After returning to their home, Michael immediately started to prepare himself for the presentation of a lifetime.
He had to completely convince his parents of his plan to relocate to the Parched Lands. His father would probably agree, but his mother, on the other hand, would definitely try to stop him in any way she possibly could.
To make the conversation work better, he served them breakfast on bed, giving them delicious pancakes, bacon, and eggs.
"Mom…Dad…I have a favor to ask you," Michael said, trying to act as innocent as possible. "Remember when I received the inheritance of the Parched Lands? Well…."
Michael went on to give them his entire plan, which consisted of staying in the Parched Lands and creating his own house there.
He told them that the only way he could improve his inventions was if he stayed at the place where petroleum oil was abundant. He even briefly told them about the concept of electricity and other uses of energy.
"Michael…are you serious? The Parched Lands is not something that a ten-year-old boy can survive alone. Not to mention its inhabitability, it is also filled with lawless monsters that will tear you to shreds." Bart lectured.
"Yes, father. But I can take care of myself," Michael replied.
"How are you going to survive by yourself? What will you eat? What will you drink? Where will you live? Who will protect you?"
What's insteresting was that Bart continued to ask Michael questions about his plans to move to the Parched Lands, but he didn't explicitly deny his request. Michael just needed to convince his father so that he would give the 'go-ahead'.
He answered Bart's questions with very detailed plans. Because of his mastery in magic, he would be able to sustain himself even if there was no food or water in the environment.
As long as there was mana in the air, he could survive even in outer space.
As for the question of his survivability, Michael showed them the power of his Absolute Unity Defense skill, which made him invulnerable to any spell or magic that was below the fifth level.
Upon hearing this, Bart realized how much of a monstrous wizard his son turned out to be.
The only creatures that could contend with his ten-year-old son were monsters from the deep sea or creatures from the Black continent.
And once Michael told Bart about his plans to continue inventing new and innovative products to sell in Reborn, he couldn't help but start to agree that this was the best course of action for his son.
Bart was starting to get convinced.
Michael inwardly celebrated as he saw the approving look on his father. Now, the only other obstacle he needed to get over with was his mother.
She was strangely quiet throughout all of this. Bart questioned Michael relentlessly to make sure that he was fully prepared for what he was getting himself into, but Lylia simply just sat at her bed and kept quiet.
"Mom…?"
Lylia's body started to shake. "You can't expect me to leave my boy alone in the desert…," she uttered in a low voice.
Michael knew that if he didn't do anything, his mother would definitely explode. So, he immediately brought out Fudge, the rogue slime, and introduced him to his parents.
"Mom, look! This is Fudge, and he can split himself and inhabit all kinds of objects."
Then, he ruffled through his pockets until he took out a small wooden doll that looked exactly like himself, with the same golden hair and expression, all with movable limbs.
"Fudge, go!" Michael said as he threw the slime into the ground.
The rogue slime split himself into two, with its clone jumping up and inhabiting the wooden doll to become its shadow.
"Ahem, ahem," Michael whispered to himself, and his voice suddenly echoed through the wooden doll.
"See mom? We can still communicate with the doll. You can always keep it with you, allowing me to always be with you in spirit!"
This was Michael's solution to the long-distance problem that his mother was so worried about. Since Fudge's clones were connected to Michael, he could easily speak through any one of its clones as if he was by their side.
Lylia slowly picked up the doll and inspected it with trembling hands.
"Always…always with me…" she muttered to herself, clutching the doll in her chest.
"Michael, it's best if you leave me with your mother alone for now. She'll need the night to think it over," Bart said.
Michael respected their wishes and left them alone to ponder over their decision. Leaving a ten-year-old kid alone in the wilderness was not an easy thing to decide.
…
…
…
Later at night, Bart held Lylia's hands to try and talk some sense into her.
"Honey, I think that this is the right decision for Michael. He won't progress if ws keeps him in our estate for too long. We need to let him loose and spread his wings.
This is a good opportunity for him. If he shows his talent and creates something incredible in the Parched Lands, it could catch the attention of my father.
It will make him regret that he treated Michael as just another one of his grandchildren. I'm sure of it.
But we can't help him. Michael has to build it on his own. So, we have to let him leave and build his own nest in the Parched Lands, no matter how much you want to join him."
Despite his words, Lylia didn't seem to be interested in listening to him. Instead, she kept on looking at the 'Michael Doll' in her hands.
"Always with me… hehe… hehehehe… This is even better! I'll have my own Michael right in my pocket!" Lylia screamed, catching Bart off guard.
"Honey?"
But Lylia ignored him. Instead, he called out to the doll. "Fudge, that's your name right? Will you come out for a second?"
The doll's shadow cast from the candlelight in the room suddenly morphed and shifted to form the cute Fudge, complete with his rogue attire.
"Yes, Mam! Fudge, at your service," the slime adorably saluted.
"Now, you'll be a good boy and tell me everything that will happen to Michael, right?" Lylia said, a crazed look painted on her eyes.
Fudge nodded. "Yes Mam. I will do as you say! I will tell you everything that will happen to Michael."
"Every. Detail." Lylia corrected.
The slime nodded fervently, afraid of offending Michael's mother.
"Good…good…" she muttered.
After a few seconds of silence, Fudge built up the courage to speak up.
"Mam, since you are so devoted to Michael, would you like to learn about a little club I'm trying to form?"
Lylia's eyebrows raised. "I'm listening…"