The ceremonial hall had fallen completely silent.
Hundreds of nobles, knights, mages, adventurers, scholars, servants, and members of the royal court watched the five-year-old boy standing before the massive Awakening Crystal.
Bell Sirocco stood only a few steps away from it.
Its rainbow-colored light reflected across his golden eyes.
The strange crystal towered above him, filled with countless streams of magical energy that twisted and flowed through its transparent interior.
Bell could hear his own heartbeat.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Behind him stood practically everyone important in his new life.
His mother.
His father.
His brothers and sisters.
His grandparents.
The royal family.
Princess Madelyn.
And beyond them were countless people who had come for one reason.
To discover what kind of mage the youngest child of House Sirocco would become.
Bell glanced over his shoulder toward his father.
Viktor Sirocco's sharp golden eyes met his.
His father gave him a firm nod.
"Place your hand upon the crystal, Bell."
Bell looked back toward the enormous crystal.
His little fingers flexed.
Well…
His heartbeat quickened.
Here goes.
Bell took another step.
Click.
His small polished boot struck the ceremonial stone.
Another step.
Click.
He stopped directly before the crystal.
From this close, Bell could see his own distorted reflection across its flawless surface.
A five-year-old boy.
Warm caramel skin.
Black hair gathered into a compact bun.
White-highlighted bangs.
Golden eyes.
Formal clothing bearing the crest of House Sirocco.
Yet behind those youthful eyes was the mind of Max Carter.
A twenty-four-year-old man who had once sat exhausted behind an office desk on Earth.
A fantasy otaku who had dreamed about this exact kind of moment countless times.
Bell slowly raised his right hand.
His palm stopped inches from the surface.
This is really happening.
He swallowed.
Magic is real.
And I'm about to find out what mine is.
Bell pressed his palm against the Awakening Crystal.
THUM.
Bell's golden eyes widened.
"What…?"
It felt like a second heartbeat had suddenly appeared inside his chest.
Not his normal heartbeat.
Something deeper.
Something warmer.
Something that had apparently always been inside him but had remained asleep until this very moment.
THUM.
The crystal pulsed again.
Warmth moved through Bell's palm.
It traveled along his fingers.
Up his wrist.
Through his arm.
Across his shoulder.
And finally—
Into his chest.
Bell inhaled sharply.
It did not hurt.
It was not hot.
It wasn't unpleasant at all.
If anything, it felt strangely natural.
Like suddenly noticing a limb he had possessed his entire life.
Bell whispered:
"So this is…"
His eyes widened.
Mana.
For the first time since reincarnating into this world, Bell could clearly feel it.
Mana gathered inside his body.
It flowed from somewhere deep within his chest.
Through his shoulder.
Down his arm.
Into his fingertips.
Then directly into the crystal.
The Awakening Crystal reacted.
WHOOOOOOOOOM!
Brilliant magical light erupted throughout the ceremonial hall.
Several nobles gasped.
One woman raised her hand over her eyes.
A mage near the ceremonial platform took a startled step backward.
Madelyn's sapphire eyes widened.
"Whoa…"
Jonah immediately leaned forward.
Natalie clasped her hands together.
Viktor's expression sharpened.
The enormous Awakening Crystal turned completely—
GOLDEN.
Golden light flooded the chamber.
It illuminated Bell from head to toe.
One noble whispered:
"Light Magic?"
Another immediately shook his head.
"No."
He squinted toward the crystal.
"That isn't the correct shade for Light Magic."
The brilliant golden color began changing.
Gold darkened into—
Amber.
Then the amber became warmer.
Earthier.
More natural.
Until the entire crystal looked like sunlight shining across an enormous desert.
Golden-amber.
Pale desert tan.
And then—
Tiny streaks of silver-white light appeared throughout the crystal.
They sparkled like minerals hidden beneath sand.
Like tiny fragments of quartz catching the sun.
Bell stared.
"Pretty…"
The aura continued shifting.
Then—
SCRRRRRR…
Bell's eyebrows furrowed.
He heard something.
A faint scraping noise.
It was coming from below.
Bell looked down.
One tiny grain moved across the polished floor.
Bell blinked.
Another followed.
Then another.
Several grains of sand had fallen from one of the ceremonial flower arrangements.
They were moving.
Toward him.
Bell stared.
Wait.
More grains began sliding across the floor.
Dust slipped from between cracks in the stone tiles.
Fine mineral particles shook loose from decorative planters.
Tiny pieces of grit emerged from corners that servants had probably missed while cleaning.
One by one—
They moved toward Bell.
Madelyn suddenly pointed.
"Bell!"
Everyone looked downward.
The sand accelerated.
Scrrrr—
Scrrrr—
Scrrrrrrr—
Viktor narrowed his eyes.
"What is that?"
Natalie's sapphire eyes widened.
"Sand?"
The moment she spoke that word—
The grains stopped.
For half a second, they lay motionless around Bell's feet.
Then—
They lifted.
Bell's mouth fell open.
"So cool…"
Tiny grains rose into the air.
First around his ankles.
Then his knees.
Then his waist.
They began circling him.
Not violently.
Not uncontrollably.
Gently.
Almost playfully.
Like the grains recognized him.
Like they had been waiting for him to call.
A thin spiral of golden sand moved around Bell's body.
Then—
FWOOOOOSH!
Bell's magical aura erupted for the very first time.
Natalie's eyes widened.
Alexander leaned forward.
Danny stared.
Terra gasped softly.
Lucas watched with intense curiosity.
Serenity's usually calm expression showed genuine surprise.
And even Viktor's eyes widened slightly.
Bell stood within the center of a swirling magical aura.
But it was completely different from the other Sirocco children's magic.
It did not burn like Danny's Fire Magic.
It did not crackle violently like Alexander's Lightning.
It did not feel heavy and immovable like Lucas's Earth.
Instead—
Bell's aura flowed.
It shifted.
It moved like a warm breeze passing over endless dunes.
BELL'S SAND AURA
The primary color was a brilliant:
GOLDEN-AMBER
A warm radiance resembling sand beneath sunlight.
Mixed throughout it was:
PALE DESERT TAN
The natural color of earth, stone, dust, and countless individual grains.
And scattered through Bell's aura were:
SILVER-WHITE MINERAL SPARKS
Tiny lights flickered within the swirling sand.
Quartz.
Crystal fragments.
Silica.
Minerals.
Microscopic traces of countless materials normally hidden inside ordinary sand.
Nobody understood what those silver sparks meant.
Not yet.
But they hinted at something far greater than merely throwing handfuls of dirt.
Bell stared around himself in complete fascination.
Whenever his aura passed close to the floor—
Grains lifted.
Whenever his fingers moved—
The sand reacted.
Bell slowly raised his right hand.
The grains followed.
His eyes widened.
He moved his hand left.
Fwoosh.
The sand followed left.
Bell moved his hand right.
Fwoosh.
The sand immediately followed right.
Bell's jaw dropped.
"…Whoa."
He raised both hands.
The sand rose higher.
Madelyn took an excited step forward.
Queen Caroline gently caught her daughter's shoulder.
"Wait, Madelyn."
"But Mother!"
Caroline smiled.
"Let his awakening finish."
Madelyn's sapphire-blue eyes remained fixed upon Bell.
"He's controlling it."
Jonah narrowed his eyes toward the floating grains.
"Is that his element?"
King Warren did not immediately answer.
The king's previously amused expression had disappeared.
His royal-blue eyes were studying Bell carefully.
Not merely the sand.
Bell himself.
Viktor remained silent.
Then—
The Awakening Crystal suddenly reacted again.
BOOOOOOM!
Several guests jumped.
It was not an explosion.
It was a deep magical vibration that traveled through the entire ceremonial chamber.
Bell felt it inside his chest.
The golden-tan light condensed toward the crystal's center.
Then—
Glowing letters began forming above the pedestal.
Bell looked upward.
Everyone became silent.
The first line appeared.
" MAGICAL AFFINITY IDENTIFIED "
Bell's eyes widened.
A second line followed.
" EARTH-DERIVATIVE ELEMENT DETECTED "
Whispers immediately erupted.
"Earth derivative?"
"Perhaps Crystal Magic?"
"Metal?"
"Stone?"
"Gem Magic?"
"Could it be some kind of rare mineral affinity?"
Bell ignored them.
His attention remained on the crystal.
Another message appeared.
Larger than the others.
" ELEMENT AWAKENED "
The entire chamber waited.
Absolute silence.
Bell blinked.
Madelyn blinked.
Warren raised one eyebrow.
Jonah stared at the sand still circling Bell.
Caroline looked briefly toward Natalie.
Viktor's expression became impossible to read.
Then another line appeared.
" CLASS ACQUIRED "
The letters vanished.
New words formed.
Much larger.
Much brighter.
SAND MAGE
Silence.
Complete silence.
Bell stared upward.
Sand…
A second passed.
Then another.
Then—
The whispers began.
"Sand?"
"Did that actually say Sand Mage?"
"That is… unusual."
"House Sirocco produced a Sand Mage?"
"Isn't Sand Magic simply inferior Earth Magic?"
"I've heard of it, but…"
"What combat use would Sand Magic have?"
"Perhaps excavation?"
"Maybe construction."
"Could he assist builders?"
"Such an important bloodline…"
"A pity."
One aristocratic man quietly said:
"Compared with Fire, Lightning, Wind, or Ice…"
Another finished:
"…Sand is rather underwhelming."
Bell heard them.
Every word.
He looked down toward his hand.
A tiny cloud of golden sand hovered above his palm.
Bell did not look devastated.
He did not cry.
He did not panic.
He did not ask why he had received something so ordinary.
Instead—
His eyes became curious.
Very curious.
Bell slowly closed his fingers.
The sand gathered tightly.
He opened his palm again.
The grains immediately separated.
Bell stared.
Sand.
Memories from Earth began flashing through his mind.
Beaches.
Deserts.
Hourglasses.
Sand dunes stretching beyond the horizon.
Sandstorms.
Massive storms capable of swallowing roads and buildings.
Quicksand.
Unstable terrain capable of trapping people.
Glass.
Bell's eyes narrowed.
Wait.
Glass.
Silica.
Sand contained silica.
High enough heat could transform certain sand into glass.
There were minerals inside sand.
Quartz.
Stone.
Dust.
Grinding.
Erosion.
Pressure.
Heat absorption.
Terrain control.
Particles small enough to enter tiny gaps.
Bell's golden eyes sharpened.
Hold on.
His mind began moving faster.
People think this is weak?
Meanwhile, Viktor finally spoke.
"Sand Magic…"
His voice remained controlled.
Bell looked toward his father.
Viktor's face barely changed.
But Bell could see it.
Uncertainty.
Disappointment?
Perhaps not exactly.
But Viktor Sirocco had clearly expected something different.
House Sirocco had produced powerful elemental mages for generations.
Fire.
Lightning.
Wind.
Water.
Ice.
Earth.
Plant.
And now his youngest son had awakened—
Sand.
Viktor's fingers tightened slightly.
Bell noticed.
Father definitely didn't expect this.
Before Bell could think more about it—
Madelyn hurried closer now that the crystal had stabilized.
She stopped near Bell and stared at the floating sand.
"Can you move it?"
Bell looked at her.
"I think so."
Madelyn's eyes brightened.
"Show me."
Bell looked at the little cloud above his palm.
"Okay…"
He concentrated.
The sand trembled.
Shhhhhhh…
Madelyn leaned forward eagerly.
Bell imagined something simple.
A ball.
The individual grains slowly gathered.
They compressed together.
They shifted.
And—
A rough sphere appeared above Bell's palm.
It was uneven.
Slightly lopsided.
But undeniably a ball.
Madelyn gasped.
"You did it!"
Bell smiled.
"Huh."
He rotated his hand.
The ball slowly rotated with it.
Bell's smile became wider.
"This is actually really cool."
Madelyn immediately pointed.
"Make something!"
Bell looked at her.
"I just did."
"No, something interesting!"
Bell raised an eyebrow.
"That hurts."
Madelyn ignored him.
"Make an animal."
Bell looked back toward the sand.
"An animal…"
He thought.
Then smiled.
Why not?
Bell imagined something else.
The sand sphere trembled.
Its shape stretched.
Four tiny legs formed.
Then a tail.
A head.
Two little wings.
The surrounding nobles stared.
Madelyn's eyes widened enormously.
"A dragon!"
Bell examined his creation.
One leg was shorter than the others.
The wings were uneven.
The head looked suspiciously like an angry lizard.
Bell stared.
"…Kind of."
Madelyn laughed.
"Make it walk!"
Bell looked at her.
"I awakened this magic thirty seconds ago."
Madelyn pointed excitedly.
"Try!"
Bell sighed dramatically.
"You're demanding."
Madelyn puffed her cheeks.
"I am a princess."
Bell stared.
"That doesn't help your argument."
Caroline covered her mouth.
Warren's shoulders shook with silent laughter.
Bell returned his attention toward the tiny dragon.
"Okay…"
He focused.
The sand creature trembled.
One little leg lifted.
Madelyn leaned closer.
The dragon took one shaky step.
Then another—
PFFFFT!
It collapsed into a pile.
Madelyn burst into laughter.
"Hahahahaha!"
Bell stared at the pile.
"…Okay."
He scratched his cheek.
"Needs work."
Even Warren chuckled.
But while nearly everyone focused on Bell's failed sand dragon—
The Awakening Crystal reacted again.
Very faintly.
TING.
Bell turned his head.
Nobody else seemed to notice.
A small golden window appeared above the crystal.
The letters were considerably dimmer than before.
Bell narrowed his eyes.
" UNIQUE SKILL DETECTED "
His heartbeat skipped.
Unique skill?
A second line appeared.
" GRAIN SOVEREIGNTY "
Bell's eyes widened.
"Grain…"
Before he could finish—
The message vanished.
Bell stared.
Grain Sovereignty?
He looked around.
Nobody reacted.
Madelyn was still looking at the collapsed dragon.
Warren was talking quietly with Caroline.
Viktor remained focused on the larger awakening result.
Nobody else had apparently seen the message.
Bell slowly lowered his gaze toward the sand surrounding his shoes.
What exactly does Grain Sovereignty do?
The nobles saw an unimpressive Earth derivative.
Viktor saw an element he did not yet understand.
King Warren saw something unusual.
Queen Caroline saw a child who was not remotely disappointed.
Jonah was already wondering whether enough sand could stop a sword strike.
Madelyn wanted another sand dragon.
But Bell Sirocco was remembering something else.
Miles upon miles of desert.
Oceans of individual grains.
Beaches covering coastlines.
Dust covering roads.
Tiny mineral particles inside stone.
Glass towers built from materials connected to silica.
Sandstorms powerful enough to strip paint from metal and bury buildings.
Erosion capable of grinding enormous stone formations down over centuries.
Bell curled his fingers.
Several grains rose from the ground.
He stared at them.
A small golden-amber aura flickered around his hand.
Bell whispered:
"Sand is everywhere…"
Regonald heard him.
The old man's golden-brown eyes narrowed.
For a brief moment, the Desert Sage said absolutely nothing.
Then the corner of his mouth lifted.
Bell did not notice.
Before he could experiment further—
"Bell!"
Bell turned.
Natalie hurried toward him.
His mother immediately wrapped her arms around him.
Bell's eyes widened.
"Mother?"
Natalie hugged him tightly.
"Congratulations, my handsome boy."
Her voice was filled with genuine happiness.
"You awakened your magic."
Bell slowly smiled.
Then hugged her back.
"Thank you, Mother."
Natalie pulled back and gently placed both hands against his cheeks.
"Look at you."
She smiled.
"My little Sand Mage."
Bell laughed.
"You make it sound better than everyone whispering behind us."
Natalie's eyes briefly sharpened toward several nobles.
Several of them suddenly became extremely interested in their drinks.
She looked back toward Bell.
"Never measure yourself by whispers."
Bell paused.
Natalie smiled.
"Your magic belongs to you."
Bell's expression softened.
"Thanks, Mom."
Terra approached next.
She immediately crouched and hugged him.
"Congratulations, Bell!"
Bell laughed.
"Thanks, Big Sister Terra."
Her emerald eyes moved toward the little pile that had once been a dragon.
"You already made something?"
"Technically."
Madelyn immediately announced:
"It was a dragon."
Bell looked at her.
"A very questionable dragon."
"It had wings."
"One of them was backwards."
"That still counts."
Terra giggled.
"I think it was wonderful for your first attempt."
Serenity stepped forward.
Her silver-blue eyes calmly examined the remaining sand.
"An unusual affinity."
Bell looked at her.
"That doesn't sound like a compliment."
Serenity shook her head.
"It is neither praise nor criticism."
She looked at the sand.
"It simply means there may be fewer established methods for training it."
Bell smiled.
"So I'll make my own."
Serenity paused.
Then nodded once.
"That would be the logical solution."
Bell smiled wider.
"That might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
Serenity's eyes narrowed slightly.
Alexander suddenly jumped forward.
"Okay, forget all that."
Bell looked at him.
Alexander pointed at the sand.
"Can you make a sandstorm?"
Bell blinked.
"I don't know."
"Can you shoot it?"
"Don't know."
"Can you make a giant sand fist?"
"I've had magic for about two minutes."
Alexander grabbed Bell's shoulders dramatically.
"You need to test everything."
Lucas calmly pulled Alexander's hands away.
"Allow Bell to breathe."
Alexander looked offended.
"I was helping."
Lucas turned toward Bell.
"Congratulations."
Bell smiled.
"Thanks, Lucas."
Lucas studied the grains.
"Sand is technically composed primarily of small particles of rock and minerals. Depending on the region, its composition can vary significantly."
Bell stared at him.
This kid is eight.
Lucas continued:
"That means your magic could potentially behave differently depending on what kind of sand you control."
Bell's eyes widened slightly.
"That's…"
He smiled.
"…actually a really good point."
Lucas nodded.
"I have books."
"Of course you do."
Then Bell noticed someone standing behind them.
Danny.
The fourteen-year-old heir of House Sirocco was staring toward the remaining grains.
His crimson eyes carried obvious disappointment.
Bell looked up.
"Danny?"
Danny crossed his arms.
"So it's Sand Magic."
Terra's smile weakened.
"Danny…"
Danny frowned.
"I am only saying the truth."
His eyes moved toward Bell.
"House Sirocco is known for powerful combat mages."
Bell said nothing.
Danny continued:
"Fire can destroy armies. Lightning can overwhelm enemies before they react. Wind can dominate entire battlefields. Earth creates fortifications."
His gaze fell upon Bell's sand.
"But sand?"
Alexander scratched his cheek.
"Come on, Danny."
Danny shook his head.
"I don't hate him."
Bell raised an eyebrow.
"Very comforting."
Danny ignored the remark.
"I just don't see how Sand Magic is supposed to uphold the reputation of House Sirocco."
Terra immediately stepped between them.
"Big Brother, be nice."
"I am being realistic."
"No."
Terra's normally gentle expression became firm.
"You're judging Bell's magic minutes after he awakened it."
Natalie looked directly at her eldest son.
"Danny."
Her soft voice immediately silenced him.
She rarely sounded stern.
Which made it much more effective when she did.
"Your brother has just experienced one of the most important moments of his childhood."
Danny looked away.
Natalie continued:
"You do not need to understand his magic tonight."
Her sapphire eyes softened.
"But you will respect him."
Danny remained silent.
Several seconds passed.
Then he exhaled.
"…Fine."
He looked toward Bell.
"I still think Sand Magic sounds weak."
Terra frowned.
"Danny!"
Bell suddenly laughed.
Everyone looked toward him.
Bell shrugged.
"At least he's honest."
Danny blinked.
Bell looked at the grains surrounding his hand.
"Besides…"
His golden eyes sharpened slightly.
"I don't know if he's right or wrong yet either."
Danny stared.
Bell smiled calmly.
"I haven't even tried fighting with it."
Alexander immediately grinned.
"I like that answer."
Danny watched Bell for another moment.
Then turned away.
"Hmph."
Bell's grandparents approached next.
Marabella's violet eyes practically sparkled.
"A Sand Mage."
Bell looked at her.
"You don't sound disappointed."
Marabella smiled.
"Why would I be?"
"Everyone else sounds like they expected something more impressive."
Marabella placed one finger against Bell's forehead.
"Most people are impressed by things they already understand."
Bell blinked.
She continued:
"The unusual frightens unimaginative people."
Regonald stepped beside his wife.
His ancient staff touched the floor.
Tap.
Bell looked toward him.
Regonald stared at the sand around Bell.
His expression was unreadable.
Then—
"Interesting."
Bell tilted his head.
"That's it?"
Regonald's eyebrow lifted.
"What were you expecting?"
"I don't know. Maybe some legendary grandfather speech."
Marabella laughed.
Regonald sighed.
"You read too many stories."
Bell became extremely still.
If only you knew.
Regonald looked toward Bell's aura again.
"Sand exists where Earth has been broken down by time, weather, pressure, water, and wind."
Bell's expression changed.
Regonald continued:
"I spent much of my younger life studying both Earth and Wind."
His golden-brown eyes moved toward Bell.
"Sand sits strangely between them."
Bell listened carefully.
"It is Earth made small enough to behave almost like fluid."
Bell's eyes widened.
Regonald gave a slight smile.
"Do not decide whether your element is weak before you understand it."
Bell nodded slowly.
"I won't."
Marabella placed her hands together.
"And if anyone insults my grandson's magic…"
Regonald immediately said:
"No."
Marabella looked innocent.
"I didn't say anything yet."
"I know you."
She smiled sweetly.
"That sounds like a personal problem."
Bell tried desperately not to laugh.
Regonald looked back at Bell.
"Make the family proud."
Marabella immediately corrected him.
"Make yourself proud first."
Regonald looked at her.
Marabella raised an eyebrow.
After a second, Regonald nodded.
"Fair."
Bell smiled.
"I'll try."
Then he noticed someone who had still not approached.
His father.
Viktor stood several steps away.
Watching.
Silent.
Bell met his eyes.
Viktor said nothing.
No congratulations.
No criticism.
No encouragement.
Only silence.
Bell's smile faded slightly.
Father…
Viktor's expression remained unreadable.
Then approaching footsteps interrupted Bell's thoughts.
King Warren and the royal family had come forward.
Warren stopped directly before Bell.
"Well."
Bell looked up.
The king smiled.
"A Sand Mage."
Bell nodded.
"Apparently."
Warren laughed.
"You sound as surprised as everyone else."
"I was hoping for something dramatic."
Madelyn immediately protested:
"Sand is dramatic!"
Bell looked toward her.
"You laughed when my dragon fell apart."
"That was funny."
"It was my first dragon."
"It fell over."
Bell sighed.
Caroline smiled warmly.
"Congratulations, Bell."
Bell bowed slightly.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Caroline looked at the golden grains hovering around him.
"I think it is beautiful."
Bell smiled.
"Thank you."
Jonah approached.
His blue eyes examined the sand carefully.
"Can it become solid?"
Bell paused.
"I don't know."
"Can it block blades?"
"Don't know."
"Can you blind opponents with it?"
Bell's eyebrows rose.
Jonah immediately realized how that sounded.
Caroline looked toward her son.
"Jonah."
"What?"
Warren laughed.
"He's already thinking like a soldier."
Jonah looked at Bell.
"When you figure it out, tell me."
Bell smiled.
"Sure."
Madelyn immediately stepped forward.
"And make another dragon."
Bell looked down at her.
"You're not letting that go, are you?"
"No."
Bell sighed.
"Of course not."
Warren laughed before his attention returned to Bell.
Then the king's expression became slightly more serious.
"Bell."
Bell looked up.
"Yes, King Warren?"
Warren studied him.
"May I ask you something?"
Bell nodded.
Warren gestured toward the fading words above the Awakening Crystal.
"You were born into House Sirocco."
Bell glanced toward his family.
Warren continued:
"You know what kinds of mages your family has produced."
Bell nodded.
"Yeah."
"Fire. Wind. Lightning. Water. Ice. Earth. Many prestigious elements."
Warren's royal-blue eyes remained on him.
"Are you happy being a Sand Mage?"
The surrounding conversation quieted slightly.
Bell blinked.
Warren continued:
"Or are you disappointed that you didn't awaken something else?"
Viktor looked toward Bell.
Natalie did as well.
Regonald's gaze sharpened.
Caroline quietly watched Bell's expression.
Madelyn tilted her head.
Bell looked down at his hand.
Several grains floated above his palm.
He thought about the question.
Was he disappointed?
If this had happened in some game when he was on Earth, perhaps he would have rerolled his character looking for some ridiculous legendary ability.
But this was not a game.
This was his life.
His second life.
Bell slowly shook his head.
"No."
Warren raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
Bell looked up at the king.
"I mean…"
He shrugged slightly.
"I don't really care what element I got."
Several nobles nearby stared.
Bell continued:
"Fire would have been cool."
Danny looked slightly smug.
"Lightning too."
Alexander grinned.
"Obviously."
"Wind, Ice, Earth… any of them would've been useful."
Bell opened his hand.
The grains separated.
"But I got Sand."
He watched them move.
"So I'll use Sand."
Warren remained silent.
Bell looked back toward him.
"I don't think an element decides whether someone is strong or useful."
The room became strangely quiet.
Bell continued:
"Anything can be useful if you figure out what it's good at."
Regonald's eyes narrowed approvingly.
Bell lifted one finger.
The sand began circling it.
"If Sand Magic can't do something Fire Magic can do…"
Another finger moved.
The grains followed.
"…then I'll find something Sand Magic can do that Fire can't."
Danny's expression changed.
Bell smiled.
"And if everyone thinks it's weak…"
His golden eyes flashed with quiet determination.
"…then I guess I'll have plenty of chances to surprise them."
Silence.
Warren stared at Bell.
For several seconds, the king said absolutely nothing.
Bell started wondering whether he had said something wrong.
Then Warren smiled.
Not politely.
Not diplomatically.
Genuinely.
"Viktor."
Viktor looked toward him.
Warren laughed.
"I like this boy."
Bell blinked.
Caroline giggled softly.
"He is right."
She looked at Bell.
"Magic is a tool."
Bell listened.
"What matters is the person learning to use it."
She smiled.
"And curiosity is often far more valuable than having an impressive name for your power."
Bell bowed his head slightly.
"Thank you, my queen."
Caroline's smile widened.
Warren looked toward Bell again.
Inside, however, the king's thoughts were considerably more serious.
Five years old.
Warren glanced toward the remaining sand.
Most noble children would be crying.
He had seen it before.
Children awakened common abilities and immediately compared themselves to siblings.
Parents expressed disappointment.
Children internalized it.
But Bell had not even asked why his magic was unusual.
He had immediately begun experimenting.
Creating shapes.
Thinking.
Testing.
And when asked whether he was disappointed—
He had simply decided to discover what Sand Magic could do.
Warren thought:
That answer did not sound like something a five-year-old should have been able to explain so calmly.
His gaze moved briefly toward Caroline.
His wife was already watching Bell with an expression saying:
I noticed too.
Warren nearly smiled.
Interesting child, Viktor.
Bell, completely unaware of the king and queen's observations, looked toward the remaining grains around his boots.
Sand Magic.
Then he remembered something else.
" UNIQUE SKILL: GRAIN SOVEREIGNTY "
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
And whatever that is.
He wanted to open a status screen immediately.
He wanted to inspect his class.
His skills.
His mana.
Everything.
But—
King Warren suddenly clapped his hands together once.
"Well!"
Bell looked up.
The king's smile had returned.
"I believe that concludes the magical portion."
Several nobles immediately turned their attention toward him.
Warren glanced toward Viktor.
A knowing expression appeared on his face.
"I suppose that means it is time for the second announcement."
Bell froze.
Second announcement?
Then he remembered breakfast.
His eyes widened.
Oh.
Warren smiled at Viktor.
"What do you think, my friend?"
Viktor looked toward Bell.
Then toward Princess Madelyn.
Madelyn blinked innocently.
Finally, Viktor returned his gaze toward the king.
He nodded.
"Yes, my king."
His voice carried throughout the nearby hall.
"We will do it now."
TO BE CONTINUED