[Translator's Note]
The protagonist is addressed by his nickname, Hal, throughout this chapter and the chapters that follow. Earlier drafts rendered this name as "Haru"; it has been corrected to Hal here and in all subsequent chapters for consistency with his given name, Eberhard. His full name, Eberhard Karlheinz von Flensburg Fahrenheit, is unchanged.
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"Magic Attribute: None," That's my status, which means I have zero aptitude for elemental magic. Right now, the only things I might be able to use are non-elemental magic and my Unique Magic, [Impact].
Every single person is supposed to have at least one attribute they're suited for. So why am I the only one who doesn't? The clue to that answer lies in the difference between me and everyone else. I have memories from a past life, something nobody in this world has. That's probably what's behind it. I figure a soul can only hold so much information. In my case, the memories from my past life are hogging the memory that should've been used to write in my Magic Attribute.
If that's how it is, then worrying about it won't get me anywhere. So I'll set that aside for now and think about the magic I can use.
[Impact] - I can definitely use that one. I mean, if I couldn't, it wouldn't show up on my status at all. The fact that it's listed means, by logic, I can use it.
As for non-elemental magic, I'm guessing I can probably use that too, since I've already been training my mana control for about a year and a half. If I had zero talent for mana control, or no mana at all, then sure, maybe I really couldn't use magic. But I can control my mana that precisely, and my mana pool is one and a half times my old man's. It'd be weird if I couldn't use magic.
So with that settled, I decided to focus on training non-elemental magic and my Unique Magic. I don't know how to cast spells or how to use [Impact], but it probably comes down to controlling my mana somehow. My parents still won't teach me magic, and Alisa, who works for them, probably won't either.
Then there's only one thing for me to do. First, I'll learn to read and write, then I'll tackle "The Grand Compendium of Magic: Basics," and study magic on my own!
"Alisa," I said.
"Yes?" she asked.
"P-please teach me."
"You want to start learning letters already?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm, let me think. Specialized stuff aside, I think I could teach you letters... Yeah, okay. I'll teach you!" she said.
"Thank you!"
From that day on, about an hour of study with Alisa began every day at noon. We started with the basic alphabet (or something like it), then moved on to complex characters (probably the equivalent of kanji in Japan), symbols, and then an entirely different, even more complex writing system.
"Alisa, what's this weird-looking one?" I asked.
A few days after we started studying, I asked Alisa because I was curious. I had no idea what this completely different writing system was. It was like studying English and suddenly having Sanskrit thrown at you.
"Oh, that? Those are runes, the characters you need to use magic. Though these are the very, very basics, the kind you use in everyday life," Alisa explained.
"Huh. Runes," I repeated.
"I hear they're powerful letters that were used back in the age of the ancient magic civilization."
"Wow," I said.
Runes existed on Earth too. They're old Germanic letters, and apparently they were used in Scandinavia until fairly recently, or something like that. Of course, this world's runes are completely different from Earth's. But the fact that they were used in ancient times is such a fun coincidence.
"I'm not an expert either, though. It seems there are a few different ways to use magic. There's the method of just controlling your mana, the method of using magic circles, and then the method of using these runes. I've heard that chanting spells is actually a derivative of runes, too... Not that I'd know, I'm a total beginner at magic, so I only know the basics. You'd probably get a better explanation from the head of the house or the madam," Alisa shrugged.
"Yeah, I'll ask them sometime."
"Then let us continue, shall we?" Alisa said.
With my question answered, I felt refreshed and got back to studying. I'd already memorized most of the simple alphabet, so lately I'd been reading children's books. I planned to pick up the finer grammar and phrasing by reading like this. I already had the basic grammar down from everyday conversation, so it wasn't that hard. Language learning is all about daily accumulation.
✳︎
And just like that, four years passed. I'm six now, and I'm fluent. My pronunciation has improved to the point where I can speak clearly, and I've got reading and writing down perfectly.
My magic has grown a ton too. On top of my daily mana control training, I've properly learned the theory and methods of magic. Of "The Grand Compendium of Magic," which has a "Basics," "Standard," and "Advanced" volume, I've already made it to "Advanced," I'm about a quarter away from finishing "Advanced," and before I knew it, I'd become pretty good at using magic.
Also, self-study really was tough. Alisa wasn't much help when it came to magic, so at first I tried to push through on my own, but converting mana into magic was too hard.
So I went and asked my mother, and she was shocked that I was already interested in magic. When I showed her I could write, she was even more shocked.
That backfired, and I ended up with a tutor. As it happens, someone hired by a noble family (unlike a certain maid) is usually very good at teaching. That maid, Alisa, apparently got credited with discovering my talent, and my parents praised her like crazy. Thanks to that, Alisa was officially assigned as my personal maid, and her transfer got canceled, which was a relief for me, since having someone I'm used to nearby helps.
Now then, I've grown a lot over these four years. Here's my status.
=== STATUS ===
Eberhard Karlheinz von Flensburg Fahrenheit
Sex: Male
Age: 6
Vitality: 126/126
Mana: 23298/23298
Physical Ability: 42
Intelligence: 131
Resistance: 96
Magic Attribute: None
Unique Magic: [Impact]
Unique Skill: [Persistence Pays Off]
=== END STATUS ===
My stats have gone up a lot overall. Vitality, resistance, physical ability, those especially stand out. From a two-year-old to a six-year-old. The jump from infant to toddler is huge. At the very least, my resistance to colds and injuries has definitely improved. I probably don't need to be scared of the high infant mortality rate anymore, the thing that drags down the average lifespan in medieval times. Of course, my family's noble, so we've got way more of an advantage on the hygiene front than your average farmer.
My mana has grown a lot too. After training every day for four years, it'd be weird if it hadn't. I've already got nearly six times my old man's mana. If I don't keep it hidden with mana control on a daily basis, I'm about to reach the level where just the mana pressure leaking from my body would make normal people uneasy. Though it seems my parents have more or less figured it out. It's not for nothing that they've got amazing mana. They're apparently skilled mages (that's what they call magic users in this world, kind of like "magicians," I guess), and they seem to have seen through my hidden talent.
That's not the only thing that changed over these four years. Get this, I got a little brother and a little sister!
Dad and Mom are both young, so I figured they must be going at it every night, and sure enough, kids popped out one after another. My little brother was born when I was three, and my little sister when I was five. So my brother's three and my sister's one. I've got a big sister who's two years older than me, so that makes four siblings. It feels like a small number for this era, but hey, it wouldn't be weird if two or three more came along. Actually, they probably will. Why else would they bother giving the kid his own room while the parents have a separate bedroom? Need I say more!
Anyway, while I was thinking about their bright family planning, there was a knock on my door. I'd been taking a break from self-study to think. Maybe my tutor had arrived? I didn't think I had anything scheduled today, though.
"Master Hal, are you in?" Alisa called from outside.
It's Alisa's voice.
"Yeah, I'm here. Come in," I said.
"Excuse me."
Click, and the door opened and Alisa came in. Four years since then. Alisa, who still had a bit of childishness back then, is now a full-grown woman. Probably around twenty. I tried to ask her age before, but she dodged the question, so I don't know exactly.
"Lunch is ready, so I came to call you. Also, your father and mother are asking for you. I think they want to talk after the meal," Alisa said.
"Talk? About what? Did they find out about the prank in the back garden?" I asked.
"No, they didn't seem angry, so I don't think you're in trouble... Wait, what prank in the back garden? We servants are the ones who have to clean up, you know!" Alisa crossed her arms.
"It's not like it was a malicious prank. I just made a big hole practicing magic."
"That's plenty of a problem! It's dangerous, so please don't do anything too reckless," Alisa said firmly.
"Mmm, I'll do my best."
"Seriously, not a shred of remorse..."
"Anyway, food. I'm hungry," I said.
"Yes, let us go," Alisa replied.
As expected of a margrave's house, the food is top quality, good enough to satisfy even me, who knows modern Japanese cooking. Thanks to that, I look forward to every meal, and every time I finish eating I praise the cooks. Apparently that boosts their motivation, and the food gets better every day, so I'm totally satisfied too.
I went down the stairs and down the hall (my room moved over these four years, and now it's on the second floor) toward the dining room. In the dining room were my parents, big sister, little brother, little sister, the whole family except me. Looked like I was last.
"Sorry, did I keep you waiting?" I asked.
"No, it's fine," my father said.
My old man, Karlheinz Klaus von Fahrenheit, head of the Marquis Fahrenheit family, said that. Sure enough, he didn't seem upset. He was the same as always, dignified but somehow gentle.
"Then, let us give thanks to nature," my father said.
"Thanks to nature," everyone echoed.
This is like "itadakimasu"1 in Japan. In the West they say "amen" before meals too, right?
Today's lunch main dish was a stewed wild game bird caught on the estate, and fluffy bread baked with high-quality wheat also harvested on the estate. On the side, a salad that looked like it came from a fancy restaurant, and a few slices of something like roast beef (it's not beef since it's not a cow, but it's a cow-like creature. Even if it has iron horns!). Getting a spread like this for lunch, being a noble is the best!
Trivia:
- Eberhard theorizes that his past-life memories occupy the "memory space" that should hold his Magic Attribute, which explains why he alone lacks one—implying the soul's capacity is finite and reincarnation carries a concrete mechanical cost.
- Alisa dodging the question about her age is a small but deliberate detail; combined with her being described as a full-grown woman now, it hints she may be older than she appears or simply dislikes the topic.
- The parents giving Eberhard his own room while keeping a separate bedroom for themselves is framed as a joke about their active marriage, but it also quietly establishes that the household is expanding and that Eberhard is being given increasing independence.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ A Japanese phrase said before meals to express gratitude for the food, roughly meaning "I humbly receive." It has no direct English equivalent, so the ritual is explained in-narrative rather than translated.
Notes:
• Karlheinz - Karlheinz Klaus von Fahrenheit, Eberhardt's father and lord of a margrave territory. Close and genuinely friendly with Duke Lagard. Tries to assist his son during the sudden request to be alone with Lily.
• Eberhard - Young noble heir of the Marquis Fahrenheit Family, entrusted with the north as the Northern General. Reincarnated with memories of a past life and never had a girlfriend before. Nervous but composed, with adult mental age.
• Haru - Alias for the eldest son of a noble house and a reincarnated former Japanese person, retaining memories of a past life on Earth. Reborn as Eberhard Karlheinz von Flensburg Fahrenheit, a two-year-old noble of the Fahrenheit Frontier Count family. He has a status screen only he can see, with an innate magic called Impact and an innate skill called Persistence Pays Off. Pragmatic, romantic about secret bases, and fond of Lily. Loves Rango fruit. Has a four-year-old sister, a father aged 25, and a mother aged 22. Built a pit-dwelling secret base in the back garden over about a year.
• Alisa - Personal maid of Eberhard, hired by his parents. Originally a general servant before being officially assigned as his exclusive maid after being credited with discovering his magical talent. Taught him to read and write, including runes. Practical, watchful, and quick to scold him for reckless behavior. Servant of the Fahrenheit household who attends to Eberhard. Determined and efficient, ensuring he is dressed and prepared properly.
• Marquis Fahrenheit - Head of the Marquis Fahrenheit Family, holding the rank of margrave and the position of Northern General among the Four Generals. Gentle, doting father who teases his son about the betrothal.