The Goddess Reborns as a Nobody

06 A Great Mind's Aspirations

"Dad, Uncle, please! Can't you see that Lord Thaddy and I are having a conversation? You two are embarrassing me," I pout, glaring at the books that they are almost thrusting on Thaddeus's face. "Why do you have that book, anyways."

It's pretty surprising especially when I know that Dad isn't much of a reader. For him to ask the author to sign a book, let alone KEEPING a book in his person, it's practically a miracle.

"Why, it's supplemental knowledge, of course," Dad answers me, beaming as Thaddeus reaches for his book and begins to sign it.

"Supplemental knowledge...?" I tilt my head in question.

"What my brother means to say is that we need this kind of information in order to make your upbringing as perfect as we possibly can," Uncle Roger grins widely as Thaddeus took his book. "To be perfectly honest, I wasn't expecting Rodney to also have a book with him. We both know he can't read."

Dad sputters. "Hey, I'll have you know that it's not because I CAN'T read, it's just that I DON'T read that much, okay? Staying still in one place gets boring unless I'm watching little Keira working and, if I do get to read, the book has to be a really good one. And this is a really good and helpful read."

"Oh, whatever. You and your excuses, Rodney."

"You ass--jerk!" Dad falters with his cursing, probably because I'm in the room with them. "I dare you to say that again!"

As the two begin to bicker, I shrink in my seat and toss Thaddeus an apologetic look. He just chuckles and shakes his head, silently telling me that it's okay.

"What's all the commotion here about?"

The door bursts open and Mom strides in carrying a tray of cookies, a teapot, and teacups. Dad and Uncle Roger immediately stopped fighting and acted as if they're not coming close to punching each other silly just a second ago.

Well, now that I know they have no shame whatsoever in front of my guest, I want them out.

"Mom! Dad and Uncle Roger were going to fight and they're embarrassing me in front of my guest!"

She glares at the two men who can only look away sheepishly.

Putting the tray on my desk, giving Thaddeus and me some cookies and pouring us tea, she raises a hand and motions for the two men to leave the room.

I smile at my Mom with gratitude but my eyes widen when she suddenly hefts a stack of books from the floor and onto the desk near Thaddeus. All of the books are titles that Thaddeus wrote.

"Mom, not you, too!" I groan, leaning back on my oversized chair.

"Oh shush. Unlike your uncouth father and Uncle, I have the decency to ask for an autograph without ruining your conversation." She turns to Thaddeus with a bright smile. "Please, Lord Thaddeus, whenever you have the time, I'll gladly appreciate you signing these books for me. They've been a great help."

"I'm glad to be of some assistance, Madam. Especially when knowing my works aid the upbringing of impressive geniuses like the Young Miss here."

I flail in my seat at the undeserved compliment. "No, really, Lord Thaddy, I--"

Mom claps her hand, cutting me off. "Oh, how marvelous! You don't know how proud I am to see my little Keira grow up like a normal child despite her circumstances. Your book really helped a lot so please, make yourself at home, Lord Thaddeus and I'll see to your lodgings."

Before I can open my mouth to protest any further, she already glides out of the room, shutting the door firmly behind her.

"Lord Thaddy, I--"

He shakes his head and calmly takes a sip of tea.

"No, Young Miss. Please refer to me as Thaddy. I'd really much appreciate that."

My eyes widen in shock. "H-how could I address you like that?"

For all he knew, I'm just a little two-year-old nobody who got picked up in the middle of the woods. Compared to him, who's an Earl of sorts back in Zion, I'm just a commoner. And as far as everyone knows here in the Human Realm, I'm a mere pauper, so how dare I address the Great Mind of Solaceburg so casually?

I was about to insist but he cuts me off yet again by raising his hand. Why is everyone fond of cutting off my sentences today?

"And it'll make me very happy for you to call me casually." He stares at me with friendly and warm eyes before saying the one word that destroyed all of my hesitations. "Please."

"Oh, alright. Okay...Thaddy..."

I frown because he really does look pleased.

Could it be...is it because of my lisp and how funny it sounds? He doesn't look like he's mocking me but I really don't get why he would be so happy hearing me say his murdered name with a lisp.

Best I just get this conversation going.

"So...uhm, about your sudden visit here? How can I help you?"

He smiles and puts down the teacup before reaching into his robes, retrieving a scroll.

My brows rose in confusion because that's no ordinary scroll. It's an exclusive employment contract scroll.

My heart pounds into my chest at the thought that he's going to employ people from Aster. This is both good news and bad news.

Good news because this will be a good opportunity to improve relations and improve the reputation of the people of Aster. Bad news is that I have to let people go even though I need each and every one of them to be able to finish the rebuilding of Aster on schedule.

But for the sake of good relations outside Aster, I can afford to push off the completion date by a month at most.

He opens the scroll and I reach for my quill pen, getting ready to sign it after I read it--which is just a habit and I don't want Thaddeus to think I'm an impulsive person.

But don't get me wrong, I have every intention of signing this employment scroll because I trust Thaddeus.

He's not sporting a blisteringly bright golden aura for nothing, so there's definitely something about him that will make a significant contribution to Asturias in the future.

Besides, the golden aura only appears in one out of a hundred billion people in a lifetime or so, no one knows. The auras only exist if that person has extra special abilities that are close enough to be considered godlike. Plus such a formula written in the godly language on the proverbial scroll of Asturias can only be written by my parents and managed by the Fates of a world, the only beings that exist between the Human Realm and the Deity Realm who often act as middlemen between the two realms.

As I read the contract, my eyes widen with each word until they almost pop out of my sockets.

What the heck is written in this contract? Is this real? He's not joking with me, is he?

Sneaking a glance at Thaddeus, he's leisurely sipping his tea while admiring the library. When catches me staring at him, he just gives me a wide, happy, and hopeful smile.

He looks so sincere and earnest, maybe I could...

Oh my goodness, am I really considering this?

I clear my throat awkwardly, my fingers begin to play anxiously on the quill pen, smearing ink on my fingers but I didn't care.

"So uhm, Thaddy, are you sure about this?"

He nods. "Positively absolutely sure."

"But...why? I mean, we're not really--"

"Please excuse my interruption, Young Miss but I know what you're going to say and I disagree with your statement. Permit me to explain myself?"

I blink and just nodded even though I want to tell him that asking me politely like that is already too late when he's been interrupting me since he arrived, but, oh well.

"Ever since I was born, I have this insatiable thirst for knowledge. The minute I learned how to read at the age of two, I head on over to the library in my hometown and finished reading all of the books there by the time I was four. Because I don't have anything new to read anymore, I asked my parents if I could travel and do a sort of pilgrimage to every library that exists in Asturias."

My eyes grow big at that. This is definitely the real deal genius in front of me. Finishing a whole library in just 2 years? I mean, I've seen the library of Zion in one of the books before and they say that since the Elves love to read, their library probably has more books, tomes, scrolls, and everything else than the library here in Aster.

"Of course, my parents disapproved of my idea," he sighs.

Well, duh, who in their right mind would send a four-year-old out in the world like that?

"But I was adamant. I need to read more books, new books at that, like I needed food to eat or air to breathe. Looking back, I don't understand why I was feeling that way but my parents couldn't say no to me, their only son."

"So they let you go out to travel? At four?!"

"No. They requested the King if I could have access to the Royal Library. The King approved but the moment I turned seven, I also finished all the books there as well as the bookstore in town."

What the...even the bookstore in town? Don't you have to buy the books there before reading them? But well, I guess he got sponsored by the King so he probably got a free pass to do that.

"I got nothing else to read after that and instead of telling my parents, I did what I could so they'll let me go traveling."

"You asked for the King's help?"

He chuckles. "Yes, if I thought about that before I would have done that option."

Huh? "Uhm, so what did you do?"

"I ran away."

"..."

For a genius of the century, he surely wasn't using his genius when he was a kid.

"Long story short, I traveled the world at seven. Visited every town's library, finished all their books, and moved on. I finally finished my little pilgrimage when I turned fifteen and I'm about to head home to write a book about my travels, how I survived, what beauty and scars one would see out there, and everything I can think about. I wanted to share the world with those who couldn't muster the courage to travel like I did when I was four."

It's because you were four, dummy. That is what I want to tell him but I wisely kept my mouth shut.

"However, it got me thinking. When I finish my book, then what? I've wandered all over Asturias, read all the books in every library that exists, and once I'm done with my book, what will I do then?"

He takes a deep breath and gestures to the employment scroll.

"That's why, please consider signing it. I can't think of anything better than this golden opportunity that you've presented. I want to be a part of history that's unfolding before my eyes and right there and then, I know this is going to be my next goal."

With a resigned smile, I admit I just can't say no to this guy. Besides, this will prove to be very helpful for Aster.

Dipping my pen on the ink again, I lean over and signed the scroll.

Beaming at him, I offer my hand to which he accepted happily.

"Well, Thaddy, I hereby accept your employment scroll and hire you to be my adviser for Aster. Welcome aboard."