Chapter 1
Chapter 1
A STRANGE ENTITY that called itself the “Watcher” transported me, a humble businessman (Age: 42, Marital Status: Single), to the continent of Sedia in another world. To sweeten the deal, he gave me the ability scores of my character Geo Margilus, the magic user I painstakingly raised to maximum level in the obsession of my youth, the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Braves.
A “fantasy world of swords and sorcery,” Sedia was plagued by monsters known as daemons, the bane of all humanity. Wielding my powers (if a bit apprehensively) as a great and powerful magic user, I successfully fought back the daemon menace. Yet for all my great strength as a wizard, I was still just a middle-aged man on the inside. I wasn’t prepared for the deluge of respect and admiration I got from the masses!
I resolved to protect the people of Sedia from daemonkind, standing tall alongside the friends I’d made in this world. What could be more appropriate than taking upon myself the mantle of the great wizard Geo Margilus?
But now that I’ve had some time to think about it, I sure did create a mountain of work for myself…
***
The village was being overrun by daemons. My party and I landed from on high, right in the middle of the town square. If we’d hoofed it from Relis like normal folk, it would have taken us three whole days to reach this secluded area in the mountains.
Contorted humanoid creatures with pitch-black skin and yellow eyes rampaged through what was once a peaceful village. These were a common breed of daemon called “imps.” In the center of the town square, there stood a small, stone church. The surviving villagers had barricaded themselves inside. Naturally, a horde of imps now surrounded it, screeching their ire and rage.
“Ngh…!”
I’d fought against daemons on numerous occasions. However, this was the first time I’d ever witnessed them attacking normal, everyday people.
“Help me!” cried a straggling villager.
“Gi-gree!” screeched an imp, its voice filled with malice.
Choking on the poignant stench of blood, I broke out in a cold sweat. Fear and apprehension gripped my heart.
“Gi-greee!”
“Greee!”
Mere seconds had passed since we dropped in from above, but daemons already swarmed around our party of seven. The lifeless bodies of villagers lay scattered across the ground, some sprawled right before my feet. As horrific a sight as it was to behold, at least we’d arrived in time to help the survivors. All I could tell myself was: Thank goodness I took advantage of transportation spells like Fly and Phantom Horse to rush over here.
“Gi-gree?!” An unnerving screech sounded overhead. A moment later, it was followed by a loud crash.
“Whoa!”
An arrow pierced all the way through the imp’s neck. The shot came from the roof directly behind us.
“Fall in around Margilus. Fijika, verify the situation in the church.”
“Got it!”
“Understood.”
The man who’d just displayed that god-like mastery with the bow—Sedam—was the leader of our band of adventurers. Even in these circumstances, he retained a level head. He probably intended to place me and Clara in defensive positions and then lure all the daemons in the village to us. It was in the daemons’ very nature to mindlessly attack any human their eyes fell upon. The moment Sedam issued the orders, his party members took action without missing a beat.
“I shall protect you, Lord Margilus!” Ted declared.
“They deserve no mercy!” Djirk snarled.
“May Ashginea be with you!” Torrad prayed.
Ted and Djirk, both of them warriors, planted themselves in the daemons’ path. Standing alongside them in silver armor was the warrior-priest, Torrad.
“Gi-gree!”
Just as Sedam expected, countless imps shifted their attention to us. And then they struck. They came upon us with crude stone axes, with clubs and swords, even with farming tools they’d found somewhere. They swung wildly with anything that could pass for a weapon.
Imps possessed the physique of junior high children, but they were far stronger than their appearance suggested. Worst of all, no matter how many times they were slashed or stabbed, boundless malice propelled them to continue their relentless onslaught. It was difficult to fend each imp off with a single attack, even for the best warrior-priest and fighters that Relis had to offer. Nevertheless, the three stood like a wall before the charging imps—until Clara and I invoked our magic, striking them to the ground one after another.
“Hi-yah!”
“Your spells are incredible, Lord Margilus!” Ted exclaimed.
“Th-thank you,” I mumbled.
Djirk cleaved an imp clear in half, cudgel and all. Meanwhile, Ted slayed another imp in a single blow. They were capable of such feats thanks to the effects of Physical Boost and Enchant, fortifying spells that I’d cast on them before we arrived.
I had allies willing to protect me from even these bloodcurdling foes. Knowing my life was safe in their hands, I was able to breathe a little easier. Scanning my eyes across the battlefield once more, I contemplated what I should do…what spell I should use…
“Later!” Bound for the church, the scout Fijika lithely leaped over the imps’ heads, propelled by the same Physical Boost I’d cast on the warriors. She was the very image of grace, effortlessly weaving around the clubs and axes the imps swung at her.
Clara shouted, “What about the other villagers?!”
“Good question…”
The voices of villagers who’d failed to reach safety could still be heard crying for help all throughout the village. Sedam only needed a moment to contemplate the sorceress’s question before he came to a decision. “Margilus, you’re up. Handle it.”
“G-got it!”
If this party had only consisted of adventurers native to Sedia, Sedam’s order would have come across as a reckless abdication of responsibility. However, he knew that I was a great magic user, a wizard with powers never before seen in these lands. The ranger’s fearless eyes and voice brimmed with faith in me. And for my part, I had something I was dead set on trying. It just so happens that I know exactly which spell I’m going to use.
“Open, Gate of Magic.”
My D&B character, Geo Margilus, was a max-level magic user—a peerless adventurer who’d attained the maximum level of 36. I could activate any of his magic simply by casting the corresponding spell. Unfortunately, the incantations required ten seconds of deep, unbroken concentration. For ten fraught seconds, I would be vulnerable…but I knew the adventurers would cover me.
“As a consequence of this spell, a platoon of six ogres will be created out of nothing, and for three days will follow my command. Create Ogre Platoon.”
Beyond the formation of warriors protecting me, the air began to warp. It reminded me of the way ripples spread upon water after a stone strikes the surface.
And from that rippling space, they came.
“Graaah!”
“Dang,” Ted cried. “Those things spook me every time!”
Towering over two meters, and encased in tough, reddish-brown skin, massive creatures appeared, holding battle axes and spears. Six of these humanoid monsters—these ogres—arrived, looking like they’d been taken straight from the pages of D&B.
Create Ogre Platoon was my favorite spell to use whenever I needed a few extra hands in battle. The muscles in Ted’s face grew taut at the sight of them, but they were more useful than words could describe.
“Spread out and protect the villagers,” I ordered. “Slay the daemons!”
“Grrr!”
“Groo!”
Ogres were capable of effortlessly defeating normal Sedian knights or soldiers. They also possessed enough intelligence to differentiate between daemons and villagers, making them more than capable of carrying out my commands. The six of them mowed down imps as they dispersed throughout the village.
I bet just one ogre could deal with somewhere between ten and twenty imps. I had one more charge remaining for Create Ogre Platoon. I wondered: Should I use that to call for more reinforcements…?
“I swear, your magic is absolutely confounding,” Clara whispered. A scowl overtook her as she watched the intimidating ogres carry out my instructions with the utmost loyalty. Sorcery was the magic system native to Sedia, and she was a sorceress of rare talent. However, my magic and this world’s sorcery utilized completely different principles. Going strictly by pure destructive capacity and versatility, wizardry was undeniably the superior art, and by a huge margin, at that.
“But sorcery is incredible in its own right,” I said.
“I appreciate the thought. Falbolza!”
“Gi-graah!”
Clara spoke her command—her incantation—in a clear, piercing voice. In response, an arrow made of fire sprang from the end of her staff. The arrow cleanly struck the head of an imp lunging at Ted, setting the daemon ablaze. All of this took place within the span of a single heartbeat. If I’d tried to replicate that feat, the imp would have cleaved its stone axe into Ted well before I’d finished casting my spell. That was where sorcery truly outstripped magic: its speed.
“Huh…? Watch out!”
“Guoo!”
Sedam issued his warning at almost the exact same moment one of the ogres was sent flying from the shadows of a building.
“Wh-what the heck is that?!”
A giant silhouette, larger even than the ogre, jumped out after it. The daemon swung a corner post it had torn off some structure or other. With a single blow, it mercilessly bashed in the sprawled-out ogre’s head.
“Gi-rooow!” Howling out with a metallic voice, the massive daemon lost all interest in the convulsing ogre and began plowing toward the church. Its great strides conveyed a sense of confidence. It knew the house of worship harbored defenseless prey. To make matters worse, the other buildings blocked us from its view, making it completely oblivious to our presence.
“Is that really a fiend?” Sedam wondered. “It’s like none I’ve ever seen. Are they mutating somehow?”
Djirk grimaced. “Whatever it is, it’s bad news!”
I agreed with the both of them. Boasting an absolutely enormous physique, and towering nearly three meters tall, fiends were a type of daemon that possessed a massive strength to match their monstrous frame. Normally, thick horns grew out of their heads, but the horns on this one branched out wildly like elk antlers. On top of that, hardened spikes protruded from its shoulders, elbows, and spine. All in all, the entire thing came across as “bristly.” This thing, this living abnormality, had over a dozen imps in tow. It charged toward the village’s humble church like some kind of rampaging, two-legged dump truck.
Sedam shot me a sidelong glance as he felled several imps with his trusty bow. “That thing’s under your jurisdiction, too, Margilus. Handle it.”
“…Oh, right.”
If something wasn’t done, that fiend would smash down the church and everyone in it. There wasn’t enough time to call back the ogres dispersed throughout the village. Instead, I picked out another spell to use.
“…Open, Gate of Magic.”
“There isn’t enough time for that!” As I began my spell, Clara dug her heels in next to me and thrust her staff into the air. “I’ll handle this!” Another beautiful incantation sprang from her ruby lips: “Falga Lans!”
I guess this is a stronger version of the “Falbolza” she used earlier. Searing flames burst from the tip of her staff, converging to form a lance about two meters long. The fiery polearm left a crimson trail in the air as it hurtled toward the irregular fiend.
“Gi?! Grruuooowww!”
The fiend was probably so focused on the church sheltering the villagers that it had developed tunnel vision. Its back was turned toward us, completely unguarded, when the brilliant crimson flames of Falga Lans struck home. The fire spread across its hardened skin, quickly engulfing the fiend’s entire body.
“Giiii! Gra-gaaah!”
“I-It’s still moving?!” Clara squawked in frustration.
Falga Lans pierced the fiend’s torso and set its body ablaze, yet that still wasn’t enough to snuff the malice that fueled its massive body. Howling a battle cry of pure hatred, the fiend switched its focus to us. It charged straight ahead, wildly brandishing its makeshift club, now a giant torch. Naturally, its imp henchmen were right behind it!
“…As a consequence of this spell, a storm of razor-sharp hail and freezing cold winds will appear within a four-meter sphere. The damage of the storm will be determined by a 20d6 roll. Ice Storm!”
Even if Clara couldn’t stop it, the time she bought me by drawing the attention of that fiend and its lackeys was by no means in vain. It allowed me to finish casting my spell!
Sorcery manipulated mana that existed in the natural world, but my magic called forth chaotic energy from a realm outside of it. The power of chaos strictly adhered to the spell’s programming, altering reality precisely as I commanded. The irregular fiend was suddenly in the middle of a vortex of freezing cold winds, torn by razor-sharp hail.
“Gi-giiii?! Gi…!”
“It’s so cold! Wh-what is that?!”
The icy winds were so frigid that frost was forming even beyond the boundary of the spell. From our perspective, it looked like the fiend and imps were engulfed in a silvery dome that sparkled and whirled dangerously. Inside the dome, the daemons’ hardened skin was shredded by dagger-like hail, the shards dancing at a blinding pace. Icy winds swiftly froze, splattering flesh and blood alike.
“Giaaa!”
“Gwaaaa…!”
It didn’t take long for the sound of the daemons’ screams to come to an end. Consuming a radius of four meters, Ice Storm was probably only in effect for a few seconds. Once the storm dispersed, all that remained of the daemons’ corpses were scattered chunks of frozen meat. The pieces were so small it was impossible to tell what belonged to the imps and what belonged to the fiend.
“Ew…” I couldn’t help but gag at the horribly grotesque sight.
“This is on par with extremely high-rank ice sorcery,” Clara assessed. “No…scratch that, this is vastly more powerful…” Although her beautifully fair visage had gone as pallid as mine, apparently, it wasn’t for the same reason.
On paper, Fireball was just as powerful as Ice Storm, but I’d been concerned about the potential peripheral damage of the blast. Bearing that in mind, I’d gone with this spell instead. Seeing as Ice Storm was only a Rank 4 spell, it was relatively low-tier, considering that D&B went up to Rank 9… I should probably keep that tidbit to myself, huh?
***
Before long, we managed to exterminate all of the daemons in the village. Our arrival came too late for a great many people, but at least Torrad was able to use his divine sorcery as a warrior-priest to heal the wounded survivors. I also used the meager supply of healing supplies in my repertoire, contributing in what small way I could. Not that it dispelled the nagging thought in the back of my mind: If only we’d gotten here sooner…
Amid the sense of despair that shrouded the entire village, I found myself in the church, now serving as an impromptu morgue. “I feel so awful when I think about it…what a difference a mere hour could have made…”
“You shouldn’t fret too much over it,” Clara said to me. I offered my respects to the row of bodies, hands pressed together. She held her hands against her bosom, offering the deceased a silent prayer of her own.
Not only a member of the aristocracy, Clara Andell was also a powerful sorceress. As a member of Sedam’s party, she was an experienced adventurer—back home, she’d have been one hell of a career woman. And the icing on the cake? She was truly beautiful.
Gifted with splendid golden hair and a magnificent figure, her mere existence next to me was like a ray of light piercing through the gloom… It was amazing how the presence of a gorgeous woman was enough to change my outlook. Honestly, men are simple creatures!
“You did the best you could,” Clara told me. “Your efforts did not go unnoticed by the creator-god Rimeydal, nor by the winter protector, Ashginea.”
“I hope you’re right.”
As it was, word of the attack hadn’t reached me until roughly an hour ago. On the other hand, the first daemon sighting near the village went back a good ten days. Then, two days ago, they’d initiated their assault on the village.
The village was affiliated with the city-state of Soler. After barely limping through the first attack, the villagers had naturally sought help from Soler’s troops. Over an entire day was lost simply to the time it took for the messenger to reach the city. Although the Soleri troops were quick to make preparations to set out, something must have held them back. After all this time, there still was no sign of them.
The only reason we were even here was because my dear friend, the merchant Ild, just so happened to be in Soler for work. He’d used a high-speed ship to relay a message to me in Relis. I probably wouldn’t have received the information in time if not for the advanced network of water transportation shared between the two cities on Lake Ryuse.
Upon receiving the message, I’d hastily recruited my nearby friends and used transportation spells to rush us to the village. Thank goodness this happened when Sedam and the others were visiting Ild’s store.
If it hadn’t occurred to Ild to inform me, the daemons probably would have killed every human in the village. The surrounding area would have suffered great casualties as well.
“What were the Soler forces doing this whole time…?” I grumbled.
“The Sorcerers’ Guilds and troops affiliated with the various cities in Ryuse are supposed to offer assistance whenever daemons appear. We’re able to respond better than other regions since we can utilize Lake Ryuse for transportation and communication…” Clara dropped her eyes somberly. The people of Sedia had wracked their brains to devise and implement anti-daemon countermeasures of their own. Unfortunately, what they’d put in place was far from perfect.
“I guess no matter where you are, things never run as smoothly as you’d hope.” I loosed a heavy sigh as I looked upon a statue of the winter protector, Ashginea. It was said she was a goddess who protected humans from daemons. The statue enshrined in the church showed her with a sword raised in one hand and a cloak grasped in another.
She looked down upon us in stone-carved silence.