Chapter 6

"Magic, huh?"

"Yes, it's magic."

Just as I started reading the book, it was time for lunch, and I headed to the mansion's dining room with a heavy heart.

The lunch menu was the same as breakfast: black bread, vegetables seasoned only with salt, and a soup made of shredded meat. But in this world, just being able to eat a meal was considered a blessing, so I started to eat.

After finishing my meal, I asked my older brother Eirich, who was sitting next to me, about magic.

Incidentally, my parents and my two older brothers were busy discussing the new land they were planning to cultivate and didn't seem to pay any attention to me.

"Most of the books on magic are in Father's study. There are also crystal orbs used for magic practice."

In this world, it seems that magic techniques are not particularly kept secret from the public.

In fact, detailed books on these subjects are placed in Father's study, who seems to have little to do with magic.

"The crystal orbs, as well as other magic-related books, are much cheaper compared to books in other fields."

The reason is simple: there are very few people with magical talent.

Moreover, magical talent is not hereditary.

There's a high possibility that a child of a peasant could suddenly be born with genius-level magical power. Therefore, the environment is set up so that even commoners can easily access magic-related books, to prevent someone from living their entire life without knowing they have magical talent.

Incidentally, this support is provided by the kingdom.

Excellent magicians are considered to bring great benefits to the state.

"Everyone has a faint amount of magical power. However, that level of power is not enough to use magic. It's said that only one in a thousand people can use magic."

Moreover, among those, five out of ten can only do things like produce a spark or a cup of water a day.

"A magician who can cast a Fireball to burn monsters would be highly sought after by royalty and nobility, willing to pay high salaries. But such people are very rare."

It's estimated that only one in several thousand people can do that, making them hard to find.

According to the knowledge from books, the population of this country is about fifty million, so there are roughly ten thousand to twenty thousand people who can use magic to some extent.

"Besides that..."

There are several tendencies among magicians.

Some specialize in attack spells like fireballs, ice arrows, rock spikes, and wind blades.

Others enhance their physical strength, defense, agility, and magical resistance to fight in close combat.

Some excel in non-combat roles, such as communicating with people far away, having conversations, or traveling to destinations at high speed.

Finally, there are those who specialize in creating convenient magical tools by refining high-purity metals from ores and storing magical power in magic crystals.

The fewer people there are in a particular field, the more valuable they become.

"Magic. It opens up a world of possibilities."

"Well, yeah..."

At my words, Eirich smiled slightly.

He probably thought I was a dreamy child, but at twenty-five, I wasn't really that dreamy.

I just took this attitude because I calculated that adults would find it endearing.

"I remember practicing magic every day when I was your age, Ver."

Eirich spoke as if reminiscing about the past.

And "Ver" seems to be a nickname or abbreviation for me.

I wasn't sure how "Vendelin" could be shortened to "Ver," but that's beside the point.

"I'll start practicing magic right away."

"Good luck."

After quickly finishing my meal, I hurried to the study, but only Eirich wished me well.

The rest of the family was engrossed in sword training and discussions about the new land, showing no interest in me.

They weren't terrible family members; they provided me with the minimum amount of food and didn't impose harsh labor on me. But I just wished to stand on my own as soon as possible.