An unknown amount of time passed before Eris opened her eyes.
"Yawn… Hmm?"
She found herself lying in a bed. Glancing down, she saw small arms and legs—her body now appeared to be that of a ten-year-old.
"Hmm… Looks like the reincarnation was a success."
Her surroundings were simple: a wooden house. Peering through a nearby window, she saw a village with dozens of similar homes.
From another room came the clatter of dishes—someone was cooking.
Eris stepped out and saw a woman preparing an unfamiliar dish.
"Oh, hi Aris! You woke up early today. Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes."
So, this was her mother in this life. And her name was now Aris—a coincidence that amused her.
"I see. Can I ask you something?"
"Of course, sweetie."
"I'm a witch."
Her mother froze mid-motion, a plate slipping from her fingers unnoticed.
"Huh? What do you mean, Aris?"
"I've checked your mana. You don't know any spells, so I assume our family has no ties to sorcery. And since I don't sense any relevant mana sources nearby, it seems this entire village is magicless."
Her mother stared, speechless.
"Aris… are you okay?"
"Never better—physically, at least."
The reincarnation had worked flawlessly. Her body was intact, and in time, it would mature into the form she once had. However, rebirth came with limitations. Though she retained all her knowledge of spells, her mana reserves were restricted for now, reducing her casting frequency.
"From this life's memories, I have a father too. Where is he?"
Before her mother could answer, the front door burst open. A man strode in, hauling a massive fish over his shoulder.
"What a day! Look at this, honey—I just caught this beauty at the lake! No one's ever landed a Lupados before. We're eating like kings tonight!"
"O-Oh, welcome back, honey…"
"You've got a strange look on your face, Mary. What's wrong? Don't tell me you're allergic—"
His words cut short as he noticed Aris.
"Aris? Awake at this hour?"
Eris studied him from head to toe and sighed.
"No sorcery either… Looks like I didn't get lucky after all."
Mary hurried to her husband, Tony, whispering urgently in his ear.
"A witch? Sorcery? Since when are you interested in that?" he asked, baffled.
Eris paused, weighing her response.
"The truth is…"
Hours later, after lengthy explanations, her parents finally grasped the situation. Fortunately, they didn't seem to have that much of an issue with it, and still saw Eris as their daughter.
With no other mages in the village, Eris trained alone—a preference she didn't mind. Adapting to magic in this new body took little time.
And just like that, five years flew by.