I Was Mistaken for a Saint in a Dark Fantasy

Impostor Syndrome.

A psychological phenomenon many resident doctors experience, and one Eri had suffered from in the past.

It refers to cases where, despite great accomplishments, one believes it's an overestimation and puts themselves down.

To put it more simply, it's a state of attributing one's achievements to luck, not effort.

It often appears in people who have experienced a rapid rise in social status.

I've had that experience too.

Back when I finished my residency and became a Fellow.

As my years of experience grew and a professorship was all but guaranteed, my treatment at the hospital suddenly changed.

— Who am I? Where am I?

And now, having been possessed into another world.

I was recalling that feeling for the first time in a long while.

'Excuse me? Who did you say you were?'

To put it in terms doctors would understand, it felt as if I'd braced myself for the dean, only for Hippocrates himself to show up.

I almost broke my persona and asked who he was again.

'If you're asking if I dislike it, the answer is no.'

To make one thing perfectly clear, I don't hate success.

In fact, everything I've done so far has been for the sake of success.

I created Quinine and extracted Insulin to build my reputation in pursuit of wealth and glory.

I was already resolved that if I stood out too much, some powerful figure would eventually try to put a fancy leash on my neck.

Because that is the fate given to the protagonist of this Misunderstanding Genre.

If I was going to be leashed anyway, I just chose to go for the gold-plated one.

'Since I'd be a slave no matter what, it's better to be a victorious slave than a defeated one.'

So, before a master appeared to hold my leash, I had been working with the intention of raking in as much money and fame as possible.

But...

'But isn't this too sudden?'

No matter how you look at it, isn't there supposed to be a reasonable slope on the path to success?

Having the supposed pinnacle of the magical world put a leash on me seems a bit too steep.

Isn't this the kind of thing that usually happens in the latter half, or the mid-game at the earliest?

For me, not even an adult yet, to receive such a proposal felt far too soon.

'What on earth does this elder see in me to be acting like this.'

Just where did the misunderstanding begin?

Judging from my experience so far, it was unlikely the misunderstanding would be cleared up, but I was curious, so I asked a question.

“Why me, of all people? Why do you wish to take me as your disciple?”

“Did I not say? I was captivated by your ideas and creativity.”

“But I am an alchemist. I don't have a shred of talent as a mage.”

“Hmm. You seem to be the type who doesn't trust themselves. Tsk, tsk. I don't know why talented people are always like this. Though, polishing such a raw gemstone is one of the few joys left in my old age.”

“?”

Great Mage Louis lifted his teacup.

“I will give you reasons to believe in yourself. First, it is because you do not fear failure.”

That was because I knew I was the protagonist and had already seen the results.

I do not possess the heart of a beast that would recklessly jump into research doomed to fail.

I only ever touch research that is guaranteed to succeed.

But it was no surprise that to Louis and others, I appeared to be a persistent person.

“Second, you have an innate nature that allows you to embrace the mistakes of others. That is a virtue hard to find in the young mages of today.”

That is because of my past life experience.

When you work with resident doctors, you're bound to learn how to see their mistakes as cute.

Once you learn that, you don't get disappointed.

Because you had no expectations to begin with.

You also learn how to clean up your juniors' messes.

The reason I forgave Captain Shen was the same.

Since he stole a silver coin that I didn't care about him stealing, there was nothing for me to be hurt about.

And that's why I forgave him.

“Third. You did not turn your eyes away from what is dirty. To seek wisdom even in black magic, which is considered taboo, is precisely the potential a mage ought to possess.”

That's because I was a doctor from the 21st Century.

The 21st Century was an era where medicine and poison were not clearly distinguished.

It was an era where any poison could become a medicine depending on the dosage, and conversely, any medicine could become a poison.

Strictly speaking, the very concept of a vaccine involves injecting a weakened pathogen, so what's the big deal.

Depending on your perspective, it's a dangerous act that could cause a pandemic if mismanaged.

Still, the utility of vaccines was greater, so we just used them.

“And the most important, fourth. You don't overlook elements that one might pass by in daily life. You must have figured out the symptoms of lead poisoning because you have such a broad perspective. This is an innate talent. A talent more necessary for a mage than any other.”

The last one is definitely a misunderstanding.

If I had figured it out through my own observation, I would admit it.

But in reality, I'm just taking knowledge from a past life and pretending I discovered it.

I have never observed carefully, nor have I organized and researched them.

I have only been freeloading off the knowledge of the scholars who came before me.

That is why, if anything, I was in a position where I couldn't afford to be mistaken.

The moment I deluded myself into thinking this knowledge was mine, my cover could be blown in an instant.

“No, Elder. I am merely standing on the shoulder of a giant. Even if what I look down upon is the world, the fact that I myself am a dwarf does not change.”

“Hmm. Even an attitude wary of arrogance. As expected, you have more than enough potential to be a mage.”

But it seemed my true feelings did not reach the Great Sage.

Of course, being the Great Sage, he did see through to the essence of things.

But in the end, he was slightly off the mark due to a subtle misunderstanding.

As I thought. It's a Misunderstanding Genre, so even explaining it doesn't solve anything.

In the end, I decided to accept my fate.

However, I played hard to get once to maintain my persona.

“I am sorry, Elder. But I do not have the sense to perceive my surroundings. I am fated not to become a mage.”

“I am aware of that. I have been changing the conditions constantly since entering the room. Other mages would have gotten angry, saying it was distracting, but you didn't seem to notice.”

Sigh.

As expected of a Great Sage who has lived for a thousand years.

He knew everything without me having to say it.

“It didn't matter if you had no talent as a mage anyway. I wasn't telling you to become a mage. Do you remember my proposal?”

“To become your disciple.”

“Correct. I said to become my disciple, not to walk the path I walked.”

“Then...”

“You may continue to walk the path of alchemy. I simply wish to lend you my wisdom. I am curious to see what new horizons you will open.”

The one-eyed old man smiled faintly.

There was no logical way out.

There was no reason to refuse here.

In fact, it was a situation where I should gratefully accept.

“I understand, Elder.”

“Good. Then I shall come here once a week. I will impart to you the knowledge you need each time.”

“Am I not the one to go to the Imperial Palace or the Magic Tower?”

“Hoho. My dear boy. I fell for your free ideas. What I want to see is a bird soaring through the sky, not one trapped in a birdcage. I can give you a tour if necessary, but you don't seem to want that, do you?”

I nodded at the elder's words.

There is still too much to learn in the Limbus Pit.

I haven't even fully recovered the prowess from my previous life yet.

It was too early to advance to the Imperial Castle or the Magic Tower.

Thankfully, I was able to avoid being thrown into the world unprepared.

However, there was one surprising point.

'I was bracing for the Leash Event.'

But contrary to my expectations, the Great Sage was a man with a free way of thinking unsuited for his era.

No. After living for a thousand years, perhaps it's more fitting to have such a flexible mindset.

'Then in the original work, was I not a character who gets tied to the Magic Tower?'

Perhaps I had been misunderstanding.

Maybe the master who holds my leash wasn't the Magic Tower.

Then was the original plot that some Grand Duke or a member of the Imperial Family would be the one to leash me?

'Or is it because I'm not an adult yet?'

For adults, there is the legal leash system of being a graduate student or a lifetime chancellor, but putting a leash on a child who hasn't fully grown would be child abuse.

Maybe that's why they're postponing my leash.

Though in this world where children's rights are scarce, that's unlikely.

As I was having such trivial thoughts, Great Mage Louis raised his body.

“Right. Let's start by changing our forms of address. Since we are teacher and disciple, may I call you by your name?”

“That is fine, Teacher.”

“Good. Do you perhaps need my name? If you wish, I can make a public announcement across the country.”

I thought about my teacher's proposal for a moment, but immediately shook my head.

Excessive interest is a poison.

Especially when you don't have the capacity to handle it.

My standing is not yet mature enough to handle my teacher's name.

Louis's direct disciples are only the 13 Magic Tower Masters and the archmages directly under the Imperial Court.

I'm still far too lacking to be on the same generational rank as them.

Of course, there is another reason.

'For some reason, it seems more fun to keep it a secret.'

It's not for nothing that the guy called the King of Cooking wears a band on his arm and hides his identity.

Keeping it a secret and revealing it later looked like it would be subtly entertaining.

I planned to keep this a secret from Eri and Wangcho, as well as my family.

After all, a secret's security is better maintained the fewer people know it.

“Then next time, should I go to your laboratory instead of the consultation room?”

“Yes. Would it be all right to see you after my consultations are over?”

“Let's do that.”

“I will give you the key.”

“There's no need. Who do you think I am?”

“...”

The Father of Magic, confidently declaring his intent to trespass.

His attitude was so confident that I was at a loss for words.

Of all things, he's 8th Rank, so it's not like I could tell him not to.

“I understand, Teacher. I will be there on time.”

“Alright. Then, good luck with your consultations today, Yulian.”

“Ah, before that.”

I stopped my teacher, who was about to leave the consultation room.

“You have to take your medicine.”

Separate from that, what needs to be treated must be treated.

***

The highest point of Sanctum Hill.

The Magic Tower, from which one could look down on the entire capital of the Empire.

The only place in the entire Empire permitted to look down upon the world from the same height as the Emperor.

Great Sage Louis Edelhardt perched on the desk of his workshop.

“...”

The Great Sage gazed down at the small glass vial resting on his palm.

Pale moonlight streamed in from the open window, illuminating the glass vial.

Inside the glass vial was a viscous, murky, light-brown liquid.

If he turned his head, several bottles containing such liquid were lined up on the desk.

All of it was medicine prepared by the disciple he had newly taken today.

— “Teacher, you are currently in a state of chronic lead poisoning. It is difficult to treat immediately, and you have no choice but to take this medicine consistently.”

At the time, the Sage who received the medicine bottle asked about its principle.

For some, 1+1=2 was an obvious truth, but the Sage was only satisfied when he had uncovered the principle behind it.

Thanks to that disposition, he was able to transform the concept of magic, which had remained a folk belief, into a field of academia, and thanks to that curiosity, he was still able to maintain the title of Sage,

the Sage was not ashamed to ask his own disciple a question.

And Yulian welcomed Louis's question.

— “Lead clings tightly to the bones and nerves in the body, so it isn't excreted by ordinary magic or antidotes. But I discovered that when this medicine is used, its components tightly bind to the lead in the body and cause it to be passed through urine.”

— “Where did you discover such knowledge?”

— “E-Sector. I found out by observing that among the workers of Smoke Alley, only the Beastkin had mild symptoms. Their cultural sphere happened to include frequent consumption of duck eggs and garlic dishes.”

At that time, as Yulian answered Louis's question, not a trace of disappointment could be seen in his eyes.

Rather, he was admiring him.

He didn't seem disappointed or looking down on the Sage for not knowing, but rather surprised that he accurately recognized his own ignorance.

'To think he realizes how important it is to know what one doesn't know...'

At some point, the Great Sage stopped asking his disciples questions.

An era where ignorance became a source of shame.

Because the Great Sage had to be omniscient.

It was an era where a teacher had to be superior to his disciples in every way, and his prestige would diminish the moment he showed any lack.

The attitude towards academia that the Great Sage had preached was surely not like this.

'But that child was different.'

But Yulian was different.

He welcomed his teacher's questions and admired his wisdom, not his knowledge.

Just as the Great Sage had admired Yulian's attitude.

And thanks to that attitude, Yulian knew knowledge that the Great Sage did not.

“Chelate... I believe he called it Chelate.”

Louis let out a dry laugh as he clenched and unclenched his trembling right hand.

He was suppressing the dying nerve with magical power, but he couldn't perfectly control the fine tremor.

In truth, Louis himself had known for a long time that there was something wrong with his body.

Over long years of researching countless magic tools and transmutation circles, the catalyst he had handled the most was lead.

Because there was no insulator as perfect as lead for suppressing the flow of mana and containing the vibrations of the soul.

When using spirit or summoning magic, lead was an indispensable catalyst.

Mages were vaguely aware that lead slowly ate away at a person's blood and mind.

But they didn't think much of it.

It was due to the arrogance that their magical power would protect their bodies.

Louis was no exception.

For nearly a thousand years, he had handled lead with his bare hands and inhaled its molten fumes, all while exploring the truth of the path of magic.

The result was this trembling wrist and the terrible headaches that came intermittently.

Even this was only because his rank was high that the symptoms had appeared so recently.

When other mages developed such symptoms, they would use the method of cutting off their wrists and regrowing them with divine magic.

It was a method the Great Sage had also used occasionally.

'But to think there was a treatment method like this.'

Discovered through observing daily life.

Come to think of it, I heard he discovered Quinine and Insulin in a similar way.

The corners of Louis's mouth lifted.

How many years had it been?

To see someone who did not take the obvious for granted.

He had always taken only such people as his direct disciples.

Thanks to that picky nature, the lineage of his last disciple had been cut off 50 years ago.

'The Emperor will be pleased.'

Louis opened the medicine bottle and drank the viscous liquid inside.

A terrible stench, starting from his stomach, rose up his throat and struck his brain.

He heard it was a medicine made by combining rotten eggs and garlic.

Just as described, it was a medicine with a truly foul smell.

But the Sage did not show it.

As they say, good medicine is always bitter to the taste.

'The name of this medicine was...'

Dimer... what was it again.

Dimercapital? Dimercarol?

He couldn't remember it well.

It was because the name was unfamiliar.

Perhaps it was because his mind had grown dull from the lead.

But it didn't matter.

He could just ask his disciple again in a few days.

Rather, the thought that he might be able to ask other questions based on this made his heart flutter.

'To think that what I found in my old age is a disciple with not a single shred of talent for being a mage.'

He couldn't tell if it was a twist of fate or divine providence.

But one thing was certain: his steps toward that shabby clinic in the Limbus Pit every week from now on would be very joyful.

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