The Mysterious Child: An Adventure Tale Beginning with Numerology

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Author Notes:

  [This is today's update 2/2.]

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[Name] Ruruk Muuteru

[Race] Human

[Level] 1

> Status (Base + Bonus)

[Health] 145 (+0)

[Mana] 0 (+0)

[Strength] 191 (+0)

[Endurance] 185 (+0)

[Agility] 290 (+0)

[Intelligence] 288 (+0)

[Luck] 101

[Rational Arts Proficiency] 390

[Magical Arts Proficiency] 0

[Mystic Arts Proficiency] 3034

[Possessed Skills]

<Automatic Type>

"Numerology 7: Autonomous Regulation"

"Incapacitation Resistance (Medium)"

"Calm and Collected"

<Activation Type>

"Quasi-Spirit Summoning"

"Familiar Summoning"

"Equipment Summoning"

"Transcription"

"Color Change"

"Solidification"

"Melting"

"Illusion"

"Word Soul"

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Before I knew it, I had turned 9 years old.

I realized my birthday had passed without notice. In this world, there isn't much of a custom of celebrating birthdays, and it seems there are no personal commemorative days until adulthood.

Normally, there might be a bonus of a slightly fancier dinner, but I always eat alone in my private room. Without a point of comparison, I can't tell if it's fancy or not.

Of course, I've gotten used to not receiving presents over the past four years, so I don't really mind anymore. I really don't mind... I don't mind at all!

Anyway, as a 9-year-old, I snuck out of the mansion to go to the church as a small celebration for myself.

Of course, not to make a donation, but for an appraisal. I'm grateful to the god who gave me this second life, but a child's allowance is small, you know.

The Sister in charge of appraisals has become familiar with me sneaking out every year, so she now performs the appraisal silently without saying anything. In the beginning, they contacted the duke's family, and I was scolded terribly for sneaking out.

"Big brother Ruru, your Mystic Arts proficiency is still amazing. It's still growing."

"...But in exchange, my stats haven't been growing much lately."

Even Verugana's boot camp, which I never skip, has only been maintaining my current state lately. My height is on the shorter side compared to average boys, and no matter how much I work out, I don't develop a physique like Gavin's. The only thing I can be proud of is my agility stat.

I was keeping Lilith company during her self-training in the backyard training ground.

We're currently on a break, looking at the appraisal document. Lilith was sitting next to me in the shade, pressing her shoulder against mine.

Of course, Lilith had also grown until she was 8 years old. Her height has increased considerably, getting close to mine. She's transitioning from a beautiful young girl to a beautiful girl... I'm looking forward to her future.

But still, girls grow faster at this age... Damn it. I want to be taller too.

"Lili wants more Mystic Arts skills too!"

"Then you just need to practice. This isn't the time to be slacking off, is it?"

"I can practice here too! Watch me!"

Lilith moves her finger through the air, manipulating spirit elements.

While her manipulation isn't exactly smooth, she's properly arranging the spirit elements.

Mystic Arts are like mathematical formulas. If you combine spirit elements correctly and construct the right formula, the technique takes effect. The good thing about Mystic Arts is that the results directly reflect how much you've studied.

Yes, Lilith, who had only average talent, continued meditation for three years without giving up, and finally became able to recognize spirit elements.

For the past year, we've been training in Mystic Arts together every day.

"This time I'll definitely create a quasi-spirit!"

"Hey, the spirit elements are drifting away from your finger. You need to keep them in place properly."

"Nnnngh!"

By the way, a collection of specific spirit elements is called a micro-spirit, a micro-spirit given a clear purpose becomes a quasi-spirit, and when a quasi-spirit establishes its own existence definition and gains will, it becomes a spirit.

They say that once it becomes a spirit, it's independent as a species and no longer disappears over time.

This step-by-step training of spirit summoning is the most useful for practicing summoning techniques, so we often use it in our practice.

According to Verugana, the elves living in distant forests are good at unique battle techniques using spirits, and their fighting style is very graceful to watch.

This other world with elves... it's wonderful.

I'd like to meet an elf onee-san someday too.

"Nnnngh!"

"If you strain too much, you'll fart."

"I-I won't! Lili doesn't fart!"

"What kind of idol are you?"

"Ah! It's big brother Ruru's fault I failed! Stupid, stupid!"

The micro-spirit she was trying so hard to maintain has scattered and returned to normal spirit elements.

Lilith is pouting and hitting my head, but with her strength stat of 80, it doesn't hurt or itch at all. It's just cute.

"Listen, Lilith. To create a quasi-spirit, you need to give it a role. While maintaining the micro-spirit state, you need to write directionality into the composition formula to define its properties."

"Then you do it! Lili will interfere!"

Hey little sister, are you even trying to listen to my advice?

Well, it's fine. It's not like we're losing anything.

Ignoring Lilith who's biting my arm, I immediately start rearranging spirit elements.

"'Quasi-Spirit Summoning'"

In an instant, I gathered spirit elements, evolved them from micro-spirit to quasi-spirit.

The quasi-spirit floats and sways around us like cotton fluff. The programmed orientation is 'vigilance'. It will flash to alert us if an enemy approaches.

"That's cheating. Your proficiency is too high."

"Hahaha. I certainly thought that over 3000 was high, but when I think about it calmly, since I can't use magic, isn't it actually a net negative? That's what I've been thinking lately."

"Why? I'd be jealous if I were you."

"Think about it, sister. I have to carry a water bucket to the toilet. I can't turn on the lights in my room. I can't lock doors. I can't take a bath alone. I can't cook, and I've read all the books in the study so I have nothing to do when I'm bored!"

If only I had the internet! If only I had a game console!

Not being able to use magic feels like playing a severely restricted game in another world.

Mystic Arts? Well, I'm fairly good at it. But it's completely useless in daily life. No wonder it fell out of use. Pfft.

"That's sad, but... but, but, you always say this, right? If you tell me, I'll flush the toilet for you, and if we sleep together, I can take care of the light, and we can take baths together, and you don't need to cook in the first place, and... well, your book obsession isn't anything new... Anyway, you can manage even without magic!"

"Why should I have to have my little sister flush my poop? And I've told you many times, we're not sleeping together or bathing together."

Besides, I'm mentally an adult. No matter how attached she is, I can't happily sleep or bathe with an 8-year-old girl.

"Mmm~ Does big brother Ruru hate Lili?"

"That's not it. I have a delicate glass heart. I prefer to be alone when I rest."

"Is it... really not okay?"

"Even if you say it sweetly like that, no means no."

Ugh, my heart wavered, but I managed to resist.

I'm so admirable.

"Big brother Ruru is an idiot! I don't care anymore!"

Lilith ran off to the mansion, abandoning her self-training.

Maybe I teased her too much? Well, Mystic Arts can't be mastered overnight, so we can continue tomorrow.

Without Lilith, I have no reason to stay at the training ground. I'll clean up and head back.

...Huh? You're asking about Gavin?

He went to the knight school in the royal capital two years ago, so he's not in the mansion. The last time I saw him was right before he left for the royal capital, trying to hug Lilith while crying, but she ran away.

I wonder if that useless guy is doing well...

"Young master Ruruk"

"Whoa!?"

That surprised me.

Verugana was suddenly standing behind me. As expected of a final boss-level old lady, she didn't even let me sense her presence!

"You were staring at the sky with your mind wandering. More importantly, young master Ruruk, young master Digray will be coming back tomorrow. Don't sneak out for a while."

"Father? Wasn't he working at the royal castle?"

"It's about time for his rounds. He'll start with inspecting the Muuteru domain again."

"Ah, is it that time already..."

If that's the case, I need to behave for a while.

I want to be independent before I turn 10. I absolutely don't want to be forcibly sent off as an adopted son-in-law. I need to start planning my runaway soon, but I absolutely can't let anyone catch on to that.

I'll play the role of a quiet and obedient son in front of my father. Let's try not to stand out.

"Thank you for letting me know."

"Don't mention it. More importantly, you look bored."

"Ah~ I might have just remembered some urgent business~"

"Can't be helped, take your stance. I'll train you."

She threw me a wooden sword.

As soon as I caught it, Verugana closed the distance and raised her sword.

While hastily taking a defensive stance, I said:

"Wait! I didn't say anything! At least tell me the reason!"

"The laundry staff ruined one of the sheets earlier. As the head maid, I have to write a report now."

"What does that have to do with this!?"

"Stress relief."

"You're the worst, you old hag!"

Damn it! Ever since Gavin left, I'm the only one left to deal with this damn old hag.

In morning practice, she hits me mercilessly with no concept of pulling her punches, and she's in a good mood because my healing skill activates instantly so she doesn't need to hold back, and aah, I don't intend to master swordsmanship that much! I'm fine with being just okay!

"Come on, your attention is drifting from my sword."

"That's because you're using kicks too!"

"In real battles, your whole body is a weapon. Monsters aren't humanoid, so their attacks are even more diverse."

"I keep telling you, I have no intention of fighting monsters!"

I don't intend to become a knight in the first place.

I'll somehow make a living using my talent in Mystic Arts. If I think of it as just one more year of enduring being beaten up by this sadistic old lady, it seems bearable, but it still stings to be on the receiving end all the time. I'll show her something today. I've started to be able to see her sword movements, and while I'm no match for her in strength, if I pretend to struggle, use underhanded tactics, anything to lure her into letting her guard down-- Oof, ouch, ow! Wait a minute! My bones! My flesh! Abababababa!

"That just now was the knight sword technique 'Sword Lance'. It's quite useful in human battles, so be careful when fighting knights."

"Th-thank you v-very much."

Ugh, the ground feels nice and cold today too.

By the time I raised my upper body and looked up at Verugana's refreshed expression, all my injuries, including my swollen face, had healed.

Really, as always, only the healing skill "Numerology 7" is too useful... But you know, I don't intend to make a living through fighting. My physical abilities are just average.

"But young master, if you leave here and live without backing, at first you can only choose to be a traveling merchant or an adventurer."

"...Well, I guess so."

A merchant who transports goods from town to town, or an adventurer who completes requests with just their body.

Both have guilds, so even beginners can get basic guidance, and I know the options are limited. Verugana is the only one who knows my true feelings, so she gives me light advice like this, but...

"Either way, you'll have to fight bandits and monsters. You need a certain level and skills."

"Hmm, merchant or adventurer... hmm."

Personality-wise, I'm more suited to be a merchant, but considering my physical advantage of "injuries healing instantly", being an adventurer seems better. However, I'm worried that there aren't many Mystic Arts skills that seem useful in battle.

Even though it can't be helped that I'm self-taught in Mystic Arts, I want to learn a wider range of skills.

"If only there was a Mystic Arts teacher..."

"...I see. Well, take your time thinking about it."

Verugana picked up my wooden sword and went back to the mansion.

As I leveled the trampled ground, I continued to think about my future.