Chapter 2 The Sage Seems Kind, but You Can’t Win ‘Em All
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I woke to a soft, warm light. I started to roll over, feeling comfortable and relaxed, until I saw a maid standing against the wall. I bolted upright, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Back home, I never had to deal with someone just watching me sleep. It was creeping me out. My parents usually had the decency to knock before coming in, unless I was dead to the world.
Right. I’m really not going back, am I? I shook the thought away. There was no point in dwelling on it.
”Good morning,” I said, trying to sound composed. “What’s the plan for today?”
I wanted to know my schedule. I assumed they’d kick me out of the castle as soon as the kingdom’s “preparations” were complete, but nobody had told me what to do until then.
”Nothing in particular, sir,” the maid replied. “I am simply here to attend to you. Please, allow me to handle your needs.”
I couldn’t tell if she was naturally cold or if she was just trying to keep me at arm’s length, but her tone was purely professional. To be honest, I preferred it that way. It would be much worse if she tried to get close to pry information out of me. I’ve always been a pushover for a kind face. If they tried to set a “honey trap” for me, I’d be totally exposed. Physically and mentally.
”I see. Then I suppose I should just stay put,” I muttered. “Would it be possible to get some books on magic or history to pass the time?”
”Books? I believe that should be acceptable,” she said. “If there are no objections, I will prepare them. Please, give me a few moments.”
She bowed and slipped out of the room.
Okay, time to be a ‘good little boy’ until I’m out of this castle, I thought. I’ll keep my head down and scavenge what info I can from books until they tell me I’m free to go.
In the meantime, I decided to boot up my Crafter¹ skill and poke around. I didn’t know who might be watching, but it would actually look more suspicious if I didn’t show any interest in my own power. I pulled up the interface and started flicking through the tabs.
Inventory, Recipe, Synthesis, Processing, Growth, Base… I went through them all, but it was a whole lot of nothing. The “Base” tab didn’t even have a layout; it was just a blank screen.
Well, that makes sense. I probably have to throw materials into the inventory to unlock recipes and go from there.
But how do I actually put stuff in? I pulled my student ID out of my pocket and tried to press it against the screen. Nothing happened. My hand just passed right through the light. It seemed only my physical body could interact with the menu. I wasn’t sure if other people could see or touch it, but I wasn’t about to test that yet.
Okay, focus. How do I stow things? I looked for a “store” button but found nothing. Was it one of those classic “think it to make it happen” things?
Store! I visualized the ID card entering the inventory. In an instant, it vanished. I checked the screen, and there it was.
”Whoa… full-on fantasy,” I whispered.
I felt a surge of pure, geeky excitement. I knew I shouldn’t be treating this like a game, given the situation, but the reality of being in another world was finally sinking in. It was a mess, sure, but if I was stuck here, I was going to enjoy the ride.
I’ve always been a sucker for crafting games. Crafting and Tower Defense are my bread and butter. Man, I really want to go chop down a tree or something.
I was dying to know how to unlock recipes. Processing and Synthesis, too – I wanted to see exactly how far I could push this system.
Hmm. Let’s try the window. Maybe I can snag some pebbles or something.
I leaned out, but even for a castle this “rotten,” the grounds were immaculate. Not a single loose stone on the walkway. But I wasn’t giving up. I focused on the tiny pebbles stuck in the grout of the stone masonry and willed them to move.
[Pebble (Petty) x8] appeared in my inventory.
Okay. Did anything else change? I checked the other pages. Still blank. But when I thought the words “Stone” and “Synthesis,” the synthesis tab reacted. I filled all four slots with my tiny stones and hit the command.
The result: [Pebble (Petty) x1].
Wait… did I just lose stones? I pulled the result out onto the table. It was a single stone, significantly larger than the ones in the grout – too big to fit back in the cracks.
”Heh… okay, I get it now.”
The UI was a bit vague, but seeing the physical change was a rush.
”Alright, let’s fuse the rest!”
I smashed the remaining stones together and switched to the “Processing” tab. Let’s see what this can really do. I visualized a tiny stone axe-head and triggered the process. A tiny, half-inch stone “axe” appeared.
The inventory labeled it as [Hand Axe (Petty)], but it was useless. It was just a rock shaped like a tool. I wondered what the system’s criteria were for naming things. Was it just based on my own intent?
I need to know! Just let me out of here already!! I screamed it in my head, knowing no one was coming to open the door. I needed more. More materials. I looked at a neatly trimmed hedge about thirty feet away. I leaned against the window, trying to look bored while keeping the screen active in my periphery.
Store.
I checked the inventory. Success. [Dry Leaf x3].
Yes! The range is actually pretty decent.
I tried synthesizing the leaves. Would they get bigger? Or just turn into a weird clump? As it turned out, the leaf just grew into one giant, oversized dry leaf. Interesting. If I can consolidate items, that’s going to be huge for inventory management.
Next: Can I synthesize a stone and a leaf?
Nothing. No reaction. However, I could put them into the Processing tab, grind them into a powder, and mix them. When I did that, the item name vanished from the inventory, leaving only a generic icon.
So the freedom is insane, but the system won’t automatically tell me what I’ve made if it doesn’t recognize a recipe. Still, this is incredible.
”Hero Sato… my skill is actually amazing.”
If I could just get down to the city, I knew I’d be fine. I could live a comfortable life here. If I actually said that out loud, the others would probably look at me like I was crazy. But honestly, throw me into a town with nothing, and I’d thrive. As long as the whole town didn’t turn its back on me, anyway.²
Wait. My head…
A wave of lethargy hit me. I felt heavy, sluggish.
Did that use up my mana³? Seriously? I only processed tiny scraps of trash! Is my capacity really that low? This is… a problem. A big one.
”Oh, boy…”
Just as I was reeling from the realization, there was a knock at the door.
”Yes?” I asked.
”Ah, it’s me, Sato⁴. Can I… come in?”
It was Sato, the “Sage” from my class. I told her to come in, and she stepped inside, closing the door behind her but remaining standing, looking stiff.
”You want to sit?” I asked, gesturing to the chair.
”Y-yeah…” She sat down, her eyes darting nervously from the ceiling to the walls. She wasn’t watching me; she was looking for surveillance.
”You’re going to give yourself an ulcer if you stay that tense,” I said. “Even if they are watching, there’s nothing we can do about it right now.”
”I-Ibuki, aren’t you scared?” she asked.
”Of course I am. But showing it just makes things worse. I’m trying to keep my head on straight. If you stay calm, you’re more likely to spot an opening.”
It was true. In a crisis, the guy who’s shaking is the first one people suspect. Even in normal life, being overly defensive leaves a bad impression. But if you act like you belong, you build trust. Well, assuming the people you’re dealing with have a shred of humanity left.
”I… I guess you’re right. We’re all scared,” she whispered.
”Yeah. Everyone’s at their breaking point. That’s why we have to stay on top of our skills. We can’t afford to fall behind.”
I meant her, mostly. As a non-combatant, I was a different story. But for the others, falling behind meant dying on the front lines. She was a “Rearguard,” so maybe she’d be safe if the Hero was strong, but the Hero couldn’t do everything. And who knew if these knights were actually any good?
They wouldn’t have summoned us if they could handle the problem themselves. That meant things were going to get ugly.
”Wait, have you already used your skills?” she asked. “No one’s even taught us yet!”
”The royal mages who did the summoning didn’t even know what my skill was, Sato. Who exactly am I supposed to wait for?”
Sato blinked, her mouth hanging open slightly. “Oh…”
She was a Sage, so she’d probably get magic lessons eventually, but if she wanted to stay ahead, she needed to be proactive.
”Well, for now, I’m just staring at my menu and experimenting,” I said with a shrug. She seemed to relax a little at that.
”Must be nice,” she sighed. “I don’t even have a menu or a starting point. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
”It’s just about intent, I think. I can just ‘wish’ things into my inventory. Can you try something? Like, imagine a small flame, like a lighter, and focus on it.”
”There’s no way… ‘Lighter’!” she said, actually saying the word out loud.
”No, you don’t have to say it – “
I stopped. In the palm of her hand, a small, steady flame the size of a candle wick flickered into existence.
”No way!” I blurted out.
It looked like magic worked just like my crafting – it responded to her will.
Oh, man. This is it. She’s definitely got a ‘Cheat’ ability too.
I’ve figured it out: as long as my mana⁵ holds, I can probably crank out max firepower forever. If I use my memories from Earth to optimize for efficiency, things are going to get seriously industrial.
But what about “magic control,” that old isekai trope? If there are no limits on that front, this world is in for a nightmare…
”He-hey! Please! You have to tell me more!” the girl pleaded.
”I mean, can you even call what I just did ‘teaching’?” I asked.
”Yes! Because I don’t know anything at all,” she said, her voice trembling. “I’ll pay you back. I can’t do much now, but eventually…”
Is she the type who won’t move until she’s researched every variable? Or has she just never read a light novel in her life and has no idea how these tropes work? Either way, as long as she isn’t prying into my specific abilities, I don’t mind. Now that we know we’re getting out of this room, having someone who wants to watch each other’s backs is a win in my book.
”Look, let’s just share what we know for free,” I told her. “We’re the only Japanese people left here, after all.”
Her face twisted with a flash of grief for a second, but she forced a small smile. “Thank you. If I find out anything, I promise I’ll tell you too.”
We spent the next hour talking, setting a strict rule not to test anything in the room. It was all theory and guesswork. Talking face-to-face, it turned out she was the most grounded one of the original three. She’d been keeping her mouth shut in her own room, terrified of being overheard. She only approached me because I looked just as guarded as she felt.
”I guess it’s just survival instinct,” I said. “You’re scared, so you put up walls?”
”Yeah. That’s exactly it,” she whispered. “It’s all just too much… those severed heads they showed us… I can’t sleep. I don’t even know where it’s safe to talk.”
She started spiraling into a dark place right there in front of me. I gave her a light pat on the head and tried to sound cheerful.
”Cut that out. Fear just invites more fear, you know? Try to laugh. Well, actually, don’t – if you start laughing manically right now, I’ll be the one getting scared. Just try to talk about something fun, even if you have to fake it. You’ll feel human again in ten minutes, tops.”
”What, am I really that scary?” she asked with a weak, wry grin. She was coming back to her senses.
We were just getting into some actual small talk when the maid returned.
”Guess that’s it,” she said. “Thanks. I really do feel a lot better.”
”Glad to hear it,” I replied.
”Wait, why did you go back to being so formal?” she asked, blinking.
”I thought I was always polite to my upperclassmen⁶, I said. “Did I slip up?”
”Liar,” she muttered, giving me a flat, judging look. She clearly didn’t buy the ‘respectful junior’ act for a second after our chat. Still, playing the fool was worth it; she looked like she’d finally regained her composure.
”Listen… you don’t need to be formal with me, okay?” she said.
”As you wish, my lady. Henceforth, I shall be your humble servant,” I said, giving her a theatrical bow with a hand over my heart.
”Idiot,” she giggled, finally looking like a normal girl as she headed for the door. Her attendant was waiting outside with a sour expression, and she matched it with a scowl of her own as they walked back to her quarters.
”Thank you for waiting, sir,” the maid said, stepping in. “I have brought the books on magic theory and history you requested.”
”Thanks. I saw the other girl was out for a stroll – is it possible for me to visit their rooms too?”
”Yes. You are free to move within this sector,” she explained. “It is primarily housing for castle staff and knights. However, if you wander beyond these halls, we cannot guarantee your safety.”
Well, she didn’t mince words. Better a blunt threat than a knife in the dark, I suppose.
”I’ll be sure to ask for the exact boundaries before I go for a walk. For now, I’ll just stick to the books.”
I opened the first volume and froze. No matter how I looked at the script, it was utterly foreign – yet the meaning clicked in my mind with unsettling clarity. I didn’t have a single memory of learning this language. It was that classic isekai “translation” trope, but experiencing it felt invasive, like someone had been rummaging around inside my skull. I was grateful I could read, but I couldn’t forget that the same people who ‘gifted’ me this were the ones who kidnapped us.
I decided to start with history. I wanted to see how deep the rot went. The maid’s eyes widened slightly as I flipped past the magic texts.
”Is something wrong?” I asked.
”My apologies, sir,” she said, bowing. “I simply assumed you would reach for the magic books first.”
”Magic is for survival once I’m out of here,” I said. “History is for deciding if I can trust this country enough to stay.”
”And why is that?” she asked, her interest piqued.
”Because believing in something without knowing its past is just plain foolish.”
Actually, I just wanted to confirm my suspicion that this place was a total dump, but I wrapped the sentiment in enough flowery language to make her nod in approval.
”I see. A very wise perspective. Please, enjoy your reading.”
She retreated to the wall and went silent. I dove in. Apparently, this kingdom has been at war with the “Demon Race” forever. Every fifty years or so, a Demon King is born, and a Hero is summoned to kill it. The “demons” in the illustrations looked like basic beastmen – horns, fur, animal ears. To a guy from Earth, they just looked like another race, but the book painted them as monsters.
There are five major human nations, but the borders were a mess of disputed territories. Then I hit the “Great Figures” section. It was just a long list of royals named “Dole.” Every single achievement was some minor feat inflated to legendary proportions. It was pathetic.
Then came the religion. The “Church of the One True God.” Apparently, God only sends oracles⁷ when the world is ending, and the message is always the same: Summon a Hero. Oh, and there’s an “Evil God” too, because you need a scapegoat for when things go wrong.
I snorted at the blatant propaganda and moved on to the magic book. I almost closed it after the first paragraph.
*To flourish in the arcane arts, one must first secure the love of God.
Ways to earn God’s favor:
1. Attend the Holy Church regularly.
2. The strength of one’s faith and the magnitude of one’s tithe directly influence one’s magical capacity.
While some may see no growth due to the spiritual debts of a past life, one must never stop giving.*
I stared at the page. “Don’t give up”… on the payments? What a joke. This wasn’t a magic manual; it was a pamphlet for a holy protection racket. It was an insult to the very concept of study. If this was the kind of “scholarship” they kept in the castle, the local mages must be idiots.
I skimmed the rest, but it was all the same fluff. Not a single word on actual mana manipulation. I guess they don’t want the commoners – or the ‘uncooperative’ summoned tools – learning the real stuff.
Fine by me. My skills were clearly outside their system anyway. I had a decent handle on how my powers worked, and if real magic was this gatekept, it only made my unique abilities more valuable. I could make what I wanted, sell it under the radar, and live like a king while the “Hero” played soldier.
Of course, the “safety guarantee” meant I’d be watched. Moving from town to town might be tricky, but if I could build a reputation as a simple traveling craftsman, I could probably find an escape route eventually.
The next day, the “Saint” showed up. She was a total nightmare. Unlike the girl from before, this one drank the Kool-Aid. She actually believed everything the priests told her. She was furious about the “injustice” of our situation, but her anger was directed at the soldiers who were executed for ‘failing’ to imprison us properly. She was calling it a “tragedy” right in front of the maid.
Read the room, lady, I thought. You’re crying over the guys who threw us in a hole because the King killed them for being sloppy.
Worse, she was already obsessed with her assigned caretaker. She spent twenty minutes gushing about how “kind and handsome” he was. I eventually had to cut her off.
”So, what are you actually here for?” I asked.
”Oh! I heard you were teaching people things, and I wanted to learn too!” she chirped.
”You haven’t asked a single question about magic or the world since you got here,” I pointed out.
”Excuse me? I’m your upperclassman, you know!” she snapped, glaring at me.
”Is that so? Well, since you’re so much more experienced, I guess a junior like me has nothing to teach you.”
”Fine then! Be that way!” she huffed and stormed out.
Yeah, she’s a landmine⁸. The second things get real, she’s going to fall apart or sell us out. I’ll take the “Sage” over the “Saint” any day.
—
Summary:
Ibuki begins experimenting with his Crafter skill in his castle room, discovering how to store, synthesize, and process items. He realizes that even small crafting actions consume significant mana, leaving him lethargic. Sato (the Sage) visits him, and Ibuki helps her realize that she can trigger her own magic through sheer intent, proving they both have ‘cheat’ abilities.
The protagonist reconciles with the ‘Sage’ girl, realizing they share a mutual distrust of the kingdom. He begins researching history and magic through castle books, only to discover the history is royal propaganda and the magic ‘manual’ is a religious scam for tithes. His session is interrupted by the ‘Saint,’ whose naive devotion to the kingdom and her caretaker confirms her status as a liability.
—
Trivia:
- Ibuki is weak to ‘honey traps’ and emotional appeals.
- The Maid’s coldness is actually a relief to Ibuki because he doesn’t want to be pried into.
- Ibuki’s Crafter UI has a ‘Base’ tab that is currently empty.
- He can store items from at least thirty feet away.
- Synthesizing multiple small items into one larger item works but consumes mana.
- Processing/mixing items without a recipe results in generic icons with no names.
- The protagonist mentions the ‘severed heads’ incident again, highlighting the kingdom’s brutality.
- The King executed the soldiers who initially imprisoned the summons to look ‘just’ in front of the Heroes.
- The protagonist’s ability to read the new language feels invasive, implying mental tampering during summoning.
- The ‘Demon Race’ in this world are visually similar to Beastmen.
- The ‘Saint’ and ‘Sage’ designations are informal labels used by the protagonist, not necessarily their official titles
—
Character Insight:
Ibuki shows a high level of mental resilience and adaptability, consciously detaching his emotions to stay sharp. His gamer instincts are his primary survival tool. Sato shows extreme anxiety regarding surveillance, suggesting she feels trapped by the kingdom.
The protagonist shows a protective streak toward the ‘Sage’ while hardening his heart against the ‘Saint.’ He is strategically planning a life as a traveling craftsman rather than a hero, showing his desire for autonomy.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The protagonist’s name ‘Ibuki’ translates loosely to ‘breath’ or ‘vitality,’ contrasting with his currently low mana capacity.
The author uses the magic book to parody ‘Pay-to-Win’ mechanics and religious corruption, a common trope in cynical isekai web novels.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Hero – Ibuki’s upperclassman from Earth—summoned as the naive Hero with emotional, mentally fragile personality. Empathetic yet reluctant and inadequate-feeling, lacking survival instincts and political skills. Currently in despair and terrified by his situation.
• Sato – Female upperclassman summoned as the Sage—a Japanese woman grounded and cautious alongside the protagonist. Highly emotional, prone to sobbing while comforting the Saint, she hides fear but seeks mutual support. Exhibits jito-eye (scornful half-closed stare) when annoyed.
• Ibuki – High school student summoned from Earth—pragmatic, cynical, survival-oriented Crafter (production-class) from a poor family. Strategically submissive yet internally rebellious, observant with high-efficiency magic from past-life memories. Wears school uniform, displays ‘bitter’ expression to manipulate, fan of crafting/tower defense games while protective of his unique skill and ‘ability’ status.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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