Wizard: I Add Points and Hunt Monsters

DONG, DONG DONG...

’Are those the bells of Crimea?’

Wei’en opened his eyes. Seeing the room’s simple furnishings, so different from the attic at 44 Golden Street, he murmured, ”I almost forgot.”

It was the sound of the simple mantel clock he had specially made last night from leftover scrap materials...

Wei’en sighed softly, got up, dressed, and pushed the door open, stepping out.

”Breakfast is ready.”

Shawa was standing outside the door. When she saw him emerge, she turned her head somewhat unnaturally, showing him her unmarred profile as she spoke in a low voice.

”Thank you,” Wei’en said, leading her toward the dining table by the lounge area.

Tina was already sitting there, chewing on her finger as she stared at a roll of parchment, muttering, ”Rexi, death, Asi...”

Zero sat to her right, its back ramrod straight. It held the Wizard’s Manual from Jerry Mage out in front with both mechanical arms, its head aimed directly at the contents. Its gear-like eyes spun rapidly, letting out a faint whirring sound.

”Blueprints, materials, runes, assembly, activation... Good morning, Father.”

”Mm,” Wei’en said, not minding that it was holding the manual upside down. He walked to the head of the table, sat down, and scanned the room. ”Where’s Clelia?”

”She’s not here,” Shawa replied. She was sitting across from Zero, which positioned her unmarred profile perfectly toward Wei’en.

”Oh. Well, let’s eat.”

’Did she run off to the *Ronan* first thing in the morning?’

’Looks like she’s probably busy with her Queen’s Guard...’

”Tina, Yousi.”

The white-haired girl lowered the parchment, looked at Wei’en, and spoke a phrase in Gonzalez.

”’To eat,’ not ’to swallow,’” Wei’en corrected her with a gentle smile. ”The correct word is ’sixeda,’ and you don’t open your mouth so wide.”

”Tina, sixeda,” Tina repeated, nodding.

”Perfect pronunciation. Tina, you have a real talent for learning Gonzalez.”

Hearing the praise, Tina’s face lit up, her big eyes curving into crescents.

Seeing her smile, Wei’en couldn’t help but recall the Joker’s ”request,” and the decision he’d made last night began to waver.

He didn’t want Tina to revert to her former self, but just as the Joker had said, the Calamity Power within her would have to be dealt with properly sooner or later.

’I don’t expect her to gain full control in a short amount of time, but she should at least get back to the point she was at in Caster City State, where she could go out freely.’

’Otherwise, if she attracts disaster every time she goes out... that would be terrifying.’

’If only Tina could maintain her current state while also mastering her Calamity Origin, that would be ideal.’

”Let’s eat.”

”Tina, sixeda.”

Wei’en picked up his fork, speared a golden-fried fish fillet, and popped it into his mouth. He then turned to Miss Zombie beside him and asked, ”How’s the progress with the introductory Gonzalez lessons?”

”We’ve finished the vocabulary, but we haven’t started on grammar and common phrases yet.”

Shawa’s ghastly pale eye glanced at the white-haired girl, who was gobbling down fish fillets. ”Tina,” she said stiffly, ”is a fast learner.”

”And Zero?”

”He... is a bit slower, but he has memorized the blueprints for [Ironheart Fury]. We’ll need further practical application to know his level of mastery.”

’Is that so?’

Wei’en looked at the three of them at the table. He picked up his napkin, wiped the crumbs from the corner of his mouth, and chuckled. ”Progress... is pretty good. We can begin phase two.”

”Tina, phase two!” the white-haired girl exclaimed, putting down her fish fillet.

”Father, can I use your workshop?” Zero leaped up from his stool, mechanical gears spinning furiously.

Only Shawa remained still, her hands clasped with one pale hand resting on her other mechanical arm. She turned her head slightly to look at Wei’en.

”Starting this afternoon, in addition to your Gonzalez lessons, we’re adding combat training. Shawa, you will be in charge of training Zero. Tina... will be with me.”

”Also, Zero, I’ll prepare a separate workshop for you. At night, you can use the manual and try to build your first Mechanical Puppet.”

”My own... private workshop?” The rotation of the gears in Zero’s eyes could no longer be described as merely ’fast.’ Sparks were beginning to fly.

”That’s right. You’ll command any Mechanical Puppets you create, and later on, I’ll build some to support you.”

’Wei’en hadn’t forgotten that Mechanical Life forms were skilled at controlling Mechanical Puppets; this would play to Zero’s strengths.’

’Still, I’ll need to come up with an upgrade plan for him down the line.’

’With Zero’s current captain-level combat ability, if he doesn’t grow enough, his usefulness to me in the future might be limited.’

”Tina, combat!” The white-haired girl, hearing she would be sparring with Wei’en, pumped her little fists. ”Tina is strong!”

”Of course you are. You’re the strongest one here,” Wei’en said, reaching out to ruffle her hair. ”So, this is just to give you some more experience.”

This was the plan he’d devised last night: subtly accelerate everyone’s progress while using the sparring sessions with Tina as an opportunity to see if she could learn to use her Calamity Power in her current state.

”Tina understands.”

”Then... what about me?” Miss Zombie turned her head, her mechanical eye fixing directly on Wei’en.

”You...”

”Mod-i-fy!”

Wei’en paused, taken aback. He looked at the mechanical eye set in her face and at her mechanical arm, then considered for a moment before speaking. ”I never had a chance to ask for your input. Are you still willing to undergo mechanical modification?”

”I am willing. I... want to be able to help you. Not like last time.”

’Help me?’

Wei’en gave her a long, hard look. After a few seconds of silence, he said, ”You’ve already helped me a great deal... If you trust me, just wait a little longer. I still need some time to prepare.”