Chapter 30

Lee Han unconsciously asked a question.

In fact, a curse could be seen as similar to a buff spell.

What if there was a curse that made a person lose weight? If used well, it could even be beneficial.

A belt cursed to absorb mana was an item that any ordinary mage would exclaim, “Eek! Get it away!” But for Lee Han, the story was a bit different.

Lee Han...

had an excessive amount of mana.

‘Maybe I should seriously wear it?’

Even if he wore another belt, it wouldn’t make much of a difference since he was already wearing a mana-absorbing iron bracelet.

“What do you mean by ‘effect’?”

“Well, as a cursed item, it should have an original effect, right?”

Magic had its actions and reactions.

Cursed items often had more powerful effects than ordinary items, as a trade-off.

After all, who would willingly wear a cursed item if it didn’t have some benefit?

“Aha. Brother, you mean that. Let’s see...”

‘Shouldn’t he remember the original performance of the item, not just the curse?’

Lee Han was taken aback by the deacon’s inability to remember the effect of the item, even though he remembered the curse.

It was like putting the cart before the horse.

“The belt has a transparency spell on it. But it’s not very important. What’s important is the curse... Anyway, Brother, you can speak honestly. I can accept any answer...”

“What are you talking about? I’m fully prepared.”

Lee Han shot a strong gaze and spoke. The deacon was greatly shocked by his demeanor.

How could this be!

He had thought Lee Han would give up and leave, but it was the deacon who had been mistaken.

‘How shameful! I failed to recognize a true brother of faith and spouted nonsense.’

The deacon no longer saw Lee Han as a well-bred young man from a noble family.

Standing before him was a brother who was ready to walk the path of faith seriously.

“Brother, my name is Mehrid. Please tell me your name.”

“Lee Han. Lee Han Wodanaz.”

‘Wodanaz!’

Mehrid was even more surprised.

The Wodanaz family was a well-known family of unbelievers in the empire.

No wonder he looked particularly dignified and authoritative...

“The church will be pleased with your initiation. Here, take this belt that honors Lord Phrezinga.”

The name for a cursed belt was overly grand, but Lee Han accepted it with a solemn expression.

Thud—

As he put on the belt, Mehrid looked at Lee Han with a worried expression.

New initiates to the church always struggled with the burden of Phrezinga’s load.

After all, a curse is something that can be difficult for a first-timer.

The mana-absorbing belt might be too harsh for a newly enrolled student...

“How do you activate the transparency spell?”

“...?!?!”

“??”

“Oh, that... You just say, ‘I hide in the night.’ To deactivate it, say, ‘I reveal in the morning.’”

“I hide in the night.”

As Lee Han recited the incantation, his figure became transparent as if by magic.

‘Oh...’

Lee Han was amazed.

Not all transparency spells were the same.

Low-circle transparency spells were just that—transparency spells that only allowed a bit of light to pass through, with the flaw that something seemed off if you looked closely.

But the transparency spell from this belt seemed almost perfect.

‘It’s worth wearing a cursed item.’

“Brother, are you... feeling alright?”

“Of course. I reveal in the morning.”

Lee Han deactivated the spell.

Before putting on the belt, he had slightly hoped that his mana would decrease to a manageable level...

Surprisingly, it had no effect at all.

‘From the way he’s worried, it seems like it should absorb a lot of mana. How can it have no effect?’

It seemed that the mana recovery was greater than what the iron bracelet or belt absorbed...

Feeling greedy, Lee Han spoke.

“Deacon, I want to carry more of Lord Phrezinga’s load.”

“Wow...!”

Mehrid was deeply moved by this commendable brother.

However, he couldn’t accept it.

The belt he was already wearing was quite a burden...

“It’s not possible. Brother, you can’t carry Lord Phrezinga’s load all at once. I understand your heart, but please wait a bit longer.”

“No! I must carry more!”

“I understand your heart, but you must wait, Brother!”

* * *

In the end, he failed to get another artifact, but it wasn’t a complete loss.

Just the transparency belt alone was a huge gain.

What Lee Han intended to do with it was, of course...

‘I have more escape options now.’

The last escape attempt had made him painfully aware of his complacency.

This school was crazier than he thought, and the principal was even crazier.

He didn’t know what traps awaited his future attempts.

At such times, the transparency belt would protect him.

“...That’s how the first meeting to honor Lord Phrezinga was held, and it became the beginning of the church. That’s all for today, Brother.”

Deacon Mehrid explained the history and rules of the church to Lee Han.

While he wasn’t particularly interested in the church’s history, Lee Han was a pro at listening to uninteresting stories.

-Did I talk about my golf trip last time?

-I’m really curious, Professor! Please tell me!

‘It wasn’t that boring, actually.’

Apart from the history, the rules and holy magic were interesting.

Surprisingly, the Phrezinga Church was as free-spirited as the principal had said.

It was okay to believe in other churches.

There were no prohibitions, and you could live as you pleased.

...Except for wearing cursed items.

‘It’s a good church, except for that one flaw, but that flaw is too big.’

Lee Han couldn’t in good conscience recommend the Phrezinga Church to others.

The flaw was just too significant!

Moreover, the holy magic used by the church deacons all had such extreme tendencies...

Deacon Mehrid, fearing that Lee Han might change his mind after hearing about the church, offered a generous gift.

“Here, Brother. Take this. I heard that new students at Einrograd often go hungry. Of course, it’s probably exaggerated...”

‘It’s not exaggerated.’

Lee Han accepted the basket the deacon offered.

Like the basket the Phlemang Church had given Yoner, the Phrezinga Church had also filled the basket generously.

It felt like they were desperate not to lose a once-captured believer.

Raspberry jam, marmalade, peanut butter, and other jars of jam, round and flat bread baked by the church, canned beef and pork sealed with magic, and condiments like salt, sugar, coffee powder, and tea leaves.

Deacon Mehrid spoke in a gentle voice.

“I thought you might need a drink while studying.”

“Not for studying, but for survival...”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing. Thank you.”

Lee Han bowed with a grateful heart.

Deacon Mehrid seemed to have prepared this for Lee Han to eat during breaks while studying, but considering the school’s situation, it was better to stockpile it for survival.

‘If the church keeps visiting, the students’ human rights will improve.’

“When is the next event?”

“I’m not sure. I want to come as soon as possible, but I need the principal’s permission...”

‘Damn.’

Even without hearing the rest, he knew the deacons wouldn’t be able to visit for a while.

Given the principal’s personality, he wouldn’t invite them often...

“You should take this as well.”

“?!”

The half-demon deacon, Tizling, from the <Eternally Burning Phoenix Tower> extended the basket she had received to Lee Han.

Lee Han was taken aback.

What?

Just giving it away like that?

Would he end up making a contract with a demon if he accepted it?

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“I serve Lord Phrezinga. Such luxury is too much for me.”

“You don’t have to. Tizling, it’s prepared for you. Take it.”

Deacon Mehrid seemed to want Tizling to take the basket, but Tizling firmly refused.

‘Wow. The <Eternally Burning Phoenix Tower> really has a different atmosphere.’

Even the students of the Blue Dragon Tower, to which Lee Han belonged, had already forgotten the dignity of their noble families and were rolling their eyes, asking, “Hey, do you have anything to eat? No? Really nothing?”

While the students of the three towers were like that, the students of the Phoenix Tower were maintaining their composure and patience.

Impressive!

But impressive or not, Lee Han had no intention of living like that.

“I’ll take it gratefully...”

“Brother.”

“?”

Deacon Mehrid moved Lee Han to a corner.

“Could you possibly take care of Tizling? Considering the reputation of your family, if you take care of her, it would be a great help to Tizling. As you can see, Tizling is too strict with herself.”

“Huh? I’m in a different dorm...”

“I beg you.”

Deacon Mehrid, clearly a knowledgeable deacon, pulled out another basket and pushed it towards Lee Han.

“Here, I’ll give you one more. Please share the basket you received with Tizling so she can take care of herself.”

“I understand. You can count on me.”

Holding three baskets, Lee Han couldn’t resist the temptation.

Eating together...

* * *

“Can I call you Deacon Tizling?”

“Yes, you can call me as you like.”

“What’s the atmosphere like in the <Eternally Burning Phoenix Tower>?”

Lee Han asked curiously.

Unlike the White Tiger Tower and the Black Turtle Tower, the Phoenix Tower’s atmosphere was completely unknown.

The half-demon girl tilted her head, not understanding the question.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, I mean, what do you do during breaks in the lounge...”

“We pray in our own rooms.”

Tizling answered with a slightly proud tone. Lee Han grimaced.

‘Hmm. It’s even more austere than I thought.’

If Lee Han had entered the Phoenix Tower, he would have felt suffocated.

“Do you pray in the evening as well?”

“Yes. Some deacons go to the forest or mountains to pray, while others pray indoors.”

“I see. ...Wait. Can you go out in the evening?”

“Yes, with permission.”

“!”

Lee Han was greatly surprised by this unexpected fact.

‘Deacons can go out after evening?’

Of course, going out after evening on weekdays was prohibited. It wasn’t for nothing that Lee Han and his friends had planned their escape on weekends.

But the students of the Phoenix Tower had permission.

If he thought about it, even if he were the principal, he would have allowed the Phoenix Tower students to go out.

They wouldn’t cause any trouble even if left alone...

‘Then, if I wear a deacon’s robe, can I go out after evening as well?’

Lee Han felt a sudden clarity.

If he had a deacon’s robe...!

“Can you get me a deacon’s robe?”

“......”

Tizling narrowed her eyes and looked at Lee Han.