I collapsed to my knees, my heart still racing. My wet palms lay flat on the stone floor.
"I-I'm fine." I said, vision blurring. My lips curled into a shaky smile.
I did it! My first spell with my eyes open—and chantless no less!
"You look really tired though," Jamie said, scratching the back of his head. "You're like… drenched."
Anyone would be sweating after that. Well, anyone except you.
I forced myself up, stumbling as I did. My vision was returning in patches like flashing lights.
I checked my mana pool. Five percent. I was really cutting it close.
"Where do we go now?" I said. My voice sounded distant in my own ears.
"The fountain."
"Are you really okay, Reno?"
I stumbled forward. Jamie slipped under my arm without asking.
"Hold onto me while we walk."
I gripped his shoulder, leaning my weight on him.
"Thanks."
I meant to say more, but the words wouldn't come out. Maybe later, when my brain wasn't mush, I'd figure out how to thank him properly. A birthday present or something.
We trudged along like brothers in arms, shoulder to shoulder. Luckily, from this alley, the main street was right in front of us. No way to get lost now.
By the time we reached the end of the alley, my vision had cleared up and my legs felt normal again. I stood up straighter.
"I should be okay now."
Jamie's eyes lit up as I let go of him.
"Oh, phew! That's a relief."
We stepped into the crowded main street. The usual wall of noise hit me—merchants shouting about deals, carts rattling past, people everywhere.
"Is this place ever not busy?" I rubbed my temple. The oncoming headache wasn't helping.
"Maybe during the Sun-festival?"
"What's that?"
"I think it's when everyone goes out to the fields and dances around, so the crops don't die."
"And that works?"
Jamie shrugged. "Bill and Phill say it works, but I doubt it."
Huh. On Earth, I would've laughed that off. But in this world? For all I knew, the fields had earth spirits appraising their dance moves.
"But you missed it. Gotta wait for the next one." He smiled, weaving through the crowd. "How many magic spells do you know? Can you teach me any?"
"Uhm—"That was harder to answer than it sounded.
After all, when I learned that wind spell just now, the name naturally came to me—like it had always been there, waiting. Maybe it would work the same way with earth and light magic, but I wasn't quite sure yet.
Besides, my mana pool was tiny, and my soul strength weak. Right now, I could only cast about three spells before risking collapse from mana exhaustion. Any more than that, and I might lose control and pass out.
"I know Fireball, Water Bomb, and now Wind Blast. So, uh… three." I scratched my head. "Not really enough to teach anybody."
"Woah, that's so cool! Apart from you, only the big kids can use magic!" Jamie's eyes gleamed. "Your dream was to be the best mage ever, right?"
"Yep."
He flashed a big toothy grin. "You'll do it."
"Not until you're the best merchant, right?"
Jamie froze, surprise flashing across his face. "You remembered… Right, we'll have to make our dreams come true together!"
I smiled. I wanted to believe we could. I wanted to believe we would. But life isn't so simple.
We kept walking, the central plaza's entrance only a few meters away now.
"Hey, Reno." Jamie said, turning to face me.
"Hm?" I said, doing my best Finn impression.
"Let's have a race to the fountain!"
"Again? I'm too tired." I sighed, rubbing my eyes. Kids really did have way more energy than they knew what to do with.
"Aww, shucks." Jamie kicked a pebble in front of us. "Well, that's too bad then."
We strolled the rest of the way like kids who'd just finished a long day of playing—tired, but not ready to let the day end. The fountain's bubbling water filled the silence between us, like a soft lullaby.
"Will Bill and the others really come?"
"Probably. But they might be taking extra precautions because of Big Sis Rosette."
"Extra precautions?" I said as I sat down on the fountain's ledge.
"Rosette knows we meet up at this fountain, so we usually hide in a few different shops. Then I go and find everyone once the coast is clear."
"So, they could be hiding right now?"
He nodded. "Or they got caught."
Well, that was always a possibility too.
"It'll take forever to find them."
"Nah, I know all their usual spots."
"What happens when people get caught? Why are Phill and Bill so scared of Rosette?" I asked the two questions that had been weighing on my mind for a while now.
"That's… "Jamie's expression fluctuated. "Don't worry you won't be caught."
That wasn't an answer.
Before I could press him further, Jamie's gaze locked onto something behind me.
"Look, Reno, they're at the entrance!" His voice dropped to a hush. "Quick, go hide in a shop somewhere. I'll find the others and meet you there."
What is this, hide and seek? That was probably the most accurate description of the situation, come to think of it.
"What are you standing there for?" Jamie whispered urgently. "Try that store over there. No one would ever check it."
The store he was pointing to was called 'Clevio's Bookstore'. Sure enough, it really was the kind of place most people wouldn't check.
"Go!" Jamie gave me a gentle shove before sprinting off toward Stox's Blacksmith in the opposite direction.
I watched him disappear into the small crowd. Fine, I'll play along. I strolled toward the bookstore. No need to sprint and slam the door—that'd just scream guilty. I waltzed right in. I wasn't going to make the mistake of knocking, twice.
"Haaah…"The familiar scent of paper and old wood filled my nose. For a moment, I was in my own peaceful world again.
Except this time, someone else was here. A young, cute girl stood in front of me, hugging a stack of books to her chest.
"R-Reno?" Her eyes widened. "You're back again already?"
I scratched the back of my head. "Ah well… something happened, and I thought I'd drop by."
She tilted her head. "O-oh?" Her arms trembled under the weight of the books.
"Those look heavy, can I help you carry them?"
"N-no, it's okay, Reno."
I stepped in front of her and gently scooped the stack from her arms. We were close enough that I could feel her breath on my face.
"I insist."
Her glasses misted over as she blushed a soft pink. She twirled her hair. "O-okay."
"So where do these books go?"
"Aisle three."
We walked side by side toward the third aisle. Her steps had a light bounce, her expression cheerful. She seemed to be in a good mood.
"Do you help out around the shop a lot?"
"Yeah, I've helped out since I arrived."
Since she… arrived?
"Wow, already pitching in even though you're so young."
She paused, glancing back at me. "So young? Aren't I older than you, Reno?"
Oh. Maybe she was right.
"You haven't even started pre-scouts yet, right?"
"I guess so."
She giggled as she skipped ahead playfully. "You're funny, Reno." She pointed. "Just put them right over here."
Heave-ho! I placed them right where she'd indicated. "Haah… I'm beat!" I slouched.
She beamed with an innocent smile. "Thank you, Reno."
"Can we take a break?" I asked, trying not to sound as pathetic as I felt. My legs were aching, my arms were noodles, and I'd only helped with one stack. Not exactly a heroic effort.
She blinked at me then smiled.
"Silly Reno." She stepped forwards, ruffling my hair with a hand. Her fingers slipped through the strands, soft but a little clumsy, like she wasn't sure how much force to use. "If you were tired you didn't have to help me."
Tired?
"Alright! All my energy's back!"
Her eyes widened at my sudden outburst. "Eh—ehhh?"
Her speech wasn't supposed to be motivational, but it galvanised me nonetheless.
"Where's the next stack?" I puffed out my chest like I was about to climb a mountain.
She giggled, covering her mouth with one hand. "It's this way."
She led me toward a back room, humming softly under her breath. The air changed as we walked in—stale paper, old wood, a hint of ink. Books and parchment lay scattered everywhere, like a tiny chaotic kingdom of knowledge.
She pointed to a corner.
"There's some beanbags over there. You can rest if you want."
"I…" really wanted to sleep. My mouth betrayed me. "Am not tired at all!" I puffed out my chest, again—hoping it'd give me energy. "Where do I start?"
Her eyes widened slightly. "How about… we work on it together? The two of us." Her voice dropped just a little at the end, like she wasn't sure how that sounded.
"You've been working hard this whole time, right? Let me help you out while you rest—you deserve a break."
"Well." She adjusted her glasses as she glanced around. "Okay then."
I bounced on the balls of my feet like I was an athlete preparing for a race.
Stack two.
I grabbed the pile, books shifting under my grip.
"This one goes to aisle twelve, short stories."
"Got it!"
Stack five.
She peeked at the title of the top book. "Aisle seven. Comedy section."
"On it!"
Stack ten.
She hesitated, cheeks turning pink as she read the cover.
"Aisle one… romance section."
I tilted my head, pretending not to notice her blush. "Sure thing."
My arms were starting to tremble a little. This is fine. I'm fine.
Stack twenty.
My legs were rubber.
"Aisle eight—are you okay?" she asked, leaning forward.
"Haaah… you said… haaah… aisle five?"
She blinked. "Aisle eight."
"Y-yeah that… works."
Her hands brushed mine, cool and soft. Without warning, she reached out, scooping the books straight from my arms.
We were close enough that I could see the tiny movements in her face—the way her mouth pressed together, the slight crinkle at the corner of her eye when she smiled.
"You've done a lot already." Her voice softened. "You can rest too, Reno."
I wobbled towards the bean bags like a wounded soldier retreating from battle.
Poof!
I flopped onto the nearest one, my legs giving out completely. The beanbag deflated under my weight.
She covered her mouth with a hand. "Be careful."
She held the stack of books I previously had, hugging it to her chest. Instead of walking to aisle eight, she paused.
Her gaze lingered on me for a second—just long enough to make me notice. Then she gently placed the books down.
"I think I'll stay here for a bit." Her steps were soft as she waltzed towards the beanbag next to mine.
Finally, some rest. I looked over at Magia, who was stealing glances from me every now and then.
"What's that you're reading?" I asked.
"It's called 'On Ideas and Crafts'."
"It's pretty thick. Do you usually read stuff like that?"
"Well, I prefer my books heavy. And this one is special to me." She embraced the book tightly, like it might fly away. My chest tightened. Seeing her like that evoked a protective instinct.
"What's it about?"
"It starts with the story of an inventor. One who isn't very talented at all. They work very hard until they get rewarded, in the form of mastery."
"Oh?"
"It's more about her self-satisfaction than the fame and riches she ends up with."
A personal development story about a female craftsman? What drew a kid like her to a story like that? Was she interested in becoming a craftsman?
"What about the rest of the book?"
Her face was serene. Her eyes shimmered, like someone had stolen the night sky and hidden the stars in her eyes. "It's about learning step by step how to go from an Apprentice to a Master Craftsman."
"That doesn't sound like a kids book."
She laughed. "Of course not. I don't read kids books." I gave her a confused look.
"I've read them all."
All the kids' books in the store? No way, right?
"The Paladin Hero? The Sky Empress? How about Legend of The White Dragon? Romeo and Juliet?"
"Yes, yes, and—yes. Hey, you made that last one up, didn't you?" She pouted.
I rubbed my nose. I wish I was the one who made that one up. "You got me."
"Hmph, you tried to trick me, didn't you? Silly Reno."
"S-sorry." I scratched my head.
"You must've read a lot of books too, right?"
"How do you know?"
"When you came into the store for the first time. I saw you running around with a really big smile." She tilted her head. "That means you love books too, right?"
"Yep, I do!" I tilted in my head in response, giving a pure smile.
When I first came into the shop, I'd lost track of time wandering between the shelves. By the time I looked up, she was peeking at me from around a corner.
Back then, I thought she was staring because I seemed weird. But maybe that wasn't it.
Since we'd been alone together, she'd stopped stuttering so much when we talked. Probably not a chronic stutter, then—just a situational one. Hopefully that meant she was more comfortable around me now. A quiet warmth bloomed in my chest, like someone had lit a small Magia-shaped candle within.
"What sort of books do you like to read, Reno?" She fidgeted. "I'm… interested."
"Hmm, where do I even start? The first book I really liked wa—
Slam!
"Eeek!" She flinched.
The shop door flung open. A familiar voice echoed from the front.
"Come out, Reno! They've found us!"
Us? You mean you, Jamie?
I heard a croaky groan coming from the direction of the counter. If he woke up, then we'd be officially doomed.
"Do you know him?"
I coughed into my fist. "Never seen him before."
She stood up beside me, eyes narrowing. "Then how does he know your name?"
We stepped towards the door. Bill, Phill, and Jamie came in one after another. In front of them stood an imposing figure, but it wasn't a member of the Little Dreamers.
"It's him! He told us to play chaos tag again!" The chubby kid pointed a finger at me, his cheeks puffing like a squirrel caught mid-snack.
"Yeah! That's him for sure!"
"What? Have you lost it, Bill? Phill, you've got to be kidding, right?"
"So, you're the newest troublemaker of the Epic Gang!" The red-haired girl at the front crossed her arms. She looked me up and down, as if she was appraising me.
"G-gang?" Magia repeated, as the stars in her eyes hid their fires. She looked towards me in confusion. Not good.
"B-b-big Sis Rosette, we have a new name now… We're the Little Dreamers."
"Shut it, Bill!"
"Ahh! S-sorry!" His belly jiggled apologetically.
Perhaps I would've found that more amusing if not for Magia's blank expression.
"P-please Big Sis, call us the Little Dreamers!" A tall tree-like figure got down on his knees at her feet.
"F-fine whatever! So, he's the newest troublemaker of the Little Dreamers, big difference! What matters is he's the criminal we're after!"
"C-criminal… "Her lips moved, but her voice barely escaped. Both of her hands clutched at the hem of her dress. She was getting the wrong—no, the worst impression.
"I think you have the wrong person…" I looked towards our leader who'd been awfully quiet since his grand entrance. "Right, Jamie?"
His mouth hid a smile as he turned away. That son of a—
"Wrong person?" She scoffed. "Already twenty-seven complaints and seven trashed stalls! Not to mention a stolen scarf and dozens of stolen fruits! What do you have to say for yourself?"
Well… as extreme as that sounded, when spread between us it was probably true. But it wasn't like I'd done all those things by myself. The dozens of fruits, on the other hand, were stolen singlehandedly.
"That's—
"T-that's not true! R-Reno would never do that!"
The air went still. The words hung in the air for a moment. We all turned—drawn to the voice that had frozen the room.
My heart sped up. She was speaking up for me—like she did for her grandpa?
Rosette's voice cracked a little.
"Magia?"