Episode 229
Episode 229
"I'm surprised. I didn't expect to meet them so soon."
"?"
Lee Han was puzzled by Professor Millay's words.
Although Professor Thunderstep had guided him to the Spirit World once before, beings from the Otherworld were naturally very curious about intruders.
'Shouldn't they approach even if I stay still?'
...The fact that they ran away from Lee Han was strange—normally, spirits should have been the ones approaching.
"That would be the case normally. But as I mentioned, there are safety measures in place."
"Ah."
The safety measures that prevented powerful beings from approaching also concealed the presence of mages.
Since their presence couldn't be detected, it was natural that fewer beings from the Otherworld would appear.
"But we still met some?"
"It must be because of your mana."
Professor Millay looked at Lee Han as she spoke.
Even with the safety measures masking their presence, mana couldn't be completely hidden, so it was clear that the undead had been drawn by that mana and crawled toward them.
'No. So it wasn't because of the others.'
He had thought it was because the students with exceptional Black Magic talents were accompanying him, but apparently not.
Gainando stared at Lee Han with a deeply betrayed expression.
No wonder the undead kept coming!
"As expected, Lee Han, you..."
"Got a problem with that?"
"N-No. Thanks for summoning the undead, I guess."
Gainando swore to himself that if he ever had to visit a graveyard in the future, he would absolutely never bring Lee Han along.
"I'll maintain this magic circle until the weekend. Students who didn't succeed in forming a contract today should keep trying."
"!"
Lee Han brightened at the news that the magic circle would remain open until the weekend.
'I might be able to get a Skeleton Mage.'
He had already contracted a Skeleton Warrior, but there was no harm in securing one more.
Clatter—
Sharkan, nestled among the bone fragments, tilted his head in confusion.
It was as if he was asking why Lee Han would waste mana like that.
"Gainando. Rafael. Good news. They're keeping the magic circle open. Let's go back in and look for more undead. There might be some that would contract with you two."
"W-Wardanaz... That's a bit..."
Rafael paled slightly and waved his hands dismissively.
Thinking the other was trying to weasel out of it, Lee Han spoke firmly.
"Rafael. Don't pretend you're exhausted."
"...I'm genuinely out of mana, you bastard!"
Rafael was furious.
He had tried to tough it out because he didn't want to sound weak in front of Lee Han, but traveling to another world and returning was naturally a task that drained both mana and mental energy.
Beside him, Gainando, who was also exhausted, sat on a chair nibbling chocolate.
"Ah. So you've depleted your mana."
"Yes!"
"Then let's rest for today and go in during the next break. When's the next break? Tell me."
"......"
Rafael felt a jolt of terror at the sight of Lee Han immediately trying to check his schedule.
'Th-This bastard!'
It was a qualitatively different kind of fear—one that even a burly, intimidating knight couldn't inspire.
Frozen stiff by this unfamiliar terror, Rafael's body went rigid.
"Speak quickly."
"D-Do you really have to drag me along?"
"No. I need at least one vanguar—no, one frontline fighter to feel at ease."
"Were you just about to say 'meat shield'?"
"Don't slander me with baseless accusations. So when's your break? Don't even think about lying—I can just ask the White Tiger Tower students."
Gainando took the opportunity to quietly shuffle backward. Without even turning around, Lee Han said:
"Gainando, I already know your class schedule, so don't bother hiding it."
"...!!"
After the lecture ended and all the students had left, Professor Millay tidied up the remaining mess.
Having drawn the magic circle using various materials, the surroundings were quite disorderly.
'Is this the magic circle he drew earlier?'
Professor Millet turned his gaze to the unfinished magic circle left at Lee Han's seat.
Since it was meant to summon a shield form, it was clear he hadn't made much progress.
Still, even failure could be a lesson, so that alone would've been...
"?!"
Professor Millet was startled when he saw the incomplete magic circle Lee Han had drawn.
For a first-year student who'd never properly handled shield-form magic to complete a magic circle of this level?
...Is he truly a genius??
Lafadell wanted to rest and keep his distance from Lee Han until his mana fully recovered.
And if they were to meet again, he wanted at least four people to face him together.
But that wish didn't come true.
"......"
"Well, fancy meeting you here."
Less than two hours later, he encountered Lee Han in Black Magic class.
Cough. "I sense a different mana from you three. Did you visit the Undead World or something?"
Professor Mortum, unaware of Lafadell's inner thoughts, asked. Lee Han nodded and explained what had happened.
Cough cough, "You did extremely well!"
Professor Mortum exclaimed between coughs, shaking so violently from the force of his shout that his body trembled.
"Was it really that impressive?"
"Of course. Cough. Black Magic isn't just necromancy, but among outstanding Black Mages, there isn't a single one who can't perform necromancy."
While manipulating dark elements, poisons, or curses were also part of Black Magic, what most people immediately associated with it was undead summoning—necromancy.
The arcane magic of raising the dead.
Cough. "It's a bit regrettable that you did this during Summoning Magic class... but still, this is no small feat. Did the other students look at you with envy?"
"......"
Lee Han hesitated.
When he mentioned contracting a Skeleton Warrior, the students' reactions had been...
'They weren't envious.'
Though they were amazed and impressed, there definitely weren't any students who thought, Wow, I envy Black Magic—I want to learn it too.
Yet Lee Han couldn't bring himself to reject the pitiful look Professor Mortum was giving him.
"I suppose they did."
"?"
"I knew it! Cough. I just knew it."
Professor Mortum was delighted as if it were his own achievement.
Lafadell shot a look that said, That's not what happened, though? Lee Han ignored him.
"Among the many Otherworld beings you can contract and summon, the greatest and most beautiful are the undead. Once a mage realizes the allure of the undead, they can't help but take an interest in necromancy. Cough. What's the point of just wielding swords and shields?"
On one hand, there was a mage pouring mana into something and giving it orders from start to finish. On the other, summoning an Otherworld being with its own will.
No matter how you looked at it, the latter was undeniably far more convenient.
Of course, the latter had its drawbacks too.
Having a will meant the summoned beings might not always obey the mage's commands.
But this drawback could be mitigated if you had already subdued and contracted a being beforehand.
If not...
There were other methods, like dwelling in graves or applying decaying substances to the body, to dispel the hostility of summoned undead.
Professor Mortum tactfully skipped over mentioning these.
Cough. "Anyway, you contracted well. Who did you two make contracts with?"
"Huh."
"Ah."
"?"
"W-well, we haven't yet..."
At Gainando's words, Professor Mortum frowned.
"That won't do. Cough. Opportunities to visit the Undead World and make contracts aren't that common."
"Don't worry, Professor. I'll take them there myself by the weekend and make sure they contract."
Cough. "You seem to be the only student I can trust."
"You flatter me, Professor."
"......"
Gainando and Lafadell glared at Lee Han.
He was their friend, but today, he was being particularly insufferable.
Cough. "Student Lafadell, you should go and try making an undead summoning contract too."
"Me... me too?"
The half-giant student, Imirg, who had been quietly standing by until now, looked flustered as the spotlight suddenly turned to him.
Imirg had never even attended summoning magic classes, nor did he have any particular interest in necromancy.
'We don't really need Imirg.'
Since Lee Han had already calculated that Lafadell alone would be enough, he decided to show mercy to his remaining friend.
"If you don't want to, there's no need to force yourself to—"
"No! We should go together!"
"Yeah, going together would be better. The professor said so too."
Gainando and Lafadell cut in like lightning. Lee Han thought to himself:
'These damn bastards.'
Dragging their friend along just because they didn't want to go alone!
Professor Mortum taught them about the characteristics of common undead monsters in the Undead World and how to deal with them, in preparation for the contracts.
He also instructed that if any students learning summoning magic showed interest in undead, they should be persuaded—first about how great undead were, then how excellent necromancy was, and finally how magnificent Black Magic could be.
'This is painful to even listen to.'
Lee Han clicked his tongue internally.
"Cough. Wardanaz."
As the lecture neared its end, Professor Mortum called for Lee Han, who nodded in understanding and replied:
"Don't worry, Professor. I'll guide my friends well and make sure they form contracts with useful undead monsters."
"Cough. That's not it."
"?"
"Take this."
Professor Mortum handed over a thick brown book. Even compared to the books Lee Han had seen so far, this one looked considerably aged.
'<Ancient Basic Necromancy—On the True Summoning of Undead>?'
"May I ask why you're giving me this book?"
Lee Han was puzzled as to why he was suddenly being handed such a book.
Professor Mortum coughed before speaking.
"Cough. Necromancy—specifically, undead summoning—how many methods do you think there are?"
"Two, isn't it?"
One was summoning unbound entities.
Though they weren't tied by contracts and required magical control and various methods to pacify their hostility, the advantage was the relative freedom of summoning.
The other was summoning contracted entities.
While they required no control or pacification, the contract itself could be considered a drawback.
"Cough. Wrong. There are actually three."
"Three? ...Don't tell me—"
Lee Han froze.
"You've figured it out, I see."
There was a hint of realization.
'Is he talking about the magic item method?'
As learned in Professor Millay's lecture, items without sentience—like swords or shields—required the mage to manually script every movement and action.
But for undead, that would be the epitome of inefficiency.
Why go through the trouble of constructing everything from nothing when you could just summon an undead?
From the mana cost to the casting process, it was an absurdly inefficient method that skyrocketed in difficulty.
Naturally, it wasn't a method used nowadays. That's why Lee Han had confidently asked, "Two, isn't it?"
"Cough. Correct."
"I've heard... this method is rarely used these days?"
"Not rarely—it's practically nonexistent. Cough. It's essentially an ancient method. This book contains that ancient approach."
"!"
Lee Han was stunned again.
It was surprising that he was being recommended a magic method no longer in use—and even more surprising why he was being recommended it.
'What's the advantage... Wait. There must be a reason it fell out of use, right?'
"Why me?"
"Cough. The headmaster's orders. He insisted that you be trained to summon undead this way as well."
"......"
Lee Han's expression turned serious.
For a moment, he thought it might be due to some hidden aptitude or his mana-rich constitution, but...
"Understood. I'll... give it a try."
'I'll just skim through it.'
His Black Magic grades were already well-managed.
Even without mastering this outdated method of summoning undead, he could still score full marks.
"Cough. I trust you. You'll learn it well. The headmaster said he'd check your progress weekly. If there's none, he mentioned sending you to the punishment room—though I'm sure he was joking..."
"......"