The Book Thief

Another dull morning. Another dull day.

It’s been three years since I was reincarnated into this world, and honestly, I’ve gotten used to the routine. Life as a noble isn’t bad—good food, luxurious surroundings, and personal maids who cater to my every need. But for all the comfort, it’s also suffocating.

I wake up, eat breakfast, listen to Lina’s constant chattering, read whatever books she sneaks me, have lunch, explore the halls, get scolded for trying to enter restricted areas, eat dinner, and then sleep. Every. Single. Day.

I want to see the world outside these damn walls. Eryndor, the capital city of Garthram, is not far from here, but I’ve never set foot in it. I know it exists because I’ve read about it, but books can only take me so far.

Unfortunately, the life of a noble child isn’t one of adventure—at least, not yet. Lucian keeps me locked in this mansion like a rare collector’s item, and Grilda, as sweet as she is, never questions his authority. Mara and Lina? They enforce the rules, of course. No matter how much I beg, they won’t let me leave.

But today… today is different.

I can hear Mara’s voice from the library.

“Lina, stop slacking off and help me with the dusting,” she says, her tone crisp and commanding.

Lina groans dramatically. “Maraaa, it’s so boring! Who even reads half these books?”

Mara sighs. “That’s why we clean them. If they’re forgotten, dust will ruin them.”

I freeze mid-step.

Mara’s cleaning the library today?

This only happens once every few months. She removes all the books from the shelves to dust and polish them, which means the forbidden magic books—usually kept on the highest shelves—are now stacked on the floor.

This is my chance.

I tiptoe down the corridor, glancing around for potential threats. The coast is clear. I slip into the library, my heart pounding in anticipation.

The moment I step inside, the scent of old parchment and polished wood fills my nose. Dust swirls in the golden light streaming through the tall windows. Stacks of books cover the floor, some opened, their ancient pages whispering secrets of the past.

I move fast, scanning the titles. Most are boring historical records or books on noble etiquette. No, no, no… There!

A book titled "Imagination and Realization: Mana Control for Beginners."

Jackpot.

I snatch it up and bolt out of the library before Mara or Lina notice. I don’t stop until I’m safely back in my room, door shut behind me.

Taking a deep breath, I sit on my bed and flip open the book.

The first chapter is straightforward. Mana is an energy that exists within every living being. To perform magic, a mage must direct this energy through their body and release it as a spell.

Simple enough.

The book says that to activate a spell, I need to visualize mana as if it were flowing through my veins, like blood. Then, I must focus it into a specific point—like my palm—before activating the spell.

“Imagine it like breathing,” the book explains. “Natural, instinctive, and ever-present.”

I nod to myself. “Alright. Let’s test this.”

The next page introduces a beginner spell: Lumius.

“Light of the heavens, heed my call, and banish the dark—Lumius!”

I raise my hand and focus.

For the past three years, I’ve felt something strange within me, like a second pulse beneath my skin. Could that be my mana?

I close my eyes and concentrate.

I picture tiny streams of energy running through my body, flowing like an invisible current. I imagine directing it toward my palm, shaping it into light.

Then, I speak the incantation:

“Light of the heavens, heed my call, and banish the dark—Lumius!”

For a moment, nothing happens.

I frown. Did I get it wrong? Was that supposed to be dramatic, and the spell is actually just a scam?

But then—

A small, flickering orb of golden light appears in my hand.

I stare at it, stunned.

It’s real.

I just used magic.

A slow grin spreads across my face.

This is incredible! The light flickers slightly, like a weak candle flame, but it’s mine.

I focus harder, and the light grows brighter. When I lessen my focus, it dims.

So… mana flow determines the strength of the spell?

I spend the next hour experimenting, increasing and decreasing the mana flow, watching as the light in my hand shifts from a soft glow to a radiant flare.

The sun starts to set outside, but I barely notice. It wasn't long before night fell.

Night had fallen, and the mansion was wrapped in its usual, eerie silence. The only sound was the occasional gust of wind rattling against the windows.

I sat cross-legged on my bed, still marveling at the tiny flickering orb of light hovering over my palm. Even after hours of practice, I couldn’t get enough of it.

Magic.

I could actually use magic.

But just as I was about to try extinguishing and reigniting the light, my bedroom door slammed open.

"Young Master!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Standing in the doorway, eyes narrowed and glasses gleaming menacingly, was Mara. Her posture was stiff with barely restrained irritation, and in her hand was a long sheet of parchment.

Oh no.

"I counted every book that was removed for cleaning today," she said, stepping into my room with all the grace of a debt collector about to ruin someone’s life. "And do you know what I discovered?"

I swallowed. "Uh… That math is your passion?"

Mara’s glare could have incinerated me on the spot.

"I discovered that we are missing exactly one book. A book that was neither returned nor accounted for." She pointed a gloved finger directly at me. "And I don’t suppose you, Young Master, have any idea where it might be?"

I glanced at the book lying wide open beside me.

Yeah, I was caught.

In my defense, Mara is terrifyingly good at numbers. This isn’t the first time I’ve stolen—borrowed—a book, but how does she always know? I swear, she must count books the same way a dragon counts its gold.

I sighed. "Alright, alright. I took it. But in my defense, it was for the sake of learning!"

Mara’s eye twitched. "You mean you snuck into the library, took a book you knew was off-limits, and didn’t think there would be consequences?"

"Well, when you put it like that, it sounds bad."

"It is bad, Young Master!" She crossed her arms. "If Master Lucian finds out—"

But before she could continue, I raised my hand.

"Mara, look!"

In an attempt to defend my honor, I summoned my magic.

A small, golden orb of light appeared in my palm—completely on its own.

Mara froze.

Her mouth, which had been in full scolding mode, stopped mid-sentence.

I tilted my head. "Uh… Mara?"

Her gaze flickered between my face and the glowing sphere. "Young Master… what spell is this?"

"Lumius."

"…Where is the incantation?"

I blinked. "Huh?"

Mara marched over and snatched my wrist, lifting my hand higher, studying the glowing sphere like it had just announced its intention to overthrow the kingdom.

"You didn’t say the incantation," she murmured, more to herself than to me.

I shrugged. "I just… thought about it. And it happened."

Her fingers tightened slightly around my wrist.

Oh. That’s not normal, is it?

Mara didn’t say anything for a long moment. Then, abruptly, she sighed and let go of my wrist.

"We’ll discuss this later," she said, sounding unusually tense. "Come. It’s time for dinner."

I didn’t argue. Mostly because her expression was unreadable, and that was a little terrifying.

Dinner was usually a quiet, painfully formal affair.

Lucian sat at the head of the table, cold and unreadable as always. Grilda sat across from me, her smile soft as she cut her food into tiny pieces before taking delicate bites.

I focused on eating as silently as possible.

But then—

Mara cleared her throat.

"Master Lucian, Lady Grilda," she said, loud and clear, her voice ringing through the dining hall. "I must report something important about Young Master Castiel."

I froze.

Oh, no.

I could feel Lucian’s piercing gaze shift to me instantly. Grilda, on the other hand, simply raised an eyebrow.

Mara continued, "While retrieving a book that Young Master had taken from the library, I discovered something remarkable."

Please don’t say it. Please don’t say it.

"Castiel was able to perform Lumius without an incantation."

The room fell into absolute silence.

I felt my stomach drop. I slowly turned my head toward Lucian, bracing myself for the worst.

Was I about to get banished? Locked up? Disowned?

But Lucian didn’t react at all.

He simply nodded once.

"…Understood."

Wait, that’s it?

Grilda, however, broke into the warmest smile I had ever seen from her.

"My little boy is already learning magic," she said softly, her violet eyes shimmering with pride. "How wonderful."

Lucian set his fork down. "Lina. Mara."

Both maids straightened instantly at the sound of his voice.

"From now on," he said smoothly, "you will begin training Castiel in magic."

My eyes widened. Wait, really? Just like that?

Mara bowed slightly. "As you command, Master Lucian."

Lina, who had been oddly silent this whole time, suddenly grinned and gave me a playful wink.

"Looks like you’re getting a head start, huh, Young Master?"

I swallowed.

Well… that could have gone worse.

Still, as I continued eating, my mind raced.

This wasn’t normal. The way Mara reacted, the way Lucian immediately ordered training without hesitation—it all pointed to one thing.

This is rare.

And in a world where the strong rule, being rare could be both a blessing and a curse.

For now, though, I’d take what I could get.

I could use magic. And starting tomorrow, I was going to learn how to wield it properly.