Episode 1 Stagnation of Scientific Civilization

　One day in the 21st century, electronic devices using integrated circuits and the like stopped working. Scientists and engineers began to research and made a hypothesis.

　It seems that the earth was surrounded by unknown elementary particles that obstruct the flow of electricity in integrated circuits. The hypothesis was established, but humankind had lost the means to prove it.

　In order to prove it, it was necessary to make full use of advanced electronic devices to investigate. The mysterious elementary particles have come to be called 'Disturb particles' or 'D-particles'. It is said to be one of the types of dark matter.

　The scientific civilization of the earth has had to change the direction of development. And D-particles cause a mysterious phenomenon on the earth. Dungeons have appeared in various parts of the earth.

　It turns out that monsters live in the dungeon, and if you defeat them, magic stones will drop. The scholars who studied the magic stones they brought back wondered if it was a substance composed of mutated elementary particles of D-particles.

　D-particles also affected humans. The number of people with strange abilities has begun to increase. This ability came to be called "magic", and it was systematized by repeating experiments and research and developed as a magic technique.

　Humans have acquired a magical civilization in exchange for losing a high-level mechanical civilization.

　In Japan, a world that has been changed into such a world, There was a boy called Sakaki Grimm. In the city of Shibuchi, at the Jibik Magic Academy that teaches magical techniques, he is a teacher who is in charge of odd jobs.

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"Grimm, repair this armor."

　Gouda, a teacher of muscle magic, threw three pieces of leather armor at me. I can't catch them and drop them.

"Don't be sloppy. Don't fall down from just that."

　I was angry and frustrated by his words, but my opponent was a magician with powerful combat power.

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"Excuse me"

　I apologized and got up and headed for the janitor's hut at the end of the academy with leather armor. This is the hut used by the janitor and is now my residence.

　When I open the door, I can see the wooden floor and the workbench, chairs, and equipment shelves. There are no TVs or audio equipment. I took off my shoes and took out a glass bottle containing a piece of leather from the equipment shelf.

　I take out the blue lizard leather used for leather armor from the glass bottle. I cut it with a special tool so that it would be the same size as the damaged part of the leather armor. Then, when I press the cut leather against the damaged part, I use magic.

　Activating the magic of restoration called 'Repair'. Magical power flows out of my body, and the magical power wraps around the damaged part and the applied leather. The controlled magical power deforms the leather and fuses it with the damaged part to repair it.

　With normal 'Repair', marks are left on the damaged part, but the scratches have completely disappeared due to exquisite magic control. I smile and look for the next damaged part.

　After repairing all the scratches, I apply 'Clean', the magic of purification and cleaning, to the leather armor. The leather armor is as good as new.

"OK, the repair is complete."

　At that time, there was a voice calling my name from outside. When I open the door, the principal, Kiryuuin, is standing there.

"Grimm, I brought you a souvenir."

　In the hands of the principal, there is a box of hot spring buns, probably because he went to a hot spring.

"Thank you. Please come in. I will brew tea."

　I prepare tea and serve it to the principal. The principal drank deliciously. It seems that the principal, Kiryuuin, was a friend of my dead grandfather. So he hired me as the person in charge of odd jobs at the academy to take care of me who lost his parents.

"Hmm, did you repair the leather armor? It's a job that you would normally ask a contractor."

"No, I can do a simple repair."

"Maybe, but you're one of the teachers."

　As the person in charge of odd jobs, what it means to be a teacher is that the teacher who taught life magic retired and I was asked to be a temporary teacher until a replacement teacher was found.

　As far as magic is concerned, you can be appointed as a teacher as long as you can use magic without the need for a teacher's license. After graduating from junior high school, I learned life magic by myself while working at this school, so I can use most life magic.

"If you think this is also one way of training life magic ..."

"Yes. Did you improve your magical skills? Show me to me."

　I nodded and picked up a leather armor that hadn't been repaired yet. I repair the damaged part as before. The principal nodded as if he was impressed.

"It's amazing. You have great magic control. How wonderful an adventurer you would have been if Grimm had the talent of attack magic instead of life magic."

　Those who explore the dungeon and bring back magic stones and resources are called adventurers. Adventurers have ranks, with the highest being S-class, followed by A-class through G-class.

　I'm registered as an adventurer, but I'm the lowest G class.

"Yes, the principal. Can I dive into the giant tree dungeon of the academy?"

　The principal tilted his head.

"Is it for training?"

"No, I don't have the red iron needed to repair armor, so I want to go mining."

　Red iron is not rusted and reddish iron, but mutated red in the dungeon. It has the characteristic of not rusting. It's not far into the dungeon, so I can go mining.

"You can buy it. If you bring a receipt, it will be counted as a school expense."

"I'm sorry. I will dig for red iron."

"But even though the giant tree dungeon is a beginner dungeon, there are monsters. Will you be okay?"

"They're monsters that can be defeated without using magic."

　The principal was convinced and gave me permission.

"That's right. There is a secret in the sixth layer of the giant tree dungeon, do you know?"

"Is there a secret? I don't know."

"Well, I won't tell you, because then there will be no surprise."

　Speaking of the sixth layer of the giant tree dungeon, it is the final layer. What kind of secret is there?

　The principal is speaking on the assumption that I will go to the sixth layer of the final layer. However, for now, I'm only going to mine red iron, so I'm only going to go up to two layers.

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