Vol 1 Chapter 3 – Literally Transforming to Hide My Identity【Vol 1 – When Written in Kanji, It’s Saionji Yumeba】

By the time I turned 13, I had grasped the principles of incantations and inscriptions, compiling them into a single reference book.

Around this time, Yumeba began receiving specialized sword training as part of the Saionji Ducal House’s unique regimen, drastically reducing our time together.

Well, she still occasionally charged at me to put me through hellish training sessions.

Anyway, now that I’d grasped the principles, I could convert mana into any substance.

Of course, that was only theoretically possible—I still needed to verify whether it actually worked.

But before that, I had to achieve my goal of making mana visible.

I still hadn’t managed to get glasses, but I’d discovered a workaround.

Simply put, since I needed to inscribe runes that made mana visible, instead of indirectly inscribing them on glasses, I could inscribe them directly on my eyes—or more precisely, on my pupils.

Under normal circumstances, this would be certifiably insane.

Inscribing runes on my pupils would be like performing eye surgery on myself without anesthesia.

Furthermore, inscribing on my pupils meant damaging them, which would definitely cause blindness if done normally.

Of course, I had no intention of doing it normally.

(It’s been a while since I’ve been here.)

After a long time, I dove into my deep consciousness.

(Did it get bigger?)

What was previously a room about the size of a four-and-a-half tatami mat was now about ten tatami mats.

I didn’t know the cause, but it seemed I’d grown through various experiences.

(All right then.)

I reflected my image to create a 50-inch flat-screen TV on the room’s wall.

The screen displayed the outside scenery.

More precisely, the outside me was meditating with only my left eye open, so it showed the view from that left eye.

Right. Over these past few years, I’d become able to project outside scenery from within my deep consciousness room.

And if I inscribed runes on this TV screen, it should have the same effect as inscribing them on my pupil.

Since the TV was created purely through imagery, it wouldn’t hurt or itch even if I damaged it, and if I made a mistake, I could redo it as many times as needed.

(Let’s do this.)

I immediately began inscribing runes on the TV to make mana visible.

(Having mana constantly visible would be exhausting, so I’ll make it toggleable.)

Now that I’d grasped the principles, this kind of application was possible.

The inscription finished without any problems, and I returned to the real world, focusing on my left eye.

“Ohhh…”

Even though it went as expected, actually seeing mana was more moving than I’d imagined.

Only my left eye—my green iris—could now visually perceive mana.

(Eventually, I’d like to inscribe something on my right eye too.)

I couldn’t think of anything right now, but something would come to me eventually.

◇◇◇

With my grasp of incantation and inscription principles and the ability to see mana, I resumed learning magic.

First, basic elementary magic.

What previously seemed like short incantations with efficient construction now looked wasteful, and the incantation grammar was questionable in places.

I removed the wasteful parts and corrected the dubious grammar.

“…Tinder.”

Gathering mana at my fingertip went smoothly since I could see it, and the optimized incantation reduced mana consumption while eliminating turbulence in the mana flow, making the small flame at my fingertip appear extremely stable.

The work of eliminating waste and organizing proper grammar seemed successful.

After optimizing all elementary magic, I moved to optimize lower-tier magic, but…

“Would I even use this?”

I’d heard that some mages prefer lower-tier magic with less mana consumption and shorter incantations over higher-tier magic with greater consumption and longer chants.

But from my perspective, lower-tier magic was full of waste and had terrible grammar.

While elementary magic only needed minor corrections, lower-tier magic—no, all magic above lower-tier—was such a mess that rebuilding from scratch would be better.

In other words, rather than correcting and optimizing this, wouldn’t it be faster to create my own from scratch?

“It’ll take time, but it’s better than using this as a base.”

I decided to abandon existing magic and develop original spells.

That said, there were useful reference points, so I picked those up and assembled new constructions.

However, the first thing I built wasn’t offensive magic but defensive and support magic.

Like when I was nearly poisoned at age six, my surroundings weren’t safe.

I never knew when the imperial succession struggle would intensify and assassins would target me, so I prioritized defensive magic.

“Though a simple shield wouldn’t mean much.”

What I wanted to prevent was assassination and poisoning, so defense activated after enemies appeared was meaningless.

If possible, I wanted a barrier that was constantly active and could protect me from all calamities.

“A transparent membrane wrapping my body, negating all attacks and effective both externally and internally. Impossible.”

Negating all attacks was already unrealistic, and neutralizing not just external attacks but ingested poison too was absurd.

If I could achieve this, I could call myself immortal.

“Should I compromise with a high-hardness defensive wall?”

But even that consumed too much for constant activation, and attacks above a certain level would penetrate it.

Plus, it had no poison-neutralizing effect.

“Offensive magic would be easier.”

Space-severing magic could ignore enemy defenses.

“Hmm. So I need to make a defensive version of that.”

Rather than blocking attacks with a hard wall, a barrier that sent attacks through space to somewhere else—the far reaches of space, perhaps.

This could effectively nullify any attack.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it could handle infinitely powerful attacks.

No matter what attack came, it would expel it to another space.

“But the mana consumption would be enormous, and constantly using spatial magic for defense would make daily life dangerous.”

After all, everything I touched would be expelled to the far reaches of space, so I couldn’t even move carelessly.

“Ideally, something similar to this but more convenient.”

Something that could negate any attack, didn’t interfere with daily life, and had low mana consumption.

“An impossible demand.”

Fix one problem and another appears.

Trying to take all the good parts was too greedy.

“I wish I could combine various things and patch them together.”

Cut out unnecessary parts and paste in necessary ones.

“Hmm?”

Inspiration suddenly struck.

Certainly, cherry-picking was difficult, and forcing connections would create something unnatural like Frankenstein’s monster, but…

“Theory substitution.”

If two adjacent spells existed, and one had the concept of absolute defense, I could substitute that theory into the other to produce the same effect.

For example, substituting the concept of “negating effectively infinite attacks by connecting space to another space” into a transparent membrane-like barrier that didn’t interfere with daily life.

Was this possible? It stepped slightly beyond the realm of magic, but it wasn’t impossible.

Of course, the magical construction would be complicated, and I’d need to build magic that neutralized poison and perform more theory substitutions.

No, not just poison—I’d need to weave magic that anticipated and neutralized all obstacles.

“…What a pain.”

The construction already bordered on exceeding magic, and now I was adding too much.

Plus, the mana consumption problem remained unsolved.

For now, I had plenty of accumulated mana orbs, so it shouldn’t be a problem, but constantly operating at a deficit felt psychologically wrong.

“Still, since I thought of it, I might as well try constructing it.”

I decided to give it a test run.

I needed magic that connected spaces, so I took spatial magic as a base, removed waste, organized grammar, and added necessary text—evolving it into something that could be called Spatial Magic.

But this alone wouldn’t establish absolute defense, so next I took time magic as a base, removed waste, organized grammar, and added necessary text—evolving it into something that could be called Spatiotemporal Magic.

That still wasn’t enough, so I combined spatial and spatiotemporal magic, organized and optimized them—creating something that could be called Dimensional Magic.

This dimensional magic could sever time and space, connecting separated spaces to create transfer gates.

I’d build absolute defense based on this transfer gate.

All attacks would pass through the transfer gate into another space.

Therefore, theoretically, it could neutralize infinitely powerful attacks.

I substituted only that theory of neutralizing infinite attacks into a separately created transparent membrane-like barrier covering the body’s surface, establishing absolute defense.

Furthermore, to gain the function of neutralizing poison—or rather, status ailments—I took light magic as a base, removed waste, organized text, and optimized it, evolving it into something that could be called Holy Magic.

I substituted the theory of holy magic, which had the effect of neutralizing all status ailments, into the thin membrane barrier again.

Theoretically, absolute defense was now complete, but…

“I can optimize this more.”

The base was simply a thin transparent membrane-like barrier covering the body’s surface.

So I kept the transfer gate and holy magic to the bare minimum needed for theory substitution.

With this completed absolute defense…

“The mana consumption came out lower than expected.”

Constant activation would still consume accumulated mana orbs, but not as much as I’d feared.

“I’ll use this for now.”

Since I went to the trouble, I’d name it Aegis.

◇◇◇

I’d test Aegis later. For now, I’d make practical use of the spatial magic, spatiotemporal magic, and dimensional magic I’d completed while creating it.

Spatial magic enabled teleportation for me alone, and controlling spatial magic established Item Box, allowing free storage and retrieval.

I interfered with this using spatiotemporal magic to add a time-stopping function.

I further interfered with dimensional magic to add a function making the internal space infinite.

“Yep. The ideal Dimensional Storage is complete.”

Now I needed to visit various locations across the continent and place markers at appearance points to use transfer magic and transfer gates.

Randomly teleporting and ending up inside a rock would be no joke.

I needed to place markers at destinations, but I’d need a map to check those markers.

“Though a normal map won’t work, and creating one with illusion magic has limits… I know.”

I still had my right eye available.

I’d inscribe runes for creating maps.

I’d name it Data Map.

I immediately went to my deep consciousness room to inscribe this on the 50-inch flat-screen TV.

“Done… but it’s sparse.”

My right eye displayed a map, but since I’d never left the imperial capital, only the surrounding area was filled in.

I’d need to travel various places to build the map and install markers.

“This will take time.”

Even though I could return immediately with transfer magic, it was problematic for me as an imperial prince to be away from the castle.

“Maybe I’ll create a duplicate body with part of my consciousness transplanted.”

◇◇◇

I created a temporary body from mana and transplanted part of my psyche into it using magic.

“It’s more like a semi-auto controlled RC toy than split personality.”

Since part of my consciousness was transplanted, it connected to me, and experiences the duplicate had would later integrate into me, becoming my experiences.

The downside was that fatigue and pain felt by the duplicate would also add to mine.

Extended operation would likely shorten my lifespan, so I needed to be careful.

“I’ll set a maximum limit of ten days.”

Having successfully created the duplicate, I…

“…Time to go.”

For the first time in my life, I left the imperial capital to embark on a journey.

Though I said I was going on a journey, I needed one more spell first.

Transfer magic without markers could only move within visible range.

Conversely, I could move anywhere within visible range, so I decided to develop magic for seeing far away—telescope or clairvoyance magic.

Both my eyes’ inscriptions were already filled, so I needed to create this as pure magic.

Still, combining spatial magic made it not particularly difficult, so I quickly completed Eagle Eye.

It was simply magic for seeing distant places, so there was no reason to struggle now.

Now, I was finally ready to depart when…

“I’d really stand out like this, wouldn’t I?”

I realized I was dressed as a prince, and my black hair with heterochromia was unique to one person in the empire.

“Clothes… I can create with mana, so I’ll name it Wardrobe Magic and make some, but what about my appearance?”

I pondered for a while—and decided to postpone today’s departure.

◇◇◇

“Inhale… exhale… inhale… exhale…”

After several days developing new magic, I calmed myself with deep breaths before testing it.

I was confident in the spell’s completion, but this was the type of magic that would be irreversible if I failed, making me more nervous than ever.

“…Let’s do it.”

Steeling myself, I cast the spell before my room’s full-length mirror.

“Guh…!”

I gritted my teeth against the far greater discomfort than expected, and after several seconds, it vanished completely.

“It seems… to have succeeded.”

Slowly raising my face, the mirror reflected a beautiful girl with long black hair and black eyes.

“My, my. Just as I imagined.”

Of course, the mirror showed my reflection, and my magic created this form.

Right. This wasn’t wearing an illusion or disguising myself—it was genuine Metamorphosis.

I’d mutated my body at the genetic level, completely transforming my body and mind into a woman.

So my thoughts leaned feminine, and feminine speech felt natural.

“Still… what a beauty.”

Though I’d imagined a black-haired, black-eyed Yamato Nadeshiko-style girl to my taste, I hadn’t expected to become such a beauty.

Most notably, unlike Yumeba-san who remained small even at 13, I had chest armor unthinkable for a 13-year-old.

“Eep!”

As soon as I thought that, a chill ran through me from afar, making me shiver reflexively.

Apparently, Yumeba-san’s sharp instincts remained intact regardless of distance.

“Heaven preserve me.”

Confirming no one was in the room and the door was locked, I slowly removed my princely clothes, letting them fall to the floor.

Standing naked before the mirror, I…

“…Perfect.”

I gazed dreamily at my smooth, white, beautiful skin, my silky long black hair, and most of all, my captivating beautiful face.

I’d admired my artistic nude body enough—time to make clothes.

“White or pink would work, but black suits me best.”

So I first made black panties.

“…Not cute enough. Redo.”

I didn’t like the design, so I remade them.

After nearly a hundred tries, I finally created panties with a design that suited me, then made a matching black bra.

“Hmm.”

Still dissatisfied, I remade it.

Then I made a black garter belt and stockings…

“Garter belts go under panties, right?”

I’d heard wearing them over panties as fashion was acceptable, but if they were functional items supporting stockings, they should definitely go under.

Having donned these provocative undergarments, I…

“Ahh♡ So beautiful~♡”

I stared dreamily at the mirror, captivated by my own charm.

“Maybe I should create camera magic next.”

Having already abandoned existing magic for original spells, I’d long forgotten the meaning of restraint.

“Oops. No time for daydreaming.”

I made a modest black long-sleeved blouse, black long skirt, and black leather shoes, adding a black ribbon at the blouse’s chest.

All black, but black clothing suited my black hair.

“Alisa the Black Witch, perhaps.”

I christened my female form with that fitting name, completing my preparations.

No one would guess this was the Fourth Imperial Prince of the Alcian Empire.

“Now I’ll create a duplicate body, throw some appropriate luggage into Dimensional Storage… and I’m ready.”