SHC03_C3 Time for Lessons

C3 Time for Lessons

This world resembles my previous one in many ways. The culture is roughly equivalent to medieval Europe, yet things like heliocentrism and the name "Earth" for our planet are common knowledge.

But unlike Earth, this world only has four continents: Atlantis, Mu, Nusakan, and Astra. Each region speaks its own language—differences about as extreme as Tokyo Japanese, Kansai dialect, Kyushu, and Tohoku. Same root language, but practically different tongues.

My home, the Kihou Empire, lies at the center of the Atlantis continent. It’s a nation that claims to harmonize Eastern and Western cultures and prides itself on being peaceful.

At least, that’s what it says on paper.

In truth, the Kihou Empire suffers from the same deep-seated corruption as any long-standing nation. The rich nobles exploit the poor, and the gap between rich and poor continues to widen. Despite the size of the country and tensions with neighboring lands, war hasn’t broken out—not because of diplomacy, but because no one has the strength left to wage one.

Sadly, the Kikunoi family—my family—is counted among the exploiters. Not exactly a proud legacy.

“…If anyone knew I told you that, I’d be out of a job.”

“I… really am sorry to the people in our lands.”

The one who just dropped that truth bomb is my tutor, Mr. Alexei Romanov.

He has emerald eyes, golden hair, an unnaturally beautiful face that practically sparkles, and pointed ears—he’s an elf.

He came into my life about a month ago, courtesy of Ms. Rottenmeier’s connections. He was once an adventurer, wandering from place to place, and happened to pass through our domain. She invited him to be my tutor, saying:

“If you are to study magic, who better than an elf? And if that elf is also an adventurer who practices daily? There is no better teacher.”

She was so passionate about it her hands trembled with intensity.

She was right.

Mr. Romanov’s lessons are clear, engaging, and surprisingly fun. He doesn’t just teach magic, but also swordplay, archery, political theory, economics, reading, arithmetic, and world affairs.

Right now, we’re doing embroidery while talking about which vegetables to plant with Genzou in the afternoon.

I’m stitching a magical pattern from elven tradition onto Mr. Romanov’s cloak—something like a protective ward. The design looks a bit like the Nazca Lines’ condor. Apparently, being able to sew this well is one of the requirements for being a good elven wife.

Not that I care. I’m a boy.

Once I finish one of the little condor patches, Mr. Romanov claps his hands.

“All right, let’s check your status. Go ahead and open it.”

“Yes, sir. Open.”

Just like in an RPG, people in this world have a “status screen” that shows personal information like skills, age, and class. You can view your own at any time just by saying "Open," but viewing someone else's requires permission, a special skill, or a magical item.

And yes—if you peek without permission, it’s perfectly acceptable for someone to slap you with a white glove and challenge you to a duel.

When you want to check your status privately, you just say “Open” in your mind.

Anyway, here’s mine:

Name: Agaha Kikunoi
Race: Human
Age: 5
Level: 1
Class: Noble
Skills:

Cooking (A)




Sewing (A)




Farming (A)




Crafting (A)




Swordsmanship (E)




Archery (E)




Horsemanship (D)
Special Skills: Green Hand, Blue Hand



“Pfft!”

Mr. Romanov can’t hold back his laughter.

“You’ve got to be the strangest noble heir I’ve ever seen!”

He’s doubled over, clutching his stomach.

“Most nobles have swordsmanship or horse riding. But cooking, sewing, farming, crafting?! And don’t even get me started on ‘Green Hand’ and ‘Blue Hand’—oh man, I can’t breathe!”

“It’s not that funny! I just… I like this stuff, okay?!”

“Green Hand” is a rare skill that boosts plant growth and guarantees a good harvest. Only skilled farmers or elves usually unlock it.

“Blue Hand” indicates extreme dexterity in crafts like sewing, cooking, carpentry—even massage. It’s the kind of thing you'd find in seasoned artisans, not five-year-old noble kids.

My past life’s hobbies really left their mark on my soul, it seems.

Still pouting, I glare at him, and he squishes my fat cheeks between his hands.

“It’s not a bad thing. Honestly, having rare skills at your age is something to be proud of… pfft… okay, I’m done laughing now, I swear.”

I’m not convinced.

He sobers a little and pats my head.

“Anyway, what I’m trying to say is: skills like these are nothing to be ashamed of. You never know what’ll help you survive.”

“Right. Even if I fall from nobility, I’ll still have skills to make a living.”

“Exactly. It’s good to be aware of that—even when things seem stable.”

…That didn’t sound like a compliment.

Still, he’s right. I want to grow into someone who’s not just pampered and useless.

For now, though, there’s still no mention of magic on my status screen.

Technically, anyone can learn magic in this world. But to do so, your body has to develop a special internal network that absorbs and channels mana—called “magic threads.” These usually form around age thirteen, when children enter junior school.

However, some exceptionally gifted children form theirs much earlier.

To speed up the process, we’re doing daily meditation, visualizing threads spreading from my center—my “dantian”—throughout my body. That helps stimulate the formation of magic threads.

“I think we’re ready to try again,” says Mr. Romanov.

I sit cross-legged on the soft carpet and begin visualizing silver threads wrapping around my limbs. Once they’re in place, I imagine them taking root like vines digging into the earth.

“Good. Now let the roots sink deeper—like they’re anchoring to your body.”

“Like… roots…”

“Yes, like—actually, speaking of roots, don’t you find it strange how Ms. Rottenmeier’s glasses never fall off? It’s like they’ve taken root in her face.”

My focus breaks with a snap as I imagine thick roots growing out from under her glasses.

“That’s terrifying!”

He grins.

“Still got a long way to go.”

Apparently, elves are as good at pranks as they are at magic.

Summer's here~ i just wanna roll around

Eunie here: Thanks for reading~

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