As I was returning from the dining hall, I spotted Lumia practicing her magic in the garden. Even though the sun had already set, she had dragged Father out and was reciting her spell.
“…‘O you who governs light’──”
“…Hmm.”
Father was standing next to Lumia. From my position, I could only see his back.
“‘Answer my voice and ignite’──‘Light Sphere’!!”
A small sphere of light, about the size of a pebble, materialized in Lumia’s palm. Father clapped his hands in approval. His broad back and sturdy limbs were complemented by his neatly trimmed golden hair. That was my father, Georg Glossaria.
“Impressive, Lumia! When did you become able to recite the incantation so accurately!?”
“…I-I can’t say. I’ve just been practicing, that’s all.”
“Your dedication is commendable. You’re amazing!”
“…There are others who are even more amazing, Father…”
Lumia successfully cast a few more spells after that. It seemed she still struggled with the more complex pronunciations. Finally, Father demonstrated a spell as an example. It was the same ‘Light Sphere’ magic, but this one was the size of a human head. It was no different from the general magic of my time—there had been no development or decline.
Confirming that, I returned to my room.
“…Has it really been 200 years since I died…?”
I sat in my chair, recalling Instructor Kahel’s words. He had mentioned that it had been 220 years since the Sacred Domain Church discovered ancient magic and artifacts. I, Dean Nosferatu, had died 20 years after that discovery. In other words, it was now 200 years after my previous life had ended.
Honestly, it didn’t feel real. 200 years later. Lyle and Alice… are they gone…?
…It can’t be helped. Back then, I had no choice but to be reincarnated.
But… 200 years. I thought it would be a closer era since the grammar of magic hadn’t changed. The social systems hadn’t changed much either. ‘Ancient Magic’ was still a secret technique that only the chosen could wield, and those who could use it held a higher status in society. That’s why Instructor Kahel, who could use ‘Ancient Magic,’ was so proud, and Brother Zeros was aiming to join the Magic Guild. The only difference from 200 years ago was that no one talked about the Sacred Domain Church anymore.
“…What happened during those 200 years?”
I needed to investigate. I remembered there was a room in the main building that housed books. If I looked there, I might find something useful. However… as a bastard child, I had no right to enter the main building. I needed to come up with a plan.
“For that, I need to experiment with my own skills first.”
Also, I wanted to eat some meat. The dinner I had with Maid Martha had hardly any meat in it. It couldn’t be helped. Our meals were shared from the main building’s provisions. I decided to go hunting for meat myself, combining it with my magic experiments.
Midnight. I decided to sneak out of the mansion as planned.
The Glossaria baronial estate was surrounded by tall fences, and guards patrolled the garden. However, I knew their patrol routes. With my skills, escaping wouldn’t be too difficult.
Before heading out, I checked my current skills.
Yuuki Glossaria
- Age: 13
- Race: Human
- Stamina: D
- Strength: E
- Agility: D
- Magic Power: C
- Dexterity: D
Skills: None
To avoid surprising Lumia and the others, I usually disguised my status to this one. My true status was as follows:
Yuuki Nosferatu
- Age: 13
- Race: Unknown
- Stamina: B
- Strength: B
- Agility: A
- Magic Power: S
- Dexterity: B
Skills: Flight. Mystel Blood. Presence Concealment. Ice Magic. Servant Creation. Corruption. Purification.
With this many skills, I was more than equipped.
“──Flight.”
I kicked off from the second-floor window and soared into the night. My body floated gently, as if weightless, gliding through the air and out of the estate grounds.
It was no big deal. I was temporarily nullifying my weight with magic. This was about the limit of what I could do with this body. It felt human enough.
“Here we go.”
I landed on a branch outside the estate. Kicking off again, I took to the air. The guards were oblivious. My Presence Concealment was working effectively.
“…I need to be back before morning.”
I increased my speed.
After a few minutes, I found myself near a mountain behind the estate. This was a mountain where monsters appeared, and Father and Brother Zeros often used it for hunting and magic training. Perfect. I would make the secluded mountaintop my magic experimentation site.
I leaped from tree to tree, making my way to the summit.
“I’ve been waiting for you!”
Perched on a tree near the mountaintop, my servant Bat greeted me.
“Thanks for the welcome. Now, let’s conduct some magic experiments. Show me where I can find some suitable prey.”
“Before that, may I ask you something, Master?”
“What is it?”
“Could you tell me your name?”
“Yuuki. And you?”
“I don’t have a name. You can give me any name you like.”
“How about Dick?”
“Thank you. That’s a nice name.”
“It’s the name of an old acquaintance’s father. He asked me to take care of Lyle before he died.”
“You’re quite young, aren’t you, Master?”
“Just talking to myself. Forget it. Now, where’s the prey?”
“I’ll guide you. I’ve already scouted a location before you arrived.”
“Please do.”
With Dick the Bat leading the way, I hopped from branch to branch. After a while, I spotted a rabbit at the base of a tree. It had golden fur and horns on its head—a Large Rabbit.
Perfect. I would hunt that. I wanted to treat Maid Martha to some meat once in a while.
“The Large Rabbit is a very cautious creature.”
“I know. Its horns and powerful hind legs are quite formidable.”
“As expected of you, Master. You’re quite knowledgeable.”
“That’s common knowledge. Besides, I won’t engage in close combat. I said I was going to conduct magic experiments.”
“Fire magic is detected by light, and wind magic by sound, you know?”
“My specialty is Ice Magic.”
In my previous life, my motto was to be inconspicuous and quiet. If I used flashy high-level magic, I would be on guard. In the end, I was still targeted by the Sacred Domain Church.
“There’s no sound, light, or even air vibrations.”
I placed my hand against the tree trunk.
“‘Freeze swiftly’──‘Freezing Nest’.”
Ice threads sprouted from my fingertips, traveling down the trunk and extending toward the base of the tree.
“──!?”
In an instant, the ice threads ensnared the Large Rabbit’s legs.
“Kyuu────!?”
Realizing something was wrong, the Large Rabbit bolted. But right in front of it was an ice net. My magic had created an icy barrier around the roots of the surrounding trees.
“──!! ──I!!”
The Large Rabbit struggled, but it couldn’t move from the base of the tree. The ice threads had completely ensnared its body. No matter how much strength it exerted, it couldn’t break free.
“Sorry about this.”
I descended to the ground and delivered the final blow to the Large Rabbit. I would hang it up for a while to drain the blood.
“Impressive, Master! That magic is something even we couldn’t escape from!”
“It’s a rather mundane magic.”
“No, no! It produces no sound or light! The prey won’t even notice! It’s the strongest magic for surviving in the mountains!”
“Even so, it can’t compare to ‘Ancient Magic.’”
Regular magic requires incantations and the use of internal magic power to activate. That’s why it takes time. Once activated, you can’t use it again for a while. I’ve simplified my Ice Magic as much as possible, but I still can’t use it continuously. However, ‘Ancient Magic’ is different. It consumes less magic power and can be fired repeatedly.
In my previous life, I witnessed a priest from the Sacred Domain Church wipe out a band of thieves using ‘Ancient Magic.’ The priest kept firing flames until the entire band was annihilated, even when the enemies surrendered. One of the reasons I believed I couldn’t compete with the Sacred Domain Church was that their ‘Ancient Magic’ was genuinely specialized for combat.
“If I could use even more powerful magic… I wouldn’t have ended up like this.”
“Master! My bat companions have found another ‘Large Rabbit’!”
“Are there more?”
“When I mentioned you, everyone wanted to become your companion!”
The moment Dick said that, a dark shadow passed overhead. Looking up, I saw a swarm of bats dancing in the sky. I couldn’t count them—maybe forty or fifty. Incredible.
“I wanted everyone to understand how amazing you are, Master!”
Dick the Bat spread his wings proudly.
“My bat companions have already grasped everything about this mountain. Please consider this mountain as your territory, Master—”
“That’s a relief. You’re quite the capable servant, Dick.”
“I’m honored to receive such praise—”
I gently stroked Dick’s head with my fingertips as he perched on my shoulder. With Dick leading the bats as allies, I could gather all the information about the mountain. Since I’m at it, I might as well use this mountain as my base.
“Dick, choose a few bats to act as my messengers. They should inform me when any monsters beyond your control appear or if any hostile intruders come.” I added, “As compensation for commanding you, I will exert my power.”
“I appreciate your consideration—”
As Dick bowed his head, the bats soaring in the sky all cried out in unison.
“Now, guide me to the location of the next Large Rabbit.”
“Understood—this way—”
With Dick the bat by my side, I kicked off a branch and headed toward my next prey.
I had finished confirming my skills. Flight. Mystel Blood. Presence Concealment. Ice Magic. Servant Creation. Interracial Communication. I could use them all. I would make full use of these abilities to continue pretending to be human in this life.
“After hunting a few more, let’s head back to the mansion. With a plan in mind.”
Next time, Episode 5 is scheduled to be updated tomorrow evening.