Yi Han couldn't help but ask a question.
In fact, curses could be seen as somewhat similar to buff magic.
What if there was a curse that made someone lose weight? If used properly, it could actually be beneficial.
A belt cursed to absorb magical power would normally be an item that any mage would recoil from, saying, "Eek! Get that away from me!" But for Yi Han, the story was a bit different.
Yi Han... had an overwhelming amount of magical power. 'That seems like something worth seriously wearing, doesn't it?' He was already wearing a bracelet that absorbed magical power, so adding a belt wouldn't make much of a difference.
"What do you mean by 'effect'?"
"Well, since it's a cursed item, it must have some original effect, right?"
Magic had its actions and reactions.
Cursed items often had more powerful effects than ordinary items as a trade-off.
If they didn't, who would bother wearing cursed items?
"Ah, I see. Brother, that's what you meant. Let me see..."
'Wait, shouldn't I be remembering the original performance of the item, not just the curse?'
Yi Han was baffled by the priest's behavior, who remembered the curse but not the item's original effect.
It was putting the cart before the horse.
"It's a belt enchanted with invisibility magic. But that's not important. What's important is the curse on it... Anyway, brother, you can be honest with me. I can accept any answer..."
"What are you talking about? I'm fully prepared."
Yi Han spoke with a determined gaze.
The priest was shocked by his demeanor.
How could this be? He had assumed Yi Han would give up and leave, but it turned out the priest himself had been mistaken.
'How shameful! I failed to recognize a true brother of faith and spoke carelessly.'
The priest no longer saw Yi Han as a boy from a well-bred noble family.
Standing before him was a brother ready to walk the path of faith with seriousness.
"Brother, my name is Mehrid. Please tell me your name."
"Yi Han. Yi Han Wodanaz."
'Wodanaz!'
Mehrid was even more surprised.
The Wodanaz family was infamous in the empire as a family of non-believers.
No wonder he seemed so dignified and imposing...
"The church will be delighted to have you join, brother. Here, please accept this belt in honor of Priestess Frisinga."
The name of the cursed belt was overly grand, but Yi Han accepted it with a solemn expression.
Clink—As Yi Han fastened the belt, Mehrid looked at him with concern.
New brothers in the church often struggled with bearing the burden of Frisinga.
After all, curses could be overwhelming for those experiencing them for the first time.
The belt that absorbed magical power might be too harsh for a newly enrolled student...
"How do I activate the invisibility magic?"
"...?!?!"
"??"
"Ah, you just need to chant, 'I hide in the night.' To undo it, chant, 'I reveal myself in the morning.'"
"I hide in the night."
As Yi Han chanted the spell, his figure became transparent as if by magic.
'Wow...'
Yi Han was amazed.
Not all invisibility magic was the same.
Lower-tier invisibility magic only allowed light to pass through slightly, or if you looked closely, you could still see something odd.
But the invisibility magic of this belt was nearly perfect.
'It's worth wearing a cursed item for this.'
"Brother, are you... feeling alright?"
"Of course. I reveal myself in the morning."
Yi Han undid the spell.
Before wearing the belt, he had hoped that his magical power might decrease to a manageable level, but surprisingly, there was no effect at all.
'Judging by the concern, it seems like the item absorbs a lot of magical power.
How can there be no effect?'
At this rate, it seemed like the magical power he recovered was more than what the iron bracelet and belt absorbed.
Feeling greedy, Yi Han spoke up.
"Priest, I wish to bear more of Priestess Frisinga's burden."
"Wha...!"
Mehrid was deeply moved by this admirable brother's words.
But he couldn't allow it.
The belt alone was already quite a burden on the body...
"No, brother. Priestess Frisinga's burden cannot be borne all at once. I understand your heart, but please wait a little longer."
"No! I must bear more!"
"I understand your feelings, but brother, you must wait!"
In the end, Yi Han failed to obtain another artifact, but he didn't leave empty-handed.
The invisibility belt alone was already a tremendous gain.
What Yi Han planned to do with it was obvious...
'Another escape method has been added.'
From his last escape attempt, Yi Han had deeply felt his own complacency.
This school was crazier than he had thought, and the headmaster was even more insane.
He didn't know what traps might lie ahead in his future attempts.
This invisibility belt would protect him.
"... And so, the first gathering to honor Priestess Frisinga's will was held, marking the beginning of our church. That's all for today, brother."
Priest Mehrid explained the history and rules of the church to Yi Han.
Though Yi Han wasn't particularly interested in the church's history, he was a pro at listening to uninteresting stories.
'Did I tell that story about the golf course last time?'
'I'm really curious, professor! Please tell me quickly!'
'Actually, it wasn't that boring.'
Apart from the church's history, the rules and holy magic were quite interesting.
Surprisingly, the Frisinga Church truly had a free-spirited atmosphere, just as the headmaster had said.
It was okay to believe in other churches.
There were no prohibitions, and you could live as you pleased.
...
Except for wearing cursed items.
'If you exclude that one flaw, it's a really good church.
But that one flaw is just too big.'
Yi Han couldn't in good conscience recommend the Frisinga Church to others.
That one flaw was just too significant! Moreover, the holy magic used by the church priests also had that extreme tendency...
Priest Mehrid, perhaps fearing that Yi Han might change his mind after hearing about the church, handed him a generous gift.
"Here, brother. Please accept this. I've heard that new students at Einrogard often go hungry. Of course, the rumors might be exaggerated..."
'They're not exaggerated.'
Yi Han accepted the basket the priest handed him.
Like the basket the Flaming Church had given to Yonell, the Frisinga Church had also filled the basket generously.
It was clear they were desperate not to lose any followers they had gained.
The basket contained jars of raspberry jam, marmalade, and peanut jam, along with round, flat bread baked by the church.
There were also canned beef and pork, famous throughout the empire, sealed with magic.
There were also condiments like salt, sugar, coffee powder, and tea leaves.
Priest Mehrid spoke in a kind voice.
"I thought you might need something to drink while studying."
"More like something to survive on..."
"Huh?"
"Never mind. Thank you."
Yi Han bowed his head gratefully.
Priest Mehrid seemed to have prepared these for Yi Han to snack on while studying, but given the school's situation, these were more for survival stockpiling than casual snacking.
'If the church keeps visiting, the students' rights might improve.'
"When is the next event?"
"Hmm. I'd like to come as soon as possible, but it depends on the headmaster's permission..."
'Damn it.'
Even without hearing the rest, Yi Han knew the priests wouldn't be able to visit for a while.
Given the headmaster's personality, he wouldn't allow frequent visits...
"You should take this too."
"?!"
Tiziling, a half-demon priest from the Tower of the Eternal Phoenix, handed Yi Han the basket she had received.
Yi Han was startled.
What's this? Why is she giving it to me? Would accepting it mean making a contract with a demon?
"Why are you giving this to me?"
"I serve Priestess Frisinga. Such luxuries are too much for me."
"There's no need for that, Tiziling. I prepared this for you."
Priest Mehrid seemed to want Tiziling to take the basket, but she firmly refused.
'Wow, the Tower of the Eternal Phoenix really has a different atmosphere.'
Even the students of the Blue Dragon Tower, where Yi Han belonged, had already forgotten the dignity of their noble families and were rolling their eyes, asking, "Hey, got any food? Really? Nothing?" Meanwhile, the students of the Phoenix Tower were nobly enduring and restraining themselves.
Impressive! But impressive as it was, Yi Han had no intention of living like that.
"Thank you, I'll accept..."
"Brother."
"?"
Priest Mehrid took Yi Han aside.
"Could you perhaps look after Tiziling a bit? Considering the reputation of your family, your care would be a great help to her. As you can see, Tiziling is too strict with herself."
"Huh? But I live in a different dorm..."
"Please."
Priest Mehrid handed Yi Han another basket.
He clearly knew what he was doing.
"Here, I'll give you one more. Please share the basket I gave Tiziling with her so she can eat properly."
"Understood. You can count on me."
With three baskets in hand, Yi Han couldn't resist the temptation.
Sharing a meal with her was no big deal...
"Should I call you Priest Tiziling?"
"Yes. You can call me whatever you're comfortable with."
"What's the atmosphere like in the Tower of the Eternal Phoenix?"
Yi Han asked curiously.
Unlike the White Tiger Tower or the Black Tortoise Tower, the atmosphere of the Phoenix Tower was completely unknown to him.
The half-demon girl tilted her head, seemingly not understanding the question.
"What do you mean?"
"Ah, I mean, what do you do in the lounge during breaks..."
"Each of us prays in our own room."
Tiziling answered with a slightly proud tone.
Yi Han was horrified.
'Hmm.
It's much more austere than I thought.'
If Yi Han had joined the Phoenix Tower, he would have suffocated.
"Do you pray in the evening too?"
"Yes. Some priests have to go to the forest or mountains to pray, so they go outside. Those who can pray indoors do so inside."
"I see... Wait, can you go out in the evening?"
"Yes, with permission."
"!"
Yi Han was shocked by this unexpected revelation.
'Priests can wander around after evening?'
Normally, leaving the tower after evening on weekdays was prohibited.
It wasn't for nothing that Yi Han and his friends had tried to escape on weekends.
But the Phoenix Tower students had permission.
Thinking about it, even if Yi Han were the headmaster, he would have let the Phoenix Tower students go.
They wouldn't cause any trouble even if left alone.
'Does that mean I can wander around after evening if I wear a priest's robe?'
Yi Han's eyes lit up with excitement.
If only I had a priest's robe...!
"Can I get a priest's robe?"
"......"
Tiziling narrowed her eyes and looked at Yi Han.