Banshee and Flesh Magic

After leaving the chemistry laboratory, Theus sought out his chief clerk.

"My lord, the construction of the factory is proceeding quite smoothly. As you know, we even have some finished olive oil."

"But as for the school... do you intend to renovate some existing buildings, or..."

"Just find some vacant houses for now."

The crux of the school lay in the teachers. Theus had initially considered having the clerks under Alexei handle the teaching, but after some thought, he abandoned the idea.

He did not have enough influence over those clerks, and these civil servants trained by the empire might not be willing to teach commoners.

Most of them were illegitimate children of low-ranking nobles who couldn't inherit property, or the children of merchants—the upper class closest to the commoners.

In Theus's experience, this class held the greatest hostility toward the commoners.

They were one misstep away from falling out of their class, or the only difference between them and the commoners was a mere title; thus, compared to the high-ranking nobles, they tried even harder to prove they were "different" from the commoners.

Just like the original owner of this body before he arrived, the illegitimate son Theus, who desperately maintained his so-called "noble demeanor," including complex and tedious daily etiquette, and even insisted on afternoon tea and reading after arriving on this small island.

The less people have, the more they care about it.

Therefore, letting these low-ranking civil servants serve as teachers for commoners would likely yield disastrous results.

Theus's current plan was to select from his servants.

Most of his servants were of commoner origin; only high-ranking nobles could afford to have servants who also held noble status. After all, Theus was merely an illegitimate son.

Because they followed him, a significant portion of his servants were literate. Being literate basically met his requirements—

Yes, Theus's basic teaching requirement for the school was only literacy.

If they could read, they could understand basic signs and possess the most fundamental qualities of a worker.

As for training engineers or scholars further up the ladder, he intended to list those as advanced courses.

He planned to teach the advanced courses himself.

Yes, he was the only teacher in the entire school.

There was no help for it; although he intended to teach the most basic physics, he was likely the only person in this world who possessed a complete knowledge system.

Well, unless there were other transmigrators.

He planned to teach some basic science and engineering knowledge from shallow to deep, and for anything beyond that, he would only provide books and let the students research for themselves.

Who would have thought? What's harder than advanced mathematics is self-studying advanced mathematics.

But that was a matter for the distant future; what needed to be done now was general education.

"Just find the houses, then inform the islanders about the free schooling policy."

"Yes, literacy classes are free for all employees and their families, and advanced courses will only require a very small fee. For other islanders who are not our employees, we will only charge a symbolic amount."

"This matter must be communicated to every household to ensure everyone on the island knows about it!"

After dismissing the chief clerk, Theus thought for a moment and decided to check on the current state of the Banshees.

"I am going to the study. From today on, I will be working in the study. Without my permission, no one is allowed to enter," Theus instructed the butler at the door.

He did not intend to make the matter of the Banshees public just yet.

Connor nodded in acknowledgment.

Theus walked up the stairs to the study. He made a show of directing his servants to arrange various island documents and annual ledgers on the table, ordered others not to enter, then personally closed the door and gently locked the bolt.

The study was not large. Theus walked around it, pulled all the curtains tight, lit a lantern, and walked over to the fireplace.

There was a secret passage in this fireplace that led directly to the sea; he had used it to meet Ash during his night excursion last time.

Back then, she was still a Swollen Monster.

Theus smiled and shook his head, pushed open the hidden door with a long-handled axe hanging on the wall, and stepped inside on tiptoe.

Descending to the very bottom and looking at the sea surface before him, Theus closed his eyes and gently activated the Symbiotic Pact in his heart.

The response was almost immediate. A shadow gradually appeared in the sea, and then, with a "splash," the shadow broke through the waves.

Ash looked down at Theus, who was standing on the reef: "My lord, you are calling for me."

Seawater fell from her long, silver-white hair and slid into the sea along her snake tail, which was covered in fine, dense scales.

Her body, as if cast from silver and meticulously polished, possessed an indescribable, harmonious beauty.

The scales and skin, which carried a slight metallic texture, reminded Theus of polished plate armor. Under the dim light of the lantern, she was covered in a halo of light, cold, hard, and holy.

Theus was stunned for a few seconds involuntarily. It was the first time he had seen Ash's appearance on land. Her tall figure resembled a statue, and her streamlined, graceful body lines made her feel less inhuman.

Banshee—only by standing in front of her could one feel that sense of oppression. If she were to hold a weapon in each of her six hands and charge at him from the enemy ranks...

The name was truly fitting. Their appearance was the tolling of a funeral bell, announcing the impending death of the enemy on the battlefield, followed by crushing the ants in their way with their massive bodies.

Banshee, Death-Knell Angel—that such warriors would fight for him; thinking of those scenes, Theus felt his blood boil for a moment.

But he quickly calmed down, lowered his head to think for a moment, and then asked: "Ash, are you unable to leave this place?"

Ash's eyes shifted, and she lowered her head: "My... lord, once the Symbiotic Pact is signed, I cannot leave too far. Through the pact with you, I have gained the ability to survive on land. Unless you are with me, I... I cannot return to the Abyssal Trench."

She hesitated, wanting to say something to make her will clear, but Theus waved his hand to interrupt her.

"What happens if you go too far away? I remember you tried to venture deep into the Abyssal Trench yourself while I was unconscious."

"You lose vitality continuously. The further you go and the longer you stay, the more you lose."

I see. Theus nodded. No wonder she hadn't reached the bottom of the Abyssal Trench directly to relieve that bloated state back then... Wait, that's not right!?

"Then how come you didn't... when you came up this time?" Theus gestured with a bulging motion. "I saw you looking like this the entire time."

"That is Flesh Magic, my lord," Ash said softly, her tone somewhat heavy.

"Flesh Magic is also one of our innate abilities. It allows us to maintain vitality in harsh environments or when we are severely injured. We use it to resist water pressure, which allows us to barely survive, but it cannot stop for even a moment. Without a contractor, the moment Flesh Magic stops is the moment death arrives."