Ah, that's right. I promised you a gift.
The talking oak tree looked straight at Ihan.
The soil in front of Ihan's feet began to wriggle, and soon, branches sprouted, twisting and weaving together as they grew upward.
Before he knew it, the branches had taken the shape of a long magical staff.
"!"
For wizards, magical tools—artifacts—were like extensions of their own limbs.
Among them, the magic staff was the most important artifact of all.
Sometimes, it would amplify a spell's power.
Sometimes, it would shorten the time required to cast a spell.
And sometimes, it would even allow the casting of spells that were otherwise unusable...
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a wizard's best friend.
Currently, all first-year students at the magic school were using long staff-type wands provided by the school.
They had no special features or personality, but their one strength was durability.
The staff was also taller than an average person, so Ihan used it like a wooden pole.
If it weren't for that staff, he wouldn't have been able to take down the mutant pig that Uregeorum had unleashed.
—Ah. Do you perhaps feel too attached to the staff you've been using? Not planning to replace it?
"Nope."
Ihan grabbed the new staff without even a second of hesitation.
A tool was a tool.
It would be stranger to feel sentimentality over something like that.
'Does anyone actually hesitate to switch out old lab equipment because they're emotionally attached to it?'
Next to him, Dergryu looked at Ihan with a baffled expression.
Tap—
As soon as Ihan pulled the new staff from the ground, the first thing he felt was... freshness.
It might have seemed odd to feel something so fresh from a staff just pulled from the earth, but Ihan felt it clearly.
—How does it feel?
"It feels... fresh."
—!
The talking oak tree was startled.
He had adapted to the staff much faster than expected.
'To think he could feel the energy of the staff the moment he touched it...'
Normally, it would've taken much longer.
What Ihan was sensing was the spirit energy of the tree spirit dwelling within the staff.
That staff held a slumbering spirit within it.
For a novice mage to summon a spirit usually required intense training and countless failures. Likewise, to resonate with a spirit inside a staff and draw on its power also demanded great effort.
It would normally take months of wielding the staff before even sensing its presence—and only if one had some affinity for spirits to begin with.
'His ability to perceive mana is beyond extraordinary. Even for someone from the Wardanaz family, this level of talent is rare.'
—Impressive. To be able to feel that already.
"Is it?" Ihan looked at the talking oak tree, confused.
He didn't quite get why feeling this "freshness" was such a big deal.
Naturally, he didn't understand—he had no idea what was dwelling inside.
—As you continue to use the staff, you'll come to understand the power within it.
"Could you tell me now?"
—No. There's no need to rush. With your talent, you'll get there soon enough.
The talking oak tree was beginning to realize just how unusual this freshman was.
Every once in a while, a crazy one like this came along.
Fearless, and absurdly capable.
Ihan reminded the oak tree of a lunatic he had met about a hundred years ago—also from the Wardanaz family.
Though, this one was much more polite and composed...
—Now then. I must return to sleep. And from now on, don't use magic near this forest. Your mana is so strong it wakes up all the surrounding trees.
"..."
'Wait... don't tell me he's just saying all this because he's sleepy?'
Ihan suddenly grew suspicious.
Praising him just because he said the staff felt "fresh"? That felt off.
And not telling him what power dwelled in the staff... that was also a little sketchy.
He's not just trying to wrap things up quickly so he can sleep, right?
Maybe he gave Ihan a random staff just to keep him from coming back and bothering him...
But regardless of Ihan's doubts, the clearing began to close. The trees moved, the surroundings grew hazy, and soon, he was being pulled away from the space.
Through the fading view, the talking oak's voice echoed in Ihan's ears.
—Remember the riddle I gave you. If you solve it, you may just find a way out.
When they returned outside, thankfully, the undead were all gone.
As the first light of dawn began to push back the darkness, Ihan and his group cautiously made their way back down the mountain.
Everyone was utterly exhausted and just wanted to get to their beds.
Thump!
As soon as Ihan entered the Blue Dragon Tower, he collapsed onto his bed. He figured he could worry about escape after some decent sleep.
"...Naz! Wardanaz!"
Several hours later, someone was banging on his bedroom door, waking him up.
"What is it?"
Ihan yawned and opened the door.
Standing there was a human boy from the Dalkard family, wearing glasses—Asan.
"The headmaster bir—uh, I mean, teacher is holding a ceremony outside!"
'Well. That woke me up in the worst possible way.'
The mention of the headmaster jolted Ihan fully awake.
"...Don't tell me they're trying to root out the students who tried to escape?"
The thought made Ihan feel even more uneasy—probably because he did have something to feel guilty about.
Sure, he and his group had made it back undetected, but knowing the headmaster's eccentric nature, it wouldn't be surprising if he pulled something bizarre.
"Still, if that really is the case, not showing up would be even riskier."
Ihan knew this well.
When you've done something wrong, the best thing to do is act exactly as you usually would.
Showing even a hint of suspicion was the quickest way to get caught.
"I got it. Let's wake Yonere and Gainando and head out."
"Isn't everyone sleeping in way too late?"
By the time Ihan woke the other two and stepped outside the tower, the sun was already high overhead.
Yawning, the three of them followed the stream of students from the Blue Dragon Tower.
"!"
Even from a distance, the massive floating skull in front of the main school building was impossible to miss.
"Now, now! Opportunities like this don't come every day! Come on over, you little iron-hearted... I mean, iron-bowled youngsters! Welcome!"
"...??"
From the looks of things, this wasn't a disciplinary crackdown.
In fact, it felt more like a friendly gathering or event.
Several tents had been set up in the front yard, and priests in robes greeted the new students with warm smiles, offering food and drink.
Ihan was handed a cookie by one of the priests before he knew it. It was freshly baked, warm, and filled the air with a delicious aroma.
When he bit into it, it crunched satisfyingly, and sweet jam oozed out.
"What... is the school going bankrupt or something?"
Sensing Ihan's confusion, the headmaster finally spoke.
"Today, to celebrate the joyous weekend, priests from various imperial orders have come to visit the school. Isn't that wonderful? Come on, everyone—applause!"
Clap clap clap clap clap—
Though a bit confused, the freshmen clapped obediently. The priests bowed in gratitude.
"Thank you, High Priest Gonadaltes. You must already be busy teaching young mages of the empire, and yet you still found time to allow and assist with this event."
"Oh, it's nothing! It's truly my pleasure. Please do pass along my regards to His Imperial Majesty. We're in need of funding to continue our excavation and research into ancient magic, you see..."
"W-Well, we'll do our best, though we're not sure how helpful we can be..."
The priests were clearly flustered by the headmaster's blunt suggestion.
But strangely, Ihan felt a sense of familiarity in that moment.
"No matter the world, professors can never escape from budget concerns."
Even the most fearsome and arrogant professors inevitably turned meek in front of those who controlled the research funds.
And despite the skeleton headmaster's terrifying demeanor, he too was powerless before the emperor who held the purse strings.
Then, one of the priests addressed the gathered students.
"Students who will one day become great mages, it is an honor to meet you all today. We are but humble representatives of the many orders within the empire. We're truly delighted to have the chance to introduce you to our faiths."
"Their mana is insane..."
Ihan was shocked by the mana emanating from the priests.
It was overwhelming—far beyond that of any first-year student.
And what made it even more unusual was the quality of that mana.
It carried a sacred energy.
Interesting, isn't it?
"!"
Ihan flinched.
At some point, the skeleton headmaster had silently approached and was now standing right next to him.
"Understandable. The mana of priests is often referred to as 'divine power'—it's quite unique."
"Yes. I've heard of it, but this is my first time seeing it in person."
"As I thought—you can sense their mana."
"Crap."
Ihan realized his mistake.
He had fallen for the headmaster's bait.
"Why hide it? If you have talent, flaunt it! Among all these little iron bo—iron bowls, how many do you think can detect mana that precisely?"
The skeleton headmaster looked genuinely confused.
A mage should display and boast about their abilities.
That way, they could "extract"—er, attract—funding from wealthy nobles to study stronger, higher-level magic...
"If I say it's because I don't want to get involved with you, I'm dead, right?"
Ihan swallowed his thoughts.
His goal was to graduate with good grades and strong connections—not to explore magical truths hand-in-hand with the eccentric headmaster.
But there was no way he could say that out loud.
"I just thought I should stay humble. I'm sure there are many more talented students at this school."
"Nonsense! From now on, make sure to brag about your talents to every student you meet. It's only proper!"
"Is this guy insane?"
If Ihan actually did that, he'd be down to exactly one friend—Gainando—by the end of the day.
Thankfully, the headmaster didn't seem to care much about Ihan's social life. He changed the subject again.
"I suppose the Wardanaz family never had much interest in religion. That would explain why you haven't met many priests until now."
"Yes, that's right."
There were countless gods and religious orders in the Empire, but mages generally weren't the religious type.
At their core, mages were...
I, for one, have no interest in religion. I'm far too smart to believe in gods.
'...Yeah, that'd explain a lot.'
Even if not as extreme as the skeleton headmaster, many mages were nonbelievers.
In fact, Ihan's own father, the head of House Wardanaz, had once said this at the dinner table:
"Divine power is just a type of mana. It's only changed in nature due to the collective belief of countless dimwits. 'Holy magic' is, in the end, still just magic. Why else would it be called holy magic?"
"Then, my lord, what's your opinion on researching holy magic?"
"A fine idea—if you're looking to waste your time. Compared to true magic, built on formulas and theory, holy magic is nothing more than the barking of savages drunk on faith and emotion."
'Yeah, probably best never to mention I'm from House Wardanaz around these priests.'
Snapping out of his thoughts, Ihan nodded.
Even the kindest priest would probably feel a surge of rage hearing those words.
The Wardanaz family probably thinks the same as me. Honestly, these religious orders are pathetic. If someone joins just because they got handed some snacks, they're worthless anyway. And they hold events like this?
The skeleton headmaster muttered beside Ihan, apparently needing someone to complain to.
Ihan listened quietly, then spoke up.
"Headmaster."
What?
"Do you happen to have any religious orders you'd recommend?"
...
The headmaster looked at Ihan, baffled, like he couldn't believe what he'd just heard.
'Wait... religious orders?'
Not one religious order—plural?