Chapter 1: The Bestowal Ceremony
I woke up early in the morning.
Beside me, my father was snoring, his breath reeking of alcohol.
I cleaned myself with Life Magic, washing off the dirt and sweat, then splashed my face with cold water.
No matter how much I used Life Magic to clean up, nothing could compare to the refreshing sensation of cold water on my face in the morning.
After munching on some leftover bread and washing it down with water, I hurried to the market to help set up the stalls.
At one stall, I neatly arranged the goods on the cart and cleaned up the area, earning five iron coins, or 500 daras.
My next task was to help transport goods with a cart.
I carried items from the warehouse to the stall, earning another 500 daras, and that wrapped up my morning work.
Once I cleaned off the grime from my work with Life Magic, I headed to the church.
Once a month, those who turned fifteen gather at the church to receive magic from the Creator God, Elmart.
Having turned fifteen this month, being born in July, I came to participate in the Bestowal Ceremony.
Around me, several boys and girls, dressed up and looking anxious, sat with their parents.
Not everyone receives magic.
Basically, those who cannot use Life Magic are said to lack magical ability.
I was here because I manifested Life Magic when I was nine.
The priest ascended the platform and offered a prayer to the statue of the Creator God, Elmart.
One by one, those called by name stepped forward to pray before the statue.
Those who received magic placed their hands on the Mana Measurement Board to measure their mana.
As the priest called out names in order, I stepped up to the platform and prayed before the statue of Elmart.
I felt a surge of light fill my mind, and I knew I had received magic.
“Kaito, by the blessing of Elmart, you have been granted Earth Magic, Transfer Magic, and Spatial Storage.”
As the surroundings buzzed with excitement, I was prompted by the priest to place my hand on the Mana Measurement Board.
“…Kaito’s mana grade is 40. Do not be discouraged; keep striving.”
“Yes, thank you, Father.”
Disappointed, I was about to leave the church when I heard snickers and blatant derision from behind.
They said things like, “To receive such magic and have a mana grade of only 40 is pathetic. This isn’t the magic of a poor kid.”
Or, “What a waste! Why is your mana only 40?” “Give me the magic you received!” They were saying whatever they pleased.
“Hey, kid, wait!”
“Yes, are you talking to me?”
“I am the representative observer for the lord. Regarding the Transfer Magic and Spatial Storage you received, even with a mana grade of 40, if you show promise, the lord may take you in. Your name is Kaito, right? In three months, report to the servant’s entrance of Viscount Hamawar’s residence and introduce yourself. Understood?”
“Yes, understood.”
“Good, go!”
Ah, great, I’ve gotten caught up with a troublesome person.
Even I know that a mana grade of 40 is considered the lowest tier for a magician, a sign of being useless.
There’s no way I can refuse, though; this isn’t the time for jokes.
For now, I should head home and think about my next steps.
When I returned home, my father was dozing off after drinking since early afternoon.
“Oh, you’re back. Did you get any magic?”
“Yeah, I did, but my mana grade is only 40.”
“Hah, 40, huh? Useless kid. My wife died quickly, and now I have a worthless child.”
“Well, what do you expect from a father like you? You drink away my mother’s medicine money; what did you think I would turn out to be?”
“Shut up!”
A cup flew at me, but I ignored it and prepared to head back to the market.
If I help clean up three stalls in the evening, I can earn 1,500 daras.
If my parents won’t feed me, I have to earn my own food.
With the meager earnings of a child, I could barely scrape together enough for two meals, let alone medicine.
After my mother passed away, life with just my father felt empty.
I sighed, thinking about how I was born into such a miserable world.
But who would have thought? I never imagined I would be born into a world where magic exists, like in a light novel.
I didn’t even know I had died, and before I knew it, I was in the midst of infantile play, sprawled out with my legs wide open.
My sense of shame was completely stripped away.
Imagine being in diapers, messing yourself, and having someone say, “Oh, look at all that! Let’s clean you up!”
I learned firsthand why men can’t compete with women when I couldn’t even crawl to hang myself.
My name is Takuya Tono; I don’t even know when I died.
I remember living in a big city in Japan, but I can’t recall the name or location.
I think I had family, but it’s all hazy.
I vaguely remember friends and work, but even those memories are unclear.
I remember how to drive a car, the contents of books I read, and how much I enjoyed camping while drinking beer by the campfire.
Tomorrow morning, after helping at the market, I plan to go gather medicinal herbs and try out the magic I received.
I manifested Life Magic at nine, and my mother taught me how to use it freely.
I never neglected practicing mana manipulation in preparation for receiving magic.
I was surprised to find that my knowledge from light novels was surprisingly useful, but I have to use whatever I can to escape poverty.
The people in this world didn’t know about mana manipulation, but they knew that occasionally, using magic could increase one’s mana.
But seriously, what does a mana grade of 40 even mean? What was the point of practicing mana manipulation for five and a half years?
I want to complain to the god, but I’ve never seen him.
Still, he must exist; after all, I was born into this world and received magic.
Since I’ve received magic, I intended to try the classic light novel method of exhausting my mana to increase it, but that will have to wait for three months.
If my mana really does increase, I might end up being a pet for some rural noble.
After finishing my morning duties at the market, I attached a bag for medicinal herbs to my small backpack.
I bought two sandwiches with meat from a stall frequented by adventurers, placing them in the herb bag as I left the city.
Today, there aren’t many herbs growing, but I’m heading to an unpopular area where goblins and wild beasts won’t come.
On the way, I decided to try creating a spearhead using Earth Magic.
For five and a half years, I had been imagining… using my imagination to channel mana into it, just like in light novels.
The spearhead I created with my first magic was a bit misshapen, but it confirmed that I could use Earth Magic.
I shaped the spearhead and made the base tubular.
While it looked like a failed short sword, inserting a stick into the tube would turn it into a hand spear.
I felt no change in my physical condition, but I was oddly high-spirited and found myself laughing.
There were no signs of people around, nor could I see any Horn Rabbits, goblins, or wolves.
I lay down on the ground, stretching out my arms and legs to mark my spot, then spread my arms wide to make another mark.
Thinking it was too large, I drew a smaller line.
First, I slowly stretched the surrounding soil into a thin sheet, narrowing the top to close it off, then opened air holes for ventilation in the front, back, and sides.
I was feeling a bit tired, just wanting to take a short break.
I struck the wall with a hammer made from Earth Magic, leaving a round impression.
I thought, “What was that?” but quickly realized my mistake.
I had envisioned a hammer with an iron head and made a handle that could withstand it.
I had imagined a dome like a kamaboko-shaped tent and made it from earth, forgetting about its strength.
As I channeled mana into the completed dome with the image of hard iron, I struck it again with the hammer, producing a solid sound as the hammer bounced back.
It seemed I had collapsed and fallen asleep, as I woke up to complete darkness.
I used Life Magic to light up the ceiling, slightly expanding the cramped dome, deciding to make this my first base for practicing magic.
By gradually channeling mana each time, I could increase its size and strength, creating a safe haven.
When I marked the area for building the dome, I gathered some dried grass to lay down for a bed, but it wasn’t enough, and my backside was sore.
I decided that my first task tomorrow morning would be to cut the grass around and make a proper grass bed.
With nothing to do, I decided to test out my Spatial Storage abilities, but where exactly was it?
Since I couldn’t figure it out just by thinking, I decided to circulate my mana and see what happened, but nothing changed. If I couldn’t understand it through thought alone, I might as well try it out for real.
I conjured a sphere the size of a tennis ball and imagined tossing it into a large bag. After several failed attempts, I placed my hands on my hips to form a circle, visualizing it as the opening of the Spatial Storage. As I channeled my mana into that image and tossed the sphere, it vanished effortlessly.
I couldn’t help but pump my fist in triumph, but I quickly focused again, creating more earth spheres and tossing them into the circle formed by my hands on my hips. Next, I needed to figure out how to retrieve them, so I imagined pulling them out as if they were brushing against the circle of my arms, channeling my mana once more.
To my surprise, I managed to create and store over twenty spheres! Now, I needed to check their sizes.
Starting with 30 centimeters, I worked my way up to 60, 90, and even 120 centimeters without any issues. However, 150 and 140 centimeters were impossible. I barely managed to fit 130 centimeters, realizing I was close to my limit. When I tried to insert a 30-centimeter ball, it became clear that anything larger wouldn’t fit.
It was astonishing to think that larger objects could easily pass through the circle formed by my arms and be stored in the Spatial Storage. Magic truly is a mystery.
Feeling exhausted, I decided to take a short break, and as soon as I lay down, I fell asleep.