Ch.3Prologue (3)

And so, exactly three weeks after calming my somewhat confused mind following my reincarnation and beginning simple reading lessons…

“Young master, you’re amazing! Learning the entire continental common language in just three weeks.”

“Hehe… Is that so?”

“Of course!”

I had successfully mastered the common language in the short span of just three weeks.

Of course, while the impact of “just three weeks” sounds impressive, if we examine it carefully, the reasons I could learn the common language so quickly were actually quite clear.

First, the level of common language I acquired was only about what a four-year-old child would use.

Second, my young body had a malleable brain that could easily learn new languages, while my mind was closer to that of an adult.

Third, the common language was actually what I had been unconsciously using since my reincarnation, so I could learn it as naturally as acquiring a mother tongue.

Additionally, the common language itself had a structure quite similar to the English and alphabet I remembered from my previous life…

‘…Is this what they call natural talent?’

I couldn’t ignore the fact that my current body seemed to possess remarkably high capabilities, enough to make me seriously consider such a notion.

Not only could I memorize characters and grammatical structures instantly with just a bit of focused study, but I could also comprehend the common language perfectly with minimal effort.

The fact that I acquired the language so easily—to the point where reality seemed almost too convenient—was enough to give me quite a peculiar feeling.

Anyway, after learning to read, there was nothing holding me back.

Since this castle apparently had a library that stored and preserved various books, my destination was essentially decided at this point.

“Young master, this is the library. If there’s any book you’d like to read, please let me know.”

“Yes, thank you!”

So I arrived at the castle’s library, separate from the study attached to my father’s office, and accompanied by someone in flowing robes… presumably the library’s caretaker, I began selecting several books to read.

My target books were histories of the Western Continent or volumes about this domain.

“That one and that one… Oh, and that one too.”

“Understood, young master.”

Since my memories indicated I had lived in this baron’s castle since birth, I needed, above all else, to learn the common knowledge of this world.

…Of course, the library caretaker’s expression briefly changed when he saw a child my age asking for text-heavy books rather than interesting picture books that would normally appeal to children my age.

But that lasted only a moment. The caretaker suddenly closed his eyes in concentration, then reached his hand toward one section of the library and…

“…Huh?”

In the next instant, some invisible energy extended from the caretaker’s hand… something I couldn’t see or hear but somehow could sense, and it pulled out the books I had requested!?

“Um, um… excuse me? Mr. Caretaker? Mr. Administrator?”

“Haha, young master. I’m merely the head librarian.”

At that moment—my first time witnessing the mysterious power of this fantasy world with my own eyes—I completely lost my composure and, giving in to my physical age, bombarded him with questions.

“Yes, Mr. Librarian! That thing, the thing that came from your hand. That was magic, right?”

“Indeed it was. …But you say it came from my hand?”

“Yes! That! It extended from your hand and grabbed the—wait, huh?”

The self-introduced librarian stared at me intently after hearing my words, and I suddenly realized I might have said something wrong.

‘Could it be… something that shouldn’t be sensed? Or are magicians being persecuted? What’s going on?’

During that brief silence, various ominous conjectures derived from my previous life’s subculture knowledge flooded my tiny mind.

However, fortunately, his actual response was far from those grim possibilities.

“Young master, can you see the magical power coming from my hand?”

“…From your hand?”

Focusing my attention on his seemingly random question, I sensed some kind of formless energy from his outstretched hand… something paradoxically both nonexistent yet present.

My “hyper-intuition”—one of the two reasons I was convinced this world was medieval fantasy after my reincarnation—detected something similar to the magical power I had sensed from the lamp-like “magic lights” placed throughout the castle.

“Yes, I can sense it. I can’t see it though. When I focus on your hand, I can feel something coming out. …Is there some problem?”

While my sensitive intuition, which had been constantly warning me whenever something happened over the past few days, wasn’t alerting me to any major issues…

I still couldn’t help but feel uneasy and asked in return. The self-proclaimed librarian responded with a hearty laugh.

“Problem? No, there’s no problem at all. Rather… wouldn’t it be more accurate to say you have exceptional aptitude?”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. Although it’s still too early, and you’re too young to understand… having the innate ability to sense magical power is truly remarkable.”

“I see…”

Honestly, as someone who didn’t properly understand what any of this meant, I could only vaguely feel that it must be impressive, so I responded casually while secretly not disliking the reaction from the magician before me.

How many people would dislike being praised by others? At least I wasn’t twisted enough to harbor ill feelings toward someone appreciating my talent.

※ ※ ※

In the center of Baron Alzar’s domain stood Alzar Castle, the baron’s residence.

Built by hired dwarven craftsmen, the castle was beautiful yet displayed the characteristic sturdiness of dwarven architecture. Through its corridors walked a man in flowing robes.

He wore navy blue woolen robes so flowing that one might question their practicality.

At his waist, he carried a grimoire—a magical tool he always took with him when going out.

Known among the castle staff merely as the librarian who managed the castle’s collection, the magician reflected on the potential he had just witnessed in his old friend’s child.

A sensitivity and precision of perception acute enough to “feel” magical energy—power that cannot be understood or interpreted through conventional physical laws.

While the inability to visually perceive it suggested a low aptitude for magic itself, even excluding that, such sensitivity would still serve the child well.

Well aware that magical power wasn’t solely used for casting spells, the magician continued down the corridor, so familiar he could navigate it with his eyes closed…

“M-Mr. Librarian?”

“Ah. Good work, Sir Basque.”

“Not at all! Please come in!”

The knight Sir Basque, guarding the lord’s office, recognized his face. The magician waved in response and then casually “moved his hand” to open the door.

“…Is that you?”

“Yes, Hugo. It seems like it’s been a while.”

The magician spoke naturally to his current superior and close friend, Baron Alzar, who had been silently working alone in his office.

“What brings an old relic who only stays in the castle library here?”

“Relic? …Well, that’s not wrong. Though it’s hardly appropriate coming from one relic to another.”

Though such words might seem disrespectful when addressing a lord who wielded king-like power within his domain, neither the speaker nor the listener showed any concern about the impropriety.

“Yes, yes, so what brings you here after so long?”

“Ah, about that… your son visited the library. He didn’t specifically know what the library was; he just wanted to read books.”

“How would a four-year-old child know about that?”

Hugo de Alzar, the Baron of Alzar, looked at his friend’s face with skepticism at the absurd statement, but the magician maintained his brazen attitude as he spoke to his friend.

“Well, regardless, this can’t be ignored. Camille, that child, detected magical power.”

“…Magic detection? Does that mean he has an aptitude for magic?”

“No, not that. It’s closer to an innate sensory perception. …Much like how formal knights who have awakened their aura, or magic users of equivalent rank, can sense it.”

Upon hearing this, the baron rarely showed emotion, but his eyes widened in surprise before he composed himself, feeling a mixture of emotions as he spoke in a calm voice.

“Truly… he’s grown up well despite not having his mother. Even with my stubbornness…”

“You mean your stubbornness about not taking another wife? Calling it betrayal to your wife?”

“…That’s right. I couldn’t betray Bella. Having sworn to devote my life to her, I simply couldn’t.”

“What an ironic story. That someone so kind and gentle… would depart so quickly.”

They fell into a momentary gloom discussing the tragic end of the lord’s wife, Bella de Alzar, who had passed away after giving birth to Camille, before the priest on standby could even intervene. However, this somber mood didn’t last long.

“Hugo. May I take on the role of tutor earlier than we had originally planned, starting from now?”

“…Isn’t four years old too early?”

“Yes, normally four would be too early. But your son is different. His mind is maturing as rapidly as his body is growing. Starting a bit early shouldn’t be a problem.”

The lord, Hugo de Alzar, couldn’t deny that four years old seemed too young, but he wasn’t about to push his non-expert opinion when his only friend was speaking so strongly on the matter.

“Can I entrust him to you?”

“Of course. I’ll teach your son well. And naturally, I won’t forget that he’s still just a four-year-old child.”

“…Of course you shouldn’t.”

The baron, who had been consistently expressionless like the embodiment of gloom and depression, showed a rare faint smile at his friend’s joke…

And this was how Camille de Alzar ended up receiving early education starting from the age of four.