Episode 973
Episode 973
Giving Up on Unhelpful Friends
Diret gave up on his unhelpful friend and turned his attention back to his junior.
Yukveltire's stubbornness was notoriously unbreakable—once she reacted like that, it was nearly impossible to change her mind. It was better to just leave her be.
"Sorry. It's a shame, but there's nothing we can do about it."
"It's fine. What would Senior Yukveltire know anyway?"
"Ah, no. Yukveltire actually knows how to use Small World magic too... And she's probably even better than me at guiding others."
Unlike Diret, who specialized in Black Magic, Yukveltire's expertise in Enchantment Magic meant she had spent years collecting and analyzing various artifacts.
Thanks to that, she had developed a surprisingly broad understanding of magical fields outside her own specialty. When it came to advising a junior on Small World magic, Yukveltire might actually be more helpful.
"Come on, that can't be true. Senior Diret is the greatest senior in the Empire."
"......"
Touched, Diret subtly turned his head away so his junior wouldn't see.
Thankfully, it was dark. The shadows would hide the tears welling up in his eyes.
"Senior?"
"It's nothing. Go on. What kind of explanation did you get?"
"Well, I was actually invited to learn it..."
"Ignore it."
Diret answered immediately.
As expected, beings from other dimensions were dangerous individuals who shouldn't be approached so casually.
How could they shamelessly spout such nonsense to a mere second-year student?
"To say something like that... They must be completely insane!"
'Hmm. The Headmaster said the same thing.'
Well, technically, it was the Headmaster's clone who had said it.
Lee Han tried to calm Diret down and asked,
"But shouldn't we at least learn about it in advance? What if I get kidnapped again and can't leave until I master it?"
"I want to say that's ridiculous, but the fact that I can't outright deny it is depressing..."
No matter how he looked at it, who in the world would kidnap someone and refuse to release them until they learned magic? But his junior had already experienced it once before.
Resigned, Diret quietly listened.
The Small World Basilios and its explanation had an intriguing and fascinating quality to it.
An ancient Small World magic system entirely different from the "relatively simple" ones that Einrogard's upperclassmen were interested in.
As he listened intently, Diret unconsciously muttered,
"...Could the condition be that only a good person can use it? Or more precisely, someone who devotes themselves to others..."
True to his reputation as a fifth-year at Einrogard, Diret was astonishingly sharp.
The only commonality between the young and virtuous Headmaster (though that was hard to believe) and his kind-hearted junior was precisely that.
"That sounds way too far-fetched."
But the foolish junior refused to accept his senior's wisdom. Diret tilted his head in confusion.
"Really? That's the only thing that comes to mind for me... Instead of dismissing it outright, why not test it a few times?"
If it were anyone else, Lee Han would have told them to stop spouting nonsense. But this was the Empire's greatest senior.
Out of respect, Lee Han resolved to at least give the experiment a try.
"Understood. I'll try it."
"Qualifications matter a lot in Small World magic, junior. If you don't meet them, mastering it becomes impossible. It's like a staff that judges its owner..."
"What kind of condition is required for the <Pentagrammaton> you mastered, Senior?"
At the question, Diret spread his fingers wide.
The number five.
"Subjugate five high-ranking demons and engrave five letters. Each letter seals a demon. The magic draws its power from the energy flowing from those letters."
The <Pentagrammaton>, which broke the limitations of Black Magic within a localized area and invoked an ascension effect, had requirements as demanding as its power.
Subjugating five high-ranking demons and then engraving letters with that subjugation...
"Now that I think about it, junior, this might actually be easier for you..."
"...?!"
At Diret's innocent remark, Lee Han's eyes widened in shock.
"What on earth does that mean?"
"If you meet that yaksha bastard later, mention this condition and observe his reaction. If it's correct... No. Even if it's correct, don't rush. Having the qualifications is just the beginning."
The crow beastman senior gave serious advice.
Even if one met all the qualifications and conditions, that was merely the starting point.
Just as Diret had taken considerable time to complete the Pentagrammaton after subjugating the demons, it was highly likely the junior would face the same.
"I understand. In case the opponent tries to hasten my magical training progress by attacking, threatening, bribing, persuading, or harassing me in various ways. It's dangerous."
"......You're being... oddly specific and varied... but yes. That's exactly what I meant."
While the two conversed, Yukveltire continued observing.
She was trying to predict when the crown hovering above the junior's head would reveal itself again!
'Hmm.'
As Lee Han returned aboveground, he felt slightly conflicted about spending the last remaining hours of the weekend like this.
-Wardanaz. Have you come to see us?
"Ah. Hello, everyone."
The giants guarding near the workshop waved cheerfully at Lee Han.
-Coming to see the sheep?
"No, not the sheep right now..."
-Uuu! Disappointing.
"Let's go see them together next time."
-The baby sheep knocked down another cliff! Wardanaz should've seen it! It was hilarious!
"......Why is that funny?"
-There were other giants on the cliff!
'Well, I probably wouldn't understand.'
Lee Han quickly gave up and approached the Crazy Doppelganger's workshop.
Opening the door and stepping inside (as a student, he faced no restrictions), he spotted the hamster running frantically on its wheel in the adjacent cage.
"Good day."
The hamster didn't even respond.
It seemed unwilling to get involved with either the Crazy Doppelganger or his disciple. Feeling slightly guilty, Lee Han tossed some food into the cage.
"Is the Master here?"
"Have you come to ask about the Black Emperor's Crown?"
"Huh? Uh... no."
"Then about the Small World?"
"Well, I do need to ask about that eventually... but not right now."
"Good. Then which high-level magic are you curious about?"
"That's not it either."
"......Then why are you here?"
Before the Master could unleash a torrent of curses, Lee Han quickly stated his purpose.
"I came to ask about orichalcum!"
After much deliberation, Lee Han had chosen the fastest and most reliable method—directly approaching the Crazy Doppelganger.
Surely an honorable ancient royal wouldn't steal his disciple's orichalcum, right?
"I found some orichalcum."
"Good. Refine it and use it properly."
The Crazy Doppelganger's reaction was rather indifferent.
True to someone who had amassed all manner of wealth and treasures, he didn't make a fuss just hearing the word "orichalcum."
His dignified demeanor was a stark contrast to the wide-eyed, scrambling Einrogard students.
"Could you perhaps help me with the mining?"
The Crazy Doppelganger slowly shook his head.
"Disappointing. Surely you're not begging for your Master's help just because you can't mine a single piece of orichalcum."
"Well, if it were already refined orichalcum, I'd handle it myself, but I heard something strange..."
"!"
The Crazy Doppelganger froze.
Surely not?
"You're not saying you found unrefined orichalcum, are you?"
"That's exactly it."
"Why must you act so foolishly? Do you not know that treasures left unattended will be coveted by greedy others?"
"......"
Lee Han was speechless as the Crazy Doppelganger suddenly scolded him for moving too slowly.
He came here right away!
"I came almost immediately after—"
"I don't want to hear it. Move. I must see it for myself."
"Actually, I just came up from underground. How about resting for a day or two before going?"
Without a word, the Crazy Doppelganger grabbed his disciple by the ear and began dragging him along. Lee Han had no choice but to be pulled along.
'My master... might be a mining prodigy.'
Lee Han, who had just come up from underground not long ago and was now being dragged back down, harbored this rather irreverent thought in his mind.
Even when moving with the seniors from the Enchantment Magic or Transmutation Magic factions, Lee Han hadn't felt particularly inconvenienced.
Since there were so many outstanding mages, most problems were easily resolved.
They would detect and avoid monsters lurking underground (though sometimes they fought head-on), summon floating platforms when there were no paths, reshape surrounding rock formations when needed, and handle dim visibility with everything from light enchantments to Dark Vision...
But moving alongside the Crazy Doppelganger made all those efforts seem trivial.
Thud!
With a single motion, the Crazy Doppelganger altered the map of the underground mining area.
The labyrinthine underground rock formations writhed and shifted, creating a direct passageway through them.
There was no need to figure out where the cliffs were, where the chasms lay, or where the shortcuts might be.
The Crazy Doppelganger simply clenched the entire area leading to their destination like a lump of clay and carved a straight path right through it.
"Let's go."
'...Uh, are the seniors going to be okay with this?'
Stepping onto the unnaturally smooth, hastily constructed passage that looked entirely out of place in the underground area, Lee Han couldn't help but worry internally.
This underground zone was where the seniors had painstakingly mapped out over long periods of time.
And now, the Crazy Doppelganger had casually reshaped the area just for convenience...
'Not my problem. Absolutely not my problem.'
Thanks to this, their travel time was drastically reduced.
The Crazy Doppelganger, who had already memorized the map, nodded in satisfaction.
"It's really here."
"!"
Lee Han was slightly startled.
He had been half-doubting it, but it turned out to be true.
"I'm surprised."
"Why is that?"
"Well... the person who told me about it was a bit greedy..."
The Crazy Doppelganger showed a rare expression of satisfaction.
"The answer is simple."
"What is it?"
"Your disciple's dignity simply overwhelmed that greedy individual."
"......"
Lee Han thought otherwise but wisely kept his mouth shut.
"This way. Let's go in."
"Master. Actually, the mage who came here before got trapped inside the ore vein...!"
Lee Han, who had been speaking, suddenly yelped in surprise.
The Crazy Doppelganger had grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and shoved him forward.
"Finally showing your true colors... huh?"
Lee Han realized he hadn't crashed into the rock or gotten trapped inside.
What he had thought was solid stone turned out to be a camouflage created by the orichalcum.
"I believe you were just spouting nonsense."
"I must have been tired and babbled nonsense. More importantly, the orichalcum... wasn't it supposed to repel outsiders?"
"It only repels the corrupt and the greedy."
The Crazy Doppelganger looked at his disciple as he spoke.
The disciple, as if repaying his master's trust, responded.
"Then why was I—?"
"...Shut your mouth and go retrieve the orichalcum."
Sensing his master's foul mood, Lee Han obediently closed his mouth and moved.
He could feel all the surrounding mana and energy moving according to a single will. At the center of it all lay the orichalcum.
'...'
It looks more modest than I expected.'
A white ore, no larger than a fist, floated in the air, resembling a wildflower.
Compared to its reputation, the light it emitted was rather unremarkable—so much so that others might dismiss it as a worthless mineral.
"But Master. Are we really allowed to just take this orichalcum that's been crystallizing here for so long?"
"It doesn't matter."
'As expected.'
The Crazy Doppelganger might attack his disciple, but he never lied. Reassured, Lee Han reached out and grabbed the orichalcum.
True enough, the orichalcum offered no resistance and was easily pulled free. It was almost too easy—so much so that Lee Han wondered if it was really okay.
"I've retrieved it."
"Keep it on your person from now on. It needs to absorb natural mana to fully mature."
"......"
While Lee Han stood there bewildered, the Baby Basilisk hissed threateningly from his sleeve.