Chapter 1 Common sense doesn't grow in the forest
Deep within the dense forest, I hid and waited for the moment when my prey would let down its guard.
The bird, pecking at some food a little further away, stopped and tried to fly away. At that moment, I gathered mana in my hand and conjured a blade of wind, launching it toward the bird.
The bird, unprepared for the attack, was struck by the wind blade, and its head fell off.
"Yes!"
My name is Shin Wolford. I live in this deep forest with my grandfather.
When I was about one year old, I was the only survivor of a carriage attack. My grandfather, who happened to be nearby, saved me and became my benefactor.
Raised as his grandson, I was given the name "Shin Wolford."
I’m eight years old this year.
Not speaking like an eight-year-old, you say?
Well, that can’t be helped. Because... I still remember the memories of my previous life, where I was a different person in Japan on Earth.
Perhaps due to the shock of the carriage accident, I regained my past-life memories at that time, and my self-awareness was formed by the time I was about one year old.
So, although I haven’t been told by my grandfather that I was adopted, I know about it.
When I became aware of myself as a baby, I was shocked not knowing when I had died in my previous life, and here I was, a baby again. But that thought quickly disappeared.
Because my grandfather used magic.
I was incredibly excited to realize that I had reincarnated into a different world, one where magic existed.
Once I could speak, I eagerly began learning magic from my grandfather.
His name is Merlin Wolford, and he seems to be very knowledgeable about magic. He knows everything and teaches me everything.
The wind blade I used to take down the bird earlier was also magic.
In this world, there's no need for chants or magic words. As long as the image is clear in your mind, magic activates.
Honestly, this was a relief. With my mental age being in my twenties, chanting magic would have been... painfully embarrassing, like digging into a dark history.
However, it seems that chanting is the mainstream since it makes using magic easier.
I’m not sure if I want to see it or not…
By the way, my grandfather is a no-chant type.
After draining the blood from the animal I had taken down with magic, I tossed it into an extra-dimensional space—something my grandfather taught me—and headed back home.
"I'm home."
"Oh, welcome back."
"Welcome back, Shin. Did you go hunting?"
"Oh? What did you hunt today?"
At home, besides my grandfather, there were two visitors—Grandma Melinda and Michel-san.
People often visit this house to see my grandfather, and these two are no exception.
Grandma Melinda, whose full name is Melinda Bowen, has been a longtime acquaintance of my grandfather.
She's a leading expert in magical tool creation, and I’ve learned magic from Grandpa and magical tool-making from Grandma Melinda.
Despite being a grandmother, she has an incredible figure and wears glasses, giving her a cool and intellectual appearance.
Usually, she's cool and intellectual, but... I often get scolded by Grandma Melinda.
Like I’m her real grandson...
Personally, I think something happened between Grandpa and Grandma Melinda in the past, but I’m not sure.
Then there’s Michel-san Calling, an older man who teaches me martial arts.
"Well, I hunted a few birds, and I also managed to take down a wild boar."
"A wild boar!?"
At that, Grandma Melinda rushed over to me, shouting.
"Shin! What kind of dangerous thing are you doing!?"
"Huh? It’s not dangerous. I used the magic tools I made the other day."
"Even so! What world has an eight-year-old who can hunt a wild boar!?"
"This one?"
"You fool!"
I got scolded by Grandma Melinda, but honestly, it wasn’t that dangerous. I had learned how to make magical tools from her, and I’d created a few original ones myself.
Magical tools can be imbued by "inscribing" the magic you imagine onto the tool.
There’s a limit to the number of characters that can be inscribed, and the price of the tool varies depending on how many characters can be written.
In this world, the writing system is like an alphabet, where certain combinations of letters form meanings.
Because of this, it’s not uncommon for even a single word to exceed the character limit.
So, I thought, "What about kanji?" and decided to give it a try.
The result was a huge success! I decided to make various magical tools for myself.
A "rifle" for long-range attacks with the inscription of "air pressure shrink."
A "vibration sword" for close combat with the inscription of "ultrasonic wave vibration."
A "protective suit" with the inscriptions of "anti-cut," "anti-magic," and "anti-impact" for defense.
"Jet boots" with the inscription of "air jet" to assist with movement.
These were the magical tools I created and always kept with me.
Although I call it a rifle, it's not really anything high-tech. It looks more like a matchlock gun with a wooden base attached to an iron pipe. Since I couldn't cut rifling into it, its accuracy wasn't great, but for a weak child hunting large prey, it was more than enough.
The vibration sword was my proudest creation.
The blade vibrates with ultrasonic waves, allowing it to cut through anything effortlessly.
It's light and easy to swing, designed to be wielded by a child’s strength.
The protective suit was just a regular outfit with defensive properties added.
The jet boots have jet propulsion from the heels to assist with movement. They even allow for mid-air direction changes.
However, these required a lot of practice. When I first made them, I often ended up flying off in the wrong direction, and everyone would look at me with disapproving eyes.
"You really do the most outrageous things the moment I take my eyes off you!"
"Huh? Really?"
"Ha ha, at least you’re full of energy, Melinda-dono."
"You’re way too energetic!"
"More importantly, you managed to take down a wild boar?"
Michel-san, who was covering for me with Grandma, was deep in thought.
This... feels a bit dangerous...
"Hmm, maybe I should make the next training a bit tougher."
"I knew it!"
This is the worst!
I love studying magic and making magical tools because it's fun, but martial arts training is just relentlessly tough, and I’m not good at it!
"Ha ha, I see you wanted that. Well, I won’t be going easy on you from now on, alright?"
"I didn't want that at all!?"
Michel-san is a good person, but... well, he has a tendency to think about things through the lens of muscle, if you know what I mean...
Starting the next day, I found myself completely exhausted every day from the upgraded martial arts training.
◇
Two years had passed since Michel-san upgraded my martial arts training at the age of eight, and now, at ten years old, I had grown.
At ten, I had black hair and black eyes, which is fairly common in this world. My face didn’t have a very deep Eastern look, but it wasn’t especially pronounced either.
I don’t think my appearance is bad at all, but since I’ve never met anyone my age before, I don’t really know the standards of beauty.
That said, I’m not some beautiful young boy who looks like a girl.
Now, having grown to a certain extent, I was in the forest with my grandfather today.
The purpose was... "Demon hunting."
Up until now, I had been hunting "animals" for our daily sustenance.
Humans, too, fall under the "animal" category.
In this world, where magic permeates and even affects life activities, all animals can benefit from magic.
However, if the control of that magic fails... the animal transforms into a Demon, becoming violent and attacking indiscriminately.
And this applies to humans as well.
Fortunately, humans have the ability to control their magic through their own will, so it’s rare for them to become Demons. But there has been one recorded case in the past.
A person who lost their self-awareness and rampaged with magic, causing entire towns and villages to be destroyed, even leading to the near-collapse of a nation.
At that time, it was Grandpa who defeated the "Demons," as humans who turn into Demons are generally called.
Grandpa told me this as one of his past heroic tales.
Because of that, he’s still treated as a hero in that country.
"Ho ho, then let’s begin our Demon hunt."
"Okay!"
Although I had just turned ten, I had been deemed ready for this by Grandpa, thanks to my regular hunting and training with Michel-san, so today marked my debut in Demon hunting.
As we were about to embark on the hunt, I had one question.
"Hey, Grandpa, how do we find and hunt Demons?"
"Ho ho, well then, let me teach you how to find Demons."
With that, he started explaining how to search for Demons.
"First, spread your magic faintly around you."
"Got it."
"When your magic spreads and comes into contact with something that has magic, you'll be able to sense its presence."
"Whoa..."
"All living creatures possess magic, so you'll be able to tell right away where they are. This is called 'detection magic.'"
This is a really useful magic.
"...You could’ve told me this sooner."
"Ho ho, that’s part of the training. You can’t use this magic until you can control your magic to some extent."
I pouted a little at Grandpa's words, but I understood what he meant, so I didn’t say anything else and tried the magic he taught me.
"...I kind of expected this, but I succeeded on the first try..."
Grandpa was mumbling something, but I was too busy sensing the magic of the animals in the forest, and I couldn’t focus on what he was saying.
And then...
"!!??"
"Ho, have you found it?"
Among the scattered magic in the forest, I caught a particularly large source of magic.
I could immediately tell the magic of Grandpa beside me and Grandma, who was likely at home. Their magic was large and warm. But the magic I had just sensed was far more sinister...
This is...
"That is the magic of a Demon."
Grandpa said it lightly, but this was bad. There’s no way we could leave something like that alone.
"Grandpa, we need to go quickly! If we leave that thing alone, it’ll be a disaster!"
"Indeed, this could be troublesome."
Without another word, the two of us ran toward the source of the magic.
We dashed through the trees, leaping over large rocks and obstacles with the help of the jet boots, and cutting through fallen logs blocking our path with the vibration sword, racing through the forest.
We completely ignored the rabbits, deer, and boars that occasionally appeared and finally reached the location, where...
A massive bear, over three meters tall, was devouring a similarly large wild boar.
"!!"
The overwhelmingly sinister magic made me feel a momentary wave of nausea.
I suppressed it and focused on the magic-turned bear, which was devouring the wild boar with abandon.
The bear slowly raised its head when it noticed us.
The first thing that caught my eye was its eyes, which had turned bright red. Not just the whites, but the pupils were red as well, and it gave me a strong sense of discomfort. Then there was the suffocatingly ominous magic.
So, this is a Demon...
I suppressed the rising fear and gripped the vibration sword at my waist.
Then...
"GUWOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
The bear roared, baring its hostility.
"!!?"
For a moment, I almost hesitated, but I quickly shook it off, activated the jet boots, and channeled magic through the vibration sword, making it hum to life. I shot forward.
"Wait, Shin!!"
Grandpa, who hadn’t said a word until now, shouted, but it was too late. I had already charged in.
The Demon bear swung its right arm down at me as I charged toward it.
I sidestepped at the last moment using the jet propulsion.
The bear’s arm slammed into the ground where I had been just moments before, creating a deafening sound as the ground exploded.
A small crater can be seen on the ground.
I wiped the cold sweat from my brow, quickly circling around the bear, and jumped toward its head.
No matter how big and vicious a Demon is, it won’t survive if its head is severed!
Just as I was about to bring the vibration sword down, the bear spun its body around and swung its left arm at me.
I hurriedly activated the jet boots again, leaping over its head and landing in front of the bear.
Damn, it's using body reinforcement. It's unbelievably fast.
I had heard that Demons start using magic like this, but it’s troublesome!
What should I do? For now, that arm is in the way.
As soon as I thought that, the bear swung its right arm down again.
What a one-track mind. With that thought, this time I didn’t dodge sideways, but leaped forward, getting into its range. I swung the vibration sword up, aiming for the base of its descending right arm.
With a clean slash, the bear's right arm detached from its body.
"GUWAAAAAA!!!"
The bear let out a painful scream and swung its left arm down in retaliation.
I dodged it as well, cutting through the base of the left arm, and once again circled around to the bear’s back, jumping toward its head.
"There’s nothing to stop me now!!"
I shouted as I made a swift slash toward its neck. The bear’s head separated from its body.
With a loud thud, the bear collapsed to the ground.
Phew, it’s down.
So, this is a Demon. Unlike animals, it uses magic, which made it troublesome, but I managed.
Well, considering it was my first Demon hunt, I think I did okay, right?
Turning to Grandpa to check, I found him standing there, mouth agape, looking stunned.
Huh? What? Did I mess up?
"Grandpa?"
"Huh? Oh! Sorry, sorry, I spaced out for a bit."
"Was that okay? I didn’t mess up, did I?"
"Oh, of course! You did it perfectly, better than I could have imagined."
"Really!?"
Yes! I successfully defeated my first Demon!
"Then let’s head home. I’m starving."
"Ho ho, indeed. Let’s head back then."
With my first Demon hunt complete, we made our way home.
"...I didn’t expect it to be this impressive... I’m looking forward to this..."
Grandpa muttered something behind me, but with the wind blowing as we ran fast, I couldn’t make out the words.
I wonder what it is? Maybe he’s thinking about the next training session?
As I pondered, we arrived home and went about our usual routine, eventually going to bed.
◇
In the middle of the night, after Shin had fallen asleep, Merlin, Melinda, and Michel were gathered in the living room.
"What did you say!? The Red Grizzly turned into a Demon!?"
Melinda raised her voice in shock.
"Yes, that’s right. When I detected the magic, I couldn’t believe it."
"And then, Shin killed that Demon Red Grizzly in an instant..."
A heavy silence fell between Merlin and the others.
"Just who is that child? His speed in mastering magic is abnormal, and even in martial arts, he’s keeping up with Michel’s harsh training, albeit reluctantly. As for his enchantment magic, he even created an original language. I’d believe it if he said he’s from another world."
Melinda spoke with sharp insight.
None of them could have imagined that Shin truly carried memories from another world.
"Well, it doesn't matter who he is. He calls me Grandpa, and he absorbs every bit of magic I’ve mastered. He was an adopted child, but now I think of him as my real grandson. I can’t help but dote on him. Him getting stronger is all about protecting himself. There’s no problem with that."
Merlin made a completely doting statement.
Melinda and Michel looked at him with incredulous expressions.
"I can’t believe you, of all people—‘The God of Destruction’ and ‘The Pyromancer’—is saying something like that..."
"Could you stop with those titles? They bring back my embarrassing past and make me cringe..."
It seems that Merlin caused quite a stir in his younger days.
He winced at his old titles.
"Heh, and now you’re being called ‘The Sage’ and ‘The Hero,’ aren’t you?"
"Indeed, you can really feel the passage of time."
"...Please stop with that, it’s embarrassing..."
While Merlin was being teased, Melinda suddenly spoke up.
"Well, I think that child is cute too. I can’t visit often, but I really do think of him as my real grandson."
"...."
A subtle atmosphere passed between Merlin and Melinda.
It seemed that Michel didn’t notice it, and spoke up.
"To think he has grown enough to defeat a Demon-turned Red Grizzly on his own. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to make the training even more rigorous from now on."
As usual, he said something like that.
"Sigh... That kid sure has bad luck. Getting favored by this meathead..."
Melinda muttered, concerned about her grandson’s well-being.
"Ho ho, take it easy on him now."
It seemed Merlin had no objections to Shin growing stronger.
And so, unbeknownst to Shin, the intensity of his training was decided to increase.
◇
The day after the Demon hunt, Michel’s training was once again upgraded.
Why?
And what's with Grandpa and Grandma Melinda? There’s a strange atmosphere between them.
Why?
After spending a day filled with confusion, Grandpa spoke to me.
"Shin, can I talk to you for a moment?"
"What is it, Grandpa?"
"I have something to tell you."
"Hmm."
By the way, Grandma and Michel had already left.
They usually stay, like they did yesterday, but it’s not something that happens often, and they don’t visit every day.
So, it was just me and Grandpa in this situation as he started the conversation.
"Actually, Shin, I want to talk to you about your origins."
"My origins?"
Is he going to tell me the story of when he found me?
"Well... you’re not actually my real grandson."
"Huh?"
...Sorry, I already knew that...
"I’m sorry... I’ve kept it a secret all this time."
"Well, that’s fine..."
For now, I decided to just go along with it.
"So... if I’m not your real grandson, why am I living with you?"
"That was nine years ago. I was on my way to a nearby town to buy some things, just by chance—really, just by chance—walking along the highway. As I walked, it started to rain, so I strayed from the road a little to take shelter in a nearby forest."
"Rain..."
"Well, it turns out there was a carriage there ahead of me... but it seemed to have been attacked by a Demon. It was a terrible sight."
Demons... an attacked carriage... I could almost guess what happened.
"The area was filled with the wreckage of the carriage... and... well... scattered human bodies that had been torn apart. I thought there were no survivors, but I decided to approach the scene and at least offer a prayer. Then, from between the scattered wreckage, I heard the cries of a baby."
At this point, Grandpa fell silent and looked at me intently.
"I hurried to find the source of the cry. And... the baby I found was..."
"That was me..."
"Yes. When the carriage was attacked, you must have been knocked unconscious from the shock. And with the rain that was falling, your body temperature dropped, and you likely fell into a state of suspended animation. That’s why you survived without being noticed by the Demons."
I see. I had wondered why I was the only one to survive the Demon attack, but it was because I had fallen into a state of suspended animation. Probably from the shock, my memories of my past life resurfaced. Maybe that was what brought me back from that state?
"I’m not sure why you revived from that state, but when I approached, you took a breath again. I thought it was fate, and after praying for the ones who were lost, I took you home with me."
"So... where are my real parents?"
"I’m sorry, but the destruction was so brutal that... I couldn’t find anything that could identify them."
"Ah, I see."
"…You’re taking this surprisingly well..."
Well... I guess it makes sense.
"Even if you say they’re my parents, I don’t remember them..."
"That’s true."
And...
"Besides, I have you, Grandpa."
"...!"
That’s right. Even though I’m not your real grandson, you raised me with so much love and care.
"And I have Grandma Melinda, and Uncle Michel. There’s also Uncle Dis and Sister Kris, and even though he’s a bit of a show-off, there’s Brother Zeke too."
Many people come and go, visiting us.
"See? Even without my real parents, I’ve never felt lonely. Honestly, it’s more like I’m overwhelmed by all the noise."
"Shin..."
"That's why, Grandpa."
"Hm?"
"Thank you for picking me up."
For saving my life.
"Thank you for helping me."
For always making me delicious meals.
"Thank you for taking care of me."
For teaching me so much magic.
"I'm so happy to have been picked up by you, Grandpa."
Even though I went through such misfortune right after I was born, now I’m this happy.
"Shin... ugh... ugh... uoooohhh..."
Uh-oh, Grandpa’s crying. But it’s the truth, so I’m glad I said it.
Thank you, Grandpa.
◇
Several years passed since I learned about my origins from Grandpa.
Today, I’m going out with Grandpa.
Though, it’s not like we’re out shopping or having a picnic.
The purpose today is to test how much magic I’ve learned to use—basically, a sort of exam.
For this, instead of the usual forest, we’ve come to a barren wasteland with no trees or grass.
Since Grandpa showed me this place, I’ve been practicing my magic here.
"Hmm? Was the terrain like this?"
Grandpa muttered to himself.
"Maybe you’re confused since it’s been a while? Anyway, let’s start quickly."
I nervously encouraged Grandpa to begin, wiping the sweat from my brow.
"Ah, yes. Let’s see how much magic you’ve learned, Shin."
And so, what you could call my "graduation exam" began.
I immediately began to control my magic and gather it.
Now, which spell should I start with? I guess I’ll go with the basic "fire" magic.
First, I visualize combustion. I create an ember and add oxygen to it to encourage the burning process.
The flame that emerges starts to rise in temperature.
"I’ve never seen blue flames like that before..."
I then generate several flames around me.
"I’ve never seen so many flames before..."
It takes almost no time at all to create the flames. I then shoot the flames toward a spot on the ground a little ways away.
Thud!!!
A muffled sound echoes as the flames hit the ground.
It wasn’t an explosion, so there’s no shattering.
However, the superheated flames melt the ground, turning it into something resembling magma. Some parts of it have even turned into glass.
"…"
Huh? What’s Grandpa’s opinion?
Well, never mind. On to the next.
Next, I create the same flames again, but this time I shape them into a long, narrow form and add rotation. The image in my mind is of a bullet.
The flame bullet shoots toward the same spot at an incredible speed, far surpassing the speed of the flame ball from before.
Boom!!!
With the added element of speed, the force of the acceleration not only melts the area due to the heat, but also blows the surrounding ground away.
"…"
Huh? Again?
Alright, next.
This time, I imagine a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen, wrapping it in an air barrier. As it hits the target, I trigger the ignition from the ember I’ve prepared and shoot it toward a much more distant location.
BOOM!!!
A tremendous explosion occurred.
Ah, a huge crater formed. Well, I chose this wasteland for this exact reason, so it’s not really a problem.
"…"
Huh? Why hasn’t Grandpa said anything?
Well, it can’t be helped. I’ll try a different magic...
"…Ha! What am I waiting for! Enough, that’s enough."
Oh. Finally, Grandpa spoke.
"How was it, Grandpa?"
"I didn’t expect it to be this much… I didn’t think you’d grow this much on your own…"
"So, does that mean?"
"Without a doubt, you’ve passed."
Ohhh!
"Yesss!!"
I raised both hands in the air and struck a victory pose. It was all worth it to get Grandpa’s approval.
"You’ve really grown... Tomorrow, you’ll turn fifteen and become an adult. So, I suppose it’s time for you to stand on your own."
"…Ah."
Yes, tomorrow I turn fifteen. In this world, adulthood is reached at fifteen. Except for a few exceptions, people step into society once they turn fifteen.
And here we are, deep in the forest. To step into society, I’ll have to leave this house.
Living here has been just fine. I thought maybe I didn’t need to leave, but Grandpa, Grandma, and the other adults didn’t allow it.
So, once I turn fifteen, it’s decided that I’ll leave this house and the forest behind to live on my own.
By the way, clothes and other necessities have been brought by the adults who visit, including an uncle who runs a business. So, I’ve never actually left the forest.
Because of that, while I’m excited about starting a new life away from the forest, I also feel a sense of loneliness about leaving Grandpa, making it a very complex feeling.
With that mix of emotions, I opened the "Gate" to head home.
This "Gate" magic is my original creation. There’s already magic that creates an extra-dimensional space to store items, and Grandpa can use it too. It’s a fairly common magic.
So, I thought, if I can interact with extra-dimensional spaces, why not create a magic that uses "gates"?
This magic connects the current location to the desired destination, not by a "line," but by a "point."
...Maybe that’s hard to understand. For example, if you draw two points on a piece of paper, the shortest distance between them isn’t a straight line. It’s folding the paper and connecting the points directly.
With that image in mind, the gate opened easily.
There’s also the method of direct teleportation, but teleporting means your body is broken down and reconstructed at the destination. Just thinking about the possibility of something going wrong in the reconstruction process terrified me, so I never tried it.
So, I opened the gate to go home.
"Sigh... This is a bit much... Well, with this magic, I can always come back, so I shouldn’t be so down about it."
Ah, right! Since I have this, I can come back anytime!
Yeah, I never realized that before...
With that concern lifted, I felt much lighter and returned home.
◇
The next day, my fifteenth birthday celebration was being held. The participants were Grandpa, Grandma, Michel, Uncle Dis, Sister Kris, Brother Zeke, and Uncle Tom.
Uncle Dis was a nice middle-aged man with blond hair that had a yellowish hue, a mustache, and emerald-colored eyes.
He always wears very fine clothes and has an air of dignity? Charisma? He gives off the vibe of a capable company president.
Although, he’s actually a very friendly guy. He often has serious discussions with Grandpa, but since he never tells me what they’re about, I don’t know what kind of person he is.
Sister Kris is in her early twenties with red hair tied in a ponytail and brown eyes. She’s a beautiful woman with a slender, toned body, always wearing armor that doesn’t hinder her movements.
She’s very serious and strict, so I’ve rarely seen her smile. She is a kind person, though.
She’s a bit taciturn... I think she’s beautiful, but it feels like she’s losing out on things because of it.
Brother Zeke is a handsome guy with silver hair and blue eyes. He wears clothes and a robe that make it clear he’s a mage, but since he’s good-looking and has a lighthearted personality, it wouldn’t be surprising if he were living off of others.
He and Sister Kris are like oil and water... they often fight when they meet.
Grandma and Uncle Michel often get on their case, telling them not to argue in front of me.
Uncle Tom is the merchant I mentioned earlier who visits our house.
He’s said to be the head of a fairly large trading company, but he owes Grandpa a debt of gratitude, so he still personally brings the goods to the house. He’s a chubby man with brown hair and eyes, and his stout figure adds to his presence as a merchant. He’s a very kind man who often brings books and other things.
All of Grandpa’s guests came to my birthday celebration.
By the way, I don’t know my exact birthday, so we celebrate the day I was found as my first birthday.
I was around one year old when I was found.
And so, my fifteenth birthday celebration began.
Uncle Dis is in charge of the event.
"Now, our hero, Merlin’s grandson, has turned fifteen and become an adult. Let us celebrate this milestone with a toast. Everyone, please raise your glasses. To Shin’s fifteenth birthday and coming of age, cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"Thank you, everyone."
And so, the feast began.
"To think that little baby Shin is already an adult..."
For a while, Grandpa and Grandma proudly talked about me, making me feel a bit embarrassed. Eventually, the conversation shifted to what I would do in the future.
"By the way, Shin, what are you planning to do now?"
Uncle Dis asked.
"I was thinking I’d head to a nearby town and check it out."
"I see, and then?"
"And then?"
Come to think of it, I hadn’t really thought about what I would do once I got to the town.
Then, the room fell into silence.
Huh? What’s going on?
"Huh? You must have something planned, right? In the city or town, you could become a Demon hunter, or with your enchantment magic, you could open a magical tool shop. Plus, with how handsome you are, you might even find a girl to get close to and have her take care of you."
"That’s a thought that only comes from you."
Brother Zeke and Sister Kris were glaring at each other.
"A hunter? A magical tool shop? Can I really just open one?"
Wait, do I get paid for hunting Demons? Can I really just start a magical tool shop that easily?
"I find it hard to believe, but... Shin, have you ever gone shopping before?"
"Now that you mention it, I’ve only ever bought things from Uncle Tom. Grandpa always handled the money, so I’ve never really dealt with it myself."
When I answered Uncle Tom’s question, the room went quiet again.
"Merlin... you..."
"Merlin-sama, this is..."
Grandma and Uncle Michel looked at Grandpa. Then Grandpa said...
"Ah, I forgot to teach him about basic common sense."
"WHAT?!"
Now that I think about it, I never learned any of that stuff, what with all the focus on magic.
.jpg)
The day after the shocking birthday party where I discovered that I hadn’t been taught the basic common sense of this world by Grandpa, everyone who had been at the party came to the magic training ground—the wasteland—to see for themselves.
When I opened the "Gate," everyone was so shocked they stood there with their mouths hanging open.
The reason we were here was because, given how much I didn’t know about the world, Grandma wanted to confirm what kind of magic I’d been taught by Grandpa. Since everyone agreed and wanted to see it for themselves, they brought me here. Grandma was a specialist in magical tools, after all.
"Sigh... I’m shocked by this magic alone, but thinking about how we came all the way out here just to practice magic... Ugh, I don’t want to think about it too much."
"Though you say that, Melinda-sama, we don’t know what kind of trouble Shin might get caught up in once he enters society, so let’s just accept it and confirm what he can do."
...It seems like Grandma and Uncle Dis are saying something a bit rude.
After showing Grandpa my fire magic yesterday, I demonstrated more spells today. I shaped water into a whip, froze it into ice bullets, and even conjured a tidal wave. With wind magic, I created powerful gusts, countless razor-sharp blades, and a tornado. I generated electricity to launch lightning strikes. Using light magic, I bent light to activate optical camouflage and concentrated sunlight to fire a beam from the sky. For earth magic, I constructed an ultra-hard wall, shot clumps of dirt like a bullet storm, and conjured conical stakes from the ground to counter incoming attacks.
After showing off all these spells, I turned to look at everyone.
They all had dry smiles on their faces, as if they had given up on something.
It’s rare to see Sister Kris make that expression.
As I was thinking that, Grandma suddenly grabbed Grandpa.
"Merlin! You... why didn’t you teach this child 'restraint'!?"
"That’s true..."
"This is a bit too much..."
Hey, aren’t you all being a little too harsh?
"Well, you see... everything I taught him, he absorbed right away. I couldn’t help but want to see how much he could do."
"What do you mean 'couldn’t help it'! It’s disgusting!!"
Whoa, Grandma’s really mad.
"This... this is something that can’t just be shown to the world. A magic with this much destructive power... And the teleportation magic like the Gate we saw earlier... If the countries get their hands on Shin, they’d most likely start trying to conquer the world."
Uncle Dis said something unsettling.
Huh? Is it really that dangerous?
"Yes, and on top of that, Michel-sama has been training him in martial arts. He can handle close combat, and his long-range magic has this kind of power. If this gets out, all the countries will try to take him in."
Sister Kris added.
Is it really that serious?
I was so confused by the idea that this could lead to something so big when Uncle Dis spoke again.
"...Merlin-sama, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you, if I may?"
"F-Fo...fo...before that... could you... could you do something about this old woman...?"
Grandpa, with his collar being strangled, barely managed to answer.
"Whose fault is this!? Whose!?"
"Grandma, getting this worked up isn’t good for your health."
"Whose fault is this!? Whose!?"
Uh-oh, now the anger’s directed at me.
Thanks to that, Grandpa managed to escape Grandma’s grip, and Uncle Dis began speaking.
"Merlin-sama, honestly, Shin’s power is abnormal. It has the potential to disrupt the balance of power between nations. On top of that, Shin knows nothing beyond this forest. If he’s thrown into society like this, he’ll be swayed by the intentions of various countries... The most dangerous one is the Empire, which has a similar level of power to ours. They are focused on expanding their military strength, and it’s obvious they would try to use Shin for military purposes. The surrounding smaller nations wouldn’t just leave Shin alone either. This would be bad for both Shin and the world."
"Indeed..."
Being swayed by the intentions of others... It’s true that I’ve never met anyone outside of the people here.
"That’s why I have a proposal. How about enrolling Shin in the prestigious Magic Academy in our country?"
"...Is this your way of trying to bring him into your country?"
Grandpa’s voice grew stern... I’ve never heard him speak like that before...
"I swear here that we will not use Shin for military purposes. I have watched Shin since he was a baby. I’ve always thought of him like my nephew, and I can’t bring myself to involve him in war."
"So what does that mean?"
"As you know, our country’s capital has a prestigious Magic Academy. This academy is for those who have completed their basic education up to the age of fifteen and are exceptional in magic. It is a higher educational institution where we further train those with outstanding magical abilities. At the academy, Shin will be able to see how his magic compares to others, and understand the level of proficiency that is generally considered excellent."
"Huh? Am I... exceptional? Really?"
"Moreover, the entrance to the Magic Academy is at the age of fifteen. For someone like Shin, who has never interacted with others his age, don’t you think it would be a great opportunity to make some friends? Kris and Zeke, being close in age, could... well... they're like this."
Ah, Sister Kris and Brother Zeke both looked away... They met eyes for a moment and began glaring at each other.
...Yeah, I guess that's how they get treated as "like this."
"I see..."
"Also, I believe Merlin-sama has a house in the capital, right? If you lived there, you’d be able to learn things like how to handle money and the general common sense of society."
"Hmm... Well, Shin..."
"Huh? What is it?"
"I agree with what Diseum is saying. I think it’s the best option, but what do you think?"
Diseum? Who's that... Oh! It’s Uncle Dis’s real name!
"I’m fine with that. I want to try going to school, and I might even make some friends my age, right? I’m really looking forward to it."
It’s true that everyone has been looking out for me, so I haven’t felt lonely. But I still want to experience being rowdy with friends my own age.
"I see. Then I’ll speak to the academy on your behalf. However, while I think it’s fine to enroll you directly, there will still be an entrance exam for formality. Is that alright?"
"That’s fine."
"Sorry, but the class assignments after enrollment are based on the entrance exam results, so we can’t skip the exam. Our country’s prestigious Magic Academy is a meritocracy, and there’s no room for aristocratic influence. I can’t pull any strings for you."
"What happens if someone tries to wield aristocratic power?"
"They will face severe punishment."
"Yikes!"
"That would be considered an act of rebellion against the state, as it would undermine the development of talented magic users. Be careful, Shin."
He said this with a grin.
"There’s no way I’d do something like that. But, speaking of which, you keep saying 'our country' and mentioning authority... Uncle Dis, who are you really?"
"Oh, I never mentioned that, did I? My real name is 'Diseum von Earlshide.' I’m the 'King' of the Earlshide Kingdom."
...I never expected him to be a king.
"So... that means... Sister Kris and Brother Zeke are...?"
"I’m a knight in the royal guard, serving as His Majesty’s personal protector."
"I’m a mage in the Imperial Court Mage Corps. I’m also one of His Majesty’s protectors."
They’re all bodyguards for the king.
"What!? I can believe Sister Kris, but Brother Zeke? No way!"
"Hey, wait a second! What do you mean 'no way!'? And what do you mean, 'I can believe Kris' but not me?!"
"Heh, it seems Shin has a good eye for these things."
"What did you say?"
"What’s the matter? Huh?"
They started glaring at each other again.
"Well, putting those two aside, ‘Hey!’ what about Michel?"
There’s some noise going on in the back, but I’ll ignore it.
"I retired from the knight corps a few years ago. Before I retired, I was the captain of the corps."
What? Is this entire kingdom’s heavy-hitters gathered here?
"Then why would a king like you visit my grandpa?"
"Hmm, so even after knowing I’m the king, your attitude doesn’t change, huh?"
"Well, you’ve always been an uncle I’ve known for a long time. I even thought of you as a relative’s uncle. So, I can’t suddenly start using formal language with you now."
Using formal language with a relative's uncle... No way!
"Ha ha ha, it’s fine, it’s fine. My real nephews, nieces, even my own son and daughter all use formal language with me. You’re the only one who can have such a casual conversation with me. Don’t change, alright?"
He’s a surprisingly down-to-earth king.
"I understand that, but why are you here?"
"Oh, right. Do you know the story of when your grandfather, Merlin, defeated a human who had turned into a Demon, a so-called 'Demon'?"
"Yeah, Grandpa told me about it. He said some towns and villages were destroyed and one country almost fell apart."
"Do you know the name of that country?"
"No, I haven’t heard that... but..."
The way this story is going, I think I know where it’s heading...
"Yes, as you’ve guessed, it was my country."
"So it was..."
"I was still a student at the Magic Academy back then. It was the first time in our country that a person became a Demon and turned into a 'magician', destroying a village. My father... the king at the time... and the country’s high-ranking officials were in a panic. We sent out multiple squads to defeat the Demon, but they were all sent back defeated. Eventually, a town was destroyed, and the country was pushed to the brink. At that point, even young mages from the Magic Academy were called to go on the mission. I was part of the squad."
Wait, a prince did something that dangerous?
"Didn’t they try to stop you?"
"Of course, they opposed it. By that time, I had already been crowned as the crown prince. But my pride as one of the top students at the Magic Academy wouldn’t allow me to sit back. My friends were heading into dangerous territory, and I couldn’t stay in a safe place."
Wow, Uncle Dis is seriously cool.
"Wow..."
"But... I was still scared. As the day of departure grew closer, both my friends and I couldn’t sleep at night. Finally, the day came, and we faced the 'Demon'. I still remember the despair I felt that day."
"So? What happened?"
"Not only the students from the Magic Academy, but also skilled warriors and mages were overwhelmed by the 'Demon', and just when we thought it was over, the ones who appeared were..."
"Grandpa."
"And also, Melinda."
Huh? Grandma was there too?
"I'm an enchantment magic user. I was only providing support."
"Even so, it’s impressive."
"R-Really?"
Grandma’s blushing.
"Then, the two of them appeared dramatically, and though they struggled, they eventually defeated the 'Demon'. I felt such admiration for Merlin-sama’s fierce determination as he confronted the enemy, and Melinda-sama’s almost enchanting appearance as she worked her magic tools. It was enough to make me shiver."
Fierce? Enchanting?
"Grandpa... Grandma..."
"Don’t say anything... it was the folly of youth..."
"What’s that? I’m not to be thrown away just yet, am I?"
Grandma...
"Well, anyway, they defeated the 'magician'. And since I was there at the time, I was praised as a hero for saving the nation and even the crown prince. Since then, Merlin-sama and I became friends beyond our positions. That continued after I ascended to the throne, and even now, I occasionally come to him to vent about politics."
I see... wait.
"Vent!?"
"Of course. The politics of the nation are my responsibility. Even if it’s Merlin-sama, I can’t just dump that responsibility on him."
Cool... Uncle Dis is seriously cool.
"That’s why, as the grandchild of someone who’s done such great deeds for me, I have no intention of using you for politics or the military, so feel free to come to the capital."
"Got it. So, when should I go?"
"Well, there’s an exam after the new year, so move to the capital by then."
So, it was decided that I would move to the capital.
By the way, Grandpa is coming with me to teach me the common sense of the world.
It’s a little embarrassing that I can’t leave Grandpa, but at the same time, I’m kind of happy about it.
Then, I decided to ask about something that had been on my mind.
"Grandpa and Grandma used to be in a party together, huh?"
As soon as I said that, a strange atmosphere filled the air.
Huh? What’s going on?
"Not just in a party...those two were once a married couple, you know?"
Sister Kris dropped a huge bombshell.
"Wait, what!!!"
"...Ho ho."
"...It was the folly of youth."
Seriously?
T/N: Next chapter is quite big (24000 words), so I will probably send it in part wise at the same time.