Deal with the Lich Principal
-Cough. Cough. I must have shown some unseemly behavior just now.
"Did someone forcibly castrate you back in the day?"
-…….
The principal's reaction made the corner of my mouth twitch.
What the hell? For real?
'No way he got beaten into submission and reformed, right?'
Not just the principal—plenty of others feared the name Arcana.
What if he'd done the same to them…….
'Lucky he didn't get arrested.'
-You don't need to know.
He hurriedly changed the subject. That only fueled my suspicions.
'Looks like it's true.'
If it really was? Kinda pitiful…… but also not.
-More importantly, why are you out here? The War God ended the great war long ago and chose to vanish.
I hesitated for a moment. Should I tell him why I'd come out?
'He's a cardinal of the Light God's church…… should be fine…… but he's a lich…….'
Reading my irreverent gaze, the lich bristled.
-I've devoted everything to the gods!
"Yeah, yeah, I believe you. I do, but…… your appearance is kinda……."
-You're not believing a word!
"Calm down. Would you buy it? Anyway, enough of that—what did you come here for? Get to the point."
I swiftly steered the conversation back.
The lich let out a soft sigh, still looking dissatisfied as he crossed his bony arms.
-You. Come to Sky Academy.
"?"
I thought I'd misheard.
"What was that?"
An invitation to enroll in Sky Academy.
Not weird in itself.
But the problem was…….
'Does he not know I was planning to enroll anyway?'
My current goal was to get into Sky Academy.
I shot Nipella a subtle glance.
He replied with a quick nod: 'It's better to be invited because they want you, rather than just showing up on your own.'
Wait, you're a professor— is that allowed?
'No rule against it.'
His own workplace wouldn't suffer; it was just one more priest joining.
I quickly schooled my face into a poker expression.
"What exactly do you mean by 'enroll'?"
-I founded the academy to prepare for the future. We need talent, but last year's class was the worst—total duds…… So we need more like you.
"I'm a War God priest, though?"
-……We, we can't discriminate based on religion.
I can see you're scared right now, dude.
But honestly? No downside here.
Enrolling on the principal's personal invitation?
'That's basically special privileges.'
Sure, it'd draw eyes, but that wasn't my problem.
I didn't love the attention, but turning it down just to avoid stares would be weird.
"What do I get out of it?"
-Full coverage of all costs except tuition, and enrollment as a 'special admissions' student.
"Special admissions? What's that?"
-Wait, a 17-year-old who doesn't…… cough. Right, you lived in the forest.
He's totally mocking my common knowledge gap.
The lich shrugged casually, subtly screwing with me.
-Exactly what it sounds like. You'll enter as a student under my personal favor.
"Why?"
-……Why? It's an honor everyone wants.
"I'm a War God priest, though?"
Nothing's more honorable than my god.
"Can't I get something more like…… this instead?"
I rubbed my fingers together in a money gesture.
-……You're a priest.
"Priests rake in cash these days."
-…….
At a loss for words, the lich finally nodded.
-……Fine. No money, but I'll grant one wish instead.
"I like money."
-Even seeing me like this, you still want cash?
"What about a building?"
-Only the dorms at Sky Academy. Want that?
What? A cardinal who's broke?
He looks like he'd make bank from shady experiments, but apparently he follows the law.
'Bummer. Wait…… if not money, what do I even want?'
Academy stuff was fully covered anyway. A building? No dorm for me.
'Then…….'
It was a bit opportunistic, but I had one thing in mind.
'Gotta go for that.'
I grinned and extended my hand to the lich.
"Deal. Looking forward to working with you, Principal."
-Quick decision—good. This promise, on my name, will absolutely be fulfilled.
His bony hand clasped mine with a clatter.
Mana surged from the lich. Murkier than normal mana, laced with divine power that forcibly twisted it—a bizarre, bluish energy etched letters into the air.
"The bearer shall enroll at Sky Academy as a special student."
"All costs covered; one wish granted."
"Bound by the principal's name."
"……!"
A pact sealed between us.
Was this what 'on my name' meant? The mana pressure whipped my hair around.
Wide-eyed at the spectacle, the lich clattered his jaw in satisfaction.
-Decisive choice. Like you planned it all along.
"……Cough! Cough!"
Seeing my quick agreement, my reaction, and Nipella averting his eyes, the lich's gaze sharpened.
-……You were planning to enroll anyway, weren't y—
"So, Lord Karma. Who's this other person you said would see me?"
"They'll arrive tomorrow morning—I'll introduce you then. Rest up for today."
"Sounds good? Principal, you should head back."
-……This is contract fraud!
"Come on, fraud?"
I'd have gotten in anyway just sitting tight, but full coverage and a wish on top?
This was pure freebie.
"Hey, calm down. Your mana’s fluctuating. Oh, and I'll use my wish now."
-……What is it?
"Gotta head to the dorms—is that okay? Or……."
"Shall I call a servant to carry your luggage?"
Getting what I wanted, I nodded at the Karma earl's words.
"Yes, please."
The servants grunted as they hauled my bundled luggage.
I unwrapped the tightest-wrapped one.
"Hey. Come out."
-…….
From the bundle's depths, a wriggling liquid monster…… well, the shadow I'd sealed inside poked its head out.
-……I sense an insanely ominous aura outside.
"Wanna get hit or come out nice?"
-I'll come out nice.
The shadow obediently slithered up. I grabbed its nape (or whatever) and hoisted it.
-……What's this?
"Dunno the name—looks like a familiar summoned by a black mage? But it didn't unsummon after the mage died."
-This is…… a rare case. By calling itself a black mage, it stepped beyond being a mere familiar. Self-awareness too…… You're a hell slime. A mutant?
-L-Lich?! Why is a lich here……?!
Facing a superior being, the shadow looked ready to foam at the mouth and collapse.
-N-No, a lich, but why's it half-infused with divine power……?
Leaving the confused shadow, the principal and I talked.
-Hmm. Want me to kill it? If you're offering, I'd buy this slime.
"Nah. Wondered if you knew how to purify it."
-……Purify?
"Yeah. Purify. Not kill. Like…… total mana removal surgery?"
-……As a mutant, it's possible. Hell slimes specialize in 'transformation,' and with self-awareness…… yeah.
"Help me out then. Oh, can I bring pets to the academy?"
Was a slime even a pet?
-Yes. But you'll have to take Divine Beast Studies.
"Fine by me."
-Not something to decide lightly…… whatever. I'll remove its mana. If you want, I can even help turn it into a divine beast.
For some reason, the lich seemed pleased with the situation.
"Sweet. Thanks."
I plopped the slime on an empty table.
Shot the earl an apologetic glance, but he gentlemanly shook his head.
"It's fine. I accounted for everything when I called you. Meeting a famed War God priest is an honor in itself."
"You'll keep this quiet, right?"
"I'm one of the few who know the principal's true identity. We've already signed contracts—no worries."
"Want an autograph later?"
"I'll treasure it."
Just a joke.
But his serious reply puffed me up a bit.
"Hey. Shadow."
-……Mana removal? Nooo!
"Why not? You'll die otherwise."
-Th-That's like neutering a pet……!
Uh…….
"But I can't take you otherwise. If I hadn't bundled you up, you'd be training slime fodder by now, right?"
Nipella nodded along.
"Exactly. His Holiness is mercifully sparing you."
"See?"
-B-But……!
"Relax. I'll make you a divine beast instead. Way better than dying? Divine beasts have it easier than familiars. It'll be fine."
-B-But I've been a familiar my whole life…….
"Too bad then. Principal, make me an offer—I'll sell it……."
-W-Wait! I accept! I accept!
Told you to take it easy.
The shadow ended up sobbing over its forced surgery.
-You're so unfair! Sob.
-Don't cry. It's fate. If you wanna complain, shouldn't have gotten caught.
The principal clicked his tongue and prepared the spell.
His hands moved fast, drawing runes like a surgeon coating his in mana.
-Why turn it into a divine beast? You don't need it that bad.
I pondered the lich's question.
'Why am I doing this?'
Useful? Honestly, the shadow's combat power was near zero.
Black magic? One blast of divine power and done.
So why burn a wish on this?
"……Pet? Friend? That vibe?"
I shrugged.
"Dunno. Maybe I've grown attached."
-You're a loner?
"I got bullied in school."
-……Sorry. Wait—you lived in the forest?
"Secret."
-…….
The lich shook his head like he'd seen every freak there was.
About an hour later, the mana from the shadow was cleanly gone.
The extracted mana flowed out at the lich's gesture, purified by pre-infused divine power and vanished.
-Come here.
I approached obediently.
The lich pointed at the now-transparent shadow—no, slime.
-Breathe divine power into it now. Follow my gestures—slowly fill its body. Its core essence won't fully change, but if you contract with it, it'll live as a divine beast forever.
Honestly, his lich looks didn't inspire trust.
But that weird mana, the cardinal ID earlier, and principal status…… one shot couldn't hurt.
'Focus.'
I narrowed my eyes, moving divine power per his gestures.
Thinking 'fail and it dies,' nearby sounds faded—only his hands and my divine power remained.
-Have…… you done this before?
The lich said something, but it sank into darkness.
-This talent…… impossible.
Fill with divine power, replace old mana paths.
Tracing vein-like circuits, I hit a blockage.
The slime's 'core.'
'The core's made of mana.'
Like a heart, constantly pumping mana through the shadow's body.
'Leave it, and it'll die.'
Why didn't the familiar die post-summoner? It was sustaining itself.
Life force draining nonstop.
Can I save it?
Normally untouchable, but ignoring meant death sentence—and still a familiar at heart.
'I can do it.'
The War God's blood-red divine power—Arcana's alone—had unique properties.
War dyes earth and man in blood, builds anew from nothing, topples the old.
Crackle!
Instinctively, I wrapped the core in divine power.
Shoved it in hard. Like salt in water, it melted smoothly; the core shuddered.
Infused power rampaged. Swelled like it’d burst.
'Settle!'
I crushed it with iron will.
Divine power's just energy!
'A tool acting up? Stay down!'
Forced under, the wild power calmed bit by bit. Bloated to bursting…… but it seeped in successfully.
'Did it work?'
I opened my eyes. Mumbled without thinking.
"……We're fucked."
The massively swollen slime body, the lich's panicked face.
I instinctively covered my face with my arms, wrapping everyone in divine power.
A brief silence—
……BOOM!!!!
A red explosion swallowed the guest room.