I spent my mornings and afternoons immersed in the study of swordsmanship and "Void"¹, occasionally dropping by Void Town. At night, I retreated to the Forbidden Library to hoard knowledge. In the midst of these frantic days, my birthday arrived before I knew it. I was now twelve years old, and my height had finally broken the 150-centimeter mark. I could only hope to keep growing at such a steady pace.
Currently, I was pouring a particular amount of passion into healing magic. In the world of Ronzolkia, healing magic was an exceptionally rare skill. It was said that once you mastered it, you would never have to worry about putting food on the table for the rest of your life. (I see... so it's less of a 'magic' and more of a 'technical skill,' then.)
The mechanics of healing magic differed greatly from the game. In the original Ronzolkia, the process was a simple loop: activate magic, consume mana, and heal damage. In this world, however, it functioned by using mana to manually regenerate cells and knit fractured tissues back together. To successfully cast it, one needed three distinct elements: high-level mana manipulation, an intimate understanding of human anatomy, and profound medical knowledge.
To put it bluntly, it was a massive headache. I finally understood why the skill was considered so rare. (Still, if I master this, my survival rate will skyrocket.) I had already mastered "Void Possession," so my defensive capabilities were quite formidable. If I added healing magic to the mix, my protection would become absolute. For that reason, I had spent the last several days scouring medical texts.
(...Alright. I think I've had enough of the theory.)
I understood the basics well enough. What I needed now was an experiment-no, a test subject. Not that either. Right. I needed a "collaborator."
The following afternoon, I headed out into the streets of the Heisenberg territory. After strolling down the main thoroughfare for a while, I decided the location would work. I turned toward a clinic that happened to catch my eye. I reached out my right hand to knock on the door, then stopped just short of the wood. I was a lazy, arrogant villainous noble; such polite gestures were strictly off-limits. I kicked the door open with a crash, making a dynamic entrance into the facility.
"Wh-What!?" someone yelled.
"What's all the rack-gah!?"
"Could it be... Hollow-sama!?"
A shockwave of terror convulsed the clinic. It was only natural; within the Heisenberg lands, I was treated as a "taboo" existence. The original Hollow would ruthlessly hunt down anything-or anyone-that displeased him. If you lost his favor, your life in this town was effectively over.
Normally, my father, the Lord, should have stepped in to restrain me, but he was too busy racing across the country trying to break my mother's curse. He couldn't spare the time for my upbringing. As a result, his idiotic son's arrogance had been allowed to run wild.
With that kind of reputation, the people of Heisenberg lived in absolute fear of me. As a suffocating tension filled the room, an elderly man who appeared to be the director scurried forward. He knelt on the spot, eyes cast down as he sought my intentions.
"H-Hollow-sama, what brings you to our humble clinic today...?" the man asked.
"Nothing special," I replied, sitting down in a nearby chair and crossing my legs. "I've just come to observe for a bit. What are you standing around for? Get back to work. Don't waste my time."
"H-Yes, sir!"
The director scrambled into motion, and the other doctors followed suit. They were clearly conscious of my gaze; their movements were stiff and awkward. I felt truly sorry-it was only for today, so I hoped they could forgive me. While mentally apologizing, I observed the doctors' craftsmanship from a distance.
(...I see...)
The old saying was right: seeing once was better than hearing a hundred times. I had gathered a mountain of medical knowledge in the Forbidden Library, but seeing it practiced was a different beast entirely. And experiencing it once would be better than seeing it a hundred times. I had watched plenty of healing magic today, but I suspected actually performing it would feel completely different.
(...I'd like to try it out on someone soon...)
I wondered if there were any "conveniently injured" people around. Just as I was looking around, hiding my growing restlessness, the clinic door was thrown open with a bang. Two adventurers burst inside.
"Hah... hah... Please! Help my friend...!"
The male Swordsman had an expression of pure agony as he carried a female Mage drenched in blood. She had deep claw marks along her body, likely from being mauled by a magical beast. As the metallic scent of blood filled the room, the nurses sprang into action.
"This is terrible...! Get the blood transfusion kits ready, now!"
"Bring every potion we have in stock!"
The female Mage was rushed onto an examination table. The Swordsman stayed by her side, clutching her hand tightly as he tried to offer words of comfort.
"You're going to be okay! We made it to the hospital in Heisenberg! There are plenty of great doctors here!"
"...Yeah... thank... you..." she whispered.
Three doctors gathered around her, immediately channeling their healing magic. However, the lead doctor shook his head. "It's no use. She's lost too much blood...!"
"The regeneration and suturing can't keep up...!" another added.
"This is... it's over..."
Despite their frantic efforts, the Mage's condition continued to spiral. Her mana was flickering out, growing fainter by the second. As the embers of her life threatened to fade, she squeezed out a trembling voice.
"...Sorry... I... caused trouble... again..."
"No! You did nothing wrong!" the Swordsman cried. "This is my fault... because I'm weak!"
"I don't think... I'm going to... make it.... Our promise... I'm sorry..."
"Hey, don't say that! Don't you dare say that! Stop it! Please, just look at me! Answer me!"
The Swordsman begged her over and over, but the female Mage stopped responding. Amidst the heavy, mournful silence, the doctors exchanged glances and stopped the treatment. Healing magic required a massive amount of mana. To save as many people as possible, they could not afford to waste resources on a patient with no hope of recovery. It was a cruel, but rational, decision.
(I'm in luck. A perfect subject just fell into my lap.)
If her life was going to end anyway, I might as well make good use of it. "Move. I'll examine her," I said.
Just as I stood up to approach the Mage, the Swordsman blocked my path. "...You. You're the Heisenberg heir, aren't you?"
"What of it?"
"You said you'd 'examine' her... can you even use healing magic?"
"No, I'm still in the middle of learning," I replied. "But a perfect practice dummy just rolled in, so I thought I'd put her to use."
"...A practice... dummy...? Are you kidding me!?"
Enraged, the Swordsman lunged forward and grabbed me by the collar. The entire clinic gasped in unison.
"Wait, what are you doing!?"
"You idiot, stop! That's Hollow!" a doctor shouted. "You're going to get yourself killed!"
The doctors and nurses were practically frothing at the mouth, screaming for him to be reasonable, but the Swordsman's fury was past the point of no return. "You're not a doctor! Don't you touch her! My friend isn't a noble's toy!" He shouted his heart out, tears streaming down his face.
To grab the heir of the Heisenberg family by the collar and hurl insults was an act of pure lunacy-something that could never be overlooked. However, that raw, honest anger for the sake of a comrade was something I actually liked. Still, he was currently in my way.
"-Trash. Get your filthy hands off me."
I tensed my right fist and delivered a sharp blow to the Swordsman's solar plexus.
"Ka... hah!?"
His knees buckled. He crumpled forward, hitting the floor and twitching in a silent convulsion. I might have put a little too much into that, but it would be a pain if he kept causing a scene. I ignored the Swordsman and faced the dying Mage.
(Alright. Here we go.)
My first time using healing magic, and the patient was on the brink of death. To any observer, it was the height of recklessness. But I had confidence. If it was the prodigy Hollow von Heisenberg, a wound of this caliber was nothing. I felt a strange, absolute certainty.
I let out a soft breath and hovered my hands over her body. I began to decompose my mana to a molecular level, letting it infiltrate her flesh. She had a skull fracture, cerebral contusion, sternum fracture, and a ruptured spleen, along with a dozen other critical injuries. She was basically a corpse already.
(Alright. Let's begin.)
I closed my eyes and executed the healing magic. First: Regeneration. I transmuted my mana into her own, rebuilding missing cells, organs, and bone from scratch. Next: Suturing. I shaped my mana into gossamer threads, knitting muscle and nerves back together.
(...I see. I'm getting the hang of this.)
In healing magic, speed was everything. Once I understood the rhythm, I sharpened my focus and finished the treatment in a single burst. Behind me, the doctors let out yelps of shock.
"So fast!? Look at that regeneration speed... and his mana synchronization is perfect!"
"Such exquisite control...!"
"Wait, is he doing regeneration and suturing at the same time!?"
"This isn't human... this is divine precision...!"
A quick regeneration here, a brisk suture there-the entire process took about ten seconds.
"Hmm. I suppose that'll do," I said.
My first attempt was a success. The Mage's color had returned, and she was breathing steadily. She'd likely wake up in about an hour. Still, that was way too slow. If I was going to use this in actual combat, I needed to bring the time for a full recovery down to under a second.
While I was holding a private post-op review, the Swordsman groaned. "...Is she... saved...?" Having recovered from the blow to his gut, he stumbled toward the Mage on shaky legs.
"Naturally," I said. "Did you think I would fail just because I called it practice?"
"Th-thank you...! I... I don't know how to thank you...!" He bowed his head so low it nearly hit the floor.
"-You. Your name?"
"I-I'm Garius Brown, a B-Rank adventurer, sir!"
"Garius Brown. You grabbed me by the collar. I assume you're prepared for the consequences?"
"Yes...! My insolence toward Hollow-sama... I'll accept whatever punishment you see fit."
"Good. Then, I shall deliver my verdict."
The Heisenberg laws were famously brutal. Disrespect and assault against the Lord's son were capital offenses. The clinic went ice-cold. Doctors, nurses, and patients alike held their breath.
"In the name of Hollow von Heisenberg, I command you. -Become strong," I said.
"...Eh...?"
Garius Brown froze, looking completely bewildered.
"That Mage is your lover, isn't she? If that's the case, get stronger so you can actually protect her. Don't ever show me such a pathetic display again. Am I clear?"
"Y-Yes, sir! I am truly sorry for my actions! Thank you! Thank you so much!"
He shouted his apologies and thanks, bowing repeatedly. Onlookers began to whisper.
"He-hey... wasn't the rumor that Hollow-sama was a total monster...?"
"Look at that... what a noble verdict..."
"That kind of tolerance... he really is the true heir of Heisenberg, isn't he?"
Perfect. I've secured a solid chunk of favorability points. If the citizens' favorability drops too low, I'll trigger the "Family Burned Down" ending. It's vital to top up the points like this occasionally. Honestly, these adventurers were great. I got to test my magic and naturally boosted my reputation.
As I nodded to myself in satisfaction, the director approached me. "Truly, I am stunned. I had no idea Hollow-sama had such a gift for healing magic..."
"What are you talking about? Today was my first time," I said.
"...What?"
"I watched your techniques and copied them. Not bad, right?"
"N-Not bad? It was a miracle...! (He copied that level of skill just by watching us once!?)"
"Hmph. You exaggerate." I turned toward the exit. "If this clinic gets any cases you can't handle, send them to my mansion. I might deign to look at them every now and then."
"Th-Thank you, sir!"
Having secured the new power of healing magic, I immediately turned my thoughts toward the future. (Now... next is the Garzac Underground Dungeon.) I began my preparations for the next event without a moment's delay.
Summary:
Hollow turns twelve and decides to learn healing magic, which in this world requires surgical-level biological knowledge. He visits a local clinic to observe and ends up performing a 'miraculous' healing on a dying female Mage. Instead of punishing the adventurer who insulted him, he commands the man to become stronger to protect his comrade, successfully raising his favorability with the local citizens.
Trivia:
- Hollow is now exactly 150cm tall.
- Healing magic is not just 'mana goes in, health comes out'; it's cell regeneration and suturing.
- Hollow's father is missing from the territory because he's searching for a cure for his wife's curse.
- Hollow's current focus is avoiding the 'Family Burned Down' ending by managing citizen favorability.
- Hollow can perform parallel processing (regeneration and suturing simultaneously)
Character Insight:
Hollow demonstrates a pragmatic 'villainous' mindset—he views a dying person as a 'practice dummy,' yet his actions result in life-saving benevolence. His 'verdict' shows he values loyalty and strength, even in those who oppose him.
Behind the Scenes:
The 'Garzac Underground Dungeon' is flagged as the next major plot event.
TL Notes:
1 ↩ Void: Refers to Hollow's unique innate magic, distinct from standard elemental or holy magics.
Notes:
• Heisenberg - Lord of the Heisenberg family. One of the Four Great Noble Houses. Noted for his immense wealth and territorial holdings.
• Hollow - Ten‑year‑old heir of the Heisenberg Duke house, now 150 cm tall, sports red medium‑length hair in a ribbon‑ponytail, crimson eyes, lean build, navy jacket and black trousers. Son of Daphnes and Leila, he is a reincarnated Japanese noble wielding Origin‑Class Innate Void magic, learning healing, and plotting as a polite yet ruthless villain.
• Garius - A B-Rank adventurer and swordsman. Deeply cares for his female Mage comrade. Protective and impulsive, but shows deep gratitude and submission after his comrade is saved.