Early morning sunlight filtered through the window as Sora soaked in a warm wooden tub. After finishing his bath, he dried off, got dressed, and stepped out of the inn's bathroom.
"Oh! Done already?" Glenda called from behind the front counter.
"Yeah. Thanks for letting me use the bath, Ms. Glenda," Sora replied with a grateful smile.
"No problem at all," she said warmly.
Sora made his way upstairs. "You're already up, Lilith?"
He found her sitting on the bed, leaning by the window and gazing outside.
"Yes, Nii-chan," she said, turning to him with a soft smile—calling him big brother for the first time.
Sora smiled. "Come on. Let's go eat together."
The two headed downstairs.
"Good morning, Lilith!" Glenda greeted her cheerfully.
"Ms. Glenda, could we get some food?" Sora asked as they took their seats at a table.
"Of course!" Glenda said with a nod, heading into the kitchen.
As they waited, Sora leaned in a little. "Oh—Lilith, after breakfast, I'll be heading out to work. Ms. Glenda will look after you while I'm gone, alright?"
"Can't I come with you, Nii-chan?" she asked, shyly tugging on his sleeve.
"Sorry. My job's a bit dangerous, and I don't want you getting hurt," Sora said gently.
"I understand," she said, lowering her gaze.
"Don't worry. Ms. Glenda's really kind," he added reassuringly.
Lilith gave a small nod just as Glenda returned with their breakfast.
"Thanks for the food!" Sora said out of habit as he picked up his utensils.
"Thanks for the food!" Lilith echoed, mimicking him the best she could.
After the meal, Sora stood and turned to Glenda. "I'll leave her in your care."
"You got it! Be careful out there," Glenda replied with a confident smile.
Sora made his way to the guild, accepted a quest without much thought, and headed out.
"Slime hunting, huh? I think I saw some in this area... Oh—there's one," he muttered, spotting a slime ahead.
He approached closer, preparing to strike—but suddenly, four more slimes popped out of the bushes.
"Huh? More of them? Even if they're weak, five at once is a bit much for a newbie…"
The slimes noticed him and rushed forward.
After a rough fight, Sora stood among the defeated creatures, panting.
"Finally... got them all," he said, catching his breath.
He slumped down on the ground"In the manga i read, they always use magic to fight... I know magic exists here too, but I have no idea how it works."
As he sat there, a flicker of light appeared in front of him. It grew brighter until a familiar figure materialized—Elyria, the goddess.
"Hello, Sora. You're doing well," she said with a serene smile.
"G-Goddess? It's good to see you again." Sora stood up.
"May I ask why you're here?" he asked.
"I came to check on you—and to explain the blessing I gave you," Elyria said.
"Blessing? Oh, right... You did mention something like that when we first met." Sora said.
"It's called Unbothered. With it, you'll be able to learn anything quickly—magic, martial arts, even cooking. It also speed up your improvement."
"That's incredible... I've been wanting to learn magic, but it's been rough. Took everything I had just to beat a few slimes."
"You'll find it much easier now," she said, her body beginning to shimmer.
"Well then, I'll take my leave."
With a flash, Elyria vanished into glowing particles.
"Time to head back to the guild," Sora muttered, brushing himself off.
Back at the guild, he handed in the completed quest.
"Here's your reward," the receptionist said, handing the coins.
Sora glanced around the guild. "I want to learn magic... maybe someone here can help."
He spotted a girl about his age standing by the quest board.
"Excuse me," he said politely.
"Hm? Yeah?" the girl replied, turning to face him.
"Would you mind if I asked you something?"
"Sure. Go ahead."
"Are you... a magic user?"
"I am."
"Could you show me? I'm trying to learn, and I'd like to see it in action—if that's okay."
"I don't usually teach someone," she said.
"I'm not asking you to teach me. I just want to watch you cast something," Sora said.
"Well, if that's all… I don't mind," she said. "What kind of spell?"
"Anything's fine," Sora replied.
She held out her hand. A small sphere of water formed in her palm, swirling gently.
Sora stared at it. I can feel it… I understand it. The flow of mana, the structure of the spell—it's all just clicking.
"Thanks for showing me," he said with a nod.
"Alright… let's give this a try," he whispered to himself.
He mimicked the motion, reaching out with his intent. A water sphere formed in his hand.
"I… did it," he said, wide-eyed.
The girl blinked. "Wait, you said you wanted to learn magic—and now you're just casting it like it's nothing?"
"Did you learned it already? Just by looking?" the girl is surprised.
"Um... can I ask your name?" she asked, still surprised.
"I'm Kannazuki Sora. F-Rank Adventurer."
"Seris Verill. C-Rank. Say... would you like to form a party with me?"
"A party?" Sora asked, caught off guard.
"Yeah. It's better to quest with someone than alone. What do you say?"
"If you're okay with me…" Sora smiled. "I'd be glad to."