I Became a Genius Black Mage at the Holy Academy

After having a quick lunch in the commercial district, they returned to Hetron Hall. In the lecture hall, which was filled with bookshelves and maps, Demona lay down while clutching his belly.

“I’m hungry…”

“That’s why I told you to just buy something to eat.

Rafia scolded Demona with a look of pity.

It made sense that he didn’t have any Dalants yesterday, but didn’t he earn some during class today?

Demona replied sadly, “I can’t spend the Dalants I earned with my own hands on something as trivial as lunch.”

‘So are you planning to starve forever?’ 

Roan wondered to himself as he took a book out of his bag. It was the textbook for the Imperial History class, ‘The Chronicles of Harden, Volume 1,’ which had already been placed in his private study room.

Harden himself was practically synonymous with the history of the Empire in this setting.

‘The fact that this isn’t even wrong is what makes it even more absurd.’

The book covered every important event from before the founding of the Holy Empire up to recent times, making it a fitting textbook. 

However, Demona looked at the book with a puzzled expression and asked, “A book? Why did you bring that heavy thing?”

“… Because class is about to begin?”

The Imperial History class was theory-based, and Roan knew what was going to happen during this session. Naturally, he had to bring his textbook.

But Demona forgot his hunger and burst out laughing.

“Hey, Roan! You’re pretty funny, aren’t you? Professor Belek didn’t even teach a class, so the next one definitely won’t today either!”

‘Why did this guy even enroll here?’ 

Roan decided to just ignore him. Engaging with Demona would only give him a headache.

‘Wait a minute. Professor Belek’s class was this morning.’

The more Roan thought about it, the angrier he got. If Belek had actually taught the class, was Demona planning to just go back to the dormitory? 

Of course not.

When Roan glared at him, Demona flinched and said, “Ahem. I’ll respect your decision, Roan.”

“… Tsk.”

Well, it was his own business. 

Roan clicked his tongue and checked the time. It was just about time for the class to start.

Screeeech!

A woman who looked too young to be a professor, and older than her age due to her worn out expression, walked briskly to the podium.

— “This professor is really young, isn’t she?”

— “Yeah. I heard the history professor was supposed to be old.”

The students murmured in surprise. They weren’t entirely wrong.

‘Well. That’s because she’s the teaching assistant.’

Roan had already guessed as much. The woman was Joy Dayze, the teaching assistant to the history professor, Timothy Harbor. 

As soon as Joy took her place, she spoke in a voice laced with fatigue.

“Gaston Devan.”

“????”

The students looked bewildered at the sudden roll call.

“Is Gaston Devan not here?”

Joy called out again.

“Ah, here I am!”

“Please respond quickly. Gorf Judry.”

“? Oh, yes.”

After a few more names were called, the students finally realized that Joy was taking attendance.

‘It does feel a bit awkward.’

It was a perfectly normal situation, but given the previous classes, the concept of attendance itself felt unfamiliar.

— “It seems this professor is a bit strict.”

— “What if we actually have a lesson this time?”

A sense of unease began to spread quietly among the students.

“Everyone, open your textbooks’ chapter 1.”

Joy responded to the students’ unease by immediately starting the lesson.

One student bravely raised their hand.

— “Um, Professor!”

“As you all know, the Holy Empire was founded 5,318 years ago by His Majesty Emperor Harden, who currently serves as the principal. This era is known as the Imperial Era. However, the history of the Empire dates back to the ancient Divine Age…”

— “… Professor?”

Joy responded to the student’s call a bit late.

“Oh sorry. I’m not actually a professor. Why did you call me?”

The shocking revelation caused a commotion among the students.

Not a professor? What did she mean by that?

“… We’re short on time, so unless there are no more questions, I’ll continue the lesson.”

At that moment, Demona energetically raised his hand. The students around him murmured in admiration.

— “Wickron always speaks his mind!”

— “As expected of Wickron!”

‘… It seems like people’s perception of Wickron has gotten a bit skewed.’

That wasn’t the reputation that came with being one of the Empire’s top three noble families.

However, Demona didn’t care at all about the students’ opinions.

“If you’re not a professor, then why are you teaching this class?”

Joy looked at Demona for a moment, then tilted her head and replied.

“… Because Professor Timothy Harbor is a historian?”

“???”

Demona was left speechless by her response, which implied that it was obvious.

Joy naturally continued the lesson.

“The Divine Age, also known as the Pre-Holy Era, was a time when…”

Creeeak!

“Ah! Sorry, sorry! I’m so sorry!”

At that moment, a dwarf professor with a bald spot rushed in while apologizing. 

It was Timothy Harbor, the actual professor for this class.

“Joy, you started the lesson right away on the first day? I’m the one who’s supposed to teach this history class, Timothy Harbor.”

Timothy wiped his dirt and sweat-ladden face with a handkerchief and replaced Joy at the podium. 

Since the dwarf was shorter than the lectern, he had to bring over a stand from the corner of the room.

Meanwhile, Joy quietly took a seat among the students.

“Joy, thanks for covering. You don’t need to stay here anymore, go ahead and leave. I’ve already finished the initial investigation. Students, you can put your textbooks away. What’s the point of being so stiff on the first day?”

Timothy waved his hands dismissively and laughed heartily like a good-natured uncle.

Demona grinned widely and looked at Roan.

“See? What did I tell you? No need for the textbook!”

Roan responded calmly.

“Just wait.”

In fact, this was all part of a fixed event in God and Devil. After Timothy relaxed the students, something would happen outside the window.

Fwoosh!

A bright light would fill the sky, followed by a loud rumbling noise from the direction of the dormitory.

Timothy would then be so startled that he would nearly press his face against the window to look outside.

“No way. This is a miracle of Holy Spirit Harden!”

Crash!

And then he would immediately break the window and jump out.

Joy didn’t seem surprised at all. She climbed back onto the podium and reopened her textbook.

“So, as I was saying, the Divine Age, also known as the Pre-Holy Era, was a time when many gods, including Hiloa, walked the earth…”

Finally, the students gave up and began to reluctantly take out their textbooks.

“This is a complete scam…”

Except for Demona, who had no book to pull out and sat there in a daze.

—

Joy didn’t seem to care much about the students who were struggling without books. She was only there to faithfully fulfill her role as Professor Timothy’s substitute.

Even if it was just the first class.

“The Four Great Families emerged after the Kingdom Era, a time of division on the continent. These families are Quillor, Wickron, Richmond, and Darc. Currently, the Darc family is officially extinct, leaving the other three as the Three Great Families.”

Up to this point, Roan was somewhat familiar with the information. 

However, the students began to murmur at Joy’s words.

— “But Darc is right there, isn’t he?”

— “Yeah, exactly.”

— “Is he a ghost or something?”

— “I could tell just by looking at him…”

Roan was taken aback by the students’ words.

‘Hey. It’s possible for a few descendants of an extinct family to survive, isn’t it!’

What’s the big deal about that? 

And somehow, they found it perfectly normal to think that the Holy Spirit, who founded the Empire 5,000 years ago, was still the principal of this academy?

“?”

Noticing the commotion among the students, Joy looked up. 

Realizing where their attention was focused, she corrected her statement. 

After all, she had just called out the name Roan Darc during attendance earlier.

“Oh sorry. The Darc family still exists. Officially, that is… Anyway, I apologize, Student Darc.”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

Roan’s calm response made Joy nod her head and continue the lesson. 

Meanwhile, a head in front of him flinched. 

Roan’s words sounded like a jab at someone.

‘Maybe because Demona keeps bringing up my family, it feels like he’s feeling guilty now.’

Surprisingly, Demona was proving useful in several ways.

“Hey, Roan.”

“What is it?”

At that moment, Demona cautiously tapped Roan’s arm and asked, “So… Are you going to have Hector stomp on Teaching Assistant Joy too?”

“…”

Roan was at a loss for words. 

Does Demona thought he was some kind of madman who seeked revenge every time someone mentioned his family? 

He never even asked Hector to do that!

—

On the way back from quickly buying dinner in the commercial district.

“Today felt unusually peaceful, didn’t it, guys?” 

Rafia stretched after climbing the cliff.

By now, she had gotten pretty used to climbing the cliff. Her friends’ talents were quite impressive too. It helped that Roan had taught them some tricks to enhance their strength using holy power.

‘Even though I can’t use them myself.’

While the methods for using magic and holy power were quite different, considering Belek was now a holy magic professor, Roan figured he could learn it too. 

In terms of theory, Roan had long surpassed the level of a new student.

“Peaceful? After you stomped on me like that?” 

Demona glared at Rafia.

Rafia avoided his gaze and responded, “Well… I did heal you completely. You said you were fine too, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. But… It still feels a bit off.”

‘Somehow, it feels like Rafia’s starting to get influenced too…’

Listening to their conversation, Roan felt an odd sense of unease. 

Rafia was originally a kind, innocent country girl type of character. 

But after hanging out with friends like Demona and Hector, she was becoming a bit more shameless.

‘If I get the chance, I should introduce her to some other good friends.’

There’s a saying that one who stays near ink gets stained black. 

If Rafia kept hanging around dark mages, even her pure nature could get corrupted. 

Roan couldn’t bear to see her completely absorbed into Demona’s dark magic talk.

But the atmosphere in the dormitory felt a bit unsettling. 

Normally, it would be quiet with only the students who had finished their classes…

“Huh? Isn’t there a fence up back there?”

Hector stretched his neck, trying to get a better look at the back of the Panroa Dormitory.

Just as he said, behind the building, around the hill where Roan had been practicing with the Blood Shard, white cloths were draped around the area. 

Inside the perimeter, quite a few people were bustling about.

Hector’s expression hardened.

“Could it be… a crime scene?”

As an Inquisitor, his profession was closely tied to criminal investigations. 

The fact that he frequently visited the court since childhood was also related to that. 

Naturally, seeing white clothes like that made him think of a crime scene.

However, Roan shook his head.

“No. Look at the cloth more carefully. If it were a crime, there would be an investigator’s seal on it. That’s just regular clothes.”

“Oh, I see… But how do you know that, Roan?”

Hector, who had been nodding in agreement, suddenly grew curious. However, Roan didn’t answer.p

‘Could it be because of the miracle earlier? No. That can’t be it.’

The white cloth was typically used by historians or archaeologists to preserve a site. If you looked closely, you could see that the cloth was worn and covered in dust.

In God and Devil, those scholars were portrayed as overly enthusiastic about miracles, and they often blocked off areas like this to conduct their research on anything they deemed valuable.

‘That miracle was probably just a lightning strike hitting a tree, causing it to catch fire.’

However, they usually didn’t make such a big fuss over minor miracles like the one that had just occurred, such as Timothy’s somewhat dramatic exit. 

The dormitory was especially under Harden’s supervision, so these half-crazy scholars couldn’t just come and go as they pleased.

— “Ooooh!”

— “It’s a miracle!”

But the occasional shouts that could be heard suggested that something unusual was going on.

“What’s happening? Aren’t you curious?”

“… Shall we go check it out?”

Rafia was clearly intrigued. She kept glancing in that direction, her steps unconsciously moving toward it.

Roan wanted to get a clearer understanding of the situation. He approached the area with his friends. 

Given that the dungeon they were targeting, which housed the choir, was near the hill behind the dormitory, it wasn’t ideal for so much attention to be focused there.

‘If things get out of hand, I might need to push this down the priority list… But it would be great to get it done within the week.’

As they approached, Beanin, who was already watching from outside the fence, recognized them.

“Oh. You guys just finished class?”

‘Does this guy not study as much as I thought?’

How was it that a second-year student always returned to the dormitory before the freshmans?

Though a bit curious, Roan decided to get straight to the point.

“Yes. Did a miracle happen here?”

“Oh, how did you know? I thought it was just a normal miracle since lightning struck, but it seems like it’s turning into a bigger deal.”

A bigger deal?

Roan tilted his head in confusion. 

The basic situation didn’t seem much different from what he knew, but it looked like there was some new development.

At that moment, Roan felt a sense of instinctual unease.

‘Wait a minute. If it’s the hill…?’

It was the exact spot where he had used the Blood Shard earlier, which coincidentally resembled the ancient fragments of Holy Blood.

Just then, a familiar voice rang out from the top of the hill.

“I found it! I found it!”

Professor Timothy, who had disappeared and left the students and the teaching assistant behind, returned. 

He was covered in dirt from head to toe and it was hard to find a clean spot on him. 

Despite his disheveled appearance, he wore a triumphant expression while holding a large stone in both hands.

— “Ooooh!”

— “Please show us, Professor!”

The waiting crowd cheered. 

Like a victorious general, Timothy lifted the stone high. 

It wasn’t just an ordinary stone. It was a holy stone. It emitted a radiant halo and brimmed with sacred light.

“This is the holy stone imbued with a miracle!”

The cheers were deafening. 

Roan frowned as he stared intently at the stone. 

Of course, even Roan couldn’t immediately recognize it as the rock he had shattered with the Blood Shard. 

At that time, it hadn’t glowed like that.

“I found it on the mountainside. At the cliff facing away from the academy! Next to it was a tree burning with holy fire! And there was also a trace of ancient holy power!”

‘Now I understand.’

After hearing Timothy’s explanation, Roan was fairly certain. 

Although he didn’t know exactly how it happened, it seemed clear that the rock Timothy had found was indeed the one he had broken.

“A holy stone… It’s astonishing to think this place is truly a sacred site.”

Meanwhile, Hector and the other first-year students were unaware of the circumstances. They nodded in awe. 

The value of a holy stone outside was truly remarkable. Whenever one was accidentally discovered, a temple would immediately be erected at the site, and the stone would be enshrined without delay.

— “Eh. A holy stone?”

— “What? It’s just an ordinary holy stone.”

— “I thought they had found a spring that oozes honey or something.”

The older students gathered outside the fence began to disperse, disappointed.

In Akerandir, a holy stone was nothing more than a pretty rock. It was not particularly shocking.

However, Roan was worried.

‘… What if they discover traces of dark magic while researching it?’

He couldn’t easily turn away, and a drop of cold sweat trickled down his forehead. 

Despite their fanatical appearance, these people were all renowned scholars. 

Professor Timothy, in particular, was so obsessed with miracles and relics that he accepted a position at Akerandir just to study Harden’s miracles.

Swoosh!

At that moment, as if he were a ghost, Harden appeared before Roan.

“Ahh! A ghost!” 

Demona screamed and fell backward in shock.

“… What’s with this guy?” 

Harden looked down at him with a shocked expression.