Vol 1 Chapter 2 – In My Second Life at Age Eight, I Become Someone’s First Love【Vol 1 – When Written in Kanji, It’s Saionji Yumeba】

The Saionji Ducal House.

From the sound of it, probably written as “Saionji” in kanji. Long ago, a master swordsman from the East married into the Empire, became a branch family of the imperial line, and their lineage continues to this day as a renowned house of the blade.

While nobles typically possess golden hair and blue eyes, the Saionji family is characterized by generations of red hair and crimson eyes.

Normally, backing from such an influential noble house would be invaluable to imperial succession candidates—a duke’s daughter would naturally be engaged to one of the princes. But due to certain circumstances, for princes seeking the throne, daughters of House Saionji had become forbidden territory.

So. This Saionji duke’s daughter offered to teach me magic, but…

“Gufh!”

“What are you doing?! Dodge properly!”

For some reason, I’d been handed a wooden sword and forced into repeated mock battles with Yumeba.

You might wonder how it came to this. I have absolutely no idea either.

I was supposed to be learning magic, but somehow I’d been dragged to the courtyard, given a wooden sword, and made to spar endlessly.

“Come on! Next round!”

“Wait…! Hold on…!”

Despite my protests, Yumeba swung her wooden sword mercilessly, landing a direct hit…

“Hogeh!”

I passed out easily.

When I woke up, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

And my head hurt like hell.

“Oh my. You’re awake?”

“…Huh?”

An unfamiliar beautiful woman was peering down at me.

Glossy red hair reaching her waist, gentle crimson eyes…

“Are you… Lady Saionji?”

Those distinctive features gave away her identity.

“Yes. Well done figuring that out.”

“You’re… rather distinctive.”

As I slowly sat up, my head throbbed, though the pain was lighter than expected.

“I treated you, but does it still hurt?”

“I’m fine.”

“Good. Then let me properly introduce myself. I’m Yukina = Reio = Saionji. Current head of House Saionji, and mother of Yumeba, who knocked you out with a wooden sword.”

Seriously?

I’d guessed she was related to House Saionji, but I never imagined she was a mother.

She looked young enough to pass as Yumeba’s older sister.

“Ah… I’m Emilio = Orteando = Alcian.”

“I know. You’re famous in your own way.”

My belated introduction was met with recognition—apparently the discarded prince was well known.

However, unlike the castle residents, her eyes held no contempt.

“I apologize for Yumeba. That child is a busybody and a tomboy… I wonder who she takes after?”

“…”

“Something on your mind?”

“Eep! N-nothing at all!”

For a moment I wondered if she’d been a tomboy too, but then received such a terrifyingly cold look that I panicked.

As expected of the head of the renowned House Saionji.

Her presence far exceeds her daughter’s.

“She means well. She actually cried while carrying you here after you fainted.”

“She said she’d teach me magic, but somehow it turned into sword sparring…”

“That child is better with swords than magic.”

“I see.”

Thus I became acquainted with the Saionji mother and daughter.

　◇◇◇

After that, Yumeba dragged me to the courtyard daily for various training sessions.

“You faint so easily because you’re cooped up indoors like a bean sprout! From now on, I’ll toughen up your weak self!”

“What happened to magic training?”

“Land one hit on me and I’ll teach you!”

“Ugh…”

Even if we’re both eight years old, landing a hit on a Saionji duke’s daughter with a sword is impossible mode.

“First, to build basic stamina… we run!”

“Ugh…”

“Twenty laps around the castle!”

“That’ll kill me.”

I thought she was joking, but Yumeba was serious.

I ran until I collapsed—and woke up at House Saionji again with Lady Yukina nursing me.

I resolved to either run or hide the next time I saw Yumeba.

　◇◇◇

I eventually figured out magic on my own.

In my subconscious room, I imagined sending mana to my fingertip. It gathered there, and after reciting the incantation, it worked.

It worked, but…

Something’s… off.

Going through my subconscious room to send mana to my fingertip felt incredibly inefficient.

Normal people probably don’t do this.

The problem is I can’t see mana.

In my subconscious room, I can see it as black, viscous liquid. But that’s just an imagined representation—in reality, mana isn’t visible.

When gathered at my fingertip, I vaguely sense its presence, but it’s unclear and uncertain.

Well, if someone told me that’s just how mana is, I’d have to accept it.

Isn’t there some way to see mana?

After research, I found an inscription magic that visualizes mana.

If I made glasses and inscribed this magic on them, I could visualize mana.

The problem is I have no way to obtain glasses.

Yeah. Glasses exist in this world but they’re luxury items—not something given freely to the discarded prince.

Plus I have perfect vision, so explaining why I’d want them would be difficult.

Before that, I need to practice inscription magic properly.

Next I’ll try inscription magic.

Inscription magic involves inscribing predetermined markings and channeling mana through them to activate.

The specific inscriptions correspond to the incantation portions of incantation magic, but…

What do these actually mean?

I read numerous grimoires in the castle library, but found no books translating incantations or inscriptions.

Is it too complex and under-researched? Or was there never any meaning to begin with?

I’ll try decoding elementary magic incantations first.

　◇◇◇

Decoding incantations and inscriptions progressed more easily than expected.

Magic might be more amazing than I thought.

For example, Tinder makes sense if you think of it as burning mana as fuel—like alcohol.

But elementary magic includes Aqua, which creates a cup of water.

I initially thought this spell chemically combined atmospheric oxygen and hydrogen to produce water, but actually, it directly converts mana into water.

Meaning even Tinder doesn’t burn mana as fuel—it directly converts mana into fire.

And since Aqua produces drinkable water, substances created through magical conversion persist permanently.

In other words, mana converts into matter—magic creates physical substances.

If I understand the principles, couldn’t I create anything?

This is getting exciting!

“Found you.”

“Eep!”

I let my guard down while excited about magic’s possibilities.

I fearfully turned around to see Yumeba-san with a huge smile…

“Time for today’s training!”

“Um, I’m feeling a bit under the weather today…”

“No problem! I consider curing your weakness my mission!”

“…I see.”

Escape seemed impossible.

　◇◇◇

This world’s culture—or rather the Empire’s—leans Western.

The staple food is bread, and the drink is tea.

Not only is there no rice, but miso and soy sauce—Japanese ingredients—rarely exist.

But surprisingly, cherry blossoms exist.

Long ago, when House Saionji came from the East, an ancestor longing for their homeland imported and planted them. Through that history, the Empire has magnificent cherry blossom-lined paths.

The Empire has four seasons, and now it’s spring.

Gorgeous cherry blossoms bloom in full glory…

“Hah… hah… hah…”

I had no leisure to look up at those blossoms as I ran.

“Come on, your pace is dropping! Just twenty more laps, so keep going!”

“I’m… dying.”

I don’t know what Saionji house training entails, but this is straight-up child abuse for an eight-year-old.

Though the instructor is also eight years old.

“Can’t… anymore.”

Reaching my limit, I finally collapsed.

“Hey! Don’t just fall asleep!”

Yumeba yelled furiously, but I truly couldn’t move anymore.

I was about to lose consciousness when…

“Um… are you alright?”

“?”

An unfamiliar voice made me reflexively lift my head.

Standing there was a girl unlike Yumeba and me—with the proper imperial and noble traits of golden hair and blue eyes, wearing a white dress.

“Wow.”

This girl around our age stared at me—specifically at my eyes—in surprise.

Well, most people who meet me are startled by my heterochromia.

“Amazing. How beautiful.”

“…”

But this was the first time someone noble called them beautiful.

She’s not talking about the cherry blossoms, right?

“Lio! You can still stand after all!”

“Ah.”

Gazing at this new girl, I’d forgotten the demon sergeant behind me.

I’d planned to pass out and end this…

“I see. I thought you gave up easily every time… but it was an act.”

“N-no…!”

“Tomorrow’s menu doubles!”

“No no no!”

I tearfully pleaded with Yumeba, no joke…

“Tee-hee-hee.”

The golden-haired, blue-eyed girl watched us with amused laughter.

An innocent laugh like Yumeba’s when we first met.

The main heroine has finally arrived.

“You just thought something rude, didn’t you?”

“Wh-wh-wh-what do you mean?”

No no. Even if she’s around my age, I wouldn’t develop romantic feelings for a child, right?

Though I don’t know about ten years from now, so I just thought I’d lay groundwork early.

“My introduction is late. I am Serinael = Norda = Kairinан, eldest daughter of Duke Kairinан. Please call me Serina.”

She was a duke’s daughter.

“…”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

I definitely wasn’t thinking how different she is from the other duke’s daughter.

“I’m Emilio = Orteando = Alcian. Fourth Imperial Prince, technically.”

“I’m Yumeba = Reio = Saionji. Eldest daughter of Duke Saionji.”

“Oh my.”

Serina looked surprised to learn our titles matched or exceeded hers.

“I was wondering how to explain this to Father, but if you’re a prince and a duke’s daughter, we can normally be friends!”

Unlike a certain demon sergeant, her father seems strict.

Thus Lio, Yumeba, and Serina became friends.

　◇◇◇

Unlike Yumeba and me, Serina normally lives in her ducal territory, not the capital.

She came because her father—Duke Kairinан—had business in the capital.

“Hmph. When I told Father about Lio-sama, he said not to get too close. I’m quite upset!”

“Well, I am the discarded prince.”

Serina was visibly displeased, but her father was objectively correct.

Though not my fault, nothing good comes from befriending a prince with rock-bottom reputation.

“Lio just needs to get stronger and show them!”

“Yeah…”

Yumeba’s opinions are always straightforward.

You could call her simple.

“If you have something to say, I’m listening.”

“Nothing at all.”

Is this sharp intuition Saionji bloodline? Lady Yukina is also uncannily perceptive.

“…”

Serina watched our exchange intently.

“What’s up?”

“Um… are Lio-sama and Yumeba-san perhaps engaged?”

“Huh?”

She said something completely off-base.

“You seem so close.”

“I won’t say we’re on bad terms, but as long as I’m a Saionji woman, I don’t think I’ll ever be engaged to Lio.”

“Right. At least while I’m a prince, I don’t think I’ll be engaged to Yumeba.”

“?”

Serina looked confused, but since House Saionji is forbidden territory for princes in succession struggles, Yumeba and I could never be engaged.

Even if I had no intention of entering the succession struggle.

“Ask Duke Kairinан when you return and he’ll explain what House Saionji is. And why engagement with Lio is impossible.”

“I see.”

Serina glanced at me and smiled slightly, looking pleased.

Though we’d only met days ago, she seemed to harbor affection for me.

　◇◇◇

Normally, we’re not in positions to just play around.

Princes receive elite education, and duke’s daughters take various lessons—they’re not idle.

But as the discarded prince, nobody pays attention to me. Yumeba faces no complaints as long as she trains in swordsmanship. And Serina is essentially vacationing in the capital.

Normally status-conscious, if three people like us play together daily, naturally we’d grow close.

Especially Serina, who apparently never had same-age, equal friends before, seemed to treasure our friendship greatly.

As we grew closer, naturally we understood each other more deeply.

I already knew Yumeba was a busybody tomboy, but Serina, who acted like a proper lady outwardly, was essentially clumsy and stubborn.

“Lio-sama is quite lazy.”

“And a slacker.”

“…”

Well, just as I understand them, they naturally understand me too.

“But you have such beautiful eyes.”

“Well… I don’t think he’s a bad person.”

They didn’t seem to have negative impressions though.

“~♪”

Especially Serina—though too immature to call it romantic love—seemed to harbor affection for me.

　◇◇◇

But we couldn’t stay together forever.

Serina only accompanied Duke Kairinан. Once his business finished, naturally she’d return to the territory.

Her real home is in Kairinан duchy.

And Serina enjoying free time was the result of coincidence upon coincidence.

Therefore, meeting or playing with us again required extraordinary coincidence.

Worst case, we might never meet again.

Serina might debut in high society as an adult and attend capital parties, but Yumeba and I probably wouldn’t participate.

Me, because I’m the discarded prince.

Yumeba, because upon adulthood she’s set to join the Royal Guard.

“In ten years…”

Therefore, this was Serina’s resolute promise.

“No, ten years is too long, so in eight years, let’s meet here again, all three of us. I’ll definitely return!”

Her firm resolve suddenly changed course, but thinking about it, in ten years we’d be eighteen—and in this world, an unmarried eighteen-year-old woman is nearly past marriageable age.

“Yeah.”

“Got it.”

At our favorite cherry blossom path, we promised to reunite—and bid farewell to our dear friend Serina.