This time, there will be some difficult explanations.
It won’t be a problem even if you don’t understand this, so it would be nice if you could read this not too seriously.
※ same message as the previous chapter to smartphone and hand phone users.
When I have some free time, there is a possibility that I will change the font. Until then you might just be able to read it by using a PC – if it could somewhat be read I would be happy .
(ED: In order not to trigger any smoke detectors, I hope that all of you bring a gla.s.s of water before reading this)
In response to my muttering, both Onii-chan and mother raised a surprised 「Eh?!」 in harmony.
But, I didn’t have time to react to their cries.
I placed both of my hands in front of my face to concentrate on deciphering, jumping into my sea of thought.
In my previous life, I have seen something that resembles this spell.
Or rather, I’ve even written and created it before.
Programming language, does it sound familiar to you?
It is a language that is written as『commands』that machines can understand.
The commands which are written in programming language, after undergoing a process called 「compiling」, will be converted into machine language.
When someone heard about machine language, they would likely think [what the heck is that?] . Roughly put, it often appears in sci-fi movies as the black colored terminal screen with [010111001] parsing in green.[1]
When you ask people to write that out, they will surely die. [2]
Also, different people have different ways of writing and using phrases, and thus it is impossible to translate all that into machine language.
That’s why a language with syntax rules which were easy to convert into machine language is needed.
That is what we call programming language.
For example, in this case, the program will return the sum of the inputted integers.
When written out in one of the most basic programming languages “C programming language”, it will look something like this.
int Addition(int value1, int value2)
int sum;
sum = value1 + value2;
return sum;
Actually, the whole thing requires three processes.
「Value 1 and value 2 which are to be summed must be inputted, then transferred to the next program.」
「The received value 1 and value 2’s sum is calculated then transferred again to the next program.」
「The result of the summed values is displayed.」
The above would only complete the second process, where「the received value 1 and value 2’s sum is calculated then transferred again to the next program.」This program above is nowhere near enough to complete it’s function.
If I were translate this command into j.a.panese, it will look something like this. [3]
Let’s name this function that processes integers as 「Addition (Sum)」.[4]
(The two inputted integer values 「value 1」 and 「 value 2 」 are stored. ）
This time let’s name the function that will create a storage s.p.a.ce for the integer values as 「Total Sum」
a.s.sign the total sum value of 「value 1」 and 「value 2 」 into 「Total Sum」
Return it to「Total Sum」
Well, now let’s take a look at that spell again.
ฎธๅ ฬฎธค_ญใฉม€โ ╞ ข๏ฎค ╡
ฬฎธค ฿ ฬฎธค – σ₀₀₀Ƃ
โ€ๅษโธ ฬฎธคƂ
I finally understood the reason for my loss of words.
Accidental? Or maybe it was inevitable.
Like how when you compare 「blades」 from all over the world they all have similar shapes ….. Could it be that「commands」will end up having similar forms as well?
…… No, for now that is secondary.
Spell deciphering comes first.
The first that comes to mind is 「ฬฎธค_ญใฉม€โ」; I am certain that this is the name of the magic.
Just like how an addition program is called [Addition] , I guess the name is essential in order to invoke it.
If that is the case, then the previous 「ฎธๅ」probably designates the operating formula of the spell which will control the target.
Since this spell is supposed to be the most basic spell, perhaps this stands for the「Integer value」 .
Then the next 「╞ ข๏ฎค ╡」should be where you specify the name of the target of the spell.
However, because the writing is awfully short, I a.s.sume that this one means 「receives nothing」. [5]
Then, about the next 「ใฉธค ฎธๅ ฬฎธคƂ」, there is no mistake that the 「Ƃ」 at the end of the sentence is a punctuation mark. Maybe it means something like 「execute the command」.
Furthermore, this 「ฬฎธค」 part has the same word as the first half part of 「ฬฎธค_ญใฉม€โ」.
In other words, if the spell’s name really is 「wind_attack」, then it will mean 「wind」.
As for this 「ใฉธค ฎธๅ」 part, it must be the operation that designates the method used to handle「wind」.
If I were to say more about it, due to this spell having the design 「receives nothing」, then I suppose this one is for designating the target.
If it’s not for designating a target, then the spell would end up in limbo.
Basically, it’s function is to a.s.sign this command to 「wind」, a.s.sign a target for wind and furthermore, name it as 「ฬฎธค」.
In the line after that verse there is「ฬฎธค ฿ ฬฎธค – σ₀₀₀Ƃ」, which had two repeated「ฬฎธค」.
If the previous part describes the wind’s target, then I think that this part is where I should input the description of what kind of command I want to give.
From the format, it seems to a.s.sign something like a numerical value to the wind.
This is just a hunch, but most likely something like「add 200 to wind speed」is written there.
When I see the 「- σ₀₀₀」 written on it, I’m reminded of subtraction… but since it is uncertain whether this world would have the same symbols as Earth did, I abandoned that presumption.
And finally, the last 「โ€ๅษโธ ฬฎธคƂ」.
I’m sure that this part function is to give the command to return(display) the「wind」 after calculation.
If I recapped the above in j.a.panese, it would become something like this.
Generate magic with the name 「ฬฎธค_ญใฉม€โ」.
╞ receives nothing ╡
Appoint a target, and name it as「ฬฎธค」 .
Add a numerical value to 「ฬฎธค」
Return (display)「ฬฎธค」 after calculation.
The problem now, I needed to recite the name of the spell which is 「ฬฎธค_ญใฉม€โ」 to invoke the spell.
Even for an actual program, to have it function after creation, a name must be a.s.signed to it.
…… No, wait a second. Since we may usually freely name it whatever we wish, wouldn’t it be okay to give it any name I please?
As I have nothing to lose, I replaced the 「ฬฎธค_ญใฉม€โ」 part on the dried skin with the kanji「風魔法」(Wind Magic).
And then I tried to chant it while my eyes viewed the spell.
「Wind magic」
…………
But nothing happened!
I thought about giving up, but then I was confronted against Onii-chan and mother staring from the side… L, let me try again.
Let’s think of reasons why the magic did not activate.
1, One must chant all the spell in it’s entirety.
2, In the first place, it can’t be invoked because mana was insufficient.
3, Skill and special items are required to use magic.
4, You can’t use magic with an Earthling’s const.i.tution.
5, You can’t mix j.a.panese into the spell, even though it is only in the name part.
6, My interpretation toward this basic spell had been fundamentally wrong.
If those really were the reasons, then it would be checkmate for me.
I try to think of other better possibilities that were better than the above as much as possible.
The first one, could「receives nothing」not be the meaning of「╞ ข๏ฎค ╡」?
No, if that is true, then the thing that resembles a name right below should have longer sentences. At the least, it shouldn’t end with just one sentence.
Or perhaps it is necessary for me to clearly understand these 2 lines,「ใฉธค ฎธๅ ฬฎธคƂ」and「ฬฎธค ฿ ฬฎธค – σ₀₀₀Ƃ」.
In the first place, what kind of calculation can produce wind?
As far as I see from the picture, it looks like there is wind coming out from the palm of the hand.
No, or rather the wind speed of the air increases after it touches the palm of the hand… Hmmm, it doesn’t quite look like that.
Ah, maybe it’s the air pressure that is increasing! If it is like that, then the difference of air pressure will trigger wind.
So 「ใฉธค ฎธๅ ฬฎธคƂ」can be interpreted as 「name the thing that touches my hands「wind」.」
Then this 「ฬฎธค ฿ ฬฎธค – σ₀₀₀Ƃ」should be something like「increase air pressure」.
「Ah…」
It suddenly occurred to me and I flip through the pages yet again.
When I did that, I found what I was searching for at the furthest most pages.
₀ Î ╕ ó ¢σ ¿ ץ ¤ ç
Right, the number is exactly ‘ten’!
It seemed like as if each of those letters corresponded with each other, this world’s characters for their ‘numbers’ must be written there.
I can’t read either but the「₀」 and 「σ」 look exactly the same with the ones in the spell, so these must be the letters that are used in the spell.
This is probably the characters that represent the「numbers」 0 to 9. It seems this world uses the decimal system as well. [6]
I don’t know if the order is 「0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9」 or 「1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0」, but if I used the former, then 「σ₀₀₀」 will mean 「5000」 and if I used the latter, it will mean 「6111」. If I think about it rationally, it doesn’t make sense if it is 「6111」, so I will go with 「5000」 then.
If it is like that, then I suppose it will become this「add/multiply the quant.i.ty of the air pressure by 5000」.
…… I don’t know the units used, but I wonder when the air pressure suddenly rises up to 5000 on the palm of my hand, will I still be alright?
…… However, because it has already been written in the grimoire, I will believe that this is safe.
The word「ฎธๅ」which was used for naming, I suppose it is not wrong to use it as 「Integer」.
All right, now I have already corrected my knowledge, let’s give it a specific command then.
ฎธๅ Wind Magic ╞ ข๏ฎค ╡
ฬฎธค ฿ ฬฎธค – σ₀₀₀Ƃ
โ€ๅษโธ ฬฎธคƂ
| Create a spell that controls an integer valued event and name it 「Wind Magic」
╞ receives nothing ╡
Name what is touching my hand as 「ฬฎธค」 and give it an integer value.
Add a value of 5000 in air pressure to 「ฬฎธค」, a.s.sign the new value to 「ฬฎธค」.
Display resulting 「ฬฎธค」 after calculation.
「―――『Wind Magic』」
That moment when I recited the magic name.
From the middble of my right hand palm that I lifted, strong wind burst out.
「Hyaan ! ?」
「Uwaa !」
「Kyaa !」
As soon as the three of us, me, Onii-chan and mother, received the sudden gust, we couldn’t withstand it and we tumbled along with it.
Especially for Onii-chan and I, whose weight are light, we rolled over a few times back until our heads. .h.i.t the wall.
However, none of us cried due to the pain.
Because it was not the time for that.
As I gasped, looking at my right hand, I then shifted my gaze to Onii-chan and mother.
Both of them were also gaping speechless, while exchanging glances with each other’s face.
Inside the house where everything had been scattered around because of the appearance the sudden gust, what could be heard was only my hoa.r.s.e voice which resounded in the emptiness.
「I… I invoked, it…」
On that day, I became a 『magician』.
(ED: Hopefully all of you don’t have any smoke coming out from your brain in the end of this explanation, all of these things about integer, return, void, and wind are heavy. And also, why do I feel this is more like sci-fi genre than fantasy genre?)
(TLC: Not really. I had smoke coming out of my ears fixing the terms. The j.a.panese have weirdly translated some programming terms. Soul is escaping my body…)
(TL : now let’s summarize the lesson today ^^ *pachi* *pachi* ~ magic = programing language , no wonder there’s not much people can do magic)
[1] (ED: OMG, those binary numbers look intimidating) (TLC: You have no idea… wait till you see octals and hexadecimals. Shudder.)(TL : oxe .. what ? heks? curse ?)
[2] (TL : indeed )
[3] (TLC: in this case English.)
[4] (TL : It’s actually just [Addition] but the Raw added (足し算), which means the same thing. So I translated it into the above instead of [Addition (addition)] )
[5] (TL: IDK WHY!) (ED: Receives nothing -> Void …. Chronosphere out of nowhere???) (TLC: that’s some logic there…)
[6] (TLC: decimal system: counting in tens)