episode_0005

As in the first image, the princess was quite blunt.

The original plan was to use the fact that the princess was also young to chatter away and become friends, but it wasn’t easy.

Ahem.

“Your Highness, how long have you been learning magic?”

“It’s been three years now.”

“Ah-ha! Then how old are you now?”

“Ten.”

“Wow! So you started learning magic at seven! I’m seven right now!”

“Is that so?”

All her responses were like this—short, clipped answers or just nodding along while letting out vague exclamations or onomatopoeia.

By the time Master Rachel entered, we had repeated this style of conversation so much that the princess even started looking a little bored.

At this rate, my plan was clearly hitting a snag.

My grand chance to connect with the princess…!

How do I break through this?

Just as I was racking my brain—thud—the master walked in.

—Squeak.

“Good morning, Your Highness. I hope you rested well last night.”

“Thanks to you, I slept very comfortably, Rachel.”

“Good morning, Master.”

After brief greetings, the real lesson began.

I pushed aside my thoughts about the princess for now and focused on the class.

My first magic lesson in this world.

With my heart pounding, the lesson finally started.

“Last time, we used Your Highness’s mana to read the memories embedded in this space, remember?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Then today, we’ll take it a step further—using your own mana to recreate those memories within this space.”

Huh?

But I wasn’t even here for the last lesson.

I shot Master a panicked glance, but her response was flippant.

“I brought you in because I judged you’re capable enough. No need to worry.”

“But—”

“Tsk tsk. The Magic Tower doesn’t care about age.”

I still need something to work with, regardless of age!

By any measure, Master was overestimating me.

But when told to jump, you jump.

Reluctantly, I followed Master’s instructions.

“First, focus your mind and let your mana gradually flow to your fingertips.”

“Next, imagine that mana lightly sweeping through this space.”

“Start with the floor. Once you’ve swept the floor, move to the walls. Then the ceiling. Then the entire space.”

“After that, visualize the magic circle I’ve drawn on the board in your mind.”

“Try these steps, and if you hit any obstacles, let me know.”

As soon as the explanation ended, the princess closed her eyes and began concentrating.

Oh no.

I don’t get any of this.

This isn’t what I imagined lessons would be like…?

I thought we’d be studying theory from magic textbooks before practicing spells.

Something like that.

This feels like being thrown into the deep end.

I wondered if it was just easy, but that didn’t seem to be the case either.

How did I know?

—Ugh… Hng…

Because the princess beside me was also struggling.

Wait. She had last week’s lesson, didn’t she?

And I heard she was incredibly talented too.

If even she’s struggling, that makes it scarier for me.

As I watched her with fearful eyes, Master’s urging reached me.

“Serena. You should give it a try too.”

“Ah… yes…”

Sigh. I really don’t get it.

I’ll at least pretend to follow instructions.

First, I closed my eyes and began meditating.

—Huuu…

How much time had passed?

Once I focused a little, I sensed a faint energy—similar to what I felt during the mana aptitude test.

Is this mana?

A slight haziness washed over me, and I felt something writhing inside my body.

Maybe because this was my first time consciously sensing it, but it felt mystifying.

Next was guiding the mana from my body to my fingertips.

I tried shifting my mana toward my fingertips, but it didn’t go smoothly.

It was like… whenever I moved it, if my focus slipped even slightly, it scattered throughout my body again.

In short, absolute concentration from start to finish seemed mandatory.

Finally, the princess’s earlier reactions made sense.

She was straining from the effort.

Thinking that, the princess suddenly seemed kinda cute.

Like a little golden retriever whining in frustration.

I should focus harder too.

Matching the mood, I straightened my posture and concentrated again.

Starting over.

—Huuuu…

With renewed focus, I slowly guided my mana toward my fingertips.

—Wriggle, wriggle.

At first, only a trickle flowed out.

But as time passed, I got the hang of it and could send more and more.

Next step: feeling the space with the released mana.

It hit me again just how absurd Master’s explanation sounded.

I have to control every drop of mana I emit too?!

Just releasing it from inside my body outside was hard enough, but now I had to manipulate what I’d already released to sense the space?

The difficulty was downright unreasonable.

—Nnngh… Ugh…

Without realizing it, I made the same noises the princess had earlier.

If my concentration slips even a little… Starting over is mandatory!

I refuse to start from scratch again.

Summoning every ounce of focus I had, I pressed on.

How much time had passed?

The mana I was emitting was spreading—excruciatingly slowly, but surely—across the floor.

The coverage, which had barely extended past my feet at first, gradually widened.

From right in front of me to a section of the floor.

From a section to the entire floor.

From the floor to the classroom’s side walls.

From the walls to the ceiling.

And from the ceiling, slowly descending to encompass the entire space.

Maintaining this level of inhuman focus was pushing my stamina to its limits.

But I couldn’t stop now.

One slip and it’s back to square one.

Not after coming this far.

Gritting my teeth, I recalled the final step.

The magic circle Master drew on the board.

But then, a problem arose.

What did the magic circle look like again?

It was so intricate that I couldn’t recall it clearly.

Already on the verge of collapse from maintaining focus,

trying to remember the complex design felt like my head would explode.

Please… remember, self…!

How much time passed as my mana saturated the classroom?

Scrambling through my memories, I tried piecing the magic circle together.

But no matter how hard I tried, its shape refused to solidify in my mind.

Ah. I’m screwed.

Honestly, no amount of racking my brain would make it appear now.

So I have to start everything over?

But I don’t think I can.

As I whined internally over my dilemma, a phrase from a magic book back home surfaced in my mind.

—Magic is, ultimately, a manifestation of will.

—Magic circles are merely tools to assist in that manifestation—not an absolute requirement.

—Thus, the pinnacle of magic is activation through the caster’s will alone.

That’s how it went, right?

Of course, only the peak of mastery allows casting without a magic circle.

But technically, magic could work without one—yes?

Let’s try this.

I’ve already reincarnated—surely I can handle this.

I began gathering every last shred of focus I had left.

Concentrate. Concentrate.

Will—the desire to act.

So, the manifestation of will would be…

Making that desire reality.

Then, what is it that I desire?

I want to recreate the memories within this space.

What are memories?

Phenomena of the past.

The lingering traces of spring breeze that lingered here yesterday.

The warm morning sunlight that lingered here yesterday.

The voices of laughter that lingered here yesterday.

I want to recreate them.

And in that instant—

—Buzz.

A strange sound rippled, and my mana underwent a transformation.

When I opened my eyes, the mana that had merely filled the space was now taking shape.

“Huh?”

I couldn’t tear my gaze from the spectacle.

At first, the forms were unrecognizable, but over time, they became familiar.

The silhouettes my mana had morphed into were figures I knew well.

“The princess… and Master?”

The azure mana had taken the shapes of the princess and Master.

They weren’t detailed—more like vaguely human-shaped blue mannequins—but since the real ones stood right beside me, the resemblance was unmistakable.

And it didn’t stop there.

—Good morning, Your Highness.

—Good morning to you too, Rachel.

—Today, I’ll teach you how to read the memories embedded in a space using mana.

—Reading the memories of space… Doesn’t that sound too difficult?

—The princess I know is more than capable of achieving this.

The blue mannequins began mimicking what I assumed was yesterday’s conversation.

So, this is…

“Yesterday’s memory?”

After a brief exchange, the mana constructs—their purpose presumably fulfilled—dissolved into the air.

—Whisper…

Once again, only the three of us remained in the classroom.

And then came the suffocating silence.

Why… Why isn’t anyone saying anything?

Both the princess and Master were staring at me with grave expressions, silent.

As I fidgeted uneasily, Master finally spoke.

“Serena. Was that… your doing just now?”

“Ah, yes… I think so?”

“By any chance… did you not use a magic circle?”

Her question struck like a hammer.

I gulped hard, thinking.

Is she angry because I skipped the magic circle?

A childhood memory surfaced—the time I got scolded at math cram school.

Back when they were teaching step-by-step, I used a formula I’d seen somewhere else and got an earful.

Maybe Master’s upset because I took a shortcut with magic.

Realizing this, tears welled up—ping—before I could stop them.

Probably because this body’s only seven—my tear ducts are weak.

With—not deliberate but noticeable—trembling, I asked cautiously:

“D-did I… d-do something wr-rooong…?”

Master’s eyes widened at my response before she squeezed them shut and pressed a hand to her forehead.

“Nnngh… my head…”

What kind of reaction is this?

The princess’s reaction was even worse.

“…”

—Glare.

Holy—

She was staring at me with eyes sharp enough to drill holes into my face.

What did I even do wrong?

Should’ve just stayed home and learned from Mom…

Disobeying Mom never ends well.

At the tender age of seven, I had learned yet another life lesson anew.