Chapter 1

――The most important thing for a magician is, first and foremost, lineage. Next is talent. And finally, effort.

--William Bordeaux, the ancestor of magicians

These were the very first words spoken by the principal during the opening ceremony of the magic academy.

He continued, saying that for a magician, lineage and bloodline are the most important, followed by talent, and that effort is almost meaningless.

Lineage, needless to say, in families with a long and distinguished history, rare magic books and considerable wealth are passed down, and the bloodline accumulated over generations becomes more concentrated, deeper, and more refined, making it advantageous for magicians.

Talent is also, of course, important. The sense for handling magic, reading comprehension, reproducibility, understanding, physical ability... those with superior talent often surpass the status of their lineage.

And finally, effort. This is not to say that effort is useless.

Effort is just a prerequisite.

If you aspire to be a magician, you must train both mind and body, practice daily without fail, and immerse yourself in magic books—everyone does this.

---So, strive hard every day. The speech concluded with these words.

But, in the end, it didn't matter.

I was born a commoner and was said to have no great talent, but I simply loved magic.

The mystery of creating fire, ice, and lightning from nothing.

The miracles that take on various forms through different magical formulas.

The bliss of performing these with my own hands.

I quickly became captivated by magic, and life at the magic academy was the best.

But such days were to come to an end.

The incident began with the theft of a magic book belonging to the heir of a certain ducal family.

A proud noble would never steal.

Saying this, he cast a suspicious eye on me, the only commoner at the magic academy.

Indeed, my family, being commoners, was poor compared to the nobles.

I barely managed to pay the tuition by working, and could only afford one basic magic book for materials.

But even with that one book, there was a lot I could do, and every day brought new discoveries.

With magic, the depth is such that countless phenomena can be created just by combining magical formulas and catalysts.

There was so much to do, from experiments to gathering materials, that I had no time to be distracted by others.

So, when I told him this, he became enraged and challenged me to a duel.

I hate fighting.

I was about to refuse, but then I hesitated.

---I wondered what kind of magic the nobles use.

The capital and talent of a commoner like me and a noble like them are completely different.

I thought I might see magic I had never seen before.

The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to see it, and I ended up accepting the duel.

I might get a little hurt, but even if I lose, I won't lose my life, I thought naively.

---In conclusion, their magic was magnificent.

Was that what high-level magic is? Huge flames swirled, and ice storms raged. I was simply mesmerized by the scene.

Mesmerized, I received it unguarded and died.

---You get too absorbed and lose sight of your surroundings, I was often warned, but I never thought it would end like this. I feel so foolish.

But my last thought was not about cursing my foolishness, hating the noble who challenged me to a duel, or being grateful to my parents who raised me and got me into the academy.

It was about analyzing the magic that killed me.

What kind of magical formula was it? What was the principle behind it? Could one person really generate such power? If so, how much magic power was needed? What was the formula? Or were there special activation conditions? Or did they use a catalyst? Or did multiple people use magic together? And so on...

The more I thought, the more my heart, which should have stopped, raced.

Ah, how truly regretful.

There are still so many magics in the world that I don't know, and to die without knowing them all.

I wished to know all the magics.

To understand, learn, and master them.

To drown deeper in the depths of magic.

While thinking about these things, my consciousness faded away.

■■■

My vision blurred.

My body wouldn't move as I wished.

What is happening?

I don't feel like myself.

"---,---"

I hear someone's voice. A woman's voice.

Straining my eyes, I can see her face.

She is beautiful. And her chest is exposed.

But it seems unusually large.

"---,---"

The woman approaches me while talking.

Feeling a sense of danger, I try to move my hand and cast 'Fireball.'

A small flame, the only offensive magic I can use.

It can only drive away weak monsters, but it should be a good deterrent... or so I thought. But something felt off.

Feeling a sense of unease, I instinctively aimed away from the woman. Immediately after—

A loud boom resounded.

A huge hole appeared in the wall.

The woman is surprised, but so am I.

There's no way my 'Fireball' could have such power.

What is going on... As I thought this, I saw my reflection in a full-length mirror in front of me.

A small body, short limbs, large round eyes...

I am a baby. I have been reborn as a baby.

I remember hearing somewhere that a deceased person can be reborn with their memories intact.

So-called reincarnation.

Thinking about it, it makes sense with the 'Fireball' I just cast.

The status of a magician is mostly determined by lineage and talent, which are decided at birth.

In distinguished families of excellent magicians, there are quite a few who can use magic from a young age.

If I have that much talent now, it's not strange that I can use such powerful magic.

...But wait? I've never heard of anyone being able to use such powerful magic from birth.

The people around me don't seem to realize I did it either.

Moreover, looking closely, the room seems unusually large.

The furniture in the room is lined with high-end items like those in a museum, and there are several women who look like maids.

A room like this is not something a regular noble would have.

A royal, a border lord, or even a duke...?

As I was thinking this, I noticed an elaborately decorated crest.

I recognized it.

It was the crest of the royal family of the Saloom Kingdom, where I lived.

...Could it be that I was born into a place of incredible status?