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.
Selestinaās 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 granddaughterās joyous expression.
However, if Zeros had known about this praise for the goddess, he probably wouldāve stopped working on the task at his hands at once.
After all, he fell victim to the goddessā hazardous waste removal.
As a result of her machinations, heād fought and defeated the evil god in a virtual world and was killed for his efforts.
āHmmā¦ā¦ Iāve finished correcting this one, letās test it.ā
āThis spell isā¦ā¦ ćTorchć?ā
āYes, I optimized the spell so anyone can use it. I decreased the magic power consumption and raised the spellās output as much as possible.ā
āRaised the spellās output?ā
āIn 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 phenomenonā¦ all the spells in here were limited by oneās individual mana.ā
āPlease wait a moment. Isnāt the magical formation and a personās mana what causes a physical phenomenon to appear?ā
āItās different. Without utilising the natural mana of this world, a personās individual mana would be drained immediately if they tried to invoke a spell, wouldnāt it?ā
It appeared that this worldās knowledge about magic was lagging behind that of the gameās 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 itās properties were altered in order to produce a phenomenon, the mana would eventually return to normal.
Thatās why it was possible to use magic to attack, and to use magic to defend from attacks.
Even though magic that manipulates oneās mind does exist, once the bodyās mana is depleted it will be canceled.
Since there are phenomena that revert back to normal conditions once theyāve passed, the one universal rule within magic was that it returned to its original state.
However, it takes time for the bodyās 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 spellās efficiency.
There mustāve been magicians studying magical formations in this world, but they were being taught such imperfect materials.
āWhether it was by chance or intentionally, these formations were wrong.ā
āThatās amazingā¦ā¦ that you could notice that.ā
āTo not serve a country despite being so skilledā¦ā¦ such a waste of talent.ā
āThough it may be troublesome, I hate being used only for my power. I donāt want my employer to grow conceited just because Iām protecting them.ā
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.
āBecause I studied magic as a bit of a hobby and am very self-conscious of my work, I donāt wish to hand over my results to others just yet. I would like to finalize my research before that.ā
āCertainlyā¦ that is another aspect of it. A magicianās research belongs to whichever faction they are apart of, and punishment for any mistake would be swiftly dueled out.ā
āTherefore, there is a custom to only pass on magic techniques to successors. Youāre well-informed.ā
āMy research has resulted in some rather dangerous findings, and itās not something I can reveal carelessly. Itās possible that few people would understandā¦ā¦ the type of magic it is.ā
Zerosā magic could be seen as superior to Solistheaās magic.
Based on what heād described, it was possible to produce blue flames, which were said to be the panicle of fire magic, simply by changing the temperature of the air itself.
It wasnāt that surprising, considering that it was such an extremely simple phenomenon.
Take Zerosā ćBlack Thunder Bulletćfor example.
The magic distorted gravitational fields strong enough to bend light and caused the gravity around oneās 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 magicās ability alter the natural world.
However, the formula was of such complexity, that it would seem impossible to even decode it.
āWhat do you suppose would happen if others learned your magic? The power-hungryā¦ā¦ā
āI can only imagine a hellish outcome.ā
āIf handled poorly, a country might fall to ruin.ā
āTherefore, I wonāt pass on my magic. I will only teach the very basics of what is needed.ā
āA wise decision. The last thing anyone needs is a fool trying to emulate you.ā
āIn any case, the second optimized spell is complete. Letās test them out now.ā
āHuh?!ā
Although it been in a textbook, itād 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 into 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.
āEven though itās just a torch spell, you can learn to control the mana output and extend the longevity of the flames.ā
āMana output? What exactly do you mean?.ā
āSimply putā¦ itās possible to maintain a fireball produced with magic for a certain period of time?ā
āHmmā¦ā¦ Interesting.ā
āWith enough control of your magic, you can even redirect your shot if you miss your enemy the first time.
āSoā¦ā¦ I will be able to freely manipulate the spell with my will. Am I understanding this correctly?ā
āThatās correct in the general sense, but magic canāt last forever, right? For now, you should only focus on invoking it.ā
āThatās amazing!ā
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.
āWell, letās give torch a try, shall we? As you grow as a magician, youāll eventually be able to cast it without chanting.ā
āYes! Iāll do my best.ā
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.
āItās doneā¦ā¦ Ignite and light my pathā¦ā¦ ćTorchć.ā
A small flame ignited on Selestinaās fingertip.
The so-called torch was weak, but it was magic nevertheless.
āGrandfather, I did it! I can use magicā”ā
āOhā¦ā¦ Certainlyā¦ā¦ā
āItās like a candle, but itās also the first time youāve used the spell. You should be able to memorize the formation if you keep the flame constant.ā
āI did it! Oh?! Ah! The fire went out.ā
āItās difficult to maintain the flow of magical power. Even a small gust will extinguish it, so be careful.ā
āCan I try for a larger fire this timeć?! Why is this so difficult?!ā
āThatās 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. ā
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 wasnāt an option for a young girl of a tender age.
Thatās why it was important to learn of oneās skills and raise them.
While skills consumed magic power, using them killed two birds with one stone by gaining the skill itself and increasing oneās magic.
The skills would naturally rise through continued use.
āHuhā¦ does that mean I have to do this type of training every day?ā
āWell. Since results are dependent on constant training, it necessary to maintain a daily routine.ā
āIāll do it! Iāll overcome this if it means I can use magic.ā
āTina is shiningā¦ā¦ Such a motivated expressionā¦ā¦(haahaaā¦).ā
The grandfather was in a state of āmoeā.
The grandchild seems to be burdened with her own problems.
āIf you constantly cast body strengthening magic on yourself, you should be able to raise your magic resistance as well.ā
āIāll try doing that!ā
āI thought so, that why the second spell is for body reinforcementā¦ with this, you should gradually increase your magical power.ā
Judging it to be necessary, Zeros peeped at her status.
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 couldnāt 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?
āWhat kind of life did you live to make you cry like this?ā
āI spent a week in the forest being chased around by monsters. I could eat nothing but meatā¦ā¦ sniffā¦ Iām so happy to be alive.ā
āThat sound too severeā¦ā¦ for the forest around here.ā
āWell, I donāt know the name of the forest, and I got a bit turned around when the wyvern attackedćā¦ā¦ so hungryā¦ā
āāāāWyvern!?āāāāā
Including the two knights, four people let out a surprised shout.
āHow did you escape a wyvern?!ā
āC-Could you have killed it?!ā
āAre you a ćDragon Slayerć?ā
āPlease tell us what kind of adventure it was.ā
āDragon Slayer is a bit of an exaggeration. Itās just a flying lizard after all.ā
āāāāThatās wrong!!āāāā
Another name for wyverns was ćSky Demonć.
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.
āHigh-grade ingredientsā¦ā¦ I have several of them, but how much will they sell for? Iām troubled because I canāt eat much of it.ā
āY-Youā¦ defeated it.ā
āThat monsterā¦ the Sky Devil?ā
āHeās a high ranking magicianā¦ā¦ Only someone truly powerful could accomplish thatā¦ā
āYouāre just gonna sell the meat, just how strong arā¦ā¦ā
āHuh? Itās not a tasty as behemoth meat though. You can easily defeat it so long as you fight properly.ā
āāāāBehemoth, the disaster spreading monster!!āāāā
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 Iād been reincarnated in this world by a goddess.
Zeros Merlin had no idea what county heād been born in, because heād been traveling with his parents for as long as he could remember and heād 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 didnāt 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 resultā¦ā¦
āSuch an abundance of combat experienceā¦ I never heard of such an explorerā¦ā
āI lack training. I even lag behind common bandits.ā
āSuch a frightening story, how crazy would you have to be to fight a behemoth? With only five people no lessā¦ā¦ā
āZeros-san strength was forged through actual combat. I am still inexperienced.ā
āDonāt be ridiculous. it was just the story of a fool who wasted his life. Itās but one manās Dark History after all.ā
āIt can be considered foolish to seek out the limits of magic. However, even this countryās magicians want to show their mettle.ā
Apparently, Iād gone above what was necessary to be considered a hero.
Well, since my body had been recreated based on game data, it wasnāt necessarily untrue.
Since I decimated the bandits from before with overwhelming strength, I was looked upon with envy.
āBy the way, whatās your current level?ā
āā¦ā¦..Itās probably better that you donāt know. My level is insaneā¦ā
āSo itās that highā¦ā¦ā
āIs it true? Ummā¦ā¦ we may need to reconsider the Orderās training regime.ā
āIt should be 500 at most, , right?ā
āNoā¦. (Itās about three times that)ā¦ā
āāāW-What did you say!!!āāā
Level 1896 wasnāt 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 avatarā¦ā¦
āYour skills must be frightening as well. I would hate to have you as an enemy.ā
āI see. Well, my power isnāt something that could be suppressed by you.ā
āA magician who could destroy a country because heās having a bad dayā¦ā¦:
āIām not a mage, just a great sage.ā
āāāStop breaking common sense already!!āāā
āIs it that easy to break common sense? Why donāt we just enjoy our meal then?ā
That nightās dinner was abnormally quiet.
When they looked at me, they saw a man crying as he ate bread.
āUmm, to have bread after such a long absenceā¦ itās so good to be alive.āć
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 ćMana Manipulationć, she could reduce the mana consumption and she planned to acquirećMagic Resistanceć as well.
However, it is said that if you chase two hares youād 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 oneās 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.
āThanks to yesterdayās training my magical power increased by one. So, it should rise by 300 in one year if I practice every day.ā
While it was certainly true, as magical power rose youād 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 wasnāt something that could be fired indefinitely.
It was certain that this brand of training would reach a deadlock.
āAlready starting your training, Selestina-san?ā
āAh? Sensei!ā
āS-Sensei?ā
āYesāŖ Because you were able to teach me magic, youāre my tutor. Is that no good?ā
āWellā¦ā¦ I donāt mind, but have I really done enough to be considered a teacher?ā
āYes! Youāve done more than enough. Itās because of you that I can move forward.ā
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.
āItās hard to memorize magical power operations. Eventually, it will become difficult to consume enough magic power.ā
āItās still better than doing nothing, right? I want to become a magician like you, sensei!ā
āā¦N-No, that would be a bit brutal. Well, itās good to have a goalā¦ā¦ but does it have to be me?ā
Not even Zeros realized just how far beyond the norm he was.
At best, ćYour a Cheat! You canāt boast about it that muchććwas 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 Selestinaās eyes ćThis is what a magician should beć, was the idea that had taken root.
Zeros had yet to notice that such a thing had happened.
āI will instruct you if there is anything you donāt understand, but you have to be careful when crafting magic, right? With enough levels and skills, your surroundings will be placed at risk.ā
āI cannot do that yet, but I will reach those heights someday. Please instruct me from now on!ā
āHuh! Please wait, from now on?! What are youā¦ā¦ā
āDid you not hear from grandfather? I was talking with grandfather and he mentioned asking you about becoming my tutorā¦ā¦ā
āI havenāt heard anythingā¦ā¦ Well, itās better than being unemployed.ā
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 ossenā¦ā¦
āHow long would this tutor position last?ā
āNormallyā¦ā¦ letās see. Until my summer holiday ended, maybe? I have to return to school in two monthsā¦ā¦ā
āSchool? So thereās a school for magicians?ā
āYes, itās called the Istohru Ā Magic Institute, the children of nobles learn the advanced ways of the magicians there. however, there are a variety of factions involvedā¦ā¦ā
āQuite the troublesome academy. Are they properly teaching magic there? Based on that textbook, the level of skill is far too low.ā
āI started to think the same after meeting you, sensei. Do I even need to study there anymore?ā
āMaybe that place has been built to facilitate social interactions between the nobility? Training as a magician might just be something secondaryā¦ā¦ā
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 childrenās mind might be warped.
āMylady, please run away!ā
āItās a Blood Bear!ā
The two knightās suddenly shouted as they ran towards the pair.
Behind them, a jet black bear let out a mighty roar as it pursued them.