Chapter 3: Chapter 3 - Learning
— Leon —
Following Mama through the dense grove, she eventually found a fallen log to sit on, and as she took out her book, I sat down next to her, making sure I was comfortable for the coming lecture.
"And this is… and here… okay! Ready to learn, Leon?" she asked after flipping through a few pages.
While she was inexperienced, at least she was earnest.
"Yep! I'm excited!" I said with a smile.
And that was no lie.
"Good! But remember, Leon. It's okay if you can't do it immediately, okay? You have many years to learn," she said, patting my head tenderly.
"I can do it!" I nodded.
Her eyes softened with a mix of affection and pride.
"Fufu, if you're so sure, then I'll begin now. Ahem!"
Taking one last look through the book, she then closed it before looking at me and raising her finger.
"Right, so… first! Magic requires power to work, like how a campfire needs wood to burn. This is called mana, or magic power."
That made sense.
"And the amount of magic power someone has is decided at birth, so… let's hope you have a good amount!"
I hope so, too.
"Uhh… then… there are three types… Yes! Three types of magic! And they are… umm…" Mama then opened her book once again as she seemingly forgot where to go next.
…This would be okay, right?
— Leon —
"And that's the basics of magic!" Mama said proudly.
It was a shaky start, but she got there eventually.
At first, she needed to constantly check the book, but that wasn't due to a lack of knowledge, but rather her worry that she was teaching me the wrong thing or forgetting something important.
A performance anxiety, so to say.
But after she got into the role, she got increasingly confident, and showed off the intelligence that made her one of the few S-rank healers in the world.
Basically, as she had explained, magic required magic power, or mana, to work, and one could use magic in two ways.
The first was by incantations, which is when one recited a set of words to cast a spell, and was the most common form of magic.
And the second way was with magic circles, which was when one inscribed a pattern using special ink to cast a spell by pouring magic power into said pattern.
Mama didn't really know how to use magic circles, and her book didn't describe any either, so I would be sticking to incantations for the time being.
Not that I minded, though.
I didn't exactly trust my toddler hands to do precise drawings, after all.
As for the types of magic, there were three main ones: attack magic, which, as the name implied, was meant to be used in battle; healing magic, which was used to heal others and create barriers; and summoning magic, which was used to summon things, again, as the name implied.
Delving further into it, attack magic was divided into four types: fire, water, wind, and earth, which allowed the user to cast spells relating to that element.
Thinking about it now… I think I might just call attack magic elemental magic instead.
It made more sense that way.
Healing magic also was divided into four types, those being healing magic, which healed injuries; detoxification magic, which purged poisons and disease; divine strike magic, which was magic that could harm incorporeal monsters; and protection magic, which was used to create barriers.
This one too was named a bit weird, as only two of the categories could be called 'healing', so I think support magic would be a better thing to call it.
I won't tell Mama that, though.
After all, she did try her best to teach me the conventional way.
But I did have a question…
"Mama… I've heard you said 'Beginner' and 'Intermediate' spells… what do those mean?" I ask.
In fact, I swear the others have used those words before, and Ghislaine had also introduced herself as a 'Saint'.
I initially thought it was just some kind of religious thing from her homeland, but thinking about it now, it was weird that she would hold that moniker when she abandoned her homeland.
Mama's eyes widened at my question.
"Oh! Rank titles! I can't believe I forgot about that! Okay, so, these rankings are used for both swordsmanship and magic, and they are-"
Oh boy, here we go.
Listening to her long-winded explanation, I think I finally got it… for the most part, at least.
In this world, there were seven ranks that described one's battle strength.
Those being: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Saint, King, Emperor, and God, in that order.
While Mama didn't understand how the ranks worked in swordsmanship, she was able to explain roughly how it worked for magic.
Typically, spell rankings were proportionate to the amount of magic power needed to cast it, though there were exceptions, like detoxification magic, where it was more about the range of spells than the power, as ones were needed for specific diseases and illnesses.
But for magic, the more mana that was needed for a spell, the more skilled one needed to be in order to cast it and control it.
So, even if someone was born with a crazy amount of mana, they wouldn't instantly become a King-ranked magician, though they would have the potential to.
But, in short, the rankings went like this: Beginner was basic mana manipulation; Intermediate was advanced mana manipulation; Advanced was complex manipulation, usually with a large area of effect; Saint was large, complex, and with elemental magic, usually affected the weather.
King, Emperor, and God rank went further in complexity and scale, but for an Intermediate-ranked mage like Mama, it was difficult to comprehend, especially since she had never seen such magic being cast in person.
What was interesting, however, was that for most adventurers, Advanced and Intermediate-ranked spells were all that were needed, as controlling the weather was not usually useful for anything but wars and land maintenance, like watering fields.
Though… it would be pretty sad for someone at the pinnacle of magic to be used as a watering can.
I pity whoever ended up like that.
"I think I get it now, Mama. Can… can you teach me a spell now?" I asked.
Please don't make me pull out the pleading face again.
"Yep! But… don't get discouraged if you can't do it, okay? It's fairly rare for someone to be able to use magic, much less someone so young," she said kindly.
"I got this!" I assured her.
"Fufu. If you're sure. I'll first teach you the most basic healing spell, Healing."
Well, that's quite a simple name.
"This is only able to heal wounds that would heal naturally, such as cuts and bruises, but it's useful to stop blood flow and prevent infections. So? Are you ready?" she asked while taking out a knife.
I nodded my head in excitement.
She then poked the tip of her finger, letting the blood bead as I watched with a sickening feeling of disgust.
Blood… Mama… that day… Mom-
"Leon? Are you okay?" Mama asked, halting my train of thoughts.
"Y-Yeah. I'm ready!" I said, shaking away the bad memories.
"Okay… Remember this chant, alright? Ahem! Let this divine power be as satisfying nourishment, giving one who has lost their strength the strength to rise again - Healing."
A green glow is then emitted from her hand as the cut on her finger began to close, and with a wipe on her pant leg a moment later, it was as if the injury was never there.
"See that? Now, do you think you can try?" she asked.
"Yeah! Can I… have the knife?" I said.
"Nope! You'll have to practice on Mama for this one!"
She then did a similar process as before, causing me to flinch as the blade pressed against her finger.
I don't know why I felt so uncomfortable this time, as it was such a minuscule wound, something she had gotten multiple times while cooking.
Was it because of the bad memories? Was it because it was intentional? Or was it because that she was hurting herself for my sake?
Well… I'll just have to make the owie go away, won't I?
Now, how did it go again?
Ah, that's right!
"Let this divine power be as satisfying nourishment-"
Weird.
I could feel this… energy, concentrated at my core, slowly moving through my body and into my arm, like blood flowing through my veins.
It was hot, yet not uncomfortably so.
More like a warm cup of tea.
"-giving one who has lost their strength the strength to rise again - Healing."
Finishing the chant, I felt the warm, blood-like sensation flow into my hand before radiating outward, creating the same glow that Mama did.
And, just like before, her small cut healed up, appearing as though it was never there a moment later.
"Leon! You did it! Uuu~ You're a genius! My little Leon is a genius!"
Mama then picked me up before smothering me with her admittedly bountiful chest.
Urk-!
Those things… they were dangerous.
I felt like I was going to suffocate one of these days.
I needed to get bigger, and fast.
Squirming out of her grasp, I looked down at my hand which had just performed, at least by my previously held standards, a miracle.
Magic… it really was amazing.
"Mama… could I try again? Please?" I pleaded, looking up at her.
Practice makes perfect, after all.
"Of course! Here-"
"Wait. Can I be cut this time? Please?" I asked, ready to bring out my ultimate begging technique if needed.
While I was confident in healing her injuries now, I still didn't want her to be in pain for me, even if it felt like nothing to her.
I… hated seeing her hurt.
"I don't know…" she said hesitantly.
"But Mama, wouldn't it be better to know how the spell affects the target? And there's no better way to know than this, right?" I said.
Did I believe that?
Not really.
But it sounded logical, so hopefully, she would agree.
"...Fine! But I'm making the cut, okay? And no whining about Mama hurting you afterwards!"
"I promise I won't!"
Success!
As the edge of the knife pierced my skin, I ignored the stinging pain as I closed my eyes, focusing as I began chanting the spell.
"Let this divine power be…"
…Shoot, I completely forgot the rest.
But the warmth in my chest… if I could just grasp it… and push it forward…
Come on, Leon. Picture it.
The cells of the body replicating perfectly, orderly, all working together to mend the wound with each layer of skin, from the dermis to the epidermis, and all the severed capillaries.
Make it-
"L-Leon…!"
Hearing Mama's quivering voice, I opened my eyes just in time to watch the glow emitting from my hand subside.
And the cut… it was healed.
"M-Mama! I did… it…"
My voice slurred as I was overwhelmed with a wave of intense fatigue, before I suddenly felt my knees buckle, sending me falling to the ground.
Luckily, I was caught a second later by the shocked Mama as my heavy eyes began to close, my vision quickly fading to black.
Damn… it seems that I passed out.
— Zenith Latreia —
Catching Leon's unconscious body, I felt my mind finally clear from the haze of shock.
He… just did that, didn't he?
No, obviously he did.
The proof was right there in his completely healed finger, his skin as soft and smooth as usual.
But… casting magic without an incantation?
That was only possible for the most seasoned of mages, and even then, it was extremely rare, something akin to a legend.
I guess… my Leon was that much of a genius, huh?
Combing my hand through his smooth, golden hair, I couldn't help but frown at his sleeping face.
It seemed that his limit was two spells, so… not that much at all.
But… maybe it was because he used magic without an incantation?
Or… it could be that he was still able to grow the amount of his magic power.
Generally, one's amount of mana was determined by birth and inherited from one's parents, but in some rare cases, there have been people who grew their reserves over time.
Well… if it's Leon, then I could easily see him being the latter.
He was just that special, after all.
Thinking about it now, our party had really changed since he came into our lives.
The Fangs of the Black Wolf had turned from a party with admittedly good chemistry, to a true family.
And it was all because of this cutie.
Truly… he was a blessing.
Absolutely something granted to us by Millis himself.
Wait, no! I needed to tell the others!
Fufu, we had another healer! And one that I taught myself!
Even if he could only cast a couple of spells, it was still useful.
And knowing my boy, he would definitely be eager to help out.
After all, he was such a determined and mature kid.
And yes… Leon was my boy. Without question.
While at the beginning, I took him in as my own out of a sense of guilt for that woman, guilt for not being good enough to heal her and not being there earlier, but whether it was his natural charms, or simply my instincts as a woman, I couldn't see Leon as any other's child but my own.
"Everyone! Guess what?" I said, walking past the treeline over to the main camp.
As the others were likely to be rowdy, I decided to teach him in the small forest grove next to our camp, where my instructions were unlikely to be interrupted.
While monsters might have been a worry somewhere else, we were in the golden plains of the Kingdom of Asura, and fairly close to the capital too, so any would-be enemies were regularly culled by the kingdom's knights.
I also separated from the group in order to protect Leon's innocence… but I had a feeling it was already too late for that.
Ideally, he would grow up remaining as sweet as he is now, but if he ever takes after everyone else's bad habits… I'll just have to teach it out of him.
"Huh? So early- What happened?" Paul said, his casual expression instantly shifting to a serious one as he spotted the unconscious Leon in my arms, making my heart flutter.
That shift in demeanour… that earnest protectiveness… those were some of the things that made me fall in love with that unscrupulous man.
The others, noticing the situation, also immediately get to their feet, with Ghislaine snarling in anger and worry.
She really was like a big sister to him.
"Don't worry! He's fine! He just used up his mana, is all!" I said.
The tense atmosphere immediately disappeared as the party all began to show expressions of shock.
"'Used up his mana'... does that mean-?"
"Yep!" I said proudly, cutting off Paul. "Leon is now a Beginner-rank healing magician!"
Ah~ I could already feel my cheeks hurting from my wide smile.
"That's amazing, Zenny! I knew you were a good teacher," Lina said.
"Mhmm! And that's not all… he cast Healing without a chant!" I said with enthusiasm.
This second revelation sent everyone into a similar state of shock.
Actually, it was more than the first time, which made sense.
A child as young as Leon casting magic put him in the realm of 'talented', but doing it without an incantation… that placed him in the realm of 'genius'.
No, even further than that.
"Bullshit."
I sent Paul a cold glare.
Could this man not calm his mouth for a second?
And how dare he think I was lying!?
"A-Ah, I mean, I'd love for him to show me himself, is all! Haha!"
That's better.
However, the man certainly still needed some more training.
"If it's true, it seems that Leon is destined for great things, eh? But… are you sure he's asleep from mana loss?" Geese asked. "Could be something wrong, right? And I don't think you would let him use so many spells that he'd use all his mana up."
Hmm… I was certain it was the case, and that Leon simply had a small amount of mana, or perhaps bad efficiency, but I guess it never hurt to find out.
Placing my hand over Leon's forehead, I cast one of the basic detoxification spells that checked for abnormalities in the target, and finding none, I shook my head.
"As I thought. I guess Leon just has a-"
I cut myself off as I felt the spell tremble under my control.
That… was not normal.
In fact, I had felt something off with my mana for a couple of days now.
"Zenny? Is something wrong?" Lina asked with concern.
"Nothing. It's just… give me a second," I said, waving her off.
Putting my hand onto my chest, I cast the same spell on myself, and instantly, I sensed something that brought me to tears.
Oh… oh my god!
"Zenny?"
I… I…
"I'm… pregnant," I said through tears, looking toward Paul with a wide-open mouth.
Seeing him facepalm, however, did not instill in me confidence that he would keep his promise.
Ignoring the pang of anxiety, I looked down at the sleeping toddler in my arms, smiling as he snored softly into my chest.
Leon… I hope you're ready to be a big brother.
No… knowing you, you'll be the best big brother one could ever have.
— Information on the Six-Faced World —
Types of Magic
Attacking Magic / Elemental Magic:
Fire: Generation and manipulation of heat and fire.
Water: Generation and manipulation of water and ice.
Wind: Generation and manipulation of gases.
Earth: Generation and manipulation of dirt and minerals.
Healing Magic / Support Magic:
Healing: Heals injuries.
Detoxification: Purges poisons, diseases, and status effects such as inebriation.
Divine Strike: Harms incorporeal monsters and spirits, kept secret by the Divine Priest Fighters and unknown to most magicians.
Protection: Used to increase one's defences and create barriers of certain characteristics, such as nullifying magic activation.
Summoning Magic
— Leon —
"Leon~ Wake up, sweetie~"
Hearing the soft feminine voice, I slowly opened my groggy eyes.
Shoot… I… passed out?
The last thing I remember was… casting healing magic. Without an incantation, too.
That… wasn't supposed to be possible, at least not without a magic circle or something similar.
That feeling of the warmth, how it travelled up my arm, and how I pictured my skin being healed… could that be it?
An image and control of the magic power in my body? That was all that was needed?
Then… why was it said that casting magic without an incantation was basically impossible?
Was I special?
Or was it some sort of intellectual stagnation, where everyone was taught to use incantations, and the world conformed to that idea?
Hmm… I'll have to do a bit more practice before I can be sure.
"There. Are you awake now? No headache or anything?" Mama asked.
I shook my head in response.
"No, I'm fine. Just a little sleepy," I said, rubbing my eyes.
"Still? You've been napping for a few hours now," she said.
"Really?"
I was asleep for that long?
Darn… I'll have to remember not to run out of magic when I have something important to do.
Though, seeing that the sun was beginning to set behind the rolling green plains, it was true that quite a bit of time had passed.
Looking around, I noticed that the rest of the party was packing their stuff up, which wasn't unusual, but past that… there was a weird atmosphere in the camp.
"Mama… what happened?" I asked.
Mama's face formed a complicated expression as she looked down and rubbed her belly.
Huh?
"Well… you see… it seems like you're going to be a big brother," she said, her lips curling into a grin.
Ignoring the warmth that blossomed in my chest, I sent a glare over to Paul.
Mama would be out of commission as a healer, and likely stop working as an adventurer after this… but what would that womanizer do?
"Don't worry about him, Leon. He… he said he'd keep his promise."
Turning back to Mama, I saw that her face was radiating happiness, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
"I guess… we're going to be a family now. A real one," she said.
A family?
Like… me, Mama, Paul, and the baby in her belly?
"...I see," I eventually said.
While I wasn't exactly elated to have Paul as a father, at least he was keeping Mama happy.
But… despite the seemingly happy news… I couldn't stop the knot from forming in my stomach.
Her joyful expression as she caressed her stomach felt like a reminder that I… wasn't her child.
Even if she always called me 'her baby', it… wasn't exactly that way.
So it's only natural to be worried, right?
Anxiety and insecurity battled to control my thoughts as questions about the future swirled in my mind.
Would I be replaced? Overlooked?
No… I could handle those things.
Especially if it was to give care to the new life in Mama's belly, but… I wouldn't be able to handle being unloved or abandoned.
I… needed Mama.
"M-Mama… are you fine, keeping me-"
"Don't you even start that," she interrupted with a frown. "You're my son, Leon. It doesn't matter if I never birthed you."
Her expression calmed as her hand ran through my hair.
"Besides… you'll be there to help me out, right? You know healing magic now, after all," she said, pulling me in for a hug.
"Okay…" I said through watered eyes, burying my face in her chest.
"There, there… Paul, dear? Do you have anything to say to your son?" she asked.
"Huh? Well, I'm kinda busy right now-"
"Paul," Mama snapped.
"Alright, I get it."
Hearing his steps get closer, Mama then tapped my back, signalling me to look at the man.
"Umm… I know you aren't as close with me as you are with Zenith, but… I'll try to be a good father, alright? And hey! Now I'll be able to teach you swordsmanship without adventuring getting in the way! Isn't that cool?" he said, finishing his words with a charismatic thumbs up.
…I guess that's fine.
"Okay," I said with a nod.
"W-What? 'Okay'? That's it? I just poured my heart out to you!" he whined.
All you did was said you'll be a father and teach me swordsmanship, was that really the epitome of his emotional intelligence?
Actually, scratch that.
Knowing the man, not counting whatever magic he used to rope in such a kind woman like Mama, it probably was.
But aside from that…
"'Without adventuring getting in the way'... are you retiring?" I asked.
Paul then released a sigh before looking over at the other party members with a melancholic smile.
"Well… you see, I have this cousin nearby who offered me a job a year back. I'm just hoping that the offer is still available," he said.
A cousin? From his old family?
So a noble house position… and with his strength, it was probably something like a knight or a guard.
A comfortable life, perfect for a young family.
But… what about the family here?
"Aren't you the leader, though? What will happen to the party?" I asked with worry.
His smile then fell, transforming into a sad frown.
"Well, you see… it will have to disband."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone