"Alto, you're looking at the garden again..." one of the servants muttered. It seemed like a casual comment.
Four months had passed. Ten months since my birth. My training was still ongoing. I was staring at the garden, as the servant had pointed out. This wasn't idle observation—it was training. Hidden in the garden, "something" was moving, and I was manipulating it discreetly so the servants wouldn't notice.
As a result, I'd gained a reputation as an unusual child who spent the entire day staring at the garden. But it couldn't be helped. I was refraining from using magic openly—for my safety.
The reasoning was simple: it was better not to reveal that I could use magic. I didn't know the world's norms, but it could very well be one where magic was feared or persecuted. Witch hunts, or something of the sort, might be a possibility. Even if magic was common, my position within the Bayle Felt family was precarious enough without revealing something that could make me a target.
For those reasons, I trained in secret.
What kind of training? A sand strategy. Hidden in the corner of the garden were two tiny dolls, no bigger than ants, made from sand. I was controlling them, making them battle. Unfortunately, it wasn't automated like AI—it was manual, requiring precise manipulation of magical power.
This exercise trained multiple skills. First, I enhanced my eyesight to even see the dolls. Next, I needed to create and stabilize the sand dolls. Finally, I moved them with intricate precision while maintaining balance between attack and defense. The process strengthened my magical power, control, and endurance. It also helped me study basic combat strategies, despite being limited to sand battles.
I wasn't planning to rely solely on magic. Close combat would be necessary in situations where magic wasn't an option. The mock battles offered surprising insights.
Still, training wasn't all-consuming.
"Al-chan!" called a familiar voice.
It was my mother. She adored me, often doting on me excessively. And while I wanted to focus on training, I also valued the chance to learn.
"Kaa-tan, what?" I asked, as best as my baby tongue could manage.
"Fufu. What are you doing? Al-chan really loves the garden, doesn't he? But today, Mother wants to read a book with you."
My mother, Luca, loved reading, especially romantic stories. She was young—only 16. This world considered adulthood at 15, and she'd had me at that age. Despite her youth, she was a loving parent.
"Hmmm... I want to train, but I want to study letters too," I thought, deciding to join her.
"Ka-tan! Go!"
"Fufufu. Al-chan is happy. Let's go!"
She mentioned that Abel, a magician, would visit soon. Hearing this, I grew excited. Perhaps I could gain more information about magic. I still had much to learn, especially about elemental control.
Days later, as I trained with my sand dolls, I suddenly felt arms wrap around me. Surprised, I turned around to see an elf girl staring at me with cold, inquisitive eyes.
"Eufu!?"
An elf, something I'd only known from knowledge, was now standing before me.