One Must Be Careful with Dark Magic
At Franche's question, Kazar instantly realized why Jin had warned her. "...Excuse me? Bind a living person's... what?" Kazar struggled to maintain her composure. Binding a living person's very soul to oneself? To bring up such a terrifying concept so casually—just as Jin had said, the young lady was definitely acting strange.
"I mean, is there a spell that binds a living person's soul—their very existence—to me?" A cold shiver ran down Kazar's spine, making her tremble.
"W-well, dark magic deals with souls so often that if you look hard enough, you might find something. But... wouldn't that be a violation of basic human morality...?" Sensing the ominous aura radiating from Franche, Kazar carefully voiced her concern.
"Hmm, so it does exist." Franche casually brushed her concern aside. The corner of her mouth curled upward as she nodded in satisfaction.
"But what on earth do you plan to do with such a creepy spell...?" Kazar asked.
Franche tilted her head slightly and replied, "You have no need to know."
The life had vanished from her eyes, leaving them unfocused. Her lips were slightly curved, giving the illusion of a smile, but her expression was closer to a blank mask. Staring at that face, Kazar felt a profound chill seep into her bones.
"Ah, ahaha. I-I see...?" Kazar already knew exactly who Franche intended to use that spell on. Who else could it be but Jin?
"Anyway. Can you teach me that magic?"
"Uh, I think that would be difficult..."
"Why?"
"Well, it's essentially taboo magic..."
In truth, dark magic that tampered with a living person's soul or existence was strictly forbidden. It went against the laws of humanity. Knowing this, Kazar was trying to steer the conversation away.
"Hmm. Forbidden magic... Then is there really no way to learn it?"
"It would be incredibly hard. For that kind of dark magic, you'd have to seek out witch doctors, and they are virtually impossible to find these days."
Witch doctors had a history of conducting cruel, inhumane experiments on living subjects, tampering with souls and existences. Because of this, anyone branded a witch doctor faced execution at the very least. It was a miracle if their entire family wasn't wiped out to the third generation. Just in case, Kazar tried to dissuade Franche.
"My Lady. This might be overstepping, but it's best not to take an interest in such magic. Most who do meet a terrible end."
These words came from personal experience. In the past, one of Kazar's friends had specialized in dark magic. That friend had been executed by the Empire for practicing inhumane spells, and their entire family line had been eradicated.
"Is that so? So, where can I learn it?"
The words Did this lady just ignore everything I said? She's insane rushed to the tip of Kazar's tongue, but she desperately clawed back her composure.
"You would have to find a witch doctor or locate an ancient grimoire of dark magic. But neither will be easy. Every nation has burned those books and exterminated the witch doctors." Kazar bit her lip, staring at Franche. Please, just give up. This is bad news for you, for Jin, and for your entire house.
"Hmm..."
Tap. Tap. Franche crossed her arms and tapped her finger against her forearm. She clearly had no intention of giving up.
"Sigh... Since it seems you have no intention of letting this go, My Lady, let me at least teach you the history of witch doctoring."
Kazar launched into a passionate lecture. She detailed what witch doctors had done throughout history, how they had met their ends in society, the sheer gravity of their crimes, and just how horrifying their magic truly was.
I've done everything I can. Since she couldn't bluntly yell, "That's insane, cut it out!" she had beaten around the bush as much as humanly possible.
"I see. So that's why dark magic and witch doctoring are classified differently." Fortunately, Franche nodded as if she understood. Kazar let out a silent sigh of relief.
"Exactly. So please, don't ever show interest in it, and don't even think about looking for it. I'm telling you this truly for your own sake, My Lady."
There was no reply. Franche merely rested her chin in her hand, staring blankly into space. What on earth was she thinking?
"Tell me, Kazar."
"Yes?"
"What is your relationship with Jin?"
...What? The temperature in the room suddenly plummeted. And why was the young lady bringing this up out of nowhere? Kazar couldn't comprehend it at all.
"We don't really have a relationship. We're just colleagues who work together. Nothing more, nothing less."
As someone who could read the flow of mana better than anyone, Kazar sensed that something was deeply wrong with the current atmosphere, but she kept her face carefully neutral.
"Is that so? Good."
Only then did the lifeless look vanish from Franche's face, replaced by a bright smile. The chilling aura evaporated. Did she just use Dark Eclipse?I never taught her that, I only showed it to her once. Is this what true genius looks like? Though countless questions swirled in her mind, Kazar forced herself to keep smiling.
"But why do you ask?"
Franche smiled slowly. "Because it feels like pests have been buzzing around Jin lately."
Did she view me as a pest just because I told her to stop that crazy magic? The thought crossed Kazar's mind, but she quickly shook it off. Instinct told her that upsetting the young lady right now would be a very bad idea. She quickly changed the subject.
"Ahem. My Lady, shall we put this discussion aside and begin today's lesson?"
Franche smiled and nodded. "Yes, let's. I need to increase my magical power."
Feeling a strange mixture of anxiety and dread, Kazar began her lecture.
It was the final day of the vacation Franche had granted me. I had already secured the hidden piece—the ancient grimoire. To clear my head, I was using my remaining allowance to go on a culinary tour.
"Damn, this is incredible."
Even the chickens in this world were peculiar. Their size, shape, and even color were completely different. But the taste was absolutely divine. Hmm, I could definitely make fried chicken with this. Not only was the size impressive, but the density of the meat was on another level. It was leaner yet incredibly tender. The breast meat had just the right amount of moisture, and the thighs were massive.
No matter how I look at it, I should really get into the food industry. I wasn't exactly a master chef, but I had worked part-time at a fried chicken joint before. Surely I could recreate it based on what I learned back then? Alright. Once I escape, I'm opening a chicken shop. I needed to lock down a career path and prepare for the future. I could fund the house and the shop using the allowance Franche gave me and the loot I plundered from the dark guild.
"Mmm. This is delicious too."
A boar tomahawk. It was a dish I had tried before at a restaurant Franche took me to. The pairing with dark beer was absolutely mind-blowing.
"Ahhh."
The dark beer was bitter yet finished with a clean, crisp aftertaste. Imagine pairing this with fried chicken.
Yeah, the food industry is definitely the way to go. I made up my mind during this culinary journey. I was going to open a pub. It was a guaranteed goldmine.
"Owner! Another side dish over here!"
I kept ordering food and pouring drinks down my throat. After a long session of gluttony, I called out, "Owner! Bill, please!"
A portly man with a rather sharp gaze walked up to settle the bill.
"The total is..."
"Ah, keep the change. Take it all."
The alcohol had put me in an excellent mood. I even left a generous tip. That was how much I liked this place.
"Please come again!"
Was it because of the hefty tip? His sharp expression melted into a warm, welcoming smile. Financial therapy truly was the best medicine.
"Time to head back."
I needed to deliver the grimoire to Kazar and address the issue with Franche. Besides, with this book, I might be able to resolve my own fundamental problem and prevent any potential rampage from Franche. This hidden piece grimoire contained everything.
"Let's go."
I immediately mounted my horse and set off. The distance wasn't too far, as my culinary tour had been along the path back to the duchy. After riding for a long while, I finally arrived at the duchy late at night, under a sky painted with shooting stars.
I should deliver this grimoire first. Before returning to the ducal mansion, I headed to Kazar's house. I knocked, and the door swung open immediately.
"Ah, you're back?"
"Yeah. But what's wrong with you?"
"What do you mean?"
"You look completely hollowed out."
Kazar looked terrible. Dark circles bruised the skin beneath her eyes, her hair was a frizzy mess, and she practically reeked of exhaustion.
"Ah, a lot of things happened..."
"What on earth happened?"
"I'll tell you the details inside."
Bewildered, I stepped into her house. Perhaps because Franche had been staying here, the place was surprisingly tidy compared to before.
"Sigh."
Kazar let out a heavy sigh as she served some tea. I accepted the cup and slowly savored the aroma. This was perfect for my hangover.
"Jin."
"Yeah?"
"This is going to be a long story."
I tilted my head. What could have possibly happened?
"Tell me step by step."
Kazar explained everything that had transpired with Franche. She told me how Franche had shown an interest in the kind of dark magic only witch doctors used. Specifically, a spell to bind a living person's soul to herself. Is it just my imagination, or do I already know exactly who the target is? A sudden chill gripped the back of my neck and raced down my spine.
"I thought you were exaggerating a bit, Jin, but her condition is extremely serious."
Well, the only thing looking extremely serious right now is your face.
"Is it really that bad?"
"Yes. Her emotions are far more intense than an average person's."
"Is there a solution?"
"She needs to get used to dark magic and learn how to control herself."
"So time is the only medicine."
It seemed best to keep a close eye on Franche's issue over time.
For now, I pulled out the ancient grimoire I had retrieved. "Here. This is the ancient grimoire of Barenberg."
"You actually found it?"
"I always knew where it was."
The moment Kazar took the ancient grimoire, she flipped it open, her eyes darting across the pages with unbelievable speed. "Uh... hmm..." But her reaction was strange. Surely there wasn't something weird written in there? I had looked through it myself, but aside from some mathematical formulas, it was completely incomprehensible. I couldn't even begin to guess what language it was.
"What is it? Is there a problem?"
"This is runic."
"Runic?"
"Yes. It's not just a simple ancient language." Kazar furrowed her brow and pouted. "I had high hopes, so not being able to read it immediately is a huge letdown." With a heavy sigh, Kazar slumped her shoulders and hung her head. She looked genuinely disappointed.
"But you can still translate it if you have enough time, right?"
"Well, yes. It's just that there's so much of it, so it'll take quite a while."
That was a relief, then.
"Ah, and what about the magic stones I asked you about before?"
Ah, that. I let out a small chuckle and shared the news I had been keeping under wraps.
"Since you brought up the magic stones, listen closely."
I laid out the details of the plan I had only vaguely hinted at until now. We were going to build a Magic Tower. We would gather mages scattered across the world into one place. And at the very top of that tower would stand Franche and Kazar.
"Then the issue with the magic stones will be resolved too."
"Exactly."
"But is that actually possible?"
"Of course it is."
In the game, the Magic Tower was constructed in the later stages. I was simply moving up the timeline.
"If that happens, the number of mages will grow exponentially, and society itself will transform, won't it?"
I nodded with a smile. As expected of a mage, she was quick on the uptake.
"Wow. To think something I only ever imagined would actually happen. Did you plan this from the very beginning?"
This time, I closed my eyes and nodded. Ah, this was the stuff. Showing off my competence never got old.
"I guess royalty really is built different. If you had inherited the throne of Barenberg, Jin, history might have turned out completely different."
Well, I wasn't so sure about that. Before I transmigrated into this body, the only side of Jin Barenberg I had ever seen in the game was him flying into a blind rage and slaughtering everyone in his path.
"Anyway, use that grimoire to look into my symptoms. It contains everything from grand magic to super-tier and transcendental magic."
At my words, Kazar blinked and tilted her head. "How do you know that? Can you read runic?"
Ah, slip of the tongue.
"It was a grimoire kept in Barenberg. Do you really think I wouldn't have heard stories about it? I just heard about it."
The royal cheat code was truly versatile.
"...I suppose. Barenberg must have had its own experts." Kazar narrowed her eyes, studying me. I didn't pay it much mind as I stood up and opened the front door.
"I'll leave the work to you. I'll do my best to keep the young lady stable, so just focus on your research."
"Yes, I'll do my best," Kazar replied before immediately diving into her work.
I stepped outside and looked up at the night sky. Seeing it like this reminded me of the party held at Marquis Eldas's estate.
"Huuu."
My breath plumed in the chilly night air. I really hope everything goes well.