"Please, God. I hope this child has no magical power..."
(Huh... Is it better not to have magical power?)
The baby, Rest, blinks in surprise with his little eyes at his mother's words as she holds him close.
They are in a temple located in the center of town. A wide red carpet runs down the center of the large hall, leading to a statue of a goddess with wings.
Rest is being embraced by his mother in front of the goddess statue.
(Isn't it better to have more magical power? So why is she hoping I have none? What does that mean?)
Rest tilts his head in confusion, having just sat up. Despite being less than a year old, he already has a strong sense of self.
That's because Rest is a reincarnated person with memories from his previous life. He remembers being a high school student in a country called "Japan," and this is his second life.
In his past life, Rest wasn't lucky with his parents. His father was a drunkard, deeply sunk in gambling—a typical loser. His mother neglected him, spending her time with other men, also a loser in her own right. It felt like a miracle he lived to be a high school student in such a poor environment.
Rest's previous life ended abruptly. He was stabbed to death by his father after confronting him about trying to dip into the tuition money Rest earned from his part-time job, leading to a big fight.
Cursing his incredibly unfortunate life, Rest died... but it seems that God really does exist.
Before he knew it, Rest found himself reincarnated in a world different from Earth, cradled in his mother's arms.
(I'm glad I was born to a kind mother... but it looks like my dad is a loser here too.)
"Hey, hurry up. I'm busy over here," a man standing a little distance away from Rest and his mother snaps irritably.
The man who spat that out irritably stood a little distance away from Rest and his mother.
He looked well-groomed but had a nervous expression, with his hair slicked back hard with grease; this man was Rest's biological father.
"Don't waste my time with a mere magic power assessment. Hurry up and get it over with," his father said with a displeased look.
He was undoubtedly Rest's father, but this was the first time Rest had ever met him.
The reason was that… his father was a noble and his mother a poor commoner.
His father had violently assaulted Rest's mother, who worked as a maid, and made her pregnant with Rest.
After giving birth to Rest, his mother was given a small amount of money and kicked out of the mansion, raising Rest as a single mother.
She managed to make ends meet by working at a bakery while raising him, but then, suddenly, when Rest turned one, that man showed up.
His father dragged the mother and child to the temple, insisting that they undergo a magic power assessment from the priests.
"...Madam, may I?"
The temple priest reached out both hands, looking concerned.
"Please bring your child here. It's alright; the goddess is watching."
"Priest… I leave it in your hands," the mother said, trembling as she held out Rest. The priest took the baby gently.
"Please, goddess. Let this child be 'powerless'... let them be 'powerless'..."
The mother, handing over her child, has her hands clasped in prayer, desperately pleading.
Seeing her like this, Rest nodded.
(I understand, Mom)
With a deep breath, he forcefully suppresses the magical power flowing from his body.
Is this some sort of reincarnation perk?
Rest, from birth, possessed immense magical power and even knew how to control it.
(This will be fine. So please, don't cry.)
"Under the goddess's grace, I foresee the power of the blessed child. Eli, Ella, Ildana. Great goddess of light, I wish for a bright future to shine upon this child…"
The priest, holding Rest, chants something like a spell.
The statue of the goddess glows, and Rest's body is enveloped in a soft light.
"…I see."
The light disappears in a few seconds.
The priest wears a gentle smile and nods deeply.
"It seems this child has no magical power. 'No magic'."
"What the…?"
The father's expression darkens noticeably.
He clicks his tongue loudly and approaches the priest.
"Even if he's the illegitimate child of a commoner, he carries my blood as a court magician! You aren't lying at this woman's request, are you?"
"I swear by the goddess, there is no such thing," the priest asserts.
For him, as a holy man, saying "I swear by the goddess" carries weight.
The father's doubting expression falters, leaving him with no further accusations.
"…So, a barren field bears no crops. What a waste of time."
The father looks at Rest and his mother with disdain, like they're trash.
"If he had had sufficient magic, I would have taken him in and raised him at the estate… but there's no use for a worthless child with no magic. Do as you please with that kid."
"Thank you, I will do just that…!"
"Hmph."
The father takes a small cloth bag from his pocket and tosses it to the ground.
A clinking sound echoes; it's probably some coins.
"Here, take this. You're not welcome at my house, and I won't allow that child to claim he's mine. We won't meet again… farewell."
He dismisses them with that and strides out of the temple.
"Rest…!"
The mother receives her son back from the priest and hugs him tightly.
"Thank you, goddess… thank you…!"
"The goddess is always watching. May blessings be upon that child."
The mother, tearfully happy, looks down at the tightly embraced baby as the priest makes a gentle sign of the cross.
(This was the right thing, right? …Mom)
Rest, tightly embraced, managed to smile at his mother despite the slight anguish on his face.
He released the magic he had been holding back. Power surged from deep within his body.
If Rest were to take a magic diagnostic now, the results would surely be completely different than before.
(My father seems like a noble… but I can't imagine being happy with that guy. I'd much rather be poor and stay with mom.)
In his past life, he never felt his parents' love.
But… in this life, he has a mother who prays and cries for him.
His father seems like a scumbag just like in his past life… but still, his life will surely be much better.
Rest closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of his mother, and looked quite content.