Chapter III

After taking a surprisingly normal bath, I had Sara-chan bring me to the library.

What? Bath scene? There was no situation where Sara-chan entered the bath with a towel in her hands just barley covering her privates while asking, 'Allow me to wash your back, Roland-sama~'. Stop it with your delusions.

Anyways, I arrived at the library with Sara-chan. I asked her if their were any maps of the world and she says we have one very basic map of the continent we are in. As expected, accurate maps are kept highly confidential, only accessable to Kings or Generals of the Army. The world only has one, very large continent, in a similar shape as Africa but turned sideways to the left, and a large rhombus shaped island to the right the size of Britain. I'd say the ocean takes up around 65% of the world.

Next I asked for any books pertaining to magic, books of basic history, and books about classes and abilities. I don't plan on reading to much history, just a few very important dates. She gave me a sad look when I mentioned magic, but it disappeared as fast as it came, so I just ignored it for now.

Let's start with history to get it out of the way. Today's date is the 20th day of the 4th month of the 669th year, 2nd Era

...

Moving on. The first Era lasted 1302 years with most, if any written history before that being destroyed during the war with the Evil God and it's creations; Monsters. Yeah, that's right, the typical monsters you see all the time in fantasy RPGs - slimes, goblins, trolls, the undead, ect.

Those monsters are still around today, though. The Evil creations weren't the type to disappear when you sealed their creator. They can breed and populate quickly, except undead of course, they're far and few in-between but are known to be very powerful, but thanks to the Adventurer's Guild constantly hunting monsters, the populations are somewhat kept in check.

The second Era began when the first Demon Lord rose to power, unified all sentient demons, and took over 2/5th of the left side of the continent. It's said relations with the demons were strained before the unification and that they are evil, but I'm smart, so I don't put alot of trust in government approved history books which are most likely half truths or straight up lies. Especially in a monarchy. Still, if I can speak to demons, I'll speak, but if they try to kill me, I will kill them. Same with humans.

Next is magic. Almighty magic. I'm excited. Who wouldn't be?

Reading the 'History of Magic: Even a Hermit Crab Can Understand!'

I found that everyone has magic in them, but only some have the potential to become adept at attack and enhancing/enchanting magics. Attack Magic is pretty basic. It's pretty much any magic that can directly damage something or someone. Enhancing magic is more commonly used than Attack Magic, as it basically gives the caster a boost to their physical stats while not using much MP. It's pretty much used by close quarters combatants.

Yes, it seems everyone has a status, and they can access it without going to some church like in some other fantasy novels I've read before I transmigrated. I found that out when the book mentioned MP and stats like intelligence.

Lastly is enchantment, the more popular cousin of enhancment. It seems it's mostly used by magesmiths, a blacksmith who can imbue magical properties into weapons and armors. Its a rare occupation due to the fact that it's hard to learn and if you mess up you'll end up ruining the material your trying to enchant, forcing you to throw it away, unable to recycle it. It says here that dwarves have the most potential at becoming magesmiths. Of course they are.

Finished with history of magic, up next are books about classes.

It states that everyone has different potentials for different classes, and some people don't have any potential at all for other classes. It says you can only find your potential by trying different things. The book also states that people begin to unlock the ability to gain a class sometime during puberty. You won't get the class unless you gain experience in the field your interested in. For example, a person during puberty won't get a drawing related class if they were casually doodling on some paper, they'll only get that class if they're serious about art and start working for it.

I'm 22 now, and Roland finished puberty about 5 years ago...

What was he doing? why doesn't he have a class yet? Is he lazy? Has his family spoiled him too much? Whatever, I'll just work in his stead.

The last book Sara-chan gave me was about abilities. It's a small book meant to give you the bare bones on what are, and how to gain abilities. Basically, abilities are commonly gained at birth, are very, very rarely found in the form of a book , called 'Ability Book', and even rarer than that, they are given by gods as opposed to blessings, which this book also covers since blessing work similar to abilities. Abilities given by a god is just given to them randomly with no warning, and a blessing is also given by a god, but they are given along with a message from them. So I guess I got the Life God's Blessing due to that message in my status.

Anyways, so what sort of class would I be interested in, you ask? Well, magic of course!

I walked around the magic section of the library and found a 'Intro to Magic: Mana Manipulation' book. It's one small step for man, one giant leap for Roland-kind.

I opened the book to the first chapter, and my head starts hurting a little. I shrug it off and continue reading the book at a fast pace. To sum it up: Mana is an energy, obviously, but it's not quite, what's the word? Ethereal?

Magic in this world is partially physical. I know, weird right? You'd think it would be some invisible force like in most fantasy worlds, right? It's explained in the book that magic is like a fog when observed outside and without a container to hold the mana.

The next section of the book teaches you how to sense Mana inside yourself. It turns out people are born with an organ that stores mana. That obviously means I have one too. This is getting exciting. This mana organ is located just behind a persons heart and some people have it larger than others. To manipulate mana and cast magic one must first focus on that spot and try to channel it through the body, and once it's in the area of your choice, you chant a spell, or think it, if the wizard is good enough, and boom, you've produced magic.

I feel less like mana and more like... Ki? Will I be able to launch Kamehameha waves?

I close my eyes and focus on the spot behind my heart, and I grasp my mana almost immediately. Wow that feels warm. like really, really warm. Hot, even. I open my eyes and I was surprised to see the air around me looks like that weird wavy pattern you see in the distance when it's really hot and bright outside. Heat waves, I think? A vapor like gas is also leaking out of my body.

*PING*

I hear the familiar sound of my status screen, and a message pops up.

{Congratulations! You've aquired a skill! You might be wondering, 'Skills? but my status bar doesn't show a section for skills?' That's right! there are no 'skills' in this world! What, did you think you'd learn some skill, and then uselessly shout out the skills name in an attack like some kid suffering from chuunibyo?! I thought you were an adult! Anyways, I granted you this section of the status screen and the capacity to learn them. Only you have it, since your the main character after all! Oh and the reason Old Roland didn't earn a class wasn't because he was lazy, it's because he couldn't! Hohohoho! 'Why did you mention he was gonna be a hero before my soul was shoved inside him then?', I could hear you say. Well because he was smart with his ::Ultimate Learner:: ability, he would've had a pivotal role in the fight with demons as a Tactician! Well, the Evil God tried to intervene by manipulating some brigands into killing you, and he would've succeeded if I hadn't brought you here! I gave you this the Skill section as an apology for taking you from your world. I've read your thoughts, and I found you had always wanted to explore, so I gave you the means to become strong enough to do so. Oh, but you won't be able to learn skills that you have no potential for. Anyways, Your welcome, and goodbye for now!}

...

He sure talks alot huh. Is he the God of Exposition?

I'll just ignore him for now and read my status.

"Status." I mumbled quietly under my breath. This is the library after all, one must follow the rules.

______________________

Name {Roland Vestal}

Race {Half Human/Elf}

Age {22}

Class {None}

Title {Useless Bastard}

LVL {3}

HP {22/22}

MP {???/???}

STR {7}

AGI {11}

INT {31} -> {32}

DEX {14}

LCK {2}-> {3}

-Abilities-

::Ultimate Learner::

You are able to learn and process information at inconceivable speeds

::Great Stamina::

You have an extraordinary amount of stamina

::Unlocked Potential::

Your innate potential has been unlocked, allowing you to more easily grow into your destined class

::Skill Acquisition:: [NEW]

Allows you to gain skills from doing certain actions

-Skills-

::Mana Manipulation::

Allows you to manipulate your inner mana

-Blessings-

::Life God's Protection::

You are able to survive an otherwise lethal attack once a week

______________________

Is the reason my Title is 'Useless Bastard' have to do with not being able to get a class? Who are the dipshits that call me that? Other nobles? It's likely that Roland had went to some sort of high society or magic academy or something and was bullied by some of his peers because he couldn't get a class. In this seemingly cliché world, that sure is a fitting setting.

Time to continue my impromptu training session. This time I don't close my eyes and continue focusing on my mana. Vapor starts to form again and the area around me starts to produce heat waves. Huh, I wonder why that's happening? I stop my focusing, and look in the book for answers. Ah, it says it right here:

'Mana comes from both the world's center, and the sun. It is therefore absorbed by all living things. Mana is, at it's core, an energy that produces heat. The more one concentrates on their mana, the hotter the area around them gets, although the user feels none of this heat, concentrating too much and for too long will cause you to leak out mana at an accelerated rate, leaving you with 0 MP and resulting in you passing out. It is recommended to focus your mana to a smaller point, for example, your palms, to cast an attack spell, or your entire arm, to enhance your strength for a physical strike.'

Hmm. it basically is ki, isn't it? It sure sound very similar, but I guess ki in the Dragon Ball universe is basically magic too.

I kinda want to test how much mana I have anyways, but it's probably best to do it outside. I don't want to melt these books if my prediction turns out to be correct...

My mana is in question marks. I've thought of it before, but it's possible that I have alot. I mean if I didn't, it wouldn't be in question marks, it would be close to or at zero, right? I'm sure I'm right.

I stood up and let Sara-chan know that I wanted to go outside to practice mana.

That's when she stopped me and said, "I'm sorry, Roland-sama, but... you can't use magic... I apologize for not telling you earlier, but the Lord ordered me to not tell you, since he thought it best for you to figure that out on your own.

B-but I just don't want you to go through that again... I want to see you smile more..." The last part of her sentence trailing off.

I looked at her and smiled. Roland must've had it tough, huh? So he was depressed? Is that why I'm so unhealthy pale? He must've never gon outside.

I patted her head and showed her an unworried smile.

"Don't you worry your pretty little face, Sara-chan! I'll smile as often as a shounen protagonist just for you!" I said while laughing.

Sara-chan looked at me with red cheeks and asked in confusion, "Sho-nen? What's that?". God, she's cute. Too bad she won't be in my harem. Sorry, but I plan on adventuring, and I can't bring along a maid who's too weak, not to mention she probably doesn't even have a combat class.

"Don't sweat the details! Just trust me! I can learn magic now. Or at least there is a chance that I can, if my experiments work the way I think it would." I said confidently.

"Wha-what how can you learn magic? You weren't able to before!" Sara-chan exclaims. "Are you teasing me again?! Roland-sama~~ Bully~"

"Well... I'd like you to keep a secret... no... I order you to keep this secret. Okay?" I asked her, my voice suddenly getting serious. I'm sure as hell serious. I don't want this to get out and have some freaky religious organization at my back trying to turn me into some sort of messiah.

"I've... been blessed by the God of Life... and he's given me the potential to use magic." I said to Sara-chan in a low voice.

"Wh-wh-WHAT!? REALLY?!!-" Sara-chan said in a thunderous voice.

"SHHHush! This is library! Thank you." I put my finger on my lips and urged her to calm down.

"Ah. Sorry, Roland-sama... but have you really been blessed?" Sara-chan whispered.

"Yes, after I lost my memories God came to me in my dreams and told me that I was not to die, that I had a mission, and He gave me the... ability... to do so." I said, coming up with a suitable half truth, while on observing the surroundings.

"Wow, that's amazing! I knew you were blessed by God when I saw your wound was completely healed! I'll keep it a secret even if I'm captured and killed!" Sara-chan said in a quiet shout, sporting a guts pose. I can't mention it enough. Cute. You don't have to risk your life though. I could do without seeing a lovely lady dead on the floor.

Well, I've wasted enough daylight let's go test my MP out now.

"Let's go outside, Sara-chan, I want to test my MP." I spoke shaking her from her merry mood.

"Yes, Roland-sama! I shall guide you to a secluded part of the garden to avoid any eyes." Sara-chan said as she looked at me proudly. So dependable. Maybe I'll make her my mistress after my mission.

======================

Well, my mind is all gassed out. World building is tougher than I thought. It's still fun though, and easy since this world is kinda filled with tropes (if you haven't already noticed)

I've made it this way since this is my first novel and it's easy on my brain. I've also tried my best to make it a little funny? I hope some references aren't too forced. If you feel that it is just tell me and I'll tone it down. Thank you for reading!