Chapter 5

Thank you for 50 bookmarks, I'm so happy I'm doing a little dance.

After struggling and putting in a lot of effort, another year has passed.

Hello, I'm Mary Regalia, 7 years old.

I've become quite a lady (or so I think) and, to my surprise, I can now use a bit of the magic necessary for daily life, hehe♪

Here, let me explain the magic in this world.

It seems that everyone in this world, to a greater or lesser extent, possesses magical power.

However, not everyone is a mage like in an RPG.

Magical power and magic are different things; even if you have magical power, you can't use magic unless you learn it.

Furthermore, learning magic costs money, so more nobles than commoners can use it.

By the way, the daily life magic I can now use includes turning on and off magical lighting devices and lighting stoves for cooking, which are quite common.

People generally refer to these simple, theoretically straightforward magics that anyone can learn as "1st Tier Magic."

In this world, there are 1st to 8th Tier Magics. Starting from 2nd Tier, you can learn attack spells like those seen in RPGs.

To put it simply, if we consider the "Fire" magic:

- Just lighting a fire is 1st Tier,

- Using fire as an attack is 2nd Tier,

- Enhancing the fire attack is 3rd Tier,

- Evolving fire into flame is 4th Tier,

- Enhancing the flame is 5th Tier,

- Evolving the flame into an explosion is 6th Tier,

- Enhancing the explosion is 7th Tier.

This is my interpretation based on what I learned from my tutor, comparing it to the RPGs I know, so it might be a bit rough... but I was praised by my teacher for understanding quickly.

Eh? What about 8th Tier Magic?

It seems that no one has ever used it, though its existence is known. It's a legendary tier of magic, so it can't be explained.

Incidentally, 1st Tier Magic can be used by everyone, 2nd to 3rd Tier Magic by those who excel in it, such as adventurers and mages, and monsters. 4th to 5th Tier Magic is the domain of heroes, great mages, and other main characters in stories, as well as demons, spirits, and angels. No one can use magic beyond this level. 6th to 7th Tier Magic is said to be used by dragons, archangels, and other beings beyond human comprehension.

(Uh, it's a fantasy world♪ I'm getting excited♪)

Now, let's get back to the present.

I am now being dressed by Tütte in a luxurious dress for going out, not the usual house dress.

(Uh, this dress looks expensive. I might tear it... Oh, if this continues, I might become a useless girl who can't do anything without Tütte...)

I watched Tütte dress me efficiently and felt a bit down about my inability to do anything.

(No, the Oracle Ceremony is about to take place, so it should help me lead a proper life... I hope...)

My confidence waned, and I ended up phrasing it as a question, but I decided not to worry about it.

"Excuse me, Miss, the carriage is ready."

After finishing my dress, Tütte was putting on my accessories when the butler knocked and entered the room.

"Understood."

Without looking at him, as Tütte was still fixing my hair, I replied, and the butler bowed and left the room as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Here we go..."

I took a deep breath and looked at myself in the mirror.

My hair, which shone white, was braided on both sides and tied at the back, with my bangs neatly arranged with a hair accessory to keep them out of my eyes. The white silk dress, which matched my pale skin, was adorned with lace, frills, and beautiful embroidery.

(Here we go, today I'm meeting kids my age! Wow, I'm so nervous...)

In my previous life, I never met children my age, but today, they are gathered for the Oracle Ceremony. Although it's a gathering of nobles, there will be quite a few of them. I'm more interested in and worried about meeting them than the ceremony itself.

(Please let everything go smoothly...)

Despite setting up an ominous flag, I took Tütte with me and headed to the entrance of the mansion where the carriage was waiting.

――――――――――

The temple was situated on a small hill in the northern part of the capital. Its appearance was more artistic than practical, and my heart raced as I gazed at it through the carriage window.

(It feels like my first day of school. Well, I've never been to school before.)

The mixture of excitement and anxiety about meeting new people was overwhelming as my carriage came to a stop.

(Here we go! My debut!)

"We've arrived, Miss."

Tütte opened the carriage door, stepped out first, and prepared the step. Seeing Tütte standing to the side, I took a deep breath and slowly approached the door.

The moment I stepped out, a slight murmur arose, and I felt the gazes of children my age and their attendants... or so it seemed. I couldn't confirm the gazes because I immediately looked down to avoid them.

(Ah, I'm such an idiot! I'm a duke's daughter! I should be more dignified, like in books and anime!)

Still, I felt too embarrassed to lift my head. As I stepped out of the carriage, I stumbled as expected and almost missed the last step.

(Oh no! If I keep this up, I'll make a hole in the ground! Relax! But if I relax too much, I'll fall! What should I do?)

Tütte grabbed my flailing hand and immediately supported me.

"Th... thank you..."

I whispered my thanks, and Tütte, looking relieved, continued to support me as we started walking.

(Sigh... I must look like a clumsy girl... ugh)

People watching from a distance were saying things like, "She looks so delicate and vulnerable, I want to protect her," but I was too dejected to notice. Tütte led me timidly into the temple.

I'm sorry, her ability hasn't been revealed yet. Thank you for reading this far.