White Lily surveyed the students with an air of confidence. A woman with brown hair adorned with a white lily caught everyone’s attention.
“I am Dennis’s lover. They call me White Lily.”
The male students were mesmerized by her beauty, so much so that they forgot their drooling.
Kainel had changed a lot since meeting me, now displaying a nonchalant attitude even when seeing other women. With Ariel glaring from next to him and me in attendance, the Harem Route was a no-go. The Hero of Light.
Seeing the sudden shift in the male students’ attitudes, a sense of discomfort washed over me.
‘Is she really that beautiful?’
She may be famous in the community, but honestly, I don’t see it. Maybe it’s because I’ve been too busy eating, sleeping, and ending up reincarnated in this game while only having eyes for Pina.
I cast a glance at the distant Glass Knight. The instant our eyes met, Pina flinched and trembled.
Yeah, I came all this way just to see that.
“Lily, sorry for calling you even though you’re tired.”
“Not at all. How could I sit still when I can be with my hubby?”
Is this really the Celestial Demon I knew? The temperature difference was shocking. Using the term “hubby” sent a chill through me like ice water was poured over my head.
“If it gets too tough, I’ll be taking parental leave, so this might be my last task.”
I was left speechless. The shocking news caused a commotion in the classroom.
Pina and Kainel were looking around as if they didn’t understand what was going on.
“Huh…”
The sound of a pen dropping echoed. The ever-observant Ariel buried her face in her desk, feeling embarrassed. I felt the same way.
‘Looks like they finally hatched an egg together.’
The male students who had previously looked at White Lily with lewd eyes now turned their attention to Dennis instead.
Their expressions questioned how he managed to have such a beauty as his wife.
“….”
Is the blue-haired Hero’s turn coming up now?
So that’s why he’s been smirking oddly since earlier.
Our protagonist has risen through the ranks. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see his child in the subsequent installment, [Black Heart].
I don’t even know how much of a butterfly effect I’ve caused. It felt surreal, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. Thank goodness I was wearing a helmet.
“Now, what were we discussing earlier… let’s continue with the differences between Dragons and Humans.”
The blue-haired professor attempted to regain the classroom’s atmosphere.
“The most significant difference between Dragons and Humans seems to be the amount of mana. Licht.”
“That’s an insurmountable trait.”
White Lily clung closely to Dennis, as if afraid someone might take him away. It aligned with the narrative that Dragons have a strong sense of ownership.
“Well, even if I say this, I don’t really know much about magic or sorcery!”
Then why did you come here to teach? Afraid that the female students might swoon over your husband? Just when I was wondering about that, White Lily made her move.
“However, there are universal truths that apply to everything in the world.”
The Celestial Demon began writing on the blackboard.
Scritch scratch.
The sound of the chalk broke the silence in the classroom.
Gateway to Ascendancy.
The words written on the blackboard were clearly the “Gateway to Ascendancy.” Wasn’t the difference between Humans and Dragons about mana?
“Boy.”
Is she happy to see me after a long time? The Celestial Demon held a gentle smile.
Is she trying to hide her familiarity since it’s class time? If other students see favoritism, it could make them uncomfortable.
“Do you truly believe that the only difference between Humans and Dragons is mana?”
“…”
I pondered the meaning behind the letters she had written. I knew it was a hurdle that a Dragon had to overcome before ascending. Why was this mentioned when explaining the difference between Humans and Dragons?
‘A carp becomes a Dragon at the waterfall…’
So, here, humans are like carp? Memories of tales I heard during training came rushing back. The term “Celestial Demon” was something people assigned.
“Is it the difference in effort, Celestial Demon?”
Hah! What a sound logic! That’s the truth!
It might be a metaphor indicating that Humans must earn their qualifications through effort, unlike Dragons. I blurted out a thought that suddenly crossed my mind. Luckily, it was the correct answer.
“Humans are beings similar to Dragons.”
In fact, the starting points can differ greatly. There are cases like Ariel who possesses inherent mana and Kainel, chosen by the Holy Sword.
“Humans are beings that strive to obtain their qualifications.”
But they still strive. The Heroes and Mages who were hurt by the Hero Church didn’t falter in the battle against the Head.
Heroes chosen by the same Holy Sword headed towards different opposition points. One overestimated their abilities and relied solely on their powers, while…
‘Since I pointed out the Achilles’ heel of the Holy Sword, Kainel began to trust people.’
If they hadn’t been around, I wouldn’t have been able to save Pina. Simply being here listening to the lecture was thanks to the Hero couple.
“Dragons essentially start from snakes, advance through Imugi, and become Dragons. However, these arrogant Dragons have none of that!”
Dennis probably wanted to tell the students this part of the lecture. He nodded slowly, his blue eyes focused.
“When they hatch from eggs, they start as ‘Hatchlings’. That’s the part that makes me weep the most after coming to this realm.”
Thump. White Lily smashed her fist onto the blackboard. The part that wrote “Gateway to Ascendancy” cracked. It might have been a bit too much.
There are many grim tales and folklore about how ancient Imugi becomes a Malevolent Spirit. So, what she did was understandable.
“To become a higher existence originally requires that much effort, and this is the basic difference between Dragons and Humans.”
Using the example of Dragons, she explained the differences between them and Humans. Ultimately, being born with ‘qualifications’ and earning them through hard work were worlds apart.
“I brought a being that is most similar to a Dragon yet different, so you understand now, Licht?”
As White Lily concluded her explanation, Dennis continued in a calm tone.
“To reach the extreme, one must delve into one’s own magic and strive to understand it.”
He created a golden magic circle with both hands and brought it closer to me. It resembled what we did in the club last time – a spell to examine mana circuits.
“Your attribute is darkness, Licht.”
I noticed this faintly when dealing with the Magic Hat. Even if Kainel’s or Pina’s attacks didn’t get through, my Demon King transformations landed effective hits.
“So how can you push this ‘darkness’ to the very extreme?”
“Well, as a Black Knight, wouldn’t it be better to defend?”
Since my shadowy fangs have hidden Pina’s identity before, defensive magic seems fitting.
In the game, there were skills to hide in shadows and black magic, too.
“Let’s be more specific.”
“I mean, there’s a saying, ‘Those who are close to ink turn black.’”
This was different from what I knew. The magic recommended by the protagonists of [Night Heart]. ‘Those who are close to ink turn black.’ It darkens the surroundings. If I apply that…
“…You mean to transform other attributes into darkness? Is that what you’re saying?”
If I could turn the surrounding attributes into darkness like ink in water, it would give Kainel a strength boost when attacking.
It could also help counter opponents who were changing their attributes.
‘Or I could absorb the light entirely. I could fundamentally block the Magic Hat’s magic, too.’
There was black dye in my previous reality that absorbed most of the light. It could turn a disadvantageous situation into a favorable one.
“I think you’ve finally grasped the concept. Licht.”
Dennis chuckled softly upon receiving a satisfying answer. I never anticipated getting teachings like this.
“Let this be your goal to achieve during this semester.”
So this is the pinnacle of water magic. However, isn’t using magic going to turn Pina into darkness if I make a hand sign?
Pina with black hair? I bet she’d look beautiful. Just imagining it made my heart race. The image of her with long flowing black hair like a black rose played out in my mind.
“Next, Mardol.”
As if sensing my inner thoughts, Dennis called out for Pina, and I dodged the approaching armored Glass Knight to take a seat.
*
“Mardol’s ‘Mirror Mirage’. It was surely the summoning of an illusion with substance.”
Dennis started by looking at Pina.
It was the spell she demonstrated during the class exams. After observing the duplicates she created using ground-altered glass, Dennis had some questions.
“Why limit such a good spell to offense only?”
“Huh…? ”
Considering it could even assist Licht in the battle against the Head, its versatility was high. Pina relied on Dennis’s advice and attempted to create her duplicates.
“…It’s solid. Do we really need this?”
As she fiddled with the duplicate, White Lily pointed out the parts that were incorrect. Pina wondered if being solid was even a problem.
“Is this wrong…?”
“It means it’s good enough.”
Soft, huh? Pina Grancia had never thought of such applications in her life. She believed herself to be weak, which was why the Queen was kidnapped.
“The mirror reflects ‘substance’. What if you could even replicate the feelings of that ‘substance’?”
“Could it even feel soft?”
“Precisely. Do you understand now, Mardol?”
She wouldn’t just be creating solid projections like glass statues; it was possible to create duplicates akin to dopplegangers.
“This magic isn’t just necessary for combat. If you can create duplicates that deceive even allies, you could fool enemies too.”
“But… do we really have to…?”
Pina searched for a reason she couldn’t find. What good would it do to have soft duplicates when using swordsmanship?
“Isn’t there someone around you that you’d want to catch? Your beloved?”
Driven to speak up, White Lily whispered in her ear, and the golden-eyed wolf turned to look at Licht, seated behind her.
“..There is.”
Gulp. Without her realizing, Pina swallowed. She began preparing once more to catch her prey.
If it’s a fragile glass cannon, then she could pressure them with sheer numbers.
