Fire. Created through energy applied to wood or anything flammable. Some see it as a symbol of death, destruction, and hate. Others view it with a meaning of passion and rebirth. Yet to the boy huddled in the corner of the dark cellar, experiencing all those different definitions simultaneously, all around him, grasped none of it. His mind could not comprehend the devastation that had taken place just a few moments before. All he could do now was sit hunched in the small, dark room with only the light of a single, glowing black flower to comfort him as his village’s alarm bells rang from the distance.
Let us rewind time by fourteen hours, when the same bells rang for a different reason.
The giant brass bell in Auften Academy’s bell tower tolled one, indicating the end of the lunch hour. Located near the small village of Ixos, the academy wasn’t some prestigious mage institute meant for prodigies in the magical arts. It only served to educate the general population, as well as the nearby sons and daughters of farmers and ranchers who established themselves close to Ixos.
Under the shade of the giant oaks growing around the academy, students donning navy uniforms fringed with gold slowly, almost reluctantly, made their way towards the two-story building’s giant doors. Having just finished lunch, they were about to begin their standard afternoon lessons in the magical arts.
Amid the crowd, however, a singular figure made its way against the current, heading out of the main courtyard, leaving the academy.
With a head of brownish-black medium length hair, eyes of deep emerald, and wearing a uniform of medium height, the boy was nothing out of the ordinary. The only special thing about him was that not a single student paid attention to his behavior.
For Sirus, the boy who was now outside the gates, being ignored was nothing new. Why would it be? He had done this routine of walking out for almost as long as he had been at the academy. Quickly heading over the bridge that separated Auften from Ixos, he slid down the slope that led to the river’s shore. Under the shade of the stone bridge and green ivy climbing up the sides, he changed from his navy school uniform into more comfortable working clothes. Stuffing his school clothing into a leather bag, Sirus climbed back out onto the cobblestone streets and made his way to a café in the small shopping district Ixos boasted.
On any other day, the streets would be filled with clattering horse carts carrying straw, wood, and merchants’ wares. Along with them, the sounds of carpenters and other artisans going to work as well as the chatter surrounding the stalls lining the sides of the road could be heard. Today, however, that working atmosphere had been replaced by a more festive one. As Sirus made his way through the streets, servants bearing crates of banners and decorations ran past him, shouting commands at one another on where to go. On both sides of the streets, vendors set up booths and stalls, replacing the merchants and horse carts. In the air were the various scents of sugary pastries and savory grilled meat that made Sirus, even though he had just eaten, drool. He grinned to himself. It was festival day, after all, and not only Sirus, but everyone, looked forward to this day. Passing through the various alleys and streets, colorful banners and flags of all colors were being hung up. Flying on the spires of the taller buildings were light blue flags with a flattened inverted golden triangle with two golden squares balancing on top, forming a simple shield design – the national flag of Astra. With the sunny and cloudless weather, it was a perfect day to have a celebration.
The small golden bell hanging on the doorframe chimed as Sirus entered the café. The place was mostly empty, except a few elderly people leisurely sipping on their afternoon tea. They gave small waves and smiles as Sirus entered the shop. Having worked at this place for quite a while, Sirus knew each of them personally. A bulky, muscular man with short red hair behind the counter gave Sirus a cheerful wave and welcomed him in.
“’Ay Sirus! Aren’t ya supposed ta be in school right now?” He teased, leaning over the countertop.
Sirus gave a wry smile. “Yep. Totally. It’s not like I’ve worked for you at this time for the last three years or so, Pahn.”
“’Ey, ‘ave some respect for ya elders, will ya? That’s Baker Pahn to ya.” Wiping the stone counter, Baker Pahn gave a hearty chuckle. “Anyway, get settled down. Today’s festival day, so prepare yerself. I’d be expectin’ ‘round twice the number of people we usually get.”
“Of course there would be a lot of people.” Sirus thought to himself as he put on his work apron. Everyone’s out and about, having a good time, after all.
The “Souls Festival” was an annual event that was held in the springtime in the Astra Kingdom. Starting when Sirus’s grandfather was in his twenties, the Astra Kingdom, as well as some other nations, had been locked in war with the Midnight Federation, a land across the Prism Sea swathed in eternal darkness, filled with bloodthirsty beasts and demons. They had originally invaded Astra and planned on taking over the whole Ilbia continent, but thanks to the Church of Astra in the Holy Capital, spirits of the departed were summoned from another world with powerful abilities and magic. With this newfound strength, humanity was able to push the demon army back across the Prism Sea. Seizing this golden opportunity, the Church and multiple other Kingdoms retaliated against the demons, pushing their armies, as well as the summoned heroes, into the Midnight Territory, planning to put the enemy down once and for all. However, the first heroes didn’t have enough firepower to fight against the massive hordes of demons and were only capable of securing a port on the Midnight Territory’s beaches, so the Church, each Spring, chose a day to hold a summoning festival in order to boost the firepower of the Kingdom and ever so slightly tip the odds in their favor.
Today was the date of this year’s festival. It was a grand event that was widely celebrated within (and outside of) the Kingdom. Around this time, people were busy making delicious foods and hanging up decorations, which was why Ixos had such a different, festive feel to it today.
The shop’s bell rung again as another elderly couple made their way in. Baker Pahn chuckled and called out to Sirus.
“’Ey, Sirus, those’r yer first customers of tha day!”
“Hah… Good evening! How may I be of service?” With a warm smile, Sirus got up and greeted the customers and led them to their table.
=+=
“Thank you for your patronage!” Both Pahn and Sirus waved at the leaving customers. Pahn turned to Sirus.
“Well, I think that’s ‘a last of ‘em. I’m thinkin’ of closing up early. No point in making more bread if no one’s gunna eat it. Here, Sirus, take this."
“!”
Pahn pulled out a small basket of assorted bread and tried to give them to Sirus.
“Uhm, Baker Pahn, there’s no way I can accept this. You are already paying me, after all.”
“Hahaha! Think nothin’ of it Sirus! Today’s festival day! Share this with your gramps. He’s done a lot for Ixos. Plus,” Pahn leaned in close to Sirus, “If ya don’t, this bread’s gunna spoil. I spent so much work on this, Sirus! To let my bread go ta waste, don’t ya think that-“
“Okay! In that case, I graciously accept your gift. Thank you so much!” Sirus rushed out the door, bread in hand. Pahn was good at baking, but his skills at dramatic monologuing were, from Sirus's five-year personal experience at the café, much greater. Not to mention, while the bread he baked was quite good, his hygiene was often... lacking. Put this together with his long surprisingly powerful monologuing abilities and you’d get a double whammy straight to the stomach.
The sky was already a light shade of pink when Sirus left the shop and made his way to the quieter residential area of Ixos. Judging by the large amounts of people already out and about, the preparations for the festival had probably ended, and everyone was just enjoying themselves until the main event began. In place of vegetables and trinkets, food stalls lined the sides of the streets, selling everything from fried chicken to curry to takoyaki, tasty foods Sirus learned were brought over and popularized by the summoned heroes. Threading his way through the bustling street and food and game stalls, Sirus entered a small alleyway. The other side of the alley opened into a small clearing surrounded by cottages and residential spaces. The house that Sirus was looking at was a two-story cottage which also doubled as a storefront. Lined up on its display case were various vials of colored liquid – potions. [E/N: Drugs ~Duet]
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“I’m home!” Sirus called out as he stepped into the store’s interior.
“Ah, welcome back!” A thin old man came out of a door behind the counter. His eyes wandered over to the basket Sirus was carrying. “Is that bread? Ooh! I’ll take that! Always nice to have some of Pahn’s baking for breakfast!”
Raising the bread basket out of the old man’s knobby hands as he hobbled over to Sirus, Sirus sighed. “Always nice to see you on your feet, gramps. It’s like you’re still in your prime. Geez, can’t you be more reserved when it comes to Pahn’s gifts?”
Sirus lowered the basket, and the old man immediately took a piece of bread and bit into it. “How can I ignore excellent baking?” The old man said between bites of the bread. “Ah…Pahn’s bread is refreshing to eat, as usual. I think I might just have to propose to that guy.”
“Since when has an 80-year-old man with a grandson ever proposed to a young man?”
“Joking, joking!”
“And can’t you be more considerate of your grandson instead of the food he’s holding on to?” Sirus gave an exasperated look to his grandpa, now munching on a dinner roll.
“Mmmph, yes, of course! You’re my only grandchild after all! How was the school and all that?” The old man carried on eating as he spoke.
“Ignored. As per usual.”
“Well, why not just stay after the lunch bell? I’m sure somebody will eventually notice you, even if it means you becoming spell fodder.” [E/N: ~Notice me, senpai! -Ai]
Sirus gave a long sigh. “And get hit with a fireball? I think I’ll pass. Plus, what else would I do there? Just wave my hands around and pray to the gods that something miraculous happens? I’ll remind you for the sixth hundred time now, Elder Chryssa: I. Have. No. Magical. Affinity.”
After being born, each baby was put before a special mirror with several transparent gems decorating the sides. The mirror would then measure the mana capacity of the newborn, and the gems would light up in accord. The majority of all children put before the mirror would invoke a candle-like glow from the gemstones – signs of normal magical capacity. On rare occasions, the gems would glow with the light of a bright bonfire, and on even rarer occasions, they’d shine like the sun. However, when Sirus was put before the measuring device, only silence could be heard from the people surrounding the child. The gemstones didn’t give off any light. It felt like they were even dimmer than before. After checking that the mirror was not broken, only one conclusion could be reached by the nurses – This was a child with no potential in casting magic. Growing up, Sirus understood what fate had brought him – The children around him were too afraid to play with him in fear that they’ll harm Sirus’s body and get into trouble. The grown-ups conversely would often whisper nasty rumors as he passed by. Eventually, when he was at the age for schooling, he could not practice casting and was forced to leave during the afternoons, much to his humiliation. Finding work at Pahn’s café was the only thing that kept Sirus from thinking he was utterly unfit for society, as he didn’t have to rely on magic to bus tables and cook. While at first, he was very ashamed of working while his fellow peers were learning, Sirus eventually came to recognize that he had already done as much as he could and accepted those subtle feelings of shame as part of who he was. In the end, Sirus was quite content with this lifestyle, but still had hopes that one day, he would be able to practice magic.
Elder Chryssa coughed, breaking Sirus out of his thoughts. “Well, you could always try carrying the equipment around for everyone… Anyway, I just completed an order I received a few hours ago. His highness Duke Verona has requested the immediate shipment of sixteen flasks of「Prismatic Brew」to the town center tonight for what he calls a ‘rainbow fountain’. I was thinking of running the task, but…” Elder Chryssa eyed the basket of bread, “Er, my back seems to be hurting, so would you be so kind as to deliver it for me?”
Just like always, eh Gramps? Sirus grimaced at the name Verona but put on a smile regardless. “Sure. I don’t mind.”
“Alright! -Er, *cough* Thank you, my grandson. I’m nothing without you.”
“Say what you want Gramps, but aren’t you just after some food?”
The old man nearly choked on the bread he was taking a big bite out of.
“Anyways, I’ll be heading out now. Take care!”
Closing the shop door, Sirus pulled the cart containing the potions and weaved back out of the alleyway and into the main street, now fully alive with children running between the legs of couples and elders out for a stroll through the festive air. What a great day for a festival… He smiled as he breathed in the cool spring air. The first time he was part of the celebration, when he was twelve, Sirus had already been enchanted by tales told to him by his teacher of the chivalrous heroes who had come from another world. He was fascinated with their strong resolve, their incredible abilities, and above all, their almost god-like power of coming out of any situation alive and grinning. Indeed, they were the models that he, a mostly powerless village boy, looked up to. They were his hope that perhaps one day, Sirus would also become just like them.
“Maybe I’ll be able to meet one group of such heroes… Wouldn’t that be nice?”
Sirus was still lost in his thoughts as he crossed a mostly abandoned dirt lot on his way over to the center of the village, where the fountain was located. There were the sounds of children playing nearby, probably enjoying the extra free time they had today because school had closed an hour or two early to allow the older students to help their families with preparations. As he was almost out of the lot-
“Waaaah! Hey mister! Look out!”
A child’s voice yelled.
“Hu-OOOF!” Turning towards the source of the warning, Sirus didn’t have any time to react as a big leather ball, most likely belonging to those children, came hurtling at his stomach. Thunk. A direct hit. It forced most of the air out of Sirus’s lungs as it sent both him and the vials of precious brew flying into the air like a bowling ball to some pins.
“Gaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!” Panicked, Sirus flailed his hands out in front of himself, trying to grab as many bottles of the brew as he could. However, before his fingers even touched so much as a single bottle, it was all over. With his mouth and nose only tasting and smelling dirt, Sirus groaned to himself.
“I’m not quite sure I’ll get away with my own life after this.” He miserably thought. Steeling himself for the carnage that surely waited on the other side of his closed eyelids, he forcefully pried them open to find… all sixteen bottles of the「Prismatic Brew」floating in midair?
“Geez, Desmond, didn’t your mother never tell you to use「Body Enhancement」when you’re in a place when there’s a tonna people?” A small boy with chestnut-colored hair made his way over to the fallen Sirus and started carefully setting the floating bottles of liquid on the ground.
“Yeah, that definitely could be dangerous, y’know? What if that was Duke Verona who came through here? Also, Alrick, could you please hurry? I’m not sure I can maintain「Levitate」for much longer.” Another young boy cautioned the child who was most likely responsible for knocking down Sirus while holding out a small carved stick with a glowing tip.
“Yeah, yeah, sorry, sorry, my bad.” The last child, Desmond, grumbled to Sirus, who was sitting himself up from the ground. Now that Sirus had steadied his nerves quite a bit, he recognized two of the three children responsible for his tumble.
“Alrick? Mathias?” The two lived quite close to the Chryssa potions shop and played a lot together outside of the store in the afternoons when Sirus was returning from his job. Occasionally, he would bring them pastries Pahn forced on him, and their faces would always light up when they saw Sirus heading their way with tarts and cupcakes. Needless to say, like most of Sirus’s acquaintances, they knew Sirus was mana-less and was much weaker than a typical boy of his age.
Alrick quickly realized and beckoned to Mathias, who, seeing that all the bottles were safe, lowered his wand and canceled the spell.
“Hey! It’s Sirus!” Alrick rushed over, with Mathias dragging Desmond in tow. The two of them lowered their heads, while Mathias forced a struggling Desmond to also lower his.
“We’re so incredibly sorry!”
=+=
Author (CH0SHAi): Hey all. This is my first (well, technically second) attempt at writing a story. I really liked the genre of isekai, but all the good ideas were taken (heck, I know there’s a story out there about how a guy gets isekai’d but cannot wear clothing). So, I decided to change the perspective a little. Anyways, I hope you all find this story amusing and worth your time! Thanks for reading!
Editor I (Ai_TaSAI): Ah s-[demonetized]. Here we go again. The previous attempt wasn’t even published (lol). Maybe I’ll put that up some time to see how CH0SHAi reacts to it. Anyway, I’ll be responsible for checking simpler details as well as publication. I hope you find this read worth your time.
Editor II (Duet): Hello guys, I’m the second editor of this novel. As you’ve probably heard above, this isn’t our first time, nor our second time going through the torture of editing novels.