Chapter 256
Vargan brought Adalhyde to the Second Training Ground.
Unlike the regular training ground, which anyone could use without limitations, this one was only available by reservation. He managed to secure it by pushing through with the numbers of the Arbol Frutal members.
“Adalhyde. I apologize for bringing this up right after saying I would teach you, but I’m a very busy person.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Because of this, I won’t have much time to play the role of your master directly.”
“I see…”
“Are you disappointed?”
“No, not at all.”
“For someone speaking so blandly, your eyebrows have drooped a bit. Well, I understand. After two weeks of intense training and finally passing, hearing this must be disheartening.”
Adalhyde was quite surprised at Vargan’s pinpoint accuracy.
After hearing Machenia’s remarks last time, he had thoroughly concealed any change in his expression.
He prided himself on being able to conceal emotions perfectly, yet Vargan saw right through him.
“It’s not a big deal. I’m just a bit better at reading faces than others.”
“……”
“Anyway, don’t worry. Even if we can’t be together for long, I have no intention of taking it lightly.”
Vargan unfolded the White and pulled out several thick books from within.
When he placed them on the desk, it made a thud due to their weight.
Vargan placed his hand on the pile of books and smiled.
“These are the books I’ve written based on my experiences to date.”
“Did you… write all these books… yourself?”
“Yeah. All experiences truly become your own only after you chew them over.”
Vargan had been teaching Alicia up until now.
He focused on enhancing Alicia’s achievements and recorded everything.
Of course, researching education theories and magic studies was standard practice.
He examined all related materials owned by the Schugenhartz Family to find out how to teach more effectively.
And how to ensure that it was easily comprehensible.
Alicia was the first practical application of his educational theories.
She was also a successful case that provided sufficient results.
‘While Alicia’s case is so unique that it’s challenging to apply directly to others, it still serves as a valuable reference.’
Vargan spoke to the still-surprised Adalhyde.
“When high and mighty magicians leave behind their achievements, it’s often in incomprehensible terms. They avoid using simple language and spells simply because they don’t want to belittle their noble studies.”
Pretentious nonsense.
To make sure they wouldn’t be embarrassed no matter where they put it on display.
Often, they intentionally make things more difficult to prevent just anyone from mastering that magic.
However, Vargan didn’t think this was efficient at all.
Sure, security is important, but humanity needs to nurture capable talents more urgently than ever.
“I aimed to address these issues. What you see here are the completed books.”
“Is this book going to make magic easier to understand?”
“Yes. And I’ve systematically and effectively classified the previously separated content into basics, fundamentals, and advanced topics.”
Surprisingly, Paula played a significant role here.
Before entering the Academia, she had helped him for six months, so it could almost be considered a co-authorship.
“Here, take this.”
Vargan pulled one book from the pile and handed it to Adalhyde.
“This is….”
“You’ve received genius education, so the basics should be solid. With the homework I gave you, your fundamental knowledge has been reinforced, so it’s time for the next step.”
“Advanced Elemental Magic….”
Adalhyde read the book’s title.
Beneath the title, it was written in small letters, “A shortcut to comprehending Elemental Magic.”
“Unfortunately, I’m not well-versed in barrier magic. But I know better than most how to quickly increase the total amount of mana, which is the foundation of all magic.”
“So, it’s about Elemental Magic.”
“I’m glad you understand quickly. As you guessed, Elemental Magic is a discipline closely related to all forms of magic and deeply tied to the total amount of mana.”
Vargan had personally experienced that as he increased his total mana, his proficiency in Elemental Magic naturally rose as well.
This relationship also worked in reverse.
Based on that experience, this book was created.
“Magic may seem divided into different fields at first glance, but they are all connected in a tight relationship. That means there are times when mastering them simultaneously can create synergy.”
Vargan handed over another book related to total mana and returned the rest to White’s possession.
He gave Alicia a total of four books covering Curse Magic and Familiar Magic, but two were enough for the barrier magic specialist, Adalhyde.
“You will self-study with those books and have me check your progress. If something confuses you or you encounter something hard to understand, it’s designed for you to think it through yourself. Don’t forget to establish your thoughts and work through problems before coming to me with questions.”
“Understood, Senpai.”
“Also, what I can help with… is an environment that blurs the line between reality and illusion….”
—Snap!
As Vargan snapped his fingers, Bishop Caliculea appeared in front of Adalhyde.
Adalhyde was startled and almost used magic, but seeing the unmoving figure like a doll made her withdraw her mana.
She looked at Vargan and expressed her honest thoughts.
“I had no idea at all. When did you cast the spell?”
“What’s important for you right now isn’t those trivial details. Can you see this guy well?”
Tap! Tap!
Vargan slapped Caliculea’s head with his palm.
A man casually slapping the head of a bishop-level Altife with exceptionally long arms.
It was a scene so disconnected from reality that Adalhyde struggled to accept the situation.
“Yes, I can see it clearly.”
“This fellow has the combat power of a typical bishop level but can use some pretty troublesome blessings. Focus on blocking the attacks without getting caught in those blessings. By the way, this is training for barrier magic, so no attacks are allowed.”
Vargan suddenly assigned a mission.
Adalhyde, who found herself facing off against a bishop, narrowed her eyes and asked in a somewhat tense voice.
“Senpai, maintaining a spell of this magnitude must expend a lot of stamina and mental energy. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
“I’m also doing this to develop a unique spell, so stop worrying about unnecessary things. You can think about those things after you manage to endure this guy’s attacks.”
Vargan conjured a timer around them.
The timer was set for four hours.
“You will endure while this guy attacks you for exactly four hours. Also, don’t think of relying on me just because I’m here. As you found out during the interview, I will push you off the cliff for training, I won’t hold your hand.”
“Don’t think you can rely on me just because I’m here. I let you have it during your interview, remember? If I decide to push you off a cliff for training, you can bet I won’t be there to catch you.”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s not waste any more time and get started right away.”
Vargan slammed his hands down on Caliculea’s head twice.
Suddenly, the vacant gaze in Caliculea’s eyes ignited, and he immediately launched a fierce attack on Adalhyde.
Boom, boom—!
“Kugh…!”
The Bishop’s punch felt heavier than any sparring match Adalhyde had ever experienced.
‘Is this the power of a Bishop…!’
Adalhyde was bracing against it with a magically created shield.
Each impact sent tremors through her body, but her fiercely glaring eyes showed no sign of backing down.
“…Hmm.”
Standing off to the side, Vargan slowly observed her battle.
He analyzed how Adalhyde’s mana was being channeled, how she utilized her defensive spells in different situations, looking for areas of improvement and strengths.
Time passed, and the timer showed roughly 3 hours and 20 minutes left.
The door to the training ground that Vargan borrowed opened, and a visitor arrived.
“…!!”
“It’s fine, Saint. It’s just my spell, so you don’t need to be surprised—it’s not a real Bishop.”
Diphelia, wheeling in on her wheelchair, sensed that no mana was emanating from the Bishop. Even with this knowledge, it wasn’t easy to feel at ease.
Even as she approached Vargan, she remained on guard.
Diphelia observed Caliculea closely with the eyes of a Familiar and said, “I’ve heard about it, but you’ve really completed an outrageous spell….”
“Take that as a compliment. But more importantly, what’s brought you here, Diphelia? We still have plenty of time left.”
Snapped back to attention by Vargan’s question, Diphelia thought, ‘Right, this isn’t the time to be dawdling,’ and spoke somewhat urgently.
“I have important results from the research.”
“Results from the research?”
Meeting Diphelia’s gaze, Vargan read emotions in her eyes.
This didn’t seem like a trivial matter.
“Adalhyde, I’ll be stepping out for a moment. Keep facing him until the time is up.”
“…Kugh. Yes, sir!”
Vargan immediately moved outside the training ground.
Diphelia, flabbergasted, chased after him.
“Wait a moment. Is it really okay to leave that there without getting rid of it?”
“It’s fine. I set it to disappear automatically if an emergency arises anyway.”
“B-But….”
“What’s urgent right now isn’t my spell, right? So, shall we head to your room?”
“…….”
Feeling uneasy, Diphelia decided to trust him for now.
She guided Vargan toward the female dormitory.
Click—.
Inserting the key into the door lock, she turned it and stepped inside the dorm.
The interior was filled with an array of plants, almost resembling a greenhouse.
In a small room at the back, she quickly spotted bottles containing Divine Bugs on the table.
Vargan focused on one specimen and grinned.
“Looks like it’s died from poison…!”
A Divine Bug that had turned red and melted from the inside out.
Its stinger, once attached to its tail, had vanished as though it had been pulled out.
The creature had become a corpse, having lost its power to transform into an Altife due to the potent poison Diphelia had concocted.
“Is there no harm to the human body?” Vargan asked.
Diphelia shook her head.
“I haven’t tested that far yet. However, given the toxicity, I expect it will affect the host as well.”
“So, killing just the Divine Bugs without harming the human host is still impossible. Even if we can administer it in the ‘cure’ stage to prevent Altification, the host might still end up dead.”
Vargan muttered to himself.
Vargan was stammering.
However, looking at Diphelia, he couldn’t help but honestly admire her achievements.
“You’ve accomplished something great. Saint.”
In the original work, Diphelia independently researched the Divine Bug, reaching her current stage after about five years.
At that time, she wasn’t inheriting the research results of Professor Lucien, and the lack of a suitable environment for experiments meant progress took even longer.
Now that conditions had improved, she had advanced five years ahead.
‘This increases the chances further. Can we actually complete the development of the cure that ultimately failed in the original work?’
Vargan recognized Diphelia’s genius.
Just as each person excels in different fields, Diphelia’s talent shone particularly brightly in this domain.
“……”
Yet, despite the moment calling for joy and celebration, Diphelia was chewing on her lips, her expression darkening.
“We have to keep even the current achievements a secret from the Church, right?”
“…Saint. I can guess what you’re thinking, but what I said back then still stands.”
“If we report the current results to the Church, it could lead to significant advancements. There must be many experts with more knowledge than me.”
Vargan tried to interrupt, insisting it couldn’t be done.
But Diphelia reacted unexpectedly.
“…I’ve thought about it carefully.”
“What do you mean?”
“Humanity and Altife have a long history. With such length come countless sacrifices, and the longer the crisis lasts, the more exceptional talents gather at Yggdrasil to accumulate knowledge.”
She spoke cautiously.
She knew the words and sentences she was about to utter were blasphemous, yet she couldn’t shake her doubts.
“I understand that the results came because the environment was right. I was only able to conduct research by using the results from Professor Lucien’s studies and the Divine Bug, along with my ability to handle plants.”
“……”
“But even so, it seems strange. We’re talking about several hundred years. The Church couldn’t achieve this level of results in all that time… It’s simply incomprehensible…!”
Diphelia looked anxious.
Her voice, filled with doubt, was starkly different from the steadfast belief she once held as a saint.
“You told me, Vargan, not to blindly trust the Church.”
“……”
“Could it be… Could it be that the Church has… some colossal secret…?”
“Diphelia. Listen carefully.”
Vargan deliberately interrupted her.
His eyes, usually cold and frosted, seemed even chillier now, filled with the coldness of the room.
He said, “The conversation that follows must not be spoken of anywhere.”
“…Like when Erica had her mana explosion?”
“No. This is of such significance that it cannot be merely communicated verbally.”
From within the White, Vargan pulled out a single sheet of paper.
It was a contract.
A contract signed by Cardinal Beled.
“That’s…!”
Diphelia recognized the Cardinal’s contract.
Vargan summoned a dagger from the shadows, slicing his fingertip.
Crimson blood welled up and dripped onto the contract.
“Saint Diphelia. I will confirm. From now on, can you keep the conversation that follows secret until death?”
The words on the contract soaked in Vargan’s blood turned crimson.
Handing the dagger to Diphelia, Vargan continued.
“I will reveal the causal relationships behind everything. The secrets of the world.”
“The secrets….”
“One, if at any point you leak the conversation that follows, you will meet a very miserable and horrific death.”
A glint flickered in Vargan’s eyes.
As the fire flickered, its shape danced ominously.
Vargan asked, “Even so, will you make this contract, O Saint who praises the gods?”
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