"Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?" is a work published by Earth Star Novel. Originally published on "Let's Become a Novelist," the series has sold over 800,000 copies, including its comic book adaptation, and is finally set to be adapted into an anime in October 2019. This time, let's take a closer look at Mile, the protagonist of "Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?", affectionately known as "Noukin" or "Average."
Mile Reincarnated in Another World
Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life? " is a comedy about the life of a hunter, starring Mile, who is reincarnated into another world. Upon reincarnation, she is granted special abilities by her creator, but this leads her to a life far removed from the "normal girl" she aspires to be. Let's begin with a brief background on the protagonist, Mile. She has multiple names, so let's take a look at what kind of life she led.
In Her Previous Life as Kurihara Kairi
Before being reincarnated into another world, she lived as a high school girl named Kurihara Kairi. She excelled in grades and got along well with her family, but she didn't have any real friends. In fact, she was hailed as a genius at school, and her relatives expected her to have a bright future. However, one day, she witnessed a child nearly being hit by a truck, and while she acted instinctively to protect the child, she was killed in the accident instead. This was the beginning of her reincarnation, and her quest to become a "normal girl" in another world began.
Immediately after reincarnation, she becomes Adele, a noble lady.
When Kurihara Kairi is reincarnated into another world, she is born as the daughter of a viscount. She becomes Adele von Ascham, and at the age of 10, a severe headache triggers memories of her past life. However, by that time, Adele has been bullied by his second wife and stepdaughter, Prissy, and the viscount's family has been taken over. Eventually, Adele is kicked out of her home and enrolls at Ekland Academy, where she lives with the threat of death if the truth is revealed.
After escaping the school, she calls herself Hunter Miles.
Although her life was in danger, Adele didn't particularly mind. Her hopes and expectations of starting a new school life at Ekland Academy and making friends there outweighed her concerns. However, despite her efforts to be "normal," Adele stands out due to the abilities she received upon reincarnation and her dexterity from her previous life. Eventually, the third princess, Morena, notices Adele, and she flees the school to live as a hunter named Mile.
What kind of personality does Mile have?
Our protagonist, Mile, strives to be "normal" at all costs. However, his actions end up standing out, and his fellow members of the "Red Vow" are shocked, even dumbfounded. Of course, the other party members react similarly, but as the shock continues, they eventually get used to it and stop reacting. Let's take a closer look at what kind of character Mile is, constantly astonishing those around him.
A Girl Who Aims to Be a "Normal Girl"
Mile, who had no friends in her previous life, lives in another world, seeking "normality." However, the abilities bestowed upon her by her creator upon reincarnation are inhuman, and even though she considers them normal, they appear insane to those around her. Despite this, Mile continues to act calmly, and once she realizes the true extent of her abilities, she continues to live at her own pace. Marcella and the members of the "Red Vow" are constantly intimidated by Mile's negativity, but she manages to cover them up somehow.
As Long as She Can Do "A Little More" Than Others
As was the case in her previous life, Mile is someone who can only do "a little more" than others. However, because the other world has a lower level of civilization than her previous world, all of the knowledge she gained as Kurihara Kairi becomes abnormal in the other world. The culture is also very different, and when Mile tried to make a loincloth instead of drawers, Marcella harshly rebuked her. She also demonstrates dexterity that goes beyond "a little," such as single-handedly creating a battlefield in the garden of her base inn.
Excellent Academics and Rational Thinking
Having excellent grades since her time as Kurihara Kairi, Mile has inherited the knowledge of her previous life and easily understands the other world. However, there are still many things she is ignorant about, and because she continues to use her memories from her previous life, she noticeably struggles to adapt to the common sense of the other world. Even when she drives away someone who is approaching her, she uses rational thinking and sound reasoning, portraying her as a fundamentally intelligent girl.
Life Before Taking the Name Mile
From here on, we'll introduce her time as Adele. She lived as Adele until her escape from Ekland Academy, and the name Adele appears frequently in the story, as Marcella and Morena are searching for her. Since it's an important term in the story of "Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?", let's take a closer look at her time as Adele.
Remembering Memories of Her Past Life at Age 10
After being reincarnated as Adele von Ascham, she lived a normal life until she turned 10. However, a severe headache caused her to regain her memories of her past life. From that day on, Adele became able to communicate with nanomachines and gradually demonstrated her superhuman abilities. After regaining her memories of her past life, she was abused by the Viscount's second wife and her children, who had taken over the family, and was expelled, eventually enrolling in Ekland Academy.
Enrolling at Ekland Academy and Meeting Marcella
Adele was more excited than anxious about enrolling in Ekland Academy. Having no friends in her past life, she resolved to make friends in the other world and live as a "normal girl." There she met Marcella, and although they initially had some misunderstandings, she soon grew fond of her after teaching her the secrets of magic. Even after Adele left the academy, Marcella became a hunter and pursued her, so in this respect, her goal can be said to have been achieved.
Escape After Meeting Morena
Despite making a friend named Marcella at Ekland Academy, Adele had no choice but to flee due to family circumstances. The trigger was her meeting with Morena, the third princess of the Kingdom of Brandel. She accidentally used an unknown magic spell, resulting in a request for an audience with the king. This meant that her life was in danger if her wives discovered her. Unable to become a "normal girl" in the other world, Adele plotted her escape and set off for a foreign land in order to survive.
Mile's Life as a Hunter
After escaping from Ekland Academy, Adele decides to move to a provincial city and live as a hunter. Having attended the academy, she knew she would eventually live a self-sufficient life, so the decision to become a hunter was easy. When registering as a hunter, she decides to embark on a new life under the name Mile, rather than using her real name. Let's take a closer look at Mile's journey as a hunter.
Meeting Her Companions at Hunter Training School
Mile registers as a hunter and starts at the lowest rank. However, she didn't declare her exceptional abilities, and the guild she registered with couldn't assign her appropriate requests, so they enrolled Mile in Hunter Training School. Graduating would allow her to live a basic life as a hunter, but for Mile's exceptional abilities, this was unnecessary. However, enrolling in the school led to her meeting her fellow members of the "Red Vow," and they would continue to work together.
Working as a C-Rank Hunter, "Red Vow"
At Hunter Training School, Mile continued to stand out due to her outstanding abilities. Her dorm roommates, Lena, Mavis, and Pauline, began to think carefully about how to hide her, even though she was completely unreasonable in this other world. The four eventually graduated together, and continued their hunter activities as "Red Vow." While Mile continues to be a troublemaker there, she also uses storage magic to transport materials and other items, leading to a happy life.
About Mile's Abilities
As is typical of other isekai reincarnation works, "Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?" is blessed with cheat-like abilities by her creator. Her powers leave everyone involved speechless, while Mile herself calmly insists that her abilities are "normal." Let's take a closer look at just how impressive Mile's abilities are. We'll also explore the circumstances that led to her acquiring these cheat-like abilities.
Magical power is approximately 6,800 times that of an average human
Miles, under the "Red Vow," works as a magic swordsman. His magical power is approximately 6,800 times that of an average human, half the power of the Elder Dragons, the most powerful race in the other world. While normal magic requires chanting, Miles casts it without chanting. This is due to his ability to utilize nanomachines, allowing him to cast magic simply by imagining it. He has taught this method to Marcella, Lena, and Pauline, and they have all acquired the power to use them in combat.
Authority Level 5 for Nanomachine Use
In "Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?", magic refers to the phenomenon that occurs when nanomachines interfere with a person's thought waves. Mile possesses the authority to communicate with nanomachines, specifically, authority level 5. Since only those with higher authority levels, such as the Creator, possess this ability, Mile's uniqueness is further accentuated. Her ability to communicate with nanomachines also allows her to gather information about other worlds.
A cheating ability bestowed upon her by her creator's misunderstanding
When Kurihara Kairi was reincarnated into another world, she requested that her abilities be "average!", but in reality, she possesses extraordinary powers for a human. This was due to a misunderstanding on the part of her creator, and it turns out that her abilities were not the average for humans, but the average for all races in the other world. To be more precise, she felt more comfortable with the median than the average, which ultimately led to her living a life far from "normal."
Mile in Daily Life
Finally, let's summarize Mile's daily life. While his cheat-like abilities make him virtually unbeatable in hunting and combat, he often receives favors from Lena and the others in his daily life. However, it's also true that daily life has become much more convenient, and while Adele's presence can be a nuisance, it can also be said that she's indispensable. Let's take a closer look at what Mile's daily life is like.
Living with Knowledge from His Previous Life
Because the other world's civilization is lower than his previous life, Mile's knowledge is extremely useful in many ways. For example, even though the inn they use as their base lacked a bath, Mile remodeled the courtyard to create one. The interior was modeled after a Japanese hot spring, much to the delight of the all-female members of "Red Oath." She's also a skilled cook, treating Lena and the others to fish dishes, allowing them to witness a new culture.
Also Active as Author "Miama Satodale"
Perhaps because she had no friends in her past life, Mile has a vast knowledge of manga, games, and other topics. As a result, at night, she begins telling fictional stories known as "Japanese Myths," which the members of "Red Oath" look forward to. Some of her stories include homages to other works, surprising those who hear them for the first time. Mile's creative talent was unexpectedly well-received, and she later began writing as the author "Miama Satodale" and receiving royalties.
Summary
Mile, the protagonist of "Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?", leads a life far removed from "normal" due to her lack of knowledge of the common sense of the other world and her cheat-like abilities. Despite this, she strives to be a "normal girl," but as the story progresses, she doesn't realize that this is slipping away, which is what's fascinating. Will the day ever come when Mile, who is becoming increasingly unorthodox, will she ever become normal again? While it seems unlikely, we can't take our eyes off her.
