I Was Mistaken for a Saint in a Dark Fantasy

After beginning the Smallpox Vaccine Research.

All my thoughts were fixed on the one thing needed to create the vaccine: 'black magic'.

"So, you want me to help you with the Modification of a Curse of Pestilence... one that is neither too strong nor harmful?"

"Yes, that is correct, Teacher."

"Hmm... Very well. I am curious to see what you will create."

In principle, creating a vaccine is relatively simple, but the time and effort required are anything but.

Years to analyze the pathogen and design a stable attenuated state.

Years to test the finished vaccine on animals for safety.

All told, it easily adds up to over 15 years.

Even with the help of magic, there's a limit to how much this period can be shortened.

Fifteen years was more than enough time for my youth to completely vanish.

And in the midst of that, a Great Sage who had lived for 1,000 years suddenly asked to form a Teacher-Disciple Relationship with me.

This might become a Leash around my neck later, but not taking it was never an option.

"Teacher. What do you think? Is such a curse possible?"

"Yulian. As you know, this is not an easy task, even for me. Your request is like asking me to create a fire that is not hot."

Of course, the answer I received was that it was a difficult Spell even from my teacher's perspective.

A curse of disease that doesn't cause disease, yet makes one experience it as if they had.

A curse that also prevents the Egg from rotting.

This was the kind of curse I had asked of my teacher.

It was no different from asking him to create a Sword that doesn't cut, a fire that doesn't burn, or ice that isn't cold.

"By any chance, have you conceived of any knowledge or symbols to create this Spell?"

"Yes. I have prepared some to a certain extent."

But I wasn't that irresponsible.

I had already organized some of the necessary knowledge to help my teacher create such a curse.

Of course, making him understand the principles of germs or immunity all at once was impossible, so I explained it in a way that aligned with existing knowledge as much as possible.

"The longer a person is weakly exposed to a curse, the more Resistance they have to it... I see. That is certainly a well-founded argument."

"Then will this knowledge be helpful for the magic, Teacher?"

"Yulian. There is no useless knowledge in this world. I laid the foundation of earth magic by observing the process of a roadside pebble turning into soil."

In that process, my teacher wasn't the only one who gained knowledge.

I too received a vast amount of knowledge about magic from him.

During that process, this Q&A also passed between my teacher and me.

"Yulian. How very strange. This Hypothesis you've brought contains an incredible Insight that pierces the principles of disease, yet you yourself are as ignorant as a blank page when it comes to the Formula for realizing it with magic."

"It is because I am but a child who has not even reached the level of an Apprentice in magic."

"But an ordinary Alchemist or Scholar would be ashamed of what they don't know, pretending to know or trying to hide their ignorance. Yet you admit your ignorance and accept knowledge."

"Because that is what knowledge is."

"Since we're on the subject, let me ask. Yulian. What is it that you think knowledge is?"

I pondered his question for a moment.

What would be the most fitting, coolest line a protagonist would say here?

After some thought, I recited the definition of an expert from the 21st Century's modern society.

"True Knowledge does not come from what one knows. It is knowing what one does not know, and knowing where to find the answers to the parts one doesn't know. I believe that is what knowledge truly is."

Modern Medicine is so vast that a single genius doctor cannot master the knowledge of every department.

That is why there is a system called Joint Diagnosis in a Hospital, and why countless medical journals and academic paper databases exist.

Sometimes people distrust a doctor who searches for information, but in reality, the ability to search properly is itself a qualification of an Expert.

Of course, I'm not sure if this definition is fitting for an era where romanticism is still alive and search engines don't exist.

But I think it wasn't a bad answer to my teacher's question.

"Huh..."

Because my teacher was blinking blankly, letting out a sigh from between his lips.

I smiled faintly at my teacher.

"I do not know about curses or magic. However, I know very well who I must ask for knowledge about it. In that case, am I not also a great wizard?"

"Hah."

A laugh escaped from between my teacher's lips.

Soon, as if he could no longer hold it in, he burst into a hearty laugh.

"Yes! That's right! Kuhahaha!"

My teacher slapped his knee repeatedly, letting out a robust laugh.

After laughing for a while, he wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and spoke.

"If those arrogant fellows cooped up in the Magic Tower these days heard this, they'd clutch the back of their necks and foam at the mouth! When a disciple asks about something for the first time, they don't think of teaching, but instead blame the disciple's laziness! If so, why do they even seek the Form of Address of 'teacher'? I want to let those bastards hear your words!"

"Th-That wasn't what I meant by it."

"I know, Yulian. It's not in your character to go around badmouthing anyone. It's just an old man spouting Nonsense, so pay it no mind."

He gave a pleasant smile and gathered the knowledge I had organized.

"Alright. A disciple is trying to use me like this, I can't possibly disappoint him. I will complete that curse you desire."

After that, we continued to spend time on the Modification of the Curse of Pestilence.

And so, three years passed.

*

"Yulian."

"Yes."

"Now, when it comes to black magic, you have risen to a level nearly equal to mine."

"...No, I am not. I am still far from it."

When I came to my senses, I had accumulated knowledge of black magic nearly comparable to the Father of Magic.

Black magic.

The more I studied it, the more I realized it was medicine.

Originally, black magic was a general term for all magic that could defile the lives of others.

Necromancy, which defiles the dead body.

Hypnosis, which defiles another's mind.

Curse-casting, which defiles the living.

Roughly speaking, the collection of all these is called black magic.

But, in the end, the advanced form of this knowledge was medicine.

'So that's why. It was too easy to understand.'

It was easier to understand when I connected Necromancy to the Field of Surgery and Curse-casting to the Field of Internal Medicine.

For the record, I couldn't learn Hypnosis.

Psychiatry is a field I don't know well myself.

'I shouldn't feel disappointed...'

But being a man, I was a little disappointed.

Still, I'm the protagonist. Have a drink.

Anyway.

The black magic knowledge I learned after shaking off the sinister temptation of Hypnosis had, at some point, become comparable to my teacher's.

"There's no need to be humble, Yulian. Although black magic is also a magic I founded a thousand years ago, I haven't researched it much since its creation. It's not unreasonable for you to catch up."

He says that, but the Great Sage's knowledge of black magic is by no means shallow.

Roughly calculating by years of experience, his Level of Mastery was that of a 40-year black magician.

How could I, who had studied for only three years, possibly catch up to that?

"I still have much more to learn, Teacher."

"Hmm... I see that attitude of yours hasn't changed. They say arrogance is the Arch-enemy of Truth, but I think this is a bit excessive."

Anyway.

Still, according to my teacher, my black magic knowledge was at a level where I could have a smooth conversation with him.

In other words, I had reached the level of an Associate Professor.

Thanks to that, an end to that long, tedious research was finally in sight.

"Let's try changing the Catalyst from Lead to silver."

"Should we try changing the symbol of death to a Shed Snakeskin, Teacher?"

"Let's try adding this Conditional statement too: vestigium = verus, inscriptio = falsus. Though it will probably Misfire."

At the end of it all, we were able to create it.

A curse that does not cause disease.

"...We finally succeeded, Teacher."

Because of the Yulian persona, I couldn't bring myself to cheer.

But I couldn't hide the trembling in my voice with acting.

I suppose I should be glad.

My teacher also seemed too overwhelmed with emotion to notice my voice trembling.

"I-Is that really true?"

"Yes."

With trembling hands, I carefully lifted an Egg.

In the past, when we injected the failed curses, the inside of the Egg was horrific.

There were dark red blood clots, or the entire contents had rotted into a sloshing, murky black fluid.

This was because the small Embryo inside the Egg couldn't handle the curse's Toxicity and died.

But the sight under the Magical Lamp now was completely different.

The thin chorioallantoic membrane enveloping the inside.

Upon that transparent membrane, blood vessels spread out clearly like a spiderweb.

Inside, the Embryo pulsed faintly, not having lost its life force.

And, all over the chorioallantoic membrane, white, opaque pockmarks had bloomed.

Those pockmarks were the proof of our success.

"Finally..."

"Then, is that medicine you were talking about now complete?"

I shook my head.

We have only just taken our first steps.

Now, we must cultivate the Attenuated Virus inside this Egg, and the cultivated virus must undergo countless experiments to ensure it is safe.

However,

"Teacher. We no longer need to fear the Plague."

If starting is half the battle, and this is half of the remaining half, then we were practically there.

The joy was brief.

I remembered what I had to do first and carefully set the Egg down.

"Teacher."

And I bowed my head towards my teacher.

"Thank you."

"..."

"Without you, Teacher, this would have been an impossible Accomplishment. If I were alone, I probably couldn't have made it even in 20 years."

I can't get it twisted.

I had just freeloaded off the 1,000 years of knowledge the Great Sage had accumulated for three years and used it to create this magic.

Even the magic itself wasn't something I created alone.

That's why I must not forget to give the Credit to my teacher.

"It is all thanks to you, Teacher."

"Haha. This is not something you need to thank me for, Yulian."

My teacher waved his hand.

"I merely translated your Idea into magic. You were the one who came up with the concept for this medicine."

"But you were the one who executed it, Teacher."

"You were the one who came up with the Idea. Let's end the debate here. This is our shared accomplishment, wouldn't it be ridiculous to argue over who came first?"

I nodded.

Because I also knew well the Weight of the idea my teacher spoke of.

"Understood."

"Now, shouldn't we prepare for the next step? Animal testing, you said?"

"Yes. I'll have to ask Wangcho... Hex."

"Alright. Go and prepare. I'll take care of Cleaning up today."

"Thank you, Teacher."

I bowed my head once more and left the Laboratory.

On the way to see Wangcho,

My steps felt unusually light today.

***

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