Chapter 03

Translator: Silver Editor: Namorax

“Ossan, Removes A Girls Troubles”

Zeros removed the unnecessary characters from the magical formations in the book while also adding his own corrections.

His work created quite a spectacle, as the symbols floated off the pages and vanished into thin air.

Selestina’s eyes brightened as she watched a process she had never seen before.

Her grandfather Creston thanked the goddess for this unexpected encounter when he saw his granddaughter’s joyous expression.

However, if Zeros had known about this praise for the goddess, he probably would’ve stopped working on the task at hand at once.

After all, he fell victim to the goddess’ hazardous waste removal.

As a result of her machinations, he’d fought and defeated the evil god in a virtual world and was killed for his efforts.

“Hmm…… I’ve finished correcting this one, let’s test it.”

“This spell is…… 『Torch』?”

“Yes, I optimized the spell so anyone can use it. I decreased the magic power consumption and raised the spell’s output as much as possible.”

“Raised the spell’s output?”

“In normal situations, the natural mana in this world remains inert. If one uses their own magical power to call upon this mana, it becomes possible to create a magical phenomenon… all the spells in here were limited by one’s individual mana.”

“Please wait a moment. Isn’t the magical formation and a person’s mana what causes a physical phenomenon to appear?”

“It’s different. Without utilising the natural mana of this world, a person’s individual mana would be drained immediately if they tried to invoke a spell, wouldn’t it?”

It appeared that this world’s knowledge about magic was lagging behind that of the game’s world, or at least that was what it felt like to Zeros.

The amount of mana in the world was always constant. Even if it had been altered in some manner, it would eventually return to its original state.

Even if it’s properties were altered in order to produce a phenomenon, the mana would eventually return to normal.

That’s why it was possible to use magic to attack, and to use magic to defend from attacks.

Even though magic that manipulates one’s mind does exist, once the body’s mana is depleted it will be canceled.

Since there are phenomena that revert back to normal conditions once they’ve passed, the one universal rule within magic was that it returned to its original state.

However, it takes time for the body’s mana to return to normal, and in the meantime the body would act as a modulator. That way, magic formations that reduced the consumption of internal mana and increased the use of natural mana improved a spell’s efficiency.

There must’ve been magicians studying magical formations in this world, but they were being taught such imperfect materials.

“Whether it was by chance or intentionally, these formations were wrong.”

“That’s amazing…… that you could notice that.”

“To not serve a country despite being so skilled…… such a waste of talent.”

“Though it may be troublesome, I hate being used only for my power. I don’t want my employer to grow conceited just because I’m protecting them.”

Magicians that served the country were more obedient to their retainer than the crown.

No matter how effective the magic you develop is, it meant nothing if the master withheld research funding.

Even through Zeros died once, he had to live in this world now and wanted to avoid conflict as much as he could.

“Because I studied magic as a bit of a hobby and am very self-conscious of my work, I don’t wish to hand over my results to others just yet. I would like to finalize my research before that.”

“Certainly… that is another aspect of it. A magician’s research belongs to whichever faction they are apart of, and punishment for any mistake would be swiftly doled out.”

“Therefore, there is a custom to only pass on magic techniques to successors. You’re well-informed.”

“My research has resulted in some rather dangerous findings, and it’s not something I can reveal carelessly. It’s possible that few people would understand…… the type of magic it is.”

Zeros’ magic could be seen as superior to Solisthea’s magic.

Based on what he’d described, it was possible to produce blue flames, which were said to be the pinnacle of fire magic, simply by changing the temperature of the air itself.

It wasn’t that surprising, considering that it was such an extremely simple phenomenon.

Take Zeros’ 【Black Thunder Bullet]for example.

The magic distorted gravitational fields strong enough to bend light and caused the gravity around one’s body to tear the enemy apart.

With an instantaneous transformation, nature itself produces extremely powerful effects. It was a malicious and brutal attack that utilized magic’s ability alter the natural world.

However, the formula was of such complexity, that it would seem impossible to even decode it.

“What do you suppose would happen if others learned your magic? The power-hungry……”

“I can only imagine a hellish outcome.”

“If handled poorly, a country might fall to ruin.”

“Therefore, I won’t pass on my magic. I will only teach the very basics of what is needed.”

“A wise decision. The last thing anyone needs is a fool trying to emulate you.”

“In any case, the second optimized spell is complete. Let’s test them out now.”

“Huh?!”

Although it been in a textbook, it’d been possible rewrite the magic inside it.

Though the spells had been written on magic paper, in order to retain the formation (or was it an idea in this case?) in the brain you needed to use it at least once. You need to make the formation manifest.

Thanks to that, it was simple enough for magicians to rewrite magic formations.

Even if Selestina cast the magic formula that Zeros had redone in her mind, the carriage was too small a place to use it in.

Since the magic she could use was limited, they choose a simple spell for her.

“Even though it’s just a torch spell, you can learn to control the mana output and extend the longevity of the flames.”

“Mana output? What exactly do you mean?.”

“Simply put… it’s possible to maintain a fireball produced with magic for a certain period of time?”

“Hmm…… Interesting.”

“With enough control of your magic, you can even redirect your shot if you miss your enemy the first time.”

“So…… I will be able to freely manipulate the spell with my will. Am I understanding this correctly?”

“That’s correct in the general sense, but magic can’t last forever, right? For now, you should only focus on invoking it.”

“That’s amazing!”

Selestina sparkling eyes were entirely focused on Zeros.

Her grandfather glared jealously at Zeros for receiving her lovely smile.

He was a very restless grandfather.

“Well, let’s give torch a try, shall we? As you grow as a magician, you’ll eventually be able to cast it without chanting.”

“Yes! I’ll do my best.”

Selestina nodded and began attempting to ingrain the magic within her subconscious.

She placed her hand over the magic spell book and began to feel the knowledge of magic formation flow into her.

Although magic dispersed when it left the body, it would remain within a person as long as they were alive, even if they collapsed from magic exhaustion.

All living creatures constantly generated mana, with the magic sustaining them at a cellular level, so even if one exhausted their magic, there was always enough left to sustain life.

In a sense, internal mana was comparable to vitality.

While there were occasions of mages dying after overextending their magic, that was the result of damaging themselves by recklessly using incomplete magic formations.

If one draws upon magic beyond their limits, they would shorten their lives as a result.

Sometimes the body of unlucky victims would vanish after they died.

Currently, magic development was done by human experimentation.

In fact, criminals in this world were usually subjected to multiple experiments before they died.

“It’s done…… Ignite and light my path…… 『Torch』.”

A small flame ignited on Selestina’s fingertip.

The so-called torch was weak, but it was magic nevertheless.

“Grandfather, I did it! I can use magic♡”

“Oh…… Certainly……”

“It’s like a candle, but it’s also the first time you’ve used the spell. You should be able to memorize the formation if you keep the flame constant.”

“I did it! Oh?! Ah! The fire went out.”

“It’s difficult to maintain the flow of magical power. Even a small gust will extinguish it, so be careful.”

“Can I try for a larger fire this time〜?! Why is this so difficult?!”

“That’s because you need training. Continue until your magical power is depleted. It will recover with rest and you can continue your training afterword without issue. ”

Because game statuses could be seen, it meant that residents of this world had the means of checking them too.

One could raise their level by fighting monsters, but that wasn’t an option for a young girl of a tender age.

That’s why it was important to learn of one’s skills and raise them.

While skills consumed magic power, using them killed two birds with one stone by gaining the skill itself and increasing one’s magic.

The skills would naturally rise through continued use.

“Huh… does that mean I have to do this type of training every day?”

“Well. Since results are dependent on constant training, it necessary to maintain a daily routine.”

“I’ll do it! I’ll overcome this if it means I can use magic.”

“Tina is shining…… Such a motivated expression……(haahaa…).”

The grandfather was in a state of “moe”.

The grandchild seems to be burdened with her own problems.

“If you constantly cast body strengthening magic on yourself, you should be able to raise your magic resistance as well.”

“I’ll try doing that!”

“I thought so, that why the second spell is for body reinforcement… with this, you should gradually increase your magical power.”

Judging it to be necessary, Zeros peeped at her status.

A screen appeared as a result.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

Selestina van Solisthea, Level 5

HP: 125/125

MP: 121/140

Noble Daughter

Skills:

Fire magic (1/100)

Physical Skills:

Perseverance (50/1000)

Interpersonal Skills:

Patience ; (50/100)

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

Magical power gradually drew closer to zero with every use of magic.

However, since this was a trial run, she seemed pleased with her training.

Up till now, she’d been incapable of using magic. She was willing to take on the training after being freed from that situation.

Her excitement was to be expected.

(Though it didn’t matter, her patience and perseverance skills are relatively high… what kind of hardships has she endured?)

Such thoughts crossed Zeros’ mind as he continued to work on the textbook.

Since she’d been born to a concubine, her brothers didn’t have a high opinion of her.

Rather, she was seen as a nuisance and bullied by them.

Beyond being a pitiful child, she wasn’t even recognized as nobility.

Of course, Zeros didn’t know any of this, but her status left him with a few suspicions.

“Well, page twenty seven…… 『Ice Lance』?”

“Fast?!” “Quick!”

Since the spells were based on basic magic formations, he only had to delete the unnecessary characters and add some simple casting instructions.

Since he’d been a programmer in his past life, it was work he could do in his sleep.

“Hmm, let’s see if I can complete my corrections in this book before your magical power runs out.”

“Hmph, won’t you lose?”

“Zeros-dono seems to be at a disadvantage, but this seems interesting.”

Frankly speaking, the old man didn’t care about the outcome of the game.

All that mattered was the bright and cheerful smile on his granddaughter’s face.

While Zeros did finish his task first, he allowed himself to lose the game.

The Ossan was kind to children.

While Selestina was rejoicing at her victory, her grandfather simply chuckled to himself.

There was no need for him to interrupt.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

“Bread…… it’s really bread…”

Zeros began to cry when he saw bread being prepared at the camp.

After surviving in the woods on nothing but meat for a week, he couldn’t stop the tears from following.

While he had a variety of spices at his disposal, the lack of any food meant that meat was the only thing he could survive on.

That led to a cycle of killing monsters for the meat, only for the smell of blood to attract more monsters that attacked him.

In order to sate his hunger, higher functions had been replaced by the primal instinct to hunt.

And now, after such a long time, a human meal was being prepared in front of him.

How could he not cry over this?

“What kind of life did you live to make you cry like this?”

“I spent a week in the forest being chased around by monsters. I could eat nothing but meat…… sniff… I’m so happy to be alive.’

“That sound too severe…… for the forest around here.”

“Well, I don’t know the name of the forest, and I got a bit turned around when the wyvern attacked〜…… so hungry…”

“”””Wyvern!?”””””

Including the two knights, four people let out a surprised shout.

“How did you escape a wyvern?!”

“C-Could you have killed it?!”

“Are you a 『Dragon Slayer』?”

“Please tell us what kind of adventure it was.”

“Dragon Slayer is a bit of an exaggeration. It’s just a flying lizard after all.”

“”””That’s wrong!!””””

Another name for wyverns was 【Sky Demon].

Once they spot you from above, they relentlessly hunted you down.

On top of their fast flying speed, they also had high intelligence.

Not only that, wyverns were flock animals and their numbers often times foiled any attempts to subjugate them.

Their meat was also considered an expensive delicacy.

“High-grade ingredients…… I have several of them, but how much will they sell for? I’m troubled because I can’t eat much of it.”

“Y-You… defeated it.”

“That monster… the Sky Devil?”

“He’s a high ranking magician…… Only someone truly powerful could accomplish that…”

“You’re just gonna sell the meat, just how strong ar……”

“Huh? It’s not a tasty as behemoth meat though. You can easily defeat it so long as you fight properly.”

“”””Behemoth, the disaster spreading monster!!””””

Their interest in me had peaked so I decided to tell them my story.

Of course, I omitted my battle with the evil god in the game and the fact that I’d been reincarnated in this world by a goddess.

Zeros Merlin had no idea what county he’d been born in, because he’d been traveling with his parents for as long as he could remember and he’d spent to majority of his life studying the secrets of magic.

He became a mercenary specializing in monster-subjugation during his teens and fought on many battlefields ever since.

Along the way, he gained four companions with similar circumstances and together they pushed the limits of what their magic could do.

Throwing themselves into dangerous battles to test their handcrafted spells for the sole purpose of making adjustments before repeating the process.

However, those days didn’t last, and gradually the companions drifted away from each other and he was alone once more.

Beginning to long for a place where he could peacefully live out the rest of his life, he wound up getting lost in the forest and eventually found himself here.

That was my brief explanation of how I got here.

As a result……

“Such an abundance of combat experience… I never heard of such an explorer…”

“I lack training. I even lag behind common bandits.”

“Such a frightening story, how crazy would you have to be to fight a behemoth? With only five people no less……”

“Zeros-san strength was forged through actual combat. I am still inexperienced.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. it was just the story of a fool who wasted his life. It’s but one man’s Dark History after all.”

“It can be considered foolish to seek out the limits of magic. However, even this country’s magicians want to show their mettle.”

Apparently, I’d gone above what was necessary to be considered a hero.

Well, since my body had been recreated based on game data, it wasn’t necessarily untrue.

Since I decimated the bandits from before with overwhelming strength, I was looked upon with envy.

“By the way, what’s your current level?”

“……..It’s probably better that you don’t know. My level is insane…”

“So it’s that high……”

“Is it true? Umm…… we may need to reconsider the Order’s training regime.”

“It should be 500 at most, , right?”

“No…. (It’s about three times that)…”

“””W-What did you say!!!”””

Level 1896 wasn’t a date.

Apparently, growth rates began to stagnate the higher level you became, so 500 was said to be the limit.

A person that exceeded Level 1000 turned common sense on its head.

My level had also risen after we defeated the evil god.

Because of that massive bonus, my level shot up exponentially.

Just what happened when you created a body based on such a ridiculous avatar……

“Your skills must be frightening as well. I would hate to have you as an enemy.”

“I see. Well, my power isn’t something that could be suppressed by you.”

“A magician who could destroy a country because he’s having a bad day……:

“I’m not a mage, just a great sage.”

“””Stop breaking common sense already!!”””

“Is it that easy to break common sense? Why don’t we just enjoy our meal then?”

That night’s dinner was abnormally quiet.

When they looked at me, they saw a man crying as he ate bread.

“Umm, to have bread after such a long absence… it’s so good to be alive.”。

The great sage savored his meal.

The former duke had witnessed a new form of insanity this night.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

The next morning, Selestina began her training to learn Mana Manipulation.

Now that her shackles had been removed, she was serious about studying magic.

To tell the truth, she studied all the spells Zeros had edited last night and saw what magic she was capable of using.

Despite them being basics spells, the cost of combat-spells was a heavy one for her.

If she obtained the skill 【Mana Manipulation], she could reduce the mana consumption and she planned to acquire【Magic Resistance] as well.

However, it is said that if you chase two hares you’d catch neither, which was meant to say that a considerable amount of magical power was needed to obtain both skills.

As a result, most magicians focused on raising their levels to increase their magic power before they began training.

Still, raising one’s level was a difficult task for a noble like Selestina and with her current magical power she was only capable of using 2-3 combat-spells

Her level would rise exponentially if she could defeat a high-leveled monster, but that was a reckless endeavor.

“Thanks to yesterday’s training my magical power increased by one. So, it should rise by 300 in one year if I practice every day.”

While it was certainly true, as magical power rose you’d have to use stronger spells for training.

Increasing the quantity of magical power meant using spells with greater cost and required you to learn those stronger spells.

The most efficient method was to cast combat magic, but that wasn’t something that could be fired indefinitely.

It was certain that this brand of training would reach a deadlock.

“Already starting your training, Selestina-san?”

“Ah? Sensei!”

“S-Sensei?”

“Yes♪ Because you were able to teach me magic, you’re my tutor. Is that no good?”

“Well…… I don’t mind, but have I really done enough to be considered a teacher?”

“Yes! You’ve done more than enough. It’s because of you that I can move forward.”

Without even knowing it, Zeros became someone who had influenced her life greatly.

Even though he was a bit confused, he scratched his unkempt hair and smiled wryly.

“It’s hard to memorize magical power operations. Eventually, it will become difficult to consume enough magic power.”

“It’s still better than doing nothing, right? I want to become a magician like you, sensei!”

“…N-No, that would be a bit brutal. Well, it’s good to have a goal…… but does it have to be me?”

Not even Zeros realized just how far beyond the norm he was.

At best, 『You’re a Cheat! You can’t boast about it that much〜』was the extent to which he thought of it.

From Selestina point of view however, he was a sage and explorer far superior to any magician in this country.

He was a great magician who inspired the envy and respect of others.

Above all, the way in which he solved her problems by rewriting the defective spells to manage their efficiency issue for fun was to be respected.

In Selestina’s eyes 『This is what a magician should be』, was the idea that had taken root.

Zeros had yet to notice that such a thing had happened.

“I will instruct you if there is anything you don’t understand, but you have to be careful when crafting magic, right? With enough levels and skills, your surroundings will be placed at risk.”

“I cannot do that yet, but I will reach those heights someday. Please instruct me from now on!”

“Huh! Please wait, from now on?! What are you……”

“Did you not hear from grandfather? I was talking with grandfather and he mentioned asking you about becoming my tutor……”

“I haven’t heard anything…… Well, it’s better than being unemployed.”

It was bad form for a 40-year-old ossan to be jobless.

Since this ossan desired a happy married life above all, he would need to have a job.

However, he still needed to do something about his appearance.

From the onset, he just looked like any other ossen……

“How long would this tutor position last?”

“Normally…… let’s see. Until my summer holiday ended, maybe? I have to return to school in two months……”

“School? So there’s a school for magicians?”

“Yes, it’s called the Istal Magic Institute, the children of nobles learn the advanced ways of the magicians there. however, there are a variety of factions involved……”

“Quite the troublesome academy. Are they properly teaching magic there? Based on that textbook, the level of skill is far too low.”

“I started to think the same after meeting you, sensei. Do I even need to study there anymore?”

“Maybe that place has been built to facilitate social interactions between the nobility? Training as a magician might just be something secondary……”

Zeros became slightly dizzy at the thought of this country forcing kids into factions.

The idea of imposing a manipulative system like factions on children at an impressionable age left a bitter taste in his mouth.

It was inevitable that vicious bullying would occur and the children’s mind might be warped.

“Mylady, please run away!”

“It’s a Blood Bear!”

The two knight’s suddenly shouted as they ran towards the pair.

Behind them, a jet black bear let out a mighty roar as it pursued them.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

Blood Bear, Level 15

HP: 600/600

MP: 103/103

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

“Run away!”

“『Manacles of Steel』”

―――Guoorrrr?!

The blood bear was captured immediately.

Zeros was truly outrageous.

“Selestina, have you learned any combat orientated magic?”

“Huh? I’ve learned some…… why do you ask?”

“Try shooting that. If you’re lucky it should raise your level, shouldn’t it?”

“Impossible! I can only cast it three times with my current magical power……”

“That should be enough. 『Devil’s Blessing』”

【Devil’s Blessing]was one of Zeros’ self-made spells that gave a massive boost to magic attack.

In tandem with other magicians, the spell guaranteed certain annihilation.

Since the power jumped by a factor of ten, a spell’s destructive capability becomes incomprehensible.

“Crim-Crimson flames…… burn my enemies 『Fireball』!”

―――Dogoooooooooooooon!!

A deafening roar rang out as a dust storm was kicked up.

One wouldn’t believe that the vicious flames that engulfed the blood bear were the result of a basic spell.

“””Ehhhhhhhhhhh!”””

It was only natural that Selestina and the two knights were amazed by the enhanced spell.

“Please deal the decisive blow. With a different spell this time.”

“Y-Yes! Wind, cut as my blade 『Air Cutter』!!”

Wind magic was inherently weak in power.

However, the enhanced air cutter bisected the blood bear.

A feat that was impossible with the spell’s original power.

It would’ve been impossible for Selestina, who was level five, to defeat a level fifteen blood bear.

However, common sense had long since been disposed of.

“Hiya!?”

Zeros caught Selestina when a dizzy spell made her collapse.

She didn’t have any tolerance for sudden level spikes, so it resulted in her dizziness.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

Selestina van Solisthea, Level 11

HP: 205/205

MP: 151/211

Skills:

Fire Magic (10/100)

Water Magic (1/100)

Wind Magic (5/100)

Earth Magic (1/100)

Light Magic (1/100)

Dark Magic (1/100)

Physical Skills:

Mana Manipulation (3/100)

Patience (50/1000)

Interpersonal Skills:

Perseverance (50/100)

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

(That’s a surprising level growth. Maybe a bonus effect?)

“Congratulations. You’re now level eleven.”

“Huh? Did my level increase by six?! I can’t believe it.”

“That’s to be expected, given that the experience came from actual combat. It was a higher-level opponent after all.”

“O-Oh……?”

Selestina couldn’t believe this was real.

That was to be expected given the level of power she achieved with the two spells she’d just used.

However, the fact remained that she’d killed a Blood Bear and raised her level.

“Are there any more of them?”

“””Please stop!”””

Creston joined the conversation this time……

“Congratulations, Tina…… You’ve managed to slay a monster with your own hands……”

He shed tears of joy at his grandchild’s growth as he sat in the carriage’s shadow.

The old man was pleased with everything his granddaughter did.

After that, they dismantled the blood bear, ate breakfast and resumed their trek towards the city.

The largest town in the region 【Santol]……