Genius Warlock

As Oliver busied himself with tidying up his experiment/workroom, he found himself interrupted by an unexpected visitor. It was none other than his temporary master, Merlin, who had arrived unannounced.

Normally, Oliver would have cleaned up the room himself, but Merlin's sudden appearance had left him with no choice but to rely on the help of his corpse dolls – [Helper 1], [Duncan], [Sniper], and [Warlock].

"What did you come for?" Oliver asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

"I’m a temporary master, whatever it is? A master always has the right to visit and annoy his pupil. By the way, what is this?" Merlin responded, eyeing the cup of coffee in Oliver's hand.

"It's coffee. I put alcohol in it… I brought it for me. Would you like some?"

“You know how to treat guests….. What is this? Why is it delicious?”

"It's fortunate. I made it as I learned, and it suited my taste."

“Did you learn to make coffee? Where?”

"Angel's house."

In the past, when Oliver learned how to do makeup from Coco, he also learned how to make coffee, how to distinguish luxury goods, and how to find out the background of customers from other employees.

It was a field of little interest, but there was a little bit of fun.

"That's a strange name. It's like a brothel."

“What is a brothel?”

“… Don’t you know what a brothel is?”

"Yes, I've heard of it a few times, but I don't know the details."

“Are you kidding?”

“No, I don’t know. Can you tell me what it is?”

"What is a brothel… Uh, forget it. So, are you manipulating those corpse dolls one by one?"

Merlin suddenly pointed to the corpse dolls who were tidying up the lab.

"Um? Ah… no. I'm not controlling them. [Child] is controlling them."

"Child?"

“Yes. Hold on….. First, can you come here for a moment?”

At Oliver's call, helper 1, who was tidying up with six arms, approached.

Perhaps because of the combination of the three corpses, heavy footsteps rang out whenever it walked.

After a while, a small chunk of meat surrounded by black smoke emerged from the center of its head.

“This is Child.”

“Hoo… … ."

Merlin looked at it with interest.

[Child] was wary of Merlin, but calmed down when Oliver reassured it.

“Black magic. Creation type.”

“Do you know about black magic?”

"I know a little more than normal wizards. In learning, scope is as important as depth. In that sense, aren't you amazing?" Merlin complimented.

“Me?”

"Yes, the creation series has a reputation for being difficult to master regardless of their power,"

Oliver knew that Merlin spoke the truth. Having read about black magic in Joseph's library, he was aware of the complexities of the creation series. The books evaluated the introductory difficulty of each series, and according to them, the creation series was the most challenging to master.

"It requires various materials such as emotions, life force, and mana, as well as ambiguous parts such as the creativity and imagination of the caster. So many things have not been revealed. It's such a paranormal series," Merlin explained.

Oliver nodded in agreement. "Yes, you are right. It's written that way in the books I've read as well. How do you know so much about black magic as a wizard?"

"Didn't I tell you? A scholar's range is as important as depth. It's not that hard to learn. If you beat warlocks when you're a war mage, you can steal their research materials and books. It's illegal, though," Merlin chuckled.

Oliver let out a small gasp. "Ah…"

"Anyway, the idea is interesting. A creature controlling a corpse doll. This will save you the effort of controlling the corpse doll. Of course, as long as the creature doesn't harm you."

“Does a creature kill its owner?” Oliver asked, interested.

“Of course, I don’t know….”

“-Kyakyakyahahhhh. Shut up! Baldy!”

"Right! Shut up! Baldy! Oldie!"

“Baldy! Baldy! Baldy! Baldy! Baldy!”

The children who were still cleaning were extremely agitated and shouted at Merlin.

Merlin reacted in surprise instead of anger.

“Can they speak?”

"Yes, but limited to basic words," Oliver explained, stepping in to calm the children down.

As they quieted down and followed Oliver's lead, Merlin chuckled. "Oh, that's great. It offends me a lot, but it's interesting. You should have said that from the beginning."

“Wait a minute. First. Get into the corpse.”

First entered the corpse doll-helper 1 as Oliver told him to.

“Iyyyyah… . we never betray. Kahhhh… ."

"Of course, I know. Please clean up. You worked hard today, so I'll make sure you have plenty of meals later.”

"Kyahehehehe…"

[Child], who entered Helper 1, trudged back and started cleaning again.

“… .It wasn't something I could say from the start. As I continued to feed them emotions, Life-force, and mana, their intelligence increased along with their size.”

"That's interesting. A creature that can speak like a human…"

He couldn't see through Merlin's insides, surrounded by a vast magical barrier, but he seemed serious to some extent.

"By the way, what are you here for? It doesn't look like you're here to see Child?"

"Ah! That's right. Look at me. Thank you for telling me. It's temporary, but I'm here to serve as your teacher.”

"Pardon?"

“Being a teacher.”

⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩

Whoosh!

Oliver trudged through the biting snow towards Merlin's mansion, the frigid wind lashing at his face and limbs. Merlin trailed behind him, his presence a stark contrast to the icy surroundings.

“Now stop,” Merlin commanded, causing Oliver to halt and turn around to face him.

“Elder. Do you like cold places?” Oliver inquired, curiosity piqued.

“Not at all. Rather, I hate it. I just like seeing people shivering in the cold… So take off your jacket,” Merlin replied, his tone matter-of-fact.

As Oliver shed his jacket, the cold seemed to worsen, a sharp pain coursing through his body. It was a sensation he hadn't experienced since his days working in the mines.

“Okay, take it,” Merlin ordered, tossing a test tube filled with mana to Oliver.

With deft hands, Oliver caught the tube and extracted the mana, wrapping it around himself as instructed. It was an order without a clear purpose, but he followed it nonetheless, obeying the command of his teacher.

Shuhaaaa.

Oliver mimicked Merlin's actions, applying magic formulas to the mana and enveloping himself in a warm magical shield. First, he created an outer and inner wall, layering them around his body before using magic to raise the temperature between them. Slowly but surely, the biting cold dissipated, replaced by a warm and comfortable sensation.

“Are you done?” Merlin asked, observing Oliver's handiwork.

“Uh… yes,” Oliver replied, taking stock of his condition.

“How did you do it?” Merlin inquired, his tone uncharacteristically serious.

Without hesitation, Oliver admitted, “I saw your magic and imitated it.”

“Mimicry?” Merlin repeated, surprise evident in his voice.

“Yes, I wrapped the mana around myself in two layers to keep out the cold and kept my body temperature regulated by heating the space between them with mana,” Oliver explained.

Merlin nodded, impressed. “How did it feel?”

“Convenient and nice. If magic permits, you can live in a place like this even if you are lightly dressed,” Oliver replied, genuinely impressed.

Merlin shook his head, a hint of sadness in his voice. “But it's not as easy as it sounds. Even if you reduce the consumption of mana to a minimum, it still drains quickly. Most wizards can't control mana so delicately. It's difficult. Just wear thick clothes.”

Oliver was taken aback. “Really?”

Merlin sighed, “Is it the evil of factory education? It's not boring among wizards these days. The delicate parts are naturally neglected. Of course, it's a system problem, so it's hard to blame only the students, but it's still a problem. The original purpose is to be evangelized and to score points. Thanks to that, the number of wizards has increased, and their abilities are stable as if they were produced in a factory, but many are weak in specialized subjects. It also reduces flexibility.”

Oliver listened attentively, nodding in agreement. “That's a bit unfortunate.”

He couldn't help but feel that learning everything would be more fulfilling than merely focusing on efficiency.

"That's why children with backgrounds or connections go in as direct disciples of Master Wizard and receive additional education. Then, they can receive a more detailed education."

“Oh, do you have disciples like that?”

“There aren’t many, but there are. Back to the point, how long do you think you can keep the magic you wear?”

"hmm… Until the mana runs out,” said Oliver calmly. Not by bravado or arrogance, but by accurate self-judgment. However, it was never easy.

Magic wasn't just processing mana, it required several factors such as concentration, stamina, and willpower of the wizard.

It was the difference between lifting a 10-kilogram dumbbell for a moment and holding it for an hour.

“I heard that you imitated my magic on the spot. How did you imitate it?”

"I saw the flow of mana wrapped around your body and just copied it."

“Do you know how to use magic?”

"No, I don't know the exact theory because I didn't learn it. I just watch and imitate the same. Then, if there is a more convenient way, I will change it."

Oliver said as if it was nothing. However, those skilled in magic could never treat it like that.

Merlin opened his mouth.

"Magic. It is to gather an appropriate amount of mana within the body, give the mana a corresponding formula, and then bring the image in your head into reality. There are a few more detailed steps if you dig a little deeper, but I won't bother explaining that. You can do that later. .”

Oliver silently nodded his head at the very skillful yet to-the-point teaching.

Magic is to give spells to mana, recall images, and bring them into reality.

Oliver thought it was not that different from black magic. Speaking of this, Merlin drew a line firmly.

"No, it's different. If I have to compare it, magic is mathematics. A magic formula is granted according to set rules to exert the desired power. Of course, a skilled wizard can change the form to use the magic formula as he pleases, but the basic rules are the same. It doesn't break the rules, and neither do we.”

“Isn’t it the same with black magic?”

“Black magic is closer to drawing than math. It has a shorter history than magic, and it may be because systematic research has not been done, but skilled Warlocks create their own black magic before they know it. Many deviate from the rules.”

Oliver thought of Puppet, auction house raiders, and Marie. Their black magic was black magic, but the ark was on a different level than usual. He said, “Hmm… Maybe it's because of the Demons?”

Merlin replied, “That might be the case… But among Warlocks who extract mana like you, few of them can use magic properly. In other words, it proves that the way magic and black magic work are not the same. With systematic training, I don't know…”

Oliver then asked, “Then, why am I like that? I think I can use it moderately. Is there something I missed?”

“No, probably because you’re the so-called Genius.”

“Am I a genius?”

“Yes, someone who can see the flow of mana, grasp the essential principles subconsciously, and use them right away. People like that are usually called geniuses… but for something like that, you don’t seem very happy.”

What Merlin said was true. Oliver didn't look very happy at the special word genius, looked, just plain dumb.

"Amazing. It's not easy to hear the word genius from me, but your reaction is very boring."

Oliver answered innocently, “Oh, sorry.” Oliver was interested in accumulating knowledge and discovering new things, but he had little interest in his talents. Of course, he was grateful that this helped him achieve his goal, but a tool was just a tool.

Merlin nodded quietly as he heard Oliver's response. "Well, maybe that's a good attitude. Talent is certainly a blessing, but it's also a curse,"

Oliver was confused by the unknown words. However, before asking about it, Merlin immediately told the following story.

“I will start educating you irregularly from now on.”

“Irregularly?”

“Yeah, since you’re also working as a Solver, shouldn’t you be mindful of your work as well? Or can you take a long break?”

It was difficult. A few months ago it wouldn't have mattered, but now it was a different story. Aside from earning money for his research and living expenses, Oliver worked as a Solver, at least partly to get to know the world. Meeting people along the way was also fun. To be honest, the current Solver job was Oliver's own study and hobby.

"No, that sounds a bit difficult."

"That's why. A poor old man like me can't take care of your livelihood…"

It wasn't persuasive words from an old man with a mansion, but Oliver nodded without question. Whatever it was, caring was caring.

"Thank you."

Pak-!

At the same time as Oliver answered, all the mana on his body was consumed and the magic was dispelled.

As Merlin said, he maintained it without difficulty until the mana ran out.

Soon, the fierce cold kicked in.

“Can you give me some more mana?”

"No, let's go in."

As Merlin suggested, Merlin and Oliver entered the mansion. Inside the mansion stood wooden golems and corpse dolls. Each held out a towel to their master.

While the wooden golems were silent, the corpse dolls made a kyahaha sound.

Merlin, who was covered by the magic protection, refused the towel and continued the story.

“… I'll give you the means to communicate with me. Let me know when there is a raincheck. Then, I'll arrange it to match the time with me."

“Thank you again for your consideration. Could I ask what kind of thing you will be teaching?”

“First of all, we will do most of the basic theory training, and the rest will be filled with practical training. In terms of ratio, it will be 8:2 to 9:1.”

"I see," Oliver replied with satisfaction. It was not that he did not like practice, just that he was more interested in the theory since he was lacking in it.

"And once the basic training course is over, I'll let you enter the Magic Tower."

"Magic tower?"

“Oh, not a student, but something like an employee.”

Magic Tower. One of the institutions due to which Landa and other cities were discriminated against.

A pan-school organization of wizards, established to exchange with research departments. A place where wizards gather in Landa, where legal regulations for wizards are low.

Even though it existed in Landa, everyone talked about it from afar, as if referring to another world, so Oliver couldn't believe Merlin's words.

He wondered if he had heard it wrong, but Merlin assured him it wasn't.

“If you do well, you can read a book or take a class there.”

"Oh…… I didn't get it wrong. It's just amazing. By the way, can I really enter the Magic Tower? I'm a warlock?"

“Of course, you have to hide the fact that you are a warlock. And don’t worry, there is a way to enter.”

“May I ask how?”

"If a master wizard-level professor guarantees it, even an outsider can get a job within the Magic Tower. It's a right that's inscribed even in official documents. Because of that, money and lobbying come and go every year.”

Oliver didn't know the details, but it seemed like a great right.

To use that right for Oliver.

“Thank you. You did something like that.”

"Huh? Oh, don’t misunderstand. I won't use mine."

“……”

"It's a waste to use mine, so I'm thinking of handing you over to my disciple who will finish his military service and return to the Magic Tower just in time."

"…..Will he allow it?"

“Will he allow it? He's my disciple, and I have his weakness."

“… Do you threaten your pupil?”

"I take as disciples only those I can intimidate. Are you surprised?"

Oliver pondered and answered, "No, my first master also tried to kill me… It seems normal. Then, I should prepare myself."

“What to prepare?”

"As you said, to go to the Magic Tower, I think I need to acquire at least basic knowledge, and I think I also need to take care of things in advance… Can I use a communication device here?"

Oliver asked, pulling out the direct-communication device with Forrest.

(To be Continued)

OR

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