Episode 214
Episode 214
"If we set it on fire..."
The White Tiger Tower students whispered among themselves. They seemed to be seriously considering Gainando's suggestion.
"Drop it. You idiots. If a first-year could shut down the library just by setting a fire, it would've been destroyed ages ago."
Giselle snapped irritably. The White Tiger Tower students openly showed their disappointment.
Still, Gainando didn't give up.
"What if we set a bigger fire... Would that work even if Lee Han does it?"
"Hey. Gainando. Since when is Wardanaz some kind of dragon?"
"E-everyone. You mustn't set the library on fire."
Professor Garcia flusteredly interjected at the students' dangerous conversation.
The students nodded obediently.
"Of course, Professor."
"As if we'd actually set a fire."
"...Seriously, don't do it. You might end up in the Punishment Room even during vacation."
"......"
"W-we really won't set any fires. We mean it."
The terror of potentially being confined to the Punishment Room even during vacation proved more effective than any threat at deterring the students.
Even the most radical among them abandoned all thoughts of arson after that warning.
'This is serious.'
Lee Han sank into thought.
Surprisingly, it seemed the professors had been sparing the students by rarely using library books until now. From this point forward, library usage would increase dramatically.
This wasn't simply about lectures becoming more difficult or study material increasing.
At Einrogard, the very act of entering the library, finding a book, and bringing it out constituted a challenge unto itself.
Just locating books near the entrance took ages, let alone those in the deeper sections...
'Can't we just go outside and buy them?'
Of course, some rare magic tomes existed only in the magic school's library, but surely some could be purchased elsewhere.
If they'd just open the main gate, they could go buy what they needed!
"Professor. Please come in."
Perhaps deciding to proceed quickly before the students grew more despondent, Professor Garcia opened the door and called for the waiting professor.
'Spirit half-blood?'
Lee Han's eyes gleamed as he sensed something spirit-like from the entering professor's aura.
Just as some students had spirit, angel, or demon bloodlines, it wasn't shocking for professors to have mixed heritage either.
'Doesn't seem like a full spirit though.'
"Professor Paselet Kraer. A master of Divination Magic."
"!"
Divination Magic.
Among all complex and demanding magical fields, this ranked among the most intricate and challenging.
Though Lee Han had acquired considerable knowledge about other magic during his time at the family estate, his understanding of Divination Magic remained fragmentary at best—just scattered snippets he'd overheard.
-A diviner intervened to solve the stolen ruby necklace case at the Jojeon family estate. Using coin divination, they predicted the necklace's location...
-Heard about those picky merchants kneeling before a mage with purses of gold? All just to get one reading.
-They say skilled diviners know what they'll have for lunch the moment they wake up.
-The talent required for divination differs entirely from other magic. Only flashes of intuition serve as your guiding light.
Though he still didn't fully grasp its nature, Lee Han found Divination Magic intensely fascinating.
'Aren't exceptional diviners supposed to be highly sought after?'
While mages who could alter reality with their will commanded both fear and respect across the Empire, outstanding diviners received particularly profound reverence.
After all, everyone fears an uncertain future.
How could one not respect those capable of reading that future?
Lee Han harbored no desire to master foreseeing the future itself, but he certainly liked the idea of being able to declare, "I'm a mage trained in Divination Magic."
That would earn him far better treatment than calling himself a black mage.
"I am a Divination Mage."
"Oh my! A great mage has come to our village! Honorable mage, could you perhaps divine my child's future?"
"I am a Black Mage."
"...Hey. You're the one who locked our village cemetery gate, aren't you?"
"Professor Kraer?"
When Professor Garcia called him, Professor Kraer was momentarily dazed before nodding his head.
"...Professor. Didn't I specifically request that you visit today with your diligent personality?"
"That's right. But the future is unknowable, you see."
"Professor. I did request it."
Professor Garcia's voice carried weight.
Professor Kraer's eyes flashed, and suddenly his expression changed completely.
"Ah. Right. Divination Magic. I was supposed to lecture on that."
'...Multiple personalities?!'
Lee Han was considerably startled by Professor Kraer's sudden transformation into a diligent persona, as if he'd become a different person.
'Well, it's not that strange.'
All professors had multiple personalities to some degree.
It was just that Professor Kraer's case was a bit more extreme than most.
"Nice to meet you all. I'm Paselet Kraer. A Banshee Half-blood. And my specialization is Divination Magic."
"Nice to meet you, Professor!"
The students chorused their greetings.
Professor Kraer shook his head irritably to push aside the long strands of hair covering his face.
"Does anyone here know about Jundaer Dolfram?"
Ashan, sitting next to Lee Han, raised his hand and shouted.
"He was the great mage who laid the foundation for Imperial Divination Magic!"
"Smart. Do you also know that Jundaer Dolfram committed suicide in Imperial Year 131?"
"Uh... no?"
"I see. Well, now you know. I'm curious—does anyone here know about Jundaer Dolfram's disciples, Kelten and Inan?"
They were mages Lee Han had heard of before. Several students raised their hands, including the Princess. Even Gye-nan did.
Lee Han was surprised.
"You know Kelten and Inan?"
"Lee Han. They're the main cards in my deck."
"Ah. Sorry. I didn't know since the matches always end before they come out."
Gye-nan glared at Lee Han with tearful eyes, breathing heavily. His expression was so genuinely hurt that Lee Han apologized.
"It's not that you're bad... it's just a game that depends entirely on luck."
"R-really? Right? It has nothing to do with skill?"
"Exactly. Maybe Divination Magic could help with that."
Meanwhile, another student answered in their place. Professor Kraer nodded.
"Well done. But do you know that Kelten and Inan committed suicide in Imperial Year 241?"
"...No?? I thought they went missing...?"
"Missing? Nonsense. In records about Divination Mages, if you see terms like 'missing,' 'whereabouts unknown,' or 'lost contact,' assume it means suicide. Now, as I was saying... the great mage Jundaer Dolfram, who laid the foundation for Imperial Divination Magic, committed suicide in Imperial Year 131. His disciples Kelten and Inan committed suicide in Imperial Year 241. And now it's your turn to learn Divination Magic."
"......"
"......"
'It feels even chillier than last week.'
Lee Han couldn't help but marvel at the professor's ability to make the school feel colder than the Frost Giant King with just a few words.
Contrary to the warning, Professor Kraer's lecture wasn't particularly dangerous or difficult.
In fact, compared to other professors' lectures, it was somewhat easier.
Instead of having to do something or dodge incoming attacks, all they had to do was listen to explanations.
"Actually, divination is something even non-mages can do to some extent. A student who came to class without eating breakfast knows they'll be hungry by the end of the lecture. And a professor who came to class with their lazy personality despite Professor Garcia's request knows what will happen to them after the lecture."
"Professor Kraer. The students might misunderstand."
At Professor Garcia's warning, Professor Kraer became slightly more cautious with his words.
"Reading the future by using present judgment based on past information—that's divination. What makes a mage's divination special is that we can gather information ordinary people can't perceive and make judgments based on it. We can even access information the mage themselves aren't aware of."
According to the professor, Divination Magic was largely divided into foreseeing the near future and foreseeing the distant future.
Predicting the near future—just a few seconds ahead—was a highly intuitive, accurate, and relatively easy form of magic.
However, foreseeing the distant future—several hours or more—was a difficult magic with high uncertainty, placing an immense burden on the mage themselves.
"You there. What did you gather from this?"
Ashan was taken aback by the sudden question.
"Um... Divination Magic is profound and boundless, so we must endlessly strive to master it?"
"No. If you don't want to go mad, only foresee the near future. Especially if someone asks you to. If you keep trying to predict the distant future, you'll end up like Jundaer Dolfram, Kelten Inan, or Perjun Jega."
"Professor, I've never heard of a mage named Perjun Jega..."
"Of course you haven't—he's dead. That's why today, we'll attempt to foresee the distant future."
"???"
Lee Han was baffled.
The other students seemed equally confused, tilting their heads in bewilderment.
But didn't he just say not to foresee the distant future?
Professor Kraer remained impassive.
"If you never attempt what you're told not to do, you're no mage. Wouldn't it be better to collapse in front of me now rather than vomit blood while secretly trying to predict the final exam questions?"
"......"
"Makes sense."
"What do you mean, 'makes sense'?!"
Ashan was aghast when Lee Han nodded in understanding.
What kind of logic was that...!
'Honestly, that seems pretty considerate to me.'
A magic circle was laid out before the students, with stones of various colors scattered haphazardly.
According to Professor Kraer, as one became more skilled in Divination Magic, they would naturally discover their preferred method of divination.
Of course, since the freshmen had no such preference yet, they opted for the simplest method—Stone Divination.
"Grasp a stone, recite the incantation, and toss it lightly. Your goal is to see what you'll be doing one day from now."
"One day isn't that far ahead, right?"
Gainando muttered. Professor Kraer replied flatly,
"An exceptional Divination Mage can tell what they'll have for lunch the moment they wake up in the morning. One day is a distant future. Enough nonsense—throw!"
Clatter—
The sound of stones being tossed and incantations being chanted echoed throughout the room.
"O stones of many hues, show me my tomorrow."
"Red, blue, green stones, reveal my future..."
The students who finished their incantations first stared blankly at the scattered stones.
Then, they tilted their heads in confusion.
"Is it over?"
"If no image comes to mind, it means you failed. You need to see something."
"Can we try again?"
"Of course."
Professor Kraer smirked.
At that moment, the student who had spoken suddenly collapsed sideways.
Thud!
"Ghk...!"
"Seeing the future demands a price. If mana is all it costs, consider yourself lucky."
"But... I didn't even see anything?"
"Exactly. That's why the cost was light. If you'd actually seen something, you wouldn't even be able to groan."
"......"
The students who had been about to raise their wands hesitated, fear creeping in.
No matter how alluring Divination Magic was, at this point, it just seemed like a form of suicide magic.
"Well done, right, Professor Garcia?"
"You could've been a bit more delicate... but the warning was clear. Good job."
"This much is necessary for students to take caution seriously. Divination Magic is the kind you practice alone until you cough up blood—Wait! What are you doing?!"
Professor Kraer's sharp gaze snapped toward Lee Han, who was already attempting a second divination—right after his first try.
Even after seeing another student collapse, he dared to do such a thing.
This student was either extraordinarily bold or so arrogant in his own talent that he'd lost all sense.
Lee Han hesitated before answering.
"I think... this much should be fine."
"Fine?! Dead mages thought the same! Professor Garcia—potion!"
"He should be fine at this level..."
"?!?"
When even the kind-hearted Professor Garcia showed such indifference to a matter of life and death, Professor Kraer was horrified.
This was undoubtedly a sign of the world's impending doom.