76. Preliminary Showdown for the Magical War (2)

The Ielrune Hall of the Magic Order.

Aside from stopping by before the midterm exams to contract with a spirit, it feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve been here.

It’s the custom of the Empire to strictly prohibit anything related to the Demon King’s kingdom. But the Magic Order is an exception.

It’s impossible to maintain the vast Empire without the help of magic.

And the usefulness of witches revealed in the last Great War completely changed the Empire’s previously conservative view of magic.

‘Full of magic trees. There’s no way magicians and witches would dislike magic trees.’

In other words, it’s considerate of them.

Throughout Ielrune Hall, magic trees grown from the roots of the World Tree were planted here and there. The spirits summoned by the students come and go through its leaves and stems, breathing in Mana.

But the spirits contracted with me don’t budge.

They’re already intermediate-level spirits. They receive Mana directly from me, who has completed a contract with a Demon Archduke.

‘The Mana I give must be more delicious.’

And as always, the atmosphere of the Magic Order is free. It’s completely different from the sweaty atmosphere of the Combat Order, full of swordsmen, and the aristocratic atmosphere of the Alchemy Order.

I entered the outdoor training ground of the Magic Order, which was very noisy like a marketplace, just like last time.

“Oh my. Count Yulian-nim!”

“It’s Count Yulian-nim!”

And the female students of the Magic Order recognized me. I didn’t particularly do anything after entering here, but their eyes changed at once.

[Heu-heum. Yulian is lucky. So many female students are giving him those looks.]

As Erti said, it was an undisguised look of envy towards me.

[Well… Yulian, you have a decent appearance to suit the Holy Sword, so it’s only natural.]

And I felt a strange sense of pride in Erti’s voice as she said that. Her master has become an object of envy, so she seems happy in her own way.

‘Come to think of it, the way she calls me has changed since that night.’

Until then, Erti mainly called me “you” rather than the name Yulian. But now she subtly calls me by my name.

I still think she’s too easy for a Holy Sword, but I put my thoughts about Erti aside for a moment and looked at the female students.

There are ordinary female students who weren’t born with the blood of a witch. But since there’s bound to be a difference in talent from birth, most of the female students in the Magic Order were witches.

At that moment, a student wearing a witch’s hat hesitated and approached me.

“Um, hello. Count Yulian-nim.”

She seemed a little wary of me. Well, considering my status, it’s only natural. But more than that, she was full of curiosity.

‘Come to think of it, my classmates are only 21 years old at most.’

And after hesitating, she continued to speak to me.

“Thank you for visiting the Ielrune Order like this. Um… this is a thank-you gift for your visit!”

With that, she handed me a cookie. Not just any cookie, but a fortune cookie.

“It’s… it’s a cookie with a witch’s fortune. It’s definitely not a bad fortune, so please read it for fun!”

I was taken aback by the unexpected gift. But I opened the cookie and checked the fortune.

And the lecture of the Magic Order began.

Based on the same Four Elements Theory.

The realization of imagination through Mana and the realization of reality through matter. Magic and alchemy exert their power in different forms.

‘Imagination, huh.’

Of course, there’s a limit to human imagination. As befits Pantheon, the best academy in the Empire, a concrete theory to help human imagination has been established.

A magic circuit that has evolved in a different way from alchemy. The core of the theory is amplification and change. Modern magic theory is the organic connection of those two core theories based on the Four Elements Theory.

‘It’s not as difficult as I thought.’

But I’ve already set the direction of my growth with the Lionheart Sword and the alchemy that supports the swordsmanship.

And as someone who has already awakened the blood of the Demon race as a Dragon Person and completed a contract with a Demon Archduke, it’s actually an unnecessary theory.

The professor is not the witch Olivia, but another professor. He’s a male magician, so perhaps because he’s not a witch, he emphasized theory more than using magic through bloodlines.

“There’s a limit to human use of magic. Of course, there are many students here who have the blood of a witch, so they may be able to use magic easily by instinct. But in the end, they’ll run into the wall of hierarchy. But what allows you to stably overcome that wall is magic theory.”

And after clearing his throat once, the professor continued.

“Ahem. I shouldn’t mention the Demon race carelessly. But I’ll give you an example based on the textbook that has passed the censorship of the Central Order here. The Demon race, especially Elves and Dragons, who have a high Mana affinity in terms of bloodlines, can use high-level magic without the theory we use. That Mana affinity creates a kind of tunneling effect.”

That was quite interesting. The effectiveness of general magic is blocked by the wall of hierarchy. In order to break through that hierarchy, the professor wrote a very complex magic circuit on the blackboard, and that calculation is necessary.

But Elves and Dragons, who have been blessed with magic since the days of the ancient Empire.

And the bloodline of a pure witch can realize magic that easily surpasses that hierarchy through a special magic effect called the Mana Tunneling Effect.

‘I haven’t used magic properly, but if that’s true, I can use magic of about the 3rd Circle immediately.’

The spirits I’m currently contracted with have been upgraded to intermediate level. The elemental magic that those spirits can realize is about the 3rd Circle. So it means I can also use that level of magic.

Of course, my alchemy is beyond the 5th Circle, so it didn’t feel that surprising.

“And pay attention to the explanation that will follow from now on. This is content that can only be mentioned by those who have received permission from the Inquisitor.”

Finally. In addition to the special races or bloodlines mentioned above, there are cases where the Mana Tunneling Effect can be realized.

“That’s the contract with a demon. The reason why we call the Demon race the Demon race and the magicians who have contracted with demons black magicians is precisely for that reason.”

Regardless of circuit theory and the talent of bloodlines. Black magic is the ability to exert abilities beyond the limit depending on the ability of the contracted demon.

“And it’s the temptation that terrible magicians are most likely to fall for. Of course, if the contracted demon is a high-ranking demon. It’s certain that you can exert magic that exceeds the effect of general circuit hierarchy magic.”

“But there’s no such thing as a free lunch in a demon’s contract, is there? Professor?”

“That’s right. The source of the demon’s actions, what moves them, is desire. And the demon’s desire is incomparable to that of humans. Even though humans are very greedy animals among animals. So with a clumsy contract, you’ll end up not satisfying the demon’s desire and having your soul eaten.”

I flinched at that. As the professor said, demons are desire predators. And their desires are like gluttons, like the bottomless pit of hell, endless.

[Heu-heum. But you satisfied the Grand Duchess of Lust, didn’t you? With that cock… no, with that virility. You’re amazing after all.]

[Is that a compliment, Erti?]

[… Yes.]

But as Erti said. Recently, I’ve been creating vaginas for the women I’ve had sex with at a frightening rate.

And as a result. I even satisfied the Grand Duchess, who is at the highest rank among demons, and succeeded in the contract.

‘Is it virility that satisfied the Demon Archduke?’

Anyway, that’s enough with the 잡생각 (jap-saeng-gak – stray thoughts). According to the professor, I don’t need to study magic hard.

I’m a dragon, a born magic race, and even the Demon Archduke has already recognized me. If I borrow her power, magic was possible without difficulty.

So the purpose of visiting Ielrune Hall. That purpose is naturally because of Rosette. And according to what the professor said. Rosette is in a rather dangerous state.

Even though she was born with the bloodline of a true-blood witch. She’s not able to overcome the wall of hierarchy.

‘That’s why Rosette falls for the temptation of the Witch Cross Society in Demon King’s Kill.’

So the Witch Cross Society’s attack on Pantheon. It creates the worst situation there.

Of course, I know a way to prevent that through Demon King’s Kill. And before the lecture started.

I recalled the fortune that the female student, Rosette’s friend, had given me.

‘A timid and cute young lady who secretly circles around you. But the fire in her heart that thinks of you is by no means small.’

It was a clearly intentional fortune. It seems that her friend stepped forward for Rosette. It’s as if she’s telling me that Rosette is conscious of me as a man.

Perhaps, to the extent that everyone around her knows. Rosette seems to be showing off her affection for me. Well. Even the Grand Duchess of Jealousy was interested in Rosette.

‘There are many women around me. She might have suffered inwardly.’

And finally, the lecture ended. It’s time to move. I hurriedly moved and snatched the nape of a witch with low pigtails who was trying to run away from me.

“Yu… Yulian! Let go of me!”

But I grabbed the resisting Rosette as is and took her to the atelier of Hessos Hall.

Rosette obediently sat at the table in the atelier.

It’s an atelier that she’s already familiar with. But somehow her eyes were uneasy.

“Where did Aylin-ssi go?”

“Aylin has a lot to do. I sent her to a workshop in Endier Hall because there’s work there.”

“Oh… I see.”

Rosette pulled her witch’s hat down low. Because her face is small, it was as if the hat had swallowed her face.

As I said a little while ago. Aylin was sent to Cecilia’s workshop. For the resurrection of Sierteia. I had to prepare the overall shape and craftsmanship of the sword in earnest.

‘Because it’s a Holy Sword. I can’t just make the shape roughly.’

The two are already on good terms. So I wasn’t too worried. Anyway, as a result, Rosette and I were alone. So Rosette couldn’t stay still.

‘She seems nervous.’

In fact, Rosette is my friend. And the synchronization with Yulian is almost complete, so I actually feel very close to her.

But Rosette was different. Affection beyond closeness.

It seems that after I possessed this body, my changed appearance made her completely conscious of me as a man. It wasn’t a surprising reaction for me, who had already entered her wet dream.

‘There’s no need to be so shy.’

But I can’t let that affection lose its direction. Rosette is an important figure. And the Witch Cross Society that’s targeting her. If left unattended, it will be a great threat to the Imperial Capital, no, to Islend.

‘The Witch Cross Society is planning a commoner rebellion.’

And for that rebellion. They’re targeting Rosette, a commoner witch. And Leaf, who is also a commoner and an excellent student at Pantheon, like her.

I have no intention of being easily defeated. I was thinking of putting that Witch Cross Society into my power as well. In a big war. Witches are a very big resource.

‘Even the public sentiment of the commoners.’

And the first button for all of that is to solve the worries of Rosette in front of me. I said to Rosette, who was still wearing her witch’s hat pulled down low.

“Rosette. Would you take off your clothes for a moment?”