SMMA 86

Chapter 86

“Did… did we come to the wrong place? This doesn’t feel like the inside of the school…”

Sadly, Yoener* could not accept reality. Ihan replied with a bitter expression.

“This is the school. It’s the punishment room.”

“…?!?”

Some freshmen had been there in person, but for most students the punishment room existed only as a rumor.

— They say if you get an F in three subjects, you get dragged into the punishment room for the entire vacation.

— I heard that if you place in the bottom ten in the midterms, you’ll be taken to the punishment room.

— This is just a rumor, but I heard some senior failed an experiment and got sent to the punishment room.

— If you try to escape the school and get caught, they cart you off to the punishment room—though that’s probably a lie??

Most of these seemed false, but rumors often contain at least a grain of truth.

Clack!

“!”

Gripping the doorknob to their private room with concern, Ihan soon realized his worry had been misplaced.

Surprisingly, the door to the room they were in was open.

‘It’s a punishment room, but…’

Ihan quickly understood that this punishment room was currently not in use.

The corridor beyond was filled only with dust and cobwebs, and the private rooms on both sides were empty with their doors open.

“Looks like this place isn’t used anymore.”

“That’s… not much comfort.”

Yoener muttered in a nervous voice.

An empty punishment room scared him more than one with people in it.

Better to have it occupied than… this.

“Finding the way in the punishment room is rather tricky. This could be a headache.”

“How do you know… ah.”

Yoener glanced apologetically at Ihan. He knew Ihan had already been to the punishment room.

“It wasn’t as bad an experience as you might think.”

“The headmaster didn’t threaten you, did he?”

“No. If the headmaster ever threatens me to say something, I’ll preface it with ‘I swear’.”

“That is a good idea.”

After finishing their inspection, the two walked to the end of the corridor.

But there were no stairs.

“…???”

“????”

Instead, a solid brick wall.

Taken aback, Ihan looked back. There was no other path in the opposite direction either. They had to go forward.

‘This is…’

Ihan quickly sensed what was going on. Though he had only been at the magic school for a few weeks, his adaptation was already complete down to his bones.

‘A magic passage.’

Just like during his attempted escape through the underground warehouse, the path here was magically concealed.

Two options: find the way, or blast through.

Ihan took out a paper-wrapped packet of charcoal powder from his pocket. Yoener asked curiously.

“What’s that?”

“Something Ratford and I made, just in case we needed it in an escape.”

It worked on a similar principle to sprinkling graphite powder to reveal fingerprints on an object.

Yoener was speechless at Ihan’s readiness.

Ihan saw Yoener’s peculiar gaze and thought he was envious.

‘I’ll have to teach him someday.’

Yoener would definitely like such a trick!

“…Not working.”

But unlike the underground warehouse before, no trace appeared this time.

Still, Ihan did not give up.

“Yoener, step back.”

If a technique didn’t work, then force.

Just as he had blasted away the defensive magic at the dormitory entrance before, he now intended to blow away the magic concealing this passage.

‘No need to hit it too hard—just enough to reveal the way.’

Stop it, you fool!

“!”

A booming voice of a spirit echoed through the corridor, carrying such ferocity that it was intimidating just to hear.

“Who are you?”

I will not tell my name to the unworthy. Why have you come to my shadowed ground? If you do not answer quickly, I will not forgive you.

“I was introduced by Mr. Pharaakis.”*

By Pharaakis?

The fierce spirit’s voice faltered in surprise—it had not expected that.

It seemed as strong as one of the school’s professors, yet that did not mean one was qualified to contract with it. Whatever Pharaakis was thinking by sending Ihan…

“I’m not a professor, but a student.”

Yoener cut in.

?

“A freshman…”

…

An awkward silence fell. Ihan could feel the waves of magic flowing along the walls and ceiling.

The spirit seemed to be confirming something.

So you are a young mage… Wait. Are you really a young mage? Or are you in disguise?

“If you can’t believe it, you’re welcome to verify for yourself.”

After some thought, the fierce spirit chose not to suspect further.

Then it makes sense Pharaakis sent you… He is kind to young mages. But I will not make a contract with you. I do not contract with strangers.

“As I suspected…”

Yoener spoke with regret.

“You’re avoiding him because he has a lot of mana, aren’t you? Just like the other spirits.”

…What are you talking about? No!!

The spirit was flustered by Yoener’s remark.

Being accused of avoiding someone out of fear of their magic was an unacceptable misunderstanding.

“Yet you’re not revealing yourself. Didn’t Mr. Pharaakis say the mere existence of Ihan frightens spirits?”

“Yoener… I never said it quite like that…”

You’re making me sound strange!

“So isn’t that why you’re not revealing yourself?”

No! Do you think me the kind of spirit to hide simply because of mana?!

“Then why don’t you show yourself?” Ihan asked, curious.

The spirit hesitated before answering.

*Because I do not enjoy meaningless battles, and so I avoid them.”

“……”

“……”

Ihan and Yoener looked at each other and, as if understanding, said:

“I see.”

“That makes sense.”

You young human mages! Do you think I cannot read the meaning behind your voices?!

Perkuntla

A spirit’s name the two did not know.

A spirit summoned by a mage usually stayed at a location provided by the mage to carry out the contracted duties, or would appear each time the mage called them to perform those duties.

The contract was crucial.

A mage could not order a spirit to do anything beyond the initial contract terms, and a spirit would not respond to such requests.

Conversely, to a spirit the original contract was a matter of honor—it meant they would uphold it without fail.

So why was Perkuntla here in this situation?

If the punishment room had people, it might make sense. But here, in a deserted one?

The answer: because there had been no proper contract.

— I summon you, great spirit Perkuntla. Submit yourself to me. Serve me. I know your true name, so kneel before me!

— Don’t spew nonsense, you stinking lich! Even if I respect strength, do you think I would kneel to the likes of you?!

From an ancient relic, the lich headmaster had learned Perkuntla’s name and summoned them.

But Perkuntla had no intention of obeying simply because their name was known. Contracting with a lich was something they refused outright.

The two fought for seven days and seven nights without rest.

When no threat could make Perkuntla yield, the lich headmaster offered a compromise.

— If you dislike a contract so much, how about a compromise, arrogant spirit? If you perform one task for me, I will never issue any command to you. In return, I will offer tribute to you regularly!

— …What task?

— I raise young mages. There is a building for training them. I want you to make sure they cannot escape from this building!

— Only that?

— Only that!

Perkuntla wavered at the simplicity. Compared to a labyrinthine, binding contract, merely guarding a building to prevent young mages from escaping was easy.

Besides, without a formal contract they would not have to intertwine their soul with the lich.

— If you refuse…

— You arrogant spirit… This is my final offer. Refuse, and I’ll tear your form apart, bind you, and bury every book bearing your name in a forgotten tomb. Will you embrace eternal oblivion or accept?

— …Fine. I accept!

Knowing they couldn’t win against the lich, Perkuntla agreed.

And how often could young mages attempt escape anyway? Likely only from homesickness.

…But it turned out young mages had more ability than expected, and escape attempts were frequent.

Perkuntla eventually learned why.

The lich openly encouraged escape.

— If you succeed in escaping, that too is a skill. Try if you can.

Instead of ensuring fugitives were stopped, succeeding in escape meant immediate cancellation of punishment, so seasoned students kept trying.

Thus, life in the underground prison was far more taxing than Perkuntla had expected.

Their only respite came when resting in an empty, locked punishment room like this.

Though such peace would quickly end if students tried another escape…

Still, without students this deserted room was bliss.

Until two fresh-faced young mages suddenly appeared in Perkuntla’s resting place.

Pharaakis… you scoundrel!

Perkuntla knew he liked young mages, but to send them here?

The spirit stirred and spoke.

I am not revealing myself out of fear, but out of consideration for you young mages!

“Ah… I see…”

Though Yoener did not blatantly provoke like Gainando, the sincerity in his tone infuriated Perkuntla even more.

For a spirit of Perkuntla’s stature, it was easy to read what a novice mage truly thought.

And Yoener believed they were afraid.

An utterly absurd misunderstanding.

True, the young mage beside him had immense mana, but Perkuntla would never hide from mere mana.

Growing weary of the conversation, Ihan politely requested:

“Understood, Spirit. I accept you don’t wish to contract—could you at least open the way?”

Wait!

“?”

You two young mages are doubting my strength right now. Do you know how insulting that is?

“No…”

Ihan protested.

“We spoke courteously—why such paranoid thoughts?”

Do you think I cannot read such feelings?!

Ihan and Yoener were slightly taken aback. But Ihan did not yield.

“But stray thoughts are beyond our control. Whatever we may think, we believe we have behaved in a way befitting honor and courtesy.”

Yoener nodded in agreement.

Not a single false point.

Of course, Perkuntla would never accept this.

Then I will show you a fragment of my power.

“If you open that wall, we can see it…”

Silence and prepare yourself. You—gather your mana.

“It’s been less than a year since I started learning magic.”

I know. That’s why I will show it in the simplest way possible. Convert that mana into an element!

The spirit showed no intent to back down.

Resigned, Ihan drew in his mana. To get out, they needed to persuade this spirit.

“Which element should I use?”

The most destructive one!

“……”

I told you not to doubt!!

Apparently reading his suspicion, the spirit flared up again. Ihan flinched.

“Ignite!”

Of course, the most destructive element was fire. Ihan summoned it, hoping the insight he’d gained from petting a puppy** would help.

At that moment, from the ceiling of the punishment room, a massive lightning bolt crashed into the flames.

BOOM!!!

“!”

“!!”

The sound was deafening to both Ihan and Yoener.

And what came next surprised them even more.

The fire Ihan had summoned remained unharmed.

“…Uh, what exactly did you just do?”