My Life Now is the 4th chapter of The Beginning After The End Novel.
Summary[]
Reynolds Leywin is overjoyed at the birth of his son and eagerly anticipates teaching him about magic, hoping he’ll be an augmenter like himself. Although Reynolds is only familiar with the basics of conjuring, he admires his wife Alice’s exceptional abilities as an Emitter. He fondly recalls how her restorative powers and her unique area of effect spell that heals all allies left a lasting impression on him. Reynolds takes pride in being Alice’s husband and cherishes the title.
In the past, adventurers would venture into Beast Glades to hunt mana beasts, creatures capable of absorbing mana and forming beast cores. These cores were incredibly versatile and valuable, especially the higher-class ones. Mana beasts ranged from E class, like domesticated animals, to the elusive SS class. They were generally stronger than humans of the same class due to their physical prowess.
The Beast Glades were perilous, but manageable with caution and proper navigation. The most formidable beasts resided deeper within or near the core of the Glades. The outer regions were well-mapped, and C class adventurers could navigate them safely.
Occasionally, group missions were organized to explore and map uncharted dungeons, often leading to encounters with powerful mana beasts and potential treasures. Reynolds shares these tales with his son Art, hoping to inspire him to embrace the adventurous life when he’s older.
Reynolds expresses concern for his son Art’s magical awakening and is determined to be a supportive father regardless of the time it takes. He explains that the type of mage one becomes is evident during awakening, as augmenters and conjurers exhibit different mana behaviors. Augmenters exhibit a repelling force, while conjurers create a mana vacuum, both reflective of their dominant mana channels or veins. The intensity of these forces varies with the individual’s talent. Reynolds reminisces about his own powerful awakening at twelve as an augmenter with a strong repelling force, which even caused him to levitate, and looks forward to training Art, considering a tutor if he becomes a conjurer. His narrative is abruptly interrupted by an unexpected BOOM!
Reynolds is in the front yard with his wife Alice when a sudden explosion destroys three-quarters of their house. Inside, their son Art is the cause of the blast, having just awakened his magical abilities. In a state of shock and concern, Reynolds quickly protects Alice with a temporary shield and rushes to find Art amidst the debris. When he finds Art, he is floating in the center of a crater, surrounded by a translucent barrier—a sign of his awakening at only almost three years old. The sight causes Reynolds to collapse in disbelief, torn between laughter and tears at the magnitude of his son’s emerging powers. Reynolds is in a state of shock, unable to speak as his wife Alice approaches him, seeking answers about their son, Art. Despite the danger having passed, the force emanating from Art’s awakening powers is still strong, compelling Alice to shield herself as she moves closer. Overcome by the shock of the situation, Reynolds is rendered speechless and can only gesture towards their son Art. Upon seeing Art at the center of the destruction, all Alice can utter is a whisper of disbelief.
Arthur Leywin is exhilarated by his breakthrough, feeling a sense of renewal as he connects with his newly formed mana core, which he affectionately regards as his “sweet little mana core.” The experience leaves him feeling fantastic and invigorated.
Arthur is puzzled by his mother’s distressed reaction and his father’s submissive posture, wondering what his father might have done to warrant such a response from his mother. In a tender moment, Arthur is embraced tightly by his mother, who is overwhelmed with emotion. Despite his discomfort and confusion, he tries to comfort her. His father joins them, offering support with a pat on the back and a reassuring smile, even as he struggles to maintain his composure.
Arthur emerges from his mother’s embrace to find himself in the center of a crater where his house once stood. In a mix of confusion and anger, he vows to seek vengeance against those responsible for the destruction, believing it to be an attack on his royal home. The intensity of his emotions is palpable as he promises relentless pursuit of the unknown assailants.
Arthur comes to the realization that he is responsible for the dramatic changes around him, following his parents’ confirmation of his awakening. The weight of this discovery leaves him momentarily speechless as he processes the impact of his newfound abilities.
Arthur reflects on his awakening, comparing it to a similar event on Earth but with a much stronger repelling force due to the mana in this world’s atmosphere. Realizing the extent of the situation he caused, he apologizes to his parents, concerned about the consequences of his actions. His mother, teary-eyed yet chuckling, reassures him that he’s not in trouble, while his father is thrilled, proclaiming Arthur a genius for awakening at such a young age, an event he considers unprecedented.
The serene moment shared by Arthur’s family is interrupted by a neighbor’s exclamation of shock. This prompts Arthur’s father to acknowledge the need to address the aftermath of the earlier events with a light-hearted attitude, despite the destruction caused by Arthur’s awakening.
In the weeks following Arthur’s awakening, his family decides to keep his awakening a secret. His father enlists former Adventurer party members to rebuild the damaged portion of their home, while the family temporarily resides in a nearby inn. Utilizing conjurers and augmenters to expedite the process, the reconstruction is swift, thanks to magic, and curiously, no one inquires about the cause of the destruction, which speaks volumes about his father’s reputation, implying a reputation for recklessness or incompetence on the father’s part.
While the house was being rebuilt, Arthur’s birthday occurred around May 29. He was surprised in the morning by his parents with a gift and an unconventional black cake, initially mistaken for bread. The gift, a wooden sword, was received with great appreciation, leading to a warm family moment of thanks.
Arthur was surprised when his parents celebrated his birthday after not doing so for two years, leading him to believe that birthdays weren’t a custom in their world. He later learned that the tradition is to start celebrating birthdays at age three, a custom dating back to times when infant mortality was higher. Arthur comments on the tradition with a hint of its old-fashioned nature.
Arthur also notes the absence of a formal education system, as evidenced by children and teens learning trades like farming and blacksmithing within their families. This observation highlights that only basic education, such as literacy skills, is taught at home, without any compulsory schooling structure.
Starting at age three, Arthur’s mother taught him to read and write during scheduled lessons. He feigned quick learning to please her and to access more advanced books in the library without arousing suspicion. This strategy allowed him to maintain the facade of a prodigious son.
Arthur reflects on the rapid passage of time, detailing his father’s efforts to teach him the fundamentals of mana manipulation. Despite his father’s attempts to simplify the concepts for a child’s understanding, Arthur acknowledges that without his advanced comprehension skills, he might not have grasped much.
Basically, a person’s strength can be gauged by the color of their mana core, which changes from black to white as it purifies. Initially black due to impurities, it transitions through shades of red, orange, yellow, and silver, with intermediate shades between red and yellow. The lighter the color, the purer and more powerful the mana core.
Arthur, feeling the pace of his father’s lessons was too slow, requested books on magic from his mother. Leveraging her connections at the Guild Hall, she obtained a variety of books for him. Arthur bypassed the basic books, opting for more advanced texts, which surprised his mother. She initially suggested simpler books but ultimately acquiesced to his choice.
Arthur’s daily routine includes lessons in reading and writing with his mother and augmenting training with his father. Physical training was adapted to his young age, focusing on running and body workouts instead of sparring. Arthur humorously imagines his attempts at pushups as comical due to his small stature. Outside of training, he spends time in the library, reading and meditating to refine his mana core.
A year of routine training and learning passed uneventfully until one dinner, when his father suggested it was time to find Arthur a suitable mentor for further development.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Reynolds Leywin
- Alice Leywin
- Arthur Leywin
- Reynold's Adventurer Friends