Groups? Not a group, but groups?

Principal Skelly asked in confirmation, puzzled by the weird request.

It wasnt a bad idea to compare different groups to one another before deciding on which one to join. However, for some reason, it felt as if this boy from the Wardanaz Family was trying to convey a different message.

I want to join multiple groups, so please recommend some to me.

Principal Skelly shook his head.

I must be overthinking.

Umm theres nothing wrong with believing in multiple gods, is there?

Hes actually crazy!

It had been a while since he was last awestruck by a new student.

Granted, some citizens of the Empire truly believed in multiple gods. For example, someone might believe in the god of love and the god of wisdom.

However, that clearly did not apply to this boy from the Wardanaz Family.

He just wanted to reap as much benefit as he could from these religious organizations, and he was being so blatant about it too!

His intentions were so clear it almost felt refreshing to hear, though, of course, the groups that he joined might not share the same sentiment

Youre right, and youve asked an excellent question. Theres nothing wrong with believing in multiple gods, but you must be careful as some groups are very petty.

Exactly, Yi-han said, quickly voicing his agreement.

The principal had hit the nail right on the head. Yi-hans plan was simple and straightforward.

Lets sweep through all the groups and join as many of them as I can.

By applying, he would receive all sorts of items. Hed be an idiot to turn down such an offer.

Thus, he planned on joining every group that allowed multiple memberships to maximize his benefits.

First, I recommend the Order of Presinga. The goddess that they believe in keeping the world afloat through self-sacrifice. Members of the Order of Presinga are kind, and theyll no doubt give you a warm welcome.

Orderof Presinga.

Yi-han took note of it.

Next would be the Order of Callasso. Their god is mischievous and loves creating chaos and confusion. Theyll treat you well even if you have multiple faiths.

Order of Callasso.

Last but not least, the Order of Capoleo. They worship the god of swords and swordsmanship. Even an oddball like you would be accepted.

Order of Capoleo

That was when Yi-han stopped for a second.

Did the principal know that he was taking the swordsmanship course?

For real, thats kind of scary.

It wasnt that big of a deal, but he didnt like how much attention he was being paid.

Nothing good would come of gaining a professors interest, especially one as mad as the principal

I wont stop you from learning swordsmanship, but never forget that magic comes first. After all, its the one and only academic discipline that towers over all others.

I will always bear that in mind.

Confronted by the principals teaching, Yi-han politely nodded. However, whatever the lich said went in one ear and out the other.

For him, magic was but a means to an end.

Good, very good.

Satisfied by the response, the principal nodded.

At first, he was surprised that someone from the Wardanaz Family wanted to enter a religious order, but now, he was looking forward to how it would go.

Hes an oddball alright.

The matter of having an enormous amount of mana and exceptional sensitivity to it was of secondary importance.

The tenacity to do whatever it takes to achieve ones goal.

The principal was interested in Yi-han because he had such tenacity despite being from a prestigious household known as the Wardanaz Family.

Im looking forward to the future.

Good luck, Wardanaz. As for me, Ill be checking on the students in the punishment room.

Thank yo Huh?

Hed just heard something strange.

Come again?

However, Principal Skelly left before he could ask anything.

***

Though he was curious how many students of the White Tigers had been locked up in the punishment room, he decided to visit the religious orders first.

Which order are you interested in? Yonaire asked curiously.

She had returned from somewhere with a basket in hand.

The Order of Presinga

Oh, the Order of Presinga? Were you interested in-

and the Order of Callasso.

??

As well as the Order of Capoleo. Thats about it for now. Hmm, Im not sure if I have time to visit all of them today. I shouldnt make it too obvious that Im registering for several orders, so lets visit one order every time an event is held.

Rather than questioning his decisions, she decided to just accept them.

I see, so Yi-han believes in three gods!

Right. Take this.

Yonaire took out a sandwich from her basket.

The sandwich was made of bread, ham, tomato, cabbage, eggs, and various other ingredients.

The hungry students wouldve fought tooth and nail for it if the sandwich had been placed in front of them.

Thanks. Hmmm. How much does it cost?

Im just giving it to you for free

Huh? Really? But why? What are you scheming?

Its not my place to say thisbut you really are odd. Dont worry, Im just giving it to you as thanks for the hard work yesterday. Now, eat up.

Hearing her explanation, Yi-han accepted the sandwich while nodding. He was feeling a bit peckish, so it was great.

While he was munching on the sandwich, Yonaire poured a cold glass of apple juice and offered it to him.

Gulp-

By the way, whered you get these?

Shouldnt you have asked that first? I got these from the Order of Flameng. My family has been close with them for generations.

Flameng, the god of alchemy.

Followers of the Order of Flameng were all skilled alchemists, and the Maykin Family had supported them financially for ages.

As a result, the priests from the Order of Flameng identified her immediately and gave her a basket full of food.

What has the Wardanaz Family been doing this whole time? Why didnt we donate anything?

Yi-han was impressed by the Maykin Familys foresight. By offering generous donations, their daughter was rewarded during her stay in the academy.

Do you think its weird as well? Yonaire asked while fidgeting

What is?

Was she talking about eating a sandwich together with apple juice?

Y-you knowabout how the Maykins are backing the Order of Flameng. You see, Im also a follower of Flameng

Previously, Gainando was beaten up for asking whether alchemy could be considered magic. However, his belief was shared by a lot of prideful mages.

From time to time, shed hear people criticize her family for sponsoring the Order of Flameng. Why would a powerful family like yours back an order like that? Theyd ask.

Yi-han, however, couldnt care less about such nonsense.

Whats wrong with backing the Order of Flameng?

Right?

Yonaire became visibly brighter. She poured him more apple juice with a wide grin on her face.

Have some more.

Huh? But I didnt finish drinking

Due to her rather unique personality, Yonaire thought shed stick out like a sore thumb and have a hard time at the Tower of the Blue Dragons. However, she was having a much easier time than she expected thanks to the quirky young boy in front of her.

***

Um, is this the Order of Presinga? Im interested in knowing more about the order.

!

The priests looked up with beaming expressions when they sensed Yi-han approaching them.

Greetings, brother! So you wish to know more about Lord Presinga. Then youre more than welcome here!

Yes, Ive heard many stories about Lord Presinga in the past. Ive always wondered if such a great individual could really exist.

Yi-han started talking off the top of his head without truly meaning anything he said.

As a former graduate student, he had mastered the technique of putting on a humble and reverent appearance regardless of what he truly thought in his head. In fact, he was unmatched when it came to controlling his expression.

Unsurprisingly, the priests were instantly smitten by his attitude. He was obviously from a distinguished family, yet he had sought them out!

Please, come in! Tijiling. Would you mind lending us a hand?

I-Ill be right there!

!

Yi-han was surprised when he saw the appearance of the student that the priest had just called.

There was dark reddish energy surrounding her skin, as well as a pair of horns protruding out of her forehead. Though the timid student immediately averted her eyes, there were flames flickering inside them.

A devil mixed-blood!

Devil mixed-bloods were the rarest among all mixed-bloods. Yi-han had heard about them before, but it was his first time seeing one.

When the ancestor of a family makes a deal with the devil, their descendants in the future generations would have a chance of exhibiting the devils traits.

As a matter of course, most people stayed away from such individuals. That was probably why the girl in front of him was behaving timidly, checking the reactions of those around her before making any moves.

Tijiling over here is also a new student of the academy. She belongs to the Tower of the Immortal Phoenix.

The priests seemed proud of her.

Students of the Immortal Phoenix rarely interacted with people from the other towers, but they had stepped forward to help when they heard the priests were coming.

This must be fate. To think Id get to meet a friend who also believes in Lord Presinga. This must be the Lords guidance.

Brother!

The priests reacted very positively to his random gesture of devotion.

Having said that

After entering the tent, he took a look at his surroundings.

There were two points he had to check before registering for an order: what he could get out of it, and what would be demanded of him.

If he didnt check those, he might end up joining a cult that forced its members to whip themselves during each meeting.

It looks very plain. I guess its to be expected of a religious order.

The inside of the tent was simple and austere. There were several rows of chairs inside, and at the very front was an altar with a symbol that probably represented Presinga.

It was as ordinary as it could be, but there was something that managed to catch his eyes.

Why are there so many artifacts?

He could sense mana from many of the items inside the tent.

Artifacts, items enchanted with magic, were rather expensive and rare even if they didnt serve a grand purpose, yet the tent was filled with them.

But it didnt seem as if the priests were interested in leading extravagant lives

I thought Presinga was a goddess that keeps the world afloat through self-sacrifice? Is she also related to artifacts?

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

A short and skinny priest approached Yi-han to explain further about their order.

?

Every time he took a step forward, deep footprints were left behind on the ground.

Yi-hans eyes popped open when he saw this.

Oh, did I surprise you, brother?

Sensing his shock, the priest opened his mouth to explain with a smile on his face.

Its nothing crazy. The footprints are being made because of a cursed artifact that Im wearing. It makes the wearer several times heavier, but it also increases the amount of holy power they can wield.

Ah. Did you accidentally equip it during a dungeon exploration?

Nothing of that sort. I wore it in honor of Lord Presinga.

??

As you probably know, Lord Presinga sacrificed herself to uphold the world. As her followers, how can we stand by and do nothing ourselves? Brother, every time we equip a cursed artifact, we are alleviating this world of another curse.

The Order of Presinga. The goddess they honored was burdened with a curse that made her hold up the world. In turn, her followers voluntarily wore artifacts with curses on them.

The holy power that they used was unlike that of other priests. While others used their holy power to lift the curse, the Order of Presinga used theirs to strengthen them.

Realizing what was happening, Yi-han grew pale, and he started to regret his decision.

I mustve been out of my mind to believe in the principals words.

Their conversation had been so heartfelt that he had subconsciously followed the principals suggestions, but the air of madness surrounding the Order of Presinga was no joke.

They were literally going around wearing cursed artifacts on purpose.

So it seems that brother isnt too keen on the idea either.

The priest was extremely perceptive. Despite Yi-hans best attempts to control his expression, the priest had seen through his act.

Thats not the case. I was simply too happy

No need to force yourself, brother. The path that we walk as followers of Lord Presinga isnt an easy one. If youve had a change of heart, you may walk away. We wont blame you, said the priest with a bitter smile.

Though he felt sorry, Yi-han glanced at the entryway of the tent. He had to run away while he had the chance. After all, they might change their mind at any moment.

This cursed belt is meant to be a welcoming gift to the brothers and sisters that join usbut they all walk away when they hear what it does. I guess it makes sense. Who would willingly put on a belt that sucks away the wearers mana?

Wait. Can you explain its effects?