The Weight of Discovery
"Finally showing your true colors, Aslan!"
Julia clenched her fist with a surge of determination. Black magic research. So the day had finally come.
Aslan is probably keeping me around because of black magic.
Necromancy? That was certainly a rare and useful ability. But the Belmont family's true obsession had always been black magic. He was clearly trying to use her brilliant mind to complete it!
What would happen if black magic were perfected? From the fairy tales she'd read, an evil god would descend upon the world, plunging everything into chaos until it met its end. Therefore, it was her destiny to stop Aslan from completing his research!
My shoulders feel so heavy!
Julia trembled, overwhelmed by a sense of mission. If she could successfully sabotage Aslan's research, she could prevent the world's destruction. The fate of the world rested on her fingertips! She had to stay sharp.
"I noticed your notes were exceptionally well-organized last time. Try summarizing the key points from these two books."
"Huh? A summary? This is supposed to be research...?"
"Every first step begins like this."
Somehow, it felt anticlimactic. Didn't he ask for my help because he needed my brilliant mind?
Julia sat down with a slightly deflated feeling and opened the book Aslan had handed her.
Hmm. It looks like a history of black magic research.
The book detailed who had conducted what research and how others had carried it forward. Julia felt her interest piqued and began to focus.
Black magic was an evil form of magic believed to have existed in the past. It operated on an entirely different system from conventional magic and was said to produce a black glow. However, its principles and secrets had been completely lost, leaving no one who could wield it.
"Isn't black magic just a myth? There are only eyewitness accounts, no actual evidence. Every attempt at reproduction has failed... yo."
"No. It definitely exists."
Aslan answered firmly. Many scholars had suggested black magic might be nothing more than legend, but Aslan knew otherwise—because of the existence of the evil god, Kali.
The Evil God 'Kali' cheers wildly, saying you're doing well.
The evil god was actively encouraging black magic research. If Kali guaranteed its existence, how could it be fiction?
...Considering her intelligence, maybe it makes sense.
Kali gave off an air of incompetence, but she was still an evil god. When they visited the academy library, hadn't she guided him to the hidden space containing black magic texts? Kali wasn't just blindly pushing research—she was helping and guiding him toward progress. That meant black magic was real. That was Aslan's conclusion.
If he's that certain, it must really exist.
Julia tilted her head and returned to the book. It seemed Aslan wasn't the only one interested in black magic. Countless people had tried to recreate the ancient art.
So not everyone started researching it with bad intentions?
Contrary to Julia's expectations, most black magic research had been purely academic, driven by scholarly curiosity. Yet every single researcher met a terrible end. Some became corrupted and conducted cruel experiments on humans before being executed. Others neglected themselves and starved to death while obsessing over their work. Still others lost their minds and became invalids.
Urgh. With so many precedents like this, why do people keep trying to research it...?
This was exactly why the nation banned and suppressed black magic. But why would anyone continue researching after seeing all those disastrous outcomes?
Julia couldn't understand these moth-to-flame researchers. Ah, but now that she thought about it, there was one such person right here.
Julia glanced at Aslan, who was concentrating with a serious expression, and tilted her head. She'd always pictured black magic researchers as madmen, but Aslan, despite his sinister appearance, turned out to be surprisingly normal once you got to know him. That made it even harder to understand why he was so fixated on black magic.
"You."
"When you address me like that, it feels like I've gained a proper wife."
"Y-you pervert...! Is that all you ever think about!?"
Aslan didn't bother denying it.
"Why did you call me?"
"I just wanted to ask... you... no, that sounds weird. You... you... you-nim?"
"The honorific doesn't matter. Just get to the point."
"Agh. I mean, why are you so obsessed with black magic? That's what I wanted to ask... yo."
Aslan fell silent. Why am I so fixated on black magic? It's not like I want to be doing this. He couldn't say that. But he could answer based on the original Aslan Belmont's feelings before the possession.
"Not everyone is born with exceptional talent. Or they might lose what talent they had. Most people choose to be content with their current state, but some cannot accept that. In my case, I can no longer walk the path of magic. But what if black magic, with its completely different system, could offer another way? That thought is what started my research."
"Hmm..."
It was a less sinister reason than she'd expected. Julia let out a long nasal hum at the surprising answer.
That's one less reason to hate Aslan...
There were no cruel human experiments happening at Belmont Manor. The purpose of the black magic research wasn't to satisfy evil greed or bring about the world's end. Of course, researching black magic—which the nation had banned—was still wrong. But so far, it seemed to be purely academic and curiosity-driven... and it hadn't harmed anyone yet... So maybe Aslan wasn't actually a bad person?
Julia suddenly felt confused.
"Oh?"
"What's wrong?"
"N-nothing... yo."
Julia flipped a page and gasped in surprise, quickly suppressing her agitation. What she'd found in the book was nothing less than decisive evidence of black magic.
—No definitive physical evidence of black magic has ever been discovered.
—Everything claimed as evidence today is merely substances that produce a black color. Some so-called scholars even point to black smoke-producing fires as black magic tools, which is embarrassing to call scholarship.
—However, the mineral called neodymium that I discovered is different. This substance emits a black light along with tremendous energy under specific conditions. The exact cause of this phenomenon is unknown. But what is certain is that it cannot be explained by existing laws such as physics or magic engineering.
—For ten years after the initial observation, various experiments were conducted to reproduce the phenomenon, but no progress was made.
—The imperial family issued an order to halt the experiments. Therefore, all neodymium was to be disposed of...
This was it. This was the key. A phenomenon that couldn't be explained by science or magic. The author had been forced to stop before completing the experiments due to pressure from above, but at least it seemed certain that neodymium had some connection to black magic.
Should I tell him? Or not?
Julia wrestled with the decision. If she told him, Aslan's black magic research would make significant progress. Her rational mind screamed that she shouldn't, but...
Not everyone is born with exceptional talent.
After hearing Aslan's story, her chest had ached slightly. She'd thought her insomnia was a curse, but it was actually the talent for necromancy. Aslan didn't have such a talent. Yet he was still searching for a way. Struggling to reach higher, to shine brilliantly, despite his lack of talent. Even if that method involved a power considered evil.
Julia didn't think Aslan was particularly malicious. She wanted to help him. But at the same time...
What if Aslan becomes corrupted like all those other scholars?
A terrifying worry began to surface. What if Aslan met the same terrible end as the researchers in the book? What if telling him this information caused him to break because it advanced his research...?
It would hurt so much...
Her chest would truly ache. Julia gripped the book tightly and swallowed a sniffle. It was a future too frightening to even imagine.
Right. I'll hide it.
Julia finally made up her mind to conceal the information about neodymium. Just as she was about to turn the page—
"Neodymium!? That's it! Is this the material for black magic? The fuel? Something like that, right?"
Julia jumped in shock at the voice over her shoulder and slammed the book shut. Turning around, she saw Charlotte smiling brightly while grabbing her shoulders.
Why does she have to be sharp at the worst possible moments...!
Julia shot her a resentful glare, but Charlotte only looked bewildered.
"Neodymium? Let me see that."
"Aah..."
This was bad. As Aslan approached with interest, Julia's face crumpled.