Episode 871
Episode 871
With the exception of students at the Foot Magic School who learn magic as a hobby, wizards are fundamentally beings who pursue truth.
From the beginning, the path of magic is one where even walking your own path and chasing its ultimate form is not easy—it's difficult to endure for long with the lighthearted attitude of treating it as a mere hobby.
This dimension is among the most powerful of countless dimensions.
The pinnacle of existence in this dimension would hardly differ from what could be called truth...
Of course, people like Lee Han, who picked up a staff for the sake of wealth, honor, and a leisurely life, were a slight exception.
"It's not that my soul is injured—it just seems too dangerous. And who's to say everything we desire is truly up there?"
That was true.
Surprisingly, the Yaksha King readily accepted Lee Han's criticism.
The luminous point shining at the peak of that dimension had long been called the embodiment of all things and wishes themselves, but in truth, it had never been proven.
To begin with, those who attempted to climb there and returned alive were exceedingly rare. The Yaksha King knew of no one besides Os.
But most wizards don't judge things so pragmatically. Every wizard except you revealed their greed the moment they heard this rumor.
"I must have been taught well. After all, acting greedily is generally considered improper etiquette."
Hmm. Did Os learn from his failures? He begged me with tears in his eyes back then.
"I'd very much like to hear that story in detail."
Lee Han immediately spoke up.
The Skeleton Principal's shameful past was a far more intriguing tale than some luminous point above.
'It's not particularly important.'
'No!'
Lee Han was infuriated by the Yaksha King's dismissive attitude of brushing aside trivial stories and returning to the main point.
What does a mere yaksha know about human society?!
Your master, Os, visited this dimension after hearing rumors of truth. Out of respect for Os's good karma and magic, I aided him as much as I could. He stayed in the kingdom for a while, recuperated, inquired... and left. According to rumors, he wandered within the dimension for quite some time even after departing the kingdom.
"Did my master reach the top?"
Hmm.
The Yaksha King looked uncharacteristically troubled.
Truthfully, I haven't seen Os since then. I only assumed it was him because rumors spread of a human wizard obtaining what he sought and leaving. So I can't say for certain. But the fact that he survived long enough to raise a disciple like you could be proof that he reached the top, no?
"Couldn't he have given up midway and spread false rumors about obtaining truth?"
Hmm. Given your emotional attitude toward your master, even the earlier story about Os's transformation is starting to lose credibility.
"......"
Lee Han was speechless.
But if we're just considering possibilities, you're not wrong. It could be true.
Though he said that, the Yaksha King seemed convinced that the Skeleton Principal had indeed attained truth before leaving.
Not bothering to hide his thoughts, the Yaksha King continued.
Os was the kind of wizard who wouldn't have left even if his bones and soul were crushed before obtaining what he sought.
"That much is certainly true."
Hmm. Are you forcing yourself to praise your master now after being criticized for your irrational attitude toward him?
"...No."
Well then. We've arrived.
The Yaksha King stretched his hand toward the distant heights and seized a planet floating in the sky.
Lee Han's eyes widened at the surreal sight, defying all sense of perspective.
Pulling the planet closer and tossing it forward, the Yaksha King transformed it into a palace. Then, he split into dozens of Yaksha Kings, then hundreds more.
And each of those Yaksha Kings became gatekeepers, servants, courtiers, and musicians.
"You're the King of Yakshas—where are the other yakshas?"
Down below. Only those who lack confidence in their own authority would force subordinates when they can manage a palace alone.
Lee Han almost said, 'The Skeleton Principal also summons Death Knights like crazy,' but held back.
No matter what he said, it seemed the Yaksha King would just take him for a petulant disciple.
The Yaksha King offered Lee Han a chair made of lava and another made of blades. After Lee Han refused both, he finally produced an ordinary chair and handed it over.
'As I said, I don't see humans often, so my memory is hazy on what kind of chair they prefer.'
"Is there really a species that enjoys sitting on a blade chair?"
'Os sat on that one.'
"......"
After giving Lee Han ample time to be thoroughly baffled, the Yaksha King got to the point.
'Well then, Os's disciple. To be honest, I'm a bit confused. You came to this dimension with the proper qualifications, accumulated vast amounts of Good Karma, and are also Os's disciple. Therefore, I sought you out to help you achieve your purpose here. But if Os didn't send you, and you didn't come here after hearing rumors of the Truth...'
The Yaksha King muttered with a deeply troubled expression.
He had lived for so long that even his own memories had faded. Yet, throughout that time, the way he lived remained simple and straightforward.
Help those who are qualified, expel those who are not.
But who could have expected a mage to show up here—not out of any particular ambition, but simply because he was bored?
"I wasn't bored, I was kidnapped—"
'Hmm. If you're Os's disciple, you should have been able to avoid being dragged in by a mere Portal.'
"......That Black Book tricked me!"
Lee Han pointed angrily at the Black Book fluttering beside him.
The Black Book subtly flew behind Lee Han to avoid his glare.
"Rather than that, if this is troubling you so much, why not just send me back?"
Having been dragged here against his will, Lee Han had no reason to stay in this dimension for long.
From what he'd heard, this was a vast and perilous place—the longer he stayed, the more the Black Book would thrive, but the more exhausted he'd become.
The Black Book fluttered insistently, arguing that they should learn more while they were here, but Lee Han ignored it.
'If we follow that logic, I'd have to visit the Ghoul King's dimension first, then the Frost Giant's...'
No. Absolutely not.
"......Why not!? Is going back impossible?"
'Hmm. That's not it. The Portal back to your original dimension is easy to find. But I'm a principled being—I can't send back a qualified guest without helping them achieve their purpose.'
"......I just told you I want to go back."
'Since you came to this dimension with the proper qualifications, your return is naturally guaranteed. That can't count as your wish.'
'Thank goodness this guy isn't a professor.'
Lee Han felt dizzy at the thought.
If the Skeleton Principal had recruited the Yaksha King before sending him back, Einrogard would have become an even deeper hell.
'Very well. Os's disciple. I shall hear your wish.'
"Just... give me treasure. Let's go with treasure."
'Hmm. You're a terrible liar. Knowing you're Os's disciple, such lies won't work on me.'
Seeing Lee Han's fists clench tightly, the Black Book fluttered as if trying to calm him down.
The Yaksha King reached out toward a distant tower in the palace, just as before, and grasped it. The massive tower shrank until it seemed to fit in the palm of his hand.
Then, a black mouse scurried out from inside the tower, squeaking and whispering to the Yaksha King.
'Hmm. Hmm... I see. Understood.'
After returning the mouse and the tower, the Yaksha King looked at Lee Han and spoke.
'Os's disciple. It seems you have an exam coming up. A very important one?'
"......It's just a school exam..."
After that, Lee Han had to spend another 30 minutes explaining.
The Yaksha King couldn't comprehend why a mage of Os's disciple's caliber would be so intensely focused on something as trivial as a magic tower's exam.
It wasn't as if failing would result in the mages' heads being chopped off or the magic tower being burned down, was it?
"I might end up in the Punishment Room..."
'Hmm. I don't understand why you'd volunteer to be Os's disciple.'
"I didn't volunteer!"
'Well, regardless, I understand now. I shall help you with your magic tower exam.'
The Yaksha King bent his massive frame and sat before a table. Books rose from its surface—a table as enormous as its owner.
Among them were numerous books from other dimensions whose characters Lee Han couldn't even recognize.
Let's see... <Staff Materials and Magic Amplification>. Hmm. Where would the Blood Silver extracted by melting down the regicide from eight hundred years ago be? It might carry rather strong evil energy, but as the Skeleton Principal's disciple, you should be able to control it, no?
"No?"
Lee Han answered immediately.
Having already experienced similar situations with Einrogard's professors, he was absolutely certain that showing confidence here might actually get him killed.
The Yaksha King pointed out as if to say there was no need for such false modesty.
The Skeleton Principal's disciple. Of course, this Blood Silver is a rather potent material. It has driven dozens of its owners mad. But for the Skeleton Principal's disciple...
"I already have a staff here."
Black Magnetite?
The Yaksha King was intrigued by this unusual staff metal that most mages would avoid.
"Yes. It just sort of happened..."
Indeed. Was it crafted specifically to counter mages? Fitting for the Skeleton Principal's disciple.
"......"
Lee Han, now too exhausted to explain further, remained silent.
Very well. Then the next exam... <Terribly Beautiful Creatures>, is it?
"The professor decided to skip this one."
Hmm. If it's such an easy exam that they can skip it, why were you so anxious and worried about it?
"There are a lot of exams, you see."
Well. Whether there's one subpar exam or ten, it doesn't seem to make much difference. Perhaps...
"?"
...you might just have an unnecessarily worrisome personality. Interesting.
"...Let's just move on to the next exam."
Next is <Poison, Bone, Blood>.
"That one was also waived."
Hmm.
'He's a king. He's a king.' Lee Han exercised superhuman patience as the Yaksha King nodded with an 'I knew it' expression.
<Divination Spells That Drive You Mad>... Demons excel at this.
"By any chance, does Your Majesty also capture demons and enslave them?"
No. I don't engage in such acts. As a king of the yakshas and various other races, that would be beneath me.
"Haha. Of course."
But didn't Your Majesty just say 'also'?
"I'm emotional, irrational, terrible at lying, and my soul is deeply wounded, so sometimes my words come out wrong."
I sense some hidden metaphor in your words...
The Yaksha King found it suspicious but let it slide for now.
There were more important matters at hand.
He had been pondering what kind of exam used this <Star Guide>.
"Yes. Do you happen to know?"
It's not difficult. When human mages use stars, it's an obvious matter.
Mages aren't people who brutally alter the world—they change it cleverly and subtly.
Naturally, borrowing power from other beings falls under that clever and subtle approach.
The power of spirits, the power of demons, the power of beings from other dimensions...
And among them, the power of stars.
An immutable symbol far more stable than dimensions.
Lee Han nodded, as he had heard of this before.
"I know that even high-level mages utilize the power of stars..."
Using stellar power for divination magic or borrowing it for contracts with spirits, and so on.
These were things Lee Han already knew.
But what he was curious about now was the content of the exam using the <Star Guide>.
As I said, it's obvious. The exam would involve using the artifact to locate a star, then forming a contract with it to borrow its power.
"I see... ...Wait, but that seems excessive. Wouldn't it be a bit easier than that?"
Lee Han suddenly felt doubtful. For a third-year exam, the difficulty seemed unreasonably high.
Stars aren't entities you can easily contract with, like spirits or demons...
At this, the Yaksha King sternly admonished him.
Skeleton Principal's disciple. I have lived for ages so vast that memories fade, met countless mages, and learned the deepest secrets of magic. And yet you dare doubt my wisdom so carelessly? Youthful arrogance is a natural emotion, but you must learn to control it.
"Ah... My apologies."
Lee Han's budding skepticism was overwhelmed by the Yaksha King's sheer authority. He found himself convinced by the other's words.