Chapter 73: Good Healer (1) |
*
The day after my heart-to-heart with Freya.
"Freya, are you feeling better now?"
"Yes. Thanks to Older Brother and Unnie."
"I hear you've been honing your skills with Erika at dawn. Aren't you tired?"
"I am, but Unnie is waiting for me, so I can't possibly oversleep."
"If you say so. But don't push yourself too hard."
"Thank you, Older Brother."
Fortunately, Freya's condition improved quickly.
That's why, back when I was a Trauma surgeon, the thing I considered most important was Ward Rounds.
Caring for a patient when they regained consciousness to ensure no mental scars remained.
That was what our department considered the role of Trauma Surgery.
'I should check on the other students, not just Freya.'
Come to think of it, I needed to have regular consultations with the other students too.
I also had to check on Karl, who was hospitalized in the Infirmary.
I still had a mountain of things to do.
But today, there was a schedule I had to take care of first.
"Teacher. It has been a while."
"I heard there was a big Incident. Are you alright?"
It was to visit my Teacher's Laboratory.
Above all, there were a few things I needed to handle.
The moment my Teacher saw me, he first asked about my well-being.
"I'm fine. I wasn't the one in danger during this incident."
"I see. Then are your Scholarship Students and Younger Sister alright?"
"One of them was in a bit of danger, but I think I'll be able to manage the situation somehow."
"Good. That's all I needed to hear. I'm sure you'll navigate it well. But if it truly becomes difficult, tell me."
My Teacher let out a sigh of relief and poured me some tea.
I accepted the tea and got to the Main Point.
"Actually, regarding that, I'd like to have a serious talk with you today."
"What is it?"
"It's about hiding my Social status."
My Teacher nodded calmly and sipped his tea.
It was a gesture telling me he was listening and to continue.
"Until now, thanks to the Board of Inspection's Protective surveillance, I've been able to separate the identities of Director Schun and Yulian. But I don't think that will be enough."
The fact that there had been no Connection Link between Director Schun and Yulian Nihilrit until now was largely due to the Board of Inspection's work.
Thanks to the added Power of the Misunderstanding Genre, Director Schun's identity was well-hidden even without any special Effort on my part.
However, this Incident made me feel that it wasn't enough.
With the Scholarship Students being kidnapped, and moreover, Freya accidentally getting involved, I couldn't just rely on the Board of Inspection and the Misunderstanding Genre.
So, I wanted to refer to my Teacher's methods.
"It seems I need to hide it more thoroughly. I would like to learn from the way you hide your identity, Teacher."
My Teacher looked at me silently.
"I understand the Question, but before I answer, let me confirm one thing. Why do you think your identity has been hidden until now?"
"Because the Board of Inspection does a good job of Information Control... and because I've been lucky?"
A deep sigh escaped my Teacher's lips.
"You've been cooped up in your Laboratory and Consultation Room for so long, to think you're this clueless about how the world works..."
My Teacher mumbled as he set down his Teacup.
"This makes me worry if I can even let you be independent."
"...Teacher?"
Why is he saying the exact same thing my Professor in charge used to tell me.
Of course, it's true I have no interest in the secular world.
But I'm rather proud to say that I know a little about what's going on in the world.
— "Older Brother. Try naming just three families that our family is close to."
"..."
It's purely a coincidence that Freya's words came to mind just now.
"Yulian. From now on, I will correct your misunderstandings one by one."
My Teacher said, placing a hand on my Shoulder.
"Yulian. If it were really because of luck, have you never found it strange that the High-ranking Nobles above the Board of Inspection don't know your identity?"
"Isn't it because I'm insignificant in their eyes?"
"A noble to whom an Imperial Prince would offer the position of Exclusive Healer?"
"..."
Come to think of it, he's right.
Even if others didn't know, it was strange that Imperial Prince Edmund, the Person in Real Power in The Military, wouldn't know my secret.
No matter how independent an Organization the Board of Inspection was from The Military.
As if answering my Doubt, my Teacher took a sip of tea and continued.
"To give you the Correct Answer first, it's because of the Authority that Information itself implies."
"Authority?"
"Yes. Have you ever thought about why the secrets of the Imperial Family are managed so strictly? Because the Board of Inspection's Information Control is perfect? No. Perfect Information Control doesn't exist in the first place."
My Teacher tapped his finger on the table.
"The real reason the Imperial Family's secrets are kept is because the very act of trying to uncover them is Impiety. If you're caught investigating the Imperial Family's information, that alone constitutes the Crime of Impiety. It doesn't matter whether you obtained the Information or not. The very fact that you tried to dig is the Crime."
I knew that.
That's why people hastily stop their Investigation if they catch a whiff of a connection to the Imperial Court.
Whether intentional or not.
Because if you cross the line without realizing it, your entire family could just experience Disappearance.
It's a similar reason to why Wangcho stopped his Investigation of Director Schun in the past.
Because if you investigate needlessly and get entangled with a noble, your life becomes exhausting.
"Even among the Imperial Family, digging into each other's information can be seen as a Declaration of War. Not too long ago, there was a Bloodbath over the Competition for the throne. So they react sensitively to each other."
"When you say 'not too long ago'... when are you referring to?"
"About 200 years ago."
"..."
Leaving aside whether the expression 'not too long ago' is appropriate for an event from 200 years ago.
"It's the same for you. Your identity is being strictly managed so that not even the Imperial Family can easily uncover it."
"Is it because I am your Disciple, Teacher?"
The Connection I made with Imperial Prince Edmund is recent, so the timing doesn't fit.
And there's no one from the Imperial Family among my family or my Connections.
By process of elimination, my connection with my Teacher must be the reason.
"You also receive Status comparable to the Imperial Family, don't you, Teacher?"
The Status of a Great Sage is on par with the Emperor.
This is because he is The Very Person who raised a nobody boy to become the First Emperor.
It means he's in the Merlin Position from the Arthurian Legend.
"Well... that's not entirely wrong."
But it seemed my answer wasn't the correct one.
My Teacher's reaction was nothing but lukewarm.
"Hmm... for now, it's enough for you to know that you have Some Kind of Connection to the Imperial Court."
In any case, I understood.
This explained why even Imperial Prince Edmund didn't know my identity.
Only then did I realize that what protected my secret wasn't luck or the Power of the Misunderstanding Genre.
However, there was one thing I still couldn't accept.
"But, Teacher. My Scholarship Students were kidnapped this time. If the wall protecting me is so thick, why weren't the Scholarship Students inside it?"
"Are they as precious to you as your family?"
I shook my head.
Of course, the Scholarship Students are precious, as they are children I have raised.
But if asked if they were as precious as family, they weren't.
"Then if they were taken as Hostages and you were asked to Exchange yourself or your family for them, would you willingly do so?"
Again, I shook my head.
Honestly, not to that extent.
"In that case, why should the Board of Inspection protect them?"
"..."
"Of course, if something were to happen to them, you would be hurt. If they were offered as a Sacrifice, a troublesome Curse could be cast. But that's all. It wouldn't pose a Threat to your Life or Personal Safety."
"..."
Come to think of it, he's right.
The strength of a Curse is determined by how close the Sacrifice is.
Even if the students became Sacrifices, it wouldn't create a Curse directly linked to my Life.
Thus, the Board of Inspection must have judged that the secrets regarding the Scholarship Students weren't worth protecting.
"It can't be helped. If they were to protect every single Connection, the Board of Inspection would have to protect all of Humanity. They have no choice but to draw a line."
It was a rather realistic reason.
And I found myself accepting that reason.
"And one more thing."
My Teacher raised a finger.
"The Board of Inspection is a place that protects your secret, not a place that directly protects you."
"..."
"Their line is drawn at controlling Information and managing it so your identity doesn't leak. They are not Bodyguards."
"..."
My Teacher looked at me.
"Do you now understand why I told you to personally protect your surroundings?"
"I understand perfectly, Teacher."
"It's good that you understand now. Then, let's return to your Question. You asked how to hide your identity. Are you still curious about that?"
I shook my head.
"I'm curious about what I must do to protect My People."
"Yes. A good Question."
My Teacher nodded with a satisfied expression.
***
Great Sage Louis nodded as he looked at the boy before him.
He had always been that kind of child.
The kind of child who always looks at the world with an Optimistic view.
The kind of child who thinks everything will work out fine.
Of course, that wasn't a bad thing.
Thanks to that Field of view, he wasn't discouraged by Failure and could continue to achieve Genius-like feats.
But on the other hand, a part of his heart felt heavy.
'Poor thing. You wish to remain pure, but the world won't leave you be.'
Louis also hated this Reality.
A Reality where he couldn't freely meet his family, where his Disciples had to hide themselves away completely.
But this was Reality.
As a teacher, he couldn't speak of Idealism forever.
Thus, he had to be careful to speak of Reality without breaking Yulian's optimism.
"Then, about the Scholarship Students, there is only one way."
Louis pointed to his own chest.
"Do you know why my Disciples are all Masters of a Magic Tower?"
Yulian shook his head.
"It's because I wouldn't take in Mediocre People who couldn't reach that level."
Louis recalled a pair of Imperial Siblings.
Members of the Imperial Family who possessed an outstanding sense related to Time, for whom the Great Sage himself had volunteered to be a Guardian.
But he did not take the two as his Disciples.
Because with their Talent and Power of Ideas, they would not have been able to handle that Connection.
And the reason he took Yulian as his Disciple was because he had more than enough Talent to handle that Connection.
The Great Sage wanted to speak of this part.
"The best way is to raise all your Connections to a level where they can protect themselves."
The Great Sage has an Ironclad Rule.
If they don't have at least the Talent of a Master of a Magic Tower, he doesn't take them in from the start.
In other words, if he took them in, it meant he would be responsible for them until they were on par with a Master of a Magic Tower.
"It's the same for your Scholarship Students. Even if the Nation doesn't protect them, if they are so precious to you, then you must raise them at least until they can protect themselves."
"..."
"Does it seem impossible?"
Yulian shook his head.
"No, if it's those children, they can do it."
"Good. Then take responsibility for those children until the very end."
It might be quite a heavy Burden for Yulian.
But this child would be able to do it.
In fact, the children Yulian had taken in were all children who harbored a Unique Talent.
Especially the two Daughters of a certain Priestess that Louis had recommended.
'Those children possessed quite an interesting Talent.'
Had Yulian noticed that Talent too?
It seemed like he had.
The Great Sage continued speaking with that thought in mind.
"Speaking of which, it seems you need to hide your identity more properly. May I examine the Mask and Fedora you wear?"
"I've brought them."
Yulian handed over the hat and Mask.
The Great Sage turned the Mask over and over, then nodded.
"A rather good Perception Disruption is applied to this. With this, unless someone saw you take off the hat, they wouldn't recognize you even if they heard your Voice. It doesn't seem like this part needs any special work."
"That's a relief."
"It would also be good to have as few people who know the secret as possible. Besides your family, that imposing Guild Master, and that Hyena friend from Limbus Pit, is there anyone else who knows your secret?"
"My Assistant and Private Soldiers know."
"Anyone else? Do the Scholarship Students know, by any chance?"
"Those children wouldn't know."
"Then that's fine."
The Great Sage returned the Mask and Fedora.
"So, do you intend to start working in earnest under the name Yulian as well?"
"Yes. The name Yulian Schnabel will be for the Expert in Black magic and Forensic Medicine, and Director Schun for Medicine and Alchemy. I intend to completely separate the two people's Fields of expertise."
"A good Idea. If their Fields of expertise don't overlap, there will be no reason to suspect they are the Same Person."
I don't know how effective it will be, but it's a hundred times better than doing nothing.
The Great Sage nodded in satisfaction.
"Protecting your people, and hiding your identity, in the end, it all depends on how strong you become."
"I'll have to put in more Effort."
"Good."
The Great Sage took a sip of tea and changed the Topic of conversation.
"Then, let's talk about something else."
His tone became much lighter.
"I hear you're going to teach a Black Magic Defense Course under your name?"
"Have rumors already spread?"
"The Imperial Prince came to get my Permission first."
"Ah."
"You'll need an Academic Paper to teach."
"Yes. I'll need to be recognized at the Arcane Olympiad, at the very least."
The Arcane Olympiad.
It's what is commonly called the Autumn Academic Conference.
It's also an Annual Event where Great Sage Louis is the Head Judge.
To become a Professor at the Empire's Imperial Academy, one had to present at least one Academic Paper there.
This was something that couldn't be helped, even with a Recommendation from the Imperial Prince.
Of course, for Yulian, passing the Judgment there wouldn't be difficult.
"In that case, I cannot get involved, for the sake of Fairness."
"Yes. I plan to conduct this Research on my own as well."
"I see."
Louis rubbed Under the chin for a moment.
"...Perhaps, could you just give me a Hint about the Research topic?"
Giving Feedback on the Research would definitely go against Fairness.
But just hearing the topic wouldn't go against Fairness.
The Great Sage asked with that thought.
Yulian nodded.
"I already have something in mind."
"Oho..."
What kind of Research will he surprise me with this time?
The Great Sage waited for the Research topic with an excited heart.
"Since I'll be teaching the Black Magic Defense Course, it would be best to submit an Academic Paper related to it."
"I'm telling you just in case, but presenting the treatment method for the Demon Disease is forbidden."
"I haven't even finished organizing it all, nor have I found a way for the Mass Production of the Catalyst."
That's right.
He said that since there isn't just one or two diseases called the Demon Disease, it wasn't an amount that could be organized in just a few years.
Furthermore, I heard the Catalyst was also a problem.
I heard that the Catalyst used to treat the Demon Disease that day—the Steroid—was barely made by grinding thousands of Pig Adrenal Glands.
Because of that terrible Yield, the Research Progress is even slower.
Presenting on the Demon Disease was still a story for the distant Future.
"Then what will you present about Black magic? Are you thinking of presenting on the Vaccine?"
"Isn't that a bit too cliché?"
The more Yulian said that, the more the Great Sage's heart began to flutter.
Then, does that mean there's a discovery even greater than that?
A discovery that would make his heart race, just like when the Vaccine was made?
Finally, after a pause, Yulian opened his mouth.
"As expected, to teach the Hero Department students, wouldn't it be best to submit an Academic Paper related to Scenarios that Black Sorcerers could misuse?"
"I suppose... so?"
Since it is, after all, a Course related to the Defense against black magic.
It was certainly a valid point.
"In that case, I plan to write a Scenario about Lead."
"...?"
"I can't go into detail, but I intend to write an Academic Paper on a Scenario where Black Sorcerers can misuse the Lead that Wizards use."
"..."
In that moment, a scene flashed through the Great Sage's mind.
A distant past.
The face of the Yulian from another world, glimpsed through his dream.
"I believe that would cause a great Repercussion in Magic Academia."
Yulian smiled brightly.
At the same time, the Great Sage's back became damp with cold sweat.
Indeed.
Along with the thought of whether it was really okay to let him conduct this Research.
