Episode 764
Episode 764
"W-Wardanaz."
"Are you sure about this?"
Imirgue and Lafadell hesitated behind him, whispering anxiously.
No matter how positively one tried to look at it, it was hard to accept an empty vault as being 'financially sufficient.'
Lee Han nodded calmly.
"Yes. The Black Magic School has enough money."
"...??"
"???"
The two wondered if Wardanaz had perhaps discovered some secret treasury or vault of the Black Magic School that they weren't aware of.
But Lee Han had his own reasoning.
'Even if we raise the prices, it'll just reduce the number of buyers. On top of that, if word gets out that the Black Magic School is poor...'
If they raised the prices of the mushroom field, Einrogard students were more likely to steal or seek alternatives rather than reluctantly pay up.
And if rumors spread that the Black Magic School was struggling financially?
'Every deal would end up at a loss.'
Though only a second-year, Lee Han was quickly grasping the ruthless economic realities of Einrogard.
This, too, was a world where showing weakness meant being devoured—survival of the fittest.
"Senior Agdung. Could you explain to them just how prosperous our Black Magic School is?"
"Huh?"
Agdung was taken aback by the sudden request.
He wasn't particularly familiar with the financial state of the Einrogard Black Magic School.
"I'd appreciate it."
"Uhhh..."
But he couldn't dare ignore the words of the Spirit Offering Hall Master's disciple.
Feeling his life on the line, Agdung racked his brain as hard as he could.
"How prosperous the Black Magic School is... Ah, as soon as we arrived, we were served honey tea."
"That's impressive!"
It truly was impressive, so the other seniors were astonished.
In contrast, the Enchantment Magic School wouldn't even offer a glass of water to outsiders.
'Was the Black Magic School wealthier than we thought?'
"That honey tea was actually made for Senior Diret and the others to drink..."
"Huh?"
"Never mind. Please continue."
Lee Han made a complicated expression.
He'd made it for the hardworking seniors, only for the professor to use it for hospitality with outsiders.
But there was nothing to be done. This, too, was a fate he had to bear as the professor's disciple.
"And the number of new disciples is several times greater than those at Kallarogard."
"Really?!"
"??"
Not only the seniors but even Lee Han was slightly surprised.
Was that true?
'Well, if both have zero, then "several times" is technically correct...'
"Also, the upperclassmen in our school are swamped with requests—so busy that even this second-year student is helping me with my work."
"Senior Agdung. I think that's enough."
Lee Han quickly cut him off.
Any further, and the Einrogard seniors might start noticing something odd.
"Everyone. Be careful not to breathe in while harvesting the Manabane Mushrooms."
After the deal was done, Agdung advised as they gathered mushrooms from the field.
Since Manabane Mushrooms were reagents used in curses that dispersed or weakened magical power, accidentally inhaling the spores could damage a mage's mana.
"Covering your face with cloth is best. Adding a simple windproof spell is even better."
"Indeed..."
Lee Han nodded in gratitude at Agdung's advice—then proceeded to pluck the Manabane Mushrooms bare-handed, dropping them into a basket.
"......"
Agdung stared in shock at the Spirit Offering Hall Master's disciple walking away.
Truly, every action of the Spirit Offering Hall Master's disciple was extraordinary.
'Come to think of it, his classmates in the same school might be just as exceptional.'
Suddenly struck by the thought, Agdung glanced around at the others.
"Gainando. Didn't I tell you the Mist Cloud Mushrooms are temperature-sensitive? They'll evaporate if mishandled. I gave you ice."
"Eeek. It's cold."
"You learned Cold Resistance Magic just to eat shaved ice?! Use it now!"
"......"
'That can't be right?'
While Agdung was slightly confused, a sinister wave of magical energy surged from the distance.
Agdung frowned at the disturbance. As a black magic practitioner, it was a familiar sensation. 'Is it a Contaminated Being or a Corrupted Being?' Contaminated Beings were monsters born when the continent's magical substances accidentally fused with other types of magical energy, creating separate mutations.
The most common Contaminated Beings were problems caused by waste liquids or slimes carelessly discarded by mages in workshops.
Contaminated Being, on the other hand, were monsters born when entities from other dimensions fell onto the continent but couldn't withstand the foreign environment, losing their essence.
Among Contaminated Being, one could encounter berserk spirits, demons, and very rarely, even fallen angels.
Both could be troublesome foes, but an experienced mage would always have ways to deal with them.
Moreover, the Black Magic faction specialized in handling such polluted and corrupted entities.
"What's happening?"
Lee Han, sensing something unusual, hurried over to Agdung's side.
Though he had been farther away, his sensitivity to magical energy allowed him to detect the distant disturbance.
Agdung wasn't surprised.
If it were the disciple of the Magic Tower, it wouldn't be strange if he had detected it much earlier.
"It seems like a Contaminated Being or Corrupted Be... Being. I'm debating whether to use <Begone, Contaminated Ones!> or <Resolve Toward Corruption> first. Which one should I use?"
Suppressing the urge to slip into formal speech, Agdung asked.
Lee Han was taken aback by the question.
"...I don't know either of them?"
"?!?!"
Agdung was startled by Lee Han's answer.
He had naturally assumed that, as the Magic Tower's disciple, Lee Han would have learned them by now. <Begone, Contaminated Ones!> was a 3rd-circle defensive spell to repel Contaminated Beings, while <Resolve Toward Corruption> was a 4th-circle defensive spell to ward off Contaminated Being—both ideal for extermination.
These were spells any experienced orthodox black mage would typically know...
"You really haven't learned these two spells?"
"My apologies."
Though apologizing for not knowing a spell was usually Gainando's thing, this time, it was Lee Han who apologized. 'Did I miss something?' Lee Han wondered inwardly.
He was certain he hadn't heard about those spells during last year's Black Magic lectures.
Had he missed them because of that one week he was absent? 'Damn. I should've paid more attention to Black Magic classes.' "Ah, no! There's no need to apologize! Don't apologize! Don't apologize!"
Agdung recoiled in horror when the Magic Tower's disciple apologized and hastily reassured him.
He then explained what the two spells were.
"...These are the spells."
"...Senior. I'm a second-year."
"Right? ...Oh, right?"
Only under Lee Han's pointed stare did Agdung finally realize.
His opponent was still a second-year! 'Why didn't I notice this obvious fact??' He knew it intellectually but had completely failed to connect the dots.
He had been too fixated on the fact that Lee Han was the Magic Tower's disciple... '...Right. No matter how much he's the Magic Tower's disciple, he's still a second-year...' Agdung reflected a little.
No matter how impressive his opponent was, suggesting he use spells he hadn't even learned yet was unreasonable.
"...Sorry. Can you call the others? I'll set up defensive spells around the field."
"Yes. I'll help too."
"Thanks."
At Lee Han's words, Agdung chuckled, his bones rattling. 'I should take responsibility for this.' Though their schools were different, as the highest-grade student present, Agdung felt a sense of duty as he detected the approaching enemy's disturbance.
Lee Han, waiting beside him, asked, "Senior, do Contaminated Beings and Contaminated Being emit the same type of magical energy?"
"Ah, not exactly. Both feel violent and twisted, but if Contaminated Beings feel like existing magical energy that's been altered, Contaminated Being are closer to... a reversed sensation, I'd say..."
"I see. Senior. I believe what's approaching now are Contaminated Beings."
"!?"
When his junior answered so readily, Agdung was taken aback. The enemy wasn't close enough yet for their identity to be discerned.
"Why do you think so?" 'Could he really tell the difference here?' If he could sense that distinction at this distance, it would be an absurdly keen perception.
For a mere second-year to even detect the mana fluctuations alone was impressive enough...
"First of all, this area is where Einrogard seniors consistently conduct magic research, isn't it? I think the probability of Contaminated Beings appearing is much higher than Contaminated Being. Generally speaking, Contaminated Being have a much lower occurrence rate anyway."
"That's a sharp observation."
Agdung clattered his bony jaw in agreement.
Perhaps because he was a clever student, he remained calm and analytical even in a situation where others might panic.
"And when I focused my senses, I could feel the mana had a corrupted quality."
"......"
"Senior?"
"Ah, it's nothing."
"Huh?"
"No, really, it's nothing. Then let's prepare to cast <Begone, Contaminated Ones!>!"
Agdung swiftly changed the subject.
If he made a few more slip-ups here, the disciple of the Magic Tower might come to see Kallarogard as some kind of bizarre school.
Of course, it was indeed bizarre, but students from the Empire's magic academies—except for Baldrogard—always tried to hide their own school's embarrassing aspects.
Their magic schools were always sources of shame, but that was something to be embarrassed about among themselves—not something to reveal to outsiders.
"Black stone, clove, sacred bone fragment, golden hair. Damn. I've used up all the golden hair."
"Would this hair work?"
"Oh. Nice!"
Lee Han instructed his friends to pluck a few strands of Gainando's hair. Gainando's screams echoed across the field.
"Begone, Contaminated Ones! Fear the mage who wields this power. Begone, Contaminated Ones! Fear the mage who wields this power..."
Repeated incantation.
It was a technique to amplify the spell's power by reciting the same chant multiple times.
To cast a defensive spell over a wide area like the mushroom field, they had to increase its potency this way, even if it took time.
"Whew. Let's take a short break."
Agdung paused the incantation as he felt his bones aching.
Transforming his flesh into an undead form had made stamina less of an issue, but that didn't mean there was no pain or exhaustion.
"This arm bone here is a bit worn. I should replace it before it breaks."
"Doesn't it bother you?"
At Gainando's question, Agdung laughed as if the idea was ridiculous.
"When I can just replace it like this, what could be more efficient? Just... take out... the old bone... and slot in... a new one... Done!"
Gainando wanted to say, 'I'd rather just wait for my flesh wounds to heal,' but seeing how much effort Agdung had put into replacing his bones, he couldn't bring himself to say it. 'Black mages are all so weird.' "Alright. Let's start again."
"I'll help too."
While Agdung had been working on the first part, Lee Han had been watching intently from the side, observing how the magic was cast. Now he spoke up.
With a senior black mage present, even if mistakes were made, they could be corrected.
Agdung knew this too, so he readily agreed. Having a reliable assistant for such physically demanding work was a blessing.
"Much appreciated. The western side is almost done, so could you finish up there? I'll start on the remaining sections—"
"Begone, Contaminated Ones! Fear the mage who wields this power."
With a single incantation, a powerful spell encircled the mushroom field.
Watching this, Siana clenched her fists in frustration.
"He cast it in just two attempts...!"
"I-I thought it would take two for me too..."
"......"
Agdung could only stare in bewilderment at the exchange between the second-year students of Einrogard.