Episode 846
Episode 846
'How pitiful.'
Never would I have thought that such an arrogant duke could end up like this.
Even though I didn't particularly like Duke Icaldoren, I couldn't help but feel sympathy for him.
And the most astonishing thing about this situation was that Yukveltire herself harbored not a shred of malice.
'Even if she had tortured him deliberately, I doubt she could have done it this well...'
Even if Lee Han and Yukveltire had joined hands—one playing the good interrogator and the other the bad—they probably wouldn't have achieved this level of result.
It seemed she had an innate talent for torturing people, befitting a disciple of Professor Verdus.
'Speaking of which, I should probably inform the senior.'
Lee Han intended to find Yukveltire and tell her that he would take care of the duke for the remaining days.
It would be a bit bothersome, but Duke Icaldoren was so pitiful that he felt he ought to do at least that much.
Besides, he had already secured sponsorship for two research projects.
"Ah! Senior!"
Just as he stepped outside Black Rock Hall, he spotted Yukveltire passing by.
Yukveltire, who had been winding the pocket watch's spring and checking the time with her pale, slender fingers, slowly turned her head at her junior's call.
"Greetings."
"Ah. Good to see you."
Lee Han swiftly tossed the staff he was holding into a nearby grave pit before she could notice.
Honestly, he probably could have shown it to her, but Diret's words had needlessly stuck in his mind.
If she decided to harass him using her seniority and status, it wouldn't end well, so caution was warranted.
'Wait. Did the Tree Spirit dislike places like that?'
Only after throwing it did he recall that the Tree Spirit wasn't fond of grave pits.
As a spirit associated with life, it was only natural for it to detest the corpse energy and evil energy of the Black Magic school.
'Well, nothing to be done about it now.'
Lee Han quickly gave up.
What could he do? It was already thrown.
Besides, the Tree Spirit was tough and fierce—a little time in a grave pit wouldn't be a problem.
"Senior, what brings you here?"
"I needed to return a book I borrowed from Diret. And you?"
"I, uh... came to check on His Grace the Duke."
Yukveltire shook her head slightly, as if to say he was wasting his time.
"His Grace is being perfectly managed. Don't waste your time needlessly."
"......"
Lee Han was speechless.
The fact that she said it so confidently made it even more absurd.
'She nearly starved a man to death, and she says that so boldly?'
"Have you checked on him today?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Junior of the Wardanaz family. You'll come to understand this in time, but efficiency is crucial in Enchantment Magic. Just as there's no need to recalculate a perfectly crafted spell formula, there's no need to revisit His Grace when he's already being managed flawlessly."
Yukveltire spoke without a hint of doubt.
She had precisely provided the duke with the exact amount of food he needed, so there was no reason to check on him before the designated period ended.
"...Ah, I see. But, Senior, would it be all right if I took over managing His Grace from now on?"
"Why?"
Lee Han almost blurted out, 'Because His Grace wants to kill you,' but held back.
He was worried Yukveltire might stubbornly refuse out of pride.
"As a junior, I'd like to assist you with your duties."
"Finally, you're thinking properly. My Artificial Dimension Research—"
"I'd rather not."
"......"
The moment Lee Han rejected her outright, dissatisfaction flickered across Yukveltire's expressionless face.
Why did this junior, who had both the qualifications and talent—and even respect for his senior—keep refusing her?
"I'm a bit too busy for that. Anyway, may I take over His Grace's care?"
"Very well. But don't mismanage him to the point of killing him. He's an important hostage."
"......"
Lee Han unconsciously clenched his fists tightly. 'She's my senior. I absolutely must not attack her. She's my senior. I absolutely must not attack her.'
"Yes. I'll do my best. Well then..."
"Wait."
"?"
Yukveltire called out to Lee Han as he tried to turn away.
"How's your staff crafting coming along?"
"My staff, you mean?"
After briefly glancing at the grave pit beside them, Lee Han cautiously probed his senior's reaction.
"I'm trying to obtain black magnetite. But Senior... What would you think if someone else completed my staff for me?"
"If they complete it, then they complete it."
Yukveltire answered without hesitation.
Hearing this, Lee Han inwardly sighed in relief. 'What's this? Was Senior Diret just worrying for nothing? Even if Senior Yukveltire is a bit... no, quite eccentric, she's not the type to get angry or torment a junior just because someone else finished their staff.'
"Did someone offer to complete it for you?"
"Well, I did receive such an offer..."
"You should refuse. They're undoubtedly some low-level scammer. Anyone trying to steal another enchanter's work clearly has no shame and is complete trash."
This was the first time Lee Han had seen Yukveltire speak so rapidly and at such length. She spat out the words in one breath without pausing.
"But... you just said if they complete it, then they complete it."
"I did, didn't I?"
"But now you're saying the person who offered is a scammer and trash..."
"Because they are a scammer and trash. If anything, that's putting it mildly. Their soul deserves an eternal curse, doomed to wander hell for all eternity and it still wouldn't be enough."
"......"
'Why not just get angry outright instead of...' Lee Han was dumbfounded by his senior's behavior of claiming she wasn't angry while clearly seething with resentment.
The only saving grace was that Professor Verdus would bear the brunt of that anger...
But the unsettling thought was that some of it might still splash onto Lee Han.
Though irrational and unreasonable, wasn't that typical of most Einrogard mages anyway? 'I'll tell her later.' Or maybe never.
"I understand, Senior. I'll keep that in mind. Well then..."
"Junior of the Wardanaz family."
"Yes?"
"You will refuse the offer, won't you?"
"...Yes. Then I'll really be going now..."
"Good."
Lee Han sighed in relief and turned to leave. He planned to come back for his staff once Yukveltire was far enough away.
"Junior of the Wardanaz family."
"!?"
Just as she was walking away, Yukveltire suddenly stopped and called out again. Lee Han panicked, wondering if she'd read his mind.
"Yes?"
"You really should refuse that offer. Understood?"
"...I said I understand."
Yukveltire proceeded to call Lee Han back three more times to torment him before finally leaving for good.
Lee Han added Yukveltire to his mental list of people to avoid for the foreseeable future.
[Crazy Doppelganger] [Verdus] [Yukveltire]
'Hmm.' After some thought, Lee Han took out his quill and rearranged the order by threat level.
[Yukveltire] [Verdus] [Crazy Doppelganger]
<Advanced Illusion Magic and Theory of Ethereal Studies> was a third-year course taught jointly by Professors Kirmin and Ku.
While such advanced illusion magic could technically be taught to second-year students, the reason it was only offered from the third year onward was because of ethereal studies.
Ethereal beings—in other words, souls.
Once illusion magic reaches a certain level, the study of existence and souls becomes an absolute necessity.
Lower-level illusion magic didn't require any interaction with souls.
Illusions, in a way, were closer to the concept of deception, and that deception didn't necessarily require involving the soul.
Last year, the Pahait's Illusion Magic series that Lee Han had learned was a case where one could cast spells without needing to study the soul, as it merely distorted vision using the power of flames.
"However, that is merely a simplistic notion. To surpass a certain level in illusion magic, one must delve deeper into the study of the soul than mages of other schools."
Professor Kirmin wrote letters on the blackboard using illusions.
To sense the opponent's soul, recognize one's own soul, expand and contract the power of the soul, interfere directly with the soul to confuse or strike it...
It wasn't just about pursuing higher-level magic.
To cast illusion magic against formidable enemies or monsters with immense magical power, such methods of approaching the soul were essential.
Professor Vol had said, 'Deceiving mages above a certain level with illusion magic is several times harder than in other fields of magic,' but that was only half the truth.
"A truly exceptional illusion mage is impossible to stop even if you try. Once you've experienced something like sitting in the middle of your own workshop, sighing in relief thinking 'I'm safe here,' only to see your own shadow transform on its own—you'll never underestimate illusion magic again. Should I tell you the story of how I landed a hit on Professor Bagrak?"
"Professor, I think I've heard that story over a hundred times already."
"Hmph. Fine. I just won't tell it then."
'No!' Lee Han glared at his seniors.
How dare they block a junior's chance to learn just because they'd already heard it?
It was utterly infuriating.
'Ugh. I'm so curious. How exactly did he land that hit?'
If he knew the trick, Lee Han might be able to use it against Professor Voladi someday.
"Everyone, remember last lecture? Let's continue. Wardanaz, come up here."
Professor Kirmin called Lee Han separately.
Since he had missed the previous lecture, the professor felt the need to explain things to him individually.
"What your classmates are practicing now is the exercise of observing and recognizing the soul. Wardanaz, as I explained earlier, you must start with perception first. This is harder than you think. Even if you can't manage it today, I'll understand."
Even for mages, becoming aware of and recognizing one's own soul was more difficult than expected.
Forcing oneself to perceive something as unfamiliar that should feel as natural as breathing wasn't easy.
That was why the students began by recognizing the souls of others rather than their own.
The seniors in the lecture hall used various potions and magic to amplify and resonate their soul's power.
An enlarged soul was much easier to see.
"We'll be attempting a light out-of-body experience now. Wardanaz, you'll go around once and then return. Try to sense the dissonance. Because that's where the soul resides now."
"Um, Professor."
"?"
"About soul recognition... I think I can already do that right now..."
"?!"
Professor Kirmin was taken aback.
"Did Professor Bagrak teach you soul recognition too? Even for him, that's going too far!"
"No, that's not it."
Lee Han quickly cleared up the misunderstanding.
If he stayed silent, Professor Voladi—who, though not entirely innocent, was blameless in this particular matter—might end up wrongly accused.
"It's just..."
Last time, I learned ancient black magic, which absorbs others' suffering. To use it properly, you have to delve deep into the soul...
Though the explanation was long and complex, Professor Kirmin, being one of the few 'relatively sane' professors at Einrogard, listened patiently.
Anyone else would have interrupted multiple times with, 'Wait, does that even make sense?' without it being strange.
"Hmm."
As Lee Han explained how he had learned Downfall Magic from the Skeleton Principal's Mad Clone, used it to heal another cursed mage, and even went so far as to place a curse on his own soul to overcome a trial, Professor Kirmin's astonishment gave way to sudden doubt.
"Then... doesn't that mean Wardanaz doesn't need to take this class?"
The first-semester goal of <Advanced Illusion Magic and Theory of Ethereal Studies> was to recognize and become familiar with the soul...
But no student had ever come into the lecture already knowing everything like this.