Ihan found himself asking the question without even realizing it.
In fact, curses weren't all that different from buff spells, depending on how you looked at them.
What if there was a curse that reduced your weight for someone trying to lose weight? Used the right way, a curse could actually be beneficial.
A belt cursed to absorb mana was something most mages would scream, "Ack! Get that thing away from me!" and avoid at all costs—but for Ihan, it was a different story.
Because Ihan...
Had far too much mana—practically overflowing with it.
'That thing's seriously worth wearing.'
He was already wearing a mana-absorbing iron bracelet anyway. Adding a belt on top wouldn't make much difference.
"You mean the effect?"
"Yes. I mean, it's a cursed item, so it should have an original effect aside from the curse, right?"
Magic always had action and reaction.
Cursed items often came with powerful abilities as compensation for their downsides.
After all, who would wear a cursed item without some sort of worthwhile payoff?
"Ahh, so that's what you meant, brother. Let's see…"
'Wait—shouldn't he remember the item's actual effect before the curse?'
Ihan was baffled as he watched the priest recall the curse but not the artifact's original power.
Talk about putting the cart before the horse.
"Ah yes. The belt has an invisibility enchantment. But that's not important. What truly matters is the curse it bears… Anyway, brother, you don't have to pretend. Whatever your answer, I will accept it—"
"What are you talking about? I'm fully prepared."
Ihan spoke with firm conviction, eyes sharp and determined. The priest looked stunned.
Unbelievable!
He'd assumed the boy would back out and leave. Turns out it was he who had made the mistake.
'Shame on me! I failed to recognize a true brother of faith and nearly spoke out of turn!'
The young man standing before him no longer looked like a pampered noble from a prestigious family.
He looked like a brother who was truly ready to walk the path of faith.
"Brother, my name is Mehried. Please, tell me yours."
"Ihan. Ihan Wardanaz."
"W-Wardanaz?!"
Mehried's surprise deepened.
The Wardanaz family?! Weren't they known across the empire as a household of staunch nonbelievers?
No wonder he seemed so elegant and dignified…
"The church will be overjoyed at your joining, Brother Ihan. Here, please accept this belt in honor of Lord Frisinga."
The name was a bit grandiose for what was essentially a cursed belt, but Ihan received it with a solemn expression.
Clink.
As soon as he buckled it on, Mehried gave him a worried look.
New brothers in the church always struggled with the burden of bearing Frisinga's weight for the first time.
A curse was no joke to someone unaccustomed to it.
That mana-absorbing belt could be too much for a freshman student to—
"How do I activate the invisibility enchantment?"
"...?!?!"
"??"
"Ah—uh… Just say 'I hide in the night' to activate it. To deactivate it, say 'I reveal at dawn.'"
"I hide in the night."
The moment Ihan uttered the phrase, his body vanished—perfectly transparent, as if he'd melted into thin air.
'Oh…'
Ihan was genuinely impressed.
Even among invisibility spells, there were levels.
Low-tier ones barely worked—light might partially pass through, or they'd leave behind visual distortions if someone looked closely.
But this belt's invisibility? Almost flawless.
'Wearing a cursed item actually paid off.'
"Um, brother… Are you feeling alright?"
"Of course. I reveal at dawn."
Ihan dispelled the magic.
Before putting on the belt, he'd hoped that the mana drain might help reduce his own mana pool to a more manageable level…
Surprisingly, it hadn't affected him at all.
'If they're this concerned, it must mean the belt drains a lot of mana. How is it not affecting me in the slightest?'
At this point, it seemed like his mana regeneration was greater than what the bracelet and belt were draining combined…
Getting greedy, Ihan spoke up.
"Priest, I'd like to bear a bit more of Lord Frisinga's burden."
"Huhhh...!"
Mehried was deeply moved by the noble brother's words.
But even so, he couldn't allow it.
The belt alone must already be putting a serious strain on his body…
"That won't do, brother. Lord Frisinga's burden cannot be borne all at once. I understand your resolve, but you must wait."
"No! I must carry more!"
"I understand your heart! But you must wait, brother!"
In the end, Ihan failed to get another artifact, but that didn't mean he came away empty-handed.
Just the invisibility belt alone was already a massive gain.
Naturally, what Ihan planned to do with it was…
"Another escape route secured."
His last attempt at running away had been a painful lesson in complacency.
This school was way crazier than he had expected, and the principal was even more unhinged than that.
Who knew what kind of traps lay ahead in Ihan's future plans?
That invisibility belt would be there to protect him when the time came.
"…And thus, the first gathering to honor Lord Frisinga was held, marking the founding of our church. That will be all for today, Brother."
Priest Mehried had just finished explaining the church's history and rules to Ihan.
Ihan wasn't particularly interested in the history itself—but he was a pro at pretending to listen to stuff he didn't care about.
"Did I ever tell you about that time I went golfing?"
"I'm dying to hear it, Professor! Please, go on!"
'Honestly, it wasn't even that boring.'
While the church's origin story didn't matter much to him, the rules and the divine magic were genuinely intriguing.
And to his surprise, the Frisinga Order really was as free-spirited as the principal had claimed.
Believing in other religions? Totally fine.
No restrictions, no harsh commandments—just live however your heart desires.
…Except for the whole cursed item thing.
'If it weren't for that one downside, this would be a great order. But wow, that one flaw is massive.'
Even Ihan didn't feel comfortable recommending the Frisinga Order to others. Not in good conscience.
Because that one flaw was just too big to ignore.
Plus, all the divine magic the priests used had that same extreme flavor...
Maybe worried that Ihan was having second thoughts, Mehried handed him a generous gift.
"Here you are, Brother. I heard that freshmen at Ainrogard often go hungry. I'm sure the rumors are exaggerated, but…"
'Not exaggerated at all, actually.'
Ihan accepted the gift basket from the priest.
Just like the one the Flemaeng Order had given to Yonelr, this one from the Frisinga Order was stuffed full.
You could really feel the desperation—like they refused to let go of a believer once they'd grabbed one.
There were jars of raspberry jam, marmalade, and peanut butter, along with round, flat breads baked by the order.
Cans of beef and pork—sealed by magic and famous across the empire.
There were also indulgent items like salt, sugar, coffee grounds, and tea leaves.
Priest Mehried added kindly,
"I figured you'd need drinks while studying, so I included some."
"Honestly, I think I'll need it more for survival than studying..."
"Hmm?"
"Nothing. Thank you very much."
Ihan bowed gratefully.
Mehried probably imagined him snacking on the goodies during breaks while studying—but considering the situation at the school, Ihan knew better.
This wasn't tea-time food—it was emergency rations that had to be stocked in his room.
'If the order visited more often, maybe student rights would actually improve around here…'
"When's the next event?"
"Well… I'd like to return as soon as possible, but we need the principal's permission…"
'Damn.'
Even without hearing the rest, Ihan could tell it would be a while before the priests could come back.
No way that crazy principal would let them visit regularly…
"You should take this one too."
"?!"
It was Tijilling, a half-demon priest and a freshman of the Ever-Burning Phoenix Tower, offering Ihan her own gift basket.
Ihan blinked in surprise.
What the heck?
She was giving this to him?
Was this some kind of demon contract trap?
"Why are you giving this to me?"
"I serve Lord Frisinga. Such luxuries are more than I deserve."
"You don't have to go that far, Tijilling. It was prepared with you in mind, so please keep it."
Priest Mehried looked like he really wanted Tijilling to accept the basket, but she refused firmly.
'Wow. The vibe at the Phoenix Tower is really different.'
Meanwhile, students from the Azure Dragon Tower—where Ihan belonged—had long since abandoned their noble composure and were whispering, "Hey, you got any food? No? Really? Nothing?"
While those three towers of students acted like that, the Phoenix Tower students sat quietly, enduring in silence with monk-like discipline.
Impressive.
But impressive or not, Ihan had no intention of living like that.
"Then I'll accept it with gratitude…"
"Brother."
"Hm?"
Mehried led Ihan aside and lowered his voice.
"Would you mind looking after Tijilling a bit? Given your family's reputation, I believe your guidance could be very helpful to her. As you can see, she's a bit... overly strict with herself."
"Uh… But we're not even in the same dorm…"
"Please."
Mehried gently pressed another gift basket into Ihan's hands. Clearly, this priest knew what he was doing.
"Here. Take this extra one. And please, share the other basket with Tijilling so she'll feel more comfortable eating from it."
"Understood. Leave it to me."
Now holding three baskets, Ihan couldn't possibly refuse.
Eating together was no big deal anyway…
"Should I call you Priest Tijilling?"
"Yes. But please, feel free to address me however you're comfortable."
"What's the atmosphere like at the Ever-Burning Phoenix Tower?"
Ihan asked with curiosity.
Unlike the White Tiger or Black Tortoise Towers, the Phoenix Tower's vibe was a complete mystery to him.
The half-demon girl tilted her head slightly, seemingly not understanding the question.
"What do you mean?"
"Ah, I mean... like, what do people do in the lounge during breaks or something?"
"We each pray in our own rooms."
Tijilling answered with a hint of pride in her voice. Ihan inwardly recoiled.
'Ugh. So it's even more bleak than I imagined.'
If Ihan had ended up in the Phoenix Tower, he probably would've suffocated.
"Do you pray in the evenings too?"
"Yes. Some priests go into the forest or the mountains to pray. Others who are allowed to stay indoors, pray inside."
"I see. ...Wait. You're allowed to go out in the evening?"
"Yes. We have permission."
"!"
Ihan was genuinely shocked by this unexpected revelation.
'Wait, priests are allowed to be out after evening?'
It was common knowledge that weekday evening outings beyond the tower were strictly forbidden. That's exactly why Ihan and his friends had targeted the weekend for their escape attempt.
But apparently, Phoenix Tower students had special permission.
Now that he thought about it, if he were the principal, he probably would've let the Phoenix Tower students out too.
They were so quiet and obedient—not the type to pull anything shady...
'In that case… if I wear a priest's robe, couldn't I walk around after hours too?'
A brilliant idea flashed through Ihan's mind.
If he just had a priest's robe…!
"By any chance, could I get my hands on a priest's robe?"
"..."
Tijilling narrowed her eyes and stared at him.