The king and his lieges don’t notice. It seems to be invisible to others. I can see it faintly.
“Even if the prince could make a small barrier, he would only be able to maintain it for a few minutes, given his mana level.”
I stare intently at the transparent cube. It shows no sign of disappearing.
Is this even using up mana? When I conjured up the barrier, I did feel a soft swelling sensation of the mana being spent.
“If only he had some unique power, like the ability to move a barrier,” someone suggests.
Let me give it a shot.
“Hah! Surely you jest. A barrier can only occupy a fixed area. It can’t be applied to a sword or armor, and it certainly can’t be moved about at will.”
My cube zooms and surfs in the air as I please. Guys, controlling it is a piece of cake too.
I sense that moving the cube consumes a little bit of mana. But even with a mana level of 2, I can maneuver it with no effort at all. If you could even call it effort.
Maybe this cube isn’t a barrier?
According to the rules of this world, I can only use Barrier magic. Also according to those rules, I shouldn’t be able to move this so-called barrier. One of these factors doesn’t align with the other. Hmm…
As I’m contemplating, I continue to make the barrier whirl round and round, until…
“Gah?”
Suddenly the cube slams into a wall.
…And shatters into dust. The wall, that is.
“Wh-What was that?!”
“The wall just suddenly…”
“Explosion magic?!”
“Bandits?! Or could it be the remnants of the demon clan?”
The group of men are panicking. Better behave for a while.
Unfortunately, this incident puts an end to the discussion of barriers. For now, I decide to go with the assumption that I’m using Barrier magic, and carry on with my experiments.
Making it vanish is easy too. All I have to do is command it to disappear. This also seems to consume almost no mana.
The cube could shapeshift as small as the eye of a needle, or as large as this entire room. I think it’s possible to make them even smaller or larger.
And the shape doesn’t have to be a cube. I’m able to make a perfectly-fitted barrier film around an irregularly-shaped vase with flowers.
I command this barrier to move, and the entire flower vase begins to hover in the air. Once again, the men in the room freak out over the odd phenomenon.
“What on earth is this? Could it be…?” the king gulps, leering at me.
Yikes.
He begins to tremble and sweat.
Now what? If he finds me out, he might kill me. Or should I go ahead and attack him first? Smash his head open with an invisible barrier so his brain will splatter…
Wait. Since when am I this bloodthirsty?
I return to my senses.
I’m a mana level 2 dud who barely knows anything about Barrier magic. Even with the element of surprise to my advantage, they could easily subdue me.
Better to hold off. I’ll do my best baby act and see how my father responds.
“Gah, goo!” (Gazes with starry, innocent eyes.)
“Hmph. It couldn’t be. An imbecile with a mana level of 2. Besides, he’s just an infant. It must have been some sort of error with the giant barrier that protects the castle,” he mutters, and begins barking orders at his ministers.
The king leaves the room, and his mob henchmen follow.
I’m left to myself.
Ha-hah! Not too shabby with my baby act.
Crisis averted, I’m now free to experiment with my Barrier magic without interference.
Next is adding color to the cubes.
Red, blue, yellow. I can even use multiple colors to make gradients. Everything comes out just the way I imagine it.
I try picturing a bird.
The sketch in my mind is a sad excuse of a bird, but I’m able to give it color, flap its wings, and let it fly around just like the real thing.
Oh, to be free like that.
All I can do is lie here. A helpless newborn with no limb control and no ability to talk. I wish I could grow up faster.
Hmm. Just a minute… If I can enclose things in a barrier and move them freely through space…
I create a barrier that fits around me like a bodysuit. I stand up. I can walk. I can run. I can even hover in the air. If anyone is watching right now, this would totally look weird.
Now that I’m able to move around, I climb up to a window and peer outside.
I seem to be in a tall building atop a big hill. At the foot of the hill is a town encircled by walls. The scenery reminds me of medieval Europe.
Beyond the wall stretches a thick forest, and beyond that, a mountain range.
The moment of my birth crosses my mind. That moment when I strained to focus my eyes and my blurry vision instantly became crystal clear.
I gaze firmly at the mountains in the distance.
How about that.
My vision magnifies like I’m looking through a telescope, defining the rocky face of the mountain as if it were right in front of me. The zoom on this lens is unreal.
I seem to have created a special film of barrier over my eyeballs. When I imagine it away, the colors dullen, and my vision becomes hazy.
I make a barrier film over my eyeballs again. All I do is wish vaguely, I want to see better, and just like before, my field of vision is crystal clear again.
Maybe all it takes is a vague wish?
Time to experiment.
While we’re on the subject of vision, I might as well pursue every boy’s dream.
That’s right: X-ray vision barrier.
Maybe not the most appropriate use of my time right now, but it’s bound to come in handy at some point, I convince myself. Let’s find out.
I look at the wall. No matter how long I stare at it, the wall remains a wall.
Hmm. I guess there are limits after all.
Unable to give up on my dreams just yet, I fumble about.
And finally, I’ve made man’s dream into reality.
I create a flat, square, tabular barrier in front of my face. Then I conjure another one the exact same size on the other side of the wall.
I “link” them together.
The barrier right in front of me displays the view from the other side of the wall, almost like a tablet computer. If I tilt it downwards, the slab on the outside tilts downwards too, allowing me to see the ground.
X-ray vision, check.
I get it. Barrier magic is all about creating multiple “spaces” and “linking” them.
At the ripe age of three hours, I have unlocked the divine truth of the universe.
I refine the technique by creating a super thin sheet of barrier film to cover my side of the wall, and a similar film sheet to cover the other side. The part of the wall covered in the film can display the view outside.
Now, if I put a film like this on someone’s clothes… No, forget it. If I do that, everyone else will see the X-ray image too, and I’ll be found out. Now, what if I put a film over part of my eyeballs…zzZ.
I conk out for the night.
☆
Two years ago, the kingdom succeeded in the subjugation of the Demon King.
A battalion led by Gizelotte, the Flash Princess, infiltrated the Demon King’s castle. Despite the loss of many lives in the fierce struggle, they annihilated their enemy.
The whole world celebrated with pride and glee. Amid the citizens’ excitement, only King Jilq Orteus’s heart was heavy with dread.
The nation’s praise was aimed at Gizelotte.
The king had joined the troops on the front lines and spurred them to victory countless times. But it was Gizelotte, the Flash Princess, who had captured the hearts of the people.
In this world, magic holds more significance than anything. You might think that the man with the highest mana level of his generation would be king, but it’s not that simple.
Bloodlines are also highly accounted for. A classless rookie with high mana couldn’t come out of nowhere and ascend to the throne.
Despite Jilq’s right to the throne, his max mana level was 34. Compared to past kings, this number was on the low end.
Even worse, his current mana level was 17. It had simply stopped rising in his youth─and had never gone any higher since. When your mana level becomes stagnant, people say your level “closed.”
That’s what everyone was saying.
The king was closed.
In contrast, the Flash Princess had a mana level of 41/46. Her talents were at the top of the ranks in modern times. By the tender age of seventeen, she had already reached a mana level of over 40.
Gizelotte’s family was of low-ranking nobility, and in recent years they had fallen so far that their title was rumored to be at risk of removal. However, thanks to Gizelotte’s achievements, the family name was regaining its stature.
The king stewed.
I cannot allow her ascent to continue.
When Gizelotte was asked what she wished to be rewarded with for defeating the Demon King, she gave an answer that astonished everyone.
“For years, I have been deeply enamored with His Majesty, King Jilq. I know full well that even to harbor such a sentiment is presumptuous and impudent, but have mercy on me; my heart’s desire is to be with His Majesty.”
The kingdom bubbled with excitement.
“Now the royal lineage will be secure,” they all said. Not only did no one denounce Gizelotte for her declaration, the entire realm supported their union.
Meanwhile, Jilq shuddered with trepidation.
Has she finally come to seize the throne?
The Flash Princess’s popularity was immense, the timing was perfect─the previous queen had passed just the year before. Given the general vibe, the king could hardly refuse.
That year, Gizelotte became queen.
“Your Majesty! I beg you to reconsider!”
On a distant hill overlooking the city stands a seldomly used castle. A large, fierce-looking, bearded man bursts into the king’s private room. His name is Count Gold Zenfis, and he is slightly older than the king.
“There will be no further discussion. My decision is final,” the irritated king rebukes as he sits in his chair, pressing his fingers to his temples.
“I cannot condone the execution of an innocent infant merely because he lacks talent!”
Gold is the man who begged to spare Prince Reinhardt’s life.
“Enough! It matters not whether you condone it, Count Zenfis.”
“But Your Majesty!”
Jilq lets out a long sigh.
“Hear this, Gold. This is an opportunity. A perfect opportunity to discredit Gizelotte.”