I opened my eyes and slowly inhaled. I was alive. My line of sight was close to the ground, and my hands were small. I was in the body of a child, probably around three years old.
It had worked. I’d been reborn. I was relieved, though the integration of memories that began a moment later made me feel ill. I’d had confidence in my success, but obviously, I had still been worried, as failure had meant death.
Now, what’s going on here? I sat in the middle of a dim room, with a magic circle drawn on the floor around me. It wasn’t the magic circle for the Spell of Reincarnation I had seen at the end of my past life. It was hexagonal, unlike any magic circle I’d ever seen before. Unusual stones were placed at each of the hexagon’s vertices. They appeared to be minerals of some sort, but I didn’t recognize them.
Then I felt the presence of people behind me—several of them. I could hear what seemed to be a spell incantation as well. The magic circle was faintly glowing, so I assumed I was at the center of some spell. I was unsure if I should run away or not, but I didn’t feel anything negative in my body’s memories, so I decided to stay put. I didn’t want to act strange and cast suspicion on myself.
“In the name of Blaise Lamprogue, I beseech you! Show me the power this child possesses!” I heard a man’s deep voice, and the magic circle glowed brightly—then faded away. Nothing happened. Everyone behind me was quiet. Had the spell failed?
“Pft! Ha ha ha!” Childish laughter broke the silence. “Ha ha, seriously? Is that even possible? Ha ha!”
“Don’t laugh, Gly. It’s not over yet.”
“We already know the results, Luft. Look! None of the elemental stones are glowing. That means what I think it does, right, father?”
I looked over my shoulder. There were three people, two of whom were children slightly older than me. One wore a mocking smirk, while the other appeared sincere. It was difficult to tell due to how dark it was, but it looked like they had golden hair and blue eyes. Were they foreigners? Was I in a Western nation? They were speaking a language I’d never heard before, and their features resembled those of Japanese people, so I couldn’t be sure.
“It does. The ritual is complete,” said the last of the three—a middle-aged man—as he closed his book. His disappointment was readily apparent. “Seika has no magical power whatsoever.”
Seika. That was my name in this life. My body remembered it.
“That’s too bad,” said one of the boys.
“Heh heh heh! Ha ha ha ha! That’s hilarious! How could a member of the Lamprogue family of magic scholars be born without magic?! They say mages without magical power are destined to be failures. Did you know that, Luft? Even father’s blood can’t save him! You’re a total disgrace, Seika!”
The three people—presumably my family—looked at me with disappointment and ridicule. It was the first time I’d ever been treated in such a way. I was at a loss. Magical power was likely a means of utilizing spells, which meant they were saying I had no talent for sorcery.
But that couldn’t be the case. My reincarnation spell automatically selected a body capable of recreating the structure of my soul. It was guaranteed to resemble my old body. That included looks, build, and aptitude for sorcery as well. I could feel the power flowing through me. I didn’t even need to confirm it—it was greater than I could have possibly imagined. How could they say I had no talent for sorcery? My body was overflowing with cursed energy.