Chapter 268: Preliminary Match for the Magic Combat Competition (2)

Ielern Hall of the Magic Order.

Except for the time I visited before the midterm exam to make a contract with a spirit. I felt like it had been a long time since I visited this place.

It was the custom of the Empire to strictly prohibit things or matters related to the Demon Kingdom. But the Magic Order was an exception.

It was impossible to maintain a huge empire without the help of magic.

And the usefulness of witches revealed in the last Great War. It completely changed the Empire’s conservative view of magic.

‘There are a lot of magical trees. Wizards and witches wouldn’t hate magical trees.’

In other words, it was a consideration for them.

In various places in Ielern Hall, magical trees grown from the roots of the World Tree were planted here and there. The spirits summoned by the students were breathing mana through the leaves and stems.

But the spirits I contracted with didn’t move.

The spirits that had already been upgraded to intermediate spirits. They received mana directly from me, who had completed a contract with the demon archduke.

‘The mana I give would taste better.’

And as always. The atmosphere of the Magic Order was free. The smell of sweat from the Combat Order, which was full of swordsmen. And it was completely different from the aristocratic atmosphere of the Alchemy Order.

Like a marketplace, it was very noisy in the outdoor training ground of the Magic Order. I entered there as I did last time.

“Oh my. Count Julian!!”
“It’s Count Julian!!”

And the female students of the Magic Order recognized me. I didn’t do anything after entering this place. Their eyes changed instantly.

[Hmph. Julian is lucky. So many female students are sending those eyes.]

As Elti said. It was a blatant look of envy towards me.

[Well… Julian, you’re handsome enough to be worthy of a holy sword. It’s natural.]

And I felt a strange pride in Elti’s voice. Her master had become the object of envy. She seemed to be happy in her own way.

‘Come to think of it. The way she calls me has changed since that night.’

Until then, Elti mainly called me by the title ‘you’ rather than the name Julian. Now she started to call me by my name.

I thought she was too easy for a holy sword. But I put aside my thoughts about Elti for a moment and looked at the female students for a moment.

There were ordinary female students who did not inherit the blood of witches. But because there was bound to be a difference in talent by birth, most of the female students of the Magic Order were witches.

At that moment. A student wearing a witch’s hat hesitated for a moment and approached me.

“Um, hello. Count Julian.”

She seemed a little intimidated by me. Well, it was natural considering my status. But she was more curious than that.

‘Come to think of it. If I’m the same class as them, they’re only 21 years old.’

And after hesitating, she continued to speak to me.

“Thank you for visiting Ielern Order. Um… This is a thank-you gift for your visit!”

Then she handed me a cookie. It was not an ordinary cookie, but a fortune cookie.

“It… It’s a cookie with a witch’s fortune. It’s definitely not a bad fortune. Read it for fun!”

I was surprised by the unexpected gift. I opened the cookie and checked the fortune.

And the lecture of the Magic Order began.

Based on the same Four Elemental Theories.

The realization of imagination through mana. And the realization of reality through matter. Magic and alchemy exert their power in different forms.

‘Imagination.’

Of course, there was a limit to human imagination. As befitting Pantheon, the best academy in the Empire, a concrete theory to help human imagination was established.

Magic circuits that had developed in a separate way from alchemy. The core of that theory was amplification and transformation. Based on the Four Elemental Theories, the two core theories were organically connected to modern magic theory.

‘It’s not that difficult.’

But I had already decided on the direction of growth with the Lionheart Swordsmanship and the alchemy that supported that swordsmanship.

And as I had already awakened the blood of the demon race as a dragonewt. And even completed a contract with the demon archduke, it was actually a theory that I didn’t need.

The professor was not the witch Olivia, but another professor. He was a male wizard, and perhaps because he was not a witch, he emphasized theory more than using magic through bloodline.

“There is a limit to human use of magic. Of course, there are many students here who have the bloodline of witches. You may be able to use magic easily by instinct. But in the end, you will face a wall of hierarchy. But magic theory allows you to overcome that wall stably.”

And after clearing his throat once, the professor continued.

“Hmm. I shouldn’t mention demons carelessly. But I will give you an example based on the textbook that has passed the censorship of the Central Order. Demons, especially elves and dragons, who have a high mana affinity by bloodline. They can use high-level magic without the theory we use. Because their mana affinity creates a kind of tunneling effect.”

That was quite interesting. The effect of general magic was blocked by the wall of hierarchy. To break through that hierarchy, a very complex magic circuit written on the blackboard by the professor and its calculation were needed.

But, elves and dragons who had been blessed with magic since the Old Empire era.

And the pure bloodline of witches could implement magic that lightly exceeded that hierarchy through a special magic effect called the mana tunneling effect.

‘I haven’t used magic properly. But according to that, I can use magic of the 3rd rank immediately.’

The spirits I contracted with were currently upgraded to intermediate level. The elemental magic that those spirits could implement was about 3rd rank. It meant that I could also use that level of magic.

Of course, my alchemy exceeded the 5th rank. It didn’t feel that surprising.

“And be careful with the explanation that will follow. It is only allowed to be mentioned by those who have received permission from the Inquisitors.”

Lastly. There were cases where the mana tunneling effect could be implemented even outside of the special races or bloodlines mentioned above.

“It’s a contract with a demon. That’s why we call demons demons. And we call wizards who have contracted with demons black magicians.”

Regardless of circuit theory and talent in bloodline. The ability to exert abilities beyond the limit depending on the ability of the contracted demon was black magic.

“And it’s the easiest temptation for poor wizards to fall into. Of course, if the contracted demon is a high-ranking demon. It is certain that magic that exceeds the effect of general circuit hierarchy magic can be exerted.”
“But there is no free lunch in a contract with a demon, right? Professor?”
“That’s correct. The source of the behavior that moves the demon is desire. And the desire of a demon is incomparable to that of a human. Even though humans are very greedy animals. So with a sloppy contract, you will not be able to satisfy the demon’s desire and your soul will be eaten.”

I was taken aback by those words. As the professor said, demons were desire predators. And their desires were endless, like the abyss of hell.

[Hmph. But you satisfied the archduchess of lust, right? With that dick… No, with that prowess. You’re amazing.]

[Is that a compliment, Elti?]

[…Yes.]

But as Elti said. Recently, I had created womb tattoos on the women I had sex with at a terrifying speed.

And as a result. Even the archduchess, who was at the highest rank among demons, was satisfied and the contract was successful.

‘The stamina that satisfied the demon archduke.’

Anyway, that was enough of the random thoughts. According to the professor’s words, I didn’t need to learn magic hard.

I was a dragon, a natural magic race, and even the demon archduke had already acknowledged me. I could easily use magic with her power.

So the purpose of visiting Ielern Hall. That purpose was, of course, Rosette. And according to the professor’s words. Rosette was in a very dangerous state.

Even though she was born with the bloodline of a true-blood witch. She was not able to overcome the wall of hierarchy.

‘That’s why Rosette fell for the temptation of the Witch Cross Society in Demon Survival.’

So the Witch Cross Society’s attack on Pantheon. It created the worst situation there.

Of course, I knew how to prevent that method through Demon Survival. And before the lecture began.

I remembered the fortune that Rosette’s friend, that female student, gave me.

‘A shy and cute lady who secretly hangs around you. But the fire in her heart that thinks of you is never small.’

It was clearly an intentional fortune. It seemed that her friend had stepped up for Rosette. It meant that she let me know that Rosette was conscious of me as the opposite sex.

Probably, as much as the people around her knew. Rosette seemed to be showing her affection for me. Well. Even the archduke of jealousy was interested in Rosette.

‘There are many women around me. She might have suffered inwardly.’

And finally, the lecture was over. It was time to move. I hurried and grabbed the scruff of the witch with low twintails, who was trying to run away from me.

“Yu… Julian! Let go of this!”

But I held onto Rosette, who was resisting, and took her to the atelier in Hesos Hall.

Rosette obediently sat at the table in the atelier.

It was an atelier that she was already familiar with. But somehow her eyes were uneasy.

“Where did Ms. Eileen go?”
“Eileen has a lot to do. I sent her to a workshop in Endier Hall.”
“I… I see.”

Rosette pulled down her witch’s hat. She had a small face, so it looked like the hat was swallowing her face.

As I said a little while ago. I sent Eileen to Cecilia’s workshop. For the revival of Ciertia. We had to prepare the overall shape and engraving of the sword in earnest.

‘It’s a holy sword. I can’t just make the shape roughly.’

They were already close. I wasn’t too worried. Anyway, because of that, Rosette and I were alone. So Rosette couldn’t stay still.

‘She seems nervous.’

In fact, Rosette was my friend. And the synchronization with Julian was almost over, so I actually felt very close to her.

But Rosette was different. Affection beyond familiarity.

It seemed that after I possessed him, I completely changed my appearance and she became conscious of me as the opposite sex. It was not a surprising reaction to me, who had already entered her wet dream.

‘She doesn’t need to be so embarrassed.’

But that affection should not be allowed to lose its direction. Rosette was an important person. And the Witch Cross Society, which was aiming for her. If left alone, it would be a great threat to the Imperial City, no, to Iceland.

‘The Witch Cross Society is planning a commoner rebellion.’

And for that rebellion. Rosette, a commoner witch. And Leif, who was also a commoner like her and an excellent student of Pantheon, were being targeted.

I had no intention of being taken advantage of. I was going to include that Witch Cross Society in my forces. In a big war. Witches were a very big resource.

‘Even the hearts of the commoners.’

And the first step in all of that was to solve the worries of Rosette in front of me. I said to Rosette, who was still wearing her witch’s hat pulled down.

“Rosette. Can you take off your clothes for a moment?”