Chapter 6

"Ugh~n..."

I stood in my room with my legs shoulder-width apart, my arms stretched up and palms pressed together, forming the shape of the letter A.

"What are you doing, Marc?"

In the same children's room, with a squint, looking at me was Nicola, a beautiful young girl with long blonde hair reaching her shoulders. By the way, her face had a hint of an angel, or maybe not? The events in heaven are now just vague memories.

And I am the reincarnation of Yoshida Masahiro. Here, I am named Marc. I am not a noble, so I don't have a last name.

"This is a pose to circulate mana within the body and expand the mana vessel. An adventurer staying at the inn taught me this."

"Oh, the one with the long nose? He had a lot of presence. Does this pose really work?"

I turned five. My body has grown a bit, and I'm now at an age where I can wander around nearby without worrying, so I decided to start moving for a bright future.

In a world of swords and magic, I want to use magic, right? So, I asked the old man who was staying at the inn until the other day about how to increase the mana in my body.

"I don't know, but there's nothing else to do. There are no textbooks about magic at home."

"In that case, you should ask me. I've been drilled with knowledge of this world by my superiors. I can confidently say that just doing that weird pose won't increase your mana."

"Ugh! Really? That old man said, 'There are no shortcuts in magic. It might not seem effective now, but it will bear fruit eventually. Keep practicing until then.'"

"Basically, effective methods to increase mana are not widely known. Everyone just comes up with and shares their own 'best training methods.' Some might be effective, but... the A pose is what that old man believes in, at least in his own mind."

Nicola said this with a determined look, as if she had heard it somewhere before.

"That's how it is, huh? Well, if he wasn't trying to trick me, it's fine. Come to think of it, in my previous life, various diets and health methods came and went. So, that's what it is."

I tried to make it look casual as I released the A pose. It's a bit embarrassing now. It seems like Nicola is smirking, but I want to think it's just my imagination.

"By the way, why do you want to expand your mana vessel, Marc?"

"Mana is like the source of magic, right? It's like MP. The more you have, the better. The old man said that by expanding your mana vessel, you can use more magic."

"Hmm... I don't think the concept of MP is wrong. However, I don't think the A! pose will expand your mana vessel."

She emphasized the A annoyingly. It's embarrassing, so please stop!

"Then why does that old man think the A pose will expand the mana vessel?"

"Your vessel naturally expands as you grow. He might be under the illusion that it's because of the pose."

"Does MP increase as you grow? Then can't you train to increase it?"

"Yes, you can. The key is to continuously release mana. By keeping it as depleted as possible, your mana vessel will expand to compensate for the lack of mana. Training from a young age when the vessel is more flexible is more effective."

"Wow, so training from a young age is important. In my previous life, top athletes often received elite training from a young age. Alright, I'll become a crybaby ○○!"

"Try your best. Having mana will never be a disadvantage, no matter what you do in the future. I expect you to rise to a high position, earn money, and support me."

What is she saying so casually? And I have no ambition for a high position. As a former black company employee, I aim for a life with a decent income and enough leisure time.

While talking with Nicola, the door suddenly opened.

"I heard voices, so I thought you two were upstairs. I just tried out a new menu for the guests. Do you want to come down and taste it?"

"Mom!"

Nicola ran and clung to the waist of the woman who opened the door, smiling like an angel. She is our mother, Leona. She is a beautiful woman with a gentle aura, and she is often hit on by young guests at the inn, but she always politely declines.

"Oh, Nicola is such a clingy child. I'll carry you, so let's go down the stairs together."

"Okay!"

Nicola's angelic smile... the rest is omitted.

You understand now, right? Nicola, who is quiet and cool in front of me, is wearing a super large cat mask in front of others. According to her, this is a survival tactic to live comfortably in this world.

Well, I sometimes act cute to get along with the neighborhood aunties, but I can't bring myself to go that far. Nicola, you're a scary kid! (Rolls eyes)