Mushoku Tensei: Reincarnated as a Beast Race

It's been a few months since I turned 4 years old. Here, they don't celebrate birthdays annually like they do on Earth. Verdia said it's because of the high death rate before the age of 5, which is a bit morbid to think about. In the tribe, it seems they only celebrate some kind of coming-of-age ceremony, but my mother wants to have a small celebration for my 5th, 10th, and 15th birthdays. Apparently, she saw a lot of this in human society and thought there was no reason not to celebrate.

That morning, I decided it would be a day of achievement. I had just returned from a successful hunt and, for the first time, I wanted to prepare my meal without help. The idea seemed simple: roast the meat over the fire I summoned with magic. However, the result was... disastrous.

The meat was burnt on the outside and raw on the inside, and the smell was so strong that even the birds flew away. I chewed a small piece, trying to ignore the bitter taste, but gave up shortly after.

"Maybe cooking isn't my calling," I muttered as I tried to erase the evidence of my failure before anyone saw.

I sighed and added the experience to my list of lessons learned. At least in magic and combat, the progress was undeniable.

Deciding to head home, I started running and jumping through the trees, leaping between roots and branches with the agility of a true Doldia. My father had already told me that if it was purely about physical strength, I had surpassed many of the warriors in the tribe, which made me curious about how much stronger I would become once I learned to use Battle Aura, a technique I had been making some progress with in my training recently.

Wherever I passed, tribe members waved or gave curious glances. My name was already known by almost everyone. Not only because of my magical and physical training, but also because of my constant habit of running through the forest.

I had already become publicly known as the little genius of the Adoldia Clan. Praised for my strength and my ability to perform magic at such a young age.

These comments made me proud, but I didn't let them go to my head. There was still so much to learn, and with the guidance of my father, Verdia, and Garu, each day was a new opportunity.

I performed magic with a natural ease that even impressed Verdia, my patient and demanding teacher. She said she had seen many things, but never a child so young capable of understanding so many spells at such an age.

Not that my life was limited to spells and magic words. In addition to my training with my father, I began learning the art of sword fighting from Garu, one of the best warriors in the tribe. There were two main fighting styles among the Doldia: one that used swords and various weapons, which I liked to call the Doldia Style, and the other that used only the body, with natural weapons like claws, fangs, and fists being the focus.