Name: Ryoma Takebayashi Gender: Male Age: 11 Race: Human HP: 11,052 MP: 198,000
Daily Life Skills: Housework Lv10, Etiquette Lv7, Musical Instrument Performance Lv3, Singing Lv3, Calculation Lv5
Combat Skills: Martial Arts Lv7, Swordsmanship Lv7, Dagger Techniques Lv6, Hidden Weapon Techniques Lv7, Spearmanship Lv4, Archery Lv6, Staff Techniques Lv6, Weighted Cord Techniques Lv4, Throwing Lv7, Stealth Lv7, Traps Lv6, Body Control Lv6, Qigong Lv5
Magic Skills: Taming Magic Lv2, Barrier Magic Lv2, Healing Magic Lv1, Alchemy Lv2, Fire Magic Lv3, Water Magic Lv3, Wind Magic Lv2, Earth Magic Lv4, Neutral Magic Lv3, Thunder Magic Lv1, Ice Magic Lv2, Poison Magic Lv2, Wood Magic Lv3, Light Magic Lv2, Dark Magic Lv1, Space Magic Lv3, Mana Perception Lv3, Mana Manipulation Lv4, Mana Recovery Speed Increase Lv2
Production Skills: Pharmacology Lv6, Blacksmithing Lv1, Construction Lv3, Woodworking Lv3, Sculpting Lv4, Drawing Lv4
Resistance Skills: Physical Pain Resistance Lv8, Mental Pain Resistance Lv9, Health Lv7, Foul Odor Resistance Lv3
Special Skills: Oracle Lv3, Survival Skills Lv5, Life Strengthening Lv3, Super Regeneration Lv3, Endurance Strengthening Lv6, Mental Concentration Lv5
Titles: Overthrow One Who Overcame an Unfortunate Life Favorite of the Gods Disciple of the Sage Disciple of the War God
Divine Protections: Divine Protection of Creator God Gain Divine Protection of God of Life Kufo Divine Protection of Goddess of Love Lulutia Divine Protection of God of Wine Tekun
The gods had told me before I transferred that my mana would increase if I kept using it, so that wasn't a surprise, but several of my skills had leveled up as well. Looking at it all laid out like this, I really did have a lot of magic-related skills... Wait, what was with these "Disciple" titles? They must be the cover stories the gods mentioned in their letter to explain away my high skill levels. As for the divine protections, I had the ones from Gain and the others, plus one from the God of Wine. For now, following their advice, I set the board to hide everything except my name, age, and race.
"I’m finished," I said.
"Then I shall guide you to the room where your companions are waiting," the church staff member replied. "It would be best to ask them for any detailed explanations you might need."
Prompted by the woman, I stepped out of the room. As I did, the lively voices of children reached my ears from outside.
"Wait up! Wait up!"
"Ahahaha! Over here!"
I looked toward the sounds and saw children in worn-out clothes playing outside the window.
"Those are the children the church cares for," the woman explained. "They’re always full of energy. They play outside like that as soon as their chores are done."
I wasn't sure if they were orphans or there because of family circumstances, but I watched them for a moment.
"Now, shall we?"
I followed the woman down the hall to a private room. Inside, Reinhardt-san, Elise-san, Reinbach-sama, Elia, and Sebas were all waiting for me, looking slightly anxious.
"Thank you for waiting. The baptism was completed without any issues," the woman announced.
"Sorry to keep you all," I added.
"It was no trouble at all," Reinhardt-san replied.
Immediately after, the woman made her excuses to leave. "I shall take my leave now. Please feel free to use this room as you like until you depart."
"Thank you very much," the nobles said.
I quickly offered my own thanks as well. "Thank you."
"You're very welcome. Good day."
I watched the woman leave and close the door, then turned to Reinhardt-san with a question. "That lady left in quite a hurry... did something happen?"
"The information on a Status Board is private," Reinhardt-san explained. "People usually keep it secret, so she was just being considerate by giving us privacy."
"This room is specifically provided so that the person who received the baptism and their family can discuss the results in confidence," Elise-san added.
"I see."
"Umu. It is best not to speak of your status recklessly," Reinbach-sama said. "In the old days, it was actually illegal to hide that information, but as more people began to exploit the data for ill intent, hiding it became the standard practice."
"Revealing your skills puts you at a disadvantage by showing your hand and your fighting style," Sebas elaborated. "Furthermore, since stats like physical strength and mana capacity are directly linked to one's combat power, most people today only share them with those they trust implicitly. Divine protections are kept secret for similar reasons. Usually, people only disclose their name, age, and race—though some might share their titles as well."
"That makes sense."
"So, make sure you keep your information properly secret, Ryoma-kun," Elise-san said kindly. "We can give you advice if there's anything you don't understand, but you don't have to tell us anything you'd rather not."
These people really were incredibly kind. I’d decide what to share in a moment.
"I understand," I replied.
Reinbach-sama gave a satisfied nod, then his expression turned solemn. "Now, Ryoma-kun. Since you've just obtained your Status Board, there is one thing I must tell you."
"What is it?"
"It is about your capabilities. From what I have seen, your abilities are exceptionally high for a child your age. Such talent tends to attract unsavory individuals. To avoid that, you must either hide your strength or quickly attain a social standing that serves as a shield. However, in your case, your abilities are so vast that hiding them entirely will be difficult. Therefore, you should register with a guild as soon as possible and raise your rank. That rank will be your status. We will help you if anything happens, but you must be cautious yourself."
"In your case, your power is so disproportionate to your age that anyone would guess you have divine protections," Reinhardt-san added. "Depending on which protections you have, people might seriously target you, so please be careful."
I knew I hadn't been holding back much, but was I really that unusual? I hadn't even shown my full power in front of them yet.
"I'll be careful. ...?"
I noticed Elia glancing at me again, just like she had before. I wasn't doing anything in particular at the moment, so maybe she had something on her mind?
"Is something the matter?" I asked.
"Oh!" She jumped slightly, startled.
"Sorry, you just looked like you wanted to ask something."
"Well... it's just..." Elia hesitated for a moment before speaking honestly. "I was actually curious about your mana capacity, Ryoma-san."
"My mana capacity?"
"Yes. I saw you use an incredible amount of magic the other day without ever showing signs of exhaustion. When I asked my father, he said a normal person would have collapsed from mana depletion, so I couldn't help but wonder just how much you had."
My mana capacity... I felt I could trust these people with the truth. Besides, if I’d already used enough magic to make a "normal person collapse," the cat was already out of the bag. I’d just been using it the same way I did back in the forest... Ah, I guess that’s what they meant by saying I couldn't hide it.
"I see... I checked just now, and it’s 198,000."
When I gave the number, the Duke and his wife widened their eyes slightly, while Elia’s expression turned complicated. But that was the extent of their reaction.
Wait, was that it? The reaction seemed a bit underwhelming.
"198,000... with that much mana, it makes sense that Ryoma-san can use so much magic," Elia murmured.
"Well, the more mana you have, the more spells you can cast," I said.
"Eh? No, I didn't mean it like that. I meant the fact that you can cast them properly."
"Properly?"
"Yes... did I say something strange?"
The conversation was going in circles, and Elia was starting to look distressed. That was when Sebas intervened.
"Perhaps Ryoma-sama is unaware of the disadvantages associated with high mana capacity?"
"Disadvantages? There are downsides?"
When I asked, Elia looked stunned, while Sebas and the other adults looked exasperated, as if they’d suspected as much.
They explained that while having a lot of mana is a massive advantage for a mage, having too much makes it incredibly difficult to control. Apparently, just trying to release a tiny bit of mana can result in it gushing out like a broken faucet. Mages with high capacity require far more training to suppress and manipulate their mana than those with average amounts.
Now that they mentioned it, that sounded familiar. When I first used Break Rock in this world, I could only manage a hole barely big enough for a finger. At the time, I didn't realize that the mana I was releasing was just dissipating because I couldn't maintain it. I was basically leaking mana, and only a tiny fraction of what I spent was actually producing an effect.
I had only realized this through constant use. As I got used to it and learned Mana Manipulation, I was able to keep the mana focused, which made my spells much more efficient for the same cost.
The magic I’d used to clear the landslide was the result of three years of that unconscious refinement. To me, it was "natural" that I couldn't use it well at first, so I just thought I was getting better with age. From an outsider's perspective, though, a child with massive mana who could cast spells with such precision looked like either a genius or someone who had undergone grueling training.
"I didn't have anyone to compare myself to, so I never noticed," I admitted.
"The fact that you can use magic so easily is truly amazing, you know," Elia said. "Even though we're the same age, I can't control mine very well at all."
"You, too?"
"Yes... actually, my mana capacity is around 200,000."
"Two hundred thousand!"
She had even more than me! No wonder the adults weren't that shocked by my number. Come to think of it, Gain and the others had mentioned she was a descendant of a transfer student who was a "mana powerhouse." It all clicked. She’d been staring at me because she was curious how I could control my magic when she struggled with the same burden.
"I think I understand now."
"I'm glad. It's the first time I've ever met someone with as much mana as me. To be honest, I was dying to know how much magic you could use and how you got so good at it, but I didn't know how to ask."
"Would you like to see the magic section of my Status Board? I’d like to know how I compare as well."
I adjusted my Status Board and showed them the magic skills section.
"Hmm... it’s an impressively broad range, and the levels are high for your age," Reinhardt-san noted. "I heard you had all attributes, but seeing that you can actually cast spells for every single one of them is something else."
"Every lower attribute is at least Level 2, and you have Level 2 or 3 in middle-tier and above... that's quite an achievement," Reinbach-sama said.
"Your levels in Earth and Space are particularly high," Elise-san noted. "I've heard Space Magic is very hard to level up. You've done well to get it this far."
"You might even surpass me one day," Sebas added. "And you already have Mana Perception, Manipulation, and Recovery Speed Increase."
"I was really just using magic for daily chores in the forest," I explained. "Fire and water were for cooking and baths; earth and space were for hunting every day."
"I see. Do you use offensive magic as well?" Sebas asked.
"No, I usually hunt with a bow or traps. I can use Fireball, but it tends to burn the meat so there's nothing left to eat. I used Earth Needle mostly to make spikes for the bottom of pitfall traps."
"So you've reached these levels using magic almost exclusively for daily life. In that case, you should probably start practicing offensive spells. There's no harm in knowing them, and there are rare monsters that are immune to physical weapons and can only be defeated with magic."
I’d forgotten about those. That was a classic trope in fantasy novels, wasn't it? I’d been a hermit for too long. I decided to start combat magic training soon.
"You're right. I’ll give it a try."
"Lower-tier offensive spells are relatively simple," Sebas said. "With your current levels, you could probably handle intermediate spells with just a little practice. Given your mana pool, you might even be able to manage high-tier Earth Magic."
"Ryoma-kun has plenty of mana, and with Mana Manipulation to reduce waste and Recovery Speed Increase to top it off, he can get in a lot of practice every day," Reinhardt-san said.
"It is a massive advantage for a mage. Do not let it go to waste," Reinbach-sama added.
"I'll do my best."
As I realized just how high-spec I was compared to people outside the forest, Elia, who had been quietly staring at my Status Board, finally spoke.
"So using magic for daily life was your training... if I did the same, maybe I could..."
"Even if it’s not for chores, just playing around with magic in your spare time can help you get the hang of it," I suggested.
"Playing with magic?" She looked confused.
I told her about the things I’d done in the forest, but the others gave me equally blank looks.
"Do you not try different things with basic, entry-level spells?" I asked.
"Not really," Elia replied. "I've only ever practiced casting specific spells accurately."
"Whether you're a noble or a commoner, magic skill is directly tied to your income and social stability," Elise-san explained. "I've never really heard of someone using it just for 'play.'"
"For example, Fire Magic is used for blacksmithing, and Ice or Space Magic is used for food storage and transport," Sebas added. "Earth and Wood Magic are essential for construction and agriculture. There is demand for magic in almost every field. Being skilled means you'll never be without work. People tend to view it as a professional tool rather than a toy."
I see. It wasn't a religious taboo; it was just that magic was considered a "trade skill." "Playing" with magic was seen as a waste of mana. Did that mean my suggestion was a bad one?
But the three adults actually encouraged her.
"Playing with magic... it’s an unfamiliar concept, but if you're interested, Elia, you should try it," Reinbach-sama said.
"I agree," Reinhardt-san said. "Elia has 200,000 mana. Even if she spends some 'playing,' she’ll still have more than enough left for her actual training."
"A little fun might be a good break from your studies, don't you think?" Elise-san added.
They were surprisingly casual about it. Then again, Elia had mana to burn. If my suggestion helped her, it was all profit. They just asked me to make sure there was nothing dangerous involved.
I decided I’d show Elia some of my "games" later. Since we were still in a church, the timing and location weren't right.
"I'll show you some things when we have the chance," I promised.
"Really? Oh, please do!"
Elia grabbed my hands, looking delighted. It was just simple games using beginner-level magic that any mage could cast, but seeing her so happy made me smile.
"Well then, shall we get going? We've finished our business here, and we still have things to do today."
Just as Reinhardt-san said, I still needed to register with the guild. Remembering that, I left the church with everyone and headed—this time for real—toward the Tamer Guild.