Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Few Things with Brishisan

"A chance to learn magic?"

Li Mo was completely bewildered. There weren't many Magus still in existence, were there?

Aoko Aozaki, who wields the Fifth Magic, counts as one. But Touko only recently appeared at the Clock Tower, and the incident of the Magical Night probably happened not too long ago. As a mage who started late, she herself is just half-baked, right? Option one is out.

Then there's the First Magic. While everyone in the mage world is certain it still exists, the family that inherited it hasn't been seen for hundreds of years, have they? Eliminate option two.

That leaves only the Second Magic and the Third Magic. As for the Fourth Magic?

No one even knows who the user is!

For the Third Magic, the inheriting family is the Einzbern, one of the Three Great Families. But it seems like most of their clan members are dead now. Aren't the few remaining in the Einzbern castle all homunculi?

After calculating it all, Li Mo's face lit up. He looked up at Brishisan and said, "Teacher, are we going to see that former Grand Marshal?"

Brishisan nodded. "Yes, you guessed correctly. It is indeed that esteemed individual."

Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, one of the only five Magus in the world, wields the Second Magic, one of the "Five Great Miracles." He holds numerous titles such as "Grand Marshal," "Jeweled Sword," "Kaleidoscope," and "Old Man of Time." He is also ranked fourth among the Twenty-Seven Ancestors of the Dead Apostles.

Seeing Li Mo's delight, Brishisan couldn't help but hide a trace of worry in his eyes. He spoke, "That esteemed individual has always been in contact with our Clock Tower. This time, there's a material exchange between us, and I submitted your tutelage as part of the deal."

Is that so?

This is truly wonderful!!!

Li Mo's face was filled with surprise. Among the Five Great Magics, the one he desired most was the Second Magic of that Grand Marshal!

Not only could he maintain his own identity while freely moving between Parallel Worlds, but it was essentially the concept of time travel, wasn't it?

If he could freely traverse Parallel Worlds, would it be possible to travel back to the main world?

Li Mo was full of excitement, but Brishisan remained silent beside him.

In his understanding, that esteemed individual was not someone easy to get along with.

After all, too many geniuses had already perished under his tutelage!

That's right, despite being a powerful Second Magician, Kischur still frequently involved himself in worldly affairs and had a history of taking disciples all over the world.

However, few of Kischur's disciples ever met a good end!

Being able to return unharmed after becoming his disciple was considered incredibly rare talent by the Mage Association!

Take, for example, an ancestor of the Tohsaka family.

There was a common understanding within the Mage Association that "becoming Zelretch's disciple" was equivalent to "being turned into a cripple." One could only imagine the immense psychological pressure Brishisan was under to make such a decision.

But he had no choice.

At this moment, Brishisan felt a complex mix of emotions.

On one hand, he was reluctant to part with Li Mo as his disciple, but on the other hand, it was for the disciple's future.

If it were before, even with 108 Magic Circuits, Brishisan would have had the confidence to teach him well, gritting his teeth.

Did the thousand years of heritage in our Department of Lore not suffice for you to learn?

But Li Mo now had 365 Magic Circuits.

Despite its thousand years of heritage, the Department of Lore still had no Magic.

It was not worthy of this disciple.

Brishisan believed that with Li Mo's talent, he could reach a higher level, and the Department of Lore could only be a fragment of his life, not the entirety.

Just like any parent, when their children have a better path ahead, they not only wouldn't obstruct them but would also do their utmost to pave the way for them.

"Mō-san, I hope to hear one day that you have taken on the title of Second Magician," Brishisan murmured, his eyes filled with reluctance and worry.

Then Li Mo's reaction disappointed him.

Li Mo looked at Brishisan with utter surprise and asked, "Teacher, don't you know that the Second Magic is related to time and space?

If I go to the Second Magician to learn magic, I can come back anytime!"

Brishisan fell silent, a '#' forming on his forehead.

All my carefully crafted emotions were for nothing!

Do you think I don't know that?! Do I need you to tell me?!

All that worrying...

Fine, the reason why Zelretch's disciples went mad was simply because their talent was insufficient. The teacher himself was actually quite dedicated.

Although he never cared about his disciples' individual circumstances, directly shoving things they couldn't understand at them.

It's like giving a book on advanced mathematics to someone who just graduated from elementary school. See if they can learn it! But geniuses are stubborn. Which of the talented individuals chosen by a Magus to be their disciple wasn't arrogant and proud?

Magic? Can magic stump me? Hmph! And then...

And then there was no 'then'.

The ancestor of the Tohsaka family, Tohsaka Nagato, was said to have safely completed his apprenticeship only because his talent was too poor, and he completely failed to grasp what Jeweled Sword taught him, so he didn't get stuck on it...

But Li Mo? Brishisan found it hard to put into words.

Isn't it precisely because this guy's talent is too outstanding that I'm afraid I won't be able to teach him well?

Does he still need worrying about?

Thinking this, Brishisan felt relieved, his signature gentle smile returning to the corners of his mouth.

His golden hair lifted, the sunlight was just right and the breeze was mild; Brishisan felt that everything at this moment was perfectly beautiful.

Except for the smug grin on Li Mo's face next to him!

"Mō-san, come a bit closer," Brishisan's lips tightened, and he spoke to Li Mo with a serious expression.

Li Mo obediently moved closer, nodding and bowing like a sycophantic lackey.

Then, "Slap!"

Li Mo was utterly bewildered. Why did his teacher hit him? Why so suddenly!

He thought it and then asked, "Teacher, why did you hit me!"

Brishisan suddenly grinned, a smile that made Li Mo's scalp tingle, a smile that made Li Mo want to turn and run!

"Does a father need a reason to hit his son?" Brishisan said with a straight face, his exaggerated expression gone.

"Don't you have an old saying in the East? 'Beat the child on a cloudy day—because you're idle anyway.'

What, do you have a problem with that?"

No problem, no problem, how would I dare to have a problem!

Li Mo felt so wronged, but he could only agree with his teacher.

"Hmph hmph," Brishisan nodded with satisfaction, looking like a teacher who found his student teachable.

"Tomorrow, you pack your things first. Based on that lord's past experiences, your apprenticeship this time might not be so easy."

Huh? Didn't you say taking a disciple was part of the conditions?

Li Mo was bewildered, looking at Brishisan with a blank stare.

Just then, from a corner of the living room next to Brishisan, a magnetic voice suddenly came.

"That's right, becoming my disciple isn't easy at all. I'll give you a task, and whether you can become my disciple depends on your performance during the mission!"

Brishisan and Li Mo stiffly turned their heads.

At some point, an old man had taken a seat in a chair in the corner of the living room.