A Baby’s day

Jet's first days as a baby were peaceful, yet hardly dull. He had no responsibilities, his daily routine consisting of eating, sleeping, filling diapers, and engaging in the occasional baby chatter or finger-clutching antics.

This newfound leisure provided him with ample time to ponder his future. On Earth, it was common knowledge that children possessed a remarkable capacity for learning, often surpassing that of adults. Since his new family appeared to be human or at least human-like, Jet hoped that this potential would apply in this dimension as well.

His infant body, upon examination, appeared no different from that of an Earth baby. He could hear his heartbeat, feel his chest rise and fall with each breath, and even found his reproductive anatomy familiar.

The same could be said for his new family. Aside from the existence of magic, he might have suspected that he'd traveled through time. However, things were not as straightforward as they seemed.

Jet swiftly dismissed overthinking about what race he had become as unnecessary. One of the perks of infancy was that ignorance was perfectly acceptable. When the time came, someone would teach him. He recognized two immediate priorities: first, learning the language of this world. Babies were expected to learn their native language, and he had only so much time before being labeled as developmentally delayed.

Secondly, he needed to comprehend magic, or at least its fundamentals. He had a deadline, as his learning potential was at its zenith only until his brain ceased growing. After that, he'd be no different from anyone else with the same magical aptitude and inclination.

Therefore, Jet made magic his primary concern. Being considered a slow learner was far preferable to being magically inept for life, necessitating another round of reincarnation.

His initial day in this new world was spent in his mother's embrace, while his father rested in the boys' room. Whenever someone conversed with him, he listened attentively, trying to deduce common words and patterns.

In the intervals between feedings and diaper changes, he attempted to cast the three spells he knew: Ekidu, Vinire Lakhat, and Vinire Rad Tu. Regrettably, each attempt resulted in failure; he couldn't sense even a glimmer of magical power within himself. Comparing his observations to his knowledge of Earth's Dungeons & Looting, it became evident that these spells required both verbal and somatic components.

Jet remained hopeful that there was more to it than that, or at least he hoped so. Otherwise, all his efforts would have been in vain until he learned to speak.

As failures piled up, his anxiety surged. The fear of the unknown and what lay ahead began to gnaw at him. Additionally, growing accustomed to soiling himself was a less-than-pleasant sensation.

Thankfully, his mother showered him with love and affection, brightening his day despite his past-life bias against mothers. Elina managed to make him feel cherished and protected, which wasn't half bad.

Ultimately, the conclusion of his first day revealed no magical progress and no advancements in language. Yet, he had a loving mother, and he finally learned his new name: Lith.

However, the second day was about to turn his world completely upside down.

Elina, displaying the fortitude of a wild ox, decided she had rested enough and rose to assist with the daily chores. It was an opportunity for Lith to observe her more closely. Despite giving birth just the day before, she was a striking woman in her early twenties. She possessed a well-endowed figure, her body honed through hard work, with long shoulder-blade-length hair that flowed in a beautiful light-brown color, interlaced with shades of red that, even in the candlelight, seemed to dance like flames. "Seeing Mother with her hair down on a sunny day must be a breathtaking sight," thought Lith, filled with pride for her, though he was still an infant.

As she finished dressing, she swaddled Lith tightly, making movement impossible, and placed him in her sash, using it as a makeshift baby cradle, allowing her to effortlessly hold him with minimal exertion. She exited the small bedroom and found her older daughter, Eliza, fiddling with the fireplace.

"What in the Great Mother's name do you think you're doing, Lily? The sun isn't even out yet; you should be sleeping. You know you're not allowed to play with fire!" Elina whispered with a hiss, trying not to awaken the rest of the household.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I just wanted to surprise you all by having a warm house and breakfast ready when you woke up." Eliza's face displayed only genuine concern.

"No need to worry, you little bee. Your mommy's a pro with kids." Elina said with a playful ruffle of her daughter's hair.

Eliza, along with her twin brother, was the eldest child at eight years old. Her blonde hair with streaks of black was the origin of her nickname.

Elina gently urged Eliza away from the fireplace and, with a flick of her finger, ignited the fire. "Infiro!"

"Thank goodness!" Lith exulted inwardly. "Once again, that strange feeling when encountering new magic. This proves I wasn't imagining things!"

Elina had Lily open the shutters, letting the dawn's light filter in as she began preparing breakfast.

Elina retrieved various vegetables from a cabinet and expertly chopped them with a knife. Some seemed familiar to Lith, resembling semi-potatoes and oddly colored carrots, while others remained a mystery.

The prospect of such a vegetable-heavy breakfast nearly brought Lith to tears. In his past life, he had never been fond of vegetables, finding them bland and unsatisfying. No matter how many he consumed, he would be hungry again within half an hour.

Elina placed everything into a small copper cauldron and, with the aid of a hook, suspended it over the fire. With a snap of her fingers, she conjured water seemingly out of thin air, filling the cauldron.

Both Lith and Eliza were overjoyed, though for entirely different reasons. For Lith, this was a glimmer of hope. Spells could evidently be cast without words or precise hand movements, indicating that there was a genuine opportunity for him to practice magic even in his infant state. For Eliza, it was a source of pride. Magic might have been commonplace, but witnessing her mother cast silent spells was like observing a true magician at work.

"You're amazing, Mom!" Eliza exclaimed, her eyes filled with admiration. "Will I ever be as skilled as you in magic?"

"Of course, you will, my little bee," Elina replied with a warm smile, though she added inwardly, "after ten plus years of chores, every single day."

As the family woke up, they gathered for breakfast. The household consisted of Raaz (the father), Elina, two daughters (Eliza and Tista), and two sons (Orpal and Trion). During this meal, Lith came to the disheartening realization that there was no indoor bathroom.

From what he could discern, the house was composed of a large room used as a dining room, kitchen, and pantry, with three doors leading to various bedrooms, and little else.

The breakfast passed relatively quietly, allowing Lith to learn the word for water magic when his father filled some jugs.

"Jorun!"

As the family dispersed for their daily routines, Elina settled into a rocking chair with Lith. During the morning, he had the pleasure of discovering that in this new world, daily chores like washing dishes or cleaning floors were performed using magic.

From her rocking chair, Elina effortlessly conjured small whirlwinds by twirling her index and middle fingers while reciting "Brezza!" These whirlwinds gracefully danced around the house, collecting and whisking away dust with ease. When someone tracked dirt or mud across the floor, a simple flick of her wrist accompanied by a "Magna!" would promptly send the mess back through the door it had entered.

Lith was fascinated by the prevalence of magic in this world. Everyone in the family, including the younger members, used magic to simplify their daily tasks.

When bedtime finally arrived, Lith was eager to try some magic of his own. He had waited patiently for his tiny hands and feet to be free.

Elina fell asleep almost instantly, but for Lith, it felt like hours had passed.

After a full day of contemplation, he decided to begin with air magic until he felt confident in his magical control. Fire seemed too perilous for a novice, and water and light might wake his mother. There was no dirt to manipulate in the dim room, and he wasn't yet ready to experiment with darkness magic.

So, he twirled his infantile arm and uttered, "Eaa." Nothing happened.

Lith attempted and failed repeatedly before conceding defeat. Uncertain of how long his baby body would remain awake, he ceased his efforts and turned his thoughts inward.

Magic was evidently commonplace, and every time he heard an elemental magic word for the first time, something within him clicked, forming a connection with elemental energy.

These were encouraging signs, but he remained baffled by his repeated failures. He hadn't anticipated immediate success, but he had expected some form of manifestation, even a slight breeze or a magical spark.

Determined, he began recalling the moment when the healer had filled him with power. The sensation was not unfamiliar, but it had never been so intense.

Lith delved into his memories until he found the answer. It was akin to the sensation he had experienced when practicing aikido, particularly while learning the basic breathing technique.

Back on Earth, he had assumed that the exhilarating feeling during his initial days of practice was merely a placebo effect. His youthful mind had convinced him that the weak could miraculously become strong through belief in all the Ki/internal energy nonsense.

But what if the sensation had waned because Earth's native energy was too thin?

Determined, Lith began practicing the breathing technique. He inhaled deeply through his diaphragm, relaxing his anus to allow the world's energy to flow in. Then, he contracted his anus, holding his breath for a few seconds to let the energy settle before exhaling, relaxing his entire body.

With each breath, he felt a tingling sensation spread throughout his body. Gradually, the energy condensed within his solar plexus.

As he continued practicing the breathing technique, the energy stabilized. In his old video games, mana was always depicted as blue. So, he visualized a blue sphere forming within his solar plexus.

After some time, Lith felt brimming with power. After holding his breath one last time, he twirled his tiny arm and exclaimed, "Eaaa!"

A gentle breeze stirred, barely ruffling his mother's hair, although his target had been the blanket.

Yet, he couldn't stop grinning.

"This is a promising start!"