OK, I know I died being crushed under a bookcase when that Earthquake hit.

Fact everyone knows is when you die, you start over a new slate. By that, a new existence without past memories bugging you all the way so you can peacefully settle down in your New Game Plus.

But I think someone broke the rules with me somewhere.

Because 1: I remember everything when I turned three years old.

2. I'm reborn in a well-off family judging by the house size and my new family's clothes.

3. Everything is magical here. Even the toilet that instead of water, it's an…AI Slime that eats waste.

4. People here have anime-color hair!

My family is big. Parents, some older brothers and one sister…and I'm the youngest, the fifth child and second daughter. In order: Wendell, Melvin, Tuuli, Rodney and herself…Myne.

I possessed a gold bracelet with a black stone I was forbidden to remove until I was thirteen years old.

It was around when I was four when I knew enough language that I learned what the bracelet is for. My first magic lesson after learning about My world like children do. Words children her age are expected to know; my family's names, and things in their…mansion, nature, and grammar. And there are…'polite ways' to refer to 'some things' they call 'noble euphemisms'. Finally, etiquette. But their etiquette may as well be 'extreme humility and submission 101'...because that was how it always was for Laynobles.

I was taught about Mana. What made them – Nobles – different from Commoners. It was my first-ever lesson on magic…which exists in this world.

The humans of Yurgenschmidt have an internal organ which stores and processes mana within the body, which Myne guesses is equivalent to the real-world heart. Mana is carried in bodily fluids, including blood and tears. And nobles' mana levels depend on their mother's strength.

So does that mean all of them are as strong as their mother then in regards to MP?

Not only that, Mana is a key defining factor of social class in Yurgenschmidt. At the most basic level, the difference between a noble and a commoner is the amount of mana they possess.

However, even those born into noble families can't retain their rank unless they possess the requisite amount of mana. Those with too little mana may become servants to their family members or be sent to the temple.

Because mana is so critical to social status, nobles do not customarily announce the birth of their child until their baptism at age seven. This allows them to determine that the child has enough mana to fulfill the family's needs. Succession within a noble family is determined by mana capacity rather than by age.

Thus to qualify as a noble, you must have:

1. Have enough mana befitting your family's standing.
2. Attend and graduate from Royal Academy and obtaining a Schtappe.

Noble children who are born with very little mana can either be married off to lower-ranking families, sent to the temple as priests or shrine maidens, or turned into servants for the family.

Those turned into servants, lose all their noble privileges and do not get any baptism and thus never have a citizenship medal. While some might consider them commoners, as far as the law goes, they technically don't exist, since only people who were baptized are counted as Humans.

Whether noble children sent to the temple to become Blue Robes receive a noble baptism, depends on their family. If the family gives them one and a noble ring, they are technically nobles, but with greatly diminished privileges and could theoretically rejoin noble society, provided this happens before their tenth year of life.

Those who do not get a noble baptism from their parents, are baptized as commoners and while they retain some very few of their noble privileges, they are counted as commoners before the law. All these options are well-established and accepted practices throughout noble society. Finally, a noble can renounce their status by voluntarily choosing to enter the temple.

And the Temple and Clergy, is a symbol of shame for Nobles, but still must contribute to society through their mana as it's their job to fertilize the lands with their meager mana.

However!

'I will tell you more about the Temple when you are ten years old.' were their mother's words with a look of contempt on her face. 'It's a terrible place for us ladies, should our mana fail to reach the benchmark. I'll tell you kids what happens there when your mind is old enough to understand.'

OOOOOK? Bad vibes there, mother! A Temple here, is a symbol of shameful exile. Being a priest or nun is worser than being a commoner as implied…what else could be wrong there?

Anyway, back to topic.

When beings with mana die, including nobles, feyplants, and feybeasts, their mana gathers and hardens around their mana organ and forms a feystone.

'Myne, the bracelets we have, link to our Mana Draining Tools.' said Tuuli, showing her bracelet and a golden-and-glass container containing polished round stones the size of jawbreakers. 'You see, when we overflow with mana, the bracelet quickly absorbs the mana into our draining tools. We then use these to help us fill up our Divine Wills into becoming our Schtappes, or our Highbeast Feystone in the future.'

Tuuli had been her teacher most of the time. But in writing, they learn from the second eldest brother Melvin.

'...where's our parents though?' was her question. 'Shouldn't it be them who teaches us?'

'Nah, they can't.' said Rodney, the third brother who's a year younger than Tuuli who was waiting for them to join Writing Class under Melvin. 'Our parents, after weaning us off Wigenmilch's Blessings, return to work full-time! We Laynobles are super-poor by Noble Standards!' he snorted. 'Dad works as a Knight usually Hunting and Selling to Scholars so he saves up materials before selling to the city every season, and mom works as a Fief Scholar doing cleric work in managing our land Lehde so our parents are Baron and Baroness. Full time.'

'Back in the day they both raised the biggest brother and Melvin.' Rodney continued. 'Then left education to Melvin when it came to us three.'

'...and where is the eldest brother?'

'Again, as we are super-poor as Rodney puts it, he went out hunting for meat.' said Melvin dryly. He clearly overheard them as they went into the parlor room where his classroom was, as 'other lady things', Tuuli teaches in their shared bedroom. 'Wendell is old enough to hunt, and will go to the Academy soon so that's going to be my job soon.'

If I am four now, Tuuli, Rodney and I have a year gap in age. Nine months pregnancy plus three month break!

Not for the eldest brothers. Wendell is currently ten, and Melvin eight.

And they can do that, as their family is a Fiefdom.

As I noted, other than the new and fresh-looking white mansion, their furniture and decor has seen…better days.

Worn out wooden furniture and some decor have seen better days, patch jobs on fabric decor…

…eerily reminding me of a certain novel.

Only things decent are clothes and shoes.

And my family is wearing clothes out of World Masterpiece Theater animes.

Yeeeaahh…

As a toddler, I ate porridge. Our mother, office work aside, does everything.

Office Work in dad's office in the mansion as we're a Landlord Family.

Cleaning and laundry is a wand-wave away for her so no need for servants.

And cooking is still manually-done though.

At least unlike that novel, their mother Joseffa or Effa, nicknamed by their father who I only see at sundown onwards, makes substantial meals unlike in that novel where the family head is a dang cheapskate. Every meal is stupidly watered-down just to scrimp on ingredients in that novel.

I would really complain if food is…like that.

At least poor nobles they may be, we eat well.

Our daily meal is boiled wheat or boiled rye to save up on money. Then vegetables and meat. They alternate on the first and second half of the grain bowl before eating a savory side dish, so it doesn't become too cloying in taste. By the end of it, full stomachs and healthy eating!

She knows the nutritional profile of grains, but she has no idea what these vegetables are and how useful they can be. So she will recreate magic she knows most LNs have to suit her ends

In a world where everything is handmade, even bread is expensive. We only serve and eat bread if and only if guests are around. If bread is Victorian-Era-Pricey, what more about my precious books then? Given the state of my family's furnishings and books just enough to fill a cardboard box for moving out, I could already see that my ideal world is quite far in this second life.

And I can't even cry about it considering where I am now and they'll wonder why and I can't even explain!

In our mansion, we own our own chicken farm for daily eggs, vegetable patches and fruit trees. The front yard, which what Guests see first, are full of fruit trees and shrubs that ripen in late spring. Halfway into the grounds are the ones ripening in summer, and by the backyard where guests can't see, are our vegetable patch and fruiting trees and shrubs that ripen in autumn.

Mana-draining tools aside, everyone uses their mana to power-up the magic tools in the house that maintains lighting, and anti-winter barrier so our house and lot is snow-free and cozy in temperature, and can comfortably continue farming in their backyard quick-growing vegetables.

But every spring…

Our dad would take some Feystones from our Mana-Draining Tools before the Priests arrive.

When done twice, I asked my siblings as to why when Tuuli told me what those were supposed to be for.

'Well, it's so we have another money avenue,' said Wendell as they were upstairs in a parlor room. 'Poor we may be, but comfortable by standards compared to other Barons.' he said grimly. 'Dad memorized the prayers needed to liquefy mana into a Grail…a magic tool with Earth-Element Feystones used to fertilize our land. After using up what's currently in the Grail in our mansion altar in that small shrine next to the basement, he and mom repeat the prayer again, while pouring all their mana, our feystones included into the Grail so we have double the amount on the sly.'

'By having a really super-fertilized land, we'll have plenty of food enough to feed our barony for a year, full stomachs with extra left over as annual income and taxes. We earn as much as Mednoble Giebes do as a result, but to hide all that, we live like poor laynobles do except in food, medicine and magic tool supplements. You'll learn how rich our duchy is later on the sly by being smart and innovative, but we have to keep quiet or lose everything. That'll be in my lessons to you soon.'

After literacy lessons in memorizing the alphabet, numbers and how everything is spelled, I had my time in reading the History of Ledhe, of various Barons and their ancestors in the past.

When a new Baron is born, relatives move out into their own homes built in frontier areas of the Giebe to keep watch on going-ons for quick-reporting to the current Giebe. So many grandparents and uncles with their families and cousins live way outside, only returning to the Main Mansion for Winter Comfort! Due to the limited number of rooms, they share rooms. And each family pitches in, in food, bringing with them their Winter Stores so as to not burden the Host Family.

Everything checks out in the 'poor barony department'…until Volume 5…titled 'Tome of Giebe Ledhe the Fifth - Gunther Sohn Obleich Giebe Ledhe'.

By the way, the only Books they own are these, as books are EXPENSIVE, kissing my dreams of having enough money to have books goodbye, and these are the only books her family can own. And these are kept in an underground Hidden Room where…important things are.

But dad's 'book' is still on flat, thin wooden boards. Not yet made into a book. History Books are only compounded into a book, when the current head retires and then their time 'ends'. So it's not even ¼ done as he was too busy writing his own tale!

In this secret underground room was where money was also kept. It was a small sad pile of gold and silver, mostly silver enough to fill a fanny pack.

I learned about money so while 'sad small pile' it was, it's actually, a large amount. And Financial Ledgers of each Family Barons as well as wooden boards containing magic knowledge.

But what stood out were two wooden boards to me.

Mana Compression and Divine Protection Acquisition.

My parents' personal notes and opinions about these.

So there's a way to get magically-stronger but…it feels horrible and risky to health to boot whether done right or wrong?

I can already imagine that the method taught is doomed to failure. And it was easy for mother to create a better way out. Painless with great returns. But in her notes were, 'As long as Chaoscipher and her Acolytes live in Ehrenfest, my discovery must never come out.'

And acquiring blessings and how it affects Schtappe…

"Come to think of it, prayers are involved in everything magical…" I thought deeply.

I remember the words of 'requests' used by my family to light up magic tools.

All prayers in nature.

And Divine Protection Acquisition…acquiring blessings from the gods by giving you more elemental attributes just by earning their favor through activities while doing right. But what if prayer is included and offers something?

Mana is needed in everything…so…why not offer it while praying for this and that?

I then saw notes on my parents' notes.

In my dad's school notes?

- I was a fire attribute only, but I acquired a rare dark element,
weird for a Laynoble when our lot only ever has an element from
one of his children.

What did I do before I turned thirteen to acquire my Schtappe?
But I did acquire plenty from my Patron Deity's subordinates too!
But in regards to the Dark God, I acquired Verbergen, real handy
in my hunts. My prey doesn't see me coming! I am thus able to
sell well since.

I make it clear that despite my darkness blessing, I am NOT a
future womanizer with many affairs!

Her father has Leidenschaft, Angriff, Anwachs, Schlageziel, Brennwarme, Sehweit, Ergiebheit(fertility), and Verbergen.

In my mom's school notes?

- I am mostly a wind element at birth. I acquired plenty after
Schutzaria. Blessings that would definitely benefit me in both my
career as a Scholar and Marital Life. What I never saw coming,
was a blessing from Unheilschneide. I believe as a Layscholar
and as a wife and mother, I am pretty much set for life.

- note made a week after Divine Protection Acquisition: I had
an easier time removing impurities from my ingredients when
brewing potions, as well as easier time gathering and isolating
elements and merging them to make them purer and purer.

My potions have become high quality!

And when I practiced wind-based spells, I gained a vast mastery
increase level that even the hardest became so easy when I used
to have a hard time with them. Has anyone noted this at all?

If they ever did, they're laying low, not wanting to benefit that
Chaoscipher wearing that undeserved Crown in our duchy...

...and her mom has Schutzaria, Mestionora, Dregarhnur, Ordoschnell, Steifbrise, Ventuchte, Duldzetsen, Grammaratur, and Unheilschneide.

And given the Mana Strength Difference regarding Conception between a married couple, their difference hence, is nearly non-existent that resulted in five kids.

I need to talk to my siblings about this.

What was common in both reports, was that their mana amount increased drastically as they got older.

Effa began comparing mana growth back to when she had just one element as she grew up. Then when she acquired her other blessings, she noted the vast growth difference in mana and took notes.

The older kids listened to Myne talk about what she felt when she saw those notes.

'If that'd be true, the family heir will be Rodney as he would have more time to compress mana before adulthood than Melvin and I.' said Wendell. 'You going to be OK with that, Rod?'

The Mana Compression Method their mother discovered, was super-effective and pain-free. Problem was, they cannot get noticed by the Evil Government right now. That their parents ensured they were strong enough to be '5 feet away from mednoble' in strength.

'I don't know...all for mana huh?' Rodney fretted out. He would easily be his father's successor for a silly reason instead of his merits? Something about that just didn't sit right with him! To be a Giebe you have to know politics and governing, right?

'Well being a Layknight is the most profitable job right now for us.' said Melvin. 'We'll get bullied as Castle and Government Scholars unless we help mom out in the office as the only safe place to work in and it's dad paying us our salaries then. But that would mean financial deficit for our clan so it's us going out to be Knights. Who knows about Tuuli and Myne.'

'What about prayers? Three of us can't offer mana yet, we don't have Noble Rings yet.' said Tuuli, speaking for herself, Rodney and Myne.

'Then as soon as you're seven, you can start.' Wendell pointed out. 'Until then, find your passions in life, and pray to the Gods who will light your way for your truest passions. Only those will get noticed,' he added with stern emphasis, '-so know what you guys truly want to be first. Compress for now until we reach the strength of our parents.' he told his younger siblings who nodded. 'We'll be careful with Compressing.'

"Not sure about one though." he thought as his mind went to his youngest sister. "Myne's born an anomaly. Too powerful for her rank." he thought darkly. And yes, their mana is used on the sly, but given the amounts...boy, do they have PLENTY of Mana to shell out. And he would have to teach them about Ledhe this Autumn before he goes to school this year.

Normally she'd be adopted out but given political woes he was trusted enough to know by his mother as he would go to school soon, Myne cannot leave home as their parents cannot trust anyone outside home to do right by her.

He was horrified when he was deemed old enough to know what a cesspit their duchy is...

A:N - in canon, Gunther and Effa lost kids to miscarriage and winter chills. Here as nobles, none of them lost kids to poverty-induced malnutrition and are my OCs in this fic. And due to Rodney, Myne is officially the same age as Wilfried and his yearmates.