Squish, squish
In a world frozen in time, I approached Lilith.
Buzz, buzz
As I got closer to her, I summoned two magic swords.
They floated in the air, following me like loyal bodyguards.
– Stopping time… Even in a mental world, that’s impossible. I’ve never heard of any deity managing such a feat. Luke Pulsreino, what on earth have you done? Don’t tell me you cast an illusion on me!
Lilith hurriedly spilled words, trying to hide her obvious panic.
She probably couldn’t comprehend the situation.
The world had come to a standstill.
In stark contrast to the stillness around us, I moved, while she perceived the frozen world.
No matter how long she had lived, the current circumstance would be incomprehensible to her. No, she’d be unable to accept it.
Even the mighty Lord Jephst couldn’t manage this.
Manipulating the flow of time in this world wasn’t a trivial matter.
Once in [Deus Ex Machina], there had been a single event that stopped time.
This event had been launched immediately in the second part, and it faced a massive backlash from players.
A power that allowed time to stop in a world where manipulating time was practically impossible.
Of course, it was a one-time ability, but players revolted, claiming it shattered the game’s balance.
If such power existed, what happened to all the characters introduced before it?
I was one of those players.
Sure, at that point, [Deus Ex Machina] was facing a downturn.
After that incident, the developers received immense criticism, and they officially declared that such powers could never exist again.
It was claimed to be a power that had only been established once.
But this mental realm is a place that recreates the best state one remembers.
Having personally experienced stopping time even once, I could wield that ability.
A time-stopping power so potent it could even bind the highest evil deity, Lilith.
– No… no way. It’s not an illusion… time has truly stopped… Something impossible for any being… What the hell are you!
Squish
At last, I halted right in front of Lilith, frozen in the air.
“Me? You just said it earlier, remember?”
Vroom
“Son of Deus. The savior of this world. The messiah to drive out ‘Chaos.’”
– No way… I am like this… I can’t be like this!
Boom
*
– Cronia. You are the future of our Mesene family. Only you…
– Sister Cronia! You’re capable, so…
– Cronia! If it’s not you, this can’t be done!
– Lady Cronia!
– Cronia!
From childhood, it had become tiresome.
Being around humans who tried to look up to me.
Only magic engineering eased my discomfort.
Magic engineering had always operated as I desired.
It never let me down or criticized me when I had unrealistic expectations for the results I wanted.
And with my honed skills in magic engineering, I inherited ancient golems from my terminally ill mentor.
– Cronia. Only you can fully control these golems.
So, is this person just like the others…?
– If I say that, you wouldn’t like it, would you?
Huh?
– Cough, cough! Cronia. You’re tired of humans who judged you subjectively and tried to control you, right? That’s why you’ve devoted yourself to magic engineering?
Mentor…
– Cough… But a cold heart without human feelings makes these golems incomplete.
Incomplete?
– The first golems were human… I told you this before, right? It’s said that a person who passed away long ago, worried about those they left behind, reincarnated into lumps of clay as a guardian.
That’s just a superstition with no proper verified records.
– Cough! Today’s golems are merely servants that follow their master’s words. But when a user balances both cool logic and hot emotions and reaches enlightenment, that’s when golems regain their true forms.
What is that? It’s not even funny.
– So, Cronia, think of it as an old man’s last wish. You will encounter many people in the future. There will be those who envy you, those who want to possess you without understanding you, and those who love you. And none of them will meet your expectations. Didn’t you also try to push me down when we first met? Just like your parents.
Mentor…
– Cough! But Cronia, what you need isn’t the cold metal but a warm human embrace. One day, someone will sacrifice themselves to be with you. If that happens… you mustn’t let them go… not just for magic engineering… but for your life…
That was the last image of my mentor.
The strongest ancient golems.
I received the strongest golems, none of which could be compared to others, yet my heart felt utterly empty.
In this world, only one person who could understand me was gone.
She said I needed the warmth of a human, but that was something she didn’t understand.
Relationships with humans were merely obstacles on the path of magic engineering.
I would advance magic engineering.
And prove it to this world.
The invasion of the barbarian army that shook the Empire.
I single-handedly defeated the army at the forefront.
The strongest golems inherited from my mentor and my research fused, displaying overwhelming power.
Having conquered the Empire’s crisis, I rapidly rose as a hero.
– Cronia! You are the glory of our family!
– Sister! I knew you could do it!
– Lady Cronia!
– Cronia!
No, mentor.
You are a good person, but…
You were wrong.
There’s no one who would sacrifice themselves to want me.
There are only those who plot to devour me for my strength.
Seeing those disgusting humans, I joined the military.
Although human relationships were just the same in the military, the ranks made it less appalling.
One day during my service.
– Am I… talking about the Academy?
– Yes, you’re right. I can’t find anyone as talented in magic engineering as you. Can’t you help?
– But playing a babysitter for kids…
– No, it’s not like that. To be precise, it’s about nurturing the next generation of talented individuals who will lead this continent. I’m asking you to teach them your exceptional magic engineering. Magic engineering is often overlooked compared to other academic fields.
– Magic engineering… I understand.
I left the military and became a professor at the Academy, teaching magic engineering.
Magic engineering, often dismissed, was outshined by various powerful academic fields like different schools of magic and alchemy.
I strived to change that perception. It wouldn’t be magic engineering for just me but for everyone to recognize.
A discipline that would pique everyone’s interest rather than relegating itself to my solitary research.
As magic engineering gained recognition, and my classes grew more popular,
I felt exhilarated.
Then a thought struck me.
What’s up? Do I want to be acknowledged by people?
The warmth of a person, as my mentor said?
No, what am I saying? I just need magic engineering.
I don’t need others’ validation!
But what is this excitement?
At that confusing moment, I bumped into her.
Seiren Pulsreino.
The catalyst was an incompetent, greedy fool of a professor who foolishly sought to exploit her.
Seiren was the victim, but she was furious and rampaged.
And all the professors at the Academy, including me, tried to stop her,
But she was… just too strong.
– Is that all? You said magic engineering would change the world, but it’s just a toy.
– A toy? …Ha! Then how about trying this? Come forth, my strongest confidant, Golem!
Boom!
Even my strongest golems couldn’t defeat her.
It was the moment my magic engineering was denied.
After that incident, I honed my magic engineering further.
To never be defeated again.
To never be underestimated again.
And then I met him.
The brother of Seiren Pulsreino, Luke Pulsreino.
– I was briefly shocked to find that the pinnacle of magic engineering appeared so trivial. This hunk of metal is the pinnacle? Hah! If I knew it was this level, I wouldn’t have entered this class.
Once again, I was denied.
Even though I tried my best to prevent such an occurrence.
No, my magic engineering was being questioned!
No.
Not yet.
My magic engineering is just beginning.
I can do it again.
Now that I know the problem, I can fix it.
Even though the siblings dismissed my magic engineering, I just need to excel so they can never overlook it again.
It’s because I was incapable that this happened.
And then.
– Hmm? This dense ‘desire.’ Hah. I like it.
I encountered her… no, that.
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