Vira Solerion Liyer

"Vira."

Anthony rested his forearms on the table as he clasped his fingers together while looking at Vira.

"Yes, baby?"

Vira looked at her son with her chin resting on her hands, an overjoyous smile decorating her face. She still could hardly believe that their baby was capable of entire sentences at only half a year of age. He even seemed like a wisened old man now and then and a complete brat at other times when he refused to talk because Thomas hugged him a little too long.

He wasn't very talkative, which Vira thought was a shame, and whenever he said anything, it was to express his displeasure or inform Thomas or Vira about something he wanted.

"Bring me to Clemence."

Vira pouted a little.

"Why? Don't you want to spend time with your dear mother?"

"No."

"Uh! You're so mean."

Anthony furrowed his brow. He still couldn't quite understand the intricacies of human conversation. She asked him what he wanted, and he answered truthfully. He didn't want to spend time with Vira since he wanted to learn more medicine from Clemence. That answer upset Vira.

But other times, giving an honest answer had Vira giggling in glee.

'Unnecessarily convoluted.'

"Can you teach me medicine, then, Vira?"

Regardless, Anthony realized he had to improve his conversational skills. Unlike in his past life, he couldn't get what he wanted through overwhelming might. It was a bother, but it was necessary.

Anthony had realized something much these past few months. He would be trapped in human society for far longer than he had initially planned or expected. And the only way to shorten that time would be to go deeper into the human world and excavate the resources and knowledge he needed.

"...No."

Vira knew Anthony had a craving for knowledge like no other, especially in certain areas. But she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed when she couldn't even personally teach her six-month-old what he wanted to know.

"Oh, but I can teach you how to chop trees!"

However, Vira didn't give up that easily and quickly found something else for Anthony to do, something they could do together as mother and son.

"You've already done that twice this week."

"...Right. But you need to do it often and regularly to get good at it and build the necessary strength, you know?"

Anthony looked at Vira with a deadpan expression on his face.

"You won't even let me hold an axe. How am I supposed to practice?"

"Of course! You're much too small to use a real axe!"

"..."

"Ah."

As she said that, Vira understood why Anthony didn't want to go tree chopping with her. She enjoyed it. But if someone told her to use a children's toy or just sit and watch someone else do it, she probably wouldn't enjoy it as much anymore.

Vira sighed in resignation.

"Alright. I can bring you to see if Clemence is free."

"He is."

Vira raised an eyebrow as she looked at Anthony.

"And how do you know that?"

Anthony wasn't sure how he would explain to Vira that he hadn't heard any shouts, screams, or sounds of distress all day without sounding like a non-baby creature. So he didn't explain anything.

"...I just do."

Of course, Clemence could still have customers. But unless it was giving medicine to the villagers with chronic ailments or suffering from recent injuries, Clemence's only business was emergency treatment. Dealing with emergencies was the only thing that would keep Clemence busy for more than a couple of minutes at most.

Vira sighed. She was at a loss for how to deal with her son. It was almost better when he didn't know how to talk fluently. Sometimes, it even felt like he was better at the language than she.

"Fine. I can bring you over, granted you say the magic word."

Vira looked at Anthony, her eyes glittering like stars in the night sky with hope.

"Please?"

"No! Silly. We've talked about this before after you learned how to talk. But you know I'm your mother, right? So why won't you call me mommy?"

"Is your name not Vira?"

"...It is. But still, I'm your mother first before I am Vira."

"Vira Solerion Liyer it is, then."

"No! Fine! Just call me Vira."

Vira crossed her arms and sulked. What toddler called their parent by their full name? In the first place, why did he know her full name? She wanted to ask Anthony, but any answer he gave would only confirm her hunch.

Anthony nodded. He was uncomfortable with a title of such familiarity when he was still uncomfortable with the dynamic relationship of being in a family. He didn't treat Vira like a mother, so why should he call her that?

"Great. And while we're at it, you can call me Anthony instead of Baby. It's dehumanizing and disrespectful. It brings shame upon me."

Vira glared at Anthony.

"Don't push your luck."

"...Fine."

'I'm definitely not scared of her.'

Anthony refused to even think of the fact that Vira, a normal human woman, could scare him, a reborn Dragon King, into submission. He also didn't want to think about how he wasn't independent enough to take a walk to Clemence or even leave his chair on his own. But he had to think about it whether he wanted to or not once Vira came around the table and lifted him down to the floor.

"You want to do it on your own?"

Vira watched on as Anthony waddled over to the mudroom with this stumpy little baby legs to put on his shoes. She wanted to gush in and just pick him up because he was so cute. But he had made it abundantly clear on multiple occasions that he didn't like it.

"Heh. Of course."

Anthony scoffed with disdain. He was already twisting and turning inside whenever he had to rely on Vira or Thomas for something. Accepting help for something he could do on his own was a definite no.

Vira's face sank in disappointment. It was a blessing to have such a smart and independent child. But it felt like she missed out on all the cutesy and lovable moments with her son. She had gotten to tie her son's shoes a couple of times before he said he knew how to now and to leave it to him from now on.

All the essential parenting moments like clothing, feeding, and playing with a lively baby that she had imagined before and during her pregnancy seemed to have run out years ahead of time. She hadn't even had the pleasure of fighting with a tantrum-throwing toddler about eating their vegetables since Anthony ate everything he was served like a starved man.

"Want to walk on your own as well?"

Vira didn't give up on being close to her son, but she didn't have much hope for this question.

"...As long as possible."

Vira's face lit up. That meant he wasn't confident he could walk all the way to Clemence. That meant she would get to carry him!