Chapter 1
There was no room for rest in my daily life.
On weekdays, I soldered until dawn.
On weekends, I worked part-time at a convenience store.
That's how I lived until I collapsed from overwork.
In the final moment before I collapsed in the factory, only one thought flashed through my mind.
‘I want out of this godawful daily grind.’
That wish came true in the most ridiculous way.
When I opened my eyes, I had become a completely different person in a completely different world.
It was a world that felt strangely familiar, though.
After all, it was the world of the web novel <The Academy's Grit Mage>, which I'd squeezed into whatever spare time I had in my busy daily life.
I realized that fact
on the very day I had to send off the person who had raised me.
*
After the funeral, I came home.
Just as I reached for the doorknob, I absentmindedly looked at the face reflected in the window.
Ash-gray hair that fell all the way to the waist, and eyes as clear as water.
If SNS existed here, she was the kind of frail beauty who could rake in followers with just a few selfies, and the girl in the reflection was frowning with delicate brows.
“This is... me?”
My sense of identity went into serious disarray.
I didn't look anything like the me I remembered.
Not my looks, not my build.
Not even my sex.
Lunaris Evermoon.
That was the unfamiliar, awkward name attached to me now.
It was also a name that had never once appeared in the world of the web novel <The Academy's Grit Mage>, which this world was based on.
In other words, I'd been reincarnated as Village Girl A, a nobody who had no effect whatsoever on the canon of a world with an original story.
“Maybe that's actually a good thing...”
I cleared my complicated thoughts and opened the door.
The empty house was a mess.
Thick magic books were spread haphazardly all over the floor, and the desk was piled high with parchment covered in all sorts of messy formulas.
In between them, my eye caught a single sheet of paper, neatly placed there with a golden seal stamped on it.
[Imperial Mage Candidate Recommendation Letter]
[Recipient: Lunaris Evermoon]
At that sight, a sigh slipped out before I could stop it.
Come to think of it, I wasn't Village Girl A—I was Imperial Mage Candidate A.
Memories of the girl flickered through my mind.
She woke up at dawn and crammed magic formulas into her head.
Right after lunch, with no time to even digest it, it was mana meditation.
She spent the entire afternoon assisting with experiments.
At night, there were still magic-book copying assignments.
...I was on the fantasy version of the overwork-to-death route, all right.
“Gramps.”
A voice drifted through the empty room.
On top of that, my grandfather's voice overlapped with it, telling me not to slack off on magic study even when he wasn't around.
I could also faintly hear his encouragement that I'd definitely be able to follow in his footsteps and become an Imperial Mage.
There was a time when I mistook that for sincere encouragement.
But now, having realized I'd been reincarnated, I can see it clearly.
Gramps, that wasn't a compliment.
You were just gaslighting me so I'd take over after you.
“Sorry, but being an Imperial Mage is a no-go for me.”
A small flame sparked at my fingertips.
Using magic came as naturally to me as breathing.
“I'd rather not die after spending this life working myself to the bone, too.”
With a light flick of my finger, I sent the flame toward the desk.
The recommendation letter, which might have been worth thousands of gold to someone, burned up together with the parchment in an instant.
Watching the ash fall to the floor, I set myself a new goal.
Laze around to make up for both this life and the last.
Live in bed without lifting a single finger.
Yes, in this life I would definitely—
“—become a pro at living life horizontally.”
If I'm an Extra A who doesn't even get named in the original, that much freedom is fair, right?
Luckily, this world had a way to live without lifting a finger.
Magic.
Yes, that thing you always see in fantasy novels.
If I could use mana to turn imagination into reality, that was enough to make my dream come true.
After scanning the study, I pulled out the most promising-looking magic book.
[No-Attribute High-Level Spellbook: Basics of Telekinesis and Spatial Magic]
Telekinesis magic.
A magic that lets you move distant objects at will.
If it was this...
“I can spend all day lying in bed...!”
*
Creak, squeak—
With the hinges squeaking, the door to my room opened.
I didn't need to look to know who it was.
There was only one person who'd come here at this hour.
“As expected, you're glued to the bed again today, Luna unnie.”
A red-haired girl with a bob cut peeked through the crack in the door.
Sure enough, it was Lia, my childhood friend.
“Knock before you come in.”
I muttered lazily without taking my eyes off the book.
“I did, every time. But, Unnie, you never answered even once.”
“...Did I not?”
“Not once.”
Lia smiled and perched on the end of the bed.
It was a familiar routine.
“Studying magic?”
“Like hell I am.”
I gave up on magic study ages ago.
Why would I go giving myself a headache?
“Then what book are you reading?”
“Classical literature.”
“Unnie always reads such difficult stuff. Is it fun?”
“Just killing time.”
Honestly, it wasn't really that fun.
In a world with no smartphone and no internet, the only thing I could do while lying in bed was read.
The only saving grace was that what they called “classical literature” here had been classified as “fantasy” back in my previous life.
Of course, I couldn't read books forever, so I should probably start thinking about some other hobbies soon.
“Don't you think you should go outside and get some sun?”
“What a hassle...”
“Keep that up and you'll really turn into one with the bed.”
“Oh. That sounds great. It's my lifelong dream.”
I could feel Lia staring at me.
Soon, an exasperated little sigh slipped out.
“Unnie, at this rate you'll really end up unmarried and living alone?”
“Living alone is the best.”
Even if I'd already been living as a woman for six years, living with a man was a biological no-go for me.
“...Yeah, I figured as much.”
Lia shrugged with a strange expression and stood up, taking the basket she'd brought with her.
Then she naturally headed into the kitchen.
“By the way, did you eat breakfast this morning?”
“...I ate something, more or less.”
“Unnie, you probably just grabbed a few cookies again.”
What, is she spying on our house or something?
Feeling oddly caught, I clamped my mouth shut, and Lia let out a sigh.
“I knew it.”
Tap, tap, tap. Along with the rhythmic chop of the knife, a savory aroma filled the room.
Honestly, if Lia was cooking, it was worth putting up with the hassle.
Especially Lia's egg tarts—they were the most delicious food I'd ever eaten, across both my past life and this one.
I don't know what jerk will end up taking our Lia away, but I'll never hand her over to anyone who can't withstand my magic.
“Oh, Unnie. I'm planning to take the Elterion Academy entrance exam this year.”
...And of all things, that damned academy was going to take Lia away from us.
“You know, the biggest academy in the Imperial Capital? They say once you graduate from there, you never have to worry about money again for the rest of your life.”
“Really? Nice.”
“Aren't you thinking of entering the academy too? It'd be nice if we went together.”
“No thanks. Too much of a hassle. Besides, it costs a fortune.”
“With your magic skills, couldn't you get in as a scholarship student?”
“Well... I guess that's true...”
There was absolutely no chance I'd ever go to the academy.
Elterion Academy was the main stage of the original novel, where every sort of hardship and misfortune was waiting.
I'd even like to stop Lia from going, if I could.
“Lia, can I have some egg tar—”
“No snacking before meals, Unnie.”
“So mean...”
*
After lunch, I did some light sparring to help with digestion.
It was also practical training in preparation for Lia's academy entrance exam.
She's my cute little sister, so I can help with this much.
...And no, I definitely wasn't lured in by the egg tart.
Of course, the only one moving around was Lia.
I stayed reclined on the bed and moved the wooden sword with telekinesis.
Clack—clack—
The sound of wood striking wood rang out in a steady rhythm.
I set the book I'd been reading aside and looked out the window.
‘She's definitely improved.’
At first, the wooden sword I controlled had just left Lia flailing helplessly.
Now... we were almost evenly matched?
At this rate, she'd snag a scholarship just fine.
Then Lia, catching her breath, said,
“Huff... I don't think I'm getting much practice out of this anymore.”
“Really? Then should we call it here for today?”
I was getting sleepy from the post-lunch slump anyway, and I was just about ready to doze off like this.
“But, Unnie.”
But Lia didn't look like she had any intention of resting.
Tsk. As expected of a healthy outdoor type who spends all day running around.
She had absolutely no consideration for us indoor types.
“Could you maybe use some attack magic on me?”
...Huh? What?
“Why do you suddenly want attack magic?”
“Well, I might end up fighting the magic department students when I go to the academy, right? I want to get some experience beforehand.”
“That's a hassle...”
I let out a low sigh and flicked my finger.
At once, Lia's body floated gently into the air.
“Huh? W-wait... kyaah?!”
I gave her a wild, rail-less roller-coaster ride, and Lia wasn't scared at all; instead, she burst into laughter and seemed to love it.
“Ahaha! This is fun! A little faster... no, wait! I mean real attack magic!”
Cold sweat broke out across my forehead.
Telekinesis magic... not real attack magic?
“Other magic is a bit...”
As soon as I started stumbling over my words, Lia's eyes curved into crescents.
“Heehee~ Unnie, don't tell me you can't use any magic other than that?”
...This brat?
“If you get hurt, don't blame me.”
I let out a short sigh and gathered mana at the tips of my fingers.
At the same time, I did the mental calculation for the easiest attack spell formula.
Magic Missile.
For a basic spell that was so low-tier it wasn't even low-grade, I figured I could somehow clean up even if something went wrong.
Soon, a small light rose from my fingertips.
“...Huh? Unnie, wait. Something... doesn't feel right, does it?”
The light kept growing larger, then began to wobble ominously.
I knew it.
This was why I wasn't going to use any other magic.
“...Lia? You can dodge, right?”
“W-what? Wait... kyaaa?!”
No sooner had Lia screamed and rolled across the floor than—
the light shot out the window.
KWA-A-AANG—!!
With a deafening blast, a huge crater appeared in the middle of the yard.
Who would believe that was the power of only a basic spell?
Lia was curled up and trembling right beside the crater.
“...Oh, you're alive.”
“Alive, my foot! I really thought I was going to die just now!”
“It came out a bit stronger than I expected.”
I blinked slowly and brushed it aside.
“That's the level of the magic department scholarship students you'll be up against.”
“Don't lie! I may not know much about magic, but how is that student level?!”
“Anyway, it wasn't on purpose.”
That was true. This really had been an accident.
The reason was that my magic had one very fatal weakness.
Namely, every spell except telekinesis came out overpowered.
Basically, if I cast basic magic, it comes out at intermediate level.
And that was absolutely no good.
The stronger the spell, the more mana it gobbled up.
If I went around spraying it willy-nilly, I'd be begging for mana exhaustion.
Being able to use high-level magic is completely different from being able to use only high-level magic.
It was all because I got greedy and tried to become a high-level mage as quickly as possible, just so I could learn telekinesis.
I hadn't even properly laid the groundwork and just shoved my mana total up by brute force, so becoming a flawed mage was the obvious result.
It was too late to relearn magic from scratch.
No, too much trouble.
After all, the reason I learned magic in the first place was to live a life where I could just get by with telekinesis and a flick of my finger. I'd already achieved that goal.
An accident like a five-star Magic Missile flying at Lia is truly something that only happens once in a while.
...Seriously.