No Dark Secrets In This Book

Episode 29

“……”

“……”

Anyway, as intended, no one could say anything, not a single word. Because even the professors find ‘Cassice’ Demillang interesting, but they fear Cassice ‘Demillang’. At least within the student-professor relationship they can mess around, but once outside the framework of the academy, it’s a no-go, at least for the Eipl family.

‘Even though Cassice is secretly looked down upon in the Demillang family.’

There are those you can lean on and those you can’t. And Eipl is one of those you can’t. He’s not from a prestigious family but from a worldly one, and he’s someone who ultimately severed ties with his family.

So it would be awkward for the professor to immediately declare defeat…

“Oh my! I was out of line, Your Excellency! I will refrain from careless words and actions in the future!”

…Oh, I guess it’s not awkward.

Since I cleanly received an apology, there was no need for me to persistently prod for more. Instead, I simply raised my chin to further solidify my position.

This is what it means for Cassice Demillang to command professors with just his chin.

“Since it’s come to this, I’ll just cast it myself. Yap!” 

Meanwhile, Professor Eipl, with his thick skin, poured mana into the magic circle as is.

In summary, as the formula [Opening to Beauty] greedily consumed a sufficient amount of mana, it began to brightly reflect the moonlight and envelop the classroom in aesthetics.

It was magic that revealed what the caster considered to be aesthetics.

Vines climbed up the students’ chairs and desks, blooming flower buds, and soon ripe grape clusters were sprouting abundantly.

“Ah, look at this sight. Isn’t it truly beautiful? Feel free to eat one. They were grown organically. Mm, delicious, right? Whenever I see grapes, I think of your luscious heads! Talent ripening well, moist and dripping with vigor like juice…? Oh my, does it taste like you want to gag? It tastes good to me, what’s the problem with everyone?” 

“……”

If you’re going to say that making grapes sprout is not at the student level, I have nothing to say. I don’t think someone with that low level of understanding could even enter the academy in the first place. 

To reiterate, the reason the academy conducts theory classes for a month is because even if you learn it, as a student you can’t execute it anyway, so it has to be taught again along with practical training.

What’s the point of memorizing the 99 basic magic circles? In reality, magic circles infinitely branch out according to language combinations.

‘In the first place, I myself am astonished at how one could even extract the word [beauty] from looking at that jumble of circles, pentagrams, and geometric shapes!’

Magic is math and language.

What this means is that to activate the efficacy of magic, you have to convert magic words into formulas, weave them together to form proper sentences, and infuse mana. To put it simply:

Word = Formula

Formula + Formula = Sentence

Sentence + Mana = Magic!

So, what about foreigners who use different languages? 

The language of magic is all unified under rules and regulations. The way it’s ‘read’ may differ by country, but the way it’s written is the same for everyone.

Spells are a bit different. Spells don’t require calculation ‘until you start’. They also don’t require much internal energy.

In contrast, magic requires calculation from the start. 

So people think spells are easy and magic is difficult. But the truth is not quite so, because the more you learn spells, the more intensive the internal energy consumption becomes, and divination and astrology suddenly appear.

And divination and astrology are calculations…

‘Isn’t the original work too much? You didn’t even consider that a math idiot would be possessed!’

Moreover, it’s not that spells don’t require language. Instead of language being established as formulas, spells can use any language. By putting your earnest wishes into words and going through a ritual, that becomes the language of spells.

Therefore, if magic is more systematized miracles, spells can be said to be more raw – something anyone can access but is exceedingly difficult to master. 

‘Because there is no end!’

Moreover, what each professor knows is all different. Since it’s a field of study that has been passed down through one-on-one transmission or apprenticeship, there isn’t much of a system. So depending on who becomes the major professor, you experience wildly varying learning.

‘Meaning it’s hell.’

In contrast, magic has a clear end at the 9th circle, and there is also the unknown realm of the 10th circle. It has an allure that makes you want to dive in.

So I heard that at the student level, there are even those who close their dantian and switch to a mana heart. Because they want to learn magic. 

‘…I heard the spells professor had a lot of students taken by the magic professor.’

However, it probably can’t compare to Taoist arts. Professor Pung Sun-ja, she is the absolute rival of Professor Dohyun of the Spells Department!

“Well~ Before all the students vomit, Professor Eipl should come down~.”

“No, wait. I’m not done talking yet. I’ll ripen your heads like these grapes! I will! I, Eipl!”

Then, before more students could gag, Sun-ja struck Eipl’s head with her folding fan.

Smack!

“…Phew, you all had a hard time because of the strange professors, right?”  

…Damn, I already feel purified. With this, she seems capable of drawing students from both magic and spells.

But for someone like that, this person also has dubious aspects, and he was kind to Cassice in the original work, so he doesn’t really seem like someone cultivating the Dao.

Anyway, Sun-ja, who knocked out the professor by hitting his head with a fan, watched Dohyun grab Eipl’s ankle and drag him to the side, then shyly giggled hoho.

“As everyone knows, Taoist arts are a field of study that cultivates the Dao. It originated from Taoism, and Taoists who aim to become immortals by cultivating the Dao based on yin-yang and the five elements learn it. It’s fine to see it as spells performed while cultivating the Dao. Because the foundation is internal energy. The energy we use is purer than typical internal energy, so it’s called spiritual energy, but still.”

“Ah! Stop burying spells under Taoist arts! It’s so annoying!” 

In other words, spells are actually primitive magic with Taoism added, so they can be seen as the origin of all miracles, but from the perspective of Dohyun, who has had countless students taken away right before her eyes, she can’t help but be enraged.

Regardless of that, Sun-ja was nonchalant. 

“The most important point. If you gather internal energy purely in the Taoist way, it is tremendously helpful in vanquishing demons? Like this!”

Then, as she took out a yellow talisman and threw it into the air, a terrible scream rang out and a demon’s head poked out from the classroom ceiling. With the head about twice the size of the classroom door, everyone screamed in surprise alike, but I, without blinking an eye, only looked at her. And the moment she smiled back and drew her sword, slash! Thud, rolling.

That huge head was sliced off in an instant despite the tough skin. Only the cross-section with the sword mark remained, burning as if seared by fire.

“My main job is a Taoist priest, and my side job is swordsmanship. Spiritual energy lowers demons’ resistance~. So even with little strength, you can more easily pierce through skin and more easily detoxify poison. And one more thing.”

She smiled brightly.

“Everyone knows this, right? Immortals sometimes descend to the mortal realm and give advice, and thanks to that, the leader of the Mudang faction gained enlightenment and created a method to purify mana into spiritual energy. Even if you use mana, there are no restrictions on learning Taoist arts. So if you wield a sword, how about coming to me~?”

…She would make the best salesperson. 

***

For those who have to face off against demons and souls, Taoist arts can’t help but be attractive. Everyone knew it theoretically. They knew, but now that they see it directly with their own eyes, they seem conflicted.

‘I was obviously planning to learn magic, so why am I so drawn to Taoist arts?’

Even I, who really hates studying, wanted to increase my subjects, so how much more so for others?

‘Wouldn’t it be okay to do both magic and Taoist arts?’

Eventually, the professors went outside to give the students time to ponder individually, and we were given ten minutes. 

That’s when Ryuseong approached me.

‘Having sex within ten minutes would be impossible, right?’

So I asked him in a friendly tone, as if talking to a close roommate.

“Ah, Ryuseong-ssi. What subjects are you going to take? I’d like to refer to it.”

From my perspective, I was showing mercy in my own way. Even though you dissed me like that, I didn’t particularly ignore you. I even kindly responded. What if I get taken advantage of for being this kind? But Ryuseong retaliated against kind me by feeding me shit.

“I’m going to take them all.”

“…What did you say?”

To me, who knows he is a pure internal energy user who can’t handle mana, that sounded like he wants to deliberately take classes that require mana to get minus points. It’s not impossible according to school rules, but it’s also not something to commit to if you consider your grades.

So I asked again, but he was oddly saying something else with a chilly gaze.

“…But why aren’t you wearing gloves?”

What kind of nonsense is this? I always wore gloves in the morning like I did today…

Ah, I forgot.

‘…Huh?’

Then because of my shitty memory, today the worst germaphobe Cassice Demillang roamed the school grounds without gloves all day?

Fuck?

Translation Notes: 

1 More free chap today, Happy Father’s Day to all fathers!