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Five years have passed since Luciel was born into this world.
The simple days in the small village named Thalrin gradually shaped his childhood. The village was surrounded by vast grasslands and mist-shrouded mountains in the distance. The atmosphere was tranquil, always filled with the chirping of birds and a gentle breeze carrying the scent of wet grass.
Currently, it is summer. The sun radiated its scorching rays, causing the warm air to press against the skin, while a golden-white light enveloped the wooden rooftops of the village houses. Children ran barefoot on the dirt roads, their laughter echoing, while the men were busy working—some were stacking hay, others were repairing field fences, and the rest were transporting the harvest.
In one of the wooden houses on the outskirts of the village, a small boy appeared to be dusting off his clothes after nearly completing his chores. His black hair was slightly damp with sweat, yet his face remained radiant, exuding a characteristic childhood spirit. This was Luciel, the boy who was now living the simple life he had always dreamed of.
His heart was truly filled with gratitude. This was because, in his previous life, he had never felt such warmth again. Now, he possessed loving and admirable parents. His father, Hoshizura Luika, was a former, quite famous, magic soldier. Meanwhile, his mother, Hoshizura Myel, was formerly known as a magic princess from a certain kingdom.
Every night before bed, his mother often recounted how fate brought them together. Luciel still clearly remembered his mother's gentle voice, which slowly flowed in the dark room, as if bringing him into another world.
His mother told him how one night she nearly became a victim of a kidnapping by a mysterious organization, until his father—who was on a mission at the time—came to her rescue. That brief encounter became the beginning of their bond. Over time, the seeds of feeling grew, until eventually, both of them chose to leave the hustle and bustle of the kingdom and build a simple wooden house in Thalrin village.
Luciel never tired of hearing the story. For him, his parents' story was not merely a family legend, but a reminder that the simple life he now lived was born from their courage and great choices. When he was grinding grain or sweeping the yard, the shadow of that story often crossed his mind—making him appreciate the small moments he experienced each day even more.
Every morning, Luciel always completed his routine faithfully. Sometimes he helped his father grind the grain, sometimes he accompanied his mother in sweeping the wooden yard surrounded by wildflowers. As soon as his work was finished, he would run towards the open field on the edge of the village, a playground close to the quiet forest.
This morning was the same. Sunlight pierced through the gaps in the leaves, falling onto the dusty ground. Luciel clapped his hands one last time, clearing the remaining dust from his small palms. A smile appeared on his face.
"Yosh... my work is finally done!" he exclaimed with enthusiasm. He glanced towards the dirt road that stretched out of the village. His heart pounded, imagining the vast grasslands facing the quiet forest. That place always gave him the feeling that the world was much larger than what was visible before his eyes.
"Mother, I'm leaving now!" Luciel shouted from the doorway of the simple wooden house.
His mother, who was cooking, turned and smiled softly. "Yes, Luciel. Don't forget to come home on time."
Without waiting for a reply, the boy had already run out with hasty steps, leaving a small, long shadow on the dusty path.
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Not long after that, the house door opened again. A man with a tired but sturdy face entered, carrying a small sack on his back. His shoulders were slightly stooped from the burden, but the look in his eyes remained calm. He briefly raised an eyebrow, surprised to see his son who had run off in a hurry.
"Where is he going?" he asked, his gaze still directed out the window, as if following Luciel's direction of running.
"I don't know either... perhaps to the field near the forest again," Myel replied with a small sigh, then returned to stirring the food over the hearth.
"I see..." Luika muttered softly, then placed his sack in the corner of the room. "By the way, I have to return to the field after this. So, take good care of the house, Myel."
Myel glanced at him, nodding gently. But suddenly, she seemed to remember something. She took a container with a simple sandwich from the wooden table, then handed it to her husband.
"Oh, yes! Dear, could you give this to Luciel later? It seems he hasn't eaten anything yet."
Luika received the container, stared at it for a few seconds, then smiled faintly. "Is that so...? Alright, I will give it to him when I leave for the field again. Goodbye." He then walked away, carrying the sandwich provisions from his wife.
"Be careful on the way, dear," Myel said, gently waving her hand towards her husband's back.
The house door closed slowly after Luika left. Silence returned to envelop the room, only the sound of burning wood in the hearth crackling softly, filling the empty space with a calm rhythm.
—
Meanwhile, on the other side, Luciel finally arrived at the field after running for a few minutes. His breath was ragged, his small chest rising and falling rapidly. He paused for a moment, patting his knees while inhaling the warm summer air.
Then, Luciel decided to lie down on the expanse of green grass in the field while gazing at the vast, bright blue sky. The blowing wind slowly swept across his face, letting his mind drift along with the clouds moving slowly above.
"Has five years passed? I am very curious about the power that the mysterious man gave me when I reincarnated into this world," he mumbled while looking up at the sky.
"And in this world... This world is truly different from my previous world. Here there is a concept called magic. I haven't known anything about it since I was born into this world. But from what I can see, many people here are skilled in using it for their daily activities or work."
Luciel's mind sank deeper into his daydream. Occasionally, he gripped the grass next to him, as if trying to affirm the memories spinning in his head.
"Ah, that's right! The mysterious old man who appeared in my mind at that time told me to train until I became the strongest wizard."
His forehead furrowed, his lips pursed for a moment before he continued. "Speaking of the strongest wizard, he also said that I am the last heir of ancient magic. What exactly does that mean? I really don't understand. And right now, I can't use magic at all, you know."
Silence reigned for a moment, only the sound of the wind accompanying it. But his thoughts started spinning again.
"And one last thing that truly confuses me... is about the blue sapphire. Why did that mysterious man tell me to look for it? If I remember correctly, the blue sapphire was a rare jewel with a very high selling value in my previous world. But in this world, is it really the same rare material, which is only used as a jewel like in my world before?"
Just as Luciel was about to be immersed in his own thoughts, a shadow passed and blocked the light from his face. The figure slowly revealed itself in front of Luciel. He was slightly surprised, then stared intently at the figure standing before him.
It turned out that the one who appeared was a boy with striking deep red hair and eyes. The boy was Akami—the son of Thalrin's village chief, Hishigawa Akaya. Akami was Luciel's first peer friend in this world. They had known each other since they were three years old, thanks to the close relationship between their fathers.
"Yo, Luciel. What are you doing here?" greeted Akami, while staring face-to-face at Luciel who was lying down.
Luciel closed his eyes for a moment, sighed, then slowly rose from his lying position. "Nothing, just lying around."
"By the way, why did you come here, Akami?" asked Luciel, turning towards his friend.
Akami smirked slightly. "Because I knew you would definitely come here. At home, I'm bored to death. Even worse, my father told me to help with complicated chores. So, I just ran away, and stopped by here to practice. Hehe."
Luciel glanced at him, his eyebrows raised. "What are you doing? You are so lazy, Akami."
"Hahaha! Rather than that, let's practice together again, Luciel! Don't you want to be able to use magic as quickly as possible?" A mischievous smile appeared on Akami's face. He stepped forward, then said enthusiastically, "By the way, there's something amazing I want to show you."
Luciel was slightly curious about his words. He frowned for a moment. "What does he want to show?" he mumbled to himself.
Akami stepped a little further away, looked up briefly, then cheerfully recited a spell.
"Oh, spirit of fire!
Burn everything to ash.
Fire Ball!"
From the tip of Akami's index finger, a small fireball formed. The red-orange flame trembled, emitting a thin heat that was barely perceptible. Proudly, he raised his hand high, showing off the result in front of Luciel. "How is it, Luciel? I'm great, right?"
Luciel was silent for a moment. A faint smile played on his face, a mix of awe and a desire to laugh. "Haha... it's true that fire magic came out, but why is the fire so small? Rather than a fireball, it looks more like a match," he thought.
"Oi, Luciel... what do you think?" asked Akami, his eyes sparkling as if waiting for great praise.
"Yes, yes. Your match fire is quite good," Luciel said with a small smirk. He slowly stood up straight, patting his grass-stained trousers, still looking at the mini fireball with an amused gaze.
"What did you say!? Match fire!?" Akami sneered. He slowly approached Luciel, then grabbed his collar with an annoyed expression.
Luciel was slightly surprised, but couldn't hold back his laughter. "Hahaha! Sorry, sorry, I was just kidding," he said, raising both hands.
Akami stared at him for a moment, then sighed deeply before finally releasing his grip. "You jerk..." he mumbled, trying to hold back the smile that was about to emerge.
Luciel tidied his wrinkled collar, then looked at Akami more seriously. "Well... even so, you're quite good. You can use magic now even though the energy is still small. Whereas I... can't use it at all yet."
Those words made Akami silent for a moment. His eyes widened slightly, as if shocked to hear Luciel's honesty. Then, without much talk, he patted his friend's shoulder with conviction.
"Hahaha! Don't worry. Sooner or later, you will be able to use it too," he said with a wide smile. After that, he grinned mischievously. "But don't forget that I was able to use it before you. Hahaha!"
"Yes, yes. The village chief's son is indeed great," said Luciel, smirking again while looking at Akami with an amused expression.
Luciel crossed his arms over his chest, then looked up briefly at the blue sky stretching above them. A gentle breeze blew through his thick black hair. "Aah... what should I do now, I still can't use magic," he mumbled, as if talking to himself, but still loud enough for Akami to hear.
"What should you do, you say? Of course, we will practice together so we can trigger your magic power and my magic power!" Akami said enthusiastically.
"Practice... what are we going to practice? Practice as usual?" asked Luciel. For a moment, he laughed softly to himself. "Well, I also thought, there's no way that just a ritualistic practice like the one I did with him could succeed... how stupid," he thought with a grin.
"Of course not," said Akami in a mysterious tone.
Luciel, who had been grinning, suddenly fell silent, his eyes widening in surprise. "Huh? Not? So... what are we going to do?"
"We are going there," Akami pointed to the dark and silent, dense forest not far from the hill. That dark forest emitted a mysterious aura, so much so that black birds were flying nearby.
Luciel looked towards the dark forest for a moment, then slowly looked back at Akami with a slightly frightened expression. "Eh? Really? You want to enter that dark forest?"
"Hm? Of course!" Akami answered quickly, his face glowing. "Isn't our goal to practice?"
Luciel frowned, "What kind of practice are we going to do that requires us to go in there? Aren't you afraid?"
"That's it! That's exactly the purpose," Akami replied firmly. He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a half-whisper. "We will trigger that feeling of fear to awaken our magic power."
Luciel fell silent, then crossed his arms over his chest. His expression was flat, but his eyes narrowed, indicating he was starting to consider it seriously. "What do you mean...?"
Akami confidently patted his chest. "You know? There's a well-known theory among magician that the most powerful trigger which can awaken and enhance one's magic power is their own feelings."
"For example, sadness, joy, and fear—all of these are emotions that are so inherent to humans. Since emotions are directly connected to the spirit and soul, the stronger those feelings are, the greater the impact on a person's spirit and soul. Consequently, it allows the magic power within them to surge."
Akami paused for a moment, his eyes narrowed with self-assurance before he looked at Luciel. "At least that's what I read from an ancient book in my house's storage. Hehe—"
Luciel was silent, slightly amazed. "This boy... Akami might be smart, but I didn't expect him to grasp such a complicated theory," he thought to himself.
He blinked, trying to hide his surprise. "That's an interesting theory, Akami. But... are you certain that ancient book is truly accurate?" he asked cautiously.
Akami shrugged casually, though there was a serious glint in his eyes. "I don't know for sure. But if it's true, we can awaken our magic even further. Wouldn't that be incredible? There's no harm in trying. Let's prove it ourselves, Luciel."
Luciel looked at him for a long time, then gave a lopsided smile. "Even so... it seems he's genuinely a little different from most boys..." he thought. "Alright. But why did you choose this dark and silent forest as the testing ground? Isn't there another, more suitable place?"
"Because this forest... is said to be filled with wild beasts and magic monsters." Akami's voice sounded calm, yet beneath that calm, there was an undertone of threat, as if he deliberately aimed to intensify Luciel's fear. His lips curved faintly, his small eyes reflecting a hard-to-read sparkle. "Many say adventurers often hunt in this place."
Luciel's eyes widened. "Eh?! What? Wild beasts and magic monsters?!" His voice rose, almost in disbelief. "What is wrong with this boy... he's smart, but he seems to be a little crazy too."
Akami merely smiled faintly. "Isn't that perfect? Fear will spread naturally. If the theory in that book is correct, then that fear will be what awakens the magic power within us."
Luciel choked. Akami's words felt insane, yet they made sense at the same time. He swallowed, then tried to find a loophole. "But... what can we do if we actually encounter monsters and wild beasts? We are still children, Akami. It's impossible to face them empty-handed."
"Don't worry about that," he said, Akami paused for a moment. Suddenly, he pulled out a small dagger from seemingly nowhere and gave it to Luciel.
Luciel jumped in surprise, almost stepping back. "Eh? Where did you get that dagger?" he exclaimed incredulously.
"I bought this at Mr. Limbert's sword shop. Then I asked him to imbue it with magic so I could carry it practically everywhere. He embedded a shrinking spell into this dagger," Akami explained while pulling a dagger from his own pocket.
As his finger touched the hilt, the dagger's size slowly lengthened, transforming into a small sword.
Luciel watched the transformation with wide eyes, his mouth slightly open. "Eh? So, this is actually a sword?"
"That's right," Akami replied with a satisfied look. "You just need to press the back part of the hilt, and the dagger will lengthen back into a small sword."
"Owh... I see." Luciel was transfixed, looking at the small sword Akami had given him. "Heh... this sword is quite unique, too..." he muttered, focused on looking down at the blade.
"Luciel? Why are you daydreaming? Let's go into the forest." Akami's voice broke his reverie. Without Luciel realizing it, the boy was already standing a few steps ahead, staring at the dense, towering trees, which seemed like a dark, impenetrable wall.
"Eh...? Go into the forest?" Luciel flinched, his voice catching in his throat. Then, with a tone mixed with panic and confusion, he exclaimed, "You are seriously going in there!?"
"Of course," Akami replied briefly. "We already have the equipment." He turned around, then walked slowly towards the shadows of the trees.
Just then, a black bird was seen flying low again from a branch, flapping loudly, which made Luciel shudder. The shadow of its wings passed quickly, as if signaling that the forest held something more than just darkness and silence.
Luciel stared at the small back for a moment. The small sword Akami had given him was quite light, yet stiff in his grip. "Are you serious!? That boy is really going into the forest?"
"Yes... it seems there is no other choice but to accept this boy's invitation. After all, he said this might allow me to use magic, even if it's still only a theory. It certainly won't be easy. But this step might somewhat accelerate my understanding of what I don't yet grasp about this world. Especially about the blue sapphire that the mysterious old man mentioned," he whispered quietly.
He took a deep breath, looking at the afternoon light that was slowly dimming behind the trees. Another black bird flew past above them, this time closer, its wing beats breaking the silence with a sound similar to a sigh of the wind.
Finally, he stepped forward to follow. Every step they took brought the two of them closer to the darkness of the forest, as if the afternoon light behind them was beginning to disappear, swallowed by the dense foliage.
And so, their first steps into the dark forest began.