The morning meal was quiet.
　Breakfast was brought into the room at a fixed time, and if you were not awake by then, you were forcibly woken up from your bed.
　In addition, the food was not very tasty, but it was not bad either.
　I was a little depressed at the indescribable half-hearted taste of the food, and my head hurt even more when I thought about what I was going to do from today.

　Yesterday, by an unexpected turn of events, Xelloss had seen Celestina completely naked.
　As a result, the old man became so excited that his blood pressure rose, and after going through the ordeal of appeasing him desperately with Dantis.
　The problem was that he was about to meet his victim.

　After all, Xellos had been hired as a magic tutor and would be staying at the old castle for another two months.
　Frankly, it's going to be very awkward.
　Every time he thought about it, he let out a sigh for the umpteenth time.

......, but there's no point in staying here like this. Let's go to Celestina's room.

　I'm not sure how much I can teach you," he said.

I'm not sure how much I can teach you.　I'm sure that at least I can't teach you the magic that I created. ......

　Zeroth's original magic was fuel efficient and powerful at the same time.
　In addition, the power of the spell is too vicious for the level of this world, and if it were to be used in war, it would indiscriminately take the lives of many people.

　However, powerful magic requires an appropriate level, and Zeroth's magic is so difficult that it requires a level of at least 200 to use, except for one minute, so there is no need to worry about this.
　Apparently, as far as the providence of this world is concerned, merely imprinting a magic formula into the deep consciousness (Idea) does not make the magic work, and without sufficient understanding, it will sometimes fail to work.
　Physical level and skill level were also related, and their synergy seemed to determine the spells that could be used.

　A spell is a simple way to understand the magic to be used, and it also has the effect of encouraging mental concentration in order to gather magic power, but that alone may result in the use of half-baked magic.
　In other words, Zeroth's magic can't be used just by carving a spell, but if it is eventually understood, the number of human lives that will be sacrificed will surely be enormous, so it is not something that can be spread carelessly.
　Also, there is no guarantee that there won't be mages who can use it, so you have to be careful about teaching it.
　The problem was that he had never been a teacher before, so he wasn't sure if he would be able to teach Celestina well.

　In addition, because of yesterday's happenings, things were not off to a good start.
　It's not that I'm filled with insolent thoughts towards the girl, but what she thinks of me is another matter.
　That's why I feel uncomfortable.

　With this in mind, Xellos arrived in front of Celestina's room and knocked on the door with hesitation but with courage.


　.

　After breakfast, Celestina was writhing busily in her room.
　She was embarrassed to the point of squirming in shame after Xelloss had seen her naked in yesterday's incident.
　After all, she was an impressionable young girl, and for the first time in her life, she was looking directly at the naked body of a grown man, and she was gripped by an inexplicable feeling of agony.

(Unlike her grandfather, ......)

　I dare not say, "What? I don't dare say 'what?
　In short, she seemed to be a plump woman.
　Last night's naked Xelloss was stuck in her mind.

"Miss ......, you'd better calm down or you'll give Xellos a strange impression.
But, Mischa, ...... I'm still embarrassed.
You may be embarrassed, but that doesn't mean Xelloss thinks so.　I'm sure he thinks you're a child.
"Is that so?

　Celestina was more than a little shocked by Miska's words.
　You can find a lot of people who are looking for the best way to get the most out of their life.
　If she were in her late teens, things would be different, but as it is, she is a child.

"Well, it's fine for a young lady to be interested in a gentleman, but not someone like Xellos, okay?
"Why not?　You are a talented sorcerer, and you have developed your own magic.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.
I've heard that Xelloss-sama may seem calm, but from the other side of the coin, he's a cold-blooded man.
"Cold-blooded ......?

　She was more than a little shocked by Miska's words.
　In Celestina's eyes, Xellos was a brilliant man, stronger than anyone else, and far from cold-blooded in the way he cared for others.

"Think about it. You've been experimenting with magic on and off the battlefield, haven't you?
　In other words, he was willing to make any sacrifice and risk in order to confirm the results of his magic. In fact, he has a dangerous side that is willing to jump into dangerous places.
　The warriors and demons on the battlefield were good test subjects for him, and he would mercilessly annihilate them to see the results of his magic.　He is more ruthless than cold-blooded. ....... It's also a dangerous person who doesn't mind doing some pretty cruel things.

　It's true what they say.
　Celestina was only looking at the surface of his character, but from another perspective, Xellos is repeatedly acting insanely.
　She was too focused on his excellence to see him from a different perspective.
　He had been too focused on his excellence to see things from a different perspective.

But you said you wanted to live a quiet life. ......
"You must have had some thoughts as you got older. People don't stay in the same place forever.
There's something about ...... that seems to carry a lot of weight. ......
It's the difference in experience. Miss.

　There is something dark and shadowy about Miska's expression.

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's a good idea.　I've been wondering about that for a while. ......
I've always wondered how old you are.　Even if it's the same s*x. ......

　I've been wondering about this for a while now.



　---Kong, Kong.

Excuse me. I'm Xellos. Is it safe to enter now?

Oh, my God, ～～～～!
Miss, please remain as calm as possible and try not to act suspicious.
But I'll do my best. ......
Oh, I got bit.

　The sensitive girl remembered again what had been bothering her earlier.
　And remembered, Zeroth nude.

　Her first day of class would begin in such an agonizing situation.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

　When Xelloss entered the room, he took out one of the books he had borrowed and handed it to Celestina.

It's my first class today, so I'd like to start with magic letters.
"Magical writing?　It is said to be a sacred script that has yet to be deciphered, but you can already decipher it, can't you?
Yes. They are words, but they are also circuits, a medium to interfere with and gather magical power.
I know that, but can I remember it?
It's easy once you understand it.　Once you understand it, it's easy, although it's a lot of work to get there.

　There are fifty-six magical characters and ten numeric characters.
　The 56 scales are also symbols that can be arranged to form words that make sense.
　In other words, although the nuances of reading and pronunciation differ, they can be deciphered in Japanese, and once the meaning is understood, it is quite simple.
　Well, sometimes English, French, Spanish, German ...... and even Swahili are included in the game.
　Many people noticed this during the game, but Xellos remembers that it took a lot of effort to decipher the crossword, which was constructed with difficult words.

　However, the situation was different in this world, and the local mages did not understand the meaning of this word at all.
　They believed that each letter had a meaning, and since they only saw the letters, they could not decipher the magic formula.
　It is not wrong that the letters have a meaning, but they cannot understand the meaning of inscribing the words of command execution on the magic formula, constructing a magic circle, and constructing a powerful magic by layering them.
　In other words, he stumbles at the first step and cannot move forward.

　In short, a magic formula is just a way to make up words to cause physical phenomena, and you can't create magic unless you know all about physical phenomena.

I didn't know that. I didn't know this was for making words. ......
You may think of them as numbers or symbols, but these are ancient words, and each letter has no meaning. Well, they can move a little bit of magic.
Do you use these letters to create magic formulas?
No, I use the numerals only. Using 56 letters would complicate things.

　Xellos was a programmer in his original world, and he built his magic exclusively in the electronic world of 0s and 1s.
　If the meaning is correct, the magic will work, and above all, since it is a program, it can be compressed.
　They made effective use of the limited space in the subconscious (idea space) and recorded many spells.
　It was more familiar than a list of words, and that's why Xellos was able to create powerful magic.

　That is, in his in-game avatar.

　As a side note, a program built with 0's and 1's requires an enormous amount of work and a computer that can do the calculations.
　The online game "Swords and Sorcery" has a high degree of freedom to create magic and equipment by linking it to the computer chassis, so he was bored with the 56 sound magic construction and created a magic program in a different way.
　If you call this a cheat, you might be right, but the game itself accepts this program.
　Of the five [Annihilators], it could be said that he was the only one who was a cheat.

　The master system, the former National Defense Electronic Brain Management System, commonly known as BABEL, had enormous processing power and decided that the magic formula, which was just a compressed program, could be used in the game.
　The BABEL is an excellent computer that performs calculations that ordinary home computers cannot handle, but building a computer of that scale would cost a considerable amount of money, and in the end it was sold to a private company without being fully completed.

In the era when Satoshi Osako was alive, the processing capacity of ordinary household computers was far superior to that of today.
　Naturally, the PC he is using was made by himself, and its processing capacity is much higher than that of commercial products.

　It is highly questionable why such an excellent programmer, who lived in the advanced electronic age, was laid off. 　

With only numeric characters?　It's ...... amazing that such a thing is possible.
It will take some time and effort, but once it's done, the rest is easy.
Can I do it?
"Once you have the answer, deciphering it will be easy. That's right. ...... Let's try breaking down the magic of the Torch.

　The first step in fire magic, the torch is a magic that only lights up.
　It was constructed with a magic formula that uses its own magic power as fuel, external magic power as a medium for creating fire, and also regulates it as air.
　Without fuel and oxygen, fire does not cause a chemical reaction and does not have heat.
　For example, the asphalt in urban areas burns if the temperature continues to overheat, so it is only natural that the control aspect is more important than the function, and that the majority of the magic formulae are for temperature control.

　However, the magic formula she had deciphered seemed to be the key that would open the door to a new world for Celestina.

In this way, magic is designed to prioritize function, and the safety of the magician is extremely important.
　For example, what good is it if you are injured by your own attack spells?　The people who created magic have gone to a lot of trouble to get to this point.
I'm sure you're not the only one.
Yes, it does. If you can decipher some of the magic, you can decipher other unknown magic with nuances, and if you still don't understand, you can try using the language of other countries.
"Elvish or Dwarvish?　We do have a language dictionary, but ...... is interesting, isn't it?
"Think of it like a puzzle. You can think of it as a puzzle, but it's much more fun to decipher.

　Celestina understood the magic formula.
　Celestina understood the formula, but now she was distracted by something else.

But what's the point of using a magic circle like this if words can cause phenomena?　If it's only about causing phenomena, why not just use magic letters?


The magic circle is a kind of eggshell to construct the magic power needed for magic as a phenomenon.
　You can think of it as the dividing line between the processes of gathering the necessary magic power, converting it into phenomena, and manifesting it. It would be meaningless if the collected magic power diffused.

　A spell that has been designed for efficiency, even a small one, can be said to be art without waste.
　When she saw the disassembled magic, her curiosity grew.

What is your magic formula?　I'm very curious.

　But her curiosity soon turned to Zeroth's magic as well.
　At the same time, he was confronted with fear.

Is that my ......?　Yes, ...... you might want to learn about the dangers of magic here.
"The dangers of magic. ......?
Yes,......, magic in its fullest form is indeed an art form. But at the same time, it can also be extremely deadly, taking many lives. My magic will be on the cutting edge of that.

　As he said this, he gathered magic power in his palm and manifested a magic formula.
　It was so large that it encompassed two extremes that were at once disastrous and divine.
　In the huge sphere, terribly precise and dense magic letters were constantly circulating at high speed, and their density was overwhelmingly different from that of rudimentary magic.
　It is both artistic and spine-chillingly powerful at the same time.
　I could feel it in the vast amount of magic power that was released.

You can find a lot more information at ・・・・・.
This is the magic formula for my greatest magic, the Judgment of Darkness. It's a great way to make sure you don't end up in a situation where you can't get out of it.
　This is the danger of being a mage. The mage's powerful power is enough of a threat, and from the point of view of other countries, it would be a treasure they would want to acquire at all costs.
　If it were to be activated, the damage it could do would be unimaginable. ......
I'm not sure what kind of magic this is,・・・・・・.　What kind of magic is this? What does it mean when it wipes out your surroundings?
It's a widespread annihilation spell. It is the most destructive magic ever created, based on the power used by the evil gods in literature.

　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.
　The spelling of "literature" is haphazard, but it's not wrong.

Do you understand?　It's certainly fun to create magic, but too much curiosity can lead to dangerous things like this.
　And ...... many powerful people want this kind of magic desperately. And many powerful people want this kind of magic so badly, they don't even think about the damage it can do.

　In a world where countries are in disarray, destructive magic is one of the things that many countries are researching.
　If there is a powerful magic, other countries will not be able to attack, and will increase the act of aggression as well.
　As a result, many precious lives will be lost and the land will be left in a cruel state.

"It's fine to create magic out of curiosity," he said.　But don't try your hand at destructive magic.
　The only result will be tragedy and hatred from the relatives of the slain.
　And that hatred will lead to more of the same destructive magic, and a never-ending war will continue.
　This is the danger of magic, and it is a contraindication that must never be inflicted on others.

　The mage factions were originally a safeguard to stop the use of such destructive magic.
　However, as the factions fought each other, they came to see each other as enemies and to seek power.
　At the same time, they wanted to wage wars to gain merit, and some of them were even working for other countries.

Mages should never have power and should always be neutral. I think so.
　There are other uses for magic besides destruction, and war is not the only place to use magic. There are many other things we can do.
Besides destruction, you mean?
Yes. ...... I think it would be nice to have magic that brings happiness to others. I think there should be magic that brings happiness to others, that enriches their lives.

　For Celestina, magic was a tool in the fight to protect her country.
　For Celestina, magic was a tool for fighting to protect her country, and she was treated poorly because she lacked the power to fight.
　However, when she gained that power, Celestina became aware of the tremendous burden that was placed on her shoulders.
　Being able to fight meant that in case of emergency, she would go to the battlefield and defeat the enemy.
　The enemy is likely to be the same person, and I feel a strong aversion to killing.

　The fact that there was a powerful mage in front of her made it all the more important for her to face her power.

Celestina asked ......, "What kind of mage do you want to be?
"What?
I'm not sure what to do. But that's not all there is to being a mage.
　The important thing is what kind of mage you want to be and how hard you are willing to work towards that goal.
"Wow, I don't want to be a mage just for ...... fighting. But ......
If you are unsure of your goals, you should first take a good look at your surroundings. The only way to find the answer is to look at yourself as well and keep thinking about what you are.
　I can teach you magic, but I can't show you a clear path. I'm not in a position to speak so highly of myself.

　It's just a borrowed power from the game ......, much less a power given to you by God.
　He is not so arrogant as to be intoxicated by such power.
　Above all, Xellos felt that this power was too dangerous to handle.
　It was not a power that could be used willy-nilly.

　But from Celestina's point of view, Xellos seemed to be the ideal of a mage.
　His way of life, not dwelling on his power and not being beholden to others, was truly neutral, and his unwillingness to hand over the results of his research to others, while teaching magic, was noble.
　Furthermore, he always faces his own power head on, and always seems to take responsibility for his dangerous power with a strict attitude.
　This is where the misunderstanding comes in, and Celestina becomes more and more fascinated with Xelloss.

　Xellos only hoped that he would not be blinded by destructive magic. ......

I'm sure you'll agree with me.


"Well, yes. I have a class to teach later, so I'll have other teachers to teach.
Tomorrow we'll spend our magic on practical skills. I'll make a simple golem and we'll use it as a target to level up.
Sir, a golem?
Yes, you can gain experience by killing golems made by mages. Is it some kind of man-made demon?
Thank you. Teacher!

　Celestina began to walk the path of a mage.
　The results are still unknown, but she will continue on her way to become the best mage she can be.
　Following the back of Xellos the Great Sage: .......


　This is the first time I've ever seen such a thing.

　For Celestina, the day's lessons were very intense.
　How to decipher magic formulas, and even more dense magic formulas.
　What made her think more than anything was what she should be as a mage.

　She had never been able to use magic before, and only vaguely wanted to be able to use it.
　It was not a wasted effort, and as a result, she is the top student at [Istor Academy of Magic].
　As a result, she became the top student at the Istor Academy of Magic. However, she was labeled as a failure because she couldn't use magic, and she was treated with contempt and ridicule by those around her.
　Still, she refused to give up and began to investigate whether her inability to use magic was due to a problem with her magic formula, and that's when she met Xelloss.

　She had the right idea and showed me not only the unknown world, but also the dangers of it.
　At the academy, such things were never taught, only power was prioritized, and there were no teachers who taught how to be prepared for magic.
　In addition, they did not even give us time to think about what kind of mage we wanted to be, but just shot magic and assessed its power every day, and there was no time to worry about the future.
　On the contrary, every day is a monotonous repetition of lessons, with no attempt or intention to develop the students.

　If you are talented, you can use imperfect magic formulas, and if you are not, you are discarded as a failure.
　It is true that if you continue to use magic every day, your magic power will increase, but there is no other benefit.
　As an educator, he's going in a completely wrong direction, and it's even worse because he's waging a factional war within the academy.
　Students from different factions are treated coldly, while those from the same school are given preferential treatment.

　The only reason Celestina hasn't been kicked out of the academy yet is because each faction is seeking the power of the Grand Dukes of Solstice.
　In fact, the two brothers belonged to each faction and were currently the top banners of the two major factions.
　If things went badly, there would be a succession struggle, which could cause a civil war in the territory.
　If that were the case, it would be a minor matter, but since he was a member of the royal bloodline, albeit a minor one, and had the right to inherit the throne, his recruitment would be fierce, and if he made a mistake, the country would descend into a civil war for the right to the throne.
　There is no way that the rest of the world would miss such an opportunity.

　The academy where these people wielded their power seemed so petty and shallow to her.

"I wish teachers were more like teachers. ......

　She had been shown ugly things ever since she could remember, so the academy didn't seem like a very important place to her.
　After all, there are many teachers who encourage flawed magic formulas and don't even notice the flaws in them.
　Compared to Xelloss, they were far lower in rank, and the faction that these people were fighting for power was not appealing to me.
　The thought of returning to such a place in two months' time only made her feel depressed.

"Oh, Tina!　Did you just finish your class?
Grandfather!　Yes, it was a very clear and enjoyable lesson.
"That's good. May I ask what they taught you?
Yes. There's still some time left for dance lessons, and I can spare a little time.
Hmm. It's the only thing I can look forward to when I retire.

　Talking with his granddaughter was the best entertainment for Creston.
　But I think I'm doting on her a little too much. ....

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what's going on in your life.
　It was after he heard about the widespread annihilation magic, the Darkness Judgment.
　It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your money.

I'm sure you've heard of it, but you've never heard of it. Especially not to the factions.
I know. I'm aware that if they find out, it'll be a disaster.
Hmm, but widespread annihilation magic ...... mimicking the power of an evil god, that's pretty impressive.
Yes. ...... I'm scared, honestly. You're carrying such a dangerous thing on your back, aren't you?
I think it's because he knows how dangerous he is that he never reveals it.

　Creston is weighing the severity of Zeroth's insane research and his status as a teacher at the same time.
　As a national figure, he was too dangerous to be left unattended, too much of a threat to be kept on a leash at all costs.
　On the other hand, as a teacher, he is very good. He not only taught his grandchildren the dangers of magic for their future, but also let them think for themselves what kind of mage they want to become.

　The majority of mages belong to the government, and each faction controls them.
　They have a policy of belligerence, to the point of dismissing the idea that fighting is a prerequisite and that there is no other way.
　However, Xellos had said that it was okay to have magic that enriched people, and had talked about seeking magic for the livelihood of the people.
　In light of this, forcing him to become a member of the military will be seen as a hostile intent, and if you poke him in the wrong direction, he will immediately disappear. This would be the loss of a good mage.

　At the same time, I have the impression that they will cooperate with you if it is not a matter of war.
　Even though it calls itself the Magical Kingdom of Solstice, it tends to be a military state, so any reckless behavior could lead to a matter of life and death. That's why the successor of a good mage was desperately needed.
　In addition, I had never thought of a mage who could contribute to the people, so I felt like the scales had fallen from my eyes.

A mage for the people...... power is unnecessary? It's just too vague.


But if there were such mages, I'm sure the people of this country would be more willing to accept them.
"Well, the truth is that many of them are accused of being arrogant to the people.

　Mages were as hated as the arrogant nobles.
　This is why they are sometimes warned severely by the state, but even if they are criticized, the nobles by their side will crush them.
　In a sense, this is an act of piracy, but the fact is that it is not the king who runs the country, but the aristocratic bureaucrats, and they can be easily bribed to cover their tracks.

It's a real ...... headache.
I think you should take the lead in cracking down on mages...
I don't think Lord Xellos would do that. I don't know what will happen if they come against us.

　It would be impolite to impose such a heavy burden on the man who saved my life.
　And since he says he wants to live in seclusion in a quiet place, I can't force him.
　However, Xellos' stock is rising rapidly.
　The ex-grand duke is worried about the future of the country and the reformation of the mage factions.

　What was supposed to be a pleasant conversation between granddaughter and granddaughter turned out to be a political conversation.
　The retired old man seemed to be unable to shake off his occupational disease.

　By the way, Xellos ended his day by working in the garden of his villa.
　He is a hobby farmer at heart.