Episode 50

Episode 050

Fortunately, Lee Han didn’t have to carry the title “Professor Slayer.”
Professor Mortum got up right away.
“…Cough. Everyone saw that, right? That’s the effect of a lower-grade paralysis curse.”
To be honest, Professor Mortum’s body was still stiff.
He quickly activated his mana to chase out the curse as soon as he fell, but since there was a considerable amount, the effect still lingered.
If older black magic major students under Professor Mortum had seen this, they might have fainted.
Even if he let his guard down, for a first-year to topple Professor Mortum with a low-grade paralysis curse…
“……”
Professor Garcia, knowing the truth, looked at Professor Mortum with a stupefied expression.
Professor Mortum pretended not to notice, avoiding his gaze.
“I’m glad, Professor.”
Lee Han spoke with relief.
He’d really been shocked at first, but it seemed Professor Mortum had faked being affected just to properly demonstrate the paralysis curse.
No wonder something felt off!
“…You have talent for curses.”
“Is that so? Thank you.”
“…You have talent for curses.”
“Thank you?”
It’s never a good sign when a professor repeats themselves.
Lee Han keenly picked up on that sign.
‘What’s this about?’
Either he really was talented, or he’d somehow rubbed the professor the wrong way.
Given what he knew of professor’s twisted personalities, the latter was more likely.
‘Was my curse worse than expected? These shameless professors… If I could use a curse perfectly on the first try, would I really be a first-year?’
“As you just saw, curse magic is a practical type that even those who don’t major in black magic know one or two spells of.”
Professor Garcia jumped in to liven up the mood.
“Low-grade curses are not difficult to learn, and, more importantly, if you know them, it’s easier to deal with other curses. Just because you don’t learn curse magic doesn’t mean others won’t use it on you.”
Black magic includes many offensive spells that are quick to learn.
Just compare it to fire magic.
To attack someone with fire magic, you have to start by generating the flame, then control and send that flame to the target.
Compared to that, a curse in black magic only required focusing and casting. Anyone’s had a numb leg or some pain, after all.
Thus, many low-level mercenary mages who didn’t formally study magic picked up a curse or two from black magic.
The best way to deal with a certain magic is to learn that magic yourself.
You never know what you’ll face one day, so it’s good to have some understanding of black magic.
That’s why Professor Garcia had invited Professor Mortum.
Not to say everyone had to learn black magic…!
“Well then, let’s wrap up the explanation… why don’t you all pair up?”

• * *
  Contrary to the initial indifference, students were more interested in curses than expected.
  They were still young, after all.
  They’d heard all kinds of bad things about black magic, but the idea of an easy-to-learn offensive magic was appealing.
  Also, Professor Garcia’s logic of “learn a few curses to protect yourself” sounded rather reasonable.
  “So, is it like this, swinging it like this?”
  “I think that’s right?”
  “I heard curses aren’t just paralysis. There are ones that cause blackout, interrupt breathing, destroy balance, and more.”
  “Wow… Wait, are you going to really learn black magic?”
  “No.”
  Of course, that didn’t mean they were childish enough to want to major in black magic.
  That was one thing; this was another.
  “Let’s do our best.”
  “Let’s do our best.”
  Lee Han’s training partner was Gainando.
  The two exchanged noble pleasantries and raised their staffs.
  The rules were simple.
  One attacks first.
  Then the other attacks.
  The goal was not just to cast curses, but to experience being hit as well.
  Gainando had the initiative.
  “Huff!”
  Gainando began channeling mana and converting it to the yin attribute.
  ‘Oh.’
  Lee Han was surprised.
  Gainando converted mana faster than expected.
  ‘Does he have talent for black magic?’
  It could’ve been coincidence, but thinking of his performance in other elements, Gainando was definitely talented here.
  He struggled with light, fire, and water, but converted to yin so quickly.
  ‘Or maybe this is just so easy that anyone could do it.’
  That’s what Lee Han thought.
  Come to think of it, Lee Han had converted fast and so had Gainando…
  Maybe yin attribute manipulation was just especially easy.
  “No, that student…”
  Professor Mortum whispered to Professor Garcia with a surprised expression.
  He thought he’d seen enough with the Wardanaz boy, but now found another talented young black mage.
  Not at Wardanaz’s level, but about once in ten years you’d see a talent of this caliber.
  “You mean Gainando. He does have talent for black magic.”
  “You think so too?”
  “Yes. You should actively recommend it to him.”
  Professor Garcia didn’t object. In fact, he encouraged it. Very different from when he’d been worried about Lee Han majoring in black magic earlier.
  The reason was simple.
  Lee Han was fit for almost any branch of magic. Born with high mana, excellent perception, flexible and broad thinking, diligent attitude.
  In Professor Garcia’s view, a student like that would do well in any field.
  But Gainando didn’t seem talented in most areas.
  So if he stumbled on a field that suited him, it was only right to let him pursue it.
  In a way, it was a blessing to even find one field—black magic—that he was fit for.
  “Be paralyzed!”
  While the two professors talked, Gainando cast his spell. The ending was slightly different, but the curse was successfully cast. Professor Mortum nodded in satisfaction.
  ‘He’s got talent.’
  Whoosh!
  ‘Oh, so this is why we were told to get hit with a curse.’
  As he sensed the incoming curse, Lee Han understood what Professor Garcia was saying.
  Why is curse magic so easy to learn?
  And why is it good to learn how to counter curse magic?
  ‘Curse magic… has a simple, flimsy structure.’
  After being tormented by Professor Voladi, Lee Han could immediately see the weakness of curse magic.
  A curse was like throwing a net or a cast net.
  You wove a net of mana as a curse and threw it.
  If it hit the target, the curse wrapped around them like a net.
  It was quick and easy to cast without any need for careful aiming, but the magic itself was inevitably weaker.
  You could counter it with another spell, swing a sword, block with a shield, prepare a defense spell…
  Just the methods Lee Han could think of were this many, there must be even more for others.
  As long as you knew a curse was being used, it was easy to block.
  So that’s why they wanted students to try and learn it.
  If you learned only a few curses, you’d catch on quickly even when first seeing an unfamiliar curse.
  ‘Still, I’m annoyed that I figured this out thanks to Professor Voladi’s harsh training.’
  If curse magic was a net, Professor Voladi’s magic was like a master swordsman’s thrust.
  Not only difficult to block or dodge, but even if you stopped it, he’d instantly follow up with another attack—a cheat skill.
  Having experienced such attacks himself, Lee Han had no choice but to quickly analyze the structure.
  If you didn’t, you got hit!
  Fwap!
  While thinking, the curse hit Lee Han’s body. Gainando was overjoyed at successfully casting his spell.
  “I did it!”
  “Congratulations.”
  “…Uh, which part was paralyzed?”
  “Good question?”
  Lee Han looked over himself in confusion.
  He felt no paralysis anywhere.
  What was this?
  “Did it fail?”
  “Maybe?”
  “I’ll try again.”
  Thinking he’d failed, Gainando raised his staff to cast again.
  “Be paralyzed!”
  Fwap!
  Just as before, the curse hit Lee Han, and—just as before, there was no effect.
  Lee Han and Gainando put their heads together in confusion.
  “Maybe my movement was wrong?”
  “I don’t know. Your mana seemed fine. Did you chant the spell weirdly? ‘Be paralyzed’ sounds kind of polite. Shouldn’t a curse be harsher?”
  “R-really? Should I try, ‘Be paralyzed, you bastard!’?”
  “…Just ‘be paralyzed’ should be enough.”
  Professor Garcia, listening to the two first-years’ hopeless conversation, sighed and approached.
  “It didn’t fail. The problem is that Lee Han’s mana is way too strong for the curse to have an effect. Gainando, you did well.”
  “!”
  Gainando was surprised.
  “Oh, so that’s it? Even so… for it to have zero effect… Maybe I’m just not talented at black magic.”
  “Why settle that now?”
  “Nah. I wasn’t very interested in black magic anyway. If I’m not talented, that’s fine.”
  Gainando spoke matter-of-factly.
  He really didn’t care about black magic at all.
  He preferred something more sophisticated and stylish—why bother with black magic?
  “Then let me be the target.”
  “All right, get ready.”
  Lee Han recalled the memory of Professor Mortum collapsing a moment ago.
  Even if it was deliberate, it was still nightmare fuel.
  ‘I’ve got to control my strength. No need to gather too much mana.’
  Lee Han decided to cast with the bare minimum.
  “Paralyze!”
  “!”
  Professor Mortum, watching, was surprised.
  He cut the spell short.
  In magic, spells (incantations) were more important than many realized.
  There was powerful energy in human words, and spoken spells had a big impact on a mage’s psyche.
  So shortening or abbreviating spells at will was not easy.
  For a simple curse to be abbreviated like that at this stage—
  “Uwaaaah!”
  Gainando yelped and jumped to the side. The other students nearby stared at him in shock.
  Lee Han asked in disbelief.
  “…What are you doing?”
  “N-no, it was instinct…”
  “!”
  Professor Mortum was again amazed.
  That sensitivity to feeling and reacting to the yin-attribute mana within the curse—instinctively feeling it.
  That was outstanding talent for black magic.
  …Of course, there was no need to dodge so unceremoniously.
• * *
  The class ended amiably enough.
  The students had a rare chance to have fun throwing and receiving curses at each other.
  Professor Garcia made them even happier by not assigning any homework.
  “So. Did you all enjoy today’s lecture?”
  “Yes, Professor!”
  “Let’s give Professor Mortum a round of applause!”
  Clap clap clap clap—
  “Now, you’ve all developed an interest in black magic, right?”
  “……”
  ‘Shouldn’t have asked.’
  Professor Garcia regretted it.
  He should have just ended on the applause; now he’d made things awkward by asking.
  “Professor Mortum, would you say a few words?”
  “Cough. I believe you’ve all learned much about the charm of black magic. I see there are some among you already interested in black magic.”
  “?”
  “?”
  The students tilted their heads.
  ‘Are you interested?’
  ‘No, are you?’
  ‘Of course not.’
  “Hahaha, who would take black magic seriously?”
  Gainando laughed as if it was ridiculous.