Chapter 3 - The Baptism Ceremony
Ever since I began training under Mister Orvin, I had come to a certain realization.
Swordsmanship was freakin’ amazing!
That exhilarating, out-of-the-ordinary feeling when I swung a blade.
The silky sensation that ran through it when I cut.
The tangible proof of growth I felt each day as my skill improved.
No matter how I looked at it, every bit of it was the best.
But, as always, fun times flew by in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it, a whole year had passed.
Honestly, I wanted to devote myself to swordsmanship even more...
Still, I had already gained the minimum skills needed as a swordsman. It was about time to move on to the “next step.”
Oh, and by the way—now that I had turned ten, I’d grown to 140 centimeters.
Five centimeters in a single year! Long live the growth spurt!
...It’s almost time.
The clock read 12:55.
Waiting in my room, I rose from my chair and gave a long, lazy stretch.
Today was the long-awaited “Baptism Ceremony.”
In the world of Ronzolkia, when one reached the age of ten, their total mana, magical aptitude, and unique magic were tested.
Normally, this was done by visiting the temple and undergoing the ceremony there…
But in my case, things were a little... irregular.
If things went the same as the original story, this body should possess that unique magic...
Hollow’s unique magic in the original story was one of the most abnormal powers in the entire work.
After all, it was the same magic wielded by the great mage of a thousand years ago—“Xeno, the Calamity.”
If such a thing were revealed in a public place like a temple, it would cause a massive uproar.
So instead, we invited “a certain adjudicator” to the mansion to perform the ceremony here.
Normally, such selfish arrangements would never be allowed...
But, well, that’s the Heisenberg family for you, one of the Four Great Noble Houses..
With just one word from my father, the stubborn Magic Ministry responded with, “Yes, gladly!”—a display of absurd power.
As I was musing over this, there came a knock knock knock, followed by Mister Orvin’s deep, gravelly voice.
“Lord Hollow, the adjudicator has arrived.”
“Send them in.”
“At once.”
The door opened without a sound, and in came a pale-skinned woman.
“Then, I shall take my leave here.”
After escorting her, Mister Orvin gave a polite bow and quietly closed the door.
The remaining woman, her face tense, gave a small bow of her own.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Fiona Seder.”
Fiona Seder—eighteen years old. The youngest person in history to enter the Magic Ministry. A prodigy among prodigies.
She stood about 160 centimeters tall, slender yet with a feminine figure.
Her beautiful black hair was tied into a ponytail, reaching down to her back.
Large amethyst eyes and snow-white skin framed the face of a true beauty.
Over a black shirt she wore a white jacket, paired with a simple black miniskirt.
At first glance, she seemed like the picture of a refined, well-bred young lady... but I knew there was a certain something off about her personality.
“I am Hollow von Heisenberg.”
I returned her greeting bluntly, without honorifics.
She might be an adjudicator from the Magic Ministry, but a duke’s house stood far above her in the hierarchy.
Besides, my lazy arrogance should already be well-known—from the evening party when I was five, and the martial arts tournament at seven.
If I suddenly acted humble and earnest here, it would only raise suspicion.
Better to stick with the role of the indolent, arrogant noble.
“Without further delay, I will begin by measuring your total mana, Lord Hollow.”
Miss Fiona took out a small stone as she spoke.
“This is a special magic stone known as a ‘Resonance Stone.’ It absorbs the surrounding mana and produces a unique reaction, from which we estimate total mana. First, please pinch this between your fingers and—”
“—I know how it’s done. Hand it over.”
“...U-understood...”
Her well-shaped brows twitched ever so slightly.
It seemed my interruption—and the arrogant tone I used toward someone of her position—had irritated her.
And honestly, she had every right to be annoyed.
But to keep Hollow’s character consistent with the original, this was the only way.
So, silently apologizing in my heart, I took the Resonance Stone between my thumb and forefinger and squeezed—crushing it with a sharp crack.
As the silvery fragments floated in the air, a sensation like my mana being drawn out washed over me—and then the stone reacted.
“Hmm.”
“Th-this is...?!”
What manifested around me was the color of foul sludge.
It carried with it every omen of misfortune this world had to offer—evil, congealed into a tangible form.
The mana swirling around me expressed, with almost excessive clarity, the malign power Hollow von Heisenberg carried within.
“Hey, the results?”
“A-a tremendous amount of mana...! (Out of everyone I’ve measured so far, this is by far the number one...! Not just in sheer volume, but I’ve never seen mana so utterly abhorrent...!)”
With the mana test finished, it was time to check my magical aptitude.
“Please place these rings on the five fingers of your right hand.”
“Very well.”
I did as instructed, slipping the rings onto all five fingers.
Each ring had a magic stone set into it—fire, water, lightning, wood, and earth, the five major attributes.
By channeling mana into them, the rings corresponding to attributes I was attuned to would glow, revealing my elemental affinities—this was known as the “Five-Finger Appraisal Method.”
“Now, please close your eyes and focus your mana into your right hand.”
Like Miss Fiona told me to, I closed my eyes and focused my mana in my right hand.
One second... two... three... I slowly opened my eyes to find—
“Oh.”
—five rings, all glowing with a soft light.
Which could only mean—
“A-all attributes affinity...?! No way, that’s impossible...!”
Miss Fiona’s eyes went wide in shock.
Still, for Hollow, this much was to be expected.
The real show began now.
“What are you so surprised about? Get on with it—the Baptism Ceremony.”
“Y-yes...!”
The mana measurement and aptitude test were, at best, a warm-up.
The true centerpiece of the Baptism Ceremony was the appraisal of one’s unique magic.
“—<Summon>.”
Miss Fiona cast a spell, and in the center of the room, a simple ceremonial altar appeared.
Four pillars stood at each corner, and in the middle rested a large statue of a goddess.
Compared to the real thing in a temple, it was somewhat modest, but still quite grand.
“The appraisal of unique magic is a sacred rite, and is normally to be conducted in the temple. However... in light of Duke Heisenberg’s request, we are making a special exception to conduct it here. As for the method... you are already familiar with it, yes?”
“I am.”
I stepped toward the altar, placed my right hand against the goddess’s right hand, and gently poured mana into it.
The very next moment, a crack ran through the statue—and it shattered to pieces.
Shards of silver danced in the air.
Instead of falling to the ground, they vanished, as if swallowed by another realm.
“This reaction... no, it can’t be...?!”
Miss Fiona hurriedly pulled out a tattered old tome, flipping through its pages at breakneck speed before snapping her head up.
Her eyes glistened with feverish desire, drool trailing from the corner of her mouth, her breathing ragged... This was not a sane expression.
No... this was scary.
It was the look of a complete madman.
“You... figure something out?”
“It’s the unique magic <Void>!“
Bingo.
Just like in the original story, this body carried the “strongest unique magic.”
As I clenched my fist in satisfaction, Miss Fiona hugged the tome to her chest and began spinning in circles like a giddy child.
“Amazing, amazing, amazing! It’s too much! The highest rank of unique magic—Origin Class! An ultra-rare magic, the very same as ‘Xeno, the Calamity,’ the strongest and most dreadful magic! Ohhh, I’m so lucky! I was thinking, ‘Why did I have to come to some rotten noble’s place,’ but I’m so glad I came—!”
...Her true feelings were leaking all over the place, but whatever.
That sort of unfiltered honesty was one of her virtues.
Anyway... that’s a relief.
Honestly, I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders.
That Hollow possessed Void exactly as in the original story was a blessing.
Having it—or not having it—would make all the difference in the challenges ahead.
Now then, I just need to make sure her mouth stays shut.
Void was a magic with a bad history.
Roughly a thousand years ago, a mage named Xeno had used it to wreak havoc and... well, let’s just say it wasn’t something to be broadcasted openly.
“Fiona, I need to talk to you.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Don’t tell anyone that I manifested <Void>. As far as the Ministry of Magic is concerned, you’re to report that ‘Hollow’s unique magic was <Refraction>.’”
“What? Why would you do such a thing...? <Void> is an Origin-Class, exceedingly rare unique magic. If it were made public, it would bring great honor to your family name. I can’t imagine why you’d want to hide it...”
“It’s called precaution. I just need to keep it out of the public eye for a while—about two years, to be precise.”
At the moment, the royal capital was harboring a dangerous organization that made its living as “factor hunters”—the Grand Magus Cult.
Through insiders in the Ministry, they obtained access to the Arcana, the registry of magic, and kidnapped anyone who possessed rare magical factors.
In one particular route of the original story, once the Grand Magus Cult learned of the Void, they gleefully abducted Hollow.
The ultimate test subject—Hollow von Heisenberg—had his brain thoroughly and mercilessly tampered with, the Void’s magical factor ripped from him, and was then executed. That was the infamous Void Extraction Ending.
No way in hell am I letting that be my ending.
Of course, even if I fought the Grand Magus Cult right here and now, I wouldn’t say I was guaranteed to lose.
After all, I had swordsmanship skills personally drilled into me by Mister Olvin himself.
But this particular Bad Ending could be avoided with just a little foresight, and there was no need to take unnecessary risks.
I’ll pound the bridge, and pound it, and pound it again—before deciding whether to cross.
In this world, a Game Over meant literal death, so this level of caution seemed only sensible.
And so, for the next two years or so—until the Grand Magus Cult left the capital—I would keep the Void’s existence hidden.
During that time, I’d train and fully master the Void. That was my plan.
Miss Fiona, for her part, thought it over for a moment, then bowed her head slightly.
“My apologies, Lord Hollow, but I cannot comply with your request. Anyone who manifests a unique magic must register the true information in the Arcana. This is not an unwritten rule, but a law established by the royal constitution. As an adjudicator who serves God, I take pride in my duty, and I cannot commit any form of deceit.”
“Then let’s make a deal.”
“A deal?”
“If you agree to keep my unique magic a secret... I’ll let you study the Void.”
“I’ll keep it secret. I won’t tell a soul. You may even bind me with a <Contract> spell if you wish.”
...So much for God and pride.
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