Episode 30
Episode 30
Lee Han found himself asking the question before he even realized it.
Truth be told, curses could be seen as somewhat similar to buff magic in certain ways.
What if it was a curse that reduced body weight for someone wanting to lose weight? Used properly, it might actually be beneficial.
A belt imbued with a mana-absorbing curse would normally be an item most mages would recoil from, shrieking "Eek! Get that away from me!"—but for Lee Han, the story was slightly different.
Lee Han...
Had so much mana that it was practically overflowing.
'That actually seems worth wearing seriously.'
He was already wearing mana-absorbing iron bracelets anyway—adding one more belt wouldn't make much difference.
"What do you mean by effects?"
"Well, since it's a cursed item, it must have its original effects, no?"
Magic operated on action and reaction.
Cursed items often compensated for their drawbacks by having more powerful effects than ordinary items.
After all, if they didn't, why would anyone bother wearing cursed items in the first place?
"Ah, I see. Brother, so that's what you meant. Let me check..."
'Wait. Shouldn't you be remembering the original function rather than the curse?'
Lee Han was baffled by the priest, who could recall the curse on the item but not its actual effects.
Wasn't that putting the cart before the horse?
"Ah, it's a belt enchanted with Invisibility Magic. But that's not really important. What matters is the curse attached to it... Anyway, brother, you can be honest with me. Whatever your answer, I'll accept—"
"What are you talking about? I'm fully prepared."
Lee Han met the priest's gaze with a fierce look in his eyes. The priest was utterly shocked.
How could this be?
He had assumed Lee Han would naturally give up and leave—but it turned out the one mistaken was the priest himself.
'How shameful! I failed to recognize a true brother of faith and spoke presumptuously.'
No longer did Lee Han appear to the priest as just a well-bred boy from a prestigious family.
Standing before him now was a brother truly prepared to walk the path of faith with sincerity.
"Brother, my name is Mehrid. May I know yours?"
"Lee Han. Lee Han Wardanaz."
'Wardanaz!'
Mehrid was even more astonished.
The Wardanaz family? Weren't they that infamous family of non-believers, even renowned across the empire?
No wonder he carried such an unusually dignified and imposing aura...
"The order will rejoice at your joining, brother. Here—please accept this belt in honor of Prisinga."
Though the name was absurdly grandiose for a cursed belt, Lee Han accepted it with solemn expression.
Clink—
As Lee Han fastened the belt, Mehrid watched him with a concerned look.
New brothers joining the order always struggled when first shouldering the burden of Prisinga.
After all, curses were inevitably difficult for first-timers to endure.
A mana-absorbing belt might be too harsh for a newly enrolled student to han...
"How do I activate the Invisibility Magic?"
"...?!?!"
"??"
"Ah, that... You just need to chant, 'I hide in the night.' To undo it, say, 'I reveal myself at dawn.'"
"I hide in the night."
As Lee Han recited the incantation, his figure vanished as if by illusion.
'Whoa...'
Lee Han was fascinated.
Not all Invisibility Magic was the same.
Lower-circle Invisibility Magic, though called such, often only allowed slight light penetration or had flaws that became noticeable upon closer inspection.
But the Invisibility Magic from this belt seemed nearly flawless.
'This makes wearing a cursed item worth it.'
"Uh, brother... Are you... feeling alright?"
"Of course I am. I reveal myself at dawn."
Lee Han dispelled the spell.
Honestly, before putting on the belt, Lee Han had slightly hoped that his mana might decrease just enough to leave him with a manageable amount...
Surprisingly, there was no effect at all.
'Judging by their concern, it seems like an item that absorbs quite a bit of mana. But how can it have no effect like this?'
At this rate, it seemed like the mana he recovered was greater than what the iron bracelet or belt absorbed...
Greed rising within him, Lee Han spoke up.
"Priest. I wish to bear a little more of Prisinga's burden."
"Oho...!"
Mehrid was deeply moved by this devoted brother's words.
But he couldn't possibly accept it.
Just wearing this belt alone must already be quite burdensome to the body...
"That won't do, Brother. Prisinga's burden cannot be borne all at once. I understand your devotion, but you must wait a little longer."
"No! I must bear more!"
"I recognize that devotion! But Brother, you must wait!"
In the end, he failed to obtain another artifact, but it wasn't a complete loss.
Just acquiring the Invisibility Belt alone was already an enormous gain.
And what Lee Han planned to do with it was obvious...
'Another escape route has opened up.'
His last escape attempt had made Lee Han acutely aware of his own complacency.
This school was far crazier than he'd imagined, and the headmaster was an even greater madman than expected.
He had no idea what traps might await his future attempts.
This Invisibility Belt would protect him when the time came.
"...And so, the first gathering to honor Prisinga's will was held, marking the founding of our order. We'll stop here for today, Brother."
Priest Mehrid had explained the order's history and rules to Lee Han.
Truthfully, he had little interest in the order's history, but Lee Han was a professional at listening to uninteresting stories.
-Did I tell them about my last visit to the golf course?
-I'm truly curious, Professor! Please tell us quickly!
'Actually, it wasn't that boring.'
Separate from the order's history, the rules and divine magic were quite interesting.
And surprisingly, the Prisinga Order truly had the free-spirited ethos the headmaster had described.
Believing in other orders simultaneously? Perfectly acceptable.
There were no prohibitions; one could live as they pleased.
...Except for wearing cursed items, that is.
'Aside from that one flaw, it's genuinely a good order. But that single flaw is just too massive.'
Lee Han probably couldn't in good conscience recommend the Prisinga Order to others with a straight face.
Because that one flaw was simply too big!
Moreover, all the divine magic used by the order's priests seemed to have similarly extreme tendencies...
Perhaps fearing that Lee Han might change his mind after hearing about the order, Priest Mehrid presented him with a generous gift.
"Here, Brother. Please accept this. I've heard Einrogard freshmen often go hungry. Of course, rumors tend to be exaggerated..."
'They're not exaggerated.'
Lee Han accepted the basket the priest offered.
Much like the basket the Flemeng Order had given Yoner, the Prisinga Order had also filled theirs quite abundantly.
One could sense their desperate determination not to let go of any follower they managed to secure.
Jars containing raspberry jam, marmalade, peanut jam, and other preserves, along with round, flat bread baked by the order.
Famous canned beef and pork from the Empire, magically sealed.
There were also condiments like salt and sugar, along with coffee grounds and tea leaves.
Priest Mehrid said in a gentle voice,
"I included some beverages thinking you might need them while studying."
"I think I'll need them more for survival than studying..."
"Pardon?"
"It's nothing. Thank you."
Lee Han bowed his head gratefully.
Priest Mehrid likely intended these as refreshments for study breaks, but given the school's conditions, these weren't snacks for leisure—they were emergency rations to be stockpiled in his room.
'The students' rights here would improve if the religious orders visited more frequently.'
"When is the next event?"
"Hmm. I'd like to come as soon as possible, but we'd need the Headmaster's permission..."
'Damn.'
Even without hearing the rest, it was clear the priests wouldn't be able to visit for a while.
Given the Headmaster's personality, he wouldn't invite them often...
"You should take this too."
"?!"
Dijiling, the demon-blooded priest from the Tower of the Eternally Burning Phoenix and a freshman, held out the basket she'd received to Lee Han.
Lee Han was startled.
What's this?
Just giving it away?
Would accepting this mean making some kind of contract with a demon?
"Why are you giving this to me?"
"As a servant of Prisinga, such luxuries are too much for me."
"There's no need for that, Dijiling. These were prepared for you, so take them."
Priest Mehrid seemed to want Dijiling to accept the basket, but she stubbornly refused.
'Wow. The Tower of the Eternally Burning Phoenix really has a different atmosphere.'
Just looking at the students from Lee Han's own Blue Dragon Tower—they'd already forgotten the dignity of their noble houses and were rolling their eyes pleadingly, saying, "Hey, got any food? None? Really none?"...
While students from the other three towers were acting like this, those from the Phoenix Tower were nobly restraining themselves and enduring.
Impressive!
But impressive as it was, Lee Han had no intention of living like that.
"I'll gratefully accept—"
"Excuse me, Brother."
"?"
Priest Mehrid took Lee Han aside.
"Could you perhaps look after Dijiling a little? Considering the prestige of your family, your care would be a great help to her. As you can see, Dijiling tends to be excessively strict with herself."
"Huh? But I'm in a different dorm—"
"I beg you."
With that, Priest Mehrid pulled out another basket and pressed it into Lee Han's hands. Clearly, this was a priest who knew how to get things done.
"Here. I'll give you one more, so please share the basket you give to Dijiling so she can eat properly."
"Understood. You can trust me."
Holding three baskets, Lee Han couldn't resist the temptation.
Sharing meals was no big deal...
"Should I call you Priestess Dijiling?"
"Yes. You may address me however you prefer."
"What's the atmosphere like in the Tower of the Eternally Burning Phoenix?"
Lee Han asked, sounding curious.
Unlike the White Tiger Tower or the Black Turtle Tower, the Phoenix Tower's atmosphere was completely inscrutable.
The demon-blooded girl tilted her head, seemingly unable to understand the question.
"What do you mean?"
"Ah, well... what do you all do in the lounge during breaks..."
"Each of us prays in our own room."
Dijiling answered with a hint of pride. Lee Han was aghast.
'Huh. It's way bleaker than I thought.'
If Lee Han had been in the Phoenix Tower, he would've suffocated.
"Do you pray in the evenings too?"
"Yes. Some priests must go to the forests or mountains to pray, so they go outside, while those permitted to pray indoors do so there."
"I see... Wait. You're allowed out in the evenings?"
"Yes. We have permission."
"!"
Lee Han was shocked by this unexpected revelation.
'Priests can wander around after evening?'
Normally, leaving the tower after evening on weekdays was strictly forbidden. It wasn't for nothing that Lee Han and his friends schemed to escape only on weekends.
But the Phoenix Tower students had permission.
Come to think of it, even if Lee Han were the Headmaster, he'd probably have let the Phoenix Tower students out too.
Left to their own devices, they wouldn't cause any trouble...
'Does that mean if I just wear priest robes, I can wander around after evening too?'
Lee Han felt a sudden spark of inspiration.
If he just had priest robes...!
"By any chance, could I get my hands on a set of priest robes?"
"......"
Dijiling narrowed her eyes and stared at Lee Han.