[Dark Man! The vacation is almost here! I’ve made a plan for the vacation, would you listen to it? First, I’m going to take the classes I missed during the regular semester in the winter session, do some research at the department, help professors with writing papers, and I’ll write a couple myself, then I’ll go for some fieldwork with the Imperial Guard, perform some duties with Vermont Security, and then…!]

As I read Yuria’s letter excitedly listing out her vacation plans, I couldn’t help but smile.

I usually spent my vacations just playing around, with no real plans. But here she was, making a detailed and systematic schedule all by herself. It made me proud to see how motivated she was, even though I didn’t push her at all.

Perhaps it was because she was inspired by seeing other students making solid plans. I suppose that’s why people say environment matters.

Once again, I felt glad that I sent Yuria to a prestigious university.

‘But the Imperial Guard fieldwork...’

From the added explanation, it seemed like the Combat Magic Department organizes fieldwork with the Imperial Guard for the students. I understand the purpose. They want new students to meet with Combat Magic Department graduates working in the field and see the department’s vision.

However, the problem lies in the fieldwork location—the Imperial Guard. They are supposedly the most powerful force in the empire, but in reality, they’re just a group with a flashy appearance. During the palace terror incident, they couldn’t even last 30 minutes against the 4th Legion and were all captured.

‘How can a group that couldn’t last 30 minutes against 10,000 soldiers be called a guard?’

There’s another very minor reason too. The Imperial Guard should be filled with seasoned veterans, yet when I looked at their faces without their helmets, they were all young and handsome. They looked completely unreliable just by their appearance.

What could we possibly learn from such rookies?

And what if they couldn’t resist their youthful impulses and started flirting with the students? I absolutely oppose this fieldwork.

As much as I wanted to use my position as a sponsor to make them change the fieldwork location right away, I knew that making a fuss wouldn’t work anymore. If I kept causing trouble like this, I’d end up on a blacklist.

So, my usual strategy of complaints wouldn’t work.

"I should tell Yuria not to participate in the fieldwork. Instead, I’ll make sure she gets more specialized training at Vermont Security."

Well, there’s no other choice.

I’ll have to order Yuria to refrain from attending, even though I don’t like having to act so overbearing as a sponsor. But I can’t send her to a place full of sweaty, wild animals distracted by women.

"This fieldwork... don't participate in it. Instead, I’ll arrange for you to spend your time much more meaningfully..."

I immediately grabbed a pen and began writing my reply. Hopefully, she’ll understand. I sealed the letter and was about to stop myself when…

"Oh, right. November is almost here."

Come to think of it, the upcoming vacation means the academic conference in November is right around the corner. And speaking of that, how far have I come with my research?

Nothing.

Aside from picking the topic, there has been no progress whatsoever. The sense of urgency immediately spread through my body, and my mind snapped into focus.

"This is not the time to be doing this. Sylvia."

"Yes, master."

"Bring Yuria and Charlotte to the lab. I need to resume the research we’ve been putting off."

"Yes. Understood, master."

As soon as I called her, Sylvia emerged from the shadows, and I directed her to bring Yuria and Charlotte. I headed for the lab while thinking about how far the research had progressed.

I looked over the log and saw the last recorded breakthrough was discovering that the power of neodymium could be controlled.

'There’s been a lot of progress since then.'

At that time, I only thought I could control the output of a wide-area mosquito net. But after the palace terror incident, my skill evolved, and its uses have become endless. What was once a mosquito net level skill has now become strong enough to exhaust someone. And most importantly, it has the ability to counteract magic perfectly.

'If the emperor’s sister finds out, she’ll definitely want to get her hands on it...'

A chill ran down my spine. The imperial family had just been hit hard by magic, and they were now researching ways to counter strong sorcerers, probably with a hefty budget. If it’s revealed that I was the one who released that magic, would I end up forcibly conscripted for a lifetime position?

Scary thought.

At least thanks to my skill evolving, unraveling the origins and principles of dark magic became easier. And now, I’d be able to present ways to utilize it at the upcoming conference.

I could selectively set the activation points and range, draining all mana from a target. Even if a barrier is present, I could dismantle it instantly, and if there is corrupted mana in someone’s body, I could eliminate it locally.

Of course, for someone like me who can’t use mana at all, it wouldn’t do anything. But for mages who use mana regularly, it would be a deadly ability. Once I present this research, demand for dark magic is bound to rise exponentially.

'It’s a good thing I have the neodymium mine development rights.'

The biggest stroke of luck was that I now held the rights to the only neodymium mine in the empire. No one had previously ventured into it, as the ore was considered useless except for occult enthusiasts who collected such stones. Thanks to the emperor’s sister, I was able to monopolize the mine.

If I start distributing neodymium without thinking, there will surely be cases of people getting obsessed with the dark god and going insane. Unless they are half-crazy like Irene or Aslan, very few people could survive the god’s gaze and remain sane.

As much as I want to make a fortune selling neodymium when its price skyrockets after I present my research, I first need to find a way to prevent people from going mad after being exposed to the dark god’s influence. Only after that can I properly begin my business.

"Are you resuming the research, Aslan!?"

"I’m here because I was told I’m needed for the research! What do I need to do? Huh? Huh?"

Just then, the door to the lab suddenly slammed open.

The silence in the lab was instantly shattered, and I lost my concentration, forgetting what I had been thinking just a moment ago.

"The conference is coming up soon, so we need to have some solid results."

"By the way, now that Aslan’s abilities have upgraded in the palace, research will go a lot more smoothly!"

"Oh, right! Was it you who created that black haze rising into the sky?"

"What? Black haze?"

"Yeah! It was huge, like a giant octopus appearing in the sky! It was even in the newspapers!"

"...?"

[The evil god, 'Kali,' pretends to ignore the question and changes the subject.]

What is that about? I was completely confused, but when I saw Kali’s reaction, I immediately knew who the culprit was.

It seemed like the "black light" mentioned repeatedly in the texts was the "haze" Charlotte was referring to. This time, the scale had gotten larger, and the black light had grown to the point where it reached the sky.

There might be a direct connection between that "black light" and the dark god... I’ll need to investigate that further as I continue my research.

But surely, whenever I use dark magic, the dark god’s essence doesn’t manifest in the real world, right?

"So, what are we doing today? What do I need to do? What role do I have to play?"

"Charlotte, you’re not officially called here as a researcher. I just need your help for today’s experiment."

"Ah..."

"Still, this is a very important experiment. There’s no one else who can do this role here except you."

"Hehe, if I’m really needed, I can’t refuse to help you, Uncle!"

Charlotte, who seemed a little disappointed, quickly cheered up and straightened her back. Watching her quickly recover her spirits, Yuria had a slightly shocked and dazed expression on her face. It was as if she were thinking, 'Did I do that too, whenever Aslan praised me a little?'

Of course, saying that Charlotte was the only one who could do this wasn’t a lie.

Yuria and I were in charge of the experiment and the records, respectively, and Sylvia uses mana contained in her sword, so measuring it was difficult. That left only Charlotte as the one who could help.

"When you use neodymium’s power, mana is supposed to drain from the body. But rather than leaking out gradually in proportion to the output, it all bursts out once a specific output is reached. I’ve decided to call this the escape output."

"So, for today’s experiment, we’re testing how much escape output there is? We’ll also need to figure out what factors affect the escape output since it will be different for each person... right?"

"Exactly, you’ve nailed it, Yuria."

It was exactly what we needed. If this experiment succeeds, we’ll be able to know, just by examining someone’s skin, how much output is needed to drain all their mana. What seemed like supernatural dark magic will be integrated into the realm of predictable, calculable science.

"Well then, Charlotte, would you like to lie down here? We’ll start the measurement...!"

"Slowly raise the output."

I placed Charlotte on the experiment table, set the activation point for the "Dark Magic" skill at her palm, and slowly increased the output.

[Current output: 8%]

Back when it was just the "touch of death," I would have been guessing based on feel, but now, with the exact numbers appearing in front of me, adjusting the output was much easier.

As the output slowly climbed to 25%, mana started to flow out of Charlotte’s body.

"This is it."

"I’ve recorded it. Charlotte, how do you feel?"

"It feels like my mana is getting sucked out without even using any incantations. It’s kinda weird."

"Don’t worry, I’ll recharge your mana soon..."

"Wait, wait, Aslan! Hehehe. It’s rare to see Charlotte weakened from mana exhaustion. If I’m going to torment her, I should do it now!"

"AAAH!?"

At that moment, Yuria flashed a sly grin and immediately charged at Charlotte. As Yuria tickled Charlotte’s sides and underarms, Charlotte burst into uncontrollable laughter, nearly gasping for air.

The sight of Charlotte being helplessly teased by Yuria was so unusual that I couldn’t even bring myself to stop them.

"Hehehe! Stop it! Hehehe!"

"I’m not stopping. It’s a rare opportunity! When else will I get to tickle you like this?"

"Ah! Ahh! Ahh, haah...! Huh?"

"Eh?"

At that moment, Yuria suddenly stopped. It wasn’t because she decided to stop herself. Charlotte, struggling with her mana exhaustion, had grabbed Yuria’s wrist, stopping her in her tracks.

Even though Charlotte’s mana should have been completely drained by then, it seemed she had managed to recharge just enough in that brief moment. Her strength had returned enough to overpower Yuria.

"Hehe... What did you just say, Yuria?"

"W-Wait a second. I think there’s some misunderstanding..."

In an instant, the situation was reversed. Yuria’s expression froze, and her face quickly turned pale.

"AAAH!?"

"Come here!!!"

Once again, screams filled the lab. It seemed like finishing the experiment today was out of the question.