Three people faced one another at Archduke Solisthea’s primary residence. The oldest person in the room was the retired Creston. The youngest participant was the duke’s eldest son, Schweith. The final attendee was the stern-looking white-robe adorned Delsasis, the current archduke.
“So? Not only did you challenge father guest to a fight, but you also used our family’s heirloom and were still utterly defeated?”
Heirloom spells were secret techniques passed down through the generations.
In general, they were original spells that families pulled together their resources and research to create.
Not only had that magic been revealed to the public, but it had also been dismantled with ease.
“B-But that man…… his strength was abnormal……”
“What a good excuse. Not only did you used the spell in public, but you also did so while fighting over a woman? Shame will befall are house if such rumors spread!!”
“Well, his opponent was Zeros-dono. The hidden technique also failed when I used it against him.”
“What?! That mage even surpassed you, grandfather?!”
“I can’t believe it. Just who is he? This man……”
“I would like to tell you more, but he is my savior and Tina’s tutor. It’s tempting, right?”
“”!?””
Creston informed the others of his encounter with Zeros.
The faces of the two listeners began to change as the story went on. Delsasis worried about the political ramifications of such a man’s existence, and Schweith was racked by fear upon learning his place. The pair were of two minds.
“I’d really like to employ such a powerful man.”
“That’s impossible, he said he finds politics troublesome. I don’t even want to think about what a falling out between us would look like.”
“However, isn’t the current situation dangerous? Having such talent, yet refusing to serve a country……”
“Do you think him to be a normal mage? Most countries would go to war over his research.”
“Quite the terrifying enemy…… I can’t imagine how secret spells he possesses.”
“From what I’ve seen, he has the power to level the entire nation. But, after seeing the results of his research, he seems to have no interest in using his magic.”
“His existence is a threat in it of itself…… We need to collar him somehow…”
From a political standpoint, Zeros was a roaming nuclear warhead. Delsasis wasn’t the type of man that would allow such a magician to do as he pleased.
“Stop it. Delsasis…… do you want to bring ruin upon this country? Just appreciate the good he’s doing. Like Tina.”
“How, can such a mage contribute to the magic of this country? Why didn’t you do something, father?”
“You want to try throwing a battle-weary sage into a power struggle? He’d vanish from the remains of the county left in his wake. I don’t intend to make unnecessary sacrifices.”
“But you’re his benefactor now……”
“Um, he’s quite open about topics beside his original magics. Tina wishes to become his official disciple and learn the ways of magic from him.”
“Wasn’t that child incapable of using magic?”
“She can use it now, thanks to Zeros-dono. As expected of a Great Sage……”
“”What!!””
While Selestina gaining the ability to use magic was surprising, it was the title Great Sage that alarmed the father-son pair. It was said that during the Evil God Wars, several Great Sages lend humanity to victory over the monster army. However, each of them was said to have died sealing the evil god away, taking their arcane secrets with them into the abyss.
Since then, no one has ever managed to achieve the class of Great Sage, and it was considered a phantom occupation.
“F-Father…… Is that true?”
“Hmm, he’s already exceeded lv 1000. Isn’t he stronger than that incompetent hero?”
“Seriously…… Where did you co across such a man? Weー”
“It’s useless. Not even his majesty……”
“”There’s no reason to say that””
Any magician worthy of the title would do any an everything to receive tutelage from a Great Sage. A Great Sage was considered closer to a god than a regular sage. However, there was an idiot here who wanted to try and bribe such a fearful existence.
“If handled poorly, our family will be wiped out.”
“I-I didn’t know…… Even though I didn’t know, I’ve made a terrible mistake……”
“He just wants to live quietly, so I’ll give him some land. That was the promise I made.”
“It has to be suitable……”
“Yes, I plan to give him a portion of the villa’s forest land and the orphanage.”
“G-Grandfather?! Why the orphanage……”
Schweith waited with bated breath before his question was answered.
“Have you heard of magic meant to better the general public? It’s called agricultural magic, and I’d like the children to learn it.”
“What’s that? ……Isn’t magic an offensive tool or used for combat assistance.”
“He’s introduced new possibilities of magic to Tina. Truly a great teacher.”
“I’ll inform the magician faction about it. So, are her abilities improving?”
“Yes, she’s shown outstanding growth over the last couple of days. It’s impossible for the academy to nurture her abilities so effectively.”
“That’s because the talented are given priority. When her magic didn’t manifest, all interest in her plummeted.”
“That’s why the textbook Zeros-dono modified is so important. Using it will be convenient for our purposes, yes?”
“Is that so? We need to expand the education of our country’s magicians. Has he approved of us taking it?”
“I already have it. We should be able to purge a few incompetent people…… After all, it’s leaps and bounds above the previous textbook.”
The old man and current duke were graduates if the Istal Magic Institute.
Despite this, they had their doubts about the way the academy was ran these days.
“That aside… aren’t you rather cold to your daughter?”
“I can’t care for the girl in front of my wives. Her mother was far more attractive than them……”
“A woman’s jealousy…… it’s quite the frightening thing, isn’t it? Just stop fooling around.”
“I’ve been stabbed many times… but I can’t stop myself.”
“Haah, just as usual…”
Selestina was treated coldly at the duke’s house. Her father did care for his daughter. However, the jealousy of his wives prevented him from openly expressing his love.
“Well, the academy’s reform is about to start…… the problem is…”
“Schweith.”
“Eeh!?! I’d hope you’d forgotten…”
“I can’t forget it!! ‘I want to experience as the feudal lord and sharpen my own skills. You talked a big game, but you really just wanted to use your influence to win over a single lady! Shame on you!!”
“F-Father, you have a mistress in every city!!”
“I have a decent work life and fire playing balance!! And I never had to abuse my power to win someone over!!”
Delsasis was an unabashed womanizer. However, he completely separated is work and private life, going so far as to hide his identity when he counted a woman. He also went out of his way to provide aftercare to the women he had extended relationships with, ensuring that they lived comfortably. Instead of using touching the tax he collected as a lord, he used the revenue from his trade business to support his various lovers.
In short, Delsasis was a capable seducer.
“It’s because I have a father like you that I have to act this way!! It’s not fun being laughed at when I try to court someone!!”
“It’s not my fault!! Recognize your own shortcomings and improve upon them, that’s the only way to get a woman to love you!! A good woman can see cheap tricks and power plays!! You foolish son!!”
“I haven’t been here for a while!! However, I’ll still keep track of your bad behavior, Father!!”
“Then, what’s the extent of your fascination? If you were truly in love, you wouldn’t have seen the other man as a threat. If it were more than a temporary thing, you wouldn’t be afraid of her leaving?”
“You’re talking shit, old man!!”
“What did you say? You had to abuse your power because she despises you!! Lazily giving up, isn’t the mark of a true man!!”
In Schweith eyes, his veteran playboy father was the worst type of person. In the first place, there was no need for Delsasis to sleep with other women. Even if he were a widow, it wouldn’t legitimize the share number of women he has relationships with.
The differences between father and son were distinct.
“You have a wife already, what is driving you to be the way you are?”
Schweith sought the pure love that his grandfather had, Creston not having relations with a woman after his wife passed away.
There’d been the occasional visit to a whore house, but those were the follies of youth he hadn’t indulged in since his marriage. Creston himself, couldn’t help but sigh as the two exchanged insults with one another. Parent and child argument continued in the living room without interruption.
Before long, thing devolved into a fistfight.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Zeros and Selestina, along with two escorts, were revisiting the orphanage.
“Ugh…… Zeros-san? What brings you here today……”
“A magic experiment? The backyard of the orphanage is rather large for such a small church. I thought it’d be a good idea if we turn it into a field and let the children take care of it.”
“A…… Field? I thought about making one, but the hard and rock-filled soil makes it impossible for the children to work on.”
“That’s what the magic is for. It has more uses than it’s applications in fights. If properly practiced, it can turn easily create a viable field.”
Luseris was confused.
For priests, magic was a destructive force that could only hurt people. They believed the healing power they wielded was God’s miracle and had no love for magicians.
However, Zeros dropped a bomb on them.
“Did you know that your healing and magic spells originate from the same source? In short, you’re a victim of misinformation.”
“What?! Our power is a miracle from God.”
“Wrong. You learned your magic from scrolls, didn’t you? It follows the same principle as old spell books. In other words, your sacred healing can be classified as magic.”
“Then, are priests also magicians?”
“That’s right. If general mages specialize in combat, then priests are support specialist.”
A priest’s power was supposed to be granted by God. After reaching a certain rank within the priesthood, new priests were presented with the sacred scrolls. However, Zeros’ ascension that magic and scared healing were derived from the same source couldn’t be overlooked.
“S-Such a thing…… it’s unbelievable…”
“I can use all kinds of healing magic, too. With a single spell, I can heal wounds, cure poisonings, and purify undead. All of that is classified under light attribute magic.”
“Vast… even the Grand Cleric can only……”
“Specifically, the spell boost mana consumption efficiency and raises somatic cell activity. It’s easier to change a spell later if you improve upon the basics.”
A magician’s light magic and the sacred arts of the priest were one and the same. The problem was the arbitrary divides, between attacking and healing, between the human miracle and the Godly one. Usually, such a situation wouldn’t be possible, but in the aftermath of the holy war, various documents disappeared, and the pillar of magical knowledge was smashed and scattered across the land.
Though the magic symbols that the spells were composed of differed, it was the same magic, it would take some time to overthrow the common cultural sense. Half of light attribute magic was merged with the religion, while the other half hit a roadblock as specialized offensive magic.
“Well, I don’t mean to create unnecessary waves in the era. An inquisition would be a messy affair.”
“Teacher……will the world become unhinged if this is handled poorly?”
“While I’m satisfied with my current situation, and it would be nice if I didn’t know certain things, magicians are the curious sort. Truth is found through research.”
“Priests are magicians… there are no godly miracles……”
“To what degree is that truth? That does not mean that reality has changed.”
The degree of change was dependent on the situation.
It was a matter of life and death, especially in Theocracies, were some truths that threatened the stability of the nation. Whether or not the information got out now or later, it was only a matter of time before the scales on power and influence shifted.
“In any case, those principles allows us to quickly make a field. Doesn’t it go ‘those who don’t work, don’t eat’?”
“Isn’t the previous statement more important? Teacher, the church could lose its significance……”
“You’re mistaken if you think God will do anything about it. Your basically a bystander that doesn’t want to do anything? No matter how miraculous a phenomenon may appear, so long as the possibility for it to happen exist, it will occur eventually. It becomes bothersome when people label those phenomenon miracles.”
“Zeros-san, do you hate god?”
“I hate it. I was made to suffer because of that irresponsible and fickle God. Furthermore, that Evil God……”
“”……………………””
The pair were at a loss for words.
“”Jo-Joke… that’s a joke, right?”
“Oh, how so? Whether you believe it or not is your choice♪”
No lie was spoken.
On the contrary, Zeros actually dead at the hands of the Evil God. The gods of this world used another world’s game as a toxic waste storage unit. Even if he was reincarnated in this world, it doesn’t change the fact that he was unnecessarily killed.
The gods were definitely his enemy.
When they reached the back of the church, they were greeted with a field full of weeds. It was initially going to be turned into a cemetery, but concerns about lowering the property value halted those plans.
There’d been repeated discussions about repurposing the land nothing came of those talks.
Additionally, as newer sections of the city appeared and the church became an orphanage, the field was gradually forgotten.
“Geezer, what are you doing here?”
“Did you bring any presents?”
“Is that girl, your kid?”
“Fresh meat〜.”
The children were too energetic.
“Today, I’m going to make this place into a proper field. Please step back, so you don’t get dragged into it.”
“Yes, understood.”
“So, you didn’t bring any gifts?”
“Meat……”
“Oh, you’re just after the sister, aren’t you?”
They were also rude.
Well, children were the same in every world.
「では……『ガイア・コントロール』」
“Now…… 『Gaia Control』.”
When Zeros struck the ground and cast his spell, the soil ebbed and flowed like it was alive, weeds and stone removed themselves from field en masse. Also, ridge appeared in equal intervals, and the soil was primed for seeding.
“I-Incredible…… such a thing is possible… Magic for the benefit of the people……”
“This is a lie, there’s no way the land could be developed so quickly……”
Even the two with knowledge of magic could only describe what they saw as magical.
This was something completely different from combat and healing magic.
“Might as well wall off the area…… 『Stone Wall』.”
A low wall meant to detour intruders sprung up around the field. However, the field was still vulnerable to skyward attacks.
“Geezer, amazing!!”
“You did it, Ossen.”
“This is all to impress, the sister? That’s crazy.”
“Meat…… Meat〜〜〜!!”
Some of the children were amazed by the field while others were focused on other things.
“With this, you can self-sufficiently produced vegetables and supplement your income by selling medical herds. How’s is it?”
“I don’t know what to say. Although you’ve done so much for us, I can only say thank you…”
“Don’t worry about it. This was an experiment, remember?”
“Hey, 〜〜. Zeros-san, the words of a saint shouldn’t be taken lightly〜.”
Luseris turned bright red as she spoke.
However, Zeros didn’t notice. It was her clumsy attempt at showing him favor… His long stint as a bachelor had desensitized him to such things.
“It’s really amazing. How long before I can use magic like this?”
“Around level 50 or so. The spell mostly uses natural mana, so there isn’t much of a burden.”
“If the output is great, the required mana should be high…… it’s quite the burden.”
“It’s more efficient to only use enough of your own mana to direct the natural mana. You’d just deplete your mana otherwise.”
“Can this magic be used by regular people? It could revolutionize farming.”
“Or it could be used to instantly build a field base on the battlefield. It also has a few applications in construction……”
The spell’s versatility was its greatest advantage and drawback. While it could be used for wide-scale agricultural work, another viable use for the spell would base camp construction and trap making.
“Placing limiters into the spell would be a good solution, but doing so would increase the mana requirement and limit the number of magicians that can use it. Altering the spell so that it only serves one purpose increases the complexity of the magic formation and limit potential users to those vast mana reserves. It’s a difficult problem. I’d like to avoid this spell finding its way to a battlefield, but even if one’s mana control is high, it doesn’t make sense to overly specialize the spell…… that’s the issue.”
“Indeed. However, isn’t it up to the magic user to decided how to use their spells?”
“It’s as you say. I don’t want my legacy to be used for warfare.”
Whether or not a versatile spell became a dangerous one depended on the magician.
On its own, magic that manipulated the ground wasn’t suitable for combat, but with enough creativity, it could still be used to hinder an enemy.
As Selestina said, it depended on the magician.
“Are you not satisfied with this? It seems to be a beneficial spell……”
“Its convenience is its fault. It’s even a threat when its number of uses is limited?”
「数……ですか？」
“It’s number……, huh?”
“Think about it. What do you think would happen if you used this magic in front of a cavalry charge? The enemy would fall into a sinkhole that suddenly appeared.
Furthermore, the higher degree of control makes stifling enemy movements easy.”
“Can’t you seal their movements without killing them?”
“Peasants are used to supplement armies. There’s no shortage of idiots among them willing to kill to further their ambitions.”
The spell was meant to cultivate fields. However, it’s ease of use would drive people to the battlefield.
Because it was convenient, those in power would exploit it.
While it seemed so simple, Luseris couldn’t hide her surprised at the number of thought Zeros had put into one spell.
At the same time, her heart ached for Zeros.
She couldn’t help but ask Zeros, “What would you do if war broke out?”
“Well, I’d discuss things with Creston. Nothing good would come from me, acting on my own.”
“You have to prevent the people from becoming sacrifices.”
“Again, the foolish will drown in their own greed……”
“Are all people foolish? The perfect being isn’t human anymore. It’s the same as a doll.”
If there were such a thing as an almighty God, it’d need to be simultaneously indifferent and merciless to overlook the great injustices of life. They are too competent to act, yet know the ramifications of their actions. They’d know every possible outcome of every event but still allows everything to play out without moving.
They’ve little will to do more than observing the world. It seemed like a hopeless existence, but at the same time, it seemed incredibly egotistical to withdraw yourself like that. That’s what Zeros thought.
In his forty years of life, he’d had no shortage of encounters that could fuel a grudge against God. it might’ve come off as a bit paranoid, but……
“S-Such…… Such a being isn’t God!”
“Is that so? Isn’t knowing all and doing nothing for the lives of the people the very definition of indifference? Even when I say it’s better to live freely, that statement is the result of my apathy and mercy. That’s the truth of the matter.”
“But…… The Goddesses of this world……”
“Yes, it has feelings. That’s not an almighty God, but a spirit close to to it.
Or a caretaker God forced its duties onto. That’s what I see.”
“Teacher, should you be saying that in front of a priest? Isn’t that, blasphemy?”
“Often, people need to hear such things to transcend their limitations. Is it all that strange to call God’s servant a Goddess or Spirit King? No one really knows for sure.”
Zeros didn’t believe in an almighty God. Not even four deities that brought him to this world reached those heights. The four of them struggled against the evil god. That fact alone proved they weren’t omnipotent. In fact, the evil god had probably been the closest being to a true god.
“That’s a mage’s profane way of thinking. It’s a sin not to fear God.”
“I think all of humanity is profane. How many have been killed in the name of God? God didn’t demand it, so those killings were the work of men.”
“But, what of the oracles that receive divine prophecy?”
“Even if the oracle is the medium for the four deities, who’s to say that she or the people she passes the message to didn’t misinterpret the message?
If a tragedy occurs because of that, who carries the sin?”
History was stained by the blood spilled at the behest of Four Deities’ oracles. No one knew if the oracle was correct or if they acted per the gods’ intentions. Only the number of victims had been recorded.
“By the way, what are we planting? It’s quite wide, and we can probably grow a variety of vegetables and herbs.”
“Huh? Th-That’s right…… vegetables are a must, but medicinal herbs will be the main source of revenue.”
“The problem is fertilizer, but we can collect leaves from the forest and make mulch. Leftover food can become fertilizer, and why not add an aviary to secure some eggs?”
“I can’t do this alone.”
“Have the children take care of the field. If you don’t teach them the importance of hard work now, they’ll become a burden on society when they grow up.”
“Are you promoting education and self-sufficiency? That’s a great idea, Teacher♡.”
“It’s not that big a deal, is it? It’s just shameful when people take food for granted.”
The conversation had shifted the children. A tangent sense of dread drifted through the air.
“Why are you so stingy, Geezer?”
“Are you poor? I’m poor, Geezer.”
“It’s alright. Although a bit stingy, I’m a good adult.”
“Meat, I want to eat meat,〜〜〜!”
“………, this is. Acting in such a spoiled manner is the be expected. People always want to avoid hardships.”
“Everyone!! I’m really sorry!! I just can’t……”
Luseris rushed to apologize.
Children unburdened by an adult’s hardship only cared about felling their bellies.
“Do you need any seeds? I heard we’d be working in a field, so I brought some from home……”
“Selestina,-sama!? I’m sorry!! I am truly sorry, please forgive me!!”
“What kind of seeds? Despite my appearance, I have a knack for farming.”
“Let’s see, 【Massari onion】, 【Babylon Tomatoes】, 【Tobigeri Radishes】, and 【Muscle poppies】.”
“What kind of vegetables are those…? In a way, I up some 【Mandragora】and 【Healing Grass】in Fafuran.
“Ma-Mandragora!? We can’t accept such an expensive gift!!”
“No, I got them for free, and I’ll save a few for myself.”
Mandragora was a high-grade medicinal herb used in traditional Chinese medicine. In this world, it was the man ingredient in various magical medicines, the demand for it was high, but the supply was always low.
A large number of seeds could be propagated in one seeding, but harvesting the herb was difficult because it grew in monster-infested regions. Rumors say that if you pull a mandragora out, it released a devilish screech that killed you immediately, but that was far from the truth. Doing so just left you with a massive sense of guilt.
Moreover, the plant’s rapid breeding in Fafuran. Basically, it was a weed that could’ve overran the entire forest if monsters didn’t eat them.
“Now, you can plant your seeds and grow your herbs and vegetables. Your life is depending on this, so you’ll do your best to raise them, won’t you?”
“Heee? What a pain〜〜.”
“Can’t we get by on begging?”
“Is it an easy-going lifestyle?”
“Meat〜〜〜!!”
What disreputable children.
Zeros plastered a smile on his face as he picked up a large rock and shattered it with his bare hands.
“Hahaha, no matter how kind the uncle, they can still get angry, you know? Put your life on the line.”
“””” Ｙｅｓ，Ｍｙ，Ｌｏｒｄ！！You are King!!!”””” *(T/N: in English in the Raw)
The children’s tone changed in an instant. They instinctively knew that Zeros wasn’t a man you wanted to anger.
It didn’t really matter, but where did they learn those words?
“……I…… did I make a mistake in the children’s education?”
“No… I think these children are pretty difficult to work with.”
Selestina did her best to comfort the disheveled Luseris.
Despite the difference in age, a friendship sprouted between the two of them.
Zeros proceeded to spearhead the seed planting. Unbeknownst to him, the reformations he would install would eventually lead to him running the orphanage. After all, this orphanage was already being influenced by Zeros presence.