Breakfast was brought to the room on a fixed schedule and I was forcefully dragged out of bed.
The meal was rather bland overall, you couldn’t call it delicious but it wasn’t disgusting either.
While he was a bit depressed by the half-hearted meal, his head ached at the thought of what would happen moving forward.
Yesterday, Zeros has seen Selestina completely naked.
Her grandfather had been so upset that his blood pressure rose, and Dandy had just barely managed to get things under control.
The problem was interacting with the victim from now on.
After all, Zeros had been hired to tutor her in magic over the next two months.
To be frank, things would be extremely awkward.
A sigh escaped his lips every time he thought about it.
“……However, I have no choice but to stay here. Let’s go to Selestina-san’s room.”
After examining the texts and materials from her, Zeros realized that the magical knowledge of this world’s magicians was considerably low.
“How much should I teach her? At least I’ll keep my word and not teach her any of my personal spells……”
Zeros’ magic was both powerful and efficient.
Moreover, it was something too heinous to unleash upon the world, many lives would be indiscriminately wiped out if it was used in war.
However, powerful magic required a high level. In the case of Zeros magic, unless they were level 200 or above, it would be difficult for anyone to use it for more than a minute, so there was no reason to worry about anyone here using it.
As far as he could see, magic could not be invoked by simply engraving the spell into the consciousness, and misfires would occasionally happen.
The physical level and skill level were also related, and magic’s usability depended on the synergy between them.
There was a spell that made it easier to understand the magic you were trying to invoke and increased mental concentration when gathering mana, but that wasn’t enough to half-heartedly invoke magic.
In other words. Zeros’ magic couldn’t be used simply by engraving it into one’s mind, many lives would be lost if its secrets were revealed, so it was for the best if its secrets weren’t carelessly spread.
Also, it wasn’t impossible for a magician capable of using the magic to appear, so one needed to remain vigilant as they taught magic.
There was another problem though…… Zeros had never been a teacher before, so he was anxious about teaching Selestina.
Furthermore, yesterday’s incident was the worst possible start to all of this.
Apart from being the inexcusable act against the girl, how the other party thought of you was important.
That was why he was depressed.
Zeros arrived in front Selestina’s door while everything swirled through his mind, but eventually, he worked up the courage to knock.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
After finishing her breakfast, Selestina was restlessly pacing through her room.
The embarrassment of having Zeros see her naked made her want to wither away in shame.
She was an impressionable girl of marriageable age and yesterday had been the first time she’d seen an unrelated adult male naked.
(It was different from grandfather……)
She was not bold enough to say 『What』was different.
In short, she was frustrated.
Zeros naked body was stuck in her head and it wouldn’t leave.
“Ojōsama…… if you don’t calm down, won’t you give Zeros-sama a strange impression of yourself?”
“But, Miska〜…… I’m ashamed.”
“Ojo-ama, perhaps Zero-sama didn’t see you like that? Maybe to him, Ojōsama is but a child.”
“I-Is that so?”
Selestina was shocked by Miska’s words.
Her current appearance was quite adorable, but if Zeros preferred women with big breasts over those with small growths, then she was truly just a small child.
If she were in her late teens, things would have been different, but right now she had a childish figure.
“While, it’s good that Ojou-sama is interested in gentlemen, a person such as Zeros-sama is no good, right?”
“W-Why is that? He’s a magician competent enough to develop his own magic spells, right? And…… I think his personality is perfect.”
“From the story I heard, Zeros-sama seems like a gentle person at first glance, but is terribly cold-blood from a different point of view.”
“Cold-blooded……?”
Once again, Miska’s words shocked Selestina.
In Selestina’s eyes, Zeros was stronger and more brilliant than anyone else, on top of being attentive to others instead of being a cold-blooded person,
“Please consider it. He’s fought on battlefield after battlefield, and repeatedly experimented with magic, right? That is, he paid no mind to the sacrifices and danger to verify the results of his own magic. Only a dangerous person would gleefully jump into dangerous places. Weren’t the soldiers and monsters he faced on the battlefield just experimental materials he slew so he could verify his results? Rather than cold-blooded, ruthless would be more accurate…… Only another dangerous person could possibly care for such a dangerous man.”
There was truth in what she said.
Selestina had only been looking at the superficial facts, but from another point of view, Zeros had repeatedly done insane acts.
She’d been so blinded that she’d been incapable of seeing other points of view.
There was also the matter of her being overjoyed due to gaining the ability to use magic, which had prevented her from noticing certain things until they were pointed out to her.
“But, he said he wanted to live peacefully……”
“I guess he began thinking that way as he grew older. No one remains the same forever.”
“What…… but, it carried so much weight to it……”
“It’s a difference in experience. Ojou-sama.”
Dark shadows appeared in Miska’s expression.
“Miska…… exactly how old are you? I’ve been thinking about it for a while now……”
“Don’t you know it’s rude to ask a woman her age? Even if you’re of the same sex……”
The dangerous aura Miska released made it clear that it was a topic that should be avoided.
―――Knock, Knock.
『Excuse me. It’s Zeros, may I enter?』
“C-come in～～～～!”
“Milady, please calm down, don’t make any suspicious movements.”
“I-I’ll try……”
“I’ll bite…”
The impressionable girl remembered what she’d gone through.
She remembered seeing Zeros nude.
Her first day of lessons would be an agonizing one.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
After Zeros entered the room, he returned the textbook he borrowed to Selestina.
“Since today is the first lesson, we will start with magical symbols.”
“Magical symbols? They are said to be indecipherable sacred scripture, but you can read them already, sensei?”
“Yes. They are both a language and a medium for interacting with and gathering mana.”
“I know that, but can I really learn it?”
“It’s easy once you understand what you’re doing. Though it will be difficult to reach that point.”
There were 56 magic symbols and 10 magical numbers.
56 was also one of the numbers that could be found if you compared them side by side.
In other words, though the were slight differences between them, the language could be decoded into Japanese if you knew what you were doing.
Well, in English, French, Spanish, German…… and Swahili it must have been more difficult.
Many people in the game had noticed how similar they had been to an esoteric crossword, and the entirety of the decoded text lingered on the fringes of Zeros mind.
However, things were different within this new world, and not even mages understood the symbols.
They believed that the symbols had meaning and that it was simply impossible to decipher them.
While they weren’t mistaken in believing that the letters had meaning, they were incapable of laying sequences atop one another to create more powerful magic.
Simply put, they had stumbled at the start and couldn’t advance.
In short, a magic formation used the symbols to cause a physical phenomenon, but it was impossible to create magic formations without knowing physical phenomenon.
“I-I didn’t know that. That these could be used to make words……”
“It seems that people recognize the numbers and symbols as such, but their meaning had been lost to history. Well, you’ll still capable of using a bit of mana even without knowing it.”
“Sensei, did you make your magic with these symbols?”
“No, I exclusively used the number symbols. Things become too complex when you use the base 56 symbols.”
Zeros had been a programmer in his past life and he had created all of his magic using binary code.
Since it was a program above all else, as long as the meaning matched, the magic would be invoked.
He stretched the limits of his mind to record all of the magic.
Rather, it was his familiarity with the code that had allowed Zeros to create such powerful magic.
Well, it was correct to say that that was his game avatar’s story.
As an aside, the binary code that he built was so massive, that Zeros 【Osako Satoshi】had to borrow a case server from an acquaintance of an acquaintance in order to independently code everything.
Because the online game 【Sword and Sorcery】was linked to the hard drive of your computer it allowed for a great degree of freedom when crafting spells and equipment, and he grew tired of the 56 symbols and decided to craft magic formulas with a different method.
While it could have been considered cheating, the game itself accepted the code without issue.
Among the five 【Annihilators】he came the closest to being an actual cheater.
The Defense Cyber Management system, dubbed 【ＢＡＢＥＬ】, was a motherboard that had enormous processing power, and it was used to compress the game’s magic formations.
Although it had been capable of calculations that normal PCs were unable to handle, such a powerful computer cost a large sum of money. They were intended to be sold to private corporations, after all.
In those days, 【Osako Satoshi】’s PC had processing power well above that of regular household’s.
Naturally, he’d built his own PC and it had been superior to those found on the commercial market.
It was dubious for such an excellent programmer and technician to have been laid off in the digital age.
“Only the number symbols? Such…… such a thing is possible?”
“It takes a considerable amount of time and effort, but it’s possible.”
“Could I do it?”
“Once you find the key, it’s easy to decode. Well…… let’s break down 『Torch』for a trial.”
The basic fire spell 『Torch』was only meant to be used as a light source.
The magic formula used the casters own mana as the fuel source, the external mana as the medium to create the power and regulated the airflow around the flame.
Without fuel or oxygen, it was impossible for the chemical reaction to occur, yet it didn’t produce heat.
Naturally, magic followed the rules of thermodynamics. Even asphalt would melt if the temperature reached its boiling point, so the majority of the magic formulation prioritized temperature control.
However, Selestina looked as if a new world had been opened to her when they finished decoding the spell.
“So you see, this spell places priority on the safety of the caster above all else.
After all, what’s the point of using attack magic if you’re hurt by it? The ones who created spells only reached this point after gradually overcoming hardships.”
“It takes that much time and effort to create a magic light?”
“That’s right. If you can decipher the formula to a certain degree, its possible to decode the unknown sections, so it’s a good idea to try using words from other languages.”
“The elven or dwarven language? There are language dictionaries…… this is so interesting, isn’t it?”
“You should think of it as a puzzle. It makes decoding these fun.”
Selestina could understand the magic formula.
However, something was distracting her.
“But, if you can make the phenomenon occur with words, what’s the point of making the magic formation? Aren’t the magic symbols enough to cause the phenomenon?”
“The formation is like an eggshell, it allows the necessary mana to be built up safely.
You collect the necessary power for the spell, convert it into the desired phenomenon and release it once the process is complete. After all, it’s meaningless if the gathered mana dispersed.”
A spell that focused on efficient fire could be considered an act without waste.
She was extremely curious after seeing a spell broken down.
“What are sensei’s magic formulas like? I’m really interested in them.”
However, that curiosity was applied to Zeros magic as well.
It was simultaneously exciting and frightening.
“My…… magic? Well…… it may be good for you to learn about the dangers of magic right now.”
“The dangers…… of magic?”
“Yes…… magic is certainly a form of art. However, it’s a heinous thing that can take away many lives as well. My magic is the highest form of that.”
While he was in the middle of his explanation, Zeros gathered his mana and manifested a formation in his palm.
It was excessively large and contained awe-inspiring elements.
The magic symbols were packed into a massive, extremely dense, circulating sphere that was incomparable to the basic magic from before.
Although it was artistically appealing, it was holding back immense power.
The magic power was emitting an unpleasant pressure.
“…..Th-This…..”
“This is my most powerful spell, 【Dark Judgment】. If this were to be invoked, the surrounding area would vanish instantly. This is a magician’s danger. Just wielding this power is a sufficient enough threat to ravage other countries for their valuables. The unimaginable damage this could unleash upon the world……”
“W-What…… kind of magic is that?! For the surrounding to be erased…”
“Wide-range annihilation magic. It is the most destructive spell I crafted by studying documents detailing the evil god’s power.”
The girl was left horrified at observing such terrifying magic.
The words were coherent, but they were wrong at some level.
“Do you understand? Practicing magic can be fun, but excessive curiosity can bring about dangerous things. And…… many people will want to get their hands on this. And they will not think of the magnitude of damage it will bring.”
In this world of tightly packed nations, annihilation magic was one of the things many counties were researching.
Obtaining such powerful magic would simultaneously protect you from invasion and allow you to freely engage in acts of aggression.
As a result, many lives would be stolen and the world would be reduced to a miserable state.
“It’s not wrong to be curious and craft new spells. Just stop short of annihilation magic. Pursuing it will only result in tragedy and the hatred of the relatives of those you’ve killed. That hatred will lead them to create similar spells and start an endless quagmire of war. This is the risk of magic, the taboo that you must never give to others.”
The magicians were originally supposed to be the stop-gap that prevented the use of such destructive magic.
However, as factions started to form and they began to fight amongst themselves, they began to seek out more power.
At the same time, there were those who tied themselves to countries in order to gain merit in war.
“Magicians should always remain neutral with their power. That is what I believe. Warfare is not the only use of magic, there are plenty of other applications for it.”
“Other than destruction?”
“Mhm,… a spell that could bring happiness to others, I believe there is such a thing. Something that can enrich our lives.”
For Selestina, magic had always been a tool to fight on behalf of one’s country.
Her inability to fight had resulted in her cold treatment.
However, after gaining that power Selestina realized the heavy burden that now rested upon her shoulders.
Being deployed on the battlefield to fight and kill your enemies at a moment’s notice.
It was highly possible that the enemy would be human, which means that an aversion to murder would spring up.
The shabby-looking magician in front of her was suddenly looking even more powerful than the spell he was showing to her.
“Selestina-san…… what type of magician do you want to become?”
“Huh?”
“If a battle magician fights, people are bound to die. However, they aren’t the only type of magician. What type of magician would you like to become, and how far would you go to achieve that goal?”
“I-I…… I don’t want to become a magician who only fights. But……”
“If you can’t decide, just look within yourself. Likewise, I will look within myself and reflect upon my path. I can teach you magic, but I cannot show you your own path. It’s no my place to make such a huffy decision.”
His power was borrowed from a gam…… from a god, after all.
He was not so arrogant to get drunk off said power.
Above all else, Zero’s felt that his dangerous power was way more than he could handle.
It wasn’t a power that could be used selfishly.
However, as far as Selestina was concerned, Zeros was the ideal magician.
He lived a neutral lifestyle without drowning in his own power or getting mixed up in other’s schemes. He was willing to teach magic, but refused to divulge his dangerous research to others.
Furthermore, he was willing to face his past and accepted the responsibility of wielding such dangerous power.
Another misunderstanding had been born here and now, leading to Selestina only becoming even more fascinated with Zeros.
Zeros had just thought it’d be a good idea to scare her away from annihilation magic……
“Well, let’s bring this lesson to an end.”
“That’s right. I have lessons with other instructors after this.”
“We’ll work on mana manipulation tomorrow. I’ll create a simple golem so it can help you level up.”
“Go-Golem?”
“Mhm, you’ll gain experience even if you defeat a magician’s golem. It’s something like an artificial monster.”
“Thank you in advance. Sensei!”
Selestina had begun to walk the path of a magician.
She still didn’t know how it would turn out, but she aimed to reach the pinnacle of magic.
She was chasing the back of the great sage Zeros……
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Selestina’s schedule was densely packed.
She spent more and more time deciphering the complex magic formations.
The desire to become a magician was driving her forward.
Her inability to use magic before now had left her with a vague desire to possess the ability to use it.
Her’s was not a useless endeavor, and she wound up holding the top scores in the 【Istal Magic Institute】.
However, her inability to use magic earned her the scorn and ridicule of her peers, and the label of a failure.
Even so, she never gave up. Instead, she started to look if there was a problem with the magic formations themselves. And then she met Zeros.
Her role model simultaneously exposed her to a world she’d never known and the dangers that accompanied it.
The academy never taught such things, since powerful magic was given priority above everything else, and none of the teachers had his view of magic.
There wasn’t time to think of about what kind of magician you wanted to be or worry over the future. Only amassing power and firing magic was important.
The monotonous lessons were repeated every day, without the opportunity for students grow or advance in unique ways.
If you’re talented, you earn the right to use imperfect magic formulas, otherwise you’d be cut off.
If you continued to use magic consistently, you could increase your mana pool, but there was no other advantage.
It was a complete failure of educators, and the system led to factional conflicts within the school.
Students of different factions gave favorable treatment to their own and treated others coldly.
The only reason Selestina hadn’t been driven out yet was because all of the students’ factions coveted the power and influence having the archduke’s backing would provide.
In fact, her two brothers were the figureheads of their own factions.
If the right of succession wasn’t handled properly, it could lead to a war within the territory.
Although they were a branch of the royal family, light measures couldn’t afford to be taken, as her family had a valid claim to the throne, so a mistake in this conflict ran the risk of starting a civil war.
There was no way the neighboring countries would overlook such an opening.
Her presence was dwarfed in an academy where such grabs for power were played out.
“I wish the other teachers were like Sensei, but……”
Given the constant ugliness she was exposed to there, she didn’t think that the institute was all that important.
Many of the teachers recommended defective magic formations without even realizing that they were flawed.
Those of the vying factions were far below Zeros in terms of ability, and the thought of joining them was unappealing.
She became depressed at the thought of returning to that place in two months.
“Hey, Tina! How did the lesson go?”
“Grandfather! The class was easy to understand and enjoyable.”
“Is that so. May I ask, what kind of things did he teach you?”
“Yes, there’s still a bit of time before my dance lesson, so I can spare a moment.”
“Hmm. This is the only joy of my retirement.”
Speaking with his granddaughter was Creston’s favorite pastime.
However, he was a bit doting…
As the conversation continued Creston’s cheerful expression gradually darkened as he listened to what his granddaughter said.
The reason was the annihilation magic 【Dark Judgement】he heard about.
Selestina happily recanted her lesson without realizing its ramifications.
“Hmm…… deciphering magic symbols. Tina…… don’t speak of this with anyone. Especially with members of any factions.”
“I understand. I know that it wouldn’t be a good thing if others knew about it.”
“Hah, but widespread annihilation magic…… mimicking the power of the evil god, that’s tremendous.”
“Yes…… it was a little scary, to be honest. Sensei carries such a dangerous burden.”
“As long as you’re aware of the risk, let’s not speak of it again.”
Creson had balanced the frenzy of Zeros’ crazy magic research against his obvious abilities as a teacher.
While it was dangerous to allow such a powerful man to roam freely throughout the country, it was equally as dangerous to try and chain down such a being.
On the other hand, not only was he an excellent teacher who taught her the dangers of magic, he also made his grandchild think of her future as a magician.
Most of the counties magician were civil servants at the beck and call of their factions.
Fighting was a prerequisite, all non-combatant roads had been cut off for them.
However, Zeros advocated for “Magic that could enrich people’s lives”, and spoke of exploring magic to help others.
If you took this into account, forcing civilians to become warriors would be considered an act of aggression and the perpetrators would be exposed immediately if things went wrong. The current mindset had led to the loss of many excellent magicians.
At the same time, it would be seen as a triumph for cooperation if the focus was anything but warfare.
Even though Solisthea was called the Magic Kingdom, it was a military government and lives were at stake when reckless behavior started to get involved. That is why successors of excellent magicians were a valuable commodity.
It felt as if they had been awakened to the truth they had never thought of magicians benefiting the common people.
“A magician for the people…… is power unnecessary then? The idea is just too vague at the moment.
“However, I think that the people will be more accepting of magicians if such a magician existed.”
“Well, the reality of the situation is that there are a lot of arrogant people among them.”
Magicians are disliked almost as much as arrogant nobles.
Although they sometimes received stern warnings from the country, the aristocrats on their side would usually crush the problem.
It was an act that could be considered traitorous in some sense, but it was the bureaucracy of the nobles who moved the country, not the king. A few bribes could easily sweep away any injustices.
“It’s definitely…… a headache-inducing situation.”
“You know, I think it would be better if Sensei supervised the magicians…”
“Zeros-dono wouldn’t do such a thing. I don’t know what would happen if others antagonize him.”
It would be disrespectful to burden their savior with such a heavy responsibility.
Furthermore, since he said, “I want to live a peaceful life” they couldn’t force that on him.
However, Zeros stock was quickly rising.
The former duke couldn’t help but worry about his country’s future when he thought about the splintered magicians.
Somehow, a conversation with his granddaughter led to in-depth political talks.
It seems that the retired grandfather couldn’t rid himself of his former occupation’s rhetoric.
Incidentally, Zeros finished his day by working in the field of a separate residence provided to him.