[EN] Episode 0 - Prologue

In the southern federation of the Western Continent lies the Magic Kingdom of Wizadryon, renowned for its magic and Magitech.


True to its nature, people were ranked according to the magical aptitude they were born with, and their social standing was determined accordingly.


Yet, individuals seeking to change this social structure have existed throughout the ages.
This man, currently immersed in his research, the eccentric and renowned Magitech engineer Dr. Steyer, was one such person.


His desk was cluttered with various blueprints imported from foreign lands.
Most of the blueprints were for a new weapon recently developed in the Maritime Kingdom: a gun that fired lead projectiles using a substance called gunpowder, imported from the eastern lands.


Not only blueprints, but on his workbench were a musket fixed to a stand and a revolver lying in the corner.


He was risking danger to smuggle in and study firearms that had caused problems by shooting countless mages dead in past wars.


What he was fiddling with in his hands was an awkward contraption, resembling a wizard's staff forcibly shaped into a gun.


An enchanted crystal sphere, typically used on wands, was embedded in the middle. The end that should have been the muzzle wasn't a hole but was covered in metal.
“It really was mithril! Just a little more and...!”


Just as he was feeling satisfied with the progress in his research, someone knocked on his door.


Startled, he hastily grabbed the two firearms rolling around on his workbench, shoved them into a drawer beneath it, and slammed it shut.
If caught smuggling firearms—weapons mages intensely despised—he'd surely be treated as a felon.


As he stood to open the door, he suddenly realized the blueprints could also cause trouble. Swiftly, he swept his arm across the desk, forcing the blueprints into the drawer as well.


After hastily adjusting his clothes, he approached the front door. Opening it, he saw a familiar figure clad in a black robe.
“Ah, it's you! What brings you here at this hour?”
“……With the weather like this, I thought I'd drop by for a cup of tea.”


Dr. Steyer welcomed his old friend, who spoke in a somewhat subdued voice, inside.
Outside, it was the height of the rainy season, and the rain was pouring down.
Of course, being from the Magic Kingdom, a simple defensive barrier spell meant the rain itself wasn't a problem, but there was no avoiding the chill.


Seating his friend by the hearth, he soon returned from the kitchen with a tea set and served the drink.
“How have things been lately? It's been hard to catch a glimpse of you since you were scouted by the royal palace.”
“Thanks to those who value my humble talents, I'm running myself ragged.”
“Ha ha ha! Your talent ranks among the top five of our class! Those high-ranking officials certainly have an eye for talent!”


The man, watching Dr. Steyer rejoice as if it were his own achievement, hesitated, pursing his lips.


Seeing this, Dr. Steyr suddenly thought his friend might be hungry. He headed back to the kitchen and began fetching crackers.
“Good grief, I've been so busy with research lately, I keep forgetting things.”
“Same as ever, Steyr. You're still pouring yourself into your research.”


Scratching the back of his head sheepishly at his friend's words, the doctor blushed.
“You know it. I don't have your talent.”
“...But you're renowned as the most brilliant Magitech expert among our peers.”
“That's all I've got.”


Watching his friend smile sadly, the man slowly drew his wand from his coat.
“Huh? What's going on?”
The Doctor tilted his head, puzzled that magic requiring tools would be used indoors.
The hand holding the wand, which had been trembling slightly, gradually steadied.
Resolved, the man aimed his wand at the Doctor.


“Hey, buddy! What the...?”
“I'm sorry, Doctor.”
“......! So that's it.”


Understanding everything with that alone, Dr. Steyer rose from his seat, raised both hands, and slowly turned his back to the workbench.
Following that movement, the man who stood facing him also kept his wand aimed, looking at his old friend with complex emotions.


“Why? I never did anything that would harm the kingdom...”
“......”
“...Right. Of course. You were merely following orders.”
“......”
“What are you doing? We need to finish this.”
“...Any final words?”
“...Please, stay well.”
“...!”


The incantation for the 6th Circle Fire Magic, Natural Ignition, was murmured softly within the house. Seconds later, nothing remained where the Doctor had stood but faint soot and a small pile of ashes.


Soon, a man accompanied by masked mages entered the house quietly. As he stepped out, he gave them quiet instructions.
“Retrieve everything inside the drawers. Then burn the house clean.”
“What? Retrieve it?”


When a masked subordinate looked puzzled, the man slipped on his own mask and ordered in a quiet, almost whispered tone.
“It's an order from the royal palace. All research materials are to be confiscated, just in case.”
“So, are we sending everything to the palace?”
“No. I will personally take responsibility for disposing of all the recovered items.”
“Ah, understood.”


Dr. Steyer was recorded as having perished in an explosion during a dangerous experiment, his house burned to the ground along with him.
What he was researching until his final moments remains unknown, all records lost.


Thus, his name faded from memory in the Magic Kingdom.


*


Present.
At the village cemetery, a boy stood paying his respects, holding a bouquet of flowers.
After placing the bouquet before the tombstone, the boy personally pulled weeds sprouting around it, tossing them far away to tidy the area.


As he wiped the slightly dusty tombstone with a cloth, the name engraved upon it became clearly visible.


<Dr. Steyr Mustang>


The boy gazed at the name, lost in thought for a moment.
He still found it hard to accept that his grandfather, the respected magitech engineer, had died in an accident while conducting dangerous research.
“......”


Soon, the sound of the academy bell ringing in the distance reached his ears. The boy brushed himself off, stood up, and looked down at the tombstone.
“I'll be back, Grandfather.”


The nameplate on the school robe draped over the boy's shoulders glinted in the morning sunlight.


<Wingester S. Mustang>


The boy, the eldest son of the Mustang family and grandson of Dr. Steyr, set off toward the academy.
Spring of his eighth year—the journey to become a magician had finally begun.


The boy still did not know.
Not the deeds he would accomplish, nor the events that would unfold in this nation because of them.
Thus began the tale of the Mage Hunter, who would later be known as the Hero.


-Prologue END-