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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Silverriver
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I poked the spirit fluttering on my hand, then let it fall. Like a dandelion seed, it slowly drifted down through the air.
I lay down in the undergrowth, gazing up at the sky. My mana had been unusually depleted while walking through the forest.
Had I not been leaning on my cane, I would have collapsed long ago. The mana consumption was strangely rapid.
The Milky Way stretched across the sky. The chirping of insects from the forest provided a soft background hum. And there I was, beneath it all, enjoying the prickly feel of the undergrowth and the dampness of the slightly wet soil.
I didn’t think Medea would be able to touch me. The slave mark was always engraved to prioritize the master’s safety. Nevertheless, just in case, I focused my senses on Medea even as I closed my eyes.
Sure enough, she tried to send a spirit to me. But unable to control it at all, it dispersed. She probably wouldn’t be able to handle spirits as well as I could, even in my current state. My body was inherently special.
‘What are you talking about?’
Only after confirming that Medea was leaning against a tree, practicing her spirit arts, did I slowly open my mouth. Archxius grumbled in a disbelieving tone.
‘But dragon mana costs lifespan, doesn’t it?’
‘No…’
‘Of course, I’m joking.’
Archxius sighed. He grumbled about how someone like me was even born. Saying I didn’t need spirit rituals… I stretched out my hand. Once again, spirits flocked to me, regardless of their attributes. They clung to me as if my body held some kind of sustenance for them.
‘What the hell are they eating?’
They were nibbling something from my body, as if they had just tasted some delicacy.
‘They’re eating mana?’
Is that so?
I opened my palm and channeled my mana. Then, visualizing an image, I manifested a ball about the size of a tennis ball. I threw the ball beyond the undergrowth, and the spirits rushed towards it hungrily. It seemed Archxius’s guess was correct.
‘Hmm… what should I do about this?’
‘There’s so much to learn. Spirits are fascinating, and magic is convenient, but I also need to raise my mana level.’
Ignoring Archxius’s words, I stretched my arm upwards and spread my fingers. They say you can’t cover the sky with your fingers. The stars of the night sky peeked through the gaps between my fingers.
Just like that, for a moment, I looked up at the sky. The sound of weeds rustling in the wind and the quiet stillness, occasionally broken by the rippling lake and the chirping of insects, created a beautiful scene. I gazed at the scenery for a while. I could have seen it on Earth, but this was the first time I saw it in person.
A strange feeling washed over me. I slowly got up. I couldn’t get too lost in appreciation. The academy has a curfew. Medea seemed to still be practicing her spirit arts. This place really did seem to suit her.
‘I should tell her to come here often.’
A slave couldn’t have free will. That meant she couldn’t come to this forest without my permission.
I summoned her.
Medea obediently approached me. Judging by the spirits clinging to her body, it seemed her spirit arts had improved in the meantime. It was still lacking, but there was room for further growth.
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Two days passed. With the upcoming test, everyone, regardless of being in Class A or Class B, was engrossed in their studies. Except for me.
I wasn’t particularly interested in grades. The subjects taught here were only at a middle to high school level anyway. As long as I didn’t fail and get expelled, it was fine. And even after a long break from studying, I could manage that much.
“That’s all for today’s class. I believe the test is next Monday, so please be well prepared.”
The old professor scurried out, using honorifics. He was known as the “Sleeping Pill,” teaching the unpopular subject of “Imperial History.”
After making sure Professor Erwin Steinger had left the classroom, I stood up from my seat. Today was the day I was supposed to join the Haven for the Weary club, as Crena had told me. Even after she left, a student from Class 1-A approached me and told me about the designated day.
So there were other first-year students in the same club.
The name was… Crebiton, was it? I’d never heard the name before, so he was definitely an extra. He seemed strangely dejected, draining the energy out of anyone who looked at him. For a moment, I wondered if he was a curse user. However, judging by the sword he always wore at his waist, he was a swordsman.
On the way to the clubroom, the entrance to the Magic Department was still open. The gates of hell were wide open, as if welcoming anyone to enter. I turned my gaze as far away as possible to avoid going inside.
“Kkeuk!”
But then, a white-gloved hand popped out from the threshold of hell. A familiar voice. And a peek of blue hair. Sophia, the future Archmage, but currently Professor Ludwig’s slave, was turning into a zombie right before my eyes.
She looked up at me and reached out a hand as if pleading for help. I stared at the hand for a moment, then carefully took it. Sophia’s face brightened as if touched by sunlight.
But her face was soon swallowed by darkness. As soon as I saw two pairs of gleaming eyes from beyond the hellish gate, I let go of Sophia’s hand.
“No, no! Please! Let me out!”
“Research, results, papers, we are trash…”
Oh, how horrifying. I clasped my hands together and muttered,
“May they rest in peace…”
“Deron!!!! I’ll definitely get my revenge!”
A ghostly voice seemed to echo from somewhere, but I ignored it. The dead don’t speak.
After passing the chilling gates of hell, I finally saw my clubroom. The entrance looked ordinary, but inside was full of things I didn’t know. A story beyond the novel, never described in the original work. I gulped and stepped inside.
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“Did you say we actually have two new members?”
“Yes, one over there. The other one hasn’t arrived yet.”
Second-year Class B. Iridun Nopheltein stroked his beard in wonder. He always had a bit of a beard, just enough to touch.
“Weren’t we supposed to maintain the minimum of five members? With one senior graduating, that makes six.”
“That’s how it was originally.”
Idrian answered Iridun’s question.
“Originally, I only planned to accept Crebiton. As you all know, Crebiton was someone I had in mind.”
Everyone nodded. They all knew that Crown Prince Idrian would invite the freshman he was most interested in to the club. Just look at Iridun and Crena; they were invited by Idrian. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this club was maintained by Idrian.
“But then someone heard about our club and came looking for us.”
Iridun and Crebiton, excluding Crena and Bell, widened their eyes.
Even Crebiton, who hadn’t been a member for long, had heard enough about the club to have a vague idea of what it was like.
‘A club you can’t join through ordinary means.’
It wasn’t that they were actively blocking people. In fact, occasionally, people came by, curious about what kind of club it was. And among those students who tried to join…
‘Not a single one succeeded.’
It was a peculiar place. Everyone who entered Iliad Academy came to grow. They possessed talent and were here to hone their skills and experience.
However, this club was the opposite. It actually encouraged rest. Unless there was a scheduled activity, most of the time in this club… even the president was like that.
Crown Prince Idrian was always asleep on the sunlit sofa. It was strange to see him sometimes skip class to be here.
‘And someone joined after hearing about that?’
Iridun became curious about the new member who was about to arrive.
And then…
Creak.
The sound of the door opening echoed. All eyes in the room turned towards the sound.
A tall man slowly entered from the bright hallway, the sound of his shoes echoing. Beneath his gray hair, jet-black eyes glimmered. Holding a cane in his hand, he carefully opened the door and entered.
The most talked about and rumored figure among the freshmen.
Deron Philasia.
As soon as he entered, he exuded his inherent composed aura and looked around the room. Amidst the strange atmosphere, Deron opened his mouth.
“Hello.”
It was a surprisingly ordinary greeting, considering his dramatic entrance.
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these names sound kinda funny
