Episode 1243
Episode 1243
"Lord Paridim?"
"Ah. Yes."
Paridim, who had been writing a report, quickly covered the paper.
Had the other's anger subsided?
"Is there anything you'd like for dinner? His Highness has requested white chocolate pudding."
"Ah. That sounds good to me too."
"And after dinner, could you teach me about divination?"
"Of course! In fact, I performed divination this morning and received a favorable omen."
"What kind of omen was it?"
Lee Han was puzzled.
This mage from Oculogard was, fittingly for his school's tradition, a principled person. Naturally, he wouldn't flatter others with divination magic.
Lee Han had been prepared to hear something like 'You have the makings of an emperor!' even if he only received a single imperial gold coin, but...
'Is it really a good omen?'
"There are signs of 'liberation' by the end of this semester."
"Oh!"
Lee Han brightened up.
From their conversations in the Punishment Room, he had noticed that Paridim truly excelled in Wizard Card divination.
In a way, it might have been thanks to Oculogard's unique characteristics.
The divination mages of this Magic Academy fundamentally operated under the premise of collective action, so they didn't waste time on unnecessary spells.
Lee Han had even momentarily thought Paridim was making excuses like Gainando when he said, "I don't know how to summon water."
-Hmph. That trick has already been used by Gainando.
-Trick? I don't quite understand what you mean...
-...Haha. It's nothing.
-Has Lord Gainando ever used such a trick before?
-I told you, it's nothing.
-Ah. Yes.
Regardless, this kind of selective focus allowed them to hone their strengths sharply.
Even in divination magic, Paridim only used a limited set of spells.
He only used Wizard Cards, coins, and cloud formations.
This was also one of Oculogard's school rules.
'It's probably too late for me to emulate this, but if it's the omen of a mage who takes divination this seriously, it must be powerful.'
"Take a look at this. It's a Shadow Patrol card. What comes to mind?"
'All I can think of is Nilia cursing about them.'
Lee Han thought to himself.
No one despised these patrol members as much as his friend from the Shadow Patrol.
"So this is the sign of liberation?"
"Indeed. Rangers have symbolized liberation since ancient times."
"That makes perfect sense. Truly, Oculogard's reputation is well-deserved."
Pleased, Lee Han praised Paridim generously. It seemed Paridim's dinner would be a little more lavish tonight.
In high spirits, Lee Han decided to ask a few more questions. There was much to learn from Oculogard mages.
"But tell me, if the Skeleton Principal card were next to this Shadow Patrol card, wouldn't the interpretation change since a figure of authority is present?"
Lee Han's question wasn't meant to challenge but was purely out of curiosity.
He expected this Oculogard mage to clearly explain why he hadn't interpreted it that way this time.
But Paridim's eyes filled with shock and horror. After a moment, the mage smacked his own head hard.
"How could I make such a foolish mistake! How could I make such a foolish mistake!"
It was clear that recent events had disrupted his concentration.
In Oculogard, making such an obvious mistake would warrant being demoted a grade without complaint.
"...Ah, no. Well... Couldn't we just ignore it? If we assume the Skeleton Principal card is in a supportive role..."
"No. You pointed it out correctly. With the Lord of Einrogard present, this doesn't signify liberation—it signifies forced labor from outside!"
"......"
Lee Han's expression darkened.
Paridim didn't seem to realize that his own words had just downgraded his dinner menu by several levels.
In the end, even divination mages find it difficult to foresee their own futures.
"This Shadow Patrol symbolizes a future where you, my lord, will suffer through difficult requests from the nobility."
"Wow. Divination magic is truly brimming with joy."
Lee Han replied in a completely emotionless voice.
Paridim, oblivious to the sarcasm, nodded in agreement.
"Indeed it is. The future is like an uncertain fog, but that very uncertainty makes it all the more worth exploring, don't you think?"
Anticipating that listening further would only irritate him, Lee Han steered the conversation back to magic.
"We were discussing Oculogard's methods last time but stopped midway. You mentioned there are ways to increase the accuracy of divination and make the symbols clearer..."
"That's correct."
To be precise, the conversation had derailed when Paridim mentioned seeing the professor's future, but he cautiously moved past that point.
Perhaps it was just his imagination, but this mage from the Wardanaz family didn't seem particularly pleased about the professor's future.
From Paridim's perspective, it made no sense.
Why would anyone reject the opportunity for higher status, greater authority, and more powerful magic as a mage?
Of course, Einrogard's methods might differ slightly from Oculogard's, but the power of a professorship shouldn't be that different.
"First, there's the 'price.' Currently, the Empire's divinations use varied and ambiguous symbols to avoid the cost of glimpsing the future, and even that isn't enough—they pay the price upfront to prevent backlash."
"Right. Like mana."
"...Divinations that use mana as payment are rare, but... yes, essentially."
Paridim made a mental note to include this in today's report.
This Wardanaz mage, perhaps due to his unique mana reserves, seems to favor divinations that use mana as payment... He even resolves causality violations with mana... If that's the case, why does Oculogard...
'Ah, no. I can't write the report like this. What am I thinking?'
Shaking his head to dispel the wicked thought that had crossed his mind, Paridim wondered if the change in environment was causing distractions that interfered with his divination.
"At Oculogard, we also incorporate limits into that price."
"By limits, do you mean the number of attempts at divination?"
"Exactly."
As a collective that thinks and acts as one, Oculogard's magic strongly emphasizes efficiency and economy.
They not only divide roles but also calculate the number of magical attempts in advance.
Given the finite reserves of willpower accumulated in the domain, it was a necessary choice.
Yet Oculogard's mages turned this constraint into a strength.
"In my case, with techniques like Cloud Divination, I can only perform it three times a year. Sacrificing frequency is how we achieve higher accuracy."
'That would be tough at Einrogard.'
It was clear why Einrogard mages weren't fond of such costs.
They'd sooner cut off their own arms than have a divination method sealed—because at Einrogard, that would make life unbearably inconvenient.
When everyone has to fend for themselves, having a spell locked away...
"In our school, we take... special actions to avoid misfortunes."
Paridim recoiled at Lee Han's description of Einrogard's methods.
"Those 'actions' are often bizarre and grotesque. If all divination mages went around doing such things, how chaotic would the domain become? Order would collapse."
"That's fine. Einrogard is already chaotic enough that no one notices."
Take Golem Senior, for example—he wandered around permanently in golem form, and no one batted an eye.
Paridim tilted his head, unsure whether Lee Han was joking or being serious.
"Anyway, sacrificing frequency seems like a viable option, but..."
As Lee Han pondered, a sudden thought made him ask another question.
"How about this method? Increase the number of usable divinations, and when one gets blocked, deploy another."
"That sounds unrealistic."
Paridim frowned at the suggestion.
Even the Oculogard mages, who had abandoned other magics to solely focus on divination, only knew a handful of divination techniques.
Divination was fundamentally the kind of thing where a careless beginner could easily meet with disaster.
Especially for divinations with dangerous costs, one couldn't approach them lightly.
"Considering the time and risk involved in learning them, it would be far more disadvantageous."
"I've thought of that too. The plan is to primarily increase the number of divinations that use mana as their cost. That way, not only would learning them be easier, but even if I fail, it wouldn't be too dangerous."
"......"
Paridim was left speechless, blinking rapidly.
For the sake of preserving the traditions of Divination Magic, he had to stop this Wardanaz family mage...
'Ugh. Distracting thoughts.'
Having trained in the strict and solemn Oculogard, this mage didn't quite recognize what this emotion was.
An emotion that every second-year student at Einrogard would instantly recognize.
Pure, unadulterated annoyance.
He wanted to smack this guy on the back of the head!
"If there are any divinations in Oculogard's records that use mana as their cost, would I be able to learn them? I've been searching in Einrogard too, but the numbers are limited."
"...I'll mention it when you visit."
For some reason, Paridim felt utterly drained.
Perhaps it was because he had stepped outside Oculogard and was no longer under the protection of the domain.
"Then, I'd like to ask more about the magic that alters the future. Senior called it the 'Secret of Causal Induction.' At Einrogard, it's implemented as a high-circle spell, but in Oculogard, it's achieved through collective willpower, right? I was wondering how much of it can be substituted with mana..."
Seeing Lee Han, who had just succeeded in substituting it with mana a week ago and was already pushing for more, Paridim felt a bitter ache rise in his chest.
'I must shake off these distracting thoughts. I must...'
When called from above, Paridim actually felt relief.
Though he wasn't entirely sure, he had a vague premonition that if he kept conversing with the Wardanaz family mage, he might eventually end up grabbing the guy by the collar.
"It's an honor to meet you, Professor."
Upon witnessing the towering troll-hybrid professor, Paridim became even more formal.
This was undoubtedly the famed genius professor Garcia Kim, whose reputation even reached Oculogard.
'They definitely tried to recruit him at Oculogard too...'
And standing beside her was a familiar face—Golem Senior from Einrogard's Divination Magic school.
Some of the angular stones on his body were dented, as if he'd been struck by someone.
"Were you attacked by someone?"
"Absolutely not! Don't spread baseless rumors! I just tripped while walking alone!"
Golem Senior vehemently denied it while jumping in agitation. Professor Garcia nodded solemnly.
"The roads have been slippery lately. Professor Kraer also tripped—it was quite serious."
"Truly, it was."
"????"
Paridim still lacked sufficient 'Einrogard Power.'
He was far from capable of deciphering the hidden meanings in the conversation unfolding before him.
"I'm sorry we couldn't give you a proper welcome to Einrogard, Paridim."
"Not at all. I'm here on official business—if I were to receive a personal welcome, I'd likely face punishment."
Professor Garcia, familiar with Oculogard's rules, gave a bitter smile.
It wasn't a joke—Oculogard's rules were such that he really could be punished upon returning.
"Are you comfortable in the Punishment Room?"
"Not at all uncomfortable. I've been discussing Divination Magic with Wardanaz, and honestly, I really wanted to hit—"
"Pardon?"
"Ah, no! I meant to say I really wanted to learn more—it just came out wrong!"
"......"
"......"