After having his attention stolen by Ina, Terlo belatedly exchanged greetings with Hook.
As it turned out, Doristen had called his name several times.
Having unintentionally appeared distracted, Terlo sat quietly from the moment they arrived at the office.
Doristen then introduced Hook to him.
“Terlo. You exchanged greetings before we came here, so now I should introduce him properly. This gentleman is the black mage known as the foremost in the kingdom. He is also the teacher I promised to find for you. After speaking with him, he has agreed to begin teaching you black magic tomorrow. Be sure to show him the proper respect.”
“Yes. I look forward to learning from you.”
Terlo greeted Hook.
Hook immediately asked, as though he had been waiting for the chance,
“I heard from the Baron that you used black magic for the first time only recently. Is that true?”
Doristen furrowed his brow at Hook for getting straight to the point without even responding to Terlo’s greeting.
Hook received treatment comparable to that of a noble, but he remained as self-centered as ever.
At least he observed the minimum level of courtesy.
Now that Doristen had decided to entrust Terlo to him, he had tried to view Hook more favorably, but….
“Ahem.”
What could not be done could not be done.
After the incident in the tavern, Hook had been the first to show interest in Terlo.
Then he had grown delighted upon learning that Terlo was the Baron’s son.
He said that because of the matter he had raised at the royal council, he had already been in need of capable people.
As a result, Doristen had managed to place Terlo under him with little effort.
Terlo’s ability had, unintentionally, already been tested.
Seeing that Doristen appeared uncomfortable, Terlo answered,
“Yes. It is true.”
“……Oh?”
Hook leaned back after having bent forward and let out a sound of admiration.
“Then is it also true that you have never learned martial arts?”
“Yes.”
Terlo found the sudden question about martial arts strange, but then he remembered twisting the man’s wrist with Connect.
‘Ah, because of that.’
“…The man you subdued earlier is someone even several ordinary adult men would struggle to handle. His strength is formidable, and his black magic is not bad either. Yet you, Young Master, are unfamiliar with both black magic and martial arts, and still subdued a man like that with ease….”
Hook trailed off and deliberately paused.
Terlo and Doristen focused on him.
“That can only mean that the blood of a black mage runs through your very bones, beyond even mere genius. The instinct of a black mage who cannot tolerate anyone stronger than himself erupted within you, opening your eyes to your opponent’s weaknesses and moves.”
“…?”
Terlo blinked at the incomprehensible explanation.
Hook continued undeterred.
“Is that not why you were able to twist his wrist, press a pressure point that kept him from moving, and raise a shield as though you had been waiting for the black magic he cast the moment you lowered your guard?”
‘A pressure point? I connected him with Connect and made him twist his own wrist….’
And he had only barely blocked the black magic because he was distracted and noticed it too late.
Hook had clearly misunderstood something, but Terlo saw no need to correct him.
In a way, the claim that he could identify weaknesses and moves was not entirely wrong.
Connect allowed him to hear a target’s inner thoughts.
Could he not use that effect to read them?
Doristen considered Hook’s explanation for a moment, stroked his beard, and nodded.
“Oh. What an analysis befitting a man of your ability. I had only been left with questions, but now I understand that Terlo’s eyes have opened in that regard. At last, it seems to make sense.”
“I am glad the Baron finds the explanation convincing. I do possess a fairly discerning eye.”
“…….”
Terlo maintained his silence as he watched them.
He had no desire to join a conversation built upon false information.
The two continued talking after that.
Hook was delighted that the capable person he had wanted so desperately had practically fallen into his lap, while Doristen was delighted to boast about his exceptional son.
Caught between them, Terlo could think only of returning to the study.
‘I wish I could just read quietly….’
Even so, part of him looked forward to the next day.
He imagined himself using and learning black magic again after so long.
Terlo desperately wished for time to pass quickly.
***
The next day,
Terlo sat in the training ground, waiting for Hook.
‘Terlo. Once your lessons begin tomorrow, do not reveal the full extent of your ability. Even if you can succeed immediately, act as though it is difficult. Pretend that you cannot do it. Do you understand?’
It was the warning Doristen had given him after they returned to the castle the previous day.
Terlo, who wanted to learn quickly, had not understood his reasoning.
Doing that would inevitably slow the pace of his lessons.
So he asked why, and Doristen’s answer instantly sharpened his senses.
‘Just as he said, black mages in particular cannot tolerate the existence of someone stronger than themselves. That is why they constantly seek greater strength. They do not conduct dangerous experiments and sell their souls to demons for no reason. Not all of them are that way, but neither can you be certain which ones are. Do not forget: exceptional talent inevitably invites jealousy. You must therefore remain wary wherever you are. The black mage who is to become your teacher is no exception.’
Not a single word Doristen said was wrong.
Terlo knew that fact perfectly well himself.
Yet in his single-minded determination to grow stronger, he had overlooked it.
He had failed to consider something that demanded caution.
As Terlo reflected on how he had looked only ahead, Doristen continued with certainty in his eyes.
‘And if I had to guess… that black mage will teach you only as much as he needs you to know. Enough that you will not fall short when carrying out whatever task he intends to ask of you. But with your talent, even learning that much should allow you to grasp the principles. From that point onward, you will be able to grow sufficiently on your own. Never lower your guard, no matter where you are, and always remain careful.’
It was advice that would become his flesh and blood.
Doristen had been the one who shared a conversation filled with laughter in Hook’s office the day before.
But judging by his attitude now, it seemed he had not been entirely sincere.
Otherwise, Terlo could not have sensed such clear disapproval toward Hook.
And perhaps Hook had not been sincere either.
‘Whatever the case, I just need to learn whatever he teaches me properly.’
That was what Terlo needed right now.
Just then, Hook entered the training ground.
“My apologies, Young Master. An unexpected matter arose, and I ended up arriving late. Have you been waiting long?”
“It is all right. I was thinking for a while.”
“Oh? What were you thinking about?”
Hook asked with interest as he sat across from Terlo.
“Nothing important. Just what I might learn today.”
“I see. Since I am already late, how about we begin immediately?”
“That sounds good.”
“Then first, how have you been learning black magic until now?”
Hook’s deeply sunken eyes gleamed almost imperceptibly as he asked.
At first glance, it sounded like a simple question asked before beginning the lesson….
But just as Doristen had warned, it seemed that Hook had already begun testing him.
Terlo gave a half-truth.
He could hardly say that he had simply imitated things on his own until they worked.
“I practiced constantly as Father taught me, and I read books as well.”
“I see. There may be some differences, but we will proceed in a similar manner. Then do you have a particular reason for wanting to learn black magic?”
‘A reason.’
The reason was simple.
He wanted to grow stronger.
On that day in his previous life, he had learned down to his bones that those without power could only be slaughtered helplessly.
And he no longer intended to let the talent he possessed go to waste.
“Young Master?”
“Ah. I thought about it, and I think it’s because it’s fun.”
Enjoyment was indeed one of his reasons.
At that answer, the corners of Hook’s mouth curled into a grin.
It was obvious that he was thinking Terlo was still a child after all.
“Enjoyment is directly connected to interest, so that is a good reason. Then let us begin with the fundamentals of combat.”
Hook used the incident in the tavern the previous day as an example.
No matter how exceptional one was at identifying an opponent’s weaknesses and moves, it was best to prepare one’s defense in advance.
Wrapping oneself in a shield before closing the distance was fundamental.
“Another important thing is never to lower your guard. Even if you understand your opponent down to the bone, you cannot know what move they may use at any given moment.”
Terlo nodded at Hook’s instruction.
Using the previous day’s incident as an example made it easier to understand.
If he had approached while already protected and had not let his guard down, his confrontation with the troublemaker would not have been so close.
Of course, Terlo was the only person who knew just how close it had been.
As they continued discussing the previous day’s events, something suddenly occurred to him.
“I have a question.”
“Yes. Go ahead. What is it?”
“Yesterday, I saw the bandaged woman using poison….”
Hook’s eyebrow twitched.
Terlo noticed it and continued asking,
“How can dark mana and poison be combined?”
“…….”
Hook paused for a moment at the question.
Then he spoke heavily.
“…Ina is an unfortunate child. Unusually, she was born to a poison mage and a black mage. You know how deeply mages despise black mages, don't you not?”
That was true.
The extent of their hatred toward black mages surpassed imagination.
Yet a poison mage and a black mage had fallen in love and had a child.
It was not something anyone would readily believe.
“Because of that, Ina was treated with contempt among mages. She came here afterward and, for the first time, managed to settle in and live well. Her use of poison is a sensitive subject for her, so it would be best to pretend you know nothing about it.”
‘So that’s what happened.’
Since she used black energy among those who manipulated mana, it was only natural that they would have looked down on her.
But the past was only the past. She was here now.
Being able to use black magic and poison together was clearly an advantage.
‘It should be a good thing.’
Terlo could not understand why she remained bound by the past and could not stand proudly.
“In any case, to continue what we were discussing….”
Hook resumed his explanation of combat.
Blocking an opponent’s attacks was important, but avoiding them was important as well.
Attempting to block an attack too powerful to handle consumed a considerable amount of both dark mana and mental strength.
And if the shield happened to break, it was only natural that one’s body would also suffer damage.
“Therefore, it would be best for you to begin by learning the black magic used for instantaneous movement—in other words, Teleport. Wrap your entire body in dark mana as I have.”
Black energy fluttered around Hook’s body.
Watching him, Terlo spread dark mana around his own body.
“Good. While maintaining that state, select a place you can see and move the dark mana there. But naturally, you cannot move only the dark mana. You must calculate every individual particle of the dark mana surrounding your body, its inner and outer boundaries, the dimensions of your destination, the distance to that place, and even the speed….”
WHOOSH—
Hook’s body vanished along with the black energy.
Then his voice came from the side.
“And move like this.”
‘Oh. I understand now that I’ve seen it.’
Before seeing it with his own eyes, Terlo had not understood what Hook was saying at all.
Hook had told him to calculate, but Terlo had never calculated anything when casting black magic.
He had simply recalled what he had seen and imitated it until the spell worked.
Hook pointed to the place beside him.
“Would you try moving over here, Young Master?”
“Yes. I’ll try.”
‘I can’t let myself succeed right away. It sounds difficult enough just from his explanation.’
Terlo understood how to do it, but deliberately moved only his dark mana to the place Hook had indicated.
Hook nodded and said that this was the correct way to begin.
He reacted as though Terlo’s repeated failures were only natural.
‘…Still?’
Just when am I supposed to succeed for it to seem believable?
Terlo, who had no way of understanding how ordinary black mages felt, was suffering.
He had thought he only needed to pretend to struggle for a little while, but there seemed to be no end to what counted as “a little.”
Only after he failed many more times did Hook finally give an approving response.
“Good. At this level, you can practice sufficiently on your own. We will check your Teleport during the next lesson.”
‘Wow. It’s finally over.’
Hearing that he could practice alone filled Terlo with an overwhelming sense of freedom.
The endlessly tedious repetition was over.
But that feeling did not last long.
“Then next, let us learn an offensive black magic spell.”
“…….”