Three years have passed since I began studying magic, and now I am nine years old.
Half of the time until I reach adulthood has passed since I began studying magic.
My progress in learning magic has been excellent, with only a few minor setbacks. I’ve read every book in the house, absorbing all I could learn from them.
Magic is divided into five levels of difficulty: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Imperial, and Supreme. At this point, I can use Intermediate-level spells in all seven elemental attributes.
However, the power and amount of magic I use for Intermediate spells differ greatly from what people generally expect. This is because the most important factor in magic is visualization.
Take the basic fire spell, Fireball, as an example.
In this country, fire is considered proof of a spirit’s manifestation in this world. When people visualize fire to cast magic, they typically imagine the flames used for cooking. Incidentally, some mentors even have their students hold their hands close to a flame to help them understand its heat.
Returning to the topic, as a result of this cultural teaching, most apprentice mages visualize fire in this way, using their mana to conjure a Fireball.
On the other hand, with the knowledge of my previous life, I have a deeper understanding of fire.
I know that flames change color based on their temperature and have seen ultra-high-temperature flames in videos from my past life. Most importantly, I understand that fire is not a manifestation of a spirit but a reaction caused by material combusting with oxygen in the air.
As a result, when I cast magic, it’s far more powerful than what’s described in the textbooks, and I also use noticeably less mana.
So, while I’m probably stronger than a typical Intermediate mage… I’m still not entirely sure of my actual strength since I haven’t had much real combat experience.
Due to the limited information in the textbooks, my learning pace has dropped significantly since last year.
I’m undoubtedly hitting the limits of self-study. But with just Intermediate-level spells, I still feel unprepared, so lately, I’ve been working hard, using my previous life’s knowledge to see if I can develop magic on my own.
Thanks to that, I’ve managed to create spells that could be considered Advanced-level. According to the books, being able to use Advanced-level spells marks the entry into the ranks of experienced mages, so I should have at least the minimum competence as a mage.
Personally, I aim higher. I want to reach at least the Imperial level… and if possible, I’d like to prepare at least one Supreme spell as a trump card.
What I need for that… is real combat experience.
I still have more than three years before adulthood, but I’m running out of things I can do.
Besides, I can’t use flashy spells in the mansion.
Even if I practice magic in the backyard or forest, I can’t recklessly use high-power spells. If I did, it would expose the fact that I can use magic.
Since I don’t intend to inherit the family title, I want to distance myself from family matters as much as possible.
But if I continue to restrict myself to the area around the mansion, it’s clear I’ll reach a dead end soon.
So, I waited until Latz was in a good mood, then decided to bring up a proposal I’d been planning.
“Can I go hunting in the forest…?”
I wanted a legitimate reason to go out into the forest on the estate grounds. Unsurprisingly, Latz looked at me suspiciously.
He probably thought, What nonsense is this nine-year-old spouting?
But I’d already prepared all the reasoning and arguments I needed to persuade him.
“Yes, when I come of age, I intend to leave the family and become an adventurer. So, as practice, I’d like to learn to fight against monsters.”
“You’re still nine years old. That’s too much…”
Without a word, I took something out of my pocket—jerky I had prepared from the meat of a horohoro bird I had caught in the forest. It was sun-dried, so it was crude, but it still had enough flavor to bring out the richness of the meat.
“If I manage to hunt well, I’ll bring meat to the dining table.”
“Hmph…”
Latz snatched the jerky from my hand, sniffed it, then bit into it. As he chewed, his expression softened slightly.
Great, I might get permission after all…
But suddenly, my world spun.
It took me a second to realize—I’d been struck.
“What happened to the rest of the meat?”
“I used it for practice…”
“Argh!!”
Before I could finish my explanation, Latz kicked me in the stomach. There was no way I could beat a grown man in strength, so I helplessly rolled onto the floor.
“Don’t get cheeky! From now on, every piece of meat you hunt comes to me! Understood?”
“Y-yes, understood…”
With one final stomp on my head, Latz walked away, shoulders squared.
I’d gotten his permission, but my entire body ached.
Returning to my room, I immediately cast High Heal, a light magic spell.
“…Ouch, even my mouth is cut up.”
Currently, my strongest proficiency lies in light magic, which includes healing spells.
Thanks to Latz’ outbursts and often being used as a stress outlet by Sarah and Zack, I’ve naturally improved my healing magic… which is sad in its own way.
The people in this house have no intention of treating me properly. To them, I’m nothing but a convenient punching bag.
I certainly don’t think of them as family either.
I’ll leave this house as soon as I can.
Strengthening my resolve, I healed my wounds and then headed out into the forest.
