From her hometown to her daily life on Kurken Island, everything surrounding Reisalin "Ryza" Stout is painfully ordinary. Despite being the daughter of a hardworking farmer, she would rather go on pretend adventures as she explores almost every corner of the island. However, the fact that it is against the local customs to venture off Kurken Island irritates her to no end. One day, wishing for something interesting to finally happen in her life, Ryza escapes on a boat with her two good friends: the bookworm Tao Mongarten and the aspiring warrior Lent Marslink. Arriving at a nearby forest, the trio stumbles into Klaudia Valentz, the daughter of a visiting merchant who also wandered off into the woods. As the naive and underprepared group ventures further, they run into dangerous monsters. Thankfully, they are rescued by the alchemist Empel Vollmer and his skilled bodyguard Lila Decyrus. This fateful encounter will lead Ryza to the key that will change her life forever—the creative and wonderful world of alchemy.

The Yuzuki family, which consists of four brothers, lost their parents two years ago. Hayato, the eldest son, is a hard worker and the pillar of the family. Mikoto, the second son, is calm and collected, but he has a soft spot for his younger brother Minato, whom he adores and thinks is cute. Minato, the third son, is energetic and adores his brothers, but he is clumsy and awkward. Gakuto, the fourth son, is a studious and mature first-grader who is often referred to as a "wise man." The manga depicts the four brothers' daily lives as they navigate their family, school, and community.

While walking through the forest one day, a witch named Alyssa finds a bush glowing with a magical aura. She discovers a baby who, although not a witch, possesses magic that is too strong for that of a mere human. As such, Alyssa decides to raise the child as her own, naming her Viola. Sixteen years later, Viola is all grown up and now towers over her youthful mother, and her mature looks cause many to confuse their ages. Nevertheless, Alyssa adores her child despite Viola's possessive streak and tendency to drive away anyone she fears will take away her mother's love. Viola may not be sure where she came from, though she has all she needs in Alyssa and the plethora of Alyssa's friends who have come together to raise her. Under Alyssa's guidance, Viola will learn to master her magic and make her adoptive mother proud.

Former ace runner of Sendai Josei High School, Kakeru Kurahara is chased away from a convenience store for shoplifting. Shaking off his pursuer, he runs into Haiji Kiyose, another student from his university. Haiji is impressed by Kakeru's agility and persuades him to live in Chikusei-sou, the run-down apartment where Haiji resides along with eight other students. Having lost his entire apartment deposit at a mahjong parlor, Kakeru accepts the offer reluctantly. However, Haiji reveals a secret during Kakeru's welcoming party: the apartment is actually the dormitory of the Kansei University Track Club. He unveils his ultimate goal of participating in the Hakone Ekiden—one of the most prominent university marathon relay races in Japan. Unfortunately, all the residents apart from Haiji and Kakeru are complete running novices. Worse still, none of the inhabitants are even remotely interested in being involved with Haiji's ridiculous plan! With only months before the deadline, will the fourth-year student be able to convince them otherwise and realize his elusive dream of running in the Hakone Ekiden? [Written by MAL Rewrite]