The mana was no longer the plant's. It was mine. It had joined my mana… and for the first time, I had truly grown.
I had done it.
I stole mana.
I can grow now.
I can do magic now.
Joy bubbled up inside me, an excitement so overwhelming that I could hardly put it into words. I had taken my first real step toward my future plans. Now, I could finally start learning magic from an early age.
But before that, I needed to test it a few more times—just to be sure. If it truly worked, then I should focus on growing my mana first before attempting anything else.
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and cleared my mind, shutting out everything except the unseen.
And as I opened my eyes, I could see the colors of magic—the aura of everything, from the closest, the cradle I was in, to the farthest, the painting near the door.
I guided my magical aura outward, reaching for the surrounding mana, and imagined grabbing it, pulling it away from its source.
Once their magical aura had gradually merged with my black-and-white aura, the mana slowly began detaching from them as well, eventually blending with my own and shifting in color to match it.
With a final tug, the mana surged toward me, and as it entered, I felt a warm sensation inside—a soft heat, a steady flow of energy I had never experienced before.
I repeated the process, and after half an hour, I had gathered a substantial amount—far more than I had expected. Now, I was certain— This ability was real.
And now, all that's left is to shape this mana as I wish—and this time, try shooting it somewhere. And, this is the perfect opportunity—Mother and Elise aren't here, so I can test it freely.
Okay, I can't let this opportunity slip—I have to make the most of it and get it right this time.
But wait… before anything else, I need to decide which element to try first.
On my first try, I went with fire since it's the coolest. I even tried it again occasionally, especially when someone was around—just like my very first attempt in Elise's presence.
But now that I'm alone, that might not be a great idea. Fire could easily cause a disaster.
So I have to choose something else, ha… Water it should be safest option. It can't be harmful in any way—at least not while I can only create the basic form of elements, not any actual spells where even water could be dangerous.
I was about to try water… when something clicked in my mind.
Wait… If there's even the tiniest chance that I might not be able to shoot it far enough and it slips onto me Or in my cardl, it'll look like I wet myself—which is the last thing I want.
I've had enough embarrassing moments in this world—like when Mother or Elise had to change me when I wet myself. Back then, I had no control, but now that I can manage it somewhat, I definitely don't want Mother seeing this again.
Let's drop the idea of water.
Hah... At this point, I think the earth element would be a good choice. Even if it drops on me, it'll be fine. So, let's give it a try before I come up with another excuse to abandon this one too.
Okay, same process—now shaping my mana into earth, like some kind of stone and shooting it.
Wait… I have a great idea! I'll call it—STONE BULLET!
I know it might even drop into my cradle—or, if I'm lucky, a little farther—but if I start practicing now, that won't be a problem for long.
With enough training, I might be able to shoot my stone like a bullet—stronger and faster—and with a well-aimed shot, I could deal serious damage if I ever have to face those Fenrir-type beasts.
Making up my mind, I thought to myself, Ha, sounds great! Stone bullet it is—let's do this.
With that thought, I focused my mana, commanding it to take the form of stone.
A faint warmth spread through my body, flowing through each vein—it was definitely my mana. And I could see my magical aura, the outer layer visibly reacting to my intent.
I concentrated harder, envisioning stone—its hardness, its color, its shape. I pictured it swirling in my palm, eager to be born.
With a final push, I directed all the warmth gathering inside me to flow through my body, down my arm, and into my palm—willing it to become stone.
And Slowly, right before my palm, a stone began to take shape—bit by bit, forming from nothing.
I raised my arm toward the window in front of me. Since it was the farthest point, the stone bullet would likely drop somewhere midway, minimizing the chances of it causing any damage——if it didn't just fall on me.
After a few moments, the stone had fully taken shape right before my palm. Excited, I cried out in my thoughts, "Go, STONE BULLET!" and focused on shooting it toward the window.
And, the stone bullet actually shot out toward the window.
"Whooo!" I exclaimed excitedly.
But the stone bullet, which I expected to slow down after shooting, did not—it blasted forward with force, and with a loud bang, the window glass shattered.
Hah... Great. Now I've made a mess. If I had known it would go that far instead of just falling on me, I might have used water instead—it wouldn't have left such a clearly visible crack in the window.
And obviously, Mother is going to worry about how this happened and who did it. She'll definitely start taking me with her everywhere she goes, which means no more free time to practice.
Excellent job, me. At this rate, my next practice session will be... what, a month from now? Just perfect.
Nngh... Okay, take a deep breath... Keep it cool. What's done is done—I can't change that. I just hope neither Mother—Serenia or Anneliese—nor my brother got hurt by that stone bullet. It did go out the window, after all.
As for Father and Elise… they can handle themselves.
Anyone else? Well, that would just be bad luck on their part.
Okay, that's it for today. I know I have a decent amount of mana, but since this was my first attempt, I can't help but feel exhaustoday
But one thing is certain—I can keep practicing and master both stealing mana and shaping it into elements.
And in the future, when I can walk and talk, I'll learn real magic spells.
Well, that's for the future. Right now… it must be time. I think Mother will be here—
Just as that thought crossed my mind, the door creaked open, and my mother stepped in.
It's not going to be easy to escape from this mess. I can't help but reflect on what I've done as I watch my mother slowly approaching me.
Update
Sorry for the delay, but I've decided to take this more seriously and took a short break to properly think through the outline of the story. Because of that, I might need to change or rearrange some chapters. As a result, it likely won't be completed before Thursday, April 10.
However, new chapters will be coming right after that, and I appreciate your patience and support!