I stand as straight as I can along my door frame as my mother marks the wood above my head with a knife.

  I grew a few inches in the past 8 months!

  Now, nearly eleven years old, I'm the size of an actual 10-year-old!

  Ugh, I really hope I'm not too short when I'm fully grown, though. But, at this growth rate, I'd maybe be around Mother's height or a little taller.

  5'5" or maybe 5'7"? I could only hope…

  Because Valerie is now taller than me.

  It's only natural that the muscle head grows to be bigger than anyone else. Ever since our first spar, she's been coming over to fight any chance she gets.

  Still, with my fighting experience from my past life, I always win, but that doesn't discourage Valerie at all. In fact, each loss of hers only serves to motivate her.

  I'm glad that's the case, but I bet it's only because she's a muscle head. I'm not saying she's dumb, just that she hates technicalities or anything too complicated.

  But because of this personality of hers, she's also here today for another spar.

  Due to her growth, I can tell she'll be physically stronger than me before long. I may even lose to her one day.

  "Haah!"

  A bit of dirt kicked up from Valerie's mace striking the ground. This is actually her seventh mace, the others she's broken during our previous matches.

  This time, it seems her father opted to make a wooden mace out of a stronger wood. It didn't break this time.

  Still, while Valerie's movements were simple, they were unpredictable, which was great training for me.

  Even so, today, she will still lose to me.

  Dodging another strike of hers, I duck under her outstretched arm and grab it, moving behind her as I trip her up with my foot.

  "Uwahh!"

  Valerie falls face first into the ground and I set the tip of my sword to the back of her neck.

  "It's my win again."

  Valerie lifted her face, now dirty with mud and dust, and complained, though she still grinned wide as if her loss didn't matter to her.

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  "Damn it! I'll win one day!"

  I crouch in front of her and wipe her face with a cold damp towel from the trough. "I'm sure you will, Valy. You're gonna become much stronger than me soon."

  Valerie closed her eyes as she allowed me to wipe her face clean. "Really?"

  "Of course. You're already a few inches taller than me. But, don't think I'll go down easily when that time comes!"

  "I won't! Luxa is super strong! I have to keep training to beat you!"

  "That's the spirit. There… your face is all spick and span."

  Valerie opened her eyes and met with mine. She grinned again, her red-tinged cheeks cutely puffing up.

  Aw~ she'll lose all that baby fat and she won't be as childishly cute anymore. She'd probably be as pretty as her mother in a few years…

  Though, with that tough personality of hers… I pray she finds a worthy husband in the future. Knowing her, she wouldn't settle for a guy weaker than her, or something.

  After a few more spars, Valerie went home with a big smile on her face.

  With my day training over, it's time to hit the bath and eat some protein! Delicious, scrumptious deer venison today! Cooked bloody and rare by my dearest Mother!

  "Oof… I feel like I'm gonna burst…"

  I rubbed my stomach as I lay splayed atop my bed.

  In these 8 months, regarding my mana, I've increased the size by triple just last night. If I knew any basic spells I could probably fire 10 to 13. I just wish the element affinity ceremony would come quicker!

  But, it'll all be worth it. Because, by that time, I'll have a great amount of mana that people's jaws would drop.

  I'd get praise as a genius and the entire billlage will celebrate me and feed my ego!

  Hahahaha!

  …

  Alright, time to train.

  I open the window next to my bed and meditate, forcing more man into my veins, little by little, expanding it.

  While it's not exactly physical in nature, mana veins act a lot like regular muscles. It starts aching really badly if I force too much mana into my veins, or, if I train for too long, I'll get a really bad headache and risk a brain aneurysm or worse, a mana burst, which entails blowing up due to mana overflow.

  I don't want to risk death, so I stop training the moment my body starts aching.

  By my estimates, I'd probably have enough mana to fire off hundreds of basic spells in two years. Probably…

  I mean, every time I train my veins, its size seems to increase exponentially. Now, I'm at the point where the next time it gets bigger, it'll probably be six times larger.

  I wonder if that's just the standard for the mages of this world… or if I somehow have main character status and for whatever reason, the abnormal ability to increase my mana reserves exponentially and with nearly no effort.

  Ah, I shouldn't get it into my head that I'm some sort of protagonist. That's a dangerous way to think, in a world with monsters in it.

  "Yaaa~ I think that's enough for tonight."

  I arch my back in a big stretch and let out a huge yawn. I look out of my window and to the night sky.

  The moon is big and full again. A beautiful sight as always. Such a simple view, a bright circle on a dark blue backdrop, with the occasional bright star. But that simplicity is what draws me in.

  I've always thought since coming into this world, that I'd be satisfied with my current simple life.

  That I would stay in the village, and take up a job as the city guard, like my Father.

  Maybe I wouldn't marry a man, but I'd have no problem adopting a child.

  I reach out to the moon, trying to grasp it in my hands.

  "Heh… Who am I kidding… I've always taken adventures back on Earth. Maybe for the wrong reasons… but, this time, in this life, I'll adventure on my own terms."