Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 005
Chapter Title: Learning Magic (2)
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Next day, Yohan headed to the department office to apply for a leave of absence.
It wasn't really because of Grizzly's food costs forcing him to pick up extra shifts.
It just made things look natural.
The office was bustling.
He glanced at the other students gathered to request leaves as well.
Whispers about the professor's death floated through the air.
Well, of course. A professor's head suddenly falling off mid-lecture? No one would want to stick around for class after that. Especially with rumors already calling this a cursed university.
Taking a mid-semester leave meant wasting credits, but there was no helping it.
It looked natural enough, but more importantly, it bought him time.
College life would only get in the way of protecting himself and learning magic from now on.
And the killer who murdered the professor... Though he saw it as an accident, not murder.
Whoever was looking for him would start with the university anyway.
No need to keep showing up and leave traces.
Well... if they said something like,
"The culprit must've taken a leave to hide! Let's comb through every single leave-taker and off 'em!"
"Hell yeah! Wipe 'em all out!"
He'd have nothing to say to that. But chasing every what-if led nowhere, so he decided on the leave.
Blending in with the other students, he submitted his request and left the university.
Manga cafe part-time job.
His current gig, and one he personally liked.
Not that it was effortless work, but it beat loading and unloading cargo any day.
His main tasks: brewing coffee, cooking ramen, tidying up books left by customers.
Or drawing curtains on couples getting frisky amid complaints from other patrons.
Kissing was one thing he could overlook. But who the hell were these people leaving used condoms behind?
At least throw them in the trash.
Though that depended on the boss.
When there were no customers, he could pull out manga and read.
Honestly, that was a huge part of why he liked it.
Classic part-time: slammed when busy, dead when slow.
And right now, during the slow stretch, he was reading the Grimoire in the corner of the counter.
For some reason, the pages kept turning endlessly, and some were utterly incomprehensible. But from what he could skim...
There were all sorts of spells.
But the main ones in the Mysteries of Insects were from the ritual magic lineage, called that back in the Middle Ages.
You know, the kind with a big circular magic circle on the floor and tons of prep.
Ritual magic split into two branches.
Demon contracts, where you summoned a demon and bargained directly.
And ceremonial magic, borrowing the authority of gods, angels, or great names to command demons or spirits into obedience.
The latter seemed overwhelmingly better, but each had pros and cons.
Demon contracts were like direct deals with demons.
More flexible: kill someone for me, lend me your domain's power, whatever.
Of course, demons wouldn't work cheap. They demanded payment for power.
Your soul. No help allowed in demon contracts. You protected your soul with your own strength alone.
Screw up, and you'd lose your soul, life pawned, demon's plaything.
Ceremonial magic, on the other hand, was safe.
(Assuming you nailed the magical prep.)
Borrowed authority kept demons from screwing around. But services were limited too.
Answer questions, teach astronomy, astrology, necromancy—magical knowledge only.
The Mysteries of Insects leaned ceremonial, penned by some Catholic Crusader.
Suited him fine. He preferred ceremonial anyway.
...Narcissistic, maybe.
But he was the most important person in his world.
Learning magic to protect himself and live peacefully? Risking his soul was backwards.
Ding~
The door opened, customers entered. He closed the Grimoire.
Study time was study time, but he was getting paid to work.
A little kid who looked elementary-school age and a woman who seemed like his mom walked in.
"Welcome. Table for two?"
"No, just one. My kid's got academy at six. I'll pay now—feed him dinner at five-thirty, and make sure he boards the academy bus properly and safely."
"........."
No panic. This happened often.
Don't raise your voice like it's outrageous.
He replied in a polite, gentle tone.
"Ma'am, this is a manga cafe, not a kids' cafe."
Make it clear: no such service.
"We watch safety while you're here, of course. But as a shared space for all customers, we can't give special attention to individuals. Sorry."
"What!? The cafe nearby does it—why won't you?!"
Then go there?
Now he was curious. Why come here specifically?
Anyway, as an employee, he'd said his piece. Now just listen to the tirade.
As her words poured out—
He calmly checked Grizzly, curled up inside the counter.
"........."
After shooing her away and returning to his seat, he stroked Grizzly's head off CCTV.
"Grrr~."
Worried it might act on its own again.
Since he hadn't signaled "bite" (or "kill," purified)...
The "don't touch unless ordered" command held. Good it didn't freelance.
Absolutely no third incident here.
Play it safe for now.
He checked phone news on the professor case.
This was the game he was playing.
Hunters vs. hider.
Seemed equal, but hiders like him had the edge.
Grizzly caused the accident; their best evidence? Just coincidence he was at the first two scenes.
No need for dumb moves like "cause more murders to confuse them."
No brain games required.
Just stay quiet, hide, wait out the time.
Quiet cafe, no customers.
Flip, flip. Pages turning.
Yohan's dark eyes steadily devoured the Grimoire's knowledge.
The lecture hall where the professor was murdered.
A black-haired woman with a calm demeanor.
Response Special Task Force Third Unit Leader Shin Sion surveyed the scene, listening to her subordinate's report.
"What about the body we sent to forensics?"
"Yes, well... Nothing came up."
"Nothing?"
Sion furrowed her brow. The female agent hurriedly added,
"Yeah, minor fingerprints, but no traces from whoever directly killed the victim."
"Type that leaves no traces, huh."
Sion pressed her fist to her lips, staring at the bloodstains on the floor, deep in thought.
"...Where's Park Team Leader investigating?"
"Since it's a professor, grad students are suspects. He's checking them out."
Pure "catch the perp!" gut-work. But...
"With things like this, it works too."
Mid-investigation, the agent sighed in relief.
"At least no more deaths. That's good."
Back-to-back bizarre killings in crowded spots. She'd braced for this university becoming a murder mage's playground. But nothing more happened.
...Sion cut in flatly.
"No. It's the worst."
"Huh?"
"Not flailing blindly with magic. Controlling it."
Sion smiled apologetically at the spooked agent.
"Sorry. Just my imagination."
But doubts lingered in her mind.
Too quiet for someone with power to kill undetected.
That silence terrified her.
"...What are they planning? What are they doing?"
Sion murmured to herself, fist to lips.
Meanwhile.
Yohan, to test if it really worked, listed tools needed for magic.
Varies by spell, but essentials:
Brazier, censer, holy water, aspergillum, and a dagger enchanted for multipurpose use.
Five items.
"...So many damn tools."
Since he'd decided to try, he read on carefully—and doubted his eyes.
[For incense or ingredients, pottery made by the mage themselves works best.]
His eyes blinked involuntarily.
"...What?"
What... make them? Can't buy?
A deep sigh escaped him.
"Haa..."
And that weekend.
[Kids' Family! Fun Pottery Experience!]
"Kids~ friends~! Thanks so much for coming to our pottery studio! Now, let's all make pretty bowls of our own, fun fun~!"
"Waaah~! Let's make 'em!"
A young female potter's bright voice rang out, smiling warmly at participants.
Her pro spirit overflowing, she reached out even to non-kids.
"Come on~ You in the back, don't be shy!"
One adult man amid guardians and kids!
All eyes on him, he lowered his gaze powerlessly and mumbled,
"Yea... let's make 'em..."