Training Addict Magician in a Growth-Focused Story

Training Addict Magician in a Growth-Focused Story

EP.2 Common Talent?

It turned out she wasn’t alone.

“Leon! Are we playing that cops and robbers game?”

Leon thought he had snuck out without anyone noticing, but before he knew it, all five children had gathered around him. The cops and robbers game was something he had suggested to play with the kids, thinking it would be a simple way to entertain them. The kids had enjoyed it quite a bit. They seemed to think this was another instance of that game.

Leon gave up on escaping.

“Caught me, haha.”

He laughed it off and returned to the room. The next evening, Ria called him out. It was the usual time they took their walks. In truth, after checking the quest, Leon had postponed their walks with various excuses. He needed that time to read the “Introduction to Basic Mana.” But this time, Ria, uncharacteristically assertive, insisted he come along.

“Yesterday, you were really trying to leave, weren’t you?”

Ria seemed to have figured it all out. Feeling that he could be honest with the tight-lipped Ria, Leon nodded. He felt a bit guilty about deceiving such innocent children and leaving.

When Leon immediately acknowledged it, she hesitated for a moment, then cautiously spoke.

“To learn magic…?”

Leon widened his eyes and couldn’t immediately respond. He was quite surprised. Did she know everything?

“I knew you were always hiding and reading books.”

“How…?”

“I just figured it out.”

How could she just figure that out? Leon had tried to hide it, but perhaps it was obvious to the children who were used to communal living.

“The other kids don’t really know how to read, but I do. So I found out that the book you’re reading is about magic.”

The children learned letters from the headmaster in the mornings. However, most of them didn’t learn properly; they were still at the age where playing was the most enjoyable thing. Leon, on the other hand, could read as soon as he transmigrated here. Among these children, Ria seemed to be the most diligent in learning letters.

Leon couldn’t help but nod.

“Yes, I want to become a mage.”

“Why?”

She didn’t ask how he could become one. Despite the headmaster often mentioning in passing how difficult and dream-like it was for ordinary people to learn magic, she didn’t question it. The headmaster frequently told stories about mages being ‘chosen ones’ as if reading a fairy tale.

Realizing that she was taking his words seriously, Leon answered her just as seriously.

“I want to wander the entire continent on these two legs and learn about the origins that make up this world.”

Leon’s eyes were filled with sincerity. It was unusual for him to talk about origins and such to a child.

“This world is said to be made of mana. A mage can use that mana to recreate things they once only dreamed of, right in the palm of their hand.”

To Leon, who had lived in the modern world, magic was the epitome of mystery.

“Doesn’t the process of awakening mana and slowly approaching the source of that mystery sound incredibly fun…?”

Maybe he was being too sincere.

Leon trailed off at the end of his explanation. Feeling that he might have been too verbose for a child, he glanced at her to gauge her reaction. She nodded blankly.

“That’s… awesome.”

“…Huh?”

“I’ll support you.”

Ria had an expression that seemed somehow inspired. ‘Did she really understand?’ Or perhaps the mere mention of magic had touched the child’s imagination.

With Ria’s help, Leon was able to secure much more study time. A day later, Leon completed his first quest. The initial part of the “Introduction to Basic Mana” explained the process of awakening mana. The cornerstone of awakening mana was to feel it as a part of one’s life. Following the vague explanation, the method to achieve this was also described.

In short, it required meditation. By breathing in mana and focusing one’s consciousness on feeling this process, the moment of awakening would eventually come. Leon had not yet attempted the breathing technique described in the book. The quest required him to ‘study the introduction,’ after all.

General Quest

▶ Study the “Introduction to Basic Mana” (Completed)

Leon didn’t hesitate and pressed the ‘Complete’ button.

▶ ——————-

The quest content disappeared, and suddenly, the text next to the arrow began to spin, like a slot machine. ‘Was the reward a gacha?’

As Leon stared blankly, the spinning quest window gradually slowed down and settled on new content.

▶ You have obtained a Single Attribute Constitution (Water) (Apply/Cancel)

Leon felt a slight disappointment. He had initially thought that he wouldn’t be able to choose the constitution he wanted. He hadn’t expected it to be a gacha system. The quest content, which required consistent effort, and the reward system, which seemed designed to induce dopamine addiction, didn’t quite match.

However, Leon steadied his mind. He didn’t want to rely on luck. The quality of a protagonist dedicated to steady growth was an unwavering heart. Rewards were just supplementary; he had no intention of being consumed by them. For now, Leon decided not to apply the new reward and canceled it. Although the water attribute constitution seemed better than his current earth attribute constitution, he already had the “Basic Earth Attribute Magic” book. There was no need to switch to a constitution for which he didn’t even have a magic book.

After canceling, a brief sense of emptiness swept over him. The only way to overcome this was through training.

General Quest

▶ Study the “Introduction to Basic Mana” (0/10)

The same quest was renewed.

‘Will it continue to stay the same for a while?’

As Leon closed the quest window, a black orb caught his eye. He hadn’t paid much attention to it, considering it a useless item, but a new change drew his attention. The number ‘0’ on its surface had changed to ’10.’

‘What is this?’

Leon examined the orb closely, turning it around in his hands.

‘How do I use this?’

It seemed to be an artifact. He tried applying pressure, focusing his consciousness, holding it close to his heart, and even placing it on his head. None of it worked.

‘Do I need to use mana?’

If that was the case, it was beyond Leon’s current level. He hadn’t yet properly awakened mana. Setting the orb aside, Leon’s thoughts once again turned to escaping the orphanage. Wasn’t it time to truly escape and focus on growth? Although Ria was helping him, it was only a slight aid and didn’t address the core reason he initially decided to escape.

Leon decided to act immediately. To avoid making the same mistake, he planned to escape early in the morning instead of at night. However, his attempt to escape at dawn failed once again. This time, it was because of a man who visited the orphanage early in the morning.

The headmaster was up early to greet him courteously. The man was dressed in a luxurious robe, easily noticeable. The headmaster instructed Leon to wake all the children and bring them over.

Once all the children had gathered, the headmaster spoke.

“You will follow this gentleman and live in a new place from now on.”

Naturally, the children, including Leon, were bewildered as they hadn’t heard anything about this. Some children, who were attached to the place, were already on the verge of tears. It was a miracle they weren’t throwing tantrums about not wanting to go. Or perhaps, the tantrums would start after the tears.

Leon observed the man who had come to the orphanage. His expression was emotionless. Even as he watched the crying children, his face showed no change.

He simply waited. He waited until the children grasped the reality and calmed their emotions. From his perspective, it seemed like an ‘efficient’ choice. When the children had stopped crying and were now curious, ready to ask questions, he extended his hand toward them and shouted a single word.

“Fly.”

And then, all of us were lifted into the air.

“Wow!”

“Eek!”

Some children, their eyes filled with curiosity, looked down at their feet, while others tried to calm their startled hearts at the fact that they were floating. Leon, meanwhile, looked at the man who was now also floating in the air.

‘A mage…’

Leon suddenly remembered the headmaster, who always spoke highly and reverently of mages. Did the headmaster have some kind of connection with mages? Was this orphanage run to provide children to mages? Various thoughts raced through Leon’s mind.

As we ascended higher, we spotted a carriage floating in the sky.

“Get in,” the man said curtly.

The children’s bodies moved into the carriage on their own. He had controlled them to get inside. The carriage started moving, and before long, it stopped again. When the door opened, the children who had been looking out the window were the first to get off. Leon cautiously followed them, intending to find a way to escape the moment he stepped out.

However, as soon as he saw the scene before him, Leon, like the children who had gotten off first, could only gape. Unlike the orphanage, which was surrounded by nothing but mountains, this place was filled with tall buildings. People wearing conical hats were flying through the air above them.

The dazzling and sophisticated atmosphere overwhelmed him.

“Welcome to the magical city of Widia.”

Only then did a small smile appear on the man’s face. Soon, another person descended from the air beside him. When he pressed a button on the short staff he held, the invisible aura surrounding him was retracted. The man, now devoid of his smile, introduced him.

“This person will guide you. See you next time.”

And then he floated away and disappeared. The man left behind began to speak.

“Nice to meet you. This is the magical city of Widia, and from now on, you will be assigned various tasks in the place closest to magic.”

Despite being forcibly brought here to work, the children’s faces were bright. Perhaps they were drawn to the idea of being close to magic. Leon thought it was all thanks to the headmaster planting fantasies about magic in their minds beforehand.

“Hey, friend. Don’t worry too much. You’ll be paid fairly, and you’ll have a place to sleep and food to eat.”

The man pointed at Leon and chuckled. Leon didn’t like the man’s face. Fair, my foot. However, he didn’t show his displeasure outwardly. He had already felt enough powerlessness on the way here. Showing emotions without the power to back them up would be foolish.

Leon realized once again that becoming stronger was the most important thing.

“Oh, right. The most important thing. When you work, you’ll earn a salary… um, money, and something called merit points. If you use these well, you can get a chance to become a mage.”

The children’s faces brightened even more. Leon was also a bit surprised by this.

“Just hearing the word ‘magic’ makes you excited. Heh, actually, you can start learning magic right now.”

He took out a crystal ball from his robe. It was the perfect size to fit in the palm of one’s hand.

“Would you like to come forward first?”

The man pointed at Ria with his finger. When Ria hesitated and didn’t step forward immediately, the man approached her directly.

“It’s nothing strange, really. The new kids are quite cautious, huh? Well, I suppose that’s understandable.”

He held the crystal ball right in front of Ria.

“Place your palm on it.”

When Ria cautiously placed her palm on the crystal ball, it flashed brightly once. Then, some text appeared on the now-quiet crystal ball. From Leon’s position, he couldn’t see what it said. However, the man’s face, staring intently at Ria with eyes wide open, vaguely explained the situation.

“A… light attribute constitution?”

The words he uttered next made Leon’s jaw drop in surprise.