Chapter 11: The Perfect Brew

“Would you like some black tea?”

“Uh… Sure.”

The butler began pouring tea into the cup in front of the professor.

Though this process of pouring the tea seemed simple, the magic contained within it was far from simple.

The “perfect black tea” magic, a culmination of ten months of research and experimentation, was infused within the tea.

The tea began to layer itself in the cup.

Each layer held a different temperature and texture.

As the tea stacked itself in layers, it began to merge into one, eventually taking on a form.

This form, created by the magic, formed a total of five distinct shapes.

Each of these shapes existed like dots for a moment before blooming in an instant.

The fragrance, starting from the tea, swirled powerfully around the room.

The shapes bloomed into five flowers within the tea, each delicate and full of life.

It wasn’t just about making delicious black tea—it was about capturing beauty within it as well.

This was my perfect black tea.

The professor delicately placed one of the tiny flowers that had formed in the tea into her mouth.

Her eyes widened slightly.

“Uh… What is this?”

“This is the magic I recently perfected. It’s based on the flame flower and ice flower spells you taught me three months ago. While researching these two spells, I was inspired. By manipulating the temperature of each petal differently, I was able to create the most beautiful flower. I applied that concept to the tea.”

Of course, it didn’t end there.

These flowers could only bloom and remain intact at precise temperatures, so maintaining the right temperature was crucial.

To ensure this, I used a warming spell to keep the cup at the optimal temperature until the last drop of tea had been poured.

In total, over thirty different magical experiments went into perfecting this one cup.

One of these was a temporary life-giving spell that allowed the flowers to briefly come to life, preserving their scent, texture, and shape.

The professor lifted the cup again, and a soft smile appeared on her face.

It was a success.

She clenched her fist lightly.

A flower with life within it bloomed gently, producing a spoonful of honey.

This delicate flower was specially adjusted for her, who loved sweetness.

The butler quietly moved behind the professor.

Six new hands, previously added, reached out from the butler’s back.

These hands began massaging the professor’s limbs softly.

At the same time, the magic embedded in the butler’s doll-like arms activated.

A very weak electric magic gently stimulated the muscles, while a constant, subtle vibration magic loosened them up.

Additionally, a magic that helped flow mana through the body cleared out any leftover mana.

This enhanced blood circulation and guided the mana throughout the body.

This was the “perfect massage magic” that I had spent countless hours perfecting.

To develop this magic, I experimented by casting the spells on myself.

In that painful process, I learned how to control the magic to a level that would satisfy the professor, testing it on others before finalizing it.

“Ah… This feels good…”

This massage magic was, in fact, a type of deceptive magic.

A mage’s body was meticulously managed by their unique magic tree.

Such a body, nearly flawless, did not easily seek improvement.

‘So how could I bring satisfaction to it?’ I thought it might be effective to weaken the body’s state first—creating a false sense of tension in the muscles and then releasing it completely, making the body feel even more relaxed than before.

That was the foundation of this massage.

After the massage, I helped with stretching.

I guided the professor’s muscles, now fully relaxed, to stretch beyond their usual limits, inducing the most comfortable feeling.

As I massaged her, the professor slowly opened her eyes.

Her gaze, filled with contentment, met mine.

“You.”

“Yes, I’m listening.”

“Is everything ready?”

“Yes. Thank you for your concern. I’ve already packed everything.”

“Good. As long as you do what you’ve done for the past year, you’ll pass. If you fail, I’ll kill you.”

A cold sweat ran down my back in an instant.

Over the past ten months, I had learned that the professor never spoke idly.

If she said she would hit you, she would.

If she said she would kill you, she meant it.

The words she had just said were definitely sincere.

“I will do my best to pass, so that your teachings are not in vain.”

“Well. You’d better.”

The professor closed her eyes again and sank deeper into the doll’s arms.

A soft snoring sound soon filled the air.

In this still state, she looked like a very cute young girl.

But beneath that, immense, untapped magical power surely churned within her.

The previous spells were already embedded in the butler’s circuits, so I didn’t need to be there.

But that didn’t mean I was going to leave.

‘How could I leave the professor to only the doll’s hands?’

She had been my lifelong benefactor, guiding me through everything.

I adjusted the butler’s circuits, striving to create the optimal movements, making sure to maintain her comfort.

A little more, a little better.

I controlled the magic carefully to ensure the most comfortable, soothing experience for the professor’s small body.

The sun rose, and it set again.

After about ten hours of massaging, the professor slowly opened her eyes.

She glanced at the darkening window and waved her hand.

“Go. Get ready for the test.”

“Understood. I will leave now.”

Though there were still some adjustments to be made, I sighed inwardly and began to retreat toward the stairs.

I took one last deep bow to the professor and headed down to the workshop.

Once there, I cast a locking spell on the entrance, completely sealing the workshop from the rest of the house.

Only then did I allow myself to relax.

In the past ten months, I had learned so much.

Magic, circuits, dolls, and knowledge of the world.

I knew how great an opportunity it was to learn from the professor, and that was why I had clung to it with all my might.

“Of course, I’m not so foolish as to not realize that the professor has some intention behind teaching me. Who would invest an entire year for someone like me, with no background or special abilities?”

There is definitely something, but I don’t know what it is.

I looked at the contract on my wrist.

‘If one passes the university entrance exam after receiving teaching from Irien, they promise to serve Irien until graduation.’

‘If I pass this exam, what will the professor have me do? Every time I look at this contract, a sense of unease wells up. ‘

‘Is there really a need for someone like me at the university? Will I become a slave, having my body and soul taken away as soon as I arrive?’

“Still, I should be thankful.”

I muttered to myself.

Knowledge is more precious than gold.

Though there are some conditions, it was nothing short of a miracle that someone would teach me magic.

I sat on the bed, lost in thought.

The professor was always cold and coercive.

Whenever I failed to meet her expectations, the punishment was worse than death.

I learned what it felt like to have one’s soul torn apart from the professor.

Yet, when she smiled after seeing the magic I had created, that moment was truly fulfilling.

I felt proud of myself—not just because I had reached a higher level of mastery, but because I felt I had grown as a person.

I reached out for the magic book on the desk.

It was my own textbook, compiled over the past 10 months of lessons.

I turned the pages, reflecting on the time that had passed.

The first lesson, when the professor had presented me with so many doll designs.

Just recalling it makes my teeth grind.

I still don’t fully understand it all.

To be given something like that on the first day—she was clearly trying to crush my spirit right from the start.

Each page of the paper held memories of the day.

The days I failed while researching the perfect black tea magic, the moments when I was beaten by the professor and begged for mercy, and the memories of growth during those times.

Every moment was a valuable asset to me.

“Still not enough.”

I muttered quietly.

I wanted to pass the exam so badly.

I gazed at the magic book.

I needed to improve, just a little more.

To avoid death at the professor’s hands, and most importantly, for my own sake.

I wanted to achieve the fruits of this small miracle.

I took a sip of tea.

The flowers melted in my mouth, releasing a thread of sweetness.

The pleasant sweetness made me smile faintly.

I had created this with magic.

It was quite impressive.

“Let’s see what you’re doing.”

I narrowed my eyes and focused my magic.

My magic pierced through the crude defensive spells the child had set up and allowed me to see into the underground.

The child was clutching a book, struggling.

I rubbed my chin as I watched.

“Hmm, I didn’t expect this much.”

The doll the child called a butler began massaging again.

I inserted magic into the doll’s body.

It was still full of inefficiency, but there was a higher level of completion compared to yesterday.

The child had steadily grown over the course of 10 months.

I didn’t think the child would be capable of this much.

I knew the child’s clumsy talent.

It was just the kind of talent that wouldn’t pass the university entrance exam but was still one of the most capable among those who couldn’t make it.

Yet, I didn’t expect the child to grow this quickly.

‘Could it be that I have a great talent for teaching?’ Is that why the former president forced me into this professor position a thousand years ago? I chuckled quietly to myself.

That couldn’t be it.

I know myself well.

I’m not the type to teach others.

I stopped the doll’s massage and had it pour more tea.

The doll took out the teapot from its chest and began pouring black tea.

Flowers bloomed again in the cup.

I took a sip, and the pleasant fragrance and warmth enveloped me.

“Hmm, impressive.”

I could easily see the meaning behind this magic.

It was magic adjusted only for me.

The “perfect” black tea magic, as the child called it, was perfectly tailored to me.

I could easily tell that the title of “perfect” was given because it was made to fit me completely.

The child must have known that and intentionally named it “perfect.” Probably to please me.

I didn’t mind the cleverness.

A quick-witted magician lives a long life.

The child had also created many strange spells like this.

Last week, it was the “perfect cushion” spell.

These were spells I couldn’t even imagine.

Though I had instructed the child to learn them, I didn’t expect them to reach this level.

These were spells made to serve others.

These kinds of spells gave me a pleasant shock—spells I had never considered as a magician who had always thought about magic only as something for a magician as an individual, a completed existence.

I had never understood why great families in human society employ hundreds of servants.

I had never understood the inefficiency of it.

But, now, after recalling the last 10 months, I found myself nodding instinctively.

It was a comfort I had never known in my 5,000 years of life.

These strange spells, when combined with the child’s doll magic, had transformed into something beyond my imagination.

Well, I couldn’t expect any combat power, though.

“Still, they’re an interesting child.”

I had been worried about staying at the university for the next 100 years, but with this child by my side, the time would pass quickly.

‘Initially, I had raised this child because I needed a magician to work for me.’

‘Since the child would never graduate in time, I thought I could use them as a lifelong servant.’

But now, my thoughts had changed.

To others, the child would appear as quite an amazing magician.

The old people at the university would probably appreciate the child’s talents.

I realized that even without me, the child would eventually have passed the entrance exam.

If the child had studied for about another 30 years, that is.

Thanks to me, they would pass in just one year.

Now that I thought about it, the child was the first person I had ever taught in this life.

I absentmindedly tapped the doll.

The doll resumed the massage.

The reason I had chosen this child was for this comfort.

This pleasant relaxation wrapped around me.