LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 46
– 1 –
Recently, my hobby has been reading various books on magic and sorcery.
The more I read, the more I was filled with fascinating phenomena and theories, and it was much more enjoyable as the spells I explored came to life through my experiments.
『Trait – Necromancy… Intro to Swordsmanship, Specialization: Lightning Magic, Specialization: Ice Magic, Specialization: Fire Magic, Advanced Specialization: Curse, Mana Overadaptation』
Imagine the excitement of having such a hobby actually convert into real abilities, and being able to witness that transformation with my own eyes!
Gaining knowledge on these spells and martial arts, and having the evidence of the ‘specialization’ trait, proved that I could digest even techniques from my field that I had not yet mastered.
With four types of specializations under my belt, one could see how deeply I had delved into magic.
Just to be safe, I had gathered various genres of novels, but those had accumulated so much dust that they almost looked neglected.
Crack!
“It’s clear you haven’t properly grasped magic for long, but you’ve managed to handle all three elements already… Truly impressive!”
Hmm.
To be honest, I was overjoyed. Not just from the system’s power, but from being able to boast about the knowledge I’d built up through my own efforts.
Seeing Sonia, who usually showed me a somewhat negative attitude, light up in her eyes brought a different kind of joy than when I talked to the always cheerful Evangeline or Xue.
“Really, what a natural talent you have!”
“That might be true. But you’ll surely be able to do it too.”
“Do you think so?”
“Of course! You’re the one who learned new magic even while struggling to handle your mana properly.”
With that, I found myself in a slightly duplicitous position.
Suppressing the guilt that arose, I ended up teaching her more seriously than I initially intended…
『Trait – Magic: Detection, Magic: Protection, Magic: Fire Barrier, Magic: Ice Arrow, Magic: Chain Lightning, Specialization: Curse, Mana Overadaptation』
I discovered that she had an unexpected talent for curses.
Whereas she had barely learned one kind of other magic, she adapted easily and successfully combined her existing skills in ‘Poison Arrow’ and ‘Siphoning Plant’ into a specialization trait for curses.
“I’m not sure if you’ll be pleased, but you have a natural talent for curses.”
“It did seem to come easily to me…”
In this world, magic is a phenomenon created based on material, spiritual, elemental, and extradimensional coordinates, constructed through the magician’s imagination.
Sonia’s qualities excelled particularly in communicating with the spiritual world and other realms.
This talent was specialized in magic that is familiar with conditions of curses, necromancy, and similar arts rather than conventional spells.
“Should I see this as fate?”
Ultimately, the reason she hadn’t progressed quickly in the magic guild was largely due to the pressure placed on her mana along with her lack of familiarity with general magic in this world.
Her expression darkened, indicating she was quite shocked to realize she possessed such magical talent.
Of course, I had no intention of letting her stay in that state.
“Don’t look so down. This is a good thing! If you have even a scrap of talent that aligns well with your master’s skills, it’s a reason to rejoice.”
“Yeah… I guess?”
“Exactly. Power is ultimately power. Even with the same sword, it differs whether it’s held by a chef or a murderer. Magic is no different. And if miracles happen at your hands, complaining about the kind of magic it is would be sheer deception to those who have none.”
“Yes, I understand.”
After hearing my words, Sonia nodded earnestly.
We then decided that the first lesson of the day would focus on confirming her talent for curses and mastering one elemental magic to protect herself.
For a first day, I would say it was quite an impressive haul.
– 2 –
A few days later, I continued the lessons with Sonia.
“Your nature is truly uncorrectable.”
I rubbed my temples, afflicted with a headache caused by another student’s antics.
Recently, Sonia was not the only one I had been trying to teach.
Alexis Zulca. This man, who had recently changed his surname to ‘Samigina’, was an elite-level magic swordsman with considerable ambitions. Simultaneously, he was blessed with a rather wild nature befitting his desires.
“All this is pointless! If I were to fix things in such a short time, that barbarian over there would be a gentleman in no time!”
What I was trying to teach him was etiquette.
Naturally, it was etiquette suitable for the nobility of this world since the social circles he’d have to operate in were those of the ‘Southern Capital’ of this kingdom.
It might sound ludicrous for someone who hadn’t been here long to teach someone else about noble etiquette, but it didn’t take me long to become qualified as a teacher.
Thanks to my noble upbringing, it didn’t take long to master etiquette just by reading a few books on the subject.
“Don’t brag about your foolishness… sigh.”
“Foolish? You’d be surprised, but I’m well-regarded for my intelligence among the ladies!”
“Oh, is that so?”
From my perspective, I could see that the current difficulty in this instruction stemmed from his lack of qualities as a student.
Knowing knowledge and teaching are completely different matters. Yet, I had even gone through the ‘Etiquette Guide for Young Masters/Misses’.
So, it’s not an unreasonable conclusion to think it’s the fault of someone who can’t understand teaching meant for even a child.
“He can’t be utterly stupid, can he?”
Considering his strong survival instincts, I understood that he simply might not be capable of thinking in this direction.
Still, it had been over a week since I started teaching him, and five days since I had contracted with Sonia.
With Sonia making great progress, it was undeniably frustrating that this side wasn’t achieving results.
Crack.
In such a situation, the unexpected suggestion came from none other than Evangeline.
“You’re going to give it a shot?”
Snap.
“‘You set the bar too high for the students and are teaching too leniently.’…?”
“Uh… Wait a minute. What conversation are you two having? This feels really unsettling.”
Thinking a moment, I nodded to Evangeline to handle it on her own.
Then, with a hint of glee, she approached Alexis and began her own method of teaching.
Actually, it felt more like disciplining with a rod.
Crack!!
“Ugh! I understand already!”
If I were to draw a comparison, it would be like the difference between education from the 2020s versus the 1980s.
“Now that I think about it, this might be right.”
This era is much closer to the medieval period.
The concept of human rights exists, but there are far more critical concerns than upholding those rights, like life and power.
Moreover, in a world where those who rely heavily on their ego have the advantage over others during survival.
Crack!
“Ah!”
So, when trying to instill a certain mindset, it’s best to use quicker methods rather than respecting one’s feelings, especially for someone whose mind has never turned in that direction.
In cases like mine, where a superior addresses a subordinate.
Just look at what’s happening now.
Crack!
“Ugh! This isn’t just another hit!”
Alexis does not underestimate Evangeline at all. Unlike when he subtly relaxed around me.
Ultimately, my qualities as a teacher seem misaligned with this era.
Ah, what a thing to reflect on.
Crack!
“I got it! I got it! I don’t need to shout!”
‘Good job.’
As time passed, Alexis gradually straightened his posture.
And in front of him, Evangeline, with only her skeleton frame visible, displayed poise while teaching him impeccable etiquette.
‘Could she really have been a knight? Or perhaps a noble? … Maybe.’
As I observed Evangeline, I pondered who she might have been in the past.
It was inevitably a curiosity I couldn’t shake.
Even I, who recognized ‘nobility’, could see she executed perfectly proper etiquette without a single flaw.
‘Perhaps she was a hero or a champion.’
Such cases also existed in Mill Don 1.
Where a past hero or champion fell into the ranks of a Dungeon Lord, or a summon turned out to secretly be a hidden hero—a rare occurrence indeed.
The outcome of such events often boiled down to two paths: a significant power-up for a summon or mercenary, or a severed relationship.
“…”
As I mulled over such thoughts, Evangeline formed an image in my mind of a beautiful knight with flowing blonde, silver, or even black hair.
Performing flawless etiquette like a knight yet moving with a much more free-spirited flare.
‘… Have I gone too far with that thought?’
I shook my head, snapping out of my imagination.
I felt I had spent far too much time on mere daydreams.
“I’ll leave Alexis’ training to you, Eve. Do well.”
Crack!
“Wait! Wait! Lady! Help me!”
Listening to Eve’s cheerful response and Alexis’s pained cries, I exited the room.
Given the state they were in, it seemed that within three days, all corrections should be completed, so it was time to think about the next task.
– 3 –
‘Come to think of it…’
After leaving Alexis’ instruction entirely to Evangeline, I had time to spare.
First, I decided to check the current situation of the dungeon.
『Demon Lord Candidate ‘Libertus’ Dungeon Lv. 4』
『Alias – None』
『Assets – 13,087 V』
『Continental Reputation – 3 (made ‘unknown’)』
『Demon World Reputation – 168 (a newbie known by those who would know)』
『Core Activation – 772/792』
Staring for a moment at the awkwardly precise amount of assets, I turned my gaze to the overall status and felt satisfied again.
‘Still, with this kind of start… it’s quite fast considering I gained good abilities.’
Given the difference between the game and reality, I could prop up waves and attacks towards my dungeon at will, further increasing my growth rate.
Considering this, I can’t necessarily call it fast, but it’s still quite rapid.
It’s not like I spent a fixed time on dungeon management as in the game, but I couldn’t reduce that time to absolutely zero.
The issue was that the growth was disproportionately abnormal.
‘From now on, I need to focus more on the dungeon’s and summons’ growth rather than my own.’
Of course, a dungeon doesn’t grow solely by the Dungeon Lord’s efforts.
While there was a meta in ‘Mill Don 1’ where one Dungeon Lord could endure the early game alone, most struggled to progress to the late game if their summon gacha crashed in the mid-game.
‘The situation of my dungeon is quite similar to that now.’
I needed to quickly raise the ranking of the dungeon, but my own rank had abruptly shot up to advanced.
This placed me in contrast with my elite-level mercenary Xue and my contracted elite adventurers Jinkyung and Alexis.
Among them, Alexis had to be sent out, so the most stable fighting strength left was Jinkyung, who was somewhat unsteady depending on circumstances, and Xue, who was still just at advanced level.
Evangeline could temporarily match their power when I wrapped her in my buffs.
Only by raising their strength more reliably could I ensure the safety of the dungeon while simultaneously expanding it.
‘In the end, the dungeon and the lord are one body.’
When the Dungeon Lord grows stronger, the dungeon would also undergo more significant ‘Magical Realm Transformation’, and that momentum would gradually spill outwards as the lord developed.
Unless the dungeon had overwhelming power or was in the wilderness, the time had come to be wary of the fact that humans could now recognize the dungeon.
Rather than leaving the entrance open for adventurers to come through, I needed to think of ways to make it more concealed and consume them differently.
To do that…
– …Aha! – !!!
“Hmm?”
Just as I was inspecting the overall structure of the dungeon, a shout echoed through the air.
It wasn’t just a voice. It was an additional sensory perception that had crossed a level.
Clap!
“Thank you.”
Snap.
I took a seat that one skeleton had wisely brought over and decided to observe the scene for a moment.
“Don’t call me ‘sister’. You’re neither my sibling nor a friend of my sibling.”
Focusing my will on one of the ‘Necromancer’s Eyes’, the scenery beyond came into view along with clearer sounds, revealing a scene unfolding before me.
As expected, there stood two familiar figures on that stage.
Sonia and Maria.