The next morning, I broached the subject of last night’s conversation at the breakfast table.
"Regarding our schedule for curse magic instruction, everything is as Lady Eleonora described," Lord Rosenberg said. "Progress has been remarkably smooth, so I see no issue with you allocating time elsewhere. Pushing yourself too hard is never wise; a change of pace might be exactly what you need. In fact, I recommend it."
"We’re going to be continuing our survey of the mountains anyway," Jeff added. "Scouting out a few easy paths while we’re at it is no trouble at all."
"My only concern is you, Ryoma," Syria said. "Are you going to be alright?"
"That’s right-nyan!" Mizeria chimed in. "Ryoma is always so busy-nyan."
The group seemed to be in general agreement, with the only lingering worry being my own workload.
"I’ll be fine," I assured them. "I finished the general miasma concentration measurements yesterday. While I’ll still do light checks before we start any purification, I won't need to be nearly as thorough as I was during the initial survey. The most physically taxing part of the job is behind me, and civil engineering is hardly a chore when you have magic."
I took a moment to organize my goals for this trip:
- Studying miasma purification.
- Consulting on and reproducing the Lost Magic for curse removal.
- Finding a way for Kormi to interact with people from the outside world.
The latter two were my primary objectives, and studying curse magic was the foundation required to achieve them. If I neglected the basics, any attempt at applied magic would be flawed. I might leave behind dangerous gaps in the spells without even realizing it. That was why I had asked Lord Rosenberg to prioritize my training.
While it looked like I was juggling several different tasks, they were all interconnected through the study of curse magic. Rather than trying to do everything at once, I planned to tackle them in sequence. Since we had already cleared about half of the miasma purification work on the first day, I felt like I had plenty of leeway.
Lord Rosenberg encouraged the change of pace, and there was certainly no harm in improving our living conditions or the mountain trails. It would make our stay more comfortable, of course, but more importantly, it would maintain my professional standing as a technician and prevent political friction in the future. It wasn't just killing two birds with one stone—it was three or even four.
"I'll have everyone’s help, and I intend to use my Tamed Monsters to handle the heavy lifting," I added.
"If it looks like he’s overdoing it, we can just step in and stop him," Yudum said with a shrug.
With that, everyone seemed satisfied. The conversation shifted toward the specific plans for the day.
After breakfast, we spent the morning continuing our practical training in applied miasma purification. However, before the lesson began, Lord Rosenberg made a request.
"Before we start, I would like to see the purification method you used in the Town of Ghosts," he said.
And so, the morning began with a demonstration of my self-taught technique. The adventurer team stayed behind to watch rather than heading out for their survey. Since my method involved smoke, this was a safety precaution in case the wind shifted or something went wrong with the process.
I checked the wind direction and set up on the plateau below the collapse site. Since the goal was miasma purification, my initial thought was to treat it like sterilization or disinfection. However, since the source of this miasma was a collection of abandoned graves—home to unclaimed spirits—I decided to frame the magic as a memorial service first.
The ritual itself wouldn't change, so it made sense to offer peace to the spirits before purifying the land. I fed the fire in silence, offering food and mana along with my prayers. Drawing on yesterday’s lessons, I kept a close eye on the flow of the miasma.
As I repeated the rhythmic motions, observing the state of my mana, my mind grew calm and clear, much like it did during martial arts kata training. The noise of the world faded, the smell of the smoke vanished, and the flow of the miasma became distinct and visible.
I had used this magic many times before, but observing it now with a more critical eye revealed something new. The smoke was actually absorbing the miasma. It pulled the miasma in, much like the enchanted staffs we used yesterday, and as the wind dispersed the smoke, the miasma dissolved into nothingness.
It was a strange sensation, but once the smoke cleared, the oppressive "heaviness" of the miasma was gone. Emboldened by this success, I continued to stoke the flames, focusing my mind on the process of purification.
"That should be enough," Lord Rosenberg called out.
"Understood," I said, letting the magic subside.
"You were quite focused," he noted.
"I was. How much time has passed?"
"Nearly an hour."
I had been so immersed that I’d completely lost track of time. Standing before the fire had left me drenched in sweat and parched. Before I could even ask, Sebas was there with a towel and a canteen. His service was, as always, impeccable.
"Rest for a moment and listen," Rosenberg said. "First, regarding the purification you just performed: it was undeniably effective."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"If it hadn't been working, I would have stopped you immediately. I have no complaints. In fact, were you making adjustments to the spell as you went? It felt as though the efficiency was steadily increasing."
I explained that I had been trying to incorporate the principles he taught me yesterday. Lord Rosenberg let out an exasperated laugh.
"Developing your own unique spell is one thing, but evolving it on the fly like that is quite another. Most surprising of all is that you created this while having almost no foundational knowledge of curse magic. Truly, instruction on the applied version is no longer necessary for you."
"Does that mean I've already mastered it?"
"Yes. The applied method for miasma purification involves manipulating the miasma so that it can be dispersed widely enough to break its cohesive properties, allowing it to return naturally to the world.
"I had a suspicion when I heard your description of the spell, but to think you actually mastered an applied technique while skipping the basics entirely... Lady Remily was right. You have a natural talent for curse magic."
"Thank you. Though, looking back, I realize now that I was doing something quite dangerous."
If I hadn't been able to disperse the miasma correctly, I might have ended up spreading the contamination instead of removing it.
"Indeed. That is precisely why it is considered an applied technique. It isn't something a beginner should ever attempt. One is supposed to master the basic handling of miasma under a master's supervision first. I intended to stop you the moment I saw a problem, but given your success in the Town of Ghosts, I suspected you were up to the task."
Even if he wasn't a specialist himself, it seemed the word of Big Sis Remily, a former court mage, carried significant weight.
"Of course, I didn't go easy on the evaluation just because you had her recommendation," Rosenberg added. "Now then, since we don't need to cover the applied purification, let’s move on to..."
"Excuse me," Eleonora interrupted. "If the purification magic is functioning correctly, may the adventurers head out for their survey?"
"Of course, Lord Rosenberg. It would be more efficient," I agreed.
"Yes, safety is confirmed. Go ahead," Rosenberg said.
We saw the adventurer team and Yudum off, then returned to my lessons.
"Since the purification is well-handled, we should discuss the nature of 'curses' before we go any further. You'll need this understanding for the next stage—the post-purification treatments."
"You mean the markings on the trees?" I asked.
I assumed those were a form of curse magic meant to seal the area and prevent miasma from leaking.
"Exactly. I believe you learn best through practice, so I’ll keep the theory brief. When casting a curse, the most important rule is to define and accurately limit the target and the objective. This might sound obvious, but in curse magic, it is the only way to prevent the spell from running away from you."
Lord Rosenberg shared a famous parable used to teach young curse specialists.
Once, there was a greedy noble. He was a cold, ruthless man who used any means necessary to hoard wealth and power. While he prospered, his people suffered, and he was deeply loathed. One day, a corpse was discovered inside the noble’s carriage. The cause of death was a curse, and the culprit was eventually revealed to be a vagrant living in the city.
The culprit was the son of a merchant the noble had ruined. His father’s shop had been seized, his family cast into debt, and his parents had eventually died from the strain. When the son saw his enemy’s carriage pass by, his bottled-up resentment exploded into a curse.
"The fact that raw resentment can kill is dangerous enough," Rosenberg said, "but there is a twist. The man who died was not the noble."
"Who was it?" I asked.
"A different merchant—the man who had taken over the culprit’s father's business. He had bribed the noble for the position and was in high favor. That day, his own carriage had broken down, and the noble, who happened to be in a rare good mood, had lent him his own."
"So, because the man was in the noble's carriage, the son mistook him for his enemy?"
"Precisely. Emotions are like a wild horse. If you can ride them, they provide a power that makes the impossible possible, offering a strength that far exceeds other forms of magic. But they are prone to stampeding. If you lose control, the damage is catastrophic. You cannot fix the mistake after the horse has bolted."
"It sounds like the magic equivalent of a digital lynch mob or a viral rumor," I muttered. "Irresponsible malice that lacks a clear direction..."
Having lived in a world dominated by the internet and social media, the situation felt all too familiar.
"I’ve rambled a bit too long," Rosenberg said with a smile. "The point is: never forget to define your target and your purpose. In that story, a misunderstanding killed the wrong man, but there are also cases where a caster scatters a curse so indiscriminately that they end up victimized by their own magic."
"I’ll be careful."
"Good. The standard trick for defining a target is to use a 'marker.' In the story, the carriage’s family crest served as the visual focus for the son’s hate. That crest became the marker that directed the curse."
"I see. So the marks on the trees work the same way."
"Whether it’s a family crest or a specific geometric shape, visual cues are essential for maintaining the image of the spell. It can be a tool, a symbol, or—if you’re targeting a specific person—their name, a portrait, or even a piece of their body."
The mention of body parts made me think of the "Hour of the Ox" curse from Earth—driving nails into a straw doll containing the victim's hair. When I asked Lord Rosenberg if that was the same principle, he confirmed it.
"Mimicking a human shape is very effective for interpersonal curses. Conversely, if you want to break a curse, identifying the focus and the path of the spell makes it much easier to dismantle.
"But remember, curse magic isn't just about horror. You can cast a sleep curse on someone suffering from insomnia to give them the rest they need. The same magic can be a blessing or a bane depending on the context. Never forget that."
With the lecture finished, we moved to practical application. Lord Rosenberg wanted to see me perform a curse I had used before.
The only curse I knew was the Curse of Disease—the influenza curse I’d learned from Big Sis Remily. I picked up a small stone and cast the spell, just as I had back then. The pebble immediately began to radiate a sinister, heavy aura.
"It’s more powerful than I expected, but it is a successful curse," Rosenberg noted. "It seems you don't need help with the basics of casting. At this rate, we should be able to create a highly effective seal to contain the miasma."
We moved on to the final exercise for the morning.
"Just as you used your memory of a specific illness for the previous curse, you must find a negative emotion that aligns with your goal," Rosenberg instructed.
"The target is this stone, and the goal is to keep the miasma away... blocking it, confining it, obstructing it..."
I thought about it for a moment. I decided to focus on the feeling of isolation—the desire to not be approached or involved with anything.
I thought back to my early days in the forest, when I had been utterly fed up with human society and wanted nothing more than to be left alone. I filled my heart with that cold, solitary resolve and cast the spell.
"Isolation."
It was subtle, since I had already purified most of the miasma in the immediate area, but I could feel the remaining traces of corruption visibly recoiling from the cursed stone.
"How was that?" I asked.
"...I think I’m officially out of things to teach you today," Lord Rosenberg said, sounding slightly stunned.
It seemed I had succeeded on my very first try. I really did have a knack for being a curse specialist.