The White Mage (12)
The term beastkin did not refer to those disgusting, panting, two-legged furballs that people usually pictured. It described people who had grown animal ears, tails, or other such features. If the berserkers of Earth’s history were warriors who draped themselves in animal hides and went wild, then the berserkers of this world were a true hybrid race—half human, half animal. It was only natural that humans, who already discriminated based on skin color, would treat those with animal ears like savages. If there was any small mercy, it was that this world had never developed evolution theory or white supremacy, so the discrimination never reached truly extreme levels. For the beastkin, that was probably the only salvation they had.
“Beast Regression is a mutation-type magic that slowly reproduces animal traits in the body over a long period of time,” Tirsi said, her pen gliding across the paper as she sketched a cat-eared beastkin.
“The main side effect is the appearance of animal characteristics on the body… and also…”
She had been explaining without pause until she suddenly faltered. I immediately understood why and finished the sentence for her.
“An enlargement of the penis has also been observed, right?”
“…Yes. Depending on the individual.”
At my consideration, Tirsi opened and closed her mouth a few times before lightly patting both her cheeks. Once she had composed herself, her face settled into a cool, composed expression that suited her white hair perfectly.
“I can guess what you’re worried about, Mister Wayne. You’re concerned that someone might target the penis-enlargement effect, aren’t you?”
“Exactly.”
Her question was so direct that the earlier hesitation felt like a lie. Had she switched her mind into work mode? It seemed Tirsi was making an effort not to falter every time the word “penis” came up.
“The reason neither I nor Lucy worried about that is because the side effect of Beast Regression is not penis enlargement.”
“Excuse me?”
The side effect of Beast Regression wasn’t dick enlargement? When I looked surprised, Tirsi continued calmly.
“The side effect of this magic is simply ‘a change in part of the body.’ What kind of side effect appears is determined by the individual’s genetic traits, so it’s almost entirely random. A change to the penis is merely one possible example of that mutation phenomenon.”
“So… you’re saying there’s no guarantee that another person who uses Beast Regression will experience a change to their penis?”
“Correct. All BSK-type mutation magics have individual variations in their side effects. Some people might manifest animal ears like the beastkin. In your case, Mister Wayne, it simply appears that the side effect happened to manifest in the penis by coincidence.”
“I see.”
Fuck. That was an astonishing revelation. The fact that my dick had grown bigger wasn’t because of the magic itself, but because of my own genetic lottery.
In other words, there could be people whose dicks actually get smaller as a side effect of Beast Regression.
If the side effect was determined by genetic traits, then what kind of side effect would appear was essentially decided from birth. Just like how some people are born hating the smell of cucumbers or being prone to motion sickness.
No wonder nobody seemed interested. This was basically playing gacha with your own body. A Viking-style macho man might learn the magic hoping for a bigger dick, only to wake up as a muscle-bound nekomimi with cat ears. I myself had come dangerously close to becoming a catboy Nord who only knew how to use Nyan Nyan Wind Fist or some shit. The fact that I had drawn the “dick upgrade” result meant I had been insanely lucky.
“Hmm… but if you keep researching it, couldn’t you eventually induce a desired side effect?”
I rolled my eyes and asked. Most legendary inventions usually began with unexpected coincidences. Just as the biologist Fleming had accidentally discovered blue mold that evolved into the miracle antibiotic penicillin, wasn’t it possible that someone would research Beast Regression and eventually modify it into a dick-enhancement spell?
“No. That would be difficult. After many mages conducted repeated research, they concluded that the mutation phenomenon of ‘beast transformation’ cannot be controlled.”
Tirsi answered as if reciting a line from a textbook.
“Mutation magic is a spell filled with limitless possibilities. If the mutations could be properly controlled, it would produce wonderful results in every field—regenerating lost body parts, curing diseases, strengthening soldiers, and so on.”
“That… does make sense.”
“Yes. That’s why so many people have attempted research into mutation magic. But they all failed. Even at the main headquarters of our mages’ guild in Romania.”
So even the mages’ guild had already tried researching mutation magic. When I thought about it, it wasn’t surprising at all. Scholars were the kind of people who thought about research topics even while eating. Anything I could come up with, they had probably already tried long ago.
But they all failed?
After thinking it over, I understood. Even on Earth, steroids had been developed but the side effects couldn’t be eliminated. For similar reasons, controlling mutation magic would be an incredibly difficult research project.
“Nowhere in the world has a technique for controlling mutation magic been established. There were even national-level projects.”
Tirsi drew a flask next to her sketch and marked it with a big ×.
“That’s why researching the side effects of Beast Regression has no real meaning. All research into ‘beast transformation’ has ended in failure, and since Beast Regression uses the same principle for its side effects, it would just be repeating past failures.”
“Therefore, no one would bother targeting Beast Regression.”
“Exactly.”
Now that I knew the exact reason, I felt relieved. Beast Regression was a magic whose side effects appeared randomly depending on the user’s aptitude. No one would go after a spell like that. And even if someone did, they probably wouldn’t come all the way to me throwing a tantrum about it.
“But… I still don’t understand why the magic only works on me.”
I counted on my fingers the people who had used Beast Regression before me and spoke. The magic had only shown any effect on me. Even that Earthslayer bastard had dismissed it as nothing more than a superstition. Though I didn’t want to put too much faith in that guy’s words, it still bothered me.
When I asked, Tirsi looked slightly uncomfortable as she explained.
“I’m sorry. That’s something I don’t know either… Ulster magic has barely been researched at all.”
“Ah, right. I know. I’m an archaeologist too, after all.”
The Ulster people did not record their history in writing. Their level of civilization was also rather low. They had lived practically naked both in the past and present. With almost no ruins or artifacts left behind, there was little profit to be made even if archaeologists studied them. That was why almost nothing was known about Ulster’s history or magic.
“Well, it’s not like not knowing will kill me. As long as there are no side effects, it’s fine. This is enough.”
Even as I said that, I unconsciously recalled the inscription from the ruins.
The person named Branwen something-or-other who had left writing on the stele had described receiving the Beast Regression magic from a “bes.” The erased characters ■■■■ on the stele were probably the name of that “bes” who had passed on the magic. It could be the name of a country, a person, or even a god. In any case, the Erin people who had received Beast Regression from that “bes” must have been able to use it just like me. And at some point, they would have experienced bodily mutations as side effects. Wasn’t that the reason the Erin people of that time had considered Beast Regression a “curse”?
At the very least, that side effect must have been something far removed from a dick growing bigger. After all, they had called it a curse and even betrayed their “bes.”
If this hypothesis is correct, it also explains why Earthslayer called the Beast Regression passed down to the Ulster people nothing more than a useless superstition.
The three great barbarian tribes, including the Ulster, passed down their history through oral tradition rather than writing. Oral tradition. A culture of passing knowledge from mouth to mouth. The downside of this culture was that records were easily lost. If the person who held the knowledge died before properly teaching the next generation, that knowledge would not be inherited. It was similar to the fate of a shitty small company with no work manuals. Once the person who handled everything quit, no records remained and no one knew how to do the job.
Likewise, the ancient Erin people must have thought of Beast Regression as an ominous curse and refused to teach it to their children. In the process, the proper method of using it had been lost.
It’s common even on Earth for perfectly fine cultures to die out because of superstition.
Even we Koreans had a history of attaching timers to fans because of the superstition that “if you sleep with a fan on, you’ll die.” Since the Erin people had experienced mutation phenomena severe enough to be called a curse, it was actually a rational decision not to pass down Beast Regression through oral tradition. It had probably faded away and been forgotten in Ulster history.
Looking at it that way, the logic roughly fit.
It fit, but…
Something still feels off.
I frowned as I kept thinking. This hypothesis felt like it was missing some crucial piece. It was like forcing a puzzle together when several pieces were still missing. There were several irritating parts, but the biggest sense of incongruity was this:
Out of so many people, why did I alone have the aptitude for Beast Regression?
I was the only one who could use this ancient magic that no one else could, and the side effect just happened to be a bigger dick? That was far too convenient. Even the protagonist of a movie wouldn’t get such perfectly tailored benefits. I was not some fated main character chosen by destiny. What great hero was I? What outstanding mage was I? I was not the kind of heroic figure who belonged under the world’s spotlight. If, following the national rules of these fantasy stories, my father turned out to be a hero or a god from another world, then maybe… but that would be even more ridiculous.
As if I would have some secret birth mystery.
My mother and father were ordinary Earth humans who groaned and complained even when they caught a cold or the flu. They were the kind of extremely common people who called the neighborhood supermarket owner “hyung” and attended the local bazaar every single week. My dear, beloved family being of another world’s bloodline? That was complete and utter bullshit. It wasn’t even worth considering. The reason I had been dumped into this other world was nothing so grand as fate—it was just plain, miserable bad luck. Kang Buk-ho, an Earth human, was simply an ordinary person. A perfectly average human male who wanted to see his family’s faces again and introduce a girlfriend to his mother and father.
Still, if there was one thing that set me apart from other people…
It would be the fact that I’m an Earth human.
—Flash!
The moment that thought crossed my mind, it felt like a spark had gone off in my brain. It was the same sensation I had felt three years ago when I had caught a clue for my thesis. A scholar’s instinctive intuition! It felt as if all the scattered clues were connecting into a single ray of light.
…This is it.
The fact that only I could use Beast Regression. The fact that its side effect had been limited to penis enhancement. These two things seemed to lead to a single answer. It was as if the hazy outline of a destination I had been unable to grasp until today had finally begun to reveal itself in the middle of the path I was walking. I had a strong premonition that someday, I would uncover the answer to this question. Because to move forward, I had to leap over or smash through any obstacles blocking the way.
“Huuuuuu…”
After finishing my thoughts, I let out a deep breath and relaxed my body. Tirsi blinked at the sight.
“Mister Wayne? Why are you suddenly like that?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. After hearing the explanation, I just felt a bit drained.”
Not all my questions had been resolved. But I now knew that my goal would not change. From now on, I would continue taking multiple wives while searching for a way to return to Earth. That was enough. If I kept living diligently day by day like this, the day would eventually come when I could touch the secrets of this world and Earth.
In any case, the biggest worry—my dick problem—had been resolved. From now on, I would focus solely on raising my adventurer rank and academic degree.
Having come to that conclusion, I decided it was time to say goodbye.
“Thank you for the kind explanation, Miss Armasunas. Thanks to you, almost all of my worries have been resolved.”
“Did my words help even a little?”
“Not just a little—quite a lot. I feel so refreshed now.”
Even to my own ears, my voice sounded quite bright. Despite the low, deep tone I was using. In truth, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. Now I could work comfortably without any worries.
“Let’s consider the favors we owed each other repaid with this. I hope we meet again someday.”
I stood up and offered a handshake. It would have been polite to remove my glove, but since I was in Yellow-Monkey form, that was impossible. The yellow skin would be too noticeable. I hoped she would understand.
“Likewise. If you ever need a potion, please come find me. My specialty is potionology among the alchemical arts.”
“It is an honor to be invited back by someone like me, an uninvited guest.”
Tirsi stood and took my hand. We shook hands and exchanged bows.
“Then farewell, Mister Wayne.”
“Yes. Take care, Miss Armasunas. May blessings be upon your future.”
Using my Vector-voice modulation to speak elegantly, I left the mages’ guild. I moved through an inconspicuous back exit. After changing clothes in secret at an abandoned house in a nearby back alley and stuffing them into my bag, I stepped outside. Since I had checked my surroundings both before entering and after leaving, I probably hadn’t been spotted.
“Fuck. I have no idea how the heroes in manhwa manage to never get caught.”
With my heart still pounding from the tension, I changed back and ran toward the Children of Mutarat.
“Franc! I’m back!”
After greeting Miss Beynya, I headed straight for Franc’s room. When I opened the door and entered, Franc greeted me with a bright face.
“Welcome back, Nord!”
—Tap tap tap!
Squish!
I caught Franc as she ran toward me and pulled her into a hug. Her fragrant scent and soft skin melted away the fatigue in my body.
“You worked hard, Nord. I wanted to come meet you, but I was afraid it might interfere with you hiding your identity, so I didn’t.”
“You don’t have to come meet me. Just welcoming me like this in your room is more than enough.”
When I said that, Franc giggled while still in my arms.
“But I was so worried because you were late. You know what? I even thought about pretending I had business there and going to the mages’ guild if you didn’t come back by nightfall.”
“Ugh, I’m really sorry. The only person in the world who worries about me like this is you, Franc.”
Her laughter sent my emotions roller-coastering between guilt and overwhelming affection. That damn Earthslayer bastard. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have made her wait like this! Part of me wanted to kneel and apologize, but I didn’t want to let her out of my arms. So I simply held her and apologized.
“I really have no excuse even if I had ten mouths. I only meant to hear the answer and come straight back, but things got incredibly complicated.”
“Did something happen at the mages’ guild?”
“Yeah. Anyway, my life really is a non-stop, 24/7 roller-coaster of chaos. There’s never a day without some incident or accident. At this point, I’m starting to get scared that trouble will find me even if I just sit still. Franc burst into laughter at my words.
“What happened? I’m curious. You’ll tell me, right?”
“Of course. That’s why I came.”
Franc and I lay on the bed like that, chatting about all sorts of trivial things until late into the night. As a result, I ended up staying over again. Bye-bye, my precious inn fee.