Chapter 73
*
The day after my candid conversation with Freya.
“Freya, are you feeling better now?”
“Yes. Thanks to my brother and sister.”
“You've been training with Eri every dawn lately. Aren't you tired?”
“I am tired, but my sister is waiting for me, so I can't sleep in.”
“If that's how you feel. Still, don't push yourself too hard.”
“Thank you, brother.”
Fortunately, Freya's condition improved quickly.
As expected, since it was still early, even a little attention was enough to make her this much better.
So back when I was a trauma surgeon, the thing I valued most was rounds.
Caring for patients so they wouldn't be left with psychological scars when they came to.
Because that was what our department believed the role of trauma surgery was.
‘I should probably check on the other students too, not just Freya.’
Come to think of it, I needed to keep counseling the other students as well.
I also had to check on Cal, who was hospitalized in the infirmary.
There was still a mountain of work ahead of me.
But today, there was a schedule I had to handle first.
“Master. It's been a while.”
“You said there was trouble. Are you all right?”
I was here to visit my master's laboratory.
More than anything, there were a few things I had to take care of.
The Master asked after my well-being as soon as he saw me.
“I'm fine. I wasn't the one in danger in this incident.”
“I see. Then what about your scholarship students and your sisters?”
“One friend was a little endangered, but I think I can still manage to sort things out somehow.”
“I see. That's all I needed to hear. If it's you, you'll work things out just fine. But if it ever gets too hard, tell me.”
The Master let out a relieved sigh and poured me some tea.
I took the tea and got to the point.
“Actually, I wanted to have a serious talk about that today.”
“What is it?”
“It's about hiding my identity.”
The Master nodded calmly and sipped his tea.
It was his way of telling me to keep talking.
“Up until now, thanks to the Inspection Bureau's protective oversight, we've been able to keep Shun Isa and Yulian separate. But I don't think that's enough.”
So far, the lack of any link between Shun Isa and Yulian Nihirit had been largely thanks to the Inspection Bureau's maneuvering.
Added to that, the power of the misunderstanding trope had helped, so even though I hadn't made any special effort, Shun Isa's identity had been well hidden.
But this incident made me feel that wasn't enough.
With the scholarship students kidnapped and, worse, Freya dragged into it by chance, I couldn't rely only on the Inspection Bureau and the misunderstanding trope.
So I wanted to use the Master's methods as a reference.
“It seems I need to hide it more securely. I'd like to learn from the way you conceal your identity, Master.”
The Master looked at me silently.
“I understand your question, but before I answer, let me confirm one thing. Why do you think your identity has remained hidden until now?”
“Because the Inspection Bureau handles information control well... and because I'm lucky?”
A deep sigh escaped the Master's lips.
“You stay cooped up in your laboratory and clinic, and yet you still don't know how the world turns...”
The Master muttered as he set down his teacup.
“I'm starting to worry whether it was a good idea to let you out on your own.”
“...Master?”
Why was he repeating exactly the words I'd once heard from my supervising professor?
Of course, it's true that I'm not interested in worldly affairs.
But I'd like to think I know at least a little about what's going on in the world.
— “Brother. Just name three noble houses that are on friendly terms with ours.”
“...”
It was purely a coincidence that Freya's words came to mind.
“Yulian. From here on, I'll correct your misconceptions one by one.”
The Master said this as he placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Yulian. If it really were just luck, have you never found it odd that the high-ranking nobles even above the Inspection Bureau don't know your identity?”
“Is it because, in their eyes, I'm insignificant?”
“A noble important enough for the prince himself to offer a dedicated healer to?”
“...”
Come to think of it, that did make sense.
Even if others didn't know, it was strange that Prince Edmund, the military's real power holder, didn't know my secret.
No matter how independent the Inspection Bureau was from the military, that still shouldn't happen.
As if answering that question, the Master continued speaking after taking a sip of tea.
“To give you the answer first: it's because of the authority inherent in information itself.”
“Authority?”
“Yes. Have you ever thought about why imperial family secrets are managed so strictly? Because the Inspection Bureau's information control is perfect? No. Perfect information control doesn't exist in the first place.”
The Master tapped the table with a finger.
“The real reason imperial family secrets are protected is that the very act of prying is sacrilege. If you're caught probing imperial information, that alone becomes sacrilege. Whether you got the information or not doesn't matter. The act of trying to pry in the first place is itself a sin.”
I knew that.
So when you're digging for information and catch even a whiff of something connected to the Imperial Family, you stop investigating in a hurry.
Whether intentionally or not.
Because if you cross the line without realizing it, there are cases where your whole house can vanish.
It was a similar reason to why Wangcho had stopped investigating Shun Isa in the past.
Because if you poke around and get tangled up with nobles, life becomes a pain.
“Even among imperial family members, digging into one another's secrets can be seen as a declaration of war. Not too long ago, there was a bloodbath over the succession struggle, after all. So it's only natural they'd react sensitively.”
“When you say not too long ago... when are you referring to?”
“About 200 years ago.”
“...”
Putting aside whether an event from 200 years ago can really be called not too long ago...
“The same goes for you. Your identity is being managed so strictly that even the imperial family can't easily dig into it.”
“Because I'm your disciple?”
The connection I'd formed with Prince Edmund was recent, so the timing didn't fit.
And there were no imperial family members among my family or acquaintances.
By elimination, my connection with the Master had to be the reason.
“Master, aren't you also treated almost like royalty?”
The Great Sage's status was on par with the Emperor's.
That was because this man had been the one to raise the first emperor from an ordinary boy.
That made him basically Merlin from the Arthurian legends.
“Well... that's not entirely wrong.”
But it seemed my answer wasn't the right one.
The Master's reaction was thoroughly reluctant.
“Hmm... for now, it's enough just to know that you have some kind of connection to the imperial family.”
In any case, I understood.
That explained why even 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 trope.
But even so, there was one part I still couldn't quite accept.
“But, Master. My scholarship students were kidnapped this time. If the wall protecting me is that thick, why weren't the students included in it?”
“Are they as precious to you as your family?”
I shook my head.
Of course, the scholarship students are precious to me, since they're children I've raised.
But if you ask whether they're as precious as my family, then not quite.
“Then if they were taken hostage and someone demanded to trade them for you or your family, would you be willing to do so?”
I shook my head again.
Honestly, not even that much.
“Then why should the Inspection Bureau protect them?”
“...”
“Of course, if something happened to them, you'd be hurt. And if they were offered up as sacrifices, you might be able to cast some troublesome curse. But that's all. They can't threaten your life or personal safety.”
“...”
Come to think of it, that was true.
The strength of a curse is determined by how close the sacrifice was to you.
Even if the students were used as sacrifices, it wouldn't create a curse directly tied to my life.
So the Inspection Bureau had judged that it wasn't worth keeping secrets about the scholarship students.
“It can't be helped. If the Inspection Bureau protected every connection, it'd amount to protecting all of humanity. You have to draw the line somewhere.”
It was a fairly realistic reason.
And I was the one who found that explanation convincing.
“And one more thing.”
The Master raised one finger.
“The Inspection Bureau is a place that protects your secrets, not a place that directly protects you.”
“...”
“Their line ends at controlling information and managing it so your identity doesn't leak out. They're not bodyguards.”
“...”
The Master looked at me.
“Do you understand now why I once told you to have the people around you protected directly?”
“I understand, Master.”
“Now that you know, that's enough. Then let's go back to your question. You asked how to hide your identity—do you still want to know that?”
I shook my head.
“What I want to know is how I should protect my people.”
“Good. That's a fine question.”
The Master nodded with a satisfied look.
***
Great Sage Louis nodded as he looked at the boy before him.
He had always been that kind of child.
A child who looked at the world with unfailing optimism.
A child who thought everything would work out just fine.
Of course, that wasn't a bad thing.
Because that outlook let him keep accomplishing brilliant feats without shrinking back from failure.
But at the same time, it left a melancholy ache in one corner of his heart.
‘Poor thing. You want to stay pure, but the world won't leave you alone.’
Louis also hated this reality.
A reality where he couldn't meet his family whenever he wanted, and where even his disciples had to hide themselves away.
But this was reality.
As a teacher, he couldn't keep preaching idealism forever.
So he had to be careful to tell Yulian the truth without crushing his optimism.
“Then as for your scholarship students, there is only one way.”
Louis pointed to his own chest.
“Do you know why all of my disciples are Tower Lords?”
Yulian shook his head.
“Because I don't take in mediocre youngsters who can't reach that level.”
Louis thought of a pair of imperial siblings.
Imperial royals with an exceptional sense for time, whom the Great Sage himself had once offered to take under his wing.
But he hadn't taken the two of them as disciples.
Because their talent and ingenuity wouldn't have been able to handle that connection.
And the reason he'd taken Yulian in as a disciple was that Yulian had more than enough talent to bear that connection.
This was the part the Great Sage wanted to get across.
“The best way is to raise all your connections to a level where they can protect themselves.”
The Great Sage had one ironclad rule.
“If they don't at least have the talent of a Tower Lord, I don't take them in from the start.”
In other words, if he did take them in, he would be responsible for them until they were on par with a Tower Lord.
“Your scholarship students are the same. Even if the country doesn't protect them, if they're that precious to you, then at the very least you need to raise them until they can protect themselves.”
“...”
“Does that seem impossible?”
Yulian shook his head.
“No, those kids can do it.”
“Good. Then take responsibility for those children to the very end.”
It might have been a rather heavy burden for Yulian.
But if it was this boy, he could do it.
In fact, the children Yulian had taken in were all kids with unusual talents.
Especially the two daughters of a certain priestess that Louis had recommended.
‘Those girls had some rather interesting talents.’
Had Yulian noticed that talent too?
“Looks like he had.”
The Great Sage continued speaking with that thought in mind.
“Since the topic has come up, I suppose you need to hide your identity even more thoroughly. May I take a look at the mask and top hat you're using now?”
“I brought them.”
Yulian handed over the hat and mask.
The Great Sage turned the mask this way and that, then nodded.
“A fairly strong perception-dulling effect has been applied. At this rate, anyone who hasn't seen you take off the hat wouldn't recognize you even by your voice. There's no need to adjust this part in particular.”
“That's a relief.”
“It would be best to keep the number of people who know your secret as small as possible. Besides your family, that imposing merchant guildmaster, and that hyena friend of yours from Limbus Pit, are there any others who know it?”
“I have my assistant and my soldiers.”
“Anyone else? Do the scholarship students know?”
“Those kids wouldn't know.”
“Then that's settled.”
The Great Sage handed back the mask and top hat.
“Then do you plan to work seriously under Yulian's name as well?”
“Yes. For black magic and forensic science, I'll be Yulian Schnabel, and for medicine and alchemy, Shun Isa. I plan to keep the two fields completely separate.”
“Good idea. If the fields don't overlap, there'll be no reason to suspect the two are the same person.”
I didn't know how effective it would be, but it was a hundred times better than doing nothing.
The Great Sage nodded with satisfaction.
“Protecting your people and hiding your identity both ultimately come down to how strong you become.”
“I suppose I'll have to try harder.”
“Good.”
The Great Sage took a sip of tea and changed the subject.
“Then let us talk about something else.”
His tone became much lighter.
“I hear you're going to teach the Black Magic Defense course under your own name?”
“Has the rumor already spread?”
“The prince came to me first to ask for permission.”
“Ah.”
“To teach, you'll need a paper.”
“Yes. At the very least, it has to be recognized at the Arcane Olympiad.”
The Arcane Olympiad.
The place commonly called the Autumn Academic Conference.
It's also an annual event where Great Sage Louis serves as the chief judge.
To become a professor at the Imperial Academy, you had to present at least one paper there.
Even the prince's recommendation couldn't get around that.
Of course, for Yulian, passing the review there wouldn't be difficult.
“Then for fairness, I shouldn't get involved.”
“Yes. I plan to carry out this research by myself as well.”
“I see.”
Louis rubbed under his chin for a moment.
“...Could you perhaps just hint at the research topic?”
It was clearly unfair to give feedback on the research.
But merely hearing the topic wouldn't be unfair.
The Great Sage asked with that thought in mind.
Yulian nodded.
“I already have something in mind.”
“Oh ho...”
What other research would surprise me this time?
The Great Sage waited eagerly for the research topic.
“Since I'll be teaching the Black Magic Defense course, it would be best to submit a paper related to that, wouldn't it?”
“Just in case, presenting a cure for Demon Disease is off-limits.”
“I haven't even finished sorting it all out yet, and I still haven't found a way to mass-produce the catalyst.”
That was right.
There wasn't just one disease called Demon Disease, so it wasn't something that could be sorted out in a few years.
On top of that, the catalyst was also a problem.
I heard the catalyst used that day to treat Demon Disease—steroids—was only made by grinding up thousands of pig adrenal glands.
Because the yield was so terrible, research progress was even slower.
Presenting on Demon Disease was still a matter for the distant future.
“Then what are you planning to present on for black magic? Are you planning to present on vaccines?”
“Wouldn't that be too clichéd?”
The more Yulian said that, the more the Great Sage's heart began to flutter.
Then did that mean there was an even greater discovery than that?
A discovery that would make his heart race the way it did when vaccines were being made?
At last, after drawing it out, Yulian opened his mouth.
“As expected, if I'm going to teach Hero Studies students, wouldn't it be better to submit a paper related to scenarios black mages could exploit?”
“I... suppose so?”
Since it's a course on defending against black magic, after all.
It was certainly a reasonable point.
“Then I'll write about a scenario involving lead.”
“...?”
“I can't go into details, but I plan to write a paper about how lead used by mages could be exploited by black mages.”
“...”
At that moment, a scene flashed through the Great Sage's mind.
A distant past.
The face of Yulian from another world, glimpsed through his dream.
“I think that could make a huge splash in magical academia.”
Yulian smiled faintly.
At the same time, the Great Sage's back grew damp with cold sweat.
Indeed.
Along with the thought that maybe it wasn't all right to let him carry on with this research.