Once upon a time, in an era long forgotten by time, in an empire that no longer exists, there lived a commoner who was a talented mage beyond comprehension.
He was not born in a noble estate, nor was he raised inside a tower filled with books and crystals. He was born in a small town near the edge of the empire, in a house that leaked whenever it rained and grew cold whenever winter came.
His parents were ordinary people. His father repaired roofs and fences. His mother washed clothes for soldiers who passed through their town.
They had no bloodline worth mentioning, no inherited magic, no famous ancestor, and no patron willing to raise their child into greatness.
Still, the boy had no need for a teacher as the world itself was his teacher. The boy had a unique ability to see the invisible force of mana. Since he could see it and interact with it, he started to learn how to manipulate it.
