TIEM

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Chapter 5 Part 1

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Chapter 5 – Duel

“Abel! You’re open!”

He should do something about that habit of moving after announcing his actions out loud first.

I thought and lightly flicked my arm with the spine of the book.

Hm. Wait a minute.

“Ted. Did you just call me by my name?”

“Haha! We’ve been playing together for many days now, even I can remember!”

Somehow, it is pleasant to see children grow a little.

I was about to get sentimental about it, but when I thought about it calmly, I realized that nothing was surprising about it.

A typical child should be able to remember my name easily.

It’s just that this rich kid of nobility has a terrible memory.

“You’re my future underling, so I have to remember it properly!”

If such a future comes, then, by all means, you can forget my name.

Now.

There’s something I’ve learned from observing Ted over the past few days.

He has the <<Burning Eyes>> that is good at fire attribute magic, but unfortunately, his talent for attribute magic, which is his favorite, seems to be lacking.

Attribute magic requires a good head on your shoulders to instantly understand, apply, and expand on complex magic syntaxes.

It seems to have been a bit too much for a simpleton like Ted.

But instead, Ted has a ‘reasonable’ amount of talent for body strengthening magic.

Unlike attribute magic, this type of magic does not require logical thinking but rather ‘natural intuition’.

Perhaps it suited Ted, who had a simple thought process, for better or worse.

“Take this!”

Ted’s fist came straight at me.

I see.

It seems that he has somewhat improved his skills over the past few days.

However, in the world I was in two hundred years ago, anyone could do this level of movement, regardless of age.

It is only at the level where ‘not worth considering’ has become ‘somewhat better’.

I caught his arm with one hand and swept his leg out from under him.

“You’re too slow. Even a fly can stop such an attack, you know?”

“Uguaaaa” 

Ted let out a toad-like shriek and rolled a few meters away.

“What’s the matter, giving up so soon?”

When I gave him a provocative ‘shove’, Ted got up with a prolonged shout of “Damn it!”

It was immediately after that that something unusual happened.

“Whoa!”

“Hey-hey…”

It was a mistake to get up so quickly.

Ted’s foot slipped on the snow that piled up on the roof and fell towards the back door.

Ah-ah, ah.

That sucks. He fell onto the stone pavement.

Well, that’s Ted, whose only merit is his resilience.

He won’t die from something like this.

“Ou…! Ouch…!”

Ted is screaming silently.

Tears continue to flow from his eyes.

I see.

It seems that he broke his leg when he landed.

What. It’s just a broken bone.

In my previous world, broken bones were a common occurrence.

While organ damage tends to be troublesome to repair, it is relatively easy to join bones with magic.

“Stop crying. You’re a man, aren’t you?”

Or not, Ted is just a child.

It would be unreasonable to expect him to endure the pain of a broken bone.

I can’t deny that I’m partly responsible for Ted’s injury this time.

It can’t be helped.

I’m not very good at recovery magic, but if it’s a wound like this, I can treat it ──

“Ted! Are you okay!?”

Bass came running in a hurry.

“Wait for me! I’m going to cast recovery magic on you right now!”

Oh?

This guy is not a magician of the <<Gray Eyes>>, but he can use recovery magic?

Bass invoked the basics of recovery magic.

I think I may have underestimated him a little bit.

Depending on the nature of the magic, I’ll have to evaluate Bass’s abilities.

“W-What the hell are you doing…? Just what are you doing?”

“What’s so unusual about recovery magic? I’m having trouble concentrating, so I need you to be quiet for a minute!”

This is bad.

Recovery magic is similar to building with wooden blocks in terms of image.

It is easy to build with big wooden blocks, but it gets difficult with small wooden blocks. The more advanced or complex the magic is, the smaller the wooden blocks become. That’s how delicate recovery magic is.

Then, when stacking these wooden blocks, larger blocks are usually placed under the smaller blocks so that they would not collapse.

But this guy is like forcing a large wooden block on top of a small wooden block and reinforcing it with glue.

Wow….

I can’t watch this anymore….

I think this guy really hates his younger brother.

If he joins them together like that, the nerves will rub against each other, and problems will occur.

“Gyaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!”

“Are you okay!? It’s going to hurt a little bit, but you’re going to have to endure it!”

I can’t help but feel sorry for Ted.

Ted, who had been subjected to crude recovery magic from his older brother, ended up fainting with his eyes rolling back into his head.

“Hey. I think you should take him to the infirmary for treatment”

The hurdle for treatment has been raised a bit because of the older brother, but even now, Ted will probably be able to recover well enough with proper treatment.

“Wait a minute. Before that, you…”

“What is it?”

We need to get Ted to the infirmary quickly.

Your crude recovery magic will turn into body-destroying attack magic.

“This injury, how did it happen?”

“We were playing, and he fell”

“He didn’t just fall, did he?”

“Hmm?”

“I saw it. Just now, I saw you swept Ted’s foot”

“If you saw it, then you should know what happened next. When Ted tried to get up ──”

“It should be Ted-sama, don’t you think!?”

Good grief. What has this rich kid of nobility… been saying just now?

To fuss over such details in this situation.

“You are a commoner. Ted is noble. No matter how young he is, he is the legitimate second son of the Langobalt family”

“Err…. So?”

“What’s with that attitude?”

“Commoner or noble, that doesn’t matter now. We need to get Ted to a place where he can recover”

“It doesn’t matter, you say?”

Bass clenched his fists.

He was clearly directing his hostility towards me.

“You ‘Inferior Eyes’ bumpkin! I’ll make you regret your disrespect towards nobility!”

Bass threw something at me.

The act was a little familiar to me. It was an old way of doing things.

“A duel! You’ve dishonored nobility. I’m sorry, but I’m not lenient on insolent fellows”

Yeah. I had a hunch that this would happen.

The intervention of the ‘unable to take a hint’ rich kid of nobility (older brother) seems to have made the situation increasingly complicated.

“Wait a minute. I really don’t have any reason to fight you, you know?”

Of course, this rich kid of nobility (older brother) is nothing.

Defeat is unthinkable.

Even if we duel ten thousand times, the result would probably all be the same.

But I just want to live peacefully in this world.

Even now, the people in the city who have heard the commotion are gathering around us.

It would not be a wise choice to stand out in the city.

“D-Don’t screw around! You’re trying to mock the pride of the nobles!”

Ahh. Bass’s anger is flaring up.

That’s right. He’s just a child, after all.

If I tell them not to be so angry in their anger, tempers will flare.

Mmm.

What should I do?

Maybe it would be less conspicuous if I were to just accept the duel and win it in an instant?

I have a feeling that the more I anger Bass, the bigger the commotion will become.

I sighed deeply again.

“Okay. I’ll accept the duel”

It can’t be helped.

Let’s just go along with Bass’s game.

I was just thinking that I would like to have a ‘sample’ of the nobles’ magic capability in this era.

As long as I don’t use any flashy magic and just end the fight quickly, I probably won’t draw too much attention from the people around us.

“Fufufu. I’ll explain the rules of the duel then! One on one, you and me! The first one to make the opponent say ‘I give up’ wins! Well, since we’re so far apart in age, I’ll give you a handicap…”

“Okay. I understand. No handicap is necessary. Let’s just get this over with”

I’m more worried about Ted’s injuries more than anything else.

Since I’m partly responsible for the injuries, I have a duty to treat Ted’s injuries.

“What…!? H-How far do you intend to insult me…!”

Oh no.

It seems that my careless attitude has further angered Bass.

His voice trembled, and his whole body radiated bloodlust that seems to be ready to lash out at any moment.

“Very well. You should regret insulting me for the rest of your life!”

Bass drew out the sword at his waist.

Hmm.

A single-edged sword, a bit long for a child to hold. It’s probably a proper sword for adults.

But it’s not like a normal sword. It has some strange workmanship.

“Wind Blade, Wind Edge!”

As soon as he swung down the sword, a wind blade came straight towards me.

Hmm? He is better than I thought.

The power itself was mediocre, nothing to speak of, but the construction of the magic was too fast.

The only person who could construct magic at such a speed was me in the previous era.

Then, what I find suspicious is the unfamiliar shape of the sword that the rich kid of nobility (older brother) holds.

There’s some sort of special workmanship on that sword.

Otherwise, there was no way a child like Bass could construct magic so quickly.

“Hmmm. That reaction. Perhaps you’ve never seen a magic tool before?”

Magic tool?

Is that the name of the sword? This is the first time I’ve heard it.

“Seriously… I’m speechless. I can’t believe you’ve lived your whole life without knowing about magic tools…. You must have lived a harsh life in the countryside”

“Well, it’s not like I lived in the countryside…”

On second thought, it’s hard to explain my circumstances to others.

Even if I told someone that I was a magician who had been reincarnated two hundred years into the future, it is probably hard for them to believe me.

“Well, you’re right. At least I’ve never seen anything like it”

“Then let me tell you this, instead of a handicap. This item supports the construction of magic!”

Bass raised his sword as he exhaled.

“── This sword allows me to activate magic much faster!”

The ‘Wind Blade, Wind Edge’ was activated again.

I easily avoided it and then observed the sword.

I activate my <<Analysis Eyes>> which is an application of body strengthening magic.

Hmmm.

I see.

It seems that the sword that the rich kid of nobility (older brother) is using has a magic syntax set in advance.

In other words, it allows simple magic to be activated by simply pouring magic power into it without having to assemble the magic syntax.

“What do you think? This speed! You can’t keep up with me unarmed!”

What can I say about it…? It’s a well-made toy.

That’s the only way I can describe it.

Such a tool looks like the cane that a crippled old man would use to walk around.

In magic, no syntax is absolutely correct.

The real thrill of a battle between magicians is to search for and construct the best syntax that best suits the situation of the battle.

“Come! This is my power!”

Bass continuously swung his sword one after another, but none of them felt threatening.

Too slow.

It is because he uses a sword that does not fit his stature.

I simply dodged everything and took some distance.

Bass would then unleash the same ‘Wind Blade, Wind Edge’ again.

“Foolish”

I’m starting to get bored with this. 

I use my left hand to easily knock off the ‘Wind Blade, Wind Edge’ that Bass has unleashed.

“What!? M-My magic with your bare hand!?”

The mystery that I had been wondering about has finally been solved.

Magic tool.

Perhaps it is one of the reasons why magicians have become weaker.

Magic tools are indeed convenient.

Because they are convenient, the magicians from this era must have thought, ‘I don’t have to build my own magic syntax if I have a magic tool’.

In fact, in a world without the natural enemy, the demons, simple instant magic would have been sufficient.

But, it is tragic.

In the era I was living in two hundred years ago, the environment was not conducive to the use of toys such as magic tools.

As a result, magic tools have deprived magicians of the ability to think.

“That’s magic? I thought you were sending out balloons”

“Wha──! You!”

Bass struck out with a series of spells made with the exact same magic syntax in a fit of rage.

It can’t be helped.

I would like to express my gratitude to him for his cooperation in the verification process so far.

Let me show him what pure and genuine magic looks like.

“Wind Blade, Wind Edge”

The magic I chose was the same one that Bass used, the ‘Wind Blade, Wind Edge’.

*FLASH*

The ‘Wind Blade, Wind Edge’ I constructed flew right through Bass’s magic.

“Wha──!”

The rubble settled, and Bass laid flat out on the ground.

It went without saying that I had added a few touches.

I had applied some flashy effects to show the difference in our abilities but reduced the power considerably.

Such a flexible response would be impossible with a fighting style that relied on magic tools.

I walked over towards the rubble and approached Bass.

As I thought.

He seems to be in a daze, but it does not look like he was seriously injured.

“H-How did I…. To a commoner like you…” 

Whoops.

Come to think of it, I almost forgot.

The condition of this duel was not to render the opponent incapacitated.

“What do you think? Are you ready to say ‘I give up’?”

“You filthy… inferior-eye brat…! Why would I…!?”

Good grief.

Can’t he put that pride to use somewhere else?

Humanity will be finished if we take pride in what others have given us instead of what we have achieved.

With that being said, I’m not a demon either.

There’s no reason to push him any further, so let’s call off this game of a duel at this point.

And just when I was about to show mercy ── 

“Ahhh!”

The sound of rubble collapsing was accompanied by Bass’s scream.

The person who kicked the rolling Bass away was someone familiar to me.

“Err…. Lilith. What are you doing?”

“I’m sorry. Abel-sama. There was trash lying around”

That was not what I was asking.

She is a housemaid working for a rich noble household, right?

I feel that violence against an employer is a bad idea.

“Argh…. Lilith…! What the hell are you doing…!?”

“Shut up. Don’t ever speak to me again. I will not allow you to insult Abel-sama any further”

“Eek──!?”

Bass looked completely terrified when Lilith directed her bloodlust towards him.

Uh-oh.

Didn’t Bass like Lilith enough to confess his feelings for her a while ago?

I have a feeling this is going to be a lifelong trauma for him.

“Abel-sama. I’m so sorry. This incident occurred due to my lack of supervision”

“No. It’s fine. I don’t care about it”

“…But by the looks of it, you must have received some pretty rude remarks from that guy without my knowledge, right?”

“Yeah. It’s fine if it’s about my eyes. I’m used to it. Let’s just forgive Bass”

The remarks made by Bass this time were nothing compared to two hundred years ago.

Many people were not treated as humans in the previous era just because they had the <<Amber Eyes>>.

The people of this world may look down on people with amber eyes, but they don’t do anything more than that.

“Hey. You there”

“Eek”

“You should be grateful for Abel-sama’s generosity. Just this once, I’ll let your sin slide”

“……”

I get it. I get it.

I get what Bass is exactly thinking.

The words he was probably thinking of saying were, ‘Why am I, a noble, in such a situation!? Isn’t it normally the other way around!?’.

But that’s the last thing he would want to say.

He probably knows that Lilith will kill him the next time, so he can’t say anything.

“Agghhh! Agggggghhhhhhh!”

How tragic.

There’s nothing Bass can do about it.

His pride was utterly shattered, and he just plopped down on the ground, crying out in misery.

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Chapter 4

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Chapter 4 – Game Of Tag

Now, it’s been a few days since I was reincarnated into this world.

Until today, I haven’t been involved in any huge events, and I’ve been able to spend my days in a meaningful way.

In the morning, I had breakfast with Lilith, and at noon, I studied magic in the library.

After eating a pre-made lunch, I took a short break.

When I woke up, I shut myself in the library and studied some more while waiting for Lilith’s return. This is my daily life at present.

After all, I’ve been sleeping for the past two hundred years.

So I have a lot of work to do.

However, there is only one compelling event in the early afternoon that cannot be avoided.

“Heh heh! I’m here again today, you chicken!”

The person who burst through the door with a ‘bang’ was a neighborhood brat with burnt amber blond hair.

Ever since that day, this rich kid of nobility (younger brother) has been coming here almost every day to interfere with my studies.

Well, I can’t help but understand Ted’s feelings here.

He probably wants to have someone his age to play with.

I close my book with a ‘thwomp’.

However.

Naturally, I have no obligation to go along with Ted’s games.

“H-Hey! Wait! Er, commoner!”

I’m sorry. Rich kid of nobility.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to be bothered with a child, I’m afraid.

I used body strengthening magic to strengthen my legs and jump out of the window, landing on the roof of the house next door.

“Ehhhhh!? W-What’s with you! That move!?”

I’m still far from my top form, but I’ve gotten used to dealing with a child’s body.

The body strengthening magic was less than 1/100 of what it had been during my prime, but it looks like that was enough to surprise Ted.

“Damn it! I’ll do it, too!”

Ted imitated my movements and jumped out the window.

Hmm.

Tentatively, it seems that he can use body strengthening magic, too.

However, the speed at which the magic power flows was too fast. He’s not doing the basics at all.

Body strengthening is magic that clads your body in magic power like armor.

And magic power is like water that is released from the body.

This is a mischievous waste of magic power.

“AAAAAAHHHHHHH!”

That’s what I mean. Now, do you see?

Ted tried to imitate my movements with his immature magic, but he didn’t gain enough distance to jump over and ended up falling into a nearby bush.

“…Hey. Are you okay?”

I don’t think that it is the case, but he’s not dead, is he?

Give me a break.

One can’t avoid trouble if something happens to a noble, no matter how much the other party is at fault.

“Come on! Wait! You chicken!”

Oh? I think I may have underestimated Ted a bit.

This rich kid of nobility is surprisingly tough.

With a blade of grass on his forehead, Ted emerged from the bushes and charged straight at me like a wild boar.

Now. What should I do?

I can avoid him, or I also can make him fall, but it’s troublesome.

Without saying a word, I lightly jumped over Ted in the manner of a horse vaulting or a leapfrog.

“AAHHH!”

Ted lost his balance and fell flat on his face.

It seems like he has taken a nasty tumble, but I showed restraint, so there’s probably not much damage done.

“W-What the hell! You’re just a chicken! I’m pissed off! I’m so pissed off!!”

You should learn a little more vocabulary, don’t you think?

In a fit of rage, Ted rolls around on the ground, throwing tantrums.

“Don’t worry about it. If you train diligently for another twenty years or so, you’ll be able to become good, won’t you?”

I’m dealing with a child here. So let’s console him a little.

If I think about it, the average skill level of the magicians in this era is not known to me.

“You! You!! You’re supposed to be my underling!!”

Ted is getting more and more vexing. 

No, no! I don’t remember being your underling.

Oh. I know.

I might have come up with a good idea.

“Hmm. Ted. I can be your underling”

“Oh! Ooh! Did you finally feel like it!? I’ll compliment you!”

“Yeah. However, on one condition”

I closed the book I had opened earlier and looked at the muffler around my neck.

Ever since Lilith taught me how to use this muffler, I have come to like it as a cold-weather protective gear.

By nature, this area is at a high altitude and is surrounded by snow for about half the year, so I was thankful for the convenient cold-weather protective gear.

“Let’s see. If you can take this muffler away from me by sunset, I’ll become your underling”

At any rate, this rich kid of nobility would come to interfere with my studies.

In that case, I think it would be better to use him as a workout partner to both spend worthwhile time together.

I was just looking for an opportunity to find out how talented the magicians of this era are.

“Alrighty! I just have to take that muffler, right!? Easy peasy!”

Ted looks like he’s up for it.

But where the hell does his confidence come from?

“Well then, get set ── go”

“Here I come!!”

When I used body strengthening magic to jump onto the roof of a private house, Ted followed me up through a nearby wooden crate.

Thus, the game of tag on the roof with Ted began.

～～～～～～～～～～～～

Apparently, Ted has realized his inept use in body strengthening magic.

After that, he didn’t use much magic and hops around like a rabbit to chase me.

Hmm.

This surprised me a little.

I guess everybody, no matter who has at least one merit.

In Ted’s case, he doesn’t look like he has any talent for magic, and his face doesn’t have the most flattering of features.

On top of that, he is dumb.

Even if you take away the fact that he is a child, he doesn’t seem to have a shred of intelligence at all.

But….

Somehow, he seems to have a ‘reasonable’ level of ‘stamina’.

Even though he is a child, I have to give him some credit for not giving up and continue chasing after me this far.

“Why…why…. Why are you so calm!?”

Well, that’s because I was trained differently than an ordinary child.

Even two hundred years ago, no magician could keep up with my speed when I went all out.

At best, Roy, the Hero of the Wind, might be able to put up a good fight.

“There’s still time before sunset, but do you want to give up?”

“Da-mn it!! Damn you!!”

Ted reached straight for my muffler.

Slow. It’s already too late.

There is no way a direct attack without a feint could reach me.

With one hand, I toyed with him and took a step back.

“AAAHHHH! No more! I can’t take it…anymore…!”

With a strange cry, Ted fell flat on his face with a thud.

Hmm. So this is where Ted’s limits are.

To be honest, I thought it would take at most five minutes, but I think he stuck it out for about 20 minutes.

This was an unexpected result.

Even if he is spoiled, he’s still a noble after all.

I guess he had been doing some basic fitness training regularly.

“R-Remember this…! Someday…! Someday I’ll definitely…!”

In any case, Ted seemed to have already given up.

It can’t be helped

It’s about time that I stopped exercising and headed back to the library.

Just as I turned on my heels and was about to head back to the house.

Hmmm?

What’s that?

Looking out over the scenery from the roof, I could make out the familiar figures of my neighbor in their large mansion.

“Bass, was it? That child”

The rich kid of nobility (older brother), Bass, seems to be talking to Lilith about something.

What are they talking about? I’m curious.

<<Body Strengthening Magic, Enhanced Hearing>> 

After my ears perked up slightly, I could hear the conversation very clearly.

Change of scope, extremely small.

I used to use <<Body Strengthening Magic, Enhanced Hearing>> to listen in on the enemy’s operations, and while I was thinking about it, I focused on their conversation.

“…Like I’ve said many times. I can’t go out with you, Bass-sama”

Hmm. It seems to be a bloodbath.

But. I see.

Well, Lilith has become quite beautiful, hasn’t she?

He may look composed, but Bass is a boy at that age, too.

If a beautiful woman like Lilith is working close by, it would also be understandable that he would feel curious about her.

“What are you not satisfied with me!?” 

If I had to say it, deep down, I think it’s probably that attitude of his, feeling just a little sorry for him.

It must be hard to be rejected by a woman, even if he’s just a child.

Even more difficult for a proud noble like Bass.

“No. It’s not that I’m dissatisfied. I already have someone else in my heart”

“…You mean that guy called Abel?”

“Yes. That’s right. Anyway, I’m sorry, but I’m not thinking of going out with Bass-sama. Please give up”

Come to think of it, I read that in a book on miscellaneous topics recently.

That there’s no better moment for a woman to become cruel than when she’s being courted by a man she doesn’t like. I feel like that’s exactly what’s happening right now.

“I-I can’t believe you’re in love with your blood brother! You are immoral! You should be ashamed of yourself!”

He shouted. Bass, who had been rejected, was running away in defeat with tears in his eyes.

It’s unfortunate.

It’s not like I’m Lilith’s younger brother, but it’s probably easier to be consistent with that setting.

Lilith also looked a little troubled. Then she went back to her work.

Now.

Let’s pretend that I didn’t see this incident and forget about it to the best of my ability.

It seems like it’s time for me to get moving, too. I don’t need to look back to know that.

“Great・Ted・Kick!”

I casually dodged the dropkick from Ted, who was shouting the name of his technique.

“Damn it! J-Just how did you manage to avoid my attack!?”

I can grasp the actions of this rich kid of nobility perfectly, even with my eyes closed.

If you want to get behind me, you’ll probably have to start by learning how to remove your presence.

“Ugh. N-No more…! I’ve reached my limit…”

In the end, that kick was Ted’s last attack.

Having exhausted all of his magic power, Ted faints with his eyes rolled back into his head.

Was it a failure?

I might have gone a little too hard on him, being that it’s only his first day.

But surprisingly, Ted seemed to like this game.

As a result, the game of tag between Ted and me would continue as part of our daily routine from the next day onwards.

As for me, it’s part of my training to move my body, not just reading books in a library.

It can also be said that I have a convenient pastime (workout partner) now.

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Chapter 3 Part 2

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～～～～～～～～～～～～

“You’re working as a servant?”

“Yes, that’s right. Oh, the job is called Housemaid in this world. Does the maid uniform suit me?”

When Lilith came back, she smiled and twirled around once in front of me, as if to show how proud she was of her clothes.

A dark green apron dress, closer to black.

No, it would be better to call it a maid uniform, if that’s what this age calls it.

“Yes. Well, it looks good on you”

“Fufufu. I’m glad to hear that. Then I’ll start preparing dinner right away”

“Please do so. Oh, and…”

“Yes?”

“…I finally understand why you use colored contact lenses to hide the color of your eyes”

“Is that so?”

At first, I thought it was just to hide the fact that she is a demon, but in reality, it had a completely different goal.

I checked the books in the library and found out clearly.

In this world, the <<Amber Eyes>> is an object of ridicule, and it’s no laughing matter. 

The reactions of the rich kids of the nobility just now were nothing special.

In this day and age, people with <<Amber Eyes>> often find it difficult to live their lives, albeit in a different way than it was in the past.

“In the last 200 years, the demon race has lost most of their power”

Lilith spun out the words as she cooked.

I silently turned over the pages of a book I took from the library.

“The Hero party led by Abel-sama subjugated the Demon King. After that, in various places, humans waged war against the remnants of the demon race, and…in the end, the humans won”

“Is that so”

“Yes, and the demons were destroyed. With the demons destroyed, the world was at peace and the standards of magicians declined. In the end…”

“The fact that no one fears the amber eyes anymore, and that if you train them, you’ll have the strongest power is all just history now, huh?”

“As expected of Abel-sama. You’re right”

The sound of a kitchen knife hitting a cutting board and the gentle crackling of firewood burning in the fireplace could be heard.

Strangely, it was a quiet conversation.

“…Lilith. You…do you hate humans? No…I should ask, do you hate us?” 

The destruction of the demon race definitely began due to our battle.

That day…that time…the Demon King and us battled…. In other words, her father….

“Let me see. There were days where I hated them and there were days where I cried”

The sound of chopping stopped.

I didn’t check as I was reading, but I could clearly feel Lilith’s gaze from the kitchen.

“But Abel-sama, you did your best to protect me, didn’t you? After that, we traveled together to find a place where I could live safely. Do you still remember that?”

“Yeah”

“It was a short time. Just about half a month. But during that time, Abel-sama taught me how to use magic and the laws of human cities…and many more things”

“Don’t dawdle. You used to be so open and honest with me”

“Fufu. A good woman wears her secrets like earrings. The proprietress at the bar that hired me once taught me this”

Lilith has become strangely seductive for the last 200 years. 

Seriously, she used to be such an honest and adorable little girl.

“That’s why…”

Lilith approached me.

Then she got down on one knee and looked at me in the face.

“I truly adore Abel-sama from the bottom of my heart”

At any rate, our faces are too close to each other.

I was starting to feel somewhat embarrassed, so I decided to cover the lower half of my face with the book in my hand.

“Is that so”

When I think about it, Lilith had waited for me for 200 years to reincarnate, and she even provided me a comfortable environment to live out my life.

Even though she felt indebted to me for saving her life, she couldn’t have done all of that with just half-hearted feelings.

“…Thank you”

So I decided to murmur that.

As I thought, it’s embarrassing to express my feelings.

Unable to endure the embarrassment any further, I decided to immerse myself in the world of books without making eye contact with Lilith.

～～～～～～～～～～～～

An hour later.

Somehow, I ended up taking a bath with Lilith.

First of all, let me explain here, this was not something I did of my own volition. 

Lilith forced me to come.

It is no exaggeration to say that I was practically abducted.

“…I’m sorry. My love for Abel-sama exploded during our earlier exchange”

“……”

I see. I understand now. 

She is suffering from a strange disease that forcibly kidnaps others into the bathroom when their love explodes.

Unfortunately, I don’t think my recovery magic will be able to cure Lilith’s disease.

“Good grief…. A man and woman alone naked in a bathtub. Do you even know what this situation is?”

“Fufufu. Abel-sama said something interesting”

Lilith giggles without seeming particularly embarrassed.

“With all due respect, Abel-sama. It’s not at all convincing to hear that from a man with a child’s body who may or may not be…experienced” 

“…!”

She had hit me where it hurts.

It’s true that I have a child’s body now, with no attraction to the opposite sex.

In contrast to me, Lilith’s body has developed in various areas over the last 200 years.

I didn’t know that….

A woman’s breasts will float in the water when it reaches a certain size.

What a day.

In my previous life, when I was in my late thirties, she was a little kid, no older than five, but now the tables have turned, huh?

“…I’m happy. Because I’ve been able to make Abel-sama, of all people, think of me as a woman”

said Lilith as she hugged me in the bathtub, squeezing my body.

Good grief.

This woman underestimates too much of a man’s sex drive.

In fact, children around this age can have a higher sex drive than adults.

But still, I’m at a loss.

I can’t stand being beaten, no matter what it is.

It can’t be helped.

After I get out of the bath, I’m going to put my pride as a man on the line and fight back a little.

～～～～～～～～～～～～

If you listen carefully, you could hear the chirping insects of the night.

That night, I held Lilith in my arms.

To tell the truth, I was not interested in anything other than ‘getting strong’ in my previous life, so I had never held a woman before.

Maybe this is what it means to be happy?

The night I held Lilith in my arms, I felt far calmer than usual and was able to have a peaceful sleep.

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Chapter 3 Part 1

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Chapter 3 – The Rich Kids Of The Nobility

“What’s…this…”

It was the morning after staying up all night.

I couldn’t hide my surprise at the ‘current state of the world’ that I arrived at and spoke out while basking in the sunlight.

There are two major changes in this world.

The first being the fact that a ‘technological innovation’ occurred in this world.

This is a welcome development.

Thanks to the development of the processing technique of the ‘magic stone’, which can be converted into various forms of energy depending on how it is used, it led to an explosive advancement in the level of civilization of this world.

For example, the ‘Light Bulb’, which Lilith explained to me yesterday.

By extracting the energy from the magic stones, several innovations occurred in various industries and changed people’s lives dramatically.

But if you ask me, there were many things that made me snicker at, such as the need to automate despite the fact that they could be done with magic….

Right.

This is exactly what I’m talking about. The second fact that surprised me was ──

“What’s this? The quality of magicians has dropped to such unbelievable levels…”

The book that I’m reading now is a perfect example.

Despite the lengthy and ostentatious rhetoric, the techniques described in this book would have been familiar to children under the age of 10 over 200 years ago.

But this book is still one of the better ones.

There were even books that proudly introduced the wrong magic syntaxes in their explanation.

Have they ever tried to construct the magic by channeling those magic syntaxes?

There were too many mistakes.

It is flawed and going to explode for sure. I’m knowledgeable in this, so there’s no doubt about it.

I stretched and then sprang up from the chair.

Thinking of ventilating the room a bit, I opened the door. Oh? There was bread in front of it.

‘Abel-sama, I’ll leave you some breakfast and lunch. I’m going out to work. I’ll be back by evening, so please relax at home.    ── Lilith’

Perhaps this note was left for me while I was engrossed in reading. 

Work…. Work, huh?

That’s right.

Lilith does something to make a living, too.

I’m curious.

What does she do in this village full of humans?

“Damn…. I’m starting to get sleepy…”

I hadn’t stopped yawning for a short while ago.

As I thought, it was hard to stay up all night with this immature body.

No….

I’m getting sleepy, so I’ll stop reading when I’ve reached a good cut-off point.

Having taken advantage of Lilith’s kindness, it was right after I bit into the bread and went back to reading.

*Bam!*

The sound of the front door opening.

Hmm? It looks like someone has broken into the house.

The presence is clearly different from Lilith’s presence.

The energetic bouncing footsteps are getting closer and closer to the library, and then bam! The door swung open. 

“Excuse me!” |TL Note: In the raw, it’s a phrase used by visiting samurai to request entry|

Are you a dojo challenger or something?

Suddenly, a blond boy, looking about ten years old like me, stepped into the library.

“Hehe! You must be Lilith’s brother!”

No. You’re mistaken. 

What, he knows Lilith? Are they acquaintances?

At best, he looks like an ordinary human boy. What’s different from the norm is that outfit of his.

The burnt amber blond hair is neatly trimmed.

The clothes he is wearing are quite flashy.

The red coat has a noisy pattern, and the shirt collar he is wearing has flower embroidery designs, too. 

I see.

He must be a rich kid. Or a nobleman, perhaps?

That reminds me of the neighbor.

He must be the child from the huge mansion next door.

Good grief. Why in the world did this child come into our house?

“Rejoice commoner! From now on, you’re going to be this Ted-sama’s underling!”

Oh? Is this child trying to take me in as a disciple?

Let’s ignore him. Ignore.

He is the kind of brat that exists in all ages.

“Hey-hey! Lilith’s younger brother! Err, Abebe?”

“It’s Abel”

“Heyy! A-be-l! Be my underling! Do you know what an underling is? You will become my sworn younger brother!”

“I’m sorry. Unfortunately, I’m not interested in a master-disciple relationship”

“What? Come on, become my underling!”

Damn. What a day.

The screaming rich kid shows no sign of leaving the room at all. 

It can’t be helped.

Scaring children is not a hobby of mine, but I don’t think I can concentrate on reading at this rate.

Maybe I should scare him a little.

Determined, I close the book with a thumping sound.

“Let me give you a piece of advice. Don’t get involved with me. You probably know these eyes of mine”

Truth be told, this kind of acting is not my forte, but there’s no other choice.

I look down on the intruder with my golden eyes ── the <<Amber Eyes>>.

The very same amber eyes as what the demon race has is an ominous symbol in this world.

With this, this guy probably will never try to bother me again.

“Eh? You…that eye color…!?”

The boy, Ted, took a step back. He looked confused.

Good-good. It seems to be working.

Let’s give it one more push, just to scare him away.

“Kukuku. That’s right. To be frank with you, I have the eyes of the demon race ──”

But.

What Ted did next was something I hadn’t expected him to do.

Somehow, Ted looked straight at my face and burst out laughing.

“Pf-Pfft! Seriously!? That’s the <<Amber Eyes>>, right!?”

I don’t understand.

Ted is rolling around on the floor, roaring with laughter.

“It’s my first time seeing one! Seriously! It’s the <<Amber Eyes>>!”

What? What’s going on?

My mouth was left agape at the scene that’s currently unfolding.

“Hey! Ted! You should not enter Lilith-san’s house without permission!”

A blond boy, who looked much like Ted here, came into the room in a hurry.

He looks to be a couple of years older than Ted.

The two must be blood brothers, judging by their looks.

“Bass nii-chan! Look at this guy! It’s my first time seeing the <<Chicken Eyes>>!”

What the hell? What’s with this boy’s bad attitude?

Well, Ted’s words are just the ramblings of a child who is not yet old enough to understand.

When he is around Bass’s age, he’ll be aware of the amber eyes, even if he doesn’t want to.

“…I see. I’ve heard from Lilith-san that her tremendously talented younger brother is moving in…. But I guess I expected too much”

“……”

Hmm? Maybe the brother is the same, too? 

What were these brothers talking about for a while now?

It goes without saying that the amber eyes were supposed to be the symbol of the ‘strongest’ and the ‘worst’ in the world.

No, could it be….

“Are amber eyes something to be ridiculed?”

“Pfft! Bass nii-chan! This Abebe, a commoner, doesn’t seem to know anything!”

I couldn’t even bring myself to correct the mistake in my name any longer.

That’s how shocked I was.

“Listen, Abebe! Those chicken eyes have zero aptitudes for any attribute! Fire, water, wind, production magic, and healing magic are all useless in the <<Zero Eyes>>!”

“Ted, that’s enough. You’re going too far”

This was surprising.

It is true that the amber eyes are eyes that need training.

Specifically, it is a late bloomer type that requires training to be able to handle any magic attribute.

After completing ten years of said training, the amber eyes will be able to manipulate all the attributes.

Eventually (and of course, it varies from person to person), you will be able to manifest the greatest magic of all the attributes almost perfectly.

Although they have been unreasonably persecuted at times, it is safe to say that they are superior to other eyes in terms of performance.

“Err, Abesi-san, was it?”

What’s with that name….

“It’s Abel”

“Abel-san. I’m sorry that my brother was rude to you”

Bass bowed slightly to me.

Aah, it doesn’t matter. I thought to myself, ‘It’s okay. I don’t mind’, and replied quietly. 

“You should apologize too, Ted”

“Eeeh. No, I don’t want to. It’s really the <<Chicken Eyes>> after all”

“You can’t act like this, Ted. In this day and age, even if you can’t use magic, you can still lead a relatively happy life. Abel-san, as long as it’s within your means, we’ll be in your care from now on, and I hope that you can get along with Ted, too”

Hmm? What did you say, Bass?

You’re making fun of amber-eyed people at heart too, aren’t you?

Personally, I don’t dislike bottomless idiots like Ted, but I’m not good with people like Bass who have half-baked knowledge and pride.

“Come on, Ted. Let’s go home and learn some magic. We’ll do what we’ve been chosen to do”

“Yeah, yeah. Then, see you later, chicken eyes Abibi!”

The door slammed shut.

Seriously…. What was that about….

Those brothers came and went like a storm, coming into people’s houses out of the blue and hurling slander after slander at them.

But anyway, so that’s how it is.

I took out a history book. The ’History of War’ that I just read.

In this world, at least for the past 100 years, there have been no wars with the demon race.

In other words, it has been peaceful.

If there are no demons, then inevitably nobody will fear their <<Amber Eyes>>.

Furthermore…originally, anyone with the five great eyes of burning, blue, green, gray, and black can easily use the magic of their respective attribute with a little practice. 

On the other hand, it is difficult for the <<Amber Eyes>>, a late bloomer type, to learn magic without a certain amount of training.

That is why in this day and age where the quality of magic arts has fallen, people with <<Amber Eyes>> have become ‘targets of ridicule’ who are called ‘zero aptitude and unneeded’. 

Aah. I see.

I think I finally understand why Lilith is using colored contact lenses to hide the color of her eyes.

Personally, I don’t like ornaments that disguise oneself such as the colored contact lenses, but if this is the case, then it’s no wonder that she wears them.

After persecution, I guess derision is next, huh?

Good grief.

Living a normal life is such a difficult thing to do….

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Chapter 2

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Chapter 2 – The World After 200 Years

I walked down the snowy mountain with Lilith.

A little way down said snowy mountain, a small village came into view at the foot of the mountain.

Hmm. There was no village in this place 200 years ago, but it seems like things are different from what they used to be.

It’s a remote area that has no geographical advantages, but it appears to be thriving.

Perhaps this is the result of the nobleman who governs this land demonstrating his excellent ability for governance.

While I was thinking about this, we arrived at our destination.

“Here we are. The building you see over there is the hideout I’ve prepared for Abel-sama”

“Oh…?”

I couldn’t help but give voice to my astonishment.

There’s a large mansion in front of me.

In my time, it wouldn’t be surprising if they said it was a house inhabited by royalty.

It’s a symmetrical two-story building, or rather a three-story building. Just how many rooms does this mansion have?

I can’t wait to get inside and look around.

“Abel-sama. I’m afraid that’s not the building I’ve prepared for you. It’s the detached building next to it”

“Hmmm…?”

I shift my gaze with Lilith’s words in mind.

There’s a house. A wooden house.

In a good way, it’s simple, but it’s plain in a bad way, too.

No, it was only after I saw the mansion that I thought so. It’s actually a splendid structure in its own right. There’s a chimney and if you look closely, you can see the attic, too. Ah, it’s quite a nice house with charm, isn’t it?

Yeah.

“It’s normal, I suppose”

“Normal is the best, you know? Considering Abel-sama’s position, I felt it wasn’t a good idea to stand out too much”

I see.

Now that she mentioned it, she has a point.

In my previous life, I was feared as the strongest magician by some people. But with the body of a child that I have now, I can’t show even 30% of my true abilities.

It may be a wise choice to wait quietly for now until my body grows.

～～～～～～～～～～～～

The house Lilith showed me was vaguely resembling the interior of an ordinary house from 200 years ago.

A light-colored wooden desk on a well-polished wooden floor, and the fireplace.

On the sofa, there’s a delicately prepared rug. Sofas already existed in the past, but the attention to detail and care in how the rug was embroidered is astonishing.

But what I’ve never seen before is that mysterious orb hanging from the ceiling.

*Flash!*

It is dazzling. The next thing I knew, the sphere glowed.

What is this all about?

Since it was just me and Lilith in the house, there were no signs of anyone having constructed magic.

“I’m sorry to have startled you. What’s shining over there is a light fixture called ‘Light Bulb’. It’s an excellent item that can illuminate the surroundings with the flick of a switch”

Lilith then showed me the lights flickering by repeatedly turning the switch on and off.

I see. This is convenient.

Perhaps a small magic stone is inlaid inside the light bulb, so that magic is constructed automatically in response to the switch.

The evidence of this is that the flow of magic power is slightly stagnant only around the light bulb.

“You’re not too surprised, are you?”

“Yeah. Certainly, I think it’s a great invention, but I just couldn’t help but think it would be more convenient to construct my own magic”

Originally, magic that illuminates the surroundings is the specialty of the <<Burning Eyes>> which rules over fire attribute magic, but at this level of magic, anyone can easily use it, regardless of the color of the eyes.

In the world I lived 200 years ago, children would frantically learn the magic syntax of <<Luminescence>> because they loathe the dark night.

“Fufufu. That way of thinking is very like you, Abel-sama”

My way of thinking?

<<Luminescence>> is the basis of magic.

Even if it’s not me, I think it’s a natural dubiousness that every person who has studied magic would have….

“I’m going to prepare a meal now, so please feel at home”

With that said, Lilith walks into the kitchen.

Incidentally, since it’s a small house, I can peer into the kitchen even when I’m in the living room.

“If you are feeling tired, please feel free to lie down on the sofa over there. I’ll let you know when it’s ready”

In that case, I won’t hesitate.

Maybe it’s because I woke up after a long time, but I’m more tired than I expected.

After lying there for a while, I ended up falling into a comfortable slumber on the sofa.

～～～～～～～～～～～～

“…Abel-sama. Your meal is ready”

It was an hour later when Lilith woke me up, as promised.

The food was already set on the table and the house was filled with a delicious aroma that could stir my appetite.

“You were sleeping soundly”

“Yeah. I can’t help but notice how often the drowsiness comes in this child’s body”

“…Can I ask you a question? Why the childlike body, when you knew that it would be inconvenient?”

“Well, it’s true that it has risks, but there are also merits to it”

It is said that there are three peaks in this world.

That is ── the peak of learning ability is in your teenage years, the peak of physical strength is in your twenties, and the peak of magic power is in your thirties.

The reason I chose the body of a child before entering its teenage years was that I believe there would be a lot of new things to learn in a world 200 years later.

Well, apart from that, I also had personal reasons for wanting to start over in a child’s body.

“Ooh…. You’ve cooked up some surprisingly elaborate food”

Today’s dinner is cream pasta with clams and tomatoes.

The menu itself is simple, but it looks fancy probably because of the tasteful tableware and the side dishes.

“By all means, please enjoy your meal”

“Thanks for the food”

Good grief.

Apparently, my body has been craving for a meal in my 200 years of sleep.

I ate up the food in front of me in the blink of an eye.

Before I had time to comment on the taste.

“What do you think? How does it taste?”

“Yeah. I think it’s pretty good. Did you learn it somewhere?”

“No. It’s not that big of a deal, but I’ve only learned a little from reading cookbooks”

“I see…. There are even books about cooking in this day and age…”

In the world 200 years ago, books were a superbly expensive commodity.

This was partly because the paper itself was expensive, to begin with, but it was also because each book was written by hand, leading to tremendously high labor costs.

To make matters worse, even if the book has the same title, after several copies are made, the quality of the book deteriorates as the contents are rewritten over and over again by hand.

In earlier times, 90% of books were about magic, and the only other books were a few history books.

At the very least, the idea of making a book about cooking was unthinkable in my time.

“In the past, you could buy a small house with a single book…”

“Yeah. I was spending all the money I earned too, so I was living in constant poverty”

In my case, I was obsessed with the original first written book, not the poor quality copies, so I honestly didn’t have a lot of money to spare.

Fufufu.

But this is just the beginning of the fun that I’m going to have in the future.

The evolution of humanity has been remarkable, and the level of civilization in this world has evolved more dramatically than I had expected.

Probably in this day and age, it is now possible to read books quite cheaply.

“If you don’t mind, after dinner, I can show you the library I’ve prepared upstairs?”

“Ooh…! You’ve even prepared something like that…!”

“Yes. I knew that Abel-sama was an avid reader and I figure the quickest way to learn about the present times would be to read books”

Lured by Lilith’s words, I lightly step over and head upstairs where the library is.

If I can read the books that I love, without a doubt, I’ll be able to spend my boring childhood in a meaningful way.

At the time, I was thinking about this heedlessly, oblivious to the ‘Decline’ that was secretly taking place in this world.

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Chapter 1

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Chapter 1 – The Presence Of A Demon

I woke up.

Thinking that my body hurts a little from sleeping too much, I open the lid of the coffin.

*Thud*

Suddenly, a dull sound echoes.

Perhaps the lid of the coffin was broken because it hadn’t been moved in a long time.

It’s not unreasonable to make that assumption.

If my <<Reincarnation Magic>> is successful, then currently, it is 200 years into the future.

This coffin is probably deteriorating in many places. 

“Ooh…!”

As I went out into the distance light, I saw my smaller limbs, and unconsciously gasped in astonishment.

It’s a success.

My soul is safely inside the vessel I had prepared.

Incidentally, the model for this body that was prepared for reincarnation was created based on images of my childhood during my lifetime.

In fact, I could have adjusted my appearance a bit more, but I couldn’t completely discard the old appearance that I was fondly attached to.

In any case, there shouldn’t be a single acquaintance left 200 years into the future, so it wouldn’t matter if I retain a semblance to my old appearance.

“Let’s see. As I recall, there should be a mirror around here…”

I looked around, but there was nothing of the sort.

The full-length mirror that should have been propped up in the chamber seemed to be buried underneath the rubble. It appears to have been knocked over by an earthquake or something.

That is when my thoughts were interrupted.

“It’s the presence of a demon”

Listening carefully. I can hear footsteps reverberate through the cave.

Judging by the footsteps, the gender is female.

The demon seems to be mimicking a human being.

The demon is good.

If it were anyone other than me, it would be difficult to see through her disguise.

Now.

This is bad.

There were supposed to be multiple layers of barriers placed around the cave to prevent anyone from entering.

How did she get in? I didn’t think that after 200 years, not only the coffin but also the barriers have deteriorated.

If it was me from my previous life, I would be able to defeat her without any problems, but I don’t know how much I can do with this current child’s body.

I only have one chance to launch a preemptive attack.

As soon as this woman opens the door, I’ll use the most powerful magic I can construct right now.

If I can make the first move successfully, even with my child’s body, surely I will have the advantage here.

At that moment, the heavy door slowly opens.

“Abel-sama…?”

Beautiful.

When I saw her, I almost unconsciously undid the magic I was in the process of constructing.

That’s just how beautiful she is.

The color of her eyes is blue.

It’s the <<Blue Eyes>> that specializes in water attribute magic.

She has silver hair as glossy as silk and skin as white as a cloud.

Suddenly, the slender woman dropped the wooden basket she was holding in her hand.

“I’ve waited so long for this day. So long…”

Oi-oi. Oi-oi-oi.

I was at my wits’ end.

Why?

That’s because the demon woman in front of me sat there with tears spilling out of her eyes.

“My apologies, Abel-sama. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time”

She’s been waiting for me?

No, wait. I don’t remember seeing such a beautiful woman before.

I’m not proud of it, but in my previous life, I was so absorbed in my research of magic that my life was completely devoid of any intimate relationships with the opposite sex.

But if those tears are real, then she’s putting up a great performance.

If what she said was true, that she was waiting for me. Then who is she? Do I know any demons?

“Ahh…. I see…. So that’s it…”

Suddenly I was hit with a sense of deja vu.

I’ve seen her before. That face looking up at me while sobbing.

‘Abel! Are you out of your mind!? She’s still a demon, even if she’s a child!’

‘Unbelievable! That child is an enemy of humanity!’

I can still vividly remember that day.

The day after we had defeated the Demon King, I had saved the life of a demon’s daughter on a whim.

She had the misfortune of failing to escape the castle and was about to be killed simply because she was the daughter of the Demon King.

That’s right. I know her name.

“── It’s been a long time. Lilith”

“Yes. I’m glad to see that Abel-sama hasn’t changed”

I see.

After 200 years, the little girl of the demon race who was previously in her adolescence has grown up to be about 20 years old in appearance.

“Ever since you saved my life 200 years ago, I was determined to repay you for your kindness! I heard that you left the Hero party and disappeared somewhere…. After over a hundred years of searching the world, I finally found this place”

So that was the case.

To have let a demon find my hideout, guess I should have been more careful.

As I suspected, the barriers that I have placed in the cave have weakened over time.

I miscalculated.

If I have another chance to reincarnate, I’ll have to make some adjustments to that problem. 

“By the way, Lilith. Your eyes were supposed to be the same <<Amber>> color as mine, but…did I remember it wrong?”

I’ve been wondering about that since a while ago.

Mainly because Lilith’s eyes had changed from <<Amber Eyes>> to <<Blue Eyes>> in the time we have not seen each other in a long while.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the color of the eyes constitutes the ‘Color of the Soul’ that makes up the individual.

How did she easily discard the <<Amber Eyes>> that even I couldn’t after my reincarnation?

“Yes. It’s still the <<Amber Eyes>>. But I’m using colored contact lenses now”

“…Colored contact lenses?”

“That’s right. I think it’s quicker to show you these things in person than it is to explain them to you”

“Wha ──!?”

Lilith’s next action was one that took my breath away.

As I was wondering what she meant, Lilith stuck her hand onto her own eye and started peeling something off. 

“This item is called colored contact lenses. Once you get used to it, it is surprisingly painless and you can put it on without feeling any discomfort at all”

“………”

I see.

So this translucent sheet can change the color of the eyes.

In my time. It seems like an item that anyone could have come up with, but no one was able to make that a reality. 

“Fufu…. Fufufufu…”

A dry laugh naturally leaked out.

As I thought, it was right that I took risks and reincarnate 200 years into the future.

Human evolution is amazing.

When we take a look at this world, what we see is a history of discrimination and persecution based on the color of the eyes. We, humans, have sacrificed a great number of lives by squabbling and sometimes starting wars based on the color of our eyes.

It’s ironic.

The reason for our conflicts can be solved by this single translucent sheet.

“Abel-sama. We have a lot to catch up on, but if you don’t mind, can we change the location? There’s a house that I’ve prepared nearby”

“Hmm. Sure”

I’m curious about Lilith’s story, but I still want to see and experience ‘New Discoveries’ in the outside world with my own eyes.

Lilith picked up the basket she had dropped and pulled something out of it.

It was a long, narrow piece of cloth, and was woven with fluffy thread that makes one feel warm just by looking at it.

As I was wondering what it is, Lilith suddenly starts wrapping it around my neck.

“What’s this? Is it some kind of scarf?”

When I asked, Lilith smiled at me.

“This is for protection against the cold, called a muffler. It’s a little different than what it was called 200 years ago”

said Lilith as she took my hand.

She starts walking slowly to match my little strides.

We went out of the cave.

My breath is white, but more importantly, the world was white.

No one’s footprints are yet to be seen on the freshly fallen snow, too.

“All right. Shall we go? Abel-sama”

I nodded and took a step onto the snow of this new world.

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Prologue

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Prologue – Cheat Magician Reincarnates

“I’m sorry, Abel. Could you leave our party?”

One day.

I, Abel, was expelled by the leader of this party, the Hero Roy. 

It was so sudden that I was at a loss for words.

“The world is mostly at peace now. We can defeat the remnants of the demons without you. I don’t think a magician as great as you is needed on the front lines anymore”

That’s right, we saved the world.

The <<Demon King of Dusk>>, a Demon of Calamity that brought about the Dark Age to this world, was subjugated by a party of us heroes led by Roy.

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’m in this party because I like it”

“Abel”

Roy interrupted me with a firm tone.

“I’m sure that you also have realized it, don’t you? Your <<Amber Eyes>> are not needed in this peaceful world anymore”

This time I was speechless.

I could feel Roy’s words slowly seeping into my mind.

In this world, the <<Eyes>> say as much as one can talk about one’s <<Ability>>.

One’s aptitude in a specific magic system shows itself in the color of their eyes

If you have the aptitude for Fire Magic, you could have fiery red <<Burning Eyes>>, if it’s Water Magic, then it’s the <<Blue Eyes>>, and if it’s Wind Magic, then it’s the <<Green Eyes>>.

However, there was another color as well.

It’s an eye color that has the aptitude for all attributes and has the highest power when trained.

That was the golden <<Amber Eyes>> that I have.

The amber eyes are the symbol of <<The Strongest>> and <<The Worst>> in this world.

The reason for this is that more than 90% of the demons that oppose humans have the same <<Amber Eyes>> as me.

“This isn’t a bad thing for you either. Once the world is at peace which would definitely come after this, humanity will start to confront each other. When that happens, you will surely be persecuted as a symbol of misfortune”

Yeah.

Roy’s claim is not wrong.

In this world, a person with the <<Amber Eyes>> is called the ‘Reincarnation of The Demon Race’ and will be stoned by the villagers ever since they can remember.

Also, I’m not just a magician.

I am called the strongest magician in the Hero party and even defeated the Demon King.

A Hero who can defeat the Demon King who rules the world is indistinguishable from a monster to humans.

“Of course, it’s not just about leaving the party. There’s an island west of here, right? It’s that desert island where we all used to go and slay the Kraken. We’ve prepared a villa for you on that desert island, where even monsters no longer approach. You’ll be happy there ──”

“That’s enough”

It’s funny.

Is this Hero planning to confine me, his longtime comrade, on a small, desert island?

He doesn’t want to see my face anymore. He wants me gone.

“I will leave as you wish”

“I see. I’m sorry. The procedure for the villa is in this document ──”

“However, I’m not going to take your suggestion”

Roy opened his eyes wide.

I click my tongue, remembering the vex in his jade green eyes.

“Don’t worry. I’ll never show myself in front of you guys again”

“Abel!”

I turned around and walked away from Roy.

Roy is shouting something in a hurry. Saying that he didn’t say it the right way, or that he doesn’t have any other intentions.

I think he’s right. I really do.

It’s not Roy’s fault. I know that much.

The truth is, I’ve already known it for a long time.

That in a peaceful world, magicians like me with the <<Amber Eyes>> would certainly be the object of persecution.

It’s not Roy who’s at fault.

It’s not the king or his people. Nor the party members, much less me.

What’s to blame is this ignorant and immature world.

That’s why I completed it.

A <<Reincarnation Magic>> that would probably be impossible to create by anyone in this world but me ──.

This place I came to with Transfer Magic is my hideout.

I slipped through a stone wall deep inside the cave, ran through a stone-paved passageway, and opened a steel door.

Here is my research laboratory.

A special hideout with multiple layers of barriers.

But I don’t know how many years it has been since I last visited this place. The research laboratory was covered with dust, like snow.

── Assuming that the civilization of a peaceful world had matured, and become more knowledgeable and cultured. For example, 200 years from now. If the world is capable of doing the previously impossible with the magic of this age, then the world should have what it takes in accepting these amber eyes.

With a glimmer of hope in the distant future, I took out a dusty book, medicine, and some gems.

I’ve already prepared the body for my reincarnation in advance.

Once you break it down, the structure of the human body is quite simple.

There are a total of 29 kinds of elements that make up the human body.

Approximately 60% of the human body is made up of water, and there are only a few overlapping components such as carbon, ammonia, and phosphorus.

I used magic to analyze and copy the substances that make up the human body and repeated multiple experiments over and over again to create my ideal body.

── All right, now that it’s all done.

I lie down in the coffin and stare at the ceiling.

The effect of this Reincarnation Magic is that I rapidly feel drowsy as the soul is gradually ripped away from the body.

My eyelids feel heavy.

The next time I wake up, the world should be far into the future.

Thus, I fell asleep.

Well.

Truth to be told, I had made a mistake at the time.

That is, I didn’t tell my companions during my lifetime about the <<Reincarnation Magic>> at all.

This mistake would lead to a great deal of trouble for the inhabitants of the future world….

Well, let’s talk about that matter more as we go along.

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