My name is Issei Uzui.
At least… that is what they call me now.
In my past life, I lived in a place called Earth, in a country known as Brazil. I do not remember exactly how I died. I only know that when I opened my eyes again, I was already in another world.
My memories did not return all at once. They surfaced little by little, fragmented, like pieces of a forgotten puzzle. It was only when I turned five years old that I was finally able to understand where I was.
DanMachi.
I realized it thanks to the woman who ran the orphanage—Dona Dora. Every night, before we went to sleep, she told the children stories of heroes. One name appeared again and again: Albert Waldstein.
It was not hard to connect the dots.
I was in the world of DanMachi.
From what I could tell, I lived in a small orphanage. I had no memories of my parents in this world. When I asked the woman in charge, I received only a vague answer: they were in a distant place and were unable to take care of me.
I did not need to press further to understand the true meaning behind those words.
Returning to the main issue—being in DanMachi was not exactly good news.
My knowledge was limited. I only knew the first season of the anime and a few fanfics I used to read in my past life. Even so, the dangers were far too clear to ignore. Organizations lurking in the shadows, monsters that challenged the gods, and threats that should not even exist in that world.
But there was no point in thinking about that now.
I needed to understand where I was, how far Orario was, and how I could someday reach it.
Even the nearest academic city—known for its ties to magic and research—was several days away on foot. Not that it mattered. My goal had always been Orario.
I sighed as I accepted reality.
No horses, no escort, and no Falna. Any attempt at traveling would be suicide. Fire to boil water was the least of my problems. The vegetation was strange, the food unfamiliar, and beyond wild animals, there were monsters.
In the end, there was only one choice left.
'I need to extract as much information as possible… and prepare myself. Intellectually and physically.'
And that is exactly what I did.
As time passed, I discovered that the village was small, yet peculiar. Besides farmers and traveling herbalists, there were two craftsmen who stood out.
Brothers.
Gart and Garp.
Both had once tried to join the Hephaestus Familia.
They failed. Repeatedly.
Unable to sustain a life in Orario, they eventually moved far away and settled in that forgotten village.
—
"Your forging skills are amazing, Mr. Gart!"
"It's nothing worth being impressed by, kid. You've never seen real forging. When you're older and visit Orario, you'll understand."
Gart, the older brother, hammered the metal with precision. After much insistence on my part, he agreed to forge a small dagger for me. The deal was simple: I could only use it during training and would have to return it afterward.
The local guard, responsible for the village's safety, had also agreed to train me.
"Brother, I'm back! The equipment exchange went smoothly today!"
"Hahaha! Great work, Garp. I'm finishing the kid's dagger. Let's celebrate in a bit!"
"Wow… you're amazing, Mr. Garp! Can you teach me your techniques too?"
Gart snorted.
"Kid, don't bite off more than you can chew. Focus on what you're best at."
"My brother's right," Garp added. "Otherwise, you'll end up like us. Two failed old men, maybe with children lost somewhere in the world, and nothing to show for it."
"Understood! I'll do my best!"
—
And so, the years passed.
By the age of ten, I had learned everything I could in that place. If it were possible to translate that into numbers, it would probably look something like this:
============================
Name: Issei Uzui
Level: 0
Parameters:
STR: I 11
END: I 15
DEX: I 31
AGI: I 12
MAG: I 0
LUK: F 301
Skills: Craftsman (I), Herbalist (I), Weapon Mastery (I), Luck (F)
Magic: None
============================
—
Even without fully understanding that system, I knew one thing.
My focus had shifted.
Magic.
Without a mentor and without proper books, all I could do was experiment. Using what little I remembered from my past life, I began training in areas with higher concentrations of fauna and flora. If something like natural mana existed, it would make sense to find it there.
Sitting atop a rock, in a lotus position, I repeated mentally:
'Breathe… inhale… a focused mind can pierce stone…'
—
After an entire month… something changed.
"I… feel something."
I murmured.
The sensation was faint. Like a breeze mixed with liquid.
"Is this… mana?"
My heart nearly leapt out of my chest.
—
It took an entire year for that feeling to turn into something concrete.
"Focus… visualize…"
I opened my eyes.
"Ignite: Matchstick!"
A small flame appeared at the tip of my finger.
Literally a matchstick.
I laughed to myself. It wasn't much, but for someone without any guidance, it was a miracle.
By the age of eleven, my responsibilities in the village only increased.
—
"Kid!"
The guard shouted when he saw me returning from the forest.
"The craftsmen are looking for you. Where were you?"
Ugh… probably about the delivery outside the village.
"I'm coming! I was just walking through the forest."
"Brat, the forest isn't a place for children. There are wild animals… and monsters."
"Sorry. I'll be careful."
I bowed briefly and left.
"You'd better. Now go!"
It was my second time accompanying Garp on a trading trip. On the first, I had learned more about the world than in years at the village. Including… killing a goblin along the way.
'It's still strange… nauseating.'
—
During that trip, I tried something reckless.
Asking a mage for help.
It did not end well.
'I never want to go through that again.'
—
(Flashback)
"Sir Mage, could you tell me a little about magic?" Issei asked, bowing deeply.
"Hah?"
"A talentless commoner daring to speak to this young master?!"
He spat.
It landed beside Issei. Luck taking effect without him realizing it.
"Brat, get out of my sight. I'm in a good mood today—otherwise, I'd have killed you on the spot."
He released a killing aura.
(End Flashback)
—
With no alternatives, I continued alone.
I learned that magic used the mind. That excess led to collapse. That there were limits that could not be ignored.
Two years later, at thirteen, I made a dangerous discovery.
A rudimentary way to alter the nature of a spell through a fixed core and simple variations. A magic designed to use other magics.
It's like subprograms. You create a main program and a function. You don't alter the first—only the second. The change is just a value or word, but it creates a surprising effect on the main program.
"I can't believe it… it really worked!"
The young boy exclaimed, eyes wide.
It worked.
For a few seconds.
"Huh?"
After that, I blacked out.
—
When I woke up, it was night. A full moon.
The silence of the forest was unsettling.
On the way back, I smelled something.
Smoke.
'I have to hurry!'
—
The village… was destroyed.
And the one responsible… was still there.
"An Infant Dragon…"
My legs began to tremble. The mere presence of the creature inspired fear.
Without a Falna, I had no chance.
But there was no choice.
There was only one way to defeat it.
Preparing for a surprise attack, the boy drew the dagger he always carried at the age of twelve. Channeling his magic through the blade, it began to vibrate and glow. At that moment, he ran toward the target.
The dragon was still.
Distracted.
Savoring the new sensation it had discovered shortly after its birth.
Using wind magic on his feet to soften his steps, Issei propelled himself into the air with the same magic. Before the dragon could turn and realize what was happening, its head fell to the ground.
The blade that cut it shattered, unable to withstand the pressure of the imbued magic. The dragon turned into dark ashes that faded into the air, leaving behind a magic stone. Issei collapsed to the ground, clutching his head in pain—the magic used had exceeded what his body could endure.
—
Hours later, only the silence of dawn remained.
Issei searched the village for signs of life.
No one survived.
Among the rubble, the only things he found were the local guard's sword, a total of 10,000 valis, and an unexpected surprise.
Inside the home of Gart and Garp…
A box.
Inside were a red scarf, a small dark-brown backpack, a dagger with a dark blade, and a letter.
It was a farewell gift from the old men to the boy.
The craftsmen knew of his desire to go to Orario and become an adventurer. They had always done everything they could to support him. And when the time came, they intended to give him this farewell gift.
As a keepsake.
"…sob…"
Issei could not hold back his tears. Memories of joyful days with the people of the village flooded his mind. In that moment, he swore to live as long as possible—and to protect everyone he loved.
Before anyone could arrive, he left.
I need to continue my journey… he concluded.
"Orario…" He lifted his face.
"I'm coming."