Chapter 1: May You Be Without Magical Power
“Please, Goddess. May this child be ‘without magical power’…”
(Huh… Is it better to be without magical power?)
In her mother’s embrace, the infant known as Rest blinked in surprise at her words.
The setting was a grand Temple located in the heart of the town. A wide red carpet stretched down the center of the vast hall, leading to a statue of the winged Goddess. Rest was cradled in the arms of her mother, standing before the divine figure.
(Isn’t having more magical power better? So why is she hoping for me to be without it? What does that mean?)
Rest tilted her head in confusion. Despite being less than a year old, she already possessed a strong sense of self. This was because Rest was a Reincarnator, carrying memories from her previous life. She remembered living as a high school student in a country called Japan, and this was her second chance at life.
In her past life, Rest had not been blessed with loving parents. Her father was a drunken wastrel, deeply entrenched in the mire of gambling—a typical scoundrel. Her mother had abandoned her, choosing to frolic with other men, making her equally despicable. Surviving until high school felt like a miracle in such a dire environment. Ultimately, Rest met a swift end when she confronted her father for trying to steal her hard-earned tuition money, leading to a violent argument that ended with her being fatally stabbed.
Cursing her tragically unfortunate life as she faded away, Rest discovered that it seemed the Goddess truly existed.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself reborn in a world different from Earth, cradled in her mother’s arms.
(It’s great that I was born to a kind mother… but it seems my father is a scoundrel here too.)
“Hey, hurry up. I’m busy here.”
A man standing a short distance away from Rest and her mother spat out his words irritably. 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 magical power assessment. Get it over with.”
Her father spoke with a displeased look on his face. Although he was undoubtedly her father, this was the first time they had met.
This was because her father was a noble, while her mother was a poor commoner. He had violated her mother, who worked as a maid, and impregnated her with Rest. After giving birth, her mother was given a meager sum of money and cast out from the mansion, raising Rest as a single mother. She worked at a bakery while taking care of her child, barely making ends meet. Then, when Rest turned one, that man suddenly appeared.
He had brought the mother and child to the Temple, forcing them to undergo a magical power assessment by the Priest.
“…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.”
“Priest, thank you for your kindness.”
With trembling hands, her mother offered Rest to the Priest, who received the infant with gentle care.
“Please, Goddess. May this child be ‘without magical power’… may she be ‘without magical power’…”
Her mother clasped her hands together, fervently praying after handing over her child. Seeing her mother’s desperate form, Rest nodded.
(I understand, Mother.)
With a bit of determination, she forcefully suppressed the magical power flowing within her. Perhaps it was a benefit of her reincarnation. Rest was born with immense magical power, and she had already learned how to control it.
(This should be fine. So please, don’t cry.)
“Under the grace of the Goddess, let us discern the power of this blessed child. Eri Era Ildana. Oh, great Goddess of Radiance, I pray that bright light shines upon this child’s future…”
The Priest, holding Rest, began to chant a spell. 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 appears this child possesses no magical power. She is ‘without magical power.'”
“What?!”
Her father frowned deeply, his expression darkening. He clicked his tongue loudly and stepped closer to the Priest.
“Even if she is the child of a commoner, she carries my blood as a court magician! You aren’t lying for this woman, are you?”
“I swear to the Goddess, that is not the case.”
The Priest asserted firmly. For him, the phrase “I swear to the Goddess” held great weight. Her father, who had been skeptical, could not press further.
“…So, a barren field yields no crops. What a waste of time.”
Her father looked at Rest and her mother with disdain, as if they were mere trash.
“If she had possessed sufficient magical power, I would have considered taking her into the mansion and raising her. But as a worthless child without magical power, I have no use for her. Do as you please with that child.”
“Thank you, I will do just that…”
“Hmph.”
Her father pulled a small cloth pouch from his pocket and tossed it onto the floor. A clinking sound echoed, likely from coins inside.
“Consider that a parting gift. You are not welcome at my home, and I will not acknowledge that child as mine. We shall never meet again… farewell.”
With those one-sided words, her father strode out of the Temple.
“Rest…!”
Her mother received her son back from the Priest and hugged her tightly.
“Thank you, Goddess… thank you…!”
“The Goddess is always watching. May blessings be upon this child.”
As her mother wept tears of joy, the Priest looked down at the infant in her strong embrace, 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 the tight embrace, she smiled up at her mother. Releasing the magical power she had been holding back, she felt strength surge from deep within her. If Rest were to undergo a magical power assessment now, the results would surely be entirely different from before.
(Though my father is a noble… I can’t envision a happy life with that man. Being poor but with my mother is far better.)
In her previous life, Rest had never known parental love. But now, in this life, she had a mother who prayed and cried for her sake. While her father seemed to be a similar kind of scoundrel, this life would undoubtedly be much better.
Feeling her mother’s warmth, Rest closed her eyes in comfort.