Winter had arrived.
Fine snow like flecks of cotton dust fell from the sky.
The fields stripped down to their furrows after the harvest were soon buried under snow, leaving nothing but a white flat expanse in sight.
Recently, Abel had learned that the country he lived in was called the Empire.
Its political system was a feudal monarchy under the Emperor.
This place was the Tenana Village in the Highwand Earldom.
And Walter Ray who was running the magical healing clinic in Tenana was his father.
His wife was Ayla Ray.
And their eldest son Abel Ray.
In other words, Abel was the only son of the Ray family.
Abel had unintentionally become something of a local celebrity.
At only five years old, he had manifested healing magic. He was a gifted child indeed.
Abel himself hated the attention, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Winter was generally the season when there were fewer patients.
Since farming and logging which were both forms of heavy manual labor were reduced during the season, there were naturally fewer injuries.
For colds and general ailments, people usually turned to herbal remedies; few would bother asking Walter for magical treatment.
Besides, healing magic worked well for injuries, but was said to have little effect on illnesses like colds.
Abel had once asked why that was.
“Healing magic can help with sore throats and coughs, but it won’t completely cure them. It’s much cheaper just to take herbs and get some rest.”
That was the answer he received.
For now, Abel had formed his own hypothesis.
Healing magic could use mana to regenerate damaged cells.
However, it probably didn’t have the effect of completely killing off viruses that had multiplied in the lungs or nasal passages.
Alternatively, maybe it was simply that people didn’t understand that colds are caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses… and so no one had developed magic to kill those pathogens.
He didn’t know the truth of it. It might have something to do with immunity.
Even if he wanted to verify it, he’d have to invent equipment like a microscope on his own and then carry out long-term research.
When he pictured all that, Abel couldn’t help tilting his head.
—What am I even supposed to do here?
That was the question.
Using knowledge from his previous life to transform this world’s magical medicine… just thinking about it left him feeling empty.
He had no desire to improve society.
In short, he wanted nothing to do with revolutionary ideas.
He didn’t for a moment believe he possessed even the slightest ability to change an absolute monarchy under an emperor and a feudal society.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do, as they say.
This world had its own logic and its own order.
He felt no passion whatsoever for breaking it…
***
Winter deepened, and a blizzard had begun outside.
Perhaps because of the bad weather, not a single patient came which was rare, for once.
Since that hardly ever happened, Walter was relaxing with tea in the middle of the day.
Abel took the chance to ask about magic.
“Father, if you don’t mind, I’d like to learn more about magic today.”
“Very well. That’s fine, though it feels a little early.”
“It’s fine. Abel seems talented, so the sooner the better.”
Ayla said cheerfully as she sorted the herbs.
Even so, Abel wondered whether he really had any talent at all.
“Hmm. First, the basics: magic is broadly divided into fire magic, water magic, weather magic, mineral magic, and healing magic. Hardly anyone masters advanced spells through self-study….only the occasional prodigy. Normally you learn from your parents or are taught by a magical house.”
“A house…?”
Walter nodded.
“That’s right. I belong to the Vergius House of Healing Magic. I also learned fire magic from the Thoth House. Even within healing magic, each house has its own methods. The walls between houses are high and strictly guarded secrets.”
“That sounds… complicated.”
“It is. You’ll need time to understand it. By the way, beginners in any branch of magic are called First Rank. At Fifth Rank, you’re considered advanced. Eighth Rank is Master. Tenth Rank is called Supreme. They say there have been people beyond that, but they’re so rare I won’t go into it now.”
Abel asked the question that had been on his mind the most.
“Can anyone use magic?”
“No. Magic is something you’re born with. It’s not just a matter of trying hard. For example, Ayla can’t use magic. But she does have the ability to sense mana and magical elements, and she can use the mana in her body to strengthen herself physically. That, however, is not called magic. It’s called martial arts.”
“What? Mother, you can do that?”
Ayla gave a confident smile and nodded.
“That’s right. Mom’s strong, you know.”
“They say only about forty out of a hundred people can even sense mana or magical elements. And even if you do have mana within you, most people can only handle beginner-level spells like First or Second Rank. Very few can reach Sixth Rank in any field of magic. Healing magic in particular has very few practitioners.”
“So few people can use healing magic?”
“That’s right. From my own experience, even if you gather only those who can use magic to some degree, maybe one in ten can use healing magic.”
“That makes you a rare talent, then.”
“Well, you could say that. And it’s practical magic; it’s valuable even in war. Not that I think that’s a good thing.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. You’ll understand someday…”
Walter’s brow twitched as a faintly troubled look crossed his face.
Abel sensed his father was holding onto something difficult to talk about but decided to stay silent.
For now, he still had to pass as a child.
If he spoke as though he understood all the subtleties of the adult world, it might seem strange.
That said, his parents already seemed to view him as a quick-witted child who could grasp difficult words instantly and had apparently decided to teach him advanced things without treating him like a child.
During the winter, he spent long hours with his parents, steadily progressing in his study of magic while also learning swordsmanship from his mother, Ayla.
He quickly mastered First Rank fire magic and water magic.
Ayla said—
“Abel, I was born into a hunting tribe that lived in the Ararat Mountains. By the time I was five, I was already helping with the hunts. My family made a living by hunting animals and magical beasts and gathering medicinal herbs in the mountains. Most of my knowledge as an apothecary comes from those days.”
“That sounds like a hard life. I hate beasts; they’re scary.”
“Yeah, well. Animals and magical beasts can sometimes be smarter than clumsy humans. There are times when the hunter becomes the hunted. But that’s what makes it fun, don’t you think?”
“I don’t understand.”
“I see… Well, next year you’ll be six, Abel. When that time comes, we’ll all go hunting together! Once you try it, you’ll see how fun it is!”
Ayla said this with sparkling eyes and a bright laugh.
She also told him that to stand a chance against magical beasts, he must never neglect his daily training.
When it came to sword practice, however, there wasn’t much a five-year-old like Abel could do. He was given a wooden sword suited to his height and told to strike it over and over against a bundle of straw.
It was a dull, repetitive exercise with little enjoyment.
Still, Abel’s body was light. It tired him, but in a way that felt pleasant. Perhaps he had been born with good physical ability.
Even when blisters formed on his hands, the skin peeled away and a stinging pain spread, a single use of healing magic on himself would instantly restore them.
“This alone is amazing enough.”
Abel muttered as he looked at his completely healed hand.
The days passed. From time to time, Dorothea would visit, helping Ayla grind or brew medicines with the stone mortar.
If the weather was bad, Abel would have to stay indoors all day which was perfect for practicing his writing.
Today, Shale was by his side.
Ever since the incident with her injury, Shale had been glued to Abel. Even now, she leaned against him as he read a book. Sometimes she begged him to read to her, and they would spend the whole day reading aloud together.
Shale had a habit of taking naps, and after lunch she usually dozed off. When she leaned against Abel’s shoulder to sleep, she looked rather like a little puppy. She was such a cute child.
That reminded Abel—
In his previous life, after becoming an adult, he’d never had any occasion to interact with children. No relatives, and of course no children of his own.
It was an oddly strange feeling… but not a bad one.
Before long, the snow piled up to Abel’s own height. At that point, the snow on the roof had to be cleared.
Abel worked together with his parents to get it done.
“Father, can’t you just use that magic that heats water to melt the snow?”
“I could, but I don’t. For two reasons. First, if I tried to melt all the snow on the roof with heating magic, I’d waste a lot of mana. If an emergency patient came, I might not be able to treat them. Second, heating magic takes time; it’s faster to do it by hand.”
“What about using a stronger spell?”
“Fufu. Don’t get too hung up on magic. Sure, it would melt the snow… but it might burn the house down too. Magic is powerful, but using it well is the tricky part.”
“Now that you mention it, even though you can use both fire and water magic, you hardly ever use them around the house. Was that to save your mana?”
“That’s right. Healing magic is my livelihood. I should stick to my main craft.”
The mana in one’s body usually recovers with enough food and rest, but casting powerful spells in succession can lead to mana depletion.
When that happens, magic won’t activate, and the caster is left mentally and physically exhausted.
Since being drained to the point of immobility was not an option, Walter always paid careful attention to how he allocated his mana.
“Do you think it’s going to keep snowing?”
“No, for this area, this is already a heavy snowfall. This is probably the peak. In about a month, spring will come.”
“Compared to the snow in the Ararat Mountains where my village was, this is nothing more than a thin silk veil. Let’s finish clearing the roof and have a meal.”
With the three of them working together, the snow on the roof was cleared without much trouble.
That afternoon, after Abel finished his usual self-taught training of stirring mana inside his body, he moved on to practicing with the wooden sword.
“What the heck are you doing?”
The words came from a boy of about six who had just shown up.
Brown hair, brown eyes. His face could hardly be called cute.
It looked as if a potato had been given the bare minimum of shaping.
“I’m training with a sword.”
“Sword? Why’s a brat like you doing that?”
His tone was incredibly cheeky.
Even Abel felt his temper flare a little.
“You’re a brat yourself.”
“…You talk kind of like an adult. That’s weird.”
“Whose kid are you?”
The potato-face twisted into a mean expression.
“I’m the son of the village chief. My dad’s important, you know.”
“Oh, is that so? My parents are important too. Ever heard of healing magic? They use it to treat people’s injuries.”
“My dad’s more important!”
“So you’re already leaning on your parents’ influence? You’re not going to turn out to be much of an adult.”
The boy clearly understood he was being mocked and his face twisted in anger.
“Shut up!”
The potato-like kid came running over and tried to kick him.
Abel leapt sideways to dodge, then used crystallized water magic to harden the snow, and with a basic weather spell of Gust launched it at him. He’d set the power to the weakest level.
Even so, when the snowball that was hardened struck the boy square on the forehead, he went down.
Then, with a wail of “Bweeeehhhhnnnn” he burst into tears and began writhing in the snow.
“…Ah, geez. Sorry, sorry. Don’t cry. I held back the power.”
“What’d you do to meee, youuuu!”
“Magic, you little brat.”
“I’ll apologize, so please forgive meee!”
The surrender was so abrupt that Abel couldn’t help but laugh.
—Right. Kids really are just like this…
“Guess I went a bit too far. My bad. I’ll heal you with magic. So, what’s your name?”
“Rick! I’m the village chief’s fifth sooon!”
“Fifth son, huh… Got it, the village chief’s kid. Once you’re healed, head home, little guy.”
That day, Rick disappeared after that, but for some reason he showed up again the next day.
This time, he was carrying a wooden stick, and he mimicked Abel’s sword swings.
He was a nuisance, but it felt cruel to drive him away, so Abel let him be.
***
The seasons passed.
In spring, the fallow fields a short walk from the village burst into a riot of colorful blossoms.
From Abel’s still-short height, the flower field seemed to stretch on forever.
Coupled with the thick, sweet fragrance in the air, the sight felt almost unreal.
On a whim, he decided to make a flower crown for Shale.
He plucked delicate yellow and blue blooms before weaving them into a ring just the right size.
Shale watched with an expression of pure wonder, as if deeply moved by such a simple act.
When he finally placed the finished flower crown on her head, she gave him the brightest smile.
That innocent sight from a small child unsettled the man at Abel’s core.
Here was a soul untouched by inferiority, defeat, or the pains of life.
One day, many people would face irreparable loss or live lives torn to shreds like his own.
The happiness of not knowing.
The beauty of ignorance burned itself into his heart all the more for it.
“Abel, you look like you’re hurting.”
“It’s nothing…”
“That’s a lie. Is your stomach hurting?”
“It’s deep in my chest. It’ll never heal… probably.”
Abel forced a smile.
Shale looked troubled with the flower crown resting on her head.
“Abel can heal me, but you can’t heal yourself?”
“There are wounds no one can heal.”
…And many people will end up carrying wounds like that, he added silently to himself.
Then Shale reached out with her small palm and gently stroked his chest.
“Does it feel better now?”
Her innocent eyes seemed to peer right into his heart.
He opened his mouth to answer, but no words came. As he sat there in silence, a sudden spring breeze swept through, scattering the wildflowers.
His vision was filled with a flurry of blossoms.
In summer, Abel turned six.
He was given a birthday celebration.
The meal was more extravagant than usual—
A whole roast bird with its savory aroma filling the room and thick cuts of simmered pork.
And for dessert, a pie filled with strawberry jam.
When Abel asked in surprise if they even had sugar, he was told they kept a small store of it as a luxury item, mainly for mixing into medicine too bitter to take otherwise.
It was so expensive that even someone with means like Walter couldn’t afford to buy it often.
One day, as summer drew to a close and autumn deepened.
Walter had just finished work and was having dinner with his family when a visitor arrived.
The man came riding on horseback, wearing light gear yet clad in armor, with a sword strapped at his waist.
Abel was startled by the unfamiliar sight. A set of equipment clearly meant for battle.
“Junior knight Walter Ray. I bring an order from Count Highwand. Receive your lord’s command with due respect.”
Despite telling him to “receive” the command, the messenger handed over a sealed letter, closed with beeswax.
It seemed he wouldn’t be reading it aloud; the formal words had simply been part of the ceremony.
Abel, however, was left dumbfounded.
—Junior knight? So Walter was actually a knight?
“Sir Messenger, thank you for your service. I acknowledge receipt of the order.”
Walter broke the seal with his hand.
After quickly scanning the contents, he read them aloud.
“To Junior Knight Walter Ray: You are to promptly join Knight Ise Arc and slay the magical beast that has appeared within my domain’s Mondor region.”
“Do you understand your orders?”
“I humbly accept.”
“This is an urgent matter, so you are to depart tomorrow morning. Knight Ise Arc resides in the town of Kaizan in the Mondor region. As for the progress of the mission, I, Knight Fores Wood, will oversee it.”
“Understood. By the way, do you know what kind of magical beast it is?”
“I don’t know the details. I’ve heard there are over twenty goblins. You’d best ask Knight Ise Arc, as she is closer to the scene.”
“If that’s the case, two knights should be more than enough to handle it.”
Fores nodded in agreement.
“Of course, I will provide support as well.”
“In that case, I have patients to tend to, so I’ll make preparations as quickly as possible. Sir Fores, where will you be staying tonight? There’s no inn in the Tenana village. In such cases, the custom is to stay either at the village chief’s house or at mine.”
“Either is fine, but yours seems more convenient.”
“Understood. We have a guest room; please rest there. We’ll depart at dawn tomorrow.”
“Agreed. Also, I’m sorry to trouble you, but could you prepare some feed and tools for tending my horse?”
Walter led Fores toward the clinic.
It seemed the “guest room” referred to was actually the room with a bed where patients who felt unwell could lie down.
Ayla quickly prepared soup, bread, and some salted meat. She was no doubt intending to offer the meal to Fores as a courtesy.
Having finished his duties as a doctor in short order, Walter borrowed two horses from the village chief and returned home.
From the large chest in his room, he took out a full set of travel gear and brought it into the living room.
“Father, we had things like this in the house?”
“Before I ran the clinic, I was an adventurer.”
This was news to Abel.
“An adventurer… you mean someone who goes on adventures?”
“That’s right. Going into caves and ancient ruins to bring back jewels or relics, fighting magical beasts or bandits. There are some good people among adventurers, but for the most part, they’re a bunch of tricky, hard-to-deal-with types. Basically, they wander around taking any job that comes along. Well, if I had to sum it up… we were a mix of treasure hunters, swindlers, and washed-up knights.”
Ayla, meanwhile, appeared with armor, a bow and arrows, and a sword from somewhere.
“Huh? Mother, you’re going too?”
“Of course. In fact, Abel, you’re coming as well.”
“Me?!”
Ayla gave him a sweet smile.
“It’s going to be a fun little hunt.”
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