Episode 132

Fortunately, the Afha Order was not the kind of order Lee Han had feared.

“Oh, that’s what you were worried about. Haha. Sometimes those who don’t know us well get that kind of misunderstanding.”

A priest of the Afha Order burst out laughing.

“We don’t burn down the world or set fire to the Empire. If we did, do you think the order would still exist?”

‘That’s true.’

That made sense.

No matter how tolerant the Empire was, they wouldn’t tolerate an order going around setting fires everywhere.

“Our priests simply believe in the fire of Afha.”

“That’s right. The fire of Afha will come for us one day, so we must live with no regrets.”

Aside from their somewhat gloomy pessimism about the world ending in flames one day, the priests of the Afha Order were basically cheerful and kind people.

And their strong faith in the fire of Afha drastically improved their proficiency with fire magic.

In magic, one’s mental image was as important as magical power.

Priests of the order, who truly believed in the overwhelming presence of Afha’s fire, naturally had a huge advantage regarding fire magic.

Just as Lee Han had guessed, there were indeed many masters of fire magic among the priests.

When fire magic was needed anywhere in the Empire, the Afha Order would often be asked for help.

‘This is a relief. They’re more normal than I thought.’

Lee Han was relieved.

Aside from believing the world would someday end, the Afha Order was a perfectly normal order.

Their rules were loose, too.

Other than meditation on Afha’s fire, there weren’t many obligations.

In truth, that made it even better than the Frisinga Order, which required members to carry around cursed items.

“Come. It’s time to check the fire you hold in your soul.”

A priest of Afha brought out a big, rough-looking copper chalice.

Feeling much more at ease, Lee Han asked,

“How do you check it?”

According to the priest, the copper chalice was an artifact that drew out the fire in a person’s soul and caused it to appear within the cup.

The priests would often use the chalice to see how humble and faithful they were before the fire of Afha.

‘It’s like a fire element magic aptitude test. The more skilled you are in magic, the better the fire in the cup, I guess.’

If the Afha priests heard that, they’d react, “That’s why magicians! It’s fire in the soul and faith!” But it couldn’t be helped.

Lee Han, like the head of the Wodanaz family, had little connection to faith.

What the order’s priests saw as faith, Lee Han could only interpret as magic.

There really was no other way!

Lee Han placed his hand on the copper chalice. He was a little nervous.

‘I hope nothing goes wrong.’

After all he’d heard from Professor Garcia and everything he’d been through up to now, he couldn’t help being tense.

Suddenly, flames might flare up, or the surrounding tent might catch fire…

Fwoosh!

A flame rose up in the cup. It wasn’t a very large flame. It flickered steadily, not overflowing beyond the rim.

‘Not that I know much about the chalice, but this seems fine?’

Lee Han was reassured.

It didn’t surge up abnormally, nor was the flame unstable.

Wasn’t this about average?

“How is it?”

“We’ll check now.”

One of the priests blew hard at it. But Lee Han’s flame didn’t even flicker.

“Oh…”

“The fire in your soul is quite strong.”

The priests of Afha were delighted at the fire’s strength.

The size of the flame didn’t matter.

What mattered was its power to endure all disturbances.

To withstand blowing and remain steady—now that was a strong flame.

Another priest produced some water and poured it over the cup Lee Han was holding. With a hiss, the water evaporated.

Lee Han’s flame still didn’t budge.

“Ooh…?”

“Let’s bring something else.”

As they worked a lot with fire, the priests were paradoxically also skilled at countering fire.

They produced black sand called Black Shadow Sand. Most flames would be swallowed instantly by this magical reagent.

But Lee Han’s flame was unaffected.

“……”

“…Next.”

They kept trying other methods.

Magic, reagents, potions, items, and so on.

Yet still, Lee Han’s flame did not go out.

The priests, usually cheerful, grew grave.

“…Is there a problem?”

“Haha. No.”

“Thank…”

Lee Han was about to sigh in relief.

But the priests immediately turned and whispered among themselves.

“Can you contact another priest from the order?”

“Send a bird as soon as possible…”

“We need to call the bishop.”

The priests’ murmuring made Lee Han grow uneasy.

• * *

Afha Order’s Bishop Ussoe rushed over after receiving the message.

He’d heard there was a boy with a flame in his soul close to Afha’s fire itself; naturally, he came in a hurry.

Wait. Wait, wait.

“Ossu Gonadaltes, it’s good to see you. But I have an urgent matter right now…”

Of course I know what it is. The Afha priests found a prodigy, I hear?

The Skull Principal was well acquainted with the Afha Order.

Leaving aside that they were rather pessimistic and foolish, they were quite skilled at fire magic.

The problem was that they seemed smitten with the Wodanaz family’s boy and were determined to take him somehow.

Lee Han didn’t seem particularly interested in being a priest, but in the turbulent teenage years, temptations could always shake a person’s heart.

Especially for young students at the magic school, weakened minds could easily be swayed by outside temptations.

That must never be allowed.

This school was founded by His Majesty to raise pillars of the Empire. He trusted that no one would forcibly turn a future wizard into a priest.

At his warning, the bishop nodded as if he fully understood.

“Of course, Ossu Gonadaltes. We have no intention of turning the school’s talents into priests.”

Oh, really?

The Principal’s tone softened.

The Afha Order certainly understood etiquette and the ethics of commerce.

“But, Ossu Gonadaltes, right now the boy from the Wodanaz family is in danger.”

…I haven’t done anything.

“I’m not sure what you mean?”

At the principal’s instinctive remark, the bishop looked puzzled.

“As you know, Ossu Gonadaltes, talent too strong to control ends up harming its master. Especially so with fire.”

Magic, the stronger it was, the more dangerous it became.

Among all the elements, fire was the one that most easily harmed its master if mishandled.

With the kind of powerful fire Lee Han had in his soul, he was considered at great risk.

He needed to learn how to control it as soon as possible.

“He must learn quickly.”

Does it really need to go that far?

The Principal mumbled.

For one thing, the Principal himself believed, “If you’re a wizard, you should protect your life while learning magic,” which was a bit of an old-fashioned way of thinking, but aside from that, he knew the boy from the Wodanaz family wasn’t some immature child who couldn’t control his talent.

Sure, there were young wizards who got hurt by mismanaging their overwhelming gifts… but that was their story, not his.

To the Principal, Lee Han was the opposite.

A boy who controlled his overwhelming talent with an even stronger willpower.

Even if the Afha Order didn’t worry, Lee Han wouldn’t accidentally burn himself.

If he were the type, he’d have done it already.

“Ossu Gonadaltes! Are you not at all concerned about the student’s safety?!”

N-no, no!

The Principal quickly stepped back at the bishop’s outcry.

An upset bishop could be dangerous. He could run and chatter to the Emperor.

And if what the bishop said was true, there really wasn’t much reason for concern.

They weren’t trying to make him a priest—just to give him fire magic training.

Granted, it might be a little tough for the Wodanaz family’s boy, but that wasn’t the Principal’s problem.

I’m concerned too, of course.

“Knew you would be.”

Go! Teach him quickly!

• * *

“So, you’re not saying I’ll inherit the fire of Afha and set fire to the Empire or end the world or anything like that?”

“Of course not, Lee Han of the Wodanaz family. What a joker.”

Lee Han was relieved.

The priests’ serious expressions had made him worry, ‘What is this? Have I just been chosen as the Last Successor or something?’ —but that wasn’t it.

He simply had such a powerful fire in his soul that if he didn’t learn to control it, it could become dangerous.

‘Well. Come to think of it, that’s a reasonable thing to worry about.’

He’d already heard it from people like Professor Garcia so many times he’d grown numb, but hearing the priests worry made Lee Han nervous again.

Was he going to be okay?

“Bishop!”

“!”

Upon hearing the word “bishop,” Lee Han froze.

No matter the order, you couldn’t just get to be a bishop.

He hadn’t expected someone of that rank to come in person.

“It is an honor to meet you.”

The flattery came out automatically.

Whatever he did or wherever he worked in the future, making a good impression on high-ranking members of various orders could only help.

“The honor is mine. I have not heard of anyone born with such strong fire for years.”

The bishop was gentle and kind.

“Surely, you suffered in your childhood from uncontrollable fire?”

“…Uh, actually, no?”

The bishop hesitated at Lee Han’s words.

Then he seemed to accept it.

“Ah, the Wodanaz family must have used fire-prevention magic…”

‘They didn’t, though…’

Lee Han had grown up just fine without any such thing, never once involved in a fire accident.

There had never been any problem as long as he didn’t use fire magic.

“However, now that you have left your family, you can’t rely only on its magic. Lee Han, you must learn to control fire yourself.”

Lee Han nodded with determination.

After all, his main reason for seeking out the Afha Order was the hope of learning more about fire magic.

It was hard to control with normal means, but divine magic might be different.

“That method might be too harsh or difficult for a first-year student at the magic school.”

“I know.”

Lee Han spoke, thinking of Professor Voladi.

People said elemental magic was the most familiar and thus the easiest, but truly mastering it was not at all easy.

He thought back to how much hardship and struggle he’d gone through just to properly control basic water magic.

Shape maintenance, shifting forms, sensing the element… remembering all the details, he realized again how rough the road had been.

But if he’d done it once, he could do it again.

He would do it!

‘If I don’t learn to control fire in advance, I’ll suffer many times more later.’

Lee Han tossed aside his coat and grabbed his staff.

Then he braced himself.

“Please fire at me. I’m ready.”

“…Excuse me, but what are you doing?”

The bishop looked flustered at Lee Han’s reaction.

He couldn’t understand what sort of training the boy in front of him was preparing himself for.