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#149. Inferior Beings (2)
“Well, have a good time!”
The disciple gasped in fear of Ray and bowed his head so that it touched the ground.
And then he ran out quickly as if he was running away and closed the door.
Squeak─! Bang!
‘What a loser. How dare he act like that in front of customers.’
“Tsk.”
Binjin, who had been clicking her tongue without realizing it, looked back at Ray and smiled brightly as if asking when he had frowned.
“You must be hungry, so let’s have a meal and chat. I’ll show you around the mansion later.”
Ray and Binjin sat across from each other at the table and began eating.
widely.
“It’s a dish of fermented onions on top of boiled pork. Try it.”
widely.
“This is a sirloin steak topped with demi-glace sauce. You should try this too.”
widely.
“This is a dish of marinated chicken fried in oil and sprinkled with seasoning.”
All kinds of food came rushing towards Ray.
I turned my head, but all I could see on the table was meat dishes.
This is a bit… .
‘Not bad.’
Ray started eating.
“I did some more research on elves and the Old World, to see if there was anything I missed.”
Binjin’s bowl was filled with emotions of anticipation, exploration, and curiosity.
Even though I didn’t say anything in response, he continued talking passionately on his own.
“The ruins are the most powerful evidence of the past. You said you would visit them in person to regain your memories, but please be careful….”
A tale of old times and elves.
It was quite detailed and informative.
Ray organized the newly learned information into a bookshelf in his head.
Meanwhile, I couldn’t take my eyes off the tower visible outside the window behind Binjin.
‘…There’s something over there.’
It was a feeling that I can only describe as truly strange.
A high level of risk was detected.
Because at the same time, it felt familiar.
“That’s why young explorers these days give up on exploration if they encounter even the slightest difficulty.”
“I see.”
“The presence of traps and keepers is proof that there are rare artifacts on the other side. It wasn’t like that when I was active.”
“That sounds right.”
The plates on the table were soon neatly emptied.
Binjin wiped his mouth with a napkin and spoke in a slightly raised voice.
“It was a really informative meeting. This is the first time I’ve had such a great conversation with someone. I dare to call them soulmates.”
Exactly!
As Binjin waved his hand, a group of disciples who had been waiting outside came in.
“Excuse me, I’ll clear the plate for you.”
“Poem, did you enjoy your meal?”
They were clearly nervous and cleared the table while keeping an eye on Binjin.
Ray thought.
‘Are they all in class C?’
Binjin said that he divided his students into three groups based on their skills.
Class A is a class where all students are ring holders, and the top students are excellent at both theory and practice, and can even aim to enter the Magic Tower.
Class B is a mix of ring holders and non-holders, and is comprised of those who excel in either theory or practice.
And Class C, which is comprised of people who do not have rings and are inexperienced in both theory and practice.
“Each class has 10 students. The class size can change at any time through periodic evaluations.”
Binjin added.
To encourage competition among students and motivate them to learn.
“Tsk, I’ll clean it up for you.”
None of them had rings.
Also, none of the B class members who remembered the physical features were visible.
It is natural to conclude that they are all from Class C… .
Clang!
Then a sharp sound rang out.
“I’m sorry! I, I made a mistake… .”
Perhaps because he was so nervous, one of his disciples dropped and broke a plate while clearing the table.
Actually, objectively speaking, it wasn’t that big of a deal.
The plate was empty after all the food had been eaten, and the plate itself was a ready-made product that could be easily found on the street.
No one was injured.
But Binjin’s anger was like fire.
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“Tch, you loser. Do you really have to act like this in front of your guests?”
The admonitions poured out naturally, as if they were waiting for prey.
“Jacob, these mistakes are all due to your lax mental state. I have been telling you what to correct, but compared to then, nothing has changed even a little. Do you really think that you can live with something hanging on your shoulder?”
The tone was calm, but the content was extremely sharp.
As the harsh words continued, Jacob, who had broken a plate, lowered his head.
His face turned pale and tears began to well up, and the blue mana in the bowl began to shake and swell violently.
Feelings of inferiority, low self-esteem, depression.
It was a feeling of self-hatred.
The reactions of the other disciples were not much different.
He lowered his head as if he were the one being criticized, and didn’t know what to do.
Their blue mana also expanded.
‘This is… just like on the first floor earlier… .’
It was an emotional contagion.
A phenomenon in which one person’s emotions spread to all directions, although the exact mechanism and method are unknown.
If the contagion had ended with the disciples, it would have been passed over as just an occasional phenomenon.
But─
“That’s why you can’t build a ring for years.”
─At those words, the blue mana in Binjin’s own vessel also swelled.
To be exact, it was dark blue mana.
A navy blue that is infinitely close to black.
It was the same colored mana that was contained in the bowl and ring of the wizard of the monocle.
At that time, I lacked knowledge and experience, so I simply remembered the color and moved on.
But not now.
‘A heart that hates itself, with the added malice of wanting to harm others.’
At first glance, Binjin seemed to have very high self-esteem.
He always maintained a ‘gap’ attitude when dealing with others, including Amon and his disciples.
Even when viewed objectively, he had wealth and knowledge that were the envy of others.
…but.
According to the types and distribution of emotions displayed in the bowl, he had a strong inferiority complex about himself.
‘Why?’
What on earth don’t you like?
Ray, who was closely observing Binjin as he continued to scold, soon witnessed a certain phenomenon.
Two rings located on Binjin’s chest.
Above that, a dot of mana orbiting to form a third ring.
‘The orbital speed is infinitely slow.’
It was a speed that was no different from standing still.
As if moving forward through a damp swamp.
At that speed, no matter how much time passed, I would never reach the next circle.
Since he was basically a boy with no interest in others, it was a fact he had not realized.
“Inferior, inadequate, incompetent. Tsk tsk, what’s so hard about moving up one circle?”
A ring where growth has stopped.
Because of this, Binjin’s harsh words sometimes sounded like he was hurling them at himself.
“Get out of here. I don’t want to see that foolish face.”
“Okay, I’ll clean up the broken dishes.”
“Okay, that’s enough. I’ll clean it up.”
Bam!
The door opened automatically at Binjin’s gesture.
The students of Class C finished clearing the table as if they were being chased and left the room in a hurry.
“I’m sorry. I made you look so embarrassed.”
From Ray’s point of view, it didn’t matter.
However, according to Veronica’s “Ray’s Guide to Etiquette for 10,000 Everyday Situations,” it seemed more shameful to continue such lectures in front of guests.
Woof.
The dark blue mana that shot out from Binjin’s hand moved through the air like a snake.
Crackle! Crackle!
The broken pieces of the bowl froze solid as soon as they touched the mana.
Floating into the air by the force of the flame, it was instantly enveloped in a super-heated flame and disappeared from the spot.
“… … .”
Ray couldn’t take his eyes off the series of events.
Because both the ice and the flames were black, and black smoke was rising from their place.
Binjin felt Ray’s gaze and asked.
“Why are you doing that?”
“Because the color of magic is unique.”
“Oh, you mean color? I use a slightly special method.”
Binjin said that he kept all the elements inside the ring mixed together like muddy water.
“If you take this method, all the elements will be dissolved in the ring no matter where you extract the mana. This means that the time required to select elements can be shortened significantly.”
Actually, just a moment ago, ice and flames were created at a very fast speed.
Ray looked at Binjin’s ring.
First and second rings.
They were all filled with dark blue mana.
‘… It really is an abnormal shape.’
Normally, each ring should show a different element distribution.
The types and ratios of elements contained in the ring were determined based on the personality and temperament of the wizard at the time of ring construction.
That is, such a form cannot be established.
Unless a miracle happens where the first and second rings are created perfectly simultaneously.
In addition, it is originally impossible to maintain elements within a ring, which have a strong tendency to cluster together in the same series, in a constantly mixed state.
“Are you using a special method?”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s a technique I developed independently. When you apply it, the magic causes a color change like this.”
Binjin added with shining eyes.
“Are you interested? It’s a very secret and precious procedure, but… I think it would be possible for me to offer it to a wizard who is very good at communicating.”
The emotions of anticipation and greed swelled in Binjin’s bowl, swelling its size.
From the beginning, you could tell that the magic had been used with the intention of bringing this up.
‘It’s a procedure.’
I didn’t really intend to make the ring like that.
Although the casting speed of magic would certainly increase explosively, it also showed a clear and fatal drawback.
‘There are many elements that are unnecessarily discarded when using magic.’
Although not as pure as black mana, Binjin’s dark blue mana also had all kinds of elements dissolved in it.
Fire world, ice world, reinforcement, connection.
Speed, restraint, manipulation, blocking, control… .
Just like how I created ice and flame a little while ago, I was able to use multiple types of magic with just one dark blue mana.
But that means, in other words, that depending on the magic used, there are elements that are discarded.
‘It may be able to produce high destructive power in a short period of time, but its durability cannot be guaranteed.’
It was like black mana.
Ray first focused on another part of what Binjin had said.
“It’s interesting, but… is it a method you developed independently?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“On your own, without any help from others?”
“Of course.”
The emotions contained in Binjin’s bowl caused tremors throughout the entire place.
‘lie.’
It is not a method developed independently.
It means that Binjin may belong to some group or that there may be someone behind him.
The person that immediately comes to mind is.
‘…the wizard of the one-eyed glasses.’
A small excitement rose in the boy’s chest.
I felt like I was one step closer to my goal for revenge.
But first, be careful.
Also, there was a need to be vigilant.
If you’re in league with the one-eyed wizard, then Binjin is also your enemy.
I will calmly, calmly, and quietly wander around, exploring the information.
“How are you interested in the procedure?”
“I’d like to hear the story at least once.”
The corners of Binjin’s lips rose in an unseen manner.
“Okay. Let’s move to another room to talk. First, let’s go to my lab in the next room…”
Ray didn’t miss the opportunity to get information.
“The room next door? I thought that tower outside the window was the lab.”
“Oh, you mean that tower?”
Binjin followed Ray and turned his gaze towards the window.
“That’s not a research lab. It’s a kind of laboratory. And if the wizard listens and agrees, it’s also where the procedure will take place.”
“… … .”
At the top, a sense of unease was still felt, the source of which was unknown.
Ray, who had thought and judged a lot for a short moment, said:
“Speaking of which, I wish we could have the conversation in that tower instead of in the room next door. If I’m going to have the procedure done, I’d like to look around the place beforehand.”