Nidome no Yuusha

Side Story: Diary of a Certain Mage

Year ＃＞＃

○ month, ×△ day

Recently, I’ve reached a bit of a standstill in my magic tool research.

I know the reason, of course. It’s because my talent in magic is lacking.

I never could use too much mana in one go, but I made up for it by perfecting my control and raising the efficiency as high as possible. However, that too wasn’t enough anymore. Perhaps with my mana plateauing, my ambitions would go unfulfilled. No, it’s too soon to give up.

I must carve my name onto the town monument.

If I can’t, my father, who was still gentle to me, would no longer allow my current lifestyle.

Wait for me, Sori. One day, I will proudly… … .

Year ＃＞＃

○ month, ×△ day

Another failure today.

Even using the wind element, for which I had the most talent, my output is only slightly higher than average. I’ve also come to feel that raising my level anymore would be difficult around these parts.

My mana capacity will slowly, but surely rise if I put in the required level of training, but I had no time.

It was fine for now, but sooner or later, an engagement proposal would come that would effectively tear me away from Sori.

I must do something before then… … .

Year ＃＞＃

○ month, ×△ day

This time, I tried changing my methods.

The control became more difficult, but there was a clear improvement in effect. But even then, I fundamentally needed more mana to make a tool worthy of putting my name on the monument.

To have my name immortalized on the monument, I must make a tool acknowledged by the great spirit dwelling within said monument. Once I could make such an item and placed it on the designated podium, my name would be automatically engraved on the stone.

What must I do to make such a powerful magic tool?

I’m sorry, Sori, please forgive my incompetency.

It seems we must wait a bit longer before we can truly be together.

Year ＃＞＃

○ month, ×△ day

Today, people of a company in Elmia visited the institute. They were interested in some of my experimental tools.

They told me that these would sell well on the market, but my goal was clearly not becoming an inventor. I’m not petty enough to be satisfied selling lesser tools for pocket change.

But still, research required funds, and it was all the better the more money I could freely use. So I ended up taking their offer.

I hadn’t realized back when I made the deal, but as I’m writing now, I understand that it was a significant move forward.

If my name spreads and my fame becomes known, even if slightly, when the time comes that I will have my name on the monument, my father might just find it harder to ignore my personal wishes.

The founder of my house had apparently decreed, “One who achieves the honor of carving their name on the monument of Elmia shall have their any wish granted”, which was fine and all, but realistically speaking, there was no guarantee that it’d be upheld today.

Sori, she was so cute today.

Her calling my name with rose tinted cheeks absolutely gave me shivers.

Year ＃＞＃

○ month, ×△ day

Today, a dubious merchant called out to me.

Elmia was a town of many walks of people, people of his walk being especially common.

Normally, I would politely refuse any offers and be on my way, but somehow today, I ended up listening.

But then, among the things the merchant displayed, I spotted something outrageous.

A demonic summoning stone.

The merchant hadn’t a clue about the value of such a product. I bought the stone that he was selling dirt cheap, and quickly made my way home.

Year ＃＞＃

○ month, ×△ day

The outfit I’d secretly ordered arrived today.

Having Sori wear it looked quite sexy indeed. So it’s true that your whole impression of a person changes in different clothing. This was a tremendous find. Ah~, what ever shall I have her wear next?

Honestly, just why can’t girls love other girls? It wasn’t my aim for the masses to recognize my desired relationship.

But I would very much like my dear father and mother to give their blessings on my choice.

The merchant I had a personal contract with knew of my relationship with Sori and kept quiet about it, but if other merchants found out… … .

Year ＃＞＃

○ month, ×△ day

Today, after thoroughly researching and preparing on it, I tried summoning a demon.

Demons were a subset of spirits. In exchange for a large offering, they would grant one cursed knowledge or power.

So when I asked it if there was a way I could offer the life of a slave in exchange for better talent in magic, the demon simply replied, “There is”.

This method involved using a specialized magic circle, and placing an individual of the same blood within for a long period of time. This would allow me to plunder that individual’s talent.

Ah, the Lord has shown me the way.

Someone with high talent for magic, someone blood related to me, and someone who I can easily keep in one place for a long time.

I happen to know that someone.

A child born between my father and a servant, my half-sister.

Her name, if I’m recalling correctly, should be Shuria.

I could at last see hope.

This would surely lead Sori and I to our happily ever after.

Once I told her about the plan, and that the day of our matrimony would be soon, Sori was so happy.

Sori was so cute and lovely, asking if there was anything she could do to help. We went at it for 3 rounds today.

Year ＃＞＃

○ month, ×△ day

The plan was working.

Lady Luck was my ally. I had come to Shuria’s rescue in saving her little sister at the perfect timing, and successfully lured her into the mansion.

As the demon had requested, I had also made the special magic circle, and provided the special mana for its activation more or less at the same time.

During my expedition, I also managed to acquire some experimental subjects, making it look as it they’d been caught and killed by devilkin.

Next, I just needed to make sure that foolish sister of mine doesn’t exit her room.

Right now, she was still in possession of MY talent. I can’t have her use that to destroy the magic circle in her room. And were she to even leave that room, I would have to once again prepare offerings to the demon to restart the process.

There weren’t many villages so insular and convenient like the one I’d used. Plus, I doubt I could use the same excuse of, “The devilkin did it… ”, anymore.

Until the spell reaches 100%, I suppose I must act the part of kind elder sister.

Year ＃＞＃

○ month, ×△ day

This is important.

On days when I came to act my good sister part, Sori would be tremendously more agitated as if she was burning in jealousy.

Sori was of noble blood, but she was from a lower branch family, and would normally act appropriate as a maid. That also went for our bedroom activities, she simply insisted on keeping a stoic expression.

That Sori was showing her possessive nature towards me like never before. It makes me wet just thinking about it.

Year ＃＞＃

○ month, ×△ day

Today, a letter came from my parents living in the capital. The contents were about whether I was interested in an engagement and what not, so I burned it with a flame spell, leaving no trace of the parchment.

My parents quite liked their life in the capital and would rarely come home to Elmia. Once I’d gotten a handle on my duties as lord of this land, they’d fully relocated. It’s been 4 years since then.

The town’s administration still being handled by our hired officials, my job was to simply stamp the lord’s seal on the documents, easy work.

Still, perhaps they’d grown worried as I refused every engagement proposal that came my way, so the number of letters such as the previous have increased.

Ah~, I want to quickly get my name on that monument, and bind with Sori in holy matrimony.

… … … … …

… … …

…

Year ＃＞＃

○ month, ×△ day

The spell’s effects were showing.

Shuria’s proficiency in magic was being transferred to me, it was happening so easily that all my hard work prior seemed idiotic.

My own skill level in magic also increased by one during the past half year.

And now that my capacity for mana outflow had risen greatly, I could make much more complicated and controlled experiments. I’m certain that at this rate, I can one day create a magic tool that would go down in the tomes of history.

Now, I planned to train further in my control, and simply wait for the spell to complete.

… … … … …

… … …

…

Year ＃＞＃

○ month, ×△ day

It was almost done.

Perhaps I should start thinking in more detail about phase 2 of the plan that I would enact after the spell reached completion.

First matter of business: Shuria’s Scarlet Eyes.

They’d be perfect. I should use those eyes of hers to make a perception based magic tool.

I clearly had a gift for this, so the mana wouldn’t lose any efficiency. I’m sure that unlike those sub-par experiments, I could make her a fine undead.

… … … … …

… … …

…

Year ＃＞＃

○ month, ×△ day

The spell was practically done.

Thinking back, it’d actually taken quite the length of time.

It just means that I’d stolen that much more talent from the little girl.

And by the morning of tomorrow, all of that talent would be mine alone.

I’d have her aid me quite a bit in the days to come, so I suppose I could extend her sweet dream to the end of tomorrow. I am her kind elder sister after all.

---------------------------------------------------------------

“I see, so it was like this”

I kept myself as calm as I could manage as I finished and closed Yumis’ diary.

―― ―― … So trivial.

It was so trivial, so minor, so petty, so damn insignificant.

Yumis, are you saying THIS was the reason you were so intent on your magic tools? THIS was the reason you betrayed me?

Having the town monument recognize her magic tool, and boldly take her favorite maid as wife?

Just for that, she betrayed me. Just for that, she used Shuria, and piled up so many sacrifices.

“… … Alright, I thought that she only cared for the maid, but it looks like she’s quite attached to her parents and other servants too. I’ll make use of them on my stage”

I put the diary back exactly as it was, and pleased with the find that will serve to further fuel my vengeance, I left Yumis’ mansion.