Four years since Tenma had been picked up, one year into the magic studies — one particular day:
“Tenma. Today’s the last day of book-only studies. You did very well. Starting tomorrow, we’ll begin practicing basic-level spells from the ground up.”
At Sheelia’s blessing, Tenma —
“For real?! I get to actually use magic?! Yes!”
— let out a whoop.
“However. From here on you have to follow my instructions even more carefully than before. No casting at random. Even if it gets hard, you do not abandon practice. Understood?”
“Yes!”
“Tomorrow your father comes with us, and we go down to the river to practice. So tonight, sleep early and rest up.”
“Okaaay~”
— is what he said, but between excitement and joy, Tenma couldn’t really fall asleep.
The next day, Tenma and his parents arrived at the river — a ten-minute walk from the village — in the morning.
“All right, Tenma. Starting with water magic. Watch — ‘Water.’”
Sheelia put a hand into a slow stretch of the river and spoke. A column of water about a meter tall rose up.
“See? That’s the foundation of water magic. Start in slow water like this; once you can maintain the column, move to faster current. Your turn.”
As Tenma was about to put his hand into the river, he felt something — a gaze — and turned around. At the same instant, Ricardo turned too — and froze in shock.
“Hoh hoh. Picked up on it, did you. I had no intention of intruding. Sorry about that.”
About ten meters away from Ricardo — fifteen from Tenma — stood a man in a black hood, somehow there now without anyone hearing him approach.
When the man started to come closer, Sheelia immediately placed herself in front of Tenma, and Ricardo took a step back, drew a large knife from his hip, and put himself between the family and the stranger.
“Who are you?!”
The man stopped, untroubled, and called over.
“Don’t bristle up like that, Ricardo. Have you forgotten me, Sheelia?”
And from under the hood, he showed his face.
“Merlin!”
“Uncle!”
Ricardo had said “Merlin.” Sheelia had said “Uncle.” The man’s face creased into a deeper grin.
“Indeed. Merlin. Now, if you’ve recognized me, could you put the knife away, Ricardo?”
“A — ah. Sorry.”
Ricardo returned the knife to its sheath at his hip. Then the man called Merlin walked slowly over.
“Been a while, you two. How many years has it been?”
“Eleven by now, Merlin.”
“Yes! Uncle, you didn’t write once! We were worried sick!”
Merlin laughed.
“Sorry, sorry. I kept meaning to send a letter, you know. Forgot every time.”
He scratched his head.
“Unchanged as ever, Uncle.”
“Now and then a traveler passed through with news, so at least I knew he wasn’t dead.”
Behind them, Merlin’s gaze settled on Tenma.
“By the by — this child yours? When did you manage to have a baby, Sheelia?”
He was speaking eye-to-eye with Tenma.
Ricardo pulled Merlin a short distance away and answered in a low voice.
“Half right, half wrong, Merlin.”
“How so?”
“This boy was abandoned in the Great Elder Forest as an infant. I found him while hunting. Sheelia and I took him in. Officially adopted.”
“I see.”
“Our treasure now, either way.”
Merlin smiled at the laugh in Ricardo’s voice.
After their conversation, the two came back and Tenma was properly introduced.
“Tenma, was it? Pleasure. I’m Merlin. Sheelia’s uncle. Some people out there also call me ‘the Sage,’ for whatever that’s worth.”
The old man chuckled, hoh hoh. Without thinking, Tenma said:
“The Sage — that famous pervert?”
Mid-sentence he realized he shouldn’t have said that, but Merlin didn’t blink.
“That’s one thing people call me.”
He answered calmly.
“S-sorry. I’m Tenma. I’m four.”
“Yes, yes, no need to apologize. I have, in fact, done quite a few things that earn the reputation.”
He laughed.
“By the way, Sheelia, what were you doing?”
“Teaching Tenma the basics of magic, just now.”
“I see, I see. Tenma, show me.”
“Okay.”
Tenma put his hand into the river and said “Water.” In front of him, a column of water about a meter tall rose up.
“Tenma, that’s amazing! Getting it on the first try?!”
“Yeah — normally the water doesn’t even respond at all, or you can’t hold the shape!”
The two of them were praising him, but Merlin was wearing a serious expression.
“Tenma. There’s something you need to do before this kind of practice — or you risk damaging your body.”
Before Tenma’s parents could say anything, Merlin continued.
“You have too much magic for your age. You need to drill on magic control first, and properly.”
“But Uncle — the usual order is to teach the body to release magic, then move on to control, isn’t it?”
“It’s true. The usual order is to get the body comfortable with externalizing mana, then teach control. For a child of usual aptitude.”
“And Tenma isn’t usual?”
Merlin nodded at Ricardo and continued:
“This child’s magic power and reserve are already brushing top-tier. But his body is still a child’s. If he releases mana carelessly, he won’t be able to control it — runaway. Best case, he’s a vegetable. Worst case, he and everything around him are smithereens.”
Tenma’s parents went pale.
“Then what do we do —”
Sheelia’s voice was thin.
“That’s exactly why — before he ever externalizes mana, we teach him to circulate it within his body and control it from the inside.”
That calmed Sheelia a little, but she immediately realized she couldn’t teach that herself. Merlin saw it.
“Don’t worry. I’ll teach Tenma. And even if Tenma starts to run away, I can quench it.”
He patted Tenma’s head as he said it. His face was, just for a moment, the face of a grandfather patting his grandchild.
“Merlin — please, take care of Tenma!”
“Uncle, please look after him!”
“Mm. Understood. Any son of yours is essentially a grandson of mine. I’ll do my best. That all right with you, Tenma?”
Merlin asked. For Tenma, there was no realistic alternative right now to taking lessons from Merlin — and he’d be taught directly by the Sage, with minimal danger besides. That was all upside.
“Yes! Please take care of me!”
He answered, full energy.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
The Sage has appeared. The plan was for him to swagger in and basically bully his way into being Tenma’s teacher, but somehow he turned into a kindly grandpa instead. Where did the eccentric setting go?
Tenma’s been quieter lately — kind of getting carried along by the people around him. Well, he’s small, so that’s fair, right?
———STATUS DISCLOSURE———
Name…………… Sheelia
Age……………… 36
Race…………… Human
Title…………… Top-tier Mage
HP……………… 10000
MP……………… 20000
Strength……… C-
Defense……… D+
Speed………… C+
Magic………… A+
Spirit………… A+
Growth……… C
Luck………… B+
Skills:
Fire Magic 8 · Water Magic 8 · Cooking 8 · Earth Magic 7 ·
Wind Magic 7 · Dismantling 6 · Holy Magic 5 · Swordsmanship 5 ·
Throwing 5 · Staff Arts 5 · Night Vision 5 · Endurance 5 ·
Hand-to-Hand 4 · Status Resist 4 · Axe Arts 3 · [Magic Boost] 3
Gifts:
[Magic God's Blessing]Name…………… Merlin
Age……………… 62
Race…………… Human
Title…………… Sage · Great Mage · Dragon-Slayer · Eccentric
HP……………… 12000
MP……………… 40000
Strength……… C+
Defense……… C+
Speed………… B-
Magic………… S
Spirit………… S+
Growth……… D+
Luck………… A
Skills:
Fire Magic 10 · Water Magic 8 · Earth Magic 8 · Wind Magic 8 ·
Holy Magic 8 · Hand-to-Hand 8 · Staff Arts 7 · Endurance 7 ·
Swordsmanship 6 · Dismantling 6 · Status Resist 6 · [Enchantment Magic] 6 ·
Throwing 5 · All Magic Affinity 5 · [Concealment] 5 · [Magic Boost] 5 ·
[Instant Death Resistance] 5 · Cooking 4 · Night Vision 3 · [Physical Ability Boost] 3
Gifts:
[War God's Blessing] · [Magic God's Blessing]Name…………… Tenma Ootori
Age……………… 4
Race…………… Human
Title…………… The Sage's Apprentice (Favored Child of the Gods)
HP……………… 800
MP……………… 6500
Strength……… F
Defense……… F-
Speed………… E
Magic………… B+
Spirit………… B-
Growth……… S+
Luck………… B
Skills:
Throwing 4 · Night Vision 4 · Cooking 3 · Endurance 3 ·
Dismantling 3 · Traps 3 · Archery 3 · Swordsmanship 2 ·
Hand-to-Hand 2 · Spearmanship 2 · Staff Arts 2 · Axe Arts 2 ·
Fire Magic 2 · Water Magic 2 · All Magic Affinity 1 (6)
([Appraisal] 10 · [Detection] 10 · [Concealment] 10 ·
[Technique Acquisition Boost] 10 · [Kin Empowerment] 10 ·
[Growth Boost] 8 · [Vitality Boost] 8 · [Recovery Boost] 8 ·
[Status Effect Resistance] 8 · [Sense Enhancement] 7 ·
[Physical Ability Boost] 7 · [Destructive Force Boost] 5 ·
[Magic Boost] 5 · [Creation Magic] 5 · [Enchantment Magic] 5 ·
[Destruction Resistance] 5 · [Instant Death Resistance] 5 ·
[Martial Arts Mastery] 5)
Gifts:
[Blessing of the Gods]Tenma’s growing! All going well.