1930 (Part 1)

Tap tap tap tap.

"Big brother! Big brother! Teach me how to convert Elements!" A young girl ran into a luxurious room and cried out.

"All right. Come over here, Char." I smiled happily and picked my little sister up before placing her beside me and facing the study table.

This cheerful young girl is my sister, Charlotte. She's three years younger than me and is currently five years old. She has long, wavy, blonde hair and blue eyes. A typical look of a noble, unlike me.

Oh, I have never mentioned my appearance, haven't I?

I look quite ordinary. Black hair, grey eyes, not ugly nor handsome. I am the epitome of normalness, someone you will forget after a few seconds, and would mix with a crowd perfectly as 'Passerby A'. Excellent for remaining inconspicuous, but honestly, I wouldn't mind being born with, you know, superior appearances.

Oh, have I mentioned that Charlotte is cute? Yes, she's very cute. Incredibly cute. Cuter than a group of harps seals. She's the cutest thing I have seen in my two lives. So... Am I developing a sister complex?

No.

Hey, just because I have the grand plan of destruction and endless slaughter does not mean that I do not enjoy life. What's the point of immortality if you can't even have some fun?

So. Char is cute, and I appreciate cute things.

Though... If I was promised eternal life in exchange for sacrificing her to Satan, I'd do it. After checking its authenticity, of course.

Hahaha. Hah.

"-You have to focus here, and channel your Od carefully so that you won't waste too much Prana from leakage." I explained the fundamentals of Elemental Conversion to Charlotte as I continued my pleasant inner monologue.

"Oh! Now I get it, thanks big brother!" Char smiled happily and pecked me on the cheek. She then hopped down and ran out if my room while I gave her a gentle smiled.

What a benevolent smile it is. It's a flawless smile I have practiced endlessly. No one will know it's fake, not with the hours spent on it. Of course, I can fake my smile with self-hypnosis or force it with Magecraft to produce a perfect smile. But the moment something becomes perfect, it also becomes imperfect. It's too easy to discern, after all.

Why am I so nice to my little sister? Apart from her being cute, well no, the true reason is that it's good to be nice to her when she's young since she might come in handy in the future.

Ah, look how evil little Fenric is.

I have been observing the wastrel of my brother for the past few years. He's an arrogant idiot who's blessed with a great set of Magic Circuits. He was nice to me at first... until he found me threatening his position of heir.

No, I didn't show any sign of great talent. I was ordinary. And not the 'unusual ordinary but actually a genius' ordinary, but I have built the facade of a true normal child who is trying his hardest to master the Craft.

And thanks to that, my father found my perseverance excellent and has been teaching me Magecraft. The patriarch himself is giving me lessons, what a gentle and caring parent he is...

No, not really.

On the contrary, he does not care about me in the slightest because of my average magical talents. He's using me as an incentive to make my brother Karl work harder so that I can never threaten his position of clan heir.

I don't mind it in the least bit. In fact, I welcome it. I am getting extra lessons from the best Magus of our family, what more can I ask? And he's actually paying attention when he's teaching me, all thanks to my honorable father's perfectionism.

I still don't know why Karl is such a moron. Does he not realize that Charlotte has more talent than the both of us? Her Magic Circuits Quantity might be slightly below him, but her Circuit Quality is above even himself.

In the end, I am the target of Karl's outbursts, though he never actually did anything that crossed the line. Even he knew that it's stupid to shout at a kid when he's over ten years older.

I do hope that Charlotte notice me shielding Karl from her in the future. It would make brother Fenric very happy, hmhm.

Although the Leiqritus clan specializes in Curses and Formalcraft, I have been dabbling with Alchemy lately. There's a huge library in the castle and you can find almost everything about Thaumaturgy inside it. I have been visiting the library whenever I'm not being tutored or when I'm not reviewing my daily lessons.

Transmutation is truly fascinating, and I'd like to delve into Runes, Material Transmutation, and Enchanting as well. I'm trying to master them so that I will be able to make my own Mystic Codes in the future.

Why am I suddenly interested in Mystic Codes? It's because of this.

Contempt for the Weak

Rank: -

Type: -

Classification: Mystic Code

Effect: Extorts vitality from a wounded opponent.

Prerequisite: Only those of the Leiqritus blood.

Description: An old earring created by an ancestor of the Leiqritus clan who was also a famous Alchemist. It is made out of pure mithril that has been colored in navy blue with the purpose of making it more inconspicuous.

Look at what I found in the basement. Yes, it was a literal basement. A dim, eery, moldy, damp, and ancient magical basement. There's a lot of things collecting dusts in that dark space and no one in the castle were interested in cleaning it up.

So of course I went there and hunted for treasures. The result is this piece of jackpot.

Checking it with Structural Grasp, I can tell that it's two hundred years old. I wonder why no one has noticed this artifact down here? Mithril is very, very expensive, and its price has been increasing since the deterioration of magic. Guess Magi just don't bother searching their basement that is filled with treasures, eh?

Well, it's not like I disagree. I did went through thousands of objects before coming onto the old earring and I would have also discarded it away if not for me using Analyze on it. I'm so glad that I'm a cautious person.

On the topics of the Skill's result, I can see that Mystic Codes aren't given a Rank or Type. They are probably for higher and more illustrious items like Noble Phantasms.

The effect it has is impressive though. I tried its effect yesterday. After completing my daily routine of jumping jacks, squats, and laps around the castle, I went out of the castle and experimented by killing a flock of birds.

It's not hard when I simply manipulated the wind and froze the flying animals with snow. I felt my stamina recovering after the birds fell to their death. No, should I say that they fell to their undeath? ...Okay, I'll stop.

It's something amazing. You have to know that my body is not like other children. I can keep training without damaging my foundation because I have no limits in growth. All I have to do is exercise, go out a kill the poor and innocent animals, and repeat.

I could do that all day if I didn't have my Magecraft studies. I can't be absent from even a single lesson or my stern father will punish me. Ah, what a busy child. Poor Fenric is going to be burnt out sooner or later-

And you are horribly wrong if you are thinking of something like that.

I will never rest when I knew I will be participating in a death tournament in the 1930s. To raise my power, and to increase my chance of survival by even the tiniest margin. I will not rest.

"Burn." I flared up my Magic Circuits and muttered the incantation for the Single-Action spell. No magical energy leaked thanks to Divine Chant and the wolf immediately caught on fire. "Combust." The fire intensified and the wailing wolf was burned to ashes.

For killing a Wolf +200 EXP

I grinned smelling the burnt flesh. Ahhh, Single-Action spells are awesome since they can be cast instantaneously. Even one-tenth of a second matters in a fight, and the slower one loses. Though this might not always be the case if you simply ambush someone, for example, some guy that can ambush others silently with spells?

"Begone, the fallen dead. Forget the past, and guide us to the future. Believe, the savior of man. Show us your mercy, and bring us to eternal prosperity. With my beliefs, may everything return to ashes once again..."

"Cinder Maelstrom." At my words, the burning ashes on the snowy ground rise up and transformed into a scorching inferno. The flames then rushed towards the pack of wolves and turned them into ashes.

For killing a pack of Wolves(7) +1,400 EXP

Ha. Hahahah. HAHAHA!

This is what you feel when you have great power! Look at the scene I have created. The frost melted as even liquids were being burned. The animals' corpses have long turned into nothingness.

Name: Fenric von Leiqritus, (No Title)

Level: 5

EXP: 2,647/3,200

Strength: 1.2

Endurance: 1.5

Agility: 1.7

Od: 238/268 (330)

Circuit Quality: B (1.5)

Circuit Quantity: C (22)

Circuit Composition: Dynamic

Origin: Limitlessness

Elemental Affinity: Fire, Earth, Water

Sorcery Trait: Divine Chant

Innate Talent: [Infinite Potential], [Absolute Composure]

Skills: [Analyze], [Magecraft C], [High-Speed Incantation D]

Status Points: 35

I gained the Skills [Magecraft] and [High-Speed Incantation] the moment I completed the formulas for Cinder Maelstrom.

[Magecraft]

Rank: C

The skill on knowledge about modern Thaumaturgy.

At this rank, the basic foundation of Magecraft has been mastered. Advanced spells are available to be created, learned, and used.

This is my greatest work. An original Flame Magecraft spell I created and mastered in three years. With High-Speed Incantation, I can complete the chanting of incantations at a rapid speed and finish it in one and a half seconds.

[High-Speed Incantation]

Rank: D

The skill to speak magical incantations at an accelerated speed.

At this rank, Five-Line spells' incantations can be excessively cut down and activated within seconds.

A thousand-degree conflagration that can be created from any heat source. A direct ripoff and upgrade of Cornelius Alba's Sea of Flames. So what if I copied him? The crimson-coated Mage isn't even born yet. Here, in this world, I am the original.

I worked so hard that I managed to reduce its cost down to 30 units of Od per spell. With this, I at least am capable of defending myself.

If I spend a year or two more on it, I might be able to cut it down into a Single Action spell, and when that happens, the Skill should increase to C Rank. However, I'll have to be able to cut down Ten-Count spells down to a few second in order to make it to B Rank.

As for performing High-Thaumaturgy that is equivalent to A-Rank magical attack at the speed of a Single Action spell? Haha. That's impossible for the current me, and I don't have the time to invest into a single Skill like this one.

I am now eleven years old. It might seemed unfeasible for someone so young to create a Flame spell on the level of Sea of Flames, but I am a child who has completely given up his childhood.

I am being tutored by father everyday, and when I'm not studying in the library, I'd go out into the wildlands and experiment with my Magecraft while killing any animal I came across with.

I need more strength. Someone as talented as Cornelius Alba, who is on the level of a director of a Magi organization, was killed easily by Aozaki Touko, a Grand Rank Mage. Yes, she used a Daemon from the myths to kill him, but do you know that she killed Cornelius when she was at her weakest?

This is a world full of monsters, and the spell I have created is nothing compared to theirs.

Fortunately, excluding the earring Mystic Code, I found another way to increase my physical prowess. By saturating my bones and muscles with Prana, I have managed to steadily increase my bodily strength.

It's not much, but It'll keep working. In fact, this might be one of the ways to increase my body's Mystery. It's not strange if you consider it. I am literally soaking my entire body in magical energy, which is one of the sources of supernatural phenomena.

If I were to dabble with my body with different rituals, will I receive more Mystery? I'll think about it for now, don't want to end up like best Dork Lord Voldemort.

I wish that this world is like Harry Potter. Their wizards are quite retarded, and I'd welcome them with open hands any moment, anytime.

The only similarity between the Wizards and the Magi is that they are all old-fashioned. And then the rest are entirely different. Magi are like Wizards on legendary difficulty. Every single one of them are cold, ruthless, and logical. Frankly, it's terrifying.

They would do anything in order to reach their final objective, the Root. Blood rituals, Black Magic, human sacrifices, spirit, soul, and memory manipulation, those are the norms, and are being performed by the Mages everyday.

I'd like to stay away from the Mage's Association as far as possible, but I simply can't. They are the ones who have access to the rarest and most exotic knowledge I can never find on my own.

Yes, let's just stay in the background. That's for the best.

Now I just have to get a gun.

What? I am not one who ignores the wisdom of men. Man-made projectile weapons are powerful and I should start practicing my aim when I am younger. I have experience with guns so it would be much faster. I might even gain the [Marksmanship] Skill from it too.

Of course, it won't be as strong as my spells that are both deadly and silent, but it costs no Prana to use at all. It's a great backup and it can also serve as a distraction. Even Mages knew what guns are and who wouldn't stare at the gun barrel when it's being pointed at you?

I am a villain you see, and lucky me, I am in Germany, the nation that will soon declare the start of World War II. How many symbolic villain guns are in this country? Aha.

No, I'm not going to use something like a heavy machine gun or an anti-tank weapon. No, not even an automatic rifle, a submachine gun, or those bolt action rifles. I only need a pistol, something that feels comfortable in my hand, and more importantly, something concealable under civilian clothing.

Sadly, the Walther PPK and the Walther P38 are either being produced of not even designed yet. Oh wait, is the PPK already being produced? It's 1930 after all. To be honest, I prefer the Browning Hi-Power since it has 13-round magazine capacity compared to these 7 to 8 round magazine pistol.

The M1911 is also a great weapon, but I might have problems with the Nazis in the future if I were to use a foreign-made weapon. On the bright side, I have access to two symbolic weapons: the Luger P08 and the Mauser C96.

Which one am I going to choose? The Luger of course! C96 seemed to be used more by those Korean and Chinese villains after all. Little Fenric here is a proud German evil overlord and he will obediently use the Luger P08. That is final.

Plus, who said that I won't be participating in the great massacres of World War II? Joining the Wehrmacht or disguising myself as a Germany soldier, oh wait, an officer should be better. Then start going around and killing people.

No one will remember a missing soldier, right? Maybe, if this is the modern era, but this is the 1930s, with millions of soldiers fighting everyday. They won't blame me, meh, Hitler himself might shake my hand, award me a medal of honor, and promote me to a higher rank.

Oh! the Simo Häyhä of Nazi Germany? I will be twenty years old in 1939, and I just have to change my appearance and figure slightly to look older by around 10-20 years. In fact, I should join the army earlier and earn an officer position.

I can actually do that. Hypnotize a high-ranking personnel and let him fabricate a official certificate of graduation from a military academy. Then forge a reliable history while giving me the rank between Captain and Colonel.

Ah, I see, an evil plan is already forming within little Fenric's head.

My father won't even care that much about me disappearing since asking for permission to leave the castle from my father was surprisingly easy. Too easy. He really doesn't care about me, does he?

It only matters to him if I were to birth him more descendants, however, my Magic Circuits are inferior to my siblings in the first place. He'll probably just turn to Charlotte and use her against my brother.

I'm not sad that he doesn't care about me. On the contrary, I'm ecstatic because I can focus on murdering more living beings! Oh sweet sweet experience points... You'll never betray me~

Now, shall I go 'procure' the pistol and its ammunition?