The World's Strongest and Most Evil Noble Strives Humbly and Diligently ~ Using Knowledge of the Original Story and Unique Magic to Avoid a Destruction End ~ - Chapter 3: The Baptism Ceremony

Chapter 3: The Baptism Ceremony

Under Orvin’s training, I noticed something.

Swordsmanship is awesome!

The thrill of swinging a sword.

The smooth feeling when I cut.

The sense of growth as I improved day by day.

Everything about it is amazing.

But fun times pass quickly, and before I knew it, a year had gone by.

(I really want to focus more on swordsmanship…)

I gained the basic skills of a swordsman, so it’s probably time to move to the “next step.”

Oh, by the way, at 10 years old, I grew taller and reached 140 centimeters.

Growing 5 centimeters in just one year—cheers to the growth spurt!

(—It’s almost time.)

It’s 12:55.

Waiting in my room, I stood up from my chair and stretched big.

Today is the long-awaited “Baptism Ceremony.”

In Ronzorkia’s world, when you turn 10, they check your magic power, magic aptitude, and unique magic.

This ceremony is usually held at a temple…

But in my case, it’s a bit irregular.

(If it follows the original story, this body should have that… unique magic.)

Hollow’s unique magic in the original story is one of the most “unusual powers” in the world.

After all, it’s the same magic as the great sorcerer “Disaster Zeno” from a thousand years ago.

If it’s revealed in a public place like a temple, it would cause a huge uproar.

So, we invited a “certain judge” to the mansion to perform the ceremony here.

Normally, such a selfish act wouldn’t be allowed…

But as expected of the Heisenberg, one of the four great noble families.

With just a word from my father, the stubborn Ministry of Magic says, “Yes, gladly!”—what incredible power.

While I thought about this, there was a knock, and Orvin’s deep voice echoed.

“Master Hollow, the judge has arrived.”

“Let them in.”

“Yes, sir.”

The door opened silently, and a pale woman walked in.

“I’ll take my leave now,” Orvin said, bowing politely before closing the door.

The woman left behind looked nervous and bowed slightly.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Fiona Seder.”

Fiona Seder, 18 years old. The youngest genius sorcerer to ever join the Ministry of Magic.

She’s 160 centimeters tall, slender yet feminine.

Her beautiful black hair, tied in a ponytail, reaches her back.

She has large, light purple eyes and snow-white skin, making her a beautiful girl.

She wears a white jacket over a black shirt and a simple black miniskirt.

She looks like a pure, beautiful girl… but her personality is a bit… well, unique.

“I’m Hollow von Heisenberg.”

I introduced myself bluntly, without using polite language.

She’s a judge from the Ministry of Magic.

In terms of status, our ducal family is far above her.

(Besides, my lazy and arrogant attitude is already well-known from the night party at 5 and the martial tournament at 7…)

If I acted humble and earnest here, it might seem suspicious.

So, playing the lazy and arrogant role is the best choice.

“Let’s begin. I’ll measure your magic power, Master Hollow,” Fiona said, taking out a small stone.

“This is a response stone, a special magic stone that absorbs surrounding magic and shows a unique reaction. Based on that, we can estimate your magic power. First, hold it between your fingers—”

“I know how it works. Just give me the stone.”

“Y-Yes, understood…”

Fiona’s neat eyebrows twitched slightly.

She seemed irritated at being interrupted and ordered around by a kid like me.

I totally get how she feels.

But to stay true to Hollow’s character in the original story, I have to act this way.

While apologizing in my head, I took the response stone between my thumb and index finger, squeezed lightly, and shattered it with a crack.

Silver crystals floated in the air, and I felt my magic being absorbed as the stone reacted uniquely.

“Hmm.”

“T-This is…!?”

A black, sludge-like aura appeared around me.

It was filled with all the world’s bad omens, simply put, pure evil.

The magic swirling around me perfectly showed Hollow von Heisenberg’s dark nature.

“Hey, what’s the result?”

“It’s an incredible amount of magic…! (It’s by far the highest I’ve ever measured… Not just the amount, but I’ve never seen such terrifying magic!)”

After measuring my magic power, we moved to check my magic aptitude.

“Please put these rings on the five fingers of your right hand.”

“Fine.”

As told, I put the rings on my five fingers.

Each ring had a magic stone for one of the five elements: fire, water, lightning, wood, and earth.

By channeling magic into them, the rings that match your aptitude glow—a method called the “Five-Finger Identification Method.”

“Now, close your eyes and focus your magic on your right hand.”

I did as Fiona said, closing my eyes quietly and focusing my magic.

One second, two seconds, three seconds passed, and when I slowly opened my eyes…

“Hoh.”

All five rings were glowing faintly.

This meant—

“All-element aptitude…!? No way, this can’t be…!?”

Fiona’s eyes widened in shock.

But for Hollow, this is expected.

The real deal starts now.

“Why are you surprised? Hurry up and start the ceremony.”

“Y-Yes…!”

Measuring magic power and aptitude was just a warm-up.

The main part of the Baptism Ceremony is identifying unique magic.

“—<Summon>”

Fiona cast a spell, summoning a simple ceremonial stage in the center of the room.

Four pillars stood at the corners, with a large goddess statue in the middle.

Compared to the real stage at the temple, it’s a bit small, but still impressive enough.

“Identifying unique magic is a sacred act, normally done at the temple… But at Lord Heisenberg’s request, we’re conducting it here as an exception. You already know how it works, right?”

“Yeah.”

I walked to the center of the stage, touched my right hand to the goddess statue’s right hand, and gently channeled magic.

The next moment, cracks ran through the statue—and it shattered into pieces.

The silver fragments floated in the air, disappearing as if swallowed by another world.

“This reaction… No way, it can’t be…!?”

Fiona pulled out a tattered old book, flipping through it frantically, then looked up sharply.

Her eyes were wet with desire, drool dripped from her mouth, and her breathing was rough… She didn’t look normal at all.

Yikes, that’s scary.

She’s totally acting like a madwoman.

“Did you figure something out?”

“It’s the unique magic <Void>!”

Jackpot.

Just like in the original story, this body had the “strongest unique magic” engraved in it.

As I clenched my fist, Fiona hugged the old book and spun around happily.

“Amazing, amazing, so amazing… Too amazing! The highest rank of unique magic, the ultra-rare Origin Class! The same as ‘Disaster Zeno,’ the strongest and worst unique magic! Oh, I’m so lucky! I thought it was awful coming to this evil noble’s place, but I’m so glad I did!”

She’s letting her true feelings spill out… but oh well.

Her honesty is one of her virtues.

(Anyway, this is a relief…)

Honestly, I’m really relieved.

Having the Void in Hollow, just like the original story, is a huge help.

It makes a big difference in the challenges ahead.

(Now, I just need to “silence” her.)

The Void is a notorious magic.

About a thousand years ago, a sorcerer named Zeno caused chaos with this power… so it’s not something to reveal publicly.

“Fiona, I have something to say.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Don’t tell anyone I manifested <Void>. Report to the Ministry of Magic that my unique magic is <Refraction>.”

“What? Why would you…? <Void> is a rare Origin Class unique magic. Announcing it would bring honor to your family name. I don’t think it’s something to hide…?”

“It’s just a precaution. Keep it hidden from the public for a while—specifically, about two years.”

In the capital, a dangerous group called the “Great Demon Order” is hiding, making a living by “factor hunting.”

They get information from insiders at the Ministry of Magic through the magic catalog, Arukana, and kidnap people with rare magic factors.

In one route of the original story, the Great Demon Order learned about the Void and eagerly kidnapped Hollow.

As the perfect test subject, Hollow von Heisenberg had his brain tampered with, his Void magic factor extracted, and was killed—the “Void Extraction End.”

(I don’t want that ending.)

Of course, if I fought the Great Demon Order now, I wouldn’t necessarily lose.

After all, I have swordsmanship skills taught by Orvin.

But this bad ending can be avoided with a little effort, so there’s no need to take unnecessary risks.

(Knock on the stone bridge, knock again, and then decide whether to cross.)

In this world, a game over means actual death, so this level of caution is just right.

So, for about two years, until the Great Demon Order leaves the capital, I’ll keep the Void a secret.

During that time, I’ll train in magic and master the Void—that’s my plan.

Fiona thought for a moment, then bowed slightly.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t comply with your request, Master Hollow. Those who manifest unique magic must register accurate information in the magic catalog, Arukana. This isn’t an unwritten rule—it’s a law in the kingdom’s constitution. As a judge serving the gods, I take pride in my duties and cannot commit any wrongdoing.”

“Then let’s make a deal.”

“A deal?”

“If you keep my unique magic a secret… I’ll let you study the Void.”

“I’ll keep it secret. I won’t tell anyone. You can bind me with the <Contract> magic if you want.”

What happened to her gods and pride?

I was surprised by Fiona’s quick change of heart…

But it worked out as I planned, so that’s good.

Fiona is known in the original story as a “magic maniac,” someone who loves magic more than three meals a day—a hardcore weirdo.

I figured if I dangled the ultimate bait, the Void, she’d come around.

It was worth asking my father to specifically choose her.

“Let’s make the contract.”

I opened the desk drawer and took out a prepared contract.

Normally, important promises like this use the <Contract> magic…

But since I can’t use magic yet, we’ll do it the old-fashioned way with parchment.

“You’re very prepared…” Fiona said, surprised, as she quickly read the document, confirmed it was fine, and wrote her full name.

“The contract is complete.”

“Yes.”

Now, the Void’s information won’t leak from her mouth.

If she breaks the contract, she’ll face the “Judgment of the Contract God” and die instantly.

“As you instructed, Master Hollow, I’ll hide the <Void> information from the Ministry of Magic and register it as <Refraction>.”

“Yeah, do that.”

“But… won’t it get found out later?”

She looked worried, her eyes darting.

“No problem. After all, <Void> is a superior version of <Refraction>. When using <Void> in public, I’ll limit it to effects possible with <Refraction>. That way, it won’t get discovered.”

“I see… You know a lot about unique magic.”

“Well, yeah.”

There are over a thousand unique magics in Ronzorkia, and I remember most of them.

As the conversation settled, Fiona cleared her throat.

“I still have unfinished work at the Ministry of Magic, so I’ll take my leave for today. Once I finish all my tasks, I’ll return immediately, and then—”

“I’ll let you study <Void>, as promised.”

“Thank you…!”

Her eyes sparkled brightly.

“While you’re gone, I’ll mess around with magic a bit.”

“Yes. To smoothly research the Void, a basic understanding of magic is essential. Please do your best.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll take my leave now.”

After Fiona left the mansion, I started studying magic right away.

With my father’s permission, I entered the study and pulled out a random textbook.

(Hmm, I see…)

After starting my training, I realized something.

Magic is awesome…!

“If I draw the magic formula like this… Wow, fire appeared!”

“If I cycle the magic… Amazing, water came out!”

“Haha, that tingled! So this is lightning magic!”

Just skimming a textbook and glancing at the theory let me use magic right away.

As expected of Hollow von Heisenberg—his overwhelming talent is astonishing.

(But seriously, this is crazy…)

The unreal feeling of using magic.

The transcendent feeling of controlling it freely.

It’s just… incredible!

And the magic control is especially deep.

Channeling magic into muscles strengthens physical power.

Reinforcing weapons with magic increases their hardness.

Flowing magic into water lets me control it freely.

Even just magic control could be endgame-level fun.

“Heh, hehe… Hehehehehe…”

Locked in the study, I read magic books all night, trying everything I learned.

A month passed quickly, and Fiona, having finished her work at the Ministry of Magic, returned to the Heisenberg mansion.

“Sorry for the delay. But rest assured, I’ve completed all my tasks and taken a year-long leave! Now I can thoroughly research the Void!”

“Tch, that’s… reliable.”

Though a bit intimidated by her intense enthusiasm, I moved the conversation forward.

“So, what’s the plan for today? You’re starting that research, right?”

“Yes. First, we’ll do a brief lecture on unique magic, then move to studying the Void!”

“What do I need to do specifically? I can’t handle anything too complicated.”

“You don’t need to worry about me. Just practice the Void normally. I’ll observe closely, collect and analyze data, and conduct my own research.”

“Got it.”

Nice, that’s easy and helpful.

“By the way, you’ve only been studying magic for about a month, right?”

“Yeah.”

Magic factors settle in the body around age 10, with some variation.

That’s when the Baptism Ceremony happens, and magic training begins.

That’s the basic magic education in Ronzorkia.

“Then first, let me check your basic magic skills. <Void> is a dangerous power that could destroy the world… Without ‘minimum magic skills,’ there’s a risk of it going out of control, so please understand.”

“Fine.”

To show the results of this month—and my current skills—I casually performed some newly learned magic.

(Huh, his basics are decent… Wait, already all five elements…? Even general-purpose magic…? No way, his magic construction speed is too fast! And such precise magic control!?)

Fiona’s face shifted from doubt to admiration, then to shock.

“So, do I have the minimum magic skills?”

“Y-Yes… But really, just one month!? Have you secretly been training…? (It takes normal people at least five years to reach this level, and even a genius sorcerer like me needed three years…)”

“Stop with the flattery. This is just child’s play.”

All the magic took shape, but they’re only at a 70-point level.

My magic skills might be a bit advanced, but only for a 10-year-old.

“As expected of the next head of the Heisenberg family—such incredible talent…” Fiona muttered something, then continued.

“Let’s move on. I’ll give a short lecture on unique magic, focusing only on the Void.”

She began speaking with a researcher’s face.

“The key point is that the strength of unique magic is the lack of a magic book, and its weakness is also the lack of a magic book. Do you understand this logic?”

“Only one in 100,000 people has unique magic. Unlike common magic, there’s no structured learning path. No magic book makes it hard to counter, but also hard to master. It’s a double-edged sword.”

“Correct… You know a lot.”

She widened her eyes but continued.

“Unique magic is classified into four types based on its destructive power, social value, and rarity: Elite Class, Epic Class, Legendary Class, and Origin Class. Your <Void> is an extremely rare Origin Class, the highest rank. There’s no magic book for <Void>, so mastering it will be a long and difficult journey.”

As Fiona said, mastering unique magic is very tough.

Among them, Origin Class—especially <Void>—is the hardest.

(But I have “original story knowledge”!)

I know how to train the Void.

I understand how to use the Void.

I’ve experienced how to apply the Void.

(The top priority to master is… “Void Possession,” definitely.)

As I refined the Void, Fiona quietly observed.

During these days, there was one “happy miscalculation.”

Fiona’s teaching ability was far better than I expected.

She had vast knowledge of general magic, could hold high-quality magic discussions, and gave perfect answers to my questions instantly.

Training with her was extremely valuable.

(Can I somehow recruit Fiona to the Heisenberg family…?)

As I vaguely thought about this, a brilliant idea popped up.

(I’m really coming up with some crazy ideas…)

The Hollow brain is truly exceptional.

I’ll execute the “Fiona Recruitment Strategy” at the right moment.

A year passed in a flash.

Today is the last day of Fiona’s long leave.

For now, this is the last time I can train with her.

Fiona has been incredibly helpful.

Thanks to her dedication, I got close to the essence of the Void.

As a small thank you, I decided to show her something “interesting.”

“Master Hollow, what do you want to show me?”

“You’ll see soon.”

I took her in a carriage to Mount Garan, owned by the Heisenberg family, where I trained swordsmanship with Orvin.

“Hmm, this spot should do.”

Standing at the foot of the mountain, I stretched my right hand forward.

“—<Void Transfer>”

The next moment,

“Well, something like that.”

“N-No way…”

The lush green mountain vanished cleanly.

More precisely, it was swallowed by the Void.

<Void Transfer> is a magic that sends a designated space into the Void.

(The power is good, but the structure is a bit rough. The coordinate range is sloppy, and there’s room for improvement.)

While I held my own review, Fiona sat down on the ground.

(Just one spell changed the map… This is the Void, the power of the “Disaster” that once nearly destroyed the world…)

She covered her mouth with both hands, trembling slightly.

Maybe… she’s so moved her legs gave out?

I’m glad she’s happy.