Eye-Deku ran around the little apartment, laughing happily. It was actually bigger than their last home! This one actually had a bedroom for him!

  Art chuckled as he unpacked in the living room/kitchen combo. He was clearly disturbed. Art had a bit of germaphobia, and probably wanted to scrub the place down. But wasn’t going to stop his son from running around the place.

  Roscoe walked in from where he was checking the bedrooms and bathroom. “Everything works, including the laundry machine. Do you want me to take Eye-Deku out so you can…”

  “YES.”

  Art blinked. “S-S-Sorry…”

  Roscoe kissed his forehead. “No, I know. You need to clean. Eye-Deku, we’re going to go exploring!”

  Eye-Deku was instantly at his father’s feet. “Eh-plore!”

  He then hugged Art. “Bye bye, Papa! Luv you!”

  Art chuckled and hugged him, relaxing a little. “Love you too, tyker.”

  Eye-Deku then angrily tapped on the lavender-smelling bleach equivalent. “THIS!”

  He hated the smell of bleach. It made him sick. Even in fantasy worlds, apparently.

  Art laughed. “Don’t worry, this place will smell like flowers when you come back.”

  Roscoe laughed and picked Eye-Deku up. He said, “See you in a few hours, dear. Send me a flash if I need to pick up dinner.”

  Art smiled and nodded. He then started getting all the cleaning supplies out.

  Roscoe grabbed the baby bag and put Eye-Deku in the stroller. They headed out.

  The apartment was on the second floor, so they passed by the “training area” when heading downstairs. Which was really a bunch of games and small dojo area. No matter what realm, Zeke would figure out how to make an arcade. It was already bustling too, to speak to Diana’s business sense.

  They headed out into the city. It was a bustling place. The roads had carriages and carts, and so many people. There were buildings all over the place, all overlooked by a grand castle on a hill.

  Roscoe said, “Might as well go see where your school is, Eye-Deku.”

  Eye-Deku said, “Scoo?”

  Deets?

  Remember, you’re a baby. You have to go through preschool first!

  Roscoe put a small glowing orb on the handles. Instead of cell phones, the people of this world, Firoria, had small glowing orbs. As far as Eye-Deku could tell, they served all the functions of a cell phone, outside the calls were holographic so definitely not private. But still handy for things like GPS.

  They trucked along the sidewalk. A few people cooed at Eye-Deku, but then moved on their way. Eye-Deku also saw that he was not the only one with green-streaked hair. There were a few others, and some even had different colors. Did it link to magic?

  Maybe hiding his godly identity would be easier than normal here.

  Eye-Deku continued to look around, trying to find any clues or deets that be important later. He caught sight of something odd.

  At almost every corner or major intersection was a statue of the Goddess. But all of these had their arms out. Some seemed to be trying to hold something, but it was missing.

  Eye-Deku pointed at one as they waited for glowing orbs that acted as traffic lights to clear them to cross. He asked, “Bro-en?”

  Roscoe blinked and looked up. This one was a bit more obvious than others, clearly holding something over the road. But it was missing the actual thing—Eye-Deku guessed a staff, but he couldn’t be sure.

  Roscoe said, “I… am not actually sure. We couldn’t fix it even if it was, though.”

  How odd. Did something go through and tamper with the statues at some point?

  A man looked over, then up at the statue. “Huh… I never realized until he pointed it out.”

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  Roscoe said, “Yeah, I was born nearby, and I never did either. There’s a few like her too.”

  The man said, “I have heard some statues are enchanted to protect the intersections. Maybe they had to be adjusted for the spells to work?”

  Roscoe said, “Makes sense at least.”

  Yeah, it does. But it wouldn’t explain every statue… unless…

  Eye-Deku sat on his butt, pretending to be distracted by his horse toys. But in reality was trying to tap into the statue.

  And found an answer and a question.

  There was a surveillance spell inside. As well as the protection spell the man mentioned.

  But both had been disabled ages ago. The spells were on standby.

  Someone had tampered with the statues at some point a long time ago.

  The traffic orbs changed, and the group crossed the street. Roscoe pushed the stroller until he reached…

  A college.

  That was the first thing Eye-Deku thought of when he saw the grand buildings. He couldn’t also taste the energy of knowledge within. This was the Academy.

  Eye-Deku was up and looking around, cooing. There were multiple buildings, and Eye-Deku quickly figured out which one was which by who was traveling around it. The closest was a high school, showing by the teenagers hovering around. The one on the other side of the entrance was the preschool-kindergarten area. Then there was a middle school, then an administrative building, on either side of the grand walkway. Then at the far end was clearly the college, a giant fancy old-styled building.

  In fact…

  Eye-Deku almost screamed in pure delight. That was a college building from old Earth! He wanted to guess it was part of the Smithsopein at some point, but it had clearly been rebuilt and enchanted a million times since. But Eye-Deku could sense the pure age and knowledge the ancient building, even at 15 minutes walk away!

  Eye-Deku giggled and clapped. Roscoe chuckled. “It’s pretty cool, isn’t it? And soon, you’ll be going here too.”

  Eye-Deku looked at Roscoe and clapped. He said, “Schoo!”

  Roscoe nodded. “Yep, that’s school. And you’ll start off here.”

  He indicated the brightly-colored preschool. A few couples with toddlers looked up, smiled, and waved. Eye-Deku happily waved back. “Hi hi!”

  Aaaaaah… it feels like coming home.

  The Knowledge ebbed and flowed around him, pouring its energy into him, paying respect, and moving on to the next eager mind to Learn. To grow in abilities and powers, to open the mind…

  Wait.

  WAIT.

  Was that what he thought it was?!?

  Eye-Deku pulled out of the stroller to look at the ancient tree that was growing out of the playground. It was pure black wood, but the leaves were a pleasant green. Strange fruit grew from it. Inside the Fruit pulsed Knowledge that would bring any child to adulthood, that would make a young adult wise, and if overdone, make one a god like him.

  As if sensing his presence, the tree bowed. The kids around it screamed in shock, and ran off.

  Eye-Deku nodded his head towards the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

  And knew he had to figure out what the fuck was going on here.

  BECAUSE THAT TREE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD LIKE AN INSANE TIME AGO!!!

  The tree straightened back out. Two ladies had run out, staring in horror at something they probably presumed was just a magic tree.

  Roscoe said, “Eye-Deku, how…?”

  He shook his head. “Your Type is Earth. Can plants sense that? Still… why would a tree that has been here since before the Capital existed bow?”

  Because technically, I’m older?

  Eye-Deku shoved the joke aside. And made a mental note to send Followers to tend to the Tree. It was not a willing part of the First Sin. It was a trap by God and the Angels. It had simply done its own function, so it was time to stop punishment.

  Though Eye-Deku needed a lot of answers.

  Eye-Deku then turned to Roscoe and lifted his arms. “Dada! See tree?”

  Roscoe seemed to debate it, and picked him up. He said, “Hmm… I’m not sure if the teachers will let us right now.”

  The ladies were herding the kids back inside. Eye-Deku said, “Oh.” He sucked his thumb before making a more adult comment.

  Roscoe said, “You will get plenty of time to see the tree when school starts.”

  A man walked out. “Hello! Are you here to register the little one?”

  Roscoe smiled. “Didn’t know registration started. We just moved back and I was seeing where this was in relation to the apartment.”

  The man smiled warmly. “That’s fair. And technically not for the regular program… but we run a summer program now. Something to help new parents out.”

  The man looked at Eye-Deku, and seemed to wince. Did he sense Eye-Deku’s power?

  The man said, “He is… powerful. I can even sense it from here. What’s his Type, if I may ask?”

  Roscoe seemed disturbed, but answered, “Earth.”

  He didn’t mention the jack of all trades thing. Hmmmm.

  The man nodded, seeming to relax. “Ah…”

  Roscoe said, “We better go and check on his father.”

  Eye-Deku waved, “Bye bye!”

  The man chuckled at Eye-Deku’s purposeful cuteness. He said, “Goodbye, little one.”

  Roscoe carried Eye-Deku away, pulling the stroller behind him. Eye-Deku looked, taking a quick scan.

  And nearly yelped in surprise. The Holy magic from that guy was so high it was…

  Of a lower-class Archangel.

  Eye-Deku sucked his thumb. Was that Azreal, the legendary angel that was assigned to the Tree with a burning sword? Where was the sword? And why did the guy run a preschool? Did that mean they were at Eden? Or did the guy transplant the tree? Was that even Azreal or another Archangel?

  Roscoe said, “You sensed something was off too, huh?”

  Eye-Deku smiled at his father. Roscoe gave him a serious look. “Kid. I understand maybe hiding it from others. But you are too intelligent to be a normal baby. Even from my weird womb.”

  Eye-Deku blinked…

  And laughed.

  “All Dadas figure it out!”

  Eye-Deku coughed at the fact that he pushed words out that didn’t belong to a baby’s vocals. Roscoe rubbed his back. “Easy…”

  Eye-Deku said, “Mih… grow up. Buh-y… baby.”

  Roscoe blinked. He whispered, “You’re an…”

  He looked around. Once he confirmed it was clear, he finished, “An reincarnation, aren’t you?”

  Eye-Deku nodded, and sucked his thumb to avoid more bad words.

  Roscoe sighed, and smiled. “Well… you aren’t getting away with not doing your homework, then.”

  Eye-Deku playfully slapped his cheek. “Heeeeeey!”

  They laughed.

  Then Eye-Deku shit his diaper.

  Eye-Deku blinked in surprise, and slammed his thumb back in his mouth. Roscoe said, “Need a diapie?”

  Eye-Deku nodded.

  Roscoe kissed his forehead. “OK, let’s get to a changing room.”

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