Chapter 128

Chapter 128

Though Lise did not respond to my comment, her silence was confirmation enough.

She herself had admitted to having knowledge of curses, demon contracts, and necromancy.

Besides, Asad had hinted at it before.

—I protect the main house and the center of the forest. The area you’re in is under someone else’s jurisdiction.

—Who is that?

—Lise Ladygoth. If I am the outward House Guardian, then she is a hidden guardian. Specifically, the guardian of the forest... as well as the librarian of the underground library.

"Thinking back, there were many strange things about that place. My guess is that you cast a spell over the entire rear garden..."

It was the only explanation for undead roaming so close to the Bednicker main house, even if it had been in the dead of night. If Lise was also a guardian of the family, then those undead were on our side.

Lise, sensing the cult's intrusion, must have sent them as reinforcements.

I decided to take a gamble. "But you didn't cast any greater magic."

Finally, Lise broke her silence. "Greater magic?" she asked.

Though her eyes were hidden beyond her hair, I did my best to meet her gaze and cautiously continued, "You didn't place a spell large enough to encompass the entire mansion or the forest. Instead, Asad created a barrier around the forest."

Crash...!

A thick book grazed past my ear.

I didn’t dodge, knowing she intended no harm, but it was incredibly fast nonetheless.

If I hadn't been on guard, I wouldn't have reacted in time.

"Never again..." Lise said, her voice harsh, “utter that disgusting bastard's name in front of me... Do you understand?"

"...My apologies."

Were they on bad terms? I had heard they weren't close, but I hadn’t known it was that bad.

"The barrier around the forest...” she began. “Most of the family thinks it was put up to control the monsters, correct? It wasn't."

—About the barrier around the forest... You are aware that it protects the people of House Bednicker from the monsters, right? But that’s not the truth.

...

—It’s because of Lise Ladygoth. It exists to seal and surveil her.

Oh. I see.

Lise was sealed away here.

Asad was likely the one who had sealed her here or, at the very least, the one keeping watch. No wonder they weren't on good terms.

"Child."

"My name is Luan."

I had lived to my thirties back in my Spirit Mountain era, so it didn’t sit right to be called a child.

"Fine. Luan, do you even know anything about magic?"

"What do you mean?"

"That disgusting bastard wasn’t able to create a barrier around the forest because he’s greatly skilled. No, it was because of the relics he hid throughout the forest. Do you think we magicians don't use the method you described because we are unaware? You're talking about it without addressing the biggest problem."

I was, of course, aware of the problem Lise was referencing.

"It’s inefficient," Lise stated. "Casting a spell over this entire cave is not difficult for me, but it'd be a challenging task for most magicians. Of course, I could cast a spell over the entire mansion as well—if that hermit doesn't interfere, that is. But the entire forest? Do you have any idea how vast the Forest of the Butterfly is?"

"..."

"What you're suggesting is impossible even for the Archmages of Seven Colors."

"I understand."

"...Are you trying to play games with me?"

Lise's voice was threatening, but I didn't back down.

"Excuse me, but do you consider efficiency in the face of nature?"

"What?"

"Whether it be a downpour or snowfall, nature doesn't discriminate between where it should and shouldn't, does it?"

"Are you trying to discuss the order of nature with me, Lise Ladygoth?"

"Of course not. But have you ever considered applying the flow of nature to magic to escape the logic of efficiency?"

Lise stared blankly at me before muttering, "It doesn't seem like you're simply talking about absorbing and refining mana."

At some point, my conversation with Lise had turned into a debate. She persistently tried to find flaws, and I deflected most of her attacks—though I accepted them on occasion too.

"It doesn't seem without its drawbacks. First of all, you can't cause destruction with these mystic arts you speak of. Even if you could, the power would be significantly lessened. To increase the power, you would have to artificially refine mana to forcibly increase its purity, so that method is still far from efficient."

Surprisingly, Lise seemed to have grasped the general characteristics of mystic arts from my brief explanation.

I was impressed, but I didn't let it show. "A shield can also be wielded like a weapon, but would you say that's the right way to use it? The foundation of Qimen Dunjia is defense."

Lise fell silent, seemingly at a loss for words.

The silence persisted much longer than before, but eventually, she spoke again. "Very well. I admit it was quite an intriguing story."

I had a feeling she was faking it. There was a hint of forced indifference in her tone.

"But I'm curious. Who taught you all this?"

I played dumb, using the excuse I had prepared beforehand: "It's related to my blessing, so it is difficult for me to say."

"...Hmm." Lise groaned once more before sighing and saying, "I suppose I can't pry if it's related to your blessing. Now show me this Qimen Dunjia in action."

"Huh? I’m sorry, but I can’t do that."

"What? Why not?" Lise asked back, her voice laced with urgency.

I shook my head. "I can't use Qimen Dunjia at all."

Everyone had their talents, and unfortunately, I had no talent in mystic arts.

Of course, if the conditions were right, I could manage a passable imitation, but I couldn't manipulate the atmosphere without any preparation like Second Senior Sister.

"If you can't use it, how do you intend to prove what you just said? You could have made it all up."

"Do you really think that? That everything I just told you was but a figment of my imagination?"

"..."

Lise knew better than anyone that that was impossible. What I had described was far too detailed to be dismissed as a brat's delusion.

I cleared my throat and said, "I only learned this knowledge in theory. I never dared to attempt it. But you, as a magician, are different."

I meant that. Qimen Dunjia was different from the Strongest Fire Technique, which was manipulated within the human body.

To use Qimen Dunjia correctly, one needed a deep understanding of the world we stood upon.

That was impossible for me. I didn't have the time, and it wasn't my path to begin with.

But as Lise herself had said, and as I had witnessed firsthand, she was an extraordinary magician. Perhaps she could find a unique way to utilize Qimen Dunjia even in this world.

"I said I would teach you about a new kind of magic, not help you master it. I've told you everything I can."

"..."

Finished with my explanation, I quietly looked at Lise...

After another period of silence, she said, "The deal has been established."

I breathed a mental sigh of relief at her words. I’d figured this outcome likely since the middle of our conversation...

But even so, there’s a limit to how confident you can be with people’s hearts. Especially with a fickle magician.

She could still change her mind at any moment.

Of course, I judged that she wasn't that kind of person. She was eccentric, that much was clear, but I didn't sense any madness in her. If anything, I felt a sense of virtue.

This might be too much of a leap, but... would she really have cut off my arms or ripped out my tongue...?

Looking back, the threats, which had seemed somewhat exaggerated, might have been mere bluffs. Bluffs that I’d taken at face value because she was a magician.

Hmm...

Perhaps it was because I had been so badly burned by magicians during my time as a mercenary. I had to accept that I might have held a strong bias against magicians.

"I shall grant you permission to revisit the underground library. Also... I will enter a contract with you, as the Ebony Serpent Dragon."

"..."

When someone suddenly becomes friendly, it’s best to first be suspicious. Especially if that someone had just threatened to cut off your arms and rip out your tongue.

Cautiously, I said, "I have a feeling there's a condition..."

"There is." Lise looked at me with a faint smile, then said something completely unexpected: "Luan, become my disciple."

"Uh... no thanks."

Lise's confident smile instantly froze.

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