Volume 0 - Chapter 2 – SUCCESSOR’S BIRTH

「A ceiling I don’t recognise…」 ⚑

Jin woke up in 『this』 world. There are words of a promise.

「Are you ・ awake ・ Master?」

Hearing that voice Jin got up in surprise and saw a beautiful girl. Black hair, black eyes, and pale skin. A height of about 120cm, an elementary student? The clothes she wore were similar to a maid’s.

「Ummm… who are you?」

「I am ・ an automata. A name ・ I do not possess」

Her answer left Jin unable to reply and he began to gather his thoughts,

（Automata… I think Europe produced marionettes… but there weren’t any this elaborate were there?）

Then Jin noticed, what he had heard was not Japanese. Furthermore it wasn’t English, French, German or any other language he knew.

「Umm… so, were you the one that saved me?」

For now, he decided to ask questions one by one to confirm the situation.

「To say ・ saved ・ is slightly ・incorrect. I had ・ simply ・ called ・ Master ・ here」

「Then, where am I?」

「Mother’s ・ Laboratory」

「Mother, that would be the person who created you, is that right?」

「That is correct」

「Where is that person?」

「Passed away ・ 1024 years ・ 8 months ・ 27 days ・ ago」

Passed away… he didn’t know the word the 《Automata》 said, however the word was similar to a formal old fashioned Japanese word and Jin used that to understand the meaning of what she said. ⚑

「I… I see」

1024 years, 8 months and 27 days. That is to say this 《Automata》 has been operating for that unthinkable amount of time.

「So, why have you called me here?」

「For you ・ to succeed ・Mother’s ・ everything」

「To succeed her everything? …un, could you be a bit more specific?」

「Understood. Everything would be ・ this laboratory ・ and also ・ Mother’s ・magic techniques. Is this explanation sufficient?」

Although it was brief and he wanted to ask for more, he understood the main points.

「To put it simply, I’m to succeed your 『Mother』 who is a magic user, that’s what you mean right?」

「Yes ・ that is correct」

A language he has never heard of, there was an unimaginable 《Automata》 in existence, and a place that was not Earth, it did not take long for Jin to understand this. To begin with, he should have fallen into the ladle of the electric furnace. The intense heat, he could still remember the feeling of it burning his body.

「So, did you heal me?」

If that was true, magic is amazing, was what he though while he asked to confirm,

「No ・ I did not ・do such ・ a thing」

she said stopping that thought. Though,

「In order to ・ transfer over ・ the outer world ・ magic power ・is used ・ in proportion ・ to compensate ・ for a ・ new self ・ is the explanation」

「Then when transferring to another world, magic power will compensate for the damages to the body…?」

Jin looked to examine the changes to his body. Left hand. The scar from when he accidentally cut his thumb with a knife in elementary school was gone. Right leg. There was no trace of a dog bite. Feeling with his hands, even his back with a scald from hot water being spilt on it was now clean and smooth.

And when Jin finished confirming, he finally noticed he was naked.

「UWAAAAAAAA!」

Although the other party was an 《Automata》, because no matter how he looked at it, the only thing he could see was a beautiful girl, so this kind of reaction was natural..

「Master? What ・ is the ・ matter?」

An 《Automata》 is an 《Automata》, however being stared at with a face without worry was all the more embarrassing for Jin.

For now Jin wrapped a bed sheet around his body and calmed down, reconsidering the situation.

（Anyways, I was on the verge of being burnt to death… or rather I was saved by this child 『calling』 my body that was mostly burnt to death）

（I probably can’t return back to my former world, it’s inevitable that the other side will probably think I’m dead）

（The director and children at the orphanage will definitely be sad… sorry everyone）

After careful consideration, Jin had resolved himself.

「So, what exactly am I supposed to do?」

He asked the 《Automata》 standing silently before him. Then,

「Could you ・ please ・ follow me ・ this way?」

With that said, the 《Automata》 led him out of the room. Jin followed after her with his body wrapped in a bed sheet. Although having no shoes bothered him, there was carpet spread along the floor, so there was no need to worry about his feet getting hurt.

After leaving the room into the corridor, Jin had been observing the structure of the building. He had some general knowledge in architecture .

The wall and ceiling were made from a milky white coloured substance. The texture was similar to quartz and also because it gave off a dim light, there was no inconvenience to walking. Different from EL, it was a mysterious glow.

「This light, is it magic?」

When he asked, the 《Automata》 walking in front of him,

「Yes ・ it is. An eternal light ・ caused by ・ ether」

Another word that he didn’t understand came out, for now Jin decided to refrain from asking about it.

Judging from the guide around so far, this 『Laboratory’s』 was about the size of a city’s elementary school, although that was a considerably vague estimate Jin made. The 《Automata》 then stopped before a single door.

「Here we ・ are」

On the door, there were very detailed carvings.

「I ・ am not ・ permitted ・ to open it, only the ・ new ・ master ・ possesses ・ the privilege ・ to open it」

「I understand」

Although he didn’t know what might happen, Jin resolutely touched the door…

「… stay composed」

「Master, please ・ pull it」

Instead of pulling, he had been pushing the door. He was extremely nervous as expected.

「I… I know!」

With a face flushed red, this time Jin opened the door and stepped inside. Thereupon, the dim room suddenly lit up.

「Uwaa」

For a moment he was bewildered by the dazzling light, but when he noticed it was just lights being lit, he was able to regain his composure and Jin began to look around the room.

The room was like a study, it simply had a sturdy desk and chair and on the desk was a large watermelon sized crystal ball. There was also a single volume of a book on it.

Speaking of which, besides that was a bookshelf fully packed with books. As expected it was a study, was what Jin thought.

The room had a refreshing feeling and not even a speck of dust, as if someone had been using the room until just now. For some reason or another, Jin sat down on the chair. Then suddenly, the crystal ball started to shine.

「W-What is it?」

「Welcome, my 《Successor》」

At the same time as the voice spoke, the face of an old woman appeared on the crystal ball.

「My name is Adrianna Balbora Ceci. A user of magic, a magician. And I am also the only 《Magi Craft Meister》 in the world.」

「My Mother」

The 《Automata》 standing behind Jin added on to her words. It seems she was able to enter after the door was opened.

「I have continued researching the connection between devices and the phenomenon called magic. The result of that research is this laboratory. It is a shame though that my fellow magicians would not accept my research」

Somehow there was a tinge of sorrow in that voice.

「Nevertheless, I believe there is a meaning to my research. However, it is regrettable that I was unable to prove it while I am still alive.」

Her words paused for a moment, and then resumed.

「I… I wish to hand over everything I have compiled to the person to succeed my will. How you use it 《Successor》, it is up to you. The details I hope for you to see will be in the records.」

The voice ended, and the face on the crystal ball faded away.

「Records… perhaps it’s this book?」

He reached out to the book next to the crystal ball. And then, this time the book lit up as soon as his hand touched the cover…

「Uwawawa!?」

The content inside literally surged into Jin’s head. This had happened in an instant.

「…」

The light settled down, the book was no longer there, and in its place was the 《Magi Craft Meister》 Jin, the legitimate 《Successor》 to Adrianna Balbora Ceci.

「So this is magic…」

Due to the inherited knowledge, he could feel the magic power within his body and understood how to use it. As well as the risks.

「Adrianna Balbora Ceci, thank you. This power, I will definitely put it to good use.」

When Jin said that towards the crystal ball, its light disappeared…

「With this ・ I have ・ fulfilled・ my… duty」

Leaving those words, the 《Automata》 broke down and fell apart.