Ordinary Talent? It Turns Out She Wasn't the Only One

Ordinary talent? It turned out she wasn't the only one.

"Leon! Are you playing cops and robbers again?"

He had been certain he'd slipped away without anyone noticing, yet five children had already gathered around him. Cops and robbers was a game he'd suggested on a whim, thinking he'd just roughhouse with the kids for a bit. They'd taken quite a liking to it. It seemed they assumed this was more of the same.

Leon abandoned any thought of escape.

"You've got me, haha."

He brushed it off with a laugh and returned to the room.

The following evening, Lia called him out. It was the usual time for their walks. In truth, after checking his quest, Leon had postponed their strolls with every excuse he could think of. He needed that time to read the introductory tome. This time, however, Lia had been unusually insistent, and he found himself following her out.

"What you were doing yesterday... you were really trying to leave, weren't you?"

It seemed Lia had noticed everything. Since she was someone who kept secrets well, Leon nodded honestly. He did feel a twinge of guilt for deceiving these innocent children.

When he admitted it so readily, Lia fell silent for a moment, as if deep in thought. Then she spoke carefully.

"Were you... trying to learn magic?"

Leon's eyes widened. For a moment, he couldn't speak. He was genuinely shocked. Had she known all along?

"I knew you've been secretly reading books every day."

"How...?"

"I just... found out."

How could she have simply found out? Leon had gone to great lengths to hide it. Perhaps in the close quarters of group living, nothing escaped the children's notice.

"The other kids don't know their letters very well, but I do. That's how I realized the books you were reading were about magic."

The children learned letters from the director in the mornings, but few truly absorbed them. They were still at the age where play came first. Leon, however, had been able to read the moment he possessed this body. Among them, Lia—who studied the hardest—had apparently mastered the alphabet.

Leon had no choice but to nod.

"That's right. I'm going to become a mage."

"Why?"

She didn't even ask if it was possible. Even though the director had casually mentioned many times how magic was a distant dream for ordinary people and incredibly difficult to learn. The director often spoke of mages as "the chosen ones," sharing anecdotes as if reading from a fairy tale.

Realizing that Lia was considering his words with genuine seriousness, Leon answered in the same earnest tone.

"With these two legs of mine, I will wander the entire continent and uncover the fundamental origin that makes up this world."

Sincerity burned in Leon's eyes. Talking about origins and fundamentals to a child was already unusual enough.

"They say this world is composed of mana. A mage is someone who can take those dreamlike phenomena and recreate them in the palm of their hand by wielding it."

To Leon, who had lived in the modern world, magic itself was the ultimate mystery.

"Doesn't the process of awakening mana and slowly approaching the origin of that mystery sound incredibly fun...?"

Perhaps he'd been too sincere. Leon trailed off toward the end. Worried that his explanation had been too lengthy for a child, he glanced at her reaction.

She nodded blankly.

"That's amazing..."

"...Huh?"

"I'll cheer you on."

Lia wore an expression of genuine admiration. Did she actually understand ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠any of that? Or perhaps the mere word "magic" had simply stirred a child's sense of wonder.

After that, with Lia's help, his study sessions became far more manageable.

A day later, Leon completed his first quest.

The opening section of the introductory book explained the process for realizing mana. The foundation was to feel mana as naturally as breathing, as part of everyday life. Following the rather vague description were practical methods to achieve it. To summarize, it required meditation. By drawing mana into the body through controlled breathing and focusing one's consciousness to truly sense the process, the moment of realization would eventually arrive.

Leon had not yet attempted the breathing technique described in the book. The quest specifically demanded "study of the introductory book."

Without hesitation, Leon selected complete.

Leon felt a flicker of disappointment. He hadn't expected to be able to choose his desired constitution anyway, but he certainly hadn't anticipated a lottery system. The quest's demand for steady, consistent effort clashed with a reward structure clearly designed to trigger dopamine hits.

Still, Leon steadied his resolve. He had no desire to rely on luck. The true mark of a protagonist committed to steady growth was an unshakable mind. Rewards were merely secondary. He refused to become fixated on them.

Leon chose not to apply the new reward and canceled it. While a water magic constitution seemed superior to his current earth one, he already possessed the basic earth magic tome. There was no point switching to another single-attribute constitution when he lacked the corresponding book.

The moment he selected cancel, a wave of emptiness washed over him. The only way to overcome it was through training.

It seemed the same quest would remain for the time being. When Leon closed the window, his gaze fell on the black orb. He had treated it like a useless trinket and paid it little attention, but the new change drew his eye immediately. The number that had read '0' on its surface had changed to '10.'

What is this?

Leon turned the orb over in his hands. How do I use it? It appeared to be an artifact. He tried channeling strength into it, focusing his mind, holding it near his heart, even placing it on his head. Nothing worked.

Does it require mana?

In that case, it was still beyond his current level. He hadn't even properly realized mana ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠yet.

After setting the orb down, Leon's thoughts returned once more to escaping the orphanage. Wasn't it time to truly break free and devote himself to growth? Lia's assistance helped, but it only eased things slightly. It didn't address the core reason he had wanted to escape in the first place.

Leon acted immediately. To avoid repeating his previous mistake, he rose before dawn instead of attempting to slip away at night. His escape attempt... ended in failure once again.

A man had arrived at the orphanage early that morning.

The director had risen before sunrise to greet him with utmost politeness. Even at a glance, the luxurious robe he wore marked him as someone of status. The director instructed Leon to wake all the children and bring them over.

Once every child from the orphanage had gathered, the director spoke.

"You will follow this gentleman and live at the new place from now on."

Naturally, none of the children—including Leon—had heard anything about this. They stared in confusion. Those attached to the orphanage were already on the verge of tears. It was a small miracle they weren't throwing tantrums. Though the real outburst would likely begin once the crying started in earnest.

Leon studied the man who had come for them. His expression was utterly emotionless. Even as he watched the children cry, his face remained unchanged. He simply waited for them to process reality and regain control of their emotions. From his perspective, it seemed like the most 'efficient' approach.

When the children finally stopped crying and curiosity began to replace their fear, the man extended his hand toward them and uttered a single word.

All of their bodies rose into the air.

"Whoaaaa!"

"Kyaa!"

Some children already had their eyes sparkling with curiosity as they stared at the ground far below. Others were still calming their racing hearts at the sudden sensation of floating. Leaving them behind, Leon turned his gaze to the man floating beside them.

A mage...

Suddenly, he recalled how the director had always spoken of mages with such warmth and admiration. Had she maintained some sort of connection with them? Was this orphanage being run specifically to supply children to mages? Countless thoughts raced through Leon's mind.

By then, they had risen high enough to spot a carriage floating in a corner of the sky.

"Get in."

The man spoke curtly. The children's bodies moved on their own, guided into the carriage. He had controlled them directly. The carriage set off, and before long, it came to another stop.

When the door opened, the children who had been peering out the windows stepped down first. Leon followed cautiously. The moment his feet touched the ground, he had been scanning for an escape route, but the sight before him left his mouth hanging open just like the other children.

Unlike the orphanage surrounded only by mountains, towering buildings stretched into the sky here. People wearing tall, cone-shaped hats flew through the air above them. The atmosphere was overwhelmingly splendid and refined.

"Welcome to the magic city of Widia."

Only then did a faint smile appear on the man's face. Soon after, another person descended from the air to stand beside him. The newcomer pressed a button on the short rod in his hand, and the invisible energy surrounding his body was withdrawn.

The first man, his smile now gone, introduced the newcomer.

"This person will guide you. Until next time."

With that, he floated upward and vanished into the sky.

The man left behind opened his mouth.

"Nice to meet you all. This is the magic city of Widia. From now on, you'll be performing various tasks in the place closest to magic."

Even though they had been brought here by force and assigned to work, the children's faces lit up. Perhaps they were captivated by the phrase "closest to magic." Leon suspected the director had planted those dreamy notions about magic long ago.

"Hey, friend. Don't look so worried. We'll pay you fairly, and provide lodging and meals as well."

The man pointed at Leon and let out a small chuckle. Leon didn't like the look on the man's face. Fairly? Don't make me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠laugh. Still, he kept his displeasure hidden. He had already felt enough powerlessness during the journey here. There was nothing more foolish than showing emotion when you lacked the strength to resist. It was a moment that reinforced his belief that growing stronger was the only thing that mattered.

"Ah, that's right. The most important part. When you work, you'll receive a salary... well, money, along with something called contribution points. If you use those well, you'll have a chance to become a mage."

The children's faces brightened even further. This surprised even Leon.

"How adorable, getting excited at just the word 'magic.' Heh heh. Actually, you can start learning magic right away."

He pulled a crystal orb from his robe. It was perfectly sized to rest in one's palm.

"Would you step forward first?"

The man pointed at Lia. When she hesitated, he walked directly up to her.

"It's nothing strange, I promise. The new kids this time are certainly wary. Well, that's understandable."

He held the crystal orb out in front of her.

"Place your palm on it."

Lia cautiously laid her hand on the orb. It flashed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠brightly once, then settled. Letters appeared on its surface.

Leon couldn't see them from his position. But the way the man's eyes widened as he stared at Lia told him everything he needed to know.

"L-Light attribute?"

At those following words, Leon's mouth fell open in shock as well.