The Fourteenth Study - The Last Lord (2)

“Seven.”

“Seven is far too many──”

“Seven.”

“As the rumors say, you truly excel at negotiation──”

“Seven.”

“….”

The Golden Prince was rendered speechless by Tellorian’s blunt replies. He genuinely couldn’t tell whether the man before him was a sage or a bandit.

But.

He desperately needed a guardian to protect him.

“Very well! I shall grant you seven wishes!”

“Excellent. From today onward, you are my odd-job boy.”

“…Pardon? I thought you were going to teach me magic──!”

Tsk tsk.

“Life in a workshop is always like this.”

“….”

“Besides, you are merely someone who will eventually leave, not my direct disciple. You will work as an odd-job boy while the sun is up and study only after it sets. I will provide instruction at the appropriate times.”

From that day forward, intensive apprenticeship training began. However, before the apprenticeship could truly start, he needed to assess their levels. The goal of this growth phase was to become the greatest teacher.

‘I’ve gone from level 32 to 36.’

‘Attribute distribution.’

Every single one of his stats had already reached superhuman levels, so growth was excruciatingly slow. Next came Class Abilities.

‘I personally don’t care for summoning magic, but I must teach it to my disciples. There is nothing more reliable than a summon for the average mage.’

Next were personal traits.

‘While teaching Belladia, I obtained the Professional Instructor trait. Since I now have four trait points from leveling up, it’s worth upgrading it.’

He then granted his disciples one full month of unlimited power and wealth. Only by understanding their true desires could he provide truly personalized guidance.

“You’re saying we can do whatever we want?”

“Once you begin Adept training, you will face many years of hardship. Consider this your final chance to rest as much as you like. It may very well be your last.”

Human nature reveals itself when one holds sufficient power. He would tailor his teaching methods according to each disciple’s true character.

“Chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp!”

Subject No. 2, who had lived as a beggar, spent half her funds on gastronomy. She indulged in feasts worthy of great lords at every single meal for an entire month.

“Doesn’t it pain you to waste food?”

“I’m sorry! I’ll make sure to finish everything!”

“It was merely a genuine question.”

“…I wanted to experience wastefulness for once.”

The once skeletal girl had finally gained a healthy human figure. Satisfied with her new appearance, she adorned herself with expensive clothes and jewelry—just like a noble young lady.

“You seem to have suffered from severe material deprivation.”

“I want to live like a noble too!”

“In that case, you should learn the Lore of Metal. It is the most suitable path for attaining economic abundance.”

On the other hand, Subject No. 3—the former grave robber—did not touch a single coin of gold. Instead, delighted that he no longer needed to fear the Church, he raided the local cemetery.

“I will allow you one month of complete freedom.”

Subject No. 3 left the grave goods inside the coffins and only took the corpses. He meticulously examined the cold, lifeless bodies and drew precise anatomical diagrams.

“This corpse is more emaciated than expected…”

He categorized the diagrams according to the condition of each corpse. He charted everything—postmortem time, biological sex, age, social status, and even estimated wealth.

“Do you know how to read and write?”

“My father taught me.”

“Did he also teach you how to draw diagrams?”

“No. I came up with this myself.”

Sharp kid.

Most eight-year-olds would still be splashing around in puddles.

“What kind of person was your father?”

“Our family has been undertakers for generations. That’s why Father learned to read from the priest. He had to manage death records, after all.”

Judging from Subject No. 3’s past, he had lived quite a tragic life. Still, it was better to ask. That way, the boy wouldn’t find it strange.

“How did your father pass away?”

“You already know, don’t you?”

A faint smile.

The pale boy gave a cold little grin.

It was hard to believe, but this was his way of showing goodwill.

“Still… thank you for asking.”

“….”

“To answer you, then—he was burned at the stake for grave robbing. He must have fallen straight into hell. He was excommunicated right before he died.”

It was a bizarre sight—an eight-year-old boy calmly speaking of his father’s death while dissecting a corpse leaking bodily fluids. Had the people of his hometown felt the same way toward him?

“That’s why I won’t die.”

“….”

“I don’t want to fall into hell.”

Fear of death.

Subject No. 3’s most fundamental deficiency.

“You will learn the magic of death.”

“What would be good about that?”

“You will be able to avoid the death of the flesh.”

Necromancy offered countless ways to evade death. They were all methods that deserved the revulsion of every living being, yet for a mortal seeking to imitate immortality, there was no other path.

“Can it prevent the death of the mind?”

“Only by attaining divinity can one avoid the death of the mind. Just as elves and dragons cannot withstand the passage of time, high-ranking undead face the same problem.”

But.

That was still a distant matter.

“For now, let us aim to become a lich first.”

“What about a vampire?”

“A lich would be far more convenient for you.”

“Understood, Master.”

Over the next five months, he laid the foundations of magic for them. If one wished to understand the process by which an ordinary person awakens mana and learns Lore, it would be better to consult the White Sage’s Introduction to Magical Studies rather than his own research logs.

“Begin, Subject No. 2.”

“I shall become… a millionaireeeeeee──!”

The moment Subject No. 2 completed her incantation, a lead fragment no larger than an ant’s nail transformed into gold. An impressive feat for someone who had only begun learning magic five months ago.

“You have absorbed my teachings splendidly.”

“Thank you! Master! It’s all thanks to you!”

“From today onward, you are Aldanes Goldseeker.”

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I will never forget the grace you have shown me! Thank you so much! Master! I will definitely repay this kindness!”

By giving her a name, Aldanes had officially become his. She would regard him as a father, and he would regard her as a daughter.

“Subject No. 3. Your turn.”

“Rise… you drunkard who froze to death…”

“…Where am I?”

“This is a mage’s laboratory, Mister Wilhelm.”

“…A m-mage? A l-laboratory?”

“Mister Wilhelm got drunk in the middle of winter and fell asleep outside. You have been resurrected as a walking dead. Walking dead are quite different from the zombies of folklore. While zombies lose their minds and gain strengthened bodies, walking dead retain their sanity but their bodies become weaker instead…”

The revived ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠drunkard grabbed Subject No. 3 by the collar, demanding to know what the hell he had done. In response, Subject No. 3 shoved the drunkard back into the coffin, nailed it shut, and locked him inside. Screams echoed through the practice room.

“Did I pass the test?”

“Why did you leave a man to freeze to death?”

“He didn’t seem like anyone would miss him.”

Subject No. 3 answered with clear, innocent eyes.

“He didn’t work anyway and just beat his wife and children all day… wouldn’t it be better for everyone if he died? I get an experimental specimen, his family is freed from domestic violence, and he gets a chance to turn over a new leaf… it’s a good outcome for everyone, isn’t it?”

Passed.

Very necromancer-like.

“You are Mirkal Grimheart.”

“A gloomy heart… I like it.”

Grin.

For the first time, Mirkal smiled brightly.

“Please take care of me, Father.”

“Call me Master.”

“Yes, Master.”

After naming his disciples, he turned to the Golden Prince. For the past five months, the dragon had received no personal instruction whatsoever and had worked exclusively as a menial laborer.

“You still haven’t left.”

“….”

The haggard Golden Prince glared at him with eyes full of resentment. Born as the eldest son of a Dragon Lord, yet reduced to cleaning human toilets. Even so, he had endured in silence.

“If you are dissatisfied, you may leave at any time.”

“….”

“If you leave, I won’t have to grant your wishes either.”

“….”

“If you choose to stay, you must accept your lot as a servant. After all, you were never meant to stay, were you?”

“Still, your patience in enduring all this time is commendable. I shall specially grant you five minutes of instruction.”

“…Thank you…”

“Why are you not bowing?”

“…Thank you!”

“You must call me Master.”

“Thank you! Master…”

The Golden Prince ground his teeth audibly as he bowed. He was so agitated that his fingernails sharpened into claws and golden scales began to sprout across his skin.

“Do you see the blue stone placed in the center of the practice room?”

“…I see it.”

“It is a flawless mana stone mined only from the deepest veins. Pay close attention to the magical light it emits. The mysteries of the universe are contained within.”

The Golden Prince’s human eyes transformed into vertical, serpentine slits. The Gold Dragon’s Insight Eye perceived the pure mana contained within the flawless mana stone, allowing him to understand the circulation of arcane energy.

“Excellent.”

“….”

“Pour out the rage burning within you toward me.”

“…That could be dangerous.”

“What nonsense is a mere salamander spouting?”

At Tellorian’s mocking laugh, the Golden Prince narrowed his eyes and unleashed his mana. A sudden gale swept through the practice room, shattering experimental equipment.

From the Golden Prince’s fingertips surged powerful streams of mana. At first they took the shape of arrows, but the user’s overwhelming power made them resemble throwing spears instead.

“Please be careful!”

“How presumptuous.”

Yet Tellorian simply flicked the spells away with his little finger. Enraged by the humiliation, the Golden Prince unleashed even stronger attack spells. In terms of raw power, they were comparable to Elenstra’s. Just as the Golden Prince, satisfied with the lesson, prepared to withdraw his magic──

“Even the so-called mighty mana of the dragon race is pathetic.”

“…!”

“No wonder you fools ended up being hunted by the elves. By the way, at this point I’m beginning to seriously doubt the bloodline of the mother who gave birth to you…”

Provoked repeatedly, the Golden Prince lost his reason and revealed his true form. Golden light burst forth as a perfectly beautiful Gold Dragon displayed its majesty.

“Kyaaooooooo!”

The Golden Prince’s form ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lacked nothing to be called the monarch of dragons. However, his size was merely that of a large house, and his underdeveloped wings were still soft.

The magic the Golden Prince cast next was a spell permitted only to the dragon race. Normally it would require centuries of training to master such Lore, but for a Gold Dragon, simply awakening the potential flowing in his blood was enough.

“Learning so quickly is impressive!”

“““Oh my god…”””

The disciples stared at the Golden Prince in utter disbelief. The magic they had struggled to learn over half a year by sacrificing sleep was something the former toilet-cleaning ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠janitor had mastered simply because he got angry.

“My disciples. This is the difference of innate talent.”

““….””

“That said, you must not become discouraged by the gap in talent and neglect your training. If you devote yourselves to magic, such things will eventually become possible for you as well.”

Tellorian focused his mind and gathered mana. With superhuman speed (Agility 25), he formed hand seals and chanted the spell at high speed.

“!”

Invisible chains of mana formed. The dragon race’s innate magic resistance was formidable, but it could not withstand the sharpness of a meticulously crafted spell. Soon the Golden Prince’s pupils grew hazy, and he fell completely under Tellorian’s control.

“Stop your breath.”

“….”

His breathing ceased.

“Raise your foreleg.”

“….”

“Now your hind leg.”

“….”

“Wag your tail as well.”

“….”

Watching the Gold Dragon behave like a pet dog, the disciples realized something. Dragons were indeed magnificent creatures, but magic held even greater possibilities than dragons themselves…

＊＊＊

Thanks to his intensive guidance, both Aldanes and Mirkal reached level 10 just one year after learning magic. They had reached a level where they could proudly be called proper Mages anywhere, capable of casting 3rd Circle spells on their own.

“The period of intensive education is now over.”

“Thank you so much! Master!”

“Hehe… necromancy… is fun… undead… are beautiful…”

Since he had given them a solid foundation, their future development now depended on the disciples themselves. Working as assistants while continuing their studies would not be easy… but compared to other workshops, he was treating them exceptionally well.

‘What is the matter, Your Majesty the Queen?’

Debt collectors had arrived.

Right on schedule, just as he had predicted.

“Dealing with them using Your Majesty’s current power would be difficult.”

“If I offer the royal capital to the Abyss and gain power, it would be more than enough. Don’t you think so?”

…He was someone who believed that mages should act like mages. However, his first disciple’s way of thinking sometimes gave even him a headache.

“I have a more interesting plan. Would you like to hear it?”

“I am listening.”

“Have the uninvited guests kill each other.”

The dwarf wants gold.

The dragon has plenty of gold.