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“From the start, there was doubt whether such magic even existed, wasn’t there?”

Fraud runs rampant in the magical world. If someone wasn’t even a proper mage, it was even worse. There were countless people who fooled ignorant commoners just to raise their own prestige.

“There were always suspicious aspects. During his time as a spy, he never showed that magic to anyone. And even those who claimed to have witnessed it were mostly people who had no connection to magic. So, I suspect he might have manipulated it with illusion magic, something like this.”

Rockefeller used a materialization spell to create a pen, mimicking the scene of it entering a pocket dimension. Since it was all fake, the reproduced image was nothing more than an illusion. Still, it was convincing enough that Arkandric hummed in agreement.

“Hmm, it could certainly fool the eye.”

“He’s a con artist. His understanding of magic is exceptional, but his arrogance knows no bounds. I suspect he did it to gain attention from the scholars at the magic tower.”

Arkandric picked up the pen.

“Then I’ll report it to the royal family that way. The magic tower will likely make an official announcement soon, declaring that inventory magic is impossible.”

Rockefeller smiled faintly. Hetherson had been known not only as a leader among the Watchers of the Shadows but also as a master of sacrificial magic. However, the truth that he was just a charlatan would soon spread, and his name would no longer be mentioned in the academic circles. For a mage, fraud is an unforgivable crime that can destroy even the reputation they had built. Given how much attention Hetherson had garnered, his disgrace would be even greater.

Arkandric chuckled as he thought about those who had taken Hetherson seriously.

“Indeed, there’s no way such magic could exist. Storing and retrieving items at will? It’s absurd if you think about it.”

“Quite right. If it existed, the grand mages of the past would have discovered it long ago.”

“Exactly. Yet, what a commotion it caused. Seems there are fools in both the royal family and the magic tower.”

The headmaster’s office was filled with mocking laughter.

***

“Ahem, I’m getting thirsty.”

I picked up the staff I had placed beside my bed and began to draw a spell. The magic I was using now was inventory magic. The spell was extensive and incredibly complex, taking a full five minutes to cast. It seemed excessive and inconvenient just to get a glass of cold water.

But my reason for doing this was simple: practice makes perfect. Although, as Hetherson had warned, this was something I should never show to anyone else…

Whirrr

A green-bordered square appeared in the air. With my limited mana, I could only create three slots. I reached into one of the slots and pulled out a glass of cold water, gulping it down. The refreshing coolness of the first sip spread down my throat.

“Phew.”

I placed the cup back into the slot and stared blankly at the inventory screen designed by Hetherson. No matter how many times I looked at it, it was far from the stylish UI of an in-game inventory. The lines were as simple as those drawn with a ruler—so plain it was almost devoid of effort.

“It seems he completely gave up on design.”

He really had no sense of aesthetics.

“Hmm.”

I flopped back onto the bed, thinking about what could be done with inventory magic. Despite the clear limitations of what could be stored, its utility was significant. I could use it to smuggle contraband, seal cursed items that should never see the light of day, or even threaten to lock away treasure if someone killed me. ᚱ

But the use I found most appealing was this:

“It should be ready by now.”

I retrieved the bowl I had placed outside the window to chill. It contained ice cream made by mixing milk, sugar, and a few spices. Occasionally, I had stirred it telekinetically to keep it smooth. Donatan, intrigued, asked,

– What is that? I’ve never seen it before.

“It’s a dessert called ice cream. I might have just invented the first one.”

Ice cream hadn’t been invented in this era yet. At best, they had hard, icy treats. I scooped up a spoonful and tasted it. The flavor was a bit lackluster compared to what you could find at a convenience store, and the texture wasn’t great, but it was edible. I decided to save the rest for later and put the ice cream back into the inventory. Its simplicity was astounding, but there was something more profound about it: just like time had stopped, the temperature remained the same, and there was no oxidation, meaning it could be preserved indefinitely.

Being able to take out a preserved item anytime, anywhere, was a truly remarkable feat of magic. And the most fascinating feature was the stacking capacity. I didn’t know exactly how much of the same item could be stored yet, but currently, I had 103 sandwiches stored in one slot. The combination of meat and vegetables counted as a single item.

“Maybe I should try storing a meal kit next?”

It would be interesting to see if food stored together in a box would count as one slot. If that were possible, I could store the ingredients and later arrange them like unpacking a compressed file, cooking and enjoying a variety of dishes wherever I went. It might be worth taking up cooking as a hobby.

How luxurious it would be to eat a proper meal in the middle of the Demon Realm.

– By the way, what does this ice cream taste like?

“It’s sweet and cold, but honestly, it doesn’t taste great. It’ll need a lot of work.”

– …You’re going to waste time on something so trivial?

“I’m human too. I need a hobby to relieve mental stress. And eating ice cream makes people happy.”

I dismissed the inventory and looked down at the cat, who was licking its empty dish clean. It must have finished eating because it jumped onto my lap and nuzzled its cheek against my stomach. I petted its back and checked the calendar. The brats were leaving early tomorrow morning. The Mistress had said she’d take care of things, so there wasn’t much I needed to do. I decided to let go of that matter and focus on the day after.

“Not much time left.”

The day after tomorrow would mark the beginning of a small welcome-back party for the students who had returned from the Demon Realm practicals. All the first-years would gather in one place, drink, and receive awards. Even Limberton, who had taken down the leader, would get some recognition.

“Guess I should get ready too.”

I stood up and grabbed my wallet. I planned to visit the clothing club to get an outfit for the party.

Meow.

But before I could move, the cat leaped onto my shoulder.

“…”

Oh well, not a big deal. It was nice to have the cat warm up to me.

***

The cat draped itself around my neck like a scarf. People in the lobby stared at me with envy.

“Isn’t that the cat that used to disappear like smoke?”

“I wondered why I hadn’t seen it lately.”

I ignored them and kept walking when Athera greeted me. Her eyes grew wider as if she was surprised.

“Hi, Hersel. Uh… is that cat by any chance… Gonzales?”

“Don’t give it random names.”

I frowned at the rustic name. Athera, seemingly hurt, tried to explain herself.

“I heard that name from an alum who graduated before me.”

Athera spoke to me comfortably, and the girls who had been hesitating approached with questions.

“Hersel, um, can I pet the cat?”

“You should ask it for permission.”

“Kkamnyang, is that okay?”

…Kkamnyang? Another random name, huh? And calling the cat “sister”? If they knew how long this cat had lived, they’d probably faint.

Hiss!

The cat hissed when the girl reached out her hand.

“Oh! It’s so temperamental… and scary…”

Athera, who had been watching, giggled.

“Gonzales has a really nasty temper. I bet all the girls who’ve tried to pet it have had their hands scratched.”

“So how did Hersel manage to befriend it?”

“I don’t know? Is there some secret to it?”

Athera put a finger to her chin, staring at me as if asking for advice. Feeling annoyed, I answered truthfully.

“I just kept feeding it regularly. It started following me after that. Anyway, I’m busy, so I’ll be going now.”

With that, I continued on my way. Behind me, I could hear the girls and Athera talking.

“But isn’t that cat strange? It turns into smoke and vanishes. It’s not like an ordinary cat. What is it?”

“Who knows? There are a lot of strange things in this academy. That cat’s just one of them. But it’s been around for a long time. You know that old professor who teaches the joint knight classes? He said the cat was here when he was a student.”

“Really?”

It’s been around much longer than that.

“Some alums say it’s the ghost of a dead cat, but no one knows for sure what it really is.”

I don’t know much either. All I know is that it’s something the Grand Mage, who founded Frostheart, brought back from the Demon Realm. It’s not a monster, but closer to a mystical creature—an enigmatic being. Other than that, it occasionally helps out as a bodyguard.

Feeling reassured, I exited Schlaphe Hall. Walking down the path, I looked up at the setting sun. My eyes drifted to the fortress, and I found myself staring at a window in the special dormitory.

“…”

Luon Al Banas. That guy would be finishing his preparations soon too. Thanks to ‘Obsessive Felia,’ who stuck to him like glue, he must have gathered most of the materials by now. In two days, on the day of the gathering for all the first-year students, the first act of the boss battle would begin.

To survive the impending crisis, I needed to be prepared.

***

Three men sat in the lounge of the special dormitory, smoking and chatting. As usual for such unsavory characters, their conversation topics were far from clean. A man with thick eyebrows, Aiman, grinned as he bragged.

“There was this servant boy my age. One day, he had the nerve to talk back to me, telling me to mind my manners and whatnot. So I dragged his mother in and beat her to death. After that, the little bastard tried to stab me with a knife from the table.”

Arsys, curious, asked,

“What did you do then?”

“Well, I…”

Aiman seemed to shudder with delight as he recalled the event.

“I had him burned in the square to make an example of him. He tried to kill a noble, after all.”

Arsys shook his head.

“Eh, that’s not very impressive. I, on the other hand…”

Before long, a competition began over who had committed the worst atrocities. Kurel, who had been quietly listening, waited until Arsys finished his story about sexual harassment.

“…I carved a score into her thigh afterward. Her lover killed himself the next day. Hehe.”

“Let’s stop there. We’ll be up all night if we keep going.”

As they were getting ready to call it a night, Kurel found himself glancing toward the room at the end of the hallway. The owner of that room wasn’t Lethe but an applicant who had gotten in with a donation. He had only left the guy alone because of Luon’s orders.

Arsys noticed and asked,

“Kurel, what are you looking at?”

“I was just thinking that things are about to start, and maybe we should deal with him too.”

“But who is that guy anyway? He didn’t even show up for the practical.”

He was a man of many mysteries. He barely attended classes. The professors, fed up, had sent him to the detention room under the “Curse of Control,” but he still didn’t change his attitude.

“He’s one tough bastard. Maybe we should have a chat with him.”

Kurel started walking toward the room. Just as he was about to reach the door, Luon’s voice called out.

“Kurel, didn’t I tell you not to mess with that guy?”

Kurel turned to see Luon approaching. He was holding a square steel box in one hand, looking straight at Kurel.

Kurel asked,

“Luon… but what’s that?”

Luon bared his teeth in a grin.

“I’ve gathered all the materials. I’ve been practicing how to use it.”

Kurel grinned nervously, his voice trembling.

“Finally…”

“In two days. Be ready.”

Luon walked into his room, leaving one last remark in a low voice.

“The game will start soon.”

The three men trembled with excitement, their lips curling into twisted smiles. The game Luon spoke of was a playground for desires, where they could manipulate Frostheart to their liking. Their suppressed lust and sadism began to bubble to the surface.

***

I had just entered the fortress and was about to reach the club floor. The cat seemed disturbed by the noise around us and vanished into smoke. As I looked around, trying to decide where to get my clothes made, the smell of alcohol hit my nose.

“Maybe I’ll get the clothes later.”

I quickly turned to leave.

A wrinkled hand grabbed my shoulder.

“Trying to run away again, eh? Erucel, why is your brother always like this?”

When Bellen asked, Erucel hiccuped and answered,

“He’s always been like this, Auntie. Hic.”

His slightly flushed face indicated that he had been drinking. There’s no way he got the alcohol himself, so Bellen must have given it to him.

“Students aren’t allowed to drink, Erucel. Don’t just accept it if it’s offered to you. What if a professor catches you?”

I scolded him lightly, and Bellen chuckled.

“What’s the harm? We’ll be drinking plenty soon anyway. But why is this kid such a lightweight?”

Bellen tapped Erucel’s side. Judging by his uncomfortable expression, Erucel seemed to find Bellen overwhelming.

Not having much to say, I asked Bellen, even though I knew why she was here.

“What brings you and him here, Auntie?”

“I had some business here. There’s been a lot of damage to the property lately, hasn’t there? Arkandric asked me to keep an eye out, offering me some fine liquor in return.”

There was a shortage of hands at the moment. With midterms over, the professors were busy grading and preparing for the gathering, so they were stretched thin. But there was another reason Bellen was called, one she seemed reluctant to reveal. At this point, a professor had likely gone missing, so it was understandable. Informing the students would only create chaos, and the faculty probably decided it was serious enough to bring in Bellen, who had once been known as the Empress.

“So, what brings you here?”

“I came to get an outfit for the gathering.”

“Hmm? At this hour?”

Bellen gave me a suspicious look. She must have thought it was impossible to get something made in just two days. Normally, she would be right, but I wasn’t planning on getting anything elaborate.

“I’m just going to get something simple made—no frills or accessories, just fabric and buttons. Two days should be enough.”

I had torn several outfits with my self-destruct magic, so getting something quick and cheap was more economical.

“I see. Well, go ahead then. Oh, and don’t forget to bring back some liquor from the gathering. Erucel, you too.”

“Yes,

Leaving them behind, I headed toward a suitable clothing club. On the way, I heard a strange cry.

Clatter, clatter.

From the club floor, an undead creature, exhaling white breath, began to charge forward.

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