I'm five years old now, and in these past few years, I've learned as much as I could about this world. The language was the first hurdle—once I got past that, information slowly followed. Still, this world turned out to be quite different from what I had imagined.
Magic wasn't something everyone could use.
Most people couldn't sense mana at all, so they relied on magic artifacts for daily life—lighting lamps, heating water, preserving food. True magic could only be used by those who could sense mana in nature.
And yours truly?
I could feel it.
Not clearly enough to use magic yet, but I could sense something faint—like invisible currents gently swirling in the air. It was weak, almost playful, but real. That alone made me excited. I wanted to learn more. And to learn magic, I needed books.
Which meant asking my dad.
Which… he took as a joke.
Instead of answering me properly, this is what he was currently doing.
"Haaa! I will take the princess from you, hero!" my dad shouted dramatically, swinging an imaginary sword.
"Please save me, oh legendary hero!" my mom replied in an equally dramatic voice, covering her face with her hands.
I stood between them, puffed up my chest, and raised my tiny fist.
"Don't worry, my lady!" I declared loudly. "Your knight will protect you from this demon!"
…
Ahhhhhhh.
So cringe.
I could feel my handsome face turning red. Worse, these two adults were enjoying this way too much.
After our intense battle of Hero versus Demon finally ended, my mom stood up, brushing her hands together.
"Alright, wash your hands. Lunch is ready."
I climbed onto the wooden dining chair and sat at the table. The table creaked under the slightest pressure, making me feel like it might collapse any second now. Still, I leaned forward and spoke in my cutest voice.
"Dad~ when will you buy me a book on magic?"
He laughed and ruffled my hair. "My boy, what do you need books for? You're only five. This is the age to play games."
Oh gosh.
I didn't spend years learning the language early just to play Hero x Demon all day. If reading books was the price, then so be it.
Looks like it was time to use my final weapon.
"Uaaaah… I want book… uaaaah… booook… book…!"
My crying echoed perfectly.
Mom immediately poked her head out of the kitchen, eyes sharp.
"Why are you bullying a child?" she snapped. "He's just asking for a book on the basics of magic. Why won't you give him one? Isn't it good that he wants to read and learn?"
My dad froze.
Completely.
I barely managed to hold in my laughter while watching his defeated expression.
"…Alright, alright," he sighed. "I'll bring a good book on the basics of magic tonight."
Victory.
I wiped my fake tears away and smiled sweetly.
Another step closer to magic.
——
After lunch, my father headed back to work, and I was promptly put to sleep—this weak five-year-old body showing no mercy when it came to nap time.
Jonathan's life was, by most standards, going perfectly. He had a gentle and caring wife, a cute son, and over the past few years, his business had finally started to move forward. For the first time in his life, he could see a future that wasn't just about surviving day to day. He had plans—many of them.
The first step was simple yet difficult: get his family out of the backwaters.
His goal was to establish his merchant group properly in the city of Westfall, a far better place compared to the dangerous and messy streets they currently lived in.
Lost in thought, Jonathan walked through the crowded streets and soon arrived at his office. Pushing the door open, he stepped inside and sighed.
The place was a mess.
Books, ledgers, and papers were scattered everywhere—some even lying on the floor as if they had given up hope of ever being organized. Jonathan sat down on his chair and raised his voice.
"Mike!"
A moment later, hurried footsteps echoed, and a short man with a thick mustache rushed in, slightly out of breath.
"Yes, sir?" Mike asked.
Jonathan pointed at the floor with an annoyed look. "Didn't I tell you to clean all this mess?"
Mike scratched the back of his head nervously. "But sir, I was busy dispatching Mr. Smith's order."
Jonathan waved his hand. "Alright, alright. Just clean it later." Then he paused and added, "By the way, do you know anyone who sells magic books?"
Mike blinked. "Magic books? What do you need those for?"
"They're not for me," Jonathan replied. "My son Alan has been asking for books on magic for weeks now. See if you can find something good—just the basics. If possible, get it by evening."
"Oh… okay, sir. I'll try," Mike said with a nod.
Mike was Jonathan's assistant at the Greenfield Merchant Company. He had plenty of connections in the back alleys and markets, which was exactly why Jonathan trusted him with matters like this.
As the sun set and night fell, Jonathan wrapped up his work and began heading home. On the way, he stopped by Mike's place. Mike lived with his wife in the building opposite Jonathan's apartment.
Jonathan knocked on the door.
It opened just a crack.
Mike quickly shoved a book into Jonathan's hands and whispered, "We'll talk about the money tomorrow," before immediately slamming the door shut.
Jonathan stood there, stunned for a moment.
Mike had been… half-naked. Or maybe fully naked. Hard to tell.
Jonathan sighed, understanding the situation perfectly, and muttered with a straight face,
"At least finish properly and show the effect of your 'exercises.'"
Shaking his head, he tucked the book under his arm and continued home.
——
As Jonathan entered the house, he was immediately greeted by his wife's warm smile.
Before he could even say a word, a small figure rushed toward him.
"Book!" I shouted as I jumped onto him, my eyes locked onto the thin book in his hand.
Hell yeah! He actually bought it!
Finally—after all that crying, acting, and emotional manipulation—this man had delivered. This was it. My first real step toward learning magic.
Just as I was about to grab the book, my dad lifted his hand high above my head.
"First," he said with a grin, "give daddy a kiss."
…Seriously?
Fine. Anything for knowledge.
I quickly leaned forward, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and instantly snatched the book from his hand like a professional thief. Both my mom and dad burst out laughing at my excitement.
Without wasting a second, I opened the book and began reading.
The first pages explained mana.
Mana was described as a natural energy produced by the world itself. Only some individuals were born with the ability to sense it. To cultivate mana, one needed to follow a proper breathing technique. While it was possible to absorb mana naturally, doing so without a technique was slow and inefficient.
Just as I thought.
I flipped to the next page, where it began talking about elements—
And then the book disappeared from my hands.
"Time for dinner," my mom said calmly. "You can read after you finish your food."
I pouted and looked at her with my most pitiful expression.
It didn't work.
With a heavy heart, I gave up and started eating at record speed, determined to finish as fast as possible.
Bad idea.
I started choking almost immediately.
After gulping down some water and receiving a proper scolding from my mother, I slowed down and ate like a normal human being. Once dinner was finally over, I wasted no time grabbing the book again.
Clutching it tightly, I crawled back to my spot.
Tonight, I decided, I'm reading this book from start to finish.