Chapter 134 - Archmage (5)

“...My name is Lightning Kale, a Pure Science mage from the Magical Spire who will be teaching you from now on.”

Clap clap clap!

The talented recruits were now students and Kale had become the first magic school teacher in Shahatra, all without the empire’s knowledge.

They turned the villa in the palace into an educational institution and Henry renovated it to look like an actual school.

There were a total of fifty students, the perfect number for a company of soldiers.

Henry stood at the back of the classroom and watched Kale, who was standing on the podium with Herarion. Kale’s expression looked somewhat dejected, as if he had lost something important.

Henry nodded in satisfaction and headed out of the classroom with Herarion.

“I didn’t know that you would have a mage close to you, Lord Henry. Besides, I’m surprised that he doesn’t want to accept payment. This is the first time I’ve seen a wizard so passionate about teaching,” said Herarion.

“Isn’t there a saying that good people are surrounded by other good people?”

“I also agree with that. So, are you done with your business in Shahatra now?”

“Kale will be teaching for some time, Hector’s situation has been resolved, and the tributes and production of the cigarettes are good for now… So, for now, yes, but… There’s still one thing that I want to discuss privately with you.”

“Privately, huh… Haha, this won’t be like the resurrection of Sir Hector, right?”

“No, you have already helped me enough with that. Thank you once again, Your Majesty.”

“Haha, you don’t need to thank me. What do you have left to do?”

“Actually, this is something to do with my personal curiosity… Your Majesty, could you and High Priest Viram please spare me a moment of your time?”

“Viram and me?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, he’s probably done praying by now, so I guess we could do that.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Just as Herarion assumed, Viram was done with his prayers, and Henry, Viram, and Herarion sat at a round table. The first to speak was High Priest Viram.

“Hahah, I didn’t expect Lord Henry to have business with me too. What is it that you need from us?”

Viram always cut to the chase. Although he was an old man, he was level-headed and sharp after serving as the high priest for a long time.

Henry spoke to the two with a serious expression.

“The things I’m about to say may make you feel a little uncomfortable, so before I start, I would like to ask for your understanding.”

“That’s alright. You’re going to talk about something related to religion, huh… I’m looking forward to what you’ll be saying.”

“Thank you. Then I will talk freely.”

Thanks to Herarion’s consideration, Henry could get straight to the point.

“Have the two of you ever heard of black magic?”

“Black magic…?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve come across it in literature. As far as I know, it’s magic that’s considered taboo in the empire.”

He was right. However, perhaps because the kingdom was so secluded, the reactions of its citizens were different from those of imperial citizens. Black magic usually reminded people of the undead, such as skeletons and zombies, and necromancers who cast curses.

“Why are you suddenly asking about black magic?” asked Herarion.

“Black magic typically deals with things than ordinary magic doesn’t. Therefore, unlike conventional magic, one’s life force can be used as an energy source instead of mana.”

“I see, and…?”

“In the past, I had an interest in black magic and studied some books about it. As a result, I know what kind of power black magic holds and what language it uses. That’s why I was surprised by what I found here.”

Henry raised an eyebrow and pointed at the two. “The power of La and the illusion that you use, and even the power of Janus… It’s surprisingly similar to black magic.”

The mood went dark in an instant. In Shahatra, religion and magic were both heavy topics, and right now, Henry seemed to be insulting them.

However, they didn’t frown and kept calm as they thought about what they had just heard.

After a while, High Priest Viram spoke.

“Lord Henry.”

“Yes.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I was simply taken back by the unexpected appearance of something I’ve studied.”

“You’re simply curious, is that it?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm.”

Viram groaned. There was no way to ignore his innocent curiosity, since Henry was an important ally.

“I know very well that you have no bad intentions, but… You are aware that this is a sensitive issue, right?” continued Viram.

“Yes, that’s why I’m speaking cautiously about this.”

“Alright. What caught your interest in particular?”

“It was the language.”

“Language…?”

“That’s right. In fact, I know another place that uses a language like this.”

“Where is that?”

“It’s the Demon Realm.”

“...The Demon Realm?”

Henry had heard it before in the Demonic Beast Forest of the Caliburn Fortress from Klever, who was now one of Henry's kin.

‘Klever is from the real Demon Realm, and not from the Demonic Beast Forest. Besides, the demons I met in the past also spoke the same language as Klever. So maybe, black magic, illusion, and even the power of gods like La and Janus, are all related to the Demon Realm!’

Henry was confident in his theory.

‘This is really interesting’

It was exciting to see a common thread emerge among seemingly unrelated things.

However, Henry hadn’t rushed to say anything because it didn’t make sense to talk about things he was unsure of. Even if Henry turned out to be right, he had no intention of telling anyone because he was aware of the importance of his discovery.

However, Henry could now tell his findings to the most important religious authorities of Shahatra, and he hadn’t hesitated. However, at Henry’s unexpected remarks, Herarion’s and Viram’s expressions darkened like a gloomy sky.

Black magic and illusion.

Neither one seemed close to La, who was a sacred being.

“This is so complicated…” replied Herarion with a sigh.

Henry sensed Herarion’s mood going down, so he quickly explained.

“I think it’s quite possible. Your Majesty, I do not dare to doubt the power of the Holy God La, but aren’t you curious? Why do they share a common language?”

“That’s…”

A wizard’s intellectual curiosity was beyond imagination, especially if it was the best wizard of mankind. However, Herarion and Viram were worshipers of La; they had just as much faith in their god as Henry had curiosity.

Intellectuals and religious people.

Intellectuals wanted pure knowledge, but religious people with complex interests couldn’t agree with intellectuals.

Herarion stopped to think, and the more he waited, the more impatient Henry became.

After a while, Herarion answered with difficulty, “... I apologize, but I have never doubted La, the Great Sun God.”

“Your Majesty! This isn’t doubt. Perhaps, through my curiosity, we may be able to reveal the source of the god's power.”

“Lord Henry.”

“Your Majesty.”

“That’s enough, Lord Henry.”

At Herarion’s refusal, Henry revealed his impatience. Before he knew it, his voice rose and his pupils dilated, and he showed a side of himself that he never displayed.

Viram stopped Henry, and thanks to him, Henry realized that he was being rude.

“...I apologize.”

Henry immediately bowed and apologized. Of course, in his opinion, it was worth risking offense with his assertiveness.

‘Damn it…’

Henry apologized but couldn't get rid of his dissatisfaction. He thought that if he could figure out the secret of black magic through the power of Shahatra’s god, he might be able to find out why he had been revived.

As the atmosphere grew heavy, High Priest Viram started to mediate.

“I think it’s better to leave it, Lord Henry.”

“I apologize, Your Majesty. In my excitement, I overstepped.”

“No, it’s alright. Since you are an imperial citizen, I understand that you can have such thoughts, but I just… It’s very confusing. I've never doubted the power of the great La before…”

Doubting a god was an unthinkable taboo. Any other religious authority would have slapped Henry in the face. Herarion stood up first with Viram and said, “I’ll get going now. Let's… continue this talk next time.”

The two left the room, their expressions didn’t look very good.

However, Henry’s expression brightened slightly.

‘Next time, huh…’

Herarion wasn’t angry. He looked displeased, but he still said “next time” and left some hope for Henry.

Henry thought that was enough progress for today.

‘I will definitely, definitely find out what links those three things one day.’

He had an obsession with knowledge, and he also thirsted for the truth behind his revival.

Henry, who had only dreamed of revenge thus far, now had a new goal.

* * *

“I will take my leave.”

The next day, after finishing all his business in Shahatra, Henry had to leave the desert to take care of other things. The groundwork had been laid for trade and item distribution, as well as for training the new wizards.

Before Henry left Shahatra, he greeted the people who came out to see him off. Among them was Howl, who was now immersed in the charm of magic.

“Howl,” said Henry.

“Yes, Master.”

Howl called Kale “teacher” and Henry “master.”

Kale was going to teach them the basics of magic, which made him their teacher, and Henry was going to teach everything past that, so he was their master.

“Work hard.”

“Yes, Master!”

Henry didn’t pressure Howl, nor did he overwhelm him with expectations. He received the same amount of care and attention as any other student.

If Henry showed undue favor toward Howl just because he was a natural genius, he could lose the other 49.

‘A genius will stand out anyway and…’

Henry knew that right after Howl had fulfilled his lifelong dream of seeing snow, he had developed a tremendous desire for magic.

Howl’s future was always going to be bright even if no one anticipated it. Henry only had to wait for the day when the ambitious Howl needed his teachings, for example, when he had trouble overcoming a difficult obstacle.

Henry called each of the other 49 students by name and gave each one a few words of encouragement.

He then handed a small bag to Kale and said, “Take it.”

“What is it?”

“You're a teacher, after all, so I can’t ask you to teach them for free.”

This was the first time Henry had shown kindness to him, and it made Kale’s hair stand on end.

“Open it.”

It was too old fashioned to tell Kale to open the gift later.

Kale quickly opened the bag and checked its contents. There were several bottles of liquid that gleamed with a green light.

“...What is this?”

“It’s my liquefied mana. I’ll be busy for a while, so use this for the time being. One bottle should last you about 10 days. You get what I mean, right?”

“Then, by reward, you mean…?”

“That’s right. A little bit of freedom.”

With this, Henry concluded his goodbyes. He snapped his fingers and disappeared with a flash of light.