Episode 2
* * *
At a time when the war between the Empire and the Demon Tribe had not yet ended, Dale, a warrior in his previous life, had witnessed the Black Lord’s fame only once.
When the main force of the Imperial Army was tied down by the schemes of the Demons, and the defenseless capital of the Duchy of Saxony was exposed to the enemy, it was right there that the Duke of Saxony calmly welcomed them.
Alone, without a single knight escort, he faces off against a large army of Orc Warlords who have surrounded the Duchy of Saxony and the surrounding city.
Dale, who had been dispatched to the special forces at that time, could not forget the sight he had seen that day.
The very moment he waved his hand, his pitch-black robe fluttering ominously.
The dusk of the pouring evening has faded away.
After the light faded, the forces of darkness descended. Death knights poured in riding on steeds made of immortal darkness.
An immortal army that never rests or stops.
It was the first thrill I had ever felt in this world.
* * *
“Confucius.”
A woman’s soft voice calling her name brushes past his ears.
“It’s time to wake up.”
Dale opened his eyes quietly, the dawn sunlight streaming through his eyelids.
‘Was it a dream?’
The dream of a man who is now a father.
“Thanks for waking me up.”
Dale shook his head and expressed his gratitude.
Eve was a young maid working for the Duke of Saxony. Although she was young, she was close to the same age as Dale, who was turning eight this year.
8 years old.
Seeing how noisy the peacock castle was already, Dale could easily guess what was going to happen today.
Today, Dale finally turns 8.
Even the Black Duke, who rarely liked the formalities or socializing of the nobility, called together his vassals and nobles and prepared a grand birthday celebration.
The Great Hall of the Duke’s Castle.
The servants were moving busily, and already quite a few nobles had gathered there. The northern nobles who were loyal to the Duke of Saxony.
“Congratulations on turning eight.”
Elena sits on the left side of the throne prepared for the duke and duchess, smiling affectionately.
“Thank you for growing up safely, Dale.”
“mother.”
Dale bowed his head silently, with a precocity that was unusual for an eight-year-old.
“Where is your father?”
“He said he had some business to attend to, and was currently meeting with Lord Helmut.”
Elena answered with regret.
‘Knight Commander Sir Helmut?’
Sir Helmuth is the commander of the ‘Order of the Night Ravens’, which is directly under the House of Saxony.
They are the destroyers of the battlefield, known to their enemies by their infamy as the ‘Black Cavalry’.
If it was something that required an urgent summons to the commander of the knights under his command, it must have been something like the discovery of a dungeon within the territory. The duke’s duty to ensure the safety of the territory was no exception, even if it was Dale’s birthday to celebrate.
“While the banquet is postponed, I have someone I can introduce to you in place of your father.”
But Elena didn’t seem to care much and slowly got up. Who should I introduce? Dale followed her, blinking.
Elena crossed the halls of the lord’s castle with her maids. Leaving the hustle and bustle of the hall behind, Elena led Dale downstairs to the guest rooms.
“Sepia.”
Elena knocked politely and bowed her head. Dale blinked at the politeness.
“Excuse me, ma’am.”
Soon the door opened, and a calm, clear, beautiful voice came out.
“I’m not used to noisy places.”
Dale gasped in surprise for a moment.
“Greetings. I am the Wise Demon Sepia, the elder of the Blue Tower.”
Elder of the Blue Tower, Hyeonyo Sepia.
The guest in the room was a woman who looked similar to Elena, or perhaps a little younger, as if she had just lost her virginity.
A beauty that shines coldly like crystal. However, the ears that stand out between the sapphire-colored hair speak of the insignificance of her apparent age.
Elves are a race loved by Mana.
“I owe a great debt to the black man and his wife.”
Sepia answered, lowering her head. Elena shook her head as if it was nonsense.
“I am truly honored that my child is receiving teachings from Sepia.”
Sepia’s teachings? As soon as he heard those words, Dale realized the situation was going around like this.
‘What a luxurious tutor you’ve hired.’
“That kid is Dale.”
The elder of the Blue Tower, Sepia, was now looking at Dale with serious eyes.
“He said that he was forming a small piece of mana circle within his body.”
It’s a story from several years ago. However, the young age of four or five is not the right time to spread the wings of talent.
So Dale waited quietly for his time.
The time when one’s abilities are demoted from the realm of ‘monster’ to ‘genius talent’.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that he wasted all that time. Nevertheless, Dale’s ‘training’ during that time was at least of a nature that did not require him to be conscious of other people’s gaze.
“I can definitely feel the energy of mana.”
Sepia nodded without any embarrassment.
“Dale, you said you wanted to learn magic?”
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Elena didn’t want Dale to become a necromancer. But she also didn’t want Dale’s brilliant magical talent to go to waste.
‘The magic of the blue tower.’
Dale never felt impatient. As long as Blackball was his father, there would be plenty of opportunities to learn the dark arts.
Above all, Dale understood his own vessel.
A wizard of average talent would struggle to master even one attribute in his lifetime, but Dale was not like that.
Rather, the elf who is loved by Mana and the elder of the Blue Tower will be a unique learning opportunity for Dale.
‘The more you learn, the better.’
Let alone how much a single elder from the Blue Tower could teach Dale.
* * *
The first class started earlier than expected.
Mother Elena left with her maids, saying she would return when the Black Prince returned.
“Please take care of me, Dale.”
Sepia smiled brightly at Dale, who was left alone in the guest room.
An elder of the Blue Tower and a rare worldly elf. Her crystal blue hair, which seems to radiate even a faint chill, is incredibly beautiful. Needless to say, her ears stand out between them.
“Please take care of me, teacher.”
No matter what, he is a possible tutor because of the Duke’s family’s prestige.
Dale in his previous life was basically an all-rounder who didn’t care about swords, magic, or even secret arts and poison.
As a human weapon named Yongsa, he is perfectly prepared for any type of battle.
That’s why it’s not like the Blue Tower is completely unfamiliar with water attribute magic, which it focuses on.
However, what he had learned at the time was a deformed method that was extremely biased towards fighting and killing. And it was done in an ignorant way that involved imprinting all sorts of modifications and magical powers onto his body.
What Dale is learning now is far from magic aimed at killing.
Water attribute magic is specialized in defense and disruption rather than attack, so the water magic that the Blue Tower focuses on is mainly of two types.
Disarming and non-killing.
‘Is this also mother’s wish?’
In the hope that her children would not see blood, Elena would invite the wizard of the Blue Tower. Perhaps she would consider becoming a wizard of the Blue Tower in the long term through this opportunity.
But Dale had no intention of meekly deciding his future according to her wishes.
‘My bowl now is different from before.’
No matter how much he has inherited from his previous life and acquired high spiritual attainments, Dale’s vessel right now is that of a pure 8-year-old child.
Of course, since he inherited the blood of the Black Magic Tower, he must have twice as much talent for magic.
But that was the extent of it. Based on the talent and body of a SSS-class monster hunter that had been honed for nearly several decades, it was incomparable to the days of the ‘human weapon’ that had undergone all kinds of body modification procedures of the empire.
That’s why Dale needs to make choices and focus based on deep insight, not in the same way as before.
To open up new realms that no one has ever reached before.
‘Even if you’re greedy, swordsmanship and two types of magic will be your limits.’
Assuming one is dark attribute magic, the remaining slot is filled with water attribute magic.
After thinking about it that far, Dale quickly shook his head.
Anyway, Dale is only an 8-year-old child right now. Even if he were to take the elder of the Blue Tower as his teacher, how much would he learn right away? He would probably only learn how to use mana and the basics of magic, and a few water-attribute magic.
Besides, the current Dale hasn’t even fully formed the first mana circle yet. There’s no need to rush into anything right now.
“Let’s go out for a walk for a bit.”
Just then, Sepia, who had been watching Dale closely, opened her mouth. Her eyes were clear and pure, as if they were piercing into the deepest part of Dale.
“Yes, sir.”
There was no reason to refuse otherwise.
* * *
Dale was walking around the courtyard of the duke’s castle with Sepia. The cold air seeped into his lungs.
“The air is very cool.”
Sepia opened its mouth as we crossed the pure white marble corridor surrounding the courtyard.
“It really reminds me of home.”
It was a voice with a faint sense of longing. I had a vague guess that she was probably a snow elf.
“Is it your will to learn magic?”
Just then, Sepia opened her mouth. Dale blinked at the unexpected question.
“When you told me you wanted to learn magic, I sensed some unchildlike hesitation.”
“It is my will to learn magic.”
Dale felt that the sentiment was right on the mark. Dale, who was trying to find a suitable excuse, soon shook his head and opened his mouth.
“But there is another magic I want to learn… … .”
“It must be dark attribute magic.”
Sepia answered as if nothing was surprising.
“The promise that the blacksmith made to his children not to inherit his karma is famous.”
The love story between Black Gong and Elena is still a topic of conversation among the affluent people of the continent.
“Teacher, don’t you find the Black Tower’s necromancy unsettling?”
“Why do you think so?”
Elves are a race that values the laws of nature.
That’s why I thought Sepia might also be secretly wary of the black ball, but I received an unexpected answer.
“Of course, bringing the dead back to life goes against the laws of nature… … .”
As I was about to say that, Sepia burst into laughter as if she was enjoying herself.
“Do you think that bringing the dead back to life is against the laws of nature?”
“Isn’t that so?”
“Then is the divinity of priests who revive patients with serious illnesses who are destined for death the will of nature?”
The moment he heard those words, Dale understood what Sepia was trying to say.
“Of course, my fellow countrymen did not understand my intentions.”
Sepia spoke with a hint of bitterness. In a distant voice, as if she were speaking to no one.
“Thanks to that, I’ve had a truly turbulent life.”
“That means… … .”
Sepia didn’t say anything else.
Dale could understand the meaning of why the elves, who pursued a uniquely closed society, were in the middle of the secular world.
‘The outcast.’
Certainly, the intention felt in her words was far from the thoughts that ordinary old-fashioned elves would have.
‘I think he might be a better teacher than I thought.’
Dale finally became convinced after seeing her true feelings.
‘There is no need to hide my talent any longer.’
So Dale’s conviction was strengthened terribly.
“Then, shall we start with Mana’s response first?”
Sepia turned to Dale, leaving behind the flurry of sleet that was blowing in the wind.
“The Black Lord said that a piece of mana circle had been forming in his heart for quite some time.”
“yes.”
After that, Sepia began to receive very basic education about magic.
This world is filled with mana. However, unless you are an ancient being like a dragon, it is impossible to handle raw mana without any filtering. Therefore, races including humans and elves must process mana into the form of ‘magic power’ in their bodies before they can use it.
In other words, the heart’s mana circle is a ‘magic power plant’ that allows you to convert raw mana into magic power.
Therefore, the number of circles is a measure of the wizard’s level of skill.
“First, expand the circle fragment you have into a complete ring, and that will be the start.”
“All right.”
“Of course, it won’t happen overnight.”
Dale nodded silently.
“Let’s start by gradually practicing rotating mana around the heart.”
There, Sepia taught Dale the basics of how to use mana.
“You must repeat this process faithfully without being lazy.”
After hearing Sepia’s explanation, Dale took a deep breath, following the trick she had taught him.
The task of accepting a flow of mana from the outside, establishing a constant route for the mana to circulate around the heart, and soon expanding it into a ring shape (circle).
“It will take several weeks at the earliest, so in the meantime, let’s take our time and learn about the magic you want to learn.”
Sepia spoke to Dale in a gentle voice, trying to focus his mind.
It was just then.
Dale opened his eyes quietly.
“teacher.”
“Is there anything you would like to ask?”
Sepia asked back with a kind teacher’s smile, as if telling her not to hesitate to ask questions.
“Okay.”
“… … ?”
Dale answered, feeling the ring of mana firmly anchored around his heart.
