Jarun of House Gangsulgudu knew a great deal about orichalcum despite not being an ancient dwarf miner, but there were still a few things he had misunderstood.

The orichalcum had not repelled Jarun because it had been contaminated.

Incomplete orichalcum naturally rejected greedy intruders. Just as certain plants moved to protect themselves, orichalcum behaved in much the same way.

Once that orichalcum fully matured, the trait of repelling intruders usually disappeared.

If left untouched, it generally became a high-density mana condensate. If someone made contact and influenced or contaminated it, it would instead develop different characteristics accordingly.

“I see.”

Lee Han soothed Basil to stop its hissing—though it was not very effective—while concentrating on the insane duplicate’s explanation.

As long as it was not a lesson Lee Han had to learn directly, most of the insane duplicate’s teachings were beneficial and substantial.

Where else could one obtain ancient lost knowledge and wisdom?

The problem was that, every now and then, the subject would become magic Lee Han had to learn personally.

“But the reason you told me not to let it leave my body is... because it consumes a lot of mana?”

“That’s right.”

‘Normally, people would call this kind of thing a cursed ore.’

Orichalcum generally formed in deep underground places where the surrounding energy was especially profound.

Ordinary energy was not enough to crystallize orichalcum.

That was why, when orichalcum was discovered, the proper approach was usually to leave it where it was and have miners visit regularly to tend to it.

Extracting it all at once and having a mage carry it around, as Lee Han was doing now, was an extremely unusual case.

“Wouldn’t it have been better to leave it here and cultivate it?”

“I’m sure I told you treasures must be kept within your grasp. Besides, considering the need to tame it, carrying it with you is advantageous.”

“Ah. You said it grows according to the will of the one raising it.”

Now that he thought about it, orichalcum was a peculiar ore that developed according to the will of its caretaker.

Considering that aspect, carrying it around certainly made sense.

Of course, it would drain mana like mad, but still.

‘It’s not as if this is the only thing already doing that.’

Lee Han stared intently at Basil. The hissing creature wagged its tail as if asking why he was looking at it like that.

“How do I cultivate it? Should I talk to it?”

If that was all it took, Lee Han could sing lullabies to it every night before bed, telling it to become an expensive and precious gemstone.

“Do you see ears on the orichalcum?”

“...No.”

“There is only one way to cultivate orichalcum as desired. The miner’s character.”

In ancient times, a group of wicked dwarf miners once roamed the world in search of incomplete orichalcum, hoping to create the demonic sword they desired.

After finally finding what they sought, they performed a bloody ritual before the orichalcum.

They executed captured prisoners, carried out all manner of torture and human sacrifice, and in the end, even turned their hammers on one another in order to complete the orichalcum.

“What happened to that orichalcum in the end?”

“It became the evil and vicious metal the dwarves wanted. In return, it killed the last dwarf who remained.”

Though that dwarf miner had survived to the very end, the final moment was meaningless.

Before the demonic sword could even be completed, the contaminated orichalcum transformed into the shape of a weapon and cut off its owner’s breath.

In a sense, the dwarf miners’ goal had been achieved.

Just not in the way they had imagined.

‘How is that cultivating it as desired?’

Lee Han was inwardly bewildered.

When people said something could be cultivated as desired, they usually meant a plant growing in a flowerpot.

From what he had just heard, this sounded more like a metal that would transform into a sword and stab its owner in the throat if anything went wrong.

By Lee Han’s standards, that was not cultivating it as desired at all.

“...So if I want to cultivate the orichalcum properly, I should only show it the most virtuous and noble things?”

“Wrong. Rather than wasting time with such shallow performances, govern it with your pure will, my disciple.”

‘...Do I have anything like that?’

Pure will, apparently.

No matter how much Lee Han thought about it, all he could imagine was the orichalcum saying, “Give me gold,” after about a month.

If ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ Basil whined for food from one sleeve while the orichalcum whined for gold from the other—

‘That would be awful.’

“Master...”

“Enough. You’re wasting royalty’s time. How are your other spells progressing?”

“More or less.”

The insane duplicate clicked his tongue openly.

It was a plainly displeased expression, but Lee Han did not particularly care.

Disappointing a master was a disciple’s duty.

If a disciple did not disappoint the master, could that person even be called a disciple?

Otherwise, what was the point of learning under a master?

“Wasting time on useless things like this...”

The insane duplicate stopped mid-sentence.

A message had arrived from another dimension.

“It seems the other side has time to spare as well.”

“?!”

When the insane duplicate summoned magical letters into the air with a cynical tone, Lee Han felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

How many people would send messages to the insane duplicate right now?

No matter how much Lee Han thought about it, only one came to mind.

“Is it perhaps Yachaowang?”

“That’s right. Since you ask, you must want to learn the yachas’ script.”

‘Not at all.’

He truly had no desire to learn it, but watching the insane duplicate read unfamiliar letters in the air and nod faintly was frustrating.

Should he have learned it after all?

“I see.”

“...What does it say?”

“It says you have begun entering the miniature world, my disciple.”

The insane duplicate’s expression did not change in the slightest.

That made Lee Han even more afraid.

‘That cursed yatcha bastard.’

Lee Han gritted his teeth.

Despite all the despicable tricks he had endured so far, he had generously let them pass.

And this was the ambush that came back in return.

Yachaowang truly was a thoroughly wicked being.

“It says I’ve begun entering it, but I only heard an explanation. I haven’t grasped anything yet.”

The insane duplicate did not answer.

Instead, the ancient mage looked Lee Han up and down, then fell into thought. That silence made Lee Han even more afraid.

“Basilios?”

“...Yes, that’s right, but I really only heard the explanation...”

“Indeed. As expected.”

The insane duplicate fell into thought again. As the silence stretched longer than before, Lee Han seriously began considering possible escape routes.

“Excellent.”

“?!”

Lee Han flinched at the sudden praise.

“Pardon?”

“I said excellent. I understand that you wish to hear praise from royalty twice, but do not be greedy.”

“...That’s not it. You said it was excellent even though I haven’t grasped anything yet.”

The insane duplicate fell into thought one final time.

After a long silence, the ancient mage finally spoke.

“No. Continue exactly as you are now. That would be best.”

“????”

Lee Han only became more confused.

Wasn’t the insane duplicate misunderstanding something?

“You say I should continue exactly as I am, but I don’t understand what that means... Is that even possible?”

“It must be confusing. Royalty has no choice but to show mercy to a dull disciple.”

“Oh. What kind of mercy?”

Lee Han’s expression brightened.

Could there be a book like ?

***

‘Hehe.’ 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

A new week began.

Diret hung balloons made of toad leather at the entrance of the <Poison, Bone, Blood> lecture hall on the second underground floor, then smiled triumphantly.

Even by Diret’s own standards, they were well made.

Princess Yukbeltire, who was painting darkness across the lecture hall wall nearby, asked with an incomprehending expression.

“This kind of pointless work does nothing to improve your magic...”

“Shut up.”

“But truly, for magic—”

“Be quiet.”

“Cutting me off illogically does not make your argument correct, Diret...”

“Mm. Silence.”

“...”

Princess Yukbeltire finished painting the wall with darkness, looking slightly more sulky than before.

Diret was an excellent mage, but sometimes made foolish choices.

This was one of those times.

To think Diret was spending the debt Princess Yukbeltire owed on preparations like this.

It was like swinging a sword forged to slay dragons at a mouse.

But it could not be helped.

With the exception of a few peculiar students, every student inevitably thought, If I ever become a professor, I’ll do things differently.

Diret was no exception.

After studying under various cold-blooded professors, including a certain professor in particular, Diret had firmly resolved that if the day ever came to teach, Diret would do things differently from the professors before.

A lecture where even the students learning it would burst into delighted laughter.

A lecture that made everyone happy.

But reality was harsh.

Once the semester began, Diret was already struggling just to prepare lessons. If not for one abnormally outstanding junior who handled everything from lecture preparation to school funding, it would have been several times harder.

Diret had had no free time for a while, but at last an opportunity came.

Lectures had temporarily stopped because of club week.

Diret took advantage of that break to prepare various things.

Balloons made of toad leather, which made the usually dark and gloomy underground classroom feel cheerful.

Lecture hall walls painted with darkness, where undead faces sometimes peeked out and moved if one stared long enough.

Strawberry slush served in skull cups, which was delicious.

And more.

It was almost a shame that only one junior would see all this.

“Hmm. Should I summon undead and seat them at the empty desks? To make it feel more festive?”

“...”

Princess Yukbeltire pretended not to hear and ignored the question. Diret kept poking until the friend finally opened her mouth.

“...I truly think it is a pointless and meaningless action...”

“Right. I should do it.”

“...”

Whether Princess Yukbeltire’s fingertips trembled or not, Diret summoned undead and seated them in the chairs.

While preparing, Diret suddenly thought this should have been done in front of this year’s first-years too.

If that had happened, the number of students applying to the dark magic school might have increased several times over.

‘Won’t my junior be so surprised that he falls over when he sees this?’

The festival-like atmosphere of the lecture hall—by dark magic standards—gave Diret that much confidence.

At this level, it would not be strange to hold a in the city.

Creak.

The door opened, and the junior of House Wardanaz entered.

Lee Han froze for a moment at the sight of the lecture hall, which was completely different from usual.

‘What is this? A trap?’

“You’re surprised!”

Diret shouted as if waiting for exactly that reaction. Lee Han answered carefully.

“Yes. I’m surprised. But this is... what exactly...”

“I decorated the lecture hall a little while classes were on break. So you can learn joyfully and cheerfully!”

“Ah.”

Only then did Lee Han understand the purpose of the transformed lecture hall.

It was like a festival.

‘So it wasn’t a trap.’

Once he understood the purpose, responding became easy.

“It’s wonderful, senior! This must be the most wonderful lecture hall in all of Einroguard. If other people knew I was learning in a place like this, they would be terribly jealous, wouldn’t they?”

The seasoned junior’s skillful response made Diret happy.

“Really? Do you mean that?”

“Yes. But, senior. There is one thing I should mention... Would that be all right?”

“Junior. Speak comfortably. We’re from the same school, aren’t we?”

The delighted Diret did not notice that Lee Han had somehow begun speaking even more politely.

“Well... it seems one more person will be attending the lecture.”

“I’m fine with that. Who is it?”

Auditing a lecture was not particularly difficult at Einroguard.

Even if it was not a lecture one officially took, anyone who needed the knowledge could briefly visit and listen.

Diret assumed one of Lee Han’s friends needed knowledge of dark magic.

“It’s this person.”

“Mage. Begin the teaching.”

At the sight of the insane duplicate, who had quietly entered the lecture hall and sat down while Diret was chatting with the junior, Diret toppled backward in shock.