As summer season came, Yuric’s life also settled into a routine.
Underneath the detached house where Yuric stayed, there was a hot spring bath for servants, and after his morning meditation, he would come down here to soak in the first water of the day.
Hot spring bathing was truly mysterious; when he immersed himself in the warm water, both his body and mind felt relaxed, as if the wisdom of life was dissolved in the hot spring water.
From finishing the morning hot spring bath until before the morning lesson, Yuric had personal time, during which he usually read magical books and conducted research.
Previously, he was busy following Brett around all day, learning from him, so he had little time. But now that he could study on his own, Yuric found himself with a bit more free time.
Especially, he began serious research and investigation into the blank paper he had discovered earlier in the library. What was its purpose, and how could its content be verified?
Yuric examined Adrian’s notes meticulously while studying the blank paper. He occasionally reminisced about his beloved teacher by looking at the handwriting in the notes.
“I will definitely return to Arphenheim after touring the east. I must meet my teachers and spend happy times with them.”
The notes contained information about a powder used to write messages that couldn’t be seen, originally used by lovers in ancient times to send letters secretly. This method later evolved and was also used for writing hidden texts.
By moistening the powder with a tiny amount of water and drying it thoroughly for a day, the hidden text would appear. However, since this method exposed the message to anyone, it developed further by adding other substances to the powder, readable only by those who knew what had been added.
“This is quite complex.”
This method was briefly used hundreds of years ago and then completely disappeared. The process of making the powder was very difficult, and its use was very limited. From what Yuric saw in these notes, it seemed that records of this powder were nearly lost.
“Of course, I can’t be sure if it was used, but it’s worth a try.”
Fortunately, Baron Sholod kept his promise and prepared Brett’s laboratory in the mansion, so Yuric didn’t need to go outside.
Brett was curious about the substance Yuric was making, so he watched Yuric’s research from the side.
“This is really amazing. I never knew such things existed.”
The process of making the powder was extremely complicated. It was something only someone skilled in alchemy would dare attempt.
Magical powder, roots of water sorrel, cliff bird feathers, mud from the riverbank, and hair from infants less than two months old…
While not all materials were hard to find, the cliff bird feathers were rare and expensive. In the end, he had to pay three gold coins for each feather, buying two. Fortunately, Baron Sholod provided a subsidy for one feather, reducing the financial strain.
In any case, Yuric started the preparation according to the instructions in the notes. Even the initial step of crushing the magic artifact and grinding it into powder was not easy, but he managed it well due to his experience with dragon scales.
He crushed the water sorrel roots to extract juice, removed the quills from the feathers, squeezed out all the moisture from the mud, and mixed the baby’s hair with the cliff bird feathers.
There were several more steps in preparing the materials. It took the whole day.
After completing the preparation of the materials, Yuric began mixing them in order.
After stirring for a long time until the mixture turned blue, as indicated in the notes, he finally achieved the desired color.
Yuric let the mixture cool and settle, taking time to rest by sleeping and soaking in the hot spring to alleviate accumulated fatigue.
Once the mixture was completely cooled, Yuric carefully poured off the liquid. He scooped out the sediment that settled at the bottom, spread it neatly on a tray, and dried it in the sun. Finally, he ensured all moisture was gone. Luckily, it was midsummer, and the sun was intense.
After two days of drying the sediment, he ground it finely in a mortar and sieved it. Finally, he obtained the desired powder, roughly a handful.
“Finished, Teacher!”
Brett, who had been assisting, jumped up in amazement at the luminous powder. How could such a dark mixture become so beautiful?
Seeing this, Brett thought that the Philosopher’s Stone, capable of turning anything into gold, might indeed be a legend.
“Luckily, it turned out well.”
Yuric had expected some trial and error, but the powder seemed to have turned out well.
Now, he only needed to test it on the blank paper.
“If this doesn’t work…”
Then, he might have to temporarily suspend his research on the blank paper.
Yuric took out a blank sheet of paper from his bag and placed it on a stand, sprinkling the powder generously over it. Brett watched intently with wide eyes.
After waiting a bit, Yuric carefully removed the paper.
…
Amazingly, luminous words began to appear on the otherwise blank paper.
‘…Passport…?’
Yuric speculated that this blank paper might be a clue to Durals treasure… but it was a passport.
Not just any passport, but the passport of the lost Magic City, Berjik!
The issuer was Baeltar Valore. However, Yuric did not recognize the name.
Similarly, Brett, who was checking the passport with Yuric, asked where Berjik was, as he did not know. Few people in the East even knew about Berjik. It was generally assumed that Acrocadena had always been an Eastern Magic City. Detailed historical research was left to historians.
“The lost Magic City, Berjik.”
“What? Lost?”
“It vanished suddenly a few hundred years ago. Actually, Acrocadena became a Magic City after Berjik disappeared.”
Brett was surprised, having no idea.
“Why did it disappear?”
“I don’t know, Young Master.”
Yuric said, but suddenly realized that someone who might know about Berjik came to mind.
An entity that had lived for a long time in the East.
The Dean of the Eastern Magic Academy, Demon Nersil.
He already had some spare time to visit again, and now he had a reason to ask her.
So, after finishing his morning lessons, Yuric headed to the Magic Academy at noon.
He went to the desk and introduced himself as Magician Yuric, mentioning he had delivered a letter to the headmaster before. The female staff member understood.
“The headmaster said you can visit anytime if you come to the principal’s office.”
“Oh, where is the principal’s office?”
“On the third floor.”
Yuric took a private elevator used by staff to the third floor. The third floor was where high-ranking officials of the academy resided, naturally having another reception desk. When Yuric showed his mage tower badge, a staff member led him to the headmaster’s office.
A luxurious corridor lined with artworks was carpeted with red carpet. Yuric looked around as he walked, soon reaching the headmaster’s office.
Inside was an executive secretary’s room. When the staff informed the secretary of Yuric’s arrival, the secretary relayed the message inside.
“Please come in.”
Yuric entered the headmaster’s office. The spacious office was decorated in the headmaster’s elegant taste, featuring curved furniture, beautiful natural landscapes, roaring lion statues, and a large desk.
Behind the desk sat a woman with very white skin. Her height alone suggested she wasn’t short.
Yuric felt his entire body, including his index finger, gradually warming up as soon as he saw the headmaster. It had been a while since he last saw a pure-blood demon.
“…Quite impressive…”
The energy emanating from the headmaster filled the office, almost rivaling that of the Great Demon Wigrad.
“Pleased to meet you, Magician Yuric.”
“Nice to meet you too, Yuric. I’m Nersil.”
Nersil stood up and moved toward the reception table. As expected, she was almost as tall as Yuric.
Her towering height and enchanting appearance exuded a domineering aura, regardless of her being a demon.
“Come, sit here.”
They sat across from each other, facing the table.
Nersil’s eyes, filled with deep contemplation, scrutinized Yuric. Thus, he couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
“I’ve heard of your name. A new Dragon Knight. Indeed, you live up to your reputation.”
Nersil examined Yuric meticulously. Although she had seen countless humans, she had never seen one like him.
Despite possessing other energies, he harmoniously blended them rather than overpowering others.
“…That’s Tithon’s index finger, isn’t it?”
“Do you know Tithon?”
“Yes. Any demon would know Tithon.”
Nersil smiled faintly. Though she had long sided with humanity and wouldn’t fight Tithon, she knew Tithon was a terrifying figure for demons. Just the name of the magician with the index finger struck fear into many.
“And you possess a dragon. If it were alive, it would surely be a formidable one.”
Alaldur was a leader among Earth Dragons. Even though demons controlled dragons, a dragon of Alaldur’s caliber was not easily handled.
“How intriguing. How do you manage to hold such stability?”
“Because I understand and continue their will.”
“Is that so.”
A moment of silence passed.
After taking a sip of tea, Nersil asked why he had come.
“Do you know Azaskun? He is the headmaster’s grandson.”
“I think I’ve heard of him.”
Nersil had five children and countless grandchildren. Azaskun was one of them.
But she wasn’t overly attached to her descendants. She simply acknowledged their existence.
“I came at the recommendation of your grandson. You must know much of the academy’s history.”
“I only know what I’ve experienced.”
“Then, do you know anything about the vanished Magic City, Berjik?”
Upon hearing this, a strong energy flashed in Nersil’s eyes.
“Berjik… Yes, I know it.”
“I actually found this.”
Yuric pulled out Berjik’s passport from his bag and showed it to Nersil. She looked at it with disbelief.
“Where did you find this?”
“It was originally blank paper. I thought it had undergone special treatment, so I researched and found an ancient method of hiding texts. Following the known method, I made the powder and sprinkled it, revealing the text and patterns.”
“…Remarkable. I never thought I’d see this again.”
Principal Nersil, usually unimpressed, genuinely marveled.
“It’s a passport. Without it, you cannot enter Berjik.”
“I see… But what caused Berjik to vanish?”
“I don’t know the exact reason, but I know it involves sealing magic.”
Sealing magic…
Yuric nodded and asked about the issuer mentioned on the passport.
“Then, do you know a person named Baeltar Belore listed as the issuer?”
Nersil answered without hesitation.
“He was the father of my first child, so I couldn’t not know him.”
“…What?”
Yuric was shocked.
“He was a Grand Mage of Berjik. His power was so great it changed my perception of humanity. Perhaps comparable to Tithon. This magic passport was also created by him.”
“So that’s it.”
Thanks to Nersil, Yuric learned much.
“What happened to the vanished Berjik? And can we find it again? …What do you think, Principal?”
“Hard to say… But I can tell you this.”
“I’m listening.”
Principal Nersil said firmly.
“I believe Berjik still exists somewhere in this world. We just don’t know how to reach it.”
Yuric slowly nodded, stood up, and bowed deeply.
“There’s nothing to thank you for. It’s not that big a deal.”
“You’re busy, and I shouldn’t have taken your time. I’ll take my leave now.”
Thus, Yuric left, and Nersil returned to her desk.
Yet, she found it hard to focus on work. The young human man she had just met kept coming to mind.
“Quite a strong will…”
Even though he had only been sitting for a moment, his energy seemed to permeate the space.
Thinking that human studies had ended two hundred years ago, Nersil felt a renewed curiosity.
If an opportunity arises, she would consider asking if he ever considered having a child together.
