Volume 13, Chapter 0

There were only Ten Magician Development Laboratories established in the entire country, each with a different research subject.

For example, the first laboratory founded, Lab One, researched magic that directly interfered with living organisms in order to improve the efficiency of using magic as a weapon.

Lab Four used Mental Interference magic with the goal of strengthening the Magic Calculation area, the area of the brain that magicians used unconsciously as the source of their individual magic.

Lab Seven’s goal was to develop magic that was used to battle against multiple opponents. The result was Herd Control magic.

And the research subject of Lab Nine, which invited a multitude of Ancient Magic practitioners to Nara, was the combination of Ancient and Modern magic.

The Ancient Magic users cooperated with Lab Nine out of their own free will; they hoped to improve the Ancient Magic that had been passed down with science and create newer stronger magic. However, from the beginning, Lab Nine’s goal was to develop stronger Modern Magic by taking components of Ancient Magic and produce magicians that were superior to them as weapons.

As a result, the Ancient Magic users only ended up getting the techniques they used stolen, but understanding the details doesn't matter. It can only be said that it was inevitable Ancient Magic users would feel hostility to magicians produced by Lab Nine who bear the symbol “Nine” in their names.

This ingrained hostility still remains in Common Era 2096.

? ? ?

Common Era 2096 June 25th, Monday. The retired general known as the Patriarch of the Japanese magic community, Kudou Retsu, was visiting the former site of Lab Nine with his eldest son, the present head of the Kudou clan, Kudou Makoto.

Lab Nine was closed as a national research facility soon after the end of the Third World War, but its functionality as a laboratory remained, even now. Currently, it was a civilian research facility jointly operated by the Kudou, Kuki and Kuzumi families — that had turned to researching perception type magics, a field that produced much slower results than developing the operator of the magic.

However, that was only its outer veneer. Certainly, research of perception type magic took place here. However, that was not the research subject of the current head of the lab.

Deep inside the research facility, Retsu and Makoto were guided to a large room, followed by human sized androids. There were four rows of four, sixteen in total. The androids had a thin column attached to their backs, a female form robot, “gynoid”.

If this was a lab that developed 3H-Humanoid Home Helpers, this would probably not be a strange sight. There were other usages for them; for example, they might be used by a research facility developing androids for military purposes.

However, gynoids were unsuitable material for a magic research lab. —If you stuck to traditional thinking.

“What’s the progress?”

Pride in his role as overseer of this research surfaced on their guide’s face in response to Makoto’s question.

“Parasite cultivation is going well. Successful installation into gynoids has risen to sixty percent. As you well know, the prototypes are sixteen in number.”

“So it’s reached the initial projections?”

“Yes.”

The researcher’s attitude as he answered would be felt as abnormal excitement if this was normal research, but neither Retsu nor Makoto were bothered by it. Certainly, the researcher’s team’s results were ones that he could definitely take pride in.

He probably noticed the signs of their approval. The head researcher’s tongue began to wag with increasing fluency.

“The parasites cultivated now are kept in a completely dormant state in the gynoids according to the results of the loyalty programming. The initial resistance to the loyalty programming is no longer being observed. It looks like the most important barrier to actually using parasite dolls, successful application of the loyalty programming, is done. A performance test will be done whenever you order it.”

The expectations that oozed out of the supervisor’s remarks exceeded Makoto’s predictions. Makoto considered the fact that it would probably take some time to put together a combat performance test in his mind, as such preparations hadn’t been made.

“It’s probably too early for a combat test. You say that they’ve undergone loyalty programming, so the number of tests of their autonomous behavior is insufficient?”

Retsu, not Makoto, replied to the researcher’s proposal.

“It is not even understood how stable their use of spirit power is outside the experiment room.”

“For that reason, the test..”

The supervisor who persisted due to his lack of understanding was brought to heel by Retsu with a gesture.

“Are you aware of the competition the magic high schools hold annually in August? This year an event called Steeplechase Cross Country has been scheduled. In addition to physical obstacles, they must also overcome obstructions with magic aiming for the goal, a long distance obstacle race.”

The supervisor immediately understood Retsu’s true meaning. “The Parasite Dolls will be used as an obstacle?”

“The defense force has too few people to use many of them for a competition for high school students, right? If Parasite Dolls are used, then military magicians cannot be injured from attacks from the students, and with the loyalty programming, there is no worry of the students being greatly wounded if the strength of the spirit power is controlled. It is an excellent chance to conduct a test of their practical usage.”

“However, Elder, will the management committee agree? If the experiment’s details are leaked, what kind of response will the public make? Considering that, I don’t think they will give it an okay.”

Makoto hadn’t known Retsu’s plan, but the management committee would definitely show anxiety about the public’s reaction to high school students being used as guinea pigs. However, Retsu’s determination was unshaken.

“No, the management committee has given their consent. The management committee has already yielded to military intervention in this year’s event selection. At this point, no spirit remains to fight our demands.”

However, Retsu did not touch on the countermeasures, in case the information was disclosed. It was clearly evident that he would not take the fall by accepting responsibility.

And if by some chance magic high school students were hurt by Parasite Dolls slipping from control, neither Retsu nor Makoto would say anything.

Leaving the details concerning the operational test to his son, Retsu returned to the Kudou family’s principal residence in Ikoma. After arriving at the mansion, he immediately went to the room of Minoru, Makoto’s youngest son.

Kudou Minoru was sixteen years old this year and a first year at the Magic University attached Second High School. Normally, he should be at school at this hour, but today he was staying home sick. —No, rather he was staying home sick today, again.

“Minoru, it’s me.”

Retsu called out as he knocked; after a moment of slight hesitation, the door to the room opened, showing a narrow view of the face of a pale boy. He had gentle, delicate features, but he probably wouldn't be mistaken for a girl. With looks like these, Kudou Minoru was the archetype of a 'pretty boy'.

“Ojiisama (Grand Père, forme polie), please excuse my appearance.”

His apology to his grandfather was spoken in a high voice, befitting his boyish appearance.

“You do not need to bother with such things. More importantly, is it alright for you not to be lying down?”

His words to his pajama clad grandson were not just pro forma. Grief was carved into Retsu’s face; his concern for his grandson’s condition was heartfelt.

Minoru replied to his grandfather’s affection with a smile. “I’m fine. My temperature has already gone do—”

However, just as he was trying to say 'gone down', he was assaulted with a severe cough and could not reach his trivial goal. The ‘please do not worry about me’ in his heart was betrayed by his body. This was always the case for him. Right now, the only thing Minoru could do was not show his respected grandfather his tears.

“Minoru, lie down.”

Retsu, who was lightly rubbing the back of his coughing grandson, urged Minoru when the fit eased.

“Ojiisama.. okay.”

Minoru started to protest, but stopped. He knew exactly what kind of body he had and could not pretend otherwise. In the end, he obediently returned to bed; he was wise enough to understand that not worrying his grandfather was the more appropriate action.

Retsu propped Minoru’s neck on a pillow himself and sat down on the chair he had moved. In a gentle voice, Retsu induced Minoru into conversation.

“Minoru, you don’t need to be upset over your absences becoming somewhat numerous.”

His consoling words were not a polite lie.

“Your magic power is among the most powerful in your generation in the world. Even if I compare you to the magic high school students taking part in the Nine Schools Competition, you have almost no equals among the students.”

And, this was not the bias of a relative. Minoru possessed magic power befitting the grandson of Kudou Retsu.

“Thank you.”

He probably understood that his grandfather genuinely acknowledged his talent. The hidden sorrow cleared from Minoru’s face. Retsu’s words had succeeded in cheering up his grandson.

However, they were also a little insensitive.

“The Nine Schools competition.. I wish I could participate.”

Minoru muttered not with self-pity but with longing. Those words struck a heavy blow to Retsu’s heart.

“Minoru..”

If magic power was the only consideration, then Minoru would probably have a 100% chance of being picked as a representative for the Nine Schools Competition. However, that was only if he was able to go and compete. Minoru, a first year who spent a fourth of his days in his sickbed, would refuse to go even if Second High chose him out of consideration for the problems he would cause for the team.

“Please do not make that face, Ojiisama. After all, the Nine Schools Competition isn’t the only stage for a contest of strength.”

“That’s true, you are smart as well. As a magician, perhaps as a magic artificer, you will have a number of chances to show your strength.”

Retsu held back the pain that was boiling over in him to hide it from his grandson, who was smiling at him from his bed, and smiled back at him.

Minoru really wanted to take part in the Nine Schools Competition and he wanted to have a place in the sun where he could show off the talent he was born with; Retsu took his hand because he understood. But, at the same time, his grandson knew that such a chance may never come.

If he was healthy, then there would be no need to give up on the future. If he had been less powerful, then it would be an idle wish.

The abundance of Minoru’s talent only hurt him more. To Retsu, this was absurd.

And the one who had brought about this absurdity was not an invisible existence like gods or demons.

—The one who had consigned his grandson to this gruesome fate was his own son.

—The one who hadn’t stopped him was his own self.

These self-condemning thoughts were gradually eroding Retsu’s heart.

“Now that I think about it, Kyouko-neesan is also coming by to visit me today. She said she would also like to meet with you, Ojiisama.”

“Really? That’s good, Minoru.”

“Yes.”

Among Retsu’s grandchildren, Minoru and Fujibayashi Kyouko were especially close. Minoru was really happy about the visit he spoke of.

The genuine smile finally surfacing on his grandson’s face was all too pitiful, making it hard for Retsu to remain in this place. He placed his hand on his grandson’s forehead to confirm that the fever was not all that great and stood up.

“Rest for a while, Minoru. If you do the fever will probably subside.”

“Understood.”

Receiving a reply that accepted his advice from his grandson, he forced himself to smile in return and left Minoru’s room.

Retsu sunk his body down in his favorite armchair in his own study. So deep, he gave off the illusion that he was submerging into the soft leather cushions. To Retsu, it felt like the bottle of Armagnac (a specific variety of brandy from France) enshrined in the cabinet was beckoning him. He got up and, just as he took one step toward it, he returned to the chair again. Because he thought it was unforgivable for him to escape into drunkenness just now.

Retsu asked rhetorically, 'How could this kind of thing have happened?', and thought it illogical. It wasn’t, after all, that uncommon a story. He had always dismissed it as only to be expected whenever it happened to others, so it was egotistical of him to bemoan desolately when it struck one of his own relatives.. Retsu ruminated over this. However, no matter how much he mockingly rebuked himself, this misfortune would not go away. Retsu knew this also.

Minoru’s weak constitution was a byproduct of gene manipulation. He was a magician with a modified body — a human created with genes remodeled to strengthen the magic factor.

Makoto was a father who recklessly carried out genetic manipulation on his own son; in a nutshell, his hang-ups about Retsu were to blame. Ever since Makoto was young, he had an inferiority complex about his own magic power being so much less than Retsu’s. His own children were also ordinary by Ten Master Clan standards and he despaired over the fact that their talents only slightly exceeded his own.

Looking objectively, both Makoto and his children were endowed with sufficiently strong magic power. He just picked a bad target for comparison. Retsu had observed a successful increase in power in the 10 percent who survived remodeling and even without taking such a risk, Makoto certainly displayed ample ability. Retsu had repeatedly told that to his son and heir, but he could not get Makoto to comprehend it.

When Makoto’s obsession with power turned into despair, a madness developed inside him. He became fixated on the warped idea that if he could not get a heir who possessed high magic ability naturally, then he should artificially create one by his own hand.

Furthermore, to create the strongest magician, he planned to make an improved crossbreed of Kudou genes using the technology of artificial insemination and an artificial womb. And the one who was created was Minoru. Officially, the fertilized egg used as the base for the creation of Minoru was an egg from Makoto’s wife inseminated with Makoto’s sperm. However, in actuality, it was not such a respectable matter as that.

Minoru’s father was genetically Kudou Makoto.

Genetically, his mother was Makoto’s youngest sister who had married into the Fujibayashi clan.

In short, Minoru was Kyouko’s half-brother — a child born from two actual siblings.

He was not a child of incest. Makoto and his younger sister did not have sexual intercourse; all they did was supply the sperm and the egg. Even so, that did not change the fact that he was the child of two blood related siblings.

Minoru’s physical condition could be a defect in his genetic modification or it could be due to inbreeding, the cause wasn’t known. Just that, due to his unusual birth, Minoru was irrevocably cursed.

In terms of magic power strengthening, the modification was a success.

The talents of what would be a genius of the highest level among the currently known magicians were embedded in Minoru. His magic power rivaled that of Shiba Miyuki and Angelina Sirius.

However, due to his decidedly weak constitution, Minoru couldn’t demonstrate that magic power consistently.

It wasn’t because he was feeble like Itsuwa Mio; when Minoru wasn’t sick, he could utilize his magic as he wished. Nevertheless, the opportunities for a magician whose body needed to be put on bed rest for every trifling thing, to shine were limited.

It wasn’t just that; he might not live long enough to become an adult. As a modified body magician, even though he was created as a living weapon, his youngest grandchild could not accomplish this. The curse that afflicted Minoru had been brought about by the twistedness of modern magic development that constructed magicians as weapons. After over ten years of anguish, Retsu had reached that conclusion.

—The usage of magicians as weapons must be stopped.

—More importantly, children like Minoru must not be created.

Retsu fortified his determination for what might be the hundredth or thousandth time.