Chapter 4 : Chapter 4
Chapter 4: No Talent, Magic Tools
“Uh…”
Ryan stared blankly at Kaya.
“Well… actually, when you were still a baby, I had already tested your magical talent.”
“Not just you—every infant in the orphanage was tested. Almost none of them had any magical talent.”
Kaya looked at Ryan with a trace of sorrow.
In this world, the difference between having magical talent and not having it was truly immense.
Only then did Ryan recall—
Back when he was still a baby, why Kaya’s gaze had been so sorrowful when she held him.
So that was the reason.
After hearing Kaya’s words, Ryan felt a little disappointed, but he did not fall into despair.
Because he still had the system.
The weapons exchanged from the system possessed tremendous destructive power. They would certainly help him gain a foothold in this world.
As for whether they could harm Mages, that would have to be tested in the future.
For now, his body was still that of a child, and he could not leave the orphanage.
Testing would have to wait until he had the opportunity later.
Seeing Ryan lower his head in silence, Kaya assumed he had suffered a heavy blow. She crouched down and looked at him gently, offering comfort.
“Ryan, even if you do not have magical talent, you must not give up on yourself.”
“You should know that 90% of people in this world do not have magical talent. Lacking it does not mean you have no future.”
“Many children have left this orphanage. Most of them had no magical talent, yet they are living very well now.”
“Some have become famous merchants, some have become powerful warriors, and many others have become skilled blacksmiths.”
“They are proof that even without magical talent, one can still achieve happiness.”
“And I have seen many children who refused to accept reality and tried to learn magic through other means… none of them ended well.”
“Ryan, you are a sensible child. Do not follow those stubborn paths. Plan your future well, and your life will surely be a happy one.”
If Ryan had truly been an ordinary child, he would have accepted Kaya’s advice and faced reality.
But he was not.
He was a man with a system.
He had no intention of transmigrating to another world only to remain at the bottom.
Of course, he had no plans to tell Kaya about the system.
Ryan nodded lightly and said, “I understand. Thank you, Aunt Kaya. I will listen to your advice and look for a path other than becoming a Mage.”
To avoid worrying her, he could only say what she wanted to hear.
“Mm, very good.”
Kaya nodded in satisfaction, pleased with Ryan’s maturity.
She had truly seen those who had gone mad in pursuit of becoming Mages.
She did not want the children in her orphanage to become like that.
People who fell into such madness never had a good ending.
“Ryan, your arithmetic is excellent. You could consider becoming a merchant in the future. I believe you would make a remarkable one.”
“Mm, thank you, Aunt Kaya. I will think about it carefully.”
Kaya patted his head before turning and leaving.
“Phew…”
Ryan let out a long breath.
Pretending to be a child was an exhausting task.
Now that Kaya had left, he could finally relax a little.
In truth, Ryan did not care much about his lack of magical talent.
If he had it, it would be a bonus. If not, it made little difference.
However, if he intended to rely primarily on firearms in the future, then his physical strength would also need to improve.
Fortunately, this world offered many ways to strengthen the body and refine martial skills.
Thus, Ryan could already outline his future development plan.
Firearms as the main focus, martial skills as support.
At medium and long range, he would use firearms. At close range, he would rely on martial arts.
With that in mind, Ryan began to train his body.
In his previous life, due to constant overtime work, his physical condition had been very poor.
Having been reborn, he no longer wanted that kind of unhealthy body.
At his current young age, it was the perfect time to build a strong foundation.
The next day, Ryan learned something new.
Magic tools.
These were items developed by Mages.
Their purpose was to allow ordinary people to use magic.
“Magic tools” was a general term encompassing many different kinds.
For example: a longsword that could release flames, or shoes that allowed the user to harness the power of the wind.
Of course, the price of magic tools was far higher than that of ordinary items.
A normal sharp longsword cost about 1 silver coin.
But a longsword capable of releasing flames cost at least 1 gold coin—a price difference of roughly ten times.
When Ryan learned this, his eyes lit up.
The existence of magic tools perfectly solved the problem of firearms.
When he revealed firearms in the future, he could simply claim they were a type of magic tool.
He also learned about the currency system of this world.
1 gold coin = 100 silver coins = 10,000 copper coins.
An average family of three spent about 30 silver coins per month.
Looking at it this way, the price of firearms in the system was indeed very high.
The starting price was 200 gold coins.
There was no way Ryan could gather that amount in the short term.
Directly exchanging for weapons was out of the question. He would have to find a way to obtain blueprints and craft them himself.
Fortunately, the blueprints were much cheaper—1 gold coin each, with a fixed and fair price.
After learning about magic tools, Ryan began to study related knowledge diligently.
Although he wanted to start crafting firearms immediately, he had no funds.
Moreover, due to his young age, he was not allowed to work outside.
All he could do was learn as much as possible about magic tools.
Once he grew older and could earn money, he would begin crafting firearms.
As for “growing older,” it would not take long.
People in this world matured very early.
In this orphanage—
Children aged 1 to 6 only needed to play happily.
Children aged 6 to 10 had to learn various knowledge and skills every day to ensure they could survive outside.
After the age of 10, children could leave the orphanage to work and earn money.
Typically, ten-year-olds would work as attendants in inns or apprentices in weapon shops.
If they had connections, they could even work as maids or guards in noble households.
Between the ages of 10 and 18, children could work during the day and return to the orphanage at night.
But after turning 18, they had to leave the orphanage and become fully independent.
After learning that adulthood in this world was also recognized at eighteen, Ryan could not help but think mischievously—
Could it be that in every world, eighteen marked adulthood?