Three years had passed since Arin took me in.
Time had flown by before I even realized it.
To be fair, life as a baby wasn't exactly exciting.
Wake up.
Eat.
Poop.
Sleep.
Wake up in the middle of the night.
Cry.
Get fed.
Go back to sleep.
Repeat.
For three whole years.
A painfully boring cycle, but there wasn't much I could do about it.
During those years, I learned one important fact.
The people living here weren't humans.
They were elves.
Just like the ones from the fantasy movies back on Earth.
Although...
Reality was a little stranger than fiction.
The elves had an unusual tradition.
A child wasn't given a name until they reached the age of three.
Yesterday was my third birthday maybe?.
More importantly...
I finally received my name.
Leafven.
Leafven Wilderfoe.
Arin had given me his family name, even though we weren't related by blood.
I never asked why.
Perhaps he simply considered me his son.
Or maybe he just couldn't leave an abandoned child to fend for himself.
Either way...
I didn't mind.
Lately, people around the village had started calling me "the merchant's kid."
It made sense.
Arin often took me with him whenever he traveled to nearby villages to sell his goods.
Those short trips taught me far more about this world than staying home ever could.
Not everyone I met was an elf.
There were humans.
And then there were races that looked human... until you noticed the animal features.
Fox ears.
Cat tails.
Wolf fangs.
The elves called them Beastfolk.
Some of them looked adorable.
The cat girls, especially, were almost unfairly cute.
Others...
Not so much.
I'll never forget the first rabbit beastman I saw.
I expected a fluffy little fellow.
Instead, I was greeted by a mountain of muscles with rabbit ears.
He looked fully capable of punching a bear unconscious.
Fantasy really had a twisted sense of humor.
Today, Arin left early in the morning.
Apparently, he'd managed to secure a large business deal yesterday and had far too many goods to transport on his own.
He didn't leave me alone, though.
Before leaving, he asked our neighbor, Miss Erina, to look after me.
...
She'd been asleep ever since she arrived.
Some babysitter.
I sighed.
I'd kill for a cigarette right now...
Seriously.
Why was I craving one?
I'm three years old.
A toddler shouldn't even know what nicotine is.
Maybe old habits really do die hard.
As I wrestled with my ridiculous craving, loud voices drifted in from outside.
Children.
They were shouting excitedly, though I couldn't make out every word.
Curiosity got the better of me.
I wanted to see what all the noise was about.
Unfortunately, the window upstairs was far too high for someone my size.
So...
I made the dangerous decision to head downstairs.
Very carefully.
One hand clung tightly to the wooden railing as I lowered myself one step at a time.
At only three years old, one wrong step would send me tumbling all the way to the bottom.
Thankfully...
I made it.
Once I reached the first floor, I quietly tiptoed through the kitchen.
Not that being quiet mattered.
The moment I grabbed a nearby wooden chair and started dragging it toward the window...
Screeeech...
The sound echoed throughout the entire house.
...So much for being sneaky.
It took nearly twenty exhausting tugs before the chair finally reached the window.
Breathing heavily, I climbed onto it.
Using every bit of strength my tiny arms could muster, I pulled myself up until I was finally able to peek outside.
I spotted three children outside.
All of them were elves.
They were gathered beneath the tree Arin had planted two years ago.
I couldn't make out their faces very well. The window was still slightly fogged from yesterday's rain, making everything outside appear a little blurry.
Still, I could make out their clothes.
Each of them wore a white long-sleeved uniform embroidered with a small leaf emblem near the lower hem. Their collars were trimmed with gold.
Students.
They must have been from the academy nearby.
...
I wonder...
If I found a pebble and threw it at them...
What would they do?
Blame a three-year-old?
Hehehe...
Watching them laugh and chat brought back old memories.
Back in elementary school, my friends and I used to spend recess sitting beneath a tree, wasting time until the bell rang.
For just a moment...
I almost forgot I wasn't on Earth anymore.
One of the children reached into his bag and pulled out a book.
In his other hand was a polished wooden stick with a crimson crystal embedded at its tip.
The crystal caught the sunlight, glowing like a burning ember.
He raised the stick toward the open sky.
Then he began to chant.
«"By the grace of the ever-breezing wind, hear my call! Drive away all who stand before me...
Wind Burst!"»
The crimson crystal glowed brightly.
Fwooshh!!
A powerful gust erupted from the tip of the stick.
Flower petals scattered into the air.
The grass bent violently beneath the sudden blast.
Even the boy himself stumbled back a step from the force.
...
I just stared.
By the grace of... what?
What the hell was that?
Was that...
A superpower?
No.
It looked far too deliberate.
The chant.
The crystal.
The stick.
...
Magic.
Real.
Actual.
Magic.
I really had been reborn into a fantasy world.
Before I could process what I'd just witnessed, an adult called out to the children from somewhere nearby.
They quickly packed their things and hurried off.
"..."
Damn it.
I was just getting interested.
Now what?
Go back to fighting my nicotine cravings?
...
Wait.
Does Miss Erina keep cigarettes?
Maybe I could snea...
I smacked both my cheeks.
Get a grip.
I'm three.
Three-year-olds shouldn't be plotting how to steal cigarettes.
Still...
The words that boy had spoken refused to leave my mind.
I had always possessed an annoyingly good memory.
Even back in my previous life, I could remember conversations years after hearing them.
Apparently...
Death hadn't cured that.
If anything, it had made it even more useful.
A thought suddenly crossed my mind.
...Could I do it too?
I looked around the room.
No stick.
No crystal.
My eyes eventually settled on a flower resting inside a glass vase beside the window.
I carefully pulled it out.
"...Close enough."
It had a stem.
A stem was basically a tiny stick.
...Right?
This is either incredibly clever... or incredibly stupid.
Well, there was only one way to find out.
I raised the flower in my right hand and grabbed my elbow with my left, just like I'd seen magicians do in movies.
I took a deep breath.
"By the grace of the ever-breezing wind, hear my call..."
I paused, trying to remember the rest.
"...Drive away all who stand before me."
"Wind Burst!"
For a moment...
Nothing happened.
I frowned.
Did I get the chant wrong?
Then...
A strange warmth spread throughout my body.
No...
It wasn't warmth.
It felt as though something inside me was being pulled away.
The sensation rushed toward the flower in my hand.
A split second later...
FWOOOSHHHH!!!
A violent gust exploded from the tip of the flower.

"WHAA?!"
The floor vanished beneath my feet.
The next thing I knew, I was flying backward across the living room.
Please let me hit the sofa...
Instead...
Thud!
"...Ow."
I landed flat on the wooden floor.
Hard.
My whole body ached.
The flower had long since slipped from my hand.
My vision spun as dark spots danced before my eyes.
Every ounce of strength drained from my body.
Was it because I got launched across the room?
Or...
Did casting that spell exhaust me?
Either way...
I couldn't even lift a finger.
Just then, the bathroom door burst open.
Miss Erina rushed out, still wrapped in a towel, droplets of water clinging to her damp hair.
Her eyes widened the moment she saw me lying on the floor.
"Leafven!"
She hurried over and scooped me into her arms.
Her voice sounded distant.
I wanted to tell her I was fine.
That it was just a little experiment.
A very, very stupid experiment.
But my eyelids had grown too heavy.
The last thing I saw was Miss Erina's worried face hovering above me.
Then...
Everything faded into darkness.
Part 2
I woke up in my bed.The room was dark.
My throat felt dry, and my head still throbbed from the impact earlier.As I reached up to rub it, my fingers brushed against a strip of cloth wrapped around my forehead.A bandage...At least someone had treated me.
Still...
It felt strangely eerie being alone in such a quiet room.Shouldn't someone be watching over an injured child?.I was thirsty.Might as well head downstairs.Carefully, I swung my legs over the side of the bed, gripping the sheets tightly for support.My feet slowly touched the wooden floor.
Thud.
I stood there for a moment to steady myself before taking another step.The house was silent.Every footstep echoed across the wooden floor.Even the sound of my own breathing seemed unusually loud.Maybe...
It was because of the deafening silence.
Then...
Creeeak...
The bedroom door slowly opened.A chill ran down my spine.My heart nearly stopped.
A figure stood in the doorway.
He was holding...A hammer.No...It couldn't be.Him.The man from that abandoned house.The one who had killed me.
He stood there with the same grin on his face.
My legs gave out beneath me.
Thud.
"W-Why..."I scrambled backward until my back slammed against the bed frame.
"No...Stay away..."The figure took a single step forward.
"Leafven?"
...I blinked.The terrifying silhouette vanished like smoke.Standing in its place was Arin, holding an oil lantern.Its warm light filled the room, pushing the darkness away.
"...Y-Yes?"Even my own voice trembled.
Arin tilted his head."Why are you still awake? It's rather late, you know."His voice was as gentle as ever."I... I'm a little thirsty."i replied
"I see."A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Come with me."He turned and walked toward the kitchen.I quietly followed behind him.
The house was still dimly lit by the lantern as we entered the kitchen.Arin removed the wooden lid from a large water barrel before dipping a clay cup inside.He handed it to me.
"Here."I took a sip.The cool water slid down my throat, washing away the dryness almost instantly.It felt wonderful.
As Arin placed the lid back onto the barrel, he suddenly spoke."I heard you used wind magic earlier."I nearly choked on my drink.
He continued before I could answer.
"The blast threw you across the room. You struck your head on the floor."
"...Uh..."
That was all I managed to say.
"I was worried."His voice remained calm, but I could hear the concern behind it."I rushed to the nearest cleric. They treated your injuries with a basic healing spell and wrapped the wound. Fortunately, your injuries weren't serious."
He looked at me."They also said you had completely exhausted your mana."
"...I'm sorry."I lowered my head.
"I didn't think something like that would happen.I only heard the students outside using that spell...""So I tried copying them with a flower.""...I won't do it again if you don't want me to."
Arin was silent for a moment.
Then he gently smiled."Oh, no,
"I'm not upset,You simply started too early,Your body is still too young to handle magic."He rested a hand on my head.
"But...
"Please don't do something so dangerous again without understanding what you're doing,You can't even read spellbooks yet."
He let out a soft chuckle."Still...I'm glad you've already found a path you wish to follow at such a young age."
"...T-Thank you".i muttred"I'll be more careful next time,I promise."
Arin smiled.
"So...You want to become a mage."
His expression carried both warmth...
...and the faintest hint of sadness.
"B-But why?"I thought you said it was fine.".i asked
"It is."He nodded."I only feel a little sentimental ,When I named you...,I named you after Leafven Wintercrown.The greatest hero this village has ever known,He was a legendary swordsman,The founder of the Wind Guardian Style."
"..."
...Crap.So that's why...He hadn't simply picked a random name.He'd named me after someone he admired.And here I was...
Learning magic instead of swordsmanship.
"I-I mean..."
"I'm still a kid."
"I still have plenty of time to choose."
"If I learn the sword someday..."
Maybe I'll change my mind...Right?"
Arin looked at me for a long moment.
Then he laughed softly."I suppose that's true After all You still have your whole life ahead of you."He gently patted my head once more."And whatever path you choose...I'll support you."
After that night, the first thing I did the next morning was practice the spell once again.
I pointed my hand toward the bedsheets and cast,
"By the grace of the ever-breezing wind, hear my call! Drive away all who stand before me..."I hesitated for half a second before finishing the chant."Wind Burst!"
The same strange energy that had rushed through my fingertips yesterday flowed through my body once again before gathering in my hand. A gentle breeze burst from my palm, blowing my bedsheets off the bed and pushing me back a single step.
"...Huh?"
It definitely wasn't as powerful as yesterday.
I didn't fly across the room this time, nor did I fall to my knees.I still felt tired afterward, as though some of my energy had been drained away, but it wasn't enough to knock me unconscious."...Is my body adjusting to it?" I wondered.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Three quick knocks echoed from the bedroom door without any warning, nearly making me fall over.That had to be Arin.
We were supposed to head into town today to sell his goods.I hurriedly fixed the bed I'd just blown apart before opening the door, pretending nothing had happened.
I headed downstairs where breakfast was already waiting.A glass of milk.
Freshly baked bread, its warm aroma filling the kitchen.Slices of purple tomatoes.
Cheese, And porridgeI frowned.
That stuff again.It was the very first thing Arin had fed me after finding me, and to this day I still couldn't bring myself to like it.
I loved the old man...But cooking definitely wasn't one of his talents.
After that We ate in complete silence.
Every now and then, I noticed Arin staring absentmindedly out the window while chewing his bread.Is something bothering him?Money?Did something happen during yesterday's trip?Or maybe...Was he thinking about someone?
I shook my head.Why am I worrying about money?The last time I worried about finances...I got shot.I'd rather not repeat that experience.
After breakfast, Arin prepared the rest of his merchandise and loaded everything onto the carriage.Before long, we were on our way to the nearby town.
I had traveled this road so many times that I already knew it by heart.The same dirt road.
The same endless grasslands.The same rows of towering trees.Even the same patches of wildflowers growing along the roadside.
The town was about five kilometers away from our village.It wasn't particularly large.
Just a little bigger.Unlike our village, however, most of its buildings and roads were made of stone instead of wood.
My favorite place there was the fountain in the town square.Crystal-clear water constantly flowed from it.Maybe it sounded childish...But then again...I am a child, for now atleast.There was another reason I liked visiting the fountain.
A Beastfolk girl named Nya usually came there to play,I was pretty sure she belonged to a cat tribe,She looked about the same age as me deepred eyes and grayish hair that reflects the sunlight .
She always brought grilled meat on a stick whenever we met, though I could never eat much of it since it was usually still too rare.
At first, I couldn't understand a single thing she said because of her Beastfolk accent she also talks too fast. but after spending so much time together, I gradually became used to it.
Now I could understand most of what she said.She also had this habit of ending almost every sentence with..."Meow."
It was honestly kind of cute.She loved it whenever I scratched behind her ears or gently petted her head.It reminded me of Bambi...The cat I had back on Earth.
Her father worked as a lumberjack.
I always found that a little strange.
The forest was supposed to be the Beastfolk's home.Or maybe I was just overthinking it.
While I sat beside the fountain, Nya was busy staring into the water.She'd been looking for something for quite a while now.
"What are you looking for?" I asked.
She looked up at me."Oh, I'm looking for fish, meow."
Then she immediately went back to staring into the fountain.
Fish?In a fountain?Was she serious?
"Fish? Why would there be fish in a fountain?" I asked.She answered without even looking at me."Because it's water."
That was certainly... an interesting argument.
"Did you catch any yesterday?" I asked.
She looked me straight in the eye.
"No." "The day before?" I asked
"No.""And the day before that?" I asked her againShe tilted her head."Umm... no?"
"Then what makes you think there'll be fish today?"She crossed her arms proudly.
"They're just shy these past few days, meow. I think they'll come out today"
"That's a pretty solid explanation."i commented on herShe puffed out her chest proudly."Of course it is, meow!"
"Too bad it's also incredibly stupid."
I couldn't help laughing.
Nya froze.
Then she scooped up a handful of water and splashed it right into my face.
Before I could react...She bolted.
"Hey!"I chased after her through the town square for what felt like twenty minutes.
She was surprisingly fast.
After finally catching my breath, I stood up and proudly pointed my thumb toward myself."I'll show you something impressive."
Nya's ears perked up immediately."Really, meow?"I nodded before pointing my hand toward the fountain.
"By the grace of the ever-breezing wind..."
A powerful gust burst forward The fountain water exploded to one side, nearly soaking several people walking past.
Startled voices echoed throughout the square as children and adults alike turned toward us."...Oops."Nya clapped excitedly.
"Again! Again, meow!"She jumped up and down excitedly.
I'd already used the spell twice today.
My body felt noticeably heavier than before.
One more cast...That would probably be my limit.
Nya tugged gently on my shirt before looking up at me with those big, round eyes.
I couldn't say no."...Fine."
Just one more.
I pointed my hand toward the sky.
"By the grace of the ever-breezing wind..."
This time, only a weak breeze escaped from my fingertips."...Figures."
The moment the spell ended, every ounce of strength left my body.My knees buckled.
The world spun."...Uh-oh."The stone pavement rushed up to meet me.