**Chapter 1: I Will Remain Magicless**
“I beg you, dear Goddess. Please let this child be ‘Magicless’…”
(Huh… Is being Magicless really better?)
The words of his mother, who held him tightly, made the infant—Rest—blink in surprise with his tiny eyes.
They were in the temple located in the center of town. A wide red carpet stretched through the grand hall, leading to a statue of a goddess with wings. Rest was cradled in the arms of his mother, standing before the divine figure.
(Isn’t having more magic supposed to be better? Why would she wish for me to be Magicless? What does that even mean?)
Rest tilted his head in confusion, despite being less than a year old. Even at such a young age, he had already developed a strong sense of self. This was because Rest was a reincarnator, possessing memories from his previous life. He had lived as a high school student in a country called “Japan,” and this was his second chance at life.
In his previous life, Rest had not been blessed with good parents. His father was a drunkard, deeply ensnared in the vice of gambling—a typical scoundrel. His mother had abandoned him, spending her time with other men, making her just as despicable. It felt like a miracle that he had survived until high school in such a dire environment. In the end, Rest met a swift demise when he confronted his father for attempting to steal his hard-earned tuition money, leading to a violent argument that ended with him being stabbed.
Cursing his tragically unfortunate life as he died, Rest soon discovered that gods truly existed.
Before he knew it, he had been reincarnated into a world different from Earth, cradled in his mother’s arms.
(At least I was born to a kind mother… But it seems my father is still a scoundrel in this life too.)
“Hey, hurry up! I’m busy here!”
The irritated voice came from a man standing a short distance away from Rest and his mother. He was well-dressed but wore a nervous expression, his hair slicked back with oil. This man was Rest’s biological father.
“Don’t waste my time with something as trivial as a magic assessment. Get it over with!”
His father spoke with a displeased look. Although this man was undoubtedly Rest’s father, it was the first time they had met.
This was because… his father was a noble, while his mother was a poor commoner. The man had violated Rest’s mother, who worked as a maid, and had impregnated her with Rest. After giving birth, she received a meager sum of money and was cast out of the mansion, raising Rest as a single mother. She worked at a bakery while caring for him, barely making ends meet. However, when Rest turned one, that man suddenly appeared.
His father had brought them to the temple, insisting that they undergo a magic assessment.
“…Madam, may I?”
The priest of the temple extended his hands with a concerned expression.
“Please take my child. It’s alright; the Goddess is watching over us.”
“Thank you, Priest…”
With trembling hands, Rest’s mother handed him over. The priest received the infant with gentle care.
“Please, Goddess. Let this child be ‘Magicless’… Let him be ‘Magicless’…”
As she handed over her child, Rest’s mother clasped her hands together, praying fervently. Seeing her desperate figure, Rest nodded.
(I understand, Mother.)
With a bit of determination, he forcefully suppressed the magic flowing through him. Perhaps this was a perk of reincarnation. Rest was born with immense magical power and had even learned how to control it.
(This should be fine. So please, don’t cry.)
“Under the grace of the Goddess, I shall discern the power of this blessed child. Eri Era Ildana. O great Goddess of Light, I pray that bright light shines upon this child’s future…”
The priest, holding Rest, began to chant what sounded like an incantation. The statue of the goddess glowed, and Rest’s body was enveloped in a soft light.
“…I see.”
The light faded within seconds. The priest smiled gently and nodded deeply.
“It seems this child possesses no magic. He is ‘Magicless.'”
“What did you say…?”
Rest’s father frowned deeply, his expression darkening. He clicked his tongue loudly and stepped closer to the priest.
“Even if he is the child of a commoner, he carries my blood as a Court Magician! You’re not lying on this woman’s behalf, are you?”
“I swear to the Goddess, that is not the case.”
The priest declared firmly. For him, the phrase “I swear to the Goddess” carried significant weight. The father, who had been skeptical, could not press further.
“…So, a barren field yields no crops. What a waste of time.”
His father looked at Rest and his mother with disdain, as if they were refuse.
“If he had possessed sufficient magic, I would have considered raising him in the mansion… But a Magicless piece of trash is of no use to me. You may do as you wish with that child.”
“Thank you, I will do just that…”
“Hmph.”
The father pulled a small cloth pouch from his pocket and tossed it onto the floor. A clinking sound echoed, likely coins inside.
“Take that. You are not welcome in my home, and that child shall not claim to be my son. We shall never meet again… Farewell.”
With that, he left the temple without a backward glance.
“Rest…!”
His mother received him back from the priest and hugged him tightly.
“Thank you, Goddess… Thank you…!”
“The Goddess is always watching. May blessings be upon this child.”
The priest looked down at the weeping mother and the tightly embraced infant, making the sign of the cross with a serene expression.
(This was for the best, right… Mother?)
Though Rest’s face showed a hint of discomfort from being held so tightly, he smiled up at her. He released the magic he had been suppressing, feeling power surge from deep within him. If Rest were to undergo a magic assessment now, the results would surely be entirely different from before.
(Though my father is a noble… I can’t envision a happy future with that man. Being poor but with my mother is far better.)
In his previous life, he had never known parental love. But now… he had a mother who prayed and cried for him to the gods. His father might be just as despicable as in his past life, but… this life would undoubtedly be much better.
Feeling his mother’s warmth, Rest closed his eyes contentedly.