Book 13 Chapter 7
Chapter 4
“Alright, then shall I take everything again this time?”
From the beginning, when using fire-plowing (火耕) magic, I hadn't aimed for the central area, meaning the bandit group's headquarters, so their hideout was in reasonably good condition. As expected, perhaps because a black magician was their leader, they had built a truly sturdy fortress on this swampy land. It's understandable that rural lords would have had a tough time with it.
Anything is fine. Since commerce and industry have developed, anything can become a treasure as long as there are materials.
“Hmm, lots of money… lots of weapons, not bad.”
Of course, I rarely leave the magic tower. This is because my philosophy is to solve one more math problem in the time it would take to walk or run a single step. Even if I go out for such 'magic experiments (testing magic power by subduing bandits, monsters, etc.)', I only go as far as two days' journey at most.
But money is money. Bartering in a village on the way back would be perfect. Since it's not a city, the profit refund isn't perfect, but it's enough to fill a cart with agricultural products or livestock.
If I pack those up, leave them in front of the magic tower, and leave a letter pretending to be a mysterious benefactor, the Dean uses them very usefully. For a while, meat dishes appear frequently at meals, or the number of chickens or sheep increases…
No matter how uninterested I am in worldly affairs, if I'm given only vegetables for three meals a day, I'm not a cow and I get angry. The quality of food doesn't matter, but the variety is important. Even my dense classmates like meat.
- Meat!
- Lots of meat!
Since the Dean always bestows magic without pay, the Osarius School was not wealthy, even if it wasn't poor.
[Know that all things are simply grace received freely from the providence of creation, and you too shall give without cost.]
This was the motto of the Osarius School. And the Dean is someone who practices that motto in life as it is. So, if I create this kind of income for him, he gives to surrounding villages or slums, and uses it where the Dean needs it, and so on…
I'll stop making excuses. They say even animals like cats keep bringing back mice if they're shown gratitude, so what could a human not do?
Anyway, with those thoughts, as I packed everything I thought would be valuable, the cart was soon full.
The last place I searched was the best building in this swampy fortress, and it seemed to be where the black magician resided. It was as expected. There were quite a few books related to the Abyss (深淵). The Abyss was said to be a power originating from the <Forgotten Kings> that drove people to madness.
- Lyn, promise me you'll never touch black magic.
I had made that promise to the Dean when I first learned magic from him. If I sold these on the black market, I could make a lot of money, but the black market is too far, and if I were caught by the Inquisition 'Golden Institution,' the very existence of the school would be jeopardized.
As soon as I opened the book, an echo of enlightenment (啓蒙) seeped blackly into my mind. Hmm~ Is this the Abyss?
Hmm, good.
As expected, let's just burn everything.
“How can someone be so weak after reading so many books? Black magicians are truly strange.”
At that time, I didn't admire black magicians, but I also had no intention of criticizing them. Beings who embraced darkness for power… This was because I felt they were on the same trajectory as me, aiming to become the [Strongest Magician]. Of course, even if I died and came back to life, I wouldn't use black magic. I promised the Dean I wouldn't.
It was then, as I was throwing the forbidden books into the magical flames with such thoughts. Suddenly, I witnessed a dull tremor of abyssal light from the center of the table and shifted all my magical power to battle readiness. Even before I consciously recognized it, it felt as though my magic power was already sensing an instinctive fear and activating my body's metabolism.
“What is that…?”
It was an orb. An orb that contained magical power, called a Spirit Orb (靈珠) in professional terms. It was about the size of an adult's head, and a unique, murky, muddy current, like a swamp, flowed on its surface, characteristic of the Abyss… That thing is dangerous, I thought, and as I tried to generate magic, something grabbed my shoulder.
[What, another brat? Ha, Lagune really has a fixed taste. Always liking these kinds of kids.]
A chilling shiver ran down my spine, as if fingers were tracing each vertebra.
[But where did he go? I told him to stay put at this time… Hmm? Wait a minute. But you, you're entirely different from the brats until now, right from the seed.]
Never once.
Not even once in my entire life.
[Even facing you remotely like this, I can feel dazzling talent. It would be too much of a waste to let you die as a plaything, wouldn't it? You, do you want to learn magic? No, just learn it. Someone of your caliber, I could raise as a direct disciple.]
Even when I was on the verge of death at someone's hands in the slums, I had never felt such paralyzing fear, to the point of being unable to breathe.
[Ah, damn it, wait a minute. That old hag contacted me again. I have to go. Tell the guy who caught you. It'll be about two more years, so work hard on the task entrusted, and spread this information to Silla too. Ah! And tell him I commanded him not to let you die of exhaustion in bed, but to bring you to me. If you tell him I said I'd kill everyone if you die, he'll understand.]
The echo of the Abyss spoke up to that point, then disappeared like mist. I felt immense anger from that.
Strong!
Immensely strong!
If this person, not some small fry named Lagune or whatever, had come here, I could have tested my third spell. I could have poured out my full power.
“Argh, because of this small fry.”
As fitting retribution, I subjected all the possessions of that small-fry black magician (including the Spirit Orb, of course) to punishment by fire.
Hmm…
So, does that mean black magicians will become even more rampant in about two years?
What to do?
When I take these spoils to the magic tower, pretending to be a mysterious benefactor, if I write a rough warning, the Dean will surely convey it to the Magic Alliance.