaimed, clearly excited.

I could understand his excitement. Until now, the Null attribute had been considered a dud.

“Who wrote that book?”

I needed to confirm if this was legitimate information.

“Uh… it was written by Dr. Longest.”

“What?!”

“Dr. Julietta Longest. That’s right, Aunt Julietta.”

“Her… of all people…”

Julietta Longest. My sister had always been crazy about magic.

After graduating from the academy, she joined the Magician Division and served as the Vice-captain, like my wife. I thought she’d settle down once she married… but her husband, Gilbert, though a brilliant official, was just as passionate about magic as she was.

So, when she announced her desire to attend graduate school after they married, he happily encouraged her. Eventually, she earned her doctorate.

“Alright, I’ll reach out to Julietta myself and get the details. Gray, could you please arrange a time with her?”

“Understood.”

Gray promptly left the room to make contact.

“Oh, by the way, Father, what skill did Jo have?”

Gene asked.

Neither Margaret nor I had checked in the rush of everything.

“Well, if her skill’s decent, then she might still do well even with a Null attribute.”

Gene had his own thoughts about his sister’s future.

“If it turns out to be an interesting skill, that’d be pretty fun, too.”

He added, his comment a bit more playful than necessary.

“Alright, we’ll look into her skill tomorrow and also talk to her about what she wants to do moving forward.”

We would need to guide her in the right direction, for her sake.

----------

Bandit and Little Freckles
---Early Morning, the Next Day

Ugh, crying myself to sleep? That’s so embarrassing. But at five years old, maybe it’s forgivable?

Being in bed means someone carried me here from the living room, doesn’t it? The thought is enough to make me want to cry again from guilt.

My throat feels parched from all the crying. I need a drink of water.

I don’t know where the kitchen is, but I’ll find it if I just keep walking.

With that thought, I left my room.

After a little while, I saw Gray, the butler, approaching from the other direction. He looked a bit startled as he noticed me, quickly coming over.

“Good morning, young lady. It’s not yet five o’clock, but is something the matter?”

From what I remember, I’ve never woken up this early before. Usually, Sarah has to wake me. But as an 82-year-old, this is just my usual wake-up time. Ah, the joys of an early morning in old age.

“Good morning, Gray. I woke up thirsty, so I was hoping to get some water from the kitchen.”

“I see. You know, if you ring the bell in your room, Sarah would have come to assist you.”

“But it’s so early, isn’t it? It would be terrible to wake Sarah up just for some water.”

I mean, Sarah is only twelve. It’s just not right to disturb her.

“! So thoughtful, aren’t you? Shall I accompany you to the kitchen, then?”

“Yes, thank you. I’d appreciate that.”

I bow my head politely.

“!!!”

Unbeknownst to me, the five-year-old Joan was known for her haughty attitude toward everyone. She assumed that others would do things for her without thanks, and she’d never bowed her head or said "please."

As we walked together to the kitchen, Gray, perhaps sensing my confusion, shared some helpful information.

In this world, as in my past life, there is a 24-hour day.

The only difference is that instead of “hours” and “minutes,” they say “o'clock” and “minutes”.

The seasons are the same as Japan, with a week of seven days and a year of 365 days.

The days of the week here are Light, Fire, Water, Wind, Thunder, Earth, and Null.

With my short legs doing their best, I finally arrived at the kitchen.

The cooks were already busy preparing breakfast.

Gray and I entered together.

“Oh? Mr. Gray, what brings you here so early?”

Whoa, he looks like a bandit! Big voice, big build, with a beard.

“Good morning, Abe. I’m not here for myself, actually…”

Gray gestures toward me.

“Good morning. I’m thirsty, so could I pleashe have some water?”

I fumbled over my words. How embarrassing.

““Pfft…”” A stifled laugh came from somewhere. Two of them, actually. It wasn’t Gray… so who could it be?

Before the water arrived, I glanced around the kitchen, curious.

Ah, there she is!

A girl with red pigtails from behind.

She looked like a character from a famous novel! I read that book so much back in the day. If only she had freckles and shared the same name…

As I was grinning to myself at the thought, Abe returned with a cup of water.

“Here you go, young lady. Some water.”

“Thank you.”

“!”

Gulp, gulp, gulp…

Ah, that was refreshing.

But, come to think of it, I remember hearing that lukewarm water is best for health and beauty in the morning.

Maybe I should tell Mother about that next time.

“Sorry to bother you during such a busy time.”

I bow my head again.

“No, no, please, you don’t need to bow. For water, anytime—by the glass, even by the bucket.”

I don’t need a bucket, though.

Oh, I should apologize for leaving food last night. Abe was the chef, if I recall correctly, but best to confirm!

“Excuse me, may I ask your name?”

“Ah, I’m Abe, the head chef here. And this here is… Hey, come over here.”

The red-haired girl approached.

Finally, I’ll get to see her face. Is she a freckle-face?

Bingo!!

Freckle-face confirmed!!

On the brink of hitting jackpot! Now, tell me your name!

“Young lady, my name is Annie.”

Oh, you’re that Annie.

The one from the musical, huh? Well then, shouldn’t you have a curly red afro?

… Calm down, me. Everyone’s watching.

“Abe, Annie, I’m sorry for not finishing my dinner last night. I was too full to eat it all.”

“Oh, no, no, there’s no need to apologize. As long as you were full, that’s all that matters.”

“But wasting food would be a shame… So please, next time, give me a smaller portion.”

I bow my head again.

“Young lady, there’s no need to bow so much.”

Said Gray.

“But it’s important to bow when asking for a favor, isn’t it?”

“!!!”

“Y-yes, I suppose it is important to be courteous when making requests.”

Thud, thud, thud…

Huh? Someone’s running this way. I wonder what’s going on?

Next: https://www.patreon.com/posts/115974900