Chapter 1: Lesoult Greyrat
Three years have passed since I awakened to this new life.
My magic had grown drastically, but that wasn't the most pressing matter.
I learned the names of my parents: Paul Greyrat and Zenith Greyrat. And my name...
Lesoult Greyrat.
Yes, the very same name from my previous life. How? I had no idea. They simply called me that from birth. My parents shortened it to "Lest," and I never once thought it was my real name.
"Ara Ara, Lest really loves his books," Zenith would say with a soft laugh, watching me read. Apparently, it was unusual for a toddler to constantly have a book in hand—but for me, it was second nature.
I always carried a book. Even while eating, I balanced one on my lap. Not magic books—just regular ones, full of stories, world maps, and old customs. I was memorizing this world, piece by piece.
Magic? I kept it hidden.
What if mages were feared? Burned at the stake? Or maybe magic was forbidden to children? I couldn't take that risk. Books mentioned child prodigies here and there, but who knew how trustworthy that was?
Lilia, the maid, kept her distance. She often ignored me. Maybe she suspected something. My parents, on the other hand, were always cheerful around me.
I had a system. A proper one. Quests. Stats. The works. If I couldn't use magic or complete my missions, it would be a tragic waste.
At one point, even basic water spells weren't enough to drain my mana. I could cast while running my daily 10 kilometers. So I took the next step.
Intermediate magic.
I recited the chant for Water Cannon. I kept the mana minimal and the size modest.
A massive cannon of pressurized water formed—half the size of the basement. I could've made it larger, but I fired.
The blast tore through nearly the entire basement.
Shock paralyzed me. I couldn't move. Couldn't think.
Paul arrived first.
"What happened?! Monsters!? No—that can't be right." He unsheathed his sword.
"Lest! Are you hurt?!"
He wasn't a bad guy.
But I had just obliterated the basement. The guilt burned.
Zenith arrived moments later.
"Ara Ara."
A puddle spread across the stone floor. A torn magic book lay beside it.
She looked from the book to me. Her expression calm. Almost amused.
"Lest," she asked gently. "Did you use this spell?"
I lowered my head.
"I'm sorry."
Apologizing was the right choice.
Zenith stepped forward.
"That was... intermediate magic."
Then her eyes lit up.
"Kyaa! Did you hear that, dear?! Our Lest can cast intermediate spells! He's a genius!"
Paul stood speechless as Zenith began jumping in excitement, clutching his hands.
Meanwhile, Lilia quietly cleaned the mess, her expression unreadable.
Zenith spun to Paul. "You must go to Ranoa immediately and find a tutor! We need to nurture this talent!"
Paul frowned. "We agreed, didn't we? If it's a boy, he trains in swordsmanship. If a girl, then magic."
"But he cast intermediate magic! That changes everything!"
"A promise is a promise!"
"You break promises all the time!"
Their argument escalated quickly. Lilia, still expressionless, finally spoke.
"Why not have him learn magic in the morning, and train with the sword in the afternoon?"
That ended the fight.
So it was decided: I would learn both.
Shortly after, an application arrived. A magic tutor would come tomorrow. We expected a grizzled, old, retired adventurer.
We were wrong.
"I'm Roxy."
She looked like a high school girl—short, with water-blue hair, pale skin, and a long magician's staff in one hand. She wore a brown robe and had a sleepy, bored look in her half-lidded eyes.
My parents were speechless.
"You're very small," I said bluntly.
"I don't want to hear that from you," she replied.
Fair enough.
"Where's the student?"
"This is him," Zenith said, presenting me.
I waved. Roxy blinked. Then sighed.
"Ah. Another case of fast-developing kids and delusional parents."
We could hear that.
"Your son doesn't understand the fundamentals of magic, does he?"
"Our Lest-chan is very talented!" Zenith declared.
Roxy sighed again. "Understood. I'll do my best."
That morning, she brought me to the yard.
"Let's test your aptitude. Watch closely."
She raised her staff.
"Grant water's protection to this place! Let clear waters flow! WATER BALL!"
A large orb of water formed and launched at a nearby tree.
Crash.
The tree split in half.
"...That tree was my mother's favorite."
"Eh?! Seriously?!"
"Very much so."
Panicked, Roxy ran to the branches and performed a healing spell.
"By the grace of God, restore that which has been lost. HEAL!"
The tree mended.
"You can use healing magic too?!"
"Intermediate rank. Nothing more."
Despite her calm tone, the corners of her lips twitched up. She was proud.
"Your turn, Lest."
I raised my hand. I hadn't used the chant for Water Ball in a year. Couldn't remember it.
"Sorry, what was the phrase again?"
"Grant water's protection... let clear waters flow," she replied flatly.
I tried to follow it.
"Grant... something... WATER BALL!"
A massive orb formed, three times larger and faster than hers.
CRASH.
The tree exploded.
"Did... did you shorten the chant?" Roxy asked.
"Sort of. I usually skip it."
"You skip it?!"
She muttered under her breath, "This is going better than expected."
"You use silent casting naturally... Are you tired?"
"Not at all."
"Nothing to criticize. Size and speed are impressive."
"Thank you, Sensei."
She smiled. Genuinely.
Zenith came rushing out.
"ROXY!! Why did you destroy my tree AGAIN?!"
"But it was Lest—"
"Doesn't matter! You LET him!"
Roxy collapsed to the ground, drawing a circle in the dirt with her finger.
"......
Lest?"
"Don't worry, Sensei. Take it as experience."
"Ah... y-yes. Thank you. Let's continue."
And just like that, my lessons began.