The years flew by
And it turns out that next week, I'll be five years old—making it five whole years since I reincarnated into this new world. Honestly, sometimes I still forget I'm technically not a baby anymore. With each year that passed, I felt more and more settled in Aldoria.
Right now, I was in the garden behind our estate, under the soft shade of blooming silver-leaf trees. I was practicing magic—or rather, I was trying to. My current goal was to use magic without incantations. Sounds cool, right? But apparently, that's supposed to be impossible.
Thanks to the anime knowledge I had from my past life, I knew that it was actually possible—just incredibly rare. According to what I remembered, the only way to pull it off was to start practicing before the age of five. If you didn't start before then, your body wouldn't adapt properly to casting chantless magic.
The funny thing? Nobody in the early part of the anime even knew about this. It was only the protagonist that was able to pull it off.
So here I was, busting my little reincarnated butt trying to master something only the protagonists could do. The reason I hadn't started earlier was simple: I only learned to read and write last year. My parents were super proud when I picked it up so fast—they even called me a genius. But really, I had the mind of an 18-year-old. Reading picture books and copying letters was light work.
Still, I had to act like a kid, so I soaked in the praise with a smile.
The real reason I worked so hard to learn to read wasn't to impress anyone. It was to be able to access our library's collection of magic books. And now, here I was, standing in the middle of the garden, determined to cast a simple Water Ball spell without saying a single word.
I'd already learned how to cast it with incantations. That was the easy part. But chantless magic? That was a different beast. For the past two weeks, I had tried and failed repeatedly. It was frustrating, but I could feel I was getting closer.
"Focus," I muttered to myself.
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and concentrated. I imagined the shape of the water ball forming in my hands. I gathered mana from within my body and directed it to my outstretched palms. A faint blue glow began to shimmer, and slowly, droplets of water materialized in the air. The mana particles began swirling together, forming a small orb—drop by drop.
The water ball grew to the size of a tennis ball, hovering gently between my hands. I could feel it. I was so close.
But then—splat.
The ball lost its form and fell to the ground with a soft splash. At the same time, I collapsed to my knees, breathing heavily. I had completely drained my MP. My body felt like jelly, but my heart was pounding with excitement.
"I did it…" I whispered, grinning. "I actually did it."
I lay on the grass for a while, letting my mana recover. When I felt ready, I stood up and continued practicing until i was exhausted.
..........................
A week later,
Today marked my fifth birthday. Five years in Aldoria. Five years since I was reborn into the Whitlock family, and honestly, I was starting to feel like I truly belonged here.
To celebrate, my parents threw a massive birthday party. Apparently, it was tradition in noble families to host grand celebrations every five years, and since this was my first one, they went all out.
The estate's main hall was almost unrecognizable. Elegant chandeliers dangled from the high ceiling, scattering golden light across the crimson carpets and glossy marble floor. Strings of enchanted lights danced in the air, casting gentle sparkles around the room. A renowned band played in the corner, their music adding a cheerful atmosphere to the already lively gathering. The aroma of delicious food, rich wine, and exotic treats filled the air.
Nobles, merchants, celebrities—even a few members of the royal family—had come. Most of them were here to catch a glimpse of the so-called "young genius" of House Whitlock. Of course, others came to network, socialize, and build connections. Politics and parties—they always go hand in hand.
Meanwhile, I stood beside my parents as a seemingly endless stream of guests came forward to greet us. Everyone smiled, congratulated me, and exchanged pleasantries like it was some sort of competition. I smiled, nodded, and played along, but inside, I was so done.
My mental energy was running on fumes.
After what felt like forever, I leaned in close to my parents and said, "Excuse me, I need to go ease myself."
They nodded without suspicion, too busy chatting with another guest, and I made my escape.
I wandered away from the bustling hall, letting the music and chatter fade behind me. My legs carried me aimlessly through the estate until I stumbled upon one of the side gardens. It was peaceful and quiet—exactly what I needed.
To my surprise, someone else was already there.
She stood under the starlit sky, gazing up in silence. She had long, silky black hair that shimmered under the moonlight and a gentle, curious face. She looked around my age.
I froze for a second. She looked… ethereal. My mind blanked before I quickly snapped back and spoke.
"Ah—sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. I'll find another spot."
The girl turned and smiled. "Oh, it's fine. I don't mind having company."
I gave a small shrug and walked over to sit beside her, staring up at the stars in comfortable silence.
"I'm Amelia," she said after a moment. "What's your name?"
"Lucas."
Her eyes lit up a little. "Ah, the birthday boy himself?"
"Yep," I replied with a smirk. "And I'm guessing you're the daughter of another noble?"
"Something like that," she giggled.
We both chuckled quietly, then drifted back into silence. It wasn't awkward. It was actually… kind of nice.
Eventually, I realized I'd probably been gone too long. My parents might start to worry.
I stood up and brushed myself off. "I should get back before they send the guards looking for me. It was nice meeting you, Amelia."
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but no words came out. Instead, she just smiled and waved as I turned and walked away.
I returned to the hall, back to the noise, the lights, the music… and the exchange of plesantries. till it was all done and the guests had all left late at night.
tired and exhausted i retired to my room took a shower and slept off like a log.