Chapter 16

It has been five days since I locked myself in my room.

I managed to complete the foundation of the magic I had been trying to create, even though it took me a couple of days longer than planned.

My head was pounding from lack of sleep, but the excitement of accomplishment blew everything away.

I didn't feel the fatigue or pain due to the excitement, but suddenly all the strength drained from my body, and I collapsed on the spot.

Strange, my legs won't move. I can't stand.

It must be due to lack of sleep, overuse of magic, and a poor diet.

I picked up the small staff that had fallen on the floor and pointed it at the automaton in the corner of the room.

"…Puppet Control"

The automaton responded to the spell and moved, dragging its body over to me.

I released the staff and pressed down on the top of the automaton to stand up.

Then I reached for the small bottle on the desk.

Inside was a homemade energy drink.

I recently named it Abel Potion.

I grabbed the bottle, fell to the floor again, and used my teeth to roughly remove the cap.

I drank it all in one go, and the strength returned to my body.

I can still move.

With the power of the Abel Potion, I managed to stand up.

My hands and legs were still shaking, but it's something that happens when you push yourself a bit.

I gripped my elbows and knees tightly for about five minutes, and the shaking finally stopped.

First, I should celebrate the completion of the magic.

But this is just the foundation of the foundation.

There are endless tasks ahead, such as repeated experiments for fine adjustments, adding information, applying, and shortening.

But staying locked up any longer is dangerous.

I have no idea what kind of face my father is making outside.

Besides, my body can't hold out much longer.

If I die, it's all over.

My diet has been limited to dried bread, Eve fruits, and Abel Potion.

Because of this, my sense of taste has been off lately.

Also, the colors of the world seem strange. I must be approaching the limit of human sleep.

I've also been dragging Giselle along with me.

Giselle is getting enough sleep, so she's better off than me, but being cooped up in a box must be tough.

Her diet is the same as mine, of course.

...Is it tough for her?

Actually, her skin seems more lustrous than usual, but it must be my imagination.

Anyway, I should report the completion of the magic to Giselle first.

"Giselle, it's done!"

The moment I called out, Giselle, who had been sleeping on my bed, jumped up and ran to the desk.

"Finally, the magic you wanted to create is complete, Brother!"

Giselle clapped her hands and rejoiced as if it were her own achievement.

"Yeah, I referenced many books... but this is a magic I created on my own."

I should also report to the clan leader.

I want his opinion too.

"Amazing! I always believed you could do it, Brother! But... I didn't quite understand the magic just by hearing about it. Can I see it right away?"

"Of course. Take a good look."

I picked up the small staff I had just thrown and waved it.

It took some time to visualize the magic circle because I'm not used to it yet.

I slowly transcribed it while constructing it in my mind.

"Am Published"

After completing the magic circle, I chanted the spell.

A small square plane floated in front of me.

――――――――――

'Abel Berrek'

STR (Strength): 2

MAG (Magic): 865

――――――――――

"This... it says your name, Brother... What is it exactly?"

"It's a status display. I struggled a lot. I had to incorporate everything from the display format to the text into the magic circle."

"Status? Hmm, so this is...?"

"Yeah, this magic allows you to check the strength and magic of the target. Eventually, I want to display the race name and add more numerical values. I also want to add a simple description."

In a world of reincarnation, a status display is a staple for me.

It's a must-have. If it doesn't exist, I have to create it.

Thinking back, it's been about ten years since I was disappointed by the lack of a status display.

By the way, the average value for both strength and magic for an adult Maren is 20.

The results of my continuous automaton creation from a young age are reflected in my magic value.

...I'm satisfied with that, but I didn't expect my strength to be so low.

I want to believe it's a mistake in the values.

But... I'm only twelve in this life, so maybe this is normal.

Maybe I should go hunting with my father as he suggested.

"You managed to create something like this..."

"There's a magic that distinguishes the strength of magic by color. I got a hint from that."

"Please show mine too!"

"Alright, don't move."

I pointed the staff at Giselle and floated a magic circle in the air.

...This magic circle is too intricate to transcribe easily.

If I want to display more information, I have to make it even more complex.

I wonder if it's okay.

If there's a way to shorten it, that would be great.

I might need to create a simplified version that only shows strength and magic for quick use.

There's still room for improvement.

――――――――――

'Giselle Berrek'

STR (Strength): 8

MAG (Magic): 37

――――――――――

Giselle's magic value is high, though not as high as mine.

I set the average adult Maren value as 20.

It's important to expose children to magic from a young age.

My father said he started handling magic circles when he was over twenty.

The Maren should be required to undergo rigorous magic training from a younger age.

That way, we could create the strongest magic user army and aim for world domination... huh?

Wait, Giselle's strength... is higher than mine...?

"Brother, your magic is really high!"

Giselle said this with a high-pitched voice.

It seemed more like she was trying to cover up her excitement.

Giselle must have noticed that her strength value was higher and was being considerate.

This made me feel bad.

"...But, the average adult Maren is 20, so Giselle's value is still high."

"The average adult Maren is 20..."

Giselle's expression darkened, and she muttered this.

Stop it, don't look at me like that.

Giselle seemed to notice my gaze and quickly changed her expression. Her consideration made me feel even worse.

"It's the result of imitating Brother's magic training!"

"Yeah... that's right."

I quickly erased the status display with my staff.

I didn't expect to be four times weaker in strength than my sister.

This hurt. It really hurt.

I was quite shocked.

Of course, it's not that Giselle is a gorilla.

She's probably just average.

I've been hiding and making excuses to avoid hunting when my father invites me.

Even when I'm told to do farm work, I make the automaton do everything.

The rest of the time, I'm locked up doing magic research.

Carving automata doesn't require much strength.

The Maren's wood carving knives use the magic in the wood to easily cut and carve.

Giselle probably leads a more normal life than me, just by accompanying my mother on shopping trips.

To put it mildly, I'm a waste of space.

...

"Finally, you've come out, you idiot son! Do you hate going hunting that much?"

As soon as I stepped out of the room, I was scolded by my father.

"Father! Brother was just developing magic! If you see what he's created, I'm sure..."

"That's not the point!"

"Brother, if you're going to scold him, why don't you scold me too? I was complicit with Brother!"

"There's no need for that."

"Why not!"

"I know scolding Abel will be more effective for you."

"Ugh... such a method..."

As expected, Father knows Giselle well.

"Giselle, it's fine. This time, it's completely my fault. ...Father, I'm very sorry. I won't repeat this mistake."

"...Hmm, you're unusually honest. Are you up to something?"

"Brother? What's wrong? For you to admit fault so easily about magic... it's not like you. Did you catch a cold or something?"

...I didn't expect to be seen this way.

How do people usually see me?

"No, I realized the importance of hunting. It's important to train my body by doing it myself, not just relying on the automaton. From tomorrow, I'll join you every day. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused."

Hearing my words, Giselle's expression changed as if she had a sudden realization.

When our eyes met, she quickly composed herself.

"Brother, you're wonderful just the way you are!"

...Thank you for your consideration.

But as a brother, I can't accept it. I wish you would stop being so considerate.

However, my declaration ended up being a three-day wonder.

I indulged my body, clinging to Giselle's consideration, and ended up arguing with my father through the door again.