《Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy》
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Im never attending school, ever again. From now on, Ill live life for myself!
Yi-Han, a Korean graduate student, thus swore after obtaining his Masters degree with much effort.
He was never going near a ce of study ever again.
However, as the saying goes, things never go as nned.
Yi-Han died in an unfortunate ident, only to be born in another world as a child of the Wardanaz Family, a household known for its magic.
And in the blink of an eye, 15 years had passed.
Today was the day he would enroll in Einroguard, the Empires greatest magic academy.
***
When Yi-Han was reborn as a Wardanaz, he was at first puzzled, then fascinated, before finally epting the situation he was in.
Fortunately for him, the Wardanaz was a family with much authority in the Empire, renowned for nurturing powerful mages.
Yi-Hans father, who was the head of the Wardanazs, was a powerful figure who had a close rtionship with the emperor, and their mansion was the very definition of luxury.
At this point, Yi-Han arrived at a certain hypothesis.
-This must be my reward for attending graduate school in my previous life!
He could now livefortably for the rest of his life, without any worriesor so he thought.
The Wardanaz Family wasnt such ax ce.
-Yi-Han Wardanaz.
-Yes, Patriarch.
-What do you wish to achieve in life?
-.
Should I be honest and tell him I wish to y around and livefortably?Yi-Han thought to himself.
It didnt seem like a very good answer.
-Never mind, you dont need to reply. After all, we both know the answer to that question.
Hm?
-You yourself should be aware of your hidden talent.
Pardon?
-As you may already know, our household has a rule that dictates that the first-born child will inherit everything.
Dafuq???
This came as a shock to him.
Everything? As in everything?
Not even a penny for the others?
-Patriarch, does that mean I wont inherit anything?
-Thats where youre wrong, Yi-Han Wardanaz.
Phew.
-Our household will give you all the opportunities you need. If you wish to be a knight, well find the best knight to train you. If you wish to be a government official, youll have the chance to learn under a minister. If you wish to be a merchant, youll be able to work under the Empires most sessful merchant group.
Or you could just give me an equivalent amount of money.
Hed no doubt rake in a fortune if he sold those opportunities to someone else.
To begin with, their household rule was ridiculous.
Damn it, I shouldve been born just a few years earlier.
Hemented hisziness for being born as the third child.
The first child would receive everything while the rest would have to struggle and find a way to feed themselves somehow.
When he learned of this, Yi-Han thought long and hard about what he should do in the future.
Government official, merchant, knight, or adventurer
The good thing was, though he wouldnt receive any money, the household would provide as much support as they could.
In other words, he had the chance to learn and achieve whatever he desired.
After much consideration, he decided on bing a mage.
-I knew you would say that.
His father, the patriarch, seemed satisfied with his answer.
-I assume you knew you were talented in this field?
-??
I just thought it would be the most stable job to have?
He wasnt wrong about that.
Mages were respected throughout the Empire, and it was an upation that even members of the nobility would be proud to have.
With enough skill, they would be weed anywhere.
Be it the knights order, the adventurers guild, or the imperial pce, mages were considered valuable everywhere.
-Go attend Einroguard. Youll meet many aspiring mages such as yourself, and you will surely grow by experiencing what its like to be there.
Einroguard was the best of the best even within the Empire when it came to magic academies. It boasted the longest history, tradition, and prestige. Just by graduating there, one was guaranteed a certain amount of fame.
Of course, that wasnt all.
They could aplish great things, catch the attention of a professor and receive their rmendation letter, or form connections with other students that may prove usefulter on in their lives
Not only was Einroguard the best magic academy in the Empire, but it was also the ideal ce to build connections.
Though he had sworn off schools in his previous life, Yi-Han had no choice but to obediently enroll in the academy.
-Understood. I will enroll in the academy.
Ill endure it for now until I graduate just think of this as investing for the future.
***
Arlong, an elderly knight, gave Yi-Han a salute.
Young Master Yi-Han.
I thank Sir Knight for escorting me here.
It wasnt anything worthy of praise.
Arlong was a knight that served the Wardanaz Family.
Normally, a knight like him wouldnt have to serve as Yi-Hans guard, but when he heard that Yi-Han would be leaving the capital to enroll in Einroguard, he volunteered himself for the task.
It was because they shared a close rtionship.
I didnt think Sir Knight, who taught me swordsmanship, would apany me here
It wasnt because Young Master Yi-Han had learned from me. It was to make sure others dont belittle the Waradanaz Household.
Whatever the reason may be, Im grateful.
Arlong continued to maintain a serious expression, but Yi-Han, who knew of his personality, smiled.
Though Arlong was strict and silent most of the time, he was a kind and thoughtful man. He had volunteered out of concern for Yi-Hans safety.
Seeing his smile, Arlong let out a dry cough.
Well, truth be told, I may have been a little d when Young Master Yi-Han expressed his desire to learn swordsmanship.
Wardanaz was a family of mages, and not many thought to learn how to wield a sword.
However, Yi-Han learned it for two reasons.
First, he was of the belief that anything he learned could prove usefulter on. For example, he could keep himself safe if he knew how to wield a sword.
As for the second reason
It was because he was bored out of his mind.
Though it maye as a surprise, he didnt learn even a single bit of magic at the Wardanazs.
-Its dangerous to learn magic before the age of 15!
In this world, 15 was the age when people were considered adults.
Learning magic was the most difficult and dangerous out of all the studies, so it made sense that learning it would be prohibited before one became an adult.
Yi-Han, whose mental age was way over 15, thought it was unfair, but there wasnt anything he could do about it.
Take a look over there. The young masters and misses of other households have alsoe with guards so as to not bring shame to their family.
Isnt that a bitexcessive?
Yi-Han was at a loss for words when he saw the carriages that filled the Empires streets.
Bringing ten carriages and dozens of horsemen along seemed over the top.
Admittedly, the noble ss was a bit fixated on their pride and liked to show off their wealth but to think theyd go this far when theyre enrolling their kids into an academy Not only that
I thought we werent allowed to enter the academy with our guards, servants, nor ves?
That is right.
Einroguard was a traditional magic academy, and they greatly valued equality.
It didnt matter whether someone was a member of the royal family or a ve. When they entered, they had to enter alone.
They may bring as many people as theyd like, but they would be left behind in the end.
Most of them will probably be staying in a nearby town.
For real? Yi-Han asked, sounding tired already.
15 years have passed since he reincarnated in this world, but he still couldnt get used to the thoughts of the nobility.
Once they entered this massive academy, they would probably only leave the schools premises once or twice a month. Making people stand by just for that seemed ridiculous.
I asked around earlier on and it appears that theyve bought several properties in nearby areas. Some towns around here have properties built just for that purpose.
Sir Knight, Im saying this now, but I dont need something like that.
But weve already purchased a small property as well?
Yi-Han swore in his head.
Just give me that frickin money!
Spending money that way was considered okay, but they werent allowed to hand the money to him directly.
It wasplete bogus.
Were far from the capital, young master. Its always better to be safe than sorry.
Sure, why not.
Yi-Han got on his horse. Other people rode on carriages, but he decided hed just pass through the gates by himself.
Id have to wait until sunset if I were to ride a carriage.
Well, once again, Id like to thank Sir Knight for following me here.
Theres no need, Young Master Yi-Han. It was my honor to escort you.
Those were Arlongs sincere thoughts. Among everyone in the family, he liked Yi-Han the most as he was both grounded and modest.
Master also seems to hold the young master in high regard.
I doubt thats the case, but thanks anyway.
But its true
***
Einroguard was located far away from the capital and the imperial pce. ording to a rumor, it was because they had to search for a location with abundant mana. The rumor seemed to be true, as the academy was surrounded by nature.
There was a vast mountain range beyond the academy, not to mention a long, deep river flowing next to it.
Closing his eyes, he could almost feel natures mana in the air.
Thisis wrong.
??
A boy approached Yi-Han while saying this, so Yi-Han stared at him, wondering what was going on.
One look at what he was wearing was enough to tell his social ss.
There were strings of gold decorating his coat made of high-quality silk, and there wasnt a trace of roughness on his hands or face.
He was no doubt a noble.
Should I call for someone?
The boy was pale and shivering, indicating how unwell he was.
Had he been struck by some weird magic?
Whats wrong? Are you okay?
II
Go on.
I cant sleepwithout my servants attending to me
Yi-Han barely managed to hold back his fists.
This sonuvabich
His concern was absolutely unnecessary.
However, the boy seemed to consider it a serious issue.
We cant bring our servants in? But theyre like my arms and legs! Theyre practically telling me to chop off my limbs!
Wonderful argument, Yi-Han said dismissively.
The boy, on the other hand, found courage in his words.
Right? Ill go and file aint.
What will you tell them?
Duh? Im going to tell them they should allow my servants in! Else Ill consider it a challenge to our household!
Good luck with that.
He didnt think theyd bend their tradition which they had upheld for thousands of years just for a spoiled brat. Nevertheless, he gave the boy his blessings.
First of all, it was none of his business. Second of all, he was curious as to how the academys mages would react.
The boy scuttled away, but he soon returned with a nk expression on his face.
?
I repent. I repent. I repent. I repent
!!!
Yi-Han was bbergasted.
Mind control!
From how the boy was behaving, it was clear he had been affected by a magic that either hypnotized him or dominated his mind.
He wasnt surprised by the magic itself. Hed heard about it before. However, he was shocked that the academys staff would cast such a thing on someone with a noble background.
They say no one would know if the academy buries dead bodies in the mountains. That cant be true, right?
He was beginning to wonder whether the rumors he heard in the morning were true.
Wee to Einroguard.
With a booming voice, someone sent a message directly to everyones head.
Boom!
And soon, the front doors to Einroguard opened.
You may enter, Ironheads!
Everyone present furrowed their eyebrows, but not because of the insult thrown at them.
Rather, because of the fact that they had an aptitude for magic, they could feel the immense amount of magic surrounding the academy and were pressured by it.
Was this how it felt to stare directly at the sun? To challenge a giant with bare hands?
Hiihihihi!
The horses neighed. Someone had tried to enter with their carriage.
I remember saying you must enter by yourself
And with that, the carriage disappeared, and a girl riding inside fell to the ground with a shriek.
Following this, over a dozen carriages vanished, and people nearby heard the screams of the boys and girls who were inside.
So be it. Ironheads! Know that the academy will make sure its rules are kept, even if you wish to go against them!
Yi-Han and several other students that were quick-witted realized the academy was as unforgiving as the rumors said.
Move yourzy asses! Move it! Move it!
***
Yi-Han had a habit of observing everything. Not only was this habit carried over to this world, but it also became worse than before.
Everything felt new and refreshing, and thus, observing them was a treat.
Currently, there were hundreds of boys and girls gathered where he was. Members of the royal family, sons and daughters of nobility, knights, officials, merchants, adventurers, and beggars, there were people from all walks of life.
Soon, they began forming small groups of their own. Forming connections was important for their student life.
Yi-Han of the Wardanaz Family?
Yes, Im surprised you figured it out. Im not carrying my family crest anywhere.
Since equality was a major part of the academys tradition, they werent allowed to wear anything with their family crest on it.
Even so, it wasnt that hard to tell.
Yi-Han himself recognized some members of the nobility and royal family he had met before.
My names Yonaire, Yonaire Maykin.
A girl with smooth eyebrows and curly red hair that stretched down to her shoulder walked up to Yi-Han.
The Maykins were another household known in the Empire for nurturing mages, but they were more involved in the Empires politics than the Wardanaz that preferred to be left alone.
For the sake of researching magic, the patriarch often stayed cooped up in the mansion even when the Emperor summoned him.
Nice to meet you, Yonaire. What can I do for you?
His Highness wishes to see you.
Maykin gestured behind her.
A boy who was dressed the most extravagantly among all the new students was waving at him.
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
The royal family. Princes. Princesses. Typically, anyone associated with royalty is considered powerful and noble. However, things were a bit different in this empire.
There werejust too many of them.
The emperor has over a hundred children, right?
The royal family was grand and all, but once the number of descendants reached the triple digits, people would start raising their eyebrows. With so many children, Yi-han could probably sneak into the pce pretending to be a prince and no one would notice.
Just as he had to work hard in life because he was bornter than his elder brothers, the emperors children were subjected to a simr fate.
Unless they were the firstbornthey would inherit nothing.
In a sense, they had it worse than Yi-han. After all, the patriarch of the Wardanaz Family at least knew the names of his children and provided them with opportunities to seed. Children of the royal family, on the other hand, would have to n everything out by themselves.
Of course, a diamond on a dunghill was still a diamond. To themoners, they symbolized authority. Unfortunately, those gathered here were all descendants of the empires bigwig nobles, which meant they didnt need to humble themselves before the princes and princesses.
In fact, Yonaire Maykin probably had a higher standing than most of the royals present. Which begged the question, why was she following a prince around?
Is she on the slow side?
Yonaire wouldve likely erupted if she had heard what he was thinking. However, it was true that the people around her were snickering, mocking her for bringing shame upon the nobles pride.
Members of the empires nobility were as prideful as the royal family, and even the emperor would have to give face to the more powerful ones.
Sure.
Knowing all this, Yi-han epted Maykins invitation.
I doubt anything bad will happen.
He wouldnt suddenly be aughingstock just because he epted the invitation. Whats more, as powerless as the prince may be, it was better to make a friend out of royalty than an enemy. Who knows, there mighte a day when he would require the princes help.
Really? Thank God!
Maykins smile was as radiant as the sun. She seemed awfully happy about something rather trivial, which made Yi-han suspicious.
Why?
Ive already been rejected by three people.
For a second, he regretted epting the offer.
***
Gainando was the empires 97th prince.
Since many of his siblings were born around the same time, some sources said he was the 101st, but he strongly insisted he was the 97th, probably because he didnt want to stoop to the triple digits.
However, except for the fact that he was a prince, there was nothing special about him, and he was just another immature boy. People in this world treated 15-year-olds as adults, but not everyone was equally mature, and Gainando had yet to realize that being a member of the royal family brought him no benefit in this academy.
You hear me, Yi-han? That bastard turned me down.
Yeah, yeah, I hear you.
How dare he!
Hes just not aware of how noble a figure you are.
Noble? But Im not a noble.
Gainando stared at Yi-han, confused. Thetter just showed a kind smile before nodding. Yi-hans evaluation of Gainando had just dropped a notch, but he didnt let it show.
As an adjective, its used to describe someone with high moral principles and ideals.
Well then, its a word that fits me perfectly.
Yup.
Anyway, that bastard turned me down, and yet hes speaking to Adenart! Such humiliation!
Adenart, who Gainando had just brought up, was also a royal, and she was either the 43rd or the 44th princess.
The atmosphere around her ispletely different.
Adenart had long, wavy silver hair and clear, blue eyes. She appeared graceful, and the way she carried herself showed that she was no fool. Just by standing there without speaking, the temperature around her seemed to cool down a bit.
She was a princess that naturally exuded elegance, which made the nobles gather around her. Whats more
She probably didnt have someone else call them up.
Nobles may have their pride, but they wouldnt outright ignore a royal talking to them. If Gainando had approached the students himself and spoken amicably, there wouldve been a few that stuck with him.
Later on, can you beat him up for me? Gainando requested Yi-han.
Yi-han had a better build than most people his age thanks to the constant practice of swordsmanship. Though they may be mages in the future, at the current moment, their fists were a stronger weapon.
Nheless, Yi-han wasnt keen on picking a fight with others just for the sake of satisfying Gainando.
Gainando.
Yeah?
Someone thats noble wont ask others to bully someone.
Its not bullying. Its punish-
Doesnt matter how you phrase it. Those that are noble wont make that kind of request.
Think about it.
Hmm.
Gainando thought long and hard about what Yi-han had just told him. In hindsight, it did sound unsightly.
Then Yi-han, what do you propose we do?
Just forgive and forget.
Anything else?
You can also challenge him to a duel.
He should consider himself lucky that Im such a benevolent prince.
It seemed he wasnt too fond of the second option. Seeing this, Yi-han realized one of Gainandos strengths: he was very straightforward and simple-minded.
Wow, Im amazed you were able to convince that stubborn prince into listening to you.
Yonaire appeared genuinely impressed. In response to her praise, Yi-han asked her a question that had been on his mind the whole time.
Why do you follow him around?
Were rtives. Hes my cousin.
Still, that doesnt mean you have to listen to what he says. The Maykin Familys quite powerful as well
Before he could continue asking, a booming voice reverberated throughout the hall.
Done chitchatting? Then shut it, you Ironheads! Youll have years for thatter on.
!
It was the same voice that spoke to them at the gates.
A giant skeleton with fiery eyes appeared at the center of the hall. It released massive amounts of mana to the surrounding area.
A Lich!
Liches were formerly powerful mages that turned themselves into undead to ovee death. Yi-han had heard rumors about them before, but it was his first time seeing one with his own eyes. The students murmured among themselves, also seemingly curious.
Let me ask you all a question. Why do you think I call you all Ironheads?
Adenart raised her hand. Gainando, who had been watching her, red at her in disdain.
Speak.
Because iron is the symbol of us freshmen.
Excellent. 10 points for your dormitory!
Theres a point system for dormitories?
Of course not. If you wish to be a mage, you must first learn to discern lies from truth.
Adenart had been celebrating her achievement, but she blushed when she realized shed been tricked.
Indeed. Iron is the symbol of you freshmen, while bronze is the symbol of the 2nd year. Iron, depending on how you mold it, can take various forms. It truly fits the 1st years well.
Damn
So theres a deeper meaning to it
The students gathered in the hall were in awe at Principal Skellys words.
As if! Ha! You were tricked again, you fools! We use iron to symbolize you since theres nothing inside those iron heads of yours! If you dont believe me, try knocking at it. Im sure itll make a nice sound.
Those in the hall suddenly fell silent. Many of them had never received an insult in their entire life. However, none dared speak up before Principal Skellys imposing figure.
Figures.
Yi-han took a deep breath. The density of mana had spiked up ever since Principal Skellys arrival, so much so that the students were having difficulty even moving. It was as if they were in the depths of the ocean.
Even soIm pretty sure I can somewhat move. Yup, there it is.
Yi-han managed to squirm, which immediately caught the attention of Principal Skelly.
?
It was as if he was staring at something fascinating.
Yi-han immediately straightened his back. He hade here to make connections and get that piece of paper that certified that he had graduated. Catching the principals attention in his first year wasnt part of his n.
I might have been too harsh on the young sprouts that will shoulder the empire in the future.
Principal Skellys voice became slightly more gentle. Some students seemed relieved by this, but Yi-han wasnt going to be duped for the third time.
No doubt, this bitch has got some loose screws.
To be a lich, one would have to abandon something. However, in the case of Principal Skelly, it was apparent that he had left behind more than one loose screw.
Yi-han recalled his time at graduate school. There had been a hint of madness in the eyes of the professor that worked in theb next door, just like Principal Skelly over here
Nah, scratch that. This Lich seems saner than him.
Arriving at this thought, Principal Skellys antics started feeling more bearable.
Now, enjoy the feast that the academys best chefs have prepared for the young talents that must have traveled far to arrive here! Its nothing much, but I hope it can do away with your tiredness. After you finish, there will be a warm bed waiting for you in your dormitory
A chubby student began drooling when he heard this.
A feast? What kind? Was it a chicken cuisine from the empires west, cooked with oil and butter after being covered in flour? With onions, salt, pepper, and wine to serve as seasoning, it would be delectable indeed! Or maybe theyd be served gratin with bechamel sauce? Soft, white bread with cheese and butter would be nice too!
Perhaps it would be a dish from the east! Freshly caught fish seasoned with spice and grilled over fire sounded delicious as well!
The journey had been a long and arduous one, and they were so famished that they were ready to slurp down eastern noodles which they normally looked down upon.
However, nothing was served, and the table at the center of the hall remained as empty and deste as before.
???
Tricked once more! How stupid can you get? When will you wake up? With brains like those, how do you n on bing a mage?
Hes a f*cking psycho, I tell you.
So many insults had been hurled at them that some students were about to break down into tears.
Now, Ill tell you the rules of this academy. This institution is a cradle for mages, and cravings are what act as a students driving force.
Along with his words, shabby cloaks and wands appeared in the air.
These will be your uniforms.
Hard loaves of bread the color of charcoal and cold rice balls appeared next.
And these are your food.
T-this is going too far!
One of the students protested. Principal Skelly seemed all too happy to hear this.
Precisely! That was the reaction I was looking for! You think the foods too disgusting? Then learn magic and get your own food! The cloaks and wands are too trashy? Then learn magic and get your own clothes and wands! You can get as many of them as you wish in this academy!
Yi-han was at a loss for words. He knew that Einroguard wasnt an easy ce to survive in, but he didnt think itd be this bad.
The message was clear: If you feel wronged, learn magic and be proficient at it!
Is this allowed?
Whatever, Ill just tell my servants to bring me what I need, a cheeky student muttered, tears threatening to pour out.
Principal Skelly was exhrated when he heard this.
Yes, yes! I knew one of you would say that. And to that I say, the first years arent allowed to leave the academys grounds! Dont even think about asking for your seniors help either! You wont be meeting them for a while!
You may go now, Ironheads! I wish you all luck and hope to see some of you be brilliant mages!
Yi-han couldve sworn he heard someone mutter Son of a b*tch under their breath. Principal Skelly probably heard it as well, but let it go unpunished.
When the lich finally left, Gainando burst into anger while stomping his foot.
He has to be kidding! How can he treat us like this! Yi-han, arent you angry as well? Only beggars would wear trash like this! Only pigs will eat filth like these!
Huh? Is it that bad?
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
For a moment, Gainando thought Yi-han was kidding.
As if anyone could survive by eating brick pieces of bread and cold riceballs! As if anyone could bear wearing these ragged cloaks!
However, Yi-hans expression said otherwise.
The Wardanaz Familywhat a terrifying ce it must be!
Gainando was in disbelief. The nobles in the empire held immense authority, and each had its own traditions and customs.
Very little was known about Yi-hans family as they stayed away from politics and focused on researching magic. Hence, misunderstandings were sometimes inevitable
The Wardanaz Family must raise their children like that!
But isnt this too much? Even ves are treated better than this To think the Wardanaz Familys patriarch was this merciless
Gainando tapped Yi-hans shoulders with a look of sympathy.
Visit my estate when you have time. Ill see to it that youre weed properly.
Um, thanks?
Oblivious as to why Gainando was behaving like this, Yi-han nodded his head.
***
After the Skelly Principals speech ended, the students dispersed, giving Yi-han time to once again talk with Yonaire. Yi-han continued their previous conversation.
So, why do you follow him around? Cousins you may be, but with the power of the Maykin Family, you shouldnt need to walk on eggshells around royalty.
Oh, its because of his mother, she replied frankly.
Yi-han was amused to hear this.
You owe her a debt or something?
Yi-hans imagination began to run wild. A young Yonaire was invited to a party at the pce but ended upmitting a grave mistake. She cried as the others stared at her in disdain. However, Gainandos mother, one of the empresses, approached her and said, No need for tears. Everyone makes mistakes.
Oh, what a wonderful story this would be. If this story was true, it would exin why she treated Gainando like real royalty despite his shorings
Hmm? Oh, its nothing like that. You see, his mothers rich. Like really rich. She gives me money for staying near him.
!!
Yi-han was shocked.
Thats a strategy I didnt think about! I must befriend him as well!
***
Einroguard was an academy that epted students from all social sses as long as they were talented, be they royalty or ves. However, the academy was aware that problems may arise if the students were all put in one ce, especially considering how short-tempered they could be at their age.
Hence, Einroguard had students split into four dormitories depending on their identities.
Only for those with the noble blood of dragons
This was a tower open to royalty and powerful nobles. Since Yi-han was from the Wardanaz Family, he was naturally ced in this dormitory.
Ugh, clergies. Hope they dont start preaching out of nowhere.
Be quiet. We shouldnt get involved with them.
Yi-han heard someoneining beside him. Theirints were targeted at the freshmen that belonged to the Tower of the Immortal Phoenix.
Only for those that have dedicated their lives to the sacred fire
This tower was reserved for followers of the empires numerous religions. Interestingly enough, they didnt mind using magic, believing mana to be a gift from the gods. As Einroguard was known as the empires best magic academy, many members of the clergy gathered here.
They do stick out though.
Children of royalty and nobles hadnt changed into their uniforms and were all wearing something different. On the other hand, the students that belonged to the Tower of the Immortal Phoenix were in their priests uniforms. Priests and priestesses often came by to the nobles estates to preach their teachings, so it was no wonder that some of the students here had a bad impression of them.
Kaching, kaching-
However, their frowns became even deeper seeing the group behind them.
Only for those with the ferocity to rip through anything
This tower was for the students that came from a knights lineage. It may seem weird for knights to attend a magic school, but it was something necessary, even for them.
Telepathy and healing magic was indispensable in any field, and the students here were determined to walk down the path of both knighthood and magic.
Gainando grumbled, somewhat dissatisfied.
Why do they ept people like them who sully the purity of magic with their barbaric swords? Getting tutored by a random mage on the street should suffice for them.
This offhandment pricked Yi-hans conscience. Unlike the others here who wished to study magic and discover the truth of the universe, he was studying magic to seed in life.
Theres nothing wrong with wanting to learn from the best.
Are you perhapssiding with them?
Gainando.
Yi-han treated Gainando with even more kindness than before. After all, his mother was rich.
Someone thats noble doesnt look down on others that are less fortunate.
Thatsquite demanding
However, as he wished to be someone noble, Gainando shut his mouth.
The students of knights lineages soon passed, and they were soon met with the figures of those that belonged to thest dorm. They were the most diverse and unique of all four groups.
Only for those with infinite patience and grit
This tower consisted of people that weremoners, servants, ves, entertainers, beggars, merchants, lower nobility, and many more. Aware that their identities were the lowest among the students, they had sullen expressions on their faces.
Id like to get close to them if the opportunity arises.
Unlike the others that scowled at thisst batch of students, Yi-han had a rather favorable opinion of them.
Business was the best way to earn money, and when it came to business, it was better to work with people that honed their skills in the real world than with people like Gainando.
Theyre staring at us.
Dont match eyes with them. Nothing good wille of it.
Theyre so full of themselves
The disdainful stares directed at them didnt go unnoticed, but they simply shuffled along quickly as they didnt wish to get into trouble.
Must the academy ept miserable rags like them? I mean, we have standards, you know?
One voice stood out among the rest, and the students of the ck Tortoise knit their brows when they heard this.
A chance!
Yi-han had been waiting for something like this to happen. It was the perfect opportunity to earn the other groups favor!
Here Ie!
***
Though the students of the ck Tortoise werent happy, they didnt have the courage to speak up. Even the bolder ones werentfortable with confronting the students of the Blue Dragons in this unfamiliar environment.
That was when Yi-han, who belonged to the other camp, spoke up. He, who had a masculine appearance and an air of dignity around him, opened his mouth slowly.
I think youre the one behaving miserably here. Before we entered Einroguard, we shouldve put everything we had behind. Stop holding on to your pathetic pride.
The aura around him was fierce as if to entuate his existence. It was something only a noble descendant of a powerful and prideful family could exude.
Influenced by his imposing figure, the other students of the Blue Dragons agreed to his words.
Hes right.
Hes a Wardanaz, right? As expected.
The person that ridiculed the ck Tortoise Tower fell silent, ashamed of what they had said previously.
The students of the ck Tortoise Tower reacted strongly to this as well, just not the way Yi-han expected.
The Wardanaz??
You mean that family of mages!?
Idiot, dont look at him! Theyre a dangerous family!
I heard their patriarch is a dragon! Does that mean he has dragon blood running through his veins?
I thought they were descendants of an ancient spirit?
***
Initially, Yi-han thought everything had gone well. The students around him seemed convinced by his speech.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
Now, he just had to wait for the students of the ck Tortoise to extend their gratitude
The Wardanaz??
You mean that family of mages!?
Idiot, dont look at him! Theyre a dangerous family!
I heard their patriarch is a dragon! Does that mean he has dragon blood running through his veins?
I thought they were descendants of an ancient spirit?
However, the reactions he got werent what he expected. Instead of appearing friendly, he had instead instilled fear into the students!
He soon realized things werent going the way he thought theyd go.
Arent they going to thank me?
Yonaire seemed awed by his earlier performance.
What you did just now. It was amazing. Just as I expected from a member of the Wardanaz Family.
Yonaire. Did I look scary back there?
Umm, no? You seemed every bit as grand and imposing as a true noble.
Yonaire failed to understand what was troubling him.
Nobility was the perfect word to describe Yi-hans appearance. He had masculine features, angled jawlines, thin lips, and a piercing gaze.
Nomoner would dare approach him, and this was a trait highly valued by the nobles, as could be seen by the praises showered on him by his fellow dormmates.
Yi-han let out a deep sigh.
Seems like I wont be getting close to them anytime soon
***
Each dormitory was located North, East, South, and West of the academys main building, and Yi-han followed the other students to the blue tower whichy far ahead.
Its really huge.
He was surprised by how huge it was. Despite being called an academy, Einroguard had mountains, forests, rivers, andkes in it. This reminded Yi-han of what the Skelly Principal said.
He told us to get what we want ourselves, right?
He also mentioned how everything they desired could be obtained inside the academy. Seeing how huge this ce was, it started to make sense. He could hunt in the forest or fish in thekes.
I see we are having simr thoughts.
Hm?
Arent you thinking about how blessed we are to see such beautiful scenery?
No, I was wondering what kind of games I can catch in the forest.
Does the Wardanaz Family make you do such training?
***
The Tower of the Prideful Blue Dragons was a narrow blue tower that didnt look spacious from the outside. However, the space inside had been expanded by the mages of the academy, making it seem almost infinite.
..!
When Yi-han passed through the towers gates, the students around him suddenly vanished, and before he knew it, he was alone in a dark space.
[Where do you wish to go?]
??
[Where do you wish to go?]
Oh.
He quickly realized it was the tower speaking to him.
Where can I go?
[Youre fast on the uptake.]
He couldnt say for sure, but it felt like the tower had smiled.
[As of now, you can go to your personal room or the resting lounge for the first years.]
Will I eventually have ess to other ces?
[Yes. Some ces merely require you to know its name. Others require something more.]
Will I have ess to the resting lounge for the second-years?
[Yes, but not now.]
Why?
[The principal has forbidden it.]
Yi-han cursed at how thorough the Skelly Principal was.
Then please send me to my personal room.
[Understood. Wee to the academy, young mage.]
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
The rooms given to them were ratherrge.
The Skelly Principal had deprived them of everything, but it seemed like there was enough humanity left in him to provide them with their rooms.
Of course, this was just Yi-hans personal opinion. The other children of nobility were freaking out over how empty their rooms were.
-Is this a beggarsir?
-Did someone rob us?
There was nothing else other than a bed, a desk, and a chair. This made the rooms seem much bigger than they were.
Yi-han flipped open a book after cing his uniform and other belongings in one corner of his room.
was a thin booklet given to each student before they entered the academy and it provided a simple exnation of how the academy functioned.
We must take some mandatory courses, but the rest are optional. We can attend various lessons during our first month before choosing which ones to take.
Einroguard appeared strict in some matters andx in others. It didnt care about what the students studied once they were admitted.
Mages perform research in hopes of learning the truth of the universe. Your seniors and mentors can guide you along the way, but at the end of the day, you must seek your own path. Os Gonadaltes.
So thats the principals name.
Yi-han stood up from his seat after having obtained an unnecessary piece of information and headed for the first-years resting lounge to chat with the others.
***
I wish to learn alchemy, Yonaire dered. She had already been there when Yi-han arrived and had waved him over.
Alchemy?
Yes. I was interested in alchemy even before I entered the academy. My dream is to have my own workshop and supply products to the pce.
Seems like itll cost a fortune.
Wanna do it together?
Hmm, Ill think about it. Business involving alchemy isnt that straightforward after all.
Yi-han didnt ept her offer straight away. Just as Yonaire had developed an interest in alchemy while she was living in her family estate, Yi-han had an interest in business and knew a bit about it.
Alchemy sounded profitable initially, but thepetition was fierce inside the empire.
Guilds made by skilled alchemists fought tooth and nail for shares in the market, providing free samples to the Adventurers Guild, spreading false rumors about otherpetitors products, monopolizing key ingredients to potions, and more. Hearing all these rumors made Yi-han wary of jumping into the field without first knowing more.
Having a stable job is still the best.
His primary goal at the moment was to be a government official working for the pce. After all, there was no risk or downside to it.
Then which field are you interested in?
Me?
Yi-han panicked at the sudden question. As for why
I n to take nonpetitive courses with lenient professors.
Whichever field it was, the grade he received there would be used to represent him even after he graduated. Hence, he was taking this seriously.
Ill look around and decide after a month. Coming to a decision too quickly isnt advisable after all.
Wow
??
Yonaire seemed impressed by what he said.
Did I say something that warrants such a reaction?
Well, people usuallye to this academy with a field of magic in mind that fits their taste, but it isnt always whats best for them
It was hard to understand which field of magic they had an aptitude for before trying it out.
To be a sessful mage, one would have to quit being stubborn and study a different field if the field they decided on previously didnt suit them.
However, as humans were prideful, most people would cling to the path they chose as abandoning said pride was easier said than done.
Is this also one of your familys teachings?
Why does she keep bringing up my family?
Yi-han was growing exasperated. He hadnt paid much attention to it while he was living with his family, but it seemed like his family name carried more weight than he thought. The way the students of the ck Tortoise looked at him was enough proof of this.
Peoples impression of the Wardanaz Family was much, much stronger than he had anticipated.
Guys, help!
??
Gainando joined them while breathing heavily.
Whats wrong?
Someone robbed me blind! Theres nothing left in my room!
***
, a course that the academy required its first-years to take.
Perhaps it was mandatory only for the students of the Blue Dragon as Yi-han didnt see any of the students from the other towers.
Why does everyone look so down?
We havent been able to eat or sleep properly, and the uniforms are so rough that theyre ufortable to move around in, said Yonaire.
Gainando nodded in agreement. When he woke up this morning, he had mistakenly thought that what had happened the previous day was all a dream. He expected freshly baked bread with butter to be waiting for him when he woke up, along with some nicely seasoned chicken soup. Unfortunately, his dreams were dashed, and what greeted him was a ck loaf of bread, a hard riceball, and a cup of cold water.
Come on, it wasnt that bad
Yi-han had livedfortably after reincarnating into the Wardanaz Family, but his previous life hadnt been so smooth-sailing.
UmSenior? If were supposed to work from 9 AM to 9 PM, when do we get to eat?
Here, take this energy bar. Its your meal for the day, so eat it slowly.
Youre shitting me, right?
Now, now. Dontin to me about it. Im stuck with eating an energy bar as well. But a feast awaits us after were done.
Ill hurl if you say its cup ramen.
Sorry.
Hey, but look on the bright side. We get to have rice balls as well
Yeah, its much better here.
Other than Yi-han, however, everyone else from the Blue Dragons looked disoriented after their first night at the academy.
Creak.
The lecture hall for was located on the first floor of the academys main building. The academy was considerate toward the neers as they were likely to get lost on the higher floors.
Huh?
W-wrong ssroom?
No, youre in the right ce. Now, sit down.
The students were hesitating in front of the door, which made Yi-han curious.
Whats wrong with them?
The answer to this question was soon revealed.
There was a troll waiting for them inside the room.
Come in!
Uhummm
The students slowly entered the room with fear and terror apparent in their eyes.
Trolls. They were violent monsters that even the sheltered students of the Blue Dragons had heard about. And yet, one of them was waiting inside the ssroom, behaving like a professor, making the students freak out.
They wondered if they had stepped into a trolls buffet.
Now, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Garsia Kim. A troll mixed-blood. I understand why everyones terrified, but theres no need to be scared. I dont eat people unless Im really hungry.
That was a joke, but I guess it didnt go through.
The atmosphere in the ssroom became even weirder than before.
Anywayas our principal often says, time is the greatest treasure. Shall we begin the lecture?
Garsia waved his wand, and a mysterious force pushed the reluctant students to their seats.
As you all know, iron is used to symbolize freshmen that are mages-to-be, and Im sure some of you here were confident or silly enough to secretly try out magic on your own, Professor Troll said. However, most of you probably never used magic before. In this course, youll learn what magic is, and the field of magic that you have an aptitude for. Learning magic is a long and arduous journey, and youll be required to take this journey alone. Nheless, I hope my lessons can serve as apass during your travel.
Professor Trolls warm words touched the hearts of many students, and their expressions softened.
Hey, he behaves much more like aperson than the Skelly Principal.
Well start off with something basic. What is magic?
Princess Adenart replied with a cold voice.
Magic is the power to change the world around you with your will.
Correct. To change the world as you wish. The problem is how. How do you change the world around you?
Through the power of mana?
Very good. Magic, manathese fundamental forces help us shape the world. The students gathered here can probably all feel and recognize the mana within them.
The students nodded. As they were qualified enough to enter the academy, they had naturally all awoken their mana.
But thats only the beginning. Theres much more to actually casting magic. You must call upon your mana through your will, and interact delicately with it. Many people think magic requires chanting, hand gestures, and reagents, but the truth is, the secret lies within our minds. Its all about your will. Never forget that. Having said this, as youre just starting out, youll be using chants and hand gestures to make things easier. But enough with the theories. Take out your wand and try gathering mana yourselves.
Woooooong-
Mana began spreading inside therge ssroom as the young mages tried to squeeze out what little mana they had inside them.
Yi-han also concentrated, and as he did so, the mana within him flowed to his wand.
Maintain your control over the manayou must not lose your focus! Now, imagine a ball of light. It doesnt matter what kind of light you imagine it to be. It can be warm, bright, or blinding.
Groans began to escape some students mouths. Controlling mana was akin to grabbing the reins of a rampaging horse. The moment they lost focus, the mana would disperse.
Once youve created a strong image of it in your mind, chant. Once again, the content doesnt matter. It could be O Light!, Bright Light!, Brighten!, or simply just Light!
Light!
Brilliant Light!
Come Forth O Light as Brilliant and Radiant as my Honor!
Youre trying to focus here! Dont make the chant too long, or itll produce the opposite effect!
Gathering mana through focus, changing its form through ones will, and materializing it through chanting. Yi-han started to feel like he understood what magic was about.
However, that didnt mean he could do it on his first try.
Poof! Boom! Bang!
Ugh! Uggh Ow!
Students all around were failing and letting out groans. Professor Troll watched this as he waved his wand and smiled.
Failure to activate magic meant that the mana was no longer under the mages control, and it might harm the students in the process. He was there to ensure no such thing happened.
Dont be discouraged just because you failed once. Everyone fails on their first attempt. Calm down and try again. Try again until your manas depleted!
Second attempt. Just like before, the sounds of explosions were apanied by the groans of the students.
Professor Troll was grinning inside. Light was the simplest form of magic, but learning it required around a months time. Magic was simply that difficult.
However, the professor wasnt going to tell the students about this. They had to first experience it themselves.
Again!
Third attempt. Some students were showing signs of exhaustion following depletion in their mana. Magic required quite a lot of mana to cast, and more than half the students sat down looking worn out.
Again!
Fourth attempt. This time, most students crumbled to the ground, save for a few with excellent control.
Again!
Fifth attempt.
Again!
Sixth attempt.
Again!
Seventh attempt.
Uhh, professor? Sorry to interrupt you, but must we continue?
Professor Troll who had been absent-mindedly saying Again! realized something was wrong.
Usually, everyone wouldve exhausted their mana by the fifth attempt, if not the fourth. However, someone still remained standing after their seventh attempt.
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Mana. Referred to as magic power by some, or as Ki by the eastern tribes or pretentious schrs. It is also referred to as holy power by stubborn priests. It is what served as fuel for magic. It was the very force that could bend thews of the natural world.
Mages had to draw out the mana within them whenever they wished to cast a spell, and it wasmon for fledgling mages to experience mana deficiency. And yet someone remained standing after seven attempts.
Your name?
Yi-han.
Garsia, the troll professor, smiled. Yi-han had not mentioned his family name, which he looked upon favorably.
Nobles, especially those that came from powerful families, often unted theirst names whenever they introduced themselves, and those that didnt were exceedingly rare. Yi-hans answer just now was perfectly in line with the academys vision of equality.
Pleasee closer.
Uh.
Yi-han started feeling nervous.
Should I have pretended to be dizzy?
He had indeed been confused seeing everyone around him fall to the ground after exhausting their mana. He even wondered for a second if he was doing something wrong.
Hmm. Hmm. I see.
Garsia held Yi-hans wrist and nodded a few times. Seeing this, Gainando, who was with Yonaire, whispered to her.
What should we do?? What if the professor suddenly swallows him whole??
The professor can hear you, idiot.
!?
Garsia released Yi-hans wrist before finally opening his mouth.
Student Yi-han, please remain in the ssroom after the ss is over.
Um, okay.
***
They didnt do much magic training after that. Instead, Professor Garsia gave them a serious lecture about what it meant to be a mage.
When youve depleted your mana, you must rest, especially if one is as inexperienced as everyone here. Dont be desperate just because others around you have more mana than you. With practice, your mana reserve will increase, and the more skilled you be, the less mana youll use for the same spell. Every year, we have one or two overly passionate freshmen that secretly train magic and copse. This could lead to serious injuries if one is unlucky. Also, I dont eat students.
I-Im sorry.
Gainando apologized while shuddering in fear.
Lets end our lesson here. The academy has a lot of sses besides the mandatory ones, so go have a look before deciding which field youd like to study. If youre unsure, you can visit me at my office as well.
The students stared at each other in the eyes.
You willing to have a one-on-one counseling session with Professor Troll?
You crazy?
Was the kind of exchange they were having.
Wardanaz, be careful.
Yeah, and remember that trolls are weak against fire and acid.
But theres neither fire nor acid to use here.
I wish you luck, Wardanaz.
After receiving encouragement from his ssmates, Yi-han approached the professor.
Ive known about you even before this ss.
???
Yi-han was surprised to hear this.
Why?
The principal mentioned you in passing, you see.
!
His face froze when the crazy lich principal was brought up. Professor Garsiaughed seeing his reaction.
Theres no need to worry. The principal may seem like a crazy bastard, but hes a kind person at heart.
Huh?
Is that even possible?
The professor pretended as if he didnt hear that.
Every year, the principal takes a nce at the freshmen and briefs the professors about them.
Though most students didnt know this, Principal Skelly was extremely observant. The students that entered the academy were young adults that hailed from all over the empire. To prevent any idents from urring, he had to have sharp eyes.
We should be careful of that dwarf. Hell no doubt burn down his room at least thrice.
Ha! Thats a demon mixed-blood. Professors that use holy magic should be aware. Be careful to avoid injuring him too much during your lessons.
Isnt that the pickpocket from the ?? I believe none of our professors would let him get the better of them. If you do, Ill lock you up in the underground prison.
Of course, only some of the professors heeded his warnings. True, Principal Skelly had sharp eyesbut he was equally as crazy.
That orcI have a hunch that hell be great at wielding spears.
Uhh, his household is known for their swordsmanship.
Silence! Tell him to use a spear.
And the principal had this to say about Yi-han.
He has the qualities of a Great Fool.
-??
A Great Fool. Someone extremely foolish.
The professors obviously didnt take this evaluation at face value. There was a famous saying in the empires eastern regions.
Theres but a thin line separating a Great Fool and a Great Genius.
From outward appearance, there was a lot inmon between someone that was foolish and someone that was a genius. The saying meant that one should not judge a book by its cover and instead find wisdom within.
Hence, what the principal said could be interpreted as thus:
Its hard to tell right now, but he might be a massive figure in the future.
The professors reactions were split into two. It was either There must be something special about thed or He must have received a drink from the Wardanaz Family.
Professor Garsia finally understood what the principal meant then.
So this is what he meant.
Umwhat did the principal say about me?
Yi-han was slightly tense. There were both benefits and harms when it came to being favored by the principal.
If he was looked upon favorably, he would be able to receive good grades and a letter of rmendation. This was undoubtedly a big plus. Howeverif the goodwill went above a certain level, it would naturally lead to a conversation like the following:
It would be a crime to let your talent go to waste.
Thank you for your kind words!
Right. Come to graduate school!
Pardon? But Ive never considered-
Even if you look for a job right now, do you have any idea how intense thepetition will be? If you attend graduate school, youll have a higher degree, enabling you to get better jobs, not to mention youll be able to dive deeper into your field of interest. What do you say?
Hmm, when you put it that way, I guess it makes sense
If the professor was kind, it wouldnt be that bad. But if the professor turned out to be a crazy lunatic, one would experience hell for years toe.
When it came to Principal Skelly
Nope, dont want to be close with him.
Yi-han wanted nothing more than to lead a stable student life, which entailed getting good grades, forming good connections, and graduating from the academy. He didnt wish to go down the road of some strange magic after bing buddies with Principal Skelly.
Sorry, but it wouldnt be appropriate to tell you what the principal said verbatiminstead, Ill tell you about your talent, which is pretty much what the principal was talking about.
!
Yi-hans eyes opened up wide when he heard what Professor Troll just said.
Talent.
Is my talentthat amazing?
When he was at his familys estate, his talent wasnt much of a topic of discussion.
Though he was confirmed to have the qualities of a mage, his father, the patriarch, only had this to say about it:
Hows my talent?
Your talent in magic isnt bad.
Thank you.
That had been it. Yet the matter of his talent was suddenly being brought up like this, which came as a surprise to him.
Could it be that my talent is actually terrible?
Yi-han started to seriously consider Yonaires previous offer about starting an alchemy workshop together.
Your mana reserve is massive.
Excuse me? Is that all?
Yi-han didnt know how to react to this.
Using spells might be difficult for you.
You dont have an aptitude for light magic, and youll probably never be able to use it properly.
He had expectedments like these, and yet he was simply being told that he had more mana than usual.
Well, I guess I should be happy that its not something bad
But it didnt sound impressive enough to warrant being set aside and mentioned.
Obviously, not everyone would have the same amount of mana. Arent we supposed to ovee that with practice and experience? Am I missing something?
No, thats not all.
Ahas expected.
Your mana reserve is really, really huge.
?
As in stupidly, absurdly, crazily huge. Understand what Im saying?
Oh.
He finally started to understand why Professor Garsia had him stay behind.
***
After hearing the exnation, Yi-han naturally came arrived at a certain conclusion.
I suppose its a good thing?
To cast spells, mages required mana. If they didnt have enough mana, they had to either find a way to draw in the mana from their surrounding, use magic circles to gather mana, or channel the mana contained within magic stones. Having a lot of mana meant that he wouldnt have to go through such troubles. He was lucky that he had so much-
Its really unfortunate.
???
However, Professor Garsias eyes contained a mix of pity and worry as he looked at Yi-han. This was enough for him to notice that something was wrong.
Isnt it a good thing to have a lot of mana?
Usually, its good. But as I said, you have an absurd amount of mana within you. Pouring out water contained inside a bottle is easy, but trying to control the waves in an ocean? Not so much.
Yi-han finally realized how serious this issue was. What this meant was
Did learning magic just be insanely hard?
Not a single student was able to cast Light properly during todays lesson despite it being one of the simplest spells. This showed how difficult it was to learn magic.
Channeling mana, focusing it, and shaping it with ones will. All this required an immense amount of concentration. But now, the difficulty had spiked up even more as he had so much mana inside him that it was impossible to control it properly.
Here. Take these bracelets.
The heavy, bulky bracelets are made of metal. The professor fastened one on each of Yi-hans wrists.
These are bracelets that can absorb mana. Theyll help you a bit.
!
Yi-han was moved. As expected of a magic academy. They had solutions to their students problems.
So Ill be alright as long as I wear these?
No, even with these, itll be extremely difficult.
You simply have too much mana, theres nothing we can do about it. At least its better than nothing, right?
Kind as he was, Professor Garsia was still a mage, and mages never talked in a roundabout manner.
Any advice for me?
Hmmthings might be a little easier if you constantly use a lot of spells. Unlike other students, you can practice magic even when youre by yourself. After all, I highly doubt youll ever run out of mana.
Thanks.
In a sense, he was given a privilege, but he was hardly happy about it.
***
Should I take sses that dont require me to cast spells?
Though Einroguard was a magic academy, not all its sses required students to cast magic. Alchemy was a great example of this.
Yi-han was visibly troubled aftering out of the professors office.1I guess he was brought to the professors office, though it wasnt mentioned
Its important that I decide on what to do in my freshman year so that I get good grades and graduate properly
Youre alive!
When he arrived downstairs, he saw Gainando and Yonaire waiting for him. Gainando examined him, genuinely concerned.
What are you looking at?
Hes checking to see if the professors taken a bite out of you, Yonaired answered.
Yi-han found Gainandos action ridiculous.
But then again, with someone like that lich as the principal, its no wonder he thinks this way.
What did you two discuss? Yonaire asked curiously.
Yi-han shrugged.
He told me to do a lot of magic practice.
He dares!
Gainando was furious as if he was the one that had been told to practice.
Telling a descendant of a major household to practice? What an insult!
If hes angry over something like this, I bet hell request a duel with the professors if he doesnt do well in one of his tests.
Leaving that aside, Im thinking of which sses to attend before our next mandatory course. Have you guys already thought of them?
Im obviously going to take sses rted to alchemy.
Gainando ridiculed Yonaires answer.
Dude, only servants or ves take sses in alchemy!
Yi-han saw Yonaire curling up her fingers.
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Yi-han, having learned swordsmanship extensively under the family knight Arlong, was well-versed in fighting. As such, he knew that Yonaire was preparing to beat the living lights out of Gainando.
Hold it right there.
Knowing what was toe if he didnt intervene, he positioned himself between the two.
Gainando, you shouldnt look down on alchemy.
But itsme!
Just as always, Gainando was oblivious to the situation he was in.
Whats there to like about alchemy anyway? I cant feel a shred of intelligence from it.
Magic was a field of endless study, and there were many branches of magic, including but not limited to illusion magic, summoning magic, transformation magic, and elemental magic.
Even within elemental magic, there was fire magic, water magic, light magic, dark magic, etc.
Studying even one such field in depth would take an entire lifetime. Such was the profoundness of magic. And in this world of magic, alchemy was often looked down upon.
Especially to fledgling mages, alchemy seemed ratherdull.
While others waved their wands and summoned forth angels or split the earth, alchemists remained in theirbs, adding herbs to potions
Well, you know, thats
Move aside Wardanaz. Ill take it from here, Yonaire said to Yi-han. I promise I wont go overboard.
If you say so.
Yi-han quickly moved away, allowing Yonaire to stand before Gainando. Gainando cocked his head.
Whats wrong?
Dont you dare ask for a healing potion after this. Theyre made through alchemy after all!
Whack!
Along with a thud, Gainando tumbled backward.
It was truly an impressive blow.
***
You sure that was alright?
Ill just apologize to him after a day.
It didnt seem like this was the first time Gainando had suffered under Yonaires beatings. Yi-han was aware that cousins often fought, but he didnt expect Yonaire to beat up Gainando to that extent.
Shouldnt have bothered trying to intervene.
Yi-han decided to be a silent spectator from then on.
Oh, and just in case you misunderstand. Im not the type of person that goes around beating everyone I see, got it?
Yonaire exined so as to not be misconstrued as a brute.
Nobles, especially the more powerful ones, valued etiquette and elegance, and it went without saying that throwing punches over minor arguments wasnt deemed as such.
Whats wrong with getting into a brawl when youre angry?
???
For a second, Yonaire wondered if she had heard wrongly.
Is this how the Wardanaz Family teach their children?
If the Wardanaz Family was a family of knights, she wouldnt have found what Yi-han said weird. However, it blew her mind that a descendant of one of the empires most distinguished families was saying this to her.
Hes clearly different from the others, Yonaire reasoned.
There was an air of authority around Yi-han which the other freshmen didnt possess. Though the other students from the Blue Dragons were also part of the nobility, they had just be adults, and Yi-han stood out from the crowd. From the way he moved to the way he conducted himself, there was something different about him.
As expected of a Wardanaz.
Yonaire decided to move on to a different topic. Since Yi-han was willing to turn a blind eye to her actions, she had no reason to linger on it either.
But are you really fine with taking alchemy sses with me? If youre doing it for me, you dont have to.
Im actually interested in alchemy myself.
Thenwhat about my proposal to work together in the future?
Im considering it.
!
Yonaire was surprised as she hadnt expected this. Yi-hans attitude toward alchemy had done a one-eighty in such a short amount of time!
Did something happen?
Well, you see
Yi-han wondered how he should phrase it.
Im not as magically talented as I thought I was, which is why Im seriously considering alchemy as a potential career choice.
wasnt exactly what a dignified noble would say.
Actually, you dont have to say it out loud. You mustve realized alchemys true potential ande to appreciate it.
What?
Its a really interesting field, isnt it?
UmI-I guess?
Yonaire seemed ecstatic to have found apanion, so Yi-han decided to go along with it for now.
Many people think alchemists stay cooped up in theirbs located deep underground, but theres so much more to it than that.
Y-yeah
Though unexpected, Yi-han didnt panic. During his time as a graduate student, he had already mastered the art of listening to topics he had absolutely no interest in.
What do you think of mountain climbing?
Well
Exactly, mountain climbing is great. Did I tell you about how I climbed Mt. Sekst year? The fogs of the early morning
I see.
I didnt think youd be so interested. Im sure youll enjoy it as well. Say, why dont we climb a mountain together when we have time?
.
Compared to that, Yonaires story was rtively more interesting to listen to.
Did you study alchemy beforehand while you were in your family estate?
Yonaire looked around her carefully before answering Yi-hans question.
Yeah, but you must keep this a secret. We werent allowed to practice magic, but they werent as strict when it came to studying alchemy.
Whats wrong with studying something beforehand?
Yonaire once again stared at Yi-han as if she was looking at a foreign creature. He was okay with beating others up, and he was also okay with ignoring the rules regarding magic
To put it nicely, he was really unique.
Its good that she studied ahead of time.
He knew full well how helpful people like her could be. With her help, he would be able to get good grades in alchemy sses.
If its alright with you, can you teach me as well?
Of course!
Yonaire smiled delightedly and smacked Yi-hans shoulder as she agreed to his request.
***
Now that hed met Professor Troll in , Yi-han was confident that he wouldnt be surprised by anything, and he was right.
Hes morenormal than I thought.
The professor was a dwarf, and he was sitting on a chair. Dressed like a hunter and a ranger, he had a crossbow hanging on his waist.
Everyone here?
Ugh, students from the ck Tortoise, Yonaire muttered.
Though she didnt despisemoners, it was true that she was ufortable with them. She might have been able to hit it off with the others if they were from the Blue Dragons, but
Many thoughts went through her mind as she stared at the students from the other tower. There were a lot more students from the ck Tortoise present than them.
The stares are kinda annoying.
When people ofmon birth met a member of the nobility, they disyed one of two reactions. They either feared them and didnt get involved, or they openly expressed hostility.
Outside the academy, hardly anyone would show open hostility, but it was different in Einroguard which preached for equality.
They had bottled up frustrations from their time outside the academy, and yet even after arriving at Einroguard, they were scorned by students from the Blue Dragons. It was no wonder they were wary of the two.
Dude, stop staring at them. That one over theres a young master of the Wardanaz Family.
So what if he is? He cant do anything inside the academy.
Its not like were going to study here forever. What if he takes his revenge after we graduate?
Ill cross that bridge when the timees.
Yi-han clicked his tongue. Being hated for something he didnt contribute to was unpleasant.
Seems like trying to get close to them backfired.
For a while, hed have to stick to his friends from the Blue Dragons.
Quiet down everyone.
The short dwarven professor opened his mouth to speak. Though his figure was small, his voice carried weight.
Im Uregor Gumdal. You may call me Professor Uregor. Now, Im sure many of you are wondering why were gathered here at the field when we have such splendid ssrooms in the back.
Indeed, they werent gathered in a ssroom. Instead, they were on a mound.
Adenart, the royal princess, raised her hand, to which Uregor shrugged.
Wasnt looking for an answer, but have a go at it.
Its so that we can feel the mana in nature.
Alchemy required magic as well, and simply mixing in various herbs wasnt all there was to it. It was important for alchemists to feel the mana in their surroundings and understand what kind of forces existed in nature.
Wrong.
Professor Dwarf stared at Adenart as if hed just heard something stupid, making her blush in embarrassment.
Yi-han, who didnt think much of it, asked Yonaire who was next to him.
Is it because its easier for us to gather materials here?
Dont you think thats too simple of a reason?
Oh, we have a winner!
Both Yi-han and Yonaire were at a loss for words. Uregor, on the other hand, seemed impressed by Yi-han.
Its rare for an Ironhead to get it right.
Were freshmen, not Ironheads
Yeah, yeah. Ironhead freshmen. Anyways, good job. Youve got talent as an alchemist.
Yonaire looked at Yi-han enviously upon hearing him get praised by the professor. Adenart also stared at him as if she was looking at a rival.
Why the hell is she staring at me? Is she seriously getting jealous because I was praised over something like this? Yi-han wondered.
The reason why were gathered here is because I wanted to teach you Ironheads about the essential skills of alchemists. Many of you might be thinking that to be an alchemist, you just need exceptional intelligence and excellent mana control.
Pause right there. We need to have excellent control over our mana?
Yi-han flinched.
But the reality is different. The most important skill of alchemists is the ability to gather materials.
The students were stunned to hear this as they never expected such a skill to be so highly valued. Adenart raised her hand, unwilling to ept this.
Professor, when ites to materials, we can grow them or have adventurers get them for us. I hardly see why we need to be able to acquire them ourselves.
Lass, what would a greenhorn Ironhead like you know? Professor Dwarf retaliated in disdain.
An even darker shade of red covered Adenarts face.
Out of all the materials and reagents we require, do you know how much of them could be artificially grown? Not even 10%! The rest we must buy with our money. And you think everything will be fine if we have the money? Why do you think we mages employ adventurers and follow along? Do you think we have so much spare time? Its because adventurers suck at harvesting herbs! Instead of treating them with care, they just pull them out! Uregor said all this angrily as if to vent the frustration that had been building up.
For these reasons, its important that alchemists learn how to acquire the materials and reagents that they need. An alchemist that relies on others can never be first-rate. You think someone would baby youter on if youin about not having enough materials?
The students gathered at the mound nodded in understanding (one nodded while looking dejected).
Thats it for the exnation. Now go and find them.
Huh?
Whats up with those confused faces? Go search for materials!
Uregor waved his wand, and several pieces of paper appeared in the air before being distributed to the students. On the papers were lists of drawings of herbs.
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Looks like some hybrid of Reishi mushroom and ginseng, thought Yi-han, as he stared at the herb that they were tasked to find.
was the name of the herb, and it wasmonly used to concoct antidotes.
Are you familiar with this herb?
Yes.
Good.
Yi-han was relieved to hear this. Even though they had been given a drawing of the herb, it wouldnt be easy for an amateur to differentiate between the various types of nts that were present in the woods, hills, and fields. He was lucky to have someone experienced next to him.
Butwith just the two of us, it wouldnt be safe to move about.
It would be a bit dangerous, wouldnt it?
Yeah. We should get at least one more person to join us. If I had known this would happen, I wouldnt have beaten Gainando to a pulp.
He wouldnt havee with us anyway even if you didnt beat him up.
Yonaire grinned when she heard this.
Nothing we can do about it. Should the two of us just bear the risk and explore?
No. I dont want my name on the list of casualties.
Though the academy was known to be the best magic institution, there were many vicious rumors surrounding Einroguard.
Magic was a dangerous field of study, and casualties were unavoidable. Yi-han knew this well and hade to ept it. After all, idents were bound to ur no matter how many safetys were put in ce by the professors.
However
Theypletelyck safety awareness
Both the professors and the students here seemed to have little concern for their lives. For someone like Yi-han who used to live in modern times, everyone here was borderline crazy.
List of casualties, you say with that face of yours, you shouldnt make such uncanny jokes.
But Im not joking.
Which is even worse. Well, if you say so. I guess we should try finding someone from the same tower as us.
Yonaire looked around in search of a potential teammate. She was thinking of recruiting someone from the Blue Dragons, but her search proved to be fruitless.
Are wescrewed?
How about the princess?
You want to team up with her? She seems really cold and unfriendly.
Its not like were trying to invite her to a ball.
What Yi-han said made sense, prompting Yonaire to nod her head. He was right.
But it seems were toote.
There were several students around Adenart. She mustve noticed early on that she couldnt travel alone and thus formed a party.
Wait, some of them seem to be students from the ck Tortoise, Yi-han said indignantly.
If they feared and avoided him because of his ties to the Wardanaz Family, shouldnt they avoid the princess as well? Yet several of the students around her were from the ck Tortoise.
Well, she was quite famous even before she was admitted to Einroguard.
Someone that was popr before entering the academy would naturally be popr even after she became a student.
Even within the royal family, Adenart was known to be one of the brightest and the most talented. It was no wonder nobles andmoners alike gathered around her.
Really?
Do people from the Wardanaz Family never read the news?
I was only ever interested in reading . I couldnt care less about .
Oh, I like that section as well. Have you read the article that talks about how you can earn money by returning the bottles that adventurers throw away after chugging down the content? Brilliant, isnt it?
Yeah, its not a bad idea.
Wait, were going off track, Saying so, Yonaire went straight to the point. If you take a moment to read , youll see that Adenart is famous for various things. Its no surprise that everyone wants to get close to her.
Anything special mentioned about Gainando?
None.
I see. So theres nothing special about him.
Absolutely none.
They were trash-talking Gainando behind his back while he was drinking a potion to recover in the ward.
Then lets give up on the princess and find someone else.
It wont be easy, you know? The ones that are left are all from the ck Tortoise.
Yi-han frowned when he heard this.
Hmm
She was right. The students left were all from the ck Tortoise, and while some of them would no doubt ept their invitation if they went around asking people at random since they would be moving in a group, they had to make sure their chemistry wasnt terrible to the point where they would affect each anothers ability to finish their tasks.
Whats more
Id like to have someone skilled.
When it came to group activities, it was all about having skilled members.
Yi-han looked around before finally locking his eyes on a certain target.
***
Nilia was a dark elf born in one of the empires northern regions, and she used to be a part of the , a group that consisted of skilled hunters and scouts that went around the northern mountains as if it was their backyard. Hence, she was confident when it came to exploring mountains and forests.
Turns out its nothing difficult.
She had never seen a before, but as long as she knew what it looked like, finding one would only be a matter of time.
She was in a different leaguepared to the other newbies who had never been in a real forest before. Until now, she had felt a sense of inferiority after entering Einroguard.
Forget people from the other towers. Even within the ck Tortoise, there were many students with a better background than her. Some were from families of rising nobles. Some were from merchant groups renowned throughout the empire. Some had parents who were famous adventurers.
Nilia, on the other hand, had lived her entire life in the forest. She had epted the academys invitation, but she felt inferior to the others, and she struggled a lot when she was learning about magic for the first time.
But now that she was partaking in an activity that suited her, she felt more motivated than ever.
Hmph, just you wait and see. Ill find it much faster than anyone here.
Nilia was thinking of acting alone and finding the herb by herself. Others might need to work together as this would be their first time in a forest, but Nilia was confident that she would have no problem even if she was alone.
Hmm.
??
Nilia was surprised when a pretty-looking girl with bright red hair approached her.
Who are you?
Im Yonaire Maykin, and hes-
Yi-han. Nice to meet you.
From the flow of their conversation, Nilia assumed Yonaire was a noble while Yi-han wasnt. After all, nobles usually dered their family names when they introduced themselves.
But isnt he from the Blue Dragons?
Why isnt she saying anything?
Its because you didnt tell her your family name
Yonaire scowled at Yi-han, not understanding why he would leave out his family name.
Dont you think its too much of a hassle to say your family name every time you introduce yourself? While youre at it, why dont you tell them the name of your patriarch and where your territory is as well?
We do! When were at parties, that is.
Yi-han felt genuinely repulsed to hear this.
Nilia cautiously opened her mouth to speak while staring at the two.
If you wish to bicker, you can talk it out somewhere else. What business do you two have with me?
Want to travel together?
..!
Nilia was stunned by Yi-hans invitation. She hadnt expected this at all.
What are you scheming? Nilia asked as she red at Yi-han suspiciously.
It was apparent that she didnt think highly of nobles or their descendants, and this stemmed from her time living in the northern regions.
Once in a while, nobles would climb the mountains and visit them, and every time they did, they would frown and ask how someone could possibly live there.
Even when the hunters provided them with the best delicacies and the mostfortable bed, they would say the food tasted horrible and the beds felt unbearable.
They wouldin on and on about the poor treatment, so much so that some scouts joked about how there would be none the wiser even if they pushed the nobles down a cliff.
As such, Nilia, who lived with them, also had a bad impression of the students from the Blue Dragons.
We have to explore such arge area, and being alone wouldnt do you any good. Youll need at least three people if a monster appears.
Hmph. Theres no need for that.
Nilia harrumphed and proudly refused. Yi-han wasnt surprised by this response and pressed on.
May I ask why?
Why should I tell you?
By knowing why you refused, well get a sense of what kind of a person you are. Hmm, want me to guess your reason?
Yi-han thought hard for a second before opening his mouth.
Is it because you think well use you as bait, or that well toss you aside when things be dangerous? I hope thats not the case because thatll be an insult to our honor.
Its not.
No matter how much she disliked the nobles, she couldnt possibly say yes to the two in front of her after being confronted so directly.
Then do you think you alone would suffice?
Thats exactly-
I hope you arent so foolish to think so. After all, even if you are familiar with the mountains, you never know what will happen inside. And even if you find the herb, youll have to carefully dig it out. If someone thinks they can do all that by themselves, theyd have to be an idiot. Youre not that stupid, right? Hmm, Im running out of ideas
Shut up. Ill team up with you. You satisfied now? Nilia turned around while huffing in anger.
Yi-han nodded, satisfied with the result. Yonaire, on the other hand, stared at him in astonishment.
What in the world do they teach at the Wardanaz Family???
***
Nilias movements were light and swift. She was at the very front of the group, opening up a path for them, which showed how skilled and experienced she was at navigating the mountains.
Yonaire who saw this asked Yi-han a question.
She moves really well, but how did you know?
She has toned legs and calluses on her hands. These all point to one truth: shes an experienced hunter and wields a bow.
!
!
It wasnt just Yonaire. Nilia, who was leading them, also felt a chill when she heard this.
To think hed figure out her origin just from that. She had been looking down on the two for being nobles, but she felt like the one named Yi-han couldnt be underestimated. She felt a slight sense of danger from him as if he could see through everything she was hiding
Just kidding. I saw the token hanging on her waist. If shes from there, shed have to know the mountains like the back of her hands.
Nilia turned around and red at him. Yonaire grinned when she saw this.
So you were listening?
Was not!
Hey, slow down and match our pace.
Why would I be matching yours? Just speed up and match mine!
Here, Yi-han joined the conversation.
Because Yonaires the only one in the group that can tell which herbs are what. If she couldnt keep up, well have to search with just the two of us.
Nilia couldnt think of a counterargument, and her pride kept her from being unreasonable and continuing the argument.
Right. I just gotta slow down.
How mature of you. As expected of a Shadow Patrol
Are you mocking me? Is that it?
I wasplimenting you.
Annoyed by Yi-hans constant teasing, Nilia targeted him next.
She knows a lot about herbs, and Im here to act as the guide. What can you do? What role do you have here?
If I say Im here to leech off, shell hurl, right?
Yi-han barely stopped himself from being truthful. There was no point in fueling Nilias anger even further.
Im here to chase after beasts or monsters thate near us.
Nilia once again fell silent. Indeed, it was important to have someone chase away monsters while they were climbing a mountain. From looks alone, Yi-han seemed like he came from a knights family as he was tall and his body was well-built.
Wait. Dont knights belong to the White Tigers?
I forgot to ask early on, but whats your family name?
Wardanaz. Im from the Wardanaz Family.
Nilia took a step back as if she was disgusted, not knowing that she had opened up Yi-hans wound once more.
Chapter 8:
Chapter 8:
As a member of the Wardanaz Family, there was no way for Yi-han to learn about the rumors that surrounded them.
Their estate was bigger than most castles, and their territory spanned an area that was as vast as a regr city. Naturally, the people that served them wouldnt carelessly say anything about the family, which resulted in him being oblivious to their reputation.
Is there something wrong with my family?
Notheres nothing wrong at all.
Nilia once again took a step back as she said this.
I dont know what people told you, but theyre all false.
Nilia didnt lower her guard despite him saying this. Hence, Yonaire tried to console him.
Ridiculous rumors about nobles float around all the time. Dont let them get to you.
Is that so?
But its true that the rumors around the Wardanaz Family are a bit on the extreme side
Yi-han didnt feelforted by her words at all. As the two conversed, Nilia opened her mouth after organizing her thoughts.
Right, I dont have to be afraid of the Wardanaz Family just because of the rumors.
What rumors?
Nilia thought long and hard, debating whether or not she should tell the truth. After all, they were a bit
The patriarch of the Wardanaz Family is actually a dragon. Back when there was an undead infestation in the western part of the continent, he is said to have razed everything to the ground.
The Wardanaz Family has made a pact with an ancestral spirit. In exchange for being able to wield powerful magic, theyve lost their ability to feel emotions.
The Wardanaz Familys mages are all cold-blooded and ruthless. An entire city was wiped out under their spells back when there was a rebel uprising.
The list went on.
The public image of the Wardanaz Family was much worse than what Yi-han had imagined. The empires citizens viewed them as monsters that would lie in wait most of the times, only to emerge during critical moments and sweep away all resistance.
If an important event happens within the empire, isnt it natural for the big guns to appear?
Exactly. Thats why Im telling you that you dont have to pay much attention to the rumors.
Yi-han still felt wronged despite Yonaires attempt to cheer him up.
I guess the rumor about them not having any emotions is false, Nilia thought as she watched this unfold.
***
Halt.
?
Somethings wrong. Look over here.
Nilia pointed at the ground as she said so. There was grass covering the hill that they were on, so it was barely discernible, but she had noticed a certain trace using her instinct as a dark elf and her experience as a member of the .
See this over here? This means something big passed through earlier.
But isnt the trace too shallow for that?
It took care not to leave any trace behind. Must be a clever one. Its skilled at controlling its strength and concealing its path. It probably made a slight mistake while trying to reach for the berries over there, which is why this trace formed.
Yonaire wasnt too interested in listening to this conversation. Since her field of interest was alchemy, she didnt feel the need to learn about a hunters tracking skills. As such, she poked around to see if she could find the herb nearby.
Tsk.
Nilia noticed her behavior and felt slightly irritated.
Things used to be much easier back when she was still a part of the . Everyone in the group was a hunter or a ranger, and the people in her vige all had at least one such person in their family, which made it easy for her to converse with the others.
I had a close shave today. I really wanted to catch the beast because it had beautiful fur. s
Hahaha! ssic. Back when I was young
They could talk for hours on end just at the mention of prey they saw during their hunt. On the other hand, things werepletely different at the academy.
This is something that happened while I was living in the mountains
Mountains?
Yeah, I used to hunt there
Hunt? Why would you do that?
Well, I was part of this group
Cant you just buy meat from a butcher?
You m*therf*cker,e meet me outside!
Hyiii!
Nilia, who had experienced this sort of conversation several times by now, couldnt help but be irked by Yonairesck of interest, but she decided to keep it to herself.
Calm down. Not everyone heres a hunter, so I must try to adapt to this.
Truly fascinating. Anything else you can tell from the clues that it left behind?
!
However, Yi-hans response came as a surprise to her. He was listening to what she was saying with a serious look of interest. This caught her off-guard.
D-did you just say its fascinating?
Yeah? Something wrong with that?
N-no. Nothings wrong, but this isnt supposed to be fascinating, and you know, whats wrong is that nothing is wrong and
???
In a panic, she started spewing nonsense, which in turn confused Yi-han.
Is she drunk or something?
Nilia also noticed that she wasnt making any sense and hurriedly got hold of herself.
Anyway! Since weve found a trace left behind by something big, we should be careful. See how that de of grass has been cut? It means were dealing with a beast with sharp ws.
I see.
Yi-han was a curious person by nature, and his curiosity extended beyond magic to subjects such as hunting as well. If that wasnt the case, he wouldnt have gone to graduate school in his previous life no matter how many tricks his professors pulled.
Do you know what were facing?
Unfortunately, there arent enough clues, Nilia said with crossed arms.
Experienced hunters would know what theyre facing based solely on footprints that have been left behind, or so people would think. In reality, that was only possible for hunters that stayed in a particr region for a long time and knew the animals that lived there well.
She, on the other hand, didnt know what kind of creatures roamed the mountains of the academy, so there was no way for her to tell.
Apparently, all kinds of weird monsters appear near the academy.
Oh, someone told me that as well, Yonaire affirmed while nodding her head.
Einroguard was located where mana was abundant, which made it easier for monsters to appear. Not to mention
Monsters created through experiments are also said to roam the nearby areas. Slimes with special mutations are also said to appear from time to time after absorbing potions and medicines that have been thrown out.
Yi-han found this absolutely inconceivable.
Do the mages here not learn aboutb safety?
He was of the belief that everything from potions to creatures made through magic should be kept under close scrutiny.
To think theyd toss them out like garbage. It was no wonder problems urred.
We should be more careful.
Precisely! Well keep moving with this trace in mind. Itll decrease the chance of us getting ambushed.
Can you teach me how to track animals as well?
Nilia blinked when she heard his request. Thinking he may have breached manners, Yi-han rephrased what he just said.
If its not something you can teach outsiders, just ignore what I said
It wont be easy. Youll probably give up midway. Are you aware of how difficult it is to master this skill?
If youre willing to teach me, Ill try my best not to give up.
Hmph. Lets see about that!
Yonaire whispered to Yi-han so that Nilia wouldnt be able to hear what she said.
Why are you trying to learn this?
Well, it sounds interesting.
???
***
Found it. Grass of Cleansing.
With Nilia and Yi-han on the lookout, Yonaire was able to safely find the herbs which were hidden behind thick, dense bushes.
Weve somehow managed to find them, Yi-han thought.
But theres only two of them.
Just have to find one moreWhy are you guys so quiet? Yonaire asked as she turned her head.
It only took her a split second to realize what was going on.
A massive boar was staring intensely in their direction.
I can sense mana flowing out of it. It must have consumed something, Yi-han analyzed level-headedly.
It probably consumed some sort of reagent or portion. It was either that, or the boar used to be a test subject
Thats not whats important right now. We must stay alert! Nilia whispered to them in a hurry.
Boars were not weak. They had strong bodies and moved surprisingly well. Those with tusks were especially dangerous, and the one they were dealing with wasnt some livestock that escaped from a pen. It was a beast, and since it absorbed mana through unknown means, it was infinitely close to being a monster.
Its a wild boar! Dont agitate it! Slowly take a step back, Nilia ordered.
Yonaire tried her best to put strength into her shivering legs, and Yi-han supported her as they retreated.
!!!
However, the boar grunted and slowly approached them. There was steaming out of its mouth, and it seemed to be fuming with rage.
Retreating any further might be dangerous.
Yi-han pulled out his staff as he said so and wielded it like a spear, which made him look quite the part.
Right! Hes a Wardanaz!
Nilia finally recalled that Yi-han was a member of the Wardanaz Family, a family renowned for producing powerful mages. He might have learned a spell or two before being admitted to the academy.
He did say that hes in charge of chasing away animals and monsters, didnt he?
Nilia asked Yi-han in a small voice.
How confident are you?
Not that confident, but I should be able to deal with it.
If your n fails, grab the redhead and bolt. Ill act as a decoy.
She was the only one in their group who could weave through mountains effortlessly. It wasnt that she didnt trust Yi-hans magic, but as a hunter, she was one to always think of a backup n.
If things went awry, she was prepared to distract the boar. Yi-han was touched when he heard this, and so was Yonaire.
So youve grown attached to us
Thats not the case here. Its because Im the only one thats up for the task.
Right. Thanks anyway. Well have to rely on you if worsees to worst.
Yi-han stopped talking and focused as the boar gradually closed in on them.
Three. Two. One.
Yi-han counted down as he calmly measured the distance between them.
Nilia, who was watching behind him, nervously gulped down.
What kind of spell would he throw at the boar?
Bang!!!
A loud, clear sound came from the boars head. Yi-hans decision had been to whack it with his staff.
***
Swords are the kings of all weapons, but simply learning swordsmanship isnt enough. One must prepare themselves for when one doesnt have a sword. They must be able to fight with spears, clubs, knives, and even their bare hands.
I see.
I know I was the one that said it, but is the Young Master alright with this?
Why, is something wrong?
N-no, nothing.
Arlong wasnt the type to go easy on someone just because he was teaching the young master. Instead, he was determined to be harsh on Yi-han, just as his master had been to him.
And Yi-han absorbed his teachings well.
Other nobles wouldveined and screamed, Why must I do something so tiring but Yi-han was the opposite.
People usually have to pay for this. This is nothing!
Back when he was a graduate student, he didnt have the time or money to exercise. Now that he had a personal trainer known as Arlong, he wasnt about toin. Also, whenever he got tired, servants would run over with refreshments and potions
Young Master, Im sure youre curious by now as to why Im not teaching you how to use aura like the other knights.
But Im not? Can a beginner like me really learn such an incredible skill?
If the aim isnt to learn how to manipte aura, why is the Young Master trying to learn swordsmanship??
Arlong asked as he stared at Yi-han incredulously.
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Mages werent the only ones capable of handling mana. A swordsman that trained their entire life would be able to coat their sword with condensed mana, and this was referred to as aura.
Since aura appeared cool and fancy, descendants of nobility would often dabble with swordsmanship in the hopes of acquiring it, including those that were from households that produced mages.
Hence, Arlong misunderstood Yi-hans intentions when he said he wished to learn how to swing a sword.
Ah, the Young Master wishes to learn aura. Unfortunately, hes bound to be disappointed.
Arlong was a strict knight, and rather than telling Yi-han the truth from the beginning, he decided to let the young man give up on his own ord.
Yet Yi-han was diligent in his training, and as he was satisfied with the young mans effort, Arlong decided to tell him the truthonly to find out that Yi-han had no interest in learning aura.
I just want to train my body so that I can defend myself when I need to.
!
Arlong gazed at Yi-han in awe as the young man showed a level of maturity that one wouldnt expect from a child. This was when he realized for the first time that Yi-han was trying to learn swordsmanship in earnest.
Young Master, truth be told, youll be able to learn aura one day as well.
Um, as I said, Im not interested in learning aura. Im nning on bing a ma-
Its just that aura isnt something one can learn after swinging their sword for a year or two. Nevertheless, as long as the Young Master doesnt give up and trains using the method that I taught, youll be able to master it one day.
I just want to be strong enough to protect myself. Im nning on working in an office.
Anyhow, Yi-han kept practicing the sword under Arlongs instructions, not because he wished to be a swordmaster, but because he thought there was no harm in training his body.
***
and his effort was finally paying off.
I think that did some damage?
Yi-han was surprised by what he had achieved.
He had carefully observed the boar and swung his staff the moment it charged toward them.
This itself wasnt particrly surprising. After all, he had learned to do this while being beaten up by Arlong, and as the academys staff was extremely sturdy, it worked well as a club.
However, as he swung, he felt something he had never experienced while swinging his sword.
Is this because Ive started learning magic?
He even wondered if today was the one day that Arlong had previously mentioned as he experienced the feeling of mana being attracted to his weapon.
In reality, it was still a far cry from the actual aura, as that required him to concentrate and condense mana even further.
However, that was enough for now. As his attack contained some degree of mana, the blow was much more destructive than he had imagined.
Krrrrk
The vicious-looking boar that had been growling at them faltered before falling sideways to the ground.
Nilia, who had been watching everything unfold, stared at Yi-han in shock.
What just happened?? Did he use some sort of a spell?
The world of magic was vast, and there were obviously spells that allowed people to strengthen their muscles or move at extreme speeds. However, they werent something a freshman that had just entered the academy could use.
You defeated it!?
I think so
Yi-han lowered his staff and checked to see if the mutant boar was still breathing.
Fortunately, it wasnt.
Yonaire stood up while being supported by Yi-han.
Are sses meant to be like this? she asked, finding this situation absurd.
I had my suspicion the moment we met our principal.
Even if the secrets to alchemy involved venturing deep into nature, it was ridiculous that they were being sent to ces with monsters despite not knowing a single spell.
Though what they encountered was technically a boar, it had the strength to easily crush a grown tree.
Should I drop alchemy?
Yi-han was seriously starting to weigh his options.
Assuming every professor in the academy was clinically insane, the likelihood of death seemed lower for lectures conducted inside a ssroom.
He had decided to take this ss because he thought it would be a breeze. However, based on their previous encounter, he suspected things would only get worse from now.
In the future, he might even make us go deeper into the forest to gather salivas from trolls
Y-yeah
Yonaire frowned when she heard what he said. Though she wished to start an alchemy workshop, she didnt want to die while doing so.
W-wait, you guys arent nning on dropping out over something like this, right?
Nilia asked in a panic.
The friendship between them was flimsy at best, but they were still friends that she had made through much effort. If the two quit, she would once again be left alone and be forced to take alchemy by herself.
I meane on! You two are from the Blue Dragons, right? T-then you must have your pride as nobles!
I dont.
I also think we should pursue realistic goals rather than cling to our pride.
Nilia became upset when she heard their responses.
Fine! Do whatever you want!
Why are you so upset?
Yeah, we didnt say wed quit for sure.
Really?
Just as Nilia turned her head to face them, they heard a familiar sound nearby.
!
Its another one.
Maybe we should quit after all
***
The trio rushed toward the direction of the sound and chanced upon another one of the mutant boars.
Now that they knew the mountains contained more than one of these mutant boars, Yi-han made up his mind.
Yup, Im quitting.
Hey!
I dont think we should be arguing over that matter right now Yonaire said as she pointed down.
The boar wasnt alone and was facing some unlucky students of the academy.
There are six of them.
With one of them being Adenart, the royal princess, they seemed to be in a better situation than Yi-han and his team when they had to face the mutant boar.
I dont think theyll have any trouble handling the boar.
Huh?
Yonaire looked at Yi-han for a second before looking back down, and then returned to staring at Yi-han once more.
You think so?
We should just leave them alone, Nilia grumbled.
She didnt seem too fond of Adenart and herckeys. In her eyes, Adenart was an arrogant princess, and the flies around her were there just to tter her!
Ill be its opponent!
..!
One of the six in the group stepped forward. Yi-han recognized the student as someone from their dorm.
Who is he?
However, he had no idea who it was as he wasnt familiar with the empires younger generation of nobility.
Asan Dargard.
Ah, the Dargard Family.
Howe you know about the family but not its descendants? Yonaire asked in wonder.
The Dargard Family. While the Wardanaz Family served as the advisor of the emperor throughout generations, the Dargard Family wasrgely responsible for the empires finances. Their family was well known for being quick and efficient with their work.
If hes someone from the Dargard Family, he should have some skills.
Yeah, unlike Gainando, he should be quite capable.
?
Nilia tilted her head in confusion.
Are they dissing the prince?
Asan had a tall but slim figure.
Nevertheless, from the way he wielded his staff, he seemed quitepetent.
In fact, as someone familiar with swordsmanship, Yi-han was confident that Asan had learned swordsmanship as well.
He knows how to wield a sword.
I seethen I guess we dont have to worry about him, Yonaire said in relief.
She didnt want to see the six people below them getting injured.
Asan aimed his staff at the boar.
Ive already seen through your movements!
Saying that he took a step forward.
I can easily predict how a pig like you would behave!
And then another step.
Yi-han was surprised as the distance between each of his steps was uniform.
Is he a human calctor?
Just as there were many types of magic, there were many styles of swordsmanship in the empire.
Some emphasized strength and destructive power, others valued speed, and still, others stressed having a variety of forms.
Yi-han knew which category Asans swordsmanship belonged to, remembering what Arlong had told him in the past.
A style of swordsmanship that isplex and calctive in nature, with each step cing the swordsman at the center of a geometric formation
Oh, that sounds interesting. Can I learn it?
Pardon? Did Young Master just call it interesting? Its absolute lunacy!
He didnt get the chance to learn it as Arlong himself wasnt familiar with this style of swordsmanship, but now that he was seeing it first-hand, his evaluation was that it was thorough and methodical.
!
Provoked by Asans footwork, the boar grunted and charged at him, enraged.
Asan sidestepped like a matador in a bullfight before swiftly stabbing the boar with his staff.
Ha!
!
Boom!
And with that, Asan was blown away. The boar hade to an abrupt stop and had thrown its body in his direction.
He hadnt been hit by a charge in the traditional sense, but the damage dealt to him was considerable as Asan tumbled and rolled on the ground several times.
Ugh, it saw through my calctions
So hes merely well-trained Yi-han mumbled.
It was apparent that Asan wasnt experienced in fighting real battles. His posture was good because of constant practice, but his predictions had been off while fighting the boar.
Lets help them out.
..!
Nilia was surprised to hear this from Yi-han as she didnt think hed step forward in this kind of situation.
Is this what it means to be noble?
Unlike those that was all talk and no bite, he had willingly ced himself in a dangerous situation for the sake of others, just like nobles that appeared in fairy tales. Nilia was ever so slightly moved by his actions.
If I save them now, I can ask for their help in future sses, be it for tests or assignments. Not to mention the connections the princess must have
Nilias goodwill evaporated in an instant.
What a fake!
***
Adenart waved the others back.
Her message was clear, and the remaining four students quickly hid behind her.
Not that hiding behind me would make much of a difference
Though she had been the one to give themand, she still felt slightly sad and isted.
Nevertheless, she simply regarded this situation as another problem she had to solve.
Just as she had perfectly cleared all the obstacles in her way until now, she was determined to deal with the boar in the perfect manner.
Analyze its movements, and when it charges
Bam!
Along with this sound, the boar was abruptly blown to the side.
!?!?
Yi-han, who had snuck up behind the boar, appeared while letting out a sigh of relief.
Whew. Luckily, it didnt notice me.
Have you now learned the importance of moving in the opposite direction of the wind?
Yeah, the wisdom thates with hunting is amazing.
Maybe youll learn more of such wisdom by continuing to take alchemy.
Thanks but no thanks.
Yi-hans mind was already set.
No to alchemy! Imma stay cooped up inside a ssroom.
Adenart remained frozen in ce for a second, but soon recovered and bowed her head.
Thank you for your help, Wardanaz.
Wasnt much, Your Highness.
Nilia, who had been listening to their exchange, whispered to him.
Why are you using honorifics?
Dunno, was swept away by her mannerism.
They were all the same age, and as the academy advocated equality, there was no need for him to be polite and use honorifics, but with the princess speaking so politely, he had subconsciously responded in kind.
Right, may I request something of you in return for my help?
Adenart nodded.
Please rmend me some sses that give easy grades.
He figured someone as popr as the princess would have a lot of information in hand.
However, Adenart felt slightly lost when she heard his request.
What is this young mage from the Wardanaz Family saying? I doubt hes trying to take things easy. So then what is he asking for?
I know a ss that gives good grades!
From behind them, they heard the cheery voice of a certain dwarf, and Yi-han suddenly felt shivers run down his spine as he was reminded of a professor whom he had met in graduate school
Ttak-
Uregor, the dwarf professor, had grabbed onto his sleeve just as he was about to make a run for it.
Its the alchemy ss, Wardanaz, he said with a grin.
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Is that so?
Yi-han didnt let his emotion show. After all, he was a hardened veteran when it came to dealing with crazy professors.
Perhaps it is as you say, and Ill be able to get a good grade in alchemy as long as Im passionate about it.
But Im noting back to this ss ever again after today.
Right?
The professor seemed smug when he heard this.
Then you should just take this course.
But there are other sses that I want to check out
Theres no need for that. None of them will be better than mine.
Still, Id like to
No! You must take this course!
Yi-han was starting to feel uneasy as he noticed that the other students were staring at him with expressions of jealousy.
As expected of a Wardanaz
His talent must be impressive
This is pissing me off.
Professor Uregor looked around their surrounding before making an announcement.
ss ends here today. Unfortunately, none of the other groups appear to have shed with the boars.
Professor, were the boars your doing? A student asked in disbelief.
What they encountered were only boars in-name as they were essentially monsters.
If they had been unlucky, they might have died after having their bones crushed and their innards gutted out.
You thought Id have you guys explore the forest just to collect some herbs? I wanted you to also experience the dangers that apany it, Uregor said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
But thats
I see how it is. Think about it. The professor must have prepared some safety measures in advance. I bet he was secretly following us.
Oh
One student tried to make sense of what happened. When the others heard his theory, they began nodding.
That would exin it, they thought.
Huh? Why would I secretly follow you?
Professor Dwarf stared at them, confused as to what they were talking about.
I rushed over because one of you managed to take down the boar.
W-what if something bad had happened?
That would just mean you have no talent for alchemy.
Yi-han could almost hear the students cussing in their heads.
This son of a!
As alchemists, you must learn to handle unexpected situations, be it through capturing, hiding, fleeing, or dodging. Understood, Ironheads?
Yes sir!
Thenwere the Grass of Cleansing unnecessary? Yonaire cautiously asked while raising her hand.
Uregor seemed surprised.
You found them?
Yes.
Most unexpected. Didnt think youd actually get your hands on them. You pass as well! Now,e over here. You must also take this course.
Yonaire, who was puzzled, also got dragged to his side.
UmI didnt find them by myself. Nilia over there also helped.
Is that so? You pass! Come over here!
Nilia fell victim next. She had no idea whether she was supposed to be happy or sad.
And Wardanaz helped as well
Then you really must join our ss!
Yi-han had half given up at this point. Running away was now impossible.
Im screwed.
Even if he refused to take the ss, nothing good woulde of offending the professor. If he turned him down now, this dwarf might even show up in a different lecture to drag him back.
Ill try my best to excel in this ss. Learning alchemy has always been my dream after all!
Lad!
Uregor grinned, knowing what Yi-han was up to. He seemed the most mature out of all the freshmen present at the scene.
He was clearly uninterested in alchemy, yet the moment he realized he couldnt escape, he changed his tune.
Children of nobility were usually terrible at hiding emotions because they never had to.
Hence, it was interesting to see someone like Yi-han who knew how to endure and be patient.
Now, dont be too sad about it. There are perks to learning alchemy, Uregor said as if to console him.
Getting a disciple was never easy. Much like how students evaluated their professors based on the quality of their lessons, the professors did the same with their students, and when a student they liked appeared, they would tightly hold on to them, just like what Uregor was doing.
Nevertheless, if they were too forceful about it, the student might flee, which was why it was important to entice them with treats.
Perks?
You see, my hut is near the forest. Normally, I wouldnt let anyone near, but since you were able to take down the boar and find the herb, Ill bestow upon you the privilege to visit whenever you want.
??
What sort of bs is this?
The right to visit the professors house.
Is he talking about the right to clean, the right to throw away his trash, and the right to work as his ve?
Ah, I should probably exin more in-depth, Uregor hurriedly said, knowing what Yi-han was thinking based on the glint in his eyes.
Do you know what Ironheads desire most?
A ss that gives easy grades?
You sure youre a Wardanaz? I mean, that would be nice too, but the answer is food. You guys look terrible enough now, but a weekter, some of you will be ready to feast upon your fellow ssmates.
Uregors words made some sense. 80% of the students here were used to leadingfortable lives without needing to worry about food. They would obviously have trouble adapting if they were suddenly thrown into an environment that only served hard bread and cold riceballs.
But if you visit my hut, youll have ess to the meat and fish I catch, as well as the spices and vegetables I harvest from a secret location inside the forest. You catch my drift?
!
It was then that Yi-han understood what he meant.
It was essentially a free buffet!
Professor!
Lad, Im starting to like you even more now.
The professor-student duo firmly shook hands as they strengthened their bonds.
***
The ss soon ended, and the students left for their next lesson, some murmuring that they were never going to return. However, Yi-han remained seated, making Yonaire and Nilia curious.
Arent you going to leave?
Ill be dissecting the boar.
Excellent attitude!
Uregor was genuinely impressed. He had never seen a freshman adapt this quickly to the new environment.
Professor, are you sure this is edible?
It may look fierce, but the meat should be fine.
I see. May I borrow some equipment so that I can dismantle and smoke it?
Lad, you like alchemy that much?
Yes, I really love alchemy.
Yi-han had decided to face reality and embrace alchemy.
If what the professor said is true, I cant just sit back and wait.
They had been given various hints up until now. From the moment they were admitted, the principal had told them to seek answers within the academy, and that they would not be given anything, nor would they be allowed to leave the academy.
In other words, the freshmen had toe up with their own way to gather food!
To think an academy like this existsyou know what, Im not even surprised anymore.
This was an academy where people sometimes died without anyone knowing. Getting your own food wasnt too shockingpared to that.
Yi-han carried the boars one by one to a nearby river as flowing water was preferable when draining blood and butchering meat.
Ill help you.
Yonaire pulled up her sleeves as she said so.
You sure?
Well have to deal with grosser materials in the future. This is nothing. But youll give me some meat in exchange, right?
Yi-han thought he heard a growl from Yonaires stomach.
Nilia, who was watching them from behind, was still reluctant.
Are you really going to butcher them!?
Yeah.
But whywere in the academy
Arent you hungry?
Fine! Ill help as well!
Yi-han had gone on hunts before with Arlong and had learned how to catch and butcher animals.
Nilia, on the other hand, was a professional, and even Yonaire wasnt an amateur as she had experience handling various materials.
Here are the equipment. These should suffice.
Uregor brought them the necessary equipment. He was staring at them with curious eyes, wondering what theyll do next.
Yi-han grabbed a knife and began to skin the boars.
Ssuk-
Hes quite good.
Nilia was honestly surprised. She didnt think a noble would be as proficient as her.
The trio worked hard to skin the boars before moving on to butchering the meat and drying them on branches.
Since the boars were huge, there was a lot of meat, and Yi-han wasnt nning on throwing away the innards either.
Ill turn them into sausages.
Who knew how long this hellish freshmen experience would continue. It was better to stock up on food when they could.
nning on smoke-drying the meat?
Yeah.
Not bad! Uregor eximed.
It wasnt a good idea to leave the meat unattended. Though it was chilly outside, they would rot after some time. By smoke-drying the meat, they wouldst much longer, a piece of weing news to the freshmen.
Professor, well be using this firewood.
H-hold on a second
Uregor panicked when he saw Yi-han grab some of the firewood near the hut.
Being what it was, the quality of the firewood was important when it came to smoke-drying.
Those are firewood made from precious apple trees
Yi-han could tell if something was good from one look and had decided to use them.
Though it felt like a waste, Uregor smacked his lips.
Nilia. Will this suffice?
Yes, its more than enough.
Thick smoke began to rise up as the smell of meat permeated the air. There was sweat on the foreheads of the three students that had worked hard for the food.
Growl-
Yi-han turned toward the source of the sound. It hadnt been from Yonaire, neither had it been from Nilia.
It had been from Professor Dwarf.
Hungry?
A little bit.
Yi-han stood up from his seat. If a professor was feeling peckish, it was a graduate students duty to take care of his needs.
Since theres so much meat, cooking some should be fine.
Professor, can we have some bread and butter?
Just dont take too much
Though he grumbled, there wasnt much he could say as he would be sharing the meal as well.
Yi-han took out a frying pan and a piece of meat. First, he seasoned the meat with salt and pepper before kneading it with his hands.
What are you doing?
Just some basic prep work.
?
Uregor found Yi-hans so-called prep work fascinating.
Whats wrong with just cooking it
Yi-han didnt stop there. Using his knife, he made some cuts on the meat, wrapped oil around the surface of the frying pan, and finally ced the meat on top of it.
The sound of meat being grilled was apanied by a wonderful smell. Yi-han also ced the vegetables he took from the hut on top of the meat.
Why are you stopping?
The meat hadnt fully been cooked yet. Seeing Yi-han stop in his track for some reason, the professor panicked.
Now Im going to add some butter.
You arent doing this to show me that you have no talent in alchemy, right? The professor asked suspiciously. No matter what Yi-han did, he had no intention of letting him go.
Just wait and see.
The meat was gradually cooked, and the meal was soon prepared. It consisted of pork steak, grilled vegetables, as well as bread and butter taken from the hut.
The bread wasnt fresh out of the oven, but it was much better than the ck bread provided to the freshmen.
Chomp chomp-
Everyone suddenly became quiet as they gobbled down the meal, with Uregor eating the most ravenously.
The dwarven professor took a slice of meat and ced it between some bread before taking a big bite. Afterward, he headed for his hut by himself and returned with a jar of jam.
Ill share it with you, so dont stare at me like that.
Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Eating sweet things was a great way to recover mentally and spiritually, and the jams that Uregor brought with him did just that.
There were all sorts of jams, including strawberry jam, raspberry jam, and fig jam. The students that had a taste of them all fell into a state of bliss as if they were drunk.
How pitiful.
Professor Dwarf looked at the first years and felt sorry for them. As a professor working in the academy, he knew that the freshmen were having a tough time.
Unlike their seniors, the freshmen werent allowed to leave the campus.
Eat to your hearts content. You never know when your next meal will be.
Thank you, Professor!
Deliciously cooked meat. Butter and jam to go along with the bread. A beautiful scenery consisting of a flowing river. The students were having a great time eating and drinking with their friends.
While the first-years were taking a break after having had their fill, Professor Uregor was starting to clean up.
Wait. Why am I missing a jar of jam?
Sorry, Professor.
He became speechless when he saw Yi-han shamelessly take out the missing jar from underneath his cloak.
The freshmen this time round are a different breed indeed!
***
The mana-enhanced boars that they caught were much bigger than they initially thought.
Even after smoke-drying arge quantity of meat and stuffing themselves with as much food as possible, there was still a lot left over. Professor Uregor had even taken several chunks of meat to store inside his hut.
What should we do with all these?
Professor. Is there a way we can store this? asked Yi-han.
Uregor nodded in response.
Of course.
!
Freeze it using ice magic.
The students red at the professor. They had failed to cast during Professor Trolls ss. How were they supposed to suddenly use freezing spells?
Anything else?
Well, there is another method.
And that is?
Ask for an ice spirits help. FYI, I can use both.
The freshmen exchanged looks.
Shouldnt have asked this professor in the first ce.
Right.
Noticing the looks in their eyes, Uregor let out a dry cough.
Sorry, but at your level, theres no way to preserve the meat.
What if we ask for your help?
That wouldnt be fair now, would it?
Umthen would you two mind if I share some of the meat with the others? Nilia asked.
They had caught the boars together, which was why she asked for permission from Yonaire and Yi-han.
You can do whatever you want with your share.
Yeah.
I-I see. Thanks.
There was a slight blush on Nilias face as she was moved by the twos generosity. She wasnt close yet with the other students in her tower. They were bound to be hungry by now, and gifting those students some meat would be a great way to be friends.
There was a saying in the mountains that whoever shared food during troubled times would be great friends, which applied here as well.
Feeling embarrassed, she suggested that the two do the same.
Why dont you also share it with the students at your dorm?
For money?
Thats a brilliant idea.
Both Yi-han and Yonaire both liked the idea very much. However, Nilia quickly waved her hands.
No, not for money, but for-
Shes right. Students of the Blue Dragons should have deep pockets. Theres nothing wrong with having them pay a little in exchange for some food.
Yeah! Were essentially doing them a favor!
Yonaire fully agreed with what Yi-han said. Other students of noble descent mightbel such behaviour as disgraceful, but these two just happened to be the most materialistic people out of the bunch.
Yi-hans ideology was earn a shit ton and live afortable life whereas Yonaires was every coin counts when building an alchemy workshop.
Now that they hade to a consensus, they shook hands.
Nilia, who was the only normal person in their group, was bewildered when she saw this.
You really n on selling food to your friends?
Wanna join in?
No!
Nilia stomped her feet in frustration.
Thatsyou know, not right!
Nilia, think about it. Wont their pride be hurt if we just hand them food?
Exactly, were doing this for them.
When they brought up the matter of a nobles pride, it sounded somewhat convincing, but Nilia wasnt one to be tricked that easily.
Well, Im going to hand them out for free.
Do whatever you want. But know this, Nilia. You might regret it in the future.
Yeah. Friendships dontst forever, but money will never betray you.
But would they really consider you two as friends?
Who knows? All were saying is that money-
No, I dont want to hear this anymore!
Uregor, who had been sipping on coffee while sittingfortably on a chair that was in front of his hut, shook his head when he saw this interaction.
These three are bound to cause trouble if theyre together.
Since the academy recruited freshmen from all over the empire, all sorts of students were gathered there.
The three students in front of him were diamonds in the rough, with both talent and passion. However, he could clearly see the word troublemakers written on their faces.
***
The Tower of the Prideful Blue Dragons.
The dormitory was located quite a distance away from the academys main building, and the moment students came out through the front gate, they would be greeted by a refreshing breeze from the lush forest around them, and the expressions on their malnourished faces would be soft, if only for a short while.
?
However, things were a bit different that day.
Fzzz, fzzz-
They were instead greeted by the sound and smell of meat sizzling.
Hey there. Have you eaten yet?
Its a wonderful night, isnt it?
??
????
The students that came out were confused to see a tall boy and a red-haired girl waving their hands at them. They were the descendants of Wardanaz and Maykin, and they each held tongs in one of their hands.
Tadak, tadak-
A makeshift grill had been prepared by starting a fire and cing an iron te on top of it. When Yi-han added more firewood to the grill, the sizzling became even louder.
The smell and sounding from the grill were unbearable, and soon enough, someones stomach growled.
Gulp-
Come grab a bite. These are for you guys.
C-can we really? someone shouted, their eyes almost popping out.
Though they came from noble families, they were still children in the end, and the allure of a barbecue party was something these famished students could not endure.
Yeah, but you have to pay us one silver coin each.
As in one imperial silver coin?
Outside the academy, they could eat as much meat as they wanted with two or three copper coins. However, things were different here. Even if the price was inted to three times the norm, no one was there topete with them.
One!? That cheap?
Haha. You think were trying to do business here? Were just collecting these fees so you wont feel ufortable while eating.
Yup.
Yonaire and Yi-han said this while smiling kindly to their peers, almost making thetter cry.
Those thate from powerful families are different after all! To think theyre so kind!
While the others were busy trying to feed themselves, these two were actively trying to help their friends, even preparing a grill for them!
Wardanaz!
Maykin!
Now, now. If you dont hurry, the meats going to burn. Eat up.
Wait, but I havent brought any money with me.
Neither have I.
The students of the Blue Dragons felt troubled. They had entered the academy with nothing but their clothes, which meant they didnt have any money with them.
Yi-han took out a paper and quill, saying they didnt have to worry.
Just write down your name and the amount you owe before signing. Instead of going through the trouble of paying every time, you can just pay it all at once in the future.
Thats brilliant! Youre a genius, Wardanaz!
I never thought of such a convenient method!
Ssssk, ssssk-
The hungry students were not in the right state of mind, and they eagerly ran to the grill after signing their names.
Gobble, gobble, chomp, chomp-
Yi-han smirked as he quietly rolled up the paper and put it in his breast pocket.
Business is blooming.
Some might think its not worth going this far for chump change. However, it was best to earn while he could, not to mention a silver coin was anything but chump change. Money didnt grow from trees after all.
If the ban on freshmen leaving the campus stayed for a long time, he would no doubt be able to earn a handsome sum.
Parliak, why are you forcing yourself to eat those cold riceballs? If you add some oil to the te and stir-fry the rice along with the meat.vo!
Y-youre a prodigy, Wardanaz!
Its a life hack, he said while tapping the students shoulder.
He was willing to provide such services as he had received a silver coin.
The students gobbled up the meal voraciously as if they feared others would take it away from them. If they had to pick a student representative for the first years right now, they would no doubt nominate Yi-han for the job.
Wardanaz! Wardanaz! Wardanaz!
Maykin! Maykin! Maykin!
The nobles chanted while chewing their food. The chant was loud enough to attract the attention of Gainando, who came out of the dormitory looking befuddled.
W-whats going on here?
Oh, Gainando. Wanna have some meat?
Meat!? For real??
Gainando lunged at the offer. The exnation could wait.
Tak-
However, he was stopped by Yi-han who grabbed his shoulder.
Whyre you stopping me!?
Pay up. Its a silver coin.
W-we have to pay?
I wouldnt want to hurt your pride.
Youre right. But I dont have any money right now
Worry not. Just sign your name after writing down the amount here.
Yi-han!
Gainando was touched. Such generosity!
True friendship had blossomed inside the academy.
***
The unannounced barbeque party had somewhat brought color back to the cheeks of the students that belonged to the Blue Dragons.
However, that didnt make certain sses any less boring.
was a mandatory course that made the students frown.
Ethics? Why would we need to learn that?
They should just teach it to themoners. Honorable nobles such as ourselves have no need for such teachings.
Yeah. Who do they think we are?
They really have a way with words even whenining, Yi-han thought to himself.
Fortunately, the ssroom only had students from the Blue Dragons. If students from the other towers heard what they said, a brawl wouldve urred by now.
Whats surprising was that there was no ill will behind what they said. In other words, what they said came from the bottom of their heart!
Good morning everyone.
When they received the telepathy, everyones expression became stiff, and it wasnt because of the magic itself.
The voice that was transmitted directly to their brains sounded awfully familiar.
Youre joking
Hellooooo, Ironheads!
A giant skull appeared not from the door, but from the ceiling. It was Os Gonadaltes, the principal.
Enjoying your time at the academy? I bet your hearts are pumping. After all, youve all lived sheltered lives, and this must be your first time trying to survive by yourself!
Everyone remained silent. The lich principal looked around for a second before voicing his surprise.
Would you look at that? Youve had something, havent you? Huh, that was kind of quick. Thought it would take you guys at least a month!
What does that mean? We were supposed to get our own food?
Yeah, I told you to get whatever you need yourself.
And this was what you meant by now? Why do we have to go through all this in the first ce
Silence!
Umph! Umph!
The voiceing from the student who had his hand up immediately ceased.
Satisfied, the lich principal nodded, which caused an eerie rattling sound.
Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Im d that you Ironheads figured it out quickly!
No one was happy to be praised by Principal Skelly.
Yi-han could almost hear the mockery in his voice.
Usually, the students from the Blue Dragons are the slowest on the uptake.
However, this time around, the principal was being sincere in his praise. The academy weed new students every year, and those assigned to the Blue Dragons were always the slowest to adapt.
The fastest were the students of the ck Tortoise. They were typically children of merchants,moners, and beggars, so they adjusted really quickly to their new environment.
Next up were the students of the White Tigers. Since their families were knights, they themselves were really well-built and could endure the harsh conditions.
Inparison, the students that belonged to the Blue Dragons were descendants of established nobles, which meant they had grown up sheltered. It was no wonder they were slowest to adapt.
The principal honestly didnt expect them to find something to eat in just a few days. In fact, it was somewhatmendable.
Was he behind it?
Principal Skellys blue eyesnded on Yi-han.
As a grand mage, his intuition was never wrong. Even if it was, he would forcefully make it right.
Fortunately, he had been right about Yi-han, and his first impression had been dead-on.
Mana alone doesnt determine whether someone is fit to be a mage.
He looked upon Yi-han favorably not only because of how much mana he had. Of course, that did y a role in it, but something else about him had caught the principals eyes.
He didnt think someone so open-minded could be born from the Wardanaz Family which valued traditions greatly.
To be open-minded and free of prejudice. That will be the light that guides a mage down their path.
And that was what he wished to teach the students.
The hard bread and the cold rice balls were also means to that end, though he did sort of enjoy watching them suffer.
For some reason, it feels a bit cold in here.
Yi-han suddenly felt uneasy. It was spring, yet it was strangely chilly inside the room.
***
Sir, we understand that we must find a way to keep ourselves fed if we wish to grow as mages. But why do we need to learn about ethics?
As expected of someone from the Blue Dragons. Only someone of noble birth would have the balls to speak up before Principal Skelly.
The principal nodded his skull and responded in a kind voice.
An excellent question. Why do we have to learn ethics? Try answering the question yourself.
We have no clue, sir.
ITS BECAUSE WHEN GRADUATES OF THE ACADEMY CAUSE TROUBLE OUTSIDE, THAT BLASTED EMPEROR WOULD SEEK ME OUT FOR AN EXPLANATION!!!
The freshmen covered their ears as Principal Skelly shouted at the top of his lungs.
IF YOUR SENIORS DIDNT CAUSE TROUBLE OUTSIDE! WE WOULDNT HAVE HAD TO CONDUCT THIS CLASS! UNDERSTOOD, IRONHEADS!?
WHY ETHICS CLASS, YOU ASK!? IF ONE OF HIS MAJESTYS CLOSE AIDES COMES SEEKING AN EXPLANATION, WE NEED TO AT LEAST SHOW THAT WERE MAKING AN EFFORT NOT TO CAUSE TROUBLE. OTHERWISE, ALL OF YOU WILL BE SENT TO THE GALLOWS! IS THAT ENOUGH OF AN ANSWER, IRONHEADS!?!
Y-yes, sir!!
The student who had asked the question repeatedly nodded his head, overwhelmed by the pressure the principal was giving off.
MAGES ARE TROUBLEMAKERS IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND WE NEVER KNOW WHEN THEYRE GONNA GO BALLISTIC. AND DONT YOU DARE LIE TO ME THAT YOURE DIFFERENT! THAT WILL ONLY PISS ME OFF EVEN MORE! LATER ON, WHEN YOU GUYS ARE ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE CAMPUS, YOULL SEE HOW MUCH TROUBLE YOU CAUSE. NOW OPEN YOUR BOOKS TO PAGE 1 AND READ IT OUT LOUD!!
I will not wield magic against themon people!!
AGAIN!!
I will not wield magic against themon people!!
Will this really be effective? Yi-han thought in his head. Wont this only exacerbate the issue
***
The students expected the ss to be boring.
And boy were they wrong.
Ethics ss was even more boring than they could have ever imagined.
Youve got to be kiddingwhy is this a mandatory course
My throat hurts
Through todays lesson, I hope a seed of kindness has sprouted inside each of you.
Yeah
I can feel the effects already
And moving on, I will need two assistants for this ss. Any volunteers?
The principal asked this in a soft voice, which made it sound even eerier than it shouldve been.
The students eyes skittered about, trying not to get caught. The lich smirked.
Are you sure none of you wants to volunteer? Youll regret it, you know?
Id like to volunteer myself.
The one who raised his hand was Yi-han.
Principal Skelly felt dismayed that he couldnt continue watching students squirm about in difort.
Ah, the Ironhead from the Wardanaz Family. Like working, do you?
If I could be of assistance to the professor I deeply respect, wouldnt that be a great honor?
Wardanaz!
What a kind fellow you are
Yi-hans actions deeply moved the students of the Blue Dragons.
Yesterday, he had thrown a barbeque party for the starving students, and now he was stepping forward to take the bullet for the others.
The Wardanaz Family acted as one of the pirs of the empire. Truer words had never been said!
Those empty words mean nothing to me. If anything, I find it annoying. But very well. Opportunities only present themselves to those that seek them.
The principal knew what Yi-han was thinking.
Through Uregors ss, Yi-han learned one thing: there were many benefits to helping a professor.
Especially right now, when they werent allowed to leave the academys premises, it was best to get on the professors good side, even if that meant sucking up to the lunatic known as Principal Skelly.
Ill work myself to the bone!
And hopefully, get good grades.
Yi-han, y-you crazy? Gainando frantically asked in a hushed voice.
The other students that heard this answered in his stead.
Who knows what that principal would do to us if nobody volunteers? Wardanaz is trying to take one for the team.
I-in that caseI too must
After much hesitation, Gainando tried to stand up. However, it was as if his legs were stuck.
Move, legs, move!
As someone noble, he had to stand up in this situation. He believed that was also what Yi-han wanted.
I must help out my pal
So the other Ironhead will be the brat from Dargard. Well, I guess they do know a thing or two about organizing documents.
Thank you for the praise.
While Gainando was still making up his mind, someone else had volunteered.
Asan Dargard, the boy who was blown away by the boar during the alchemy lesson.
?
Yi-han stared at Asan in wonder. He didnt expect Asan to volunteer for this task.
Is he aiming for the same thing as me?
Asan fixed his sses by pushing them up ever so slightly.
Wardanaz, if its you, Im sure you know why I volunteered.
But I dont?
Yi-han was startled. How was he supposed to know what others were thinking?
Huh, you dont? Im trying to pay you back for your helpst time!
Asan was visibly upset.
What other reason could there be? His face seemed to ask.
OhI see. You know, you really didnt have to.
Nonsense. A Dargard always pays back his debt.
Im happy that you two are getting along, but theres work for you to do.
?
Heres a list of safety precautions. We need them for the next ss, so copy them down by hand and distribute it to your friends.
Asan didnt take the principals orders kindly.
Principal, sir.
What is it?
From my understanding it would be faster if you just used a spell. Having us copy them down seems inefficient.
I know. Thats the point.
Asan seemed ready to murder someone; Yi-han was sure of it.
***
Sorry.
As much as Id like to help
Yonaire, Gainando, and the other students exited the ssroom while sounding apologetic. They wished to help, but Principal Skelly stopped them from doing so.
Two peoples enough! Now scram!
As a result, Yi-han and Asan were left alone in the ssroom to copy the notes.
Unforgivablethat darned principalmaking us do something this inefficient!
He might really snap one of these days.
Asan was moving his hand while muttering furiously. Seeing this, Yi-han grew worried.
Truth be told, he knew why the principal was making them do this.
Hes telling us to learn magic if we dont want to do menialbor.
The principals orders sounded crazy at first nce, but he knew there was a good reason behind them.
The problem was that the principal expected too much from them.
They couldnt even cast properly. How on earth were they supposed to use auto-writing spells?
Is there not even a hint?
Hanging on to the belief that the lich still had some conscience, he decided to look around the empty ssroom.
Wardanaz, what are you doing? Asan asked curiously.
Yi-han was rummaging through the things in the ssroom.
Im seeing if theres anything we can take.
Are you sure were allowed to do that?
No one said we cant.
But thats stealing
Whose ssroom do you think were in?
I guess stealing is okay sometimes.
Asan stood up from his seat to help Yi-han.
It takes but a moment for a person to stray off the right path.
Everyone that entered this academy ended up with a loose screw somewhere regardless of their status.
Found anything good?
Well, I found some papers. Might need those someday, so lets take them for now. Wait, theres a key here.
Though he wasnt sure what the key was for, he decided to keep it for now.
You know what its for? Asan asked.
No, but I might in the future.
Rightmakes sense.
Asan was impressed by how level-headed he was.
Tak-
When they opened thest drawer, some mana flowed out of it, followed by a voice.
If youve managed to open this drawer, it means youve stopped wasting away your wrist like idiots and decided to use that brain of yours. Hope it didnt take too much time! It was a stupid assignment, to begin with, and the longer it took you to figure it out, the more pitiful your intelligence is!
Heres the 1st circle spell . Go ahead and learn it. And make it quick, or else youd have to hand-copy a ton of things for the entire semester.
This was the principals hidden motive.
The students were so moved that tears began welling up in their
Wardanaz. I dont understand. Why is he trying to teach us magic this way? There are so many better ways to go about doing it!
Asan was about to explode in anger.
He had envisioned learning magic under a kind instructor, yet here he was, being forced to learn it as a means of survival.
What in carnation was this!?
Asan continued, his voice filled with passion.
Wardanaz, Im sure youll agree with me. Let us goin to the principal. If we show him how serious we are, hes sure to change his mind! Wardanaz??
Sorry, what?
Yi-han turned to look at him. He had been so focused on preparing to learn the spell that he had missed what Asan had said.
Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Wardanaz
I mean, were here to learn magic, right?
Asan was staring at him as if he was a traitor, so he instinctively tried to defend his actions.
Youre right.
And think about it. Do you think the principal would budge just because we lodge aint?
True.
Asan epted this reasoning. Even from his perspective, the chances of them sessfully changing the lichs mind seemed close to none.
We probably have a 95% chance of failure.
Where did the 5% chance of sesse from
Now that Asan was convinced, Yi-han turned his attention to the piece of paper that had the instructions on how to use .
To activate a spell, the casters will was the most important, followed by chants and gestures.
The following chant may prove helpful in casting : Move, move, control
Move. Move. Hmm, I guess that would work.
Yi-han decided on a chant that suited him best before moving on to the gestures.
He lightly swung his staff in a clockwise direction a few times, but each time he did so, the flow of his mana changed a little.
Magic really is a difficult field to study
Yi-han once again came to realize how difficult it was to learn magic.
Even the simplest of spells required him to concentrate fully and practice.
First, he had to focus and wish for a spell to activate. Then, he had to pour more mana into the spell through chanting. Lastly, he had to direct the mana with his staff, making sure not to deviate from the course.
It was as if he was on a unicycle, spinning nes on both hands while trying to maintain his bnce.
But Wardanaz, didnt Professor Kim tell us to not practice magic outside his ss?
Were just following the principals orders. Hes higher up the food chain.
Right
Asan was once again convinced by Yi-hans logic.
Still, that didnt mean his mana capacity would suddenly increase. After around 4 tries, he faltered and slumped to the ground.
Ughsorry WardanazIm suddenly feeling dizzy
Dont mind me and just take a rest.
Yi-han was focused on casting .
Move. Move. Move. Move!
Psst!
He felt mana being shot out from the tip of his staff and going straight for the quill.
The quill quivered for a second after being hit by it.
Theres still some problem with my movement.
Yi-hans biggest weapon was his overwhelming quantity of mana. Others would have to take a break after casting a few spells, but he could continue practicing without breaking a sweat.
Tak-
Yi-han ced a mirror in front of him before trying again, hoping to see the changes in his movement with his own eyes.
Should I put less strength into it? Lets try it out. Hmm, I think its gotten a bit better. Next
Wardanaz, you alright?
Asan, who had beenying down, asked while grunting.
Yi-han nodded.
So this is what it means to be a WardanazUgh, I for one, am feeling so dizzy right now
Move!
For a split second, Yi-han felt his mind resonate with the quill as if he had grown a third hand and grabbed the quill with him.
The quill which had only been quivering until now slowly rose in the air.
Now, he had to concentrate on controlling it.
Slowlytheres no need to rush
Pong!
It was as if a firecracker had gone off. The quill shot forward like a dart and went out of the ssroom through an open window.
W-what was that?
The quill just flew off?
A-amazingWardanaz, you just seeded in casting the spell!
No, its too early to call it a sess.
was a first-circle telekinesis spell, and it entailed delicate control of a small or light object.
Yi-han wasnt the most knowledgeable when it came to magic, but he was certain that the quill wasnt supposed to shoot out like that.
There are two major obstacles in activating this spell.
It didnt end with just casting the spell. He had to then focus on moving the object the way he wanted.
He had seeded in the first step but had failed in the next.
But its alright. Ive seeded in casting the spell. Controlling the quill shouldnt be a challenge.
Pong!
Pong!
Pong! Pong! Pong! Pong! Pong! Pong!
Asan Dargard stared at Yi-han in terror. A quill had embedded itself on a wall next to him.
W-Wardanaz
Sorry about that.
His earlier confidence had vanished. He was having a lot of trouble controlling the quill. The moment he thought of moving it, it would shoot out like an arrow. It was as if he was subconsciously doing it on purpose!
Is it because of my mana?
He looked back to what Professor Kim had told him. Hed been told that he would have some trouble with magic because he had much, much, much, much, much more mana than most people.
Lets try it one more time.
Click.
Lets see if you guys have been hard at work. Rejoice, for Ill be doing the rest with my magic!
The door opened, and in came Principal Skelly.
Pong!
The quill went straight for the principals forehead.
Wardanaz!
At that moment, Yi-han became Asan Dargards hero. To think a freshman would dare attack the principal.
Kickass!
***
Surprisingly, Principal Skelly didntsh out at them.
Found it already, eh? You two are Ironheads alright, but bright ones.
Does that mean we wont have to do this meaningless task from now on?
No. Unless you learn to use the spell, youll have to keep wasting your time like this.
Asan red at the principal, which thetter took great pleasure in.
That was when Yi-han carefully butted in.
Respected and honorable principal, sir!
I hear sweet tterying from somewhere. What is it?
Is there any trick to controlling the objects?
From what happened earlier, it seems youve managed to cast it. Having trouble controlling it?
Yes.
Beginners tend to be like that.
Is that so?
Yi-han was relieved. He thought it had something to do with his mana. Apparently, it was something all beginners experienced.
Sike! Hahahahaha!
Casting is the hard part. You usually get used to controlling the object after a try or two. Making it shoot out like an arrow? Not easy. Sucks to suck eh? Figure it out yourself.
Hes the principal. Hes the principal. Hes the principal.
Yi-han tried his best to keep his emotions under control, which was frustrating to see for the lich.
Asan was truly like a child, losing hisposure at the slightest provocation, which was always a pleasure to watch. This Wardanaz, on the other hand, was like an adult in a childs skin, showing incredible patience.
But fret not, for magic is something you get better at the more you practice. Now, off you go to lunch!
***
They had been forced to stay throughout the morning, and by the time they were allowed to leave, the others had gone off to their respective sses.
Asans mana had yet to recover fully, so he left for the ward.
I should grab lunch.
Lunch for the freshmen meant hard bread and cold rice balls, but Yi-han had the meat that he had smoke-dried before.
Lets see if theres any fruit and vegetables outside
He wasnt sure in the beginning, but he was starting to think this was all part of the principals n.
Students that could take a hint wouldve started searching for food by now.
Wardanaz.
?
Yi-han turned around to look after being called out.
Princess Adenart, with her long silver hair and ice-cold expression, was standing in the hallway.
What can I do for you?
Adenart simply pointed at a piece of paper in her hand.
Right!
He realized what she was here for. During alchemy ss, he had helped her out, and in exchange, he had asked her for information as she had a muchrger intelligencework.
If I recall correctly, I asked her for a list of useful sses.
Other than the mandatory courses, students at Einroguard were allowed to choose what they wished to learn.
However, for freshmen, finding a ss that fit their needs perfectly was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Since they werent allowed tomunicate with the second-years, they had to get by by exchanging information.
The princess silently handed him the piece of paper.
Thank youhmm?
Yi-han was happily reading through the list when he abruptly stopped.
Popr sses-
The fact that alchemy was there made it exceedingly suspicious. That wasnt what he had been thinking of when he had asked for a list of good sses.
He had asked for sses that gave good grades, not popr sses.
Um, Your Highness?
?
What does it mean here by popr sses?
??
There was a slight change in Adenarts expression as if she was feeling confused and troubled.
Yi-han thought it was necessary to exin a bit more.
Your Highness. What I asked for was a list of sses that give good grades, not sses that are popr. In fact, sses that are the least popr tend to give the best grades.
Yi-han wasnt so naive as to be swept away by what people deemed popr.
Popr sses = sses with lots of talented students = Hard to get good grades
Not-so-popr sses = Lesspetition = Easy to get good grades
Of course, the princess wasnt of the same mind as him.
Adenart stared at him in disbelief. She couldnte to terms with the fact that he was actually looking for easy sses.
Why would a Wardanaz behave this way? She wondered.
For some reason, she felt disappointed. The Wardanaz she saw during alchemy seemed to be the noblest of them all, and yet
She took out another piece of paper that contained the list of sses that she wished to avoid.
Unpopr sses-
Woah.
Yi-han was amazed by the list. He could already tell how unpopr these sses were.
First and foremost, swordsmanship.
Not many people would think of learning how to swing a sword after entering a magic academy. Just focusing on magic was hard enough. Who in their right mind would waste their time on swordsmanship?
It was the same case with stamina training. Nobody would want to squander precious time which could be used to practice magic.
Mages were called frail for a reason.
wouldnt be popr in Einroguard either.
They were trying to learn magic to pursue the truth of this universe. It wasnt to get better at fighting.
If they wished to improve atbat, they would just join a knights guild or a swordsmans guild.
Every students motivation for attending Einroguard was different. However, bing the strongest inbat was probably not on anyones list of goals.
Magic was about learning, not about fighting.
But who cares.
Yi-han wasnt the type to be shackled down by others beliefs.
Swordsmanship and stamina training were both things he was confident in. After all, he had been training those under Arlong long before he entered the academy.
As for repetitive training in magicbat, there was no harm in learning how to fight with magic. It would give him another means to survive in dangerous situations. And the cherry on top was the grades he would receive
Thank you, Your Highness.
Adenart nodded indifferently. There was a mix of disappointment and disdain on her face, but Yi-han was too focused on the list of sses to notice.
Then until next time, I bid you adieu!
Yi-han turned around and left swiftly.
The princess was about to say something, but decided not to in the end and left after letting out a small sigh.
Chapter 14
Chapter 14
What a pity.
And it really was. None of his friends from the dormitory had agreed to his unique ideology regarding sses.
Y-you n on taking unpopr courses on purpose? But why? Is that whats required of someone noble?
? Umm, sorry. I already have a ss in that time period. F-for real. Im not lying.
Wardanaz, why are you trying to throw away your precious time? If Ive learned anything at the Dargards, its that
Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to change their minds. As the saying went, the path to greatness was a lonely one.
They would only recognize his great foresight once midterms and finals rolled around.
There was no such thing as a kind professor in any school. Students had to take many sses throughout the year, but the professors would always demand that they focus on theirs. They were absolutely ruthless and selfish in this regard!
Hence, in order to excel in sses that they truly liked, they had to take some easy sses as well.
It was all about knowing ones priorities and making the right decisions.
This was a fundamental truth practiced in all schools.
Is it here?
After entering the gates of the academys main building, he found the stairs that led downstairs. was a ss taught on B1.
Feels uncanny as heck, he muttered.
Large stairways could be found as soon as students entered the main building through the gate. The stairways were gothic in design, neither overly luxurious nor unpleasant in terms of their outward appearance.
Nevertheless, Yi-han felt chills in his back when he looked at the stairs, probably because of the stories surrounding them.
They say we shouldnt carelessly roam about inside a mages tower.
Everyone in the Empire knew about this, regardless of whether they were a mage or an ordinary citizen.
You must not wander around in a mages tower.
It may seem normal from the outside, but all sorts of magic could be lying in wait inside. If someone went up the stairs, curious about the second floor, they may never be heard from again, lost within thebyrinth of the tower.
While he was living in the estate, Yi-han had read several fairy tales about children barely escaping from the towers of evil mages.
Yi-han, who was still adapting to the world at the time, had innocently asked,
Arent these stories overly exaggerated?
Youre right, young master.
Thought so. I mean getting lost just by going up one flight of stairs
Yeah, unless youre an expert, theres no escaping a mages tower. Those children wouldve died from old age in real life.
Yi-han had been shocked to hear that disappearances were frequent on the second floor.
Mage towers were shrouded in countless mysteries, making them terrifying ces to visit.
Einroguards main building was a fusion of numerous mage towers, and the danger level was unfathomable.
As such, only a few freshmen dared to explore the academys premises despite their burning desire to do so!
They had been warned against doing so, either through their families or through rumors.
Otherwise, if they carelessly looked around the building, they might be discovered as lifeless bodies a whileter.
Still, its just a set of stairs.
Yi-han suppressed his fear and regained hisposure.
In reality, mage towers were really not as terrible as many people thought. After all, the students had no trouble navigating their dorms and the first floor.
That was when he heard the familiar sound of bones rattling.
Rattle, rattle-
Oh, what is this? Trying to go down to the basement? nning on being discovered as a corpse tomorrow?
Principal Skelly who was passing by gave Yi-han a word of encouragement, which made him speechless.
Most respected principal! Its an honor to meet you here!
Yi-han bowed his head deeply.
The life of a graduate student involved smiling in front of a professor even if he hated his guts.
His bow had been perfectly in line with the etiquette required of nobles.
Principal Skelly nodded contentedly.
Youre quite right.
Im nning on heading downstairs, and I was wondering if the honorable principal has any advice for me.
Theres none. If youre found dead tomorrow, Ill make sure to offer a flower.
This son of a
***
As it turned out, the basement wasnt that big of a deal. There were ssrooms on each side of arge hallway, and there werent any undead or monsters in sight.
Though it was slightly dark and chilly, Yi-han med it on the location where the academy was built.
Thank goodness.
Ssssk-
Two students brushed past him.
This came as a great surprise to Yi-han. Were these two also here to learn ?
As I thought, there are other like-minded people.
It wasnt that strange either. Geniuses from all over the Empire were gathered here. There had to be one or two that were on the same page as him.
Although thepetition had grown, he didnt mind it too much.
Having two others isnt so bad. It would be kind of awkward to take the ss alone anyway.
Crap, its not here. Whew, we almost stepped into the wrong ssroom.
What do they teach here?
, it seems.
A ss like that exists? Who would even want to take that?
I heard even the students from the White Tigers left, swearing as they went.
If even they left, is it really a ss fit for students?
They rushed to another ssroom as they talked.
Hearing their conversation, Yi-han started feeling uneasy.
Creak-
Inside the ssroom, he saw three students that were already in their seats. However, it was apparent that they werent as determined to take this course as he was as there was fear, confusion, worry, and anxiety in their eyes.
Their expression clearly conveyed the message Did I enter the wrong ss?
ss is about to start. Please take a seat.
!
Yi-han was startled. The professor had been sitting in the corner of the ssroom, yet he had failed to notice his presence. Granted, the professor was sitting in a dimly lit corner, but it was still quite shocking.
A vampire, perhaps?
Pale skin, sharp fangs, and a pair of gloomy eyes.
Since there was someone like Professor Troll, it wouldnt be too out of the world to have a vampire serving as a professor.
Uwaaa!
W-what!
Yi-han stared at the other students in disbelief. Had they not realized that the professor was sitting there the whole time?
Im Bdy Bagrak, and Im in charge of teaching the Basic Repetitive Training in Magic Combat course. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you, sir! the students said in unison, Yi-han included.
Without bothering to take out his staff, Professor Bdy pointed at several marbles the size of a palm that was on a desk.
These stones are made of Soul Star Ores.
Soul Star Ores. It was something even Yi-han had heard about before.
Isnt it an ore thats sensitive to mana?
When the stars aligned themselves roughly in a particr orientation, they would emit a sacred force, and Soul Star Ores were ores that changed under the influence of said force.
Since they were sensitive to mana, they were often used to make devices for detection or barriers to keep out intruders.
Each of you will take a marble and insert your mana.
Although the students were still unclear as to what they were doing, they each grabbed a marble regardless.
Everyone present was a freshman, and they hadnt even been in the academy for a month yet. Though they were talented individuals, they werent confident as to whether they could properly insert their mana into the marbles.
Paat!
Ugh!
Kyaa!
However, despite their initial fear, the marbles slowly vibrated before rising into the air.
Right now, the marbles have formed a connection with your conscience, the professor said without batting an eye.
So theyre artifacts!
Yi-han realized that the marbles were artifacts handcrafted by the professor, not merely toys carved out of Soul Star ores.
Apparently, a well-made artifact can be sold at a high price.
Artifacts were hotmodities everywhere, and mages that could craft them well were filthy rich, enough to sit on a mountain of money. This had obviously caught Yi-hans attention, but the same couldnt be said the other way around.
Aaaaaaack!
!
One of the marbles shot up to the ceiling, and it looked as if it would shoot past it.
Fortunately, however, it stopped just before making contact.
Professor Bdys expression still remained the same. They began to wonder if the muscles on his face had ceased to function.
Since the marbles are connected to your minds, you can obviously control them. But Ive made sure that they wont wreck the ssroom.
T-thats good.
However, the student was struck by the marble in the stomach when he said so.
Crash!
!?
Though Ive made sure that they wont wreck the ssroom, the same cant be said for you guys. Be careful not to break the marbles.
Normally, a professor should be saying be careful not to get hurt, and yet he was telling them to handle the marbles with care.
Yi-han could feel that this vampire professor was crazy in his own way as well.
The other students, however, still desperately held on to a shred of hope as they awaited the professors next instruction.
What should we do next?
After making them float, have them move in a circle.
The students focused and had the marbles float up. Yi-han also followed suit.
They all tried their best to make the marbles move in a circr trajectory, and though it wasnt perfect, one of them managed to do it quite decently.
I did it! the student shouted happily.
Professor Bdy, on the other hand, wasnt impressed by it at all.
Thats not a circle. Do it again.
Right. Yes, sir.
The students resumed drawing circles with the marbles.
They drew another circle. And then another. And then another. And then another. And then another. And then another. And then another. And then
Eventually, one of them cautiously asked the question that they had all been harboring.
Um, when do we stop?
?
For the first time, there seemed to be a change in Professor Bdys emotions. He looked at them with eyes that said, What do you mean?
You continue until your circles are perfect.
Professor. May I have a short bathroom break?
Go. Theres no need to ask.
One of the students left. Another student quietly left after observing the situation for a while.
Aside from Yi-han, only one other student remained, and after much thought, he suddenly fell over.
???
Yi-han was blown away by this. Was he trying to leave by pretending he had fainted?
Huh, hes surprisingly good.
Yi-han went over to help.
However, the students face was genuinely pale, and it didnt seem like he was acting.
You alright there?
Mana
Professor, he seems to have exhausted his mana, Yi-han exined.
As Professor Garcia had said, beginners were terrible at keeping their mana reserve in check and would often keel over after wasting and using them up. That was exactly what happened with this student.
I see.
What should we do?
After hes rested for a while, tell him to continue drawing circles with the marble.
The student who had been getting back up with the support of Yi-han twitched in rage.
He wasnt sure about the others, but Yi-han was certain that this student would never return after today.
I might end up taking this ss alone.
And it really turned out that way.
Yi-han, who was left alone, asked a question just to confirm.
Professor, how are we graded in this ss?
First ce will be given to the student with the highest grade, followed by those below them.
As I thought
Yi-han nodded his head and grabbed one of the marbles again.
I just have to draw circles, correct?
Yes.
Yi-han had the marble start going around in circles.
The students that had left all thought it was stupid to waste time doing such useless activities, but Yi-han thought otherwise.
Excellent.
He was guaranteed a good grade just by sitting in the ssroom for the rest of the semester.
This was the kind of ss he had been looking for.
Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Its not easy.
Controlling the marble with his will took a considerable amount of effort.
If he didnt pay attention, the marble would fly off, just as it did with the previous student who got struck in the stomach. It was a foreign feeling as if hed grown a third arm.
Fortunately for Yi-han, he didnt have to worry about running out of mana, and he was fine even as he continued to revolve the marble in a circle.
Professor Bdy simply stared at him as he did so.
Is it because Im not running out of mana?
Yi-han was curious as to why he was being stared at. Even from his point of view, his circles looked sloppy, so it likely wasnt because he was drawing them quickly or well.
Instead, the professor was probably curious as to why he wasnt getting tired at all this time.
Oh, never mind. Its because Im the only one in the ssroom.
He soon realized that the professor was staring at him nkly.
If he found Yi-hans mana capacity fascinating, he wouldve simply asked about it. Hence, the only exnation was that there was nothing else to look at inside the room!
Yi-han decided not to be bothered by the professors stare and continued to focus on moving the marble.
Having said that, he still couldnt understand the point of this exercise
Whatever, Ill get my grades as long as I keep moving it around.
A magical marble that would grant him his desired grade simply by rolling it around. When he thought of it that way, he felt the motivation to continue.
Yi-han was extremely used to following ridiculous instructions from professors.
***
Interesting.
Though he wasnt letting it show on his face, Professor Bdy found this entire situation fascinating, an emotion he hadnt felt for a long time.
And it was all because of the student in front of him.
Every year, students woulde in droves to , only to leave like water during a low tide. Hence, he had zero students to teachst year.
However, Professor Bdy didnt care in the least.
His contract with Principal Os Gonadaltes stated that he had to teach every year. Nowhere did it state that he had to have a certain number of students.
True to his words, Professor Bdy always sat at the front of the ssroom with his marbles when it came time for his ss, only standing up to leave when the ss time was over. He did this even when the ssroom was empty.
Nobody understood why he even bothered, but he always abided by this rule. This had been the case for the longest time, but this routine had been broken by a freshman that joined the ss today.
He was a handsome young man with masculine features reminiscent of sculptures, and one look was all it took to know that he was a student from the Blue Dragons.
From the way he spoke and carried himself, he was probably a descendant of some powerful family in the Empire.
And yet he continued to move the marble in circles without uttering a word ofint
Even the students of the ck Tortoise that had the lowest status would leave the ss saying Who the fuck has time for this?, so it was a weird thing to see someone from the Blue Dragons behaving so well and focusing on his task.
Furthermore, the student didnt seem tired at all as he continued to move the marble, which told the professor that he was born with a lot of mana.
If Bdy had been at all close with the other professors, he wouldve known through a conversation with Professor Troll that Yi-han was blessed with abundant mana.
However, he didnt see the need to be friendly with his colleagues. After all, that wasnt part of his contract with the principal.
Hence, he only knew that Yi-han had more mana than his peers. As to exactly how much more, he was still in the dark.
I hope he stays.
For the first time, Professor Bdy wished for a student to continue taking his ss. If he did, he could also move on to the next content, which would also be a first.
***
Im telling you, its a great ss!
Yi-han couldnt be more serious as he said so.
Normally, hed never be so kind to others, but he was willing to make an exception for Yonaire and Gainando.
Yonaire could be his colleagueter on, whereas Gainando had a rich mother that might give him friendship fees in the future.
It was never a bad idea to be close to someone from a rich family.
I dont think anyone else is nning on joining. In other words, youre guaranteed to get an A+ just by sitting in the ssroom.
Hmmm
Yonaires face said it all. She was trying to think of the best way to reject the offer. Nobody else was taking the ss, and for good reasons too, but she felt sorry for Yi-han who was desperately rmending it to them.
But hey, if you dont want to, thats your choice, Yi-han said.
He had no intention of forcing them to take the ss with him. He was simply trying to be a good friend by telling them about a ss that they could cheese through.
Hmm, can you tell a bit more?
Gainando, on the other hand, seemed somewhat interested.
What do they teach there?
Theres this marble which is an artifact that the professor created, and by injecting mana into it, it floats in the air.
Oho. And then?
We practice and make it go around in circles.
I see. And then?
Thats it.
Yonaire and Gainando stared at Yi-han, tongue-tied.
Y-you sure that its being taught by a real professor?
Who cares if hes real or not? Whats important is that I get my grades.
Yonaire was impressed by his attitude.
I doubt theres anyone as pragmatic and practical as I am in this group of students.
This was what she truly believed when she first entered the academy.
Since the members of the Blue Dragons hailed from rich and powerful families, they were often very opinionated and refused to take in new ideas. That was also the impression that she got from most of the students she interacted with.
However, after talking with Yi-han, she realized that she was a frog in the well. This man from the Wardanaz Family took practicality to a whole new level, a level she couldnt even fathom!
Well, since neither of you is interested, I wont say anything else. Ill be taking next.
F-for real??
Wardanaz, thats a bit
They tried their best to stop Yi-han, but he couldnt be convinced.
Other than the mandatory courses, he was determined to take the sses he chose. After all, that was the rule of Einroguard!
Are we really supposed to leave him alone??
Gainando even considered running to the principal for counsel.
***
There were a lot more students in aspared to . In fact, over a dozen students were waiting for the professor in a courtyard located south of the academys main building.
Huh, there are more students than I expected.
Yi-han quickly realized the reason why. The students gathered there were from the White Tigers. Though they came to the academy to learn magic, they were originally from a knights family. Naturally, they were familiar with the methods of wielding a sword and were much more serious about itpared to the others.
People of the other towers wouldnt continue dabbling in swordsmanship at the academy, but the same couldnt be said for the people of the White Tigers.
I guess I was lucky with .
Yi-han felt slightly disappointed. However, not all sses were jackpots like where he could get first ce in a ss of one, so this wasnt too bad either.
Not to mention, he had trained in the way of the sword for a long time.
Whos that?
Isnt he someone from the Blue Dragons?
The students of the White Tigers were likewise surprised by his presence and began whispering amongst themselves. They hadnt expected to see a student from the other towers here.
I know who he is. Hes the guy from the Wardanaz Family.
The Wardanaz Family!? Arent they a famous family of mages?
But why would someone from the Wardanaz Family take this ss?
Maybe he learned a trick or two from being tutored at his estate and got confident with his skills.
So he thinks lightly of swordsmanship.
Most of the students present seemed hostile toward him. Though their skill levels differed, they all prided themselves on having seriously trained in the way of the sword.
On the other hand, children of nobility often learned swordsmanship as a way of protecting themselves, meaning they only ever bothered to graze the surface.
The White Tigers assumed Yi-han wasnt taking the ss seriously, hence their reaction.
Yi-han wasnt oblivious to their stares either.
As if I care what they think.
These teens were trying to pressure him into folding, but he wasnt silly enough to y along.
Hey.
Eventually, one of the students was fed up with Yi-hans silence and called him out.
As expected of someone from a knights family, the student that stepped forward was well-built. He was also an orc, and his bulging muscles could easily be seen through the rags that had been given to them as uniforms.
The orc approached Yi-han and stared him in the eyes, a gesture Yi-han dly returned.
As intimidating as the orc may seem, Yi-han wasnt a greenhorn that was easily scared.
Got something to say?
Yes. Youre Wardanaz from the Blue Dragons, correct?
And what if I am?
I think youvee to the wrong ss. Were here to train in the swords. Were not here to il about for appearances sake.
I see. Thanks for the notice.
Seeing Yi-han ignore his kind words, the orc frowned.
It seems you still dont understand correctly. The swordsmanship we learn here ispletely different from the random swinging that you nobles do at your estates. Well be having spars here, and theres a real chance of being seriously injured. The students here dont go easy on their opponents.
Yeah, I know. Dont worry about it. Ill take care not to injure you too badly when the timees.
It took the orc a moment to realize what Yi-han was implying, and when he did, his face became red in anger.
It was then that someone gave a light cough. The professor had arrived.
Now, is everyone ready for ss?
The professors voice was soft, but his appearance betrayed their expectations.
Elves were naturally gifted with beauty, but the students felt nothing but pressure seeing the professors body that was filled with scars all the way from his face down.
He had a prosthetic leg and arm, not to mention a scar over one of his eyes which led to the mismatched size of pupils.
Im Professor Ingurdel, and Ill be responsible for teaching you students swordsmanship during this semester.
The elven professor introduced himself while using his long sword as a cane.
Since youre willing to take swordsmanship ss in Einroguard, youve probably learned it before and wish to hone it further, or at the very least, make sure that you dont get rusty.
Yi-han felt slightly guilty upon hearing this. Of course, getting better with the sword would be great, but his main goal was to receive good grades.
As thats the case, I wont be teaching you from the beginning. Instead, youll be focusing on honing the skills that youve learned.
The young knights listened to the elven professors speeches with twinkling eyes.
Magic still felt foreign to them, and they were much morefortable listening to a ss about swordsmanship.
Tap. Tap.
?
Yi-han turned his head as he noticed someone tapping on his shoulders. It was an elf, just like Professor Ingurdel, but their image was theplete opposite.
The student had short, blond hair along with a beautiful androgynous face.
I bet hes popr with thedies.
Whats up?
Youre the one from the Wardanaz Family, right? I was wondering why someone from a family of magic would be interested in learning swordsmanship.
The question was asked without any hint of ridicule or disdain. He seemed much more friendly and approachable than the rude orc from before.
With how few students there are in the ss, I thought Id be able to get a good grade.
Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Im from a family of mages, but my dream is to be a swordmaster.
There wasnt any reason for Yi-han toe up with a lie like that since they would get to know each other throughout the semester by trading blows anyway.
This was also his way of telling the students of the White Tigers to rx.
Ill be dipping after getting my grade, so no need to worry guys!
However, the elven student seemed even more puzzled and confused than before, trying to determine whether Yi-han was joking or not.
I-I see. Im from the Moradi Family. You can refer to me by my family name.
Right. Nice to me you, Moradi.
They lightly shook hands.
Though he was small, Moradis hands were rough and calloused, indicating that he was indeed from a knights family.
Hmm, the Moradi Family
Even he had heard of it several times before. It was a knights family well known for being extremely strict, and the family was responsible for protecting the cold north, utilizing any means possible to achieve its goals. Or at least that was what he was told
He doesnt fit that kind of image at all.
?
Moradi looked curiously at Yi-han.
But then again, rumors surrounding families arent always the most urate.
Compared to the orc from before who acted on impulse without any regard for the families that they represented, Moradi was much easier to talk to and work with.
I should try to get on good terms with him so that the others from the White Tigers lower their guard.
***
The Blue Cliff Style. That was the style of swordsmanship that Arlong had taught Yi-han.
As its name implied, the Blue Cliff Style emphasized hardness and honesty.
There are countless styles of swordsmanship in the world. There are fast ones, slow ones, sharp ones, dull ones, heavy ones, light ones, simple ones, andplicated ones. Theres no need to learn them all, and Im not skilled enough to teach them either. The style that I will be teaching is the one that I have trained in and the path that Ive walked as a swordsman. If Young Master Yi-han continues to train in the sword diligently, I have no doubt that he will also discover his own path one day.
Compared to Arlong who had spent decades training in the sword, Yi-han was only a beginner with a few years under his belt. Hence, he didnt truly understand what Arlong meant by his own path.
Nevertheless, he had something that the other noblescked, and that was the tenacity to do what he was told.
Even Arlong had been shocked by how diligently Yi-han performed his tasks, and as a result, his foundation was exceedingly firm.
Blue Cliff Style? It seems you have your basics down.
Professor Ingurdelplimented him on his form.
Which family are you from? If Im not wrong, the Blue Cliff Styles is
Im from the Wardanaz Family.
?
It took a moment for the professor to react.
Do the Wardanaz train in the Blue Cliff Style?
Recalling what the Wardanaz Family was known for, the professor followed up with another question.
May I ask why youre interested in learning the sword?
As a nobleman, swordsmanship is a basic part of our education.
Ingurdel smiled bitterly. He wasnt wrong, but it wasnt an answer that the professor liked to hear.
For a swordsman like himself, swinging a sword was a matter of life and death, yet nobles had the tendency to treat it lightly.
Or at least that was what I thought in the beginning. However, the more I learned, the more I understood how profound it was, to the point where it feltparable to magic. And thats what I wish to continue training in it in this ss.
Full points!!
Pardon??
Nothing.
Ingurdel waved his hand. He had identally voiced his thoughts as the answer that Yi-han had given was perfectly in line with his own beliefs.
He couldnt believe that a member of the Wardanaz Family would treat swordsmanship with so much sincerity. In fact, Yi-hans attitude was much moremendable than some students of the White Tigers that were participating in the ss just for the sake of appearance.
Did it work?
Yi-han carefully observed the professors expression.
Despite how he looked, Professor Ingurdel was much nicer and easier to read than a certain crazy lich, and as someone that toiled under countless insane professors, it wasnt a difficult task for Yi-han to grasp his pure heart.
Yes, he was here for the grade, but even he wouldnt be bold enough to say that out loud in front of the professor.
Excellent mindset.
Thank you.
Since we have hardworking students like you, its only fair that I put in some effort as well. I wont be going easy on you. Now, ready your wooden sword.
Yi-han slightly regretted giving such a ster answer.
***
Professor Ingurdel then proceeded to beat the students to a pulp.
The students had been caught off-guard by his soft voice, but after getting hit a few times, they charged at him with clenched teeth.
However, that only resulted in the professor beating the shit out of them once more.
The hellHes no joke.
Yi-han had much to improve, but he was skilled enough to tell how powerful his opponent was.
Arlong was a strong swordsman, and the professor didnt fall short of him at all. While Arlong was as immovable as a boulder, Ingurdel was as swift as water in the river.
What surprised Yi-han the most was the fact that the professor could move like that in spite of his prosthetic arm and leg.
The students tried their best to fight back with the sword that they had trained in for years, but it wasnt nearly enough to catch up to the professors movements, and as a result, they were beaten ck and blue.
If youre training in the Violent Sword Style, you should vary your movement! The point of dual-wielding lies in itsplexity and abstruseness! Just dont swing your swords thoughtlessly!
The Mountain-Moon Style should be faster, sharper! Dont hesitate when you stab. Come at me with all you have!
It was also impressive how he recognized each students techniques. There were hundreds of styles of swordsmanship within the Empire simply counting the well-known ones, and the number would shoot up if one were to include those that were only passed down within families.
Yet Professor Ingurdel knew the names of all of them.
Lets take a break for a moment.
Cough
Bast
The students fell to the ground panting and coughing. They didnt have the strength to even swear anymore.
Yi-hans muscles felt sore as well.
Those that train in the Blue Cliff Style should be like a boulder, never to be shaken by attacks.
Professor, is that even possible when Im facing someone like you?
Now, now. Let us continue. Try blocking this! And that! How about this!
Ingurdel attacked through the gaps in his defense, some of which he had been oblivious to. It took everything he had to survive the onught.
My answer had definitely been wrong
That was the conclusion he reached by the time they got to rest.
Yi-han could feel that the professor was more passionate and persistent when teaching himpared to the others.
It mightve been because of his swordsmanship which emphasized defense, but his sixth sense said otherwise.
He knew the consequences of getting caught up with the wrong professor through his time at .
Should I have remained quiet? I didnt think Id get beaten up even more by getting on his good side.
Wardanaz?
Yes, Professor?
Lets have you spar for a moment.
Yi-han really regretted his answer now. He was about to be the professors sandbag while the others rested.
However, he soon realized that he hadnt been called out to face the professor.
This over here is Dolgyu from the Choi Family. I want the two of you to have a spar.
!
All the students, including Yi-han, were surprised by this.
Why them?
Isnt this the guy that picked a fight with me earlier?
Yi-han stared at Dolgyu with an unpleasant expression.
The orc had picked a fight with him simply because he was from another dormitory, something that had gotten on Yi-hans nerves.
Not to mention, Dolgyu clearly knew that he was from the Wardanaz Family. Yi-han could already tell that Dolgyu would attack him with full power despite it being a spar.
Understood, professor!
The orc red at Yi-han as if he was ready to kill. Yi-han clicked his tongue.
Would you look at this bastard.
It was clear as day that he was nning on using this opportunity to thrash the student from the other dorm.
Yi-han wondered why the professor would choose Dolgyu out of all the students present.
The professors not doing this on purpose just because Im the only one from another tower, right? I mean, he seemed to like my response earlier.
Now that the situation was like this, Yi-han prepared to engage Dolgyu inbat. While the others at the estate fooled around and livedfortably, he had trained under Arlong, getting beaten up along the way. It was all so that he could fight back in moments like this!
***
Professor Ingurdel had called upon Yi-han and Dolgyu for a simple reason. It was because they were the strongest among everyone present.
Swordsmanship wasnt something that could be learned through theories alone. Instead, it took countless practice and actual experience to learn its core techniques.
At the hands of an amateur, a technique where a swordsman stabs their opponents neck after pretending to go for the heart would be useless. Only idiots would fall for it.
The same technique, however, would be deadly once the swordsman included feints and tricks leading up to the final blow.
Mastering a technique meant knowing how to apply it in various ways, and once mastered, beating most mercenaries would be a walk in the park. After all, the majority of mercenaries swung their swords randomly, relying solely on their strength and instinct.
Compared to them, Yi-han and Dolgyu had reached a level where they had an adequate amount of understanding of their techniques. Although very slight, they could even inject mana into their weapons.
Considering their age, this was quite an aplishment, even if one of them were from a knights family. With their talent, they could be sessful knights in the future.
It must have been tough training to that extent while being in the Wardanazs estate.
Leaving aside Dolgyu, who was from the Choi Family, Ingurdel was impressed by Yi-hans proficiency in the sword, especially considering that he was from a mage family.
He imed swordsmanship to be as deep and profound as magic. He mustve truly felt that, hence his reason for joining this ss.
Ingurdel misunderstood that Yi-han had dedicated his life to the sword. To train in it, he wouldve had to walk on eggshells in the Wardanaz Family.
However, the reality was different. Nobody from the family tried to interfere with Yi-han when he asked Arlong to teach him swordsmanship.
The Wardanaz Family was a household where each member did their own thing without bothering others. Ingurdel, who didnt know this, thought Yi-han was an unfortunate child that grew up in an oppressive family and admired his devotion to the way of the sword.
Now that they had met, he had the responsibility to guide Yi-han to the right path.
The Choi Familys Mountain-Moon Style is fast and sharp. On the other hand, Wardanaz has learned the Blue Cliff Style, which is heavy and firm. Theyre theplete antithesis. By fighting it out, theyll be able to learn from each other. Theres nothing as important to a swordsman as having a rival who can stand side-by-side with them.
Ingurdel obviously knew that the students of the White Tigers had an unfavorable opinion of Yi-han, who was an outsider to them. However, time would solve that issue.
Once he beat them a couple of times, theyd forget all about it, and the animosity would be directed at him instead.
Professor Ingurdel hoped that these two would have a positive influence on one another and that the influence would spread to the other students as well.
Chuuaaaak!
The fight began while he was having such thoughts, with Yi-han kicking the ground and covering Dolgyus face in the dirt.
Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Hes good!
Professor Ingurdel praised Yi-han in his mind after seeing thetter kick up dust, covering Dolgyus face in the dirt.
Achieve victory by hook or by crook. On the battlefield, there is only life or death.
The same could not be said about nobles that cared about maintaining an image of elegance and grace, but for swordsmen risking their lives in battles, only results mattered. Hence, Yi-hans action was praiseworthy and not disgraceful in the slightest.
It was also worth noting that he had pulled it off in front of all his peers. They were still in their teenage years where passion often gave way to reason and pride was valued above all else.
Not to mention nobles, even knights would hesitate to use such despicable means, and out of pride, they would hold back on using them.
However, Yi-han didnt hesitate for even a second before taking action despite his lineage being the noblest out of everyone present.
It was a behavior that could only be seen by someone that understood the true nature of swordsmanship, and it reflected his will to sacrifice anything for his cause.
Kuak!
Dolgyu cried out loud at the ambush. He felt dizzy as dirt entered through his nose, eyes, and mouth.
Damn it, what a dirty trick!
He was angrier at himself for falling for the trick than at his opponent for using it.
He had been told countless times before at his estate while learning the sword that he could be met with such attacks!
Dolgyu had been under the impression that Yi-han would fight fair and square as he was a noble from a distinguished family.
Ill quickly put an end to this!
Yi-han stepped forward to attack Dolgyu while his bnce was off.
Although he had trained in the sword for quite a long time, the same could be said about Dolgyu. In fact, he might have put in even more effort than Yi-han and undergone even harsher training.
Just by looking at his form, Yi-han could tell that Dolgyu wasnt an easy opponent, and if he had to fight him straight-on, the result of the battle would be up in the air.
Then what should he do in this situation? The answer was to create an opportunity that would secure his victory.
Having said that, this strategy of kicking up dirt wasnt something that Arlong hade up with. Nevertheless, Professor Ingurdel who was in the dark about all this praised Arlong for his teachings.
He must have learned that trick from his master. He must be one hell of a swordsman!
Kuukdamn it!
!
Dolgyu kicked the ground and performed a somersault in order to make space between himself and Yi-han. However, his hurried movementcked any semnce of elegance, and he ended up losing his bnce, which resulted in him rolling on the ground.
Yi-han had not expected his opponent to go this far either.
Whys he being so serious about this? I mean, I did cover him in dirt and all, but still
Since he was from a knights family, Yi-han had thought Dolgyu would find it beneath himself to roll on the ground like that.
The others who were cheering for Dolgyu were shocked by this as well and fell silent.
However, Professor Ingurdel alone pped his hands.
Excellent, young ones!
Dolgyu removed the dirt on his face with his sleeves, but he was still a mess because of the earlier roll. His eyes, on the other hand, became sharper and fiercer than ever before.
Yi-han clicked his tongue.
But I guess it wasnt for nothing.
Blood should have rushed to Dolgyus head by now. Not only did he get stered by dirt in the face, but he had also been forced to roll on the ground.
During a fight, the side that bes angry would often make mistakes.
When both sides were evenly matched, it all came down to psychological warfare.
Kuaaaa!
While letting out a shout, Dolgyu rushed toward him.
***
What a brilliant fight!
Professor Ingurdel was once again in awe. Previously, it had been because both students were willing to go to any lengths to win. Now, it was because of their skills in wielding the sword.
He knew that they were the most outstanding students among the freshmen, but he didnt expect them to be this skilled.
First of all, when it came to Dolgyu from the Choi Family, his mastery over the Mountain-Moon Style led to rhythmic attacks that were both quick and sharp. The jabs from his wooden sword shot forth toward Yi-han, generating whistles as they cut through the air.
Normally, there would be a bit of dy after stabbing and shing, but Dolgyu managed to maintain his speed all the way through. This was only possible as he imbued mana into his sword.
Blocking a jab was hard enough. Blocking a jab imbued with mana was an ordeal that most freshmen would be unable to endure.
However, Yi-han from the Wardanaz Family wasnt an average joe either.
Tuk.
!
Tuk.
!!
Tuk-
!!!!
Dolgyu became more and more agitated as his attacks continued.
Each time he attacked, he had to throw his body forward and thrust his arm out to generate momentum, followed by a flurry of footsteps designed to prevent counterattacks.
Though it was fast and powerful, it used up a lot of stamina, and Dolgyu was already feeling out of breath.
On the other hand his opponent was steady as a rock, using minimum movement to block and change the trajectory of the stabs. It was as if he could see through all the attacks.
Damn it all!
It felt like he was trying to stab a needle into a boulder. What demoralized him even more was the sight of his opponent dealing with the attacks effortlessly, something which should not have been possible even if his moves were being read.
Are my attacks not strong enough? Why isnt he showing any signs of getting tired?
Dolgyu felt tortured inside. However, unbeknownst to him, this sentiment was being shared by Yi-han.
Hes gasping for air. But why isnt he stopping?
The Blue Cliff Style that he practiced was designed for heavy swords, with each swing carrying weight behind it.
As Dolgyu was constantly moving about, it wasnt easy for Yi-han tond a hit on him, and the only advantage he had over his opponent was his stamina.
Not only had Dolgyu rolled on the ground, but he was also in an excited state, making his movements much more exaggerated. And more than anything
Yi-han didnt get tired even as he constantly imbued mana into his sword.
Ever since his first attempt at magic, he had been trying to grasp how much mana he had, and he was constantly surprised by it.
Ive been injecting mana into the sword for quite a while now. Why am I not getting tired?
Nevertheless, he wasnt having an easy time either as Dolgyus attacks were extremely ferocious. Each blow carried significant weight, and he could feel his back straining every time he blocked one.
They were using wooden swords right now. If they were using real swords, his clothes wouldve been in tatters by now.
At first nce, it would seem as if he was easily blocking the attacks, but in reality, he was paying a lot of attention to each of them.
Urk!
The first to crumble was Dolgyu.
He had been holding his breath and enduring the screamsing from his muscles, but his will had been shaken by the sight of his unmoving opponent.
This darned Wardanaz kept blocking his attacks without ever changing his expression as if to say that it was the most natural thing in the world!
The moment they exchanged nces, Dolgyu felt like he was dancing on the palm of his opponent, which was what broke the camels back.
Truly unfortunate, the Professor thought.
Dolgyu had been the first to give up, but Yi-han had been nearing his limits as well, proving the power behind each of his blows.
Had he known this, he might have managed to continue for another while. Yet he ended up overestimating his opponents abilities, leading to his downfall. It was a mistake that came with youth and inexperience.
Furthermore, Yi-han, being a descendant of the Wardanaz Family, exuded a cold pressure unique to members of distinguished families. His handsome appearance which was like a lifeless sculpture was proving advantageous even in a duel.
Thud.
With Dolgyus form crumbling, Yi-han swung his sword, stopping just before his opponents throat.
Stop right there! Winner, Wardanaz.
Professor Ingurdels voice was soft but firm when he said this, indicating that he would not allow any further action.
The students of the White Tigers let out a sigh ofment. Dolgyu, who was the strongest in their group, had been defeated!
I refuse to believe this!
It must be because of that dirty trick in the beginning
But Dolgyu also rolled on the ground after that.
So what? You ming him? Is that it?
N-noNevermind.
Professor Ingurdel ignored the murmurs of the students and opened his mouth to speak.
These students showed us a brilliant fight today. But theres no guarantee that the winner today would remain the winner forever, and the same goes for the defeated. The winner must remember to remain modest, whereas the loser must strive to be stronger. Now, face each other and pay your respects.
Yi-han extended his hand while looking at his opponent, half-expecting Dolgyu to re at him, spit at him, or grab his hand extremely hard.
Based on his behavior before the ss, he had a nasty personality. Now that he had been defeated in what he took most pride in, who knew what he would do?
If he tries to throw a punch, Ill first hit him with a low kick, followed by a counter.
Yi-han stared at his opponent with narrow eyes, readying himself.
Granted, Professor Ingurdel was beside them keeping watch, but he had been taught in his previous schools as well as this one that professors werent to be trusted.
It was a good fight. I apologize for looking down on you earlier. You are more than qualified to take this ss with us.
!
Surprisingly, the orc gave him a sincere apology.
At first, Yi-han suspected that he was trying to lower his guard before striking, but there wasnt any sign of that.
Well, in that case
Im sure you were just looking out for me. Lets both forgive and forget.
Dolgyu grasped his hand and nodded, giving Yi-han a look of respect.
p, p, p-
The professor pped at the beautiful scene painted before him. The other students, however, were still in a daze.
Why arent you all pping?
Shing-
Professor Ingurdel put on a serious face and unsheathed his sword, prompting the students to p furiously.
p, p, p, p, p, p, p, p!
***
Are we going to let him go like this after such a humiliating defeat? We should go roughen him up, someone said coldly.
The others from the White Tigers nodded. However, Dolgyu shook his head.
I lost because Icked training.
No! Its because he kicked up dirt!
No, I would have still lost even without that. And if that had indeed caused me to lose, it just goes to show that I wascking.
The students were stirred after hearing his words. As the strongest in the dorm, his words carried authority.
However, a student with blond hair coldly refuted him.
Thats not our business. Whats important is that you tarnished the reputation of our tower. Choi, you must bear responsibility.
The voice belonged to Jijel of the Moradi Family.
Dolgyus expression hardened. The Moradi Familymanded great authority among the families in the north, and even he couldnt ignore her words carelessly.
And how am I supposed to do that? I lost because he was stronger.
Easy. If you cant beat him alone, gang up on him.
Before she even finished, two students stepped forward to stand beside Dolgyu.
Dont worry, Dolgyu. Well help you.
Three should do the trick.
Dont you feel ashamed as a knight to gang up on one person?
Dolgyu raised his voice in an attempt to dissuade them.
Jijel, however,ughed it off.
Then you shouldve won. How can you say that after losing?
The White Tigers were split into two factions, a faction that supported Moradis idea, and a faction that thought this was going too far. But thetter didnt speak up.
I refuse, Dolgyu said through clenched teeth.
Youre going to regret this.
Jijel turned around, no longer bothering with him.
The coward says hes out. You three, go stomp on Wardanaz.
Understood, Moradi.
Leave it to us.
Yi-han was strong, but in a 3 against 1, the odds would be against him, especially since all three were also trained in swordsmanship.
Dolgyu made up his mind. For the sake of honor, he would stand on Yi-hans side.
***
Thud!
How dare you, Wardanaz!!
You cane as well if you wish to die, Yi-han said matter-of-factly.
Seeing his figure, the remaining two students subconsciously took a step back.
Dolgyu, who hade to help, stared at the student on the ground in disbelief.
Whats going on here?
Chapter 18
Chapter 18
The students of the White Tigers were pettier than expected. Yi-han was about to return to his dorm after ss ended, but he was unexpectedly blocked by three people from his ss.
Wardanaz, did you think wed let you go in peace after winning in such a cowardly fashion?
Well make sure you crawl back and never return to this ss.
Yi-han stared nkly at the orc and dwarf whom he had never met before. Still trying to understand what was happening, he tossed out a question.
You do realize Im from the Wardanaz Family?
Bringing up your background How despicable!
And you think fighting someone 3 to 1 isnt?
Shut up!
Though they were pretending to be tough, fear shed past their eyes. They had apparently heard of the Wardanaz Familys reputation as well.
Knowing that, they still want to fight me 3 against 1 just for the sake of their dorms pride? Theres either something very wrong with their headsor theres someone behind them.
In other words, they were either descendants of powerful families themselves, or someone from a powerful family was backing them.
And it doesnt seem like the former. In which case, these three are seriously dumb.
It was very unlikely for the family backing them to offend the Wardanaz Family over something so insignificant. Hence, these three would probably be cast aside once they were no longer useful. This was why it was never advised to interfere with matters between powerful households
But I doubt theyd listen even if I were to exin to them.
Even if he tried to exin everything in a logical way, people like them that picked fights without thinking about the consequences would never listen. After all, their fists were right there whereas their families were in distant locations.
Whos behind you guys? Someone whos from a family more powerful than yours?
!!!
!!!!
The three students were so surprised that they almost fainted on the spot.
How did Wardanaz know the power dynamic within the White Tigers?
I-I told you to shut up!
Attack!
Surround him!
Realizing that they would only be put in a worse position by continuing the conversation, the three students slowly began inching toward Yi-han.
I cant win if its 3 against 1.
Yi-han was thinking rapidly in his head, remembering what Arlong told him.
Fight if its a 1 on 1. Fight if you must in a 2-on-1. Flee in a 3-on-1.
If youre outnumbered 3 to 1, just bounce!
Yi-han was in agreement with this rule of thumb. All three of his opponents had been trained in the way of the sword by their families, so he would be at a disadvantage if they fought.
The problem was, they were blocking his path, and to escape, he had to get past them somehow.
Right!
An idea shed in his mind. Since they knew he was from the Wardanaz Family that specialized in magic
Move!
His opponents jolted when they heard him chant.
Magic! They were still struggling with , the simplest of magic, and yet!
Ill scare them with .
Yi-hans wasnt perfect as he couldnt properly move the objects as he intended to, but that didnt matter as long as his opponents didnt know this.
Since they were stillplete beginners in magic, his disy of the spell was enough to intimidate the three students.
Bang!
Yi-hans eyes were about to pop out.
He only intended to levitate some pebbles nearby, using them to keep his enemies at bay.
However, he had overestimated hismand over the magic.
Having them stop midair was more difficult than he expected, and the pebbles shot forward the moment he cast the spell, striking a student belonging to the satyr race in the forehead.
Wardanaz! How dare you!!
The two students were astonished by the battle magic that they had never seen before.
A spell that shoots forth rocks like arrows!
To think Wardanaz would be capable of such spells already
You cane as well if you wish to die, Yi-han said coldly.
Now that things had turned out this way, he decided to pretend as if the attack had been intentional.
Ugh
You better move away. You may have your swords, but I have my magic.
The two remaining students were having an internal struggle, deciding between their pride and fear.
That was when Yi-han decided to cast another spell.
Move!
Dodge!
The dwarven student jumped sideways, but a pebble tracked him like an arrow and struck him right in his stomach.
Bang!
Bullshit
The dwarf fell forward, unable to breathe. Only the orc remained standing, and he was terrified by what just happened.
The dwarf was hit even though he dodged, meaning Wardanaz had great control over his spells.
Did I learn the wrong magic?
Yi-han was just as perplexed and shocked seeing the scene before him.
He couldnt even have it levitate properly, and yet he could strike his enemies without even trying. How absurd was that?
S-stop! No more. I surrender. Ill move! So dont shoot! I dont want to die!
Im not going to kill you, idiot.
Despite thinking so in his head, he maintained his calm expression.
Remember that this is what it means to go against a Wardanaz.
Grr.
The orc clenched his teeth in frustration, but he wasnt brave enough to re at Yi-han.
Dolgyu, who arrived a momentter, stared at Yi-han in bewilderment.
Are you here to fight as well?
N-no.
He couldnt help but stutter after witnessing the result of the fight.
***
You mean Gazel of the Moradi Family incited this?
No, its Jijel
Right, Jijel. What a difficult name to pronounce. Anyway, that Jijel guy from the Moradi Familys behind this?
Dolgyu had told him everything, and he was honestly surprised by it.
The atmosphere in the White Tigers was vastly different from that of the Blue Dragons.
The members of the Blue Dragons were all from powerful families or members of the royal family, so there wasnt anyone takingmand of them. Rather, they moved in small groups based on their connections.
Princess Adenart, the most popr among the Blue Dragons, had several students following her, but she wasnt really inmand of them either.
On the other hand, Jijel Moradi was at the top of the food chain among the White Tigers.
How does he look like?
Like this.
Dolgyu picked up a branch that had fallen and drew an urate portrait of Jijels appearance.
Yi-han was shocked when he saw the drawing.
Hes!?
It was the elf that had spoken to him in a friendly manner before the ss started.
I knew something was up. He was being so kind to me with that pretty face of his turns out he was hiding his wicked nature.
Wardanaz, I agree that Moradi has a wicked heart, but I dont think thats got anything to do with appearance. And what do you mean pretty? Wait, you thought Jijel was a bo-
Whatever it was Dolgyu said next, Yi-han didnt hear. He wasnt interested in whatever excuse Dolgyu had to defend that androgynous elf.
But its ironic.
He had been nning on bing close with the others through Jijel who acted friendly with him.
However, he ended up bing friends with Dolgyu, who he initially had a conflict with. On the other hand, it was revealed that Jijel had plotted against him.
Was he trying to feel me out?
Yi-han looked back to their conversation earlier. He didnt recall saying anything of importance that could be used against him.
Im here to chix and get good grades! Though he had said something along that line, it was hardly a reason to target him using other students.
In fact, hearing something like that should have lowered Jijels guard.
I dont understand. Why did Jijel target me?
There are several reasons I can think of. The biggest reason is that youre a Wardanaz.
Is there bad blood between the two families?
Yi-han was befuddled. Was there some unresolvable hatred between Wardanaz, a mage family, and Moradi, a knights family?
No, at least none that I know of. But by humiliating you, a renowned Wardanaz, his prestige and authority among the first years would rocket.
Yi-han immediately understood what he meant and became grave.
In other words, he was being treated as an expensive trophy with a tag that said he was from the Wardanaz Family.
Its quite an unpleasant feeling.
It could be considered childish in a way, but it didnt stop him from being pissed.
Not all the freshmen follow Jijelsmand. By proving that shes a charismatic leader, Jijel nned to make more students follow her.
Does ordering his ssmates to beat up someone from another tower prove his charisma? What are the knight students thinking
Dolgyu looked down, feeling ashamed. He, too, feltplicit in this.
Hey, Im not talking about you. What are you feeling down for?
Thanks. Anyway, lets continue. Jijel is the type of person that always wishes to be at the top. Shed do anything to prove her authority and dominance. So I want you to be careful if you n on taking this ss in the future.
If Yi-han continued to excel in , the students of the White Tigers would be jealous of him, and Jijel would manipte their emotions to make them follow her.
Dolgyu then made a careful suggestion.
You know, you dont have to take this ss. You can hone your sword during breaks.
Hmm, Dolgyu.
?
You see, Im nning on taking as well is that ss also crawling with people from your tower?
Wardanaz. Im not trying to be rude, butisnt the Wardanaz Family known for its mages? Just what are you?
Dolgyu couldnt help but ask the question that had been guing him.
***
Yi-han split up with Dolgyu after that and fell into deep thought. What Dolgyu had suggested was the easiest solution to the problem.
Avoid the sses that only the White Tigers partake in.
As long as he kept avoiding them, Jijel wont be able to pick a fight with him. In his other sses, he would be moving with his friends from the Blue Dragons, so Jijel wont be able to target him. She also wouldnt have a reason toe after him if they werent in the same ss.
However, he didnt n on heeding this suggestion.
First of all, though Dolgyu didnt know this yet, he had selected these sses to get easy grades. Furthermore
How dare he use me for politics?
he had his pride as well. He wasnt one to take this sort of provocation lying low, especially given the reason behind it. This was doubly true considering what he stood to lose.
Bam!
Yi-han returned to his dorm and opened the door leading to the first-year students resting lounge.
There were some students already there, and they waved their hands at him when he entered.
Guys!
?
???
Today, I was targeted by the students from the White Tigers, simply because Im from the Blue Dragons!
There was a moment of silence. What he said was so absurd that it took them a moment to digest what they just heard.
But the silence was broken by someone who flipped the table before him.
Those lumps of metal did what!?
So they think were that easy, huh!?
Huh?
The students of the Blue Dragons reacted much more strongly than he thought they would.
Assemble everyone! Tell them that the bastards of the White Tigersid their hands on Wardanaz!
If it was Gainando, we wouldve stayed silent. But Wardanaz? Now theyve crossed a line.
Are there any weapons? Find some! Lets go beat the shit out of them!
Things began heating up, and Yi-han tried to calm them down a bit.
Wait, guys. Im thankful that everyone thinks of me so fondly, but youre overreacting. Theres no need to-
Dont stop us, Wardanaz! We have a debt that we have to repay.
Yeah! Theres no one here that didnt eat the meat you procured!
Yi-han felt slightly sorry seeing how thankful they were despite beingpletely scammed.
And theres also the matter of our pride!
Defeat the White Tigers!
Crush the White Tigers!
Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Maybe Ive been underestimating these guys.
Although the students of the Blue Dragons did look upon Yi-han favorably and owed him a favor, they wouldnt be hot-headed like this over what happened to him.
The reason they reacted so strongly was because of the animosity that originally existed between students of the Blue Dragons and the students of the White Tigers.
Unlike members of the Blue Dragons, those at the White Tigers were all descendants of knights and had big, bulky frames. Normally, they reigned themselves despite their disdain for the knights students, but they couldnt hold themselves back after being provoked so openly.
Even the students that had never interacted with Yi-han previously were out for blood.
Bring whatever you can use as a weapon! Were heading to the tower of the White Tigers!
Hold on a second!
Asan of the Dargard Family stopped the agitated students from leaving and climbed on top of one of the resting lounges tables.
Calm down everyone!
Whew, finally, someone withmon sense.
Yi-han was d that Asan had spoken up. It seemed not everyone had lost their reason.
What is it, Dargard? Could it be that youre scared?
Theyve spat on our honor!
The other students became even more riled up than before. However, Asan calmly exined his reason for stopping them.
Think about it. Those guys at the White Tigers have been trained to be knights. If we act rashly, theres a 95% chance of us tasting defeat.
So what, were going to let them walk all over us!?
Of course not. Thats why we should form groups and lie in ambush, striking them in groups when they least expect it!
Ohh!
Yi-han let out a deep sigh.
It was stupid of me to expect anything of you.
Hold up, hold up!
Yi-hans shout overshadowed that of Asans, and as the person who started all this, and peoples attention turned to him when they heard his voice.
Let me first make this clear. Im not here to ask you to take revenge for me! This concerns my honor, and Im not so weak that I would need others help in taking my revenge!
The students began whispering among themselves. Honor was something that students of nobility took very seriously as they all represented their family and their familys honor. Now that Yi-han had brought up his honor, they had nothing they could say against it.
But Wardanaz, the bastards over at the White Tigers are sly, crafty, dirty, and shameless. If you y fair with them, it wont be easy to get your revenge.
One of the students started cursing the other party without rest, which was rming to Yi-han. Nevertheless, he collected himself and responded to the concern.
Still, were dignified individuals born in magnificent households. We shouldnt stoop to their level and dirty ourselves. That would be unbing of us!
Yi-hans speech was rather convincing. His daily actions along with his unwavering confidence gave strength to his arguments, and the students who had been upset until now began to sit down while nodding to themselves.
Maybe Wardanaz is right
Those vile creatures. I bet they dont even know how honor is spelt.
Now that they were showing signs of calming down, Yi-han got to his main point, which was also the reason why he brought this up in the first ce.
Instead, I suggest we help each other whenever we see someone from this dorm getting targeted. After all, those cowards from the White Tigers mighte at us in groups.
Right!
Naturally! Well stand by you, Wardanaz!
His suggestion managed to pacify the students, and they stomped their feet or pped their hands to show their support.
Perfect.
Inside, Yi-han let out a sigh of relief.
Now, if the students from the Whiter Tigers tried to pick a fight with him, he would be able to rally the students from his own tower.
This would do for now
By the way, were in the same ss as them for , right?
Yeah, lets humiliate those ignorant and barbaric brutes there!
As if people like them that always roll in the mud and swing hunks of metal can ever learn magic properly
Ive mastered . That will show them.
You as well? Me too! Lets cast the spell in front of them. Hehe, I wonder how theyll react? I bet none of them have mastered it yet.
Yeah! As nobles, we must use elegant methods to defeat them!
Wait.
Yi-hans heart suddenly became heavy after listening to the conversations of the students who were sitting down.
Am I the only one here that hasnt mastered the spell?
***
The next day.
Yonaire entered the first years resting lounge while stretching her arms, but was surprised to see Yi-han in his seat, with bags under his eyes
Did something happen to you!?
At first, she thought it was because he hadnt eaten properly. Though the academy gave them meals, it only served to further fuel the students hunger. That was why they looked half-dead the day after they moved into their dorms.
However, she remembered how Yi-han had been the only one to adapt perfectly to his new environment. Not to mention, while the others were starving, he had smoke-dried some meat and taken some of Uregors vegetables to give to his fellow ssmates (though they came with a price).
He didnt have trouble with food back then, and he certainly wouldnt have trouble with food now.
Gainando, on the other hand
I was practising magic.
Magic? But youre not allowed toAh. Professor Kim gave you permission back then, huh?
Yeah. I heard the others already seeded in casting , so I had to pull an all-nighter.
?
Yonaire cocked her head. This was her first time hearing about this.
What do you mean?
Uwaaaaam.
That was when Gainando walked in, yawning all the way.
He took out a sausage that he had bought from Yi-han the previous day from the shabby clothes he was wearing, which came with pockets.
He treated the sausage like treasure and looked around to make sure no one would steal from him. Then, he made a skewer out of it and ced it inside the firece.
The sausage was slowly getting cooked, apanied by a melodious sound. The meat from the boar was of high quality, and the smell that permeated the air stimted his empty stomach.
Heheheh
He didnt realize that Yi-han and Yonaire were watching him like some pitiful creature. He took out a potato from his other pocket. This too had been something he purchased from Yi-han. Carefully, he ced it beneath the firece.
Heheheheh
Gainando. Nobodys going to steal from you, so just eat like a normal person, will you?
?!??
Gainando jumped up, realizing for the first time that Yi-han and Yonaire were there.
W-when did you guyse in!?
We were watching as you cautiously skewered the sausage.
D-did not!
Hey, the sausage is going to burn at this rate. You should take it out.
My precious!
Gainando quickly took it out in a panic before staring at them with vignt eyes.
Gainando, you really think Yonaire and I are going to steal your sausage?
C-course not.
However, he didnt lower his guard. Giving up, Yi-han turned to Yonaire instead.
Its quite serious.
Everyones getting hungry again.
Gainando hadnt turned crazy or anything. Everyone was having trouble getting food.
The only saving grace was that Yi-han brought back some food every once in a while from Uregors hut. Otherwise, they wouldve been in an even worse position.
The meats going to run out by the end of the weekWe might need to hunt again on the weekend.
Will we be okay?
Well have Nilia apany us.
Yonaire nodded at his words. Nilia, the dark elf, was a veteran huntress. She was indeed a reliablepanion to have, though the person in question might scream Why me!?ter on when she was notified of this decision
Professor Uregors quite petty, Yi-hanined.
The professor was a rather stingy dwarf.
He had told Yi-han that he could have free ess to the hut, but he acted miserly whenever Yi-han tried to bring food back. He was okay with Yi-han cooking and eating right there and there, but he would nag him about bringing anything back.
Stop right there. Thats the bread I baked to have in the evening! And when did you even hide a jar of jam in your pocket? You dont need it!
Sir, Ive tended your farm for you. Its just a jar of jam!
Youve had your fill! Why do you need more!? You ransack the ce every time you visit!
Now that he has his guard up, smuggling food out wont be easy.
I wonder if therell be an opportunity to-
Yonaire gasped when she realized what she had been about to say. The academy was starting to influence her in a bad way.
***
Garsia, also known as Professor Troll, gave a wry smile seeing the students enter the ssroom.
As someone that cared a lot about the students, he was quick to notice even the most minute changes.
First, the first week at the academy was nearing its end, and the students were all in a hungry state. He didnt fully agree with the principals ideology, but it was true that nothing was as effective at getting students to move as hunger.
The hungry students would do everything in their power to acquire food.
Good luck, everyone.
Second, tension was already beginning to form between students of different towers. Since they all came from different backgrounds, it was natural that they would see each other aspetitors.
In particr, and have historically always been at odds against each other.
The reason couldnt be more obvious. On one side, there were students that grew up in powerful families that valued tradition. On the other, there were students that were raised as knights near the Empires borders.
ording to the principal, it was apparently to have the students on their toes.
Onlypetition would lead to growth!
Now, settle down everyone.
Though they werent as shocked as when they first met the professor, the pressure that came from Garsia was still as powerful as ever due to the troll blood running in his veins.
Students of both towers sat down quietly.
Last time, we learned the spell known as . Though none of you were able to sessfully cast it, theres no need to feel down. Magic isnt something you can learn quickly, and while you might have some trouble in the beginning, youll improve rapidly once you get the hang of it. Having said that, was anyone able to cast sessfully?
Yi-han raised his hand while yawning.
It took all night.
He had felt pressured after seeing everyone from the Blue Dragons say they mastered the spell.
As a true-blue Korean, he refused to be pushed out of thepetition without putting up a struggle, and as a result, he spent the entire night practicing .
Though it didnt take a massive amount of mana for each attempt, anyone else wouldve fainted in the middle. Yi-han, on the other hand, waspletely fine, only slightly tired.
?
Yi-han quickly felt something was weird. No one around him had their hands raised.
The hells going on!?
Ohhh
Hes a Wardanaz alright.
As expected
The students of the Blue Dragons pped lightly, feeling both envious and proud.
Take that, White Tigers! We have Wardanaz!
was what passed through their minds.
Hey, you.
Yi-han, still confused about what was going on, asked the student who sat beside him.
He was the guy that imed he had mastered .
I thought you mastered the spell?
Oh, you heard that? WellI actually wasnt able to pull it off in the end. But I was close, so I thought itd be fine if I said I mastered it.
He had been tricked!
These freaking showoff nobles!!
Chapter 20
Chapter 20
He had stayed in the Wardanaz estate for such a long time that he had forgotten how much of a showoff the Empires nobles were. They valued their pride and honor above their lives, and they would prepare avish feast even if they were on the brink of bankruptcy!
All that effort, and it turned out to be for nothing.
Splendid! We have two people who have mastered it from the Blue Dragons!
?
Yi-han looked to his side and saw the princess with her hand raised as well. Not only that, she was staring coldly in his direction, her blue eyes holding tant animosity.
Whats up with her? Yi-han wondered.
With the princess being one of the most talented students among the Blue Dragons, it wouldnt do to be on her bad side, and as far as he was concerned, he hadnt done anything to garner such hatred from her.
In fact, all their interactions had been friendly until now. During their initial meeting, he had helped her defeat the boars. Then, they exchanged information about which sses were great for students.
I was nning on asking her for help in assignments and exams in the future. Why is she suddenly acting like that? Is it because Im always with Gainando?
Poke. Poke.
Hey, Wardanaz, Asan whispered. It seems the princess believes the strange rumor thats been going around about you.
A strange rumor?
Apparently, youre here toze around, not to explore the profound world of magic. Itsplete bogus, I say.
Asan looked pissed as if the rumor was about him. In his mind, there was no way that a member of the Wardanaz Family would disy such behavior.
On the other hand, Yi-han, the subject of the rumor, was surprised.
Truly, it couldnt be more urate! How did they know though?
It was so spot-on that he got goosebumps hearing it. Yi-han, however, didnt think it was nderous in any way.
After all, it waspletely true.
Asan, who wasnt aware of this, seemed extremely furious that such a lie was being spread around.
Im really disappointed by the princess. Of course, this is all because of the person that started the rumor, but she shouldnt have believed in it without first confirming the facts!
WellI wouldnt really me her for that.
?!
Asan was at a loss for words Just how kind and magnanimous could a person be?
Though the students of the Blue Dragons were all of noble birth, to him, none seemed to fit the image of an ideal noble better than Wardanaz.
Asan finally realized why his family sent him to this academy. It was to meet friends like him.
Wardanaz, youre a great guy.
??
Yi-han was confused by this sudden praise.
Did he take the wrong medicine this morning?
***
Light!
Light,e forth.
Both Yi-han and the princess managed to cast sessfully. Balls of light appeared at the end of their staves, making them look likenterns.
There was a bit of chilliness to the ball of light that the princess produced, whereas Yi-hans was as fierce and bright as the Sun.
Professor pped his hand in joy.
Excellent! Very few students have ever managed to cast on their first week at the academy. Im happy to have such talented students. But of course, theres no need to feel discouraged even if you failed to master it. is the simplest spell out of all the first-circle magic. Its a spell that teaches beginners what magic is, and learning it a bit faster or slower doesnt determine how far you can go as a mage.
Doesnt sound all that convincing, Yi-han thought.
As the professor said, alone couldnt be used to determine a students ability or talent. Just because someone learned addition faster than others, it wouldnt trante to being good at solvingplicated problems using calculuster on in their lives.
Having said that, the students here were all verypetitive, and the professors words fell on blind ears.
They were burning with the desire to master the spell before the students of the other towers could!
Professor Garcia continued with a big smile on his face.
You might be curious as to why I taught firstand thats because well be focusing on learning elemental magic this semester. While trying to master , everyone here has subconsciously been learning how to use elemental magic.
!
This aroused a great deal of interest from the students, and they straightened their backs to listen to the professor.
Elemental magic!
Within elemental magic, there were simple elements such as fire, water, wind, and earth, and there were alsoplicated ones such as nts and darkness. They often served as the foundation for learning more difficult andplex spells.
Want to summon a spirit? To summon a fire spirit, the mage would have to know fire elemental magic to some extent, or else they wouldnt be able to control it.
Want to create an artifact? To handle ores of the fire element or to cast fire enchantments, the mage would obviously need to know fire magic.
Want to travel? Have a job in a secluded corner of the Empire? Just by knowing basic elemental magic, the mage would be weed anywhere. They could start a campfire or prepare drinkable water wherever they were, so they were considered valuable human resources.
As these examples demonstrate, elemental magic could be applied in various fields, and the entry-level for it was low. Hence, it was considered basic education for fledgling mages. It was simr to learning addition and subtraction for higher-level math.
Throughout this ss, well continue training in casting . At the same time, well test to see if you have an affinity for the basic elements. Each of you will probably have an affinity for different elements, and its important to figure out what they are.
The students began to whisper amongst themselves, intrigued by the topic.
Mages didnt have to know all the spells in the world. They simply had to study those that they were interested in. Hence, rather than trying to learn all the elements, it was better to train in the ones they were most suited for.
This was also one of the reasons why the professor wasnt so insistent on the students mastering in a short amount of time.
Now then
Professor Garcia tapped the ssroom floors with hisrge staff. A candle appeared in front of each student, and they were soon lit.
The trick for this is the same as when you tried to use . However, unlike with , what youre trying to do here is to create fire, so I suggest that you be a little more careful. After all, fire burns.
Gulp-
Some of the students became nervous when they heard this.
Think of a chant that suits you best and Set Aze!
A ball of fire appeared before the professor. It was a fascinating sight, seeing fire appear without the need for firewood.
Now, try it out yourselves. Dont worry, Ill be there to help you when you need it.
Come, Fire!
Ignite!
Burn
Crackle, crackle
The students did their best to focus and came up with an image of fire in their minds.
Those that caught on a bit faster realized why the professor summoned the candles for them. These students either stared at the candles intently or brought their hands close to them.
With the fire physically closer to them, they could visualize it in their minds better, which helped with their focus.
After creating an image of fire in their minds, they had to channel mana, chanting as they did so, wishing strongly for the fire to manifest.
Yi-han also tried to focus on the fire spell. Learning through his experience with , he nned on going at his own pace without being tricked by his peers.
Hold it right there.
?
However, the professor stopped him.
Yi-han, youre not allowed to practice ignition magic.
???
Yi-han stared incredulously at the professor.
Unlike the others, there wasnt any candle in front of him. Instead, there was a bowl made of copper, with water contained inside it.
Why?
Because its too dangerous.
Yi-han finally caught on.
While he was practicing , he often failed to control it, resulting in an explosion. Since it was just a ball of light, the explosion didnt cause any real damage, only making it difficult for him to open his eyes for a while.
But what if it was a ball of fire?
Hmm, we might have casualties.
He eventually nodded in understanding. There wasnt much he could argue about.
Wait until youre better at controlling your mana and more familiar with other elemental magic.
Understood.
Until then, try having a go at . Even if you fail, it wont be dangerous.1 is also supposed to be , but I thought it was a mouthful, so I just wrote it down as . To not confuse readers, Ill keep it as , but use for the others.
Water. Just like fire, it was one of the basic elements.
Coming up with a clear image of various metals or lightning might be difficult, but few would have trouble imagining what water looks like. In other words, it was an element that they were all familiar with, and unlike fire, it wasnt dangerous.
However
Im not too sure about this.
There was one downside to water spells.
It didnt look cool at all.
No. Well theres that, but the bigger issue is that it doesnt seem as useful.
It was in an awkward position in terms of its usefulness.
For offense? Fire and lightning were stronger.
For defense? Earth and metal were sturdier.
The only benefit to learning water magic was that he wouldnt have to worry about running out of drinking water during travel
Even that is a bit
He was nning on bing an imperial mage so that he couldze around without putting in any effort, so he had no real use for spells that were for survival.
But there wasnt anything he could do about it at the moment. He might burn the whole ce down if he practiced fire magic.
Gush Forth!
Wardanaz, Im so jealous of you. The professor gave you special teaching.
Asan, who was also practicing beside him, spoke to him in an envious tone. Yi-han, however, begged to differ.
Does this look like special teaching to you?
He wished to be like his fellow students and practice fire magic. Where would he find the need to use water magic anyway
Gush Forth!
Gush Forth!
Chuaaaaaak!
It only took him three attempts before a ball of water appeared out of thin air.
!?
And it wasnt just a few droplets. The ball of water was roughly the size of a fist!
Yi-han and Professor Garcia were both surprised by this.
Granted, he kind of got the hang of elemental magic while practicing , but three tries? Now that was a rare sight, especially since so much water was produced at once. It would only be possible if he had a high affinity for water magic.
Amazing!
Look over here, everyone! Yi-han has seeded in casting water magic!
Woah!
Way to go, Wardanaz!
As expected of Wardanaz!
Those of the Blue Dragons were happy as they watched his magic. Meanwhile, the members of the White Tigers were staring at it with jealousy.
p, p, p-
The professor apuded him.
Excellent work, Yi-han. Everyone should learn from his examples. That said, no need to grow impatient. We all have different affinities to magic, and once you discover yours, youll be good at it in no time. Students that grew up near volcanoes or smithies are often better at fire magic, students that grew up near rivers and oceans are often better at water magic, and students that grew up in locations with strong wind are often better at wind magicThe more familiar you are with the element, the easier it is for you to control it.
The exnation made Yi-han even more baffled.
I didnt grow up near a river or an ocean though?
The only real connection he had to water was getting screwed over by his professors in his previous life.2 is water in Korean, and theres this phrase , which means to get screwed over.
Did his personality just resemble that of flowing water?
It wasnt necessarily a bad thing, but
I wouldve been much happier if I had an affinity for one of those rare elements, like ice and thunder.
It was good that he had an affinity for water, but he had mixed feelings about it.
For a split second, he felt someones gaze, so he turned sideways. As it turned out, the princess had been staring at him, and noticing his gaze, she quickly looked away.
?
Having lost focus, the ball of water couldnt maintain its shape and sshed to the ground.
Professor Garcia nodded.
Yi-han, your next assignment will be to maintain its shape and hold it in ce.
Understood, professor.
Now that he knew how to bring forth water, maintaining its shape by remaining focused didnt sound too difficult, and he replied without putting much thought into it.
However, a certain question popped up in his mind.
Professor, for how long do I have to maintain its shape and keep it in ce?
Well, your mana will probably run out before long, so ah. Hmmm
Normally, a student would run out of mana rather than lose focus, but the boy before him was the pr opposite. He had so much mana that it couldnt possibly dry out.
The professor nodded to himself before readily replying to the question.
Lets say until the end of ss!
???
Yi-han questioned what he just heard.
Uhisnt this a punishment?
Chapter 21
Chapter 21
When there are only crazy people around a certain individual, one should question if that individual is crazy as well.
This saying rang true in Einroguard. With most of the professors here being clearly nuts, Yi-han began to worry about the mental well-being of the normal-looking professors.
Now, lets analyze this calmly. If my memory serves me right, Garcia is close with that crazy Principal. Hmm, as I thought, I shouldnt trust any of the professors here.
The professor wouldve pounded his chest in frustration had he heard what Yi-han was thinking.
True, maintaining the spell until the end of the lesson was a mentally draining task. In a sense, it was like bncing a spinning top on a fingernail. However, there was a reason why Professor Garsia gave him this task.
Since Yi-han had been able to seed in producing water after only three tries, it meant he was extremely talented in this field, even considering his affinity.
But that talent was nothing before his enormous mana reserve, and the professor believed that he would shine even brighter if polished further.
The professor had given Yi-han the instructions, firmly believing he would seed. Unfortunately, Professor Garsias sincerity wasnt transmitted to his student.
From now on, Im going to assume all the professors here have a screw loose somewhere.
Such were the thoughts going through Yi-hans mind as he maintained the ball of water in the air.
***
The remaining ss time quickly slipped by, with some students from the Blue Dragons seeding in casting and the princess seeding in casting .
Yonaire was happy to learn that she had an affinity for wind magic, whereas Gainando almost ended up burning his staff.
And during all that time, Yi-han had remained focused, maintaining the water in the air without uttering a word.
Sir, dont you think he went too far?
???
Uregor wasnt sure what Yi-han meant by that. The dwarf didnt think there was anything wrong with the story.
Perhaps Professor Kim has taken a liking to you. Wouldnt that exin why he made you do those exercises?
Just like how Im tending to your farm right now?
And there he goes grumbling again.
Yi-han had managed to hit the nail on the head. With nothing to say in return, Professor Uregor silentlyined in his mind.
Friday afternoon was a much-awaited time for everyone that was looking forward to the weekend, yet Yi-han was tending to the farm near Uregors hut.
If there were other students around, they wouldve whispered about how the professor was being mean to Wardanaz and giving him chores to do.
However, Uregor had the perfect excuse. After all, this was something Yi-han had volunteered to do.
Professor, Id like to help around near the hut.
Ohh, is that true?
In exchange, Id like to eat here from time to time.
Do as you please.
And while Im at it, may I take some food and bring them back?
Dont even dream about it, brat.
Its my fault for even asking.
Uregor shook his head and raised his arms in defeat.
How was your first week?
He had asked this question without thinking much of it, and now he was paying the price. However, other than his manner of speech and frequent grumbling, Yi-han was without a doubt one of the most promising students among the freshmen.
That was probably why Garsia Kim gave him special treatment.
Uregor also had to admit that Yi-han was exceptional, and that wasnt in regard to his magic
Look at him persevere through all the chores. Theds got a promising future.
Instead, he was talking about Yi-hans ability to perform chores.
Yi-han would have been pissed if he heard that, but the professor was being dead serious. In his opinion, what alchemists needed most was the ability to tirelesslyplete chores.
Sensitivity to mana and being able to tell reagents apart?
Affinity to spirits and being close to them?
Having perfect control over mana and being able to perform meticulous tasks?
None of that was truly important.
Superhuman patience was required of talented alchemists as they had to diligently clean a mountain of sks every day without running away, and Yi-han had that within him.
Other nobles would have never agreed to take care of the farm and manage the hut, no matter how much food was offered to them. Yet Yi-han always visited the hut to perform his duties in exchange for his reward. That alone was indicative of his promising talent in alchemy.
Why am I suddenly feeling the chills?
Yi-han had been digging out potatoes until now. It wasnt that cold in particr, but he suddenly felt a shiver run up his spine.
Are you tired?
Not really.
Yi-han answered the professor without putting much thought into it.
He was honestly fine. Not only did he have a lot of stamina, but he was also already used to being ordered around by a professor. Furthermore, harvesting fresh vegetables from a field and taking out fish from fish traps could hardly be considered difficult.
Huhu.
??
Uregor suddenlyughed, seeming satisfied, which left Yi-han dumbfounded.
Whats up with him? Does he enjoy watching others work? I swear, all these professors are the same
Wardanaz, youre truly gifted in this field.
That so?
Brat, you think Im spouting empty words?
No, sir.
Uregor clicked his tongue. As of now, whatever he said would go in one ear and out the other.
How did someone like this appear from that granite-like Wardanaz Family?1As in very stoic and hard, like a statue made of granite
While sitting down on his armchair, Uregor took out a dwarven cigar pipe and lit it. He then proceeded to enjoy smoking for a while before opening his mouth once more.
Did anything else happen?
Does he have nothing better to do? Yi-han, who was dusting off some carrots, wondered.
But from another perspective, what Uregor was doing truly befitted his status as a professor. After all, professors loved to have their students do all the work while they waited, looking bored out of their minds.
Any conflict with students from the other dorms?
Howd you know?
Youre not the first freshman to be weed into this academy, and neither will you be thest. Its all very obvious.
Uregor looked pleased with himself as he smoked.
Let me guess. It was with someone from the White Tigers.
Thats exactly right.
Yi-han inferred from the professors words that the two towers had a history of conflict.
Not surprised, really. On one side, you have the Empires established nobles, and on the other, you have the knights. Not to mention, you guys are young as well. Conflicts were bound to happen.
Sir, dont you think its foolish? Theyre wasting their time fighting over something stupid, time which could be invested in studying magic.
Uregor nodded in agreement. He was absolutely right; there was nothing more foolish than this.
However, what was youth without a sprinkle of foolishness?
Wardanaz, Im d that you at least have a level head. Yes, theres no need to squabble over these silly things. Instead of wasting their time fighting, its more logical to use them to study magic.
I think so too.
Perhaps there would be fewer fights this year thanks to people like you. Even if the White Tigers try to find trouble with you, just ignore them.
Umm, but I already fought them.
Baffled, Uregor lowered his pipe from his mouth and stared at Yi-han.
What happened to finding such fights foolish and stupid??
What else was I supposed to do? They picked a fight with me, Yi-han defended.
For the time being, Uregor nodded.
True, there were times when fights were inevitable, especially ones that the other party initiated.
It seems theds over at the White Tigers are all quite rough this time. Normally, they wouldnt pick a fight with someone on their first week. How did it happen?
I was taking swordsmanship lesson, and they just kept provoking me.
Ttuk.
Uregor lowered his pipe once more, taken aback.
Theyre really out of line!
Clearly, youre the weird one here!
The professor was at a loss for words. There were so many sses out there, and yet he had chosen to take swordsmanship. No wonder the White Tigers looked for trouble.
Youve done well to escape unscathed. Though theyre slow to learn magic, most of them tend to be great fighters.
Yeah, it took a lot of effort to bring down three opponents.
Uregor decided to put his pipe away. It seemed it wasnt the day for him to smoke.
Youtook them down?
Yes, but it wasnt easy. I was lucky.
You can stop working for today. Ill prepare something for you to eat.
Really?
Yes, really.
Uregor made up his mind to treat Yi-han better from now on. He worried that Yi-han wouldter return as the Empires greatest swordsman to assassinate him.
***
The vegetables in Uregors hut were all fresh andrge, having been grown in an environment rich in nature.
The professor washed the potatoes, carrots, and onions in flowing water before peeling them and chopping them up into big pieces.
He then prepared a pot and threw in a stick of butter, stir-frying it along with some onions and garlic.
Bring some of the meat thats being hung outside.
But those belong to me and Yonaire.
Am I cooking for myself?
Understood.
Yi-han decided to apologize to Yonaireter on and brought the smoke-dried meat that was outside.
Uregor tossed the meat inside the pot, stir-frying it alongside the other ingredients. Then, he poured enough wine inside to add vor to the dish. Following that, he added potatoes, carrots, onions, and some others.
Im making a stew thats passed down within the family. You wont need any side dishes. A warm loaf of bread is all you need with this.
He said this with confidence while adding in a bit of salt.
And the stew was indeed delicious. Yi-han had not been able to drink any warm soup for the past few days, so the dwarven stew really warmed him up.
For a while, there was only the sound of him eating the stew with his spoon, making sure there was nothing left in his wooden bowl.
Ah, this is bliss.
Good, eh?
Its amazing.
As a hardened graduate student, his reply was almost immediate.
Though he didnt say it out loud, Uregor looked extremely happy and proud.
Professor, before I entered the academy, did you have to take care of everything in the hut?
Of course.
What about the students before us?
Hmph. They were allzy and tactless. They all fled before long.
For a split second, Yi-han wondered if hed been had, but the milk had already been spilt.
It must have beentough.
Tough? This is nothing if you wish to be an alchemist!
In reality, cleaning the hut, clearing the stove, checking the ingredients, tending the farm,ying fish traps in the river, and installing traps on certain paths werent exactly nothing.
Now that I think about it, its strange. Why dont I find it tiring?
Yi-han sighed at hisck of awareness regarding the amount ofbor he was doing. He had worked under professors for such a long time that he was now numb to it.
Theres a lot of space left on the farm. May I grow some crops as well?
Ohh
Uregor was genuinely impressed. Unbeknownst to Yi-han, the professor was praising him inside.
Hes really born to be an alchemist.
Not only did he not shy away from all the chores, but he was also actively seeking even more work.
He was truly talented in that sense.
Of course, you may. What do you n on growing?
Oh, just some cabbages and green onions.
Not a bad selection.
Uregor stopped himself just as he was about to nod.
Youre not nning on doing business with them, are you?
H-howd you know? Did the students before me try it already?
Youre definitely the first of its kind, brat!
Chapter 22:
Chapter 22:
Uregor let out a dry chuckle before nodding his head. It wasnt his position to judge what Yi-han did with the vegetables he grew.
As far as I know, youre the first toe up with such an ingenious idea. Creative creative indeed.
Oh, is that so? Thank you. I hope the business does well.
I wasnt praising you. Ever heard of sarcasm?
Though he was grumbling, knowing how to manage ones wealth was important for an alchemist. The ingredients and reagents that they required were all bloody expensive, and alchemists had to earn enough money to purchase them.
Seeing as how hes so thrifty, hell probably never have trouble in regards to his finances.
Cabbages and green onionsHm, theyll go well in a jjigae.
!
The professors words caught Yi-hans attention.
With how vast the Empire was, its cuisine wasnt limited to Western food, and each region had its own delicacies.
The Wardanaz Family was located in the western part of the Empire, and the people there usually ate bread and cheese that westerners on Earth enjoyed.
Personally, Yi-han was more familiar with eastern cuisine, which consisted of food such as rice, noodles, miso, and red chilli paste.
Professor, do you like jjigaes?
I do, but I avoid eating them.
?
Because its food from the east, and I dont like eastern dwarves.
Uregor said this with a frown, as if he remembered something unpleasant.
Had a bad experience with them?
See, some of my older rtives live in the east, and they keep nagging me whenever I visit themSometimes, they tell me to sell regen potions because theyre expensive. At other times they ask why Im so poor, or why I dont visit them often. They even called me impertinent once for using a long pipe at such a young age
Hisints were much more detailed than Yi-han had expected, leaving him speechless.
Hed been told that people in the east value rules and tradition even more than people in the west, but he didnt think itd be this bad.
I-I see.
But enough about me. Theres nothing wrong with the food, and its not like I dislike them. Ill eat with you when you make jjigae next time.
Yi-han had never invited him to eat with him, but he knew better than to say that out loud while the professor was in a grouchy mood.
Itd be my honor to serve you, sir.
Hearing this, Uregor nodded.
Wait. The Wardanaz Familys located in the west. Does he know how to properly cook eastern food?
He felt slightly uneasy. Though Yi-han was great at housework, nobles that knew how to cook were few and far between. From the way he cooked steakst time, it was clear he had the basics down, but eastern dishes were rather tricky to make.
I take back what I said. It wouldnt be right of me to eat something that a student grew.
Hm? But professor, the pork you used to make the stew was something my friends and I-
If you put it that way, I was the one who released the boars in the mountain!
Uregor finally exploded.
***
After finishing their meal and cleaning up, Yi-han got ready to return.
Right, what are your ns for the weekend?
Do I have toe here and work?
Im not that evil. Do I look like the kind of person that would call students here on weekends? Uregor asked, feeling wronged.
Yi-han was surprised to hear this.
Huh? You mean they dont usually call students out on weekends? But why? Isnt that a passive skill that all professors have?
Youve worked hard this week, so you dont have toe over again. I wont stop you though if you wish to start your farm immediatelyHaving said that, youll probably be busy, The professor said while giving him a meaningful look.
Yi-han became worried when he saw this.
Whats this about?
Is there some eventing up?
Event my ass. Just think for a moment. The students have been starving this whole week. What do you think theyll do on weekends?
Set fire to the academy?
Youre being too extreme. Theyll look for ways to appease their appetite.
The students who were at their wits end would try to fetch food themselvesor at least that was what the lich principal envisioned.
Usually, the freshmen would start to think to themselves during weekends as they would have time left over.
Whys the academy being so cruel to us? Is it because the principals an undead?
I dont want to keep starving! I should find something to eat!
Comrades! Let us join hands to achieve our goals!
I do vaguely recall hearing about the students of the ck Tortoise looking for fruits and nuts in the forest behind the academys main building.
As expected.
Uregor didnt seem surprised to hear this.
How students behaved typically had to do with which tower they belonged to. For example, students of the ck Tortoise were originallymoners, merchants, or ves, so they didnt care about how others viewed them and would act quickly whenever a problem arose. Hence, there was nothing strange with them scavenging for food in the forests and mountains.
Since youve set a precedent, Im sure others would also try to hunt for prey as well. Normally, not many people think of hunting on their first week.
Its all thanks to the professors teachings.
Uregor was about to grin after hearing Yi-hans ttering words, but he felt something was amiss.
Is he holding a grudge against me for releasing the boars?
How do the students of the Blue Dragons normally fare?
Theyre usually the slowest to act. Its as if their butt is glued to their chairs.
Yi-han couldnt help but agree with that statement. He could already see that very few people from his tower would venture out into the woods for food this weekend.
But there are always several bright minds thate up with brilliant ideas after weeks of starvation.
Uregor stared at Yi-han as he said this.
For some reason, he felt like the Blue Dragons this year wouldnt be the same as before. To start off, this Wardanaz Familys offspring had a unique mindset about the things around him
What an interesting chap.
Most venerable professor, may I ask about the other towers as well?
I suppose theres no harm in telling you. If were to speak about the Immortal Phoenixas you already know, theyre a different breed. They arent the type of people that falter because of hunger.
The Tower of the Immortal Phoenix wasposed of priests and priestesses sent by the Empires various religions. They were used to living frugal lives back in their temples, so they usually adapted well to the academy.
While students of other towers searched for food, those of the Immortal Phoenix sometimes opted to endure and pray. Such was the power of faith.
Amazing. How can they bear eating that kind of food every day?
But Yi-han soon realized something. He had also led a simr life during his time as a graduate student.
Hmm. People are surprisingly more durable than I thought.
By the way. Wardanaz, do you n on hunting during the weekend?
Yes.
There wasnt any reason for him to lie.
Then be wary of the White Tigers. Theyre used to going out on hunts as well. They normally refrain from doing so on their first week, but Im sure theyve heard of a certain someones achievement in this field.
Its all thanks to you, professor.
Im d you know. Anyway, we always get a lot of troublemakers from the White Tigers. Being descendants of knights, many of them are hot-blooded.
Understood. Ill make sure to n well and gang up on them if a conflict arises.
Thats not what Im trying to say!
Uregor was about to say that out loud, but decided otherwise in thest second, believing that Wardanaz would handle whatever was thrown his way in an appropriate manner.
Who knows, you might not meet them at all. The forest is huge after all. Not to mention, the brats over at the White Tigers might choose not to hunt, insteadwhat am I saying. You guys are still on your first week.
What might they do instead?
Uregor wished he hadnt let his tongue slip. He could already see Yi-han trying it out himself.
Escape.
!?
There were tall walls surrounding the academys premises, and there were protective spells cast on them. However, there were always a few people that tried to escape.
Taking into ount the towns near the academy and the things they could acquire from there, escaping didnt sound like a terrible idea.
A new coat, a new shirt, a new belt, a new pants, a new set of boots, bread and butter, cheese and jam, an assortment of dried food, needles and strings, paper and quill, soap and perfumeDamn it. There are so many things I can get that I cant wrap my head around them!
The gears in Yi-hans head began to turn the moment he heard the word escape.
He would be able to live like a king inside the dorm if he seeded.
This is exactly why I didnt want to tell you about it!
Uregor knew what he was thinking the moment he saw Yi-hans face.
What do you mean, sir?
Dont pretend like you dont know. Youre making a list of all the things youd purchase if you manage to slip out!
Did you cast a spell on me?
As if! Dont even think about it. The White Tigers are always the first to attempt it because theyre as dumb as a brick!
Did anyone seed?
Anyone?
Some have seeded, but!
Ohhh.
Youre going to regret it!
Uregor was about to lecture him but stopped midway. Quite frankly, he wasnt obligated to stop Yi-han, and as previously mentioned, what was youth without a sprinkle of foolishness?
You know what, do whatever you want.
What do you mean, professor? I wasnt nning on doing anything.
Yeah, and I bet pigs can fly.
***
Three people were interrogating an orc with menacing expressions on their faces inside a dimly lit room where the only source of light was a single candle.
Choi, do you understand the situation youre in? Huh? You better cooperate with us if you wish to leave here alive!
Yi-han, I n on answering your questions regardless, but whats up with this prince?
Dolgyu stared at Gainando, confused. Though the prince was threatening him, he didnt feel scared at all. Instead, he found the situationughable, as it would only take him a single punch to knock the prince down.
He had followed the three to the room after being jumped on, only to see this farce.
Hmm, I guess the effects arent that great.
Yi-han opened the curtains, allowing sunlight to enter the room, and Yonaire blew out the candle.
Gainando looked back and forth between Yi-han and Dolgyu, trying to understand what was going on.
You guys know each other!? I thought were supposed to interrogate him!?
Yeah, were acquainted.
Then what was the point of that!?
If we didnt drag him here like this, the folks over at the White Tigers might have suspected our rtionship.
!
Dolgyu was taken aback when he heard this.
Yi-han was right. It might have caused a needless misunderstanding.
Thanks, Yi-han. They wouldve indeed found it suspicious if you approached me in a friendly manner.
Oh, dont mention it. Youre our spy after all.
Wait. What do you mean Im your spy?
Dolgyu protested his new title as it sounded rather dishonorable.
Yi-han, on the other hand, found this amusing.
You promised to inform me ahead of time if Moradi tried to lure me into a trap.
That I did.
Wouldnt that make you a spy?
There should be a better way to phrase it!
Dolgyu was from a knights family, and he was doing this out of pride and honor, yet he was beingbelled as a spy.
I think spy fits perfectly in this situation.
Gainando, who had been listening to their conversation, chipped in. However, he quickly backed out when Dolgyu red at him.
Or not.
Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Yi-han decided to take a step back for Dolgyu.
Since youre doing this out of your sense of honor and justice, calling you a spy might not be the most appropriate. How about inside man?
Huh?
It was a phrase that Dolgyu had never heard of before, but it sounded more pleasing to the ear than spy, and it sounded more ssy as well, which was to his liking.
Lets go with that then
Great. Then from now on, youll be our inside man, and I want you to inform us of any schemes that the White Tigers cook up against us.
Right
Yonaire, who had her hands cupped around her face, watched on with interest. She wondered how Yi-han managed to convince an orc from the White Tigers to cooperate with him.
Dolgyu, you might be wondering why I brought you here on a Saturday morning Its to brainstorm ideas to escape the academy.
What!?
Dolgyu seemed shocked when he heard this.
Yi-han wasnt surprised by his reaction, but what Dolgyu said next blew his mind.
You guys are nning on escaping as well?
?!!
***
The students of the White Tigers were famished, just like the others.
People often had a misconception that knights were used to hunger, but this wasnt true. They were also considered nobles within the Empire, so they rarely starved. In fact, they ate as much as they moved, so they had an even more difficult time adjusting to the academys lifestyle than others.
We should go out and hunt! If Wardanaz can catch boars in the forest, theres nothing stopping us from doing the same!
Well form groups and head out to hunt during the weekend. Everyone here should have experience hunting, so we have the advantage!
Yeah, so what if the others know how to use a spell or two? Lets show them what were made of!
Now, now. Quiet down, everyone.
Seeing everyone talk over one another, Jijel stepped forward to takemand, easily winning the support of the famished students.
Going on a hunt? Not a bad idea. But think about it. Is hunting that easy?
I mean Wardanaz did it
Thats because the professor in charge of alchemy prepared the boars. How deep into the forest would we have to go to find them? Are you familiar with the terrain?
Jijels arguments were very convincing. As she said, hunting wasnt so simple, especially in a foreign environment.
They could explore the outer perimeters of the forests and mountains near the academy, but they would have to think twice before travelling deeper as no one knew what kind of monsters resided there.
Then Moradi, you have a n?
Yes.
Care you exin?
We should escape from the academy and head to a nearby town.
!!!
As long as we seed, not catching prey would be the least of our concerns. Well be able to purchase everything we need this semester.
I-is that true!?
It sounds too good to be true
Ive already nned everything out in my head. You can tag along if you wish. I dont n on hogging everything for myself, but if you decide toe with me, youll have to listen to mymands. I dont need anyone that will spoil the teams mood or ruin the operation with their needless resistance.
Of course, Moradi!
Well all follow you!
***
Wait, does that mean I can also join her if I listen to her orders?1Yi-han still thinks Moradi is male
Yi-han.
Guess not, huh? Figures.
Dolgyu was dumbfounded by Yi-hans question.
He had no idea whether or not Jijel would ept, but what happened to his pride as a member of the Wardanaz Family? How could he have the face to join her?
Dolgyu got angry just remembering what Jijel tried to do against Yi-han.
Think back to her actions.
Yeah, he definitely wont let me join him.
No, thats not the problem here! Dolgyu cried out, exasperated.
Yi-han, on the other hand, got lost in his thought.
Things had beplicated because of Jijel. He originally nned on slowlying up with a method of escape with Dolgyu, Nilia, and his other friends.
Seeding on their first try? That didnt even cross his mind.
From his conversation with Professor Uregor, it was clear that escaping wouldnt be easy, yet Jijel had promised the White Tigers that everything had been ounted for.
Is he bluffing? No, he doesnt seem to be the type to bluff. This isnt Gainando were dealing with.
He had barely interacted with Jijel Moradi, but he had a rough idea of her personality.
She was a cold, domineering person, and someone like that would not give empty promises, meaning she probably had a solid n.
Since she wont let me join
Were you actually being serious there?
.I guess theres no choice.
Yeah, Im d you understand.
Well have to tail them.
Dolgyu didnt know where to start.
For real?
I mean is there a better n?
Isnt that a bitdishonorable?
Dolgyu wasnt too keen on the idea. After all, knights lived and died for honor.
Since Yi-han came from the Wardanaz Family, one of the Empires most distinguished households, he should also consider his honor to be of utmost importance.
Think about it, Dolgyu. Its a strategy.
Is it?
Know thyself and thy enemy. A strategy.
I guess?
A strategy.
Yi-han looked straight into Dolgyus eyes and repeated the phrase with a steady voice.
The more BS it is, the more confidently you must argue.
In life, people with the biggest voice often won arguments. Even if theyre spouting nonsense, they would sound oddly convincing because they seem so genuine in what they say.
Dolgyu started questioning his reasoning after seeing Wardanaz repeat himself while maintaining his cold, sculpture-like expression.
I guess it could be considered a strategy
You might be right
Yes, its all part of our strategy. How are we supposed toe up with countermeasures if we dont know what the enemy is plotting?
Not that Jijels escape n had anything to do with Yi-han, but that was beside the point. He spun his argument in a way that made it sound like they had to investigate Jijels n in order to stop her evil plot.
Dolgyu, your role in this is important. You must learn about Moradis escape n and report it back to me.
Got it. Ill try my best.
Great! Youre our trusty inside man! Others might not know what an honorable man you are, but I assure you that I do!
Thanks, Yi-han.
Dont mention it.
Yi-han patted Dolygu on the shoulder as a form of encouragement before sending him away.
Huu. We were supposed to think of ideas for escape together, but the situation has changed why are you guys looking at me like that?
Yonaire and Gainando were staring at Yi-han with a strange glint in their eyes.
Before you entered the academy, did someone teach you a brainwashing spell? Gainando asked in a serious tone.
.
***
Saturday night, as the sun was about to set. This was the time that Jijel Moradi of the White Tigers chose to set out with the others in an attempt to escape the academy.
Yi-han, having obtained this information from Dolgyu, also made his move.
It would be ideal if we can figure out their escape route today.
Jijel would definitely try to keep the information to herself, and if they seed in escaping, they would make sure that no one is tailing them the second time around.
He knew this as he wouldve done the same if he was in Jijels shoes!
They had the greatest chance of figuring out the route without getting caught precisely because it was the White Tigers first attempt at escaping, meaning they would be too nervous to properly check their backs.
Dolgyu. Gainando. Yonaire. Nilia.
Yi-han called out the names of everyone gathered there. They were the friends he had enlisted to help track down the White Tigers.
I thank everyone foring to this meeting where we will discuss how we should escape from the academy.
???
Nilia the dark elf was so shocked by this that her ears perked up.
This was her first time hearing about this. She had followed them here because she thought she was being invited to hunt with them
W-what!? Escaping the academy!?
Yeah.
Are you insane!?
Gainando felt relieved after hearing her cry of disbelief. He was d to know that there was at least one other person beside him that was in their right mind in this group of five.
Exactly! Theyre all insane!
Naturally, he wished to visit a town as well. However, he knew it wouldnt be easy to aplish.
The only reason Gainando came along was that Yi-han seemed so sure about it, but he still felt very anxious inside.
No, Nilia. Weve thought everything through. We have a n.
!
Yi-hans earnest words shook Nilia to the core.
A n after only one week of being in the academy? Based on his expression, it didnt seem like he was lying.
The Wardanaz Family what a force to be reckoned with!
Nilia was in awe.
She had heard about the rumors surrounding the Wardanaz Family, and having observed Yi-han for a while, she kind of understood how they came to be.
The air surrounding him was fundamentally different from the others.
In anticipation of a brilliant idea, she nudged him to continue.
Tell us your n!
Theres a student among the White Tigers that knows how to escape. Were going to shadow them and learn their trick.
This was certainly not what she had been expecting. In fact, she had missed the target by a long shot.
***
Stealing another students idea was a far cry from the ideal school life that she had imagined, even if that student belonged to a rival dorm.
She took a short moment to contemte before letting out a deep sigh. In the end, she agreed to go along with the n.
Yi-han. Nilia doesnt seem on board with the idea.
Yonaire, we need her help. Shes the most proficient in tracking out of everyone here.
But we cant force her, right?
I guess so. If shes really against it, theres nothing we can do
Fine! Since Im your only option, Ill help you guys out!
Nilia!!
After hearing Yi-han and Yonaires conversation, she couldnt find it within herself to turn them down.
As a former member of the , she wasnt going to abandon her friends out of fear of getting caught.
And more importantly
Deep down, she was happy that her ability as a huntress was being valued so highly.
Ironically, it wasnt the people of her tower that sought her skills. Instead, it was Wardanaz, who belonged to another tower, that appreciated her talent.
Dolgyu, however, was confused by her decision.
I thought she was going to refuse. Why did that dark elf suddenly change her mind? he muttered.
I know the answer to that, Gainando responded confidently.
Dolgyu took a moment to process what he just heard beforeing to a realization.
Ah. I see.
There were certain things that no one liked to do, and though reasons often varied, fear, anxiety, and greed were the mostmon. To ovee such emotions, people would bring out their inner virtues, be that their sense of honor or their ties with friends.
There was only one usible exnation as to why the dark elf suddenly decided to participate. It had to be because of her bonds with her friends.
How touching.
Dolgyu secretly smiled.
He himself was participating out of a sense of honor, and witnessing the friendship that transcended their backgrounds moved him greatly.
So you figured it out as well?
Yes.
It just goes to show how desperately she wishes to visit a town. I would know, since I share that sentiment. If we manage to get there, Im going to lie down on afortable bed and take a napNo, scratch that. Ill first fill my stomach. Ill eat anything and everything that is sweet. Candies, chocte, pancakes, syrup
Dolgyu ran his eyes over Gainando.
Why is someone like this in our group?
Chapter 24
Chapter 24
While Dolgyu was lowering his evaluation of Gainando, Nilia was listing out the things that they would need for theirte-night excursion.
Since we dont know for how long wed have to travel, we should prepare as best as we can. A nice pair of boots and some high-quality socks would be ideal, but
Unfortunately, we dont have those.
The atmosphere became heavy with Yi-hans interjection.
The principal had purposefully given them rags to wear, so they naturally didnt have such things lying around. Thankfully, Nilia hade prepared knowing that was the case.
Ive made these boots out of the hides of the beasts we caughtst time. And these footwraps were made from the curtains in the resting lounge. Here, give me your foot.
Nilia realized shed done it again after noticing that Yi-han and Yonaire had fallen silent.
Did I say something inappropriate again?
After bringing back the meat, she had be close with some of the students of the ck Tortoise. However, she couldnt help but feel that there was still some distance between her and the others.
As a former member of the Shadow Patrol located in the cold northern mountains, she obviously had trouble speaking to, say, an heir of a massive merchants association active in the central regions.
Wow! See that red flower over there?
Yeah. Theyre sweet and taste good.
Er, I mean, arent they pretty?
Theyre both pretty and tasty. Doesnt that make them twice as good?
She wasnt stupid, so she quickly registered that her view of the world was different from the others. From then on, she tried to keep her mouth shut to avoid making things awkward.
But she had slipped up.
Um, I meanI made these myself because I couldnt think of any other way, and
Youre incredible!
Yeah! Youre amazing!
!?
Yi-han and Yonaires reaction caught herpletely off-guard.
You think so?
Of course. You said you made them yourself, right?
Its not something anyone can do. Did you stitch these?
The corners of her mouth and eyes trembled in delight at their praise.
Its nothing worth mentioning.
What do you mean? These are wonderful.
Yeah, I doubt anyone in the academy can do the same.
Nilia, you ought to start a business.
I concur. You should sell these to the others in your tower.
Noticing that the conversation was being steered in the wrong direction, Nilia waved her hands.
I dont want to start a business.
But why?
Yeah, Nilia. Do you dislike money?
She was left gobsmacked as Yi-han and Yonaire seemed like they genuinely couldnt understand her reason.
Isnt it normal for me to not want to sell things to my friends!?
Her prideful behavior made her seem like she was someone from the Blue Dragons.
Whats there to sell anyway? Im not gonna do it!
Yi-han and Yonaire became serious hearing this.
Nonsense. Whether you can sell them or not isnt up to you. Its up to the market!
Well said! Do you understand now, Nilia?
Can I just carry on with my exnation? Please??
Right. Sorry. Do continue, please.
Nilia cleared her throat, having barely wriggled herself out of the conversation. Despite everything, her expression was brighter than before, and her long ears were pointing upward, indicating that she was in a good mood.
Though she was pretending to be calm, she was feeling jovial after being praised by the duo.
But whats so great about these? Gainando asked, not understanding why they were raising a fuss.
Ttak!
Yonaire pped him in the back, whereas Yi-han kicked him in the shin.
Nilia, you dont have to give any to him. Let him figure out himself how big of a difference the footwraps and boots make.
Yeah, hell learn to appreciate them once he suffers a bit.
A-arent you guys being too mean?! Im still a prince, you know!
Hes a prince?!
Nilia freaked out when she heard this.
Yi-han and Yonaire came from powerful families, so they didnt think much of the hundred-plus members of the royal family. However, the same couldnt be said for Nilia, who felt immense pressure from learning the truth.
A direct descendant of the emperor. Just by having that title alone, Gainando seemed much more majestic
or not.
He seemed much more like a patient now than a prince after being pped by Yonaire and kicked by Yi-han.
Were going to have to walk for who knows how long. Do you have any idea how valuable those boots and footwraps are? If its you, I bet your feet would be a mess after just one hour.
Should we just leave him here?
N-no! I get it, so dont abandon me!
Eventually, the situation was resolved, and Yi-han apologized to Nilia in his stead.
Sorry about that, Nilia. You must have worked hard to prepare those, yet Gainando was rude to you.
No, its fine. I dont mind what he said.
Seems like you do. How about I hit him one more time?
Im really fine!! Nilia shouted in a panic.
She didnt feel offended in the slightest. She could tell from first nce that Gainando had never experienced walking long distances, and considering his identity as a prince, it wasnt strange that he didnt know about this sort of thing.
Oh, and here are some coats I made. Its spring, but it can be chilly at night. The wind is strong around here as well.
Nilia
Youre really
Can you two please stop reacting to everything I say?
Though she was happy with the praise, it was starting to get annoying.
Leather bags. Well need them once were in town. Leather water bags. Theyre also handmade.
Shes really amazing.
Yi-han found it honestly remarkable. She had made all these out of leather, needles, and strings.
Why does she refuse to start a business when shes so skilled?
If it was him, he wouldve made a killing out of them. Yonaire, who was watching beside him, seemed to think it was a pity as well.
Since were traveling in the dark for a long time, the footwraps will help, and the coats will shield us from the cold. The thing that worries me is that weck food and water
Nilia became hesitant. She was worried about theck of food. If it was just for a day, she would have no problem climbing the mountains on an empty stomach. But what about the others?
No need to worry. Ive brought some food with me. Sausages, bread, goat cheese, and dwarven honey candies. Will these do?
!
Nilia was pleasantly surprised. Yi-han had brought enough food for emergencies.
Whered you get these?
Lets just say some things might be found missing from Professor Uregors hut.
Is he really a student of the Blue Dragons?
***
Respected friends, youve all gathered here today, having sworn that you would follow my orders.
A group of students with well-built physiques nodded after hearing Jijels words. These were the students of the White Tigers that had decided to trust her and join her in her escape n.
The fact that so many had gathered without even knowing the details of the n spoke volumes about her influence.
There were many students here with better physiques than her, and some of them seemed fiercer as well. Considering she was an elf with a fair and feminine appearance, it wouldnt be weird for her to feel intimidated, but she stood before them with a straight back, speaking arrogantly and with a sharp tone.
Theres no need to pay attention to the cowards and the traitors that didnt join us, for they will soon regret their decisions.
Yeah!
We trust you, Moradi!
Well move out in ten minutes.
There was a reason for her confidence.
As long as I follow the map, it wouldnt take us more than 4 hours.
Surprisingly, she had a map that detailed the escape route, a map she had found in the Moradi estate before she entered the academy!
Introduction to magic for beginners, what is magic, legends of Einroguardare these all?
Apologies, Lady Moradi.
Bring me everything we have. I dont n on getting looked down upon by other mages.
Students of knights families all shared amon concern before entering Einroguard.
Would they be able to keep up?
Unlike the others, they had spent their entire lives swinging their swords, so their worries were not unfounded.
Jijel, being the prideful person that she was, refused to be looked down upon. Hence, she browsed through countless books in preparation for the academy.
And she had found the map in one of them.
Einroguard escape map? Whats this for?
The map contained details of how students could escape the academy.
When she first saw the map, she thought the person who made it was out of their mind.
Einroguard was a prestigious academy that only a select few were allowed to enter. It was the best magic institute inside the Empire, one which admitted students with talent. Only someone hopeless would throw such an opportunity away and think of escape.
However, it only took her a day in the academy to realize why the map had been made.
Ah, so this is why!
-How to escape Einroguard-
I shall convey the truth to you, for the path indicated on this map is your only hope of escape. Using the path my friends and I discovered through much trial and error, I hope those that follow after us would be able to slip out without getting caught
The map had been created by their seniors to aid them, and it had been meticulously crafted.
With the map in hand, she was confident that she would seed!
***
Theyre entering the mountains.
As expected.
While lying down on the grass, Yi-han and his group of friends watched as several torches began to move. The White Tigers hadmenced their operation.
So its through the mountains after all.
Yi-han had surmised that there were only two ways out of the academy.
First was through the academys tall walls and gates. They had entered the academy that way, and they could reach a town simply by following the road that was outside. The only problem was that it wouldnt be easy to pass through the gates once more.
The other method involved traversing the vast forest and mountain range behind the academy.
The walls surrounding the academy should be cut off deep within the mountains, so they would just have to take a turn after they reached the end of the wall.
Yi-han had predicted that Jijels method would be closer to thetter.
Very few people dared to enter the vast mountain range behind the academy as it was covered with thick vegetation. However, it wouldnt be a problem for someone capable to navigate it with a map.
And his prediction had been spot on.
Lets go. Were chasing after them!
Huh? Why are we entering the mountains??
Gainando followed the group, not understanding what was happening. He had assumed they were leaving through the gates.
Were breaking through the mountains.
What? But why?
Because the escape path is there. Dolgyu, look after Gainando for us.
Got it.
Dolgyu nodded readily.
Nilia had a lot of experience traversing the mountains. Meanwhile, Yi-han and Dolgyu had been trained as knights. Yonaire was used to going around in search of alchemy materials from a young age, so she had no problem walking long distances either.
Gainando, however, was going to be a big problem.
Me? Why do I need looking after??
Ill be behind you. Prince, breathe through your nose and keep your feet moving. Lets go!
Huh? W-wait a sec
Gainando was about to ask some more questions, but soon wasnt in the condition to do so.
Haahaahaahaaa
Dont stop!
Whatisthishaaa..haaa
Continue!
No more!
The moon was out, but it was still dark at night, and going up an unfamiliar mountain used up a lot of stamina. Nilia was in the lead checking the road and clearing the obstacles, but everyone in the group was sweating.
Even so, Yi-han tried his best to note the path they were taking. Having trained under countless crazy professors, he was able to draw a map without even looking at the paper.
???
Yonaire, who was walking next to him, stared at him in disbelief.
Is he using ?
It seemed like an impossible stunt that could only be achieved with the help of a spell that he might have learned during his time at the Wardanaz estate.
Oh, look over here.
What is it?
Its a somniferous nt. Its powder can be mixed in with water, and drinking it would cause you to fall asleep.
Lets collect it. You never know when it wille in handy.
Will we ever need it though?
While tilting her head, she collected the nt.
We must have walked for at least an hour.
Nilia. How long has it been? An hour?
An hour and ten minutes, Nilia replied as she stared at Yi-han.
Hes not a seasoned hunter, yet he hasnt lost his sense of time in the mountains
Just then, Yi-han felt a shiver run down his spine.
Is it a monster!? No, Nilia wouldve told us about it. Did she miss it?
Hahahahahahahaha!
It was the familiarughter of a certain lich.
Chapter 25
Chapter 25
No way. Youve got to be kidding.
Yi-han shut his eyes, but the reality was cruel.
Youve taken the bait! And on the first week too! Hahaha! Hahahahaha!
Whats going on??
Nilias voice was trembling, and she was still trying to make sense of the situation.
It seems weve fallen under the principals trap, replied Yi-han in a calm manner.
How Jijel discovered the escape path still eluded him, but it was clear she had been dancing on the palms of the principal.
The problem here was that Yi-han and his party had followed after her, and they were at risk of being exposed as well!
Since you guys are here on your first week, someone must have found one of the fake maps Ive scattered around the Empire! Let this be a lesson: do not trust a map thats from an unknown source! You might think its a treasure map, but it could be a trapid down by a sinister lich!
Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with him? Yi-han wondered.
Principal Skelly had just admitted to making fake maps and hiding them in various ces. And he had done this without the knowledge of when or whether they would be discovered by freshmen entering the academy
Hes clearly doing this for entertainment.
The principal might be saying its all part of students education, but Yi-han knew about professors like this, and they loved to do things just for fun.
Students of the White Tigers, listen well! Your escape ends here. Its now time for you to return. The rules are simple. I wont chase you myself. Instead, Ill be sending my minions to pursue you. Return to your dorm without getting caught! Guilty if caught, innocent if not! Use whatever is at your disposal. You may take down my minions as well!
With that, a giant skull emitting a green light appeared in the dark sky, and undeads began pouring out of its mouth.
Hounds and pursuers made of bones fell one-by-one onto the mountain they were on.
sh!
Lights shed at various locations as the skeletons brought out torches to begin the pursuit.
***
Run!!
Nilia whispered in a panic, her eyes shaking in terror.
Calm down, Nilia.
How am I supposed to calm down in this situation!? Were dead if were caught!!
No, were not.
Yi-han had already talked to the principal several times, and he was used to dealing with crazy professors. However, Nilia, who didnt have such experience, found Principal Skelly terrifying.
From Yi-hans perspective, the principal seemed to be toying with the students, but Nilia thought otherwise. She believed he was enraged at the freshmen formitting such a horrendous offence.
R-really?
Even if were caught, well at most be sent to the punishment room.
P-punishment room? And well be tortured for all eternitynever to see the light of day again
I never said that.
Nilias pessimistic imagination was running wild, so much so that Yi-han had to cover her mouth before looking around at their surrounding.
Are they skeletons?
He heard the sound of bones rattling as their pursuers moved forth while rummaging through the bushes.
Bark! Bark!
He could also hear the bone hounds growling.
Run!! If any of them catch up to you, take them down!
For honor! Dont forget your code of chivalry!
The students of the White Tigers shouted as they pulled out their wooden swords, deciding to fight them out if they had to.
How does this have anything to do with honor or your code of chivalry?
They had been caught while trying to sneak out of the academy. It didnt seem remotely connected to honor or anything of that sort
Theres only one thing we can do in this situation, Dolgyu said in a low voice.
This wasnt the time to be arguing over which tower they belonged to. They had to work together in order to take down their enemies!
Youre right, Dolgyu.
Okay, then Ill head out first and-
We should flee while theyre drawing the attention.
Dolgyu stared at Yi-han with his mouth agape. However, Nilia, Yonaire, and Gainando immediately agreed to the n.
Agreed!
Dolgyu was about to open his mouth, but decided not to at thest second. After all, Yi-han was the leader of their group.
We should attempt to break through by targeting the ce where the encirclement is the thinnest.
Yi-han kept on observing. He wanted to make a run for it immediately, but he endured the urge to do so.
It was always best to wait and watch rather thansh out in a panic.
He looked around for the weakest link in the encirclement. Fortunately, the students of the White Tigers were attracting all the attention by running around and screaming, giving him plenty of time to do so. He wasnt about to let this chance go.
But isnt this going too far?
He had been silently watching in the bushes, but he was soon dismayed to find out that the undeads were pouring out endlessly from the skull floating in the night sky. They wereing in droves, determined to overwhelm the offenders through their strength in numbers.
It seems Ive underestimated the craziness of the principal!!
Yi-han inwardly groaned.
The principal was more deranged than he had expected. Since he imed that those that escape would be deemed innocent, Yi-han thought the principal would at least give them a chance. As it turned out, he had created a total blockade.
No, maybe he thinks hes going easy already. The brains of professors are wired differently after all.
Maybe the principal thought the students would only grow if they can break through an encirclement of this calibre.
The issue here was that Yi-han had to break through this encirclement as well.
Uhheven with the White Tigers drawing most of the attention, I dont think this is possible. Should we just surrender?
All the paths leading downward were being guarded by skeletons with torches, lighting up the night.
And more of them wereing down.
And even more of them
With their number steadily climbing, the foot of the mountain became so bright it was like morning.
Wait a second.
Yi-han noticed something strange.
The skeletons and bone hounds werent paying attention to their group at all.
Isnt that weird?
Granted, they were hiding in the bushes, and most of the attention was being drawn to the students of the White Tigers screaming as they ran down the mountain. However, if Yi-han and his friends had been discovered, there should have been a hound or two sniffing around them, trying to pinpoint their exact location.
Yet their bony pursuers were only chasing after the members of the White Tigers, ignoring thempletely as they headed down.
Is the principal unaware that were here?
He had naturally assumed the principal would know where they were hiding. After all, he was a magepletely beyond their realm of understanding.
But what if the principal wasnt here in person?
I wont chase you myself. Instead, Ill be sending my minions to pursue you. Return to your dorm without getting caught!
Now that he thought calmly about it, there was no guarantee that the giant skull here was the real principal. He couldve just sent a clone or an image of himself from afar.
Which means we just have to avoid the eyes of our pursuers!
Rather than fleeing while being chased, it was much easier to flee while hiding.
Lets head up.
Huh??
If we head down, theres no way we wont be spotted. Just look at how many of them there are. The moment were found, theylle at us in waves.
Nilias eyshes trembled upon hearing his reasoning.
On the other hand, there arent any pursuers above us. We have a much better chance of not getting caught if we wait it out at the top or take a detour.
Okay, lets go with that!
?
He had been the one to suggest it, but he found it strange how quickly Nilia epted his suggestion.
I was the one who brought it upbut are you sure youre fine with that decision? We dont know whats waiting above us.
Anythings better than being caught and tortured in the punishment room!
As I said, I think youre misunderstanding something.
***
They carefully climbed up for around 30 minutes.
Theres a cave up ahead. Lets go in there, Nilia said in a whisper.
Are there any monsters inside?
None. Its a small cave, and I dont feel any presence inside. Ive thrown in a rock just now to confirm.
Nilia pointed at her ears while saying so.
Weve been moving for quite a while now. I can continue, but the others are going to need some rest.
I guess youre right.
Nilia, Yi-han, and Dolgyu were fine, but Yonaire seemed rather tired, whereas Gainando was on a brink of death.
They had been walking in the darkness, and they had to flee in the middle while avoiding their pursuers, so they were both mentally and physically spent.
Light!
Yi-han used magic after entering the cave, illuminating it with a ball of light that shone brilliantly like the sun.
Yonaire used her coat and covered the caves entrance, making sure that the light wont escape.
You think theyll chase us all the way up here?
Dont worry. Ive been paying attention whileing up, and I havent heard any rattlinging from the pursuers. They must all be gathered at the bottom of the mountain.
Yonaire felt reassured after hearing what Nilia said.
Fortunately, Yi-han had been right on the mark. The principals summons had not noticed their group, so they didnt follow them up the mountain either.
So the question bes how long his summons will remain.
Maybe we shouldve brute-forced our way through after all
Yi-han, however, disagreed with Dolgyus words.
No, it wouldve been impossible to do so.
How do you know?
Considering his personality, the principal wouldnt have left such an obvious loophole.
Though the others wondered how hed know that, they decided to remain quiet and respect his words.
Regardless of whether we end up waiting until they disappear or taking a detour, we should rest for the time being. Lets fill our stomachs first.
Agreed!
Yi-han distributed the sausages, bread, and cheese that he brought with him.
Gainando popped a dwarven honey candy into his mouth and savored its taste. He hadnt had anything sweet for the past few days, so his body reacted violently to the candy.
Oh, no. Were out of water
Nilia took out an empty water sk as she said so. They had walked for a long time and had drunk all its content.
Its okay. We have magic.
!
Gush forth!
Yi-han waved his staff with a shout, producing a puddle of water midair.
Nilia hurriedly filled her leather sk with water.
Way to go, Yi-han! Dolgyu eximed.
As he was from a knights family, he was slower than the students of other towers when it came to learning magic, so Yi-hans magic almost seemed like a miracle to him.
Gainando and Yonaire also pped their hands in glee.
I was starting to feel thirsty!
Thanks for the drink, Yi-han.
After filling up her sk, Nilia closed its cap.
I want to learn water magic as well, she said enviously.
Im sure youll be able to do it soon once you be more familiar with magic, Yi-han replied infort.
It wasnt that difficult a spell to begin with, and it was something anyone could do once they got the hang of it.
I sure hope so.
After saying that, Nilia waved her staff and began to chant.
Set aze!
A small fire appeared andnded on the kindling wood that she had prepared.
The sound of wood burning was soon apanied by the warmth that came from the fire.
Everyones hands and feet were freezing after wandering around in the cold night, so they collectively let out a sigh of relief upon feeling the warmth.
Phew. Im d it worked the first time. I learned itst time, but it wasnt the most perfect, so I was nervous.
She seemed to have quite a high affinity with fire as she was able to seed in one attempt.
Im jealous of you. I wanted to learn water spells rather than fire ones, she said as she looked over at Yi-han.
W-whats wrong?
Yi-han was staring intently at her, making her feel uneasy.
Did she say something offensive?
Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Most of the students at the academy considered magic to be a means to an end. They didnt think to themselves Ill learn fire magic to start campfires and water magic to quench my thirst. Instead, they had the ambition of polishing their foundation and diving deep into a field of magic, eventually bing a pioneer in that field and obtaining enlightenment.
For that reason, Nilia didnt think highly of her fire magic. Even without her wand and her magic, she could easily start a fire just with some stones and twigs.
On the other hand, she had been interested in water magic for a long time, so she wouldve been much happier if her affinity with water had been high instead
Nilia, be grateful for the magic you have.
I-I guess youre right
Nilia nodded without thinking, overwhelmed by the serious air around Yi-han.
Is he praising my magic??
As a member of the Wardanaz Family famed for its magic, he might have found her attitude towards her own magic uneptable.
She looked away in embarrassment.
Yi-han, however, was thinking about somethingpletely different.
If I could reign in my mana, fire magic wouldve been the first thing I learned. How envious.
***
With their hands and feet warmed up, their thirst quenched, and their hunger satiated with bread and cheese, their fatigue slowly went away.
Its about time we check if the undeads are still there.
Yi-han decided to check up on the principals spawns. Based on that crazy personality of his, there was a good chance they were still around.
Nilia.
Right, lets go take a look.
Taking the hint, Nilia stood up from where she was sitting.
Darkness enveloped the two as they stepped out of the cave, and the result of their investigation was apparent after just a few minutes.
Damn it.
The foot of the mountain was still brightly lit, as if a belt of fire was surrounding the mountain. The undeads encirclement was as strong as ever.
I swear, that bastard ispletely insane.
I-I agree with what you say, but are you sure its okay to say it out loud?
Nilia seemed afraid of possible retribution by the principal for speaking badly of him.
Its fine. No ones listening, so alls well.
I-Is that how it works?
Nilia, to learn magic, you must learn to think freely. I bet the principal would dly ept the curses thrown his way if it means we can free up our thought.
Yi-han was truly talented ining up with absolute gibberish on the spot. Coupled with his sculpture-like expression, his serious manner of speech managed to convince Nilia, who only had a rudimentary understanding of magic.
It kind of makes sense
That darn principal! Hes like a grizzly bear! I hope the wolves take him aw-
Pasasak-
Uaaaaang! Please forgive me! I was wrong!
Nilia clinged onto Yi-han with tears in her eyes the moment she heard the rustling of leaves from ahead.
Yi-han carefully peeled her off from his chest as one would a leech, staring intently at the direction where the sound came from.
Careful, Nilia. Someones here.
The other party seemed to have also noticed their presence.
Whos there?
Thats our question.
Were members of the White Tigers.
Tsk. So not all of them were caught.
Yi-han clicked his tongue.
He was wondering why the undeads had not left yet. Turned out some students of the White Tigers managed to flee amidst the chaos.
After a few more rustling of leaves and tree branches, the White Tigers appeared before Yi-han and Nilia, looking like an absolute mess. In fact, they looked no different from beggars on the street.
B-beggars?
As I said, were from the White Tigers.
***
Punishment to the students that went against the esteemed principal.
Punishment to the students that went against the esteemed principal.
Unlike Yi-han and his friends, the students of the White Tigers initially nned to break through the encirclement. However, what greeted them was an innumerable number of skeletons.
They had to fight their pursuers while listening to the rattling of bones and the chill-inducing chants.
The skeletons used bones as clubs, and though getting hit wasnt fatal, the first hit would slow them down, the second would stop them in their tracks, and the third would knock them down.
Ack!
To attack us in numbers. How cowardly of themAhhhh!
Though they did their best to take down the skeletons and the bone hounds that came after them using the swordsmanship they were proud of, the members of the White Tigers eventually began to fall one after another.
Suppressionplete.
Suppressionplete.
Flee upward! Upward, I say!
Jijel was the quickest to analyze the situation and gave orders to her fellow dormmates.
This encirclement wasnt designed to be broken through!
Unlike Yi-han who didnt trust the principal one bit, she mistakenly believed that they had a chance of escaping because of what he said earlier.
If they stubbornly tried to flee downward, what awaited them was capture. Knowing this, she brought the remaining students up the mountain.
Fortunately, their pursuers did not follow them.
Haaahaaahaaa
Moradi, are you surehaaagoing up is the right choice? There arent any paths.
Summons cantst a long time. Theyll soon disappear.
If Yi-han was beside them, he wouldve pointed out the w in her argument, saying something along the lines of Thats only the case for lousy mages. You think the principals in the same league as them?
Unfortunately, the White Tigers understanding of magic wasnt that deep. They simply nodded after hearing what Jijel said.
What should we do in the meantime?
We wait and recover our stamina. We need to start a fireno, I guess finding shelteres first. Somewhere that can block the cold wind.
Hearing her instructions, the students of the White Tigers started looking around. Though they werent as adept as Nilia in navigating the mountains, they were confident in their stamina.
Their muscles were screaming in pain, and their throats were like the Sahara desert, but they kept searching.
Pasasak-
I heard a sound just now.
Is it a beast?
Lets kill it if its a beast. Were starving here.
However, what they heard wasnt the roaring of a beast, but rather the sound of someone talking.
The White Tigers were shocked when they realized this. Who could be out and about at this hour?
Whos there?
Thats our question.
Were members of the White Tigers.
Tsk. So not all of them were caught.
Surprisingly, they were met with students from the Blue Dragons.
***
This way.
The White Tigers awkwardly entered the cave.
They felt extremely ufortable being treated so nicely by someone they had picked a fight with earlier.
Take a seat and grab something to eat, Yi-han said without changing his expression.
Gainando quietly protested beside him.
We dont have enough rations ourselves. Why should we
Shush.
Dolgyu hit Gainando on his side.
The remaining students of the White Tigers had suddenly appeared looking like beggars, which went to show what a tough experience they had this night.
Yi-han had every right to chase them away. No one wouldve med him considering how the White Tigers treated him.
However, Yi-han had invited them into the cave after seeing the predicament they were in, providing them with food and drink.
It was honestly moving.
Yi-han is the true embodiment of honor!
Showing kindness to allies was a given. What was really difficult was showing kindness to enemies.
Dolgyu hoped the White Tigers would reflect on their actions and reconcile with Yi-han through this opportunity.
For a while, there was only the sound of munching inside the cave.
Jijel carefully observed her surroundings to make sense of what was going on.
How did the Blue Dragons make their way here?
She never thought for a moment that Yi-han had followed them to the mountain.
After all, they were the Blue Dragons, not the lowly ck Tortoise. Resorting to such lowly means felt unimaginable.
Hence, she came to a different conclusion.
They must have found a map as well.
Otherwise, they wouldnt be in such a ce at night.
They must havee earlier and hid in the cave after hearing themotion that they made.
Jijel contemted their next course of action while eating some food.
Yi-han of the Wardanaz Family had shown them kindness, but she had no intention of reciprocating the favor.
That was how she was brought up in the Moradi Family.
Jijel. As you know, the Moradi Family does not forget its hatred. But theres something more to that saying. And its that they repay favors only if they remember one.
The Moradi Family disdained those that had their hearts swayed by others kindness.
A Moradi would coldly reject a request even if someone that saved their lives in the past came begging for help.
What should I do to make the most out of this situation? Hmm, yes. I should first have them see us in a good light.
While she was thinking, one of the White Tigers hesitantly opened his mouth and asked a question to Dolgyu, who he was the most familiar with inside Yi-hans group.
Choi, how
Thump!
!?
The student fell over before he could finish his sentence.
Dolgyu was shocked to see this.
Whats happening!?
At first, he thought the student passed out because of exhaustion. But soon it was apparent that that wasnt the case.
Thump! Thump!
The others also slumped to the ground as if theyd taken some medication.
Shit! Jijel shouted in a sharp voice.
Realizing what had happened, she spat out the water that was inside her mouth. Unfortunately, she had already drunk some and was starting to feel dizzy.
Was it spiked!?
You were toote in figuring it out, Yi-han said coldly.
As she was about to pass out, Jijel red at Yi-han with open hostility. Her cold and ruthless expression was the antithesis of the kind and soft one she showed on their first meeting. It was something not even the White Tigers had seen.
Thiswont be the endWardanaz!
Thest thing she saw was the figure of Wardanaz staring down at her with his usual deadpan face. Leaving behind those words, she fell asleep.
***
Did I make an enemy out of them for no reason?
Contrary to Jijels belief, Yi-han was slightly regretting his decision.
Now that things had progressed this far, the hatred between him and the White Tigers was irrevocable.
However, there was nothing he could do about it. The White Tigers had targeted him without a reason. Since they didnt have a reason, he decided to give them one!
W-w-w-whats this about, Yi-han?!
Is the water poisonous!? But I drank it as well!?
Dolgyu was so surprised that he kept stuttering. Gainando wasnt much better either.
Yi-han had purposely not told these two about the n as they were terrible at keeping a poker face. Their n might have failed otherwise.
Worry not, Gainando. Its not poison, and the water you drank was safe. Were simply going to take them to where the skeletons are and leave them there.
He hadnt spiked the White Tigers drinks out of petty hatred.
Instead, it was because they were most likely the skeletons target, so they had to offer them up if they wished to be saved!
But! Using such a despicable method
Dolgyu, think about it. If we fought head-on, we wouldve caused amotion, drawing the skeletons attention. Also, even if we won, do you think Moradi wouldve given up? He wouldve dragged us down with him.
Dolgyu was no match against Yi-han when it came to a battle of words, and he was easily convinced.
Stillin the first ce, where did you get the medicine?
Yonaire raised her hand sheepishly.
We found a somniferous nt on our way up.
She could tell most nts apart and was able to discover a somniferous nt with white stem along the way.
Oh, look over here.
What is it?
Its a somniferous nt. Its powder can be mixed in with water, and drinking it would cause you to fall asleep.
Lets collect it. You never know when it wille in handy.
Will we ever need it though?
She had collected the nt while tilting her head, wondering if they would ever need to use it.
Surprisingly, they did.
though she didnt think it would be used in this way.
Chapter 27
Chapter 27
These bastards should be grateful we used a somniferous nt instead of poison, Nilia said in a huff.
Yonaire and Yi-han had informed her ahead of time, and she was furious at the White Tigers for what happened between them.
They targeted Wardanaz for absolutely no reason!
Well, it wasnt actually for no reason. I joined a swordsmanship ss that they were all attending.
Huh?? Why would you
But thats beside the point.
Confused, Nilia stared at him with her eyes wide open, but Yi-han ignored her and continued.
AnywayDolgyu. I get that youre surprised, but Id like you to understand that what we did was by no means underhanded or cowardly. It was part of our strategy.
Y-yeah. Its their fault for falling for it, Nilia said in agreement.
As a huntress, something of this level wasnt worthy of being called revenge.
Still, it doesnt seem all that honorable
And thats where youre wrong, Dolgyu. If you wish to be honorable, you cant be so narrow-minded. Let us take a look at the result. If we had fought, we wouldve all been caught because of the noise. Would that have been honorable? No! We would have been smearing our names in the dirt! By spiking their drinks and having them fall asleep, we were able to resolve the situation without causing amotion and embarrassing ourselves. Not only did we escape capture, but were also now able to send these friends back to the academy without hurting them. If this isnt honorable, what is?
I-I suppose so
Its honorable, I say. Honorable, Nilia echoed Yi-hans sentiment.
Yonaire and Gainando also yed along.
Yup, no other word could describe our action.
Seriously, what we did is worthy of being awarded badges of honor by the pce.
R-right
As people say, live with wolves, and you learn to howl. Without realizing it, Dolgyu was gradually being affected by Yi-han.
***
Rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle-
Yi-han nodded after hearing the sound of the undead approaching from afar.
Suppressionplete.
Suppressionplete.
Their pursuers did not question the fact that their targets were all asleep. Their intelligence simply wasnt high enough to do so.
Now we just wait it out.
He was certain that the principals summons would soon disappear. Now that they had secured all the students from the White Tigers, they had no reason to stay.
Where are you going?
Lets check our surroundings while we wait.
Yi-han carefully walked toward the direction of the academys walls. Their n of escaping the academy had gone down the drain due to an unforeseen event, but he refused to return empty-handed.
Theres something I want to check.
Massive walls surrounded the academy, and he wished to see how far they extended into the mountain range.
He was also curious about whether there was an actual escape route.
The rest of his group cautiously followed him.
Though they no longer had to worry about their pursuers, it was still dark in the mountain, and the higher up they climbed, the steeper it got. They were also met with more trees and shrubbery along the way.
Its getting a little too dark
This might be dangerous. We might trip if were not careful.
It was darker than ever before, and they could no longer rely on the lighting from the torches of the White Tigers.
Wardanaz, we need a light source.
Wouldnt that be dangerous?
There are enough obstacles around us. It should be fine.
If you say so Light!
A blinding light enveloped their immediate surroundings after Yi-han cast the spell. It was as if the sun hade out.
Nilia became uneasy when she noticed this.
Theoretically, with so much vegetation around them, the light shouldnt extend far below the mountainbut Yi-hans spell seemed a tad too powerful.
I hope no one sees us.
Please turn off the light, young students. Its so bright I cant sleep.
!!!
It didnt sound like the voice belonged to a human. It was a deep voice imbued with mana, and it wasing from the depths of the forest.
Unsurprisingly, the students were stunned, having had a run-in with the crazy principal just now.
Is it another trap? They wondered.
May I ask who were speaking to? Yi-han was the quickest to recover from the shock.
Well go for a preemptive strike if its another summon by the principal.
Since you students entered my territory, Ill be the one asking questions first. If you get it right, Ill wee you as guests. Otherwise, Ill consider you trespassers. Now no need to be tense. Its but a simple riddle. One night, a dwarf lit five candles inside a room. However, a strong gust of wind from the window extinguished one of them. Not long after, a guest that was drinking beer in the next room entered, swinging the door wide open, resulting in another candle being extinguished. To prevent any more candles from being extinguished, the dwarf closed the door and the window. How many candles remained lit the next morning?
Its a trick question.
Yi-han quickly noticed the trick in the riddle.
At first nce, the answer would seem like three, as two candles were extinguished out of the five that were lit. However, candles could onlyst for a short period of time. Hence, there would be none remaining in the morning.
Three!
Gainando, however, didnt consider this and shouted out the first answer that came to his mind, leaving Yi-han bbergasted.
!
Correct.
W-wait. The candles should have run out by morning.
Yi-han couldnt help but blurt out an objection, to which the mysterious voice responded sounding rather amused.
Since its a riddle, it goes without saying that were talking about magic candles that dont run out.
Yi-han flipped out inside.
This frickin world of magic
As promised, the riddle was extremely simple.
Since you got it right, Ill wee you as guests. Hmm but its been so long since Ist had visitors. It would be a bummer to end things so quickly. How about this? Ill give you another riddle. Ill still treat you as guests if you get it wrong, but if you get it right, youll earn a reward.
Ready whenever you are, Yi-han said without hesitation.
He wasnt stupid enough to turn down such an opportunity.
I am tall in the morning, but shrink at noon. I grow in the afternoon, but fade away at night. What am I?
There was a pause as the students racked their brains over this unexpected question.
What could it be?
I have no clue.
Gainando, on the other hand, was confident as he had gotten the first question right, and so he shouted out his answer.
A monster thats big in the morning and in the afternoon, but small at noon!
Incorrect.
Huh!? Oh, I forgot to mention the part where it disappears at night-
As I said, its incorrect.
Could it be a shadow?
Correct!
!!!
Everyone stared at Yi-han in surprise.
How did you know?
It was a famous riddle, a variation of the Sphinxs. Yi-han, who didnt wish to go through the trouble of exining how he had knowledge from his past life, gave a simple response.
The answer popped up in my head when I concentrated my mind and allowed wisdom to flow into me.
What he said was quite ambiguous, but such responses were often interpreted in a good way, and the mysterious voice seemed extremely impressed.
The voice sounded more excited than before.
Excellent. I wee you, clever young students.
The densely packed trees all moved aside, and the surrounding terrain began to change as if it were being covered by fog. An open space revealed itself before them, one that was rich in natural mana and seemed inhabited by the forests spirits.
***
What greeted Yi-han and his friends was an oak tree.
Deep within the mountains, there were all sorts of monsters, spirits, and fantastical creatures, and the oak tree was one of them.
Everyone seems tired. Here, drink this.
The oak tree moved its branches and offered them wooden cups with cold, green drinks in them.
Doesnt smell that good.
It seemed and smelled like vegetable juice. However, he could feel that the drink was rich in mana, so he carefully took a sip.
!
The fatigue in his muscles faded away. It felt refreshing as if he had a cold drink after running on a hot summers day.
He could feel his body cooling down as the drink traveled down his throat. It was incredibly bitter, but the effects were immediate!
Its made from the saps of the trees in the forest. How does it taste?
Its incredible. May I have some more?
As you wish.
Yi-han whisked out his leather sk and collected the sap. To survive in the academys harsh environment, he had to collect things like this when he could.
While he was collecting the drink, the others asked the oak tree various questions, curious about this mysterious space that was usually only open to the spirits.
Whats this space for?
Are there any other trees?
This is too bitter. Is there something else we can drink? Id like something sweet, like fruit juice.
Yi-han soon joined them in asking questions, not willing to forgo such a rare opportunity.
May I ask some questions as well?
You may. But before that, introduce yourself.
My name is Yi-han.
The oak tree was amused after noticing how he didnt mention his family name, which was unusual for nobles.
And which family are you from?
The Wardanaz Family.
Thud-
The oak tree took a step back, dealing emotional damage to Yi-han.
Sorry. Its not your fault, but the rumors surrounding your familyWell, lets just say the Wardanaz Family has produced a lot of powerful mages.
Is that so?
Yes, with many of them being maniacs.
But youve stated your given name before your surname. Very good. Im sure youll be a good mage. Now, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?
Yi-han spun a lie without blinking an eye.
We were enjoying a nights walk.
Yonaire bit her lips to stop herself fromughing.
The oak tree didnt fall for such an obvious lie either.
Ah, you must have been trying to escape the academy. But based on the shape of the moon tonight, it should still be your first week here. Were you trying to escape on your first week?
See, the situation isnt that simple
Yi-han tried to exin, but the oak tree had already seen through everything.
My, running away on the first week the freshmen this time around are quite different.
Forget it.
Yi-han gave up on giving excuses.
Mr. Talking-Oak-Tree. If youve seen others like us before, can you advise us on how to escape?
Ive lived in this forest for hundreds of years and have seen many like you. Escape is possible. However, its not feasible for freshmen at your level.
The oak tree didnt seem to have any intention of revealing any other secrets. Yi-han wasnt disappointed though and threw out another question.
If we continue in the direction we were going, would we be able to leave the academy through the mountains?
No. There are walls there.
The walls extend that far??
Yes. And the walls have magic cast on them. You wouldnt want to carelessly scale them.
Yi-han was left utterly speechless.
They had traversed the mountains and climbed steep slopes for hours, and yet they were being told that the walls extended there as well.
It was even amazing in a sense!
So its practically impossible to escape by finding where the walls have been cut off
They couldnt go around them, nor could they scale them.
The oak tree lightly admonished them.
As freshmen, you shouldnt attempt to recklessly escape the academy. Its extremely dangerous to do so. The mountains are quiet right now, but the monsters that are asleep will wake up soon after a few weeks.
Thank you for your advice.
The oak tree looked Yi-han in the eyes. Its words had failed to reach the young mage.
Rather than looking scared, he seemed more determined than ever, and the oak tree very much appreciated his spirit.
I shall give you a riddle. Orcs of the ck Axe tribe, Red Feathers tribe, White Eagles tribe, and Green Frogs tribe gathered for a feast. The naughty goblins were also able to join them in their festivities. How did the goblins manage to do this?
?
???
All the students present at the scene were confused by the oak trees riddle.
Gainando shot his mouth off once more.
They were popr!
The oak tree ignored him.
Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Right. I almost forgot about your prize.
The oak tree faced Yi-han as it spoke.
The soil before him wriggled and tree branches shot out from the ground, intertwining as they grew upward.
Eventually, the branches took the form of a staff.
!
Artifacts and magic tools were like arms and legs for mages, and out of all the artifacts, staves were the most important.
They could make spells more powerful, reduce casting time, and allow mages to cast spells that they normally couldnt cast. It wasnt an exaggeration to call them a mages bestpanion.
The staves that had been given to the first-year students were like long canes, and though they werent special in any way, they were extremely hard and sturdy.
Their length easily exceeded a students height, which was why Yi-han often used his staff like a stick. If it wasnt for that, he wouldnt have been able to catch the boars that Uregor had released.
Oh, have you perhaps gotten attached to your staff and have no intention of changing it?
No?
Yi-han grabbed his new staff without even a moment of hesitation.
Tools were just tools. It didnt make sense to grow attached to them.
Would anyone hesitate to rece oldb equipment with new ones?
Dolgyu stared silently at Yi-han, rendered speechless by his attitude.
Ttak-
He pulled the staff out from the ground. As he did so, he felt a certain life forceing from it, which was ironic since he had just uprooted the staff.
How do you feel?
I feel animated.
!
The talking oak tree was shocked, to say the least. Yi-han had gotten used to the staff way quicker than he had expected.
To think hed sense it the moment he held the staff.
Theoretically, it shouldve taken him much longer.
What he had just felt was the aura of a tree spirit dwelling inside the staff.
To learn how to summon spirits, fledgling mages had to go through countless trials and errors.
Simrly, establishing a connection with the tree spirit shouldve required a lot of time and effort. Even with an affinity to spirits, one would normally require months of swinging the staff.
His ability to detect mana is out of this world. Hes a genius even if you take into ount his family background.
Impressive. I didnt think youd feel anything.
Is that so?
Yi-han was confused by the oak trees praise.
He failed to understand what was so impressive about what he said. After all, he had no clue about the tree spirit.
Youll soon learn of the staffs hidden power.
Cant you just exin it to me now?
Patience. With your talent, it shouldnt take that long for you to uncover it.
Yi-han was a rather unique student, and the oak tree was starting to understand that.
asionally, it woulde across some students that were wrong in the head, talented loonies thatcked any semnce of fear. Around a century ago, it had met a member of the Wardanaz Family who fit that description perfectly, and seeing Yi-han reminded the oak tree of him, though thetter was much more polite and collected
Now, its time for me to go back to sleep. Dont use any more spells near the forest. Youre going to wake up all the trees in the area with that powerful magic of yours.
Is it chasing us away because its sleepy?
Yi-han had a sneaking suspicion that that was the case. It was strange how the oak tree refused to borate on what was so impressive. It also glossed over the details of the staffs hidden power.
Is it making things up because it wants to sleep?
I dont want you guysing back into the forest, so heres a staff. Now go away was the kind of vibe he was getting.
The open space they were in slowly began to close. The trees moved and their surroundings blurred as they gradually got further and further away from where they previously stood.
As they were leaving, the oak tree whispered in Yi-hans ears:
Remember my riddle. Youll be able to escape the academy once you solve it.
***
Fortunately, the undead had disappeared by the time they were out, and the group carefully descended the mountain as the light of dawn chased away the darkness.
Once they returned, they jumped into their beds and slept, too tired to do anything else.
Plop!
Yi-han entered his room located inside the Tower of the Blue Dragons and threw his body on the bed. He would think about the riddle and the method of escape after a good sleep.
..naz! Wardanaz!
He managed to sleep for a couple of hours before being woken up by someone knocking on his door.
Who is it? He asked while yawning.
When he opened the door, he was greeted by Asan Dargard, who was wearing his sses.
That sonuva- I mean, the principals holding an event outside.
Thats one hell of a wake-up call.
Yi-han became wide awake when he heard the news.
An event by the principal.
Is he trying to expose the students that tried to flee the academy?
He had a guilty conscience. He and his friends hadnt been caught, but considering the principals entric personality, he wouldnt be surprised by anything the lich cooked up.
But thats all the more reason to participate in the event.
The bigger the trouble, the more naturally he had to behave. He knew that by heart.
Hed only be outing himself by behaving differently than usual.
Got it. Ill wake up Gainando and Yonaire before heading out with them.
Arent you guys sleeping in too much?
By the time he woke the two up and exited the tower, the sun was way up above their head.
The trio yawned as they followed behind the other students.
!
From afar, they could see a giant skull floating in front of the academys main building.
Come,e! This is a rare chance for you all! Hurry up, young Ironerrtalents! I wee you all!
??
From the look of things, it didnt seem like he was trying to sniff out the ringleader of the escapees. It was more like a friendly gathering or a special event.
Several tents had been set up in the front yard, and people wearing religious clothes were handing out food and drinks to the students with kind smiles on their faces.
While he was bewildered, Yi-han received a cookie from one of the priests. It was warm and smelled delicious, most likely fresh out of the oven.
He took a bite. Not only was it crispy, but the cookie also contained jam inside, making it extremely sweet.
Whats all this about? Is the academy going under??
The principal opened his mouth as if he had sensed Yi-hans confusion.
On this fine weekend, weve invited priests from various temples all over the Empire. Arent you all d? Now, please wee them!
p, p, p, p, p-
Although the students continued to murmur, they pped along for the time being, and the priests bowed to express their gratitude.
Thank you, Principal Gonadaltes, for allowing us to hold such an event when you must be busy teaching all these talented mages of the Empire.
Haha, the honor is mine. Please remember to put in a good word for me when you meet His Majesty. A lot of funds are required to uncover and research new ancient magic
W-we cant give any promises, but well try our best.
Principal Skelly didnt bother mincing his words, troubling the priests greatly.
For some reason, Yi-han felt nostalgic when he witnessed this scene.
Regardless of which world Im in, I guess professors are at the mercy of their research funds.
Even the most arrogant professor would behave meekly before their sponsors, and Principal Skelly, who probably feared no one, was no different. His research funds were determined by the Emperor, which was why he was showing such a weak attitude.
The priests then addressed the students.
Students of the academy, it is our honor to meet such talented individuals. In the future, everyone present here will undoubtedly be splendid mages. We are servants of gods representing various religious groups, and weve gathered you all here today to introduce ourselves.
What a tremendous amount of mana
Yi-han was surprised by how much mana the priests had. They were quite literally emanating mana from their bodies.
Clearly, they were at another levelpared to the freshmen.
Also, their mana felt special. There was something sacred and divine about it.
Fascinating, isnt it?
!
Yi-han had the shivers. Before he knew it, Principal Skelly had secretly crept up beside him.
Its natural you feel that way. Theres something unique about a priests mana, which is why they call it holy power.
So I hear. But this is my first time seeing it in person.
So you do sense their mana.
Damn it.
Yi-han realized his mistake. The principal had been testing him!
Why hide it? You should be proud of your gift. Out of all the Iron I mean talents here, how many of them do you think are capable of detecting mana as urately as you?
The principal couldnt understand Yi-hans reasoning. In his mind, a mage shouldnt shy away from unting their abilities.
This was so that they could be sponsored by rich nobles (and extract their wealth). After all, studying powerful magic required a ton of resources
Will he flip out if I say its because I dont want anything to do with him?
Yi-han decided it was best to keep his thoughts to himself.
His goal was to build connections and graduate with good grades. He had no intention whatsoever of delving deeper into the field of magic with the principal.
In the end, he had toe up with an excuse.
There are others more talented than me in the academy. Its important to be humble.
And Im telling you that youre wrong. From now on, you should go around bragging about your talent.
Whats this madman saying?
If he did as the principal said, his social circle would be left in shambles, and hed only have Gainando left as his friend.
Fortunately, Principal Skelly wasnt too invested in ruining his rtionships, and he soon changed the topic.
I bet you arent all that familiar with priests. After all, the Wardanaz Family doesnt involve itself with religion.
No, Im not.
A lot of religious groups existed inside the Empire, but magic and faith did not mix well together.
Im not much of a believer myself. Im too smart to believe in gods.
Thought youd say that.
In fact, most mages were atheists, though not many were as extreme as the principal in their stance.
The patriarch of the Wardanaz Family, Yi-hans father, had once brought up the topic of religion during dinner time, and he had this to say about it:
Holy power is simply another form of mana, mana that underwent a qualitative change as a result of the beliefs of a group of monkeys. What they call holy magic isnt some miracle; its just another branch of magic. Why else would it have the word magic in it?
In that case, what does the Patriarch think of studies involving holy magic?
Theres nothing wrong with it, if you wish to waste your time, that is. Real magic is backed by theories and calctions. Holy magic, on the other hand, was achieved through gibberish which those mindless idiots call the power of faith.
I should never reveal to the priests that Im from the Wardanaz Family.
That was the conclusion he reached after recalling his memories. Even if the priests were saints, they would be pissed off if they heard what the patriarch said.
Im sure Wardanaz would agree with me on this. Those priests are fools I tell you. Whats the point of having useless followers that converted after getting some treats? This entire event is a farce.
The principal droned on and on beside Yi-han, letting out all hisints.
Yi-han, who had been listening, suddenly opened his mouth to speak.
Esteemed principal.
Yes?
Are there any groups that you rmend?
.
Principal Skelly stared at Yi-han in disbelief. That one question had rendered their entire conversation meaningless.
Wait, groups?
As in groups with an s?
Chapter 29
Chapter 29
Groups? Not a group, but groups?
Principal Skelly asked in confirmation, puzzled by the weird request.
It wasnt a bad idea topare different groups to one another before deciding on which one to join. However, for some reason, it felt as if this boy from the Wardanaz Family was trying to convey a different message.
I want to join multiple groups, so please rmend some to me.
Principal Skelly shook his head.
I must be overthinking.
Umm theres nothing wrong with believing in multiple gods, is there?
Hes actually crazy!
It had been a while since he wasst awestruck by a new student.
Granted, some citizens of the Empire truly believed in multiple gods. For example, someone might believe in the god of love and the god of wisdom.
However, that clearly did not apply to this boy from the Wardanaz Family.
He just wanted to reap as much benefit as he could from these religious organizations, and he was being so tant about it too!
His intentions were so clear it almost felt refreshing to hear, though, of course, the groups that he joined might not share the same sentiment
Youre right, and youve asked an excellent question. Theres nothing wrong with believing in multiple gods, but you must be careful as some groups are very petty.
Exactly, Yi-han said, quickly voicing his agreement.
The principal had hit the nail right on the head. Yi-hans n was simple and straightforward.
Lets sweep through all the groups and join as many of them as I can.
By applying, he would receive all sorts of items. Hed be an idiot to turn down such an offer.
Thus, he nned on joining every group that allowed multiple memberships to maximize his benefits.
First, I rmend the Order of Presinga. The goddess that they believe in keeping the world afloat through self-sacrifice. Members of the Order of Presinga are kind, and theyll no doubt give you a warm wee.
Orderof Presinga.
Yi-han took note of it.
Next would be the Order of Casso. Their god is mischievous and loves creating chaos and confusion. Theyll treat you well even if you have multiple faiths.
Order of Casso.
Last but not least, the Order of Capoleo. They worship the god of swords and swordsmanship. Even an oddball like you would be epted.
Order of Capoleo
That was when Yi-han stopped for a second.
Did the principal know that he was taking the swordsmanship course?
For real, thats kind of scary.
It wasnt that big of a deal, but he didnt like how much attention he was being paid.
Nothing good woulde of gaining a professors interest, especially one as mad as the principal
I wont stop you from learning swordsmanship, but never forget that magices first. After all, its the one and only academic discipline that towers over all others.
I will always bear that in mind.
Confronted by the principals teaching, Yi-han politely nodded. However, whatever the lich said went in one ear and out the other.
For him, magic was but a means to an end.
Good, very good.
Satisfied by the response, the principal nodded.
At first, he was surprised that someone from the Wardanaz Family wanted to enter a religious order, but now, he was looking forward to how it would go.
Hes an oddball alright.
The matter of having an enormous amount of mana and exceptional sensitivity to it was of secondary importance.
The tenacity to do whatever it takes to achieve ones goal.
The principal was interested in Yi-han because he had such tenacity despite being from a prestigious household known as the Wardanaz Family.
Im looking forward to the future.
Good luck, Wardanaz. As for me, Ill be checking on the students in the punishment room.
Thank yo Huh?
Hed just heard something strange.
Come again?
However, Principal Skelly left before he could ask anything.
***
Though he was curious how many students of the White Tigers had been locked up in the punishment room, he decided to visit the religious orders first.
Which order are you interested in? Yonaire asked curiously.
She had returned from somewhere with a basket in hand.
The Order of Presinga
Oh, the Order of Presinga? Were you interested in-
and the Order of Casso.
??
As well as the Order of Capoleo. Thats about it for now. Hmm, Im not sure if I have time to visit all of them today. I shouldnt make it too obvious that Im registering for several orders, so lets visit one order every time an event is held.
Rather than questioning his decisions, she decided to just ept them.
I see, so Yi-han believes in three gods!
Right. Take this.
Yonaire took out a sandwich from her basket.
The sandwich was made of bread, ham, tomato, cabbage, eggs, and various other ingredients.
The hungry students wouldve fought tooth and nail for it if the sandwich had been ced in front of them.
Thanks. Hmmm. How much does it cost?
Im just giving it to you for free
Huh? Really? But why? What are you scheming?
Its not my ce to say thisbut you really are odd. Dont worry, Im just giving it to you as thanks for the hard work yesterday. Now, eat up.
Hearing her exnation, Yi-han epted the sandwich while nodding. He was feeling a bit peckish, so it was great.
While he was munching on the sandwich, Yonaire poured a cold ss of apple juice and offered it to him.
Gulp-
By the way, whered you get these?
Shouldnt you have asked that first? I got these from the Order of meng. My family has been close with them for generations.
meng, the god of alchemy.
Followers of the Order of meng were all skilled alchemists, and the Maykin Family had supported them financially for ages.
As a result, the priests from the Order of meng identified her immediately and gave her a basket full of food.
What has the Wardanaz Family been doing this whole time? Why didnt we donate anything?
Yi-han was impressed by the Maykin Familys foresight. By offering generous donations, their daughter was rewarded during her stay in the academy.
Do you think its weird as well? Yonaire asked while fidgeting
What is?
Was she talking about eating a sandwich together with apple juice?
Y-you knowabout how the Maykins are backing the Order of meng. You see, Im also a follower of meng
Previously, Gainando was beaten up for asking whether alchemy could be considered magic. However, his belief was shared by a lot of prideful mages.
From time to time, shed hear people criticize her family for sponsoring the Order of meng. Why would a powerful family like yours back an order like that? Theyd ask.
Yi-han, however, couldnt care less about such nonsense.
Whats wrong with backing the Order of meng?
Right?
Yonaire became visibly brighter. She poured him more apple juice with a wide grin on her face.
Have some more.
Huh? But I didnt finish drinking
Due to her rather unique personality, Yonaire thought shed stick out like a sore thumb and have a hard time at the Tower of the Blue Dragons. However, she was having a much easier time than she expected thanks to the quirky young boy in front of her.
***
Um, is this the Order of Presinga? Im interested in knowing more about the order.
!
The priests looked up with beaming expressions when they sensed Yi-han approaching them.
Greetings, brother! So you wish to know more about Lord Presinga. Then youre more than wee here!
Yes, Ive heard many stories about Lord Presinga in the past. Ive always wondered if such a great individual could really exist.
Yi-han started talking off the top of his head without truly meaning anything he said.
As a former graduate student, he had mastered the technique of putting on a humble and reverent appearance regardless of what he truly thought in his head. In fact, he was unmatched when it came to controlling his expression.
Unsurprisingly, the priests were instantly smitten by his attitude. He was obviously from a distinguished family, yet he had sought them out!
Please,e in! Tijiling. Would you mind lending us a hand?
I-Ill be right there!
!
Yi-han was surprised when he saw the appearance of the student that the priest had just called.
There was dark reddish energy surrounding her skin, as well as a pair of horns protruding out of her forehead. Though the timid student immediately averted her eyes, there were mes flickering inside them.
A devil mixed-blood!
Devil mixed-bloods were the rarest among all mixed-bloods. Yi-han had heard about them before, but it was his first time seeing one.
When the ancestor of a family makes a deal with the devil, their descendants in the future generations would have a chance of exhibiting the devils traits.
As a matter of course, most people stayed away from such individuals. That was probably why the girl in front of him was behaving timidly, checking the reactions of those around her before making any moves.
Tijiling over here is also a new student of the academy. She belongs to the Tower of the Immortal Phoenix.
The priests seemed proud of her.
Students of the Immortal Phoenix rarely interacted with people from the other towers, but they had stepped forward to help when they heard the priests wereing.
This must be fate. To think Id get to meet a friend who also believes in Lord Presinga. This must be the Lords guidance.
Brother!
The priests reacted very positively to his random gesture of devotion.
Having said that
After entering the tent, he took a look at his surroundings.
There were two points he had to check before registering for an order: what he could get out of it, and what would be demanded of him.
If he didnt check those, he might end up joining a cult that forced its members to whip themselves during each meeting.
It looks very in. I guess its to be expected of a religious order.
The inside of the tent was simple and austere. There were several rows of chairs inside, and at the very front was an altar with a symbol that probably represented Presinga.
It was as ordinary as it could be, but there was something that managed to catch his eyes.
Why are there so many artifacts?
He could sense mana from many of the items inside the tent.
Artifacts, items enchanted with magic, were rather expensive and rare even if they didnt serve a grand purpose, yet the tent was filled with them.
But it didnt seem as if the priests were interested in leading extravagant lives
I thought Presinga was a goddess that keeps the world afloat through self-sacrifice? Is she also rted to artifacts?
Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.
A short and skinny priest approached Yi-han to exin further about their order.
?
Every time he took a step forward, deep footprints were left behind on the ground.
Yi-hans eyes popped open when he saw this.
Oh, did I surprise you, brother?
Sensing his shock, the priest opened his mouth to exin with a smile on his face.
Its nothing crazy. The footprints are being made because of a cursed artifact that Im wearing. It makes the wearer several times heavier, but it also increases the amount of holy power they can wield.
Ah. Did you identally equip it during a dungeon exploration?
Nothing of that sort. I wore it in honor of Lord Presinga.
??
As you probably know, Lord Presinga sacrificed herself to uphold the world. As her followers, how can we stand by and do nothing ourselves? Brother, every time we equip a cursed artifact, we are alleviating this world of another curse.
The Order of Presinga. The goddess they honored was burdened with a curse that made her hold up the world. In turn, her followers voluntarily wore artifacts with curses on them.
The holy power that they used was unlike that of other priests. While others used their holy power to lift the curse, the Order of Presinga used theirs to strengthen them.
Realizing what was happening, Yi-han grew pale, and he started to regret his decision.
I mustve been out of my mind to believe in the principals words.
Their conversation had been so heartfelt that he had subconsciously followed the principals suggestions, but the air of madness surrounding the Order of Presinga was no joke.
They were literally going around wearing cursed artifacts on purpose.
So it seems that brother isnt too keen on the idea either.
The priest was extremely perceptive. Despite Yi-hans best attempts to control his expression, the priest had seen through his act.
Thats not the case. I was simply too happy
No need to force yourself, brother. The path that we walk as followers of Lord Presinga isnt an easy one. If youve had a change of heart, you may walk away. We wont me you, said the priest with a bitter smile.
Though he felt sorry, Yi-han nced at the entryway of the tent. He had to run away while he had the chance. After all, they might change their mind at any moment.
This cursed belt is meant to be a weing gift to the brothers and sisters that join usbut they all walk away when they hear what it does. I guess it makes sense. Who would willingly put on a belt that sucks away the wearers mana?
Wait. Can you exin its effects?
Chapter 30
Chapter 30
He blurted out the question without thinking.
From a certain perspective, curses could be considered a type of buff. For example, someone that wished to slim down would be delighted to have a cursed item that reduces its wearers weight.
In other words, depending on how they were used, cursed items could be a blessing in disguise.
Normally, mages would steer clear of items that suck away their wearers mana. Hell, they would chuck them out. However, things were a bit different for Yi-han.
He had way too much mana to spare.
Seriously though, that belt might be worth equipping.
He was already wearing a metal bracelet with simr properties. Wearing an extra belt or two would hardly make a difference.
Its effect?
You know, its original effect.
Action-reaction pairs also existed in the world of magic, and cursed artifacts typically had stronger positive traits than regr items.
Otherwise, no one in their right mind would equip them.
Ah. So thats what Brother is curious about. Let me think
You remember its curse, but not its original effect? You should really get your priorities straight.
Yi-han became speechless when he saw the priest having trouble remembering the items original effect.
It was a ssic example of putting the cart before the horse.
Right, its a belt that grants invisibility. But thats not whats important. Whats important is that its a cursed item As I said, Brother. You can be honest with us. We wont me you if you wish to turn back now
What do you mean? I was born ready to bear the burden.
Yi-hans eyes were filled with determination, shocking the priest greatly.
Who would have thought!
The priest had expected Yi-han to give up and leave right away, but it seemed he had been under the wrong impression.
How ashamed I am to run my mouth and question the faith of such a devoted Brother!
The priest no longer treated Yi-han as a naive boy that grew up sheltered in a powerful family.
The person before him was a fellow brethren who was willing to walk this thorny path together!
Brother, my name is Mehrid. May I ask what is yours?.
Yi-han. Yi-han Wardanaz.
Wardanaz!
This came as an even bigger surprise to Mehrid.
Even within the Empire, the Wardanaz Family was famous for being nonbelievers.
It was no wonder that the boy seemed so dignified and majestic
The Order would be delighted to have you within our ranks. Now, please take this belt in honor of Lord Presinga.
It was quite an exaggerated title for a cursed belt, but Yi-han received it with a serious expression on his face.
Ttak-
He equipped it immediately.
Mehrid stared at him with a worried look.
Whenever a new brother or sister joined their cause, they would have trouble adjusting to the burden of Presinga. After all, enduring the effects of a curse was anything but easy, especially for beginners.
Having all of ones mana sucked away was a cruel ordeal, one which a new student might not be able to
So, how do I be invisible?
?!?!?
??
Um, well saying I hide myself in the night will make you invisible. Saying I reveal myself in the morning would deactivate it.
I hide myself in the night.
His body became transparent when he recited the chant.
Wow
Yi-han was in awe.
Not all invisibility spells were of the same level.
Lower circle invisibility spells only allowed light to somewhat pass through an area. Upon closer inspection, people would still be able to tell that something was wrong.
But the invisibility spell on the belt was near perfect.
It was worth equipping this cursed item.
B-brother, do you feel alright?
Why, of course. I reveal myself in the morning.
Yi-han canceled the spell.
Prior to equipping the belt, he had half-expected it to absorb enough mana so that he could control the rest.
However, it didnt seem to have had any effect on him at all.
Based on how worried he looks, the curse on this belt should be rather powerful. Howe I dont feel anything?
He had a sneaking suspicion that his mana recovery speed was faster than the speed at which his mana was sucked away by the bracelet and belt.
Craving for more, Yi-han opened his mouth.
I wish to bear more of Lord Presingas burden.
My word!
Mehrid was deeply moved by this praiseworthy brethren of his.
Unfortunately, he couldnt ept Yi-hans request.
His body should be under immense pressure from that belt alone
You cant, Brother. The burden that Lord Presinga carries isnt something we can handle all at once. I understand where youreing from, but please be patient.
No, but Im willing to take on more!
I understand, Brother. But you must wait!
***
In the end, he wasnt able to get another artifact. Nevertheless, he had gained a lot.
The belt alone was a huge haul considering it came with an invisibility function.
With that, he was going to
Think of more ways to escape.
Their previous attempt had made him realize that he had been toocent.
The academy was a crazier ce than he first thought, and its principal was outright nuts.
He might be met with more traps in his future attempts, and having the invisibility belt would surelye in handy.
And thats how the first meeting in honor of Lord Presinga was held, which marked the beginning of our Order. Lets wrap things up around here, Brother.
Priest Mehrid had been teaching Yi-han about the rules and history of the Order.
Truth be told, Yi-han wasnt all that interested in learning about the Orders history, but he was a pro when it came to listening in on boring stories.
Have I told you about that time when I was ying golf?
What happened, professor? Please, do tell!
It wasnt nearly as boring this time around.
Though the Orders history didnt pique his interest, its rules and the nature of its holy power fascinated him.
As Principal Skelly had said, the Order of Presinga was veryx with its rules and was fine with its followers joining other orders.
Nothing was explicitly forbidden, and they were allowed to live as they wished.
The only limitation was that they had to wear cursed artifacts.
Theres only one downside to this order. Unfortunately, its a big one.
Even he couldnt find it within himself to promote the Order of Presinga to others. The con was far too great to ignore!
Also, the holy magic that their priests used was of extreme nature
Afraid that Yi-han would have a change of heart after learning more about the order, Priest Mehrid gave him a generous gift.
Here, Brother. Take this. From what I heard, the new students of Einroguard are often starved, though I suspect the stories are a bit exaggerated
Trust me, they arent.
Yi-han epted a basket from the priest.
Much like the one that Yonaire had received from the Order of meng, his basket was also full of goodies. He could tell that it was their desperate attempt at not letting go of a new follower.
There were several bottles of jam, including raspberry jam, marmde jam, and peanut jam, as well as round tbreads that the Order had baked.
The basket also contained magically sealed cans of beef and pork that was popr within the Empire. It even had products such as salt, sugar, coffee powder, and tea leaves.
Priest Mehrid spoke with a kind voice.
Please drink them when you feel parched during your studies.
Rather than studies, we would need them more for survival
Pardon?
Nothing. Thank you for the gift.
Yi-han happily bowed his head to express his gratitude.
Priest Mehrid probably prepared these so that students like Yi-han could eat while they rest after a study session. However, considering the situation inside the academy, it would be better to save them for cases of emergencies.
For the students to live like humans, we need these orders to visit us frequently.
When is the next event going to be?
Who knows? Wed like to visit often, but we would need the principals approval
Tsk.
It was clear that the priests would not be visiting them again for a while.
Taking into ount the principals nasty personality, there was no way he would allow it.
Please take this as well.
?!
Tijiling, the devil mixed-blood priestess from the Tower of the Immortal Phoenix, handed her basket to Yi-han, surprising thetter greatly.
Whats this? Is she giving this away for free? Do I need to sign a contract with the devil if I take this?
Why are you giving me your basket?
Ive offered my body to the service of Lord Presinga. Such luxuries are wasted on me.
Tijiling, theres no need to do this. This basket was prepared for you, after all.
Priest Mehrid seemed to want Tijiling to ept the gift, but she was firm in her refusal.
Geez, I guess the Tower of the Immortal Phoenix really is different.
He belonged to the Blue Dragons, and the people there had alreadyid down their pride as nobles.
Hey, got anything to eat? Nothing? Really? Like really?
Theyd ask this sort of question to each other with bloodshot eyes
While the rest of the students were out scavenging for food, those at the Immortal Phoenix endured and tempered themselves.
Impressive!
However, though he was impressed, he had no intention of living like them.
Then Ill dly-
Um, Brother?
?
Priest Mehrid brought Yi-han to one corner of the tent.
Brother, can you look after Tijiling for me? With your impressive background, youll no doubt be a great help to her. As you can see, she is very strict with herself.
But we dont even belong in the same dorm
Please, Priest Mehrid offered him another basket as he said this.
This priest knows his stuff!
Here, Ill give you one more. As for the food in Tijilings basket, please have them together with her.
You can leave it to me.
In the end, Yi-han could only yield before the temptation of the three baskets.
After all, all he had to do was eat together
***
Can I call you Priestess Tijiling?
Yes, please call me whatever you want.
Hows it like at the Tower of the Immortal Phoenix?
Yi-han was curious. Unlike the White Tigers and the ck Tortoise, the situation over at the Immortal Phoenix remained a mystery to him.
The devil mixed-blood girl, however, didnt understand what he was asking.
Can you be a bit more specific?
You know, what do you do when you have free time and stuff?
We remain in our rooms and pray, Tijiling said proudly.
Yi-han, however, was horrified to hear this.
Hm, it sounds much more depressing than I thought.
If he had been assigned there, he wouldve felt suffocated.
Do you pray at night as well?
Yes. Some of us go outside as we have to pray in the mountains or forests. Others pray indoors.
I seewait, youre allowed to go outside at night?
Indeed. Weve received permission to do so.
!
This came as a great shock to Yi-han.
So priests and priestesses are allowed to roam around at night?
They were forbidden from leaving their dorms at night on weekdays. That was why he and his friends tried to escape on a weekend.
However, students of the Immortal Phoenix were an exception to this rule.
When he thought about it, it made sense. If he was in the principals shoes, he wouldve given them permission as well.
After all, they wouldnt cause trouble even if he left them alone
Then would I be able to roam around at night as well if I was wearing a priests uniform?
There was a strange glint in his eyes.
I just need their uniform!
Can you get me a set of priests uniforms?
Tijiling stared at Yi-han with narrowed eyes.
Chapter 31
Chapter 31
Could she have caught on to my bad intentions?
Yi-han was worried for a second, but fortunately, that wasnt the case.
Just so you know, wearing a priests uniform wont weaken the curse or make your faith stronger
Tijiling seemed to have misunderstood and thought Yi-han was under the wrong impression about their uniform.
Yeah, I know that. I just want it so that I can reflect on my past self for always wearing suchfortable clothes, consequently allowing myself to bezy.
Um, in that case, wont your current uniform suffice?
Tijiling pointed at the clothes he was wearing.
The uniforms that Principal Skelly had given them were rough and crudely made, so much so that it was questionable whether they could be regarded as uniforms in the first ce. They definitely werent soft orfortable like the clothes they used to wear.
However, Yi-han pushed on.
But I insist. I wish to temper myself so that I cane to understand Lord Presingas teachings a bit better.
In that case
After much consideration, Tijiling assented. As a devout follower, she was willing to ept the request.
Ill give it to you the next time we meet.
Great. Oh, and also, Priest Mehrid asked that I convince you to eat the food that we received.
Its fine.
Though her voice was soft, it was firm.
Im satisfied by the meal that the academy provides us.
Unfortunately, she was facing a former graduate student, and they never retreated after being turned down once.
If it was the professors orders, they would strive to make the impossible possible. Even though Priest Mehrid wasnt a professor, that wasnt going to stop Yi-han from trying his best.
But that would worry Priest Mehrid, and if you keep refusing, hes going to have trouble sleeping at night. How about this? Lets have our meals together. I wont force you to eat food that you dont wish to have. Well simply eat together so that we could lighten his worries.
His words made sense, and Tijiling thought for a while before finally nodding.
She didnt wish to worry Priest Mehrid any more than she already had.
Thats a good idea.
Right?
Yi-han grinned.
Once we start having our meals together, it wont be long until you start eating the food that I rmend.
A young girl that had grown up dedicating her life to the Order was no match for someone like him.
Something felt amiss, but Tijiling failed to realize the meaning behind his grin.
***
The weekend passed, and a new week began.
The students that had survived the brutal first week seemed to have somewhat matured.
Fufu. Still having trouble adapting to the academy? Personally, I feel right at home.
Looking back, it wasnt all that bad of a week. I dont think Ill have any trouble keeping up with sses either.
Having rested during the weekend, the students were once again overflowing with confidence, confidence which was unfounded.
Einroguard quickly put them back in their ce by revealing their true colors.
A young mage is standing on a vertex of a cube. He wishes to connect a magic circle with one that is on the vertex furthest away from him. Calcte the shortest distance between the two points.
P-professor? T-this isnt rted to magic at all
What a stupid question to be asking. To be a proper mage, simply swinging your staff around wont be enough. If you wish to cast higher-circle magic, youd need to knowplex theories and performplicated calctions. Geometry is central to learning magic. Without knowing geometry, you wont be able to draw magic circles well. Arithmetic is just as important. How are you going to draw magic circles when you dont even know where to distribute your mana?
B-but this
Young mages are most susceptible to being tricked into a contract by someone with greater intelligence. Hence, you must learn of the dangers of contracts. Not only that, you must be able to read between the lines and decipher hidden messages. Try solving this. There was once a foolish mage that liked to drink, and whenever he was drunk, he would do foolish things. One day, while he was in a drunken stupor, he summoned the devil and signed an unfair contract. The question is, will he be able to annul the contract once he bes sober You over there! The one thats sleeping. Are you not afraid of losing your soul to the devil? Wake up!
W-w-what! I wasnt sleeping, sir!
The mandatory sses that they didnt have to deal with in their first week were absolutely ruthless and left the students in a daze.
Who am I? Why am I here?
I dont think Im fit to learn magic
Here I was, thinking I had learned magic after swinging my staff a few times turns out Im worth less than the trash on the streets
By the end of ss, the students were left muttering to themselves, their confidence crushed.
Nevertheless, a few students managed to excel even in such a situation.
In governing and managing the Empires affairs, geometry and arithmetic are rudimentary knowledge that we must know, said Asan Dargard. His family members had served the Empire as its ministers and treasurers for generations.
There was also Princess Adenart, who was famously talented and had distinguished herself among the hundreds of children of the royal family.
You want to know how I solved it? Dude, you think thats whats important? We need to think of ways to escape!
Last but not least, Yi-han Wardanaz. His performance was blinding even within the Blue Dragons where all of the Empires greatest elites were gathered.
While everyone else was suffering, these three geniuses breezed through the mandatory courses without so much as batting an eye.
Never thought Id get to use the knowledge I learned in graduate school, Yi-han thought to himself.1Hope hes not talking about that geometry question earlier.
The people around him used to ask what was the point of studying so much.
Surprisingly, his effort had borne fruit, though it wasnt quite as he expected it to
Kukuku. Yi-han, look at those beggars from the White Tigers. Theyre a mess.
You arent doing any better
Gainando had been struggling in his sses, but he regained his spirit watching the White Tigers suffer, leaving Yi-han speechless.
What a consistent character!
Can you teach meter on? Yonaire asked carefully.
Though she belonged to the brighter end of the spectrum, she had failed to keep up with todays sses.
She would have to review what they learnedter on, and it would be of great help to have someone smart like Yi-han apanying her.
She had honestly been stunned by his performance in the sses.
Asan belonged to the Dargard Family, so it wasnt surprising that he excelled in these fields. As for Princess Adenart, she had proven herself countless times before. The fact that Yi-han could keep up with those two was totally unexpected.
Sure. I also have some questions about alchemy that Id like to ask you.
Yonaires face became bright when she heard this reply.
Since were knowledgable in different fields, helping each other out is a win-win situation.
Connections were quite important when it came to studying.
A peerless genius might not need the help of others to study, but Yi-han wasnt a genius. By building on each others strengths, they could establish a rtionship that was beneficial for both sides.
With that in mind, he didnt think it was a waste of time to teach Yonaire math and logic. In fact, he believed the pros outweighed the cons since he would be able to learn alchemy from her.
Hey, let me in as well!
There was a moment of hesitation. Helping Gainando definitely felt like a loss.
Sure.
What was that pause just now?
What pause? Anyway, we were wise not to join too many optional sses. Who wouldve thought the mandatory courses would be this hard?
Everyone nodded in agreement with Yi-hans words.
After their first week of ss, they had thought this isnt too bad, but such feelings were long gone.
In fact, they wished to withdraw from some of their optional sses.
This was when Yi-han carefully brought up an offer.
So anyone interested in joining Swordsmanship, Basic Stamina Training, or Basic Repetitive Training in Magic Combat?
Sorry, Ill pass.
Thanks, but no thanks.
I still think thats a terrible idea.
The students around him who had been listening to the conversation refused to budge an inch regarding this matter.
***
As students asionally gathered to discuss, so did the professors.
Uregor, the dwarven professor, was sipping on a warm cup of tea.
Ah~ as I thought, tea tastes great when you have someoneboring under you.
There was a dwarven saying which went like this: all things taste delicious when you have a skilled worker beneath you.
In that sense, Wardanaz was definitely a skilled worker. The tea tasted much better than when Uregor used to maintain the hut by himself.
This wasnt something anyone could achieve, all the more so since Yi-han came from a prestigious family within the Empire.
He was so talented in this regard, it was as if performing chores was in his nature!
If I may, principal.
Hm?
Have you found a professor to take over ?
The one who brought this up was Darcia Kim, the troll mixed-blood.
Hearing this question, Uregor became confused.
Isnt that Professor Bentozols ss?
Oh, you havent heard? Professor Bentozol went missing after he left in search of a unicorn. Since he hasnt returned yet, someone would have to take over his ss.
Worry not, for Ive already found a substitute.
Ohoas expected of the principal
Were in good hands indeed.
Principal Skelly seemed reliable in the eyes of the professors, and they nodded in approval.
Though he was at times obnoxious, he was one of the biggest reasons why this huge bundle of chaos known as Einroguard could continue functioning.
If not for him, there would be no one to take the helm and manage the academy.
So who is it? Uregor asked in wonder.
was a mandatory course. It would be embarrassing if the students couldnt mount a horse by the time they graduated from the academy. Also, the ss gave students an opportunity to familiarize themselves with all sorts of creatures.
For these reasons, the professor in charge of the ss had to be a skilled jockey and have a great understanding of various mountable creatures.
Bungaegor Choidal.
If its her, we can rest assured.
An excellent choice, sir.
All the professors other than Uregor were in agreement with this arrangement.
Bungaegor was a renowned dwarven adventurer, and she had explored various locations, both inside and outside the Empire.
Uregor, however, was very, very unhappy about this.
As it turned out, Bungaegor was his aunt from his mothers side.2Uregors Korean name is , which trantes to Thunder Step, and this rtive of his is , which trantes to Lightning Step. However, it would be weird to have names like that, so I decided to just trante them as they sound in Korean. The more precise trantion would be Bungaegorum, but I did away with the um at the end for Uregor because it sounded more natural than Uregorum, so for consistency, Ill be omitting the um at the end here as well.
Why her of all people!?
If you wish toin, do so to Bentozol who chased after a unicorn and disappeared. I didnt think hed go missing either. You should be d we found someone suitable on such short notice.
Urk
There was nothing Uregor could say to that.
If was as the principal had said. Finding a suitable professor wasnt an easy task.
But still
I dont want to cross paths with her.
Bungaegor was part of the reason why he disliked eastern dwarves. She was from that region, and every time they met, she would nag him to the point where his soul threatened to leave his body.
Do you still stay cooped up in that tiny chamber of yours, fiddling away with sks and potions?
You should respect your elders more.
You remember our neighbor Mushaedari? Hes already married and has kids!
Garcia tried tofort him.
Dont be too stressed about it. Youre not going to bump into each other that often.
Lets hope youre right
***
The students had been beaten ck and blue by the math andnguage courses all day long, but their expressions were rather bright.
And that was because of the ss they were having next.
!
Horsemanship was a discipline all nobles learned, a skill that all knights trained in, and a luxury that evenmoners could enjoy without much burden.
The Blue Dragons had gone around their territories on horseback ever since they were young. The White Tigers had run through mountains and fields on the back of their war horses. The ck Tortoise had traveled far distances in the Empire with but a single horse as theirpanion. All in all, the students were brimming with confidence.
Naturally, Yi-han also knew how to ride horses, so he wasnt too worried about the ss.
After the stickes the carrot, is it?
KURARARARARARARA!!!
?
??
?????
They heard the roar of what could only be described as a monster, and soon, something massive appeared in the sky above.
Before anyone could react, it swooped down and caught Gainando with its beak before flying away.
UWAAAAAAA!
Chapter 32
Chapter 32
It took Gainando!
Kyaaaa!
As a matter of course, the students fell into a panic. In broad daylight, a monster had appeared and kidnapped one of their friends. It was natural to be rmed.
However, for some reason, Yi-han remained cool-headed.
It seems like Im getting used to life in the academy.
He had experienced so many crazy things the past week. Hence, something at the level of Gainando being taken away by a monster no longer fazed him
Crouch! He screamed.
The students of the Blue Dragons that were beside him hurriedly lowered their postures.
KURARARARA!!
I-its back!
No!
One of the students that didnt follow Yi-hans order was taken away. This time, the student was a member of the White Tigers.
Seeing this, a certain hypothesis formed in his mind.
Could it be-!
With so many students present at the scene, there had to be a reason why certain students were being picked off.
Gainando had bright gold hair, and the student that was taken just now had silver hair.
Cover your head with your cape! It targets things that shine!
I-it targets bald people!?
Im talking about hair color, dimwit!
Those of the Blue Dragons were rattled for a moment after hearing this, but they didnt question Yi-hans words and took action faster than the students from the other towers.
Lo and behold, when theyy down on the ground with their capes over their heads, the monster immediately lost interest in them.
It worked!
Yi-han knew he had made the right call.
He was already aware of the fact that birds liked things that shined. However, he didnt think it would apply to monsters as well.
He offered a word of prayer to Gainando. Without his valiant sacrifice, Yi-han wouldnt have been able to figure it out.
Poke, poke.
?
While remaining crouched, he felt someone poking at him.
It turned out to be an unfamiliar elf, and based on her uniform, he concluded she was someone from the White Tigers.
The elf had long ck hair and lengthy ears. Her body seemed well-trained, which was typical of someone from a knights family. Everything about her screamed that she was an elf from the east.
Before Yi-han could say anything, people next to him reacted violently to the elfs gesture.
Someones trying to touch Wardanaz!
Rise up, my friends! A bumpkin from the White Tigers is provoking Wardanaz!
It was like a domino. One by one, the students of the Blue Dragons all responded in a simr fashion.
This left the female elf from the White Tigers greatly flustered.
I have nothing to do with the faction under the Moradi Family! Your Highness, please exin it to them!
Princess Adenart appeared between them, which startled Yi-han.
Is she an acquaintance of yours?
While remaining expressionless, Adenart nodded, giving the elf enough time to introduce herself.
Im Rowena, a knight that serves Her Highness.
You serve the princess? But youre not allowed to bring servants or guards into the Ah, I see.
Yi-han understood what was going on without needing an exnation. He was quick on the update, which came as a surprise to Rowena.
Bringing servants and guards into the academy was prohibited. However, all rules had loopholes. The academy couldnt prevent students from voluntarily serving someone after being admitted.
The princess had been famous within the Empire ever since she was young. As such, there were several freshmen that wished to serve her even before they entered the academy.
She also had followers in the alchemy ss.
The students from the other towers feared him, yet they showed no resistance gathering around the princess. The only way to exin this was if they were acquainted prior to entering.
I suddenly feel sorry for Gainando
Yi-han pitied Gainando, who was probably up in the air somewhere.
Simply by standing there, people from all over the ce would flock to the princess and pledge their allegiance. Gainando, on the other hand
They were both from the royal family, yet their treatment was vastly different.
Okay, so youre a knight that serves the princess. But what business do you have with me?
Weve turned its attention away from us for the time being, but theres no telling when the monster will return. Id like to request Mr. Wardanaz to takemand of the situation and stop the monster.
??
Yi-han questioned what he just heard.
Takemand? Of whom?
Were there some undead troops under him that he had no knowledge of?
Surprisingly, he wasnt that far off the mark.
The members of the Blue Dragons took a step forward while rubbing their noses.
Heh. Wardanaz, were yours tomand.
We trust you, Wardanaz. Im sure youll make a brilliantmander.
Yi-han became dumbfounded.
Before he knew it, he had be the de facto ss president of the Blue Dragons.
Based on past experience, its never a good thing to assume a leadership position
As taken aback as he was, this wasnt the time to be mulling.
In the end, he nodded and gave out instructions as they appeared in his mind.
***
Rowena observed Yi-hans movement, curiosity apparent in her eyes.
She wasnt the only one in this batch of neers that served Adenart. Students from other towers served her as well.
It wasnt simply because she was a member of the royal family, neither was it because of the wealth and authority behind her mothers household.
Some of them were from different races and belonged to different social circles. However, they all came together around Adenart because of her talent.
Rowena had naturally assumed that Adenart would emerge as the leader within the Blue Dragons.
However, against all odds, Adenart had been pushed aside from that position, and it was all because of this boy from the Wardanaz Family.
How is this possible!?
How did this happen?
Granted, Adenart wasnt the most sociable person out there.
She was quiet, not to mention she always wore a cold expression. Just by being around her, they could feel something pressing down on them.
However, her followers didnt think it would be that big of a problem. After all, before her overwhelming talent, everything else would be meaningless.
She was a genius in every field, and they thought even the prideful students of the Blue Dragons would have to acknowledge her
Not to mention, the Wardanaz Family wasnt a friendly bunch either. While they were one of the most prominent families of mages, there were many scary rumors surrounding them.
Adenarts followers had a hard time believing that a boy from such a family could lead the Blue Dragons.
Just how did he do it?
We might be able to learn of his secrets.
While protecting Adenart, Rowena closely observed Yi-hans every move.
She had requested Yi-hans assistance as she had no other choice.
If Rowena or Adenart tried to lead them, the prideful Blue Dragons would refuse to follow their orders.
Honestly, it was infuriating. She was certain that Adenart could lead the Blue Dragons just as well as Yi-han if she could figure out the secrets to his charisma.
Ill take this chance to unveil his secrets and advise Her Highness!
Rowena wouldve never imagined that Yi-han had won over the Blue Dragons by feeding them.
***
Sure I tookmand, but theres nothing much we can do in the first ce.
They were facing an aerial monster. Without bows or catapults, they could do little against it.
In that case
Since its just a beast, well scare it away.
Fortunately, he was able to think of some ideas.
Stand in one line and form a wall!
The students immediately followed his orders and formed a temporary wall.
Yi-han crouched down behind them and hid himself to maximize the effect of their ambush.
Itsing!
The moment the monster tried to swoop down again, Yi-han cast his spell.
Light!
Although was the simplest 1st circle spell, its effect depended greatly on how it was used.
A ball of light that shone brilliantly like the sun rose up into the air.
Stunned, the monster screeched before turning in its direction.
KURARARARA!!!
Yi-han had been hiding behind the wall, and his magic had been so sudden that the monster was taken by surprise.
Easy! Easy does it! Turn!
What the-?
Just as he thought the situation would be wrapped up with the monster fleeing, he suddenly heard someones voice from atop the monster.
Yi-han had a sneaking suspicion as to who it was.
Is it a professor? No, it has to be. After all, there isnt a single normal professor in this academy!
He had no evidence to speak of, but he knew that the monster was being led around by a professor.
This damn academy!
Under the influence of the professor, the monster that had been scared regained its calm and turned around.
KURARARA!!
The monster seemed embarrassed by the fact that it had almost been scared away by a harmless ball of light. It pped its beak to express its anger.
This time around, it came straight up Yi-han, knowing who wasmanding the students at the scene.
Not good! Wardanaz, watch out!
Rowena, who had been monitoring the situation, screamed in terror.
Yi-hans strategy had been effective.
He had almost managed to drive the monster away by frightening it.
However, as things stood, they had to flee.
What is she saying?
Does she know who shes speaking to?
Students of the White Tigers stared at Rowena in disbelief.
Rowena, who hadnt attended the swordsmanship lesson, had no idea that the boy from the Wardanaz Family had more than enough ability to protect himself.
However, Yi-han didnt dodge the attack. Instead, with that sculpture-like face of his, he raised his staff.
Move!
When he finished his chant, stones rose up in the air.
It was just a 1st circle magic, but to the students watching, Yi-han seemed like a grand magus.
***
Please dont friendly-fire. Please dont friendly-fire.
He didnt know that many spells, to begin with. Since had failed, he had resorted to using .
The problem was
After levitating the stones, he couldnt maintain them for long, and they would shoot out like arrows.
Aiming? There was none of that. He just had to hope Lady Luck was on his side.
If he could aim properly, he wouldve used this spell from the beginning.
WARDANAZ! WARDANAZ! WARDANAZ!
WARDANAZ! WARDANAZ! WARDANAZ!
The Blue Dragons, who didnt know what he was going through, chanted his name like crazy. Even some students from the other towers were chanting along.
Ping!
The stones shot forth
!!
and they missed the monsters beaks by a hairs breadth.
Fuck!
Inside, Yi-han heaved a deep sigh.
To be honest, he couldntin. He was grateful the stones even flew in that direction.
KURARA!
However, his attack was unexpectedly effective.
Shaken by the stones that had just narrowly missed its beaks, the monster stopped in its tracks and made a turn.
UWAAAAAA!!
WARDANAZ! WARDANAZ!
A group of students from the White Tigers stared at Yi-han with a mix of fear and anger in their eyes.
They had no choice but to admit that Wardanaz was in a different league.
They were struggling to cast , yet he was using a spell that could control rocks inbat
Learning a spell was one thing, using it in battle was another. Thetter was much, much harder to achieve.
In a chaotic battlefield where blood sttered and weapons shed, one could lose focus and fail on a spell that they had practiced countless times before.
And yet Wardanaz had managed to pull it off
Hes a monster!
Hm? It worked?
Though the others were in awe, Yi-han was bewildered.
The projectiles had missed. Did the monster get scared by that?
I guess I was lucky.
Easy! Easy! Thats it. Good boy!
Once again, they heard the professors voice from atop the monster. Soon, theynded while kicking up dust.
Dump!
Before getting off, the professor threw out the students that had previously been taken away one by one.
Gainando had fainted while foaming at the mouth.
Ttak!
The professor gracefullynded on the ground.
She was wearing a leather jacket and pants, and she had pilots goggles that emitted mana, which meant it was probably an artifact. One look was enough to tell that the dwarf was an adventurer.
However, that wasnt what was on Yi-hans mind.
For some reason, the dwarf looked familiar.
Could she be a rtive of Uregor?
No, just because all dwarves look the same in my eyes, I shouldnt assume theyre all rted by blood. It isnt good to have prejudice.
Ttak-
The dwarf walked near Yi-han and grabbed his cor.
With a bright voice, she said
Youve got talent!
Is that you, Uregor?
Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Maam, are you acquainted with Professor Uregor?
Oh, howd you know? Im Bungaegor, his aunt.
Wait, for real? Shes actually his rtive?
Yi-han had dismissed the idea that all dwarves that looked the same were rted by blood, but it turned out his initial guess had been correct.
Whats your rtionship with Uregor? the dwarf asked while pulling up her goggles.
Yi-han knew by instinct that something bad was about to happen.
It wasnt good to have ones name and face remembered by a professor, be it on Earth or in this world.
After all, he might be forced to enter graduate school just like in his previous life
Im not that familiar with-
Wardanaz is Professor Uregors disciple!
Yeah! Hes received the professors approval! Hes even allowed to visit the professors hut!
..
Yi-han looked to his back and saw his friends from the Blue Dragons winking at him, proud of a job well done.
Those of the Blue Dragons were more than happy to praise Yi-han who was their acting leader.
Stop it, you immature brats! You arent helping anybody!
Yi-hanshed out at them in his mind. However, the Blue Dragons were oblivious to his feelings and seemed pleased with themselves.
That so! If youre his disciple, you might as well be mine as well!
See, I wouldnt consider myself his disciple
He even allowed you to enter his hut, eh? You mustve really gained his approval!
Yeah, thats right
Yi-han threw up the white g, deciding it was better to leave a good impression on the professor.
***
After dismounting, Professor Bungaegor approached the students and shouted in a loud, resounding voice.
ATTENTION!
Um, professor? Some students are still passed out
Leave them be! Theyll wake up very soon!
Though she said this with a clear voice that left no room for arguments, from a medical standpoint, what she said wasplete bullshit.
My name is Bungaegor Choidal, and Ill be teaching you students this semester. It was originally supposed to be Professor Bentozol teaching you guys, but he went missing trying to find a unicorn. Thats why Im standing in for him.
Why is no one surprised that a professor went missing while searching for unicorns?
Rather than the missing Professor Bentozol, the students were more focused on the name of the professor before them.
Bungaegor? That exulted adventurer?
The Bungaegor that subdued a behemoth and turned it into her mount?!
The one who explored Spirits Crater that no one was able to step their foot into?!
Hmm, I shouldve also paid some attention to newspaper columns that arent about the Empires economy.
Yi-han couldnt join in on their conversation, leaving him feeling excluded.
Apparently, she was a famous adventurer. Several students stared at Bungaegor with reverence in their eyes.
Now, can anyone guess why I made my appearance on a Thunder Bird?
!
Thunder Birds were monsters that even Yi-han had heard about.
Not only were they massive, but they also disyed fast, violent movements. Furthermore, they had the ability to unleash thunderbolts and whirlwinds on their opponents. To people flying in the skies or climbing tall mountains, they were a nightmare to face.
The students shivered knowing what kind of monster they had been up against.
The Empire should really investigate the academy at least once.
While Yi-han was grumbling in his mind, a student raised his hand to answer the question.
Is our goal for this semester to ride a Thunder Bird? To help us get familiarized with them-
Incorrect! Uahahaha! What a load of baloney. If you wish to ride a Thunder Bird, youll need more than a decades worth of practice!
Bungaegor let out a huge bellow ofughter, finding the answer ridiculous.
The student that had spoken up just now awkwardly took a step back.
Right. Most of the people here havent taken the alchemy ss.
Unlike the ss they were in right now which was mandatory, alchemy was an optional course. In other words, the vast majority of the students present had no idea how the dwarves of the -egor family taught their lessons.
Was it because you had to travel long distances in a short amount of time?
Wrong. If that was the case, I wouldvee riding a Sleipnir. Wardanaz! What do you think?
..
Thest thing he wanted was attention, but the dwarven professors seemed adamant about picking on him.
Without a choice, he gave his answer while maintaining his expression.
You wished to observe how we would react when suddenly confronted by dangerous monsters like the Thunder Bird.
Some of the students around him burst out inughter at his answer.
was supposed to be about going around the campus on beautiful horses. This wasnt an course. Why in the world would the professor-
Attaboy! Uregors got good eyes!
Well fuck this.
Yi-han didnt think hed hit the target.
Giving up, he shook his head.
Since he had ties with Professor Uregor, he was bound to encounter Professor Bungaegor as well. With how things stood, he decided it was better to get on her good side.
It was never a good idea to get in the eyes of a professor, but it was much worse to offend one.
Better be loved than hated
P-Professor? Arent we riding horses in this ss?
Y-yeah, why do we have to learn how to avoid Thunder Birds?
Some of the slower ones had yet to understand the situation.
What happened to the horses? Why did they have to know how to escape from Thunder Birds?
Of course you have to! What are you going to do if theye after you while youre on horseback?
Bungaegor responded fiercely as if they were being stupid, which made the students that asked the questions a bit more despondent.
But Thunder Birds are rare monsters that only appear high up in the mountains or in the skies
Yi-han, however, was wise enough to not say this out loud. A student had to watch their mouth in front of their professors.
Worry not, for youll have plenty of opportunities to ride the horses that you love so much. Wardanaz,e to the front of the ss. Youll be my assistant.
Yi-han did as he was told under the jealous and admiring eyes of the other students. He cared not about the students that admired him, but he had the strong urge to beat the hell out of those that looked at him with jealousy.
Whats there to even be jealous of
Horses are the most basic type of mount inside the Empire. If you cant ride one, you have no right to travel. To ride something more difficult, you must at least know how to ride a horse well.
Most people seemed bored listening to Professor Bungaegors speech as there were more students present that knew how to ride a horse than those that didnt.
Though the reasons varied, they had already covered far distances on horseback.
What more is there to learn? they wondered.
Professor Bungaegor, however, wasnt angered by their attitude. Instead, she revealed a kind smile.
Shiver!
This
There was something ominous about her smile.
Theres more to this ss than meets the eye!
That much was clear.
This darn academy wasnt giving them any breathing space; even their mounting ss wasnt normal!
To the stables we go!
The stable which was located near the academys main building was a wide and neatly-kept facility.
It stood at around three stories tall, and from the outside, its appearance resembled a storage room.
Its doors creaked open when the professor approached, almost as if the facility was alive.
A spell has been cast on it.
Yi-han could feel the fluctuationing from the stable.
It made sense that there was magic protecting it. After all, the horses inside were probably unlike the ones found outside.
Wow!
My!
The students all eximed in surprise.
The horses on either side of the stable were more than enough to arouse the interest of the young students.
White, ck, brown, gold. There were horses of various colors, and all it took was a nce to know that they belonged to a good breed of horses.
Sufficed to say, the students eyes brightened knowing they could ride such fine horses.
Yi-han, however, wasnt so naive.
Be careful, he whispered to Yonaire who was beside him.
Of what??
Think back to the alchemy ss. Professor Bungaegor and Professor Uregor are rted by blood. Do you think shed be so kind? This has got to be a trap.
!
A look of realization dawned on her face, and Yonaire hurriedly nodded.
Professor Bungaegor stroked her beard as she smiled. Soon, she turned to Yi-han and spoke.
Since youll be helping me out from now on, Ill give you the chance to select your horse first.
Several people clicked their tongues in jealousy.
They could endure the professor ying favorites, but letting Yi-han pick his horse first? That was something different.
The horse he picked would be his partner for the entire semester. This was no different from gifting him the best horse.
or so theyd think. Idiots. Idiots everywhere.
Yi-han clearly remembered Professor Bungaegors smile.
Thank you, but Ill chooseter. Please let the others go first as it wouldnt be fair otherwise.
Wardanaz!
Such generosity!
Those from the same dorm as him were deeply moved.
They had all been eyeing the chance to go first, and yet Wardanaz had taken a step back for them.
Only a true noble could show such grace to others!
Then how should we do this?
Students in each tower will draw lots to decide who gets to go first. Theyll then send people out one at a time, and if two people from different towers wish for the same horse, theyll draw lots once more.
Lets go with that then.
The students split up and formed a line representing each tower.
When the Blue Dragons proceeded to draw lots, Gainando eventually came out on top.
Woooo yeah baby!
Gainando was delighted by the result. It felt as if he was being rewarded for being taken away by the Thunder Bird earlier.
The rest of the Blue Dragons, on the other hand, didnt bother to hide their disappointment.
Why him?
We shouldve just had Wardanaz go first.
Hmph. Bark all you want.
Gainando ignored theirments.
Does Gainando know how to differentiate good horses from bad ones? Yi-han asked Yonaire in a whisper.
Imnot so certain. But Im pretty sure he doesnt.
Gainando stepped forward with a confident stride and chose a white horse which was the biggest and seemed to have the nastiest personality.
The students from the other towers gawked at him, taking a few moments to process his decision.
When it came to choosing horses, size wasnt everything.
Furthermore, since they had to get close to them in order to tame them, it was silly to choose a horse with a nasty personality. Problems were bound to arise while he was on its back
Pow!
Ah!
Wabam!
Ugh!!
Ptui!
Uaaa!
?!
The students watching were all shocked. Not only had Gainando been headbutted into oblivion, but the others that went first had also been kicked or spat on as well.
These horses why were they so fierce?
Puleuleuleuleung!
Puleleung! Puheung! Puhuhuhueng!
The horses that had remained behaved until now started neighing in unison, ring at the students as if they were their greatest enemies.
Their savage nature had finally been unveiled.
Ahahahahaha! What did I tell you? You must learn how to ride horses well. Your first assignment isnt getting on the horses back. Its to get close to them. Did you seriously think Id let greenhorns like you choose a horse?
W-what in the world
This is going too far!
Those that hadnt experienced Professor Uregors ss were immensely disappointed, with some even starting to sob. However, Bungaegor didnt stopughing.
Who knows? If you look after them day and night, one of the kind-hearted ones might open up to you. Thats your goal for the moment. One is enough! Get close to one of them!
..
I bet these arent your run-of-the-mill horses.
Yi-han was certain about this. The horses here werent normal.
He refused to believe that horses with such shitty personalities existed in the wild
Ttak-
Just as he was wondering which horse he should target, Professor Bungaegor patted him on the shoulder with herrge paws.
?
Oh, and by the way. Wardanaz, Ill be selecting the horse for you.
.
Must you?
Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Cant be having Uregors disciple riding a regr horse, now, can we?
Im honored.
Yi-han had to make a conscious effort to maintain his expression. Though he didnt want to receive special treatment, he couldnt let the professor know of his dissatisfaction.
At times, an angry professor would show you hell which even a demon couldnt.
Bungaegor took a few steps before stopping before one of the horses.
It was a beautiful white horse that was neither too big nor too small, with a great physique and lean muscles.
The horse stared intently at Yi-han before blinking its eyes. There wasnt any trace of violence like the other horses.
If Yi-han had been a few years younger, he mightve mistakenly believed that the professor had gifted him a nice horse.
However, he was someone that had gone to hell and back. He wasnt so naive as to get tricked that easily.
Could it be a devil in disguise?
There had to be something more to this white horse!
This horses a steal, I tell you. Although its hard to please and has the roughest personality out of all the horses in this stable, as long as you manage to tame it, youll be able to handle other monsters with ease, said Bungaegor in a good mood. Granted, it might be a bit too difficult for a first-year student.
In that case-
But since you were able to deal with the Thunder Bird in such a ster fashion, Im sure youll be just fine! I trust you, Wardanaz!
Well, damn.
The difficulty had gone up because of his excellent performance!
This is unreasonable
While Yi-han and Bungaegor were exchanging dialogue, the other students approached the horses and struck up a conversation, not willing to give up.
Whos a good boy? Whos a Ahh! Its biting me!
Stop spitting, will ya!? Stop spitting!
Whys it headbutting me!?
But things werent going smoothly for them.
Witnessing the mayhem, Nilia carefully suggested a different method.
How about getting to know them first?
Thats what were trying to do!
We shouldnt try to touch them from the get-go. Instead, we can brush them in the morning, clean their stables, and feed them
Nilia believed there was nothing wrong with what she said.
When she was part of the , such things weremonce, especially when they had to tame wild animals.
Without showing diligence and sincerity, it was impossible to have the other party open up to them.
What? But thats such a drag
You mean we have to wake up early and visit the stables every morning?
?!
However, the other students werent too keen on the idea.
Not to mention the other towers, even within the ck Tortoise, most of the students came from wealthy households.
Looking after horses was a job for the ves and servants. Why would they do it themselves?
Is there something wrong with their heads!? Were in the academy right now!
Nilia barely managed to stop herself from shouting that out loud. Even if she was right, shed be treated as an odd one out. It was better to just remain silent and suffer alone.
Im doing it even if the others dont. Once they see how close Ive gotten to one of the horses, theyll surely reconsider.
Her ears were drooping down, and she felt like sulking.
Just then, Yi-han and Yonaire approached her.
Nilia, have you selected a horse that you like?
Were nning on visiting them every morning. Wanna join us?
Yeah!!
With tears in the corners of her eyes, she hugged the two. Though they belonged to a different tower, they were her true friends.
Unsurprisingly, Yi-han and Yonaire were baffled by the sudden hug.
Whats wrong with her?
Who knows
***
After the ss ended, Yi-han visited Uregors hut with Bungaegor. More precisely, he was dragged along as he couldnt refuse the professors order.
Oh, youre herewait.
Professor Uregor became pale upon seeing his elder, his eyes bing wide open and shaking uncontrobly. Yi-han caught the transformation in 4K.
Whyre you here?
Do I need a reason to visit my nephew? Move aside. Goodness, gracious! Look at you, youre rotting away in this tiny hut of yours. And its not even clean! All this dust!
I-Its not that bad, Uregor protested weakly.
He was telling the truth. The hut had be much tidier thanks to Yi-hans regr visits.
You call this not that bad!? You havent cleaned this ce at all! Also, its fine to immerse yourself in alchemy, but isnt it about time you marry and start a family? Youre still a bachelor at this age! Your elders are bing worried
.
Uregor looked over at Yi-han, pleading for help. Seeing how desperate he was, Yi-han lent him a helping hand.
Um, professor? Should I prepare a meal?
Oh, right. We cant have our disciple starve to death. Make yourself at home. Uregor, since youre terrible at cooking, Ill be borrowing your kitchen. Ill prepare a delicious meal, eastern-style.
But Im not fond of eastern cuisine
You said something?
No.
Uregor quickly shut his mouth and stopped grumbling. He turned toward Yi-han, speaking to him with anguish in his eyes.
How were you these past few days?
He was clearly trying to change the topic of their conversation.
Yi-han took a second to consider what he should say.
Should I tell them about how I joined the Order of Presinga?
Hold on, that staff
Uregor finally noticed Yi-hans new staff.
Whered you get that from?
Oh, this?
Yi-han fell silent for a brief moment before answering with yet another question.
Promise to keep it a secret?
..
This was an unexpected turn of events for Uregor. He brought up the staff just to change the subject of their conversation.
But from Yi-hans behavior, he deduced there was something more to the staff than he initially thought
Of course.
Boy, our family has a tight lip.
Bungaegor had been cutting ingredients and cooking, but she soon joined them after washing her hands.
Whatever secret you share on a dinner table, itll remain a secret. By the way, arent there any other ingredients besides bread and meat?
Aunt, I dont need you telling me what to eat!
Thats why youre not as healthy as before! For us dwarves, the eastern diet is the best. Instead of wheat, you should be having rice. Just you wait, Ill make a delicious jjigae.
Sadness returned to Uregor. The dwarven professor once again changed the topic by speaking to Yi-han.
So, the staff. Whered you get it? I can feel a certain life forceing from it
Yi-han briefly summarized the events of that night, trimming a few details here and there.
I was having ate night walk in the mountains when I stumbled across a talking oak tree
You were having ate night walk deep in the mountains???
Yup. Nothing beats a walk in a dark and silent mountain.
.
.
Uregor and Bungaegor stared at Yi-han in disbelief. However, Yi-han didnt budge one bit.
So he tried to escape.
Another escapee.
There was no other reason for a first-year student to enter the mountains in the dead of the night during the weekend.
Wait, did you just mention a talking oak tree? Did you perhaps solve its riddle?
I did. Howd you know?
Its famous around here so that staff must be from the oak tree.
Uregor nodded as he looked at the staff in interest.
The talking oak trees were a bothersome bunch, having rather strict personalities, but their vision and wisdom werent something to be looked down upon.
The staff in Yi-hans hands was overflowing with life force, presumably from the tree spirit. It was certainly not an ordinary staff.
What effects does it have? Yi-han asked expectantly.
He was human too, and he couldnt help but grow curious. After all, the talking oak tree had spoken like the staff was a big deal
Its great for farming, said Bungaegor.
She brought the steaming hot pork kimchi jjigae and ced it on the wooden table.
The jjigae contained several seasonings, a generous quantity of pork, and ripe kimchi that had been stir-fried. The familiar aroma that came from the jjigae made Yi-hans heart race.
As a former Korean, eastern dishes which bore a close resemnce to Korean food were right down his alley.
Inparison, Uregors expression was grim.
The jjigae was ming red and contained green onions and red peppers. One nce was all he needed to know that it would be spicy.
What is she thinking, cooking something so spicy for my disciple
Thanks for the meal!
?!
Yi-han scooped up arge serving of rice and put it in his bowl of jjigae, eating it heartily afterwards.
This came as a great shock to Uregor.
Hes got no problem with it!?
Isnt it spicy? Does he enjoy spicy food?
Bravo. As expected of Uregors disciple. You even know how to eat jjigae properly.
Bungaegor was satisfied by the sight of Yi-han howling down the food.
With the Empire being so huge, there were quite a lot of people that didnt know how to eat dishes that came from other regions.
Compared to them, Yi-han was much more pleasant to the eyes.
Any elderly dwarf would apud seeing how he chowed down the meal!
Why cant you be like him, huh? Now eat!
Y-yes, maam!
Uregor, on the other hand, was a slow eater.
While the human-dwarf duo ate their meals, Bungaegor continued with what she was saying previously.
Since theres a tree spirit dwelling inside that staff, its very useful for growing crops. One might even say the staff is alive! Its an extremely rare item, and precious too.
Umare there any other effects?
No idea. What I just said is only the mostmon effect that such staffs have.
Of course, there was nothing bad about growing crops, but it was far from what he had been expecting.
So its for agricultural use?
He didnt expect to be invincible or learn magic in his sleep, but something that helped him control his mana wouldve been nice
Hey, nice timing. You n on starting your own vegetable garden, right?
Yeah.
A vegetable garden?
Bungaegor grew curious about Uregor and Yi-hans conversation.
I thought you were from the Wardanaz Family?
Hes a bit special.
I can see. So, what do you n on doing with it?
This and that. Anything edible, really.
Hes interested in eastern cuisine, so hes nning on growing cabbages and green onions.
Is that so?
Bungaegor was happy to hear this. She began looking forward to how it would work out.
I can help you if you wish.
Really?
Yeah, Ive some experience with gardening.
Yi-han and Bungaegor walked out of the hut together.
Behind the hut, a separate space had been prepared for Yi-han to start his garden. He had ploughed the soil regrly, so it was in good condition, and he could nt the seeds whenever he wanted.
You should start with crops that take some time to grow. Potatoes and sweet potatoes would be nice.
Bungaegor was aware of the predicaments new students had to face when they first entered the academy. Potatoes and sweet potatoes were great ways to satiate their hunger.
Theyll take at least two months to grow, but you wont regret it.
Youre right, professor.
Yi-han agreed with Bungaegors opinion and started nting the seeds starting from one corner of his garden.
Is he really a Wardanaz?
Bungaegor was slightly taken aback seeing him get to work.
Anyone with some experience working in the field would be equally amazed. After all, Yi-han went about in the fields like a seasoned farmer, working tirelessly.
Is he really from the Wardanaz Family? Like, really?
***
?
Uregor, who stepped out of his hut sometimeter, noticed something peculiar.
Did you nt these during the weekend?
No? I nted them just now.
Yeah?
Uregor cocked his head in confusion.
Just now?
Then howe theyve already sprouted?
Chapter 35
Chapter 35
By the way, what kind of riddles did the talking oak tree give you? Bungaegor asked curiously.
Uhthey were kind of weird.
Leaving aside the second riddle which was about shadows, the one involving the dwarf and his candles was pure bs.
Well, they do give some pretty wacky riddles.
Bungaegor nodded in understanding.
The talking oak trees were famous for giving strange riddles that made mages second guess themselves.
Since the oak trees looked profound, inexperienced mages would often make the mistake of trying to uncover the mysteries behind their riddles. However, what they didnt know was that these talking trees were just corny spirits that liked giving corny riddles.
Is that so?
Yes. At the end of the day, most things in life turn out to be nothing special once the truth is brought to light.
Yi-han was dumbfounded by Bungaegors exnation.
Then was the question about the goblins joining the orcs party just another one of their corny riddles?
Dang it. Shouldve known that something was fishy after hearing the first riddle.
The riddles were
One by one, Yi-han revealed the riddles that the oak tree presented to them.
Orcs from several different tribes gathered for a feast. The naughty goblins were able to join them in their festivities. How did they manage to do this?
Simple. The goblins disguised themselves as orcs.
Pardon?
You shouldnt think too deeply about their riddles. The first thing thates to your mind is most likely the answer. Goblins could easily trick the orcs and disguise themselves.
.
Though he was at a loss for words, Yi-han turned his attention back to the answer.
The riddle was as ridiculous as it could get, but it contained some truth.
The oak tree had said that it would be the hint to escaping the academy, which meant there had to be a hidden message somewhere.
Soit was trying to tell me to disguise myself?
One would wonder if it was really that simple. However, that seemed to be the most obvious answer that got to the crux of the matter.
The magic academy wasnt apletely isted space. After all, priests from various religious orders had been allowed to enter.
Not to mention the supplies.
Ingredients, reagents, and materials that they needed had to be brought in from outside, and the workers that brought them in were probably regr people that didnt know any magic.
That meant there had to be a way for the students to leave the academy without using any spells!
Yi-han clenched his fists.
In the midst of darkness prepared by the principal, a single ray of hope had shone through.
?
Bungaegor stared at Yi-hans face with great interest. It seemed the boy had been enlightened just now.
Hmm? What kind of epiphany could he have possibly gained from the oak trees corny riddle?
Previously, shed been surprised by how well he performed on the field, but apparently, this boy from the Wardanaz Family was a gift that kept on giving. She could observe him all day long without ever getting bored.
***
When Yi-han was done tending to his garden, Professor Bungaegor brought with her several chickens and eggs, giving them to him as a gift.
Uregor had a look of dismay on his face as he knew whose pen those chickens and eggs came from.
Treat them well, Wardanaz. If you do, youll no doubt be rewarded in the future.
Thank you. Ill dly take them.
For the first-year students who were in the midst of their growth spurt, eggs were a delicacy that would drive them crazy.
In other words, if he brought the eggs back to the dormitory, he could reign as king.
Take this as well. Oh, and a bit of these.
Eager to pamper this new disciple of hers, Bungaegor began filling a basket full of goods.
Starting with some freshly harvested eggs, she put in cabbages, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, butter, cheese, and a nice chunk of venison.
The more the basket was filled, the deeper Uregors frown became. However, Yi-han pretended like he couldnt see his professors look of sadness.
Well then, Wardanaz, until next time.
Im loaded all of a sudden.
The meal with the dwarves had been hectic, but he had gained a lot.
The secret to his staff and a hint to escaping the academy. As a cherry on top, he had received a ton of food, which was great since his supply was slowly running out.
How did the first-years before us survive?
Yi-han was working under a professor and receiving food in exchange for work, but their seniors probably didnt have such an opportunity.
Did they endure while starving?
Wardanaz!
Wardanaz is here!
The students of the Blue Dragons were in the first years resting lounge, clearly hungry and tired.
They had been ying chess and cards to ward off the hunger, but upon seeing Yi-han, they became excited.
Their excitement was doubled when they saw the basket he was carrying.
Wardanaz, my good friend!
Wardanaz, the most honorable family in the Empire!
Its not my ce to say this, but wheres their dignity as nobles of prestigious households?
However, he understood why they behaved this way.
All were equal before hunger. There was no difference between royalties and beggars in this regard.
The story of Yi-hans return quickly spread, and the remaining students of the Blue Dragons scurried out of their rooms to gather before him. They were like baby birds waiting to be fed by their mother.
It seems everyone is hungry. Hold on a moment.
With the vegetables and meat that he received from Bungaegor, he should be able to prepare some nice soup, enough to feed all the students that had gathered here.
Yi-han ced a huge pot over the fire in the firece, adding venison and onions before stir-frying them.
Next came the vegetables. He skillfully added water, tomatoes, and potatoes into the pot and seasoned it with salt and pepper.
Though salt and pepper were condiments that could be easily acquired outside, they were worth their weight in gold to the first-years.
The tomatoes gradually gave the soup its color, and as the soup boiled, the students started giving Yi-han puppy eyes.
Its done boiling, right? We can have them, right?
However, Yi-han firmly stopped them.
Up next, cabbages.
He added cabbages and some butter. Then, he saw to it that it was well-seasoned.
He cooked in a solemn manner, looking like an experienced alchemist at work.
Before anyone knew it, the Blue Dragons had begun tidying their appearance, politely waiting for their soup.
Its done now. Bring me the bowls.
Sir, yes, sir!
Whats with the honorifics?
Though he was confused, Yi-han began handing out generous servings of soup.
Yonaire, who had heard the rumours, ran over with a quill in hand, ready to fill up the ount book.
The Kilenens, eight silver pieces Gainando, eleven silver pieces
Wardanaz, isnt one silver coin too little?
Yeah, you should really ask us for more. Youre being paid too little for your effort.
The students had no sense of money as they all came from wealthy and powerful families.
Hearing what they said, Yonaire and Yi-han heaved a sigh ofment.
How are they going to survive once they be independent?
Um, Wardanaz
?
Can you share some with Her Highness?
A few students carefully asked. They looked to be followers of Adenart.
Yi-hans expression became slightly cloudy.
I-If you dont want to, we cant force you, but
I know youre close to His Highness Gainando, but its not like theyre in a conflict. We just want Her Highness to have something nice to eat as well
Huh?
They seemed to be misunderstanding something.
He wasnt hesitating about sharing food with the princess because of Gainando. It was simply because he didnt want to give out food for free.
You guys are mistaken. I wont withhold food from the princess just because of Gainando. Im not so petty.
Wardanaz!
He lives up to his name!
The students were overjoyed to hear this. Now that they were in a good mood, he decided it was time to strike.
But whos going to pay? The princess?
Well pay for her! Well each pay double!
Thank you, Wardanaz!
Wait are you sure thats alright? (Have too much money to use, is that it?)
This is nothingpared to the kindness that youre showing, Wardanaz.
Were really grateful. We thought youd refuse, with your connection to His Highness and whatnot.
The students seemed genuinely grateful, which came as a great surprise to Yi-han.
He was surprised that they were willing to pay for the princess, that they were willing to pay double the price, and that they thought so highly of Gainando.
In reality, Gainandos got virtually no political influence as a royal to form a faction of his own.
There was a lot of misunderstanding between the two parties, but Yi-han decided it would be in his best interest to remain silent.
Members of the royal family should take care of each other. Thats whats best for the Empire, after all.
Wardanaz!
What a great guy!
***
Yi-han brought a bowl of soup to Adenarts room and knocked. After a few seconds, she appeared at the door.
?
Adenart raised her eyebrow, asking why he was there.
In response, Yi-han gave her the bowl of soup.
I made it in the resting lounge. Please, have some.
Adenart seemed hesitant to receive the soup, questioning his motive.
Having heard of the misunderstanding surrounding Gainando, Yi-han decided to clear things up.
Your Highness can rest assured. The others downstairs have had a serving as well.
More specifically, the others had paid for a serving, but Yi-han decided against saying it out loud.
After much hesitation, Adenart finally epted the bowl with both hands, her hunger having won over her reason.
As a sign of gratitude, she gave a small bow before eating the soup with a spoon.
The interval between each spoon gradually lessened over time. Fortunately, the soup seemed to fit her taste.
You can have them inside your room.
Adenarts hands stopped when she heard this.
.
Then, with another bow, she closed the door and returned to her room.
Was that unnecessary?
When he returned, the students that had been waiting downstairs once again expressed their gratitude.
Wardanaz, did Her Highness-
Yeah, she seemed to like it.
Man, youre really an amazing alchemist!
Anything would taste great to someone thats starving
From now on, can you keep bringing her food? Of course, well pay for them.
It is a nobles honor to serve the royal family.
The words flowed out of his mouth. Yi-han himself was surprised by how smoothly they came out.
Royals are really something.
People followed them simply because of the blood flowing in their veins.
This was a prime example of being born with authority, though Gainando seemed to be an exception
***
, a course held on the B1 floor of the academys main building.
The vampire professor Bdy Bagrak was deep in thought, though his expression remained as tranquil as ever.
He only had one student left in his ss now.
What did he have to do in order to make sure he kept attending his sses?
This is truly difficult.
Normally, he wouldnt put much effort into having students listen to his ss.
His contract stated that he had to teach, not that he had to recruit students to his ss.
However, things were a bit different this time around. The boy from the Wardanaz Family had quite a lot of mana stored inside his body.
Would there be another student like him?
If he stoppeding, Bdy would have to wait several more years again before he could move on to the next stage in his curriculum. There was also no guarantee that the next student would be as talented as the boy in front of him.
After a lot of consideration, Professor Bdy opened his mouth.
Do you have any questions?
Sorry?
Yi-han, who had been focused on making the marble go around in circles, raised his head in surprise.
What was this?
Did the professor realize his sleazy plot toze around?
Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Now, now. Lets not get ahead of ourselves. The professor shouldnt know of my n yet.
Yi-han pulled himself together and calmed his heart.
Even if it was Professor Bdy, the vampire professor, he shouldnt be capable of reading others minds.
Grades? Imma cheese it by taking an unpopr ss!
Hmm. If anything, Id be embarrassed if he figures out my intention.
I asked if you have any questions. Professor Bdy slowly repeated himself, his eyes glued to Yi-han.
Am I allowed to ask any and all questions?
Of course not. It has to be rted to the ss.
Well, duh? Its not like Im going to ask how to escape the academy
Fortunately, Professor Bdys personality was straightforward and easy to understand.
He was a man of principle who was as strict with himself as he was with others.
Yi-han had a lot of experience meeting such types of people, so he didnt feel troubled by it.
Its lunatics like the principal that give me headaches.
Professors like Bdy didnt trouble the students as long as they did what they were told.
Is there anything youre curious about?
Hmm
Yi-han contemted what he should ask.
Feel free to ask any questions was a phrase often used by professors. However, they never truly meant what they said.
If the students casually asked something, they would often be met with a Why dont you know something so basic?
Lets test the waters first.
Whats the purpose of this activity? Why do we have to repeatedly draw circles with the Soul Star marble?
Not only was this question rted to the ss, but it was also something he was genuinely curious about.
What could he possibly learn from drawing circles with a marble?
Professor Bdy, however, appeared positively puzzled by this. He failed to understand the point of his question.
Do you know what this course is called?
.
Yi-han wasnt at all surprised by this type of response.
It was typical of professors to behave this way.
1+1=2. Got it? Now solve this high-order differential equation. What? You cant solve it? But why?
I do. Its called . What Id like to know is, how is this marble rotation exercise supposed to train us in basic magicbat?
Hm.
Professor Bdy fell silent after hearing this question.
He was as still as a statue, so much so that it was as if someone had turned off his power supply.
Some time passed, and Yi-han was starting to feel uneasy.
Sir?
A moment.
Without batting an eye, the professor told Yi-han to wait.
What else could he do but oblige?
And so he waited.
Time continued to pass, and just as Yi-han was regretting his decision, Professor Bdy opened his mouth.
Right. That will do.
Pardon?
The answer to your question seemed so obvious, I was having trouble formting a response.
Yi-han was freaking out inside.
You were thinking about it for that long? Wait. I shouldnt be so surprised. Were dealing with a professor after all.
Listen carefully. See this quill over here? Its all I need to kill you.
Professor Bdy suddenly dropped a bombshell, prompting Yi-han to immediately reach out to his staff.
Noticing how quickly Yi-han had reacted by taking on a defensive stance, the professor corrected his statement.
I take that back. It might be difficult with a quill.
It wasnt all thatforting to hear.
The professor continued as Yi-han contemted between fleeing and calling for help.
What Im trying to say is, when ites to magicbat, its not about who can cast a higher-level spell. Its about choosing the right spell to effectively kill your opponent.
A look of regret appeared on the professors face as he said this as if he felt remorse for exining in such great detail.
Do you understand now?
Not really. Please exin it a bit further.
!?
The professor seemed shocked to hear this but soon returned to being as still as a statue.
Yi-han realized he had done it again. However, there was no point in crying over spilt milk.
Now that Ivee this far, I must get an answer.
After some time
The exercise that youre doing with the Soul Star marble is to train you in controlling your projectile magic. As you may know already, a spell like could be deadly depending on the mage casting it.
I had absolutely no idea that was the case.
More likely than not, a mage that isnt familiar withbat wont be able to wield a single spell properly if theyre ced on a battlefield because of all the explosions, heat, and killing intent. However, through repeated training, they can learn to cast and control spells using only their instinct.
The professor then demonstrated how someone could cast a spell without chanting or waving their staff.
Magic Missile.
Though it sounded impressive, it was just a first-circle magic.
The principle behind the spell was simple enough. All they had to do was gather mana, make it into a sphere, and release it.
When done properly, a chunk of mana the size of a fist would go hurling toward the enemy.
Nevertheless, as it was a spell that belonged to the first circle, it wasnt all that powerful. In fact, mercenaries often joked about which was stronger, a magic missile or a stone thrown at high speed.
However, Professor Bdys magic missilepletely overturned that notion.
It was as if the Milky Way gxy had appeared inside the ssroom.
Hundreds of magic missiles filled up the space, and when the professor waved his hand, they all flew in a certain direction.
Some of them shot forward in a straight line; others travelled in a curved path.
Some of them moved in a predictable pattern; others werepletely random.
Some of them were as quick as arrows; others, not so much.
Regardless, they were all gunning for the same target: the enemys throat.
Bang!
The missiles collided, and they all vanished after a loud explosion.
Professor Bdys magic was so exquisite and borate that Yi-han could almost envision the imaginary enemy falling to the ground after getting hit right in the throat.
This once again taught Yi-han that anything could look beautiful when polished to the extreme.
This is the purpose of your training. Its so that you can control your projectile magic freely. Got it?
Yes. Thank you.
Professor Bdy nodded, relieved that Yi-han had finally understood. If Yi-han had asked for further rification, he wouldve been troubled.
I see, so hes not being paid toze around.
Yi-had felt slightly apologetic for misjudging the professors character. He previously thought the professor was teaching a course simply to receive his sry.
After hearing the exnation, however, the marble exercise seemed to make sense.
Knowing how to cast a spell did not imply having mastery over it. It was simr to how swinging a sword did not equate to being a swordmaster.
In fact, mastering even a single spell required a tremendous amount of effort. It meant shaving off as much time as possible in casting the spell and being able to precisely control it even in a chaotic setting.
Professor Bdy was someone that took such things seriously.
Fortunately, this training coincided with Yi-hans interest. After all, he had an issue regarding his control over projectile magic.
Sir, may I ask one more question?
You may.
I recently learned a spell called .
And?
The professor didnt ask him where he learned it from. Quite frankly, it was none of his business.
The thing is I know how to cast it, but the object which Im controlling refuses to remain put.
Professor Bdy raised his eyebrows.
He wasnt having issues controlling the object, but having it stay in its ce?
This was very peculiar.
When fledgling mages first learned , they had issues making the objects move. They never had trouble making them stay where they were.
Unless the mage in question had an overwhelming amount of mana
Hold on. It seems you have more mana than usual.
Oh, yeah. Apparently, I do.
Yi-han was surprised that the professor managed to figure it out so quickly. Since that was the case, he hoped the professor could offer a solution to his problem.
What kind of method would he use?
Mana Drain!
!?
Without a word, the professor grabbed his arm and activated a high-circle magic.
It was a cruel but powerful spell that sucked away the opponents mana.
W-wait
Yi-han could feel his mana being rapidly drained.
You have some exining to do, you crazy lunatic!
However, it was toote to stop him. The professors magic was draining his mana at an rming speed.
?
However, he soon realized that something was off, and he stared at the professors face. As a vampire, Professor Bdy had always been pale, but it seemed worse now.
Sir?
.
Professor, are you alright!?
Thud!
The professor slowly took off his hand before suddenly copsing, scaring Yi-han out of his wits.
He didnt expect the professor to pass out.
He had imagined professors copsing numerous times, but he didnt think hed be the one to cause it!
***
Fortunately, Professor Bdy quickly came back to his senses. After waking up, the vampire professor summarized what just happened.
You have more mana than I thought.
Is that so?
Yi-han, who had his mana taken, was in a much better condition than the professor, even though he was the one whos mana was plundered.
Despite having so much mana sucked away, Yi-han didnt feel tired or sleepy at all.
Indeed.
Professor Bdy nodded. Had it been any other professor, they wouldve exined how absurd this was.
If it was an inexperienced mage, it was possible for them to faint after taking in more mana than their body could handle. However, it was a different story with a mage as skilled as Bdy.
Yi-hans mana reserve had to be truly ridiculous to have someone like him lose control and copse.
Having said that, Professor Bdy didnt bother exining this to Yi-han as he didnt deem it important.
What mattered right now was something else.
I was trying to make it easier for you to control your magic by draining your mana through mana drain, but it failed.
Thats unfortunate.
Yi-han understood what the professor wanted to do
If having too much mana was what impeded him from having delicate control over his projectile magic, drastically reducing the mana in his body seemed to be the optimal solution.
But it failed.
Theres another method.
And what would that be?
When you used , have the projectiles ever shot toward you?
Yi-han took a moment to answer.
No.
There you have it. That was your instinct at work. Though it may have seemed like you lost control, the moment you sessfully cast the spell, a connection was formed between you and the object, meaning you still had influence over it.
As it made sense, Yi-han nodded in understanding.
If his spell had been undone, the stones shouldve fallen to the ground. The fact that they didnt indicated that the connection was still present.
Wait, then was it also my instinct that made the stones strike the enemies on their forehead?
He could no longer determine whether it was a coincidence or not, but there wasnt a point in figuring it out.
Some things were better left untouched.
Instincts are powerful. You might be better at controlling your projectile magic by training your instinct.
I see
Ready?
?
Here Ie. Ill be aiming for your chin, so protect yourself with all you have.
Yi-han wondered what this was about. The Soul Star marbles that rose to the air gave him the answer that he needed.
The marbles quivered as they began shooting toward Yi-hans chin.
At that moment, Yi-han clearly felt his instinct sharply cry out, and his body moved before he could think.
Move!!!!
***
There was good news. Yi-han got pretty good at casting and maintaining .
However, the bad news was that Professor Bdy turned out to be more insane than he initially thought.
Its my fault for trusting anyone in this academy.
Never again shall I trust anyone!
Chapter 37
Chapter 37
You were able to pull it off.
Though Yi-han cursed the professor deep within, as a hardened graduate student, he didnt let his dissatisfaction show.
Instead, he maintained his expression and gave a deep bow.
It was all thanks to you, sir.
No need to thank me. It was all your effort.
Even though he had been praised, he didnt feel like celebrating at all.
Just a while ago, Professor Bdy had mercilessly shot the marble at him. If he hadnt been able to block it, some of his bones wouldve definitely cracked.
Thankfully, he avoided the disaster by stopping it in midair using .
These professors are really something
Now, lets go again.
This time around, Professor Bdy didnt use the Soul Star marble. Rather, he took out an iron orb the size of a human fist and tossed it toward Yi-han.
Before it could hit the ground, Yi-han cast on it.
Move!
The iron orb paused mid-flight.
In a corner of his mind, Yi-han wished for the iron orb to coincidentally shoot toward the professors chin, but now that he had gotten a hang of the spell, such idents were unlikely to ur.
Professor Bdy pointed up with his fingers.
Up.
Yi-han willed the iron orb to move up. Though it was slightly unsteady, the orb quickly rose up.
Down.
Following the professors instruction, the orb returned to its previous position.
Left. Right. Draw a circle clockwise. Draw two circles anticlockwise.
After a series of orders, Professor Bdy nodded.
It feels stiff, but its much better now. From now on, youll be training with this iron orb instead.
But sir, Ive yet to draw a perfect circle with the Soul Star marble.
Try it again.
Yi-han put down the iron orb and inserted mana into the Soul Star marble. Then, he attempted to draw a circle with it.
!
Surprisingly, the circle he drew was much better than the one he drew before his near-death experience.
Mages can grow through intense experiences. Soul Star marbles are merely tools to help fledgling mages. You no longer need them.
Understood.
Now, begin drawing circles with the iron orb. Once youve reached a certain level, well repeat what we did just now.
Excuse me?
Professor Bdy believed there were two kinds of people in this world, those that froze up in the face of danger, and those that reacted to it.
Needless to say,bat mages belonged to thetter, and the boy from the Wardanaz Family showed potential in this field. It only made sense to take advantage of it.
However, Yi-han, who had just been given what was equivalent to a notice of murder, feltplicated.
Curse this academy!
***
Though Yi-han had almost died, time continued to flow inside the academy.
When ss was about to end, Professor Bdy handed Yi-han the iron orb.
Draw circles with it whenever you have free time.
Understood.
And never let your guard down.
What is that supposed to never mind.
Yi-han felt that there was something fishy going on as he left the room.
Was Professor Bdy going to follow him around and ambush him?
Though it sounded absurd, the academy had made him paranoid.
Sorry, did you have to wait long?
No.
Yi-han waved at a devil mixed-blood who was wearing a priest uniform.
It was Tijiling, the follower of the Order of Presinga.
Can you look after Tijiling for me?
Knowing that the students of the Immortal Phoenix lived frugally, Priest Mehrid had asked this of Yi-han, worried that Tijiling, who was still in her growth period, would copse.
Since he was given three baskets of food in return, Yi-han was going to keep his promise.
Ill have her well-fed so that I can receive another basket the next time we meet.
Determined, Yi-han sat down together with Tijiling.
Nighttime was fast approaching, and the sky was dyed red as if the mountains surrounding the academy were on fire.
If only we werent locked up in this academy wait, why am I thinking like some prisoner?
Yi-han returned to his senses.
He wasnt a prisoner. Although the institution did restrict students in several ways, strictly speaking, they were still in a ce of teaching.
Heres the uniform that you requested.
Oh, thank you.
Yi-han received the priest uniform from Tijiling. In return, he gave her a loaf of round bread with marmde jam. It was soft and sweet, iparable with the bread provided by the academy.
Thank you, but Im fine without it. Tijiling, however, turned him down.
Is there a reason why you refuse?
Even now, Lord Presinga is suffering in our stead. Knowing that, I cant bring myself to enjoy the food.
Yi-han held himself back just as he was about to say What kind of bullshit is that?
He was also now a member of the Order of Presinga.
Phew. I almost contributed another tale to the infamous rumors surrounding the Wardanaz Family.
He calmed down and nodded to himself.
It wasnt an easy task to force someone as devoted as her to eat something. He had to test her boundaries, bit by bit.
Man, this bread is disgusting. It mustve been out in the sun for a long time. You wouldnt have to feel sorry about eating this.
Shake, shake.
What is this canned beef? Its absolutely repulsive! Surely, eating this would be alright?
Shake, shake.
The person who baked this bread mustve given their blood, sweat, and tears in the hopes that you would eat it. Same for the one who made this jam. Ah, what a pity. If you wont eat it, I guess it would have to go in the trash
Did it work?
Yi-han saw the hesitation in her eyes as she was washed over by a sense of guilt. For a moment, he thought his tactic had worked.
But wait. These bread werent made for me. I saw them on disy in bakeries before.
Tsk.
Yi-han clicked his tongue. Apparently, Tijiling had a rather keen eye for detail.
And I was almost there as well
Tijiling felt apologetic seeing how hard Yi-han was trying.
Im really fine. Ill tell Priest Mehrid that I ate, so please share the food with someone else.
Umm
To be honest, it was a tempting idea. Hed have an easier time as well.
However, the fact that he had to lie made him hesitate.
Priest Mehrid had specifically asked him to take care of Tijiling, going so far as to gift him an extra basket of food. Lying to someone like that didnt seem fair.
If it had been a promise with Principal Skelly, he wouldnt have hesitated to break it, but Priest Mehrid was a kind man.
While Yi-han was experiencing an inner conflict, Tijiling took out a wooden cup that was crudely made. Then, she put in a tea leaf and poured hot water into it, causing steam to rise.
Wait.
?
Mind if I pour you a cup of tea?
After a moment, she nodded.
She had been feeling guilty about refusing the meal. A cup of tea wouldnt hurt anyone right?
No, not at all. Thank you.
Promise youll drink it?
Yes. Why do you ask?
Nah, dont worry about it.
Even the Order of Presinga enjoyed coffee and tea, though, of course, they didnt add any sweetening agents. Their drinks were made purely out of coffee powder or tea leaves.
It wasnt only the Order of Presinga that was like this. Other religious groups didnt add anything to their drinks either.
Since coffee and tea were cognitive enhancers, they allowed priests and priestesses to pray for longer periods of time.
Hence, Tijiling naturally assumed that the tea Yi-han would brew for her would have a deep and bitter vour, which would help her remain alert.
However, she was gravely mistaken.
Ill make it nutritious as heck.
Yi-han borrowed Tijilings kettle and began boiling water after adding some ck tea leaves.
To improve the aroma, he grated the ginger and cinnamon which he had taken from Uregors hut and put them in the kettle.
He didnt stop there. While the ck tea was boiling, he dunked in a generous amount of sugar, a sight which horrified Tijiling.
What are you doing!?
Do you have an issue with the tea that Im brewing? A tea brewed following the recipe from my family?
Yi-han feigned a hurt expression, which put Tijiling in an awkward position.
N-no. Its not that I have an issue with it, but it feels a bit waste-
Surely, you arent implying that my family recipe is wasteful!?
Never mind
Tijiling shut her mouth, afraid that she would say something that might hurt Yi-hans feelings.
Seeing this, Yi-han nodded, feeling smug.
Tijiling, however, caught sight of this, and she became slightly suspicious.
Is he pretending to be hurt? No, such sphemous thoughts Im having.
Yi-han was a brother of the same faith, not to mention a member of the Wardanaz Family. He wouldnt try to trick her by bringing forth his familys name.
Unlike her, who was a devil mixed-blood, Yi-han was a descendant of the Wardanaz Family, one of the most prestigious households in the Empire.
While she was justifying Yi-hans behaviour, the man in question finished making the tea by pouring in milk as a finishing touch.
Please have a taste of the milk tea.
Tijiling carefully brought the cup near her lips and took a sip. Immediately, she was ovee by a sweet vor, one which she had never experienced before.
Seems like its a hit.
Tijilings expression softened, indicating that she liked the tea.
All this time, she had only drank tea that was bitter, so it went without saying that she took delight in the sweetness of milk tea.
She very quickly finished drinking. Yi-han poured her another cup.
Without questioning it, Tijiling began drinking again, only to pause midway through.
Does the tea not suit your taste? The tea that I brewed following my family recipe-
I get it, so please stop doing that.
The milk tea had worked better than hed expected, so Yi-han started preparing the next drink.
He first added sugar, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and milk into boiling water. Then, he mixed it with corn flour. The end product was something more akin to a soup than a drink.
What an evil scheme, if I do say so myself.
He was blown away by his own ingenuity.
He was going to start by serving drinks, gradually transitioning into soups and gaslighting Tijiling into thinking it was normal.
After finishing the chocte soup, he put some biscuits on top of it.
By the time Tijiling noticed, she had already licked her bowl clean.
Since youve had your fill today, youre obligated to eat next time as well. From now on, you shalle here regrly at a specified time.
Do we really need to take this that seriously?
Though she felt grateful to Wardanaz for looking after her, she found it amusing how he was speaking like some viin. Without context, an outsider would think he was force-feeding her.
***
Nighttime.
Most of the freshmen had either gone back to their rooms feeling sad and hungry or were ying chess in the resting lounge over a piece of bread.
Yi-han, on the other hand, was walking out of the dormitorys door.
Im a priest of the Order of Presinga. Im a priest of the Order of Presinga.
He was wearing the priest uniform, and he looked no different from a student of the Immortal Phoenix that hade out for his prayers.
He had a simple goal in mind: to find the path that outside workers used to enter the academy!
As long as he could find it, he would be able to disguise himself as one of the workers and leave the academy.
Unless I have to, I should refrain from using invisibility magic. There might be all sorts of traps lying ahead.
This was why he acquired the priest uniform despite having his belt of invisibility.
The academy was probably littered with traps, and if he entered a zone that nullified invisibility magic, he would be put in a precarious situation.
In order to survive in this institution, he had to make backup ns for everything.
Im starting to wonder if this is really a school
Arriving at this thought, Yi-han became slightly depressed.
How did ite to this
The first floor of the academys main building, which was usually bustling with students, was empty by now.
Next to therge central stairways leading to the second floor and the basement, there were hallways connected to ssrooms.
Though the buildings interior appeared grand and awe-inspiring in the morning, now that it was dark, there was something eerie about it all.
If its a location where outside workers often visit, its probably on the first floor.
Yi-hans gazended on the area behind the central stairways, which was where the banquet hall was located.
Since none of the sses were held there, the freshmen had never set foot in it after the entrance ceremony.
?!
It was then.
Yi-han was shocked to notice another student silently creeping in the dark toward the area behind the stairways.
Chapter 38
Chapter 38
Isnt he someone from the ck Tortoise?
Yi-han carefully observed what the student was doing.
The boy was a demihuman from the rat race. Though he was short and had a slightly hunched back, his footsteps werepletely silent.
Yi-han wondered if the boy had received some sort of special training.
Arlong, the elderly knight, had previously told him that the way people walk could give insight into their identities.
Knights, mages, hunters, and thieves all walked differently, and the boys movement was like that of thieves.
If Im not wrong, rat demihumans arent really weed within the Empire.
All races were said to be equal in the Empire, but the reality was different.
Some races were naturally more popr than others.
Unfortunately, the rat race wasnt well-liked as many of its members were known to be thieves, vagabonds, pickpockets, and scavengers. Hence, people often had misgivings about the rat race whenever something happened.
I shouldnt jump to conclusions. Its not like all of them are thieves.
Yi-han didnt let prejudice cloud his judgment.
Just because he was from the rat race, it didnt necessarily mean he had been trained as a thief.
Tick, tick-
However, that was when the student took out a crudely made key, fiddling with it and trying his best to open the locked door. It didnt require a genius to know his intentions.
Oh well, who am I to criticize him.
Yi-han was also breaking multiple rules right now trying to secure an escape route, so he wasnt in a position to criticize anyone.
In fact
It might be a good idea to cooperate with him.
Since the student had even prepared a key, it was clearly not his first timeing here.
It went without saying that Yi-hans group wasnt the only one trying to escape.
For the time being, Yi-han slowly crept toward the student. Hed be in hot water if the student noticed him and let out a scream, alerting the authorities.
He quietly stepped behind the rat demihuman who was still busy picking the lock. Then, he equipped his staff, pointed it at the students neck, and whispered.
Dont shout. Youre dead if you do.
..!!
***
Ratford had been a professional thief and a member of the prior to his admission into the academy.
He had beenpletely floored when he first received an invitation to Einroguard. He didnt think the academy would ept thieves, even if they showed a lot of potential.
Fortunately, he didnt face any discrimination once he was in the ck Tortoise.
Nevertheless, he felt like there was some distance between him and the others. While he was a thief that was active in the streets at night, the others were mostly children of wealthy merchants.
As such, he felt the need to prove himself to others.
Just like the huntress Nilia, he wanted his friends from the same tower to acknowledge his abilities (He, of course, had no idea that there was someone else like him).
Since the academy is sorge, theres bound to be a kitchen or a storage room somewhere. Ill rob them blind and get all the food and daily necessities well ever need!
While the others went about their daily lives travelling between ssrooms, he had cautiously investigated the keyhole that would give him ess to the region behind the central stairways.
Using the tip of his fingers, he had probed the inside of the keyhole and made a makeshift key. This was an impressive feat that an average thief could only hope to achieve, but after pouring in numerous hours of work, he seeded.
Glory awaited him at the end of the tunnel, but someone ambushed him just as he was about to cross the finish line.
W-who
The answer was obvious. It had to be the academys security guard.
As a professional thief, he was prepared for such scenarios.
He slowly raised both arms and spoke while cowering in fear.
P-please dont hurt me. I surrender.
The number of beatings a thief received was different depending on whether he violently resisted capture or quietly surrendered.
Since hed been caught, it was better to remain obedient.
Hush. Im here for the same reason as you.
?!
It was only then that Ratford turned around to look.
A robust-looking boy in a priests uniform was keeping an eye out, and the staff in his hand was no longer pointed at Ratfords neck.
A freshman!?
Ratford was stunned.
Because the threat had been so ruthless, he had assumed that the one behind him was a security guard.
He wouldve never imagined that such a bloodthirsty threat came from a fellow freshman.
Who
Lower your volume.
who are you?
Even as he asked, Ratford had a rough idea of who he was facing.
The boy before him was tall and well-built, and he had just now wielded his staff like a weapon.
All clues pointed at him being a student from the White Tigers.
Dont know where he got the priest uniform from, but I guess hes pretty clever.
By wearing a priest uniform, he could avoid suspicion while going around at night.
Ratford was surprised that a musclehead knight could think so deeply.
Yi-han Wardarnaz. Blue Dragons.
.
Ratfords jaw dropped.
***
Soon enough, Ratford recovered. However, he hadnt exactlye to terms with the reality.
Someone from the Wardanaz Familyout at nightand that priest uniform
Nevertheless, as they were in an urgent situation, he stopped thinking about it.
He was even more shocked by what Wardanaz said next.
Youre suggesting that we move together?
Twos always better than one. Having an aplice would make things easier for you as well, right?
Do you have any idea who I am? Ratford asked in exasperation.
Yi-han paused for a moment.
Are you the principals son?
.
He obviously wasnt, but the answer rendered him speechless.
Anyone with eyes could see that Ratford was a rat demihuman, and he was fiddling with a fake key in the middle of the night in front of a door.
Common sense would lead to the conclusion that he was a thief.
Im a frickin thief! Why would a young master like you whos from the Wardanaz Family want to join someone like me?
Dude, why do you think Im here?
Ratford wasnt able toe up with an answer.
Indeed. Why was he here?
You sure about this?
Yeah? I mean, you were trying to figure out where they store the food, right? I was trying as well.
!
After receiving yet another shocking blow, Ratford finally uttered the question that he had dying to ask.
Are you really from the Wardanaz Family?
Ratford was beginning to suspect whether Yi-han was telling the truth.
No matter how he looked at it
You gonna join me, or should I continue by myself after knocking you out?
W-woah, calm down. Theres no need for violence. Alright, lets move together. As you said, twos better than one.
Ratford agreed in a heartbeat when Yi-han menacingly pointed his staff at him.
One thing was for certain: he had no chance of beating Yi-han.
Good. Now, you have a key, right?
Yes.
Does it work?
No, it doesnt. It seems the lock is protected by magic.
Ratford anxiously shoved the key into the keyhole again.
Realistically speaking, if it was being protected by magic, there was nothing he could do about it.
It mightve been a different story if he had his tools, but as things stood
Click!
?
A key floated out of Yi-hans pocket and inserted itself into the keyhole. Then, it turned on its own, opening the door.
???
W-whered you get that key?
I stole it from the principals office.
Y-youre joking, right?
No. For real.
Previously, he had obtained this key when he had to stay behind after ss with Asan and learn .
He had always wondered what the key was for. Apparently, it was for this.
I should be careful.
Since the key was found in the principals office, he couldnt let his guard down.
He braced himself to be on the lookout for unexpected happenings.
After going through the empty banquet hall, the great hall, and several closed doors
Wait.
Ratford suddenly lied down on the ground.
I hear something. I think there are people beneath us.
!
Yi-han finally knew where the workers entered from.
Its underground!
A passage that was aboveground would definitely attract the students attention, and they would try to take advantage of this knowledge.
However, if the passage was underground, it would be much more difficult for the students to learn about its existence.
No wonder they never came across any workers
Why go to such lengths?
They must be in an underground storage room. There has to be a way for us to head down!
R-right
Ratford sprung into action hearing what Yi-han said, and not long after, they were able to find a stairway leading down.
Creak-
They had only gone down one flight of stairs, yet the air around them felt different.
In the room upstairs, there was some lighting in through the windows. Here, however, everything was dark and chilly.
Yi-han thought of producing a ball of light, but his instinct stopped him from doing so.
He was more careful than usual as the key that they used hade from the principals office.
Based on his past actions, I wouldnt be surprised if the principalid some traps here.
When he heard a rustleing from beside him, he warned Ratford with a hushed voice.
Dont light anything.
?
There might be someone waiting ahead of us.
!
Ratford was startled by the warning given by Wardanaz.
Indeed, they were currently in an unknown location. Out of nervousness, he had almost lit a fire without thinking.
Without Yi-han stopping him, he wouldve made a massive blunder.
Actually though. Who in the world is he?
He had heard rumors about this boy from the Wardanaz Family while he was at the ck Tortoise.
Hes absolutely ruthless. Everyone in the Blue Dragons is already following his orders.
Apparently, even the prince and princess have to step on eggshells around Wardanaz.
I was in the same ss as him before, and he was able to seed in a spell that everyone else was failing in. And it only took him one try!
Can you believe it? He used his magic to suppress a Thunder Bird during the mounting ss.
Ratford initially thought the rumors had been exaggerated.
After all, they were all freshmen at the end of the day.
However, now that they had met, he no longer thought the same.
The air around him was no joke!
Woosh!
!
A light shed far ahead, and their surroundings became bright.
Yi-han and Ratford immediately held their breaths and lowered their bodies.
They hadnt been able to see anything due to the dark, but now that there was light, they realized they were in a huge warehouse.
It was packed with countless shelves and tables, with all kinds of things on top of them.
The warehouse keeper had amplight with him as he slowly walked about.
The warehouse was as silent as a grave, and they could hear the muttering of the warehouse keeper.
8 portions of cheese Confirmed. 5 bottles of maple syrup Confirmed. 22 white sh papersConfirmed. 3 silver soul needles Confirmed.
He has everything memorized!
The rm magic is starting to lose its effect. I should cast it again.
Yi-han felt wavesing from the warehouse keepers direction as thetter cast magic on the items.
A shiver ran down his spine.
Every single item in the warehouse had rm magic cast on them.
If they had touched the items without knowing this, they wouldve been dragged away to the Punishment Room.
Whos there?
!
Their hearts sank.
The warehouse keeper had spoken to them while facing their direction.
We shouldnt be visible from that angle!
Even though his head was a mess, Yi-han forced himself to remain calm.
How did he notice? Is he probing us? Should I turn on invisibility?
!
The warehouse keeper slowly approached them. When Yi-han saw his face, he was shell-shocked.
There wereyers of bandage over the warehouse keepers eyes.
He was blind!
Chapter 39
Chapter 39
When people lose one of their senses, their other senses would be heightened so as topensate for the loss.
Even so, it was still impressive that the warehouse keeper was able to find Yi-han and Ratford without relying on his sight.
Did he hear us? No, we didnt create any noise. Then was it smell? With so many things in this warehouse, thats unlikely as well Is he perhaps capable of detecting mana?
The warehouse keeper opened his mouth again while Yi-han was debating between escape and fighting it out.
So it was the principal. I apologize for being rude.
???
He then turned around and left.
Ratford was terrified to the point where he almost fainted.
On the other hand, Yi-han focused and tried to understand what just happened.
What was that? Why did he mistake me for that crazy lich?
If it had been any other student, they wouldve done something rash or made a mistake due to the stress and pressure of their situation.
However, Yi-han remained collected as he sought an exnation.
It must be because of my mana pool!
The ability to detect mana. The warehouse keeper had been able to discover them because of that ability.
All his professors had told him time and time again that he had a massive mana reserve. Since the warehouse keeper was blind, he mightve mistaken Yi-han as the principal because they had simr amounts of mana.
But is that even possible? Hes still the principal and all
He wasnt fully convinced by this exnation, but he decided to leave it at that for now.
They had to get going.
Hey,e back to your senses.
H-huh? What just happened? How?
Thats not whats important.
There wasnt any time to exin, and it wasnt like he knew the answer either.
However, Ratford interpreted this differently.
Wardanaz mustve known that this would happen and prepared a method to trick the underground warehouse keeper!
H-hes the real deal! Hes one hell of a person!
The rumors had vastly underestimated him. No other freshmen were capable of deceiving the warehouse keeper like this.
I-Its as you say, sir.
?
Yi-han was confused as to why Ratford would suddenly be so polite, but he was in too much of a hurry to question it.
Lets continue moving. Dont touch anything in this room.
Yes, sir our cover might be blown if we do, and the guy just now seems to have everything memorized.
Yeah, theyre even being protected by rm magic.
Leaving behind all the goodies in the warehouse pained Yi-han greatly.
However, this was likely another one of the principals evil ns. This warehouse was a trap to lure in naive freshmen.
In another week or two, some students would probably find their way into this warehouse, only to get caught and dragged away.
Dont fall to the temptation. I must keep rolling and find a way out.
Instead of obsessing over what was in the warehouse, his mind was upied by the thought of finding a passage out of the academy.
As long as he could find one
Over here, sir!
Ratfords ears were glued to the floor as he led Yi-han to the sound of footsteps.
Though they were in a warehouse, it was so massive that it felt like they were in a maze.
The fact that Ratford was able to urately capture the sound spoke volumes to his skills.
Very good.
Your words are wasted on me.
By the way, why are you speaking politely to me?
This way, sir.
Ratford quickly moved along. He didnt wish to remain in this warehouse for even a second longer. Who knows what mighte out next?
While Yi-han was fearless, the same couldnt be said about Ratford. He was terrified by everything around him.
Huh? Why isnt it here!?
Ratford stopped in his track, panic visible in his eyes.
He had followed the source of the sound, but he was met with a wall instead of a passageway.
Are you sure it was in this direction?
Yesor at least I was
So thats whats going on.
!?
Unlike Ratford, who was only familiar with lock-picking, Yi-han was from Earth, and his mind was much more flexible when it came to situations like this.
Look, there are hand stains on some parts of the wall. I bet it would open if we touch them.
!
Ratford was taken aback, both by the fact that such a mechanism was being used to hide the door and by the fact that this boy from the Wardanaz Family had been able to see through it.
How did he-
Clunk, clunk, clunk!
When they touched the parts of the wall with the hand stains, the bricks began to move away, revealing a path that seemed to go on forever.
The path was wide enough to fit two carriages, and the walls and ceiling were brightly lit.
They had finally found what they were here for.
At longst!
***
There were several rules that workers that transported goods to magic academies had to adhere to.
First, they werent to reveal how to enter the academy.
Second, they werent to tell a third party what they saw in the academy.
Third, they were to remain silent unless spoken to.
There were also other rules such as Being careful when transporting ss containers and Putting the right scrolls in the right ce, but these three were the most important.
The workers were earnest in their work and strictly abided by the rules.
They didnt wish to be turned into a frog after being locked inside a magesb for breaking a rule.
And it wasnt a joke either. There was a good chance of them being locked inside the academy forever if they made a mistake. That was the scary part about a magic academy.
It wasnt without reason that the people living in nearby towns both respected and feared the academy.
Hence, none of the workers uttered a word when they saw a priest and a beggar appear from the other end of the passageway.
Oh, people was the extent of their reaction.
..
..
This caught Yi-han and Ratford by surprise.
After walking down the long passageway, they found themselves in front of some carriages, with workers carrying goods around.
However, they were tantly ignored by the workers.
Whats this? Is there a rule that prohibits them from talking?
Yi-han quickly realized the situation after seeing the workers purposefully avoid them.
Security measures in magic academies were top-notch, and the workers that they employed were the kind that minded their own business.
Calm down. The workers wont suspect anything as long as we remain calm.
Very few freshmen had ever seeded in escaping the academy.
Hence, it was unlikely for the workers to think Yi-han and Ratford were freshmen trying to escape.
They should be fine as long as they didntmit a massive mistake
We must appear confident in this type of situation.
Yi-han slowly opened his mouth to speak while maintaining his expression.
Can we set off right now?
Apologies, priest. Please wait for half an hour, as we still have some things that we need to load onto the carriages.
Understood. May we tag along in one of the carriages when the timees?
But of course.
They couldve just gotten onto the carriages without seeking permission. By politely asking, Yi-han had made himself look kind and upright, as befitting a priest.
The worker wouldve never imagined that Yi-han was a freshman that recently joined the academy. He behaved too naturally to look like one, and there was a certain air of elegance around him, which made the worker trust himpletely.
.
Ratfords eyes became even more respectful than before.
If Yi-han had negotiated through force or magic, it wouldnt have been as impactful.
It was impressive precisely because he had obtained what he wanted by acting naturally. A top-tier thief didnt require flowery rhetoric or extravagant bribes. They could trick others simply through the way in which they conducted themselves.
I still have much to learn!
Ratford had been able to witness a whole new level of trickery today, and he was immensely grateful for it.
At times, a single experience was worth more than 10 years of practice, as was the case here.
***
Rattle, rattle-
After everything was loaded, the carriages began to move. There were six carriages in total, and the two students were riding the one at the end.
Even after they were done with their tasks, the workers didnt exchange any useless banters, which showed how strict and terrifying the academy was.
If they can control unaffiliated workers this well
Though Einroguard was an institution that trained talents, it wasnt all rainbows and sunshine. Yi-han knew better than to think so as well.
It was an academy that represented the Empire and the mages within it. Naturally, there were people that didnt think well of them, and they viewed the academy as an obstacle.
Even if they werent enemies, there were also some groups that desperately wanted the treasures kept inside the academy.
Taking these into consideration, the security measures no longer seemed as absurd.
Still, thats no reason to keep the freshmen locked up inside.
It was most definitely for the principals entertainment.
That was when the carriages in front came to an abrupt halt. Curious as to what happened, Yi-han poked his head out of the window.
!!!
He was surprised to see a familiar face climbing onto the carriage at the very front.
It was Garcia Kim, also known as Professor Troll.
Were we found out?
For a brief moment, Yi-han froze up in his ce. However, upon further thinking, he dismissed the thought.
If they had been discovered, they wouldve been surrounded by now and forced to crawl out of the carriage with their arms up in the air.
That left only one exnation
Damn it. Things have suddenly be much moreplicated.
Yi-han had a rough idea of what was happening.
Professors also went on outings from time to time, and their escape just happened to coincide with Garcia Kims outing.
I-Is that
Hush.
Yi-han signaled to Ratford, telling him to remain calm.
We havent been discovered yet. Just pretend as if nothing happened. The towns are big, and its dark outside. She wont find us if were careful.
Ratford nodded in agreement. However, he felt slightly awkward.
Whos the thief here?
Wasnt he supposed to be the one giving advice?
The carriages resumed moving.
Yi-han, on the other hand, was trying his best to memorize everything hed seen until now.
Even if something happened and he ultimately failed in his escape
Ill never give up, thought Yi-han with a pumped fist.
However, he felt sheepish the very next moment.
What was there to be so determined about? He was simply breaking curfew and fleeing the school
***
Professor Garcia tightly held on to the package that the principal had given her with both hands.
A eunuch sent by the Emperor would be awaiting you outside. Hand him the finished artifact.
She wasnt visiting the town to rx.
Though the academy appeared peaceful on the outside, it was in fact like a zing furnace.
With the Empires best mages concentrated in one ce, it was no wonder there was so much activity.
Creating artifacts that the Emperor requested and handing them to him was one of the responsibilities that they had, and Professor Garcia had been tasked with quietly delivering the finished product this time.
Some people might ask why they would have to be quiet when theyre handing artifacts to the Emperor. However, that was a foolish question.
Nothing good woulde of creating a buzz and offering things to the Emperor in public. It would only attract unwanted trouble.
Being a mage meant thinking practically.
Thump-
Hiii!
Huk!
The workers beside her were scared witless even at the slightest contact.
Her identity as Einroguards professor was enough to cause terror, and her being a troll made things twice as worse.
Garcia grinned.
This happened every time she left, but the workers always managed to amuse her.
Ready your weapons!
??
However, the shout from one of the workers jolted her awake.
I get that theyre scared, but arent they overreacting?
Madam Professor! There are suspicious individuals ahead! Please hide in the carriage!
!!
This was when she finally noticed that there was something strange going on up ahead.
Who dares!?
Chapter 40
Chapter 40
Their opponents were in outfits that made them look like regr travelers, but their true identities were clearly something else.
Travelers wouldnt be out and about sote at night, not to mention they were in the middle of an empty road, blocking the entourage from passing.
Their cloaks hid most of their faces, but their ferocious eyes could still be seen.
One of the workers raised his voice and shouted in a rough manner.
This is your final warning! Identify yourselves!
Met with nothing but silence, the workers pull the trigger to their crossbows.
As a result, several crossbow bolts ripped through the air.
Ttuk!
The bolts, however, failed to prate the enemies and were instead blocked by something hard.
Nevertheless, the workers were not discouraged and swiftly recharged their crossbows.
Though they were grunts and carriers, workers employed by magic academies were not your average Joe.
Not only did they have their backgrounds checked, they had to know how to fight so that they could protect the goods when conflicts arose.
As such, these workers were either adventurers, mercenaries, or soldiers of the Empire!
Hence, they didnt falter or panic.
With skillful movement, they jumped off from their carriages and aimed their crossbows at the enemies.
Fire!
Fools. Do you have any idea who you are siding with?
!
One of the cloaked individuals began speaking.
His voice was thick and rough, and due to the dark, it sounded even more somber than it shouldve been.
You are siding with the wicked mages that are corrupting the Empire. Extricate yourselves before you fall for their evil magic!
Bloody beard of ancestors! Theyre anti-magic extremists! a dwarven worker hollered at the top of his lung.
Anti-magic extremists referred to a certain group of criminals infamous even within the vast Empire, and unsurprisingly, they despised anything that had to do with magic.
Magic breeds chaos, destroys nature, and corrupts man!
They didnt express their hatred of magic with words alone. From time to time, they would ambush mages andy siege to magic academies.
It went without saying that these violent brutes were waiting here today with a clear goal in mind.
In the name of !
In the name of !
And with that, they charged. Their weapons shone under the moonlight, making the workers unconsciously gulp.
Veil of Order!
There was a strong fluctuation in the air, and in the next moment, a huge barrier made of mana was formed around the carriages.
The enemies that ran into the barrier were bounced off while throwing up blood.
Professor Garcia had made a move.
Ohhhh!
As expected of a professor!
The workers were all in awe of the majestic scene. However, Garcias expression was dark.
Due to her appearance, people often assumed she was skilled inbat, but in reality, she wasnt proficient at fighting.
Being a highly-ranked mage had nothing to do with being good a master atbat.
At the end of the day, magic andbat were totally different fields.
Mages that researched magic and remained seated in front of their desks all day long would have a difficult time adjusting to the chaotic atmosphere of a battlefield.
Very few would be able to cast spells properly, and if they lost focus or made a mistake, it could bring about a catastrophe.
In a sense, magic was a double-edged sword, and mages that specialized inbat were aptly awarded the title ofbat mage.
Lets focus on buying time.
Professor Garcia waved her staff, forming several balls of light that took the shape of birds and shot up into the air.
These birds would inform the other professors in the academy of her current predicament.
Decay Bones! Shrivel Muscles!
The assants near the barrier wailed in pain.
Garcia had transformed her mana into a curse that weakened their bodies.
Activate it!
However, her opponents didnt take this lying down.
Mages werent an easy bunch to fight against. Nevertheless, the anti-magic extremists had ambushed them time and time again.
By now, they had several tricks up their sleeves.
Woooong-
A low-pitched vibration shook everyones eardrums, and the mana in the air began to shake violently.
Then, the mana began gathering at a single spot.
!!!
Like snow in summer, Professor Garcias began to fade, something which came as a great shock to her.
An ancient relic!
There were several ways to counter magic.
For example, some ores found within the Empire could absorb mana or push them away, and there were spells that could get rid of others magic.
However, it was worth noting that none of these methods could be used to suck away all the mana in a wide area.
Such miracles could only be performed by ancient relics.
Found within dungeons and ruins, they were treasures from a time long forgotten, with knowledge and power that transcendedmon sense!
The extremists had somehow managed to get their hands on one of them.
Professor! Please get behind us!
Now that the barrier was gone, the workers had the professor retreat behind them to prevent the assants from getting close to her.
Garcia waved her staff once more, but before she could activate her spell, her mana was sucked away by the relic.
Oh wicked mage, receive heavenly punishment!
One assant confidently strode forth while brandishing his sword, ready to cut down Garcia.
WABAM!!!
The very next moment, however, his head got turned to an impossible angle.
?!
???!
The professor and the workers that witnessed this were astonished.
What just happened?
***
It doesnt seem like the principals trap.
Yi-han brought himself back to reality after hearing the name Twilight Dawn being mentioned.
If this was also a trapid by the principal, he would give up and raise the white g.
Hed stop dreaming of escape and surrender himself to the fate of studying under the skeleton as a graduate student.
Twilight Dawn.
Even amongst the Empires anti-magic extremists, their organization boasted the greatest size, and its members were absolutely ruthless.
As someone born in the Empire, Yi-han had also heard of them several times in the past, though he never expected to encounter them here
W-what should we do?
Ratford. Make sure you remain hidden.
Sir, you cant be thinking of
Yi-han finished chanting before Ratford could say anything.
I hide myself in the night.
And with that, Yi-han turned invisible.
Though Ratford was surprised by the artifacts ability, he was more concerned about Yi-hans safety.
Sir, its too dangerous! Theyre not your everyday thugs!
I know. I n on being careful.
Instead of hiding and regretting his decisionter on, he preferred nning ahead.
Yi-han was the type of person that assumed the worst when preparing for something.
Veil of Order!
Can the professor manage by herself?
When he witnessed the assants crumbling before the professors barrier and curse, he rejoiced.
But his joy was short-lived as the assants brought out a weird-looking relic and blew away all the spells.
To blow away Garcias spellssuch power!
!!!
Though Yi-han was stunned, there was one saving grace in this situation.
His belt had held on.
All other spells were cancelled as their mana got sucked away, but his invisibility spell remained active.
Was this the blessing of Lord Presinga??
Nah. Its just my mana.
Yi-han could see the flow of mana around him.
Mana in the surrounding area was being sucked into the relic, and his mana was being drained as well.
The difference was that his body kept supplying the belt with mana no matter how much of it was sucked away, which was why the belts spell wasnt broken.
It was like having a huge battery attached to it.
Here theye!
Yi-han wasnt given any more time to think as the assants began approaching the professor.
WABAM!!!
Arlong, the elderly knight, and Ingurdel, the elven professor, had both approved of his talent in swordsmanship.
Now that he was invisible to boot, he was naturally able to seed in his ambush.
Professor, its me, Yi-han!
He immediately informed Garcia of his presence. If he didnt announce his arrival, he might suffer an attack from one of his allies, and hed have no one to me but himself.
Yi-han!? Why are you-
Its a long story! Professor, please tell me what I should do!
Yi-han said this as he picked up the sword of his fallen enemy.
Professor Garcia returned to her senses after hearing his shout.
Ive already informed the academy of this situation, so reinforcements should arrive soon. Try your best to hold on until then!
Pshoo, pshoo-
The workers continued to shower the enemies with crossbow bolts.
At first nce, it seemed as if they had the upper hand, but Yi-han quickly realized how fierce and precise the enemies were.
Theyre all expert swordsmen!
Although crossbows were powerful, it took a while for them to reload after firing once.
The assants were taking advantage of that timeframe and gradually drawing near them.
The workers cant hold on for much longer! Professor, please use one of your spells!
The mana around us iswait.
Professor Garcia was puzzled to see Yi-han invisible.
How did he-
Oh, right!
It didnt take long for her to figure out the secret behind his invisibility magic.
It was being backed by a seemingly endless amount of mana!
Yi-han, Ill be borrowing your mana for a bit!
Yi-han grabbed the hand that the professor had extended. Immediately, he could sense his mana being drawn away.
As he had already experienced this with Professor Bdy, he wasnt as shocked this time around.
Petras Adamantite Spear!
Without hesitation, Professor Garciaunched a spell at the relic.
Her initial n had been to defend and draw out the fight, but it was a different story now that the enemies had taken out a relic with an absurd power.
She had to destroy the relic at all costs!
!
A spear made of adamantite materialized in the air, amazing Yi-han.
It had literally appeared from thin air!!
Dodge!!
Avoid it!
The assants sensed danger and quickly moved out of its way.
The relic kept whittling away their mana and decreased the power behind their spell, but the adamantite spear refused to disappear and continued on its path.
Crack!
With a roar, the adamantite spear collided with the relic, and the mana in the surrounding soon returned to normal.
Come Forth, Flesh-biting Lightning Wolf!
The air crackled, and a wolf made of lightning appeared, spreading in all directions and ripping to shreds all the enemies in the immediate vicinity.
!
Yi-han shuddered as he witnessed the wolf killing the assants and burning them to a crisp.
It was a bloody sight to behold, and one that made him respect Professor Garcia more than ever before.
Woooong-
!?
An ominous sound jerked him awake from his reverie.
The familiar sound hade from the relic that had been half-destroyed.
Kill that mage at all cost!
Dozens had died, but the few remaining assants braced themselves and rushed toward the professor.
Yi-han engaged them with the sword that he had stolen earlier on.
Pshkk!
Invisibility spell! Theres someone using an invisibility spell! Bastard!
The anti-magic extremist that had been stabbed with the sword coughed up blood and sshed it in Yi-hans general direction.
Yi-hans skin crawled when he saw this.
Their battle sense is no joke!
They were facing an enemy that they couldnt see, yet they didnt panic and quickly thought of a solution.
It felt like he was fighting Arlong.
The assants leader that had been giving orders was also getting close to him. Just his posture was enough to tell Yi-han that he was an expert.
His chance of winning while protecting the professor seemed slim.
I reveal myself in the morning.
!
In the end, Yi-han cancelled the spell and revealed himself.
The assants were surprised when they saw him. They didnt expect their opponent to be such a young boy.
I dont know what youre ying at, but this is the end of the road for you and that mage.
Whatever.
?
Imma go destroy the relic.
After saying that, he began sprinting toward the relic which was wide open without anyone guarding it.
The assants were terrified, to say the least.
NO! STOP HIM!!
Chapter 41
Chapter 41
Rare items like relics were priceless treasures that one couldnte by easily.
After it received a strike from the adamantite spear, it had been left half-broken. It was obvious to everyone present that it would fall apartpletely if it were to be attacked once more.
Stop him! Protect the relic!
I hide myself in the night.
Yi-han disappeared into the night afterpleting the chant, leaving the assants furious and frustrated.
This annoying priest was ratherpetent and had protected the mage from their attacks just now.
This one knows how to fight. He must be a battle priest assigned to protect the mage! Ill take him on!
The assants leader darted towards the relic, seemingly under some weird misunderstanding. He didnt want any more mishaps happening under his watch.
Move!
While sprinting, Yi-han threw out the iron orb that he had received from Professor Bdy and cast on it.
It was actually a taboo for fledgling mages to cast spells that they had just learned in an emergency.
Unless they received former training, even experienced mages would fail at times under immense stress and pressure, to speak no less of beginners.
It would be lucky if they simply failed. If the flow of their mana somehow got reversed, they ran the risk of injuring themselves.
However, Professor Bdy hadnt told Yi-han about this.
Its like a rite of passage for battle mages. Hes going to have to ovee it anyway. Whats there to warn him about?
As a result, Yi-han was casting spells without realizing that he was gambling with his life on the line.
Fortunately for him, the gamble paid out.
Just as Professor Bdy had predicted, Yi-han was the type that disyed their talent in the face of danger.
Paat!
Under the influence of , the iron orb floated in the air.
Normally, would only make the orb move very slowly, but backed by Yi-hans tremendous amount of mana, the orb began moving with unbelievable momentum.
Go!
The orb shot forth like an arrow, influenced by Yi-hans will.
It was dark outside, and the iron orb had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Naturally, dealing with it wasnt an easy task.
One of the assants that came after him was hit and fell to the ground.
Careful!! He has hidden weapons!
Proceed with caution! The enemy is used tobat!
The assants drew their swords and became more alert.
Meanwhile, Yi-han, who retrieved the iron orb, felt a searing pain in his head.
He was still running, but his mind was preupied with controlling the iron orb, cing an enormous amount of strain on his body.
FocusI must focus!
Though Professor Bdy was crazy, there was some truth in what he said.
Nothing helped more in growth than real-life experience, and Yi-han was feeling this firsthand.
The rate at which he grew was much faster in battle aspared to when he trained inside the ssroom.
His control over the iron orb got better and better the more he shot and retrieved it.
!
The taste of blood suddenly entered his mouth. Upon licking his lips, he realized his nose was bleeding.
In terms of mana, he was fine.
However, he was putting too much pressure on his mind.
Shiiing!
With a sh from a sword, the iron orb got split in half.
The enemy leader had swung his sword with impable timing.
Pay attention to his footprint! You can tell where he is based on his footprints!
Tsk. And I was almost there as well.
He was just a few meters away from the relic.
It was almost within reach, but there were three assants blocking him from destroying the relic.
I smell blood! Follow the smell of blood!
This made Yi-han realize that he shouldnt drag things out any longer.
Although he had practised a lot with his sword,pared to his opponents, he was definitelycking in experience.
The only way out of this was to attack first while he held the advantage.
He swung his sword, drawing blood.
The assants were caught unaware, and one of them immediately copsed.
Over there!
Chuaaaa!
The assants took out some shiny powder from their sleeves and scattered it in Yi-hans direction.
Although it wasnt clear what the powder was, he knew it was something that would probably mess up his invisibility spell.
And so, without hesitation, he rolled on the ground and avoided it.
Bastard!
Seeing that the luminescent powder had failed to reveal the enemys location, the assants cussed out loud. They were dealing with a pesky one.
Calm yourselves. He wont be able to deal with us so easily if we remain on guard, the enemy leader said in a wary voice.
Even with an invisibility spell activated, there were bound to be some sounds when the priest attacked.
As long as they stayed alert with their ears perked, they should have no problem catching the sounds.
Where is he?
However, there was only silence in the surrounding.
Even the smell of blood from before had vanished.
Stab!
?!
This son of a!
An assant that approached the body of their fallenrade copsed after being stabbed.
It finally dawned upon their leader that Yi-han had tricked their sense of smell by hiding next to the wounded assant after pretending that he had fled somewhere.
Despite the situation they were in, the leader was honestly impressed.
Forget the magic, the priest knew how to fight, and he had a real knack for it as well.
Without the right aptitude, it was impossible to reach such heights, regardless of how much one trained.
Move!
!
Hearing Yi-han chant from above, an assant quickly ducked.
Hes faking it, idiot! the leader shouted sharply.
Unfortunately, he was a step toote. Hisst subordinate crumbled to the ground. However, instead of bing angry, he raised his sword with an ambiguous smile on his face.
I havent fought someone like you in a long time. Im Garakse.
Yi-han didnt reply. Expecting as much, the leader nodded.
If Yi-han had been the type to slip up and reply, he wouldnt have been able to fight against them for so long in the first ce.
You must think youre invisible to us because of that spell of yours.
ng!
But Im starting to see you now.
The leader didnt seem to be bluffing. Yi-han was surprised by the rtively urate sh that was thrown at him.
You might be able to trick our sense of smell, but you cant stop breathing, now, can you?
!
Was he being tracked based on the sound of his breathing?
It was an absurd notion.
Granted, exceptional swordsmen were said to be capable of things beyond the limits of regr humans. But even then
Garakse shed again and again, putting pressure on Yi-han.
His swordsmanship resembled the Scatter Style. Every sh was immediately followed by another, limiting the space that Yi-han could manoeuvre to.
Yi-han tried to go against it using the Blue Cliff Style, but Garakse was a better swordsman than him.
Things got worse the more he exchanged blows with Garakse. If not for the invisibility spell, he wouldve been forced into a corner by now.
More than anything, Yi-han was hit by quite a bit of force every time they shed.
Is this the technique of swordsmen that Arlong often brought up?
Experienced swordsmen didnt rely on their strength alone to swing their swords. They would pour mana into them as well.
By doing so, each of their strikes would be imbued with unbelievable power.
That was precisely what was happening, and with each sh, a portion of the force behind Garakses strike would travel up Yi-hans sword, numbing him.
Even if its a bit forced, I must retaliate in kind!
Having made up his mind, Yi-han gathered his mana.
After learning about magic, he had gotten much better at gathering his mana and moving it around.
He channelled the mana that he gathered into his sword, much like when he was casting a spell.
Kwang!
!?
Garakse immediately sensed that something was different about his opponents strike, which came as a great surprise to him.
What the-?
In all honesty, Yi-han was a decent swordsman.
As someone that had defeated countless swordsmen in the past, Garakse wouldnt give such a high evaluation to an average joe.
It wasnt just about Yi-hans skill with the sword. He also thought highly of the way in which the young boy conducted himself.
Oftentimes, hede across rash individuals that took pride in their swordsmanship, charging at enemies without knowing the opponents strength and facing immediate defeat.
Yi-han was different. He quickly noticed that Garakse was strong and went on the defensive.
This wasnt an easy thing to do. In a battlefield where lives were being exchanged, it was difficult to hold back ones impulse and fight defensively knowing that one might lose their life without aplishing anything.
Yet Yi-han didnt hesitate to do so, something which impressed Garakse.
Having said that, Yi-han wascking in strength.
Although his proficiency with the sword wasnt half-bad, he couldnt hold a candle against swordsmen like Garakse who could freely manipte and inject mana into their swords.
The Blue Cliff Style that Yi-han trained in was originally meant for heavy swordsmen, so he shouldve been able to overpower Garakse who practised the Scatter Style.
The fact that he couldnt meant that he had no chance of winning at all.
However, out of nowhere, his blows suddenly became heavier, and he was even overwhelming Garakse in terms of power!
Whats happening? Was he hiding his strength? But why would he do that? What purpose would it serve?
Garakse, who had been fighting leisurely until now, panicked for the first time.
He couldnt think of a valid reason for a swordsman to pretend like they couldnt wield mana.
Garakse had been assured of his victory, but it no longer seemed as certain.
Is this how its supposed to be done?
Yi-han, who was pouring crazy amounts of mana into his sword, wasnt feeling all that confident.
Swordsmanship wasnt just about swinging a sword. It was also about being prepared against counter-attacks. After all, the enemies wouldnt be standing still, waiting to be cut down.
However, Yi-han had thrown everything else out the window, concentrating only on offensee. He couldnt do anything elseplicated while his attention was focused on pouring mana into his sword.
Is this really how its done!?
His question was reasonable. What he was doing right now couldnt be considered normal.
Sword imbuement wasnt a one-way process where the swordsmen poured in a crap load of mana. It was a technique where swordsmen had mana circte between themselves and their swords.
In other words, mana would travel from their bodies to their swords, and then from their swords to their bodies,pleting the loop.
Even that required a lot of stamina and ced a great burden on the swordsmens bodies.
Pouring in mana without circting it? That was suicidal. It wouldnt be weird if the swordsman copsed while coughing blood.
If Yi-han had been visible, Garakse wouldve immediately noticed that something was off and realized the absurdity of the situation.
However, there was an invisibility spell cast on him, so Garakse was left utterly confused as to what was happening.
No matter how much he wracked his brain, he just couldnt figure it out!
If Garakse had kept his cool, he wouldve still had a chance of winning, but he got pushed back by the flurry of attacks that came while his thoughts were in a muddle.
Crack!
?
Just as Yi-han gained the upper hand, he heard an ominous sound.
For a second, he thought he had heard wrong, but he was soon hit by reality.
Shit!
The sword in his hand couldnt withstand his mana and was beginning to break.
What kind of lousy sword is this!?
In reality, the swords used by the assants were all regarded as high-end products within the Empire.
Yi-han, who had no way of knowing this, shamelesslyined about the swords quality without taking into ount the absurd amount of mana that he had poured into it.
I must end this before it breaks!
He was barely holding on as is. If he channelled less mana into the sword, he would fall back into a disadvantage. Rather than that, it was better to risk it all and finish the fight.
Having made up his mind, Yi-han began pouring crazy amounts of mana into his sword.
In response, Garakse pulled out a different sword with clenched teeth. It was an amethyst sword and had the property of mana absorption.
He was ashamed to pull it out in a swordfight, but it was still better than losing.
Ill suppress you here and now!
That was when he heard the sound of something shattering.
His opponents sword, which had remained invisible until now, finally came into view. It was a sword made of mana that burned wildly like fire, scattering sparks nearby.
It wasnt aura, and it wasnt magic either. Either way, the strange attack came hurling toward him.
KWAAAAAANG!!!
The amethyst swords mana-absorption property was renderedpletely useless as the attack struck Garakse like an endless wave.
Chapter 42
Chapter 42
The mana that went rogue resulted in an explosion that dealt critical damage to Garakse.
However, Yi-han wasnt spared either, and he was sent flying backward after being hit by a force that shook his entire body.
Kuh!
A clean hit from Arlongs sword didnt hurt nearly as much as this.
Yi-han began regretting his decision.
Did I pour in too much mana!?
Dead set on putting an end to the fight, he had poured in as much mana as he could, which resulted in something unexpected.
The shockwave had rendered him immobile.
Fortunately, all the enemies near him were down
Yi-han!
What surprised him was that Professor Garcia was running over to him from afar.
What happened to the other assants that were attacking her?
It didnt take long for him to get his answer. There were several people sprawled around her, with injuries that appeared to havee from getting hit by a massive hammer.
There was blood on the professors fist, and it didnt seem to be hers.
Rightshes a troll mix-blood
Yi-han was really starting to regret his decisions now.
Even if he hadnt stepped out, Professor Garcia mightve been able to deal with the assants by herself with those fists of hers.
After all, with or without magic, her troll lineage granted her an impressive physique.
WHO DARES!
A blob of green light and a massive skeleton flew over from the direction of the academy.
Under normal circumstances, Yi-han wouldve freaked out seeing the Principal, but he felt relieved to see him for once.
Time to rest.
Yi-han closed his eyes and lied down where he was. His body throbbed all over the ce, and he wanted to get some well-deserved rest.
***
Principal Skelly had rushed over with Professor Bdy in tow.
The anti-magic extremists were like poisonous mushrooms and mold that secretly grew in the dark, and this time around, one of the academys professors had been attacked.
Im sorry, Professor Kim. Because of my carelessness, you were ced in a dangerous situation.
After taking a look at the battlefield, the principal lowered his head and apologized.
P-please raise your head, Lord Gonadaltes. Its impossible for anyone to predict the attacks of anti-magic extremists ahead of time, especially ones that involve the Twilight Dawn.
A sincere apology from the principal was a rare sight to behold, and Professor Garcia, who was at the receiving end of it, became flustered.
Professor Bdy, who was watching from the sidelines, opened his mouth.
Thats where youre incorrect. A principal of Einroguard should be able to prevent it.
..
Professor Garcia became utterly speechless hearing this.
No one asked for your opinion, you social misfit of a professor!
Principal Skelly wished to smack the vampires head, but he held back. After all, he was indeed at fault here.
I shouldve checked the surroundings first. Im deeply ashamed. Waitis that an ancient relic?
Yes. Its a powerful relic that can suck all the mana in the nearby area.
They came fully prepared.
Principal Skelly clicked his tongue.
The ancient relic that they brought was a testament to the fact that none were as skilled as the anti-magic extremists when it came to dealing with mages.
This mans Garakse.
Professor Bdy was able to identify the dying swordsman.
Garakse was a famous figure within the Twilight Dawn. As an expert at anti-magebat, he had the nickname of the Mage Killer.
Hes still alive. Ill imprison him in the dungeon, dig through his memories, and obtain information about the Twilight Dawn. By the way
Principal Skelly gave the battlefield another nce.
It was clear that most of the assants had been scorched by Professor Garcias lightning magic.
As someone whose expertise wasnt in magicbat, she had done well to restrain herself and not destroy the nearby region.
However, what caught his eye was something else.
Some of the assants had been stabbed in the stomach or knocked unconscious using telekinesis.
It didnt take much brainpower to know who was behind this. It was clearly the handiwork of the boy from the Wardanaz Family, who had fallen asleep on the road.
Why is someone from the Wardanaz Family such a great swordsman?
Luck could only go so far. To defeat Garakse, being proficient with the sword was a must.
Though Principal Skelly was curious, he didnt bother waking Yi-han up.
Just because they were mages, it didnt mean they studied magic 24/7.
They each had their own hobbies, with some people being interested in horsemanship, others in knitting, and so on.
It just so happened that Yi-hans hobby was swordsmanship.
Noticing the principals gaze, Professor Garcia opened her mouth.
If student Yi-han didnt assist me, the oue wouldve been disastrous. Its thanks to him that things ended without the workers getting hurt.
I see. Hes a talented one. To cast magic sessfully without panicking during an attackhe might have a knack for magicbat. Professor Bdy, was it you that taught him? Im pleasantly surprised.
Theres nothing to be surprised about. This boy from the Wardanaz Family is the type of person that remains sharp in the face of danger. Hes also got an enormous mana reserve. Its obvious that he would shine in battle.
I shouldnt have brought him here.
Fearing for the worst, Principal Skelly had brought Professor Bdy along since he was a skilledbat mage. However, every time the professor opened his mouth, it only served to rub salt on the principals wound.
Although the vampire professor didnt think much of Yi-hans aplishments, Principal Skelly begged to differ.
He wasnt the type to hand out praises either, but Yi-hans performance tonight was beyond impressive.
As a newly recruited student, he had put up a fight against the infamous anti-magic extremists.
The principal became even more impressed once Professor Garcia exined how the fight progressed.
He wouldnt have reacted so strongly if Yi-han had subdued the assants through magic or force.
What left a deep impression on him was the fact that the boy had ovee all odds and emerged victorious despite being weaker than the enemies.
Yi-han had what it took to be a great mage.
Oh, how he wished to snatch him up!
Principal Skellys non-existent hands began to itch.
If he could have it his way, he wouldve gone the traditional way of locking Yi-han in his office and taking him in as his disciple.
In the past, mages used to select one disciple and had them inherit their legacy. However, that was no longer allowed in this day and age.
If the principal tried to take Yi-han for himself, there would be protests from the professors, the Wardanaz Family, and even the Emperor himself.
Sir, learning magic isnt the end-all-be-all! He must be allowed to mingle with others! You know better than anyone here what kind of horrible deeds mages that have walked down the wrong path are capable of!
Os Gonadaltes, you worthless bag of bones. Is this how you teach students at your academy? Is this all you got? I wouldve taught him myself had I known that was the case.
Os, Ive been providing your academy with financial support in the hopes of developing talents that would serve as the Empires pirs. You think Im paying you to raise unhinged lunatics? What in the world are you doing with a rare talent? Are you trying to rebel?
Being taught one-on-one by a grand mage often resulted in the disciple bing twisted in one way or another.
What an annoying era we live in, the principal thought to himself as he sighed.
It was a pity, but there was nothing he could do about it. After all, this was a rule that he had created himself.
The good thing was that as long as Yi-han attended Einroguard, they would have to cross paths eventually.
Principal Skelly sincerely wished that Yi-han woulde under his wings several years down the line.
He would teach the boy all sorts of forbidden wonders and knowledge obtained from years of research!
Clean this ce up andpensate the workers. Theyve earned it. Oh, and dont forget to retrieve the relic.
Principal Skellyid down his orders to his summoned creatures.
To not spread fear and unease to nearby towns, they had to clean up the ce.
Professor Bdy, what are you doing?
The principal had asked out of curiosity, noticing that Professor Bdy was carefully observing some of the assants.
They appear to have suffered some kind of special attack. I was trying to figure out what it was.
Hmmm youre right. How did Waradanaz defeat them?
Both the principal and the professor were left puzzled.
They could immediately tell that some of them were stabbed and shed by a sword, while others were struck down using an iron orb.
However, a small group of assants was found with injuries that seemed to havee from being hit by a massive hammer.
What could have caused this?
Did he use telekinesis on a boulder? With what? Even with that much mana, that shouldnt be possiblehow did he do it?
U-um, I took them down using my fist.
Professor Garcia fessed up, raising her hand bashfully.
***
Waking up on a soft bed, the first thing that greeted Yi-han was the principals skull.
Is this a nightmare?
Yi-han, thanks for your help earlier. You must be tired.
Professor Garcia was beside him.
I-I simply did what I had to do in that situation.
Even so, that doesnt negate your aplishment. Youve done well.
Thank you.
Though of course, youll still be punished for trying to escape the academy.
Fuck me.
Yi-hans hatred toward the anti-magic extremists shot up in that instant.
He wouldve been in a town by now if not for them!
Professor Garica looked at him apologetically.
Im sorry, Yi-han. Youve done so much
Whats there to feel sorry about? Rules are rules. Rewards are rewards. Punishments, punishments. By the way, how were you able to go past the warehouse? Thats not somewhere you can go past in your second week.
This was something that truly stumped the principal.
Each year, a handful of freshmen would attempt to enter the warehouse that was located behind the central stairways of the academys main building.
Not all of them were trying to escape. In fact, most students were simply hungry, so much so that they would sell their souls to the devil if it meant getting ess to the storage room where the food was being kept.
The principal, who knew this, would purposely scatter keys to the back of the central stairways in the hopes of luring in students.
However, he didnt think someone would actually manage to get past the warehouse.
First of all, it required indomitable will to ignore all the goods inside therge storage room. Second of all, there was the warehouse keeper.
How did Yi-han manage to shake him off?
I have no idea what youre saying, sir.
Yi-han kept his mouth shut and dodged the question.
He had already been caught. He had no intention of letting his secret out as well.
Principal Skelly, however, knew what he was thinking and grinned.
Youre not simple, Ill give you that. Unfortunately, Ill make it so its impossible for you to ess the underground warehouse again.
Shit!
The principal then became serious.
Yi-han of the Wardanaz Family. For standing up against the anti-magic extremists and for protecting the workers and a professor of the academy, I would like to represent Einroguard in extending our sincere gratitude.
..!
As a sign of our gratitude, you will be bestowed the sword Star of Dawn.
I gratefully wait a minute. Isnt this the sword that the enemy used?
Yi-han was so flustered he forgot to ask whether it was alright to give a real sword to a teenage student.
Should we break it instead then?
You have a point. Ill gratefully ept.
It took all but one second for Yi-han to be convinced.
I could sell it in the future.
Professor Garcia, who had been watching, was dumbstruck by how quickly Yi-han changed his mind.
She had nned on convincing him, thinking he would refuse to the bitter end.
The sword has done no wrong. It was simply in the hands of the wrong person. Yi-han, please use this sword for good, was what she had nned on saying.
Take this as well. Its an exit permit.
!!
Yi-han appreciated this reward much more than the sword.
Principal Skelly was baffled to see this boy who always remained expressionless be visibly happy.
The swords worth much more though?!
Thank you, sir! Ill devote myself to the academy!
R-right.
The madness in his eyes overwhelmed even the principal.
l
Chapter 43
Chapter 43
Yi-han tightly held the exit permit in his hand before carefully putting it away, as if he was afraid of someone stealing it.
No ones going to take it away from you
Both Professor Garcia and Principal Skelly were baffled by his behavior.
Are you feeling alright?
Yes.
Good. Since youve received your reward, its time to dish out the punishment.
.
Yi-han stared at the principal in disbelief.
In turn, the principal spoke as if his heart ached as well.
Dont look at me like that. I dont want to do this either, but rules are rules.
What a load of baloney.
The principal definitely seemed to be enjoying this.
Oh, and just in case you misunderstand, youre not being punished for trying to escape without permission.
Then?
Its for being caught while trying.
Then was he supposed to watch on as Professor Garcia got cut down?
Yi-han was barely able to contain himself. Years of experience had taught him that nothing good woulde of talking back to professors.
Patience. Inner peace.
The suns about toe up. Until tomorrow morning, you are to remain in the Punishment Room and think about what you should do differently so that you dont get caught the next time.
Principal Skelly tossed him a book while saying so.
It was a ck leather-bound book, and there was something uncanny about it.
Whats this?
Have a read. Itll help you pass the time in the Punishment Room.
For a split second, an expression that screamed you think Im going to believe you? appeared on Yi-hans face.
Principal Skelly was happy to see the look of skepticism.
Bring the student to the Punishment Room.
The principals summons helped Yi-han to his feet.
From this morning to tomorrows morning, Yi-han was to spend time in the academys Punishment Room.
***
Yi-han walked down a flight of stairs, crossed a corridor, went down another floor, and entered a different corridor
He repeated this a couple dozen times while being blindfolded. Even if he had his vision, he wouldnt have been able to memorize the route.
Ttang!
Hm.
Soon, the door closed on him and he was left alone.
Yi-han took a look around the room. It wasnt all that different from his room in the dormitory.
Instead of sunlighting in from the windows, there was artificial light, which made the room a bit dimmer. But other than that, it was pretty simr.
This is the punishment room? Its not as terrible as I imagined.
In fact, hed have no problem staying here for a couple of weeks.
When he was a graduate student, there were times when he had to stay in a room that was far smaller than this, and he wouldnt be alone either.
Inparison, this room was much more spacious.
He would tell Nilia the next time they met that the Punishment Room wasnt that bad, though of course, she might have a different opinion about this.
Yi-han Wardanaz.
?
From outside his cell, an undead spoke to him in a stiff voice.
Take this.
A sizable basket was pushed into his room through an opening at the bottom of the door.
It contained a freshly baked loaf of bread, a small bowl of salt and pepper, seasoned mutton, fried eggs, a sweet cooked apple, and warm biscuits containing bits of chocte and almond.
The heck?
The food was a bit too extravagant considering where he was, which perplexed Yi-han.
What was all this?
A gift from Professor Garcia.
Ahplease tell her I said thanks.
Theres more. Take these as well.
Wait a sec
More and more baskets were pushed in, which made Yi-han lose hisposure.
Was he supposed to eat all these in one day?
Fortunately, the other baskets mostly contained preserved food.
Chocte and candies wrapped in tinfoil, salted peanuts, boxes of cookies and tea leaves, bottles of apple and orange juice
Did she just get a random assortment of everything since she doesnt know what I like?
Yi-han thanked the professor in his head as heid the baskets beside him.
At the very least, he wouldnt feel peckish during his stay in the Punishment Room.
Sip
Yi-han prepared some ck tea and added milk and sugar.
Sipping on it, he fell into deep thought.
His fight with the Empires anti-magic extremists had been a fierce one. So fierce, in fact, that he was surprised by how well he performed.
As for how he was able to maintain his calm in battle
Its all thanks to Arlongs teachings.
Had Arlong been there, he wouldve definitely disagreed with that sentiment.
Magicbat and its practical use? When did I ever teach the Young Master about those?
Unfortunately, he wasnt there and couldnt defend himself.
Yi-han had yet to realize this, but he was certainly gifted inbat. This was something all the professors agreed on.
Thank you, Arlong.
Yi-han cast .
Move.
A quill was gently lifted up into the air, and before long, it began moving smoothly. Such movements wouldve been unimaginable the first time he learned the spell.
Yi-han put down the quill and cast the spell on the iron orb.
The circle he drew was near-perfect.
Its slightly upsetting to know that Professor Bdy had been right on the dot.
At times, students would get angry at their professors not because they were wrong, but because they were right.
Professor Bdys im that Practical experience would help you grow had thus been proven correct.
He had grown by leaps and bounds through his fight with the anti-magic extremists.
Who knows, I might be able to be a grand mage after a few more fights. Or I might die in the process.
Yi-han lowered the iron orb. Though it wasnt exactly what he had in mind, he didnt feel too terrible about his growth.
As for that sword technique
Yi-han recalled his duel with the enemy leader.
Arlong had taught him that reviewing battles, regardless of victory or defeat, was important for growth.
That technique wasnt normal, was it?
At the time, Yi-han had fought frantically without much thinking. His opponent had been just that powerful.
However, thinking back, the technique that he used definitely wasnt normal.
After all, it required the user to pour in an insane amount of mana.
Yi-han had been able to pull it off because of his ridiculous mana pool. If it had been anyone else, who knows what wouldve happened?
In the end, the sword that he held shattered under the pressure.
ording to Arlong, veteran swordsmen were capable of using aura, which was mana condensed and stored into their swords. What he used, on the other hand
Hm, I dont know what to call it, but I should be careful in the future.
He didnt want to do anything foolish and end up in the newspapers column.
After he finished his ck tea, his eyesnded on one final objectthe book given to him by the principal.
Should I open this?
Yi-han took a moment to weigh his options.
Was this a gift, or was this a trap?
Scenario 1: Its a gift => The principals not a demon. He should know that Yi-han had risked his life to save Professor Garcia. Though he locked Yi-han in the Punishment Room because of the rules, he felt sorry and gave the book as a gift.
Scenario 2: Its a trap => Strictly speaking, the principal isnt a human. Hes an undead. His heart is that of a demons. Not to mention, he seemed to be enjoying himself as he sent Yi-han on his way. In that case
Its more likely to be a trap.
No matter how much he pondered, he couldnt help but think that it was a trap.
For the time being, he pushed the book away.
It was then.
Flip, flip, flip!
!?
The ck leather-bound book opened by itself the moment Yi-han touched it.
Then, the words within the pages jumped out of the book as if they were alive, wrapping themselves around Yi-hans hands and entering through his skin.
!!!!
He felt a shock in his brain, as if someone was forcefully shoving in knowledge.
The fuck..!?
It was painful, and his mind was reeling, but he knew what the book was trying to do. It was trying to transmit knowledge about a spell.
Yi-han opened his mouth subconsciously and uttered the name of the magic.
GonadaltesNimble Footsteps!
Ppat!
Once the transmission was over, the book closed itself shut. Confused, Yi-han tried to open the book again, but it was nailed shut.
What kind of book is this?
He had a headache because of what just happened, so he held his head as he took a gander at the spell that he had learned.
Knowledge about was ingrained in his head, as if he had read and memorized the book by heart.
Everything from chanting to the movements involved was clear to him.
Of course, this didnt mean he could use the spell immediately. It was his responsibility to digest the knowledge and apply it.
So its a book that forces its reader to learn the spell recorded inside it
From the name of the spell, he could tell it was personally made by the principal.
Why then did he not call Yi-han over and teach him face-to-face? Why did he use such a weird method?
Hes a psychopath, I tell you. Professors are bound to go insane after years of teaching.
Yi-han came to his own conclusion.
The real reason was that several groups of people including the professors wouldve demanded an exnation for trying to ruin a talented student if the principal had tried to teach him one-on-one
Unfortunately, Yi-han had no way of knowing this.
***
My footsteps reign over the earth. My footsteps reign over the earth. My footsteps
There was nothing better to do, so Yi-han was hard at work chanting the newly acquired spell.
Though he imed to have little interest in magic, objectively speaking, he was obsessed with it.
Other students wouldve found something to entertain themselves if they were bored. They wouldnt be studying like Yi-han.
Ttum, ttum, ttum-
?
Yi-han stopped chanting for a second.
Did someone just knock on the walls? If so, who could it be?
My footsteps reign over-
Ttum, ttum, ttum-
This time, he had heard it clearly. Yi-han carefully approached one of the walls in his cell and put his ear over it.
Ttum, ttum, ttum-
It was louder this time.
Yi-han also proceeded to knock on the wall, which made the other party stop.
Then, a low and husky voice was heard from the other side.
Is someone there?
Yes.
Which grade are you in?
Im a freshman.
So an Iron. Must be tough.
And you are?
Gold.
Gold represented fourth-year students.
Yi-han was surprised to learn that a senior was locked up in a room beside him.
How did a fourth-year studentnd himself in never mind. Not like Im any better.
Yi-han was quick to reflect on himself.
Indeed, he wasnt in a position to say anything after being caught while trying to escape.
Why are you here in the Punishment Room? Did a fight ur between dormitories?
No.
No? Then did you try to steal something from one of your dormmates?
No, I tried to escape, but got caught in the end.
The senior in the next room chuckled.
The freshmen this year are fast. To think theyd try to escape after a week. You went through the mountains, right? They all do, not knowing the walls extend all the way to the back, and most of them get captured.
It wasnt through the mountains.
The person on the other side seemed surprised to hear that.
Underground then?
Yes.
Well, arent you a bright one? Unfortunately, thats also a trap. rms would ring if you touch anything in the underground warehouse, and the warehouse keeper is a monster that specializes in detection. Which one did you get done in with?
Neither.
Neither?
Yup. I managed to leave the academy through the underground passageway. I was caught while I was outside.
.
The fourth-year student on the other side of the wall was horrified upon hearing this.
He was able to discover the underground passageway, go past the rm trap, fool the warehouse keeper, and escape, all in one week???
Is this bastard really a freshman??
Wait. Then how were you caught?
I was on one of the carriages, but the anti-magic extremists attacked, and I was discovered by the principal after confronting them.
Chapter 44
Chapter 44
For a while, silence prevailed in the other room.
Yi-han carefully opened his mouth, thinking hed said something strange.
Um, did I say something to offend you?
N-no. I was just a little surprised. You seem very skilled for a freshman.
I got caught though?
If you can avoid being captured in that situation, you should demand to be the principal or so the senior thought.
Anything involving the anti-magic extremists was not a joke.
Numerous skilled professors would have to rush to the scene to repel them.
Wishing to remain hidden while fighting them was outright absurd.
Senior, sir, what did you do to get locked up?
No need for the sir, and drop the honorifics. Its ufortable. Besides, well all be fellow mages once we graduate.
Cool, so howd you end up here?
The person on the other side of the wall suddenly had the urge to see what Yi-han looked like.
Where did a weirdo like this appear from?
I was brought here because I failed in an experiment.
Wait, you were brought to the Punishment Room simply because you failed in an experiment???
Yi-han was horrified to hear this.
Werent the professors being way too strict?
However, the senior on the other side seemed used to this.
Its nothing to write home about. Youll see what I mean in the future.
The fourth-year senior talked about what happened.
He had failed to gather the necessary ingredients for an experiment in the time allotted. Hence, he robbed one of the principals secret storage rooms.
Unfortunately, he failed to see through all the traps that the principal hadid down and was dragged to the Punishment Room.
..?
Yi-han paused for a moment.
That has nothing to do with failing an experiment though?
He was simply caught in the act while trying to steal!
However, Yi-han didnt point this out. Common sense usually crumbled after a few years in graduate school.
It wasnt the seniors fault that hismon sense was warped. It was the magic academys.
Considering how skilled you are, many professors would try to scout you. Be careful, and dont fail in your experiments.
Ill take your advice to heart. Having said that, I dont intend to remain in the academy for long.
Youre quite humble.
No, Im serious
Sure you are. You appear to be an honor student. Are you from the Blue Dragons? No, that cant be it.
It didnt seem like the senior would listen to anything he said, so Yi-han didnt bother convincing him.
However, for reasons that couldnt be exined, he felt a sense of unease.
Senior, can I ask you a question?
Speak.
Its going to be a little difficult to escape through the underground passage again. Is there another way out?
The senior snickered hearing his question.
Of course there is. But junior, why should I give you such precious information? Whats in it for me?
Instead of replying, Yi-han turned his head and screamed in the direction of the door.
MR. WARDEN!
!?
The senior in the next room straightened his back in horror.
What was this brat up to!? A double-suicide!?
What is it?
Can you please deliver these to my neighbor?
Alright.
He wasnt too sure whether this would work, so he was pleasantly surprised when the undead warden epted his request.
Since the warden had been kind enough to bring him the gifts from the professor, he thought this might work, and it fortunately did.
A basket containing cookies, a warm cup of ck tea, and sugar was delivered to the next room.
Crash!
???
N-nothinghowd you bring these here?
I got them as a gift.
.
The senior really wanted to know Yi-hans identity now.
He had figured out the location of the underground passageway a week after entering the academy, almost seeded in his escape (if it wasnt for the unexpected disaster), and had his dormmates in the palms of his hands, to the point where they would send him offerings even while he was in the Punishment Room.
Not to mention his resourcefulness.
Is this bastard from a criminal guild??
From time to time, students with criminal histories would weasel their way into the ck Tortoise, and the senior suspected Yi-han to be one of them.
And he was probably a big shot too! Otherwise, it was impossible to exin his achievements.
Anyway, would these be enough?
Yes, Ill tell you the information you want in exchange.
The senior lightly coughed.
He had received some unexpected gifts, and if Yi-han was truly from a criminal guild, it was better to not offend him.
Otherwise, he mighte for revengeter on
But a disimer before I start exining. Not even the fourth-year students know all the ways to escape the academy. In fact, many of us have never seeded.
After a year, students would be allowed to go on outings now and again, so the vast majority of seniors had never escaped.
Secretly escaping the academy was just too difficult.
And yet a freshman had managed to pull it off.
The method that I know of is something that my seniors taught me. Ive never tried it myself, so I have no idea whether it works in the first ce.
ording to the senior next door, there was a special stable in one of the spires located on the upper floors of the academys main building.
It was a stable for winged beasts, a ce where mounts of professors and eagles of officials that delivered imperial edicts rested.
These beasts had a special blessing that allowed them to fly over the academys walls unhindered.
However, theres bound to be something that prevents random people from riding those beasts.
.
The senior was right. The stable probably had someone watching over it, just like the underground warehouse.
But its something at least.
Yi-han had high hopes after learning about the new method of escape.
Since the method was being passed down, one of their seniors must have seeded in the past.
In that case, there was hope for Yi-han as well.
Thank you, senior.
D-did hefigure out a way already!? How!?
The seniors misunderstanding only grew.
***
Youre free to go, Yi-han Wardanaz.
After a day, the undead warden opened the door to his cell.
Before walking down the corridor and leaving, Yi-han gave the person in the next room a few pieces of chocte.
Though they hadnt met face-to-face, the senior had told him about various things while he was there.
For some reason, however, the senior became gradually quieter as time passed.
Yi-han assumed it was because he was being bothersome. Anyone would find it annoying if a stranger kept talking to them.
He was grateful the senior even bothered to reply.
I should thank him properly if I meet himter on.
Yi-han returned to the surface world by backtracking through theplicated path he took to go down.
Outside the academys main building, the sun was about to go up.
Hmm. It looks just like a kitchen.
Yi-han observed his room after returning to the Blue Dragons dormitory and noticed it resembled a well-organized kitchen.
Various food items had been neatly stored, giving off the vibe of a grocery store.
On the shelves, there were seasonings and spices such as salt, sugar, and tea leaves.
Cans of apricots, peaches, and pineapples were also present, along with beans, salmon, and salted beef.
Yi-han could probably feast for several weeks if he kept them all to himself.
I should consider starting a real business.
Putting that thought aside for now, he opened the door and left the room.
He had woken up early in the morning, so he was thinking of visiting the stables and trying out Professor Bungaegors assignment.
Yi-han?
Just as he was about to leave the resting lounge, a girl with bright red hair came down from her room while yawning. She seemed shocked to meet him there.
Where were you yesterday!?
The Punishment Room. Didnt the professors tell you?
No. Professor Garcia told us you were resting after getting injured while performing a great deed.
.
Yi-han understood why the professor had lied for him.
For members of prestigious households, honor was something extremely important.
As a scion of the Wardanaz Family, it would be embarrassing if the story spread that he was sent to the Punishment Room after viting a rule.
It would also be unfair since he was caught while trying to save Professor Garcia.
Nah, I got sent there because I got caught while attempting to leave the academy.
Yi-han, however, didnt care much about his honor, and the same went for Yonaire.
Whyd you go alone?
I wasnt sure if it would work, so I went to scout things out.
Bring me along next time. Two brains are better than one, right?
Shall we invite Nilia as well then?
Sure, thats a great idea. Lets have here with us.
That was how Nilia, who wasnt even present, was forcefully added to the team. Yi-han and Yonaire thought nothing of it.
So, what exactly happened? Yonaire asked with her head cocked.
Yi-han exined the events that transpired as they walked toward the stables.
He began with the discovery of an underground passageway and its method of entry. Then, he brought up the story of the warehouse and its guardian.
Yonaire quietly listened, her eyes slowly bing bigger and bigger.
When I was finally out, there were some people lying in wait.
Was it the principal?
No, it was the anti-magic extremists.
!??
Yonaire was left speechless after hearing this.
Professor Garcia had told them the truth.
Still, she found it hard to believe that there were anti-magic extremists hiding near the academy.
So you did perform a great deed.
Yeah, and I got sent to the Punishment Room for it.
But why?
Yonaire failed to understand the principals decision.
Why on earth
***
There were several students already present at the stables, all of them from the ck Tortoise.
When they saw Yi-han and Yonaire approaching, they shuddered and slowly retreated from where they stood.
Yonaire didnt seem to mind this, but Yi-han felt slightly hurt.
You shouldnt judge a person by their appearance or family background!
What Yi-han didnt know was that the ck Tortoise feared him because of the rumors surrounding him. His familys reputation was just a cherry on top.
Um
!
However, he soon brightened up when someone from the ck Tortoise approached him.
Is it Nilia?
It wasnt. It was actually Ratford, the rat demihuman.
Good morning, Mr. Wardanaz.
Ratford performed a ny-degree bow, as one would to their superior.
This made Yi-han panic.
Others would think Im threatening you!
Hey, just speak to me casually.
Its quite alright, sir. Im used to speaking this way.
Ratford grew up in a thief guild where hierarchies were important.
He couldnt bring himself to speakfortably with someone of higher status.
A clear master-subordinate rtionship. That was what he desired and what put him most at ease.
Yi-han shook his head, noting that there was even greater fear in the other students eyes than before.
Guess this is it.
Well, if you say so.
Giving up, Yi-han turned toward Ratford.
He had cked out immediately after the fight, so he was curious as to what happened next.
What happened after the battle?
I remained hidden during the course of the fight, just as Mr. Wardanaz had ordered. By the time everything was over, the principal had arrived with the other professors.
Good job. You mightve gotten hurt if you hade out.
Since all the workers were distracted, I thought it was a great opportunity to rummage around. I picked some locks and took out things that seemed useful from the chests. I had to hide everything on my body, so I was only able to bring back some small items, but Id like to offer them to you, sir.
Ratford took out a small box and gave it to him. The box contained sks that had liquid in them.
.
Amazed, Yi-han was rendered speechless.
A professional thief is different after all!
Chapter 45
Chapter 45
A professional thiefs determination to steal was on a whole new level aspared to others.
Under the watchful eyes of the principal and the professors, Ratford had picked the locks and stolen the items within the chests.
An assortment of different-colored liquids were contained within the sks, and Yi-han could feel various types of mana emanating from them.
By the waywhat are these?
Im afraid I dont know, sir.
I-I see.
Ratford was a professional thief, not a master alchemist. He had taken whatever seemed valuable without stopping to consider what they were.
I have no idea what they are, either.
Though Yi-han had flipped through several books to study various topics while he was at the Wardanaz estate, he wasnt knowledgeable enough in alchemy to identify what these liquids were.
Yonaire, do you know what this is?
This
Yonaire took one of the sks and studied it with a serious expression.
Isnt this alcohol?
Youre kidding.
I think its wine.
Yonaire unscrewed the cork and carefully took a whiff. Then, she nodded to herself.
Yup, its wine.
.
But I think the rest are potions. As for their exact usage, Id have to dig through the books in the library
Whew. At least theres that.
Ratford wasnt particrly surprised to witness a member of the Maykin Family and a member of the Wardanaz Family discuss stolen goods.
He knew not to interfere in matters that concerned the higher-ups.
He isnt averse to the idea of using stolen potions. What an open-minded individual.
Thanks, Ratford. Ill use them well.
The honor is mine. Please dont hesitate to call me if my service is required.
Again, theres no need to be so politeOh, wanna tend the horses together?
Since Ratford was here early in the morning, it was a good chance for him to get closer to the horses.
Ratford bowed his head upon hearing this suggestion.
It would be my honor to apany you.
Stop with the honor nonsense.
The glory-
Stop.
Understood.
Flop-
?
They heard something being dropped from behind.
When they looked back, they saw Nilia frozen in her spot, shock apparent on her face.
Y-you havea new friend
She took several steps back, appearing distraught at the betrayal.
Yi-han and Yonaire quickly ran over to her.
***
Oh, is that what happened? You shouldve told me earlier. Were you afraid Id misunderstand or something?
Yi-han and Yonaire exchanged meaningful nces.
She was about to jump to conclusions just now, wasnt she?
Definitely.
They had fortunately dispelled Nilias misunderstanding. She had thought they were recing her with Ratford, who was also a student of the ck Tortoise.
Ratford put on a serious face and said, Im not their friend. Rather, Im their sereurrrp.
Shoot, my hands slipped.
Yi-han used the brush for horse grooming to block Ratfords mouth.
Now, lets all take care of the horses together.
There were a couple of other students present at the stables, hoping to get close to the horses.
Though Professor Bungaegor had told the students to be friends with them, not many were diligent enough to wake up in the morning just to tend to some animals.
And it wasnt like the horses were kind to the diligent ones.
Agh! Stop spitting on me!
Listen, will you? Whats your problem? What is it that you want!?
The horses spat at them, headbutted them, and tried to chomp on their hands.
Yi-han was indifferent to all this.
Lab animals are never the most cooperative.
Sure, the horses were aggressive, but they were far from being the worst to work with. At the very least, they didnt run away or throw dung at their caretakers.
Here, let me brush your hair.
Puheung!
The white horse that Professor Bungaegor had entrusted Yi-han with red at the boy in front of it.
It was painfully clear to everyone watching that it would strike the moment Yi-han approached it.
However, Yi-han didnt seem to mind this at all.
Whoosh!
The white horse immediately charged at him. Yi-han had predicted this and jumped back to avoid the attack.
The horse was stunned; it didnt think Yi-han would dodge its charge.
Twe!
This time, it spat, but Yi-han ducked, having seen thising from a mile away.
Good boy. Good boy.
Chomp!
The horse tried to take a bite out of Yi-han, but the human sidestepped and quickly shortened the distance between them.
Even so, the horse wasnt about to give up.
Its legs were tied up, so it couldnt kick, but it tried to mess with the boy in a variety of ways.
Yi-han stood his ground, weaving through the attacks and blocking those he couldnt.
Nilia, who was watching this from behind, was beyond impressed.
Hows he holding himself back?
If it were her, she wouldve cussed the horse to oblivion or brought out the whip by now.
Yi-han, on the other hand, didnt express any anger and continued to soothe the horse, calling it a good boy.
Is this the dignity of nobles??
***
-Puleuleu
The white horse eventually got tired and lowered its head after causing a ruckus for a while.
It was only then that Yi-han began grooming it.
Even as it was getting brushed, the white horse red at Yi-han, revealing its intention to strike once more after recovering its strength.
And youre telling me it doesnt have any monster blood running in its veins?
Yi-han wasnt convinced, seeing how tenacious the horse was.
The rest of the horses didnt appear as nasty as this one
Rattle!
F-finally.
Yonaire appeared covered in dirt after a lengthy period of struggling with her horse. Despite how she looked, there was a bright smile on her face.
Nilia and Ratford had also undergone a simr trial.
Its started to listen to me now.
Ive also gotten a bit closer to my horse.
Yi-han turned toward the white horse and stared at it intently.
Unfortunately, the creature didnt budge and simply faced a different direction.
If it were any other student, they wouldve either been driven mad by its rebellious attitude or given up on taming it
However, Yi-hans heart was as tranquil as a pond.
Its gonna have to give in one of these days.
No matter what the horse did, it was still better than the nonsense that his professors cooked up.
Yi-han had let go of his emotions and was doing what he had to do.
After he was finished grooming the white horse, he gave it some food.
While maintaining eye contact, the horse gobbled down the feed, its eyes delivering a clear message of dont think this is over.
Im thinking of bringing my horse on a walk, said Yonaire, dusting herself off.
Walks were a must when it came to taking care of horses.
Not only did they keep the horses healthy, they helped form bonds with the students.
Even a sensitive beast would warm up to someone that was constantly around it.
Hmm.
Yi-han had doubts about whether the white horse would follow him out on a walk without making a fuss.
It was already targeting him in that narrow space. Once it was out of the stables, wouldnt it have more space to attack?
Hmm
Yi-han first took a look at the bracelet and the belt that he was wearing, and then at the white horse.
For some reason, the horse felt a sense of dread when its eyes met with Yi-hans.
***
Im here!
..
Uregor opened the door, keeping his facial expression in check.
From outside, Bungaegor stepped into the hut holding a tin cup.
Brew some tea for me!
You dont even like the tea that I brew
Its fine, Ill bear with it!
Sorrow evident on his face, Uregor boiled the water.
What a tragedy that Yi-han wasnt present today.
The freshmen seem to be working hard at the stables, said Bungaegor, chugging down the hot tea that had been served to her.
Diligence was a trait that was important for both alchemists and trainers.
There was a reason why she gathered horses with nasty personalities and told the students to get familiar with them.
It was to train their diligence.
A lot went into bing friends with an unfamiliar animal, with diligence being the most crucial.
Without being diligent, it was impossible to be close to animals.
Ive purposely made the horses extremely sensitive, but theyll open up if you cherish them and approach them with sincerity. On the other hand, it would be a painful experience for those that try to whip the horses into submission.
When given this assignment, students generally showed one of two responses.
Some students would wake up early in the morning to familiarize themselves with the horses. Others would conduct themselves as arrogantly as before, spurring on the horses and whipping them until they behaved.
What they didnt know was that the horses prepared by Bungaegor werent the type to submit to violence. Hence, those that werent diligent would be in for a bitter experience.
Kuhahahaha!
..
Uregor shook his head seeing his aunt howl inughter while putting down her cup.
She enjoys torturing students way too much.
Uregor and Bungaegor were two peas in a pod, at least in Yi-hans mind, but Uregor wasnt aware of this.
Im different from her! was his official stance.
Is Wardanaz doing well?
Ah, him. Hes a diligent one, so he should be fine. Granted, griffons are a bit more difficult to handle, but with a mix of diligence, cleverness, and luck, he should have no problem getting close to one.
?
Uregor raised his head just as he was about to pour in more tea.
Something wasnt right.
Did you say griffons just now?
Huh?
A moment agoyou mentioned griffons.
You must be hallucinating. I said horses.
Uregor stared at his aunt, a mix of shock and terror in his eyes.
Did she really transform a griffon into a horse?
You didnt, right?
What do you mean?
..
No, lets not get ahead of ourselves. Griffon could be the name of that horse.
Uregor returned to his senses.
Griffons. They were aerial monsters with the head and wings of an eagle and the paws and ws of a lion.
Not only were they extremely picky and prideful, they had violent personality and were very particr about who could be their master.
Their character and habits varied depending on where they came from, but one thing was for certain:
They werent creatures that a freshman could handle!!
Whats the name of that horse?
GriFongri.
Have you finally gone mad!?!?!
Uregor finally exploded.
His disciple had to take a rest just the other day to recover from an injury, and yet his aunt was forcing him to do something crazy.
Whats your problem!? You wanna have a go? Is that it?
You frickin transformed a griffon into a horse!
Wheres your evidence, huh? You got proof? And lets say I did. Its now a horse, so it should be safe!
You think griffons are as dumb as slimes!?
It was pandemonium inside the hut, with cups shattering, chairs flying, and furniture getting destroyed.
However, for the dwarves, it was a typical family quarrel.
***
-Puleuleuleuleuleuleung
Take that.
Yi-han felt smug looking at the white horse in front of him.
Its b*tchy attitude from before was nowhere to be seen, and it had be much more well-behaved.
This was Yi-hans handiwork. He had taken off his mana-absorbing bracelet and belt, cing them all on the horse instead.
As expected. Its be obedient now that Ive sealed its mana.
All living things were born with a certain amount of mana within them, and once they were drained of their mana, they would feel fatigued.
Equipped with all the items that were originally on Yi-han, the white horse was so worn out that it didnt have the energy to resist anymore.
Right. Lets
-Puleuleung
The white horse resigned itself to its fate and allowed Yi-han to lead it by the reins.
Yi-han arrived at a sudden thought seeing the horse behave this way.
It can still walk with the bracelet and belt equipped. Does the horse have high mana regen?
Either that, or the equipment didnt absorb as much mana as he initially thought.
Even if it had some monster blood running in its veins, a horse shouldnt have that much mana. I guess the bracelet and belt arent as powerful as I imagined.
He began walking alongside the horse, locked in his thoughts.
Several students around him were crying and begging for mercy after trying to forcefully mount their horses.
Let me off!! Please! I was wrong!
How can I make them absorb more mana?
Yi-han continued on his way, already used to seeing such scenes in the academy.
Chapter 46
Chapter 46
-Puleuleuleung.
Feeling tired?
The exhausted neighs of the white horse made Yi-han stop in his tracks.
He was delighted to see that the horse which had been running wild until now was attempting tomunicate with him.
Were bing close! he thought.
Here, have some water. And some sugar as well.
-Puleuleung
Though the white horse didnt wish to admit it, it was slowly being subjugated by the boy before it.
-Puleuleung!
That was when its eyes shot open.
It had its pride to uphold as a member of an ancient race.
It wasnt going to surrender without putting up a fight!
Yi-han noticed this and quietly muttered to himself
,
I should figure out how can I raise the mana absorption rate.
-Puleuleuleung.
The white horse lowered its head once more with a defeated look in its eyes.
***
Time awaited no one, not even those that rose early in the morning to tend to the horses.
Regardless of whether the students were sleepy or hungry, they had to attend their sses.
Yi-han handed a can of beef and a jar of pickled cucumbers to his friends from the ck Tortoise as they were about to return to their dorm, having finished their morning task.
Nilia, who received them, rummaged through her pockets with a troubled look. She didnt seem happy about the gifts at all.
??
Um, I dont have any money on me
Im giving them to you for free.
Yi-han reflected on his past actions ever-so-slightly.
Was he usually that petty?
Wait, really?? Like for real?
Is it really that hard to believe?
It was only then that Nilia epted the gifts, her ears perked up.
Ratford, however, tly refused.
I cant take these, sir.
S-should I return them as well? Nilia thought to herself.
Thats an order.
In that case, understood.
Nilia was relieved to see Ratford take what was given to him.
Thank goodness!
Yi-han turned to Yonaire for answers after the two left.
I didnt think theyd react like that. Yonaire, am I usually a petty person?
No? Why?
I see. Thats good.
For a split second, Yi-han wondered if he should ask someone else for a more objective answer, but he soon dismissed the idea.
Lets go have breakfast. Im thinking of sharing some food with the students that have woken up early and are in the resting lounge. Yonaire, can you help me with the logs?
Of course.
The thought of providing their friends with a plentiful meal filled them with joy.
It wouldnt be for free, but it was a happy thought nheless.
***
Yi-han spread some mustard on a small piece of bread and ced it on a te.
The firece in the freshmens resting lounge was every students best friend.
Next to a strip of bacon that was sizzling on the frying pan, Yi-han cracked open an egg. The moment he did, the egg began to be cooked, and the sound spread throughout the room.
Why the big fuss over bloodlines?
It wasnt his own meal that he was preparing, and it wasnt for those in the resting lounge either.
Yi-han was currently preparing a meal for the princess who was in her own room.
Wardanaz, well pay you likest time, so can you deliver some food to Her Highness?
Please, Wardanaz!
He was being paid more than usual, so he had no qualms about sharing the food, but he couldnt understand why the followers were so loyal to Adenart.
Authority was supposed to be something the general public delegated to the minority. Being born with an ancient mythical bloodline or some other nonsense wasnt grounds for having power over others.
What was so great about the royal family thatmanded such respect anyway?
Look at how independent Gainando is. Hes living his life without borrowing anyones power. Gainando always woke up in the morning and came down to the resting lounge to have breakfast without needing anyone to tell him.
His ability to adapt was worthy of praise.
The students generosity toward the princess could potentially do her more harm than good.
Knock, knock-
?
Just like the previous time, Adenart opened the door after hearing the knock.
Yi-han handed her the te.
I cooked these downstairs.
There seemed to be a minute change in Adenarts expression, and she appeared brighter than before.
Or it couldve just been due to the sunlight entering through the windows.
Adenart carefully received the te and was about to raise her fork when she stopped.
After giving Yi-han a slight bow, she entered her room with the te of food and closed the door.
Shes grown. Unlikest time, she didnt wharf down the food outside.
Such were the thoughts of Yi-han as he came down the stairs.
He recalled Adenart having followers even outside the Blue Dragons
If he were to convince them individually, could he perhaps farm coins from each of her followers?
Woah there. Even for me, that sounds evil.
He was taken aback by his hidden potential.
At any rate, he might be able to start a small workshop with the money he earned by the time he graduated from the academy.
***
Huh? I thought sses were held outside?
Dont be fooled. I bet there are monsters hidden inside the ssroom.
Todays lesson on alchemy wasnt being held outside, nor was it being held in the academys main building.
Instead, the students had been called to one of the side buildings, known as Gaksu-kwan.
There were greenhouses inside the building which made it warmer than outside.
However, the freshmen had caught on by now and knew that all wasnt well simply because they were indoors.
Gather around! Be prepared for monsters!
Your Highness, pleasee over here. Well protect you.
Yi-han was rendered speechless by the behaviors of the students from the other towers.
The princess was a member of the Blue Dragons!
Dont worry, Wardanaz. Were a force to behold as well.
Asan Dargard had a confident smile on his face.
Their group was no longer as small as before.
They had Yonaire, Asan, Nilia, and Yi-han himself.
Taking into ount the quality of each member, they were by no means at a disadvantagepared to the other teams.
Everyone to their seats.
Uregor entered while yawning.
For some reason, he seemed like he was ready to drop.
Professor, why are we inside today?
Huh? Were learning alchemy, so of course were inside.
The dwarven professor stared at the student who had asked the question as if he was looking at a buffoon.
Confused, the student reiterated his question.
Last time, you told us sses would be held outside, saying its important that we learn how to harvest materials for alchemy
Yes, but only when we need to harvest materials. Is your head really made of iron? Do you n on concocting potions outside? You should be more flexible with your interpretation.
After saying that, Uregor took a look around. m
Is everyone having simr thoughts? Worry not. Unlike sses that are held outside, the ones held inside are very safe and cozy.
Hes lying.
Hes lying.
Wed be idiots to believe that.
The students werent so easily tricked anymore. Uregor noticed this and grinned.
Now! Pour water into the cauldrons in front of you. Alchemy is aposite art. Every step is important, from preparing the materials to turning off the fire after youre done. This is especially the case for the potion that were making today. Youll never be a great alchemist if you waste the materials that youve painstakingly gathered! Flip open your books and get to brewing! Your goal is to make a !
Flip, flip-
The room was quiet, save for the sounds of books being flipped.
This seems difficult.
At first nce, alchemy may appear to be easier than other forms of magic.
There wasnt a need to memorizeplex spells. All one had to do was put in materials following the predetermined order.
However, Yi-han was quick to realize that there was much more to alchemy than just that.
It was akin to cooking a meal with veryplicated recipes in a short amount of time without any rest in between.
First, remove the roots of the gmaldu. Cut the remaining part into small portions, each having the width of two pinkies.
Before the gmaldu dries up, tear the sulhyang herb into thin pieces using your hand. Boil the gmaldu in hot water for 3 minutes, and the sulhyang herb for 2 minutes 30 seconds. In the meantime, prepare the powder made from grinding red mana stones, and sprinkling them into the solution when the water turns green.
When the water turns orange, stir the solution three times in a clockwise direction, three times in an anti-clockwise direction, and five times from north to south
The materials had to be processed on the spot as most of them couldnt be prepared ahead of time. To make things harder, the alchemist had to memorize the recipe by heart, knowing when to put in the materials as there wouldnt be any time to read the recipe during the actual brewing process.
Last but not least, there were a lot of details that the alchemist had to pay attention to, as missing even one could lead to failure.
Simply put, it was headache-inducing.
Boom! Boom, boom, boom!
As expected, smoke began to rise from everywhere, and explosions urred left and right.
Uregorughed cheerfully watching this unfold.
Nothing pleased alchemists more than seeing fledglings cough from the smoke of their failed concoctions.
What was life without a bit of fun?
?
Uregorsughter faded when his eyes caught something.
It was Yi-hans cauldron.
Whys he so good at this?
The professors eyes popped open.
He was obviously aware that Wardanaz was talented in this field. Not only was he clever, he had the patience to endure all sorts of misceneous work.
His talent in alchemy was unquestionable.
Having said that, regardless of talent, trials and errors were unavoidable on the path to alchemy, especially for beginners. It was even considered a tradition of sorts for beginners to fail.
Otherwise, those that came before them would be too ashamed to show themselves, not to mention it was a great source of entertainment!
Yi-han, however, moved like an experienced alchemist that had worked in a workshop for years.
He precisely measured and cut the herbs as if he was a robot, putting them into his cauldron and measuring the time by flipping several hoursses. When the time was ripe, he uncorked some ss bottles and poured their content into the cauldron. All these were done without a single hup, his movements like a dance, smooth-flowing and continuous.
For once in his life, Uregor had to admit that geniuses were built different.
Such perfection from a student that had just begun to learn alchemy couldnt be exined any other way.
I bet my ancestors beards that no one would believe what Im seeing right now!
In reality, Yi-han wasnt a genius.
This was simply the tragic result of working tirelessly under a professor.
The solution inside his cauldron turned into a deep blue color. This told Uregor that the potion had been perfectly made.
However, after taking a sip, Yi-han threw away the rest while cocking his head.
???
This puzzled Uregor greatly.
Why was he throwing it away?
Yi-han began to concoct the potion again.
As if to prove that his previous disy of skill wasnt a fluke, he repeated what he did, and everything was frame-perfect.
Lo and behold, the result was as before, a perfect potion that was of deep-blue color.
And yet it was thrown away once more after Yi-han had a taste of it.
.
Uregor could no longer hold back his curiosity.
Normally, hed tell students to find answers to their questions themselves, but he was truly stumped this time.
After silently approaching Yi-han, Uregor asked the question that had been on his mind.
Why do you keep throwing it away?
It doesnt seem to be recovering my mana.
What?
This stunned the professor, prompting him to read the book again, wondering if there was a mistake in the recipe, an error in the directions. However, he didnt find any.
???
If there wasnt any problem with the potion, why was nothing happening after drinking it?
Make it again.
Okay.
Yi-han immediately got to work.
When he was done, Uregor, who had been waiting impatiently, used thedle to take a sip of the potion.
The blue liquid went past his throat and turned into mana which spread throughout his body.
The potion was wless, so much so that Uregor himself wouldnt be able to improve upon it.
It seems fine.
Really?
Surprised, Yi-han took a sip as well, and again, he cocked his head.
Its not that great, though?
.
Uregor was in disbelief.
Had this genius from the Wardanaz Familye up with a better recipe, one which surpassed his own?
No! My pride!
Oh, its just cause my manas full.
.
Chapter 47
Chapter 47
Uregor recalled a conversation that hed had with Professor Garica.
Yi-han appears to possess a lot of mana.
Is that so? How much are we talking about?
Draw a big circle with your arms.
Woah. That is quite impressive.
The space outside would represent how much mana he has.
Hed been told that it was crazy high, but he didnt think itd be to this extent.
Just the fact that he couldnt feel his mana recovering after drinking a potion proved how absurd he was.
My bad, professor.
No, forget it. Good job making the potion. You did well. Attention, everyone! Someone has managed to brew a perfect potion.
Wardanaz!
So its him again.
The other students werent as surprised anymore.
Well, hes a Wardanaz after all.
We are talking about a genius here.
Those were the kind of responses they showed, leaving Yi-han puzzled.
Why am I being overestimated this much?
His evaluation of himself wasnt as high.
Yi-han didnt think he was a genius.
He simply had more experience ving awayer, learning inboratory settings.
Hence, he felt troubled being called a genius. How did things turn out this way?
As expected of you, Wardanaz. Your talent is out of this world, Asan eximed.
Asan was in the process of putting his potion in a sk, and although it was blue, there were some impurities in it.
Objectively speaking, Asans potion wasnt bad either. However,pared to Yi-hans, it was somewhatcking.
The potion made by Siana of the Immortal Phoenix is also amazing, but I think yours is even better.
!
Yi-han turned around and saw a snake demi-human wearing a priests uniform holding a potion that was quite clear.
Order of meng?
Yi-han remembered the exnation that hed heard from Yonaire.
The Order of meng was a group that pursued the path of alchemy. Naturally, many of their priests were skilled alchemists.
It was no wonder Siana was able to brew so well.
Siana walked over to Yi-han and Asan to greet them.
From the Wardanaz Family, right? Nice to meet you. Im Siana.
Nice to meet you too. Im Yi-han.
They both shook hands. Her hands were cold and scaly, probably because she was a snake demi-human.
I didnt think Id encounter someone so proficient in alchemy here. Did you learn it at the Wardanaz estate?
Hey, enough chit-chatting.
Uregor cut off their conversation. He had returned to the front of the ssroom by now.
Today, youve learned how to brew . Some of you performed well, and some of you didnt. But dont dwell on your result too much. Youve only just stepped into the world of alchemy. Its only going to be moreplicated and wacky from here on out.
I swear, professors have a way with words that suck away all your motivation.
This is your assignment for next week. Brew a . Youll be testing out the potions that you made yourself, so dont be sloppy with it.
The students quickly jotted down the assignment in their notebooks.
Fortunately, Uregor was kind enough to tell them the recipe for creating . He had the conscience not to tell the freshmen to figure it out on their own.
Um, sir. There arent any Spirit Evolution Herbs in here Are they perhaps on the upper floors? The students couldnt find the material needed for the potion in the drawers or the shelves.
Uregor seemed confused by the question.
What do you mean? Youre supposed to find them yourself.
Oh, is that so? Right, of course.
The students stood up and began looking around.
No, no, no. Dont search here.
??
Search over there.
Uregor was pointing outside the window, at the lush forest located behind the academys main building.
.
.
Search for your materials there. Im sure you all remember what I told you during our first ss.
Anger and despair washed over the students faces.
***
It wasnt just Uregor that revealed his true nature.
The other professors of the academy also began assigning ridiculous amounts of assignments, almost as if they werepeting who could make the students suffer more.
Read these books and find at least five logical ws in each of them.
Sir, we need more copies of the books. There arent enough for each student.
Huh? Those are for one person. When you take them away, a new stack of books will appear.
..
The students freaked out as each stack contained more than ten books.
Sir, how are we supposed to bring them back
Dont worry, Ive made them weigh less using magic. Now move it.
Just like that, made a couple of students from the White Tigers shed tears.
This is a magic circle design that I submitted back when I was young. Study it and predict how much it would cost to actually construct it. You dont have to be exact, but the student thats furthest from the answer will be punished.
Even Asan, whose family was deeply involved in the Empires economy, had to rack his brain over the assignments given in .
You must learn to love and to live in harmony. You dont want to? Well, sucks to be you. Your opinion doesnt matter. You guys arecking in love and harmony, so I shall hand you an assignment. By the next ss, each tower must capture the patterned g of another tower. The gs are in the freshmens resting lounge, and Ill be the one assigning each towers target.
At this point, it wasnt clear whether was meant to teach them morals or to instigate a fight between the towers.
By the end of each lesson, the students woulde out of the room looking like their souls had departed.
How are we meant to capture the White Tigers g?
And why is it them of all people? Persuading those bastards is outright impossible.
The Blue Dragons target was the White Tigers.
Had it been the Immortal Phoenix or the ck Tortoise, they wouldve attempted tomunicate and ask for their g.
However, considering their rtionship with the White Tigers, they would probably be met with disdain if they were to ask.
Their target is also us, so how about we trade gs?
You trust them to do so? Havent you seen all the dirty tricks theye up with? Theyre barbarians with no semnce of pride and honor.
Yeah, and Ive already brought that up with them, but they told me to not bother.
Dude, whyd you even try? Its a waste of time to persuade them.
The students of the Blue Dragons heaved a collective sigh.
Since the assignment was nigh impossible to achieve, they felt demotivated and couldnt be bothered to even attempt it.
Why was their target the White Tigers!!
This isnt good.
Yi-han was troubled by his friends attitude.
Those that gave up on ss this easily would never achieve anything great.
Not to mention, they were in a magic academy where sses were insane. God knows what kind of grade their professors normally gave.
It was too early to give up.
He wouldnt have cared if this was an individual assignment, but since it wasnt, he wasnt going to allow them to give up and negatively affect his grade.
We mustnt give up, everyone!
!
Wardanaz!
You have an idea?
I knew youd think of one.
It only took them three seconds to transition from surprise, to curiosity, to certainty, then to trust.
Yi-han was at a loss for words seeing how easily people in his tower were influenced.
Whats the n, Wardanaz?
Huhu, I know what hes thinking, Asan confidently stated with a smile.
What is it, Dargard?
Hes probably thinking of invading the White Tigers. Im 95% sure that thats his n.
Dayuuum.!
Makes sense! Im in!
Me too! Lets teach those bastards at the White Tigers a lesson!
Wait, whats going on here?
Instead of begging the White Tigers for the g, Wardanaz has suggested that we invade them and take the g ourselves.
I like that idea!
The Blue Dragons formted a n in an instant and called out to Yi-han.
Wardanaz, wed like you to lead us!
After all, you were the one who came up with the ins and outs of the n!
Yi-han gave up on exining. It was just too much work at this point.
Oh, well. Its true that were going to have to enter their tower.
If he was in their shoes, he wouldnt hand over the g either.
After all, they had been sent to the Punishment Room thanks to yours truly
At the end of the day, the Blue Dragons would have to resort to force.
Lets go with that then.
Wardanaz! Wardanaz!
Just you wait and see! Were gonna crush em!
How is this meant to teach us about morals?
Yi-han was seriously starting to question the point of the principals ss.
If anything, wouldnt activities like this only deepen the hatred?
***
Eventually, dinnertime rolled around, and just likest time, Yi-han called over Tijiling and tricked her into eating food.
Tijiling was drinking the soup served to her when she noticed the smug look on Yi-hans face as he watched her eat.
Is something the matter?
Fufu. Dont worry about it.
For a moment, Tijiling suspected that the boy in front of her was proud of himself for using his flowery rhetoric and misleading her into eating dinner.
Or not.
Yi-han was from the renowned Wardanaz Family. He was probably giving her food out of a sense of responsibility as a member of a prestigious household. Priest Mehrids request likely yed a role in it as well.
There was no way that such an honorable person would grin like a viin for seeding in his scheme.
What a coincidence to see you here, Wardanaz. I was just about to look for you.
!
The one that greeted them was Siana, the follower of the Order of meng whom Yi-han had met during alchemy ss.
It wasnt just her. There were students from other towers around her.
Whats the asion?
As you already know, our assignment is to brew a . Theres a limit to what we can do alone, so were nning on gathering the materials together.
Thats a great idea.
Yi-han weed this sort of cooperation as he had once thought of doing something simr.
Unfortunately, his ns fell through as students of the other towers feared him.
Damn it. Do they think shes more approachable because of her priest uniform? If so, I have one as well.
Then would you mind calling on the students of the Blue Dragons? Lets gather the materials as a team.
Sure, Ill notify them about it.
After their conversation was over, Yi-han waved her goodbye.
The students beside her talked amongst themselves as they left.
Phew, we lived to tell the tale.
Did you see the glint in his eyes? My heart was about to drop.
But he wasnt as scary as the rumors say.
Just like always, Yi-han felt wronged hearing this.
Yi-han returned to his seat soon after, in time to see Tijiling tilt her head.
Whats wrong?
Ummwas that Priestess Siana from the Order of meng?
Yeah, we have alchemy ss together.
I see.
She was about to say something, but in the end, she kept her mouth shut.
There were two ways of making someone frustrated, and one of them was stopping midway through a conversation
She knows how to make people curious, Ill give her that.
Yi-han understood what a stiff bunch priests and priestesses were.
Tijiling was probably ufortable speaking about people behind their backs, which was why she chose to remain silent.
However, Yi-han wasnt the type to care about something like that.
Who cares. Im curious.
Instead of asking her straight-up, he decided to go the roundabout way.
He took out the cross that members of the Order of Presinga used to pray.
?
Tijiling failed to understand what Yi-han was doing.
Tis a sin to speak behind ones back, but none shall me those that speaks honestly during prayer.
Are you telling me to y dumb?
Tis a voice I hear, but of whose I know not, for I am in the midst of prayer.
..
Previously, the White Tigers ambushed me, and I was almost beaten to death. s, if Priestess Siana were the type to scheme, my fate shall be sealed in the forest. I can only seek the gods protection.
..
Tijiling stood up after letting out a sigh.
Then, she took out a cross and knelt down next to Yi-han, lowering her head.
Lady Presinga, please forgive me, for I am not trying to cast usations on others.
Thanks.
Tis a voice I hear, but of whose I know not, for I am in the midst of prayer.
..
Apparently, Tijiling was someone who remembered her grudges.
Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Those at the Immortal Phoenix are all nice individuals devoted to their faiths. Its just
Is that possible? I mean, human nature and all.
Im in the midst of prayer, so please be quiet. Anyway, feelings of envy and jealousy are of no help to our faith, but it seems some of the students are still struggling to let go of their worldly desires.
Last week, one of the new students at the Immortal Phoenix had brewed some Energy Recovery Potions for their fellow priests and priestesses, hoping to use the knowledge that they acquired from the temple to help those in need.
It was truly an act worthy of praise.
If it was me, I wouldve sold it for money.
The potion helped relieve my fatigue. Thank you!
Even Priestess Siana from the Order of meng seems impressed by the quality of the potions. Theyre really well made! Who knows, you might even be better than her?
Thatst sentence was a joke that was casually thrown out during one of their conversations and wasnt meant to be taken seriously.
Priestess Siana, who was also at the scene, merely nodded and smiled.
In the end, their conversation ended on a good note, and no one thought much of it afterwards.
However, the very next day, Priestess Siana brought out her own batch of Energy Recovery Potions.
??
Ive made some as well. Please feel free to take them.
Oh, thats very kind of you!
Theyre such high-quality potions!
Things didnt end there, and she brought another batch of Energy Recovery Potions the subsequent day.
Um, thank you?
Yeah, theyre great
And then again the next day.
By that point, the other priests and priestesses knew what was going on.
The potions made by Priestess Siana are the best!
Nothing canpare to them!
It was only then that Priestess Siana stopped making Energy Recovery Potions.
S-shes quitepetitive, huh?
Yi-han was taken aback by the story hed just heard.
She had to be a lunatic to keep brewing potions over a single joke, stopping only when others praised her to be the best.
The story doesnt end there.
.
Theres more to this?
The priest that distributed the Energy Recovery Potions first eventually approached Priestess Siana to praise her for her work.
As expected of you, Priestess Siana. Not many people can brew such high-quality potions.
Tijiling had been present at the time, and she witnessed Priestess Siana leave afterpletely ignoring the words of the priest.
?!
It was only a few dayster that she acknowledged the priests presence.
How petty can she get?
Yi-han was horrified.
If she behaved like this over a joke made about some potions
Uh, what did they say back in the ssroom again?
He had been showered with all kinds of praise during alchemy ss, being called a genius and whatnot.
Looking back, it had been way over the top
Now that she was done with her story, Tijiling ended her prayer.
Yi-han, however, still had questions he wanted answers to.
Do you think Priestess Siana would try to spike other peoples drinks out of jealousy?
I have no idea what youre talking about.
Unfortunately, Tijiling no longer wished to speak and maintained her silence.
Left with no other option, Yi-han made up his mind.
If I end up traveling with her, Im not having anything that she rmends.
***
Time quickly passed, and the next day arrived despite all the pain and misery the students had to go through trying toplete their assignments.
Assignments aside, there are bigger problems.
Yi-han was currently worried about two things.
First, how were they going to infiltrate the White Tigers tower?
Second, they would have to journey into the mountains to acquire the ingredients needed for alchemy. What kind of crazy traps would they encounter along the way?
Its hard to tell which is the bigger concern.
However, Yi-han was soon brought out of his reveries as the academy forced its students to trudge along to their next ss.
His next ss was , and Professor Bdy was standing in the ssroom waiting for his arrival.
Youre 11 secondste.
Sorry, I had to visit the stables early in the morning to take care of my horse.
No need to apologize. By beingte, youre only harming yourself.
Id really like to know where the professors learned their manners of speech. Yi-han got to his seat while thinking so.
The ssroom was as deste as ever, with only the two of them present.
Professor Bdy snapped his fingers, prompting Yi-han to take out his staff and start rotating the iron orb.
After his battle against the anti-magic extremists, Yi-han clearly felt an improvement in his control.
His mastery over was iparable to before, and the iron orb drew a near-perfect circle while maintaining a constant speed.
Hepleted what should have taken 2 years, Fortunately, Professor Bdys thoughts werent reflected in his expression.
If Yi-han knew what the professor was thinking, he wouldve been seriously pissed.
-Why in the bloody h*ll are you teaching me something that requires two years to learn??
And why is that the first thing you teach??
Not bad.
Thank you.
Professor Bdys not bad was equivalent to an Excellent! from any other professor.
Yi-han knew better than to expect actual praise from him.
I was told you were taught how to conjure water.
Yes.
Show me.
Gush Forth!
A ball of water appeared in front of Yi-han.
Thanks to the punishment by Professor Garcia, he had a much easier time maintaining its shape now.
Compress it until its as small as a marble.
Ill try my best.
Yi-han tightly grasped his staff and focused on the task in front of him.
Soon, the ball of water that was in the air began to lose its shape as it became distorted.
Since he had a tremendous amount of mana, reducing the mass of the water while simultaneously keeping it round was a difficult task.
That was when Professor Bdy grabbed the iron orb, sending off rm bells inside Yi-han.
Woosh!
The orb came flying toward his face, apanied by a sharp sound.
Sonuvabich!
Through sheer instinct, Yi-hanpressed the puddle of water, increasing its hardness and reducing its size until it was as big as a fist.
Kang~!
The iron orb collided with the water, falling to the ground after losing its strength.
Sir, are we going to keep doing this?
What do you mean?
You just threw the iron orb at me.
Oh, you mean that. Then yes, we are.
Dont you think its a bit dangerous? Yi-han tried to convince the professor the same way he did the other students.
However, Professor Bdy wasnt as easy to convince as the others.
But its effective, right?
Pardon?
You mustve experienced it yourself in your fight against the anti-magic extremists. Facing sudden danger, your body automatically reacts, heightening your focus and sharpening your instincts. This in turn elevates your control over magic. Why use a roundabout way when theres a shortcut?
..
Yi-han was rendered speechless by this argument.
It wasnt because it made sense. Rather, it was because he found the professors reasoning absurd.
It was such a ridiculous notion that anyone that heard it would be stunned silent.
Seems like youre convinced. Now get back to work.
From a Soul Star marble to an iron orb, and from an iron orb to a water marble.
Drawing circles with the marble of water was indeed a tough ordeal, tougher than all the challenges that came before it.
Not only did he have to maintain its shape, but he also had to move it around in a circle at a constant speed.
Simr to when he battled the anti-magic extremists, Yi-han felt like his nerves were being overworked.
The shape that he drew was too ugly to be called a circle, but he kept trying.
After a certain amount of time, Professor Bdy had once againunched the iron orb towards him.
ng!
Yi-han was quick to react and blocked the attack.
Though his control wasnt good enough to draw a circle, he could use the water to block off attacks as long as he remained vignt.
I knew it!
However, this was all within Professor Bdys expectations, and a different orb came flying from the opposite direction.
Bang!
!
Yi-han tried to manoeuvre his water marble, but it was toote.
The iron orb lodged itself onto his back, and he had to grit his teeth to endure the pain.
Fck!
The force behind the orb was great and he could feel the impact despite putting a lot of strength into his body.
It reminded him of his time training under Arlong.
Focus.
.
Yi-han had no time to reply as he had to manoeuvre the water marble like a madman, fending off the onught of iron orbs.
One thing was for certain.
Id rather take a ss with a bazillion assignments!
***
Wardanaz seems awfully tired.
Must be the assignments. I havent slept a wink because of them. Also, its Wardanaz were talking about. He must be taking some insanely difficult sses.
True, its Wardanaz after all. His sses must be crazy hard.
I wonder when hell lead us into the White Tigers tower?
Good question
Students of the Blue Dragons whispered amongst themselves as they waited in ss for to begin.
Yi-han was leaning on the walls with his eyes shut, looking totally exhausted.
This was the result of surviving Professor Bdys life-threatening iron orb training.
It wasnt only the students of the Blue Dragons inside the room. Those of the ck Tortoise were there as well, and they were also chatting away.
Does anyone here take alchemy? Is it true that youre going up the mountains tomorrow?
Have rumors spread already? Were nning on going up with students from the other towers.
Hey, what if theres a way out of the academy through the mountains?
If only you knew.
Yi-han pitied the students of the ck Tortoise.
They were hoping for an escape route, but they were bound to be disappointed.
Wait, is Wardanaz tagging along? Is he going to punish us if we make a mistake?
S-surely not. We dont even belong to the same tower.
Yi-han let out a deep sigh.
Hello, ss.
Its nice to see you, maam!
The students greeted Professor Garcia politely as she entered the room.
They had learned by now that she was one of the few professors in the academy with a heart.
A heartless professor was much scarier than a troll.
Last time, we studied elemental magic and tried a lot of exercises to get you familiar with them. However, in this course, we wont be limiting ourselves to one type of magic. Well be taking a brief look at other types of magic as well, including illusion magic, summoning magic, transfiguration magic, and more. A few years down the line, youll be specializing in some of them.
The world of magic was as deep and profound as an endless chasm.
Mastering all the magic in the world was not humanly possible, so they had to specialize and perform research in certain fields.
This was something everyone knew, including Yi-han.
Today, well be learning about a specific field of magic, and instead of me, weve invited a professor who specializes in this field to teach the ss.
This was enough to arouse the students interest.
Their eyes shone in anticipation, each hoping that the guest professor specialized in their field of interest.
Some were interested in elemental magic, others in spirit magic, and still others in enchantments
Please be a spiritualist! I want to learn spirit magic
Im here to learn how to heal and strengthen my body. Teach me strengthening magic!
Without further ado, please wee him!
The temperature inside the ssroom dropped a notch as the door opened. The sudden chill made the students shiver.
Its nice to meet you Cough, cough, Im Professor Mortem.
For a second, Yi-han thought the professor was a dwarf.
However, upon taking a closer look, he realized that the professor was a human, albeit a short one.
Professor Mortem kept coughing as he spoke, and it seemed as if he would copse from a strong gust of wind.
Is he going to be alright?
He should be at the ward instead
Cough, Im alright. Nothing to be worried about
Professor Mortem spoke softly between his coughs.
One of the students raised their hand to ask a question.
Sir, what field of magic are we being taught today?
Im here to teach you ck Magic.
.
.
The atmosphere in the room froze over in an instant as if winter hade. It had to be known that ck magic was one of the most detested forms of magic
Chapter 49
Chapter 49
There were several reasons why ck magic was despised in the Empire.
Not only did it give off the impression of being dark and eerie, the type of spells that ck mages used werent exactly sunshine and roses.
Curses, undead summoning, dark magic, poison magic, negative energy, etc.
It was no wonder people shirked them.
Hello, everyone. I was recently dispatched to this vige. I specialize in elemental magic, fire magic in particr. I hope we get along.
Wee! Now we wont have to worry about freezing to death in the winter!
H-hello. I was recently dispatched as well. I specialize in ck magic
Sorry, can you repeat that again?
I specialize in ck magic and undead summoning.
W-we should keep him away from the public cemetery.
The vast majority of people felt ufortable around ck mages, and the freshmen werent any different.
They hade to this academy to fulfill their dreams and ambitions. They werent too keen on learning ck magic, something which no one liked.
Yi-han, however, was different, and he was staring at the professor with great interest.
To walk a path less travelled.
Even before he entered Einroguard, he was of the belief that ck magic had its own charm and benefits.
First of all, not many students would be interested in the field, so there wouldnt be muchpetition.
And even if he took sses involving ck magic, it didnt necessarily mean he had to be a ck mage.
I can choose a different path after obtaining the credits.
In the future, theyd have toe into contact with all sorts of magic.
Hence, he wasnt aversed to the idea of learning ck magic.
Not to mention, in his point of view, ck mages lived quite well in the Empire.
Simply put, there werent many of them, so despite being feared by the people, they never had to worry about being fired from their jobs.
In other words, it guarantees a stable ie!
I anticipated such reactions.
Noticing the tense atmosphere, Professor Garcia opened her mouth to speak.
There are a lot of prejudice and misunderstandings surrounding ck magic. However, its a field that is extremely deep and profound, with a lot to explore. Everyone here has only just stepped into the world of magic. As beginners, you must strive to challenge yourselves and explore new things, discover your talents and form new goals! Do not let prejudice cloud your judgment. I hope you will approach ck magic with curiosity and use this precious opportunity to learn and improve as a mage.
Professor Garcias speech was calm and sincere, not to mention convincing as well. It was enough to move the hearts of many freshmen.
Now, who would like to assist Professor Mortem in his lesson? Any volunteers?
.
.
Nevertheless, it didnt change the fact that they were dealing with ck magic.
The students quickly looked away, avoiding Professor Garcias gaze.
Yi-han, lower your head! Lower your head, I say!
Gainando pulled on Yi-hans sleeve and spoke in a hushed voice.
If you befriend a ck mage, you wont have an easy deathter on! I heard they turn people into undead soldiers!
Dude, youre a mage. You believe that?
Yi-han was fed up with Gainandos nonsense.
Normal civilians aside, he should know better
Ill do it.
!!
Yi-han raised his hand.
The students stared at him in awe.
They all knew that Wardanaz was the de facto leader of the Blue Dragons, but they didnt think hed sacrifice himself and volunteer to be theb rat of a ck mage.
Even the ck Tortoise that feared him because of the rumors around the Wardanaz Family began seeing him in a different light.
Yi-han!
Professor Garcia smiled, looking very d.
Yi-han knew full well what that smile meant.
Professors that knew each other well would at times invite the other person over to teach one of their sses to prevent awkward situations where the students stayed silent like a bunch of mutes. Theyd go so far as to assign some people to raise their hands at appropriate moments.
Though that wasnt exactly the case right now, Professor Garcia was no doubt feeling grateful to Yi-han.
Cough. Cough. Thank you. Thene up.
As Yi-han approached Professor Mortem, he understood why the ssroom got so cold.
Just by standing there, the professor was exuding a considerable amount of mana.
And it wasnt regr mana, either. It was mana of the yin attribute.
This cold and uncanny form of mana was like a telltale sign of ck mages.
Mana would be colorless in its basic form, but they often gained attributes to fit the needs of the mage.
In the case of ck magic, there was a tendency for mana to gain a yin attribute.
Im starting to understand why its so unpopr.
ck magic had a terrible reputation, to begin with. Yet here he was, getting hit by waves upon waves of mana just trying to approach the professor.
Even students with an interest in ck magic would turn back and flee under such circumstances.
Regardless of which world he was in, professors reallycked tact when it came to roping in students.
You seem to have a lot of mana.
Thank you.
Right. Take out your staffand observe how I do it.
After coughing several times, Professor Mortem performed a hand gesture.
The yin attribute mana that seeped out of his body had been chaotic until now, but it became orderly in the blink of an eye.
Rise Up, Servants of Bones!
Skeletal summons appeared near the students, apanied by unsettling rattles, and as they appeared, they began dancing and spinning.
Needless to say, the students were just a step away from fainting.
Professor Mortem, however, seemed very pleased as he asked Yi-han for his opinion.
CoughWhat do you think?
Sorry?
I thought the students would like the performance.
Well, its definitely a sight to behold.
Yi-han chose his words carefully so as to refrain from hurting the professors feelings, and just like before, Professor Garcia expressed her thanks through eye contact.
But dont worry. I dont expect you to replicate this. Cough. After all, its an extremelyplicated spell.
Professor Mortem was simply abiding bymon sense, yet Yi-han was grateful to hear those words.
If only Professor Bdy was this reasonable!
First, try converting your mana into the yin attribute.
Yi-han began gathering his mana.
Since he had prior experience converting his mana into the light and water attribute, he knew what he was doing.
After painting an image in his head, he focused on it, dyeing his mana in a color that could fit the image.
Paat!
Youre quite good.
Professor Mortem was impressed by how readily Yi-han converted his mana.
Thank you.
Try a bit more.
Heeding the instruction, Yi-han got back to work and continued to convert his mana.
Whys he doing so well?
Professor Garcia, who had been watching, panicked a little.
Although she wouldnt say it out loud it in front of Professor Mortem, she didnt want a talented student like Yi-han to learn ck magic and walk a thorny path.
Its troubling that hes so good at it
Mages often had trouble converting their mana into the yin attribute and would have to go through countless trials and errors.
This was because it was rather difficult to imagine what the yin attribute was like.
People would think of something cold when they imagined ice magic, and they would think of somewhere dark in association with dark magic.
The yin attribute, on the other hand, was abination of many things, and there were a lot of mages that couldnte up with a concrete image.
Yi-han, however, chose not to think too deeply about it.
Fermats spiral, imaginary numbers strange mathematical equations and symbols. These should do.
The greatest advantage that Yi-han had over the others was his ability to think with an open mind.
Luckily for him, the image that he came up with was just what he needed, and he was able to continue converting his mana without much trouble.
And so he converted
And then he converted some more.
At one point, Yi-han began to feel uneasy.
Uh, Sir?
Saaaaaaaaaaaaak-
Outside, it was still broad daylight, but it was dark in the ssroom, and the temperature dropped to the point where they could see their breath.
However, Professor Mortem appeared engrossed in the scene as he said nothing to stop Yi-han.
He had stopped coughing as well, and it was almost as if he was a different person.
Continue. I want to see how far you can go.
Uh, Professor Mortem?
Even Professor Garcia had stepped in.
Professor Mortem seemed to be having a great time, and there was nothing wrong with that, but there were other students inside the ssroom.
Things were beginning to feel eerie, with some of the more sensitive students hallucinating and iming to hear whispers of the dead.
Professor Garcia believed it was time to stop.
Considering how much mana he has
There was no telling what would happen if Yi-han continued until Professor Mortems curiosity was satisfied.
Yeah?
Lets have him stop?
Just a bit more. I want to know his limit.
Youll have opportunities in the future.
But
Stop.
O-okay.
Professor Garcia wasnt taking no for an answer, and Professor Mortem was forced to throw in the towel.
What a shame.
It was truly a pity.
When it came to ck magic, nothing was as important as having a lot of yin attribute mana.
The same could be said about other forms of magic, but having a lot of mana provided a distinct advantage in the case of ck magic.
Summoning the undead. Laying curses. Casting dark magic and poison magic. The amount of mana mattered immensely in all these cases, which was why Professor Mortem wished to find out Yi-hans limit.
And yet shes being so petty about it.
Sir.
The enormous amount of mana that Yi-han had converted was gradually starting to disperse.
Oops, almost forgot. Wave your staff like this and chant Paralysis.
Paralysis was a low-level curse.
It was a first-circle spell, making it one of the easiest ck magic spells to learn.
The curse made peoples arms and legs feel numb, something which most people would have experienced at least once in their lives.
Not only was it easy to visualize the spells effect, but the movements for the staff were also straightforward as well.
Who should I cast it on?
Why me, of course.
Unlike other spells, curses required targets.
However, Professor Mortem looked like the type of person that would keel over after experiencing a gentle breeze.
I knew a day woulde when I shoot magic at a professor, but I didnt think itd happen like this.
Will this really be alright?
Professor Mortem seemed unbothered.
Say less. Hurry up and get on with it.
Sirare you not going to cast any defensive spells?
Cough, cough worst-case scenario, my arms and legs will feel numb. Whats there to be worried about?
Hes right.
That was enough to convince Yi-han.
To begin with, it was presumptuous of him to assume that his spell would have an effect on the professor.
I should really focus. Wouldnt want to mess this up and annoy the professor.
Yi-han shut his eyes to concentrate as Professor Mortem waited, looking indifferent.
As a mage, he naturally had a lot of mana stored in his body, mana which he could easily manipte.
His mana would spring up to shield him if he was attacked, meaning he had high resistance against spells. This was especially the case for curses as he had spent his entire life dealing with yin attribute mana.
Against a freshman, he wouldnt have to do anything at all.
By blocking his attack, Ill show him how deep and profound ck magic truly is.
Professor Mortem was confident, confident that Yi-han would be enlightened after seeing his all-out attack being shrugged off.
I poured everything into that attack, yet it didnt even manage to scratch you! ck magic is so amazing! I want to learn more!
Cough, if thats what you want, I wont stop you.
It was the type of delusion that only people with brains like a professor would have.
Paralysis!
Yi-han aimed his staff at the professor afterpleting his chant.
All the umted mana surged forth with terrible momentum as if it had a will of its own.
!!!
Professor Mortem faltered, surprised by the sheer quantity of mana.
He tried his best to counter it, but the curse had already wrapped around his body, suffocating him.
In the end, he fell on his back,pletely paralyzed.
Boom!
Sir? Sir!!
Yi-han freaked out when he saw this.
For a split second, he was worried that he would bebeled a professor killer.
Chapter 50
Chapter 50
Fortunately, Yi-han didnt have to bear the burden of being responsible for the death of a professor as Professor Mortem quickly got back up.
Cough. Did everyone see that? That was , a low-level curse.
In reality, his body was still in the process of recovering from the spell.
He had immediately begun circting his mana the moment he fell, but the curse was backed by an enormous amount of mana as well, which was why he couldntpletely shake it off even now.
If the graduate students under Professor Mortem saw this, they mightve fainted from the shock.
He may have been underestimating Yi-han, but for a professor to copse from a first-year students curse
.
Professor Garcia knew the truth of the matter as well, which was why she was staring at Professor Mortem.
He avoided her gaze, pretending like he couldnt see it.
Phew, you almost gave me a heart attack, sir.
Yi-han said while heaving a sigh of relief.
He was surprised at first, but the professor was apparently trying to show off the full effect of the curse, which was why he took it head-on.
I knew something was wrong!
You seem to have an affinity for curses.
Really? Thank you.
You seem to have an affinity for curses.
Umthank you?
It was never a good sign when a professor repeated what he said.
Yi-han was very sensitive to matters of this nature.
What is he plotting?
Either his talent was truly impressive enough to be mentioned twice, or the professor was dissatisfied with him over something that he did.
Considering how twisted professors were, it was likely thetter.
Was my curse below his expectation? Have some shame, will you? If I could use it perfectly on my first try, would I be a freshman?
As you saw from this demonstration, its useful to know a curse or two even if you arent a ck mage. They cane in handy because of how versatile they are.
To dispel the awkward situation, Professor Garcia interjected.
Its not that difficult to learn low-level curses, and knowing them can help youe up with countermeasures. After all, just because you dont know any curses doesnt mean others wont either.
Among ck magic, there were a lot of offensive spells that could be easily learned in a short amount of time.
Aparison with fire magic could help illustrate this point.
To attack someone with fire magic, the mage would have to first channel mana and summon a ball of fire. Then, theyd have to keep it under control as they shoot after aiming it at their opponent.
On the other hand, curses only required the caster to focus on who they wished to target. It was also easy to visualize their effects as anyone wouldve had experience being sick or numb.
Hence, even low-level mercenary mages that havent undergone formal training would often have a curse or two under their arsenal.
The best way to defend against a spell was to learn it.
No one knew what the future held, and having a basic understanding of ck magic mighte in handy at unexpected times.
That was why Professor Garcia had invited Professor Mortem to this ss.
She wasnt saying that they had to learn ck magic.
Anyway, enough exining lets have you form pairs and practice.
***
Contrary to expectations, the students showed quite a bit of interest in curses.
They were still young, and despite all the horror stories surrounding ck magic, they were eager to learn offensive spells.
What Professor Garcia said about learning a couple of curses for self-defence seemed reasonable.
Is this how you swing the staff?
Maybe?
From what I heard, paralysis isnt the only type of curse. There are curses that take away peoples visions, make breathing difficult, or interfere with peoples bnce.
Dudeare you nning on learning ck magic? You know so much.
No.
But as expected, they werent naive to the point where theyd specialize in ck magic simply to learn curses.
At the end of the day, ck magic was ck magic.
Please go easy on me.
Same here.
Yi-hans practice partner was Gainando.
After greeting each other as nobles would, they took out their staffs.
The rules were simple.
One person would attack first, and the other person would attack next.
Not only was it important to how to cast it, but it was also important to experience what curses were like.
Gainando was the first to attack.
Haap!
Gainando began to concentrate, converting his mana into the yin attribute.
Hoh.
Yi-han didnt see thising.
Gainandos conversion speed was faster than he thought.
Is he suited for ck magic?
It mightve just been a coincidence, but considering his performance while using other attributes, it seemed likely.
Gainando had a lot of trouble converting his mana into the light, fire, and water attributes, but he was doing swimmingly well when it came to the yin attribute.
Or maybe the yin attribute is inherently easy to handle.
That was also usible.
Both he and Gainando was able to get the hang of it quickly
Maybe yin attribute conversion required less effort than the others.
Well, would you look at that
There was a look of surprise on Professor Mortems face as he exchanged whispers with Professor Garcia.
Although it wasnt as ridiculous as Wardanaz, he had discovered a student overflowing with talent in ck magic, a talent that came around only once in ten years.
Ah, you must be referring to Gainando. He does seem to be gifted in it.
You think so?
Yes. Why not rmend him to pursue this path?
Professor Garcia wasnt nning on stopping Professor Mortem from recruiting Gainando.
In fact, she actively supported it.
It waspletely different from how she reacted when Yi-han was involved, but there were reasons for this.
Yi-han had an affinity for just about any field. Not only did he have a lot of mana, he was sensitive to it as well, not to mention he was open-minded and diligent.
She was confident that he would excel in whatever field he chose to specialize in.
Gainando, on the other hand, didnt seem gifted in any other field, so it made sense for him to pursue ck magic.
Who knows? This could be a blessing for him.
Be Paralyzed!
Gainando had finished his preparation while the professors were discussing.
Although his incantation was slightly different from the others, the curse was activated without a problem.
Professor Mortem nodded in satisfaction when he saw this.
He has it in him.
Sheeeeeeek!
I see, so this is why its necessary to experience what its like to be cursed.
Yi-han could sense the curse approaching him.
He finally understood what Professor Garcia was trying to teach them through this exercise.
Why were curses so easy to learn, and why was learning them the best countermeasure against being cursed?
Theyre more simple and shabby than I thought.
Thanks in part to all the times he was tortured by Professor Bdy, Yi-han was able to quickly notice the w of curses.
Casting a curse was akin to throwing a at ones enemy, a made by interweaving mana.
When someone was hit by it, the curse would envelop its target, as a would.
They required very little aim and could be easily cast.
In exchange, the spells themselves werent that powerful.
They could be cut apart by a sword, blocked by a shield, or rendered useless using magic
It only took Yi-han a couple of seconds toe up with these countermeasures. If he was given more time, he could probably think of other ways to deal with them.
Simply put, it was easy to avoid being cursed as long as they were wary of them.
The purpose of this lesson was to have them experience some of the curses so that they could react even when confronted by an unfamiliar curse.
But its kind of infuriating that Professor Bdys training was what helped me figure this out.
As previously stated, being cursed was like having a cast over oneself.
On the other hand, Professor Bdys attacks were like the ferocious stabs of a swordsman.
Not only were they difficult to block or evade, but the attacks would alsoe in rapid session.
Having experienced something like that several times, Yi-han was growing ustomed to analyzing spells.
Because otherwise, hed be hit by them!
Paat!
The curse finally arrived and enveloped him while he was having these thoughts.
Seeing that his curse had seeded, Gainando was ted.
It worked!
Congrats.
So uhh, do you feel numb anywhere?
Not sure.
Yi-han tried moving his body. Nothing felt out of ce in particr.
What was going on?
Did it fail?
Maybe?.
Ill try again then.
Believing he had failed, Gainando raised his staff again.
Be Paralyzed!
Paat!
Just like before, the curse enveloped Yi-han, and just like before, nothing happened.
Both Yi-han and Gainando were at a loss.
Maybe I didnt wave my staff in the right direction?
Hmm, but I felt your mana being released. Perhaps its because of your incantation. Be Paralyzed sounds kind of polite. It doesnt fit the image of a curse.
T-that so? Then should I chant Get Paralyzed, Bitch?
Just Paralysis should do.
Seeing the two having this pointless discussion, Professor Garcia came over to them while letting out a deep sigh.
Gainando, your curse didnt fail. In fact, you performed really well. Yi-han simply has too much mana and isnt getting affected by it.
!
Gainando was taken aback by this exnation.
So thats why. But for it to have no effect at allmaybe Im not suited for this.
Isnt it too early to judge that?
Nah, Im not interested in ck magic anyway. Its not a big deal even if Im trash at it.
Gainando wasnt bothered by this as ck magic wasnt to his liking.
To begin with, there were better, cooler paths out there. Why would he choose ck magic?
Now, its your turn to try it on me.
Right. Prepare yourself.
Yi-han thought back to how he almost knocked the professor out.
It turned out the professor was just acting, but he was still traumatized by the memory.
I must control myself. Dont use too much mana.
After gathering as little mana as he could, he began casting.
Paralyze!
!
Professor Mortem, who had been watching, was shocked.
Yi-han had used a shortened version of the incantation.
Incantations were of great importance to the sess of a spell.
Words held power within them, and they had a massive influence over a mages mind.
Hence, incantations couldnt be shortened willy-nilly.
Even though paralysis was one of the easiest curses to learn, it was impressive that Yi-han had managed to do this already.
Uaaaa!
Gainando threw himself to the side while letting out a scream, jump-scaring the students around him.
Yi-han stared at him, confused.
What are you doing?
M-my instincts told me to dodge
!
This came as yet another surprise to Professor Mortem.
Gainando had unknowingly reacted to the yin attribute mana contained within the curse, which was one of the signs of being greatly gifted in ck magic.
Having said that, he didnt have to overreact while dodging.
***
The lesson eventually drew near its end.
The students had had a lot of fun cursing one another, and Professor Garcia had been kind enough to refrain from giving them any assignments.
Did everyone have fun today?
Yes, maam!
Then please give Professor Mortem a round of apuse!
p, p, p, p-
ck magic is better than you thought, right?
.
Shouldnt have asked.
Professor Garcia regretted throwing out that question. She shouldve just stopped after the ps.
Professor Mortem, anyst words?
Cough Im sure many of you have realized the wonders of ck magic. In fact, I can see the look of interest in some of your eyes.
?
?
The students tilted their heads.
Are you interested?
No. You?
Of course not.
Hahahaha, who in their right mind would want to learn ck magic? said Gainando as heughed.
Chapter 51
Chapter 51
Cough, the student over there. Visit my workshop during recess.
????
Professor Mortem invited Gainando over to his workshop while coughing, an invitation which was met with stunned silence.
Gainando reacted as if someone had pped him.
Why? What did I do wrong?? Does he have a grudge against the royal family???
And you as well.
Professor Mortem pointed at Yi-han as he said so.
Yi-han wasnt as shocked as Gainando.
After all, for the sake of earning a good grade, he had considered taking a course on ck magic, to begin with.
Nevertheless, the students of the Blue Dragons took it differently.
Gainando, what have you done!? Wardanaz is in danger because of you!
Why cant you just quietly die by yourself!?
Tell the professor youll go alone!
They thought Yi-han was being forcefully taken away because of his rtionship with Gainando.
The students were obviously enraged.
Yi-han was in charge of a lot of things at the Blue Dragons. It was uneptable for Gainando to drag him down with him.
H-how could you guysNo! I refuse to go by myself! Im going there with him!
His ssmates attitude almost made him cry.
Take that back!
No!
Take that back, I tell you!
Everyone? Professor Mortem has already left.
Professor Garcia stared at the Blue Dragons, feeling fed up.
***
A mages workshop was like a scienceb.
If there was something that caught the mages interest, their disciples would be forced to work tirelessly 25 hours a day, performing countless experiments and research.
It was a hellish ce where people got gradually worn down and crippled.
Of course, the environment inside the workshop depended greatly on who the mage was, but the fates of their disciples were all simrly tragic.
Yi-han had heard a lot of stories concerning the workshop of mages and their disciples during his time at the Wardanaz mansion.
Once upon a time, there lived an apprentice that studied magic under a mage. Each morning, he would wake up early to perform maintenance on his staff and prepare alchemical regents that would be used in experiments.
Then, he would pour mana into the magic circles and head out in search of materials before noon. This apprentice was a clever fellow, and he would fix a quick lunch for himself along the way, saving him some time and allowing him to do his other tasks earlier on in the day. Afterwards
Does this story end with the apprentice killing the mage and taking over the workshop?
Young Master, you shouldnt make such jokes. The story obviously ends with the hard-working apprentice growing up and bing a brilliant mage.
..
It didnt matter which world he was in. There was no paradise for those that were in the position to learn.
Fortunately, Yi-han didnt have to worry about things like that for now.
After all, he was still in his first year!
He wasnt under any professor at the moment, so he had no need to fear.
If a crazy professor tried to recruit him, all he had to do was take a step back and flee.
Sob, sob, sob
Youre actually crying?
Yi-han was at a loss for words.
Gainandos eyes were bing red from his tears.
What have I done to deserve this? And why am I being called to this eerily remote location
Hey, it might turn out to be something good, right?
And what do you mean by that, huh!? Im sure hes summoning us to torture us! After all, ck mages are said to be twisted.
They were currently heading to the ce that Professor Mortem had told them about.
There was indeed something wrong with the location of the professors workshop.
I mean, it is rather unweing.
The road was bing increasingly deste and silent, and the wind was bing stronger as well.
From the forest, they could hear the distant sound of ghosts wailing, and even a few graves could be spotted
It wasnt surprising though.
To perform ck magic, yin attribute mana was a necessity, and when it came to research on undead, there was a need for corpses
It was no wonder the environment here was so dark and gloomy.
No wonder none of the freshmen want toe near here
Before them was Professor Mortems workshop, also known as the .
It seemed like an ordinary four stories building from the outside, but one would have to be a fool to judge a mages tower by its looks.
There were already several disturbing signs near the tower.
Dismembered bones and skeletons. A lousily hewn gravestone. A box of deadly poison with the words Beware of consumption!!! Death upon contact!! written on it.
They could roughly guess the kind of experiments going on inside the workshop.
Noticing the changes in his surroundings, Gainandos face became pale, so much so that he could probably give the undead a run for their money.
Anyone there?
Giiiiiiik-
When Yi-han knocked on the door, it opened by itself, and the two entered together.
Gainando held on to Yi-hans sleeve, shuddering in fear.
Finding it annoying, Yi-han whacked Gainandos hand away, hurting thetters feelings.
Cough, coughYoure here.
The workshop was filled with ckish-blue smoke, and they couldnt see what was going on inside.
Through the thick smoke, they heard the professors voice.
Dilet, why dont you give the freshmen a tour of our workshop?
Have you forgotten, sir? The principal forbade us from meeting with the freshmen.
Oh, right. Cough. What a hassleLets secretly break the rules.
I was just recently released from prison. Do I have to go back in again?
Its a punishment room, not a prisonCough. Fine. Go to the other room and donte out.
With a wave of his staff, Professor Mortem made all the smoke exit through the window.
It was only then that Yi-han could see what it was like inside.
It was actually pretty normal.
Perhaps theyve cleaned up the ce to wee them prior to their arrival
There were chairs, desks, and bookshelves, which made the workshop look like a library.
Wait a sec. Are those all bones?
Yi-han was blown away.
It had taken him a moment to notice, but all the furniture was made of bones.
For a ck mage proficient in undead summoning, it was economical to make furniture out of bones.
Having said that, it was a bit grotesque.
Gainando, who didnt realize this, plopped himself down on a chair.
Professor Mortem mustered up his kindest tone before speaking to them.
CoughYou know why I called the two of you here, right?
Sir, I didnt do anything wrong!
Its because both of you have a knack for ck magicWait, what did you say just now?
Nothing.
Gainando shut his mouth in a hurry.
This wasnt what he had been expecting.
I have a knack for ck magic?
Yi-han, he said I have a knack for ck magic.
I have ears too. No need to repeat what he said.
W-what should I do? Im not interested in ck magic, but Im apparently gifted in it. What do you think I should do?
..
Yi-han was amused by how easily Gainando was influenced by others words.
How could he be so fickle?
Professor Mortem rubbed his hand, and out of nowhere, he produced several candies with a skull drawn on them.
Have these while you listen. Because you two are talented in ck magic, I wanted to exin the wonders of ck magic to you in further detail. Cough. Cough. ck magic is often misunderstood, but once you get to know it, youll learn that it is one of the most beautiful and profound fields of magic out there.
..
Gainando was already halfway there to being convinced.
On the other hand, Yi-han listened while feeling sorry for the professor.
He knew what was happening all too well.
Professors who taught popr sses were often very arrogant and prideful.
-You wish to study under me? Ill think about it. Ill take you in if youre promising.
However, the same couldnt be said about professors that taught sses that werent popr with the students.
Watching them would make anyone feel sorry for them.
-You see the best thing about our ss is that it cant get any worse.
-.
-Things can only get better from here. Isnt it wonderful if you think of it like that?
-.
Professor Mortem was a ssic example of someone that taught an unpopr ss.
He was trying his best to sweet talk them, going so far as to give them candies
And thats why ck magic is the king among all magic, the best of the best. Got it?
Im interested in ck magic now!!
I didnt know ck magic was so profound.
Hearing their responses, a big smile appeared on the professors face.
***
Should I pursue ck magic? I never thought Id be talented in it. But then again, ck magic isnt that well-liked. But the professor said they needed someone like me. Gosh, what should I do
Ignoring Gainando who droned on and on in excitement, Yi-han studied the gift that Professor Mortem had given them while parting.
Since they had given him a positive answer, the professor had gifted them something.
It was an unknown piece of bone.
-Sir, whats this?
-Once you return to your room, study it. Itll serve as a constant reminder of the wonders of ck magic.
-But sir, that wasnt the question.
-Huhu. Cough, cough.
Professor Mortem had seemed very proud of himself, and he had spoken as if he couldnt bear to take away the fun of discovering the bones secrets from them.
Yi-han, however, was creeped out by the gift.
What in the world was this bone supposed to be?
Is there a spell stored inside it?
His first guess was that the bone was an artifact that contained knowledge of a spell.
Back in the punishment room, he had been tricked by the book that the principal had handed to him.
Maybe it was popr amongst the professors to gift students with artifacts that contained spells without offering any type of exnation.
Almost like a gift that couples exchanged on their anniversaries
No, thats a terribleparison.
Yi-han decided to study it more in-depth after returning to his room.
Yi-han. Yi-han.
?
You mustnt tell Maykin about me wanting to learn ck magic, alright?
Yi-han knew why Gainando was saying this.
He had teased Yonaire for wanting to study alchemy.
If she knew he was interested in ck magic, hed be teased to no end.
Yi-han smiled as he replied.
But of course.
Not. Im telling her right away.
***
Professor Ingurdel, the elven swordsman, was the professor responsible for teaching and .
The students that took these courses were mostly from the White Tigers.
Hence, Yi-han, who was the only one from the Blue Dragons, was extremely eye-catching.
However, things were slightly different this time around.
During the previous swordsmanship lesson, the White Tigers were eager to pick a fight with him, but now, they actively avoided making eye contact with him.
Theyd be obliterated otherwise!
How convenient.
Yi-han had gone on a rampagest time, and he was d that he did.
It was generally a good idea to go on a rampage from time to time. Life was easier that way.
That said, it didnt help to lower the difficulty of the ss.
Dont stop! Continue running! I said no stopping! Its important to use your muscles, but dont forget to breathe and circte your mana. You can use your muscles much more efficiently by spreading mana throughout your body.
Whereas mages used their mana on their spells, swordsmen used theirs on themselves.
By having mana circte smoothly within their bodies, they could prevent fatigue and reduce the possibility of being poisoned by an outside source.
But it went without saying that the young students werent capable of doing this yet.
They all ran while panting like dogs,pletely forgetting to circte their mana.
Sir, I have a question.
Speak.
Professor Ingurdel was more than happy to answer Yi-hans question.
What was he going to ask?
Some of us are nning on entering the mountains to gather some materials, and I was wondering if you have any advice for us
Hmm, my advice is to dont enter.
.
And Im not saying this half-heartedly.
Professor Ingurdels warning made Yi-han uneasy.
Chapter 52
Chapter 52
Is it that dangerous?
A lot of powerful monsters dwell in this mountain range. Deep within, there are even some monsters that we professors arent aware of. Since its springtime, more and more monsters will wake up from their slumber as time passes
Professor Ingurdel stared warily at the mountain range.
As Einroguard was a magic academy, the mana in the surrounding area was dense, attracting a lot of different monsters.
In particr, the mountain range behind the academy housed pretty much all kinds of monsters. It was a danger zone in Ingurdels opinion.
He wouldnt be surprised if there wererge monsters such as ogres, mountain giants, trolls, and wyverns deep inside the mountains
If that was indeed the case, monsters that usually lived in the inner regions would be pushed out to the outer regions.
As hotblooded as you students are, it isnt a wise decision to enter the mountains. In fact, Id even call it lunacy.
Its not like weve got a choice. One of our assignments is to gather materials from the mountains.
..
Professor Ingurdel let out several dry coughs, feeling awkward.
He didnt know that it was a task that one of his colleagues had assigned.
Is that so? Then its a different story.
Is it? How exactly is it any different
Although Ingurdel was a professor in this academy, he was a swordsman, not a mage. Hence, his way of thinking was remarkably different from that of the other professors.
The idea that it was normal for people to die while learning magic absolutely blew his mind.
Having said that, just because he didnt agree with the other professors ideology, it didnt
mean he could nder them in front of the students.
Professor Ingurdel spoke in a roundabout way, hiding away his real thoughts.
Since its an assignment from your professor, Im sure youll be fine. There must be a bigger picture that you cant see yet in acquiring materials from the mountain range.
You think so?
Yi-han looked at Professor Ingurdel with eyes that were filled with suspicion.
Just a moment ago, he had called it an act of lunacy, and yet he immediately changed his tune once other professors were brought up
It felt as if the professor was trying to cover for his colleagues.
After a fit of dry coughs, Ingurdel changed the topic.
That said, it seems youre not out of breath anymore. Excellent. Were you able to circte your mana throughout your body?
Yi-han had been panting a moment ago, yet he seemedfortable now. This wouldnt have been possible without mana cirction.
Professor Ingurdel was d to see his student improve.
Oh, this? Um
Yi-han smiled sheepishly as he replied.
I lost focus just now and ended up discharging the mana.
Step 1: Gather mana from your core.
Step 2: Focus on circting that mana throughout your body.
This was the golden standard.
By having mana circte like blood, they could achieve maximum efficiency in body strengthening.
The key here was to have it circte smoothly!
Yi-han, however, found it too exhausting to focus and opted to release the mana after having it reach various parts of his body.
He had mana to spare anyway.
.???
Professor Ingurdel stared nkly at Wardanaz, having no idea what the boy was saying.
***
Hmm
After asking Yi-han for more details, Professor Ingurdel fell into deep thoughts.
Hed heard about the fight with the anti-magic extremists, and normally, he wouldve talked the student out of doing something so risky.
Yi-hans method of wasting mana in his fights was no different from cutting ones wrist and bleeding out.
Nevertheless, Professor Ingurdel wasnt strong-headed and understood that every swordsman had his own way of fighting.
Since Wardanaz had been blessed(?) with a massive mana reserve, this could be considered a valid method as well.
After much consideration, Professor Ingurdel finally made up his mind.
I wont ban you from using that method. However, try not to rely on it in your everyday life. Instead, get used to circting your mana.
Understood.
Yi-han nodded.
Kukustrength is what defines a swordsmans wortheven if it shaves off my life, if I can be strong in return
He wasnt someone that pursued glory, so he most definitely wasnt the type to have such crazy thoughts.
If something was dangerous, hed simply stop doing it.
Right, I almost forgot to tell you. The more mana you have, the more difficult youll face circting your mana.
..
What was this feeling of dj vu?
Hence, well be increasing the intensity of your training.
Y-yay
Yi-han maintained his usual expression relying on his unbreakable will.
He had to pretend like he was happy!
Dont let it show. Dont let it show
Professor Ingurdel, who was one of the only kind professors in this academy, was ecstatic.
You dont mind? Great! I was worried that you wouldnt be happy about it.
No, I dontthese are simply tears of joyas you already know, swordsmanship means a lot to me
Professor Ingurdels scarred face was beaming with joy.
Of course, Wardanaz. Ive always known how devoted you are to swordsmanship.
..
Right. Ill follow along on your trip into the mountain range.
Sir, didnt you say itll be fine? Something about Professor Uregor having a bigger picture in mind and whatnot.
But of course. I simply enjoy going on walks in the mountain.
With a prosthetic arm and leg, it was questionable whether Professor Ingurdel truly enjoyed going up steep mountains, but Yi-han chose to remain silent.
The professors behavior made him worried about the potential horrors awaiting them.
***
Yi-han visited Professor Uregors hut in the evening.
A lot had happened that day, but that didnt mean he could skip out on the professors chores.
Professor Uregor wasnt forcing him to visit every day, and he had even told Yi-han that he didnt have toe if he was busy.
But there was a purpose for todays visit.
I should get as much information as I could from him.
?
Woah
Yi-han was initially surprised by what was written on the paper, but it made sense. Professor Uregor was a busy man, and he wasnt going to be stuck in his hut 24-7 like a patient. He had students to teach and things he had to tend to as a professor.
After a nod, Yi-han took the piece of paper and returned to the dorm to fetch Yonaire.
You want me to search for items inside the hut that mighte in handy?
Yup. I want to figure out what the potions I have in possession are for.
The box of potions that the professional thief Ratford had stolen from one of the carriages.
He wished to know their effects, but as a first-year student, his means were limited, which was why he was nning on plundering the professors hut for items that might prove useful in his cause.
Since Yonaire was knowledgeable in alchemy, he needed her help.
Wait, isnt this Professor Uregors hut?
They had a barbecue party here before, so she was aware of who the hut belonged to.
Oh well.
But she didnt pay it any mind.
This was Einroguard after all. This much was nothing.
By the way, whats that?
Huh? Oh, the farm?
Yonaire, who was walking ahead of Yi-han, sounded surprised.
Ive been tending to it recently, but its going to take a few months for the crops to grow, he exined calmly.
You sure? They seem fully grown though?
?
This time, it was Yi-hans turn to be surprised. He walked up to the farm in a hurry to take a look.
!!
Yonaire was right.
The heck?
The vegetables that he had nted previously had fully grown, which came as a great shock to him.
That was way too quick, no matter how he thought about it.
Did the professor sprinkle something on them? How impatient of him.
Yonaire nodded in agreement to Yi-hans exnation.
To think hed use a potion to hasten their growth.
He must be really fond of food, she thought to herself.
And that was how Uregor, who wasnt even present at the scene, ended up being known as a glutton.
Nothing we can do about it. Ill harvest the vegetables. Yonaire, can you take care of whats inside the hut?
Leave it to me.
Yi-han took out some farming equipment and began harvesting with expert-like movements.
The way he wlessly dug out the potatoes left Yonaire mesmerized.
It was as if Yi-han had spent decades on the farm, perfecting his craft.
She could see why Professor Uregor liked him so much.
Is something wrong?
N-nothing. Ill search for some useful items.
While the vegetables slowly piled up, Yonaire got to work inside the hut.
After a while, Yi-han had a basket of freshly harvested goods in his hands whereas Yonaire had a box of reagents and alchemical tools in hers.
All done?
Yup!
Lets go!
The two students of the Blue Dragons left the hut in high spirits.
On the door, there was a new piece of paper that Yi-han had pasted.
***
There were dark circles beneath Yi-han and Yonaires eyes the next morning.
They had forgone sleep in order to run alchemical tests in the resting lounge.
So this is a Cantus Potion?
Yeah.
These were the results of their hard work:
Tastes delicious
Can sing beautifully like a mermaid once drunk.
That was all.
..
Yonaire seemed depressed, and Yi-han had to soothe her.
I mean hey, we got something out of it. We can figure out the rest in the future.
But whats the point of having a singing potion
Im sure it has its use.
Creak-
That was when Asan Dargard entered the resting lounge and greeted them.
Wardanaz, you ready to enter the mountain range today?
Somewhat.
Yi-han had a n in mind, and that was to leave with the others on Friday and return by Saturday at thetest. After that
Ill use my exit ticket on Sunday.
Yi-han tried to remain calm.
There was no telling what kind of trapsid ahead. He had to be cautious and not get his hopes up too much before he was truly outside.
Wardanaz, wanna visit the ck market before we head into the mountains?
The what market?
Yi-han was puzzled by what Asan had just said.
The ck market?
Theres a ck market inside the academy?
He had a hard time believing Asans wordsbut they turned out to be true.
What in the world
It wasnt really a ck market per se, but a small marketce run by the students of the ck Tortoise near their tower.
It was originally a ce for students to barter and exchange items, but it eventually grew to be a marketce as students learned of its convenience.
Yi-han was speechless.
What is this academy trying to teach its students?
A bread for more bread! Find the card with His Majesty the Emperor! Its a one-in-three chance! If you get it right, you receive doubleOh, Sir Wardanaz.
With three cards on the table, Ratford was hosting a shell game when he stood up after spotting Yi-han amidst the other students.
Everyones attention immediately turned to Yi-han, making him want to leave the marketce there and then.
Chapter 53
Chapter 53
What are you doing?
Collecting bread, sir.
Uh, bread?
Yes, theyre used as currency here. Five pieces of bread can get you a quill, and ten can get you a matchboxs worth of sugar cubes.
..
Students of the Blue Dragons were able to live ratherfortably thanks to Yi-han, but the others didnt have the same luxury.
They were doing everything they can to survive, collecting the hard bread that was served during every meal.
After all, they were considered money here, money that could be used to buy all sorts of goods!
Woahcan we take a look?
Please feel free to do so.
Yonaire studied the goods disyed in the ck market with great interest, probably with the intention of buying anything that caught her eye.
Yi-han, who was curious, took a gander at the goods as well and was pleasantly surprised.
Some of them seem actually useful.
Initially, he didnt harbor much hope for the ck Tortoise, but against his expectations, they had managed to gather all kinds of things.
Granted, they didnt have much food, and aside from the canned goods that they got from the priests, the rest were analogues.
Cheese analogues, milk analogues, egg analogues, meat analogues, fish analogues, coffee analogues, tea analogues, and so on.
Isnt it harder to make all these than to acquire them? Yi-han wondered.
However, other than the food, there were quite a few items that had practical use.
Backpacks, quills, nkets,nterns, fishing rods, shovels and pickaxes, makeshift tents and sleeping bags, ropes and chalks, bows and arrows
What took him by surprise was
Why are there so many artifacts lying around?
Ordinary-looking cloaks, leather belts, and essories made of stones.
Though they appeared to bemon junk, Yi-han could sense mana being emitted from them.
He was certain that they were artifacts.
I didnt think itd be this easy to find artifacts, even if were in a magic academy.
Outside, even a single artifact would be considered priceless. Not only were they expensive, but the supply also couldnt meet the demand, which was why countless adventurers and mercenaries could only dream of owning one.
It was to the point where someone with an artifact would be considered a veteran adventurer.
Artifacts with could help them navigate through dark dungeons, allowing them to serve as scouts, and artifacts with healing magic could be used to save lives in times of emergency.
However, the situation was a bit different inside the academy.
It was a ce where people that knew how to craft artifacts and people who wished to learn how to craft artifacts gathered.
Although the ones made by amateurscked in terms of quality, they made up for it through overwhelming quantity.
What was impressive was that a bunch of freshmen had managed to scavenge them.
Yi-han was in awe of the ck Tortoises practical mindset.
I might have been better off being a member of the ck Tortoise.
If he had been ced there, he wouldve gone around the academy with the others and mugged the ce clean.
Are you nning on buying something, sir? Ive checked, and none of them seem particrly useful.
Ratford whispered words of advice next to Yi-han.
The ck Tortoise student who had his business interrupted red at Ratford.
Dont get in the way of my business!
Ratford, however, didnt care in the slightest.
The cloak over there can protect its user from des, but its been shown to work only half the time.
Blocking one out of two hits doesnt sound bad though?
I seeSir Wardanaz is wise. Instead of saying the cup is half empty, hes the type to say that its half full.
Ratford, saying whateveres to your mind doesnt constitute a praise.
There was a reason why Ratford didnt think any of the artifacts were worth buying.
It was difficult to determine their effect, and the mana within them was gradually bing thinner. In other words, the magic that had been cast on them wouldntst forever.
As unreliable as it was, the protective cloak mentioned just now was on the more practical end of the spectrum.
The problem was
Can I purchase things on credit?
Mr. Wardanaz, even if you were to threaten us with a knife, we wont ept credit.
Whats up with the honorifics
Yi-han was getting tired of this. He was fine with them speakingfortably!
That said, the ck Tortoise was adamant about not epting credits.
Students from the other towers had tried the same thing before and had failed.
Someone like Yi-han would have no qualms knocking on the doors of influential nobles, demanding that they pay up.
It would be reckless of the ck Tortoise to do the same, which was why purchasing on credit was a no-go.
Yi-han nodded after hearing the exnation. It made a lot of sense.
Nothing we can do about it, I guess. HmmI heard were allowed to barter here. I wonder if the things I brought will be enough.
He had brought with him a basket of goods after learning about the ck market, but he was beginning to lose his confidence.
Should he return to his dorm and bring some canned food?
I want those artifacts before someone else takes them.
What did you bring, sir?
Oh, just some vegetables and fruits that were recently harvested, along with some eggs.
!
!!
An uproar ensued as countless students of the ck Tortoise rose from their seats.
***
The ck Tortoise went nuts over the fruits, vegetables, and eggs.
Not to mention the student selling artifacts, others also rushed up to Yi-han, begging to trade.
Theres a chance this shovel and pickaxe were made by a dwarven smith! You might find a use for themter
Im willing to trade coffee and tea analogs for just one egg!
A staff for an onion!
While the others lined up to trade, the student that had sold his protective cloak for two potatoes started a fire and mocked his friends.
Idiots. You guys shouldve brought something of value. You think hed be willing to trade for some trash?
Shut up! You just happened to pick up that cloak by ident!
Hey, how much bread for a bite of potato?
Keep them. Im not selling.
I heard potatoes dont taste that good nowadays. You might be better off with this bread.
Ignoring all the distractions, the student kept baking his potatoes.
Once they were adequately baked, he peeled them, revealing their flesh which looked absolutely delectable.
After blowing on one, the student took a big bite.
!!
The potato melted like cheese inside his mouth, putting him in a daze.
Yi-han, who had been watching, was bbergasted.
Just how starved are they?
Salt and butter hadnt been used in the baking process, so there was no way it tasted as good as the student made it out to be.
Gather around. Ill cook something for you guys. Yonaire, can you help me?
She nodded, and the two exchanged nces.
Just this once, we wont ask for money.
Agreed.
As stingy as he was, Yi-han didnt wish to ask for money from people so desperate.
And there was also another reason.
By feeding them before entering the mountains, I can have the ck Tortoise owe me a favor.
He was enemies with the White Tigers, and there was no going back from that, but he still had a chance when it came to bing friends with the ck Tortoise.
Yi-han chopped up the vegetables that he harvested and sprinkled some salt and pepper, something which shocked the ck Tortoise.
However, it was too early for them to be surprised.
He added oil and deep-fried the vegetables.
An irresistible aroma spread to surrounding areas, prompting the students to gather around the pot like lifeless zombies.
Yi-han then popped open a can of tomatoes, scooped up its content, put it into the pot, and fried it together with the vegetables.
Despite having made it in a rush, the thick tomato vegetable stew looked mouthwatering.
Once he was done, Yi-han handed out a bowl of stew to each student.
Everything around him became silent as the students got to work with their spoons.
Once they were done, they expressed endless gratitude and appreciation.
So this is what a proper meal tastes like!
Ive finally recalled what its like to live!
Now, a round of apuse for Sir Wardanaz
Dont. Please.
Yi-han shoved a potato into Ratfords mouth, stopping him from ruining the mood.
***
Although Yi-han tried to turn them down, the ck Tortoise wished to repay him.
As a result, he ended up returning with full pockets and two backpacks on his back. Antern, a fishing rod, a shovel, and a pickaxe hung on his sides.
Tthats so cool.
For some reason, Yonaire seemed mesmerized by the unique fashion, and Ratford soon followed suit.
Sir looks like a top-tier adventurer.
Ratford aside, he couldnt tell whether Yonaire was teasing him or being serious.
After letting out a deep sigh, Yi-han put down one of the backpacks. In it was a set of chess, a set of cards, and a set of dice, among many others.
He had sessfully earned the favor and trust of the ck Tortoise.
Furthermore, he had acquired quite a few useful artifacts other than the protective cloak.
A pair of lower-tier covert boots that mysteriously lowered the sound of his footsteps, a chalk that created a smoke screen when thrown, a detection bracelet that turned red if someone was watching
Hmm, our seniors mustve made these, but for what reason?
Yi-han began to question the intent of the seniors who took the artifact crafting ss.
Were these all made to sneak away from the professors?
Rattle, rattle
?
As he was browsing through the artifacts in his backpack, he heard something rattle.
And much to his horror, a skeletal hand came climbing out of the backpack.
..!?
For a split second, he thought someone from the ck Tortoise had repaid kindness with hatred.
But it didnt take long for him to realize that no one couldy such a sophisticated trap using magic yet.
Rattle!
The skeletal hand came flying towards him, and itbined with the mysterious bone that he had received from Professor Mortem which he had kept with him.
Now, the bone had both a hand and a forearm.
The bone proceeded to float in the air, like a puppy waiting to be fed.
Nonono.
Ignoring his protest, the bone approached Yi-han, pricked him in one of his fingers, and took a droplet of blood from him.
Soon after, he felt a connection form between him and the iplete bone summon.
Sit. Stand. Turn around. Fetch.
.
.
Yonaire and Ratford stared at Yi-han, feelingplex emotions.
Their friend had suddenly summoned a piece of bone and was giving orders, as a ck mage would.
What a strange gift. But then again, Id be more worried if a professor gave me something normal.
I think its better if you throw it away
Padadak!
Terrified by Yonaires suggestion, the bone stuck close to Yi-han.
This behavior made them feel sorry for the poor piece of bone.
I-I take back what I said. I take it back, alright?
In the end, Yonaire had to retract her statement.
Chapter 54
Chapter 54
So what youre saying is that this bone is a gift from Professor Mortem?
Sir Wardanaz, Im not too familiar with magic, but among thieves, theres a saying that warns us against getting close to a ck mage.
.
His two friends pointed out the cold truth.
The skeletal summon was indeed a bit eerie as a gift.
Why would the professor give him something like this
Even Yi-han couldnt defend him this time.
Im sure it has its use.
With all due respect, sir, it might. However, its still uncanny to look at.
Though Ratford was loyal to his superiors, he wasnt too sure about this either.
Yonaire, who caught on to Yi-hans ambivalent feeling towards the skeletal summon, rushed to think of some advantages that the summon might have over other creatures.
Having said that, you wont have to feed it anything, and it seems loyal to you as well. It can help you in various things
Like what?
Yonaire chose not to answer Ratfords question.
and I guess it looks quite cute?
Thanks, Yonaire. But listening to you two has cleared up my mind. This is weird.
Yi-han had tried to think of ways in which he could make use of this gift but to no avail.
He could no longer shield the professors actions. This wasabsolutely a weird gift.
Why would he give me a skeletal summon?
Dunnomore importantly, why would he give you a partial summon?
Maybe he wants Sir Wardanaz to look for the other parts that are scattered throughout the academy?
Yonaireughed at Ratfords suggestion, not believing it in the slightest.
As if something like that Wait, you cant be serious, right?
..
Yi-han didnt find this funny at all, finding Ratfords exnation rather usible.
Maybe that really was his goal.
Otherwise, a random piece of hand bone that he received from a student of the ck Tortoise wouldnt stick so perfectly to the bone that he got from the professor.
Someone withmon sense would ask Who in their right mind would enjoy collecting bones?
But as the academy had shown time and time again, there was no such thing as a professor withmon sense.
Professor Mortem probably thought they would have a st going out on treasure hunts.
Just thinking about it is giving me the creeps.
Yi-han shuddered.
More so than the summon itself, he was terrified by the professors twisted view of the world.
As a normal person, he couldnt keep up with what the professor was thinking!
Wardanaz! How was your visit to the ck market? Wait, whats up with that bone!?
Asan, who joined them a whileter, was bewildered when he saw the summon moving around Yi-han.
What the heck is going on?
***
Quite a few students had gathered before Professor Ingurdel.
In fact, there were students from all four towers as everyone that took the alchemy ss had to gather materials for the assignment.
This was a chance for them to enter the mountain range with a professor. If they missed it, it would be difficult for them to gather the materials that they needed.
Professor Ingurdel slowly opened his mouth when everyone had gathered.
Prioritize safety first and foremost. Nothing is as important as your life. I want members of each tower to gather around and confirm whos here. Once youve entered the mountains, perform regr checks and report if anyone goes missing.
Professor Ingurdel had a knack for instilling fear in the students. Some students had already be pale from the nervousness.
Better nervous than dead.
If they entered the mountains thinking it was a pic, they might be met with tragedy. It was better to keep them on their toes.
Those from the Blue Dragons all knew each other.
This included Yi-han, Yonaire, Asan, and the princess.
Hey, Wardanaz. I heard the dish you made for the ck Tortoise was out of this world, said Asan.
Youre exaggerating. It was just regr stew.
Yi-han thought the ck Tortoise was embellishing the story.
Anything would taste amazing when consumed in a state of hunger.
The stew that he made for them was nothing out of the ordinary. He had made it on the spot by throwing in some vegetables, oil, salt, pepper, and tomato sauce.
No, it actually tasted great.
Shes right, sir.
?
Yi-han was puzzled.
Ratford aside, he didnt expect Yonaire to react this way too.
But it didnt even have any meat inside. Arent the dishes that I serve at the dorm better?
No. Maybe its because we ate it together outside. The stew tasted way better.
Is there something different about the ingredients?
The vegetables that they harvested and put in the stew. He could think of no other exnation.
The vegetables in Professor Uregors garden had grown at an unusual rate. Yi-han reckoned the professor mustve poured some special potion to make them grow and taste better.
Wait, could he have used an elixir? Maybe I shouldnt have harvested them without asking.
For a split second, Yi-han seemed to regret his decision.
However, when it came down to it, the professor never mentioned staying out of the garden, and to begin with, that was his part of the garden.
Yup, not my fault.
If he had known that the stew was so delicious, he wouldve reserved a bowl for himself.
I wonder how it tasted
Wait, arent you from the White Tigers?
Asan was addressing an elf with long ck hair.
She was the student Yi-han had talked to previously, and what was worth mentioning was that she had sworn her allegiance to the princess despite being from the White Tigers.
Ive already sought permission from my dormmates. Ill be apanying Her Highness.
There were a couple of other students that didnt belong to the Blue Dragons hovering near the princess.
Their loyalty to Adenart was quite impressive.
Inparison.
Yi-han looked around himself.
That was when a student from the ck Tortoise carefully brought up a suggestion.
I heard you have a beef with the White Tigers, Mr Wardanaz. Shall we gather some men to harass them?
Is that how you guys see me?
***
This ce will do. Now students, go gather the materials that you need.
After trudging through the mountains for several hours, Professor Ingurdel told the group to stop when they came across a flower field.
The students split into small groups and moved in an orderly manner as the elven professor watched on with warm eyes.
The students had realized by now that teamwork was essential if they were to survive in the academy.
Im happy to see that youre all doing well.
Each tower had a student or two acting as its leader.
Though the manner in which they led others differed from person to person, there was no doubt that they yed a central role in keeping the groups together.
Wardanaz was one such leader, and through his charisma which befitted the progeny of a prestigious household, he was exerting his influence over his towers students as well others.
Fortunately, he had a good character despite his cold appearance. If that wasnt the case, the Blue Dragons wouldve been much rowdier than they were now.
Leaders are always born within the tower one way or another, but hes a cut above the rest.
The stories that he had heard from the other students had shaped the professors impression of Yi-han.
He was d to know that Yi-han wasnt the type of person to unt his authority over others simply because he came from a lineage of mages.
Chirp, chirp, chirp.
?
The professor looked up from where he was seated when he heard birds chirping from above.
Paat!!
And just like that, he vanished.
***
W-Wardanaz.
Yi-han was made aware that something was wrong as he was putting turkey tail mushrooms and dwarven hammer mushrooms into his basket.
Several ck Tortoise students had approached him with terror-stricken looks.
Is there a problem?
The professorhehe vanished!!
?!
Yi-han was dumbfounded to hear this.
Immediately, several possibilities shed past his mind.
Did the professor leave after giving them a false sense of security to teach them some sort of a lesson?
No. I trust Professor Ingurdel statistically, it isnt wise to trust a professor, but if its him
Yi-han shook his head.
Did enemies like the anti-magic extremists infiltrate the academy and kidnap the professor?
Thats even less likely to be the case. After what happenedst time, security must have gone up a notch. If people did manage to get in, the lich should resign from his position.
In that case
Did he get done in by a monster? But the professors a sword master that can go head-to-head against Arlong. Can a monster defeat him without causing anymotion? And would such a powerful monster exist in the outskirts of the mountains?
Truth be told, it wouldnt be strange for any monster to appear near the academy, but Yi-han trusted the professors skill. He wouldnt go down that easily.
What should we do? What should we do?
Calm down, everyone. The professor mightve left to fetch something.
This was highly unlikely, but Yi-han said it to calm the students.
We arent dealing with a monster, and we arent lost either. Theres no need to panic. All we have to do is return from where we came.
Although they were in the mountains, there were still paths here and there, probably made by the upperssmen that came before them.
They had climbed a long way, but they could go back by following one of the paths
Shuaaaaaaaaaaaa
.
..
Rain suddenly came pouring down, and Yi-han was beginning to think that this was all part of an borate scheme.
***
Yi-han and several other students hid under a cliff to avoid the rain.
Nilia wiped herself while looking upset.
Finding a path back to the academy would be impossible as things stand. We might get lost along the way and possibly suffer from hypothermia. We might also encounter monsters, which would be a nightmare to fight in the rain.
The students were in despair when they heard what she said. However, Nilia was quick to console them.
Dont worry. Weve found ourselves a nice hiding spot. We just have to wait for the rain to stop. Then
I say we look for a path back even if its dangerous. Itll be harder to return if it rains harderter.
No, as I said
I dont see the students from the White Tigers and Immortal Phoenix. How are we going to find them in the rain?
Listen
We should seek help from the professor! Lets think of ways to contact him.
Nilia gave up and sulked.
Yi-han waved her over. She scurried over to his side and began collecting branches.
Meanwhile, the students argued over what they should do in this situation.
Some suggested finding a way back, while others advised joining up with the rest, and a few proposed searching for the professor.
Yi-han left them alone as he lit a fire. His skeletal summon scampered here and there, collecting branches to use as firewood.
I keep telling you that we should look for a way back!!
No, we should regroup with the others! Strength in numbers!
But what about the professor!?
The debate had reached a climax, and with no one willing to back down, the students sought a judge.
Wardanaz!
What do you say, Wardanaz?
Huh?
Yi-han, who had been peacefully lighting the fire, was dragged into the argument.
Shouldnt we wait until the rain stops?
Y-you make a valid point.
Right. We should probably wait.
Nilia red at her friends.
Thats what Ive been saying this whole time!
Chapter 55
Chapter 55
Still, it was a good thing that there was no one shouting We have to find a path or We should head out anymore.
Yi-hans words held that much weight.
For the umpteenth time, Nilia realized what an amazing friend she had.
With but a sentence, he had managed to silence all the students that had been moring until now.
Is this the charisma of a Wardanaz, one of the most prestigious aristocratic households in the Empire?
Its raining, and you must all be cold. Come, Ill make something warm.
Everyones expression brightened up as they gathered around Yi-han.
Nilia, who was watching from the sidelines, had a sense of dejavu.
Mmom? Am I seeing things?
The charisma that he had shown earlier was nowhere to be seen, reced by an air of familiarity that left Nilia in a dazed state.
***
Yi-han had stuffed his bag full of food and tools for this expedition. If Gainando had seen the things that Yi-han had brought with him, he wouldve freaked out, asking what they were all for.
Yi-han had made ample preparations, not because he was meticulous, but because he had no trust in the academy.
He was thinking ahead, making sure that he would survive even if he got stranded in the mountain range for a month.
As a result, he would still be left with some ingredients even if he served food to all the students present.
Gush Forth.
Thanks to the hellish training he went through until Professor Bdy, he was able to use water magic without an ounce of resistance.
He was familiar enough with the magic that he didnt have to wave his staff all the way through, shortening the time it took to cast the magic.
I see, the more were familiar with the spell, the less we have to move or chant.
He had known this since his time at the Wardanaz mansion, but it was a different feeling to experience it first-hand.
Magic was a means for mages to change the world around them.
However, even the most talented mage would have some doubts about a spell that theyve never heard about.
Would it work? Am I doing something wrong? What if I make a mistake?
Precise movements and chants helped clear these doubts, empowering mages.
When it came to spells that they were familiar with, those werent as necessary, and they were free to simplify the chants and movements if they wished.
Still, that method of trainingis getting hit really necessary?
Boil, boil
As the pot began to boil, Yi-han brought out some cups and brewed coffee for the students that had been shivering after being drenched in the cold spring rain.
Needless to say, they were ecstatic.
Ttak
Yi-han then proceeded to take out a small rectangr frying pan, cracking open an egg as he did so.
Nilia was amused by this sight.
Where did you get all these?
I bought them from the students of the ck Tortoise.
?!
Right, they did say something crazy happened at the ck marketso Wardanaz was behind all that!?
After the scrambled eggs were done, Yi-han distributed them to the students.
Apanied by the regr sound of rain, the students enjoyed a warm cup of coffee and a serving of scrambled eggs.
Feeling warm and well-fed, the students became moreid back.
Hey, this aint half bad.
Yeah, I havent had such a nice time since entering the academy.
Is this the so-called Stockholm syndrome?
Yi-han was puzzled by the sudden shift in the students attitude.
He had not put any weird substances inside the coffee or the eggs. Why were they saying all this nonsense?
As he was wondering what was happening, Rowena, the elven knight from the White Tigers, approached him.
Her Highness wishes to thank you.
Cool.
Nilia, who heard this exchange, muttered under her breath.
She couldve just thanked him herself.
Pardon?
Nothing.
Nilia feigned ignorance when Rowena questioned her.
She didnt expect her whispers to be heard!
By the way, Mr. Wardanaz.
?
I was wondering if you have any ns on making the vegetable stew again.
??
Hes making the stew again?
That legendary vegetable stew?
Members of the ck Tortoise who had been sipping away at their coffee sprung up from where they had been seated.
Is he about to serve stew?
No, at least not for a while.
..
The ck Tortoise sat back down again, feeling depressed.
So hes not
Rowena seemed disappointed as well, though not as much as the ck Tortoise.
Is that so? Thats unfortunate. I was wondering how it tasted after hearing the rumors.
Yi-han was left speechless.
How far have the rumors spread already? Also, theres no guarantee that the stew would taste that good next time.
Hed simply thrown in all the ingredients he had with him, so he wasnt sure if he could recreate the same taste.
Rowena returned to where the princess was and whispered in her ears. Though Adenart remained expressionless, Yi-han could somehow sense her regret.
Yonaire shook her head.
The elfs being overly zealous. It doesnt seem like the princess is all that interested in food. Shes probably being forced to have them.
Is that how it looks to you?
Yi-han didnt quite agree with that statement.
Apparently, Yonaire thought the princess practised abstinence, eating only the bare minimum to sustain herself.
However, in his opinion
She seeks food just as much as Gainando does. Hmm, maybe thats going a bit too far.
Yi-han immediately changed his mind.
It was cruel of him topare the princess to Gainando.
Nevertheless, as someone that regrly delivered food to the princess, he refused to believe that she didnt like having food served to her.
She seemed to have quite the appetite after all
!
The princess suddenly stood up.
Yi-han flinched, thinking she had somehow noticed theparison he had drawn between her and Gainando.
Rowena spoke in her stead.
Her Highness wishes to express her gratitude for the coffee and the scrambled eggs by helping out.
Thatll be great. Thanks.
The princess was greatly talented in magic, so having her help was reassuring.
Woah
Amazing.
The princess waved her staff and chanted.
When she finished, a mass of brown and red appeared in the air, ttening the ground and making the fire burn stronger.
It must be a spirit!
Yi-han could immediately tell that it was a spirit.
Although the material had not yet been covered in ss, the princess had managed to connect with spirits through her own research.
Yi-han pictured the princessmunicating with the spirits in the spirit world and even bing friends with them, and as he did so, he felt a tinge of regret for enrolling in Professor Bdys ss.
I mightve been better off joining one of the popr sses.
Boom
!!
While everyones attention was drawn to the spirit, a massive figure appeared in their hiding spot, having braved the rain.
It was a golem.
***
Amon misconception was that knights only knew how to swing their swords, but this often wasnt the case.
It was easy to guess why.
To fend off bandits and defeat monsters, they needed to be equipped with a variety of skills; in the first ce, if swordsmanship was all that was required of them, the White Tigers wouldnt have existed in Einroguard.
Hence, there were many skilled students in the White Tigers, and Baetrek, a dwarf from the eastern regions of the Empire, was one of them.
He was from the Bak Family known for their alchemy, and as befitting of someone from that household, he knew his way around potions.
He often made ointments for his dormmates whenever they were injured or had muscle pain, and even Jijel acknowledged his skill.
Here, have some tea, Baetrek said in a dull voice, filling several cups of tea.
The White Tigers were impressed by the herbal tea of the Bak Family as they immediately felt their bodies warm up.
Thank, Baetrek. Youre the best.
Youre probably better than Priestess Siana over there. Buahahaha!
Ahahahaha!
The White Tigers were together with the Immortal Phoenix at the moment.
With Professor Ingurdel disappearing and the sudden downpour of rain, they had also sought shelter.
It was a good thing that the Blue Dragons and the White Tigers werent together as it wouldve definitely led to a scuffle.
The White Tigers were chatting among themselves,ughing at each others jokes without realizing the frown on Sianas face.
They didnt stop for a moment to consider the possibility that those of the Immortal Phoenix were listening.
The members of the Immortal Phoenix were on pins and needles, taking asional nces at Siana.
Shes not going to poison their drinks, right?
The rains bing weaker. Shall we give it a go?
I dont think its be weaker though.
Really?
Its just a drizzle. Well be fine.
The White Tigers were much more hot-headed than the Blue Dragons. They knew how dangerous it was to move in the rain, but they felt confident due to their numbers.
They didnt feel the need to stay around.
Before we search for a way back to the academy, shouldnt we join up with the others?
You mean those arrogant pricks from the Blue Dragons?
The White Tigers were disgusted by the suggestion, but the Immortal Phoenix didnt back down.
Dont let personal feelings cloud your judgment. It isnt right to leave others behind.
Hm
As tough and unruly as they were, the White Tigers couldnt find it within themselves to shout at the priests and priestesses.
Well, those arrogant bastards aside, we should fetch the ck Tortoise
Yeah, lets regroup first. By the way, where did the professor go?
Boom
The same thing urred here as with the other group.
A golem had appeared.
!!
***
The earth golem was over 3 meters in height, and the students froze up when it appeared before them.
Dont make any rash moves! Rowena instructed. Golems move under a certain set of rules. They wont attack if we dont break them!
Golems were different from wild monsters in that they were predominantly artificial creations made by mages.
The basic method of creating golems involved shaping materials such as dirt, rock, or metals and activating them through mana cores.
Damages to the core could lead to golems going rogue, and some parts couldbine with materials in nature if they werent disposed of properly.
This academy has some serious safety regtion issues!
Yi-han raised his staff while cussing in his heart.
Rowena was right in that golems followed a certain set of rules, be they regr golems or rogue golems.
The problem was that it was difficult to infer the rules of rogue golems.
If the one before them happened to follow a rule such as eliminate all the freshmen
Ssuuk
The earth golem approached the students in a threatening manner, only to draw a line on the ground with its foot.
A thick line was drawn in front of the students that were hiding under a cliff.
??
Is it saying we shouldnt cross? What happens if we do?
Lets try it out.
You mustnt, Wardanaz! Gainandos not here! screamed Asan.
Naturally, Yi-han wasnt about to test it himself.
The skeletal summon scampered forth, only to be squashed by the earth golem immediately.
Snap!
..
..
The students were horrified.
Fortunately, it didnt take long for the shattered bones to recover.
Rowena noticed something off about this.
Wait, are summons supposed to revive this quickly? It should take a considerable amount of time and mana to summon a creature thats been destroyed
Chapter 56
Chapter 56
However, Rowena didnt dwell on it too much as there was something more urgent afoot.
They had to think of a way to deal with the earth golem in front of them.
So it attacks if we cross the line.
Then arent we trapped in here!?
Lets not jump to conclusions too fast. Why dont we attack it together?
Dont! We mightnd ourselves in further danger if we act rashly.
The students discussed what they should do, each giving their own opinion.
As they were in a state of panic, their voices grew, and they refused to back down.
Fearing that the argument would devolve into a worthless quarrel, Nilia quickly walked up to Yi-han.
Since they didnt listen to her, she had to get the help of someone that they did.
Wardanaz. Wardanaz.
Meanwhile, Yi-han was deep in thought with a frown on his forehead. She had to shake his arms and call him to get his attention.
Wardanaz!
Oh, sorry, what was that?
Whats wrong with you? Those brats I mean our friends are acting up again. Its your time to shine.
Yi-han nodded.
By the way, what were you thinking so hard about? Nilia asked curiously.
Oh, I was just analyzing our situation.
!
This boy from the Wardanaz Family was very astute and often noticed things that others didnt.
Not only did he appreciate the skills of the hunters and scouts of the Shadow Patrol, but he also thought highly of their wisdom and was willing to be friends with her.
Could he have figured out a solution to this predicament?
Did you figure something out?
All the students including Nilia looked at him in anticipation.
I think this is a trap from the professor.
.
.
The unexpected bombshell left everyone speechless.
***
Let me go.
Calm yourself, Professor Ingurdel.
Principal Skelly soothed Ingurdel as he released the professor from the binding magic that he had cast.
Professor Ingurdel stared at Principal Skelly and Professor Uregor in disbelief.
He had been wondering what was going on after suddenly finding himself in the dark. It turned out he had been kidnapped by the two.
These mages were nuts!
Theres a reason for bringing you here. Let me exin.
Go on.
With a skilled swordsman like yourself standing guard, the students wont be able to grow when theyre confronted with danger.
..
Professor Ingurdel was dumbstruck by this bullshit exnation.
Thinking theyd managed to convince him, Principal Skelly and Professor Uregor nodded.
Im d Professor Ingurdel understands.
But I dont! There should be other ways to facilitate the students growth! For example, have them train and battle each other, or teach them the proper mindset
Principal Skelly shook his head when he heard this, as if toment speaking to a swordsman.
Thats not how mages grow.
Hes right, Professor Ingurdel. Mages arent nurtured that way. If they already know what to expect, we cant stimte their creativity.
.
Professor Ingurdel barely held himself back from brandishing his sword. He had to remind himself that this was a magic academy, not a knights school.
Id rather be back at knights school.
Professor Ingurdel might not agree with my methods right now, but one day, youll understand why Im doing this.
Fine. Lets suppose youre having students roam the mountains for hours in terrible rain and making theme across an unexpected danger to train their awareness
Uregor acted as if he was embarrassed.
No need to praise me like that.
I wasnt praising you. There are lots of monsters in the mountain range, and the paths are such that they may get lost if they arent careful. How do you n on saving them if something unexpected happens and theyre attacked by a powerful monster?
Principal Skelly and Professor Uregor acted as if they couldnt understand the point of his question.
They should do something about it themselves, no?
Why would we intervene?
..
Professor Ingurdels shoulders drooped.
Right, I shouldnt have even attempted to reason with them
The more skilled a mage was, the more likely they were to be in an abnormal state of mind.
A mage skilled enough to be appointed a professor at Einroguard would have to be at least half-crazy.
Professor Ingurdel gave up on arguing with them.
I give up Please notify me if a problem arisester on and the students need rescuing.
Alright. It seems weve finally managed to change your mind.
No, I still stand by what I said.
Professor Ingurdel let out a deep sigh.
In an attempt to pacify him, Professor Uregor poured him a warm cup of tea.
Theres nothing to worry about, Professor Ingurdel. What I prepared for them isnt that dangerous. Theyre just bulls that have been strengthened by potions.
Professor Uregor had prepared them with care for this particr assignment.
Just like before, he had ced them near areas where they could find the materials for the potion.
The students might curse him now, calling him a bastard, but in the far future, once they be established alchemists, they would sing his praise in gratitude.
I guess youre right. If its just bulls, the students should be able to manage somehow.
Professor Ingurdel was a little more at ease now.
The bulls might have been strengthened by potions, but there were quite a few talented students among the group that entered the mountain range, so they should have no trouble dealing with them.
Do they spew fire?
No, they dont.
Do they teleport?
No.
Can they perform element-based attacks? Are they infallible against des? Do they have a deathly aura that instils fear, roars that could paralyze their opponents?
How much money do you expect me to invest in some bulls?
The questions were getting so ridiculous that Professor Uregor had to cut him off.
Raising their strength and speed would be enough for this activity. If he tried to apply everything that the principal had mentioned, he would need to invest several mansions worth of money, and even that might not be enough.
Principal Skelly was disappointed to hear this.
How boring. Lets hope a different monster appears.
Monsters dont spawn out of nowhere, you know?
***
At first, Yi-hans opinion seemed like nonsense, but as time passed, it began to make more sense.
This was due in part to his credibility; had Gainando made the same im, they would have disregarded it without a second thought.
However, because it was Yi-han, they felt that there might be some truth to it.
Also, Professor Uregor had a history of doing something simr.
The students thought back to their first lesson.
That crazy professor had unleashed several boars to go after them!
It wouldnt be strange for someone like him to use earth golems as well.
Then wheres Professor Ingurdel?
They must be on the same side.
How could he!
Those damn professors! None of them are trustworthy!
The students were enraged, to say the least.
Even Professor Ingurdel, whom they trusted, had betrayed them.
Yi-han carefully processed what happened once more.
Its too much be to a coincidence.
The moment they arrived where they could gather the herbs and materials, Professor Ingurdel went missing, rain began to pour, and an earth golem appeared
It was too farfetched to call it an ident, which was why he had begun to suspect the professors.
Wardanaz, if this is really a part of the professors ploy, what should we do in this situation?
Nothings changed. We just have to get rid of the golem somehow.
Yi-han replied matter-of-factly to Asans inquiry.
Yi-han sensed that the students were discouraged and tried to boost their morale.
Why the long face? Since its a trap that Professor Uregor hasid, theres got to be a way to solve it.
Y-youre right!
He was right. If the earth golem was something the professor had prepared, there had to be a method of defeating it.
After oveing the fear of the earth golems appearance, the students began discussing a solution to their problem.
How about attacking it with fire magic or corrosive potions?
Thats only effective against Garci err, trolls. Since it attacks if we cross the line, lets try erasing it.
It cant be that simple. We should try covering its eyes. Rob its vision and sneak away while its confused.
We should shoot it with arrows!
Asan, who had been listening to their conversation, felt that Yi-han should step in again to organize everyones opinion. Otherwise, all sorts of trashy suggestions would be thrown out.
Rowena stepped forward and opened her mouth.
Her Highness has suggested using her spirit to distract the golemwait, wheres Wardanaz?
Huh?
Asan looked around in a panic as Yi-han was nowhere to be seen.
Did anyone see where Yi-han went?
W-was he kidnapped?
We must break through the golem and retrieve him!
They were much more rmed than when the golem first appeared.
However, Yi-han hadnt disappeared in the first ce.
Yonaire was surprised to see that Yi-han had suddenly appeared behind the earth golem.
!!
Wardanaz?!
The students couldnt believe their eyes. Yi-han had somehow managed to cross the line and appeared behind the golem, and the golem wasnt attacking him.
Howd he do it!?
He mustve used an invisibility spell.
While the others were engrossed in their discussion, Yi-han had conducted an experiment to determine whether he could use the invisibility spell on his belt to go past the golem.
As a result, he discovered that the golem couldnt detect those that were invisible.
He also learned that it wouldnt attack anyone that had already crossed the line. This was why he was safe even after disabling the spell.
This was a huge finding.
He knows how to cast invisibility spells!
No, I simply borrowed the power of an artifact.
He knows how to craft artifacts already!
I never said I made it.
The ck Tortoise were dumbfounded.
Huh? Was there such an artifact among the ones that we sold?
Whered you get the artifact?
Oh, this ones not from the school. Its something I received from an order.
Which order was it?
The Order of Presinga.
..
..
Students from both towers grimaced when they heard the name, leaving Yi-han feeling slightly hurt.
***
Yi-han had somehow slipped past the golem, but the situation hadnt changed much as the golem still trapped the rest.
Wardanaz, call a professor!
Someone should go with him! What if he betrays us and
Nonsense! You think hes Gainando?
R-right. Sorry
Yi-han ignored them.
Since this was a trap set up by Professor Uregor, calling for help would be a futile endeavour.
We must find a solution ourselves.
Given that the golem was prepared by the professor, it had to be something that the freshmen could defeat one way or another.
Move!
He took out his iron orb and waved his staff, making the orb revolve midair.
First, I must find where its core is.
Yi-hans n was to strike the earth golem until he discovered its core.
Will it work? Its a golem after all, Yonaire said worriedly.
Even if it was made of dirt, it didnt change the fact that it was a golem. Its body had to be extremely thick and robust. She didnt think a spell from a freshman would be effective.
However, Yi-han nodded to reassure her.
Against a wild golem, he wouldve had his doubts as well. That said, this was an assignment from Professor Uregor.
In that case, it shouldnt be that robust!
With a wave of his staff, the orb struck the golem.
Chapter 57
Chapter 57
Puck!
The orb made a dull sound as Yi-han propelled it using his magic, urately embedding it inside the earth golem.
What happened next was unexpected.
!
Yi-han was surprised to find out that he had lost his connection with the orb, and he had no way of retrieving it from the golems body.
Crap, I shouldve thought about this a bit more.
He clicked his tongue.
Earth golems were monsters that maintained their form through the use of mana. If an object controlled by mana were to enter their body, the connection could be lost due to interference from the golems own mana.
Rattle!
The skeletal summon waved its hand, signaling to Yi-han that it would go and retrieve the orb.
You can do that? In that case go!
The skeletal summon went straight to work upon receiving the order.
It climbed up the earth golems back and did its best to remove the orb.
..
..
However, the orb was embedded too deep inside the golem, and no matter how much it tried, the summon couldnt reach it.
Forget it. Come back.
The skeletal summon returned, looking gloomy as it did.
Fortunately, the earth golem didnt seem to care.
I guess I wont be needing the invisibility spell anymore.
Yi-han, who had been nning on running away if the golem responded, got ready to attack once more.
The iron orb had failed, but
How about a water marble?
He didnt wish to admit it, but Professor Bdys teachings wereing in clutch again.
Having trained tirelessly under a professor that kept shooting lethal projectiles, Yi-han had no trouble conjuring a water marble.
The problem was in its destructive power.
Is it going to be stronger than an iron orb?
It was raining right now, so there was a lot of water to work with, but he had opted to use his iron orb because of its destructive power.
It was easier to maneuver as well. All he had to do was raise it in the air, concentrate on the target, and shoot.
Since the orb was inherently hard, it came with a decent amount of destructive power.
Inparison, shooting water marbles was much harder.
Before he could aim and shoot, he had to conjure water andpress it into the shape of a marble, something which required much more effort than simply using an iron orb.
He had achieved mastery over iron orbs, but he wasnt quite there yet when it came to water marbles, and this was why he kept getting beaten up by Professor Bdy.
Gush Forth!
Yi-han began by conjuring some water in the air beforepressing it to the shape of a marble.
It felt easier to do than usual, probably because of the rain.
Puck!
As I thought.
The marble managed to hit its mark, but it wasnt as strong as the iron orb. That much was clear based on how little it prated the golem.
The skeletal summon seemed to agree as it shook its body sideways.
Think. They may be beasts posing as humans cruel creatures with neither blood nor tear but even the most heartless professor wouldnt prepare a golem that we have no hope of defeating.
Yi-han began to contemte.
In reality, the golem had nothing to do with Professor Uregor, but he had no way of knowing this.
Professor Uregor should be aware that Im learning under Professor Bdy, and they mustve exchanged words at one point. Maybe its a task that requires me to draw out everything that Ive learned until now.
Spin, spin
Yi-han looked up.
He had conjured another water marble, and it was drawing circles above him.
A bitterugh escaped his mouth. All that training under Professor Bdy had made him subconsciously begin to draw circles.
That was when an idea shed in his mind.
What if the marble itself spun at a high speed?
It should prate much deeper than before.
Rather than having it go around in circles, he began spinning the marble.
***
Meanwhile, Professor Ingurdel was sulking in the corner, prompting Principal Skelly to send a telepathic message to Professor Uregor.
-Do something about this.
Professor Ingurdel was a rare talent that could not be easily reced, and the academy would be in a bind if he were to call it quits.
Principal Skelly dreaded what would happen afterward.
Hed first have to write a written statement to the Emperor iming he didnt bully the professor. Then, hed have to exin to the higher officials that he wasnt bullying sword instructors on purpose. Finally, hed have to seek the knights and ask for someone to rece Professor Ingurdel, promising not to bully the new instructor.
Just imagining it gave him the shudders.
-Why are you asking that of me?
Though he wasnt too happy about it, Professor Uregor went downstairs to the storage room of his hut and fetched several sses worth of honey mead.
At the end of the day, he couldnt say no to the principal.
-Dont forget to bring some snacks as well.
.
Professor Uregor couldnt be bothered toin as he silently grabbed some vegetables and smoke-dried jerkies from the shelf.
That was when he caught sight of the vegetables that Yi-han had left behind.
I shall eat these when Im alone.
Professor Uregor was determined to keep the vegetables for himself. He had been robbed blind by Yi-han, so he had to get something in return.
Unfortunately, Principal Skelly had noticed the pause.
-Youre not nning on keeping the goods to yourself, are you?
Dammit.
Giving up, Professor Uregor brought everything with him.
Koong!
You must be hungry, Professor Ingurdel. By all means, try some of the honey mead that I made. It goes well with vegetables and dried meat, both of which I personally prepared.
My! Honey mead made by our dear alchemist! It must taste divine!
.
Principal Skelly wasnt used to ttering others.
However, being the kind elf that he was, Professor Ingurdel took a sip and gave an honest praise.
It tastes delicious. Thank you, Professor Uregor.
Its nothin.
It wasnt just empty words.
Being a skilled alchemist entailed being a skilled chef and brewer. It was no wonder the mead tasted great.
Sensing that the atmosphere in the hut has gotten better, Principal Skelly opened his mouth.
You dont have to worry about the students. Back in my days, it was much worse.
.
.
The professors fell silent as the ancient lich began reminiscing about his youth.
Of course everything was harder back in your day!
Not to mention, there are some interesting students this year. They shouldnt have any trouble finishing the assignment.
Its as you say.
Professor Ingurdel slowly nodded.
Maybe the principal was right, and he was being overprotective of the students.
Or maybe it was the alcohol kicking in, clouding his judgment.
Lets take Wardanaz as an example. He should be part of the group that went into the mountains. Hes a clever fellow, is he not?
The professors nodded in agreement.
Yi-han was someone all three of them were interested in.
Principal Skelly was happy to see that the young professors shared his sentiment.
With him around, whats there to worry about? Tell you what. Hes clever enough to learn my magic on his own, not to mention
?
?
The professors that had been chugging on the mead stopped when they heard this.
Can you repeat what you just said?
Huh?
Hes learning your magic?
Not to mention Professor Ingurdel, even Professor Uregor was staring at Principal Skelly in absolute horror.
Granted, there was nothing wrong with professors giving personal lessons to certain students. After all, Einroguard was a ce to learn magic.
Having said that, Principal Skelly was an exception.
He was a madman from ancient times, equipped with a set of morals and beliefs that differed greatly from the present.
It took a moment for the lich to realize his mistake.
However, as befitting an ancient mage, Principal Skelly was quick on his feet, and instead of backing down, he pushed forward with even greater momentum.
So what if I taught a student!? Im the principal of this academy! I represent you all!
..
..
Even so, the principal knew he wasnt off the hook yet. The professors wouldnt let this go that easily.
As such, he tried to shift the conversation in a different direction.
Its not just me. Professor Bdy is giving him personal lessons as well, and if were really getting to the nitty-gritty, youre also guilty of the same crime, Professor Uregor!
He wasnt an ancient mage for nothing. He was dragging other professors into this, even those that werent currently present.
But sir Im only teaching things appropriate for first-year students. The same goes for Professor Bdy. But you? Youre different! Uregor countered, feeling indignant.
He might have assigned Yi-han tasks that required physicalbor, but none of them carried the risk of driving a student insane.
Principal Skelly, on the other hand, wasnt the type to shy away from teaching a freshman all sorts of weird spells.
Oh, but I beg to differ! Professor Bdys teachings are beyond the scope of a freshmens curriculum. Hes pretty much teaching thed third-circle magic.
The principal drew Professor Uregor into the conversation by bringing up the matter of Professor Bdys lecture.
What he said wasnt entirely false.
Professor Bdy was teaching Yi-han something akin to third-circle magic.
During the previous lesson, Wardanaz managed to draw a perfect circle using an iron orb.
Is that so? Its quite a feat to achieve such excellent control over magic, even if its just a spell of the first-circle. Hes as exceptional as I thought.
Whats next, water marble? Thats a second-circle spell.
Circles were used to measure the difficulty of a spell, and they were based on the number of processes involved in the activation of the magic.
Conjuring water and maintaining it in a spherical shape was thus equivalent to second-circle magic.
He was able to form a marble, so I made him draw circles with it.
Adding in control, the difficulty level would spike up to that of the third-circle.
But of course, it wasnt a true third-circle spell.
Spells of the third-circle required all three processes to bepleted in a single go.
Conjuring water,pressing it into a marble, and drawing circles with it. These were three separate processes, so strictly speaking, it was different from that of third-circle magic.
Nevertheless, it was still impressive as it meant that with enough practice, Yi-han would have no trouble using third-circle magic.
Second-circle spells were already considered difficult for first-year students.
If it had been any other professor, they wouldve been shocked to hear this, but the principal epted the news readily.
Thats great. Really great.
And then he thought to himself, Since Professor Bdys going this far, there shouldnt be any problem with me teaching him some of my spells, right?
What kind of grass-eating dwarven bullshit is this!? Your magic and his magic arent the same!
Professor Uregor wasnt going to be swayed that easily.
It was a problem that Professor Bdy was teaching something equivalent to third-circle magic, but a lesson from the principal was far more dangerous.
Im not making him do anything dangerous! In fact, Ive only taught him magic that he can handle. I swear it on my honor!
..
..
I swear it on my magic!
Well, in that case
Well trust you for now
It was only then that the professors gave way.
They were afraid that Yi-han would fry his brain trying to learn ancient magic that even the principal himself couldnt decipher.
Fortunately, that didnt seem to be the case.
By the way, what is Professor Bdy teaching him?
Magicbat using spells of the water element.
The principal exined further in depth. After listening, the professors were in awe.
Although it wasnt a true third-circle spell, it was surprising that a freshman could disy such a high level of mastery.
It wouldnt have been possible without both talent and effort!
Im not a mage, so Im not very clear about this, but is it normal for a first-year student to achieve so much in so little time?
Not at all. He probably has a high affinity for water magic. He seems to be talented in various fields after all Wait. Isnt Professor Bdy an expert in magicbat? Hes having him do repetitive training in that? Not to mention mana, the mental strain must be enormous
My, what a terrible person.
..
But he seems to be keeping up just fine. Dont worry, with his lesson being as difficult as it is, Professor Bdy wont push him any further than he already has.
***
Shiiiiiiiiiiik!!
Its finallyplete.
The water marble was spinning at an insane speed.
While holding his head, Yi-han looked up at the earth golem before him
Chapter 58
Chapter 58
God knows how many times he had to try, but he was somehow able toplete the marble. Having said that
Um, Yi-han?
?
Im not too familiar with the spell youre using, but is it supposed to be that big? Yonaire asked nervously.
The other students felt uneasy as well.
It used to be around the size of a fist when he first started, but now it was as huge as a boulder.
It felt ridiculous to call it a marble anymore.
Swish, swish, swish, swish
The giant marble let out menacing sounds as it revolved around its axis.
Asan was quick to defend Yi-han.
You think Wardanaz would use a spell he couldnt fully control? I can say with full confidence that the spells meant to be this way.
I-Is that so? It just seemed a bit too powerful for a freshman to handle.
Nilia snapped at Rowena for doubting Yi-han.
Who do you think he is? Were talking about Wardanaz here. If theres anyone that can do it, itd be him.
Though Yi-han was grateful for the support, it felt burdensome as well.
It was too much pressure for him.
Did I go too far?
There was a saying among fledgling mages not to tinker with spells.
Spells were by themselves aplete form, and nothing good woulde of touching them, especially if the mage wasnt experienced.
Though it wasnt by much, Yi-han had transformed the nature of the spell.
Am I doing something wrong?
It wasnt easy maintaining the shape of the marble and having it spin at the same time.
What Yi-han didnt know was that even his seniors would have had trouble replicating his spell unless they specialized in a rted field.
In other words, his spell could be considered advanced magic, especially if it had been done using a limited amount of mana.
To keep the marble spinning, Yi-han, who didnt have much notion of conservation, kept pouring in more and more mana.
Whenever he did so, the marble would begin to spin faster, but in exchange, its shape would threaten to crumble.
Whenever that happened, he would add more water to the marble. It was raining outside, so there was plenty of water to use.
But once he added more water, the marble wouldnt spin as fast, thus creating a vicious cycle.
This would usually result in one of two things: either the water marble would explode, or the mage would copse from exhaustion.
However, Yi-hans mana was bottomless, and his concentration didnt allow for the marble to explode either.
As a result, he was able toplete his spell after tens of minutes.
A water marble that was barely maintaining its shape and spinning at a dangerous speed.
It was dozens of times bigger than the previous one though!
I think Im able to keep it under control somehow.
He aimed the cannon-like water marble at the golem.
Even that was strenuous at the moment.
Go!
Kwaaang!!
The ball of water surged forth with great momentum. Unable to keep up with its own strength, it veered slightly off course.
Crap!
He had aimed it at the golems back, yet the marble had hit its shoulder.
Yi-han clicked his tongue in dismay.
Do I have to start all over again? My heads about to explode, and thats just from making one
Boom!
..
..
?????
The students couldnt believe what happened next.
The earth golem was blown to smithereens after its shoulder was struck by the marble.
WOAAAAAAAHHHHH!!
WARDANAZ! WARDANAZ! WARDANAZ!
See!? What did I say? What did I say?
..
Yi-han stood there dazed as he stared at what remained of the golem.
He had missed, and yet
He couldnt tell whether it was his spell that was absurdly powerful or the golem that was surprisingly brittle.
I guess we have Professor Bdy to thank for his lessons, he thought to himself, unaware that it had nothing to do with the professor.
***
Wardanaz, are you alright? I can carry you if you want.
No, let me.
No, Ill do it.
His friends rushed over to him when they saw him stagger as a side effect of using such a powerful spell.
They were pulling him back and forth, giving him unnecessary headaches.
Im fine. I can walk by myself.
Oh, really?
Yi-han was able to recover after having a short coffee break. He was surprised by how quickly he recovered as well.
Coffee might be the best potion out there.
Sip
Hm, it doesnt seem to be raining as hard as before. Nilia, are we good to go?
Ideally, Id wait a bit more, but
Time to set off!
Wardanaz said we can go!
Listen to what Im saying, idiots!
Nilia almost flipped seeing everyone getting ready to leave. Yi-han had to call them back before allowing her to continue.
Ideally, Id wait a bit more, but with the earth golem appearing, it might not be the best idea to stay here any longer. Since its not raining as hard now, lets get a move on. Ill lead the way, so follow behind me. Dont stop in the middle, dont wander off by yourself, and dont get distracted by
Hey, whats that fruit over there? It looks delicious!
Whack!
Yi-han whacked a student of the ck Tortoise with his staff.
The student that got smacked was surprised and apologized profusely.
I-I beg your pardon, Sir Wardanaz!
We beg your pardon!!
In the blink of an eye, the order was restored, and the students of the ck Tortoise tidied their appearance before straightening their backs.
Nilia nced at Yi-han, seemingly grateful, but the person in question was regretting what he did.
Shit. I shouldve had someone else do the hitting.
It had somehow turned into a good-cop-bad-cop situation, with Nilia being the good cop and Yi-han assuming the role of the bad cop.
Although it was an effective strategy while on a trip
Yi-han wanted to be seen as the good cop.
Shouldve had Nilia do it herself.
Oblivious to what was going through Yi-hans mind, Nilia continued.
I want everyone to form groups. Make sure you keep an eye out for each other and report if something happens. Is everyone ready? Then lets go!
The students left their hiding spot in an orderly fashion.
They were so well-behaved, in fact, that an outsider would question if they were really from a magic academy.
***
Light!
To help those that were behind him, Yi-han lit up their surrounding by casting a ball of light.
It wasnt just him. The students were helping each other with their magic.
A sudden thought crossed his mind when he saw this.
Maybe I can try out a fire spell.
And it seemed like the most appropriate spell to cast as well.
Although the rain was getting weaker, the students were shivering from the cold.
Professor Garcia warned me against it, but
She had told him to hold off against using fire magic until he was better at controlling his spells.
This was so that he wouldnt identally hurt himself while practicing.
But since it was raining right now, he reckoned it wouldnt hurt to try.
He was more worried that his fire would get extinguished by the rain.
After all, a lot of students were having trouble generating fire.
It wasnt simply because of the weather either. There was a spiritual aspect to it as well.
Its raining right now. Will my spell work?
A seed of doubt such as this was enough to ruin a spell.
Lets give it a go.
re Up!
After forming an image of fire in his mind, he cast the spell.
He had watched on in jealousy while the other students practiced during Professor Garcias lesson, so he knew the movements that were involved.
Roaaaaaar!!
!!!
!!!!!
Nilia, who was leading them with her ears perked, nearly had a heart attack as Yi-han suddenly unleashed a column of fire.
The mes quickly dissipated, but the shock remained.
!?!?!?
O-oops.
Nilia swallowed her scream so as to not rm the other students. As expected of someone from the .
Instead, she expressed her surprise in a different way. She iled her arms around, widened her eyes, and shook her feet, conveying a clear message.
Sorry, I thought I could control it better.
W-what was that? Nilia asked, her voice shaking.
???
Nilia questioned what she just heard.
When did this spell be so outrageous?
It was my first time trying. But its fine now, Im pretty sure I got the hang of it.
To prove his point, he produced a ball of fire in the air and kept it under control.
A strong gust of warm air came over Nilia, melting her body.
re Up!
???
Is something wrong?
N-nothing.
Nilia was going to ask if he was alright casting spells continuously, but then decided otherwise.
Just as Yi-han had shown respect for her as a huntress, she was going to reciprocate that respect for him as a mage.
That was what being a friend meant.
Huh, I wonder if its alright using multiple spells simultaneously.
..
Either way, they were able to speed up due in part to the light and fire that were produced.
The fire that Yi-han summoned was able to warm the hands and feet of the students.
As expected, the professor isnt here.
They had arrived where they had parted ways with Professor Ingurdel.
The professor was nowhere to be seen, but Yi-han wasnt shaken by this.
After all, he had known for a while now.
The professors definitely set us up, alright.
Rattle, rattle
??
The skeletal summon suddenly hid behind Yi-han, shivering in fear.
It behaved as if it was afraid of the spot where the professor had disappeared.
Whats wrong with it?
Yi-han focused his mind.
He felt a familiar trace of mana from the spot where Professor Ingurdel had disappeared.
Now whose could this be?
Kwaaang!!
?!?
The students turned toward the source of the sound.
An earth golem was charging toward them from the opposite side of the field.
***
Yi-han had taken on the role of a leader on his side, but there was no one to step up and assume that role over on the side where the Immortal Phoenix and the White Tigers were confined.
When the earth golem appeared, they failed toe to an agreement.
Lets throw potions at it.
Why not gang up on it? We can finish it off while its distracted.
Wont spells work better?
Lets try all of that.
Yeah, why not?
Imagine a project where each person did what they wanted without arriving at a consensus. It was as disastrous as that.
Keep throwing, the potions are working! Way to go, Baetrek!
Werent those made by priestess Siana?
Were they? My bad.
Everyone scatter! Dont bunch up!
For a group that didnt have a n, they actually did rather well.
They weakened the earth golem with potions that were made on the spot before chipping away at its body with swords and spears.
As one would expect of the White Tigers, they fought valiantly.
However, that was it.
They failed to take out the golem, and the moment they ran out of potions, they began to be pushed back.
Retreat! Retreat if you dont want to be annihted!
Run! Run for your life!
Their weapons were no longer effective, so the students all fled in a panic.
And they happened to run in the direction where Liams group was at!
Yi-han muttered under his breath as the chaos approached.
Those useless maggots
Nilia pretended she didnt hear to preserve his image.
Chapter 59
Chapter 59
Should we just abandon them? Getting involved would most likelynd us in danger as well, Asan said in a hurry.
The Blue Dragons and the ck Tortoise stared at him in astonishment when they heard what he said.
How could he be so heartless? they all thought.
Dude, leaving the White Tigers aside, we cant just abandon the priests and priestesses.
Yeah, we have to save the Immortal Phoenix.
How can you say something so cruel?
Yi-han flinched at the students reaction. Truth be told, he agreed with Asan on this matter.
Its toote! Spread out, everyone! Nilia cried out in a hurry.
Shed had several encounters with dangerous monsters in the mountains before, so she knew what they had to do in this situation.
Showing ones back and fleeing could lead to even greater danger.
They had to spread out and tie down the monster so that they could slowly make their retreat.
Rowena ran over to Yi-han and asked, Can you fire again?
Huh? I dont know what that is, but right now I cant! Help everyone evacuate!
It was only after he replied that he remembered who Eumideus was.
Emideus was a renowned mage that hade up with numerous water magic.
Either way, he didnt have the leeway to form another water marble. The previous one had taken him dozens of minutes toplete.
With the earth golem running straight at them
I hide myself in the night!
Havingpleted the chant, Yi-hans body disappeared from view.
He had previously confirmed the fact that the earth golem targeted enemies based on their sense of sight.
What a waste
Approaching the earth golem, he took out the smoke screen chalk from his breast pocket. It was one of the defective artifacts that he had acquired from the ck Tortoises ck market.
Lets see you get to work!
Ppak!
The chalk broke, forming a smoke screen around the earth golem. With its view suddenly obstructed, the golem didnt know what to do.
Yi-han used this opportunity to whip out the Star of Dawn, the anti-magic extremists sword that the principal had bestowed on him.
The sword was made of ck amethyst, and it emitted a strange sound as it absorbed mana from the surroundings.
The skeletal summon took a step back in disgust.
Ill aim for its leg!
Ppuk!
Yi-han wasnt nning on taking down the earth golem.
We just have to steal its vision and tie it down. Earth golems arent like other monsters. It wont chase us once were out of its view.
The Star of Dawn was more powerful than he thought.
The earth golem wasnt able to swiftly recover after having its calcaneus tendon sliced off, and it fell to its knees, having lost its bnce.
That was when something fell from above.
??
Yi-han caught it by instinct.
It was a dwarf from the White Tigers.
???
Baetrek Bak, who had previously been caught by the earth golem, looked around him in confusion.
Someone was lifting him up, but hecouldnt see who it was.
Arent you going to get up?
Baetrek jumped in surprise and adjusted his posture.
Is that you, Wardanaz?
!?
It was Yi-hans turn to be surprised.
Isnt he from the White Tigers? How did he notice?
Howd you know?
Well, I couldnt think of anyone else that would do something like this aside from you
..
Yi-han was at a loss for words.
What kind of nonsense is this dwarf
We must rescue Baetrek! Advance!
Wait for us, Baetrek!
Seeing the earth golem stop in its tracks, the White Tigers regrouped and prepared to attack it once more.
It was truly amazing how they still had the will to fight after getting beaten up to the point of fleeing for their lives.
Yi-han, however, wasnt pleased by this in the slightest.
Those worthless bags of trash!
Baetrek pretended he didnt hear this out of respect for his savior.
Do these dumbasses not even know how to flee!?
His n had been simple.
Using the golems weakness, he would rob it of its vision and buy time for the students to flee.
Once the students were gone, he would slowly walk away from the golem under the protection of his belts invisibility spell.
It was a simple-yet-effective n, but the White Tigers had ruined it.
Granted, he hadnt told the White Tigers about his n, so they werent really to be med, but that was the least of his concerns at the moment.
Tell them to flee dammit!
Run away! You dont have to mind me!
Baetrek did as told, disoriented as he was.
Yi-han had saved him from the clutches of the earth golem. The least he could do was let go of his pride and obey orders.
However, the White Tigers ignored him.
Hold on, Baetrek! Were almost there!
Baetrek, youre going to be alright!
..
Baetrek looked nervously at Yi-han, who was still invisible.
Boom
The earth golem, which had been forced to stop due to the smoke screen and the damage to its leg, was beginning to move again.
The White Tigers that were approaching from the other side of the smoke screen had clearly agitated it.
It felt as if the golem was staring right at them.
Its clearly locking on to its targets.
How did you guys even manage to get here? The earth golem must have blocked your way, he asked Baetrek.
Yi-han had done so by using his invisibility belt, but the White Tigers didnt have such means at their disposal.
We threw potions at the earth golem. Priestess Siana knows how to make them
!
Yi-han was pleasantly surprised.
In that case, weakening the earth golem didnt seem impossible.
Hand me some of those potions!
We used them all up
..
Yi-han had the urge to strike Baetrek on the back of his head. He was invisible anyway.
Why did you waste your potions like that? Are your heads for decoration? Huuuu
After letting out a deep sigh, Yi-han focused once more.
Since the White Tigers were hell-bent on engaging the earth golem, he had to deal as much damage to it as he could before the smoke screenpletely disappeared.
What would be the best way to go about that?
Using Star of Dawn wont do much damage to its massive figure, and it takes too long to make a water marble.
The White Tigers were drawing closer with each passing second, giving him little time to think.
The earth golem raised its fist.
Damn it!
re Up!
Relying on his instincts, he cast a spell.
He believed this was the right move as the earth golem was right in front of him, not to mention that this spell packed more punch than the others.
And it went surprisingly well.
Hwarururururuk!
?!?!
Baetrek was so shocked that he fell on his back.
A column of fire had suddenly erupted and engulfed the earth golem.
It shouldve been extinguished by the rain which was pouring down, but it kept burning, fueled by Yi-hans mana.
A-amazing!! he eximed in astonishment.
There were many people in the White Tigers who harbored hatred or jealousy towards Wardanaz.
However, there was no denying the significant gap between them.
It was truly unbelievable that a freshman could set an earth golem aze using just one spell.
Rather than feeling jealous, he was awe-struck.
Shit!
??
Yi-han, on the other hand, eximed out loud in frustration.
Im sorry, Professor Garcia!
He finally understood why the professor had told him to refrain from using fire magic.
As he was in a hurry, he had poured a lot more mana into the spell than he knew how to control.
As a result, the fire was burning uncontrobly.
He had been too confident after his initial sess.
Fortunately, the earth golem was big enough to withstand the fire that had sprung out of control.
Otherwise, the magic might have shot off in a different direction.
Crack!
Huh?
The sound of something cracking prompted Yi-han to look up.
The earth golem was crumbling down after being burnt to crisps.
It was amon misconception that fire could harden dirt, but that was only the case for dirt that had been specially prepared.
In most cases, the dirt would crumble.
S-so this was what you were aiming for!
It was surprise after surprise for Baetrek.
Yi-han, however, couldnt be bothered to react anymore.
***
Yi-han undid the invisibility spell, working together with the White Tigers to chop up the earth golem.
With cracks forming all throughout its body, the golem was swiftly defeated.
UWAAAAAA!!
We did it! We frickin did it!!
Its all thanks to you!
?
Yi-han was startled by the White Tigers that hade to express their gratitude.
The heck?
He could understand why they were happy, but why were they acting familiar all of a sudden?
By the way, who are you? I dont recall meeting you anywhere
Which household are you from?
???
The White Tigers soon realized something was wrong.
They had seen Yi-han fighting next to Baetrek with a sword in hand, so they had assumed that he was one of them
But upon closer inspection, that didnt seem to be the case.
Baetrek had to step forward in the end to exin.
He isnt from our tower. Hes Wardanaz from the Blue Dragons.
aqkwjef!
The White Tigers that had been thanking him just a moment ago took several steps back, shocked.
Some of them even fell to the ground as they did so.
They seem more afraid of me than the golem.
W-what are you plotting?
Rather, how did you trick us? Did you make use of the rain? Even so
He mustve deceived our eyes using magic!
Yi-han shook his head as the White Tigers droned on and on, voicing their absurd imaginations.
Baetrek was limping, possibly from getting caught by the golem.
Enough with the nonsense. Wardanaz here came to help us, and he even saved my life.
Baetrek, are you alright?
Its just a sprain, Ill be fine. We should call the other students back before they get lost.
The White Tigers nodded in agreement.
Not all the students were hot-blooded like them.
The Immortal Phoenix, as well as a group of students from the White Tigers (who Yi-han thought were smarter than the rest), had fled instead of returning to fight.
They had to call them back before they got lost in the mountains.
But
?
Should we be leaving Baetrek alone with Wardanaz? Wont he do something to Baetrek?
..
I-Its not that we dont trust you, Wardanaz. Baetreks injured and all, so
Under Yi-hans cold gaze, the White Tigers began putting forth several excuses.
***
Anyone missing?
None. Everyones ounted for.
Yi-han confirmed that everyone from the Blue Dragons and the ck Tortoise was present.
The White Tigers and the Immortal Phoenix were doing the same.
Unlike Yi-hans group, there were a lot of injured students among the White Tigers.
They had foolishly charged at the golem, which was why most of them were bruised or had fractures.
Those of the Immortal Phoenix were giving them treatment, and Priestess Siana, who belonged to the Order of meng was handing out painkillers and potions that helped with bruises.
Yonaire was beyond impressed.
As expected, shes amazing! Not only does she know a lot of recipes, the speed at which she brews potions
.
There was a lot going through Yi-hans mind as he had heard of Priestess Sianas jealous nature.
With you gone, Ill be first ce!!
He couldnt help but imagine her saying this.
Ive already made an enemy with the White Tigers. Antagonizing the Immortal Phoenix doesnt seem to be a good idea
While he was having such thoughts, Priestess Siana approached him.
I heard you fought with the earth golem. Please drink this potion. Itll help with your injuries.
Oh, theres no need for that. Yi-hans not in
Before Yonaire could finish her sentence, Yi-han received the potion and chugged it down in one go.
Then
Thisthis is the best potion Ive ever had!!
Huh?
Yonaire was puzzled by his over-the-top reaction.
Sure, Priestess Siana might be proficient, but could a potion that she quickly brewed be that effective?
However, this was only the start of Yi-hans ttery.
He made full use of the skill that he acquired while entertaining his boring professors.
Did you make this potion yourself? Unbelievable! You can sell this on the market! Its simply divine!
He took a quick nce in Priestess Sianas direction, only to catch her smiling with glee!
Chapter 60
Chapter 60
Sensing that his ttery was working, Yi-han began praising her even harder.
He pped his forehead and said, As expected of Priestess Siana!! Your skills are simply unrivaled!
Did you hit your head somewhere? Yonaire asked in a whisper.
It seemed like he had taken the wrong medicine this morning.
However, other than her, everyone else seemed to agree with his words, and Priestess Siana appeared extremely pleased.
Sir Wardanaz, you have good eyes.
No, even a blind man would recognize how amazing this potion is.
Im ttered.
Priestess Siana had to cover her mouth with her sleeve to hide the smile that had crept up.
Yi-han was happy to see this.
After exchanging several more words, Priestess Siana joined up with the others from her tower, feeling immensely satisfied.
Phew, that was tough, Yi-han let out a deep sigh as he thought so.
Coming up with empty praises was harder than he initially thought.
But it was worth it.
After returning to her group, Priestess Siana beganplimenting Yi-han to those around her.
Sir Wardanaz is of such noble disposition. Not only is he polite, but he also has a refined taste as well
Did something happen there?
No, but hes a well-taught gentleman that
Anyway, he didnt have to worry about the Immortal Phoenix turning against him now.
Yonaire, even if you get 1st ce in alchemy, I wont spike your drinks with poison.
Seriously, whats wrong with you?
Yonaire stared at him, feeling worried.
***
After providing first aid to those that needed them, the students began their journey back.
Those with broken legs were carried by those in good shape, and they luckily didnt encounter any monsters along the way.
Baetrek, are you sure Wardanaz didnt do anything to you?
Baetrek, he might have brainwashed you without you realizing
Baetrek, perhaps a forbidden curse
Ive been telling you guys! He didnt do anything!
Baetrek was at a loss. No one was willing to believe that Yi-han had saved him.
Were all freshmen. How the hell is he supposed to know a forbidden curse!?
Thats the thing. I thought they were just rumors, but if its him, its not entirely impossible.
Yeah, at first, I didnt believe the rumors surrounding him either. But some of those stories might be true.
The students of the White Tigers nodded in unison.
As absurd as it was, some of them genuinely believed in the rumors.
The Wardanaz Family mustve trained him ever since he was young.
What a terrifying household.
Stories of his powerful telekinesis spell and his performance during the lesson on ck magic had made a round around the academy, bing more exaggerated as time passed.
Students from the other towers didnt have such misunderstandings about him as they had interacted with Yi-han on several asions, and even if they had, it wasnt that far fetched .
It was only to the extent of Hes overflowing with confidence and charisma! or He rules over the Blue Dragons with an iron fist, showing no mercy to those that go against him.
However, the White Tigers were different, and they were genuinely afraid of him!
As Moradi has previously pointed out, Wardanaz isnt such a scary individual.
Baetrek tried to resolve the misunderstanding. It was the least he could do after being saved.
Baetrek, who was it that took down the earth golem using magic?
Wardanaz.
And would you consider that fire magic normal?
Baetrek became silent. There was nothing he could say against their argument.
To think Id lose to these fools that believe in such absurd rumors!
Hey.
!
Yi-han had crept up to them while they were chatting.
When the White Tigers saw him, they instinctively drew their wooden swords and stared at him with trembling eyes.
are you guys herbivores or what?
W-w-w-whats your business here, Wardanaz?
Nothing seriousHere, take these. You must be tired.
Saying this, he took out some snacks from his bag.
They were among the oldest snacks that he had stored in the cab of his pantr private room, but they tasted just as great as the others.
Bread with jam and cookies with sugar sprinkled on top.
Their expiry dates were soon approaching, which was why he had brought them with him as a means of getting rid of them and showing off at the same time.
He had previously picked a fight with the White Tigers after being provoked without cause, but that was just him retaliating. On a fundamental level, he disliked having meaningless fights as well.
Y-you have our thanks, Wardanaz.
The White Tigers were experiencing an inner conflict.
Will it be fine to eat these?
But Im famished.
Thetter won out in the end.
They were still at an age where they were growing, and it was difficult to fight off the hunger.
Baetrek Bak, right? I heard youre from the East. Here, have this rice ball.
..!
Baetrek was slightly moved by this gesture.
Yi-han had gone out of his way to give him something he was familiar with.
Since the Empire was so vast, not many students were interested in food from other regions.
It wasnt like Yi-han was from the East, yet he had shown him such kindness.
As I thought, the rumors surrounding Wardanaz are far from the truth.
The others from the White Tigers seemed to agree to this as well, and they began to discuss amongst themselves after Yi-han left, devouring the snacks as they did.
Maybe we were wrong about him
Hey, hear this! I picked up something from the Blue Dragons. Apparently, Wardanaz took down the earth golem in a single blow using a water spell!! They said he summoned a dragon!
..
..
The White Tigers were blown away when they heard this.
W-what a fearsome fellow!
***
Professor Uregor noticed something soon after drinking several sses of mead.
Huh? Where did all the vegetables go?
He had served the vegetables that his disciple had grown, but they were gone before he knew it.
It couldnt have been Principal Skelly, which left only one suspect.
Is there something wrong? asked Professor Ingurdel, noticing his gaze.
Oh, nothing serious. Youseem to like your veggies.
Uregor, just because Professor Ingurdels an elf, it doesnt mean he has to like vegetables. Thats an old prejudice. As the academys representative, Im sad to hear that one of our professors is so narrow-minded. Would you be happy if people assumed you like beer because youre a dwarf?
And whats wrong with that? I like my beer.
Oh, Im sorry.
Professor Ingurdel apologized when he noticed what this was about.
Im usually not one to obsess over vegetables, but for some reason, I couldnt help myself today.
Is that so?
Whats the big deal? Its not like you enjoy having vegetables.
Thats not true! Im not picky with food.
Heh, you probably eat them with loads of meat. Dont be petty. Why are you putting Professor Ingurdel in a difficult spot over vegetables?
Im really sorry
No, theres no need for apologies!
Uregor swore never to invite the principal ever again.
Principal Skelly couldnt eat or drink, so his greatest joy in life was making others lives miserable.
Hmm, but I wonder how they tasted.
Since he didnt get the chance to try them, he was curious as to how the vegetables tasted. Professor Uregor smacked his lips.
The students are returning. What did I tell you? Theyd be just fine by themselves.
!
Professor Ingurdel rushed out of the hut.
Seeing this, Professor Skelly shook his head.
How soft-hearted
***
The students werent surprised to see Professor Ingurdel and Professor Uregor waiting for them.
After all, Yi-han had already told them what had happened.
They red at the professors; their eyes filled with hatred.
The first thing Ill do when I be a grand mage is give the professors here a taste of their own medicine.
The first thing Ill do when I be a swordmaster is beat the living daylight out of the professors here.
The first thing Ill do when I be a high-ranking government official is
Professor Uregor let out a boisterousugh.
Im d to see you all back!
Yeah, we had a great time there thanks to the professors.
You dont look all that surprised. Good, you mustve figured out the truth by now. Indeed, that was my doing. But the path to bing an alchemist is wrought with dangers. Never put down your guard. No one knows what fate has in store for us.
..
..
The students were starting to seriously consider an ambush on the professor.
It was their sincere wish to see something unexpected happen to the dwarven professor.
Professor Ingurdel, on the other hand, appeared apologetic.
Im sorry, everyone. I really wished to stay here, but
Yeah, right.
Hmph, theyre all the same.
?!
Even the White Tigers were ring at him, which made him panic.
But Im telling the truth! The principal suddenly appeared and teleported me away!
You dont have to lie to us, professor.
We arent going to trust anyone anymore. Isnt that what the academy wishes to teach us?
The students had be more mature after experiencing the trial.
None of the students had any faith in the professors. This was true of students from all four towers.
Professor Ingurdel was in despair after learning that the students he had taught and crossed swords with distrusted him.
..
Professor Uregor pretended as if he couldnt see Professor Ingurdel glowering at him.
Its not my fault, Professor Ingurdel. me Gonadaltes.
Yi-han wasnt too sure anymore after watching Ingurdels reaction.
Wait, was he actually in the dark about this?
It didnt feel like Professor Ingurdel was acting.
It might be hard to believe that he was suddenly kidnapped by the principal, but
If its that son of a person, its not entirely imusible.
Rattle, rattle, rattle.
The skeletal summon pointed at the direction of the hut.
!
He felt a faint mana fluctuationing from the hut. It was simr to the fluctuation he felt back in the mountains.
Yi-han recalled whose mana it was.
Without a doubt, it was Principal Skellys.
For real!? Did he actually kidnap a professor in broad daylight?
But then again, Im not all that surprised. After all, its the principal were talking about.
Yi-han was quick toe to a conclusion.
I trust you, sir. So you were kidnapped by the professor.
Wardanaz!
Ingurdel was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes.
***
Professor Uregor grew curious after seeing everyone present.
How did the students ovee the trial?
What methods did you use?
Wardanaz blew the earth golem away using .
And he burned the other one to crisps.
..?
Professor Uregor became puzzled after hearing a string of unexpected answers.
He didnt know what to say.
Wait, wait, waithold on a second.
???
What earth golems? What about the bulls? Where did the bulls go?
There he goes againSir, enough is enough. Were not that easy to fool.
The Blue Dragons snorted.
They thought the professor was trying to fool them again.
Not a chance!
Im serious! Why are you bringing up earth golems? Those arent what I prepared!.
Riiight. What a coincidence this must be.
Hear that, guys? Professor Uregors saying its all a coincidence!
..
Professor Uregor was slightly regretful of his past behaviors.
Chapter 61
Chapter 61
Uregor didnt expect the students to have so little faith in him.
Still, he wished to get to the bottom of this. Hence, he called out to Yi-han, who could be considered his disciple.
Wardanaz.
Yes, Professor?
You trust me, right?
Yi-han had believed Professor Ingurdels words. Surely, hed be willing to believe his words as well!
Yi-han nodded and said, But of course! I wouldnt dare to question the professor!
You might as well have said you dont trust me at all.
Professor Uregor was annoyed by the response.
He much preferred the other students reactions over Yi-hans. Unlike him, the others were at least honest about what they thought.
So you guys actually didnt encounter any bulls? Well, Ill be damned. They were pretty expensive to prepare And where did the earth golemse from?
Wait, what do you mean?
Professor Ingurdels expression became serious when he heard Professor Uregors mutters.
Realizing his mistake, Professor Uregor quickly covered up the truth.
HahahaI was just joking, Professor Ingurdel. Both the golems and the bulls were prepared by yours truly, but it seems the bulls went on a stroll somewhere.
..
However, his excuse wasnt enough to convince Professor Ingurdel, and his eyes remained cold.
All hell would break loose if a swordmaster were tosh out in anger.
To resolve the situation, Professor Uregor dragged Yi-han into their conversation.
Wardanaz, you tell me. Who do you think prepared those earth golems?!
..
Yi-han was speechless. Just a moment ago, hed said that the golems werent his doing, yet he was ying a different tune already.
Nevertheless, he decided to cooperate with the professor as his eyes seemed desperate.
Who else could it have been if not you, Professor Uregor?
Right? Look, Professor Ingurdel. Even Wardanaz whos so clever agrees with me.
Lets say that youre right, Professor Uregor. Do you think it was appropriate to pit the students against earth golems?
..
Professor Uregor once again sought Yi-han for help, but he and his friends had already fled the scene by then.
***
It was Saturday, but the Blue Dragons werent enjoying their time outside the dorm, exploring the academy and seeking magical encounters.
Instead, they were racking their brains in the resting lounge, struggling toplete the mountain-load of assignments that had been given to them.
Damn itI dont spot any paradoxes in the book. Wait, the paradox here must be that someone as exalted and distinguished as me is wasting time on a bogus assignment.
How the hell are we supposed to know how much it costs to construct the magic circle? Just use the money in our household! Why be so petty?
The students all groaned as they went about their work.
None of the assignments were easy toplete, and as a result, Yi-hans treasure trove of snacks was selling like hotcakes.
It was bing a hassle keeping track of everyones purchases, so Yi-han ended up cing a basket full of goodies besides the firece. Along with it was a paper that read:
Apple vored candies one silver coin
Apricot jam cookies two silver coins
The Maykin Familys chocte bars four silver coins
A cup of ck tea with sugar one silver coin
And the list went on.
Sure, they were expensive, but none of the studentsined.
They were just d that they could get their hands on these snacks.
Outside, the ck Tortoise was holding on to dear life with their assortment of fake cookies, candies, and chewing gums
Stopining, the sses you guys are taking are easy, nothing like our alchemy ss.
Yeah, you call this hard? Compared to our alchemy assignment, this is childs y!
..
There were a couple of students among the Blue Dragons that took alchemy with Yi-han and the others, and they were bragging about their experience in the mountains.
They seemed so proud, to the point where onlookers would think theyd in a dragon or something.
Pretentious bastards I bet Wardanaz did all the work
Leave them be. I kind of pity them. I mean, an encounter with earth golems?
Youre right. The professor must be insane. How could he have students fight against earth golems?
Instead of telling them to shut up, their friends were kind enough to listen to their tales.
It was truly a product of friendship and honor.
What they dont know is that theyll probably experience something simr
Yi-han shook his head sympathetically.
They were thinking to themselves, Were not taking alchemy. Whats the worst that could happen?
But that was where they were wrong.
Take as an example. Having a loose screw was one of the prerequisites of being a professor in this academy.
Even if one were to avoid a ss with an insane professor, theyd only find themselves in the ss of another one.
Theyll learn the truth when the timees!
Bubble, bubble, bubble
Orcish bellflower and mushrooms? Add them together, and then
Ew, whats this smell? Are you sure this is right? This??
Those that took alchemy were discussing how toplete the assignment, each with their cauldron in front of them.
Theyd gathered all the ingredients necessary to concoct , but they were just beginners when it came to alchemy.
Gathering ingredients for the potion was only half the journey, and the other half was brewing them.
They had limited ingredients to work with, so they were naturally nervous, and their hands sometimes trembled.
Boom!!
Ahh!!
Boom! Bang! Boom! Bang!
Ugyaa!!
Hold on a sec.
Yi-han held his hand out and signaled his friends to stop.
During ss, they had already learned that even a small mistake in movement or timing could lead to failure.
However
There must be something else thats wrong here.
Something felt off.
Yi-han had been watching the students brew the potion, and curiously, smoke rose up from the cauldrons even when they performed quite well.
Minor mistakes would only lead to a drop in the potions quality, yet the potions produced looked nothing like the one in the picture.
Is something wrong?
Dont you think theres a chance that Professor Uregor taught us the wrong recipe?
..
..
Silence descended in the resting lounge, and a gust of cold air passed by them.
The other students that were working on assignments from other sses also looked up in disbelief.
Thats going a little too far, dont you think?
But were talking about Uregor here! He mustve tricked us, Im sure of it!
!?
If it had been before, they wouldve thought No way and moved on. However, their trust in the professor had hit rock bottom, finally assimting into the academy.
That psychopath mustve withheld the recipe on purpose!
Is he telling us to figure it out ourselves!?
There was an outcry among the students.
Yi-han, however, was deep in thought, and so too was Yonaire.
Their friends anger was justified, but this concerned their grades.
Even if they wished to grab the professor by the cor, they had to turn in their assignments first.
We should test out various recipes, modifying the one that the professor has given us one line at a time. Yonaire, any idea where we should start?
The presence of demon beard flower, troll mushroom, jade dragon flower, and Marlene is suspicious from what I know, they have nothing to do with spirits.
You mean theyre all there to trick us?
Not quite. I think only one or two of them are unneeded. Even if they dont have a direct connection to spirits, some of them might amplify the effects of the potion or help fortify the users mind.
Yi-han was impressed by Yonaires analysis.
He was an old-timer when it came to conducting experiments, but he couldnt hold a candle against Yonaire, who had read countless books about alchemy ever since she was young.
Other than the economics column of the newspaper, I shouldve read up some books about alchemy as well.
We can try removing the ingredients one at a time, but the problem iswe might not have enough ingredients by the end.
Yi-han began contemting the purpose behind these traps.
Why did Professor Uregor fiddle with the recipe?
We might have to flip through some books rted to alchemy andpare the recipe we have on hand with the ones used in the past to determine where the problem lies
Yonaire muttered, sounding discouraged.
That gave Yi-han the answer he had been looking for.
He wants us to arrive at the answer ourselves instead of relying on others recipes.
Knowledge obtained through ones own work and studies alwayssted longer.
Yi-han shivered when he arrived at this thought.
He was getting so good at reading the professors minds that it gave him the shivers.
If you gaze long enough into the abyss, the abyss will also gaze back at you.
To get rid of this thought, he shook his head violently.
I refuse to be swayed by the professors.
Should we go look up some books?
Yonaire, will that take up the whole weekend?
Probably
Then no. Im leaving the academy tomorrow.
Yi-han said this with a look of determination on his face. His eyes conveyed conviction, one which left no room for argument.
Yonaire felt slightly moved.
..
At the same time, she felt conflicted.
Is this something to get emotional over?
Everyone, pause what youre doing ande over here!
??
Were going to use trial and error to brute-force this.
But well run out of ingredients then.
We should each have some ingredients to spare. Well pool them together. Lets seek the other towers cooperation as well.
!
Asan was in awe.
Ingredients from one student would be nowhere near enough for the trial-and-error approach, but it was a different story if they all came together.
They would definitely have enough ingredients to spare.
Yonaire nodded in approval.
Getting help from the other towers is indeed a good idea. Some students may know something that I dont.
Priestess Siana would be a big help.
She belongs to the Immortal Phoenix, what if she doesnt cooperate?
I hear shes been singing Wardanazs praise. I bet shell agree toe if its his request.
Leaving the others behind, Yi-han confidently left the resting lounge.
His confidence portrayed his firm conviction. He wasnt going to let anything get in the way of his holiday.
Wardanaz..! Well leave it to you!
Ill be back.
Oh, and please call Her Highness as well.
Yi-han stopped in his track when he heard this.
Cant you do that yourself?
But were not close with the princess
Yeah, you seem to be acquainted with her, so
Shes royalty and all
Right, then Ill
It wasnt anything difficult, so he was about to nod his head in agreement.
Hey, Gainando! You got the multiplication wrong! We have to start all over again!
I wasnt wrong! You were!
Bullshit! Who are you trying to trick here? Your calction here is wrong!
.
Yi-han was at a loss for words.
These sons of
***
-Your Highness, its Wardanaz.
-!
When Yi-han knocked on the door, the princess rushed out looking expectant.
She immediately looked towards his hands, but was disappointed when she noticed that he hadnt brought anything over.
She walked downstairs to the resting lounge after hearing the exnation, her shoulders drooped.
Yi-han felt sorry when he saw this.
I should probably bring something with me next time.
The others were willing to pay for her, so the more he brought, the more he would profit.
It pricked his conscience a bit as he was essentially tricking these nave kids and robbing them blind.
Its here, right?
Upon arriving at his next destination, Yi-han looked around him.
Since he belonged to the Blue Dragons, he didnt have much chance to visit the other towers.
Unlike the excessively extravagant Tower of the Blue Dragons, the Tower of the Immortal Phoenix exuded an air of piety. It urately reflected the students that resided there.
Hold on. How does one enter?
It was only when he arrived before the tower that he realized he didnt know how to enter the other dormitories.
He decided to try it out first.
Tooong
!
Yi-han was immediately pushed out by an invisible force that protected the towers front gates.
Probably a spell that defends against intruders. I guess this much is to be expected.
It would be a huge issue if anyone could just waltz into the tower of the Immortal Phoenix.
Sir Wardanaz?
A familiar voice sounded from behind. A snake demihuman wearing a priestess uniform was staring at him, confused.
The moment he saw Priestess Siana, he began ttering her, almost like a reflex.
If it isnt Priestess Siana who brewed those amazing potions!
Your praise is excessive.
How could that be? Im only stating the truth.
These are potions that I just brewed. Please take them with you. Theyll help with your fatigue.
Saying this, she handed him some potions, a wide smile hanging on her face.
Chapter 62
Chapter 62
Yi-han received the potions and ced them in his pockets.
To think Id have the honor to receive such great potions. Words alone cannot describe how moved I am.
May I ask why youre here? If theres something you need help with, please dont hesitate to ask.
Yi-han told her about the nasty trap that the professor had prepared for the assignment.
Priestess Siana, who had been listening with an earnest look, eximed in surprise, having recalled something.
Yes, I remember seeing some odd ingredients within the mix. I was thinking of browsing through some bookster on
Were currently in the process of pooling together all our ingredients to test out several recipes, and wed be delighted to have someone like your respected self with us. After all, when ites to alchemy, none would dare to im that theyre better than Priestess Siana.
Priestess Siana immediately nodded, excited.
But of course, Id be happy to help. Ill call the other students from the Immortal Phoenix as well!
If only the White Tigers were this easy to manipte
Such were Yi-hans thoughts as he watched the departing figure of the priestess.
***
The ck Tortoise were even easier to convince as Nilia and Ratford brought them out.
In fact, he had a harder time cating the students that rushed over from the ck market to trade with him.
They lined up in front of him, thinking he was here to trade again.
-Wardanaz, how about this knife staff?! With this, the White Tigers wont be your match!
-Move aside! Wardanaz, want this talisman? It helps you avoid golems!
Then came the White Tigers
Wardanaz is here!
Dont charge at him by yourself!
..
Dolgyu had to intervene in the end and speak to his friends, but even then, the White Tigers refused to budge.
Eventually, Yi-han came back without them.
Wellwe should have enough ingredients even without the White Tigers.
With three towers cooperating, they had ingredients to spare.
With the help of Priestess Siana, Yi-han and Yonaire measured how many ingredients they had altogether.
Then, they split them into two piles, one of which was used for the experiments.
Preparations are done. We can proceed with the experiments now.
Good work, everyone.
All the students present let out a deep sigh.
They had to go through all this trouble because of the bs trap that Professor Uregor hadid.
By the way, is it true that youre leaving tomorrow using an exit permit?
!
The Blue Dragons were aware that Yi-han had received an exit permit, but the students from the other towers were blown away by this news.
Not only were the ck Tortoise staring at Yi-han with looks of surprise, but the Immortal Phoenix were as well.
Y-you received an exit permit!?
As one would expect of Sir Wardanaz!
How does one receive an exit permit? Do we have to take down a golem?
Thats not whats important right now! Wardanaz, what do you n on bringing back?
The students gathered around Yi-han and bombarded him with questions.
Though they were envious of him, they were more curious about what he would bring back from the outside world.
I-if it was me, Id bring backGaaah! Im spoiled for choices!
C-calm down. Lets list them out one at a time.
They were raising a fuss over nothing. Yi-han, who was at the center of all this, remained as calm as ever.
What would you bring back if you were allowed to take a day off?
Food! Lots and lots of food. Something sweet and easy to carry!
Wardanaz, you should borrow a carriage on your return trip!
Dont you remember? We arent allowed to bring carriages into the school grounds!
Foods fine and all, but how about clothes? What were wearing right now can hardly be considered rags.
Whats wrong with what were wearing? Nilia wondered.
Personally, she feltfortable in these clothes
Youre right. We need something morefortable and durable.
Shoes! Hats! Cloaks! And
Asan joined the conversation as well.
We should procure some books as well as utensils such as ink.
Are you nuts, Dargard? Can you eat books? Can you drink ink?
Hey, Im not saying we shouldnt get food, but we seriously need to get some books.
Asan had a valid reason for saying this.
In an attempt toplete their assignments, some students had gone to visit the academys library, but as expected, the books there werent arranged in a logical order, which made it terribly difficult to find the books that they needed.
Which sociopath organized these books?
Chaos was the perfect word to describe the library, with no semnce of order.
Anyone that visited there would be horrified, and trying to find the appropriate book for the assignment would be an absolute nightmare.
The students missed the bookstores outside.
Out there, all they had to do was say Im looking for this book, and the store owners would wrap it up for them. Oh, how they missed the good ol days!
As things stand, theres a 95% chance of us breaking down first due to the assignments. We should at least get some basic reading materials.
Hmm you have a point.
Even the students that had been screaming for butter cookies, chocte chips, caramel waffles, milk rolls, and maple candies nodded in a serious manner.
Books alone wont be enough. We should also get an artifact that helps us do calctions. Doing everything by hand is brutal.
Thats a great point.
Theres nothing to do here, so we should get some magazines and novels as well. A new deck of cards and a chess board would help too.
?
The students that had been nodding suddenly stopped.
Something wasnt right.
Gainando! You think thats whats important right now!?
I do, and thats why I said it! You guys are saying what you want. Why cant I!?
Guys, Wardanaz went to sleep.
?!
Tomorrow was Sunday, and he had to leave early in the morning, so he had returned to his room afterpleting the alchemy assignment.
***
I cant fall asleep.
Yi-han was at a loss.
It felt as if he was a child, looking forward to a school trip no, that wasnt quite right. It was closer to the feeling of tension one would feel before an important exam.
Will I be able to make it out safely?
Based on how serious he looked, one might assume he was preparing for his graduation exam.
Even though he was leaving with an exit permit, Yi-han wasnt about to lower his guard.
This was Einroguard. There were bound to be hups along the way.
Lets take a moment to think. What kind of difficulties might I encounter?
First off, carriages were probably banned, as was the case when they first enrolled in the academy.
Theyre not going to take away what I have on me, right? I should carry as many things as I can then I wonder how far the closest vige is.
Distance was a problem as well.
When he first attempted to escape, he had ridden a carriage, but that wasnt the case this time.
Considering the nature of this academy, it wouldnt surprise him if the vige was located at a distance that couldnt be reached in a day.
If Id known this would happen, I wouldve learned a movement spell!
Yi-han breathed a deep sigh.
He wouldnt have been so stressed if he had known a body-enhancement spell, but such worries proved to be unfounded for the freshman.
Paririririk!
!?!?
A book that was on his bookshelf fluttered open on its own. It was the ck book that Principal Skelly had gifted him.
Tentacles made of words spurted out, which then proceeded to envelop Yi-han.
The fu?
Before he could finish, he found himself transported to a foreign space, a ce devoid of anything. Neither the sky nor the horizon existed there.
Yi-hans instinct told him that he was inside an illusion created by the ck book.
Boom!
The ck book appeared before him and opened to a certain page while remaining afloat.
The spell shown on that page was , the one he had inherited but previously failed to master.
Are you telling me to master it?
The book shook its body up and down. It seemed to be saying yes.
Did you rmend this after sensing my distress?
Once again, the book answered in the affirmative.
It looked quite cute as it did so, which improved Yi-hans mood a bit.
The book was more loyal than hed initially given it credit for.
But wait. Theres not enough time for me to master it. I must leave tomorrow, so send me out.
The ck book stopped nodding when it heard what he said. Then, it slowly shook its body sideways in disapproval.
..
I take that back. It aint loyal to me at all.
There was no way a book from the principal could be normal.
re Up!
Left with no choice, he decided to roast the book.
However, the spell failed to activate, and the ck book flipped open once more in a smug manner, as if to tell him that he couldnt use any spell other than .
.
After heaving a sigh, Yi-han took out his staff.
***
Prisoner 24601!
But Master, Im not a prisoner.
Right, right. The age must be getting to me.
.
Yi-han yawned as he listened to the conversation between Principal Skelly and one of his summons.
He was no longer bothered by conversations like this.
The ck book had dragged him into an illusion where he was forced to train, but it didnt deprive him of sleep as everything had happened inside his dream.
However, he still felt mentally drained.
I hate myself for feeling relieved that nothing worse happened
Congrattions on your well-deserved leave, Wardanaz! Be proud of yourself, for this is the reward you earned through your hard work!
Thanks.
The rules are simple! You will leave the academy today as the sun rises, and you must be back at the gates by tomorrow at the same time. If youre not here by then, well dispatch a pursuit unit.
..
Hed figured that would be the case, but it felt bizarre hearing it firsthand.
Youre only allowed to bring back what youre carrying with you. In other words, youre not allowed to bring in a horse, a carriage, or any other type of vehicle!
Understood.
Then I wish you the best of luck!
?
Yi-han was slightly confused.
The rules arent as strict as I thought theyd be.
He expected the academy to impose a limit on the amount of money he was allowed to spend or the number of items he was allowed to bring in, but there was no such use.
Whats going on?
***
Yi-han ran continuously, and thanks to his effort, he was able to arrive at his destination just as the sun shone directly above his head.
Pilone, the closest vige to the academy.
So none of the properties around here are owned by nobles?
Yup. You must be a student that managed to escape from the academy. Whenever a new semester starts, staff members from Einroguard visit the vige and have the followers relocate to a different ce.
Usually, noble households would not leave immediately after dropping their kids off at the academy.
Instead, they would prepare a property and have servants or ves run the ce so that their kids would have a ce to return to during their breaks.
Though Yi-han wasnt a huge fan of such ostentatious disys of wealth, hed been banking on them.
He had brought with him the ount book containing the students signatures, and his n had been to exchange it for some money.
He didnt think hed run into such a setback.
This academy of ours is seriously nuts.
Where did they relocate to?
Grangden City, which is over in that direction.
And how long would it take to get there?
A few days on horseback.
..
Yi-han finally realized why the academy didnt impose any limits on the amount of money he could spend or the weight and volume of the things he could bring back.
There was no way for students to spend money in the first ce, and even if they somehow managed to escape the academy, they would be left in utter despair upon realizing the truth!
Do they have to go this far!?
Did you say somethin?
Nothing.
Yi-han raised his head. He wasnt so easily defeated.
Wheres the closest merchants association?
Merchants association? Theres one over therebut why?
Im going to borrow some money.
..
The viger was astonished.
The boy in front of him seemed to be from a distinguished family.
Is he going to be alright?
Chapter 63
Chapter 63
High-ranking nobles of the Empire never borrowed money from others.
More specifically, they never went out of their way to borrow money from others as it would put a blemish on their reputation.
Of course, there were times when they needed money as well, but merchants that were associated or wished to be associated with them would seek them out before they had to do anything.
They would greet the nobles politely, attempt to make small talks, praise their estate and household, and then offer them money while saying Its nothing much, but we hope your distinguished selves will find this useful in supporting your endeavors.
The nobles would then nod, pretending as if they have no choice but to ept
The rest of the discussion would be left to the butlers that worked for the nobles.
As a result, high-ranking nobles never had experience asking for money from others.
Then would their descendants be any better? The young masters and mistresses wouldnt even know where to begin.
That was why Arion, the branch manager of the Caico Merchants Association, was shocked when a young man who clearly belonged to a distinguished family came knocking on their doorstep, asking for money.
Is he really from the Wardanaz Family?
***
Despite its size, Pilone was a prosperous vige, with lots of people walking about and stores of all nature lining the streets.
Normally, a vige like Pilone would only have one inn, but that wasnt the case here. Several inns were ced side-by-side, each filled with customers.
It wasnt just Pilone; the viges and cities nearby were also bustling with activities.
The reason was simple: they were close to Einroguard.
Since there was a magic academy in the vicinity, the region was rich in mana, meaning it was a hotspot for dungeons, monsters, and rare materials!
Furthermore, the mages that studied or worked in the academy often required materials and reagents for their experiments.
Where would they get them?
Most mages spent their time sitting before a desk and were fragile as a twig, which meant theyd employ adventurers whenever they needed to gather materials.
Since they were promised rich rewards, adventurers naturally flocked in, and with a fast and steady supply of materials, the mages would be excited, conducting experiments at a rapid pace. However, theyd soon run out of materials and once again rely on the adventurers. Eventually, the Empires Minister of Finance would review their monthly invoice and summon Os Gonadaltes in a fit of fury
Thus, the cycle continued, with all but a select few contents with the system.
Yi-han was d that this was the case.
As long as he had money, he could purchase most of the things he needed in this vige. It was at least better than not being able to purchase what he needed despite having the money.
Thats why Id like to borrow some money.
B-but Young Masterp-please wait a moment.
Is that a no?
Definitely not! We are, of course, willing to lend money to the Young Master.
The goat demihuman branch manager shook his head with both hands raised.
If the young man was truly from the Wardanaz Family, lending him money would definitely benefit them in the long run.
They wouldnt even need to ask for the money back.
Just the fact that they could form a connection with the Wardanaz Family would be enough.
Arion made up his mind.
Right, even if I have to take money out of my own pocket
Indeed, the branch manager was troubled by something else.
How much would the young man demand?
If it exceeded his total fortune, hed have to contact the higher-ups asap and ask for permission
How much does the Young Master require?
Yi-han hesitated, which frightened Arion even more.
Just how much was he going to ask?
How about twenty silver coins?
Sorry?
Fifteen would work if twentys too much.
..
Arion became speechless for a moment before he noticed the uniform that the young man was wearing.
It was Einroguards uniform.
Hes from the magic academy?!?
And a first year to boot. Arion, who knew of the academys crazy rules, was shocked.
How did a freshman manage to escape??
Righthes a Wardanaz.
He had no choice but to ept that the young boy before him was really a Wardanaz.
After all, who else could escape from the academy in their first year?
I never thought a day would arrive when someone from a distinguished household woulde asking for moneybut hes a Wardanaz, after all!
Twelve silver coins?
N-no, theres no need to go any lower.
***
After understanding what was going on, Arion did his best to make Yi-hanfortable.
He first offered a cup of tea and some snacks, after which he said he was willing to lend him money with no strings attached.
However, this made Yi-han suspect Arions intentions.
P-please dont misunderstand. Were not trying to conduct any fishy businesses.
I think its time I go elsewhere
Please! We were just trying to be generous since Young Master Wardanaz doesnt seem to have anything on him at the moment!
Arion felt wronged.
What would a freshman from the academy even have? It probably took him everything just to escape.
This wasnt what Arion had in mind when he made the offer. It shouldve been more like The moneys not important. I have faith in the Young Masters integrity. Mr. Arion! Youve got good eyes. In the future, once I make it big, I wont forget to return the favor!
Oh, I see in that case, I have something that might be worth some money.
?
Arion cocked his head.
It was hard to believe that a freshman that had escaped could have anything worthwhile on him
Is he talking about his staff?
Inside, Arion revealed a bitter smile.
It was a misunderstanding that the students often had.
Last year, a third-year student that had escaped from the academy tried to sell his staff but ultimately failed.
The staff that the academy provided wasnt really that valuable.
Heres an ount book containing the signatures of all the nobles that owe me money.
..
Arions jaws were about to drop to the floor.
What the actual fuck!?!?!?
I was originally nning on going around the neighbourhood collecting money using the ount book, but that damned lich *cough* excuse me, the principal has made everyone move to a different city.
I see certainly, this is worth some money.
The ount book could directly be used to exchange for cash. And it wouldnt end there.
If he sought out the nobles with the ount book in hand, he would probably be given a generous reward for helping their family members.
After all, they were all proud individuals!
But
Though it was tempting, Arion drew the line there.
Enough. We can lend the Young Master his money.
Then this ount book
Please keep it.
..
Yi-han stared at Arion with an expression that said, Is it his first day at the job?
When borrowing money, it was natural for the lender to retain something from the borrower. It didnt make sense for Yi-han to keep the ount book.
Arion felt like crying.
This is supposed to be a gesture of goodwill!
There was a reason why Arion decided not to ept the ount book.
The ount book was like a promise between the Wardanaz Family and the various noble households.
When Young Master Wardanaz visited the nobles estatester on, he would be weed with open arms.
If Arion were to take the ount book away from him, he might be able to make some immediate profits, but the Wardanaz Family would not see him in a good light.
That sly merchant mustve tricked Yi-han out of the ount book!
Arion didnt wish to be misunderstood, and he wasnt going to take any chances, even if it meant losing out on some money.
But in the end, he was still misunderstood as a rookie merchant.
Young Master, please take a moment to consider. You hail from the Wardanaz Family. What difference does it make for me to have the ount book or not?
Youre right, but still
Would you like a tour of the vige? There must be a lot of things that you need.
Arion quickly changed the topic of their conversation.
He knew what an escapee like Yi-han needed.
I would appreciate that, but you wont take me to stores affiliated with your merchants association, will you? asked Yi-han, nodding.
Of course not!
Arion was beginning to question whether Yi-han was from the Wardanaz Family or the Wardanaz Merchants Group.
The boy before him had none of the naivety that young masters often had.
?
Arion was about to follow Yi-han out of the room when he realized that all the snacks were gone.
Did he eat them? Strange, I dont remember him eating
That was when he noticed that Yi-hans pockets were full.
Surely not
***
Would you like these cream puffs? They were made by one of our best ptissiers. The young masters of the academy would no doubt appreciate the rich fragrance of the cream contained within them.
No need. Id like you to rmend things that are small and easy to store.
..
..
Yi-han was like a quartermaster stocking up food for a war.
Anything big, easily spoiled, or hard to store was rejected, regardless of their taste.
He pursued maximum storage and efficiency.
These canned goods
Arent their designs wonderful? Theyve been popr recently in the Empire.
Whats up with their shape? I cant store them properly!
..
It took Yi-han less than a second to reject the items.
Arion was seriously beginning to consider whether to offer Yi-han a seat at their merchants association after he graduated from the academy.
He would definitely make a fine merchant
Yi-han personally selected the items he would purchase, measured their weights and volumes, and stored them in boxes of his choosing.
Please wait, Young Master. You cant bring a carriage into the academy. The principal would scold us if you do.
I know. Im nning on bringing them back myself.
.!?!?!
It wasnt just Arion that was shocked.
Even his employees were looking at him with eyes that said, Boss, you should talk him out of this!
No, Im sure he has his own ns.
In the end, Arion remained quiet.
He had epted it by now.
This young master from the Wardanaz Family was someone blessed with the talent of a merchant.
He must have a n in mind!
Next, lets head to a tailor shop. A suit will be promptly prepared for the Young Master after taking his measurements.
?
Yi-han stared at him, notprehending the situation.
Pardon me for askingbut arent those rags ufortable?
The uniforms that the students wore at the academy seemed rough and ufortable. This was something even the workers could tell.
However, Yi-han didnt think much of it.
Not really. I dont mind.
!?
But we do need some clothes
Arion was relieved to hear this.
So he intends to buy clothes!
Instead of a tailor shop, bring me to a drapery store.
Does the Young Master n on making them himself?
Yeah, is there something wrong with that?
..
Arion became lightheaded when he saw Yi-han browse through all the cloths in the drapery store, selecting only the most durable ones.
There must be something going on between the first years of the academy!
Why are these cloths cheaper?
Theyre no longer in fashion
Then please bring me ones that are simr to this. By the way, between these two, which one is more waterproof?
Just like with the food, Yi-han disyed a surprising level of expertise when selecting the cloths.
Among the various products in the store, Yi-han was selecting only the cream of the crop.
Both the branch manager and the owner of the drapery store had to admit that the young boy from the Wardanaz Family was dominating the scene!
Chapter 64
Chapter 64
I think I have everything now.
Yi-hans shopping frenzy had finallye to an end, and he had purchased much more than just food and clothes.
He had also visited bookstores and seed stores, among many others.
Id like a stack of cheap, durable paper! Oh, and would you happen to have a book with illusion magic cast on it? Preferably one that can trick a professors eyes.
Which of these seeds and seedlings are edible?
Arions employees were beyond impressed.
Hell have no trouble surviving on a deserted ind!
By the way, wheres the stable?
Stable?
Arion was puzzled. As previously mentioned, students werent allowed to ride anything into the academy.
However, he wasnt going to question it.
The young master of the Wardanaz Family probably had something in mind.
***
Stable Amir was bustling with customers, leaving its owner, Amir, with barely a moment to blink.
Just today, he had already provided counsel to a group of adventurers who wished to purchase a new mount. Furthermore, he had hurriedly made space at the top of the tower for a customer that wished to entrust their Thunder Eagle to his care.
Running a stable in a vige frequented by adventurers required an exceptional level of knowledge and skill.
Besides horses, one had to possess expertise in handling various types of mounts found throughout the Empire.
An interesting customer arrived just as he was about to catch his breath.
A student from Einroguard?
Hello.
Wee to Stable Amir. How may I help you?
I was wondering if theres anyone here that has direct dealings with the academy.
!
Amir was surprised as the student was right.
Although the magic academy situated in the mountain range was a subject of fear, it still attracted visitors.
Merchants that had a contract with the academy would frequently bring in supplies, and adventurers that hadpleted their tasks would sometimes arrive to meet the mage that had requested their assistance.
In addition, whenever someone caused trouble outside, an imperial edict woulde flying in.
But to those in the know, the front gates of Einroguard were notorious for being difficult to pass through.
It was to the point where there was a saying that went, Youd die of old age before managing to reach the other side.
That was why people in a hurry would either fly over the front gates or ess the academy via the underground passage. As long as they could prove their identities, they were allowed to pass through.
We do. Why do you ask?
Then can you arrange for someone to bring me out of the academy on a certain date? Id be willing to pay, of course.
..!
Yi-hans purpose ining here was to strategize his next escape.
His tenacity wouldve left even the principal impressed.
It was a beautiful day outside, perfect for enjoying snacks and taking in the vige scenery, yet here he was, contemting the next escape.
Amir could sense the burning desire in Yi-hans eyes.
What a child!
The stable owner stared at Yi-han, amazed.
He knew what kind of ce Einroguard was based on rumorsa strict and merciless institution where students constantly strived to escape.
Yet a freshman was out here making such bold ns.
Not even the tribes residing in the harshest environments of the Empire could boast of having many individuals as daring as him.
I want to help him out.
Amir, who was instantly captivated by Yi-hans bold nature, wished to offer the student his assistance.
However, there was a problem.
Thatwould be difficult.
May I ask why?
Ive entered the academy several times with some of my customers, but the academy was extremely strict when it came to verifying their identities.
Granted, it was easier than passing through the front gates, but flying over them posed a challenge of its own.
Those that wished to enter through the skies had to first stop at a predetermined location.
The academy would then signal them that someone would arrive to check their identities.
If they were indeed scheduled to enter, they would be allowed in.
But you just said you were able to enter several times in the pastcant you make up a random excuse?
Yes, I can, but enterings not the issue here. Its when we exit. They verify your identity when you exit as well.
!
In other words, if Amir entered the academy alone, riding an eagle, they would verify that he was on an eagle by himself when it came time for him to leave.
They would make sure that no one was hiding by casting several spells, so it was near impossible to sneak someone out.
Yi-hans expression became dark when he heard this.
Damn it. How far are they willing to go?
In his opinion, How far are you willing to go? shouldve been the academys slogan.
But its not as if all hope is lost.
Amir lit a thick cigar and began to smoke.
?
Try to get yourself a mount without an owner. If you do, you can leave with me if I happen to have visited the academy.
?
Yi-han couldnt follow what Amir was saying.
Wouldnt he be caught while leaving?
I thought they check our identities when we leave?
See, theres a caveat to that. I only learned of this by chance Theyre extremely strict when ites to checking the identities of visitors entering and leaving, but they arent as meticulous when ites to its residents leaving.
This was probably because professors often had business outside the academy, and it would be a hassle to check them each time.
Once in the past, Amir happened to leave the academy at the same time as a professor. While they checked him several times, they let the professor pass without sparing even a nce.
If you leave on your own, theres still a good chance of being caught. But if Im there with you, their attention will be on me. This would raise your chances by a bit.
How the heck am I supposed to find a mount thats without an owner?
The idea of stealing someones mount sounded tempting, but
Just a reminder, but dont try to steal a mount that has an owner already.
But of course. I would never do such a thing.
Amir nodded and chuckled, satisfied with the response.
Yeah, it would be barbaric to forcefully separate a mount from its owner.
Yi-han had given up on the idea, thinking that mages would probably have rm spells cast on their mounts. However, upon seeing the look of satisfaction on Amirs face, he chose not to say anything.
There are still a lot of uncertainties in the nbut this is the best shot Ive got at the moment.
But how am I supposed to find a mount inside the academy?
And the security might be less strict, but what if they make me lower my hood? Id be caught immediately!
These were his honest thoughts, but he didnt voice them out loud. After all, suchints were for the weak and undetermined.
I must do it, one way or another. After all, thats the only option I have right now!
Ill be in your care!
Splendid! I knew you werent a normal student from the way your eyes gleamed. From now on, Ill visit the academy every 2 weeks, at midnight on Saturday. If youve obtained a mount, find me at the stable located at the top of the tower. Ill wait for an hour each time I visit. If youre there, we can leave together.
Yi-han nodded, but then became curious about something.
Although he had promised to pay, it didnt seem worth it for Amir to go through so much trouble.
After all, there was no guarantee that Yi-han would be there. To visit every other week and wait an hour each time
Pardon me but may I ask why youre willing to help me?
Amir grinned while scratching his beard.
The academy is making its students suffer by imposing cruel rules. People in my hometown loathe such things. How could I remain a bystander when theres a student trying to fight against injustice!
Thank you!
Yi-han was moved.
Turned out justice and kindness existed outside the academy!
***
His holiday wasing to an end, and taking into consideration how long it took to return to the academy, he didnt have much time left.
Theres still one ce that I have to visit.
Yi-han quickly rushed to .
Not all mages worked as officials for the Empire. Some mages joined adventurers and made a living out ofpleting quests, whereas others set up small workshops in towns and viges and offered their service to the citizens.
Yi-han was visiting one such workshop.
?
Valdoron was baffled by the appearance of a student from a magic academy.
Why would an academy student visit my workshop?
Valdoron was only a 3rd circle mage, which was only equivalent to a second or third-year student from Einroguard.
The academy should have several grand mages, so why would someone visit his tiny workshop?
Not to mention, the student didnt seem like your average Joe.
Although Yi-han was dressed in rags, from the way he spoke and conducted himself, it was clear to Valdoron that the student hailed from a distinguished family of nobles.
To what do I owe this pleasure?
Im here to consult you about magic.
..
Valdoron was stunned.
Is he here to pick a fight?
Maybe the young mage was looking down on him and his workshop
Please speak.
Nevertheless, hed already received payment, so Valdoron decided not to jump the guns.
See, Im trying to enter a certain tower, but spells that prevent intruders have been cast on it. Since youre an expert at illusion magic, I was wondering if you could give me some advice on how to get past them.
..
Valdoron was once again at a loss.
It was clear as day which tower Yi-han was referring to.
He must be talking about one of the towers in Einroguard!
Upon closer inspection, Yi-hans uniform seemed to belong to a first-year student, which blew Valdorons mind.
This freshman wasnt content with simply escaping from the academy and hade to ask about how to get past the academys rm spells.
Hes bound to make it big in the future!
Valdoron was in awe. Back when he was young, he used to smoke and hang out with his friends all day
Countless spells exist that can prevent intruders; its simply impossible for a mage to know all of them. A skilled mage would be able to analyze the spell, and an even greater mage would know how to dispel them. However
Valdoron trailed off.
This was a matter of knowledge and experience.
A skilled robber would have the blueprint of tens of thousands of locks in their mind.
Even if they encountered a lock that theyd never seen before, they couldpare the new lock with the ones theyd already picked and quickly grasp the new locks structure.
This analogy could be applied to getting past spells.
Only someone equipped with the knowledge of countless rm spells could quickly determine whether the spell they were examining contained simrities to other spells.
Without the appropriate knowledge and experience, even a genius would have to give up on dispelling them.
Thisrequires vast amounts of knowledge and experience. I can share information about some of the spells that I know of, but if youre not familiar with them, dispelling them would be impossible. You might as well resort to forcefully breaking it down
Valdoron paused for a moment as he had said thest bit without thinking.
Dispelling spells quietly and effectively was a difficult task. However, forcefully breaking down spells wasnt easy either.
In fact, it was even harder in some sense.
Since they were talking about spells that had been cast on the academy, they were bound to contain huge amounts of mana. It would require a tremendous amount of force to destabilize such spells.
It wasnt realistic in the slightest.
Pardon me. Forget what Ive just said.
No, please tell me about that in further detail.
?!!
Chapter 65
Chapter 65
Valdoron panicked when he heard the request.
He felt distressed knowing that his offhandment had given the young mage false hope.
The method he was referring to was a dangerous one, one that could cost the mage his life.
Breaking apart spells required a tremendous amount of mana, and if the student wasnt familiar with the spell, it could lead to devastating consequences.
However, Yi-han wasnt about to back down.
Please tell me the method. I promise to be careful when using it.
Still
Youve epted my payment.
Very well.
Valdoron ended up conceding.
Having epted the payment, he was duty-bound to fulfil the customers wishes.
First of all, youll need a lot of mana. Much more than what you have in your body. I suggest getting some mana stones and setting up a formation.
Formations and mana stones were often used by mages to make up for theirck of mana.
Casting high-level magic required an equally high amount of mana, and sometimes it wasnt realistic to use ones own mana reserve.
Hence, mages drew formations to gather mana in one ce or carried jewels charged with mana to serve as extra batteries.
Have you learned how to draw formations?
Were learning to draw them right now.
Yi-han recalled his lessons on .
Drawing formations was like solvingplicated math problems.
Rather than intuition, it demanded patience and an understanding of mathematics, which meant students had to put in a lot of time and effort.
This was why many students were struggling in ss.
Most students only knew how to add or subtract numbers. Having them solve equations involving posttes and rules was way out of theirfort zone, and some students developed mental trauma as a result.
Good. Once youve drawn the formation, you must control the mana that flows out of it.
Yi-han would have to control the mana that the formation has gathered before dumping it all on the spell he was trying to break.
It sounded simple enough, but this was a difficult task when put into practice.
Controlling it was one thing; dumping it all out without hesitation was another matter altogether.
Having the mana flow out like a river wouldnt suffice. It would have to gush out relentlessly like a broken-down dam.
This was something most mages werent familiar with.
After all, they were used to meticulously calcting the amount of mana they used in each of their spells. They rarely had any experience dealing with such a massive quantity of mana.
Hmmshould be easy enough.
Valdoron let out a deep sigh when he heard this.
Despite all his warnings, Yi-han wasnt taking this seriously.
Hubris, a w all geniuses suffered from.
This was also why those with talent often died before those without. They would blindly trust in their talent and engage in reckless experiments that ultimately get them killed.
To some extent, this was to be expected of someone that had enrolled into Einroguard and escaped in their freshmen year.
s.
Valdoron decided to confront the young mage overflowing with talent with the harsh reality.
The youngster before him would no doubt be a grand magus in the future. He felt unqualified to teach such an outstanding individual, but he feltpelled to do so.
Coveting the moon, I draw upon the water that reflects it.
Valdoron took out some powder that had been ground from a Moon-night Stone and began chanting aplicated spell with his staff in hand.
He drew upon his mana as hepleted the lengthy incantation, sessfully casting the third-circle spell, .
This illusion spell had the power to neutralize enemies that ambushed him during the night. It was a spell that all illusion mages aspired to learn and one that brought Valdoron great pride and joy.
!
Yi-han was stunned.
Valdoron shouldve been sitting on the other side of the table, but it felt as if the distance between them was much greater.
He had a sneaking suspicion that he would be brought to a foreign space if he tried to take a step forward.
Valdoron, who had cast the spell, opened his mouth to warn Yi-han.
It might not look like much, but I advise against moving around.
The moment I do, Ill find myself trapped in a maze, correct?
..
Valdoron didnt know what to say in response.
He was wondering how Yi-han had figured it out so quickly.
Did he know about this spell beforehand? From the boys expression, that didnt seem likely.
That left only one exnation.
The youngster had deduced it based on the nature of the mana emanating from the spell.
What an amazing sensitivity to magic.
Yes. Anyway, the reason why I cast this spell was to show you how difficult it is to forcibly break a spell.
I see
Yi-han was impressed by the kindness Valdoron was showing him.
At the very least, Valdoron was a much better teacher than the professors in Einroguard.
He first exined the theory behind what they were learning, helped Yi-han set realistic goals, and even told him why these goals were important.
Tears welled up in Yi-hans eyes as hepared this lesson with the times he had spent suffering under Professor Bdys ruthless training,
Now, try having a go at it. Take as much time as you need, but you must stop before it gets too dangerous.
Thank you.
?
Valdoron noticed the look of respect in Yi-hans eyes and grew confused.
Whats with the exaggerated response?
***
Kwang!
The explosion was contained inside the workshop, but Valdoron had clearly heard the distinct sound of a spell breaking down as mana collided.
How is this possible!?
Valdorons eyes were about to pop out.
Once. It only took Yi-han once to seed.
To make matters worse, it didnt seem like Yi-han had exerted himself in the slightest.
The youngster didnt even bother drawing a formation. He lightly tapped into his mana and threw it at the spell, almost as if to test the waters.
Yet that alone had been enough to shatter .
Yi-hans mana had surged like a tsunami, obliterating the spell that Valdoron had painstakingly created.
Valdoron couldntprehend what had just happened.
While the youngster may be a genius, that was hardly enough time to gather the necessary mana.
And even if he did somehow manage to pull it off in that time frame, it still didnt make sense for him to control it so effortlessly.
Unless hed been born with an immense mana supply and had grown ustomed to handling it, much like how people breathe in air, such a precise control seemed absurd.
It was as preposterous a notion as a first-time sailor knowing what to do when faced with a storm.
How in the world?
Thank you for your guidance!
Yi-han expressed his gratitude, unaware of what Valdoron was experiencing.
Huh?
It was thanks to Mr. Valdorons teachings that I had this epiphany!
..
For a brief moment, he wondered if Yi-han was mocking him.
Perhaps a deranged professor from Einroguard had disguised himself as a freshman and left the academy just to pick a fight with him.
But the innocence in the youngsters eyes seemed too genuine for that to be the case.
For the time being, he decided to ept the gratitude.
Its nothing worth mentioning. The credits all yours
No, this is my first time meeting someone that can teach as well as you, Mr. Valdoron.
Please dont say that when youre with others!
Valdoron was about to be at his wits end.
If one of Einroguads crazy professors heard this, they might turn him into a frog out of spite.
Yi-han gave a serious bow.
Ill visit Mr. Valdoron again the next time I visit the town.
No need, no need. Theres nothing for me to teach you anymore.
What he wished to say was Donte anymore! but he couldnt in good conscience voice this out loud to a customer that had paid.
In the end, he could only resort to saying he had nothing to teach.
However, this only served to further Yi-hans respect.
How modest of him!
The boughs that bore most hung lowest. In Yi-hans eyes, Valdorons modesty was a sign of his virtue.
He admired Valdoron for serving themunity by setting up a workshop in a small town.
The more exceptional a mage is, the less they like to travel. Valdoron mustve set up his workshop as a pastime of sorts.
Until next time!
Yi-han left while feeling grateful for this encounter.
For quite some time, Valdoron sat there, dazed, but eventually stood up and flipped the signboard on the door that read Open to Close.
Then, he flipped open his textbook on illusions that hed been neglecting.
Whether this would be of any help, no one knew, but at least it was better than nothing.
***
Sir, why are you here?
Principal Skelly was floating next to Professor Garcia, who was standing guard at the front gates.
There was absolutely no need for the principal to be there.
Principal Skelly seldom went out of his way to do something that wasnt part of his responsibilities, which meant he was doing this for his own amusement!
He must be hoping that Yi-han arriveste.
The number of students that received exit permits was abysmalpared to the number of students attempting to escape from the academy.
Those that were fortunate enough to receive one would leave in a jubnt mood, but the academy wasnt exactly sending them off with their best wishes.
All sorts of traps would lie ahead of the students.
They would soon realize the hopelessness of their situations and despair.
Without a penny to their name, they would barely hold out until they were dragged back, kicking and screaming.
And that would be theirst time stepping out of the academy, as the requirement for receiving the second exit permit was much higher than the first.
Since exit permits are meant to be rewards, shouldnt we let the students enjoy themselves when theyre out?
Ah, youre still too nave, Professor Garcia. If youre too soft on the students, they would be spoiled and weak.
..
A true mage is one thats born from
Alright, lets stop right there.
Garcia interjected before Principal Skelly could finish.
She was sick and tired of hearing him say A true mage is one thats born from trials all the time.
What were they going to do with this ancient mage
Im looking forward to seeing his expression.
You might be disappointed. After all, Yi-hans not your average student.
Hm, you have a point.
Surprisingly, Principal Skelly didnt refute her im, showing how highly he evaluated Yi-han.
But this has nothing to do with his talent in magic or his strong mentality. He would need to have money to purchase items, but he wont have anywhere to earn them. Even if he does acquire funds, hed be limited in the things he could bring back And the deadlines fast approaching! The smarter he thinks he is, the more challenging the time hell have to decide what to bring back. Oh, how I wish time would flow faster! Hunting him down would be so much fun.
You should keep your thoughts to yourself, sir.
Though she said this, Professor Garcia agreed with most of what Principal Skelly said.
The majority of students that left using an exit permit returned after being captured. This was the result of them being too greedy, thinking to themselves, Things might turn out for the better if I have a bit more time!
Upon arriving in town and confronting the harsh reality, students would have to swiftly recalcte what to bring back. If they attempted to acquire everything they needed, they would find themselves caught in Principal Skellys trap
?!?!
Pak!
A massive figure appeared atop the hill in front of the academys main gate.
For a split second, Professor Garcia thought it was a Giant or a Troll, but that turned out to be wrong.
It was Yi-han, carrying a mountain load of luggage.
..
The two senior mages were dumbfounded by the solution that the young mage hade up with.
However, that was just the beginning.
When he reached the top of the hill, they saw several boxes floating behind him.
Principal Skelly had to give it to him.
Professor Bdy has done a bloody good job of teaching his student.
Chapter 66
Chapter 66
Not only was he carrying a mountain of supplies, but he was also employing on the boxes floating behind him.
In situations like this, any other mage would have resorted to higher-level spells, as was not meant to be utilized in such a manner!
Its intended application was to assist the user in moving objects like quills and erasers. At best, it could lift a marble
Such performance was beyond impressive. In fact, it was even freakish to some extent.
Could this still be considered a first-circle spell??
And hes using a physical enhancement spell as well! Who taught him that??
Professor Garcia, who had been marveling at the boxes floating behind Yi-han, finally took notice of the aura of magic that surrounded his body.
The mana was arranged in an intricate manner, assisting his movement.
There was only one such type of magic: physical enhancement.
Physical enhancement spells were popr as their effects were immediately apparent, but they required channeling magic into a human body, so the repercussions were just as great.
Unlike seasoned mercenaries and veteran adventurers, most students had frail bodies as they spent most of their time sitting before a desk with a quill in hand. This was why they werent taught physical enhancement spells early on
Then where could he have learned it?
Thats a great question.
Principal Skelly feigned ignorance, maintaining a constant expression that truly embodied a lich-like demeanor.
Maybe he learned it through one of the books in the library. I shouldve given him a warning
Oh, dont be like that, Professor Garcia. The students wont be able to grow properly if we keep imposing restrictions like that.
Is he the one behind this?
Professor Garcia grew suspicious of Principal Skelly.
She had no physical evidence, but her intuition told her that he was the culprit!
***
, the spell that Yi-han was forced to learn, was quite unique in nature.
Usually, physical enhancement spells only affected one particr aspect or field, such as strength or agility.
This was especially true of lower-circle magic.
After all, if one became too greedy with a lower-circle spell, it could turn into a bizarre magic that nobody could master.
was precisely one such example.
A bizarre first-circle spell that enhanced the users strength, agility, cardiovascr endurance, and reflex!
And for that reason, it was difficult to learn as well.
If it was a simple magic that only enhanced the users strength, all one had to do was imagine an invincible warrior. If it enhanced the users agility, an image of a swift bird would suffice.
Combining all four into one image wasnt as easy.
-I see why it has Gonadaltes inside its name.
Yi-han gritted his teeth as heined to the ck book.
In some cases, a spell would bear the name of the mage who created it.
This served both as an honor to the mage for their aplishment and as a signpost indicating the nature of the magic.
The fact that Gonadaltes was included in the spells name was a clear indication that it was a dogshit of a spell to learn!
Since it contains the phrase nimble footsteps, shouldnt it only boost the users agility? At least make the name match the spells effects!
Yi-han had to go through countless trials and errors to roughly figure out the approach to this spell.
He possessed a rich imagination and was flexible in his thoughts, which, unbeknownst to him, were even greater advantages than his abundant mana.
Utilizing these strengths, Yi-han imagined what Principal Skelly wouldve been like in his youthful days.
As a matter of course, he had no idea what Principal Skelly actually looked like in the past, but he tried to envision what he may have looked like by tapping into his creativity.
Someoneposed, yet with a hint of madness in his eyes. A nasty personality to go along his sharp and aggressive nature. Agility and physique that only a battle junkie would have
He also imagined the individual adorned in dark attire and wielding a staff in a menacing manner, creating the perfect image of a malevolent mage that could appear as an antagonist of any story.
Hed have to be one hell of a monster.
A mage that was strong, agile, tough, and had quick reflexes.
And the image worked. The spell which he kept failing at had begun to take shape.
My footsteps reign over the earth!
-My footsteps reign over the earth!
-My footsteps reign over the earth!
He kept chanting and chanting.
After what felt like an eternity, Yi-han finally managed to pull it off. The mana from the spell enveloped him, embedding itself in his body as a tattoo would.
Not only did he experience a boost to his strength and agility, but his cardiovascr endurance and reflex grew as well.
Paririririk!
The ck book p, as if to congratte Yi-hans sess.
However, the satisfaction that he felt was short-lived as he suddenly remembered something.
-Wait a second. What about the repercussions? Since it affects so many aspects of my body
Before he could finish his sentence, the ck book chased him out of the imaginary space.
***
Despite feeling ill at ease, Yi-han had no choice but to use the spell as he had too many things to carry back.
After casting , he used the method that Professor Ingurdel had taught in ss to circte mana within his body.
Quite frankly, however, he wasnt circting the mana.
Due to hisck of sufficient control, he ended up releasing most of it into his surroundings.
But that was enough to lighten the burden and keep his body well-protected.
Afterwards, he sted the boxes with .
At this point, even Professor Ingurdel wouldve struggled to circte mana properly.
Taking into consideration the enormous amount of mana involved, a regr mage wouldve fainted after taking a few steps
How boring, hes still overflowing with mana.
Principal Skellyined in his heart.
Yi-han mustve used , but he seemed just fine, much to the principals dissatisfaction.
Its just a first-circle spell. How bad could it be? Those that learned the spell before him had all arrived at this conclusion, only to miserably copse after depleting their mana, a sight which brought great pleasure to the spells creator.
All of Principal Skellys disciples had gone through this, pleasing their master to no end.
A first-circle spell it may be, but its difficulty, mana consumption, and effect were far from being at the first-circle!
and yet Yi-han wasnt affected by any of this.
Wee back
Yi-han was delighted to see the disgruntled look on the lichs face as it meant he had managed to pass all the traps.
Thank you, Principal, for this asion. I wont forget the kindness youve shown today.
Yi-han, theres no need for you to thank him, said Professor Garcia.
It wasnt out of kindness that the principal had allowed him to leave. It was because of his stunning aplishment.
Hes a polite one, isnt he, Professor Garcia?
The professor ignored the principals words.
Yi-han, once youre back in your room, make sure to rest after drinking a recovery potion. I rmend taking a long nap.
..
He had mentally prepared himself, but Professor Garcias warning made him nervous.
Should I have refrained from using the spell? Was this part of his trap?
Understood.
After nodding, Yi-han gave a bow before entering the academy through the front gates.
Professor Garcia was watching him enter with a smile on her face when Principal Skelly opened his mouth.
Wait. Where did he acquire the funds?
!
***
Before he copsed, Yi-han did everything that he had to do.
He unpacked, exined what happened to his friends, and drank a recovery potion
?
Afterwards, he slept like a log, but he was surprised to find out the next morning that
Impletely fine?
In fact, he felt too fine, to the point where he became nervous. After all, feeling fine when one clearly shouldnt was a bad sign in itself.
Yi-han carefully walked out of his room.
Wardanaz!
Several students of the Blue Dragons were anxiously waiting for him in the resting lounge.
Wardanaz!! Youve woken up!
We were worried!
Some of them even had tears in their eyes, which left Yi-han confused.
Whats this?
Are they trying to pretend as if they care after seeing how much food Ive brought back?
I did push myself, but arent you guys blowing this way out of proportion?
Huh? Are we? Gainando told us that you might die
..
Instead of replying, Yi-han sat down on one of the chairs.
Some of the items that he had brought back were quietly sitting in one corner of the resting lounge as they were too big to store in his room.
Now that he looked at them
I did bring back a crazy amount, didnt I?
Though he was proud of himself, it felt ridiculous at the same time.
How in the world did he bring all these back?
I took care of your horse while you were gone.
Thanks, Yonairebut that horse has one hell of a temper. Were you okay?
Really?
Yonaire cocked her head.
Nothing happened, though? I was able to feed it and wash it without any trouble.
..
Yi-han was about to erupt.
This son of a
The horse had given him so much trouble, yet it became quiet the moment he was gone?
Maybe it was because he had been too harsh on the horse, and it became grateful to Yonaire.
But still
It better be prepared now that Im back.
Here, have some hot chocte.
Yi-han received the cup of hot chocte. Although his body was fine, he still felt fatigued, so the sweet chocte came as a great delight to him.
Yi-han rummaged through his pocket, much to Yonaires confusion.
What are you searching for?
A silver coin.
I dont need it. Just drink
Yi-han stared at Yonaire, feeling deeply moved.
Yonaire, on the other hand, stared at him incredulously.
After getting himself back together, Yi-han let out a deep sigh.
So its the start of another week
Everyone in the room nodded, no longer as energetic as before.
The confidence that they had at the beginning of the second week was nowhere to be found.
What horrifying trials awaited them on the third week?
Did everyoneplete their assignments?
Yeahif you can even call them that.
Theyre piles of garbage
Yi-han felt slightly apologetic after seeing everyone turn away.
Maybe I shouldnt have asked.
Since wevepleted Professor Uregors assignment, all thats left is to obtain the White Tigers g.
..
Everyones expression froze at the mention of the White Tigers g.
Professor Skellys assignment from .
They still werent sure what the purpose of this ss was, but they had an assignment toplete.
Has anyone tried?
They wont budge no matter what we say.
Damn it. I tried to bribe one of them using a piece of candy, but it failed at thest step! I was almost there as well!
..
The Blue Dragons hadnt been idle while Yi-han was gone.
They put in a lot of effort trying toe up with a solution.
They tried sneaking in but were bounced off by the towers barrier. They attempted bribery, but failed due to interference from other students of the White Tigers. They also resorted to forgery and other methods, but they all ended in failure.
Gainando, who arrivedte, raised his voice.
Cant we just negotiate and exchange gs?
What nonsense are you spouting!?
Have you forgotten the pain those bastards inflicted upon Wardanaz!?
?
Yi-han paused for a moment.
It wasnt that bad though?
Rx. Ive thought of a method.
!
Everyone quieted down to listen to Yi-han.
Gainando tried to guess what he was about to say.
You n on exchanging, right? Theres no other way.
Nope. Well infiltrate their tower at night.
As expected of Wardanaz!
The Blue Dragons erupted in cheer upon hearing his words.
Chapter 67 Full
Chapter 67
The students of the Blue Dragon, who arrived btedly, were puzzled by the noisy scene in the lounge and asked, "What''s going on?"
"Word has it that Wardanaz will raid the White Tiger to steal their g!"
"Wow! I''ve been waiting for this!"
Each new arrival joined in with cheers upon hearing the situation.
"Shouldn''t we consider a trade instead?" Gainando murmured, still unconvinced.
Yi-Han, curious, asked, "Why do you think that?"
"A trade would allow us toplete the task safely, without any danger."
"True, but we concluded it''s not possible because we can''t trust the White Tiger guys."
"They seemed trustworthy this time."
"Why?"
"They were nice to me, offering bread and milk..."
Yi-Han was shocked. In their current situation, where even their own food was scarce, giving away bread and milk couldn''t be mere kindness. A half piece of bread might be considered kind, but more than that hinted at a darker motive. ''Were they trying to bribe Gainando?''
''Why him, though? Now that I think about it, Gainando is a prime target.''
His status granted him influence (though the White Tiger students probably didn''t know the exact dynamics of the Blue Dragon), and he seemed easy enough to manipte...
After a brief contemtion, Yi-Han decided, "Alright, Gainando. Let''s try your way before the attack."
"Really?"
"Yes. Go tell the White Tiger guys I''ve changed my mind."
"Aren''t you going to tell the others?"
Gainando was puzzled. Shouldn''t they inform their excited friends about the change in ns?
"They won''t ept your brilliant n."
"That makes sense. I''ll go and talk to them!"
Gainando left confidently. Yonaire, having overheard their conversation, looked worried.
Yi-Han, understanding Yonaire''s concern, nodded, "Don''t worry. The White Tiger guys might be nasty, but they won''t harm Gainando in the current situation."
"I was worried Gainando might betray us."
"Gainando''s not like that, is he?"
"But you never know. Wish we had a potion to prevent betrayal."
Yi-Han felt a slight fear of Yonaire.
Besides, Gainando is your cousin!
¡ª
"All set?"
"Yes, it''s done."
The White Tiger students were satisfied with the elegant g. Surprisingly, they were seriously considering a g exchange¡ With a fake g!
The idea to exchange a fake g for a real one was quite ingenious. It wasn''t easy, though. They had to deceive the sharp-eyed Blue Dragon students. So, they went to the ck Tortoise''s underground market over the weekend, trading precious rabbit meat for fabric and dye. It was a painful sacrifice, given their hunger, but necessary.
"Moradi! It''s done! The prince has fallen for it! He wants to set a time and ce for the exchange! We agreed to meet tomorrow when the sun is overhead, in front of the main building!"
Ango, a satyr student from the White Tiger, excitedly announced after meeting Gainando.
"Indeed! Well done, Ango!"
"After treating him to such precious food, it''s the least I could do!"
While everyone pped and stomped their feet in excitement, Jijel still wore a look of unease.
Next to her, the dwarf student, Dukma, asked, "What''s wrong, Moradi? Is there a problem?"
"I''m still not sure if that prince is of any use..."
Jijel had a reason for her unease. In any group, the leader always had a distinct aura. Reluctantly, she had to admit that even Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family possessed such a presence.
Even if not a leader, anyone with a certain standing in a group couldn''t help but show it, but Prince Gainando strangelycked this quality.
"Moradi, trust Ango''s judgment. That prince will surely prove to be a useful leverage."
"Right. I agree."
As Dukma sided with Ango, the other students joined in.
Jijel thought, ''What does this kid, full of confidence but no ability, know?''
Of course, she wasn''t swayed by the friendship of such friends. Objectively, Ango wasn''t particrly talented. If he were, he wouldn''t have run away crying when they faced Wardanaz with three people!
But Jijel chose to remain silent. Even though she acted like a leader in the White Tiger, she couldn''t always have her way. Her friends, who followed hermands, trusting her abilities and family, were also people with feelings andints.
If she pushed hermands too forcefully, it could backfire. Sometimes, she needed to show she was listening to her friends, who, being knights, were very sensitive to such pride.
"Alright. If Ango insists so, it must be right."
"Hehe."
Ango scratched the back of his head with a shy smile.
''Even if it fails, it''s just a fake g.''
Even if the trade failed or the other side prepared a trap, they wouldn''t suffer much damage since it was just a fake g. At most, they would lose a fake g that had no use.
With this thought, Jijel nodded and said, "Okay then, let''s disperse. We''ll try the exchange tomorrow."
"Understood!"
¡ª
During the night, when everyone was asleep, Yi-Han and his friends moved out of the tower under the cover of darkness. Surprisingly, it wasn''t just the students of the Blue Dragon; there was also one from the ck Tortoise.
It was Ratford, a professional thief.
"Please follow me."
Since Yi-Han wasn¡¯t wandering around alone, he needed the eyes of a professional thief. Fortunately, Ratford readily agreed to Yi-Han''s request.
¡°Gasp.¡±
Yoner inhaled and let out a surprised sound. Yi-Han also tensed up.
What now?
"Why?"
"...We should have called Nillia too...!"
"!!!"
Yi-Han realized his mistake toote.
Of course, Nillia''s skills weren''t necessary for a theft, but once she found out...
"Ratford. If Nillia asks, I never called you."
"Understood?"
"...No, she''ll find out somehow."
It seemed impossible that Nillia wouldn''t hear about it, given the number of people involved.
''I''ll exin itter.''
"There''s the White Tiger."
In the darkness, only the moonlight grandly illuminated the tower. Yi-Han nodded and slowly approached. He wasn''t overly unfamiliar with the ce, having visited it a few times before.
"Everyone remembers the n, right? Act ordingly."
The students of the Blue Dragon nodded tensely.
In truth, the n was straightforward. Yi-Han and Ratford would enter the White Tiger first. The others would hide nearby, entering only when Yi-Han signaled or waiting if he instructed otherwise.
Yet, despite the simplicity, the tension was unavoidable. Especially since they were all from noble imperial families, a midnight raid was almost a new experience for them.
"Rat... Ratford, should we bite on twigs to stay quiet? I read that in a novel."
"There''s no need. There aren''t many patrols around, and we are few in number."
"Ratford, I''ve wrapped my shoes in cloth to be silent!"
"You might slip in the night; better to unwrap them."
Thus, Ratford found himself giving impromptu lessons in thievery. Yi-Han gestured to him.
"Let''s go."
"Yes."
Yi-Han and Ratford stood before the door of the White Tiger Tower, blending in naturally as if it was their own tower.
Asan, with sweaty palms clenched behind them, suddenly felt puzzled.
''Ratford, maybe, but why does Wardanaz seem so familiar with this...?''
Yi-Han, holding his breath, touched the tower. He tried to read the magic imbued within.
"!"
Suddenly, Yi-Han nearly copsed.
The overwhelming flood of knowledge and information could make one feel faint. That was what Yi-Han was experiencing now. Countless spells were cast upon this tower. Moreover, Yi-Han''s exceptional mana detection only amplified this effect.
Whereas other students might have noticed only a few simple spells nearby, Yi-Han could detect even the mostplexyers.
"Are you alright?!" Ratford whispered in rm, seeing Yi-Han sweat profusely.
"I''m fine. Just a bit overwhelmed. This is no easy task."
"Towers of mages are never easy to enter. If it''s too difficult..."
"No. Let''s do this."
Yi-Han concentrated, trying not to read the entire tower. After all, the only barrier to break was the magic sealing the entrance!
Woooom-
"!"
A massive surge of mana began to gather, noticeable even to the rtively insensitive Ratford.
''Is this okay?'' Ratford was worried. Such a powerful force could seriously harm Yi-Han if mishandled.
''No. Wardanaz should be able to handle it...''
Bang!!!!!
"!!"
"!!!!"
The students of the Blue Dragon, standing behind, were startled by the powerful wave of mana.
Then Yi-Han shouted, "The door''s open! Everyone,e in!!"
"Let''s... go!"
¡ª
-"Master. The magic of the White Tiger Tower has stopped."-
¡°Those anti-magic fools again?! How did they breach the walls?¡±
Deep in his underground workshop, the skull principal, engrossed in his magical research, was taken aback.
-"It appears to be the work of the new students."-
¡°Ah. If that''s the case, it''s understandable. They must be tackling the task I set for them. Should''ve done it earlier.¡±
The skull principal quickly regained hisposure.
¡°Wait. But new students shouldn''t be able to deceive the tower''s magic... Did they find an artifact? Which scoundrel let an artifact slip through? No. There was another way.¡±
Muttering to himself, the skull principal swiftly arrived at the answer. Among the new students, there was one capable of temporarily halting the tower''s magic.
¡°Did he brute force his way in? How uncouth... But where did he learn such a method?¡±
The skull principal was slightly baffled.
Such a crude method was practically useless and even dangerous. It was notmonly taught, neither in books nor by the academy''s professors. To disable magic, one needed to understand its structure and find a loophole. Who would be so foolish as to just smash through with brute force?
-"Should I find out?"-
¡°No, you dim-witted skeleton. I wasn''t talking to you. But even if they breached the entrance, there should be other spells to thwart intruders. What happened to those?¡±
The magic of the White Tiger Tower wasn''t just ced at the entrance. There were various anti-intrusion spells within the tower as well.
-"Most of the other defensive spells have also stopped."-
¡ª
The skull principal paused again.
¡°Not just the entrance, but other spells have stopped too?¡±
''What kind of fool...!''
¡°How hard did he hit it to stop the other spells?¡±
Chapter 68
Chapter 68
While Principal Skelly was at a loss for words, Yi-han and his friends from the Blue Dragons were running up the stairs of the White Tigers.
The manas gathering again!
Yi-han could feel the mana that he had dispersed gathering back in the tower and taking form.
Although they had been momentarily disabled due to the sudden assault, the spells that the academy had cast over the tower were truly powerful and had auto-recovery functions in case of emergencies.
And once they fully recovered
It might pose some problem to our n.
He didnt know exactly how many spells there were, nor their exact effects, but he could surmise that they woulde at the intruders with full force once they were functional again.
Shuuuuuk!!
UUAAAAGH!
Gainando! Gainandooooo!!
Having gathered enough mana, one of the magic circles got reactivated, and along with a sh of light, Gainando, who was unfortunate enough to be its target, was dragged down the stairs, as if an invisible hand had grabbed onto the yoke of his shirts.
KUAAK!!
Gainando was then promptly thrown out of the towers gate, rolling several times on the ground beforeing to a stop.
Clearly, these spells were designed to prevent intruders from entering the tower.
We must hurry! If more spells get reactivated, well be in trouble!
R-right!
The remaining members of the Blue Dragons nodded.
Though they were surprised by what just happened, they had a trustworthy leader that they could rely on.
The students quickly regained theirposure seeing Yi-hanmand them without a hint of panic.
Boom!!
The door to the White Tigers resting lounge was flung open.
The moment they entered, Yi-han and Ratford began looting the ce, looking for the g and anything else that might be worth some money.
W-whats going on here!?
Dolgyu, who hade out of his room after hearing the ruckus, blinked his eyes, trying toprehend the situation.
This was supposed to be their resting lounge, yet there were members of the Blue Dragons all over the ce.
It didnt take him long to spot a familiar face.
Yi-han! Whats this about!?
Dolgyu!
Yes?
Careful!
Huh?
Dolgyu subconsciously looked back, and the moment he did, he was struck in the chin by a marble that Yi-han had sent his way.
Having trusted Yi-han, the poor orcish warrior was knocked out, returning to his slumber.
Hahaha! Serves you right! Thats what you get for going against Wardanaz!
Someone from the Blue Dragons cheered when they saw this.
Yonaire, who happened to witness this, gave Yi-han a questioning look.
Are you sure this was alright? her eyes seemed to say.
Yi-han shook his head.
Its better this way.
He had not notified Dolgyu of their n for one simple reason.
At the end of the day, Dolgyu was a member of the White Tigers.
They didnt think hed betray them, but they were worried that hed be shunned by the others if it came to light that he was informed ahead of time about tonights ambush.
After all, he was already being looked down upon by some of the White Tigers.
Yonaire was aware of this as well, which was why she had agreed to remain silent about the n. However
Was it necessary to strike him so hard!?
The White Tigers wont misunderstand if they see him copsed on the ground. This is to ensure that he doesnt be an outcast like Nilia.
Rightbut whyd you have to out Nilia like that?
The gs over here!
Ratford, who was a thief by profession, was quick to discover the g.
But a problem soon urred
I found one too!
Huh? Then whats this over here?
The White Tigers had undergone several trials and errors toplete the fake g, which was why there were gs strewn everywhere on the ground.
Most of them were shabbily, but due to the darkness, it was hard to tell which one was the real g.
Yi-han made a swift decision.
Well take them all.
!
Right, that would do!
The Blue Dragons began collecting all the gs that they could find in the resting lounge.
W-whats this??
Another member of the White Tigers hade down to check what was going on.
It was Rowena the elf.
Curiously, it was yet another acquaintance, and she freaked out when her eyes met the Adenarts, who had been silently gathering gs in the dark.
Seriously, can someone exin to me whats happening!?
Be quiet and dont move, or else well harm the princess!
!?
Adenart had tagged along to help the team, yet she had suddenly be a hostage.
Needless to say, she was taken aback, and her eyes shook ever so slightly.
Rowena quickly raised her arms in surrender.
N-no! Ill stay still!
You better do as youre told, or else!
That was enough to immobilize Rowena.
After a while, Ratford came to report.
Were done checking, sir! Theres nothing more to loot!
Good. Its time to bolt!
Shuuuuk!
Things were starting to get dicey now that more and more spells were bing reactivated.
Just like what happened with Gainando, two other students were flung out of the tower.
When youre out, head to the Tower of the Blue Dragons! Ratford, run!!
Yes, sir!
The slimy bastards from the Blue Dragons have infiltrated our tower!!
An increasing number of students from the White Tigers were arriving at the resting lounge due to themotion.
They hade down to see what was going on, only to realize that they had been robbed.
It didnt take long for them to wake up all their friends.
Rowena, why did you stay still!?
T-they held Her Highness hostage
What are you talking about! Theyre from the same tower!!
!
Hurry! We must catch them!!
***
Some by their own volition, and others by force, Yi-han and his gang of students from the Blue Dragons sessfully escaped from the Tower of the White Tigers.
Yi-han had just barely managed to escape by the skin of his teeth. Shivers ran down his spine as he felt the spells be functional again right after he left.
Ugh.
Those that had been kicked out by force were suffering from a severe headache and had trouble remaining upright. As for Gainando, he was still rolling on the ground, unable to recover.
The White Tigers are about to catch up! Carry those that cant move!
U-understood!
Afterying down orders, Yi-han carried Gainando on his back, who was screaming in a hysteric manner.
Coachman! Youre going too fast! Be a bit more gentle!
Youre not on a carriage, Gainando! Get yourself back together!
Stop right there, you filthy thieves!!
The White Tigers were hot on their tails, shouting at them with torches in their hands.
Not only had they been ambushed in the dead of the night, but they had also lost their g in the process.
Asan returned tit for tat.
Hah! A pot calling the kettle ck! You guys were trying to trick us with fake gs! A bunch of lowlife scammers!
If you have time to provoke them, run!
Even with Gainando on his back, Yi-han was faster than the other students.
However, he was eventually forced to stop as the White Tigers were catching up faster than he had anticipated.
Some of us will be caught at this rate!
Are we going to use the prince as bait? Ratford asked, catching his breath.
Of course not!
Yi-han was stunned by the absurdity of his suggestion.
Wardanaz, setting aside the fact that you held the princess hostage to threaten Rowena in a cowardly manner, how could you knock out Dolgyu like that!? He trusted you!
The voice was from Angrago, the goat demi-human.
Yi-han took this opportunity and gave a cold response.
Dolgyu? Hes just a convenient pawn. Its his fault for being tricked.
Wardanaz!!
Enraged, Angrago jumped at him. However, he alone was nowhere near enough to take down Yi-han.
Not only was he more proficient with the sword, but he had also undergone Professor Bdys harsh training.
Gush Forth!
He immediately summoned forth a ball of water andpressed them into marbles. Then, without further ado, he struck his opponent.
Move!
The sounds of the water marbles hitting their target preceded Angrago falling to the ground.
The marbles had struck his limbs, depriving him of his ability to stand.
However, this didnt stop Angrago from giving Yi-han a look of hatred.
The torches behind them cast a shadow on Yi-hans face, making him appear even more cold than before.
Angragos heart boiled with anger and grief as he recalled how Dolgyu was still knocked out in their resting lounge.
Kuk..! Wardanaz! You monster! Is this the only spell you know!?
Angrago!!
His friends had caught up by then and were helping him up as he screamed.
He behaved as if he were a virtuous knight that had been taken down by a wicked sorcerer.
Kukukuku! Against Wardanaz, you guys dont amount to
Shut up and stop provoking them.
Yi-han struck Gainando in the mouth as he was about to taunt the White Tigers the moment he came back to his senses.
Twas all for an assignment. No hard feelings guys.
No hard feelings my ass!
True, I guess its unreasonable to ask them to forgive and forget.
Yi-han thought the same.
If he were in their position and someone told him If you want to me anyone, you should me Principal Skelly for pitting the towers against each other and facilitating this kind of interaction, hed tell them to piss off as well, especially if they ended with a lets continue to get along from now on.
Instead, hed say, Let me beat you up once. Well talk afterwards.
Yi-han heaved a deep sigh as he knew negotiation was no longer an option.
The White Tigers, however, took this as him looking down on them.
Youyou!
Dont bothering after us. I can shoot off as many spells as I want. Itd be a different story if it was bright outside, but with how dark it is right now, I doubt you guys would be able to dodge them.
Yi-han was nning on fleeing before more reinforcements came.
He could keep five or six students at bay with his magic, but if there were more of them, it was hard to tell how they would react to his threats.
Dont mind me! Friends, we must avenge Dolgyu! He was thrown away like a chess piece by Wardanaz!
There was a glint in the White Tigers eyes as they heard Angrago cry out amidst the pain.
Fuck.
Yi-han regretted not knocking him outpletely.
He could sense the determination in the White Tigers eyes. They were determined to take revenge for Dolgyu, even if it meant being hit by his spells.
They were, after all, descendants of knights. They prioritized their friends honor before their own well-being.
Gainando whispered to Yi-han in a tense voice.
Arent we screwed?
Rather than give a response, Yi-han struck Gainandos mouth once more.
Ill hold off the ones on the left using the water marbles and block the ones on the right using my sword then, Ill obscure their vision and retreat
Things had taken an unexpected turn, but Yi-han was able to quickly make sense of the situation and formte a n.
However, all that was for naught as Gainando screamed while hanging onto his shoulder, pointing his finger behind where the White Tigers were.
W-watch out!! Theres something behind you!!
Wardanaz, do you take us for fools!? You think wed be tricked by the prince!?
DUCK!!!
Hah, tough luck, well never fall forUWAAAA!
WHEEEEECK!
A huge vine wrapped itself around one of the White Tigers and lifted him up into the air.
A massive vine monster had appeared from the dark.
For a split second, Yi-han thought it was one of the towers defense mechanisms, and he had identally triggered it.
Fortunately, that didnt turn out to be the case.
A summoned monster has escaped from the greenhouse! I repeat, a summoned monster has escaped from the greenhouse!
Its heading toward the freshmen! This aint my fault! If anything, he should be the one sent to the Punishment Room!
Quiet! We must resolve this problem first!
The conversation sounded oddly familiar.
Indeed, it was an interaction between a professor and their disciples after a failed experiment.
Ttak!
Professor Garcia appeared midair andnded before them.
With a wave of her staff, she knocked the vine monster away from the students.
To think another batch of summoned monsters would escape again. This will be a tough week for the first years. Oh, Yi-han.
Wait. What do you mean again? And there are more of these?
Monsters have escaped again?
Never mind that. Why are you out here in the middle of the night?
Professor! The vine monster has taken our friend! Please save him!
R-right. Wait just one moment.
Chapter 69
Chapter 69
If it wasnt obvious enough by now, the academy wasnt a safe ce.
Even if the professors didnt do anything, dangerous events would frequently ur.
To learn new spells, inexperienced mages had to undergo countless trials and errors, which sometimes led to idents.
The summoned monsters running around the campus right now were prime examples of this.
The upperssmen had been summoning monsters to prepare for the experiments that they would be conducting throughout the semester, but they had failed to control them.
Even so, did the academy not prepare any countermeasures against monsters running rampant like this? If anything, this indicates a w in the system.
Yi-han was at a loss for words after hearing Professor Garcias exnation.
However, he hadnt given up hope.
So there are even more monsters running about still, the situation will be resolved soon, right? I mean, all the Empires best mages are gathered here.
Of course.
This came as a great relief to Yi-han.
I guess theres nothing to worry about then!
Itll only take a month or so.
..
Yi-hans face froze.
It was dark outside, and with the vine monster causing trouble, Professor Garcia didnt notice this change in expression.
Then during that timeframe
You should be careful.
Professor Garcia wasnt saying this out of malice.
With monsters lurking in the academys shadows, it made sense to give such a warning.
but that didnt make the situation any less discouraging.
Shes a professor after all!
Although she was kinder than the others, Professor Garcia couldnt be considered normal either.
Shiiing!
T-thank you maam!
Professor Garcia had sent out a sharp wave of wind that sliced off the vines of the monster.
Thereafter, she safely caught the White Tigers student and extracted him from the battle.
Though it may have seemed simple, she had just performed aplicated series of magic.
She had first stunned the monster in its ce using mind magic, cut off its vines using wind magic, and caught the student by slowing his descent using gravity maniption magic.
Yi-han was blown away by how the professor managed to do this with just a few waves of her staff.
Woah!
Unlike before when they fought against the anti-magic extremists, he had the time to carefully observe this time.
Watching Professor Garcia shoot off her spells reminded him of a ballerina.
By simply extending their arms and lifting their legs, ballerinas could surround themselves with an unattainable aura, and Professor Garcia was no different.
Are you alright?
Uhuhuhuhung!
The experience must have been quite terrifying as the student forgot about his identity as a knight and began sobbing.
Or maybe it was because it was his first time hearing kind words from a professor sinceing to the academy.
By the way, why are you students out sote at night?
Wardanaz and his gang raided our towerand stole our g.
..
Professor Garcia turned around, bewildered.
It was surprising enough to see them out here. How did they manage to get through the towers defence?
What in the world?
But Yi-han was no longer there when she turned to look. He had already fled.
***
The students for the Blue Dragons safely returned to their dorms, but they werent in a celebratory mood.
It was because of the voice resonating outside.
Summoned monsters have escaped and are roaming the academy. Students beware. I repeat, summoned monsters have escaped and are
The students couldnt be bothered to retort anymore.
This academy always managed to bring them new surprises every week.
Every time they thought This is it, right? theyd be hit with something else.
Now, they couldnt rx even within the academy.
..
Did one of the professors release them on purpose?
A student murmured.
If they were still in their first week, theyd have written it off as absurd, but now, they seriously considered the possibility.
You might be right. I bet that principal of ours
No, we should be most suspicious of Professor Uregor.
And if monsters did escape, why arent they catching them straight away?
Yi-han, who had been listening to their exchange, came up with a conjecture.
I bet theyre just toozy to catch them themselves.
One month sounded way too long.
With so many mages scattered throughout the academy, if the professors really wanted, they could surround the monsters and capture them in one swoop. Even a dragon would be no match for them.
However, professors refused to budge under normal circumstances.
Even if they messed up, they would instruct their disciples to handle the aftermath. And if it was their disciples that messed up, they wouldnt bother moving an inch.
As that was the case, they probably werent too keen on the idea of going out and capturing the monsters themselves.
But I better not tell this to the others.
Yi-han was taking into consideration the well-being of the students mental health.
They should at least tell us what kind of monsters escaped! And what are our seniors doing!?
Exactly!
Not only were the students angry at their professors, but they were also angry at their unknown upperssmen.
They went on a rant and cursed their seniors. If it werent for their mistake, they wouldnt have had to suffer like this!
Enough. Stop chatting ande get your breakfast. I took special care since you all worked hardst night.
Yi-han lifted a huge pot that was ced in front of the firece.
Needless to say, the Blue Dragons were delighted to see the tomato beef stew contained within the pot.
Yi-han had brought back a wide variety of ingredients, but he had no intention of wasting them. After all, he didnt know when his next leave would be.
Nevertheless, everyone had worked hard yesterday, so he was willing to prepare a generous meal for them.
I should grow some more vegetables.
He nned on expanding his field.
Sweet potatoes and potatoes were a given, but he also wished to try his hands at growing wheat and some fruits
Id also like a couple more hens. Hm, if I were to raise pigs as well, would Professor Uregor call me crazy?
By managing a field, he had learned the importance of having fresh vegetables in their lives.
The quality of food they could have differed drastically depending on whether they had vegetables or not.
Take the tomato beef stew, for example. Much of the vor and aroma came from the tomatoes and the spices, while therge chunk of beef meat provided a visual impact.
However, what truly contributed to the rich and deep vor were the vegetables such as onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms.
Having sauted these vegetables beforehand, he was able to prepare the foundation for the stew.
Wait, what am I thinking?
Yi-hans thoughts came to an abrupt pause.
For some reason, it seemed like he had gained more insights into other areas rather than magic sinceing to the academy.
The Blue Dragons enjoyed a hearty breakfast as they stuffed themselves with tomato beef stew and bread.
The warm morning sun streaming through the stained-ss windows made it feel as if they were back in their own homes.
Summoned monsters have escaped and are roaming the academy. Students beware. I repeat, summoned monsters have escaped and are
Now my appetites gone
Then do you mind if I have yours as well?
If you havent removed your hand by the time I count to three, Ill challenge you to a duel.
Yi-han stood up to deliver the meal to the princess. He was used to it by now that others didnt have to remind him.
?
But for some reason, the door to her room remained shut.
Yi-han knocked on the door several times but ultimately returned after giving up as the princess didnt respond.
Whats wrong? Did Her Highness say she didnt want it?
No, she didnt open the door.
Ah, she must be asleep then. It was a long night after all
Adenarts followers nodded in understanding.
Last night had been a hectic one, so it wasnt strange for her to feel tired.
Yi-han, however, had a guilty conscience.
I hope she doesnt hold it against me for taking her hostage.
Unlike Gainando, Adenart possessed the skill and was revered by the students around her.
If she were to tattle on him during summer or winter break, iming that Wardanaz held her hostage, things could get quite tricky, which was why he had generously added extra beef to her stew
Then we should just let her sleep. Thanks, Wardanaz. Actually, the princess isnt particrly fond of eating, but it seems like shes been epting them out of courtesy since youve been personally bringing them to her.
?
Yi-han cocked his head.
Is that so? But she seemed to enjoy eating a lot
Gainando, who had been gulping down the stew like there was no tomorrow, joined the conversation.
Rather than letting her starve, wouldnt it be better to wake her up? She could sleep whenever she wants, but as for food
Shut up, Gainando! Her Highness isnt like you!
Yeah, shes not obsessed with food!
Yi-han actually agreed with Gainando for once.
She could wake up, eat breakfast, and go back to sleep if she really wanted
Whatever, her followers should know her best.
By the way
?
Are you going to be all right for todays morning ss?
Morning ss? Oh.
Yonaire pestered Yi-han to check his schedule.
I should be.
..
Her skeptical gaze said it all. It was clear that she didnt trust his words at all.
***
..
..
Basic Swordsmanship.
After what happened yesterday night, the White Tigers were staring daggers at Yi-han.
Only Dolgyu was willing to approach him.
You didnt have to do that, he said with a stern expression.
He had realized the moment he was about to be knocked out that the honorable Yi-han had chosen to vilify himself to protect Dolgyus position.
When he woke up, the White Tigers filled him in about what happened, telling him that Wardanaz was just using him as a chess piece, but Dolgyu remained firm.
Real friends wouldnt be deterred by other peoples opinions. They would respect each others honor and help in times of need.
What a wonderful thing to say, Dolgyu.
I dont think raiding a tower to snatch ones g could be considered honorable though.
However, Yi-han decided to respect Dolgyus opinion, so he simply nodded.
Since Dolgyu was willing to forgive him for what he didst night, why would he bother exining himself?
Hence, you dont have to portray yourself as the viin from now on.
Right.
Though he agreed, he wouldnt hesitate to repeat what he did if a simr situation arose.
Dolgyu might not mind, but the same couldnt be said about the rest of the White Tigers.
As a case in point, they were ring at him even at this moment.
Hes trying to trick Dolgyu again!
We should make it so that they cante into contact!
Some were grinding their teeth, ready to separate them, even if they had to resort to force.
They behaved as though Yi-han was brainwashing Dolgyu.
Good morning, students.
Professor Ingurdel, the elven sword master, arrived while using his sword like a cane.
The students that had been chatting until now respectfully greeted him when he appeared.
The professor spoke in a soft voice, contrary to what anyone would expect from a swordsman.
When I woke up today, I was notified that monsters have been unleashed into the academy. My, what an absurd ce this is.
..
All the students present nodded.
This was something everyone agreed to, regardless of their affiliation.
But the students would have to continue attending sses So I asked myself, how could I help them?
?
For reasons unknown, Yi-han had a bad feeling about this.
Professors caring about their students rarely resulted in positive oues.
And thats why Ive brought one of the monsters here. Lets practice fighting one in todays ss.
..
Professor Ingurdel seemed to be adapting to the ways of the academy, much to Yi-hans dismay.
Chapter 70
Chapter 70
You are correct, Professor.
Retreating out of fear will not result in victory. A truly strong knight confronts and battles against their fear!
These crazy lunatics.
Yi-Han shook his head from side to side.
If they were other tower students, Yi-Han would have joined hands with them and said, Professor Ingurdel, please snap out of it. Unfortunately, the White Tigers tower students were the kind who wouldnt listen to anything Yi-Han said.
Even so, it was hard to believe they would be so in favor of fighting against unleashed summoned monsters like that.
Isnt learning how to avoid it amon thing?
Sometimes Yi-Han felt lonely, thinking he might be the only sane person in this school.
I have good students, indeed.
Professor Ingurdel nodded with a satisfied expression at the reaction of the White Tigers tower students.
He intended to reconsider it if there were any students who were afraid or wanted to avoid it. However, as expected of talented swordsmen, they tried to face their fears and fight instead of avoiding them.
While looking around, Professor Ingurdels gaze suddenly stopped at Yi-Han. Yi-Han reflexively shouted.
Thats truly an excellent idea, Professor!
Thank you, everyone.
Upon hearing Yi-Han shout like that, Professor Ingurdel smiled with a proud expression.
After contemting various things and considering the idea that came to his mind, it seemed to be a quite good idea.
Now, everyone please gather in groups of three and form a team.
Fortunately, Professor Ingurdel still had some conscience left. He didnt tell them to face the monster alone.
However
Ah. Im doomed.
Yi-Han realized that he was doomed.
For those who had difficulty making friends like Nilia, it would be suffocating to be forced to form a team like this.
Although Yi-Han wasnt Nilia, there was no way the White Tigers tower students would join hands with him.
Lets say one position will be filled by Dolgyu, should I forcefully beat another person and bring them over? Can I avoid the professors attention and pressure another student?
Professor, are we free to form the team as we wish?
No. Since Ive prepared paper slips, each of you can draw one and form teams.
Professor Ingurdel gave Yi-Han a slight wink.
Because Yi-Han is affiliated with the Blue Dragons tower, even the Professor was well aware that he wasnt close to the other White Tigers tower students.
Knowing that, he provided this kind of consideration.
Professor
Yi-Han was thankful indeed.
However
If youre going to be this considerate, why not give us swordsmanship training or something instead of telling us to practise capturing escaped summoned monsters
His twisted way of consideration was truly the characteristic of a professor.
Yi-Han lined up and drew a paper slip. Number 4 was written on it.
Is there anyone who drew the number 4?
Dolgyu raised his hand. Yi-Hans expression softened. The White Tigers tower students stared at Yi-Han, looking very worried.
Is he nning to use and y with Dolgyu like a chess piece again?
Isnt there one more person?
A team consisted of three people.
Someone raised their hand at Yi-Hans words.
It was Jijel of the Moradi family.
.
.
Not only Dolgyu and Yi-Han, but even the other White Tigers tower students were astonished.
Isnt a bloodshed going to happen like this?
On one side, there was Yi-Han, the essence of the Wardanaz family, who had mastered various malevolent magical curses even before entering the academy.
On the other side, there was Jijel, a born leader who led the White Tigers tower students with innate charisma. She hailed from the powerful Moradi family, one of the strongest knight families in the northern region.
Moreover, since they didnt get along well with each other
But instead of raising her sword, Jijel simply raised the corner of her mouth with a mysterious smile. To Yi-Han, that seemed even more ominous.
Since we both made childish mistakes, cant we take this opportunity to forget about them?
You cant be saying that with genuine sincerity right, Yi-Han?
Dolgyu looked at Yi-Han as if he was saying something utterly ridiculous.
Of course, if one looked at who initiated the dispute first, it was technically Jijel indeed.
However, in an emotional conflict, such a sequence of events was not important.
Moreover, judging by the intensity of the confrontation, Yi-Han was overwhelmingly dominant.
After putting her to sleep, Yi-Han passed the me onto Principal Skelly who had sent him to the punishment room, who had led his friends to raid the loungete at night to steal the g, and so on.
While Dolgyu wasnt particrly close with Jijel, being from the same northern knight family, he knew quite well what kind of person she was.
Given her arrogant self-esteem, even if it was not visibly apparent on the surface, she would undoubtedly be grinding her teeth strongly at Yi-Han.
To be honest, he was genuinely worried.
Yi-Han, when we move together, make sure to keep me between you and Moradi. And never show your back to Moradi.
Thank you, Dolgyu. Youre really supportive.
Have you formed your teams?
After confirming the teams, Professor Ingurdel continued his words.
In a party, there should always be a leader. The person who draws the paper slip with a red corner bes the leader. Leaders, please give the orders. The others, follow the leaders instructions and face the monsters.
.
Yi-Han recalled that the paper slip he drew didnt have a red corner like that.
Dolgyu, please tell me you drew the slip with the red corner.
Im sorry.
Yi-Han and Dolgyu looked at Jijel. Jijel shook the paper slip with the red corner and once again shed the same mysterious smile.
Would you call me Captain?
Captain.
No, you should put Miss before that.
Miss Captain.
Jijels smile deepened at Yi-Hans response.
If you dont want to be stabbed from behind, make sure to give clear instructions.
.
There was a saying that knights who had witnessed white ice storms sweeping in beyond the northern mountains were not afraid of anything.
Dolgyu was also one of those people, but the current sight of Yi-Han and Jijel looking at each other genuinely scared him.
***
So, what kind of summoned monster do we need to fight against?
I cant tell you about that.
?
?
All the White Tigers tower students tilted their heads in unison. Yi-Han felt something ominous.
Were trying to learn how to face unidentified summoned monsters, so wouldnt it be pointless if we knew their identities beforehand?
Professor Ingurdel kindly provided this additional exnation.
Many White Tigers tower students nodded in understanding, thinking, Ah, so thats the reason. However, a few students, including Yi-Han and some clear-headed White Tigers tower students, had their expressions slightly stiffened.
Starting now, please enter the annex building one team at a time. Theres a summoned monster inside, so after dealing with it, you can exit through the opposite door.
When Professor Ingurdel finished his words, a few students who were still clear-headed earlier cautiously threw a question.
Still, Professor, it might be a summoned monster we cant handle, wouldnt some information be necessary?
Thats right. Could you please give us at least a hint on how to deal with it?
Upon hearing the words of the White Tigers tower students, Professor Ingurdels face showed a slight tinge of contemtion.
Upon reflection, he realized that the practical exercise might be too challenging for them.
Well, its true that even the experience of finding ways to confront each other requires some basic information
During this moment, the normal students senses started to return after being paralyzed by the professors entricity and the White Tigers tower students chimed in.
Dont talk like a coward!
What do you think the Professor thinks of us? Do you think he would see us as weaklings who cant do anything?
No, everyone
Professor. We are alright!
We dont need hints. Well find a way to confront it using our hands, feet, and swords.
Isnt this a magic school? Yi-Han thought to himself. Lets use magic, kids! And if possible, get some hints too!
Idiot trash, seriously
?
What? Why?
Yi-Han turned his head to Jijel, who had spoke as if to say, So what?
Originally, managing expressions and behavior was about being thoughtful of the other person. But there was no need to y innocence in front of the Wardanaz, who knew everything.
I agree on the idiot part.
I must admit, you do say things that resonate sometimes. Listen to the instructions I give as well. If you do that, there shouldnt be any issues, Jijel said, as if giving a warning.
It seems that theres a misunderstanding. As long as theres no issue with the instructions, I have noints. Why would I start unnecessary conflicts? I dont like picking fights with others.
.
.
Not just Jijel, but even Dolgyu was slightly taken aback.
To say something like that, with how youve been beating up people too naturally
And being that person who had betrayed others and had handed them over to the principal?
Jijel crossed her arms and spoke with an exasperated tone. Her gaze was already as sharp as if she had drawn her sword several times.
Since we werent exactly on the same side, its not really betrayal, is it?
Yi-Han, Im not a very good conversationalist, but I think it would be best if you stop talking, Dolgyu stopped Yi-Han.
While Dolgyu didnt particrly like Jijel either, he realized that if he let things continue as they were, either Yi-Han or Jijel might copse even before fighting the monster.
I was trying to clear up a misunderstanding.
No, Yi-Han. Some misunderstandings cant be resolved. And Yi-Han, you
Dolgyu was about to say, You have a talent for getting enemies angry, but he held back.
Anyway, in the current situation, Dolgyu was the only one who could calm the situation between the two. Dolgyu was determined to gather his strength to do that.
He wasnt good with words, but still!
Both of you should think about it. Acting on your whims just because you dont like each other will only lead to losses for both of you. Even if you dont like each other, since this is a ss, please earnestly strive towards the given goals
Thats obvious. Dolgyu, dont worry.
Dont say useless things. Choi. I already know it without you having to say it.
Both of them scolded Dolgyu simultaneously. Dolgyu felt unfair.
***
The annex building arranged by Professor Ingurdel had an exterior resembling a massive gymnasium or auditorium.
Of course, behind the closed doors, there was something different waitingescaped summon creaturesinstead of enjoyable exercises.
The silence makes it even more unsettling.
He would have at least been able to make a guess if there were screams or something. But with the silence persisting as if the summoned monster was magically muted, it was even more chilling.
What did they bring along?
After opening the door and entering, dont move recklessly, but assess the situation first. If the attack begins as soon as we enter, move to the left and right tell that to the person beside you. Choi.
Dolgyu was lost for words at Jijels childish remark.
What message was there to convey when Yi-Han was right beside her?
You werent this childish before, Moradi!
If its dark inside, I will turn on light magic first and then enter the room. Tell the person by your side not to be startled for no reason, Dolgyu.
Tell the person by your side that if he wastes his magic for no reason and copses, hell be left behind, Choi.
Tell the person by your side that Im stepping forward because Im the only one who knows how to use light magic, Dolgyu.
Tell the person by your side not to brag about using light magic because I can use it too, Choi.
Can someone please help me out here?
Before entering the magic school, Dolgyu had heard all sorts of stories.
To engage students in magic, they prepared harsh trials. They say that the professor is a troll, and knightly descendants are marginalized for being weak in magic. They say
But in any of those stories, there was never a situation like this!
Bam!
The door opened. Inside was not bright at all and rather dark. Yi-Han let out a sigh.
Slowly but surely, being able to predict the patterns of this school bes scary.
The students who had expected it to be bright must have been taken aback by the darkness inside.
He wondered how Professor Ingurdel thought while preparing this darkness.
Since summoned creatures are more likely to roam at night than during the day, he must have prepared for it as a precaution.
Light!
Yi-Hans spell rose like the sun, illuminating the interior of the annex brightly. Dolgyu and Jijel couldnt help but acknowledge Yi-Hans magical prowess.
-
The summoned monster located inside the annex had an appearance that seemed like a mix between a spirit and a bull.
Not only that, but there was also an aura of reinforced magic and potions that couldnt be felt from an ordinary bull.
In an instant, Yi-Hans mind was brushed by the image of Professor Uregors face.
No way, right?
Chapter 71
Chapter 71
Professor Uregor had asked questions like Wasnt there a bull? Why is it missing?, upon seeing the returning students the previous time.
Yi-Han couldnt figure out why that image from that time suddenly shed through his mind.
Lets focus.
Yi-Han averted his gaze.
The elemental ox in front of them was emitting a distinct and unique energy.
The were two types of magic on it. There was clearly the aura of reinforced magic and an aura of a potion.
Theoretically, it was difficult to exin, but the energy of reinforced magic that was shown externally and the magical potion working from within had distinct differences.
Additionally, there was another energy simr to magic but with a different trajectory.
Is it the power of a spirit?
Even though Yi-Han didnt know much about spirits, he could at least tell that the bull before him was mixed with some kind of spirit.
Because a regr bull would not be made up of ice that seemed to ripple along with half of its body.
Each time it stamped its hooves menacingly, staring in his direction, the ground beneath it was covered in a thinyer of frost.
Yi-Han. Its staring this way. Do you think it might charge at us? What do you think?
I do not really have much thought, but it might be angry because I lit a light.
.
Dolgyu and Jijel turned their heads and looked at Yi-Han.
Hey!
What? One should turn on the lights in the dark, shouldnt they? The one who gets angry when the lights are turned on should be the strange one.
Right now, I dont think its important to debate whether the spirit-infused bull is strange or not
Ask him if theres a way to deal damage to it, Choi.
Is it not over yet?
When Jijel conveyed her message to Yi-Han through Dolgyu, Dolgyu let out a deep sigh.
Perhaps ordinary physical attacks wont work against the elemental aspect. Enchanting weapons with magic is still beyond our capabilities
Among the monsters, there were quite a few that ordinary attacks didnt work against.
To deal with these kinds of creatures, adventurers often carried weapons enchanted with magic or learned how to imbue their weapons with magical energy.
Is there anyone among us who knows how to infuse even a little magic into weapons?
In response to Yi-Hans question, Dolgyu raised his hand. Jijel also raised her hand. Yi-Han, who asked the question, raised his hand as well.
Jijel stared at the two of them as if they were crazy.
Setting aside Dolgyu, why would someone who wasnt even from a knightly lineage know how to infuse magic into a weapon?
I asked the question to Dolgyu but you answered as well. Anyway, if all three of us can attack, isnt that a good thing? Lets disperse and strike it.
Actually, the fact that these three were gathered in one team was quite fortunate.
Yi-Han and Dolgyu were among the most skilled students in the swordsmanship ss, and while Jijel was slightly weakerpared to them, she still possessed formidable swordsmanship abilities.
Of course, their rtionship still wasnt very good.
Ask him whos going to stand in the middle, Choi.
In a situation like this, if they started approaching, there was a high chance the elemental bull would dislike whoever was in the front.
With respect for the captain, Yi-Han inquired.
Wouldnt it be natural for the captain to stand in the center? Could you convey that, Dolgyu?
Jijel responded with a gesture of her middle finger. Dolgyu let out a sigh.
Rock-paper-scissors?
Rock-paper-scissors.
Yi-Han in the center. Jijel on the right, and Dolgyu on the left.
Dolgyu felt like it was the first time he had seen Jijel smile so brightly.
**`*
Fortunately, the elemental bull didnt immediately charge despite the ignited light.
The three students strategy was simple.
They spread out in three directions, approaching the elemental bull while waiting for its reaction.
Once the creature began to react, the targeted student would focus on avoiding its attacks, while the other two students would deal damage.
The problem is in the evasion.
Originally, in hunts like this, the person who can evade well is more crucial, while the one dealing the strikes had a rtively easier task.
Yi-Han regretted his inability to avoid being in the center.
-!
Until just a moment ago, the spirit bull had only tapped its hooves, but now it let out a fierce roar, exhaling icy breath.
It was clearly a warning gesture that seemed to say, Back off meekly.
Instead of approaching further, Yi-Han decided to use his magic.
Surge forth, move!
Water droplets surged forth into the air and headed straight for the spirit bull. The spirit bull, which had been standing still, was startled and moved its body. The bursting water droplets explode upon impact with the ground.
Thud, thud!
Aweso Wait.
Watching the impressive disy of magic that continued to amaze everyone, Dolgyu felt something was off.
It was because the direction in which Yi-Han had thrown the water droplets seemed a bit peculiar.
It seemed as if he was aiming to bring the elemental bull down from above, and the result was as if he was pushing the elemental bull to the right?
Damn, son of a bitch.
Jijel drew her twin swords.
Dolgyu noticed, hence there was no way Jijel could have missed it.
Since the first time, Jijel had also intended to push the elemental bull to move towards Yi-Hans side when it came her way.
Dash!
Jijel jumped diagonally backwards to the left.
It was to redirect the attention of the elemental bull which was focused on her back onto Yi-Han.
While it was momentarily distracted, it was clear that the elemental bull perceived one of them as a more imminent threat.
It was a clever attempt, but in the end, it was a move that sealed their own fate.
-!
Provoked, the elemental bullpletely changed its angle and charged towards Yi-Han and Jijel.
Ill hide at night!
?!
Yi-Hans figure disappeared. Jijel didnt even have time to curse. To confront the elemental bull, she had to draw her twin swords and wield her magic de.
She waved the sword in her right hand to lure the elemental bulls attention, and with the sword in her left hand, she aimed directly at the bulls jaw. Jijel, like a skilled bullfighter, sidestepped and managed to deal damage to the elemental bull as she passed by.
Tsk.
Jijel clicked her tongue at the sensation she felt at her fingertips. It seemed like she had attacked the elemental part, but the bull appeared to take no damage at all.
The sword she held was covered in frost, but the area where the elemental bull had been attacked was instantly restored.
Creak!
The elemental bull made an unpleasant noise as it changed direction. Despite its massive size, it was surprisingly agile and flexible.
With a nod, Jijel swung her sword again, as if signaling for it toe forth again.
Boom!!!!
In that moment, the elemental bull was sent flying sideways as if struck by something.
Yi-Han dispelled the invisibility spell and revealed his form. The sturdy wooden sword he had been holding waspletely reduced to dust.
.
.
***
Of course, it might sound like an excuse, but Yi-Han had a reason for shifting the elemental bulls attention towards Jijel.
For Yi-Han to execute a proper attack, someone needed to divert the attention of the elemental bull.
Telling Jijel would not make her believe it, of course
It would be painful for her feelings, but he had no choice except to show the results.
Will this be okay, Yi-Han?!
Its fine! We wouldnt have to be in the same team outside of this lesson anyway!
With a cheerful response, Yi-Han chased after the back of the bull in his transparent state.
Feet, grip the ground!
Yi-Hans muttering transformed into an incantation that surged through his entire body.
With his already sharpened focus, his vision became even more precise, allowing him to perceive the movements of the elemental bull more distinctly.
Whooong!
Remembering thest time his sword broke, Yi-Han infused his magic without hesitation.
Thanks to the attention the spirit bull had fixed on Jijel, Yi-Han had managed to buy himself some precious time.
Yi-Han swung at the spirit bull before the sword shattered. Naturally, the attack ended with the sword breaking apart.
Boom!!!!
Still, the effect was evident. The spirit bull was knocked to the side. Yi-Han shook his numb hand from the impact and shouted before the spirit bull could get up.
Nows the time! Lets get out of here!
O okay.
Dolgyu couldnt bring himself to look at Jijels expression. It was too frightening.
***
The goat-headed centaur, Angrago, looked at the exit with a worried expression.
Having entered first ande out, Angrago from Team 3 was deeply concerned about Team 4.
What should we do if that Wardanaz bastard uses Dolgyu again?
Dont worry. Moradi is there. Moradi will prevent him from doing that.
Right? Since Moradi is around.
Although everyone said that, their expressions were still filled with worry.
It felt like putting a wolf and amb in the same ce!
As the three of them walked out, the students couldnt help but breathe a sigh of relief.
What a relief.
Finally you came out, Dolgyu!
Moradi, you worked hard!
.
.
???
However, the students who came out realized that there was something strange about the atmosphere of Team 4.
Wardanaz was usually an expressionless and cold guy, but even Dolgyu seemed to be acting awkwardly with an unfamiliar expression, as if he didnt know where to put himself.
Moreover, Moradi
For some reason, there was a tense atmosphere that seemed as if they would be killed if they spoke to her.
Angrago stopped trying to speak to her because he was too scared.
A-Angrago.
Dolgyu! Did you avoid it well?
Yeah. We managed to avoid it. How did you guys handle it?
Dolgyu asked curiously.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldnt imagine other team students solving it the same way as Yi-Han did.
We grabbed a torch hanging in the corner, threw it, and while the creature was distracted, we made our escape.
We conjured mes and threw them at the creature, then ran like crazy before making our escape.
Hey, you guys are clever. We dont have those abilities, so we had to take turns luring the bull while barely finding our way to the exit.
Students from each team spun tales of their adventures.
There were teams that cleverly strategized their way through, and others who charged in headfirst relying on brute force to ovee the challenge.
With each story he heard, Dolgyus expression grew more rigid.
Come to think of it, the Professor did say to confront it and then head to the exit, he didnt specifically tell us to defeat it, right?
Professor Ingurdel hadnt uttered a word about knocking it down, yet due to Yi-Han and Jijels conversation about how they should beat it down, Dolgyu had also been swept up in the atmosphere.
The next teams that entered also came out one by one. Some students emerged with their cloaks or clothes covered in frost, looking dishevelled and distressed.
You all did great. I instructed you to face the challenge and make your way to the exit, but there was even a team that went so far as to beat the summoned monster. While that wasnt my original intention, the teams excellence in beating it deserves nothing less than praise.
The students buzzed in response to Professor Ingurdels words.
Some students were about to ask Jijel, Jijel, did you do it? but seeing Jijels foul mood, they simply backed off.
How did it feel to face the monster?
It was stronger than I thought. Its movements were fast too.
I didnt expect that the attacks themselves wouldnt work.
The White Tigers Tower students expressed their impressions ording to what came to their mind. The elf professor nodded in response.
Im sure everyone thought the same.
.
As he listened to the professors words, Dolgyu pondered where his team had gone wrong.
Everyone probably felt differently. However, while escaping from the monster, you must have realized one thing. That is, theres no need to be so terrified.
You are right!
The White Tigers Tower students agreed.
Even if it was just running away, facing the monster directly and experiencing it firsthand diminished the fear more than expected.
Ultimately, in order to dispel fear, one must face that fear directly.
Facing monsters is ultimately akin to the fundamentals of swordsmanship. Stayposed, assess your opponent, and think about how to escape if you cant win. Im pleased that you all seem to have gained an invaluable lesson today that words alone couldnt teach.
Dolgyu agreed with the professors words.
Of course, Dolgyus team just beat it outright, though
Oh. For this semesters lessons, I n to proceed with the teams formed today. It seems the bnce is better than expected.
.
Dolgyu nodded his head as he listened, but then froze in ce. After that, he looked at Yi-Han and Jijel.
Their expressions were simrly frozen, much like Dolgyus. Yi-Han asked Dolgyu in a low voice.
Hmm, do you think its a good idea to apologize now for what happened earlier?
I think it might be best to let me be the mediator for that
Chapter 72
Chapter 72
Still, if were going to be in the same team from now on, I might need to clear up the misunderstanding.
No!
Dolgyu also understood now.
Although Yi-Han said it was a misunderstanding, that wasnt a misunderstanding.
Yi-Han was always ready to give Jijel a hard time whenever the opportunity arose.
Of course, Yi-Han would im it was self-defence, though
Itll be fine Probably. Ill act as a mediator between you two I hope that helps.
Oh, Dolgyu. Seems like you liked being the messenger.
.
Dolgyu had no strength to retort.
***
A few students from the Blue Dragons Tower were gathered in front of the swordsmanship training room, chatting and waiting.
The White Tigers Tower students spoke with displeased expressions.
Why did you alle here?
Wevee here to help prevent you all from attacking Wardanaz as a group!
Wh-what? Thats something we should have said!
The White Tigers Tower students were truly feeling unfair.
Of course, they had taken the initiative, but considering the exchange of blows, they had been overwhelmingly dominated by Wardanazs attacks.
However, the students from the Blue Dragons Tower werent buying such excuses. They made threatening noises and quickly grabbed onto both arms of Yi-Han as he emerged, pulling him back forcefully.
Lets go quickly! Who knows what kind of dirty tricks those bastards might do.
I will be okay, though.
Its dangerous enough with the summoned monsters unleashed, Wardanaz! Well protect you!
Yi-Han was unable to even say his farewell to Dolgyu properly as he was dragged along.
Im really okay, though.
The students from Blue Dragon Tower exchanged wary nces and spoke.
You need to be careful, Wardanaz. The White Tigers Tower punks are like wild beasts.
The next ss is Alchemy, right? Lets go together.
Yonaire looked puzzled as she watched Yi-Han being dragged along by her friends.
Why do you hold both of his arms and drag him along?
Maykin! You cantck that much sense of safety! You have to consider the area outside the tower as inherently dangerous!
Even if you all gang up on him, it seems like Yi-Han would still win
Knowing Yi-Hans abilities, Yonaire looked at them with a very strange expression.
Thats right. The current situation is very dangerous.
The Order of mengs pride, the unmatched prodigy, a master of alchemy, Priestess Siana. Its been a while.
Trapped between his friends holding onto his arms, Yi-Han spoke.
The unmatched prodigy?
A master of alchemy?
His friends from the Blue Dragons Tower tilted their heads.
While Yonaire knew that Siana was skilled in alchemy, was she really at that level?
Priestess Siana smiled proudly as she held out a sk.
This is a potion Ive created to repel monsters, Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. Take it and give it a try. If you sprinkle it around, it emits a scent that monsters dislike
Im truly touched by such a wonderful gift.
Arriving btedly, Nilia whispered with curiosity.
Why do you speak so formally in front of Priestess Siana?
Nilia, to survive in society within the Empire, you have to do this much
??
Nilia didnt quite grasp the situation. Yi-Han didnt expect Nilia to understand immediately either.
Well, Im grateful anyway.
Yi-Han carefully epted and kept the potion for monster eradication.
Seeing the summoned monsters roaming around the academy grounds during the third week of the semester, Yi-Han could not help but wonder if, by around the fifth week, those summoned monsters might even make their way into the dormitories.
Around the seventh week, there was even the possibility that demons might appear in the academy
Everyone, take your seats.
Professor Uregor stepped in, yawning, and opened the door to the Angr Pavilion. All the students suppressed their resentment and greeted him.
Is the potion all ready?
Yes (Thanks to you, we had a hard time).
Of course (Lets see about that someday).
Despite not having telepathic abilities, Yi-Han felt as if he could hear the unspoken thoughts within the words of the students.
What? Its all finished? Are you sure you didnt make a mistake in checking it?
With a voice filled with disappointment, Professor Uregor asked. Priestess Siana responded in a curt tone.
Weve been pondering collectively over the method you, Professor, provided because it seems to have some issues.
Why would you do such a thing? Arent you on bad terms with each other?!
.
.
Even the Tower students who werent on good terms with each other naturally grouped together, causing Professor Uregors grumbling.
Anyway, youve all worked hard. Since youve gone through the process of creating the from start to finish, you can consider yourselves as novice alchemists who have taken their first steps. Of course, the final results might not be perfect.
Professor Uregor picked up one of the sks ced on the table in front of him, which the students had submitted, and opened the lid.
Then, he grabbed a peculiarly moving twig and shook it above the sk, causing it to sway. A faint candle-like light faintly appeared on the twig.
Look. The power of the potion is weak, isnt it?
Professor Uregor swiftly extinguished the me.
Then, he opened the adjacent sk and shook the twig once again. The faint light appeared again, just as before. Professor Uregor turned off the me with a satisfied expression on his face.
Fwoosh!!
.
However, in the next sk, an intense me burst forth from the twig, burning itpletely. Startled, Professor Uregor quickly pulled his beard back to avoid the mes and shot a resentful look mixed with annoyance at Yi-Han.
Yi-Han felt extremely unfair.
Seriously, he wasnt even looking at the potion name tags!
Of course, there might be some well-made potions, but its too early to be arrogant. If you act too smug and rely on luck, youll end up with a seriously hurt ego.
Asan nodded, quite impressed by the professors words. Yi-Han wanted to warn him not to be deceived, but he didnt get the chance to do that.
Now, then
Professor Uregor swung his staff and opened all the sk lids, then observed the mes. At the same time, a floating quill beside him swiftly jotted down numbers.
Yi-Han could see the number 10, indicating a perfect score, written next to his name.
-10. Boring guy.
.
Was it okay for a professor to be like this?
Today, we will practice an essential element in alchemy, spirits. A skilled alchemist should not only focus on merelypleting a potion but also understand how to enhance its effects. And among those methods, the rtively easier one is dealing with spirits.
Professor Uregor gestured with clenched and unclenched fists. Suddenly, a cute rabbit made of snowkes appeared on his palm as if it had been created from a snowball.
All the students present eximed in admiration.
Yi-Han suddenly had a thought and turned his gaze towards his waist. The bone-summoned monster bound to his belt rattled as if questioning why he was behaving that way.
Hmm, theres a reason dark magic isnt popr, I see.
This is Master Rabbit, the ice elemental I often use. It might look small and cute, but never underestimate it. Its a spirit that could easily take all of you here down by itself.
Master Rabbit nodded with a sense of pride. The students were greatly baffled.
It didnt look like it at all
Youre not expected to form contracts with spirits like this from the beginning. Its beyond your current level.
Forming a contract with a spirit was simr to taking out a loan from a bank, at least in concept.
First, you had to get familiar with the lesser spirits and raise your credit rating within the spirit realm to be able to contract with even more powerful spirits.
Dont even think about being audacious enough to contract all at once. First, focus on getting to know the spirits. Getting close to spirits is solely about sincerity and genuine effort. If you approach them with arrogance, the spirits will quickly notice.
The students listened intently to Professor Uregors words and took notes.
Honestly, among all the lecture materials they had heard so far, this was the most exciting topic.
Compared to the risks of going to the mountains to gather dangerous materials and timing the ingredients into exploding cauldrons, getting to know the spirits felt like a fascinating and romantic task.
That was what they wanted!
Professor Uregor scattered gems and reagents around the corners of the ssroom, drawing magic circles as he went.
For wizards to connect to the spirit realm, it was advisable to attempt it in ces where the aura of the spirits was strong, such as areas abundant with mountains and water.
Currently, by tossing these gems and reagents while drawing the magic circle, Professor Uregors aim was to amplify the aura of the spirits.
Drink the potion.
The students drank the potion with eager anticipation. Yi-Han also took a sip of the potion.
Alright. Then go meet the spirits ande back.
Uregor swung his staff. And in that moment, Yi-Hans vision darkened.
***
Yi-Han had seen such andscape before.
It was simr to thendscape shown by the ck book given by Principal Skelly.
If there was a difference, it was that the ck book brought Yi-Hans mind into an imaginaryndscape and forcefully trained magic onto him, while Uregor sent him to the spirit realm to meet the spirits forcefully.
Its quite surreal.
It was clear that he hadnded near the territories of fire elementals and ice elementals in the vast expanse of the spirit realm.
It wasnt bad.
Both the fire elemental and the ice elemental were useful spirits.
The fire elemental would be useful for boiling soup or making fried eggs, while the ice elemental would be helpful for keeping fresh pieces of meat
What crazy thoughts am I having?
To regain his senses, Yi-Han shook his head.
Forming a bond with spirits had nothing to do with ones lineage or magical prowess.
Only sincerity mattered.
Just like Professor Uregor had said, Yi-Han hadnt even thought about trying to form a contract all at once.
If he continued to make sincere and consistent efforts, someday a spirit might extend its hand to him.
!
Yi-Han blinked his eyes. On the charred ground, a lump of fiery orbs in the shape of a puppy spirit was bouncing around.
Yi-Han cautiously called out to the puppy.
Are you the esteemed Fire Puppy Spirit, Sir?
Yi-Han knew well that when youre unsure about who someone is, its a good idea to throw around impressive titles just to be on their safe side.
The Fire Puppy Spirit turned its head towards Yi-Han with an expression that seemed to say, Whos this crazy person spouting nonsense?
Bark!!!!!! Bark bark!!!
??!
And it quickly ran away. It had a frightened pale expression on its face.
.
Yi-Han was bewildered.
What did I do?!
Master Puppy Spirit! Pleasee back, Master Puppy Spirit!
Calling desperately, the spirit didnt return. Yi-Han wondered if his chosen title was too burdensome.
Well, considering its a spirit, maybe it would prefer a simpler title.
When Yi-Han spotted a Fire Pigeon Spirit, he approached it with a somewhat modest demeanour.
Excuse me, Fire Pigeon?
The Fire Pigeon spirit screamed like crazy and fled.
As it reached this point, Yi-Han began to feel a growing sense of ipatibility.
Oh?
***
One by one, the students emerged from the spirit world. In reality, it had only been a matter of seconds, but all of them opened their mouths and excitedly chatted away.
Did you happen to see too? I met a carp spirit in theke! I kept talking to it, and it didnt swim away. It seems like we connected on some level!
If it didnt run away while I was petting it, its a good sign, right?
Professor Uregor pressed his fingers against both ears, furrowing his brow in annoyance at the noisy chatter of the students.
Enough, enough! If you want to chatter, do it in your tower. Anyway, by now you must understand how challenging it is to meet and befriend spirits in the Spirit Realm. In addition to your studies, try to make an effort to connect with spirits whenever you have free time. If you can receive assistance from spirits, it will greatly benefit your alchemical skills.
Yes!
As the students got up and left with satisfied expressions, Uregor called Yi-Han separately.
Uregor was curious about Yi-Hans experience in the spirit realm.
That punk. No matter how skilled he is, spirits wont easily listen to him until theyve be friendly.
How was it?
Theres a big problem.
Professor Uregor smiled contentedly.
Yes!
This is how a rookie alchemist should be!
How was it? Did the spirits not listen to you?
The spirits ran away as soon as they saw me.
?
Chapter 73
Chapter 73
The spirits did not always wee guests unconditionally. They did not speak, but they had personalities and preferences as well.
Obviously, there were guests who the spirits were afraid of as well.
Professor Uregor recalled a story he had heard before.
The story of a wizard who had little interest in spirits, but after bing an Archmage, he attempted to summon a spirit once and reached out to the spirit realm.
As skilled as the wizard was in magic, and while reaching out to the spirit realm was easy, the spirits did not take the Archmage kindly.
It was the intense aura emanating from the wizards soul that had frightened the spirits.
Those who had lived a tumultuous life, such as mercenaries who fought in countless battles, or swordsmen who had defeated dozens of opponents, will inevitably have their souls color changed.
From Professor Uregors perspective, it was hard to understand why a skilled mage who had acquired various spells was treated the same as those individuals above, who were often underhanded or ruthless
But what could be done about it?
The spirits didnt like them.
So it was better to get close to the spirits from a rtively young age. As one grew older, it became harder to establish that connection.
But why me?
Could it be that the spirits sensed your nasty thoroughness?
.
Just kidding. Its probably because of the amount of mana you have.
Being from the Wardanaz family, there was no way that Yi-Han, even as a human, had killed someone to get into the academy. All that was left was his magical power.
A crazy overwhelming amount of mana that could easily overpower most spirits!
Fortunately, there is a solution. The story I mentioned earlier about the Archmage also seeded in getting close to the spirits in the end.
Oh. What method is that?
Using magic to forcibly capture the spirits and then bing close to them.
In the spirit realm, arent the spirits usually more powerful?
Just as how beasts are stronger in their own territory, fighting spirits in the spirit realm was a life-threatening endeavor.
Well, there are indeed some minor issues like that. Anyways, stay strong!
.
Yi-Han was not disappointed.
Because being disappointed was something that pleased Professor Uregor.
Next time I go to the cabin, I should sneak more food and bring it out.
***
Fortunately, his friends were genuinely concerned about Yi-Hans troubles as if they were their own.
This is really a big problem, Sir Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family.
??
The Blue Dragons Tower students thought that Priestess Siana was their fellow Tower student for a moment since she was too natural.
Since when has she been here?
I dont know as well
Sometimes, due to misunderstandings of the spirits, there are people whom they be afraid of. Weve had cases like that even within our order.
Is there no way to resolve this?
Yonaires question made Priestess Siana ponder deeply.
If the spirits in the spirit realm avoid and fear you perhaps one way is to first establish a connection with the spirits in the real world. Gaining their recognition or building an affection with them to earn their token of appreciation might help ease their caution.
Yi-Han looked at the wooden wand he was holding.
Come to think of it, this is a wand imbued with a wood spirit, right?
Internally, Yi-Han let out a sigh. It seemed that the problem couldnt be solved only with the wand of the wood spirit.
Is there no other way? Does the meng Order by any chance
In our Order, we often used potions to resolve such issues.
Being an alchemical Order, the meng Order had sought solutions through alchemy.
Upon Priestess Sianas words, Yi-Han rejoiced.
Can it be solved with potions?
Of course.
The potion he drank during Professor Uregors lecture was also a potion for befriending spirits.
A potion that made it a bit easier to connect with the spirit realm and allowed him to stay there for a longer period.
Since that was a low level potion, using a more potent one could potentially dispel the spirits fear and make him appear even more appealing to them.
Ooh!
To think thats possible!
The students of the Blue Dragons Tower were amazed.
The reputation of the meng Order was not in vain. Yonaire spoke with eyes full of anticipation as well.
Ive heard of it before. Among the prospect potions of the meng Order, theres one specialized for spirits
You know it very well, Miss Yonaire of the Maykin family. Ive assisted in crafting one of the prospect potions. If you wish, I can create it for you.
Priestess Siana spoke kindly.
While it was the prospect of the meng Order, it could be bestowed upon those who, like the boy from the Wardanaz family, recognized and respected the greatness of the meng Order.
That was the ideology of the meng Order.
If itspleted, could we also?
Of course.
At the cautious words uttered by the students of the Blue Dragon Tower, Priestess Siana nodded her head as well.
If only it waspleted, sharing it with other students wouldnt have been particrly difficult.
However, there are quite a lot of necessary ingredients. Here, take a look.
Priestess Siana took out a piece of paper and began listing down the necessary ingredients with a quill pen.
Despite writing rapidly, the list quickly became so extensive that it was densely filled.
Reed pipe
Nissins Flower
Dadu Beetle
Ruby Transformed Crow Stone
Can we obtain all of these?
It might be difficult to acquire it by searching on your own indeed. However, there is a way. In Professor Uregorsboratory which is located on the upper floor of Horn Constetion Pavilion, youll find all the items listed here.
.
?
Yi-Han, who had been listening without saying anything, was taken aback for the first time.
What does it mean?
Ah, so were told to obtain Professor Uregors permission.
Yi-Han self-reflected.
It was not like Priestess Siana would ask them to steal it like Yi-Han would.
If all of you are determined, I will secretly enter theboratory with all of you and bring out the materials.
.
Yi-Han was astonished.
No
No!
However, the other students from the Blue Dragon Tower were deeply moved.
Priestess Siana!
Ive wondered why Wardanaz praised you so much, but now I understand!
Priestess, you are the light and salt of the Empire!
To calm down his friends who became very excited, Yi-Han asked.
Priestess Siana, I appreciate your words, but the method wouldnt it be a bit risky?
But Sir Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family, this is something even the academy encourages.
.
Thats indeed true!
Yi-Han couldnt refute.
Because it was indeed true that Principal Skelly said that.
Priestess Siana smiled, her vertically elongated pupils, a characteristic of the serpentine race, narrowing.
Oh dear, I suppose youre worried. But its alright. I heard that Sir Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family has wandered around the school at night many times before and has never been caught.
Well, Wardanaz did that indeed.
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower felt proud as if it was their own aplishment. Asan, on the other hand, felt embarrassed and wiped the area under his nose in return.
Even if I get caught, I wont hold any resentment.
The same goes to us. Wardanaz.
Thanks soo much.
No need to be like that.
Separate from the bonds of their friendship, upon careful consideration, Priestess Sianas words did seem enticing.
Why do the bank robbers in stories keep fixating on a big heist instead of just retiring?
Its because their life would be easier if they could pull off one big job.
Uregorsboratory was the same.
As I think about the uing semester, Alchemy ss has a high potential to be a hell of homeworks.
Not only Alchemy ss, but also other lectures could easily turn into a hell of homeworks at any moment.
If they had amassed a significant amount of alchemy materials, they would be able to deal with such homeworks flexibly.
If only we could pull off this one big job!
Press press
?
Yi-Han turned his head.
Nilia was gently poking Yi-Hans side.
At that sight, Yi-Han regained his senses slightly.
Oh, right. Was I entertaining a really crazy idea?
Why, Nilia?
Dont just bring Ratford without me this time, really.
.
Yi-Han raised his head and gazed at the sky.
Irrespective of Yi-Hansplex emotions, the sky above the magic academy was a clear blue without a single cloud.
***
Despite the worries about summoned monsters escaping within the academy, and professors devising troublesome assignments for the students, there were a few things that remained unchanged.
That was precisely Professor Bdys teaching style.
Bam!
Uuh.
Once again, as the bead flew toward him from behind, breaking through his defense, Yi-Han clenched his teeth in response.
While Yi-Han had be somewhat ustomed, he couldnt entirely keep up with Professor Bdys control.
Twisting in unpredictable directions, creating unforeseeable paths, and then piercing vulnerabilitiesthe control held a ruthless sense of intimidation that only those who experienced it firsthand could understand.
Furthermore, the pration power was far from ordinary.
If Yi-Han even slightly rxed the cohesion of the water bead, Professor Bdy would be able to sense it somehow and attempt to prate.
You cant concentrate, I see.
No.
Yi-Han was concentrating.
Professor Bdy was gradually increasing the difficulty, thats why.
It wasnt like his skill wasnt improving, but every time his skill level went up, Professor Bdy raised the hurdles much higher, making it nearly impossible to avoid failure.
However, Professor Bdy was convinced he had put forth his full effort, so he could not fathom the idea that Yi-Han had managed to prate him.
Howe?
As Yi-Han, who had been doing rtively well up to now, began to struggle oddly, Professor Bdy became perplexed.
While it might be understandable if there were students who couldnt do it from the beginning or gave up and ran away, this boy from the Wardanaz family had been doing rtively well up until now.
Of course, while in Professor Bdys view it might have been considered rtively well done, for other professors, it could have easily been deemed a workload that warranted reporting to the Emperor along with Principal Skelly. Nevertheless, that was how it appeared to Professor Bdy.
Thud
The bead came to a halt in midair.
?
Yi-Han was cautious, wondering if it was a trap.
Is it a new pattern?
The bead feigned a pause as if taking a breather and thenunched the attack again
It was truly something Professor Bdy would do.
Now I see why you cant concentrate.
!
Yi-Han was surprised.
Is this like when you defeated the golemst time, trying to add a spinning attribute to the water bead?
.
Yi-Han had an assumption where the story had leaked from.
Principal Skelly!
Since Professor Uregor and Professor Bdy werent particrly close, there was only one person who could have gone to Professor Bdy and chatted away about it.
No, I dont have such ambitions
Its greed.
I know it as well.
Yi-Han let out a sigh inwardly at the absurd misunderstanding.
Even though he managed to luckily defeat the mud golem, he never entertained delusions like Oh, I must be a genius, I should add spinning to the water bead from now on.
Dont be so anxious.
If someone knew Professor Bdy, they would have been surprised to hear advice like Its greed or Dont be so anxious just like this.
Fundamentally, Professor Bdy was a person with a strong sense of teaching principles andmon sense.
If I can do it, then you should be able to do it too. Why cant you? Just do it.
The person who seriously believed in such a saying was none other than Professor Bdy.
To think that someone like that would say things like Its greed or Dont be so anxious.
It was something as unlikely as the sun rising from the west, but Yi-Han obviously didnt know the weight behind those words.
Im not doing such things
He really had no intention whatsoever, so when Professor Bdy said things like that, he was just bewildered.
These Professors are indeed something!
Wait.
?
However, Professor Bdy extended his hand and fell into contemtion once again.
For the first time, Professor Bdy considered things from a students perspective
It was a great step that even he had not noticed.
What if I were that boy from the Wardanaz family?
Hearing the words Dont be so anxious wouldnt have necessarily put my mind at ease.
Those who didnt move forward despite the path being in front of themcked the qualifications of a wizard.
I see.
What do you mean with I see?
Yi-Han had an ominous feeling . There had never been a good oue when professors proceeded with their own understanding.
From now on, you can be anxious. Ill make you focus.
Wa!
Before he could even say the word wait, Professor Bdys storm had started again.
Chapter 74
Chapter 74
What should be done to deter a student who was opening their eyes to a new attribute of magic and was intending to follow that path?
It would be enough to inform them that they could die the moment they step onto that path.
Professor Bdy swung the bead like a madman. It wasnt a joke; a serious murderous intent could be felt.
Moreover
The weight of the bead has increased!
Yi-Han realized that Professor Bdy had increased the weight from the sensation he felt when the beads collided.
He sensed the meaning of to avoid fixating on futile rotations, but ratherpressing the water bead even more.
But even if that was simply said aloud by words, Yi-Han would have understood.
Inside the ssroom where there were only two of them, sparks flew. In the atmosphere that was tenser than before, only the sound of bursts could be heard.
In silence, they locked eyes, manipting the magical sphere, all while keeping their gaze fixed solely on each others pupils.
Should I kill the professor?
A thought that was not exactly the first of its kind popped into Yi-Hans head.
Of course, the idea of killing was a joke, and it was more like causing some minor injuries by hitting him a couple of times.
It was not a thought made purely out of his emotions.
Right now, Professor Bdy was seriously radiating murderous intent as heunched the beads.
However, while Yi-Hans magical control had noticeably improved in a short span, he was not at a level where he could go head-to-head with the veteran Professor Bdy and win a one-on-onebat.
In this situation, what did Yi-Han need to do to survive?
Even if he wasnt going to kill the professor, he at least needed to disrupt the professors concentration enough so that he could not properly focus.
Will I be able to do it?
Yi-Han focused all his attention. While maintaining thepressed and swirling water bead before him, a new incantation flowed from his lips.
Spring forth!
With the incantation, new water began to take form and appear in the air.
While such simultaneous magic was almost forbidden for inexperienced freshmen in magic, it held little significance for Yi-Han.
He had already confirmed through personal experience several times that a little mana wastage was not a problem.
Moreover, at the moment, Professor Bdy before his eyes posed a greater threat to his life than the mana wastage.
!
Brilliance traversed in the emotionless pupils of Professor Bdy.
Is he nning to increase the number of beads?
Though it was a thought a cornered freshman might entertain, it wasnt a good one.
Increasing the number of beads would only make control more difficult; Professor Bdy could easily prate any gap in between.
While taking action instead of staying still was good, the direction was wro
Shield, unfold!
With a strong desire, Yi-Han shouted. In an instant, a massive mass of water transformed into the shape of a sturdy shield, enveloping him.
Upon seeing it, the corners of Professor Bdys mouth twitched ever so slightly.
was a second-circle spell that summoned water and solidified it into the shape of a shield.
The spell itself wasnt particrly difficult.
However, the boy from the Wardanaz Family in front of him had not directly learned separately.
He hade to understand the magic through his own thinking.
The method of conjuring water was through the first-circle spell .
And the method of manipting and shaping that water was through the first-circle spell .
While some may not grasp a spell even when taught its incantation and gestures, progressing in magic through personal deduction was a very promising sign.
To be an exceptional wizard, one needed to not merely replicate the spells written in spellbooks, but also possess the skill to innovate and create on their own.
Its still a better option than increasing the number of beads, but even the Water Shield isnt an ideal choice.
Admiration is admiration, and Professor Bdy was ready to impart his teachings to the student before him.
The bead imbued with mana pushed towards the shield with fierce speed.
The shield made on the spot will be able to be pierced just like
ng!!
!
Professor Bdys pupils dted slightly.
The strength of the water shield was harder than the professor expected.
Only then did Professor Bdy realize the true nature of the water shield.
He could feel several times more mana from it than an ordinary water shield.
It was strengthened by blowing mana generously into the water, increasing the amount of water andpressing it, as there was no need for the shield to move quickly like a bead.
Water beads required control, but water shields were rtively less in need of control, so their overwhelming amount of mana was more easily visible.
Before he could even exim in surprise, a water bead flew from the side and hit Professor Bdys head. The momentum had shifted.
Professor Bdy slightly tilted his head and avoided it. There was no sign of bewilderment in his expression.
Go and bite him!
Yi-Hanmanded the skeleton summoned monster. The skeleton summoned monster who was waiting on his belt rushed in.
At the same time, Yi-Han kicked the chair under the water shield and sent it flying. His determination to destroy Professor Bdy was felt somehow.
Professor Bdy smiled at all the attacks. Yi-Han became uneasy as if he had encountered a demon from hell.
Now, in addition to the one bead that Professor Bdy had been dealing with so far, one more bead had appeared.
Crash!
Crunch!
Ssh!
The newly appeared bead shattered the skeleton summoned monster, smashed the flying chair andpletely destroyed the water shield.
Professor Bdy looked at Yi-Han. Yi-Han listened to what the devils archduke of hell had to say.
Well done.
.
Was it not the devils archduke, but the devils king of hell?
***
After asking seventeen questions, Yi-Han was able to understand what Professor Bdy was thinking.
No, he could guess it. Professor Bdys thoughts would probably never be fully and perfectly understood.
Ah. So
It was now a lesson to deal with the control of water beads, but Professor Bdy was someone who generally viewed students creative attempts (if they were effective) favorably, so even when he summoned a water shield, kicked away a chair, and sent a skeleton summoned monster, he saw it in a positive light.
When he heard those words, Yi-Han was curious if Professor Bdy would say that he did well even if he set the ssroom on fire..
He felt like he was going to set fire to the ssroom if his life was threatened again
No. In that case, Principal Skelly would kill me.
Yi-Han felt that it was such a shame.
Your thoughts of rotation seem to have diminished.
Its thanks to you, Professor.
Yi-Han had to make an effort to prevent his voice from having any murderous intent in it.
Now, being attracted to the appeal of rotating attributes is a natural thing. However, dont be in a rush. You will eventually learn rotating attributes intensively. Sometimes, the way back can be a shortcut.
.
If another professor had said it, it would have been impressive, but it wasnt very impressive when Professor Bdy, who always followed him behind with a sword, was already the one telling him to take a shortcut every time.
I feel like we are already taking a shortcut.
Yes. I will focus solely on what I am learning right now, without even dreaming of rotational attributes.
You probably already had a guess.
?
Since Professor Bdy had a habit of omitting words, Yi-Han wasnt surprised.
Lets calmly understand the situation.
The next challenge for the practice will be exactly that,
I apologize, but what are you talking about?
What you just demonstrated.
Once the control over a single bead became manageable, it was time to move on to the next step.
A wizard could not afford to stop even for a moment. They had to constantly evolve and explore.
Professor Bdy gestured, and the tables and chairs around them all rose simultaneously, as if they were threatening Yi-Han.
From now on, you will learn how to concentrate amidst chaotic situations around you.
Whoa.
You can use the things you just demonstrated again.
Is that so?
Yi-Han was slightly surprised.
If it were Professor Bdy, Yi-Han would have expected him to say, Use only the beads to block in order to improve your skills.
To think he allowed the shield
Sure. Ill adjust the difficulty, so just focus on the task at hand and dont get too anxious.
.
If Yi-Han could handle the beads while using other magic, there was no need to hold him back from it.
It would be more beneficial to control the beads while using other magic at the same time.
Just as I gave up on rotation, will I focus better if I also gave up on shields and summoned monsters as well?
No, rotation directly affects the control of the water bead, but shields and summoned monsters dont. The sooner you adapt, the better.
Yi-Han felt grateful to Principal Skelly.
She didnt tell the story about him igniting mes on the mountain to roast the mud golem.
If she had included the story about the mes, he wouldnt have even imagined how dreadful the situation could have been.
***
Night.
As Professor Bungaegor saw the weary look on Yi-Hans face while he was tending to the garden behind the cabin, the professor grew concerned.
Of course, fatigue was something shared by all students in the academy, but the boy from the Wardanaz family was much firmerpared to the others.
But to be this exhausted
What have you been doingtely to be so exhausted?
Is that so? Im actually fine.
Yi-Han dug up potatoes and put them in a sack. Even though he tried to appearposed, the fingers holding the potatoes trembled greatly.
Tell me about your schedule for today.
Im really fine.
With a look that seemed to ask, Why are you like this? Yi-Han exined his schedule for today.
Yi-Han started by waking up early in the morning, heading to the stable to coax the stubborn horse into eating, then feeding it, giving it a bath, and brushing its coat. After that, he would go for a walk with the horse and return. Among the groceries, he selected items that needed to be consumed quickly and prepared breakfast using a rtively simple dish that could be easily portioned up.
After feeding the Blue Dragons Tower students generously, he would attend morning sses, return for lunch preparation, and then head for afternoon sses.
.
Whats the matter, Professor?
N-no. Go ahead. What sses are you taking? Now that I think about it, Im curious.
I attended Professor Bdys lecture on Repetitive Learning of Basic Magical Combat today.
.
Bungaegors expression twitched noticeably.
Why did it have to be a lecture from a madman like Professor Bdy?
Anyway, I finished all the lectures roughly and came here to work on the garden like this.
Youre truly the one born to be the representative of Blue Dragons Tower.
?
Never mind. So after spending such a difficult day, dont you have anyints about working in the garden?
At that moment, Yi-Han had doubts.
Usually when professors say, If you have anyints, let us know, its important to be suspicious. There was a high chance that it could be a trap.
And even aside from that, the work in the garden itself wasnt really something toin about.
Not really.
With a potato in one hand and a carrot in the other, Yi-Han spoke. Thepensation he received from working in the garden was quite satisfactory.
Suddenly, a sense of unnecessary guilt welled up within Bungaegor as she looked at Yi-Han in that moment.
Is it eptable for the Empires finest talents to be in such a situation??
Su Sure. Oh. I have a cow brought along behind me. If you want, you can take some milk from the cow whenever you need.
Professor!
With newfound respect that he had never shown before, Yi-Han gazed at Professor Bungaegor. Bewildered, Professor Bungaegor was about to say something but held back.
***
While Yi-Han worked in the garden, Professor Bungaegor seemed to be bored as she kept asking him questions.
Stories about spirits being scared and running away (even though there are tree spirits?), the fact that the crops in the garden grew better than expected thanks to the tree spirits, and even the suggestion of growing more things (take them away, dont give them to Uregor) were all discussed
After finishing the work and washing his hands in the flowing stream, while shaking off the water, a thought suddenly urred to Yi-Han, so he asked.
Professor, by any chance, can someone obtain a flying vehicle at the academy?
Wh-Why are you asking about something like that?
Though there was an odd wavering in Professor Bungaegors voice, Yi-Han didnt realize it.
Chapter 75
Chapter 75
Its just pure academic curiosity.
Yi-Han was skilled at deceiving professors.
One of the most renowned explorers in the Empire, Professor Bungaegor, couldnt have possibly imagined that Yi-Han was searching for a flying vehicle to escape the academy.
I suppose its possible to obtain one.
Professor Bungaegor carefully responded, examining Yi-Hans expression to see if he had noticed anything.
Fortunately, the boy from the Wardanaz family seemed unaware of it.
One of the horses taken care of by the neers at the stable was a griffon!
This academy has just about everything imaginable.
But theres no warm meals nor essential items, does the academy have no consideration for the students?
Professor Bungaegor pretended not to hear what Yi-Han said and ignored it.
Theres no shortage of ces to explore here, from mountains andkes to underground dungeons. If you look around, youre bound to find some flying creatures.
If I find them, do you think I could tame them?
That might be difficult. Taming wild creatures, especially flying ones, is a challenging task even for experienced trainers who have studied it for years.
Professor Bungaegor spoke sincerely.
If taming them were that easy, people wouldnt choose to fight when encountering monsters outside.
Moreover, most of the monsters that know how to fly were usually difficult and violent in nature.
It was difficult to handle them with just the determination and knowledge of a freshman.
First, you need to fully understand what kind of creature youre dealing with. Usually, relying solely on knowledge wont work. If youre familiar with their habits, you can gradually get to know their characteristics and get closer to them Although it sounds simple, in this process, youll likely fail more than a dozen times.
Professor, if its possible, could I receive instruction during your free time? Of course, I dont intend to make any reckless attempts right away
That was a lie.
From the moment he felt confident that he could do it, Yi-Han was ready to take action right away.
If I ever have the chance to tame a monster in the future, I dont want to miss it.
The look in Yi-Hans eyes burned intensely, with genuine sincerity shining in his gaze.
Upon seeing those eyes, Professor Bungaegor suddenly felt a surge of enthusiasm.
With a disciple showing such interest, it wouldnt be right for her as a professor to just stand still.
Alright! Ill make time to teach you. Dont regret it. Its a really difficult subject to study.
Memorizing thick books about monsters that might appear in this area and then confronting them in person was a challenging task, but Professor Bungaegor believed that if it was the boy from the Wardanaz family, he would be alright.
With that level of interest and passion, it should be more than possible.
He seems to have a keen interest in flying or exploration. That kid
I should find and tame a flying beast, then make an escape.
The professor and her disciple nodded, each with their own thoughts.
After the conversation ended, Professor Bungaegor strolled around the garden that Yi-Han had finished working on, taking curious steps.
And she found herself surprised.
No, what is all this?
The garden that Yi-Han received from Professor Bungaegor was of a moderate size, not incredibly wide or incredibly narrow.
Professor Bungaegor probably thought that Yi-Han would nt a few vegetables and take them with him, providing a suitable amount for his needs.
However, Yi-Hans garden was beingpletely overhauled to the point where there would be no trace of any remnants left.
Carrots, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, and various edible vegetables were there, and not only that, but there were also herbs like chamomile, basil, and rosemary that could be used for medicinal purposes.
Is he setting up a farm?!
Noticing the look in Professor Bungaegors eyes, Yi-Han responded as if to reassure her.
I was also worried at first.
About what?
Can they really grow well in such a narrow space? But thanks to the tree spirits wand, they seem to be growing without any issues. Isnt that fortunate?
Professor Bungaegor looked at the pitcher of milk ced on the table.
It was the pitcher that had been put for Yi-Han to take with him on his way back.
Seeing the work he was currently engaged in, it seemed like that wouldnt be enough.
Wait a moment. It would be better for you to head back after eating something at least.
??
***
As he took a bite of the roasted potato skewered on a stick, Yi-Han headed back to the dormitory.
If he were to forget the fact that he was inside a magic academy, it would be a romantic evening.
On one arm, there was a basket filled with this seasons harvest, and on the other arm, a freshly roasted skewer of sun-kissed potatoes, lightly salted
It was as if he had be a farmer returning home after a generous market haul.
If I retire in the future, living like this wouldnt be bad.
Perhaps due to his mood, the baked potato was truly delicious. It was just roasted and lightly salted, but with each bite, the warm flesh had a melting sensation.
The taste made it clear why Professor Bungaegor insisted on roasting it first before handing it over to him.
Was she disappointed to eat this delicious food alone? Maybe she wanted to show it off
It didnt ur to Yi-Han that the potatoes hand-cooked by Professor Bungaegor were actually from his own garden.
..?
Your Highness, Ive organized the materials from the library and brought them here. Please ept them.
Ive also asked other students and organized the things needed for the assignment! It will be helpful for you.
I have a book that I found this time
What?
That was the princess and her followers.
The newly arrived students, without exception, were making various efforts to assist the princess in her attended lectures, regardless of the tower they came from.
While munching on the potato, Yi-Han was filled with awe.
So there was such a method!
It was a method so tempting that he wanted to report to the professors, The princess is abusing her power to exploit her subjects.
While he and his friends spent the night searching for books in the library and hadcking results, the princess seemed to effortlessly attract information even when she just breathed.
Is it because of her royal blood? But if that were the case, Gainando wouldnt make sense either. How on earth did she manage to gather followers like that?
While Yi-Han was pondering such thoughts, the princess expressed her gratitude to her followers and then walked up alongside them.
As Yi-Han was staring while munching the potatoes on the stairs, he locked eyes with his friends.
Good night.
Yi-Han was not flustered. The followers of the princess recognized his face and quickly lowered their heads.
Isnt he the boy from the Wardanaz family who practically rules over the Blue Dragon Tower?
If they even appear to be disrespectful, the princesss life within the Blue Dragon Tower could be difficult, so being cautious was only natural.
Greetings, Sir Wardanaz!
As someone shouted like that, other students looked at their friend with surprise.
Should we also shout along?
Greetings, Sir Wardanaz!
Gre Greetings, Sir Wardanaz!
.
Unconsciously, Yi-Han looked around. Fortunately, there were no prying eyes.
If someone sees it, I might as well be sent to the disciplinary room even though I did nothing wrong.
Even though he didnt understand why the princesss followers were bothering him, Yi-Han responded as calmly as possible.
Nice to meet you all. I see youve had a conversation with Her Highness, the Princess
Yes!
I simply express my gratitude for the dedication and efforts of Sir Wardanaz, who always serves Her Highness, the Princess faithfully.
We will continue to entrust you with our hopes!
Arent these brats going to attack me if I dont take care of her?
Fanatical supporters are always scary. Moreover, the supporters of the princess existed beyond the magical academy as well.
Even after graduation, considering the prospect of entering society, he had to endure their unfair pressure.
Of course. Dont worry.
Yi-Han didnt explicitly mention that he received more silver coins for taking care of the princess.
Changing the topic would be a good idea.
If the story about taking care of the princess continued, it could bring up the issue of unfair advantages for Yi-Han. Yi-Han changed the topic.
Everyone probably hasnt had dinner yet, would you like to eat something?
?
The followers of the princess finally realized that Yi-Han was carrying something. Among those, he took out one and offered it to them.
It was a baked potato.
The sight of a boy with a face akin to a sculpted statue and a cold demeanor, skewering a freshly baked potato on a stick and offering it to them, bewildered the students.
Is this some kind of aristocratic joke?
Is it okay to eat this?
Isnt it a test?
You wont eat it?
Th-Thank you for the food?
One of the students, seemingly hungry, reached out and epted the baked potato.
He sprinkled salt onto it by hand. The student momentarily tensed, thinking that it might be magic powder instead of salt.
Oh. So its salt.
Does it taste okay?
Th This is delicious!
Not because he was being careful in front of the Wardanaz boy, but objectively, the freshly baked sweet potato was truly delicious.
The student who received the potato chewed on it and then suddenly choked on his potato which was clutching his throat and coughed.
Have some milk here too.
Th Thank you.
The student who had just eaten the warm potato suddenly felt a shift in the cold impression he had of Yi-Han to something more gentle.
Is it a magic potato?
Can we as well perhaps?
Yeah. You can eat it too.
The hesitant followers slowly reached out their hands and picked up the baked potatoes.
Under the warm evening sunlight, the new students of the magic school could get to know each other better while eating baked potatoes.
Lets offer some to Her Highness as well!
What an absurdly rude statement What if Her Highness was angry if we were to offer her this!
One student tried to offer a potato to the princess but lowered their hand once they heard the words of their other friends.
Yi-Han felt a sense that the princesss expression, which had been standing aloof, somehow became downcast, though he could not quite grasp why.
Like a hungry Gainando
That was quite an exaggerated metaphor.
Yi-Han reflected on himself.
Upon thinking, he realized that the princess hadnt eaten this morning either.
Yi-Han discreetly handed over a baked potato, making sure others didnt see.
There seems to be some remaining, perhaps tasting a bit of it
Though the students had their backs turned and couldnt see, Yi-Han clearly witnessed the princess trying to eat the freshly baked potato with its skin peeled off, in a single bite without even cutting it.
Cut it! Please cut it before eating!
.
The princess, as if nothing had happened, put the potato down and then cut it before putting it in her mouth, chewing slowly.
The students turned their heads and looked puzzled at Yi-Hans exmation.
What should we cut before eating?
The potato.
Haha. Sir Wardanaz. No matter how hungry we are, we wouldnt just swallow it. Of course, we would cut and eat it.
.
After ncing at the princess and then at the student, Yi-Han thought to himself.
That punk wont be able to seed in society
***
The next morning.
After finishing his work at the stable, Yi-Han walked in sync with his friends to attend Professor Garcias lecture.
Yi-Han yawned. Yonaire asked with a concerned look, especially since Yi-Han appeared quite tired, You look sleepy. Are you okay? Did you have trouble sleeping?
I slept well, but I had a nightmare
What kind of dream was it?
The professor appeared in that dream.
Yonaire didnt press further, considering Yi-Hans mental well-being.
Perhaps influenced by Professor Bdys ss, Professor Bdy appeared in Yi-Hans dream.
In the dream, Professor Bdy rode atop a raging griffin and instructed Yi-Han to control water droplets while passing through a ring of fire. It was a dreadful nightmare.
Greetings, everyone.
Good morning, Professor!
When Professor Garcia opened the door and entered, Yi-Han felt a sense of warmth in his heart.
Before enrolling, Yi-Han had never expected that encountering a troll could be such aforting experience.
Last week, Professor Mortem came to exin what dark magic is, right?
Wow sounds could be heard here and there.
It was a reaction mixed with fear, as if wondering if it would be dark magic again.
This week, another professor ising to exin what summoning magic is.
Waaaaaaah!
Yi-Han suddenly felt sorry for Professor Mortem, who wasnt even present.
Chapter 76
Chapter 76
Im grateful that everyone is so weing,
The summoning magic professor, My, entered, looking puzzled by the heated atmosphere of the ssroom.
Despite her old age, Professor My maintained a dignified posture, and anyone could tell that she came from one of the empires prestigious noble families.
Nobles from prestigious families stand out just by the way they walk and talk.
The Blue Dragons Tower folks are a bit of an exception now.
Of course, the students who were locked in the tower and starving were exceptions. When people are pushed to their limits, whether they are nobles or not, dignity bes irrelevant.
Professor My raised the monocle she had on one eye slightly, giving her the appearance of a very strict perfectionist.
However, Yi-Han was not intimidated.
Whoever it is, they would be better than Professor Bdy.
Professor Garcia began a brief exnation from the side.
Like dark magic, advanced summoning magic is also a subject youll start learning from the second year. However, the reason weve invited Professor My today is not only to provide a good opportunity to learn what summoning magic is, but also
-
Right on cue, a summoned monster outside the ssroom on the academy grounds let out a howl, causing the windows to shake.
Considering the current academy situation, I thought it might be helpful to all of you,
Professor Garcia!
We only have you, Professor!
Some students took out handkerchiefs and wiped away their tears.
Professor My observed this without any change in her expression. Then, she spoke in a stern voice.
Professor Garcia, may I begin?
Yes. Please begin.
Anyone here interested in summoning magic?
All the students raised their hands, including Yi-Han. It was unclear why Professor Mortems sad face shed through his mind.
But summoning magic is truly wonderful magic.
Just as dark magic epasses various fields such as curses, elemental magic, summoning undead, and dark energy, summoning magic was a magic that contained numerous fields within it, despite its name suggesting summoning.
Summoning of elementals, demons, monsters, artifacts, magical objects, and so on.
As it epassed a wide range of beings, from living creatures to inanimate objects (even ovepping with dark magic to some extent), its applications were boundless.
In old fairy tales, there were stories of a magician who had struggled throughout their life but eventually made a contract with an exceptional summoned monster. They lived happily ever after, evenzily.
As it was a fairytale, it could not be entirely believed, but to that extent, summoning magic was quite advantageous once it seeded.
Thank you. However, out of those present here, only one student may qualify to learn summoning magic.
.
.
Professors were skilled at dampening students spirits from the start, and Professor My was no exception. She said sternly.
I wont sugarcoat it. Summoning magic is a challenging magic. It will be tough for students who dont have the aptitude to attend this ss in their second year.
Thats a professor indeed.
Yi-Han was impressed.
If a studentcks the ability to learn, you should either discourage them or wait. If you start asking, Why cant you learn? Cant you learn even before you die? then thats more like a gangster than a professor.
Summoning magic cannot be learned with just superficial knowledge of one specific field. Summoning elementals requires a deep understanding of elemental studies, summoning demons requires a deep understanding of demonology, and summoning monsters requires a profound knowledge of monster studies. Even rtively easy inanimate object summoning is not simple. So, Ill say it once again. If youck confidence, its best not to have an interest in summoning magic.
However, the students appeared even more determined.
Given their young age, how many would actually step back because its difficult? They all had expressions that showed even more enthusiasm.
Even if it were easy, it was theplete opposite of how students had hesitated with dark magic.
Professor Garcia whispered softly.
They are all talented students. Will you give them a chance?
Professor My nodded her head.
Whoosh!
As she waved her wand, suddenly, in front of all the students, magical scrolls appeared with intricate patterns inscribed on them.
These were not disposable scrolls that were torn to be activated but fixed scrolls with inscribed magic circles on their unfolded surfaces.
You all must be taking Fundamentals of Imperial Geometry and Arithmetic, right?
Yes,
When they heard the name of the lecture, the students expressions changed as if they had chewed on a bitter frog.
There were very few students who could endure the torment of relentless numbers, which was neither magic nor a general education subject.
Honestly, its rtively easy.
Yi-Han swallowed the thought because if his other friends had heard this, they would have picked up stones to throw at him.
Its too difficult!
Then there is no possibility for you to learn summoning magic.
.
Gainando was about to say a word but closed his mouth when he realized he might end up failing in summoning magic.
Everyone, pay attention to Fundamentals of Imperial Geometry and Arithmetic. Creating magic circles and calctions are essential in summoning magic.
Yi-Han tried reading the magic circle.
While Gainando was already lost and his eyes wandering aimlessly, Yi-Han could discern what type of magic circle was drawn.
I see. The mana is arranged like this
The magic circle was a kind of circuit.
While an electrical circuit carries current, a magic circle carries mana. That is the difference between them.
Anyone who has tried casting magic themselves would know, that casting magic was truly a difficult task.
The higher the difficulty of the magic, the more challenging it became.
First, the required amount of mana increased, and the structure of the magic that needed to be constructed with that mana bes even moreplex.
At a certain level, it was not just a saying that started toe up: This is no longer a magic that humans can perform.
What helped those wizards were the magic circles themselves.
In some parts there was a need to amplify, in others, it was reducing, in some, it was bypassing or blocking. It was an auxiliary tool that circted mana in various forms to alleviate the burden on the wizard.
Calcting the mana circting along the magic circle and visualizing it in his mind, Yi-Han suddenly had a glimpse of the illusion of a pen.
What?
In the world of magic, there was no such thing as coincidence.
Yi-Han realized that the pen he had just seen was rted to this magic circle.
This magic circle is a summoning magic circle for summoning a pen.
A pen?
A pen?
The students were bewildered.
They wore expressions as if to say, Why bother summoning a pen when its not even a dagger?
Yi-Han shook his head slightly.
They seem ungrateful.
Are they going to take responsibility if Professor My clears the desk and throws a demon summoning circle, saying, Summon it sessfully if you dont want to die?
Fortunately, Professor My was different from Professor Bdy. The professor spoke in the same stern tone without any change.
Its a magic penposed of mana. Students wont be able to keep it summoned for long, so for now, just focus on the summoning.
As soon as the professors words ended, the students, wielding their wands, activated the magic circle with determination.
Pen,e forth!
Magic pen, pleasee forth!
With the incantation, magic circles burned and scrolls tore apart in various ces.
While designed to withstand mana, these magic circles could easily be damaged and destroyed due to a wizards mistake.
As it was something she had expected, Professor My swung her wand.
The broken magic circles disappeared, and new ones appeared.
It had been about 30 minutes.
Students who had summoned pen-like objects began to appear from various ces.
The Blue Dragon Tower had the most numbers of sessful students like Yonaire, Adenart, Asan, and others, while the ck Tortoise Tower and the Phoenix Tower also had a fair number of studentsing out.
The White Tiger Tower had the fewest numbers, but still, a few talented students managed to summon pen-like objects.
Seeing the students beaming with joy, Professor Garcia let out a bitter smile.
Its not something to be happy about.
In reality, Professor Mys face remained as rigid as a sculpture, without the slightest hint of emotion.
The difficulty of summoning magicy precisely in these aspects.
Summoning something simr is just as good as failing!
Elemental magic could be considered a sess as long as you achieved it, even with differences in size or form. However, summoning magic was the opposite.
If its not perfect, its meaningless.
It was inevitable. Since the study involved giving will to the summoned beings, even a slight mistake could result in the summoned beings attacking the wizard.
Fortunately, its just a pen
Dar Dargard, this rascal, attacked me with a magic pen!!
Its a misunderstanding, Gainando! The pen moved on its own! Besides, its just a pen!
Its an imperial assassination! An imperial assassination! Yi-Han, help me!
Its just a pen, for heavens sake! What are the odds of dying from a pen!
Of course, that pen alone was enough to cause quite amotion.
***
When Alpha Familys Angrago from the White Tiger Tower saw the sleek pen design, he felt proud.
He felt that perhaps his social status had left him behind in various other forms of magic, but summoning magic was a bit different.
He could be even more exceptional than Jijel.
!
Angrago was extremely happy when he saw Yi-Han sitting in front of him.
In front of Yi-Han, there was nothing, not even a quill.
For the first time, Angrago thought he might be able to break the pride of the Wardanaz family, the wicked young archmage. So, he called for Yi-Han.
Wardanaz. Did you fail at summoning by any chance?
.
Wardanaz! Dont ignore me! Look at my pen!
Yonaire, who was sitting beside him, responded instead.
Didnt you have a pen at home? Showing off your pen?
Look at my pen here
Boom!!!
A roar broke out. Angrago thought for a moment that perhaps Yi-Han had cast dark magic on him and fell to the ground in fear.
Magic pens began to appear above Yi-Hans magic circle.
.
Yi-Han looked at the floating pens with a sour expression.
So I failed.
Even though Angrago was shouting something from behind, Yi-Han could not hear. He was that focused.
Channeling magic into a fragile magic circle toplete the summoning spell.
While it was simply a difficult task for other students, it was excruciatingly challenging for Yi-Han.
Just a slight loss of control, and the surge of mana could tear the magic circle apart.
That was why when others started, Yi-Han had already given up halfway.
Summoning magic might not be suited to my aptitude after all.
Perhaps fate had something else in store for Yi-Han, like being a battle mage, much like Professor Bdy.
But surprisingly, the magic circle didnt break.
It surprised even Yi-Han himself.
Was I capable of this?
A perfect understanding of the magic circle.
And recently, (forcefully) improved mana control.
When these two came together, Yi-Han seeded in not destroying the magic circle.
It was an astonishing result.
Oh, right. The assignment was about summoning.
Overwhelmed by the ability to channel magic without destroying the magic circle, Yi-Han continued to send mana into the circle until he snapped out of it.
The assignment was not about not breaking the magic circle, but about summoning a magic pen.
Come forth, magic pen.
Yi-Han mumbled low while waving his wand.
Boom!!!
At that moment, with a loud noise, magic pens started to appear above the magic circle.
Surprised by this unusual and unprecedented failure, Professor Garcia turned her gaze to the side.
Professor Mys eyebrows seemed to rise like that for the first time.
Its because that student, Yi-Han, naturally has a lot of mana, so such a failure
In response to Garcias excuse, Professor My reverted her expression to its usual state and calmly spoke.
Thats not a failure, Professor Garcia.
Chapter 77
Chapter 77
In summoning magic, failure means when the result deviates from the goal by even 1%.
However, the magic pens falling from the sky right now matched the targets perfectly.
They were just numerous in number.
Professor Garcia quickly understood the meaning and nodded in agreement.
I see. Its not a failure.
The troll Professor let out a slight sigh of relief.
It was inevitable that the boy from the Wardanaz family was of particr concern to her, despite the professors responsibility to treat all students equally.
Due to being born with an exceptionallyrge amount of mana, even basic magic was bound to be of higher difficulty to him.
Fortunately, despite his status as a freshman, Yi-Han faced the challenges that came his way with a brave and resolute attitude. However, as a professor, there was a sense of guilt for putting him through this.
This should have been a situation where the teacher would have found a solution, originally.
Professor Garcia, who couldnt find a proper solution, was the only one among the professors at this magic academy feeling guilty about it.
Student Yi-Han seems to have quite some talent, doesnt he? Seeing him seed so perfectly
As Professor Garcia spoke with assurance, Professor My nodded her head.
He has talent.
Do you really think so?
Professor Garcia was well aware of how difficult summoning magic was and how strict Professor My could be.
Therefore, Professor Mys approval felt even more valuable in that regard. He has the potential to learn summoning magic. However he has one weakness.
??
Professor Garcia was slightly taken aback.
Of course, he has quite a bit of, well, actually, an enormous amount of magical power, but his control is improving, and
Professor Garcia, who was about to tell a lie, couldnt bring herself to do it because of her conscience.
However, considering the amount of mana that Yi-Han possesses, he was adapting at an incredibly fast rate.
I think it will only get better as time goes on
I wasnt talking about his amount of mana, Professor Garcia.
Then?
The weakness I mentioned is arrogance.
?
Arrogance?
Professor Garcia was slightly confused.
Of course, the boy from the Wardanaz family might be seen as arrogant at first.
His cold, marble statue-like appearance,bined with his aristocratic atmosphere, made it quite difficult for most people to approach him.
However, Professor Garcia knew very well that Yi-Han was not that kind of boy.
The student who fed and took care of the Blue Dragon Tower students could not have such an arrogant personality.
It seems there might be a misunderstanding
Professor Garcia, please take a good look.
Professor My spoke sternly while pointing at over dozens of magic pens.
The student seeded on the first try. However, deliberately summoning over dozens of magic pens, what could that possibly mean?
Seeding in summoning magic pens on the first try means that the student has a high understanding of magic circles and excellent control over mana.
But why would such a student deliberately summon over dozens of magic pens?
If they had the ability to seed at once, then summoning just one would have sufficed, wouldnt it?
There was only one correct answer.
He did it to unt his abilities arrogantly.
No
Professor Garcia was taken aback by Professor Mys words.
This student, Yi-Han, doesnt have that kind of personality
Arrogance is a virtue for a wizard, but having it from such a young age can also be a dangerous poison. Professor Garcia, especially when one is naturally gifted with knowledge and talent.
So, what Im saying is
Professor My raised her eyebrow. Professor Garcia was startled.
Not all rtionships were equal among the professors, even if they were colleagues. Especially when one professor was a student of another.
But Professor Garcia wanted to clear up the misunderstandings somehow.
I dont think Yi-Han has that kind of personality. Maybe it was a mistake
Mistake, you say?
The voice of Professor My carried a faint sense of incredulity. It wasnt a good sign.
So, are you saying, Professor Garcia that this summoning was a mistake?
Professor Garcias face turned red. Upon reflection, she realized how absurd her words were.
To summon multiple pens with that magic circle, it wasnt as simple as pouring several times the amount of mana needed for summoning one pen all at once.
Since the magic circle wasnt originally intended for summoning multiple pens, increasing the mana abruptly and pouring it all at once could result in the destruction of the magic circle or unintended consequences.
Once mana was infused into a circuit, it exhibited different properties than before it was imbued.
As a result, the calctions were constantly changing. To infuse mana into a circuit that had already received mana required recalctions.
Thus
The only way to summon multiple magic pens with that magic circle was to repeat the process carefully several times.
Calcting and precisely injecting the required mana for summoning onto the magic circle.
Then, meticulously assessing the altered state of the magic circle and recalcting the precise amount of mana needed before injecting it once more.
Repeating it once more. Repeat, and repeat.
It was a subtle art that anyone wouldnt choose unless they had strong self-confidence in their abilities.
A feat that required intention to achieve!
Perhaps he practiced first to avoid destroying the magic circle and maybe he forgot that there was still mana left in the circle?
.
Professor My, who had been staring at Professor Garcia with a stern expression, rxed her expression.
It was apassionate look, as if she felt sorry for her kind-hearted student.
Thats right
Professor Garcia had nothing to say and remained silent.
Honestly, Professor Garcia also felt that her excuses were rather weak.
But what could she do when there is a high probability that it might be true?
Believing in and nurturing students is a good thing, but its not right to turn a blind eye to their shorings or mistakes, Professor Garcia. Sometimes, affection and trust can cloud someones judgment.
Yes
While I have said this, it doesnt mean Im denying that the student has exceptional talent. Its just a warning that excessive pride can harm the students themselves, so we should be cautious.
Yes.
You dont need to worry too much. If that student learns summoning magic, they will likely correct their arrogance soon.
Summoning magic has always humbled students who consider themselves the empires greatest geniuses.
Professor Garcia turned her head.
Yi-Han tried to send the summoned magic quills to Angrago and attempted to doodle I dont have quills to him.
As a result, a brawl was erupting between the White Tiger Tower students and the Blue Dragon Tower students.
As she went to intervene, Professor Garcia couldnt help but think that, no matter how much she thought about it, it didnt seem like arrogance.
Regardless of how much I think about it, it doesnt seem like thats the case.
***
A disturbance came to an end. The students faces were sttered with ink.
It was an aftermath which got left behind by imperfectly summoned magic pens and perfectly summoned magic pens.
The summoned magic pens disappeared over time, but the ink they left behind didnt vanish.
I believe you all have gained some understanding of how challenging summoning magic can be today. The magic we practiced today is the most fundamental aspect of summoning, and normally, it should be done without using a magic circle.
Professor My had instilled a sense of fear in the students, but she continued her speech earnestly, without paying much attention to their apprehension.
Nevertheless, if you are determined to learn and truly want to delve into summoning magic,e to my workshop. Everyone should remember this: it is easy to mistakenly think that talent or intelligence is what it takes to master magic, but
Yi-Han felt a momentary sensation that Professor Mys gaze was directed towards him.
Was it just his imagination?
Could it be that ordering the magic pens to bother Angaro was the problem?
Ultimately, what is most necessary is patience and perseverance. If you continue without giving up and dedicate yourself seriously, summoning magic will open the way for students.
Professor My concluded her speech and left the ssroom.
The remaining students gathered together and whispered among themselves.
Should we visit the workshop?
The professor did say that, didnt she? She mentioned that starting from the second year would be tough to catch up. If we want to learn summoning magic, it seems essential to practice from the first year.
The students nodded their heads.
After trying to summon the quills, they understood just how difficult summoning magic could be.
Can we go to the professor now and learn summoning magic separately?
Sure, why not?
Really? We already have so many assignments, and theres more toe. We also need to prepare for the written exams. Can we really find the time to study summoning magic separately?
.
Practical concerns made the students anxious.
Summoning magic was intriguing, but with additional assignments for it, not many students felt they could handle the workload.
Thats why they should have taken easier subjects.
That was what Yi-Han initially thought, but then he reconsidered.
Upon reflection, Yi-Han realized that opting for easier courses might not be the best choice, especially considering the current threat to his life.
Yi-Han suddenly became curious.
What courses are other students taking?
What elective courses are you guys taking?
Me? Im taking . Isnt that what everyones taking?
Im in . Its practically mandatory.
Im taking . I want to buy one during the holiday.
.
Upon hearing his friends course selections, Yi-Han felt a bit surprised.
Am I the only one without a general education course?
Theres no course without assignments, after all.
I feel the same way. But that doesnt mean I can skip the summoning magic course.
Shouldnt the academy lend us an artifact that can turn back time?
Gainando. Thats just a fairy tale. Where would you find something like that?
Even if it exists, would they really lend something like that to a student for a ss? It would be used for something much more valuable.
Listening to his friends conversation, Yi-Han checked the time and got up.
Gainando. Lets go.
Where are you going? And why are you taking Gainando with you?
Are you nning to use him as bait when you meet a summoned monster?
No, we have to meet Professor Mortum.
While everyone was debating whether to take the summoning magic course or not, there were also professors who were left alone, feeling neglected and unimportant.
That professor was none other than Professor Mortum, who taught dark magic.
As they directly addressed Professor Mortum by name, unlike other students, Yi-Han and Gainando had to visit him periodically to learn dark magic.
Do you have to go? Cant Gainando go alone?
Even though his friends didnt want to send Yi-Han off, Gainando had no intention of going alone.
If I go alone, Ill rmend all of you.
Gainando! My noble friend! I think theres a misunderstanding!
The friends immediately changed their stance.
Yonaire asked as if to inquire if it was alright. Maybe the students who are trying to learn summoning magic will be looking for you now. Will it be okay?
Since he didnt specify the time, well go meet Professor Mortum, and then I can just join Gainando to find the others.
Yi-Han also had an interest in summoning magic, but he had priormitments.
It was best not to break promises with professors, especially if the professor was lonely, with no studentsing to see them.
Then lets meet next time.
Be careful, Wardanaz.
Be careful with the unleashed summoned monsters and dont forget the potion that Priestess Siana gave you.
Be careful with Professor Mortum as well.
Be careful too, Gainando.
Hearing Asans words, Gainando showed a slightly touched expression.
Dalkard
If Gainando makes a mistake, you could be in danger too, so be careful.
.
It was not a warning to be careful for Gainando, but a caution to be wary of Gainando for Yi-Han.
Upon meeting Professor Mortum, Gainando made up his mind to rmend Asan right away.
Chapter 78
Chapter 78
Pitch ck Chamber.
The tower that Professor Mortum was using as his workshop was still gloomy.
It seems that if he wants the students toe more often, he should start by improving the surrounding environment.
Skeletons, bones, tombstones, and venomous potion bottles lying around usually made people reluctant toe.
In Yi-Hans opinion, among the new students this time, it seemed that only Yi-Han and Gainando woulde to learn ck magi
??
Yi-Han was surprised.
There was another new student in front of the Pitch ck Chamber.
Two new students on top of that.
Wh-Why did those kidse to learn ck magic?
Is there a reason for you to be so serious?
Yi-Han was puzzled by Gainandos reaction.
Gainando replied as if it were obvious.
Professor said I was the only one with talent!
.
Didnt you say you dont like ck magic?
Yi-Han was about to say something but gave up and changed the subject.
Gainando, even if they dont have as much talent as you, they might still want to learn ck magic.
Thats true indeed.
Gainando reflected slightly on what Yi-Han said.
Upon reflection, it seemed like it might be okay to be a little more lenient.
Hey, guys
Dont act friendly with me, you scoundrels from the Blue Dragon Tower.
.
Gainando felt triggered and was about to strike the other person with his wand. Yi-Han grabbed his arm and stopped him.
So youre from the White Tiger Tower.
Yeah.
A faint golden light flickered in the opponents eyes.
With the foreign facial features that gave an exotic impression, Yi-Han realized that his opponent had mixed blood.
Are you an angel hybrid?
Yes. I carry the ancestors glorious blood.
As something to be proud of, blood seems quite faint.
Tizilin, who was a demon hybrid, had such a strong bloodline that you could tell just by looking at their appearance right away.
In contrast, the White Tiger Tower student in front of him was quite hard to recognize.
If it werent for Yi-Hans keen sensitivity, it would have been difficult to notice.
You carry the glorious blood of our ancestors, yet you obey the Moradi familysmand?
Yi-Han attempted to mediate right away.
As the number of White Tiger Tower students who obey Jijels orders decreases, wouldnt life be more pleasant for Yi-Han and Dolgyu?
The honor and pride of the knights were sensitive vulnerabilities.
Dont be mistaken, Wardanaz. I, Raphadel, do not obey Moradis orders.
What? If you dont obey Moradis orders, why are you being such an assh bitc motherfu
Unable to find the right words, Yi-Han simply ended the question.
Why are you acting like that?
Do you ask because you dont know?
Raphadel looked at Yi-Han as if he was dumbfounded.
It didnt make sense to y innocent.
Gainando whispered from the side.
Isnt it because we sent the White Tiger Tower guys to the disciplinary roomst time?
Just because of that?
???
Gainando was perplexed.
Huh?
Thats a pretty good reason, isnt it?
Raphadel narrowed his forehead and spoke to Yi-Han.
Choi Familys Dolgyu! You wont pretend not to know after I said that. Its the name of the honorable friend you are wickedly exploiting.
.
Yi-Han was at a loss for words after such a long time. Gainando spoke up in his ce.
No, um, Dolgyu is our friend.
Even your excuse isme You attack him with magic, leave him unconscious, and still prattle about him being your friend!
.
Gainando looked at Yi-Han as if asking for help.
I treated him the same way because I was worried that Dolgyu might be hated by the White Tiger Tower guys.
Is that your excuse?
Raphadel reacted as if he was dumbfounded.
Yi-Han shrugged as he had expected such a reaction.
Some misunderstandings are unavoidable.
Wait a minute. Are you from the Gral family?
Gainando btedly recalled Raphadels family.
Southern Knight Family, Gral Family.
The Gral Family, which takes pride in having angelic blood in its ancestry, was known as one of the most righteous and strict knight families among the existing ones.
Judging by the way he talked
Thats right, you wicked ones.
It seemed like the other party had already categorized Yi-Han and Gainando as the axis of evil.
But most of it is because of the Wardanaz familys image.
If it werent for the image of the lunatic Wardanaz family, Yi-Han might not have been misunderstood like this.
At least, thats what Yi-Han thought.
I mean, why would the Gral family learn ck magic!?
Gainando scoffed since it was absurd to him.
Why would someone from the Gral family, which produced many Holy Knights,e to learn ck magic?
Raphadel spoke confidently.
Learning ck magic will allow us to better deal with ck mages.
.
The professor will cry.
Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
Only four of the students came, and one of them is a ck magic hater
I see. Gral. I hope you learn ck magic to deal with ck mages. I thought you were going to team up with Jijel from the Moradi family and maliciously plot against me because you seemed hostile to me.
Do not treat me, Raphadel, equal to those Moradi guys!
Raphadel was very upset.
Yi-Han, who controlled Dolgyu like a puppet, was indeed on the wrong side, but Jijel, who manipted other White Tiger Tower students as if they were her underlings, was equally contemptible.
So youre not going to join forces with Jijel from the Moradi family and plot against me?
Obviously!
Even with those scoundrels?
Of course! Why did you even ask that?
Alright then.
Yi-Han walked away as if he had said everything he wanted to say.
If he didnt attack Yi-Han from behind and didnt join hands with Jijel, it didnt matter what he said to Yi-Han up front.
Raphadel was left speechless, his eyes blinking in confusion.
He felt like something was wrong, but what exactly was it?
Following behind Yi-Han, Gainando thought to himself.
Hes my friend, but he really seems like a wicked sorcerer indeed
***
After he met Raphadel once, Gainando became quite hostile. He spoke to another student with a voice devoid of hospitality.
Why did you evene to learn ck magic?
Srak
The student stood up from their seat. It was only then that Gainando realized that the other person had been sitting on the floor.
.
Yi-Han was tall, but the other person was much taller than Yi-Han, easily surpassing 2 meters in height.
Giant hybrid!
Overwhelmed, Gainando quickly became polite.
I, I think its alright for you to learn it. I apologize for my rudeness.
He-Hello. Its nice to meet you all.
The other person was a ck Tortoise Tower student. He greeted them while ncing around.
M-My name is Imirg.
Im Yi-Han. This is Gainando. But may I ask why youre looking around?
M-my friends dont like me hanging out with students from the Blue Dragon Tower, so
!
Yi-Han was surprised.
Well, its not that strange.
Except for the Phoenix Tower, tower students generally stuck together.
It was natural for ck Tortoise Tower students, who had few nobles or knightly backgrounds, to avoid mingling with students from White Tiger Tower, where knight families were dominant, or with students from the Blue Dragon Tower, where noble families were dominant.
Someone like Nilliana Ratford was an exception
Still, Yi-Han wanted to make sure just in case.
Its not because you think Im a wicked sorcerer, is it?
H-Huh? What are you talking about?
No, huh. Then its fine.
Fortunately, they disliked the Blue Dragon Tower students because of their noble status indeed. Yi-Han felt relieved.
I came to learn ck magic because Im interested in it. I want to get along well with friends who also want to learn ck magic together.
Hmph! That will never happen!
Raphadel, who was behind them, replied firmly.
He had no intention of bing friends with the wicked students who wanted to learn ck magic.
Imirg looked at Raphadel with a sad expression. Raphadel flinched, probably feeling a bit scared.
Yeah. Even though we may not get along well outside, lets get along well when learning ck magic here.
Yi-Han extended his hand.
Imirg was a very easy case to be close with. Considering how many strange people he had encountered at school, this was something to be grateful for.
Imirg shook Yi-Hans hand up and down with a happy expression.
For a moment, Yi-Han had to quickly release a burst of his magic power throughout his body to withstand it.
Uurgh!
Yi-Han controlled his expression to avoid upsetting Imirgs mood. It was an incredible power.
Im counting on you too!
Gainando extended his hand without knowing anything. Yi-Han tried to stop him, but Gainando grabbed Imirgs hand first.
Grit!
***
Professor Mortum looked at the increased number of new students and hummed a cheerful tune with a happy expression.
Yi-Hans heart ached for some reason.
I shouldnt feel sorry for a professor, though.
Stockholm Syndrome was a quite dangerous syndrome.
Cough. Its nice to see you all here. I didnt expect so many students interested in ck magic. Next year should be promising.
We look forward to it!
Professor Mortum seemed to have not noticed Raphadels wicked intentions. He looked at Yi-Han and asked.
Have you found more bone summoned monsters?
I havent found them yet
Cough. Keep searching in dark and obscure ces.
Professor Mortum winked at Yi-Han as if it was a gift. It wasnt particrly romantic, of course.
Summoned monsters are running amok and he wants me to search in the gloomy and obscure ces around the academy Its practically suicide.
Cough Everyone must have been waiting for todays gathering, so we should get on with the ss quickly. Do you remember what we learned about cursesst time?
Yes. Of course.
Raphadel took out paper and a pen, ready to jot down the professors words. Professor Mortum looked pleased.
Of course, from Yi-Hans perspective, who knew Raphadels intentions, he only felt pity.
Is he nning to attack the professorter?
To be honest, curses were more fun than summoning magic!
Gainando spoke honestly.
Today, lets take our time and study curses to improve our understandi Wait a moment.
Professor Mortum paused while speaking.
Did you learn summoning magic this week?
Yes.
Cough. How was the students reaction?
Everyone seemed to like it? Everyone except us went to the workshop to hear about it.
Yi-Han wanted to give Gainando a smack on the head, but unfortunately, he couldnt do that.
Professor Mortum stated firmly.
Not curses. Today, Ill be teaching you about undead summoning.
Whoa!!
Is this really okay?
Yi-Han became anxious.
It seemed like they were skipping several steps in the curriculum
***
Cough Undead summoning can be considered the pinnacle of summoning magic. Its the most beautiful,plex, and sophisticated magic
Where do ck mages typically obtain corpses?
Good question. Student Raphadel. In the past, we primarily used cemeteries, but not these days. We purchase authorized corpses for our use.
Oh Nevertheless, illegal ck mages still prefer cemeteries, right?
Wouldnt that be the case?
Thank you.
Raphadel seemed excited and started taking notes. Professor Mortum, however, seemed to feel some difort and shook his head.
But you guys are still its too early for you to perform aplete undead summoning. Mishandling aplete undead can even kill a wizard.
One of the mostmon ck magic idents is when an inexperienced ck wizard summoned a skeletal warrior who ended up stabbing its master to death.
Gainando, who nearly died at the hands of a magical pen, nodded his head.
Well start with the easiest, something rtively less likely to kill you. The Backbone Hand.
The students listened intently with tense expressions as the professor spoke.
Shoo!
Bony hands appeared in front of the students.
First, try to get acquainted with the bone hands. Initially, they wont listen to yourmands, but
?
For a moment, it seemed to Yi-Han that the bone summoned monster and the bone hand had switched ces.
The bone hand was very politely bowing its head in front of Yi-Han.
Is it a trap?
Chapter 79 Full
Chapter 79
However, the behavior of the bone hand suggested something more than a mere trap; it was excessively polite. As Yi-Han stepped forward, the bone hand, trembling violently, rolled backward andy down, seemingly to prove itsck of hostile intent. Yi-Han was momentarily baffled.
Just then, Professor Mortum interjected, "Cough. It''s easy to be deceived by the beautiful and majestic appearance of undead summoning, but in reality, it''s anything but easy." Thisment shed light on amon dilemma faced by mages, especially those who typically designed inanimate objects for summoning spells. They often pondered: Must I summon inanimate objects? Can''t I summon beings with a consciousness?
Even the act of summoning a magic sword required careful pre-nning of its attributes and autonomous movements. As theplexity of such summoning spells increased, they demanded almost AI-like autonomy, making their study particrly challenging for mages. The questions persisted: Why must we design every detail? Can''t we just summon beings with consciousness from the start?
However, summoning beings with consciousness had clear drawbacks. Such beings might not always obey the summoner''smands, and this was particrly true for undead monsters. Compared to other monsters, undead creatures were usually ''a bit'' more disobedient. Their fundamental nature was the root cause of this challenge; summoners were mostly alive, while the undead were, well, dead. Forming a bond between such opposites was naturally difficult.
To bridge this gap, dark mages employed various methods to befriend the undead. Living in tombs, anointing themselves with rotting substances, and wearing nes of bones and flesh were not signs of degeneracy but rather heartbreaking efforts to mask the life force of the living and get closer to the undead.
"..."
"..."
The students, listening intently to Professor Mortum''s lecture on undead summoning, turned as pale as the undead creatures being discussed. Meanwhile, Professor Mortum, seemingly oblivious to their difort, continued. "Cough. So, try to befriend the bone hand by any means necessary. If you get close to it, eventually you''ll be able to befriend other undead monsters." He exined that getting close to low-tier undead monsters like the bone hand could imbue one''s soul with their aura, thus enabling control over more powerful undead over time.
"Professor," Yi-Han interjected, quietly waiting for a pause in the lecture. He raised his hand and called out to Professor Mortum.
"Are there undead who are particrly cowardly?" he asked. This was an unusual question, as undead monsters were typically characterized by their fearlessness, given theirck of life.
Professor Mortum initially scoffed at the notion, as if to dismiss such a possibility... but then his expression changed to one of surprise upon noticing the undead monster, the bone hand, trembling in front of Yi-Han.
Professor Mortum cast an incredulous look at the bone hand he had summoned, wondering if this was its usual reaction when confronted with students. The bone hand, seemingly ashamed, bowed its ¡®head¡¯ in front of the professor.
"Can''t you get closer quickly?" Professor Mortummanded, yet the bone hand remained trembling, hesitant to approach Yi-Han. The professor began to wonder if there was an issue with the potion he used in the summoning.
Meanwhile, another bone hand was happily pping the cheek of an approaching student, Gainando. They all seemed to behave normally, except for the one in front of Yi-Han.
''Did the bone hand feel a kinship due to Yi-Han being apanied by a bone summon? No... that shouldn''t cause fear,'' the professor thought. Only one conclusion seemed usible, and it left Professor Mortum internally horrified. "Could it be...?"
"Cough. Try summoning it yourself," he suggested to Yi-Han.
"Is that alright?" Yi-Han asked.
"Yes. Dark magic is superior to summoning magic because it offers practical experience like this. With summoning magic, you''d only be studying for a year."
"..."
Professor Mortum, eager to demonstrate the efficacy of dark magic, tossed Yi-Han a bone fragment necessary for the spell and etched a magic circle on the ground. Yi-Han, holding his staff and focusing intently, couldn''t shake off a sense of unease about the professor''s actions. ''It seems like he''s rushing the curriculum to prove dark magic is better...'' he thought. However, Yi-Han felt confident in his ability to subdue the bone hand if it turned aggressive.
He began the incantation. "Appear, bone hand!" With a throw of the bone fragment and a swing of his staff, the fragment absorbed mana and transformed amidst ominous smoke into a bone hand. This was not one of the bone hands previously summoned and controlled by Professor Mortum. This was a new entity, conjured by Yi-Han himself.
Summoning spells typically acted like chains restraining a beast, and for a novice mage, handling such a chain was a significant challenge. The incantation controlled the undead monster, but the control was precarious for an inexperienced caster.
Professor Mortum observed the situation closely. If the newly summoned bone hand broke free and attacked Yi-Han, he was prepared to reverse the summoning immediately. However, what unfolded was unexpected.
Rolling and tumbling¡ª
The new bone hand, summoned by Yi-Han, disyed an even greater level of submission than the one summoned by Professor Mortum. This surprising behavior was in stark contrast to what might be expected of a freshly summoned undead entity. It was as if the bone hand was showing an exaggerated form of obedience.
Amidst this scene, the bone summon hanging from Yi-Han''s belt writhed, seemingly in jealousy.
¡ª
"You have too much mana," Professor Mortum stated calmly, shedding light on a peculiarity he had observed in Yi-Han. Reflecting on past events, Yi-Han realized there had been indications of this since the curse ss. He hadn''tprehended the severity of his condition, not until seeing the undead monsters cower and submit before him.
Yi-Han, feeling like a patient diagnosed with an incurable disease, asked solemnly, "I see. Professor, is there a way to cure this?"
"Cough. Why cure it? It''s a blessed talent," Professor Mortum responded, surprising Yi-Han.
"??" Yi-Han was taken aback. He had always considered his excessive mana a hindrance. Magic was hard to use, spirits fled from him, and now, even undead creatures were showing fear.
"Cough. With such a talent, there''s no need to befriend undead monsters. Just suppress them with power. What a wonderful ability," Professor Mortum borated. He exined that dark mages didn''t indulge in rituals like rolling around in tombs for enjoyment; they did it to somehow befriend the undead. However, if one could simply overpower them instead of befriending them, it would be a more efficient method of control. To Professor Mortum, the ability to subjugate undead monsters seemed a more advanced and desirable form of control.
"But Professor, we can summon and subjugate undead monsters, but not spirits," Yi-Han pointed out. Without first befriending spirits, they wouldn''t respond to summons, rendering the idea of intimidating them moot.
Professor Mortum, understanding Yi-Han''s concern, kindly offered a solution. "Cough. There''s a good solution."
"What is it?" Yi-Han inquired, intrigued.
"Just give up on summoning spirits," Professor Mortum advised.
"..."
Yi-Han was grateful for the table''s presence. Hidden beneath it, he could clench his fist without anyone noticing his frustration. However, Professor Mortum was earnest in his advice.
"Cough. Why try to graze on grass with such good teeth and ws? Dark magic suits you best. I don''t usually say this, but... you have a genius talent for dark magic," the professor dered.
"Ah. I see," Yi-Han responded nonchntly.
"?!" This time, it was Professor Mortum who was taken aback by Yi-Han''s indifferent reaction. The professor had given a rare and valuablepliment, yet Yi-Han seemed too casual about it. Perhaps due to his Wardanaz family lineage, Yi-Han''s response was unexpectedly indifferent. ''The time to be swayed by professors'' praise has passed,'' Yi-Han thought. He knew that professors often used praise strategically, especially in less popr fields, and being beguiled by it couldplicate one''s life.
Seeking to shift the focus, Yi-Han mentioned, "However, Professor. Due to the amount of mana, casting spells is difficult for me."
"That will improve with practice. Cough. I''ll help you with the training," Professor Mortum offered.
''Damn. Professors are really of no help,'' Yi-Han thought privately. They seemed more interested in satisfying their own desires than genuinely assisting students. Could a professor really be this self-serving? But then again, professors had always been like this.
"Oh my... Thank you very much," Yi-Han replied, managing to keep his expression neutral. While he hadn''tmitted to pursuing dark magic, he recognized the need to prepare for the possibility that other magics might fail him, leaving dark magic as his only viable option. Therefore, maintaining a good rtionship with Professor Mortum was pragmatic.
As they exchanged smiles, both the professor and student had their own hidden agendas.
Elsewhere in the ssroom, Gainando, with a swollen cheek, angrily confronted a bone hand with his staff. Raphael, equally battered, brandished a wooden sword at another bone hand. Ymirg, the only one unscathed, had managed to grab and pin down a charging bone hand.
Catching Yi-Han''s disbelief, Professor Mortum borated, "Cough. Having a talent for dark magic doesn''t mean one quickly befriends the undead. That''s not a good method. It''s a ssic mistake young dark mages make."
"But if you beat them up like that, won''t the undead monsters start respecting the summoner?" Yi-Han asked, trying to understand the dynamics.
Professor Mortum looked at Yi-Han as if he were suggesting something absurd. Yi-Han, feeling misunderstood, thought, ''But you said suppression was a good method...''
¡ª
After the extra lesson, Gainando, nursing his swollen cheek with the ointment provided by Professor Mortum, couldn''t hide his irritation. "Undead monsters, they¡¯re unaware of nobility... Yi-Han."
"?" Yi-Han looked at him questioningly.
"Let''s hurry to the summoning magic ss. It might be better if it''s not undead monsters," Gainando suggested, hoping for a change in their magic studies.
"..." Yi-Han pondered silently. ''Apart from spirits, demons are probably more ferocious than undead monsters, and monsters generally have strong wild instincts,'' he thought.
Meanwhile, Raphael, sporting a puffed-up face, couldn''t contain his frustration. "You wicked dark mage. Just you wait. I''ll be watching you," he yelled at Yi-Han.
"Really. It seems we have a misunderstanding. Do we really have to fight as fellow dark magic students?" Yi-Han questioned, seeking to defuse the situation.
"You jerk! You hit me in the face earlier!" Raphael used.
"That was a mistake," Yi-Han replied, regretting the incident.
Yi-Han, following Professor Mortum''s guidance, had been testing how far he couldmand the undead monster. He had even sessfully executed a difficultmand to self-destruct, which earned him apuse and admiration from the professor. However, amidst amand error, Yi-Han''s summoned bone hand identally pped Raphael, leading to his grudge against the "wicked necromancer."
"Really. Why don''t you believe me..." Yi-Hanmented.
"Yi-Han. He¡¯s already gone," Gainando pointed out.
"What a pity," Yi-Han responded, a hint of regret in his voice.
Gainando looked at Yi-Han, his gaze mixed with fear. ''...So this is why the undead obey well?!'' he wondered.
"Ymirg. See you next ss," Yi-Han said, bidding farewell to another ssmate.
"Uh, okay. Yi-Han. But not outside..." Ymirg replied cautiously, hinting at a certain unease around Yi-Han.
Yi-Han felt a sting of hurt at Ymirg''s words but chose not to show it.
¡ª
The , a workshop and tower used by Professor Millei, radiated an aura starkly different from that of the . ''It''s like a library,'' Yi-Han thought. Ironically, the actual library of the magic academy felt more like a disorganized storage room of a closedpany than a proper library, but the embodied the essence of a library more than the library itself.
The path to the tower was neatly paved with bricks, and there was a picturesque pond with a walking path nearby for strolling. ''The had a pond too,'' Yi-Han recalled, though that one was a bubbling, purple pond filled with poison.
Standing in front of the door to the , Gainando knocked cautiously, then turned to Yi-Han, unsure of what to say. "Wait. What should I say?"
"Just as it is," Yi-Han advised.
"That we''rete because we got hit by an undead...?" Gainando hesitated.
"...Let me handle it. Professor Millei! We apologize for arrivingte. Another professor had a prior engagement..."
"If there was a prior engagement, it can''t be helped. No need to apologize," Professor Millei responded from within and opened the door.
Descending to the first floor to greet theters, Professor Millei raised an eyebrow upon noticing Yi-Han. It seemed as though she was surprised to see him there.
''...What?'' A sense of foreboding washed over Yi-Han. He wondered if Professor Mortum had spoken to the other professors, instructing them to lose interest in him with a message like, ''This one will be my student, so everyone stop paying attention to him.''
Chapter 80
Chapter 80
Fortunately for Yi-Han, Professor Millei did not send him away upon his arrival. Instead, an unexpected development urred. Suddenly, two thick books materialized out of thin air. They were so hefty that they could have been mistaken for weapons.
The books, bound meticulously, disyed the title on their covers. Professor Millei, with amanding presence, instructed, "Both of you, sit down." He was the kind of person whose stern gaze alone could evoke tension, eliminating any need for a sword or staff to assert authority.
Gainando, slightly intimidated, quickly found a seat. Curious, he asked, "Professor, where are the other students?"
"They have gone back after receiving their lessons and collecting their assignments," Professor Millei replied.
"Assignments?" Gainando echoed, lifting his head, his tone reflecting his concern. The idea of additional assignments seemed like a significant burden under the current circumstances. He ventured a timid challenge, "Professor, isn''t dark magic... not part of the assignments?"
Professor Millei''s direct gaze fell upon Gainando, rendering himpletely subdued. ''Could it be that his gaze has a petrifying effect?'' Yi-Han couldn''t help but think, given the peculiar nature of some of the professors.
"Both of you, open the books," Professor Milleimanded. Theyplied, opening the books to find pages filled with densely written text. The sight seemed to overwhelm Gainando, who appeared slightly dizzy.
"Read, copy, and solve the problems," the professor instructed. Yi-Han, looking down at his book, saw the heading of the first chapter:
.
"Summoning inanimate objects is the most basic and core aspect of summoning magic. Even summoners who are only interested in other areas of summoning must learn and master this part. The great summoner Boltzmann organized educational and efficient magic circles for future generations, and remembering these circles became fundamental in summoning magic. So, young summoners, be thankful and diligent. Memorizing Boltzmann''s basic magic circles and understanding their principles will guarantee remarkable achievements in summoning magic..."
(1st Magic Circle)
(2nd Magic Circle)
(3rd Magic Circle)
(4th Magic Circle)
...
...
"Young summoners. Having learned interesting knowledge, it''s now time to use that knowledge in even more interesting ways. Answer the following riddle. The novice summoner, Chursu, while traveling in the cold North, got separated from his group due to an ident. Unfortunately, someone had stolen his bag containing thick clothes, and the fierce wind tore apart the clothes he was wearing. What is the quickest summoning magic circle Chursu could use to avoid freezing to death?
Yi-Han found this question to be quite absurd. ''It seems odd to focus on the magic circle when the culprit should be caught first.'' He thought the approach was forced, yet he couldn''t help but recognize the excellence of the textbook. Having encountered manyplex and difficult textbooks, Yi-Han could appreciate the quality of this one.
Not all textbooks were this considerate. Some were designed to cater to the reader''s level, while others seemed to aim solely at wasting the reader''s time. Unfortunately, most textbooks, and even the professors here, usually fell into thetter category.
However, the book given by Professor Millei was a notable exception. It allowed students to easily memorize and understand the basic magic circlepositions used in summoning magic by focusing and reading slowly. This fact alone elevated Professor Millei in Yi-Han''s esteem. ''He is indeed a good person,'' Yi-Han thought. Professor Millei had carefully selected the most suitable book for education from numerous magic books, showcasing the mindset of a true educator, a trait that was iparable to the other professors.
"Thank you, Professor," Yi-Han said, his gaze filled with gratitude.
Professor Millei, slightly surprised, was taken aback by the emotion in Yi-Han''s eyes.
''??''
There were two primary reasons why Professor Millei was initially hesitant to teach summoning magic to his students.
Firstly, he recognized that summoning magic, without sufficient knowledge and preparation, could be hazardous. Even the seemingly simple task of summoning inanimate objects could result in injuries to the caster if not handled with care.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, Professor Millei sought to prevent his students from acting recklessly. He was aware that freshmen, often filled with pride and a sense of ego, could easily cause idents due to their arrogance andck of experience. He believed that if these students were immediately taught summoning magic, their recklessness could lead to dangerous oues.
Thus, he made them study hard and tediously. The studies were so rigorous and challenging that they twisted and contorted the students'' bodies, pushing them to their limits. This approach was central to Professor Millei''s teaching philosophy. In his view, if a student couldn''t endure the rigorous studies and gave up on summoning magic, it was for the best. Such students were deemed better off not learning summoning magic at all.
''But...?'' A sense of surprise overtook Professor Millei as he observed Yi-Han diligently copying from the book and solving problems without any signs ofint. Yi-Han, who was known for his exceptional talent among the students, was expected to be the most arrogant. Yet, while other students soon started yawning, twisting in their seats, and casting longing nces outside, perhaps nning their escape, Yi-Han remained an exception.
Surprisingly, Yi-Han sat motionless, absorbed in his studies, with only the sound of his quill breaking the silence. His focus and dedication were unlike his peers.
"Yi-Han," Gainando called out suddenly.
"What?" Yi-Han responded.
"I need to go to the bathroom," Gainando said.
"Trying to escape?" Yi-Han asked, half-joking.
"What... What?? No! No, I''m not!" Gainando vehemently denied it, but Yi-Han, having casually posed the question, now felt sure of his suspicion. ''He was trying to escape.''
Yi-Han had initially thought that Gainando might consider switching from dark magic to summoning magic, given his earlier struggles. However, observing Gainando''s current state, it seemed that such a shift might not be necessary after all.
"I miss Professor Mortum..." Gainandoter muttered, almost like a madman, after returning from the bathroom.
Gainando''s initial hope that hard study might lead to something positive was thoroughly dashed. Professor Millei, unwavering in his approach, had them study rigorously until the very end of the session. Yi-Han, on the other hand, nodded with a sense of satisfaction. ''Such lessons are necessary too,'' he thought. After experiencing several tumultuous sses, this focused, high-quality theoretical study was a wee change, almost sweet in its nature.
As they stood up to leave, Gainando whispered to Yi-Han, "Hey. Do you understand this stuff?"
Yi-Han, finding value in the material, replied, "Isn''t it quite substantial? It''s interesting too."
"...?????!!" Gainando''s expression, a mix of shock and disbelief, was more astonished than when Yi-Han had subdued Raphael. To him, Yi-Han''s engagement with the material seemed almost unfathomable.
"That''s enough for today. Study this material and be ready by next week," Professor Millei announced as he collected the books and handed out a thick bundle of papers. Gainando received them, his expression a mix of respect and resignation.
In that moment, both Yi-Han and Professor Millei foresaw Gainando''s future with a simr prediction: he wouldn''t show up next week. It seemed obvious given his reaction to the material.
"See you next week," Yi-Han said, bidding farewell respectfully. He recognized the importance of maintaining good rtionships with professors, especially those of character. Such connections could prove invaluable, perhaps even saving him from potential punishment in the future.
"I apologize for misjudging you, student Yi-Han," Professor Millei suddenly remarked.
"Excuse me?" Yi-Han responded, taken aback.
"Let''s meet next week then," Professor Millei said with a faint smile.
However, for Yi-Han, who was left in the dark about the professor''s initial judgment, this statement was open to numerous interpretations. ''What??'' he wondered, puzzled as the door to the closed behind him. He was left contemting what Professor Millei could have misjudged about him. ''Could it be he discussed my future with Professor Mortum? Surely he didn''t say I should only focus on dark magic, right? Or maybe even with the skull principal...'' Yi-Han''s mind raced with possibilities, leaving him in a state of confusion and contemtion that persisted until he fell asleep that night.
As the days passed, the students grew increasingly haggard, while the skull principal seemed to gleam brighter in the eyes. The skull principal entered the ssroom with a cheerful voice. "Is everyone having a happy week?"
"..."
"..."
If it had been the first week, a few students would have politely responded, but now, all students from the four towers remained silent. The skull principal rattled his bones unconcerned, forcing the students'' necks to nod up and down involuntarily. All except Yi-Han.
"..."
Yi-Han, after looking around, hastily nodded his head. The skull principal looked at him as if he were absurd.
''Is he really following along...'' thought the skull principal, puzzled. The sight of this boy from the Wardanaz family reminded him of a lion wearing a sheep''s disguise, trying to befriend other sheep. If he had withstood the principal''s magic alone, he should be standing proud and arrogant, not looking like this.
"Now, it''s time for the education of your young fledgling mages'' characters. You remember the assignment I gave youst week, right?" The students nodded. Who could forget? "Students of each tower, you were to bring the g hanging in the freshman lounge of the tower I assigned. Remember, the g with the emblem!"
The skull principal''s assignment was to bring gs from other towers. Even with the broadest definition, it had nothing to do with character, but the principal stood confident. "Let''s start with the ck Tortoise. Have you acquired the Immortal Phoenix g?"
"Yes, we have..." Students from the ck Tortoise cautiously began to take out the g they had exchanged with the Immortal Phoenix.
"Ah, you brought it. Good."
"..."
"..."
The skull principal disyed an overtly disinterested expression.
He already knew they had exchanged, so it wasn''t of much interest to him. "The Immortal Phoenix must have taken care of theirs too, right?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now..." The skull principal, with the joy of someone who has been served a long-awaited meal, floated up to the White Tiger students. "My honorable knights from noble families! You surely have the Blue Dragon g, right?? Huh??"
"..."
"..."
The faces of the White Tiger students flushed with humiliation and shame. Even Yi-Han, who normally didn''t care what others thought, found the situation a bit ufortable.
''The back of my neck is prickling.'' thought Yi-Han, feeling uneasy. The White Tiger students red at Yi-Han with resentful eyes.
"Why aren''t you taking it out?! Huh?! Why?! Don''t tell me you didn''t bring it?!"
''Enough already...'' Yi-Han silently wished for the skull principal to stop his antics. Of course, he didn''t.
The skull principal, having had his fill of fun, changed the topic. "As I said before, this lecture isn''t about making you fight. The purpose is to get to know each other, be friends, and unite." None of the students believed him. "It''s a pity you misunderstand my intentions. So, for the next assignment, I''ll give something easier to understand."
Yi-Han grew anxious. What more could he be nning? "There''s ake if you go west from the main building. Some of you might have seen it."
"..."
"...That was ake?" Students who had wandered around were confused, saying they thought it was... "I thought it was the sea."
"Why would there be a sea inside an academy?!"
"Well, I just thought that in this academy, there might be a sea." ...It was an immenselyrgeke. As there were deep and rugged mountain ranges difficult to gauge the end of, so too was there ake in this magic academy.
On thatke, there was an ind. There, I had hidden a pass for leaving the academy grounds.
"!"
"!!!"
The students'' eyes momentarily shed like those of starving beasts. "Work together to bring it to me."
"We understand!"
This response was the most enthusiastic of any they had given so far. "Remember, Immortal Phoenix students should move together with ck Tortoise students, and Blue Dragon students with White Tiger students. You''re free not to listen, just like thest assignment, but..." The skull principal smirked. I assure you, you won''t pass if you do that. Students from the Blue Dragon and White Tiger looked at each other and scowled. They all had the same thought.
''Together with these guys? That''s what they must be thinking.''
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Chapter 81
Chapter 81
Chapter 81
"Can we forget our misunderstandings and work together for a better future?"
"I''d rather dream of the academy falling apart." One of the White Tiger students replied like that. Yi-Han, considering this, mused that it wouldn''t be so bad.
Of all people, Wardanaz, you speaking of cooperation! To some White Tiger Tower, Yi-Han was already an evil great mage. Because of you seizing that g, we lost our chance to score well in this ss!
That seems to be a misunderstanding. An F isn''t certain yet, Yi-Han logically attempted to persuade the students, hoping to convince these obstinate knights of the benefits of cooperation.
Though, the chances of getting an F are probably 95%!
Ha ha! An F!
...
Of course, there was no guarantee that his friends from the Blue Dragon would be of any help. Asan and Gainando tried to intervene on Yi-Han''s behalf, only to shrink back under his murderous re.
Did we do something wrong? Asan wondered, confused.
We just wanted to help Gainando thought, feeling disheartened.
Think about it. The principal holds this ss for our education. Do you really think one mistake on an assignment warrants an F? Though Yi-Han believed it possible, he didn''t show it. Giving up over one mistake might be the real reason to deserve an F. If we work hard from now, everyone can earn an A by the end of the term. Plus, the outside world is a paradise, Ive been there. No early risings, eat whatever you want.
Barring the principals traps, he thought, considering the challenges they faced.
The White Tiger students, despite trying to ignore him, found themselves intrigued. Some began to ponder, Should we cooperate this time? Yet, things didnt resolve easily. Jijel stepped forward. Really? Do you think so?
Moradi, I know you bear a grudge against me, but my sincerity Yi-Han struggled to sow discord. His influence with the White Tiger students paled inparison to Jijel. Jijel, with a neutral yet sharp aura, drew everyone''s attention. Has anything good evere from being involved with Wardanaz?
Moradi, you ordered your men to attack me. Everyone, don''t be deceived. Moradis
What about those who ended up in the punishment room because of Wardanaz?
That''s a misunderstanding. The principal took them.
And who attacked the loungest time?
That too, the principals doing Despite Yi-Han''s best efforts to defend himself, the mood had already shifted.
Thud-
Yonaire shook her head disapprovingly, grasping Yi-Hans shoulder, indicating there was no further recourse.
Damn it. Yi-Han thought, frustrated. Pretending to be virtuous had its limits due to his past actions. He sighed. Is there no other way?
Dolgyu. Come here.
?
Dolgyu, the orc of the knightly Choi family, hesitated when his friends cautioned him against approaching Yi-Han. Yi-Han is not that kind of friend. Silence lingered. Not that kind of friend?
Despite his friends'' dissuasion, Dolgyu approached. Im here, Yi-Han. Whats the matter?
As Dolgyu neared, Yi-Han grabbed him and shouted fiercely, If you don''t cooperate, I can''t guarantee Dolgyu''s life. I''ll take him to theke, use him, and then dump him at the bottom!
"...That bastard, for real!!!" The White Tiger students were aghast. So, this was Wardanaz''s true nature!
Dolgyu looked flustered but soon realized the situation. Yi-Han is doing this to mediate between the two towers. he thought.
Save me, please. Dolgyu spoke with a pitiful, sad expression, and some White Tiger students felt their hearts tearing.
Raphael burst out, Stop it, you Wardanaz! Well cooperate! Just let Dolgyu go!!
Right. Well cooperate, so release Dolgyu!! The White Tiger students unanimously cried out to Yi-Han.
On your honor?
On our honor!
Fine. Ill let him go. But be careful in the future. Yi-Han released Dolgyu.
Jijel looked at Yi-Han with a shocked expression, as if he were insane. If only you had agreed to cooperate earlier, it would have been easier for both sides.
You Youre more evil than I am, Wardanaz. Feel proud. Ive never seen someone like you.
You would think that. Yi-Han retorted brusquely to Jijel''sment and turned away.
Gainando nodded in agreement, then hesitated upon making eye contact with Yi-Han. "You''re not thinking what I think you are, right?"
Oh, no! I was just stretching my neck!
Although a challenging assignment came up in , Yi-Han and his friends couldn''t focus on it. Not because of the cooperation with White Tiger students, but...
So, when are you going to act, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family? Priestess Siana asked.
I am still considering.
At Yi-Han''s response, Yonaire whispered in confusion. But why are you speaking formally to Priestess Siana? You didnt use to.
...Did I do that?
Yi-Han realized then he had unknowingly been overwhelmed by Priestess Sianas madness. It wasnt really Yi-Hans fault. Anyone would feel daunted if told, We need potions, so lets raid the professors workshop.
Whats the matter with you two?
Ha ha. Its nothing... I mean, nothing.
Yonaire, seemingly catching on to Yi-Hans thoughts, defended him. The meng Order often resorts to any means for alchemy.
Yonaire is not cut out for promoting the order. Yi-Han thought, reflecting on her statement.
The real issue wasnt Priestess Sianas or the meng Orders madness. It was crucial to decide when to raid the workshop. If he opened the door to the workshop and made eye contact with Professor Uregor inside, he would have nightmares for a month.
The timing should be in the evening or at night. But which day? Should we do it on a weekday or the weekend? Yi-Han pondered, trying to figure out the best time.
Yi-Han couldnt urately pin down Professor Uregors schedule. He knew the times they met at the cabin, but not what the professor did otherwise. Asking Professor Uregor mightter make him a suspect...
Wardanaz, no need toe to the cabin today. Professor Bungaegor, descending for the ss, informed Yi-Han.
Yi-Han had been learning various training techniques for flying mounts after finishing chores at the cabin. Is there a problem, Professor?
"I''m thinking of taking my nephew to the market. There are things I need to buy."
"Ah, I see." Yi-Han managed his expression as best as he could and spoke with all his effort to hide any awkwardness in his voice.
"When will you be going?"
"I''ll head out after today''s lecture and return by tomorrow. It''s unfortunate that I can only take my nephew with me." Professor Bungaegor sincerely apologized. Honestly, she felt that hardworking students like the boy from the Wardanaz family deserved to be taken along, given how industriously he worked, almost like an ox...
"It''s alright, Professor. The academy rules apply equally to everyone, don''t they?"
"Did Gonadaltes threaten you? Anyway, I understand. I''ll bring you some beer candy when I return." Dwarf snacks were a bit unusual, but Yi-Han chose not toment. Any gift was appreciated.
And then... ''Tonight!'' Opportunity had suddenly presented itself. Yi-Han discreetly called his friends together.
"Tonight."
"...!"
"Tonight...!"
His friends wore surprised expressions at the abrupt n, but none backed out. "Better this way. We can rest all weekend."
"Tonight, I was waiting for it." Asan extended his hand with a determined expression, saying, "For afortable semester without assignments."
"For afortable semester without assignments!"
"...?"
Yi-Han was puzzled. When did you guyse up with this slogan?
"Stop chatting and take your positions. Now, everyone should be getting friendly with their horses. Some feed and groom their horses from early dawn, while otherszily pet them."
Gainando flinched.
"I won''t say anything. This academy leads students to the water, but doesn''t force them to drink. It''s up to you to decide."
''It seems more like throwing us in the water to start...'' thought one of the students, uneasy about the challenge.
"Are we riding horses today?" One student asked nervously. They were still too unfamiliar with the horses to performplex equestrian skills.
"No. It would take a whole semester of devotion to be that close. Today, you''ll learn how to handle a different kind of monster." Professor Bungaegor put her finger to her lips and whistled sharply. A fiery puppy bounded out from behind, hopping around.
The students, ustomed to seeing all sorts of crazy beings, naturally gasped in awe. But Yi-Han tensed up. In this magic academy, cute creatures might be more dangerous. But that didnt mean the ferocious-looking ones were any safer...
"Those who thought it was cute and liked it are disqualified. Before admiring its cuteness, you should have noticed the mes. The moment this puppy charges, half of you would be dead." The burning puppy panted and rolled around yfully. Professor Bungaegor scratched its belly approvingly.
"Mages are generally good with elements, but that''s true for those who have survived various idents. Why do you think the empire believes mages are adept at elements? Because the foolish ones die before they be well-known. There are too many mages who''ve tried to tame fire-attribute monsters and died to list their names."
The students involuntarily stepped back, having moved several meters from their original positions.
"Today, we will learn to handle monsters with a fire attribute. Be thankful it''s only a puppy. If it were as big as a horse, you''d be worrying about getting trampled to death before even burning. Wardanaz."
It was customary for the star pupil to step forward first in such situations. Yi-Han, holding back a sigh, walked to the front.
"You''ll demonstrate. Drink this." Professor Bungaegor threw him a potion for fire resistance. Yi-Han felt slightly relieved.
''So, I won''t have to touch it barehanded.'' he thought. Thinking that Professor Bungaegor would have been outraged had she heard Yi-Han''s thoughts, ''What do you take me for?!'', Yi-Han drank the potion. It burned his throat like strong alcohol. Breathing in, he caught a slightly acrid smell.
"Finished it? Well done. Now, try to mingle with that puppy for as long as you can."
"How long does the potion''s effectst?"
"That''s for you to figure out."
"..."
Yi-Han hesitated. ''So, Im supposed to realize the dangerous moment and get out on my own?'' he thought, recognizing the challenge of the task. It was training to hone a mage''s instinct towards danger, not just relying on elemental resistance spells or potions...
Convincing himself of that wasn''t easy. ''Damn it. It seems like beingst is advantageous.'' he thought, considering the benefit of gauging the timing of the potion''s effects on others.
Yi-Han focused. He readied his mana to cast a spell at a moment''s notice, in case of an emergency. Then, with a gentle smile, he approached the fiery puppy. The burning puppy made a pained noise, its expression scared.
"Don''t be scared!!" Yi-Han reassured.
"I didnt even do anything..."
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Chapter 82
Chapter 82
Yi-Han looked at the burning puppy with an expression of injustice, but the puppy had already run far away.
The students of White Tiger murmured among themselves, watching the scene with an ''I knew it'' expression.
Yi-Han felt annoyed for no reason.
"Cheer up, Wardanaz! Being afraid of by a puppy doesn''t define a person''s character!"
"That''s right, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family!"
Despite the encouragement from friends of other towers, Yi-Han didn''t feel any better.
''I have to think that unless they are foul-tempered enough to kill me or undead, they will all run away.''
With a sad realization, Yi-Han rummaged in his coat pocket. The burning puppy continued to bark and howl.
"?!"
Professor Bungaegor wondered what Yi-Han was doing.
Surprisingly, Yi-Han pulled out a sweet potato. Gainando tried to walk forward carelessly toward him but was caught by his friends.
"Come here."
Yi-Han flicked his fingers, enticing the puppy with the sweet potato. The burning puppy stopped barking and slowly approached, lured by the smell of the sweet potato.
''Not bad.''
Professor Bungaegor smiled.
Although the lesson was to teach methods of enduring the temperamental burning puppy, not enticing it with sweet potatoes...
It was a good idea.
Instead of forcing or being stubborn with the monster''s reactions, it was about flexibly understanding and catering to what the monster wanted.
This was the first step in taming a monster.
The boy of the Wardanaz family understood this well, even without being taught, evident from his actions...
Thump!
Yi-Han, seeing the distracted puppy, quickly lunged and hugged it tightly.
He theny on top of it to prevent it from escaping.
"Got you."
"..."
Professor Bungaegor was astonished.
Yelp!
Woof! Grrrr! Whine... Whimper.
Initially startled and barking, the puppy soon submitted to fear, bing docile and looking up at Yi-Han.
Lying on the ground, Yi-Han scratched the puppy''s belly. The puppy wagged its tail, panting happily.
Although different from Professor Bungaegor''s idea of friendly taming, it was taming nheless.
...Using deception and fear.
"Professor, look. We''ve be friends."
"Yes, good job. Stay hugging it for a while."
Raphael of White Tiger, looking at Yi-Han hugging the burning puppy without getting up from the dirt, wore a disgusted expression.
Such a ruthless fellow.
Was this level of ruthlessness necessary to possess such dark magic abilities, even though he was not from a knightly family but a high noble family?
"Yawn."
How much time had passed?
Someone yawned, followed by several students.
Only then did Professor Bungaegor realize something was off.
''Has it been this long?''
The duration of the me resistance potion prepared by Professor Bungaegor varied for each student, to prevent them from predicting and preparing in advance.
But it shouldn''t havested this long.
''What...''
Professor Bungaegor scrutinized Yi-Han.
To her astonishment, the potion''s effects had already worn off. There was no sign of me resistance energy in the body.
Yi-Han was simply...
Emitting mana from his body, repelling the mes of the burning puppy. The puppy whimpered and spat mes, but they couldn''t reach Yi-Han and were pushed to the ground, dissipating.
To block the mes purely with the release of mana, without using a protective barrier or any other spell, was remarkable.
That was not a mage''s technique, but a swordsman''s.
''What a brute!''
Yi-Han misunderstood Professor Bungaegor''s gaze as having a different meaning.
''Professor, I too need to survive.''
Yi-Han had his reasons.
After all, depending on a single potion and risking one''s life to hug a burning puppy was dangerous.
Yi-Han, having instincts, had no choice but to protect himself in his own unique way.
Though his method was incredibly unconventional and something others couldn''t possibly imitate...
Yi-Han had yet to realize that the effects of the me resistance potion had ended. He had thought that even with his mana, he would feel the heat if the potion''s effect wore off.
''But stroking this puppy, I feel strange.''
It was a kind of delusion of grandeur.
It was as if he had gained a newfound confidence in using fire elemental magic.
It was simr to how he felt more confident in handling the bead after his near-death experience with Professor Bdi.
Thetter had a basis, whereas the former did not.
''...A trap?''
Yi-Han gazed intently at the puppy. The burning puppy wagged its tail and panted.
"The potion''s effects ended a while ago."
"What? Really?"
Startled by Professor Bungaegor''s words, Yi-Han came to his senses.
Seeing this, Professor Bungaegor thought to herself.
''Next time, I must bring a creature that can''t be blocked by mere mana.''
Unaware that he had dug his own grave, Yi-Han asked the professor.
"Professor, can the fire puppy cast hypnosis?"
"...Did you drink alcohol instead of the me resistance potion?"
After hearing Yi-Han''s exnation, Professor Bungaegor dismissed it casually.
"That''s not hypnosis or deception, but your genuine heightened understanding of the fire element."
"Ha ha. Is that so?"
Yi-Han responded with an air of disbelief. Professor Bungaegor nearly hit him, then stopped.
"It''s true. You''re learning basic elemental magic, right? What''s important when using basic elemental magic? Familiarity with the element."
When using basic elemental magic, what mattered was how vividly and strongly one could visualize the element.
A student who grew up in hot, fiery ces would be attuned to the fire element.
A student from the wave-crashing coast would connect with the water element.
Depending on their life experiences, students would naturally be influenced differently by the elements.
Conversely, continuous contact with a specific element increases understanding of that element.
"Theory is important, but as a mage, don''t lose touch with your intuition, Wardanaz. Your understanding of the fire element has indeed increased."
Professor Bungaegor spoke earnestly.
Yi-Han, who had been half-skeptical, listened. It wasn''t bad news.
Merely enduring the embrace of the burning puppy increased his understanding of the fire element.
"But seeing such an increase, you might have a talent for the fire element?"
"What? But I have a talent for the water element."
Yi-Han responded, puzzled. It was unusual to possess talents in opposing elements.
Professor Bungaegor replied as if it was obvious.
"You wouldn''t gain such an understanding from petting a burning puppy for several minutes if you didn''t have a talent for the fire element."
"!"
Yi-Han realized he hadn''t had many opportunities to test his talent for the fire element.
Professor Garcia had warned him of its dangers, and he had nearly died a few times from misuse outside
"Huh?"
''Could it be that I actually had a talent for the fire element?''
His burning anger towards the professor might have unwittingly developed into a talent for the fire element.
Perhaps his affinity for the water element was just because Professor Bdi constantly harassed him, making him familiar with it...
"Wardanaz, don''t limit yourself. It''s better to try things out and gain understanding through experience."
"Thank you."
"You can learn how to use the me resistance potion another time. I''ll prepare a suitable monster for you."
"Thank you... Wait a moment. Professor! Professor!"
Yi-Han called out desperately to Professor Bungaegor, but the professor coldly walked past, leaving him behind among the students who were getting beaten up by the burning puppies.
Evening.
Yi-Han was diligently sewing with Nillia. Other friends were also sitting together, busily working their needles.
All around, the students'' clothes and coats bore burnt holes here and there, scars left by the ming puppy.
Nillia''s face lit up with admiration as she looked at the fabrics Yi-Han had bought from outside. Her expression resembled that of an old master artisan admiring a protege.
"You have a good eye, Wardanaz. You chose well...!"
"It''s all thanks to your teachings."
"Sturdy, tough, and water-resistant. Yes, this is the right material for a coat."
"We should also prepare for camping."
Toplete the task set by the skull principal, they had to cross theke. If unlucky, they might have to spend the night there.
"I know all about camping!"
Yi-Han''s deration excited Nillia, who eagerly raised her hand.
The students of the Blue Dragon let out exmations of awe as they looked at Nillia.
Yi-Han felt a sudden pang of sympathy seeing Nillia''s elongated ears perk up.
''Those from the ck Tortoise, they''re too stingy with praise.''
Such a kind friend...
"What should we prepare, Nillia? A camping tent?"
"It''s fine. Just a coat will do."
"Oh. What about a camping nket for the ground?"
"It''s fine. Just a coat will do."
"...Don''t we at least need a nket?"
"It''s fine. Just a coat will do."
Nillia was excited to share the wisdom of the with her friends.
The knowledge of sleeping in a cold ravine with only a coat was essential for them.
However, the faces of the Blue Dragon students darkened.
Unable to bear it, Yi-Han intervened.
"Don''t misunderstand, everyone. Nillia was just joking."
"Ha... Haha! It was a joke! Hahaha!"
"I was 100% sure it was a joke!"
Nillia looked at Yi-Han as if to say, ''What are you talking about?''
"I wasn''t joking. I only need a coat... Uh-uh."
Yonaire quickly covered Nillia''s mouth.
Despite minor issues, the friends finished mending and preparing their clothes.
The newly made cloaks and masks of dark fabric would protect them in any situation.
Ratford said with a pleased expression, "You all look like splendid thieves."
"Haha. Don''t say it like that."
"It''s embarrassing."
The Blue Dragon students were at a loss for words at Ratford''spliment.
Were they really that impressive?
"It''s time. Let''s go."
Yi-Han and his friends rose from their seats.
Tonight, they would raid Professor Uregor''s workshop!
The students were divided into two groups.
Those who had ventured out at night several times, and those who had never done so.
Yi-Han was naturally among the former. He no longer felt any hesitation wandering the academy in the evening.
With a casualness akin to taking a leisurely stroll.
"Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. Do you know how to open the door to the Gaksu Pavilion?"
Yi-Han nodded in response.
Ratford would handle the physical locks.
Yi-Han would deal with the magic ones.
''We''ve already finished checking.''
It was easy to check the first-floor main gate lock of the Gaksu Pavilion, as it was frequently used for sses. Ratford had already made a fake key.
"Follow me quietly."
Yi-Han instructed his friends and approached the main entrance of the Gaksu Pavilion with Ratford.
His friends cautiously trailed behind them.
"!"
To their surprise, there was arge hole in the main door of the Gaksu Pavilion. It looked as though somethingrge and bulky had charged through and broken it.
The students were in awe.
"You prepared this in advance! Amazing!"
"...What is this?"
"???"
At Yi-Han''s bewildered voice, the students there were startled.
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Chapter 83
Chapter 83
"Wardanaz, wasn''t it you who had prepared in advance?"
"I sometimes wonder what you all think of me..."
Yi-Han checked the shattered hole and clicked his tongue.
"Not good."
"Why is that?"
"The debris is inside the Gaksu Pavilion. It must havee from outside."
If the creature that had been lurking inside the Gaksu Pavilion had broken out, it wouldn''t have been a concern. However, the current state of affairs clearly indicated that arge monster from outside had entered the Gaksu Pavilion.
Ratford looked at Yi-Han with a slightly impressed expression.
"You truly have the qualities of a great thief."
"Tsk...!"
"Me, me too! Ratford. I can deduce as well!"
The students of the Blue Dragon showed a strange sense ofpetition.
Even if they fell behind in academic grades or magic abilities, they did not want to be outdone in their skills as thieves.
Nillia looked at them as if wondering why they were behaving like that.
"Why are they acting like this?"
"It''s probably because they grew up reading fairy tales about honorable thieves."
At Yonaire''s words, Nillia thought it was absurd.
Do the nobles of the empire really grow up reading such ridiculous fairy tales?
"Are there no hunters?"
Uh Im sure there are fairy tales about a thief who turned into a hunter
While his friends were conversing, Yi-Han made up his mind and opened the door to the Gaksu Pavilion.
"Listen everyone. We are not here to sneak into the Gaksu Pavilion."
"?"
"???"
Not sneak in? Then what?
Were they nning to write ''Visited by the students of the Blue Dragon'' on the walls with paint?
"We have voluntarily gathered to stop the summoned beast that arbitrarily invades the Gaksu Pavillion and protect the precious items of the professor."
"...Ah. Aha!"
"Indeed...!"
The invasion of the summoned beast was not entirely a disadvantage.
If things went wrongter, they could me it on the summoned beast.
...Of course, whether this excuse would work with Professor Uregor was another matter.
"Light."
Yi-Han conjured a sphere of light. The dark first floor of the Gaksu Pavilion brightened up.
The greenhouses and ssrooms located next to the corridor.
Students who had wandered around the magic academy at night knew that the academy at night was entirely different from the daytime.
ssrooms that looked ordinary during the day seemed like they could be hiding a few undead at night...
And the nts that grew in the warm greenhouse under the sunlight seemed to be holding their breath in the darkness, waiting for an opportunity to attack.
''It wouldn''t be surprising if Professor Uregor had actually prepared such nts.''
The first floor was familiar to all students, but from the second floor onwards, it was uncharted territory.
What could possibly be there?
"!"
As they ascended the stairs to the second floor, a strong mana was felt from within.
The space itself was imbued with magic.
''Space expansion!''
The space on the second floor appeared tens of timesrger than the first floor. It was a vast botanical garden.
The students were overwhelmed by the sight of strange and enormous nts, the likes of which they had never seen or heard of.
"There is a saying that a great alchemist must be a great gardener. But even so, the scale is truly remarkable..."
Priestess Siana murmured in awe.
As much as alchemists needed to traverse mountains and fields to gather ingredients, it was natural for them to grow what they could.
But even considering that, the scale was truly impressive.
"Wow. What''s the name of this nt?"
Gainando pointed at a flower shining in iridescent colors at the front, marveling at it.
The way it swayed with the soft moonlighting through the window was truly beautiful.
Yi-Han kindly responded.
"That flower is a Nepholops."
"Oh. What effects does it have?"
"It swallows whole any beast that touches its petals."
"..."
Gainando stepped back in rm.
"But the honey produced by that flower sells for quite a high price..."
"Is that really important right now?!"
"I was just answering your question."
Yi-Han replied and looked around.
There were many more things in the vicinity that Yi-Han didn''t know than he did. Yonaire and Priestess Siana were likely in the same situation.
''But...''
The Gaksu Pavilion was not a dormitory tower. Being a workshop used by Professor Uregor, it couldn''t possibly be filled with so many traps.
After all, Professor Uregor himself had to walk around there too...
Yi-Han calmly searched for a path. There must be a route used by Professor Uregor when he wandered through this botanical garden.
Rattle-
"!"
As if reading Yi-Han''s thoughts, the bone summon made a rattling noise from his belt.
The bone summon pointed in a direction, indicating where to look. Surprisingly, there were fresh footprints in the mud, likely made by a monster.
''So, a monster passed through here first!''
It was clear that the monster had found the path used by Professor Uregor before they did.
Yi-Han wanted to praise the bone summon for discovering it. But then
"Wardanaz. I''ve got a good idea. Seeing these footprints, it''s clear a monster entered first! So, this path must be safe."
Nillia whispered excitedly.
Yi-Han was about to praise the bone summon, but he hesitated and then spoke.
"...Amazing, Nillia!"
Rattle Rattle!
"Is it because you''re from the ? You''re really amazing. I''m d you''re here. It would have been scary to imagine what would have happened without you."
"It''s nothing much."
Nillia tried to brush it off as nothing, but her long ears were twitching excitedly.
"Alright. I''ll find the way. Please tell everyone to follow me."
"Sure, sure."
Yi-Han sent Nillia ahead and sighed in relief.
Rattle Rattle Rattle!
Yi-Han apologized to the protesting bone summon.
"Sorry. Friendship is moreplicated than you think."
The bone summon flicked its fingers, as if it found it hard to understand.
Following the footprints of the monster that entered first turned out to be a good strategy.
As they moved along the path in the botanical garden, the students were not attacked by any of the nts.
It was clear that Professor Uregor hadn''t set many traps on the paths he used.
''Thank you, Professor.''
Yi-Han moved forward, grateful for the professor''sziness.
-...
"..."
But where there''s fortune, misfortune often follows.
At the far end of the botanical garden, near the stairs to the third floor.
Yi-Han''s expression hardened when he saw the monster upying the space in front of the stairs.
"A bull... right?"
"Yeah. It doesn''t look like an ordinary bull."
Not only had it broken down the main door on the first floor, but it also seemed to have trampled a few nts on the second floor, as evidenced by the debris, vines, and leaves tangled in the bull''s horns.
At that moment, Yi-Han recalled a bull that Professor Uregor had mentioned before.
''...Huh?''
Until now, he had thought the spirit bull captured by Professor Ingurdel was the same bull, but upon closer inspection, the bull in front of him resembled much more to the one Professor Uregor had described.
This bull wasn''t mixed with any spirit and appeared to have been enhanced only physically by various potions.
Then was it just a creature summoned by the upperssmen?
Yi-Han felt apologetic for having cursed Professor Uregor upon seeing the spirit bull.
''No. On second thought, there''s no need to feel sorry.''
His feelings of remorse vanished instantly as he looked at the bull before him.
Was this brute really left to roam the mountains?
"How should we handle this?"
"There''s no need to fight it, really."
Though slightly different in kind, he had already learned something from dealing with the spirit bull.
There was no need to overpower and subdue an opponent!
Besides, this botanical garden was not an ideal ce for a fight, nor had theye to subdue a bull.
Moreover, the bull seemed to have little interest in the students. It was chewing something, positioned in front of the stairs.
"If that''s the bull raised by Professor Uregor... could it have returned because it''s hungry?"
Yonaire''s suggestion sounded usible.
If it was a creature raised by Professor Uregor, then it knowing its way around here made sense.
That it hade straight here without wreaking havoc elsewhere on the first floor would have been difficult for an ordinary monster.
"Then, if we leave it be, might it just eat and move on?"
"It''s highly likely."
Relieved that they might not have to fight, the students let out sighs of relief.
The creature before them felt more violent and wilder than the spirit bull, just based on its size.
"...Uh... Yi-Han...?"
Yonaire tugged at Yi-Han''s sleeve and spoke.
"Is that... okay?"
The bull, ignoring the students, bit off a nt next to it. After a few chews, it spat it out, apparently finding it tasteless.
Then it chewed on another nt, and another, trampling a few with its feet...
Seemingly amused, the bull began to destroy the nts even more rapidly.
The faces of Yonaire, an alchemy expert, and Priestess Siana paled. Even though the nts weren''t theirs, it hurt to see them destroyed.
Yi-Han''splexion changed as well.
It was one thing for students toe in and borrow a little potion, but quite another for a monster to be destroying the nts in the botanical garden.
And if these two issues werebined, the professor''s anger could very well turn towards the students.
"We have to stop it! Feet, grasp the earth!!"
Yi-Han chanted a spell and rushed forward.
He then hurled a curse magic at the bull.
"Be paralyzed!"
Dark magic formed like a wave and surged towards the bull.
However, the bull sensed the threat and dodged the curse.
"Wardanaz! Why do we have to stop it?"
"That''s what honor is! Wardanaz. I''ming to help!"
Misunderstanding Yi-Han''s intention, his friends from the Blue Dragon rushed in, wielding their staffs.
"The me of power..."
As Gainando started casting a me creation spell, Yi-Han pped his mouth in horror.
p!
"?!?"
"Never use fire where there are nts!"
"Be paralyzed!"
"Be paralyzed!!"
His friends cast paralyzing curses they had learned in ss. Carelessly invoking the wrong element could have set the surroundings aze.
Unlike Yi-Han''s curse, which the bull had dodged, it didn''t even try to avoid the students'' curses. Despite several hits, the bull seemed unaffected.
"Ah, what exactly did Professor Uregor feed it?!"
The students screamed. The bull was tougher than they had anticipated.
"Go and distract it!"
Yi-Han sent the bone summon and then started summoning water orbs.
The bull, indifferent to the other students waving their staffs or speaking, looked at Yi-Han as if on guard.
"It wasn''t wise to hastily cast a curse!"
Casting a curse on a monster with sharp instincts was not an easy task.
Incautiously casting a curse had only made the bull more wary,plicating the situation.
Yi-Han began to hurl a series of water orbs. The bull dodged them urately, but Yi-Han did not panic.
''First, we need to draw it out from among the nts.''
He had been attacking to separate the bull from the nts all along.
"Everyone, take these weakening potions!"
Priestess Siana handed out potion sks. The students quickly threw them.
As the sks shattered, the bull stumbled, hit by the potion. Yonaire, realizing the bull''s magic resistance had weakened, shouted.
"Everyone, cast your curses again!"
"Be paralyzed, be paralyzed!"
"Be paralyzed!"
The bull shook its head as if annoyed. The weakening had allowed the curses to prate its skin.
Yi-Han detonated the water orbs in erratic orbits around the bull. The bull flinched and stopped moving.
Then, Yi-Han''s curse burst forth.
''Faster!''
"Be paralyzed!"
With a single-minded focus on casting faster, Yi-Han''s spell elerated.
As a result, his curse wasunched even before he finished chanting the spell. It was such a frantic moment that Yi-Han himself didn''t realize it.
Thump!
Unable to withstand Yi-Han''s curse, the bull finally knelt down.
The students, without any order, simultaneously let out long breaths of relief.
"What in the world is going on here?"
"!!!"
A tall, skinny willow tree was walking towards them from among the nts.
Yi-Han immediately responded.
"We were protecting Professor Uregor''s nts."
"...Yes! A strange bull was tearing at the nts...!"
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Chapter 84
Chapter 84
Yonaire quickly picked up on Yi-Han''s words.
The willow tree, as if deeply impressed, praised the students. "Excellent. You''ve been protecting the nts amongst yourselves without a professor. It''s not something just anyone can do."
"Thank you."
Feeling the atmosphere lighten, Yi-Han inquired about the stranger''s identity. "Excuse me, but who are you?"
"Ah, you''re freshmen, so you don''t know me. I''m a professor here, teaching botany. Call me Professor Willow."
The professor was indeed aptly named.
Gainando seemed to recall the talking oak trees he had encountered in the forest, raising his hand cautiously to ask, "Do you have any rtion to the talking oak trees?"
"I''m a willow, and they are oaks, little troll."
"Me? I''m human, though."
"Yes, and I''m a willow, not an oak."
Yi-Han realized he needed to be careful with his words around Professor Willow, who seemed to dislike being lumped together with other simr trees.
Professor Willow slowly walked over, waved his branches, and touched the fallen bull.
Deepening the wrinkles on his wooden knots, he said, "This is a bull raised by Professor Uregor. Always so careless, that dwarf."
''Damn. It really was the professor''s bull.''
Yi-Han cursed the absent Professor Uregor in his mind. If one was going to strengthen a monster with potions, at least manage it properly, not let it loose causing such a ruckus.
"Did you subdue this bull with a paralysis curse?"
Professor Willow looked at the students in amazement.
It was extraordinary for first-year students to do such a thing. They shouldn''t have been able to cast such a powerful paralysis curse.
"We used a weakening potion first, then the curse."
"Still, it must have been tough. Remarkable."
Professor Willow rustled his branches, and vines grew from the ground, wrapping around the bull and confining it within a wooden enclosure.
"I''ll inform Professor Uregor about this when he returns."
"Have you been taking care of the nts here, Professor?" asked Priestess Siana cautiously.
"Yes. My garden is usually elsewhere. I was asked by Professor Uregor to take care of this botanical garden for today. Its annoying, but what can I do when he has to meet the emperors officials?"
"Really? I thought he was going to the market with Professor Bungaegor."
Professor Willow stopped in his tracks.
"Is that true?"
"Yes. You can ask Professor Bungaegorter."
Professor Willow stood still, but the restless movement of the leaves on the tip of his branches indicated his mood.
"You''re from the Wardanaz family, aren''t you?"
Yi-Han was slightly startled when the professor suddenly guessed his name.
What?
"Don''t be surprised. I''ve just heard about you from the other professors. Anyway, thanks for telling me."
Professor Willow expressed his gratitude in a gentle tone.
"Do you need anything? If so, let me know."
"We''re nning to practice alchemy. Do you know where we can find useful ingredients or reagents?"
"Hmm..."
Professor Willow pondered.
Of course, the vast grounds of the magic academy were abundant with ingredients and reagents, but most of the ces were a bit dangerous for freshmen.
Yi-Han observed Professor Willow''s expressions with utmost attention.
It didn''t matter that the other was a tree spirit-like being. As a professor, he couldn''t escape Yi-Han''s keen observation.
''Now!''
Yi-Han took a gamble with his next move.
"Perhaps, from Professor Uregor''s Workshop, could we borrow... Ah, no, never mind. That was too impudent of me to ask."
Yi-Han bowed his head as if embarrassed, but Professor Willow rustled his branches as if it was a great idea.
"That''s actually a good idea."
"What? But..."
"It''s fine. When Professor Uregor returns, I''ll tell him the bull wandered in and took some things. I''ll select what you can take."
With that, Professor Willow headed towards the stairs leading to the third floor.
Priestess Siana looked at Yi-Han and said, "Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family really shouldn''t join any evil cult."
"?"
As they stepped onto the third floor, they were greeted by pitch darkness, impervious even to light spells.
"Be careful not to lose your way. The paths here are notoriouslyplex," advised Professor Willow, swinging his branches. Suddenly, something in the darkness began to approach. It was a door marked ''Workshop 6''.
Clunk!
Professor Willow turned the doorknob and opened it. The workshop inside was engulfed in blue smoke, freezing everything within. Quickly, he shut the door.
"This workshop should be permanently closed."
Pushing aside Workshop 6, Professor Willow called up several more Workshops. Most were in disarray. Workshop 17 had distorted space, with water falling from a desk flowing upwards to the ceiling, and Workshop 29 was being consumed by a pitch-ck darkness.
Yi-Han took out a piece of paper and meticulously noted down everything Professor Willow did. He wasn''t sure when he''d return to the third floor.
''So that''s how it is.''
Yi-Han roughly understood theyout of the third floor.
The reason there weren''t many traps on the first and second floors was that the third floor itself was almost maze-like. If one didn''t know what each Workshop contained and how to summon it, being on the third floor was essentially meaningless.
Breaking the magic with force in such a jumbled space was dangerous, as it could lead to disaster.
The solution was to learn everything step by step from the beginning.
Just like there was no shortcut to learning, the same applied to thievery.
''Workshop 6, swing left twice and then 6 times. Workshop 17, four times to the right, once up, and then 17 times. Workshop 29 is...''
"Found it."
Professor Willow located a suitable Workshop. Yi-Han quickly tucked the paper into his coat.
The Workshop they entered now looked more like a typical alchemist''s Workshop, filled with various alchemical tools and sks.
The students entered with slightly frightened expressions, having seen the previous Workshops.
"Here, take these."
Professor Willow began to sweep up alchemical tools and sks, throwing them one by one. Yi-Han, unfazed, deftly caught them and ced them carefully into a leather bag he had brought.
"Did I give too much?"
"Not at all, Professor. I''m just grateful."
As soon as Yi-Han''s leather bag was full, he would hand it to his friends and take out a new one.
His speed of swapping bags was so quick that even Professor Willow might mistake it for an artifact swap.
"This should be enough for your practice. I didn''t give anything too dangerous, or anything that Professor Uregor is too fond of."
"That''s more than enough."
Professor Willow carefully tidied up the Workshop which appeared to have been ransacked by thieves, using his branches.
The scattered tools found their way back to their rightful ces, and the opened drawers closed once again.
Noticing some withering potted nts in a corner, Professor Willow''s expression soured, and he summoned a watering can.
"I''ll help," volunteered Yi-Han, stepping forward.
''I must make a good impression.''
Although Yi-Han doubted Professor Willow would snitch to Professor Uregor, human affairs were unpredictable.
Moreover, there was no harm in making a good impression on a professor. After all, Yi-Han might attend Professor Willow''s ss someday.
Unaware of Yi-Han''s ulterior motive, his friends rolled up their sleeves to help, but Yi-Han shook his head.
"Go back, all of you."
"Why? Wardanaz? We can also..."
"Professor Uregor might return at any time. Take the bags and head back to the dormitory."
"!"
His friends marveled at Yi-Han''smand.
Indeed...!
Ratford, visibly impressed, spoke up. "You''re truly remarkable. I have nothing left to teach you."
"Don''t tter me, Ratford. There''s still much I need to learn from you."
Yonaire, sensing something odd about the situation but not wanting to disrupt the warm atmosphere, stayed quiet.
"Then, Wardanaz, I''ll move ahead."
"See you at the dorm!"
The students grunted as they hoisted the bags and descended. Yi-Han, noticing Yonaire still present, looked puzzled.
"Why?"
"I thought it''d be good to have someone to help you. Even if I''m not with them, they can still carry the bags."
"Thanks."
"What''s this about, its nothing."
"Wait. Should I...?"
"Don''t ask if you need to apologize."
Yonaire warned, extending a finger. Yi Han changed the subject.
"...thanks to Jena."
"Is that a southern dialect?"
As he spoke, Yonaire picked up the watering can.
Truth be told, Yonaire hadn''t expected Yi-Han to be adept at tending nts.
Caring for nts was more difficult andplex than one might assume. Even the simple task of watering varied greatly.
Some nts needed less water, others more. On hot, sunny days, they needed extra watering, while on damp, cloudy days, less was required.
Common nts were one thing, but rare and delicate ones were even more challenging. It was a task requiring both knowledge and intuition.
Yonaire had confidence in this area, having nurtured nts while reading alchemical tomes back home, but Yi-Han...
"You''re doing well,"mended Professor Willow in an admiring tone.
Both Yi-Han and Yonaire were not novices in handling nts.
Yi-Han, sensing Yonaire''s surprised gaze, asked quizzically, "What''s up?"
"Oh... no, just... you water them so well."
"I''ve done it plenty of times."
Yonaire wasn''t the only one who had walked the path of nt care. Yi-Han had done the same.
Initially, it was a semi-forced hobby due to the professors, but a hobby once developed seldom fades away.
In his previous life, he had tended to the professors'' nts; in this life, out of boredom, he had cultivated the Wardanaz family''s garden.
Yonaire looked at Yi-Han with a mix of joy and admiration in her eyes.
People with niche hobbies were always overjoyed to meet others who shared their interests.
"You too...! Did the servants at your family''s estate also ask why you bothered with such tasks?"
''Not really.''
Yi-Han was slightly taken aback.
The Wardanaz family was quiteissez-faire, not minding whether Yi-Han practiced swordsmanship or nt care.
But Yi-Han didn''t want to disappoint Yonaire, who was kindly helping him.
"Of course, I did. But I never minded. I thought it would be helpful for alchemy someday."
"Yi-Han..."
Yonaire looked at Yi-Han with an expression that suggested she would award him the ''Best Friend Medal'' if such a thing existed.
Yonaire was not the only one moved. Professor Willow was also touched.
"To meet students who care so much for nts... Follow me, everyone."
Leading the way, Professor Willow descended the stairs. Yi-Han and Yonaire, quickly wiping off the water, followed him.
''Is he going to give us something more?''
Yi-Han felt a subtle sense of anticipation, fueled by the joy in the professor''s voice. After all, wasn''t this why he had volunteered to stay back?
Upon reaching a corner of the second-floor botanical garden, Professor Willow stopped and pointed to the nts.
"Here, water all these nts from this point to here."
"?"
Yi-Han''s face stiffened at the unexpected turn of events.
Could it be that Professor Willow was one of those extremely rare professors who rewarded hard work with more work?
If that was the case, it was indeed a terrifyingly daunting prospect.
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Chapter 85
Chapter 85
Before Yi-Han could even begin to argue, Professor Willow swiftly walked away. Yi-Han wouldn''t have protested anyway, even if the professor hadn''t left.
After all, a professor who would listen to protests wouldn''t have given such a task in the first ce!
"Yonaire, I''m sorry."
Yi-Han apologized sincerely.
He should have escaped when he had the chance earlier, instead of trying to impress the professor, which now had its consequences.
"Huh? Sorry for what?"
But Yonaire was already busy digging around the dry soil near the nts, feeling its texture to check if it needed water.
"...Aren''t you angry about this unfairbor?"
"Taking care of nts is fun, isn''t it? You like it too, dont you?"
Surprisingly, Yonaire didn''t seem displeased at all.
Loving to take care of nts, the opportunity to personally tend to the rare species she had only read about in books was very satisfying for her.
"I like my own nts, but others, especially the professor''s nts are a bit... Never mind. As long as you''re happy, that''s what matters."
Yi-Han started to say something but then stopped.
Upon reflection, he realized Yonaire''s perspective was quite positive.
Thinking of it as a chore assigned by the professor could be depressing, but considering it as a chance to see rare nts they could only read about in books...
''But still, it doesntpletely erase the gloom.''
Yi-Han was too pragmatic to be as optimistic as Yonaire.
Yet, Yi-Han moved into action.
Feelings were feelings, but work was work.
"Yi-Han, the soil is dry. Should we water it?"
"The leaves are firm, and the book said it doesn''t need much water, so let''s skip it. But this one definitely needs water..."
"Wait. That nt needs only rainwater. I''ve read about it."
"Right. I''ve read that too."
"Did I make too amateurish a suggestion?"
"No. It''s good to check our knowledge against each other."
The two students at the botanical garden shared a knowing smile.
Experts recognize each other!
Other students of the Blue Dragon wouldn''t understand why they had to go to such lengths for a single nt.
For youngsters from noble families, gardening was a meticulous andbor-intensive task.
But for Yi-Han, it was different.
''nts are better than professors.''
Of course, checking the soil daily, adjusting the water type and temperature, removing pests or mold, ventting the air, and giving potions could be bothersome and annoying.
But nts were quiet and taciturn, which made them more endearing than any professor.
How many hours had passed?
"Are we done?"
"Yeah."
They wiped their sweat and straightened their backs. Gardening was as demanding as swordsmanship training; their muscles screamed in protest.
I am watching you, young humans.
"...?!"
"!"
Yi-Han immediately drew his staff and aimed it in the direction of the voice.
Surprisingly, the voice came from the nearby pond.
With a bubbling sound, a massive water entity emerged from the pond. It was clearly a powerful elemental spirit.
"My name is Farakis. I am the spirit of this pond. You young humans must be the dwarf''s disciples."
"...Yes. Do you know the professor?"
"Yes. I have a contract with the dwarf to help tend this garden."
It was evident that the spirit looked favorably upon them, and the reason became clear immediately.
"It is rare among young humans to find ones who care for nts as diligently and meticulously as you two..."
"Aha, is that why?"
Seeing Farakis, Yi-Han began to understand why Professor Willow had sent them here.
Professor Willow was a professor of botany.
He must have been moved by Yi-Han and Yonaire''s genuine care for the nts.
That''s why he sent them to this spirit who valued caring for nts highly.
If they truly cherished the nts, they would surely be recognized by the spirit!
I''m sorry, Professor.
Yi-Han quickly apologized.
He had thought Professor Willow had merely tasked them with his own work, but there was a deeper meaning behind it.
He was touched by this revtion. Normally, spirits do not like revealing themselves in front of people, but they couldn''t remain idle after witnessing such dedication.
Having finished speaking, the spirit looked at Yi-Han, puzzled.
"But you seem to be the type that spirits would fear. How do you have a tree spirit with you?"
"..."
Yi-Han felt slightly hurt by this remark. Yonaire, without realizing, jumped to his defense.
"Yi-Han may not seem like it, but he''s really a kind person."
I''m sorry, young human. Lower spirits do not have the ability to discern the nature of their contractors.
The weaker and lower the spirit, the lesser its intellect.
To understand the nature of a contractor like Yi-Han would require a long time of coexistence and mutual understanding, which was difficult for Yi-Han, as most spirits would likely flee from his powerful mana!
"I received this staff as a gift from the talking oak trees."
Ah, I see. Don''t be too heartbroken. The tree spirit of your staff was scared at first and still is, but it praises you as a good human.
"..."
Yi-Han looked at his staff, unknowingly.
It was scared of him?
Yonaire, feeling sorry, asked.
"Farakis, is there any way for Yi-Han to make a contract with a spirit? Even when he tries to contact spirits in the spirit world, they avoid him."
Hmm... This is a dilemma I haven''t encountered before
Farakis immersed in thought with sshing sounds.
How about this?
"What is it?"
Yi-Han felt a flicker of hope.
Being a powerful named spirit, he would have a wise solution...
Instead of trying to make a contract with spirits, why not form a contract with other beings? With such powerful mana, most would be afraid, but that''s not necessarily a bad thing. There are beings who would appreciate such power.
"...But I do want to make a contract with a spirit."
Hmm. I see. If they liked such traits, they would probably be malevolent beings. That wouldn''t suit someone with a benevolent heart like yours.
"?"
Yi-Han was puzzled.
Was that so?
But Yonaire showed no sign of surprise, nodding in agreement.
"That''s right."
"I''m not insistent on contracting only with spirits..."
Hmm... If you insist on contracting with a spirit, another way might be to form a contract with wild and ferocious spirits.
Farakis suggested another approach.
Not all lower spirits were timid and innocent. Some, even as lower spirits, were wild and fierce.
Especially the spirits of unstable and destructive elements tended to have such tendencies.
"There''s such a method...! Wait, but the professor didn''t mention anything about this."
Yi-Han realized something odd.
Could it be that Professor Uregor deliberately didn''t tell him, possibly as a prank?
It was a highly usible scenario.
"Well... Even if a lower spirit is wild and fierce, it''s not so foolish as to not recognize danger... It''s more likely they would flee or run away."
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han and Yonaire fell into silence again. Yonaire''s sympathetic gaze was somehow heart-wrenching for Yi-Han.
But the method I mentioned is not entirely wrong. The stronger and higher-level spirits are less likely to run away at the sight of you. And such spirits might be able to discern your true nature through conversation.
"Thank you for the advice."
Hmm... No, not all strong and high-level spirits would work. Ideally, it should be a wild and fierce one. Of course, not all spirits who aren''t like that will necessarily run away, but spirits generally don''t like meaningless fights
"..."
Yi-Han thought he might have been better off not hearing Farakis''s exnation, which now felt even more daunting!
Yonaire asked with a pleading tone.
"Farakis, would you consider making a contract with Yi-Han?"
"Yonaire, it''s okay. Let it be."
"No, I want to help!"
Yonaire wanted to repay Yi-Han for the help she had received.
But Yi-Han was starting to feel embarrassed.
It was like a teacher asking, ''Isn''t there a spirit who can be friends with Yi-Han?''
A young human mage contracting with me is a bit much. You''d copse right away
Farakis, looking at Yi-Han, changed its statement.
...You might not copse, but I''m sorry. I have a contract with the dwarf right now. It would be difficult for me to follow you and help.
"It''s okay."
Yi-Han thought he might have to start getting friendly with undead creatures.
How about this? There''s a spirit I know at this academy. It was summoned here. If I introduce you, it might at least listen to you.
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised.
It was an unexpected and wee suggestion.
"Would that be okay? I don''t want to be a burden..."
Seeing you two young gardeners, I really want to help. Don''t worry too much. And
Farakis hesitated for a moment, wondering if it should say the next part.
Finally, it spoke.
But don''t be too disappointed if that friend avoids you. Understand?
"...Yes..."
Yi-Han started to wonder just how powerful a spirit he had to find to even have a conversation.
Would he have to seek out the Spirit King?
Farakis coiled up and floated, emptying the water from the pond. A deep cave was revealed beneath.
This way will lead you straight to my friend.
Yi-Han was grateful for the spirit''s kindness. But Farakis''s generosity wasn''t over yet.
sh!
Ancient symbols, resembling the pond, were etched onto the back of Yi-Han and Yonaire''s hands.
I''ve imbued a bit of my power into these markings. They will help you young mages.
"Thank you."
"Thank you so much!"
Yi-Han and Yonaire expressed their sincere gratitude.
The spirit in front of them seemed much kinder than any professor at their school.
Yes. Never forget your love for nts.
As Yi-Han and Yonaire walked down into the pond, Farakis quickly returned to its original pond form. The passage to the underground quietened instantly.
"Light."
Yi-Han floated a sphere of light. And he found himself unwittingly looking at his tree spirit staff.
He wanted to ask if it still found him scary, but he held back, thinking it would sound too pitiful.
Despite his reluctance, he really wanted to ask.
"Yi-Han?"
"!"
Yi-Han, thinking his true thoughts had been discovered, was taken aback.
"Why so?"
"Mr. Farakis was at the pond, wasn''t it? Where do you think the spirit we are looking for now might be?"
"...Hmm."
Yonaire''s question was indeed sharp. Farakis had forgotten to exin what kind of spirit it actually was.
"Perhaps... somewhere underground, like beneath ake or a river."
Since Farakis was a pond spirit, it was highly likely that its friend would be a simr kind of spirit.
Water, rivers, ponds, seas, etc.
''Surely it''s not connected all the way to the sea.''
In the worst-case scenario, they could end up in a dungeon beneath the sea.
Yi-Han knew that this magic academy was certainly capable of that.
"It would be nice if it''s a river spirit. I''ve heard that most river spirits are wise and knowledgeable."
"If I can indeed contract with a river spirit, then I can gain the wisdom necessary for my time in this prison... no, in this academy."
Yi-Han paused in his speech.
''But aren''t river spirits known to be mostly gentle in nature?''
...Then wouldn''t that mean another one running away from him?
nk!
With a sharp noise, they emerged from the passage and ascended upwards.
The ce they saw, amidst the dark and silent air, was one Yi-Han had seen before.
...It was the school''s punishment room.
"..."
Yi-Han thought.
That friend could never be a river spirit!
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Chapter 86
Chapter 86
Chapter 86
"Are we in the wrong ce? This doesn''t seem like it''s inside the academy..."
Yonaire, unfortunately, couldn''t ept the reality. Yi-Han spoke with a bitter expression.
"It is the academy. It''s the punishment room."
"...?!?"
While some freshmen had visited it, for most students, the punishment room was something they had only heard about in rumors.
-They say that If you get an F in three subjects, you''re dragged to the punishment room for the whole vacation.-
-I heard that the bottom ten in the midterms are taken to the punishment room, right?-
-This is just a rumor, but it is said that among the seniors, there was someone who failed an experiment and was taken to the punishment room.-
-It''s said if you try to escape the academy and get caught, you''re taken to the punishment room, but that''s probably a lie, right??-
Most felt these were just lies, but rumors often contain a grain of truth.
Click!
"!"
Yi-Han, who had been worriedly holding the doorknob to a private room, soon realized his concern was unnecessary.
Surprisingly, the door to the room they were in was open.
''This is the punishment room, but...''
Yi-Han realized this punishment room was currently not in use.
The corridor they emerged into was filled with dust and cobwebs, and the private rooms on either side were all empty and open.
"It seems like this ce isn''t used anymore."
"That''s not veryforting."
Yonaire muttered in a frightened voice.
A punishment room without people was scarier than one with people.
It would be better if there were people...
"Finding our way through the punishment room is quite difficult, this is going to be a headache."
"How did you kno- Ah."
Yonaire looked at Yi-Han apologetically. She knew Yi-Han had been to the punishment room before.
"It wasn''t as bad an experience as you think."
"The principal didn''t threaten you, did he?"
"No. If the principal ever threatens me to say something, I''ll start with ''I solemnly swear''."
"That''s a good idea."
After finishing their check, the two walked to the end of the corridor.
But there were no stairs.
"...???"
"????"
There was only a solid brick wall.
Yi-Han, flustered, looked back. There was no other passage on the other side. They had to move forward.
''This...''
Yi-Han intuited what was happening. Although he had only been at the magic academy for a few weeks, he was already fully adapted.
''A magic passage.''
Just like when he tried to escape through the underground storeroom, the way was hidden by magic.
There were two options.
Find it or break through.
Yi-Han took out finely wrapped charcoal powder from his pocket. Yonaire asked, puzzled.
"What''s that?"
"I made it with Ratford, in case we needed it to escape."
It was simr to the principle of sprinkling graphite powder to find fingerprints on objects.
Yonaire was lost for words at Yi-Han''s preparedness.
Seeing Yonaire''s strange look, Yi-Han thought Yonaire was envious.
''I should teach herter.''
Yonaire would surely like such a skill!
"...It''s not working."
But this time, unlike the underground storeroom, it didn''t work easily. No trace was found.
Yi-Han didn''t give up.
"Yonaire. Step back."
If skill didn''t work, then force.
Like when he had sted away the protective magic at the dormitory entrance, Yi-Han nned to blow away the magic covering this passage.
''Don''t hit it so hard. Just enough to reveal the passage.''
Stop it, you fool!
"!"
The voice of a spirit echoed thunderously in the corridor. The voice, rough and wild, radiated aggression.
"Who are you?"
"I do not reveal my name to those unworthy. Why have youe to my shadow? If you do not answer quickly, I will not forgive you."
"I was introduced by Farakis."
Farakis?
The fierce spirit''s voice hesitated, seemingly caught off guard.
You seems strong enough for a professor of this academy, but that doesn''t mean you are qualified to make a contract with me. I don''t know what Farakis was thinking sending you here
"I''m not a professor, I''m a student."
Yonaire interjected.
"A freshman..."
There was an awkward silence for a moment. Yi-Han could feel the flow of mana running along the walls and ceiling.
The spirit seemed to be verifying something.
A young mage... Wait, are you really a young mage and not disguised?
"If you don''t believe me, you can check."
The fierce spirit seemed to decide not to doubt any longer.
So that''s why Farakis sent you. It is kind to young mages. But I won''t make a contract. I don''t contract with those I don''t know well.
"As expected..."
Yonaire said regretfully.
"Yi-Han has so much mana that you''re avoiding him. Like other spirits."
What are you talking about? No!
The opposing spirit was disconcerted by Yonaire''s words.
Scared and avoiding because of too much mana. What a misunderstanding.
"But you''re not showing yourself. Farakis said Yi-Han''s mere existence instills fear in spirits."
"Yonaire... you didn''t have to go that far..."
You sound like a weirdo!
"So you''re not showing yourself because of that?"
No! Do I look like a spirit who would hide just because of mana?!
"Then why aren''t you showing yourself?"
This time Yi-Han asked, curiously.
The spirit hesitated before responding.
I avoid... meaningless fights, that''s why.
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han and Yonaire looked at each other, then seemed to understand.
"I see."
"That''s possible."
You young human mages! Do you think I cannot read the meaning behind your words?!
Ferkuntra.
The name of the spirit they did not know.
A spirit summoned by a mage usually works at the ce prepared by the mage or appears when called to fulfill the contract.
The important thing here was the contract.
A mage couldn''t ask the spirit to do more than what was initially agreed upon, and the spirit wouldn''tply with such demands.
But conversely, it meant the spirit would honor what was initially agreed upon with its honor at stake.
Then why was Ferkuntra here like this?
In a punishment room with people, maybe, but in an abandoned, closed one?
The answer was because a proper contract had not been made.
-"I summon you, great spirit, Ferkuntra. Submit to me. Kneel to me. I know your true name, so you shall kneel!"-
-"Don''t spout nonsense. Smells like a rat, you Lich! Even though I respect the strong, do you think I would kneel to someone like you!"-
The Lich principal, having learned the name from an ancient relic, summoned Ferkuntra using its name.
Of course, Ferkuntra did not submit just because its name was known. It did not want to contract with a Lich, among other things.
For a full week of days and nights, they fought tirelessly.
No matter the threats, Ferkuntra refused to submit, prompting the Lich principal to propose apromise.
-"If you so despise the idea of a contract, what about apromise, you insolent spirit Ferkuntra? If you perform just one task for me, I won''tmand you further. In return, I will offer you regr tributes!"-
-"...What task do you speak of?"-
-"I am nurturing young mages. There''s a building where these young mages are held when they are caught trying to escape the academy, and I want you to ensure they cannot escape from it."-
-"Is that all?"-
-"Just that!"-
Ferkuntra was swayed by the Lich principal''s words.
Compared toplex and detailed contracts, monitoring a building and preventing young mages from escaping didn''t seem too difficult.
Moreover, without a formal contract, it wouldn''t need to be too close to the Lich''s soul.
-"If I refuse..."-
-"You insolent spirit. This is myst offer. If you refuse, I''ll tear your entire body to shreds, seal you away, and bury the books bearing your name in a forgotten tomb. Will you plunge into eternal oblivion or ept my proposal?"-
-"...Fine. I ept!"-
Realizing it couldn''t defeat the Lich principal, Ferkuntra reluctantly agreed.
It thought the young mages might attempt to escape the academy but not often.
At most, they would be trying to escape because they missed the outside world.
But, surprisingly, the young mages were more capable and made frequent escape attempts than it expected.
Ferkuntrater realized the reason.
That Lich was actually encouraging their escapes.
-"If they seed in escaping, isn''t that a skill in itself? Try to escape if you can."-
Instead of setting rules to prevent escapes when a young mage misbehaved, the Lich would cancel their punishment if they sessfully escaped the academy, prompting the more daring students to continuously attempt escapes.
Thanks to this, Ferkuntra''s job in the dungeon was much more arduous and challenging than it had anticipated.
The only time it could rest was in this closed-off punishment room, where it could quietly be alone.
Although this peace would be disrupted as soon as the students attempted another escape...
But, in the absence of the students, this closed-off punishment room was truly pleasant.
Then, today, suddenly, two young and inexperienced mages came looking for Ferkuntra in its resting ce.
''Farakis. That scoundrel!''
It knew Farakis was fond of young mages, but it didn''t expect it to send them like this.
Ferkuntra muttered, writhing.
I''m not revealing my form as a courtesy to you young mages!
"Ah... I see..."
Yonaire, unlike Gainando, didn''t outright provoke the spirit, but her insincerity infuriated Ferkuntra even more.
A spirit like Ferkuntra could sense what a novice mage like Yonaire was thinking.
Yonaire was internally assuming Ferkuntra was scared.
What a ridiculous misunderstanding.
Of course, the young mage beside her did possess immense mana, but Ferkuntra was not a spirit to flee in fear of such things.
Yi-Han, growing tired of the conversation, politely requested.
"I understand, Mr. Spirit. Since you have no intention of making a contract, could you perhaps open the way for us?"
Wait!
"?"
You two young mages are doubting my strength inwardly. Do you realize how insulting that is?
"No..."
Yi-Han protested, as if wronged.
"We spoke respectfully, didn''t we? Why do you have such paranoid thoughts?"
"Do you think I cannot read such emotions?!"
Yi-Han and Yonaire felt slightly stung by this usation. However, Yi-Han did not back down.
"But we can''t control the thoughts thate to mind, can we? Regardless of our thoughts, I believe we have maintained respect and honor."
Yonaire nodded in agreement, muttering her assent.
There really wasnt anything wrong with Yi-Han''s words.
Of course, Ferkuntra was far from convinced.
Then I shall show you a fraction of my power.
"If you open that wall, we might be able to see..."
Stay quiet and prepare. You! Gather your mana.
"I haven''t even been studying magic for a year yet."
I know. That''s why I''m trying to show you in the simplest way possible. Convert the mana you''ve gathered into an element!
The spirit showed no signs of backing down.
Yi-Han, resigning himself to the situation, gathered his mana. It seemed he needed to persuade the spirit to find a way out.
"What element should I use?"
The most destructive power!
"..."
I told you not to doubt!!
The spirit, seemingly reading Yi-Han''s inner thoughts, erupted in anger again. Yi-Han flinched.
"ze!"
Naturally, the most destructive element was fire. Yi-Han, hoping the insight he gained while petting the ming puppy would help, summoned fire.
In that moment, a massive bolt of lightning struck down from the ceiling of the punishment room, aiming for the fire.
Boom!!!
"!"
"!!"
Yi-Han and Yonaire were startled by the loud noise.
And they were also surprised by what was revealed next.
The fire summoned by Yi-Han remained unscathed.
"...What did you do?"
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Chapter 87
Chapter 87
The act that Ferkuntra had attempted was elemental transmutation.
It was a kind of stunt used to disy its powerful strength among the spirits.
The method was simple.
It involved changing one element into another.
Though it sounded simple, it was far from an easy task.
Turning mes into ice.
Ice into lightning.
Lightning into darkness.
A skilled mage would understand how astonishing it was to transform an existing element into another.
Creating a new element was easier than whimsically altering an existing one, which was significantly more challenging.
Moreover, these were elements summoned by a mage.
This meant that it was possible to change a fireballunched by a mage into a spear of ice and send it back.
In other words, it was a proof of powerful ability to directly interfere with the elemental concept included in magic...
Having failed, there was neither proof nor anything else. Yi-Han and Yonaire were seriously whispering about what Ferkuntra had just done.
"It must have been trying to show us lightning."
"Lightning...? Indeed, it was a remarkable bolt, but what does it have to do with summoning a fire element?"
"Maybe it was trying to contrast the power of lightning more? When lightning strikes fire, the mes scatter..."
"Is that so? It doesn''t seem very effective though."
"Have you seen? This lightning bolt is the manifestation of my power."
Ferkuntra quickly changed its statement.
After all, it had its pride, unable to admit its failure in front of the young mages.
Upon hearing the spirit''s words, Yi-Han and Yonaire nodded.
"So it really was trying to show us lightning."
"But it didnt seem very effective to the conjured fire."
"Shh. A spirit''s sensibility might be a bit different."
Ferkuntra gritted its teeth.
The young mages'' sincere consideration made the powerful spirit feel even more humiliated.
''Why...?''
Ferkuntra looked at the flickering mes.
Originally, it could have easily controlled and transformed the elements of even more experienced mages than the one before it.
But it couldn''t even take away a single me from this young mage.
''!''
It was then that Ferkuntra realized something was strange about the me conjured by Yi-Han.
On the outside, it looked like a normal me, but inside it was a dormant, seething power ready to explode.
It was akin to a dragon''s me, capable of transforming in any way depending on the mage''s will.
Ferkuntra felt a chill down its spine for the first time in a while.
Young mages were prone to mistakes and idents.
Even when casting a simple fire spell, they might raise the heat of the me to unbearable levels for themselves or fail to maintain the shape of the me, causing it to explode in all directions.
The reason young mages were rtively safe despite such mistakes and idents was that they infused less mana into their spells.
With less mana, even if a spell ran amok, it wasn''t too dangerous.
However, the young mage before him was different.
What if he lost control and let the me run wild?
The sealed punishment room would melt away, and the two mages would likely die instantly.
''Why would he do such a reckless thing...''
Cursing inwardly, Ferkuntra soon realized the culprit.
...It was itself.
It had urged the gathering of mana and once again prompted the transformation into a destructive element.
Naturally, the young mage would have gathered as much mana as possible and created a destructive me, just as the spirit had instructed.
And then Ferkuntra even tried to seize control.
When someone attempts to take control, a mage instinctively clutches it even tighter.
Because of this, it was clear that the amount of mana had unconsciously surged.
''I made a mistake...! I should have considered that there was so much mana!''
Now, Ferkuntra''s pride was no longer important. What mattered was somehow calming the young mage and canceling the me without causing panic.
"You have witnessed the grandeur of my lightning, haven''t you?"
"Yes, it was truly impressive. So, could you please clear the way now...?"
Yi-Han''s words were only half sincere. The other half was ttery, motivated by a desire to leave quickly.
Ferkuntra wanted to curse but couldn''t, as a mass of me was still zing before Yi-Han.
Cursing would lead to the young mage bing emotionally unstable or angry, which in turn could influence the me, risking a catastrophic outburst!
Just wait! I will open the way. I promise on my honor.
"Really?"
Yi-Han was puzzled. The spirit seemed kinder than expected.
''I thought it would be more troublesome... But then again, a spirit is not a professor.''
Perhaps Yi-Han had misjudged the spirit.
So, don''t panic. Stay calm. Don''t be afraid. Understand? If you do, say so.
"??"
"???"
Ferkuntracked eloquence in speech. Yi-Han and Yonaire quickly sensed something was off.
''Why is he acting like that?''
"Is there a problem?"
There''s no problem! I tell you, no problem at all!
Yi-Han tilted his head, puzzled, and moved the me aside with his staff.
Ferkuntra was so startled it almost screamed. It barely managed to hold back.
Don''t... wave the staff.
??
Yi-Han was perplexed. He looked at his staff, wondering if the wood spirit within it was the cause.
Don''t wave it, I said...!
Ferkuntra restrained itself from shouting. Startling Yi-Han would be more dangerous.
"Why not?"
Ferkuntra was truly frustrated. It wanted to tell them how dangerous the me was.
But doing so might cause the young mages to panic and create more trouble.
''I... don''t like it when you wave your staff in front of me.''
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han and Yonaire wore dubious expressions. Ferkuntra could tell they thought of it as an entric and strange spirit!
But it had no time to argue. The longer the me stayed, the higher the risk of it going berserk. It had to find a way to make them cancel the me, by any means necessary.
''But how?''
No matter how much Ferkuntra pondered, it couldn''te up with a solution.
If it told them to cancel the me...
They would ask why->the young mage gets emotionally stirred->the agitation affects the me->me goes berserk!
I''ve changed my mind.
"???"
I will make a contract with you!
"..."
Yi-Han was starting to doubt the mental state of the spirit in front of him.
Does it have bipr disorder?
Of course, it wasn''t the time for Yi-Han to be picky, but he wasn''t keen on befriending a mentally unstable spirit.
"May I ask why?"
Ferkuntra really wanted to strike him with a real lightning bolt.
Ungrateful, despite everything...!
But there was no time. He had to convince the young mage somehow.
I see infinite potential in you!
"What? What exactly did you see..."
Ferkuntra''s clumsy praise only seemed to heighten Yi-Han''s wariness.
Even the red-haired mage looked wary.
"It seems suspicious..."
"Right? We''ve barely been talking."
Your mana! The mana you possess is a monstrous thing, something no other mage can match. You know this, don''t you!
"But just now, you said you wouldn''t make a contract because of the amount of mana I have. With someone you don''t know well..."
That was because I didn''t know then! But now I think I understand! Hurry! Make the contract with me!
Ferkuntra, growing increasingly anxious, shouted out. The me could burst out at any moment.
"Does it really have bipr disorder...''
Yi-Han pondered.
Despite doubts about the spirit''s mental state, the opportunity to make a contract with a spirit was enticing.
If Farakis rmended it, it must be a spirit of exceptional abilities.
He didn''t understand why the spirit had initially refused and then suddenly changed its mind...
But perhaps this was an opportunity.
Maybe this was the one time when the entric spirit would soften.
"...Alright! I will make the contract."
Well thought. Open your soul and ept me!
As Ferkuntra sent its invocation towards Yi-Han''s soul, Yi-Han became aware of Ferkuntra''s true name.
The Spirit of Lightning, Ferkuntra!
That was the name of his counterpart.
''Ah. The Spirit of Lightning. Is that why it''s mentally unstable?''
''Now that we''re contracted, I can feel your doubts too! Stop it!''
''Oops.''
Their souls intertwined with a mark.
''I recognize you as mypanion. You have the right to summon me. But remember, I am not your servant, and you are not my master.''
''I had no such thoughts.''
''Good. Be careful when summoning me. Even calling forth just a part of me, your mana could...''
Ferkuntra stopped mid-sentence. Upon reflection, mana wasn''t the issue.
''...if you summon me thoughtlessly, you might not be able to when you really need me.''
Having a contract with a spirit didn''t mean one could summon it on a whim.
Their rtionship was based on mutual respect.
Especially for a mighty spirit like Ferkuntra, who had strong pride. It would not tolerate being summoned frequently.
''Don''t worry. I won''t summon you unless it''s really necessary.''
Yi-Han didn''t particrly want to meet a mentally unstable spirit often.
Ferkuntra, sensing Yi-Han''s emotions, held back its curses.
There was something more urgent.
Now that the contract isplete, I will show you my power!
"What are you going to do?"
This!
With a shout, Ferkuntra inhabited Yi-Han''s arm.
It then exerted all its power to control the me.
Hurry! Disperse this me! Cancel it!
"??"
To Ferkuntra''s concern, Yi-Han easily dispersed his mana and dispelled the me.
Ferkuntra finally breathed a sigh of relief.
You... you fool! Do you realize how dangerous that was? You foolish young mage!
Ferkuntra''s angry outburst perplexed the young mages.
Yonaire, even in her confusion, asked a piercing question.
"But... didn''t you encourage gathering mana and transforming it into the most destructive element?"
''Im speechless.''
''Im loss for words.''
Yi-Han and Yonaire could sense that their counterpart had nothing to reply.
Anyway, never do that again! It''s really dangerous!! This entire punishment room could have melted away!
Ferkuntra''s warning was sincere.
In that moment of sincerity, Yi-Han could feel how dangerous the situation had just been.
As Professor Garcia had warned, me magic might still be too advanced for Yi-Han.
''I barely escaped death.''
Professor Garcia''s warning was not in vain. Uncontrolled me magic could potentially kill its caster.
Yi-Han resolved never to recklessly infuse so much mana into his magic again.
Now you understand, I presume. Remember this: no matter how exceptional your talent may be, it''s meaningless if you let it control you
"Wait. If you hadn''t told me to gather that much mana in the first ce, it wouldn''t have been dangerous at all."
Yi-Han pointed out again.
If Ferkuntra hadn''t instructed him to do so, they would have been safe.
It tried to gloss over it, but Yi-Han wasn''t fooled.
"Now that we''ve made a contract, I have a question. Why did you tell me to gather so much mana and transform the element?"
I will open the way. Look! Here is the way out. What do you think?
Although a wall opened up and a new staircase appeared, Yi-Han was unswayed.
He was quite curious about it.
Ferkuntra, cornered, blurted out anything it could think of.
You two young mages! The sun is rising outside; aren''t you going to attend your sses?
!
!!!
Yi-Han and Yonaire were astonished.
On Friday mornings, they had lectures on !
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Chapter 88
Chapter 88
Chapter 88
"Why are you telling me this now?" Yi-Han eximed in anger, a stark contrast to his usualposed demeanor, even when faced with the spirit''s disputes and aggressiveness. This outburst took Ferkuntra, the spirit, by surprise.
Ah... No. You hadn''t asked
"When dealing with students at the academy, don''t you know what''s most important to them?" Yi-Han continued, his frustration evident.
One ss isn''t that big of a problem
Ferkuntra protested, feeling unjustly used. Having spent a considerable time there, Ferkuntra was somewhat familiar with how the mages were taught - usually gathered in ssrooms, listening to various stories from the professors. Missing one or two sessions didn''t make much difference, as magic required consistent effort and brilliant talent, not just attendance.
"We have to submit assignments. Not submitting is absolutely not an option," Yi-Han dered firmly. Yonaire, hispanion, nodded in agreement, determination zing in her eyes, her red hair swaying.
Most of the sses at the magic academy were notoriously unscrupulous, but the ss was particrly so.
-"This is the magic circle blueprint I submitted to the empire in my youth. Calcte the total cost involved in this blueprint by next week."-
The insane professor had tasked them, handing out a thick blueprint of a magic circle.
Yi-Han and Yonaire, gritting their teeth, cursed the professor as they worked through the night on this absurd assignment. Havingpleted it, they couldn''t afford not to submit it - the thought alone would leave them sleepless for weeks!
"...Are you upset over just one assignment??" Ferkuntra asked, feeling wronged. Yi-Han and Yonaire sharply turned their heads towards it. They say kind people are the scariest when angered, and the young mages'' re made Ferkuntra flinch.
"Yes, yes, assignments are important. I''m sorry," Ferkuntra conceded.
"Tell us the time, please," Yi-Han urged.
Upon learning the time from Ferkuntra, Yi-Han looked anxiously at the ceiling. There was only about an hour and a half left until the start of the ss in the morning.
"Let''s hurry, Mr. Ferkuntra. Please lead us out," Yi-Han implored.
No... I can''t.
The young mages red at it with murderous intent.
Ferkuntra stammered its excuse. "I made a promise! To block any students trying to escape this punishment room! I cannot show you the way out. You are supposed to seal me here briefly when you leave."
Yi-Han felt a sense of futility.
Even he didn''t know howplex and bizarre the structure of the academy''s underground punishment room was. Without Ferkuntra''s help, there was no guarantee they could escape in time. Yi-Han, bing increasingly anxious, failed to control his emotions.
"Ah, why are you of no help! Then why did you make the contract?"
Ferkuntra''s pride was slightly wounded.
Battles with dragons or demons, even a bloody fight with the Lich Principal, hadn''t hurt Ferkuntra''s pride. But the words of the young contract holder did.
Ferkuntra found itself babbling excuses unwittingly.
"Right now, we are in a special ce called the punishment room. Once you summon me outsideter, you''ll see my true powers..."
"I understand. So, how do we seal you?"
"...Justmand me to stay here for a while."
Yi-Han did as Ferkuntra instructed.
With thatmand, Ferkuntra was bound to remain in this forgotten punishment room for some time.
"Let''s go, Yonaire."
Don''t forget to summon me when you''re outside! My abilities are not limited to just this!
"Yes, yes, I understand!"
"Don''t forget! I mean it, don''t forget! Are you listening? Don''t forget..."
Despite the urgency, Yi-Han and Yonaire strived to remain calm as they navigated through thebyrinthine structure. They mapped their route, moving from staircase to staircase, corridor to corridor.
"We''re blocked here."
"Let''s turn back. This corridor ispletely blocked."
"We might need to go down two floors and try again."
tter!
The bone summons, released by Yi-Han to help find ways, hurried towards them from a distance. "Is there a way?" Yi-Han asked.
tter, tter!
The bone summonsmunicated vigorously, indicating there was no path. Yi-Han clicked his tongue in frustration. Despite their efforts, including the bone summon''s assistance, progress was slow.
The punishment room was like an ant''s nest, itsyout bewildering. It was impossible to tell which staircase led upwards; some ended in dead-end punishment rooms, others circled back down, and some just led in endless circles.
As they walked, Yi-Han couldn''t help but think of the skull principal. It felt like his handiwork, though it might just have been his imagination.
"Back to that corridor... No, wait. What have you brought?"
Yi-Han was taken aback. In their haste, he hadn''t noticed that the bone summon, previously only consisting of a hand, had significantly increased in size.
What had it brought...?!
sh!
The bones collided and rolled, eventually assembling correctly. Broad rib bones, a long tailbone, and the bones of hind legs.
Itcked a skull and one foot, but Yi-Han recognized the form. It was a leopard.
''A leopard''s bones?''
He had always assumed it was human...
Reflecting on it, it seemed unlikely that even the least popr professor of dark magic would give a freshman human hand bones.
''I''m ashamed to have thought they were human hand bones.''
The bone summons, now a leopard bone summon, stamped its feet confidently. Its increased size seemed to have boosted its confidence. However, its missing skull and arm made this confidence appear somewhat grotesque.
"Did Professor Mortum hide these bones in a corner of the punishment room?"
"Yes."
Yi-Han nodded but couldn''t help feeling a sense of self-reproach. Yonaire looked at him with worried eyes, silently questioning:
-Is it really okay to keep learning dark magic under that professor?-
"...It should be fine. Probably."
Yi-Han turned his attention back to the leopard bone summon. Nowrger, it should be quicker.
"Check all the paths in that direction. Got it?"
"That way is a dead end."
"!!"
Yi-Han and Yonaire looked around in surprise, startled by the sudden voice.
"It''s this way. This way."
From inside a room, there was a knocking sound.
To their astonishment, a student was inside one of the solitary cells off the corridor.
"Why are you wandering around the punishment room without knowing the way?"
"There''s a long story behind it. Why are you here in the punishment room?"
"I have my own long story. What grade are you?"
"I just joined this year."
"..."
Suddenly, silence returned to the room. Yi-Han was puzzled.
What''s happening?
"Aren''t you the freshman who was brought to the punishment room before? The one who tried to escape through the underground passage and got caught?"
"Then are you the senior who got caught trying to rob the principal''s secret warehouse? What did you do this time?"
Yi-Han was astonished.
To think that the fellow inmate from that punishment room was here.
"Can''t you keep your voice down? Is that something to brag about?"
"What''s there to be ashamed of? I ended up here while trying to rob the professor''s warehouse too."
"..."
The student in the solitary cell was at a loss for words.
It was beyond imagination how a mere freshman, who had previously escaped through the underground passage, now found himself in the punishment room after attempting to rob the professor''s warehouse. Next, he might even try to fly out of the academy.
Yonaire whispered to Yi-Han, "Who is that?"
"A senior who was in the cell next to mest time. He likes to be treated casually."
"It''s not about liking to be treated casually... Never mind. What are you doing in the corridor?"
"Trying to find a way to escape."
"...I''m not even surprised anymore. Did you find a way?"
Yi-Han couldn''t respond. The student in the cell chuckled as if he had expected that.
"It won''t be easy. The way up from here is usuallyplicated."
"Senior, how about youe with us if we unlock this?"
The student burst intoughter at Yi-Han''s suggestion.
"How naive! You say that because you''ve never escaped from the inside. Do you even know what happens when you open this door?"
"A lightning spirit?"
"...How do you know that??"
The student stuttered in confusion.
"We met it on our way up."
"..."
The student swayed, overwhelmed by the thought of how they could have possibly evaded it.
"You... How did you... Never mind. Sorry, but I have no intention of escaping."
"Why not?"
"I''ll be released in six hours."
"..."
Yi-Han found the reasoning indisputable.
"Then, could you at least give us some advice on finding the way out?"
The student''s response was simr to before, tinged with mockery.
"Why should I help you?"
"...We''re doomed."
"What??"
"Last time, I lured him with food, but this time we don''t have anything."
Yi-Han looked at Yonaire with a disappointed expression.
"Lure! What do you take me for!"
The student in the cell red up upon hearing their conversation.
His teachings, meant to guide his juniors, now seemed like mere hunger-inducedpliance.
tter, tter!
While they were talking, the leopard bone summon nudged Yi-Han, urging him to give the nextmand.
"Wait a mi"
"Hold on."
The student in the cell spoke up.
"Is that a bone summon?"
"Yes."
"Are you learning dark magic under Professor Mortum?"
"Yes...?"
"..."
An awkward and heavy silence fell.
A momentter, a piece of paper slid under the door.
It was a hastily drawn map, showing a simple route out of the ce.
"...Take it. Good luck."
"..."
Yi-Han, with the map in hand, felt no joy. A foreboding sense of the future loomed over him.
''We''rete!''
Yi-Han clenched his teeth.
Far down the corridor, he saw the professor stepping out of the lecture room.
They had rushed, yet they were stillte.
The professor wasn''t known for checking attendance, but given his strict nature, approaching him with ''I''mte, professor, but I''vepleted the assignment'' would likely elicit a response like ''How can a student who can''t manage time submit an assignment?''
Yonaire exhaled heavily, her expression filled with despair. She was breathless from the hurried dash to their current location.
"Yi-Han... No. No. No."
Yonaire, about to call out to Yi-Han, quickly grabbed his arm.
Yi-Han had drawn his staff and was aiming it at the professor''s back.
"That''s not right!"
"What isn''t?"
"Attacking the professor is dangerous!"
"I''m not trying to attack him. I''m aiming for that."
Yi-Han pointed to a pile of assignments floating beside the professor.
It was a collection of assignments gathered from the students during this lecture.
"I''m going to slip it in there."
"...Is that even possible?"
"Yes."
Yi-Han spoke firmly and raised his staff.
The numerous hardships he had endured at the hands of Professor Bdi might have been leading up to this moment. Adversity strengthens a mage.
In that moment, Yi-Han fully embraced the teachings of the magic academy, internalizing thempletely.
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Chapter 89
Chapter 89
"Move."
The more inexperienced and unskilled the mage, the more mboyantly they waved their wands and loudly chanted his spells. Theck of confidence necessitated stronger actions to materialize their mental image.
In that regard, Yi-Han barely waved his wand and his voice was a whisper. Unbeknownst to him, this was the evident result of Professor Bdi''s rigorous training.
Yonaire was astonished at the sight of the assignments naturally flying. Like paper birds, Yi-Han and Yonaire''s thick assignments smoothly cut through the air, approaching the professor''s pile of assignments. It was mesmerizing, a magic far superior to the rigid and jerky spells Yonaire had seen before.
Focus, Yi-Han reminded himself.
It was more than just inserting the assignments into the pile; he had to remain undetected by the professor.
-Concentrate.-
As if Professor Bdi''s voice whispered in his ear.
"Inserting a paper should be simple," The voice grew clearer.
"But what about the barrier?"
"You can prate it. You''ve learned this, right?" The voice was almost burdensome in its rity.
This was not...
...a voice in his head.
Trembling with fear, Yi-Han turned his gaze. Behind him, two professors stared intently.
Yonaire was so tense she could hardly breathe.
"Why are you looking away? Concentrate," Professor Bdi said coldly.
Instinctively, Yi-Han turned back. A professor he hadn''t seen before, standing beside Bdi, suggested, "Maybe you should just give up and step back..."
"Ignore that. You can do it. Remember what you learned."
Yi-Han recalled the misfortunes of the week. Was it a curse? Running into professors just like that, and of all people, Professor Bdi...
He wondered if he should search for a potion of luck.
"It''s not that. The barrier is moreplex than you think."
"You can do it. Go on."
"Professors, could you please unify your advice...?" Yonaire interjected, but the professors ignored her.
Bdi insisted he could do it, while the unfamiliar professor advised retreat.
Despite the madness of the situation, Yi-Han realized something crucial.
A barrier, indeed.
He had expected magic on the floating assignment pile, but not a barrier. The unfamiliar professor exined, "That barrier creates a loud noise if touched. It may be hard for you to sense, but there are invisibleyers of mana rotating around that pile of papers."
Hearing this, Yi-Han focused to sense the mana. Despite the overwhelming mana emanating from him, his talent was not limited to sheer mana. His exceptional resilience, unwavering strategic mind in crises, a presence that even intimidated spirits, and especially his ability to detect mana, were unparalleled.
It''s visible!
As he concentrated, Yi-Han could indeed feel the bands of mana slowly rotating around the pile of papers.
"At your current level, it''s almost impossible to approach without touching the mana bands. So, don''t be swayed by Professor Bagrak''s words and make a rash attempt. Wait for the next opportunity. As you know, Professor Bagrak doesn''t really consider the students'' perspectives."
That''s true, Yi-Han agreed internally, but outwardly he said something different.
"No, Professor. You always consider the students."
"Is that so?" Professor Bdi took Yi-Han''s words at face value. If Yi-Han had agreed, Bdi might have thought, ''Ah, I don''t really consider the students.'' But Yi-Han''s response led Bdi to believe his teaching method was indeed student-oriented. No other possibility seemed apparent.
"Really? Your student is really kind."
"That''s illogical. Wardanaz. Do it. He''s walking over there."
"No, don''t...!"
Professor Bdi urged, while the unfamiliar professor dissuaded.
And then Yi-Han moved.
With a swift motion, the thick assignment smoothly flew, navigating through the moving mana bands. If there had been even a slight misstep, the bands would have torn and created a loud noise.
Without hesitation, Yi-Han sent the next assignment flying. Yonaire''s assignment alsonded precisely on the pile.
Unknowingly, Yonaire pped her hands. Professor Bdi faintly nodded his head.
"That''s impossible! How?"
"Because I''ve learned it."
"Yes, thanks to your guidance, Professor."
Yi-Han spoke without revealing his emotions. The unfamiliar professor was even more amazed.
"Such an excessively talented student! Pleased to meet you. You must be Wardanaz, right? I''m Professor Kirmin Ku. Normally, we would shake hands, but I don''t rmend it due to my species'' circumstances."
Professor Kirmin was the pr opposite of Bdi cheerful, with a bouncy voice, and dressed impably without a wrinkle in his attire. It was surprising to see him converse so amiably with Bdi.
"What field do you teach, Professor?"
"I specialize in illusion magic, particrly in barriers. You just saw, didn''t you?"
Yi-Han''s face lit up.
Previously, when hearing him speak, Yi-Han had wondered if he might be an expert in barrier magic.
"I''ll be entering Professor Garcia''s ssroom at least once this semester. I need to teach the students how fun and enjoyable illusion magic can be."
"Illusion magic is useless."
Yi-Han was shocked at Bdi''s dismissal of another professor''s field.
Could this lead to a duel?
But Professor Kirmin simply ignored Bdi''sment.
"Deceiving a mage above a certain level with illusion magic is several times harder than other types of magic."
"Yes, you''ve said that a hundred times. But the mages you''re talking about, ''above a certain level,'' are rare in this vast empire. So, Wardanaz, why did you try to put those papers there?"
Yi-Han pondered for a second.
He weighed the professors'' moods, contemted whether a lie would work, and made his best judgment.
''It''s better to be honest.''
"I waste submitting the assignment?"
Yonaire blushed with embarrassment. Professor Kirmin seemed taken aback by such an unexpected reason.
''All this for being slightlyte with an assignment?''
"I''m sorry, Professor."
Yi-Han first apologized to Professor Bdi. However, as expected, Bdi didn''t seem concerned.
"Why?"
"For beingte with the assignment?"
"Was it an assignment I gave?"
''I knew he would say that.''
"I see."
Professor Kirmin watched the professor-student duo with a sense of odd fascination. It had been a long time since he had seen anyone get along with Bdi so well. Whether a professor or a student, a few minutes of conversation would typically result in remarks like ''I hope the sun rises above your head, you damned vampire,'' followed by a swift exit.
"So, what was the lecture about?"
.
"Professor Alpen Knighton?"
Yi-Han tensed up at Kirmin mentioning the name, aware that in the face of professors'' friendships, a student''s promise meant little.
"Well done. You did well. Honestly, that professor''s assignments aren''t worth bothering with."
"???"
Kirmin surprisingly praised Yi-Han, and even Bdi rarely added ament.
"Alpen Knighton is a mage who worked as a senior administrative officer in the empire. He''s more skilled in handling power than magic."
"Did you know that scoundrel cut my research budget in half back in the day?"
The two professors gnashed their teeth, cursing the professor of . Yi-Han sighed in relief at their familiar behavior.
Not all professors were on good terms. Especially pure magic researchers did not look favorably upon mages who took high positions in the empire and were actively involved in governance. The reasons ranged from ''purity of magic'' to ''temptations and corruptions of secr life,'' but Yi-Han suspected it was more about thetter having control over the former''s research budget. Even a mage capable of shattering the heavens and splitting the earth needed a budget for research.
In that context, mages who worked in high imperial positions and oversaw research budgets were enemies to all other mages.
-"My instincts tell me! This dungeon must be excavated, even if it takes the entire budget of the territory. Call all the adventurers nearby..."-
-"Didn''t you say the same thingst time? This proposal is canceled."-
-"I''ll kill you! Watch your back at night!"-
-"You''ll have to wait in line to target my night walks. There are thirty-three others waiting."-
Such dignified conversations were an annual affair.
However, Yi-Han''s thoughts didn''t change despite the professors'' conversation. Rather...
''Was he a senior administrative officer of the empire?''
The fact that the other was a high-ranking imperial official made Yi-Han''s eyes sparkle.
What did that mean?
It meant having powerful connections in the imperial bureaucracy.
And topping Yi-Han''s list of goals was precisely the imperial bureaucracy.
Suddenly, Yi-Han felt his grudge against Professor Knighton melt away like snow. Even the burdensome amount of assignments seemed like the responsibility of a high official bearing the weight of the empire.
''I need to make a better impression from now on.''
"Wardanaz. I hear you are exceptionally talented. Be careful. Don''t get dragged into imperial bureaucracy. If you''re too outstanding, they''ll send various temptations your way."
Bdi, uncharacteristically frowning, spoke at length.
"Stop joking now, Ku. Wardanaz won''t walk such a trivial anti-magic path."
"Right, what was I thinking. Coming from the Wardanaz family. Bing an imperial bureaucrat? Unlikely, right?"
"..."
Yi-Han felt cold sweat trickling down his back for the first time in a long while.
After receiving an invitation from Professor Kirmin Ku to attend the next illusion magic ss (Kirmin had even rmended learning illusion magic seriously, ignoring Bdi''s interruptions), Yi-Han headed with Yonaire to meet their friends at the Tower of the Blue Dragon.
From the exchanged nces outside the ssroom earlier, it seemed evident that everyone had returned safely.
''That''s a relief.''
Now to receive the ingredients for the potion...
"Everyone worked hard yesterd..."
"Wardanaz! Gainando has been kidnapped!"
"!"
The students of the Blue Dragon, gathered in front of the tower, rushed to Yi-Han as soon as they saw him.
They all looked disheveled, as if they had just been in a fight.
Yi-Han, startled, asked, "By whom? Don''t tell me it was those guys from the White Tiger?"
"No! By a released summon!"
Yi-Han was about to feel relieved, but then he hesitated.
On second thought, it was not a situation to be relieved about at all.
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Chapter 90
Chapter 90
"Everyone, gather around! Dolgyu has been captured!"
The surroundings fell silent with confusion.
It appeared that not only Gainando had been captured. Yi-Han turned his head towards the noise nearby.
In a courtyard a little distance away, the students of the White Tiger were in disarray, frantically trying to regroup.
"Has a student from the White Tiger been captured too? Could it be that those guys deliberately threw Gainando to it?"
Yi Han asked, wondering if that might be the case.
He thought that perhaps the angry White Tiger students had seized Gainando in retaliation for Dolgyu''s capture.
"No, Gainando just tripped over his own feet and fell."
"...I see."
While Yi-Han and Yonaire were being lectured by two professors about how ''real mages don''t go into bureaucracy but pursue graduate studies'', the students who had just finished the lecture on hurried out of the ssroom.
The lecture had been so suffocating that they rushed outside to breathe fresh air as soon as it ended.
-"Snap out of it! You can''t copse now! There''s another lecture to attend!"-
-"I... just leave me here... I need to sleep..."-
Students close to copsing weren''t only in the Blue Dragon; this had been a torturous lecture for every tower''s students.
-"But are Wardanaz and Maykin really okay? What if the professor notices?"-
-"We could put a monster in our ce and the professor would not even realize it."-
-"True..."-
-"It''s no joke; it''s serious. I think if I attend this lecture a few more times, I might fall into an eternal sleep."-
-"How are we supposed to handle the midterms with this much workload? Would it be okay to submit a nk paper? What if we''re dragged to the punishment room..."-
-"To be honest, during the ss, I thought about setting a fire."-
-"Me too. I wished that some summoned creatures would appear and free us."-
Bang!
As if responding to the students'' words, or perhaps just due to the noise, a summoned creature really did appear from the bushes.
Several students screamed in rm when they saw the vine monster, which they had encountered before.
-"Everyone, run!"-
-"Head into the building!"-
-"Someone call the professor!"-
-"No! The professor won''t be of any help! Run while you can!"-
While some students managed to escape quickly, others, like Gainando, tripped over their own feet.
The vine monster didn''t bother chasing the fleeing students. Instead, it leisurely tied up a few fallen students with its vines and then happily left with its captives.
"...Wait a minute. Did Dolgyu also fall? He''s not the type to trip."
"That orc friend from the White Tiger tried to save Gainando and got captured too."
Yi-Han felt a pang of guilt for Dolgyu. To think he was captured while trying to help a friend like Gainando...
A student from the White Tiger burst out of the main building, gasping for breath.
"What happened?! What about the professors?"
"They said to handle it ourselves..."
The students, not only from the White Tiger but from other towers as well, were lost for words at the absurd response brought back by the student who had gone to seek help.
"Isn''t this too much?"
However, Yi-Han remained calm.
''They should have chosen the professor more carefully. They acted too hastily.''
It wasn''t right to just grab any professor and beg for help. They should have sought a rtively friendly and somewhat gullible professor...
''Wait. There are no conscientious professors.''
...They should have sought a professor who was rtively friendly and had some semnce of gullibility left.
Perhaps the White Tiger student had desperately asked anyone for help in their haste.
"What should we do? Wardanaz? What''s the best course of action?"
The students of the Blue Dragon looked desperately at Yi-Han, as if he had all the answers.
Was it time to pursue, or to find another way?
It was an agonizing choice for them to make.
"Let''s pursue. The professors'' whereabouts are unknown, and if we lose the trail, it will be a hassle to find it."
The trail left by the summoning creature was clearly marked ahead, and the distance was not too great. However, the longer they waited, the more difficult the chase would be.
Yi-Han had one more thing he trusted in.
"Ferkuntra!"
As Yi-Han called the name, the dormant fragment of Ferkuntra inside him resonated in response.
Now, the contract-bearer was summoning the spirit with rightful authority.
"Sing the song of thunder, O Spirit! The bell ringer guarding the ruined kingdom''s bell tower and the lookout on the small boat wandering the blue sea both fear your name. The one who has contracted with you calls upon you with rightful credentials!"
Upon seeing Yi-Han recite the incantation, the princess was taken aback.
Being the quickest to summon a spirit here, she could guess which spirit Yi-Han was summoning.
The incantation used to summon a spirit revealed the dignity and stature of the spirit.
Such a long andplex incantation surely meant...
Crackle!
Lightning blossomed where Yi-Han''s staff touched the ground, and the spirit began to take form.
The Spirit of Lightning!
Rowena, the knight standing beside the princess, was even more surprised than her.
It was one thing for Yi-Han to contract with a spirit more powerful than the princess''s. After all, Wardanaz was a mage of monstrous, unbelievable talent.
But the Spirit of Lightning was among the most ferocious and wild of spirits.
And to be summoned with such an extensive incantation meant it was certainly not weak.
''How? By what means did he contract with it?''
"Appear!"
With Yi-Han''s call, a manifestation of Ferkuntra appeared.
A fist-sized orb of lightning crackled into existence.
The students were startled by this sight.
Huh?
"???"
"...Ah! Right! The strength of a spirit isn''t rted to its size!"
They remembered hearing about a rabbit-shaped spirit called by Uregor, which was incredibly powerful.
This spirit, despite its ordinary appearance, must be hiding extraordinary power.
Otherwise, it wouldn''t make sense for Wardanaz to have gone through such trouble to summon it.
Wardanaz wouldn''t make such a mistake!
The students nodded in understanding, but Yi-Han thought differently.
This was too different from the Ferkuntra he first met.
Even if it was just a fragment...?
What''s this? Isn''t this just a part of you?
Have you forgotten that I am currently trapped at yourmand...!
Ferkuntra telepathically shouted to Yi-Han in frustration.
Of course, Ferkuntra had told Yi-Han, ''Don''t forget to summon me when you''re outside! My powers are not limited to this!''
But that was supposed to happen dayster.
Currently, Ferkuntra was under Yi-Han''s order to ''stay trapped here for a while'' as a condition for leaving the punishment room.
It shouldn''t have been possible to summon it so freely while that order was still in effect.
Being a powerful spirit, Ferkuntra was barely able to manifest a fraction of itself outside, but normally, it shouldn''t be summonable until the order waspleted.
Ferkuntra exined the situation, but Yi-Han''s gaze was cold.
Are you saying you can''t trust me now...?!
It''s not that I don''t trust you, but if there''s always some reason you can''t help when needed, what should I rely on to call upon you?
Ferkuntra found itself missing the old days of ancient mages.
Arrogant, foul-tempered, and illogical, those brutes blustered and bullied without reason. Yet, such fools could be fiercely countered and burnt to death by the likes of Ferkuntra.
However, this young mage spoke annoyingly yet with aposed demeanor, making it difficult to argue against him.
Do not worry. Though I''m not sure why you summoned me, I have enough power to handle this. Just watch and see!
Really?
I can feel your emotions!... No. Don''t you even think? Let''s respect each other''s privacy.
Yi-Han hurriedly followed the trail with the students of the Blue Dragon.
Ahead, students of the White Tiger were also chasing, running swiftly.
"These kids! Stop following us!"
"That''s our line! You buzz off!"
"Can''t even cast magic properly... huff, puff."
The oue of this chase seemed almost predetermined.
The White Tiger students, trained in swordsmanship and physical conditioning, were a challenge too great for the Blue Dragon students to keep pace with.
Yi-Han looked at his friends with a pitiful gaze.
"Why didn''t you exercise more regrly?"
"They... they have absurd physical strength... huff, puff."
"I''ll go ahead. Follow as much as you can."
"No! Wardanaz! Cough... If you go alone, the White Tiger guys will..."
It doesn''t seem likely.
I don''t think that will happen
Friends like Rowena and Asan, who knew Yi-Han well, thought this to themselves.
For any other student, facing the White Tiger alone would be perilous, but Yi-Han was different.
Wouldn''t it be the White Tiger students who were in danger if left alone with him?
"It''s okay. Follow when you''re recovered."
Why are you so physically fit?
Ferkuntra, watching Yi-Han sprint, was puzzled.
He didn''t seem to be from a knight''s family, so why...?
But before it could get an answer, Ferkuntra urgently shouted.
Enemy! The enemy is hiding!
"I hide in the night!"
Yi-Han instinctively recited a spell, but no attack came.
Where is it hiding? There''s nowhere nearby!
There were norge bushes or hiding spots nearby. To find any cover, one had to run towards the mountains.
Below!
"!"
Yi-Han immediately leaped into action.
If the enemy was hiding underground, it would likely detect Yi-Han through sound and vibrations, even if he used invisibility.
However, the vine monster didn''t target Yi-Han. It sprang from the ground, grabbing a White Tiger student.
"Ango! No!"
A satyr was swiftly entangled and lifted by the vines.
How was it hiding?
It must be some needless ability granted by the mages. Normally, this monster doesn''t have the power to blend into the ground!
''This school isn''t just about the professors causing trouble, but the seniors as well.''
Yi-Han gripped his staff and focused on the vine monster.
The captured White Tiger student slumped, seemingly drained of strength.
The creature absorbs mana. Be careful not to let it drain you... Though you could afford to lose some, still be careful! Getting caught would be troublesome!
I had no intention of doing so.
Yi-Han was not foolish enough to be caught by a vine because of his high mana. He swung his staff, summoning mes.
"z..."
No! Absolutely not!
Ferkuntra, traumatized by Yi-Han''s mes, desperately protested.
It couldn''t allow Yi-Han to use fire magic until it was certain it was safe.
You mean it''s not allowed?
It''s dangerous! You could burn the other students to death!
Its not for attack, just to prevent it from approaching
Still, it''s too risky! No!!
Is it that serious?
Yi-Han was puzzled.
He thought it would be safe enough to just float fireballs nearby to block the creature''s approach...
Normally, I could subdue it in one go, but right now, Ick the strength.
Yi-Han looked at Ferkuntra with a gaze mixed with betrayal.
It had said earlier that it had enough power!
Ferkuntra hastily continued.
But I''ll teach you magic! You''ll use it in my stead.
Why can''t you just use it directly? I''m worried about using it right after learning
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Chapter 91
Chapter 91
Believe in yourself! Ferkuntra eximed, a sentiment it would normally never express, feeling quite embarrassed by its own words.
He was always an annoyingly persistent fellow.
While other mages,cking ability, would arrogantly say things like, "I think I can do it! Why do you say I can''t, spirit? Just watch me! I won''t die!" and then fail, Yi-Han, despite hispetence, would respond with, "I don''t think it''s possible," "Why are you so reckless?" or "Are you saying it''s not your problem?"
There was humility, and then there was excessive modesty...
Confidence in oneselfes from objective analysis of the situation, not just from a few words of encouragement.
Now, concentrate and do as I say!
Ferkuntra, ignoring Yi-Han''s words, continued with its own agenda. It had realized that getting involved would only frustrate itself.
Imagine the image of lightning as you have with other elements.
This was the basic principle of elemental magic.
The process involved vividly imagining the element and manifesting it in one''s mind, altering one''s mana to match that of the element. This was considered a fundamental practice.
However, the lightning attribute was a bit different.
Don''t imagine lightning striking down from the sky!
"!"
The image most mages found easiest to conjure was exactly that a bolt of lightning shing down from the sky.
But when transforming one''s mana to the lightning attribute, conjuring such a bolt was dangerous.
A mage had to maintain and control a certain amount of mana in one ce, but the image of a lightning bolt was inherently contrary to such control.
mes, still water, or frozen ice could all remain in one ce.
But lightning was intrinsically fleeting, destined to scatter in all directions after striking down from the sky.
If a young mage rashly imagined a bolt of lightning while transforming their mana to the lightning attribute, they might lose control, causing lightning to wildly discharge in all directions.
Ferkuntra, having nearly died in the underground punishment room due to carelessly meddling with Yi-Han''s fire magic, was particrly cautious about safety.
Given the young mage''s mana, even a single mishap could lead to a major disaster.
Of course, you might think how can one envision the form of lightning without thinking of a bolt. But numerous mages who have handled the lightning attribute have ovee this limitation and seeded! You, too, will eventually be ustomed to it. A true mage epts reality not to settle but to alter it to their will! Now, lend me your arm.
Ferkuntra was not a foolish spirit spouting reckless ideas without any method, as Yi-Han might have thought.
It acknowledged Yi-Han''s exceptional talent, but for a young mage to handle the lightning attribute without any practice was indeed a difficult task.
It had a n.
Just like in the punishment room, it intended to inhabit Yi-Han''s arm and assist in controlling the lightning.
Although it had lost most of its power upon being summoned, it was still capable of that much.
But then...
Crackle!
Done. Shall I lend you my arm now?
...
Ferkuntra was astonished by the sphere of lightning formed over Yi-Han''s staff.
Remarkably, this young mage hadpleted the elemental transformation and seeded in maintaining the lightning attribute''s magic in one ce, even before Ferkuntra could intervene.
''How on earth did he do that???''
Contrary to Ferkuntra''s astonishment, Yi-Han did not find handling the lightning attribute particrly challenging.
From the start, Yi-Han''s way of thinking was different from other mages.
He approached the problem very simply.
The inability to conjure the image of a bolt of lightning was not an issue for him at all.
He just had to imagine a sphere of magic on his staff, treating it like a battery.
To Yi-Han, this was an obvious approach!
Imagining electricity charging up inside the sphere was not a difficult task for him.
Perhaps because this method was well-suited, he seeded immediately.
In fact, he even felt it was more stable than handling other elements...
''It''s easier than I was told. Such a fuss over nothing.''
Yi-Han entertained a rather impolite thought.
Reflecting on it, Ferkuntra had been quite over-the-top since their meeting in the punishment room.
The same was true with his handling of fire...
You... seem to have quite a talent for lightning!
Do you think so?
Yi-Han responded indifferently.
Having heard simr praises about his affinity for various attributes, he had started to be skeptical.
Was it just a politepliment?
It wasmon to boost young mages'' confidence by saying, ''You have a talent for this attribute!''
And Yi-Han''s indifference was not lost on Ferkuntra.
Ferkuntra was bbergasted.
Praise from a spirit of Ferkuntra''s stature was a rare urrence.
Do my words sound false to you?! You truly have talent!
Yes... Well, that could be true.
Yi-Han thought perhaps his talent for lightning stemmed from frequently cramming for exams, or maybe lightning attribute magic was not as difficult as he had thought.
Most likely thetter...
But when will you take over my arm?
Yi-Han asked, puzzled.
Ferkuntra had asked to use his arm but had since been idly standing by.
Was there some problem?
Wait. I''m about to inhabit it!
Yi-Han wondered if the spirit has forgetfulness along with mood swings.
If a capable spirit like Ferkuntra also suffered from forgetfulness, it would be a concern when summoning it.
While Yi-Han pondered this, Ferkuntra inhabited his arm.
Now, concentrate on the spell I''m about to transmit.
Ferkuntra intended to pass on his magic to Yi-Han.
The magic of spirits was wild and capricious, but with the mighty Ferkuntra controlling his arm, even a fledgling mage could use it.
.
It was a 2nd circle magic spell that Ferkuntra was now about to teach Yi-Han.
The principle was simple.
Convert the mana into lightning and thenunch it!
No need to shape it into sharp arrows or spears, or add otherplex attributes.
Lightning was sufficient on its own.
Is this enough for thatrge target? Won''t it just provoke it?
Just listen to a spirit older than you for once! Stop talking back!
Ferkuntra half-pleaded, half-shouted.
It was good that he wasn''t arrogant, but his extreme humility was almost burning it up inside.
Yi-Han was not easily convinced. Ferkuntra realized that to make this stubborn contractorply, logical and rational persuasion was the only way.
Listen well. Lightning is the most destructive and wild among all elements.
''Coming from the spirit of lightning, that somehow sounds different.''
The other elements are not as straightforward to use for attacks.
Yi-Han agreed with this.
To use water elemental magic effectively for attack, several additions were necessary.
Not only did the attribute of ''water'' require additional elements like ''sphere'' or ''spear,'' but it also needed the addition of ''control.''
But lightning is different. It possesses powerful destructive force on its own.
But what about fire
There''s no need to shape it! No need forplex aiming either! Because as long as it hits, that''s all that matters!
Ferkuntra interrupted Yi-Han''s words to continue with its own.
That summoned creature was originally amon nt monster, but it becameplex in nature due to students fusing it with various other monsters. However, this made it more susceptible to lightning. Think about it. Your current goal is to rescue the students it has captured, not to kill it, right?
That''s true.
Then this lesser thunderbolt is enough! The moment it''s struck anywhere, the creature will release all the students it''s holding. The power of lightning makes the enemy shrink back! It won''t want to keep fighting you. Having fed on enough mana, it''ll flee when attacked!
''That''s a convincing argument.''
Yi-Han was persuaded by Ferkuntra''s logic. The age-old spirit was not to be underestimated.
was simr to that Yi-Han knew.
It involved only transforming the mana into the attribute andunching it. It had the power to paralyze the opponent.
The difference was that caused more physical damage and, unlike an easily dodged or blocked curse, it gave no opportunity for escape.
It was highly effective in the current situation.
Understood. I''ll cast it now!
Finally! That took forever!
Ignoring Ferkuntra''sment, Yi-Han swung his staff and recited the spell.
"Strike down, Ferkuntra''s Thunderbolt!"
"Well done..."
As Ferkuntra watched the sessfullyunched lightning magic, it was about to praise Yi-Han.
But then it btedly realized something odd.
The mana of the lightning attribute concentrated in the sphere was far more than it had expected.
''...???????!!!''
During the short time Ferkuntra had been having a needless conversation with Yi-Han, Yi-Han had unconsciously gathered more mana.
''No, this can''t be!''
While students from the Blue Dragon and White Tiger chased after the vine monster, students from the Immortal Phoenix and ck Tortoise acted more wisely.
They set off to find Professor Garcia.
"Professor! Over here!!"
Fortunately, the students found Professor Garcia walking by.
The skull principal was also floating by, and Professor Bdi was there too, but the students didn''t even speak to them.
"Hurry! It''s urgent!"
"Everyone, stay calm."
Professor Garcia swung her staff, and the shouting students instantly calmed down.
The ground trembled, smoothly propelling Professor Garcia forward. Together with the students, they rushed like a whirlwind.
"Is this the right way?"
"Yes! Yes!"
Fortunately, the trail left by the vine monster had not yet disappeared.
Professor Garcia spotted the vine monster fighting in the distance.
Students from the White Tiger were surrounding it, swinging swords, but their efforts seemed ineffective. Instead, more students were being captured.
Professor Garcia raised her staff, nning to immobilize the vine monster with a spell.
At that moment, a thick bolt of lightning shot through the air.
Crackle!
The lightning bolt shot forth and struck the vine monster''s body directly. Despite the distance, Professor Garcia could feel the strong mana within the bolt; it was so intense that it made her hair stand on end.
"..."
The vine monster didn''t just get electrocuted; it waspletely charred ck. The students it had captured began to fall one by one.
Professor Garcia quickly swung her staff, ensuring the falling studentsnded safely.
"Are you alright?!"
"Uhhhh..."
Seeing the students trembling, Professor Garcia worried for a moment that their mana had been absorbed too much beyond their limits.
Since the vine monster was a creature that absorbed mana, it posed a significant risk of internal injuries to the young mages if they were caught by it.
Priestess Tijiling, who had called for Professor Garcia, looked at her friends with a very worried expression.
Would they be alright?
"Thank goodness!"
A relieved voice escaped Professor Garcia''s lips, and Tijiling also felt reassured.
Fortunately, they seemed to be okay.
"Is everyone unharmed?"
"Yes. We''re all fine. Just a bit electrocuted by the lightning."
"...?"
Tijiling was taken aback.
Was that really okay?
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Chapter 92
Chapter 92
''Isn''t that not okay?''
While Tijiling was pondering this, Professor Garcia kindly answered.
"As long as the magic is okay, it''s fine. Everything can be recovered."
"Ah... Yes..."
Unaware that Tijiling had stealthily stepped back, Professor Garcia smiled innocently.
"It''s really fortunate. Being struck by lightning is okay, but if the inner magic inside is harmed..."
"Yes..."
"Oh, Tijiling. It''s okay toe closer. Everyone is safe."
"Is everyone okay?!"
Yi-Han dispelled his invisibility and rushed over in a panic.
The moment he cast the lightning magic, Ferkuntra''s emotions were transmitted to Yi-Han.
Just as Yi-Han could read Ferkuntra''s emotions, Ferkuntra could read Yi-Han''s.
-We''re doomed!-
It was a brief and simple emotion, but at the moment the lightning spell exploded, Yi-Han knew something was wrong.
This senile spirit Ferkuntra had cast the spell too powerfully, almost burning everything with his inability to control his strength!
Yi-Han did not consider that his own mana was overflowing.
After all, it was Ferkuntra who had settled in his arm and helped with the spell; it was surely Ferkuntra''s fault, not anyone else''s.
And it wasn''t entirely wrong to think so.
Fortunately, Professor Garcia arrivedte. Seeing her safely receive the students, Yi-Han felt relieved.
''Indeed, the only conscience...!''
Seeing Yi-Han rushing hurriedly, Professor Garcia smiled kindly.
So it was Yi-Han who had used such magic.
"Everyone is okay."
"That''s a relief!"
"Although a bit electrocuted by the lightning."
"...?"
Yi-Han showed a simr reaction to Tijiling. Both students disyed the same startled reaction, but Professor Garcia remained unshaken.
A true educator must answer the same question repeatedly with the same response.
"Its okay as long as the inner mana is okay. It can be recovered."
"...Ah... Yes."
Like Tijiling had done earlier, Yi-Han stepped back a step. Tijiling, already a step back, nodded in agreement.
Wee!
"G-g-gulp..."
"K-k-kerr..."
The students, who had been caught, looked disheveled, having their mana absorbed and then electrocuted.
Seeing several students from the White Tiger trembling from the lightning''s effect on their muscles, Yi-Han sighed.
''Damn. Even if I save them, I''ll get scolded.''
Yi-Han thought he would have scolded himself too.
-I saved you all.-
-T-thank you... Wait a minute. If you had the power to defeat the vine monster, why did you electrocute us too?-
-The famous spirit helping me was too dumb to control its power.-
-You expect us to believe that!?-
Yi-Han thought it would sound like nonsense to say he had the power to defeat the vine monster but couldn''t control his strength.
"Come on. Let''s all stand up."
Professor Garcia waved her staff, rxing the students'' tensed muscles and replenishing their lost mana.
Yi-Han, watching from behind, was amazed anew.
''Does Professor Garcia also know how to use healing magic?''
Considering the magic spells he had seen from Professor Garcia before, the variety of magic spells she used was indeed vast.
While most professors focused only on their area of expertise, Professor Garcia''s range was surprisingly broad.
Why is that?
"Th-thank you, Professor Garcia."
"Thank you very much."
"Give your thanks to Yi-Han here. He bravely defeated the vine monster and saved you all."
"..."
The students from the White Tiger looked at Yi-Han withplex expressions.
Ango, as the representative, spoke first.
"Thank you, Wardanaz."
"If you''re upset..."
Yi-Han was about to retort, ''If you''re upset, why did you get caught?'' but hesitated.
The response was unexpected.
''Huh?''
He had anticipated an usation like, ''You nearly got us killed, you wicked evil mage,'' but the White Tiger students simply expressed their gratitude.
Yi-Han wondered if they were just being cautious in front of Professor Garcia.
But that wasn''t the case.
Ango looked at Yi-Han with eyes mixed with half resentment and half gratitude.
"...It''s really hard to say this, but as a knight, I must properly thank you for the grace I''ve received. Thank you."
"Does this mean we forget all the grudges we''ve had so far?"
"Not at all. Don''t be mistaken, Wardanaz."
"..."
Yi-Han felt slightly hurt by the cold response.
Shouldn''t gratitude be enough to forget that level of grudge?
Of course, there had been quite a lot umted...
"But for this matter... I''m truly thankful. Now I somewhat understand why Dolgyu trusts you."
Following Ango, other White Tiger students also sincerely thanked him.
"Thank you, Wardanaz."
"We might not be friends, but I won''t forget the honor you showed this time."
"We might not be friends, but let''s cooperate as much as we can in thiske assignment."
Dolgyu, who had just regained some strength after being caught, came up btedly.
Dolgyu was delighted as if it were his own matter to see his friends thanking Yi-Han.
"See! I told you he''s not as bad as Moradi said, right?"
"Hmm... Maybe that''s true."
"So, are we ready to forget our grudges and build friendship?"
"That''s not happening. Don''t cross the line, Dolgyu."
"How can we forget everything that''s happened?"
"..."
Dolgyu felt slightly hurt by his friends'' cold responses.
He thought the mood was good enough...
"Hey! How could you shoot so powerfully? You did that on purpose because of those White Tiger guys, right?!"
Lastly, the fully recovered Gainando approached, staggering.
To Gainando, it was clear that Yi-Han would never make such a mistake.
It was obvious he had taken this opportunity to give the White Tiger guys a taste of their own medicine.
But why did it have to happen when Gainando himself was caught!
"What nonsensical nder... Prince, apologize."
"Prince Gainando, don''t you know the pride and honor of royalty? What kind of rudeness is that to someone who saved you?"
Gainando btedly realized that the White Tiger students were present.
He felt unjustly used by the unexpected criticism from the White Tiger students.
Even if one was close to Yi-Han, Gainando was probably much closer, but these guys, who usually ignored Yi-Han''s goodwill, were now defending him!
"What do you guys know!"
"We may not have royal blood, but we know honor."
"Apologize, Prince."
Gainando felt wronged but was also slightly pleased to be acknowledged as a prince.
Yi-Han noticed this and was incredulous.
"You''re not happy to be called a prince now, are you?"
"...No! But it''s true that you guys don''t treat me like royalty!"
The students of the Blue Dragon were from such powerful noble families that they didn''t need to pay heed to a prince beyond the three-digit range.
But Yi-Han, instead of pointing that out, decided to be considerate of Gainando.
"It''s because they all consider you a friend, Gainando."
"That is true..."
Gainando briefly reveled in the sentiment, but the White Tiger students did not wait for him.
"No matter how close, one must maintain decorum. We even thanked Wardanaz."
"Hurry up and apologize, Prince."
The White Tiger students relentlessly pressured Gainando.
Few could withstand the pressure of such resolute knights.
Gainando realized anew how impressively Yi-Han had handled these tough opponents.
"I... I''m sorry. It was wrong of me to criticize after being saved."
"Be more careful in the future."
"Prince. Your honor is shaped by your actions."
The White Tiger students, true to their knighthood, nodded in acknowledgment of the apology and then swiftly departed.
Yi-Han was dumbfounded.
''Did they forget how the three of them tried to gang up on me?''
He wanted to point this out, but the satisfied White Tiger students had already walked away.
Still feeling wronged, Gainando cautiously asked.
"But was it really not intentional?"
"It wasn''t intentional."
"Ugh...! I really thought it was deliberate...!"
It truly wasn''t intentional.
Though it might have seemed so!
After the cleanup and aftermath were settled, Professor Garcia called for Yi-Han. Worry was evident in her expression.
Yi-Han could guess what wasing.
-Ferkuntra, you need to exin this.-
Without Ferkuntra''s exnation, Yi-Han risked beingbeled by Professor Garcia as a ''madman who recklessly wields magic without regard for his own safety'' a dangerously wrong impression.
-After all, this is your fault.-
-Alright. I understand.-
Ferkuntra felt just as wronged as Gainando but epted the responsibility.
It wasn''t without fault, after all.
As long as Ferkuntra resided in Yi-Han''s arm, it should have ensured that the mana was under control until the end.
But...
-...Wait.-
-?-
-Time''s... up-
Yi-Han felt the fragment of Ferkuntra, which resided in his arm, fading away.
Not just that, Ferkuntra itself was returning to its original ce in the punishment room.
Yi-Han was horrified.
-Tell me it''s not so.-
-...I''m really sorry. It wasn''t intentional.-
-Tell me it''s not so! Quickly!-
-The next time I''m summoned, I''ll really show my true abilities-
-You''re saying I should summon you again after this disaster!-
Despite being scolded by a novice magician, Ferkuntra had no rebuttal.
There was simply no excuse for this situation!
-Really sorry, but next time-
Poof!
Ferkuntra disappeared.
Professor Garcia, with a mix of concern and sternness in her eyes, addressed Yi-Han.
"Yi-Han. I couldn''t speak earlier due to themotion, but I think I need to say this. Lightning magic, like fire magic, is a violent and dangerous elemental magic that''s hard to control. It''s truly remarkable and astonishing that you''ve learned it on your own, but I''m really worried about you as a student."
"Professor. There''s actually a deep story behind this."
Yi-Han detailed the story of Ferkuntra, carefully omitting and adapting parts like raiding Professor Uregor''s botanical garden!
But even as he spoke, Yi-Han was worried.
''Will he really believe such an absurd tale?''
"What a stroke of misfortune!"
''He believes it?!''
Surprisingly, Professor Garcia believed him. She truly was a genuine professor.
"I see. After all, I didn''t think Yi-Han, who is not a reckless person, would recklesslymit such a reckless act."
''It''s sufficiently understood without emphasizing so much...''
"That spirit is a bit..."
"Ipetent and doubtful in ability?"
"No? No. A spirit of that caliber can''t be without ability. Probably, the mistakes urred because Yi-Han is such a unique contractor."
"..."
Yi-Han, who respected Professor Garcia, found it hard to respect these words.
''Too overly kind.''
"Of course, there are malevolent spirits that seek to lead their contractors to ruin, but from what I''ve heard, this spirit doesn''t seem to be one of those. From now on, be careful and, above all, think of your own safety when using magic."
"I understand."
"Was it lightning magic that you used?"
At the familiar voice, both Yi-Han and Professor Garcia turned their heads simultaneously.
Professor Bdi was looking their way, his usually impassive eyes faintly curious.
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Chapter 93
Chapter 93
"You seem to be under a misconception..."
"The use of lightning magic was indeed correct."
''Damn.''
Professor Bdi, having seen the traces, couldn''t have failed to notice.
The professor hadpleted his assessment of the situation through the traces of the fallen monster and the faint remnants of the lightning spirit lingering on Yi-Han''s arm.
"How interesting..."
Professor Bdi''s head nodded ever so slightly as he muttered to himself, a sight more intimidating to Yi-Han than any ordinary monster.
"Just a moment. Just a moment."
Professor Garcia interjected.
Yi-Han felt a lump in his chest at the sight.
Professor!
"Professor Bagrak. Why do you ask about the lightning magic? What are you nning to do?"
"It is necessary for my teaching."
"Wait. Yi-Han, are you attending th Professor Bagrak''s ss!?"
Professor Garcia, who initially intended to say ''that professor,'' quickly changed her words.
However, Yi-Han had fully grasped what she had been about to say.
"Yes..."
"..."
Professor Garcia held her forehead.
Professor Garcia was a true person of character who respected everyone at the magic academy, but this did not extend to sses.
Several sses by a few professors always made Professor Garcia ufortable.
One such ss was Professor Bdi Bagrak''s.
To Professor Garcia, it was an excessively harsh and cruel ss!
It seemed absurd that freshmen should be learning such material.
Rather than teaching how to avoid fights, teaching freshmen how to maintainposure and fight in extremebat situations...
Thankfully, the students did not attend those sses.
As difficult as they were, every year, the students would run away after attending just once.
Thus, Professor Garcia hadforted herself, thinking ''Perhaps one day Professor Bagrak will realize and change his sses?''
Surprisingly, there was a student who was attending.
Professor Bdi spoke as if asking why.
"I remember from thest time."
"What are you talking about?"
"The fight with the anti-magic extremists. I told you then that I had taught it."
"!"
Professor Garcia felt a sh of insight in her mind.
The iron bead Yi-Han had used.
At the time, she had been too preupied with the anti-magic extremists to think deeply about how that bead was handled...
But on reflection, that was Professor Bdi''s method!
-You have a talent for magicbat. Professor Bdi, did you teach him? Remarkable.-
-It''s not that surprising.-
On reflection, the conversation between the principal and Professor Bdi afterward had also been very meaningful.
She had thought it was just a casual few words of teaching, but it turned out to be intensive training in the sses!
"Are you okay????"
"..."
Yi-Han hesitated at Professor Garcia''s question.
It was a ''Are you okay''den with too many meanings.
What should he respond?
"He is fine."
"..."
Professor Bdi answered for him. Both Yi-Han and Professor Garcia looked at Professor Bdi with astonished eyes.
"Wardanaz is sessfully following the teachings."
"Following them, you say?"
Initially, Professor Garcia was shocked, then she understood.
Sometimes exceptional talent could be a curse.
That saying applied even in the current situation.
Yi-Han''s extraordinary talent had made him not give up and keep up with the ss!
''Such a tragedy...!''
Professor Bdi spoke as kindly as he could in his own way.
"I believe you now understand why I confirmed the manifestation of lightning magic."
"Just a moment, please. I understand that he''s keeping up."
Professor Garcia attempted a final resistance. It was genuine goodwill.
"But isn''t it too hasty to move on to lightning elemental magic just because he''s improved his spell? Shouldn''t he first master other safer elemental magic..."
Professor Garcia''s words halted, her face stricken with fear.
Professor Bdi was faintly smiling.
What???
"That''s why I first had him learn water elemental magic."
"Already?"
"Yes."
There was a faint certainty in Professor Bdi''s affirmation.
Professor Garcia, as a fellow professor, could feel that emotion.
-Seeing that there is a student keeping up, I must be teaching correctly.-
...It was that conviction.
''No!!''
Professor Garcia screamed internally. Why of all things!
Even if Professor Bdi''s distorted world was changedter, the immediate priority was to protect this exceptional student.
Professor Garcia persisted.
"Actually, many students easily manage to shape water, don''t they?"
''Is that so?''
Yi-Han, unaware of Professor Garcia''s inner thoughts, was amazed.
Somehow...
"It must be due to the nature of the water element, right?"
"I don''t particrly think so..."
"From that perspective, shouldn''t we expand the range into different shapes and be more familiar with the element before moving to the next stage, rather than just seeding in shaping?"
Professor Bdi nodded.
"That''s why I also let him discover the water shield magic on his own."
"..."
Professor Garcia looked at Yi-Han in astonishment. Yi-Han felt somewhat guilty.
Learning the water shield magic wasn''t just about learning; understanding it on his own was almost akin to mastering elemental shaping.
If he figured out the principles and rationale on his own, he could create any form.
That level of self-discovery was significant.
"However, even if one masters shaping, the path to elemental control is long... At least the shaped water elemental magic should be controlled as naturally as manipting iron beads..."
As Professor Garcia spoke, her heart sank seeing Yi-Han bow his head.
Could it be?
"I also had him learn what you just mentioned. I stopped him from adding a rotational attribute."
Professor Garcia had never imagined, not even in her worst nightmares, that Professor Bdi would say something akin to ''This is how I care for my student.''
This was more terrifying than any nightmare.
And the most terrifying part was that Professor Garcia no longer had any means to persuade.
With a dejected voice, Professor Garcia sadly said,
"Please take good care of student Yi-Han..."
"I always teach consistently, Professor Garcia."
As the conversation between the two professors ended, Yi-Han also came back to his senses.
"...?!!"
Is this it?
Isn''t he going to intervene more??
"Professor...!"
"Yi-Han. Do your best."
Yi-Han felt like a cow being led to ughter.
He didn''t know what would happen next week...
Ominous!
''...From now on, I should tell myself to check if other professors are around when asking for help from a professor...''
Asan walked towards the ck market with his friends.
"Let''s treat ourselves this weekend."
"Do we really have to do this?"
Gainando wanted toin but had to keep his mouth shut. He had already been scolded repeatedly for voicing his displeasure.
The current food situation for the new students at the magic academy was roughly as follows:
Thanks to Yi-Han, who had secured arge amount of supplies from outside, the students of the Blue Dragon were able to enjoy the most luxurious and plentiful meals.
The students of the Immortal Phoenix would ept any meal withoutint, regardless of what was served.
The students of the White Tiger, who aggressively hunted in nearby forests, fields, and mountains, gradually achieved sess in their hunting endeavors.
And the students of the ck Tortoise, who supplemented their limited food supplies through periodic gathering, asional hunting, and bartering with other students.
Among them, the students of the Blue Dragon were well aware that they were utterly dependent on Yi-Han''s help.
Even though Yi-Han had considerately told them to just pay a small amount and not worry, they couldn''t just stand by idly.
The students of the Blue Dragon were also exploring various ways to procure food.
One such method was the current ck market.
A bartering spot opened near the ck Tortoise Tower by its students!
"Thest time I went there, there wasn''t much to eat..."
"No, I went there a few days ago, and the goods had increased significantly. There was quite a bit of food."
"I heard they made deals with the kids from the White Tiger?"
Asan nodded at his friends'' words.
"As time goes by, the market is bound to grow. I''m not going for no reason. And..."
Asan carefully took out some ss bottles from his pocket.
These were the spoils from their recent expedition to Professor Uregors Workshop.
All the students who participated had shared the potions and reagents.
"...The ck Tortoise guys know how valuable this is right now. It''s better to trade our extras now before they be less rare."
"You''re always on point, Dargard!"
The students of the Blue Dragon headed towards the ck market with bright smiles.
A student from the ck Tortoise, standing at the entrance of the market, recognized them and his expression changed.
"Good to see you. Can we go in?"
"Sorry..."
"??"
"There''s a new rule. You guys can''te in."
Asan felt more incredulous than surprised.
"Just exchanging among yourselves? The market will shrink!"
"It doesn''t matter."
With a deep, heavy voice, someone emerged from behind the ck Tortoise student.
He was of short stature, like a dwarf, but with a more muscr body than the students from the White Tiger.
His bulky frame was evident despite the loose overcoat.
''Not a dwarf...?''
Asan was taken aback. He had thought it was a dwarf, but on closer inspection, it was an elf.
A short, extremely muscr elf!
"I am Salko of the Tutanta family."
The Tutanta family.
A fairly renowned stonecraft guild family in the empire.
He had thought they were a family of exceptional dwarf artisans, but...?
"Tutanta. Why are you blocking the entrance? Because we''re from the Blue Dragon?"
"No. While it''s true I don''t particrly like you Blue Dragon students..."
"..."
"..."
"...I don''t involve my personal feelings in such rules. The reason you can''t enter is because of the rule."
"What rule?"
"If it''s not something you''ve earned through your own work, you can''t bring it in!"
Behind Salko, students from the ck Tortoise began to gather.
From fierce-looking ones to more delicately raised ones, the variety was evident, but it was clear Salko had leadership qualities.
Asan, annoyed, pulled out the reagents he had brought.
"We earned these ourselves!"
"Really? Where did you get them from?"
...
Asan was rendered speechless, unable to admit that the reagents were from Professor Uregor''s workshop.
Gainando stepped in to make an excuse.
"We mined them outside!"
"Mined them from the fields and gathered that much? It must be stolen. If you can''t prove its source, I''ll consider it stolen goods. And as long as I am part of the ck Tortoise, I''ll make sure the market doesn''t deal in stolen goods. That''s nothing but defiling the sweat and effort of people and disrupting the market."
Faced with such a valid argument, the students of the Blue Dragon were at a loss for words.
Gainando, feeling unjustly used, shouted in protest.
"But then where are we supposed to trade stolen goods? What are thieves supposed to live on?"
"Hey... Gainando... keep it down, it''s embarrassing...!"
The Blue Dragon students, realizing their embarrassment, quickly silenced Gainando.
At that moment, Yi-Han appeared, carrying a basket.
Seeing his friends gathered at the entrance, Yi-Han looked puzzled.
"What''s going on? Aren''t you going in?"
"Yi-Han!"
Asan quickly recounted everything that had happened.
Yi-Han, after listening, turned to Salko and asked.
"I personally grew these in my garden, can I go in then?"
"!"
Salko looked at Yi-Han with surprise, then nodded.
"See youter then."
Watching Yi-Han enter, the friends from the Blue Dragon btedly came to their senses.
"?!?"
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Chapter 94
Chapter 94
"Did you really grow it yourself?"
Salko asked with a voice mixed with astonishment and curiosity.
He was a student from the Tower of the Blue Dragon, hailing from the Wardanaz family, one of the prestigious families within the empire.
To think that such a boy had personally grown those fresh, appetizing, glossy, and tempting potatoes. It was hard to believe.
"Yes, I grew them myself,"
Yi-Han nodded firmly.
The other ck Tortoise students who had been watching chimed in.
"It''s true that Wardanaz grew them, Salko."
"I even had a meal that he preparedst time! It was delicious!"
"Is that so? What did you offer in return?"
Salko asked his friends.
Upon hearing this, the ck Tortoise students hesitated.
...We just ate them...
"Surely you didn''t obtain them without any payment?"
Salko asked, his expression turning stern, as if he might wield a hammer at any moment. The ck Tortoise students were frightened.
The motto of the Tutanta family was simple.
-Those who don''t work, shall not eat.-
No matter how close they were as tower friends, if they had obtained something without working for it, it was an unforgivable act.
This is what conscienceless nobles and knights would do!
"Uh... Well..."
Yi-Han, who felt helpless, spoke up.
"I treated them as a reward for helping me."
"!"
The ck Tortoise students looked at Yi-Han with moved expressions.
''Wardanaz...!''
"That''s right! That''s how it happened!"
"We helped Wardanaz!"
Upon hearing this, Salko''s expression softened.
"Thank goodness. I was worried that you might have obtained them without any payment."
"There''s no way we would do something like that, Salko."
"My least favorite word is ''unearned.'' Salko."
"Right, I understand."
As Salko was about to leave, Yi-Han asked him.
"Would you like to take a potato?"
The reason Yi-Han asked Salko this was simple.
Everyone loved the potatoes grown in the garden. Even the princess had praised them.
Of course, Yi-Han had his doubts about whether the princess really enjoyed everything she ate, despite the recent rumors among her followers.
And earlier, Salko had stared intently at the potatoes in Yi-Han''s sack.
Either he really liked potatoes or had a grudge against them.
"...No, I''m fine. I dont have anything to pay you right now."
Its okay, I dont mind.
"Don''t insult me, Wardanaz. Dwarves of the Tutanta family don''t receive anything without doing something in return."
''But you''re an elf...''
Before Yi-Han could finish his sentence, Salko hurried away, as if staring at the potatoes for too long might tempt him.
"It''s a tough time for thieves like me,"
Ratford, who had met Yi-Han, nodded his head and exined the recent events.
Originally, the students from the ck Tortoise had diverse backgrounds, and they tended to gather separately and have their own fun.
However, as time passed, individuals who stood out began to emerge.
Tutanta Salko, a dwarf, or rather an elf, was one such individual, thanks to his exceptional magic skills and rock-solid sense of responsibility. Friends who followed Tutanta had increased.
''Why not Nillia...''
Yi-Han suddenly felt sorry for Nillia.
Although Nillia had also given a lot to the ck Tortoise students, they didn''t trust her as a leader, no matter how much they liked her. It was the opposite with Salko.
''Is it the difference between dark elves and elves? No, it doesn''t seem to be because of that.''
Anyway, the followers of Salko increased, and at the same time, the ck market operated by the ck Tortoise also grew in size.
Students from the Blue Dragon and White Tiger, having heard the rumors, also started toe and exchange various goods.
This, in turn, led to a gradual increase in problems.
-"Why does this cost five loaves of bread?"-
-"You shouldn''t do this here!"-
-"Hey, this coffee is fake! Give me back my bread!"-
-"I can''t refund once you''ve bought it! And I already told you, it''s fake coffee made from dandelions!"-
With students from other towersing and going, problems inevitably increased.
However, the ck Tortoise students found it difficult to strongly retaliate when friction arose with students from other towers.
The opponents were either from great noble families or knightly families.
So, the ck Tortoise students requested help from the most trustworthy Salko, not Nillia.
After much deliberation, Salko agreed but firmly stated that his rules must be followed.
-"If you want the guys from the other towers to follow my rules, you must abide by them first!"-
-"Understood. Tutanta!"-
-"We must, of course, follow your rules!"-
-"Remember, if you don''t work first, you shouldn''t eat."-
-"That''s a good rule!"-
"The guys from the other towers will never abide by it!"
-"Likewise, dealing in stolen goods is prohibited."-
-"..."-
-"..."-
-"What''s the matter? Any problems?"-
-"None! None at all!"-
Naturally, there wereints, but the fact that other problems disappeared thanks to Salko''s growling was true.
Upon hearing the exnation, Yi-Han was furious.
"As always, because of a few troublemakers, good people suffer. Because of those White Tiger guys, thieves like you and me are starving."
"That''s right."
Ratford strongly nodded in agreement.
"It must be hard, Ratford. So, what are you doing?"
"Ah, I''m fine. I''m secretly selling stolen goods."
Yi-Han was slightly impressed by Ratford''s calm response. He was a professional thief, after all.
Running a ck market within a ck market...
"Of course, since I can''t do it openly, the scale has reduced significantly. Instead, I''m doing something else."
"?"
Ratford pointed to a corner of the ck market. Some ck Tortoise students were sitting there, doing something other than business.
"Look closely at this. There are three cards, one of them is the Emperor card. I''ll flip and shuffle them... if you find it, you get double the money."
Flipping three cards, shuffling them dazzlingly, and doubling the money if you find the Emperor card.
...It''s gambling!
"Is gambling okay?"
"Tutanta doesn''t like gambling, but... he has allowed it. Obviously, if we prohibit that as well, there would be too much dissatisfaction."
When it came to the proportion of criminals, the ck Tortoise had the most.
Thieves Guild, Gambling Guild, etc., those backgrounds usually led to the ck Tortoise.
Salko knew this and turned a blind eye to this money-making through gambling, considering itbor.
Apart from the card matching gambling, there were other activities like chess betting, lock picking (which seemed to be Ratford''s job), among others.
''Is this some kind of adventurer''s guild?''
"Aargh! My bread!! My three days'' worth of bread!!"
"Sorry, I tried to mix it up slowly..."
A White Tiger student cried out in despair, having lost his property.
"Don''t give up, Dukma. You were just unlucky this time. Let''s try one more time!"
"It''s not too hard! You''ll seed this time!"
Yi-Han looked at the person shuffling. It was a face he had recognized before.
Ymirg, the giant mixed-blood he had met in Professor Mortum''s dark magic ss.
Yi-Han marveled in a peculiar way.
Surely, being a giant would make his opponents let their guard down.
To anyone looking, Ymirg''s massive hands seemed clumsy and slow.
But Yi-Han saw clearly.
He noticed the slight sleights of hand Ymirg was performing while shuffling the cards.
He''s quite skilled.
In a world of real magic, it was easy to think there was no ce for magic tricks based on skill and technique.
However, there were those who mastered such hand tricks.
They were the gamblers of the Gambling Guild.
Using magic for cheating was risky, so they relied on pure sleight of hand.
Yi-Han spected that Ymirg might be from the Gambling Guild.
"Never gamble against Ymirg," Ratford advised, mistaking Yi-Han''s gaze.
Even Ratford, with his own hand tricks, had never beaten Ymirg.
Such was his unmatched skill within the ck Tortoise.
"I''m not really interested in gambling, Ratford. I was just watching for fun."
Yi-Han clenched and unclenched his fist, making a coin disappear. Ratford, amazed, eximed,
"As expected of Mr. Wardanaz! I always thought you had the qualities of an outstanding thief, and I wasn''t wrong!"
"Keep your voice down, its embarrassing if others hear it."
Receiving such fervent reactions for a simple coin trick was rather embarrassing for him.
"No, Mr. Wardanaz. If you have such skills, you certainly deserve a ce here."
"..."
Yi-Han was momentarily tempted.
It sounded usible.
''Was all my practice meant for this moment?''
To extort bread and meat from the pockets of the White Tiger students...
"But I belong to a different tower."
"I''ll talk to them. There are friends who owe you favors, Mr. Wardanaz, it should be fine."
But before Ratford could rise, Salko appeared from behind.
Behind Salko, the ck Tortoise students stood like guilty culprits.
"Wardanaz. When I asked around, these friends here said they got food without paying anything."
''Damn these bbermouths.''
Yi-Han cursed the ck Tortoise students internally.
If you''re going to deny it, at least stick to your story.
Yi-Han was different. He was confident he could deny until the end of the world.
"I had no choice. Our family motto is ''Share food with the hungry.''"
Yi-Han''s demeanor had the power to make even nonsense sound serious.
The listening students unconsciously nodded in agreement.
Indeed!
It made sense why Wardanaz was feeding his friends...
"I''m not ming you, Wardanaz. It''s not your fault. I came to apologize for my friends'' mistakes. It was irresponsible behavior, typical ofzy nobles or violent knights."
Salko bowed in apology, and the ck Tortoise friends hesitantly followed suit.
Then, students from other towers waiting outside the ck market protested Salkos description.
"That''s too harsh!"
"Lazy nobles? You have no idea how hard the life of a noble is!"
"Do you understand the heavy honor and responsibility we bear as knights?!"
''Same tower, but really unlucky to have them.''
For a moment, Yi-Han almost sided with Salko.
Such shameless and conscienceless people...
Salko tantly ignored them.
"I''d like to make them pay for what they ate, but my friends don''t have that much right now."
"There''s no need to worry about that."
The friends from the Blue Dragon meticulously recorded every single silver coin in the ledger, but he had no intention of doing the same for the ck Tortoise students.
"No, I''ll pay instead."
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised.
Offering to pay on their behalf.
''The Tutanta family must be quite wealthy.''
Being from a famous stonemason guild family in the empire, they certainly wouldn''tck funds.
Yi-Han pondered how much to charge for the tomato vegetable stew he had preparedst time.
"I''ve heard rumors that you, Wardanaz, wander around the academy at night. Is that true?"
"I don''t know what absurd rumor you''ve heard, but that''spletely false."
"..."
"..."
Students from the Blue Dragon and White Tiger outside the ck market were dumbfounded.
''Has that guy got a face of iron...?''
''It seems the Wardanaz family also trains in emotional control.''
Despite Yi-Han''s denial, Salko resolutely continued his point.
"I have some information that might be helpful."
"!"
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Chapter 95
Chapter 95
Yi-Han spoke with a serious expression, stating, "I truly have no intention of leaving. However, if it will ease your mind, I am willing to listen to that information."
Salko, taken aback by Yi-Han''s earnest demeanor, which was devoid of any hint of jest, wondered to himself, ''Has he really never gone out at night?'' He then turned to another friend beside him, a fellow member of the ck Tortoise, who shook his head in warning, indicating that he should not be deceived.
...
Salko''s expression turned slightly fierce, reflecting the confirmation of his distrust towards the seemingly superficial nobles. "Follow me. I will exin," Salko said, and then whispered something to his ck Tortoise friends.
Curious, Yi-Han discreetly asked another friend, who had once eaten vegetable stew with him, "What did Tutanta say?"
The friend responded apologetically, "He said not to have a private conversation with you when he''s not around."
As a matter of fact, Yi-Han was not the only one sneaking out at night. Most students had gradually started venturing outside the tower. They had realized that merely sleeping through the night was not enough to survive in the academy. Whether it was for food, assignments, or even escape, they needed to roam the academy and seek out what they needed. Salko was no exception.
"You criticize me for sneaking around the academy at night?" Yi-Han asked.
"I never criticized you," Salko replied incredulously.
Realizing the truth in this, Yi-Han encouraged Salko to continue. Salko and his friends had been recently challenging themselves by exploring the third floor of the main building of the magic academy. This building, thergest and most mysterious of all, was said to contain secrets unknown even to the principal. The third floor constantly changed itsyout, with corridors multiplying, staircases disappearing, and walls suddenly blocking the path.
Salko, hailing from the stonemason guild family, had tenaciously found a way to ess it to some extent.
How do I get in?
When the hours and minutes are odd, when the moon is cloudless, and when the staff is held in the left hand. You have to satisfy all of these conditions in order for the hallway on the third floor to open properly.
...
Yi-Han, initially thinking Salko was jesting, realized the gravity in his words. "I see," he acknowledged, grateful that the conditions were not as bizarre as they could be in a magic academy.
"Thanks for the useful information," Yi-Han said, as he needed to visit the stables in the upper levels of the main building. The information about the third floor was especially useful.
"The information isn''t over yet. There''s a being on the third floor that might be of help to you," Salko added.
"A spirit of lightning, perhaps?" Yi-Han joked.
Salko looked puzzled. "No. It''s not that. What kind of being is it?"
Yi-Hans curiosity was piqued. The academy was already filled with various magic beings.
Lich, troll mixed-blood, vampire, lightning spirit, etc.. Most of whom were not ideal for conversation.
"I can''t say," Salko replied. "I''ve sworn an oath not to reveal its identity."
"I see. So, I should go and find out for myself?" Yi-Han concluded.
"No. Finding that being is moreplicated and difficult than entering the third-floor corridor. I must apany you. As you decide, I will lead you to that being in the corridor," Salko stated with the steadfastness of solid rock. However, Yi-Han was immediately skeptical.
''Is this a trap?'' he wondered, his doubts stemming from the unfair attacks he had endured from other students.
After all, Salko was not known to be fond of nobles or knights. It was possible that students from the ck Tortoise, wearing masks, were lying in wait in the third-floor corridor. Or perhaps, Salko had chosen Yi-Han as a sacrifice for the being in the corridor.
"Why do you ask?" Salko inquired, oblivious to the disrespectful suspicions harbored by Yi-Han.
"Aren''t you breaking your oath by guiding me to that being?" Yi-Han questioned.
"No. As long as I do not reveal its identity, bringing a new student is allowed. I double-checked this in the ss, just to be sure."
Yi-Han clicked his tongue inwardly. Salko was as diligent a student as he was, not someone Yi-Han could easily manipte like Gainando.
"Do you really believe this will be helpful?" Yi-Han probed.
"On the honor of my family, I believe so. Though, of course, my judgment is not always correct," Salko replied, stroking his beard with the seriousness of a dwarf.
''Information is needed in any case,'' Yi-Han thought, nodding after a moment of contemtion. He could not afford to be choosy, whether it was cold or hot water, in finding the way to the stables located in the upper level of the main building.
"Fine. When do you n to go?"
"Tonight."
On Saturday evening, when other students would usually be wrapped in nkets in the lounge, warming themselves by a cozy fire, holding a cup of steaming tea or coffee in one hand and a quill, chess piece, or card in the other, Yi-Han was ascending the dark staircase of the main building with Salko.
''It seems there are no others lying in wait,'' Yi-Han thought, vignt for any ambush. It appeared that the ck Tortoise students were not following.
Salko was armed with a staff in one hand and a hammer at his waist, which felt more menacing than the wooden swords carried by the students of the White Tiger.
"I asked the other students. Wardanaz," Salko said in a voice reminiscent of granite.
"What did you ask?" Yi-Han inquired.
"About what kind of person you are."
Yi-Han scanned the surroundings again, half-expecting Salko to shout ''Die, Wardanaz! Your misdeeds end here!'' and for ambushing students to emerge. Fortunately, that did not happen.
"I heard you''ve been giving food to the other students. Not just to everyone in the Blue Dragon, but to students from other towers as well."
"That''s right."
"Charity ismendable, but I''d advise against it. Those who havent earned their own keep, even if provided for, will not understand its value."
Yi-Han found himself nodding involuntarily. The statement was too urate.
Salko was taken aback by Yi-Han''s nod, not having expected someone of the Wardanaz lineage to agree without any argument.
"Do you... understand?" Salko asked.
"There''s nothing incorrect about it. Those who don''t work for themselves never understand the value of things," Yi-Han affirmed.
"Right. How could nobles or knights understand the sanctity ofbor? They only know how to strut around, brandishing swords, and acting superior," Salko remarked disdainfully.
"In my opinion, nobles and knights should fundamentally be sent to work the fields on farms. They learn swordsmanship as part of their education, so there''s no reason they can''t learn farming," he suggested.
The two youngborers found strong agreement in this sentiment.
After their conversation concluded, Yi-Han and Salko looked at each other with a newfound respect. Salko''s rock-like face softened slightly.
"I think I may have misjudged you. I apologize, Wardanaz. Some students from the White Tiger said you were a heartless and bloodless evil mage..."
"..."
"...That must have been a baseless rumor spread by arrogant knights."
"Indeed. Such baseless rumors often cloud our vision. We must always be careful, especially as mages."
"That''s true."
Salko nodded, his expression one of reflection.
Yi-Han thought to himself, ''No matter what rumors spread in the future, I can just dismiss them as baseless.''
Salko nced at Yi-Han''s hands, noticing they were toughened from tending gardens and variousbors hands a noble wouldn''t have. Those with simr hands recognize each other. With this, Salko fully epted Yi-Han.
This made Salko curious.
Why would a student like Yi-Han care for otherzy good-for-nothings?
"Wardanaz. I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Why do you take care of your fellow tower students?"
"..."
Yi-Han was momentarily taken aback.
Well...
''It''s for the money...''
He did it for the money; he wouldn''t provide breakfast and feed them for free.
It was obviously for the money.
However, Yi-Han thought it wouldn''t be good to say it was for money, especially now that Salko held him in high regard.
"I do it because they are friends."
"..."
This answer left a strong impression on Salko.
He had thought the students followed Wardanaz because of his magic skills, but now it seemed there was more to it.
"I could never do that myself... but now I think I understand a bit about what you nobles call ''honor.'' It''s notpletely absent."
"..."
Yi-Han pushed the ledger deeper into his pocket.
If Salko ever found out, he might never trust nobles again.
Leading the way through the third-floor corridor of the main building, Salko suddenly stopped and pointed to a statue. It was a statue of an unnamed mage.
Though worn, faded, and partially broken, its beauty was breathtaking, almost too perfect to be human.
''How strange. Why does it seem familiar?''
"Do you see how this statue is broken, Wardanaz?" Salko asked, pulling out a hammer. Yi-Han stepped back, resting his hand on his waist, and nodded.
"I repaired this statue before. I couldn''t just stand by and watch a broken statue."
''He''s a workaholic.''
But Yi-Han understood.
Just as Yonaire wants to water nts she sees, Nillia wants to hunt prey she spots, and Yi-Han feels the urge to bend over when he sees a professor...
Salko had his own professional urges.
"But it''s broken again?"
"Yes. This statue keeps breaking, even after being fixed. And that''s the secret to opening this hidden door."
Carefully, Salko began to repair the broken statue.
As he did, a rumbling sound echoed in the darkness, and the statue rotated once. Simultaneously, a hidden passage opened.
"Go inside, Wardanaz. From here, you must go alone."
"Tutanta... I trust you."
"I know. That''s why you came this far."
"I really do trust you."
"Why do you repeat that?"
Unaware that Yi-Han was reading his reaction, Salko tilted his head in confusion.
Had a new student arrived?
!
Inside the passage, there was a statue that looked like a mixture of several animals.
"Wee. I am the statue of the forgotten beast. I have been in this academy for a very long time. Student who repaired the statue and entered, will you swear not to speak of my identity to others?"
"...I swear."
As Yi-Han responded, the dog''s tail portion of the statue wagged happily.
"Excuse me, but what are you doing here?"
Just killing time. The room I was guarding was closed 187 years ago. Since then, I''ve been wandering the cooler parts of this academy.
"I''m curious why I shouldn''t tell others about you..."
Well, the professors might put me back to work if they knew.
"How wise...!"
Thank you for understanding.
Yi-Han was certain of the statue''s wisdom.
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Chapter 96
Chapter 96
When the professor forgot one''s existence, it was a rule to quietly lie low and keep still.
The statue of the forgotten beast was an entity that had mastered that wisdom.
But there was no helping the boredom. "Thank you foring here."
"The great statue, I''ve heard that you possess the necessary wisdom within this academy."
Yi-Han started to speak of escape but quickly changed his words.
He could not trust the statue of the forgotten beast, unsure of when it might betray him.
"Wisdom, you say... That''s rather embarrassing to hear. I may not possess wisdom, but I can share what I know. And I might be able to help with things within my power."
"Indeed!"
Yi-Han was grateful for the statue''s boredom.
Otherwise, it wouldn''t have offered such help.
"Of course, I can''t help with things beyond my abilities. So, don''t ask me to save a dragon or anything like that."
"Could you perhaps make the principal a bit kinder?"
"What color of dragon would you like? A dragon seems like a better request."
"I''m sorry. It was a joke."
Of course, Yi-Han had no intention of making such a ludicrous request.
He had only one desire.
The way to the stable at the spire, located in the upper levels of the main building.
"Do you know the way to the stable at the spire of the main building?"
"I know of about three ces."
Yi-Han''s eyes flickered slightly. He had finally found what he was seeking.
"I would like to know the way to the easiest one."
"Not difficult at all."
"!"
"But first, you must defeat me!"
"?!?"
Taken aback by the sudden change in atmosphere, Yi-Han was startled.
He held his staff, eyeing the statue warily. Instead of attacking, the statueid out a bronze chessboard.
"Let''s have a game!"
"..."
It was clear that the opponent was truly bored.
Boredom was a venom among venoms. Even the statue of the forgotten beast, which had loyally served under the professor for a long time, could not ovee boredom.
The statue of the forgotten beast favored chess.
The advantage of chess was that it could be yed alone.
The statue''s tail and other heads swayed with its movements.
Yi-Han asked to gauge its skill.
"Did you y chess with any other freshmen before me?"
"Yes, I did."
"How many times did that freshman win?"
"Not even once."
Yi-Han''s expression grew serious.
''Had Tutanta not won a single game?''
He didn''t know Tutanta''s skill level, but losing continuously without a single win meant a lot.
The chess skills of this statue of the forgotten beast were exceptional...
''And it''s cunning enough to hide that.''
If the difference was overwhelming, the opponent wouldn''t have challenged again. It must have won narrowly, giving the opponent hope for a rematch.
Such control required a significant difference in skill.
''Can I win?''
Yi-Han didn''t consider himself particrly good at chess.
He hadn''t avoided chess, of course.
As with students typically confined to ab, Yi-Han also enjoyed meaningless betting activities.
And chess was the most popr among them.
Yi-Han had never lost among other students...
...But that was a frog in a well. Against the foreign professor next door, he had never won.
The foreign professor, finding great joy in defeating the weak, often called Yi-Han to defeat him.
If the statue before him was better than that professor, it was certainly no less capable.
But just once, just one win is all it takes.
No matter how he shook the opponent or caught them off guard, a single victory was sufficient.
Yi-Han nned to win by sheer volume of attempts.
Considering chess was a game with unexpected variables, he might win at least once in a hundred games.
"Just so you know, there''s a penalty if you lose."
"...What is it?"
Yi-Han flinched.
The statue, now cast in shadow, seemed to exude an oppressive aura.
"If you lose, you have to y another game without any reward."
"...Is that so?"
The penalty was lighter than expected. The statue nodded in affirmation.
"And if you lose again on your next attempt, you''ll have to y two games. If you lose again after that, three games..."
''It might be better just to take up work from the professor if it''s that bored.''
Yi-Han thought so as he picked up a white pawn.
The king toppled over, signaling the end of the game. Yi-Han was astonished.
''Tutanta...!''
You''re really good.
The statue eximed in admiration, but Yi-Han was slightly incredulous.
Incredibly, he had won.
And in the very first game!
At this point, he had to question the skills of both the statue and Tutanta. To not win even a single game against this statue.
''I was worried for nothing.''
"Here. This is the map I made."
"Thank you."
Yi-Han took the map offered by the statue and tucked it away, then asked,
"Would you like to y another game?"
Realizing that the opponent was easier than expected, there was no need to hesitate. Yi-Han spoke up, hoping to gain more.
But the statue was not so easily persuaded.
No. Today, I''m truly satisfied. It was such an enjoyable game.
"..."
"I think I can sleep soundly thanks to it. Thank you."
Yi-Han couldn''t fathom what about this game satisfied the statue so much.
Surely it wasn''t acting like this because it thought it couldn''t win?
"Yes... I''m d for you."
Yi-Han congratted with mixed feelings and left the room.
Salko was waiting in the corridor, whittling a small statue with a hammer and chisel.
"You''re out."
Salko, brushing off the dust, spoke without looking at Yi-Han.
Although he wasn''t fond of nobles, he respected the pride that Yi-Han possessed.
He must have been humiliated, having not won even once.
"I''ll guide you until you win. You can''t enter alone. Just let me know when you want to go again."
"I won."
"...??!?!!"
Salko couldn''t believe his ears.
The chess skills of that beast statue were formidable.
Even Salko, unrivaled in the Tutanta family, had never won against it.
He had nned to prepare with Wardanaz and try again...
But Yi-Han just won?
"Really?"
"Yes. It even said it''s going to take a nap because of it."
Salko didn''t doubt the word of an opponent that he had decided to respect for no reason.
But Yi-Han''s im was hard to believe without seeing it with his own eyes.
"Wardanaz, would it be alright if I check for myself?"
"Go ahead. Do as you like."
With Yi-Han''s permission, Salko repaired the corridor statue, opened the door, and went inside.
He walked out with an expression as if he had seen a ghost.
Indeed, the statue was asleep.
Yi-Han said to Salko, "Thank you. I got the information I needed because of you."
"That''s good to hear..."
Salko momentarily looked at Yi-Han with eyes full of admiration, then quickly regained hisposure.
In his lifetime, he never imagined feeling such respect for someone born into a noble family!
Salko coughed slightly and turned around.
"Let''s go back. I''ll lead the way."
Unaware, Salko had not noticed the subtle change in Yi-Han''s eyes as he turned his back.
The look in Yi-Han''s eyes as he watched Salko had shifted, now resembling the way he gazed at Nillia.
Yi-Han, wearing an expression of extreme fatigue, opened the door to the rest area.
Salko, who seemed to be formed from a lump of rock, turned out to be more talkative than expected.
-"I want to tell you about the ''Dwarf Gambit,'' a chess strategy of the Tutanta family. It involves advancing the pawn to e4 and when the opponent counters with e5, attacking fiercely with f4."-
-"I specialize in moving my knight to f3 when the opponent takes a pawn, but about that..."-
-"There was this incident during thest game I yed..."-
-"Did you know? Those elf fellows don''t y pawn to e4; they send it to d4 and counter with c4 at d5! Mad, I tell you!"-
All the way back, Salko had been incessantly talking about chess.
Yi-Han was not someone who dedicated his life and passion to chess like Salko.
Though he tried to respond earnestly, fearing Salko might get upset, he couldn''t help but feel mentally exhausted.
"Wardanaz! You''re back!"
His friends in the rest area, who had been working on assignments, greeted Yi-Han joyfully.
Yonaire was busy checking potions with other students, coborating closely.
These were the potions Yi-Han and Ratford had stolen from a carriage previously.
Thanks to salvaging reagents from Professor Uregor''sb, they were able to conduct various experiments.
"Did you find out anything?"
"Wardanaz. We''ve done it."
"??"
One of the students sitting next to Yonaire excitedly began to speak.
"We''ve discovered the potion of miracles!"
"Did you find a teleportation potion?"
Yi-Han asked, puzzled.
The students replied with sheepish expressions.
"Not... exactly teleportation."
"But it''s still an amazing potion! Let me show you! Gainando!"
They brought Gainando over. Yi-Han noticed something different about Gainando''s demeanor.
He seemed a bit... more intellectual.
''What? Is this a fake Gainando?''
Gainando nodded calmly andposedly at Yi-Han, making him oddly want to hit him.
"Gainando. Who teaches ?"
"Professor Garcia Kim."
"How do you make a ?"
"Cut the base of the Garamaldu, and slice the remaining part into pieces two finger-widths long. At the same time, tear the Snow Fragrance grass finely by hand, but you must do it quickly before the Garamaldu dries."
The students of the Blue Dragon erupted in cheers at the smooth responses.
"See?? It''s the potion of wisdom! The potion of wisdom!"
There were potions in alchemy that temporarily enhanced the drinker''s intelligence.
Gainando''s current state was a clear testament to that.
This murky-colored liquid was undoubtedly a potion of wisdom!
''Wait. Did these kids test this on Gainando?''
Yi-Han had that suspicion but decided to let it pass. There were more important things to consider.
"Do you really think this is the potion of wisdom?"
Yi-Han asked Yonaire in a low voice. Yonaire replied with a thoughtful expression.
"I''m not sure yet. But seeing Gainando''s reaction, it seems possible."
"Didn''t you test it thoroughly before drinking it?"
"No, he just happened to drink it during the verification process..."
"..."
Yi-Han started to say something but then held back.
''If it''s a potion of wisdom, that would indeed be beneficial.''
Like the cheering students, Yi-Han also had numerous uses for a potion of wisdom.
He contemted drinking a little during Professor Garcia''s ss, a bit during Professor Bdi''s, some during Professor Uregor''s, and a little when meeting Professor Mortum and Professor Millei...
Counting on his fingers, Yi-Han reflected.
Potions were not harmless to the body. They always required a price. Drinking that much could be detrimental to his health.
Yet, the need for wisdom at the academy was overwhelming.
''Maybe I should check a bit more.''
Yi-Han looked at Gainando and asked,
"What''s 14 times 19?"
"417."
The immediate response elicited cheers from the students of the Blue Dragon who were listening.
However, Yi-Han, Yonaire, Asan, and the Princess wore expressions of disbelief.
...Huh?
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Chapter 97
Chapter 97
When Yi-Han multiplied 14 by 19, the result was 266, not 417. There was not a single correct digit.
Yi-Han asked with a doubtful voice, "Gainando, how do you make a ?" It was the same question his other friends had asked earlier. If it truly was a potion of wisdom, he should have been able to answer correctly as he had before.
"To make it, you cut off the base of the Garamaldu, then chop off the remaining part along with your little finger. At the same time, you need to tear the Snow Fragrance grass finely with your hands..."
He answered with the same calm andposed demeanor as before, but Yi-Han was not fooled. On the cutting boardy the base of the Garamaldu, along with a severed little finger!
"It''s not a potion of wisdom, but a potion of confidence," Yi-Han realized.
...
The Blue Dragon friends were genuinely disappointed. They could have easily passed all the tasks and exams!
"But can''t we sell it as a potion of wisdom to those White Tiger kids?"
"Ohh..."
"What do you mean ''Ohh''? No, we can''t."
Yi-Han stopped the students. The princess, who was about to stand up with the potion, caught his eye and quietly sat back down.
"Why not?! Wardanaz. You know how rude and arrogant those kids are! They even insulted you before!"
"I know. But wait, what insult?"
Yi-Han, about to let it go, couldn''t hold back and asked.
"They said you''re much better at dark magic than the senior students."
''That''s hardly an insult, is it?'' Yi-Han thought to himself. He understood the intent behind it, but it seemed too mild for an insult. Perhaps to the students of the White Tiger, it was meant to be offensive, but to Yi-Han, it wasn''t significant. Remarks like ''Wardanaz will starve to death after graduation'' or ''Wardanaz won''t graduate and will be dragged away by the professors'' would have been far more insulting.
"It''s fine. I''ll handle my own affairs, so don''t get needlessly angry because of me. The most important thing now is theke."
!
Those words reminded the Blue Dragon students of an assignment they had forgotten, or rather, had tried to forget. It was an assignment given by the skull principal.
"Do we really have to go to theke?"
"Maybe we can just give up on one assignment? To cooperate with such people for it... What''s important is honor, not grades."
At that, Yi-Han, Yonaire, the princess, and Asan looked at the student in disbelief, as if he had said something absurd. How could he say grades aren''t important??
"Grades are honor. What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Yes, grades are the way to su... I mean, honor."
Yi-Han was about to say ''Grades are the way to sess'' but stopped himself. Most of the students there thought ''What does it matter if my grades are bad? I have a family to fall back on,'' so such words wouldn''t have much effect.
And...
''I think it will be dangerouster on if I say something like that.''
Last time, when he overheard Professors Bdi and Kirmin talking, it seemed risky to say something like ''My goal is to seed as a bureaucrat'' in the magic school. It might be better to keep it hidden until he was sure of his position and ready to leave.
"Sorry... I was short-sighted."
The friend who had carelessly spoken apologized, unable to withstand the gaze of Yi-Han and the others.
Ah, I see!
Grades are that important...!
''I was hoping to find something useful in the potion box.''
Yi-Han looked at theke, feeling disappointed. He had hoped for something like a potion of walking on water or underwater breathing.
No matter how much he thought about it, Yi-Han felt that the principal''stest assignment would involve some tricky situation with water.
Perhaps falling into the water or drinking it...
However, the only confirmed potions in the stolen potion box were the Empires Western Grape Wine (delicious), Cantus Potion (bestowed talent for singing), and the Potion of Confidence.
Yi-Han seriously considered secretly feeding the remaining potions to the students of the White Tiger in small doses.
It would be quicker if he could just administer them directly...
''If there were potions like Strength Enhancement or Giant Growth, it would be problematic. They woulde after me first.''
Yi-Han, considering the risks, decided against it.
After all, testing unverified potions on people was ethically wrong.
"Shield, unfold!"
Yi-Han chanted towards theke.
A mage who used water elemental magic became much morefortable and powerful when water was nearby. The mana and mental power required to summon water were significantly reduced.
...Or so he had heard, but Yi-Han couldn''t feel any difference.
''Is it because I''m inexperienced?''
Whether he used theke''s water or summoned it, it felt the same to him. Perhaps it was because he was using lower circle magic. The difference might not be noticeable at lower circles, but it might be apparent as he advanced to higher circles...
Yi-Han experimented with the water shield, changing its form in various ways.
The sole reason he was at theke on a peaceful Sunday morning was to find a way to cross it.
''It''s surprisinglyrge.''
It was no wonder some students from ind regions mistook it for a sea.
From where Yi-Han stood, he couldn''t see the other end of theke.
He had to find a way to cross it by next week. The skull principal was not the kind to sympathize with ack of solutions.
"Ferry, appear!"
Yi-Han tried altering his spells in his own way, attempting to transform the water shield into the form of a ferry.
He was trying to summon a ferry made of water.
Professor Garcia would have been appalled at such an absurd attempt by her student.
No matter how confident you are, do you not realize how difficult it is to maintain the shape of a ferry?
Maintaining a water shield and summoning a water ferry to cross theke were tasks of entirely different magnitudes.
Firstly, the size and density of a shield and a ferry were different.
Naturally, the required mana was vastly different.
Even if he simplified the structure of the ferry as much as possible, it was still iparably moreplex than a shield. And unlike a shield that just needed to be suspended in the air, the ferry had to maintain its shape continuously on the water...
Yi-Han soon realized this fact.
Indeed, summoning a water ferry was not efficient.
''Surely, it''s uncertain. Can I maintain it on theke?''
There was also the possibility of monsters or the skull principal attacking from within theke.
Considering such scenarios, a water ferry was impractical.
''It''s a shame to give up on a sessful summoning.''
Yi-Han neatly gave up and released the sessfully summoned water ferry onto theke.
Again, if Professor Garcia had been there, she would have been astonished, saying something along the lines of:
-You can''t just release it after you''ve sessfully summoned it!-
''Maybe it''s an enchantment after all?''
If neither potions nor a water ferry worked, then the next option was enchantment magic.
There existed a category of spells that etched effects directly onto items, substances, or living beings to maintain their power. Among them were enchantments like the magic of walking on water or underwater breathing.
The issue at hand was that Yi-Han had only learned these enchantments indirectly. He had been introduced to their applications in lectures like , but had not yet received formal instruction. And even if he received formal instruction, he didn''t think he would be able to learn the magic of walking on water or underwater breathing right away in the first year
''Dark magic is useless even in times like this. Alchemy and enchantment are closely helpful in real life.''
Yi-Hanmented the limited utility of dark magic in such situations. He imagined Professor Mortum shedding tears over this thought.
''The lightning spirit is equally useless. The ice spirit controlled by Professor Uregor helps with storing food ingredients and reagents... In times like this, it would have been possible to make a road by freezing water.''
These thoughts led Yi-Han to believe that Ferkuntra might also feel overwhelmed.
''In some ways, magic is very weak...''
"Be careful!"
"Don''t worry. Let''s push it slowly."
Yi-Han, hearing voices beyond the bushes, crouched and approached cautiously. To his surprise, he found his friends from the White Tiger building a boat-like structure, nearlyplete even to his untrained eye.
"Can we reallyunch this?"
"Of course, I''ve done it many times," Ango, a satyr, replied confidently. Ango often apanied his parents to his mother''s homnd for long breaks, gaining experience in building and handling small boats.
"If it works, let''s go back and tell everyone!"
"Great idea! What if we find a way to the ind?"
"That''s brilliant. Moradi would love it."
Ango nodded.
It was nice to be admired by Moradi and other students, but more than anything
He was thrilled at the thought of Wardanaz, a master of all malevolent magic, looking at him with a mix of respect and resentment.
-"Curses, Ango Alpha. I acknowledge you. To find a path I''ve yet to discover, you''re far more remarkable than I thought. I was foolish to underestimate you..."-
In the rustling bushes, Yi-Han emerged, wielding his staff.
"Hey," Yi-Han called, causing Ango and his friend to instinctively raise their arms, perceiving the staff as a threat.
"This... this is cowardly!"
Ango felt unjustly aggrieved, so much so that his horn trembled. They had worked tirelessly on the boat, even giving it the name ''Baphomet.''
Desiring to confront Yi-Han but recalling the magic he had previously demonstrated, they hesitated. Yi-Han''s staff could swing faster than any sword they might draw.
"My boat! To take my boat like this..."
"Don''t move," Yi-Han warned, then regretted it, realizing his inadvertent threat. He had initially approached the White Tiger students to ask them how they nned to sail and how they would find their way, not to intimidate them. But suddenly, the White Tiger students raised their arms as if they had encountered a robber, and Yi-Han suddenly said, ''Don''t move'' without even realizing it.
"Actually, never mind."
Yi-Han lowered his staff, reflecting on the power of habit.
"There seems to be a misunderstanding," Yi-Han rified. "I didn''te to steal your boat. I merely wanted to see how you were getting on."
"Is that... really so?"
"But you threatened us with your staff, saying you''d curse us if we didn''t hand over the boat..."
Ango, mid-sentence, realized that Yi-Han had never actually made such a threat. It was a misconception born from his panic.
"There was a misunderstanding," the two students from the White Tiger acknowledged, lowering their arms obediently. Yi-Han, pretending to overlook their earlier reaction, nodded.
"So, you came out here because you''re interested in the boat I made?"
"Yes, that''s right. But..."
Yi-Han began, then paused, looking at Ango with newfound curiosity.
This was the boat Ango had made?
''It might be more dangerous than one made by Gainando,'' he thought to himself.
"Why?" Ango, oblivious to Yi-Han''s unspoken skepticism, asked in confusion.
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Chapter 98
Chapter 98
"I thought it was a well-made boat," he remarked.
"...Hmph. Don''t tter me," came the gruff reply, as Ango tried to hide his pleased expression.
Inside, Yi-Han sighed. ''The fact that this ferry is the best option saddens me.''
Without the ability to learn the enchantment immediately or be friends with the ice spirits, the ferry was the only option left.
He had no choice but to check it out, however begrudgingly.
"How many can it carry?"
"Twenty, easily!"
Ango''s confidence only served to heighten Yi-Han''s concerns, especially considering the small ferry seemed barely capable of carrying ten.
"Good timing. Now that youre here, Wardanaz, try boarding it!"
Yi-Han struggled to remainposed, his already cool demeanor turning colder.
Ango flinched at his expression. ''Did I speak too harshly?''
"Before that... I''d like to see you row it alone. It won''t be as easy with others aboard."
Ango reacted enthusiastically to Yi-Han''s words, quickly climbing aboard the ferry after tossing aside his coat.
"Watch this!"
He skillfully began rowing with well-carved oars in each hand, the sail-less ferry gliding smoothly over theke''s calm surface.
Ango''s friend watched in admiration. "Impressive, Ango!"
Gliding as if he owned theke, Ango seemed truly free, evoking a sense of liberty in the White Tiger students, a feeling long forgotten. It was as if they were not at a magic academy but on some tranquil, beautifulke.
''The boat doesn''t leak.''
While the friends from the White Tiger were lost in the feeling, Yi-Han coolly analyzed the situation. The ferry didn''t leak, and after more than ten minutes on theke, there were no attacking monsters or skull principals. It seemed safe.
"What do you think, Wardanaz? Do you acknowledge Ango''s skill?"
"Sorry, but not yet."
"Why not?"
"Anyone can row alone. But can he do the same with another on board?"
Provoked by Yi-Han''s challenge, Ango''s friend shouted, "Ango! Wardanaz is asking if you can show the same skill with me aboard?"
"Of course!"
Ango quickly brought the ferry back to shore and shouted as he took his friend aboard, "Watch this, Wardanaz!"
"Let''s see. It''s impossible to row the same with another person aboard," Yi-Han taunted.
Ango, reacting effectively to the provocation, rowed even more vigorously than before, his muscles swelling with effort.
For over twenty minutes, Yi-Han goaded Ango withments like ''Still unsure,'' ''Anyone can do this for a short time,'' and ''Your true skill might soon be revealed.''
Having confirmed what he wanted, Yi-Han nodded. ''Perhaps I can befriend these White Tiger folks after all.''
"Huff... Huff... Huff... See... my... skill..."
"Yes, I admit defeat," he acknowledged.
Upon hearing Yi-Han''s words, Ango wanted to shout for joy but was too exhausted to do so. He could only pant heavily, lying sprawled on the grass.
After a considerable rest, Ango finally regained enough strength to stand.
Then let me ride it too.
"...You too?"
Ango let out a weak voice unintentionally, revealing his fear after several strenuous efforts at rowing.
Seeing his hesitation, Yi-Han offered simple encouragement. "Surely you''re notcking confidence..."
"Get on!"
With a sudden burst of energy, Ango leaped up and boarded the ferry. His friend, Dukma, asked with a worried expression, "Wouldn''t it be better if I got off?"
"Dukma! Don''t you trust me?"
"...I''m sorry, Ango. I have disrespected your honor!"
"Let''s get moving."
Yi-Han spoke in a disinterested voice, indifferent to the knights'' disy of friendship.
''First, to ascertain the ind''s location.''
Now that he knew the ferry was reasonably safe, his next objective was to locate the ind and secure a path to it.
Ango gritted his teeth and began to row. Once again, the ferry slid over the surface of theke.
Yi-Han frowned, concentrating on observing the surroundings.
''If only I had a telescope.''
It would have been much easier with an artifact or magic.
A memory of what Arlong had told him came to Yi-Han''s mind:
-A master swordsman uses mana to activate and enhance their physical abilities. While not as refined or systematic as magic, this power is more than sufficient in a life-or-death melee.-
If this was true, perhaps it was possible to enhance his vision with mana.
Yi-Han gathered his mana.
He was not yet able to circte and control the mana within his body to strengthen a single organ.
However, Yi-Han had an abundant supply of mana to squander.
He released the mana throughout his body, focusing it on his eyes, temporarily enhancing his vision.
"?!?!"
The two students beside him panicked as Yi-Han suddenly emitted a fierce aura.
They had forgotten something. They were on ake! a perfect ce to dispose of a body!
In a rush, the two White Tiger students grabbed their wooden swords, fearing for their lives.
That''s when Yi-Han eximed, "Found it!"
"??"
"I''ve located the ind."
"What?! How did you find it!"
Ango was astounded.
Even when building the ferry and after setting it afloat, they had not found any trace of the ind.
They had thought it impossible to venture further without taking undue risks.
"Lucky, I suppose. But why are you holding your wooden swords?"
"..."
"...It was just a reflex, being startled by your sudden shout."
"Seems you''re more scared than I thought."
The White Tiger students were almost in tears.
It was your sudden outburst of mana that startled us!
Yi-Han meticulously recorded the direction.
"Let''s head back. Now that we''ve confirmed the direction, we can returnter."
"Alright. Got it."
Ango was inwardly relieved. His muscles had been screaming in protest for a while.
"Ugh."
Fatigued, Ango clumsily missed a stroke with the oar.
''What''s that?''
Startled by the sensation of something soft struck by the oar, Ango flinched.
Ssh-
"...???"
And soon, he would discover what he had hit.
From beneath theke''s surface, a bulging mass of water emerged, shifting its shape.
The presence of a spirit was palpable. It was a water spirit.
With a hiss, the water spiritunched sharp spikes of water. Yi-Han kicked Dukma''s back, knocking him over just in time. The water spikes narrowly missed Dukma''s head.
"I''m sorry, Wardanaz! It was me, I disturbed the water spirit!"
"Ango! What have you done?"
Dukma, who had fallen forward, cried out in shock. Angering a water spirit on theke was an unbelievable mistake.
''No... it doesn''t seem angry.''
Unlike the panicked duo, Yi-Han coolly observed the spirit. Although fierce, it was much weakerpared to spirits like Ferkuntra. Lacking sophisticatedmunication abilities, it clearly wasn''t a high-ranking spirit.
The emotion emanating from the spirit was... fear!
Yi-Han couldn''t understand why the water spirit was afraid of them. Was it really scared just because it was hit by an oar?
''...Damn.''
Yi-Han cursed under his breath, realizing the truth. The culprit wasn''t Ango; it was Yi-Han himself. His earlier rampant release of mana to find the ind had terrified the spirit in the water.
Whish, whish, whish!
The frightened spirit, trying to drive Yi-Han away, shot more water spikes. The White Tiger students screamed at the chilling attack, but Yi-Han, without even blinking, countered effortlessly with his staff. The water beads erupted from theke, intercepting the spikes with dull thuds.
''At first nce, it seems threatening, but it''s not really that strong.''
The White Tiger students were deceived by its appearance, but with calm reactions, they could have easily avoided or blocked the attacks. To Yi-Han, who had blocked Professor Bdi''s attacks countless times, the spirit''s spikes were no longer a threat.
''This... this guy...''
Ango was more amazed by Yi-Han than the angered spirit. It was unbelievable that they had entered together and learned together. What kind of training did the Wardanaz family provide to turn someone into such an emotionless fighting machine?
Yi-Han turned his head and looked down expressionlessly at Ango. Even as the water spikes flew menacingly, Yi-Han parried them without looking, making Ango''s heart sink.
"Pull yourself together and get up. I need your strength."
"Are you... not ming me?"
"..."
Yi-Han was momentarily puzzled.
''Ah. He thinks it''s his fault.''
Ango mistakenly believed that the water spirit''s behavior was due to him hitting it with an oar. Such a misconception.
"You are at fault. But anyone can make mistakes."
There was no need for Yi-Han to correct him.
"What matters is how you act afterward."
Ango was moved without realizing it.
To think that there woulde a day when he would be so touched by the words of Wardanaz...!
"Alright. Leave it to me!"
Ango drew his sword and stood up. Yi-Han then asked, as if wondering what he was doing.
"What are you doing?"
"...Aren''t I supposed to deflect the spikes? With my swordsmanship?"
"No. Row the boat."
"..."
Ango sat back down and took hold of the oars.
Meanwhile, the water spirit realized that none of its attacks could harm this monstrous being.
Trembling, the water spirit made a different choice.
"...Wait!"
Yi-Han, realizing toote, tried to intervene urgently, but the water spirit had already begun summoning itspanions.
"Shield, expand!"
Instead of water beads, Yi-Han spread out a broad shield.
The frightened water spirits began targeting not Yi-Han, but the ferry itself.
''Cowardly spirits.''
Yi-Han vowed never to let his guard down again in the face of water spirits.
As he thickened the water shield, Yi-Han maintained hisposure, but the continuous assault of water spikes had the two White Tiger knights screaming in terror.
The opaque water shield barely held against the viciously striking spikes, leaving them wondering if it would prate at any moment.
Yi-Han''s apparent ease made it all the more terrifying. Aren''t you scared?!
''Professor Bdi would be in tears seeing this.''
Yi-Han was incredulous at the spirits'' unvarying straight-line attacks.
By this point, they should have realized they couldn''t breach the water shield, yet they kept repeating the same attacks?
Amidst the intense exchange, the ferry gained speed.
The distance between them and the frightened spirits began to widen.
"...Wait. Where are we heading?"
Yi-Han realized that the ferry was speeding towards the opposite side of theke shore.
In his frantic rowing, Ango had inadvertently directed them towards the ind.
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Chapter 99
Chapter 99
Chapter 99
Without a moment''s hesitation or change of direction, the ferry sailed directly onto the soft sands of the ind.
Unaware of their situation, Ango and Dukma kept their heads down, continuing to row on the sandy beach.
They were terrified of an attack from the enraged water spirits.
Yi-Han began to regret sharing a boat with these men from the White Tiger.
He thought even Moradi would be smarter than these two, let alone Dolgyu...
"We''re stranded, you fools."
"!"
Only then did Ango realize that his oar was swimming on the soft sands.
Blushing with embarrassment, Ango spoke.
"Khm. Still... we managed to escape."
"Right, Wardanaz. Look at the positive side. We''ve evaded the angry water spirits on theke."
Instead of replying, Yi-Han simply flicked his staff.
It was a signal to get off and push the boat.
The two students thought it better to push the boat than to keep resisting.
...And they thought it was thanks to Wardanaz that they had managed to evade the water spirits...
"Wardanaz."
Carefully, Ango spoke as he got out of the boat.
"Speak. I''m listening."
"Can we rest a bit on the ind? I''m not tired, but my arms are a bit sore from rowing for so long..."
"I''m not tired either, but Wardanaz, you must have used a lot of mana... and the spirits might still be around..."
So, let''s rest!
Yi-Han inwardly scoffed. These guys had a knack for beating around the bush.
"Do as you like."
"Th... thank you!"
Ango was strangely grateful.
''Did he think I wouldn''t allow it?''
Yi-Han was nonplussed by his reaction.
After all they did to save his life...
"?"
Yi-Han frowned at the dwarf student, Dukma, sensing something was off.
"Hey."
"What? Why? Are we leaving already?"
I think youve gotten a little shorter.
Dukma exploded in anger, his face reddening and trembling.
"How dare you?! Are you insulting me because no one is watching?! Do you think no one will stop you from attacking me?!"
''Should I just hit him?''
Yi-Han felt his grip tighten on the staff.
They should have been more cautious knowing there was no one around to intervene...
"No, Dukma! You''ve gotten shorter!"
"??!!"
Only after Ango shouted did Dukma realize something was wrong.
It wasn''t that he had gotten shorter.
Dukma was sinking into the sandy shoal.
"!"
Yi-Han''s expression hardened. He hadn''t noticed, busy surveying the ind, but the rowboat was also sinking.
''Dangerous!''
Yi-Han realized his booted feet were sinking into the soft sand. Ango tried to run in panic.
"Everyone, run to the front! We need to get off the sandbar!"
Before anyone could stop him, Ango stepped forward hastily and sank even faster.
Submerged up to his waist in an instant, Ango floundered as if trapped in a swamp.
''Toote.''
Yi-Han quickly gave up on Ango and Dukma.
The only telekinesis magic Yi-Han could use was .
This magic was only strong enough to manipte objects as small as a marble; it couldn''t be applied to someone as big and heavy as Yi-Han.
The structure of the magic spell itself would break apart under the strain.
However...
"Move!"
Yi-Han firmly anchored an iron marble in the air. Grasping it with his other hand, he hoisted himself up.
His body rose above the sandbar, as if performing a one-handed pull-up.
Professor Bdi would have been pleased with this spectacle.
Originally, , a spell designed to control small objects like feathers or marbles, was not intended forbat.
There were more potent spells for telekicbat, though they took longer to cast.
No one, except for Professor Bdi, insisted on using a foundational spell like forbat.
Professor Bdi focused on the rapid casting time of such low-circle spells.
Whether a low or high-circle spell, a hit to a vital spot could be deadly. Why obsess over high-circle spells?
Efficiency was key.
With enough training, could be quite powerful!
Yi-Han was proving that, his body supported in mid-air by the steadfastly hovering iron marble.
He flew slowly above the sandbar, teeth clenched, maintaining the marble, while using his arms and back muscles. It was challenging in every aspect.
Thud!
Finally escaping the sandbar andnding on solid rock, Yi-Han turned around.
The rowboat had disappeared beneath the sandbar.
"Oh..."
Yi-Han muttered regretfully.
Then it dawned on him, Ango and Dukma were gone too. Another regrettable matter.
''It must be the principal''s trap.''
-There''s no such thing as coincidence; everything is inevitable.-
If Yi-Han could inscribe a motto at the academy''s main gate, it would be that, to warn the new students.
This ind was the one skull principal had sent them to, where he had thrown the outing permit.
So, this inescapable sandbar must also be one of the skull principal''s traps.
Ssshh
The freshman managed to escape, after all.
As expected, a summoned beast appeared from the sandy beach with a low voice.
The negative energy radiating from its entire body revealed it to be an undead.
"Pleased to meet you."
...Youre not shocked or unsettled?
The undead summon, resembling arge walking turtle, was taken aback by Yi-Han''s calm reaction.
Typically, freshmen would scream, wail, or even faint upon encountering an undead summon...
But this freshman was remarkablyposed.
"I am surprised. What brings you here? What am I supposed to do?"
The undead summon was flustered by Yi-Han''s direct questioning, having expected to exin first.
After regaining itsposure, the summon spoke.
Normally, you too should have sunk beneath the sandbar.
"..."
Yi-Han had no intention of doing so, but he decided to listen.
The undead summon continued as the expressionless freshman nodded.
Once sunk beneath the sandbar, the trial requiring the cooperation of the new students would begin.
"Is that so..."
Yi-Han gripped his staff.
He felt no gratitude towards skull principal for creating such a ''friendly'' space for students to bond.
After all, the principal was the very cause of this predicament.
As Yi-Han contemted, the undead summon spoke again.
As you escaped from the sandbar, I have exined directly to you.
The undead summon, shaped like a turtle, spoke as if granting a favor.
And it was sincere.
Normally, Yi-Han would have been dragged back into the challenge, but this was an exception made in recognition of his cleverness.
"Now, go back in. You must pass the trial."
"What happens if I don''t go in?" Yi-Han asked.
The undead summon retorted as if Yi-Han''s question was absurd.
Do you want to be dragged in forcibly? Just go back in.
"Understood."
Yi-Han obediently rose from the rock. The undead summon nodded as if approving his decision.
At that moment, Yi-Han swung his staff.
"Move!"
With a sh, the iron marble shot out, striking the undead summon''s skull precisely.
Yi-Han''s surprise attack on the undead summon was not solely due to its arrogant and presumptuous speech.
''It''s hard to trust those two.''
If it had been Dolgyu, Yi-Han might have chosen to go under the sandbar.
But with those two?
It seemed insane toply readily.
It appeared more viable to seriously ambush and overpower the undead summon.
Thump!
A dull sound apanied the shattering of bones.
However, naturally, the undead summon, being not alive, didn''t fall from a mere skull fracture. It shouted in anger.
Freshman, how dare you do this?
"I''m sorry. It was my mistake. An ident."
As Yi-Han apologized earnestly, the undead summon momentarily thought it was a genuine mistake.
But then came another attack. The iron marble charged in like a cannonball.
The undead summon hastily summoned sand to form a wall.
But the marble circled swiftly without hesitation.
And struck the undead summon''s skull once more.
Thump!!
The undead summon staggered and grew extremely angry.
How dare a freshman mock me?!
"I hide in the night!"
Yi-Han cast an invisibility spell and ran to the side, simultaneously casting another spell.
"Feet, grasp the earth!!"
As the principal''s magic was cast, the summon, called forth by the principal, recognized its energy and was shocked.
How could someone like you use the master''s magic? Did you steal it!? Such insolence!
''A summon that overly admires its master.''
Yi-Han ran swiftly.
His physical abilities, enhanced by , brought vigor.
Staying still while invisible was as good as asking to be caught.
"Go!"
Yi-Han summoned the leopard bone summon. Muchrger than before, the leopard bone summon barked robustly and dashed across the sandbar.
A summon that hasn''t even found a body dares to challenge me!
The undead summon, with an angry voice, swung its front paw. The leopard bone creature was flung away along with the sand.
The undead summon began scattering sand toward where Yi-Han had been.
Freshman, I acknowledge your cunning. But that''s as far as you go!
Scattering sand in all directions, the undead summon headed toward Yi-Han''sst known location.
It was determined to capture him, even if he had fled to the interior of the ind.
Here? Or... here? No, not here. Here!
The undead summon made noisy sounds, pressuring Yi-Han.
It wasn''t really finding him, but trying to scare him into revealing himself.
The undead summon continued making noise, scattering sand at likely hiding ces.
However, the summon was unaware.
Yi-Han had never intended to flee into the interior of the ind.
What could he possibly expect to find inside that would warrant escape?
Swoosh!
Yi-Han, who had been hiding nearby, suddenly burst out.
His sword, made of ck purplestone, called Morning Star, swung and sliced through the supporting legs of the heavy-bodied summon.
As Dawnstar absorbed the negative energy, the undead summon''s legs, weakened and devoid of power, were reverse-summoned away.
Losing its bnce, the undead summon fell to the side with a loud crash.
This... this freshman...!
The undead summon, stunned by the ambush, cried out in disbelief.
A mage using an anti-magic weapon, have you lost your mind! Are you even a mage, freshman!
''...''
Yi-Han decided to ignore it.
Not because he had no response, but because he had resolved to disregard it from the start.
And he truly did.
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Chapter 100
Chapter 100
Anti-Magic Weapons.
Weapons imbued with the power to absorb or disperse mana.
Such weapons weremonly used by swordsmen who often faced mages, or by the anti-magic extremists of the Empire.
At the very least, they were not meant for freshmen at a magic academy.
''But the one who gave this to me was the principal of the academy,'' Yi-Han thought to himself, quickly justifying his possession of the weapon. He swung the sword again with renewed vigor.
"Curses! Why would the master admit such a freshman to the academy...! This insolent brat should be expelled immediately!"
Yi-Han almost retorted without thinking, ''Your master taught me this way.''
''It was dangerous. This thing is quite adept at manipting people.
Indeed, as if to prove it''s not just someone''s summon, it was skilled at manipting the enemy''s emotions.''
Crack!
The undead summon, shed twice by the Morning Star, had lost a significant amount of mana.
Even a powerful undead summon wasn''t immortal. Depleting all its mana would inevitably lead to it being unsummoned.
Realizing that its opponent, despite being a freshman, fought with a crazed proficiency, the undead summon changed its strategy.
It started to surround itself with summoned sand, forming a kind of armor.
I will no longer consider you a mere freshman. In the name of my honorable name given by my master, Giorvan the Second, I shall defeat you!
''It had a name?'' Yi-Han pondered. Usually, a summon with a name meant it was well-crafted.
He slightly regretted not being gentler, thinking, ''Maybe I should have gone easier on it.''
"Show yourself, mage! If you do not reveal yourself immediately, know that I have ns of my own."
Yi-Han, of course, ignored this and increased the distance between them.
Giorvan the Second struck the ground with its forepaw, and cones of sand began to form in the air.
"I warned you!"
Giorvan the Second''s strategy was simple.
It created a barrage of sand projectiles around it to prevent Yi-Han from approaching.
Although a single hit would be enough to break bones, Giorvan the Second no longer considered its opponent a mere freshman and showed no mercy.
As the sand cones flew, shattering the surrounding bushes and twigs, Yi-Han had no choice but to retreat even further.
''I need to inflict more damage before it recovers.''
Dying the fight was to the summon''s advantage. Yi-Han reconsidered his strategy.
Beads of iron or watercked destructive power, and lightning magic, while powerful, was ineffective against the sand armor.
''Rotating it like I didst time... it''s too risky. He won''t wait for that.''
A way to startle the solidly entrenched opponent, to disrupt its magic and create an opening.
Did Yi-Han have such a method?
"..."
Actually, he did.
He had been warned by professors and spirits alike not to use it because it was dangerous...
But a situation like this was something neither professors nor spirits could have anticipated.
"ze forth!"
What was he thinking...
As Yi-Han cast a 1st circle fire ignition spell from behind, Giorvan the Second started to turn its head in disbelief.
What could you possibly achieve with such a candle me?
But when Giorvan the Second turned its head, the me that met it was significantlyrger than a mere candle.
"Cough!"
Ango and Dukma coughed up a mix of sand as they crawled across the sandy beach.
Moments ago, they had been dragged into an unknown dungeon and buried up to their necks, only to suddenly reappear on the beach.
Their mouths were dry and gritty, as if they had swallowed sand in the process.
"What happened... to Wardanaz?"
From afar, Yi-Han staggered towards them.
Wardanaz appeared in a state utterly unlike his usual self, disheveled and unkempt. His hair was a mess, and one arm, seemingly injured in a fight, was braced with a splint. This only made his typically shadowy face seem even more expressionless and cold.
Ango was more shocked than when the skull principal had appeared on the mountain at midnight. What could have possibly happened to Wardanaz?
''How did someone manage to inflict such damage on him!?''
"Wardanaz! Are you alright?"
"Stay away from me."
Yi-Han grimaced as he spoke. It was never a good idea to let foes, especially weakened ones, get too close.
However, the students of the White Tiger seemed to misinterpret his intent.
"We''re fine."
"We won''t back down like before! We''re here to help!"
"..."
Watching the figures hustling across the sand, Yi-Han considered striking first.
''No. It''s better to keep at least one of them around, considering what might still be on the ind.''
"What happened?"
Yi-Han gave them a brief exnation about Giorvan the Second, the summon of the skull principal, who had been lurking in the sinking sands.
He remained vignt, ready to strike first if any of the White Tiger students reached for their weapons.
But Ango and Dukma, foolishly, didn''t seize this perfect opportunity for revenge. They were truly naive.
"Wardanaz. Let me take a look at your arm. I''m an expert in such matters," Dukma said earnestly.
Students from knightly families generally knew basic emergency treatment and bone-setting. Dukma, particrly skilled in this area, had even joined the magic academy to specialize in healing magic.
"I''ve already taken care of it," Wardanaz replied.
"Wardanaz. Among the students of the White Tiger, no one is better than... Wait. You really did a good job."
Dukma, intending to persuade Yi-Han, ended up convincing himself instead. The first aid was indeed impably done.
...But why was Wardanaz, not of a knightly family, so proficient?
"There might still be somethingcking. Let me check..."
"Why bother, Dukma? If you undo this fine splint, it''ll only cause more trouble."
Ango halted Dukma, who was persistently trying to help but eventually gave up and stepped back.
"Ugh...!"
Yi-Han withdrew his arm and red coldly at Dukma.
Indeed, one could never let their guard down around the students of the White Tiger.
"Wardanaz. Did you... defeat that undead summon?"
"Yes."
"!"
Ango and Dukma couldn''t hide their astonishment. They had suspected, but now it was confirmed. Yi-Han had single-handedly defeated the summon ced by the skull principal on the sandbank.
''So that''s why his arm was broken...''
''It must have been an intense battle.''
They imagined the scene in their minds: Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family, a first-year student who had mastered various secrets of dark magic. On the other side, Giorvan the Second, the undead tortoise serving the skull principal, master of the sandbank.
A fierce exchange of dark magic beyond their wildest imaginations must have taken ce.
As they surveyed the surroundings, the extent of the battle''s ferocity was evident, from the trees to the bushes, everythingy in utter disarray.
Truly impressive!
Ango stared intently at the burnt remains nearby. The extent of the damage, from the ground to the fallen trees, was extraordinary.
"Did you do this as well?"
Yi-Han nodded in affirmation.
Ango struggled to conceal his surprise.
He couldn''t fathom what kind of me magic could have scorched the entire area like this.
Presumably, the injury to Wardanaz''s arm was a result of using such powerful me magic against the attacking undead summon.
Among those from knightly families, few could stand and fight in such circumstances.
While many students from the White Tiger only focused on Wardanaz''s sinister and prodigious magic skills...
Ango had to admit, the courage disyed by Wardanaz was rare, even among the students of the White Tiger.
''Incredible...!''
However, the actual battle had unfolded a bit differently than Ango imagined.
What a foolish guy!
When Yi-Han summoned a me so vast it engulfed the surroundings, Giorvan the Second panicked.
In truth, if Giorvan the Second had remained calm andposed, it could have countered Yi-Han''s attack.
The me was immense butcked precise control.
Moreover, Giorvan the Second could have summoned enough sand to block it. All it needed was to reinforce its sandy armor and hold its ground.
But, flustered, Giorvan the Second made a mistake. In haste, it dispersed its sandy armor, trying to extinguish the fire prematurely.
Yi-Han didn''t miss this opportunity.
The sword technique he learned from Arlong, the Azure Rock Style, unfurled from the tip of his sword, delivering a massive, rock-like blow to Giorvan the Second.
It wasn''t a mere strike that blew off a leg, as before. This blow struck Giorvan the Second''s entire body, absorbing all its remaining mana and leading to it being reverse-summoned.
Giorvan the Second growled in frustration.
Wait and see, freshman. I will remember your name. What is it?
"...I am Jijel of the Moradi family."
Remember that, Moradi! Next time we meet, I won''t go easy on you just because you''re a freshman!
"..."
Yi-Han watched as Giorvan the Second dissipated, not letting his guard down.
Because of this, he reactedte when a tree behind him broke and fell.
Already hit by a sand cone and caught in the fire, the tree couldn''t hold and copsed.
"!"
Yi-Han responded toote, inevitably striking his arm hard.
Wincing from the throbbing pain, Yi-Han cursed Giorvan the Second inwardly.
''Damn it. Because of that undead summon... should have just died quietly.''
"Wardanaz. You could have just given up... Why did you fight like that?"
Ango asked, not realizing he had spoken aloud.
Why didn''t he just surrender and be dragged under the sands? He couldn''t understand.
"Well..."
Yi-Han was about to say ''I didn''t want to face the trials with you guys'' but hesitated.
Provoking two knights while unable to use one arm was not wise.
"...To give up like that would be dishonorable."
Yi-Han had recently realized that the word ''honor'' was surprisingly useful.
-Wardanaz, I can''t find that passage in the book anywhere. Can''t we just give up?-
-That would be dishonorable.-
-Wardanaz, I feel bad always relying on you. I''ll try to sort it out myself.-
-That would be dishonorable.-
-Yi-Han, I can''t solve this at all. Can''t I just copy it?-
-If you don''t want to get hit, shut up and work it out.-
-Why only me...!-
Whenever he was in a bind, attaching ''honor'' to his response usually led others to interpret it positively.
The students of the White Tiger were no exception.
"...I see...!"
"The honor of the Wardanaz family..."
Ango and Dukma nodded heavily, their faces showing understanding.
The Wardanaz family was known for its merciless and ruthless nature, but equally recognized for the weight of its honor.
For Wardanaz, bearing the honor of such a family, such actions were natural.
''He may be an enemy of the White Tiger, but I must acknowledge that.''
''He might be the enemy of knights, but that is indeedmendable.''
"Wardanaz. While your arm heals, we will be your arm!"
"Here, give me your backpack! I''ll carry it for you!"
"If anyone touches my backpack, they''ll end up with broken bones."
"..."
"..."
"It was a joke."
Until Yi-Han revealed it was a joke, the two students from the White Tiger were frozen, not even breathing.
What a deadly serious way to make a joke.
"Right, right? It was just a joke, wasn''t it?"
"To joke with such a serious face... Ha-ha. Ha-ha-ha."
"What face are you talking about?"
"Nothing. Let''s go, Wardanaz!"
Dukma hastily took the lead and walked ahead.
Watching this, Yi-Han asked Ango.
"Does that guy know the way?"
"...Dukma! Where are you going? Come back!"
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Chapter 101
Chapter 101
The trio reconvened in front of the sandy beach.
They were stranded on this hellish ind, now known as skull principal''s Ind, and gathered to deliberate their next course of action.
Yi-Han was the first to speak.
"Is it possible to build another boat?"
Silence followed.
Ango shook his head.
Even crafting a small boat required more resources and effort than expected.
Originally, he was able to make it with the help of other White Tiger students, but it was difficult for him to do it on his own.
"It seems we can''t escape on our own..."
"I''m sorry."
"It''s alright. But now, we face another problem."
At Yi-Han''s serious tone, Ango and Dukma tensed up.
It was Wardanaz who also defeated the undead who ruled this sandy beach.
What could be so troubling to him?
"What... What is it?"
"If things continue this way, we''ll miss tomorrow''s sses."
Silence enveloped them.
Initially, both thought Wardanaz was joking. But Yi-Han was gravely serious.
"It''s not a joke?"
"Do I look like I''m joking?"
"No, sorry."
"In this situation, shouldn''t we be allowed to skip ss?"
Dukma, puzzled, inquired. Yi-Han responded in a threatening tone.
"One must never skip sses, regardless of the circumstances. Understand?"
Grades were more important than life itself.
Despite not fully grasping this concept with their minds, the students felt its importance in their hearts.
It seemed genuinely crucial, though the reason was unclear.
"I understand."
"I apologize as well. But Wardanaz, it seems we have no means to attend tomorrow''s ss..."
The sun was already setting, marking the arrival of the weekend evening.
With the new week approaching, sses were set to begin in the morning.
Could they escape in time?
"Wouldn''t someone notice our disappearance ande to rescue us?"
Yi-Han posed the question to them.
Waiting for rescue seemed more realistic than building a boat to escape.
But the duo shook their heads.
"Even if noticed, immediate rescue isn''t feasible."
"There are no boats avable..."
"Why is the White Tiger, a ce of knights,cking in unity?"
Yi-Han reprimanded them.
The duo felt unjustly used.
This didn''t seem to be a matter of unity!
"Fortunately, Monday morning''s lecture is on ..."
Yi-Han pondered.
Having skull principal''s lecture scheduled for tomorrow could be considered lucky.
If the principal remarked during ss, "Has anyone gone to the ind for a pass? No? That won''t do. I''ll give you a chance; go to the ind this time," Yi-Han and hispanions could be rescued without effort.
But...
"Would the skull principal really do that?"
Would the principal''s character lead him to say, "I''ll help a bit," if everyone failed the assignment, or was it more likely he would say, "Can''t even do this? Try harder"?
While Yi-Han was deep in thought, Ango had a realization.
"That''s it! If we''re absent until the ss starts, everyone will definitely notice our disappearance, and the principal wille to rescue us! We just need to hold out until then..."
"No. We should explore the ind immediately. We have to escape on our own."
Stunned by Yi-Han''s response, the two were speechless.
"Couldn''t someonee to rescue us... me?"
"That''s unlikely."
"But if a student is missing by the time of the ss, out of concern..."
"That''s unlikely."
Yi-Han firmly asserted his point, leaving the other two disheartened.
Regrettably, this is reality.
Having joined the magic academy, it was time for Ango and Dukma to face the harsh truth.
Without any hope of rescue from outside, they needed to find a way out from here.
Yi-Han intended to search for other items prepared by skull principal.
There must be other things besides the pass and the trials to reach it.
Perhaps even the small boat they had brought could be hidden somewhere.
A rumbling stomach broke the silence.
Yi-Han turned to see Ango blushing with embarrassment, his head bowed.
"You must be hungry after all that activity. It''s better to eat something. Do we have any food?"
Yi-Han''s question was met with confident nods from both.
"Then let''s eat before we proceed."
With that, Yi-Han pulled out bread and canned food from his backpack.
Ango retrieved some tree bark.
Yi-Han initially thought Ango was using it as a makeshift te.
However, Ango held the white bark and said to Dukma, "Dukma, let''s boil some water. We''ll cook and eat this."
"Wait, wait."
"?"
Ango and Dukma looked at Yi-Han, puzzled.
Yi-Han, eyeing the tree bark, asked, "You eat that?"
Ango grinned, a mix of pride in his knowledge. He was pleased to know something Yi-Han didn''t.
"Wardanaz, the inner bark of this tree is edible. If boiled well, it''s quite tender and sweet."
Yi-Han sighed, frustrated. It was one thing to be short on food, but boiling tree bark to eat?
"I heard White Tiger students hunt for meat. Was I mistaken?"
"We do hunt, but the quantity is often insufficient."
"Wardanaz, you seem unaware. Not everything hunted is caught, and preservation is difficult. Most of the catch is eaten immediately, making it unsuitable for emergency rations."
As the two White Tiger students smugly exined, Yi-Han nearly lost his temper.
He felt a pang of sympathy for them, being human after all.
...I brought something, so lets eat together.
"!"
"Really?"
"That tomato vegetable stew?"
Wardanaz''s famed tomato vegetable stew was already legendary, known even among White Tiger students.
"No, I don''t carry canned tomatoes or vegetables by theke. I only brought simple things for myself, and they''re not plentiful. We''ll have to look for more nearby."
The pair was slightly disappointed at Yi-Han''s words.
After all, Wardanaz couldn''t have foreseen this situation.
Who would have thought they''d end up stranded on an ind while scouting around ake?
Yi-Han pulled out a pot, a ss bottle of olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, eggs, slightly stale white bread, and pickled bacon from his leather backpack.
The sight left the others speechless.
''He said he only brought simple things for himself...!''
''How well do the Blue Dragon kids live?''
They had never felt embarrassed or regretful about being assigned to the White Tiger, but at this moment, they couldn''t help but feel a bit envious.
How did he manage to secure all that?
"It''s still not enough."
"Not enough? Isn''t that plenty...?"
"I saw some edible mushrooms earlier; we should gather some."
As Yi-Han stood up, the others followed suit.
"Why are you getting up?"
"I said I''d be your arm earlier, didn''t I?"
"I can''t let you go alone."
The two spoke with a certain solemnity, but Yi-Han asked them coolly.
"Do you know how to identify mushrooms?"
"...I think I got it right once out of three times. Last time."
"We''d probably end up with two of us dead. Never mind. Just dig up what I tell you to."
Knowing which mushrooms to pick was crucial; only the familiar ones should be gathered. It was vital not to harvest any that seemed even slightly off or ominous.
Aware of this, Yi-Han instructed them to pick only the mushrooms he was certain about.
"Dig up that brown mushroom."
"Don''t touch that one."
"Throw that one away. It looks strange."
The two White Tiger students, gathering mushrooms in ce of the injured Yi-Han, slowly gained confidence in their task.
Could they now identify mushrooms themselves?
"This dull and rough-looking mushroom is safe, right?"
"Throw it away before you put it in your mouth."
Ango obediently tossed the mushroom aside.
However, Dukma seemed reluctant to give up, continuously attempting his own creative identifications.
"What about this mushroom..."
"This one looks safe to eat. I think I''ve seen it on the table when I was younger."
"The shape is simr to the one we picked earlier, isn''t this edible?"
Watching Dukma''s earnest attempts to be proficient in mushroom gathering, Yi-Han, to encourage him, said:
"Yes, that mushroom can be eaten. But only once."
"Oh... Wait, why only once?"
"Because you''ll die if you eat it."
Dukma also quietly tossed the mushroom aside and only picked the ones Yi-Han instructed.
Having finished their preparations, the trio built a campfire.
When Yi-Han used flint instead of magic to start the fire, Ango was puzzled.
"Why use flint?"
"Wardanaz considers the taste in cooking. Grandma told me that fire lit by hand, rather than by magic, is better for cooking."
''Is that so?''
The reason Yi-Han used flint was simple: to avoid identally burning the two students with a magic-induced fire.
Instead of exining, Yi-Han heated the pan with butter and oil.
The secret to deliciously cooking mushrooms was patience and high heat. Tossing them in prematurely would be a mistake.
''...But honestly, since joining the academy, my cooking skills have improved immensely.''
It wasn''t a joke; his cooking skills had indeed surpassed his magic skills.
Constantly considering how to make a variety of tasty dishes with limited ingredients had naturally honed his skills.
With proper funding and support, bing a chef might be a better choice than a mage...
The mushrooms sizzled as they absorbed the oil and butter in the pan.
Yi-Han skillfully rolled the mushrooms to the side and added the cut-up hardened bread to the remaining oil.
When the entire process was finished, and he even skillfully cracked an egg into the pan, the two White Tiger students couldn''t help but be amazed.
''These kids seem more impressed than when they heard about me defeating the undead summon.''
"Let''s eat."
Yi-Han seasoned the mushrooms, bread, and fried eggs with salt, bncing the vors.
The trio devoured the food without a word. The fried mushrooms were crispy, and the hardened bread had be moist with oil.
Ango suddenly felt his eyes welling up with tears.
"I never thought we''d have such a meal again."
"...Me neither, Ango. I thought we''d never eat like this again in our lives..."
''You''ve only been here a month.''
Observing the two White Tiger students bing overly sentimental, Yi-Han silently continued eating.
Despite their emotional state, the students, evidently very hungry, eagerly consumed their food.
Suddenly, there was a rustling sound from behind.
Yi-Han swiftly threw the bowl he was holding to the side and grabbed his staff. Ango, almost reflexively, dived to catch the thrown bowl.
"Who''s there?"
Emerging from the bushes was a water spirit.
The water spirit seemed to be angry at the freshmen who were building a bonfire instead of doing the trials they were told to do. It approached erratically, its form swelling in an irregr pattern, signaling its readiness to attack at any moment.
Yi-Han also stood up, staff in hand, ready to retaliate.
He was quicker to act.
"Attack..."
Before Yi-Han could finish his spell, the water spirit, startled, began to flee.
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Chapter 102
Chapter 102
As the water spirit fled, Yi-Han also ceased his incantation and shouted.
"Halt right there!"
Upon reflection, all this trouble stemmed from those water spirits in theke.
Had they note first, Yi-Han could have leisurely tossed the White Tiger guys onto the sandy beach to thoroughly check them!
"Wardanaz, fighting a spirit in an injured state is a bit risky...!"
Dukma, intending to dissuade him, changed his words upon seeing the fleeing spirit.
"No, it''s not dangerous! Let''s chase! Onward!"
"Just, just a moment!"
Ango hurriedly wrapped his food in leather. It was too precious to simply leave behind.
"Chase it! It must be an underling of the skull principal!"
Yi-Hanmanded in a voice colder than the chill of the darkening night.
The two White Tiger students ran off, feeling as if they had be the viins.
Despite not doing anything wrong, they couldn''t shake off the feeling that they were.
Ango dodged to the left. A sharp water bead flew towards him, but he narrowly avoided it.
Dukma turned right. A water spike came at him, but he ducked just in time.
''The attacks of the water spirits are really simple.''
Yi-Han thought this as he approached from the center. The water spiritunched an attack at Yi-Han, who, instead of dodging, summoned a water bead and deflected it.
Giorvan the Second, an undead summon on the sandy beach, was a big and powerful creature, but such a low-level water spirit could not defeat Yi-Han in a frontal confrontation.
The water spirit shivered in panic as Yi-Han, exuding a fierce mana, approached.
"Do not flee, water spirit. I mean you no harm."
"...?"
Ango, aiming his wooden sword at the water spirit, thought to himself.
''In such a situation, would anything be believed?''
If Ango were the water spirit, he would certainly not trust easily.
"You''re an underling of the skull principal, aren''t you?"
The water spirit shook its head vehemently.
Thoughcking the skill to converse with spirits, the White Tiger students somehow felt they understood what the water spirit was trying to say.
''Absolutely not,'' it seemed to convey.
The water spirit, by its nature, evoked sympathy.
Its round, watery form, emanating a gentle water aura, softened people''s hostility.
But Yi-Han was not swayed.
"Do not try to deceive me. The skull principal must have ordered you to do this."
"!"
Dukma was astonished.
Was that the case?
Yet the water spirit again shook its head desperately. Yi-Han pointed out calmly.
"Then why did you attack us crossing theke, and even when we were resting?"
"Indeed...!"
Confronted with Yi-Han''s logical argument, the students had to agree.
Certainly, the water spirit''s persistent pursuit and attacks were unusual.
The water spirit iled, pointing at Yi-Han.
"?"
"What''s that?"
Both were clueless as to why the spirit was behaving this way.
Of course, Yi-Han understood.
''It''s saying it thought I came to attack them...''
With that, even Yi-Han had nothing to retort.
After all, it was he who had first unleashed his fierce mana over theke.
"Wardanaz. What is this spirit saying?"
"It thought that your rowing was an attack."
"Ah."
Ango was at a loss for words to the water spirit.
"It was a mistake," he insisted. "Had I known there were water spirits, I would have been much more careful. I hope you believe that..."
The water spirit looked perplexed at Ango''s excuse, as if questioning what he was talking about.
Was this some sort of joke after Yi-Han had just dered himself fearsome?
Instead of responding verbally, Yi-Han nodded in agreement.
"He says he understands that mistakes can happen."
"That''s a relief...!"
"However, there''s no excuse for attacking us while we were resting, even if the incident at theke is overlooked."
Yi-Han quickly moved on from the incident at theke, considering it fruitless to dwell on it.
The water spirit fell for Yi-Han''s cunning ploy.
Forgetting to mention the incident at theke, it pointed directly at the campfire.
"Are you saying you attacked us because of the fire we lit at night?"
"What nonsense...!"
The White Tiger students were infuriated.
From the spirit''s perspective, intruders cooking and emitting smells might have been unpleasant.
But to attack without a warning was far too aggressive!
In its confusion, the water spirit trembled all over, indicating a misunderstanding.
It pointed at the campfire, the scorched marks, and Yi-Han''s staff.
Both students were baffled again, but Yi-Han understood immediately.
''Hmm. It was angry because I burned the surroundings.''
The fire he had recklessly spread while battling the undead had polluted the nearby water, understandably upsetting the resting water spirit.
"What is the spirit saying, Wardanaz?"
"It''s sincerely apologizing for its narrow-minded actions."
"Hmph... will we forgive it?"
"Yes, it''s a spirit, after all."
The two White Tiger students decided to be magnanimous.
Unlike the undead, spirits were a more delicate entity to handle, especially water spirits.
The spirit, sensing the odd turn of the conversation, red intently at Yi-Han.
Yi-Han chose to ignore it.
The water spirit was not an underling of the skull principal, but it had been a distant observer when the principal visited the ind.
Following the spirit''s lead, Yi-Han inquired.
"What exactly did the principal use in his spell?"
While Yi-Han might not know all of the skull principal''s magic, foreknowledge of his capabilities could prove advantageous.
The spirit couldn''t speak, but it inted and transformed its body, earnestly trying to exin.
''A tomb? A seal? A lock?''
It formed a small tomb shape, added a few bands representing seals, and even something resembling a lock.
Yi-Han began to grasp what the spirit was trying to convey.
''The principal has imprisoned something.''
There was only one thing that could be imprisoned.
It was the leave permit.
''It wouldn''t be surprising if something happened when we approached it.''
Yi-Han closed his eyes, trying to envision the principal''s mindset.
''If I were the principal, how would I have designed it?''
''A dungeon of trials beneath the sandy beach, and a ce with the leave permit essible only after passing through that dungeon. Sounds like something the principal would do.''
And if that ce was locked, it was even more in line with the principal''s thinking.
Imagine the despair after struggling through the underground dungeon of the sandy beach, only to find the leave permit at the end locked away.
It was precisely the kind of situation the principal would relish.
"Wardanaz, over there!"
Ango whispered in a startled voice.
Beyond where the water spirit halted, there indeedy a ce created by the principal.
It was a small but antiquely charming, stone-constructed area.
Yi-Han felt an inexplicable sense of it being akin to a temple.
Stone stairs leading underground (seemingly connected to the sandy beach''s underground dungeon),rge stone pirs geometrically arranged on all sides with hollow interiors, and a central altar.
Of course, whaty inside the altar was not a sacrificial offering, but rather, the leave permit.
''How do I send these two in first?''
Yi-Han pondered how to get Ango and Dukma to enter ahead of him.
To uncover the principal''s traps, a sacrificialmb, or rather, an advance party was needed.
"Wardanaz. I''ll go first."
"Ango. Are you insulting me? I should go first."
"Dukma. It''s my fault this situation arose. I was the one who angered the water spirit."
"Ango. You''vepleted your duty by building and steering the boat. Compared to that, I haven''t done anything. If I don''t step forward now, my honor as a knight is..."
Yi-Han yawned, then tossed a coin.
ck -
"Heads. Ango Alpha. You go."
"...Uh, erm."
Ango walked forward with a somewhat dazed expression.
He had initially nned to enter first for the injured Wardanaz, but why did he feel so confused now?
''Come if you dare!''
Swallowing his solemn feelings, Ango surveyed his surroundings.
Even as a scion of a knightly family, one would have heard about magic traps.
Ango was prepared to withstand whatever traps might be triggered.
Yet, no trap was sprung.
Not when he stepped on the well-fitted stone floor.
Not even as he passed between the stone pirs and approached the altar.
Yi-Han was slightly surprised at this sight.
''Could it be that the skull principal set it to activate only when two people ascend?''
The absence of traps was just as unsettling.
Yi-Han was also focusing all his power to detect any magic or mana around.
But he felt nothing.
Either it was truly absent, or the skull principal''s skills were too advanced for Yi-Han to notice.
''It''s probably thetter.''
In fact, there were no traps. Yi-Han could be confident in this sensory aspect, having even impressed the professors and the skull principal.
But Yi-Han did not think so.
Impossible!
The skull principal must have done something!
"Wardanaz. There''s a note written here by the principal."
"What does it say? That the traps are starting now?"
"No, not that."
-Congrattions on making it this far, young freshmen. You may have been flustered by the sudden trials, but all of this is a process to nurture you young mages.-
''Annoyingly kind.''
Yi-Han thought to himself. The skull principal''s kindness felt even more frightening.
-Bying here, you freshmen must have learned to cooperate with friends from different towers. Now, use that learned method for the ultimate cooperation. If you ce someone inside these stone pirs, the seal on the altar containing the leave permit will be released!-
The trio turned their heads to look at the side. Therge stone pirs, hollow inside, was spacious enough to easily fit a person.
If cing someone inside those pirs was the key...
Whether the altar opens or not, doesn''t this just take them further away from getting the outing pass?
"This is absurd! There must be another way!"
Dukma erupted in anger.
As someone hailing from a knightly family, he couldn''t ept a trap that would separate students who had diligently united their strength to ovee trials.
Surely there had to be another method!
''It seems unlikely.''
In contrast, Yi-Han remainedposed.
Such a scenario was exactly the kind of thing the skull principal would relish, and it didn''t surprise him in the least.
Even if many joined forces, in the end, only one would obtain what they desired! If they felt aggrieved, they should improve their skills...
''Such nonsense, no doubt.''
Yi-Han pondered.
Should he overpower Dukma first, or should he subdue Ango first?
Yi-Han was at a disadvantage because three people arrived at the altar, where normally two people would have arrived.
Moreover, wasn''t one of his arms injured?
To win, he needed to strike first before the White Tiger guys could attack.
"Wardanaz!"
Dukma shouted. Yi-Han flinched.
''Has he caught on?''
"Stop Ango!"
At that, Yi-Han looked up to see Ango rushing toward the stone pir.
Yi-Han hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should stop him or feign weakness and leave him be.
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Chapter 103
Chapter 103
"Ango, what are you doing!"
"Dukma. I will be the one to sacrifice."
Ango spoke with grave determination.
"Of course, the evil deedsmitted by that Wardanaz can never be forgiven, but..."
''These kids, they are too persistent,'' thought Yi-Han to himself.
It seems like it''s time to forget the grudges of the past!
"...If Wardanaz hadn''t helped us this time, we would still be trapped in the dungeon. We can''t deny that. I will yield this outing pass to Wardanaz and earn the next one with my own strength."
"Ango. Your nobility has earned my respect. I will join you!"
Dukma, who had tried to stop him, was also persuaded by Ango''s words.
If only one among them was to have the outing pass, it had to be Wardanaz of the Tower of the Blue Dragon.
Yi-Han was deeply moved for the first time by the conscientious behavior of the White Tiger boys.
''So these kids do have a conscience after all.''
Yi-Han was happily ready to shout ''Then go ahead and enter'', but the Water Spirit urgently grabbed his sleeve.
"?"
The Water Spirit gestured frantically, as if asking him to stop them.
Yi-Han didn''t understand, but he could feel the urgency of the spirit.
"Understood. Burst forth!"
A water orb swiftly flew and tripped the running friends from the White Tiger.
The two who fell forward rolled on the ground. The students looked at Yi-Han with baffled expressions and eximed.
"What are you doing, Wardanaz?!"
"What is this madness!"
Having tripped them, Yi-Han realized he might have done it too harshly.
''If I say I tripped them because the spirit told me to, they''ll probably explode with anger...''
Yi-Han thought of a different reason to appease them.
Honor was always a good thing.
"Would I, who carries the name of a noble family, ept an outing pass gained through another''s sacrifice?"
"!!!"
While the two were too shocked to speak, Yi-Han whispered softly to the Water Spirit.
"If you stopped me for no good reason, I''ll lock you up in there."
The Water Spirit, trembling at Yi-Han''s words, began to exin.
It pointed at the pir, at the student, and made an ''X'' with its hands.
Yi-Han felt a sh of intuition.
"Could it be that even if we put a student in, it won''t open?"
The Water Spirit nodded its head.
Yi-Han was astounded.
He thought he had begun to understand the mind of the skull principal, but really, the principal was beyond his grasp.
What kind of person is this?
The door won''t open even if we put a person in??
''How has he not been assassinated until now?''
Yi-Han slowly moved towards the altar.
Now, he was certain there were no other traps nearby.
It was better that there were no traps around for them to realize that after fighting each other and one being trapped, the altar still wouldn''t open.
"Let''s find another way. There must be a way to open it."
"Wardanaz..."
Ango nodded with a trembling voice, still overwhelmed by emotion.
Yi-Han powerfully poured his mana onto the altar, just like he had done at the White Tiger Tower before.
Bang!
A powerful collision of magic, inaudible, spread out. The Water Spirit, startled,y down.
"This, what is this?! What on earth...?!"
"I tried to dispel the magic with my mana, but I failed," Yi-Hanmented.
Dukma expressed his disappointment and then hesitated.
"...Wait, didn''t Wardanaz use this to infiltratest time?"
The students of the White Tiger were still unable to figure out how Wardanaz had managed to breach the magic at the entrance of the rest area with his friends.
How exactly did he break through the entrance''s magic?
But now, looking at it, could it be...?
Yi-Han tried various methods, such as knocking on the altar, exploring the structure by flowing in mana, and shaking it by firing mana.
However, the altar remained unmoved.
At this point, Yi-Han began to doubt.
''Isn''t it enchanted with defensive magic?''
If it were protected by magic as he had experienced before, there would have been some reaction, no matter how cunningly and delicately it was cast.
It was too... quiet.
Initially, Yi-Han thought it was because of the skull principal''s superior magic skills and his ownck of ability, but then he thought there was no harm in trying.
"Everyone, step back."
"?"
As Yi-Han conjured a water mass several timesrger than usual and began to slowly add rotation, the two students from the White Tiger were perplexed.
"It''s better to keep some more distance."
"???"
Though they didn''t understand fully, sensing something ominous, the two slowly backed away.
The Water Spirit, even before Yi-Han spoke, had already moved a considerable distance away.
Bang!
Although Professor Bdi had warned not to be greedy for rotating attributes, if a professor''s duty was to trouble the students, then a student''s duty was to disobey and rebel against the professor''s words.
Yi-Han, following this principle, ignored Professor Bdi''s advice and once again perfected the Water Bullet.
It took over ten minutes, but it was worth it.
The rotating, exploding mass of water collided with the altar andpletely shattered it.
Ango and Dukma, startled by the loud noise, ducked. They had kept their distance, but hadn''t anticipated such power.
The force not only destroyed the altar but also devastated its surroundings.
''What kind of magic is that?''
Both felt chills run down their spines.
They had seen Yi-Han use water elemental magic before, but never to this extent.
They had studied magic together under Professor Garcia, but where did this magice from?
''Did he find forbidden magic in the library?''
''It must be a secret of the Wardanaz family!''
Yi-Han staggered with a tired expression.
His mana was overflowing, but concentrating on a single spell for over ten minutes had strained his nerves.
It was no surprise he was exhausted.
Swoosh!
Just then, the ck book gifted by the skull principal, as if alive, slipped out of Yi-Han''s pocket.
It opened on its own, flipping pages and spilling out words like before.
The shock of knowledge being hammered directly into his brain.
When the shock subsided, the new magic knowledge left in Yi-Han''s mind was .
A 2nd circle physical enhancement spell that bestowed a chilling sharpness to a mage''s hand!
...But why now?
''What''s the meaning of this?''
Yi-Han looked at the ck book incredulously, but the book, as if it had done its job, paid no heed and slipped back into his pocket.
''Is it mocking me for crudely smashing it? Could it actually be?''
The possibility was frightening.
Yi-Han couldn''t be 100% sure that this ck book wasn''t an evil grimoire.
"Wardanaz. Are you okay...?"
"I''m fine. Go and look for the outing pass."
Yi-Han''s words were meant for Ango, but the Water Spirit rushed forward excitedly.
The leopard bone summon watched the Water Spirit and, seeming angry, struck the ground.
"..."
Yi-Han wanted to exin to the Water Spirit that it was a misunderstanding, but he was too tired to muster the energy.
Pitter-patter-
The Water Spirit respectfully searched for and presented the outing pass.
Although covered in some dust due to the destruction of the altar, the pass was intact.
"You did it, Wardanaz! You''ve done it!"
"You overcame all those traps and seeded!"
Both were as delighted as if it were their own achievement. The Water Spirit, noticing the mood, also pped.
Yi-Han carefully examined the outing pass. It was of the same format as the one he had received before.
A rectangr piece of paper with the phrase granting one day of outing to the student possessing the outing pass,plete with the principal''s signature.
"Bring that t rock over here."
"Why, Wardanaz? I don''t know what you n to do, but you can rest a bit first!"
"No. I''m doing it now."
Yi-Han took out a quill and several ink bottles from his backpack.
When he first used the outing pass, what Yi-Han regretted most was not the inability to use carriages or summon creatures.
The greatest regret was not being able to forge the pass.
Creating a fake pass wasn''t easy. It required paper of a suitable material and various colors of ink.
Yi-Han had meticulously gathered the necessary items from outside andpleted his collection with what he couldn''t find from Professor Uregor''s workshop.
Always ready to create a counterfeit as soon as he got his hands on an outing pass.
"...Could it be?"
"Is he really doing it now?"
Ango and Dukma were astonished.
At first, they denied it, but the more they looked, the more apparent it became.
''He''s forging it, Wardanaz!!''
''What on earth...?!!''
Yi-Han, with the solemn expression of a skilled artisan,id out his tools on the rock.
The atmosphere was so serious that the two couldn''t even bring themselves to speak.
"Move."
At Yi-Han''smand, the quill slightly lifted into the air. The magic originally used to manipte quills had finally found its true purpose.
While immense skill was needed to use more delicately than a human hand, for Yi-Han, that was already a tale of the past.
Professor Bdi''s theories of magicbat were now blooming at the fingertips of his disciple, in the form of forging an outing pass.
The two gaped as they watched a fake pass being skillfully and swiftlypleted before their eyes.
"This is preposterous, such audacity!"
"Is this even possible??"
While Yi-Han and the students of the White Tiger were stranded on the ind in theke, the students of the other towers were busy with their tasks.
Among them, the students of the Tower of the Blue Dragon remained in the rest area, flipping through books, trying to figure out the remaining potions.
"Ah... If I had that potion again, maybe I could figure it out. Can''t we have it back?"
"Someone tie up Gainando, please."
"Where did Wardanaz go?"
"He went to check theke. He said we should prepare our own lunch."
Yi-Han had even sorted out the ingredients in front of the rest area''s campfire before leaving.
Seeing the ingredients, the students'' faces lit up with a faint excitement.
Having always been served by servants, the sudden opportunity to cook ignited a newfound creativity in them.
"Can I try making a pie?"
"Sure, what kind of pie?"
"I read about it in a book once, a pie baked with fish inside. It looked delicious."
"You''re disqualified."
"Why!?"
Despite some friction, the students of the Tower of the Blue Dragon enjoyed cooking and waited eagerly.
...But Yi-Han did not return.
"Why isn''t Wardanazing?"
"Gainando, you rascal. Did you upset Wardanaz?"
"No, no! I did all the assignment by myself!"
"Was it because you were noisy duringst night''s dinner? You should eat quietly with gratitude, but you acted without manners..."
"Ugh..."
Like children anxious about their parents who hadn''t returnedte from work, the students were worried.
"We can''t just sit here. I''ll go check theke."
"Me too. Let''s go together."
The students of the Tower of the Blue Dragon gathered and hurried to thekeside.
However, Yi-Han, who had already departed, was nowhere to be seen at theke.
The students of the Tower of the Blue Dragon, who had hoped against hope that Yi-Han might be there, began to feel a creeping fear.
"Let''s search around!"
"Maybe he went somewhere else. Ask around!"
The students of the Tower of the Blue Dragon dispersed to inquire separately.
During their search, some heard astonishing news.
"Students from the White Tiger have disappeared?"
"Those empty-headed fools?!"
"What happened?"
"They''re saying the White Tiger guys kidnapped Wardanaz!"
"The White Tiger guys? ...Wait, is that even possible?"
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Chapter 104
Chapter 104
Yonaire expressed her doubts upon hearing that the White Tiger students had kidnapped Yi-Han. She wondered if it was even possible.
Ratford, who had been among the ck Tortoise students, tilted his head in confusion and said, "It seems difficult, doesn''t it?"
"No, it''s possible," Nillia said with a face full of worry. Her long ears drooped down to either side, weighed down by concern.
"The cleverest of beasts can fall into traps."
"But Yi-Han is not a beast..."
"What if the cowardly White Tiger had set a trap on the path Wardanaz walks? Or poisoned the water Wardanaz drinks? Or drugged the bread Wardanaz eats? Or..."
Yonaire and Ratford pondered how to dissuade Nillia.
Were they nning Yi-Han''s grave in advance?
The bigger issue was that the students of the Blue Dragon began to take Nillia''s words seriously.
"If a hunter from the speaks like this, there''s a high chance he was really kidnapped..."
"ording to my calctions, there''s a 90% probability that the White Tiger bastards kidnapped him."
"These scoundrels, I''ll kill them!"
"Everyone calm down. Let''s calmly n how to kill them."
Yonaire sought other students in an attempt to calm the situation.
''The princess...''
But to her dismay, the princess was already among the students, seriously nning an attack on the White Tiger.
Yonaire hung her head low.
Without Yi-Han, there was no one in the tower who made any sense.
''Pleasee back...!''
On Monday morning, the atmosphere in the ss was far more menacing than usual.
Normally, the ss was far from being in good spirits.
Everyone always had a gloomy aura, as if they were dragged to a grave.
But today was different.
The students of the Blue Dragon red as if they were ready to attack at any moment, sparks flying from their eyes.
"Can''t you say where Wardanaz is?"
"How can you spout such nonsense, you Blue Dragon fools! Do you think we would do such a thing? We dont do such acts!"
"You dare gang up three against one!"
A White Tiger student''s face reddened when their sore spot was hit.
A student from the Blue Dragon menacingly waved his staff, as if ready to cast a curse.
"Tell us where Wardanaz is!"
"Were also confused because two of us have disappeared. Didn''t you kidnap them?"
The Blue Dragon students were infuriated by the response of the White Tiger students.
They dared to insult the honor of their noble lineage.
"Us? Us?? Do you dare speak like that knowing our family''s honor?"
"People who sneak into others'' dorm towers at night have no right to talk."
Jijel said mockingly.
This time, it was the Blue Dragon students who were hit in their sore spot.
However, there was an unexpected opponent, Gainando.
"We''ve never done that."
"..."
"Do you have proof? If you have proof, bring it. Show us the evidence that we did it."
"Is that guy really royalty?"
The White Tiger students murmured among themselves. Even among the ck Tortoise students, there was no one as shameless as this.
"I don''t think it''s my ce to interfere, but if you really kidnapped Wardanaz, wouldn''t it be better to return him and reconcile? ss is about to start soon."
In the ck Tortoise, the dwarf, no, the elf student Salko Tutanta opened his mouth.
The White Tiger students frowned as if wondering where he came in, but the ck Tortoise students behind Salko stood their ground.
Each of them, with their rough backgrounds, was not easily intimidated, even by students from knightly families.
The students of the Immortal Phoenix also spoke up. Priestesses Siana and Tijiling cautiously said, "If you have kidnapped Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family, it would be better to return him..."
"No, we didn''t!"
Being suspected by students of all three towers, the White Tiger students could not hold back their frustration.
They too had lost two of their own and had spent the night wondering, ''Was it Wardanaz who kidnapped them?'' ''Were there really two missing?'' ''But we lost even when three of us attacked...''
The cunning students of the Blue Dragon were stirring the atmosphere strangely.
Jijel stepped forward to manage the situation.
The leading elf of the White Tiger students, chewing her lip as if displeased with the whole situation, said, "I swear on the name of my family, we did noty a finger on Wardanaz. If you dont believe me, ask the other students here. Some of them have ties with your side."
There were others in the White Tiger like Rowena, a follower of Princess Adenart, and Dolgyu, considered somewhat reliable.
As all eyes turned to them, Rowena carefully replied, "Your Highness, from what I see... there seemed to be no n of kidnapping."
At her words, the students of the Blue Dragon''s gaze shifted to the princess, who shook her head coldly, clearly not believing them.
"Your Highness?! Your Highness?!?"
Rowena felt as if the sky was falling, shocked that the princess she served did not believe her words.
The students of the Blue Dragon became emboldened.
"See, she doesn''t believe it!"
"Indeed, hiding some suspicious schemes. Dolgyu of the Choi family! We''d like to hear your opinion. What do you think?"
Jijel, determined not to be outdone, also pressed Dolgyu.
"Go on. Tell us what you think."
Dolgyu realized that Jijel''s voice could not get any colder, a sign of extreme anger.
Had it not been for the presence of other tower students, curses and dual swords might have been drawn.
"In my opinion... I haven''t heard of any kidnapping ns."
"There, you see!"
"But I''m not finished yet!"
Mixed reactions followed. Jijel turned to Dolgyu and asked, "You dont doubt my word when I''ve sworn on my family''s name, do you?"
Dolgyu hesitated slightly.
Before entering the magic academy, Dolgyu would have replied, ''If you say so, then I must believe you.'' But his thoughts had changed after joining the school.
If Yi-Han of the renowned Wardanaz family could misuse his family name so freely, there was no reason Jijel couldn''t.
"...Choi! You really...!"
Just as Jijel was about to argue in an almost horrified voice, the temperature in the ssroom dropped.
Everyone could feel it.
Good morning! What were you doing?
"Nothing at all."
"Just exchanging greetings."
Despite their anger towards each other, the students were not foolish enough to confess everything in front of the skull principal. In this hellish school, there were certain unspoken rules. One of them was to keep silent in front of the skull principal.
"Were you fighting just now? Don''t you want to fight more?"
"It seems there has been a misunderstanding."
"How well do we get along?"
The skull principal clicked his tongue, apparently disappointed.
The students, who had been ring at each other as if ready to kill, now seemed inclined to reconcile.
"Boring lot. Alright then. Did anyone bring the leave permit?"
An awkward silence followed. The skull principal spoke as if he had expected this.
"Such a disappointment. No one! Your seniors alwayspleted these tasks on time."
If Yi-Han were here, he would have probably said, ''Don''t fall for such nonsense.'' Unfortunately, Yi-Han was already on the ind for advanced studies.
The students were disheartened and looked dejected.
"Can''t be helped. This time, I''ll give you a chance. Stand up, everyone. Walk to theke!"
The students were taken aback by the unexpected generosity of the skull principal.
Of course, they didn''t know what awaited them on the ind.
As Yi-Han always said, one should be suspicious when the skull principal is kind.
The skull principal watched with glee as the students walked towards thekeside.
Theke was initially too difficult for the freshmen to cross on their own.
The skull principal hadn''t really expected the students toplete the task.
He started with a task knowing that if he suddenly said, ''Cross theke to the ind,'' during ss, someone might suspect or run away.
By giving them an impossible task and then seeming to generously allow them to cross theke, even the smartest freshmen couldn''t suspect anything.
How long had the skull principal been teaching students at this magic academy?
The freshmen could never escape from the palm of his hand.
''Wait a minute. Where did that brat of the Wardanaz family go?''
Thinking of a nickname Yi-Han would find annoying, the skull principal rotated his floating head 360 degrees.
Still, Yi-Han was nowhere to be seen.
The Principal wondered if Yi-Han had already crossed theke.
Although Wardanaz was a freshman, he was no ordinary mage. It wouldnt be strange if he had tried to cross.
But even if he had, the moment he set foot on the beach, he should have been transferred to the underground dungeon.
Even if he was lucky enough to avoid it...
Giorvan the Second, waiting on the sandy beach, would have caught him.
''If he skipped ss for some other reason, hes lucky. But if he''s already on the ind, that''s unfortunate.''
Since the trial in the dungeon wouldn''t start until students from different towers arrived together, it was meant for them to fight, or rather, to bond.
What if someone crossed theke over the weekend?
They would just have to sit in the underground and wait.
Tinkle!
With a twinkle in his eyes, the skull principal created a path of ice on theke. The students marveled at the feat of raising thick ice over theke with just a nce.
"Surely none of you will be too frightened to retreat now? Especially not in Einroguard, where only the empire''s finest are gathered? Pair up and start."
"Do we have to pair up?"
A student asked, to which the skull principal kindly replied.
"If you''ll all go up together, youll break the ice and just feed the monsters under theke."
"...We''ll go in pairs."
The reason for not sending them in groups was simple.
If that had happened, one or two might escape the sandy beach unscathed.
The students were sent in pairs to prevent any from escaping.
This was the educational philosophy of the skull principal, who oversaw the empire''s premier magic academy.
The students crossed theke, two by two, on a path made of ice.
However, as the first students set foot on the sandy beach, the skull principal felt a sharp sense of unease with his keen instincts.
This unease soon became a reality. The students did not sink into the sandy beach as expected.
The skull principal felt a pain as if his non-existent soul was being torn apart, seeing his carefully nned lecture going awry.
Why?!
"What?!"
The students nearby were startled by the Principal''s anguished voice.
They had never heard such sorrow in his voice before.
Why! Giorvan the Second, I gave you a name and you dare to be so insolentlyzy
Just as the skull principal was about to call his summon, he realized that Giorvan the Second had been unsummoned.
The missing boy from the Wardanaz family, the disobedient sandy beach, Giorvan the Second unsummoned.
All these signs pointed to only one conclusion.
When the impossible is excluded, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
The skull principal felt he hadn''t been this shocked in centuries.
Wardanaz! Wardanaz, you rascal!!
As if answering his call, Yi-Han appeared in the distance from deep within the ind, his face tired and pale.
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Chapter 105
Chapter 105
Because of your pride, the precious learning opportunity for the students is missed
The students of the Blue Dragon, interrupting the nonsensical ramblings of the skull principal, eximed in surprise.
"Wardanaz!"
"You were alive! We thought you had been kidnapped!"
"Kidnapped?"
Ango, following behind, asked in confusion, unable toprehend.
Who would dare to kidnap Wardanaz, and how?
"Hands up! Don''t move. If you do, I''ll cast a curse!"
The Blue Dragon students, upon spotting Ango and Dukma, aimed their staffs at them first.
"Why, why are you doing this!"
"These cunning ones... They must have brought him to theke to avoid leaving any evidence after kidnapping near the academy!"
Gainando, a fan of the popr imperial detective novel ''Dog Mixed-Blood Detective Toveris'', disyed sharp deductive skills that even Asan found usible.
"It wasn''t a kidnapping. We were just exploring theke and got drifted away."
"Oh. Is that so?"
"Well then."
"Be more careful next time."
Upon hearing Yi-Han''s words, the Blue Dragon students quickly lowered their staffs.
The White Tiger students were so dumbfounded that they could only gape in disbelief.
''How shameless can these nobles be?''
They had been quite different when they first enrolled; it was a mystery how they had changed so much.
"Aren''t you going to apologize? You used us of being kidnappers and just left it at that?"
"No. In this happy moment of finding our lost friends, do we really need to argue over who was wrong? Aren''t you being too harsh?"
"You''re worse than scoundrels...!"
While a few of the White Tiger students argued heatedly, most were more concerned with something else.
"Ango, are you okay? Any breaks or injuries? Did Wardanaz cast any strange magic on you?"
"Dukma, how many fingers am I holding up? Remember the name of my family? Tell me."
The White Tiger students were deeply concerned about the well-being of Ango and Dukma, who had spent the night with Yi-Han.
They feared the worst, that they might have been victims of some vile dark magic...
"Don''t worry, everyone. It was chaotic, but... nothing much happened with Wardanaz. In fact, we owe our lives to him."
"Wardanaz defeated a summoned creature hiding in the sands of the beach. Without him, we all would have been dragged down."
Ango and Dukma shared their experiences with the gathering students.
The story of the skull principal''s evil scheme and how Wardanaz thwarted it!
It was such an interesting tale that students from other towers gathered to listen.
"...It''s unbelievable. Could they have been brainwashed by Wardanaz?"
"No matter what, it''s hard to believe..."
Some students of the White Tiger shook their heads in disbelief.
So, the principal created a dungeon under the sandy beach of the ind, summoned a monster, and gave the students assignments to naturally lead them there?
It was a story too hard to believe.
However, the students soon learned the truth of it.
The skull principal himself began confessing everything.
Well done! You did well, Wardanaz. Because of you, other students missed the chance to learn, but still, well done!
"...I''m sorry."
Yi-Han apologized, though he found it ridiculous.
It was better not to upset the already sullen skull principal.
Being narrow-minded was, after all, a trait inherent to professors.
The skull principal, feeling unjustly wronged and regretful, continued to grumble and reveal everything he had prepared.
Upon hearing what had been prepared beneath the sands of the beach, the faces of the students who had crossed theke turned pale with shock.
He had prepared such a thing???
"Shouldn''t we report this person to His Majesty the Emperor...?"
"Shh. Be quiet. Do you want to be dragged under the sand?"
After grumbling for a while, the skull principal seemed somewhat appeased and addressed Yi-Han.
"Anyway... managing to obtain a leave permit on your own. I mustmend you for that."
As he spoke, Yi-Han''s broken arm waspletely healed. Yi-Han bowed his head.
"Thank you."
Because of you, next year''s freshmen will face even harsher trials.
"It is truly regrettable."
Of course, Yi-Han didn''t really feel regretful. It wasn''t his fault, after all.
"And I didn''t do it all by myself."
Yi-Han pointed to Ango and Dukma.
Normally, whenmitting illegal acts, aplices should be well rewarded.
Now that he had created fake leave permits, the two were basically aplices.
However, the two students from the White Tiger shook their heads.
"We didn''t do anything."
"In reality... it was all done by Wardanaz."
I know that. Do you think I''m blind? I never intended to give you two special points from the start.
"..."
The skull principal had a talent for making the same words sound infuriating.
They hadn''t expected something like ''Your friendship and honor aremendable! I will give you all special points!...
But hearing it like that, it was indeed infuriating.
''Let''s see after graduation.''
''Really, let''s see after we graduate.''
Having made enemies of the two White Tiger students, the skull principal turned his gaze back to Yi-Han. And he said, Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. For aplishing a special task that the other ironheads couldn''t, I''ll give you special points. Now, show me the leave permit.
Yi-Han took out the leave permit and ced it on his palm.
The moment a light shed in the skull principal''s eyes, the leave permit disappeared, having been teleported to one of the principal''s storerooms.
"...???"
"????????"
While the swindled Yi-Han remained silent, the other students were startled.
Even those who usually held back their fear of the principal couldn''t contain themselves this time.
"Principal! This isn''t what you promised!"
"How can you so easily break your promise to us! Have you forgotten your honor?"
When did I ever break a promise?
Instead of getting angry or intimidating, the skull principal simply asked in return.
His brazen question was enough to slightly unsettle the students.
Was the skull principal trying to act shamelessly, like Gainando?
"But Principal... you said... if wepleted this task... you would give us a leave permit."
Oh dear. Oh dear... It seems you all wasted your time in . What exactly did I say?
The exact words of the skull principal.
-There is an ind on thatke. I''ve hidden a leave permit there. Work together and bring it to me.-
...clearly showed that he had never said he would give them a leave permit.
He had only said to bring it to him!
The skull principal, seeing the students'' faces and feeling slightly better, spoke kindly.
Now you understand how important every single word in a contract is, don''t you? It''s good that you all learned a valuable lesson!
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han couldn''t even guess how many of the students present woulde looking to assassinate the principal after graduation.
If looks could kill, the skull principal would have already fallen dead.
In a twist of events, the Dragon bratno, Wardanazwas called upon by the skull principal to voice his thoughts. "Do you think I''ve deceived you?"
Did he just call me Dragon brat?
Yi-Han was not fooled by the skull principal''s soft voice.
A student must always respond humbly to a professor''s inquiry about any grievances, acknowledging their own fault in causing the professor''s concern.
To protest further would risk being sent beneath the sands of the beach.
"No, Principal. I never harbored any desire for the leave permit from the beginning. Why would I have anyints?"
The skull principal looked at Yi-Han with a mix of admiration and regret.
Yi-Han was an extraordinarily talented student, not only in magic but also in other skills.
Usually, magic talent and self-control were inversely proportional. Talent often bred arrogance.
Even students with half of Yi-Han''s talent would brazenly challenge the principal as freshmen, only to learn humility after a few stints in the punishment room.
Yet, this boy from the Wardanaz family possessed an unbelievablebination of talent and self-restraint.
Admirable and remarkable as it was, the skull principal couldn''t help feeling a sense of loss.
There was no fun in it!
''He''s not taking the bait...''
The skull principal was not disappointed, though. Time was on his side, and another opportunity would present itself.
"Very well. Everyone should take a lesson from Wardanaz. Do you understand?"
"Yes..."
"We understand..."
Yi-Han, though not versed in mind-reading, could almost hear the students'' thoughts.
The most pressing concern wasn''t the mages who might seek revenge on the skull principal in the future.
''I never expected the principal to do this. What a relief.''
Yi-Han inwardly sighed in relief.
He hadn''t anticipated that the skull principal would actually take away the leave permit.
But luck was on his side.
In a moment of quick thinking, he had presented a fake permit, and the principal had not noticed, making it disappear.
Ango and Dukma looked at Yi-Han, their faces a mix of astonishment and disbelief.
''Could he have prepared for this scenario...?''
''What are you, Wardanaz...?''
Though Yi-Han hadn''t anticipated this exact situation and created the fake permits, the two could only misconstrue.
"Wardanaz... How did you...?"
"Shh. Be quiet."
Yi-Han ced a finger to his lips.
The skull principal was still nearby.
If he sensed something amiss and retrieved the permit from his storeroom, Yi-Han would be heading not to the beach sands but to the punishment room.
"Can we really ept such a valuable item?"
Ango and Dukma carefully tucked the fake leave permit into their pockets, wary of being seen.
Yi-Han hadn''t just created one for himself; he had also forged permits for Ango and Dukma in his spare time.
The mere pieces of paper felt as heavy as gold.
"Use them carefully. Especially, do not use it when the principal is around. If caught, you''ll be apprehended immediately."
"Of course."
"We understand, Wardanaz."
The two students from the White Tiger took Yi-Han''s warning seriously and moved on.
Yi-Han was left wondering.
''But will these fake leave permits actually work?''
He had made them, yet even he wasn''t sure of their effectiveness.
Perhaps they might work if used when the principal was not around and with permission from another professor
The problem Yi-Han faced was dealing with the aftermath of their return.
''Would they lock me in the punishment room for about a month?''
Initially, Yi-Han decided to observe his friends from the White Tiger using the fake leave permits before making any moves. Although he possessed a real one, using it while the skull principal was around felt risky.
Following the path that had appeared over theke, the students made their way back as they hade.
Yi-Han also hurried to prepare for departure. He was apprehensive that the skull principal, although it seemed unlikely, might dismiss him and remove the ice path, leaving him stranded.
The Water Spirit waved at Yi-Han, signaling a farewell.
"Thank you. Without you, I might still be wandering around the ind."
The Water Spirit appeared to blush at the gratitude.
This sight sparked a sudden thought in Yi-Han.
''Wait. Have I just be friends with a spirit?''
Upon reflection, this felt like a more natural closeness than the shouting matches he''d had with beings like Ferkuntra.
Yi-Han opened his mouth to speak.
"Perhaps you and I could..."
But the Water Spirit, not waiting to hear Yi-Han''s words, dashed off and began frolicking in front of Nillia, who was about to leave. It seemed as if the spirit was pleading for a contract with her.
"..."
Yi-Han felt a deep sense of betrayal.
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Chapter 106
Chapter 106
Yonaire, understanding the situation, gently patted Yi-Han''s shoulder in constion.
"Spirits are like capricious unrequited loves; no matter how well you treat them, often you can''t win their hearts," she mused. In such cases, eptance was the only option.
"Yonaire, I''m really okay," Yi-Han insisted.
"Uh-huh..."
"I am, truly."
"Sure, sure."
Usually, when ''really'' was prefixed, it was often a lie. Yonaire decided to let it slide this time.
Nillia was flustered when the Water Spirit clung to her, an entity Yi-Han had desired to contract with, making it impossible for her to reciprocate.
"Hey, go away! Contract with Wardanaz over there!" Nillia pushed the Water Spirit away, but it persistently clung to her, clearly taken with her.
This saddened Yi-Han slightly. ''I only ever attract the senile Lightning Spirits,'' he thought. But even in sadness, there were times to celebrate for a friend''s sake.
Yi-Han spoke coldly, "Nillia, I think there''s a misunderstanding. I have no intention of contracting with the Water Spirit."
"What? Really?" Nillia''s ears perked up in surprise.
"But you were about to propose a contract earlier."
"You must have heard wrong."
Yonaire marveled internally. Yi-Han had many talents, but his unrivaled skill was lying tantly with a straight face. His earnest lies swayed even the most skeptical.
"Nillia, I''m not interested in that spirit."
"But... you''ve wanted to contract with a spirit since before. And you said the Water Spirit was good."
''If only she didn''t remember such trivial details so well,'' Yi-Han thought irritably.
"It seems you''re mistaken. Of course, I talked about contracting with a Water Spirit, but it was about a renowned one, Nillia."
"Ah...!"
Nillia smacked her palm with her fist as if it made sense, especially considering Wardanaz''s talent. The Water Spirit pped its hands in surprise at this revtion. Yi-Han felt an urge to smack the spirit.
"Understand? So, if you want to contract with that spirit, feel free. It doesn''t concern me."
"Hmm... What should I do..."
Nillia pondered. She hadn''t ruled out contracting with a spirit, but this was unexpectedly sudden.
"What do you guys think?"
At Nillia''s question, Yi-Han and Yonaire exchanged nces.
In their opinion...
''Nillia could use more friends.''
''A spirit friend would be even better.''
They nodded in agreement.
"A Water Spirit seems like a good idea," Yi-Han said.
"I think so too!"
"If you both say so..."
Nillia nodded, and the Water Spirit jumped joyously.
After spending the weekend on an ind with the undead summon, Yi-Han found Professor Bdi''s face weing.
Yi-Han was frightened by his own dness to see him.
''I''ve heard there''s no cure for Stockholm Syndrome.''
"Good day..."
"Last time, you used lightning magic," Bdi noted without exchanging pleasantries or asking about the weekend.
"Yes..." Yi-Han sighed internally, having braced himself for this. He had a sad certainty about it since meeting Professor Bdi in front of Professor Garcia.
-"Ah, Professor Bdi is going to teach lightning magic as well."-
And such a foreboding feeling had never been wrong.
"Lightning element is lessmonly mastered among mages than the water element."
"I see."
"It''s harder to handle than water."
"Yes."
"But since you used lightning magicst time, you should be able to handle what I''m about to teach."
Yi-Han remained silent. He almost suggested to Professor Bdi to take a course in .
''What kind of logic is that...''
"I''ve heard the stories," Professor Bdi said, looking at Yi-Han.
Yi-Han was startled. Was Professor Bdi deviating from his usual lectures to engage in idle student chatter, or something else entirely?
It was said that sudden changes in behavior could be ominous...
"I heard you defeated Gonadaltes''s summon, Giorvan the Second."
...
Yi-Han would have been annoyed if the skull principal had been there, having sessfully irritated him.
He was angry with the skull principal.
''How many hours have passed since...?''
He had seen the skull principal in the morning, and now, having had lunch, he had entered Professor Bdi''s ssroom. In that short time, the principal had been remarkably busy spreading the news.
"Indeed... I could defeat it thanks to what I learned from you, Professor."
"That''s expected. But that''s not why I brought it up. I heard you were ambushed by a summon and injured your arm."
''Damn it.''
Yi-Han faintly guessed why the skull principal had mentioned it.
"An unexpected situation urred."
"In battle, that''s always the case. But whatever excuse you make after being hit, the enemy won''t listen."
The most irritating thing about Professor Bdi was his irrefutable, correct statements.
"So I prepared for that."
Yi-Han didn''t ask ''What is it this time?'', instead focusing intently on every minute movement of Bdi, his staff in hand, ready to respond to any trickery.
The professor seemed pleased with Yi-Han''s reaction, a faint smile ying on his lips.
Sparks flew in the air, and a small lightning bolt appeared, aimed at Yi-Han.
Yi-Han tried to deflect it with a water orb, but Bdi countered with a water orb of his own, neutralizing it.
Yi-Han had no choice but to dodge physically. Fortunately, avoiding the iing lightning bolt wasn''t impossible.
The linear trajectory of the lightning bolt, though much faster than other elements, was still slower than actual lightning and predictably straight.
Compared to the unpredictable attacks of swordsmen like Arlong or Professor Ingurdel, the lightning bolt, though fast, was foreseeable.
Yi-Han anticipated its trajectory just before it wasunched and skillfully ducked, avoiding the lightning boltpletely.
The bolt whizzed past Yi-Han and struck the wall, fizzling out with a crackling noise.
Professor Bdi nodded slightly as if to say, ''That''s it.''
"Don''t use magic to block it."
"Just dodge it?"
"Yes."
Without giving Yi-Han a chance to retort, Bdiunched his next attack, increasing the number of lightning bolts.
Yi-Han, while dodging, marveled at his own agility.
''Have I always been this good at dodging?''
The rigorous training he had undergone at the magic academy had remarkably enhanced his evasive skills.
After several minutes of relentless attacks, which Yi-Han adeptly avoided, Professor Bdi spoke as if he had anticipated this.
"Indeed, you handle it with ease."
''...Should I have pretended to be clumsy?''
Yi-Han regretted showing proficiency too readily in tasks set by the professor. It usually brought no good.
However, Professor Bdi was a difficult one to deceive.
How could one feign ipetence against a genuinely earnest attack?
Suddenly, the ssroom darkened, leaving only Professor Bdi''s eyes visible in the near-total darkness.
''Dark conditions? Typical of the Professor.''
Yi-Han wasn''t surprised.
As Professor Bdi enjoyed preparing for all kinds ofbat situations, it was natural for him to test evading attacks in darkness.
Yet, Yi-Han still underestimated Professor Bdi.
"What''s this?" Yi-Han asked as Bdi threw him a handkerchief.
"Cover your eyes."
Yi-Han approached Professor Bdi to cover his eyes, but the professor spoke again in an emotionless, detached tone.
"Not my eyes, yours."
Yi-Han was astonished to realize he actually had to blindfold himself.
"...Professor, it''s already dark. Do I really need to cover my eyes? Wouldn''t it make dodging more difficult?"
"You can do it."
Professor Bdi gestured dismissively, indicating he would entertain no further discussion. The handkerchief smoothly rose and covered Yi-Han''s eyes.
A world of absolute darkness enveloped him.
Then, the sound of sparking. A lightning bolt was generated.
''This is madness.''
Yi-Han felt a creeping sense of fear.
But he couldn''t just stand still in fear.
Just like detecting magic traps or a mage''s mana, Yi-Han focused on sensing the location of the lightning bolts around him.
He wasn''t sure how effective it would be, but he had no other choice.
Professor Bdi crossed his arms, watching Yi-Han intently.
As Professor Garcia had acknowledged (at least in Bdi''s view), Professor Bdi held unwavering confidence in his teaching methods.
''If the students can''t keep up, that''s their problem, not mine.''
It wasn''t without reason that the skull principal was close to Professor Bdi.
Unfortunately for Yi-Han, his encounter with Professor Bdi only reinforced the professor''s conviction.
''The basics of elemental shape transformation and control are solidly established.''
When Bdi saw Yi-Han using lightning magic, he didn''t show it, but he was very pleased.
The difficulty level of the lightning element was among the highest.
Using it meant Yi-Han could smoothly advance to moreplex stages of elemental shape transformation and control training.
Originally, Bdi intended to start with lightning magic...
...but he had a reason for conducting elemental detection training. It was based on the skull principal''s testimony.
When Bdi heard that Yi-Han had injured his arm fighting an undead summon, he was shocked.
It was unbelievable that Yi-Han would make such a mistake.
Of course, the question should have been ''Why is a freshman fighting a giant undead summon?'' But Bdi failed to consider this aspect.
''If I were that boy from the Wardanaz family...''
For the first time, after stopping Yi-Han from adding a rotational attribute to his water element magic, Bdi tried to see things from Yi-Han''s perspective.
Once he started to empathize, it wasn''t difficult. Putting himself in Yi-Han''s shoes, Bdi quickly came to a conclusion.
''If I were the boy from the Wardanaz family, right now, I would most want to learn the art of evasion, not just attack and defense.''
Professor Bdi could have simply asked Yi-Han, but he chose not to, preferring to think and conclude on his own.
In magicbat, evasion was a skill distinct from attack and defense, and in some ways, more advanced and difficult.
The key to evasion was perception.
Understanding where and how an enemy''s attack wasing from, and instantly grasping the nature and structure of the magic, was essential for smooth evasion.
''The fool blocks, but the wise evade.''
Such sayings didn''t exist for no reason.
Then, how could one enhance this perceptive ability?
In truth, the boy from the Wardanaz family had been unknowingly training himself.
Regrly engaging with and discerning magic would inevitably improve one''s perceptive skills.
Today, Professor Bdi had focused solely on detection, excluding control and shape.
As a result...
With a snap, Professor Bdi dispelled the lightning bolts that had appeared in the darkness.
Yi-Han was panting heavily. No matter how fit one was, not feeling exhausted in such circumstances would be more unusual.
Remarkably, the boy from the Wardanaz family had perfectly evaded every attack.
Inplete darkness, where he could see nothing!
Yi-Han couldn''t see it, but Professor Bdi was smiling.
When he first heard other mages speak of the ''joy of teaching'', he had wondered what they meant. But now, he seemed to understand.
Teaching was truly enjoyable.
In the air, there were now far more lightning bolts and small mes, along with water orbs andpressed air, among other elements.
Even blindfolded, Yi-Han sensed something ominous and called out urgently.
"Professor? Professor???"
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Chapter 107
Chapter 107
Although his vision was obscured, Yi-Han was acutely aware of what was transpiring around him. He wanted to deny it, but the sensations throughout his body were undeniable. Professor Bdi, he realized, was summoning elements beyond just lightning.
It must mean that Yi-Han thought.
Remarkably, even with his sight hindered, Yi-Han''s ability to dodge the lightning was an impressive feat. While he was preupied with evasion, it was clear that something significant must be happening for Professor Bdi to smile in such circumstances.
Normally, evading lightning by reading its trajectory was challenging even with open eyes, a skill honed through swordsmanship training and innate mana sensing abilities. Without either of these, it would have been impossible.
But when Yi-Han easily mastered this, Professor Bdi nonchntly escted the difficulty. If Professor Garcia had witnessed this, she would have been rmed, eximing, "What are you doing!?"
Yi-Han faced a virtually impossible task, navigating inplete darkness. Yet, the problem was that he executed it wlessly. Seeing this, Professor Bdi again effortlessly raised the difficulty level.
Both mentor and student were relentless in pushing boundaries. Consequently, on his first day of elemental detection training, Yi-Han endured an incredibly challenging ordeal. In a way, it was a situation of his own making.
Are the other elements a deception?
Oblivious to the trap he had set for himself, Yi-Han concentrated solely on the task. He sensed not just lightning but other elemental energies. There was no room for distraction.
Professor Bdi must have had a reason to introduce other elements in such a situation. A trick!
Yi-Han had evaded the lightning in the invisible space by relying solely on his raw mana sensing abilities, as his vision was impeded. The lightning bolts, though seemingly simple in their straight trajectory, underwent numerous changes in a brief moment. Realizing that magic briefly condensed before releasing the bolts, Yi-Han anticipated this and evaded them.
But now, with other elemental energies intermingling, he had to distinguish between them, detecting the precursor signs and identifying the lightning among them. Moreover, considering Professor Bdi''s unpredictable nature, other elements prepared as decoys might also join the attack, necessitating vignce.
Can I do it?
Yi-Han lifted his head towards the elemental energies exuding presence in the darkness. It seemed impossible.
Then he resolved, I''ll try to get hurt as little as possible!
Yi-Han''s expectations were proven wrong.
Incredibly, he seeded once again.
"..."
Even Professor Bdi, who usually had something to say, was momentarily silenced in astonishment.
He''s truly gifted.
The boy from the Wardanaz family possessed more than immense mana. In hindsight, being born with such colossal mana, learning to handle and cast spells was a formidable challenge.
Especially for a freshman.
The boy from the Wardanaz family, modest in nature, thought he wasn''t particrly adept at learning magic. While he was indeed fast,pared to the prodigious young mages of the empire, he felt slightly inferior.
However, this assessment didn''t ount for the sheer volume of mana he possessed.
Possessing such immense mana and learning magic at that speed was itself a testament to his talent. Though usually, it was difficult to notice due to the sheer magnitude of his mana, it was a different story when it came to him detecting the mana around him. In areas where there was no penalty due to the amount of mana, the fragments of talent were bound to emerge.
With a snap, Professor Bdi made the blindfold covering Yi-Han''s eyes disappear. Despite having aplished such a remarkable feat, the boy from the Wardanaz family remained calm, and the professor did notment further.
"I didn''t expect you to pass everything on the first day."
"...Maybe it''s because you gave me the tasks all at once, Professor."
Yi-Han politely implied, So maybe take it easy from now on. But subtlety often went unnoticed by the professors.
"There''s no need to thank me."
"?!"
Yi-Han was momentarily puzzled. He then btedly realized that Professor Bdi had interpreted his words as gratitude for giving him all the tasks at once, which allowed him to pass them.
...This is driving me crazy.
While Yi-Han was grappling with frustration, Professor Bdi continued, "Originally, I nned to take more time with the elemental detection training. But it seems that won''t be necessary."
Yi-Han was relieved. From the professor''s words, it seemed that today''s lecture had concluded. Professor Bdi handed him a cloth-wrapped bundle.
"You look tired."
"!"
Yi-Han was startled. He was indeed tired from dodging lightning with his eyes open and then closed, but he had never imagined that Professor Bdi would show concern.
"What''s this?"
Initially, he suspected a trap in the bundle, but Professor Bdi was not a malicious person like the skull principal.
Cautiously, Yi-Han unwrapped the package.
"Is it some kind of medicine?"
Inside was a book on magic. Professor Bdi nodded, saying, "It''s a book on basic lightning magic and its applications. Study it before the next ss."
"..."
Professor Bdi was not a malicious person like the skull principal. He was just a bit crazy.
Yi-Han btedly understood the meaning behind Bdi''sment about him looking tired. It was simply an innocent observation.
Thement and the bundle were unrted!
"...Understood."
Yi-Han managed his expression and took the magic book.
He would have to go somewhere far from the professor to express his frustration.
Now that I think about it, isn''t this week the paper exam week?
He realized that the magic Professor Bdi had asked him to learn wasn''t the important part. Professor Bdi might not give a test, but the other sses would.
-!
Yi-Han turned his head towards the eerie howls of summoned creaturesing from outside the ssroom, in the front yard of the main building.
"What''s going on out there?"
"The professors are dealing with escaped summons."
"??"
Yi-Han was perplexed. Weren''t the professors the ones who ignored the escaped summons roaming the academy justst week?
"Why all of a sudden?"
"Probably to prevent them from interfering with the exams."
"..."
Yi-Han, at a loss for words, politely excused himself and left the ssroom.
"I shouldn''t have asked..."
The book Professor Bdi gave him, , turned out to be better than he had expected.
Wait. Who wrote this?
When considering that most spellbooks paid little heed to the fact that they were being read by freshmen, was indeed remarkably user-friendly.
It didn''t merely describe the incantations and motions for the 1st circle spell . Unlike other 1st circle elemental spells, maintaining the position of the lightning element after its creation was notably challenging. The mostmon mistake novice mages made was losing control of the summoned lightning element and scattering it in random directions. To prevent this, the book advised certain preparations: wear thick clothing that doesn''t conduct lightning well and practice when no one else is around...
Yi-Han, intrigued by the author''s approach, checked the back of the book for other works by the same mage, only to find no author''s name listed.
"A book written within the magic academy?"
Most books in the empire were not systematically mass-produced. Many were hand-written by individuals and passed down.
This was even more true for books within the magic academy.
In the library, the books were often haphazardly categorized, with more than half being so indecipherable that it was impossible to understand what was written.
Mages typically only cared about their own satisfaction, rarely considering others!
"If I were a bookstore owner, I would clear out such books."
Despite his animosity towards Professor Bdi, Yi-Han thought he should read more of this book.
After all, it wasn''t the book''s fault.
And in the next ss, Professor Bdi would surely proceed with the assumption that Yi-Han had mastered this book...
"Hello, Wardanaz!"
Startled by the cheerful voice of a professor approaching from behind, Yi-Han realized this was never a good sign.
Fortunately, the professor was a familiar face. It was Professor Kirmin Ku, one of the few friends of Professor Bdi.
"Are you off to the ss? Right?"
"Yes."
"Great! I''m headed to the lecture hall myself. We can go together."
Professor Kirmin, unlike Bdi, was incredibly cheerful, almost unbelievably so for being friends with him.
Yi-Han felt a glimmer of hope at this.
Young, amiable professors with good social skills often meant a higher likelihood of treating students well.
Of course, whether this rule applied in a magic academy was another matter...
"Do you teach illusion magic?"
"Yes. Professor Bagrak doesn''t like illusion magic, but it has many practical uses."
Each field of magic, when delved into deeply, revealed an almost infinite expanse of possibilities.
From casting barrier spells to prevent intruders into a territory to creating hallucinations for enemies, these were just aspects of illusion magic.
There were mages whobined it with space magic to create bizarrebyrinths of illusion that couldn''t exist in reality, and others who merged it with mental magic to incapacitate foes with a mere nce.
Hearing this, Yi-Han thought to himself.
Perfect for thievery.
Using illusions to evade detection or to dismantle existing illusion spells.
No matter how kindly Kirmin exined, it was hard not to think of other uses.
"Wardanaz,st time I saw you, I could tell you have a talent for illusion magic."
Yi-Han was delighted at Kirmin''s words.
Usually, when a professor said something like, "You have talent," caution was warranted.
Letting your guard down could mean being pulled under a professor''s wing and bing their forced apprentice.
But for Yi-Han, such worries were already toote. From the moment he entered the magic academy, he was destined to learn under the professors.
Finding a kind and decent professor was crucial.
And Professor Kirmin might just be that kind and decent professor, although Yi-Han couldn''t be certain yet...
Illusion magic isn''t bad. If you master anything well, can''t you make a living anywhere?
"Illusion magic requires something more important than abundant mana, exceptional elemental affinity, or extraordinary calction skills. It''s about precise control. From what I see, Wardanaz, you have a natural talent for it."
"...???"
Yi-Han was taken aback.
What did he mean? Yi-Han, whose immense mana often meant ack of fine control?
Could he be mistaken because of the assignment submissionst time?
That was more about what he had practiced to exhaustion under Professor Bdi, not about any exceptional talent of his own.
"Th... Thank you."
"I''m curious if you have any particr field of magic you''re interested in. Often, talented freshmen like you don''t settle on just one area but explore several."
"I haven''t decided yet."
Professor Kirmin then changed his question.
"So... besides Professor Bagrak, have you met any other professors outside of ss time?"
This wasn''t about what areas Yi-Han was interested in, but rather, which professors were interested in Yi-Han.
Choosing a mentor was not just a student''s prerogative; teachers also chose their students.
"So far, Professor Uregor..."
"Aha. Alchemy."
"Professor Bungaegor."
"Zoology."
"And Professor Willow."
"Botany."
"Professor Mortum as well..."
"Dark Magic, is it?"
"And Professor Millei."
"Summoning magic. Wait. Hold on."
Professor Kirmin paused.
It was an overwhelming list.
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Chapter 108
Chapter 108
Professor Kirmin, seeking to soothe his confusion, posed another question.
"What discussions have you had with Professor Uregor?"
"We usually talk about organizing materials in the cabin and what to grow in the garden."
Listening, Professor Kirmin hummed in acknowledgment.
It was clear that Professor Uregor held the Wardanaz family''s boy in high regard.
Alchemists do not easily open their cabins to others.
Moreover, Professor Kirmin remembered seeing a few students from the Blue Dragon carrying reagents used in Professor Uregor''sb.
It was likely that the boy of the Wardanaz family shared what he received from Professor Uregor with his friends.
''Professor Uregor must regard Wardanaz as an alchemy apprentice.''
"And with Professor Bungaegor?"
"I am learning about the animals living near the magic academy and studying how to handle them."
''...Does Professor Bungaegor think simrly...?''
Professor Kirmin observed the staff in Yi-Han''s hand.
It was a staff imbued with a strong life force, inhabited by a tree spirit.
Only Professor Willow could give such a staff.
''Professor Willow too?''
Thud!
The cumbersome sound of Yi-Han''s leopard bone summon, tied to his belt, jumping down was heard.
Yi-Han sternly, like scolding a pet, said, "Bad dog! Come back right now!"
The iplete leopard bone summon whined and returned.
Professor Kirmin couldn''t immediately grasp what had happened.
"I''m sorry. Lately, this bone summon doesn''t listen well."
"Is that summon by any chance...?"
"Ah. You know? Professor Mortum gave it to me."
"..."
Dark Magic too!
Professor Kirmin, astounded, counted on his fingers internally.
It was unclear how many professors had initiated contact first.
The absurdity aside, another question arose.
''With so many professors seeking him out, why on earth does he study with Bagrak?''
No matter how he thought about it, there seemed little reason for a student to want to learn from Bagrak...
"Professor?"
"Ah. Sorry. I was momentarily distracted by the summon. Its disobedience is due to its growing strength."
"Should I then instill fear to make it obey?"
"Undead hardly ever fear anything. It''s futile."
"?!"
Yi-Han was puzzled.
Then what about the undead summons in Professor Mortum''s , trembling at the sight of Yi-Han?
''Hmm. It seems he is not well-informed about other fields.''
Professors were surprisingly ignorant about fields outside their own. Yi-Han wasn''t surprised.
"There''s no need to be too anxious. A strong summon means high intelligence. It''s just growing stronger and won''t listen now, but once it matures, its mind will also develop, and it will obey. ...But why are there so few of the bones?"
"Professor Mortum told me to look around the academy for them."
"Ah..."
Professor Kirmin nodded.
It was just the kind of thing Professor Mortum would think of.
"Rather than just giving, he wanted to offer the student a challenge. Right?"
"Ah... Yes. Well."
Yi-Han nodded.
Professor Kirmin was evidently skilled in social interactions. Professor Bdi would have said, ''Such needless antics.''
"But that Sharakan is indeed a rare and precious monster."
"...Wasn''t it a leopard?"
"Oops."
Professor Kirmin paused abruptly.
It appeared that he had inadvertently revealed a gift Professor Mortum had prepared to surprise the students (although whether the students would appreciate it was another matter).
"Of course, it''s a leopard. A leopard."
"..."
Yi-Han was not easily deceived by such statements.
Once the ss was over, he nned to scour the library to find out exactly what kind of monster a Sharakan was.
''Wasn''t it just an ordinary leopard?''
Could it possibly be some undead monster that kills its master?
Feeling Yi-Han''s gaze, the leopard bone summon wagged its bones excitedly. For now, Yi-Han stroked its head.
...Treating it kindly now might prevent it from turning on its master, even after it grew stronger.
"Anyway, it seems Professor Mortum is quite fond of you, Wardanaz."
"All students are dear to Professor Mortum."
Yi-Han was sincere.
Given that there were no students eager to learn dark magic, Professor Mortum showed favor even to those like Gainando.
How else could a knight who came to learn dark magic to hunt dark mages attend the lectures so diligently?
"A mage doesn''t favor a talentless disciple. No matter how kind they might be."
Professor Kirmin counted again the professors mentioned in the conversation.
Including those not mentioned, there were many.
At this point, he was concerned for the health of the Wardanaz boy.
With so many professors already imparting their teachings, it was unlikely they would step back easily, and Wardanaz was likely to be pulled into all their sses.
Especially with the mental and physical fatigue already caused by Professor Bagrak...
Was he really okay?
''Hmm. This is troubling.''
Professor Kirmin was torn between wanting to take in a talented disciple and worrying about burdening an already overworked student.
Finally, his internal scales tipped in favor of the former.
"Wardanaz, if it''s okay with you..."
"Actually, I''ve also met separately with the principal."
"With Gonadaltes? What did you discuss?"
"I received a magic book. Could you please check if it''s alright?"
Yi-Han hoped to use the seemingly kind-hearted Professor Kirmin''s help to investigate the potentially evil magic book given by the principal.
However, the n backfired.
Professor Kirmin looked at Yi-Han in horror.
Caught by the most insane person in the academy.
"...That must be difficult. But hang in there!"
"???"
As Professor Kirmin ced a hand on Yi-Han''s shoulder and offered words of encouragement, Yi-Han was slightly taken aback.
There was something odd about the nuance in his voice.
It was somewhat... simr to the sympathetic tone a senior would use when saying ''hang in there!'' when Yi-Han was assigned to work under a professor.
"Thank you, Professor. But, I have a question about illusion magic. I''m not sure if I can do it well..."
"Wardanaz. You don''t need to learn illusion magic."
"?!?!"
Yi-Han was once more surprised by Professor Kirmin''s abrupt change in attitude.
''Why is he acting like this?''
''Hang in there, Wardanaz. I''ll be cheering for you.''
Yi-Han thought the students of this magic academy were somewhat unresponsive.
Despite their young age, they were treated as adults and had matured significantly, having grown up in various statuses and backgrounds.
This was evident in the ss. He remembered how unimpressed the students were when Professor Mortum entered the ssroom.
Of course, the reaction was different during the summoning magic ss, but that was an exception.
But then...
"Professor, there''s always an illusion magic on the stairs I need to use, and I can''t get through. Is there a way to dispel or break through it?"
"Can an illusion be cast on ck bread to make it seem like it''s covered in honey?"
"I''d like to set up an illusion-based intruder barrier in the lounge. Could Wardanaz, or rather, another first-year, break through it?"
It turned out that it was only dark magic that was particrly unpopr.
The students generally showed strong interest in most fields of magic. Questions about illusion magic had alreadye up five times.
Professor Kirmin waved his hands as if to calm the crowd.
"Now, now. If I were to answer every question, we''d run out of time in a day. Let''s stop here with the questions and have a brief experience of what illusion magic is like."
After finishing his words, Professor Kirmin stood still.
As an unexpected silence continued, the students grew uneasy. Gainando whispered, "Why is he doing that?"
Yi-Han stared intently at Professor Kirmin, then began to sense something was off.
''Could it be an illusion?''
If that were true, it was astonishing.
Since entering the ssroom with Yi-Han and speaking with Professor Garcia, there had been no opportunity for a switch, yet he had deceived the students'' eyes and ears, recing the real him with an illusion.
As Yi-Han started to perceive this strangeness, his surroundings suddenly felt different.
Like when he first grasped the movement of the lightning element in Professor Bdi''s near-fatal lecture, and since then, could always perceive it...
In magic, enlightenment was an inspiration that showed a different world. Yi-Han realized that there was an invisible person standing in front of his and Gainando''s desks.
"Gainando. There''s a professor in front of you."
"What?! Paralyze!"
Gainando, startled, immediately cast a curse. His prowess in dark magic was not without reason.
Of course, Professor Kirmin was not someone to be felled by a first-year''s curse. He returned the curse with a look of disbelief.
Pop!
Gainando was hit with a and stiffened up, falling to the side.
"Finding me was good, but you shouldn''t just cast a curse like that!"
"I''m sorry, Professor."
Yi-Han apologized on his behalf. Gainando had be rigid.
''But does Gainando really have talent in dark magic?''
Normally, it''s difficult to paralyze even a single body part, let alone to immobilize the whole body, even if it was self-inflicted.
It was a talent indeed.
Professor Kirmin switched ces with his original illusion. Gainando silently screamed for the paralysis curse to be lifted.
"As you just saw, I sneaked in unnoticed. This is what illusion magic can do: bing invisible, detecting others hidden in invisibility, creating illusions to confuse enemies."
Professor Kirmin, from his actions to his demeanor, was indeed a mboyant person. The students were already captivated.
Yi-Han''s heart sank again, remembering Professor Mortum''s dark magic.
"But of course, you freshmen need to start with the basics, right? A great mage possesses keen observational skills. Look at the students next to you and see if anything has changed. Noticing a sense of incongruity is the first step in recognizing an illusion."
Once again, Professor Kirmin cast illusions around the ssroom without the students noticing.
The students were shocked to realize that something about their friends, whom they had been seeing every day, had slightly changed.
"Wait. You weren''t this skinny when you enrolled."
"It''s because I haven''t been eating, dummy."
Though there were initial struggles, students from each tower gradually began to detect the illusions.
Professor Kirmin praised these perceptive students and imparted further teachings.
"If you can detect incongruities with just your keen eyesight, then you''re ready to learn the magic. Try dispelling the illusion here."
Yi-Han, along with other students, stepped forward and observed the illusion.
An illusion of a locked wooden box was ced in front of the students.
A student from the ck Tortoise, following Professor Kirmin''s instructions, recited a spell and waved their staff. The wooden box let out a piercing scream.
"!!!!"
"Don''t let your guard down when dispelling illusion magic. The presence of one illusion often means there are various other safeguards around."
Professor Kirmin advised the student and then turned his gaze to Yi-Han.
Yi-Han held his staff and aimed at the illusion on the wooden box.
He first recognized the illusion clearly, visualized what the reality might be, and then, with a spell, swung his staff.
"Begone, illusion!"
The illusion on the wooden box vanished. The princess standing nearby softly pped her hands.
However, Professor Kirmin, instead of offering praise, looked at Yi-Han with a sympathetic gaze and said, "Wardanaz, you don''t need to force yourself to practice illusion magic so diligently."
"...?!"
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Chapter 109
Chapter 109
Yi-Han was taken aback.
This was a reaction that was unlike any other among the reactions of professors that Yi-Han knew.
''What did I do wrong?''
But no matter how much he pondered, there seemed to be no mistake on Yi-Han''s part.
''Is it because of my excessive mana?''
Yi-Han cautiously inquired.
"Is it difficult for me to learn illusion magic because of my excessive mana?"
"No?"
"Then, is it because my control iscking?"
"No. That''s sufficient. Well... Alright. I should tell you."
Professor Kirmin, after some contemtion, decided to confide in Yi-Han.
"Wardanaz. Right now, you have..."
Yi-Han tensed up.
When the professor spoke so seriously, it usually indicated a serious issue.
Like when Professor Garcia diagnosed Yi-Han with incurable mana overflow upon his admission...
"There are too many professors interested in you."
"..."
Yi-Han was dumbfounded.
He knew about mana overflow, but was there such a thing as professor overflow?
''Thetter seems much more critical.''
While one could somehow live with the former, thetter seemed life-threatening.
"Why would that be..."
"Think about it. It would be too hard for you to learn illusion magic while at the same time studying under all those professors, wouldn''t it?"
''Ah.''
Yi-Han understood Professor Kirmin''s point.
And he was moved.
With those words, Professor Kirmin could im a ce among the top 1% of professors at the academy in terms of character.
He seemed worthy of a position next to Professor Garcia.
"No, I cannot."
Yi-Han spoke firmly.
He couldn''t miss attending lectures by such a professor, even if it meant avoiding other magic subjects.
He must forge a connection now!
Failing to attend now could lead to regretter, should unforeseen circumstances arise.
Even the kindest professor is still a professor.
Approachingter with ''Professor, I wish to attend your ss now'' could be met with ''Sorry, there''s no room left.''
"I can attend, Professor. I am prepared."
Yi-Han''s eyes zed with passion. Professor Kirmin was taken aback by his resolute expression.
He hadn''t expected such fervor.
His sculpted face shone with determination, casting an even stronger impression.
"It will be tough."
"It''s alright."
"Alright then. Join from the next session."
Professor Kirmin patted Yi-Han''s shoulder.
A passionate student always brought joy to a teacher.
With talent like Wardanaz, it was even better.
"Be careful, it will be tough."
"Yes. And don''t worry too much. If I don''t increase my sses further, it should be manageable, right?"
"..."
Professor Kirmin looked at Yi-Han with aplex expression.
His gaze was like that of a mage foreseeing a tragic fate, but unfortunately, Yi-Han failed to notice.
As Professor Kirmin concluded the ss and left, the students prepared to rise from their seats.
During the week''s lectures, only the angel, or rather, troll mixed-blood, Professor Garcia, didn''t torment the students with assignments.
However, with a regretful expression, Professor Garcia announced.
"Everyone, please wait. There''s a test this week."
"..."
"..."
The students looked at Professor Garcia as if they were hurt and betrayed, but Garcia, though apologetic, stood firm.
"So, everyone had better be prepared."
"What will be on the exam?"
At a student''s question, Professor Garcia nodded and responded.
For a month, we learned the basics of magic and explored various fields of magic. I intend to ask how well you have learned about these."
"Ah... but Professor! I don''t know much about dark magic..."
"Will you also ask about summoning magic?"
The students murmured among themselves.
Most students who had joined here had clear preferences.
Those who had a specific type of magic in mind often showed little interest in other areas.
Professor Garcia reassured them, as if to calm their worries.
"Everyone, rx. The questions will be tailored to each student. I won''t ask about areas that don''t align with your aptitudes or interests."
Sighs of relief escaped from various corners.
Yi-Han, who had been rxing with his friends, suddenly paused.
''Wait a minute.''
Upon reflection, Yi-Han realized he had participated in all the fields of magic covered in Professor Garcia''s lectures.
...Wait?
Does that mean...
''Do I have to prepare for everything?''
For the first time since entering the academy, Yi-Han tasted true fear.
Tuesday.
The lecture was held in a field a bit farther than usual.
Professor Bungaegor, with a lit pipe, awaited the students.
"Look at that!"
"So cute!"
Exmations burst among the students.
Behind Professor Bungaegor were baby bears.
Their round and adorable appearance made them look so cute that one could forget how they''d look when fully grown.
The students, worn out from sses, showed age-appropriate expressions upon seeing the baby bears.
"Professor really thought about us."
"Yeah. We deserve a break like this."
After weeks of assignments and lectures, and now a test.
It seemed fair to spend at least one lecture rolling around in the fields without punishment.
And unlike the previous burning puppies, these baby bears lookedpletely harmless. A definite break.
"Are you all here?"
"Yes!"
The students responded in unison, their voices twice as bright and cheerful as usual.
"Good. Now that you''re here, let''s have a test. Bring your horses."
"?"
"????"
The students were bewildered by Professor Bungaegor''s words.
"What about the baby bears?"
"The baby bears?"
Professor Bungaegor removed her pipe and turned her head back, then spoke as if realizing something.
"Ah. Those baby bears aren''t for today''s lecture. A friend asked me to look after them for a while."
"..."
The students felt more disappointed than when they met the skull principal. Professor Bungaegorughed heartily.
"If you want to y with baby bears, wait a few decades until you retire. Now, bring your horses! Let''s see how well you''ve bonded with them!"
"But we''re not ready yet, can we do it next time..."
"Beasts don''t wait for you. Will you ask a hungry beast attacking you to wait while you prepare? Move!"
The students proceeded with anxious and uneasy expressions.
Those who rarely visited the stable were naturally nervous, but even those who frequented it felt the same.
Will it be okay?
Last time, my horse didn''t listen and tried to run away
The horses in the stable were fierce and temperamental.
Even students who thought they had bonded with their horses couldn''t be sure how they would react when let loose.
And Yi-Han was no exception.
''Hmm.''
It might have been his imagination, but Yi-Han thought the white horse he was responsible for seemed to have the worst temper in the stable.
Thergest and most physically fit horse, its temperament was iparable to the others.
At times, it made one wonder if it was really a horse.
''Did Professor Uregor feed it some potion?''
But if the white horse had wildness, Yi-Han had intelligence. He had found his own way to handle it.
"There."
Yi-Han immediately equipped the white horse with a mana-absorbing metal bracelet and belt. The horse snorted in displeasure, but Yi-Han was persistent.
Without them, there was no telling how the white horse might betray him.
-Puff-huff. Huff.
The white horse was cunning and intelligent.
Realizing brute strength wouldn''t work against this mad freshman, it resorted to pitiful looks with its sad eyes.
However, Yi-Han was more merciless than the white horse.
"Sorry. No threat or plea can change my mind."
-Puff-huff-huff!
The white horse red at Yi-Han, but the artifacts already strapped to its body were draining its mana.
With its energy diminished, the horse obediently followed as Yi-Han pulled the reins.
Someday, it would have its revenge!
"Amazing...!"
"That wild horse!"
Students from the White Tiger murmured as they saw Yi-Han leading out the white horse.
Initially, when Yi-Han was assigned the most ferocious horse in the stable, everyone mocked him, thinking he couldn''t tame it.
But now, the white horse was unbelievably docile, following Yi-Han as if it had been with him for a long time.
The noble bearing of the white horse suited the boy of the Wardanaz family.
Ango unwittingly spoke.
"Wardanaz really is remarkable."
"...Has Ango lost his mind?? Why suddenly?"
"Was he enchanted by some magic on the ind?"
"No, no. It''s not about liking that Wardanaz guy, just acknowledging his abilities!"
Ango hastily exined as his friends looked at him in shock.
"Ango, you''re weird. Not even badmouthing Wardanaz."
"Maybe Wardanaz really did something to him..."
"I said no! I dislike Wardanaz! I do!"
Meanwhile, not only Yi-Han but also other students cautiously started leading their horses outside.
It seemed that students from the ck Tortoise, who had diligently cared for their horses, were numerous.
There were quite a few from the Immortal Phoenix and the White Tiger as well...
The Blue Dragon students were the fewest.
Yi-Han felt embarrassed for his friends.
''Suchzy fellows.''
No wonder the Tutanta family''s Salko despised the nobles.
Theirziness deserved as much scorn.
Professor Bungaegor ced a sundial on a rock and announced.
"If you''ve brought out your horse, follow the path. You''lle across a river; water the horses there and return for a pass."
Covered in mud, Gainando whispered.
"Couldn''t we just water them at the well and return without her knowing?"
"Listen. If someone lies about watering their horse at the river, I''ll throw them into the river."
"..."
Gainando quietly shook the mud off his hair.
"Alright, then start!"
Professor Bungaegor tapped her pipe and shouted.
The students, scattered disorderly across the field, began leading their horses down the path.
The princess elegantly mounted her horse, followed slowly by her admirers.
A few other students, having grown quite close to their horses, also rode them along the path. Their peers looked on enviously.
Yonaire could have mounted a horse too. But instead of doing so, she looked at Yi-Han.
Yi-Han was about to lead his horse by the reins.
"Aren''t you riding?"
"I might get tired if I do."
-Puff!
Instead of appreciating Yi-Han''s consideration, the white horse whinnied in protest, pleading for the removal of its bracelet and belt.
Yi-Han ignored it.
''Walking is safer.''
While absorbing its mana calmed the horse, it also risked weakening its stamina.
If he rode it and the horse copsed, it would be a disaster. Yi-Han decided to walk alongside it.
Yonaire shrugged and grasped her horse''s reins.
"Yonaire. You could ride if you want."
"I''m also worried the horse might get tired."
Yonaire''s dark-haired horse nuzzled her with a grateful whinny.
Yonaireughed, tickled by the affection. Yi-Han suddenly felt a bit sad.
''Why can''t I bond with spirits or horses...''
"And we''re friends, right?"
"Thank you."
Yi-Han spoke sincerely.
Bang!
Behind them, Gainando was catapulted out of the stable and rolled on the ground. He had been flung by a horse he wasn''t close to, trying to force it out.
Mud-covered Gainando shouted.
"Guys! Wait! You''ll wait for me, right? We''re friends!"
"Shall we start?"
"Yes."
Yi-Han and Yonaire departed without hesitation.
Friendship meant sharing stable chores in the morning.
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Chapter 110
Chapter 110
Yonaire and Yi-Han, who chose to walk instead of ride horses, realized btedly that their pace was not as slow as they had thought. The students who rode ahead were actually meandering more than expected.
"Whoawhoa!" Starting with a student from the White Tiger performing tricks atop a jumping horse...
k k k k!
"Why are youing back?"
"I don''t know! I''m not controlling this! Help!!"
And so, horses were seen running in the opposite direction. Yi-Han was surprisingly pleased to discover that walking while holding the reins was an effective method.
Snort.
The white horse, amidst the chaos of the other horses, snorted as if disappointed. It wanted to gallop wildly with Yi-Han on its back but was too drained to do so. Yi-Han rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a sugar cube, offering it to the white horse on his palm.
Snort!
The white horse, usually quite temperamental, always ceased its dislike for Yi-Han when offered a snack. Yi-Han inwardly cursed the horse, ''Such a calcting creature.''
Yonaire, on the other hand, seemed to have truly bonded with his dark brown horse, which remained gentle and affectionate even without treats, seemingly concerned about Yonaire''s fatigue.
Wardanaz! Loud, gravelly voice was heard from behind. It was Salko of the Tutanta family and his friends.
"What''s going on? Wait. Don''te closer."
"?"
Yi-Han prevented Salko and his friends from approaching.
"You might mess up my test."
"...No way!! Wardanaz, what do you take us for!"
Salko''s subordinates were enraged. Unlike Yi-Han, they were not fixated on grades. They were earnestly preparing for the test to prove their efforts, not for grades.
"Everyone says that. So stay back."
"Calm down, everyone."
Salko restrained his friends and said, "It''s a rule not to rummage through your backpack near the gold mine. With Wardanaz''s brilliance, he attracts much jealousy. There must be many rivals even within the Tower of the Blue Dragon. I can understand such a reaction."
"?" Yonaire was puzzled.
That''s not it?
"I won''t approach any further. Wardanaz."
"Alright. Tutanta. What is it?"
Before Salko could speak, one of his subordinates angrily interjected, "Think about what you''ve done, Wardanaz!"
Yi-Han hesitated for a moment. There were too many things to choose from. Yi-Han asked seriously, "I''m not sure. What are you referring to?"
"What did you just feed that horse?"
"Sugar cubes."
"That''s it! You shouldn''t feed that to a horse! You should have brought it to the ck market!"
"..."
Snort!
Yi-Han and the white horse shared a moment of mutual astonishment.
Salko coughed awkwardly for the first time.
"No, Wardanaz."
"Wasn''t it?"
"Yes. That can''t be the reason."
Salko then handed Yi-Han a bundle wrapped in brown paper. A glimpse of its contents was visible. It was a carrot.
"Carrots are just as good. Sugar is a raremodity, so use carrots instead."
With that, Salko turned away. Yi-Han called out to his sturdy dwarven, no, elven friend, "Tutanta. Thank you."
"It''s nothing. Come to the ck market next time."
"Sure. It''s not difficult."
"Let''s y a game of chess before you go."
Yi-Han gazed at Salko with suspicion, but Salko had already turned his back and departed.
"Well... it''s not bad to save sugar, I suppose."
Although he still had ample supplies, sugar was indeed a preciousmodity. Recing it with carrots wasn''t a bad idea. Yi-Han offered a carrot to the white horse.
Snort!
The white horse turned its head away, clearly disliking the carrot. Yi-Han seriously considered finding another white horse.
''Maybe there''s one at the magic academy...''
If he feed it well and grow it, wouldn''t it look somewhat simr?
Yi-Han and Yonaire caught sight of the riverbank in the distance. Several students were already leading their horses to the river.
Rowena of the White Tiger, a follower of the princess, spotted Yi-Han and warned him, "Mr. Wardanaz, be cautious."
"What''s the matter?"
Instead of replying, Rowena pointed at the river with a wooden sword. As a student neared the river to let his horse drink, something astonishing happened. The water level dramatically dropped.
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han and Yonaire''s expressions soured.
This is too much!
"Did you find a solution?"
"I was considering going deeper, but the current seems too strong..." Rowena looked hesitant.
Rivers were not to be underestimated. Even water up to one''s waist could cause drowning if bnce was lost, and the danger increased with the speed of the water. Especially this river, which seemed deep enough to reach one''s chest. In such an uncertain situation, caution was imperative.
As Yi-Han approached, the princess rushed over. Rowena spoke on her behalf, "The princess is pleased to see Mr. Wardanaz."
"It seems she just walked here...?"
The princess intently observed the brown bundle Yi-Han was carrying.
''Does she want to feed the horse a carrot?''
Yi-Han took out a carrot and offered it. The princess bit into it immediately, grimacing and then looking at Yi-Han with a sense of betrayal. Yi-Han and Yonaire were the ones taken aback.
''It was meant for the horse...''
''Shh.''
As if puzzled, Rowena inquired, "Where did you get this?"
"...A friend from the ck Tortoise said it was fresh and to eat it."
"I''m sorry, but looking at the princess''s face, it seems underripe..."
"That''s what I thought. Probably not skilled in farming. But let''s not be too harsh considering the intention."
"Yes, it''s not polite toin about a gift."
Yi-Han brazenly feigned innocence and swiftly changed the subject, "Let''s try using water maniption magic to fetch water from the river."
Swinging his staff, a massive blob of water rose from the river. Rowena couldn''t help but admire.
So quick and easy!
The blob of water neared the horse''s mouth. And just as its tongue was about to touch, the water evaporated.
"..."
Yi-Han was bbergasted.
''This is really too much.''
Is the test really this serious?
No matter what magic Professor Bungaegor had cast on the river, it seemed they couldn''t feed the horses unless they entered the water. In that case...
Yi-Han pulled out a long, sturdy rope from his backpack. The other students watching in a daze were startled.
''Why is that even there??''
It was surprising where he got it, but carrying it around like Wardanaz was just as perplexing. Seeing their puzzlement, Yi-Han announced, "Let''s use this to tie ourselves together."
The students, realizing that tying themselves and their horses together would make it easier to withstand the strong river currents, nodded in agreement. This was a n worth trying.
"That''s a good idea, Wardanaz."
"Let''s do it together."
So, the students bound themselves with ropes and entered the river with their horses.
"Careful... done!"
"We did it! We did it!"
Cheers erupted from the students who ventured deep into the river. Although the water level dropped when the horses started drinking, it wasn''t low enough to prevent them from doing so. Finally, the leading horse began to gulp down water.
''What a relief.''
Yi-Han breathed a sigh of relief internally. This was an easy resolution, indeed. Let it end just like this!
Snort.
The white horse grumbled as if it didn''t want to go.
"If you go and drink, I''ll give you an extra sugar cube."
Purr
At Yi-Han''s words, the white horse stopped grumbling and lowered its head.
Currently, the students took turns leading at the front, and now it was Yi-Han''s turn. As the white horse drank, Yi-Han suddenly felt a tingling sensation in his hair, reminiscent of the chill he had felt when he closed his eyes and detected the movement of elements during Professor Bdi''s lecture, or rather, torment.
That chilling sensation! Yi-Han quickly turned his head. A ferocious surge of water was rapidly descending from upstream.
"Bungaegor!"
His friends didn''t understand why Yi-Han suddenly shouted the professor''s name, nor did they grasp the curse hidden within.
"Everyone, get out of the way! Shield, expand!"
After warning the students behind him, Yi-Han swung his staff and created a massive water shield. Asrge and thick a shield of water as possible, utilizing all nearby river water! Instantly, the water level around them dropped, allowing the students behind to quickly escape. However, Yi-Han, who had ventured the farthest, was toote to escape. The surge from upstream collided head-on with the water shield and burst sideways. Water sshed everywhere, and the river''s level rose again.
But that was enough.
''I can withstand this!''
From the beginning, Yi-Han had no absurd notion ofpletely blocking the river with the water shield. A brief respite was all he needed. As long as the water didn''t rise around him, he could escape. But then...
Snort!
The white horse fell over.
Unlike Yi-Han, who had noticed and prepared for the surge, the white horse, caught off guard, stumbled and iled in the water that suddenly hit its ankles. Several students screamed. Yonaire, who had escaped, hurried to re-enter, but other students held her back.
"Pull the rope!"
Before Rowena could finish, the rope snapped. The violent currents on either side of Yi-Han had severed it. Now, no options remained. Rowena cried out in desperation, "Mr. Wardanaz! Escape on your own..."
"..."
The white horse was suddenly airborne. It wasn''t that Yi-Han had realized a new spell and levitated the horse Yi-Han had lifted the white horse onto his back and stood up.
The water shield wavered, precariously protecting Yi-Han''s surroundings. Everyone was lost for words, even the white horse seemed baffled by Yi-Han''s antics. The horse neighed as if toin, ''What are you doing?''
"...If you throw a fit now, I''ll nt you upside down in the riverbed," Yi-Han threatened in a deadly quiet, menacing voice.
To the onlookers, Yi-Han''s stance appeared solemn and majestic, yet his entire body was screaming in agony. With one part of his mind, he maintained the water shield, while with another, he wildly sent out mana throughout his body.
Professor Ingurdel had warned against this, but what choice did he have? There was no other way. With each step he took, the mana draining wastefully from his body was so intense that it even frightened the white horse. It seemed inevitable that this human would copse from exhaustion first.
Yet Yi-Han did not fall nor did he sumb to the river. Barely reaching the shallows, he carried the white horse out and gently set it down. Then, he erupted in a mix of resentment and frustration.
"Bungaegor!!"
"???"
The students were once again perplexed. They couldn''t understand why Yi-Han was shouting the professor''s name.
Puff
The white horse quickly got up and rushed to Yi-Han, worried about his condition. But Yi-Han was not deceived.
"No matter how nice you act, I''m not untying your bracelet and belt."
--
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Chapter 111
Chapter 111
The white horse was caught off guard. Wasn''t the mood supposed to be different at that moment?
There was a history of distrust between griffins and humans. Wasn''t it a touching moment when human dedication was about to erase the griffin''s long-standing distrust, with the griffin finally acknowledging Yi-Han as its master?
Heehee, heehee.
The white horse once again bowed its head and nuzzled against Yi-Han. Yi-Han remained unemotional.
"I told you, I won''t undo either the bracelet or the belt."
......
The white horse felt a surge of anger.
No way!
Neigh! heehee!!
"Just as I thought, showing your true colors! Did you think you could fool me?" As the white horse snorted in defiance, Yi-Han retorted as if he had anticipated this reaction.
The white horse, enraged, nudged Yi-Han with its head.
No!!!
"Are you okay?!"
"I''m fine. Seems like it''s angry because I touched it without permission."
"It''s not about the horse talking!"
Yonaire and the students rushed over in a panic. They were worried that Yi-Han might have been seriously injured.
Rowena looked at Yi-Han incredulously. It was unbelievable that he had emerged from the raging rapids carrying the white horse.
...In such a situation, wouldn''t it be better to be a knight rather than a mage?
"It''s really okay, don''t worry," Yi-Han said, shaking off the water.
The other students of the tower felt sorry about the sudden ident during Yi-Han''s turn, but Yi-Han didn''t me them. It was Professor Bungaegor''s evil and twisted scheme that was the problem.
"What... what happened?" Tutanta and friends from the ck Tortoise arrived btedly, shocked.
Yi-Han, suppressing his anger, exined calmly, "Be careful everyone. There''s a trap set by Professor Bungaegor."
"!"
Tutanta and his friends were appalled upon hearing the exnation.
"She did that?! Even the horses life is at risk?"
"How excessive, even for a test!"
Unlike other professors, Professor Bungaegor was a famous adventurer in the empire. The students, who had admired her since childhood after reading her exploration stories, felt betrayed.
"Let''s protest when we get back. We can''t participate in such a test."
"Right. This horse is like a friend to me now. How can I put a friend''s life in danger?"
Moved by the response of his friends from the ck Tortoise, Yi-Han thought, ''Perhaps the future of this academy isn''t so bleak.''
Then, suddenly, Professor Bungaegor arrived, riding a thunderbird from the sky. The thunderbird,nding smoothly, hissed at Yi-Han, apparently still holding a grudge from being tricked by him before.
Professor Bungaegor, along with Nillia, dismounted from the thunderbird.
The ck Tortoise students, determined, approached and said,
"Professor, we can''t participate in this test!"
"Rather than risking a friend''s life, we''d ept an F..."
Instead of getting angry at the students'' defiance, Professor Bungaegor nodded.
"I know. The river spirit is being capricious, right? I came to stop it. Just wait a bit."
"..."
"..."
Huh?
The students from the ck Tortoise looked at each other in confusion.
Was it not Professor Bungaegor''s trap after all?
"Wasn''t it prepared by you, Professor?"
"What?"
"The... rising river waters..."
"Trying to sweep away a student..."
"Why would I prepare that?! Are you insane?"
Professor Bungaegor eximed in disbelief.
"Why would I set up such a dangerous trap that could kill a horse?"
"That... that''s how it is," acknowledged one of the students.
"Come to think of it, that''s true," another agreed.
''Shouldn''t the first thought be the students'' potential death?''
Professor Bungaegor was known for her deep affection for animals, perhaps even more so than for his students. It was unthinkable that such a professor would send animals into a potentially dangerous situation.
"But why did you suspect me when the river spirit was acting up?" the professor questioned, puzzled.
The students felt sheepish. They realized that they had be overly distrustful of the professors, possibly due to the influence of the skull principal.
Professor Bungaegor clicked her tongue in disappointment, shaking her head, thinking, The education here seems to improve the students'' magic skills but ruins their character.''
It was Nillia who had informed Professor Bungaegor that something was amiss with the river.
Nillia, the first to arrive at the scene.
The water spirit, contracted by Nillia, had sensed the discord and sent a signal. Realizing something was wrong with the river, Nillia had left a mark used by the for Yi-Han and Yonaire to see.
-Danger. Do not approach.-
She then hurried back to Professor Bungaegor. Given the urgency, she had run in a straight line instead of following the path.
-Professor! The river spirit is being capricious!-
-The horses must be in danger! Lead the way!-
...That''s how they had swiftly arrived.
After hearing the situation, Yi-Han felt slightly sorry for suspecting Professor Bungaegor.
''I med an innocent person because of the skull principal.''
"No. But why did you foolishly enter without waiting in the meantime?" Professor Bungaegor was incredulous, seeing the students'' wet clothes.
Ordinarily, upon seeing a river behaving wildly, one would think ''this is dangerous'' and avoid it, not ''oh, it''s a test'' and jump in. But the students felt unfairly treated. The recent outrageous acts of the skull principal were still fresh in their minds.
"We really thought it was part of the test!"
"We thought it was a trap since the principal had prepared an underground dungeon under the beachst time!"
"Shouldn''t you have properly checked the river first, Professor?"
"Yeah, yeah. My apologies."
Professor Bungaegor calmed the students with a wave of her hand holding a pipe. It wasn''t the students'' fault. The faulty with the magic academy.
"But how did you manage to water the horses despite the river spirit acting up? Did you seed in persuading it?"
"We tied ourselves with ropes and went in."
"..."
Professor Bungaegor was dumbfounded. Of course, persuasion wasn''t the only solution when a spirit was angry. Like now, using ropes to physically ovee the challenge was a valid approach It''s just that ordinary students don''t usually bring ropes to sses!
"You brought it, right?"
"Why would you think it was me?" Yi-Han protested confidently, his face so forthright that Professor Bungaegor inadvertently apologized.
"Ah. Was it not you, Wardanaz? My apologies."
"I did bring it."
"..."
Professor Bungaegor restrained herself from throwing her pipe.
Listening in, Nillia tilted her head and asked, "But why did you go in when I left a warning not to approach because it was dangerous?"
"..."
"..."
Yonaire''s face turned slightly pale. Yi-Han''s face also paled, but it wasn''t as noticeable due to hisplexion.
''Damn. From now on, I must check the signs while walking.''
Nillia had taught them, and Yi-Han had learned diligently, but they hadn''t been checking every sign while walking. Yi-Han resolved to always check for signs wherever he went in the future.
"Could it be that you didn''t see it?" one student queried.
"No, I saw it. But the others kept insisting on going," Yi-Han quickly deflected responsibility. Conveniently, Rowena was standing far away with the princess.
"Typical of those from the White Tiger, stubborn to the core. There was no way to change their minds."
"That''s really how it was," another student confirmed.
Nillia was incensed by their words. It was always the nobility and knights causing problems. Even when she was in the mountains, tourists who came for fun did things they were told not to do, much to her annoyance.
Ignoring the safety rules set by the hunters working on the field!
"Such arrogance, right? Even the princess must be disappointed!"
"Knights are always like that. Don''t be too hard on them, Nillia. We''ve already given them a stern talking to." Yi-Han had effectively prevented any further probing. Nillia nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, the waiting white horse approached again, nibbling and pulling at Yi-Han''s sleeve.
"Getting along, aren''t you?"
"Not getting along. It''s all a trick."
Pffft! Haahee! Pffft!
"See? It''s getting angry. You shouldn''t be fooled."
"...?"
Nillia looked at the white horse, not understanding. As someone who had be friendly with animals in the mountains, she could tell. The white horse seemed to genuinely like Yi-Han. Wasn''t that behavior akin to ''Please notice me''?
Nillia cautiously spoke up, "It seems to me like you''ve gotten closer..."
"What are you talking about?" Professor Bungaegor, having calmed the lecture''s water spirit, joined the conversation and was startled upon seeing the white horse.
It recognizes him as its master?
Surprisingly, the griffin, or rather, the white horse, was acknowledging Yi-Han as its master. Considering what a griffin was a creature with the wings of an eagle and the ws of a lion, prideful as the sum of those two it was remarkable. Normally, it wouldn''t submit to anyone unworthy or evil, even at the cost of its life. For such a creature to acknowledge Wardanaz as its master was unheard of.
Professor Bungaegor rubbed her eyes in disbelief and looked again. She asked, "What... what happened here?"
"Huh?" Yi-Han was on guard at the professor''s question. He quickly denied it, "Professor, I didn''t steal the rope."
Of course, the students from the ck Tortoise might have!
"...I''m not interrogating you; I''m just curious! Answer me! Do you think I''m Gonadaltes or something?" Professor Bungaegor was slightly irate. She''s not some principal to be feared! "I''m asking because you seem to have gotten close to this white horse. Normally, it''s difficult to befriend such a ferocious creature."
"Ah."
Yi-Han nodded in understanding and then said, "It''s using tricks on me. A very cunning creature."
"..."
Are you the professor? Professor Bungaegor held back her thought and asked again, "What exactly happened?"
"Really, nothing special happened. I would have mentioned it if there had been."
With Yi-Han insisting to this extent, Professor Bungaegor had to step back. The boy from the Wardanaz family was known for his diligence and sincerity. He was not one to lie needlessly.
Yonaire, listening on the side, whispered, "You saved it from the water."
"Oh. That... The river spirit was acting up, and the horse fell over. I just helped it up and brought it out."
Yi-Han spoke as if it was nothing significant. Professor Bungaegor thought about it and then hesitated.
"Wait a minute. The horse fell over because of the river spirit, but how did you help it out? There wasn''t enough time. Surely you haven''t already learned magic...?"
"Yes, so I carried it out. I cast a water shield to buy some time," Yi-Han exined.
"..."
Professor Bungaegor had to grip her pipe tightly between her index and middle finger. It was to prevent herself from throwing it at the exceptional student in front of her, who seemed unaware of the magnitude of his own actions.
''That''s a big deal! What else would be, if not that?''
Now it all made sense to her. The act of risking one''s own life in a potentially fatal situation to save another. It was this courage and honor that had led the griffin, or rather, the white horse, to recognize him as its master.
As her astonishment subsided, Professor Bungaegor felt an unexpected surge of pride. Many arrogant mages often mistook their vast knowledge and formidable magic as the key to taming animals. But in Professor Bungaegor''s view, true talenty somewhere deeper.
It was the heart that cared more for others than for oneself.
That heart was the real key. How could she not be delighted to see her student demonstrating such a simple yet vital principle?
Neigh.
"I said I won''t let you go. Go away."
Heehee! Haahaa!
"Don''t get angry. I won''t let you go just because you''re upset."
"..."
Eventually, Professor Bungaegor couldn''t hold on any longer and dropped her pipe.
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Chapter 112
Chapter 112
Yi-Han was unaware of the incredible opportunity thaty before him the affectionate loyalty of a griffin.
"Dammit!" Professor Bungaegor coughed out in frustration. Yi-Han, with a look of concern, handed her the smoking pipe, asking, "Did you swallow something wrong?"
"No, not that!" The professor was exasperated. Who was worrying about whom? Professor Bungaegor calmed herself and then suggested, "Why don''t you try being a bit more kind to it?"
"How can I be any kinder here?" Yi-Han replied with a slight hint of confusion in his voice. His sincerity was so evident that even Bungaegor had no retort. Unknown to the students, Bungaegor had been keeping a watchful eye on the stables. It was only natural, considering she had entrusted her beloved horses to the care of the freshmen.
And Yi-Han had been sincerely taking care of the griffin. It was unusual for a boy of noble birth to show such dedication. The griffin''s affection was not just because Yi-Han had saved its life; the care he had shown beforehand yed a significant part too.
But that was a different matter. Right now, not trusting the griffin was a separate issue.
"Is there a problem with how I feed it or groom it?" Yi-Han inquired.
"No, it''s not that... It''s about trust and faith," Bungaegor exined.
The white horse nodded as if urging her to continue.
Yi-Han wasn''t easily convinced. "Being kind and trusting blindly are two different things, Professor. Isn''t thetter irresponsible?"
Silence fell. The boy from the Wardanaz family was making valid points today. Training an animal while overlooking its instincts and blindly trusting it wasn''t a good practice. Trust and love were necessary, but so was a degree of skepticism.
But still...!
Heehee!
The white horse snorted in agreement.
"Look at that. It gets angry right away," Yi-Han observed.
"Fine. Handle it yourselves," Bungaegor gave up, turning away as the horse red at her.
Yonaire, curious, asked, "What''s that horse''s name? It doesn''t respond even when called."
The stable horses understood when they were called by name, but the white horse seemed to refuse to understand.
To be precise, it refused to understand.
-No matter what name you give it, it seems like it doesn''t like it.-
-Isnt it just that it has a bad temper?-
-No. Maybe it''s because it''s not a name it likes.-
-Isnt it just that it has a bad temper?-
-It may have originally had a different name, so let''s ask the professorter.-
-I think it just has a bad temper.-
Bungaegor was slightly taken aback by the conversation. Thankfully, she has turned away, saving her from revealing her expression to the students.
"Nif... Niffirg," She said.
"Niffirg... That''s an unusual name."
"Niffirg," Yi-Han repeated, looking at the white horse. "Is that right, Niffirg?"
The horse shook its head as if in disapproval. Yi-Han, watching this, concluded, "It just has a bad temper."
Thanks to Professor Bungaegor''s persuasion of the river spirit, the students who arrivedter could easily give water to the animals. The students who had struggled earlier grumbled, "That''s not how you''re supposed to give them water."
"Do those guys even know how hard it is to water them when the water spirit is angry? That''s the real challenge."
Yi-Han approached Professor Bungaegor, who was busy recording scores and fidgeting with her smoking pipe.
"Why? Wardanaz, your score is perfect. No need to worry."
"It''s not because of that, but I have something to ask. While reading a book, I came across the name of a monster I haven''t heard before."
"Speak," prompted the professor.
"Do you know of a monster named Sharakan?"
"The King of Leopards," Professor Bungaegor replied, tapping her smoking pipe to clean it. "ording to the legends of the mountain dwellers, it was born between the rocky mountains and leopards. That''s why it''s worshipped by leopards."
"Is it a dangerous monster?" Yi-Han was not concerned with whether Sharakan was born between the mountains and leopards or between a spirit king and leopards. His concern was its danger level.
Professor Bungaegor answered with a tone of incredulity, "How could it not be dangerous? Even a regr leopard is perilous."
"...What if I were to make Sharakan into an undead and control it?"
"Why take such a risky step? Turning a monster into an undead doesn''t erase its wildness and ferocity. If it finds a gap or grows dissatisfied, it might break free and attack."
"Oh..." Yi-Han contemted whether to attack Professor Mortum with magic or a sword when they met next.
''Isn''t this worse than the principal?'' The principal hadn''t given such a monster as a gift!
"Why ask that? Are you eager to create an undead monster already?" Professor Bungaegor asked with a sly smile. Rumors of his magic prowess among the professors indicated he was a talent of a different caliber.
"No, that''s not it."
"Don''t be shy about failing. Setting ambitious goals is something you can only do as a freshman."
''But that''s not what I want.''
"Even if you want to create an undead monster, it''s better to choose a suitable one in advance. Do you know the third mostmon cause of death among imperial dark magesst year? It''s from summoning undead monsters they couldn''t handle."
Yi-Han unconsciously rubbed his neck. ''I must treat it better in the future...''
As time came, Professor Bungaegor concluded her wait.
"Today''s test taught many things. Those who werezy learned how theirzinesses back to haunt them, while the diligent saw their hard work bear fruit."
Yi-Han looked at Niffirg, the white horse, who blinked innocently. ''This guy is up to something.''
The horse snorted in anger, sensing Yi-Han''s suspicion. Clearly, diligence was far from its nature.
"If you feelcking, don''t just stop there; work on improving. Taming animals isn''t the only challenging task. Magic can''t be learned overnight either."
The students nodded thoughtfully, but Yi-Han mused, ''Aren''t thezy ones not here? The ones affected by the professor''s words are the diligent ones, while thezy students haven''t even reached the river yet.''
Bungaegor, aware of this, instructed, "Pass this message to thezy ones. ss dismissed! See you next time!"
"Thank you, Professor!"
As the students prepared to leave, calming their horses, Salko from the Tutanta family approached.
"Wardanaz."
"Tutanta."
"Did the horse enjoy the carrot?"
"Yes, it did. Thanks for that."
"I gave it because our horses like them. d to hear it was well received."
Rowena, passing by, looked at Yi-Han with an expression of shock and horror.
What did he just say?
"I came to ask for a favor," said Salko.
"Is it about the carrots?"
"No. The carrots were a thank you for what happenedst time. This is a different matter. I need your skills."
Yi-Han was slightly surprised. Salko, with such strong pride, was asking him for a favor. What could it be? ''To rob the principal''s storehouse?''
"Tell me."
"I need your cooking skills."
The Immortal Phoenix Tower was a tower where priests from various orders of the empire gathered. It was the quietest and mostposed among the towers of the magic academu.
Dwarf Muhaddin was a priest of the Ciseners Order.
The Ciseners Order, devoted to knowledge and schrship, researched and preserved the empire''s various disciplines and was highly respected. The Tutanta family was also a patron of the Ciseners Order.
"The problem is that Priest Muhaddin hardly eats."
Yi-Han was still dumbfounded and took a moment to gather his thoughts.
''Whye to me with this?''
"That''s unfortunate. Probably due to the poor conditions of the magic academy. Have you spoken to the principal?"
"No. It''s not about the food. He naturally eats little. The problem is, in the Order, other priests took care of him, but here, no one can. Even the priests of the tower try, but there''s a limit."
Yi-Han was about to say ''Then why ask me,'' but Salko continued, "While worrying, I heard about your cooking skills. I asked other priests in the Immortal Phoenix, and they praised your cooking."
"It''s because the priests are kind."
Yi-Han understood what had happened. His excessive ttery towards Priestess Siana had backfired. What kind of praises had she given...
"It must be from Priestess Siana. Being kind-hearted..."
"I asked Priestess Tijiling and others too. Wardanaz, you''re too modest."
The students of the ck Tortoise behind Salko nodded as if they had no choice but to agree. The tomato vegetable stew that the boy from the Wardanaz family made at thest ck market was remarkable. Even one of the ck Tortoise students red at Yi-Han resentfully.
"Here, Renjid is from a family of renowned chefs in the empire. But he admitted he can''t beat you."
Yi-Han thought for a moment that the other was insane. ''That''s not a fairpetition...''
After all, Yi-Han could use any ingredient he wanted, while the other was limited.
But still!
"So, you want me to cook?"
Yi-Han asked, regaining hisposure. It was ridiculous, but not impossible. It wouldn''t hurt to let Salko owe him a favor, and serving a priest from the Ciseners Order wasn''t a bad thing. It''s always good to befriend those who excel in their studies.
"Yes."
"Alright. Have you prepared the ingredients? Or should I help? I can get them for a good price."
Upon hearing Yi-Han''s words, Salko shook his head.
"No. I''ve already found the necessary ingredients. We just need to go and get them together."
"Oh? Where are they?"
"In the kitchen."
"?"
Yi-Han paused. Was there a kitchen in the dormitory tower?
"Which kitchen?"
"The one in the basement of the main building."
"...I see. I just remembered I have urgent matters to attend to, so I''ll be leaving now."
"Wait, Wardanaz! We need your help!"
"Without you, it can''t be done! You''re the one who infiltrated the White Tiger, aren''t you...?"
The students from the ck Tortoise rushed over in a frenzy. To navigate thebyrinth-like backside of the magic academy, they desperately needed the boy from the Wardanaz family, skilled in magic.
"Why are you talking about strange things if you need my cooking skills? Bring out the ingredients, and then I''ll cook."
"Wardanaz. Of course, we didn''t n to just ask you a favor! You''ll change your mind once you see this."
Yi-Han was puzzled. What could possibly change his mind? ''What is it?''
"It''s a forbidden book of dark magic."
A student from the ck Tortoise cautiously took out a steel box. Upon opening the lid, a blood-red covered book emitted a sinister curse.
"Close it!"
Bang!
The students quickly shut the box and then said with a smug expression, "How about it? This should make you reconsider, right, Wardanaz?"
"...No?"
"?!?!"
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Chapter 113
Chapter 113
The students of the ck Tortoise were genuinely perplexed, even Salko from the Tutanta family. They had been certain that Wardanaz would be pleased with the forbidden book of dark magic.
"Why not? Wardanaz?"
"Ah! Is it because you''ve already read it and it doesn''t appeal to you? Oh no!"
The ck Tortoise students questioned among themselves, seeking answers.
Watching them, Yi-Han thought to himself, "Those from the White Tiger spreading rumors must all be locked up in the punishment room."
The rumors were tainting the sacred ground of magic learning, the magic academy
"Where did you find this book?" Yi-Han asked, curious. He knew the ck Tortoise students were actively searching for useful items, but he didn''t expect them to find a dark magic book emanating curses.
"We found it in the Bottomless Hole area on the fourth floor of the library."
Just the name gives me chills, Yi-Han thought. The library at the magic academy was far from a peaceful repository of knowledge. The floors above the second were more akin to dungeons orbyrinths.
A Bottomless Hole area... one can imagine what sort of ce it was.
"Why the library, of all ces?"
"We''re trying toplete the map of the academy. It would be convenient to have one."
"Oh..." Yi-Han was impressed. While the students of the Blue Dragon were eating, sleeping, and ying cards, those from the ck Tortoise were engaged in such constructive activities.
I wish I could swap our students with them.
"I was looking for a book with the academy''s map, but it''s disappointing that it''s not up to your level," one studentmented.
Yi-Han was about to clear the misunderstanding but then gave up, thinking it pointless as they wouldn''t believe him anyway.
"Wardanaz, couldn''t you at least read it once?" a ck Tortoise student asked with a voice dripping with regret, pained by the book''s useless treatment.
Yi-Han might have read it under normal circumstances, but...
"Didn''t the book emit a curse when you opened the box just now?"
A cursed book was a different story. It wasn''t worth enduring a curse just to read an unknown book.
"Can''t someone like you counter the curse and read it?"
Yi-Han looked at them suspiciously for a moment, wondering, Are these guys plotting to assassinate me, instigated by the White Tiger?
"I''m sorry, but I''m not at that level."
"Wasn''t it so..." The ck Tortoise students were disappointed, having thought Wardanaz could handle it despite the curse.
"How do we lift the curse of magic absorption?"
"It seems impossible at our current level. Maybe if we ask a professor..."
"Do you think the professor would just let this be?"
"Wait a minute," Yi-Han interjected, having overheard the ck Tortoise students'' conversation.
"What curse are you talking about?"
"The curse of magic absorption. The book absorbs mana."
The book with the blood-red cover absorbed mana from anyone nearby. Several ck Tortoise students had already copsed from mana exhaustion, indicating the curse''splexity.
"Give it to me. I''ll give it a read."
"See, Wardanaz, there''s no need to be falsely modest. We already know your capabilities."
"We don''t like it when someone with abilities is unnecessarily humble."
While listening to the nonsensical chatter of the ck Tortoise students, Yi-Han opened the box. Indeed, the blood-red book emitted a curse of magic absorption. Yi-Han felt his mana being slowly drawn into the book. And then, nothing happened.
''As expected.''
Wearing a bracelet and belt for absorbing mana, there was no change, so why would holding one more blood-red book make a difference?
Yi-Han was not surprised in the least.
The importance of reagents in magic is undeniable. As the level of magic increases, so does the importance of the reagent, the price of magic. Among the variousplex and diverse reagents, a mage''s blood is considered the most powerful and ancient. Blood magic uses this blood as a reagent to amplify mana, enabling the use of powerful spells that are otherwise unattainable. Before beginning, it''s important to mention safety precautions. The survival rate for novice mages practicing blood magic is less than 5%, but by following these safety rules, it can be increased to 7%. Before using blood magic, eat a hearty meat meal and get plenty of sleep the previous night, and drink as much water as possible before casting...
Yi-Han was surprised for two reasons. First, this wasn''t a book of dark magic, but of blood magic. Both sounded sinister just by name, but there was a difference. Dark magic held a respectable ce among the empire''s famous schools of magic (though it wasn''t popr), while blood magic was more a secret technique, a mere auxiliary to magic.
It was a technique that used blood to amplify the amount of mana. Of course, it was quite dangerous, but it was still a legitimate technique. Very dangerous, but The second reason for Yi-Han''s surprise was that the typography of this book was identical to .
''Now that Ipare them, even the titles are simr.''
Both received from Professor Bdi and this book shared simr titles and identical typography.
''At first, I thought Professor Bdi wrote it, but he would never write in such detail. Who then? A disciple?''
"How is it? Wardanaz? Does it interest you?" The ck Tortoise students asked, their expressions anxious. It seemed they were quite concerned about whether the magic book appealed to Yi-Han.
"It''s fine."
"!"
"Of course...!" One of the ck Tortoise students nodded happily. They had thought that Wardanaz wouldn''t dislike such a dark magic book.
''They''re making unnecessary assumptions again.''
Yi-Han''s interest in the book was for a simple reason. It was certainly not because of a sense of challenge towards blood magic, a dangerous secret frowned upon by imperial mages.
Yi-Han had no interest in blood magic. Why would he amplify his mana with blood magic when he already had sufficient mana?
His interesty elsewhere.
Here, the book introduced several spells that were usually difficult to use due to their high mana requirements, but could be executed under the assumption of using blood magic. Most of these spells required so much mana that they were rarely used in the empire, but their effects were undeniably powerful...
Magic, too, had its trends and poprity.
Magic that other mages didn''t use would soon be forgotten and disappear.
And spells requiring a lot of mana were bound to be unpopr. After all, who would favor spells that consumed excessive amounts of mana?
But Yi-Han was different.
''I might actually be suited for spells that consume a lot of mana.''
Spells with high mana consumption often didn''t require fine control.
He had little interest in blood magic; his curiosityy in the spells that could only be cast using blood magic.
"Alright. I''ll join you."
Yi-Han tucked the book into his cloak. The ck Tortoise students inwardly marveled at how casually he stored the cursed book.
''Truly a scion of the Wardanaz family!''
''Was the rumor true that they train from a young age by enduring curses?''
"But I have a few conditions."
"Speak. If it''s within our ability, we''ll agree."
"I, too, am exploring the academy, and I need the help of experienced thieves... I mean, friends."
"Did you just say thieves?"
"Wait. Wardanaz."
Salko interrupted hisrade''s question.
"The Blue Dragon students are avable, aren''t they? Do you really need our help?"
Yi-Han was incredulous.
''Well, they can''tpare in skill...''
The students of the ck Tortoise, hardened by various criminal activities, versus the Blue Dragon students, who had only lounged aroundmanding servants! The former was obviously more adept. However, he couldn''t say that, considering his friends'' pride.
"It might be dangerous."
Salko nodded, as if he expected such a response.
"Not calling your friends because of potential problems. I respect that."
Getting caught roaming the academy at night meant a trip to the punishment room. Wardanaz knew that, so he didn''t call his friends from the Blue Dragon.
''But that''s not it.''
"If you need help during your exploration, I''ll assist."
"Secondly, I would like you to share the maps information that you have gathered with me."
"..."
After a moment of consideration, Salko nodded. Sharing the map''s information with another tower''s student was regrettable, but Wardanaz deserved it. And the most important thing now was to serve priest Muhaddin.
"Lastly..." Yi-Han hesitated slightly, causing the ck Tortoise students to tense up. They wondered what the boy from the Wardanaz family might ask, hesitating like this.
"...I''ll also take a share of the ingredients found in the kitchen."
"..."
"..."
Was that all he was waiting to say??
As evening fell, the thieves, or rather the students, gathered in front of the main building. Everyone present had roamed the academy at night at least once. Their attire and movements exuded ease and experience.
"Please to meet you, Mr. Wardanaz," Ratford, the most professional thief among them, greeted Yi-Han warmly. It was obvious that the ck Tortoise students would call Ratford for such an asion.
Yi-Han, returning the greeting, paused.
"Didn''t Niliae?"
"You didn''t call her, did you?"
Ratford looked at Yi-Han as if he was making no sense. Yi-Han thought he would have to rifyter.
"Let''s go."
Yi-Han didn''t want to inte the ck Tortoise students'' fantasies further, but only he and Ratford had been to the underground kitchen before. Naturally, Yi-Han ended up exining. Even the roughest ck Tortoise student looked at Yi-Han with a slight expression of admiration.
In that brief span, how had they managed to explore the extents of the academy?
"Underground, starting from the food storage, there are various facilities, but a storeroom keeper guards the ce."
"The storeroom keeper?"
"A blindfolded blind man, but with exceptional detection abilities. Once you encounter him, evading or hiding bes nearly impossible."
Salko nodded, focusing intently on Yi-Han''s words. Then a question struck him.
''But how did Wardanaz escape?
If it was impossible, what method did he use?
"When you guys roam around the library or other ces and get spotted, how do you shake them off?"
Yi-Han asked, seemingly curious. Yi-Han himself had various methods, starting with a belt of invisibility, but the ck Tortoise students probably didn''t have such options.
Did they have a special way?
"One of us would draw their attention and get caught. The rest of us used that moment to escape their sight."
"..."
Yi-Han marveled at the crude method.
It was unsophisticated, but he had to admit, it was effective.
''I should try this if I''m ever with the White Tiger students.''
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Chapter 114
Chapter 114
The party skillfully opened a door behind the main entrance on the first floor of the main building and entered. The space, usually not open to students, began to reveal itself beside the corridor. Mesmerized unwittingly by the sight of the empty banquet hall andrge hall, the students of the ck Tortoise stared in awe. They wondered why, despite such ces, they had to eat hard bread in the lounge.
Yi-Han and Ratford exchanged nces.
-"Don''t let your guard down,"- one warned.
-"Of course,"- the other agreed.
Ratford recalled the thief''s creed: "When revisiting a ce once burgled, be several times more cautious."
Yi-Han thought of the skull principal.
Since the underground passage was breachedst time, he must have changed and strengthened the defense system.
They could not expect the luck of entering the underground without a trace, as before.
Click.
As expected, they saw a suit of te armor walking towards them from far down the corridor.
-"How can you confuse me with a freshman?"-
-...-
When it was discovered that Lee Han and Ratford had seeded in escaping through the passage of the underground warehouse, the warehouse keeper was called in by the principal and reprimanded.
Yet, the warehouse keeper remained unshaken.
-"But, even so, it''s impossible to distinguish by the amount of mana,"- he protested.
-"Foolish... Fine, I understand. There''s no immediate fix for this,"- the skull principal conceded.
He couldn''t reprimand the warehouse keeper too harshly for missing Wardanaz this time; the warehouse keeper was toopetent. More than just managing the underground warehouse''s inventory, he was responsible for facility maintenance and various other tasks. asionally, he even caught unlucky students roaming at night. One mistake was not enough for further reprimand.
Honestly, even the skull principal considered this mistake unavoidable. Who could have predicted a boy from the Wardanaz family, an anomaly, would appear before the warehouse keeper who distinguished intruders by mana?
-"I''ll lend you my summon. Don''t rely solely on mana; find other ways to detect intruders."-
-"Yes, I''ll do my best."-
-"If you find the boy from the Wardanaz family, don''t let him escape. Send him straight to the punishment room."-
-"Why must I do that?"-
-"Just do as I say, will you?"-
After the conversation with the principal, the warehouse keeper significantly increased the security at the back of the main building and the underground.
To the students, it was like a game of cat and mouse. Once they found a way in, they kepting back. So, a harsh lesson was necessary.
-"Don''t even dream ofing this way!"-
The summon lent by the skull principal would surely catch the fearless intruders.
The warehouse keeper started his routine inspections, following the designated path.
"It''s a walking suit of armor!" The students of the ck Tortoise whispered in terror.
"Do you know it?"
"I''ve encountered it before."
The students shivered. How many had been captured because of that walking armor?
Since it wasn''t a person inside, attacking it fiercely only resulted in it reassembling itself, and if they managed to immobilize it, it soon called for reinforcements.
Yi-Han pondered, Is there a way to capture it?
The summon reminded him of Giorvan the Second, the guardian of the previous desert arena.
The summon was of a non-living, inanimate type. However, being non-living did not equate to invincibility. If it sustained significant damage, the summon would be forcibly unsummoned. The problem was...
Lightning element magic seems effective, but using it now would be problematic
Winning or losing the fight wasn''t the issue. Engaging in battle meant certain loss for the students. Especially using loud, shy magic like lightning element would be akin to announcing their presence.
It''s better to avoid it.
"It seems we haven''t been discovered yet. We should avoid it. Has it followed us well?"
"I''m not sure. It depends..."
Yi-Han decided to retreat with his party.
Click.
But, another suit of te armor had already appeared far behind them. The faces of the ck Tortoise students turned ashen.
"I''ll lure it..."
"To the side!"
Yi-Han didn''t hesitate and opened a door. It was one he had noted for escape when they had first entered the corridor. An old space, probably once used as a ssroom, appeared. Chairs and desks were stacked with various clutter.
The ck Tortoise students instinctively scanned the clutter for anything useful - a professional habit.
"If the armor enters here..."
"I know, Wardanaz. Scatter and run, even if someone gets caught?"
When faced with an insurmountable crisis, the principle was to minimize damage by scattering and fleeing.
The ck Tortoise students already knew this rule.
"No. I''ll cast magic to knock it down. Don''t be surprised and just run. It''ll be very loud."
"..."
Hearing Yi-Han''s confident n to take down the armor, the ck Tortoise students thought, We brought the right person!
Not many would dare to speak of bringing down the armor. The ck Tortoise students felt fortunate to have him.
Thunk!
?
A ttering sound came from the clutter behind. The tense students turned in surprise.
"Did you touch it?"
"No... you?"
Paper and a quill appeared, then words were etched onto it.
-Can''t you keep quiet, freshmen?-
"A... a ghost!"
-Not a ghost, but a senior. You foolish freshmen.-
The writing on the paper stopped the students'' shivering, but they were far from reassured.
"Why are you... doing this, senior?"
"Yeah, show your face."
-Don''t talk nonsense. I don''t want to go to the punishment room. This is risky enough!-
"...?"
Yi-Han was momentarily puzzled.
Ah. Contact with a freshman leads to the punishment room by the principal.
Such a thing was very much within the realm of the skull principal''s actions. Otherwise, there would have been cases of students contacting seniors.
-Anyway, keep your voices down and converse in whispers. If you don''t want to be caught by that armor. And don''t spout nonsense about a freshman using magic to knock it down!-
Yi-Han slightly regretted his words after hearing the unknown senior''s admonition.
Was it too reckless?
"I thought lightning element magic would suffice... Sorry."
-...You know how to use lightning element magic?-
The other party seemed slightly taken aback. The handwriting trembled.
-Still, don''t do it. It''s too noisy. I''ll get caught too.-
Yi-Han and the ck Tortoise students realized how precious this encounter with the senior was. When would they have another chance to converse with someone who had been in the academy longer?
"Senior, how can we evade that armor?"
"Senior, what''s the best route to the kitchen from here?"
"Senior, what''s likely to be on the exam?"
The sudden barrage of questions seemed to fluster the senior.
-Am I here just to answer your questions? Can''t you stay quiet for a moment? You don''t even know what kind of armor that is-
Yi-Han intervened, stopping his friends. Annoying the senior and missing out on valuable information would be a loss.
"Everyone, calm down and let''s listen to the senior. What kind of creature is that armor?"
The walking armor was a summoned creature often used by the skull principal. Being non-living, it could roam the academy all the time, equipped with the ability to detect heat, making it a notorious summon for catching unlucky students!
But the harsher the academy, the more the students evolved to adapt. They had a few tricks up their sleeves: using fire magic to create a diversion, illusions that emitted heat to deceive it, or covering themselves thickly to prevent heat escape.
-The ssroom here is under an illusion I cast. You can open the door and look out, but the armors won''t notice. However, if you make noise, it''s all for nothing. So please, everyone, keep quiet!-
''Ah, so that was the strange feeling.''
Yi-Han understood on his own.
When they had entered the ssroom earlier, something had felt subtly off. It seemed unchanged at a nce, but it was an illusion crafted to emit just enough heat to be detected.
''This can be used in such a way too.''
Yi-Han mentally noted this, thinking it a valuable lesson. It would be helpful in his future wanderings around the academy.
"I didn''t notice at all."
"Me neither."
-Would it be an illusion if you could notice it?-
The quill moved swiftly, leaving words that seemed to carry a hint of pride.
"So, senior, what were you doing here?"
-...-
"???"
-...I was heading to the kitchen.-
"That''s great! We were going there too."
"But why were you heading to the kitchen, senior?"
The senior fell silent again. Yi-Han asked.
"Are you hungry?"
"Come on, Wardanaz. That can''t be it."
"Right. A senior wouldn''t be..."
-...Yes, that''s it. I need a reagent hidden in the kitchen.-
The senior hastily made an excuse. The others eximed in admiration, but Yi-Han looked skeptical.
''It doesn''t seem right.''
-The armors have passed. Let''s move now.-
"Could I possibly learn the illusion magic you used to deceive the armors?" Yi-Han inquired. Surely, he would learn such magic in illusion ss eventually, but Yi-Han needed it now. He couldn''t exactly ask the walking armors to wait until he learned it.
The senior scoffed and started writing.
-I can tell you about it, but it''s not a spell a freshman can learn right now.-
"Still, could you tell me the method..."
As Yi-Han persistently requested, the senior relented, albeit reluctantly, and exined.
.
This was the magic used to deceive the walking armors. The chant "Heat, distort the air" summoned an illusion filled with heat.
Instead of altering the interior of the ssroom, the senior had spread a curtain-likeyer of appropriate heat. This was sufficient to evade the gaze of the walking armors, and summoning an illusion alongside required a considerable expenditure of mana.
There was no reason to waste mana unnecessarily.
''A freshman couldn''t do it.''
The senior had readily shared this information, thinking it utterly impossible for a freshman. Lacking in both the skill to manipte magic and the sufficient mana to wield it, how could a freshman cast this spell? It was quicker to teach them and let them quickly give up than to refuse outright.
"Freshmen, quickly, to the kitchen..."
"Heat, distort the air!"
As the incantation was uttered, an illusion enveloped Yi-Han and his party. To the senior watching from outside, it appeared as if Yi-Han and his group had vanished.
It was Yi-Han''s first time casting this spell, and he wasn''t sure if it had worked properly. So, he asked, "Did this work correctly?"
-...The aesthetic of the illusion seems a bitcking... perhaps the colors are too faint-
The senior, almost unwittingly nitpicking, blushed upon realizing what he was doing.
What a disgraceful act!
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Chapter 115
Chapter 115
The series of illusion magic by Farhait was more challenging than other types of illusion magic. It wasn''t merely about creating illusions; the addition of heat as an element naturally increased its difficulty.
ended with just adjusting temperatures suitable for the illusion, but the intermediate and advanced levels could even summon illusions that actually attacked intruders.
Stay calm, the senior thought, realizing the disgraceful nature of his actions, and calmed his mind. Being a freshman didn''t necessarily mean failure in magic. Perhaps, he was fortunate enough to find a spell that suited him.
-So, you seem to have a talent for fire element magic. I''m guessing right, aren''t I? You showed your talent in Professor Garcia''s ss, didn''t you?-
"Professor Garcia has forbidden the use of fire element magic."
The senior was at a loss for words. Talent aside, what on earth had happened for fire element magic to be banned?
What''s with this guy?
The group moved to the kitchen. With the possibility of encountering walking armors or warehouse keepers at any moment, they couldn''t afford to waste time. An unidentified senior, waving a piece of paper and a quill pen, led the group forward.
The door, marked with a teapot symbol, creaked open.
-Here''s the underground ''Teapot'' kitchen. It''s rtively essiblepared to other kitchens in the academy. It''s a bit disappointing that there''s no alcohol-
Is alcohol that important?
Unlike Yi-Han''s thoughts, the students from the ck Tortoise were greatly disappointed.
"No alcohol..."
"Really too bad."
"Can a kitchen even be without alcohol?"
Yi-Han was dumbfounded by his friends'' strong desire for alcohol.
What are they thinking
Did theye here to learn or to drink?
While the ck Tortoise students were searching the kitchen in vain hope for alcohol, the senior called Yi-Han. After the disgraceful disy in , it was time to show something more befitting of a senior. To the unsuspecting and famished freshmen, the academy''s hidden ces would be profoundly impressive.
-Come with me. And try not to scream.-
?
-Open that cupboard.-
Yi-Han, puzzled, opened the cupboard at the senior''s behest.
Is it a trap?
There were hams and sausages, made from cut pieces of meat, hanging inside.
Yi-Han was grateful for the sight of the salted or smoked sausages.
"Oh, thank you. It was pretty well made."
-...-
The senior was flustered.
Normally, freshmen would be overjoyed at the sight of such a find. The senior himself had been thrilled when he identally found a piece of sausage in a professor''s workshop during his first year. He had eaten it greedily without even using a fork or knife. The taste of that sausage was still memorable.
But this freshman boy was casually critiquing the quality of the food. This was not the behavior of a typical freshman. What in the world...?
"Wardanaz. I''ve found the ingredients we need. Can youe and help me?"
"Sure. I''ll be right there."
The ck Tortoise students gathered ingredients and lit a fire under the cauldron.
-What are you doing?- The senior asked, looking perplexed.
"We''re making a nutritious meal for a friend."
-Not a bad idea,- The senior nodded approvingly.
The magic academy was too harsh a ce to survive on what was given. This was especially true for freshmen. To survive, one had to fend for oneself.
-...Just a moment. Just a moment.-
The senior, rmed, tried to intervene. The cooking was unlike anything ordinary; even the atmosphere differed. The ingredients in the pot were undergoing a chemical reaction, emitting a unique mana. It was a form of alchemy.
And judging by the preparations, the process was evidentlyplex.
It seems a magic spell might be needed
-This is not something a freshman should handle. Stop them!-
Is it?
Yi-Han questioned Salko, needing confirmation after having heard so much. "Tutanta. I heard that this cooking is not ordinary, but a kind of alchemy, and quite challenging. Is that true?"
"Yes." Salko nodded readily.
Yi-Han felt slightly relieved at his response.
"It seems he has some confidence in this."
Salko wasn''t reckless; he wouldn''t have started this if he wasn''t sure.
"Seeing how prepared you are, you must be confident."
"Yes."
Then Salko handed a scroll to Yi-Han, who hesitated.
"...?"
"Here, I''ve recorded our family''s secret recipe in as much detail as possible. You can do it."
Yi-Han was astonished. It was surprising that Salko trusted him with the family''s secret recipe, but more than that Did the ck Tortoise students really have that much faith in Yi-Han?
These kids are overestimating me too much.
Rumors about his dark magic were one thing, but alchemy was apletely different area.
"I''m not that proficient in alchemy..."
"Priestess Siana praised you highly. If a priestess from the meng Ordermends you, it must be true."
"Wardanaz. There''s no need to be modest in front of us."
The ck Tortoise students seemed to say, ''What are you talking about?''
Yi-Han seriously considered whether he should be less ttering to others in the future.
Um. But I think dont I can make it.
Yi-Han then read the Tutanta family''s secret recipe. The ingredients were numerous andplex, but not impossibly difficult. He had conducted far more challenging experiments; there was no reason to be scared of this.
-This is not a task for a freshman.-
The senior scribbled with his quill. Yi-Han replied, "I think I can do it."
-...You''ll regret itter.-
The senior hoped this arrogant freshman would fail in alchemy and spill the contents of the pot over himself.
Isn''t that how first-years learn their limits!
The liquid in the pot turned golden, the bubbles reduced, and it began to settle gently. The ck Tortoise students gasped in awe.
"As expected..." Salko nodded as if he knew it would happen.
"Thank you, Wardanaz. I was sure you could do it."
Yi-Han felt ambiguous about the trust the ck Tortoise students had in him, but he didn''t show it outwardly. At least it turned out well! However, the senior watching was so dumbfounded and speechless at the absurdity of the situation.
-You''re not a freshman, are you?? Tell me. What year are you??-
"I am a freshman, senior."
-What kind of freshman are you!-
Ordinary freshmen did not master in one try. They did not maintain theirposure upon seeing the food in the kitchen either. Moreover, Wardanaz executed theplex alchemical process without a single mistake.
"Wardanaz is indeed a freshman, senior."
"Yes, why are you questioning Wardanaz like this?"
The ck Tortoise students began to doubt the senior they couldn''t even see.
Was he deliberately trying to obstruct Wardanaz, who was clearly capable of the task?
The senior, aware of their skepticism, was speechless with a sense of injustice.
To be used so absurdly!
"So, Tutanta. Is it finished?"
"Yes. This is our family''s secret, Beer Candy."
"???"
Yi-Han doubted his ears for a moment.
Despite its yful name, Tutanta''s family secret, the Beer Candy, was a serious nutritional and preservative food item. It could be stored at room temperature for months, and just two finger-sized pieces provided enough nutrients for two days.
"Try one, Wardanaz."
Yi-Han cautiously tasted the condensed Beer Candy, reminiscent of a sweet and soft vor akin to traditional Korean malt candy.
Salko, full of pride, asked, "Can you feel your mana recovering?"
"...Uh, yes."
Yi-Han managed his expression, recalling thest time he had a magic potion.
"But why is it called Beer Candy?"
"Our ancestors, suffering from a beer shortage while trapped under a mine, created it as a substitute for beer and named it ordingly."
"I see..."
Yi-Han, bemused by the seemingly trivial origin, casually nodded, cut a piece of Beer Candy, wrapped it in paper, and ced it in his pocket. Having aplished the desired cooking, it was time to collect useful items from the kitchen and return.
''Where were those sausages earlier?''
-A big problem!!!-
The senior hastily scribbled with his quill, the urgency so great that thest word was iplete.
"What''s the matter?"
-The warehouse keeper ising! Hide in the corner!-
"Heat, distort the air!" The senior chanted along with his spell. This was a much more borate magic than before.
A convincing illusion was necessary to cover the mess made by the cooking in the kitchen.
"Can we really deceive the warehouse keeper with this?"
-I don''t know! Just stay quiet!-
The senior''s tension spread to the other students. Yi-Han and the ck Tortoise students watched the kitchen door with rigid faces.
"...?"
However, the warehouse keeper walking in the corridor didn''t open the door. Yi-Han sensed the warehouse keeper casting a spell outside.
"He''s casting a spell!"
-Casting a spell... Wait. How did you know?-
The senior paused, taken aback while writing with his quill. He had set up a far-seeing summon in the corridor to detect anyone approaching, but the freshman had no such thing.
How did he know?
"The movement of mana indicates the use of a spell, doesn''t it?"
-Youre able to sense that from here? No. That''s not important right now. The warehouse keeper seems to be up to something.-
The senior looked down the hallway in dismay. The warehouse keeper, who should have just patrolled and rested if nothing was amiss, was now casting spells on each door for some reason.
That spell is...
''Space magic!''
The senior''s face turned ashen. Breaking space magic was notoriously more difficult than other types of magic. Among all magics, it was infamously difficult. To cast such magic on the doors...
''What''s he doing! Has he gone mad?''
It was supposed to be a normal patrol, and if nothing unusual was found, just return to rest. Today, for some unfathomable reason, the warehouse keeper had cast space magic on every door.
After the warehouse keeper disappeared, the senior tried to leave the kitchen by opening the door but soon returned inside. To Yi-Han and the ck Tortoise students, it seemed as if the door had merely opened and closed.
"What are you doing?"
-...Try it yourself, and you''ll see.-
The freshmen went out and came back in immediately, looking at the door with the same baffled expression as the senior.
-The space of the door has been twisted. It''s the warehouse keeper''s magic.-
"Do you have a way to solve this, senior?"
-No. We''re doomed.-
Yi-Han nodded resignedly to the senior''s written words.
"So, we end up in the punishment room after all."
"Sorry, Wardanaz. It''s our fault."
"It''s alright. I was prepared for this from the start. Just keep your promiseter. I didn''t take anything, but just in case, I hid them well."
The senior was astounded by Yi-Han''s unchanging expression even at the brink of entering the punishment room.
What kind of...?
-Actually... there might be a way.-
"Oh? Is that so?"
The senior became seriously curious about what situation would finally fluster this freshman boy.
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Chapter 116
Chapter 116
-But for that method to work, your full cooperation is needed.-
...
...
Yi-Han managed to keep his expression under control, but the students of the ck Tortoise looked suspicious.
After all, it was an academy where even the professors couldn''t be trusted. Thus, it wasn''t certain that a senior could be trusted either.
''He talks like that, but he wouldn''t betray us, would he?''
''Doesn''t that senior seem like he''s from the Blue Dragon or the White Tiger?''
-...Freshmen. Your doubts about me now... Damn it! This cursed academy. Yes! I understand why you would suspect me. I would feel the same. But aftering this far together, are we really going to distrust each other!? And if you don''t trust me, how do you n to get out of here?-
"You have a point."
Yi-Han soothed the students of the ck Tortoise.
Although the senior whose face they didn''t recognize seemed suspicious, they had no other choice in their current predicament, trapped in the pantry by the warehouse keeper''s magic.
The options were to either stay trapped and get caught, or listen to the senior''s n.
"Let''s at least hear him out."
-First, I need some of those beer candies you made.-
...
Salko''s eyes shifted suspiciously, as if he was looking at a con artist, but still, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a beer candy.
He did this more out of trust in Yi-Han''s words than in the senior himself.
-I''m not trying to steal anything from you freshmen.-
''The more he talks, the more suspicious it gets...''
-As you know, I''ve used too much magic today getting here. I have almost no mana left. I need to recover.-
''Ah, that makes sense.'' Yi-Han found himself convinced by the senior''s words.
Unlike Yi-Han, who had never felt a shortage of mana, other mages often found their mana depleted after using magic.
The unknown senior had been using magic several times from the ssroom to the kitchen. It wouldn''t be surprising if his mana was nearing depletion.
Crunch, crunch - The beer candy gradually disappeared into thin air.
Yi-Han suddenly grew curious and asked, "But if you''re low on mana, how are you maintaining the invisibility spell?"
-It''s not my spell.-
''...The skull principal?!'' Despite the calm font, Yi-Han could somehow sense the senior''s fear. Could it be ''Did the skeletal principal cast a spell to prevent the seniors from contacting us?''
He wanted to shout out loud, asking why it had to be this way, but Yi-Han didn''t. He was beginning to ept the reality of this magic academy.
''Hmm. That''s just how he is. No use being surprised; it would only be a disadvantage for me.''
-It''s done. Just watch.-
The senior, seemingly having regained some mana, moved forward.
The spell the warehouse keeper used on the pantry door was a spatial distortion spell. It sounded simple, but breaking through it was anything but. At least three different spells were needed.
First was .
The 2nd circle spell was popr among warriors as an enchantment spell. Once cast, even a slow, dull warrior could disy the swift reflexes of a swallow skimming the water. Not only that, but the enhancement of senses like sight and hearing meant more information could be gleaned on a chaotic battlefield. Spatial magic fundamentally distorted the five senses, so at least this level of enhancement was necessary to counteract it.
Then came .
was a 1st circle spell, but in terms of difficulty, it was harder than the 2nd-circle . This was due to theplexity of spatial magic. allowed the mage to urately visualize the nearby space in their mind. It was a level far beyond simply looking with the eyes and making rough estimations. Knowing exactly what objects were around oneself and the precise distances between those objects. Normally, it was a magic used as an aid by battle mages who often faced swift enemies, but it was essential when dealing with spatial magic. If one couldn''t even perceive it, a solution was impossible to find.
Lastly, a spell with moderate destructive power was needed. Any spell would do as long as it had destructive power. It was necessary to find a weak spot in the distorted space and break through it to escape.
''The mana has been restored.'' The senior took a deep breath. As a third-year student bearing the symbol of pure silver, he had to show a proper example in front of the freshmen More than anything, it irked him that a few of them still doubted him.
"Senses, be enhanced. Space, be perceived. mes, form into arrows and fly!"
The chant was quickly recited, and the spell was cast. The senses were enhanced, and the surrounding space was converted into information that entered his mind. Then, a ming arrow shed and pierced a point in the air.
"!"
"Wow...!"
Even the doubting students of the ck Tortoise were amazed by the ming arrow.
Indeed, a senior is a senior!
The me, burning as if to engulf the surroundings, maintained the sharp form of an arrow as it shot out.
The freshmen could appreciate how difficult that magic was. Maintaining the form of the me as an arrow and shooting it simultaneously.
''The form maintenance is imperfect, and there''s a slight loss of control during theunch.''
...Except for Yi-Han.
Yi-Han, deep in thought, suddenly startled.
''No. Am I thinking like Professor Bdi?''
So what if the form maintenance was a bit imperfect and control was momentarily lost. It wasn''t a significant issue in casting the magic. Only perfectionists like Professor Bdi would nitpick over such details...
Yi-Han reflected on the fact that he was thinking like Professor Bdi.
''There''s no need to obsess over perfection. Otherwise, I might end up like Professor Bdi.''
Pop!
The ming arrow collided and then disappeared in mes.
The students of the ck Tortoise waited in awe.
''When can we leave?''
''Is it now?''
-Sav-
??
-...e me-
...
...
On the crookedly etched paper, the students realized that the senior had failed.
Even if the senior begged to be saved, the invisible freshmen couldn''t do anything.
After a while, the senior seemed to regain consciousness, and more writing appeared.
-...I''m sorry. You saw an unsightly scene.-
"What happened?"
-Failed.-
"Beer..."
?
As one of the ck Tortoise students started to speak, Yi-Han looked puzzled.
What was he trying to say?
"Beer candy thief...!"
...
-It''s not that! Do you think I deliberately failed after taking the beer candy!!-
The senior desperately exined, not wanting to be remembered as a senior who ate the beer candy and ran.
There were two reasons for the failure. One was that the range and strength of the spatial distortion magic were more extensive and stronger than expected, depleting too much mana for .
The other reason was the spatial distortion magic being more intricately woven than anticipated. It seemed the warehouse keeper had infused more mana than usual, making it harder to break through.
As a result, even though the ming arrow was shot, it couldn''t prate and was deflected.
"So... you ate our beer candy but failed to escape..." Salko spoke in a serious tone. The senior, if not for the principal''s magic, would have wanted to grab the freshman by the cor and have it out with him.
-These... these clueless fools... they don''t even realize how difficult that magic is-
"Senior. Could you just teach me ?"
Yi-Han, who had been listening, spoke up.
Having heard the detailed exnation, it didn''t seem all that impossible to him. For the enhancement of senses, he would use . For the magic needed for pration, .
If he could just learn , Yi-Han felt he might be able to give it a try.
It was a 1st circle spell, so with some luck, he might be able to learn it right away.
-You, freshman... really-
The senior was about to scold him, thinking ''Does a first-year student really believe they can learn spatial magic on the spot?'' but he hesitated. Firstly, he was in no position to talk after his own failure, and He somewhat wanted to hear the freshman say, ''This seems impossible for me''.
-Fine. I''ll write it down for you in as much detail as I can.-
As the senior wrote, a sudden worry crossed his mind What if this freshman manages to seed in this magic on his first try?
An hourter.
Yi-Han and his group emerged from the underground kitchen and gathered in the moonlit courtyard in front of the main building.
Yi-Han, facing the floating piece of paper, spoke with sincerity, "Senior, thank you. You seem to teach even better than the professors."
"Wow..."
"High-year students really are different."
The other ck Tortoise students seemed to agree with Yi-Han''s sentiment.
Seeing Wardanaz react like that, it was clear that the senior''s teaching ability was extraordinary. Perhaps the senior was more of a theorist, better at teaching magic than using it.
''...''
It was a good thing the freshmen couldn''t see his face. The senior covered his face with his hands and sat down on a nearby rock, sighing heavily.
''I''ve wasted my magic studies...''
He had prided himself on being quite exceptional among his peers But today, that pride waspletely shattered. And by a freshman he had just met!
If he told his friends in the Tower what he had seen today, none would believe him.
The conversation would probably be as follows...
-"I went to the kitchen today because I was hungry and wanted to steal something, but then a freshman learned right away when I taught him. It was so amazing that I taught him too. And he managed to perceive and break through the warehouse keeper''s spatial distortion magic on his first try."-
-"You went to the kitchen to drink and came back drunk?"-
-"Did the principal catch you and hit you with a spell?"-
-"Besides, can alone break through spatial distortion magic? Don''t you need other things?"-
-"Ah. That''s... well, the freshman... maybe... I might have seen it wrong, but it seemed like he was using a spell the principal had used before...?"-
-"Yeah, you must have seen it wrong. How could a freshman use the principal''s magic?"-
-"In my opinion, that freshman might be the principal in disguise. Hey, be careful. You might get dragged to the punishment room by the principal within this week. You didn''t say anything weird, right?"-
-"That''s why I told you not to interact with freshmen!"-
"Senior? Are you still there?"
"Maybe he''s already gone?"
"We''ve said everything we needed to, so he probably just left. He''s pretty cool."
-I''m still here-
The senior gathered his strength and stood up.
It was truly shocking, but students who entered this magic academy were used to epting shocking realities. The fact that a freshman was more skilled in magic than himself or his friends was hard to ept But then again, neither the magic academy nor the skull principal were particrly easy facts to ept.
Just ept it!
-Thank you for today.-
"No, thank you for teaching so well."
''Is he mocking me?''
Yi-Han''s sincere gratitude sounded like mockery to the senior at this moment.
-Freshman. In this academy, those who meet at night usually don''t ask each other''s names or families. It''s because you might get dragged to the punishment room together.-
"..."
Yi-Han was speechless at such a starkly realistic reason.
-But I really do want to know your name. Even if we end up in the punishment room, I swear on my honor to keep it a secret.-
The senior wrote earnestly.
He was truly too curious. What kind of person... no, what kind of freshman was this?
Yi-Han thought to himself, ''This senior must be either hard of hearing orcks interest in others.''
Earlier, his ck Tortoise friends had kept saying ''Wardanaz, Wardanaz'', and he didn''t even notice.
The students from the ck Tortoise wore expressions of disbelief.
But there was a reason for the senior''s obliviousness. Unlike the freshmen, he had been continuously watching the corridor outside, preupied with his surroundings. Moreover, his mind was half gone because of that monstrous freshman!
After pondering, Yi-Han made a decision. Judging by his words, he didn''t seem like someone who would snitch to the skull principal.
''It should be okay to tell him.''
-First, I''ll tell you my name. I am Balfatan of the Moradi family.-
"..."
"...My name is Gainando."
"...!!!"
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Chapter 117
Chapter 117
The students of the ck Tortoise, watched as Balfatan of the Moradi family, oblivious to the astonishment on their faces, nodded in approval.
-Gainando... A great name befitting of a remarkable talent.-
Confusion marked their faces.
-Remember my name. Well meet again someday.-
The senior, clutching a quill and paper, departed.
One student from the ck Tortoise, finally regaining hisposure, asked Yi-Han in a perplexed tone, "Wardanaz, is this really okay?"
"Didn''t he say we shouldn''t share names or family affiliations with those we meet at night?"
The students were speechless at Yi-Han''s quick application of the lesson he''d just learned from the senior.
Is this what it takes to be one of the top-ranking students in our year?
"And you all, think about it. Which family did that senior belong to?"
"The Moradi family."
"Do you think a member of the Moradi family would trouble uster, or not?"
The students of the ck Tortoise pondered Yi-Han''s question. The students of the White Tiger were typically rough, noisy, and stubborn. Leading them was Jijel of the Moradi family. Despite their polite and kind facade, the students affiliated with the Salko gang were not fooled.
A more venomous snake always leads the snakes.
"They''ll likely cause trouble."
"That''s right. That''s what we just prevented. No need to thank me. Just remember thister."
Having gathered his things, Yi-Han slung his backpack and waved goodbye.
Watching him leave, one ck Tortoise student said to Salko, "Tutanta, I think I understand why you said not to talk to Wardanaz when alone."
Salko nodded in agreement.
While they respected Wardanaz for his skills, responsibility, and loyalty to his friends, they couldn''t ignore the fact that if he wished, he could easily overpower any of them. Even to the rough-edged students of the ck Tortoise, Wardanaz was a formidable figure.
"Wardanaz... What a fearsome person!"
Thanks to an early end to their exploration, Yi-Han returned to the Blue Dragon''s lounge to attend to his duties. He sorted the groceries from the pantry into the cupboard in his private room...
It''s so full, nothing else fits. I should ask Yonaire for help.
...organized items by expiration date, recorded them in the ledger, and sold... no, served snacks to his resting friends.
Finally, Yi-Han could sip his coffee and focus on his studies.
Despite the easy-to-forget fact that students were enrolled in the academy for academic purposes, Yi-Han had resolved not to be outdone in his studies.
I had vowed not to be bested academically, even if I was ignorant of other matters.
He had intended to show the pampered nobles of the empire the frenzied dedication of someone hungry for sess, but life''s demands had led him to specialize in other areas.
Is it just my imagination?
Yi-Han piled his study books neatly. It reached even where Gainando was drooling asleep on the sofa by the firece. Noticing this, Yi-Han felt something amiss Do I have more to study than others?
He recounted, doubting his perception.
by Professor Garcia.
Not only basic elemental magic but also other branches were to be covered in the test, as he had been warned.
If that was the case, then dark magic, summoning magic, and illusion magic had been added.
Even if Professor Garcia conducted the test in a straightforward manner, the professors of dark magic, summoning magic, and illusion magic were a different story. They gathered students who would attend their sses the following year and taught them, setting certain expectations even if they did not formally conduct tests.
Considering this, Yi-Han realized he needed to read at least two books from each of these fields.
"Click, click, click."
This isn''t unusual, Yi-Han thought as he pushed a book to the side and checked the next one.
.
Alchemy was a field where relying solely on intuition without studying could lead to serious injury. Despite Yi-Han''s well-honed alchemy senses from harsh experiments, he couldn''t neglect theoretical study.
Especially when considering students like Yonaire, Adenart, and Priestess Siana, who had studied alchemy before joining the academy, Yi-Han felt the need to study even harder.
With that in mind, he should read about three books on the subject...
"Click, click, click."
Yi-Han stacked another book to the side.
.
The test was over, but Professor Bungaegor''s teachings continued every week. Learning about the dangerous and unpredictable creatures in the academy was crucial not just for escaping, but for survival.
Just one book, he noted with relief, despite its thickness.
Then came and . Essential subjects with a clear need for study.
The stack of books grew taller.
It seemed like he was almost done, but there was still more.
Yi-Han pulled out additional books.
given by Professor Bdi. Not studying this in advance could mean learning it the hard way in front of Professor Bdi, possibly through direct experience with lightning.
The dark magic book (forcibly) given by the skull principal.
He had to practice , taught previously, until he mastered it. Otherwise, he risked being dragged into dreams again.
And the most recent one, .
No one said he had to read it, but to survive in the academy, he knew it was necessary. The usefulness of even onepetent spell was something he constantly felt.
After stacking all the books, Yi-Han looked up. Gainando''s face was obscured by the pile of books.
"...Hmm."
This is strange.
He had only arranged the necessary books, so why were there so many?
Gainando, who had dozed off in the lounge and then slept soundly in his bed until morning, was surprised to see Yi-Han awake in the lounge.
"You wake up really early, don''t you?"
"I haven''t slept yet."
Gainando quietly skewered a marshmallow and toasted it over the fire until it was soft.
He then sandwiched it between two pieces of hard bread and nibbled on it.
"Why go through all that...?"
Gainando. You''re far tooid-back."
Asan of the Dargard family walked down with a tired expression. It was the week of tests, so he had stayed up all night studying in his room. The effort he put into mastering was tremendous. He probably thought Wardanaz had also stayed up all night for the same subject.
"Wardanaz, I understand. Even after all this effort, I feel like I''ve only understood about 80% of ."
"That''s still good. I still have a lot more to study."
Listening from the side, Gainando tilted his head in confusion while eating a marshmallow. There seemed to be some misunderstanding in the conversation between the two.
As evident from Asan holding only the book, he had indeed studied only that subject. In contrast, Yi-Han...
Didn''t he have a mountain of books yesterday?
Indeed, before going up, the books had been piled up like a mountain, but now only one book remained.
Driven by curiosity, Gainando asked, "Where did all the other books go?"
"I put the ones I''ve studied in my personal room. They were getting in the way."
Gainando dropped his marshmallow in shock.
"Are you insane?!"
"What''s wrong, Gainando?"
"Yi-Han stayed up all night studying!"
"That''s what everyone does, you fool."
Students from the Blue Dragon, who came out one after another, scolded Gainando.
Making such a fuss over studying just one subject?
Everyone was studying!
"But... hey... I mean..."
Gainando trembled with indignation. These guys hadn''t even seen the pile of books in the lounge!
"It was a huge pile, really...!"
"Stop talking nonsense and just finish your bread."
Gainando swallowed the rest of his bread, savoring its deliciousness.
"But Asan, why did you study in your personal room yesterday instead of the lounge? Isn''t the lounge better?"
"You keep talking in your sleep loudly."
"...Sorry..."
Meanwhile, Yi-Han finished reading for a second time and stood up. He wasn''t entirely pleased, but it was time to start his day.
"Wardanaz, what lecture are you attending today?"
.
"Oh... dear."
His friends looked at him with pity. It was already a tough week with tests, and now he had to attend the ss. The mere thought seemed exhausting.
"Are you okay?"
"I''m fine."
Yi-Han was puzzled by his friends'' concern.
Contrary to the subjects he had just finished studying, the ss, where he could just physically participate, was actually more rxing.
However, his friends looked at Wardanaz''s departing figure with worried expressions.
"The White Tiger guys are not going to use the test as an excuse to jump him, are they?"
"Next time we see those White Tiger guys, let''s warn them not to mess with Wardanaz."
The friends from the Blue Dragon firmly resolved to stand together in friendship. It was a determination that would have enraged the students of the White Tiger had they heard it.
"What''s going on? The atmosphere is strange."
The mood was unusually excited and chaotic, unlike the usual ss. Puzzled, Yi-Han asked Dolgyu.
Dolgyu spoke in a low voice, "Today, for the test, people from outside areing, Yi-Han."
Yi-Han now understood why the students of the White Tiger were chattering with a mix of excitement and anxiety.
People from outside wereing. They were likely peers from knightly families, just like the students of the White Tiger.
For the students, all from knightly families, it was inevitable to feel nervous. If they showed poor swordsmanship or made mistakes in front of them...
"Everyone will be tense. Actually, I''m nervous too."
"In that respect, I''m at ease, Yi-Han spoke confidently.
Being from a family of mages, he had no reason to be embarrassed in swordsmanship ss or to hearments like ''Why is someone from that family so clumsy with a sword?''
Belonging to a family of mages indeed!
Dolgyu was visibly taken aback by Yi-Han''s words.
"Yi-Han, with your skills, you shouldn''t feel embarrassed even when facing guests from outside."
"Really? I hope that''s not too presumptuous. Do you think it wouldn''t be embarrassing if I ended up using magic in a fight?"
"..."
"It''s a joke."
"Right, of course."
Dolgyu regained hisposure, having turned pale at the thought that Yi-Han might have been serious.
"Attention."
With a tap-tap sound, Professor Ingurdel appeared.
"Wee, everyone... No need for a long speech. This week is simply a time to assess how well the students have been keeping up, through a simple test. That''s why I''ve invited guests from outside."
As Professor Ingurdel spoke, knights in full armor appeared from behind.
"They''re our age?" Yi-Han asked Dolgyu.
Looking at the knights'' faces, they seemed to have spent at least a decade more on the battlefield than the students present.
"They might be... somewhat older peers..."
"Here, the knights who havee are all distinguished members currently active in their respective orders."
The students were astounded.
Yi-Han thought to himself, ''Professor Ingurdel seems to be subtly simr to Professor Bdi in his ways.''
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Chapter 118
Chapter 118
While Yi-Han entertained the most disrespectful thoughts in the world, Professor Ingurdel was basking in self-contentment.
I have indeed brought the right ones.
The knights brought by Professor Ingurdel, the White Wood Knight Order, were among the empire''s most prestigious. This was not an order that stayed put, guarding a specific region. Instead, they roamed the empire, seeking dangers to confront. That was the essence of the White Wood Knight Order.
Common wisdom held that knights usually traveled grandly with servants and ves, but the White Wood Knight Order was an exception. Its knights wandered the vast and harshnds of the empire alone, d in nothing but a single suit of armor and apanied only by a horse.
For this, mere skill in swordsmanship was insufficient. They required a wide array of abilities, including adaptability and quick thinking in various situations.
Such knights could surely teach much to the young students!
Far better a choice than bringing knights of their own age
While Professor Ingurdel was feeling proud, Bikelintz, a knight of the White Wood Order, stroked his beard and frowned.
I came at Ingurdel''s request, but it seems I''vee to the wrong ce.
Bikelintz didnt favor dealing with students or young squires. He had no idea how to interact with them. His swordsmanship, honed for real battles, was not meant for teaching or imparting lessons. Though he hade at Ingurdel''s request, owing him a favor, the feeling of being out of ce did not fade.
These were not knights staking their lives on the path of the sword but those also pursuing the path of magic.
"Knights enrolled in a magic academy, of all things."
Bikelintz neither disliked nor disregarded mages. Every knight, at some point, owed something to a mage. But he was ufortable with the idea of these young students, who would be insufficient opponents in swordsmanship alone, also learning magic.
There was no rule that they had to learn from Bikelintz or the knights of the White Wood Order. They could have called for kinder knights from other orders or perhaps peers who were squires...
"So, what should we do, Professor Ingurdel?"
"Just treat themfortably as I mentioned beforeing. Just spare their lives."
"Understood."
Bikelintz sighed and walked away with the knights. They dispersed to their respective positions, each taking a wooden sword and standing in ce, seemingly waiting for the students.
Yi-Han opened his mouth, trying somehow to persuade Professor Ingurdel. If the White Tiger guys didn''t step up, then Yi-Han had to.
"Professor. Fighting these knights one-on-one is a bit..."
"Don''t worry, Wardanaz."
Professor Ingurdel smiled. Yi-Han almost felt relieved at that smile but then snapped back to reality.
''No, this is not the time to be relieved.''
"Of course, you will fight in groups of three against one. Gather ording to the teams selectedst time."
"..."
Indeed, it was not the time to be relieved. Yi-Han cursed Professor Ingurdel inwardly and moved forward.
Jijel approached with an extremely displeased expression, much like Yi-Han''s.
Dolgyu cleared his throat and spoke, "It''s a stroke of luck that the three of us havee together like this again..."
"Stop with the insincere remarks, Choi."
"Luck? Perhaps the same kind of luck as meeting the skull principal."
Dolgyu, scolded simultaneously by Jijel and Yi-Han, looked downcast. Yi-Han felt sorry and apologized, "I''m sorry, Dolgyu. It''s not your fault."
"It''s okay, Yi-Han."
Yi-Han looked at Jijel.
''Hmm.''
He realized that in just a few days, he had managed to built up grudges against the Moradi family twice. Once against the skull principal''s summon, and once against a senior member of the Moradi family.
This realization brought a tinge of guilt to Yi-Han. Thus, he decided to make a slight concession this time.
"I will yield in this test. Moradi, I will follow your lead."
The situation was surprising, with Yi-Han conceding first, but Jijel showed no joy. Instead, she was overtly suspicious.
''What''s he plotting?''
There were those who could be subdued and made to swear allegiance, and those who could never be subdued. Wardanaz was thetter.
Jijel knew this and had given up on expecting Wardanaz to kneel before her. But Yi-Han''s suddenpliance was suspicious.
"...What are you nning?"
"What n? Moradi, we can''t score in this test without mutual concessions. That''s why I''m yielding."
Yi-Han was always sincere when discussing tests. This sincerity slightly swayed Jijel.
Really?
"But Wardanaz, even if you say you''ll follow mymand, you''ll disobey at the first chance... you brat."
"That''s only when yourmands are crap... I mean, unreasonable."
Dolgyu listened to their conversation, wondering when he should intervene.
Maybe it''s better if they don''t talk at all...
"...Fine then. I''ll take your word for it. But I''ll be watching."
"Please do. So, Professor Ingurdel, who are we up against?" Yi-Han asked while looking around.
Where''s the drawing?
Professor Ingurdel kindly responded, "It''s Sir Bikelintz."
"...Wasn''t this supposed to be random?"
To Yi-Han, the knight called Bikelintz seemed like a leader, likely the most skilled.
"The best deserve a worthy opponent."
"Ah... I see..."
Yi-Han struggled to manage his expression. Professor Ingurdel, unaware of Yi-Han''s inner thoughts, offered encouragement, "With the three of you, you can surely put up a good fight."
"Yes, Professor... Ingurdel."
Bikelintz, facing the three young students, spoke in a serious tone, "You may use every means at your disposal to attack."
Dolgyu asked with surprised eyes, "Is that... allowed?"
"Not using what you can is more unnatural. Use magic if you can. I won''t hold back either."
''I wish you would, though,'' Yi-Han thought as he picked up his wooden sword. From just a few words, he had a sense of what kind of person the opponent was.
Bikelintz was a strict knight, like Arlong, Yi-Han''s teacher. The problem was that, unlike Arlong, who had gone easy on Yi-Han, Bikelintz would not.
A person who tells students to ''use every means to attack'' usually meant they would defend using every means too.
Jijel sensed this ominousness, a subtle anxiety crossing his face.
"Choi family?"
"Yes, that''s correct."
Bikelintz guessed Dolgyu''s family from his stance alone.
"Double swords... the Moradi family."
Jijel nodded in agreement.
"And..."
Bikelintz was startled when he saw Yi-Han.
His stance was unmistakably that of the Azure Rock Style...
Was there a family known for using the Azure Rock Style?
Apart from the empire''s knight Arlong, he knew of none, which left him quite bewildered.
"Which family do you belong to?"
"The Wardanaz family."
"Wardanaz... Hmm... Huh?"
As Bikelintz''s face, as hard as a chunk of iron, contorted in confusion, Dolgyu and Jijel found themselves empathizing without realizing it.
''I understand that feeling.''
"Well... After all, in learning swordsmanship, the family isn''t that important."
Embarrassed by his own confusion in front of the students, Bikelintz changed the subject and ended the conversation. But his bewilderment did not subside.
...Why is a student from the Wardanaz family here?
Moreover, judging by his stance, his swordsmanship training was not just a day or two''s worth.
"Yi-Han, there''s no opening in his stance..." Dolgyu swallowed hard and muttered under his breath.
The pressure emanating from Bikelintz was that intimidating. He was merely standing there, pressing his wooden sword down, yet the pressure he exerted was immense. It was impossible to guess how strong he really was.
"Since he said to use whatever methods we can, let''s do just that."
Yi-Han drew out his staff.
In truth, Yi-Han didn''t believe he could win against Bikelintz, a veteran knight who had wielded his sword for decades on the battlefield. Any strategy would likely be ineffective against such an opponent.
But standing still wouldn''t yield any points.
To hear ''You lost, but fought well'' from Professor Ingurdel, they had to give their all.
"Feet, grasp the earth."
Yi-Han cast the , not only on himself but on the other two as well.
, simr to the spell, was more efficient and practical...
''There are side effects, but that''s not my problem.''
The muscle soreness his friends would experience after the spell was none of Yi-Han''s concern. Winning was the priority.
"Thanks, Yi-Han."
Dolgyu nodded, feeling the magic enveloping his body. Even without asking, he could tell Yi-Han was enhancing them with magic.
"Space, be perceived."
"?"
However, Yi-Han''s incantation did not stop there.
After casting spells on the three of them, he immediately continued with another without pause, leaving Dolgyu bewildered.
"Hands, sever the enemy. Heat, distort the air..."
Sharp mana swirled around Yi-Han''s hands, and at the same time, mirage-like illusions began to appear.
If unsure what magic would be effective, the answer was simple Use them all.
At this point, not only Dolgyu and Jijel but also Bikelintz began to feel rmed.
They had expected him to use at most one or two spells, but he was using far more.
''Should I intervene?''
Bikelintz looked towards Professor Ingurdel.
Using magic to this extent could lead to mana depletion, which could be fatal for a young mage.
Shouldn''t the professor intervene?
Yet, Professor Ingurdel sat undisturbed, simply watching. Bikelintz grew even more perplexed.
''This isn''t like him.''
"sh!"
Yi-Han did not miss the moment Bikelintz''s attention wavered.
He instantly cast a 1st circle lightning spell, targeting Bikelintz. A sh of lightning shot towards Bikelintz.
Bikelintz, without even looking, casually dodged it.
"Attack!"
Jijel shouted to Dolgyu and charged forward. Even without a signal, it was clear that this moment, enhanced by magic, was an opportunity.
''What kind of magic is this...''
Her legs moved much lighter than usual. Even Jijel, who disliked Wardanaz, had to acknowledge the effectiveness of the magic.
However, Bikelintz seemed unimpressed by the slight increase in the students'' speed. With an expressionless face, he rolled his foot and moved at a speed far surpassing theirs.
"Ugh!"
A pained cry escaped Dolgyu''s lips.
Although Dolgyu prided himself on being the fastest swordsman among the White Tiger students, Bikelintz was on a different level.
The moment Dolgyu lunged at the knight, Bikelintz''s figure vanished, and an irresistible counterattack followed. All Dolgyu could do was fly backward and roll on the ground.
Swoosh!
Bikelintz, about topletely overpower Dolgyu, halted his attack. A bead of water was flying towards him.
The knight of the White Wood Order casually tilted his head to dodge it. He expected, like the water spells he had seen so far, that dodging it would be the end.
However, the water bead swirled around beside his face and targeted Bikelintz again.
Surprised, Bikelintz swatted it away with the back of his hand. The water bead, containing significant mana, left a heavy sensation on his mana-reinforced hand.
"Excellent."
Bikelintz praised sincerely.
Many superior mages among the upperssmen could not exhibit such ingenuity. To modify a simple low-level spell so effectively was impressive.
Yet, Yi-Han, the recipient of the praise, felt slightly conflicted.
''Everyone except the professor is praising me.''
His feelings were a mix of happiness and a touch of sadness...
However, this was not the time for such thoughts.
Yi-Han gripped his staff and prepared for the next spell.
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Chapter 119
Chapter 119
"Spring forth," the incantation echoed, repeated several times. With each repetition, beads of water began to take shape, slowly revealing themselves. This was more than a simple spell. The spell was known for its ability to allow the mage to precisely understand the space around him. But its capabilities extended further, enhancing the effectiveness of long-range attacks.
Controlling arge number of water beads was originally a challenging task, but this spell changed the game. It significantly increased the number of beads that could be manipted simultaneously. Such an ability tobine and link spells was a testament to a mage''s ability, but it was only possible with the aid of mana.
In the midst of this disy of power, Dolgyu and Jijel, who had forgotten even their initial intent to rush at Bikelintz, stood frozen. Their eyes widened, filled with a mix of astonishment and disbelief. The sheer number of water beads was overwhelming. It was just too many.
"Amazing!" eximed Bikelintz, his focuspletely shifted from the battle. He had forgotten to counterattack and simply stood there, mesmerized. Normally, giving a powerful mage like him time to prepare was a cardinal sin inbat. Just a moment''s incantation was enough to turn the tide of battle. But this time, instead of retaliating, Bikelintz found himself caught in awe, unable to disrupt the spectacle unfolding before him.
Intrigued, he turned to Professor Ingurdel and asked, "Can all first-year students at this magic academy use magic like this?" Bikelintz was already nning his next steps. If it were true that a mere first-year student could wield such power, he would have to reprimand the mages of the White Wood Knight Order. After all, if a first-year could do this, what did that say about the capabilities of the knights'' mages?
"No."
"Definitely not."
"Absolutely not."
It wasn''t just Professor Ingurdel who responded with such seriousness, but also Dolgyu and Jijel. At that very moment, as if to punctuate the gravity of their words, Yi-Han''s attack rmenced. Water beads formed in mid-air, each tracing its own unique trajectory and speed. Yi-Han''s technique, though he might have been reluctant to admit it, bore a striking resemnce to Professor Bdi''s renowned . The aggressive hurling of numerous projectiles was remarkably simr to the standards set by Professor Bdi.
Watching this, Professor Ingurdel frowned with concern. He was well aware that Yi-Han was learning about magicbat under Professor Bdi, having heard as much from several other professors. He remembered the words: "Do you understand, Ingurdel? Compared to Professor Bagrak, I am nothing. So don''t go spreading tales about me, especially not to His Majesty the Emperor." And also, "Why... would Yi-Han learn from Professor Bdi... I didn''t realize his talent could be a curse... My apologies. This isn''t something I should discuss with you, Professor Ingurdel"
The professors of this magic academy, being mages themselves, tended to have extreme personalities. Yi-Han, too, was beginning to emte these professors. A freshman, he had managed to levitate an excessive number of water beads. Even with abundant mana, the mental strain of controlling each one must have been significant.
With these thoughts, Professor Ingurdel seriously considered visiting Professor Bdi to make a request. Wasn''t it potentially dangerous to let Yi-Han levitate so many water beads so soon? "I must speak cautiously," he thought to himself. Among the professors of this magic academy, only Professor Ingurdel seemed truly capable of protecting the students.
Yi-Han felt a shiver run down his spine, apanied by a single thought: ''So strong!'' This strength, the kind that could instill fear in others, was it typical of a high-caliber knight? Yet, unbeknownst to Yi-Han, there was another reason for his chill, one that he waspletely oblivious to. Had he known, he would have implored Professor Ingurdel, "Please don''t say anything strange to Professor Bdi!"
But at that moment, Yi-Han''s entire focus was on confronting Bikelintz. Dolgyu and Jijel coordinated their attacks, rushing in from both sides. Despite the barrage of water beads from mid-air, Bikelintz remained unshaken. He effortlessly cut through the iing water beads, scattering them, and repelled the two swordsmen with ease. Yi-Han realized, ''This... even won''t work.''
The only reason the three students were able to maintain their ground was that Bikelintz wasnt aggressively pursuing them. Yi-Han knew that if Bikelintz switched to an offensive attack, theirbined efforts would quickly fall apart. They needed to inflict some damage while Bikelintz was still holding back, but this was proving to be a daunting task.
Yi-Han had never nned to win the battle with the water beads. They were a distraction, a feint to confuse Bikelintz and create an opening. But theck of any opening was proving frustrating. ''Why on earth did Professor Ingurdel bring such a knight here...'' he wondered, yet despite hisints, his body instinctively moved towards the best possible strategy in that moment.
"I hide in the night," whispered Yi-Han, uttering the incantation softly as he stepped back into the illusion. His body began to fade, bing transparent. Unnoticed by Bikelintz, who was distracted by the distance and the multiple illusions created by , Yi-Han found a moment of respite.
''This far only.'' Even with the invisibility spell, Yi-Han dared not approach closer. He was wary of the opponent''s acute senses. From Professor Bdi''s teachings, he knew that a skilled mage could detect their surroundings using mana alone, even when blindfolded. A skilled knight would likely have the same ability. Approaching within a certain range would surely give him away, despite the spell of invisibility. It was a frustrating limitation, but it was one that he had to ept.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Yi-Han braced for what was toe. Time was now his adversary. ''I believe in you, Ferkuntra!'' he silently affirmed. "Strike down, Ferkuntra''s Thunderbolt!" he called out. Mana erupted from the center of Yi-Han''s body, transforming into lightning energy. The spell he was casting, a spherical form of lightning energy, was a feat impossible with the 1st Circle spell . The energy surged fiercely before shooting out towards its target.
Bikelintz, for the first time that day, was genuinely surprised. The boy from the Wardanaz family had managed to stealthily approach andunch a lightning spell from behind. And it wasn''t just any spell, but one that appeared to be at least of the 4th Circle! The speed of the casting, especially in the heat of battle, was astounding. Casting spells in a calm environment was one thing, but doing so under pressure, quickly and urately, was quite another. This level of skill was beyond even the mages of the White Wood Knight Order. ''Wardanaz family... were the rumors underestimated?'' Bikelintz wondered.
ng-!!!! A purple light erupted from Bikelintz''s sword, shing head-on with the iing lightning. The thunderous roar that followed tore the lightning apart, scattering it to the sides before it vanished upon striking the ground. The scorched earth where the lightning hit testified to its power, but for Yi-Han, it was a hollow victory. ''...Ferkuntra. I will never trust you again!'' he thought bitterly. What use was acknowledging the spirits power if his trusted magic was so easily blocked?
Cursing Ferkuntra in his disappointment, Yi-Han realized that Bikelintz''s attitude had shifted. "I am truly impressed," Bikelintz acknowledged, his sword still crackling with residual lightning. He decided that remaining passive would be an insult and rudeness to an opponent who, despite being young and a freshman, disyed remarkable skill. A sincere response was due.
Yi-Han felt a familiar chill run down his spine. Even without words, he knew what wasing, a prelude to countless simr experiences. "It seems there''s a misunderstanding, Sir Knight..." he began, but before he could finish, Bikelintz burst forward, swift as lightning.
Instinctively, Yi-Han began to chant, "Gather, condense, and explode!"
One of the mostmon misconceptions among non-mages was the notion, ''Couldn''t one simply read a grimoire and practice to cast magic without learning from a master?'' However, this idea was far from reality. Grimoires used by mages were not primarily for knowledge transfer, but more a reflection of the personal satisfaction of the individual mage. They showed little concern for making the content understandable to the reader. Filled with codes, abstract metaphors, squiggly writing, and abbreviations and references known only to the author, grimoires posed a significant challenge to decipher.
This challenge was evident as Yi-Han struggled with the first chapter of . Despite this book beingparatively detailed and well-written among those he had encountered, deciphering even one spell was a struggle. The spell he managed to understand was , a creation of the distinguished blood mage Piblicus for future generations of blood mages.
The name of the spell was both ironic and grandiose. Magic Missile, typically a simple 1st Circle spell, was so basic that some mercenaries imed to be mages by mastering it. However, was far from standard. It required drawing a massive amount of mana instantaneously and condensing ita simple principle, but incredibly effective for a blood mage who could amplify mana through blood magic or someone like Yi-Han with abundant mana.
Yi-Han, finding the spell useful, had diligently studied it but never anticipated using it in realbat without prior practice. As he condensed the mana, a strange, unsettling squeaking noise emerged. Initially, Yi-Han thought the magic had failed, but it hadn''t. The condensed mana moved ording to his will, seemingly on the brink of explosion.
Yi-Han realized the significance of the word ''explode'' in the incantation. Normally, a standard Magic Missile would includemands like ''shoot'' or unch.'' But ''explode'' implied something different. This spell wasn''t meant to fire a Magic Missile at all; it was designed topress a vast amount of mana into an unstable form and detonate it at close range. Such an unstable Magic Missile couldn''t maintain its form to fly; the spell had entirely abandoned the process ofunching.
Cursing the blood mages for their dangerous creation, Yi-Han focused his mind. Abandoning the spell now would be akin to suicide. In these circumstances, his only option was to control the impending explosion. ''Control it,'' he thought, bracing himself for what was toe.
As Bikelintz charged forward, he was taken aback by the sudden explosion of mana that erupted before him. The rapidity with which such a spell was cast left him in shock. "Ugh!" he grunted, channeling mana through his muscles, fortifying them against the force of the st. The destructive power of the spell, especially given the brief time it had been cast, was astounding.
While admiring the young adversary''s skill internally, Bikelintz managed to knock Yi-Han''s staff out of his hand, seemingly bringing the fight to an end. With the conflict appearing to be over, he sheathed his sword and approached Yi-Han. "Perhaps in the White Wood Knight Order..." he began.
But in an unexpected turn of events, Yi-Han swiftly drew his wooden sword and lunged forward. The wooden sword halted just inches from Bikelintz''s chest. Bikelintz, initially surprised, then allowed a smirk to cross his face. "I still have much to learn. To make such a mistake..." he reflected, realizing that he had been so absorbed in the spell that he had mistakenly thought the fight was over when the staff was disarmed.
In a gracious acknowledgment of his oversight, Bikelintz conceded, "I have lost." He recognized that, considering the impressive performance of this young freshman, Yi-Han truly deserved the victory.
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Chapter 120
Chapter 120
"Thank you," said Yi-Han with genuine sincerity. He felt truly grateful to Bikelintz, who, despite being in a position to deny defeat, had acknowledged it, taking into consideration the feelings of a young freshman.
Bikelintz then posed a question, "Are you interested in joining the White Wood Knight Order?" Yi-Han hesitated. He understood that being part of the White Wood Knight Order was akin to a demanding job, with honor as the onlypensation. The hardships these knights faced, wandering the empire alone for honor and conviction, were beyond imagination.
"I am stillcking, especially as a knight," Yi-Han politely declined. However, to Bikelintz, this seemed to carry a different meaning. "You''re notcking. Of course, you need to learn more, but a few years here could make you a superior mage than any in the White Wood Knight Order. And we don''t expect our mages to have knightly skills, so don''t worry about that," Bikelintz assured him earnestly.
Yi-Han was taken aback by this serious offer. Bikelintz continued, "Moreover, your skills as a knight aren''tcking either. As a mage, you''re more than sufficient. Other knights would be ashamed."
"Please, calm down, Sir Bikelintz," Professor Ingurdel interjected. "He''s just a freshman. It''s too early to decide his future."
Yi-Han felt relieved by Professor Ingurdel''s intervention. He realized that it was Professor Ingurdel who had brought Bikelintz here in the first ce. "You''re right. I got too excited and greedy," Bikelintz acknowledged.
"It''s my pleasure to hear you praise my students," Professor Ingurdel responded, as they engaged in a warm conversation. Meanwhile, other knights from the White Wood Knight Order, having finished their duel, approached.
"Is it over, Sir Bikelintz? How did it go?"
"Weren''t you too harsh on the students, Sir Bikelintz?"
"I lost," Bikelintz admitted, surprising the knights. As he exined what had happened, pointing at Yi-Han, the knights looked at him with admiration and awe, making Yi-Han feel uneasy.
Yi-Han discreetly moved behind Jijel, who walked away with an annoyed expression. "Everyone did well," Professor Ingurdel praised, acknowledging not just Yi-Han but all the students who had struggled, constantly restraining Bikelintz''s movements with spells during the battle.
"It''s a perfect score. This wasn''t meant to be a battle for victory, but to win like this is unexpected," the professor added.
Yi-Han suddenly remembered that the objective of this test wasn''t necessarily to win. Bikelintz''s aggressive approach had made him forget that. "However, seeing my students exceed expectations is the greatest joy for a teacher. Thank you for giving me such pleasure," Professor Ingurdel said.
"No, thank you!" eximed Dolgyu, moved by the professor''s words, though Yi-Han and Jijel remained somewhat indifferent.
Yi-Han couldn''t help but think about the White Wood Knight Order. ''Don''t they know moderation?'' he wondered. Ever since Professor Ingurdel introduced the White Wood Knight Order, it had always seemed like too much.
"The knights of the White Wood Knight Order were also very satisfied with the duel. They said they would definitely tell their colleagues about today''s events," Professor Ingurdel mentioned.
"What do you mean professor?" Yi-Han asked.
"As they have asked to be called upon if such an opportunity arises again, it seems they were truly satisfied, not just being polite," Professor Ingurdel exined.
"Yes, it seems so," Yi-Han agreed, but with a sense of unease. ''Could it be that I''ll have to fight the leader of the White Wood Knight Order in the midterm?'' he thought apprehensively.
After the lecture, Yi-Han and Dolgyu were walking together when Yi-Han suddenly stopped, causing Dolgyu to look at him puzzled. "What''s wrong? Is everything okay?" he asked with concern.
In response, Yi-Han suddenly knelt down, feeling the aftereffects of , a spell he had used earlier. ''Ugh,'' Yi-Han grimaced, wishing he could confront Piblicus for ssifying this potent magic as a 1st Circle spell. ''How can this be 1st Circle?'' he thought in frustration.
The principle of the spell was simple: gather mana in front of oneself, induce instability, and then detonate it, rather thanunching it. However, its destructive power and the inherent danger were far beyond what Yi-Han had expected. It was essentially like throwing a bomb in front of oneself and detonating it. The only safety mechanism was the mages ability to push the exploding mana away with all their might. Failure to control it meant being caught in the st too. ''Such a reckless spell. Blood mages... they should be banned in the empire,'' Yi-Han thought.
Although he believed he had managed the spell well enough to avoid the shock, his vision was now shaky and dizzy. He mentally resolved to rename to .
"Yi-Han! You can''t die!" Dolgyu eximed, misunderstanding the severity of Yi-Han''s condition.
"It''s not that bad, stop making a fuss," Yi-Han reassured him, trying to downy his difort.
However, Yi-Han had another concern. "Dolgyu," he said weakly.
"What''s wrong?! Tell me if you need anything!"
"Keep your voice down... We can''t let the guys from the White Tiger notice my condition," Yi-Han whispered, aware of the importance of not showing weakness.
Dolgyu, struck by the gravity of the situation, which reminded him of a knight returning from battle, was momentarily lost for words. ''You''re just a first-year student, Yi-Han...!'' he thought, but he understood the need for discretion and quickly agreed.
"Hold on, Yi-Han. I''ll take you to the healing room," Dolgyu said, supporting his friend. As they walked, a friend from the White Tiger group noticed them and asked, "What happened?"
"...Just training!" Dolgyu replied hastily.
"Really?" came the skeptical response.
With urgency, Dolgyu hurriedly took Yi-Han to the healing room, away from further inquiries.
As Yi-Han regained consciousness in the healing room, he overheard a conversation. "Its a symptom of mild mana concussion. What crazy professor let off a magic explosion near a first-year?" said a voice, expressing concern.
"That... I can''t say. I''m sorry," Dolgyu replied, clearly hesitant to reveal more.
"Fearing retribution from the professor? Ridiculous. I don''t understand why the rest of the empire fears us. They should be more afraid of the mages," the voice continued. This was a discussion between Dolgyu and the person in charge of the healing room.
Yi-Hany there, thinking to himself, ''This is my first time in the healing room.'' Considering the frequent injuries at the magic academy, it was surprising he hadn''t been there before. Thest time he copsed after fighting the anti-magic extremists, the skull principal had taken care of him, so a visit to the healing room hadn''t been necessary. But today was different.
He observed that the healing room was more ordinary than he had expected. It was a clean, pristine white space with beds neatly arranged. However, what caught his attention was that the one in charge of the healing room was talking to Dolgyu in the form of a book. Yi-Han blinked in disbelief. The book, indeed floating and pping in the air, was speaking to Dolgyu.
"The symptoms are due to experiencing a magic explosion at close range while already fatigued. He''ll be fine now that I''ve applied healing," the book exined.
"Thank you! He seemed fine for a while even after the explosion, but then he suddenly copsed... I thought something major rted to his mana had happened," Dolgyu expressed his relief.
"He was fine even after the explosion?" the book asked, surprised. It was rare for someone to endure such an experience without immediate effects. Dolgyu, realizing the gravity of the situation, was equally shocked.
Yi-Han, feeling slightly betrayed by Dolgyu''s astonishment, thanked the book for the treatment. As he coughed, the book introduced itself, "I am the demon of the healing room."
"...Excuse me?" Yi-Han asked, taken aback.
Yi-Han wasn''t surprised to hear the book call itself a demon. Even if he was, he could now respond calmly andposedly. The magic school had indeed contributed to his growth.
"Ah, how dull... Other freshmen usually get startled," the bookmented.
"I''ll guess then. Perhaps you were captured by the principal and forced to work here," Yi-Han conjectured.
"!!!"
The speaking book was startled. How did he know!?
"Remarkable! You''re exceptionally perceptive."
"It''s an overstatement," Yi-Han modestly waved his hand away. Anyone who had met the skeletal principal a few times could make such a deduction. Of course, Dolgyu, who was unaware of these circumstances, was greatly impressed.
"Right. I was summoned by Gonadaltes and trapped in this book form to work here."
Despite the book''s voice not betraying any dissatisfaction, Dolgyu inquired, "It seems you are satisfied with working here?"
"Me? Satisfied?"
"Yes? But..."
"You think just because I sound cheerful, I''m not dissatisfied?"
Yi-Han interjected, unable to just stand by.
"Probably if you showed insincerity in your attitude, the principal would punish you," he deduced.
"Remarkable!"
The healing room''s demon, also the talking book, was again surprised. Yi-Han understood his situation too well for a freshman.
Considering Gonadaltes'' temperamental nature, it was highly likely that any grumbling in the healing room would result in torn pages.
"You''re too insightful... Wait. You''re not Gonadaltes in disguise, are you...?"
The talking book trailed off suspiciously, then immediately cast a spell.
"...Mana Detection!"
Startled by the immense mana emanating from Yi-Han, the book eximed, "Gonadaltes! It''s really you!"
"No, it''s not."
"Yi-Han just has a lot of mana!"
Thanks to Dolgyu''s desperate interjection, the talking book ceased its suspicions. Though it continued to use various confirmation and detection spell several times afterward
"I''ve been with him the whole time. Hes definitely not the principal."
"Fine. I believe you. But, freshman, keep in mind that Gonadaltes could switch ces with your friend in the blink of an eye when you''re not looking."
Dolgyu thought the talking book was joking. However, Yi-Han took the warning seriously.
''I really need to be careful.''
"Indeed, if it were Gonadaltes, he would have revealed his true identity the moment I used magic. He''s not one to stay quiet... Freshman, I apologize for suspecting you."
"It''s okay."
Yi-Han stood up from his seat. Thanks to the healing magic of the talking book, his body had recovered, and it seemed like the right time to leave.
"Wait. Take this with you."
The talking book handed Yi-Han a small leather pouch as he was about to leave.
"What is this?"
"Just a simple healing potion."
"But... I''m already healed, aren''t I?"
Yi-Han was surprised. He feltpletely fine, was there something else wrong?
"No. It''s just a gift, a reason for you to visit more often."
Yi-Han felt a mix of gratitude and unease.
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Chapter 121
Chapter 121
The talking book, realizing the implication of its words, quickly tried to rify. "Of course, I didn''t mean to wish you harm. I just meant that you should visit often."
"Ah, I see," Yi-Han replied, his unease slightly assuaged. He then opened the leather pouch to discover objects resembling solid rock fragments inside. "These are Griffin''s gallstones," the book informed him.
"Oh...!" Yi-Han eximed, recalling information from the alchemy books he had read. Griffin''s gallstones were renowned for their powerful effect on mana recovery. Confirming his knowledge, Yi-Han remarked, "They have a powerful effect on mana recovery, don''t they?"
"That''s right. You know your stuff," the book responded, impressed with his knowledge. However, Yi-Han appeared disheartened. He had learned from Professor Uregor''s ss that potions for mana recovery had limited effect on him. Unless it was a potion for reducing mana, the effect of a recovery potion...
The talking book was surprised by Yi-Han''s reaction. It was one thing to not know about the gallstones, but quite another to react with such disinterest despite knowing their value. "These are valuable, you know? They are genuine Griffin gallstones," the book emphasized.
"Thank you. But I''ve rarely been short on mana..." Yi-Han replied. Realizing Yi-Han''s unique situation, the book finally understood why he was underwhelmed by the gift. A freshman with Yi-Han''s amount of mana would seldom feel a shortage.
The book pondered, mentioning that it knew some demons with the ability to absorb mana, but quickly dismissed the idea as too dangerous. Yi-Han, taking the gallstones, decided to keep a safe distance from a demon summoned by the skull principal.
"You must visit often! Let''s talk about Gonadaltes!" the book eximed, pping its pages as Yi-Han left.
Dolgyu remarked, amazed at the kindness the demon book showed towards Yi-Han, attributing it to his talent, as demons naturally favor those with such qualities. However, Yi-Han felt their interaction was different. It seemed to him more like the book had no one else toin to about the skull principal. Who else would dare to speak ill of the principal?
With these thoughts, Yi-Han felt a tinge of sympathy for the talking book, entangled as it was with the skull principal.
Mathematics is the foundation of all disciplines, and this lecture was no exception. It was of great importance, epassing topics from mana calctions to magic circle construction and the development of new spells. The more advanced the magic became, the less it relied on intuition and feeling. Understanding this, the students recognized the importance of this ss and dedicated themselves to studying hard.
Yi-Han nced around the ssroom. ''Has a sleep spell been cast?'' he wondered. The students had already sumbed to sleep, including Gainando, who was nodding off, snoring softly. The only ones still awake were Asan, who was pricking his hand with a quill, Adenart, who remained expressionless (Yi-Han had seen the princess cast a spell to ward off sleep on herself), and Yonaire.
Yi-Han took out some coffee and handed it to Yonaire, who received it as if it were the first coffee given to someone stranded in the mountains for months. "So sleepy..." Yi-Han empathized, nodding in agreement. The ssroom air seemed to be getting thinner. Yonaire, having momentarily shifted her focus to doodle a water bottle on a geometric figure, turned to Yi-Han. Somehow, he seemed more upright than usual.
"You stayed up all night?" she inquired.
"Aren''t you sleepy?" she added.
"It''s impossible to sleep during such a sacred ss, Yonaire," Yi-Han replied, his tone unexpectedly solemn.
Yonaire was baffled by her friend''s odd response. Why was he reacting this way? She couldn''t understand.
''I must look alert,'' Yi-Han thought to himself, trying to appear more attentive. He widened his eyes, fighting the urge to sleep. The professor''s voice, despite his determination, was incredibly soporific. Its unique rhythmic quality was almost hypnotic, lulling listeners into a state of sleepiness. If Yi-Han hadn''t been aware of the professor''s esteemed status, he might have suspected him of being a master of mental magic.
Professor Alpen Knighton, responsible for , was not your ordinary academic. Originally, he served as a senior administrative officer in the empire, a role that came with its own notorious reputation. He was well-known for shing the research budgets of numerous mages, earning their enmity in the process. His metaphorical sword had been wielded so fiercely that even professors at the magic academy still harbored grudges against him.
However, Yi-Han''s perspective was different. ''I must make a good impression...!'' he thought to himself. Considering the professor''s background as a senior administrative officer, one of the few such esteemed positions in the empire, Yi-Han recognized the potential benefits of making a good impression. Someone with such significant connections could open many doors. He imagined a conversation where the professor might say, Wardanaz, you are precisely the kind of talent the empire needs. Come to the Empire after graduation! I''ll rmend you. and Yi-Han responding with a grateful, Thank you, Professor!
For Yi-Han, an ideal student-teacher rtionship was one where a clean rmendation was followed by no further meetings, a stark contrast to the mutual loathing often observed in workshops. To achieve this, impressing Professor Alpen Knighton was crucial. Yet, Yi-Han observed, ''But he really seems uninterested in the students.'' He considered the professor''s demeanor, which epitomized an ''I''ll go my way, you follow if you can'' attitude. Professor Knighton appeared indifferent to whether the students grasped the lecture or not; he simply did his job. His self-satisfaction made him an even more challenging personality to impress.
''Simr to Professor Bdi, but difficult in a different way,'' Yi-Han mused. Unlike Knighton, Professor Bdi wasn''t indifferent to the students, or rather, to a particr student. In fact, his problem was excessive interest. He waited for students to catch up, albeit from a considerable distance, a different kind of challenge for Yi-Han to navigate.
"What are you pondering?"
"How can I catch the professor''s eye?"
"...Isn''t it enough?" Yonaire asked, her voice tinged with perplexity. Yi-Han, curious, responded.
"What do you mean by enough?"
"You attract enough attention from the professors, but too much might be burdensome for you..." Yonaire cautiously advised. She had never imagined before entering the academy that she would be giving such advice to a friend. Advising someone not to attract too much attention from the professors seemed like unusual counsel. Yet, seeing Yi-Han, a boy from the Wardanaz family, she feltpelled to offer this advice out of genuine concern.
"It''s okay, Yonaire. This much is fine. And Professor Alpen Knighton is different from the others," Yi-Han reassured her.
"Hmm... if you say it''s okay, I won''t argue, but..." Yonaire couldn''t shake off an inexplicable sense of foreboding. She wondered why it felt like her friend was unwittingly setting himself up for trouble.
Meanwhile, Professor Knighton had concluded his lecture. "And with that. Remember this equation. It will be essential for calcting mana." His words signaled the end of the session.
Gainando, who had been dozing off, perked up at the phrase ''And with that,'' looking around in disbelief. "It''s over? Is it really over?"
"Then, let''s proceed to a brief test now," the professor announced.
"...It''s really over..." Gainando realized in a different sense that the ss was indeed over, and, clutching his head in despair, he saw that the other students, previously asleep, were now awake and sharing his sense of dread.
"Lucky me."
"How is this lucky?!" Gainando couldn''t hide his shock at Yi-Han''s mumbling. He wondered if his friend had lost his sanity during his absence. Yi-Han, paying no heed to Gainando''s reaction, was lost in thought. ''I will definitely catch Professor Knighton''s eye in this test.'' He was confident that in mathematics, at least, he would not be outdone by the other freshmen in the ssroom. He was set on showing something extraordinary.
As the test began, a noticeable distance formed among the clustered students, and test papers started to appear before them. Yi-Han observed a transparent barrier, conjured by Professor Alpen, enclosing the space. Looking through it blurred his vision. ''Cunning will be difficult if you don''t have magic,'' Yi-Han thought. Since joining the magic academy, he had instinctively begun thinking of ways to counter any magic he encountered.
Professor Knighton''s voice interrupted his thoughts. "If you''ve finished early, feel free to submit and leave." ''Naturally,'' Yi-Han thought. "If you haven''t finished, you cannot leave." This casual addendum to the professor''s statement seemed almost trivial at first, but something about it struck Yi-Han as off. ''Can''t leave if we don''t finish everything?'' The statement''s explicitness felt unusual.
Yi-Han wasn''t the only one pondering this; another student raised their hand to rify. "Professor, do you mean we can''t leave until we''ve filled in all the nks?" "That''s correct," the professor replied. The students sighed in relief, but it was short-lived. "...Correctly." The professor''s additionalment changed everything.
"What... What happens if the answers are not correct?" a student asked, anxiety creeping into their voice. "One must solve it correctly before leaving," the professor answered bluntly, as if the question was trivial. It was then that the students realized the gravity of their situation, their faces turning pale. ''We can''t leave until we get everything right?''
The students, now anxious, instinctively looked out the window. They had ns for the afternoon and evening, but those ns were now in jeopardy. Uncertain of how long Professor Alpen would keep them, thoughts raced through their minds. ''Surely not until night?'' ''Do you still not understand this academy?'' ''It won''t be until tomorrow, right...?''
Frantically, Yi-Han began to write with his quill. It was no longer just about impressing the professor; it was about the ability to leave the ssroom.
''I''ve roughly solved everything...''
Yi-Han surveyed his test paper, marked by circles that appeared magically each time he got an answer right. The test, enhanced by magic, presented a unique challenge. However, thest question was particrly perplexing:
One day, Gonadaltes received 3,892 imperial gold coins from the emperor to build the Vilteron ballroom. The following spells and reagents were used...
(Abridged)
...Given these spells and reagents, how many imperial gold coins remained with Gonadaltes?
''No matter how I think about it, 720 is the correct answer,'' Yi-Han thought, utterly baffled. He had meticulously checked the magic circle, verified the amount of reagents, and even confirmed thebor costs. Yet, after all his recalctions, the answer remained the same. Why?
Looking around, he noticed other ssmates, who had caught up with him, were also deeply engrossed in this final question. They seemed equally stumped.
''Was the problem not meant to be solved with the given information? Did it require prior knowledge, or a different approach?'' Yi-Han pondered. Gonadaltes was the name of the skull principal''s castle. Would the skull principal, if he received gold coins, have saved any to return to the emperor? ''It doesn''t seem likely,'' he thought.
In a moment of impulsiveness, Yi-Han wrote ''0'' on the answer sheet. It was a wild guess, as there was no penalty for a wrong answer. To his amazement, a circle appeared on the test paper, leaving Yi-Han stunned. ''What is this...??''
Professor Alpen, noticing Yi-Han had finished, remarked, "You''re quicker than I thought. Well done. A perfect score, Mr. Wardanaz." Despite receiving the praise he sought, Yi-Han felt more confused than pleased.
"Professor..." he began.
"What is it?" Professor Alpen inquired.
"May I ask about thest question?"
"Ah." The professor, with a strict face now slightly softened by a smile, replied, "It seems you found it amusing. I wanted to bring a smile to the tired students with this test."
"...Oh..." Yi-Han, reflecting on this revtion, wondered if he needed to revise his strategy to catch the professor''s eye.
Readup tochapter 133for just5$orup tochapter 142for /al_squad
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Chapter 122
Chapter 122
No, one shouldn''t jump to conclusions about someone based on this. Yi-Han thought to himself that having a slightly twisted sense of humor was merely a minor w in this magic academy. He decided to focus on the positive attributes of the professor before him.
"That was truly entertaining. Like a refreshing breeze for me, weary from academy life..." Yi-Han mused aloud.
As Asan, who had alsopleted the task, stood up and approached, he overheard Yi-Han''s words and paused, thinking to himself, ''What''s entertaining about this?'' He couldn''t find anything enjoyable about the recent exam. Nheless, he greeted, "Good day, Professor. I am Asan of the Dargard family."
Upon noticing Asan, Professor Alpen took out his pocket watch to check the time and then spoke, "Hmm. I actually have something to discuss with the students who excelled in their grades... Follow me."
Asan wore a reluctant expression, not wanting to waste time talking with the professor after finallypleting the exam.
"I will do so." Yi-Han, however, did not share Asan''s sentiments. He interjected before Asan could even make an excuse, and Asan moved along, his steps heavy with reluctance.
"By the way, Asan. How did you solve thest problem?" Yi-Han inquired.
"I tried plugging in from 0 when I couldn''t find the answer, and luckily... What about you, Wardanaz?" Asan asked, looking at Yi-Han, expecting he had solved it simrly.
Yi-Han nodded, "Of course, I solved it the same way." He resolved to respond simrly if asked by others, not wanting to appear too understanding of the skull principal.
Professor Alpen''s room was quite antique, with dust-free books and everything in its proper ce. "Take a seat," he instructed as the students sat down. With a wave of his staff, he filled teacups with tea. "You two students ranked first and second in this exam, quite impressive," he remarked.
"Thank you," they responded.
"Actually, a friend of mine from my time as an administrative officer is visiting the academy next week..." Professor Alpen began, capturing Yi-Han''s attention. His eyes widened as he listened quietly. A friend from his administrative officer days likely meant someone of high imperial rank.
"...He wants to see the skills of my students. So, I''d like you to handle a simple magic circle creation. It shouldn''t be too difficult, as I''ve mentioned in lectures," the professor continued. Yi-Han was ted at the opportunity, while Asan was visibly dismayed, wondering why they needed to take on extra work when their grades were already good. ''This is something I can handle,'' Yi-Han thought confidently.
Yi-Han nodded, observing Asan''s disliking reaction. He realized that he was well-graded and, more importantly, Asan didn''t want to do it. It was the perfect opportunity for him.
"I think it would be good if Mr. Dargard took it on," Professor Alpen suggested.
"...?!" Yi-Han was taken aback. Why him?! "Me? Wouldn''t it be better for Wardanaz?" Asan questioned, trailing off, his confidence waning. He didn''t want to undertake such an extra task. Yi-Han silently cheered for Asan''s persistence. ''Hang in there, Asan!'' he thought.
"Well, Wardanaz has too much on his te already," Professor Alpen reasoned.
"..." Both Yi-Han and Asan were left speechless, realizing the truth in the professor''s words.
"I''ve heard he''s so fervently focused on his studies that he''s taking extra lessons from other professors. We can''t disturb such a student," Professor Alpen noted. Asan, in a disheartened voice, epted the task: "...Alright. I will do it..."
Asan had a conscience too. As a student of the Tower of the Blue Dragon, he couldn''t simply ask Yi-Han, already burdened and struggling, to take on the task with a ''But still, you should do it!''
"No, Professor. I will help Asan," Yi-Han interjected.
"Is that alright?" the professor asked.
"Yes," Yi-Han affirmed.
"Wardanaz...!" Asan was so moved by Yi-Han''s gesture that he was nearly brought to tears. He was touched that Yi-Han would help with this boring, uninteresting, and tedious task purely out of friendship.
Swoosh - Asan wiped away his tears with his sleeve, reflecting that since entering the academy, he seemed to cry more often.
"Thank you, Wardanaz," Asan expressed his gratitude.
"It''s nothing, Asan," Yi-Han reassured him, patting Asan''s shoulder. Inwardly, Yi-Han was thinking, ''I will definitely make a good impression.'' Regardless of who Professor Alpen''s friend was, Yi-Han was determined to leave asting impression.
After receiving a brief exnation, the two students bid farewell to the professor and left the room.
Left alone, Professor Alpen muttered regretfully, "What a pity. I originally wanted to rmend Wardanaz..." He pondered Yi-Han''s talent and ability. The boy from the Wardanaz family was a candidate he had considered rmending to the imperial officials. With a brilliant mind and strong passion for academics, Yi-Han surely had the potential to be a fine bureaucrat for the Empire. However, Professor Alpen had his reservations. ''Such a talented individual should be left to focus on academics, not a bureaucratic position,'' he thought. He knew that a reasonably brilliant mind fits a bureaucratic position in the Empire, but a truly brilliant one should be devoted to academics for the future of the Empire.
Having served a long time in a bureaucratic position beforeing to this academy to nurture future talents of the Empire, Professor Alpen felt a mix of regret and joy. As a former official, it was regrettable, but as an educator, it was a source of joy. ''I will assist as much as I can, so you can focus on academics, Wardanaz,'' he resolved.
Thursday.
As Yi-Han walked to his alchemy ss, he noticed the other students looked exhausted. "What time did everyone leave the lecture hall yesterday?" he asked.
"After midnight... The magic wouldn''t dispel," came the weary reply.
"..." Yi-Han absorbed the information in silence.
"What was the answer to thest question?" Yonaire inquired, still looking puzzled. He couldn''t think of any other answer than 720 coins, no matter how much he pondered it.
"...0 coin," Yi-Han answered.
"Huh?" Yonaire was taken aback.
"0 coin," Yi-Han repeated.
"Why?"
"Well... it''s like..." Yi-Han, despite not being the one who set the question, carefully exined, observing Yonaire''s reaction.
Yonaire''s eyes red up with realization, like the mes used in metal refining. "Dead...! ...tard. That was it. Yes." She calmed herself down with difficulty. In this academy, one had to learn not to get upset over every little thing.
Squeak -
"Huh?" Yi-Han turned his head. The passing princess was tearing up a paper covered in various forms and numbers, her face expressionless. She had been trying to solve yesterday''s problem even until today.
"...I feel somewhat guilty," Yi-Han admitted.
"Why? It''s not your fault. Don''t worry about it," Yonaireforted him. The girl from the Maykin family changed the topic. "You''re making a magic circle with Dargard, right?"
"Yes," Yi-Han confirmed.
"...Wouldn''t it be better to just let Dargard do it alone?" she suggested.
"Hey... Maykin..." Asan, passing by, looked at Yonaire with a sense of grievance. Yonaire''s words weren''t wrong, after all. Even other students from different towers seemed to echo Yonaire''s sentiment, suggesting, "Wouldn''t it be better to do it alone?" and "Dargard. You should consider Wardanaz."
"..." Asan looked at Yi-Han, as if asking for help. Yi-Han nodded and replied, "I decided to help because I wanted to, so everyone need not worry."
"If that''s the case, but..."
"Why not ask that prince for help? He seemed to have plenty of time."
Thud, thud, thud -
Professor Uregor entered the ssroom, his footsteps resonating like beating a cauldron. "Good to see you all. You all know what we''re going to do today, don''t you?" he greeted, his presence immediately souring the students'' faces. Even when the test was the same, Professor Uregor had a unique way of making it more irksome.
Sensing the students'' gaze, Professor Uregor chuckled heartily. "Alright. Line up ande in one by one," he instructed.
"?!" The students murmured, surprised by this unexpected format of the test. They had anticipated the usual method of making potions in the ssroom using a cauldron.
"What''s the matter? Line up ande in as I said," Professor Uregor urged.
"..." The students, casting suspicious nces at Professor Uregor, lined up. They were clueless about whaty behind the door of the ssroom.
"What''s in there?" one student whispered.
"A monster, maybe?" another guessed.
"In an alchemy ss?" a third questioned skeptically.
"Then what about the first day when that crazy monster attacked?" another recalled.
"...That was also an alchemy ss. Damn. There might be a monster after all," a student concluded.
Quickly steeling themselves and gripping their staffs, the students prepared for the worst. The likelihood of facing a monster now seemed high.
''Surely there won''t be a monster... right?'' Yi-Han thought, not losing a shred of hope. He handed out candies to his friends.
"What''s this?" they asked.
"Beer candies. Eat them if you run low on mana," Yi-Han exined.
His friends nodded solemnly, storing the beer candies. These were essential items, given the uncertainty of how much mana they might need against a potential monster.
"Wardanaz. Come in," Professor Uregor called.
Yi-Han opened the door and stepped inside. To his relief, no monster attacked, but he remained vignt.
"...You can take your hand off your waist," Professor Uregor said as he looked at Yi-Han as if he couldn''t believe it.
It was good to be cautious, but Yi-Han''s readiness to draw a sword during an alchemy exam was bordering on the absurd. Was he there for a swordsmanship test? "Professor. I trust you," Yi-Han said, trying to reassure himself.
"I think I''ve said this before, but those who really trust don''t say such things. Now, look at the cauldron and the ingredients beside it," Professor Uregor instructed.
Yi-Han examined the cauldron and the unfamiliar ingredients ced beside it. "I''ve seen them," he affirmed.
"Now, using only the ingredients in this room, try to make this potion," Professor Uregor challenged, shaking a ss bottle with an unknown potion.
"?" Yi-Han hesitated, looking at the potion he had never seen before.
"Is it a potion you''ve taught us in lectures?" Yi-Han asked.
"No," the professor replied.
"Could you tell me what kind of potion it is?" Yi-Han inquired further.
"No," Professor Uregor answered again, a broad smile on his face, clearly enjoying the situation.
A skilled alchemist excelled in improvisation, able to make a simr potion using only unknown ingredients without knowing the identity of the potion. This test was about quickly understanding the properties of the ingredients and incorporating their effects in their mind. Professor Uregor didn''t expect the freshmen to create a perfect potion but to discern the properties of many potions and create something as simr as possible.
"Come on, better move quickly, right? Time isn''t infinite," the professor urged.
"Hmm," Yi-Han mused, engrossed in thought.
As Yi-Han, one of the brightest students in the alchemy lectures, remained motionless and contemtive, Professor Uregor grew puzzled. ''What is he pondering?'' It was baffling to see him so deep in thought when he should be quickly identifying the properties of the ingredients and the potion.
"Why is that?" Professor Uregor asked.
"May I use anything from within the room?" Yi-Han inquired, pondering a strategy for the test.
"nning to use your own ingredients?" Professor Uregor asked, a hint of skepticism in his voice. He snorted, doubting the usefulness of whatever ingredients Yi-Han might have. However, he was prepared to acknowledge them if Yi-Han happened to have something useful. After all, such luck would justify allowing him to do as he pleased.
"Do as you wish," Professor Uregor conceded.
"Understood," Yi-Han responded. With a burst of speed, he dashed like lightning and snatched the potion right from Professor Uregor''s hand.
Caughtpletely off guard by this sudden ambush, Professor Uregor stood frozen in shock for a moment before regaining hisposure. "Hey!!!" he eximed, surprised by Yi-Han''s bold move.
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Chapter 123
Chapter 123
"That''s not right!!" Professor Uregor protested.
"Yes?" Yi-Han questioned.
"I said you could use all the ingredients in this room, but just snatching the potion and submitting it, don''t you think that''s nonsensical?" Professor Uregor protested. Yi-Han hesitated for a moment before looking at Professor Uregor as if he were a strange person.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Professor Uregor asked again, "...Wasn''t that your n?"
"No, it wasn''t. I mean, who would just snatch a potion and submit it like that? Really, Professor..." Yi-Han replied, leaving Professor Uregor feeling somewhat sheepish and then suddenly irate.
''Is this kid really snatching the potion with force and then acting like this?'' Professor Uregor thought. The idea that a student who had just forcefully taken a potion from his grasp was now treating him as if he were the odd one was utterly baffling. If it weren''t for the potential that the student might be the Empire''s greatest swordsman, Professor Uregor would have pped him.
"Then why did you take it?" he asked.
"I took it to analyze the potion more urately. I thought it was unlikely that you would give it to me if I asked," Yi-Han exined.
"Hmm..." Professor Uregor mumbled. It was a valid point. He had no intention of giving the potion to the students even if they asked.
However, just because it was a valid point didn''t mean it wasn''t annoying. Professor Uregor found his student particrly irksome today.
"Hmph. Let''s see how well you do," Professor Uregor said, crossing his arms and ring at Yi-Han.
Snatching the potion was unexpected, but replicating it would still be a challenging task. Even if Yi-Han had the potion in hand, analyzing and understanding its properties was an entirely different matter.
''Surely he''s not foolish enough to just drink it...'' Professor Uregor worried.
Of course, the clever boy from the Wardanaz family wouldn''t do that, but it was also true that he asionally did crazy things nonchntly.
He wouldn''t be surprised if Yi-Han just drank it!
Contrary to Professor Uregor''s worries, Yi-Han approached the task very methodically.
''What about this method?'' Yi-Han thought.
He took a few drops of the potion from the bottle and spread them on the ground. Then, he waved his wand and chanted a spell.
"Components, separate."
''He learned that magic!'' Professor Uregor was surprised.
magic.
It was a spell used to forcibly separate the ingredients in things like potions. While it was a convenient spell that any alchemist would use, Professor Uregor had deliberately not taught it. To be an outstanding alchemist, one needed the passion to seek and learn on their own. A student spoon-fed by a professor could never be an outstanding alchemist.
Yi-Han, in line with Professor Uregor''s educational philosophy, had independently searched the library and learned the magic.
Seeing this, Professor Uregor nodded his head.
''What an annoying kid!'' Professor Uregor silently hoped that Yi-Han would fail the magic spell and end up inhaling acrid smoke, coughing uncontrobly. Fortunately, the magic was not an easy spell. If one knew the exact ingredients inside, it was easier to separate them, but otherwise, it was challenging. Magic wasn''t a universal key that solved everything just by chanting a spell. The same magic could vary greatly depending on the knowledge and skill of the mage using it. Unless Yi-Han was going to forcibly separate the ingredients by pouring an excessive amount of mana...
"Ah," Professor Uregor realized btedly, as he noticed the potion drops slowly separating on the ground.
''It''s working better than I thought.'' Yi-Han and Yonaire were the students most dedicated to alchemy in the tower. To analyze the potions stolen by Ratford, learning the magic was inevitable. It was a spell Yi-Han had discovered while flipping through an alchemy book, painstakingly learning it from various other books. He had been worried about whether it would work, but fortunately, the spell was more effective than expected. The potion drops split into smaller droplets of various colors.
Yi-Han looked up at Professor Uregor. ''Hmm. It seems to have worked well.'' Judging by Professor Uregor''s very displeased expression, it was clear that the spell had been sessful.
"I''ll give you credit for separating the potion like that," Professor Uregor conceded.
"Thank you," Yi-Han responded.
"But that''s not enough. You won''t be able to identify the separatedponents!"
"Ah. Isn''t this a potion of confidence?"
"????" Professor Uregor was taken aback. How did he know?!
Nillia, who had finished her exam before Yi-Han, was chatting with Ratford. "Did you manage to match the color? That''s impressive."
"I was just lucky," Ratford replied modestly.
"I don''t think I managed to get it even close..."
"Don''t worry about it. This was a test no one could achieve a perfect result on. The professor would have seen your process," Ratfordforted Nillia, who nodded, seemingly reassured.
"But why did you leave me out and roam the night academyst time?"
"......" Ratford broke into a nervous sweat.
"Well, I told you, didn''t I? Tutanta of the Salko family only travels with his trusted subordinates. I was called as a guide. Wardanaz didn''t know about it either. If it were just us, I would have definitely invited you."
"Ah. Right. That''s true," Nillia nodded, convinced.
After talking about the alchemy ss for about ten minutes, Nillia asked again, "But couldn''t you have called me before leaving?"
"..." Ratford involuntarily nced at the door.
''When will Mr. Wardanaze out?''
He couldn''t persuade her; it had to be Yi-Han.
"What do you think? Huh? What''s your opinion?"
"Well... Salko has a bit of a temper..." Ratford didn''t really have a grudge against Salko, but in the current situation, he had no choice but to paint him in a bad light.
"He didn''t give me a chance to..."
"Likest time at the ind, too. After everything was prepared, he went with the friends from the White Tiger, right? What do you think about that?"
"Well... the guys from White Tiger are known to be rough and deceitful..." Ratford didn''t bear any particr ill will towards them either, but once again, he had no choice.
"From Mr. Wardanaz''s perspective, it must have been unavoidable."
"I suppose that was an unavoidable situation too, right?"
"Yes. So, let''s drop this topic now..."
"Right. ...Have I beenining too much?" Realizing she might have been grumbling, Nillia asked. Ratford quickly shook his head.
"No?"
"Good. Then that''s a relief."
Nillia then spent another fifteen minutes talking about alchemy - about the recent exam, the assignments, and spections about the midterms... Other students from the ck Tortoise who hadpleted their exams also joined the conversation, sharing their opinions. With the topic nowpletely shifted, Ratford breathed a sigh of relief.
"But this isn''t about me, it''s about a friend of mine. He says that students from the other towers keep forgetting him and wandering off."
"..." Ratford hung his head low.
Unaware of the exact situation, the students from the ck Tortoise joined the conversation seriously.
"Maybe it''s because it''s a different tower? People from other towers are basically rude, arrogant, or haughty."
"At least the Immortal Phoenix is better."
"The guys from the White Tiger are really unlucky."
While Ratford was pondering how to change the subject, Yi-Han emerged from the door. Ratford was as relieved to see Yi-Han as if he had been given a warm soup after days of hunger.
"Mr. Wardanaz...!" ''Was the exam that difficult?'' Yi-Han was slightly taken aback as Ratford called out to him with a voice filled with emotion.
"What''s the matter?"
"Please exin to Miss Nillia about what happenedst time."
"Why, Ratford? I told you I understood everything." Nillia reprimanded Ratford without changing her expression, as if asking what he was talking about. Ratford opened his mouth in a mix of frustration and disbelief, looking at Nillia. ''Is that really the behavior of someone who understands everything...!?''
Yi-Han quickly grasped the situation, having been prepared for such a scenario ever since the night he roamed the academy with Salko from the Tutanta family. "Nillia, Salko was a bit too much. I asked if we could invite you, but he strongly objected."
"!"
"?"
Ratford tilted his head, puzzled. Had such a conversation ever taken ce? I heard that other friends lose confidence when they have a skilled hunter like you.
"Really?"
Nillia''s long ears perked up and lifted slightly. Yi-Han nodded solemnly, convincing even Ratford, who felt as if such a conversation might have actually happened. "Yonaire wasn''t allowed toe either. Salko went too far, didn''t he? But don''t be too hard on him. He did it for the sake of his friends."
"...Right. I see now!" Nillia responded, her face noticeably brighter than before, and her ears were much higher.
Ratford whispered quietly, "Did you really have that conversation?"
"Shh. Keep it down."
"..."
The students from the ck Tortoise called out to Yi-Han. "Mr. Wardanaz, how was the exam? Did you manage to create the perfect potion?"
"Of course not. It was an impossible exam to begin with. I failed." Hearing Yi-Han''s words, the other students felt relieved. If even Yi-Han, the top student, said so, they felt a bit better about their own performance. Maybe it wasn''t as bad as they thought!
"Did anyone notice any specific properties? I smelled a pungent odor, so I tried adding Findensis."
"Really? I tried to match the color, focusing on simr hues..." While the students were discussing, Yi-Han listened quietly.
Soon after, Yonaire, thest to take the exam, walked out of the door. "You all did well. Though the potions you made would be dangerous to sell anywhere, you did work hard." Professor Uregor''s words earned him a re from the students. The dwarf professor chuckled as if amused.
"Honestly, the exam was too difficult, Professor!"
"Shouldn''t it at least be within what we''ve learned?"
"Even Mr. Wardanaz failed, who could pass it!" The students desperately protested, worried about such an exam appearing in their midterms.
Listening with a smile, Professor Uregor retorted, seemingly puzzled by theirints. "What are you talking about? Wardanaz almost seeded."
"What?"
"He almost seeded. There was a minor difference, but it was still a sess. The highest score." The students from the ck Tortoise, who had just been conversing among themselves, swiftly turned their heads to look for Yi-Han. However, Yi-Han had already left the room and was nowhere to be seen.
Professor Uregor clicked his tongue in disapproval, remarking, "To trust the words of a friend who studies better than you all. How naive."
"...Ugh...!"
"Mr. Wardanaz...! We believed in you...!"
Yi-Han, immersed in thought, read through the notes he had written on a piece of paper. Currently, the freshmen at the magic academy were spreading out like ink droplets dissolved in water. And Yi-Han was the most active in exploring the academy. He had noted several interesting locations:-
The haunted corridor on the 2nd floor of the main building, west wing (Unresolved) - Rumored to have a storeroom for fabrics piled up by the academy.
-
The locked dungeon on the basement floor of the main building (Resolved) - Connected to the professor''s office. Do not approach.
Interesting as these are, I still want to check out the path to the stables in the spire first. As Yi-Han was busy drawing maps and jotting down notes on the paper, Gainando, who was watching him, asked, "But are you okay with Professor Garcia''s exam?"
"A bit anxious, but I''ve mostly prepared."
"..."
Gainando stared at Yi-Han as if he were looking at a monster, then muttered to himself, "The Wardanaz family... truly fearsome!"
"It''s not really about the Wardanaz family, is it?"
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Chapter 124
Chapter 124
In truth, the Wardanaz family had little to do with this, but Gainando was adamant. "It''s certain that such habits were forcibly taught by the Wardanaz family. Otherwise, why would anyone study so diligently on their own?" ''You should study a bit...'' The friend from the Tower of the Blue Dragon looked at Gainando with pity and walked away.
Gainando, although not overly concerned about grades thanks to his family''s influence, was perhaps a bit toox. Even the students of the Tower of the Blue Dragon, who weren''t particrly focused on studies, thought, ''Isn''t that a bit too much y?'' Study a bit!
"Alright, let''s go." Yi-Han finished organizing and tucked his hand-drawn map into his backpack. It wasn''t just a map he packed. Sharply honed daggers, nails, hammers, and other tools, along with sturdy ropes and torches he made himself from oil-soaked rags, were also put in the backpack. And a ss bottle of frequently used oil, canned food for emergencies, a ss bottle of sugar, and a leather water sk... Yi-Han''s movements were skilled and precise, showing his experience. ...He did wonder if all this was really necessary for exploring within the academy.
"Are you really going out?"
"Yes."
Moved by Yi-Han''s confidence, especially with Professor Garcia''s exam tomorrow, Gainando admired him. How splendid! ''That''s a true noble!'' Being obsessed with grades and studying frantically was not befitting of a noble. A true noble should know how to throw books aside and venture out.
Of course, technically, Yi-Han was going out after finishing his studies... But Gainando chose to ignore that fact.
"Let mee with you."
"Hmm?" Yi-Han was slightly surprised by Gainando''s reaction. He hadn''t expected Gainando to ask to join him.
"Is that alright?"
"Of course. I can''t just sit by if my friend is heading into danger."
"You just dont want to study, right?"
"......" Gainando, hit right on the mark, fell silent. If he stayed in the lounge, he''d definitely be nagged by passersby with remarks like ''Arent you studying?'' or ''What''s with the card game, there''s a quizing up, study instead''. It was better to follow Yi-Han than to be scolded for no reason.
"No... not really."
"It seems so... But it''s okay,e along." With Yi-Han''s permission, Gainando excitedly put on his coat.
Asan entered and asked, "Gainando, you don''t need to study?"
"Ah, stop asking!"
"I just asked once..."
The reason Yi-Han wanted to check the spire''s stables first was indeed for a means of escape. He had a promise with Amur, the owner of the stables outside the magic academy.
-When the evil Lich falls and the crimson dawn arrives, look up at the eastern spire!
''...Hmm. On second thought, that conversation wasnt as dramatic.'' Memories tend to distort over time, but this seemed a bit too distorted. In reality, stable owner Amur had promised to fly to the academy every two weeks. He hadn''t yet acquired a flying mount, but it was wise to familiarize himself with the path to the stables beforehand. And who knows? He might find a clue to acquire a mount on his way to the spire''s stables. ''If it''s as per the promise, he should being this weekend. I wonder if I''ll meet him.''
"It''s really nice to gather like this, isn''t it?" Nillia asked. Yi-Han and Yonaire quickly nodded in agreement. Gainando stood there nkly until Yi-Han pinched his back, prompting him to quickly nod in agreement.
"I''m so, so happy to be wandering around with a reliable guide like Nillia, instead of a filthy friend from the Tutanta family. Right, Yonaire?"
"Of course. I''m also really, really happy."
"I''m really, really happy too."
Thanks to the ttery from Yi-Han, Yonaire, and Ratford in session, Nillia''s mood seemed to have noticeably improved.
''I wish there were some other guys from the ck Tortoise here. It''d be morefortable.'' Yi-Han regretted their absence. Since the Salko gang had agreed to use each other, he had no reason to feel sorry no matter the situation. Even if the Skull Principal appeared and one of the Salko gang was thrown as bait to escape, there was no need for apologies, as it was all pre-agreed. ...Of course, whether the Salko gang thought the same was uncertain. Anyway, that''s what Yi-Han thought.
In contrast, Nillia couldn''t be discarded. Yi-Han found that regrettable. ''Should I have brought one or two of them along?'' But if he asked to borrow one or two from the Salko gang, Salko himself would get involved, and if Salko joined, Nillia would seek revenge forst time''s abandonment... Rather thanplicating things, Yi-Han thought it best to just bring people he could trust.
"Managing rtionships between people is really tough, Ratford."
"???"
Surprised by Yi-Han''s sudden remark, Ratford quickly nodded in agreement. Indeed, in the world of thieves, rtionships were unexpectedly important. A thief who only cared about themselves and had many enemies wouldn''tst long.
"You''re right."
"I wish I had one or two friends to take the lead in case of trouble. Like the Salko gang."
"Uhm. But Miss Nillia isn''t exactly fond of the Salko gang..."
"Yeah, I know."
Yi-Han finished speaking and looked at Gainando thoughtlessly. Ratford also nced at Gainando inadvertently. Then the two secretly exchanged nces.
"Gainando. It''s reassuring to have you here."
"Huh? Why? What''s up?"
Nillia and Ratford were both exceptional guides. One was an expert outdoors, and the other, indoors. That was the only difference. Given theplexity of the magic academy''s corridors and staircases, Ratford naturally yed a more prominent role.
"Just wait a moment, please." Ratford stretched out his hand to stop his friends, then leaned close to the corridor floor with his ear. Yi-Han and his group were searching for a way to ascend from the cut-off second-floor corridor. ording to the map, this path should lead to the third floor, but there was no visible way.
"Umm... It''s over there! I hear the sound of stairs moving in that direction."
"...I can do that too..." As Nillia was about to btedly lie down in the corridor, Yi-Han stopped her. "Nillia. There''s no need to show your skills now. Better to save them forter!"
"I think so too!" As Yi-Han and Yonaire restrained her by pulling her up, Nillia stood up, looking a bit disappointed. Meanwhile, the stairs slowly approached. The group ascended the stairs to the third floor.
''This is a new direction for me.'' Yi-Han had been guided by Salko to the main building''s third floor before, but it was apletely different direction. Yi-Han had no idea what awaited them on the third floor in this direction.
Click- With a heavy sound, the stairs connected. Yi-Han stepped forward, heading to the third floor. One step. Two steps. Three steps forward.
And then, Yi-Han realized that the scenery around him had changed from the corridors, windows, and ceilings of the main building of the magic academy to a dense, lush forest.
"...?!" Yi-Han knew that the magic academy contained all sorts of naturalndscapes, but he had never expected to witness such a change within the main building itself. Despite knowing that skilled mages could expand and rearrange spaces, Yi-Han had been trapped in his preconceptions and had not considered this possibility.
The main building of the magic academy was a ce with a deep history, so deep that even the principal might not know everything about it. It wouldn''t have been surprising to find forests, volcanoes, or even pr regions inside.
"Amazing. To think there was such a forest on the third floor... Nillia, I''m counting on you." Yi-Han said, looking to his side. Finally, a situation had arisen where Nillia could shine. Yi-Han was almost too happy.
But Nillia was not there beside him. "???"
Meow. Looking down, Yi-Han saw a ck cat scratching at his ankles. Even Yi-Han, who had be quite familiar with the academy, was perplexed by the current situation.
"Where did everyone go...?"
Surprisingly, not one of the friends who had ascended to the third floor with him on the moving staircase was in sight. Yi-Han immediately drew his staff and surveyed the forest around him.
Meow. Meow.
The cat, as if it had something to say, kept tapping Yi-Han''s ankle with its front paws. Yi-Han suddenly wondered if it could be Nillia. "...Could it be you, Nillia?" The ck cat meowed and nodded its head repeatedly, clearly agreeing.
''Polymorph!'' Not just any forest, but a forest that cast a polymorph spell, forcibly transforming anyone who stepped into it into an animal. Yi-Han felt a chill. ''Wait. Why wasn''t I affected?'' Considering that all his friends had transformed, it was strange that Yi-Han was the only one unaffected. ''Maybe it''s because of my mana.'' Whenever he encountered something different from others at the magic academy, suspecting his innate mana usually turned out to be correct 99% of the time.
Yi-Han decided to find his other friends with Nillia first. "Sharakan. Help me find the others." The bone summon, which had been sleeping on his belt, ttered as it took shape and ran ahead. Nillia pressed her paws into Yi-Han. "Nillia. Easy... Why?" Nillia pointed her paws at the bone summon, raising them as if to threaten. "You think the others will get scared and run away when they see the bone summon?" Nillia nodded.
Yi-Han fell into thought for a moment. "We need to catch them before they see it and run away."
...
Nillia was so dumbfounded that she was at a loss for words.
Fortunately, the other friends were quickly found. A bat perched on a branch flew hurriedly towards Yi-Han when it saw him (Yi-Han thought it might be Ratford), and a bushy red fox (probably Yonaire) followed the bone summon.
"Where did Gainando go?" The other friends responded with various animal cries. Yi-Han nodded his head. ''Hmm. It''s better to just think on my own.'' It turned out that getting answers from his friends wasn''t always helpful.
Sharakan, the iplete bone summon, sniffed around and persistently led Yi-Han. Walking through the verdant forest path, they arrived at arge clearing. Having met a tree spirit in a forest inside a mountain range before, Yi-Han spected that there might be a tree spirit in this clearing as well. "Seems like a spirit might be needed to maintain and inhabit such a forest within the academy."
However, Yi-Han''s prediction was off the mark. At the center of the clearing was a mouse. tter, tter - The bone summon Sharakan lowered its stance, sending a wary gaze toward the mouse. It wasn''t just Sharakan who noticed. Yi-Han also felt the powerful magic emanating from the mouse. ''Does this magic academy have any normal nts or animals?''
The mouse, whipping its tail, cast a spell. Then, the bushes surrounding Yi-Han sank down, and the trees on either side were pushed away. "...!" While Yi-Han marveled, the mouse engraved letters on the ground with its magic. Forest. Passage. Duel. Victory. Loser. Return. "To pass through the forest, one must win in a duel, and if defeated, simply return?" The mouse nodded its head. Then, it raised its head and looked at Yi-Han.
Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak! The mouse, startled by the sight of Yi-Han who had not transformed, fell backward in surprise.
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Chapter 125
Chapter 125
Upon witnessing the fallen mouse, Yi-Han unwittingly blurted out a defense. "I am not a dragon, a lich, nor the academy principal," he imed. His nearby friends looked at him as if he was speaking nonsense. The red fox stretched its front paw forward as if to say, look ahead.
The mouse, startled, quickly got up and began to flee. "Wait! You proposed a duel! With the honor of a noble..." Yi-Han, habitually invoking honor, suddenly paused mid-sentence. It dawned on him that this trick only worked on his friends at the Blue Dragon Tower. For those, he could trick them by saying words like:
-"As a noble, clean up the mess you''ve made."-
-"As a noble, look up information about reagents in books."-
-"As a noble, would you dare walk over that trap?"-
However, talking about a noble''s honor to a mouse was futile. Yi-Han swiftly changed his approach. "Behave honorably, as a mouse should!" The mouse, unheeding, scampered into the forest. The red fox gazed at Yi-Han with a look of pity. Being an animal, its gaze seemed all the more piercing.
"We have no choice but to pursue," he concluded. It was clear that this mouse was the ruler of this forest. Though Yi-Han couldn''t fathom why the mouse would learn magic to be the forest''s ruler, he epted it. This was, after all, a magic academy.
"Stop there! I challenge you to a duel!" Chasing the mouse and shouting for a duel filled him with a sense of self-reproach, but that wasn''t important now. Sharakan rustled as it trailed the mouse''s path. Sensing it was being pursued, the mouse retaliated. "!" Suddenly, a vine with berries transformed into a ferocious Bald Eagle.
Yi-Han reacted immediately. "Space, be perceived. And... spring forth!" As he recited the spell, the situation around Yi-Han swiftly imprinted itself in his mind. The trajectory of the fleeing mouse was almost visible to the naked eye. Arge mass of water materialized rapidly, transforming into a bead of water that orbited him ording to his will. Starting from a simple 1st Circle spell, it quickly evolved intoplex shape transformation and motion maintenance.
Yonaire, the red fox, stood by, astonished, raising its tail in surprise. ''!?'' It was shocking to see a friend advancing so far ahead in water magic learning. Yi-Han had always been proficient in water magic, but this was faster, moreplex, and more refined than what she had seen before. Was this really okay?
"Worry not. I can handle it!" Yi-Han reassured, misinterpreting his friends'' shocked reactions, and attacked the Bald Eagle. The water bead, heavy and sharp, struck the eagle, which with a loud bang, reverted back to a bush. "Sharakan. Capture it! Don''t let it escape!" With sshing sounds, a nearby spring began to bubble and rise. The umted water took on the form of arge slime, preparing to attack.
"sh forth!" Yi-Han swiftly swung his staff, casting . Though a 1st Circle spell, lightning was the most destructive and rapid of the elements, making it apt for this situation. Crack! The lightning struck the spring slime, but it remained unscathed. Itsrge size seemed to protect it from harm, as it attempted to move again.
Yi-Han focused his mana, preparing his next move. "Strike down, Ferkuntra''s Thunderbolt!" While a 2nd Circle spell, the power of Ferkuntra, a mighty lightning spirit, made it iparable even to higher circle spells However, this fact was known only to Ferkuntra, and Yi-Han still harbored doubts about this magic. Strangely, every time he used this magic, the effects were underwhelming. "If it''s ineffective this time too, I''ll seal it away for a while." In truth, the foes Yi-Han encountered were too formidable for a mere freshman. But Yi-Han''s mind was already made up. In his mind, Ferkuntra seemed like a spirit prone to exaggeration!
Crackling fiercely, the lightning intensified as it struck the spring slime. The slime violently thrashed, part of it evaporating to the point of reducing its size. Yet, the spring slime stood its ground. "Ferkuntra!" Yi-Han cursed the absent spirit and drew out the Morning Star.
Nillia, in a panic, tried to stop Yi-Han with a mewling sound. It''s already down! The spring slime was clearly defeated due to the powerful magic. Its motionlessness was proof enough. Its continued standing was merely a residual effect of the magic, keeping the water from the spring in shape. But Nillia''s cries fell on deaf ears.
Yi-Han shed the downed spring slime with the Morning Star. Only then did the water lose its form and scatter. "It seems I''ve been tricked by the spirit," Yi-Han eximed.
"..."
The mouse cast transformation magic while frantically fleeing. But the intruder, who looked like a freshman, whether a principal or a dragon, adeptly dealt with and pursued it. That was even more suspicious. If it really were a freshman, such skilled pursuit would be impossible. Even the Bald Eagle was one thing, but to swiftly deal with a slime created from the water of the Cold Iron Water spring... It was clear that this was the skull principal in disguise.
The mouse trembled with fear. Whether a monster, demon, angel, or spirit, the professors of this magic academy seldom paid attention to those who set up nests in corners, but asionally, if someone irked a professor, they would personallye to remove them. This was evidently one of those times. The mouse couldn''t understand. What had it done to upset the skull principal? It had merely set up a forest in a corridor corner and yed with freshmen... It seemed hardly a significant transgression.
tter! Sharakan leaped out, blocking the mouse''s path with the sound of bones shing. The mouse, terrified, tried to cast another spell, but Yi-Han was quicker. "Move!" Yi-Han instantly cast a spell, levitating the mouse, preventing its escape. The mouse, incredulous at being levitated by a mere 1st Circle spell suitable for novices, retaliated by transforming... Squeak?!
The mouse was shocked. It felt as though a tremendous mana had seized it, rendering it immobile. Even attempts to cast spells were futile. The opponent was controlling the area around the mouse with an immense amount of mana, leaving no room for other magic to prate. Such needless control from a 1st Circle spell meant for levitating mere quills. There was only one exnation. The skull principal''s unique and entric intimidation tactics! Squeak... The mouse shook its head to the side, as if giving up.
Yi-Han was taken aback. Did I... kill it? For a moment, he thought he had overdone the spell. But upon reflection, shouldn''t have such effects. Its sole purpose was to levitate and control. Fortunately, upon closer inspection, the mouse was not dead. It seemed to have simply given up.
"Look. I really am not..." Yi-Han hesitated as he tried to exin to the mouse that he was neither a dragon, nor a lich, nor the skull principal. Did he really need to rify? Considering the magic the mouse had used earlier, despite its panic, it was evidently a much more skilled mage than Yi-Han. Had it not fled and instead attacked using various transformation magics, it might well have defeated him. Moreover, if the misunderstanding was cleared, wouldn''t the mouse feelpelled to attack Yi-Han fiercely, out of indignation for having fled?
But what if the mouse continued to believe Yi-Han was the skull principal? ''Wouldn''t that allow me to quickly escape the forest?'' It wasn''t the first time he had done something like this. Hadn''t he previously evaded the warehouse keeper''s eye underground by imitating the skull principal? His friends looked at him quizzically. ''Is he pondering how to persuade the mouse?''
"Yes. I am indeed the principal." Squeak! The mouse, which had been cautiously peeking at Yi-Han with one eye, now tightly shut both eyes andy back, as if expecting this.
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han felt the stares of his friends, who had transformed into animals, but he ignored them. "However, out of mercy... If you let me and these friends of mine leave, I''ll overlook making you one of my undead minions." Yi-Han spoke in as ominous a tone as he could muster. He wasn''t exactly sure what ''undead minions'' were, but he said whatever came to mind.
The mouse nodded its head fervently, as if a gust of wind had been created. Squeak, squeak, squeak! It seemed desperate to get rid of the supposed skull principal, frantically indicating the direction. Yi-Han and his friends followed the forest path. Soon, they began to see the familiar corridors of the academy in the distance.
"Ah. Wait." Yi-Han and his friends paused as they were about to leave. The mouse looked at Yi-Han with shocked eyes. Could it be? "No. There''s one more person. Just a moment." He had forgotten about Gainando.
Yi-Han went back in to find Gainando. The white mouse burst into tears upon seeing Yi-Han, clinging to him. "Gainando." His friends nodded in confirmation. Yi-Han ced the white mouse on his staff.
Gainando, tearful and moved at the sight of his friends, panicked upon seeing Nillia. Squeak, squeak, squeak! "Huh?" Yi-Han looked at Nillia and then back at Gainando. "It''s okay. She won''t bite." Of course, Gainando didn''t hear that. He hid in the pocket of the coat. Instead of forcing Gainando out, Yi-Han just removed some beer candies from the pocket and ced them elsewhere.
"Well then, farewell, mouse of the forest. If I ever pass through here again, let''s meet." Yonaire, who was listening, tilted her head. Was that a threat? Indeed, the mouse seemed to take it as such, trembling. Eventually, the mouse squeaked and unearthly dug up a treasure from the forest floor. It was a mystical bone imbued with abundant mana. Squeak, squeak... The mouse looked pitifully at Yi-Han, as if to say, take this and spare me.
Of course, Yi-Han had no interest in the bone. Maybe Professor Mortum would have... tter! At that moment, Sharakan pounced. Bones tangled messily, then the gaps in Sharakan were filled. "!" As the skull summon transformed into aplete form, his friends marveled at the wonder of summoning magic.
Yi-Han, meanwhile, was lost in thought. "...How dangerous did Professor Bungaegor say Sharakan was?" ording to the professor, Sharakan was a very proud and violent creature. While currently iplete and thus docile, achievingpleteness might bring out its original, more aggressive nature! "Should I bank on the slim chance that Professor Mortum took a freshman''s capabilities into consideration, or the more evident possibility that he overlooked safety protocols?" Naturally, it was thetter.
Yi-Han immediately grasped his staff and looked at Sharakan. "...Sharakan?" Responding to his master''s call, Sharakan came over but did not kneel. Nor did it charge at Yi-Han with a savage roar, aiming its bony fangs at his throat. Instead, Sharakan simply ignored him, as if it hadn''t heard. When called again, ity down with its head pressed to the ground. "???" His friends were perplexed, unable toprehend why the bone summon was behaving this way.
Nillia, the hunter, was the first to catch on. That''s... Is it going through a rebellious phase? Even the loyal dogs and wolves raised by hunters went through periods of disobedience as they grew. It was a sign of a maturing spirit developing a sense of rebellion. ...But does an undead bone summon also have a rebellious phase? Nillia blinked in disbelief, finding it hard to believe.
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Chapter 126
Chapter 126
It was not important whether an undead summon had a rebellious spirit or not. The fact was that Sharakan was currently showing such defiance. "Sharakan,e here," Yi-Hanmanded, his voice deepening, causing even the mouse to tremble in fear. He wondered, defying the principal like this, would this undead summon be destroyed?
However, Yi-Han, instead of smashing Sharakan, tried to coax and appease him. "Why are you doing this, Sharakan?" But Sharakan began to dig the ground as if he hadn''t heard Yi-Han''s words, leaving Yi-Han baffled. Until now, his summons had been obedient. Professor Mortum had mentioned it before an undead summon does not always absolutely obey its master''smands. In fact, they are more likely to disobey. The stronger an undead summon bes, the less likely it is to obey, partly due to the inherent opposition between the living and the dead. Sharakan, being a strong summon, was not acting out of character.
Thump-thump. Nillia pointed with her w to the front pocket of Yi-Han''s coat and then mimed throwing something to Sharakan. "Are you suggesting I tempt him with food?" Yi-Han asked. Nillia nodded her head. "Gainando?" Yi-Han inquired further. Nillia shook her head in panic.
Suddenly, Gainando, peeking out of the coat pocket, squeaked in shock and betrayal, looking at Nillia. ''Not that! The beer candy!''
Ah, you mean the beer candy. Yi-Han realized btedly what Nillia meant. Since Gainando had gone back into the pocket, he had moved the beer candy to another pocket.
When Yi-Han finally took out the beer candy, Sharakan suddenly perked up. Yi-Han instinctively threw the beer candy in the opposite direction, and Sharakan, lying down, excitedly leaped into the air and gobbled up the candy. "Feeling better now?" Yi-Han asked. However, after eating the beer candy, Sharakany down again. The watching mouse, growing anxious, ran up to Sharakan and squeaked frantically, Chikchikchik!! It seemed to be pleading, ''You''re really going to get yourself killed doing this,'' but Sharakan turned its head away with a sulky expression.
Yi-Han and Nillia fell deep in thought. "Surely... he must want something," Yi-Han mused. Nillia meowed softly and nodded her head. Even a rebellious summon would show such behavior for a reason. It was clear the summon wanted something. Yi-Han joked, "Really want to eat Gainando... just kidding. Gainando." Filled with sorrow, Gainando tried to hide inside the coat, squeaking.
"You should have done your homework when I told you to, then this wouldn''t have happened," Yi-Han remarked, somewhat unrtedly. Yonaire admired Yi-Han''s use of the Polymorph Forest as an opportunity to correct bad habits, thinking he''d make a great dormitory supervisor.
"Sharakan. Sharakan? You need to tell me what you want so I can help. If there''s something you want, try to express it," Yi-Han urged. Sharakan, pretending not to hear,y still before slowly turning its body. It then pointed at itself. Thoughplete, its body was just bones and gave off an unsightly and eerie vibe. Yi-Han asked in realization, "...Oh? Do you need a body too?" Sharakan wagged his tailbone excitedly, affirming Yi-Han''s guess. Yi-Han was relieved to see the summon happy, but even more bewildered.
''What should I make its body out of?'' Yi-Han pondered. Yonaire, skilled in alchemy, pointed to the mud beside the forest. It was soft and sticky, ideal for making golems or other summons. "How about that?" he suggested.
Sharakan approached the mud and rolled its body in it. As it did so, a flesh made of mud began to cover its bones. "Wow...!" Yi-Han and his friends marveled at the sight. Though the color wasckluster, it was certainly a more majestic form than just bones wandering around.
However, Sharakan seemed displeased with it. It nced over its body for a moment and then began to vigorously shake off the mud. Yi-Han quickly conjured a water shield to block it. A speck of mud flew through and sttered on Gainando''s face. Squeak, squeak, squeak! "Didn''t like the mud, it seems," Yi-Han observed. The red fox looked downhearted. Yi-Han reassured her that it was alright. "At least we found a way. There''s no real loss."
Gainando shook the mud off with his forepaws, sending a very displeased look. There is a loss!
The mice, growing anxious as the principal and the group did not leave the forest, interjected into the conversation. Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak- "Follow you?" Yi-Han asked. The mouse nodded and guided Yi-Han and his friends to a spring they had passed earlier.
It was the water of the Cold Iron Water spring, known for creating spring slimes. The spring water, mixed with special magic, was likely to satisfy even the finicky undead familiar. Yi-Han, realizing the specialty of the spring water, looked at it with a mix of anticipation and hope. ''Maybe this will work.''
Ssh! Sharakan jumped into the spring and emerged, forming its body from the water. The dark and blue hue of its watery flesh made Sharakan look more mystical. Yi-Han and his friends were even more amazed than before. This must be it... But Sharakan coldly shook off all the water. Once again, Gainando was hit in the face with water droplets. Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak!
''Hmm. Seems like he''s telling me to let it go.'' Yi-Han, not understanding mouse speech, but couldprehend what Gainando was saying. "Sharakan, I''m sorry, but I can''t create your flesh anymore." Yi-Han decided to use hisst resort. Sharakan, just stay in that pond! It wasn''t a bluff or a threat. What else could he do if Sharakan wouldn''t listen? Yi-Han slowly turned away.
Then Sharakan groaned pitifully, scratching the ground desperately. It even tried to bite Yi-Han''s staff. "No, Sharakan." But Sharakan did not give up and kept pointing at Yi-Han''s staff, as if it wanted something from it. "...You want me to make it?" Sharakan wagged its tailbone excitedly. Although Yi-Han figured out what it wanted, he was still puzzled. ''I don''t have the ability for that.'' The elemental magic he could use was limited, and none suited to satisfy a demanding summon like Sharakan. The only possible element might be...?
"Alright, let''s try." As Yi-Han raised his staff, Sharakan sat expectantly, watching him.
"Strike down, Ferkuntra''s Thunderbolt!" Yi-Hanmanded. As the fierce lightning tore through the air, Sharakan dodged in fright. Then, with a very angry expression, it furiously pounded the ground. "...Wasn''t this it?" Yi-Han, who had expected Sharakan to want a body of lightning, was baffled by the reaction. Isn''t lightning impressive?
Sharakan, grumbling, pointed at the spring water. ''Did it want water made?'' Yi-Han thought, while preparing the spell. He worried a bit; the guy didn''t like the special water from the spring, would he be satisfied with the water Yi-Han conjured?
Contrary to his worries, as a mass of water appeared in the air, Sharakan joyfully embraced it. The water changed its form and transformed into Sharakan''s body. "Are you alright?" Yi-Han asked. Sharakan, now shimmering like water, growled and pointed at the staff. "Do you want more?" Yi-Han inquired. Sharakan nodded vigorously. Yi-Han summoned more water. The summoned water flowed into Sharakan''s body and continued without stopping...
Squeak, squeak? The forest mouse, observing the scene, was flustered. The massive amount of water beingpressed into the undead summon''s muscles was startling, but even more so was the principal''s relentless summoning of more water. How immense must his mana be to allow such extravagance?
"It was indeed a strange experience," Yi-Han reflected.
...
...
Silence filled the air as Yi-Han and his friends, looking utterly drained, returned to the tower at midnight. Gainando seemed to be rubbing his face, as if he still felt mouse whiskers on it. ''We didn''t reach the stable, onlypleted Sharakan.'' Due to wandering too much in the Polymorph Forest, Yi-Han had no choice but to return after breaking through the forest. Theck of progress was disappointing, but with a test looming the next day, pushing further seemed unwise...
Growl! "What?" Sharakan lunged at Gainando. As therge, blue summon rushed at him, Gainando dodged in fright. "Why, why are you doing this?! Is it because I teased you with food!? I''ll give it to you!" Yi-Han wondered, ''Did you tease it in the meantime?''
As Sharakan toppled Gainando and climbed on top of him, other students from the Blue Dragon Tower in the lounge looked on in fascination. "Is that the bone-made summon?" "How did itplete it?" "It looks much better than before. Want to try this?" His friends tossed food to Sharakan, who sat atop Gainando. Delighted, Sharakan snapped up the food and wagged its tail.
"Let... let me go..." Gainando pleaded. Growl! "Ah, no, you dont have to let me go." As Sharakan showed anger, Gainando quickly backed down. However, Sharakan was not actually angry with Gainando.
Bark! Bark! "What?" When Sharakan barked towards the outside, Yi-Han instinctively grabbed his staff. Being in the lounge made no difference. In the magic academy, rxing in the lounge could lead to masked students from other towers bursting in to steal gs. Click! The lounge door opened, and skeleton warriors, summoned from somewhere, suddenly appeared.
The students were shocked by the unexpected entrance. "Has the academy fallen?!" one eximed.
"That''s impossible! sh forth!" Yi-Han was the first to react. Swinging his staff, lightning flew, raising the hair on the students'' heads and striking the skeleton warrior, turning it into dust. "Wake the sleeping ones! The principal is attacking us!" someone cried out. "Why... Why?!" another asked in confusion. "I don''t know..." Yi-Han began to respond, then hesitated. Could it be that this was to prevent them from studying for tomorrow''s test? Surprisingly, his instincts whispered that this might be the case.
"Anyway, everyone gather! Block the lounge door!" Yi-Hanmanded. "Alright, got it!" the students responded. Yi-Hanunched water beads in session, pushing back the skeleton warriors. Meanwhile, other friends quickly started barricading the lounge door with sofas and chairs. Asan, checking the windows, cried out in rm. "The undead are surrounding the tower with torches!" ''This is madness,'' Yi-Han thought.
Bark! Bark! Yi-Han stroked Sharakan. If it weren''t for Sharakan, he would have been attacked before he could even grab his staff. "Sharakan, wait and if anyonees in, chase them out. Everyone, help with the barricade!" The princess, with her disheveled hair, swung her staff. Mud began toyer over the barricade, binding it firmly. Yonaire handed out the potions she had prepared to her friends. Gainando quickly cleared away any snacks that fell to the floor.
Thud, thud, thud - Other friends who had been sleeping came down, and the barricade in front of the lounge was finallypleted, but the sounds from outside did not stop. The rhythmic knocking sent shivers down the students'' spines. "What in the world...?" someone muttered. Open the door, you ironheads a voice from outside demanded. Silence fell. The students of the Blue Dragon Tower, hearing the voice from outside, grimly piled up the barricade even higher.
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Chapter 127
Chapter 127
Chapter 127
"Why... won''t you open the door...? Why...?"
When the students offered no response, the voice grew more agitated.
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower retorted sharply, "Enough of this!"
"Why are you behaving like this?!"
Such quick-witted rascals
The skull principalmented in a distant voice, causing the students guarding the door to grit their teeth in frustration.
This is going too far!
The thought of what might have happened if they had opened the door trusting only the principal''s status was too dreadful to imagine.
"If you want to give a test, just do it! Why are you causing such a disturbance?"
What are you talking about?
Though they confronted the skull principal, his response was unexpected.
What?
Was he trying to disrupt their study for the test?
Is this a test?
"..."
"..."
The students red at the invisible skull principal outside the door.
Such absurdity!
"Indeed. After all, solving problems in a ssroom isn''t the only form of a test," mused Yi-Han, nodding as if he understood.
It made sense now why the skull principal had chosen such an annoying method if this itself was the test.
Of course, one could question what this had to do with the course, but that wasn''t important.
After all, it was a lecture that sent them to an ind full of traps...
"Wardanaz?! You shouldn''t just ept it!"
"Don''t be swayed by such nonsensical sophistry!"
"It''s not that Im swayed... Principal!"
Yi-Han called out to the skull principal.
Ah, this irritating voice is Wardanaz. Why are you calling me?
"Is it alright for you to do this when we have another test tomorrow?"
Of course! Because my ss is more important than those of other professors!
''I made a mistake. He''s crazier than I thought.''
Bringing up the names of other professors was a failed attempt. The skull principal was more insane than anticipated.
But no need to worry too much!
"?"
Because the other dormitories are experiencing the same thing!
"Oh...!"
"What do you mean ''Oh''! Is this the time to be happy?!"
Yet, despite their protests, some faces of the Blue Dragon Tower students brightened.
Wow! We''re all in the same boat!
"I''ll clear it up in the morning if you make it to morning, that is."
The skull principal spoke as if bestowing a favor.
Enraged, Yonaire raised her fist, about to make a gesture, but Yi-Han shook his head, stopping her.
''We might be watched from outside.''
''Oops!''
Yi-Han rechecked the interior of the lounge.
The barricades, reinforced several times, were still sturdy.
''We can hold out for another hour or two.''
Yi-Han was far fromcent, even in the apparent safety.
Given the opponent''s twisted intentions, it was unlikely that he would attack only from the front.
"Sharakan! Check the other directions, not just the main entrance of the lounge."
A deep sky-blue leopard growled softly and moved towards the other side of the tower.
Hardly had he spoken when Sharakan began tapping on the wall. A signal that undead were approaching.
"Staircase windows! The undead are climbing up towards the staircase windows!"
"Are you kidding me?!"
The students cursed at this news. As they hurried towards the windows, Yi-Han stopped them.
"No need to panic! It''s not that situation yet. I''ll give the instructions!"
In such critical situations, it wasmon for people to argue over who was right.
However, in the Blue Dragon Tower, such disagreements were non-existent.
When Yi-Han gave orders, everyone at the Blue Dragon Tower acted in unison.
"Yonaire, take two with you and cover the window side. Sharakan! Now that you''ve checked the window, look for other possible entries! Gainando, no need to guard the food storage now, head to the barricade!"
''I''ll have to eliminate that guy first next time.''
The skull principal, surveying each dormitory from his workshop, licked his lips at the situation in the Blue Dragon Tower.
That boy from the Wardanaz family was exceptionally talented.
Normally, a flock led by a lion would triumph over a flock led by a sheep. But here, it was as if a dragon, not a lion, led them, leaving no room for vulnerabilities.
It wasmon for natural leaders among the freshmen to emerge, but this was excessive.
It seemed selfish, stealing all opportunities for his friends to grow through hardship!
Lets look at the other towers situation, the skull principal shifted his long-distance magic vision to soothe his irritation.
As expected, the other towers were in utter chaos due to the surprise attack.
Skeleton warriors entered through the lounge doors, dragging out students...
The skull principal nodded in satisfaction. Then, he sent a voice message to the students of the ck Turtle Tower, barricaded behind the door.
You ironheads... Open the door... I''vee to help
Today, Yi-Han realized that the tower he resided in had more vulnerabilities than he thought.
Students screamed at the sight of skeleton warriors crawling through unexpected passages like windows near stairs and chimneys.
''A real lesson in practical education.''
Normally, the tower''s magic should have repelled such intruders, but it was clear that the skull principal had personally breached the defenses.
Isn''t that cheating?
Krrrrrrrr!
Nevertheless, the students of the Blue Dragon Tower were handling the situation rtively well.
Unlike other towers, they quickly counterattacked upon the surprise assault and then shut the door.
Thanks to the barricade at the main entrance of the lounge, even if a few creatures entered from other sides, the students had the leeway to manage them.
Moreover, Sharakan was pulling the weight of several people.
Crouching, it would bark and rush toward a direction, indicating the appearance of an undead.
"sh forth!"
Yi-Han''s lightning struck an undead climbing through a window, eliciting cheers from the Blue Dragon Tower students.
Though all the students had been learning magic gradually since their arrival, the magic disyed by the boy from the Wardanaz family was always on another level.
He continued to cast spells without showing any signs of fatigue.
And he was even controlling a separate summon!
Nebren of the Kirak family couldn''t help but express his admiration.
Though loyal to the princess and convinced of her superiority, Nebren was always thrilled by Wardanaz''s abilities.
The reputation of the empire''s greatest family of mages was no empty title.
"Really amazing... Ah, sorry. Princess."
"?"
The princess raised her eyebrows in puzzlement as Nebren apologized.
"Well... it''s true that Wardanaz is impressive, but I still believe you are more exceptional. Magic isn''t all about the amount of power! Of course, Wardanaz is quite skilled in cooking and has a good reputation, but..."
As the conversation turned to cooking, the princess nodded.
Nebren, flustered, added, "I mean, if you were to cook, Princess, I''m sure you''d do even better..."
The princess shook her head.
"Really? Well, he does cook very well..."
"What are you two doing?!"
Gainando, struggling and grunting as he carried a chair, suddenly shouted out in exasperation.
Why are youzing around!
"They''re resting to recover their mana after using magic just now!"
"Rest while working! You may have depleted your mana, but you still have physical strength!"
"Gainando, watch out in front!"
"?"
Gainando, who was carrying the chair, suddenly realized that the noise from the lounge''s main entrance was growing louder, and now included creaking sounds.
Bang!
The persistent pounding of the skeleton warriors, like water droplets breaking a rock, finally shattered the lounge''s main door and split the barricade.
Skeleton warriors that sprung through the gap instantly seized Gainando.
"Aaaah!"
"Gainando!!!"
"Leave him be! Gainando is wrong!"
While his friends said so, Yi-Han drew his Morning Star sword and charged in.
The nearest three skeleton warriors were cleanly sliced and tumbled away. Yi-Han grabbed Gainando''s ankle, which was being dragged away, and pulled him back forcefully.
Although a few tufts of hair were pulled out, Gainando was safely rescued. The prince, his face pale with shock, eximed.
"These insane undead creatures! Isn''t the principal going too far?"
"Why are you surprised now?"
"Gainando, fall back, and everyone, be careful at the entrance! Don''t approach!"
Yi-Han warned his friends and then swung his sword.
The skeleton warriors attempting to enter through the gap seemed to sense the mana-absorbing aura from the Morning Star and dared not enter.
Rattle rattle rattle!
The skeleton warriors outside the barricade made a noisy ruckus.
Asan asked in a bewildered voice.
"Why are they suddenly acting like that?"
"Maybe they''re angry because the mage is swinging a mana-absorbing sword?"
"!"
Yonaire''s offhand response seemed quite usible.
The skeleton warriors began to pound again, widening the gap in the barricade to rush in all at once.
But this time, Yi-Han did not leave it unattended.
"Space, be perceived!"
Casting spell once again, Yi-Han started hurling water orbs towards the skeletons outside the barricade.
The viciously flying water beads broke through the gap in the barricade, smashing the old bones of the skeleton warriors.
''I''ve stopped them!''
Just as Yi-Han was certain of this, a new group emerged from the darkness of the night in the distance.
"Could it be?"
"No, it''s not undead! It''s..."
Help us!
The neers were students from the Immortal Phoenix.
Seeing skeleton warriors swarming and chasing behind the students, it was clear what the situation was.
''They must have escaped after their lounge was breached!''
"What... what do we do?"
"Wardanaz. It might be dangerous to ept them. Considering the undead following them, there''s a 90% chance..."
"Let''s ept them."
"!"
"!!!"
His friends, who were arguing against it, suddenly felt ashamed at Yi-Han''s immediate and decisive response.
To show such fear of the undead was one thing, but to exhibit this kind of attitude was another.
"Wardanaz... I misspoke. I''ve tarnished the name of my family and dishonored it. I''m sorry!"
"I''ll go out and bring them in too! Wardanaz! Let''s go together!"
"???"
Yi-Han was taken aback by his friends who suddenly began to reflect on their own ord.
''What are these guys talking about?''
Yi-Han''s reason for agreeing to help was singr.
Who else but the skull principal could have sent those students here?
And considering the nature of the skull principal, not epting those students would have likely led to him using them of undermining the essence of the ss.
Even minor faults must be guarded against!
"Then... thank you all for agreeing. It''s a relief that you came to this decision on your own."
Yi-Han nodded, grateful there was no need for persuasion.
The ironheads of the Immortal Phoenix have escaped and run away?
The skull principal, who was resting, reopened his vision upon receiving reports from his summoned creatures.
Indeed, the Immortal Phoenix students were frantically piercing through the darkness of the night, fleeing.
Under normal circumstances, this would have been a moment for mirthfulughter, but...
''They''re running to the Blue Dragon Tower?''
What luck, of all ces, they''re heading to the one that''s defending itself the best right now.
The skull principal grumbled and sent out a fervent wish.
''Don''t ept them, don''t ept them, don''t ept them...''
However, Yi-Han, crushing the skull principal''s expectations, dashed out with his friends through the barricade to rescue the students of the Immortal Phoenix.
The skull principal, bursting with indignation, eximed,
Such a selfish brat! Such a selfish brat!!
The other summoned creatures in the workshop, sensing the mood of the skull principal, bowed their heads.
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Chapter 128
Chapter 128
Chapter 128
The summoned creatures did not particrly perceive the young Wardanaz as selfish. However, they knew all too well that voicing such an opinion when their master was in a foul mood could result in a hundred years of menial tasks, waiting for an intruder who would nevere, in the 17th basement floor of the magic academy''s main building.
Reluctantly, the summons could only express agreement.
"Indeed, he is selfish."
"He has stolen the learning opportunity from other students, Master."
"Such a wicked boy."
Despite their ttery, the skull principal''s anger seemed unabated. He grumbled, puzzled by the boy''s actions, for he had not taught him to be this way. The Principal noticed a striking resemnce between the young Wardanaz and his own younger self clever, gutsy, and adept at concealing his true intentions to get what he wanted. Yet, why was he helping students from other towers? It was a habit the Principal found utterly iprehensible.
While the skull principal was busy making untteringparisons, Yi-Han, the young mage, was fully focused. Battling the undead in the dark depths was an experience he questioned the necessity of for a freshman at the magic academy. He wasn''t an adventurer or mercenary, after all.
"Light!"
However, the students on the scene had no time for such contemtions. As the light from other students'' magic began to fade, Yi-Han swiftly cast his own light spell. Asan, rmed, cried out.
"Wardanaz, it''s dangerous..."
Despite Yi-Han''s considerable mana, continuously casting spells from the dormitory to the current water beads had its limits.
"Light, light, light! Heat, distort the air! What''s the matter, Asan?"
"...Nothing!"
Asan thought highly of his friend, even as he swung his staff. Yi-Han''s spell created heatden illusions, conjuring mirage-like doubles around them. The skeleton warriors were baffled, unable to distinguish the real from the illusion.
"This way!"
The Immortal Phoenix students felt a thrill at the sight of Yi-Han, glowing in the darkness, reminiscent of a saint.
"Mr. Wardanaz!"
"Run!"
"Mr. Wardanaz...!"
"Run, I said!"
"Mr. Wardanaz is truly..."
Thwack!
Yi-Han struck a priest''s back with his staff.
"Run, you fool! Do you want to get hit?"
"Sorry, sorry!"
A priest student, mesmerized by the halo in the darkness, regained his senses only after being struck.
He''s not a saint, he''s Wardanaz!
"Run inside! To the barricade!"
Yi-Han used the remaining water beads to topple the pursuing skeleton warriors.
''This will work!''
Seeing the disarray among the undead, Yi-Han felt confident they could evacuate the priests safely. But then, Asan stumbled.
"Ugh...!"
"!"
Yi-Han, sensing the magic disturbance, realized what had happened.
''A curse spell!''
Asan struggled, his left leg paralyzed.
"Cramps... cramps..."
"Wardanaz, what do we do?!"
"I''ll take Asan. Go inside!"
Yi-Han lifted Asan onto his shoulder. Despite the pain and the paralysis curse, Asan was moved to tears.
"Wardanaz...!"
In such a situation, finding a friend who would not abandon but care for him was rare. Wardanaz was indeed a noble friend.
Whoosh!
Another curse spell flew towards them. Yi-Han quickly positioned Asan in front to shield himself.
"Cough! Wardanaz! Ha ha ha!"
Asan knew all too well that carrying him, Yi-Han wouldn''t be able to react swiftly. But the moment he became a shield and took the tickling curse, he couldn''t help butugh uncontrobly.
"Why you... ha ha ha ha!"
"Sorry, Asan."
Thanks to Asan''s sacrifice, Yi-Han could spot the enemy. Amidst the skeleton warriors, there was one holding a bone staff, emitting a denser aura of dark magic typical of the undead. Hiding in the darkness among the skeletons, it had thought itself invisible, but to Yi-Han, it was clear as day. Using the curse twice was like shouting to be caught.
"sh forth!"
Yi-Han''s spell erupted, and a bolt of lightning shot toward the skeleton sorcerer. The sorcerer, taken aback, creaked in rm, but fortunately, other warriors were there to protect it.
Bang!
The skeleton warriors, sensing danger, shielded the sorcerer with their bodies, blocking the attack with their bones.
''Damn.''
It was difficult to target a sorcerer protected by warriors, a lesson Yi-Han was learning the hard way.
Rattle!
This time, the skeleton warriors rushed at Yi-Han. Not to bring him down, but to prevent him from dodging while their sorcerer cast another spell.
Swoosh!
Just like before, a curse spell exploded towards Yi-Han along with a wave of magic.
The skeleton warriors, thinking Yi-Han would fall, were pleased.
Thump!
"These annoying creatures..."
-?!
However, instead of copsing paralyzed, Yi-Han energetically finished off the skeleton warriors. Surprisingly, the direct curse had no effect on him. His overwhelming mana rendered him immune to such mundane curses.
"Magic Missile!"
"Burn!"
"Wardanaz! We''vee to help!"
The skeleton sorcerer wasn''t the only one with friends. The exhausted students of the Immortal Phoenix had entered the barricade, creating a chance for other friends to rush out and aid Yi-Han.
Fist-sized spheres of mana shot out, and mes erupted over the skeletons. Among them, one Immortal Phoenix student stood out in Yi-Han''s eyes, fighting admirably.
"Fire, shoot forth!"
The student''s skill with the 2nd Circle spell clearly indicated a talent for fire magic.
''A fire spirit mixed-blood?''
Perhaps a descendant of someone who had made a pact with a fire spirit, the Immortal Phoenix priest''s hair and eyes flickered with small mes.
"Already mastering 2nd Circle fire magic..."
"Ha ha ha! Good shot. Ha ha ha!"
"I''m envious."
"????"
Stillughing from the curse, Asan was puzzled by Yi-Han''s words.
''Why would you, Wardanaz, envy that?''
It was iprehensible to Asan that Yi-Han, who used much more powerful spells, would envy a simple fire spell.
"Mr. Wardanaz. Thank you. Thanks to you, all ourpanions could enter."
"I should be thanking you. With your help, we took down the sorcerer."
Yi-Han reached out to shake hands with the priest. Before the priest could withdraw his hand, Yi-Han had already grasped it.
"!"
It was only then that Yi-Han realized the hand he was holding was aze.
''Dangerous... but it seems not.''
Startled at first, Yi-Han breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, the me did not harm his hand.
"It seems to be just a harmless me on the surface."
"...Oh, no but..."
"?!"
Yi-Han hastily withdrew his hand, only then feeling a bit of heat.
''What''s this?''
The other''s me wasn''t safe after all. Yi-Han had been unconsciously expelling mana from his palm to resist the me.
Had he not instinctively protected himself as he had when he embraced a burning puppy and rolled around, the oue might have been different...
"Are you sure you''re alright? If you''re hurt..."
"Ah, I''m fine. Sorry for acting rashly."
"There''s nothing to be sorry about."
The priest introduced himself.
He was Nigisor, a priest of the Aphar Order, A me-worshipping order, just as Yi-Han had suspected, a priest with blood mixed from an ancestor''s pact with a fire spirit.
"Thanks again for your help. If you ever need assistance, just say the word."
Yi-Han highly regarded the departing figure of the priest. In a world where there were many ungrateful people, even after receiving help, Nigisor''s politeness was exceptional.
''A good person indeed.''
"Are you talking about Nisigor?"
"He seemed like a good person."
Yi-Han, who met priestess Tijiling inside the barricade, told her the story of Nigisor. His help with the me magic and not forgetting the favor...
Could it be that all priests are such good people?
"It might be best to keep your distance from him..."
"?!"
Yi-Han was startled by Tijiling''s response. Tijiling was known as one of the kindest priestesses in the Immortal Phoenix.
Such a priestess speaking like this was surprising.
"Did Priest Nigisor cause any trouble in the tower?"
"No, not that..."
Priestess Siana, distributing recovery potions to the weary, approached Yi-Han with delight.
"Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family, a discerning and understanding alchemist!"
"Priestess Siana of the meng Order, a shining talent in alchemy! Your skills always amaze me."
"..."
Tijiling looked on in disbelief at their mutualpliments, as extravagant as those at an imperial social gathering.
Curious, Yi-Han asked.
"By the way, Priestess Siana, did Nigisor ever cause any trouble in the tower?"
"No such incident."
"I see. I received Nigisor''s help earlier, he fought well and seemed reliable."
"Yes, but it might be best to keep your distance."
"?!"
Both responding this way, Yi-Han was perplexed.
''Tijiling probably won''t speak ill of others.''
Yi-Han decided to probe Siana for more information.
"The most skilled alchemist Sia..."
"Undead are fleeing!!!"
"The dawn is breaking! The dawn is breaking!"
Far away, with the break of dawn, skeleton warriors were seen fleeing beyond the barricade.
Students from all towers felt a sudden emotional surge.
"...Everyone fought bravely."
"You too!"
Students hugged, shook hands, and praised each other everywhere.
They had fought asrades in this ruthless magic academy.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Gainando burst out of the barricade, eager to shout his feelings.
We''ve won...
Wait a moment.
?!
Yi-Han grabbed the back of Gainando''s neck.
Sharakan. Go ahead and leave first.
Sharakan barked once and then dashed out beyond the barricade.
Upon this, the skeleton warriors who were hiding right up against the barricade, cursing, fled in terror.
...
...
The students trembled at the sight.
To have dug such a trap until the very end.
How utterly filthy and despicable!
Thats utterly filthy and despicable.
The skull principal muttered with a sneer.
That guy was incredibly sly to an astonishing degree.
Next time, he would have to set a trap separately...
The sun was rising unkindly.
The skull principal sighed and delivered his verdict.
Perfect score.
Thank you.
Yi-Han bowed deeply as the representative at the front. Then, he thought to himself.
Indeed, helping the students of the Immortal Phoenix made a big difference.
I can''t understand why that guy would help the others as well, not just secure a perfect score for himself. Is he trying to provoke me on purpose? Such audacity...
The teacher and the student ended the test warmly.
Each with their own thoughts!
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Chapter 129
Chapter 129
As the skull principal vanished into the dawn, the students let out a sigh of relief.
"Just a moment. Isn''t he just pretending to disappear and hiding nearby with an invisibility spell?"
"He could be hiding close by! Let''s throw a stone, just in case!"
''Looks like the magic academy is ruining the empire''s talents.''
Yi-Han looked at his friends who were beginning to fall into conspiracy theories with pity.
"It''s a shame about the Immortal Phoenix. There were students caught..."
The students of the Blue Dragon had not been caught and had therefore scored perfectly, but it was not the case for Immortal Phoenix.
Several priests were caught while escaping, which inevitably led to a loss of points.
"The teachings are what''s important, not the scores."
Priestess Tijiling said with a devout attitude. Yi-Han was astonished at this.
''Aren''t the scores important?''
After all, it''s the scores that remain on record.
And the value of teachings depends on the teachings themselves. What value could there be in lessons like these?
''Teachings like "Don''t associate with a lich," "Don''t trust people blindly," or "Beware of the undead at night" are all that''s left.''
"Hmm... Yes, teachings are important."
Yi-Han''s response came out strangelyte, which puzzled Tijiling.
Why is he responding sote?
"By the way, priests from the empire will be visiting the academy this weekend."
"!"
Yi-Han''s face brightened.
When the empire''s priests visited the academy, it wasn''t just about sharing food and drinks.
Most importantly, it meant a reduction in the challenging teachings of the skull principal.
''The conscience of the empire is improving the academy!''
''Maybe this weekend will be more rxing.''
Additionally, Yi-Han, who had decided to join as many orders as he could, not just the Presinga Order, was thinking of looking for a new order during their visit.
Considering this...
''Why doesn''t the Wardanaz family provide the same support as other noble families?''
Yi-Han grumbled internally.
Look at the Maykin family!
They actively support the meng Order, ensuring benefits for their lineage.
Can''t they support without belief?
''Comining is pointless. I''ll make my own path.''
Even if his family didn''t help, Yi-Han would follow his own path.
Yi-Han looked at Priestess Tijiling.
Intimidated by his charismatic gaze, Tijiling became slightly tense.
"Do you have something to say...?"
"Priestess Tijiling. You seem to have lost weight since Ist saw you."
"..."
That''s not true?
"It hasn''t even been a day; it''s impossible for me to have lost weight..."
"You should eat something more now that youre at the Blue Dragon Tower."
"..."
Thanks to Yi-Han, who would periodically call Tijiling to ''have some tea with meat broth in a pot,'' Tijiling had no nutritional problems.
And even if she didn''t eat well, it was impossible for someone to lose weight in less than a day.
"Come on. Let''s go sit down."
"It''s a sin for a priest serving Presinga to indulge in luxurious meals..."
"I see. But if you don''t eat, I''ll make Gainando fast with you."
"?!"
Gainando, who was clearing the barricade nearby, looked at Yi-Han in shock.
Why am I involved?!
"Priestess...! I get hungry if I miss even a single meal...!"
"..."
Tijiling had no choice but to sit down obediently. Yi-Han nodded with a cold expression, like the skull principal.
"We should get the other priests to sit down as well."
"But the priests here mostly live austerely, so they would consider such a meal sinful," Priestess Tijiling said with a slightly sullen voice.
"Are you saying this because of how I threatened Gainando, Priestess Tijiling?"
"No, that''s not it."
Though she denied it, it didn''t quite seem true. Gainando, looking puzzled, said, "But our meal is actually quite modest...."
"..."
"..."
Passing students of the Blue Dragon looked at Gainando as if he were mad.
Has this guy already forgotten what a truly modest meal is?
"Everyone might indeed find such a meal burdensome," Yi-Han nodded.
Of course, Yi-Han wasn''t doing this because he had surplus ingredients.
Rtions with the White Tiger students were beyond repair.
Though rtions with the ck Tortoise students were rtively harmonious, misunderstandings about Yi-Han due to baseless rumors spread by the White Tiger students asionally arose.
But not so with the wise and kind priests of the Immortal Phoenix.
They would not fall for such rumors and would trust Yi-Han.
And more importantly, being treated to a generous meal would surely inspire them to speak well of him to the visiting priests over the weekend.
Whether the Immortal Phoenix students liked it or not, they had to eat. Yi-Han''s eyes shone with a ruthless determination.
"Gainando, follow me. You need to help persuade them."
"??"
"..."
Gainando, not understanding why Yi-Han called him, was confused, but Priestess Tijiling realized and was shocked.
Yi-Han brought out the food stored in the pantry.
Buttered, warmed white bread with honey and sweet tree sap for dipping was ced on the table. Pork and beef, either whole roasted, salt-cured, or smoked, were alsoid out. Canned fish, thinly sliced, was served on tes.
He also took out a jar of fresh milk ''borrowed'' from Professor Uregor''s cabin.
He spooned various fruit jams from ss jars into the cold milk, stirring vigorously to make a rare sweet beverage hard to find at the academy.
"You had all this?!"
"Don''t ask for me to do this often, because then you won''t get it."
''How did he know?!''
Yi-Han smacked the back of Gainando''s hand as he reached to grab a piece first, then checked on the soup.
The aroma of the boiling rich broth made the students of the Blue Dragon happy.
"Sharakan."
Yi-Han tossed a piece of meat to Sharakan. Gainando looked on enviously, then averted his eyes when Sharakan growled threateningly at him.
"Almost done. Tell everyone to sit down."
Yi-Han skillfully used the juice from the cooked meat. He stir-fried the vegetables he was growing himself and made a sauce by mixing in flour.
''Not bad.''
Yi-Han tasted it and was impressed with his own talent. Utilizing the meat juice so well...
This would certainly go well with the fresh vegetables from the garden...
''...I should stop thinking about it.''
Strangely, while his magic skills didn''t seem to improve quickly, his cooking skills were rapidly advancing.
Yonaire, helping with the preparations, was puzzled by the carrot cupcakes and sweet pumpkin cookies being baked.
"Where did thesee from?"
"I made them with produce from the garden."
"..."
"...This isn''t particrly professional or difficult cooking. Yonaire. It''s easier than you think."
''I didn''t say anything...''
Suddenly, Yonaire was taken aback by Yi-Han''s defensive demeanor.
"You understand, right?"
"Yes, uh, yes."
Not quite grasping what she was agreeing to, Yonaire nodded, overwhelmed by Yi-Han''s forcefulness.
For some reason, it seemed that Yi-Han wanted to assert that he wasn''t serious about cooking.
...To Yonaire, however, it seemed quite the opposite
Though they sat down under duress, the young priests who had fought through the night were moved by the warm meal.
Seeing a student stuff his cheeks full of food, Yi-Han felt a sense of pride.
''No, it''s Gainando.''
Upon closer inspection, it was not a student from the Immortal Phoenix, but Gainando.
Fortunately, the Immortal Phoenix students were also enjoying their meal.
The tter of tes and bowls was the only sound in the air.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
"I only did what was needed."
Internally, Yi-Han hoped they would speak well of him to the visiting priests over the weekend, but he did not show it.
Instead, he nodded with the dignity befitting a noble. The young priests were deeply impressed by his demeanor.
"The priests of the order will be visiting the academy this weekend, and I would like to tell them about what Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family has done."
"Well, I won''t stop you if you do."
"But..."
"?"
As the other hesitated, Yi-Han was puzzled.
Why?
''Could it be that the Wardanaz family is cklisted?''
Given what the head of the family had said about the empire''s Religious Orders, it wouldn''t be surprising if they disliked the Wardanaz family.
"Then the priest might want to personally thank Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family... but I was worried you might be too busy. It''s the weekend, after all..."
"I''m not busy at all. In fact, I often have too much free time on the weekends."
"Is, is that so?"
The young priests of the Immortal Phoenix were taken aback by Yi-Han''s words.
To them, he seemed extremely busy...
Yet, the sincerity in his face made it seem like he wasn''t joking or lying.
''Maybe?''
''He must really be that free.''
"Dark magic?"
At Professor Garcia''s question, Yi-Han raised his hand.
"Summoning magic?"
He raised his hand again for the next question.
"Illusion magic?"
Again, Yi-Han raised his hand.
He then caught the eyes of the Immortal Phoenix students sitting nearby.
"...I''m not busy at all. Understand?"
"Bu... but you seem so busy."
"Yi-Han... you are busy... you need to cut back."
Not only the Immortal Phoenix students, but also his friends from the Blue Dragon were astounded.
Before the test, Professor Garcia had divided the students ording to their interests.
And Yi-Han had entered every category.
It clearly seemed too much.
''Isn''t he going to copse at this rate?''
"From my point of view, you''re being too harsh on yourself, Wardanaz."
"Even I think it''s a bit much..."
Students from the ck Tortoise and White Tiger joined in the concern.
However, Yi-Han remained unfazed.
"I still have room to spare."
"Yi-Han, you really need to cut back..."
Professor Garcia approached, speaking with a worried tone.
Like the old saying that the most beautiful singing bird dies the fastest, a genius with exceptional talent must be wary of being consumed by it.
"I''m giving this advice based on personal experience, Yi-Han. Exploring every field of magic is a natural destiny for an ambitious young mage with talent and aspiration, but..."
''Every word in that sentence seems to oppose me.''
"It''s really hard."
"Did you, Professor, also learn various types of magic at the same time like Yi-Han?"
"I did, once."
"Then maybe Yi-Han can do it too?"
"Uh... well, yes, but..."
Professor Garcia found herself at a loss for words at Gainando''s pointed remark.
Oh?
Is that so?
Reflecting on his own arduous journey, he had thought he should dissuade the student from walking the same path...
But then, he wondered if he had the right to do so.
Especially for a naturally talented mage like Yi-Han.
"Um... still, back in my time, there wasn''t someone like Professor Bagrak... No, never mind, it''s nothing."
Professor Garcia hastily stopped herself, not wanting to speak ill of another professor in front of the students.
However, Yi-Han instantly understood what Professor Garcia was about to say.
"Well, Yi-Han might be better off than I was. Yes, I won''t say anymore."
With a gesture as if to encourage, Professor Garcia clenched her fist, shook it, and then walked away.
Yi-Han watched her go, feeling an inexplicable sense of unease, as if he had just missed a final opportunity.
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Chapter 130
Chapter 130
"One by one, step forward."
As the test began, Professor Garcia called the students to the front one at a time.
Then she recited the incantation.
"The soft curtain of stars obscures the view."
In an instant, mana intricately wove through the air, intecing like warp and weft inplexity beyond the freshmen''sprehension. The transformation urred in the blink of an eye.
As the curtain unfolded, the students seated could not make out Professor Garcia, though they tried.
They knew she was there, yet it felt as if their brains refused to acknowledge the information.
"Can you all see?"
"No."
"Yes."
"?"
Expecting unanimous blindness, the students hesitated upon hearing a contrary response.
Likewise, Yi-Han, who had given the opposite answer, also hesitated. He had thought everyone else could see.
"...Can''t you see?"
Yi-Han''s question perplexed his friends.
"Can''t see it."
"Is it only visible to the smart ones?"
"Then why can''t I see it?"
"Gainando, stop talking nonsense."
Above the murmurs of the students of the Blue Dragon, Professor Garcia''s calm voice resonated.
"Ah, you''re Yi-Han, right?"
"Yes."
Yi-Han, feeling guilty without having done anything wrong, wondered if it was due to his mana. Typically, when an issue arose at the magic academy, it was often rted to Yi-Han''s mana.
And indeed, it was the case this time.
"Your mana allowed you to resist ."
Greater mana naturally increases resistance to other magics.
Of course, this is generally speaking. A slight increase in mana doesn''t dramatically boost resistance, the difference is almost imperceptible.
But there are exceptions, and the boy standing before Professor Garcia was one.
"So, what should be done?"
"Just turn around and don''t look this way."
"That simple, huh?"
Yi-Han was relieved; he had feared that the professor would cast a weakening curse or force him to drink a potion.
"I thought the professor would cast a curse on me."
"You thought the professor was like the principal?"
Hearing his peers'' whispers, Yi-Han realized he wasn''t the only one who had thought so.
The students called forward performed magic as instructed by Professor Garcia.
"Oh, burn like my soul!"
"Reciting such a lengthy incantation for the same spell is not a good habit. You need to improve your focus to conjure it under any circumstances, or you''ll struggle with higher-level magic."
"Burn!"
"Even if it works normally, in such tense situations, magic often fails. It''s best to practice a lot and get used to it."
It was Yi-Han''s turn.
To ease his nerves, Professor Garcia kindly smiled and said, "Yi-Han, don''t use the fire element. Show me water."
Yi-Han conjured a mass of water.
His speed was iparable to the other students, yet Professor Garcia showed no surprise.
"Give it a shape?"
Yi-Hanpressed the water mass into a sphere.
"Shape change?"
Thepressed sphere morphed into a shield.
"."
The shield began to orbit steadily around Yi-Han in a stable trajectory.
Professor Garcia nodded in approval.
What could one say to a student already mastering magic beyond their grade level?
"Perfect. Full marks."
"Thank you."
"Yi-Han, your talent is... don''t rush to surpass it too soon. You understand what I''m trying to say?"
"Of course."
Yi-Han wanted to rify.
He really had no intention of getting ahead.
It was just that the magic academy kept pushing him!
"I have no intention of rushing ahead, Professor."
Professor Garcia stared intently at Yi-Han''s resolute face, then sighed.
"Well, even if you say so now, you''re the kind of student who wouldn''t hesitate to leap forward if given the chance, Yi-Han. Perhaps it''s the tragedy of innate talent..."
"...?!"
Yi-Han felt unjustly used.
''Why would he misunderstand like that?''
"Why do you think so?"
"Professor Ingurdel mentioned that you tried to manipte multiple water beads."
"..."
Yi-Han was at a loss for words, not expecting such a response.
''Professor Ingurdel...!''
Had he been spreading rumors?!
Of course, objectively, Professor Ingurdel hadn''t done anything wrong.
His student had faced off against the knight of the White Wood Knight Order and even emerged victorious.
Any reasonable mentor would talk about it. It would be strange not to.
But to Yi-Han, that wasn''t important. He grumbled inwardly.
"There was apelling reason for..."
"Exactly. Even when you try to stay still, apelling reason may force a naturally talented mage to move forward..."
"..."
Yi-Han wondered if they were speaking differentnguages.
Why did it feel like their conversation was going in circles even when they were face-to-face?
"But don''t push yourself too hard."
Those were Professor Garcia''s final words.
Of course, he knew that geniuses brimming with talent would seize any opportunity to leap forward.
But even if his words had no effect, repeating them was a teacher''s duty.
"Of course, Professor."
Yi-Han pondered deeply on how to respond so that Professor Garcia would believe his sincerity, as he returned to his seat.
"Now, let''s move on to dark magic... Yi-Han."
"..."
Getting up again, Yi-Han thought as he walked forward.
''My words might seem a bit unbelievable.''
Dark Magic.
-"Now, I''ll summon an undead, and you try casting a curse."-
-"Yes."-
-"Cast the curse, dodge the curse. Well done. We''ll need a skeletal hand. Summon it."-
-"Yes. Appear, skeletal hand!"-
-"Perfect. But Yi-Han, that wasn''t amand for you, it was for the undead I summoned."-
-"..."-
Summoning Magic.
-"This time you summoned just one quill correctly. Were you showing off to your friends by summoning a lotst time? No? Then why? A mistake, you say? Why would you, Yi-Han, make such a beginner''s mistake?"-
-"Professor, I am a first-year student."-
-"...Ah, sorry about that."-
Illusion Magic.
-"Now, try casting an illusion."-
-"Heat, distort the air!"-
-"Yi-Han, that''s not a spell we learned in ss. It''s even a 2nd Circle spell."-
-"...Disappear, illusion!"-
-"Should I give you full marks twice?"-
-"No, thank you..."-
Afterpleting all the exams, Yi-Han returned to his seat with a sigh.
Despite scoring full marks in everything, the weight of Professor Garcia''s misunderstanding still burdened his heart.
Gainando looked at Yi-Han with an expression full of anticipation.
When one failed an exam, the mostforting thing was to have a friend who had failed too.
"You failed too, right?!"
"I got full marks."
"..."
Gainando''s face filled with a sense of betrayal as he looked at Yi-Han.
Then why did you sigh?!
As the stormy week of tests ended and a golden Saturday arrived, the students'' faces seemed to shine unusually bright.
Yi-Han also woke up after a long sleep.
He had intended to sleep more, but Sharakan woke him up by licking his face relentlessly.
Sharakan seemed to be urging Yi-Han to take a walk.
There were things Yi-Han had to do in the morning anyway...
''...But do leopards need regr walks?''
Yi-Han wondered, stepping out of the dormitory tower with Sharakan, suddenly doubtful.
Of course, Yi-Han wasn''t an expert on raising a ''King of Leopards'' monster, but shouldn''t such a creature have a more dignified and majestic demeanor?
-Bark! Growl!
-Neigh!
As Yi-Han brought out a white horse from the stable, Sharakan barked noisily at it. The horse responded with loud neighs.
Yi-Han nodded with a resigned expression.
"Alright. Enjoy your mutual dislike on the walk. Now, keep your distance. Don''t bother each other."
But Sharakan wouldn''t give up and rolled around.
He dug at the ground and growled, continually pointing his paw at the white horse.
Yi-Han spoke firmly.
"That''s not possible, Sharakan. It''s not your prey."
At Yi-Han''s words, Sharakan rolled even more frantically to the side.
It was as if he was going mad, not understanding why his request was denied.
"No means no, Sharakan. Stop throwing a tantrum and stand up."
-...
After much iling, Sharakan finally gave up and stood. Yi-Han nodded as if to say ''well done.''
"Good, Sharakan. I''ll give you something to eat when we get back."
-Grrrrr...
-Neigh.
As Sharakan growled softly, the white horse nodded as well.
It seemed as if they understood each other''s plight.
''Animals are really hard to understand.''
Yi-Han thought to himself, watching the two animals.
No matter how much he learned, they remained enigmatic beings.
"Professor. Good morning."
Spotting Professor Bungaegor from afar, Yi-Han bowed his head.
Wearing a leather jacket, Professor Bungaegor looked appreciatively at Yi-Han, who was taking care of the animals early in the morning.
He then looked at Sharakan and back at Yi-Han.
"...Isn''t that undead hound a bit too ferocious? What is that?"
"Ah, you remember the monster I asked about before, Sharakan?"
"Right."
Professor Bungaegor nodded, recalling their previous conversation.
She had kindly exined that taming monsters was difficult, and the more ferocious and powerful the monster, the harder it was.
Controlling such a monster as an undead was even more dangerous, as it could turn on a dark mage at any moment.
"This is it."
"...Are you rebelling against me?? Have I been so harsh to you?"
Professor Bungaegor asked in astonishment.
There were many easier ways to seek death in the magic academy than taming such a monster. Other than rebellion, there was no reason to control such a dangerous undead summon.
"No, it was given to me by Professor Mortum."
"Oh..."
"Do you think its okay?"
"No, I think hes crazy."
"...Still, Professor Mortum must have done some magic processing on it. It doesn''t attack me. It''s gentle and loyal."
Yi-Han found himself unwittingly defending Professor Mortum.
Professor Bungaegor approached Sharakan, who growled lowly and threateningly, as if on guard.
"Hmm..."
Narrowing her eyes, Professor Bungaegor scrutinized Sharakan.
If Professor Mortum had applied additional magic to control the temperament while creating the undead familiar, there should have been signs of it.
"Not really?"
"Pardon?"
"There''s no magic processing to make it gentle or loyal."
"..."
Unconsciously, Yi-Han stepped back, putting distance between himself and Sharakan.
Sharakan barked, looking hurt.
"Then... is it waiting for an opportunity like Niffirg?"
This time, the white horse neighed in protest.
To question its loyalty!
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Chapter 131
Chapter 131
Everything about the story was wrong.
Professor Bungaegor was incredulous.
"Just a loyal beast..."
"Ah. Is that so?"
Yi-Han looked at Sharakan again. Sharakan wagged its tail happily.
"Come here, Sharakan. I am actually trusting you."
Sharakan rushed towards him, barking joyfully.
Yi-Han stroked Sharakan, thinking he should give it the sausage he nned to give to Gainandoter.
Professor Bungaegor looked at this scene with disdain.
''But the fact that no special magic treatment was done means...''
Either the Madman, no, Professor Mortum hadn''t cast any special magic and yet this undead summon was showing such loyalty, or it was one of two things.
Either Sharakan was unusually fond of people (the likelihood was as much as Gonadaltes bing kind andpassionate), or Yi-Han''s presence was simply too overpowering.
Beasts like Sharakan were sensitive to hierarchy. It made sense for such a creature to show loyalty to a master like Yi-Han, who exuded tremendous mana.
Other mages had to use all sorts of magic, arcane knowledge, and tricks to tame such beasts, but Yi-Han did it effortlessly.
And most baffling of all, the person himself was unaware of it.
If Professor Bungaegor''s friends, who were well-versed in monster and beast taming, were here, they would have discussed this event for hours.
"Good job, Sharakan. I trusted you."
Though those who really trusted wouldn''t say such words, Sharakan seemed pleased nheless.
Professor Bungaegor, struck by a thought, asked,
"Wait. Why do you trust Sharakan but not that... white horse?"
"Eh?"
Yi-Han looked at Professor Bungaegor as if he was asking something obvious.
"Well, Sharakan has always been loyal, whereas that Niffirg has been kicking and biting me."
For Yi-Han, trusting Niffirg was difficult.
The creature that caused so much trouble suddenly bing docile was suspicious.
Moreover, Niffirg was among the most intelligent and cunning horses in the stable.
Whether it was fed a potion, enchanted, or had a lineage mixed with other monsters, it seemed several times smarter than other horses.
Such a sudden change in behavior was even more suspicious!
Huhiihihiing!
Niffirg protested desperately, pawing the ground with its hooves.
Of course, a horse suddenly behaving like that was suspicious, but griffins were creatures like that.
If someone they didn''t recognize as their master tried to ride them, they would never ept it, but once they recognized a master, they would show loyalty proud magical creatures.
But being mistaken for a horse and misunderstood, Niffirg was frustrated to death.
"See? That''s exactly what I mean."
Huhiiing!!
Niffirg, giving up on convincing Yi-Han, wailed crazily at Professor Bungaegor.
Its message was clear.
Remove the magic!!
Professor Bungaegor avoided Niffirg''s gaze.
''It can''t be.''
The effort it took to transform a healthy griffin into a horse.
Considering the cost of potions and magic elixirs alone, it was unthinkable.
No matter how much a potion was given or magic was cast to make a horse ferocious, it couldn''t truly be like a monster.
Having a monster transformed into a horse in the stable was necessary for freshmen to get used to real monsterster.
"What do you think?"
"Yes. Having heard your exnation, it seems your words have some merit. Unlike Sharakan, Niffirg might be hiding its true feelings."
Huhiihiing! Huhiihihihing!
Niffirg red at Professor Bungaegor as if wanting to kill her.
''Just wait until this transformation wears off!''
"I shall take my leave now. Enjoy your walk and return safely."
"Yes, please go ahead."
Huhiiing!! Huhiihihihing!!
"Stop it, Niffirg. I will trust you."
Hurt by his master''s insincere words, Niffirg kicked the ground with his hind legs in sorrow. Sharakan tapped Niffirg with his tail, as if to console him.
''Let''s find a way to break the spell together...''
"Huh. There seems to be less meat than usual today."
"Gainando, are you trying to deceive us to eat more? Behave honorably."
"No... I mean, it really seems less than usual, doesnt it? Strange?"
"You might have eaten a bite and forgotten?"
"Could it be...?"
As the students of the Blue Dragon ate their breakfast, Sharakan, having returned from its walk, roamed around.
It wasn''t just wandering.
It knocked over books in the lounge and pulled out potions from the shelves.
"What''s wrong, Sharakan?"
"Are you hungry? Gainando..."
"Touch my te and it''s a duel!"
The students asked questions, but Sharakan, without responding, continued rummaging through the books and potions.
"Why is it acting like that?"
"Maybe it''s looking for something? Being a high-intelligence monster, its entirely possible."
Yi-Han fell into thought at Yonaire''s words.
Was Sharakan looking for something?
"There shouldn''t be anything like that. Sharakan,e here."
Yi-Han pulled Sharakan towards him. Sharakan resisted, digging in its ws, but was eventually dragged over.
"Oh, right, Wardanaz. Did you see the priests who came from outside?"
"It would be nice if they stayed longer."
Being in a magic academy, even the children of noble families without faith often found themselves developing it.
Seeing priests from outside caring for and helping the students made them wonder, ''Huh? Then what about all the professors we''ve met so far?''
Yonaire, gathering her bag, said, "The priests have arrived?"
"Going to the meng Order?"
"Yeah. And I''ll ask about the potions."
"!"
The potions borrowed by Ratford from the carriage.
Yonaire and Yi-Han had been diligently trying to identify these potions, but the process was slow with only the wisdom of freshmen.
But what if they asked the priests of the Alchemy Order, the meng Order?
''Not a bad idea.''
"But Yonaire... If there''s a suspicious potion, it might be hard to exin."
"I''ll insist we found it. They''re kind enough not to confiscate it... probably?"
Although slightly anxious, no better n came to mind.
Yi-Han nodded at Yonaire.
"Alright. I''m counting on you."
Other potions in the box also went into Yonaire''s bag. Suddenly, Sharakan growled lowly.
-Grrrrrrr...
"Sharakan, stay still."
-Woof! Woof woof!
Sharakan barked desperately at the potion in Yi-Han''s hand, as if wanting it.
"Sharakan, this is not for you to eat."
And the color, a vivid green, clearly didn''t seem healthy.
Even if Sharakan was an undead summon, there was no need to feed it poison.
Eventually, the green potion went into the bag.
Sharakan pawed the ground in disappointment, but Yonaire closed the bag.
"We''ll seeter."
"Yeah. The priests of the Presinga Order are visiting, right?"
"Yes, I should also visit the priests of the Presinga Order."
"...?"
Yonaire, nodding her head, felt a sense of dissonance in Yi-Han''s words.
''Also'' visit the priests?
"I need to check which other order''s priests havee. See youter."
"..."
Yonaire said nothing to her friend, who seemed to be casually exploring the various Religious Orders like one would browse through a neighborhood shop. Instead, she offered silent encouragement.
Hang in there!
...Though she still wasn''t quite sure what exactly her friend was up to!
"Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family, it is a pleasure to see you here."
"The pleasure is mine."
"Are you perhaps interested in the faith of Bildochkal?"
"I have always been curious."
"Well, then...!"
"But, can one believe in Bildochkal''s Order and others simultaneously?"
"That is not allowed, is it?"
"I''ll visit another time then. Thanks for the invitation."
As Yi-Han entered the area where the priests were gathered in front of the main building, surprisingly, many students from the Immortal Phoenix recognized him, thanks to his previous acts of kindness.
While young priests called out to Yi-Han with goodwill...
He declined.
Since he needed to benefit from visiting various orders, there was no way if they did not allow belief in other orders.
"Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
With a voice as if ame, Priest Nigisor, a fire spirit mixed-blood, appeared, zing as usual.
"Good to see you."
"Are you interested in the Aphar Order?"
"I have always been curious. But does the Aphar Order not mind if one believes in other orders as well?"
To Yi-Han''s question, Priest Nigisor nodded.
"The fire of Aphar simply burns; it does not force a direction."
"Oh... then I would like to meet with your priest."
"A joyous asion. Follow me."
Priest Nigisor led the way, and Yi-Han followed, pondering about the Aphar Order.
''Now that I think about it, I don''t know much about the Aphar Order.''
There were so many Religious Orders in the Empire that unless one was famous or personally believed in it, it was not easy to know about them.
The Aphar Order was said to worship fire...
''Does that mean they specialize in me magic?''
If so, it could be greatly beneficial to Yi-Han.
One of his biggest weaknesses was fire element magic.
While he was rtively better at other elemental magic, hispatibility with fire was the worst.
He could use the magic, but if not careful, he might end up burning himself.
''It''s warm.''
Upon entering therge tent of the Aphar Order, the first thing Yi-Han felt was warmth, emanating from the purple mes burning inside.
The priests of the order,prised of various races and dressed in diverse, ununiformed attire, werefortably chatting. They greeted Nigisor warmly as he entered.
"Priest Nigisor! May the fire of Aphar find you."
"May the fire of Aphar find you. Priests, this is Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
"Ah, the one you mentioned before... I am surprised. I thought the mages of the Wardanaz family had little interest in faith."
"That''s a misconception."
Yi-Han lied tantly, without even a hint of shame on his face.
"Anyway, it''s good that you are interested. Shall I exin our faith to you?"
"Yes, I would appreciate that."
The priest of the Aphar Order looked like a mercenary who had spent about a decade on the battlefield.
However, as soon as he began to speak, a wealth of knowledge about faith flowed from him.
Yi-Han listened intently.
Joining the Aphar Order could offer valuable benefits, and this was an opportunity to understand what they might be.
"...So, we believe that the end of this world wille with the fire of Aphar, which will burn everything to ashes."
"...?"
Yi-Han, who had been listening closely, paused in surprise.
Wait, what?
"That... fire, is it a metaphorical fire? Like one that burns only the world''s injustices, evil beings, and skull liches?"
"No? It''s just a fire that burns everything."
"...Ah. So, is it destruction for the sake of new creation and rebirth?"
"That''s an interesting perspective. But after the apocalypse, there''s nothing left. It''s just burning."
"..."
"Now, let''s see the me you hold within your soul, Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
Yi-Han suddenly felt he understood why Priestesses Tijiling and Siana had warned him to avoid Priest Nigisor.
''Perhaps they don''t want me to unleash the fire within my soul to contribute to burning the world...?''
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Chapter 132
Chapter 132
Chapter 132
Fortunately, the Aphar Order was not the kind of organization that Yi-Han had feared.
"Oh, you were worried about that. Ha-ha. People who don''t know much about us often have such misunderstandings,"ughed a priest of the Aphar Order with a carefree chuckle.
"We don''t set the world or the empire on fire. If we did, would our order still exist as it does now?"
''Indeed, that makes sense.''
It was a valid point.
Even if the Empire was lenient, it would not be so to the extent of allowing an order that goes around setting fires.
"Our priests simply believe in the fire of Aphar."
"That''s right. The fire of Aphar will eventuallye to us, so we must live without regrets."
Apart from their gloomy pessimism in believing that the end-of-the-world fire would somedaye, the priests of the Aphar Order were generally cheerful and friendly.
Moreover, their strong belief in the fire of Aphar significantly enhanced their me magic.
In magic, personal belief or mental imagery is as important as mana.
The priests of the order, who sincerely believed in the formidable entity known as the fire of Aphar, naturally had an advantage in me magic.
As Yi-Han had guessed, many masters of me magic were among the priests of the Aphar Order, to the extent that the Empire would request their assistance when in need of me magic.
''Luckily, they are more normal than I thought.''
Yi-Han was relieved.
Apart from their belief in the eventual doom of the world, the Aphar Order was quite normal.
The rules of the order were also rxed.
Aside from meditations directed towards the fire of Aphar, there were hardly any obligations.
Byparison, they were better off than the Presinga Order, which forced its members to wear cursed items.
"Come over here. It''s time to check the me within your soul."
An Aphar priest approached, holding arge, crudely shaped copper cup.
Feeling more rxed, Yi-Han asked, "How will you check it?"
ording to the exnation, this copper cup was an artifact that drew out the me from the soul of the person touching it, making it re up inside the cup.
The priests often used this cup to check how humble and faithful they were in front of the fire of Aphar.
''It seems simr to a me element magic aptitude test. Does the me in the cup improve as one bes more familiar with magic?''
While the Aphar priests would have indignantly responded, ''Thats preposterous! It''s about the me in the soul and devotion...'', Yi-Han had no choice but to interpret it through the lens of magic.
Being from the Wardanaz family, like its Patriarch, Yi-Han was not particrly devout.
What the priests interpreted as faith, Yi-Han could only understand as magic.
There was no other way to see it!
Yi-Han ced his hand on the copper cup, feeling a slight tension.
''I hope nothing goes wrong.''
Given what Professor Garcia had said and his past experiences, it was natural to feel nervous.
What if the me suddenly shot up, burning the surrounding tents...
Whoosh!
A me sprouted within the cup, not toorge, and it flickered stably without overflowing.
''I don''t know much about this cup, but it seems fine?''
Yi-Han was reassured.
The me did not surge unusually high, nor was its shape unstable.
Wasn''t this average?
"How is it?"
"Now, let''s check."
One of the priests blew a puff of air, but Yi-Han''s me did not flicker at all.
"Oh..."
The soul''s me is quite strong, indeed.
The priests of the Aphar Order were delighted with the strength of Yi-Han''s me.
The size of the me inside the cup was not what mattered. What was important was its resilience against any disturbance.
Despite being blown upon, the fact that it did not extinguish but remained steadfast was proof of its strength.
Another priest fetched water and poured it over the cup Yi-Han was holding. With a ''hiss,'' the water evaporated.
Yi-Han''s me remained unflinching.
"Oh...?"
"Bring something else."
As much as they dealt with mes, paradoxically, the priests were also adept at countering them.
They brought out ck sand called ck Shadow Sand, a magic reagent that could quickly consume ordinary mes.
However, Yi-Han''s me remained unaffected.
...
...Next.
Various other methods were employed magic, reagents, potions, items, and more.
Yet, Yi-Han''s me never extinguished.
The usually jovial faces of the priests turned serious.
"...Is there a problem?"
"Ha-ha. No, not at all."
"Thank goodness..."
Yi-Han was about to feel relieved.
But the priests quickly turned away and whispered among themselves.
"Can we contact another priest of the order?"
"Send a bird immediately, as quickly as possible..."
"We might need to call the Bishop."
Hearing the priests murmur, Yi-Han began to feel uneasy.
Bishop Usoe of the Aphar Order hurriedly arrived upon receiving the news.
It was only natural, given the report of a boy possessing a me close to the fire of Aphar in his soul.
Wait. Wait. Wait.
"Venerable Os Gonadaltes. It''s a pleasure to meet you. But I have urgent matters to attend to..."
Of course, I know what it''s about. The priests of Aphar have found a talent, havent they?
The skull principal knew well about the Aphar Order.
Apart from being a bit overly pessimistic and foolish, they were adept at handling me magic.
The problem was their infatuation with the boy from the Wardanaz family, trying by all means to take him with them.
Yi-Han didnt seem particrly interested in a priestly life, but during the tempestuous period of youth, usually, one is easily swayed by temptations.
Especially students in a magic academy, whose hearts were vulnerable to external allurements.
This had to be prevented at all costs.
This academy was established by His Majesty to cultivate talents for the Empire. I trust you will not forcefully turn future mages into priests of the order.
The bishop nodded as if he understood the principal''s warning.
"Of course, Venerable Os Gonadaltes. We have no intention of making talents from the magic academy into priests."
Is that so?
The principal''s voice softened.
Indeed, the Aphar Order knew decorum and had a sense of moral integrity.
"But Venerable Os Gonadaltes, the boy from the Wardanaz family is in a dangerous situation now."
...I have done nothing wrong.
"What do you mean?"
Confused by the principal''s instinctive defense, the bishop exined further.
"As you know, Venerable Os Gonadaltes, a talent too powerful to control can harm its possessor. And more so with the nature of me."
Magic was as dangerous as it was powerful.
me, in particr, could easily harm its wielder if mishandled.
A boy like Yi-Han, with such a strong me in his soul, had to be considered very dangerous.
He had to learn to control it as quickly as possible.
"He must learn quickly."
Was it really necessary to go to such lengths?
The skull principal murmured to himself.
He, for one, held the old-fashioned belief that ''A mage should take care of their own life while learning magic'', but beyond that, the boy from the Wardanaz family was not so immature that he couldn''t control his own abilities.
There were many young mages who harmed themselves because they couldn''t control their innate talents, but that was their story...
In the eyes of the skull principal, Yi-Han was the exact opposite.
A boy who controlled his immensely powerful talent with an even stronger spirit.
The Aphar Order need not worry about Yi-Han burning himself up.
If he were the type to do so, wouldn''t he have already done it?
"Venerable Os Gonadaltes! Arent you concerned about the student''s safety?!"
Ah... No. No.
The principal took a step back at the bishop''s outcry.
An offended bishop could be a dangerous entity, potentially running off to the Emperor to tattle.
And if the bishop''s words were true, then there was no need to worry.
They weren''t trying to make the boy from the Wardanaz family a priest of the Aphar Order, just training him in me magic.
Of course, the training might be tough for the boy, but that was none of the principal''s concern.
I am indeed concerned.
"Ah, I see."
Hurry! Go and teach him quickly!
"So, you''re saying that I won''t be inheriting the fire of Aphar to set the Empire aze or to bring about the world''s destruction?"
"Of course, Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. You jest."
Yi-Han felt relieved.
Seeing the priests'' serious expressions while conversing, he had worried, ''What? Have I been chosen as thest sessor of the Aphar Order?'' But it wasnt that.
It was simply because he possessed an incredibly powerful me in his soul, and it would be dangerous if he didnt learn to control it.
Hmm. Now that I think about it, it is a matter of concern.
He had be somewhat desensitized after hearing a lot from people like Professor Garcia, but seeing the other priests'' concerns made him worry anew.
Am I really okay?
"Bishop!"
"!"
Hearing the title ''bishop,'' Yi-Han stiffened.
In any order, the position of a bishop was not one just anyone could upy.
That such a person hade to find him was unexpected.
"It is an honor to meet you."
Yi-Han automatically resorted to ttery.
No matter where or how he worked in the future, it wouldn''t hurt to make a good impression on high-ranking officials of various orders.
"It is I who am honored to meet you. I have not heard of anyone born with such a powerful me in recent times."
The bishop was a gentle and kind person.
"Surely, in your childhood, you must have suffered from uncontrolled mes."
"...Uh, no?"
At Yi-Han''s response, the bishop paused.
Then he seemed to understand.
"Aha. Being from the Wardanaz family, you must have used protective fire magic..."
But I didnt.
Yi-Han had grown up just fine without any fire-rted idents, even without such measures.
After all, if one didn''t use me magic, there usually wasn''t a problem.
"But now, away from your family, you cant rely solely on your familys magic. Yi-Han, you must learn to control the mes."
Yi-Han nodded with a determined expression.
After all, the reason he had approached the Aphar Order was to learn more about me magic.
Controlling mes through normal methods was difficult, but using holy magic might be different.
"That method might be excessively harsh or difficult for a first-year student at the magic academy."
"I am aware of that."
Yi-Han said, recalling Professor Bdi.
Although elemental magic was often said to be familiar and therefore easy, truly mastering it was not simple.
Yi-Han remembered the numerous trials and hardships he had to endure just to properly control a simple water spell.
Thinking back on maintaining form, changing motions, and sensing elements, he realized anew the arduous paths he had walked.
However, what he had done once, he could do again.
He was determined to do it!
''If I don''t learn to control mes now, I might suffer manifoldter.''
Yi-Han tossed his coat aside and picked up his staff.
Then, he assumed a stance.
"Release the mes. I am ready."
"...Excuse me, but what are you doing?"
The bishop was taken aback by Yi-Han''s response.
He couldn''t understand what sort of training the boy in front of him was preparing for.
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Chapter 133
Chapter 133
Chapter 133
Yi-Han, sensing the strange atmosphere, found himself making an excuse without even realizing it.
"To enhance control over the elements, shape transformation, and the ability to bestow powers, experiencing the elements directly is the most effective method..."
"...Although it is, it''s an excessively violent approach," said the bishop, looking flustered.
A priest standing nearby added, "He must be joking. Students are always mischievous, aren''t they?"
"Ah, joking..."
''I wasn''t, though.''
Yi-Han, who hadn''t been joking, remained silent, feeling the atmosphere bing even more awkward.
"In our order, we first learn to control mes through meditation and prayer," the bishop exined.
Yi-Han was astonished.
''Is that all?''
And then he was surprised again, this time at himself.
''...I''ve be strange because of Professor Bdi.''
Upon reflection, he realized that controlling mes through meditation and prayer was a perfectly sane method, especiallypared to avoiding mes with one''s life on the line!
The meditation practiced by the Aphar Order was notplicated or difficult. One simply had to sit cross-legged, close their eyes, and envision mes within themselves.
Once sessful in visualizing the mes, the next step was to maintain them.
If one could sustain this for a certain period, they would then use the mes in their imagination for moreplex applications.
Though it seemed easy, it was far from it in practice. Any break in concentration or intrusive thought meant failure.
''There are simrities with magic training.''
Yi-Han thought the order''s meditation had many parallels with magic training.
Magic was a discipline that required intense concentration and imagination.
Even with the right spells and wand movements, and proper arrangement of magic power, without proper focus, failure was inevitable.
"I''ll ce a candle here," the bishop said, setting down a candlestick and lighting it.
"Initially, just concentrate on keeping this candle lit."
"Yes."
The candle of the Aphar Order would extinguish the moment a priest''s concentration broke, a tool to aid the young priest''s focus.
An hourter.
"You need not meditate any further."
"Excuse me?"
Yi-Han, who had been immersed in his meditation, sending fireballs at Professor Bdi in his imagination, paused.
He had been deeply engaged in his meditation, why stop him now?
"If you can keep a candle lit for an hour, that''s sufficient."
For Yi-Han, who had innate talent and had endured Professor Bdi''s rigorous training, such meditation was a simple task he could easily master.
"Indeed..."
Understanding the bishop''s words, Yi-Han took off his coat again, causing the bishop to panic suddenly.
"You''re not going to throw mes, are you, Mr. Yi-Han?"
"I just got a bit warm sitting by the fire."
"Ah."
The priests of the Aphar Order felt awkward. Yi-Han felt slightly wronged.
''They think I''m strange. It''s unfair.''
"By the way, does this mean I have an aptitude for fire magic?"
Yi-Han asked out of curiosity.
He knew he was quitepatible with water elements, and he was also using lightning elements fairly well.
However, he hadn''t had much opportunity to use fire elements, so he wasn''t sure how well they suited him.
How much aptitude did he have for it?
"Uh..."
"Hmm..."
The priests exchanged nces.
With his level of skill, he definitely counted as one of the more talented.
Normally, priests of the order would maintain their inner me through regr, periodic meditation.
That he had aplished this effortlessly without proper training indicated a natural gift.
Yi-Han possessed an innately high aptitude for the element of fire, and his visualization of mes was exceptionally solid.
It was as if he was born to be a priest of the Aphar Order.
...But he couldn''t say that.
He had made a promise to the principal.
''If I tell the truth, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family might want to be a priest of the Aphar Order.''
''That''s impossible.''
The principal of the magic academy did not like to lose talented individuals to the order, and the priests respected that.
Of course, it was unlikely that Yi-Han, with his personality, would want to be a priest of the Aphar Order, but the priests were not aware of that.
"He''s of average level."
"Quite ordinary."
"Indeed... I see."
Yi-Han nodded.
''Guess I''m just average.''
Since the priests said he was ordinary, Yi-Han did not doubt them. There was no reason for them to lie.
And being average was enough. As long as it didn''t hinder his learning of other magic.
"Now, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
The bishop slipped a ring onto Yi-Han''s finger. Yi-Han felt a curious surge of mana from the ring.
"What''s this?"
"This is a ring of me absorption. It will protect you when using fire magic."
Originally, the ring was used for defending against fire magic or dealing with fire-elemental monsters. However, it was also a useful artifact for a talented fire mage who could not fully control their own mes during training.
Yi-Han bowed his head in gratitude.
"Thank you."
"Do you know the spell? Give it a try."
Yi-Han waved his wand and chanted.
"ze forth!"
Whoosh!
A fist-sized me zed up above his palm. The effect was much better than he expected, and he was visibly pleased.
"Remarkable."
"...Bring more rings."
"?!"
Yi-Han was startled by the bishop''s serious response.
Was the effectcking?
''Just got lucky, I suppose...''
Looking down, he noticed the ring was already cracked.
Despite its best effort at absorption, it seemed inadequate.
Just one ring was hardly significant.
Click, click, click.
More rings were added. Yi-Han asked the bishop cautiously.
"Is this really okay?"
As ten rings filled his fingers, Yi-Han became a bit worried.
Wouldn''t wearing so many rings prevent fire magic from being cast at all?
"It''s a bit..."
"Too much?"
"...Might be insufficient. Bring some bracelets too."
"..."
Yi-Han started to wonder if he was a freshman at a magic academy or the empire''s worst fire magic criminal.
The bishop, not content with filling Yi-Han''s hands with ten rings, added four bracelets and even two nes.
As the Aphar Order often dealt with fire magic, such anti-fire magic artifacts were plentiful.
''Hmm. Quite an avant-garde fashion.''
Mages might not be known for their fashion sense, but this seemed a bit much.
Although his appearance became a bit odd, the Aphar Order''s method proved quite effective.
Yi-Han, adorned with numerous artifacts, began his training in fire magic.
He started with spell, then moved on to controlling the generated sparks.
He also practiced spells like and .
In truth, the priests were much more earnest about thetter.
Fortunately, everything went better than expected.
Yi-Han wondered whether hispatibility with elemental magic was the reason, or if Professor Bdi''s teachings were also effective for fire magic.
And Yi-Han hoped it was not thetter.
He did not want to be a living testament to Professor Bdi''s educational theory.
"That will be all for today. You''ve worked really hard."
"Not at all. Thank you. May I practice alone when I return?"
"Absolutely not."
"..."
A priest whispered seriously from the side.
"Shouldn''t we put a few more on Mr. Yi-Han?"
Yi-Han pretended not to hear and said,
"But if I don''t practice alone, I won''t improve."
"Next week, the priests of the order will stay at the academy. We have received the Emperor''s permission for the Spring Festival."
"!"
Yi-Han was more surprised by the bishop''s words than anything else.
The priests staying at the academy even after this weekend?
Such...
Such good news?
Seeing Yi-Han''s face light up, the priests also smiled contentedly.
He seemed pleased about the Spring Festival, like a proper freshman.
"You''re happy about the Spring Festival?"
"Yes? Ah... Yes. I am!"
Yi-Han btedly remembered the Spring Festival. He had been too delighted by the fact that the priests would be staying at the academy.
"Does the principal know?"
"I n to inform him after today''s schedule."
"You should tell him right now. The principal will be very pleased."
"Is that so?"
There was no harm in telling a few hours early. The puzzled bishop nodded his head.
Priest Nigisor, on his way back, stepped forward to bid farewell to Yi-Han.
Having received various teachings and even artifacts, Yi-Han was very satisfied with the Aphar Order.
"There were many rumors about the Aphar Order, but meeting you today, I realize that foolish people have spread false rumors."
Priest Nigisor smiled pleasantly at Yi-Han''s words. It seemed to be the first time he had seen him smile.
"Of course. The priests of Aphar, who serve the me, are all kind and good. Without them, I couldn''t be here like this."
In the empire, there were popr and unpopr races.
And the spirit mixed-blood, whose bloodline of ancient spirits had awakened, were generally viewed with unease.
Most of them were asexual, and in the case of fire spirit mixed-blood, they have characteristics that make it difficult not to harm their surroundings...
"Certainly. The priests of the Aphar Order were all kind. Those who spread rumors that the priests deliberately set fires to bring about the end should be burned."
Yi-Han spoke brazenly, even though he had initially harbored such doubts.
Priest Nigisor nodded.
"True. It''s sad that everyone has such misunderstandings. No one but me thinks that way."
"Right. ...Wait?"
Yi-Han paused, sensing something odd.
"What did you say?"
"What do you mean?"
"That... It sounded like Priest Nigisor wanted to start fires?"
"I don''t want to start fires."
"Oh. Right?"
"It''s just that I sometimes wonder if using more fire magic might hasten the arrival of the fire of Aphar. The priests say it''s not so, but... every time I meditate, the me of Aphar whispers to me..."
"..."
Yi-Han unconsciously stepped back. Nigisor, unaware of Yi-Han''s inner thoughts, continued, "In that regard, it''s truly wonderful that Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family is born with such a strong me in his soul. I pray for your great sess in the future."
For the first time, receiving encouragement from someone didn''t bring joy.
"You''re terribly thin. Nothing left but bones."
"That''s not true."
"You are! Just bones left..."
"Really, it''s not."
While the priests and Tijiling were exchanging words, Yi-Han entered the tent.
"Greetings."
"Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. What do you think?"
Yi-Han nced at the priest and then at Tijiling, trying to grasp the situation.
Tijiling pleaded with her eyes.
She wanted Yi-Han to persuade the priests to stop their unnecessary worries.
"She does seem to be just skin and bones."
"See? Bring some food."
"..."
Tijiling looked incredulously, but Yi-Han, pretending not to notice, sat down and spread out a napkin. In order to survive in the magic academy, one had to eat whenever possible.
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Chapter 134
Chapter 134
The meal prepared by the priests of the Presinga Order was sumptuous. Yi-Han, for the first time in a long while, could freely indulge in food made by others.
After devouring a sandwich stuffed with fresh ham and lettuce, followed by tea sweetened with sugar and milk, Yi-Han finally addressed Priestess Tijiling.
"It seems you are not as gaunt as I thought."
Silence followed.
Any other demon mixed-blood might have cursed by now, but Priestess Tijiling, deepened in cultivation through long practice, responded differently.
"It''s a relief that you think so now."
"Indeed."
Priest Mehrid, expressing gratitude, ced a slice of pound cake before Yi-Han.
"Brother, thank you. Because of you, Tijiling did not have to starve."
"It''s nothing. I merely did what was needed, Priest."
"I''ve heard you''ve also been feeding the other students of the tower."
Priest Mehrid looked at Yi-Han with eyes full of sincere respect.
All the priests knew the new students at the magic academy lived a tough life. It wasn''t easy to look after others in such circumstances.
''...He must not know about the money.''
Yi-Han thought to himself.
Most of the other tower students were unaware that Yi-Han meticulously recorded everything in a ledger while preparing food.
It was because the students of the Blue Dragon went around saying, "Wardanaz always prepared meals for us."
Hearing such remarks was a bit embarrassing, considering he was saving up for graduation.
"Such charity and dedication are as good as the will of Lord Presinga himself."
"I believe so too."
Yi-Han missed the timing to speak the truth. It was now too awkward to mention it.
After the meal, while Priestess Tijiling was being questioned by the other priests about her thinness, Yi-Han continued his conversation with Priest Mehrid.
"Is your belt alright?"
The priest scanned Yi-Han worriedly.
Although the priests of the Presinga Order had vowed to absorb the world''s curses into their bodies, they couldn''t help but worry about the young priests.
More so for someone like Yi-Han, who was wearing a cursed belt that absorbed mana.
As a mage in training, his well-being was of even greater concern.
"I am fine."
"Brother...!"
"I''d willingly bear even more."
Yi-Han spoke earnestly.
To Yi-Han, Priest Mehrid was more like someone who periodically came to give gifts.
The curse of mana absorption was practically meaningless to Yi-Han.
''I wouldn''t mind if you gave me more.''
Priest Mehrid, looking troubled, took an artifact out of his backpack.
"This artifact is also cursed with mana absorption, but..."
"What effect does it have?"
"Effect, you say?"
Priest Mehrid paused, struggling to remember.
It wasn''t the curse but the effect that mattered.
Yi-Han waited anxiously for the answer.
''Shouldn''t one remember the effect rather than the curse, normally?''
"Ah! I remember now. It was a ring of underwater breathing. Probably not much use for a new student..."
"!"
Contrary to Priest Mehrid''s assumption, Yi-Han''s eyes sparkled upon hearing this.
''Underwater breathing!''
While most new students quietly stayed in the tower at night, Yi-Han''s situation was different.
He was continuously searching for ways to escape the academy, making the magic of underwater breathing incredibly useful.
"Magic academy is a ce where one can never let their guard down."
Yi-Han, who had previously lost his way in the forest while trying to pass through the corridor, hade to a firm realization. Inside this magic academy, it would not be surprising for anything to emerge.
On his way to the tower''s stable, Yi-Han wouldn''t be surprised even if a sea appeared.
"I will shoulder it," he dered.
"Brother...!"
Priest Mehrid was deeply impressed by Yi-Han''s unhesitating move to put on the ring. His faith was indeed as immense as his dedication to feeding the other students.
''As expected, no effect.''
Yi-Han, after slipping the ring onto his finger, confirmed that there were no noticeable changes.
Priest Mehrid asked, looking concerned, "But Brother, aren''t you wearing too many artifacts?"
Wearing too many artifacts was dangerous. Their individual magics could collide or cause unexpected effects.
Though it was rtively safe if the artifacts were a bit apart, more caution was needed when wearing multiple items on the same finger, like rings.
The fire-absorbing artifacts, all having the same function, posed no risk of shing, but the ring of underwater breathing needed careful handling.
"I will wear them alternately," Yi-Han assured.
"That''s reassuring."
''Should I ask why he''s wearing so many rings...?'' Priestess Tijiling wondered silently.
"The Presinga Order is also staying for the spring festival," Yi-Han said with a bright voice.
The priests of the Presinga Order, like the others before them, harbored a simr misconception.
Naturally, as a freshman, he is excited about the spring festival!
"Yes, we n to stay at the academy until next week to help with the spring festival," they replied.
The Empire''s spring festival was a time to wee theing spring, celebrated freely and informally.
It was an asion where one could expect ys, performances, and events all happening in one ce.
If the skull principal had announced ''This week is the spring festival'' without the presence of the priests, Yi-Han would have thought it suspicious. But with the priests around, the situation was different.
''Next week, I might be able to save on groceries.''
Yi-Han, along with Yonaire, had been meticulously calcting their daily food supplies.
Despite bringing in bulk from outside, the rate of consumption was high. It was necessary to save whenever possible.
He nned to try leaving the academy again before the semester ended, though there was a chance of failure.
''The remaining food supplies... I might consider trading with the students of the ck Tortoise to fill up some more, but I also have to seriously set traps to catch something. I heard rumors about fishing for fish by theke. We still have the vegetable garden, so that''s good.''
Yi-Han, while calcting, suddenly felt a bit aggrieved.
Why did he have to go through this at a magic academy?
In a time that should have been solely devoted to studying magic...
"By the way, Brother, could you help with the spring festival''s events?"
"If there''s something I can do, of course, I will bring my friends along."
Yi-Han felt inwardly pleased at the thought of getting a meal out of it.
"What events will the Presinga Order be holding?"
"Firstly, a y and..."
Not bad. ys during festivals were always popr.
"Ring tossing."
A simple game, but even a bar of chocte as a prize would make the freshmen throw with wide eyes.
"There''s also a curse experience."
"...Oh..."
Yi-Han pondered how to deceive others into participating in this curse experience.
...Should I try to bring those from the White Tiger?
Asan of the Dargard family sighed heavily, feeling grateful towards Yi-Han.
"Thank you so much, Wardanaz. I''m sorry you have to do this on the weekend because of me..."
Because of Professor Alpen Knighton, who taught , Asan found himself busy during the weekend when other friends were resting.
-Next week, one of my friends will visit the academy. A friend I made while working as an imperial administrator. He wishes to see the skills of my students when he visits, so I want to entrust you all with creating a simple magic circle.-
Assigned this task because he had the second-best grades after Yi-Han, Asan was far from pleased. Who would be happy to prepare on a precious weekend?
He could only be grateful to Yi-Han, who offered to help, otherwise, he would have had to do it all alone.
"Don''t feel too bad about it, Asan. I wanted to do this."
"Wardanaz...!"
Unaware of Yi-Han''s sinister ulterior motives, Asan''s eyelids trembled with emotion. Even a hundred of the likes of Gainando couldn''t match Yi-Han.
''I will definitely catch the administrator''s eye.''
Though it had nothing to do with tests or midterms, Yi-Han''s eyes zed with ambition. He was determined to leave a deep impression on the professor''s friend!
"By the way, I heard the professors are doing something for the festival next week. Have you heard?"
"Really?"
"Yeah. Even the principal is nning something."
Yi-Han suddenly felt his anticipation reced with worry.
What is this crazy lich nning now?
''No... it''s not time yet. Besides, the priests are at the academy. He won''t move so recklessly.''
"But, Asan, where did you hear that?"
"Professor Garcia was looking for students to help with the festival earlier. She was calling for the top-performing students."
"I see... Wait a minute."
Yi-Han suddenly felt a chilling premonition.
...Surely the skull principal wouldn''t call on Yi-Han, would he?
Nillia, summoned by Professor Garcia, was puzzled not to see Yi-Han.
"Isn''t Wardanazing?"
If students from each tower were being called, Yi-Han''s absence was unthinkable.
"Yi-Han is... He looked too busy and exhausted."
Nillia nodded repeatedly, her mouth shut tight at Professor Garcia''s words. It made perfect sense to her.
"Please tell Yi-Han to take care sometimes."
"I do tell him, but... you know, Wardanaz is so earnest about magic..."
"That''s true, isn''t it?"
The two professors and the student continued a conversation that would have baffled Yi-Han had he heard it.
You''re preparing so hard... Professor Garcia
Behind them, the skull principal appeared, his voice more indifferent than usual.
Professor Garcia was taken aback to see the other''s expression contorted in displeasure. It was unusual for a lich, devoid of muscles or flesh, to manipte his skull magically to show expressions.
''Do you really need to use high magic for such things?''
"Wouldn''t the students be happy?"
Why should the students be happy? We''re the ones providing the teachings... Shouldn''t the students be the ones to please us?
The skull principal continued to grumble. Professor Garcia magically ensured that Nillia couldn''t hear the conversation.
"I guess I should go prepare too... If I don''t do anything, the priests will report to His Majesty, and His Majesty will likely scold me... The empire is being devoured by fools..."
Professor Garcia thought it was wise that she had blocked Nillia''s ears. The skull principal continued to berate the orders of the empire.
"I''ll be going now... Take care..."
"Wait a minute. Principal, what are you nning to prepare?"
Professor Garcia suddenly became curious and asked.
I''ll have to ask a student and then decide
"I see... Just a moment, please. Just a moment."
Why do you keep repeating that
"No, sorry to keep calling you back, but which student are you going to ask?"
Professor Garcia consciously refrained from stating the obvious, ''You don''t have any close students, do you?'' The skull principal was already sufficiently sorrowful.
The boy from the Wardanaz family
"...Isn''t Yi-Han too busy?"
That''s none of my concern
"..."
Professor Garcia had to suppress the urge to unleash a spell in frustration.
Hold on.
"What now?"
There''s Professor Bagrak... Doesn''t heck close students too?
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Chapter 135
Chapter 135
Chapter 135
Although it was an impertinent remark, Professor Garcia found it hard to refute.
A fiercepetition would undoubtedly ensue if it came down to who, between the skull principal and Professor Bdi, had fewer close students.
Well, why do you ask?
Im just concerned, seeing Professor Bagrak pass by like that. He must be in charge of something for the festival.
Hell manage just fine.
No, you misunderstand me, Professor Garcia, the skull principal said firmly.
Professor Bagrak, having no close students, is likely to call upon the boy from the Wardanaz family.
...Ah.
Professor Garcia realized what was meant.
Just as the skull principal, who had only Yi-Han as a close student, might do, Professor Bdi was also highly likely to do the same.
It was indeed an unfortunate situation for student Yi-Han.
How about you concede this time, Principal?
Did I hear you wrong?
Principal, if you just yie...
Still cant hear you. What did you say?
...Right. Its unlikely that you would concede.
Professor Bagrak! Professor Bagrak!
The skull principal called out to Professor Bdi, who was passing by in the distance. The pale vampire mage approached without a change in expression.
So, this is the situation. Do you understand?
Why dont you just concede, Principal?
Ha ha ha... Dont talk nonsense.
I did not talk nonsense.
A conversation between two mages, far removed from the word promise,'' gave Professor Garcia an instant headache.
But contrary to her worries, they did not fight.
How about wepromise then? Split the time in half?
Agreed.
...
Predators respect each other''s territories.
The principal and Professor Bdi quickly reached an agreement.
It was as if only the herbivores destined to be bitten by these predators were to be pitied.
Wait. There goes Professor Uregor
Just exclude Professor Uregor, he has plenty of close students!
Professor Garcia desperately interjected.
Surely, dividing it into thirds would be too cruel!
Unaware that his schedule had been expanded, Yi-Han was immersed in deep thought and concern, never having imagined such a development.
Professor Alpen had described the magic circle as ''simple'', but naturally, that was by a professor''s standards, and for Yi-Han and Asan, it was far from simple.
So, oncepleted, we''re to float spheres of light at regr intervals along both sides of the corridor, and in the center, show a statue made of illusions?
It seems so.
Asan, having read the book given by the professor, spoke with a voice full of conviction.
Wardanaz. Professor Knighton is definitely insane.
It seems his speech has be rougher since entering the school.
But Yi-Han understood why Asan would speak that way.
The magic circle was excessively difficult for two freshmen to handle.
Yi-Han wondered if he could simply use his own mana for the spheres of light and ce an actual statue there instead.
For magescking in eloquence, shy magic couldpensate for their deficient social skills at banquets.
Some foolish mages took attending banquets and building connections lightly, but this was indeed a short-sighted view. Securing patronage from nobles was a crucial skill for a mage.
Let''s consider an anecdote to understand its importance...
For a book with so much unnecessary talk, its quite fascinating.
Mages'' books, even those with simple content, never just stated the main points directly.
They tended to write about personal trivialities, what they ate yesterday, today''s weather, insult their rivals, and only then get to the main point.
The book given by Professor Alpen was of this kind, but its content was quite rtable.
Extracting money from nobles, huh...
Conducting magic research required substantial funds. Magic was indeed the most expensive discipline in the empire.
The cost of rare reagents was astronomical, and in the case of rare artifacts, they were so scarce that money alone couldn''t procure them.
Who could provide such funds? It was the wealthy nobles and rich individuals.
Although Yi-Han wasnt seriously invested in research, he was quite earnest in extracting money.
Impress them with illusion magic, and then... dance... music... literature... art... Hmm... Isnt there an easier way?
Wardanaz?
Ah, sorry. I was concentrating.
Yi-Han snapped back to reality.
Asan was lost in thought, scribbling with a quill pen. Reading the specifications was not the end of their troubles.
...Create the following diagram and channel the mana equivalent to two musk deer. This should ensure smooth operation. ce magic stones with the light element attribute, but ensure their power is not too excessive. The flow of mana can be interrupted by the surrounding environment, but this can be solved by adding a very small amount of the following reagents...
Despite reading thoroughly, most of the instructions required practical application. Asan cursed under his breath at the professor, while Yi-Han began preparations quietly, epting such irrationality as his fate.
"Let''s get ready," Yi-Han said.
"Its good youre here to help, Wardanaz," Asan replied, starting to prepare as well.
They began by drawing white lines on the floor with light-attribute magic ink, which had high mana conductivity, carefully infusing mana into them. Too little mana would cause the lines to fade, while too much would destroy them. Thus, they had to concentrate.
Above all...
"Cough," Asan suddenly copsed, face turning pale and trembling. He fumbled for a from his cloak, made during Professor Uregor''s ss.
"Ward... Wardanaz. If I fall, avenge me on Professor Knighton ..." Asan mumbled.
"Rest for now," Yi-Han reassured him,ying Asan down and proceeding with the test alone.
Having abundant mana wasn''t always a disadvantage. While other mages needed forced breaks due to depleted mana, Yi-Han didn''t, but this brought a sense of loneliness.
''Why do I feel lonely? Strange,'' he thought, pushing aside these thoughts to continue injecting mana into the magic circle.
Click-
Yi-Han and Asan looked up as someone entered the ssroom.
"Is it the professor?"
It was Princess Adenart, with her long silver hair, a royal lineage, followed by her entourage, who opened the ssroom door for study, only to be surprised by the scene inside.
"Wardanaz!"
"Hello."
"What are you doing on the weekend... Ah!"
One of the followers nodded as if understanding.
"You''re studying even on the weekend. That''s impressive."
"..."
"No way! Are you blind?"
Asan burst out. Yi-Han might have been one of the hardest working students in the Blue Dragon Tower, but this was something else. Who would willingly choose to do this?
"It''s because the professor asked us to do it!" eximed Yi-Han.
"The professor? Why?" came the puzzled query.
"A friend of the professor is visiting," exined Asan, to which the Princess''s entourage listened attentively, leading to another round of admiration.
"Thats amazing!" they eximed.
"Well, it is impressive," Asan admitted reluctantly, though his expression was one of annoyance. Indeed, it was a remarkable task, not something just anyone could do. But the thought of spending a golden weekend on this task made Asan yearn tounch a magic missile at Professor Knighton''s face.
"Aha, Wardanaz, I''ve got an idea. What if we enlist the Princess and her friends? It would be much more helpful, I''m 96% sure of that," Asan suggested.
"No, we can''t do that," Yi-Han replied firmly.
"Why not?" Asan was baffled.
The reason Yi-Han chose to help Asan over finding a way to escape the academy for the weekend was simple: to gain favor in the eyes of the professor and his friend. But if the Princess joined...
-"Isn''t that the Princess? What an honor to meet you! Truly worthy of your reputation,pleting such a sophisticated magic circle as a freshman!"-
...such a scenario was highly likely to unfold. Among the numerous royal family members, Adenart had a very high reputation, so there was no way the imperial officials did not know about it.
''Sorry, but for the sake of my advancement, the Princess can''t join this tedious and boring task.''
"Because it''s a task the professor entrusted to us," Yi-Han reasoned.
Asan respected his decision. After all, who else to listen to if not the friend who sacrificed his weekend to help?
However, things took an unexpected turn.
"Excuse me, Wardanaz?" came a voice.
Yi-Han looked up, surprised.
"The Princess wants to help, is it alright if she and us join you?"
Yi-Han was taken aback. Why would she want to help?
''Does this look fun to her?''
If Gainando were in her ce, a nce at the magic circle would have been enough to send him running. Yet, here was the Princess, eager to participate.
Thankfully, Asan stepped in. "Sorry, but we can''t do that. This is a task given specifically to us."
"Perhaps Wardanaz has a different opinion," the follower suggested.
"Wardanaz would likely agree with me," Asan assured.
The Princess looked at Asan coldly, her gazecking any friendly intent.
After a whispered exchange with a follower, the follower approached Yi-Han.
"Wardanaz?"
"What''s the matter?"
"The Princess said she wants to join the task and will bring snacks."
"Snacks!" Asan was even more surprised. An unexpected gesture indeed.
"Wardanaz, I didn''t expect her to go this far...!"
''Is he still not fully recovered from the mana depletion?'' Yi-Han wondered, bemused by Asan''s dramatic response.
Yi-Han was conflicted. Rejecting the Princess could lead to her harboring a grudge. Those born to high status often bore narrow hearts, as evident with Gainando. Unlike Gainando, however, the Princess was surrounded by many influential people who couldplicate Yi-Han''s life.
''Crafty royals.''
"What''s going on here?" Professor Alpen, happening upon the gathered students, expressed his curiosity.
"The others are offering to help."
Yi-Han spoke with a slight sense of expectation. He knew all too well that Professor Alpen, known for his cantankerous nature, wouldn''t just stand by and let things be.
He silently hoped the professor would send the volunteers away.
"Excellent," Professor Alpenmented, softening his stern expression and smiling faintly as he looked at Yi-Han.
"Excuse me?" Yi-Han was taken aback.
"It''smendable that your friends are stepping forward to help. You have good friends. Being able to receive help from others is also a skill. Now that things havee to this, take charge and try to create it with the other students. Leading others is a skill in itself."
With that, Professor Alpen left. Asan turned to Yi-Han and said, "Seeing him respond like that, it seems alright, doesn''t it? Wardanaz, it should be fine to involve them, right?"
"Asan."
"??"
"I should go to the dormitory and bring more people."
"That... that much?"
Asan was surprised.
This seemed sufficient already!
''He''s incredibly thorough. I should learn from him.''
''Given his response, increasing the number of helpers will likely lead to a higher evaluation.''
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Chapter 136
Chapter 136
Upon arriving at the Tower of the Blue Dragon, Yi-Han noticed students resting in the lounge and spoke.
If you help me with what I am doing now with Asan, I will give to all of you...
Of course.
"Let''s go."
His friends, before Yi-Han could even mention a reward, had already closed their books and set down their chess pieces.
Yi-Han felt slightly taken aback.
"Its a tedious task over the weekend, are you okay with that?"
"Wardanaz, you always do that kind of stuff anyway."
"..."
Touched by his friends'' warm words, Yi-Han was moved.
What in the world was the magic academy doing with students like these!
"Where''s Gainando?"
"He''s resting upstairs... Wardanaz. But Gainando might note, right?"
His friends thought Gainando wouldn''t show up.
It was unlike him to participate in a weekend task.
''But Gainando must participate.''
Yi-Han was resolute.
If Professor Alpen''s friend arrived at the academy and found a prince among the students of the Tower of the Blue Dragon, Yi-Han''s abilities would be rated even higher.
"Don''t worry. I have a n."
Yi-Han summoned Gainando.
Puzzled, Gainando, who had been lounging in his personal room, came downstairs.
"Why? What''s going on?"
"I''m sorry, Gainando."
Yi-Han spoke with a voice full of regret. Gainando was terrified by his words.
"Am I... am I going to the punishment room?"
"No, not that."
"Phew..."
"Right now, I''m nning to go work on a magic circle with the other friends. But you can''t participate."
"Really? Why not?"
Gainando tilted his head, confused.
Isn''t that a good thing?
''Aha. If I show my interest, I might be dragged along.''
Gainando struggled to keep his expression neutral. These friends disliked him for wanting to rest.
"I''m really sorry. I wanted you to join."
"Yeah, sure."
"Then rest well. I''m sorry again, Gainando."
"...Wait a minute. Just a minute."
Gainando stopped Yi-Han as he was about to leave.
Initially disinterested, Gainando became curious due to Yi-Han''s continued apologies.
Was there something more to it?
"Yi-Han. Why are you sorry for not letting me participate in the magic circle work?"
"It''s a shame not to involve a friend in such a fun activity, isn''t it?"
"Fun?"
"Yes."
"...??"
For a moment, Gainando thought Yi-Han had changed.
But then he remembered that Yi-Han was always like this.
A friend who loved studying to an unusual degree!
''How unfortunate.''
Regrettably, Gainando couldn''t cure Yi-Han. Just as Gainando was about to let Yi-Han go...
"Yes, really sorry, Gainando."
"We really wanted you to join us too..."
"???"
However, the other friends saying this plunged Gainando into confusion.
Had the magic circle work be a trendy game among the neers without Gainando knowing?
"Fun? Really?"
"Gainando... you still don''t know? How fun working on a magic circle is?"
Yonaire said to Gainando with a look of astonishment.
Hesitantly, Gainando replied.
"...Of course, I know!"
"..."
"..."
The friends stared at Gainando for a moment, but the prince failed to grasp the meaning behind their gaze.
"But why can''t I join?"
"There are followers of the princess. They don''t like it when you show up."
"What! Yi-Han! How can you give in to the threats of such viins!"
Gainando was furious at the followers of the princess, whose faces he did not know.
Of course, Adenart had more fame than Gainando, was better at magic, excelled in academia, and was skilled in various arts, but aside from that, there wasn''t much else that made her better than Gainando.
And yet, they dared to prevent Gainando froming!
"Is that so?"
"Yi-Han. That''s not like you. You used to thrash anyone who picked a fight with you!"
"...Was it really that extreme?"
"No! This isn''t like you at all!"
"But you weren''t that interested, were you?"
"I am very interested in magic circle work! I want to do it!"
"Really? Alright. I''ll speak up firmly then."
At Yi-Han''s words, Gainando''s face brightened.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
"What''s the big deal about this."
Seeing Gainando running off excitedly, the students of the Tower of the Blue Dragon looked at Yi-Han with admiration.
The increase in the number of students didn''t make the work progress overwhelmingly faster.
Students drained of mana went one by one to lie down next to the ssroom.
When about 1/3 of the magic circle waspleted, Yi-Han was the only one left.
"..."
''Don''t they all have too little mana?''
But grumbling wouldn''t restore his friends'' mana.
Yi-Han silently continued his work. The evening sun was already setting.
"Not bad."
"??"
Yi-Han turned around.
He thought it was Professor Alpen who hade to the ssroom, but it wasn''t. It was a face he had never seen before.
"Are you a professor?"
"In some ways, yes."
"?"
Yi-Han was puzzled by the enigmatic response of the stranger.
A professor in some ways. What did that mean?
''Aha. I see.''
But Yi-Han, an experienced student, quickly understood.
"You must be working directly under a professor."
Students who didn''t graduate from the magic academy even in their senior years often studied deeper into the profound world of magic by researching alongside a professor.
Bing a direct disciple of a professor.
These direct disciples shared their time with their mentors, inheriting their vision and exploring the world of magic.
And sometimes, they would also handle trivial tasks that were meant for the mentor.
Like teaching students...
Thus, a being who is a professor and yet not a professor is formed.
"No!"
"Are you not?"
The stranger looked at Yi-Han as if he were absurd.
Who was whose disciple?
For the mages of the empire, the magic academy Einroguard evoked various emotions.
For upstart mages who hadn''t received proper teaching, it was a ce of longing.
For mages from other magic academys, a ce of jealousy.
And for mages working in imperial positions...
"I have no idea how much gold they''re extorting."
"It''s a ce nurturing the talent of the empire?"
"I''m a mage too! No matter how outstanding, there''s no way it should cost so much gold to teach young students. It must be gold for the mages'' own research, I''m sure!"
Kendry Bak, the Imperial Senior ounting Officer,ined to his escorts as he walked.
He was invited to the magic academy by his friend, Professor Alpen Knighton, but...
That wasn''t the only reason for visiting the magic academy.
Kendry intended to see the magic academy with his own eyes.
It was a good time to visit as a guest and look around, especially since the magic academy was celebrating its spring festival.
"Sir, you arrived a few days earlier than promised. Is everything alright?"
"Yes. It was intentional."
Kendry had misled them about his arrival date for a simple reason.
Had he arrived on the scheduled day, those sly mages would have hidden anything potentially incriminating.
Arriving early was preferable. Though Alpen was a friend, he was inept at lying and deceit. Any request from Kendry would likely have been discovered.
"I''ve heard that Einroguard''s students are harshly trained from their freshman year to cultivate a hunger for magic, but it seems the rumors are somewhat exaggerated."
A guard apanying Kendrymented as they observed a student from the Tower of the Blue Dragon, casually carrying snacks.
"It could be because the priests are visiting this week."
"But looking at their faces, they seem well-fed. And their clothes too."
"Hmm... That makes sense."
Kendry nodded at the guard''s words.
The students wouldn''t have gained weight just because the priests visited over the weekend. Moreover, the student''s attire was quite decent.
''It seems the students are faring better than I heard. Were the rumors exaggerated?''
Kendry pondered if this was why the gold cost more but soon shook his head.
It was still too much.
"Let''s go in."
"Yes."
Kendry toured around the dormitory tower and also visited the main lecture halls.
Surprisingly, despite it being the weekend, there were students practicing magic in the ssroom.
The guard expressed his admiration.
"Indeed, this is Einroguard. The students are all so passionate, practicing even at this hour."
"But why are they lying down like that?"
"Probably due to ack of mana."
Kendry understood why the freshmen were sprawled out in the ssroom.
Inexperienced mages often suffered from ack of mana, likely making a mistake while casting their magic circles.
Yet, one student continued working without copsing.
There was only one reason for this.
The student was calcting his mana perfectly while drawing the magic circle.
If they knew exactly how much mana each part of the circle required, they could avoid overexertion.
Certainly, this student must have spent months preparing and designing this magic circle, to the point of dreaming about it.
Reminded of the past, Kendrymented,
"Quite impressive."
"Ah, you are the Professor''s friend. I have heard about you."
Yi-Han bowed respectfully upon realizing who the visitor was.
It wasn''t just because the visitor was a friend of Professor Alpen, but also because he was a high-ranking official of the Empire.
''But why did hee so early?''
"You''ve heard about me?"
"Yes. I was actually preparing this magic circle to show you."
"Typical Alpen. Sorry for the trouble."
Kendry brushed his wavy hair aside, expressing his apologies.
"You must have started preparing this right at the start of the semester."
"Not quite that early."
"How long did it take?"
Kendry asked casually.
Considering the difficulty of the magic circle, its currentpletion, and the pace at which Yi-Han was working, it seemed likely he had started right at the beginning of the semester.
Yi-Han hesitated for a moment.
''It wouldnt seem insincere if I said it took a day.''
"I started today."
"..."
Kendry was so surprised that he momentarily dropped his staff.
"Today?"
"Yes."
"By any chance, are you from the Wardanaz family?"
"Indeed," Yi-Han answered, while inwardly expressing his gratitude to Professor Alpen.
The reward of his attentiveness and refusal to doze off during lectures had be evident.
To think that someone would mention Yi-Han''s name to a friend like that.
Yi-Han neither hurried nor hesitated too much. He strived to appear as a modest yet promising mage.
"I had thought Alpen was exaggerating his praises... but there was a reason for it."
To aplish this much in a single day.
Even if he had studied the magic circle in advance, it was a genius talent. Especially since theory and practice were different matters.
''There was a reason Alpen praised him.''
"Well, the magic academy exists to nurture students like this. Anyone can hold a position in the Empire, but only a genius can pursue the study of magic."
"I believe that an imperial official is as important as a researcher."
"Do you? Coming from the Wardanaz family, that''s an unusual view. Thank you. You''d fit well in an official position."
Yi-Han''s face brightened.
"Do you really think so?"
"Of course, it''s a joke. A genius like you should be conducting research."
"...I can do well in an official role too."
"Of course you can. But it would be a waste of your talent."
"...I''m not particrly talented. I just kept pouring mana into the magic circle until it worked."
"What do you mean?"
"I kept inputting mana and adjusting until it worked..."
Kendry immediately understood the significance of his words.
If he had fully grasped the magic circle, he wouldn''t have needed such trial and error.
The fact that he was still experiencing trial and error meant he hadn''t been familiar with the magic circle for long.
Yet, to havepleted it to such an extent.
He must have been born with immense mana, not to mention a natural aptitude for magic circles.
"Truly a genius!"
"..."
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Chapter 137
Chapter 137
Yi-Han sensed something amiss.
Though it felt strange to have to im hisck of talent in the current situation, he did his best to defend himself.
"Isn''t it a simple method to rely solely on abundant mana to create a magic circle like this?"
"Modest too. A virtue rarely seen among mages."
"No..."
"Wait. Were you serious just now?"
Kendry looked puzzled.
He had assumed Yi-Han''s remark was made in modesty.
There were two types of talents in magic circle creation.
One was the intellectual type.
Those who excelled in the theory and structure of magic circles, who thoroughly studied and understood them in their minds before starting.
The other was the intuitive type.
Those who created magic circles based on sensation and intuition, even if they were less skilled in calction or understanding, letting their mana flow through.
At first nce, thetter might seem simple or ignorant, but it was, in fact, more challenging.
Having abundant mana didn''t automatically result in creating magic circles.
Everything else had to be filled in by the mage.
Those who called this process simple or ignorant repetition knew nothing of magic.
Without innate talent, no amount of mana could create magic circles in this manner.
''I received praise for being suited for this, but it''s the first time I don''t feel happy about it.''
Yi-Han felt more bewildered than happy upon hearing he had a talent for magic circle creation.
"Thetter seems fitting for an imperial office position too."
Yi-Han tried to argue back passively after hearing the exnation.
However, Kendry looked at him as if he didn''t understand what Yi-Han was saying.
"You''re both."
"Excuse me?"
"You''re both. No matter how great your intuition is, toplete a magic circle like this as a freshman, you need a sharply working mind."
There were limits to intuition.
For a freshman toplete it at this speed showed a deep theoretical understanding of magic circles beyond mere intuition.
Knowing either was enough to qualify as an imperial official.
But excelling in both?
That meant dedicating oneself to magic for the empire''s future.
''As expected of a professor''s friend, he''s hard tomunicate with.''
Yi-Han quickly gave up.
Given the response, it seemed faster to persuade someone else and aim for an official position.
Not all imperial officials would be like this!
"Thank you for thepliment."
"Good. Thanks for praising our officials. Mages usually don''t like it."
"I do like them..."
"Hahaha! Just kidding."
''I really want to hit him.''
Yi-Han inwardly seethed at Kendry''s dismissive attitude towards a freshman because of his higher status.
"Anyway... I saw something good. I''ll support you. It seems Gonadaltes isn''t all bad for nurturing students like you."
''You can think badly of him if you want.''
Yi-Han swallowed his words. He never knew where or when the skull principal might be listening.
"If you need help, contact me. Supporting mages like you is our officials'' role."
"!"
Yi-Han''s face brightened.
"I''ll try to support whatever research you undertake at least once."
"..."
Yi-Han''s face darkened again.
He didn''t really need that kind of help.
''What about supporting young mages'' startups instead of just research?''
"There will be outside guests this week, so stay focused and don''t get distracted. You understand?"
"Are there others besides the priests?"
"That''s..."
Kendry hesitated for a moment, wondering if he could tell the freshman.
Yi-Han, without even breathing, lied.
"I heard it from the principal, but it wasn''t a joke then."
"Ah. You heard? Well, Gonadaltes is really... Oh, sorry. I shouldn''t speak ill of a mentor in front of students."
Mistaking that the skull principal had spoken first, Kendry opened his mouth.
"It must be because of the festival. People interested in Einroguard are probably visiting. The same goes for other magic academies... Einroguard''s reputation is well-known, right?"
''From other magic academies?''
Yi-Han paused, taken aback.
He hadn''t expected such guests.
He thought there would only be priests...
"Ill spread the word about what I saw today to others."
"No... it''s alright."
"Why? It''s good to build a reputation early. It will help you in your researchter."
"Really, it''s fine."
''He''s from the Wardanaz family, and yet so modest? How surprising.''
Kendry was amazed but nodded.
After all, it wasn''t bad for a talented mage to be humble.
One reason mages with bad reputations among the imperial officials umted grudges was their arrogant behavior.
-The estimate is unclear; rewrite it-
-You can''t understand this estimate? That''s because you''re a dimwitted loser! You fool! Are you jealous of me because youck talent!? My overflowing talent?!-
Thinking of this, Kendry found Yi-Han even more remarkable.
''I hope he grows up just like this.''
He hoped that Yi-Han would be a great mage without changing.
After all, the secr matters would be handled by other people of the empire.
As the sun fully set, Yi-Han stopped his work and fed the students dinner.
The students, having expended their mana, devoured the grilled meat as soon as it was ready. The oil dripped down, sizzling in the mes.
"Yonaire. How did the potion checking go?"
"I managed to identify a few!"
Yonaire replied brightly.
Thanks to the help of the priests from the meng Order, she had sessfully identified several potions.
"One turned out to be alcohol."
"..."
Yi-Han was slightly incredulous.
''Why were there several bottles of alcohol in a potion box?''
But it wasn''t iprehensible.
In such a magic academy, it was natural for seniors to turn to alcohol.
"And the others?"
"Transformation potions. I need to check further, but they''re probably animal-based."
''Not bad.''
The exact animal was yet to be determined, but transformation potions could be very useful.
If it was a winged animal...
''I''m not sure what the sky of the magic academy is like, but it''s worth trying.''
"By the way, the potion Gainando drank was indeed a Confidence Potion."
"I thought so."
"And a Curse Removal Potion. They said it''s very powerful. Oh, and there was also a Calmness Potion."
"!"
The nearby students showed interest.
"A Calmness Potion? If we drink that..."
"Won''t we get caught by the professor?"
"We should think about not getting caught."
The students of the Blue Dragon were quickly adapting to the magic academy.
They had begun to see exams as a battle not with themselves, but with the professors.
"We''ll check the rest next week. I n to finish the checks while the priests are still here."
"Thanks, Yonaire. You must be busy.
"Not more than you... Professor Uregor was worried about you."
"?!"
Yi-Han paused, startled.
"Worried about what?"
"He said he wanted to call you but couldn''t bring himself to do it."
During the festival, Professor Uregor, who was forced to prepare something, had called upon students proficient in alchemy. Yonaire, of course, was among those summoned. The summoned students were puzzled by Yi-Han''s absence.
-Isn''t Wardanaz here?-
-I didn''t have the heart to call him.-
"...Wait."
Yi-Han felt a shiver down his spine.
Could it be that the skull principal really wanted to call him?
''Wait. Professor Uregor isn''t someone to avoid work because of the principal.''
If it wasn''t just the principal...
A vampire professor shed through Yi-Han''s mind.
"AAAHHH!"
A student from the Tower of Blue Dragon screamed upon entering the lounge. Yi-Han, startled, looked up.
"Is it the principal''s second attack?!"
"No, it''s not!"
"Thank goodness!"
''Is that really good news?''
Yi-Han thought as he moved forward.
The lounge looked as though a thief had ransacked it. Tables and chairs were overturned in the corners, and books from the bookshelf were scattered on the floor.
His friends asked Gainando.
"Did you do this over food...?"
"Crazy guys! I was with you!"
"Oh, right."
The culprit was quickly revealed.
Sharakan, who had been left in the lounge as Yi-Han worked on the magic circle, was growling with something in its mouth.
Yi-Han sternly addressed Sharakan.
"Sharakan!"
At the sound of its master''s angry voice for the first time, Sharakan was frightened. The mighty mana made the summoned beast cower.
But it couldnt be helped, since it was for the sake of the misunderstood white horse.
Sharakan growled with the Curse Removal Potion clutched in its mouth.
"I''m sorry, everyone. I should have kept Sharakan with me."
"It''s not your fault. We all found Sharakan cute."
"Who would have thought Sharakan would do such a thing... Look out! Wardanaz! Sharakan is escaping!"
Instead of reflecting, Sharakan seized the opportunity and darted outside. The students from the Tower of Blue Dragon were too startled to catch it.
''I miss the days when it was just a bone!''
Yi-Han inwardlyined as he dashed off.
When Sharakan was just a bone, it didn''t cause trouble. Now that it had its body back, it started making mischief.
This was better than trying to kill its master, but such pranks were still a hassle.
"Yonaire. Sharakan stole a potion! Which one?"
"That''s... just a second...!"
Yonaire eyed the potion in the fleeing Sharakan''s mouth.
Bright green.
It was either a Curse Removal Potion or an Animal Transformation Potion.
"I''m not sure! There are simr potions...!"
Meanwhile, Sharakan had bolted to the stables.
As Sharakan entered the stables, amotion erupted inside.
The horses began to neigh wildly as if they were suddenly frightened.
''What on earth is happening?!''
Yi-Han raced in, filled with fear and concern.
Upon entering the stables, it became clear what potion Sharakan had stolen.
"...It stole the Transformation Potion."
Yonaire, arrivingte, gasped in shock.
It was a griffin inside the stable.
"Turned into a griffin...!"
"Yes. It must have been a Griffin Transformation Potion."
Since it was transformed into a griffon, a predator of horses, it was natural for the other horses to cause such a fuss.
Yonaire whispered, looking at Sharakan.
"Maybe it was a request from the horse? Monsters like Sharakan are quite intelligent."
"Asked to find a transformation potion?"
"Yes, that might be possible. You know, it might have wanted to show off its abilities to you."
Yi-Han immediately understood what Yonaire was suggesting.
Among animals with strong pride, there were those who, when ignored, would try to demonstrate their abilities by any means necessary.
Of course, this was a behavior typically observed in monsters, but unusually, the white horse might have had such pride.
As Yonaire said, frustrated by Yi-Han''sck of faith, the white horse might have asked Sharakan to find something that could make it stronger.
"I''m sorry, horse. I doubted you too much."
The white horse, transformed into a griffin, or rather, returned to being a griffin, lifted its front hooves in joy at Yi-Han''s words.
Bang!
As the effect of the potion wore off, the griffin turned back into a white horse. The curse was too powerful to bepletely solved with the potion.
But the griffin was satisfied.
It must have realized that Yi-Han had finally understood its true nature!
Yonaire, trying to soothe the griffin, said,
"You''re smart. I''ll trust you."
Huhiiing!!
"But Yonaire, is there no possibility that it''s not a transformation, but an actual griffin?"
Huhiiing!! Huhiihihihing!!
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Chapter 138
Chapter 138
Chapter 138
The white horse seemed to be in an uproar, as if to confirm a certain suspicion.
Sharakan, having brought a potion, barely resolved a misunderstanding, but upon seeing the two students, it became apparent that a different misunderstanding had taken ce.
This could not be left unattended!
However, Yonaire looked at Yi-Han with an expression of, What are you talking about? and asked, "Is there really no possibility it''s an actual griffin? What do you mean by that?"
"You mentioned earlier there were two distinct bright green potions."
The potions for curse removal and animal transformation, both sharing the same color, had caused confusion when Sharakan rummaged through the potion box and fled, leaving Yonaire unable to distinguish them immediately.
What if the white horse had drunk the griffin transformation potion instead of the curse removal potion?
"But... Yi-Han," Yonaire hesitated, seemingly unsure of where to begin her critique.
Yi-Han''s suggestion was absurdly far-fetched.
"Even so, Professor Bungaegor wouldn''t transform a griffin into a horse to give to students, right?"
Silence fell upon both Yi-Han and the white horse.
Yonaire''s logic was too wless to dispute.
Yet, Yi-Han refused to back down easily.
''Yonaire might still have some faith in the professors, but I do not.''
The professors of the magic academy were capable of anything, even forcibly giving a transformed griffin to a freshman!
Although it seemed unlikely, Yi-Han felt an unsettling sense of unease.
Moreover, the white horse and Sharakan continued to cause amotion, adding to the frustration.
"I still want to check."
"If you say so... How do you n to check?"
"Let''s examine the other green potion."
"It''s dangerous to carelessly give a transformation potion to an animal."
Yonaire voiced her concern with a worried look.
Unlike sentient beings, animals were unpredictable when their physical form changed.
"Of course, I don''t n to feed it to Niffirg. To Gainando..."
Yi-Han paused mid-sentence, suddenly preupied with the white horse''s name.
...Could it be?
''Perhaps Professor Bungaegor is reckless enough to just reverse the name of the griffin...''
Yi-Han gazed at the white horse, which returned his stare with deep,rge eyes, nodding its head.
Trust me!
"To feed it to Gainando?"
"Yes. Is it too much?"
"Not at all. It''s a good idea."
Yonaire agreed without a second thought.
She had wanted to discourage feeding transformation potions to animals, but Gainando was an exception.
"Wait. Yonaire. Now that I think about it, why don''t we ask the priests to check again?"
Yonaire''s eyes widened at Yi-Han''s suggestion.
Right, why not?
"Seems like a good idea..."
"But the priests might be too busy checking other potions. Should we just test it on Gainando?"
"I''ll leave it to your judgment, Yi-Han. Whatever you decide should be fine."
The two students from the Tower of the Blue Dragons, scheming their suspicious n, returned to the tower.
The white horse stamped its hooves on the ground, watching Yi-Han''s departing figure with eyes full of anticipation.
Soon this absurd usation will be cleared!
Sharakan barked as if to say, "Just wait a little longer." The white horse bowed its head in gratitude.
Monday.
The weekend had ended, and a new week began with the spring festival, but Yi-Han''s heart was far from warm excitement.
His day started with a lecture from Professor Bdi.
Upon Yi-Han''s entrance, Professor Bdi sighed lightly, a sight Yi-Han had never witnessed before.
''What''s this? He looks terribly intimidating.''
When a person does something out of character, it naturally instills fear. This was especially true if that person was someone like Professor Bdi, whose actions, when uncharacteristic, were doubly terrifying.
Professor Bdi spoke slowly.
"I believe I mentioned the dangers of overreaching."
"Yes?"
Bdi''s manner of speaking, cutting to the chase, was always something new.
Yi-Han tensed up.
It was impossible to predict what his counterpart might do.
"Do you remember when you defeated the golem?"
"Yes."
Caught in Professor Uregor''s scheme, Yi-Han had to defeat a mud golem blocking his path to survive. He aplished this by pouring a vast amount of mana into creating a massive water orb imbued with a spin attribute.
Then, Professor Bdi, having heard about it from somewhere, turned Yi-Han''s world upside down withments like, "Why so greedy? Already experimenting with a spin attribute?"
Yi-Han had no such ambitions in that regard, and even if he did, Bdi should not have made suchments.
Wasn''t he the one among the magic academy''s professors most eager for progress in magic studies?
"I told you not to be hasty at that time."
"So, I haven''t used the spinning attribute since then...?"
"I heard you attempted to control multiple water orbs."
Yi-Han despaired.
Just how much had Professor Ingurdel told others?
''This is maddening.''
There must be times when the magic academy''s professors gathered. Otherwise, such detailed information couldn''t have spread so effectively.
"The situation was urgent; I had no choice."
"I suppose so."
Professor Bdi nodded, appearing convinced. Yet, Yi-Han remained uneasy.
Bdi was known for forming his own conclusions internally, even when showing an understanding exterior.
Yi-Han''s intuition was urate.
Bdi had other thoughts in mind, ''How challenging it is to teach.''
Those unwilling to walk the path ahead were unworthy of being mages.
And the boy from the Wardanaz family, though young, was more a mage than anyone else.
Yi-Han''s cessation of exploring spinning attribute magic wasn''t due to Bdi''s advice.
A true mage wouldn''t stop merely on ount of superficial counsel.
Such a decision could onlye from within.
That''s why Bdi hadn''t prepared additional training.
He intended to force concentration.
''But it must be done.''
Professor Bdi stood up.
A look into Yi-Han''s eyes revealed everything.
The boy from the Wardanaz family would not stop.
This time, Bdi didn''t n to offer mere superficial advice.
"Take this."
"?"
Yi-Han was puzzled by the bundle Bdi handed him.
What is this?
"Open it."
Inside the bundle was an old cloak, clearly enchanted with magic.
"What magic is cast upon it?"
"Defensive magic."
Yi-Han sighed.
Why else would Professor Bdi give him a cloak imbued with defensive magic?
''He''s nning to hit me harder than before.''
But how hard...
Instead of casting magic, Bdi turned and walked out of the lecture hall.
"Follow me."
"??"
Yi-Han followed Bdi with a mix of confusion and curiosity.
The lecture hall corridor on the basement floor was silent and dark, feeling entirely different despite the morning hour.
"Where are we going?"
"Didn''t we train in elemental detectionst time?"
"Yes, that''s correct."
Yi-Han wanted to demand an answer to his question, but he restrained himself. This was typical of Professor Bdi.
"Your ability to detect elements is sufficient. There''s no need for further training in that regard."
"Thank you."
For Professor Bdi, that was indeed high praise. Yi-Han gratefully epted it.
"And I gave you a book on basic lightning magic and its applications."
"I''ve been studying it diligently, but I haven''t mastered itpletely yet..."
"I didn''t expect you to understand everything at once."
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised.
Not by the statement itself, but because Professor Bdi had made such a remark. It was out of character for him.
''...This isn''t a cause for celebration, but rather a sign that the book''s difficulty is far greater than I anticipated.''
It wasn''t a time for happiness. Yi-Han''s mood darkened again.
"Given your abilities in element detection, control, and shape transformation, it wouldn''t be unusual for you to attempt controlling multiple water orbs."
"Is that so?"
Yi-Han brightened up.
It was a relief to know that his original attempt was justifiable.
Maybe Professor Bdi''s... teachings would be less harsh.
With that, the professor fell silent. Striding through the underground corridor, he waved his wand at a wall, revealing a hidden staircase.
''How many secret pathways are there in this ce?''
Yi-Han noted the path as he followed the professor.
After a while of silence, Yi-Han, puzzled, asked again.
"So, Professor... where are we going?"
He had already asked where they were going, but the professor had only brought up past training and said nothing more.
What was going on?
Professor Bdi stopped abruptly and looked at Yi-Han. A faint confusion was evident in his eyes.
Yi-Han, a proficient student, grasped the situation.
''Hmm. He thinks he''s exined everything with what he just said.''
Though Yi-Han wasn''t sure how that constituted an exnation, he wasn''t flustered.
"Could you exin a bit more? Specifically, where are we going right now?"
"We''re heading to the dungeon."
"..."
Yi-Han instantly regretted asking.
The Dungeon.
A peculiar space governed by different rules due to the concentration of mana in a specific area.
It could be an ancient ruin, a tower erected by a mad skeletal lich for storing potions, or anything else.
Ideally, it would be peaceful, merely a ce where mana pooled and the rules were different. However, dungeons usually harbored monsters, naturally attracted to the mana.
Given the history of the magic academy, it was inevitable that a dungeon, natural or man-made, would exist within its premises...
''But I never wanted to enter it of my own volition.''
How long had they walked through the hidden underground passage?
The bricks underfoot gradually gave way to natural ground, and the mana in the air grew denser.
And from the deep darkness ahead, the ominous sound of monsters could be heard.
Yi-Han looked at the back of Professor Bdi, leading the way.
Would it be easier to overpower Professor Bdi now and escape, or to fight the monsters in the dungeon?
Sadly, thetter seemed more feasible.
"Professor. Don''t we have any armor instead of this cloak?"
"Armor interferes with magic."
Professor Bdi spoke firmly.
It was amon misconception that battle mages in dangerous fields preferred armor, but it was just thata misconception.
A mage had to focus on magic, unencumbered. Heavy and bulky armor restricted a mage''s movements and scattered their concentration.
Indeed, the noise and chaos of the battlefield were already disruptive enough for a mage, making it prudent to prepare for such situations in advance.
''...But doesn''t this put my life in danger?''
Yi-Han understood Professor Bdi''s point, yet there was an unresolved issue.
Not wearing armor might be advantageous for casting spells, but...
Wouldn''t it make one more vulnerable to attacks?
"Ah, instead of wearing armor, do we use magic for defense?"
That would make sense.
Yi-Han thought of the water shield magic he could use. More skilled mages would likely have ess to a wider array of defensive spells.
Professor Bdi, who had been walking ahead, turned his head to look at Yi-Han again.
"Using defensive magic interferes with other spells."
"Then... how do we defend ourselves?"
"Dodge."
"..."
Yi-Han made up his mind.
Regardless of what Professor Bdi said, Yi-Han decided to fight using defensive magic.
''I always wondered when having a lot of mana would be useful. This seems to be the time.''
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Chapter 139
Chapter 139
Unaware of Yi-Han''s inner thoughts, Professor Bdi spoke.
"Hungry Ghost. A lower rank one."
At the end of the passage in the dimly lit underground dungeon, a corpse, seemingly wrapped in a sticky, dark mucus, revealed itself.
It was a monster called a Hungry Ghost.
An undead monster not under the control of a mage revealed its raw, fleshly aura so intensely that it could be felt on the skin.
-!
At that moment, the magic light summoned by Professor Bdi extinguished.
While an ordinary student would have panicked, Yi-Han did not flinch and immediately recited a spell.
"Light."
He was prepared to respond no matter what Professor Bdi did at any time.
As soon as Yi-Han summoned the light, Professor Bdi nodded in approval.
It seemed as though he wasmending a good judgment.
''Is there no such thing as a Ghost Professor?''
A Hungry Ghost was an undead monster transformed due to the sins and misdeeds umted in life.
Then, it wouldn''t be strange if there were a Ghost Professor.
Well, a Ghost Professor would be terrifying in its own way...
"Spring forth."
Yi-Han whispered a spell, slightly quieter than the illumination spell he had just cast.
He quickly realized that raising one''s voice in the dungeon was of no benefit.
Professor Bdi internally awarded him high marks.
Quick reflexes and an innate sense of vignce.
These were virtues a battle mage must possess.
Several water orbs divided and one of them ferociously struck the Hungry Ghost.
With a dull sound, the jaw of the Hungry Ghost shattered. The creature, which had been striding forward, staggered.
''I must immobilize it.''
For a mage, it was best to avoid closebat. Yi-Han aimed for the knees of the Hungry Ghost with the water orbs.
Another mage might have found such precise targeting challenging.
But Yi-Han, having trained with Professor Bdi, had be proficient in controlling elemental magic.
One more hit.
The water orb urately struck the moving knee of the Hungry Ghost, toppling it.
This time, Professor Bdi did not nod. For him, this was something too obvious to acknowledge.
Yi-Han didn''t expect much and thus wasn''t disappointed.
However, it was a pity.
Had there been an outsider guest present, this spectacle would have been far more intriguing than any mediocre event!
Yi-Han easily disposed of the lower rank Hungry Ghost before it could approach.
Then he checked the fallen creature. Sadly, the Hungry Ghost had little of value. It didn''t even possess themon magic stone.
Professor Bdi, misinterpreting Yi-Han''s actions, spoke.
"Ensuring it''s properly down is wise. But getting close to a monster is unnecessary. Learn to confirm using magic."
"I''ll keep that in mind."
"Keep moving forward."
Professor Bdi advised from a little distance behind Yi-Han.
Yi-Han, about to walk mindlessly, hesitated.
''Wait a moment.''
He wondered if blindly following Professor Bdi''s instructions could be dangerous.
After all, why had Professor Bdi brought him to this dungeon?
It was for Yi-Han to manipte multiple water elemental spells.
Then, the dungeon might contain traps that forced the use of multiple spells.
"Space, be perceived. Feet, grasp the earth!"
There was a saying about testing the waters before crossing a bridge.
But for a mage, that wasn''t necessary.
After testing the bridge, one could simply fly across.
Seeing Yi-Han cast various enhancement spells, Professor Bdi smiled faintly.
A student who learns quickly from experience is a good student, and Yi-Han was learning even before experiencing.
Perhaps this was the joy of teaching.
''Professor Bdi standing still somehow makes me more uneasy.''
Yi-Han took out a bone fragment from his pocket and threw it.
"Appear, bone hand!"
The summoned bone hand flew forward.
Suddenly, a Hungry Ghost sprang from what he thought was a wall. Yi-Han''s eyes widened.
''Invisibility?!''
The bone hand, swimming through the air, tried to strangle the Hungry Ghost, but the creature''s strength was superior. The bone hand was quickly repelled.
Thud!
The bone hand was more of an auxiliary than an attack spell.
It was enough if it just bought time.
Realizing the appearance of the Hungry Ghost, Yi-Han againunched water orbs to bring down his enemy.
"...Can they also go invisible?"
"The traits of Hungry Ghosts vary."
"..."
Yi-Han decided this approach wouldn''t work.
Clink, clink-
As Yi-Han began putting on various essories, Professor Bdi raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Fire magic."
"Yes."
"A good idea. A great mage never settles."
A mage ustomed to water elements but only using them was unlikely to advance.
A great mage must continually seek new challenges.
''I''d like to settle, but you don''t give me a chance to.''
Yi-Han thought inwardly, focusing on fire.
Unlike the familiar water element, the fire element required much more concentration.
Especially since apse in focus could burn everything around.
Yi-Han chose fire for a simple reason.
''Let''s shoot everywhere it could be.''
With limited knowledge about Hungry Ghosts, Yi-Han had few options.
He chose to rely on quantity.
He would shoot everywhere a monster might be!
For this, the fire element was more advantageous than water.
Whooosh!
Small mes erupted around Yi-Han. They were much smaller than water orbs, but considering the properties of fire, they were sufficient.
"It seems you''ve adapted well."
"I''ve just started, though?"
"Go through the dungeon ande down. I''ll be waiting."
With those words, Professor Bdi disappeared.
"..."
Left alone, Yi-Han refrained from cursing Professor Bdi.
His voice might still be heard.
Bang!
Cursing the vanished Professor Bdi wouldn''t change reality.
Yi-Han silently dealt with the Hungry Ghosts.
''I think I''m getting the hang of it.''
The Hungry Ghosts in Professor Bdi''s dungeon preferred to use invisibility.
Using the dark dungeon terrain to their advantage, those clinging to walls became easy to spot once familiar.
Those clinging to the ceiling in silence or crouching in stagnant puddles were startling even for Yi-Han...
But even this fear became familiar over time.
mes shot in all directions. Though the mes, only as big as two finger joints, weren''t very powerful, they were effective.
Like fireworks, the mes burst in all directions. As soon as they touched a Hungry Ghost, it couldn''t withstand and burst out.
-!
Once they emerged, he would immediatelyunch water orbs to bring them down.
Most Hungry Ghosts could be lured out with mes, and if any remained, he could detect them with spatial perception as they approached.
There were times when Yi-Han was caught off guard by an ambush, but in those moments...
Whack!
Yi-Han swung his staff, striking a Hungry Ghost lurking in the alley.
He wasn''t sure if it was just his feeling, but it seemed more destructive than the water orbs.
"...!"
Walking through the narrow cave passage, Yi-Han halted when a cool breeze blew from afar.
At the end of the passage was a rather spacious area. It was too dim to see everything, but it felt like a za.
Normally, one would be happy to find such a space after walking through a narrow path, but...
''This feels ominously wrong.''
Yi-Han felt his entire body''s instincts sending warnings.
The moment he entered the za from the passage, he might be enthusiastically weed by Hungry Ghosts!
However, he couldn''t just turn back. Yi-Han began preparing additional magic.
Professor Garcia, with a bright expression, guided the old mage visitor from outside.
It was a delightful asion for a guest to visit the academy during the festival period.
Eumidiphos.
A renowned master of water element magic in the empire, some of Eumidiphos''s developed spells were being effectively used by mages in the empire.
Having learned Eumidiphos''s magic during his own student days, Professor Garcia couldn''t help but feel ted by such a visit.
"It''s truly an honor to meet you."
"There''s no need to hold an old mage like me in such high regard..."
Eumidiphos, looking like a kind grandmother, was someone no one would guess to be a battle mage who had achieved numerous dazzling feats in her youth.
Professor Garcia once again looked at Eumidiphos with eyes filled with respect.
"The magic academy is always a beautiful ce."
"Yes, it''s in a scenic location."
"And the students are good as well."
"I think so too."
"The professors..."
"They are all excellent."
"Not really."
Eumidiphos shook her head. Professor Garcia coughed awkwardly, feeling embarrassed.
"Is that so? Everyone is working hard though..."
"It''s not about skill, but character... But with Gonadaltes around, it can''t be helped. He might be the root of all problems."
"..."
Professor Garcia felt torn between agreeing with the great old mage and the duty of not speaking ill of the principal as a professor.
She must restrain himself!
"Do you have any interesting students?"
"Yes."
"There''s nothing more joyful than nurturing good students. I managed other tasks well enough, but I didn''t do a great job in training disciples."
Hearing Eumidiphos''s humble words, Professor Garcia shook her head as if to say, ''What are you talking about?''
"Your disciples are all impressive..."
"They all have their shorings. Speaking of which, is Bdi Bagrak here?"
"Yes."
"I should meet him before I leave. Would you show me the way?"
"Of course."
While guiding Eumidiphos, Professor Garcia suddenly remembered.
Wasn''t it time for the , no, the ss?
''I hope Eumidiphos gets to see the lecture and gives a piece of her mind.''
Professor Garcia opened the door to the ssroom downstairs.
But no one was there.
"???"
"They must be conducting the lecture elsewhere."
Eumidiphos tapped the floor with her staff. Suddenly, footsteps lingering on the ground glowed green, revealing their traces.
"Ah, it''s nice weather, so they must be in the courtyard..."
"?"
Eumidiphos looked at Professor Garcia as if wondering what she was talking about.
Professor Bdi was not the type to hold sses in the courtyard just because the weather was nice.
"...Not there?"
"He must have gone to the dungeon."
"The dungeon?"
"Yes, the dungeon. When a student''s achievement reaches a certain level, practical training in the dungeon is faster. Is he teaching third year?"
"..."
"Is he teaching third year? Or fourth year?"
Stunned by the shocking revtion, Professor Garcia shook her head at Eumidiphos''s question.
"Um, actually... Professor Bagrak is not teaching third or fourth year."
"Fifth year? If it''s fifth year, off-campus would be better than on-campus."
"..."
Professor Garcia didn''t respond.
Instead, she quickened his pace, filled with anxiety and apprehension.
"Let''s go!"
"Why are you so flustered?"
"Professor Bagrak seems to have taken a freshman to the dungeon!"
"A freshman?"
"Yes!"
"They must be quite capable..."
"Capable or not, that''s not the point!"
Professor Garcia suddenly lost her temper with the respected old mage.
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Chapter 140
Chapter 140
Despite Professor Garcia''s fury, the old mage Eumidiphos remained unfazed.
"In our time, we used to teach magic right in the dungeons. The abundant mana made it easier to cast stronger spells. Plus, the various phenomena that urred there were useful for reference."
"Modern mages don''t learn that way."
Indeed, recalling the educational policies of the magic academy, it didn''t seem too far removed from such archaic methods, but Professor Garcia insisted otherwise.
At least, that was how Garcia nned to teach.
"It''s not good to raise your disciples too weakly..."
"The principal tried that and failed miserably."
"Gonadaltes was too extreme."
Eumidiphos stated emphatically.
Even to Eumidiphos, known for her strict and harsh educational philosophy, Gonadaltes'' methods were excessive.
"It''s always important to find the right bnce. Bdi Bagrak knows how to maintain that, so there''s no need to worry too much."
Though the voice was gentle, like a kind grandmother, Professor Garcia was far from reassured.
Having met her only recently, Garcia sensed that this respected mage Eumidiphos was closer in approach to the skull principal than to herself.
One must be vignt!
"Are you acquainted with Professor Bagrak?"
"He briefly received instruction under me."
"Was he your disciple?!"
"Not a disciple, just briefly instructed."
''Usually, that would be considered a disciple...''
Professor Garcia thought so but didn''t further challenge the point.
Indeed, among mages, there were many who were particr about the definition of a disciple.
Teaching a single spell didn''t necessarily constitute a master-disciple rtionship.
-A disciple must inherit the mage''s vision and enlightenment!-
Intrigued by Eumidiphos''s words, Professor Garcia asked,
"Was Professor Bagrak not adequate to be your disciple?"
"Our personalities didn''t match. I feared if we spent too much time together, one of us would end up dead."
"..."
It was an unexpected reason, but Professor Garcia genuinely understood.
Indeed, Professor Bdi had a talent for infuriating people.
"Professor!"
Yi-Han swore and blurted out something unusual as he flew backward.
''Damn it!''
Entering a dark and likely ambush-filled za, Yi-Han had prepared as best he could.
To any other mage, his readiness might have seemed excessive for a novice.
He had activated and , and not stopping there, he wrapped himself in and .
Ready to block any surprise attack from any direction.
And Yi-Han''s calctions were almost spot-on.
-!
-! !
Indeed, the ghosts appearing all over the za couldn''t prate Yi-Han''s defenses.
Some were deceived by the illusion and rushed towards it, while others floundered against the water shield.
Meanwhile, Yi-Han precisely took down the ghosts.
He ignited mes on distant ghosts and shattered the nearby ones with water orbs...
Everything seemed perfect.
Until an unexpected foe appeared.
-!!!
"..."
Faced with the appearance of a Collossal Hungry Ghost, several timesrger than the ordinary ones, Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
''Did I... have to face this just because I used multiple spells at once?''
Yi-Han suddenly felt unjustly burdened.
Was it really such a mistake to divide and use the water orbs that he had to face such a creature during a lecture?
Yet, the Colossal Hungry Ghost paid no heed to Yi-Han''s sense of injustice and charged.
Gritting his teeth, Yi-Han unleashed a barrage of magic.
mes burst forth while water orbs flew chaotically from all directions, fiercely striking the Colossal Hungry Ghost.
Unlike the ordinary ghosts which would have fallen, the Colossal Hungry Ghost protected itself with a thick, stickyyer of mucous-like armor.
As the zing mes died down and the water orbs slid off without causing any impact, Yi-Han was sent flying backward with a dull thud.
"Professor!"
Had he not hastily summoned the water shield, he would have likely broken a bone or two.
Yi-Han quickly got back on his feet.
Cursing orining could wait; what mattered now was confronting the enemy before him.
"sh forth!"
The lightning veered off course, not even reaching the Colossal Hungry Ghost.
"...!"
Yi-Han quickly realized the situation.
A green rock in the za was attracting the lightning magic.
''What is this...?!''
In a short span, Yi-Han cursed at Ferkuntra and Professor Bdi.
Although Ferkuntra wasn''t really at fault
Eumidiphos and Professor Garcia soon found where Professor Bdi was.
It was the deeper parts of the dungeon connected to the underground ssroom.
"Eumidiphos."
"Bdi Bagrak. It''s been a while."
Despite the unexpected visit, Professor Bdi showed no change in expression, merely nodding his head.
Eumidiphos, not expecting any fuss from Professor Bdi, quickly shifted her gaze elsewhere.
Before Bdi, a vistaposed of illusion magic unfolded. Professor Garcia sighed.
She knew who it was without even looking.
It was the boy from the Wardanaz family.
''He really took him to the dungeon?''
She had doubted it, but indeed, Bdi had brought him to the actual dungeon.
Professor Garcia was astounded, but Eumidiphos and Bdi calmly continued their conversation.
"How skilled is this freshman?"
"Elemental control, shape transformation, multi-casting."
"...I was asking which of these he has mastered, Bdi Bagrak."
Eumidiphos sighed.
Even in the past, Bdi had little talent for conversation.
His awkwardness was one thing, but it was his unnecessary self-assurance that made it more frustrating.
He was probably thinking, ''I''ve answered correctly, why are they behaving like this?''
"All of them, he''s skilled in all."
"...Really? Truly?"
Eumidiphos was taken aback.
"Is Gonadaltes trying to deceive me?"
"No, Eumidiphos."
Professor Garcia rified.
Naturally, Eumidiphos found it hard to believe Bdi''s words.
Who would have thought a freshman could be so adept in elemental magic?
But sadly, it was true.
"Professor Bagrak might have been a bit strict and harsh in his teachings..."
"?"
Bdi tilted his head in confusion, not understanding Garcia''s implication.
"Well taught, it seems."
"Thank you."
"..."
Listening to their conversation, Professor Garcia felt her respect gradually fading.
Unaware of Garcia''s inner thoughts, Eumidiphos continued.
"A disciple''s achievements can''te without good teaching. I doubted your ability to teach someone, but it seems I underestimated you."
Professor Bdi epted the praise as if it were a matter of course. Professor Garcia, on the other hand, wished she could flee from the scene.
"What''s the purpose today?"
"The embodiment of multi-casting."
"The monster?"
"Hungry Ghost."
Eumidiphos nodded.
Unable to contain herself any longer, Professor Garcia spoke up, realizing she was the only one who would point out the issue here.
"Isn''t a Hungry Ghost a bit too dangerous for a freshman?"
Eumidiphos looked at Professor Garcia.
Then, she slowly said, "Freshmen vary. A freshman skilled in elemental control, shape transformation, and multi-casting should be able to handle a Hungry Ghost."
"..."
Professor Garcia found herself unable to argue.
...It was too urate a statement.
Beside her, Professor Bdi nodded in agreement. Garcia clenched her fist.
Eumidiphos turned her gaze back to Yi-Han, finding the boy quite intriguing.
"His magic...?"
"He has a considerable amount of mana."
"That must make it difficult to control, yet he uses so much magic skillfully."
Naturally talented mages often grew slower due to their abundance of mana, which took more time to control.
Yet, the fact that he was using multiple spells indicated immense talent.
It would be impossible to manipte that much power without a corresponding talent for controlling it.
-Heat, distort the air! Shield, unfold!-
"..."
"..."
However, even Eumidiphos looked slightly perplexed when Yi-Han cast additional spells before entering the za.
"Is it okay for the boy to use that much magic?"
"Yes."
"I wasn''t asking you, Bdi Bagrak."
Eumidiphos knew well, as an experienced mage, from whom to expect a useful answer.
Professor Garcia replied reluctantly,
"Yes... It''s okay for him to that extent."
"He must have more mana than I thought."
"..."
Having prepared, Yi-Han entered inside.
Armed with firepower too excessive for a freshman, the boy from the Wardanaz family ughtered the ghosts ambush in the za.
Eumidiphos genuinely admired the scene, as even the well-concealed ghosts fell without a touch.
"I didn''t know you could teach like this."
"Thank you."
Clench-
Listening in, Professor Garcia gritted her teeth.
Just when it seemed all was over, another monster appeared in the za. It was a Colossal Hungry Ghost.
''...Isn''t that a bit too extreme?''
Garcia hesitated to point it out, suspecting the two mages would again say it was eptable.
"Isn''t that too much?"
Eumidiphos spoke, seemingly puzzled. Garcia, dumbfounded, stared at the mage Eumidiphos.
"There''s no need for such a monster in the embodiment of multi-casting."
Professor Bdi spoke in his usual expressionless manner.
"That''s right. This is an unexpected situation."
"...Of course, it is. I''ll go take a look."
Eumidiphos responded as if she had expected Bdi''s answer.
It seemed Bdicked the capacity to properly mentor a disciple.
To Garcia, both seemed the same...
"If you''re going to control, do it properly..."
Eumidiphos stopped mid-sentence.
The disciple, caught by an inept master, was taking down the Colossal Hungry Ghost.
In a situation where lightning was ineffective, the options were limited.
Yi-Han swiftly dodged the attacks of the Colossal Hungry Ghost.
Though he didn''t want to be grateful to the skull principal, made evasion not too difficult.
With his skills honed in nearly realbat and enhanced by magic, evading a simple charge was manageable.
''Choose the most familiar element.''
Yi-Han opted for the water element.
It was a better choice than the lightning element, which had proven ineffective, or the fire element, in which he was not yet confident.
Of course, he couldn''t just shoot it out. He had already realized that the impact of the existing water orbs was ineffective.
''Somehow make them spin. It doesn''t need to be perfect!''
Yi-Han began to spin the water orbs floating in the air in unison.
Like when he had defeated the golem, a perfect spin wasn''t necessary.
All that was needed was enough prative power to bring down the enemy.
While continuously dodging the opponent''s attacks, he calmly worked towardspletion.
Crackling sounds filled the air.
''Not enough. Let''s try again.''
Despite the failure of his first attempt, Yi-Han did not panic or flounder.
He remained as calm as ice.
The second, the third attempt.
As the water orbs started to deliver sharper impacts, the Colossal Hungry Ghost seemed to grow increasingly fearful.
And then...
Thump, thump, thump, thump!
''Done!''
While not as perfect as the spin that defeated the golem, the spinning water orbs struck the Colossal Hungry Ghost with strong impacts.
Watching the opponent stagger and fall, Yi-Han couldn''t help but exim,
"Go to hell! B..."
"Remarkable."
"...Hungry Ghost!" Yi-Han quickly changed what he wanted to say upon hearing a voice.
"That''s not a Hungry Ghost, it''s a Colossal Hungry Ghost, you know?"
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Chapter 141
Chapter 141
A stranger appeared before Yi-Han, who reacted immediately with a respectful bow. He was aware that guests from outside the academy were visiting this week.
Must be a mage from the outside.
"Hello."
"Do you know who I am?"
The elderly mage was puzzled. Despite the fame attached to the name Eumidiphos, few knew the face of this old mage. She seemed more like a kind-hearted grandmother, not someone to be respectfully greeted.
"I''m not sure. But since youre a visitor from outside, it''s only right to show respect."
"Such politeness is rare in a talented mage!"
Eumidiphos was surprised. Usually, a mage''s character was inversely proportional to their talent. The more gifted, the more arrogant and haughty they became. It wouldn''t have been surprising if a boy like Yi-Han had spat on the ground upon meeting Eumidiphos and asked disdainfully, "Who are you?"
Moreover, he was from the Wardanaz family and studied under Bdi Bagrak.
Eumidiphos was amazed by Yi-Han''s unexpected politeness.
How can such a student be under Bdi Bagrak?
"You defeated the Colossal Hungry Ghost. Weren''t you surprised?"
"I was, but I believed I could handle it with the magic I''ve learned."
Yi-Han gave a textbook answer, cautious due to the unknown status of his interlocutor. After all, the visitor might have connections with the skull principal or Professor Bdi.
"It didn''t anger you, what Bdi Bagrak put you through?"
Eumidiphos found Yi-Han''s calm andposure most astonishing. The Colossal Hungry Ghost was an unforeseen event, even for Bdi Bagrak. It should''ve been in the lower dungeon, not up here. Any young mage would normally be enraged, especially one as talented and thus presumably arrogant as Yi-Han. But he remained measured in his response.
Shes an acquaintance of Professor Bdi!
Not calling him ''professor'' showed they knew each other personally. Yi-Han patiently responded again.
"No, Madam. Professor Bdi prepared it all to teach me. Why should I be angry?"
"Amazing!"
The old mage was astounded.
''How did Bdi Bagrak get such an exceptional student?''
Typically, mages with talentcked character, and those with charactercked talent. But Yi-Han had both, and he even tolerated Bdi Bagrak''s temperament.
"Truly remarkable."
Yi-Han nodded, satisfied that his counterpart seemed pleased.
Professors Bdi and Garcia then appeared from below. Professor Garcia, looking worried, called out.
"Are you alright, Yi-Han? To encounter a Colossal Hungry Ghost..."
Had others not been present, Yi-Han might have joined Professor Garcia in cursing Professor Bdi. But with many eyes upon him, he responded diplomatically again.
"I''m fine, Professor. Professor Bdi must have calcted all this."
"The Colossal Hungry Ghost wasn''t nned. It came up from below, Yi-Han."
"...Ah."
Yi-Han realized then.
No wonder his spells hadn''t worked!
Although anger welled up in him, he maintained his facial muscles and replied.
"It''s fine, Professor. It turned out to be an even better opportunity."
"Student Yi-Han..."
Professor Garcia, unaware of Yi-Han''s inner turmoil, felt a pang of sympathy. She thought it would be okay for Yi-Han to show anger in such a situation, but his excessive kindness was distressing.
"By the way, this is Eumidiphos. You''ve heard the name, haven''t you?"
"!"
Yi-Han had indeed heard of Eumidiphos, a renowned water element mage from the empire. He bowed respectfully once again.
"It''s an honor to meet you, Eumidiphos."
"To show such respect for a not-so-great name is rather embarrassing."
"No, Eumidiphos."
"You were spinning the water beads, right?"
Yi-Han nodded in response to the old mage''s question.
"It wasn''t perfect."
"If it had been perfect, the other mages here would have broken their staffs in shame. Even so, what you achieved is remarkable."
Eumidiphos, lost in thought, finally spoke.
"I''ll be staying a few more days. Would you like to receive some additional teachings?"
"!"
While Bdi and Eumidiphos showed no change in expression, Professor Garcia was visibly shocked. Eumidiphos offering to teach was no trivial matter. Ordinary mages could beg for days without receiving such an opportunity from Eumidiphos. Only those with gem-like talent could catch Eumidiphos''s eye for even simple teachings. Bdi was one such case.
But this was usually when they first sought Eumidiphos''s guidance.
The fact that Eumidiphos offered to teach an unaplished freshman like Yi-Han was astonishing. Garcia found it unbelievable, and Bdi''s impassive face only added to the frustration.
"ept it, Yi-Han! It''s a great opportunity!"
"Thank you, but..."
"?!"
As Yi-Han hesitated, Professor Garcia was almost dying of frustration.
"Do you have a reason to refuse?"
Eumidiphos asked, puzzled. There seemed to be no reason to decline.
"I''m currently learning from Professor Bdi, and it wouldn''t be polite to ept teachings from someone else without his permission."
Yi-Han was cautious. Professors were often more narrow-minded than one would think. Agreeing upfront could lead to retaliation in grading.
Of course, Bdi didn''t seem like such a person, but one never knew with the world. Caution was best.
"Hah!"
Eumidiphos let out another exmation, longer than before.
"The world is truly unfair... Living righteously doesn''t always bring fortune."
If that were true, how could a student with such integrity end up under someone like Bdi Bagrak? Eumidiphos genuinely thought this.
"Eh?"
"Nothing. You''re truly a polite child."
Eumidiphos turned to look at Bdi Bagrak.
"You''ve taught him well."
"Yes."
"But it''s really not your doing."
"??"
Bdi showed a puzzled reaction to the old mage''sment.
Why?
Eumidiphos had no intention of exining to Bdi. She got straight to the point.
"May I teach him a bit?"
"Yes."
"It''s agreed then. I''ll be counting on you for the next few days."
The old mage patted Yi-Han on the shoulder and then turned to leave.
Sensing something odd in the conversation, Yi-Han asked Professor Garcia.
"What''s the rtionship between Eumidiphos and Professor Bagrak?"
"Professor Bagrak was once a student under Eumidiphos."
Upon hearing the answer, Yi-Han''s face turned paler than the darkness of the dungeon.
As Yi-Han cursed his choices, Professor Bdi slowly spoke to him.
"Well done."
"...Thank you."
Yi-Han barely suppressed the urge to add ''you bastard'' after his words. How could he not have noticed the Colossal Hungry Ghosting...
"By the way, Professor. There was something earlier that interfered with my lightning magic."
"I put it there."
"...Ah."
Bdi had ced the item to disrupt lightning magic, focusing Yi-Han on water magic. He trembled with gratitude for the professor''s meticulous care.
"Your multi-elemental control is almost perfect. A few more battles, and you''ll get used to it."
"Yes... I understand."
Now, Yi-Han felt confident enough to face creatures like the Colossal Hungry Ghost. He believed he could prepare and fight them.
"Next time, I''ll make sure other monsters can''t enter where the Colossal Hungry Ghost is."
"Thank you... Wait a moment, Professor."
"?"
"Next time with the Colossal Hungry Ghost... You mean there will be others?"
"Hungry Ghosts pose no threat to you."
Professor Bdi looked at Yi-Han as if wondering what he was talking about. To improve in magic, one must feel threatened, but ordinary Hungry Ghosts were no threat to Yi-Han. He needed to go where the Colossal Hungry Ghost appeared.
"...Next time, I''ll fight without using magic."
Yi-Han attempted to resist, but Professor Bdi shook his head.
"Even if you remove other enhancement spells, it''ll be the same. Hungry Ghost won''t cut it."
"...I see."
After a moment of hesitation, Bdi spoke again.
"I misjudged."
"Excuse me?"
"Try the spin attribute."
Bdi had thought Yi-Han was moving too fast, intending to let him be familiar with other attributes first. But watching today''s battle changed his mind. A truly talented mage wouldn''t stop exploring unknown realms just because they were blocked. Seeing Yi-Han attempt spinning while managing multiple elements confirmed this.
As a Professor, he shouldn''t hastily obstruct his student''s path. Bdi had another moment of teaching enlightenment.
Seeing the professor nod encouragingly, Yi-Han thought wryly.
''Should I hit him once and go to the punishment room?''
After all, it was because of him that he had to try the spin attribute
"Professor."
"What is it?"
After the ss, Yi-Han couldn''t bring himself to say ''goodbye'' to Professor Bdi as he had nned. Instead, he found himself apanying the professor from the underground to a festival booth outside the main building.
Standing together in the modest space apparently assigned to the professor, Yi-Han already longed to return to the dormitory.
Tiresome during ss time and now during break too?
"Another student... um, never mind."
Yi-Han almost asked if another student could do it but quickly realized. As far as he knew, he was the only one attending Bdi''s lectures.
"Are you also participating in the event, Professor?"
"Yes."
"Do you like festivals?"
"No."
"Then why?"
"Gonadaltes."
"Ah."
With Bdi''s brief response, Yi-Han quickly grasped the situation. After all, Bdi, who wasn''t even a priest, wouldn''t devote himself to festival operations for the students'' enjoyment.
''That evil principal. Surely this is to torment me.''
In truth, it was an imperialmand, but Yi-Han was unaware of that.
"So what should we do?"
Yi-Han looked to his left. Priests wearing gloves were baking sweet pastries for the freshmen. Then, he turned to the right, where priests in colorful costumes were performing a y.
''It''s overwhelmingly unfavorable?''
No sane person would likely choose Bdi''s stall over the appealing options to the left or right. However, doing nothing was not an option. They had to at least pretend to be doing something.
''It''s a relief that this has nothing to do with my grades.''
Professor Bdi pulled out a ticket from his pocket. Yi-Han''s eyes widened in surprise. Astonishingly, it was a pass to go outside!
"This will be given to the winner."
"Profe... Professor."
"What is it?"
"Can I also win this?"
"There''s only one."
"What if it''s still left after it''s over?"
"Do you need it?"
Professor Bdi looked at Yi-Han, wondering why he wanted to go outside.
Yi-Han nodded earnestly.
"Yes."
"Alright. I''ll give it to you."
"..."
Yi-Han''s eyes red with determination. No matter what, he couldn''t let the pass be given to anyone else.
''I''ll guard it with my life.''
"Professor, what''s the event?"
Professor Bdi pointed upwards. Yi-Han looked up.
New letters had appeared on the tent''s canopy.
.
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Chapter 142
Chapter 142
I wonder if what I learned from Professor Bdi was meant for moments like this, Yi-Han thought, his gaze fixed on the words , contemting them seriously.
No matter how much it was for grades, being attacked by Professor Bdi often made him question, ''Why am I doing this?'' These fundamental doubts had arisen.
But now, seeing the words , his thoughts shifted slightly.
Ah, so we study because it helps in life!
"I''ll do my best."
"You seem to enjoy festivals."
"...Yes, well."
Yi-Han, rather than exining at length, simply nodded his head.
Professor Bdi thought to himself.
How he loves festivals! It was good to bring him here.
Rest was also important for a skilled mage.
-
Ango of the White Tiger, a student from the Alpha family, felt for the first time like he was truly at a magic ''academy.''
The bustling, noisy atmosphere.
The various tents and shops.
This was indeed a festival.
"Are you a student of the White Tiger?"
"Yes, Priest."
"Would you like to try some of this?"
"Thank you!"
Ango gratefully epted the potato baked personally by the priest.
Ever since entering the magic academy, he had stopped being picky about food and became grateful for every meal. The potato the priest offered felt as valuable as its weight in gold to Ango.
''Giving me something like this. The priests are truly remarkable.''
Feeling a newfound sense of faith, Ango bit into the potato.
It was delicious.
Soft, warm, filling his mouth, with a hint of sweetness, clearly a carefully cultivated expensive variety.
It was definitely delicious, but...
"Why is that?"
"Oh, it''s nothing!"
Ango hastily replied, shaking his head.
He couldn''t believe it.
''It seems the one baked by Wardanaz was tastier...???''
Ango couldn''t understand himself. It was as if he was under some spell from the Wardanaz family.
"Ango, look over there. The professors are here too."
"!"
Prompted by his friends, Ango looked up.
Indeed.
Not only priests but also familiar professors were standing under the tents in different attire.
"I heard they were preparing something by calling the students."
"Moradi went too."
"I heard the principal is preparing something too. Is it true?"
"Don''t say such creepy things."
The students of the White Tiger seriously contradicted their friend''s words.
While students from other dormitory towers also feared the skull principal, the fear among the White Tiger students was more intense.
A neer who had tried to flee the mountains at night only to see the principal emerge from the darkness with piercing blue eyes would undoubtedly be traumatized.
"Shall we go check it out?"
"Let''s go over there."
Curiosity led the White Tiger students to move forward.
And then they were startled.
"..."
"..."
Seeing two stern-faced mages, a teacher and a disciple, standing quietly, the students of the White Tiger involuntarily stepped back.
Both Professor Bdi and Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family were mages who intimidated others with just their presence.
"Is this... ?"
A White Tiger student, having heard rumors about Professor Bdi, asked with a trembling voice.
ording to rumors, he would beat and expel iing students...
''Why? Why would Wardanaz attend such a ss?''
The students of the White Tiger couldn''t understand.
Though young, the boy from the Wardanaz family was among the most intelligent of the new students.
It puzzled many why such a cleverd wasn''t seen in sses like or , but instead attended such a peculiar ss.
Could it be that he found those other sses too well-known and hence uninteresting?
''It''s possible.''
Being from a major family, the Wardanaz boy would have certainly grown weary of learning such aristocratic manners to the point of boredom.
Thus, perhaps, he chose to attend the other sses, excluding those mundane ones...
The theory seemed more usible as they observed Yi-Han''s statuesque face standing next to Professor Bdi.
"Indeed, it is ."
"Wait, are we supposed to throw water beads at Wardanaz?"
One of the White Tiger students asked with a strangely enthusiastic voice. Yi-Han thought to himself.
''This kid.''
His intentions were all too clear.
After all, many among the White Tiger students would jump at the chance to throw water beads at Yi-Han.
Perhaps he could even make a business out of it if ever in dire need of quick money...
"No."
Professor Bdi shook his head.
"...Not?"
"Wardanaz throws, and you dodge."
"..."
The students from the White Tiger frowned.
It seemed like Professor Bdi had a different understanding of what a ''festival'' meant.
Did he even know what a festival was?
"But dodging, that''s... that''s..."
The students hesitated to ask the professor if he knew what a festival was.
Ango, holding back, finally spoke.
"Is there a reward for dodging them all?"
"Yes."
"What''s the prize?"
"An outing pass."
"..."
"..."
The expressions of the White Tiger students changed once again.
Yi-Han sighed.
''Damn, rumor of this will definitely spread.''
Why do people insist on visiting shabby tents among the splendid ones?
They should just enjoy the grand tents...
Now that the White Tiger students had visited, whether they won or lost, the rumor would spread and surely attract more visitors.
''But I can''t give it up.''
Yi-Han currently had an outing pass, a real one at that.
However, using this pass still made him uneasy since he had acquired it by theft.
If he ran into the skull principal while using it, he might be asked, ''Where and when did you get this?'' potentially leading to a trail back to him.
But having another legitimate pass would change the situation.
He could use the stolen one under the guise of having won it, and in the process, find a loophole for using the next pass.
''Absolutely!''
Looking ahead, Yi-Han noticed Ango''s eyes burning with determination. Clearly, Ango had simr thoughts.
Given that Ango possessed a forged pass, he would undoubtedly need a real one even more.
''I must get it!''
"Ango. Going to try?"
"And what? You''re not? You know how much we need an outing pass! Rememberst time... cough. How risky it was to use that one..."
"But that professor... You know."
The students from the White Tiger nced at Professor Bdi.
His vampire lineage''s paleplexion seemed particrly more menacing today.
No matter how handsome, a professor with a staff in hand could appear to the students like a crazed serial killer.
"Wardanaz will throw the water beads."
"Oh. Really?!"
"Seriously?!"
"Yes."
Yi-Han responded.
And he gripped his staff.
"Are you going to take the challenge?"
"Of course!"
The students of the White Tiger, who had been hesitating just a moment ago, now eagerly stepped forward, as if fearing the outing pass would disappear if a friend took the challenge first.
"Get ready."
A water bead floated in front of Yi-Han.
The White Tiger students, having previously experienced Yi-Han''s water beads, promptly adopted a cautious stance.
"Come on, Wardanaz!"
"Understood."
With his words, the number of water beads rapidly increased.
"..."
The eyes of the White Tiger students widened in rm.
Kendry Bak, a friend of Professor Alpen Knighton and a senior imperial ountant himself, noticed the ongoing festival. He warmly greeted the mages from Baldurguard who hade to visit Einroguard.
"Did youe to show the students around Einroguard?"
While Baldurguard Magic Academy didn''t have as much fame as Einroguard, it was still a respectable institution within the empire. Kendry thought that Baldurguard''s approach to education seemed more...
...rational and fitting for nobility than what he had observed at Einroguard.
No matter how many times he saw it, Einroguard''s method seemed a bit archaic and rough.
"That''s right, Mr. Bak."
A mage working as a professor at Baldurguard responded with a nod.
The boys and girls behind him then spoke with a hint of discontent in their voices.
"Why don''t Einroguard students visit our academy, but we have toe to them?"
"Is Einroguard looking down on us?"
"Shh. Show some respect when visiting another magic academy. Do you want to tarnish Baldurguard''s reputation?"
The Baldurguard professor, acting as the chaperone, raised a finger in a dignified manner.
At this gesture, the students from Baldurguard pressed their lips together. Despite their displeasure, Kendry could immediately tell the students'' noble origins by their polite demeanor.
Located in the west, Baldurguard''s elegant appearance andndscape matched its student body, which consisted exclusively of children from noble families of the empire.
The students enjoyed the warm,fortable climate and the picturesque nature of the western part of the empire, but...
...that didn''t eliminate feelings of jealousy and inferiority.
''It''s a misunderstanding.''
It wasn''t that Einroguard students didn''t visit Baldurguard. They were simply hindered by their principal.
In Kendry''s view, if Einroguard students were asked, ''Who wants to visit Baldurguard?'' they would probably fight each other for the opportunity.
"Who visits first doesn''t determine the status. It just shows that Baldurguard is more generous and magnanimous."
Kendry''s words brightened the students'' faces.
They were second and third-year students, but still immature. That they could be swayed by such words was proof enough.
"If we meet Einroguard students at the festival, we''ll show them our skills."
"..."
Kendry pondered how to exin to the Baldurguard students that the only Einroguard students they would see at the festival were freshmen.
The Baldurguard students likely wouldn''t understand the concept of segregating first-year students.
Why are first-year students separated? Can''t they interact? Then they can''t talk with upperssmen, participate in clubs... Why?
''Hmm. Better leave it to that professor.''
Kendry quickly gave up on exining.
"Well then, Mr. Bak. I shall see you another time."
"Umm... take care."
The Baldurguard professor, with a noble and elegant demeanor, bid farewell and then began leading the students away.
Kendry felt a pang of regret, sensing his advice had not been properly conveyed.
''Oh no...''
No sooner had he finished speaking than students from Einroguard appeared.
The students from Baldurguard immediately grasped their staff.
"Let''s greet them andpare our skills!"
"Calm down, everyone. Such impoliteness is..."
"Out of the way! Move!"
The Einroguard students rushed past, one carrying a fallenrade. Some were bleeding from their noses.
"..."
"...???"
The Baldurguard students watched in disbelief.
What on earth had happened?
"Was there an ident?"
"It was an unfortunate mishap. Please, don''t worry."
Yi-Han politely responded to the unfamiliar mage and his disciples.
"Baldurguard visitors, I see."
Professor Bdi spoke softly. Yi-Han recognized the name.
"Baldurguard, you mean..."
"Thrash..."
Without realizing, Yi-Han stepped hard on Professor Bdi''s foot.
He was surprised at himself.
"??"
Professor Bdi looked at Yi-Han, puzzled. Yi-Han brazenly replied.
"I slipped."
"Be careful, then."
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Chapter 143
Chapter 143
Chapter 143
Yi-Han was relieved when things went smoother than expected, leading to a contemtive moment.
I must be living righteously for fortune to favor me like this, he thought to himself. Then, another thought followed, Could I seize such opportunities again in the future?
Yi-Han shook his head, dismissing these thoughts. Overconfidence could invite danger. Even in joyful moments, it was risky to overstep, especially something as audacious as stepping on the toes of a professor twice.
"Professor, as they are guests from outside, I shall take it upon myself to host them," Yi-Han offered respectfully.
"Do you wish to do that?" the professor inquired.
"Yes," Yi-Han replied firmly. Professor Bdi did not object; he was not particrly interested in the outside guests.
''He must be excited about the festival,'' Professor Bdi surmised, observing Yi-Han''s enthusiasm. Otherwise, why would he bother entertaining guests from a ce like Baldurguard?
"It''s an honor to meet you," Yi-Han greeted the Baldurguard professor politely, who was impressed despite himself.
The nobility of the Empire always proved their lineage, even in trivial matters - their ent, habits, and actions were telltale signs recognized among themselves.
The newly affluent, lower-ranking noble families often faced ridicule for trying to emte the deeply rooted, distinguished noble houses. Opulent mansions and wealth could be amassed, but not the heritage and customs of an ancient lineage.
And the young boy before them exhibited a demeanor only a scion of a prestigious noble family could possess. His manner was so refined that even the typically grumbling Baldurguard students fell silent.
"Which family do you belong to?"
"I am from the Wardanaz family."
"Wardanaz! Indeed... worthy of admission to Einroguard," the Baldurguard professorplimented. However, to Yi-Han, it didn''t feel much like apliment.
''It''s definitely apliment to be deemed worthy of Einroguard, but why does it sound so mncholic?'' Yi-Han pondered, changing the subject.
"I''ve heard much about the renown of Baldurguard here."
This praise visibly brightened the faces of the students. Compliments from an Einroguard student felt particrly sweet to them.
Of course, Yi-Han had never actually heard about Baldurguard''s fame in his academy. Who would have the leisure to discuss it amidst the daily struggles of living, studying, andpleting assignments?
"Is that so? That''s very pleasing to hear."
Yi-Han''s well-intentioned lie clearly made the visitors from Baldurguard happy.
Seeing the joyful students, Yi-Han was struck by a sudden curiosity, ''But how can Baldurguard students visit a festival at another academy?''
All he knew about Baldurguard was its location in the western part of the Empire and that it was an exclusive institution for nobility. But, like any other magic academy, its students must also be grappling with their own struggles within its walls.
"How... did you manage to visit this festival?" he inquired.
The Baldurguard professor looked at him, puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
"Well... aren''t students generally not allowed to leave?"
The professor from Baldurguard stared at Yi-Han, not understanding his point.
"Oh, you mean not being allowed to leave during sses? Or at night?"
"...Aren''t you not allowed to leave the academy grounds in your free time after sses?"
As he asked, Yi-Han felt a chilling fear creeping over him.
''Could it be?''
The professorughed heartily at Yi-Han''s question, leaving him with a rigid expression.
"Is it not so?" Yi-Han questioned, his face tense with apprehension.
"No, of course not! Why would we prohibit students from leaving the academy in their free time?" the Baldurguard professor exined, oblivious to Yi-Han''s inner thoughts.
Baldurguard, not far from a major city, allowed its students to ride to the city after sses to enjoy various leisure activities. Though some spirited students asionally caused trouble after drinking in the evening, it was considered an inevitable part of youthful exuberance. Such social activities were deemed important for nobility.
''These imperial nobles are insufferably arrogant,'' Yi-Han thought bitterly.
"Then, this trip too... Did youe here without any issues?"
"Yes. Students can apply to travel around the empire for experience, and it''s usually approved."
"There must be some rules restricting who can go, right?"
Yi-Han pressed on, driven by a sense of injustice.
"Yes, there are some rules."
"Of course...! Only those who have made significant contributions to the academy are allowed to leave?"
"That would be too harsh. The rule is that students who cause disturbances in the city more than four times a month get a week-long ban from leaving."
Yi-Han now understood why Professor Bdi despised Baldurguard. Suchx rules were surely corrupting the minds of the nobility.
''Pull yourself together,'' Yi-Han told himself.
Though he envied the Baldurguard students, there was nothing he could do about it at the moment. What mattered was making a good impression on the visiting guests. Networking was crucial, and one never knew when it mighte in handy, like finding a job after graduation where a Baldurguard alumnus might be in charge.
"What year are the students who havee here?"
"Second and third years."
"...So, second and third years can travel together? Ah, as long as they are not with first years?"
"What are you talking about? First years can join too. They just chose a different destination this time."
Yi-Han was shocked once more. Baldurguard did not separate the first years after all!
''Of course,'' he realized. If city outings were allowed, there was no reason to segregate the first years.
"Why such a question? Does Einroguard iste its first years?"
"Yes."
Yi-Han answered honestly, but the guests from Baldurguard didn''t believe him, bursting intoughter and admiring his sense of humor.
"What a joke!"
"Hahaha!"
"If you segregate first years, they can''t participate in social activities, parties, clubs, anything!"
Yi-Han gazed up at the sky with a gloomy expression.
''I wish they''d just leave.''
He had thought it wouldn''t be too hard to make a good impression on the visitors, but it was proving more challenging than expected.
Even after the conversation ended, the Baldurguard students didn''t leave. Instead, they showed excessive curiosity in the event hung in the tent.
"What''s that?"
"It''s an event we''re holding during the festival."
The Baldurguard students were polite but showed eager interest in participating.
Yi-Han, however, was not keen on hurling water beads at the faces of the Baldurguard students. While he had no choice but to deal with the aggressive students from the White Tiger, Baldurguard students didn''t need such an outing privilege.
"May we participate as well?" they asked.
"It''s fine, but the prize is an outing pass. Our academy''s outing pass would be of no use to you," Yi-Han stated.
"It''s okay! More valuable than any prize is the honor," the Baldurguard students insisted.
''These despicable people,'' Yi-Han seethed inwardly.
For the Baldurguard students, an outing was a trivial matter, but for Einroguard students, it held almost life-saving value. He was incensed that these students were targeting the outing pass merely for their own honor. Did the imperial nobles have no conscience?
"...Very well. You may participate."
At Yi-Han''s consent, the Baldurguard students eagerly raised their hands, determined to prove their superiority over the Einroguard students.
"Let me lead."
"Given my magic skills, I should go first. I excel in defensive magic."
"There''s no need for defensive magic. I''ll solve it with my foresight magic."
"With physical enhancement magic..."
As the students argued, Yi-Han exchanged nces with Professor Bdi, each holding a staff. They nodded to each other, understanding what needed to be done without words.
Baldurguard?
The floating, skull principal, looked confusedly at the departing students from another academy who were bleeding from the nose.
Had students from Baldurguard visited?
"Yes. They stopped by during their trip upon hearing of the festival."
Tsk tsk... Leisurely traveling around. That''s why they''re poor at magic.
...
"Who hit them?"
"Who knows? Injuries aremon when testing magic."
The skull principal enhanced his hearing.
-Don''t be too disheartened. The opponent had practiced magic much longer, being senior students.-
-But to be defeated so one-sidedly-
-Professor, was he fourth or fifth year?-
-That''s not important. Let''s get you treated, and once the bleeding stops, we''ll explore elsewhere.-
?
The skull principal was baffled. Had some bold senior students dared to intrude on a festival for freshmen, disregarding his orders?
''Impossible,'' he thought. Senior students understood the workings of the academy well enough not to expose such actions. He quickly followed the trail of blood left by the Baldurguard students.
Aha!
Seeing Professor Bdi and Yi-Han at the end, the skull principal understood everything.
So that''s it!
Well done, you have upheld the honor of Einroguard.
Seeing the approaching skull principal, Yi-Han bowed his head.
"It''s not a matter of pride. I''m ashamed for not controlling my power and hurting the opponent."
No, it was unavoidable.
Surprised by the skull principal''s rare words offort, Yi-Han was taken aback.
"The Baldurguard fools are just rubbish who y at childish games, squeezing money out of stupid nobles, so it''s unavoidable that some force was necessary."
Compared to this, Professor Bdis words were reasonable.
The skull principal''s harsh words were met with an unchanged expression from Yi-Han.
"The Baldurguard students were quite skilled too."
Such wordscked convictioning from someone who had easily overpowered older students! You should show more arrogance.
Unswayed by the skull principal''s instigation, Yi-Han maintained hisposure.
After all, in old tales, sumbing to such devilish whispers only led to a twisted life.
When Yi-Han did not react, the skull principal made a face that conveyed boredom.
How uninteresting... Anyway, let''s go.
"Where to?"
Is time up, Professor Bagrak?
At the skull principal''s question, Professor Bdi nodded.
They had agreed to share Yi-Han''s time, and the allotted time had just run out.
"It''s done."
Professor Bdi cleaned up the letters and closed the tent''s door.
Yi-Han, realizing what had happened btedly, looked at Professor Bdi with a shocked expression.
"?"
Unfortunately, Professor Bdi did not understand the meaning behind Yi-Han''s gaze. Yi-Han thought to himself, ''I should have stepped on his foot one more time earlier.''
Do you know why I have to do this?
Following the skull principal, Yi-Han answered respectfully.
"Its because you, as the principal, care deeply for your students."
Stop with the creepy and goosebump-inducing talk. It''s the emperor''s order.
''Ah.''
Yi-Han realized btedly.
He had thought it was the principal''s hobby, but upon reflection, it was too enjoyable for freshmen to be just a hobby. Of course, Yi-Han, a freshman himself, did not find it enjoyable at all...
"What should I help you with?"
Various things. Let''s start with making magic fireworks.
"Aren''t those usually used at the start of a festival?"
Yi-Han was surprised that the skull principal had such a sense, but also wondered if it wasnt a bitte.
Are you nning to use them at the end?
We''re going to shoot them at the students.
"..."
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Chapter 144
Chapter 144
It''s not surprising at all.
Instead of expressing astonishment, Yi-Han remarked, "Is that so? You''re nning to shoot fireworks at the students."
Shooting fireworks at students, does that make sense? -> (X)
So, you''re nning to shoot fireworks at the students! -> (O)
The idea of shooting fireworks at students seemed preposterous, but Yi-Han, who had already prepared himself, was not perturbed by such a notion.
''I must warn my friends to avoid the events organized by the skull principal.''
Even if the skull principal offered tempting snacks at this festival, following him could mean getting hit by fireworks.
Yi-Han''s nonchnt response seemed to bore the skull principal. As one lives longer, the remaining pleasures diminish. The only joys left for the skull principal were delving into magic, running the academy, and tormenting his students - a life of austere simplicity, much like a monk''s.
But with Yi-Han reacting this way, the skull principal couldn''t help feeling disappointed.
Isnt it too cold to shoot fireworks at students?
"No, it''s possible you might," Yi-Han responded indifferently.
...
The skull principal realized once again that this new disciple was not to be underestimated. Of all the students he had taught and tormented, few were as unique as the one before him. Yi-Han''s words were gentle like a willow, yet his resolve was firmer than any noble could imagine.
''Such a person should truly practice magic...''
The state of the empire deeply troubled the skull principal. What has be of the magic academy? In the past, a master and disciple would sit face-to-face, passing down all knowledge. Listening to the chatter of other mages only led to misguided aspirations. It was truly regrettable to take the long way when shortcuts existed.
Yi-Han followed the skull principal.
''Is this another professor''s workshop?''
A tower with a unique appearance, located a bit away from the main building, hinted at belonging to another professor, as each had their own workshop.
Yi-Han was puzzled to see a forge and bellows, equipment usually found in cksmith shops. ''A ce like this in a magic academy?''
He recalled visiting such ces while apanying Knight Arlong. For knights, having a rtionship with a skilled cksmith was as vital as life itself.
The cksmith shops Knight Arlong frequented were among the best in the empire.
''This ce is just as impressive.''
The level of specialization was astonishing.
"Surprised, aren''t you?" the skull principal asked subtly, noticing Yi-Han''s astonishment. Some of the academy''s facilities were built with funds obtained through the skull principal''s pleas to the emperor, to which he was understandably attached.
"Yes, I am surprised. This is..." Yi-Han began.
The Artifact Hall. Do you understand its purpose?
"It''s for making artifacts."
Exactly. You''re quick to catch on.
Creating magic artifacts was not a task for just anyone. Without a mage, who would imbue the magic?
A skilled artifact creator was not only an excellent mage but also a master cksmith, an experienced sculptor, and a talented artisan.
"Do you n to sell artifacts at the festival for profit?"
An interesting notion, but no.
The skull principal was amused by Yi-Han''s suggestion. While artifact sales were a major source of ie for mages, few who knew how to make artifacts were keen on mass-producing them for wealth.
Mages obsessed with money and those who see it as their goal often struggle to reach higher realms of mastery.
Artifact sales were merely a means to support one''s research, not the end goal.
''Why not sell them? There seem to be more outside visitors than expected.''
''Why is this guy so interested in money when he''s not even managing the academy?''
Both the principal and the student found each other''s perspectives peculiar.
Meanwhile, a professor emerged from inside the tower.
Yi-Han was taken aback by the professor''s appearance.
''Incredibly... cute!''
Holding a hammer in one hand and a staff in the other, the professor was a beaver mixed-blood. Even to Yi-Han, who had seen various mixed-blood, this one was exceptionally cute.
"Why are you here?"
"I came for magic fireworks."
"Understood. I''ll make some. Go."
"I''ve brought a student to help."
"No need for help."
The beaver professor looked quizzically at the skull principal, who then spoke earnestly.
I''m concerned about you. You like to do everything alone without asking students for help. You might harm yourself.
"Why should I involve students in something so enjoyable? I don''t understand."
The beaver professor grumbled in dissatisfaction, but the skull principal was not easily swayed.
After all, wasn''t the purpose of bringing Yi-Han to get him involved in the creation of magic fireworks? It would truly be sad for the skull principal if, after all the effort, Yi-Han justzed around while the beaver professor did all the work.
Ah! You''ll hurt yourself if you keep going like this! As the principal, I order you to make them with this student!
''Hes really persistent.''
Yi-Han wasn''t fooled by the skull principal''s supposedly caring words. There was only one reason for the skull principal''s sudden disy of kindness and gentleness: to make Yi-Han work!
It seemed that the beaver professor didn''t like delegating work to students, and the emphasis was likely to ensure that Yi-Han wouldn''t be left out.
"Okay, okay. We''ll do it together."
Good! I trust you. Now, Wardanaz. Make all the designated magic fireworks before I return.
"Understood."
The skull principal reiterated his instructions several times before floating away, humming a tune.
Yi-Han was suddenly reminded of a fairy tale he had read in the past, about filling a leaky jar with water while the owner was away. The only difference now was that Yi-Han had no one to help him.
''I better get to work.''
Despite the cute appearance, Yi-Han remained vignt.
What kind of person was this beaver professor?
"Professor?"
"Huh? Oh."
"...Professor?"
"Huh? Uh, oh. Yes. Right."
Professor Beavle Verduus, the beaver mixed-blood, turned out to be less intimidating than expected.
He wasn''t the kind of professor who would hurl lightning at freshmen or send undead minions to attack them. Instead, Professor Beavle seemed to have little interest in his students.
To be precise, he seemed indifferent to anything other than his own magic.
"I heard you teach enchantment magic."
Thirty seconds into fiddling with ss and metal, Professor Beavle finally responded to Yi-Han.
"Uh-huh."
Enchantment magic.
A broad and highly demanded magic in the empire. It became a strengthening spell when cast on people and turned objects into artifacts.
Yi-Han was particrly interested and fond of this enchantment magic.
''It''s a discipline as financially rewarding as alchemy.''
Although enchantment mages were often portrayed as indifferent to gold, pursuing only the noble path of schrship, that wasn''t Yi-Han''s concern...
Learning how to make artifacts and selling them consistently could turn into a lucrative side business, couldn''t it? Even a stable job as an imperial bureaucrat was uncertain in the future. Having a steady side ie was not a bad idea.
''But with the professor behaving like this.''
"Um, just wait a moment."
"Yes."
In fact, the situation wasn''t bad at all, except for the absence of the skull principal. If the professor had no interest in Yi-Han, he could just do his work and leave.
However, given the nature of the skull principal, it was unlikely he wouldn''t ask about the work upon his return. And if Yi-Han hadn''t done anything, he would probably face all sorts of pettiness.
After about 30 minutes, Professor Beavlepleted his work. He dipped the finished metal te into arge solution, cast a spell on it, and then started to walk toward another room.
"Professor!"
"Ah! What is it? How long have you been there?"
"I''m Yi-Han, here to help you make the magic fireworks."
"Ah, right. Sorry, I keep forgetting."
Approaching Yi-Han, Professor Beavle asked, "Which year are you in?"
"First year."
"..."
Professor Beavle paused and then repeated, "First year?"
"Yes."
"...Are you sure Gonadaltes didn''t make a mistake?"
"It''s not a mistake."
"Really? He must think youre exceptionally talented?"
Yi-Han thought to himself, ''It feels more like malice than talent...''
"Making magic fireworks isn''t particrly difficult. The challenge is in making them beautiful and varied. Especially for a freshman."
Professor Beavle rolled a thick paper into a cylinder, then cast a spell on it, sealing both ends.
Finally, he attached a string to the bottom, allowing it to be pulled.
"Magic is now imbued inside it. When you pull it, it bursts out."
"Sorry, but could you show me again?"
"What? Again?"
Professor Beavle was taken aback.
"Okay, just a moment."
He repeated the process: rolling the paper, imbuing magic, sealing the ends, and attaching the string.
Done!
"I''m really sorry, but could you do it slowly once more..."
"What? Again?"
"Yes. I apologize. I don''t think I have a talent for enchantment magic."
"No, it''s fine! Absolutely fine. A mage doesn''t need to be good at every magic!"
Professor Beavle was a kind person.
Of course, that didn''t necessarily mean he had outstanding abilities as an educator.
If he had been an excellent educator, he wouldn''t have silently cast an enchantment magic spell in front of a freshman and then said, ''What? You don''t understand? Maybe youck talent!'' That''s just absurd!
Both the teaching Professor and the learning student were talking nonsense, but there was no one around to correct them.
Professor Beavle picked up his staff again.
"Now, so here..."
ording to Professor Beavle''s instruction (which was mostly self-taught by Yi-Han), the core magic for magic fireworks was the 2nd Circle magic, and .
"So it''s about bestowing fire and light onto paper."
"Yes. But that''s too in. A superior mage seeks artistry in this process."
Hungry, Professor Beavle took out a piece of bark and started munching on it while exining.
"Do you know how to manipte elemental shapes or maintain forms?"
"Yes."
It wasn''t really a question meant for a freshman, but Professor Beavle had already forgotten that Yi-Han was a freshman.
Yi-Han responded without much thought.
"The principle is simr. But since it involves engraving into a material, more care is needed..."
In enchantment magic, not only the mage''s skill was crucial, but also the material to be enchanted mattered significantly. The weaker the durability, the harder it was for the material to withstand magic and mana.
Fortunately, the paper used for scrolls and fireworks was not ordinary paper. It was made of a material resistant to mana.
Even so...
"Professor, I have a lot of mana. Do you think I can do it well?"
"If you can''t, it can''t be helped. You can always do other magic."
"Thank you for your kind words."
Yi-Han spoke sincerely.
Although he felt a bit disappointed, he thought it was nice to receive such a response. If it had been Professor Bdi, he might have said, ''I won''t open the forge''s door until you seed''...
Thump!
After several trials and errors, Yi-Han finallypleted his first light magic firework. He had restrained his mana as much as possible and aimed merely for functional operation, so the firework was far from being aesthetically pleasing or shy.
''As long as it works, that''s good enough.''
Yi-Han didn''t expect much more.
If it worked as a magic firework when the string was pulled, that would be satisfactory.
"Shall we try pulling it then?"
Professor Beavle set down his piece of bark and picked up the firework. He pulled the string.
Bang!
A sh of light filled the room.
Professor Beavle was startled by the unexpectedly intense brightness of the light.
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Chapter 145
Chapter 145
The highly regarded enchantment magic came with several conditions.
For instance, neatness.
Neatness was precisely about activating the intended effect cleanly and urately, without any dy in casting speed or urrence of unintended effects when tearing a scroll.
An enchanter had to incorporate the structure of the spell without unnecessary embellishments to achieve such neatness.
Another example was beauty.
It might seem odd to consider beauty in magic, but it was surprisingly important.
A small, light ring was preferable to arge, ck lump of iron, even if both were artifacts.
Naturally, embedding magic into a small, light ring required a process several times more delicate andplex than doing so in arge, ck lump of iron.
Those enchanters who didn''t shy away from these intricate processes were the ones pursuing beauty in enchantment magic.
Among these conditions was also the aspect of output.
Output was a crucial element in enchantment magic.
If one scroll with the same magic yielded an effect of 80 and another 100, there was no reason to use the former.
Enchanters, therefore, strove to achieve the maximum output possible in any given situation.
However, like the other conditions, this too was not something that could be achieved merely through effort.
Some enchanters instinctively knew how to encapste strong output, while others, despite their efforts, could never go beyond a certain level.
And now, in front of Professor Beavle, stood a boy who, while his other talents were unknown, was exceptional in terms of output.
"Amazing!"
"Is that so?"
Yi-Han thought he had failed. The light had shed more intensely than he had anticipated.
"No, it''s really amazing!"
"Did I make it that well?"
"Not exactly well-made. Frankly, the craftsmanship is rather poor."
Professor Beavle was firm in his assessment.
A proficient enchanter would havepleted a light magic firework without trial and error, and would have decorated the bursting light in more vibrant colors or different shapes.
Of course, Yi-Han was only a first-year student and Professor Beavle hadn''t properly taught him, not to mention his innate mana made him particrly disadvantaged in certain aspects of enchantment magic...
But such facts had long vanished from the professor''s mind.
"Is that so?"
"However, considering those shorings, you have a definite strength! Your output is very good."
Professor Beavle excitedly rambled on about his own theories.
When creating artifacts, aspects like aesthetics, neatness, delicacy,plexity, and such were important, among which output was also a crucial element...
''Let''s think happy thoughts.''
Yi-Han focused his sleepy mind on happy thoughts.
With that, even as Professor Beavle went on and on with his monologue, Yi-Han managed to smile and endure.
Professor Beavle was someone who could talk for hours about the topics he loved.
And Yi-Han was someone who could listen for hours to the professor''s personal narratives.
As the two met, their conversation flowed ceaselessly.
"...And that''s why enchantment magic is interesting. Isn''t it fun?"
"Yes, it was really interesting."
"Very good! I didn''t expect Gonadaltes to give such a gift!"
Professor Beavle was delighted by the impressive response of the new student.
Enchantment magic was indeed a fascinating world, but unfortunately, most students were unaware of its charm.
However, the student before him, thoughcking in talent, seemed to understand its fun.
Yi-Han listened intently, surprising even himself with his focus.
That alone was enough.
"If it''s fun, that''s all that matters. Who cares if you''re a bitcking in talent? The fun is what remains."
Hmm, should I skip enchantment magic?
While pondering Professor Beavle''s words, Yi-Han contemted whether to pursue enchantment magic. Though it intrigued him, if it wasn''t a good fit, forcing it might be risky.
As Professor Garcia had warned, trying to learn too many spells at once couldplicate life.
Listening to the professor, Yi-Han realized that enchantment magic might not be his forte. The only plus side seemed to be the professor''s charm, calling for a pragmatic decision.
"Then, Professor, I''d like to make fun fireworks."
Yi-Han spoke politely, having made his decision. It seemed he could now quicklyplete the task at hand and escape the grip of the skull principal.
''The skull principal probably doesn''t care about the artistic value of magic fireworks, so I should just quickly apply the minimum magic necessary.''
"Right. Eager to start, aren''t you?"
"Yes."
"Let''s begin!"
"I''ll start with light magic fireworks."
Yi-Han first created a magic firework, a spell he had already learned and practiced.
This new light magic firework was created with fewer trial and errors than before.
However, Professor Beavle shook his head.
"No, no."
"Was there a mistake in the casting, Professor?"
Yi-Han examined the magic firework, but couldn''t discern any errors.
Was there a mistake that Yi-Han couldn''t perceive but the professor could?
"It''s too in."
"Professor, I actually prefer in fireworks."
"No, that''s no fun. You''re just not aware of other methods yet. If you try a different approach, it will surely be more enjoyable."
Professor Beavle, fond of enchantment magic, eagerly pulled Yi-Han along, eager to have his student experience more fun.
After all, enjoyment was more important than talent.
And the student had the advantage of powerful output.
If that was utilized, enchantment magic could be even more enjoyable.
''I have a bad feeling about this.''
Yi-Han was beginning to sense something ominous.
"Now, it''s not just about setting off light magic. You have to change the form of the light and maintain it. See this engraved enchantment pattern? Do you feel something?"
"A spell based on light magic... to change and maintain a form... Is it an animal?"
Only a mage with a sharp intuition could feel the flow of mana in the enchantment pattern on the paper and guess the nature of the spell.
However, Professor Beavle, preupied with his own thoughts, didn''t notice such details.
"Yes, that''s right! A cute and simple animal. Wouldn''t it be more fun if that appeared?"
"Yes, I suppose so."
Yi-Han resented his own words, which went against his instincts. But what could he do?
The other person was a professor, after all...
''Well, if it''s a cute and simple animal, it shouldn''t be too difficult. That''s a relief.''
Yi-Han thought of a simple monster like a slime, which would be easier to maintain in light...
"What animal, Professor?"
"A dragon."
"...A dragon."
"A dragon. It''s cute and simple."
Professor Beavle, as if about to demonstrate, brandished his staff borately while casting a spell.
Theplexly intertwined flow of mana alone suggested how intricate and delicate the structure of this spell was.
Yi-Han had thought he''d tried everything in elemental control while fighting for his life against Professor Bdi, but watching Professor Beavle work, he realized that was far from the truth. The world of magic was indeed boundlessly vast.
''...The problem is that vast world is being thrust upon me.''
Could Yi-Han, at his level, really manage to create the light magic in the form of a dragon?
Surprisingly, he could.
"You did well! You did well! It was fun, wasn''t it?" Professor Beavle eximed cheerfully. Yi-Han felt an urge to punch the professor''s beaming face.
Professor Beavle neither got angry nor scolded, nor did he pressurize Yi-Han. He just murmured things like ''Did you fail? Why so? Oh dear, it''s not that hard...'' every time Yi-Han failed.
It didn''t take long for Yi-Han to realize that any form of negotiation or bargaining was impossible with Professor Beavle.
"Come on, pull it! Pull it!"
Exhausted, Yi-Han could hardly respond properly. He followed the professor''s instruction and pulled thepleted firework.
Bang!
A dragon made of light particles revealed itself magnificently above the workshop. Though crude and rough, it was unmistakably a dragon.
As soon as Yi-Han pulled the magic firework, Professor Beavle pulled out a pocket watch and timed it.
"What are you timing, Professor?"
"The duration."
"How long does it usuallyst?"
"Normally, it would disappear as soon as it bursts."
"...Oh."
Yi-Han felt a slight sense of pride at that. He hadn''t felt particrly skilled in enchantment magic, but at least the duration was impressive.
Still, enchantment magic was tougher than he''d anticipated. Or more precisely, Professor Beavle was...
''I need to finish this firework quickly and escape.''
I have arrived.
The skull principal was back.
He blinked at the scene inside the workshop.
A dragon made of light floating in the air.
Why was Professor Beavle teaching needless artistry when he was supposed to make magic fireworks?
''Have I given too much time?''
How quickly did he make the fireworks? And why was that floating there?
"I didn''t do it."
What?
"I didn''t do it. This kid did."
...
The skull principal was at a loss for words, a rare urrence for the experienced lich that he was.
He didn''t even know where to begin pointing out the issues.
He had asked for magic fireworks to be made, yet here was this insanely difficult illusion-making magic being taught, and the student learning it actually managed to pull it off...
Weren''t you supposed to make magic fireworks!
"This was made from magic fireworks."
Wait! Why isn''t that disappearing?
The skull principal btedly realized that the light-formed dragon wasn''t vanishing.
There could only be one reason: the peculiar constitution of the boy from the Wardanaz family.
Alright. It was foolish of me to leave the two alone.
"As usual with you, isn''t it? It''s alright."
So, are all the magic fireworks done?
"Uh..."
Professor Beavle hesitated.
He had spent all the time perfecting just one magic firework.
The skull principal didn''t need any words from Professor Beavle to understand the situation.
...And you call yourself a professor?!
"Sorry. Next time, I''ll make sure to create them."
What next time! Every time it''s like this... You do this on purpose, don''t you!
As sparks flew towards him, Yi-Han felt immensely wronged.
He was stuck in a cycle of endlessly repeating enchantment magic during the festival period, all because of someone else...!
"Principal, think about it. Why would I bother making a regr magic firework instead of challenging myself with such a difficult masterpiece of a magic firework?"
That is certainly a valid point.
"Why not? It''s so fun, of course, you''d want to challenge yourself, wouldn''t you?"
Yi-Han and the skull principal simultaneously pretended not to hear Professor Beavle''sment.
The skull principal clicked his tongue in displeasure.
Alright. Can''t be helped, you may leave for today.
"Gonadaltes! You have to send this student back! He likes enchantment magic!"
You should reflect on your actions! When will you ever remember my words!
Watching the skull principal lead him out of the tower, Yi-Han felt, for the first time, the principal''s reliability.
"Thank you."
Yes. But I''ll send you back tomorrow.
"..."
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Chapter 146
Chapter 146
Yi-Han felt uneasy but was not surprised.
He had somewhat anticipated this.
If a professor simply allowed a student who hadn''tpleted their assignment to rest, they wouldn''t really be a professor.
"Understood."
Haha. Don''t misunderstand, I''m not trying to trouble you.
"Haha. Of course."
The skull principal cast a subtle, expectant nce at Yi-Han, hoping he would defy him, but Yi-Han did not take the bait.
"By the way, is Professor Verduus always like... that?"
Yes. Professor Verduus is indeed a bit... like that.
The two understood each other without needing to specify.
Really, why did you work so hard to catch Professor Verduus''s eye? Tsk tsk.
"?"
Yi-Han hesitated.
The principal''s words wereplexly strange.
Besides the fact that I couldnt do it properly, I didn''t particrly catch the professor''s eye."
In Yi-Han''s view, Professor Verduus did not hold him in high regard.
During the enchantment magic, there was constant criticism andints.
-Did you fail? Why? Oh dear. It''s not that hard...
-Is your talent toocking?
-Failing like this... it''s a pity... I feel sorry...
-Your talent doesn''t match your passion...
Yi-Han, who could let suchments go in one ear and out the other, was relieved that he wasn''t another freshman who might have taken it more seriously.
That''s how much he likes you. Professor Verduus doesn''t usually pay much attention to his students.
"Everyone says that, don''t..."
What did you say?
"Nothing."
Yi-Han pondered the principal''s words.
Although Professor Beavle was somewhat entric, he didn''t seem like someone who would forcefully drag Yi-Han away to teach him, unlike... well, other professors.
And he didn''t seem to have high expectations for Yi-Han''s talent.
''I guess he was just being nice because I was obedient, but he would understand if I refused.''
This festival week is going to be tough.
The principal spoke mischievously.
There was still Professor Bdi''s tent to manage for a few more days, and the principal''s magic fireworks hadn''t even been made yet...
''Wait. I haven''t even finished Professor Alpen''s magic circle yet.''
Yi-Han counted on his fingers and realized the situation was too severe.
Is there enough time?
"...Physically, I don''t think there''s enough time."
Don''t exaggerate. As a student, it''s more fun to prepare for the festival than attend sses, right?
"I think I''d prefer just attending sses..."
As Yi-Han was saying this, he suddenly felt something was off and hesitated.
"Are we not having sses?"
I''ve told everyone to take a break during the festival. Aren''t you grateful?
"I am grateful, but... didn''t Professor Bdi hold a ss?"
Did he?
The principal seemed puzzled.
Then he said nonchntly.
Well, that''s possible.
"..."
Yi-Han couldn''t decide whether to seek out Professor Bdi or the principal first after graduation.
In the lounge of the Blue Dragon Tower, the spirit of spring was abundant during the Spring Festival.
Friends had hung unknown wildflowers picked from the fields here and there, and had written about fun events on the ckboard.
Gainando wore a pointed hat made by a priest and nibbled on thin cream-coated biscuits, a gift from a candy vendor who hade in from outside.
"Gainando! Catch this!"
"Hah! Like I''d let you!"
As a friend entered from behind and threw a clumsily made straw doll, Gainando quickly rolled to the side to avoid it.
One of themon events at the Spring Festival was a game involving throwing a doll believed to beden with misfortune.
It was believed that if someone else caught the doll, the thrower''s bad luck would transfer to that person for an entire season.
"You''rete! How foolish!"
"Oh no!"
Another friend, who had been waiting, quickly threw the doll at Gainando. Gainando caught the doll and his face fell.
"Someone else! Someone elsee out!"
However, the friends in the lounge had already prepared themselves after seeing Gainando catch the doll.
They hid behind furniture or turned their hands behind their backs in readiness. Gainando, seeing this, pointed at them usingly.
"Cowardly! That''s cowardly!"
"Anything goes at the Spring Festival, Gainando."
Just then, the lounge door opened and someone entered.
Gainando, his face brightening, turned the straw doll behind his back, nning to catch the neer off guard and throw it.
With a bang, Yi-Han entered with the most tired face in the world.
The intensifying evening sunset cast deep shadows across Yi-Han''s face.
"..."
"..."
The friends in the Blue Dragon Tower, who had been lively moments before, suddenly felt inexplicably guilty.
Several students quietly moved the toys they had been ying with aside.
Asan, who was scribbling on the ckboard, unknowingly flipped it to the back.
The princess, who had been ying chess with a follower, pulled another student to sit in front of the chessboard and pretended to read a book.
The tired face of the friend who always cooked meals held a powerful ability to make all the students of the Blue Dragon Tower feel ashamed and sorry.
"Why is everyone acting like this? Is it because of me?"
Yi-Han was puzzled.
"Don''t worry about me, keep ying. I don''t understand why you''re all being so cautious."
"Is that so?"
"Haha. I''m not sure either."
The friends slowly brought out the toys they had put away. Asan flipped the ckboard back. The princess put her book away and resumed ying chess.
Gainando, eyes gleaming, approached Yi-Han with the doll hidden behind his back.
"Yi-Han..."
"Hey, you deceitful and despicable guy!"
"How can you be so cruel?!"
Two students from the Blue Dragon Tower rushed at Gainando, grabbed his arms, and pulled him away.
No one could bring themselves to give the exhausted Yi-Han the straw doll.
"Let go! Let me go! Didn''t you say everything goes?"
"Be quiet!"
Yi-Han watched Gainando being dragged away and copsed onto the sofa, too tired to even ask why Gainando was acting that way.
"Did everyone enjoy the festival?"
"Of course. Wardanaz. What did you do?"
"I was managing Professor Bdi''s tent, then got locked up in the workshop making magic fireworks for skull principal."
"...Hey. Put away the toys. Put them away."
Hearing Yi-Han''s words, the friends hurried to put away the toys they had received during the festival.
Yi-Han waved his hands, signaling them to stop.
"It''s okay... And everyone, be careful when skull principal sets off the magic fireworks. Don''t get too close."
"Why?"
Gainando, who had his straw doll confiscated, asked in confusion.
"Just do as you''re told, you fool."
"What did I do wrong...!"
Gainando felt wronged.
He had, after all, only tried to throw the straw doll at the tired Yi-Han!
A girl with red hair handed over a steaming tin cup with a small note attached.
-Free! (If asked about the price, say Gainando)
"...Thanks, Yonaire."
"Don''t mention it."
"...Did I focus too much on the price?"
Yi-Han, feeling a bit concerned, asked Yonaire a question. Yonaire feigned ignorance.
"Is it that serious?"
The hot coffee, loaded with sugar, somewhat revived his senses.
Yi-Han turned to his friends.
"What did everyone do at the festival today?"
"I helped Professor Uregor. We were making and tasting various potions. The visitors from outside really enjoyed it."
"Indeed... Maybe I should consider doing such events regrly if I go into business..."
"Yi-Han. You might have been born for making money."
Yonaire was impressed by Yi-Han''s fiery business ideas. He kept on thinking about business even in his exhaustion!
"I was in line earlier to get some sweets. A confectioner from outside hade in."
"Is that allowed?"
"They had permission, apparently. The priests must have invited them."
"Those priests, always reliable..."
The students murmured among themselves, moved.
In thisnd forsaken even by the professors, the only trustworthy ones were the priests.
"And there were quite a few visitors from outside, right? I saw some people from another academy earlier."
"What? Really? Where?"
"I couldn''t talk to them to find out... It wasn''t the right atmosphere. They were all bleeding from the nose as they left."
"Oh. Really? I saw some guys from the White Tiger Tower with nosebleeds too. What''s that about?"
Yi-Han, lying down, warned his friends.
"Right. And don''t go near Professor Bdi''s tent either."
"Why?"
Gainando asked without much thought.
"Just do as you''re told, you fool."
"Why do you always pick on Wardanaz!"
"Ah... I didn''t mean..."
Chastised by his friends, Gainando felt doubly wronged.
It was natural to be curious!
"Wardanaz mentioned the magic fireworks, and it reminded me, didn''t the principal say he''s going to have a magic fireworks event?"
"I heard he''s nning something else besides the magic fireworks... It''s suddenly making me uneasy."
"But everything the principal does is always unsettling."
"True. Should we avoid all the events?"
Yi-Hany there, listening to his friends chatter.
''I didn''t expect so many outsiders toe in. It''s a pity.''
If he had known, he would have used it as a chance to try and escape...
A real missed opportunity.
''But it''s not over yet.''
Just as Yi-Han''s dealings with Professor Bdi, skull principal, and others weren''t over, the Spring Festival had only just begun today.
He resolved to use the remaining time to make contact with the outsiders and find a way to escape!
...Of course, after managing Professor Bdi''s tent, making skull principal''s magic fireworks,pleting Professor Alpen''s magic circle, and in whatever time was left...
"Yi-Han."
As Yi-Han finished his coffee, Yonaire whispered to him in a low voice, careful not to let the others hear.
"What is it? Do you need to scold Gainando?"
"No, it''s not that..."
Yonaire took out a potion bottle and spoke with a serious expression.
"Listen to what I''m about to say without being shocked."
"Okay."
"...That talk about a griffin, it might actually be true."
"Is that so."
"Aren''t you surprised?"
"At this point, I wouldn''t be shocked even if Gainando turned out to be a Kraken. Let''s go, Yonaire."
Yi-Han stood up.
Tired or not, this was something he had to see for himself.
Upon hearing Yi-Han''s words, Yonaire, half-doubting, asked the priests of the meng Order for assistance.
And a startling truth was revealed.
...The potion that Niffirg from the stables had drunk was not an animal transformation potion, but a curse-breaking potion.
"But Yi-Han... even so, Professor Bungaegor? That doesn''t make sense."
"Yonaire. Don''t trust the professor. Actually, don''t trust anyone in this academy."
Yi-Han spoke earnestly. Yonaire nodded in agreement.
If that creature really was a griffin, then Yonaire felt she couldn''t trust any professor.
-Growl.
Sharakan, who had followed Yi-Han, growled beside him. Yi-Han might not have known thenguage of leopards, but he seemed to understand what Sharakan was saying.
''Probably something like, "What did I say?"'' Yi-Han thought.
He stroked Sharakan apologetically. He felt even more sorry for not being able to pay attention to it due to the festival.
When they reached the stable, the door creaked open.
And then, Yi-Han and Yonaire''s eyes met with someone emerging from inside the stable.
It was a person whose body and face were covered with ck cloth.
"...Thats not... Ratford! Yonaire! Its a thief!"
"!!!"
Readup tochapter 161for just5$orup tochapter 178for /al_squad
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Chapter 147
Chapter 147
Yi-Han''s face hardened.
He immediately guessed the identity of the thief.
Anti-magic extremist!
Just like the ones who had attacked Professor Garcia before, they had infiltrated the academy during the spring festival.
"Be careful, Yonaire! Its the anti-magic extremist!"
"Uh... what?"
Yonaire, equally tense, paused upon hearing Yi-Han''s words.
The thought of the thief in front of them being an anti-magic extremist was odd.
Usually, anti-magic extremists were loud and caused a scene.
They had their own beliefs and pride, so they wouldn''t sneak in at night likemon thieves.
A hired thief?
"Move aside, kids! If you don''t want to get hurt!"
Realizing Yi-Han and Yonaire were freshmen, the thief drew his short sword, threatening them fiercely.
But before he could fully draw his sword, Yi-Han''s spell wasplete.
"sh forth!"
With his fierce cry, lightning struck.
The speed was faster than the thief had anticipated.
"Ah... ugh!"
In fact, not all intruders in the magic academy were anti-magic extremists.
Anti-magic extremists were among the hardest intruders to infiltrate the academy.
They would cause significant trouble, so the academy managed security strictly.
The mostmon type of intruders were surprisingly mercenaries or adventurers.
The magic academy in the empire was not just a ce of education but also a gathering ce for some of the empire''s finest mages, researching magic.
Even the most trivial or failed research could multiply in value if taken outside.
Many outside mages were willing to pay a fortune for anything researched in the academy.
Today''s thief was exactly one of those.
Thanks to the spring festival, Einrogard is epting outsiders.
-Really?-
-Yes. Let''s get in, grab something valuable, and get out.-
-But... I''m scared of getting involved with high-level mages-
-Of course, I know there are monstrous mages out there. But they''re few. Would they bother for a small theft among the guests? There are so many people. Just don''t get caught.-
-Hmm! That makes sense-
-You''re unmatched in breaking into magic-warded buildings. Remember that mercenary mage? You bypassed his magic too.-
-True.-
With experience and greed, the thief disguised himself and entered Einrogard.
Entering the magic academy during the festival wasn''t too difficult with the right pretext.
But...
-Wasnt this the main building??-
-There must be a main building, right?-
The thieves had underestimated the magic academy.
The 1st and 2nd Circle mercenary mages they usually encountered and the mages in the academy were onpletely different levels.
Unprepared, the thieves couldn''t find their way due to the academy''s defensive and illusion magic.
Wandering aimlessly, they finally found a building.
-Found it!-
-It''s just a stable-
-It''s the magic academy''s stable! There must be rare creatures here!-
-Oh, right!-
Having discovered the secluded stable, the thieves hurriedly entered, eager for their find.
However, inside the stable, there were only ordinary horses.
-Damn it! There''s nothing but horses!-"
-Should we take a horse at least?-
-What nonsense are you spouting... Did you think we came here to steal horses? And how would we even take them out? It''s not easy unless they''re small!-
There was indeed a griffin in front of them, but unfortunately, the thieves failed to notice it.
Sadly, the thieves'' misfortune didn''t end there.
As they exited the stable, they ran into freshmen.
"..."
"...Thats not... Ratford! Yonaire! Its a thief!"
The thief was taken aback by the shouting student but quickly regained hisposure.
The area was deserted, and the opponents looked like freshmen. He thought he could easily overpower them and escape.
"Be careful, Yonaire! Hes an anti-magic extremist!"
"What?!"
The thief was baffled by the absurd misunderstanding.
Anti-magic extremists? That was ridiculous.
They had onlye in to take something valuable...
"Damn it, this isn''t the time!"
The thief realized he couldn''t waste time. Others might hear ande.
"Move aside, kids! If you don''t want to get hurt!"
The thief attempted to draw his sharply honed short sword.
He had no intention of actually harming the students.
Stealing a few items from the magic academy and hurting students were on different levels.
He didn''t want to be hunted for life by the monsters of the magic academy just for trying to make some money.
...But the thief didn''t know.
The freshmen in front of him were also one of the formidable ''monsters'' of the magic academy.
"sh forth!"
With the sh of lightning, excruciating pain seared the thief''s brain.
"Ugh...?!"
Beyond the pain, the thief was baffled by the situation.
Having dealt with mages outside, he knew it took time for them to chant spells and cast magic.
Magic was a surprisingly tricky technique to use inbat.
Maintaining focus without faltering while chanting long spells and waving a staff was crucial.
It was rare for anyone to do so amidst the roaring shouts and flying weapons of a battlefield.
Especially when the opponent was a freshman.
Even mercenary mages took time to chant spells without making mistakes, so how could a magic academy freshman, barely trained in magic, cast so quickly...?
"Aaargh!"
"sh forth, sh forth, sh forth!"
Stop it!!
The thief could only scream internally as he convulsed on the ground.
He couldn''t speak because of the electrocution. Had he not worn magic-resistant armor, he would have passed out already.
In his agony, the thief realized he had underestimated the magic academy.
This is no joke...!
He didn''t know what they were taught, but the freshmen of the magic academy were on a different level.
The thief vowed that if he survived, he would avoid magic academy graduates even at the mere sight of their shadow.
Help me... you bastard
The thief thought of his aplice still inside the stable.
His partner, frozen by the one-sided violence unfolding outside, dared note out.
The suffering thief understood the hesitation, but being fried by lightning, he couldn''t help but curse.
Help... me...! If I''m subdued... you''re next...!
Meanwhile, Yi-Han continued to unleash lightning while conjuring water orbs.
Although Yi-Han had gained the upper hand, he never let his guard down.
The thief could have been an anti-magic extremist, employing deceit.
"Yonaire, step back."
"Uh... huh? But he seems subdued?"
Although Yonaire was no expert inbat, she could tell that their opponent was foaming at the mouth.
"No. It could be a trick of the anti-magic extremists."
"Really?"
Yonaire retreated as Yi-Han had instructed.
It seemed the thief was incapacitated, but Yi-Han was not one to be wrong about such matters...
Swoosh!
A water orb hit the fallen thief. Fortunately, the thief lost consciousness.
"It seems he''s down."
''Actually, he seemed down earlier.''
Yi-Han remained vignt, even with the opponent down.
He cast various spells and conjured more water orbs.
Anti-magic extremists usually didn''t operate alone. It wouldn''t be strange if the thief''s aplice was nearby.
"Light!"
Yi-Han sent a giant sphere of light into the sky.
Such a bright orb would surely attract other professors.
"The professors will be here soon. We just need to hold on until then."
"Okay..."
Yonaire nced at the fallen thief.
It was unclear who needed to hold out until the professors arrived, considering the thief''s condition...
Creak-
"!"
Yi-Han turned his head. The stable door slowly opened with a creaking sound.
He aimed his staff, ready to unleash his prepared spells the moment the enemy appeared.
"Please... spare me!"
But it was a tear-stained, sniveling thief who emerged.
Having witnessed his aplice being pummeled by magic, the thief was utterly terrified. He raised his arms and pleaded desperately.
"I''m not an anti-magic extremist! I swear, I''m not!! Please, just spare my life..."
"sh forth!"
"Aaagh!"
Yi-Han swung his staff mercilessly. The thief struck by lightning fell forward.
Yi-Han muttered to himself.
"Hmm... Maybe they really aren''t anti-magic extremists."
"..."
''Im really d were friends from the same tower.''
The first to arrive was the skull principal.
One advantage of being a lich was not needing sleep. rmed by themotion, the excited skull principal rushed over, thinking it might be an escape attempt.
Theyre just thieves
The skull principal expressed disappointment upon arrival.
Yi-Han asked in surprise.
"Aren''t they anti-magic extremists?"
You thought they were? They can''t enter that easily. And they aren''t this weak.
The skull principal scrutinized the thieves.
Despite calling them weak, the thieves'' equipment was quite sophisticated, clearly prepared forbating mages.
They must have had experience breaking into other mages'' workshops orirs.
But their experience and arrogance had led to their downfall this time...
Even the skull principal could see that Yi-Han had harshly subdued the thieves. He probably kept attacking, thinking they were disguised anti-magic extremists.
''They got beaten more because of the anti-magic extremists, huh.''
"So they just came to steal?"
Such thieves are moremon. With how many valuable things are in this academy, theres no way there wouldnt be thieves trying to steal.
"But if thats the case, is it okay to hold such a festival like this?"
To Yi-Han''s question, the skull principal snorted.
Being afraid of thieves and thus not holding a festival would be a blow to my pride as a mage.
"Indeed..."
It made sense.
It would beughable if the empire''s finest magic academy curtailed its actions due to fear of mere thieves.
And sometimes, using the excuse of a break-in could also mean more funding
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han and Yonaire pretended not to hear.
They hadn''t expected to learn about the magic academy''s budgeting tactics in such a manner...
Anyway, well done. Youre able to catch thieves like this. I''ll take care of them.
"Speaking of which, can we receive an outing pass as a reward?"
For catching such worthless thieves, not even anti-magic extremists? Don''t you have a conscience, being neither a lich nor anything of the sort?
"..."
Catch someone more valuable, and I''ll consider it.
"But to catch thieves and receive no reward at all seems unfair."
Yonaire argued, finding it unbelievable.
Unlike Yi-Han, Yonaire still held a little faith and expectation in the skull principal.
That''s a fair point. Alright! I''ll think of something appropriate.
The skull principal''s agreeable response made Yi-Han feel uneasily.
Why did it feel so unsettling to receive a deserved reward?
Right. Since not only these thieves could have entered, I should have the students stand guard.
The skull principal seemed to have a bright idea.
Yi-Han was puzzled.
"Don''t you have your summoned creatures, Principal?"
Oh, right. But even the undead need to rest.
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Chapter 148
Chapter 148
"Indeed, that''s true."
"?!"
Yonaire was taken aback by Yi-Han''s reaction.
It was the first time she had heard that the undead needed rest.
Could it be that such a change in the dark magic world urred without her knowledge?
"If you were to make them stand guard, how would you do it?"
Hmm... I suppose I will have to select a few students from each tower to patrol at night.
''I still think it''s not a very useful method.''
Yi-Han did not believe that a few freshmen wandering around at night would be able to detect and capture intruders.
On the contrary, it seemed more likely that they would be captured themselves.
"Isn''t that a bit dangerous?"
No need to worry. If anything happens, my summoned creatures can handle it.
''The undead need rest too...''
Although the skull principal just contradicted his own words, Yi-Han responded unwaveringly.
"Is that really so?"
''The skull principal might be more dangerous than any intruders.''
He was, after all, the person who had been making magic fireworks to shoot, or rather, use on the students.
Yi-Han found it very suspicious that he was so eager to send the freshmen out for a forced stroll at night.
"It would be wise to be cautious."
"Huh?"
After the skull principal left, Yi-Han muttered to himself, and Yonaire looked at him quizzically.
Since they were monitoring for intruders, wasnt it natural to be cautious?
"Right? You never know what kind of person might be among the intruders..."
"No. Not the intruders, but the principal."
"..."
Nillia gripped her bow and moved with a spring in her step.
Surprisingly, students from other towers had readily epted the skull principal''smand to patrol at night.
Students like Yi-Han, who believed ''whenever I want to go out is the right time to go out,'' permission or not, were rare. In fact, many students refrained from going out after evening, deterred by the rules.
But now that they were allowed to roam legally, they couldnt help but be excited.
In contrast, Ratford, who followed Nillia, looked serious.
"Why so serious?"
"Don''t underestimate thieves. They could be lurking anywhere, waiting for a chance to steal."
True to his nature as a professional thief, Ratford reacted sensitively to the principal''s warning that thieves might enter the academy during the spring festival.
Thieves were always looking for an opportunity to ply their trade.
"It doesn''t seem that serious, does it?"
Nillia tilted her head.
If it were that serious, the principal wouldn''t have asked the students to patrol.
"Maybe he just wants us to roam around just in case? To enjoy the festival atmosphere?"
"Indeed... If that''s the case, it would be a relief."
Ratford nodded.
A festival wasn''t just aboutughing, talking, and enjoying events.
Preparing for the festival, patrolling, and being vignt against thieves were also part of enjoying it.
That was also the case when Ratford was in the city.
People enjoyed preparing for the festival more than the festival itself.
"Right? It''s probably not that dangerous."
"Yes. It reminds me of the old days."
"Wow... Have you ever prepared for a festival?"
Nillia looked at Ratford with envy.
She wasn''t ashamed of being born and raised in the mountains, but she envied city-born students at times like this.
Especially when they enjoyed various festivals and city entertainments while Nillia was chasing prey with her bow in the mountains!
"Yes."
"Oh, how was it?"
"It was enjoyable. I was able to earn a lot thanks to checking the loopholes while preparing."
"..."
Nillia decided to pretend she didn''t hear it.
"Look. There''s a light over there. Let''s go."
"Yes."
Nillia moved towards the distant light to check it out.
''Could it be other tower students?''
Neither Nillia nor Ratford were particrly worried about the light.
Since it was not far from the tower, and those who openly light up like that were usually not intruders. What kind of intruder would act so boldly?
That must be another tower student...
-!
"Tha... That''s a griffin!!! Ratford! Retreat!"
"!!!"
Nillia immediately prepared her bow and arrow to shoot.
A griffin!
It was unbelievable.
A monster that was even rare to see in the mountains was here on the grounds of the magic academy.
''I heard all sorts of monsterse out, but this is too much!''
Nillia observed the griffin without hastily shooting. Shooting in fear would only provoke the creature.
If the creature had no intention of attacking...
"Nillia. It''s me! Calm down!"
"Wa... Wardanaz?"
Nillia was confused upon hearing a familiar voice from the griffin.
"Yes."
"You transformed into a griffin?!"
"...Look behind the griffin!"
Startled, Nillia then realized that there were two friends behind the griffin.
They had been hidden by the griffin''srge body.
"Ah...!"
''You thought I transformed into a griffin. What have you been thinking of me all this time?''
Yi-Han thought to himself and greeted Nillia. Ratford, who had fallen down with weakened legs, also hurriedly stood up.
"Tha... That''s?"
"Calm down. I can exin."
"Did you transform the horse into a griffin?!"
At Ratford''s words, Nillia looked at Yi-Han in surprise.
Could it be?!
Yi-Han firmly shook his head.
"No."
"Not? I naturally thought..."
After the skull principal left and Yi-Han finished checking the surroundings, he took Niffirg out.
Then, he and Yoner carefully administered the potion.
-They said it can''tpletely remove the curse, right?-
-Yes. If it returns to its original form after some time, it means the curse''s power is stronger than the potion''s and it''s impossible topletely remove it.-
-Why would someone cast such a powerful curse... No, it''s pointless to ask.-
Bang!
-......-
Freed from the curse and returned from horse to griffin, Niffirg red at Yi-Han and Yonaire with a resentful look.
It was a look that said, ''I told you so''.
Seeing that, Yonaire whispered worriedly.
-I heard griffins are very fierce and savage monsters, isn''t it going to attack?-
-But Yonaire. I heard once a griffin pledges loyalty, it remains loyal.-
-But we''ve always doubted it.-
-Um. That makes sense. Should we keep our distance?-
-! !!-
The griffin protested vehemently, stomping its front hooves on the ground.
-Niffirg. It''s a misunderstanding. I trust you.-
-......-
The griffin looked at Yi-Han with eyes full of sorrow and injustice.
Yi-Han had to work hard to appease the griffin with a thorough brushing.
As the griffin''s sorrow eased a little, his friends appeared.
"So... It wasn''t Wardanaz who transformed it, but the professor?"
"...I don''t even know where to start..."
Nillia trailed off her words in disbelief.
Even Professor Bungaegor, who seemed rtively sane, was doing such things.
Who was she to trust anymore?
Regardless of Nillia''s thoughts, Yi-Han spoke to the two ck Tortoise students.
"Don''t go near the principal if he''s doing something, especially if he''s about to set off magic fireworks. Avoid at all costs."
"What? Got it."
"Yes. We''ll avoid it."
Having grown up in dangerous environments, the two friends epted the warning first and thought about itter.
The reason could be asked afterward.
"Are you two on patrol for the ck Tortoise?"
"Yes. We were told to just circle around the tower."
"That''s good."
"?"
Nillia was surprised by Yi-Han''s words.
"Are the intruders really that dangerous?"
"No. I caught two earlier."
"?!"
"It''s more about the principal being dangerous than the intruders."
"?!!"
"What did you two do during the festival?"
Nillia was more curious about the story of the dangerous principal, but she first answered the question.
"I assisted in alchemy and participated in archerypetitions..."
"I was asked about good ces to hide treasures."
''Really, everyone else is enjoying the festival except me.''
Yi-Han felt sad but quicklyposed himself.
It was good, after all, that his friends were having fun.
"You were asked about good ces to hide treasures? By whom?"
Yonaire asked with curiosity.
"The principal asked me."
"...What?"
"The principal inquired about suitable ces to hide treasures..."
"Did he say anything else?"
"He said there would be a treasure hunt."
"..."
Yi-Han''s expression turned serious.
Given the skull principal''s character, it wouldn''t just be a normal treasure hunt...
''How many traps is he nning to set?''
The next day.
Before the festival resumed, Yi-Han went to see Professor Bungaegor early in the morning.
"Professor. The horse I''m riding seems to be a griffin."
Professor Bungaegor nodded gravely.
"You''ve realized it too quickly."
"...But why?"
"Isn''t it better to learn how to deal with a griffin now, transformed into a horse, than to meet a real er and learn then?"
"Oh..."
Yi-Han, about to be convinced, snapped back to reality.
Upon reflection, there was no need to learn how to deal with a griffin.
''She said such nonsense with such a serious face.''
Yi-Han was not fooled.
"Is that so?"
"You don''t seem very convinced."
"No, I am convinced. But, Professor, I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"If I fly up from here on a griffin, won''t the magic around the main building interfere?"
Yi-Han, quick-witted as he was, had some idea.
There must be a reason why the high spire of the main building of the magic academy had stables for flying creatures.
There were designated paths in the sky of the magic academy.
Flying off in another direction to escape would attract all sorts of magic attacks.
"That would be the case."
Professor Bungaegor saw right through Yi-Han''s intentions.
Thinking of escaping on a griffin as soon as he found out.
He was a tricky one indeed.
"It seems difficult for me at my level to avoid that right now."
"That''s right."
Professor Bungaegor nodded.
There were dozens of spells in ce, and it was too much for Yi-Han to counter them all.
Before that, an rm would sound and other professors would fly in.
"Perhaps I should look for a ce with a path connected to the outside, like the spire''s stables."
"!"
Professor Bungaegor felt a shiver for the first time in a long while.
''How on earth?!''
As one of the entrances for outside visitors, the spire''s stables were connected to a sky path unaffected by magic.
But for a freshman to have already figured that out was beyond belief.
"Right. It''s impressive. To have found it already..."
"Then, Professor, please tell me about another such ce."
Yi-Han boldly requested.
Professor Bungaegor was dumbfounded.
"What?"
"Since I already know about the spire''s stables, please inform me of another path that is not obstructed by magic."
"..."
Professor Bungaegor was at a loss for words.
What kind of student was this?
But audacity was also a talent of a mage.
And the boy in front of him certainly deserved praise for what he had aplished.
''After all, he did figure out the griffin''s true identity...''
Even though it was Professor Bungaegor''s own doing, she was still amazed at how the boy had figured it out.
Before the professor could speak, Yi-Han said again.
"If you do not tell me, I will speak of the griffin''s matter to the guests from outside."
"...Get out the paper. I''ll tell you about one ce only."
Professor Bungaegor had no choice but to acknowledge that her student was indeed a formidable character.
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Chapter 149
Chapter 149
"Guests visiting the magic academy usually enter through the main gate during the day and through the spire''s stable after evening."
"Indeed..."
As Yi-Han began to jot down notes immediately, Professor Bungaegor momentarily wondered if Yi-Han was from the Wardanaz family or the Thieves'' Guild.
"But there are more ways into the magic academy than you''d think. Have you ever been down to the underground?"
"Yes. I was lucky."
"It was wise not to try again. Gonadaltes is not so negligent as to leave a path, once breached by a freshman, open."
Yi-Han nodded.
He had known since his admission that the skull principal was insane.
"Anyway... one of those paths is here."
Professor Bungaegor quickly drew a map, pointing to a spot on the huge mountain range behind the academy. It was a simple and rough map, but it clearly showed the way.
-Rockgrass Underground Cave (Beware of the cave owner)
"Sometimes, professors sneak out using this cave. It connects underground to the outside."
"?"
Yi-Han was puzzled.
If that was true, it meant that anyone could easily enter the academy from outside.
''No, that''s not it. Does the cave owner filter out intruders?''
If there seemed to be a vulnerable and easy spot in the magic academy, it meant there was a separate entity managing it.
Set foot carelessly, and you die!
"Who is the cave owner?"
"That''s a secret."
"..."
Yi-Han gave Professor Bungaegor a sorrowful look.
The carrot and stick approach worked not only on students but also on professors.
Looking even more pitiful with his statue-like face and sorrowful eyes, Yi-Han was already a topic of gossip among the professors. They said he was favored by the skull principal and was receiving special attention, or rather, teachings...
"It''s not that I''m trying to torment you, but I can''t reveal it because of a promise. Other professors who have permission to pass through the cave have made the same promise."
Clever and powerful monsters or spirits didn''t like to reveal their identities or locations.
Wasn''t that the case with the ''statue of the forgotten beast'' on the third floor that Salko had shown him before?
"If that''s the case, I understand. Could you at least give me some precautions?"
"Searching behind the academy and taking as many artifacts rted to physical defense as possible would be wise."
"..."
Yi-Han paused in his note-taking.
''Maybe I should just breach the spire''s stable?''
Seeing the renowned figures of the empire gathered here today makes me even more cautious in my action as an insignificant mage.
In the morning, as the skull principal, floating in the air, politely greeted the guests who hade to the magic academy, apuse erupted.
Gonadaltes was a person who could be as cunning as necessary if there was something he desired.
The first-year students of each tower looked on with expressions as if they were about to vomit.
"Such despicable..."
"Shh. Be quiet. Do you want to end up in the punishment room for speaking too loudly?"
A few students from the White Tiger Tower clenched their teeth in anger.
Some might think focusing solely on magic is already time-consuming enough. However, this Einrogard is not just a ce that teaches the grand discipline of magic. It also aims to strengthen the students physically and mentally, nurturing them into pirs of the Empire!
''I guess the budget will be well spent.''
Yi-Han was honestly a bit impressed by the skull principal.
If an unknowing person were to see this, they might think, ''mages are usually so absorbed in their own magic that they don''t pay much attention to their disciples, but this person is really different! If there''s any strange rumor in the future, I''ll have to refute it myself!''
Therefore, this spring festival would indeed be a good energizer for the newly admitted freshmen.
"But principal, why are the other grades..."
"Now, I would like to give a gift to the freshmen here."
The skull principal ignored the guest''s question as if he hadn''t heard it.
The freshmen, hearing about the gift, looked around nervously.
"Are there undead lurking around?"
"A surprise attack by the undead as a gift?"
But this time, it was actually a gift.
"I''ve hidden treasures all over the academy, so enjoy your spring by finding them."
"...Really?"
"No traps...?"
"How could that be?"
"I''ve prepared some minor pranks as well, so it''ll be even more fun when you find the treasures."
"..."
The freshmen seemed to have a rough idea of what these ''minor pranks'' might be.
Seeing the lukewarm reaction of the students, the skull principal smiled kindly.
"Among the treasures, there is also an outing permit."
"!"
"An outing permit...?!"
Some students from Baldurguard were puzzled by the skull principal''s words.
Do they need a special permit to go out? Why?
"...Should I challenge that guy to a duel?"
"Hold on. He''s a guest."
Regardless of the skull principal''s ulterior motives, the mention of an outing permit heightened the students'' anticipation for the treasure.
They were already jittery, eager to start moving.
"Let''s go!"
"Even if it''s a trap, let''s try finding it."
"Yi-Han. You''reing too, right?"
"Yeah, I am..."
As Yi-Han was about to leave, someone ced a hand on his shoulder.
It was Professor Bdi.
"..."
"Let''s go."
"...Yes."
The professors'' events didn''t justst for a day; they continued throughout the spring festival week.
This meant that Yi-Han had to participate daily in Professor Bdi''s tent.
For the first time, Yi-Han resented the Emperor he had never met.
''Why can''t the professor just exclude me...''
If the professors were busy, the disciple ended up doing the work.
Perhaps because of this sorrow, Yi-Han''s water beads became sharper and more precise. Some of his moves even earned praise from Professor Bdi.
"Cough!"
"There''s no need to go this far!"
Another student from Baldurguard, having heard the rumors, protested upon seeing a friend bleed from the nose.
The White Tiger Tower students, who came first and already bleeding from their noses, angrily defended the situation.
"Does dodging water beads seem like a joke to you?!"
"We are fighting for our lives here! You outsiders have no say!"
''These guys learn only the bad things quickly.''
Yi-Han looked at the White Tiger Tower students with contempt.
To be so oppressive to outsiders.
Of course, Yi-Han, who was beating up external guests with water beads, wasn''t really in a position to talk...
"Are you alright?"
"Uh. Uh-huh."
"I''m sorry. I''ve heard so much about Baldurguard''s reputation that I felt I had to do my best. Even that might not be enough."
"?"
Professor Bdi slightly tilted his head at Yi-Han''s words.
But the students from Baldurguard had already calmed down.
"If that''s the case, it can''t be helped."
"Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family? Let''s meet up next time when the third-year students gather."
"No, wait..."
Before Yi-Han could exin, the students from Baldurguard had already left.
"As a first-year student..."
After the Baldurguard students left, a White Tiger Tower student wiped off his nosebleed and stood up again.
"I challenge you."
"...Aren''t you going to stop?"
"Hmph. Are you scared?"
Other White Tiger Tower students whispered to their friend in a frightened tone.
"Hey, don''t provoke Wardanaz."
"He can increase the number of water beads."
"...Who''s scared? I''ll show youcough!"
Yi-Han took advantage of his opponent''s momentarypse in concentration and struck his face with a water bead.
The essence of magicbat was always to strike first.
After spending the entire morning beating people with water beads and having a quick lunch, Yi-Han went to meet Professor Beavle Verduus.
The beaver mixed-blood professor, busy eating bark, looked up.
"It''s okay. I''ve eaten."
"Really? Then let''s begin."
Professor Beavle, perhaps due to the skull principal''s strict instructions, only made very simple and ordinary magic fireworks.
He finished them with and .
Even Yi-Han, after a few mistakes (and identally burning the surroundings each time he failed), got the hang of it. It was not a particrly difficult magic.
However, Professor Beavle''s face grew darker and his mumbling increased.
"I don''t want to make these..."
"..."
"They''re boring to make... not fun..."
''He''s putting pressure in a different way.''
A silent professor was scary in its own way, but a talkative one wasn''t necessarily better.
Yi-Han focused as much as he could to get out of there.
''Every time I fail, my time here gets extended.''
Waving his staff, chanting spells,pleting the magic fireworks.
In the ufortable and awkward atmosphere, Yi-Han''s concentration was honed to a sharper edge.
One of Yi-Han''s strengths was his nearly limitless mana.
With this vast mana, he continuously produced magic fireworks.
It was a speed difficult for even seasoned enchantment mages, let alone freshmen, to match. The fact that he needed no breaks made it possible.
"I''m done, Professor."
"Boring... huh? Really?"
Professor Beavle, muttering to himself while making fireworks, lifted his head.
"Yes, I''ve finished."
Yi-Han responded with a faint smile. Professor Beavle blinked and checked the number of umted fireworks, his face brightening.
"Really impressive, isn''t it?"
Any other professor would have focused on the fact that a student made more than the professor.
Even though Professor Beavle grumbled while making them, it was still remarkable that a freshman, starting at the same time as the professor, had made more.
But Professor Beavle was just d the tedious task was over.
"That''s great!"
"Yes, Professor. Then, if I may..."
"Well, since we have time left, let''s make something more interesting."
"...Uh, I''m not confident in enchantment magic..."
"It''s okay. It''s fine!"
''What''s fine exactly?''
The magic spell Professor Beavle taught next was .
This spell, cast over a thick robe, was essential for novice mages learning various me enchantment magics.
Despite Yi-Han''s apprehensions about fire magic, he couldn''t deny the usefulness of this spell.
But Professor Beavle''s words cast an ominous shadow on Yi-Han.
-If you learn this spell, it will help you practice other enchantment magic in the future.-
-Is that so, Professor? But I''m not skilled in enchantment magic-
-I know, I know. You say youck talent. But don''t worry too much. Other enchanters alsock talent but still manage.-
-...-
In truth, the fact that Yi-Han started making magic fireworks with the professor and made more, and somehow seeded in mastering the 3rd Circle magic within the allotted time, was something impossible without talent...
But Professor Beavle evaluated it differently.
If one is worse than him, theyck talent, and if one is better, they have talent!
Of course, this was a dilemma for Yi-Han.
Even being told he had talent, he wondered if he could learn properly, especially since his mentor was not very reliable, often saying things like ''Just do it because it''s fun! Whether it will work out or not is not important!''
''I think the speed at which I''m learning magic isn''t too bad. Maybe I should ask Professor Garcia for advice.''
Yi-Han resolved to seek out the true mentor of this magic academy, the trustworthy troll mixed-blood professor.
"Let''s give up on that one."
"Are you calling that a solution? What if that''s the outing permit? Is there even any guarantee of finding other treasures?"
"?"
As Yi-Han walked out, he was puzzled to see students from various towers gathered and chattering.
What''s happening?
"Wardanaz! Help us!"
"No, not Wardanaz! He''ll take it for himself!"
"Let''s get it out first and then think!"
As he got closer, Yi-Han immediately understood what was going on.
There was a treasure chest, personally made by the principal.
...On top of a huge, fiercely burning firewood pile that is easily several meters high.
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Chapter 150
Chapter 150
"Indeed."
"?!"
One of the White Tiger students was astonished by Yi-Han''s impassive reaction.
Shouldn''t he be more surprised?
"Isn''t that surprising?"
"Not particrly," Yi-Han replied coolly.
In fact, that level of treasure was probably among the easier ones to obtain.
A zing pile of firewood.
Even from the outside, its danger was palpable.
The real perily in the traps that could not be detected until one reached the treasure chest.
Yi-Han had not forgotten how the skull principal had onceid a trap beneath the sandy beach after making him cross ake.
"Tutanta."
"Wardanaz."
Yi-Han greeted the muscr, short Dwarfno, Elf.
It seemed Salko and his gang were also eyeing that treasure chest.
The White Tiger students, arms crossed, looked on unwillingly to retreat.
The ownership of the chest was still undecided, a palpable tension hung in the air.
''Are there no students from the Blue Dragon?''
Among the followers of the princess, he spotted Nebren of the Kirak family.
Yi-Han asked Nebren, "Where have our tower''s students gone?"
"They thought it better to look elsewhere than get stuck in the middle of this..."
"And you?"
"I was considering how to present this to the princess."
''Royalty lives toofortably,'' thought Yi-Han, annoyed.
"Nebren. The princess wouldn''t want you to present that to her. Why? Because a treasure only holds value when obtained through one''s own strength."
"Is... is that so?"
Few among the Blue Dragon students could withstand Yi-Han''s serious words.
Moreover, Nebren, who admired the princess, was swayed by Yi-Han, the student closest to her.
"Look at Prince Gainando. He always seeks to achieve things on his own."
"But Prince Gainando never had anyone offer him anything to begin with...?"
"Royal dignity isn''t just inherited by blood. It''spleted by one''s own actions. Now, Nebren. Do you truly respect the princess?"
"I... I see... You''re right."
"Right. Don''t present anything, just live your life."
As Nebren left, impressed, someone began to p.
Salko and his gang pped, deeply moved.
"...Stop that."
"Why? Others should hear this too..."
Left alone, Salko might drag passersby, saying, ''Hey, Wardanaz will give you a great speech.''
Yi-Han quickly changed the subject.
"So, about that pile of zing wood... Have you tried putting out the fire?"
"Wardanaz. Aren''t you underestimating us?"
One of the White Tiger students grumbled.
A month into the magic academy, they could all use some magic.
Of course, they couldn''tpare to someone like Wardanaz, who had mastered ancient magic and various dark arts even before entering the academy...
"We tried, of course. Look."
One student summoned water.
A fist-sized ball of water was poured over the burning wood, instantly evaporating.
Salko nodded in agreement.
"We tried with earth too."
Salko, reputed in earth elemental magic as befitting his stonemason background, had also failed to extinguish the fire with dirt.
"Did you fail too? Then it must be a tricky magic fire," Yi-Han concluded.
"Hey..."
The White Tiger student was infuriated.
Was his attempt ignored in favor of the elf''s?
''How many spells are on this?''
Yi-Han, unconcerned, approached the pile of firewood.
He felt theplex flow of magic intertwined within the zing mes.
''First, there''s a spell to keep the me burning...''
"Move!"
Yi-Han swung his staff.
Apparently, there was a precaution against magic removal, as the magic didn''t take hold.
"It seems we must enter directly."
"..."
"Indeed..."
At Yi-Han''s words, the other tower students sighed as if they were resigned to this fate.
In fact, they had somewhat anticipated this before Yi-Han''s arrival.
-Do we have to go in and fetch it ourselves?-
An unquenchable me and an immovable treasure chest.
There was only one thing this implied.
Enter and retrieve it yourself!
"Isn''t that basically a death sentence?"
"Really, he''s too much, being an undead."
Watching the murmuring students, Yi-Han spoke.
"I have learned a spell to resist fire."
"Really..."
Salko nodded expressionlessly. One of his gang, surprised, asked, "Salko, did you know? Isn''t that astonishing?"
"I was just getting surprised."
"Oh, I see."
The White Tiger students gathered and discussed among themselves.
-Wardanaz knows how to cast a fire resistance spell-
-Who will go in?-
-Isn''t it too dangerous, even so?-
-Wardanaz isn''t one to boast about magic. We can''t let the students of the ck Tortoise go first.-
-Fine. I''ll go in.-
One of Salko''s gang cocked his head, overhearing the conversation.
''Those White Tiger guys. Does none of them feel suspicious that Wardanaz knows a fire resistance spell?''
As far as he knew, casting a fire resistance spell on someone else was significantly more difficult.
It wasn''t a spell for a freshman to im they could calmly perform.
"Wardanaz! We''re ready. Cast the spell!"
"But do you really trust me enough to enter the me?"
Yi-Han asked, as if puzzled.
The White Tiger students fell silent, then looked at each other.
"I don''t trust your character, but I trust your magic, Wardanaz."
"That''s rather bold for someone about to receive a fire resistance spell from me."
The attitude of the White Tiger students became markedly more respectful.
"No... Wardanaz... Why are you..."
"Just kidding. Wait a moment."
Before casting the spell on the White Tiger students, Yi-Han summoned a ball of water to slightly reduce the firewood''s mes.
"Spring forth!"
No matter how strong the magic, continuous attacks would weaken it.
A gigantic water ball, unlike anything the other students had summoned, sprang into existence.
''To summon this much water in a ce without a single drop nearby...?!''
The other tower students looked at Yi-Han''s magic with a mix of awe and reverence.
It was easy to forget, seeing him often defeat others with mere water beads, but the boy before them was not just skilled in magicbat.
A masterpiece raised by the Wardanaz family, known for exploring the mysteries of all magic!
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Yi-Han summoned and threw water ball after water ball onto the mes.
Then, the mes of the firewood pile simply extinguished.
"Huh?"
"..."
"...???"
"!"
The first to regain hisposure was Yi-Han.
Swiftly!
Yi-Han leaped onto the pile of firewood, grabbed the treasure chest, and dashed off in the opposite direction.
His speed was so astonishing that even the students from the White Tiger, who were of knightly heritage, reacted a step toote.
"Hey!! Hey!!! Wardanaz, you rascal!"
"Come back! Let''s talk this out calmly!!"
Salko, with his arms crossed, watched Yi-Han''s disappearing figure and said to his gaping gang.
"See? I told you. Never deal with Wardanaz alone."
"Understood... Understood, Salko."
Yi-Han, having enhanced his physique with and distracted his pursuers with , quickly shook them off.
''No one''s following.''
Confirming he wasn''t being pursued, Yi-Han walked proudly with the chest tucked under his arm.
"Professor Garcia!"
Upon spotting the Troll professor walking ahead, Yi-Han felt a sense of warmth andfort.
This professor offered a reassurance that others in the magic academy simply could not.
"Student Yi-Han?"
"Good day, Professor."
"That treasure chest... Isn''t it the one the principal enchanted? Impressive that you retrieved it."
Professor Garcia deduced the magic on the treasure chest just by its appearance.
Indestructible mes, anti-control spells - a culmination of efforts to challenge the freshmen.
"I extinguished the fire and took it."
"?!"
"But Professor, there''s something I''d like to discuss."
"Ah... How did you...? Yes, of course."
Though curious about how Yi-Han obtained the chest, Garcia knew this student wasn''t one to seek help without reason. It must be an important matter.
"Let''s hear it then. Please, sit down."
"So, Professor Beavle Verduus keeps saying I have no talent for enchantment magic, but I feel I could learn it to a reasonable level, so I''m in a dilemma. If it''s possible, I''d like to seriously study enchantment magic... I wanted your advice, Professor Garcia."
"..."
Professor Garcia clenched her fist under the table.
Then she grasped a pebble.
Crack!
The pebble turned to dust.
"Don''t take Professor Verduus, that bast... that person''s words too seriously."
"Did you just say ''bastard''?"
"Professor Verduus is indeed a great mage, but he''s somewhat indifferent to student education and levels."
"I thought as much."
Yi-Han had already sensed it.
That''s why he sought Professor Garcia''s opinion.
It wasn''t really surprising.
Embarrassed to have acknowledged the poor state of the magic academy''s education in front of a student, Professor Garcia cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Student Yi-Han."
"Yes?"
"You do have talent in enchantment magic."
"!"
"To say you just have talent would be an understatement. You''re practically a prodigy. You should definitely pursue enchantment magic. You must."
.
A spell that etches the illusion of a dragon made of light inside a paper.
.
A spell that projects resistance against fire elements not onto oneself, but into another matter.
These weren''t spells a first-year student, just starting to learn enchantment magic, could master.
''Perhaps the unique amount of mana that student Yi-Han possesses is best suited for enchantment magic...''
His enormous mana often caused destruction and failure during enchantment, but considering that, it became a powerful advantage.
He could attempt endlessly without rest.
Effects that normally required different methods could be achieved simply through sheer mana.
Even if there were errors in the structure or cirction of the magic circle, leading to an overallck of mana, it didn''t matter.
Upon reflection, these were all formidable advantages.
These strengths,bined with Yi-Han''s exceptional magic talent, likely contributed to his sess in enchantment magic.
"Thank you, Professor Garcia. Your words have helped me decide. I will diligently learn enchantment magic."
Hearing Professor Garcia speak so, Yi-Han decided to focus solely on learning enchantment magic.
Originally, he was highly interested in it, being the most lucrative field of study. Having heard such words, there was no reason not to pursue it.
''The professor is a bit odd, but all the professors at this magic academy are, anyway. If the other seniors have managed, I certainly can too.''
"Uh..."
As Yi-Han spoke, Professor Garcia suddenly snapped back to reality.
How many magic subjects was Yi-Han nning to specialize in again?
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Chapter 151
Chapter 151
Professor Garcia, swiftly counting numbers, halted her thoughts. It was pointless. Regardless of the count, the fact remained unchanged: her brilliant pupil was on the brink of death, crushed under magic.
Should I intervene? Professor Garcia pondered, hesitating as she was about to speak. Did she have the right to intervene? Student Yi-Han indeed possessed a prodigious talent in Enchantment Magic. Suppressing it could be a tremendous loss to the Empire, the magicmunity, and Yi-Han himself. Hadn''t Professor Garcia herself attended every possible ss during her own magic academy days? Could she, then, truly im the right to deter Yi-Han?
Professor Troll didn''t think so.
Alright, let him learn this onest thing, Professor Garcia decided, nning to dissuade Yi-Han from the next magic subject.
"Stay strong, Yi-Han."
"Thank you always, Professor."
Yi-Han, polite as ever, stood up from his seat. Professor Garcia, driven by curiosity, asked, "Are you off to enjoy the festival with your friends?"
"Yes," Yi-Han replied, tucking a treasure chest under his arm, eliciting a smile from Professor Garcia. It was good not to be overly engrossed in magic as a freshman. Forming friendships and memories was also important.
"After meeting Mage Eumidiphos for instruction and training in Fire Element Magic with the priests of the Aphar Order."
Watching Yi-Han''s retreating figure, Professor Garcia regretted not intervening sooner.
Mage Eumidiphos, dressed as if ready for a pic, awaited Yi-Han. Her straw hat and sturdy cloth trousers exuded thefortable air of someone managing their own rural farm. However, Yi-Han remained alert. "This person is Professor Bdi''s mentor," he thought, marking Eumidiphos as one of the most dangerous individuals in the magic academy.
"Shall we depart?"
"Are you climbing the mountain?"
"Yes."
Yi-Han refrained from asking, "What for?" and instead said, "I''ll bring some food and drink if we''re going up the mountain."
"Oh, have you not eaten lunch? You could have eaten first."
"No, I''ve eaten. But you might get hungry climbing the mountain."
Eumidiphos was astonished. A student caring for his mentor was a remarkable sight she had never witnessed in others who came to learn magic.
-"Mage Eumidiphos, I''vee to learn magic. When do we start? Please hurry, I dont have much time."-
-"Mage Eumidiphos, are you ignoring me? To think I can''t perform such magic. How rude!"-
-"Mage Eumidiphos, objectively speaking, this magic isnt very good. Its fine. Everyone makes mistakes. Teach me another magic."-
Recalling these past encounters, Eumidiphos acknowledged her part in this. Typically, the more talented and skilled a mage, the more arrogant they be. She hadid trials and traps around her secluded tower; those who managed to reach her were inevitably haughty and impolite.
How did such a studente from under the likes of Bdi Bagrak?
"Are you alright?"
Yi-Han, seeing Eumidiphos standing silently with closed eyes, asked in concern.
I was a bit surprised, but its alright. Let me have this hospitality.
"Yes."
Yi-Han then turned and made his way to the cabin.
-"Professor, I need some food."-
-"Did you n this!?"-
-"Mage Eumidiphos wishes to see the mountains. I can''t go empty-handed."-
-"Im giving you because you''ve been working hard at the festival. Understand?"-
"Of course. Thank you, Professor. You''re the only one."-
"Don''t say things you don''t mean..."-
Yi-Han returned with a basket generously filled with food and drink. Large smoked hams and sausages, pickled cucumbers and vegetables in jars, white bread with soft jams and sauces to spread on it. He even borrowed freshly brewed tea and milk from Professor Uregor.
Eumidiphos was surprised, expecting nothing more than jerky and water in a leather sk.
"All this?"
"Oh, is it not enough? I can bring more."
"No, no. It''s plenty! More than enough!"
Eumidiphos was both perplexed and amazed by thevish snacks. She was aware of how the freshmen at the magic academy were harassed by Gonadaltes. Yet, here was Yi-Han, procuring food as easily as if pulling it from his own pocket. A truly impressive feat.
"Let''s go then, Mage Eumidiphos. I will carry the luggage."
"It''s magically enhanced to be weightless."
"Still, you''re teaching me. It seems right that I should carry it."
"Are you nning to continue learning from Bdi Bagrak?"
Eumidiphos couldn''t help but ask, feeling her blood boil at the thought of a kind student like Yi-Han under someone like Professor Bdi.
Amazing. Truly amazing!
Walking alongside Yi-Han, Eumidiphos marveled every few minutes. It wasn''t Yi-Han''s magic ability or talent that amazed her; she had seen enough of that in the dungeon previously. There was no need to question Yi-Han''s magic prowess or talent, evident from his ability to single-handedly defeat a Colossal Hungry Ghost as a freshman.
What Eumidiphos admired was Yi-Han''s upright character. A shining, radiant character, unseen among the Empire''s prominent mages. A person''s nature cannot be hidden forever. Though one might conceal their motives briefly, continuous interaction reveals their true heart. Yet, Yi-Han showed no trace of arrogance or pride in his interactions with Eumidiphos, who listened attentively and respectfully to even the simplest of Eumidiphos'' words.
At this point, Eumidiphos seriously pondered a question. Why does the world work this way? Why does someone like Gonadaltes or Bagrak have a student like this? She knew that the righteous don''t always receive their due, but still, characters like Gonadaltes and Bagrak did not deserve such rewards. It was too much.
''I don''t know what your eyes are looking at.''
Yi-Han tensed up under Eumidiphos''plex gaze. Already cautious not to make any mistakes in front of Professor Bdi''s mentor, Yi-Han grew even more vignt.
What is he thinking?
Eumidiphos looked at Yi-Han with a mix of pity and contemtion, then sighed and spoke.
"Look at that river."
Several substantial rivers ran through the mountain range. Eumidiphos pointed towards one with her staff.
"You must know from my reputation that I am quite skilled with the water element."
Yi-Han nodded in agreement.
The term ''quite skilled'' was a humble understatement. If it were merely ''quite skilled,'' the fame would not have spread so widely across the Empire.
"Do you have any guess as to why I am researching water element magic?"
"Does it have to do with aptitude?"
"That''s one correct answer."
With a swing of her staff, Mage Eumidiphos created a thunderous boom. The river''s water transformed into steam, exploding into a white pir that spread into cumulus clouds, startling the birds in the forest. Yet Eumidiphos remained unfazed, stating, "The real reason is that water element magic is most suited forbat."
The young disciple''s expression did not change, his face stoic as he watched the river.
Seeing this, Eumidiphos nodded in approval, thinking, ''He''s ambitious.'' She believed that one who froze at the sight of such grand magic could never excel as a mage. A good mage should be inspired by such disys, aspiring to surpass them.
''As expected of Professor Bdi''s mentor to do something so unexpected,'' Yi-Han thought inwardly. Demonstrating thebat capabilities of water magic in such a violent manner seemed unnecessary. Simple evaporation wouldn''t cause an explosion; it was the rapid expansion of vapor that triggered it. Eumidiphos had utilized this principle to create a steam explosion through magic. Impressive and fascinating, but such a demonstration without warning seemed excessive.
''Wasn''t it?''
Yi-Han, however, remained silent, intimidated by Eumidiphos.
Misinterpreting the student''s silence, Eumidiphos asked cheerfully, "Do you understand what magic I just demonstrated?"
"Didnt you create a shock by rapidly evaporating the water?"
Eumidiphos was genuinely surprised.
Beyond sheer mana, precision, and strong control, Yi-Han was astute. A great mage needed to think deeply and thoroughly. Mages learning magic oftenined, "Why do we need so many skills for studying just one magic?" But that was the reality. Deep and profound thinking was essential for mages who brought their imaginations to life. And here was this boy, already possessing what others took years of traveling and honing their observational skills to achieve.
Eumidiphos admired the boy''s talent and found herself truly wanting to eliminate Bdi Bagrak.
''That man has done nothing...''
"You are correct. Very perceptive."
"Thank you."
Yi-Han had no idea of the rapid thoughts that had just passed through the elder mage''s mind.
"Mages unfamiliar or clumsy with water magic think it''s all about summoning, shaping, and manipting water. But that''s just the beginning. The world of water magic is much wider and deeper."
Eumidiphos clenched her fist, causing the water level in the river to drop dramatically, and the surroundingnd began to lose its vitality.
''Moisture absorption!''
Indeed, it was remarkable. Yi-Han had always associated water magic with shape transformation and control, perhaps due to Professor Bdi''s relentless training. But this was something else entirely.
The potential for expansion in areas like evaporation and absorption was always there.
''I used to think that water magic was somewhat unsuitable forbat, but I was wrong.''
"You have already mastered the basic transformations and controls, haven''t you?"
"Not to that extent."
Yi-Han spoke sincerely, but Eumidiphos took it as mere modesty and didn''t dwell on it.
"So, you must be practicing spin attributes. Right?"
"No, that was just an idental incident."
"It''s a natural course and a path every mage must tread, but..."
''Is she hard of hearing?''
Yi-Han thought to himself.
Eumidiphos could dry up his blood with a blink of an eye, so he didn''t dare speak out loud.
"Focusing too much on control alone can narrow your perspective. I called you here today to show you that there are other aspects to handling the water element."
Eumidiphos spoke like a kind grandmother. Of course, Yi-Han wasn''t fooled by the atmosphere, considering what had just happened.
"Now, go ahead and try."
"...Yes?"
What should I do?
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Chapter 152
Chapter 152
Fortunately, Eumidiphos was not a madman like Professor Bdi.
Had it been Professor Bdi, he would have thrust Yi-Han deep under the river andmanded him to evaporate his way out, but Eumidiphos did not do so.
The purpose of today''s outing was to open the young mage''s eyes to the vast world of water element magic.
There was no need to push him too hard.
It was sufficient for him to experience and learn about the various attributes of water magic.
"The spell is as follows," Eumidiphos began.
She meticulously taught Yi-Han the incantation and gestures for the 1st Circle magic spell, .
Truth be told, was a magic spell so tricky it almost seemed unfit to be ssified as 1st Circle.
A quintessential trap magic!
Even within the same circle, the difficulty of spells varied greatly.
Magic that was significantly more challenging than its peers in the same circle wasmonly referred to as ''trap magic''.
Although belonged to the 1st Circle, it was a spell that novice mages could hardly learn, such was theplexity of its evaporation attribute.
"Let''s give it a try," Eumidiphos dered, having finished her brief lecture, and observed Yi-Han.
Water elemental mages usually practiced evaporation on various liquids ced before them, starting with easily evaporable substances like strong alcohol and gradually moving to liquids with higher boiling points to increase the intensity of the magic.
However, Eumidiphos set nothing before Yi-Han.
She intended for Yi-Han to first practice the movements and incantations to master the spell itself.
She was not so harsh as to demand Yi-Han to evaporate a liquid immediately after learning and without practice.
Yi-Han nced at Eumidiphos and then once more at the flowing river, pondering.
''Is she expecting me to evaporate the river now?''
Due to Eumidiphos''s sparse exnation, Yi-Han couldn''t help but misunderstand.
In truth, it wasn''t Eumidiphos''s fault.
Usually, when asked to try a newly learned spell, one would practice the gestures and incantations, not attempt to dry up a nearby river.
If there was any me to be cast, ity with Professor Bdi.
Yi-Han''s misunderstanding stemmed from his experiences with Professor Bdi.
''No choice then. I must do my best, even if it''s just for show, to avoid falling into the water.''
Yi-Han sensed what might happen if he continually failed the magic.
Likely, he would end up in the river.
"Evaporate!"
"No...?"
Eumidiphos was taken aback by Yi-Han, who, without practicing the gestures or incantations, boldly cast the spell towards the river.
He hadn''t even practiced!
With a hiss, steam rose above the river.
While it wasn''t an explosive burst of steam like Eumidiphos could produce, it was still a considerable amount.
Eumidiphos was astounded.
''A true genius...''
Among the Empire''s mages, the term ''genius'' was often overused.
Nearly everyone imed to be a genius.
The mages who came to Eumidiphos to learn magic, except for Bdi Bagrak, all dered themselves geniuses.
-"Mage Eumidiphos, for the future of magic in the empire, you must teach me earnestly. I am among the top geniuses of the Empire''s mages."-
-"Mage Eumidiphos, it''s embarrassing for me to say, but I am a genius in magic. You don''t need to teach me every single spell."-
-"Mage Eumidiphos, as someone with a genius aptitude for magic, I don''t think this spell is that great. It would be better if it were improved."-
In fact, it wasn''t entirely wrong.
The mages who came to Eumidiphos were indeed among the more exceptional in the Empire.
Otherwise, they wouldn''t have been able to seek her out in the first ce.
However, Eumidiphos, who had been through many battles and challenges, had a strict and harsh eye.
The level of talent they possessed was something any serious mage should naturally have, not something to boast about as a treasure.
But...
The boy before her was certainly different.
He had an aura only a true genius could possess, unlike the self-proimed geniuses.
He seemed to possess all the qualities deemed indicative of talent a natural abundance of mana, delicate control, and deep, rich thought any one of which would be enough to earn praise.
''Is it the river? Am I going to end up in the river after all?''
While Eumidiphos quietly marveled, Yi-Han was quietly anxious.
To Yi-Han, it seemed like a sess, but that wasn''t what mattered.
What mattered was how it appeared in Eumidiphos''s eyes.
Was it a failure, after all?
''Shouldn''t this be considered good for a first attempt?''
Yi-Han wasn''t one to be arrogant, but objectively, it seemed like the evaporation magic had gone quite well.
Compared to other magics, evaporation seemed to be morepatible with Yi-Han.
He could urately and concretely imagine ''evaporation''...
Above all, could be forced through with power.
While mages with less mana than Yi-Han had to meticulously and delicately control their mana toplete a spell, Yi-Han could simply push through with his power.
For Yi-Han, water evaporation was much easier than controlling water beads.
"Well done. That was excellent."
"!"
Yi-Han sighed with relief inwardly.
It seemed he wouldn''t have to go into the river after all.
"Actually, I didn''t mean for you to evaporate the river. Practicing a new spell on a flowing river isn''t a suitable target."
Not only the quantity but the constantly flowing river made casting the spell several times more difficult.
Having achieved this, the boy had every right to be proud.
But instead of pride, Yi-Han''s expression hardened.
''...What did she just say?''
He realized he had mistakenly thought Eumidiphos wanted him to test the magic in real conditions, like Professor Bdi.
"But seeing you seed in one try, I think I understand why you chose the river as your target. It''s a justified confidence."
"No... it''s a misunderstanding."
"Okay. It must be a misunderstanding."
Eumidiphos nodded with a kindly smile.
"At first, I thought it was Bdi Bagrak forcing you..."
''That''s right.''
Yi-Han thought to himself, but it didn''t reach Eumidiphos''s ears.
"...but now I see that''s not the case."
It wasn''t Bagrak forcing him; it was clear that the student was simply learning the spells too quickly.
Eumidiphos internally resolved to retract one of her misunderstandings about Bagrak.
"Yes..."
Yi-Han replied with a voice tinged with a faint sadness.
It was the sorrow of not being able to openly criticize Professor Bdi.
Yi-Han thought that when he graduated, he might go to see Professor Bdi before even the skeleton principal.
Eumidiphos didn''t ask Yi-Han to perform any more magic.
Having seen him learn it in one try, there was no need.
"You should eat more than me."
Instead, they took a break.
Yi-Han prepared a seat for Eumidiphos, spreading a nket and arranging food and drink to offer.
Eumidiphos looked at Yi-Han with a gaze mixed with gentle emotion.
"I didn''t expect such hospitality."
"Uh... Have your other disciples never done this?"
"Never."
"...?"
Puzzled, Yi-Han thought of Professor Bdi and then understood.
''It makes sense.''
Yi-Han made milk tea with ck tea he had stolen from Professor Uregor. The sweet beverage, rich in sugar, rejuvenated his tired mind.
Even with seemingly infinite mana, using magic inevitably led to decreased concentration and mental fatigue.
For a magic academy student, regr rejuvenation was advisable.
Professor Uregor would surely be pleased to see his beverage being used this way.
''Are they third-years?''
Eumidiphos took a bite of her sandwich and looked off into the distance.
They were clearly third-year students of Einroguard, judging by their attire.
They rummaged around the mountain, swinging their staffs at the ground. Dirt erupted, revealing hidden magic ingredients and potions.
They had tried to keep it secret, but their efforts were in vain under the discerning eye of a mage like Eumidiphos.
"Do you see that?"
"What are you referring to?"
"Right. You wouldn''t see it."
Eumidiphos thought of the skull principal.
Given his seriousness about separating the new students, it was natural he''d make them unrecognizable by magic.
"Let me lift the veil for a moment. It should be fine."
With a wave of her staff, Eumidiphos revealed the senior students gathering magic ingredients and potions in the distance to Yi-Han.
"Do you see them now?"
"Yes, I see them. Is that...?"
"You''ll probably learn about it as you advance, but gathering your own materials and potions is part of being a mage."
Eumidiphos exined matter-of-factly, not surprised.
Their furtive actions suggested they had stolen or seized these items.
''It''s sad that I''ll have to do the same in my third year.''
Yi-Han shuddered at the fateid out before him.
Couldn''t they just be provided with enough materials and potions?
"Why don''t you go and try to snatch them?"
"...Excuse me?"
"I want to see how you fight. I believe you can win."
The problem wasn''t whether he could win or lose, but the fact that he had to attack his seniors.
Even if they were thieves, a senior was still a senior.
Yi-Han looked at Eumidiphos in disbelief, but Eumidiphos showed no sign of changing her mind.
"Abat mage grows by confronting their enemy''s blood. The sooner and more you experience realbat, the better."
Eumidiphos''s grandmotherly appearance contrasted with her brutal words, causing Yi-Han to inwardly cringe.
She''s just an older version of Professor Bdi!
"Mage Eumidiphos."
"Don''t say you can''t do it. I know you can. Too much humility is a poison. You''ll soon learn that as a mage, you don''t need to spare your seniors."
"It''s not that I can''t... May I wear a mask?"
"..."
Eumidiphos was genuinely impressed.
Yi-Han didn''t recklessly charge in, trusting only Eumidiphos''s words.
The third-years of Einroguard must have gone through several times the trials he and his friends had faced.
Rashly provoking them could have easily led to Yi-Han being overpowered instead.
Yi-Han donned a mask and cast an invisibility spell. The mask was essential, in case his opponents managed to dispel the invisibility.
He then cautiously approached from behind and unleashed his magic on the two seniors.
"Ugh!"
"What the...?!"
The seniors, caught off guard, toppled over.
Yi-Han quickly grabbed the box containing the materials and potions. Engraved on the box was a name.
-Os Gonadaltes
Seeing this, Yi-Han was shocked.
''Isn''t this insane??''
Do third-years even raid the principal''s storeroom?
It was more likely that the principal had led them to it, rather than them stealing it on their own.
Nevertheless, it was hard to believe.
''Ah, this isn''t the time for this.''
Yi-Han swiftly left the scene.
"Well done."
Eumidiphos, seeing Yi-Han''s return, was thoroughly pleased.
It was almost perfect, confirming that Bagrak hadn''t wasted time.
The ambush, first strike, achievement, and escape.
It was the essence of magicbat.
"Was there a name on the items, by any chance?"
"It seems to be from the principal''s storeroom."
"Is that so? Then it''s better you keep them."
"...?!"
Yi-Han was surprised.
He nodded obediently.
"Yes, I will do that."
Seeing hispliant disciple, Eumidiphos looked at Yi-Han with warm eyes.
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Chapter 153
Chapter 153
The magicbat practice did not end with just one session.
Eumidiphos''s eyes caught sight of other third-year students.
"Those students over there are hiding stolen items as well."
''Is this ce filled with nothing but thieves?''
It was unclear whether there were just many thieves around, or if the academy was turning its students into thieves.
Eumidiphos pointed out students who were trying to hide potions and materials.
"Bring those as well."
"Yes."
Robbery seemed easier the second time around than the first.
Yi-Han approached again. However, this time it was not as easy as before.
Screeching bird cries filled the air as he drew closer.
When an rm spell was triggered, two third-year students panicked and shouted.
"We''ve been followed!"
"Reveal yourself, hidden one!"
Indeed, the third-year students were not to be underestimated.
As soon as the rm spell warned of an intruder, they realized someone was hiding nearby and immediately cast a spell to reveal any invisible presence.
Thanks to this, Yi-Han learned something new.
''Next time, I need to disrupt their rm spells first.''
The two seniors were flustered by the sight of Yi-Han wearing a mask.
He was not the pursuer they had expected.
"What is this?"
"Did the principal send you?"
"Of course, the principal sent him! Don''t be deceived by appearances! It''s meant to confuse you!"
Yi-Han chose not to correct their misunderstanding.
"How dare you try to steal from Gonadaltes!"
"Argh...!"
"It''s basically you who forced us to do this! You''re the one to me..."
The third-year seniors attempted to resist, but Yi-Han was quicker.
A water orb, thrown in an arc from an unexpected angle, knocked the staff out of the seniors'' hands.
Pop!
Surprisingly, the seniors were quite careless in magicbat. Though their magic skills were superior, they had too many vulnerabilities.
Professor Bdi would have been vignt about his surroundings from the start.
To Yi-Han, who had been rigorously trained in magicbat, these third-year seniors were like delicate flowers in a greenhouse.
"Cough!" "Gack!"
Upon seeing the unconscious seniors, Yi-Han suddenly came back to his senses.
''...Will I be able to deal with the aftermath of this?''
Surely the seniors wouldn''t find out who the perpetrator was, right?
Pleased with the oue, Eumidiphos descended the mountain with Yi-Han.
On their way down, Eumidiphos spotted freshmen from the White Tiger.
They were excitedly discussing one of the boxes hidden by the skull principal that they had found and were holding it closely.
''Freshmen... they won''t be of any use.''
While battle experience was essential for a young mage from the Wardanaz family, there were limits.
In Eumidiphos''s view, students of the same year as Yi-Han were not much of a challenge.
A definite overestimation.
However, Yi-Han spoke firmly.
"Please let me face them."
"But you won''t learn much from them...?"
"Isn''t there something to learn from every opponent, regardless of who they are?"
Yi-Han looked at the box held by the White Tiger friends, thinking about the one he had left at Professor Uregor''s cabin, which he had yet to open...
The more boxes, the better.
"Then let''s go for it!"
"Yes!"
Yi-Han was the most proactive he had been all day, following the teachings he had received.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Caught off guard by an invisible assault, the White Tiger students copsed one by one.
But the first-year students were different from their seniors.
"You... you... you''re Wardanaz...? Ugh..."
No, how did they know?!
Yi-Han was startled to realize that his friends had guessed his identity without even seeing him.
He wanted to ask how they knew, but they had already fainted.
Wednesday.
Asan yawned while watching Yi-Hanplete the remaining part of the magic circle.
"By the way, Wardanaz, did you enjoy the festival yesterday?"
"Yes."
"What did you do?"
"I helped with Professor Bdi''s tent... and made fireworks when called by the principal."
Asan nodded.
It seemed his friend had been quite busy the previous day.
After all, Yi-Han was one of the most outstanding students in their year, so it made sense that he was so upied.
"I received some lessons from Mage Eumidiphos, and went to the Aphar Order to practice fire magic..."
"...?"
Listening, Asan felt something was off.
Wait?
''When did he actually enjoy the festival with all that work?''
"Just about that?"
"...Wardanaz. Sorry, but that doesn''t sound like you enjoyed the festival."
"What do you mean? The festival..."
As Yi-Han was responding incredulously, he suddenly paused.
Surprisingly, even he hadn''t realized it until now!
"...I didn''t really enjoy it."
"...I''m sorry."
"No, it''s alright. I wanted to help with these tasks..."
Yi-Han said so and continued drawing the magic circle, but there was a slight dejection in his posture.
Seeing this, Asan felt very sorry.
''It''s because of me...!''
He felt terrible seeing his friend''s dark circles, which had formed from working on Professor Knighton ''s magic circle since the morning.
However, the real reason for Yi-Han''s dark circles was different.
''If it''s something that goes in a box, why not just give it directly instead of wrapping it in a code.''
Yi-Han had obtained two of the skull principal''s boxes.
The one taken from the White Tiger students, shockingly, was a dud.
All that glitters is not gold.
-Os Gonadaltes
Though he had anticipated some duds, seeing one firsthand was honestly infuriating.
And what was more frustrating...
''The White Tiger guys won''t believe it''s a dud even if I tell them!''
The other box, however, contained a three-page magic spell.
...Written inplex ancient characters and a jumbled code.
Although magic books often came in such a form, the skull principal surely had the ability to write them more clearly but chose not to.
As a result, Yi-Han had to sacrifice his sleep to decipher the magic spell.
He still had half left to decode, probably requiring another all-nighter.
"So now..."
"Priestess, please entrust it to me. I will use it for the empire."
"No, I should..."
Early in the morning, following Yi-Han and Asan, new students appeared in the ssroom, chattering loudly.
Their serious expressions suggested something was definitely amiss.
Yi-Han was puzzled.
''What''s going on? Did the skull principal release some undead?''
"What''s the matter?"
"Priestess Tijiling found an outing pass in the box."
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han and Asan''s expressions turned as hard as stone.
No...?!
''Is luck really the best thing over magic and effort?''
Yi-Han watched the entering students with a bittersweet feeling.
Numerous friends were making offers to Priestess Tijiling who had found the outing pass.
"Priestess Tijiling, if you don''t n to use the outing pass, please sell it to me! I''ll give you 50 loaves of bread from our meals!"
"Are you insane?! Priestess Tijiling, I will give you 500 loaves of bread! And I''ll add cheese and sausage as a bonus!"
''I must intervene.''
Yi-Han sighed internally and moved forward.
It was always the case that when a treasure was found, those nearby would extend their malevolent ws.
It seemed Yi-Han was the only one who could put a stop to this.
...But before Yi-Han could speak up, Priestess Tijiling was the first to open her mouth.
"Please ept this."
"!!!"
Yi-Han''s eyes wavered.
It felt like a temptation from a devil.
Not that he thought so because Priestess Tijiling was a demon mixed-blood...
''I wish I could ept it with my eyes closed.''
As much as Yi-Han was using all means to secure an outing pass, snatching it from the hands of an unsuspecting priestess seemed wrong.
Besides, they were both from the same Presinga Order. If he epted Priestess Tijiling''s outing pass, he wouldn''t be able to face the other priestster.
"...No, it''s okay."
As Yi-Han declined, his friends seemed even more disappointed.
"Wardanaz! Why not!"
"Priestess, then I will take it..."
"Everyone, be quiet. You honorless fools."
At Yi-Han''s words, his friends blushed in shame.
Their minds, previously lost at the sight of the outing pass, returned.
''What have I done...!''
''So embarrassing!''
As his friends wallowed in shame, Yi-Han bit his lip once more.
''I must resist. I must resist.''
"However, I have no intention of going out."
"...It''s okay."
"Besides, I have received too much hospitality already."
"Really, it''s fine."
"Still..."
As Priestess Tijiling insisted without giving up, Yi-Han''s firm resolve began to waver.
But Asan came to his aid.
"No, Priestess. Wardanaz is not the type to ept such things."
Asan ced his hand on Yi-Han''s shoulder and continued firmly.
"Look at Wardanaz. Does he seem like a friend who would engage in such dishonorable behavior?"
"...Then..."
Priestess Tijiling, having heard Asan too, hesitantly put away the outing pass, seemingly with no other choice.
Yi-Han looked intently at Asan and said.
"Thank you."
"It''s nothing. All of us at our tower know this."
"Really, thank you."
"There''s no need to say it twice."
Yi-Han sighed.
Truth be told, Asan''s intervention was right. Had he not stepped in, Yi-Han would have probably pocketed the outing pass by now.
"Priestess Tijiling, never give the outing pass to anyone else. Understand? You should use it for yourself."
Yi-Han spoke with a heart full of malice.
If he couldn''t have it, then no one else should get it either.
"Yes... I understand."
Tijiling, hesitating at Yi-Han''s strong words, finally nodded.
After ending the conversation, Yi-Han turned to a snake mixed-blood student.
"Priestess Siana, entrusted with a significant responsibility to help with Professor Uregor''s festival."
"Hello, Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family, already famous among the visiting mages."
The two freshmen exchangedpliments impressively. Asan also admired them slightly.
''That''s how to greet.''
Among nobility, refinedpliments were an essential charm. Those who could gracefully praise others were always well-received.
"Actually, Priestess Siana, I have something to ask. Is it okay?"
"Please, feel free to ask."
Yi-Han looked around and then led Priestess Siana to a corner.
It was a conversation not meant for others to hear.
"I found this on the way..."
Yi-Han showed the ingredients and potions he had taken from the third-year seniors.
Although they were ambushed from different locations, all the third-year seniors had the same types of ingredients and potions.
At this point, Yi-Han couldn''t help but be curious.
''It seems like a task, but what are these ingredients for?''
"Do you know what these ingredients are for?"
Priestess Siana carefully examined the potions and ingredients Yi-Han had presented.
Then, deep in thought, she suddenly pped her hands.
"I think I know what it is!"
"Truly Priestess Siana! A genius befitting the meng Order!"
"This is a potion for detecting enemies."
"A potion for detecting enemies...?"
The potion for detecting enemies.
It was a potion designed to target one person, allowing the user to pinpoint their exact location when they were nearby.
"But you found this on the street?"
"Yes."
"The potion for detecting enemies isn''t something freshmen would typically make, right?"
Priestess Siana spoke, evidently puzzled.
The potion for detecting enemies was not something even the most basic freshmen would attempt to make.
And to find such a thing on the street.
It was undoubtedly a strange urrence.
"The seniors must have dropped it."
"How peculiar..."
"Indeed. It''s truly a strange urrence."
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Chapter 154
Chapter 154
Chapter 154
When Yi-Han heard about the potion named ''Enemy Detection,'' the first thing that came to his mind was, unsurprisingly, the skull principal.
Beyond mere emotional concerns, the ability to ascertain the skull principal''s location was significantly beneficial for survival.
I can drink the potion whenever I''m about to do something dangerous, Yi-Han thought.
"The unparalleled genius created by the meng Order, Priestess Siana. How do you determine the target?"
There were various ways to choose the target of a curse or potion.
One could recite a spell while picturing the target''s face or name, or alternatively, find an object rted to them...
It seemed more likely that the potion would require thetter approach.
"Just add a strand of the target''s hair to the finished potion," she exined.
"Hair," Yi-Han echoed.
"Yes, a strand of hair," Priestess Siana confirmed.
Yi-Han was lost in thought.
...Do liches even have hair? He wondered.
As far as he could tell, the skull principal had no hair.
Even if hair from the principal''s living days could be obtained, considering his age, it likely would have dposed into dust by now.
It seems I can''t use it on the skull principal, Yi-Hanmented.
It was disappointing, but there was nothing to be done.
Her interest piqued, Priestess Siana continued the conversation.
"If Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family makes it, I''ll assist you."
"But isn''t it a ratherplex potion to make on our own?"
But Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family is a person who enjoys difficult challenges.
"Really?" Yi-Han was taken aback.
Where did such a ridiculous rumor start?
Is it those guys from the White Tiger spreading such nonsense?
"I don''t think so."
"Such modesty... Ha ha."
"No, really, it''s not like that."
Although Yi-Han''s voice carried a hint of bitterness, Priestess Siana failed to notice.
"Wardanaz, how do we finish this?"
"Wait. Let''s finish it together."
The friends who had gathered toplete Professor Alpen''s magic circle called Yi-Han.
Thanks to everyone''s help, thepletion of the magic circle was in sight.
"Wait, isn''t there a gap here?
While drawing lines on the floor following the instructions from the book given by the professor, Yi-Han hesitated.
Whether it was a mistake or intentional, part of the magic circle was missing.
Under normal circumstances, spheres of light should line the corridors at regr intervals, with an illusion-crafted statue in the center...
As it stood, several spheres of light were missing, which would certainly look awkward.
"Should I ask Professor Knighton?"
Yi-Han pondered.
Asking the professor about something wrong or unknown was riskier than it seemed.
-"Do you not know this? What exactly did you learn in my lectures?"-
-"Are you saying I made a mistake? That''s utterly ridiculous. I obviously left it nk intentionally for you to solve on your own."-
Whether it was a mistake or not, an intense reaction was possible!
Although Professor Alpen didn''t seem that crazy, other professors at the magic academy had also appeared quite normal at first.
After much deliberation, Yi-Han made a decision.
"I''ll have to solve it myself."
It was fortunate he had received enchantment magic training from Professor Beavle Verduus.
...Was it fortunate though?
Yi-Han shook off his stray thoughts and refocused.
"Step back. I''m going to cast ."
He swung his staff and cast the spell.
The missing part of the magic circle was filled by the spell cast by Yi-Han.
While the other students were amazed, the princess tilted her head in confusion.
Such instation-type magic circles were crucially dependent on the organic connection of the whole.
If the mana sources ced throughout the magic circle acted as batteries, then the intricately drawn lines of the magic circle served as conduits transmitting power.
But the substitution magic that Yi-Han had cast for the missing part of the magic circle was not connected to the entire circle.
Wouldn''t that mean the mana wouldn''t transmit?
Tap, tap -
The princess pointed to a corner of the magic circle, and Yi-Han immediately understood what she meant.
"It''s okay."
"...??"
Yi-Han, who had prepared this magic circle, of course, knew.
However, the magic circle given by Professor Alpen was not something a mere freshman could fix orplete.
Then what?
''It only needs to work while people are watching.''
The original purpose of the magic circle was to decorate the surroundings with spheres of light and illusion statues.
As long as it functioned properly while people were watching, there were no real issues.
"But won''t it be difficult to maintain for a long time?" one of the princess''s followers asked, puzzled.
Extending the duration of an enchantment spell was a difficult task.
It was no coincidence that enchantments with permanent effects were called artifacts.
A spontaneously cast enchantment like Yi-Han''s, made without any preparation and using only a staff and a spell, would be hard to sustain for more than a few minutes.
"Yes, but don''t worry. I n to reapply it daily. Then it won''t fade away."
"..."
"...???"
The princess and her followers were momentarily dumbfounded, unable toprehend.
Regardless, Yi-Han called for Asan.
"Asan. Bring the professor. Before any other issues arise... or rather, now that it''splete, we should show it to the professor."
"Understood. Wardanaz!"
Professor Alpen Knighton, who was teaching to the freshman at the magic academy, was walking with his friend Kendry Bak.
Both being from high-ranking imperial families, they were not alone.
Behind them were other guests who hade to visit the magic academy.
"Did youe from Baldurguard?"
"Yes. We came to see the outstanding students and renowned education of Einroguard, but I feel embarrassed."
The mage leading the students from Baldurguard looked embarrassed.
No matter how much they were just guests visiting the festival, it would be a lie to say there was no sense ofpetition between the magic academies.
Being a mage working at Baldurguard, he had hoped his students would show something impressive.
Sensing his feelings, Alpen and Kendri reassured him.
"A student''s exceptional talent isn''t something that can be forced or hastily shown," Alpen said.
"Alpen is right. There''s no need to worry about that. Baldurguard is already doing an excellent job of teaching their students."
Apart from a few character-wed individuals from Einroguard, imperial officials held Baldurguard in high regard.
The mages of Einroguard...
-"Seventeen hundred and eighty gold coins?? Who do they expect me to stick this to? If they won''t triple it, they might as well take it all! Wait, what if they really do take it... Oh no!! That corrupt imperial official is oppressing the free spirit of magic!"-
In contrast, the mages from Baldurguard...
-"Imperial funding? No, thank you. We''re not so poor as to need that. We''re nobles, not beggars. Please don''t tarnish our honor."-
It was no wonder that the imperial officials preferred Baldurguard.
It was only natural for someone like Kendri to think that Baldurguard''s education might be more wholesome.
Einroguard was a bit...
Too focused on magic, possibly corrupting the character of its mages?
"But I''m embarrassed that we only showed an embarrassingly poor performance against the fifth-year students of Einroguard. Of course, we couldn''t have won against higher-level students, but we should have been able to show a better performance..."
"...?"
Alpen was puzzled.
The fifth-year students didn''t participate in the festival, did they?
Kendri quickly and quietly exined the situation to Alpen.
-Did Professor Bagrak beat up a Baldurguard student?-
-No, it was Professor Bagrak''s disciple.-
-They lost against a first-year student?!-
-Magicbat is different from magic skill. If you don''t practice separately, you can be clumsy.-
-But even then, a first-year student wouldn''t have had the opportunity to practice magicbat-
-Let''s not unnecessarily hurt those who came to enjoy the festival. What good would fighting amongst magic academies bring to the Empire?-
-You''re right.-
The two nodded in agreement and decided to keep their lips sealed.
"What were you talking about?"
"Nothing important."
They were about to change the subject when a first-year student ran towards them from a distance.
It was Asan from the Dargard family.
"Professor. I''vepleted what you mentionedst time."
"Well done. Let''s go and check it now."
Asan bowed his head and then ran ahead to inform his friends that guests would be arriving soon.
Watching Asan''s retreating figure, Professor Alpen hesitated.
"...Hmm?"
"What''s the matter?"
"Didn''t he say he justpleted it?"
"Yes, he did. I saw it before; they had made considerable progress."
"It wasn''t meant to bepletely finished..."
Professor Alpen murmured, puzzled.
-I wanted to entrust you with the creation of a simple magic circle.-
He had wanted them to take on the task of creating a magic circle, not to finish itpletely.
It would have been difficult for freshmen toplete it on their own.
That''s why Professor Alpen had told them to do as much as they could with the help of other friends...
"Looks like there was a misunderstanding?"
"There was a misunderstanding."
Empire officials, known for forgiving their own mistakes, took a lenient view of the situation.
"It turned out to be a good opportunity for the students."
"Indeed. It''s surprising they managed toplete it. I didn''t expect that..."
"May I hear more about it?"
The Baldurguard mage asked, curious.
After Professor Alpen exined what had happened, the Baldurguard mage praised him.
"Thanks to the professor not setting limits, the students were able to go further."
"Your praise is making me blush!"
"Ha ha ha!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
The magesughed andplimented each other.
The second-year Baldurguard students, who arrivedte, asked in confusion.
"What''s going on?"
The Baldurguard mage exined the story they had heard.
Then the Baldurguard students responded in disbelief.
"A magic circle that advanced,pleted so quickly?!"
"That''s impossible! It must be iplete!"
Beyond the difficulty of the magic circle, the speed of itspletion was unbelievable.
Creating a magic circle wasn''t just about drawing shapes. It involved carefully calcting the amount of mana and conducting tests. Even seasoned mages often copsed from mana exhaustion while creating them...
"It might be possible. But even if it''s iplete, isn''t it impressive that they finished it to the extent that they could show it to the professor?"
"Ugh..."
"Well... Yes."
The polite Baldurguard students had to admit it.
Even if iplete, the fact that it was finished to the extent that they could present it was indeed remarkable.
"Shall we all go and take a look then?"
"Yes, Professor."
As they followed the older mages, the Baldurguard students whispered among themselves.
"But which year students did this?"
"Who knows...?"
Upon arriving at the ssroom, the Baldurguard students immediately nodded in agreement.
"It was done by the fifth years."
"Why?"
"See that person over there? I heard hes a fifth-year."
"I see."
The students acknowledged this upon seeing Yi-Han''s face.
As the third-year Baldurguard students were increasingly outmatched, rumors about Yi-Han had been growing.
"Wait. Isn''t that person... Princess Adenart?"
"The princess? Why?"
"I thought she was a year younger than us...?"
"Then she''s a first-year, right? She must have worked on it with the higher-year students."
It wasn''t umon in Baldurguard for senior students to coborate with their juniors in magic.
Seniors received assistance from the juniors.
Juniors received guidance from the seniors.
This was the educational ethos of a prestigious magic academy.
''Did the fifth-yearse too?''
Resting in his seat, Yi-Han was puzzled by the word ''fifth-year'' he overheard among the students who had just arrived.
He hadn''t seen any fifth-year students from Baldurguard...
"Wardanaz, well done."
"Thank you, Professor."
Yi-Han bowed politely.
Being acknowledged by a professor was always a moment of honor.
Especially when the professor was known to be demanding, the recognition felt even more glorious.
"It wasn''t meant to bepleted, and yet you finished it..."
"...?"
"But youpleted that part separately?"
"...Wait a moment, Professor. Just a moment, please."
Yi-Han inadvertently interrupted the professor''s words.
What did he just say?
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Chapter 155
Chapter 155
"Aha! Such a misunderstanding!"
Yi-Han, having heard the exnation from Professor Alpen, let out a short exmation of surprise.
How could such a misunderstanding arise!
"Isn''t it ironically amusing?"
"...Indeed it is!"
"But such a misunderstanding has enhanced the students'' abilities. It''s what you might call a happy mistake, right?"
Yi-Han, who had been focusing his facial muscles to maintain hisposure, almost lost his grip on his sanity for a moment when the mage from Baldurguard made ament.
''Did the opponent use mental magic?''
Otherwise, it was impossible to make such an infuriating remark.
"Hahaha!"
"Ahahaha!"
"...Haha. Haha."
Yi-Hanughed along, not wanting to disrupt the harmonious atmosphere.
A friend from behind asked with curiosity.
"So, we didn''t actually have toplete everything but went through all that trouble?"
"Trouble? What do you mean? How can trials and errors in learning magic be considered suffering?"
Yi-Han spoke firmly to silence his friend.
Of course, it was indeed a tough ordeal, but they couldn''t admit that in front of the professors.
The mages nodded in admiration.
"That''s right."
"Trulymendable, Wardanaz. With such a mindset, it''s no wonder youpleted it so quickly. But that part you finished separately..."
Yi-Han quickly offered an excuse.
The same oue can appear different depending on how one speaks.
"Thanks to the professor giving us the opportunity to solve it on our own, we managed toplete it temporarily."
The student''s rhetoric skillfully covered the professor''s mistake.
However, Professor Alpen wasn''t someone who paid much attention to such things.
"Ah... that was a mistake on my part. My apologies."
"..."
"How was it?"
"Remarkable."
Having examined the magic circle, the mages stepped outside the ssroom for a brief discussion.
Regardless of Yi-Han''s feelings, Professor Alpen couldn''t help but admire the work once again.
As it wasn''t meant to bepleted fully, there were empty parts in thetter half.
And yet, a freshman had solved it with his own wisdom.
Moreover, that sphere of light.
It seemed to be sustained by an enchantment spell, yet it maintained its form minutes after they had entered.
"It''s been minutes, and it still maintains its form. The freshman must have spontaneously added magic to connect it to the existing magic circle."
"Truly astonishing."
"It''s a pity, really. The Empire''s bureaucracy could use such talent..."
At Kendry''s words, Professor Alpen cast a stern nce.
"Just kidding. Just kidding. I know. Of course, we should let him devote himself to magic."
"That''s our responsibility and duty."
The two mages exchanged meaningful nces, whispering their resolve.
Let''s ensure this young genius can devote himself to magic!
"It''s not entirely a bad thing. The professor rated it quite highly, didn''t he?"
"Right. Wardanaz."
"Yes. Even the guests from other ces were extremely impressed, weren''t they?"
Unlike Yi-Han, his friends recovered quickly from the shock.
Initially, they were surprised to have done something unnecessary, but the professor''s praise and the admiration of the visiting guests felt much more gratifying.
The awe of the people at thepleted magic.
Isn''t this the true reward of being a mage?
"It''s not entirely a bad thing. The professor rated it quite highly, didn''t he?"
"???"
"Wardanaz? What''s wrong? You agreed, didn''t you?"
"It''s not entirely a bad thing..."
"Wardanaz! Wardanaz! What''s wrong! Are you okay!?"
His friends from the Tower of the Blue Dragon, concerned for Yi-Han, grasped and shook him.
It was then that Yi-Han finally regained hisposure and steadied his heart.
''Yes, it''s not bad.''
Originally, he had joined Asan in the task solely to impress Professor Alpen, a task Asan could have handled alone. In a way, they had overachieved.
Even the strict and pedantic Professor Alpen would surely remember Yi-Han''s name, if only slightly.
''Perhaps, when I apply for an official positionter, I might get a rmendation...''
While Yi-Han tried to indulge in his most optimistic thoughts, the students from Baldurguard were busy finding ws in the magic circle.
"This part seems a bit inelegant, doesn''t it? If it were me, I would have merged these three lines into one for efficiency."
"But doing that would cause a magic collision here, preventing the mana supply to this sphere."
"Damn it! How did he create such a magic circle so quickly? It''s not like he has infinite mana!"
"Shh! Don''t be so undignified!"
"Sorry, sorry. I almost tarnished Baldurguard''s honor."
''What are they doing?'' Yi-Han wondered, watching the Baldurguard students murmuring.
Their incessant hovering and murmuring around the magic circle seemed strange as the guests had already stepped outside.
''Should I say something? But...''
Yi-Han hesitated to initiate conversation.
Because...
He had beaten the Baldurguard students too severely.
In his focus to not lose the outing pass that Professor Bdi held, he couldn''t afford to be lenient.
''In hindsight, I could have been a bit gentler.''
Approaching them could lead to aplicated situation if one of the students he had beaten sought to start a quarrel.
That''s when it happened.
Crackling!
"!!"
"What are you doing?!"
One of his friends eximed in shock.
A student from Baldurguard had identally made the central illusionary statue disappear.
"No... It wasn''t on purpose!"
"What do you mean it wasn''t?! Such dishonorable behavior... Is this what Baldurguard teaches?!"
"No! It''s not! It has nothing to do with Baldurguard! It''s my mistake!"
The student from Baldurguard panicked as his mistake escted into a situation that could tarnish the reputation of his academy.
He looked as if he might burst into tears any moment.
Though they were seniors, they were only a year older than the students from Einroguard, and it was natural for them not to have the skills to smoothly handle such a mistake.
''This is not good.''
Yi-Han realized he had to step in.
The professors and external guests would not be pleased to return and see the current situation.
The students from Baldurguard who made the mistake, and those from Einroguard who had been overly harsh, both could face reprimand.
''Even if the guests made a mistake, they are still guests. Being too aggressive could backfire.''
"You Baldurguard brats who go out as you please!"
"You''ll just y in the city on holidays, won''t you!"
The students from Baldurguard couldn''tprehend the anger of those from Einroguard.
"What''s wrong with that?"
"What''s wrong?! What''s wrong!?!?"
"Unforgivable...!"
"Everyone, calm down."
Yi-Han intervened, silencing his friends. Even those who were fuming cooled down suddenly as if doused with cold water.
The boy from the Wardanaz family had a natural presence.
Those who were heatedly arguing would suddenlye to their senses when faced with the cold gaze of the boy from the Wardanaz family.
"But, Wardanaz. The statue we painstakingly crafted has been destroyed."
"If the central statue that adorns the middle is gone..."
The spheres of light decorated the sides, and only when the illusionary statue in the center unted its form would the magic circle beplete.
''It''s impossible to repair the magic circle right now.''
Yi-Han clicked his tongue as he examined the damaged magic circle.
It was crushed and mixed up due to a Baldurguard student identally stepping on it.
In that case...
"I shall summon something in its ce. Do not worry."
"?!"
Yi-Han recalled a spell he had been forced to learn from Professor Beavle Verduus.
A basic spell of light or me would have sufficed, but he had been forced to learn a spell involving a dragon made of light with fireworks, all because of Professor Beavle''s whims.
It was the .
Among the empire''s dragons, the famous ones often left their names in history.
And one of them was Azirmo.
A famous dragon known in tales and legends, even the Baldurguard students quickly recognized its form.
"It''s Azirmo!"
"To summon that...!"
Not only the Baldurguard students, but also the Einroguard students were mesmerized by Yi-Han chanting the spell.
Bang!
''Oh no. It''s a failure.''
Indeed, the was difficult. It was a far cry from the simple , involving transforming and intricately twisting the form of light elements.
"Did he fail...?"
"Fool! If he had failed, he would have been hurt. That''s just preparation."
"Really?"
''I did fail, though.''
Hearing the whispers of the Baldurguard students, Yi-Han quickly attempted again.
It was best for both parties to fix the situation before the professors arrived.
After six attempts, Yi-Han sessfully enchanted Azirmo into the center of the magic circle.
Whoosh!
Though it bore apletely different appearance from the original statue, the students were rendered speechless by the beautiful and majestic form of the dragon.
The Baldurguard student who made the mistake came up to Yi-Han, tears welling in his eyes.
"I really... truly..."
"There''s no need for words."
Yi-Han responded kindly.
Having decided to amicably resolve the situation, there was no need to insult the other party unnecessarily.
Of course, Yi-Han also felt a surge of anger when he heard tales of the Baldurguard students indulging in reckless pleasures on weekends.
But that was a separate matter.
Moreover, since he had his own original sin of creating trouble with water beads, it was better to be kind in this situation...
"Thank you so much."
"?"
"Senior. If we meet outside, please do visit our family''s mansion!"
"...???!
Realizing he was being misunderstood, Yi-Han could not clear up the confusion.
The returning professors were surprised to see the changed magic circle.
The mage of Baldurguard, seeing the damaged magic circle and the students'' expressions, understood what had happened.
-"I''m truly sorry!"-
-"No, don''t be. If the students hadn''t resolved it amicably, their efforts would be meaningless. Rather, thank you."-
-"Thank you."-
The mage of Baldurguard called Yi-Han aside to express his gratitude once more.
-"I''ve heard much about the Wardanaz family''s reputation, but I sincerely thank you."-
-"It''s nothing, Professor. However, it seems the Baldurguard students have a misunderstanding about me..."-
-"If there''s a student who fears the Wardanaz family based solely on rumors, I''ll make sure to firmly tell the nobles of the empire not to be swayed by such gossip."-
-"No, that''s not what I meant..."-
-"Ah, I must be going. Once again, I express my gratitude for your generous response."-
-"..."-
"Do you think the Baldurguard folks are a bit annoying?"
Yi-Han''s words were met with a vigorous nod from Asan, showing his strong agreement.
"They''re incredibly irritating. They go out whenever they want, and they even destroyed the magic circle when they visited."
''Ah, is this why magic academies tend to dislike each other?''
Yi-Han regained his senses at Asan''s intense reaction.
Before enrolling, he had thought, ''Why harbor such pointlesspetitive feelings?'' But after suffering at Einroguard, he found himself irrationally annoyed by students from other magic academies.
This was a highly irrational behavior.
''Let''s keep a clear head. I must not fall for the tricks of the skull principal.''
"Wardanaz! Did you hear!?"
"What?"
"Gainando found a pass for going out!!"
"!"
Yi-Han''s eyes widened. Asan spoke urgently at his side.
"Wardanaz! Before someone else takes it, we should..."
"..."
"...Forget what I just said. It was a dishonorable remark. As a member of the Dargard family, I''m ashamed."
"No, I understand how you feel."
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Chapter 156
Chapter 156
Yi-Han''s expression turned serious.
''Something is strange about this.''
Did Priestess Tijiling really find an outing permit?
It was possible.
What if students from other towers, even those from the White Tiger Tower, found the same?
That would have been eptable.
But Gainando...
''It''s a trap!''
Yi-Han''s intuition screamed.
This must be a trap!
The skull principal was not one to distribute outing permits so freely, especially not to Gainando.
''But... why? Why the outing permits?''
He was certain it was a trap, yet the reason for such generous distribution eluded him.
''I have to be even more cautious.''
"Why so serious?"
Noticing Yi-Han''s grim face, other students from the Blue Dragon Tower asked with concern.
"Isn''t it suspicious how easily we got these outing permits?"
"Indeed...!"
"So, is this just an excuse to snatch the permit from Gainando''s hands?"
"What if we just take it now and return itter?"
"..."
Yi-Han shook his head disapprovingly at the sight of his overly excited friends.
''I must stay alert, even if I''m the only one.''
Gainando was sitting in Professor Mortum''s tent, the instructor of dark magic.
While other professors chose passionate and talented students for tasks, Professor Mortum did not.
After all, the number of freshmen interested in dark magic could be counted on one hand.
All freshmen studying dark magic had to attend.
Ymirg and Raphael, too, sat beside Gainando, silently watching ahead.
"..."
"..."
A heavy silence.
With Yi-Han absent, the freshmen in dark magic, not friendly with each other to begin with, grew even more silent.
All three were different in tower, origin, race, and temperament...
Gainando fiddled with his clothes, feeling as though the air was suffocating.
''Is this because of the negative mana?''
To break the stifling atmosphere, Gainando finally spoke up.
"Hey there!"
His sociable greeting elicited an enthusiastic response from the other two students.
"..."
"Don''t pretend to be friendly, Prince. It''s annoying."
One remained silent, the other scolded, but Gainando was surprisingly pleased.
"Did you just call me prince?"
"What... What''s with you? Why are you happy about that, you weirdo?"
Raphael, an angel mixed-blood, looked at Gainando with disgust.
Apparently, no sane person chose to learn dark magic.
Happy even when insulted...
"Say it again! What am I?"
"Get lost, will you!?"
"Um, um..."
Ymirg, a half-giant, hesitantly spoke up.
"Shouldn''t we call some guests over...?"
"Who would be interested in dark magic anyway?"
''You''re learning it too...''
Gainando and Ymirg looked at Raphael with disbelief.
But Raphael stood firm.
"It''s actually good that people aren''t interested in dark magic. I am..."
"Is everything going well?"
Upon Professor Mortum''s arrival, Raphael immediately bowed.
"Good day, Professor!"
"Yes, cough cough. Is it going well?"
"..."
They exchanged nces.
''Going well'' was subjective, but by any standard, zero guests was not a good sign.
Professor Mortum''s face darkened.
"Doesn''t anyone show interest?"
In truth, Professor Mortum had prepared quite diligently, especiallypared to other professors.
Arge table covered in a ck cloth
And there, ced upon it, were magic circles, grimoires, and artifacts.
It was a thoughtful arrangement by Professor Mortum, intended to rmend suitable dark magic spells to any visitors.
Topare Professor Mortum''s dedication to Professor Bdi, who had asked Yi-Han to throw water beads at guests'' faces, felt almost like an insult.
...But dedication doesn''t always guarantee sess.
Fundamentally, few festival-goers were interested in seeking out gloomy dark mages.
"Professor, I have a question."
"Cough. What is it?"
"Why didn''t you bring Yi-Han?"
"..."
"..."
Ymirg and Raphael red at Gainando as if he were trash, even though they were from different towers.
Even they had heard rumors about Wardanaz.
-Wardanaz is helping Professor Alpen with magic circles.-
-He''s talented, so that makes sense.-
-Wardanaz is assisting Professor Bagrak. Looks like he''s attending the ss.-
-Why would he...? I don''t get it, but if he''s attending, it''s natural to help. Especially since there''s hardly anyone else.-
-Wardanaz is running errands for the principal.-
-He''s talented, after all.-
-Wardanaz is even making magic fireworks.-
-He''s talented, but... wait. Isn''t Wardanaz doing too much? How is he not copsing?-
Exceptional gradese with great responsibility, but Wardanaz''s case was extreme.
Even students from other towers looked at him with concern.
And here was Gainando, from the same tower, showing no concern and instead asking the professor, ''Why didn''t you call him?''
''What a piece of trash!''
Raphael looked at Gainando with contempt.
"Cough. Wardanaz... has other tasks to attend to, so I left him be."
"Still, it would have been nice to have Yi-Han here."
"He''s probably too busy..."
"Yi-Han would be fine!"
"Cough. Well... I''m not sure."
Unable to watch any longer, Ymirg and Raphael intervened.
"It''s, it''s okay. We''ll manage on our own."
"We''ll be fine without Wardanaz."
"We''ll be fine? You''re useless!"
As they debated whether to scold Gainando, Yi-Han appeared with other friends.
"Have you been here?"
"Yi-Han!!"
Gainando was overjoyed.
Finally, he could escape this suffocating atmosphere.
"Help us!"
"With what?"
"This dark magic..."
Before Gainando could exin, Yi-Han''s friends from the Blue Dragon asked first.
"But Gainando, didn''t you get an outing permit?"
"Yes."
Pride and arrogance bloomed on Gainando''s face. His friends regretted asking.
''Should have just snatched it without asking.''
"Where did you get it?"
"I found it."
"...Found it?"
As Yi-Han asked in disbelief, Gainando protested with a voice filled with injustice.
"Really, I found it! Walking down the road, there was a box in the bushes nearby. I opened it and... look! It''s real!"
Gainando pulled out the outing permit with innocent eyes, not suspecting for a moment that Yi-Han might snatch it.
The other friends from the Blue Dragon looked at Yi-Han with tense faces.
-Now''s the time, Wardanaz!-
-Do it now!-
...
Even without telepathy magic, he could hear his friends'' thoughts.
Yi-Han checked the permit and returned it to Gainando.
"It''s real."
"See!?"
''But it''s even more suspicious now.''
Now, he was certain.
Yi-Han resolved to never let his guard down until he used the outing permit.
"Hey, Yi-Han. Help us."
"With what?"
Gainando rambled on about his time with Professor Mortum.
The professor had called his talented students for a task, so they had prepared various things, but then no one showed up...
''What nonsense is Gainando spouting?''
Yi-Han wondered inwardly.
Ymirg and Raphael were looking at Gainando as if he were garbage.
Raphael always despised dark magic, but Ymirg was a rtively kind student.
Unless Gainando had done something terrible...
"Alright. I''ll help."
"!??"
"!!!"
Both were shocked, not expecting Yi-Han to actually agree.
"Why are you surprised?"
"Just thought you''d be too busy..."
"Ah. I finished my urgent tasks today. I was nning to enjoy the festival."
Asan, sensing something ominous, spoke up urgently.
"Wardanaz. You''re not nning to skip the festival today too, are you? There''s not much time left!"
"I can enjoy it tomorrow."
"Oh... no...!"
The students from the Blue Dragon Tower red at Gainando.
It''s his fault that Wardanaz is staying!
''I can''t just leave with Professor Mortum here.''
Of course, Yi-Han''s decision to stay wasn''t due to his friendship with Gainando.
It was because Professor Mortum was right there.
Even if Mortum said, ''Cough, go and have fun,'' he was a narrow-minded person not to be trusted.
If Yi-Han actually went to have fun, he mightter hear something like, ''Really, you went to have fun? Cough, impressive.''
There was nothing good about being marked while learning dark magic.
"I will help."
"Why...?"
Professor Mortum looked at Yi-Han, puzzled.
Having heard from other professors, Mortum knew how hard Yi-Han worked.
"I''m learning dark magic, after all."
"...!"
Not just Professor Mortum, but other students were moved too.
Even Raphael''s heart wavered.
''Though he''s just a dark magic student, his honor is impable...''
"Yi-Han!"
''As for thatzy prince...''
Unaware that Raphael was cursing him, Gainando asked.
"So, how will you bring people here?"
"Just need people toe?"
"Yes?"
Yi-Han asked the students from the Blue Dragon Tower.
"You guys, line up."
"...Us too?"
"Shh. Wardanaz said to line up."
Though they came to hang out, the Blue Dragon Tower friends ended up being roped into the dark magic tent, lining up for friendship''s sake.
"Asan. If you have friends from other towers, call them over."
"Don''t worry. Wardanaz."
Asan nodded, ready to do his best, indebted as he was to the magic circle.
Shortly after.
Asan returned with students.
Not just from their tower, but others too.
"Wardanaz, do we just stand here?"
"Yes."
"Wardanaz, it''s a bit off to make the princess interested in dark magic, isn''t it? I''ll stand in her ce, so the princess can..."
"There."
Yi-Han handed a candy to the princess''s palm.
Without a word, the princess lined up. Rowena was shocked.
"No...?!"
"Wardanaz, I brought more people."
Asan, who had disappeared after bringing the first group, returned with guests from Baldurguard.
"...?"
As Yi-Han looked puzzled, Asan exined excitedly.
"They said they wanted to help as soon as they heard your name."
"That''s... good. Well done."
Asan disappeared again.
Then, he returned with a few priests and imperial officials in tow.
"...How did you manage to bring them?"
Yi-Han could understand the involvement of fellow students and guests from Baldurguard.
They owed him favors.
But how did he manage to bring priests and officials?
''Is it the influence of the Dargard family?''
"They wanted to help when I mentioned your name."
"...???"
Yi-Han was baffled.
Why?
"I''ve never seen Professor Mortum so happy before."
"Haven''t you only known the professor for a few months?"
"That''s true."
Yi-Han walked back to the dormitory with Gainando. They had stayed to help clean up until evening, and it was already dark.
"Do you want to y cards when we get back?"
"I have to decipher some magic."
"After you''re done with that, how about a game of cards?"
"It will probably be dawn by the time I finish."
Gainando, seemingly obsessed with card games, was not easily dissuaded.
"Then, at dawn... cough!"
Suddenly, something flew out of the darkness, attacking Gainando.
At first, Yi-Han thought it was a robber aiming for the outing permit.
"Gainando! Don''t let them steal the outing pass... wait, it''s a monster!"
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Chapter 157
Chapter 157
Thud!
Despite the advice, Gainando copsed to the ground. It seemed he had been attacked by a monster and knocked unconscious.
I didn''t notice it at all.
Even in the darkness, it was surprising that he hadn''t noticed the monster approaching so closely. The creature must have had the ability to conceal its presence.
"Light!"
Yi-Han conjured a sphere of light, illuminating the surroundings, while simultaneously rendering himself invisible.
"Heat, distort the air!"
His actions didn''t stop there.
In the ce where Yi-Han had be invisible, an illusion appeared in his stead.
"Sharakan, attack when the enemy approaches!"
With a growling sound, Sharakan burst forth, barking ferociously into the darkness.
Its over there!
Yi-Han created another sphere of light. The pitch-ck darkness was swiftly pushed back.
The outline of the opponent became vaguely visible. It looked like a monster formed from shadows, as if y had been shaped into a shadowy figure.
The shadow monster, startled by the approaching light, quickly widened the distance between them, blending back into the darkness, its form disappearing instantaneously.
This doesn''t seem like an ordinary monster.
Yi-Han gazed in the direction where the shadow monster had vanished, lost in thought.
Unlike living monsters, the shadow creaturecked any sense of vitality. It seemed as if someone had artificially summoned it.
And this was a magic academy.
There were too many who could summon such a creature, which was a problem.
First, I must subdue it!
"ze forth!"
A me was ignited, piercing through the darkness. Realizing the nature of his adversary, Yi-Han decided to press on more aggressively.
A creature that feared light would likely fear mes just as much.
Whoosh!
As a me erupted in the air, the shadow monster, as if mocking him, easily widened the gap once more.
Its initial panic upon encountering the light had vanished, reced by calmness.
Light and fire were of little use in the dead of night.
There was plenty of darkness around to hide in.
However, the shadow monster had underestimated Yi-Han.
"ze forth."
-?-
"ze forth, ze forth, ze forth, ze forth..."
-!-
The shadow monster should have fled immediately instead of taunting and circling around when it first distanced itself.
Yi-Han had swiftly summoned dozens of mes around him.
Whoosh!
A rapidly formed of fire.
Before the shadow monster could escape to another location, it was surrounded by mes erupting from all around.
The overwhelming mana left no room for the monster to use its evasion or stealth abilities.
Caught in the little remaining darkness, the shadow monstery in wait, barely breathing, as Sharakan growled as if to coax it out.
"Got you."
The shadow monster dared not emerge from the darkness.
Instead, it waited for the surrounding mes to die down.
It had judged that Yi-Han''s youth meant that the excessively summoned mes would be a liability over time.
-...???-
But even as time passed, the mes showed no sign of weakening.
Yi-Han, waiting patiently, spoke coldly.
"If you don''te out, I''ll burn you along with the darkness. Three. Two. One..."
It was because hecked confidence in handling fire magic that he had lit fires all around and waited, not because of fear of the shadow monster.
Feeling the threat in Yi-Han''s voice, the shadow monster emerged,pletely intimidated.
Tap tap tap tap tap-
"?"
Footsteps were heard in the distance.
Yi-Han turned his head, casting his gaze. A familiar face was running desperately through the night''s darkness.
He was the keeper of the magic academy''s warehouse.
-"For this festival, these are the monsters I have prepared. How do they look?"-
-"There are many of them."-
-"...How dull. Anyway, these monsters must be well managed."-
The skull principal spoke to the warehouse keeper in a solemn voice. The monsters summoned for the festival were not merely for one-time use. They were beautiful chess pieces meant to shine in the perfect nid out by the skull principal.
-"I will do my best."-
However, in truth, the number of monsters summoned by the principal was too great for the warehouse keeper to manage alone. Moreover, the monsters were not exactly docile.
-"Stay still, do not move."-
Thump! Thump!
The monsters, ordered by the principal to track and ambush the students who had found the outing pass, struggled as if they were about to break out of their cages at any moment.
The warehouse keeper did his best to manage them, but eventually, an ident urred. Several cages broke, and the monsters inside escaped.
Despite the sudden turn of events, the warehouse keeper did not panic. He calmly captured the ones nearby, locked them up again, and pursued the traces of those who had escaped.
"!"
The warehouse keeper hesitated momentarily, sensing an immense mana from afar. Although he had lost his sight and gained a powerful ability to detect mana, this was an enormous mana that he couldn''t fully grasp.
Normally, he would have asked, ''Is that you, Principal?'' But he had just been reprimanded by the skull principal.
"Is that you, Principal, or a student?"
Yi-Han quickly pondered. If he said it was the skull principal...
''I''m not sneaking around, so there''s no need for that.''
"I am a student."
"Is that so."
Fortunately, the warehouse keeper did not attack Yi-Han, thinking ''He must have been the one that tricked mest time!'' Instead, he looked at the shadow monster, which was surrounded by mes, that Yi-Han had caught.
Although his pupils were not visible, Yi-Han felt the warehouse keeper was intrigued.
"Did you catch it by setting fire around it?"
"Yes."
"Didn''t it try to escape?"
"I didn''t give it a chance and set fires on all sides."
Sharakan growled as if proud.
The warehouse keeper was amazed at Yi-Han''s words. If what he said was true, it meant that he had quickly lit many fires without giving the shadow creature any chance to escape. So many mes, like that?
Even with a talent specialized in fire elemental magic, it was a difficult feat for a freshman to show.
"You will be a great mage."
"Thank you."
"Then, may I take the monster?"
"...Is it one that escaped while avoiding the Principal''s eyes?"
Yi-Han was much quicker than the warehouse keeper had thought. He immediately thought of the skull principal upon hearing about the monster, the warehouse keeper, and the intent to take it away.
The warehouse keeper did not show it, but he was slightly flustered. A freshman knowing so much was unexpected.
"Did the Principal tell you?"
"In a way, that''s not entirely untrue."
Yi-Han responded indirectly. Of course, the skull principal hadn''t told him, but he had suspected it by observing the principal''s actions, so in a way, it was as if the principal had told him.
The naive warehouse keeper couldn''t imagine that a freshman would already possess such a cunning tongue.
"Yes, it is one of those that escaped."
"Are there still many that have escaped?"
"Yes."
"..."
Internally, Yi-Han cursed.
This academy should forbid summoning anything if it cannot be managed, Yi-Han muttered.
"May I assist you?" Yi-Han offered.
The warehouse keeper was surprised by Yi-Han''s proposition. He hadn''t expected such amendable offer from a freshman. While other freshmen might have refused to help, this boy had just subdued a shadow monster, proving his capability. Besides, he was practically a disciple of the principal. Working together with him seemed to pose no problems.
"Would you do that?"
"Yes. It would be an honor to help someone dedicated to this magic academy."
"You will surely be a great mage."
"Haha, thank you."
''It''s easy,'' Yi-Han thought. Dealing with the warehouse keeper was a breezepared to the continuous schemes and tricks of the skull principal. Yi-Han was well-trained by these experiences.
''There must be a n by the skull principal.''
While helping, he would dig for information. Yi-Han knew well that one must seize opportunities to survive in this magic academy.
"Wait a moment. I''ll wake Gainando."
"Please do."
Yi-Han conjured a mass of water and poured it over Gainando''s face.
"Ugh-choke!"
"Gainando! Are you alright?"
"Fine... cough, cough. My pass! What about my pass?"
"It''s safe. Just stay inside the tower today."
Gainando had the advantage of not asking unnecessary questions. Taking Yi-Han''s words seriously, he nodded in agreement.
"Alright."
"Be careful going back."
"But when you return, how about a game of cards?"
"..."
While working with the warehouse keeper, Yi-Han caught three more shadow monsters. These creatures, summoned from the dark world of shadows and negative energy, were favored by cunning and vile dark mages for their specialized abilities in stealth, tracking, and ambush.
''Very much like the skull principal,'' Yi-Han thought. He continued to extract information from the warehouse keeper, confirming the shadow monster''s weaknesses. As he had previously experienced, they were indeed terrified of light and heat.
''It''s good to know for sure, in case I encounter them again.''
"So... these creatures were summoned to track students with outing passes," Yi-Han concluded.
"That''s correct."
"..."
''Really unbelievable,'' Yi-Han thought, reconfirming the information he had gathered.
What nonsense...
He had suspected that the principal was too lenient with outing passes, and indeed, there was a sinister plot behind it.
As students excitedly head towards the main gate on a Saturday morning after the festival...
An ambush awaits!
''It''s a relief to know in advance.''
Yi-Han inwardly sighed in relief. If he hadn''t known, he could have been caught off guard...
''Wait a moment.''
As he rxed, Yi-Han suddenly sensed something ominous.
''Let''s think from the skull principal''s perspective.''
Would he go to the trouble of summoning and preparing these monsters just to ambush students leaving for the weekend and take their passes?
...Wouldn''t he also use them to ambush students returning?
Yi-Han casually, without arousing suspicion, spoke to the warehouse keeper.
"By the way, where will the monsters be waiting when the students return?"
Yi-Han''s question was so natural, as if he already knew the answer, that the warehouse keeper didn''t doubt him for a second.
"They will be waiting near the hill in front of the main gate."
"If students arete dealing with the monsters... they can be sent to the punishment room."
"Yes, that''s correct."
"...Now that you mention it, aren''t midterms next week?"
"Yes, they are."
"If students get trapped when they return this weekend, they won''t be able to study properly for the midterms... that''s even better."
"Indeed. You truly are the principal''s disciple. You will be a great mage."
"..."
In that moment, Yi-Han nearly dropped his facade and threw a punch at the warehouse keeper.
"Why such a long face?"
Uregor, from early in the morning, was perplexed by Yi-Han''s dejected appearance as he sighed heavily in front of the alchemy tent.
However, instead of responding, Yi-Han only sighed again.
"You should have listened sooner. Here, this potion will cheer you up."
Uregor offered a ss filled with a barley potion, bubbling with golden foam.
The people around had already drunk their barley potions and were in a state of bliss.
"Professor."
"What is it?"
"If you had to break through a ce where someone isying ambush, how would you do it?"
"...What exactly are you nning?"
Professor Uregor was aghast.
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Chapter 158
Chapter 158
"Sigh..."
Yi-Han exhaled deeply.
His face then turned serious as he spoke, "I cannot go into details about that."
"..."
Professor Uregor internally cursed his student.
''To think he would say such a thing with such a grave expression...''
Had it been another student, say Gainando, he would have scolded, ''Stop the nonsense and prepare for the exam!''
But Professor Uregor didn''t do the same with Yi-Han. The student before him was too earnest and burdened with too many responsibilities.
"Fine. Then drink this."
If a barley potion wouldn''t work, there were grape and rice potions.
Professor Uregor pulled out a grape potion, no, a grape and a rice potion from under the table and offered them to Yi-Han.
Yi-Han shook his head, "Getting drunk is dangerous."
''Is this kid really a freshman?''
To refuse a potion... rather, alcohol during such a joyous festival was indeed an iron will.
"If you need to break through an ambush, you''ll have to increase our numbers."
"Hmm."
Yi-Han pondered upon hearing Professor Uregor''s words.
Yi-Han wasnt the only one who had an outing pass. Judging by the current trend, it wouldn''t be strange if other tower students had three or four top students.
What if they joined forces and prepared for an ambush, breaking through the traps?
''Hmm. They won''t listen to me.''
Students from the Blue Dragon or the Immortal Phoenix might, but those from the ck Tortoise or the White Tiger were unlikely to heed his words.
Should he attack and subdue his friends first and then coerce them?
''Perhaps that''s not a bad idea.''
If all other impossible methods were excluded, the remaining option, no matter how absurd, might just be the right one.
He had to attack his friends first, but...
"Thank you, Professor."
Unaware of Yi-Han''s wild thoughts, Professor Uregor smiled slightly in pleasure.
Receiving heartfelt thanks from a student, especially one like Yi-Han, was a joy for any Professor.
"d to help. So, you really won''t drink?"
"It''s fine. But for a magic academy festival, isn''t it enough with just potions... not alcohol?"
At Yi-Han''s words, Professor Uregor shrugged.
"What do people know about alchemy? Even if I show them a potion transformed through a thousand changes, only fellow alchemists will understand its value. People will just think it''s a potion and move on. But if we make something like this..."
"Everyone seems happy."
"Exactly."
A skilled alchemist knows how to brew good alcohol.
Yi-Han listened with interest to Professor Uregor''s speech on ''How an Alchemist Manages Connections.''
Alchemists, often antisocial and confined to their chambers brewing potions, needed to create good alcohol to maintain smooth social rtions.
''It''s certainly true.''
Yi-Han resolved to closely observe how Professor Uregor made his alcohol in the future.
Not everyone knew how to offer a bribe effectively.
"I''m impressed, Professor."
"Alright then."
"May I take some of this potion?"
"...Are you nning to not drink it now and sell itter?"
The skull principal looked over the assembled guests with a bored gaze.
Then, he cleared his throat.
"To the distinguished personages of the empire and our proud students who bear the future of the empire, thank you for attending this gathering."
It''s despicable.
I must avoid any association with the Lich after graduation.
Despite the guests apuding in admiration, the freshmen red at the skull principal.
What is he up to now!
"The festival is nearing its end. To take a brief respite and engage everyone here, I''d like to present some simple riddles."
Exchanging riddles was a favored pastime among both nobles andmoners while rxing.
Furthermore, given that the riddles were from the skull principal, a renowned sage in the empire, the guests looked on with interest.
What kind of riddle would he pose?
"Ah, yes. If our esteemed guests from outside and our proud students guess correctly, they will receive an exit permit as a gift."
"The principal really knows how to jest... What would we do with that?"
"You''re quite the joker!"
"..."
Contrary to the cheerful mood of the guests, the students who hadn''t secured an exit permit were seething with excitement.
Some, however, still hadn''t grasped the situation.
They were guests from Baldurguard.
"This is an opportunity."
"Yes, a chance to showcase our abilities to the mages of Einroguard."
''Are they clueless?''
Yi-Han looked at the students from Baldurguard with pity.
If anyone from the Baldurguard correctly guessed a riddle and obtained an exit permit, the freshmen of Einroguard would view those from Baldurguard as sworn enemies until graduation.
Yet they were eagerly seizing this opportunity, unaware of the consequences.
"Now then... Guess my age."
"?"
"??"
The attendees were dumbfounded by such an absurd riddle.
That''s not even a riddle!
''He''s redefining the concept of riddles.''
-Grrr.
"Why so?" Yi-Han was puzzled as Sharakan tugged at his sleeve and gestured for him to follow.
Sharakan seemed anxious and was signaling to follow him.
''Could it be?''
Yi-Han was not foolish enough to ignore the warnings of his faithful undead summon.
Crouching and moving quietly, Sharakan led the way. Together with his summon, Yi-Han headed towards the secluded back of the main building.
A massive pile of items covered with cloth caught his eye.
Although covered, Yi-Han had a hunch about its contents.
"...Fireworks."
Peeking through the gaps, he spotted familiar magic fireworks.
Yi-Han didn''t bother asking why they were piled up like this behind the main building.
Such things were only for amateurs.
''Should I avoid the riddles and head to the tower?''
But before Yi-Han could decide, rustling sounds emerged from the pile of fireworks, revealing someone he had never seen before.
"A damnation, I cant believe I got caught! What are you doing here!"
"!"
As the stranger swore and raised his staff, Yi-Han instinctively reacted.
"Sharakan, attack! Paralyze him!"
Yi-Han''s training at the magic academy taught him to resist anyone trying to overpower him, no matter who they were.
Even if it were an underling of the skull principal!
''It''s not the punishment room yet! Subdue and then leave...!''
Yi-Han focused intently, determined to overpower his opponent.
He would bring him down and prove his innocence in this situation!
The mage, Ogonin, was not an underling of the skull principal.
He was one of the rather renowned mages of the empire.
...Of course, being famous didn''t mean he wasn''t a thief.
This time, Ogonin was indeed a confirmed thief.
Mages unfamiliar with Einroguard were prone to assumptions.
Unfortunately, Ogonin, despite his fame and skill, knew little about Einroguard.
Thus, many people fell into amon misconception.
Inside, they believed,y countless mysteries and secrets waiting to be discovered!
It wasn''t a wrong assumption.
The difficultyy in entering, finding them, and then safely returning.
However, mages, ever like moths to a me, would dive in if they believed something they sought was there, no matter how impossible.
Ogonin was one such case.
Despite numerous thieves and adventurers entering the festival and getting caught, Ogonin paid no heed.
He disregarded the risks to his reputation or the consequences of being apprehended.
-I must enter and obtain the mysteries at all costs!-
Ogonin''s skills were as notable as his reputation.
This allowed him to sessfully disguise his identity to enter and then evade detection while inside.
But his luck onlysted until he found the pile of fireworks.
Upon discovering the pile (which Ogonin initially failed to identify), he was thrilled by the powerful magic aura it emitted.
-Aha! They must be conducting some research here!-
To conduct a thorough investigation, Ogonin cast a barrier.
-Let the will of the forgotten ones repel any who approach!-
It was a high Circle mental spell, far more potent than any amateurish invisibility or refractive barrier, designed to deter and turn away anyone approaching.
After setting up the barrier, Ogonin was about to examine the fireworks.
...Until a freshman unexpectedly breached it and entered.
''How did he bypass the barrier!?''
Ogonin couldn''t believe that a freshman had simply ignored the barrier with immense mana.
He thought it was a ridiculous mistake on his part.
''Is it because I''m not used to thievery that I''m this nervous... Such a mistake...''
Ogonin knew he had to escape this situation.
If the freshman caught him and word got out, the embarrassment would be immense.
"May the illusion of another consume you!"
Ogonin cast a powerful illusion spell, intending to directly manipte the freshman''s mind and make him see hallucinations.
The unsuspecting student wouldn''t even realize what he had witnessed amidst the unexpected illusions.
"...?"
However, Yi-Han remained unshaken even after being hit by the illusion spell.
He felt a wave of magic force strike him, but...
''What''s this?''
Not understanding why his opponent was doing this, Yi-Han decided to take advantage of the mistake.
He had learned this from his numerous encounters with professors.
Don''t becent.
Subdue when you have the chance!
"sh forth!"
Lightning shed and struck towards Ogonin, who, in shock, rolled to the side.
He was surprised by the unexpected speed of the lightning spell from a freshman, but more so by the fact that his illusion spell had no effect.
''What''s happening here?!''
Ogonin wondered if he had mistaken the opponent for a freshman.
Perhaps a 4th or 5th-year student...
But even then, it didn''t make sense. A 4th or 5th-year student shouldn''t be able to deflect his illusion spells like this.
"May the illusion of another...!"
"sh forth!"
''Ugh!''
The opponent''s magic was undeniably strong, deadly in its force, and incredibly fast in execution.
Normally, Ogonin would have acknowledged this peculiar being resistant to illusion magic and changed his strategy.
But his pride got in the way.
After all, he was renowned in the empire for his illusion magic.
Struggling to overpower a mere student was an unbearable humiliation for him.
"I shall dominate your mind!"
''No. He fights too well!''
Once again, he deflected a powerful illusion spell, but Yi-Han himself was unaware of doing so.
Instead, he marveled at the other''s skill in evasion.
It seemed the opponent had considerable experience in magicbat, judging by how he rolled and dodged every time Yi-Han attempted to cast a spell.
But why did such a person keep using ineffective magic?
''Is he trying to subdue me?''
If he were an underling of the skull principal, it wouldn''t be strange for him to try to subdue the students without harming them... It was unusual, but usible.
Yi-Han gratefully decided to use this apparent consideration to his advantage.
''I can''t afford to end up in the punishment room!''
Yi-Han brandished his staff, furiously gathering mana.
Dozens of water beads rapidly formed in the air. It was then that Ogonin, finally terrified, eximed.
"Wait, wait!"
"Forgive me, Professor!"
"No...!"
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Chapter 159
Chapter 159
Chapter 159
Ogonin, upon realizing that the opposing student harbored a strange misunderstanding, urgently cried out, ...I am not a professor!
Confused, Yi-Han cast a suspicious nce at him, only for Ogonin to btedlyprehend the implications of his own words.
Though a mage of high repute even in the empire, Ogonin was an amateur in the thievery arts, a stark contrast to a seasoned thief who would have chosen his words more carefully.
Realizing his error toote, Ogonin stammered, No... thats not...!
How dare you trick me! the student used.
I havent used any tricks...! Ogonin protested, cut off abruptly.
He found himself unable to offer further exnations or excuses as the students attackmenced.
What... what is this... how could it be?! he thought in dismay.
Ogonin, though startled by the students conjuring of dozens of water orbs, did not believe them to be unblockable. As a mage, he was no stranger to magicbat, having faced such elemental magic before. The sheer number of orbs was intimidating, but he knew that sessfully defending against the frontal assault was key.
As he prepared to retaliate with his illusion magic, the orbs unexpectedly veered off in erratic trajectories and elerated, catching Ogonin off guard once more.
How can this be! How can this be! he thought in panic, dodging to the side.
To the earth, lend me your aid! he cast his spell, as the ground beneath him shifted, attempting to swallow the water orbs.
Yi-Han, undeterred, simply summoned more.
Spring forth! he chanted.
Seeing the student immediately prepare another attack without pause, Ogonin felt as if he were trapped in a nightmare.
Could this be a trap set by Gonadaltes? he wondered, considering the possibility.
Return to your elemental form! Ogonin countered, dispersing the iing orbs with an elemental dispel.
Yet, the student relentlessly conjured more.
I cant win this war of attrition! Ogonin realized, setting aside his pride as a renowned mage in the empire. Repeated humiliations brought rity.
What kind of student is this... I must subdue and escape!
mes, take my form! he decided, abandoning his ineffective illusion magic due to pride.
The fire rose, morphing into an identical replica of Ogonin, a perfect doppelganger indistinguishable from himself.
Yi-Han looked on in astonishment. Ogonin felt a slight restoration of his wounded pride.
...Student, listen to me! I apologize for my rude and panicked words. But I have my own circumstances...
But before he could finish, the sound of a fuse burning reached his ears.
?
Turning around, Ogonin saw his fiery doppelganger igniting a fuse, which led to a volley of fireworks erupting skyward.
Both Yi-Han and Ogonin were left speechless, watching the disy of fireworks.
Next problem! My most favorite thing in my lifetime is
Boom!
?
Whats that?
The students, yawning over a tedious problem, turned their heads.
Behind them, beautiful fireworks embroidered the sky.
Bang! Bang!
Its fireworks!
Oh, has it started already?
The guests, too, rose from their seats, invigorated.
After all, fireworks were among the most beautiful spectacles achievable with magic.
Such fireworks, specially prepared by Einrogard, were a rare sight to behold up close.
No... No... No!?
As the skull principal feigned surprise, guests from the empire burst intoughter.
You truly enjoy a surprise gift!
Studying under such a delightful mentor must bring great joy to the students!
No... Who could... Which cursed scoundrel...?
What did you say?
Silence!
The skull principal revealed his true colors, silencing the imperial guest with a curse of forced muteness. The cursed guest struggled in vain to speak.
What... Who could...!
Blue mes zed in his eyes, leaving a trail behind the soaring skull principal.
Though his tears had dried long ago, the principal wept in spirit.
His n to provide the students with a fun experience of dodging fireworks had been ruined by some wicked individual!
...Its over...
Ogonin, in despair, copsed face down.
Never had he imagined it was a pile of fireworks.
And now, having triggered them, escape was impossible. People would soon gather.
Could this be considered a defeat?
Yi-Han, observing the prostrate Ogonin, pondered his next move.
The right course of action was to render him unconscious to ensure aplete subjugation.
While Ogonin seemed to be a thief, not a professor, there was something peculiarly dignified about him.
If he were to strike andter discover Ogonin was acquainted with one of the professors, it would ce Yi-Han in a precarious situation.
Might you share your circumstances? Yi-Han asked.
What?
Your situation, if you could exin?
You are... Wait. Are you indeed a student?
In his despair, Ogonins curiosity was piqued. Yi-Han nodded affirmatively.
Yes, I am a student.
A fifth-year?
No.
A fourth-year?
No.
A sixth-year?
I am a first-year.
...
Ogonin looked around frantically.
What are you doing?
Looking for a rope to hang myself with...
Please dont.
Yi-Hans attempt to console was futile against Ogonin''s overwhelming despair.
Embarrassed by a freshman in illusion magic, he had inadvertently set the fireworks pile aze!
Feeling as if his entire career as a mage had been negated, Ogoniny there defeated.
Is that so. Um. So...
Yi-Han tried to coax the story out of the despondent mage.
It turned out Ogonin was a specialist in illusion magic, who had once lost an ancient artifact rted to his field in an auction to Gonadaltes. Despite his requests to coborate, Gonadaltes had dismissively told him to buy his own artifact.
Driven to such lengths, Ogonin had resorted to infiltrating the ce to retrieve the artifact himself.
A tear-jerking tale indeed.
This story was particrly moving as it wasn''t about someone else.
In reality, senior students were currently raiding the skull principals storeroom for materials, and soon they might have to target storerooms of other magic academies.
What happened... No, Mr. Ogonin!
Kirmin Ku, a fellow illusion mage and a professor at the magic academy, was the first to arrive and was shocked at the sight.
Why is Ogonin here?
"If you wereing, why didnt you just call...
Professor Kirmin, observing the fireworks exploding in the background and the prone figure of Ogonin, nced back and forth between the two, quickly grasping the situation.
Did you, Mr. Ogonin, set off these fireworks?
Yes.
...Wardanaz. May I ask a favor of you?
Want me to pretend ignorance in front of the principal?
You really are...
Professor Kirmin was lost for words, astounded by the situation.
Yes, I ask this favor of you. It''s not a demand, of course. After all, it''s true that Ogonin tried to meddle with the principal''s treasure...
No, it''s fine.
!
You are a friend of the professor, arent you?
...Thank you. Wardanaz. I will surely repay this kindness.
Professor Kirmin was genuinely moved.
Unlike Bagrak, Bagraks disciple was a warm-hearted andpassionate mage.
How could such a studente from Bagrak''s tutge...!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As the fireworks continued to burst, the skull principal arrived on the scene.
He observed Yi-Han, Professor Kirmin, and Ogonin, and likewise quickly understood the situation.
Daring to set fire at someone else''s festival just because of a rejected research coboration!?
Ah... No...
Principal. We do not know what happened. The fireworks were already aze when we arrived.
Stunned by this unexpected betrayal, the skull principal was taken aback.
After all, Professor Kirmin Ku was a fellow illusion mage and friend of Ogonin.
It wasn''t surprising for him to take Ogonins side.
These illusion mages...!
Such an unbelievable excuse...! As if the fireworks set themselves alight!?
Principal Gonadaltes.
Professor Kirmin spoke firmly.
If Mr. Ogonin had deliberately set the fire, he wouldnt have reason to stay.
For the first time in a long while, the skull principal was at a loss for words, his eye sockets only moving.
It was a perfectly logical argument.
Why indeed would Ogonin set the fireworks aze and remain at the scene?
Principal! The fireworks are truly beautiful!
To witness such a spectacle...!
Bang! Boom! Bang!
Fortunately, before the principal could ponder further, excited guests arrived, creating a diversion.
Seizing the opportunity, Professor Kirmin urgently spoke.
Mr. Ogonin, you must leave quickly.
Th... Thank you. And...
This student is Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family.
Upon hearing Professor Kirmins words, Ogonin nodded, his eyes brimming with tears.
I am truly grateful. I will not forget your name. I swear by the name of magic, I will repay this debt.
Hurry!
Ogonin quickly departed, knowing he would be in a bad situation if caught by the skull principal.
Meanwhile, the skull principal, busy entertaining the guests, realized the truth toote.
He was exposed by Wardanaz! Illusion magic wouldnt work directly on someone from Wardanaz!
What are you talking about...
Where did Ogonin go? Has he already fled?!
The skull principal gritted his teeth.
On reflection, it was clear that Yi-Han had interfered.
The gap between a freshman and a renowned mage of the empire was too great to consider initially...
Butparing theirpatibility, it was entirely usible!
Otherwise, there would be no reason for Ogonin to set off the fireworks and remain at the scene.
Just you wait... Ogonin! I will avenge this festivals grudge!
Let''s escape quickly.
Professor Kirmin swiftly left the scene with Yi-Han.
Remaining there any longer would have served no good purpose.
On the Friday after the festival had concluded, the visiting guests had all departed. The once bustling ce was now empty, but the students were still abuzz with talk of the festival.
Did you see the fireworks yesterday? They were beautiful.
Were they created with enchantment magic? Maybe well learn that in a couple of weeks?
However, Yi-Han was slightly tense.
He was soon to meet with the skull principal.
Many students had earned the privilege to leave the academy premises this week, so they were all gathered to meet with the skull principal.
Yi-Han had two such leave permits. One from before, and another newly obtained from Professor Bdi this week.
He wouldn''t hold a grudge against me for yesterday''s incident, would he?
Yi-Han remained silent, but...
Given the skull principals temperament, even silence could be taken amiss.
Has everyone arrived?
Yes!
Did you enjoy the festival?
Yes!
But when the skull principal appeared, he was neither aze with rage nor shing with madness.
He looked sullen and calm.
Thank goodness... No. I cant let my guard down.
As the skull principal greeted the students, he fixed a piercing gaze on Yi-Han as he approached.
Is there a problem?
Are you close with Ogonin?
What? No, I am not.
I see.
Yi-Han managed his expression almost perfectly. There was not a hint of a giveaway.
...Until he heard what the skull principal said next.
"Then you can join me for an outing next time."
...
Yi-Han did not ask where the outing was headed.
He felt he already knew, without having to ask.
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Chapter 160
Chapter 160
"How could I possibly refuse such a delightful opportunity?" he dered.
I knew you wouldnt refuse.
The teacher and student exchanged wordsden with hidden agendas.
The skull principal, having finished his announcement, surveyed the gathered students, each holding the leave permit in their hand.
Revenge against the festival-spoiling Ogonin would have to wait; for now, he needed to deal with... rather, attend to the students before him.
"Are all the students present?" he asked.
"Yes!" they responded in unison.
"Blessed be thy fortunes and skills in treasure hunting during the festival, I, Gonadaltes, bestow upon thee my blessing."
"Thank you...?"
"Why is he suddenly like this?"
"Is he in a good mood because of the festival?"
The students whispered among themselves, confused, but Yi-Han, who knew the truth, saw it differently. The very embodiment of terror!
"I grant thee, the ironheads venturing out, freedom and licentiousness from Saturday''s sunrise until Sunday''s. Gather at the academy''s main gate before dawn."
"We understand!"
''The beginning,'' he thought.
"Wait a moment," Yi-Han called, halting the dispersing students as the skull principal vanished.
They tensed up, wary.
"Be careful, everyone!"
"Wardanaz. Remember Tutanta''s words? Don''t fall for it."
"Don''t show your leave permit! Hide it!"
...
Despite the chilly response from his friends, Yi-Han remained unfazed. Prophets are often persecuted, after all.
"Friends, hear me out."
"We''re listening, Wardanaz. Speak."
The students from other towers stepped back to create distance, then waited for Yi-Han''s exnation.
Yi-Han began calmly, "So, the thing is..."
Five minutester.
The students looked at Yi-Han with peculiar expressions, as if to say, ''That''s a bit much, isn''t it?''
"It''s true."
"...That''s a bit much, isn''t it...?"
"That makes no sense."
"Why would he go to such lengths... but it''s possible."
"That''s true, but still."
''No, they''re actually listening better than I expected,'' Yi-Han realized, surprised at their more positive reaction than anticipated.
It was due more to the skull principal''s infamous reputation for evil than Yi-Han''s own actions.
"But how did youe to know all this?"
"That''s..."
"He''s Wardanaz, of course he would know."
"Of course."
The other tower students, questioning and answering among themselves, left Yi-Han puzzled.
What exactly was obvious to them?
"Wardanaz. So, why are you telling us this story?"
"Are you asking for our leave permits in return?"
"No. Now that it''se to this, we must all cooperate to ovee the crisis."
The students from the White Tiger and the ck Tortoise fell into deep thought.
"Ah... should we ept this?"
"Moradi, what do you think?"
"It seems risky, doesn''t it?"
"But if the principal really set a trap..."
The students, engrossed in serious discussions among themselves, prompted Yi-Han to turn to his friends from the Blue Dragon.
"Do I seem that unreliable?"
"Of course not, Wardanaz. Those fools are just blind, skeptical, andcking in discernment."
"It''s ridiculous! Wardanaz is trying to save us, yet they act like this! Sure, Wardanaz did attack the lounge and beat up some guys from the White Tiger, but that was a kind of lesson, wasn''t it?"
"It could be seen as a teaching."
''I shouldn''t have asked,'' he thought.
The White Tiger and ck Tortoise students, after a lengthy debate of ''Is Yi-Han scarier or is the skull principal?'', came to a conclusion.
"Alright, Wardanaz. We''ll join you."
"We''ll move together, but once we leave the main gate, we''ll split up."
"Right. I have no intention of hanging around with you guys outside either."
"And don''t even think of using us as cannon fodder."
"Understood."
"Don''t send us in first if there''s a trap, don''t use us as test subjects for your magic, don''t make us..."
"...Got it. I understand."
Yi-Han resolved to clear up the misunderstandings the White Tiger students had about this outing. Misunderstandings, built up due to the strict academy rules, lingered.
''The academy breeds these misunderstandings,'' he mused.
The students heading out from the Blue Dragon were as follows: Yi-Han, Gainando, Yonaire, and Asan.
"What will you do once we''re out, Gainando?"
"First, I''ll buy a new card set..."
"...Not cards!"
"Enough with the card games!"
His friends eximed, fed up with Gainando''s obsession. Gainando was known as the top card yer in the Blue Dragon. Not for his skills, but because once he started ying, he wouldn''t stop until he won.
"But there''s a new card set this month..."
"I need to buy some books."
"I want snacks."
"Is alcohol an option?"
"Alcohol will get us caught at the gate."
Watching his friends'' light-hearted conversation, Yi-Han felt a pang of regret.
Such a carefree attitude.
With that mindset, they were bound to get hurt during the outing.
"I''ll head to a cafe first..."
"You''re wrong, Gainando."
"Huh?"
"Don''t be so sure we can even get past the main gate."
"Uh... What?"
"Be prepared. Think of it as taking an early midterm. Go to bed early, don''t y around. We''ll gather with students from the other towers and head to the main gate before dawn."
Yi-Han advised seriously and walked away. He nned to go to bed early. Tomorrow, a fierce battle awaited them at dawn.
As Yi-Han headed to his room, Gainando tilted his head in confusion.
"Why is Yi-Han acting like this?"
"Wardanaz isn''t one to speak without reason. Shouldn''t you be getting some sleep?"
"No, it''s fine. It''s fine. Anyone up for a round of cards?"
"Please, let''s do something else..."
"Aaagh! Aaaaaah!"
Gainando screamed, ducking his head. Yi-Han quickly pulled him back.
"Step back! Shield, form!"
Yi-Han summoned a massive water shield.
A sticky green liquid, flung from a distance, sshed against the water shield.
"What is that?!"
"Sleep inducer! Don''t touch the liquid! It''ll force you into sleep!"
The other tower students had harbored doubts when Yi-Han had warned them seriously.
Would the principal really do something like that?
He''s still the principal, is he capable of this?
Is Wardanaz trying to deceive us?
But any such doubts vanished as soon as they started towards the main gate at dawn. Bizarre nt-like monsters appeared, shooting green liquid blobs.
"Those who can, create shields! Yonaire, the thing you prepared!"
"Here!"
Yonaire pulled out a potion bottle and passed it around.
"Throw it!"
The White Tiger students crouched and did as told. The sound of shattering ss followed by rising mes enveloped the area.
With a whoosh, the mes engulfed their target.
"Wardanaz...!"
The students from the White Tiger were genuinely astonished as the Sleep Catcher, affected by the me potion, ceased its attack and iled helplessly. They were amazed not only by the prediction of a trap but also by the uracy in anticipating its exact nature.
One student from the ck Tortoise asked in disbelief, "Wardanaz, how did you know that monster would appear?"
"I''ve faced it myself before."
The students were stunned into silence.
What!? Could this be a scheme of the Wardanaz family?
''How outrageous!''
Of course, the Wardanaz family had not orchestrated this. Yi-Han''s familiarity with the lurking monsters came from his experience hunting down escapees with the warehouse keeper.
He had thoroughly studied these monsters, knowing he would have to face them again. And he knew how to counter them. He had spent the entire Friday preparing to confront these monsters.
"The monster is down!"
"Wait! Don''t approach rashly."
"Go and make sure it''s really finished..."
A hasty student from the White Tiger was about to rush forward when Yi-Han struck his back with a staff.
Thwack!
"I said to wait!"
"Sorry, sorry."
Sure enough, the Sleep Catcher suddenly rose again, feigning death.
"Throw another!"
Another round sk flew through the air.
The Sleep Catcher, a pesky creature, would shoot sleep-inducing green liquid from afar and engulf its prey up close. But knowing this, it wasn''t hard to counter. Sturdy defenses and targeting its weak points from behind were the key.
Thump!
"It''s down."
"Good. Let''s move."
Yi-Han urged the students, who had until recently been wary of him, suspecting that ''Wardanaz might target us'' or ''Wardanaz might steal our outing permits''. Their attitudes had now changed.
First, they had to ovee the skull principal''s trap!
"Moradi, maybe Wardanaz was really trying to help us this time..."
"Don''t be foolish."
Before Jijel could respond, a student from the ck Tortoise, one of the Salko gang, interrupted.
"Wardanaz is just training you like a pet. You''re already dancing on his palm."
"What... what?"
"Soon, you''ll find yourself blindly following Wardanaz''s orders. For those of you who dont have a strong leader like Tutanta..."
"Hey, buzz off."
"Those guys are really annoying."
The White Tiger students, annoyed, pushed away the ck Tortoise students. Their animosity wasn''t limited to the Blue Dragon; they disliked the ck Tortoise just as much.
"Moradi, don''t mind what they say."
"I''m not. But what about Ango Alpha?"
"Huh?"
Ango flinched at Jijel''s call.
"Do you have an outing permit? I don''t recall hearing about it."
"Ah... well, it''s..."
The satyr student hesitated, then confessed.
"It''s a fake."
"A fake?"
"Yes, a fake."
Ango revealed the story behind the fake outing permit. Wardanaz had made it for him, and they had talked about it when they met by chance the day before.
-"That outing permit. Its better to use it when many students are going out, right? That way, youre less likely to get caught."-
-"Indeed! Wardanaz, I must admit, youre quite shrewd."-
-"Of course. I''m saying this all for your benefit."-
Jijel looked at Ango with a gaze that could only be described as contempt, as if beholding the world''s most foolish person.
To think he woulde out with a fake outing permit given by Wardanaz?
"Are you aware of the danger?" Jijel prodded.
"I know, Moradi. But if I miss this chance, I might not be able to leave until the end of the semester...!"
Jijel inwardly clicked her tongue in frustration. It seemed unlikely that any warnings would be heeded. She nodded her head in resignation.
"Do as you wish."
"Uh, okay! Thanks!"
While they were conversing, Yi-Han called Ango over.
"Ango,e here. I''ll cast an enhancement spell on you."
"Doesn''t Wardanaz seem unusually kind to Ango?"
"Yeah. Maybe it''s because they fought together on the indst time?"
"..."
Yi-Han summoned fire and light to create a path.
Then, he instructed Sharakan to lure out the lurking shadow monsters.
The shadow monsters fiercely raced along the path made of fire and light. Immediately, Yi-Han sealed off the entrance to the path.
-!
"Caught them. Let''s go."
The confrontation ended swiftly, without any fight ormotion.
Gainando voiced what the others were only thinking.
"But it seems like Yi-Han could havee alone..."
"Shh. Be quiet."
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Chapter 161
Chapter 161
Was the distance to the main gate always this far?
One of the students from the ck Tortoise mused internally.
It was still dark before dawn, casting a dim shadow around. Perhaps because of that, the atmosphere felt more tense and frightening.
"Wait. Stay put while I prepare."
One thing was certain, though.
That boy from the Wardanaz family...
Was truly a reliable ally when on the same side!
He cast various enhancement spells on the students, held potions suitable for the situation, and even summoned creatures to methodically deal with monsters one by one. His actions were nothing short of admirable.
"All clear. Let''s move."
Yi-Han, havingpleted his check, returned to the gathered students.
As he did, dawn began to break behind him, casting a faint light that seemed to emanate from behind his head.
The ck Tortoise student was momentarily overwhelmed by this almost sacred scene.
"The sun... the sun is..."
"It''s bound to rise. Let''s go."
"..."
"Do you want to be hit, or will you just go?"
"Im going, Im going."
As Yi-Han aimed his staff, the ck Tortoise student snapped out of his trance.
I must have lost my mind for a moment!
The skull principal floated in front of the main gate, waiting for the students. His anticipation felt like the excitement of waiting for a first love.
"How many do you think have fallen?"
"I''m not sure."
Boring. But surely at least a third must have fallen. Were the sleep catchers ced at the front?
"Yes."
Pleased with the warehouse keeper''s response, the skull principal smiled.
To the unsuspecting students, the sleep catchers were deadly monsters. By now, several must have been whisked away to dreand.
And the shadow monsters?
"Yes."
Excellent. The sun is still weak, making them a challenging foe for the students.
Shadow monsters were a tricky adversary for students without prior preparation.
The skull principal waited excitedly.
Then his expression turned serious.
...Why are there so many of them?
"It seems the new students are quite skilled."
Frustrated by the warehouse keeper''s reasonable response, the principal was incredulous.
No matter how skilled, it''s impossible for all these ironheads to reach the main gate without a single dropout!
"They seem to have joined forces."
The principal shifted his gaze at the mention of this.
He then looked at Yi-Han among the students.
Yi-Han appeared oblivious, but the principal had already guessed the situation.
...Come here for a moment.
The principal called Yi-Han aside and asked:
"Do you have anyints about my educational policy?"
"What do you mean... Of course not," Yi-Han replied, feigning surprise.
Internally, however, he had other thoughts.
''How did he know?''
Imagine this. You''re ying by the river, and one of your friends falls into the water, struggling. What would you do?
"Usually, one would help, right?"
Let''s say you did. I think it''s a foolish and stupid act, but let''s assume you did! But then, another friend falls in and struggles.
"Oh dear..."
Is the river''s name Einrogard, by any chance?
Looking around, you see one more, and yet another... Friends drowning everywhere! Think about it. Can you save them all?
"It seems impossible."
Exactly! It''s realistically impossible. Therefore, you must teach your friends to get out of the water by themselves
"Rather than that, shouldn''t we find out why friends keep falling into the river and prevent it?"
The skull principal was momentarily speechless, struck by an unexpected point.
''Oops.''
Yi-Han immediately regretted his words.
He should have just listened quietly, but his tongue had its own ns...
...We''ll see! One day, those friends you''ve saved will betray you!
Annoyed, the skull principal muttered under his breath and turned away.
''He''s misunderstanding something.''
Despite the principal''s curse, Yi-Han was not concerned.
Because...
He hadn''t done all this to save his friends. He had joined forces with them not to rescue them from the river, but to avoid being attacked if he went alone.
Perhaps due to his own wickedness, the skull principal always seemed to think Yi-Han was excessively good-hearted.
"Ango, are you alright?"
"Uh... Huh? I''m fine?"
"That''s good."
Yi-Han patted Ango''s shoulder, who appeared even more bewildered.
''Why... Why is he acting like this?''
Although it was strange, Ango felt more reassured when Wardanaz was being prickly. A kind Wardanaz was several times more frightening than a prickly one.
Yi-Han looked at Ango with an expectant expression.
''How will he find out?''
Passed.
"...?!"
However, dismayed by the unexpected result, the skull principal opened the main gate without properly checking the exit pass.
The students burst out of the gate with shouts of joy.
"We made it! Thanks, Wardanaz! You''re a genius!!"
Among them, Ango''s joy was particrly immense.
He had passed the main gate with a fake exit pass, not a real one.
"..."
Yi-Han''s expression hardened.
''This guy. He''s not helpful at all.''
He had wanted to see how the principal checked the magic of the exit pass, but...
"What''s wrong?"
"That''s great."
Yi-Han abruptly turned away.
The White Tiger students were puzzled by his sudden change.
"Why is he like that?"
"Maybe he''s embarrassed because you''re so grateful?"
"There''s something off about that Wardanaz guy."
As Yi-Han returned, Gainando spoke with an excited voice.
"Yi-Han! Shall we go to the card shop first? Or the cafe?"
"Gainando."
"?"
"Do you even have money?"
"...!"
After passing through the main gate, the students dispersed, heading towards the nearest town, Philonae.
However, none of them realized the most important problem.
...They had no money!
Gainando''s face fell as he faced this sudden reality.
"Can''t we just promise to payter?"
"Gainando. There''s no need for that."
Asan spoke confidently.
"Surely, our families must be waiting in Philonae Town."
"Ah!"
Of course, the Dargard family, as well as the other students'' families, would have prepared mansions in Philonae Town.
It was a given for noble families in the empire.
However, Yi-Han looked at Asan with a pitying expression.
He would soon face reality.
10 minutester.
"..."
"..."
Asan and Gainando stared at each other, faces nk.
"Why, why aren''t they here?"
"They went to Granden City..."
"Why??"
"I don''t know. You know how unpredictable mages can be, right?"
The townspeople shrugged their shoulders and walked past.
The shock that the two students felt was akin to hearing the news that the sky had fallen.
"I have a good idea."
Gainando spoke urgently.
"What''s the idea?"
"Let''s go to a wealthy person in the town, mention our family''s name, and borrow some money."
"Are we beggars!?"
Asan was appalled by Gainando''s suggestion.
It wasn''t just about borrowing money; it was about dragging their family''s honor through the mud for a few coins.
The thought of a noble of the empire resorting to such disgraceful acts was unthinkable.
"..."
Yi-Han inwardly scoffed at the idea.
''You can borrow, you know...''
Even nobles have to borrow money if they don''t have any. Would they rather starve?
"Everyone, stop it. I have money."
"What? Where did you get it?"
"I borrowed it with coteral."
"Typical Wardanaz."
"..."
Asan praised Yi-Han while Gainando red at him murderously.
"Hey... When I suggested borrowing, you called me a beggar...!"
"Borrowing in the name of our family and borrowing with coteral are different things, Gainando."
Asan looked at Gainando as if he was saying something absurd.
''This guy...''
Determined to crush Asan with a newly purchased card set at the store, Gainando moved on.
''Wait? But what did Yi-Han use as coteral?''
"Isn''t that the warehouse transporter fromst time!"
The shopkeeper, upon seeing Yi-Han, immediately jumped up from his seat and rushed out.
His face lit up with joy as if he had met an angel in hell.
"Why is he so happy to see him?"
"Yeah, why?"
The friends soon understood why.
"The time you bought several weeks'' worth of stock in one go and carried it away is still a hot topic around here."
"Stop calling me the warehouse transporter, it''s embarrassing."
"Why? It''s an honorable title..."
The shopkeeper didn''t understand Yi-Han''s reaction.
Wasn''t it an honorable title symbolizing a big spender in the shopping district?
"Hey, Dargard. Look at this. It''s a new card set!"
"Yeah."
"Wow...! The principal is in it too!"
"Then buy it."
Asan answered nonchntly, and Gainando frowned.
"No. The principal card is trash. It has too many penalties to be used properly."
"Is that so."
While Gainando and Asan were ying in the toy corner, Yi-Han and Yonaire had a serious conversation.
"I don''t think we need fabric right now. Let''s focus on food supplies."
"We''re running low on sugar... The canned goods are fine, but the snacks and candies are all gone."
"Can''t be helped. Still, it''s much better thanst time."
"Thinking about it now... How did you carry everythingst time?"
Yi-Han didn''t respond.
Reflecting on it, it seemed like a foolish thing to have done.
''This time, we should carry it in parts.''
With the remaining resources and more people, it would certainly be more manageable thanst time.
"That should be about it. As long as we buy everything before sunset, we have plenty of time."
"Yi-Han. Can I buy this?"
Gainando approached tentatively, holding a card set. Yi-Han nodded. It was Gainando''s money, after all.
"The problem is the midterm exams. I need to buy some books on geometry. I couldn''t find anything useful in the library."
"Yi-Han. Can I buy this too?"
Gainando came back, holding a self-moving toy set. Yi-Han nodded again.
"We might also need some alchemy books."
"Definitely. It''s so hard to find books about materials in the library."
They wondered why the academy couldn''t provide the necessary books, forcing students to buy their own...
But now, Yi-Han and Yonaire no longerined about such things.
"Perhaps. Maybe the library doesn''t provide books to those without skills."
It was the systematically well-organized libraries that were the exception. Themon ones were more like chaoticbyrinths...
"Yi-Han. Can I buy this too...?"
"Ah! Just buy whatever you want!"
Yonaire shouted, startling Gainando.
"There''s no need to get so angry..."
"Wait a moment."
Yi-Han spotted a familiar face outside the store window.
It was Baldoorn, the skilled illusionist who had taught Yi-Han the basics of dispelling illusion magic.
"Do you know him?"
"That''s the mage who taught me magicst time. Baldoorn! Mr. Baldoorn!"
Baldoorn, who was passing by the street, turned his head when he heard his name and was surprised.
The new student from Einrogard he had met before had appeared in the town again.
And this time, he had brought his friends with him!
''No... No, how can a first-year studente out so often??''
Had the rules changed?
As Baldoorn hesitated in his confusion, Yi-Han approached with his friends.
"This is Mr. Baldoorn, a skilled illusionist. Thanks to him, I was able to break through illusion magic. Oh, and Mr. Baldoorn, thanks to what you taught mest time, I was safe when facing another illusionist."
"Whom did you encounter?"
Baldoorn, still perplexed, asked almost absent-mindedly.
Why would a first-year student be dealing with another illusionist?
"His name was, I think, Ogonin..."
"Excuse me???"
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Chapter 162
Chapter 162
"May I receive your teachings again, as I did before? The examination is approaching, and I wish to be prepared," the student said, casually overlooking the significance of the name just mentioned. This left Baldoorn speechless.
He had intended to let it pass, but this was something he could not ignore.
"What did you just say?" Baldoorn inquired.
"I said I want to learn from you..."
"No, no, before that! You mentioned meeting a certain illusionist, didn''t you?"
"It was Ogonin. But, Mr. Baldoorn, that''s hardly important right now."
''How can that not be important!''
Baldoorn screamed internally.
Anyone in the Empire familiar with illusion magic would recognize the name Ogonin. He was renowned for creating highly refined, jewel-like masterpieces of illusion magic, and his grimoires were revered like scripture by young illusionists. Baldoorn had even invested his entire fortune to acquire a copy of Ogonin''s grimoire.
If he could obtain even one spell being developed by the group of illusionists led by Ogonin, the Dream Mirage, Baldoorn would willingly sell his soul.
''Wait. Could it be someone with the same name? An impostor, perhaps.''
Baldoorn''s mind raced.
It was unlikely that a freshman could survive an encounter with an illusionist like Ogonin. It must be a namesake or an imposter, or perhaps a misunderstanding!
"What magic did he use? Do you remember any spells?"
Baldoorn asked urgently, to which Asan expressed slight admiration.
"Your focus on magic first is truly remarkable."
"Yeah, it shows you''re really serious about magic."
Ignoring the freshmen''s murmurs, Baldoorn focused solely on Yi-Han.
"The spell was something like, ''May the illusion of another consume you!'' or ''I shall dominate your mind!'' It seemed like that."
Baldoorn''s mouth fell open in disbelief.
''Impossible!''
Just hearing the spells, Baldoorn immediately recognized the nature of the magic. These specific spells were not something a freshman could fabricate. They were high-level illusion spells, powerful beyond Baldoorn''s own daring.
''How on earth... How could he have met Mage Ogonin?''
While Baldoorn was in a state of panic, Yi-Han repeated his request.
"Mr. Baldoorn, if it''s alright, may I ask for your teachings once more?"
"...Uh... Yes? Yes!"
"Thank you! Everyone, rejoice. He has agreed."
"Yes??"
Baldoorn, stunned and out of sorts, btedly regained his senses.
The freshmen were pping their hands in joy.
"Thank you!"
"No... no... I... I''m not qualified to teach anyone!"
How could he possibly teach a freshman who had bested Ogonin?
Baldoorn''s face turned pale.
Then Asan expressed admiration again.
"So modest too..."
"He''s different from the other professors, isn''t he?"
"Right? Exceptional people are just different."
''I''m going mad.''
Baldoorn wanted to flee, but the freshmen of the Blue Dragon wouldn''t let him go.
In the end, Baldoorn had no choice but to be dragged away like a prisoner being led to the gallows.
"...Never say you learned it from me."
"I wish our professors would learn from Mr. Baldoorn too!"
''I really shouldn''t hit him, right?''
Baldoorn thought to himself as he looked at the endlessly chattering Gainando.
"Indeed..."
"Thank you. You''ve cleared up my confusion."
In the cafe, the Blue Dragon students each ordered a cup of chocte and bombarded Baldoorn with various questions.
Baldoorn answered desperately, fighting for survival.
The students couldn''t help but be satisfied with his earnest efforts.
''Ah, this person truly knows how to teach well!''
"I won''t forget what I learned today."
"I''ll make sure to review it when I return."
"Tha... That''s really good..."
''Please, let me leave soon...''
Baldoorn''s voice was already half-drained, a result of his intense nervousness.
Who would have thought he''d end up teaching illusion magic to the freshmen of Einroguard...
''Are the professors going toe out and kill me?''
While sipping his cup and organizing what he had learned, Yi-Han saw someone passing by and shouted.
"Priestess Tijiling!"
"!"
The priests of the Immortal Phoenix, walking by, paused at the sight of the students from the Blue Dragon inside the cafe.
"Where is everyone heading?"
"We''re going to pay our respects at our respective temples..."
Unlike students from other towers, those from the Immortal Phoenix weren''t bothered by theck of money. They mostly didn''t intend to spend any, as they could stay at their Order''s temple in the town.
"But since you''re out, why not have a drink? Come on, sit down."
Yi-Han led the Immortal Phoenix priests into the cafe.
He then smoothly ordered a session of desserts and drinks.
By the time the priests realized what was happening, freshly baked cheesecake and hot chocte were already served at the cafe table.
"There''s no need to treat us like this..."
One of the priests said in a very apologetic voice. Yi-Han waved it off as if it were nothing.
"Treating friends is my pleasure."
Yi-Han didn''t explicitly say, ''Speak well of me at your Order.'' The priests, being kind, would do more than what they had received in return for the meal.
"And this is just tea or coffee. I understand they are often drunk at temples to stay awake."
The priests responded to Yi-Han''sment as if it were absurd.
"Tea and coffee are different from such precious desserts. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
"That''s right. We appreciate it, but such desserts are different from tea or coffee. Eating them often could be criticized as extravagant and wasteful."
"..."
Priestess Tijiling, eating cake beside them, flinched and then looked at Yi-Han. Yi-Han ignored her.
"But who is this person?"
Before Yi-Han could answer, Asan and Gainando excitedly spoke up.
"This is Mr. Baldoorn, a master of illusion magic..."
"No, I''m not! I''m not!!"
"Modest and intellectual."
"I''m not..."
"Could we also receive your teachings?"
"..."
Under the hopeful gazes of the gathered students, Baldoorn couldn''t bring himself to refuse.
''Why did I even go out today...''
One hourter.
"Thank you!"
"I had many concerns about learning illusion magic, but..."
"You really mustn''t say you learned from me... Really...!"
"Don''t worry, Mr. Baldoorn. We will honor your wishes."
As the priests finished their questions, Yi-Han, who had finished tidying up, spoke.
"Mr. Baldoorn, by the way, where were you headed today?"
"I was going to buy some dinner and get a useful artifact from a workshop..."
Baldoorn, who had spoken without much thought, realized he had made a mistake.
The first-year students were all listening with intense interest.
"May we visit as well?"
"..."
''I should have just said I was going home...''
Baldoorn felt like crying.
"...None."
"..."
The White Tiger students were thest to grasp the situation.
Realizing the harsh reality that not a single family estate was left, the students from the White Tiger trembled with shock and anger.
"Why has ite to this...!"
"Have they gone mad?!"
"Why insult knights to such an extent! We''ll see after graduation! Really!"
In front of the trembling White Tiger students, the ck Tortoise students appeared.
Surprisingly, each student from the ck Tortoise was holding arge lollipop, a luxurious symbol of wealth.
"What...?!"
"Tsk tsk. Looks like they couldn''t get any money."
Bandur, one of Salko''s gang, clicked his tongue in a pitying manner. The eyebrows of the White Tiger students raised.
"The high prestige of families... the shining honor... What use are these without money. Ha ha ha!"
"This guy?!"
"Hold back. We''re in the town."
Friends stopped a White Tiger student who was about to react.
Ango asked in disbelief.
"Where did you get the money? You didn''t steal it, did you?"
"What? Steal? As always, White Tiger guys can only think that way."
The ck Tortoise students looked offended.
How dare they suspect theft first.
"We got our money through legitimate and honorable trade."
"Trade?! How!?"
"Why should I tell you? Even if I did, you wouldn''t be able to do it."
Bandur spoke with a voice full of pride.
The ck Tortoise students were known for operating a ck market within the academy and for being adept at finding discarded artifacts.
Bandur had exchanged these artifacts for money. Even damaged and iplete artifacts were valuable outside.
"This... profit."
"Don''t fall for it. It''s a useless provocation."
Jijel realized arguing further would only please the opponent. There was no need to respond to such provocation.
Someday, they would get their revenge.
"Should we borrow money using our family''s name?"
"Ango. Hold back. That''s what beggars do...!"
Meanwhile, the group of freshmen surrounding Baldoorn appeared on the opposite side of the street.
"!"
"Are those from the Blue Dragon... and the Immortal Phoenix priests?"
Bandur was pleased to see the group of freshmen.
Even if Wardanaz was the top of their year, he wouldn''t have managed to get money like Bandur and his friends.
That was something the high nobility couldn''t do.
"Wardanaz! Need money?! I can lend you some!"
"No, I''m good. I have plenty."
"...?!"
Bandur was taken aback.
Looking closely, he saw that Yi-Han and the other students were also holding lollipops, each twice as big as those of the ck Tortoise students.
Gainando looked at the candy in Bandur''s hand, then at his own, and smirked. Bandur felt very annoyed.
"How did you...?"
"Where did you get it?"
Responding to Yi-Han''s question, Bandur answered meekly.
"We, we exchanged artifacts we found before."
"Which shop did you exchange them at?"
"At the shop..."
"Ah, you suffered a loss there. Don''t exchange at that ce next time. I''ve heard they buy artifacts a bit cheaply. There are better ces than that..."
Bandur was captivated by Yi-Han''s words.
Yi-Han''s voice held a savvy that resembled that of a guild member who had roamed this town for a long time.
"...Got it?"
"I get it, thanks. ...But how do you know all this?"
"I looked into it when I was nning to exchange artifacts myself."
"..."
''I''ve lost!''
Bandur had never felt this way before, not even when Yi-Han was praised as the top student of their year, nor when he disyed magic that other students couldn''t replicate.
Deep inside, Bandur had to admit to himself.
''I''ve been bested...!''
"But who is this person?"
Yi-Han''s friends answered first.
"The greatest illusionist."
"A master of illusion magic."
"And he said he would show us to the artifact shop."
''I never said that...''
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Chapter 163
Chapter 163
Chapter 163
Students from the White Tiger and the ck Tortoise shared onemonality: despite their feelings towards Yi-Han, whether dislike or wariness, they all acknowledged his exceptional magic abilities.
Jijel pondered to herself, "If Wardanaz speaks so highly of him, he must truly be a remarkable mage."
Its an honor to meet you, the students from the White Tiger greeted, disying knightly courtesy. However, Baldoorn, feeling ufortable as if sitting on pins and needles, was not uplifted by such greetings; it only made him feel more suffocated.
They are knights, aren''t they? he thought, feeling even more burdened by the polite greetings of the freshmen who seemed to hail from knightly families. He wondered if they might turn on him with their swords upon learning the truth.
Shall we go together? proposed Yi-Han. The other tower students hesitated. The ck Tortoise students eventually nodded, but the White Tiger students couldnt, for they had no money.
Ah, no money, Yi-Han noted, understandingly. As the White Tiger students bristled, he added, Ill lend you some.
What?
Ill lend it to you. Of course, with a small interest
Wardanaz
Ango looked at Yi-Han with disbelief. Considering Bandurs earlier boastful disy with a few silver coins, this was a surprisingly generous offer.
Why, though?
Yi-Han felt immensely ufortable under Angos shining gaze.
Did I say Id give it for free? Im lending it with interest, right?
I heard you, Wardanaz. Thank you.
Is this guy crazy? Yi-Han thought, puzzled by Angos reaction, as he couldnt know what had transpired between the White Tiger and ck Tortoise students before their arrival.
Why be moved by a loan with interest?
Thats good, Im d, Yi-Han awkwardly responded as Ango extended a hand for a handshake. Yi-Han stepped back, creating distance, and Ango lowered his hand, looking embarrassed.
Wardanaz seeing you makes me feel ashamed of my earlier boast with a few silver coins.
Whats with this guy now? thought Yi-Han, baffled by the ck Tortoise student who approached him with a self-assured expression.
What had happened before his arrival?
I never understood what the great noble families meant by honor, but now I see it firsthand.
What conversation did you have beforeing?
I didnt believe in such things until I saw them with my own eyes.
Beforeing, what conversation did you have...
Theres no denying it
Will you tell me straight, or should I guess?
Why, why are you doing this, Wardanaz?
Later, Yi-Han regretted not charging more interest after understanding the full situation.
With such circumstances, the White Tiger students would have epted even a higher interest rate.
Here we are.
The shop with the sign looked quite suspicious and dim, the kind of ce students wouldnt normally enter without good reason.
But the gathered students didnt hesitate.
Baldoorn must have chosen it for a reason.
If Wardanaz, who is said to be a great mage, introduced it, it must be trustworthy.
Of course, its reliable.
Lets go in!
I juste here because its cheap
The owner of had never seen so many freshmen from the magic academy venture out all at once.
Initially, it was unthinkable for students of the magic academy to visit . "Why here?" was the question on everyone''s mind. In the Empire, items and artifacts imbued with semi-permanent magic were exceedingly expensive. Consequently, people didn''t just buy artifacts from any ce; they sought them from the workshops of renowned mages for verification.
However, not everyone sought only safe and certified artifacts. Damaged or partially broken artifacts, those taken out during experiments or research, or those that failed to achieve their intended purpose were also in demand. The reason was simple: they were cheap!
There were many who needed artifacts butcked funds. They were the usual clientele of , a shop specializing in buying and selling used, damaged, and iplete artifacts.
Why would students from a magic academy visit here? wondered the shop owner. The arrival of adventurers was usual, but not students.
Wow, what variety!
What kind of cloak is this? Seems enchanted.
It''s no ordinary ce if Baldoorn frequents it.
Baldoorns face flushed red with embarrassment.
Everyone, please... lower your voices
While the students chatted, Yi-Han strode through the shop and approached the counter. The shopkeeper tensed upon seeing a boy, obviously from a noble family, approaching.
Hes not going to cause trouble, is he?
Adventurers knew what kind of shop this was and usually didnt cause issues. But the students from the magic academy were different. Coming from prominent families, they might be naive about the ways of the world, and being students from Einroguard, they could turn the ce upside down if they wished. The shopkeeper was extremely nervous.
Please dont cause trouble
Hello.
Hel... lo.
Yi-Han bowed and spoke softly, which eased the shopkeepers stance.
By chance...
?
I see you buy iplete artifacts. How much would you offer for this?
The shopkeeper, caught off-guard, looked up at Yi-Hans face, wondering, Is he really from a noble family?
Yi-Han sold items like a cloak of protection (which he chose to forgo since it only worked half the time, preferring to use magic) and lower-grade boots of stealth, converting them into cash. He couldn''t help but admire Baldoorn for knowing such a ce that valued items fairly.
Truly an exceptional mage.
With his purse now heavier, Yi-Hans spirits lifted. Like the other students already browsing, he too began searching for useful artifacts.
You seem to know a lot, may I ask you a few questions?
...Yes, you may.
Baldoorn was inwardly shocked. The owner of was known for being gruff and irritable. When Baldoorn asked questions, the shopkeeper would often retort, ''If you''re going to keep asking, go somewhere else.'' However, he answered all of Yi-Hans questions diligently.
Is he ying favorites?
Of course, Baldoorn couldnt entirely me him. He would have responded to Yi-Han''s inquiries too. Yi-Han exuded a different aura from the other students and had brought in quite valuable artifacts.
"Is there no way to avoid or foresee the movements of the skull princ... no, the Great Mage''s eyes?"
"There can''t possibly be such an artifact here."
"Well then, what about an artifact to detect intruders in advance? Or one to subdue them..."
The shopkeeper began to wonder if Yi-Han was a student from a noble family or a streetwise gangster from the lower echelons of the city.
Was he nning to rob a mansion?
"What magic is enchanted on this pocket watch?" Yi-Han asked, intrigued by a silver pocket watch with a slight crack in the ss.
He felt no magic emanating from it.
Could it be a spell beyond his detection?
"There''s no magic on it. It''s just a pocket watch."
"Ahh."
Yi-Han felt a bit embarrassed.
Even a mere pocket watch was a valuable item, as telling urate time was akin to an artifact itself.
Baldoorn cautiously suggested, "It seems you''ve acquired some silver coins from selling artifacts earlier... Why not buy it? Such well-conditioned pocket watches are hard to find once missed."
"Indeed. If Mr. Baldoorn says so..."
"No, no, I didn''t mean it that deeply!"
Baldoorn hastily corrected himself, but Yi-Han had already interpreted it in his favor.
''Certainly... I will have many asions to measure time urately.''
As his alchemy and magic skills advanced, so would the difficulty of learning.
Since the magic academy wouldn''t provide a pocket watch, it seemed prudent to prepare one in advance.
"Thank you. Your advice, Mr. Baldoorn, has been helpful."
"Now that I think about it, it might not be that necessary..."
Despite Baldoorn''s regretful tone, Yi-Han bought the pocket watch.
The shopkeeper was puzzled by his reaction.
''Why is he taking Baldoorn''s words so seriously?''
The students of the magic academy were supposed to be more skilled than Baldoorn, right?
Yi-Han, pocketing the watch, continued browsing. His attention was drawn to a blunt dagger hanging on the wall, emitting a strange aura.
"Don''t go near that!"
"Why is that?"
"It''s a cursed item that absorbs mana. Touching it could drain your magic, leaving you copsed or crippled..."
"Aha."
Ignoring the warning, Yi-Han reached for the dagger, causing the shopkeeper to gasp in horror.
Such reckless behavior was too much, even for a student of the magic academy.
''What in the world?!''
But what happened next was even more astonishing.
Despite being a dagger that had knocked out several adventurers and caused them to bleed, the student of the magic academy remained unscathed.
"It''s alright. You don''t need to worry."
''Incredible!''
The shopkeeper was shocked again.
He had heard that Einroguard was the best magic academy in the empire, but seeing this was truly startling.
Even for a freshman, this was extraordinary.
"Really, such an academy must be filled with monsters."
"How much for this?"
"Cursed items, always one silver coin. Otherwise, no one would buy them."
"No. Are there more cursed items?"
Baldoorn, observing, suddenly sensed something odd.
''Shouldn''t he first ask about the effects? Isn''t he just buying because it''s cheap?''
"I''ve received a lot of help."
"It''s all thanks to you, Mr. Baldoorn."
All the freshmen from the Four Towers gathered around Baldoorn, expressing their gratitude.
Baldoorn, trying to hide his weariness, nodded rapidly.
"It''s nothing, everyone. I really enjoyed meeting you all. Just don''t go around saying you learned anything from me..."
"Yes."
"Of course!"
"We''ll definitely visit you on our next outing..."
Without looking back, Baldoorn hurriedly fled.
The students admired the cool departure of the unattached wizard.
That''s what a real wizard looks like!
"Yi-Han. What did you buy?"
"A watch and a dagger. The other cursed items had ratherckluster curses."
"...Aren''t curses supposed to beckluster??"
While Gainando was confused, Yi-Han prepared to head to the Amur stables.
Yonaire, worriedly, asked.
"Is it really okay to tell the truth?"
"It''s fine. He''s a reasonable person."
"Really?"
Yonaire followed, still puzzled.
Even if he was reasonable, wouldn''t he be surprised to hear about the griffin
"Wee! Did you find a mount?"
"Yes!"
"Well done! What kind did you get?"
"A griffin."
"..."
Thud!
Amur literally fell backward. Yi-Han, startled, eximed.
"Are you alright?!"
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Chapter 164
Chapter 164
Amur had grown up in the harshestnds of the empire. He quickly recovered and rose to his feet.
"I''m embarrassed... to be startled by the name of a horse," Amur said, dusting off the dirt and straw from his clothes.
He realized, even if it was Einrogard, it was unlikely they had captured a griffin. It must have been the horse named Griffin.
It was quitemon to name a horse after a fearsome monster...
"No, it''s an actual griffin."
Amur staggered again as he stood.
"Are you okay?"
"Ah... No. Where did you find that? No, what are the mages doing?"
Amur asked with a rare tone of anger in his voice.
It was surprising enough that a student had caught a griffin, but more astonishing were the mages who stood by idly during the capture.
What were they doing, not protecting their students?
Einroguard''s mages were known to be entric, but this was...
"Well... it''s like..."
"It was brought by the professor," Yonaire said, unable to stand it any longer. Amur just gaped, speechless.
"Really?"
"There''s a reason for this. You''ll understand if you hear it."
"I doubt I''ll understand..."
Amur waited for Yi-Han''s exnation.
Yi-Han exined that the griffin wasn''t a real griffin but one transformed into a horse due to a curse.
The professor had done this to familiarize the students with monsters...
"Doesn''t it make more sense than you thought?"
Yi-Han asked after finishing the exnation. Amur answered firmly.
"It''s strange."
"!"
That... really?
While Yi-Han was slightly flustered, Amur continued.
"I''ve heard the mages of Einroguard are entric, but this is beyond that..."
"No. This is actually quite reasonable."
"Yi-Han... maybe it''s better if you stop talking now," Yonaire advised.
It seemed any further exnation would only lead to more bizarre misunderstandings.
And the most important thing was that it wasn''t even a misunderstanding.
After a long struggle with the entricities of Einroguard''s mages, Amur finally regained hisposure.
"It''s good that you found a flying mount."
"Yes. We haven''t found the way to the spire stable yet, but we will soon."
"Take your time. Rushing increases the chance of errors. Escaping is more about not being caught than getting out."
''This conversation seems odd.''
Yonaire thought to herself as she listened to the two.
"What does the griffin like to eat?"
"Well, it likes fresh horse meat."
"...Isn''t there anything else?"
"It also likes less fresh horse meat..."
Excluding horse meat, Yi-Han packed snacks the griffin would like.
Cans of meat and sugar were neatly stacked in the backpack.
"By the way, did you meet Igor who came to the town?"
"Who is Igor?"
Yi-Han asked, puzzled. Amur realized his mistake.
He hadn''t noticed because it was so natural, but Yi-Han wasn''t a townsperson or an adventurer. He was a student from the magic academy.
"He''s my cousin. He often sells rare animals to adventurers in the town."
Just like mages raise summons, well-trained animals were always goodpanions to adventurers.
Thus, rare and powerful animals were in high demand,manding high prices.
"Looks like you missed him since he''s mostly away."
"Thank you. But wouldn''t such creatures be too expensive for me?"
Yi-Han was collecting, or rather, legitimately earning, the students'' money, but he was far from being truly wealthy. He could afford various groceries and books from the town but buying expensive animals was another matter.
"It''s not just the expensive ones. Take a look around. I''ll speak to him, so he''ll guide you well. Bring your other friends too."
''Really?''
Yi-Han wondered if he really needed to bring the students from the ck Tortoise or White Tiger, but he remained silent. He wanted to appear as a righteous and diligent student in front of Amur.
"You''re the student who tamed that griffin, right?!"
"..."
Igor whispered urgently upon meeting Yi-Han, his voice low enough to be unheard by other students.
"I didn''t tame it, but..."
"No?"
"Well, yes, but that''s..."
"You did tame it!"
Adventurers helping Igor in the store rushed over and surrounded Yi-Han.
"Did you really tame a griffin?"
"How exactly did you do it?"
"Shh. Keep your voice down. It''s supposed to be a secret."
"Alright, alright. So how did you tame the griffin?"
Igor, resembling Amur in appearance and dress, differed in one aspect: his immense curiosity about how the griffin was tamed.
In truth, Amur was curious too. He didn''t bother Yi-Han out of pity for the Einroguard student...
"It was really a stroke of luck. I once saved its life..."
"You saved its life? Indeed!"
"Then it makes sense!"
The scruffy and dusty adventurers seemed convinced, easing Yi-Han''s mind.
But he was mistaken.
"But still, a griffin wouldn''t easily acknowledge someone as its master..."
"It surely seems like a natural talent."
"Could we join you the next time you go to capture a Gorgon? If we could get your help..."
Skilled adventurers were always treasured wherever they went. But more valuable was someone who could win the affection of monsters.
The adventurers eyed Yi-Han, wondering if they could somehow get him to join them.
"Calm down, everyone. This student is from Einroguard."
"Ah..."
"If he''s a student from Einroguard, there''s nothing we can do."
Igor''s friends quickly gave up.
If he was a student from Einroguard, there was nothing they could do. The mages mighte after them, turning them into beasts.
"But we can wait a few years. If you remember us after you graduate, be sure to contact us."
"Our lives are full of danger, pain, and romance. It would be enough for us to join."
"...?"
Yi-Han was slightly taken aback by the proud adventurers'' words.
Were they seriously suggesting this now?
''They say there are many madmen among adventurers, and it''s true!''
To think they were seriously making such a proposal...
"Come, follow me. Sorry for taking your time."
Igor apologized and led the way inside the store.
Most of his time was spent traveling the empire, searching and capturing rare animals, so the inside of the store was a mess.
But that didn''t matter at all. The newly acquired animals captivated all attention.
Fwoosh!
A bird trapped in a cage suddenly burst into mes, then froze instantly. Igor exined,
"Elemental Bird. A rare bird that only eats gems imbued with the power of spirits."
"That''s a crazy animal."
Yi-Han was astonished.
It was an animal that could bankrupt someone in just a week or turn them into a debtor in a month.
"Sorry, but that one already has a buyer. I''ve agreed to sell it to a noble nearby."
"That''s alright."
Yi-Han wouldn''t have epted it even if it were free.
"For a magic academy student... pigeons or rats might be useful."
Trained pigeons could fly around delivering secret messages, and trained rats could navigate hard-to-reach ces and disarm traps.
Yi-Han nodded in agreement.
''Having one of each wouldnt be a bad idea.''
"How much are they?"
"They''re free. Since I asked you about the griffin, I owe you that much."
"No, I couldn''t. Thank you."
Yi-Han decided to gratefully ept without refusing too much.
...Should he have brought some griffin feathers as well?
-"How much for this deer?"-
-"Ugh. It''s too much. I definitely can''t afford it."-
-"Can''t we borrow more money from Wardanaz?"-
-"As generous as Wardanaz is, he might kill you if you ask to borrow money to buy that..."-
-"Forget it. We''ll learn summoning magicter anyway."-
''These kids are clueless.''
Yi-Han frowned.
It was a rule not to say things like ''we can just use magic'' in someone else''s shop.
That''s why mages were criticized for being insensitive.
However, Igor, overhearing the students'' conversation, didnt seem to mind. He actually nodded with interest.
"Actually, mages can directly contract and summon creatures. It''s difficult, but it doesn''t cost anything... What about you?"
"Yi-Han has already made a contract with a spirit."
At Yonaire''s words, Igor was impressed.
"Indeed... It''s only natural for someone with the affinity to earn a griffin''s loyalty to also receive a spirit''s love."
"...No, that''s not it."
Yi-Han was flustered by the absurd misunderstanding.
He was far from receiving a spirit''s love; he was mostly met with fear...
However, Igor took Yi-Han''s response as modesty.
It was expected.
Even seasoned adventurers, risking their lives, couldn''t earn a griffin''s loyalty without luck. Such loyalty was impossible without innate affinity.
"But may I ask one thing?"
"Yes."
"That summon on your waist, is that Sharakan?"
Igor noticed the ornament-shaped bone hanging on Yi-Han''s belt and wondered if it could be Sharakan.
It was Sharakan, indeed asleep.
"Yes, it''s Sharakan."
"Indeed! I had my suspicions..."
Worried about a possible misunderstanding, Yi-Han quickly rified.
"It''s an undead."
"I can tell. That''s even more impressive."
"...I didn''t create it. It was a gift from another dark mage."
"Of course, I knew that. A student couldn''t have made that, right? An undead monster, especially Sharakan, would be really troublesome... To have it asleep and carry it around shows remarkable affinity."
"..."
Yi-Han just nodded with a resigned expression.
"Yes, thank you."
"May I ask how you form its body when you summon it?"
"I use water to form its body."
"That must require a lot of it, right? If there''s no river or pond nearby, does it not respond to the summons?"
"I summon it through magic."
"..."
Igor was taken aback.
To think that water could be used to form all the muscles and flesh of a monster like Sharakan.
Is this what a student of Einroguard is like!
''Impressive!''
Igor knew they were remarkable, but to think even a freshman could be like this...
He looked anew at the students browsing his shop, thinking of the greatest mages of the empire being here.
-"Why are they like that?"-
-"Are we not buying anything and just making noise?"-
-"I was going to buy something..."-
Unaware of the students'' whispers, Igor felt proud and handed Yi-Han a small green ss bottle.
"Take this."
"What is this?"
"It''s a Jade Pir Solution. A liquid made by dissolving purified water. If you mix this with water, Sharakan will really like it."
"Should I ept something like this?"
Yi-Han hesitated.
A small freebie was harmless, but a big one might have consequences.
But Igor reassured him, patting his shoulder.
"Showing kindness to someone loved by monsters and spirits is important for adventurers like me who seek their affection. It brings luck."
"...It''s really a misunderstanding."
Yi-Han was genuinely concerned for Igor.
Yi-Han clicked his tongue, looking at the Jade Pir Solution he had received.
Igor wouldn''t take no for an answer, no matter how much Yi-Han declined.
"Can''t we stay in the town for a day?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Then you''ll stay behind."
"...Ah, I was just asking!"
They could have left early in the morning to return to the academy.
But Yi-Han had no intention of doing so.
''I must always be one step ahead of skull principal.''
By now, the agitated skull principal might be... well, setting traps.
"Have all the priests arrived? Let''s depart."
"But Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family, what about the other tower students?"
Ignoring one priest''s question, Yi-Han didn''t want to waste time convincing other tower students.
"Let''s depart!"
"Did he not hear?"
Sha-aaa-ak-
Walking along a dark path, Yi-Han felt an unease.
Even though it was night, they were walking with magic light.
So why was it getting darker ahead?
Students of the magic academy.
With the sound of armor shing, a heavily armed knight appeared, exuding an aura of death.
It was an undead knight.
A name popped into Yi-Han''s head.
''...Death Knight!''
"I am here by my master''s order to guard this path. The students of the magic academy may pass if they sacrifice one among them."
Unknowingly, Asan nced at Gainando, who then tried to poke Asan''s eye with his finger.
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Chapter 165
Chapter 165
"Why are you doing this?"
"Hmph. Did you think I couldn''t see the sinister intent in your gaze when you just looked at me?"
"No. How did you know..."
"Die!"
"Stop it."
Yi-Han intervened between Gainando and Asan.
The Death Knight stood quietly, maintaining his position, indifferent to whether the two fought or not.
"What if we sacrifice just one?"
Yes.
"What happens to the student we sacrifice?"
Probably sent to the underground dungeon.
"The... underground dungeon?"
Gainando was excessively frightened. Yi-Han kindly exined to him.
"Don''t worry, Gainando. It''s just an underground punishment room."
"...And why is that not a worry, Yi-Han?"
Instead of answering, Yi-Han looked back at the Death Knight.
"Will you really let us pass if we make a sacrifice?"
Student, although I have lost my life and drifted away from the world of the living, I have not lost the honor I hold in my heart. I swear upon my honor.
"If you really cared about honor, you wouldn''t be blocking our way like this..."
"Shh. Yonaire. People get angry when their sore spots are poked."
Yi-Han silenced Yonaire.
Dealing with the Death Knight''s tantrums was no easy task.
''The problem is...''
The Death Knight did not seem to be lying. But the real issuey elsewhere.
There were many ways to deceive someone without lying.
"Do you n to demand another sacrifice after letting us pass?"
...
The Death Knight was at a loss for words.
He bowed his helm and did not respond.
''I was right.''
"Talking about honor...!"
"Shh. Gainando. People get angry when their sore spots are poked."
Yi-Han was neither overly disappointed nor surprised. It would have been more surprising if the skull principal had simply opened the path after just one sacrifice.
Traditionally, evil beings don''t easily back down even when offered something.
"There''s no other way."
"Do you have a n?"
The priests were amazed at Yi-Han''sposure.
Even in the face of the Death Knight''s appearance, he remained so calm.
"I knew Wardanaz was remarkable, but truly..."
"All of you, go back and wake up the students from the White Tiger and the ck Tortoise and bring them here."
"..."
"..."
Could it be the method they were thinking of?
Asan and Gainando woke up the students from the ck Tortoise and the White Tiger who were sleeping in the inn.
Naturally, the students were not pleased.
-Dargard. Even so, a Death Knight? That''s just too absurd.-
-Prince. Just because you''re a prince, do you think we can''t touch you? This is Einrogard. Well, we are outside now, but once a day passes, we''ll be in Einrogard... Ah! A Death Knight!!-
Half in disbelief, the students, rubbing their sleepy eyes, walked over and were shocked, falling backwards.
In the darkness, the Death Knight was looking at them.
"How, how is this possible?"
"Everyone, stay calm. I already knew that the principal wouldn''t easily let us in. That''s why I came out to scout in advance."
In truth, Yi-Han had nned to use the students of the two towers as bait and enter first with his friends, but that wasn''t important now.
Overwhelmed by Yi-Han''s earnest voice, the other tower students nodded in agreement.
Listening, Jijel tilted her head, sensing something amiss.
"Hmm?"
Was there a reason for Wardanaz to take such a lead?
"Now that we have confirmed the presence of the Death Knight, we must devise a n. Otherwise, we might not be able to return before dawn."
"Indeed..."
"Is that the only option?"
Upon hearing the detailed situation, the other tower students woke up fully and nodded in agreement.
Indeed, now was not the time to sleep.
Seeing that the others were convinced, Yi-Han continued.
"Right. We''ll draw straws and..."
"Attack, Death Knight!"
"!?"
Yi-Han was startled.
Ango drew his sword and began charging towards the Death Knight.
"Ango, wait..."
Before he could be stopped, Ango had closed the distance.
Yi-Han sighed.
''This is why you can''t do serious work with knights!''
He had intended to rig the drawing of straws, but Ango couldn''t stand it and charged out.
The Death Knight, unfazed, extended one hand wrapped in a gauntlet.
Young knight. Your courage ismendable, but excessive arrogance is not.
The Death Knight didn''t even draw his sword. He blocked Ango''s strike with his metal-covered arm.
"!"
Ango was astonished as his attack was blocked.
It was surprising that his confident strike was thwarted, but more startling was...
''My breath, I can''t breathe!''
Although Ango was the attacker, he suddenly found himself gasping for air.
The aura of death emanating from the Death Knight began to suppress Ango''s vitality.
"Ugh!"
Ango fell to one knee. The Death Knight looked down at him, his eyes shing blue from within his helm.
''Wait. Isn''t this resolved?''
Yi-Han realized while looking at Ango on his knees.
Now one has been sacrificed, so this path should be clear, and at the next path, provoke another knight from the White Tiger Tower...
Maybe this isn''t so bad?
Everyone attack me.
"..."
However, Yi-Han''s thoughts vanished along with the Death Knight''s violent deration.
The Death Knight was waiting for all the students to attack.
"Wait a moment..."
Yi-Han tried to exin the misunderstanding.
The students here were not all from the same tower but belonged to different ones.
So, if collective responsibility was required, shouldn''t only those from the White Tiger Tower fight?
But before he could get an answer, his friends began their attack.
"Be paralyzed!"
"Strike!"
''Damn it. I should have told them earlier.''
Yi-Han regretted not having told his friends to stand down if students from the White Tiger Tower or the ck Tortoise Tower were captured by the Death Knight.
But what could be done?
The fight had already begun.
"Thank you, Mr. Wardanaz!"
"For what?!"
"For granting us this opportunity!"
''I want to punch him.''
Yi-Han was slightly infuriated at the sight of the excited priest Nigisor, a fire spirit mixed-blood, charging out.
He usually didn''t harbor bad feelings towards the priests of the Immortal Phoenix, but...
"Rise and soar!"
"Sweep them away!"
"Be heavy and sharp!"
Spells were cast from all directions, and the sh of sparkling elements erupted.
The students of the White Tiger, having learned somewhere, enchanted their des and charged.
Yi-Han thought to himself.
''I have a feeling they wanted to use that on me...''
"Wardanaz! Be careful!"
At Asan''s shout, Yi-Han ducked.
A friend was flying towards him, thrown by the Death Knight who had grabbed a student from the White Tiger by the scruff.
"Sharakan, go!"
Yi-Han called out Sharakan''s name, summoned water, and then threw the Jade Pir Solution.
Sharakan, now endowed with a body of an unusual emerald hue, emitted a cry mixed with joy.
-Grrr...
"Sharakan, don''t engage directly. Confuse him!"
Prompted by the urgency in Yi-Han''s voice, Sharakan charged in, as if understanding themand.
Even the Death Knight, who had been taking it easy against the students, moved cautiously at the sight of Sharakan.
A servant of the dead has arrived. I won''t show leniency, given our simr fates.
A sword swiftly emerged from the Death Knight''s empty hand. Rusty and dark, its de exuded a deadly aura.
Bang!
The ground turned ck where the sword struck, but Sharakan had already evaded. Surprised by Sharakan''s swifter-than-expected movements, the Death Knight spoke in a muffled voice.
The power of insight granted by Jade Pir Solution. Annoying.
The Death Knight unleashed a series of sword strikes, aiming to block Sharakan''s escape route.
The students'' magic rained down upon him. Even the Death Knight, it seemed, couldn''t keep up his defenses forever and raised his shield.
"Yi-Han, should we just leave and run?"
"Hey...!"
Asan was flustered by Gainando''s too-refreshing question.
What if the others heard!
"If there''s no other way, we have to flee!"
"There is a way."
"But?"
"It''s a bit regrettable..."
"???"
"Never mind. Let''s just call it."
Yi-Han empowered the sigil left by Ferkuntra and recited the spell.
The Death Knight was a notoriously difficult opponent.
Immune to illusion magic, and highly resistant to various elemental spells.
Even bombarding him with dozens of water orbs wouldn''t be enough to prate his defenses.
And increasing the water''s mass for more destructive power wouldn''t work; the Death Knight wouldn''t wait for that...
There was only one option left.
"Sing the song of thunder, O Spirit!"
Ferkuntra.
Ferkuntra, a powerful lightning spirit, certainly had the potential to confront the Death Knight.
But Yi-Han had his reasons for hesitating to summon Ferkuntra.
Every time he had called upon him before, the results were...
''Less than satisfactory...''
-Do you think I can''t feel your distrust?-
Lightning struck from the sky, and Ferkuntra''s roar echoed in Yi-Han''s mind.
-It''s a misunderstanding!-
-Sounds like a misunderstanding indeed!-
Ferkuntra was incredulous.
How could a mere freshman at a magic academy harbor such genuine distrust toward it?
No matter how twisted the situation...
-Then show your prowess by defeating the Death Knight blocking our path!-
-I am not a spirit to respond to such lowly provocations. But just this once! To dispel your ridiculous doubts, this time! I will definitely demonstrate my power!-
Ferkuntra swelled in size.
Lightning from the sky struck Ferkuntra, further amplifying its strength.
A strong spirit normally doesn''t make excuses, but Ferkuntra had to.
The first time they met was in the skull principal''s punishment room, and the next time, it was bound by absurdly restrictivemands, limiting its power.
Originally, Ferkuntra was a spirit who might deign to appear only after receiving immense gratitude and reverence from the summoner each time.
But to be summoned with such a ''should I or shouldn''t I'' arrogant attitude...
Behold and tremble!
I concede, O mighty spirit of lightning.
The Death Knight ceased his attack on Sharakan and sheathed his sword. Then, he bowed his head.
Ferkuntra, who had been crackling with lightning, hesitated.
...What?
With the power I possess, I cannot defeat you. I admit defeat.
As a summoned creature of the skull principal, the Death Knight naturally knew Ferkuntra''s identity.
Being in the same line of work, there was no need for him to futilely waste effort against a stronger spirit.
Students of the magic academy. You have passed my test with your skills. You may pass without offering a sacrifice!
"!"
"!!!"
The students widened their eyes at the Death Knight''s deration.
They had not expected the path to open so easily.
The Death Knight looked at Yi-Han and said, I will remember your name, student.
Leaving one''s name with the undead summon of the skull principal was not generally considered a good thing.
Yi-Han nced at Jijel.
Holding her twin swords, Jijel red back at Wardanaz, wondering why he was suddenly looking at her.
''Hmm. Too many ears around to impersonate.''
Yi-Han gave up. It was a regrettable moment.
Readup tochapter 182for just5$orup tochapter 208for /al_squad
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Chapter 166
Chapter 166
"Regardless, thank you?" Yi-Han expressed his gratitude as he watched the departing Death Knight who trudged towards the academy.
Of course, he knew Ferkuntra wasn''t deceived.
Truly grateful people wouldn''t start with ''regardless'' nor end their sentences with a question.
-It doesn''t seem like you''re doubting me-
-Its a misunderstanding,- Yi-Han sincerely retorted.
He was admittedly a bit disappointed by Ferkuntra''s recent disy.
He had wanted to see firsthand how Ferkuntra fought and how strong it was, yet it only managed to turn the Death Knight away through conversation and persuasion.
However,pared to its previous achievements, Ferkuntra had yed a significant role this time. Yi-Han slightly raised his evaluation of Ferkuntra.
Naturally, Ferkuntra was not satisfied with the slightly improved assessment.
-This insolent youth... If only there had been a bit more time...!- Ferkuntra ground its teeth.
The impending reverse summoning was a source of regret for Ferkuntra, as it couldn''t properly confront Yi-Han about it.
-Summon me again! Next time, I''ll thoroughly exin how remarkable my actions today were-
-But ording to the contract, I can''t just summon you frequently at will, right?-
Besides, summoning a spirit like Ferkuntra just to hear it boast seemed like a waste of time.
-^$&@!-
Ferkuntra, iprehensible in his frustration, was reverse summoned.
To the unaware students, it appeared as if Yi-Han had simply summoned a spirit, finished his task, and then politely sent it away.
"Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family, you truly possess remarkable affinity with spirits, just as Mr. Igor said."
"You''re mistaken."
Surprisingly, the skull principal didn''t react as vehemently as expected.
He likely had already dealt with his disappointment upon seeing the early return of the Death Knight.
''Don''t make eye contact.''
Yi-Han averted his gaze.
There was no guarantee that the skull principal wouldn''t be spiteful, despite his mental preparation.
The students had safely returned.
"Principal! What was that Death Knight all about?"
Yi-Han''s heart sank at the White Tiger students'' reaction to the sight, unnecessarily stirring the pot.
''These knights really...!''
The previously dejected skull principal seemed to regain a bit of vigor thanks to the White Tiger students.
What''s going on?
"In any case, deploying a Death Knight on the way back is unbelievable!" eximed Ango incredulously. The other White Tiger students nodded in agreement.
However, Yi-Han remained skeptical.
''Reacting only makes the opponent happier.''
To Yi-Han, the skull principal seemed most delighted when students eximed, ''How can you do this!''
If they didn''t react, he would just sulk on his own...
Do I need your permission to deploy my own Death Knight?
"No, it''s not like that..."
You mean to say you don''t have the confidence to ovee even this obstacle? As a student of this magic academy?! Ha! I thought only Baldurguard students would behave like this.
"No, not at all!"
''Don''t get carried away...''
As Yi-Han felt this frustration, the skull principal, having had his fill of amusement, suddenly changed the topic as if remembering something.
Ah. Almost forgot.
The skull principal snapped his fingers.
A pass and a purple me emerged from thin air.
As the pass was exposed to the purple mes, it instantaneously turned to ash.
"????"
"!"
Most students failed to grasp what had just happened, but a few did.
Ango''s face turned pale as a sheet.
''I got caught!''
''He got caught.''
Yi-Han watched with a somber expression.
He had thought passing through earlier with the pass would pose no issue, but it seemed the skull principal had re-examined the pass he received.
''So, that''s how he checks passes? I need to find a way around this. If I''m to use a fake, it must be when the skull principal is absent...''
You should be proud.
"What''s that?"
No one had ever tried to forge a pass to leave before. You''re the first! I mean it. I''m proud of you.
"..."
"?!"
The students murmured among themselves.
"Forged a pass?"
"Who would dare to do such a thing?"
"Isn''t it someone from the ck Tortoise? That''s where all the technicians are."
It pains me to punish a student I''m proud of, but it can''t be helped. You''re caught, and that''s wrong. Next time, do better so you won''t get caught.
"Ugh..."
Ango, shoulders slumped, walked forward. The other students looked at him in shock.
"Ango was the culprit?!"
"How did he manage to forge it?"
Whispers among the White Tiger students followed as they red at Asan.
The skull principal, with a benevolent look, said to Ango,
If you have an aplice, tell me. Your punishment will be reduced if you do.
Yi-Han felt his heart sink at the moment.
If he had been in Ango''s ce, surely...
"There is none!"
Really?
While speaking to Ango, the skull principal''s gaze was fixed on Yi-Han.
Yi-Han remained impassive.
''After all, there''s no evidence.''
"Yes!"
This is why knights are... Fine! Off to the punishment room. Take him away!
Undeads grabbed Ango by the arms and dragged him away.
Yi-Han resolved internally,
''Ango, I''ll make sure they feed you well.''
"We need to study for the exam..."
"Just a little sleep first."
"That''s a good idea."
"Wait, we have to study?"
Back in the tower, Yi-Han and his friends immediately copsed onto their beds.
After the midnight ordeal with the Death Knight, exhaustion was inevitable.
Consequently, they didn''t wake up until Sunday afternoon.
"Wardanaz!"
"?"
Upon descending to themon room, an excited student from the Blue Dragon eximed, "The principal must have lost his mind! Hurry, you must see this!"
"Calm down. It''s a trap."
"Eh?"
"Ah. Sorry, just a habit."
Being cautious had be a reflex, especially concerning matters rted to the skull principal.
"What''s going on?"
"Look at that!"
The student pointed at the approaching Gainando.
In one hand, Gainando held a giant cotton candy, and in the other, a frothy beer mug.
"?????"
Where on earth did thesee from, especially since the festival and leave had ended?
"Where did he get them?"
"The principal has thrown a banquet to celebrate the end of the festival! Maybe he''s not all bad after all!"
Yi-Han couldn''t believe it and decided to check for himself.
Surprisingly, his friends were right.
The normally closed doors of the main building''s first-floor grand hall were open, and inside, an abundance of food and drinks were stillvishlyid out.
Layers of cream cakes, cheesecakes, butter cakes. The candies, cookies, and choctes Gainando had brought earlier.
The tables wereden with all kinds of delicacies from the empire, not just desserts, but also whole wild boars thered in sauce and roasted.
"You must have woken up. How about a drink?"
The skull principal, noticing Yi-Han, generously offered him a cup filled with wine fermented from apples.
"Here! Normally, I wouldn''t allow such valuable things for ironheads, but today is a special day!"
"...I don''t understand. Why is today special?"
It''s the weekend after the festival has ended!
"And why is that special?"
Isn''t it? Then, think of it as a gesture of consideration for the students!
"...Principal, you''re not suggesting that midterms start tomorrow, are you?"
This is why I don''t like clever ones.
The skull principal looked at Yi-Han with obvious displeasure.
Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
''Really, to this extent?''
Usually so stingy with treating students to good food, and now offering drinks on the eve of midterms...
He couldn''t help but be amazed.
Impressive, indeed!
"It''s toote now. Many students have already eaten and drunk. Do you think you can stop them?"
"?"
Yi-Han was puzzled by the principal''s remark.
''Why would I stop it?''
If his rivals were happily drinking beer and apple wine and then falling asleep on the main building''swn, it was a wee situation for Yi-Han.
"Why would I stop them?"
Don''t pretend. You''ve enjoyed thwarting my ns until now.
...
Yi-Han realized what was happening.
The skull principal still misunderstood him as someone who would sacrifice for his friends.
Of course, I understand. A worthy intellectualpetition is enjoyable. I won''t deny that you''ve made things more interesting for me.
Yi-Han felt exasperated inwardly.
His efforts to avoid the principal''s antics had inadvertently given the principal inspiration.
"Think what you will."
He nodded perfunctorily and decided to leave, nning to bring food to Ango.
Tomorrow is the ss. You know that, right?
"Yes."
Tell the students. The exam will be held in the Beetle ssroom on the fourth floor of the main building.
"Understood...?"
Yi-Han nodded, though he felt uneasy about the fourth floor.
The exam starts now andsts until next Friday.
"Is the exam content that extensive?"
What are you talking about? It''s just one sheet. You can go to the ssroom anytime to solve and submit it. I''ve given plenty of time.
"...?"
Yi-Han suddenly had a bad premonition.
It didn''t seem like the skull principal to be so amodating in setting an exam.
"So, we just go anytime before next Friday, solve it, and submit it?"
Exactly.
"...Is the way to the Beetle ssroom on the fourth floor straightforward?"
It might be a bit challenging.
"...?"
Yi-Han bolted out of the banquet hall.
The principal giving them until next Friday meant...
''I might not have enough time even if I start searching now!''
Considering other exams during the midterm period, it certainly wasn''t ample time.
Behind the fleeing Yi-Han, the skull principal let out a sinisterugh.
"Gainando, wake up, you fool! We have an exam to attend!"
Yi-Han pped Gainando''s cheeks from both sides, but he didn''t wake up.
''Maybe I should have learned a spell to sober up from alcohol?''
Not just Gainando, but students from the Blue Dragon were too blissfully unresponsive to his calls.
Yi-Han ruthlessly abandoned his friends.
Having indulged in alcohol the night before the exam, there really was no excuse.
''These foolish ones...''
No matter how hard and painful it was, to gulp down the alcohol offered by the principal was unwise.
As he moved, Yi-Han pulled out a book. The midterm wasn''t just one lecture; time was tight.
''I''ll read the blood magic bookter, and the one given by the principal as well. I''ve nearly deciphered all the magic in the box he gave... but that too,ter.''
On his way, he saw students from the White Tiger, drunkenly singing in high spirits.
Yi-Han thought this was a good opportunity.
"Hey. Tell your friends! The exam has started! It''s in the Beetle ssroom on the fourth floor!"
"What nonsense are you spouting, Wardanaz? Trying to trick us..."
Yi-Han precisely struck the midriff of a White Tiger student with his staff. The student vomited the alcohol he had just consumed.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
But Yi-Han didn''t stop there.
He summoned a blob of water and drenched the White Tiger student with it.
"Feeling a bit more sober now?"
"Sober, sober! I''m sober! Stop it, you fiend!"
"That''s good to hear."
Yi-Han nodded earnestly.
"Now, remember this. The exam has started. It''s in the Beetle ssroom on the fourth floor. Got it?"
"Got it, got it."
Leaving the White Tiger Tower students behind, Yi-Han walked away.
The soaked White Tiger Tower student muttered as he watched Yi-Han''s retreating figure.
"That guy''s crazy...!"
"Shh, what if hees back?"
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Chapter 167
Chapter 167
It was a regrettable situation.
Yi-Han had conveyed a message, hoping that the students of the White Tiger could also take their exams fairly, but...
The still tipsy students of the White Tiger failed to understand his genuine intent.
They saw him as nothing but a madman!
Professor Uregor walked along, cheerfully humming a tune.
Indeed, exams were not only a burden for students.
Professors too had to create questions and grade them.
It would be better if one could find joy in such tasks like the skull principal, but for other professors, exams were merely a painful assignment.
This was also true for Professor Uregor.
Hehe. Finally, it''s over.
Professor Uregor opened a bottle of reserved honey liquor, feeling delighted now that he had set all the questions.
He noticed the freshmen, drunk on thewn, tumbling and rolling around.
Now''s the good time. The perfect time.
A hallmark experience for every freshman at the magic academy.
The skull principal''s midterm celebration party!
After waking up with throbbing heads, facing an exam, they would surely fix their bad habit of indulging before tests.
It''s a cheap lesson, indeed.
Professor Uregor thought to himself, nodding his head.
Then, a familiar student rushed through thewn.
"Wardanaz?"
"Ah, Professor."
"Haven''t you heard the news? On such a fine day, we must drink! This is my treasured liquor, but I''ll make an exception for you."
Professor Uregor handed a bottle of honey liquor to Yi-Han to help the skull principal.
Yi-Han red at Professor Uregor with a look of contempt.
"...You''ve realized it?"
"Yes."
"Is that so?"
Embarrassed, Professor Uregor took back the bottle.
''This kid is quite perceptive.''
Not falling for such a trap despite being a hungry, thirsty freshman was no ordinary feat.
"We need to go up to the fourth floor of the main building now. Isn''t the principal asking too much?"
"He is a bit excessive."
Professor Uregor agreed.
He fully sympathized with theints about the skull principal.
"To finish and submit by Friday. Such an absurd..."
"Uh... my exam also needs to be finished and submitted by Friday?"
"!"
Yi-Han looked at Professor Uregor with eyes full of betrayal. The Dwarf Professor made an involuntary excuse.
"It''s not wrong to give ample time! Besides, it takes more than an hour or two to prepare some alchemical creations!"
Unlike the skull principal, who cruelly gave hope only to cause suffering, the Friday deadline was meant to be generous.
Alchemical concoctions needed time, so the students were given the next week to leisurely prepare and submit their potions.
That was Professor Uregor''s deep intention.
"Really..."
Yi-Han seemed somewhat convinced.
"And time is needed to gather ingredients."
"..."
Yi-Han immediately retracted his eptance.
''They''re all the same.''
"Understood."
"That look in your eyes seemed to despise me just now, but it must be my imagination?"
"Why would I look at you like that?"
"Right. Believe you I will. Don''t drink too much, and don''t do anything dangerous. And don''t even think about raiding my workshop."
"?"
Yi-Han paused at thestment.
''Did the seniors raid the professor''s workshop?''
While they were talking, a few students appeared from the opposite side.
He expected them to be drunk, but surprisingly, they were sober.
They were students from the ck Tortoise.
Yi-Han eximed in a surprised tone.
"Salko? How did you manage not to drink? You''re a dw..."
"Dw?"
"Rarely one to dislike alcohol, it seems."
Yi-Han was about to say ''dwarf'', but quickly stopped himself. Salko did resemble a dwarf but was, in fact, a true elf.
"Hmph. Wardanaz. What do you take us for? Did you think we''d casually get drunk like the others? We''ve kept all the liquor we received."
"Hey... keep it down, it''s embarrassing."
One of Salko''s friends, beaming with pride, was hushed by another.
Upon reflection, storing away the liquor given out by the skull principal at the banquet was...
Somewhat pathetic.
Yet, Yi-Han admired it.
"Indeed. I hadn''t thought of that. Excellent. To collect and store it."
"..."
"..."
"Why are you all acting like that?"
"No, no. It''s nothing."
The ck Tortoise students suddenly felt a rush of embarrassment upon receiving Yi-Han''s praise.
''Are we too pitiful?''
''Did we go too far in storing it?''
Salko, ignoring the reactions of his friends, asked,
"The principal said we have exams on the fourth floor of the main building, right?"
"That''s correct."
"We''re about to head there now. Would you join us, Wardanaz?"
"!?"
It was the other ck Tortoise students who were more surprised than Yi-Han.
"Is that okay? Tutanta?"
"There''s no reason it shouldn''t be. You all know Wardanaz''s capabilities."
"We do."
Several ck Tortoise students nodded.
They owed their lives to Wardanaz during yesterday''s outing.
But separately...
"Wardanaz is kind of scary."
"What if wee across a section that requires a sacrifice? He might offer us..."
''I can hear everything.''
"But still, we have to acknowledge Wardanaz''s abilities..."
"Right. The exam is the priority now."
Having finished their discussion, the friends spoke up.
"Let''s go together, Wardanaz!"
''If a sacrificial sectiones up, these guys are definitely going to be the offering.''
"What are you all gathering for?"
Nillia, puzzled, approached from the forest. In one hand, she held a bow, and in the other, several rabbits.
Yi-Han was surprised by herpletely sober appearance.
"Didn''t you drink?"
"Drink? Where would I get alcohol to drink?"
"...Wait. How long have you been in the forest?"
"Since dawn yesterday?"
Nillia tilted her head, not understanding why Yi-Han was asking.
She had been preparing to hunt in the forest since dawn to gather meat and hides.
It was quite a sessful hunt.
Hunting, after all, depended on luck as much as the hunter''s skill. Without game appearing, it''s all for naught...
Four rabbits were more than satisfactory.
"Look, caught some rabbits. Want one?"
At Nillia''s offer, Yi-Han looked disdainfully at the ck Tortoise students.
''Leaving a fellow tower mate behind while they alone attended the feast?''
The ck Tortoise students defensively exined themselves.
"We didn''t hide it on purpose...!"
"She was already hunting when we woke up!"
"What are you talking about?"
Nillia was still clueless about the situation.
Yi-Han briefly summarized for her.
"These guys didn''t tell you about the feast and went by themselves..."
"That''s not true!"
"We''ve stored some liquor and cake, we''ll definitely give it to you after it''s over! Trust us!"
The ck Tortoise students pounded their chests in frustration.
Why would they purposely exclude Nillia!
"Ah, so that was it."
After the confusion, Nillia nodded in understanding.
"That''s possible, isn''t it?"
Yi-Han was taken aback.
''When my friends and I went separately, she took it so hard...''
"Lucky I didn''t drink. I''ll have to after the exam."
"Of course, Nillia. We always appreciate your hard work!"
The ck Tortoise students exaggerated their usual gratitude several times over.
Even though they were always thankful, saying it in this situation somehow sounded like a lie.
"Nillia. Tell me if those guys are taking advantage of you."
"That''s not the case...!"
"Have you never been to the fourth floor of the main building?"
"Not yet. The third floor of the main building is quite a challenge."
Yi-Han''s remark made Salko nod in agreement.
Brave freshmen were constantly striving to familiarize themselves with the geography of the main building.
Regardless of such efforts, the buildings of the magic academy harshly tested the students.
"The first two floors are okay, but starting from the third..."
"The third floor is definitely tricky."
The first two floors were reasonably manageable, no matter which staircase one took.
However, from the third floor upward, all sorts of troublemakers appeared.
There was the statue of the forgotten beast and the Polymorph Forest, both encountered on the third floor.
"Fortunately, I know one path through the third floor that should lead to the fourth. It seems the most straightforward."
"What path is that?"
Salko was slightly surprised.
Salko and his friends hadn''t yet managed to get through the third floor, as numerousplex obstacles blocked their way.
But for Wardanaz to have found a path through the third floor was truly remarkable.
"Remember the map to the Spire Stables I gave youst time? It''s that way."
"Hm? That''s odd. Isn''t the Polymorph Forest there?"
Salko was puzzled.
As they shared information with Yi-Han, Salko and his friends had also attempted to cross the Polymorph Forest several times.
But each time, they were transformed into animals and couldn''t pass through.
Perhaps Wardanaz knew the time when the Polymorph Forest disappeared?
"Ah, I found a way through."
"Oh... impressive."
Salko genuinely admired him.
Despite several attempts at the Polymorph Forest, they couldn''t find a way through, but Wardanaz had.
Certainly, Wardanaz''s magic abilities were undeniable.
Among the many talents gathered in Einroguard, he was a standout genius!
''But that makes him all the more frightening.''
If he were just a genius with magic abilities, they wouldn''t have been so wary.
To Salko, Wardanaz seemed capable enough to lead a thieves'' guild or a criminal syndicate.
"Can I ask how you managed to get through?"
One of the ck Tortoise students asked.
"By persuasion."
"Persuasion?! So, it was a ce that could be persuaded."
"I am the Principal!"
Squeak, squeak, squeak!
The mouse guarding the Polymorph Forest hastily cleared a path.
The illusory mist vanished, and a straight path formed through the middle of the forest.
"..."
"..."
"The path is open. Let''s go."
Yi-Han, leading Ratford and Nillia, strode confidently ahead.
The ck Tortoise students gaped, their faces a mix of astonishment and disbelief, as they watched Yi-Han''s retreating figure.
This...
What on earth is he???
"Wardanaz, did you just say you''re the Principal?"
"Ah, that was just a trick."
"..."
How is that even possible...?
"Um... Wardanaz. Could you exin that in more detail?"
One of the ck Tortoise students, unable to contain his curiosity, opened his mouth to ask.
That''s when Nillia chided him.
"Is that really what''s important right now? Think about it, it''s quite obvious."
Ratford joined in the admonishment.
"It''s actually quite simple when you think about it."
"..."
Salko, who had been about to ask the same question out of his own curiosity, closed his mouth. Yet, his curiosity remained.
''How exactly did he do it?''
How did Wardanaz make the Polymorph Forest recognize him as the Principal...
-Halt, student. I am the Statue of the Labyrinth.-
"!"
Yi-Han stopped in his tracks at the telepathic voice.
The corridor seemed empty, but Yi-Han could feel the presence of magic in front of him.
-The moment you enter, you ept the challenge of thebyrinth.-
Though wondering why there was abyrinth on the third floor of the academy, Yi-Han didn''t bother to question it further.
-I see.-
-However, there is a way to pass through thebyrinth. Sacrifice one of your friends. Send one of your friends to the underground punishment chamber, and I shall transport you to the other side of thebyrinth.-
Yi-Han inadvertently nced at the ck Tortoise students.
The ck Tortoise students, oblivious to everything, looked back at Yi-Han with innocent and trusting eyes.
Why is he looking at us like that?
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Chapter 168
Chapter 168
-...I am not fooled.-
Yi-Han, who had briefly considered sacrificing the students of the ck Tortoise, responded coldly. It was an experience he had already encountered.
-If we offer one as a sacrifice, you will slightly open the path, only to demand another sacrifice. I won''t fall for such trickery.-
-What are you talking about? Who would do such a disgraceful thing?-
However, the Statue of the Labyrinth responded with a look of disbelief to Yi-Han''s words.
-I have been working at this academy for so long that I cannot remember when I started. I follow the rules set by the mage who created me. There is only one rule in this maze: if one person goes to the punishment room, another goes to the opposite side. There are no other rules. Who would do such an absurd thing?-
''The principal of this academy,'' Yi-Han answered inwardly.
But nheless, two things were certain.
The words of the Statue of the Labyrinth were not lies, and the skull principal was even less honorable than the statue.
"What''s going on? Why have you stopped...?"
Salko, who was behind, stopped in his tracks as he heard the same telepathy.
He then nodded at Yi-Han, acknowledging the situation.
''We need to pair up and send at least one forward.''
Salko didn''t exim, "How can you abandon a friend!" He already knew that such sentiments were a luxury in this magic academy.
To obtain what one desires, some sacrifices are necessary!
The friends from the ck Tortoise who were sent to the punishment room would surely understand.
"What? What''s happening?"
Nillia also moved forward and heard the telepathy.
Then, with an angry expression, she eximed, "How dare you to ask a friend as a sacrifice! Do you think Wardanaz or Tutanta would agree to such a proposal?!"
"!"
"!!"
Yi-Han and Salko flinched.
Uh...
What?
"Wait, Nillia."
Salko tried to stop her.
He was uncertain how much more difficult the challenge would be if they rejected the proposal.
Perhaps it was wiser to ept the current offer...
"Why?"
"Think about it. If we reject this offer, we don''t know how troublesome that statue will be. We might not be able to pass through. The friends who go to the punishment room cane outter and try again. Wardanaz would think the same, right?"
Salko looked at Yi-Han. Nillia, shocked, stared intensely at Yi-Han.
Yi-Han cursed Salko inwardly.
''What a tactless fool.''
How could he agree in front of Nillia?
Yi-Han responded with a serious expression, as if questioning Salko''s words.
"No. I cannot ept such a disgraceful proposal."
"See!"
"Indeed..."
Not only Nillia but also Ratford admired the response.
Salko''s group was also surprised.
"Typical of Wardanaz..."
"The leader of the Blue Dragon doesn''t act without reason."
Yi-Han''s leadership and dignity, separate from any wickedness, had to be acknowledged.
Salko''s unyielding firmness in the face of retreat was admirable.
"Watch us, Statue of the Labyrinth! We do not engage in such filthy trades!"
Nillia swiftly notched and fired an arrow. The Statue of the Labyrinth responded decisively.
-Then prove your honor with your skill!-
With a rumbling sound, the corridor began to transform.
''I''m already starting to regret this...''
As the transformation of the corridor ended, Yi-Han found himself in the middle of the maze.
He was not alone. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he hadnded in the same section as Salko.
Salko looked at Yi-Han and asked.
"Do you still think we shouldn''t have epted it?"
"...Of course."
Yi-Han answered without a change in expression. Internally, he was regretting it, but there was no reason to show that to Salko. Salko nodded as if acknowledging, looking at Yi-Han''s stoic face.
"I may not know about other things, but I have to acknowledge your honor."
"Thanks for understanding."
''Can''t I offer Salko now and get out of here?'' Yi-Han thought inwardly, but the Statue of the Labyrinth gave no response.
Salko, holding his staff, chanted a spell. "Gather, earth."
Salko, known even to Yi-Han from other towers for his talent in earth element, made a slope enough to climb by gathering earth under the walls of the maze.
"Excellent, Salko."
It was foolish to think of escaping thisplex and vast maze through conventional means.
"Huff... Huff..."
But Salko knelt down, his face pale, having exhausted all his mana in creating the mound of earth.
"Are you alright?"
"I''m... I''m fine. Let''s go up and look for a way."
They stepped on the mound and climbed atop the maze''s wall. The vastndscape of the maze came into view.
...Is this really a corridor?
"..."
"..."
Both students were lost for words. Yi-Han quickly regained hisposure and said, "It''s a bit wider than expected, but let''s make a path with magic and move straight."
"That''s... impossible. It takes this much mana just to get over one wall."
"No. I''ll do it. Don''t worry."
"How would it be different if you do it?"
Salko asked, incredulous. No matter how skilled Yi-Han was in magic, this was not a problem that could be solved easily. Crossing just one wall had exhausted so much mana; what difference would Yi-Han make?
At best, they could cross two or three walls...
"Gather, earth. Gather, earth."
Yi-Han checked the spell as he swung his staff. He had never handled the earth element, focusing on other elements, but luckily, the spell Salko just used wasn''t tooplicated.
He could learn 1st Circle on the spot.
Salko asked in wonder, "I thought water and lightning were your main elements. Did you also master earth?"
"No. I''m learning it now."
"?????"
Salko looked at him as if he was insane, but Yi-Han did not notice.
"Gather, earth!"
"!"
Yi-Han was lucky. The spell worked on the first try.
''It''s easier because of the struggles with other elemental magics.''
The hardships he suffered at the hands of Professor Bdi and other viins weren''tpletely useless, which was a pleasant realization.
Earth mounds began to rise from the ground.
Salko thought, watching the scene, ''Learning it now and already this good... He really is amazing.''
It was a bitte to be amazed by Wardanaz''s magic ability, but it was indeed astonishing.
He seeded on his first try learning a new spell.
Even Salko, who took pride in his earth elemental magic, had to acknowledge it.
Grroooll...!
"...?"
As the earth mound grewrger than expected, Salko''s expression changed weirdly.
Uh...
How long is it going to keep growing?
Rrrumble...!
The sound of the surrounding maze walls shaking was heard.
wasn''t a spell that created something from nothing. It was closer to a spell that drew nearby earth. The walls of the maze were losing bnce and shaking as the spell forcibly drew the earth that was supporting them from beneath.
Salko was horrified.
"Wardanaz! What on earth...?!"
The mound of earth,rge enough to bury several people, toppled the wall with its weight, and not stopping there, it brought down the weakened surrounding walls as well. This chain reaction created arge path through the maze.
"...Was this your intention?!"
Salko couldn''t help but shudder beyond astonishment. To think that in such a short time, Yi-Han had intended to create a path this way.
How could such a thought even ur to a student of the same year?
"Exactly. Salko."
"...!!"
While Salko shuddered, Yi-Han inwardly sighed in relief.
''I need to practice new elements in a safe ce from now on.''
He had almost died buried under the earth in his arrogance.
"Gather, earth!"
"Gather, earth!"
"Gather, earth!"
"????"
Yi-Han had broken through eight more walls. This time, however, he did it differently. He calmly piled up mounds of earth and climbed over them.
Salko, not understanding, asked, "Wouldn''t it be faster to do it like before?"
"We need to conserve mana."
"Ah, right. That makes sense."
Meanwhile, their scattered friends joined them.
"Wardanaz!!"
"You''vee to save us!"
"Gather, earth!"
"Wardanaz? Thanks!"
"Gather, earth!"
"Wardanaz...!"
Initially, the students from the ck Tortoise were d to see Yi-Han and Salko, but soon they started to get scared. Yi-Han seemed like a mage possessed by an evil demon, continuously repeating the spell.
"Wardanaz, are you okay?"
"Don''t talk. It disturbs my concentration. Gather, earth!"
Yi-Han continued to chant the spell, over and over.
The students who joinedter were bewildered.
"Isn''t it... going to copse?"
"How is it not copsing?"
Using magic a few times in a row could be impressive, but after dozens of times, amazement gave way to awe.
"Tutanta. Aren''t you surprised by this?"
"Not at all!"
Tutanta had seen Yi-Han create evenrger mounds of earth and shake walls to make a path before they arrived here.
To him, this continuous spellcasting was no longer surprising.
"!"
''Tutanta...! Not being surprised by this!''
''Can Tutanta do it too?''
The students from the ck Tortoise could only marvel. They were amazed by such continuous magic!
''We''ll have to tell the White Tiger guys that Tutanta can do this too.''
''What''s this?''
As Yi-Han was rapidly breaking through the maze in a straight line, he hesitated.
Surprisingly, as he piled up earth mounds, the walls began to rise as well.
The Statue of the Labyrinth addressed Yi-Han.
-Imend your ingenuity in breaking through the maze. However, if you try to pass through the walls without finding the exit, there are naturally restrictions.-
''Indeed, I was taking the easy way out.''
While other students used all sorts of wisdom and magic to find their way, Yi-Han just used his mana to summon endless mounds of earth...
-If you break through this wall, you''ll be outside. Let''s see if you can do it, young students.-
Hearing the Statue of the Labyrinth''s words, Salko pondered seriously.
Salko had a way to break through this final challenge.
''Should I share the family magic with Wardanaz?''
The Tutanta family, one of the empire''s foremost stonemason families, possessed several secret spells passed down through generations.
Salko himself had not yet reached the level to learn it, but it was a spell he had secretly memorized, intending to learn it once he acquired enough skill. The thought of sharing this magic with Wardanaz was somewhat reluctant, but he couldn''t just stand by and not help Wardanaz break through the maze alone.
After seriously pondering, Salko came to a decision.
"Wardanaz. I have a spell to teach you."
Bang!!!!!
No sooner had he spoken than a massive sphere of water struck the wall directly. The sphere, spinning and creating a menacing sound, tore through the wall of the maze.
The Statue of the Labyrinth praised Yi-Han.
-Excellent, young student. You have proven your honor with your skill! You may pass! May blessings be upon your path ahead!-
"Thank you."
Yi-Han swung his staff to shake off the water. The waiting walls of the maze were, inparison to the monsters Yi-Han had faced before, an easy opponent. He had ample time to prepare andunch his attack.
"..."
"But Salko, you were going to teach me a spell?"
"...Yeah."
Salko''s expression was gloomy. Yi-Han was puzzled.
''Why is he acting like that?''
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Chapter 169
Chapter 169
With a darkened expression, Salko slowly opened his mouth.
"The magic I intended to teach you is the ."
"No. If such magic existed, why didn''t you tell me earlier?"
"..."
"Why is that?"
"It''s nothing."
In that moment, Yi-Han seemed to hear the sound of teeth grinding.
Anyway, the was renowned for its efficiency and exceptional effects among other disintegration magics.
Even if magic produced the same result, it varied greatly depending on its structure, process, and incantation.
As such, choosing the right magic for the same oue was an important matter. One had to consider how it matched their aptitude, in which situations it would primarily be used, and so forth.
In rtively simple lower circle magic, such considerations were unnecessary, but they became essential as one advanced to higher levels.
-In this situation, you must use !
-You fool! Your magic skills bring me to tears! There''s no need to use such expensive magic! A simple would suffice!-
-With such a level of magic, it''s impossible to resolve this burningva crisis!-
"Is that so? I''ve heard of the Tutanta Family''s reputation. To be taught magic from such a family. Is that alright?"
"...Yes."
Salko replied after a long silence. Yi-Han wondered if he was so troubled because he was teaching the family''s magic.
''After all, teaching a family''s magic wouldn''t be a pleasing task.''
Though he had decided to teach it, his concerns were unavoidable.
Yi-Han nodded, understanding Salko''s dilemma. Of course, Salko didn''t notice this at all.
"Now, the incantation goes like this."
Salko detailed the incantation, movements, and necessary materials (a handful of the rock to be disintegrated) of , as well as the detailed process.
The elves of the Tutanta Family had memorized it far more detailedly and thoroughly than any magic tome. Thanks to this, Yi-Han easily understood what this magic was.
...Of course, that didn''t mean mastering the magic was easy.
''What is this?''
Yi-Han felt a throbbing pain in his head.
Apart from his mana, it was a headache akin to the exhaustion of concentration after usingplex magic repeatedly.
This was of such high difficulty.
Despite several attempts, the headache was too much to bear. Yi-Han paused for a moment.
"Tutanta. How long did it take you to learn this magic?"
"I haven''t learned it yet."
"...?"
Yi-Han was momentarily baffled.
This guy?
''No. That can''t be right.''
"So, this magic isn''t that difficult, is it? What circle does it belong to?"
Yi-Han expected it to be about 2nd circle, or at most 3rd circle, being very generous.
"..."
However, when faced with Yi-Han''s question, Salko hesitated.
Then he replied.
"It''s... 4th circle."
"..."
Yi-Han looked sternly at Salko.
Was this guy trying to assassinate him in a different way since he couldn''t defeat him head-on?
Salko truly had no intention of assassinating Yi-Han.
It would be inhuman to do such a thing after leading the students of the ck Tortoise through thebyrinth.
Why would I do that?
...Salko had simply failed to consider the danger of teaching Wardanaz a 4th circle magic.
He himself couldn''t understand why.
Why indeed? Before pondering whether it was appropriate to teach the family''s magic, he should have first considered whether it was suitable to teach such magic to a first-year student...
"Yes, Salko."
To alleviate the growing tension, Yi-Han spoke up.
"Perhaps this is on the easier side among the 4th circle magics? That''s why you taught it to me."
Not all magic of the same circle had the same difficulty level.
If this magic was considered among the easiest in the 4th circle, then his decision to teach it made sense.
"No, Wardanaz. is among the hardest in the 4th circle. I''ve even heard it''s harder than some 5th circle magics..."
"Uh, Tutanta. Maybe now''s not the best time to say that."
Nillia advised cautiously. Tutanta also realized his mistake and closed his mouth.
Of course, the atmosphere had already be more awkward.
"..."
"..."
As Yi-Han and Tutanta fell into a silent impasse, only Nillia felt terribly ufortable in their midst.
"...Look! The stairs to the 4th floor! Over there!"
"The stairs to the 4th floor."
"Stairs to the 4th floor."
"Speaking of 4th floor, it reminds me of 4th circle magic... Oops. Nevermind."
"...I''m sorry, Wardanaz."
Salko apologized.
He never imagined that teaching the Tutanta Family''s magic would require an apology.
"No, Tutanta. It happens."
''Have they be a bit distant?''
Nillia felt like the space between Yi-Han and Tutanta had slightly widened.
Whoosh!
"!"
As soon as they reached the 4th floor corridor, a ghost monster emitting a sharp cry charged down the hallway.
The students were all startled and tried to flee back down the stairs.
"Go down..."
Bang!
But there was no need.
A zing white beam of light shed and struck the ghost monster, causing it to vanish instantly.
Yi-Han could hear faint voices from afar.
-Quick, get away! They''re freshmen!-
-This one escaped...! Why did theye up to the 4th floor?!-
-It''s midterms period!-
''They could''ve hidden better.''
The senior students of the magic academy hade up to the 4th floor to catch the escaped ghost monster.
The incident had happened so quickly that the other students seemed unaware.
"Is... is it gone?"
"Are we safe?"
The 4th floor corridor, now ghost-free, was quiet and peaceful.
This was, in fact, how a normal academy corridor should be.
''The Beetle ssroom, that was it.''
Yi-Han walked slowly, checking the ssrooms along the corridor.
The Griffin ssroom, the Maykin Family ssroom (it was evident they had generously sponsored its construction in the year it was built), the Beer Candy ssroom, the Burning Red g Strike Team ssroom...
And the Beetle ssroom.
"!!!"
The students'' eyes widened in surprise.
They had struggled to make it up to the 4th floor, but none had expected to find the ssroom so quickly.
"Is it... this easy?"
"Honestly... it wasn''t easy."
The students cautiously opened the door to the ssroom.
Inside, an undead summon awaited them, ready to wee the students.
-Wee! Please take your seats.-
"...Who are you?"
-I am a summon serving the principal. Please, take your seats.-
Yi-Han and his friends hesitated before dispersing to take their seats. Then, papers and quill pens appeared before the students.
-Now, please solve the problems. Once you are done, you may submit your work and leave.-
''This is surprisingly normal, shockingly so.''
Having encountered nothing but abnormalities thus far, the appearance of a normal exam was startling in its own right.
Yi-Han gripped the examination paper.
His mind had been preupied with reaching the 4th floor, but in reality, the true test was not in finding the exam location but in solving the problems it presented.
The first question. Write the full name of the principal.
The second question. In what year did the principal develop the magic ?
The third question. In what year did the principal expand the ck Darkness Hall of the magic academy...
"..."
Nillia bit her quill with a look of headache.
''Do I really need to memorize everything the principal did? How is that rted to character education?''
Though internally she grumbled, what choice did she have as a student but to solve the problems.
"Can''t we just research this ande back?"
"If you revisit, the questions will be different."
"..."
The ck Tortoise students returned to their examination papers in silence.
Nillia inadvertently nced towards Yi-Han, curious about how Wardanaz was faring.
Shasha-shasha-shak!
"...?!"
Nillia was astonished.
Yi-Han was relentlessly moving his quill pen.
''Did he get a different exam from me?''
But that couldn''t be the case.
Astonishingly, Wardanaz was unwaveringly writing down the correct answers to such an absurd exam.
His continuous movement of the quill without a single pause was almost miraculous.
''Wardanaz... Did I just not study enough?''
Feeling suddenly anxious, Nillia looked around.
The other ck Tortoise students were staring at Yi-Han with simr expressions of disbelief.
''How could he...?''
''He studied even this? There''s only so much time...''
''How much did he study?''
As all the other students paused their actions to stare at Yi-Han, the undead summon spoke up.
-Students. Cheating is-
"No, it''s not that."
"It''s a misunderstanding."
The students quickly averted their gazes.
Nillia returned her focus to the exam paper. The questions were as daunting as before, but she felt somewhat relieved.
''It''s not just me who doesn''t know!''
Yi-Han finished his answers and stood up.
About half of the students who came with him had already disappeared.
''I''mter than I thought. Well, the questions were easy.''
Of course, those who had left earlier had decided to give up on the questions ande back after further study.
No one else, except Yi-Han, hadpleted and left.
However, Yi-Han could not have known this.
Descending from the 4th to the 3rd floor, and then to the 2nd, he opened the door to the 1st floor main building and stepped outside, where darkness had already enveloped the surroundings.
In the distance, an ominous bell tolled.
Though he had heard the bell announcing the time several times before, today''s bell sounded somewhat different...
Students. Wee to the examination period! May you all have a painfully challenging week! And those who are drunk had better sober up quickly!
"..."
At the sound of the skull principal''s voice echoing throughout the academy, Yi-Han sighed.
He had finished one exam, but it seemed like a hellish week was still ahead.
"Perfect score."
"..."
Yi-Han was surprised to find himself feeling relieved at the sight of Professor Bdi''s face.
Could it be a case of Stockholm Syndrome?
Damn. The other professors have been so crazy that Professor Bdi seems like the better option.
As hoped, Professor Bdi didn''t assign anyplicated exams or tasks.
He simply asked Yi-Han to cast a few water elemental spells, then cleanly awarded him a perfect score.
...In reality, Yi-Han hadpleted these spells through hard work before the midterms...
Unfortunately, Yi-Han failed to realize this.
"Mage Eumidiphos spoke highly of you."
"Yes. It seems she thinks too kindly of me."
Yi-Han wasn''t surprised.
Given the rtionship between Eumidiphos and Professor Bdi, it would have been strange if they hadn''t exchanged information about him.
"She said you defeated Ogonin."
"...Did she mention that?"
Eumidiphos wasn''t even there, was she?
"Professor Kirmin Ku told her."
"Ah."
Yi-Han inwardly cursed Professor Kirmin.
He had helped a friend, only to be repaid in this manner.
He was disappointed that his rtionship with Professor Bdi, which he had thought was a positive one, was being viewed in such a light.
"Illusion magic is a tricky opponent in magicbat. It''s good you won''t have to waste time learning how to counter it."
"Thank... you?"
Professor Bdi''s words were a confusing mix of praise and a possible insult to illusion magic.
"Let''s go."
"Excuse me? Where to?"
At Yi-Han''s question, Professor Bdi looked at him as if he had just asked the world''s most foolish question.
"The dungeon."
"..."
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Chapter 170
Chapter 170
Yi-Han pondered how to convey that this week was the mid-term exam period and that he wasn''t only attending Professor Bdis ss.
"Is it alright to go to the dungeon during the mid-term exam week?"
"Yes."
"..."
Yi-Han gave up.
''As if that would ever happen.''
Even if the magic academy were to be destroyed tomorrow, Professor Bdi would undoubtedly conduct his ss.
Would such a person provide convenience during the mid-term exams?
"Yes. Let''s go!"
"Don''t be overly joyful. It could lead to mistakes."
"..."
Should I kill him?
Previously, Professor Bdi had failed to control the dungeon properly, leading to a situation where Colossal Hungry Ghost appeared in an area where it shouldn''t have.
And Yi-Han had defeated it.
At this point, even for the imperial court, it was difficult to determine whether the faulty with the teacher or the student.
Of course, Yi-Han had a firm opinion.
''Professor Bdi is insane.''
"Aren''t we going to the Colossal Hungry Ghost area?"
When Professor Bdi stopped, Yi-Han was puzzled.
They should have gone further down to reach where the Colossal Hungry Ghost appeared...
At Yi-Han''s question, Professor Bdi smiled faintly.
Yi-Han felt a chill.
"As I said, don''t be overly joyful. Emotional fluctuations can lead to magic errors."
"..."
Yi-Han sighed at the thought of Professor Bdi interpreting his question as excitement to see the Colossal Hungry Ghost.
"I understand. You must be eager to practice as soon as possible."
"No, I''m not."
"No need to be modest."
"..."
"We stopped here because of an illusion spell."
"An illusion spell?"
Yi-Han was puzzled.
Of course, Professor Bdi was the kind of person who would use any magic necessary for magicbat, without specializing in any particr field.
But with Professor Kirmin Ku around, why bother?
"I had nned to teach you how to counter illusion magicter."
Professor Bdi had judged that a freshman like Yi-Han would rarely encounter illusion magic.
It was thought that other practical training in magicbat shoulde first.
''Isn''t that right?''
Yi-Han agreed.
"It doesn''t seem incorrect."
"It is wrong."
"What?"
"You''ve faced Ogonin."
"No..."
"Considering the future, you''ll need to know how to counter illusion magic."
''You should study logic and statistics.''
Yi-Han thought to himself.
Facing Ogonin was more of an ident than Yi-Han having an ambition like ''I must hunt down and defeat the empire''s illusion mages''.
Regardless, Professor Bdi raised his staff. Yi-Han tensed.
Fortunately, Professor Bdi did not attack him. He waved his staff, summoning an illusion.
Doppelgangers identical to Professor Bdi appeared.
''Twice as terrifying.''
"Illusion magic can be broadly ssified into magic that directly affects the target and magic that affects the external environment."
Direct target illusion magic was soplex it could be categorized as mental magic.
Properly cast mental magic could control a person like a puppet...
In contrast, external illusion magic was rtively easier.
Since it didn''t require direct attack on the mind, simply summoning an illusion was sufficient.
However, that didn''t mean it was useless. Depending on the situation and location, thetter could be more useful.
''So that''s why the mage Ogonin failed?''
Yi-Han thought that if Ogonin heard this, he''d clutch the back of his neck and copse.
The numerous attempts had proved futile, leaving a strong impression.
"You have a high resistance to the former due to your constitution."
The mana possessed by a mage itself created resistance against external magic.
Of course, this resistance wasn''t particrly outstanding. If merely having mana meant resisting magic, then half of the mages in the empire would be out of work.
But if the amount of mana was unimaginably high, the story changed.
Then, the resistance created couldn''t be ignored.
''Not bad at all.''
The benefits were more pleasing considering the trouble caused by having so much mana.
"To what extent can I defend?"
"That''s uncertain. Countering magic due to mana is very rare and many other variables also y a part. You''ll have to find out yourself."
"Understood."
''I hope the mage Ogonin is reasonably skilled.''
Yi-Han thought to himself.
If Ogonin''s skills were decent, it meant he could potentially defend against a significant number of mental magics.
Although the likelihood seemed low...
"However, the illusions cast outside are different."
Professor Bdi''s doppelgangers spoke in unison, their voices echoing.
"Your great mana has less effect here, so you need to learn how to discern them. How will you differentiate?"
Yi-Han immediately created a water bead and threw it at one of the doppelgangers. The doppelgnger, resembling Professor Bdi, ducked to avoid it.
''What a pity.''
He had wanted to hit the illusion...
"Not bad. Illusions are vulnerable to external attacks. But inbat, you can''t check each one like this. You need to learn to identify them by feeling."
"By feeling?"
"Yes. No matter how sophisticated, an illusion will always have something different from reality."
Keen observation was essential for countering illusion magic.
''A kind of spot-the-difference game.''
"Try to find it."
Professor Bdi''s doppelgangers spread out to each side. Yi-Han resisted the urge to throw more water beads and focused.
"The doppelganger on the far left is fake."
"You''re right."
One doppelganger disappeared.
"The color of the shoes was different. You noticed well."
"...Yes."
In reality, he had guessed it was fake because the expression seemed too soft for Professor Bdi...
"The doppelganger on the far right is also fake."
"Did you notice by the color of the staff?"
"Yes, of course."
"Well done."
In truth, he had guessed it was fake because the eyes seemed too kind for Professor Bdi, but he was right nheless.
''Maybe this is what it means to identify by feeling.''
After all, a feeling was still a feeling.
"Now we go to face the Colossal Hungry Ghost. Be mindful of illusions."
Professor Bdi began to summon the illusions of Colossal Hungry Ghost.
It was already tough to face the Colossal Hungry Ghost, and adding illusions only increased the difficulty.
Yi-Han marveled.
''So this was why he exined how to counter illusion magic.''
He really wanted to hit him.
After spending the morning in the dungeon with the Colossal Hungry Ghost and returning to the rest area, Yi-Han was greeted by the sprawled students of the Blue Dragon Tower.
"That''s why you should drink moderately."
Yi-Han said coolly.
It was one thing for the academy to provide little food, but to eat as much as given on the eve of an exam.
It was no surprise that they were all knocked out with hangovers.
Almost all the students of the Blue Dragon Tower had drunk.
Starting from Gainando, who was clutching his head in agony, to Yonaire, who sat pale-faced, only drinking water, and even the princess, who couldn''t hold her head up properly, presumably having drunk as well.
"Ugh..."
"Is everything alright?"
"I did suspect something was amiss..."
Yonaire rose to her feet, her face ashen.
A skilled alchemist often had a fondness for liquor.
The temptation was too strong to refuse the overflowing wine at the banquet.
"Wait for me, everyone. I''ll brew something up."
"Thanks, Wardanaz..."
"You''re the only one..."
''Is a hangover cure really something to be this grateful for?''
Thinking this, Yi-Han lit a fire under the pot.
He peeled and boiled the potatoes he had dug up from the garden.
Then, after mashing them, he mixed in milk and cheese, and as he added it to the pot, it began to simmer gently.
He had brought in fresh supplies over the weekend, but there was no need to waste them. A potato soup would suffice.
''I suppose adding some mushrooms wouldn''t hurt.''
Yi-Han stirred the soup vigorously with adle, then scooped out hearty servings for his friends.
"Will you all be alright for the alchemy lecture in an hour?"
"Water... of course. There''s a 90% chance I''ll make it. Wardanaz."
"Me too... definitely..."
''These guys are pushing it.''
Judging by their state, he worried if they could even attend other lectures properly.
How much alcohol had the skull principal distributed...
"Don''t worry too much about the alchemy midterm. It''s due by Friday. I''ll attend and let you know."
"No, Wardanaz. Together... ugh."
"The world is... spinning..."
"...You all better just stay put."
---
"??"
Arriving at the alchemy ss, Yi-Han couldn''t help but look around in surprise.
The number of students was...
Wasn''t it too few?
"It''s not that surprising."
Professor Uregor spoke calmly.
It seemed he wasn''t at all surprised that only a few of the many students had shown up for the ss.
"Does this happen every year?"
"You guessed right."
"..."
Yi-Han was speechless.
Considering the personality of the skull principal, it wasn''t strange that this happened before every midterm...
But it was still ridiculous that the freshmen fell for it every time.
"Now, those of you who are here, pass the word to those who aren''t. Of course, you don''t have to."
Professor Uregor tapped the chalkboard, which detailed the midterm assignment.
Required: Wild cherry tree branch, Dendrobium leaf, Thistle flower, Bone blossom...
Method: First, stir the water with the wild cherry tree branch in a clockwise direction...
''What? He''s telling us everything?''
Yi-Han was surprised.
He had expected the professor to be more demanding, like telling them to figure out the method themselves, or find out which ingredients were needed on their own.
But here he was, exining everything in detail.
''There''s a wild cherry tree over there, I know where to find Dendrobium, and the thistle too... Huh?''
While noting down the ingredients, Yi-Han suddenly felt something odd and paused.
Nillia, who was beside him, seemed to feel the same and raised her hand.
"Professor?"
"What is it?"
"I''ve heard that Bone blossom grows deep underground in dungeons."
"And?"
"Well... Isn''t it hard to get it within the academy grounds?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Professor Uregor said with a satisfied smile.
"There are plenty of dungeons in this academy. Just find one and head down."
"Ah..."
Yi-Han could feel the emotion in Nillia''s exasperated ''Ah.''
It must be something like ''Ah, this is too much.''
"So, we just need to go down to a dungeon and bring it back?"
"You don''t necessarily have to go all the way down to a dungeon. If you find another way to get it, that''s also fine."
''Is this why the seniors raid the professors'' workshops?''
Yi-Han seemed to understand why the seniors whose faces he did not know resorted to thievery.
With sses like these, how could they not?
Nillia grumbled in disbelief.
"How are we supposed to enter a dungeon now? Even if the deadline is Friday, it''s absurd. We have other sses and exams too."
"Exactly."
Yi-Han deeply empathized.
There were midterms in other lectures, and now they had to deal with a dungeon of all things.
"Finding the dungeon is another problem. Do dungeons just appear when you look for them? I don''t even know where is the location of any here. Wardanaz, do you know of any dungeons?"
Nillia asked, not really expecting Yi-Han to know.
After all, Yi-Han was a freshman. How could he possibly know about a dungeon located underground?
It was more of a rhetorical question, a venting of frustration.
"There is one, actually."
"...?!?!"
Nillia looked at Yi-Han in disbelief.
How on earth?
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Chapter 171
Chapter 171
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
Yi-Han revealed that Professor Bdi''s lecture venue had changed from the ssroom to an underground dungeon.
It was done for more efficient teaching...
"Don''t joke around. ...You''re not joking?"
Nillia, who had responded with disbelief, was taken aback when she saw Yi-Han''s sorrowful eyes.
It''s not a joke?
"Why on earth would the lecture be held in an underground dungeon?"
"There''s a long story behind that."
Yi-Han sighed.
Exining the situation now wouldn''t make much of a difference.
"First, let''s n how to enter the dungeon. We need to get Bone blossoms. Considering trial and error, each person should have about five or six."
"Whates out in the dungeon? Slimes? Skeletons?"
"Hungry Ghosts appear."
"..."
Nillia was unsure whether Yi-Han was teasing her or being serious, tilting her head in confusion.
However, Yi-Han''s expression was very serious.
"If Hungry Ghosts appear... shouldn''t we just find another dungeon?"
"Finding another dungeon takes time too."
"That''s true but..."
Would one really choose to venture into a dangerous dungeon just because finding another takes time?
''Is it just me, or does it seem like Wardanaz is seeping into the academy?''
Nillia was worried about Yi-Han''s decision to venture into a dungeon known for Hungry Ghosts, thinking back to when they first met and he seemed more cautious.
"When the otherse to their senses, I''ll have to take them along. At least the principal''s test is over, thankfully."
"I''m envious. I have to go back and see that test again."
"Really?"
Yi-Han looked at Nillia with a puzzled expression.
"How high of a score are you aiming for to retake the test?"
"...My goal is just to avoid failing."
"Really? Then why bother retaking it?"
"Wardanaz... what do you think my score looks like right now?"
Nillia''s voice sharpened slightly.
This is why it''s great to have friends who study well!
It was only after Yi-Han promised to help Nillia with her studies that he could appease her mood.
''I don''t understand. The questions weren''t that difficult.''
"Dolgyu."
"Yi-Han."
In the distance, an orc friend with a tired face appeared. Yi-Han, suspecting something, asked:
"Did you drink?"
"...A little..."
"Dolgyu. You shouldn''t just gulp down whatever the academy gives you."
"I know. I''m reflecting. Yi-Han."
The conversation was odd for first-year students, but no one found it strange.
"Are the White Tiger students studying hard?"
"Not really?"
Dolgyu answered without a hint of embarrassment.
For the students of the White Tiger, academic performance at the magic academy wasn''t that important.
They were learning magic to excel as knights.
Learning the necessary magic and leaving was important, not the grades.
''They''re quite fearsome.''
Yi-Han was thrilled to know that the White Tiger students didn''t pay much attention to their studies.
Students from noble families in the Blue Dragon, except Gainando, at least tried to maintain a minimum level of dignity, concerned about their family''s honor. But the White Tiger students were like wild beasts.
Honestly, it was a bit enviable!
They knew they had a ce to work after leaving academy, hence their boldness.
''But it''s nice to have such guys below you.''
Yi-Han nodded to himself, contemting his thoughts.
"Studying isn''t mandatory, after all."
"Yi-Han, it sounds odd hearing that from you."
Dolgyu felt a sense of incongruity.
Yi-Han seemed to be the most diligent student in the magic academy...
"Ha! Haat! Haaack!"
"Huh! Huk! Hup!"
As they walked forward, they saw students from the White Tiger shing wooden swords, beads of sweat dripping down their brows.
"Could they be training instead of studying?"
"Ah... No, there''s a swordsmanship examing up, so..."
Dolgyu defended his friends.
Of course, the White Tiger students had a tendency to escape into swordsmanship when faced with troublesome exams.
Those of knightly descent usually cleared their minds by swinging a sword when troubled.
"That makes sense."
"Dolgyu! Come and swing your sword too! It''ll help you sober up from the alcohol!"
"Holding onto books and then swinging a sword really clears the mind!"
"..."
Yi-Han stared intently at Dolgyu, who hurriedly moved forward upon hearing the shouts of his White Tiger friends.
"Moradi."
"Wardanaz."
Jijel frowned upon seeing Yi-Han, and Yi-Han frowned back at her.
Both wishing the other would disappear.
"Didn''t you drink?"
"Only fools drink. But why didnt you, Wardanaz?"
"I prefer not to touch anything given by the principal."
"..."
Jijel was astounded by the unexpected and ludicrous reason.
What was that about?
"Everyone is training with swords. Aren''t you going to join them?"
Other White Tiger students were vigorously swinging their swords, not out of reluctance to study, but to prepare for the swordsmanship exam.
However, Jijel was sitting alone, reading a book.
"Studying is something I do regrly."
''Is Gainando saying the same thing?''
Of course, Gainando and Moradi werepletely different. It was almost an insult topare them.
"Still, shouldn''t you prepare a bit before the exam?"
"What are you trying to say?"
Jijel asked bluntly, prompting Yi-Han to get straight to the point.
"You seem unusually calm for the midterms. Do you know something?"
With a ''thud'', Jijel closed the book she was holding, revealing its title, .
''Moradi is preparing for the exam too.''
Yi-Han had finished studying that book two weeks ago.
"Yes, I know something."
"I thought so."
Yi-Han had only one reason to talk to Moradi.
The swordsmanship skills disyed by the White Tiger students were considerable.
Being from knightly families, they had ess to various rumors and information.
They had even known in advance about the arrival of the White Wood Knight Order.
Moradi might have known something about the midterms in advance.
Of course, it was unlikely she would just reveal it.
"What do you want?"
"Well..."
Jijel crossed her arms in an arrogant stance, her face showing she knew she had the upper hand.
"What can you offer?"
"I''ve already taken the exam. How about an exchange of questions?"
"!"
Jijel''s face, usually stoic, wavered for a moment.
The exam questions changed continuously...
Jijel, who hadn''t personally attended the exam, was obviously unaware of this.
''This might work.''
Jijel was plunged into thought.
Truth be told, trading with Wardanaz wasnt exactly appealing.
Wardanaz was too clever and cunning for Jijel to let her guard down around him.
And there was also the desire to reject the offer just to see Wardanaz''s distorted face.
But...
''It''s too good an offer to pass up.''
While Jijel was not ashamed of being part of the White Tiger, she objectively acknowledged that it was not the best environment for focusing on academic studies.
Most students there would say things like, ''Why bother using our brains that much? That''s for others to do.''
As such, even those students who were interested in their studies often got swept up in the atmosphere, tossing their books aside while dering, ''Right, we are knights after all!''
For Jijel, who despised stupidity, this was a ludicrous situation.
Having no one to study with!
In contrast, Wardanaz was a top student from the Blue Dragon, known for his excellent academic performance.
He was capable enough, though he could casually teach wrong answers while studying together.
"Alright."
"Good. We have a deal."
Yi-Han nodded contentedly.
Of course, Jijel might rageter upon receiving the test papers, but what could be done about that?
In the magic academy, it was the fooled one''s own fault.
"Have you two already discussed everything?"
Dolgyu approached as they finished talking.
"Moradi, did you tell Yi-Han? About the midterms?"
"Why should I do that?"
Jijel retorted incredulously.
Dolgyu looked perplexed.
"...But we''re on the same team."
"..."
"..."
It was then that Yi-Han and Jijel realized they were indeed on the same team for the midterms, just like the previous exam.
''...I''ve wasted my time.''
If he had just waited, Moradi would have told him anyway...
"The deal is already done."
"Don''t worry, Moradi. I keep my promises."
Jijel looked at Yi-Han with surprise, then suspicion.
What''s going on?
"Something''s fishy..."
"Moradi, Yi-Han is someone who keeps his promises, after all."
"Don''t talk nonsense, Choi. You say that because you''ve been brainwashed by Wardanaz."
"...Did you really have to gather everyone like this?"
Nillia whispered quietly, so only Yi-Han could hear.
Theposition of students gathered around therge library table was beyond imagination.
Starting with the students of the Blue Dragon (surprisingly, Gainando was there), to students like Nillia and Ratford from the ck Tortoise.
...And even Jijel and Dolgyu from the White Tiger and the priests of the Immortal Phoenix?
"There are many who asked for help, but I also have to study myself."
''It looks like a fight might break out.''
Nillia thought so but refrained from asking more. She knew Yi-Han also had to focus on his studies, so she couldn''t take more of his time.
"Here. I''vepiled these questions. Memorize them."
"Uh... just memorize? Isn''t there another way?"
Gainando asked naively. Yi-Han replied sternly.
"No. Memorize."
"Uh... Uhm."
It was neither a high-level magic application problem nor anythingplex, just a memorization test, and the most efficient method was to create probable questions and memorize them.
Yi-Han tossed papers to his friends.
When the principal had told them to learn magic for transcription practice, he had thought, ''Why go to such lengths?'' But now, in this situation, it was definitely convenient.
Although he had no intention of being grateful...
''And now, the White Wood Knight Order ising again.''
Yi-Han opened his books for study, reading them while simultaneously pondering over the news he had heard that day.
It seemed that the White Wood Knight Order wasing again for the midterms of the swordsmanship ss.
He had somewhat expected it, but...
''Surely he won''t make us fight someone stronger, right? He wouldn''t be so conscienceless as to do that to first-year students.''
Honestly, even making them fight the knightsst time was a conscienceless act. Yi-Han trusted Professor Ingurdel.
Having finished reading a book, Yi-Han closed it and briefly closed his eyes. Then, he immediately picked up another paper beside him.
Gainando, who had been murmuring while memorizing, asked curiously.
"What lecture is that?"
"It''s not for the exam. Just something I''m reading to take a break."
Gainando nodded as if he could rte to Yi-Han''s answer.
Gainando, too, had been dabbling in various things while preparing for the midterms.
''So Yi-Han is the same!''
"What are you reading? Thetest Toveris series is interesting. I bought a magazine over the weekend that introduces new cards..."
"Hmm? Magic spells scribed by the principal."
"..."
"..."
It wasn''t just Gainando who was shocked.
Other students, diligently memorizing at their seats, simultaneously lifted their heads.
They all looked at Yi-Han with astonished eyes.
"It''s not that difficult. Just a pastime..."
Yi-Han unwittingly made an excuse. Nillia shook her head in disbelief.
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Chapter 172
Chapter 172
"Unnecessarily misunderstood," he mused.
Contrary to his friends'' misunderstandings, Yi-Han was not as obsessed with studying as they thought. He only focused on what was necessary, studying just what he needed.
"Nillia, you''re not misunderstanding me too, are you?"
"What misunderstanding?"
"I know what you''re thinking right now, but... wait a moment."
Yi-Han hesitated mid-sentence.
''Is this it?''
The paper from the treasure chests that the skull principal spread around during the festival. It had magic written on it, but it wasn''t easy to just acquire. Even if it was written clearly and in detail, it required trial and error, especially when encrypted with metaphors and codes only a mage would understand, making the process several times longer.
Yi-Han had also spent quite a bit of time on it, but suddenly, he had an epiphany.
He set the paper down and began to furiously scribble with his quill. The various codes he had noted down started to interlock organically, revealing the overall context of the magic.
Silence fell.
To his friends, Yi-Han looked like someone who suddenly started scribbling madly on paper, as if possessed.
Gainando murmured, "Learning magic is important, but Yi-Han seems to be going too far."
In the dark night, only illuminated by moonlight, Yi-Han sat in the lounge, his expression one of dejection.
''No...''
It wasn''t because the other students were worse at memorization than he thought. Of course, they were, but that wasn''t Yi-Han''s concern.
''...It was invisibility magic.''
A 2nd Circle magic, .
It wasn''t the skull principal''s fault. How could he have known that the student who would take that spell already possessed a belt with invisibility magic?
Yet, for Yi-Han, it was a disappointment.
''Well, it''s not bad.''
Someday, if he couldn''t use the belt, this spell woulde in handy. Although, if such a situation arose, invisibility might not be his primary concern.
Parlk!
"What?"
With the faint sound of pages turning, an unfamiliar scene unfolded before him. Yi-Han immediately grasped the situation.
"You again?"
The book given by the skull principal floated in the air, revealing its pages.
''What''s the criterion?''
He understood it was summoning him to learn magic, but the standard used by the ck book was elusive.
When does it call me?
"Can you tell me when will you call me?"
Instead of answering, the ck book just revealed its pages.
It felt like it was telling him to stop asking useless questions and just learn the magic.
''Of course, a book given by the skull principal wouldn''t be kind.''
Yi-Han muttered, "Don''t tell me you deliberately call me when Im busy or in trouble."
Parak!
"...?"
Yi-Han lifted his head. The ck book seemed to have moved slightly.
Could it be?
Ignoring Yi-Han''s gaze, the ck book fluttered the pages with the magic written on them.
Fortunately, the magic in the ck book wasn''t asplexly intertwined as the one from the festival.
The 2nd Circle magic, .
A spell that allowed one to maintain sight even in pitch darkness.
''Quite good.''
Yi-Han was pleased. For him, who often had to move around at night, such enhancement magic was useful. He could summon light, but that wasn''t always possible...
''But... the skull principal''s magic, all of it is somewhat...?''
Recalling the magic he had learned from the ck book, Yi-Han felt a sense of incongruity.
, , (though not learned from the ck book), and now .
Magic spells named after a mage were typically those developed by the mage themselves, out of necessity.
''What did he do in his youth to create such spells?''
Parlk!
"Understood. I''ll concentrate."
Yi-Han spoke to the ck book and closed his eyes. At this point, it was difficult to leave without mastering the magic, so he decided to give it his best effort. However, Yi-Han was unaware of something. If he didn''t learn the magic from the ck book and instead stalled for time, he could dy until the next spell appeared. There was no need to focus on learning everything all at once
Monday passed, and fortunately, most of the students had recovered from their hangovers. Yi-Han piled up a mountain of egg sandwiches on the lounge table for breakfast. He had borrowed some eggs from Professor Uregor''s cabin because those from the garden weren''t enough, but he was sure the professor would understand.
''Not bad.''
It was a simple sandwich with mashed eggs between soft white bread, but it tasted good.
''I can save more ingredients.''
Yi-Han felt increasingly skilled at satisfying his friends while conserving ingredients, and he felt a slight sense of pride.
"Wardanaz, you''re a genius."
"Being busy with exams and stilling up with this menu..."
His friends, unaware of Yi-Han''s cunning n, gratefully picked up an egg sandwich each.
"But Wardanaz, did you let the princess know?"
"...Ah."
Yi-Han hesitated. He had forgotten about it, being tormented by the ck book in his sleep and then getting up early to boil and mash eggs.
"Why don''t you guys deliver it?"
Yi-Han looked at the students of the Blue Dragon who followed the princess.
"We, um..."
"??"
"We''re a bit cautious about approaching her first because of her lineage..."
"????"
Gainando, munching on an egg sandwich, looked shocked.
Yi-Han, feeling a bit annoyed, encouraged the followers.
"We''re all students of the same tower, and one of Einrogard''s rules is equality."
Einrogard was an equal ce of suffering for everyone.
"So you can''t keep being so cautious and distant."
"Uh... We know, but..."
Despite Yi-Han''s words, the followers were reluctant to approach the princess first.
''Can''t they just think of her as Gainando wearing a wig?''
While Yi-Han had this absurd thought, one of the followers spoke up.
"We''ll pay more silver. Could you deliver it just this once, Wardanaz?"
"There''s no reason I can''t."
"?!"
Yi-Han readily agreed. Well, it could be a bit awkward!
ss.
It was time to see how diligently everyone had cared for their mounts.
"..."
Yi-Han looked at Niffirg with aplicated expression. Niffirg neighed as if asking why.
''Because you''re a griffin...''
The thought of having a creature known for eating horses in front of him made Yi-Han feelplicated, especially while his friends led their horses around.
Professor Bungaegor produced a snap with a riding crop and said, "As I''ve said countless times, bing friends with an animal requires consistent effort and care. You might cram for other sses before exams, but give up that thought in my ss."
Gainando looked at his horse regretfully, and the horse spat on his face in response.
"Today''s test involves riding a horse and racing. The goal is to go as far as possible and return within a set time. Any questions?"
Yi-Han raised his hand.
"What is it?"
"Will there be dangerous rivers likest time?"
Professor Bungaegor thought of Yi-Han as someone who holds grudges, even though it wasn''t her creationst time.
"Of course. Einrogard''snds are vast and filled with various obstacles. It''s wise to be cautious. Now... begin!"
Professor Bungaegor gave no time for the students to prepare mentally, immediately signaling the start with a horn.
''Can''t we collude?''
As Yi-Han mounted Niffirg, he briefly considered a collusion. If everyone agreed not to go too far, the test would be easier...
''No, that''s impossible.''
Seeing other students from different towers already hurling insults, Yi-Han realized collusion was out of the question.
"Get out of my way, you ck turtles!"
"If you want, try breaking through with your skills! Aren''t you a knight?"
Yi-Han shook his head in disapproval and remarked, "I can''t understand why they''re so intent on tearing each other apart."
"..."
Yonaire looked at Yi-Han as if he was unbelievable.
Perhaps a third of those students would want to keep Yi-Han in check...
As excellent as Yi-Han was in other sses, jealousy followed. Many students likely thought, ''In this ss, I will beat Wardanaz.''
Beyond that, Yi-Han had his share of grudges, especially with the White Tiger students. More of them had shed with Yi-Han than not.
Professor Bungaegor warned sharply, "Attacking each other is prohibited. Do not use magic or weapons to attack."
"No!"
Yi-Han was startled.
He had nned to retaliate with water beads against those who would attack as soon as it started.
Yonaire looked astonished.
Pretending otherwise, Yi-Han was actually the most prepared for a fight.
"This is a riding training, not a magicbat training! Collisions between horses will be allowed, but nothing more. Understood?"
"Yes!"
The students responded to Professor Bungaegor''s instruction.
But the professor didn''t know.
''Right. I can handle it by colliding with the horses.''
Students like Yi-Han would exploit any loophole in the rules if they weren''t tightly defined!
Gallop-gallop-gallop
The sound of horse hooves thundered along the designated path.
Not all students had beenzy during the semester. Those who had diligently cared for their horses were now close enough to increase their speed while riding.
Naturally, Yi-Han was among them.
"Yi-Han! Is it okay to keep speeding up like this?"
Yonaire asked, spurring her horse on.
This test wasn''t simply about going fast and far. They had to return as well.
Going too far and failing to return within the time limit was problematic.
But slowing down when the leading group was pushing ahead required significant courage.
"Everyone has their ns. Don''t worry."
As Yi-Han said, students in the leading group began to slow down, wary of each other. They knew the horses would tire out from continuous sprinting.
That wasn''t all.
Students started forming groups with those they were close to.
''This isn''t good.''
Even in a race, running together was far more advantageous than running alone. It was easier to deal with any obstacles that might arise, as well as to respond to various collisions.
The problem, however...
Was that the students were casting furtive nces at Yi-Han.
''Wardanaz is the most threatening.''
''We must get revenge on Wardanaz...''
''We have to block Wardanaz from getting ahead.''
Yi-Han tried to appear as harmless as possible to ease his friends'' wariness, but it was to no avail. He himself would have been on guard if there had been a student like Yi-Han in the race.
The overwhelming favorite to win!
Niffirg looked at Yi-Han.
"Why so?" - Neigh. Hee-hee-neigh.
"Easy there. Now''s not the time to get rowdy."
Niffirg let out a frustrated whinny and red fiercely ahead.
Bang!
Before Yi-Han could intervene, Niffirg began to race forward with wild speed.
The other students looked on in astonishment.
''Wardanaz...!?''
''What is he thinking? At that pace, it''ll copse in no time!''
''Could it be he has a n even for this?!''
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Chapter 173
Chapter 173
"Chase after him!"
"What?!"
"We can''t lose to Wardanaz! Are you nning to lose in horse riding as well?!"
"But..."
One of the students hesitated.
Rushing out in such a frenzy right now would make it impossible to catch upter.
Horses are living creatures.
They would quickly tire if they ran like that...
"Alright! I''m going!"
"Me too!"
However, eventually, the students, without distinction, began to pick up their whips and drive their horses.
Regardless of which tower they belonged to, all the students had immense pride in their horsemanship.
Be it from noble families, knightly families, or merchant guilds, none had ever been heard to be unable to ride a horse.
And then...
''There must be a reason Wardanaz is running like that!''
''Wardanaz wouldn''t recklessly rush out without any thought, would he?''
The students unconsciously trusted Yi-Han.
Surely Yi-Han wouldn''t have rushed out without any n?
There must be a way.
If they followed that way...
The leading group of students began to race out like mad.
Nillia, seeing her friends take off, became anxious and looked around nervously.
?
Surprisingly, Yonaire remained still in her ce.
"Yonaire? What''s wrong? Are you okay?"
Yonaire sat on her dark brown horse with a face full of worry. Nillia couldn''t understand.
"Let''s chase them now! We can catch up quickly if we do! I can even trip the others up!"
Nillia, nonchntly ready to break the rules, but Yonaire did not point this out.
She was more startled by something else she had just seen.
"It''s not that..."
Yonaire wondered how to exin it. A griffin, transformed into a horse, had ignored Yi-Han''smands and dashed out like a runaway beast!
''Am I paying the price for trusting a monster?''
Sensing Yi-Han''s distrust, the griffin snorted fiercely. Yi-Han tried to calm it.
"You misunderstand. Slow down. I''m worried you''ll tire yourself out."
Of course, Yi-Han intended to dismount and strike the moment the griffin slowed down.
The griffin might not have realized his deceitful intent, but something else had pricked its pride.
I do not tire!
-Phuihihiing!
The griffin ran even faster. It seemed to vent years of frustration for not being able to run.
''I should never trust a transformed monster again.''
Yi-Han held on tightly to the griffin. It was running so fast that even he couldn''t afford to be careless now.
If unlucky, it might even throw off its rider!
Scraa-caw-kawk!
A fierce-looking new monster, resembling a mix of a hawk and a chicken, swooped down from a nearby tree.
''Rakshasa Bird!''
The arrival of the aggressive new monster tensed Yi-Han.
But the griffin, with a snort, elerated even more.
Bang!
Rakshasa Bird tried to follow in flight but soon gave up, panting heavily, and flew away.
...
It wasn''t just Rakshasa Bird.
A rock on the roadside suddenly rose, swinging threateningly.
The griffin ignored it and dashed past.
A bridge over a river vanished in smoke.
The griffin ignored it and leaped over.
A dense fog obscured the path.
The griffin ignored it and broke through.
"...Do as you wish."
Yi-Han gave up.
At this point, he was curious to see how far it would go.
Perse, a third-year student of Blue Dragon, sighed deeply, his face full of concern.
Then, a friend asked,
"Whats wrong, Perse?"
"Our strikers are all too slow."
"Don''t worry. Once they adapt, the horses will get faster. They need time to build up their strength."
"It''s not just the horses. The riders are a problem too."
Perse stated firmly.
In the fierce sport where yers shed fiercely, speed wasn''t determined solely by the stamina of the horses.
Rather, it was the rider''s courage and skill that mattered more.
Even if enemies with sticks came charging, the spirit to drive the horse as if ready to die was what made the speed...
tter, tter, tter, tter!!!
...
...
The wind from a horse galloping so fast blew away their hats.
It was so swift that even the monsters blocking the path hastily moved aside.
What, what was that? That was a student, right? It was a student, wasnt it?
A freshman... seemed like a freshman? The freshmens test...
That''s it! Thats exactly it!
Perse eximed with shining eyes.
That guts to drive like a madman, regardless of monsters in the way.
That was precisely the spirit a striker should have.
"But that''s a freshman, Perse..."
"We have next year! We can recruit him next year!"
"What if hes not interested in the ballgame club?"
"Dont worry about that."
?
"With such skill, there''s no way he''s not interested in ballgame!"
Finally, Niffirg stopped.
-Phuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuung!!
Feeling better now?
Niffirg nodded its head. Then, shaking off the sweat, it leaned towards the stream to quench its thirst.
''We''vee really far.''
Yi-Han surveyed his surroundings.
He knew the magic academys grounds were immensely vast, but he hadn''t expected toe this far.
They had raced like mad along the base of the mountains.
What unfolded before Yi-Han was a desert.
"...?"
Why is there a desert inside the academy grounds?
-Phuihihing.
Niffirg, having finished drinking, suggested they should leave.
Niffirg.
-Phuh?-
If we dont get back within the time limit, I''ll be disappointed in you.
-...-
Realizing the seriousness in Yi-Han''s words, Niffirg looked around, suddenly alert.
Of course, Niffirg couldnt possibly recognize the area. Niffirg began to sweat profusely.
...Can we make it back in time?
Let''s go, Niffirg.
Niffirg started to gallop towards their destination, even faster than on the way there.
Yi-Han fixed his gaze ahead, securing his body firmly.
...?
Several students were sprawled out by the roadside, unconscious.
What''s going on?
Initially, he thought they were attacked by monsters, but they looked too unharmed for that.
They must have copsed from exhaustion.
It''s iprehensible.
Yi-Han was dragged along by Niffirg''s uncontroble run, but other students surely wouldn''t have been.
It was clear they had run themselves to exhaustion out of greed.
Yi-Han looked at his friends with a sense of pity.
It can''t be helped. Today''s incident will serve as a lesson.
...Perfect score.
Thank you.
...But why?
Professor Bungaegor, couldn''t hold back and asked.
It was natural for the first ce to get a perfect score.
Bungaegor had no intention toment on that.
But for the first ce to travel three times the distance of other students (and that too, while scattering all the prepared obstacles in a dash), that was a different story.
"Why did you risk your life running like that?"
"Five students copsed from exhaustion following you, and three fell off their horses. It was fortunate that you scared off the monsters by rushing ahead. You could have turned back at any point... Did you really want to set a new record that badly?"
Professor Bungaegor, from her perspective, didn''t think Yi-Han was the type to show off.
But why did he push himself to such an extent to set a new record?
Was it a strong sense of pride in his riding skills, wanting to leave a legend?
Of course, Yi-Han looked at Professor Bungaegor as if the question was absurd.
"Isn''t it because of what you said, Professor?"
ming Yi-Han for setting a record when it was the Professor who had saddled him with the griffin. Such brazenness!
Was it the professor''s prerogative to be this shameless?
Professor Bungaegor, true to Yi-Han''s thoughts, replied just as boldly.
"What nonsense. Griffins don''t enjoy running like that. Especially when forced to transform into a horse. It wouldn''t have run if you hadn''tmanded it."
"?!"
Yi-Han was shocked by the professor''s words.
No way?!
''I thought it was crazy about running?''
Had he underestimated the creature too much, leading it to behave that way to prove its ability?
"I must have underestimated it, so it wanted to prove its capability..."
Professor Bungaegor listened to Yi-Han''s words with skepticism.
It was hard for her to believe that the griffin ran so vigorously for just that reason.
"...It''s true."
"Alright. I''ll take your word for it. Youve worked hard, now go rest. There are other tests to consider, and you must be exhausted from all that running."
"Niffirg suffered more than I did."
Yi-Han said this and turned to look at the returning students at the starting line.
The students, looking utterly disheveled, returned one by one, gazing at Yi-Han with a sense of awe.
"Did you see that?"
"I did."
"That guy... might be the empire''s greatest rider...!"
"..."
Yi-Han decided it was time to just go and rest.
Several students were suffering from muscle soreness, but the magic academy waited for no one.
"We need to gather Bone blossom by this evening. Considering the time, its going to be close."
"My thighs feel like theyre on fire."
"I think I''ve fractured my pelvis..."
Before evening, the students of the Blue Dragon who had gathered on the first underground floor, leaning on their staffs, groaned in pain.
The students from the White Tiger mocked them.
"Toin about horse riding, you reallyck training, huh..."
"That Wardanaz guy... why did he ride like a madman..."
Yi-Han ignored the murmuring.
"Alright, everyone. I know you''re all not in the best shape, but now is the time for those studying alchemy toe together. If we dont quickly secure the ingredients, we might all fail."
The rigorous schedule of the magic academy forced students from different towers to cooperate.
Yi-Han nned to gather the students, quickly clear the dungeon, and collect the ingredients.
It would be a loss for him if he went in alone to gather ingredients and failed or got injured.
"Here, take these."
Yi-Han handed over a basket he brought from the lounge, puzzling the White Tiger students.
"Is this a magic potion for dungeon exploration?"
"No. It''s a snack for dinner."
"..."
The White Tiger students lifted the cloth covering the basket. Sandwiches were neatly packed inside.
"...What? No thoughts?"
"Wardanaz, don''t give it to those who aren''t hungry."
At Asan''s words, the students from the White Tiger hastily waved their hands in protest.
"No, no! We''ll eat well!"
"Alright. If everyone''s ready, let''s start heading in."
Yi-Han lined up the students. Due to the dungeon''s terrain, it was impossible to gather everyone together and form a strategy.
To some extent, the students had to group by their respective towers and coordinate amongst themselves.
''It would be faster for them to move on their own than for me tomand each step.''
The princess, curious about what kind of sandwiches they were, started to lift the cloth off the basket.
Yi-Han pped the back of her hand.
"You should eatter."
Just like Gainando, royals seemed to have a strong appetite. Yi-Han warned her and turned away.
"...?!"
The princess looked at Yi-Han with eyes mixed with astonishment, injustice, sadness, and resentment.
However, Yi-Han was too busy lining up and checking on the students to notice her gaze.
"If there''s a problem, adjust the formation and respond on your own. If it feels dangerous, send a signal and then make your own judgment."
"Don''t worry, Wardanaz. We are knights."
The students from the White Tiger clutched the basket to their chests as if it were precious. They truly embodied the knightly spirit.
Thump-
While conducting this final check on the first underground floor, someone came up the stairs leading to the dungeon.
It was Professor Bdi.
Seeing who it was, Yi-Han quickly reacted, saying, "...Isn''t it fun having a pic on the first underground floor, everyone? Should we start heading back?"
"What kind of nonsense is that, Wardanaz?"
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Chapter 174
Chapter 174
Chapter 174
Yi-Han had apelling reason for not disclosing to Professor Bdi that he was entering the underground dungeon.
He simply couldn''t predict how the professor would react. Among all the faculty, Professor Bdi was notoriously difficult to anticipate, necessitating extra caution.
"Pic? We''re here to conquer the underground dungeon, aren''t we?" a clueless student from the White Tiger inquired, failing to grasp the situation.
Yi-Han clenched his teeth and muttered under his breath, "Keep quiet..."
"What? I can''t hear you. Wardanaz. Why are we talking about a pic and going back?"
Yi-Han regretted not having quickly knocked out hispanion.
By then, Professor Bdi had ascended the stairs and stood before the students. The student from the White Tiger, realizing the professor''s arrival, quicklyposed himself.
"Good day, Professor."
"What''s going on?"
Yi-Han swiftly interjected, "We were just talking about going underground for a pic..."
"We''ve gathered here to tackle the underground dungeon, led by Wardanaz," another student blurted out.
''Should I kill him?'' Yi-Han suddenly had this thought.
Professor Bdi looked around the corridor expressionlessly after hearing the White Tiger student.
The student, ready to descend into the dungeon, caught the eye of the vampire professor. Yi-Han noticed a faint smile on Professor Bdi''s lips, which immediately reced his anger toward the White Tiger student with an icy fear.
"Well done."
"It''s really nothing, Professor."
Yi-Han spoke cautiously, trying to decipher Professor Bdi''s thoughts. "Consistent training is essential for improving skills, but few mages actually practice it. Keep it up."
"We''re going for materials needed for our midterms, Professor."
"There are other dungeons."
"...but they seemed too time-consuming to search..."
"Indeed," Professor Bdi nodded in agreement.
A proficient mage achieves multiple objectives even in a single endeavor. While weak andzy mages choose easier locations, promising battle mages deliberately seek out challenging areas to hone their skills. Wardanaz was such a mage.
"I''ve just finished managing the dungeon."
The natural dungeons located in remote areas went unnoticed, whether monsters emerged or anomalies urred. However, dungeons within the magic academy were not overlooked. If monsters from within caused havoc, the professors'' workshops would be the first to suffer. People like Professor Bdi regrly checked these dungeons, assessing the flow of mana, the number of monsters, and signs of any potential breakout.
But to Yi-Han, Professor Bdi''s words seemed to carry a different meaning.
''Wasn''t there such chaosst time because you prepared something special for me?''
An eerie sense of foreboding passed through Yi-Han, but his friends, oblivious to his thoughts, expressed their gratitude.
"Thank you, Professor. We''ll be back soon!"
"He''s much kinder than the rumors suggest."
"Guess you can''t always trust rumors."
"Ignite."
A me the size of two finger widths appeared in mid-air.
The advantage of fire elementsy in their ability to wield substantial destructive power, even with low-circle, simple spells.
The Immortal Phoenix priest''s summoned mes struck the Hungry Ghost, significantly slowing it down.
"Ignite!"
"Burn!"
Even the simplest 1st-circle spell, , became much more potent when several studentsbined their efforts. The Hungry Ghost quickly burned and fell.
"Well done," Yi-Han praised, and the priests nodded slightly in response.
The students from the White Tiger, following behind, snickered. "All that magic for just one creature, and they call it impressive?"
"It''s such a waste. Combat should be with swords," they confidently prepared to cast reinforcement spells on their wooden swords.
Yi-Han, still harboring resentment from their earlier insolence in front of Professor Bdi, responded coldly. "Draw your swords. Let''s see if you can block my magic."
"Whoa, Wardanaz, why so serious..."
"Maybe we were a bit disrespectful to the priests?"
The White Tiger students were rmed by Yi-Han''s expression. They hadn''t expected such a stern reaction from Wardanaz for a few taunting words.
''Oh no. What have I done?'' Yi-Han quickly regained hisposure. He needed to cooperate with the students, but he had started off on the wrong foot.
"I apologize. I spoke too harshly."
"No, it''s our fault. We were too harsh to the priests," they replied.
Asan beamed proudly. Standing up for others'' honor was a true mark of nobility, and he was proud to have such a person as his friend.
"I''m proud of you, Wardanaz."
"??" Yi-Han looked at Asan as if he were an oddity.
"Wait. Not that way, this way," he redirected the group.
"There''s a Hungry Ghost. The White Tiger should handle it."
"Be careful around that wall. Hungry Ghosts hide well there."
"Watch the ground. The mud is deep."
Refocusing, Yi-Han issued continuous instructions. Initially, the students followed without much thought but soon began to sense something odd.
''...Huh?''
''How does he know so well?''
It wasn''t strange for Wardanaz, who had found the dungeon, to know its entrance well. But as they ventured deeper, it was clear he knew the dungeon thoroughly, as if he had been here multiple times.
"Wardanaz knows this dungeon too well."
"The professor earlier was the professor of , right? Was that ss held here?"
"Don''t make absurd jokes. Who would hold such a crazy ss in a dungeon like this?"
Nillia closed her eyes as she listened to the White Tiger students chatter. Normally, Wardanaz wouldn''t garner sympathy, but this time, she genuinely felt sorry for him. How did he end up in such a ss...
The narrow passage ended, opening up into a wide za where all the students could gather.
Yi-Han spoke seriously, "Be extra careful from here on."
"Wardanaz, you can stop worrying now."
The White Tiger students, having sessfully dealt with the Hungry Ghosts on their way down, were quite confident. Not just them, but students from other towers also appeared more rxedpared to their initial tension.
"It''s Colossal Hungry Ghost from here."
"..."
"..."
"Don''t lie."
"I''m not lying. Colossal Hungry Ghosts will appear from here, so we''ll move avoiding their territory."
Yi-Han had inadvertently learned the structure of Professor Bdi''s underground dungeon, which was as follows:
Initially, there were narrow passages connected to the entrance, leading underground. In these passages, Hungry Ghosts lurked, suddenly emerging to startle the mages.
As they descended, they encountered expansive za-like terrains. In these vast areas, Hungry Ghosts were almost nonexistent, unless some madman had deliberately gathered monsters there.
Further downy the territory of the Colossal Hungry Ghosts. The terrain expanded to amodate the size of the Colossal Hungry Ghosts, but it also became moreplex. It resembled a vast rocky valley with natural caves scattered throughout. If it weren''t an underground dungeon, Yi-Han would have thought so.
"There are caves scattered along our descent. Some of these caves house Colossal Hungry Ghosts. These monsters, known for their gluttony, usually sleep inside their caves until they detect prey. So, if we avoid the caves with Colossal Hungry Ghosts, we wont have to confront them."
"How can we tell which caves they''re in?"
"I''ll signal you."
"How can we trust your signal, Wardanaz? How do you know?"
"If you dont believe me, go and see for yourself."
The student backed down, tail between his legs, after Yi-Han''s stern response.
A student from the ck Tortoise muttered, puzzled, "Wardanaz seems unusually sharp."
"It''s a dangerous ce. He''s just being responsible," another student reasoned.
None of the students could imagine that Yi-Han had risked his life, rolling through these underground dungeon gullies himself.
After descending further, the students, having avoided the caves as much as possible, were delighted to find a cluster of nts.
Priestess Siana''s eyes lit up as she whispered, "It''s Bone blossom!"
"We''ve found it."
Students from each tower, two or three at a time, began to carefully harvest the flowers. The rest stood guard around the area. They had avoided caves housing Colossal Hungry Ghosts, but there was always a chance of encountering one.
"Wait. Is that a light over there?"
A student from the White Tiger pointed towards a rock on the slope below, indicating a faint, bluish light.
"Is that light from an artifact?" Dolgyu asked cautiously.
"Its better not to move rashly."
"Wardanaz said that cave doesnt have a Colossal Hungry Ghost. It should be safe."
"But still, what if..."
Before Dolgyu could finish, a White Tiger student, holding a torch, cautiously descended the steep slope and checked behind the rock. Indeed, there was a helmet emitting a bluish light.
"It''s an artifact! Dolgyu, look at this!"
"Okay, get back here quickly!"
"Right,ing!"
The student turned to climb back up the slope.
-...
Before the student could react, a Colossal Hungry Ghost appeared from behind the rock, growling and ring.
"!"
The sudden appearance of the monster caused the student to stiffen. A slip of the hand, a shift in weight, and the rocks on the slope gave way.
Suddenly, the path was gone, and the student found himself trapped below with the Colossal Hungry Ghost.
Dolgyu, in shock, called out for Yi-Han.
"Yi-Han!"
"!"
Yi-Han responded immediately, sensing the urgency in Dolgyus voice.
"Whats..."
He didn''t need to ask to understand the situation.
Below on the steep slope, a student from the White Tiger faced a Colossal Hungry Ghost.
''Wait. There wasn''t supposed to be one in that cave.''
Yi-Han was perplexed.
Certainly, the White Tiger student had been careless in descending, but how could a Colossal Hungry Ghost appear when there were none around?
Suddenly, the image of Professor Bdi shed through Yi-Han''s mind.
''I''ve just finished managing the dungeon.''
"..."
Could it be that Professor Bdi had ced the roaming Colossal Hungry Ghost there, intending to provide a suitable challenge for Yi-Han upon his next entry?
"Hang in there! I''ming to help!"
Realizing his mistake, Yi-Han spoke firmly, intending to cover it up.
If he did nothing, it might lead to questions like, ''Why did a Colossal Hungry Ghost appear when Yi-Han said there wouldnt be any?'' potentially cing the me on him.
The student from the White Tiger below was even more startled.
He had thought that Wardanaz would leave him to his fate, considering it ''self-inflicted.''
Dolgyu shouted as if he had expected this.
"Just hang on! Yi-Han will help you!"
"What''s going on?"
"A guy from the White Tiger fell down there!"
"Why?"
"I don''t know! Maybe he was trying to pick something up!"
"Such an idiot!"
Yi-Han stopped his friends'' criticism.
"Anyone can make a mistake. Let it be."
"Wardanaz...!"
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Chapter 175
Chapter 175
"Feet, grasp the earth," Yi-Han chanted without hesitation. He could not afford to waste time, as the White Tiger student was rolling helplessly before the Colossal Hungry Ghost.
"Space, be perceived," he invoked the magic. Simple yet powerful in this gloomy dungeon, it amplified the effects of the surrounding rocks and pebbles, potential variables in a real fight.
"Hands, cleave the enemy. Eyes, pierce the darkness," Yi-Han rapidly cast a series of enhancement spells. To this, Dolgyu nodded, visibly tense. Despite being a first-year, Yi-Han exhibited the prowess of a senior mage. Dolgyu, though not well-versed in enhancement magic, understood that casting them in quick session was extraordinary.
''Incredible, Yi-Han!'' Dolgyu thought, gripping his sword tightly. Once Yi-Hanpleted his spells, Dolgyu was ready to join him in the fray.
"sh forth!" Yi-Han struck, his staff unleashing bolts of lightning. The advancing Colossal Hungry Ghost reeled under the impact, screaming in pain.
The destructive and intense lightning, even in its simplest form, dealt damage to the Colossal Hungry Ghost. Unlike water bullets, which it could resist with its thick armor, it couldn''t prevent electrocution.
"sh forth, sh forth, sh forth, sh forth!" Yi-Han rapidly repeated the spell. Lightning blossomed from his staff, repeatedly striking the Colossal Hungry Ghost, causing it to flinch and halt.
Watching in awe, Dolgyu snapped back to reality and asked, "Yi-Han, aren''t you going down?"
It was puzzling to see Yi-Han continue to unleash lightning without descending, especially after casting enhancement spells for closebat.
"Why should I go down?" Yi-Han questioned.
"Uh... Didn''t you cast those spells for...?"
A mage''s power wasn''t infinite. Blindly using all avable magic was foolish. Efficiency was key, using only what was necessary for the situation. If Yi-Han had cast enhancement spells, it suggested preparation for meleebat, or did it?
"Ah, the enhancement spells? Just a habit. No need to go down if I can handle it from here."
Dolgyu rxed his grip on the sword.
''Taking it slow.''
Yi-Han was in no rush. His position and circumstances were advantageous. While the lightning didn''t inflict severe damage initially, it gradually wore down the Colossal Hungry Ghost. Continual attacks would eventually break through, much like water droplets piercing a rockfeasible only for someone with Yi-Han''s immense mana.
Other mages wouldn''t consider using weak spells in rapid session to defeat a monster. Such an approach would exhaust their mana before defeating the creature.
"sh forth, sh forth, sh forth... Shield, unfold!"
Yi-Han changed his incantation. Water materialized out of thin air, forming a shield that intercepted a sharp rock hurled by the Colossal Hungry Ghost.
Thud!
"Hmm. Odd. I thought having a sword-wielding opponent nearby would suffice," Yi-Han murmured, puzzling Dolgyu who looked on in disbelief.
If you throw lightning like that, even if there are many opponents in front of it, youll still feel the heat!
Despite facing a sword-wielding foe, such relentless assault made it natural for Yi-Han to be the prime target.
"Its climbing up!"
"Block it!"
The students of the White Tiger formed a line on the slope. Simultaneously, magic rained down from above. However, unlike the Hungry Ghost, the thick armor of the Colossal Hungry Ghost deflected the mediocre curses and low-circle magic.
Emboldened, the Colossal Hungry Ghost, its fingers turned into hooks, scaled the steep slope. The White Tiger students'' faces turned to horror as the creature leaped up, faster than they had anticipated.
''The beast is breaking through!'' Dolgyu tensed his grip on the sword once more. From this angle, it was evident that Yi-Han''s enhancement spells were not entirely useless, providing a contingency...
"Everyone, duck!"
Whoosh!
Water bullets, spinning erratically, struck the face of the Colossal Hungry Ghost as it climbed the cliff. Not just one, but dozens in session! Even with its thick armor, the Colossal Hungry Ghost couldn''t withstand the assault in its unstable position and tumbled down.
Yi-Han again swung his staff, sending forth a lightning bolt.
"sh forth!"
The Colossal Hungry Ghost, unable to climb, eventually fell.
Without a word, Dolgyu descended the slope.
"Are you okay?"
"Th-thank you, Choi."
The White Tiger student struggled to his feet, bewildered.
"There shouldn''t have been any Colossal Hungry Ghosts around here. Where did this onee from?"
"...Who knows. Things are unpredictable in dungeons. Best to forget it."
"Is that so?"
Upon reaching the top, the students, jubnt from the sessful battle, red at the White Tiger student.
"We told you not to act rashly."
"I... I''m sorry, everyone."
The White Tiger student wilted under their stares. Few could withstand such scrutiny, even those from knightly families.
"Let''s remember, anyone can make a mistake. No one''s hurt, so let''s move on."
"Wardanaz..."
The White Tiger student was once again moved. Saved and now not even scolded.
Perhaps Dolgyu wasn''t under any enchantment but was influenced by such actions.
''I need to change the topic quickly.''
Before the conversation could drift to ''How did the Colossal Hungry Ghost get here?'' Yi-Han spoke.
"But why did you go down?"
"It was because of this helmet."
The White Tiger student pointed to his helmet, emitting a faint bluish light.
"Aha. So the helmet summoned you?"
"No. I was just curious about the light."
Yi-Han looked at the White Tiger student as one would look at an idiot. The student avoided his gaze.
"I... I was rash."
"It''s okay. Everyone makes mistakes. But it''s good you didn''t touch the helmet."
Handling an unknown artifact, especially one found in an underground dungeon, was risky.
"Uh... I already touched it."
"..."
"...Sorry."
"No, everyone can make mistakes..."
Bikelintz, a revered knight of the White Wood Knight Order, watched the young squires. These squires did not belong to the White Por Order. They were boys and girls from various knightly families of the empire, rigorously trained to be pirs of support for their respective orders or families, strengthening the empire''s defenses in the future.
The reason these squires hade to Einroguard with Bikelintz was singr.
"We can''t lose to those learning magic."
"Shh, be careful with your words. If someone else hears, you''ll be scolded."
Inside the Order, there were mages who were generally respected. Considering the challenging and remote locations of the knight orders, their mages had many responsibilities. However, these young squirescked the experience and breadth of thought to make such discernments.
"Aren''t you upset? Those not even trained by the Order received such praise from Bikelintz?"
"Of course, I''m upset!"
The issue began when Bikelintz returned from Einroguard,vishing praise on the students there.
-"They were truly excellent. One even bested me..."-
-"Really? That''s astonishing!"-
Such words ignited the squires'' pride. They couldn''t ept being outperformed by students from a magic academy, who were merely learning magic while they underwent rigorous training.
-"There must have been some mistake."-
-"Perhaps some trickery in that den of mages. Who knows what kind of magic traps they set?"-
-"Sir Bikelintz, honorable and generous that he is, might have overlooked their trickery..."-
Finally, the squires resolved to shatter this illusion themselves. After unanimously requesting a contest, Bikelintz, after some deliberation, secured permission.
Under the pretext of a mid-term exam, they were allowed to enter the magic academy.
"Now, everyone."
Bikelintz spoke softly, his voicemanding respect even from the squires. In his voice, there was an irrefutable power.
"This is Einroguard, a sacred ce for mages. As such, I trust you will not act in a way that loses the dignity, honor, and pride of a knight."
The squires winced at Bikelintz''s words. He had clearly perceived their emotions.
"We swear, Sir Bikelintz."
"We''ll uphold our knightly pride."
"Thank you, all."
The squires marched in line through the main gate of the magic academy. They noticed the pale, skinny faces of the magic academy students, muttering as they roamed the campus.
''This is why mages are really...''
''Peculiar and untrustworthy.''
Ahead, they saw Professor Ingurdel with students from the ss.
The squires whispered among themselves.
"So, which one is he?"
The one rumored to have bested Bikelintz.
Their primary target was that individual.
"Could it be from the Choi family? I heard they sent someone to a magic academy."
"Maybe the Moradi family."
"Or the Dk family..."
As they chattered, a strikingly handsome boy approached, resembling a statue. The squires scrutinized him from head to toe.
From his appearance to his demeanor, he didn''t seem to belong to a knightly family.
''A familiar face?''
''I''m not sure. Perhaps from a major noble family?''
If he wasn''t from a knightly family and was a student at the magic academy, then he had nothing to do with the swordsmanship exam.
The squires rxed their expressions, convinced that Bikelintz couldn''t have been bested nor praised anyone.
"Did youe here for the swordsmanship exam?"
"Yes, that''s right."
At that response, Yi-Han''s expression brightened.
''So, Professor Ingurdel still has some conscience left!''
Indeed, the previous idea of facing off against the knights of the White Wood Knight Order had been absurd. This time, they had appropriately brought squires of the same age group, though their skills, honed by training morning, noon, and night, were formidable...
''Everything is rtive.''
For Yi-Han, who had been bracing for knights from the White Por Order, these squires were more than satisfactory opponents.
"We wee your visit."
"Thanks for the wee. Your family?"
"Wardanaz."
"Wardanaz! The Wardanaz family?"
"Yes. Please support me."
With that, Yi-Han waved his hand and returned to his ce.
"...?"
Only then did the squires sense something odd and looked at each other in confusion.
Why did this boy from the Wardanaz family ask them to ''Please support me,'' and why was he sitting among the magic academy students from knightly families?
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Chapter 176
Chapter 176
"Insolent fools," Jijel muttered under her breath.
Her words prompted Yi-Han to look at her with a puzzled expression, as if asking what she meant.
"Insolent? What do you mean by that?"
"You can see it in their eyes. Don''t you feel it?"
The astute students of the White Tiger, not being dull-witted, were somewhat aware. They sensed the unfriendly gaze of the newly arrived squires.
There was no need for excessive cordiality towards an opponent they were soon to face in duel. Being overly friendly could only lead to hesitation in battle.
However, the gaze of these squires crossed the line, even considering that.
It was an arrogant pride.
Jijel, who had never missed the chance to lead in any group, keenly recognized the emotions behind that gaze.
"They are... disregarding us," dered Dolgyu, his voice low and resonant. Jijel nodded in agreement.
"Yes, they are indeed disregarding us."
"Why would they disregard us?" Yi-Han asked, unable toprehend.
"Yi-Han, think about it. We''re from knightly families, yet we chose to study magic at this academy. What do you think that implies?"
They would think, "Those guys use both sword and magic, so they must be twice as strong?"
...
Jijel looked at Yi-Han with disbelief.
"Thanks, but the reality is, those short-thinking young knights often dismiss or provoke those who pursue magic. I didn''t expect to witness it firsthand."
"Hmm. I see," Yi-Han nodded, understanding dawning on him.
It was natural for heirs of knightly families, who knew each other to some extent, to engage in such prideful contests.
Given their youth, even trivial matters could wound their pride...
''Really pointless antics. After all, we''ll all have to work together eventually.''
"Wardanaz, aren''t you angry?"
When Yi-Han remained impassive, another student of the White Tiger, his voice filled with indignation, addressed him.
The audacity of these outsiders to provoke them!
"Me?"
"Yes! They are disregarding you too!"
"I''m not from a knightly family, so why should I care?"
The students of the White Tiger then realized that Yi-Han was not from a knightly family. They had simply assumed, given how naturally he fitted in...
"Choi."
One of the squires recognized Dolgyu and approached him to greet.
Dolgyu responded with a nod.
"I didn''t expect to meet you here."
"Neither did I."
"I''ve heard about the harsh magic training at Einroguard. Did you even have time to train in swordsmanship?"
There was a mocking tone in the squires''s words, but Dolgyu paid no mind.
Dolgyu looked at Yi-Han.
''Ah.''
Seeing Yi-Han, Dolgyu realized how childish the squires''s behavior was. If it were Yi-Han, he would have already cursed his opponent instead of engaging in such pettiness.
"It was tough, but it allowed me to focus more on swordsmanship. I realized that having everything tailored for you isn''t always beneficial."
His words were half serious.
His skills had improved faster here in the magic academy, under harsh conditions, than in his family''s estate, with ample time,vish meals, and afortable bed.
Harsh environments.
Competition among exceptional peers.
These were the things that honed a swordsman''s skills.
His words seemed to have struck a nerve in the squires, who frowned deeply.
"Adversity perfects swordsmanship. But the hardships you''ve faced can hardlypare to ours, Choi."
"Maybe. But the sword doesn''t care for suchparisons. It would be better to speak through our swords now."
"Hmph! I intended to show you without saying."
The squires turned away with an even more furrowed brow.
Listening to the conversation, Yi-Han asked Jijel with a puzzled look, "Where do these squires stay?"
"They must be staying at the knight''s order building in the city," Jijel replied curtly.
"Do they not get fed?"
"Why wouldn''t they?"
"Is going out forbidden for them?"
"They are at the knight''s order building in the city. There''s no reason to forbid it."
"...Then on what grounds do they im to have it harder?"
Yi-Han''s voice had grown cold, to Jijel''s surprise.
Professor Ingurdel nodded at the sight of his students, their eyes alight with eager ambition.
Being young, it was natural for them to burn withpetitive spirit in such situations.
Losing to a fellow squire of simr age hurt their pride far more than losing to a knight of the prestigious White Wood Knight Order.
Even Wardanaz was looking at the squires with a stern face, a look of determination.
"Professor."
"What is it, Wardanaz?"
"We are students learning magic at this academy. Like in the previous duel, it''s only fair to allow the use of magic."
Professor Ingurdel had, of course, forbidden magic use in this duel.
There was no need to use magic against opponents who were not even formal knights. Focusing solely on swordsmanship was right.
Of course, this might put the magic academy students at a disadvantage against the squires...
But Professor Ingurdel was unconcerned.
If their pride was wounded by a defeat in this duel, it would serve as motivation for them to focus more on their swordsmanship.
"No, it''s a swordsmanship test."
"But Professor, in a swordsmanship duel, we don''t just swing swords. We use striking and grappling techniques when the opportunity arises. Denying us magic is too harsh."
Yi-Han''s logic was persuasive.
Swinging only swords in a duel was a foolish act.
One needed to seize opportunities to strike with fists or trip an opponent to gain an advantage.
These were all part of a broader definition of swordsmanship.
While the squires had been practicing suchprehensive techniques outside, the magic academy students had been practicing magic, so their desire to use it in the duel was perhaps natural.
''Was I too harsh?''
Professor Ingurdel slightly regretted his decision, reflecting on Yi-Han''s words.
Maybe his desire to make the students stronger had led him to be overly harsh...
The elf professor looked up at Yi-Han.
Then it struck him.
He immediately realized the consequences of allowing magic for Wardanaz, the boy from the noble house.
"No, it''s not possible."
''Tsk.''
Yi-Han inwardly expressed his disappointment.
''If only he would let me use magic, I could win easily.''
It wasn''t arrogance, but a cold, calcted prediction.
Magic was more effective the less the opponent knew about it.
The squires had no knowledge of the magic Yi-Han wielded. Binding their feet with water orbs, cursing them, then finishing with a rapid session of lightning strikes would be simple
Regrettable, but it can''t be helped, Yi-Han thought as he picked up his wooden sword. Dwelling on an unfeasible method was fruitless.
"...Wardanaz? Why are you stepping forward?"
The opposing squires looked at Yi-Han with a bewildered expression.
Yi-Han replied with an innocent face, "I''m taking swordsmanship sses for health and culture."
"Ah... I see."
The squires nodded, understanding. Among the nobility, it was not unusual to learn swordsmanship for culture or interest. Of course, such swordsmanship was mostly superficialpared to the realbat skills of knights.
This realization drained the squires of his energy. His posture with the wooden sword rxed, a clear underestimation of Yi-Han.
Yi-Han was pleased with this.
''If he were at the magic academy, he wouldn''t havested even a week,'' he thought, amused at the knight falling for such a basic ruse.
"Are the other White Tiger students not bothering you?"
The squires even expressed concern for Yi-Han, not seeing him as apetitive threat since he wasn''t from a knightly family.
"No, everyone''s been quite helpful. I''ve been able to keep up, though I''m stillcking."
"That''s good. A knight always respects and helps the weak."
The squires patted his chest proudly. Yi-Han thought to himself, ''Though the White Tiger students swarmed me from day one.''
"Shall we start then?"
"Yes, be careful not to get hurt."
The squires took his stance with the wooden sword. Yi-Han did the same.
Professor Ingurdel waved the g.
Snap!
The squires felt as if a boulder had suddenly charged at him. Yi-Han''s strike was so powerful it defied expectations.
In an instant, the knight''s wooden sword snapped and flew away, and Yi-Han''s wooden sword stopped right in front of his neck.
"Do you concede defeat?"
"Wardanaz wins!"
Professor Ingurdel dered decisively, seeing no need to continue.
Coming to his senses, the squires blinked rapidly, his voice urgent, "Wait...!? What just...?!"
But Yi-Han had already turned and was walking away.
''Having used deception, it''s best to make a quick exit.''
"Where are you going, Wardanaz?"
"Isn''t it over?"
"You have to face the other winners now."
Professor Ingurdel pointed in the opposite direction. squires who had beaten the White Tiger students were walking towards them one by one.
Yi-Han quickly rxed his body and assumed a clumsy posture.
But it was toote. The approaching squires were already whispering among themselves.
-So, this Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family defeated Bikelintz?-
-Yes, that''s what happened.-
-How is that even possible?-
-Did he use magic or something?-
''Twice won''t be as easy,'' Yi-Han realized, sensing he couldn''t rely on the same tactics for the next fight.
"Wardanaz. Just one question."
"What is it?"
"Did you really defeat Bikelintz?"
"It wasn''t just me. In fact, Dolgyu and Moradi contributed more."
"But Bikelintz says otherwise?"
Yi-Han inwardly cursed Bikelintz for his unnecessary honesty.
"There''s a hidden story behind that."
"What''s the story?"
"That is..."
"Begin!"
Professor Ingurdel waved the g again. They both grasped their swords, readying their stances.
This time, the squire, having won his previous match and aware of Yi-Han''s victory, didn''t let his guard down like before.
Yi-Han opened his mouth again.
"Actually, Bikelintz is..."
The squire instinctively leaned in to listen as Yi-Han spoke. In that moment, Yi-Han''s Azure Rock Style technique shone brilliantly.
The Azure Rock Style, a heavy and powerful sword technique, was difficult to counter once the initiative was lost. The squire''s posture crumbled under the weighty assault.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!
After five consecutive strikes, the squire fell. Yi-Han stopped his sword right in front of the opponent''s neck.
"Wardanaz wins!"
Yi-Han quickly turned away, just as before.
There was no need to make eye contact with the squire, who looked at him as if he wanted to kill him, filled with a sense of betrayal.
''Phew. Wrapped it up neatly.''
Fortunately, he was able to end it quickly.
Having won both fights without allowing a single effective hit, he was on track for a perfect score in the midterms...
"I''m sorry, Yi-Han."
"?"
"I lost..."
Dolgyu apologized.
He had just been defeated after a fierce battle with a squire.
"...What about Moradi? Did Moradi lose too?"
"Moradi ended in a draw. Both her and her opponent broke bones."
"...You''re kidding."
"Wardanaz. Take a break and get ready for the final round."
At Professor Ingurdel''s words, Yi-Han sighed inwardly.
''Damn. I have to go to a third round.''
He had expected Dolgyu or Moradi to defeat the remaining squires, but one was still left.
Yi-Han looked up.
The gathered squires were murmuring and staring at him. It was clear what they were discussing.
"I''m just studying swordsmanship for culture, but I guess I got lucky to make it this far."
"Don''t y tricks, Wardanaz!"
"Tsk."
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Chapter 177
Chapter 177
Yi-Han clicked his tongue coldly and turned abruptly, shocking the squires greatly.
It was true! Wardanaz had been deceiving them all along!
"Wardanaz... I trusted you! I respected your honor!"
"How dare those who have never spent a day in Einroguard talk about respect with such arrogance?"
Yi-Han''s indifferent response was met with cheers from the students of the White Tiger.
"That''s right! Wardanaz!"
"Well said! Talking about respect, indeed!"
A peculiar situation unfolded as the students of White Tiger rallied behind Yi-Han.
However, the squires, unaware of the duo''s rtionship, misunderstood yet again.
"Cowards...! They must have used Wardanaz, who is not of a knightly family, to catch us off guard!"
"???"
"No, no, we didn''t ask for this!"
The White Tiger students were taken aback as the usations suddenly turned on them.
They were not particrly close to Wardanaz, nor was he the type to do as told.
It was all his own trickery!
"Wardanaz! Exin! We never asked you to do such a thing!"
Yi-Han nodded at the words of the White Tiger students.
"Yes. These friends would never ask for such a thing. Would friends from honorable knight families do such a thing? Do not make such baseless spections."
Of course, the squires did not believe him.
"We''ll see about that!"
"Despicable!"
"..."
"I tried."
Yi-Han shrugged.
At this, the White Tiger students red at him.
Labda of the Engge family, among the squires, was regarded as the most skilled.
He remained till the end, even as other students and squires fell away, to face Yi-Han.
Their duel was no longer just a simple spar.
It had be a matter of pride: would the knights who entered the magic academy win, or the squires dedicated to the path of the sword?
Hmm. On second thought, I shouldn''t have gotten so heated.
Yi-Han thought to himself.
In truth, all he needed was to score well on the exams, but he had unnecessarily provoked his opponent.
Especially since the opponent had boasted about how easy life at the magic academy was...
Labda gripped his sword with a tense expression.
Unlike Yi-Han, Labda was extremely nervous.
Yi-Han, having already secured full marks in the midterms, had nothing to lose even if he lost.
What dishonor could there be for a Wardanaz if he lost a swordfight? Only a madman would mock that.
But for Labda, the stakes were different.
Losing meant too much: not only his defeat but the defeat of all the squires present, and being known as the knight defeated in swordsmanship by a mage...
"Labda. Calm down. Your opponent is from a family of mages."
"You''ve heard how he wins. Just be wary of his tricks. You know, right?"
"Of course."
Labda stood up, determined.
He would win, no matter what it took!
"Wardanaz. I wouldn''t normally root for you, but this time I will."
"Win this!"
"Thanks. Your insincere cheers are quite motivating."
Compared to the closely-knit squires, the rtionship between Yi-Han and the White Tiger students was quite dry.
In fact, some of them were still wondering, Should we really be hoping for Wardanaz to win?
Yi-Han nced back and inquired, "By the way, what swordsmanship does that guy use?"
Though Yi-Han was not born into a knight''s family and his opponent likely knew little about him, Yi-Han didn''t care about that; he intended to fight with knowledge about his adversary.
"The Sword of Many Changes: Absorption," replied Jijel.
The sword techniques of the empire each had their unique traits, but those of the Engge family were especially peculiar among them. Their technique was both mysterious and strange. When swords shed, it felt as if one was being pulled into a swamp by an absorbing force. A knight without ample realbat experience would be flustered when facing such a technique for the first time.
"I see. Dolgyu, what swordsmanship does that fellow use?"
"That son of a...," Jijel bristled with anger.
Why would he ask again after she had just exined? Did he dare doubt what she had shared?
"Don''t misunderstand, Moradi. It''s not that I don''t trust you. I just thought Dolgyu, having fought him directly, might have a different perspective."
"Ah, yes, Moradi. Wardanaz meant no harm," the students from the White Tiger quickly interjected, trying to defuse the growing tension.
Dolgyu, with a quiet tone, asked, "Really?"
"No."
...
A friend who was trying to calm the situation turned and asked, "What did you just say?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all! Now, Yi-Han, I''ll tell you everything I know about the opponent!"
Dolgyu hastily changed the subject, fearing that they might end up fighting the friends from the White Tiger before even confronting Labda.
"Begin!"
With the signal, Yi-Han stepped forward. The advice Dolgyu gave was simr to Moradi''s.
-When swords sh, instead of the usual repelling force, there''s an absorbing force that pulls towards the opponent. Yi-Han, your bnce will be slightly disrupted, and by the time you notice, it might be toote. You must be cautious from the start.-
So, one can imbue a sword with mana and use it like that, Yi-Han thought. Being among the most skilled squires and having defeated Dolgyu, it was natural for him to know how to imbue his sword with mana. Likely, the mana in the sword created the effect of pulling the opponent''s sword upon contact.
Though it sounded simple, Yi-Han, who had trained in swordsmanship for a long time, could guess howplex and advanced this technique was. Creating an effect that pulls the opponent''s sword with mana and continuously casting it while disrupting their bnce? It required keen insight to maintain one''s swordsmanship while understanding the opponent''s bnce.
Yi-Han slightly elevated his assessment of his opponent. Such a feat was impossible for merezybones.
Of course, this did not forgive their audacious im that the magic academy was not particrly challenging...
Bang!
What kind of strength is this?!
Though Labda didn''t show it, he was astonished by the pain throbbing in his hand.
-This guy is nothing but tricks!-
-Don''t worry, Labda! You can win!-
The encouragement from Labda''s squire friends eased his mind, though it didn''t practically help. After shing once and adjusting their stances, Labda could clearly feel the skill of his opponent.
Certainly no weaker than Dolgyu of the Choi family, perhaps even stronger!
Hes from the Wardanaz family, a family of mages!
Labda, feeling wronged, yearned to question. Why was someone from the Wardanaz family, known for their peculiar mages, so earnest about swordsmanship?
Was it because they were a family of entric mages? Did swordsmanship somehow aid in magic? There were mysteries in ancient swordsmanship yet to be deciphered by swordsmen, weren''t there?
Bang!
There was no sign of the rxed or deceptive demeanor Yi-Han had previously shown. A brutal pressure, like a massive boulder, could be felt.
"..."
"...Could it be that being from the Wardanaz family is also a deception?" murmured one of the squires, clearly astonished.
No matter how much they pondered, the swordsmanship disyed was not something expected of a noble family. Surely, he had not only wielded a sword apart from eating and sleeping...
''I''ve got the upper hand!''
Yi-Han''s eyes sparkled. Fortunately, his opponent''s slow grasp of Yi-Han gave him an advantage. Knowing his opponent well, but his opponent not knowing him, had decided the victory.
''I''ll pressure him strongly before he can use a different technique and finish this.''
Against an opponent with a versatile sword technique, losing the initiative was dangerous. Yi-Han intended to maintain his advantage.
Of course, Labda had no intention of losing just yet.
''By any means!''
The mana in his body circted and settled into his sword, making it heavier. Labda managed to parry the attack, exerting his family''s sword technique with all his might.
''I''ll pull him in!''
He felt the sensation in his hand. Labda realized that his sword technique had been properly executed.
But then...?
"???"
Labda looked at Yi-Han with surprise. Yi-Han also flinched under that gaze.
''What''s going on?''
It was unsettling to see the previously expressionless opponent looking like that. Was this a psychological tactic?
''But when is he going to use the absorption?''
Unshaken, Yi-Hanunched another attack. Being swayed by something the opponent hadn''t used would be foolish.
If there''s a path to victory, follow it without wavering!
Bang, bang, bang-
Labda''splexion turned leaden. Despite expending so much mana, there was no change, which was to be expected.
Yi-Han clearly had the upper hand, but his expression wasn''t too favorable either.
''...This is bad.''
Cracks had started to appear from the handle of his wooden sword. Yi-Han reproached himself.
''I still can''t control my mana properly...!''
His wooden sword was in this state due to his reckless infusion of mana into every strike.
He had brought this upon himself.
Unaware of Yi-Han''s internal struggle, Labda gritted his teeth and prepared his final counterattack.
It was a technique that was still a bit too advanced for Labda to usepletely, but to turn the tide of the current situation...
"Kraaak!"
With a fierce cry, Labda swung his sword. Noticing a different aura, Yi-Han threw a wary gaze.
''Something''s different!''
The swords collided, and a strong absorbing force shook the mana in Yi-Han''s sword.
And then, nothing happened.
"?"
"Cough!"
Blood flowed from Labda''s nose as he held his shing sword. It was due to excessive use of mana.
''I can''t... let go of the sword...''
He should have let go of the sword by now.
However, the sword technique executed with insufficient skill had numbed Labda''s hand, preventing him from releasing the sword.
Worse, the executed technique kept draining Labda''s mana into the sword.
''At this rate...''
Labda''s eyes darkened.
Crack!
In that moment, both Yi-Han''s and Labda''s wooden swords shattered. Labda, gasping heavily, fell backward.
"Huff... Huff..."
"..."
Yi-Han clicked his tongue with a look of disappointment.
''I almost had it.''
It was frustrating to end in a draw with an opponent he had almost defeated, all due to his inability to control his mana.
''It''s alright. I should be thankful even for a draw.''
Yi-Han changed his thoughts to this.
If he hadn''t cleverly managed to break the opponent''s sword at thest moment, his own sword might have broken first.
"Wow... Wardanaz."
"?"
"Thank you."
"???"
"For... for breaking your own sword for me."
"?????"
Yi-Han couldn''t understand.
What was the opponent talking about?
''He didn''t even use his family''s sword technique earlier; is he not in a good state?''
Yi-Han wondered if the opponent, Labda, had exerted himself too much in the fight with Dolgyu and sustained an injury.
The statement seemedpletely out of the blue.
"Labda! Are you okay?!"
"Don''t worry! You fought really well! It''s just bad luck that it ended in a draw..."
"It''s okay. And this duel... I lost it."
"?!?"
Labda exined to the shocked squires what had happened.
As the exnation ended, the squires looked at Yi-Han with surprised eyes.
p, p p, p p p-
Without anyone starting it, they began to apud one by one.
The students from the White Tiger, after hesitating, joined in the apuse.
Professor Ingurdel and Bikelintz also pped.
Yi-Han thought to himself.
''Once I graduate, I really should avoid associating with these real knight folks.''
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Chapter 178
Chapter 178
Yi-Han could not fathom why the squires were apuding. He thought to himself, ''Nor do I want to know.''
With a desire to leave quickly, Yi-Han turned around. To the eyes of the squires, his demeanor appeared as the pride of a noble from a distinguished family, seemingly indifferent to his own honorable actions. True pride, they thought, is when one acts honorably not for praise or reward, but because the act itself is honorable.
The apuse grew louder. Yi-Han, shuddering, shook his head in dismay.
"Aha, so that''s why."
It was only after Dolgyu exined that Yi-Han understood. Dolgyu looked perplexed at his reaction.
"Why are you surprised, Yi-Han? Didn''t you break your own sword to help the opponent who was injured due to an excessive technique?"
"It was just an ident. I was trying to break his sword, but mine broke too."
"I''ll pretend I didn''t hear that."
"What do you mean pretend? I was just trying to break his..."
"Look! The squires areing. Let''s go greet them!"
Dolgyu interrupted Yi-Han. The squires and the students of the White Tiger, influenced by Yi-Han''s honorable actions, had begun to dissolve their previous tensions. Some truths, perhaps, need not be known.
Sizzle-
"Huh?"
Yi-Han and the White Tiger students looked at the squires in confusion as they started to grill meat over a fire. Yi-Han asked Bikelintz, "Excuse me, but what are they doing?"
"They are grilling game they caught themselves," Bikelintz replied, nodding his head in satisfaction. It was a custom among knights who roamed the vast empire to treat others with monsters they had subdued or hunted. It was a gesture of courtesy and a gift from a knight.
"Sprinkle more spices."
"Why? This is enough."
"They''re from the magic academy, remember? The gamey and wild smell will make it hard to eat."
Not all game, even when hard-earned, was delicious. In fact, tasty monsters were rare. Furthermore, the squires were not adept at butchering or cooking, so strong spices were their preferred method of preparation. With the right mix of empire''s varied spices, the meat became quite ptable.
"Oops, it''s all gone."
"Any left? Check around."
As they spoke, the meat was ready. The waiting White Tiger students began to skewer and eat the meat.
"Is it...?"
"It''s well-cooked. Not bad."
The students chewed the meat heartily, swallowing without hesitation. Their manner was almostbative.
The squires were shocked. They hadn''t even sprinkled the spices yet, and the students were eating so freely.
''We misunderstood...!''
''Yes, a knight is a knight, no matter where they are.''
With this realization, the squires reflected on their behavior. They had been wrong to look down on their fellow knights, thinking they were livingfortably while they themselves suffered.
"Sorry."
"What?"
"We thought you were restingfortably while we suffered."
Upon hearing this, the White Tiger students scowled. What a thing to say
"But I realized that it''s not important. Whether it''s our rugged and shabby training ground on the outskirts of the city or yourfortable and cozy bedrooms at the magic academy, what matters is that we are all knights..."
"Do you really want to get stabbed in the back?"
"No, why would I?!"
While the knights bickered, Yi-Han bit into a skewer of meat and evaluated it coolly.
"The gamey and wild smell isn''t covered well. Dolgyu, try sprinkling this on it."
"It''s a bit awkward to do it alone..."
The squabbling knights seemed to have reached some sort of reconciliation and resumed devouring their meat. The students of the White Tiger, having painfully learned the lesson of eating whenever possible since their admission, quickly finished off the meat even before it was fully grilled.
"Wait, I have something to say."
"Go ahead. Munch."
"Yeah. Gulp."
The squire was dumbfounded by the response of the White Tiger students. It wasn''t bad that they were enjoying the food, but shouldn''t they listen when someone is speaking?
"...This is about how we caught this Iron Boar."
It was customary for knights to boast about how they had caught their game when serving it to others. The squires eagerly began to recount their tale.
-So we split into tracking, driving, and hunting teams. The trackers chased it, the drivers herded it, and then we even used traps to drain its stamina-
"Chomp chomp."
"Gulp."
"So? What happened next?"
...
But Yi-Han was the only one who even pretended to listen. The other White Tiger students were too focused on the meat, seemingly indifferent.
The squires felt a surge of frustration. They were trying to reconcile, and this was their attitude?
"...Have you guys caught anything recently?"
One of the squires, unable to hold back, asked. A student from the White Tiger thought for a moment before responding.
"Colossal Hungry Ghost."
"Don''t talk nonsense! How could you catch a Colossal Hungry Ghost!"
"We did catch it."
"Right. We caught it."
Yi-Han stared intently at the White Tiger students.
''Since when did ''we'' include you?''
Feeling his gaze, the students turned towards him.
"Tell us in detail!"
"Yeah, let''s hear the details!"
The squires watched intently, ready to catch any bluff in their story.
"Wardanaz cast a spell..."
"And then?"
"He kept casting it..."
"And then?"
"Until it fell."
The squires were at a loss for words. It sounded imusible...
But somehow, that made it feel more genuine.
"Wait. So it wasn''t you who caught it, but Wardanaz?"
"We were there, so it counts as us catching it together!"
"Let''s ask Wardanaz. Wardanaz, what do you think?"
"Just eat your meat and stop talking..."
Yi-Han muttered wearily.
After such an intense fight in the morning, he wanted to rest. But the other sses wouldn''t wait.
When started in the afternoon, Yi-Han regretted wasting his energy unnecessarily in the morning.
''All because of those knights...''
Only Professor Ingurdel and Sir Bikelintz seemed satisfied, while the students suffered from fatigue and muscle aches. Some students of the White Tiger were already brazenly asleep.
Yi-Han looked at them with a sense of disdain.
"These crazy fools... Gainando, wake up."
Yi-Han smacked the back of Gainando''s head. It wasn''t right to scorn someone else''s tower.
Startled, Gainando woke up.
"Did someone hit me?"
"It must have been a bad dream. No one hit you."
"Really?"
While everyone else was hurriedly reading various books and muttering to themselves, Gainando and Yi-Han sat calmly, not engaging in such activities. At first nce, they seemed simr, but Yonaire knew that their situations were the exact opposites. One was overly prepared, and the other, not prepared at all!
"Everyone, put away the items on your desks."
As Professor Alpen Knighton appeared, the students drew in despairden breaths. With a wave of his wand, the books and papers on the desks flew into the bags. The rules and the duration of the test began to appear on the ssroom''s ckboard.
"Those who finish early may leave. Now, begin."
Within five seconds, the test papers appeared in front of the students. They gripped their quills, looking as if they might vomit any moment.
''This isn''t too hard.''
Yi-Han, thinking a thought that would have earned him a bottle of ink to the head had others heard, quickly began solving the problems. For him, these mathematics and geometry problems were a breeze, even without studying.
The problems with magical elements, like ''Calcte the number of mana stones needed for this magic circle'' or ''Complete the missing parts of the magic circle,'' were a bit trickier, but not too difficult if one knew how to apply the concepts.
With a flourish, Yi-Han rapidly filled in the nks. The expressions of the students behind him turned to horror.
''Wardanaz...!''
''Shouldn''t Wardanaz be taking tests in another ssroom, conscientiously?''
Just his mere problem-solving was enough to drive other students to despair. They grumbled inwardly. Wardanaz''s excessive studying might raise the average grade of the ss, elevate the professors'' expectations, and even increase the standards of their families.
Selfish guy...!
"Don''t look around," warned Professor Alpen, making the students lower their heads.
Yi-Han stood up. Professor Alpen was not surprised.
"Finished?"
"Yes."
"Submit it and leave."
Yi-Han left the ssroom without looking back. The students watched his back with a mix of envy and jealousy.
Thud!
Gainando also stood up. Professor Alpen, surprised this time, asked.
"Finished?"
"Yes!"
"Submit it and leave."
Gainando too left the ssroom without a backward nce. The students watched his back with a mix of pity and admiration.
''Such a fearless kid.''
''You''re the best, Gainando!''
"Burn brightly!"
Normally, ''Don''t use magic in the lounge! What if someone gets hurt!'' would be the refrain, but tonight was different.
Even Gainando was practicing with his staff.
Thursday was the most hellish day of this midterm week, with Professor Garcia''s exam. For a mage, low grades in other arts or misceneous courses could be excused with ''What does a mage need with such knowledge?'' or ''A mage needs to be good at magic, not petty calctions. I''ll be a mage who excels with intuition.'' However, was an inescapable core subject for the students of Einroguard.
"Gainando, did you take dark magic?"
"Yeah, so I have to review it with you. Sigh. It''s really tough."
"I also have to study summoning magic. It''s harder for me."
The importance of this lecture was immense, as how one sowed seeds and bloomed flowers determined the course of the next academic year...
...and with that importance came difficulty.
The area one chose to focus on and learn about during lecture time came with the obligation of an additional exam.
"Are you making light of dark magic now?! Do you know how difficult curses are?"
"Compared to summoning magic, dark magic is easy!"
"Hey, those who don''t know illusion magic, stay quiet."
"Shouldn''t you guys focus more on basic elemental magic? That seems to be the hardest."
"Wardanaz, you decide. What do you think is the hardest magic?"
Unable to reach a decision among themselves, the friends called for Yi-Han.
Yi-Han lifted his head from among the mountains of books piled around him. Books on various magic fields were stacked haphazardly.
"What did you say?"
"...Ah, it''s nothing."
"Keep up the hard work, Wardanaz!"
"Let''s sit down and study quickly, too!"
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Chapter 179
Chapter 179
With a snap, another quill broke. Yi-Han paused and lifted his head, contemting the vast array of subjects he still needed to study. Unlike his friends, who were consumed with worry, Yi-Han did not wallow in despair or frustration over his current plight. His mind was too resilient and steadfast to be shaken by such concerns.
He was the kind who would rather read another word or prepare a bit more than waste time on regrets. However, even considering his disposition, he had to admit the workload was indeed overwhelming.
Do you need help?
?
Yi-Han was startled as he looked up. His friends were all busy with their studies in the lounge. Gainando was even engrossed in a book, eating custard pie. Who had spoken to him?
"It''s me, young boy..."
To his astonishment, it was the helmet that spoke. The helmet he had picked up from an underground dungeon!
Ah, was it a sentient artifact?
It was known that items crafted by powerful mages could possess their own consciousness and intelligence. If the mage was exceptionally skilled, the artifact could even surpass human wisdom in its knowledge.
"Ah, I didn''t realize it was a sentient artifact," Yi-Han muttered, putting down his quill. He had nned to examine it thoroughly after his exams, but now that it had addressed him, he couldn''t simply ignore it.
"What is your name?"
"I am the Helmet of Wisdom."
"The Helmet of Wisdom, huh?" Yi-Han mused, gripping his staff under the table. He was cautious, knowing well not to let his guard down, even with an artifact.
This helmet had been in that underground dungeon, managed by Professor Bdi, and the dungeon, in turn, was under the control of the skull principal. Suspicion was necessary.
"Are you rted to Os Gonadaltes or Bdi Bagrak?"
"No. I am not a helmet created by the principal. I was crafted outside, brought here secretly by a student decades ago to prepare for an exam."
"I see. Not that Ipletely believe you," Yi-Han replied.
The Helmet of Wisdom was taken aback. It wondered, how could such a young boy be so full of doubts?
"What are your abilities, then?"
"As my name suggests, I am the Helmet of Wisdom. I hold the knowledge left by my former masters."
Yi-Han''s eyes widened in amazement. The knowledge of previous owners still resided within the helmet. For a student of the magic academy, this was incredibly valuable information. It could reveal hidden spaces within the academy or even ways to escape it.
"Alright. I''m ready. Tell me everything!"
Yi-Han quickly pulled out fresh paper and shouted, ready to jot down anything and everything.
"Calm down, young boy... I do not operate in that manner."
"Then how?"
"I can answer one question per month; I can answer anything using the knowledge I have umted."
"Can you predict the midterm exam questions?"
"That''s impossible."
"Then it''s not ''anything,'' is it?"
The helmet replied, slightly flustered, "You might be the most fastidious master I''ve ever had. I''m not an all-powerful helmet."
Yi-Han sighed, getting a sense of what this ''Helmet of Wisdom'' was. This artifact reminded him of the spirit Ferkuntra. An entity that could disappoint if one''s expectations were too high.
''I''ll have to choose my question carefully,'' he thought, aware that a poorly chosen question could waste his once-a-month opportunity.
"Is there a way to ckmail Os Gonadaltes?"
"I''ll try predicting the midterm exam questions. It''s quite likely I''ll be wrong, but..."
"No, it was just a question," Yi-Han casually remarked, wiping the helmet with a cloth before setting it aside.
The artifact was not entirely useless, but it certainly was an awkward item to possess. Yi-Han wondered, ''Since it''s an artifact, it might fetch a good price. Should I sell it?''
Wait, was that it? Why didn''t you ask
"I''ll askter if I think of something."
The Helmet of Wisdom was baffled. No student of the magic academy who had ever possessed it had behaved like this before. The mage who created the Helmet of Wisdom had imbued it with two spells: one to answer the master''s questions periodically, and the other to continually seek greater wisdom. If the helmet kept umting knowledge as it passed from one owner to another, could it not be even more intelligent than its creator? That was the purpose for which it was created.
The nameless mage who created it had long since passed away, but the Helmet of Wisdom continued to operate, wandering and functioning.
''This shouldn''t be happening,'' the helmet fretted. An unforeseen phenomenon, even by its creator, was the helmet''s tendency to try and control its master. To keep getting wiser, it needed to seek new knowledge, and the more its owner relied on it, the better. The owners would follow its guidance, seeking new experiences and knowledge.
And until now, all its masters had depended on it, marveling and venerating its responses.
-"Indeed... This has everything I need! Thank you, Helmet of Wisdom!"-
-"It was no difficult task... From what I see, you might benefit from studying fire magic a bit more."-
-"Do you think so?"-
-"Certainly! Why not explore the undergroundva regions of the mountains?"-
-"Isn''t that a bit dangerous?"-
-"You''ll be fine!"-
However, such dependent rtionships often ended poorly. Students eventually realized toote that the Helmet of Wisdom had been manipting them. Naturally, by then, the helmet had already abandoned its former master in search of a new one.
But this new owner, Yi-Han, seemed different. He appeared almost uninterested...
''It must be a mistake. He''ll start asking me questions soon, trying to extract something from me!''
However, Yi-Han, preupied with his studies, soon forgot about the helmet, tossing it into a corner of his personal room.
In her fourth year at the magic academy, Direth, a crow mixed-blood student, stifled a yawn and pulled out a potion from inside her coat.
''I shouldn''t keep relying on sleep-prevention potions... It''s not good...''
But what could she do? The immediate need was to fend off sleepiness.
"Cough, cough. Are you here?"
"Have you arrived, Professor?"
Direth respectfully bowed her head. Their rtionship was more than that of a typical teacher and student. Direth was studying dark magic under Professor Mortum, akin to a mentor-mentee rtionship.
"But is it really okay for me to help? I''m not going to end up in the punishment room, am I?"
"Cough. It''s been approved."
As a fourth-year student, Direth wouldn''t normally be seen in the first-year area unless she had a specific reason. In this case, it was to assist Professor Mortum with the dark magic midterm exam.
While some professors were adept at creating and grading their own exams, not all were as capable. That''s where outstanding students like Direth stepped in.
"Cough. Take these," Professor Mortum said, handing over a heavy purse of silver coins and a box of reagents.
This was thepensation Direth received for participating in the midterm exams.
By the time students reached the fourth year, the costs associated with their own magic research were astronomical. Assisting a professor was a lucrative opportunity, even for senior students like Direth.
"Thank you," she said, pocketing the purse of silver coins.
"Cough. Don''t speak in front of the first-year students," the professor instructed.
"Yes."
"Don''t even turn your eyes. Any nce, gesture, or even a magic transfer could be a signal. Cough. In short, everything is forbidden. Just stand still like a statue."
"...Perhaps it would have been better if you had done it yourself, Professor..."
Direth was already feeling regretful. Had she made a mistake by offering to help?
"Is the poison ready?"
"Yes. But, Professor, you do remember that the first-year students haven''t learned about poisons yet, right?"
"Cough. Of course. Why do you ask?"
"It''s nothing," Direth replied with a gentle smile.
Professor Mortum had always enjoyed surprising students with creative twists, even when Direth was in her first year. The professor was so creative that he often included topics in the exams that the students hadn''t learned.
-"Professor, I''ve been wondering since my first year... Why do questions on topics we haven''t learned keep appearing in the exams?"-
-"Cough, isn''t it obvious? You should know what you''ve learned. A student''s true ability shows when they solve something unknown."-
-"...Aha!"-
Had Direth known this in her first year, she might have changed her major from dark magic...
But it was toote now.
''Sorry, juniors,'' she thought, preparing the poison.
The first-year students interested in dark magic would now face topics in their exams that they hadn''t even learned.
Rattle-ck!
Professor Garcia approached from a distance. With a wave of her staff, the ssrooms along the corridor transformed.
Direth greeted her respectfully, full of admiration.
"Good morning, Professor."
"Good morning, Miss Direth. You''re working hard."
"It''s nothing."
Direth nced at the ssrooms. As expected of a ss that sparked interest in the various magics of the empire, the spaces for taking the exams were also divided ordingly: one for dark magic, another for summoning magic, and so on.
Professor Garcia, after greeting the other professors, said, "When the students arrive, I will tell them they can take the exams in any order they wish."
"Cough. Do so, Professor Garcia. And consider those who might arrivete due to other exams."
"Understood."
Direth got up from her seat, pondering, ''Are there really students who do that?''
Taking one exam was normal, and taking two was a mark of the top students. But three...
That was madness.
!" Surprised by the unfamiliar face, Yi-Han and Gainando entered the dark magic ssroom first.
"Cough. This is my disciple, Direth."
"Hello, senior!"
Gainando greeted cautiously, but Direth didn''t even look at him.
Gainando, feeling hurt, said to Yi-Han, "Is it because I''m not good at dark magic?"
"It''s more likely because of the principal''s rules."
"!"
Direth was slightly taken aback. She hadn''t expected a first-year student to grasp the situation so quickly.
"Cough. Right. Normally, I shouldn''t even be seen by you, but I came specially to assist with this exam."
''What a shame.''
Yi-Han looked at Direth with a sense of pity.
This seemed like a task the professor could have managed alone, so the decision to involve a disciple seemed unnecessary...
''Does he look at me with pity, or am I imagining it?'' Direth wondered.
It was she, Direth, who should be the object of pity in this situation, not a first-year student.
And...
''That voice sounds strangely familiar.''
She couldn''t ce it, but the voice was eerily recognizable.
Before Direth could ponder further, Professor Mortum cleared his throat and spoke.
"Cough. Well then, it''s time to begin."
"Yes! Professor, I''m ready!" Gainando dered, gripping his staff.
He had practiced hard the previous day, whether it was curses or summoning undead. Having chosen dark magic over other sses, Gainando''s face brimmed with confidence.
"What should I do?"
"Poison."
"...Pardon?"
"Cough. The test will be on poisons."
"..."
Gainando looked at the professor with a mixture of frustration, betrayal, and hurt. But Yi-Han, without even blinking, simply nodded in agreement.
"Understood."
''Is he really a freshman?'' Direth thought to herself.
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Chapter 180
Chapter 180
Yi-Han was not exactly thrilled.
He knew everything about the content that had been taught, so it was a bit absurd to hear that the test would cover different material.
''But getting upset will only be to my disadvantage,'' he thought to himself.
With a resolved mind, Yi-Han spoke up. "Please tell me, Professor. What should I do?"
"Ahem. It''s not much different from the magic you''ve learned so far. Poison is also a type of magic that forms part of dark magic, the professor exined.
Gainando tilted his head in confusion. Then, Professor Mortum added, "You might be wondering why we consider poison as magic when hunters and assassins outside use it too. Ahem."
Gainando was startled. "Huh!"
"Ahem. The poison in dark magic is different from ordinary poison," the professor rified.
The empire had a variety of poisons: from natural sources like metals, nts, bacteria, fungi, and insects.
Even ordinary people knew how to use such poisons to some extent. However, the poison in dark magic wasn''t like these real poisons. Magic fundamentally altered reality ording to the will of the mage. Naturally, the poison spoken of here was an imaginary one, nonexistent in reality.
"Indeed! After all, there''s no need for the empire''s greatest mage to study a poison that everyone uses!" Gainando eximed excitedly.
"Ahem. However, that doesn''t mean you can neglect the study of real poisons," the professor cautioned.
Gainando''s face fell. ''It''s the same with other magic too,'' he thought.
Even with basic elemental magic, the mage''s mental image of the element was crucial. Without a solid and specific mental image, spells and forms were useless. A higher understanding of poison allowed for the creation of more varied and potent imaginary poisons.
But the students had never learned about poison, had they? ''This is really harsh,'' thought Yi-Han.
Sensing Yi-Han''s thoughts, Professor Mortum borated, "Ahem. Naturally, youck experience with poison, having never handled it before."
Without a special background, one rarely encountered poison.
"That''s true, Professor," agreed Yi-Han.
"Ahem. It would be cruel to just expect you to learn it without guidance," the professor admitted.
"Yes!" Gainando nodded vigorously, his face filled with anticipation.
However, Yi-Han felt a sense of foreboding.
Care and concern were best left to those who usually showed it. When a professor suddenly offered care, it was rarely genuine.
"Direth," the professor called.
A crow-like student nodded and stepped forward, swinging her staff at Gainando. A faint mist of poison emerged from the staff, entering Gainando through his nose and mouth.
"Cough?!"
Yi-Han immediately drew his staff and held his breath, ready to defend himself.
Direth looked at him, as if to say, ''What is this junior doing?''
"Ahem. Don''t defend, just take it," instructed the professor.
"What?"
"You need to feel the poison to understand it. It''s not dangerously toxic."
Experiencing an element was the best way to build a mental image of it, though being poisoned was a minor inconvenience.
Yi-Han lowered his staff and sighed. ''Well, it''s my fault for choosing to study dark magic.''
Resigned, Yi-Han let the poison mist envelop him.
"But what poison is this?" Gainando, who had been coughing, regained his senses and asked the professor.
"Ahem. What poison was it again..."
...
Was it too much to expect, even from a student?
"What poison was it?"
"Professor, if I speak, it''s straight to the punishment room..."
"Ahem. It''s fine. Just don''t tell the freshmen. ...Probably."
"It''s a magic-reducing poison."
"Yes, a mana-reducing poison. Do you feel your mana dissipating?"
At Professor Mortum''s question, Gainando and Yi-Han responded simultaneously.
"Yes."
"No."
"...?"
Professor Mortum paused, then turned to Yi-Han. "Ahem. You don''t feel your mana scattering even a bit?"
"I don''t feel anything."
The professor looked at Direth, who hastily responded, "There''s nothing wrong with the poison."
"Ahem. Check it again."
"Really, there''s no issue..."
Direth approached Yi-Han and sprayed the mana-reducing poison again.
Once. Twice. Three times...
With each attempt, the senior''s expression shifted from anxious to perplexed to troubled.
Unable to watch any longer, Yi-Han spoke up. "It feels like my mana is dissipating."
"Don''t lie. Junior."
Direth, forgetting the principal''s warning, blurted out, "I''m sure the poison was perfectly made and should work... Why isn''t it?"
"Ahem. Perhaps he has too much mana?"
"Too much mana?"
"Mr. Wardanaz here has a natural abundance of mana, so the poison''s effect might be insignificant on him."
"Why didn''t you tell me that before... Never mind. I''ll make it again right now."
Direth sighed and whipped her staff, creating a new, evidently more potent poison.
Even Yi-Han, with his limited knowledge of poison, could tell this was far more venomous than before.
Direth didn''t spray it as a mist this time but handed it over in a ss rod-shaped bottle. Yi-Han was taken aback.
"Drink it. Junior."
Without arguing, Yi-Han drank it. The other had already suffered enough.
"Ahem. Does it seem effective?"
"Professor, I''d rather just try the magic."
"Alright. Go ahead."
Direth watched, aghast, as Yi-Han walked away with Gainando.
What was up with this new student?!
"Heh, Yi-Han."
Gainando looked at Yi-Han with a smug, confident smile.
Yi-Han was about to smack him on the back of his head but hesitated; there were too many eyes around.
"What is it?"
"This time, I''ll help you."
Gainando had good reason to be excited.
Firstly, their dark magic talents were simr (at least in Gainando''s mind).
But this time, Yi-Han hadn''t felt the poison due to his constitution, while Gainando had experienced it physically.
So, in terms of poison magic, Gainando was ahead.
It was logical.
"Tha... Thank you."
Yi-Han was slightly overwhelmed by Gainando''s enthusiasm, especially considering he had just consumed poison.
Such positivity could be a kind of strength...
''...Perhaps?''
"Coalesce, Poison of mana scattering!"
Gainando extended his staff, focusing intently.
The test goal was to create a basic mana-reducing poison.
Professor Mortum, retaining a shred of conscience, didn''t demand difficult or advanced poisons from the students.
A droplet of magic-reducing poison was sufficient.
Chik-
"!"
Gainando was startled as the opaque green liquid at the tip of his staff dropped onto his boot, creating a hole.
"Uaaagh?!!"
"Nicely done."
Yi-Han was impressed.
Gainando was known to possess talent in dark magic, a fact Yi-Han had learned from Professor Mortum, but he hadn''t expected it to be to this extent.
Creating something akin to poison on his first try was a sess in itself, though for Gainando, whose boots now sported a hole, it didn''t feel much like one.
"Cough... I hate dark magic..."
"Shh. The professor might hear you."
Yi-Han focused, staff in hand.
He had to concentrate harder since he hadn''t experienced the poison physically, as Gainando had.
''It''s all about using the techniques I''ve learned so far and imagining.''
Like with other spells, he controlled his mana while painting a vivid, systematic image in his mind.
Yi-Han envisioned his manapressing into a single droplet and attempted to alter its nature.
To a form that would annihte another person''s mana upon contact.
He recalled what he had read and seen in his past life, bringing to mind entities simr to the mana-reducing poison.
This knowledge and imagination were Yi-Han''s unique strengths, unmatched by other mages.
As his will, spell, and motions converged, a new kind of poison, previously nonexistent in reality, began to form at the tip of his staff.
"Coalesce, poison of power dispersion!"
Direth, who was watching, was taken aback.
The new student had seeded in crafting a poison spell in just one try.
''He''s no ordinary mage!''
He had even managed topress a long and detailed spell autonomously.
This feat required exceptional mana sensitivity, control, and the ability to manifest mental images, not just resistance to poison but an immense innate talent for dark magic.
Seeing the blond friend''s proficiency in dark magic as well...
''These new students are truly remarkable. I need to step up my game.''
But why did his voice sound so familiar?
"Pant, pant. I''m done," announced Gainando, drenched in sweat, pointing at a few droplets of poison glistening like dew on ss.
Yi-Han, having finished earlier, looked up from where he was sitting.
"Are you done?"
"Yes! Wasn''t much of a time difference, right? Right?!"
"Ahem. It was quite a bit... But well done regardless. Seeding itself is impressive."
As he spoke, Professor Mortum swallowed Gainando''s poison.
"!"
"Professor!!! Even if you''re hungry, you shouldn''t drink that!"
Yi-Han, Direth, and Professor Mortum all stared at Gainando as if he had lost his mind.
"...Oh, was I wrong?"
"I was testing the poison..."
Professor Mortum, seemingly incredulous, wiped his mouth.
A proficient dark mage naturally develops a strong resistance to dark magic.
Someone of Professor Mortum''s caliber would be practically immune to a thousand poisons.
"Ahem. It''s good. Well made."
"Thank you!"
"Then..."
Without hesitation, the professor swallowed the poison Yi-Han had made.
"Uh-hum."
"Are you alright?"
"Uh-huh."
"?"
Yi-Han was puzzled.
The professor''s reaction was slightly different from when he had ingested Gainando''s poison.
''Have I failed?''
"Yi, Yi-Han."
"?"
"Take mine!"
Thinking Yi-Han had failed, Gainando whispered, gesturing toward his own poison.
Direth, standing nearby, looked at Gainando with suspicion.
''Is he a bit dense?''
It was hard to tell if Gainando was being foolish or joking in front of their senior.
Direth turned away, finding even their teacher a bit odd.
"Professor. What''s happening..."
"Cough... Cough. Huurk."
Thud!
Professor Mortum, unable to withstand it, knelt down. His face turned pale, and his fingers trembled slightly.
Direth immediately realized what was happening.
''Mana depletion symptoms!''
The thought that a mage of Professor Mortum''s caliber could be brought to his knees and copse from mana depletion was unbelievable.
''Is it because of the poison created by a freshman??!''
Despite already being shocked enough today, this was Direth''s biggest surprise yet. A freshman had taken down Professor Mortum with poison!
"He''s dead! Yi-Han! We need to get rid of the evidence and witnesses!!"
"Don''t talk nonsense! He''s not dead yet!"
Yi-Han, unable to contain himself, retorted angrily. Truthfully, he was also feeling anxious.
Direth quickly pulled out a mana recovery potion and an antidote, administering them to Professor Mortum.
The professor slowly recovered and stood up.
"Ahem. Excellent work. Full marks."
"I''m sorry, Professor."
Yi-Han apologized. Although it wasn''t really his fault, it was necessary to apologize in such a situation.
"Ahem. It''s alright. It''s alright. Such things often happen during tests. Rather, I''m more pleased to have discovered such remarkable talent."
"Is that so?"
Yi-Han felt slightly relieved at Professor Mortum''s words.
Was poison magic supposed to be like this?
Direth, who had been watching, had a lot to say but held back.
"Ahem... Now, let''s move on to the next test."
Professor Mortum seemed eager to send the freshmen away, still struggling to fully recover his mana.
"Yes, we''ll see you next time."
Yi-Han and Gainando politely bid farewell and turned to leave.
As Yi-Han was turning away, he clearly saw it.
The crow-like senior subtly giving him a thumbs up!
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Chapter 181
Chapter 181
"No, that can''t be," Yi-Han mused as he left. There could be several reasons for a thumbs-up gesture. The most likely was to praise a junior for doing well on a recent test. Yi-Han figured this was probably the reason.
Another possibility was gratitude for defeating a professor, but surely his senior wasn''t that kind of person... right?
"Are you alright, Professor?" Direth asked cautiously once the other juniors had left. Professor Mortum, coughing, nodded his head.
"Cough. I was careless... the poison was better made than I expected."
"You were too reckless," Direth chided. While regr people might find a little dispersed mana merely inconvenient, it was different for mages. A shortage of mana during spellcasting could be life-threatening in the worst case.
Even though Professor Mortum had a strong resistance to poison, the proper protocol would have been to disable his ongoing spells before ingesting it.
''It feels strange to talk about protocols with a poison made by a first-year...''
"Cough. You''re right. Relying too much on magic isn''t good," Professor Mortum admitted honestly. The higher a mage''s mastery, the more they tended to depend on magic. Even Professor Mortum himself maintained several spells like , , and , constantly draining his mana.
With his mana depleted, it was no wonder he suffered such an embarrassment...
"I''ll be more careful when testing the other first-years."
"Yes, that would be wise."
"Cough. Could you check on the students outside?"
Direth obliged Professor Mortum''s request, opening the ssroom door and stepping outside. It was about time for the next students to arrive...
"?"
Direth sensed something odd. The very junior he had admired earlier was heading towards the summoning magic test room.
''Where is he going?''
"Raphael."
"Wardanaz."
As there were rtively few freshmen studying dark magic, they could easily recognize each other''s faces. That didn''t necessarily mean they were friends.
Raphael Gral from White Tiger, learning dark magic tobat the dark mages.
Ymirg from ck Tortoise, who feared Yi-Han due to absurd rumors.
''Rumors are ruining the magic academy.''
Gaidando, having already taken his test, smirked arrogantly.
"Heh heh. Good luck."
"...What wille out?"
Even a proud knightly student couldn''t help but feel nervous about their uing test. Gaidando''s smile stretched almost to breaking.
"What did you say? Repeat that!"
"It''s nothing! Shut up!"
"Say it again! Politely!"
"Shut up!"
"Stop it, Gaidando. We''re all students of dark magic here. There''s no need to fight. As someone who''s already taken the test, I can offer some simple advice."
"Yi-Han...!"
Gaidando wanted to retort ''Why listen to this guy,'' but Yi-Han silenced him with a hand gesture.
Raphael looked at Yi-Han with surprise.
"The test is about curses. Don''t worry about summoning undead."
"...Thanks, Wardanaz."
"It''s nothing."
With a nod, Raphael swiftly walked away. Gaidando watched Yi-Han with a look of admiration.
"Ymirg, the test topic is poison."
"...?!"
The giant mixed-blood student asked, confused.
"But, you just said it was about curses?"
"It was a lie," Yi-Han dered boldly before turning away.
"Let''s go, Gaidando. We have to take the summoning magic test."
Watching Yi-Han''s retreating figure, Ymirg looked on with a mix of fear and admiration. He wasn''t sure what kind of person Wardanaz was, but he seemed truly formidable!
"As we discussedst time, the test topic is ," announced Professor Millei, a bespectacled, elderly academic. Hearing this, Yi-Han felt an unexpected surge of emotion.
''The professor kept his word about the test. I shouldn''t be moved by such a thing, really.''
Yi-Han shook his head calmly.
The students who arrived before Yi-Han stood up, their expressions mostly gloomy or distressed - typical faces seen in an examination hall.
"...?"
Yi-Han sensed something off.
''Why does everyone look so beaten?''
"Please take your seats," the professor instructed.
Once seated, magic scrolls with peculiar symbols appeared before them. These were magic circles designed to assist in summoning magic. For first-year students, such assistance was essential to sessfully perform summoning spells.
"Now, begin," Professor Millei said as he flipped an hourss, signaling the start of the task to summon a paper bird within the time limit.
One student muttered, "Can''t we just fold and toss it?"
Yi-Han saw other students nod in agreement.
.
It was a somewhat embarrassing spell to be called ''bird.'' More precisely, it was akin to a ''controble paper airne.'' A spell used by mages to send short messages to nearby recipients.
''This won''t be difficult.''
Yi-Han read the magic circle and ran several simtions in his mind. He had crafted far moreplex magic circles before; this should be easy, as long as he didn''t overflow the magic circle with too much mana. Even a slight mistake could destroy the fragile scroll.
''This is a much more lenient testpared to the others...''
Pararararararak!
"..."
However, Yi-Han soon realized there was an unexpected trap in this test - his fellow students.
All around, oddly shaped paper summons began popping up, causing chaos.
"What are you doing, you idiot! Your failure messed up my spell too!"
"It would''ve failed anyway! Why me me!"
"That White Tiger jerk!"
"Bring it on!"
''Summoning magic can be quite problematic.''
Unlike other spells that quietly failed, summoning magic was different. A failed spell resulted in uncontroble, misshapen summons wreaking havoc.
Yi-Han shot down a paper book flying towards his face with a water bead. He couldn''t afford to let the magic circle scroll get damaged.
"Shoot!"
"Burn up!"
Not just Yi-Han, other students also began casting spells. They had no choice, as paper attacks kept pping their faces.
Professor Millei watched the chaos with a stern expression. This too was a part of what a mage must endure.
The students who had taken the test earlier had faced the same tumultuous situation.
"Maintaining calm is key," was a realization anyone coulde to if they thought about it rationally. Getting hit in the face with paper wouldn''t kill anyone. Therefore, even if chaos erupted around them, the priority was to focus on their own tasks.
"Everyone, stop!" a student from the Wardanaz family, affiliated with the Blue Dragon, shouted. Professor Millei nced at him, slightly puzzled. The professor had been rather strict with Yi-Han, recognizing his talent but wary of his overconfidence in summoning magic, which could invite disaster.
It was unclear to the professor why such a student would shout like that. Did he really believe hismand would halt the pandemonium?
"I said stop!" Yi-Han shouted again.
But nothing changed with his repeatedmand.
Professor Millei adjusted his monocle, curious about what the student intended to do. How would he handle it if they continued to ignore him?
"I warned you. Spring forth!" Yi-Han quickly began duplicating water beads.
His skill in elemental magic control was astonishing for a first-year, surprising Professor Millei. But this was just the beginning of his amazement.
Swiftly, the paper summons flying around the room began to be shot down one by one. While other first-year students were casting various spells, hitting the irregrly flying paper summons in the vast lecture hall was not easy. Their spells often collided, exacerbating the chaos.
Yi-Han, however, was different. Every shot brought down a target.
"I told you to stop, didn''t I?"
"Shut up, Wardanaz! Who do you think you are..." A heated White Tiger student gesticted angrily.
In an instant, a water bead urately struck the student''s sr plexus.
"Cough..."
Yi-Han began ruthlessly attacking the students who did not cease their magic.
Thump! Thud! Thud-thud-thud!
Students hit by the water beads dropped their wands and knelt. Around Yi-Han, like ripples spreading from a stone dropped in water, students quickly came to their senses.
"I... I''ve stopped."
"Me, me too."
"Put down your staffs! Those who don''t will face the consequences."
The students, frightened, lowered their staffs, and Yi-Han calmly cast his spell following the magic circle.
Tararack!
A paper bird blossomed and began to leisurely fly around the ssroom. However, Professor Millei was not surprised.
He had been impressed when Yi-Han passed the midterm exam on his first try, but what he had just witnessed was far more astonishing. Yi-Han had single-handedly subdued and dominated the chaotic students.
''...I don''t like to admit it, but he certainly has the right to be arrogant.''
Professor Millei believed it was his role to sternly warn arrogant or conceited students, ensuring they didn''t harm themselves in summoning magic.
But the boy in front of him had shown a talent that made even the professor momentarily forget his role. Such talent demanded recognition from any mage.
"Excellent work," Professor Millei nodded.
It was a perfect score, with not a single w to point out.
"Thank you, Professor."
"?!"
Professor Millei found it odd that Yi-Han did not leave the ssroom.
''Why isn''t he leaving?''
Instead, Yi-Han stood before his ssmates and spoke.
"Pick up your staffs again. And for those who didn''t stop when I told you to, be prepared."
The students picked up their wands again, their faces tense.
Once again, poorly created summons popped up here and there, but Yi-Han quickly subdued them.
"Again." "Wait!" "Again." "Don''t stop. Continue." "Wait!"
"..."
Watching Yi-Han voluntarily take charge of directing the ssroom for his friends, Professor Millei felt a sense of confusion about his earlier judgment.
''Was he not an arrogant student?''
"You''ve worked hard, Professor."
Direth stretched and stepped out of the ssroom. The expressions of the freshmen passing through the corridors were already half-dead.
At this sight, Direth smiled a satisfied smile, one that any senior student at a magic academy would inevitably wear.
Thud-
"?
Seeing that exceptionally admirable junior leaving the ssroom, Direth thought, ''Huh?''
It was fine to leave the ssroom after a test, but...?
''Isn''t that the Illusion Magic ssroom? Why is he entering that?''
Direth revisited what she had seen today. So that junior had attended sses in Dark Magic, Summoning Magic, and now Illusion Magic...
...???
Direth was incredulous. Could it be that this junior...?
''No! You''re being deceived by the professors! You''ll end up dead!''
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Chapter 182
Chapter 182
Chapter 182
As the saying goes, just as the bird singing the most beautiful song dies the quickest, mages with exceptional talents often had short lifespans. Unlike those without talent, who did not covet more than they needed, talented mages tended to desire as much as their abilities allowed.
Magic was akin to the suntoo close an approach, and one would burn to death.
Is there no one to tell him? Direth bit her lip in frustration. The malevolent professors of this magic academy only cared about their own fields. When a talented freshman appeared, they would eagerly suggest a new spell to learn, paying no heed if the student was already learning another. Often, by the time these naive freshmen realized what was happening, it was tootethey were trapped in an inescapable magical hell.
Only entrics like Professor Garcia could withstand this! Direth thought, especially now that the midterm period had just ended and more magic fields were to be explored.
Someone had to warn him. Now!
"Junior!" Direth strengthened her resolve and shouted.
"Be careful! You''re being deceived by the professors..."
"???" Yi-Han, startled by the sudden cry from behind, turned around.
But there was no one there.
"What... what was that?"
"I''m not sure, but it feels ominous," Yi-Han murmured, frowning at the faintly familiar mana in the empty corridor. "It feels like the energy of the skull principal..."
Could it be?
As the potion in the cauldron began to bubble and slowly turn leaden, Yi-Han carefully extinguished the fire. Only the final step of the remained.
Just need to add freshly picked thistle flowers, he thought.
"Why is mine blue? Why is it blue?"
"Doesn''t this look leaden to you? Doesn''t it?"
Ignoring his friends in denial, Yi-Han exchanged nces with Yonaire.
"Let''s go pick thistle flowers!"
"The exams end tomorrow," Yi-Han noted, and Yonaire nodded. It felt like several weeks had passed, even though it was only one.
"We have to do this again..."
"It was really tough."
"Yes. For me too."
...
Yonaire had to suppress the urge to say, "Yi-Han, you''re digging your own grave," because Yi-Han was not just any student.
Did you do well on all the tests?
"So so."
"Huh?"
Yonaiere was puzzled by Yi-Hans words.
Yi-Han had always been exceptional. Among the first-year students, many were good at their studies, but Yi-Han stood out. Where others showed weaknesses in certain lectures, Yi-Han seemed to have none. His excellence was consistent across all subjects.
"You made a mistake in Dark Magic? How did you score?"
"No. I got a perfect score."
"Then in Summoning Magic?"
"No."
"...Illusion Magic?"
"I got perfect scores there too... Huh. Now that I think about it, I did well. Sorry, Yonaire. It''s just a habit."
For the first time, Yonaire almost lost her temper with Yi-Han.
"What''s happening?"
Students were gathered and buzzing at the spot where the thistle flower field should have been. Yi-Han approached, curious, and then stood in shock.
"...!"
The thistle flowers that had once flourished were nowpletely gone.
"Did you all pick them?" Yi-Han asked, striving to be polite, though his voicecked warmth and carried a hint of menace. The gathered students flinched and stepped back.
"No, it''s not us, Wardanaz. When we arrived, someone had already picked them!" they insisted.
"How can I believe that?" Yi-Han questioned skeptically.
"Think about it, Wardanaz! We need freshly picked thistle flowers too. Why would we pick them first and render them unusable for ourselves?" A student from the White Tiger argued, trembling while clutching a wooden sword. Due to previous incidents, a saying had circted within the White Tiger: "When dealing with Wardanaz, always move in groups of at least four."
To face him alone was unforeseen.
"You have a point."
Yi-Han lowered his staff, and the White Tiger student sighed in relief.
''Wait a minute.''
"Move aside."
Near the thistle flower bed, the ground was littered with footprints, obviously left by the students who had arrived earlier. However, Yi-Han focused on a particr set of footprints inside the flower bed, which looked familiar.
''This is...''
He carefully examined and measured the footprints.
A student from the ck Tortoise, surprised, asked, "Are you distinguishing the footprints of those who entered the flower bed first? How?"
It was baffling to him how Wardanaz, who was not a hunter by any means, knew such skills.
To this, Yi-Han asked, perplexed, "Don''t you have Nillia in your tower? Why haven''t you learned?"
"...Because I''m not a hunter?"
Yi-Han gave him a look of iprehension. The ck Tortoise student felt unjustly at fault, wondering, ''Where have I seen that look before?''
He then realized. It was the same look professors gave when they regarded someone with disdain.
''Why should I learn hunter skills...''
"Yonaire."
Yi-Han approached Yonaire with a serious expression and whispered, "I think I know who the culprit is."
"Who? A student from the White Tiger?"
"No. Professor Uregor."
"..."
Professor Uregor walked with a well-crafted bottle of brandy. The professors from Einroguard, having arrived earlier, were scattered, rxing with ease, as the midterm exams were nearing their end.
"You''ve worked hard, Professor Garcia," Professor Uregor greeted, pouring a ss of brandy for Garcia, a young half-troll professor, who epted it with a shy expression.
"It was nothing much."
"Not at all. Who else works as hard as you, Professor Garcia?"
Professor Uregor genuinely respected this half-troll professor before him. While other professors immersed themselves in their own magic fields and Gonadaltes indulged in all sorts of evil whims, Garcia quietly did her duty, caring for the students. Without her, Einroguard would have been a much more hellish ce.
"You''re almost done too, aren''t you, Professor Uregor?"
"Yes. The students will submit their work tomorrow."
"It must be hard with such a long duration."
If it were the skull principal, he would have sarcastically remarked, ''Alchemy is just setting problems and drinking while waiting; isn''t it azy man''s discipline?'' (Though Professor Uregor partially agreed with this sentiment).
However, the kind-hearted Professor Garcia always found a positive aspect.
"You will have to keep taking care as the students need to gather and prepare the materials."
"That''s true."
Although Professor Uregor didn''t quite attend to it as Garcia suggested, he nodded in agreement anyway. There was no need to outright reject apliment and cause difort!
And there was some truth to it.
"Just yesterday, I had to go to the flowerbed and uproot all the thistle flowers."
"Why did you do that?"
"For the students," Professor Uregor said, somewhat excitedly exining.
The freshly picked thistle flowers were essential for the final stage of the . The students were all aware of this flowerbed''s location. But what if these flowers suddenly disappeared? With the tight deadline, there would be no time to find or procure new ones. The students would have toplete the potion without the thistle flowers.
"It''s still possible toplete the potion without them, though the quality will suffer. It''s up to the students'' wisdom to ovee this," he stated.
Garcia''s face clouded over. Should she praise this or not?
''Why not just tell them to make it without thistle flowers from the start?''
Was it necessary to cause them shock and confusion?
"Indeed. That sounds like a good approach."
"Thank you, Professor Garcia. It''s because of my affection for the students."
Professor Uregor sipped his brandy contentedly.
But he had forgotten one thing: a student who has raided a professor''s workshop once could do it again.
"We''re going to the Gaksu Pavilion."
Tired from a day of exams, Yi-Han didn''t hesitate for even a second. The deadline was the next morning; time was tight. He knew that the second floor of Professor Uregor''s tower, the Gaksu Pavilion, surely had the thistle flowers.
"If we call the other friends..."
"There''s no time for that, Yonaire. Plus, more people mean more risk."
Yi-Han was aware this was his second time; the danger had escted.
Quietly and swiftly.
"But let''s call Nillia."
"Good thinking."
Yonaire nodded. It would be pointless toter say ''We didn''t call you because it was dangerous.''
"Let''s call Ratford too."
"Okay."
"And Asan..."
"...Maybe we should just call everyone?"
"Yeah. That''s better."
Yi-Han gave in and decided to call all his friends.
30 minutester, Yi-Han and his friends, each cloaked in dark coats, gathered. Yonaire suddenly wondered, ''Doesn''t anyone have any qualms about thievery at this hour?''
They all seemed too natural...
"Let''s go."
No further exnation was needed. They had already synced up several times before.
Yi-Han led the way.
Having been here before, it wasn''t too difficult...
"!"
What caught Yi-Han''s eye were students from the White Tiger, clumsily trying to break into the Gaksu Pavilion''s main entrance, masked.
''What''s this?''
At first, Yi-Han thought they were other students who were taking Alchemy. But on closer inspection, they were not.
Could they be trying to raid the professor''s workshop in the middle of the night to prevent Yi-Han from securing the thistle flowers?
''...That can''t be it.''
Even for them, that was going too far.
"They seem to be here for a different lecture," Yonaire whispered from behind.
"A different lecture?"
"They''re students from the ss. There''s been talk in their lecture about a potion in Professor Uregor''s tower that supposedly makes one dance well..."
Yi-Han was taken aback.
He was surprised first by the sheer number of students attending a course like , and secondly by the fact that they were resorting to a potion just to dance well.
"Shouldn''t they rely on their own abilities instead of resorting to theft?"
"It doesn''t seem like our ce to judge," Yonaire interjected.
Before Yonaire could finish, a rustling from the bushes ahead revealed another group of students.
They were from the ck Tortoise Tower.
"Are those students also from ?"
"No. I''ve seen them in ..."
Yi-Han shook his head in disbelief.
Three different groups, each with their own agendas, had coincidentally met in front of the workshop in the middle of the night.
"Even if it''s theft, is it eptable to use a potion for an exam?"
"I was curious too and asked a professor. They said it was alright."
...
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Chapter 183
Chapter 183
Though bewildered, Yi-Han decided to first address the issue at hand.
If left unattended, all three groups of students could end up being sent to the punishment room, getting along famously.
As expected, the students of the White Tiger and the ck Tortoise had already discovered each other and were growling in confrontation.
-"What are you doing here? We arrived first!"-
-"Since when does being first orst matter in situations like this?"-
Yi-Han sighed internally.
''Such unprofessional fools.''
If they hade to steal, shouldn''t they be professional about it? Keeping their voices low and their actions calm instead of emotionally quarreling?
"Everyone, calm down."
Yi-Han stepped forward, intending to intervene.
"Yikes!"
"A thief!"
On seeing Yi-Han, the students from both the White Tiger and ck Tortoises reacted violently.
''Do they think they aren''t thieves themselves?''
Yi-Han was dumbfounded, yet there was a reason for the other tower students'' shock.
Yi-Han and his friends were dressed unmistakably like thieves.
The students of the White Tiger and ck Tortoises, if they wore masks at all, had simply cut pieces of cloth to cover their faces, making it easy to distinguish their identities upon closer inspection.
In contrast, Yi-Han and his friends, armed with the knowledge from several experiences, Ratford''s advice, and clothes bought from outside, wore meticulously crafted masks and coats that thoroughly concealed their faces.
...They could easily be mistaken for real thieves from the outside.
"Calm down. We''re here for the same reason as you."
"Are... are you Wardanaz?"
''No. How did they know?''
Yi-Han was surprised that the other party recognized him despite his altered voice.
The only person who would steal this thoroughly is Wardanaz...
"You''re mistaken. I''m not Wardanaz."
Despite his denial, the other tower students seemed half-convinced already. Yi-Han felt unjustly used.
"Listen. All of us here have the same goal: to enter this Gaksu Pavilion. Fighting each other will only draw unwanted attention."
Yi-Han''s words made the other students nod in agreement.
Indeed, fighting each other before even entering the Gaksu Pavilion would be pointless.
"Let''s cooperate then."
"...Alright."
"Fine."
While everyone agreed, the problem was far from resolved.
Their joint venture was just beginning.
"Who will lead the way?"
"...We''ll stay at the back."
"Don''t be ridiculous! Who said you can stay at the back alone!"
The students from the White Tiger and ck Tortoises immediately shed.
Entering the professor''s workshopst was advantageous, hence the conflict.
"Quiet. I''ll decide."
Yi-Han spoke, but the other students were reluctant to ept his authority.
"Who are you to decide, Wardanaz?"
"Why should we follow your orders? We agreed to cooperate, not be your subordinates..."
Yi-Han raised his staff, and a cold silence filled the air.
"I will decide."
"...Fine."
"Remember, Wardanaz. We''re agreeing not because of your threats, but because fighting here is pointless."
With the conflict abated, Yi-Han dered.
"We''ll lead the way."
"!?"
The other students were naturally shocked.
Why?
"Is... is that okay?"
"Yes. We''re the only ones who know the way."
"..."
The students from the other towers looked on in astonishment.
''When did these guys...?!''
"As for the middle and rear positions, you decide," Yi-Han dered.
No sooner had his words fallen than the students of the White Tiger and the ck Tortoise started to quarrel again.
Yi-Han, looking serious, pointed his staff.
"...Let''s decide with rock-paper-scissors."
"Rock-paper-scissors, good idea. Fine by me."
The destination that Yi-Han and his friends aimed for was the botanical room on the second floor of the Gaksu Pavilion.
Therey a garden where thistle flowers grew.
''It''s a plus that we don''t have to go up to the third floor.''
The third floor of the Gaksu Pavilion was like a maze for those who were unqualified.
Confident they could finish quietly on the second floor, Yi-Han hade today.
"Eyes, pierce through the darkness."
The first-floor corridor of the Gaksu Pavilion, shrouded in darkness, turned green, revealing its hidden aspects to Yi-Han.
"..."
The student from the White Tiger did not ask Yi-Han when, where, or how he learned the spell to see in the dark.
After all, Wardanaz could have done that. He was someone who, even before admission, knew every evil secret there was!
"Wait. But where exactly is the potion you guys are looking for?"
Yi-Han stopped and asked.
He realized he needed to consider the movements of the White Tiger and ck Tortoise students.
"Somewhere on the first floor... that''s what we heard."
"Probably somewhere on the first floor..."
"..."
Yi-Han and Ratford looked at them with simultaneous disdain.
Coming here with such carefree preparations.
"Well, if your information wascking, it couldn''t be helped."
''Did they just look at us like we''re fools?''
"Then search the first floor. We will head to the second floor."
"Alright. We''ll do that."
Yi-Han and his friends nodded and distanced themselves from the newly entered students.
Ascending the staircase, they were greeted by a vast botanical garden, familiar in shape.
Without a crazed bull running amok, the nighttime garden was much quieter and more peaceful.
"It''s actually more unsettling that nothing is happening..."
"Don''t jinx it with such ominous talk," Yi-Han warned Nillia.
This quiet and peaceful ending was, in fact, how things were supposed to be.
"There''s the flower bed."
The students rushed towards it, carefully extracting the thistle flowers.
Yi-Han looked around, preparing for any unforeseen situations.
''No Professor Uregor, no Professor Willow. Seems like there won''t be any trouble.''
"All done? Let''s get out of here!"
Yi-Han and his friends clenched their fists, quietly swallowing their joy.
The perfection of their task was almostplete, a stark contrast to their initial tension.
Ratford nodded as if he knew it all along.
The thrill of a perfect theft was something only those who have experienced it could understand.
From novice thieves to progressively skilled ones, the pride Ratford felt watching his friends was immense.
Bang!
"..."
However, their joy vanished as soon as they descended to the first floor.
With a deafening roar, chaos erupted along the corridor on both sides.
''Have they lost their minds?''
"These... these amateurs!" Ratford stuttered, overwhelmed. Yi-Han quickly moved to assess the situation.
"What are you doing? Snap out of it, everyone!"
Despite Yi-Han''s shouts, the students didn''t listen.
They staggered around as if heavily drunk, throwing chairs from the lecture rooms.
Crash!
"Did they drink something they shouldn''t have??"
"They can''t be that foolish!"
Regardless of their amateur status in thievery, it was unlikely that the other tower students would carelessly drink just anything.
Yi-Han sensed a sweet fragrance wafting from inside an open ssroom.
It was not an ordinary scent; it carried the essence of magic.
In that moment, a realization struck Yi-Han like lightning.
"Everyone, stop breathing!"
"!"
Upon reflection, it was odd that potions like those that improved dancing or musical skills were conveniently avable.
Especially on the first floor of the Gaksu Pavilion!
''Perhaps Professor Uregor had conspired with another professor to set a trap!''
It sounded imusible, but Yi-Han''s intuition signaled a high probability.
Such a scheme was entirely possible in this magic academy.
Yonaire, upon hearing the exnation, whispered in confusion.
"But... there was no trap with the thistle flowers, was there?"
"...Maybe Professor Uregor forgot..."
Yi-Han spoke in an unconfident voice.
In truth, even Yi-Han found this most puzzling.
Why set traps for potions needed in other lectures but not for his own?
Could it be that they were meant to be taken?
The real answer was that no one would think of resorting to theft under such time constraints, but Yi-Han was unaware of this.
"Got it, Wardanaz. Let''s get out anyway."
Nillia spoke urgently.
Whether it was a trap or a mistake by other tower students, one thing was clear.
Staying here any longer was not a good idea.
If they kept causing such amotion, anything could happen...
"No, we have to take them with us."
"Why, Wardanaz?" Asan asked in surprise, then pped his palm, as if understanding.
"I asked a foolish question. Honor..."
"We can''t leave them; they''ll me us."
Yi-Han ignored Asan''sment as if he hadn''t heard it.
"We need to quiet them down first."
"How are you nning to do that?"
Yonaire was puzzled.
The students were undoubtedly affected by the scent of madness or riot. They were frolicking wildly, as if drunk.
In such a state, no words would reach them...
Thump! Thump-thump! Thump-thump-thump!
"It''s done."
"..."
"But... how do you n to get them out?" Ratford asked, his face filled with worry.
Professional thieves usually abandon theirrades if they fall into a trap.
In a situation like this, even Yi-Han was at risk of getting hurt if he tried to save them.
"We''ll have to try our best. Give me a moment."
Yi-Han tied himself with a rope, preparing to hold his breath as long as possible.
"If I seem to be in a bad state, I''ll knock myself out. Pull me out by the rope."
"Yi-Han. Here''s a potion for dispelling curses. I''m not sure how effective it will be, but..."
Yonaire pulled a potion from his pocket and handed it to Yi-Han, who nodded in gratitude and drank it.
"Alright. Going in."
Yi-Han held his breath and opened the ssroom door.
He stepped inside.
"!"
At a nce, he understood what had happened.
Magic-infused smoke continuously flowed from a magic circle set up in the middle of the ssroom.
''It was indeed a trap.''
Yi-Han walked slowly towards it, exerting force to disrupt the magic circle. Fortunately, it was easily destroyed.
''The smoke has stopped!''
Now, just to ventte and get them out...
At that moment, a magic reaction urred near the wall. A hidden magic circle revealed itself.
Yi-Han cursed Professor Uregor.
''Such madness...!''
Blue smoke enveloped Yi-Han. Even holding his breath, the pernicious smoke seeped through his body.
Yi-Han grasped his staff, ready to knock himself out if he felt anything amiss.
"...?"
But there was no change.
Yi-Han looked around. On a whim, he inhaled some of the remaining original smoke.
Still, there was no change.
Was something supposed to change inside him but ended abruptly?
"..."
With a wry expression, Yi-Han dragged out each student one by one.
It was fortunate, but...
...why did it feel so anticlimactic?
"The antidote potion worked!"
Asan, who had been watching from behind, lit up.
"We should help. Maykin! Please!"
"Wait, it''s not yet certain..."
Asan took a sip of the potion and then rushed into the ssroom where Yi-Han was.
His eyes soon began to spin wildly.
"...Sorry, Asan."
Yi-Han knocked Asan out.
Thud!
Yi-Han and his friends had just managed to toss thest student into the bushes.
They were all drenched in sweat, but somehow, they felt a sense of aplishment.
"...Everyone did great."
"Yeah. Really..."
''Would it sound too bad to rummage through the friends'' pockets for a reward?''
"These kids made us waste so much time. Can''t we rummage through their pockets for somepensation?"
At Yi-Han''s words, Ratford looked at him with a gaze of admiration.
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Chapter 184
Chapter 184
Chapter 184
Yi-Han had not received hispensation.
As he extended his arm to search, thetter had awakened.
...Hah!
What in the world happened?
...
Yi-Han and Ratford red at the other tower students with dissatisfaction.
If they were going to wake up, they should have done so back in the hallway. After all the trouble of carrying them out...
These kids werent pretending to sleep, were they?
Thank you, Wardanaz.
The ck Tortoise student, having regained consciousness, quickly assessed the situation and expressed his gratitude.
Hisst memory was of entering the ssroom and inhaling the smoke emanating from an ominous magic circle.
His memory after that point was nk, clearly indicating that Wardanaz and his friends had saved them.
Thud-
The ck Tortoise student shook the hand Yi-Han extended, much to Yi-Han''s bemusement.
It had been a hand intended for rifling through pockets.
Thank you, Wardanaz.
We never expected you to save us.
One by one, the White Tiger students also awakened.
And they, too, expressed their gratitude in the same manner.
To think you would carry us out like this...
We never imagined. We are sincerely grateful.
The students, now on their feet, politely expressed their thanks and departed.
Yi-Han watched their retreating figures with irritation.
Shall we knock them out again?
Swayed by Ratford''s whisper, Yi-Han wavered slightly.
What a curious affair...
Professor Uregor puzzled over the situation, his head tilting in bewilderment.
It wasnt due to a hangover. A hangover after heavy drinking was normal. It would be strange if there wasn''t one!
Having chased away the hangover with a potion, Professor Uregor sank back into contemtion.
How did no one get caught?
At the request of other professors, Uregor had arranged several potions in the first-floor ssroom of the tower.
Teasing the students, no, aiding their growth was a cooperative task, even for other professors.
Considering the effects of the magic circle, the students should have been causing chaos in the ssroom until morning.
But astonishingly, the ssroom was empty.
There hadnt been ack of intruders. The flying chairs and damaged magic circle confirmed an intrusion.
But how?
Did they realize and strategize? No... If they had realized, they wouldnt have activated the magic circle.
Uregor was more curious than angry.
What exactly had happened?
Good morning, Professor.
Students began to appear one by one to submit their alchemy assignments on a Friday morning.
Yes, good morning.
Each student submitted their potion and left.
Their sullen and contemtive expressions pleased Professor Uregor.
Their faces clearly showed the struggles of gathering ingredients all night.
Good morning, Professor.
Yes, Wardanaz.
Upon seeing Yi-Han, Professor Uregor suddenly felt suspicious.
...No, it cant be.
He doubted the boy from the Wardanaz family was responsible, but then remembered Yi-Han hadnt attended those sses.
Having no connection to the sses, it must have been a mere coincidence.
I''ll leave this here.
Do so.
Yi-Han respectfully submitted his potion and turned away.
Even after he left, Professor Uregor remained deep in thought.
Hmm. Truly mysterious.
Uregor stood and began examining the potions submitted by the students.
He could feel the desperate struggles of the students in their concoctions, created amidst ack of ingredients.
Did he substitute thistle for dandelion? The idea is novel, but it hardly seems suitable. This one is... rather foolish. Did he proceed without the right ingredients? Bold, but the effect is greatly diminished. This potion is aplete surrender, mixing it with another potion of simr color.
Professor Uregor halted in his inspection.
Surprisingly, a near-perfect potiony before him.
?!
Startled, Professor Uregor leaned in closer to examine the potion. Yet, even upon closer inspection, its efficacy was impable.
How??
How did he acquire thistle flowers? Did he know the location of another flower bed?
If that was the case, then the student was incredibly lucky.
Tsk-ing in amazement, Professor Uregor looked to see the name of this fortunate student.
-Yi-Han Wardanaz-
...
Professor Uregor squinted his eyes.
Something nagged at his brain.
Its not just one, is it??
Looking around, he realized that not just one or two students had managed to get thistle flowers.
Professor Uregor couldn''t believe it.
Could it be...
Really?!?
Its over!!!
Friday evening.
The freshmen of the Blue Dragon were cheering and whistling in the lounge.
Some students popped open bottles of saved drinks, spraying them liberally.
Whether they had done well or poorly, now that the midterms were over, all students felt a sense of liberation.
Its over! Its finally over!
Anyone for a game of cards?
Curse the professors!
A game of cards, anyone?
Wardanaz! What is all this?
You all did great on the exams.
Yi-Han greeted his friends with a kind smile.
Luxurious items, saved for the asion, filled the table.
Bottles of cold fruit juice and various desserts crammed the space.
Crispy creme brulee topped with strawberries, cream cake, cold peach cream soda, and ice cream. Pudding made by mixing grapes, cream, and milk, solidified - a feast of desserts not usually avable in Einroguard.
The students of the Blue Dragon were almost moved to tears.
Wardanaz...!
You are... truly...!
Even if Yi-Han had saved the empire, they might not have been this touched.
Yi-Han thought to himself.
It pricks my conscience that they enjoy it this much.
In fact, such luxury-focused provisions were more profitable for Yi-Han.
Already reaping enough benefits, he felt uneasy about exploiting more.
The benefit of making a generous meal using fresh ingredients avable from the garden or other ces and seasonings and spices purchased from outside was not that great.
...No. I mustnt waver.
Yi-Han steadied his wavering heart.
Such special treats should be rare. Filling the pantry with such items and nning meals around them would quickly deplete resources, leaving the students starving.
It wasnt good for Yi-Han in the long run!
Don''t rush, line up. Theres enough for everyone.
Although the Blue Dragon was usually orderlypared to other towers, this time there was a scramble to be first in line.
Yi-Han, with the help of Yonaire, managed to organize his friends into a line.
Alright. Form a line...
Im first!
What are you doing here, you couldnt even pass the test!
...Line up, I said.
Ah. Yes.
Sorry, Mr. Wardanaz.
Despite minor frictions, the friends understood each other.
Yi-Han nodded in understanding as he watched the followers of the princess line up to receive their share.
You want to bring it to the princess?
Aha!
...Surely you hadnt forgotten?
Confronted with Yi-Han''s question, his followers awkwardly averted their gaze.
Bring it to her, and thene back to get your share.
The followers nced at the ss bottle of melon juice, then at the appetizingly sliced cake, and finally up the staircase.
The princess might not like these things...
...
Yi-Han was astounded.
Loyalty defeated by delicious desserts?
She usually eats lightly; maybe she was just indulging us...?
Yeah, thats right.
I dont think so.
Despite Yi-Han''sment, his followers pretended not to hear. The allure of the desserts was too strong.
...Fine, Ill call her down.
Typical Wardanaz!
Stop it, it sounds like youre being sarcastic.
Yi-Han ascended the stairs and knocked on the princess''s private chamber.
The princess opened the door, a faint anticipation in her otherwise expressionless face.
However, that anticipation soon faded. Yi-Han''s hands were empty.
...!
The princess''s eyes shook more violently than when she had been suspected of secretly stealing sandwiches.
Everyone is having snacks downstairs,e join us.
The princess let out a slight sigh of relief, then nodded.
Following Yi-Han, who had descended first, the princess came down the stairs.
The followers were visibly surprised.
Are you sure this is okay? Its quite noisy here...
Wont it disturb your thoughts? Perhaps you should stay upstairs...
The princess sternly pped the back of a follower''s hand, causing him to fluster.
Wardanaz. What if the princess finds it too taxing?
She doesnt look troubled at all.
Exactly. Your loyalty is misguided.
Gainando grumbled while stuffing pudding into his mouth.
If only they showed a fraction of that respect...
Quiet, Gainando. What do you know about my loyalty?
Right. My loyalty is pure.
Irritated, Yi-Han waved them off.
Shes not children. Shell manage fine. Look, shes standing over there just fine.
Is... is that so? Is she really okay? But how did you convince her toe down? She doesnt usually like such ces, right?
Yi-Han wondered if his friends had ever really talked with the princess.
He was guilty of the same, of course...
I spoke sincerely. Now, next.
Yi-Han. After distributing the desserts, how about a game of cards?
You always lose, dont you?
Although it was meant to be considerate, it seemed to have bruised Gainando''s pride.
Trying to remain calm (though visibly shaking), Gainando said,
That... that was a test deck. Ive added new cards now... its stronger...!
Just because its expensive doesnt mean the deck is strong.
Gainando typically crammed his deck with high-magic-cost summoning cards.
In contrast, Yi-Han preferred low-magic cards that whittled away the opposing mage''s life, ending the game early.
Naturally, Yi-Han was bound to win.
Fine. Ill y a round with you...
Bang!
The door to the lounge burst open, and a Death Knight appeared.
The students were all shocked.
On a holiday? Isnt this too much!?
Can they do this? Really, can they do this?!
Despite the students'' outcry, the Death Knight had a reason for his appearance.
Students whose names I call, who have failed, move to the punishment room.
...
...
Yi-Han was shocked.
So the rumor about being sent to the punishment room for failing wasn''t false!
Though one might assume Einroguard was lenient due to its educational approach of letting mages study as they wished, it was by no means easy. Beingzy in attending lectures was not tolerated.
Gainando.
No! No!
Realizing he had to spend his precious weekend in the punishment room, Gainando attempted to flee.
Of course, he couldnt escape the Death Knight.
Yi-Han! Sneak in some food for me! You have to!
Several unfortunate students were dragged away by the Death Knight. Outside, a prison carriage, reminiscent of those used for criminals, awaited them.
Wardanaz.
?!
It was the other students who were more surprised than Yi-Han.
How could Wardanaz possibly fail?
Isnt there some mistake?
You should consider! Even an undead like you would fail at least one ss if you attended lectures!
Hes the top student of the Blue Dragon. Follow me.
...
His friends, somewhat resentfully, red at Yi-Han. Calmly, he said,
Its not my fault.
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Chapter 185
Chapter 185
Prominent offspring of the Royal Family.
The call of the Death Knight was not over yet.
Gainando, dragged outside the door, tilted his head in confusion and asked, "Me?"
"It''s the Blue Dragon Tower''s second-highest performer. Follow me."
It was obviously referring to the princess.
Gainando grumbled and turned his head, muttering, "This magic academy discriminates based on gender!"
"I hope I''m not being taken to the punishment room for doing well in the test."
"That''s unlikely," the Death Knight replied calmly.
"I hope it''s not as bad as the punishment room," Gainando added, but the Death Knight did not respond to this.
Yi-Han felt a sense of foreboding.
Walking towards the door, the princess, realizing something, looked at the queue in front of the desserts with a look of realization. Then, she whispered something to the Death Knight.
That cant be done. You need to move right away.
...
The princess red coldly at the Death Knight, but it, true to its undead nature, remained indifferent.
ng!
"Yi-Han! Are you there? Are you beside me?"
Gainando, in the front carriage, struggled to peer out, gripping the iron bars of the window.
"Yes."
"Can you defeat the Death Knight and save us?"
"That''s unlikely."
"Ugh...!"
Gainando and the other trapped students let out a despair-filled groan.
''Are they seriously thinking I can defeat the Death Knight and save them?'' Yi-Han was incredulous.
"Quiet. We''re moving to the next dormitory."
The two carriages, carrying the failing and excellent students, rattled across the academy grounds.
Tuk-tuk.
"?!"
The princess whispered something to Yi-Han in a hushed tone, her serious expression making him tense up.
''What? What did she realize?''
"...When is the next time...?"
"Are you talking about the dessert?"
The princess nodded.
''I had no ns for that.''
He found it bothersome and had already used up all the luxurious ingredients bought from outside.
"How can there be a next time if I don''t know when we''ll leave? I''ve used up all the ingredients."
The princess, shocked, red even more coldly at the Death Knight outside the carriage.
"Compensate for the snack! Give back the snack!"
Meanwhile, Gainando, having simr thoughts, banged on the iron bars and yelled loudly.
The Death Knight, with a look of utter annoyance, closed the carriage window.
"Why is it so noisy up front?"
"Who knows? I''m clueless."
The top student of the ck Tortoise (a member of the Tutanta family) and the second-highest performer (a student who had never spoken to Yi-Han) were puzzled as they entered the carriage.
Is the noise from the front carriage because they don''t want to be taken away?
Noticing the princess''s expression, the second-highest performer of the ck Tortoise asked Yi-Han in a low voice, audible only to him, "Is there something troubling Her Highness? She seems more cold than usual today."
"Hmph. Probably her pride," Salkomented disdainfully.
From Salko''s perspective, who didn''t like the students of the Blue Dragon, the princess, who had gathered followers from various towers since her admission, did not appear favorable.
It seemed like she was enjoying undue privileges because of her lineage.
"Tutanta, your voice is too loud."
"If she hears, so be it. She''s probably upset about being outperformed by Wardanaz."
"People can feel that way."
"It''s one thing to feel it, but to show it so openly in front of Wardanaz. These highborn kids are so self-centered..."
I, too, am from the Wardanaz family.
Yi-Han momentarily thought Salko had considered him a member of the same tower.
"It''s a misunderstanding, Salko."
"A misunderstanding?"
"Yes. It''s just annoyance from being dragged away while eating snacks. Wouldn''t anyone feel the same?"
"Wardanaz, I thought you were good at everything, but youck humor."
"Wardanaz, your jokes are too cold."
"Anyway, it doesn''t seem like you want to insult your friend, so let''s stop there. But think about it, Wardanaz. Friends are beings who walk alongside each other, not one standing unterally above the other..."
...
Yi-Han felt a surge of frustration.
''These guys, even if they tell the truth...''
Meanwhile, the top students and second-highest performers of other towers boarded the carriage.
"We have arrived. Excellent students, disembark."
"Where are we?"
The room for excellent students.
''A hidden tower?''
Near the main building, a dark and foreboding tower, previously unseen and likely magically concealed, came into view.
From the outside, it looked...
''Just like another punishment room.''
There''s no need to be nervous, excellent students.
The familiar voice of the skull principal tickled their ears.
Above the dark tower, the floating form of the skull principal appeared.
"Failing students go to the punishment room, but excellent students receive rewards. This ce is designed to reward excellent students."
"Is that true!?"
Ango spoke in a voice filled with joy.
Yi-Han and Jijel looked at him with disdain.
''Do you believe that?''
Of course! Surely, no student would doubt that?
"That''s unlikely, isn''t it?"
Indeed. Unlike the failing students, those gathered here are the best students of the tower.
With these words, a round sign hanging at the tower''s door started spinning.
"Go in and take your reward!"
"...Excuse me, but could you specify what reward we are to take?"
It''s not difficult.
The skull principal, in a surprisingly generous mood, exined.
"This tower is created to celebrate the excellent students who did well in the test. Enter, ovee the trials on each floor, and take your rewards! If you''re capable, you can keep climbing and collecting rewardsit''s essentially a tower of bountiful rewards."
Yi-Han and Jijel''s faces grew serious.
Just listening to the exnation sent shivers down their spines.
''It sounds like a tower of trials and pain.''
Considering the nature of the skull principal, it wouldn''t be surprising if the first floor was hellish.
What good are rewards if they can''t be attained?
"Thank you, Principal!"
Your happiness is my happiness.
Ango, still oblivious, continued to be overjoyed.
"Now, let''s start with the White Tiger Tower. Enter!"
"Why are we entering first?"
If you feel wronged, do better on the next test.
"Isn''t going in first a good thing?"
Ango was puzzled. Jijel closed her eyes as if bracing herself.
The spinning sign slowly stopped, revealing a sword emblem.
"The challenge of the sword!"
The tower''s door opened, swallowing the two students from the White Tiger Tower.
It was a brief moment, but thanks to the harsh training from Arlong, Yi-Han caught a glimpse inside.
There were dozens of golems armed with swords.
Yi-Han seriously contemted whether the punishment room might have been better.
The challenge chosen by Yi-Han and the princess was the potion emblem''s challenge.
I''m not sure if this is good luck or bad luck.
Yi-Han swallowed his anxiety and moved forward.
What was the wisest choice in the current situation?
''Forget about the second and third floors, just ovee the first floor and leave.''
Only a madman would think, ''I''ve conquered the first floor, what''s the reward for the second?'' and go up.
Realistically, even oveing the first floor was no easy feat.
The most important thing now was to escape the tower with as little injury as possible.
Yi-Han was even considering surrendering if it was an option.
-The challenge begins when one person consumes the poison. Create an antidote and revive your friend.-
"Dere forfeit? Surrender? Give up?"
The tower offered no response. Yi-Han sighed.
Looking ahead, he saw a cake on the table. It was obvious to anyone that it was poisoned.
Beside it were a cauldron, alchemical equipment, and ingredients.
The princess, holding her staff, aimed at the cake.
"Poison, reveal yourself."
Suddenly, multicolored smoke billowed from the cake. The princess''s eyes filled with surprise and dismay.
"Surely, not all of that is poison... right?"
The princess nodded. Yi-Han''s face turned pale.
Even with her magic, she couldn''t identify all the poisons inside, yet there were already so many kinds.
At this rate, wasn''t it less a poisoned cake and more a cake-shaped poison?
The princess indicated that the cake needed to be cut. Before opening it, there was a limit to identifying the poison.
However, the cake would not cut.
"...So it won''t open until eaten."
Yi-Han muttered with loathing.
The skull principal was indeed meticulous in such aspects.
''No choice then.''
Yi-Han steeled himself.
From his past experiences, his mana provided significant resistance against various poisons.
Of course, even he couldn''t remain unscathed after eating such a deadly poison cake, but he was sure to fare better than the princess.
"I will eat it. Start making the antidote immediately."
"!"
The princess''s cold eyes wavered. She was shocked and tried to dissuade him, shaking her head.
Of course, Yi-Han was not the type to highly regard the wishes of Gainando or any royal.
He immediately took a bite of the cake.
"!"
''No, this is absurdly delicious.''
For somethingced with poison, it was surprisingly sweet and tasty.
Rumble!
Upon taking a bite, the door in front opened and the writing changed.
-The challenge has begun, pass through the door without being poisoned.-
"Quickly!"
Yi-Han urged. There was no telling how much time they had left.
The princess hurried to the ingredients. In her haste, she almost stumbled and fell.
Proving why she was called a genius of the empire, the princess moved with efficient, wasteless motions.
She ced a piece of the cake on a board, broke down itsponents, and started throwing ingredients containing antidotal properties into the cauldron from the poisons she had identified first.
The cauldron bubbled as it brewed the potion. Several ingredients were added and the staff was waved, rapidly changing the potion''s color.
''I must concentrate...!''
An unprecedented pressure overwhelmed her.
When had the princess ever experienced alchemy with a friend''s life at stake? She bit her lip.
Crack!
The princess''s continuous potion-making halted abruptly.
It was an ominous sign.
Sure enough, her eyes began to waver. A previously unknown poison had appeared.
The princess, feeling desperate, randomly tried antidotal ingredients against the cake crumbs. None of them worked.
She turned to Yi-Han with a look of dismay.
"Mmm...!"
Yi-Han sat upright, his expression grave.
Wondering why the poisoning hadn''t started, Yi-Han took another bite of the cake and then, feeling the princess''s gaze, looked up.
"...Hmm. It seems I''m not getting poisoned."
The princess red at Yi-Han with a stern expression.
Despite the princess''s reproachful look, Yi-Han remained confident.
''I didn''t know I wouldn''t get poisoned even if I ate it.''
Yi-Han had not been merely watching the princess''s futile efforts for fun.
He had thought the poison would take some time to act.
He tried passing through, just in case, and to his surprise, the challenge was immediatelypleted.
-You have passed the challenge admirably, now receive your reward.-
-A noble mage would move forward, but fleeing backward like a cowardly coward is also your choice.-
"Let''s get the reward and leave right away."
The princess nodded in agreement.
After a short wait, a reward appeared in front of the students amidst smoke.
Poof!
It was a silver spoon. Yi-Han and the princess each held a silver spoon, looking perplexed.
''What''s this?''
The princess, as if understanding, lightly scraped the remaining cake with the spoon. Yi-Han, startled, pped her hand away.
"Don''t eat it!"
The princess was too bbergasted to respond properly.
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Chapter 186
Chapter 186
"Aha. Shes not Gainando after all."
Yi-Han realized toote and regretted his actions.
No matter how badly the princess wanted to eat the cake, she wouldn''t resort to eating a poisoned cake.
But his hand had already moved. Yi-Han knew the best course of action in such situations.
"Indeed. An artifact endowed with poison detection and antidote capabilities."
The silver spoon that touched the poison cake emitted smoke, just like when the detection magic was activated earlier.
Simultaneously, the smoke slowly changed color, a sign that the antidote was taking effect.
The princess blinked several times, recovering from her astonishment, and attempted to speak, her eyelids fluttering.
Whatever she was about to say, it wasn''t going to be pleasant.
"We must leave quickly. Let''s go!"
Yi-Han moved quickly, not giving the princess a chance to express her cold fury.
Caught off guard by Yi-Han''s abrupt departure, the princess''s reaction was dyed.
"What the..."
"Hurry!"
Ignoring her, Yi-Han rushed out hastily.
The princess looked after him with disbelief.
Outside the tower, their friends who had entered earlier were sitting in a disheveled state.
Ango was covered in dust and dirt, and his clothes were nearly in tatters as if he had been beaten up.
Salko looked as if he had been swimming, drenched from head to toe.
The rest of their friends were simrly in a mess.
Among them, Yi-Han and the princess, unscathed, stood out conspicuously.
...They chose the wrong challenge.
The skull principal muttered regretfully.
Thinking about it, that kind of poison wouldn''t have been effective on the boy from the Wardanaz family.
Lucky for him to have chosen such a thing!
"Wardanaz. What kind of challenge did you take that left you so unscathed?"
Ango asked with a mix of envy and jealousy. Yi-Han calmly replied.
"It only looks fine on the surface. The challenge I took was quite dangerous. It involved eating poison."
"!"
"!"
Hearing this, the expressions of his friends changed.
A challenge involving eating poison.
Suddenly, their own challenges seemed less daunting.
"That''s... I''m sorry, Wardanaz. I spoke out of turn."
Ango apologized sincerely. Yi-Han nodded as if to say it was alright.
"It''s understandable."
"..."
...
The princess and the skull principal looked at Yi-Han with astonishment.
Such shamelessness...!
How about taking up another challenge? You might be up to it.
"No, Principal. I''m merely honored by your high regard."
''This infuriating fellow.''
''I''m definitely not going.''
On a golden weekend afternoon.
The students of the Blue Dragon lounged in the recreation room, enjoying the rare peace.
Even the princess was there, conversing with her followers.
However, Yi-Han was busy packing a basket with rice balls, cakes, sweet pastries, and several bottles of drinks before standing up.
"Where are you off to? The library?"
Yonaire asked in surprise.
Considering he packed food, it seemed he was either going on an exploration or to the library.
It was strange to visit the library on such a day, but it was usible for Yi-Han.
"I''m feeding the prisoners."
"..."
Yonaire was at a loss for words.
To that extent...!?
"Do we really need to go to such lengths?"
"It allows us to charge more."
"Yi-Han... you seem too kind."
"Didn''t you hear what I just said?"
"Even considering that, you''re kind."
Yonaire''s words puzzled Yi-Han.
Why was this considered kind?
ng!
The punishment room exuded a chilling aura right from the entrance. Despite it still being spring, it felt like a different season inside, cold and unweing.
''I really don''t want to be here.''
It wasn''t just because it was a punishment room. There was definitely a magical reason for this sense of repulsion.
Otherwise, the ominous feeling wouldn''t have been so strong.
''Given the skull principal''s nature, he wouldn''t just let the students escape...''
Being caught in the punishment room meant innocence if one could escape, but that rule wasn''t for the students'' benefit.
It was for the principal''s amusement.
Yi-Han, who had wandered around deep in the punishment room trying to escape to the surfacest time, was aware of its considerable size.
Knock-knock.
"Is anyone there?"
Silence.
Knock-knock.
"Is anyone there?"
"...Grrrr. Grrrrrr. Grrrrrrrrrr."
"My apologies."
Yi-Han quickly moved to the next room.
After knocking on several doors in search of trapped students, he soon realized it wasn''t going to be easy.
''This is disappointing. They must be deeper inside.''
He knew the punishment room wasrge, but he had thought the failing freshmen would be closer to the entrance.
Apparently not.
''Too little information about the punishment room. Comparing it with thest escape... that''s impossible. Can''t call for Ferkuntra for a while either.''
Descending the stairs along the corridor, Yi-Han thought if he couldn''t find them this time, he''d have to consider other options.
Knock-knock.
"Is anyone there?"
"Who''s there?"
"!"
Surprisingly, a human voice answered from inside. It was definitely a student.
"Are you a student?"
"Hey. I don''t know what year you are, but if you don''t want to get cursed, stop messing around and get los... wait a minute."
Direth hesitated.
The voice outside sounded familiar.
Suddenly, Direth had a realization.
"!"
The freshman who came to the punishment roomst time, telling unbelievable stories in the next cell.
The freshman who visited Professor Mortum in the Darkness Chamber to learn dark magic.
The freshman who naively added sses during the midterm exams, unaware of his impending doom.
These three freshmen merged into one.
"...You! Is that you!? Is it you?!?"
''Is she insane?''
Yi-Han flinched.
Just like before, one couldn''t assume that everyone trapped in the punishment room was sane.
Perhaps it was a monster imitating a student...
"You''re the freshman from the Wardanaz family, right? The one who chose elemental magic, dark magic, summoning magic, illusion magic for the midterms, and got caught escaping through the underground passage in the first week!"
"!"
Now it was Yi-Han''s turn to be surprised.
The mages of the magic academy were indeed remarkable.
''Do the upperssmen gain the ability to see through others in the punishment room?''
"How did you...?"
"How did I what? I was in the cell next to youst time, and I helped Professor Mortum during the midterms, so I know."
"Ah...! Was it that person?"
Yi-Han recalled the senior from the next cell in the punishment room, a face still unknown to him.
A person who was kind in many ways.
She had informed about the existence of the spire stable (though she had been bribed with snacks), advised to attend lectures moderately (though it went unheeded), and even suggested to treat others casually...
And it was that same person.
"Wait a minute. Have you been trapped here since that time?"
"Are you crazy? Of course, I got out and then came back in."
An awkward silence ensued.
For a moment, Yi-Han wondered, ''What exactly does this senior do to always end up in the punishment room?''
And Direth seemed to have read his thoughts.
"Junior. Are you thinking about what I do to always be in the punishment room?"
"Of course not, senior."
"Why the sudden formality?"
"In fact, I ce great importance on manners."
''That doesn''t seem likely.''
Considering how the junior had brought food into the punishment roomst time, it was highly likely that he was from the ck Tortoise Tower.
''...Wait. The Wardanaz family but from the ck Tortoise Tower?''
Direth tilted her head, puzzled.
Something didn''t add up.
"Right. If you''re learning dark magic, it''s fine to address me formally. And you owe me, junior."
"Thank you for the stable."
"Not that! During the midterms!"
"?"
Direth felt unfairly treated when Yi-Han didn''t recognize the senior''s sacrifice.
Of course, it was the skull principal''s fault, but human feelings weren''t so easilypartmentalized.
"Wait a minute. Now that I think about it, junior, didn''t I warn you when you were in the punishment roomst time?!"
Direth''s sense of injustice grew manifold as she remembered.
-With your abilities, several professors will covet you, so it''s best to be cautious.-
Hadn''t she warned him beforehand in the punishment room?
If this junior had heeded her warning, Direth wouldn''t have been dragged back to the punishment room.
"Ah... that warning. Of course, I''m taking it to heart."
"You''re taking it to heart and still doing this?!"
Direth was even more baffled.
If that was taking it to heart, what was ignoring? Enrolling for all the courses?
"No, senior. I appreciate your concern, but I''ve made my calctions and am attending logically."
"...Tell me about these logical calctions. Let''s hear it."
Yi-Han calmly exined his choice of fields to his senior.
Firstly, he chose dark magic because it suited him, summoning magic for its utility, illusion magic out of necessity, and he had pondered over enchantment magic but went ahead as it fit his aptitude and Professor Garcia had rmended it...
"Wait, junior. Enchantment magic?? Didn''t you start that after the midterms?"
"Ah. I happened to meet the professor earlier."
"Oh... So you''re not worried about overworking yourself?"
"Don''t worry. I have everything under control."
Despite Direth''s skepticism, Yi-Han responded with confidence.
However, to Direth, Yi-Han seemed to be walking the same path as Professor Garcia.
The path of Asura, taking all magic fields from freshman year!
Normally, a rational freshman would think, ''Can I really learn all this? No, it''s too much,'' and pull the brakes, even if a field matched their aptitude or was useful.
But the junior in front of him was like, ''Can I really learn all this? Well, it suits me and is useful, so why not try this too?''
"Junior. Be really careful. Really, really careful. Really, really, really. Got it?"
"Thank you for your concern, senior."
''This kid won''t listen to me.''
Direth had an inexplicable premonition.
"Senior, I''ve brought some food. Would you like some?"
"What? Food? ...Are you really from the Wardanaz family?"
Direth was astounded by the sophistication of a first-year student bringing food to the punishment room.
What surprised her even more was the quality of the food.
It wasn''t the usual hard ck bread or the cold, hardened rice balls typically eaten by freshmen.
Instead, there were freshly made rice balls, soft red bean cakes, and crispy sweet pastries.
How on earth...?
''Ah, I ended up giving away the food meant for Gainando.''
Yi-Han decided to make an excuse that the skull principal had taken it.
"...I don''t know about others, but the third-year students would certainly appreciate you."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I''ve seen many juniors, but none quite like you."
Direth took a bite of the cake, hesitating before speaking.
It felt wrong to just let him go after enjoying such a generous and tasty meal.
She might risk extending her punishment period, but she couldn''t keep silent.
"Junior, the midterms are over."
"Yes."
"Be careful."
"I''m always cautious."
"...Good. That''s a very good attitude. But what I mean is, be extra careful. After midterms, the academy usually goes crazy."
''Can it get any crazier than this?''
The next day.
Yi-Han got out of bed and opened the window of his personal room.
''Why is it so cold?''
Snow had piled up, covering half of the first floor of the tower in a white nket.
Yi-Han nodded calmly.
"Ah. It can get crazier."
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Chapter 187
Chapter 187
After finishing his soliloquy, Yi-Han realized that his fingertips were trembling ever so slightly.
He had tried to remain calm, but the shock was apparently greater than he had thought.
''Isn''t this a bit too much, even considering everything?''
Direth, munching on red bean cakes, had said that:
- While underssmen''s midterms usually pass without much impact on the academy, the upperssmens exams are a different story, often causing significant inconvenience.-
The younger students, still inexperienced in magic, could make mistakes or cause idents during exams without serious repercussions.
But it was different for the seniors.
A mistake in their more powerful magic could have serious consequences, affecting the entire academy.
-Is this how seniors should act toward their juniors?-
-If you feel it''s unfair, do the same when you''re a senior. And this isn''t something we do because we want to. It''s just that when multiple idents ovep, unpredictable things happen.-
Sometimes, the ovepping of summoning spells had strengthened the connection to the realm of fire spirits, resulting in the academy being covered inva.
Other times, the disturbance in mana flow had caused strange phenomena where spells would produce entirely different effects than intended.
-I understand you''re upset, junior. But think about revengeter and be careful.-
-Understood. I''ll stock up on as much supplies as possible and gather artifacts to prepare for any situation. I''ll also inform the friends at the tower to prevent any damage-
-Well, that''s more professional preparation than I meant, but it''s not bad.-
After finishing his conversation with Direth, Yi-Han returned to the tower (apologizing to Gainando) and began various preparations with his friends.
They visited the ck Tortoises ck market to find useful artifacts, organized the stored supplies, and prioritized harvesting anything edible from the garden...
Despite all these efforts, Yi-Han couldn''t help feeling uneasy.
''This week is going to be tough.''
It''s the worst Sunday ever.
Isn''t this bread more like a bludgeon?
The friends who received the bread and rice in the morning were dumbfounded.
It had already hardened due to the cold.
Have you seen outside? Back at the mansion, we used to have snowball fights in this weather...
Now''s not the time for that. If we don''t clear the snow, we won''t be able to get out the door.
Why aren''t the professors solving this?
Well, it''s something the students caused, so they expect the students to fix it.
Wardanaz!
The students in the lounge, holding what looked more like ck bludgeons than bread, brightened up at Yi-Han''s arrival, hoping he would resolve the situation.
Unfortunately, this blizzard mightst for a while. We won''t be able to get anything from the garden for some time. We need to be on a saving diet.
...!
Don''t worry. Wardanaz. We''re students of Einrogard. We won''t whine just because we''re a bit hungry.
Right, Wardanaz!
Yi-Han was slightly worried by his friends'' excessive confidence.
''These guys have quite the appetite.''
While other towers might have been used to hunger, the Blue Dragon, thanks to Yi-Han, had be quite picky eaters.
Will they be alright?
Today''s meal is canned beans.
...Can''t we open some other cans? Do we have to eat only beans?
No. We need to save.
The students of the Blue Dragon looked gloomy at the thought of eating hard bread with canned beans.
But fortunately, Yi-Han was not so harsh as to merely open a can of beans and serve it.
Yi-Han, having gathered onions, garlic, and mushrooms from the garden the previous day, sauted them in a pan with beans and oil.
Then he opened another can of beans, added tomatoes, onions, and garlic, and cooked them generously, seasoning with salt and pepper.
The expressions of the students of the Blue Dragon brightened slightly. Even the usually expressionless princess showed a faint sign of admiration.
During breakfast time, even as the blizzard started anew outside, the meal was delicious.
"Wardanaz. It seems we all need to work together."
"Right. You need to give the orders."
Yi-Han pondered upon his friends'' words.
They were right. Given the enormity of the situation, it was difficult to respond without joining forces.
What was the first thing they needed to do?
"We have to clear the snow in front of the tower first. If we don''t, we won''t be able to attend sses."
"Do you think the professors will take this into ount?"
"Of course not."
"Definitely not."
Friends shook their heads and frowned at someone''s wishful thinking.
"And aren''t all our coats light spring ones? We''ll freeze to death if we go out."
Yi-Han''s words made his friends'' faces turn serious.
They hadn''t anticipated such cold weather due to the spring...
"I prepared thick winter fabrics for times like these. I didn''t expect we''d have to use them so soon... Let''s make coats after we eat."
"???"
"?????"
His friends nodded and then paused, puzzled.
...Why had he prepared for that?
"Wardanaz. Did you know something like this would happen?"
"No."
"Then how...?"
"I thought the heavy fabrics mighte in handy."
"Typical Wardanaz. Can''t overlook even a 1% chance."
Asan spoke with admiration, though some students were still confused, wondering if such extensive preparation was really necessary.
"Let''s make as many winter clothes as we can. There must be some useful artifacts among them."
One advantage of a magic academy was that imperfect artifacts were asmon as pebbles on a road.
"Thisntern containing frost mist won''t be much use in this situation, will it?"
"Put it aside for now."
After finishing their meal, the students started searching for useful artifacts and took out the heavy fabrics.
Yi-Han then put on a ring, a bracelet, and a ne.
With a clicking sound, the me-absorbing essories emitted their power.
"Open the door and stand back."
"Wardanaz. I trust you..."
"Asan, move before you get hit."
"Alright, alright."
Asan grumbled and stepped back.
He said he trusted him, but why!
''I didn''t want to y with fire near the tower, but no choice now.''
Opening the door to the tower connected to the lounge, Yi-Han was greeted by a storm of cold and a mountain of snow.
It was impossible to get to the sses the next day through this. They had to clear it now.
''Melt it!''
"ze!"
With themand, mes surged forth.
Yi-Han was surprised.
''What''s this?''
Controlling the mes was overwhelmingly easier than usual.
If normal fire magic felt like wrestling a wild horse, the fire now was like a well-trained steed.
''My skills couldn''t have improved so much in this time. It must be the environment.''
The advantage of the harsh, blizzard conditions was apparent.
The natural magic in the environment was influenced by the surroundings, so in these conditions, the power of fire magic was inevitably diminished.
For a mage like Yi-Han, who had to wear various seals and still worry about causing idents just to cast a fire spell, it was a relieving change.
With a whooshing sound, mes danced in the air as Yi-Han began to melt the snow around him.
"It seems that this snowfall isn''t entirely a bad thing," he mused.
"What nonsense are you spouting, Wardanaz?" came a voice in response.
"Don''t make such cold jokes. It''s already freezing enough," another added.
Silence followed, and Yi-Han closed his mouth.
Was it such a wrong thing to say?
"Wardanaz, don''t you think you should take a break?" he asked.
"I''m still fine," Wardanaz replied.
"Wardanaz, I really think you should rest."
"I''m fine. Let''s keep going a bit longer."
"Wardanaz..."
"I said I''m fine, didn''t I?"
"No, I mean... the snow has all melted."
"Ah, I see."
Yi-Han lifted his head, noticing that a path had been cleared thanks to that morning''s work. Turning around, he saw his friends looking at him with eyes wide in astonishment.
''Is it because of the blizzard?''
"I''ll go check on Professor Uregor''s cabin. Need to gather what''s left in the garden," he announced.
"Yi-Han! Take these potions with you!" Yonaire called out from the firece in the lounge, where she and others were brewing potions.
Inside the pot, a potion for cold resistance bubbled vigorously. Asan picked up a bottle and took a sip.
"Wow, this really warms you up, doesn''t it?"
"That''s the alcohol we used as an ingredient, Dargard. The cold resistance potion isn''t ready yet."
Professor Uregor had cleared the snow near his cabin with magic and was leisurely sipping coffee inside. The heavy snowfall brought a tranquil and cozy atmosphere.
''Not bad at all,'' he thought. This situation was preferable to dealing with grotesque monsters from the Shadow Dimension.
Bang!
"Professor! Could you spare some leftover food?"
Startled, Professor Uregor almost spilled his coffee.
"How did you get here through all this snow?!"
"I melted it with fire."
"That''s a brute force approach... but I suppose it''s possible."
Realizing who stood before him, the Professor nodded. The student''s mana seemed boundless.
"It''s impressive that you thought to create a path with fire magic in this weather. Fire magic doesn''t usually work well in these conditions."
"Actually, it worked better than expected."
The Professor understood only after an exnation.
''Such a monster...!'' Despite understanding, he was still amazed. How enormous must one''s mana be to make fire magic more effective in such weather, even while wearing multiple control artifacts?
"Wait here. I''ll get you some food."
Even for a student of monstrous talent, the sight of him braving the blizzard for leftover ingredients was somewhat touching for the Professor.
He gathered vegetables, eggs, smoked and pickled sausages, ham, and cheese for him.
"Is the garden unusable?"
"Have some conscience, look at the snow piled on it..."
"Even with the Staff of the Tree Spirit?"
"Even if it was the Staff of the Tree Spirit''s Ancestor, some things just can''t be done..."
Professor Uregor was dumbfounded by his student''s shameless suggestions. Even a life-giving staff couldn''t make vegetables grow through such a snowstorm those would be nt-like monsters, not vegetables.
"Stopining and look on the bright side."
"What are you talking about, Professor? It''s cold enough already without your icy jokes."
Forgetting the remarks he had made to his friends earlier, Yi-Han turned serious.
Professor Uregor, initially intending to scold his student, remembered Yi-Han''s exceptional skills in swordsmanship andbat. With a merciful forgiveness, he began to exin.
"Life will certainly be a bit inconvenient."
"Very inconvenient, I suppose."
"...Yes, very inconvenient. But it''ll be an opportunity to practice magic I haven''t been able to handle before."
"Hmm. For instance, Blood Magic seemed risky because of its potential harm to the surroundings, but with the snow piled up like this, it might act as a buffer."
"Why are you bringing up Blood Magic?! I was talking about the elements of ice and spirits!"
Startled by his student''s bizarre remark, Professor Uregor was taken aback.
"Ah, that makes sense."
"Yes. When nature''s magic leans in one direction, the distance to the unseen other worlds shortens. It wouldn''t be strange for ice spirits to wander out from their realm. Not to mention the ice element."
This peculiar weather provided an opportunity to practice difficult elements rarely encountered otherwise. Ice was one such element.
"You''re quite adept with the water element, so you''ll likely be well-suited to ice as well."
"Is that so?"
Yi-Han''s face lit up with excitement. Mastering something new was always a pleasure.
"Yes. Summon some water now. You''ll understand what I mean immediately."
The abundance of ice magic in nature influenced a mage''s spells. Summoning water now would surely...
"Spring forth!"
The water surged as usual, not freezing or diminishing, to which Professor Uregor inwardly cursed. Talented students like this made teaching challenging.
"Now, regarding how ice and water properties are rted..."
"Are we not using the water I just summoned?"
"...Just listen quietly."
"Yes, I understand."
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Chapter 188
Chapter 188
Yi-Han wondered why he had to summon a mass of water, but he listened quietly.
Given it was a directive from Professor Uregor, there surely had to be some reasoning behind it.
"Typically, a mage who ispatible with the water element is likely to bepatible with the cold element as well. However, if you ask whether it''s easy to practice with the cold element regrly, the answer is no."
Among the elements, some were rtively easier to handle, while others were more difficult.
Elements like fire, water, or earth were generally easier to handle (though some mages struggled with fire), while elements like lightning, darkness, or cold were more challenging.
"Lightning is hard to control, darkness is difficult to manifest, and cold is tricky to maintain," said Professor Uregor, conjuring snowkes out of thin air.
The snowke, born inside the warm cabin, quickly transformed into a droplet.
"Unlike water or earth, the cold element requires constant focus from the mage to maintain its power. Otherwise, it tends to lose its strength and dissipate."
"Indeed. Just like how summoning and sustaining dozens of water beads in the air is difficult, the cold element is simrly challenging..."
"...Well, not quite to that extent."
Professor Uregor was startled by hisparison.
While the cold element was indeed challenging, it wasn''t to that extreme.
"But in an environment like this, maintaining the cold element is much easier. Don''t you think it''s an ideal setting for novice mages to train and hone their senses?"
"That''s a valid point," Yi-Han agreed, nodding before hesitating.
''Aha, for a moment, I thought it might actually be a stroke of good luck.''
It was a fleeting thought, but it momentarily filled him with a sense of dread.
This was certainly not luck!
"And as I mentioned earlier, with the Spirit Realm drawing closer, cold spirits would have been summoned all around... An opportunity to interact with them and receive various teachings and blessings."
"When I visited the Spirit Realm before, the spirits avoided me. Could such an environment possibly diminish their fear and increase their affinity toward us?"
"That''s unlikely."
Yi-Han''s face fell slightly.
So, it''s still not possible?
"Thank you for the advice, Professor."
"Of course. Take care. It probably won''tst too long."
"A day?"
"Longer than that."
"Two days?"
"I shouldn''t have said anything. Just think of it as indefinite."
Professor Uregor, exasperated by his persistent student, shook his head and pulled out a chest.
Inside were round ss bottles filled with a swaying brown liquid.
"This is a gift. It should help with the cold."
"A potion?"
"No. It''s brandy."
"...Well, thank you anyway."
Yi-Han took the chest and left the cabin, then tilted his head in thought.
''Wait a minute. So why did we create water in the first ce?''
Whooooosh-
"Light the fire!"
"We can''t. We''ve used up all the oil!"
"Push it away with force before it sets!"
"I''ll create a wall with earth!"
The students of the ck Tortoise struggled to clear the snow in front of the tower.
While the Blue Dragon had a madman clearing a path with fire magic, the other towers couldn''t resort to such methods.
Instead, the ck Tortoise students employed various ingenious methods to gradually remove the snow.
All sorts of tactics were being used.
"Ymirg, push with your strength! I''ll create a wall!"
"Wait. Someone''sing!"
"A professor?"
"It can''t be..."
The students of the ck Tortoise sensed it too.
A professor wouldn''te to help!
Of course, the one who hade was Yi-Han.
"Wardanaz! How did you manage to get through this blizzard...?"
"Wardanaz! How did you get here?"
The students of the ck Tortoise shouted loudly.
Due to the fierce blizzard, they had to shout with all their might to be heard.
Whooooosh!
"...I came to do it!"
"What?"
"I said I came to do it!"
"You came to help?"
"No! I came for a barter!"
Thud!
Yi-Han set down the chest.
It was filled with thick fabrics.
Having bought them like a madman, he had plenty left even after making various winter gear.
"Where did you get these from?!"
"There''s always a way. So... will you trade?"
"We''ll freeze if we talk here. Come this way! Let''s talk over here!"
Where there used to be a ck market in front of the tower, now stood several makeshift snow huts.
They were temporary shelters made by the students of the ck Tortoise for clearing the snow outside.
The students were surprised as they checked the fabrics Yi-Han had brought.
''Where on earth did he get these from?''
''How does Wardanaz, of all people, have better trading skills than someone from the Thieves Guild?''
"I want to trade. Wardanaz."
"Good. That''s why I''m here."
Yi-Han looked at his friends with a mixture of hope and anticipation.
"How much food do you have left?"
"..."
"..."
The students of the ck Tortoise hesitated, only looking at each other, until someone finally spoke.
"None."
"What nonsense? I thought you were consistently stocking up."
In reality, the Blue Dragon had avoided starvation so far because Yi-Han had been singrly importing supplies. Left alone, it was at a high risk of going hungry.
In contrast, many of the ck Tortoise students could fend for themselves, even if left in the woods.
While the Blue Dragon relied on purchases,
And the White Tiger on hunting,
The ck Tortoise utilized gathering, farming, trading, hunting all sorts of methods!
Even if theycked luxury goods like those in the Blue Dragon, didn''t they have more food?
"Our storage was blown away by the blizzard..."
"..."
Unlike Yi-Han, who could store small preserved foods, spices, and seasonings in the lounge, the students of the ck Tortoise heavily relied on external storage.
They couldn''t perform tasks like smoking or pickling inside the lounge.
Of course, such storages were vulnerable in situations like this.
"You should have been prepared for this."
''How could we have prepared for that...''
"Anyway, I understand."
Yi-Han picked up the chest again and stood up.
His journey here had been in vain, but there was nothing he could do.
"Wait! Hold on, Wardanaz!"
"Don''t go!"
The students of the ck Tortoise clung to Yi-Han''s coat.
Right now, they needed winter gear more than anyone.
"Why are you being so pathetic?"
Yi-Han''s words were colder than the blizzard outside.
"Can''t we do it on credit? When we go outside, I''ll pay with silver..."
"Hey, don''t be ridiculous. That won''t work. No matter how rich your family is, the other party is the Wardanaz family. Why would he ept such an offer?"
Another friend rebuked the student from the ck Tortoise who hadst spoken, the one who had been beside Salko previously.
Yi-Han paused.
"Which family are you from?"
"The Richmond family..."
Shyles from the Richmond family opened his mouth with an embarrassed expression.
The family had amassed wealth in the empire through the carriage transportation business, but the dignity of a family was determined not by the gold it possessed but by the history it had built.
In this regard, the Wardanaz family, a prominent noble house and a renowned family of mages in the empire, held a prestige that Shyles could hardlypare to.
''Oh, this kid.''
Yi-Han was incredulous.
If one''s family was wealthy, why not make it known instead of creating awkward situations by keeping it silent?
"A very distinguished family youe from."
"Are you joking now, Wardanaz?"
"Do I look like I''m joking?"
Yi-Han''s cold, statue-like face had an intimidating effect even when he remained silent.
Shyles was slightly flustered.
"I''ll give it to you on credit. Pay me back during the break."
"What? Really? Is that okay?"
"Of course. I can trust the Richmond family."
"Wardanaz..."
Shyles looked at Yi-Han with a moved expression.
Yi-Han, of the Wardanaz family, clearly wasn''t there to covet silver coins. He was surely considering Shyles''s feelings.
Such warm respect shown in front of his friends.
Was this the dignity only a great noble could possess?
"I''m really thankf..."
"Just sign here."
"Oh, okay."
Yi-Han handed over the chest.
Though he hadn''t secured food, selling the goods at a high price warmed his heart.
"Wardanaz is here?"
Nillia peeked her head out from outside the snow hut.
"Help me convince them!"
"Nillia... It''s too risky. It''s dangerous."
"No, it''s really not dangerous!"
"?
Nillia entered, exasperated, thumping her chest.
Adorned with various animal skins for warmth and makeshift snowshoes crafted from vines and twigs, Nillia radiated the aura of an expert.
"What persuasion are you talking about?"
"I''m trying to go hunting, but everyone is stopping me."
"Nillia... Even so, going hunting in this weather is..."
"It''s a good idea. Let''s go."
"See? Told you! Wardanaz agrees!"
"..."
The friends looked at Yi-Han with aghast eyes.
Why isn''t he stopping her!?
"Just sitting around won''t make food fall from the sky."
"That''s exactly what I''m saying, Wardanaz. People who aren''t hunters think meat falls from the sky! But Wardanaz, could you move the fire a bit?"
"Oh. Sorry."
Nillia moved back, feeling the heat. The mes Yi-Han had scattered around were too intense.
Yi-Han marveled at Nillia''s lightness as she moved effortlessly over the thick snow.
It was no wonder she was from the .
"Such a blizzard must be nothing for the , right?"
"No. It''s actually a big deal. It''s rare for it to be this severe."
"Indeed. But still, to make a path like this in such a challenging situation without other members..."
Yi-Han was impressed.
Nillia, a skilled hunter and ranger, was an excellent guide.
The snow-covered mountain had transformed into apletely different space, and one could easily lose track of their bearings.
However, Nillia unhesitatingly found and made her way.
Truly remarkable skill...
"No, it''s actually much easier."
Nillia looked at Yi-Han as if he was making no sense.
How could it be a challenging situation when they were walking with mes floating around, brightening their path and keeping them warm?
Had other hunters heard, they would have remarked, ''Wow, that makes hunting easy.''
"Anyway, I thought you, Wardanaz, would try to stop me."
"Ah. Of course, I would have preferred to go after the snow had lessened, but it couldn''t be helped."
"?"
"I have to attend sses starting tomorrow. Need to gather everything over the weekend."
"..."
Nillia flinched.
In fact, she had been thinking that since the midterms were over and a heavy snowfall was expected, it might be an excuse to skip a ss or two.
"sses... Even in such an emergency, isn''t it okay to miss one?"
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting, Nillia?"
"..."
Nillia turned her head away and pouted secretly.
That''s why he''s the top student!
Suddenly, Nillia''s long ears perked up.
"There''s something. It''s either a spirit or a monster..."
"Can you tell which?"
"Not easily."
Due to the blizzard shortening visibility and the rampant natural magic in such conditions, distinguishing between spirits and monsters was challenging.
Pop!
"Huh? Why is it running away?"
"...It''s a spirit."
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Chapter 189
Chapter 189
"How do you know that... Huh? It really is a spirit? How did you know?"
"If it runs away when it sees me, it''s usually a spirit."
"..."
"..."
An awkward silence lingered momentarily.
Nillia hesitated before speaking, "You don''t necessarily need a spirit to be a good mage! Besides, Wardanaz, you have many other friends!"
''Shes really not very talented atforting,'' thought Yi-Han, but he nodded in agreement, understanding that his friend was trying to offer sincerefort.
"Wardanaz,e here and let''s go forward, shall we?"
"Why?"
"There''s something over there. I want to see if it''s a spirit or not."
Yi-Han looked at Nillia with a feeling of hurt, but she, oblivious to his gaze, beckoned impatiently.
"Hurry up! We need to check!"
''Must be a hunter''s nature,'' Yi-Han grumbled to himself as he walked.
Generally, heavy snowfall was not conducive to hunting. However, experienced hunters could still track their prey under such conditions.
"That''s impressive," Yi-Han remarked, amazed as Nillia caught another rabbit.
"When the snow falls suddenly, the animals get startled and panic," she exined.
"Indeed... The way you ran on the snow earlier seemed unique. Can you show me again?"
Nillia, a former member of the , was proud of her origins and often liked to talk about the Patrol and hunting with her friends.
-"This bread is really terrible,"- someonemented.
-"Ah, but it''s better than the bread I had when I was stranded alone in the mountains, right? The bread I had back then was the worst, left by a hunter in a cave, full of mold and bugs..."-
-"Eww, Nillia...!"-
Of course, such attempts at conversation were not always sessful. However, Wardanaz''s respect and interest in her stories pleased Nillia.
"Wardanaz."
"What is it?"
"I really enjoy talking about the ... I''ll answer everything you asked... Let''s talkter!"
With a swift motion, Nillia urately took down a fleeing deer.
Wardanaz had just asked his 17th question about various hunting techniques like choosing and shooting arrows, tracking prey in the snow, and concealing one''s presence. Initially, Nillia was excited to exin, happy to satisfy her friend''s curiosity.
However, she had forgotten one thing: her friend was a zealot intent on attending every ss at the magic academy!
''Even so, there''s a limit!'' Nillia thought, feeling exhausted and her throat sore after the 17th question.
"Can''t you just answer this one?"
"No!"
Nillia, usually unable to refuse a friend''s request, was learning to say no, especially when dealing with Yi-Han.
"That should be enough," she said after the final hunt.
"Right?"
After disassembling thest of their prey, Nillia washed her hands in the snow.
Yi-Han melted the surrounding snow with fire and boiled it for drinking water.
''It''s good to get used to fire even a little,'' he thought.
Nillia, seeing this, borrowed some water with an embarrassed expression.
Magic sure is convenient!
Freshmening this far in such weather? It''s dangerous. Go back.
Startled, Yi-Han and Nillia turned around, only to find that there was nothing visible around them.
However, the voice continued to be heard. It was a gentle and kind voice.
"It doesn''t matter where I am. It''s dangerous. Go back."
''I don''t know who this is, but they must be among the top 5% in character at Einroguard,'' Yi-Han thought.
A being that tells students to go back because it''s dangerous is likely to be fundamentally friendly.
"We don''t know who you are, but we need food."
I don''t understand why Einroguard starves its young students... But still, it''s dangerous. Go back. This weather is artificially created and won''t settle down easily.
Encouraged by the other''s kind demeanor, Yi-Han became more proactive.
It was rare to encounter such a person at the magic academy. He had to take help when he could get it.
"Can you not reveal yourself? I would like to meet and talk."
It wouldn''t be good for you to see me.
The voice remained polite but warned.
"Why is that?"
My scent is too intoxicating for freshmen, it will make you drunk.
''What kind of species is this?''
From the warning, Yi-Han guessed that the other''s species was quite unique.
A species that can intoxicate others with just their scent...?
"But I will be fine."
"Wardanaz. Isn''t that too reckless?"
Nillia whispered, worried about the serious warning.
It seemed the other was not a weak opponent...
"It''s okay, Nillia."
"Really?"
"Yes. But you might be in danger, so it would be better if you stayed back a bit."
"..."
Nillia looked at Yi-Han with very worried eyes.
''Is it really okay?''
The Gandarva, with bird-like wings and legs, could easily be confused with the bird mixed-blood, but they were distinctly different.
The difference was that Gandarvas emitted a scent that could intoxicate humans.
The Gandarva was closer to a spirit mixed-blood than a bird mixed-blood.
The Gandarva who spoke to Yi-Han had been a guardian-like figure who had long settled in the underground caverns near the rockweed, ensuring no idents happened.
As such, they were understandably weary of the approaching mages.
''This is why I don''t like mages!''
The Gandarva shook off the heavy snow piled atop the entrance to the underground cave and revealed itself, enveloping Yi-Han in a strong scent.
No matter how resistant to alcohol, a less experienced mage couldn''t possibly endure...
"Pleased to meet you. My name is Yi-Han."
Yi-Han greeted politely, causing the Gandarva to be taken aback.
Not giving the Gandarva time to recover from the surprise, Yi-Han continued to ask.
"May I know your name?"
You can call me the master of the Rockgrass Cave.
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised.
The Rockgrass Cave...
-Rockgrass Underground Cave (Beware of the Cave Master)-
Wasn''t it one of the exits from Einroguard that Professor Bungaegor had mentioned?
''You seem veryposed?''
Honestly, the Gandarva seemed more approachable than the professor.
"Are you the master of the Rockgrass Cave?"
Do you know about the Rockgrass Cave?
Suddenly, the Gandarva''s face contorted, emitting a powerful aura.
Yi-Han, unfazed, responded calmly.
"I saw the name in the library."
You''re not trying to pass through the cave, are you?
"Me? What lies beyond the cave?"
Yi-Han feigned ignorance.
Nillia, listening from behind, was alsopletely fooled by his expressionless face.
If not, that''s fine. Don''t even think about the Rockgrass Cave.
"May I say something?"
What is it?
Mages are inherently curious beings, so simply telling them not to be interested in something might only pique their interest further. If you exin why they should not be interested, they will understand and not pay it any heed."
Upon hearing Yi-Han''s words, Gandarva fell into deep thought.
The freshman''s suggestion was more usible than expected.
That could be possible
"Yes."
The Rockgrass Cave is very dangerous.
"How exactly is it dangerous?"
"..."
Nillia looked at Yi-Han from behind with a bewildered expression.
Surely he''s not thinking of going in there?
Due to the collision of great magics, other realms have ovepped, creating unstable paths.
Nillia, having heard the same exnation as Yi-Han, couldn''tprehend it at all.
''What is he talking about?''
"Indeed... Then it wouldn''t be easy to tamper with. The mana must be intricately entwined, and with the ovepping of other realms..."
Exactly.
"..."
Nillia cast a betrayed look.
''Is this an area where there are serious magic idents?''
Mages are inherently prone to causing major idents.
The heavy snowfall in this area was also due to a magic ident.
It was clear that the Rockgrass Cave, located underground, was a site of such magic idents.
Because of the collision of great magics, the flow of mana was disrupted, and realms like the spirit world became intertwined...
Yi-Han finished his notes.
The guardian of the cave says not to enter, but other professorse and go when they are bored.
There must be a way to traverse it.
"Thank you for telling me. I won''t go near the Rockgrass Cave."
Thank you! You are truly different from other mages. You are bound to seed greatly.
Gandarva was pleased with Yi-Han''s understanding.
It had been worried about students who kept discovering this ce and poking their heads in, so it was really a relief.
Is there anything else I can help you with? Did you mention earlier that you were short on food?
"Yes. And..."
?
"We are also short on clothes. It''s so suddenly cold. Everyone is shivering in their scant clothes."
"?
Nillia was also puzzled.
You''re rich in fabrics, aren''t you...?
That''s true as well.
"We are also short on potions. We can''t gather ingredients because of the cold..."
Gandarva was genuinely saddened by Yi-Han''s words.
I''ll take care of it for you!
"...Weren''t you out hunting??"
Yi-Han''s friends were astonished by the cart he had brought back.
Even for a master hunter, it was impossible to hunt for well-packaged food, let alone potions or coats.
Yonaire, realizing something, whispered softly.
"Did you hunt the professor''s workshop?"
"...That''s a novel idea, but no."
Yi-Han and his friends sorted through the supplies he brought.
It seemed they would be able to get through this week somehow.
He was worried about what would happen if it dragged on...
''Let''s think about that when ites.''
Yi-Han was seriously considering asking the cave again.
The other party had been surprisingly kind.
''I should visit periodically.''
"Is everything ready?"
"Let''s set off! Everyone, keep your wits about you and follow!"
The students of the Blue Dragon, tightly d in coats and tied to each other with ropes, began to walk out into the snow under Yi-Han''smand.
Though their expressions were solemn, their destination was the main building of the magic academy.
It was time for Monday morning sses.
"Huff... Huff."
"Stay focused! You can''t fall!"
The students of the Blue Dragon managed to pull each other into the main building''s entrance, barely making it inside.
Although it was just as cold inside the main building, the absence of the blizzard and strong winds made it feel almost bearable.
"Everyone..."
Professor Garcia looked at the students seated in the lecture hall with a deeply sympathetic expression.
How did they end up in such an academy...
''Half of them haven''t evene?''
Yi-Han was surprised to see the number of students in the lecture hall.
These kids, how could they just skip ss...
"Professor Verduus, could you please make today''s enchantment magic lecture about cold resistance?"
Professor Garcia asked the beaver mixed-blood professor standing beside her.
It was supposed to be a lecture exining what enchantment magic was...
But seeing the students half-frozen, cold resistance seemed far more important.
"Why? Why should I do that?"
"Please."
"The freshmen are too foolish to learn it even if I teach them."
"But if you show them how, maybe one or two will keep trying and seed."
"No, they''re too foolish to do it."
"Just do it."
Professor Garcia crushed the corner of the lectern with the strength of her grip.
Professor Verduus was immediately convinced.
"I''ll do it! It must be done!"
''I really need to be careful about my behavior in front of Professor Garcia.''
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Chapter 190
Chapter 190
"Enchantment magic is really fascinating," remarked the beaver mixed-blood professor with a sense of amusement.
The students, still half-frozen from the cold, were slightly taken aback by his words. What was he implying?
"Now, the enchantment magic for countering coldness would be..."
"????"
"Professor? Is that all there is to know about enchantment magic?"
The students were further confused by Professor Beavle''s approach to dive straight into the main topic. Other professors who hade to teach new magic usually started with an introduction about the type of magic, its usage in the empire, and its potential future...
But Professor Beavle skipped all that, heading straight to the core of the lesson. Was this really eptable?
"Why? I''ve said everything," he retorted.
"But, what kind of magic is enchantment? How is it used in the empire, and how does it differ from other types of magic?"
A student from the White Tiger raised their hand and asked.
Professor Beavle kindly replied, "Find out for yourselves. Now, to counter the cold..."
...
The students were more interested in enchantment magic than expected, especially those from the White Tiger. Enchantment magic, whether used to enhance one''s body or equipment, was highly useful for knights.
Even students from other towers showed great interest, given the practical utility of enchantment magic.
''This professor seems a bit out of his mind.''
''Well, it''s not unusual for professors.''
''I can''t just not learn it... I came here to study enchantment magic.''
-Yi-Han, Yi-Han.-
Professor Garcia sent a telepathic message to Yi-Han.
"?"
-Yi-Han, I need your help.-
''Oh no...''
Yi-Han was flustered. He was just a freshman!
''Really, shouldn''t this be something a professor or a professor''s disciple does?''
Yet, Yi-Han nodded in agreement. He couldn''t help but notice the corner of the lectern recently demolished by Professor Garcia.
''Such a kind student.''
Unaware of Yi-Han''s fear, Professor Garcia was merely touched by his willingness to help.
How did such a kind student end up at Einroguard?
''Hmm. This won''t be easy.''
Yi-Han pondered upon receiving Professor Garcia''s request. A good professor would have just needed to answer the questions properly.
And, of course, Professor Beavle Verduus was undeniably insane.
Yi-Han devised a strategy.
"Professor, can enchantment magic be cast the same way on living and non-living entities?"
"What? No! Of course not," Professor Beavle reacted as if Yi-Han''s question was absurd.
"Why not?"
"Obviously, because..."
Professor Beavle began to ramble enthusiastically.
When casting enchantment magic on living beings, one must always consider the repercussions, limiting the types of enchantments that can be applied
"Indeed."
"Why would you ask such a thing? You should know."
"I''m sorry, Professor."
"Now, to prepare against the cold..."
"But, Professor. I''ve heard that one could starve to death if they only learn enchantment magic..."
"What!? No! You won''t die!"
Professor Beavle vehemently denied, jumping in protest.
"Is that not the case?"
"Yes!"
Professor Garcia felt a thrill watching Professor Beavle vigorously defending his point.
He was truly a genius, seemingly born to be a disciple
...on second thought, this might not be good.
"Ah! You''ve just wasted my time unnecessarily!" Professor Beavle grumbled, though the students now looked more at ease.
Ah, so that''s what enchantment magic is all about!
"Let''s get into preparing against the cold. Originally, you weren''t supposed to learn enchantment magic for cold resistance."
"Why not?" a student from the White Tiger inquired.
Professor Beavle responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Because you''re stupid."
"..."
"You freshmen should start with paper-strengthening magic."
"???"
Yi-Han was perplexed by Professor Beavle''s words in a different sense.
''He had me making magic fireworks right away, didn''t he? Is this discrimination?''
"Professor! Aren''t you underestimating us too much?" exploded a student from the White Tiger, unable to hold back any longer.
The students, having endured the hellish midterm period, were a bit overconfident without any real basis. However, this was a reckless move. Their ssmates gasped in surprise.
"It''s not that I''m underestimating you."
"Excuse me?"
The professor''s response exceeded everyone''s expectations.
"I''m just stating the truth, right? Wardanaz. Isn''t that so?"
"..."
Yi-Han pretended not to notice Professor Beavle suddenly speaking to him.
I don''t know this person!
"Anyway, we need to prepare against the cold, so I''ll have to teach you."
Professor Beavle waved his staff.
Well-tended leather appeared out of thin air. The professor cast a spell on it.
Pop!
"Now, try it."
"...Professor Verduus, at least recite the incantation or something, please..."
Finally, Professor Garcia couldn''t hold back and spoke up.
.
A spell that temporarily endows non-living entities with resistance to cold.
It was a familiar spell to Yi-Han, as he had been forced to learn while making magic fireworks with Professor Beavle.
The problem was...
''...this is a 3rd Circle spell...''
First-year students usually learned 1st or 2nd Circle magic, but to be taught a 3rd Circle spell in their first encounter was the best way to lose interest in enchantment magic.
"Leather, push away the cold!"
"Leather, repel the cold!"
As always, when in dire situations, the cold and harsh environment of Einroguard forced the students to grow stronger.
Surprisingly, some students managed to seed with the spell.
Of course, strictly speaking, it wasn''t a perfect sess. Enchantment magic was deemed a failure if it couldn''t fully manifest the intended effects.
The leather that the students had enchanted only felt faintly warm.
Nheless, achieving this much on the first day of learning was remarkable, especially considering the academy''s frigid environment...
"Professor! How about this?"
"This is no cold resistance! If you wear this out, you''ll freeze to death!"
"..."
Yi-Han saw Professor Garcia''s fist clench in frustration.
Professor Garcia took a deep breath to regain herposure.
There was a risk that all the students with talent and interest in enchantment magic might flee.
"Yi-Han, I''m sorry to ask again, but could you help once more? Could you assist your friends from other towers?"
"Professor, I still haven''t mastered ."
Yi-Han looked at Professor Garcia incredulously.
He hadn''t even swung his staff yet, busy exining the nuances of enchantment magic to his friends...
"Try it."
"...Leather, repel the cold!"
Pop!
The magic precisely hit the leather. Professor Garcia nodded as if she had expected this oue.
"Now, please help the other students."
"...Professor, this worked on my first try only because I had previously learned . Normally, it doesn''t work like this."
Yi-Han timidly protested as he stood up, feeling somewhat unjustly burdened.
An hourter, thanks to the efforts of Professor Garcia and Yi-Han, many students were close to mastering the spell as the lecture neared its end. Of course, Professor Beavle didn''t offer a single word of praise.
"It''s okay if you can''t do it. It can''t be helped. If youck talent and are stupid, how could you do well? That would be even stranger. It''s okay."
"..."
The students, already chilled, felt even more disheartened.
Professor Beavle, undeterred, continued, "If you find enchantment magic interesting and want to learn more,e find me. Got it?"
"Yes..."
"Thank you..."
Yi-Han wondered how many students would actually seek out Professor Beavle''s workshop.
''Surely, I won''t be the only one attending.''
"Yi-Han."
After the lecture, Professor Garcia spoke hesitantly.
"Would it be alright if I ask you for one more favor?"
"What kind of favor, Professor?"
"Could you help the students from the other towers, like you did just now? I''d love to do it myself, but the do... ah, the principal won''t allow it."
''Did she just almost say ''dog''?''
Yi-Han looked at Professor Garcia''s benevolent face.
Helping the evil friends who tremble and spread rumors at the mere approach.
He really didn''t want to, but...
"Yes. I will do that."
Yi-Han responded immediately.
Professor Garcia looked at him with eyes filled with gratitude, unaware that Yi-Han had briefly nced at the professor''s fist.
''Hmm. She smashed the lectern with that hand earlier.''
"Thank you so much, Yi-Han! I''ll find a way to repay you."
"How could I expect anything in return for the kindness I''ve received from you, Professor."
"Yi-Han, you really are..."
Professor Garcia''s eyes welled up with tears.
How did Einroguard manage to have such a kind-hearted student
"...Huh!"
"...Gasp!"
"Stop making noise every time you swing the staff."
Yi-Han looked at his friends from the White Tiger with annoyance.
They were now learning the rest of from Yi-Han.
Even after hearing Professor Garcia''s exnations, fear didn''t just vanish.
The students from the White Tiger flinched every time Yi-Han swung his staff.
"Look. The magic structure of is basically like this."
Yi-Han drew the direction of the mana flow on paper using a quill. Aplex circuit of magic was outlined.
"Do you understand?"
"We understand. Wardanaz."
"These parts, these parts, and these parts are typically omitted in the visualization."
Keywords like ''cold,'' ''resistance,'' and ''enchantment'' didn''t requireplex maniption of mana every time; a mage''s visualization often sufficed.
If every aspect had to be manipted manually, the spell would be exponentially moreplex.
"Exactly."
"It''s important to keep repeating these parts to be familiar with them, right?"
"Yes."
"So, now repeat it."
"...What?"
"???"
"Repeat it."
"Um... isn''t there any other trick to it?"
Still, the students of the White Tiger had hoped that Wardanaz, who came from a renowned family of mages, would share some ingenious secrets or techniques for finely controlling mana or solidifying their visualizations.
"There''s no such thing. You improve by doing it."
"But if we keep repeating, our mana will deplete quickly."
"Ah."
"..."
The White Tiger students red at Yi-Han.
"Hmm. Right. Repeating won''t work then."
"Wardanaz. It would be helpful if you could share some tips on maneuvering mana. Doesn''t the mana disperse or scatter when moving the staff in this process?"
"Did it? I didn''t experience that."
"...Wardanaz. When you focus your mana in this part, doesn''t it get tangled?"
"I don''t think that happened to me..."
"..."
The White Tiger students red at Yi-Han even more menacingly than before.
This is why geniuses are so frustrating!
"Wardanaz, didn''t you encounter any obstacles while mastering this?"
"Of course, I did."
"Oh... What was it? Tell us."
The students looked at him with intense curiosity.
What could have possibly stumped Wardanaz?
"When I was moving the mana, I sometimes drew too much, causing the magic to amplify excessively."
"So, what happened then?"
"The magic was cast too powerfully."
"...How is that an obstacle?"
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Chapter 191
Chapter 191
The students of the White Tiger fixed their most ferocious gazes upon Yi-Han,pelling him to borate further.
"The problem with magic being too strong might not seem apparent. But it''s more serious than one would think," Yi-Han cautioned.
In truth, enchantment magic cast on non-living objects wasn''t too dangerous, even if overly potent.
Should the magic fail due to an excess of mana, the risks or side effects were minimal.
At worst, the object would be destroyed, but that was usually the extent of it.
Furthermore, a prolonged duration or increased effect was not particrly problematic...
However, other forms of magic carried greater risks.
The very reason Yi-Han was cautious with fire element magic was evident.
A single slip in controlling the mana during casting could unleash a devastating area of effect fire spell.
"Do you understand? Drawing too much mana is dangerous."
"...I see," came the hesitant reply.
"But I don''t see how this rtes to us."
''These heartless brutes,'' Yi-Han grumbled inwardly.
Their indifference to problems not directly affecting them was typical.
Indeed, many hailing from knightly families were noted for their rudeness.
"Regardless, thank you, Wardanaz," the students expressed their gratitude as the additional lecture concluded.
Their thanks were not merely a formality, but stemmed from genuine improvement.
While perfect sess was elusive, achieving 70-80% effectiveness was more than sufficient.
Such a level was adequate to enchant a cloak or coat for warmth...
The gathered students pondered inwardly.
''But how did we actually seed?''
Yi-Han wondered simrly.
''Incredible. How did these kids learn this?''
Both Yi-Han and the White Tiger students realized a hard truth.
Yi-Han''s teachings weren''t as helpful as they thought!
Yi-Han couldn''t understand why they couldn''t grasp simple movements, while the students couldn''t fathom how he manipted mana so effortlessly.
Nevertheless, as the additional lecture neared its end, some students managed to seed.
Why, though?
"Is it because we don''t want to lose to Wardanaz?"
"Perhaps, though it seems too simplistic."
The White Tiger students murmured amongst themselves.
"It seems we''re done here. Practice your magic diligently."
"Understood."
"An hour a day should suffice, right?"
One student casually remarked, prompting Yi-Han to re as if hearing nonsense.
"An hour a day? Are you speaking sense?"
"...Two hours?"
"Two hours a day? Are you speaking sense?"
The White Tiger students felt a chill.
No wonder he''s from the Wardanaz family!
''Two hours a day should be plenty, right?''
"Those who think two hours a day is enough will never improve," Yi-Han dered.
The student was shocked, feeling as if his thoughts were exposed.
"Anyway, that''s for you to decide..."
Yi-Han set down a chest he had brought from the tower with a thud.
"I''ve brought fabrics to prepare for the cold."
"Thank you, Wardanaz."
A White Tiger student reached for the chest, only for Yi-Han to dismissively swat the hand away.
!? A baffled exmation rang out.
"There''s no such thing as a free lunch. Bring something to exchange."
There was a moment of silence. Hadn''t this been offered freely?
"I don''t have any money," came the hesitant reply.
"Barter will suffice. Food, tools, artifactsanything of value is eptable for exchange."
"We don''t have anything like that..."
Yi-Han looked at the White Tiger students with a mix of contempt and disdain.
For these students, all from knightly families, it was their first time encountering such a gaze, wrapping them in an unfamiliar sense of humiliation.
"Wait, what about credit? I heard you gave credit to those from the ck Tortoise?"
"Give you credit, based on trust?"
Yi-Han''s tone suggested the absurdity of the idea.
"I pledge on my family''s honor!"
Although Ango spoke firmly, Yi-Han remained unimpressed.
''These kids would probably ambush me if I went to their family for the money.''
Catching sight of Dolgyu desperately gesturing from behind, Yi-Han reconsidered.
-Please ept it!-
Ango, despite his outward appearance, took great pride in his knighthood. If Richmond of the ck Tortoise had received a promise based on family honor, and Ango didn''t?
He might well spend days weeping in his room.
"...Alright, I agree."
A sigh of relief escaped Ango, his worry about rejection now alleviated.
''I''ll have to take Dolgyu with me when I visit their familyter.''
Yi-Han, who had spent the morning helping his friends, seemed to have earned the heavens'' favor as the blizzard began to abate in the afternoon.
Professor Bungaegor, d in unusually thick clothing, clicked her tongue in sympathy at the sight of the shivering students.
"To end up in such a magic academy..."
...
...
"Forget it. I was going to teach advanced techniques involving horseback riding today but..."
ng!
Professor Bungaegor opened the door of a cage. A lizard of considerable size, capable of carrying several people, crawled out. Its hide, almost indistinguishable from the snow, made it difficult to spot once it blended into the snowy terrain.
"It''s a Snow Lizard. Anyone familiar with it?"
Several students, including those from colder regions like Nillia, raised their hands. Professor Bungaegor nodded in acknowledgment.
"It''s quite famous in cold regions."
The Snow Lizard.
A creature favored as a mount in cold regions due to its resistance to cold and remarkable stamina. However, it wasn''t without its drawbacks.
"They''re rare, hard to spot, and above all, notoriously temperamental to tame... but once tamed, they''re invaluable. Today''s lesson is about getting acquainted with these creatures. Divide into groups based on your tower."
As the students sorted themselves, Professor Bungaegor released three more Snow Lizards.
"I''ll lend them to you until the snow stops. Try to bond with them."
The students were taken aback by the professor''s offer. She awkwardly stroked her mustache, appearing slightly embarrassed.
"Don''t thank me too much. It''s the least I can do for my students."
Yi-Han thought to himself, ''They don''t seem very grateful.''
The students'' expressions were more of confusion and unease than gratitude.
Even the most skilled hunters in the North might exim, "You''re lending us such a precious beast?" However, from the students'' perspective, it was more like, "Why lend us such a fierce monster instead of just its hide?"
"Wardanaz. Wardanaz."
"What?"
"I never expected to see such a rare monster. Isn''t the professor amazing?!"
Nillia whispered, seemingly oblivious to the context. Yi-Han nodded and replied.
"I understand how you feel, but it would be better not to show it in front of your friends."
The students of the Blue Dragon surrounded the Snow Lizard.
The Snow Lizard, rolling its eyes, suddenlyunched a snowball at the approaching students.
Thump!
"Ouch! That little..."
Having only recently been released from the punishment room, Gainando reacted angrily upon being hit by the snowball.
"Curse..."
"Stop it, Gainando! We need to tame it!"
"Do you realize how useful this creature can be?!" Asan rebuked him.
If what they had read in books was true, the Snow Lizard would be a significant aid in oveing the current climatic crisis.
With its robust stamina, ability to carry several students, and knack for sensing prey in the snow, it was invaluable.
"Don''t approach rashly, try to befriend it first!" Professor Bungaegor''s shout prompted the students to try various methods.
Offering favored food (Gainando tearfully lost a piece of meat that resembled blood), mimicking the lizard''s posture (Asan got hit in the face with a snowball while attempting this), and so on.
"Wardanaz. Can you give it a try?"
"Me?" Yi-Han hesitated.
He would normally have obliged a friend''s request but...
''I doubt this will elicit a good response.''
Yi-Han, who had trouble befriending creatures during his travels across the snowy mountains, preferred to keep a distance...
''Wouldn''t it get scared and run away?''
If it ran away, that would be one thing, but a rampage would be disastrous. Yi-Han clicked his tongue and said.
"Fine. But everyone, form a circle around it to create a barrier."
"!"
"What... What are you going to do? You''re not nning to kill it, are you?"
Shyles of the Richmond family, a horse mixed-blood student from the ck Tortoise took great pride in his heritage.
He was proud of the skills passed down through his family, essential for running a transportation business with carriages throughout the vast empire. It wasn''t just about handling horses; one needed to manage various monsters adapted to different terrains and environments.
''This is an opportunity.''
Shyles saw the current lesson on taming the Snow Lizard as a stroke of luck.
Though he had not stood out in previous riding lessons, it was indeed Shyles who should have excelled.
"Follow me, everyone! I''ve had experience taming Snow Lizards!"
"Really!?"
"Yes, Nillia! Have you ever done it too? If so, you can help..."
"I''ve caught one before..."
"...Everyone, follow my lead!"
Shyles enthusiastically guided his peers.
The first step to befriending a Snow Lizard was to mimic its behavior.
While other tower students had tried and failed, their attemptscked sincerity and finesse.
"You must be sincere! Think like you are the Snow Lizard! Hold snow in your mouth!"
"Do we really need to go this far?"
"Who''sining when Shyles is helping us like this!"
Salko, sensing Shyles'' earnestness, chided his friends and followed the instructions more fervently than anyone.
The students of the ck Tortoise crawled on all fours and rolled over the snow.
Even Professor Bungaegor was impressed.
''There''s someone with the knack.''
Though it might have looked ridiculous at first nce, this was the proper approach.
To be a skilled explorer, one must be well-versed and understand the countless varieties of monsters.
"Spit snow! Flick your tongue!"
Kruk. Kruk.
"Enough! It has epted us! We can get closer now!"
The students of the ck Tortoise erupted in cheers.
At this sight, Professor Bungaegor smiled.
The progress had been quicker than expected, thanks to everyone''s earnest and heartfelt efforts.
''Now, what about the others...''
The students of the Immortal Phoenix had somewhat bonded with the Snow Lizard, but it seemed they had underestimated it. The Snow Lizard yfully flung snow with its tail at them.
Meanwhile, the White Tiger students were engaged in a standoff with their Snow Lizard...
And the Blue Dragon?
"It''s a miracle! Wardanaz has befriended the Snow Lizard!"
"Professor! The Snow Lizard has epted Wardanaz! Look over here!"
The Blue Dragon students called out to Professor Bungaegor, cheering loudly.
''Has he be friendly with it already? That was too fast.''
Surprised, Professor Bungaegor turned to look at the Snow Lizard.
The Snow Lizard, with only its eyes rolling, was trembling beside Yi-Han, unable to move.
"...That''s not being friendly!"
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Chapter 192
Chapter 192
"Excuse me?"
"What do you mean?"
Students of the Blue Dragon looked at Professor Bungaegor, wondering what she meant.
-We''re friends, aren''t we!-
This only added to Professor Bungaegor''s bewilderment.
"Look! Is that not trembling?"
"Eh? Wasn''t it just because of cold?"
"..."
Indeed, instilling fear was one way of taming, especially in urgent situations where there was no time for bonding.
However, now was not the time for that.
Besides, if they resorted to such methods, wouldn''t the Snow Lizard simply flee when Yi Han was not around?
It was absurd enough to lose the blizzard-resistant lizard just a day after receiving it.
"Be friendly like the students of the ck Tortoise. Stop scaring it!"
"This is strange... I thought we had be friends."
"Aren''t we friends?"
Despite the students'' questions, the Snow Lizard just hupped and rolled its eyes around.
Seeing this, Professor Bungaegor shook her head in dismay and called Yi Han.
"Come here, you."
"This isn''t my fault, though..."
"I know. But life is sometimes unfair, isn''t it?"
Professor Bungaegor understood that Yi Han wasn''t really at fault. It wasn''t his fault that the mana-sensitive Snow Lizard shivered in his presence.
Yet, life is often unfair.
In such circumstances, Yi Han had to stay away.
"I''m sorry. Next time, I''ll bring a monster less sensitive to mana."
"Oh. Is there such a thing?"
"...Not impossible, but it might take some time to find one."
"..."
Yi Han looked gloomily at his friends mimicking the Snow Lizard.
Feeling sorry, Professor Bungaegor consoled him.
"At least you don''t have to deal with such ridiculous situations, right?"
"Professor. They can hear everything."
After the lecture, the students returned to the tower with the now-friendly Snow Lizard.
Papapapapapak!
The Snow Lizard swiftly cleared a path through the mountain of snow.
Still feeling a bit sorry, Professor Bungaegor walked with Yi Han towards the cabin.
"Don''t worry too much. Not every monster can be befriended. The Snow Lizard is just too timid and sensitive to mana. A monster less sensitive to mana and fearless wouldn''t have this problem."
"Such creatures are rare, aren''t they..."
Professor Bungaegor kicked her nephew''s shin under the table. Professor Uregor bit his beard, screaming internally.
"Bring something to drink."
"Yes..."
Professor Uregor opened a jar of milk, warmed it, and mixed it with tea.
Yi Han, with an expressionless face, sneakily put a warm scone into his coat pocket.
"The Snow Lizard''s time won''tst long. Once the blizzard stops, there''s no need to see it."
"When will it end? This week?"
"Uh..."
"Hmm..."
Both professors hesitated.
Yi Han suddenly felt anxious.
Surely he wouldn''t have to brave the blizzard for the rest of the semester?
"It''s up to the students to resolve."
"...The seniors will handle it, won''t they?"
"Well, uh..."
The two dwarf professors trailed off.
Yi Han seemed to trust the seniors, but the reality was a bit different.
As the students advanced in their studies, their skills improved, as did the quality and quantity of their responsibilities.
What would happen if a snowstorm incident urred at the academy?
-"Although the blizzard rages, I''m not too inconvenienced, so I should deal with my tasks first before looking into it."-
-"Despite the blizzard, I''m fairly alright, so I''ll start with the magic experiment today and think about it."-
...It was likely that such procrastination would ur.
''Surely not.''
Yi Han sensed an ominous sign in the attitude of the two dwarf professors.
''Are the seniors dying the solution?''
It was human nature to postpone things that were not immediately pressing.
Realizing the truth, Yi Han felt anger.
''How irresponsible of the upperssmen to cause such trouble!''
"Still, if we wait, it will eventually be resolved, won''t it?"
"What if it doesn''t?"
"If it doesn''t... then you have no choice but to resolve it yourself."
"If you do resolve it yourself, the professor in charge will surely appreciate it."
Yi Han was speechless at the absurdity of the two professors'' remarks.
How could a freshman solve an ident caused during an upperssman''s exam?
"You can''t be serious..."
"Yes, I admit it''s a bit much."
"Agreeing with me now."
Professor Uregor grumbled. Professor Bungaegor shrugged and said,
"But what we said isn''t wrong. If the upperssmen arezy, the only solution is to step in yourself."
"Just don''t actually do it. I don''t know what kind of ident the upperssmen caused, but it won''t be easy to resolve."
Professor Uregor warned, just in case.
He hadn''t looked into it in detail, but the magnitude of the magic involved in such an ident must be considerable.
It was not something a freshman should attempt to resolve.
"Do you see me as someone who would recklessly take on such a task?"
"Yes."
"Seems like it."
"..."
Yi Han was slightly hurt by the two dwarf professors'' response.
Why such a misunderstanding?
"No, I won''t."
"Good. We''ll trust you. Take some snacks with you when you go back. And don''t get too close to the Snow Lizard when you return to the tower."
"And don''t be tempted by the reward. There''s no need to jump in just because you might get praised by the professor. Just wait for the seniors to handle it."
"Ah. I got it."
Yi Han muttered as he opened the cabin door and stepped out.
The two dwarf professors watched his retreating figure and murmured,
"Doesn''t he seem like he''ll still intervene?"
"He does seem likely to."
To the two dwarf professors, Yi Han already appeared to be a freshman who had dedicated half his life to magic.
Even if he said no, his curiosity for magic would inevitably lead him forward!
''Should have warned him more sternly...''
Evening.
Students gathered for the additional lecture on dark magic were diligently using their quills in Professor Mortum''s workshop.
The 2nd Circle magic , an advanced version of the 1st Circle magic .
Also, the different branches of the 1st Circle magic they initially learned, like , , , and more.
But that wasn''t all.
In the poison category, besides , there were various other poisons.
In the summoning category, not just bones, but various undead summons.
Even without yet learning about the dead spirit and the essence of negative energy, the dark magic category was already this extensive.
Next to him, Gainando''s eyes were spinning. Raphael was also deeply engrossed, groaning in concentration.
"Cough. Of course, I''m not teaching these for you to master all of them now."
Gainando''s face brightened.
"Cough. But if you''re going to study dark magic seriously next year, it would be good to master one or two of these. The world of dark magic is vast, so it''s important to choose and concentrate."
Gainando''s face darkened.
"Cough... Ah, these fools making the academy even colder..."
Professor Mortum coughed, disying an irritated expression.
Yi Han, suddenly curious, asked.
"Professor, do you know the reason for this ident?"
"Cough. Yes, one of my students was involved in it."
"!"
Yi Han struggled to maintain hisposure for a moment.
It wasn''t good to show too much hatred towards a fellow workshop senior.
"Indeed... How did such a regrettable ident happen?"
"It''s all because of the greed of those youngsters."
Professor Mortum exined briefly while coughing.
One majoring in dark magic, one in summoning magic (elemental spirits), and one in ancient magic.
-"I found a spirit spell in the ruins! It''s iplete, but if we restore it properly, this year the Empire''s Summoning World will be ours! I need your expertise in ancient magic!"-
-"This looks like the style of the Ollodel Academy. Dark magic is mixed in. Let''s call a dark magic specialist."
-"Did you call me? Wait, this summoning spell is iplete, isn''t it? Why call someone for such a thing?"-
-"Don''t worry. I''vepleted the iplete parts with a substitute spell. Look, it''s stable, isn''t it?"-
-"But from my perspective as an ancient magic expert, it stillcks power. It needs amplification. Let''s use an artifact of amplification. We have some research funds left."-
-"Wait."-
-"What? You''re not going to say it''s reckless like a coward, are you?"-
-"No, it''s not that. If we''re going to amplify it, let''s amplify the negative energy as well. It seems the spirit is a mix of cold and darkness, but the negative energy is too weak, risking imbnce."-
-"That''s why we called the dark magic expert. Great idea."-
"..."
"..."
The freshmen sitting there started to despise the upperssmen they didn''t even know.
Even Ymirg, the most benign person there, had a fierce look in his eyes.
Were they suffering from the weekend onward because of such insane people?
"Professor, you''ve given them a good scolding, right!"
"Cough. I''m already doing that. Telling them to fix it quickly, but it''s not very satisfactory."
At Gainando''s words, Professor Mortum grumbled.
At this, Yi Han''s hatred suddenly subsided.
Of course, the other seniors might have been cking off, but at least the culprits were currently being scolded by the professors.
Yi Han was not so harsh as to hate such unfortunate people.
"Cough. Yes. It wouldn''t be bad for the freshmen to see this once."
"What do you mean?"
Yi Han, who was in the process of forgiving, was the first to sense the dangerous sign.
"The site of the failed summoning. It will be very helpful to see."
Professor Mortum knew well that there were few students willing to learn dark magic.
Thus, he also intended to show the students the allure of dark magic.
Of course, whether such a move would truly reveal the charm of dark magic was uncertain
''There was such a path.''
Professor Mortum knocked on the walls of the main building and flung open the ceiling, effortlessly racing through the building in three dimensions.
Yi Han wanted to memorize the path but gave up. Seeing Professor Mortum casting spells, he realized it wasn''t a path findable with his level of magic.
"What floor is this?"
"Well, hard to say..."
The freshmen had long lost their sense of direction.
''The coldness...''
Exiting the passage, Yi Han suddenly felt a hellish cold rushing in.
The coldness inside was qualitatively different from the blizzard outside.
It was a chill that seemed to emanate from mana itself, with the attribute of coldness.
And then, the sounds of the undead were heard.
...
...
"Gasp!"
Gainando hid behind Yi Han. Professor Mortum swung his staff, and the frozen corpses melted away.
"Why are there undead wandering in the main building''s corridor?"
"Cough. This mess happened because of a botched spirit summoning."
A proper summoning of spirits, following urate procedures and processes, would not have led to this.
The iplete spell, arbitrary interpretations by those who substituted it, and the amplification from artifacts or other elements had resulted in something more akin to a rampaging monster than a coherent spirit on this floor.
Moreover, it was a monster that, even by just existing, turned the surrounding space into a different dimension.
Given that the summoned spirit was a mix of coldness and darkness, it was only natural for the undead to emerge from the corridor space that had melted into another dimension.
"Can''t we just go in and get rid of it?"
Amazed by Gainando''s innocent question, Yi Han admired his simplicity.
''If the seniors were around, they''d probably want to kill him for saying that.''
"Cough. That''s correct. Just wait here for a moment."
Professor Mortum, holding his staff, walked somewhere. To anyone watching, it was the back of a professor about to scold his unworthy disciple.
Yi Han clicked his tongue sympathetically, looking toward the other end of the corridor.
The bizarre spectacle of frost and darkness swirling together was, frankly, a sight to behold.
''If only it weren''t causing a snowstorm throughout the entire academy, it would be quite beautiful.''
-Come inside-
"?"
-Come inside... O seeker of power-
Yi Han hesitated as someone from the other end of the corridor''s dimension sent a telepathic message.
Then he shouted.
"Professor! Someone inside the dimension is speaking!"
-...Such a coward!-
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Chapter 193
Chapter 193
Chapter 193
Yi-Han''s choice was actually quite rational. At present, the corridor of this floor was in a state of realm chaos due to the mixing and rampage of numerous great magics, artifacts, and spirits. It was uncertain what malicious entities might seep in from the inside, deploying deceptions.
Of course, calling the professor without even a second of hesitation was a different matter altogether!
-You''ll regret this, young mage. You will need power!-
"Wait... just a minute. Isn''t it a waste? Shouldn''t we at least hear what is being offered?"
Upon hearing Gainando''s words, Raphael, too, unwittingly agreed.
The entity inside might offer some valuable gift.
''The magic academy is spoiling its students,'' Yi-Hanmented. He thought that pushing the students so hard made them susceptible to such dubious propositions.
"Gainando. When someone unknown makes a usible proposal, always start with suspicion."
"Cough. Well said."
Professor Mortum, who had hurried over, agreed with Yi-Han''s words. It was unsafe to be enticed by offers when they did not know what entity lurked within.
"Depart, you insignificant ones!"
Kyyyaaaak!
At Professor Mortum''s spell, the presence felt inside the corridor quickly dispersed.
Realizing toote, Gainando nodded, saying, "Indeed. I apologize, Professor. I will no longer show interest in such ces."
"Cough. That''s not correct."
"Pardon?"
"ces where different realms intermingle like this are invaluable for gaining knowledge, a site no mage can ignore."
Demons, spirits, and even other-realm beings of surreal nature, unknown by name.
These entities held knowledge unknown to mages.
Forgotten secrets, artifacts, spells, and treasures were too tempting for any mage to resist.
"Indeed, that''s true."
"Cough. So, learn to explore safely. Take this chance and go on an expedition."
"Me?"
Gainando doubted his ears.
Was he being asked to explore a ce where frozen undead crawled, periodic pulses of extreme frost urred, and where it seemed a demon''s howl was just heard?
"Cough. You can learn a lot by observing that ce."
Professor Mortum spoke with genuine good intention.
Sometimes, a single experience could be more impactful than hundreds of words.
Some parts of the corridor wereposed of dark magic.
Witnessing it up close would allow the freshmen to deeply appreciate the wonders of dark magic.
''As expected, I was uneasy from the moment he brought us,'' Yi-Han concluded.
With Professor Mortum''s staff swinging and protective magic being cast, he finished preparing and spoke.
"Cough, cough. Split into two groups and take a walk around. Don''t get lost."
Gainando quickly said, "I... I want to go with Yi-Han."
"I''ll go with Ymirg."
Following Gainando and Raphael''s words, Professor Mortum tossed a coin.
"Ymirg and Wardanaz, walk to the left. Cough. The two of you, start on the right."
"..."
Both Gainando and Raphael faced an unfortunate oue. With crumpled faces, they set off.
"Shall we also start?"
"Yes, let''s."
Fortunately, due to the magic cast by Professor Mortum, no enemies approached them. Yi-Han moved his steps slowly.
''One must never becent.''
If there was anything he learned from Professor Bdi, it was to never let down his guard at any moment.
Yi-Han surveyed his surroundings with all possible precautions.
Suddenly, on the frostden path, specters gathered, forming budding flowers. As the buds writhed about to bloom, the ground beneath began to stir.
"That..."
Before Ymirg could finish speaking, Yi-Han was already casting a spell.
Pop!
A heavy orb of water hammered the ground, followed by a downpour of lightning and a burst of mes.
The earth, which seemed on the verge of unleashing something, was now quiet.
Papapapapapak! Papapak!
Yet, Yi-Han did not stop, continually casting spells. The frozen ground ckened and caved in.
"Whoa... Wardanaz. Maybe whatever it was has already fled?"
Ymirg spoke hesitantly. To be honest, he was more afraid of Yi-Han than the entity that had just disappeared.
"That might be so."
"It''s not just ''might be''; it seems to have definitely fled..."
Yi-Han cast lightning onest time, just to be safe.
"Seems like it''s gone, right?"
"..."
"Ymirg. Maybe we should get closer. The effect of the protective magic the professor cast might weaken."
"Yes, y-yes."
"Why are you being so formal?"
"Ap-apologize."
"Direth. Thank you, really."
"Go die."
"...Direth. Thank you again, really."
"Just die already."
"I said I''m sorry..."
Coholti, a fourth-year student specializing in dark magic, apologized once more to Direth.
Coholti would have been angry too if he were Direth, dragged into this mess because of the major ident caused by Coholti and his friends.
"How long has it been since you left the punishment room and what is this..."
"I already got an earful from the professor."
Coholti was utterly disheartened, having been severely reprimanded by Professor Mortum.
As a fellow student of dark magic and a ssmate, Direth could understand Coholti''s feelings better than anyone.
"So what? Just go die."
But that was a separate matter. Being busy to death herself, she couldn''t forgive being summoned here to clean up their mess.
"Get inside quickly and finish it off or die. Because of you, the academy is covered in snow."
"We''ll... we''ll go in soon."
The solution to the realm erosion and environmental changes caused by an iplete summoning was surprisingly simple.
They just needed to enter the area and eliminate the summoned creature.
Despite all the mixed magic and phenomena, the core of the problem was the summoned entity.
Of course, it was easier said than done.
They had to break through the corridors swarming with monsters from other realms and take down the furious spirit inside.
It was a daunting task even for upperssmen at the magic academy.
The guilty mages nced at Direth, making excuses.
"We''re slowly siphoning off the area''s magic. The entity inside is getting weaker."
"If our calctions are correct, it''ll soon be weak enough to enter."
What the mages were currently doing was creating holes in various parts of the corridor''s area to leak out mana.
As the area''s mana diminished, so would the power of the being active within it.
Once the work was done, the students could enter at a manageable level.
Direth asked with a slightly softened voice.
"How many hours will it take?"
"..."
"You''re not telling me it''ll take more than a day?"
"..."
"...How many days, you cursed fools. Speak up!"
"A... about a week?"
"Just go in and die! How much mana did you pour into the summoning for it to take a week!"
"Sorry! Direth! I''m sorry!"
Direth, cursing profusely, cast the with her staff. The leakage work was not simply happening on its own. In the meantime, to prevent undead from emerging from the corridor, the upperssmen, including Direth, had to keep watch. And for a whole week!
"Aaah! Direth! Please forgive me!"
"Di, Direth! Look over there! There!"
"What nonsense are they up to now..."
Direth turned her head. He saw the freshmen slowly walking inside the area.
"...Ah. Professor Mortum must have brought them."
Direth was momentarily overwhelmed by the surreal sight but quickly grasped the situation. It was evident that Professor Mortum had brought the freshmen to show them this extraordinary scene. It was, after all, a magnificent spectacle of dark magic.
"Should freshmen be wandering around in such a ce?"
"Professor Mortum has cast protective magic. Most entities won''t be able to approach."
"But they''re just freshmen. Even if evil beings can''t approach, they might panic and cause an ident..."
Before he could finish, one of the freshmen began frantically casting spells. A banshee, about to emerge from the flowering specters, was beaten back and hastily retreated underground, disappearing somewhere.
"..."
"Shouldn''t we stop them? The freshmen might copse!"
It was all too predictable. Loss of judgment due to fear, leading to a reckless casting of spells. It was an easy mistake for freshmen to make.
Right now, it might be okay, but the moment they deplete their mana...
"Just leave it. It''s fine."
However, Direth was calm, knowing that Yi-Han had a substantial amount of mana.
"That Wardanaz family junior is naturally gifted with magic."
"Oh, I see."
Pop! Papapapapapapop!
"..."
"...Is it really okay?"
The upperssmen looked at Yi-Han with a mix of astonishment and concern. No matter how innately gifted, it seemed like he should be copsing soon.
Direth began to feel a bit anxious too. She knew Yi-Han had a lot of mana, but she wasn''t sure just how much.
"We should stop him, I''m telling you!"
"Cursed be the skull-like principal...!"
Eventually, the anxiety spread to Direth too. She gripped her staff, ready to face the punishment room. As a senior, trained under the same master in dark magic, she couldn''t just watch her junior copse.
Pop!
But to the embarrassment of the seniors making a fuss, Yi-Han returned to normal as if nothing had happened. After casting hisst spell, he began moving forward again without a change in expression.
"..."
"What on earth is that guy doing?"
The seniors were not fooled by the name of the Wardanaz family. The freshmen might havecked experience and thought ''It''s because he''s from the Wardanaz family,'' but the seniors knew better. Even for a member of the Wardanaz family, such a level of mana at that age was unbelievable!
''Did the family Patriarch mate with a dragon?''
''Did they sacrifice a thousand lives for a pact with a demon?''
''Is the principal disguising as a freshman?''
"Direth. I''ve thought of a good method. This could shorten the time!"
"What''s the method? Surely you''re not thinking of involving that freshman. Tell me."
"...That''s exactly it... Please, don''t point your staff at me, Direth! Don''t curse me! Don''t curse me! We''ll just borrow his mana! Only his mana!"
"Cough. How was it?"
"It was truly touching and beneficial."
"?"
Ymirg looked at Yi-Han as if he were an oddity.
''How can our impressions be so different when we walked together?''
Ymirg had felt like he was wandering through a graveyard swept by a bitter cold...
"I thought as much."
Professor Mortum spoke with a pleased expression. Any mage interested in dark magic couldn''t help but be moved by the sight of that twisted realm.
"Cough. If you want to take another look, just tell me. Next time, you might gain some valuable knowledge."
"Yes, I understand."
Yi-Han managed his expression as he responded, though he was determined never to return.
Crash!
"..."
Gainando and Raphael came rolling from the opposite direction, grappling each other''s cors. They both looked a mess after their tussle.
Professor Mortum clicked his tongue upon seeing them.
"Cough. To waste such a precious opportunity like that... Perhaps next time, Wardanaz should lead the way."
"Such impudent fools. To squander an opportunity given by the professor by fighting each other! Get your minds straight and go back for another look!"
"That won''t be necessary... Cough."
Professor Mortum declined, yet he looked at Yi-Han with a slightly pleased expression.
Indeed, he was the most promising student among the freshmen.
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Chapter 194
Chapter 194
Chapter 194
Two errant disciples, who had squandered a precious opportunity given by their professor, reflected on their actions as they revisited the twisted realm. During this time, Yi-Han offered a respectful farewell.
"Then, Professor, I must retire now as I have your ss to attend tomorrow."
"Cough. Very well."
Yi-Han sighed in relief, internally grateful for his survival.
''I must avoid this corridor until everything is resolved.''
"You''ve worked hard, Ymirg."
"Me... What hard work have I done?"
"Something''s odd. Haven''t you been using formal speech since earlier?"
On Tuesday morning, Snow Lizards scurried about, creating paths through the snowdrifts.
Following these newly formed paths through the torn snowbanks, groups of students made their way to their destinations. Yi-Han, too, headed to the Gaksu Pavilion with his friends to attend a ss on alchemy.
"It''s really fortunate we''re not outside."
Yi-Han nodded in agreement with Yonaire''s remark.
Indeed, it was also a good thing for Professor Uregor. Holding lectures outside in this weather would increase the number of students seeking him out after graduation.
The Alchemy Workshop, housed in the Gaksu Pavilion, was warm and cozy, thanks to the numerous greenhouses.
"This weather is actually a stroke of luck for an alchemist."
...
The warm air suddenly chilled with Professor Uregor''s remark.
Students, shaking snow from their hair, looked at Professor Uregor in disbelief.
"Think about it. We can easily obtain materials that are only avable during heavy snowfalls. Isn''t that fortunate?"
''Indeed, he is a professor at a magic academy,'' Yi-Han realized.
Professor Uregor was not normal when it came to alchemy.
"That... might be true."
The students tried to ept Professor Uregor''s reasoning.
Though it seemed absurd, the warmth andfort of the Gaksu Pavilion''s ssrooms were undeniable.
However, the professor''s next words shattered their hopes.
"Now, I''ll give you a list. Go outside and gather as much as you can. Doesn''t the thought of the potions you can make excite you?"
Seeing his friends'' dismayed faces, Yi-Han seriously wondered if Professor Uregor would be alrightter.
The students, reluctantly following the lengthy list given by the professor, made their way.
In contrast, Yi-Han approached the task more pragmatically.
''I''ll start with the ones that seem easier to obtain.''
Rather than wandering aimlessly and returning empty-handed, it was better to fill the basket with rtively easy-to-find items.
"Blizzard Grass, Snowbell Flowers, Dwarf Willows."
Yi-Han prioritized the seemingly easier items on the list.
''This seems doable.''
Materials like Blizzard Grass, emerging through thick, solid snow, were rtively easy to gatherpared to those requiring breaking through frozenke surfaces after snowstorms...
''Is there no conscience? How are we supposed to obtain these?''
"Join us, Wardanaz. Let''s go together."
Priests from the friendly Immortal Phoenix approached Yi-Han. Seeing no reason to refuse, he nodded.
"Shall we... Ah, the brilliant heir of the meng Order, Priestess Siana!"
"Well, if it isn''t Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family, the top scorer in the recent alchemy midterm exam?"
Priestess Siana spoke to Yi-Han with a noticeably colder tone than before.
"..."
"..."
The priests of the Immortal Phoenix were caught in the middle, unsure of what to do.
Tijiling ced both her index fingers behind her head, a clear sign of telling him of her anger, although could already tell that.
''It''s unfair,'' Yi-Han thought. He had only studied hard, but now he faced misunderstanding from a fellow student.
"But Priestess Siana, the second ce also did well..."
"Yi-Han."
Yonaire nudged him and whispered softly.
"The second ce in alchemy is me. Priestess Siana is third."
"!"
Yi-Han and Yonaire had teamed up to raid Professor Uregor''s workshop. It was natural that Sianna, who hadn''t, was at a disadvantage.
"Sorry, Yonaire. I underestimated your skills."
"It''s okay. I thought Priestess Siana would score higher than me too."
The students from the Blue Dragon quickly ended their conversation. Yi-Han switched tactics.
''If the first cepliments the third ce, it might make things worse.''
"Professor Uregor is an excellent mage, but he has a w."
"What w, Yi-Han?"
"He doesn''t know how to conduct a fair exam!"
Had Professor Uregor heard, he might have felt wronged, but Yi-Han''s words had several students nodding in agreement.
Honestly, to the students, the professor removing materials needed for potions seemed like crossing a line.
"If the exam was fair, someone like Priestess Siana would have been first. But with such a strange exam, it created variables."
"That makes sense. If it was a proper exam, this wouldn''t have happened."
Yi-Han and Yonaire nodded, discussing among themselves. But the conversation was meant for Priestess Siana to hear.
Indeed, Yi-Han could see it.
Priestess Siana''s expression was gradually softening!
"Priestess Siana, we need to find ingredients, but weck in numbers. Could you possibly help us..."
"Of course, I should help, Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family!"
Priestess Siana extended a hand with a softened expression. Yi-Han nodded and shook it.
Asan, standing nearby, mumbled.
"Then, what rank did the princess achieve?"
Yi-Han paused mid-handshake.
Indeed, up to third ce was present here.
Then?
"It''s alright," Yonaire said reassuringly. "The princess isn''t like us; she probably doesn''t care much."
"Is that so?"
"..."
Yi-Han felt a tinge of unease.
''I should avoid encountering the princess''s group while collecting ingredients today.''
"There''s the Blizzard Grass!"
"Indeed, Priestess Siana!"
"Indeed, Priestess Siana!"
Yi-Han and Yonaire pped, pping their hands together in apuse. Asan, puzzled, asked.
"It''s impressive, but why do we keep pping like this?"
"Be quiet."
"!?"
Yi-Han silenced Asan and prepared to dig out the Blizzard Grass.
The firmly rooted nt in the snow required significant effort to extract.
"Dig it out."
But for Yi-Han, the task was different.
He cast a 1st Circle magic, .
It was an earth element magic spell for digging small pits.
"Wardanaz, it shouldn''t work in the cold, should it?"
Asan was confused by this.
Asan knew the spell from their sses together. However, it was meant for soft soil, not for hard, frozen conditions.
A student from the Blue Dragon had just tried and given up
"Dig it out, dig it out, dig it out, dig it out."
With a crack, the solidly frozen snow shattered, forming a pit. Yi-Han turned and asked.
"What did you say?"
"Ah, nothing. Nothing at all."
Asan felt a strange sense of awe.
So that''s it!
If magic doesn''t work, just keep trying until it does!
Nillia wandered through the forest with her friends from the ck Tortoise.
In truth, she would have been more at ease joining Yi-Han or Yonaire''s group, but she couldn''t refuse her friends'' request.
"Do you see that vine? If you cut it, sapes out. It''s handy when you''re thirsty."
"Wow... That''s impressive."
"..."
Nillia felt a void in response to her friends''ckluster reactions.
If it had been Yi-Han, he would have said, ''What? Really?! Wait, let me see. It''s true. What''s this called? Where does it usually grow? Are there other nts with simr effects?''
Her friends from the ck Tortoise weren''t bad, but theirck of interest in hunting was evident.
"Did you see the magazine I broughtst time?"
"Yes. The horse Blodoha rode in this time was really something!"
"Ah, should I add the principal''s card to my deck? I want to try saving it."
"No use. Give up. It''s a trash card."
"..."
Nillia felt an indescribable suffocation, her heart heavy with gloom.
"!"
From a distance, she saw familiar friends digging something out on a slope. Nillia waved her hand.
"?"
Yi-Han, while putting Blizzard Grass in his basket, looked up to see Nillia waving from a distance with her ck Tortoise friends.
"Nillia?"
"No... That''s a distress signal."
Nillia gestured to Yi-Han with the unique hand signal of the .
-Help me!!-
"!?"
Yi-Han was startled.
''What? Are the ck Tortoise students threatening her?''
Nillia had signaled for rescue from the stifling atmosphere, but Yi-Han didn''t grasp the hidden meaning.
"There must be trouble. Everyone, get your staff ready."
Yi-Han and his friends, staff in hand, started to rush over.
Nillia, realizing the seriousness on their faces, panicked.
"?!"
In her confusion, Nillia realized that her distress signal could be misinterpreted.
''...Should I tell them now that it was a mistake?''
She seriously pondered whether Yi-Han would cast magic at her in retaliation.
It seemed within his character...
-! !-
"A monster!!"
"I''m saved!"
"What? Nillia?"
"Ah, no. I misspoke."
Yi-Han and his friends marveled as they ran.
To notice a monster approaching so stealthily was impressive!
"How did you detect it?"
"It must be the Shadow Patrol''s secret."
Yi-Han spoke with a voice mixed with admiration. His friends were all in awe.
"Indeed... the Shadow Patrol, as expected."
"Even our priests can''t detect a White Snow Hedgehog this early."
"Let''s help them!"
The students from the ck Tortoise quickly sprang into action.
They built a circr wall of earth to block the monster''s surprise assault, casting spells from behind cover.
As spells flew, the White Snow Hedgehog puffed up its body, moving in an irregr trajectory.
The monster, resembling a giant hedgehog but with a massive body capable of easily breaking bones upon collision, made the students understandably cautious.
"Isn''t that Wardanaz?!"
"Why is he trying to capture the White Snow Hedgehog?"
"Isn''t he just helping out?"
"Does Wardanaz look that easygoing? He doesn''t act without a reason! He''s definitely after the White Snow Hedgehog!"
"..."
Nillia internally apologized to Yi-Han.
''Sorry for not being able to defend you more!''
"Wardanaz! If you catch the White Snow Hedgehog, we''ll let you have it! Let''s cooperate!"
"What are you talking about catching? Just drive it away!"
Yi-Han replied incredulously.
He hade to gather herbs, not to hunt monsters.
The best course of action would be to drive it away if possible...
"Really? We can just drive it away?"
"Yes! Drive it away!"
"But..."
"Just do it!"
"Sorry, sorry."
When Yi-Han insisted, the ck Tortoise students backed down.
''Are we really just driving it away?''
''Seems so.''
Doubting the other tower students'' abilities, Yi-Han called forth Sharakan.
"Sharakan. I need your help. Bind its legs!"
The greenish-blue leopard nodded in understanding and sprinted off.
The White Snow Hedgehog, sensing Sharakan''s approach, quickly turned its head.
And then it spotted Yi-Han.
-!-
Paf-paf-paf!
Startled, the White Snow Hedgehog burrowed into the snow and fled far in the opposite direction.
Sharakan, having run hard, looked back at Yi-Han in disbelief.
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Chapter 195
Chapter 195
"...I''m sorry."
Yi-Han apologized first. He had never imagined that the White Snow Hedgehog would just run away. ''Isn''t that creature too cowardly for a monster?'' he thought. Monsters were supposed to attack ferociously without regard for their opponent''s mana, not be so timid...
"Ah."
"?!"
Sianna, the priestess at his side, seemed to have remembered something btedly.
"It would be wise to chase the White Snow Hedgehog, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
"Why is that?"
Yi-Han was ready to refuse whatever Sianna was going to say. He believed that one should be thankful if a monster flees, not force it into a corner without reason. Only the foolish students of the ck Tortoise could think, ''Would the Wardanaz be satisfied just by driving a monster away?''
"The White Snow Hedgehog likes to collect Cold Submerge Lotus. It''s an ingredient that can only be gathered by breaking through the frozen surface of ake during a snowstorm."
"!!"
Cold Submerge Lotus.
This was something he had initially decided not to even attempt collecting...
"Let''s chase it! Sharakan, follow its trail! Nillia, help me!"
At his shout, the ck Tortoise students looked at Yi-Han with an expression of ''I knew it.'' Yi-Han almost hit his friends in frustration.
If there were students like Yi-Han, who pragmatically chose to collect easier materials first, there were also those who sought to impress Professor Uregor by gathering the more challenging ones. The students of the White Tiger were among them.
Astonishingly, in this harsh weather, they were attempting to break the thick ice of ake to collect Cold Submerge Lotus.
Crack!
"We did it!"
Finally, the White Tiger students seeded in breaking the ice with their axes and bumped fists in celebration. Breaking ice in such cold weather was no easy task. Swinging an axe carelessly could lead to sweat-soaked clothes freezing, so they had to do it slowly and cautiously.
"Be careful."
"I know. Here I go!"
One student pulled out a round bead with engraved symbols. It was the they had bought from the ck Tortoise students. An artifact that provided a clear view around the bead to its user. Though disposable, it was considered a fine piece among the failed experiments avable at the academy.
The students securely attached the bead to a rod and lowered it into theke. Despite wearing severalyers of leather enchanted with lesser cold resistance magic, falling into theke would render such protections meaningless. They moved with utmost caution.
"There it is! The hook!"
They had spotted the Cold Submerge Lotus and tried to extract it with a hook. The tightly packed material slowly began to be pulled up. Their faces brightened.
"We got it!"
"Keep digging! Let''s take all of it!"
-! !
"?!?"
"What''s that!?"
Before them, the White Snow Hedgehog appeared.
With a crackling sound, the White Snow Hedgehog began to dash across theke. The fishing-focused White Tiger students were too slow to respond.
"That... that thing..."
"Don''te this way!"
Despite the students'' shouts, the White Snow Hedgehog paid them no heed and charged towards the hole they had made in the ice. The weakened ice shattered in a chain reaction, followed by a massive crashing sound.
Ssh!
The White Snow Hedgehog plunged into theke.
...And so did the students of the White Tiger.
"Why are those kids on theke? It''s dangerous!"
Asan was flustered upon seeing the students of the White Tiger falling into theke in the distance. However, Yi-Han noticed something different. ''No. They''ve dug up the Cold Submerge Lotus, haven''t they?'' He saw the baskets left on thekeshore, filled with the Cold Submerge Lotus, his eyes shining with realization. They had seeded in extracting it.
"We must help them!"
Nillia cried out urgently. It was their pursuit of the White Snow Hedgehog that had caused this ident. At her words, Yi-Han, who was contemting how to borrow the Cold Submerge Lotus, nodded.
"Yes. Let''s help them and borrow the Cold Submerge Lotus aspensation."
"What? What did you say?"
"Move!"
Yi-Han didn''t respond but sprang into action. He would first rescue those who had fallen in! He picked up the poles stacked by the White Tiger students and moved toward those struggling in the water. The students barely managed to grasp the poles.
"Get out!"
"Ugh... Mm... Mm..."
The students of the White Tiger couldn''t speak properly due to the cold. Shivering, they clung to the poles and climbed up. However, not all could do so. Some, their arms seemingly paralyzed, struggled to exert any strength.
''I must lift them out myself!''
In a brief moment, Yi-Han''s mind raced for a solution. How could he get the students out of the water and onto the shore? ''By manipting the water beneath them...'' He cast another spell, targeting the water beneath the students.
Water element magic was the most familiar andfortable for Yi-Han. Even in dire situations, he could cast it as naturally as breathing. ''...Lift them up!''
Ssh!
The students'' heads bobbed up, but that was it. It wasn''t easy to rescue someone from water with a of water. ''Isn''t it working?''
The distance and therge area he was trying to control weakened the force of the water. If it had been water summoned by Yi-Han, his control would have been stronger, but theke''s water was not so easily manipted. Yi-Han clicked his tongue in frustration.
''Should I summon water separately and add it? No... it would weaken as soon as it mixed with theke water.''
As he pondered, a cold winter wind brushed against Yi-Han''s cheek. A streak of inspiration flowed through his arm before he even thought it through. Instinctively, he began chanting a spell, a moment of enlightenment for a mage.
"Freeze!"
Zzzzzzzzzz!
Just like when Professor Bdi threatened his life, and he suddenly understood how to control the water element, Yi-Han felt he understood what the cold element was. Forgetting his current predicament, he immersed himself in controlling the ice. The revtion made him forget even the harsh cold.
''It''s impossible!''
Yonaire stared at Yi-Han in astonishment. Unlike other students who thought, ''Wardanaz knows even dark magic, so what''s surprising?'' Yonaire knew to some extent what magic Yi-Han could or couldn''t use. And cold element magic was something Yi-Han didn''t know.
If he had known it, he wouldn''t have struggled so much with storing ingredients. But now, Yi-Han was using cold element magic. There was only one reasonable exnation.
He had learned it on his own, without learning from a professor!
-Maykin. A good mage learns quickly, but an outstanding mage learns on their own.-
-Is that possible?-
-Then. As you continue learning, there wille a time when you''ll learn on your own. That''s when you can truly be called a mage.-
Swoosh-
A wide b of ice formed in the water, pushing the fallen students upwards.
Their friends hurriedly pulled the students of the White Tiger out of the water, looking like drowned rats.
"Light a fire!"
"But, my flint is wet?"
"Are you even a mage!?"
"Ah... Right. Sorry."
"Bring the potions!"
The students quickly lit a fire by thekeside and massaged the hands and feet of the White Tiger friends.
"Yonaire, help me! We need to make more potions!"
"Eh? Oh, sorry."
Yonaire quickly regained her senses and prepared the potions.
It felt strange.
Despite being surrounded by so many friends, Yonaire was the only one who realized the significance of what she had just witnessed.
Yi-Han emerged just then, murmuring to himself.
Yonaire, curious, listened in.
What was Yi-Han saying? ''Perhaps about what he just did?''
"When we return to the tower, I should practice freezing the perishable ingredients first."
"..."
Yonaire pretended not to hear and turned her gaze to the cauldron.
The affairs of the world were often more mundane than one expected.
"Wardanaz... Thank you. I have no idea why the White Snow Hedgehog suddenly appeared."
"It''s actually our f..."
"It''s fine."
Yi-Han interrupted Nillia.
"Even though we''re from different towers, helping a student in distress is something we must naturally do."
"...???"
Nillia looked at Yi-Han in disbelief. However, his expression remained unchanged.
"Now, about the Cold Submerge Lotus..."
"There! The White Snow Hedgehog is back!"
"!"
All the students turned their eyes in surprise.
Indeed, the White Snow Hedgehog was approaching.
But this time, it was different. The White Snow Hedgehog slowly approached and gently ced something down.
It was a bundle of Cold Submerge Lotus.
"...!"
"That, that is..."
"Wardanaz. Maybe the White Snow Hedgehog was touched by your act of saving your friends!"
"It''s a miracle...!"
The students were truly amazed.
Who would have thought that a mere monster, moved by emotion, would leave such a gift and go?
Despite the cold snowy weather, it was a heartwarming miracle.
Nillia tilted her head in confusion.
"That''s not it. Looks like it''s scared? This behavior of giving gifts so we won''t chase it..."
"Shh. Nillia. It might be better to keep quiet."
Ratford covered Nillia''s mouth.
There was no need to break the mood.
Professor Uregor praised the students for collecting various ingredients.
He then trimmed the ingredients and stored them in ss bottles for the students'' continued use, though he did make some unnecessary remarks.
-"You managed to get Cold Submerge Lotus? You actually got this? How did you manage?"-
-...-
Thanks to this, the White Tiger students, who were frozen solid, warmed up with anger.
Yi-Han quickly had his lunch and headed toward Professor Bdi''s lecture room.
''This week... it might revolve around cold, right?''
Heading to the lecture room, Yi-Han thought.
Professor Bdi was the most unpredictable among the professors, but even so, Yi-Han could predict this much.
The current snowstorm outside was an opportunity that didn''te often, so it was likely that Professor Bdi would utilize it.
"You''ve arrived."
"Yes."
"Cold among the elements is tricky. Especially in magicbat. But through appropriate application, its limits can be ovee."
Yi-Han was not surprised by the Vampire Professor''s direct approach to the main topic.
He nodded as if he had expected it, and a faint confidence could be seen in his expression. He was, after all, on his way back from learning the cold element by himself.
"Maintaining it is difficult and itcks instantaneous destructive power, but cold magic is useful in the following situations..."
Yi-Han focused intently on Professor Bdi''s exnation, taking notes.
At some point, Professor Bdi finished his exnation.
"Now, cast an ice generation spell."
Yi-Han nodded.
"Freeze!"
Coldness shot out from the tip of his staff, lowering the temperature of the lecture room. Frost settled on the desks in front of him.
Normally, mastering cold element magic would require numerous trials and errors. Yet here was a freshman who had learned it on his own, an astonishing feat that did not even elicit a change in Professor Bdi''s expression.
"Well done."
''Eh?''
"I thought it would take a day, but we can move ahead in the curriculum. The next spell to cast is..."
"..."
Only then did Yi-Han snap back to reality.
''What was I doing?''
He had lost track of himself in the joy of his recent learning of the cold element.
...He should have pretended to struggle a few times!
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Chapter 196
Chapter 196
But it was already toote for regrets.
Professor Bdi''s magic lecture continued unabated.
"I''ve heard from Professor Verduus. You''ve decided to major in Enchantment Magic as well."
"...I''m just taking it lightly..."
"It''s a good choice."
Enchantment Magic was particrly versatile due to its wide applicability and ease of integration with other forms of magic.
Cold Element Magic, in particr, synergized well with Enchantment Magic.
Those unfamiliar with Cold Element Magic often harbored several misconceptions about it: the intense imagery associated with biting cold, the difficulty in mastering and utilizing it.
-Perhaps the Cold Element is the most destructive andbative of all elements?-
But this was not the case.
In terms of instantaneous destructive power, the Fire Element was far superior. Fire ignited instantly, consuming its surroundings as it burned.
In contrast, the Cold Element did not immediately freeze the target upon invocation.
Continuously, the mage had to infuse mana to maintain the cold until the target waspletely frozen.
It was an inefficient method.
''Hmm. I should refrain from thoughtlessly freezing things in the future.''
Yi-Han, who had hastily infused mana into theke to create ice, reflected on his actions. If other professors had seen him, they might have criticized him as a fool.
Regardless, the Cold Element''s other characteristics were also rather ambiguous.
Shape shifting or sustaining power?
The Water Element was superior.
Pure pration power belonged to the Earth Element, and speed to the Lightning Element...
Excluding its freezing trait, the Cold Element was, in fact, rather ambiguous and tricky to use.
However, there were methods to effectively use it. If one knew how to, the Cold Element had distinct advantages iparable to other elements.
One such method was through Enchantment Magic.
Thud-
Professor Bdi drew his sword. From his stable stance, Yi-Han realized the professor had trained in swordsmanship.
''Indeed, a person who stakes his life on magicbat wouldn''t neglect close-quarter fighting.''
Whoosh!
Yi-Han felt the cold mana rising along the de of the sword.
"Come at me."
"...!"
Yi-Han, trying not to show his excitement, managed his expression and stood up.
He took his wooden sword and assumed his stance. The professor immediatelyunched an attack, closing the distance with a swift, sharp thrust.
But Yi-Han, well-trained in swordsmanship, was not so easily bested by a straightforward, unfeigned attack from a distance.
He pushed forward with his wooden sword, deflecting the thrust.
Crack!
At that moment, part of the wooden sword froze.
Yi-Han forcefully expelled mana to shake off the ice. He couldn''t end it like this.
''Professor Bdi probably doesn''t know much about my style of swordsmanship. Just one hit would suffice...''
"Do you understand?"
"Excuse me?"
Caught off-guard by his own thoughts, Yi-Han hesitated.
"The Enchantment Magic, I mean."
"Ah... Yes. It synergizes well with the Cold Element."
There was no need for a mage to scatter coldness or shoot crystallized ice if they could imbue objects with coldness, continuously inflicting damage on the enemy.
A single brush might not be enough to incapacitate, but it was sufficient.
Yi-Han, proficient in swordsmanship, was keenly aware of how effective this method of cold enchantment could be.
''In a duel between swordsmen, one would have to continually sh weapons. After five or six hits, one would be rendered incapable ofbat.''
Seeing that Yi-Han understood, Professor Bdi nodded and sheathed his sword. Yi-Han felt a tinge of regret inside.
"Throw it."
"Yes."
Professor Bdi gestured towards an iron marble. Yi-Han, managing his expression as before, picked up the marble.
''Keep calm.''
Without rming his opponent, maintaining as muchposure as possible...
Yi-Han drew mana from his entire body and infused it into the marble.
He remembered Professor Ingurdel''s warning about the dangers of infusing too much mana into a sword.
But sometimes, there were unavoidable situations.
And this was one of those times.
Swoosh!
The marble, tearing through the air with a menacing speed, was suddenlyunched.
At that moment, the dagger at Professor Bdi''s waist seemed toe alive, moving on its own.
With a nging sound, the dagger precisely prated the marble. The marble, which had been hurtling at great speed, suddenly slowed down and froze.
It was an unreal stoppage, something only the coldness summoned by a mage could achieve.
While Yi-Han was amazed, Professor Bdi was focusing on something else.
The vampire professor asked with interest, "Did you trigger the mana instantly instead of circting it?"
"...Yes."
"It might strain the equipment, but disposable throwing weapons are fine. It''s a good technique."
Yi-Han sighed in relief internally.
Fortunately, his hidden murderous intent had not been detected.
"We practiced this in swordsmanship ss."
"Excuse me?"
Yi-Han hesitated.
He sensed the conversation drifting in an odd direction.
Professor Bdi''s words sounded like, ''So you were taking swordsmanship sses to add this technique to your magicbat.''
For Yi-Han, who was taking the ss for academic credits, it was an unjust usation.
"It''s not like I did it on purpose..."
"Well done. Now summon a Cold Shield."
Professor Bdi quickly changed the subject, signaling the end of the previous topic.
Yi-Han was uneasy but had no chance to clear the misunderstanding.
''...It should be okay. Surely.''
The 2nd Circle magic, , was much more difficult than , even though they were of the same circle.
In terms of elemental difficulty, mana consumption, mana maintenance, and so on.
It felt unfair to call it the same circle magic.
But deserved its difficulty.
''It freezes any attack that touches it!''
It was an exceptional magic shield, not just freezing but also significantly reducing the power of attacks.
"Nowmand this shield to protect you autonomously."
"Yes... Excuse me?"
Yi-Han nodded, then was startled.
Throughout the lecture, he had struggled to master the shape-shifting technique of the Cold Element and had barely managed to create . And now, he was being asked to give it autonomy.
Professor Bdi, realizing Yi-Han''s confusion, rified, "Not right now."
"Oh. The final goal..."
"By next ss."
"..."
Yi-Han regretted not infusing the iron marble with more mana when he had thrown it.
Would more mana have breached the defense?
"Tomand a shield to protect on its own... Wouldn''t that require at least the 4th Circle?"
Yi-Han estimated briefly.
To create a Cold Shield that floated in the air, spinning around, and protected its master from iing attacks?
...It would require at least the 4th Circle.
"That''s correct."
"Professor. I''m a first-year student."
"?"
Professor Bdi looked at Yi-Han with puzzled eyes, wondering why he was bringing this up suddenly.
"...Its the difficulty of the magic...?"
"Combining spinning and projectile properties in a water orb and Azirmo Summoning Enchantment. All of these are 4th Circle, aren''t they?"
"..."
Yi-Han was genuinely at a loss for words.
In his time at the academy, Yi-Han never expected to be outwitted in logic by Professor Bdi.
-You have sessfully performed 4th Circle difficulty magic before -> Therefore, you can seed at 4th Circle difficulty magic again!-
It was an irrefutable and wless logic.
Professor Bdi continued, still seemingly puzzled.
"Was that a joke?"
"...Yes... kind of..."
"Youck a knack for humor. No matter. Jokes are unnecessary in magicbat."
With that, Professor Bdi offered some constion and was the first to leave the ssroom.
Left alone after the lecture, Yi-Han sat with his head in his hands, full of regret.
''...I shouldn''t have seeded with the Cold Element magic on the first try.''
The more he thought about it, the more he realized that this single mistake had set off the entire chain of events.
Though the academy was still cold, Yi-Han seemed to have adapted to it after a couple of days.
''It''s time to make my way to the Spire.''
Of course, some of his peers, like Gainando, might have suggested otherwise.
-Do we really have to go in this weather!? Let''s goter!-
But Yi-Han knew better.
Excuses about the cold, the heat, uing quizzes, or having to y card games would prevent him from aplishing anything.
-Alright, stop nagging...!-
Gainando, who had merely expressed concern once, felt unfairly chastised.
He didn''t think this warranted such a scolding!
tter, tter-
Evening.
Students of the Blue Dragon gathered in the recreation room, scraping the remaining food from their bowls with spoons.
Yi-Han, having finished his meal early, took out the potions he had received as a gift from Priestess Siana.
Given the weather and the fact that it was night, he needed to be prepared.
Gulp-
After swiftly consuming the drinkable potions, Yi-Han stood up.
"See youter, then."
"Take care."
"Thanks for your concern."
"..."
Gainando sent a disgruntled look at the warm exchange.
"What''s the difference between what I said and this?"
"Is it sincere?"
"Hey? He''s out!"
"Really?"
Fourth-year students Coholti and his friends were taken aback.
They hadn''t expected anyone, especially in this weather, to venture out of the tower.
"Is he a freshman?"
"Not an ordinary one, that''s for sure."
Coholti''sment made his friends nod in agreement.
They vividly remembered the scene of Yi-Han wildly casting magic in the twisted realm corridor.
Ordinary freshmen didn''t do that.
-I told you, didn''t I? The head of the Wardanaz family must have made a serious pact with a demon-
-Has the Wardanaz family gone mad to do something like that?-
-Then consider my more moderate theory that the head of the Wardanaz family has some dealings with a dragon-
-Guys, I love a good debate, but let''s not make assassination-worthyments about the Wardanaz family when we''re outside.-
While Direth cursed them, saying ''You trash kids solve it'', Coholti and his friends approached the situation realistically.
They needed a considerable amount of mana to solve the twisted realm corridor right now -> There''s hardly any way to transport that much mana to the corridor without loss -> In such a situation, shouldn''t they seek help from freshmen?
Of course, Direth and other upperssmen might criticize them for ''bringing shame to the fourth-years'', but Coholti and his friends felt no shame.
-Then you guys try dealing with the twisted realm corridor while being grilled by the professors!-
Therefore, Coholti and his friends were secretly waiting around the Blue Dragon Tower.
They doubted he woulde out, but just in case he did, they wanted to make contact.
But they hadn''t expected him to actually appear.
"Send a message! Quick, send a message!"
"Wait. I''m on it!"
The fourth-year students calmed their excitement and cast a spell.
Contacting freshmen was a risky business under the strict surveince of the skull principal, but it wasn''t impossible.
After all, these fourth-years had seen and survived many challenges at the academy.
Thump-
A paper bird whirled through the air and then dropped right in front of Yi-Han''s feet.
?
Yi-Han, puzzled, picked up the paper.
Brave and wise freshman. Come to the twisted realm corridor as guided by Professor Mortum.
In doing so, faithful mages will reward your dedication!
...
Yi-Han was dumbfounded.
''Is there such a thing as letter scams in a magic academy?''
Rip, rip, rip!
Without a second thought, Yi-Han tore up the letter and discarded it. He didn''t want to take any chances with potentially dangerous magic attached to it.
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Chapter 197
Chapter 197
Chapter 197
Yi-Han dusted off his hands and surveyed his surroundings. He wondered if either the skull principal or his summoned creatures might be present. At first, he had thought the skull principal was responsible for his current situation, but upon reflection, he realized the principal wouldnt resort to suchplicated means of torment.
Could it be someone else? he pondered. Whoever it was, they knew about Yi-Han''s venture with Professor Mortum into the twisted realm corridor, and perhaps they were trying to trick him into returning there.
But who, other than the skull principal, could it be?
Deciding not to dwell on the question without an immediate answer, Yi-Han shook his head to clear his thoughts and proceeded forward.
To the senior students observing, it was an infuriating sight.
Why is he ignoring us? Did I spell something wrong?
Could I have made a spelling mistake? It''s not my first time sending a letter. I made sure it was properly formal.
This is strange, isnt it?
Coholti and his friends were baffled. When they were freshmen, they had experienced daily hunger and hardship. Even now, things didn''t seem much different, but they had been desperate enough to try anything for food testing the toxicity of dangerous mushrooms on themselves, entering corridors and rooms that clearly seemed off-limits, and venturing into the forest outside the academy, rumored to be perilous.
Back then, when they knew nothing about the academy and were driven by sheer desperation, even a letter warning of ''dangerous journeys, numerous perils, no guarantee of safe return'' would have been enough to spur them into action, hoping for something better.
But why was this freshman different?
Why is he ignoring the letter even though I clearly wrote about the rewards?
Is it because of the principal? Has the principal threatened him?
While they pondered this, the freshman in question had already walked far away.
Coholti and his friends could only stare after him with a sense of bafflement.
Do you have anyints against me?
How could that be?
The next morning, as the skull principal floated into the ssroom, he sensed something odd in Yi-Han''s gaze.
Im sure it''s him, Yi-Han thought to himself. He was almost certain that the skull principal was behind the letter he received the previous evening. Who else could it be? The method might have been unnecessarilyplicated for the principal, but nothing was impossible.
Why is he acting like this? the skull principal wondered, feeling uneasy. Among the many ironheads, the boy from the Wardanaz family possessed an extraordinary talent. Although the principal found it irksome that such talent was being used merely for ''helping friends, thwarting the principal''s grand ns''...
Nevertheless, such a capable freshman needed to be watched closely. Who knew when he might strike a blow against the skull principal.
Principal!
What is it?
May I close the window, please?
One of the students, chattering teeth in the cold, with lips already turning blue, spoke up. The main buildings ssrooms were usually warmer than outside, even without heating. Just avoiding the cold draft from an open window made a significant difference.
Whooooosh!
However, on this particr morning, all the windows in the ssroom were wide open, letting the chilly morning air rush in, striking the students'' cheeks.
Do as you wish.
Thank you!
The student, not expecting the skull principal''s permission, joyously ran towards the windows.
But Yi-Han sensed something ominous.
Could it be?
Uh, what?
The student who ran to the window gasped in shock.
All the windows had vanished!
"Why won''t you close it?"
"...The window... it''s gone..."
s!
At the skull principal''s contemptible words, students wrapped in thick coats and leather red at him. Even the most foolish student in the ssroom had realized who had removed the windows.
The day''s lecture, it seemed, would be about the wisdom of a mage in dealing with such unexpected situations.
"..."
Now, stop shivering and think. Mages with twisted morals act foolishly in crises like these, only hoping to endure it together.
"Isn''t it a good thing?"
The skull principal blinked in surprise. Gainando''s voice was suddenly silenced.
Good mages don''t fall for such nonsense; they seek the root of the problem and solve it wisely. Don''t be foolish and just try to endure together when faced with crises or emergencies. That''s essentially giving up.
Several students, including Gainando, expressed doubt about the skull principal''s novel theory.
"Wouldn''t it be better tobine our strengths and our minds?"
"Pooling our wisdom together seems like a better idea."
Stop talking nonsense. Do you think gathering a bunch of ironheads will produce gold? Wisdomes from desperation. Getting together only breedscency. In the end, you''ll find yourselves scratching, stabbing, and biting each other. Better to have pondered alone from the start.
"..."
The students were horrified at the skull principal''s tant cursing.
Isn''t this too much?
Meanwhile, Gainando gestured frantically, asking the Principal to silence the students who had just spoken up. Yi-Han thought to himself, ''They''ve learned the lesson well.''
So, ironheads who like to cooperate. Try blocking that window together.
"...!"
The student from the White Tiger, singled out by the skull principal for saying those words, panicked.
"Uh... Uh..."
"Don''t worry. Gatonno. We''ll help you."
The students of the White Tiger stood resolutely to help their friend, intending to rescue him from the evil clutches of the skull principal, who was ignorant of the honor of knights and friendship.
Sssshhh!
They began hanging the leathers they brought on the empty window frame. Though imperfect, the thick leathers, enchanted with cold resistance, could block the wind ifyered.
Other tower students watched the effort with slight admiration.
Just as they hung the leathers...
Snap!
Suddenly, a giant undead bird of prey swooped from outside the window, snatching the leathers and flying away.
"..."
"..."
The skull principal spoke with an expressionless face.
Oh dear. An unexpected ident urred. You should have used magic instead. Not such a foolish method.
''Isn''t this going to cause a fight?''
The students from the White Tiger looked like they could kill with their res alone.
As it grew colder and their peers'' faces turned pale, Yi-Han raised his hand to intervene.
''I''ve mastered cold magic, I''ll freeze it to block it.''
"I will..."
Go run an errand ande back.
"Isn''t this too much!?"
"Wardanaz should be allowed!"
Before Yi-Han could respond, other tower students were outraged.
''Am I some sort of item?''
I don''t understand what you all are saying. Wardanaz, hurry up and leave.
Go to the Spirekeeper and bring back the ''Globe of the Cold Winter.''
(The map is on the back)
Not bad, thought Yi-Han, not because he had escaped the skull principal''s tedious ss, but because he had discovered new shortcuts within the magic academy. As the letter from the skull principal caused the academy''s walls to move and reveal a hidden staircase, Yi-Han looked at it with greedy eyes.
If I could replicate it and switch it with a fake... No, too risky, he quickly concluded, regretfully deciding to abandon the idea. The risk of forging such an item was too great.
Who exactly is the Spirekeeper, I wonder? Could it be?
Yi-Han recalled the warehouse keeper he had met among the skull principal''s numerous minions. Although blindfolded with bandages, this minion had shown an incredibly sharp sense, albeit mistaking Yi-Han for the skull principal a mistake anyone could make. Overall, this minion was undoubtedlypetent.
The Spirekeeper, if of the same ilk, would not be an easy adversary. Normally, Yi-Han would have avoided such a confrontation, but...
The problem is that I''m trying to make my way to the Spire.
The name of the Spirekeeper unsettled him, especially since he was targeting the Spire''s stable.
Yi-Han steeled his resolve. No, this is an opportunity. Knowing about the Spirekeeper''s existence was actually fortunate. It allowed him to n ahead.
Hed confront them and figure it out!
Thud.
After going up three spiral staircases, taking two elevators, and passing through four secret doors, Yi-Han found himself in an unfamiliar ce. The view from the corridor''s window indicated they were quite high up.
Thump!
There stood the Spirekeeper, holding a peculiarly shaped staff, their mouth wrapped in bandages, blinking at Yi-Han.
The air tensed without any provocation. Yi-Han quickly produced the letter.
"Here it is."
"..."
The Spirekeeper nodded after looking at the letter, then gestured for Yi-Han to follow.
"My name is Yi-Han."
"..."
Despite his greeting, the Spirekeeper remained silent. Yi-Han, ustomed to friends of few words, found the Spirekeeper''s silence surpassing even that.
It''s tough to extract any information, Yi-Han thought,paring the Spirekeeper unfavorably to the warehouse keeper.
Their one-sided conversation and silence continued. Without giving Yi-Han a chance to act, the Spirekeeper walked down the corridor and opened a door.
Inside, various bizarre items were scattered haphazardly.
Yi-Han instinctively knew where he was. "One of the principal''s storerooms!"
Like a squirrel hiding acorns throughout the forest, the skull principal had created storerooms throughout the academy buildings. While these storerooms sometimes became targets of student raids or disappeared due to idents or renovations, most remained intact, used by the skull principal as needed.
Whirr-
What''s that?
Yi-Han paused at the ominous vibrating sound. The Spirekeeper, however, stepped nonchntly among the clutter.
Is it not a big deal?
Whirr-
But the sound grew louder, and Yi-Han began to feel uneasy.
"Does this usually happen when an outsider enters?"
Thump!
The Spirekeeper quickly swung their staff, casting a protective shield around Yi-Han. Simultaneously, a strange sword, emanating a malevolent aura from among the clutter, flew towards them.
Bang!!!
!
With a loud impact, the protective barrier shook violently, startling Yi-Han.
No way. Has the Principal gone insane?
Sending him on an errand was one thing, but to have such a mad artifact lying in wait was another. Yi-Han thought it was excessive, even considering the times he had thwarted the skull principal''s ns.
"..."
The expression of the Spirekeeper turned grave. The sword that had just awakened was an artifact that should not have moved unless provoked by a powerful enemy. Its sudden activation was iprehensible.
Despite the confusion, the Spirekeeper swung their staff, distorting space and reinforcing the barrier. Understanding the situation was secondary; they had to address the immediate threat.
However, the sword was relentless. It darted swiftly, piercing through the barrier and striking the Spirekeeper before the space could fully warp.
Frowning, the Spirekeeper swung their staff again, intending to exit the room.
"!" Yi-Han watched in horror as the Spirekeeper was hit and knocked down by a chain flying from behind.
This turn of events...
"Sharakan,e forth!"
Yi-Han summoned his magic, his power surging. He didn''t understand why this crazed artifact was attacking, but he was not about to let himself be an easy target.
Even if it meant reducing the storeroom to ruins, he was determined to survive by any means necessary!
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Chapter 198
Chapter 198
How much time had passed?
The Spirekeeper, who had been felled by a surprise attack from behind, regained consciousness and hurriedly rose to their feet. The thought of copsing in the face of artifacts attack, while leaving a freshman behind, was a mistake too great for words, even if they had ten mouths.
The Spirekeeper prayed they weren''t toote as they clutched their staff and stood up. However, the scene before their eyes vastly differed from their expectations. For starters, the storage room was in a semi-destroyed state. The fight had been so fierce that the scattered clutter waspletely demolished, lying in ruins.
They felt no despair or shock at the sight of the principal''s storeroom items being destroyed. In truth, these items, though precious to the principal, held little interest for the Spirekeeper. After all, they weren''t their belongings.
What truly astonished them was the fact that the new student had fought so fiercely against the attacking artifacts. Judging by the artifact''s aggression, it was clearly not something lower-level students should be able to handle.
Yi-Han groaned as he rose, his body emitting a sound of pain. Before himy scorched and frozen artifacts. He had managed to seal them by continuously unleashing coldness, but his body ached all over. I never thought Professor Bdi''s teachings were correct, Yi-Han thought, finding it more disagreeable to acknowledge the professor''s words than the fatigue in his body. A mage must never let his guard down at any moment! Had his reaction been even slightly dyed, the artifact would have pierced him, leaving several holes like the wind.
"Well done, Sharakan," he praised. Sharakan growled in contentment. Without this powerful undead summon, restraining the artifact would have been impossible. While Yi-Han bombarded the artifact with various spells and physical assaults, Sharakan threw his entire body to suppress the artifact''s movements. Without Sharakan, he would have been pierced long ago.
Are all artifacts this durable? Yi-Han wondered. He had not expected an inanimate enemy to be so menacing. The chilling indifference of the artifacts, unaffected by lightning strikes, mes, magic explosions, or curses, was terrifying. The artifact, aiming only for vital points, was fear incarnate. He had barely managed to immobilize it by unleashing and maintaining an intense coldness that almost froze the entire room.
From now on, I must flee whenever I encounter an artifact enemy.
As the Spirekeeper regained consciousness and approached Yi-Han, he finally noticed the surrounding situation. "There was no other choice," he said, a different kind of dread washing over him as he looked at the devastated storage room. What would the skull principal''s reaction be to this scene? He surely can''t me it all on me, Yi-Han hoped fervently, praying the Spirekeeper wouldn''t withdraw their support. Although, if the Spirekeeper had a conscience, they wouldn''t avoid responsibility for this disaster, having been the one who copsed...
However, the Spirekeeper''s reaction was entirely unexpected. They bowed their head and expressed their gratitude.
...!
Why isn''t he here yet?
The skull principal, waiting eagerly for the ''Globe of the Cold Winter,'' sensed something amiss. Could he have realized?
No, that''s impossible. No genius, no matter how brilliant, could foresee the magic contained within it.
The principal reassured his uneasy mind. The ''Globe of the Cold Winter'' was a surprise gift for the students in the ssroom. The moment Yi-Han brought it in, the weather trapped inside the globe would be released into the ssroom, and the students would joyfully wee the blizzard inside the ssroom...
But why hasn''t he arrived yet?
Swoosh!
An undead bird of prey flew in through the window, a letter from the Spirekeeper tied to its ankle. The skull principal instinctively felt a sense of ominous dread.
You muste at once.
What is this all about? the skull principal wondered, puzzled.
Had that rascal Wardanaz noticed something midway and fled? Or had he defeated the Spirekeeper and was now looting the storage room? usible theories came to mind, but the answer remained elusive.
"Tch. I''ll be back shortly; continue with your self-study."
The students'' faces brightened at this announcement.
"While I am away, write ''I will not use unverified, dangerous magic'' ten thousand times."
Their expressions quickly darkened again.
Regardless, the skull principal, making a spine-chilling sound, headed towards the Spire.
What on earth has happened?
...
The skull principal felt as though tears were streaming from his empty eye sockets. They weren''t actual tears, of course, since liches have no tear nds. But he could feel hot tears streaming down his face.
"This is... this is too much."
Yi-Han''s fear intensified several fold as the principal''s voice trembled with sorrow. It would have been better if he had exploded in anger, but this reaction was unexpected.
Tap-tap-
The Spirekeeper, interrupting the principal''s moment of sorrow, handed him a note.
This new student has subdued the artifact; he deserves a reward.
...
The skull principal cursed himself for having such an oblivious minion. How could they be less perceptive than the new student beside them!
"Is this the time for such remarks? Really?"
But, as a matter of principle...
"Principles be damned! My heart is tearing apart! Wait a minute. Which artifact caused this mayhem?"
The principal, who had been furious, suddenly realized something odd. It seemed clear that a misced artifact in the storage room had caused all thismotion.
...But the principal never kept such a thing in the storage room. He wouldn''t have sent a new student or the Spirekeeper in there if he had.
"What is this?"
The notes he found amidst the mess revealed the truth.
The and I was asked to makest time are finished and left here.
Beavle Verduus
The principal''s jaw dropped upon finding the note among the ruins.
These were the artifacts he hadmissioned from Professor Verduus after a considerable financial sacrifice.
...And Professor Verduus had left them in the storage room as a surprise.
...No. No, that''s not it.
Professor Verduus wasn''t one for surprises. He must have left them in the nearest storage room out of sheerziness.
"I''ll kill you, Beavle!"
The principal roared in anger, his emanating mana causing the Spirekeeper to shiver.
"Principal. The Spirekeeper seems to be struggling..."
Yi-Han, though frightened, spoke up for the Spirekeeper.
The principal came to his senses, halting the release of his mana.
"...What? Are you being worried about by a new student?!"
The Spirekeeper hung their head in shame.
Having understood the whole situation, the skull principal clicked his tongue and looked up at the ceiling in resignation.
It was not someone''s fault, but rather an ident borne of misfortune and mishap.
No, it''s Beavle''s fault.
The principal regained hisposure.
He had almost let it slide due to the overwhelming mental shock.
I''ll kill him
Tap-tap-
?
As the Spirekeeper touched him again and called out, the principal, perplexed, turned his head.
The new student has subdued the artifact, so it seems appropriate to reward him.
"Later. We''ll do itter."
The skull principal answered with a weary voice. Technically, the Spirekeeper''s words were correct. The enchanted sword and chainsmissioned by the principal from Professor Verduus were no ordinary items. For a new student to have subdued them was indeed an astonishing feat, something even the principal would have marveled at under normal circumstances.
But now, the principal''s heart was too heavy and hollow to feel surprised or offer praise to anyone.
"We''ll take care of itter. Understood?"
"Yes, sure."
Yi-Han had noints. He just wanted to leave this ce as quickly as possible.
Pop!
The skull principal disappeared. Yi-Han internally mourned for Professor Beavle, knowing that the principal''s departure was unlikely to be for offering praises.
Tap-tap-
"?"
The Spirekeeper handed Yi-Han a well-wrapped package and once again expressed his gratitude.
I''ll speak to Gonadaltes about the rewardter.
Yi-Han was moved. What a good person! he thought, despite being employed by someone like the skull principal
In the afternoon, Yi-Han headed to Professor Beavle Verduus''s workshop, the Artifact Hall, to attend an additional lecture on enchantment magic.
How surprising.
To his amazement, a considerable number of students had gathered in front of the tower. Considering Professor Verduus'' reputation as the worst educator, this was proof of the allure of enchantment magic.
I can''t help but feel a bit sorry for Professor Mortum.
Sympathizing with a professor was a taboo, but sometimes the heart had its reasons.
"...Wait. But why is everyone standing outside and not entering?"
"They won''t open the door."
Yi-Han moved through his friends and knocked on the workshop door.
Knock-knock-knock-
"Professor? Are you there?"
Sounds ofmotion came from inside, followed by whispered consultations.
-What should we do? Is it really okay? Won''t we end up in the punishment roomter?-
-We got permission to conduct the lecture in the professor''s absence.-
-But still... Can we really trust that?-
After a while, the door finally opened.
"!"
"!!!!"
The first-year students were taken aback. Behind the door were not Professor Verduus, but rather senior students they had never seen before. The senior students were also surprised. Specifically, only one of the senior students was surprised.
It''s that new student!?
Kumandas, a fourth-year student specializing in ancient magic and enchantment magic, and a friend of Coholti, recognized Yi-Han''s face and was startled. He never expected to meet him here!
Wait. Doesn''t he major in dark magic?
Kumandas was momentarily confused. While double or even triple majors were not unheard of, they were rare. Even if students pursued a double major, they usually chose rted and manageable fields like Kumandas, who first specialized in enchantment magic and then studied artifact-rted ancient magic, essentially a linked double major.
Otherwise, students would copse under the workload. In fact, Kumandas had first specialized in enchantment magic and then added artifact studies from ancient magic.
But the student before him was majoring in dark magic and enchantment magic from the first year?
Starting both from the first year must be incredibly difficult and challenging.
Initially baffled, Kumandas then thought it usible. After all, wasn''t this the first-year student with a great talent that surprised even Direth? A student who had sparked rumors among his peers that he might have been enhanced by the Wardanaz family''s powerful spells...
It seemed only natural for someone with such grand ambitions to think as he did.
I wonder what goes on in the mind of a genius like that, Kumandas mused.
Certainly, Kumandas himself was a genius in the context of the entire empire, but this magic academy was a gathering ce for the geniuses among the empire''s geniuses. The real geniuses who stood out here were of a different caliber, much like the boy from the Wardanaz family right in front of him!
Compared to him, I''m just ordinary
The sight of Yi-Han, lost in thought with an expression as impassive as a statue, exuded an even more mysterious aura. It felt as if, except for when he slept, he was always immersed in the world of magic.
"Senior."
"What''s up?"
The statue, no, the genius, spoke up.
"Is it okay to eat the snacks on the table?"
"...Oh? Yeah, yeah. You can eat them..."
"It''s fine."
"Wardanaz, thank you!"
The other first-year students expressed their sincere gratitude to Yi-Han.
As the new students poured in, Kumandas wore a bewildered expression.
Huh?
Wait...?
Something... something''s different from what I expected...?
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Chapter 199
Chapter 199
Kumandas was initially flustered, but he quickly regained hisposure. There was much he needed to do at the moment. In ce of Professor Verduus, who had been taken somewhere, Kumandas had to teach enchantment magic. Additionally, he needed to covertly persuade the new student before him toe to the twisted realm corridor.
"Senior! How are you?"
"Senior! We..."
"Wait a moment!"
The freshmen, chirping like birds, were sternly silenced by the fourth-year seniors. Having once been freshmen themselves, the seniors knew exactly what the new students were about to say.
"Don''t ask any questions about academy life! Don''t ask where the food storages are, which floor has exam-rted information, where in the library to find useful books, or how to escape! We will only discuss enchantment magic!"
The freshmen looked dejected at the senior''s firm stance.
But the seniors were desperate too. One mistake could lead them to be dragged off to the punishment room.
''So they''re wary of the skull principal,'' thought Yi-Han, understanding why the seniors were acting this way. The skull principal''s temperament wouldn''t allow the seniors to help the juniors just like that.
"Let''s not trouble our seniors too much. They have their own circumstances," Yi-Han said, sweeping butter cookies into his coat while speaking. His friends nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, the seniors must be cautious."
"Do you think they''d be scolded even for teaching us?"
"You never know."
Inwardly, the fourth-year students wept at the innocent conversation of the freshmen.
''So naive!''
''But isnt anyone going toment on that Wardanaz guy sweeping up the cookies?''
"Ahem. Let''s begin with enchantment magic, shall we?" said one of the fourth-year students, clearing his throat before starting the lecture.
Enchantment Magic.
A type of magic that enhances, inscribes, or blesses a person or object. Sessfully enchanting an object permanently would create an artifact, and mastering it on people would earn one the title of an Enchanter. Enchantment magic''s utility was vastpared to dark magic''s wide-ranging study (assuming Professor Mortum''s ims were true) and its limited applications.
"Juniors, don''t try body enchantments for now," a senior warned.
"If you''re not confident and enchant incorrectly, you can be seriously injured."
While a failed object enchantment only resulted in a broken object, a failed body enchantment could have severe consequences.
"Until you get skilled, focus on enchantments targeting objects."
''Indeed... Huh?'' Yi-Han paused while listening to the senior''s exnation.
...Didn''t the book the skull principal gave me start with enhancement magic?
Though it was a thing of the past, Yi-Han felt strangely aggrieved.
This darn ck book...
"I heard you juniors started with . But truthfully, mastering is quite challenging now. It''s somewhat easier due to the cold weather, but it will get harder as it warms up. Don''t be greedy and slowly learn other magics first."
Upon hearing the senior''s words, the friends stared intently at Yi-Han. Yi-Han, pretending not to notice, ignored them.
"Now, let''s begin."
.
It was a basic spell that beginners of enchantment magic learned as a stepping stone to moreplex magic. The principle behind the spell was simple to make soft paper hard. Junior students often used such strengthened paper beneath their coats as makeshift armor.
"Paper, be hard!"
"Paper, turn as strong as steel."
"A spell is a tool to focus the will, but don''t be too specific or impose unnecessary restrictions on yourself. Otherwise, you''ll be hindering your own progress."
The seniors proved to be better instructors than Professor Beavle. They efficiently divided and taught the students in an orderly manner, noticeably improving the learning process.
In fact, if Yi-Han had been teaching, he probably would have been better than the professor too.
Kumandas asked his friends, "Can I teach him?"
"Do as you wish. But why?"
"It''s nothing, really."
Kumandas couldn''t tell his friends the truth.
-I actually made a mistake earlier. To rectify that mistake, I need the abilities of a freshman.-
-You were suspicious when we were doing the assignment, but now you''ve really gone mad. Tsk tsk.-
...He anticipated such reactions.
"Go ahead, cast it."
Kumandas stared intently at the students in front of him, focusing particrly on Yi-Han.
"...?"
Yi-Han whispered to Yonaire beside him, "Did I do something wrong?"
"I don''t think so?"
"Was I too tant when I grabbed the snacks earlier?"
"If the seniors are ring over something like that, it''s a bit too much. They were freshmen once too."
"Right? I can''t figure out the reason."
After quickly epting this, Yi-Han tilted his head in confusion.
If not that, then why?
"Paper, be hard."
Yi-Han easily seeded in casting the spell. Having already forcibly learned spells several times more difficult, strengthening the rigidity of paper was not much of a challenge for him.
"Really impressive," Kumandas casually praised.
In truth, he hadn''t even looked at the magic Yi-Han had cast. Since other students were also seeding, it couldn''t have been a difficult spell.
But something else was more important.
''I must convey the message somehow!''
"You know it worked without even knocking on it?" inquired Ango, who was puzzled. Kumandas casually replied, "Once you gain more experience, you''ll be able to do it too."
"Wow...!"
Ango, amazed, knocked on Yi-Han''s paper. Before the spell, it had been a fluttering sheet, but now it sounded solid like hardwood. Ango had seeded in his magic too, but it wasn''t as solid as Yi-Han''s.
In enchantment magic, sess was recognized once a certain standard was met, but there were still variations in quality even among sessful spells.
"How can I make it this solid?"
"Try infusing more mana."
Kumandas, without even looking at Ango, advised him to infuse more mana. Ango waved his staff with more mana than before.
"Wow...! It''s really be harder!"
"That''s good."
Kumandas answered nonchntly and then whispered to Yi-Han, "Are you having any troubles?"
"?!"
Yi-Han was startled.
''What''s with this person?''
Why such an unexpected question?
''Is it a trap?''
The devil is always in the details.
Yi-Han was not easily swayed.
"I don''t understand what you mean."
"Just in case you need to talk about something..."
While Kumandas was whispering, another fourth-year student came over and was surprised to see the magic Yi-Han had cast.
"Wow, you managed to infuse so much mana? The paper could have melted if you weren''t careful."
"Really? Have you learned enchantment magic before?"
"No way. It''s not time for that yet."
The seniors were amazed and discussed among themselves.
Enchantment magic was not about forcefully applying strong mana. Overloading an object with too much mana could destroy it. Bncing mana at its edge required not just talent but experience.
"Kumandas. Kumandas. Did you see this?"
Kumandas, who had been continuously whispering to Yi-Han with questions like ''Are you having any troubles?'', ''I can help you'', ''Trust me'', turned his gaze towards his friends with apparent annoyance.
"What? Why?"
"Did you see this?"
"I saw it. He seeded earlier."
"That''s not what I mean. Look at the mana imbued in it. Doesn''t it feel stronger than wood?"
"What''s all the fuss about... Oh!"
Kumandas was startled upon examining the mana in the paper.
His friends looked at him incredulously.
''You said you saw it...''
"I think theres a strange one among the seniors," Yi-Han remarked.
"Really? We should be careful."
The students of the Blue Dragon in the lounge were surprised by Yi-Han''sment.
Even seniors couldn''t be trusted in this magic academy.
''Such overtly suspicious questioning.''
Had he answered honestly, he might have been sent flying to the skull principal''s punishment room.
"Are you going out today?"
"No."
"Then how about car..."
"I''ve been roaming around at night for the past few days, so I should catch up on some reading and studies today."
"..."
Gainando, who had been pulling out a deck of cards, recoiled with a look of disgust.
He knew he could be dragged into studying together if caught on a bad day.
"?!"
While reading, Yi-Han spotted a paper bird flying in through the open window.
''What''s this?''
Come to the lower grounds as fast as possible!!!
-Beavle Verduus
''Wow. I really don''t want to go.''
Yi-Han grimaced immediately upon reading the note.
He would have preferred a note inviting him to the twisted realm corridor.
He didn''t even want to imagine why the professor was suddenly calling him.
''Regrettably bound to respond...''
A student had no choice but to heed a professor''s call.
That was the cursed destiny of a student.
''This is a ce I''ve never seen before.''
The map pointed to the forest west of the main building.
Stepping into the forest, Yi-Han frowned. It was understandable, given his recent encounter with a mad artifact.
Though the forest was quiet, Yi-Han remained vignt.
''Pull the tree branch, circle the stump thrice...''
Yi-Han followed the instructions from the map.
Suddenly, the illusion blocking his view dissipated, revealing a building.
The main building, aplex and massive structure symbolizing the magic academy.
Workshop towers erected by various professors across the extensive grounds, each reflecting their personal tastes.
There were dozens of other buildings scattered around the magic academy, but...
''I''ve never seen such an overt prison before.''
The ck, rusted metal exterior emitted an even more ominous aura than the punishment room.
"Professor?"
"Shh. Be quiet!"
With the nging of iron bars, Professor Beavle Verduus poked his head out.
The beaver mixed-blood professor looked at Yi-Han and gestured with his hand.
"Quickly! Come this way!"
"What''s going on, Professor?"
"I don''t know! Gonadaltes suddenly came, raged, and locked me up!"
Yi-Han roughly guessed the situation.
The artifact that had gone berserk in the storeroom couldn''t have been ced there by the skull principal himself. Someone else must have done it...
''It was this person.''
And because of him, he almost died!
"Quickly, open the door."
"Um... Professor. Aren''t there other disciples?"
Yi-Han was puzzled.
He had seen older students earlier, so why call for him?
"They are probably being watched by Gonadaltes. That''s just his character. Anyway, hurry up and open the door. I''m bored to death here making uninteresting artifacts!"
Yi-Han nced inside the iron bars.
''Hmm. Living better than a first-year, I see.''
A plush bed, various fruits, and tree barks.
Even though the skull principal was angry, he seemed to have maintained a minimum standard of care.
...Upon reflection, it did seem ridiculous.
''Should a freshman be doing this?''
"Wardanaz? What are you doing? Aren''t you going to open it?"
"Professor, if I open this... won''t the Principal suspect me as the culprit?"
"Just say I opened it!"
"But would he really believe that?"
"...What''s with you!? Aren''t you going to open it?!"
Professor Verduus was baffled, tilting his head in confusion.
His disciple hade all this way only to talk nonsense.
"Professor, I do want to open it, but... maybe it would be nice to have some sort ofpensation, so I won''t regret itter even if the Principal finds out."
Yi-Han casually dropped the hint.
Professor Verduus did not react with anger or surprise to the notion of his disciple trying to extort or trick the imprisoned professor.
There wasn''t even the concept of such a thing. He just thought, ''What''s with him? What does he want?''
"Alright! I''ll definitely reward you once I''m out! Just open it!"
"Don''t worry, Professor. I was going to open it anyway. As if I''d do it just for a reward..."
"Hurry up and open it!"
Professor Verduus, uninterested in Yi-Han''s excuses, cut him off.
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Chapter 200
Chapter 200
"Did you promise that?"
Yi-Han approached the door, pondering what reward would be best.
Indeed, if it were Professor Verduus, an artifact would be the most useful.
''Which artifact should I choose?''
Thud, thud
"Wait a moment. Professor, the door won''t open."
"Of course, it wouldn''t! It''s magically sealed."
"What?"
Yi-Han hesitated.
Was he now expected to open a door magically sealed by the skull principal?
"Um... Professor, will you be dispelling the magic?"
"You have to dispel it. Magic can''t be used from inside here."
"..."
Yi-Han was at a loss where to even begin pointing out the issues.
"Wait a moment. How did you send the paper bird?"
"I set it up at the workshop to fly off if I don''t return by evening."
''I could have just asked another professor instead...''
Even if the students were under surveince, other professors were not.
Suddenly, Yi-Han understood Professor Verduus''s social rtions.
How desperate must he have been to rely on a freshman he had just met!
"Professor, I apologize, but I''m not skilled enough to dispel the principal''s magic."
Although Yi-Han had been learning regrly from Professor Kirmin Ku and receiving separate instructions from the genius archmage of Philonae Town, Baldoorn, he stillcked confidence in illusion magic.
Illusion magic required an unusually high amount of experiencepared to other fields. With his level of experience, it was hard for Yi-Han to confidently take the lead.
"And if the principal has added extra magic to prevent anyone from leaving, wouldn''t there be other trap spells around here?"
It was an excuse, but it made some sense.
If the skull principal had merely pretended to lock him up, Yi-Han would not have been overly concerned about opening it. But if the magic was genuinely intended, there could be other traps nearby.
"There''s no other magic around. I saw it as I was being dragged in."
''Tsk.''
Yi-Han inwardly cursed the skull principal for notpletely blinding Professor Verduus.
"Besides, you don''t need skills to dispel the magic. It''s not hard. Just st it away. You know how to do that, right?"
"Professor, that itself is a significant skill."
Yi-Han had now learned that when people talk about ''sting away'' a spell, it''s rarely done with brute force.
As the level of magic increases, its structure bes moreplex and solid, so simply hitting it with force won''t make it waver or break.
One needs to understand its structure and find the weak points to break it with force.
sting a spell away involves quite sophisticated techniques hidden within.
''Baldoorn must have chosen not to tell me, considering my level.''
Baldoorn hadn''t exined such details, only teaching him how to collide mana.
He must have tailored his exnation to Yi-Han''s beginner''s level.
For a beginner, such detailed understanding wasn''t necessary.
"I still find it difficult to discern the spell cast by the principal..."
"No, just try."
Professor Verduus dismissed Yi-Han''s words.
Since he could instantly discern and break spells with force, he believed Yi-Han could do the same.
Yi-Han was dumbfounded.
''Is he really a professor?''
"Understood."
Yi-Han decided it was better to show the professor and then tell him it was impossible than to try to convince him forcibly.
''It''s ridiculouslyplicated.''
Yi-Han had no idea what kind of spell the skull principal had cast.
Numerous spells intricately entwined, forming a robust lock.
The skull principal hadn''t put his full effort into the lock...
Suddenly, Yi-Han realized how exceptional a mage the skull principal was.
Bang!!!
Just as he had learned from Baldoorn, Yi-Han recklessly exploded his mana, striking without discerning the structure.
It was a foolish method, attacking without understanding anything about the construct.
"..."
But the magic shattered.
Clunk!
"I told you it would work, right?"
Professor Verduus emerged, patting Yi-Han on the back as if he had expected this oue.
Yi-Han was dumbfounded.
''Why was it set so weakly?''
It seemed as though the focus was on theplexity of the magic, neglecting its sturdiness.
Yi-Han felt disappointed in the skull principal.
Ssssshh!
Suddenly, with a burning sound, a mark appeared above Professor Verduus''s head.
Professor Verduus eximed in horror.
"We''re in trouble!"
"What''s happening?!"
"It''s a trap! Gonadaltes didn''t set it outside but on me!"
"Why didn''t you notice it?!"
"Because it was set secretly!"
Professor Verduus pondered, watching the diminishing mark.
This mark was a tracking spell that would send a summoning creature to Verduus''s location once it burned outpletely.
If Verduus managed to escape, it meant facing the skull principal''s wrath.
It was too risky to dispel it with his current condition.
"We can''t do this! Go and call another professor!"
"Who?"
"I don''t know! Someone who can undo this... Professor Garcia!"
"Where is she... Understood!"
Yi-Han immediately moved.
There were two reasons for this.
First, moving now could buy time, regardless of whom he brought back.
Secondly, in case of failure, it was better to be far from Professor Verduus.
...Only one person needed to face the summoned creature.
As soon as he emerged from the forest, Yi-Han encountered an unexpected person.
...It was Professor Bdi.
"Nighttime walks are good for improving skills. Good choice."
"Thank you...?"
Though it was a strange thing to say to a student sneaking out of the tower at night, Yi-Han expressed his gratitude.
It was better than being scolded.
Professor Bdi looked Yi-Han up and down intently. Yi-Han suddenly felt uneasy.
''He hasn''t realized what I''ve been doing, has he?''
"Did you dispel a spell?"
"Yes? Yes."
"Impressive. You''ve dispelled a high-level spell."
Yi-Han was surprised by Professor Bdi''s ability to discern the level of magic from its residual energy.
He hadn''t expected him to notice.
"Where did you dispel it?"
"Just wandering in the forest, and I came across it..."
"Show me."
"What?"
"Lead the way."
If such a high-level spell was cast there, there might be a strong enemy.
Professor Bdi intended to ensure his student didn''t overlook this.
"Professor. I saw it, but there wasn''t much to..."
"Did you bring a professor?!"
Unable to wait, Professor Verduus ran out from the inside.
Yi-Han managed his expression and called out.
"Professor Verduus! What are you doing here?!"
"What are you talking about? Earlier..."
"What a remarkable coincidence! Ah, this is Professor Bagrak!"
Professor Bdi nodded. Professor Verduus also nodded.
Yi-Han shuddered at the meeting of the two professors, who seemed unlikely to have any friends.
''No. It''s actually a relief. The lie won''t be exposed.''
"Is this mark from the principal?"
Professor Bdi immediately recognized the mark spell. Professor Verduus nodded in agreement.
"Right! Undo it!"
"Good timing."
"What?"
Professor Bdi cast a spell on Yi-Han.
His senses sharpened and heightened, and he felt an unfounded confidence surge within him regarding the element of cold.
"Prepare yourself."
"Professor? You''re not nning to fight, are you?"
"Exactly."
"Professor Verduus might get hurt, though?"
At Yi-Han''s words, Professor Bdi sent him a slightly baffled look, as if wondering why he should care.
To him, Yi-Han was his student, but Professor Verduus was nothing.
Whether he lived or died...
"Can you hurry up and undo it?!"
"Professor. I''m not trying to avoid fighting. But Professor Verduus is also my mentor, and it would truly tear me apart if he gets hurt..."
"Understood."
With a flick of his staff, Professor Bdi sent Professor Verduus flying, who then got tightly bound to a tree.
Due to the ordeal with the skull principal, Professor Verduus couldn''t resist properly in his battered state.
"Ugh!"
"Tying him up like this should prevent any harm."
"...Sometimes, I think you might actually be a genius, Professor."
"Thank you."
Professor Bdi faintly smiled at Yi-Han''spliment.
Yi-Han vowed never topliment him again.
"This is a rare opportunity. The principal''s summon has powerfulbat capabilities."
"Yes... I know."
Yi-Han, who had forcibly shed with it a few times, nodded.
Of course, he didn''t agree with the idea of it being a rare opportunity.
The chance of being struck by lightning from the sky was low, but that didn''t make it a ''rare opportunity.''
It was just...
''Incredibly unlucky, right?''
In that sense, meeting Professor Bdi and being forced to face the skull principal''s summon was an extremely unlucky situation.
Crack!
Eventually, the markpletely burned away, and a portal opened above Professor Verduus''s head.
-I havee to imprison you again as per my contract with the summoner. Do not me me!-
Before the demon could finish speaking, Professor Bdi impaled its limbs with four ice spears.
Caught off guard by the swift attack, the demon screamed in pain.
"Engage it."
Professor Bdi kindly passed the opportunity to Yi-Han.
Having significantly weakened the demon, it was now a suitable opponent for Yi-Han to gain experience.
Of course, it didn''t seem that way to Yi-Han.
To him, the mighty demon appeared as if it was extremely enraged after being hit by four ice spears.
-Gonadaltes! Have you deceived me!-
The demon, intending to imprison an escapee from jail, was naturally furious after being harshly attacked by a crazed mage.
Yi-Han apologized.
"I''m sorry!"
However, apologizing didn''t necessarily mean it wouldn''t attack. Yi-Han attacked while apologizing.
...The demon''s expression indicated that the apology was too little, toote.
"Are you trying to catch it off guard?"
"No!"
Denying Professor Bdi''s query, Yi-Hanunched another spell.
The demon, its limbs bound by the ice spears, spewed fire and mana from its mouth and eyes.
-A young student already trying to deceive a demon!-
"I''m sorry!"
-If you''re sorry, then stop attacking, you wretched creature!-
"Strike down, lightning of Ferkuntra!"
Condensed lightning pierced through the demon''s chest, delivering a substantial blow.
The demon vomited ck blood from its mouth. Being unable to defend properly due to its bound limbs was a significant disadvantage.
This young human...!
The situation was already chaotic, but the human adversary only added to the demon''s confusion.
The attack power, evasion skills, and judgment of this young student were unlike any other.
''How could he be so capable?!''
Indeed, the demon''s bewilderment was understandable.
Ordinarily, a young student couldn''t ster themselves with magic like , , , and so on.
"You''re too slow."
Professor Bdi addressed the demon.
He had originally wanted to push Yi-Han to the brink, but the demon''s attacks were too monotonous and predictable.
Thanks to this, Yi-Han skillfully whittled down the demon''s health without ever being in real danger.
At this rate, the victory would be too straightforward.
"Shut up!"
Professor Bdi didn''t just stop with words. He swung his staff, making the ice spears disappear.
The demon, now freed from its bounds, looked at Professor Bdi with eyes filled with horror.
Yi-Han also stared at Professor Bdi with a look of astonishment.
The demon nced back and forth between Yi-Han and Professor Bdi, then asked Yi-Han,
-Are you being threatened by that mage?-
Yi-Han almost carelessly answered ''yes'' before catching himself.
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Chapter 201
Chapter 201
"It''s a misunderstanding."
-It does seem like you are being threatened.-
The demon was not a demon for nothing. With devilish cunning, it quickly grasped the situation.
The ancient mages trained their students in much harsher ways than now.
For the demon, who had lived since ancient times, the current situation was not so hard to understand.
Of course, this did not make Professor Bdi seem any more normal.
Even in ancient times, it was rare for a teacher to make their student fight a demon.
-No matter what, forcing a student to fight a demon... That''s madness. Keep this up, and while you sleep, your student might stab you in the back.-
Yi-Han found himself wanting to cheer for the unnamed demon.
Keep talking!
"Fight."
Professor Bdi urged the demon, paying no heed to its words.
The demon, likewise, ignored him and didn''t listen.
-I refuse. I decline to associate with madmen. Do not involve me in your maddening training methods.-
"If you don''t fight, I will attack."
-Do you think I will sumb to pain?-
"Name your conditions."
Professor Bdi immediately changed his approach to persuade the demon.
Of course, this had no effect on the demon, who was forced to appear and had already been beaten up. ''Even after all this, you expect me to fight more?''
-I wouldn''t make a deal with a lunatic like you even if you offered me half the world.-
After speaking, the demon looked at Yi-Han. Thanks to the time given, it was able to recall beings simr to Yi-Han from its memory.
-You are of the Wardanaz lineage. I pity you and will remember you. Young mage, if you ever need to make a deal with me, I shall show you mercy.-
Yi-Han didn''t know whether to feel happy or sad.
To receive sympathy from an ancient demon he had never met before...
Professor Bdi whispered beside him.
"Make a deal now. Then ask him to fight."
-I will never agree to such a deal. You madman.-
The demon cursed Professor Bdi and opened a portal, returning to where it came from.
Professor Bdi wore a slightly gloomy expression, a very rare sight.
"It''s alright, Professor. I''ve learned a lot."
"That was too brief. A pity."
"No, it''s enough."
Yi-Han tried to console him, but Professor Bdi didn''t listen.
"I must find another."
"..."
The vampire professor sent shivers down Yi-Han''s spine.
''Wait. Could it be...''
Yi-Han remembered that when he came out of the forest, Professor Bdi was uncharacteristically taking a night walk.
Could it be?
''...He wasn''t looking for an enemy worthy of me, was he...?''
A chill colder than any magical frost crept up on him.
Thump!
Professor Bdi untied the ropes binding Professor Verduus.
The freed beaver mixed-blood professor asked.
"Why did you tie me up!?"
"To prevent injury."
"Ah, I see."
Professor Verduus easily epted the exnation and nodded, not even angry.
''I must separate them quickly.''
Honestly, keeping them together was interesting, but it would probably not end well for Yi-Han.
Yi-Han tried to separate them.
"But why?"
"For the student''s training."
"Why you?"
"I am the teacher."
"Why?"
"It''s what a teacher should do."
However, before Yi-Han could intervene, the two professors quickly exchanged words in anguage only they understood.
Professor Verduus was baffled.
The notion that a teacher should spoon-feed everything to their student seemed absurd.
Wouldn''t that make the role of a teacher too burdensome and difficult?
No mage would willingly take on such a task.
In response to Professor Verduus''s philosophy, Professor Bdi answered decisively.
"I am better, then."
"Really?"
Yi-Han was taken aback by the faint pride in Professor Bdi''s voice.
Of course, in some respects, Professor Bdi might have been a better teacher than Professor Verduus, but...
That was certainly not something to boast about.
Just as being better than Gainando in studies was nothing to brag about!
"It would be better to show more concern."
"No, I value my time more."
"As you wish. I''ll go find another opponent."
Yi-Han was shocked by Professor Bdi''s words.
His earlier suspicions were indeed true.
''Was he really searching for one?''
"An opponent?"
"The reason I mentioned earlier."
"Oh. Training. Uh... A twisted realm has urred in the upper floors of the main building. It might be suitable there. What do you think?"
"Thank you."
"..."
Yi-Han cursed himself for not being able to separate the two quickly enough.
Sigh!
Yi-Han was with the students of the Blue Dragon, preparing fish by a stream.
They had gathered some food, but no one knew how long the cold wouldst.
It was essential to collect as much edible food as possible.
"...Yi-Han, are you worried about something?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Well, you''ve been sighing dozens of times since earlier."
"Oh. Have I? I''ll be more careful."
"It''s not about being careful..."
Yi-Han slit the belly of the fish he caught, decapitated it, and then washed it in the running water. After that, he sprinkled salt on it and hung it to the side.
Despite his many worries, his hands moved without hesitation, impressing his friends who were watching.
"Wardanaz, what''s bothering you? Did Maykin trouble you?"
When Asan asked, Gainando was taken aback.
"Maykin troubled Yi-Han?! Guys! Maykin..."
Yonaire threw salt that she held in her hand on Gainando''s face.
"Yi-Han, we''re friends. You can share your worries with us, can''t you?"
"I might have to go to the twisted realm corridor to solve the cold problem."
"..."
"..."
"Why would you have to do that?"
"I get it. Wardanaz is feeling responsible..."
"Don''t talk nonsense."
"Maykin, what do you know!"
Asan, cut off mid-sentence, grumbled at Yonaire.
Meanwhile, students from the ck Tortoise appeared with fishing rods on the opposite side.
"That''s right. The ck Tortoise guys built an oven with bricks."
The resourceful students of the ck Tortoise had built an oven in a vacant lot near the ck market.
It was to endure the cold weather.
"An oven?"
"Yes. They were cooking various things."
"We can build one if you want."
Salko, who approached, spoke. The Blue Dragon students were thrilled.
"Really?!"
"It''s not for you guys. I''m talking to Wardanaz."
Salko growled, making the Blue Dragon students back off.
Yi-Han nodded as if he understood.
"Do you want to trade for fish? Or meat? Sorry, but sugar, tea leaves, and coffee powder are not for trade."
"I didn''te to trade. It''s a gesture of thanks for thest time, Wardanaz."
Salko looked at Yi-Han as if he couldn''t believe him.
It was a gesture of gratitude for Yi-Han''s assistance with cold resistance magic to each tower.
"What? You''re really doing it just like that?"
"Yes."
At that response, Gainando murmured nearby.
"Sounds suspicious?"
"Shut up."
"No..."
Gainando bristled with anger.
Even Yi-Han had his doubts!
"Then ept it gratefully."
"Your expression seems dark. Are you worried about something?"
Salko''s question was answered by Asan on behalf of everyone.
"Wardanaz is currently nning to attack the source of this cold."
"..."
Salko, who had been growling just moments ago, now looked at Yi-Han with surprise.
"...I respect you, Wardanaz. I never thought I''d say this, but you are truly noble."
"Just make the oven and leave."
Yi-Han replied with a slightly weary voice.
By now, he was too tired to rify further.
.
It was an essential lecture for young mages who were bound to encounter various surreal beings in the future.
Beings like spirits, demons, angels weren''t always hostile, but sometimes their non-hostility was even more dangerous.
A hasty contract could disastrously twist a mage''s life.
Hence, mages in magic academies were rigorously trained from a young age in these matters.
was precisely a ss to assist in such areas.
-Today, we''ll read the contract between the mage Folkevaldras and a demon from the year 117 of the Imperial Calendar-
-Do demon contracts usually put listeners to sleep?-
-Maybe... I''m not sure.-
-It''s devilishly boring. Oh demon, I concede. I surrender... Zzz.-
And, as expected, it was terribly uninteresting.
Although foundational sses are generally dull, was particrly severe.
Reading each case word by word, identifying parts that could be ambiguously interpreted or misunderstood, tranting regional dialects of the Empire urately, and then tranting old words or archaguage...
Even someone like Yi-Han had to grit his teeth to endure it.
"Huh?"
"Why isn''t the professor here?"
As the students realized the absence of the professor, faint hope began to blossom on their faces.
Could it be that the professor won''te today?
Maybe the professor won''te next week either?
Don''t be too shocked, everyone. Professor Walter Javier has a mental breakdown during a contract, and he''s been sent to the temple.
"..."
The faces of the students, just moments ago filled with hope, now turned to shock and guilt.
They had hoped for a break, but not like this.
Take this incident as a lesson and be more careful with contracts in the future. Professor Fluerwerk, pleasee in.
"Thank you."
''Bureaucrat?''
Yi-Han was puzzled as he watched the fox mixed-blood professor with brown hair enter.
Having met several former imperial bureaucrats, he could somewhat distinguish between bureaucrats and mage-born.
Bureaucrats seemed rtively...
...less mad than those born to magery.
And Professor Fluerwerk. Even though Professor Walter Javier has a mental breakdown and has been sent to the temple, this doesn''t mean that the magic academy is dangerous, but that magic as a discipline inevitably involves such idents. Please make sure that His Imperial Majesty knows
"Yes, yes. Don''t worry. Now, let''s begin the lecture. I am Professor Rosine Fluerwerk. Please take good care of me."
Professor Rosine ushered the skull principal out and greeted the students briskly.
The students, while weing her, also sent a slightly guarded look her way.
They had already been hurt too much by their professors.
But Professor Rosine didn''t seem to mind.
"Where did Professor Walter Javier leave off?"
"He covered up to the unfortunate mage Gurk who made a wrong contract with a three-headed giant."
"Great! How about a student reads it once and points out the mistakes?"
"..."
The student who had rashly answered earlier and was then chosen wore a dismayed expression.
Given the difficulty of the lecture, there was no chance of hearing anything positive.
Their peers mercilessly averted their gazes.
''Hang in there.''
''Don''t look at me. I don''t want to present.''
10 minutester.
"Very good!"
"Really?"
"Of course, you made about 41 mistakes, but that''s excellent for a first-year student. Everyone, give a round of apuse!"
"???"
The students pped, their faces a mixture of confusion and surprise.
However, Professor Rosine''s lecture was just beginning.
An hourter.
By the end of the lecture, all the students had be ardent followers of Professor Rosine.
"Professor! I''ll read next!"
"Professor! Let me try!"
''Why is someone like her at a magic academy?''
Yi-Han was astounded.
He had thought kind people were driven away at the gates...
"Professor, where did you work beforeing here?"
"I was an imperial dispatch manager."
A position involving dispatching various talents of the empire, including mages, to appropriate ces.
It was a job that required a widework and excellent interpersonal skills.
Her positive demeanor now made sense.
''Wait. Does that mean she could rmend someone for a government position?''
A dream he had shelved for a while began to sparkle anew.
Yi-Han realized that his diligent study of had been for moments like this.
"I''ll read next!"
"Wow... Wardanaz. Why suddenly..."
"Hey, lower your hand. Wardanaz wants to read. Do you want to bepared?"
His peers grumbled and lowered their hands.
Did the guy who always gets praised in other lectures have to be praised here too?
''Ah, so he''s from the Wardanaz family.''
Professor Rosine recognized Yi-Han, the student who had raised his hand. She had heard stories about him beforeing here.
''He was said to be a key talent who would take responsibility for the future of the magic academy.''
Readup tochapter 217for just5$orup tochapter 259for /al_squad
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Chapter 202
Chapter 202
It was umon even in a magic academy to receive such recognition as a first-year student.
The magic academy was more liberal than one might expect. The institution didnt object if a student left during the academy year to continue their family lineage or chose to work in a field unrted to the magic they learned.
As such, being evaluated as a core talent responsible for the future of the magic academy was an exceptionally high praise.
A talent who would stay at the magic academy even after graduation, coborating with the empire''s brightest minds to explore the profound and mysterious field of magic!
For a mage, there was no higher honor than this.
Had Professor Rosine received such an appraisal, she might have remained a mage instead of bing a bureaucrat.
I must remember this moment. Perhaps I am witnessing the early years of a great archmage with my own eyes.
Unlike Professor Alphen Knighton, who came from an imperial high official background and was driven by a mission to nurture students into mages, Professor Rosine, summoned hastily,cked such a sense of mission.
She worked only as much as she was paid in gold coins!
Naturally, she had no intention of pushing her students to their limits like the other professors did.
Why would she bother, when she might meet them again once they became sessful?
Stirring up enmity was a fools errand.
She focused on teaching diligently, encouraging heartily, and providing counsel for various concerns...
Later, if the students returned to say, Thank you, Professor, for those times, that would be rewarding enough.
Of course, the boy from the Wardanaz family, who wlessly pointed out errors in contracts, seemed unlikely to ever say such a thing.
He was doing exceptionally well on his own.
Now I see why he receives so much praise.
While other students stumbled, Yi-Han read wlessly, his eyes burning with passion.
His demeanor radiated not just talent or cleverness, but a fervor for schrship and inquiry.
Wasnt it always the case that those who enjoy their work are the strongest?
Clearly, this boy genuinely loved studying.
Well done. Lets give him a round of apuse!
Receiving apuse, Yi-Han felt a profound sense of achievement.
It was the first time he felt so strongly rewarded for his studies since joining the academy.
I''ll leave a good impression like this, then seek advice when the opportunity arises. Like how to be a bureaucrat.
I must be careful not to forcefully approach Wardanaz, or other professors might misunderstand.
The magic academy was liberal, but the professors, especially those from imperial bureaucratic backgrounds, were not.
-How dare an auditore to my workshop?-
-Well, you did receive His Majesty''s gold, so its only natural Im here to see how it''s being used!-
-Youre thinking of luring my student into an official position again? I will never allow it!-
-It only happened once, 22 years ago! And besides, the student was interested in an official position from the beginning!-
-Be silent, you ve to corrupt gold. Do not set foot in the pure tower of magic!-
The moment a professor''s favored student was taken for an official position, that bureaucrat became an enemy to not only the professor but to all the mages they were acquainted with.
For life!
So despised and petty it was that even bureaucrats refrained from taking a professor''s favorite student.
Naturally, Professor Rosine, who disliked trouble, intended to do the same.
Taking just one student caused an uproar, let alone one who was a promising talent expected to shine in the entire magic academy.
But thats unlikely to happen anyway!
Why would a boy who loves schrship be interested in an official position?
The other professors at the magic academy had nothing to worry about.
Yi-Han. You seem pleased.
Do I look it?
It was Friday.
The students gathered for a swordsmanship lecture.
Dolgyu noticed that Yi-Han''s expression was softer than usual. Although it was almost the weekend, the faces of the other students were gloomy, a consequence of the ongoing cold.
Even Dolgyu himself felt his belly skin sticking to his back and his bones chilled to the core.
"I know the reason," said Ango, who was passing by.
"What is it?"
Yi-Han was ready to scold Ango if he spouted nonsense about Yi-Han solving the coldness soon.
He would not forgive such a misjudgment, whether in good humor or not.
"Looking forward to the snowball fight?"
"...What?"
"The snowball fight."
Ango pointed behind them. Walking over was Professor Ingurdel, apanied by students of the White Tiger, their hands filled with snowballs.
"...Professor. Is today''s lecture about..."
"Yes. It''s a snowball fight."
Yi-Han was dumbfounded.
A snowball fight?
But Professor Ingurdel was serious.
"It''s important to learn how to deal with long-range thrown weapons in a fight, especially in many-against-many battles."
"That... makes sense..."
Yi-Han conceded. It was true after all. Attacks in battle did note only straightforwardly. A stone thrown from a blind spot was more dangerous than a knight charging from the front.
Although seeing the White Tiger students throwing snowballs at each other''s backs did make him wonder if it was just about the professor''s love for snowball fights...
''Wait.''
Yi-Han sensed something sinister. The White Tiger students were whispering and looking at him with snowballs in their hands. Their intentions were clear.
''These rascals...''
Yi-Han promptly drew his staff. After all, a frozen water droplet wasn''t much different from a snowball.
"Hold on, Wardanaz. Don''t use magic. It will make it too easy."
"But... Professor. I''m not that skilled in magic."
Just like in thest midterm, Yi-Han, banned from using magic, appealed with the most aggrieved expression he could muster.
However, Professor Ingurdel was unmoved, and the White Tiger students looked at him incredulously.
''Wardanaz thinks he''s not skilled in magic? What does that make us, worms?''
''Does he really think we''d fall for such a lie?''
"Still, no magic. This is a swordsmanship ss, so please learn to fight without relying on magic."
"Yes, I understand."
Yi-Han agreed outwardly, but his inner thoughts were different.
''I''ll smash them the moment the professor isn''t looking.''
Professor Bdi wasn''t wrong to emphasize the importance of speed in magicbat. It was definitely a lesson to act quickly in such situations.
"Also, I''ve brought a gift for the students."
"A gift?"
At Professor Ingurdel''s words, the students looked puzzled.
What kind of gift?
-...
The fierce enhanced pig they had seen in Professor Uregor''s alchemy ss, tied to a tree.
"Today''s winners of the snowball fight will receive it as a gift."
"Th... Thank you."
Objectively, the pig was a fitting gift for the current situation. Not a part of it was wasteful.
The meat was essential, and things like pig fat were useful in cold weather.
''But where did he get that?''
"Please take care of me."
Jijel Moradi, a blonde student from the White Tiger, looked at Yi-Han with a corner of her mouth raised in an unsettling smile that revealed her inner thoughts.
It was an opportunity to legally throw a snowball in Yi-Han''s face. How could she not be delighted?
"Professor. Moradi is plotting with her friends to bully me."
Yi-Han reacted immediately. Jijel, caught off guard, looked at Yi-Han with a look of horror.
''That scoundrel...''
Unlike those from knightly families who couldn''t snitch due to pride, Yi-Han didn''t hesitate for a second to do so.
"It must be some misunderstanding."
"It''s not, Professor."
"It''s a misunderstanding, I tell you."
"??"
As Professor Ingurdel remained unshaken, Yi-Han was baffled.
What''s going on?
Ingurdel was not a stubborn, closed-minded person. It was surprising he wouldn''t even listen.
...Could it be that Yi-Han''s previous trickeries had been discovered?
"Yi-Han."
Dolgyu whispered to him from the side.
"Why are you calling?"
"You, Moradi, and I... we''re on the same team."
"..."
"..."
Both Yi-Han and Jijel looked at each other in shock.
That''s right...!
Thudding footsteps echoed.
"Does Moradi not have any friends?"
Amidst the relentless barrage of snowballs, Yi-Han asked, as if puzzled. Yi-Han, Jijel, and Dolgyu were running energetically.
Even if the three of them were among the best in the ss, they couldn''t stand against the overwhelming number. All students, except them, were united in pelting snowballs at them. They had no choice but to retreat.
"It''s not that Moradi has no friends, Yi-Han. We three are the top contenders for victory, so everyone''s trying to take us down first..."
"Shut up, Choi. Don''t respond to such nonsense," Jijel snapped sharply.
If only Dolgyu hadn''t said anything!
Pounding snowballs.
"So, that''s it. I wondered if everyone was targeting me."
"Don''t you ever think about the grudges you''ve umted?"
"Honestly, shouldn''t they have forgotten by now? What do you think, Dolgyu?"
"..."
"..."
Jijel and Dolgyu fell silent.
Not because they agreed, but because they were at a loss for words.
''It seems like too many kids have been hit to forget...''
"Yi-Han, die!"
The students, attempting an ambush, had circled around the hill they were climbing.
They emerged from behind the trees. Yi-Han skillfully dodged the magic - no, the snowballs- and threw the snow he had gathered.
Thump!
"Wait, Dolgyu. Isn''t it over if you get hit once?"
Yi-Han paused as he saw a student, undeterred by being hit, gathering more snow.
"No? It''s until someone deres surrender."
"..."
The rule was more primitive and brutal than expected.
''But this puts us at a disadvantage.''
If it were just aboutnding one hit, it would be different. But if the fight kept going despite multiple hits, the three of them were at a disadvantage.
A White Tiger student hiding behind a tree shouted.
"Yi-Han!!"
"I''m listening."
"I will definitely defeat you today!"
"Do you really need to do it today?"
"If I miss today, there will be no other chance!"
''That guy is shaming the White Tiger Tower.''
Jijel thought to herself.
Of course, Jijel also believed that it would be hard to win against Yi-Han when he wasn''t magically bound, but saying it out loud was another matter.
"Should we just surrender?"
"No, no. That''s... Yi-Han, we should try a bit more."
"We''re being targeted by everyone. Persisting recklessly seems like a loss."
Yi-Han heard stealthy footsteps from behind. He leaned over a rock and threw the snowball he had prepared.
Smack!
A White Tiger student approaching them fell down. Yi-Han didn''t stop and threw another snowball he had ready.
"Ow! I surrender! I surrender! Wardanaz, that really hurts!"
"What? You barely got hit. Anyway, thanks."
"You put a rock in it!"
"No, I didn''t."
Yi-Han split open the snowball he was holding. Indeed, there was no rock or anything simr inside.
Hiding a rock in a snowball was a trick too easily discovered and thus a foul y.
The White Tiger student, with a flushed face, cocked their head in confusion.
''What? It really hurt though?''
They had felt a hard, solid weight, not the softness of a snowball.
"Did you really not put a rock in it? Tell me the truth."
Jijel whispered incredulously. The opponent had surrendered too easily for there to have been no rock.
"I didn''t put one in. Why would I use such an easily detected trick..."
Swoosh!
Yi-Han hurled another snowball at an approaching student. Due to the distance, he unconsciously used his mana.
The experience of throwing marbles with full force under Professor Bdi''s guidance had been quite beneficial.
That experience had stayed with him, aiding in the use of his mana.
Crunch-
"...?"
In that moment, Yi-Han distinctly felt it.
The snowball in his hand had hardened and frozen solid due to the coldness just before he threw it!
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Chapter 203
Chapter 203
Imbuing weapons with mana sounded like a testament to a swordsman''s exceptional skill. However, it wasn''t as challenging as one might expect.
Yi-Han, Dolgyu, and Jijel could all imbue their weapons with a certain amount of mana instantly.
Even a couple of White Tiger students, arguably less skilled than the trio, could manage it.
After over a decade of continuous swordsmanship training in a knight''s family and possessing the talent to enroll in Einroguard, it was, in a way, expected.
The real challenge and importancey in maintaining the stability of the infused mana, not the momentary act of infusion, which was rtively easy.
However, the story changed when it came to thrown weapons.
With swords, maintaining the infused mana was like keeping a part of the body in constant cirction. But thrown weapons, separating from the fingertips at the moment of release, posed a much greater challenge.
Unable to recycle mana through cirction, the consumption of mana was higher, and the difficulty of control multiplied.
Suddenly...
"You used magic, didn''t you!?"
"It''s a misunderstanding."
Students from the White Tiger, bleeding from their noses, were indignant.
Even trying not to misunderstand, this crossed the line.
Imbue a snowball with mana and throw it?
Even with considerable leeway, that was conceivable.
How much mana would one need to not tire from such continuous throwing?
But then, imbuing a snowball with the attribute of cold and throwing it?
That was simply unbelievable.
Wardanaz, not even from a family specializing in thrown weapons, couldn''t possibly know such secrets.
Infusing thrown weapons with mana was hard enough, let alone adding elemental attributes.
It was something neither the White Tiger students nor the knights could believe.
"You used magic! The snowballs are freezing mid-air!"
"I just threw them with mana, and they froze on their own."
"How is that possible!?"
The students from the White Tiger were astounded.
He would have been better off iming, "In fact, the Wardanaz family possesses the secret of thrown weapons."
iming that the cold attribute was added to the magic without doing anything was like saying a magic missile wasunched without a staff by just waving a hand!
"Friends! Hear me out! Yi-Han speaks the truth! He didn''t use any magic!"
"Dolgyu is being fooled again!"
"Dolgyu, you can''t be that gullible!"
Dolgyu, disheartened, sat down again. Jijel clicked her tongue and said.
"He didn''t use magic! I saw it."
"What!? Moradi!"
"Don''t be fooled. Moradi is just taking his side now."
''These bastards...'' Jijel cursed inwardly. Yi-Han murmured sadly.
"None of you trust your friends."
Dolgyu and Jijel, for the first time, agreed on something.
If only they could speak!
"What''s going on here?"
Professor Ingurdel approached, looking puzzled.
The students were arguing and bleeding from their noses instead of throwing the instructed snowballs.
"Professor! Wardanaz..."
A White Tiger student, bleeding from the nose, tearfully exined the situation.
Jijel covered her face with her palm at the pitiful sight.
Just when she thought they couldn''t embarrass the White Tiger more, they proved her wrong.
"Indeed."
Professor Ingurdel was astonished.
Both the testimony of the White Tiger students and the current situation were surprising.
''It''s unlikely for a student like Wardanaz to do such a thing.''
It wasn''t so much that Yi-Han was too innocent or kind, but rather it seemed unlikely for a student as talented as Yi-Han to use such an obvious trick and get caught.
Professor Ingurdel had indeed been cing his trust in his pupil.
As expected, Yi-Han spoke confidently.
"Professor, you will see for yourself if you check."
Shortly thereafter.
Havingpleted his verification, Professor Ingurdel informed the students.
"It''s not magic."
"!?"
"No, no. Professor! The snowball really did freeze, it''s like a rock now!"
"Hmm... I''m not deeply versed in magic theory, but perhaps the current environment, filled with cold, influenced Wardanaz. He might have unconsciously imbued his magic with the cold attribute."
The students epted Professor Ingurdel''s exnation with understanding ''ohs''.
Indeed, the surrounding environment often affected mages.
It was possible that the unnaturally harsh cold had temporarily influenced Wardanaz''s magic.
"How then do we remove the cold attribute?"
"Should we light a fire or something?"
"What are you talking about?"
Professor Ingurdel looked at the White Tiger students with a puzzled gaze.
"Huh? Uh... shouldn''t we remove the cold attribute?"
"The purity of a snowball fight requires it, doesn''t it?"
The White Tiger students stammered under Professor Ingurdel''s gaze, feeling an inexplicable unease.
Could it be?
"Infusing mana into weapons is a knight''s skill; there''s no need to remove it. Everyone, continue."
The mouths of the White Tiger students fell open in astonishment.
It was easy to forget, given Professor Ingurdel''s prohibition of magic, but he was not one to prefer warm and harmonious lectures.
He always sought to provide training as close to realbat as possible!
Yi-Han, Dolgyu, and Jijel peeked out from behind a rock, each holding a frozen snowball in their hands.
"Wha..."
"Yi-Han, how shall we divide the pig?"
"Hmm... Rather than splitting it up, it might be better to serve it to the friends who attended the ss."
Dolgyu was surprised at Yi-Han''s suggestion.
"Really, is that okay?"
"Yes."
"Yi-Han, your honorable gesture will surely move the others."
''Probably not.''
''I doubt it.''
Yi-Han and Jijel thought to themselves.
Just giving a few pieces of meat wouldn''t easily mend feelings...
The White Tiger students had been beaten up too badly.
"You haven''t applied enough ointment on your snow injuries."
"You''re bleeding from the nose again."
The students from the White Tiger looked like a mess as they descended the mountain, as if they had been beaten up by someone.
Bruised and bloodied, their clothes tattered...
They sat in small groups, forlornly applying the ointment given by Professor Ingurdel.
Yi-Han must have been so moved by their plight that he decided to forgo taking the meat and instead treat them.
Dolgyu and Jijel drew their daggers and skillfully began to carve the meat.
Being from knight families, they generally had ample hunting experience, and if not, a month at Einroguard usually sufficed to gain it.
They carefully gathered even the smaller pieces of meat, such as sirloin and tenderloin, aside. These were ideal for making sausagester.
Dolgyu was surprised to see Yi-Han taking a spice container out of his pocket.
...Why was he carrying that around?
"What''s up?"
"Oh, nothing."
Yi-Han set up a pot and started a fire, an easy feat thanks to the severe cold.
He then cut up the fatback to put into the pot, intending to render it intord.
Despite the pot being on the fire, Yi-Han did not rest. He mixed the remaining meat with spices and promptly made sausages.
Jijel, usually reluctant to acknowledge Yi-Han''s abilities, found herself having to admit the proficiency of his movements at that moment.
Yi-Han''s proficiency in menial tasks wasparable to the most experienced camping knight in his family.
Why a boy from a noble family, not even a knight, could be so skilled was beyond anyone''s guess.
"Come and eat," Yi-Han called out.
"What? Really?"
''These kids have been staring all this time,'' Yi-Han thought.
Initially, the students from the White Tiger sat with glum expressions, but as the work progressed, their gazes became increasingly intense and burdensome.
Their eyes conveyed a single question:
-Might we get some too?-
Jijel sighed shallowly and shook her head.
Such transparent behavior.
The White Tiger students had brought every possible embarrassment upon themselves today.
Sinking lower than the lowest...
"Maybe... we could try a little?"
"It wouldn''t be knightly to ignore such hospitality, would it?"
Yi-Han, unusually silent, did not respond. He had thrown too many snowballs earlier.
Today, he would let it pass.
Yi-Han topped the hard, ck bread with crispy bits extracted from the rendered fat.
With a significant number of students, relying solely on meat to satisfy hunger wasn''t feasible.
That''s where the bread served as a meal came in handy.
Few among the students would eat this distributed bread as it was. They either tried to alter its taste or used it as a form of currency.
Naturally, Yi-Han, always keen on bartering, had a substantial supply of this bread.
''Sneakily fill them up,'' was his cunning n.
Unaware of such a scheme, the White Tiger students were delighted with the bread and meat.
"Wardanaz, you''ve done a truly good deed," Professor Ingurdel said, looking as proud as if it were his own aplishment.
A gift meant for the winning student was being generously shared with others.
Yi-Han, hiding his ulterior motives, simply nodded.
"Not at all, Professor. We''re all friends here."
Jijel was internally aghast.
To think he could say such embarrassingly cheesy lines without batting an eye.
Even if simpletons like Dolgyu were fooled, Jijel was not. Wardanaz was of the same ilk as Jijel.
He couldn''t possibly mean those words...
"Wardanaz...!"
"Hmph. The smoke is making my eyes water. I''m definitely not moved by your words."
''...These idiots, really.''
Jijel felt the chewed meat stuck in her throat.
Having been beaten up so badly, and now their anger already seemed to have dissipated just because of some meat.
Even though they were fellows from the same tower, there were moments Jijel really wanted to hit them.
"This is my treat," dered Professor Ingurdel, arriving with a jar of fresh milk.
Yi-Han thought the jar looked remarkably simr to the one he had seen in Professor Uregor''s cabin.
''...It couldn''t be.''
Everyone ate and drank, warming themselves by the fire.
Even Yi-Han felt a bit more rxed, when suddenly, like a ghost, Professor Bdi appeared from behind.
"Is the ss over?"
"Yes, it''s finished, Professor Bagrak."
"Can I take him now?"
"Yes, you may."
Yi-Han shot a look full of betrayal at Professor Ingurdel.
Professor Ingurdel looked slightly flustered under that gaze.
What did I do wrong?
"Uh... Professor Bagrak, where is Yi-Han going?"
"To the main building''s upper floors."
"Why?"
"To solve the cold."
"!"
At those words, the students of the White Tiger stirred.
There were rumors that Wardanaz was going to personally resolve the severe cold, but no one expected them to be true.
If he was going to apany the professor, it seemed he was quite serious.
"Wardanaz...!"
"You really are..."
''I should have thrown that snowball a bit harder earlier.''
The students of the White Tiger, casting looks of awe, were incredibly annoyed.
"Fine! Wardanaz, we''ll join you!"
Ango shouted with a determined expression.
Yi-Han, Jijel, and Professor Bdi all looked confused.
''Has he lost his mind?''
''Is he insane?''
''?''
However, the White Tiger students, perhaps their minds sluggish from eating too much, all agreed.
"Okay! Us too!"
"We will join you, Professor Bagrak!"
"Please lead us!"
Professor Bdi responded earnestly to the enthusiastic cries of the White Tiger students.
"You guys are shaking..."
"Professor, you must be cold from the long journey. Let''s have a warm cup of coffee!"
Yi-Han quickly grabbed Professor Bdi''s arm and led him to the bonfire.
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Chapter 204
Chapter 204
Honestly, Yi-Han was curious about what would follow after ''shaking'', but he knew listening further would only sour the mood. So, instead, he handed a steaming cup of coffee in a dented tin mug to Professor Bdi.
"Delicious," remarked Professor Bdi.
"Thank you," Yi-Han responded.
Watching Professor Bdi sip the coffee, Yi-Han suddenly came to his senses. ''Wait, why should I intervene? It''s none of my business whether Professor Bdi looks down on the White Tiger students or not.''
It was his instinct to step in and solve problems whenever the professor caused trouble, even without realizing it.
"Wardanaz, are we departing now?"
"You really n toe along? It could be dangerous."
"Hah, danger is but a virtue that a knight must embrace."
''Talking nonsense,'' thought Yi-Han, wondering if he should have thrown the snowball harder.
After all, if they were seeking trouble, who was he to stop them? Even without his intervention, they would face the consequences of their actions.
"Well then, let''s go!"
"Moradi, why haven''t you taken your sword?"
"????"
Jijel, munching on a sandwich with grilled fat between the bread, paused abruptly.
What?
"What are you talking about?"
"We agreed to go to the upper levels together."
Jijel was shocked.
Ignoring the other White Tiger Tower students'' nonsensical talk had now drawn their attention to her.
"Why would I..."
"Is Moradi scared?"
"Such nonsense... Does she look like someone who would be afraid? It''s Moradi''s duty to lead us in dangerous ces. Don''t provoke her for no reason."
...
Jijel regretted not silencing Ango when he started talking earlier.
She should have shut him up then!
As Yi-Han passed by with Professor Bdi, he spoke in a low voice, "This isn''t my fault."
"Shut up..."
Coholti whispered to Kumandas, ncing nervously at Direth.
"So, when is that freshman going to arrive?"
"I''m trying to befriend him now, but..."
"You can''t be this slow! Don''t you see Direth?"
Even those unfamiliar with the crow mixed-blood could tell that Direth was furious, her feathers standing on end.
Forced to patrol the corridors daily over something she hadn''t done, Direth was enraged. It was enough to drive anyone tomit a crime, even among ssmates.
"This won''t do. I''ll send another note."
"Isn''t that risky? The principal might..."
"Right now, it''s either being found as corpses or going to the punishment room."
"That''s true, but..."
Footsteps began to approach from the opposite direction of the twisted realm corridor.
Coholti, hoping against hope, lifted his head, knowing it was unlikely.
But then, a miracle happened.
"!!!!"
The Wardanaz freshman they were nning to bring was walking down the corridor.
"There''s the freshman!"
"What?! Really!?"
"See, I told you! Sincerity works, bu... wait."
Their joy was short-lived.
Huh?
Initially happy to see just the Wardanaz freshman, their expressions froze as a crowd, including a professor and other freshmen, followed.
''What''s going on here?''
''Isn''t that... Professor Bagrak?''
There was a joke in the magic academy that even the skull principal didn''t know the exact number of professors.
The students, even more so.
In Einroguard, it was not umon for students to go their entire academic careers without speaking even once to professors outside their major. However, these were fourth-year students, familiar with a fair number of professors. Among them was Professor Bagrak...
''He''s the No-Student Professor.''
The No-Student Professor - a title for those who had no students, a rarity even in the bizarre world of Einroguard and a clear sign to be cautious. Consider this: even professors deemed crazy enough to make one wonder who would study under them had some disciples. There were even those who learned the unpopr dark arts. But to have no disciples at all...
...it meant they were incredibly, exceptionally dangerous.
Fear painted the faces of the fourth-year students as they recognized Professor Bdi. Even in their senior year, the likes of Professor Bdi were still a source of dread.
''Didn''t a third-year copse from mana exhaustion after trying to listen in on his ss?''
''What kind of sses does he give...''
"Greetings, Professor," the students managed to say, swallowing their fear. Professor Bdi merely nodded.
"Are you the ones in charge?"
"Yes."
"Understood."
Professor Bdi, seemingly uninterested in further conversation, made to walk away. The fourth-year students were understandably bewildered.
"???"
"Professor, please allow me to exin."
Yi-Han sighed, watching Professor Bdi talk to invisible seniors. It was hardly a conversation. More like a unteral notification!
As Professor Bdi temporarily lifted the skull principal''s spell that concealed the seniors, the fourth-year students became visible. The White Tiger students behind them were startled, but Yi-Han remained unfazed. By now, he had experienced too much to be surprised by such things.
"Seniors, let me exin."
"Go ahead."
Yi-Han exined briefly. Professor Bdi was here to solve the cold problem, and the first-year students hade along to assist.
Kumandas''s eyes shimmered with emotion upon hearing the exnation.
''So he was seriously considering our proposal!''
They had thought their message was ignored, but Yi-Han had already caught on, probably feigning ignorance to evade the skull principal''s strict surveince.
"Junior, thank you! I knew you would respond to our proposal!"
"What? Your proposal?"
Direth, listening nearby, asked sternly, perplexed.
Could they have...?
"No, it''s nothing."
"You didn''t contact him, did you?"
"We didn''t, really!"
Direth paralyzed Kumandas with a curse and turned to Yi-Han.
"They didn''t contact you, right?"
"Yes, they didn''t."
Direth studied Yi-Han''s eyes closely, finding no trace of deception.
''It seems it was true.''
Direth tilted her head, puzzled. The other fourth-year students'' behavior had been suspiciously evasive.
Were they just feeling guilty for no reason?
''Junior... thank you...! I''ll repay this debtter!''
Kumandas, paralyzed, conveyed his gratitude through his eyes. Grateful for his presence, and even more so for the lie to Direth.
What an admirable junior.
''Why is he acting like that?''
For Yi-Han, who was clueless about the situation, it was nothing but bewildering.
The behavior of the fourth-years seemed odd...
...perhaps it''s just because they''ve been at the academy for so long?
"Anyway, let''s proceed. So, junior, do you know what this artifact is?"
Kumandas produced an ancient artifact resembling a massive harpoon. The fourth-year students were currently creating holes throughout the twisted realm corridor, leaking out mana. Regardless of how manyyers the realm had or how twisted its space was, or what was summoned within, diminishing the area''s mana meant it couldn''t sustain for long. Once the mana was entirely drained, the twisted realm would vanish, and the corridors would return to their original state. The problem was that it took too much time.
"This artifact, imbued with space-piercing magic, is an exceedingly expensive ancient relic. It consumes a tremendous amount of mana, but once activated..."
"Get to the point."
"...In short, we''ll use it to pierce through the corridor''s realms, increasing the leakage."
Kumandas finished, ncing at Direth for approval. Yi-Han nodded in understanding. The exnation was adept and logical, fitting for fourth-year students. In fact, they seemed to exin better than the professors themselves.
''Not bad at all.''
"I understand. I got it."
"!"
Kumandas felt a wave of emotion. Even for a student with abundant mana, operating such an ancient artifact required a tremendous resolve to exhaust all one''s mana. Especially since it wasn''t even his mess to clean up. Yet, he stepped up so responsibly.
''A remarkable freshman has joined us...''
Direth red at Kumandas with a look that screamed frustration. Had it not been for the presence of a professor and freshmen, harsh words would have likely been spoken.
Realizing Direth''s gaze, Kumandas cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Ahem. Shall we start then?"
"Wait."
"Yes?"
Kumandas was taken aback as Professor Bdi spoke up.
''Is there a mistake in my calctions?''
"If we proceed as nned, most of the monsters inside will vanish."
"Yes... Isn''t that the point? If the mana disperses, the realm can''t sustain, right?"
"Then, I cannot permit it."
"..."
Yi-Han closed his eyes tightly.
Of course!
"Let''s go."
Professor Bdi turned towards the twisted realm corridor. Yi-Han and the White Tiger students followed.
Kumandas was bewildered by the turn of events.
"What... What did I do wrong?"
"Obviously, you fool. What professor would allow using a first-year student''s mana to operate an artifact in their presence? Just follow along."
Direth, scolding her friends, picked up her staff. Her friends followed, their faces flush with embarrassment.
Professor Bdi, though a proponent of practical experience, was not reckless about safety. He cast various enhancement spells in preparation for the fight in the twisted realm.
Yi-Han, pointing to the White Tiger students, whispered, "I think they should receive the spells too."
"Why?"
It sounded like ''Why (bother) for those (riffraff),'' but Yi-Han calmly provided a reason.
"...Without the enhancement spells, they might scatter in disorder and hinder the fight while trying to escape."
"I see."
Professor Bdi cast the enhancement spells. The White Tiger students'' faces lit up with newfound confidence.
"Junior, don''t worry."
"Thank you."
Yi-Han slightly bowed his head as heard the words of the fourth-year students beside him.
Never had he thought the day woulde when he would feel the reassuring strength of his seniors at this magic academy.
Professor Bdi then turned to Yi-Han.
"Have you learned the spell?"
"...I haven''t mastered it yet."
"I see. Be cautious of projectiles."
"?????"
The fourth-year students doubted their ears.
Had he just mentioned the spell? Isn''t that a 4th Circle spell?
"What did you just say..."
Kumandas wanted to ask about the meaning of their conversation, but the opportunity was lost as monsters began to appear.
A massive winter wraith with a body like blurred fog, scattering sleet with every movement, emerged before them.
"How much mana did it consume to grow to such a size?" Direth murmured, disbelief in her voice.
The fourth-year students lowered their heads in embarrassment.
"We''ll handle this."
"Of course, we will. Don''t make it sound so dramatic as if it''s something extraordinary."
Direth raised her staff, and the fourth-year students did the same.
But before they could even prepare their magic, countless small mes erupted above the winter wraith.
Whoooosh!
"...??"
"????!"
Junior?!
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Chapter 205
Chapter 205
"...!"
The Winter Wraith writhed in agony, engulfed by mes formed from magic.
Despite its vulnerability to this element, the Winter Wraith, now strengthened by absorbing such an immense amount of mana, was not significantly affected by first-circle magic.
Yet, the reason for its torment, as it twisted in pain, was...
What kind of magic number is this?
"Burn, burn, burn, burn!"
Yi-Han chanted the spell repeatedly, continuously summoning mes.
The intense cold pervading the area unexpectedly aided in controlling the mes.
Summoning the mes.
Moving them.
He repeated this process.
It was simple, but the rapid, incessant repetition created a formidable firepower.
Direth, forgetting even the need to protect her juniors from the monster, was mesmerized.
"This is..."
Normally, senior students at Einrograd would not marvel at low-circle magic.
Nor would any skilled mage.
Low-circle magic was not without potential for development.
One could train to cast faster, increase destructive power, and improve control...
But strictly speaking, this was not the standard.
Such feats were more the realm ofbat mages who specialized in magic warfare, not the primary role of a traditional mage.
A mage''s pursuit of higher-circle magic was to explore the truths of the world and step into the unknown territories that magic as a discipline had yet to uncover.
Inparison, refining low-circle magic to such an extent was almost a deviation from the norm.
However...
Not just Direth, but even the other fourth-year students had to acknowledge it.
Low-circle magic, depending on its use, could indeed overpower mages!
"What are you doing? Everyone."
Direth snapped back to reality and urged her friends. They nodded hastily.
"Right, right."
The fourth-year students raised their staffs.
The conventional method tobat a Winter Wraith was to increase the temperature around it to inhibit its movement before attacking.
Acting rashly without binding its movement couldplicate the situation.
The Winter Wraith had various tricks to disorient a mage''s senses, from fog to sleet, particrly lethal to inexperienced first-year students.
But now, another method was evident.
Attack the Winter Wraith and then relentlessly barrage it with attacks, giving it no chance to respond!
"Are we unnecessarily interfering? It seems like it''s going to be captured?"
"We should still try something... Maybe erect a barrier?"
Kumandas raised his staff.
He intended to encircle the Winter Wraith with a curtain of heat to restrict its movement.
Thwack!
Suddenly, an ice pellet struck Kumandas'' hand.
Holding his stinging hand, Kumandas looked at Professor Bdi in confusion.
"Did I make a mistake?"
"It''s a distraction."
"Excuse me?"
Kumandas couldn''t understand why he was struck.
Surely, it wasn''t for trying to help a first-year junior...
"Isn''t it obvious? Casting a wide-area spell like a curtain of heat in this heavily cold environment could attract other monsters."
"Indeed."
Kumandas epted the exnation, considering the saying, ''The interpretation is better than the dream.''
Certainly, a clumsy area attack spell could be dangerous in this twisted realm.
It could provoke other hidden monsters.
"I''m sorry, Professor. Ickbat experience..."
Professor Bdi didn''t respond, leaving Kumandas feeling awkward.
"Are you upset because of my mistake?"
"It''s fine. Just make up for it in the future. Show me your abilities."
However, the opportunity for Kumandas to redeem himself didn''te as easily as he had hoped.
Cold Corpse Beetles.
-Burn, burn, burn, burn!-
-Junior, that''s impressive, isn''t it?-
-Thank you.-
-Then, this time, I should prepare projectile magic... perhaps me Arrows-
-Hey, they''re all caught already.-
Strigoi.
-Burn, burn, burn, burn!-
-Junior... aren''t you running out of mana?-
-I''m fine.-
-Maybe I should step in?-
Thwack!
-?!-
-Don''t disgracefully steal the junior''s thunder. If you''re going to help, do it from the start.-
-Indeed... But isn''t that junior too fast?-
-Then use faster magic yourself.-
-...-
Kumandas hesitated, ncing at Yi-Han.
Truth be told, if one wasn''t specializing in magicbat, the speed of casting magic wasn''t that crucial.
What use would rapid spellcasting have in research or experimentation?
Obviously, Kumandas hadn''t paid much attention to casting speed.
Until he was overwhelmed by a first-year junior today.
...I should practice when I get back
Are they okay?
The fourth-year seniors were looking around cautiously, and Yi-Han couldn''t help but notice.
Could it be
Do they want to hunt these monsters?
Yi-Han wondered, but the more he thought about it, the more it seemed the only usible reason.
Why would they want to hunt?
Yi-Han understood, given that Professor Bdi was metaphorically (and perhaps literally) pointing a staff at his back...
Anyway, I should yield.
"Professor."
"I know."
"Excuse me?"
"The monsters aren''t as challenging as expected."
"..."
Yi-Han was momentarily lost for words.
While his peers admired him for his stoic demeanor and prowess in annihting monsters, Yi-Han was giving his all in every battle.
Monsters had their own strategies and unique abilities.
If the inexperienced Yi-Han got caught in a monster''s strategy, he could be in serious trouble.
The safest option Yi-Han could choose was clear.
Preemptive strike.
An overwhelming first strike that gave no chance for the enemy to retaliate!
With the mindset of ''a moment''s dy could mean death,'' he had fiercely attacked, and now...
Stay calm.
Yi-Han regained hisposure.
"It seems that others also wish to hunt."
Not just the fourth-year seniors, but students from the White Tiger were also looking on eagerly.
As if they, too,ing from knightly families, were inspired by Yi-Han''s hunting.
Professor Bdi offered a kind solution.
"Tell the riffraff to back off."
"...Wouldn''t it be better to give them a chance?"
Yi-Han, not wanting to be the first-year who tells the seniors to ''get lost,'' spoke as politely as he could.
Then, Professor Bdi sighed as if in regret.
"The principal was right."
"Excuse me?"
"Your leniency is a weakness."
"...I see."
Yi-Han, while not sure about other things, resolved that if he ever had to confront skull principal or Professor Bdi, he would definitely ovee his leniency.
Still, Professor Bdi didn''t refuse Yi-Han''s request.
As Yi-Han stepped back, the fourth-year students and those from the White Tiger began their hunt.
"Everyone, do not overexert yourselves!"
"Don''t move before I cast my magic. Don''t provoke them rashly!"
The hunt, without Yi-Han''s magic, was wless, a textbook example of precision.
The fourth-year seniors initiated the attack, significantly weakening the monsters with their powerful magic.
Then, the students of the White Tiger, their physical abilities greatly enhanced by Professor Bdi''s reinforcement magic, charged in.
The wooden swords of the White Tiger students were not ordinary; they were enchanted by magic cast by Kumandas.
This magic caused heat to surge upon each collision with the wooden swords, inflicting additional damage on the monsters.
Their movements were in perfect harmony, like gears meshing together. Yi-Han couldn''t help but admire this synergistic approach.
The seniors, rich in experience, leading from the front, and the enthusiastic juniors pushing from behind...
...This suddenly makes me sad.
Yi-Han tried not to think too deeply.
Watching this picture-perfect hunt made him seriously question the value of his previous solo hunts!
"Professor, I want to learn how to fight as a group too."
"A good idea," Professor Bdi praised with an expressionless face.
"Then..."
"If you be proficient in fighting alone, you''ll naturally be good at fighting in a group."
"...Ah, I see."
"Those who know how to fight in a group may not be able to fight alone, but those who can fight alone can also fight in a group."
"Yes..."
Yi-Han had never particrly envied the students of the White Tiger, but seeing them hunt so harmoniously today stirred a sense of envy in him for the first time.
Why did it have to be like this...
"!"
Yi-Han''s expression changed as he inwardly grumbled. Professor Bdi also noticed it and nodded.
The fourth-year students realized it next.
A significant distortion of mana was felt from deep within the corridor.
A monster far stronger than any they had encountered so far!
"Professor," Direth and the fourth-year students called out to Professor Bdi with serious expressions.
Such a monster was dangerous not just for first-years but also for them as fourth-year students.
The professor had to step in personally.
Professor Bdi nodded, understanding what needed to be done.
"Understood."
"Thank you."
Professor Bdi gripped his staff and swung it.
Whoosh!
With a massive flow of mana, the fourth-year students and those from the White Tiger were pushed back.
Direth could feel it.
Several spells ovepped in an instant, creating a massive barrier that prated the front area.
No ordinary monster would be able to break through this magical barrier and reach the students.
''Indeed, the Professor is remarkable.''
Direth couldn''t help but be in awe.
By their fourth year, students naturally developed a sense of pride at the magic academy, their shoulders heavy with confidence.
Even first-year students were treated as mages outside the academy, but by the fourth year, they often harbored the illusion, ''Aren''t I a core talent in the Empire''s magic world?''
However, that arrogance dissipated when they witnessed the true capabilities of the academy''s professors.
Mages capable of leading Einrograd, an academy of the Empire''s finest prodigies.
The professors...
"...Huh? What?? Professor?? Professor??"
Direth raised her voice in panic.
The junior specializing in dark magic was left outside the barrier.
"Why is that?"
"Um... the junior didn''t make it in."
"I know."
"...What? No..."
Direth almost blurted out, ''If you know, bring him along, you crazy bastard, what are you saying?'' but then she regained herposure.
The person she was speaking to was a professor.
Direth decided to persuade the seemingly insane professorter and called for Yi-Han.
"Junior! Run to the back!"
"Huh? Why?"
"...Because it''s dangerous?"
"Thank you. I''ll be careful."
"No, it''s not about being careful...!"
Direth wondered if she was the strange one and looked at her friends.
Sure enough, her fellow fourth-year friends were also in shock.
What is going on here??
"Eyes, pierce through the darkness."
Yi-Han reapplied the enhancement spells and waited for the monster to arrive.
He had to try harder than ever, as this one seemed stronger than any he had faced before.
''Attack first.''
As the charging monster appeared at the end of the corridor, he nned to unleash all the magic he could.
"..."
At that moment, Yi-Han''s expression hardened.
The enemy''s mana, which had been emanating from the other side, suddenly increased tenfold.
For some reason, it was clear that the opponent had been concealing its mana.
This changed the calctions.
''Should I break the barrier and retreat? Can I break it? How strong did Professor Bdi make it?''
Who dares to seek an audience with the King of Frost Giants?
"...!!!"
A resounding, majestic voice echoed.
The first-year students beyond the barrier also felt the overwhelming mana.
But more overwhelming than that was the adversary''s presence.
His head bowed, as if to avoid hitting the high ceiling of the corridor. A giant greatsword held in one hand.
''Is this a relief?''
Yi-Han thought to himself.
A moderately strong opponent would have been more dangerous.
If it had been a ferocious monster that couldn''tmunicate, Yi-Han would have been helplessly beaten for misjudging its power.
He wouldn''t die with Professor Bdi behind him...
...Probably...
However, stronger opponents were actually easier tomunicate with.
Being intelligent and curious, they tended to ask questions.
Like this.
You
"King of the Frost Giants. A talented challenger hase. He challenges you."
"..."
Yi-Han turned his head to look at Professor Bdi. The fourth-year students also turned to look at Professor Bdi.
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Chapter 206
Chapter 206
"The King of the Frost Giants is an honorable entity who enjoys a legitimate challenge from a worthy challenger," Professor Bdi exined kindly, sensing Yi-Han''s curiosity.
Indeed, it was the erudition befitting a professor. Yi-Han momentarily suspected that Professor Bdi knew in advance who resided within the twisted realm corridor.
It seems likely, Yi-Han thought.
"I''ve heard about it too..." Direth said with a trembling voice.
Among the beings dwelling in other realms, like spirits, demons, and angels, there were those with considerable renown. The King of the Frost Giants was one such entity, taking pleasure in legitimate challenges and bestowing fitting rewards.
But, of course, that didn''t change the strangeness of the current situation. Even if the entity enjoyed challenges, pushing a first-year student into such a situation seemed utterly wrong!
Unable to hold back, Direth spoke up, "Professor, it seems too early for a freshman to challenge the King of the Frost Giants."
"You''re wrong," came the immediate reply.
...
Direth felt anger well up within her, having mustered the courage to speak, only to be dismissed without a second thought. Her fellow senior ssmates, horrified, grabbed Direth''s sleeve.
"Direth, hold back. The professor is not just anyone!"
"He has no title!"
Isn''t this too reckless, hes too young?
Unexpectedly, support came from an unforeseen quarter the King of the Frost Giants himself. The King tilted his head, observing Yi-Han. Despite knowing that mages often showed exceptional talents from a young age, the mage before him seemed excessively young.
"I vouch for this challenger''s capability in my name," Professor Bdi dered firmly. Sensing the strength emanating from the opposing mage, the King of the Frost Giants nodded in agreement.
"If you stake your mage''s name..."
"..."
Yi-Han, who had been listening quietly, wore a dubious expression.
Did he really have to go as far as to stake his own name for a challenge when the opponent was talking like this?
"Challengers meeting the King must reveal their names."
"I am Yi-Han of the Wordanaz family."
"Very well, young challenger," the King of the Frost Giants said, pointing to the blue ice crown atop his head. "If you can inflict damage on this crown, symbolizing pride, victory shall be yours."
Yi-Han swiftly formted a n, noting the King''s surprisingly gentle and amiable demeanor. The King''s assurance of victory upon damaging the crown, and his rxed posture, suggested a certain distance from sincerity. However, it wasn''t unusual for him to lower his guard against a first-year student.
Yi-Han knew he had to exploit this, readying a powerful strategy unique to him. He would strike first while the King was off-guard.
"But, Your Majesty, King of the Frost Giants," Yi-Han interjected.
"What is it?"
"With the current twisted state of this realm, will winning the challenge resolve this issue too?"
"If that is your wish, so it shall be. It''s the rightful privilege of the victor," the King nodded easily.
It seemed the King yed a key role in maintaining the current state of the realm. If the King departed, the twisted realm corridor would likely return to normal.
Yi-Han took a step forward. The recent conversation wasn''t of much importance; the real challenge was about to begin.
The critical aspect was closing the distance!
Just one more step.
"Oh King of the Frost Giants, I have onest question for you."
"Proceed."
"Is that entity behind you one of your subordinates?"
The King of the Frost Giants turned his head.
At that moment, Yi-Han extended his staff and shouted.
"Strike down, Ferkuntra''s Thunderbolt!"
It was the fastest and most intense spell Yi-Han had ever cast.
He couldn''t draw out any mana in advance, as it would alert the enemy.
As the King of the Frost Giants turned, Yi-Han maximized his mana, chanted the spell, and unleashed an explosion of energy from the tip of his staff!
"!"
The fourth-year students'' eyes widened. The power of the lightning magicunched was much stronger than expected.
Up until now, the magicbat style of the freshman was to rapidly fire simple spells to increase firepower.
It was impressive, but the difficulty level was something fourth-year students could achieve given time.
The magic itself was not particrly difficult.
But the surprise attack he just demonstrated was several levels higher.
Controlling the inherently unstable element of lightning so quickly was extraordinary.
This was not just about casting speed.
It required a strong control over and deep understanding of the lightning element.
I couldn''t even properly control fire when I was a first-year, let alone lightning
The shock was so great that they hadn''t even realized the freshman had tricked and ambushed the King of the Frost Giants.
Students of the White Tiger, unaware of the significance of the magic just shown, murmured among themselves.
"Is it okay to deceive an opponent like that?"
"If in a disadvantageous position, isn''t it permissible?"
Bang!
However, Yi-Han''s attack did not reach the crown.
A wall of blue ice appeared in front of the crown worn by the King of the Frost Giants, blocking the lightning.
"..."
Yi-Han seemed to understand why Professor Bdi insisted on perfecting the spell.
''The performance is... impressive.''
The King of the Frost Giants, though ambushed, did not show anger.
Instead, he seemed intrigued.
You definitely possessed the qualifications.
"Thank you"
Yi-Han prepared tounch a water orb while expressing his gratitude.
But the King of the Frost Giants was not fooled twice.
Crackling sounds filled the air!
Behind the King of Frost Giants, ice burst forth in a semi-circr shape.
And this ice, as if alive, rushed towards Yi-Han.
"...Rise up!"
Yi-Han chanted the spell and leaped into action.
It was the true beginning of the challenge.
"Bones, bind my foe. Cloak, engulf me!"
As Yi-Han summoned the bone-binding orb and cast Gonadaltes'' invisibility cloak, the King of the Frost Giants looked on with interest.
He had wondered what the mage behind the barrier had relied on to issue such a challenge, but seeing the battle now, it was clear this young mage qualified as a challenger.
Firstly, an almost boundless amount of mana.
The spells he used still felt unfinished, but the immense amount of manapensated for this shoring.
Especially evident when casting fire magic.
This ce, marked by the King of Frost Giants'' power, should suppress any me, yet the boy''s spells rose fiercely, unaffected by the cold.
Moreover, quite ferociously!
mes roared.
Given the antagonistic nature of fire to cold, the ice wielded by the King of Frost Giants slowed in the presence of the mes.
Of course, that alone wouldn''t have allowed him to hold out for so long. The young mage had other advantages.
He has a keen sense, the King of the Frost Giants admired, noting the mage''s exceptional sense of danger.
The way he sensed the movement of elements around him a step ahead and dodged in the opposite direction was so adept that it made one question if he was indeed just a young human.
This remarkable sense,bined with his massive mana to sustain various enhancement spells, made him agile enough to evade the King of the Frost Giants'' attacks.
And finally, his flexibility inbining a variety of magic spells.
The King of the Frost Giants asked curiously, "Most mages delve deeply into their specialty, but you cover an unusually broad range. Do you have a reason for that?"
The array of magic disyed by the challenger in front of him was diverse, epassing elements (fire, lightning), illusion, enchantment, and dark magic.
Considering the mage''s young age, it was all the more remarkable.
Yi-Han didn''t respond.
In truth, it was more like he couldn''t respond due to exhaustion.
With the enormous ice before him writhing like a living creature, there was no way he could afford the luxury of a rxed response, especially when sharp ice shards were flying at him like raindrops...
Professor Bdi answered on his behalf, "He learned it himself out of necessity."
"Indeed. To teach oneselfbat magic at that age is impressive," the King of the Frost Giants admired.
Many mages knew their weaknesses and sought topensate for them, but it was rare to see one so young take such proactive steps.
The fourth-year seniors also admired him.
Was that the reason?
The students of the White Tiger admired as well...
Bang!!
"Yi-Han!!!"
Dolgyu screamed in rm. A giant pir of ice had just impaled the spot where Yi-Han had been standing.
"Don''t worry, Dolgyu."
Rolling to the side, Yi-Han gritted his teeth and spoke. He had managed to dodge by sensing the movement of the elements just before the ice fell.
His body ached...
It''s maddening. He doesn''t give me a moment''s respite.
Yi-Han felt overwhelmed for the first time in a while.
No matter how much mana he had, it was meaningless if he couldn''t weave it into magic.
If only he had a bit more time, he could summon mes in all directions to increase his firepower, but the King of the Frost Giants relentlessly pressed on, leaving no time to retaliate.
"Shield, unfold!"
Instead of recklessly attacking, Yi-Han chose to defend.
It was grueling and challenging, but it seemed the most viable option at the moment.
The King of the Frost Giants'' eyes sparkled with interest at the young mage''s uncharacteristic persistence.
"Challenger, do you insist on using fire magic for a reason? You''ve only been using elemental fire magic so far."
The King of the Frost Giants pointed to the me shield Yi-Han had raised, inquiring about it.
In truth, the me shield was one of the least used among elemental shield spells.
It was weak in defense, consumed a lot of mana, and was difficult to maintain its form...
But to Yi-Han, these were minor issues.
"Cold and... fire are opposing elements, aren''t they?" Yi-Han replied cautiously as his opponent paused the attack.
"True, they are opposites. But a mage should utilize their environment. Why deliberately oppose the power of cold that fills this area?"
"Oh?"
Yi-Han paused.
Was that the case?
Upon reflection, he realized it made sense.
Another mage might have noticed the ineffectiveness of fire magic and switched to using cold magic...
But Yi-Han, reveling in the control he had over his hard-earned fire magic, had focused solely on using it.
Has the cold numbed his mind?
"I understand. Challenger. It must be your pride as a challenger. I highly value that pride."
"No..."
But this challenge is not a matter of life and death. Sometimes, it''s necessary to set aside one''s pride and learn to utilize other forces.
Instead of exining, Yi-Han tightened his grip on his staff.
Then he shouted.
"Freeze!"
Ting!
Instantly, a massive block of ice materialized in the air.
It was enormous, dwarfing any me inparison.
Yi-Han swung his staff, attempting to transform its shape.
"Shatter!"
Just as he had controlled multiple water orbs simultaneously, Yi-Han now maneuvered the ice shards.
Dozens of pieces of ice separated from the mass and began to fly rapidly.
However, the King of the Frost Giants was not at all surprised. He summoned the same blue ice wall that had blocked the lightning earlier.
In that moment, Yi-Han''s hand moved instinctively. His body acted before his mind could decide, releasing what it had learned.
The advanced application of the water element taught by Yumidifus.
"Evaporate!"
Suddenly, the blue ice wall conjured by the King of the Frost Giants thinned and then disappeared.
It reformed almost immediately, but the ice shards were faster.
The ice shards Yi-Han had fired with all his might prated the barrier.
"They hit!"
With a sharp metallic sound, one of the ice shards embedded itself in the crown worn by the King of the Frost Giants.
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Chapter 207
Chapter 207
"Remarkable indeed."
Despite the scratch on his honorable crown, the voice of the King of Frost Giants was gentle.
His satisfaction stemmed from the challenger''s impressive disy.
"I wondered how you would prate the crown''s defense, but to use , an advanced application of the Water element, was unexpected."
Evaporation was a tricky attribute, often not fully understood even by mages specializing in the Water element.
Even with sufficient understanding, the severe mana consumption posed significant constraints on its use.
To think a young mage would master such a difficult attribute, known for both itsplexity and immense mana drain.
"You handle the cold element quite skillfully as well. I believe the decision to set aside your pride and choose that path has led to your growth."
Not just , but also the control of the cold element wasmendable.
Few mages chose to refine their elemental maniption, preferring stronger high-circle magic over intricately controlling something as unpredictable as ice shards.
Especially since the cold element, unlike water or earth, wasn''t easy to maintain or manipte.
Controlling dozens of ice shards simultaneously was a testament to the mage''s skill, regardless of the abundance of cold energy in the surroundings.
''...''
Yi-Han decided to simply listen quietly.
It wasn''t just pride that led him to focus on me magic, but he didn''t feel the need to exin that.
"Here, I leave a token for the honorable challenger."
As the King of Frost Giants dered, a blue, luminous stone embedded itself into the tip of Yi-Han''s staff. It was a stone condensed with intense cold.
"With the snow melting and spring approaching, manipting cold will be difficult. This stone will preserve some cold for the mage."
"...Thank you!"
Yi-Han was visibly delighted.
Of course, the King of Frost Giants had no idea.
He didn''t suspect that the mage before him intended to use the bestowed coldness to practice me magic!
''Once the cold subsides, me magic will be more challenging. Having the ability to summon cold will be a great help.''
There would surely be limits, but even the asional summoning of cold would be beneficial.
Cold is among the most supreme of elements
''Hmm.''
Yi-Han hesitated at the King of Frost Giants''s words.
It struck him anew that both mages and spirits often exhibited a strong bias towards their chosen element being superior.
''That doesn''t seem quite right.''
Still, Yi-Han kept his thoughts to himself. It was only polite to listen after receiving such a gift.
"...If you master this way of maniption, you will have no equal among the challengers. I shall await our next encounter, honorable challenger."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The King of Frost Giants, true to his regal reputation, turned and departed with a dignified air.
Yi-Han watched his vanishing figure with a mix of respect and gratitude.
''But let''s not meet again.''
Grateful as he was, Yi-Han had no intention of another challenge.
He was still reeling from the effort of dodging the King''s attacks.
"Well done."
"Thank you."
Professor Bdi dissolved the barrier and approached Yi-Han.
The fourth-year students, witnessing this, sighed in relief.
Although he had seemed almost mad just moments ago (and perhaps still did), the sight of the professormending the hardworking first-year student assured them that some conscience remained in him.
Had he not offered praise, the seniors might have been even more outraged.
"If you hadn''t insisted on using me magic, you would have seeded faster."
"..."
"..."
The fourth-year seniors were stunned.
It was almost unbelievable what they had just heard.
What did he say?
''Isn''t that too harsh, really??''
If a first-year had seeded against the King of Frost Giants, even the skull principal would have shed tears of praise...
"It was my mistake."
However, the freshman, instead of showing anger, readily admitted his mistake.
This confession caused a heart-wrenching pain in the fourth-year seniors.
''As a senior, I feel helpless for not being able to do anything!''
''What exactly have I learned in this magic academy?''
It was unbearable to see the freshman suffer at the hands of the mad professor and not be able to do anything.
Their chests ached with impotence and frustration.
"I should have approached with cold instead of me."
"Yes. If only you hadpleted the ."
The fourth-year students red menacingly, but the Professor and his student remained oblivious.
They were calmly reviewing the recent battle.
''So, he wanted an .''
Yi-Han was not particrly upset.
In fact, considering Professor Bdi''s temperament, this was quite the praise. It started with a ''well done,'' after all.
To others, the professor might seem mad...
''Using an to block attacks and gain time, then overwhelming with a barrage of ice shards - that''s what he meant.''
The battle''s end brought rity to Professor Bdi''s expectations.
He had his own hopes for the encounter - using an to buy time and thenunching an overwhelming assault with the abundant surrounding cold energy, enough to break through the crown''s defenses.
...Let''s overlook the expectation of mastering 4th Circle magic in just a week...
"There was a weakness in the crown''s defenses. It could have been continuously bombarded from all directions, or prated by adding the spin element."
"I will keep that in mind."
Yi-Han stored this advice in his memory.
Regardless of his current thoughts, remembering Professor Bdi''s teachings would be crucial for his survivalter.
"...Did you just say spin...?"
"Should we report this to the Emperor?"
Upon hearing about adding spin to the already challenging cold element, the fourth-year students became even more agitated.
"But the Evaporation was excellent."
"Thank you!"
Professor Bdi nodded silently and then turned, walking away with heavy steps.
As he disappeared into the darkness of the slowly returning corridor, leaving the intense cold behind, the monstrous presence seemed to vanish with him.
And as soon as the menacing figure was gone, the fourth-year students rushed to Yi-Han.
"...Are you okay!?"
"Are you alright!?"
"Yes? I''m fine."
Yi-Han was slightly bewildered.
The fourth-year seniors had suddenly rushed at him as if they had eaten something wrong.
"Are you asking because of the King of Frost Giants earlier? I rolled around a lot, but I''m not seriously injured."
"That''s not it... Of course, we were worried about that too... But your conversation just now with the professor! Are you really okay?"
Kumandas was more concerned about Yi-Han''s spirit than his physical state.
If Kumandas had been dragged out as a freshman to challenge the King of Frost Giants and then heard those words after seeding, he would have seriously considered dropping out.
Even endless praise would have been insufficient...
"That was praise, wasn''t it?"
"...That just now?"
"Junior. Do you not know what praise is...?"
"It was praise. It seems everyone misunderstood."
Yi-Han spoke indifferently, as if there had been a minor misunderstanding.
At this sight, the fourth-year students experienced the most astonishment among all the emotions they had felt that day.
''This... this guy...''
''How tough is he...?''
It became apparent that the true talent of this freshman wasn''t in his mana quantity, magicprehension, or mana control.
His real talenty in his unyielding spirit.
A robust spirit that wouldn''t waver no matter what absurdity the magic academy''s professors threw at him!
"...Junior. I respect you."
"Junior. I admire you."
"Junior... don''t fall down."
"????"
The fourth-year students patted Yi-Han''s shoulder once each and then walked away.
What was that?
"Yi-Han."
"Dolgyu."
As Dolgyu approached, Yi-Han waved his hand as if to say he was okay. It was clear from his face that he was full of worry.
Behind him was Jijel.
Yi-Han hesitated when Jijel, frowning, approached. He wondered if she was about to start another quarrel.
"Go back and make sure you''re not injured."
But instead of picking a fight, Jijel left after expressing something akin to concern.
"?????"
Yi-Han was astonished.
Really, what was that?
"Wardanaz... be careful."
"Wardanaz. That lecture... never mind. Go back and make sure you''re not injured."
It wasn''t just Jijel. The students of the White Tiger left one by one, each leaving a word of concern for Yi-Han.
Yi-Han asked Dolgyu.
"Can you exin what''s going on?"
"Well... um..."
Dolgyu struggled with how to exin.
Even to the students of the White Tiger, who were almost enemies with Yi-Han, Professor Bdi''s lecture seemed excessively harsh.
-Is Wardanaz going to die at this rate?-
-Is this even allowed? Even for Wardanaz-
-Isn''t this too much?-
It had reached a point where, midway through the challenge, they began worrying and rooting for Yi-Han!
Dolgyu couldn''t bring himself to say, ''You were rolling around so badly that everyone got worried.''
That would have been a blow to Yi-Han''s pride.
"Maybe... your challenge resonated with the chivalrous spirit of the White Tiger students whoe from knightly families?"
"Dolgyu. What nonsense are you spouting? That''s impossible."
"..."
Dolgyu pursed his lips.
Congrattions. I wondered when you''d solve it.
As they emerged from the twisted realm corridor, the skull principal floated up to greet the students.
The White Tiger students said proudly.
"Yes, Principal. We did it."
Well done.
But the faces of the fourth-year students were pale.
The principal''s gaze was fixed on the fourth-year students.
You obviously didn''t seed. Pathetic fools.
"Principal! It''s not Direth''s fault. It was because of us..."
Kumandas desperately defended her.
Direth was already furious...
Kumandas couldve been killed before even leaving the punishment room.
What naive, ironhead nonsense are you spouting? Choosing wrong friends is the real mistake.
"..."
Kumandas immediately retracted his earlier thought of ''Isn''t Professor Bdi worse than skull principal?''
The skull principal was indeed worse.
Now. To the punishment room
"Principal!"
What?
The skull principal grumbled, looking at Yi-Han.
I had something to say to you anyway. Tell meter.
"It''s not that... Didn''t we solve this issue?"
Yes. Well done. Is that all?
"No. Normally, there''s a reward, right?"
...Unbelievable.
The skull principal felt a sense of foreboding and scowled.
Don''t do it. I hate that sort of thing.
"For the seniors..."
Don''t. It makes me sick.
"Please don''t send them to the punishment room."
"Yes, yes!"
"Please forgive the seniors!"
Yi-Han had thought, ''Saving a leave pass and owing the seniors would be beneficial,'' but the simple-minded White Tiger students were quickly swept up in the mood.
At their fervent response, the skull principal looked as though he was in agony.
Take the leave pass. Just take it. I won''t set any traps.
"Just forgiving the seniors would be..."
The skull principal sighed deeply, a sigh that seemed to reach the darkest depths of the magic academy''s underground.
...Get out of my sight, you fools.
"Tha... Thank you!"
The fourth-year seniors didn''t even have the chance to properly express their gratitude to Yi-Han.
They conveyed their heartfelt thanks with their eyes and hurriedly fled.
The skull principal watched their retreating figures with a deep sense of regret.
"Thank you, Principal."
My pleasure. The weekend is just a few hours away.
"Is that so?"
You''re going out with me. Wardanaz.
"..."
Yi-Han''s expression was colder than the King of Frost Giants''s crown.
Beside him, Ango, oblivious, eximed in admiration.
Going out with the principal for the weekend.
The rumor that Wardanaz was being personally taught magic by the principal was true!
"Wow, going out with the principal...!"
Yi-Han looked at Ango indifferently.
It wasn''t a ring look, but Ango felt his heart freeze and quickly shut his mouth.
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Chapter 208
Chapter 208
"...Should I break a leg or something?"
"Isn''t it better to break an arm than a leg?"
"Gainando. Is that something you say? Im seriously worry about it."
"It''s not just me, Maykin did it too?!"
Yi-Han managed to solve the cold problem and barely returned to the dormitory, but the students of the Blue Dragon couldn''t purely rejoice.
Their friend was about to be dragged away by an evil lich as day broke.
"Well... still, having a one-on-one meeting with the principal might be a good opportunity."
A few students, still retaining their innocence, cautiously offered their opinions.
In fact, this was usually correct.
The principal of the Einroguard Magic Academy, Os Gonadaltes, was a great mage counted among the empire''s most outstanding and exceptional mages.
If an outsider unfamiliar with the situation at the magic academy heard this, they might have eximed, "What? You got a chance to meet Great Mage Gonadaltes one-on-one? To receive even a bit of teaching from that great person, you''re really lucky!"
But the freshmen were slowly realizing.
That receiving one-on-one instruction from a renowned and skilled great mage wasn''t always a good thing!
And it was even more so if that great mage was the skull principal.
"Wardanaz is now being dragged away and there''s a 90% chance of being tortured, and you call that a conversation? Are you even his friends?"
"I... I don''t think anyone mentioned torture."
When Asan got angry on his behalf, the other students were intimidated.
Nebren of the Kirak family, one of the followers of the princess, whispered to her.
"Your Highness. Although the principal is entric and dangerous, this one-on-one meeting... might it not partly be to acknowledge Wardanaz''s talent and pass on teachings?"
Fortunately, the princess nodded.
Nebren''s face brightened.
"Right? It''s not all bad..."
The princess shook her head firmly.
Considering everything, it was still quite bad.
"Is it bad?"
"It is. Kirak. If you keep this up, you go instead. Sacrifice yourself in ce of Wardanaz."
"Oh... I''m sorry. Everyone. Wardanaz. I spoke arrogantly."
Yi-Han didn''t retort, just waved his hand as if to say it was okay.
He honestly didn''t have the energy to reply.
''I need to sleep a bit more.''
He was set to go out with the skull principal over the weekend, but he couldn''t hear his friends'' voices.
He was just steeling himself.
"Look. You hurt Wardanaz because of what you said!"
"It doesn''t seem like Wardanaz would be hurt by that..."
Early Saturday morning.
Yi-Han walked cautiously toward the main gate. Fortunately, there were no traps.
Howmendable, you remain vignt.
"Thank you."
Get in
The skull principal pointed to a carriage waiting in front of the main gate.
Aside from having no horses, it was a luxuriously styled travel carriage.
Instead of asking a rustic question like ''Is it okay without horses?'', Yi-Han opened the door of the carriage and entered.
Then he saw a scene of an old-fashioned reception room. The space inside was unbelievably spacious for a carriage.
Depart.
-Yes.-
The voice of an undead summon outside was heard, and the carriage started moving smoothly.
The massive main gate of the magic academy opened, bidding farewell to the carriage.
"May I ask where we are going?"
I can answer that much. The destination is Ogonin''s Tower.
"...?"
Yi-Han momentarily wondered who Ogonin was.
The skull principal noticed this and was astounded.
Illusion Mage Ogonin. You met him during the festival, have you forgotten?
"Ah... There''s been so much going on."
Yi-Han offered that excuse, but in truth, even amidst his numerous tasks, he would not have forgotten a person who left a profound impression.
But Ogonin was...
Merely a ''pathetic mage who sneaked in, got caught by a freshman, and failed in his spellcasting.''
If Ogonin had heard this, he would have been so embarrassed that he might have secluded himself in his tower for a while!
If you had forgotten about him despite being so busy, it meant you didn''t consider him significant... Anyway, since Ogonin did something, I intend to pay him back in kind.
''Such a shame.''
Yi-Han felt sympathy for Ogonin.
It was unfortunate for Ogonin, who didn''t seem like such a great mage, to suffer such fierce revenge from the skull principal himself.
"I don''t think this Ogonin deserves such personal revenge from the principal..."
Naturally, Yi-Han''s persuasion had no effect whatsoever.
However, the skull principal seemed quite pleased.
That''s the attitude.
"?
Yi-Han was puzzled.
What attitude?
''I thought he would be angry for trying to stop him.''
That''s how it should be done from the beginning.
The skull principal nodded in satisfaction.
The biggest weakness of this boy from the Wardanaz family was his softness.
But seeing him look down so arrogantly on a mage like Ogonin, it seemed this w might be corrected.
A truly joyful matter for an educator of the magic academy.
After all, illusion mages are all twisted and narrow-minded.
"Not necessarily."
There''s no need to defend Professor Ku. He''s not even here.
"Not just Professor Ku, but there are also mages like Baldoorn..."
Baldoorn?
The skull principal tilted his head.
He knew various illusion mages, including Professor Kirmin Ku, who taught illusion magic, but Baldoorn was a new name to him.
Who''s that? I''ve never heard that name before.
"Is that so? I met him by chance when I was outst time. He possessed remarkable skills."
Indeed. A reclusive mage, perhaps.
Not all of the empire''s exceptional mages were actively sociable.
Some secluded themselves in remote ces, delving into the mysteries of magic.
Such mages were often unknown even to the skull principal.
Pity. Such a skilled mage should be invited as a professor. But reclusive mages are notoriously tricky... Probably difficult, right?
"Yes. From what I''ve heard, he didn''t seem interested."
Yes. That figures. Anyway, let''s stop talking about a trivial person like Ogonin... Let''s talk about your magic. You''re learning well, right?
"Yes. I''m doing my best."
Yi-Han looked up at the sky, not a trace of shame in his eyes.
Indeed, among the freshmen, none were as dedicated as Yi-Han.
Besides sses, what else are you studying?
"...Principal, it''s tough enough just to keep up with the sses."
Yi-Han was incredulous.
The skull principal had too casually asked, ''What else are you studying besides the sses?''
Expecting a freshman to manage more when even keeping up with the current lectures was challenging...
The promising ones study magic on their own, even if it''s tough. It''s always like that. So, you''re not studying anything else besides the sses?
"I am, but..."
The skull principal nodded as if he had expected this.
Yi-Han felt slightly aggrieved.
He ended up studying more, but it wasn''t Yi-Han''s intention to do so.
"It''s just a coincidence."
I didn''t ask. Tell me what you''re studying.
The skull principal showed curiosity about which field Yi-Han was interested in.
Despite being considered weak in character and oftenining, the young Wardanaz in front of him was currently the most interesting talent the skull principal was keeping an eye on.
As a potential student who might one day inherit his visions, the principal''s curiosity was inevitable.
"I am currently studying the book you gave me, Principal."
"Your greatest strength is your ability to discern the true nature of things, that very eye of yours."
Yi-Han ttered, and the skull principal was pleased.
And it was not a lie.
Whenever he was bored, the ck book would enter Yi-Han''s dreams and forcibly transfer magic to him!
"And I am also studying Blood Magic"
"Blood Magic? Isn''t that a bit outdated? Moreover, it''s a trivial skill that you don''t need."
"...and the magics that can be linked well with it."
Yi-Han''s answer caught the principal''s interest.
Blood Magic, a niche and rarely used technique nowadays, was tricky to use. However, the story was different for magics that could bebined with Blood Magic.
Blood Magic used blood as a catalyst to amplify mana.
The magics that could bebined with it had unique characteristics: they required a massive amount of mana but rtively less control.
Indeed, they would suit the young Wardanaz well.
"Very clever."
"Thank you."
"What book are you studying from? There aren''t many good books on Blood Magic."
Yi-Han took out a book from his backpack. It was .
With a flick of his hand, the skull principal levitated the book and began flipping through it. As he read each page, he asked, "What else are you studying besides Blood Magic?"
''That seems sufficient already...''
Honestly, studying the principal''s magic and Blood Magic was already more than enough.
The problem was that Yi-Han was actually studying something else as well.
As he took out the book, Yi-Han thought to himself, ''It''s really unfair. It''s not like I deliberately chose to study this.''
Upon seeing , the principal levitated this book too and read through it quickly.
Surprisingly, youre learning under someone like Professor Bagrak.
''Its really surprising.''
Yi-Han almost nodded unwittingly but restrained himself.
Even if everyone criticized his teacher, it was better for a student to remain silent.
"Not at all. There''s always much to learn."
Well, if you can endure that ordeal, naturally you''ll learn a lot. Like how one gains much from surviving a dragon''sir.
"..."
Anyway, I never thought he would actually get a disciple. Who would attend such an unreasonable ss?
Yi-Han felt that continuing the conversation might lead to a loss of emotional control.
''I should change the subject.''
"But why suddenly mention Professor Bagrak?"
"This is a book written by Professor Bagrak, isn''t it?"
"!"
Yi-Han was startled.
Both detailed spellbooks were written by Professor Bagrak?
It was surprising, but more so...
''Why can''t someone so detailed in writing exin things clearly when speaking?''
Yi-Han struggled to keep his anger from showing on his face.
You must not have known.
"They are... written in too much detail..."
"People who aren''t eloquent tend to ramble when they write. Where did you get these? Did Professor Bagrak give them to you?"
"He gave me the book on Lightning Magic, and I found the one on Blood Magic."
"This looks like it was written during his academy days. Lucky you found it."
"It wasnt me, but my friends who found it."
"But now it''s in your hands. That''s fate."
''I really don''t want to be fated with a Blood Magic spellbook.''
Professor Bagrak''s teachings seemed to suit you well, but do not rely solely on the instruction of one professor.
"...I wouldn''t say they suit me that well."
But aren''t two of the three books you''re studying on your own written by Professor Bagrak?
Yi-Han resolved to scour the library as soon as he returned to the academy and add a few more useful spellbooks to his collection.
While it was said that all mages pursued the same truth, the paths to reach it were diverse. It was difficult for a disciple to break free and forge their own way if they were too influenced by their master.
"Yes."
Ideally, a disciple should be able to stab their master in the back and take all that the master possesses.
"Yes... What?"
Yi-Han hesitated for a moment, fearing his true thoughts had been revealed.
However, the skull principal hadn''t posed a trap question.
True to his ancient origins, the principal sincerely believed that a mage must have the audacity to ''stab the master in the back'' to find their own path in magic.
Yi-Han stared intently at the principal''s white and smooth skull. The principal spoke seriously.
Not now. This is a matter for after you have learned everything.
"You seem to have misunderstood. I haven''t thought of anything like that."
"Fine then. It seems my concern was unnecessary."
The slightly worried principal was reassured.
He was convinced that the boy from the Wardanaz family would not lose his way, no matter whose teachings he followed.
For a mage, this was indeed an important quality.
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Chapter 209
Chapter 209
"By now, you must be pondering, albeit vaguely. How should one attain truth? Which path should one tread?"
...I haven''t.
Although he had considered what official position might suit him, he hadn''t contemted how to pursue truth.
Yet, Yi-Han remained silent.
The seriousness of the skull principal, along with the realization that mentioning his own concerns about an official position would bring no benefit, made him withhold his thoughts.
Recalling the animosity some professors had shown towards bureaucrats...
"I''ll offer you a piece of valuable advice. In my human days, I was a prince."
"Wha...?!!!!"
Yi-Han was so astonished, it felt like his heart stopped.
What was that reaction just now?
"It makes sense. You always exuded such dignity."
"Thank you. I was a prince of a beautiful small kingdom. Yet, even from my youth, I was gued with worries. Why must I die from the moment I am born? Why must the people of my kingdom suffer the Eight Sufferings, the Seven Emotions, and the Five Desires?"
"That... must have been tough."
Yi-Han was utterly overwhelmed by the surprisingly normal and impressive youth of the skull principal.
Eventually, I attained enlightenment and abandoned my physical body to be a lich.
"...Uh, isn''t that skipping too many steps?"
What use is there in hearing the tedious story of my training? The important thing is, by abandoning my body, I overcame the limitations I just mentioned.
"..."
As a mage''s prowess grows, so do the virtues he must possess.
It''s not just about controlling mana and understanding magic, but also about managing one''s inner self and nurturing the mind.
In that sense, emotions are also an adversary a mage must confront.
Sumbing to the Five Desires, the Seven Emotions, and the Eight Sufferings often leads even the most talented mages astray.
The skull principal cut through the torment of such dilemmas in one fell swoop.
...Though the method he chose was extreme, abandoning his living body.
"I''m not so keen on bing a lich..."
It''s not about bing a lich.
The principal seemed unconcerned by Yi-Han''s reluctance.
I''m just sharing the path I chose. It''s not the only answer in the pursuit of truth. There are infinite paths.
Though only a skeleton with flickering blue eyes remained, an undeniable profundity emanated from him.
For the first time, Yi-Han saw the principal as a true sage.
Usually, he seemed more like the evil boss of a castle...
In my view, you can manage yourself without bing a lich.
"Why do you think so?"
Yi-Han felt a flicker of hope.
It was not every day that such a quirky but great mage held him in high regard.
"It''s not easy at your age to willingly undergo hardship under various professors. Such asceticism aids in cultivating the mind and body. You''ve chosen well. Keep it up."
"..."
Yi-Han frowned.
It was apliment, yet somehow it left a bitter taste.
''This isn''t Philonae Town.''
Yi-Han was surprised by the prosperous cityscape visible from the carriage.
Philonae Town, the nearest to Einroguard, was also quite prosperous due to its uniqueness.
Typically, towns weren''t heavily popted with mages, adventurers, mercenaries, or merchants.
But the city before him dwarfed Philonae Town in vitality and prosperity. Everywhere he looked, there was an abundance of life and flourishing energy.
''This must be Granden City.''
The city closest to the magic academy.
This was the very city he had heard about when he visited Philonae Town: "The families of the students who were waiting outside have all gone to Granden City."
Yi-Han took a fresh look around.
While he wasn''t surprised by the sight of arge city, given his background, the experience was indeed refreshing in many ways.
During his time with the Wardanaz family, he had only stayed in the family''s mansion and territory.
"Bring back some gifts."
"Yes."
"?"
Yi-Han paused when he heard the skull principal instructing a summoned creature outside.
What kind of gifts?
It''s customary to bring gifts when visiting the Tower of Ogonin. It would be rude not to.
"..."
He thought it was already quite impolite to be visiting for revenge, but Yi-Han said nothing.
Right. And buy some snacks for this ironhead.
"Yes."
Shortly after.
Several beautifully wrapped boxes of sweets flew into the carriage.
They contained licorice candies, red bean jelly, and sweetened wheat snacks, among others. The skull principalined upon seeing the assortment.
Such undignified sweets. Aren''t these the type of candies only children enjoy?
-These are the most popr sweets among young people.-
I should have known. Foolish creature.
-I''m sorry.-
Never mind. Eat.
However, Yi-Han hesitated to touch the sweets immediately. The skull principal was puzzled.
Why hesitate? They''re not poisoned.
"If I eat these, doesn''t that mean the reward you promised mest time goes away?"
...
It was about thepensation promised for resolving the mess caused by Professor Verduus.
For the first time in a long while, the skull principal was genuinely impressed.
Among the many students he had seen, none had been as cautious as this one.
That''s a separate matter. I promise.
"Thank you."
...But don''t put the sweets in your coat pocket.
Watching the freshman almost stash the sweets in his pocket, the skull principal slightly regretted the rules he had established.
Speaking of which, I heard the spirekeeper gave you a gift.
"Ah. Yes."
It seemed too extravagant a gift
''Hmm.''
Yi-Han recalled the bundle given by the spirekeeper.
The ne inside was indeed a fine artifact.
...If only it weren''t for the invisibility magic attached to it.
Already possessing an invisibility belt and mastering invisibility magic, an invisibility ne seemed excessive for Yi-Han.
"But I''ve already mastered invisibility magic."
What? That was quick. Which one?
"."
At Yi-Han''s response, the skull principal showed a mix of surprise and satisfaction.
Didn''t expect you to master it so soon. You''re making rapid progress.
''Damn. I guess there was no need to master it all at once.''
The invisibility magic I created is superior. Be proud of it.
"I always am."
Even artifacts with simr effects are not useless. Even if you''ve already mastered the same magic. Think about it.
"?"
Yi-Han tried to ponder the skull principal''s words, but he didn''t give him the chance.
The skull principal grumbled as he looked at the gifts brought by the summoned creature.
What kind of gift is this? A bunch of cards, really? Even if it''s meant as a gift, this is too
-But one of the cards features Ogonin himself.-
Does the fact that Ogonin is on a card make it a suitable gift? Really now
The skull principal grumbled and, with a flick of his finger, sent the bundle of cards floating in the air and then off into a corner.
And why is it that Ogonin, of all people, has such good stats?
-But master, you said before that it''s not the stats of the card that matters, but the mage using it-
The summoned creature outside ceased speaking. Yi-Han was certain that the skull principal had used a silence spell.
"Take this."
''I already have aplete deck.''
However, Yi-Han obediently epted it.
He did so to avoid any further mischief from the skull principal.
"..."
The card thrown by the skull principal wasn''t Ogonin. It was himself.
"Use it well in your deck. It''s a good card."
"Uh... Yes."
Yi-Han''s deck was a nimble, low-cost one, designed to relentlessly target and swiftly diminish the health of opposing mages from the early stages of the game.
Although the skull principal''s card, which required a significant amount of mana to summon, was hard to use...
Yi-Han immediately added the card to his deck in front of the principal.
ttery always needed to be sincere.
Indeed, the skull principal appeared pleased with Yi-Han''s action.
"I guess I''ll have to go and buy it myself."
"Really? Is that okay?"
Yi-Han hesitated.
Even though the people of the empire were ustomed to various odd appearances of mages, he doubted they''d be unfazed by a floating, flying lich.
However, before Yi-Han could finish his question, the skull principal had transformed into a human.
Draped in a dark blue silk suit, with the unique elegance of nobility in his grip on the cane, his appearance was unmistakably that of a noble from a great family of the empire.
Yi-Han wasn''t surprised by this. It would have been more surprising if a great mage like the skull principal couldn''t don a human guise.
What surprised Yi-Han was that the principal''s human face was familiar, one he had seen before.
''The statue...!''
The statue guarding the passage leading to the statue of the forgotten beast, which he had seen while roaming the third floor of the main building.
Back then, he had thought, ''I don''t know who that is, but he''s incredibly handsome''...
What do you think?
"You truly embody dignity, I must say."
"Your second greatest strength lies in that heart of yours, knowing what dignity is."
The skull principal nodded in approval, seemingly pleased with the ttery.
Yi-Han thought to himself,
''Dark magic is truly frightening.''
It''s said that even the full moon eventually wanes, but how many could connect that statue to the skull principal?
"Let''s go."
"Yes."
The master and apprentice stepped out of the carriage.
Even amidst the bustling crowd, they instantly drew everyone''s attention.
The skull principal opened the door of a bookstore luxuriously decorated with a brass and bronze sculpture.
It was a store bearing the sign ''Ikalten''s Absolute Fool Hall''.
"Wee."
A neatly dressed clerk straightened up and bowed, immediately guessing their status.
"Do you have any magic books?"
"Yes, of course."
"Get me the easiest introductory book on illusion magic. Wrap it well."
"...?"
Yi-Han wondered what the principal was up to.
Of course, a bookstore of this size would have a magic book, but the easiest introductory book on illusion magic?
"Are you nning to give that as a gift?"
"You''re quick-witted."
Yi-Han decided to say nothing.
''It''s none of my business. They have to resolve it themselves.''
Getting involved between two mages at odds with each other was never a good idea.
Yi-Han turned his gaze away and began browsing other books. Then, he noticed a familiar name.
"Is this a book written by Ogonin?"
"Let''s see... Yes, it is. The one he wrote in his youth, about advanced application of illusion magic in barriers... Ah. That''s a good idea. I''ll buy this too. Let''s read it in front of him."
"I didn''t say anything."
"No need to wrap this one. I''ll carry it."
...
As the time to visit Ogonin''s Tower drew near, Yi-Han began to feel increasingly uneasy.
While the skull principal had nothing to lose by picking a fight anywhere, Yi-Han felt like he was embarking on an endless journey. If the illusion mage harbored a grudge not against the skull principal but against Yi-Han...
''Should I use invisibility magic?''
After purchasing the gifts, the carriage left the city and began to soar through the sky.
In the midst of a mountain range filled with strangely shaped cliffs, the spire of a mage''s tower stood tall and pointed.
The principal, having returned to his skeletal form, abruptly spoke.
"Life Bonds to Death."
Even a single word uttered by a mage carried a different meaning. And the words just spoken by the skull principal were no exception.
Yi-Han realized that these words had triggered a massive spell.
The very fabric of the world seemed to be shaking.
Mages were beings who understood the order of the world and cunningly twisted it. However, asionally there were mages who rewrote the order of the world to suit their will.
The skull principal was a mage who had reached such a state.
...The problem was that he was using this power to stir up trouble in someone else''s tower!
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Chapter 210
Chapter 210
Chapter 210
A vast ck circle emanated from the skull principal, transforming the space within into a realm entirely distinct from the outside world. This was a unique domain where the naturalws of sunrise and sunset, of the waxing and waning moon, were defied.
Unique World!
Magic in the Empire wasmonly categorized into circles, based on the number of steps a mage required to cast a spell. This circle magic, widely used across the vast Empire due to its convenience, had a unique feature: a spell crafted by one mage could be used by another. This was indeed a remarkable phenomenon.
Magic, an act that shakes the world''s order with a mage''s will, could vary greatly due to individual imaginations and emotions. Yet, it was possible for mages to use each other''s spells because they shared underlying principles and rules.
However, there existed magic beyond these rules of circle magic, spells that only the creator could wield. These were spells that expanded the mage''s inner imagery to create a separate world, known in the Empire as Unique Worlds.
Upon witnessing the skull principal redefine the world''s order to his own will, Yi-Han couldn''t help but shudder in awe. Amazing...! Even though the principals intention was to provoke a confrontation in another''s tower, the sheer level of the magic made him forget his original purpose.
p!
A bird flying into this world instantly transformed into an undead, unaware of its own transformation, it continued to fly. nts growing in the mountain range below morphed into bizarre forms.
As every being within the realm epted a peaceful death over their painful lives, the skull principal smiled at the beautiful spectacle of nirvana.
"Wait. Why are you unaffected?"
"Eh?"
The skull principal was startled to see Yi-Han, still in the carriage, unaffected while every other living being had turned into undead, staring nkly at him.
"Did you exclude me on purpose, Principal?"
That couldn''t be. The experience of bing undead was too instructive to miss.
"..."
Yi-Han, who almost felt grateful for the skull principal''s consideration, looked down on him.
The boy indeed had massive mana
The skull principal quickly realized the reason. The amount of mana, especially in world-altering spells, could create unpredictable situations even for mages. Like the young boy from the Wardanaz family, sitting there unaffected amidst changing world rules, looking as if asking, "What''s happening?"
"It''s not my fault I have so much mana..."
"Be quiet. Herees the illusion mage."
The skull principal pointed forward. The door of a towering tower opened, and mages with bewildered expressions hurried out.
In the Empire, reputable, skilled, and sociable mages often formed groups or clubs for interaction. Magic, being a boundless field, was challenging to grasp, even for geniuses. Having trustworthyrades was a rarefort.
The Illusion Mages'' Club, Dream Projection, led by Ogonin, consisted of diverse mages. From novices just stepping into illusion magic to skilled practitioners and renowned illusion mages capable of publishing papers at the Imperial Society, the club''s membership was varied.
If there was onemonality among them, it was their deep respect for Ogonin. Ogonin had been developing various illusion magics since his youth and paved the way for other illusion mages of the Empire. It was impossible for the junior illusion mages not to admire him.
When Ogonin made the following announcement, the illusion mages were taken aback.
-I failed in my attempt to steal Gonadaltes'' treasure... I apologize to everyone. I''ve tarnished even your reputations.-
-No, it''s not your fault! It''s Gonadaltes'' provocation that''s wrong.-
-We bought it at the auction, fair and square. It''s wrong to insult someone like this!-
-It''s not Ogonin''s fault!-
-The main issue isn''t that right now. Retribution might being, so avoid visiting this tower and steer clear of the area.-
-You''re worrying too much. As mischievous and yful as Mr. Gonadaltes might be, would such a respected Great Mage of the Empire and the Principal of the Einroguard Magic Academy, truly stoop to petty revenge?-
-Exactly. He must realize that he made the childish insult first and will just let it go.-
-...You don''t know Gonadaltes well enough.-
The illusion mages were baffled. Surely, a great mage like Gonadaltes wouldn''t stoop to retaliate over such trivial disputes. That would be too... petty, wouldn''t it?
Hahahahaha
...
...
Their thoughts vanished at the sight of a skull floating in the air,ughing heartily.
The newly transformed undead illusion mages, disoriented by the unfamiliar sensation of their bodies, protested.
"Gonadaltes! What have you done?!"
"Why here of all ces??"
I only used magic to impart a lesson to you mages.
''Incredibly shameless.''
Yi-Han bowed his head inside the carriage. He didn''t want to be recognized as the skull principal''s apprentice by the illusion mages below.
But the skull principal boldly dered,
How about it? Isn''t it beautiful?
"Ah... It is beautiful, but..."
"Please undo the magic!"
The illusion mages protested, cking their skeletal forms together.
While the Unique World magic was indeed mesmerizing enough to lose oneself, it was a different story when it happened to them. How could they ept being undead?
Hurry up and call Ogonin. Come out and fix this mess you''ve created at the festival. Festival Ruiner, Firework Destroyer, Artifact Thief Ogonin! Come out!
The skull principal had a knack for attaching disgraceful titles to others.
Soon enough, Ogonin rushed out of the tower.
"What is this... Gonadaltes. It was my mistake, why torment the other mages?!"
Then why did you torment my fireworks, my festival, and my students for my mistake?
''It''s more like saving the students, strictly speaking,'' Yi-Han added in his mind.
If Ogonin hadn''t acted, the students would have had to dodge the flying fireworks, running here and there.
However, Ogonin was too naive to argue that point.
"I''m, I''m sorry. I will apologize."
Hmph. As if an apology can bring back the ruined festival or heal the students'' hurt feelings. Here, take this.
The skull principal threw a packaged book at him.
It was rude to gift a book suitable for beginners, but Ogonin, too flustered, epted it gratefully.
"Thank you for the gift."
...
The skull principal seemed slightly disappointed by the reaction.
Hey. Come out.
...
You''re not pretending not to hear me, are you?
"Of course not."
With a look of utmost reluctance, Yi-Han slowly opened the carriage door as if he were about to do the thing he least wanted in the world.
The eyes of the illusion mages, who had gathered below, were all fixated on Yi-Han.
You are...
Ogonin recognized Yi-Han''s face.
Wasn''t he the first-year student who had brought despair to Ogoninst time?
"I''ve brought here my young, inexperienced, and naive apprentice. I wanted him to test his skills against your disciples who serve you."
"No... Principal."
Yi-Han was serious.
He had thought the skull principal would just sneak in to set fire to the tower or steal treasures, but this was a different story. This wasn''t just dipping a toe in; it was plunging in headfirst!
And aside from that, this was a dangerously high-stakes confrontation.
How could Yi-Han possibly defeat those experienced illusion mages?
"I don''t feel confident."
Really? I am confident.
...
The skull principal was already certain.
This boy from the Wardanaz family was the bane of all illusion mages.
Illusion magic was divided into spells cast directly on an opponent and those cast on the surroundings.
The former oftenprised more advanced and powerful techniques.
As a mage''s skill increased, they became more adept and perceptive of illusions and deceptions, making direct casting almost a necessity.
But what if such techniques were all countered by an unknown mage?
Especially if that mage was a first-year student?
"I''m already too happy."
The skull principal grinned widely.
Unaware of such a sinister scheme, the naive illusion mages were emboldened.
"Alright! We might not be bold or arrogant enough to im ourselves as Ogonin''s disciples, but we''re not so magnanimous as to let a challenger whoes to Ogonin''s tower go untested. We''ll dly take up the challenge."
"No... Wait..."
Ogonin, panicked, tried to stop the illusion mages.
He was well aware of Yi-Han''s unique constitution, having encountered it before at the magic academy.
"It''s alright! Trust us, Mr. Ogonin!"
"We might not be as skilled as you, but we won''t lose."
Yi-Han thought to himself, ''This Ogonin seems to have a good reputation, even if his skills are a bitcking.''
The illusion mages would have grabbed him by the cor if they had heard that.
Right, Ogonin! Surely you trust the mages who have gathered here for you? You do, don''t you?
Ogonin really wanted to hit the skull principal.
If only he could speak up...
"...Very well. Everyone,e inside."
Ogonin''s shoulders looked particrly narrow as he opened the door to the tower and went inside.
Klvik, one of the tower''s illusion mages, was the first to step forward.
Klvik.
Although he was modest and never admitted it himself, if anyone were to choose the most passionate and energetic among Ogonin''s disciples, it would be Klvik.
He was infuriated by the skull principal''s rude and arrogant proposal.
It was one thing to be underestimated, but this was too much!
"Did you hear? A first-year student. A first-year! Even if Einroguard is a cradle for the Empire''s geniuses, this is too much!"
"I agree."
"Perhaps that''s exactly what they''re banking on?"
"What do you mean?"
"Look. If it''s a first-year student, they''re bound to lose, right? Then they''ll mock us for going all out against a first-year."
The illusion mages, unaware of Yi-Han''s constitution, could only interpret the skull principal''s proposal in this way.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for that cunning great mage to make such a proposal first.
"Indeed... Don''t worry. It''s shameful to use full strength against a first-year. I''ll subdue him lightly and return."
"We trust you!"
Klvik stepped forward.
On one side of the expansive hall''s corridor stood Yi-Han, and on the other, the tower''s illusion mages. In the center were the skull principal and Ogonin.
The rules are simple. The tower''s mages would use only illusion magic, while my disciple can use any other form of magic to overpower the opponent.
The rule was in Yi-Han''s favor, but none of the illusion magesined. Considering that their opponent was a first-year student, it seemed fair even if they were metaphorically tied up and blindfolded.
Klvik looked at Yi-Han and suddenly felt a surge of sympathy.
Wasn''t this first-year student, dragged alone into enemy territory, stiffening his face with tension?
''I had some respect for Mr. Gonadaltes, but to be this ruthless! It''s too much for a young sapling!''
Begin!
In that moment, Klvik saw it.
He witnessed the boy in front of him moving with incredible speed!
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Chapter 211
Chapter 211
I would stop at nothing.
Klvik, feeling pity for Yi-Han, tried to subdue him with moderation, but Yi-Han was entirely sincere in his efforts.
In fact, it would be madness for a freshman not to be serious when facing a high-ranking illusion mage.
Yi-Han had maximized his strength by casting as many enhancement spells as possible before the duel began.
These spells explosively amplified Yi-Han''s already well-trained physical abilities.
The skull principal, watching his swiftly moving pupil, thought to himself, Does he really need to go this far?
Pre-casting magic before a duel wasn''t cheating, especially since Yi-Han was a freshman and his opponent was a fairly well-known mage. No one would criticize such tactics, though they seemed somewhat desperate andcking in grace.
To the principal, Yi-Han''s actions appeared somewhat pitiful. He could have won the fight easily, but instead...
There''s no dignity in this, he thought.
Unaware of the principal''s disdain, Yi-Han continued his charge. I must get closer!
Contrary to the principal''s belief that he could win even with his eyes closed, Yi-Han had no such confidence. He knew that if he took even a single hit from his opponent''s magic, it would be over. Though he had shown some resistance to magic and poison in the past, that wasn''t a guaranteed defense.
Facing a mage of such caliber, Yi-Han knew that his best chancey in closing the distance to prevent his opponent from casting spells.
Thwack!
Yi-Han pulled an iron marble from his sleeve and hurled it at Klvik. Klvik, already startled by Yi-Han''s movements, was shocked again as the marble flew towards him, tearing through the air.
Klvik had the skill to easily deflect such a simple projectile, but the marble flew faster than he expected.
"Ugh!"
Klvik stopped chanting his spell and ducked, the marble flying over his head. In that brief moment, Yi-Han closed the gap, grabbed Klvik by the cor, and threw him down.
Bang!
Yi-Han then pinned Klvik, twisting his arm behind him. Klvik''s staff flew off to the side.
"I lose... I admit defeat!"
Klvik''s deration of defeat surprised the other illusion mages. The agility and speed of the freshman exceeded all expectations.
"Mr. Gonadaltes had his eye on this...!"
"Damn. He targeted our weaknesses. Who would''ve thought he''d bring a student from a knight''s family?"
"Indeed. Such tactics are hard to counter without prior knowledge. Was this his strategy?"
The impact would have been unimaginable had they been defeated in a conventional magic duel by a first-year student. However, losing due to such an unexpected weakness elicited a different reaction.
-Ah, such a young boy and already so impressive!-
No, you fools...! the principal thought, exasperated by the whispering mages.
It was inconceivable that they hade to win with such cheap tricks. They were supposed to demonstrate how the illusion magic being mercilessly ignored by a first-year student...
That is not allowed. No more closebat."
"What!?"
Yi-Han was stunned.
Prohibiting closebat was too much...
"That''s too harsh, isn''t it?"
You don''t understand. That''s why you think so.
"If you want me to lose, just say it directly."
That''s not it!"
The principal was doubly frustrated with his sullen student. The student stillcked confidence in his abilities.
He could''ve easily blocked it with his body!
"Yes, I guess so."
...
Regardless of the skull principal''s ring, Yi-Han was deep in thought.
If closebat were prohibited...
It would be really difficult.
Illusion magic was notoriously fast to cast and hard to dodge, like a curse.
If one knew the corresponding defensive spells, blocking them would be much easier, but Yi-Han was still a freshman and hadn''t mastered such defensive magic yet.
No matter how fast Yi-Han cast his spells or attacked, if he got hit even once by his opponent''s magic...
"Mr. Gonadaltes, it''s alright!"
"There''s no need to do that. Please allow the first-year student to engage in closebat!"
Surprisingly, it was the illusion mages who came to Yi-Han''s aid.
They were indignant at the sight of Gonadaltes oppressing and belittling a first-year student.
Even though they had been defeated unexpectedly, they had no desire to win by imposing such a penalty on a freshman.
"You all...!"
Yi-Han looked at them with a touch of emotion in his eyes.
Just as Ogonin, despite his modest abilities, was well-respected, his subordinates, the mages, also seemed to have good character.
Of course, this was infuriating for the skull principal.
Who are you to pity whom...? Even if I prohibit closebat, you still won''t be able to win!
"Even so, there''s no need to prohibit it! It would be against our pride."
The principal felt an urge to magically silence the mouth of the illusion mages.
Yi-Han looked relieved. Anyone could tell he was ready to dash back into closebat.
"I am Doibach. I look forward to our match. Of course, you may attempt closebat!"
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
The newly arrived mage Doibach was polite, and his gaze held respect.
After all, Yi-Han had defeated Klvik, a feat in itself, especially for a first-year.
Doibach resolved himself.
''As a mage trained in illusion magic, and as a student of Mr. Ogonin, I will confront this first-year student''s specialty head-on and win fairly and squarely!''
Really unbelievable
The principal muttered, but no one paid him any mind.
"What a pity!"
"Amazing!"
"Didn''t expect that level of skill...!"
Yi-Han then defeated three more opponents.
Doibach tried to cast the fastest illusion magic he knew, but Yi-Han quickly approached and disrupted his concentration with the summoning, narrowly dying him.
Zelkenb tried to create an illusionarybyrinth around him to prevent Yi-Han''s approach, but was also a step toote.
And Bongbon...
How little dueling practice do you illusion mages do for your casting to be so slow!?
The principal, who had hoped at least one mage would stop Yi-Han before he got close, exploded in frustration.
Of course, dueling wasn''t an essential skill for a mage, and there were fewer mages like Professor Bdi who specialized in magicbat or the skull principal, but this was too much!
"You''re right, Mr. Gonadaltes."
"It''s embarrassing. To lose to a first-year student like this."
"I respect your skill. You''re truly talented. Don''t be disheartened because you''re from a knight''s family. Greatness in magic isn''t bound by family."
"What? Wai..."
"I''m sure you''ll soon make a name for yourself in the empire''s dueling circles. I''m looking forward to it."
The illusion mages epted their defeat graciously.
It was a regrettable loss, but they weren''t shameless enough to deny it.
Especially since their opponent was just a first-year student.
No matter how they had lost, respecting the opponent''s skill and offering praise was an honorable thing to do.
"Thank you."
"You''ll meet many mages faster than us in the future, but if you continue to refine your speed, it will be hard to find your equal."
It was a heartwarming scene to see these mages, acknowledging their own shorings and openly praising the talented first-year.
It was an ideal encounter between diverse mages.
Klvik wondered if Gonadaltes had brought the first-year student with this very purpose in mind to make the illusion mages realize their own deficiencies by facing a student with such a unique specialty.
Insignificant fools
...or not?
That''s enough. Ogonin. We need to talk separately. My mood ispletely ruined.
At the skull principal''s words, Ogonin nced around and nodded.
Even to Ogonin, the recent duel had seemed strangely off course.
Exin properly to this unworthy disciple. He won''t believe me if I say it.
"Um... So, you have quite a strong mana."
Quite?
"...Very strong."
Very?
"...Why don''t you just tell me what you think?"
Is the festival disruptor, firecracker destroyer, and relic thief giving me orders now? Really, what''s the worlding to
Ogonin bore the disgrace and humiliation. It was his own fault, after all.
"This great mana works in many ways, but... especially in illusion magic that directly affects the mind with pure magic, it''s particrly susceptible to the influence of great mana."
Yi-Han understood as Ogonin borated in detail.
"So, aboutst time?"
"...Yes, you could say that. Especially direct illusion magic is unlikely to work on you."
"Aha. So, when the principal said I could take a hit, it wasn''t an exaggeration."
I''m right here.
"That... that''s one way to put it."
Yi-Han was intrigued by Ogonin''s assurance.
So, the skull principal''s words were actually true.
''It wasn''t a trick to torment me.''
Even if Yi-Han had believed the principal, he would have fought the same way.
Because...
''Why take a hit if I can avoid it?''
Why get hit if it can be avoided? Even if there''s a 0.0001% chance, there''s no need to take unnecessary risks.
"Thank you for letting me know."
Bring out that book.
"Excuse me?"
The book written by Ogonin.
"..."
Yi-Han reluctantly pulled out the book.
It was a book Ogonin had written in his youth, bought from a bookstore.
Seeing it, Ogonin shot a look of utter disbelief at the skull principal.
Truly, a mage dedicated to bullying others in various ways.
What do you think?
"Obviously, since it was written in my youth, there are immature aspects..."
"It seems like a good book, though."
Yi-Han, thinking the question was directed at him, responded.
The misunderstanding was cleared, but it didn''t make Ogonin feel like a great mage.
Honestly, shouldn''t a great mage be able to cast magic that prates great mana?
Considering that, the book was well-written.
Ogonin looked at Yi-Han with a nce of gratitude for the unexpected response.
Of course, the skull principal was not convinced.
That book?! Compare it with mine. You''ll see the difference.
"Well, the principal''s book is indeed excellent, but that doesn''t mean a book is bad just because it''sparatively less valuable. Every book has its own worth."
The skull principal was slow to react, uncertain whether to be pleased by Yi-Han''s ttery or to be angry at the interruption.
"Thank you!"
Ogonin was genuinely touched.
Having received praise and gratitude from countless mages, Ogonin was not usually moved bypliments from a young mage. However, receiving such acim in front of the mad skull principal and from his disciple was enough to stir even Ogonin''s dulled heart.
"This is a kind of fate. If it''s alright with you, may I teach you?"
"!"
Yi-Han hesitated before turning to the skull principal.
Misinterpreting the intent, the skull principal gruffly responded.
Go ahead and learn. It''s a rare opportunity to be taught directly by a mage like Ogonin. A good opportunity.
''I was wondering if it''s really necessary to learn.''
Yi-Han thought to himself.
With professors like Kirmin Ku within the magic academy, and mages like Baldoorn outside, he had wondered if it was really necessary.
''Still, I should learn as best I can out of politeness.''
"Thank you."
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Chapter 212
Chapter 212
Can''t be helped.
The skull principal thought to himself,pletely unaware of Yi-Han''s inner thoughts. Seeing how things were unfolding, it was clear that Ogonin, who was not the type of mage to teach willingly under threats or humiliation, must have been truly moved by Yi-Han''s polite behavior.
It was regrettable that he couldn''t embarrass him further, but if he was willing to concede that much, it couldn''t be helped. After all, it wasn''t just anyone teaching; it was Ogonin, a great mage himself, offering instruction.
This was a precious opportunity that even the mages of this tower would not easily receive.
"Tch. Ogonin. Let''s call this a repayment of debt. Teach well."
I will do my best.
The skull principal then floated out of the room, knowing it was impolite to remain while another mage was teaching.
"Are you okay?" asked Yi-Han.
"Uh?" Ogonin slightly smiled at the question. It seemed Yi-Han was wondering if it was alright to receive one-on-one instruction from a great mage like Ogonin without any rpense, a natural reaction for someone his age.
"It''s fine. I''m doing this out of my own will, not due to any coercion or threat. Don''t worry," reassured Ogonin.
"It''s not that, I''m worried the principal might harass those outside..."
"Well, it should be fine. Probably," Ogonin replied, slightly taken aback by Yi-Han''s objectively realistic concern.
Hearing about the illusion magic Yi-Han knew, Ogonin nodded and remarked, "The Farhait series of illusion magic. Farhait. That guy is quite a decent illusion mage."
''Thats a bit rude,'' Yi-Han thought, unaware of the rtionship between Ogonin and Farhait.
"The magic, based on the fire element, is easy for beginners to learn and apply. Its only drawback is reduced effectiveness in cold environments."
"But... I used it in a cold ce, and it worked well."
"Ah, probably because of your abundant mana," Ogonin realized, nodding understandingly, but Yi-Han''s eyes held a hint of skepticism.
"Farhait''s illusion magic is good, but I''ll teach you something different. It''s a bit rough around the edges but quite useful," Ogonin said modestly. What he nned to teach was his own creation, an illusion spell known among other illusion mages as ''Ogonin''s Arcane Illusion Magic'', respected for its elegant structure, sharp concept, and excellent effects. However, Ogonin hadn''t widely shared this spell, unlike his other creations, because of itsplexity and his uncertainty about it being properly passed on without his direct instruction.
''But this boy is worthy of learning it,'' thought Ogonin. It wasn''t just about fulfilling a promise to the skull principal. Ogonin recognized that Yi-Han was a courteous and considerate boy, evident from past events at the magic academy and today''s duel. Coupled with his magic talent, Yi-Han was indeed a suitable candidate for learning Ogonin''s secret magic.
"What kind of magic is it?" Yi-Han inquired curiously.
"Well, I haven''t named it specifically... but the other mages call it Ogonin''s Arcane Illusion Magic. You can call it that too."
Yi-Han inwardly expressed his perplexity, having never heard of such a thing before. It was a given that the Empire''s magic system was vast, and there certainly existed peculiar magics that even Yi-Han was unaware of. However, he couldn''t help but feel more trust in the magics he had heard of, as opposed to thosepletely foreign to him, regardless of their purported greatness. It should be fine, right? he mused to himself, trying not to be overly pessimistic.
Calmly contemting, Yi-Han considered the mage Ogonin, who seemedpetent despite some reservations. Ogonin, who managed such a tower, earned the respect of other mages, and had authored various books, must have been a formidable mage in his prime, despite the less impressive demeanor he disyed before Yi-Han. Yi-Han realized that it was natural for one''s abilities to rust somewhat after retirement.
Unaware of Yi-Han''s thoughts, Ogonin, who had never retired, continued speaking. "Farhait was not only proficient in illusion magic but also excelled in the application of the fire element, developing several magicsbining these two realms. As I said, these magics have clear advantages."
Yi-Han knew that the Empire''s magic, like any other field of study, evolved over time. It was natural for subsequent generations of mages to refine and improve upon the magics of their predecessors, focusing on convenience and efficiency. If a magic required a great deal of effort or power to cast, newer versions were developed to lessen these demands, thus recing less efficient magics and setting new trends.
The Farhait illusion magic that Yi-Han had learned was of this new breed, easy to learn and apply due to its incorporation of the fire element. But as Ogonin pointed out, every advantage came with a drawback. "Farhait''s illusion magic, though efficient, is not ideal for mastering the essence of illusion magic. This is true for all magics that utilize other elements in their casting."
If one created illusions with fire, ice, or earth, the difficulty of learning the magic might decrease, but it became far removed from the essence of illusion magic.
Ogonin believed in the value of confronting the inherent challenges of pure illusion magic. Attentively listening, Yi-Han inquired, "Then, how should one ideally summon illusions?"
"With pure mana alone," Ogonin replied, acknowledging the difficulty and unpredictability of this approach. "It''s a challenging and hard-to-control path, but it''s the most direct one." As he spoke, he gestured towards a chair beside him where, almost imperceptibly, a second Ogonin was seated.
"Touch it," Ogonin suggested.
Yi-Han reached out to the second Ogonin, amazed to find it solid and unyielding, unlike the illusions of Farhait he knew. "It''s an illusion materialized from the concept of myself," Ogonin exined.
"Remarkable," Yi-Han admitted, genuinely impressed. He wondered if true skill remained intact despite retirement. "You''ll be able to learn it soon," Ogonin said, looking at Yi-Han with a fond expression, as if foreseeing a great mage in the making.
"What circle does this magic belong to?" Yi-Han inquired.
"5th Circle"
Ogonin realized his mistake only after seeing Yi-Han''s incredulous look. He had forgotten that the boy before him was a novice, having spent too much time among the tower''s more experienced mages.
"It''s not something you need to learn right now. Consider it something to master in the future."
"Aah, yes, I see."
Ogonin hastily changed his tone, but Yi-Han''s gaze had grown slightly colder.
"The magics I teach aren''t all difficult ones like creating a physical illusion of oneself. There are many rtively easier ones too."
"Is that so? Wait, but why didn''t you start with those..." Yi-Han''s question trailed off as Ogonin tactfully avoided it.
Indeed, creating a corporeal illusion was an advanced spell, and there were much simpler spells in illusion magic. For instance, the 1st Circle magic, , was almost a necessity for illusionists, allowing them to read emotions emitted by living beings around them. The type of illusion magic used could vary depending on the target''s emotions.
Then there were 2nd Circle magics like , , and - mental interference spells that directly influenced the emotions of others.
To progress to higher-level mental interference spells, one had to first master these.
The 3rd Circle spell, , created a veil of illusory fog around the mage, disrupting the focus of distant enemies and making it difficult for them to aim urately. When cast properly, it could protect a wide area of allies from long-range attacks.
''...Something feels off.''
As Yi-Han listened and practiced each spell, he sensed a discordance. The magic was too... difficult. Even within the same circle, the difficulty of spells varied greatly, but the ones Ogonin was teaching were exceptionally challenging, to the point that Yi-Han felt it keenly.
"Hmm, perhaps they are a bit difficult?" Ogonin cautiously inquired, noticing Yi-Han''s thoughts.
"Yes, they''re quite challenging, perhaps due to my inadequacy."
"It''s not your fault,d. These spells are inherently difficult."
"No, it must be mycking."
"No, truly, they are difficult spells."
Ogonin, sensing Yi-Han''s misunderstanding, kindly exined. Like he had critiqued Farhait''s illusion magic, Ogonin was not a fan of incorporating other elements into illusion magic. He preferred pure illusion magic without anypromise or modification. Although this approach made the spells more challenging, he believed that in the long run, this was the shortest path to mastery.
Naturally, Ogonin''s illusion spells were upromising, pure illusion magic. For example, a different illusion spell might have utilized elements like eye movement, muscle contractions, or body temperature changes. However, focused solely and intensely on the soul of the target, increasing its difficulty.
...
Yi-Han''s expression became ambivalent upon hearing this exnation. It seemed fitting for a mage who had retired and been out of practice for some time
"Have you learned well?"
"The teachings were so challenging that I feel like I''ve just begun."
"That figures. Ogonin is a purist, after all. But not many in the Empire adhere to such pure, ssical illusion magic like him. Mastering it will be beneficial in many ways."
"I''ll give it a try."
While Yi-Han responded affirmatively, he was doubtful about delving deeply into the magics he had learned that day. With so many other spells to learn, adding such challenging ones seemed daunting.
But still, its your good fortune.
"?"
"It''s clear Ogonin has taken a liking to you. He''s offered to make time every week for teaching. Come every weekend, and I''ll connect you with him."
...
Yi-Han''s expression hardened.
Even though learning magic on weekends might be irksome, you need to endure it. This is indeed a great opportunity, not a matter of being petnt.
"I didn''t say anything."
His eyes betrayed his true feelings, though he remained silent.
As Yi-Han was about to board the carriage, illusion mages from within the tower rushed out to bid him farewell. The sight seemed to make the skull principal grimace, as if the disy of friendship was nauseating to him.
"Today''s duel will be unforgettable. I certainly wish for your grand sess."
"Someday, I hope to hear your name in the dueling world. By the way, what is your family name and given name?"
"I am Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
"Wardanaz family''s Yi-Han. As expected of a distinguished knight, the family is also... Huh?"
The illusion mages hesitated, puzzled.
What?
Meanwhile, the skull principal closed the door of the carriage.
"Wait, just a moment, Mr. Gonadaltes."
Don''t be bothersome and just go. The skull principal was ready to wield his whip before any further interruption.
"You just said Wardanaz family... Aaah! To wield a whip over such a trivial matter!"
A great mage doesn''t make empty threats. Leave now!
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Chapter 213
Chapter 213
The carriage flew like an arrow. It seemed not much time had passed before the grand gates of the magic academy came into view.
Yi-Han felt aforting sense of familiarity, as if he had returned home.
And then, he shivered.
''Could I have been affected by mental magic?''
The snow has melted quite a bit.
In the voice of the skull principal, there was a quiet note of regret. Yi-Han cursed inwardly.
"It melted faster than I thought."
Yes. I thought it wouldst longer. There was no need to resolve it so quickly, right?
"I''ll be more careful in the future."
Yi-Han responded casually and stepped out of the carriage.
There were still ces covered in snow, but the bone-chilling cold of a few days ago was nowhere to be felt.
It was a warm spring day.
''At least I didn''t lose the entire weekend.''
Priests were visible here and there. Yi-Han''s face lit up with joy.
Not having to spend the remaining Sunday alone and instead meeting the priests was fortunate indeed.
If the cold hadsted just a bit longer, we could have avoided them
The principal''s voice, filled with regret, came from behind. Yi-Han pretended not to hear and moved on.
"You must have had a hard time."
The priests of the Amphar Order, the me worshipper, spoke with faces full of sympathy.
The students nearly froze to death in their absence.
Their hearts couldn''t help but ache.
"But it wasn''t all bad. Thanks to the cold, my training with fire elements became easier."
The priestsughed at Yi-Han''s words, thinking it a joke.
"Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family always finds the positive in everything, doesn''t he?"
"With such an attitude, you''ll be fine no matter what challengese your way."
Yi-Han, adorned with rings, bracelets, and nes of me absorption, hesitated at their response.
"Did you think I was joking...?"
"Let''s go back to fire training then."
Inside the tent, paper birds began to fly around.
The next step in training, after gaining some control over the movement of mes, was to hit moving targets.
For Yi-Han, hitting the targets wasn''t particrly challenging.
He had already manipted other elements with much moreplexity and precision.
The challenge for Yi-Han was maintaining a consistent intensity of the mes while moving them to hit the targets.
If his concentration broke even for a moment, the mes would grow and spread in all directions.
Other mages who manipted fire elements had to infuse mana to maintain the mes they summoned, but Yi-Han had to restrain his mana as much as possible to prevent the mes from raging out of control.
It was a bit unfair, but inevitable.
Whoosh!
The mes swirling around Yi-Han precisely hit the paper birds.
The priests'' faces brightened.
The stability of the mes had noticeably improvedpared tost time.
Although he was wearing ten rings, four bracelets, and two nes of me absorption, it was still a significant improvement.
"Excellent! Your skills have greatly improved."
"Is that so?"
Despite the praise, Yi-Han felt a tinge of disappointment.
The experienced priests did not miss the hint of dissatisfaction in the young Wardanaz scion''s voice.
"Is there a problem or concern you have? Feel free to speak. The priests'' ears are always open."
"Well, it''s just that..."
Yi-Han slowly began to speak.
In truth, the fire element,pared to other elements, had limited versatility and was specialized in only a few directions.
Water and earth could be flexibly utilized for both attack and defense due to their inherent adaptability, but...
The use of fire was considerably ambiguous.
As such, when handling fire elements, one inevitably became obsessed with their destructive power.
"Focusing so much on controlling the mes, it seems their power weakens even upon sess. A few days ago, when I shed with a monster..."
The priests of the Aphar Order were not surprised by Yi-Han''s words.
It was amon concern for anyone who dealt with fire elemental magic.
Though inherently destructive, fire elements proved unexpectedly difficult to apply inbat. It was only meaningful if it actually reached the enemy.
Water and earth were easy to shape and move at speed.
Lightning, difficult to control, was an element condensed with tremendous speed.
But fire was not only difficult to shape but also several times harder to move at speedpared to other elements.
To ovee this drawback, one had to deliberately create and maintain shapes like arrows or spears and add aunching property, which greatly increased the circle level.
This was not a method beginners learning fire elements could attempt.
As a result, novice fire mages often moved mes slowly to attack enemies, summoned a wide area of mes to suppress them, or handled it through enchantment magic.
"It''s a concern everyone has, Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. It''s like a transitional period before advancing to a higher level of magic. Fire magic can be particrly frustrating when the opponent is prepared. But if you don''t give up and continue to train, your magic level will increase, and your current concerns will be easily resolved. What kind of monster did you feel theck of power against?"
The priests asked for the name of the monster Yi-Han had faced.
They wanted to give advice after learning about its weaknesses.
It was better to understand the method of defeating the monster than to be anxious about increasing the power of fire magic immediately.
"I heard it was the King of Frost Giants."
"The King of Frost Giants?"
"Yes."
"That''s not a problem with fire magic; it''s that the opponent is too strong, Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
Even the kind priests of the Aphar Order couldn''t help but be serious at such a statement.
Wondering how many circles of magic would be needed to feel the power of fire magic against a formidable being like the King of Frost Giants...
"Wait. But how did you end up shing with the King of Frost Giants?"
One of the priests noticed something odd and asked.
Indeed, it was an oversight.
The name ''King of Frost Giants'' was so formidable that it almost slipped by...
Yi-Han was still a first-year student.
There was no reason for him to sh with the King of Frost Giants.
"I was helping seniors, and it happened by chance."
"Which year were they?"
"Sorry?"
"What year are they?"
"Fourth year... but."
The priests murmured among themselves. Yi-Han thought he heard words like ''trash'' and ''cowards.''
"But thanks to that, my fire magic has improved."
Still, since they were seniors he would have to face in the future, Yi-Han defended them.
Of course, the experienced priests of the Aphar Order were not fooled by such words.
"Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family, while surviving a dragon''sir can yield many rewards, nobody rmends entering one. You should definitely avoid associating with such seniors in the future. They are very bad people."
"Understood."
Yi-Han nodded, seeing the priests'' seriousness.
Defending his seniors seemed to only make matters worse.
"Increase the speed of the bird."
"Yes."
The priests began to speed up the paper bird. Yi-Han concentrated, controlling the mes.
The me, the size of an index finger, swiftly chased after the bird.
The priests, just recently stern-faced, now wore expressions of satisfaction at his rapid growth.
Though unforgivable for making a freshman encounter the King of Frost Giants...
It seemed that the intense experience had indeed been beneficial.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
"...?"
The priests, increasing the paper birds'' number and speed with each of Yi-Han''s sesses, felt something was off.
As the paper birds were inherently faster, at some point, Yi-Han had to strategically target one at a time.
But now, the boy from the Wardanaz family was simply moving the mes and exploding them.
The mes were faster than the paper birds, no matter how they werepared.
"Increase the speed more."
The priest controlling the paper birds nodded, setting the paper birds to fly faster as if challenging the speed.
Yi-Han was so focused he couldn''t hear the priests'' conversation. As the paper birds darted through the air, he elerated the mes.
In terms of speed, it wasparable to other elements.
''Fast!''
The Aphar Order priests, used to all kinds of mes, were astonished by its speed.
To achieve such speed just by control, without any additional magic?
''That''s it. The power...!''
An overwhelming amount of mana wasn''t just a disadvantage.
The priests had never seen mes move this quickly.
...Of course, they had also never seen a novice mage unable to control mes due to excessive mana...
"Meeting the King of Frost Giants seems to have really helped him."
"Even if that''s true, it''s not something to be said out loud. Be careful."
"Sorry. I was thoughtless."
Yi-Han, having downed the paper bird and rxing his focus, paused at the conversation he overheard.
''I''ll have to omit the seniors in any future discussions.''
It seemed his situation was perceived even more strangely than he had thought.
Monday morning.
Professor Garcia entered the ssroom, her face beaming with positivity.
This positive energy sparked a slight sense of anticipation in Yi-Han.
''What could be the good news?''
Mondays, typically painful after the weekend, were especially so at the magic academy.
Every Monday brought unleashed monsters, traps set by the skull principal, early winters, or attacks by the principal...
But seeing Professor Garcia''s face, this week might hold some promise.
Could it really be a peaceful and warm week ahead?
"Is there some good news, Professor?"
"You asked at the right time."
Professor Garcia spoke with an ted voice.
"Last night, we finally caught the monster that had been lurking in the depths of the library. It had been mistakenly summoned and disrupting the students for months. Now, students won''t be disturbed in their studies anymore."
"Is that so?"
The first-year students in the ssroom couldn''t share Professor Garcia''s happiness.
None of them had ever ventured deep into the library.
Einroguard wasplex enough, but the library was one of its most notoriousbyrinths.
There was no systematic categorization of books; the stacks visited today could be found in apletely different location tomorrow a maze of unpredictability!
The first-years, sensible as they were, only sought books near the rtively safe entrance and never ventured further.
"Congra... congrattions?"
"We congratte you?"
Still, since it was Professor Garcia who had spoken, the students forced themselves to offer congrattions. Professor Garcia nodded and looked pleased.
"Other professors giving lectures will now be able to fetch books without hesitation."
"...?"
Yi-Han, who had been listening nkly, suddenly paused.
He felt an ominous sense of foreboding.
"Uh, Professor?"
"What is it, Yi-Han?"
"Have the sses so far used fewer books out of consideration for us students?"
"There must have been quite a bit of that."
"So, does that mean sses will increasingly use books from the library from now on?"
"It seems likely."
"..."
The students''plexions began to change as they btedly realized the implications.
Gainando whispered,
"If we set the library on fire, wouldn''t it be closed for a while?"
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Chapter 214
Chapter 214
"If we start a fire..."
The students of the White Tiger murmured among themselves. It seemed they were seriously considering Gainando''s words.
"Forget it, you idiots. If the library could be closed down because a first-year started a fire, it would have been wrecked long ago," Jijel said bluntly. The White Tiger students visibly expressed their disappointment.
Yet, Gainando did not give up.
"What if we make the fire bigger? Wouldn''t it work if Yi-Han did it?"
"Hey, Gainando. Do you think Wardanaz is a dragon or something?"
"Students, we really shouldn''t start a fire in the library," Professor Garcia interjected, clearly flustered by the students'' reckless conversation.
The students nodded in agreement.
"Of course, Professor."
"It''s not like we''re going to start a fire."
"You really mustn''t do it. You might end up in the punishment room even during the holidays."
"..."
"We really won''t start a fire, honestly."
The fear of being confined in the punishment room during the holidays was a more effective threat than any other, deterring even the most radical student from considering starting a fire.
''This is serious,'' Yi-Han thought to himself, lost in contemtion.
Surprisingly, the professors had been considerate in limiting the use of library books until now, but it seemed that would change. The problem wasn''t just that the sses would get harder and the study material would increase.
At Einroguard, merely entering the library and retrieving a book was a challenge. Even finding a book near the entrance was a time-consuming task, let alone the ones deeper inside.
''Can''t we just go outside and buy them?''
While some rare magic books were exclusive to the magic academy''s library, some could surely be bought outside. If only they would open the main gate!
"Professor, pleasee in."
Professor Garcia, thinking to hasten today''s ss before the students despaired further, called another professor inside.
''A spirit mixed-blood?''
Yi-Han''s eyes sparkled as he sensed an aura simr to that of spirits in the iing professor. It wasn''t surprising to find mixed-blood of spirits, angels, or demons among the students, so a professor with mixed-blood was no exception.
''It doesn''t seem like a spirit, though.''
"Professor Parsellet Krair, a master of divination magic."
"!"
Divination magic.
It was one of the most intricate and difficult fields of magic.
While Yi-Han had heard a lot about other magics during his stay at his family''s mansion, his knowledge of divination magic was limited to fragmented and brief snippets.
-A divination mage was called to solve the theft of the Ruby Ne in the Jojeon family. Using coins for divination, they spected the location of the ne-
-Have you heard that those finicky merchants took their pouches of gold coins and knelt before the mage? All that, just for a single divination.-
-They say an exceptional divination mage knows what he will eat for lunch the moment he wakes up in the morning.-
-The talent required for divination magic is entirely different from that needed for other magic. Only a brilliant intuition serves as a beacon.-
Although he had not fully grasped the nature of the magic, Yi-Han was deeply intrigued by divination magic.
''Exceptional divination mages are quite popr, aren''t they?''
Mages who could alter reality to their will were feared and revered in the empire, but among them, exceptional divination mages received an extraordinary level of respect.
Everyone fears an uncertain future.
Who could fail to respect someone who could foresee the future?
Yi-Han harbored no desire to master the future, yet he longed to be able to say, "I am a divination mage," instead of admitting to being a dark mage, which would undoubtedly earn him more esteem.
-I am a divination mage.-
-Oh! A great mage hase to our vige! Can you, perhaps, foresee my child''s future?-
-I am a dark mage.-
-...Hey, the cemetery gates are locked, right?-
"Professor Krair?"
Upon being called by Professor Garcia, Professor Krair, lost in thought, nodded her head.
"...Professor, I asked you to visit us today with a sincere demeanor."
"That''s right. But the future is unpredictable, isn''t it?"
"Professor, I did ask you."
There was a forcefulness in Professor Garcia''s voice. Professor Krair''s eyes sparkled, and suddenly, her expression changed.
"Ah, yes. Divination magic. I was scheduled to lecture on that."
''...Multiple personalities?!''
Yi-Han was taken aback by the sincere guise of Professor Krair, as if she had transformed into a different person.
''Well, it''s not that unusual.''
Professors often had multiple personality traits, to varying degrees. It was just that Professor Krair''s were particrly pronounced.
"Please take care of me. I''m Parsellet Krair, a banshee mixed-blood, and I specialize in divination magic."
"We look forward to your guidance, Professor!"
The students chorused their greetings.
Professor Krair, annoyed by her long, obstructive hair, shook her head to clear it away.
"Does anyone know about Jundaer Dolphram?"
Asan, sitting next to Yi-Han, raised his hand and eximed, "A great mage whoid the foundations for divination magic of the empire!"
"Smart. Do you know Jundaer Dolphrammitted suicide in the year 131 of the imperial calendar?"
"Uh... No?"
"Remember that. I wonder if anyone knows about Keltan Inan, a disciple of Jundaer Dolphram?"
Yi-Han recognized the name. Several students, including the princess and even Gainando, raised their hands. Yi-Han was surprised.
"You know about Keltan Inan?"
"Yi-Han, he''s a key card in my deck."
"Ah, sorry. I didn''t know because the game always ends before hees out."
Gainando, panting and teary-eyed, red at Yi-Han, who apologized at the genuine look of frustration.
"It''s not that you can''t... It''s just a game of chance."
"Right? Right? It has nothing to do with skill, does it?"
"Maybe. Divination magic might help."
As they spoke, another student answered in their ce. Professor Krair nodded.
"Well done. But did you know Keltan Inanmitted suicide in the year 241 of the imperial calendar?"
"...No?? Wasn''t he... missing?"
"Missing? Think of it this way. If a divination mage''s records mention disappearance, missing, or lost contact, assume suicide. Now, as I just said... Jundaer Dolphram, the great mage whoid the foundations for the divination magic of the empire,mitted suicide in the year 131. His disciple, Keltan Inan, followed in the year 241. Now it''s your turn to learn divination magic." [1]
"..."
"..."
''This feels colder thanst week.''
Yi-Han couldn''t help but admire the professor''s ability to chill the academy more effectively than the King of Frost Giants with just a few words.
Despite the warning, Professor Krair''s lecture was neither particrly dangerous nor difficult.
In fact,pared to the sses of other professors, this one was somewhat easier.
Instead of engaging in action or dodging iing attacks, all they had to do was listen to the exnation.
"Actually, divination is a skill that even non-mages can perform to some extent. A student whoes to the ssroom without eating anything in the morning knows they will be hungry by the end of the lecture. And a professor who, despite Professor Garcia''s request,es to the ssroom with azy demeanor knows what will happen to them after the lecture."
"Professor Krair, the students might misunderstand."
Warned by Professor Garcia, Professor Krair spoke more cautiously.
"Divination involves using information from the past to make judgments about the future. What makes a mage''s divination special is the ability to draw upon and consider information that ordinary people might miss, even information the mage themselves might not be aware of."
ording to the professor, divination magic was broadly divided into foreseeing the near future and the distant future.
Predicting the near future, that is, a few seconds ahead, was quite intuitive, urate, and rtively easy.
However, divining the distant future, several hours or more ahead, was a difficult magic, fraught with uncertainty and immense strain for the mage.
"You there. What did you feel from this?"
Asan was taken aback when asked.
"Um... Divination magic is profound and endless, requiring endless dedication?"
"No. If you don''t want to go mad, stick to foreseeing the near future. Especially if someone else asks you to do it. Keep trying to foresee the distant future, and you''ll end up like Jundaer Dolphram, Keltan Inan, or Pheljun Zega."
"Professor, I''ve never heard of a mage named Pheljun Zega..."
"He''s dead, so you wouldn''t have. So today, we''ll try to foresee the distant future."
"???"
Yi-Han was puzzled.
The other students seemed to share his confusion, tilting their heads.
Telling them not to predict the distant future?
Professor Krair was stern.
"If I don''t tell you not to do it, you''re not a mage. It''s better to copse right here in front of me while trying to foresee your final exam secretly, than to vomit blood and copse alone."
"..."
"Indeed."
"What do you mean ''indeed''?!"
Asan was aghast when Yi-Han nodded as if he understood.
What was this...!
''Isn''t that kind of considerate?''
A magic circle appeared before the students, with a disorderly arrangement of variously colored stones.
ording to Professor Krair, the more skilled a diviner bes, the more they find a divination method that suits them.
Of course, the freshmen,cking such knowledge, chose stone divination, the easiest method.
"Hold the stone, chant the spell, and then gently throw it. The goal is to see what you will be doing in a day."
"Shouldn''t we be able to know what will happen in a day?"
Gainando whispered. Professor Krair spoke impassively.
"They say a skilled divination mage knows what they will eat for lunch when they wake up in the morning. A day ahead is a distant future. Stop the nonsense and... throw!"
Kruruk-
The sound of stones being thrown and spells being cast echoed around.
"Stones of various colors, show me myself tomorrow."
"Red, blue, green stones. Show me myself tomorrow..."
The students who cast the spells first stared nkly at the scattered stones and then tilted their heads.
"Is it over?"
"If no imagees to mind, it''s a failure. You need to visualize something."
"Can we try again?"
"Of course."
Professor Krair smiled faintly.
At that moment, a student who had just spoken rolled to the ground.
Thud!
"Cough...!"
"Seeing the futurees with a price. Losing just some mana is getting off cheap."
"But, I didn''t see anything?"
"That''s right. You didn''t see anything, so that''s all it was. If you had seen something, you wouldn''t even be able to groan."
"..."
The students who were about to swing their staffs began to hesitate, fear apparently setting in.
As enticing as divination magic might be, at this point, it seemed more akin to a suicidal spell.
"Did well, didn''t I? Professor Garcia?"
"You could have been a bit more delicate, but... you did give a proper warning. Well done."
"One needs to be this harsh to make the students seriously cautious. Divination magic is naturally prone to inducing vomiting blood if learned alone... Wait! What are you doing?!"
Professor Krair sharply called out to Yi-Han.
He was attempting divination a second time, despite having already tried once and after seeing another student copse.
Such behavior indicated either a bold student or one intoxicated with their own talent and veering into arrogance.
Yi-Han hesitated before responding.
"I thought this much would be... alright."
"Alright? The mages who ended up dead thought it was alright too. Professor Garcia, a potion!"
"It should be fine to this extent..."
"?!?"
Professor Krair was aghast to see the usually kind Professor Garcia showing indifference to a matter directly linked to a student''s life.
It was undoubtedly a sign of impending world doom.
[1] This was simr to the quotes of David L. Goodman: "Ludwig Boltzmann, who spent much of his life studying statistical mechanics, died in 1906, by his own hand. Paul Ehrenfest, carrying on the work, died simrly in 1933. Now it is our turn to study statistical mechanics". -- David L. Goodman "States of Matter"
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Chapter 215
Chapter 215
"Professor Garcia, I don''t know exactly what I did wrong, but I apologize for any offense caused. Please, calm your anger."
"I''m not angry," came the reply.
Professor Parsellet Krair had offered an apology. Of course, Professor Garcia did not understand why.
"For someone who ims not to be angry, you certainly don''t seem upset Wait, are you truly alright?"
"Yes, I told you I''m fine with it."
Professor Parsellet scanned Yi-Han from top to bottom before turning to ask Professor Garcia.
"Is that boy the one?"
"Yes, that''s Yi-Han."
''What''s this? Why do I feel an ominous premonition?'' Yi-Han wondered, pausing momentarily, worried that the stone divination magic he was attempting might be causing adverse effects.
He remembered there was always a price to pay for seeing the future...
"His mana must be immense indeed," mused Professor Parsellet, lost in thought.
Despite the avability of simpler divination spellslike seeing just one or two seconds into the futureshe had deliberately assigned the virtually impossible task of divining a day ahead. There was a reason for this.
It was intended to be a failed endeavor from the start.
For young mages, it was better to fail outright than to seed imperfectly. After all, seeing the future, even with magical aid, was a perilous act that demanded a price. If that price ended merely in the expenditure of mana, it was fortunate. But sess could lead to more dire costs.
Thus...
"Enough of this," said Professor Parsellet, sweeping away the stones in front of Yi-Han with her staff.
The freshman had been audaciously continuing his stone divination, heedless of the price he might have to pay for failure.
"To the first-year student: Just because you can attempt divination magic multiple times, like other spells, doesn''t mean you should. Even if the price for failure is rtively small, repeated attempts could lead to unforeseen consequences."
"But Yi-Han seems fine, doesn''t he?" asked Gainando, his naive question promptly silenced by Professor Garcia''s staff.
There was no point in provoking Professor Parsellet''s temper.
"I understand, Professor," Yi-Han acknowledged.
"Remember that," she advised.
And Yi-Han truly did understand.
''Such an unstable magic,'' he thought. Divination was arguably the most uncertain and capricious of all magic arts. The farther one tried to see into the future, the greater the price to be paid. The clearer and more precise the vision, the higher the cost. Even failure, if repeated, could escte the price.
Having great mana didn''t mean one should persist in trying.
''I must be more cautious.''
Yi-Han wasn''t particrly ambitious about divination magic. While some mages aspired to ''see the end of the world'', pursuing visions of the far future, Yi-Han was content knowing just enough to discern whatever trap skull principal might have set. That alone would suffice to call oneself a divination mage.
But Professor Parsellet did not trust him.
"Professor Garcia, we should keep a close watch on that student."
"Why?"
"He knows well enough about his own abundant mana. A student like him, aware of divination magic, will hardly restrain himself. He''ll keep attempting it, pouring all his magic into it."
Professor Parsellet was almost certain of it. The thrill of glimpsing the future was iparably intense.
It was unlikely that a novice mage like him could restrain himself. Continued surveince was necessary.
"Yi-Han is not such a person," Professor Garcia reassured, waving her hand as if to dismiss the concern. Despite her usually gentle demeanor, her unexpected assertion left Professor Parsellet all the more astonished.
"Really...?"
"Professor Garcia, you know that all the freshmen have empty heads like hollow iron pots..."
"I am aware. But Yi-Han is not one of those students."
"Because he''s a genius? You know that in such cases, geniuses are even more dangerous."
If someonecked talent, they might be safe, but in magic, those with talent were more at risk.
Immersing oneself deeply into the magical quagmire without the ability to protect oneself...
"Yes, but I insist, Yi-Han is not that kind of person."
Professor Garcia was adamant.
Yi-Han''s character was such that he would never recklessly endanger himself.
A conviction beyond talent or magical ability!
"...???"
Naturally, for Professor Parsellet, this was all the more perplexing.
''What in the world...?''
As Professor Parsellet struggled to find words, Professor Garcia turned her attention to the students.
Having sufficiently warned them about the dangers of divination magic, it was time to discuss its advantages.
Regardless of its risks, a mage ultimately delves into danger.
If they were to shun interest in magic just because of its dangers, there would be no point in bing a mage.
"Now, you all must have been quite surprised at how different and unique divination magic is from other types of magic."
The students nodded. Some, who had copsed on the floor, barely twitched their fingers, victims of failed divination attempts.
"But the magic you attempted today was quite difficult. Not all divination magic is that challenging."
''Shouldn''t you start with simpler spells then?''
Yi-Han, who had repeatedly tried a rather difficult spell, listened with a wry expression.
Had it not been for his abundant mana, he might have been lying on the ssroom floor like his exhausted peers.
"Starting with finding hidden objects in this ssroom, to recalling forgotten or overlooked knowledge, to spotting errors in one''s own magic circles, divination magic can be applied in various ways. Even mages specializing in other schools of magic often learn a bit of divination."
Though delving deep into divination magic could be perilous, at a shallow level, it was quite convenient and versatile.
As it aided the mage''s brain, itplemented any branch of magic.
"So, those of you interested in divination might consider attending Professor Krair''s lectures. But always remember to remain humble before the future."
Despite the initial chaos, Professor Garcia''s words seemed persuasive enough that many students decided to take up divination magic.
As the lecture concluded and students began to leave, they chatted about what they could do with divination magic and what they nned to do with it.
"You worked hard, Professor Krair."
"What did I do? It was all Professor Garcia."
At Professor Parsellet''s words, Professor Garcia waved her hand dismissively.
"But you''re the one teaching them, Professor. I''m just worried that because of me, you might end up with too many students to handle."
It was the kind of remark that would have brought tears to the eyes of Professor Mortum, the Dark Magic Professor.
A privilege reserved for professors who dealt with popr magic!
But Professor Parsellet seemed unconcerned.
"Most of them will just learn the basics and leave anyway."
Unlike other magics, divination had a high dropout rate among students.
It was understandable, given that even a basic proficiency was quite useful, and advancing further increased the risk to one''s life.
ordingly, Professor Parsellet had little interest in seeking apprentices.
It would happen if it was meant to be, based on luck.
"Still, haven''t you found any students who seem promising?"
"Finding a genius in divination magic who stands out from the beginning is difficult, unlike other magics, Professor Garcia. Your case is extremely rare," grumbled Professor Parsellet.
While Professor Garcia was known for her fondness for students, Professor Parsellet was indifferent. Showing talent in divination magic as a first-year student was nearly impossible.
Practicing ''rtively'' easier divination spells throughout the first year, and even starting serious divination in the second year, rarely revealed any true talent.
First of all, sessfully divining (which required intuition and inspiration) was extremely difficult, not to mention interpreting those uncertain futures...
"And that student, Yi-Han. He really is alright? Other professors have shown interest in him. I don''t want theming to meter, demanding I take responsibility."
Professor Parsellet didn''t want to risk a favored apprentice secretly practicing divination magic, only to copse vomiting blood, for which other professors would me her.
"It''s alright, I assure you."
''But I feel uneasy...''
Just then, Yi-Han and his friends walked out. Professor Parsellet listened in, intending to overhear the first-year students'' conversation.
"I''m going to train hard to remember the order of the deck I shuffled. So, Yi-Han, you kept throwing stones and trying to divine earlier. Did you see anything?"
Gainando''s question made Professor Parsellet shake her head inwardly.
She had just exined, and they had already forgotten.
Such a carefree attitude was not suitable for divination magic.
''I told them several times that if you fail, you see nothing...''
"Well, some brief images did sh by..."
"?!"
Professor Parsellet''s eyes widened in shock.
What did he say?
''Wait It''s not the time to scold the first-years...''
She had assumed Yi-Han''s divination had failed, but on reflection, Yi-Han had not said a word about failing. Surprisingly, he had seeded but kept trying!
''The price for sess must have been paid...''
Even the faintest, most uncertain glimpse of the future came with a tremendous cost.
And to do it repeatedly, without any sign...
''He''s naturally gifted!''
One of the talents for divination magic.
It was the ability to pay the price well.
It might sound like a joke, but in a way, it was the most important talent.
One mage might have to pay with blood after seeing the future, while another might pay with manathetter being overwhelmingly advantageous.
This student clearly had the constitution to pay with mana.
''But to pay with mana, an immense amount is needed...''
Professor Parsellet knew Yi-Han had a lot of mana, but she was puzzled.
No matter how much mana one had, to pay the price of sess with it, and to repeat it several times...
Was that even possible?
Could it be a first-year''s misconception?
It was not umon for young mages to mistakenly believe they had seen the future.
The professor listened more intently than before, eager to hear the rest of the conversation.
"What did you see? Tell me!"
"I saw myself cooking roast meat."
"Roast meat...! So, tomorrow''s menu is roast meat!"
"It''s not certain. Even if we see the future, it can always change, right?"
"No, Yi-Han. We can create our future."
Gainando said, his voice filled with anticipation.
"What are you talking about?"
"Tomorrow''s menu is roast meat."
"Roast meat?! I love that! What kind of meat are you using? Could it bemb?"
"What roast meat?"
"The guys from the Blue Dragon are having roast meat tomorrow."
"Damn it. Those lucky brats."
Professor Parsellet''s face scrunched up in annoyance.
It was a crucial moment, yet the other first-year students were babbling about trivial matters.
"What I saw was roast meat made with beef."
"Beef...!"
"Beef would be great!"
"Those kids. Did theye to a magic academy just to eat? You can''t be a great mage with a full stomach!"
Despite the jealous remarks of the students from the White Tiger, Professor Parsellet''s mind was elsewhere.
Even if one seeded in divination, the images seen and how they were interpreted varied from mage to mage.
Yet, if there was one important aspect, it was the rity and specificity of the visions.
The more vivid and detailed the image, the more remarkable the divination.
If he could see the type of meat so clearly...
Professor Parsellet mumbled, her eyes zed over.
"Beef... beef... beef...!"
"Did you change personalities just now?"
Professor Garcia, who hade up from behind, looked puzzled.
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Chapter 216
Chapter 216
Chapter 216
"I said beef. Beef, Professor Garcia!"
"...Have you really changed your personality?"
Before Professor Garcia''s eyes could shift to contempt, Professor Parsellet swiftly and frantically exined the recent events.
Consequently, Professor Garcia''s expression changed as well.
"Really? That''s impressive!"
"Why such a reaction?"
Professor Parsellet was slightly flustered. The response was too mild for her liking.
"Ah... I''m sorry."
Professor Garcia looked embarrassed.
Having seen other professors react with astonishment numerous times, Garcia''s reaction was not as surprised as Parsellet had anticipated.
While Parsellet might think, ''What is this? A genius?!'', Garcia''s reaction was more like, ''Oh, so it happened again...''
"I''ve heard a few times in other lectures how impressive it was."
"This is different from that!"
Professor Parsellet spoke with a voice full of injustice, so much so that another personality almost burst forth.
"It''s different from just starting a fire well or casting curses well..."
"Was it not the same in other sses... Is there a problem?"
At Professor Garcia''s words, Parsellet hesitated.
Separate from her feelings of injustice, there was indeed a problem.
"There is one."
"What kind?"
"I''m not sure how to deal with it."
"Ah."
Professor Garcia immediately understood what the other was saying.
Professor Parsellet was known among the faculty for herissez-faire teaching style.
The students she had taught divination magic to had chosen to study under her after they had discovered their talents on their own, rather than being directly nurtured by Parsellet.
"Ah. Well, divination magic is especially hard to spot talent in... Maybe you could pay more attention to it?"
"How?"
"Teach more powerful andplex divination spells..."
"No. It''s dangerous."
Professor Parsellet replied irritably.
There''s an adage that a talented mage is more dangerous.
This was especially true in the realm of divination magic.
No matter how strong one''s intuition and inspiration, or how well one pays the magic cost, danger neverpletely disappears.
Even if only once in a thousand attempts, paying a different cost could be fatal for a mage.
Even experienced and skilled mages make mistakes, let alone the younger ones.
"That makes sense. Then how about treating him like you usually treat your other students?"
"What if he loses interest in divination magic and stops caring?"
"Uh..."
Professor Garcia was at a loss for words.
Not because it was hard to answer the statement, but because it was surprising to hear such a thing from Parsellet.
Normally, Parsellet would have coldly said, ''If they lose interest or stop caring, then that''s the end of our connection.''
"Isn''t that how it should be?"
"How can you say that, Professor Garcia? Even if he stop learning divination magic, how could you?"
"...I, I''m sorry."
Professor Garcia apologized, feeling unjustly used.
''To think she always says that...''
"I may seem indifferent, but I don''tpletely neglect nurturing my students."
"I know."
Garcia knew that although Parsellet appeared indifferent to taking on or seeking new students, once she epted a student, she took very good care of them.
Parsellet''s seemingly indifferent attitude might have been due to the nature of divination magic itself.
"Though I might cause a fuss whenever my personality changes."
"Ah. That''s certainly a bit..."
"..."
At Professor Garcia''s absent-minded reply, Professor Parsellet''s lips protruded in a pout.
"With such talent in divination magic, it''s impossible not to refine it."
"That''s true..."
"Why?"
"It''s nothing."
A thought briefly crossed Professor Garcia''s mind, ''Haven''t I heard simr things from other professors?'' but it quickly faded away.
"How about Professor Garcia teach him in a way that keeps his interest?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Professor Garcia replied sternly.
No matter how indebted she was to Professor Parsellet, that was out of the question.
"But still..."
"Don''t worry about it."
Sensing the conversation drifting in a strange direction, Professor Garcia answered decisively.
"Yi-Han is an exceptionally diligent student, so even if he just repeats simple magic, he won''t lose interest or discontinue his involvement."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. If Yi-Han ever loses interest in divination magic or stops caring, I''ll consult with you about it. Okay?"
Upon hearing this assurance from Professor Garcia, Professor Parsellet''s face lit up with relief.
After seeing off the joyful professor, Professor Garcia paused mid-step.
''Oops.''
A realization came btedly.
''The lecture Yi-Han is currently attending...''
Yi-Han was already involved in a significant amount of magic.
''Sorry, Yi-Han!''
I should have intervened...!
"Professor! Look! The cabbage is alive!!!"
"Yes, yes."
Professor Uregor was overwhelmed by the fervor Yi-Han showed.
The same boy who would leave an exam with a perfect score and a calm demeanor was now joyously eximing over a living cabbage in the garden...
"Frost-kissed cabbage tastes better. That''s great."
"I thought it was dead after being buried under snow for nearly a week."
"!"
Professor Uregor was startled by this revtion.
Engrossed in Yi-Han''s joy, he had overlooked the fact that vegetables buried under snow for a week being alive was extraordinary.
Even with the power of a staff given by a tree spirit...
''Did his magic amplify the staff''s life force?''
"Your magic amplified the staff''s life force."
"Indeed."
Yi-Han casually responded and continued to brush snow off the vegetables and put them in a basket.
"That''s not something to respond to so casually!"
"Oh. Is it not?"
Yi-Han, holding a potato, looked puzzled.
Wasn''t it just that his magic harmonized well with the tree spirit''s staff, amplifying its life force?
"Technically yes, but..."
Professor Uregor felt frustrated that the student before him was only a first-year.
Any other mage would have reacted, ''You mean I amplified the power of a staff given by a spirit? Even with strong magic, how?''
After all, unconsciously amplifying the power of an artifact given by another being was significant!
"...Fine. Just know that it''s impressive. But seeing how much you care for it, Professor Willow must be pleased."
"Professor Willow?"
Yi-Han turned at the mention of the botany professor, Professor Willow.
Professor Uregor was puzzled by the reaction.
"Have you met her? Professor Willow doesn''t usually teach first-year students?"
''Oops.''
"I happened to meet her once."
"Yes. Professor Willow is an admirable person."
True to the stereotype of an alchemy professor, Professor Uregor praised Professor Willow.
An alchemist in need of ingredients was inevitably indebted to a botanist.
"It''s not just because you''ve met Professor Willow, but she really is an exceptional person. Her character, her knowledge of trees..."
"I understand, Professor. I''ll be sure to convey your message."
Seeing his astute student''s response, Professor Uregor wiped under his nose with an awkward expression. It was embarrassing for a teacher when the student was too brilliant.
While Yi-Han was busy clearing the snow from the garden and chopping the harvested vegetables, frying them in oil, and boiling them with broth, Professor Uregor sat at a table in front of his cabin, idly scribbling with a quill.
Yi-Han, who came out with a pot of vegetable soup seasoned with salt and pepper, containing cabbage, potatoes, onions, and carrots, looked puzzled at Professor Uregor.
"What are you doing?"
"Is it ready? Let me see... Ah, you could even be a chef."
"That''s too high a praise."
"No, I''m serious."
"Being a chef can''t be that easy."
"I really mean it..."
Professor Uregor was indeed sincere. He had noticed Yi-Han''s cooking skills improving each time.
"So, what were you doing?"
"Oh, this letter? You''ll find out soon enough."
Professor Uregor waved his staff, and thepleted letters transformed and started flying towards their respective towers.
"You might have heard, but Professor Garcia had gathered people to catch a monster summoned in the deep parts of the library."
"...Really?"
Yi-Han, taking a spoonful of soup, paused abruptly. A sense of foreboding suddenly enveloped him.
"Now that we can take out the needed books, I''ve sent messages to the students to fetch them."
"..."
Meanwhile, students inside the tower stared in confusion at the notice pinned on the wall.
A list of books to be fetched from the library:
-Introduction to Basic Mineralogy-
-Edible nts from the central part of the Empire-
-Mages who Survived Poison-
-Great Alchemical Visions Born from Failure-
Signed, Uregor Gumdar
Shockingly, this was just the beginning. Notices from other professors began flying in through the windows.
"Let''s... close the windows!"
The students were so flustered that even Gainando''s suggestion seemed appealing.
"Still, there''s no need for every student to fetch a book. One per tower should suffice."
As Professor Uregor spoke with a benevolent expression, Yi-Han regretted not poisoning the soup he had made earlier.
"...But the books won''t be too deep inside, right?"
"Who knows? Normally they''re near the entrance, but the Einrograd Library is always changing... If you''re unlucky, you might have to go deeper."
"...It won''t be too dangerous, right?"
"It''s dangerous. Better to go in together."
"...The soup seems to have cooled. I''ll reheat it."
"Hold on. You''re not nning to poison it, are you?"
"Why would I do that?"
"Stay put. I''ll cook this time."
Professor Uregor stood up, blocking his student. He couldn''t let his guard down around this unpredictable student.
Congrattions.
"???"
The monster in the library has been captured.
"Ah..."
The students felt overwhelmed by the skull principal''s congrattions.
Such an understatement...
You must be brainstorming about fetching the books. Let me help.
"Really? You''re going to lend us the books...?"
The student who spoke out of turn was silenced by a spell. The skull principal spoke sharply.
A mage should teach how to catch a fish, not just give one. Never speak such nonsense again.
''It seems more like you''re tying a stone to our ankles and pushing us into water.''
"How then do you propose to help us?"
A good question. Today''s ss is canceled. Instead, everyone should return to their towers and prepare.
"What kind of preparation?"
Preparation for entering the library. This will be everyone''s first dungeon.
"But that''s not true. I went there before with Yi-Han."
Gainando was silenced by a spell. The skull principal red at Yi-Han.
''It''s not my fault.''
Yi-Han felt unjustly used.
It was Professor Uregor who had instructed him!
Once everyone is ready, they can enter the library. Hurry, before it gets too dark.
One student, seemingly confused, raised a hand to ask.
"Are you going to enter with us?"
Am I the student, or are you? Why would I?
"...?"
"So, how are you going to help us? Oh, maybe you''re providing equipment or food..."
I''ll postpone all the sses scheduled until tomorrow evening. This will allow everyone to focus on the library.
"..."
The students, perhaps moved by the skull principal''s grace, were rendered speechless.
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Chapter 217
Chapter 217
"Go and get ready. And you''d better prepare for camping inside the dungeon as well."
"No... Principal...," a student hesitated.
The skull principal swiftly took advantage of the students'' lost words to press on.
The students, forcefully kicked out of the ssroom, stood dumbfounded, looking at each other.
"What should we do?"
"What else? We have to prepare."
"Is it really a dungeon? It can''t be that bad, right?"
Someone murmured hopefully, but no answer came.
The quicker students had already sensed it.
If the skull principal went to such lengths to say this, it would undoubtedly be no easy feat.
"Wardanaz. You''re close to the Principal. Couldn''t you say something... Where are you going? Wardanaz?"
A student from the ck Tortoise, who had intended to ask for help, was puzzled.
Yi-Han was already walking down the corridor.
"I''m going to prepare for camping."
"...We should prepare too," the other students, unable to let go of their hesitation, finally gave up neatly.
Well, better just get ready!
"What do we need for camping inside the dungeon?"
The students of the Blue Dragon, back at their tower, were in a flurry.
They were shocked by the skull principal, but more so, they were inexperienced in such matters.
Many had never even entered a dungeon, let alone camped inside one.
Conquering the dungeon was a daunting task, and preparing to camp there was several times more challenging.
Especially since most students of the Blue Dragon had never even camped under normal circumstances before joining Einroguard...
It was natural for them to be more disorganized than students from the other three towers.
Fortunately, the Blue Dragon students had someone they could rely on: Yi-Han.
"Wardanaz. Should I take this axe?"
"A dagger is enough. No need to increase the bulk. And just in case, bring nails, a hammer, and rope. Put it in the backpack."
"Do we really need to carry this cloth and oil bottle? We can use magic, after all..."
"Magic isn''t unlimited."
At Yi-Han''s words, the diligent Blue Dragon students stopped and stared at him.
Yi-Han responded as if it was absurd.
"Is there a guarantee that I''ll always be with you?"
"That''s... true."
"Yi-Han. Let me move with you."
Pushing aside Gainando, who was quickly securing a safe spot, Yi-Han checked his friends'' backpacks.
Before entering the academy, he was trained by the knight Arlong.
After entering, by the Shadow Patrol Huntress Nillia.
Having been consistently trained by professionals, Yi-Han was now at a level where even among experienced mercenaries and adventurers, he was regarded as a ''pretty seasoned mage.''
"Just in case, everyone put a can in your backpack. Don''t forget to fill the leather water bottles. Don''t take out the tools from your backpack because they''re heavy. You never know when you''ll need them. Gainando. Take out the card. You''ll lose it. Princess. You won''t be able to eat all those snacks you''re putting in your backpack."
"?!"
The Princess, who was packing snacks for her followers, waved her hands in dismay.
But Yi-Han had already turned away to check the other friends'' backpacks.
The Princess blinked her eyes full of frustration. Gainando spoke from the side.
"I understand. I wanted to bring more snacks too... Ouch! Did you step on me?"
"It''s just crowded in the lounge. Must be an ident."
"No! You stepped on me on purpose!"
"Are you the Princess? Doing such childish things? Your noble lineage..."
As Asan spoke, he hesitated momentarily.
Gainando was ring at him, as if urging him to continue speaking.
"...Well, ording to Wardanaz, it''s not a person''s lineage, but their actions that determine their worth."
"Shut up."
Thirty minutester.
Upon their return, having finished their preparations, the students of the Blue Dragon were met with the skull principal licking his lips.
They were too well-prepared.
''A single eel can ruin the pond,'' the principalmented internally.
Every year, the students of the Blue Dragon were the most disorganized when entering the library.
Unlike students from the other towers, they had grown up protected, like flowers in a greenhouse, so it was expected.
Their misery inside the library - crying, rolling around, clutching their hungry stomachs - had been a source of great amusement, but not this year.
All because of one student!
''That kid is from the Wardanaz family, yet why is he so resilient?'' the principal wondered.
Why was a student from one of the empire''s most distinguished families of mages so hardy?
It was more than just unusual.
"Alright. Go in ande back safely."
"Yes. We''ll return safely," Yi-Han replied.
The principal felt spiteful, almost certain that this particr student would indeed return safely.
''Hopefully, he gets separated from his group in an ident.''
''He''s not thinking that I should get separated from my group in an ident, is he?'' Yi-Han thought, but dismissed it, doubting the principal could be so petty.
''But then again, he might just do it.''
"Principal."
What?
"What about the students from the other towers?"
They''ve already entered. You''re thest.
Yi-Han was puzzled by this response.
The White Tiger students could have quickly entered to avoid mixing with ''that Wardanaz kid'', but it was different for the others.
"Aren''t there friends waiting for us?"
"Are you going on a pic? I told them to enter first."
''As expected,'' Yi-Han wasn''t surprised.
Given the principal''s nature, it would have been stranger if he had allowed the students from different towers to enter together.
He seemed to want to divide even the present group...
''But it doesn''t matter,'' Yi-Han thought to himself.
He had already discussed with a few friends in anticipation of such a situation.
-Nillia. I''ve always respected the Shadow Patrol. But if we''re to enter the library separately, could we meetter to coborate?-
-Of course, it''s not difficult, but did you start by praising the Shadow Patrol thinking I might refuse?-
-Priestess Tijiling. I don''t want to mention that I''ve always offered you tea, but in case the priests of the tower-
-If you want to cooperate, feel free to say so. You didn''t need to mention that to be epted-
Fortunately, Yi-Han''s proposal was readily epted by the friends from other towers.
Even Dolgyu.
-Dolgyu.-
-Yi-Han. I''ll do my best, but don''t expect too much.-
-I haven''t said anything yet... but thanks anyway.-
''The deeper levels might be tough, but the initial levels should be manageable.''
Yi-Han had his calctions.
Despite the library''s notorious reputation, students like Yi-Han had been inside a few times.
During breaks or weekends, they would search the storerooms near the entrance for books.
The initial levels near the entrance were rtively simple and easier to understand.
If they were to meet with their friends in the initial levels...
"..."
"..."
Kuoooooo-
Upon opening the door and entering the library, Yi-Han was astonished by the vast wilderness before him. The familiar sight of the library, filled with storerooms, was nowhere to be seen, reced instead by an unfamiliar dungeon.
Even Asan, who had seen the old library, gaped in disbelief.
"It... It''s impossible. No matter how monstrous it is, the transformation of its appearance doesn''t make sense..."
But Yi-Han had to ept it. He could feel the powerful flow of mana in the air. Whatever the monster was, its obstruction of the library''s mana flow had been removed. Now that the blocked flow was bursting forth, the internal structure of the library was undergoing intense changes.
...Of course, why first-year students had to enter at such a time was another question...
"Asan. Snap out of it. We have to ept this."
"But... But how..."
"Everyone move! Keep a close watch on your surroundings."
Yi-Han collected himself and shouted. The students of the Blue Dragon grasped their staffs,ing to their senses.
"There''s a storeroom!"
Scattered throughout the vast wilderness were storerooms. The arriving students hurriedly scanned the books.
"It''s wrong. There''s nothing useful here."
"Who would put their failed exam papers here?"
"We need to find the next storeroom."
Exploration.
Movement.
Search.
It was a simple task, not difficult in theory, but more physically draining than expected.
Especially in such a wilderness, nearly otherworldly, it was even more so.
The flow of mana made visibility poor as if dustden, the sun was nowhere to be seen yet the heat of the day scorched down, and when a dry wind blew, many students coughed.
"Yi-Han."
"I know."
Yi-Han nodded at Yonaire''s words. No matter how urgent the need for books, if they continued to march without rest, his friends would copse first.
"Let''s take a short break."
The students sighed in relief and slumped down. A few immediately tried to fill their water bottles.
They hadn''t found a water source yet, but to a mage, that wasn''t a concern.
The reason why parties always wanted at least one mage!
"Spring forth!"
A staff was confidently waved.
And nothing happened.
"???"
"Hey. You''ve been learning for how long and you messed up the water creation spell? Never mind. I''ll do it. Spring forth!"
Still, nothing happened.
"...Was the incantation wrong? But it worked outside?"
"Spring forth! Spring f... cough."
Only then did the students realize.
Droplets, almost like dew, were forming in the air.
The magic hadn''t failed.
The powerful mana flow nearby was greatly weakening the effect of the water creation spell.
Realizing this, the students'' faces turned pale.
They were the students who had suffered all sorts of hardships due to a blizzardst week.
They knew all too well how painful natural mana flows could be.
"How much water is left? Anyone have a spare?"
"Not a drop left...!"
"Take out the extra water bottles you brought!"
''I made a mistake.''
Yi-Han clicked his tongue.
He had prepared an extra leather water bottle, just in case, but his friends hadn''t. Not wanting to increase their burden, he hadn''t mentioned it, but he should have prepared them for this possibility.
Anything could happen in a magic academy.
"Can''t Yi-Han do it?"
"Is that what you call a suggestion?"
Gainando tilted his head, muttering, and Asan chided him.
"Don''t waste Wardanaz''s mana for nothing. He''s already got enough responsibilities as it is."
"But wasting a bit wouldn''t matter, right..."
''It''s a valid point.''
While the friends scolded Gainando, saying ''How can you call yourself a friend?'', Yi-Han found himself inadvertently agreeing.
Well, wasting a bit wouldn''t really matter!
"Spring forth."
Yi-Han, wanting to confirm once and for all, waved his staff decisively.
Then, a giant sphere of water burst forth in the air.
"..."
"...Wardanaz. Did I ever tell you I''ve always thought of you as a genius?"
"Yi-Han. Don''t give those guys water, m... mmmph."
The friends quickly covered Gainando''s mouth and started to line up.
"Who said Wardanaz would fail at magic?"
"No way. I''ve never heard that."
''I wonder if everyone will be surprised when they return to their families.''
As Yi-Han filled his friends'' leather water bottles with cold water, he thought to himself.
If his friends families were surprised at the change in their characters upon returning home, wondering ''What happened at the academy to change them so much?'', it would not be Yi-Han''s fault, but the fault of the skull principal.
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Chapter 218
Chapter 218
Gulp, gulp -
Once they had secured drinking water, the students of the Blue Dragon heaved a sigh of relief and looked around.
The fickleness of the human heart was such that their moods shifted as soon as their thirst was quenched.
Moments before, they had beenmenting, "What sins have Imitted to enroll in such an academy?" Now, they pondered, "Perhaps experiencing this with friends isnt so bad."
Several students sat on the dry, rocky hills, gazing towards the horizon.
"It''s not as bad as I thought. Right?"
"Yeah."
''Comining about how tough it is one moment, and now this...''
Yonaire thought to herself but refrained from scolding her already weary friends.
"I hope those from the White Tiger suffer more."
"Me too."
"..."
Yonaire looked at her friends in disbelief.
''Won''t such remarks bring trouble?''
"Aaahh!"
"!!!"
No sooner had the words been spoken than a scream erupted from the opposite direction.
Yi-Han gripped his staff and ran towards themotion.
"Whats happening!"
"Over there...!"
Following his friends'' pointed direction, Yi-Han''s face hardened.
Far off towards the horizon, a heavy, medium-sized monster was approaching.
''A Rock Drake!''
Yi-Han, as well as a few other students, recognized the creature, a well-known monster in the Empire.
A Drake was a species rumored to have dragon blood in its ancestry, known for itsrge size and strength.
Among them, the Rock Drake, with its hard, rocky shell, was infamous for its absurdly high defense.
-Be wary of Rock Drakes. Even seasoned adventurers can be crushed in the blink of an eye.-
-I once visited a ce where Rock Drakes appeared. Do you know what they call it? ''The Mage''s Nightmare''. They simply deflect magic.-
Definitely not a monster for first-year students to handle.
Even for Yi-Han, who had faced the Colossal Hungry Ghost!
A monster several grades higher, not just any creature rumored to have dragon''s blood.
"Everyone, keep low. Dont provoke it."
"Is iting this way?"
The Rock Drakes heavy steps conveyed a menacing pressure as it approached, not fast, but undeniably threatening.
Yi-Han gathered the students.
With the Rock Drake moving their way, they needed to quickly devise a n.
"We need to run now! Let''s move to the other side."
"That''s absurd. Rock Drakes aren''t aggressively hostile, but they attack anything in their territory. If we provoke it, it''s over!"
"So, we just stand here and wait for it?"
"Its heading this way, but its not certain itll climb up here. Its more likely to go somewhere else."
"If we dy any longer, well lose our chance to escape!"
The friends were divided in their opinions.
''This is tough.''
Both sides had valid points in Yi-Hans view.
Rock Drakes weren''t known for their keen senses, but the students, if they moved en masse, could be noticed even from afar.
Yet, staying put and hiding felt like leaving it all to chance, with no other n...
"Should we try throwing a silver coin?"
"...Not a bad idea."
"What? Yi-Han, are you sure?"
Gainando was flustered, having suggested the idea only to find Yi-Han agreeing with him.
"I never expected a ''no''..."
"Just for reference. Stones, reveal the future to me."
Yi-Han threw a handful of colored stones onto the ground, focusing his mind intensely.
He had originally refrained from using divination magic, but given the circumstances, he had no choice.
Fortunately, it was not the distant future he sought, but the near one.
''This seems doable.''
Certainly, if Professors Parsellet or Garcia were present, they would have argued, ''Easy or hard, this is absolutely beyond the level of a first-year student.'' Unfortunately, neither professor was there.
The desired answer was whether the Rock Drake woulde this way or not.
Blurry images shed momentarily before Yi-Han could focus on one.
"It seems to being."
"Damn it!"
Seeing the Rock Drake rampaging and destroying the storage on the hill, Yi-Han decided to flee with his friends.
"There''s not entirely no way out. There''s the invisibility magic, but..."
"Ah!"
"The problem is, I can only use it on myself so far."
"Ah..."
Applying the same magic to others was significantly more challenging than using it on oneself.
"Fortunately, there''s an artifact. Try this on, Gainando."
Gainando obediently strapped on the belt handed to him by Yi-Han.
Then, he suddenly fell to his knees.
"The... the mana..."
"Oh. The mana drain is worse than I thought."
"Yi-Han... are you trying to assassinate me..."
"Yonaire, could you pass me a potion?"
Yi-Han uncorked a potion and fed it to Gainando.
Thankfully, Gainando soon regained his strength.
"Lending out artifacts seems to be a tough option."
Hearing Yi-Han''s words, all his friends vigorously nodded in agreement.
No one wanted to wear those artifacts, despite the necessity of invisibility magic.
''He''s actually wearing such artifacts!''
"Yi-Han. I have a good idea."
Gainando spoke up.
"What is it?"
"You could learn to cast invisibility on others right now."
"..."
"..."
"Can''t we use this guy as bait for the Rock Drake?"
As his friends grew more menacing, Yi-Han extended his hand to calm them.
''Technically, he''s right.''
The principle of casting invisibility on oneself or others was not vastly different.
It''s just that thetter required a more intricate and delicate process.
''Let''s give it a few tries.''
Yi-Han decided to make the most of the time before the Rock Drake got too close.
Having abundant mana meant having more to waste.
If he could find the right approach, it would be good; if not, he was ready to give up cleanly.
"Gainando."
"I''ve been feeling like a test subject since earlier... or is it just my imagination?"
Grumbling, Gainando stood in front of him. Yi-Han aimed his staff.
"Cloak, engulf my friend."
''It''s not working, as expected.''
He concentrated properly, and his actions were urate, but the magic failed to activate.
Mana collided and jammed while structuring the spell in mid-air, leading to failure.
This was because he was not yet fully ustomed to the concept of magic.
"Cloak, engulf me."
Yi-Han cast the spell on himself for reference.
Naturally, it seeded, and at that moment...
Gainando''s arm vanished.
"Ahh, my arm!!"
"It''s fine, though?"
"Ah. Right?"
Gainando, who panicked at his now-invisible arm, was relieved to see it return to normal.
As he extended his arm again, it became transparent once more.
"Look at this, everyone!"
Around Yi-Han, a space of about 2 to 3 meters was rendered invisible.
''Amplification!''
At that moment, Yi-Han realized what had happened.
He had activated the invisibility ne given by the spirekeeper while casting another spell.
The two spells of the same category had interacted and amplified each other.
''This was unexpected. Is this what the principal meant?''
Yi-Han''s surprise was understandable.
Such amplification was not amon result.
''What happens when a spell is cast again?''
A question every mage inevitably pondered.
Casting strength enhancement again, agility enhancement, or invisibility...
What happens in such cases?
The answer was ''unknown''.
Too many variables, like the situation, location, and the spell itself, made urate prediction impossible.
But to end up with amplification was unexpected.
Though it was disconcerting, it was a stroke of luck in the current situation.
''Wait. Then why didn''t the belt amplify as well?''
The belt from the Presinga Order.
It too was an artifact with invisibility magic.
But itsck of amplification meant...
''The methods are different!''
A quiet epiphany struck Yi-Han.
Even if it seemed like the same invisibility magic, the implementation differed.
The Presinga Order''s belt used a kind of camouge, bending light around the caster to disrupt visibility...
Whereas the spirekeeper''s ne and the principal''s magic created confusion in the observer''s perception, rendering them unable to recognize the subject.
Thetter were simr in method and thus amplified each other.
''So that''s why he told me to think more about it. To teach me this.''
Yi-Han felt a sense of rity in his mind.
Unbeknownst to him, this was the essence of a mage''s epiphany.
A slight realization about a previously obstructed magic leading to progress.
In a way, it was natural for Yi-Han to be unaware of it.
He had faced almost no impediments in learning magic thus far.
Talent was both a guide and a potential intoxicant for a mage.
Had the skull principal been there, he might have said, ''Yes, that''s it. Be thankful for the realization...''
"Yi-Han! We need to move!"
"Sorry. I got distracted. Let''s go."
Instead of dwelling on his valuable experience, Yi-Han immediately sprang into action.
One thing was paramount.
''I can now extend the range of the invisibility spell.''
Yi-Han cast again, further amplifying its range.
How far to walk for the appropriate range?
Initially, without control, he gradually got the feel of it after a few tries.
"Cloak, engulf me... thats enough. This should do. Let''s go!"
The established belief was to immerse oneself in gratitude upon gaining an epiphany.
Lest the hard-earned realization slip away.
However, sometimes there were exceptions.
A genius, who despite the norm, immediately acted on his realization without any hindrance!
Yi-Han, with his friends within the invisibility range, hurried on.
Had the skull principal been present, he might have been unable to contain his irritation and added more trials.
Even after eluding the Rock Drake, the students of the Blue Dragon could not easily rest.
Having located a new storeroom, they searched through the books before camouging themselves against the storeroom walls.
"Are we safe now?"
"What if ites back? We need to keep watch a bit longer."
"I really want to start a fire..."
To prepare for a proper rest, they needed to start a fire and unload their belongings.
However, the friends who had just narrowly escaped could notpletely shake off the nightmare of the Rock Drake.
"Look, over there!"
"?!"
When someone whispered urgently, everyone quickly turned their heads.
Fortunately, it was not the Rock Drake.
"It''s not that!"
"I didn''t say it was the Rock Drake...! Look at that!"
The neers were students from the White Tiger. The group of four was cautiously walking around, looking here and there.
It was clear that they hadn''t yet noticed the students from the Blue Dragon, who were hidden.
"What should we do, Wardanaz? Should we call out to them?"
"Do they have Dolgyu with them?"
"Dolgyu? They don''t have him, dont they?"
"Then we have no choice. We must subdue them."
"..."
What did he mean by ''no choice''?
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Chapter 219
Chapter 219
His friends were taken aback, but Yi-Han remained calm. His actions were not driven by personal feelings but by valid reasoning.
Without Dolgyu, the White Tiger Tower guys will never cooperate with me. If anything, they''d only cause trouble. In a situation like this, causing amotion could attract the attention of Rock Drake.
Yonaire tilted her head in confusion at this exnation.
"But why can''t we just leave them be?"
"Let''s go."
"..."
Yi-Han amplified his invisibility magic and started to move. Yonaire followed him with a subtle expression on her face.
"Everyone, dont move."
"Uh... Ugh!"
The students of the White Tiger were terrified as if they were about to faint.
It was a shock when students from the Blue Dragon suddenly appeared out of thin air.
"What the... It''s Wardanaz."
"It''s not really reassuring, though..."
One of the White Tiger students muttered under his breath. Yi-Han made a mental note to remember the face of the student who had just muttered.
"Don''t make a sound. Make a sound, and we''ll attack."
"We know that, Wardanaz. We''re not new recruits."
"?
The students of the White Tiger seemed to not understand the situation.
Yi-Han pondered how to phrase "You are now subdued. Lay down your weapons and surrender, and you will be treated as prisoners ording to the Einroguard regtions" in a less offensive manner.
"I''ve been looking for you, Wardanaz. Dolgyu asked me toe here."
"!"
Yi-Han hesitated.
Surprisingly, these students from the White Tiger hade to seek cooperation!
"..."
Realizing this btedly, the students of the Blue Dragon exchanged nces.
''...What do we do?''
''Let''s pretend we don''t know anything.''
''Doesn''t our posture with the staffs look suspicious?''
The students of the Blue Dragon, who were holding their staffs ready to cast spells at Yi-Han''s signal, slowly lowered their hands. Their posture had seemed a bit suspicious.
The students of the White Tiger, sensing the odd atmosphere, asked,
"But Wardanaz, why bring so many friends..."
"You know the library is dangerous."
"Is that why?"
The students of the White Tiger, initially puzzled by the murderous aura of the Blue Dragon students, seemed to ept the exnation, nodding their heads.
Gainando, still not grasping the situation, whispered,
"When do we attack?"
"Attack?"
At Yonaire''s gesture, the other friends quickly subdued Gainando.
Yi-Han, without changing his expression, said,
"We were discussing when to attack the Rock Drake."
"Attack... the Rock Drake???"
The students of the White Tiger looked at Yi-Han as if he were mad. They had suspected that Wardanaz, who had devoted his life to all kinds of magic and arcane arts, was a mad great mage, but not to this extent!
''Oops. I misspoke.''
In his haste, Yi-Han''s excuse hade out a bit strange. He quickly rified,
"It''s not like we''re definitely attacking Rock Drake. It''s just that, in an unavoidable situation, we might attack."
"Right..."
"Are you going to do it when we''re not around?"
Despite the rification, the students of the White Tiger had already stepped back a few paces.
The very idea of attacking Rock Drake, even in an unavoidable situation, was terrifying.
Even the most reckless student from a knightly family had not considered the thought of attacking Rock Drake under these circumstances
"...Enough. Tell us why you''re here."
In fact, the students of the White Tiger were faring much better than those of the Blue Dragon. Unlike the Blue Dragon students, who only had their family names and magic abilities as their strengths, the White Tiger students inherently possessed the ability to take care of themselves in any situation.
Thus, they moved more proactively.
-Let''s split up into groups of three and find the way!-
If confident, it was much more advantageous to move in smaller groups.
Although Yi-Han would never undertake such a reckless endeavor, the White Tiger students, as known, did not fall behind in bravery.
And this time, fortune favored them.
-We found it! Here''s a door leading downstairs!-
-Call the others too! Tell them we found it!-
Upon discovering the passage downwards, Dolgyu earnestly requested his friends'' assistance.
-Could you do me a favor, please?-
-It depends on what it is. Dolgyu.-
-Do you remember the two slices of butter sponge cake I gifted youst time?-
-...Fine. I''ll listen. What is it?-
-I wish you would stealthily inform our friends from the Blue Dragon about this location. I''d go myself, but it''s too conspicuous.-
-What?! Why!? Is it because of Wardanaz-
-...It''s not like that. I owe him a debt. Think about it, honoring the knight''s code. Don''t you owe Wardanaz too?-
-...Not that we don''t, but...-
Dolgyu''s words left his White Tiger friends speechless.
They too, being from knightly families, had their honor. They couldn''t fully deny the help they had received from Yi-Han.
But...
-Even considering our knightly honor, we''ve been wronged too much.-
-Right. We''ve suffered too much.-
Honor or not, they had indeed endured a lot!
Yet, in the end, they couldn''t defy Dolgyu.
Words like ''honorably'' and ''repaying a favor'' were something they, as scions of knightly families, couldn''t simply ignore.
-I really don''t want to go.-
-Right. Who knows what that Wardanaz will do.-
-If we''re going, shouldn''t we bring more people? Aren''t we too few?-
"That''s why, upon receiving Dolgyu''s earnest request, we came here."
The White Tiger students conveniently omitted all their grumbling andints.
Yi-Han was slightly moved.
''Dolgyu...''
Among the White Tiger students, Dolgyu was the proof that there were those who understood honor and conscience.
Such unexpected help.
"So you came here to find Wardanaz? I thought you all hated getting involved with him."
"...Hmph. We don''t mix petty emotions with what needs to be done. Nobles might not understand this sense of responsibility as knights."
"We never cared about our grudges with Wardanaz. We only thought about the debt we owed him. That''s what honor is."
''These guys really didn''t want toe, did they?''
Yi-Han thought to himself.
The students of the Blue Dragon were irked but said nothing.
Simply guiding them to the entrance was indeed a debt repaid.
"Alright. Thank you. Will you lead the way then?"
The White Tiger students took the lead, guiding the Blue Dragon students.
Though the terrain hadn''t changed, making the pathfinding straightforward, it wasn''t entirely easy.
"Rock Drake!"
The monster that had gued the students throughout the dungeon still lurked in the wastnd.
As the students of the Blue Dragon grimaced in pain, those from the White Tiger spoke with overconfidence.
"What''s the matter? Don''t you know how to deal with Rock Drake?"
"Do you know how?"
"Of course. We encountered Rock Drake on our way here. How else would we have made it this far if we didn''t know how to handle it?"
Yi-Han was surprised by the confident attitude of the White Tiger students.
''Is there a method passed down only in knightly families?''
Yi-Han, a student who had read every book he could in the Wardanaz family library and had taken extra lessons on various monsters from his Professor Bungaegor, had nevere across an easy way to deal with Rock Drake.
What could it be?
''If it''s a method exclusive to knightly families, I can''t miss it.''
"Watch!"
The White Tiger students threw themselves prone on the dusty, dirt ground. They didn''t care about the hot, dry earth dirtying their clothes and limbs.
"Rock Drake''s vision is higher than you think. If we lie down like this, it won''t spot us."
"And from this position!"
One of the White Tiger students began crawling on the ground. They crawled as low as possible, like a worm rubbing against the earth.
One of the Blue Dragon students muttered while watching.
"That looks like a bug..."
"Shh. Be quiet."
"See? If we crawl like this, we can avoid Rock Drake."
"I''ll just cast an invisibility spell on us."
At Yi-Han''s words, the dust-covered White Tiger students paused.
...What?
Is that even possible?
"You can do... that?"
"Sure."
"...But why did you make us do this?"
"I would have adopted your method if it seemed better."
"..."
Despite the exnation, the White Tiger students red at Yi-Han.
"Over there, the nted hill standing to the side is where we found the entrance."
"I see."
Yi-Han nodded as he surveyed the steep, 4-5 meter tall hillside, clinging to a cliff. It appeared they had ascended from the gentler slope on the opposite side.
"...Wait. Are there still students who haven''t crossed over?"
"I''m not sure? Why? Are there still friends left behind?"
"It seems so."
Yi-Han enhanced his vision byvishly concentrating mana around his eyes.
He then spotted the White Tiger students on the distant hill.
''Are they waiting for friends who haven''t arrived yet? To teach them how to get down?''
If that was the case, the knights'' camaraderie was indeed impressive...
-Block it! Don''t let it climb up!-
-Get out all the potions! If Rock Drakees up, we''re dead!-
"..."
Watching the White Tiger students scurrying around and chattering in the distance, Yi-Han frowned.
Unaware of the situation, the White Tiger students continued chatting beside him.
"Wardanaz. No matter how skilled you are in magic, finding a path is apletely different..."
"Tsck."
"...Did I overstep? You''re not angry, are you?"
-The door is locked. How do we open it?-
-Search the nearby storeroom. There might be a key or a way to open it.-
-Alright. ...Rock Drake!!-
-What? Open it with Rock Drake? How do we get Rock Drake here?-
-No! Rock Drake is over there!!-
As the White Tiger students pondered how to open the door leading downstairs, Rock Drake appeared before them.
--
While the students exhibited a range of emotions from fear to despair and intimidation, Rock Drake closed the distance and took position in front of the hill.
It then red at the students.
Even those unfamiliar with monsters could tell from its expression that the creature was deeply dissatisfied.
After some time, the sweating, hesitant White Tiger students, seeing that their adversary wasn''t moving, could no longer wait and took the initiative.
-Is it... is it warning us to go?-
-Let''s move for now!-
-What about the door? The one leading downstairs??-
-Is that important right now?!-
No sooner had they spoken than Rock Drake began to advance.
Its charge was not a ferocious stomp to crush its foes, but merely walking toward the hill was enough to inspire an overwhelming sense of dread.
"It''sing this way!!"
"Buy time somehow! Even if we have to go down the other side, we need to dy!"
"Bring all the repelling potions you have! Throw them!"
"Get ready with the magic. Aim for its eyes! We have to intimidate it!"
Snap!
A water bead,unched from somewhere, struck Rock Drake''s nose with precision. The previously slowly approaching Rock Drake turned its head at a speed iparable to before.
The movement was clearly one of annoyance.
"Is this... is this okay? Wardanaz?"
"I don''t know..."
"..."
Yi-Han looked at Rock Drake with a detached, cold expression. The White Tiger students beside him involuntarily recalled the conversation they had heard earlier.
-We were discussing when to attack the Rock Drake.-
-It''s not like we''re definitely attacking Rock Drake. It''s just that, in an unavoidable situation, we might attack.-
''...Is this guy really nning to take it down now?!?!''
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Chapter 220
Chapter 220
Contrary to the students of the White Tiger''s misconception, Yi Han had no intention of subduing the Rock Drake. Knowing the formidable resilience of the Rock Drake, he wouldn''t dare engage in such a reckless endeavor.
''I''ll lure it away.''
There was no need to confront it directly, nor was there any need to flee.
Lure it away.
The reason why mages were sought after as elite forces wherever they went was precisely because of this adaptable approach.
While other adventurers had to choose between fighting for their lives or fleeing in surrender, mages had the luxury of third and fourth options. And in this respect, Yi Han was especially advantaged.
Among mages, he was exceptional, having studied a wide array of disciplines.
''If I provoke it and then lead its gaze...''
Though Dolgyu was one matter, he couldn''t just let the Rock Drake toward the White Tiger students, especially since they were on the path leading downwards.
Secure it at all costs!
"Wow, wow, Wardanaz. Promise me just one thing."
"?"
"That you won''t subdue the Rock Drake."
"..."
Yi Han looked disdainfully at the trembling students from the White Tiger.
''I''m not going to subdue it...''
"Alright. I promise."
"...Really?"
"Of course."
"..."
The students from the White Tiger stared intently at Yi Han''s expression. His face, impassive as a sculpture, made it hard to believe his words.
"...Really, really..."
"If you ask one more time, I''ll use you as bait first."
"!"
At Yi Han''s words, that White Tiger student mmed up in shock. It was no joke.
''Did I bring these kids along for nothing...''
Yi Han was currently with only the White Tiger students, having left the others behind on a hill.
Many people weren''t needed to lure the Rock Drake. More numbers would onlyplicate the invisibility magic.
He had brought the White Tiger students because they were agile and quick, making it easier to respond in case of trouble...
''If I go alone, even with Dolgyu there, they won''t listen to me.''
In a contingency, he needed the other White Tiger students positioned on the hill to follow orders. Those who wouldn''t listen to Yi Han mightply, albeit grudgingly, seeing their friends by his side.
Essentially, they were half-hostages!
Of course, those with Yi Han from the White Tiger didn''t realize their situation.
They just stared tensely at the Rock Drake.
"But will the Rock Drake react to just a water bead? Ordinary magic won''t work on it..."
"That''s why I hit its weak spot."
"..."
''Why on earth would he do that!''
The students from the White Tiger inwardly cried. They thought he had merely provoked the beast, unaware that he had struck its weak point...
Thump, thump, thump, thump-
The Rock Drake began to move in thepletely opposite direction from the hill, seemingly seeking the culprit who had dared strike its nose.
''Please, Sharakan.''
Pop!
As Yi Han gave the signal, Sharakan, who had been waiting on the other side, burst forth.
The Rock Drake, startled by the appearance of a blue-green figure resembling a leopard, turned its head.
--
Sharakan didn''t overextend. Instead of attacking a monster farrger and more resilient than itself, it provoked with a sharp sound and then swiftly turned away. The Rock Drake, angered, began to chase after Sharakan.
"Bones, seize the enemy."
Yi Han whispered the incantation in a low voice.
The distinctive negative mana of dark magic swirled around, and a bone restraint appeared around the Rock Drake''s foreleg.
tter!
In truth, it was a meaningless effort.
Just as tying a rope around a giant''s finger wouldn''t bind the giant, summoning a bone restraint on the Rock Drake''s foreleg could be shattered in a mere second.
Nevertheless, Yi Han relentlessly continued his spellcasting.
"Bones, seize the enemy. Bones, seize the enemy. Bones..."
If one wasn''t enough, then two. If two failed, then three.
In an instant, more bone restraints proliferated and clung to the Rock Drake''s foreleg.
Although it was still seemingly insignificant, it had certainly seeded in aggravating the Rock Drake.
Having been hit by a water bead and now provoked by an undead monster, and bothered by the cumbersome bone restraints.
-... -
"Heat, distort the air."
As a figure resembling a mage flickered, the Rock Drake exploded into action.
The previously sluggish beast disappeared, now literally grinding the solid ground beneath it as it started a near-frenzied charge.
Kwadddddd!
To the nearby students, it felt like an earthquake due to the terrifying charge.
"Did it... go? It''s gone, right?"
"Yes."
The students of the White Tiger sighed in relief.
Thankfully, Wardanaz kept his promise, avoiding the reckless act of subduing the Rock Drake.
Truly a relief!
"Tell the others on the hill that we chased the Rock Drake. They''ll be confused up there without knowing what''s happening."
"That makes sense. I''ll go right now."
"I''ll inform the other students..."
Yi Han stopped mid-sentence.
From the direction where the students of the Blue Dragon were waiting, another Rock Drake had appeared.
"..."
"..."
Faced with this unexpected situation, the students were at a loss.
But Yi Han quickly sprang into action.
"Tell them Ill divert this one ande back!"
"Wa... Wardanaz!"
Without realizing it, the students from the White Tiger Tower called out Yi Han''s name.
No matter how recklessly daring and masterful in dark magic he was, they had to acknowledge Wardanaz''s decisiveness in rushing to save his friends in such a crisis.
"...Be careful!"
"Stop saying unnecessary things and go up to inform them!"
"Sorry."
The students averted their eyes when Yi Han seriously scolded them in anger.
There was no need to get so angry
Although his friends were camouged on another hill, Yi Han couldn''t becent. He hurried along with Sharakan, but the distance was too great.
''Damn.''
"Heat, distort the air!"
Yi Han conjured an illusion around him, trying to catch the Rock Drake''s attention.
"Light!"
A massive sphere of light emerged. Its intense brightness startled the distant Rock Drake.
''That''s it. Got its attention...''
-Krurung.
Sharakan made a distressed sound.
Before their eyes, the Rock Drake began to disappear into the ground.
"..."
Yi Han was also taken aback by this unfamiliar sight.
He had read in books that Rock Drakes face opponents they can defeat head-on, but retreat underground when feeling threatened, waiting for an opportunity...
So it was true!
''Did I use the light magic too strongly?''
From the Rock Drake''s perspective, the sphere of light was excessively strong and dazzling, enough to feel threatened.
Sharakan suddenly started thumping the ground madly, grabbing Yi Han''s sleeve with its mouth and tugging fiercely.
-Krurrrrung! Kreung!
Yi Han was not so obtuse as to miss that signal. He immediately tried to escape from his position.
However, the Rock Drake''s movement was much faster than he had anticipated.
Kwadddddd!
With a thunderous roar, the Rock Drake emerged from beneath the ground.
As the bnce around them copsed and debris and dust flew, Yi Han urgently recited a spell.
"Move!"
Iron beads solidly anchored in the air served as a lifeline. Yi Han grabbed onto the iron beads, exerting all his strength.
''If I lose bnce, I''m dead!''
How long had he held on?
Suddenly, the ground beneath seemed to rise up solidly.
''Wait...''
It wasn''t the ground.
It was the massive back of the Rock Drake.
"..."
Yi Han was horrified to realize he had unwittingly climbed onto the back of the Rock Drake, which had burst from underground.
''...No. Perhaps it''s for the best.''
Initially dizzy, Yi Han quickly gathered his wits.
Fortunately, the Rock Drake seemed unaware of someone on its back. Moreover, having destroyed the suspicious ball of light and appeased its mood, it began striding forward.
''I should jump off as soon as I reach a nearby hill.''
Yi Han resolved to look up slow-fall magic once he returned, realizing its necessity given today''s events.
-...
- ...
"..."
Yi Han couldn''t find an opportunity to descend near a hill.
Ironically, the Rock Drake he had unwittingly mounted had encountered the Rock Drake that had previously charged him in anger.
Just as he thought the directions seemed simr...!
Thud, thud.
Thud, thud, thud.
The two Rock Drakes red at each other, each refusing to yield.
Then, neither of them backed down.
"...Damm..."
Bang!!!!!
The two Rock Drakes collided fiercely.
On the wildly shaking back of the Rock Drake, Yi Han thought to himself.
''...In the future, if Professor Ingurdel is looking for a good ce for swordsmanship training, I should rmend the back of a Rock Drake.''
"Quickly! You guys! Why are you so slow!"
"Pant, pant... Those guys... why are they... so fit..."
The newly joined students from the Blue Dragon relentlessly urged the White Tiger Tower students.
Not a single student from the White Tiger refused to go rescue Wardanaz after hearing the situation.
-Ha. You Blue Dragon guys rest here.-
-You guys are too slow to help.-
That was the extent of their reaction.
Surprisingly, the Blue Dragon students were much more vigorous.
On reflection, it made sense.
While the White Tiger students had been conserving water and scouting the area, they had also recently engaged in various constructions to prevent the Rock Drake from emerging.
Naturally, the Blue Dragon students, who had moved morefortably, were less exhausted.
"Moradi. Thank you. I thought you''d refuse."
At Dolgyu''s words, Jijel shrugged her shoulders.
"Maybe it''s because we teamed up during the swordsmanship lectures and got along... Oh, no, sorry."
Jijel red murderously, and Dolgyu promptly shut his mouth.
"Wardanaz risked his life to lure the Rock Drake. We can''t just sit here while the others go to help. That''s why we''re going."
"That''s right."
"So please, stop talking nonsense, Choi. Understand? Ever since we were outside the academy, why on earth..."
"..."
Dolgyu regretted his words.
''Why did I even say anything...''
Jijel, who had harshly insulted Dolgyu''s character (calling him an idiot, a sucker, a simpleton, someone who could be pickpocketed by a street beggar, etc.), seemed to feel slightly better and changed the topic.
"There''s one thing I don''t understand."
"What''s that?"
"Why did Wardanaz help us?"
"..."
Dolgyu chose not to mention that he had informed Yi Han about the location of the downward passage. He feared Jijel''s wrath might intensify threefold or more.
"Well... Maybe Wardanaz, despite appearing cold, values friendship..."
"Didn''t I tell you to stop talking nonsense? There must be some ulterior motive. He wouldn''t help us without any reason."
People often judge everything by their own standards. Jijel was no exception.
If there''s no ulterior motive, there''s no reason to help!
Jijel furrowed her brows, lost in thought, trying to decipher Wardanaz''s inscrutable and seemingly malevolent mind.
Of course, there was no such hidden agenda.
"Hey... look there!! Look there!!!"
"Stop making such a fuss. It''s not like the water''s poisoned. Why do you scream every time you see something..."
Jijel''s curt response was abruptly cut off.
Dolgyu, too, stared ahead with an expression of shock.
There, in front of them,y two Rock Drakes.
"..."
"I told you. I said Wardanaz has been wanting to subdue the Rock Drake!"
Amidst the ensuing silence, the words of one student from the White Tiger echoed particrly loud.
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Chapter 221
Chapter 221
Throughout their journey, the students from the White Tiger, who had been at Yi-Han''s side, continuously proposed theories.
-In my view, Wardanaz wasn''t swept away; he pursued the Rock Drake to subdue it.-
Of course, this was a radical and extreme hypothesis, one that even the Blue Dragon''s Gainando refused to ept.
-Are you just making excuses not to help him?-
-No, no!-
"I told you so! What did I say?"
"Really? He subdued them?"
The students of the Blue Dragon found it hard to believe, exchanging incredulous nces.
Despite some students from the White Tiger and the ck Tortoise believing strange rumors like ''Wardanaz had been secretly studying magic and mastered all sorts of evil arcana even before entering the magic academy,'' their peers from the Blue Dragon did not. Their closeness made them immune to such absurd rumors.
The students from the Blue Dragon were calm and clever.
Although Yi-Han was a promising mage, acknowledged by professors in every ss as a talent who would bring prosperity to his academy, and harbored ambitions of unraveling the secrets of all magic fields, he was not a person to be taken in by such ludicrous rumors.
Especially something like hunting Rock Drake, which was beyond even a genius like Yi-Han at the moment...
"Wardanaz!"
As Yi-Han staggered out, his friends screamed.
His appearance, emerging from among the Rock Drakes, was so disheveled it seemed he was severely injured.
Yi-Han waved his hand as if to say he was fine, indicating he was not hurt.
"Did you subdue the Rock Drakes?!"
"...What? Nonsense."
"No, I mean... they are lying there..."
Yi-Han looked at his friends as if they were the most pitiful beings in the world.
That look made the students from the Blue Dragon feel incredibly foolish.
"They just fought and copsed."
"Oh... I see."
The Blue Dragon students red at the noisy White Tiger students they had encountered on the way.
''Because of those guys!''
However, the White Tiger students continued to mutter nonsense.
"They fought because of a mind control spell?!"
"What''s going on? They say Wardanaz subdued them?"
"He made two Rock Drakes fight?"
"Incredible!"
"I knew it since he subdued Dolgyu!"
Had Yi-Han been less exhausted, he might have noticed the White Tiger students murmuring nonsense. But he was too drained, having maintained bnce and endured the situation where two Rock Drakes were violently attacking each other.
Even with his overflowing mana, the concentration required was immense.
"Disassemble the Rock Drake. It''srge, so just cutting the tasty parts should be enough."
"Alright, alright."
"?!"
Yi-Han was puzzled when, after addressing the Blue Dragon students, passing students from the White Tiger hurriedly rushed to the task.
''Does it matter?''
For the moment, he just wanted to rest.
After a brief nap, Yi-Han got up.
Students were busily moving around, handling the aftermath.
''...I did learn something.''
What pained Yi-Han the most was proving Professor Bdi''s theory: ''You learn quickly when thrown into dire situations, so you should continue facing crises.'' He felt a sense of self-loathing every time he learned something new in such perilous situations.
...Is this really the right way for a mage?
''Even so, it doesn''t seem quite right.''
While Yi-Han could maintain his position atop the emerging Rock Drake using just the magic, it was insufficient to withstand the head-on collision of two Rock Drakes.
He had to be firmly anchored to the back of the Rock Drake.
In a desperate measure, Yi-Han clutched the scales of the Rock Drake and emitted mana from his fingertips. This was to enhance his physical abilities, along with strengthening magic.
Yet, it still wasn''t enough. His body continued to be violently shaken as if it would be thrown off at any moment.
But he had no choice.
Yi-Han poured out his mana desperately, over and over again.
And then, at some point, he realized something.
-Mana...?!-
Even though they couldn''t create sophisticated academic disciplines like mages, knights also wielded mana to perform a variety of techniques.
These techniques, considered secrets passed down in knightly families, were not easily divulged, and knights rarely used them unless necessary.
However, Yi-Han had recently witnessed a unique sword technique utilizing mana.
It was during the visit of the young squires from the White Wood Knight Order.
At that time, Labda of the Engge Family had used a peculiar sword technique.
At the moment of shing swords, he used the mana flowing through his sword to attract the opponent''s de a strange technique of sword maism.
Other students mentioned that it was a unique sword-absorbing technique particr to the Engge Family.
It was a rare technique, quite famous among knights.
...Now, Yi-Han seemed to have inadvertently discovered the essence of absorption.
With a thud, Yi-Han emitted mana into his hand and pressed it against the Rock Drake.
A sticky attraction was felt between his hand and the Rock Drake.
"..."
''I should be learning mana cirction instead of this.''
Although this change in properties helped him cling to the back of the Rock Drake and barely survive, this wasn''t what Yi-Han should be focusing on at the moment.
As a swordsman, he needed to perfect the continuous cirction of mana within his body to maintain his mana efficiently...
Why had he discovered such a peculiar change in mana properties, something to consider only when creating a new sword technique?
''Professor Ingurdel might find it absurd if I tell him.''
In fact, Yi-Han was mistaken.
Professor Ingurdel would have been more delighted than surprised.
-Excellent, Wardanaz. Outstanding swordsmen always discover fragments of their own unique sword techniques in their youth. The sword responds to your seriousness. Now, let''s incorporate this realization into your own swordsmanship. It wouldn''t be bad to reproduce the moment of realization. What was that moment like?-
...He would say so, and rejoice.
After all, his student, very serious about swordsmanship (at least in Professor Ingurdel''s view), had gained an insight towards developing his own sword technique.
"Wardanaz, are you okay?"
"Ah, yes. Thanks."
Yi-Han detached his hand from the Rock Drake and fully stood up.
The realization could be pondered uponter; the immediate task at hand needed to be addressed.
"Try some of this."
"What''s this?"
"Roast meat. Made with Rock Drake meat."
A student from the White Tiger offered a thickly sliced, juicy, and moist piece of pinkish meat.
''But if it''s Rock Drake meat, it''s not really beef, is it?''
Yi-Han thought as he epted the te.
Of course, the students from the White Tiger had no qualms about such details.
They were already making coffee by boiling dandelions and acorns; what difference did it make if it was drake meat or beef?
"I appreciate it. Thank...
"No need to thank me, Wardanaz. You''re the one who caught it."
The student from the White Tiger appeared slightly embarrassed, quickly wiping under his nose.
It felt unexpectedly awkward for Wardanaz to be treated to a meal like this.
Before entering the dungeon, or rather the library, who would have expected that there woulde a time to offer a meal to Wardanaz?
"This is really..."
"It''s fine, Wardanaz. There''s no need to thank."
"No. It''s dry. Who cooked this?"
"..."
A student from the White Tiger looked at Wardanaz with an incredulous expression.
"This is good enough... isn''t it?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Yi-Han walked forward.
Looking around, he saw the students of the Blue Dragon also making subtle expressions.
While it was nice of the White Tiger students to have put effort into cooking...
...their expressions clearly showed something wascking!
"Yi-Han!! You''re up!"
Gainando burst up from his seat.
Then, he blurted out what all the students of the Blue Dragon had thought but couldn''t voice due to their conscience.
"You should cook inste... uh-uh."
"Please shut up...!"
"Do you want us to be called the ''Blue Beggars?"
The Blue Dragon friends, driven by shame, covered Gainando''s mouth.
But the words had already been heard by those who mattered.
"...Wardanaz. If you want, you can do it."
A student from the White Tiger, standing near the meat, called out to Yi-Han.
Some crossed their arms, looking at Yi-Han with a challenging gaze.
''No matter how great a mage you are, surely you can''t be skilled in the art of camp cooking?''
''I''ve been grilling meat since I could walk. Wardanaz. How many years have you been doing it?''
''These guys never seemed thispetitive in swordsmanship...''
Yi-Han stood before the meat with a reluctant expression.
The intense scrutiny was almostughable.
"Everyone thinks Yi-Han can''t do it."
Dolgyu muttered to Jijel, who was beside him, cleaning the dust off her sword.
Jijel gave him a look that said, ''I''m not interested.''
She had no interest in the farce that had been going on.
"But Moradi. Yi-Han''s cooking skills are beyond imagination."
''What do I care...''
Not interested!
Jijel shook her head disinterestedly and grabbed her sword again.
Previously, even if Yi-Han managed to defeat his opponents using magic or swordy, the respect he received was different. But now, some students from White Tiger showed him a level of respect they had never shown before.
The meat was that delicious.
It was a taste of wondrous magic.
''...Maybe I should have just grilled meat on the first day of swordsmanship ss?''
Perhaps then, he could have seriously attracted about a quarter of the students from the White Tiger...
"Let''s move on if everyone''s done eating."
"Hold on. Wardanaz. Wait."
"?"
"We need to gather water. See this grass? If you pull it, the roots are filled with water..."
Before they could continue, Yi-Han immediately cast a spell, "Let water spring forth."
"..."
"Fill the leather pouches with water. Let''s go."
The White Tiger students felt like they understood why knights grumbled about mages after a few drinks.
The frustration of knights who had to endure all sorts of hardships, only to see them solved with a wave of a staff!
"Mages really...!"
"You''re mages too, aren''t you?"
Meanwhile, Yi-Han checked the door leading downward.
"There''s a locking mechanism."
"It''s a lock that opens by manipting mana."
"We were searching around for a book."
The White Tiger students shared the information they had discovered.
A locking mechanism that unlocks by creating a specific pattern with mana.
Thus, it was difficult to unlock the mechanism without knowing the specific shape.
However, Yi-Han had a thought.
''I have plenty of mana, so maybe I should try some of the mostmonly used shapes.''
"Step aside."
Yi-Han ced his hand on the locking mechanism and infused it with mana.
He began with the most famous and frequently used symbols and patterns...
Crackle!!!
Yi-Han''s expression hardened.
The mechanism had a lower limit of mana than he had anticipated; it felt like the inside was shattering under the power he had infused.
''...This is bad.''
Yi-Han sensed the gaze of the White Tiger students looking on from behind.
If he admitted to identally breaking the mechanism, they might use him, ''Wardanaz, you wicked mage! Showing your true colors!''
"???"
Of course, the White Tiger students, who had not thought of such a thing at all, tilted their heads in confusion.
''Is he doing it?''
''Must be.''
With a clunk, as the mechanism shattered, the part holding it in ce broke too, revealing a staircase leading downward.
The White Tiger students'' eyes widened in astonishment.
He opened it without taking a breath!
"...How did you figure it out?"
Jijel asked, her voice filled with disbelief.
No matter how much she thought, she couldn''t fathom an answer.
Yi-Han, managing his expression calmly, replied.
"With wisdom and insight."
"..."
Jijel bit her lip. Annoyed as she was, she had to acknowledge the brilliance of Wardanaz''s mind.
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Chapter 222
Chapter 222
"Indeed, Wardanaz is truly remarkable."
Even the students of the Blue Dragon, who had grown ustomed to Yi-Han''s exceptional feats, were surprised and murmured among themselves.
How did he unlock the mechanism so quickly and effortlessly?
"Princess? Princess?"
It was only when Nebren of the Kirak family called out again that Adenart snapped back to reality.
The Princess apologized, looking regretful.
"No, it''s fine. You were pondering how it was solved. I''ll ask about itter."
While Nebren spoke, Gainando shook the locking mechanism.
There was a ttering sound from inside, as if something had broken.
"Huh? Is this broken?"
"Gainando. High-difficulty magic locks make that sound."
"Really? It sounds just like the toys I used to break..."
Puzzled, Gainando walked away, his head tilted in thought.
Yonaire, observing this, asked,
"Did you solve it?"
"No. I broke it. But let''s keep that between us."
...
Had he really broken it?!
The students cautiously descended the stairs to the underground.
It was a long and dark descent, adding to the tension.
"Let there be light."
Yi-Han conjured a sphere of light at the front.
He would have preferred to use dark vision magic, but creating light was unavoidable.
Being able to see ahead also meant being visible to others.
It was a gamble, given they didn''t know what awaited them at the bottom of the stairs.
''But it''s more dangerous for this many people to walk in the dark...''
Thankfully, no Rock Drakes were waiting at the bottom of the stairs.
Instead, they were greeted by the familiar sight of a library''s shelves and corridors.
It was a sight they had seen around the entrance of the library before.
"Phew!"
"Ah...!"
Relieved, the students exhaled deeply.
"Over here! There''s a chair next to the shelves! And a table!!"
"There arenterns on the walls!! Can you see?!"
''One would think the students had gone mad.''
Their excitement over such ordinary findings was somewhat touching.
The library was, in fact, supposed to be like this.
Walls filled with shelves, passageways, tables and chairs ced here and there, and cozy, warm lighting...
The wilderness with Rock Drakes was not usually called a library.
"Wardanaz?"
From afar, a familiar voice was heard.
Nillia, apanied by the priests of the Immortal Phoenix, stood on the opposite end of the corridor. The Dark Elf, formerly of the Shadow Patrol, called out to Yi-Han with a friendly face.
"Why are you sote? We''ve been waiting for you. Did you see the mark I left?"
"?"
Yi-Han felt a sense of unease.
Neither Nillia nor the priests looked as tired as they should have been.
''What''s going on?''
"Nillia. How did you get past the Rock Drakes?"
"Rock Drakes? What Rock Drakes?"
...
Yi-Han felt a surge of fear.
The other students behind him seemed to feel the same.
Could it be...?
"Did you...e straight here as soon as you entered?"
"Yes. Why? Did you guys end up somewhere else?"
...
The faces of the students from the Blue Dragon and the White Tiger twisted simultaneously.
Such an unjust situation
When the students of the Blue Dragon and the White Tiger had fallen into the wilderness filled with Rock Drakes, the students of the ck Tortoise and the Immortal Phoenix had directlynded in the library''sbyrinth section.
The librarybyrinth was a densely packed ce, filled with all kinds of books.
Thanks to this, the students from the two towers were able to find the books rtively quickly.
"That was a close call."
The other students from the ck Tortoise, who appeared btedly, joined the conversation.
"Do you know what appears in this librarybyrinth section?"
"What appears?"
A student from the White Tiger asked with a cold voice, clearly not out of curiosity.
Shadow Specters.
Shadow Specters, a type of monster in the Specter category, strongly possessed negative attributes and were known to possess people who carelessly came into contact with them.
Although the librarybyrinth was not without lighting, itsplicated structure with various shelves and books and many dark corners made it a challenge to deal with such monsters like Shadow Specters.
If unlucky, one could be possessed without even a chance to evade.
"Good. We had to deal with Rock Drakes."
The students from the White Tiger scoffed, thinking the ck Tortoise students were boasting, but stopped and looked at Yi-Han when he nodded.
"Rock Drakes appeared."
"Then we''ve both had our share of troubles!"
"Troubles? Hardlyparable!"
The White Tiger students were indignant, but the ck Tortoise students ignored them. It wasn''t their fault that the others had chosen a more difficult path!
Nillia looked at Yi-Han with a hint of sympathy.
"That''s unfortunate. What did you do?"
"It''s over and done with. Could you share any records of the book locations?"
"I can do that, but maybe we should prepare to camp out first?"
"Camp? We''re tired, but everyone can still move for a few more hours."
Nillia pointed to the ceiling.
The lights hanging from the ceiling and walls were gradually dimming.
"It''s been getting darker. The number of Shadow Specters is increasing. We could be in trouble if we wander..."
"Gainando has been possessed by a Shadow Specter!"
"Stop it from possessing him!"
"It''s toote! He''s possessed!"
"p him! Until the possession breaks!"
"Priest! Let the priest do it!"
"That can happen."
Yi-Han nodded, watching Gainando, who was held by his friends and pped in an attempt to break the possession.
Although they looked weak after encountering Rock Drakes, Shadow Specters were indeed a troublesome monster.
Especially in this terrain, their strength increased with the number of people.
A friend suddenly possessed, causing chaos, the formation disrupted, another friend possessed, just as the first was freed, other Shadow Specters drawn by themotion...
In an area with other monsters, aplete party wipeout wouldn''t have been surprising.
''If the number of Shadow Specters increases periodically, there must be a moment when their number decreases. Is this why the duration is set for more than a day?''
"Nillia, I''d like some advice on preparing the camp."
"Of course!"
Nillia answered with the brightest expression Yi-Han had seen today, while Dolgyu beside her seemed slightly intimidated by her enthusiasm.
"There''s nothing particrly difficult about the librarybyrinth. The basics are important. Remember what I told youst time?"
Yi-Han nodded, wondering if Nillia''s enthusiasm might be a bit too much.
"First, find a clearingrge enough for several people. The narrower the passage leading to it, the better. That way, monsters won''te. You know Shadow Specters are drawn to light, right?"
"That makes sense..."
''Did he really understand all that?''
Dolgyu was once again astonished.
Frankly, he had found it difficult toprehend what the student from the ck Tortoise was saying.
Was it because of his intelligence?
"Is everything set up?"
"Roughly."
Following Nillia''s advice, the students from the Blue Dragon found a suitable spot for camping.
They unpacked their gear in a wide clearing and draped a cloth over the narrow passageway to prevent light from escaping.
Flickering lights could be seen in the distant corridor.
"Where is that?"
"Must be those ck Tortoise guys. Looks like they''re preparing well too."
Although a bit distant, students from all four towers were scattered nearby, setting up their camps.
The further one ventured from the center of thebyrinthine library, the easier it was to get lost, given itsplexity.
Moreover, there were several advantages to being near the center, from a fountain with running water to various conveniences.
"Alright, everyone draw straws. As agreed, we''ll take turns standing guard in pairs."
Gainando reached out and drew a straw. He got a middle turn.
"Middle, huh? Is that good?"
"If you think it''s good, then it''s good."
Yi-Han evasively answered.
In reality, being either first orst was better in such a camping scenario; being in the middle meant waking up awkwardly and being more tired.
"I should fetch some water."
"No need. Water, spring forth."
The student who was about to fetch water for washing from the fountain looked at Yi-Han with admiration.
Unlike the wilderness where Rock Drakes appeared, water creation magic was possible here, but no student wanted to waste their limited mana on it.
But Yi-Han was different.
His mana was at a level where waste didn''t matter!
"Wardanaz... If I ever hear adventurers asking for a rmendation for an outstanding mage for their party, I''ll definitely rmend you."
''What an appalling thing to say.''
Yi-Han was appalled at his friend''s backhandedpliment for just creating water.
"Wardanaz. The lights are getting much weaker."
"It''s about time we turn off our lights too."
The lights in the library had noticeably dimmed since earlier.
The more it darkened, the more likely the Shadow Specters would be drawn to the students'' lights.
The students from the Blue Dragon quickly finished their meal of bread, ham, a few candies, and water, theny down in their respective ces.
Essentially, they were lying on the hard library floor with just nkets, but no oneined.
"Yi-Han, are you asleep?"
"No."
"Fancy a game of cards?"
"No."
"The Shadow Specters won''te here, right? It''d be better if they went to the White Tiger guys."
"..."
"What if the guards fall asleep? What if a Shadow Specter enters while we''re sleeping?"
Someone threw an empty candy box from the other side. Gainando got hit.
"Who''s that?!"
"Just sleep. Be quiet."
"Yeah, shut up and sleep, Gainando."
Scoldings came from various directions. Gainando grumbled but closed his mouth.
''It should be okay.''
To prevent any monsters from possibly entering, pairs were standing guard outside the passage leading to the clearing.
Of course, Yi-Han didn''t solely rely on his friends. He had also summoned Sharakan to stand by his side.
It was a waste of mana, but for such a situation, it was eptable
Yi-Han wondered if he should have just let Sharakan stand guard and told his friends to rest. But then he thought better of it. It was more thorough this way, and he didn''t need to do everything himself.
Had his friends heard his thoughts, they surely would have eximed in protest.
In truth, with Sharakan there, they didn''t really need to keep watch.
Yi-Han suddenly awoke, not knowing why. The dim light on the ceiling revealed it was dawn as he checked his pocket watch.
Growl!
Sharakan was tugging at his sleeve with its mouth. Yi-Han instantly sensed that something was wrong.
''What''s...''
"Guys!! Wake up!! Wake up!!!"
The friends who were on guard outside the passage were rushing in, breathless.
"Specters are swarming everywhere!"
"Did you wake us up just for that?"
A student from the Blue Dragon, barely awake, rubbed his sleepy eyes and asked.
"They can swarm, can''t they? Why..."
"It''s not just that! Look!"
Several students staggered towards the passage.
Then, their drowsiness vanished instantly as they stepped back in shock.
"...!!!!"
"What, what''s with the Shadow Specters...?"
The passage outside was so overrun with Specters that it was barely visible.
The number had increased to such an extent that it could be called a sea of Specters.
"They''reing this way!"
At the end of the narrow passage, the Specters began to surge through, like a fierce wave.
Yi-Han gripped his staff and prepared his magic.
"ze..."
"Yi-Han!"
"What?"
"Is it okay to use fire magic in the library?!"
"...If there''s a problem, let''s me the principal. ze forth!"
"!?"
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Chapter 223
Chapter 223
Despite his words, Yi-Han exercised utmost caution in controlling the mes. He was well aware that a fire in the library could lead to serious consequences, especially considering the skull principal''s nature, who might seriously execute a burning at the stake.
Suddenly, small mes, barely enough to scorch the back of a hand, appeared throughout the narrow passageway. Considering the destructive power of the me element, this was more than sufficient.
Controlling bigger mes only makes it harder, Yi-Han thought to himself.
The mes chaotically flew through the corridor, burning the approaching Specters. Each burst of me caused the Shadow Specters to writhe and tumble in agony. Being incorporeal monsters with a negative attribute, they were particrly vulnerable to mes and light.
Moreover, the mes summoned by Yi-Han did not extinguish after burning two or three Shadow Specters. They continued to burn, fueled endlessly, like a fire that never dies out.
-! !-
The Shadow Specters emitted eerie sounds, desperately trying to break through the narrow corridor, but Yi-Han continuously manipted the mes.
No matter how numerous the Specters were, their advance was limited in such a confined space. Especially when faced with a mage who could summon mes without any limit to his mana.
I can stop them
Kraak!
Suddenly, an ominous sound came from behind. A section of the library, piled high with books, had copsed, creating an opening for the Specters.
"Block it!" Yi-Hanmanded.
At hismand, the students hurriedly cast spells toward the new opening.
"mes..."
"Shoot..."
Magic missiles and mes flew, creating a brilliant sh characteristic of magic. It seemed powerful, but Yi-Han coldly assessed the situation.
The opening is bigger than I thought!
Unlike the narrow passage, the opening created by the copsed section of the library was too wide. Even as the princess led her friends in casting spells, Shadow Specters were already seeping through.
Gritting his teeth, Yi-Han twirled his staff.
"ze forth!"
Thanks to his action, the momentum of the Shadow Specters rushing through the new opening waned.
Had he been even slightly dyed, the situation would have turned chaotic. But the problem was...
"They''reing!"
The Shadow Specters in the narrow corridor had significantly closed the distance.
Even if he attacked again, some would inevitably collide. He was already prepared for this. Yi-Han gathered all his mana, bracing for possession.
"The more mana I have, the stronger my resistance. Even if the Shadow Specters try to possess me, I''ll be able to shake them off rtively quickly..."
He trusted in the resistance provided by his mana. He had shown strong resistance against mental magic and poison, so it was highly likely he would be resistant against the possession of these spectral monsters.
Just like Gainando, who had been possessed but managed to escape, Yi-Han also...
Thump!
"?"
"??"
-?-
A strange sound echoed.
It was the sound of a Shadow Specter, having collided with full force into Yi-Han, being repelled.
And not just repelled, but burning up as if struck by a me spell!
Thump! Thump-thump-thump-thump!
Not just one, but dozens of Shadow Specters had forced their way through the corridor, elerating and colliding.
And they all were repelled, bursting into mes.
"..."
"..."
A student from the Blue Dragon, assisting Yi-Han, looked at him with a startled expression.
What was that...?
Thump-thump! Thump-thump-thump-thump!
As dozens of Specters were rapidly repelled and failed in their possession attempts, the Shadow Specters behind them sensed something was amiss.
The front ones attempted to slow down, but the other Shadow Specters behind them didn''t wait.
Thump-thump-thump-thump...
"Specter... Specter Smasher! Specter Smasher!!"
"Stop with the pointless nicknames."
While such a title might have been considered an honorable nickname for an achievement in the empire, Yi-Han didn''t want his friends to bestow him with a nickname like ''Specter Smasher''. Especially not for simply annihting the Specters in such a brute manner!
Yi-Han swung his staff, pushing back against the Shadow Specters. Now that he realized they couldn''t possess him, there was no need to fear.
The Shadow Specters in the narrow corridor exploded out in a literal sense.
"We''re here to help!"
"What? Did you block the passage?!"
The students blocking the copsed section of the library were surprised to see Yi-Han and his friends return from the corridor.
"It''s a long story!"
"Wardanaz! Let''s go!"
"?????"
The students were shocked as Yi-Han and his friends, instead of using magic, charged toward the hole swarming with struggling Shadow Specters.
"What are they doing..."
Thump-thump-thump-thump...
"...Incredible."
"What is that...?"
"I made that title! Specter Smasher! It''s good, right?"
"Specter Smasher... Oh..."
Asan thought it was quite a fitting nickname.
A title like that seemed befitting for Wardanaz, who was fighting honorably there...
''I should use it when I introduce Wardanaz in the future.''
"Stop talking nonsense and support with magic!"
Startled by Yi-Han''s shout, the princess, who had been nodding in agreement with the nickname, hurriedly focused on the situation. The other students showed simr reactions.
"But did you ask Yi-Han? Does he like it?"
"Of course, he would. It''s a title given by friends who appreciate his achievements."
"I don''t think Specter Smasher is a great nickname..."
Gainando muttered, and Yonaire nearby marveled.
Gainando had such insight?
"I prefer ''The Great, Dignified, and Noble Descendant, the Foe of Specters...'' or something long like that."
"Wow. That''s quite good."
"..."
Yonaire shook her head in disbelief.
"Rise, earth!"
"Be as solid as rock!"
Salko and his group of students erected a barricade at the forefront.
From outside the dirt and stone barricade, a thudding sound was heard. It seemed a considerable number of Specters were gathering.
"One ising from the side!"
Swoosh!
Nillia skewered the Shadow Specter trying to enter from the side with an arrow.
Such precise shooting in chaotic circumstances was worthy of praise, but Nillia''s expression wasn''t bright. The other students from the ck Tortoise felt the same.
"The numbers... They don''t seem to be decreasing, do they?"
"This is bad."
Yi-Han had set up his position in the corridor, confident that he could handle them all barring any variables. However, the ck Tortoise students didn''t dare such a reckless act.
Instead, they erected barricades throughout the corridor to hold their ground.
It would have been a decent choice if the number of Shadow Specters hadn''t exceeded a certain limit...
But unfortunately, things didn''t go as nned.
The light from the ceiling didn''t brighten, while the number of Shadow Specters kept increasing.
"It seems like the other ces are in chaos too..."
Nillia trailed off, lost in thought.
What if the students from the Blue Dragon were possessed by the Shadow Specters and came this way?
''...It would be truly terrifying if Wardanaz got possessed...''
"Wardanaz!"
"No, no way!"
"??"
Ratford, standing nearby, looked at Nillia with a puzzled expression.
"What''s not possible?"
"Oh... It''s nothing."
Nillia hastily ran towards the barricade. Fortunately, Yi-Han was not possessed by a Shadow Specter. He looked perfectly fine.
"Thank goodness... ???"
"??????"
Thump-thump-thump-thump...
The students of the Blue Dragon were charging forward with Yi-Han leading them like a siege ram. Each time they collided with the Shadow Specters, the Specters screamed and burst.
"..."
The students of the ck Tortoise were so shocked that they were at a loss for words.
After a few swift movements that cleared the Shadow Specters, the Blue Dragon students proimed with dignity.
"Consider our thanks given."
They had actuallye to prevent other tower students from causing chaos due to possession, but even so, they felt very honorable in their own right. After all, they hade to help!
"But why aren''t those guys saying anything?"
"Yeah, why?"
The Blue Dragon students waited for a response, and upon receiving none, they grumbled and left.
Don''t they even know how to say thank you!
However, it wasn''t that the ck Tortoise students didn''t appreciate the help; they were simply too stunned to speak. It wasn''t until the others had left that one of the students finally spoke.
"What... What just happened????"
The reaction of the priests of the Immortal Phoenix was simr. The only difference was that the corridor they entered was aze.
Yi-Han had cast a lower-level me resistance spell before sweeping away the Shadow Specters.
Priest Nigisor from the Aphar Order expressed his gratitude.
"Thank you. Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
"I''m d I wasn''tte."
The students of the Immortal Phoenix were actually in the best situation. They didn''t face a copse of a library section creating a new entry point like the Blue Dragon or an umtion of Shadow Specters like the ck Tortoise.
It seemed that the me magic cast by Priest Nigisor had been quite helpful.
Yi-Han asked curiously.
"Did you use a wide-area me spell on the entire passage? How did you manage not to burn down the library?"
He wondered if it was some secret of the Aphar Order. As an Order specializing in me, they might have a way to cast wide-area magic without burning the surroundings.
''If that''s the case, I definitely want to learn it.''
Priest Nigisor, not understanding Yi-Han''s question, tilted his head in confusion.
"Just went for it, that''s all."
"...Ah. I see."
Yi-Han took a step back.
That seemed like real madness. Using a wide-area attack in a library without considering the consequences...!
"Wardanaz. Let''s go save the guys at the White Tiger."
''What a bother.''
While he acted because other people''s troubles would be his own, Yi-Han was starting to feel the fatigue after several rounds.
Priest Nigisor, admiringly, said.
"You''re doing a great deed, Mr Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. If you''d like, I could help..."
"...No. I can''t ask for help in a matter of honor."
Yi-Han felt the temptation but resisted.
...He had been lucky this time, but there was no guarantee the next would not turn into a sea of fire!
Watching the students, looking ragged and tired as they walked out of the library, the skull principal smiled contentedly.
You must have studied hard.
The students ignored him. Not out of a desire to displease the principal, but because they were too exhausted to respond.
The principal, a little miffed at being ignored, spotted Yi-Han and floated towards him.
Yi-Han was a truly unique student who evoked simultaneous desires in the skull principal: the urge to praise him for his outstanding performance in the dungeon, and the wish to scold him for making the dungeon conquest seem uninteresting.
"Did you study hard?"
"Yes, thanks to you."
"You are quite something... pretending not to care, yet secretly verypetitive. You even brought down the Rock Drakes. The other professors were surprised too."
"...Yes?"
Yi-Han hesitated.
The misunderstanding about ''bringing down'' aside, the fact that the skull principal had been watching startled Yi-Han.
It wasn''t really that surprising, though.
It was a well-known fact that the skull principal had eyes all over the academy, and it was in his character not to miss such an entertaining event.
But still...
"The other... professors?"
Yes. But tell me, weren''t you annoyed during this expedition? Why not try going in alone and fighting next time?
Ignoring the principal''s sly nonsense, Yi-Han, struggling to suppress his rising fear, asked.
"Which professors were there, if I may ask?"
Well, there were so manying and going... And you know, I''m not the type to remember every little detail.
"Was Professor Bagrak there?"
Bagrak was there. That one has a knack for ruining my fun, so I remember him.
Yi-Han''s face twisted with sorrow and pain.
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Chapter 224
Chapter 224
"From now on, it might be better to enter alone..." said the skull principal, trailing off as Yi-Han walked away briskly.
Professor Garcia, who arrivedte, came to Yi-Han''s defense, "Please understand, Principal. He must be exhausted after defeating all those shadow wraiths."
The skull principal bristled at this.
How can you say that without having seen it yourself! Do you have any idea how effortlessly he took them down, Professor Garcia?
"There''s no easy way to defeat monsters. It''s always a tough job," Professor Garcia replied, leaving the Principal at a loss for words. The irony of an undeniable truth was sometimes more frustrating than anything else.
But he really did take them down with ease
"Everyone, go inside and rest. You''ve all done well. sses will resume tomorrow, so until then..."
The students, visibly worn out, were slightly moved by Professor Garcia''s warm words.
"...Perhaps you can spend your time reading the books you''ve brought."
The students were speechless.
How is that resting...?
Professor Garcia was puzzled by the students'' reaction, but the skull principal nodded in approval, thinking that Professor Garcia had made a valid point. Everyone should go back and rest, perhaps by reading a book.
"Did I... say something strange?"
Not at all. You did very well, Professor Garcia.
Despite feeling wronged, the students had no choice but to ept the situation. They returned to their towers from the library, reading the books they had brought with them.
"Wow, Yi-Han, did you know about this? There are ores called ''fake gold.'' Alchemists used to make them and sell them as real gold!" eximed Gainando, reading a book titled .
Yi-Han and Yonaire answered simultaneously.
"You can''t do that anymore."
"There are too many ways to verify it now."
"I see. Wait, how do you two know so much about this?"
Confused, Gainando watched as both Yi-Han and Yonaire averted their gazes.
''My workload is getting heavier,'' Yi-Han thought to himself, realizing how much there was to study after seeing the new books from the library.
While the students diligently copied books relevant to their chosen paths, Yi-Han was...
"Wardanaz, drink this."
"Wardanaz, eat this."
"...Why are you giving this to me?"
"Just because?"
"We owe you one from the library! That''s why!"
His friends kept leaving snacks and drinks for him, seeing the mountain of books in front of Yi-Han. Even for Wardanaz, they couldn''t help but worry about the sheer volume of books.
''The fact that the books written by the skull principal and Professor Bdi are the most helpful is somewhat sad,'' Yi-Han mused, flipping through the pages. It was no joke; they really were the most useful ones.
Magic books were not straightforward, filled with metaphors, jargon, and codes only known to the mages themselves. Interpreting and understanding these was a task in itself.
In this regard, the skull principal''s ck book and Professor Bdi''s books on lightning magic/blood magic, which gave clear, direct points, were indeed helpful.
''Considering Professor Bdi''s temperament, I should make progress with these books as soon as possible.''
Given Professor Bdi''s character, it wouldn''t be surprising if he suddenly demanded mastery of a certain magic and, if not achieved, subjected one to an unfair attack.
If he wanted to avoid a beating, it was better to be prepared in advance.
Is the following spell an application of lightning element and enchantment magic... Is blood magic of the shockwave category? Surprisingly, it''s quite intact.
Yi-Han, who had intended to check just for a moment, suddenly came to his senses. Time had flown by without him noticing.
''I should start by reading the books for the next lecture.''
Knock, knock, knock-
?
Someone was knocking on the door of the lounge. The students of the Blue Dragon had learned that ate-night knocking was rarely a good sign.
"...Who is it?"
Knock, knock, knock-
...
"...Let''s decide who opens it with rock-paper-scissors."
The nearby friends grimly yed rock-paper-scissors, and Gainando, with a sad expression, opened the door.
"Surely the Principal wouldn''t be nning another undead attack, right?"
"Aaah! Undead!!!"
"I knew it! I just knew this would happen!"
The students jumped up from their seats, throwing their books and attempting to barricade themselves with overturned tables.
-I have been sent by the Principal to deliver snacks.-
...
"...Don''t be fooled. There might be a trap in the snack basket."
However, there were no traps inside the basket. The undead sent by the skull principal ced down a basket filled with freshly baked fluffy bread and rice cakes with sweet red bean filling, then turned to leave without hesitation.
-Then, continue to study hard.-
"Be... be careful on your way back?"
"Wait a minute."
Yi-Han stopped the departing undead.
"How can we believe that these snacks aren''t a trap?"
"Wardanaz, it surely can''t be, can it?"
"Even so, would the Principal really set a trap in the snacks?"
In truth, Yi-Han wasn''t suspicious of the snacks themselves. He had a different scheme in mind.
''I''ll stall for time and try to get it to talk.''
From his previous encounters with the warehouse keeper and the spire keeper, Yi-Han had learned that the skull principal''s minions often knew more than they let on. If he could glean even a hint of the Principal''s nefarious ns, it would be of great help.
He needed to find a way to get the creature to talk.
"Answer me. How can we be sure that these snacks are not a trap?"
-You are quick-witted indeed!-
The undead eximed in admiration and then chanted a spell. A thick smoke, so dense that it was impossible to see even an inch ahead, filled the lounge.
The students coughed and gasped in shock.
"Really...?!"
"Wardanaz, how did you know?"
-Do you first-year ironheads think you can stop me?
The undead skillfully stirred the surroundings and then made a dash for the entrance.
"sh forth!"
But Yi-Han''s spell was quicker. The undead was startled by the lightning bolt that struck sharply towards the entrance.
''How?''
The smoke screen created by the undead was a magic cloud of smoke, so it was impossible to see through it. Even more so for a first-year student.
To think that a young, unrefined gem, even if praised by their master for being an exceptional talent, could do this.
"sh forth, sh forth, sh forth!"
Yi-Han didn''t hesitate to cast lightning spells. The continuous barrage destroyed the area around the main entrance of the lounge.
Finally, the undead realized.
''This kid!?''
Yi-Han wasn''t trying to locate the undead and cast spells at its current position. He remembered where it had been before casting the spell and was indiscriminately bombarding that area.
Remembering the position in such a short time was impressive, and so was his boldness to trust his memory andunch the spells.
The undead realized that the boy, Yi-Han, had not received praise for nothing.
''But once theyve caught me, it''s over.''
In such a situation, being caught meant inevitable defeat. Moving through the smokescreen and coughing students of the Blue Dragon, the undead approached Yi-Han.
"Wardanaz! What should we do..."
"Everyone stay still and don''t move!"
Screams and shouts filled the air where nothing could be seen.
It was chaos.
For the undead, this was an ideal situation.
"Wardanaz!"
The undead cast a spell to change its voice, making it sound simr to that of the Blue Dragon students. It was a surefire way to deceive them.
"Wardanaz, I''ming to help!"
"Stay where you are, I said!"
"Wardanaz!"
Despite Yi-Han''s warnings, the undead, imitating a student''s voice, continued to approach. Its n was to subdue Yi-Han and then leave the scene effortlessly.
Surely this first-year boy couldn''t detect the approaching undead.
However, the undead was mistaken about one thing. Yi-Han, even if approached by a friend in such a situation, would...
"Wardanaz... Cough!"
Whack!
...throw a punch without hesitation.
Surprisingly, a punch flew right at it. Struck by the force-filled fist, the undead''s spellcasting was interrupted.
-Cough-
''What?''
Yi-Han, who had immediately thrown a punch upon sensing someone approach, felt something odd at his fingertips. A hard, bone-like texture. In that moment, Yi-Han realized who the opponent was.
Hisbat experience and senses, honed by countless situations, led him to the correct conclusion.
''It''s an undead!''
It was clear the undead had tried to approach him stealthily.
"Surrender!"
Yi-Han shouted, unleashing a barrage of punches. He released his mana recklessly, prepared to waste it if necessary. At the same time, he kicked at the invisible opponent''s legs. The newly learned principle of absorption in his mana disrupted the undead''s bnce.
"I said surrender!"
Thump! Thump, thump, thump!
"Surrender!"
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!
"If you don''t surrender..."
As he continued his onught, the smokescreen cleared.
The undead was utterly defeated, lying sprawled on the floor.
-You should... give me a chance... to say surrender-
The first-year boy, Yi-Han, was much stronger in closebat than expected.
"So what happens if we eat this?"
Surrounded by the fierce-looking students of the Blue Dragon, the defeated undead answered in a deted voice.
-It''s-
"A transformation curse? Mana use restricted? Will be teleported to somewhere else? Something like a punishment room?"
Yi-Han''s sharp guesses impressed his friends. His ability to detect the undead''s trap and his observational skills were almost superhuman.
"How did you figure it out?"
''Indeed,'' thought the undead, equally curious.
It wondered how Yi-Han had known the snack was a trap and detected its approach.
How exactly?
"If you can''t answer, it must have been some evil poison."
-No... it just makes you sleep deeply.
"...What? Just that?"
-There are pop quizzes in tomorrow''s sses, so
...
...
The students'' expressions hardened.
They were shocked to learn about the pop quizzes and even more so by the skull principal''s wickedness in personally sending a snackced with sleeping agents.
''From now on, never eat snacks given by the Principal.''
"Ah well. It wasn''t as bad as I thought."
Gainandomented, almost as if he was relieved.
They had expected a severe curse or deadly poison, but it turned out to be just a deep sleep.
"What nonsense are you spouting, Gainando? Pop quizzes are serious business."
"Right. That''s the worst kind of trap."
"Is it, really?"
Seeing his academically gifted friends serious, Gainando grumbled inwardly.
Are exams really that important!
Having finished speaking, the undead adjusted its broken bones. Yi-Han, feeling a bit guilty, apologized.
"I''m sorry about that."
-It''s nothing. It doesn''t hurt.-
True to being a first-year, their personality was still soft and malleable. The undead seemed fine as it tried to stand up, waving its hand as if to say so.
Tap-
However, Yi-Han prevented it from standing.
-...I have many ces to be right now. Can you let me go?-
"What exactly are the subjects of tomorrow''s pop quizzes?"
-Isn''t it a bit too much to ask me to tell you that-
Yi-Han raised his staff.
It was a clear indication that he would attack first before the undead could cast any spell.
The undead retracted its earlier thought about Yi-Han being soft-hearted.
''What a ruthless kid...!''
Is he really just a first-year?
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Chapter 225
Chapter 225
The following day dawned.
Students from the Tower of the Blue Dragon emerged into the lounge, their faces showing signs of fatigue.
They had managed to find out which sses would have pop quizzes by shaking down the undead...
...but in reality, not much had changed.
After all, it was still the students who had to study.
With most sses having pop quizzes, what else could they do but stay up all night studying?
"Wait a minute. Yi-Han, what are you eating?"
Yonaire, sensing something odd, asked.
Yi-Han was munching on snacks brought by the undead.
"You''re not serious, are you?"
"Snacks brought by the undead? Yes, they are."
Yi-Han replied calmly.
Of course, it would have been best to throw away such snacks, but in reality, ideals often don''t align with practicality.
Given the scarcity of supplies, it seemed wasteful to discard these snacks.
Moreover, these snacks had no effect on Yi-Han. He had already confirmed this the day before.
''Unnecessarily delicious.''
Whoever had made them, the snacks from the skull principal were unnecessarily tasty.
"Wardanaz... giving us decent snacks... and eating spoiled ones himself..."
Other students looked at Yi-Han with tearful eyes, murmuring from behind.
Students who had lived their entire lives in noble families were unustomed to someone eating spoiled food for their sake.
"It''s not spoiled. It''s tasty..."
"Did you all see? This is how we repay Wardanaz''s dedication."
"Gainando. Focus on studying! Stop fiddling with the cards!"
"Oh, I''m done, alright?!"
Yi-Han shrugged his shoulders at the sight of his friends encouraging each other and picked up another snack.
Professor Alpen Knighton was slightly surprised at the enthusiasm shown by the students of the Tower of the Blue Dragon.
Of course, fervent passion and academic performance were two different things.
-Mr. Gainando, I understand you are close to Mr. Wardanaz. It might be better for you to learn from him and retake the exam.-
-...Can''t I just learn without retaking it? I promise I''ll do well in the final exams!-
Professor Rosine Fluerwerk encouraged her students.
-You are all doing wonderfully. To have such remarkable students, the future of the empire looks bright indeed. Mr. Richmond, 37 points, excellent. Mr. Jozon, 33 points, very good. Mr. Wardanaz, hmm, well done.-
-?-
-Why didn''t she say Wardanaz''s score-
The students from the Tower of the Blue Dragon, puzzled, caught a glimpse of the three-digit score on Yi-Han''s test paper and quietly closed their mouths.
Sometimes, a friend''s academic excellence could be a source of pain.
-Let''s keep this to ourselves.-
-The others from the different towers should be grateful for our consideration.-
Evening.
Professor Ingurdel, waiting for the students while watching the sunset, was puzzled to see them running towards him with happy faces.
"What happened to everyone?"
"Nothing, Professor!"
"Please proceed with the ss!"
The students from the Tower of the White Tiger looked at the professor with affectionate eyes.
They had been tormented by pop quizzes all day.
It wasn''t strange to feel a halo behind Professor Ingurdel, who didn''t give exams.
"Ha! Haa!"
"Huaaap!"
Yi-Han watched the students from the Tower of the White Tiger energetically swinging their wooden swords and asked Professor Ingurdel.
"By the way, Professor. I wanted to ask you something..."
"I knew it. You want to ask about the weakness of the Rock Drake, right?"
Professor Ingurdel spoke as if he knew everything.
"...Not at all."
Yi-Han nearly managed to keep a straight face.
Anyone would think that he harbored a grudge against the Rock Drake!
"Wasn''t it so?"
"Why would you have such a misconception...?"
"The principal mentioned that you might try to take it down alone next time..."
"..."
"So it wasn''t the case. What did you want to ask?"
"Actually, about dealing with the Rock Drake..."
Professor Ingurdel sent a look that said, ''You denied it, yet it turns out to be true.''
Yi-Han quickly exined what had happened.
"...I realized I could alter the nature of my mana, but I''m not sure if that''s a good thing..."
"It''s definitely a good thing!"
Professor Ingurdel rejoiced as if it were his own achievement.
Changing the nature of one''s mana was something even those who had been taught family secrets from a young age couldn''t achieve without talent.
And here was a young swordsman who had discovered how to change the nature of his mana on his own.
It was a promising sign that he might someday develop his own swordsmanship.
"Geniuses who dedicate their lives to swordsmanship always create their own styles. Such swordsmanship isn''t just a skill, it''s the swordsman''s pride and self-esteem."
"Uh..."
Yi-Han hesitated.
The conversation was getting ahead of itself.
''I''m not particrly interested in developing my own swordsmanship.''
Yi-Han had no ambition to create a unique style that would make a mark in the history of swordsmanship in the empire.
He had originally attended the swordsmanship lectures for easy grades, after all.
The Azure Rock Style technique he learned from Arlong was sufficient for him, and he had no intention of altering or reinterpreting it.
"Mr. Wardanaz, try blending that nature change with your swordsmanship. You''ll naturally see your own style emerge."
Suddenly being forced to mix the changing nature of his mana into his swordsmanship training, Yi-Han felt even more bewildered.
His Azure Rock Style technique was already at a considerable level ofpletion.
It was natural, having wielded it since childhood.
But if he now mixed in this newly discovered changing nature of his mana, it would cause a lot of confusion until he became ustomed to it again.
Of course, Yi-Han didn''t want that.
He just wanted to know what this phenomenon was and how it could be useful...
"Professor, I haven''t even perfected my mana cirction yet. Wouldn''t greedily adding nature change dull my sword?"
"It''s fine, Mr. Wardanaz. The path of the sword isn''t that narrow, and you''re notcking in talent. You can handle both."
"..."
Yi-Han clenched his teeth and nodded. Then, he turned away, feeling lonely.
Dolgyu spoke from beside him.
"I heard that. Yi-Han, you''re trying to apply the changing nature of your mana to your swordsmanship? Impressive. Our tower''s students haven''t even thought about it, only focusing on mana cirction."
"I''ve always been serious about swordsmanship."
"Of course, I knew that. A student as dedicated to swordsmanship as you is rare even in our tower. By now, your friends must also feel your sincerity."
"..."
Yi-Han inwardly sighed at Dolgyu''s response, taking his joke seriously.
Well, it wasn''t Dolgyu''s fault...
"I''d appreciate some sparring help. It''ll take a while to get used to the new swordsmanship, and the others won''t be as understanding."
"Of course, Yi-Han. But if the other friends hear about your situation, they will also help."
''I doubt that.''
Yi-Han and Dolgyu shed their wooden swords.
Given Professor Ingurdel''s words, Yi-Han knew that each week, he would be asked, "How has your swordsmanship changed?" So, he had to show some results.
His first goal was to disrupt bnce.
Fortunately, Yi-Han had a reference for his objective.
He remembered seeing a squire from the White Wood Knight Order who used Absorption Sword technique during theirst visit.
Labda of the Engge family wrapped his sword with a maic-like mana that disrupted the opponent''s bnce with each strike.
Of course, there would be moreplex techniques at higher levels, but Yi-Han didn''t need that much.
What mattered was showing Professor Ingurdel a level of practice that said, "I''ve been practicing like this!"
"What are they doing over there?"
"Wardanaz is practicing Absorption Sword."
"What? Isn''t that a technique from the Engge family?"
"That Wardanaz..."
The students from the Tower of the White Tiger looked at Yi-Han with a mix of surprise and awe.
Already possessing swordsmanship skills ranked among the top, he was not content to stop there but was delving into developing new techniques.
He was indeed greedy when it came to swordsmanship.
"We can''t fall behind!"
"Wardanaz, when ites to passion for swordsmanship, you can''t beat us!"
''I''d like to smack each of them.''
Struggling against Dolgyu''s attacks and staggering, Yi-Han was internally fuming.
He was irritated and frustrated with the unfamiliar sword technique...
It felt like he had returned to his early days of sword training.
"Yi-Han, are you okay?"
"I''m fine. Let''s continue."
Regardless of his mood, Yi-Han was the type to press on if it had to be done.
Frustrating as it might be, if Professor Ingurdel wanted it, what could he do?
He had to produce results to show him.
''When an attackes, stop it. Again, when an attackes, stop it.''
Instead of executing the fluid motions of his swordsmanship, Yi-Han focused solely on defense.
As the alteration of the nature of mana was difficult, it was necessary to let go of other aspects.
His target was one: to use the Absorption mana to pull and halt the opponent''s action when an attack came.
ng, ng, ng, ng-
Dolgyu''s rapid attacks repeatedly struck the de, but suddenly, the sword hesitated in midair, failing to return to position.
"Did you see that? Just now, Yi-Han?!"
"Yes, I saw it."
Yi-Han sighed inwardly in relief.
''At least I managed to seed once.''
Pouring mana into the hand indiscriminately without worrying about waste, and infusing mana into the wooden sword just enough not to break it, were tasks of differing difficulties.
Swordsmen who had not reached the stage of continuously circting mana through their swords like their own bodies had to extract mana as needed and infuse it into their swords forbat.
This method led to significant mana waste, but it was a necessary sacrifice.
However, for someone like Yi-Han, other considerations were required.
The concern was not to infuse too much mana and break the sword!
To demonstrate Absorption Sword, he had to infuse mana into the sword with each collision, requiring even more focus.
"Yi-Han, your swordsmanship belongs to the heavy and strong mid-sword style. If you can disrupt bnce merely by blocking, your counterattacks will be even more powerful."
"Thanks, Dolgyu."
"Let''s continue then."
"...Can''t we take a break?"
"Yi-Han, what are you saying? If you don''t continue after a realization, the swordsmanship won''t stick."
Dolgyu, knowing Yi-Han well enough, was surprised by his words.
Professor Ingurdel chimed in.
"That''s right, Wardanaz. It''s better to continue."
"Actually, my mana is..."
"?"
"?"
"...It''s nothing. Let''s continue, Dolgyu."
"Alright. Understood!"
Yi-Han, who was about to make an excuse of running low on mana, gave up and sighed.
''Damn it. I just wanted to take a break...''
Both Dolgyu and Professor Ingurdel knew Yi-Han too well. Knowing he could do more, they relentlessly pushed him, even when he wanted a brief respite.
The next day, Yi-Han massaged his sore muscles as he headed to Professor Bdi ssroom.
His entire body ached from practicing the unfamiliar sword technique the day before. Usually, he wouldn''t easily sumb to exhaustion, but this time, he was so tired he could have just copsed.
''I''m afraid to open the door.''
It was daunting enough to meet in perfect condition, let alone in his current, imperfect state.
With these thoughts, Yi-Han opened the door.
"Good day."
Professor Bdi, standing like a statue, opened his mouth as Yi-Han sat down.
"Have youpleted the ?"
"Uh... Not yet."
"Prepare."
"Just a moment."
"?"
"The Rock Drake is..."
Yi-Han regretted bringing it up.
Why had he dug his own grave when Professor Bdi hadn''t even mentioned it?
"Do you want to know the weakness of the Rock Drake?"
"That''s not what I..."
"It seems the principal''s words were true. As I said before, you''re too hasty."
"..."
Yi-Han truly felt aggrieved.
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Chapter 226
Chapter 226
Professor Bdi continued speaking to Yi-Han, who felt wronged, in a consoling manner.
"Rock Drake is not a monster that should be brought down at this moment."
''Then, is Colossal Hungry Ghost supposed to be captured now?''
Yi-Han swallowed his words internally.
He felt doubly aggrieved by the person who had forced him to defeat Colossal Hungry Ghost.
"As I said before, impatience can ruin a mage."
"Yes, I understand."
"Your goal should not be pursued with impatience. Remember that."
"Yes, I underst... My goal?"
Yi-Han hesitated.
His goal?
''Have I ever told Professor Bdi that I wanted to be an imperial bureaucrat? Or that I wanted to be the richest in the empire?''
No matter how much he thought about it, there had been no such conversation.
If it was another goal...
''I did want to hit the skull principal once.''
"Excuse me, but what do you mean by my goal?"
"Weren''t you trying toplete the perfect form ofbat magic through multi-magic training?"
"!"
When one hears something too absurd, even a simple ''yes?'' bes difficult to utter.
That was exactly what Yi-Han was experiencing.
Magic as a field was inherently dangerous, but those who used magic inbat, like battle mages, faced risks that were rare even among mages.
Their dilemma was always the same.
-How can magic be refined to fit better inbat?-
Ironically, magic seemed the least suited forbat.
To kill someone up close, you swing a sword; from afar, you shoot an arrow. Spending years training to create de-like hands or wind arrows seemed highly inefficient.
Of course, the destructive power of high-circle magic was undeniable.
...But using such magic on the battlefield came with significant constraints.
The preparation, the reagents, the concentration...
And if one tried to cast such magic, the enemy wouldn''t just stand there. They had eyes too and would try to kill the mage first.
As if focusing on casting high-circle magic wasn''t enough (failing such magic could kill the caster), one also had to be wary of enemy attacks.
Battle magic was difficult for a reason. Even skilled mages could be useless on the battlefield without specialized training.
Thus,bat mages always consciously worked on their weaknesses and thought of ways topensate.
-I have trained in fire elemental magic all my life. But in thest battle, I was hit by an arrow from behind and started to worry. What should I do?-
-Cast a wide-range fire spell to prevent others from approaching.-
-That''s not feasible. I move withpanions.-
-Then learn to create a firewall or shield.-
-I tried, but it consumed too much mana, and arrows with special treatment couldn''t be blocked.-
-Well, then. Take this robe.-
-Is it a robe with protective magic?-
-No. It''s a robe typically worn by earth elemental mages. Wearing it, archers will target others first. Earth elemental mages are mostly known for their strong defenses.-
-...-
However, as anyone who has studied magic would know, resolving one''s weaknesses with just a single school of magic was not easy.
Enchantment magic had its unique capabilities, as did summoning magic.
Once a mage reaches a certain level of expertise, they could potentially resolve issues using magic from a single school through application, but such proficiency was usually only within the realm of a great mage...
The simplest solution was to learn magic from other schools of magic.
Of course, there was a reason why otherbat mages did not opt for this seemingly easiest method.
-To block surprise attacks on the battlefield, I could learn foresight magic, summoning magic to call forth a protective shield, enhancement magic to reduce damage if I''m hit, andstly, healing magic in case of injury. What do you think about trying to learn all these?-
-Don''t you feel something off about this, even upon reflection?-
...Mastering a single school of magic was challenging enough, let alone learning from multiple schools.
Even the students of Einroguard, who were the cream of the crop in the empire, did not train in more than two or three schools of magic.
Though learning them together might synergize well, the human body and mind had their limits.
Wait. I understand your exnation, but why are we discussing this?
Yi-Han, who was listening, asked in confusion as the conversation seemed to veer off course.
Weren''t you trying to be a battle mage who masters all schools of magic?
At Professor Bdi''s question, Yi-Han firmly replied, his expression serious.
"It''s a mere coincidence!"
"A coincidence, is it? I see."
Does he believe me?
"Intuition can sometimes be a better guide than reason, especially when you have an aptitude for divination magic."
...
This is infuriating.
Yi-Han realized that Professor Bdi was not one to dwell on the reasons or causes behind actions, he only saw results! Seeing that Yi-Han was attending sses on various schools of magic, the professor must be thinking, ''Then it would be great if he bes a battle mage who utilizes all these schools of magic.''
"Professor, learning all schools of magic to create a wless battle mage might sound ideal, but isn''t it realistically difficult?"
Yi-Han tried to persuade Professor Bdi.
It sounded ideal, but wasn''t it an impractical method of training?
Professor Bdi nodded.
Does he understand...?
"But in your case, it''s different. You have received high evaluations in all your sses."
...
Yi-Han felt anger towards the professors.
Why were they all so indiscreet?
Shouldn''t a student''s aptitude and grades be kept confidential?
"Then it''s not unlikely."
Professor Bdi''s philosophy was as follows:
Currently, Yi-Han hadpleted the ''basic'' elemental training without dy.
He still needed to train in some advanced techniques (like evaporation, spinning, or an autonomous cold shield)...
...but if Yi-Han was aspiring towards the grand goal of multi-magic training, that deserved respect.
Therefore, Professor Bdi was preparing to help him apply andbine the magic learned from other schools of magic.
"We''ll be progressing with magic from other schools of magic soon."
"Excuse me, but how exactly?"
"Didn''t I ask you to bring books from the library?"
...
How did all that connect?
Yi-Han internallymented.
He should have set fire to the library!
''Wait. Maybe it''s not all bad.''
On second thought, even if they started progressing with magic from other schools of magic, it wasn''t entirely negative.
Since Professor Bdi would try to apply andbine what was learned, the progress might slow down a bit.
And the training in these other schools of magic might not be as grueling as Professor Bdis.
''While learning to apply andbine different types of magic, this ss will be peaceful and warm.''
Yi-Han, who was trying to find the positive aspects of the situation, heard Professor Bdi''s voice.
"Prepare."
"..."
A storm of Magic Missiles, ready to strike from all directions.
It urred to Yi-Han that Professor Bdi had promised to help apply other schools of magic inbat, but he had never said he would stop teaching the advanced courses he already taught.
Naturally, he was expected to do both.
"...Freeze!"
Professor Bdi was truly disappointed.
It was because of the urgent desire to capture the Rock Drake that his student from the Wardanaz family had failed to perfect the autonomous cold shield spell.
It wasn''t aplete failure, though.
Yi-Han had managed to summon the cold shield and even keep it afloat.
However, he hadnt fully seeded in making the cold shield autonomously move and block attacks.
Due to his still-developing skill in enchantment magic, the cold shield moved erratically or collided with objects, indicating there was still a long way to go.
Nevertheless, this was an incredible achievement, especially considering that he was a first-year student.
But neither the teacher nor the student in the ssroom thought this achievement was extraordinary.
Strange. Why is it so hard?
Yi-Han exhaled roughly.
His mana was fine, but his mental strength was severely depleted.
Summoning and maintaining the cold was much harder than usual.
It hadn''t been like thisst time...
Ah.
Realizing the reason, Yi-Han paused.
What''s wrong?
"Professor. Unlikest week, the academy currentlycks the King of Frost Giants, making it an unsuitable environment for cold magic."
I see. Ill ensure the ssroom is imbued with coldness next time.
...
Yi-Han was at a loss for words at Professor Bdi''s nonchnt admission of forgetting.
''...A born teacher indeed. Truly.''
"Yi-Han. I think there was something in the snack..."
His friends worried about Yi-Han''s somber expression.
He had eaten the snacks from the skull principal, but wasn''t there actually a trap?
"It''s just that the ss was hard."
"Oh, if thats the case."
Gainando, relieved, overheard other friends whispering.
-Is it really okay?-
-The additional ss Wardanaz is currently taking is tough-
But what could they do?
Their friend was already on that path.
The students of the Blue Dragon forced smiles.
"Still, today''s summoning magic ss should be okay!"
"Right. Wardanaz, youre especially good at summoning magic. It shouldnt be too hard..."
However, as soon as the students settled in their seats, Professor Millei adjusted her monocle and spoke firmly.
"Since everyone has brought books from the library, today''s ss will cover some difficult content."
...
...
Yi-Han shook his head with a bitter expression, making his friends feel heartbroken.
"Wardanaz...!"
"Hang in there! You cant fall now!"
To the other tower students, this scene was iprehensible.
"What are those from the Blue Dragon doing?"
"Why are they worried about Wardanaz? Unless Wardanaz worries about them?"
"Quiet."
Professor Millei silenced the students. Without the need for forceful magic like the skull principal, this veteran professor knew how to quieten her students.
"Until now, you have all been casting summoning magic using magic circles. This is because summoning magic is difficult."
Professor Millei swung her staff as she spoke.
With that motion, stone fragments rose from the ground, collided, and transformed into metal, then finally into a sword.
The professor''s movement didnt end there. She swung her staff once more, casting an enchantment.
Then, the sword began to dance as if it were alive.
"Do you all see this dancing sword?"
"Yes!"
"Toplete this dancing sword, I cast several spells."
Yi-Han, who had done something simr in the morning, nodded in agreement.
Professor Millei threw a dodecahedron-shaped potion bottle from her pocket and swung her staff.
Then, another identical dancing sword was summoned.
"There are dozens, even hundreds of ways to replicate the same phenomenon. Among these, summoning magic is a sort of shortcut."
Summoning a dancing sword in one step was much more convenient than creating a sword from nothing, and then enchanting it toplete the dancing sword.
"However, summoning magic isplex, requires extensive preparation, and is difficult, whether summoning a living being or an inanimate object."
The students, who had heard this several times, nodded in understanding.
"Just like the dancing sword I just demonstrated, it''s impossible to replicate with your current skills using dozens or hundreds of methods. This means it''s also impossible to replicate using summoning magic."
"?"
Yi-Han tilted his head slightly in confusion.
''Hmm. I guess I should just stay put.''
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Chapter 227
Chapter 227
While listening, Yi-Han couldn''t help but think, Strange, I''m sure I was attacked this morning with a request to implement something like this, but he decided not to mention it. He had a feeling that speaking up wouldn''t do any good.
"Many mages often mistake summoning magic as the easiest and most convenient, judging only by its results... If you''re here under that misconception, I ask that you leave now," Professor Millei said sternly. Gainando, who was about to stand up to go to the bathroom, noticed and sat back down, embarrassed.
''Well, summoning magic does require a lot of groundwork.''
Yi-Han, oblivious to Gainando difort next to him, was deep in thought about what he had just heard.
To replicate the dancing sword magic of other academies, a mage would have to cast several spells in session. However, summoners could simply summon the dancing sword. This made summoning magic seem easier and more convenient...
Of course, there were downsides to every advantage. There was no such thing as perfect magic. For instance, to summon a dancing sword in one go, one had to prepare various groundwork beforehand, like embedding spells in a dodecahedron-shaped bottle like what Professor Millei just did (hence summoning magic required such potion) orpressing spells into a magic circle.
''And then, making a contract with a sentient being is a challenge in itself.''
Yi-Han nced at the bone fragment of Sharakan hanging from his belt. Had he not made an effort to befriend Sharakan, it might have bitten his throat while he slept.
Clink!
Sharakan''s bone fragment seemed to protest with a slight movement.
"Today, we''ll practice making the reagents and magic circles necessary for summoning magic. It''s tedious, but remember, summoning magic doesn''t tolerate even the slightest mistake. The summoned items attacking the mage is not an umon mishap."
"Yi-Han. Yi-Han."
Gainando nudged him, and Yi-Han nodded, understanding.
"Don''t worry, Gainando. I''ll help you."
"!"
A novice was someone who came to the ssroom and tried to understand the professor''s teachings for the first time. A mediocre student was one who listened in ss and tried to understandter. A skilled student had already studied the professor''s teachings beforeing. Yi-Han was one of these students.
Someone with no trust in the professor at all!
"Now, this quill summoning magic circle might be familiar to you, but there are tricky parts when you start from scratch, especially around this symbol..."
"But... that''s not it..."
"Just bear with it a bit, even if it''s hard. I''ll exin it well."
"I need to go to the bathroom, you bastard!"
Nodding off, nodding off -
''Oh dear.''
Yi-Hanmented as he watched a student from the White Tiger dozing off nearby.
This clearly showed that his friends were just first-year students.
So openly dozing off like that.
If Yi-Han were to doze off (not that he ever would), he certainly wouldn''t do it so carelessly.
''He''s probably already been caught by Professor Millei.''
Looking around, he noticed that it wasn''t just the students from the White Tiger who were dozing off, but students from all towers.
It made sense.
Continuously sitting and drawing magic circles with specially made magic ink and various powdered magic stones, engraving letters and symbols, would make even the most steel-willed mage drowsy.
There weren''t many like Yi-Han who could repeat such a task for 24 hours and still dismiss it as ''nothing much''.
''Is it done?''
Yi-Han checked thepleted magic circle. It wasn''t just made of paper and ink, but included various materials like metal fragments and magic stone powder. The moreplex the item to be summoned, the more intricate the magic circle had to be. Even Yi-Han had to redo it several times after making mistakes.
Summoning a magic quill that writes ''I am a student learning summoning magic'' itself was this challenging. He worried about how much moreplex it would get at higher levels.
''Now that I think about it, the professor can just have the students do it.''
Reflecting on the hiddenbor behind the morous magic, Yi-Han felt a bit bitter. While the people of the empire associated magic with splendid miracles, in reality, the workings of the world were simr.
"Well done."
Professor Millei had approached unnoticed and was intently observing Yi-Han''s work. Given the professor''s reputation for being strict with praise, thismendation meant it was truly well done.
"Thank you. I was just lucky."
"...I apologize for the misunderstanding."
''?''
Yi-Han wondered what Professor Millei meant by that.
''A misunderstanding? What does she mean?''
Had the professor mistaken Yi-Han''s level of summoning magic for that of Gainando, having seen them together earlier?
If that was the case, an apology seemed reasonable.
"No problem. It''s alright."
"The other students will need more time. Feel free to do what you wish in the meantime."
"Uh..."
Yi-Han hesitated. It was easy to misunderstand, but one shouldn''t take such statements from professors lightly, as they could have different implications based on the professor''s personality.
If Professor Garcia said, ''Yi-Han, use your spare time for whatever you like,'' it really was fine. One could even lie down and nap by joining a few chairs in the ssroom.
However, if the skull principal said, ''Use your spare time for whatever you like,'' taking a nap would be akin to suicide. One might find themselves teleported to the punishment room the moment they closed their eyes.
''There''s a simple way to find out.''
"Will you be checking the results, Professor?"
If the professor intended to check the results of the magic circle or potion making, it meant ''Don''t y around, work hard and show me what you can do,'' rather than truly being free to do as one pleases.
If not, one could rest easy.
''Hmm.''
The professor pondered over the question posed by the student from the Wardanaz family. Professor Millei usually didn''t favor treating a single student specially. Equality and strictness were the professor''s principles. Even if Yi-Han had exceptional talent in summoning magic, giving him special attention to check additional results was...
''But there was a mistake.''
Professor Millei reflected. The professor, who should uphold the rule of fairness among students, initially held a bias against the boy from the Wardanaz family.
Believing him to be an arrogant student drunk on his own talent, the professor couldn''t help feeling remorse.
In that case...
"Very well. I will check it."
''Damn it.''
Yi-Han cursed inwardly.
Professor Millei was just like the skull principal after all.
What freedom indeed!
"Understood."
Yi-Han sighed internally and began to busy himself with the magic quill.
At his current level, to avoid Professor Millei''s remark of ''Is that all you''ve got?''...
"Autonomous shield again, it seems."
Although Yi-Han had received a passing grade from Professor Bdi for all forms of elemental transformation, he had his preferences. Inevitably, a mage bes more ustomed to forms they frequently use. In Yi-Han''s case, the most familiar forms were spheres and shields, with the shield likely being more impressive.
''With current magic, autonomous movement is impossible, so I''ll have to resort to some tricks for certain parts.''
While a self-moving shield was too much to hope for, a stationary shield that could block attacks was feasible with several elements. To avoid appearing weak, even an imperfect addition of movement would be...
''But what is he trying to do?''
Professor Millei, being a mage herself, couldn''t help but be curious. Especially since Yi-Han was objectively one of the most talented students in his year. It was natural to wonder what such a student would do when given free time.
''It looks like a shield.''
Professor Millei felt a twinge of disappointment. Perhaps it was too much to expect. Yi-Han had demonstrated a confident mastery over water elemental forms, especially with his maniption of water spheres. However, the order was wrong. Familiarity with water shield magic shoulde first, being able to visualize its magic structure and flow even with eyes closed, before attempting to create it with a magic circle. Starting with a magic circle was reckless, as the sphere and shield forms of water elemental magic were entirely different.
''But even failure can be a lesson.''
Professor Millei nodded faintly, sending silent encouragement. No mage was immune to failure; what mattered was how they handled it.
"You all have worked hard."
Yi-Han lifted his head. The other students were also finishing their magic circles, stretching their limbs.
''So close to being done. What a pity.''
"I assume everyone will feel quite regretful as today''s lecture concludes."
The students hesitated, unsure if they should respond with an affirmative.
"Yes!"
Gainando crisp response drew admiration from the other students. Professor Millei epted it graciously.
"Of course."
"Too boring..."
Yi-Han yfully jabbed Gainando in the ribs from an unseen angle, promptly silencing him.
"However, today''s lesson is a process that every mage pursuing the path of summoning magic will encounter thousands, if not tens of thousands of times. It''s better to be prepared for it."
With those words, Professor Millei waved her staff. The ssroom transformed, the students pushed to the sides, creating arge empty space in the center.
"For the remainder of today, we will learn about contracts."
"!"
"!!!"
The students'' faces lit up with excitement. Not theplicated and headache-inducing summoning of inanimate objects, but the more iconic summoning magic meeting entities from other realms,municating, and forming contracts.
''If only it weren''t so dangerous.''
Yi-Han, having reluctantly contracted with an unheard-of spirit like Ferkuntra, was acutely aware of the risks involved in such contracts. Why would contracting with a sentient being be dangerous? Because the other party could turn on the mage at any moment. This was especially true for first-year students, easily deceived by demons seasoned by centuries in the demon realm.
Naturally, Professor Millei was well aware of such risks.
"Never, under any circumstances, should you peer into or explore other realms when only students are present."
The magic circle that Professor Millei had cast in the center of the ssroom served as a sort of safety mechanism. It allowed a glimpse into the spirit realm but restricted the power of spirits that could approach. Particrly powerful beings werepletely barred from ess.
''Professor is so meticulous about safety measures, but I wonder what nonsense the seniors were up to that led to the summoning of the King of the Frost Giants.''
Yi-Han mused critically about the absent seniors.
"Yi-Han."
"Yes?"
"You shall use this magic circle."
"May I ask why?"
Yi-Han was puzzled when Professor Millei summoned a different magic circle instead of the one for the spirit realm.
"I''ve heard that spirits tend to avoid you. I have opened one of the realms of the undead for you."
"...Thank you."
Yi-Han tried hard not to show his bitterness.
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Chapter 228
Chapter 228
The students, oblivious to Yi-Han''s feelings, lined up in front of the magic circle connected to the spirit realm.
Professor Millei advised, "It would be best to enter in groups of five."
Despite the safety mechanisms of the magic circle, it was perilous for first-year students to explore a strange otherworld alone. It was safer to go together.
"But Professor," one student interjected, "is Wardanaz going in alone?"
Yi-Han was torn between gratitude and annoyance at the ck Tortoise student who had mentioned him. Going in alone didn''t bother him much, but the mention made the atmosphere awkward.
"Students unsuited for the undead realm will gain nothing by entering," Professor Millei said.
"But there are other students learning dark magic."
At this, Professor Millei''s eyes sparkled. "Is that so? Who might they be?"
Silence fell.
Gainando and Raphael Gral raised their hands with expressions suggesting they wanted to strangle the ck Tortoise student who had spoken up.
Professor Millei dered, "You two, enter the undead realm."
...
...
"Nice to see you," Yi-Han greeted.
"Drats..." Raphael Gral muttered through gritted teeth.
The prospect of entering the dark, evil magic-filled undead realm instead of the fresh and beautiful spirit realm was frustrating. The resentment towards dark magic, which brought no good to life, resurfaced.
"Yi-Han, can''t I go to the spirit realm?" Gainando pleaded.
"To me, you seem better suited for the undead than spirits."
"But... it''s worth trying..."
"Let''s all go in."
"Can''t you put your hand down?"
Yi-Han pushed his friends'' backs, not wanting to miss the chance to not send them to the spirit realm.
The undead realm resembled Professor Mortum''s workshop and the surroundings of , filled with negative and dark magic attributes. Thendscape was dark and gloomy, dotted with ownerless graveyards and rivers of boiling ck mud instead of water. Gainando seemed to have changed his mind.
"Yi-Han, which undead should I choose? Can you rmend one?"
"All undead are trash," Raphael Gral interrupted.
"Don''t be like that, Raphael. We''re in this together," Gainando responded with a smile to Raphael''s insult.
Did I just hear an adult-like response from him?
While Yi-Han was surprised, Gainando whispered, "Let''s ditch him at the graveyard and move on our own."
"I can hear that, you sneaky rat!"
Tsk.
"Stop it, both of you. Raphael, since we''re together, we should cooperate."
"Why should I..."
Yi-Han quickly extended his staff, cutting off Raphael before he could react.
"I suppose cooperation is necessary."
Grinding his teeth, Raphael reluctantly agreed. Yi-Han spoke kindly and gently, "Thank you for understanding. Now, lead the way."
"Why me?!"
"You''re the knight."
"You are the knight!"
Raphael was dumbfounded by the shameless words of the two Blue Dragon students. Of course, traditionally, knights or warriors led the party''s vanguard.
The issue was...
"Wardanaz! You''re better at swordsmanship than I am!"
"Oh... to hear suchme words..."
Gainando was astonished. To him, Raphael''s refusal to lead seemed like nothing but ame excuse.
What kind of absurdity was this?
"Shut up! Prince! Do you know how well that guy wields a sword?"
"I need to use a staff in this expedition. You take the lead."
"Ugh..."
"Go."
Yi-Han''s voice grew cold, imbued with an undeniable authority.
Raphael Gral grumbled and turned away, swearing to himself that if he ever had to face Wardanaz, he would bring at least four friends to join him.
"Everyone knows the basics, right?"
"Of course."
"I didn''t hear them."
Yi-Han and Raphael Gral looked at Gainando as if he were trash.
"Basically, there''s no difference from spirits. Roam around and see if there''s anything useful."
Whether wandering in the spirit realm or the undead realm, the method of contracting with beings from other realms was simr. Either call them or find and approach them. Of course, Mages like Yi-Han who either called them or chased them away were exceptions.
"But Yi-Han, the undead are mostly hostile, unlike the spirits, right?"
"That''s true."
Raphael Gral, leading the way, twitched his shoulder.
"Don''t worry, Raphael. We''ll support you from behind."
"Yeah, Raphael. We''ve got your back."
"...How disgustingly grateful I am."
In the spirit realm, contracts were made through persuasion and charm, whereas in the undead realm, they were more likely to involve strength andbat. Most undead were hostile, attacking until subdued.
''I hope to find a skeleton mage.''
Yi-Han pondered, recalling the names of lower-level undead monsters. Whether it was a skeleton warrior, archer, or mage, contracting any of them was a boon for a novice mage. Especially for a mage, summoning a skeleton warrior as a frontlinebatant was highly beneficial.
However...
''If it''s a skeleton mage, I could learn magic from it.''
The pursuit of knowledge was also a goal of summoning mages. Powerful beings from other realms often possessed knowledge unknown or forgotten by mages.
Of course, one couldn''t expect much from low level undead monsters bound by restrictions, mostcking even the basic ability tomunicate.
Still, a skeleton mage was one of the few among lower undead monsters who could use magic. Though it cast spells instinctively, given time, one could learn from it.
''It''s always beneficial to learn as much magic as possible, whether mastered fully or not.''
Battling the Rock Drake in the library to find a book on dark magic made Yi-Han appreciate how valuable such an easy learning opportunity was.
"There! I found one!"
Hearing a shout, Yi-Han looked up. A skeleton with a rusty bone sword was charging.
Raphael Gral immediately drew his wooden sword and shed with the skeleton.
"Where do you think you''re going, undead scum!"
Boom!
It was easy to exploit the swordsmanship of a mindless monster. Raphael twisted the opponent''s sword, pushing it aside.
''Done!''
His face lit up with sess.
It was fortunate. They had encountered an undead monster not long after entering the undead realm. Perhaps they could subdue and force it into a contract...
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Suddenly, water bullets flew from behind, smashing the skeleton warrior''s skull and shattering its arms and legs.
With that, the skeleton warrior could no longer maintain its form and began to disintegrate.
Fsss
"Oops. That was too strong."
Yi-Han clicked his tongue. The undead that appeared, restricted as they were, proved to be weaker than he had thought. He hadunched his attack based on the standard of the skull principal summons, not expecting such a disparity.
"It''s okay, Yi-Han. You were just helping Raphael."
"I''m sorry, Raphael. Did you want to contract with that one?"
"...As if! You think I would contract with an undead?"
Raphael Gral turned his head sharply. Yi-Han, puzzled, asked, "Do you mean you don''t wan"
"Let''s move on! Find the next one! I have no intention of contracting, but you two need to, so this tedious exploration can end!"
''Setting aside our luck, the dark magic talent of this group seems quite decent.''
After identally destroying a skeleton and then encountering two more skeleton warriors, Yi-Han was convinced. Considering Gainando''s decent talent in dark magic, it made sense that undead monsters were drawn to them.
"What do you think?"
"...I... just thought they wereing because of you?"
Gainando looked at Yi-Han as if to say, ''What nonsense are you spouting?'' It made more sense that they were attracted by Yi-Han, not particrly by Gainando or Raphael Gral.
"...Really? No, it can''t just be that. Raphael, what do you think?"
"Don''t drag me into your pointless arguments."
Exhaustion was evident on Raphael''s face. He had failed to contract with the two skeleton warriors they met next. This time, it wasn''t because of Yi-Han but due to Raphael''s own issues. The skeleton warriors chose to resist and perish rather than submit.
''Damn it! What''s the problem?''
Raphael had decided to learn dark magic to deal with the dark mage. He couldn''t overlook a major field like undead summoning.
"Ah, there''s another one. Yi-Han, you subdue it this time."
"Isn''t Raphael the vanguard?"
"But when he subdues them, they keep resisting. You try."
"...How would it be different if I do it?"
Yi-Han asked, slightly stern. Gainando responded with a frightened look.
"You... you''re good at everything, right? You''ll subdue it well, won''t... you?"
"Ah, I see. I thought you meant they would naturally fear me because I''m from another realm."
''Isn''t that right?''
Gainando thought so but kept quiet out of fear.
"Raphael, switch."
"Hmph. As if it''ll make a difference if you do it..."
Thud! Bang!
-!-
Seeing the skeleton warrior fall and submit after a few hits, Raphael''s mouth hung open in shock. It was clear and undeniable submission.
''That... That?!''
"Well done, Yi-Han! Are you going to contract?"
"Hmm. I''m not sure."
Yi-Han fell into thought.
While it wasn''t bad to contract with beings from another realm when the opportunity arose, he had hoped for a skeleton mage, which gave him pause. Contracts were not something one could make indefinitely. They affected the mage''s own mana and mental strength, and each contract left traces on the mage''s soul, making other beings wary and inclined to avoid them.
Moreover, contracting at that moment meant that the other undead in the vicinity would notice and instinctively keep their distance. The strong soul resonance from the area indicated that a mage had subdued and made an undead submit.
Just like in the spirit realm, where finding another spirit became difficult in the vicinity after contracting with one, the same held true for the undead realm.
Still...
''This is not the only opportunity. I can always find another one elsewhere.''
Yi-Han nodded to himself.
"Yes, I''ll contract."
As soon as he decided, he felt a sensation of intertwining with the skeleton warrior''s soul, simr to when he had contracted with Ferkuntra. Of course, he didn''t sense anything resembling Ferkuntra''s intelligence or strength, but Yi-Han was confident that he could summon this warrior whenever he wished.
"Let''s work well together, skeleton warrior."
"Raphael, why do you look like that?"
"...I was just scowling because I dislike undead!"
After Yi-Hanpleted the contract, Professor Millei''s magic circle seemed to detect them and called the trio back.
The students who had returned earlier were shrugging their shoulders in disappointment.
"...I''m telling you, that was definitely a spirit..."
"That was just a leaf. You saw things."
Professor Millei looked puzzled as she saw the three.
"You''re back a bit early. Don''t tell me you''ve made a contract?"
"Uh... yes, we have?"
"!"
Professor Millei was unusually surprised.
First-year students, and that too in a magic circle with safety mechanisms, had encountered an undead so quickly?
The fact that they had met an undead was even more astonishing than the contract they had made!
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Chapter 229
Chapter 229
"I was surprised. Id never thought youd met one so soon."
"?"
Yi-Han was puzzled by Professor Millei''s words.
He had visited the Spirit Realm once before, guided by Professor Uregor, and knew that beings from other realms were naturally curious about intruders.
''Won''t they approach even if I stay still?''
...It was strange that the spirits were running away from Yi-Han. Normally, they should have been the ones to approach.
"As it should be. But as I mentioned, there are safety measures in ce."
"Ah."
The safety measures preventing powerful beings from approaching also concealed the presence of mages.
With no presence to be detected, encounters with beings from other realms naturally decreased.
"But we did meet, didn''t we?"
"It must be because of the mana."
Professor Millei said, looking at Yi-Han.
Even hidden by the safety measures, the mana couldn''t bepletely concealed. It was clear that the undead had been drawn by it.
''No. It wasn''t because of the others.''
He had thought it was because he was with students talented in dark magic, but that wasn''t the case.
Gainando looked at Yi-Han with a face full of betrayal.
So that''s why the undead came searching!
"Indeed, it was Yi-Han..."
"Have anyints?"
"No, no. Thanks for calling the undead."
Gainando vowed never to take Yi-Han with him if he ever had to visit a cemetery in the future.
"I''ll keep this magic circle running until the weekend. Those who failed to make a contract today, keep trying."
"!"
Yi-Han brightened up at the news that the magic circle would stay open until the weekend.
''Maybe I can find a skeleton mage.''
Though he had contracted with a skeleton warrior, having one more wouldn''t hurt.
Clink-
Sharakan inside a bone fragment cocked its head, questioning why he was wasting mana.
"Gainando. Raphael. Good. The magic circle will stay open. Let''s go back in and look for new undead. There will be others to contract with you."
"Wow... Wardanaz. That''s a bit..."
Raphael, slightly pale, waved his hand in refusal.
Yi-Han, thinking he was being cunning, spoke firmly.
"Raphael. Stop pretending it''s hard."
"...I really don''t have any mana left, you jerk!"
Raphael was furious.
He didn''t want to show weakness in front of Yi-Han, but traveling to another realm and returning always drained significant amounts of mana and mental strength.
Gainando too seemed exhausted, sitting and munching on chocte.
"Ah. You''re out of mana."
"Exactly!"
"Then let''s rest for today and enter during the next break. When is the next break? Tell me."
"..."
Raphael shuddered in fear at Yi-Han''s intent to check his ss schedule.
''This... This jerk!''
A different kind of terror, one not even a fearsome, burly knight could inflict.
Feeling an unfamiliar fear, Raphael stiffened.
"Hurry up and tell me."
"Do you really need to take me with you?"
"No. There should always be a dec... I mean, a frontline presence for peace of mind."
"Did you just try to call me a decoy?"
"Don''t try to frame me with strange usations. So when''s the break? Don''t think of lying. I can just ask the students of the White Tiger."
Taking advantage of the moment, Gainando slowly backed away. Yi-Han spoke without looking back.
"Gainando, I already know your ss schedule, so there''s no need to tell me."
"!!"
After the ss ended and the students had left, Professor Millei began to tidy up the remaining space. The area was quite messy from the various materials used to draw the magic circle.
''Was that the magic circle drawn earlier?''
Professor Millei noticed the magic circle left at Yi-Han''s seat and turned her gaze to it. It was clear that not much progress had been made in summoning a shield-shaped form. Still, even failure would have been a lesson in itself
?!
To her surprise, Professor Millei was taken aback by the iplete magic circle drawn by Yi-Han. How could a first-year student, who had never properly handled shield-shaped magic,plete such a level of magic circle?
...Could he really be a genius??
Raphael wanted to keep his distance from Yi-Han until his mana was fully restored. He also hoped to face him next time with at least three others. However, his wish did note true.
...
Ah, nice to see you.
Less than two hours had passed before he ran into Yi-Han in the dark magic ss.
"Cough. I feel a different mana from the three of you. Did you visit the undead realm?"
Professor Mortum, unaware of Raphael''s inner thoughts, asked. Yi-Han nodded and exined what had happened.
"Cough, very well done!"
Professor Mortum eximed, coughing so hard that his body shook.
"Is it that significant?"
"Of course, cough. Necromancy is not the only form of dark magic, but among the best dark mages, there is no one who cannot practice necromancy.
Dark elemental maniption, poison, and curses were also part of dark magic, but what most people thought of was necromancy, the arcane magic of summoning the undead.
"Cough. It''s a bit disappointing that it was done during summoning magic time... but still, it''s something. Did the other students not look at you with envy?"
"..."
Yi-Han hesitated.
When he mentioned contracting with a skeleton warrior, the students'' reactions were...
''They didn''t seem envious.''
They were amazed, but there were certainly no students who said, ''Wow, I envy dark magic, I want to learn it too.''
However, Yi-Han couldn''t refuse the sympathetic look from Professor Mortum.
"It seemed like that."
"?"
"Exactly! I knew it. Cough."
Professor Mortum rejoiced as if it were his own achievement.
Raphael sent a look that said, ''That didnt happen, did it?'' Yi-Han ignored it.
"A mage who has discovered the charm of the undead cannot help but be interested in necromancy, cough. What''s the use of just wielding a sword and shield?"
That versus the dark mage who infuses mana and gives orders from one to ten and then summons a being, who has its own will, from another realm.
Thetter was undoubtedly more convenient.
Of course, there were downsides to thetter.
Having a will meant the summoned beings might not always obey the mage. However, this disadvantage was mitigated if one had already subdued and contracted with a being.
If not...
There were methods like living in a tomb or applying rotten materials to the body to mitigate the hostility of the summoned undead.
Professor Mortum tactfully did not mention this and swiftly moved on.
"Cough. Anyway, you did well in contracting. Who did you two contract with?"
"Eh."
"Ah."
"?"
"We haven''t yet..."
At Gainando''s words, Professor Mortum frowned.
"That''s not good. Cough. Opportunities to make contracts in the undead realm aren''tmon."
"Don''t worry, Professor. I will take them there by the weekend to make the contracts."
"Cough. You seem to be the only reliable student here."
"No, that''s too much praise."
"..."
Gainando and Raphael red at Yi-Han.
He was a friend, but today he was particrly irksome.
"Cough. Ymirg, you should also go and try contracting with the undead."
"Me... too?"
Ymirg, the giant mixed-blood student who was inadvertently caught in this, was flustered.
He hadn''t even attended the summoning magic ss, let alone having any interest in necromancy.
Ymirg isn''t necessary.
Having already sized up the situation with Raphael, Yi-Han decided to show mercy to his other friend.
"If you don''t want to, there''s no need to force..."
"No, we should go together!"
"It seems better to go together. The professor also suggested it."
Gainando and Raphael quickly interjected. Yi-Han thought to himself.
These despicable guys.
Dragging their friend into something he didn''t want to do!
Professor Mortum taught the characteristics and methods of countering several monstersmonly seen in the undead realm in preparation for the contracts. He also asked the students learning summoning magic who showed interest in the undead to persuade others about how good the undead are, how excellent necromancy is, and how great dark magic is.
Its almost painful to listen to.
Yi-Han inwardly scoffed.
"Cough. Wardanaz."
As the lecture was ending, Professor Mortum called out to Yi-Han, who nodded in understanding.
"Don''t worry, Professor. I will lead my friends well and ensure they contract with useful undead monsters."
"Cough. That''s not it."
"?"
"Take this."
Professor Mortum handed over a thick brown book. It looked quite worn, evenpared to other books Yi-Han had seen.
?
"May I ask why you are giving me this book?"
Yi-Han was puzzled as to why he was suddenly given such a book.
Professor Mortum cleared his throat and began to speak.
"Cough. Do you think there are only two ways in necromancy, especially in summoning the undead?"
"Aren''t there only two?"
One was summoning an uncontracted entity. It was not bound by a contract, so it had to be controlled by magic and cated by various methods, but its rtive freedom in summoning was an advantage.
The other was summoning a contracted entity. There was no need for control or cation, but the contract itself could be a disadvantage.
"Cough. Wrong. There are actually three ways."
"Three ways? ...Could it be?"
Yi-Han paused.
"It seems you''ve caught on."
There was something he had in mind.
Could he be talking about a method simr to using magic items?
Like in the previous lecture with Professor Millei, items without a will like swords or shields had to be precisely manipted by the mage.
But in the case of undead, this was the epitome of wastefulness.
Summoning undead just to have the mage construct everything from scratch? Starting from the expended mana to the setup, it was an utterly inefficient andplex method.
Naturally, it wasn''t the method currently in use. Yi-Han wasn''t wrong to say Aren''t there only two?.
"Cough. Right."
"I''ve heard that such summoning methods are hardly used these days?"
"It''s not just rare, it''s nonexistent. Cough. It''s essentially a method used in ancient times. This book contains that ancient method."
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised once again.
He was astonished not only that he was being encouraged to use a method not currently in use, but also why it was being rmended.
''What could be the advantage... Wait. Isn''t there a reason why it''s not used now?''
"Why me?"
"Cough. It''s the principal''s directive. He specifically requested that you learn to summon the undead using this method."
"..."
Yi-Han''s expression turned serious.
He had thought it was rmended due to some hidden talent or his abundant mana...
"Yes. Well. I''ll try."
''I better brush this off.''
He was already managing his grades well in dark magic.
Even without mastering the outdated method of summoning the undead, he was confident of achieving perfect scores.
"Cough. I believe in you. You''ll be able to master it. The principal said to check your progress weekly. He jokingly mentioned sending you to the punishment room if there''s no progress... but what a joke..."
"..."
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Chapter 230
Chapter 230
Chapter 230
Yi-Han had returned to the tower, imagining himself as the right hand of His Majesty the Emperor, locking the skull principal in the underground dungeon.
Uhm.
A normal student might have protested, "Even if you beat me to death, I can''t study this! Send me to the punishment room instead!" But, unfortunately, Yi-Han had a personality thatpelled him to try his best, even with seemingly impossible tasks.
Unbeknownst to him, this was a trait that made him dig his own grave.
Uhm
Entering his private room, Yi-Han swiftly flipped through the book .
The book, starting with ancient characters and mixed with variousnguages and codes, was surprisingly standard in itsposition, allowing him to vaguely understand its content.
...No. Two-thirds of this book is useless to me.
m!
Yi-Han closed the book with a start. The book was specifically about the third method of undead summoning Professor Mortum had mentioned, starting from the basics to the expert level.
Instead of simply summoning the undead, it involved a method of raising corpses with powerful magic.
Being an old-fashioned technique, it was both difficult and consumed a great deal of mana.
As such, one-third of the book covered methods to amplify the mana needed for dark magic, and another third on conserving mana when casting spells.
In essence...
Two-thirds of the book''s content was unnecessary.
Less quantity is good, at least.
For Yi-Han, it was a relief. He already had enough to study and didn''t want to increase the workload, especially since the methods he had nced at earlier were not particrly pleasant.
The methods, like drinking a concoction of 17-year-old grave soil and 11-year-old bone dust mixed in Kranten solution thrice daily to enhance mana, seemed to justify why dark magic was unpopr.
Yi-Han was grateful for his abundant mana for the first time in a while.
He was relieved not to have to resort to such methods!
The remaining third of the book contained practical content: details about various types of corpses, their characteristics when used in necromancy, and precautions to take during the process.
The corpse of a knight, for example, was good for raising due to the high purity of mana in its bones. However, since knights were stingy about offering the bodies of theirrades, one had to target the night of the new moon when vignce wasx...
Yi-Han unconsciously looked around his private room.
...Was anyone there?
"Old books sure have some outrageous methods."
However, it made sense to him.
Necromancy that summoned beings from another world was also heavily influenced by the reagents and materials used. The more powerful and sacred the bones or corpses used, the stronger the beings from the other world that were summoned.
Moreover, necromancy that utilized corpses 100% was even more influenced by the quality of the corpses.
Therefore, a mage should carry minimal bone fragments in various pockets - inside a coat, around the waist, in sleeves, inside boots - to avoid embarrassment in unexpected situations. After all, asions where one could not acquire a corpse were moremon than one might think...
"There are more advantages than I thought."
Old-fashioned necromancy, or ssical necromancy, had more definitive benefits than he had initially realized.
Necromancy that summoned undead had limits in enhancing the summoned undead, as it involved beings from another world and the mage''s enhancements had their limits.
It would be different if one could summon a stronger being.
However, ssical necromancy, which involved directly creating the undead, allowed for endless enhancements, provided one had the skill.
For example, if a pile of bones was enchanted to fight in the form of skeleton warriors, it was possible to strengthen them in various ways, starting from the type of bone used to the various enchantments applied.
Moreover, they were much sturdier.
Summoning-style necromancy faced a limitation: once the summoned undead were struck and reverse-summoned, they couldn''t return from the other world until they had recovered.
But in ssical necromancy, as long as the mage had enough mana, they could wave their staff, repair, and raise them again.
"I see why the skull principal insisted on me learning this..."
Seeing the advantages, he understood why he was encouraged to learn it.
Of course, this understanding didn''t dissipate his anger.
"...But the rest are all disadvantages."
The enormous consumption of mana.
It was aplicated magic structure that had to be handcrafted for each undead (in other words, it was like creating one artifact for each undead).
And the tactical operation requiring the mage to concentrate and issue individualmands.
Of course, as the level of magic increased, there were various ways to reduce mana consumption, simplify spellcasting, and easemand issuance, but...
No matter how he thought about it, the barrier to entry was excessively high.
The spell that starts in earnest in this book... is a 4th circle spell.
Although it''s termed a 4th circle spell, outside the academy, a 4th circle mage was revered and excessively ttered as a ''great mage.''
It was only because the Einroguard had too many outstanding mage that phrases like ''learn 4th circle spell'' were thrown around so casually.
Yi-Han felt a renewed surge of anger.
Both Professor Bdi and the skull principal, aren''t they being too much?
He would have yed along with a 2nd or 3rd circle spell, pretending to struggle, but the overwhelming number of 4th circle spells left him incredulous.
Yi-Han sighed and took out the bone fragments he had received from Professor Mortum.
"The spells that can be applied to the left arm are as follows... Levitation, Spinning, Binding, Striking..."
What could he do?
It was an assignment, so he had to do it!
"Why isn''t Wardanazing out?"
Even though it was the weekend, the students of the Blue Dragon were perplexed by Wardanaz noting out from his private room after having only prepared a simple breakfast.
It didn''t matter if Gainando slept inte or became an undead in his room, but if Yi-Han was missing for just a few hours, it was concerning.
His friends, who had devoured sandwiches stuffed with jam, cheese, smoked meat, and eggs between slices of toasted bread, started to grow anxious as Yi-Han still hadn''t emerged.
"Did you make Wardanaz angry yesterday?"
"No, no! I mean, yes, Yi-Han suggested it, but I did say I didn''t want to go to the undead realm. And I even pestered him to y card games when he had so much to study! But that''s something anyone can do!"
"..."
"You jerk. It''s definitely your fault!"
"Go apologize now!"
"No... I''m telling you, it wasn''t me!"
Gainando grumbled as he knocked on Yi-Han''s private room door.
After a moment, Yi-Han''s voice was heard.
-The door''s open. Come in.-
"Yi-Han. These guys are spreading baseless rumors... Aaaargh! Yi-Han is being attacked by the principal!"
"!!!"
"Everyone,e here! Wardanaz is under attack!"
Students traumatized by undead attacks within the tower rushed over in panic.
Just when things had seemed quiet, the skull principal had infiltrated undead spies into Yi-Han''s private room on the weekend.
It was a truly despicable move.
"Let''s go up rig..."
Thump!
The princess, with a calm expression, held her staff and restrained her friends.
"Why?!"
"If we rush in recklessly, we will be counterattacked! Stay low and cast spells from behind the staircase!"
A follower conveyed the princess''s intentions to her friends.
The suggestion sounded usible, so the friends prepared their magic while crouching at the bottom of the stairs.
"Wardanaz! We''reing to help now!"
"Right now!"
The princess ran forward from the front and cast Magic Missile.
A sh of blue light burst forth, and a clump of magic energy shot out rapidly.
ng!
However, the attack was blocked by a water shield. Yi-Han, while pulling one ear of the fallen Gainando, said, "Everyone, stop. I''m not being attacked."
"Wa... Wardanaz!!"
"...No. You are being attacked!!"
His friends were shocked.
Yi-Han''s private room was filled with skeleton warriors.
"It''s not the principal who sent them; I raised them myself. They''re not quite ready to move yet..."
Yi-Han tapped his staff. The skeleton warriors remained motionless.
''I still have a long way to go.''
Having already mastered spells like and , and being exceptionally skilled in element transformation and control, Yi-Han was quite adept.
"Bones. Be shot forth."
Crack!
"Bones. Form into armor."
Crunch!
"Bones. Be a wall."
Crack-crack-crack!
These were simple necromancy spells involving bones, suggested in the book for basic training.
Yi-Han was familiar with spells that transformed orunched bones in various ways.
''...But isn''t this too easy?''
Yi-Han tilted his head in thought.
Compared to the anxious times he handled the fire element, fearing it might spread uncontrobly, bones were indeed much simpler.
''Are bones naturally easier? Or is it because I''ve already practiced with other elements?''
If Professor Mortum had been there, he would have said, ''Dark magic is never easy, cough. It''s just that your talent is exceptional.'' But in the private room, it was just Yi-Han.
Dark elements used in dark magic, like dark energy, negative energy, bones, or poisons, were not easy by any means. If someone said, ''Bone element is easier than fire element,'' they might be considered half-mad, as befits a dark mage.
"Well then, now...e forth."
Having passed various basic trainings, it was time for Yi-Han to practice proper skeleton summoning.
Before that, Yi-Han summoned a skeleton warrior he had contracted from the undead realm.
--
The summoned skeleton warrior prostrated itself before Yi-Han, showing respect.
The disparity in their mana made this a natural response.
Sharakan, who had been summoned earlier, yawned and tapped the ground with its tail, clearly expressing its disdain for summoning such a lowly creature.
"Good. It''s nice to meet you. I need a name for you..."
-!-
Despite its low intelligence, the skeleton warrior was startled and refused, believing it unworthy of receiving a name.
"No, I need a name to call you. You are... Gonadaltes."
-...!-
The skeleton warrior seemed overwhelmed by the honor and protested, but Yi-Han was firm.
"Gonadaltes. I summoned you because I need to practice ssical necromancy. I have to create undead using bones and corpses, and it would be helpful to have a guide."
Just as learning to make artifacts was easier by observingpleted ones, creating autonomously moving skeleton warriors was more effective by emting apleted one.
Gonadaltes, or rather the skeleton warrior, straightened its posture.
"Thank you. Shall we begin then?"
Three hourster.
Yi-Han sat in a chair, frowning at the pile of bones strewn before him.
''This is no easy task.''
Creating the form of a skeleton warrior wasn''t too difficult.
It was a bit more challenging than making shields and armor.
However, making the warrior move flexibly was apletely different issue.
Crack!
Another skeleton warrior shattered itself while attempting to automatically shoot an arrow.
''Raising them up each time they break is not easy either.''
As he thought this, Yi-Han paused.
''Now that I think about it, why not raise several at the start?''
It seemed better to raise several warriors at once rather than one at a time as they broke.
Of course, it would consume a considerable amount of mana, but that was not a concern, and as for the mental and concentration effort...
''I managed to control dozens of water beads at once, so I should be able to raise about a dozen skeleton warriors. If it doesn''t work, I can always reduce the numberter.''
"You understand, right? They''re just failures, nothing extraordinary."
"...Yi-Han. You do know that normal mage don''t walk around with fifteen summons at a time, don''t you?"
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Chapter 231
Chapter 231
Quantity or Quality?
In any field, this was amon debate, but when it came to summoning magic, quality was deemed more important than quantity.
The reason was simple.
The effort required to increase quantity far outweighed the benefits it brought.
Not to mention the immense mana required, a summoner had to focus intensely with each and every summon, risking exhaustion.
Even when summoning from another realm to reduce the burden, one couldn''t just summon beings indiscriminately.
Thus, summoning magic pursued quality, not quantity.
If one mastered summoning a skeleton warrior, the next goal was a stronger skeleton warrior, and then, if sessful, a higher-tier undead monster.
"But didn''t the principal control dozens, even hundreds of summons?" Gainando asked.
Yonaire and Yi-Han looked at him with a mix of pity and disdain, then chose to ignore his question.
"Isn''t summoning fifteen too much?"
"Hmm. Did I summon too many? Still, it shouldn''t be too overwhelming."
Yi-Han''s remark left Yonaire genuinely surprised.
She knew Yi-Han had immense mana, akin to a mad dragon, but she hadn''t expected this much.
"I may not know much about dark magic, but... is this how you usually train?"
At Yonaire''s query, the princess shook her head from behind.
Given her knowledge of dark magic, she seemed to find Yi-Han''s method unusual.
"This isn''t the usual way. It''s an ancient, more rigorous method."
"Indeed... Wardanaz. So you''ve revived an ancient, more challenging method because regr necromancy was too easy? A thought befitting your intellect," Asanmented with an understanding nod.
Yi-Han almostshed out at Asan but restrained himself, wondering if he had done something wrong.
"It might sound grand, but... it''s not something like that."
"Still, this seems too reckless."
"True. Progress is a bit slow."
Yi-Han tapped his staff.
Contrary to their previous immobility, the skeleton warriors raised their arms in unison this time and simultaneously threw bundles of paper.
"Ah!"
Gainando was pelted by the flying paper.
"This is the best I can do for now. Even this takes two tries to get right once."
"Wow..."
"The path ahead is indeed long. Still much to learn."
The students, not well-versed in dark magic, epted this as it was.
However, the princess was horrified.
To think Yi-Han had not only summoned fifteen skeleton warriors using an ancient method but had also achieved coordinated fire.
Tap, tap -
Pointing out the spectacle, Nebren nodded in understanding.
"Ah. This doesn''t look good. I''ll help Wardanaz clean up. Wardanaz, this private room doesn''t seem suitable for practice. Shall I help you move?"
"That would be best. Thank you."
"It''s nothing."
The friends from the Blue Dragon began picking up the bones, rolling up their sleeves.
"Sharakan. Thank you."
-Krung.-
Yi-Han expressed his gratitude while loading the burden on Sharakan''s back.
"Gonadaltes. Carry this."
"What... What''s this???"
Asan looked around in panic.
"Calm down, Asan. It''s not the principal. It''s just the name of this summon, Gonadaltes."
"Ah... ...Wardanaz. I may not have the right toment on someone else''s summon, but isn''t that a bit dangerous???"
As the friends each carried a load and walked away, the princess shook her head in frustration.
Salko of the Tutanta family was walking with his friends.
There was someone they were seeking.
"Wardanaz is currently at Professor Uregor''s cabin. Let''s go."
"Tu, Tutanta. Isn''t it a bit dangerous?"
"Of course, Wardanaz is a fearsome opponent, not to be underestimated. However, he''s not as obtuse as those from the White Tiger, incapable of cooperation. If the conditions are right, he might agree to an alliance."
"No, I mean isn''t it risky for just us to go? What if Wardanaz suddenly attacks..."
"Was that your concern?"
Salko looked at the frightened student from the ck Tortoise and clicked his tongue.
"I told you, Wardanaz isn''t the type to attack recklessly."
"But, still. Ymirg. What do you think?"
The ck Tortoise student turned to his friend, a giant mixed-blood student who attended dark magic lectures with Yi-Han, who was flustered.
"Um, uh..."
Though he attended dark magic sses with Wardanaz, he couldn''t quite grasp what kind of student Wardanaz really was.
The prince seemed a bit dim-witted, and Raphael somewhat rude, but Wardanaz...
Apart from being a magic prodigy, nothing else was clear about him.
"He''s, he''s good at magic."
"Wardanaz is indeed exceptional in magic. That guy... Is he really our age?"
"The Wardanaz family is famous, after all."
"No, I''ve seen Wardanaz family members from a distance, but I can''t believe he''s to that extent."
The students from the ck Tortoise murmured among themselves as they walked.
If a student was moderately brilliant, one might think, ''That person is smart,'' but faced with someone iprehensibly gifted, the reaction was inevitably, ''????''
Yi-Han was exactly thata monster who pursued magic and excelled in lectures across all schools of magic.
A monster driven solely by the pursuit of magic!
"By the way, I heard something strange. The guys from the Blue Dragon said Wardanaz prepares meals for them every day."
"Does that even make sense?"
"But didn''t Wardanaz cook a vegetable stew for usst time? It was really delicious."
"It''s not about him being unable to cook. He''s good at alchemy, so cooking shoulde easy. But preparing meals every single day is a different story. Would you be able to do that?"
The ck Tortoise students pondered.
Considering the scarcity of ingredients in Einroguard, waking up every dawn to wash vegetables, peel them, and mince meat for meal preparations seemed far-fetched.
"It doesn''t seem like something Wardanaz would do."
"Right. The Blue Dragon guys are just boasting. Since Wardanaz has cooked before, they''re using that to brag."
"Those guys. They''re nobility but stoop to such base lies!"
"That''s nobles for you. Only a handful of those who boast about their lineage actually possess matching talents. We''re here. There it is."
Salko pointed towards a cabin near the forest in the distance.
It was Professor Uregor''s cabin.
"Wardanaz! Are you there? We have something to discuss... Aaaahhh!"
"Ughuhuhuck!"
Startled by the scarecrow-like arrangement of skeleton warriors behind the cabin, the students from the ck Tortoises screamed.
"Sorry about that. Didn''t know you''d get so scared."
"Wait, wait. We weren''t scared."
"Right. We were just startled, that''s all."
The students in Salko''s group were from rough backgrounds.
They were particrly sensitive to any suggestion that they were ''scared.''
"Anyone would be frightened upon suddenly encountering the undead. I understand."
"No, we''re telling you!!"
"Enough. Wardanaz. We came here today to make you a proposal."
Salko nced briefly at the skeleton warriors standing motionless around the vegetable garden.
Despite his efforts to look away, his gaze kept returning to them.
''I may not know much about dark magic, but is it normal to summon so many?''
"What''s the proposal? Oh, Salko. Are you interested in joining the dark magic ss?"
"What are you talking about? I have no interest in dark magic."
''There''s no need to get serious.''
Yi-Han grumbled inwardly.
It was just a joke!
"...I''ve found a way out."
Salko spoke in a low voice. Yi-Han was taken aback.
He found a way out?
"Ah. Are you talking about the Rockgrass Underground cave guarded by Gandarva? It''s better to give up on that. It seems beyond our level to breach."
"...I''ve never heard of such a cave. How did youe to know about it?"
Salko was internally shocked.
While the students of the Blue Dragon prided themselves on their family lineage, and those from the White Tiger on their swordsmanship, the ck Tortoise students took pride in their adaptability.
-We are the ones who roam the vast magic academy the most and know it the best!-
It wasn''t entirely wrong.
Indeed, students from the ck Tortoise generally had exceptional adaptability, exploring here and there and being the first to acquire necessary information.
But there were exceptions.
"I heard about it while wandering around."
Yi-Han, possessing an adaptability unmatched by any ck Tortoise student, answered nonchntly, exuding an aura only an experienced student could.
Slightly overawed, Salko hesitantly continued.
"Anyway, it''s not that cave."
"Could it be the mountain range path? It''s better to postpone that route. Last time, we followed the White Tiger guys and only suffered losses."
"It''s not that either... If you walk west along the mountain range, youe across a desert-like terrain. Do you know it?"
He asked out of politeness, but Salko thought Yi-Han wouldn''t know.
Who would bother to go that far?
Salko and the ck Tortoise students wouldn''t have ventured there without information.
"I know it."
"?!??!"
"How, how do you know?"
"Last time, when Niffirg went berserk... It''s not important. So, what about this desert?"
"Look at this map."
ording to Salko, one of the ck Tortoise students had a strange experience while wandering the academy at night.
It was a dark, empty room, but when he stepped in, a whisper promised to grant his wish.
The student wished to ''leave the academy''...
"So, you got this map as a result?"
"Yes."
"Interesting. Where''s the location of this room?"
"When I went back, it had disappeared."
''Suspicious.''
Sinceing to the magic academy, the only thing that had increased was suspicion.
Bluntly put, there was no way to know whether the whispering entity in that room was a spirit granting wishes or the skull principal masquerading as one.
"Anyway, this map shows..."
The map pointed to a desert area on the western side of the academy grounds.
There was a well drawn on it, and if one followed underground from that well...
"An underground passage?"
"Yes. It''s a tunnel that goes under the walls."
"The map notes a high monster presence near the well."
"Yes. That''s why we need strongbat abilities."
"I''m not that strong inbat..."
"??"
"????"
The ck Tortoise students gazed at the skeleton warriors standing in the garden.
And once again, they looked at Yi-Han.
"Why are you staring like that?"
"Ah, it''s nothing. Do you have any ideas, anyway?"
"I always want to secure an escape route. The difficulty is the problem, though. I already have so much to do, and I don''t want to waste effort..."
Upon hearing Yi-Han''s words, Salko signaled with a nod of his chin.
Then, the students from the ck Tortoise began to set down the chests they had brought.
''The kids from the ck Tortoise seem to know something.''
Yi-Han sent a look of expectation.
Indeed, unlike students from other towers, those from the ck Tortoise knew the art of trading well.
''Materials? Reagents? Magic tomes? Food?''
"Wardanaz. Look at this. Statues and pottery to decorate a personal room. Aren''t they beautiful?"
"...Why are you showing these to me?"
"Uh... don''t nobles like these things?"
"Who would like such things?"
"The students from the Blue Dragon couldn''t buy these because they didn''t have them..."
"..."
His friends had been unknowingly purchasing such useless decorations.
Yi-Han sighed inwardly.
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Chapter 232
Chapter 232
Chapter 232
Well, it must be fun to decorate one''s own room, he mused.
Lately, his friends had been sharing various stories about how they decorated their personal chambers. He never expected such enthusiasm.
Of course, for Yi-Han, such interests were iprehensible.
Why, after all?
A personal chamber is just for sleeping, isn''t it?
True to his character, Yi-Han, who had his room adorned with an array of skeleton warriors, had little interest in room decoration.
"This is a serious matter... I thought Wardanaz would be pleased with this," hemented.
"Does this seem too worthless to Wardanaz? It''s still a fine piece of pottery..."
"I told you! Wardanaz wouldn''t be satisfied with ordinary ornaments. The Wardanaz family''s castle walls are made of pure silver, and their mansion''s windows are crafted from red and green jade. Of course, such trifles wouldn''t suffice!"
"No, that''s not it."
Yi-Han listened as the ck Tortoise students boldly spread rumors about the Wardanaz family.
He was aware of the rumors surrounding his reclusive family, but this felt rather unfair.
The family wasn''t poor, but Yi-Han himself had never indulged in luxury.
If only he could afford such luxury without feeling guilty!
"This is a dilemma. There''s no other way. Can I promise to pay during the vacation?"
"What kind of solution is that? If you were Wardanaz, would work just for some silver coins? Don''t you know about nobles'' honor and pride?"
Yi-Han gently ced his hand on his friends'' shoulders.
"Are you worried because you don''t have a proper gift? Then, repay me with silver coins during the vacation."
"Really? Can we do that?"
"Of course. Richmond of your tower did something simr. No need to feel burdened."
"But... why...?"
As the ck Tortoise student mumbled in confusion, his friend elbowed him sharply.
"Idiot. Wardanaz is just trying to save our face."
"Ah!"
"What sort of revtion is that?"
The students seemed to believe Yi-Han was epting silver coins just to avoid embarrassing them.
To Yi-Han, this revealed the extent of the students'' wealth.
Rich kids
Despite the ck Tortoise being primarily formoners, the situation changed when it came to money.
The empire''s leading merchants had wealth iparable even to prominent noble families.
Compared to Yi-Han, who couldn''t even spend freely on non-educational needs, they seemed capable of squandering silver coins easily.
"Thank you, Wardanaz. I didn''t expect you to help like this."
"Think as you wish. Now, sign here. Where should I visit?"
"The Tutanta family would be the ce..."
As Salko penned the contract, he was slightly confused.
Yi-Han''s expression was too serious.
Could he really be doing this for the silver coins?
"Everyone, drink some water."
"Thank you, Wardanaz."
As they entered the desert region, the heat surged. Simr to thest time in the library wastnd, but much hotter and drier.
"Let the spring flow."
Water didn''t fail to appear as Yi-Han summoned it effortlessly into the air.
"Maite, show us the way."
Salko tapped the sandy ground, chanting a spell. A pattern emerged on the sand.
"This is north."
"Your magic is impressive. Can you teach me?"
"You joke well. Why would you need such... Oh, you''re serious?"
Salko was taken aback by Yi-Han''s interest.
Many mages often overlooked these kinds of practical magic spells.
There was no real need to use magic just to find directions. Servants or ves could handle that task.
"Why is that? It seems like a useful spell."
"It''s not that... Teaching it is not hard. It''s not a difficult spell, but those not attuned to the earth element struggle with it..."
Salko recalled how Yi-Han had previously shattered thebyrinth walls into dust to forge a path during an academy challenge.
"...But don''t worry about that."
"Why?"
"Listen quietly. This spell requires a ce rich in earth. It doesn''t work well without maite dust, so be careful..."
Salko''s words trailed off as he nced at the floating mass of water beside Yi-Han.
The cold water blob maintained its form even under the scorching sun.
"...Never mind that."
"Are you teaching me too casually?"
Yi-Hanined, but Salko ignored him.
Meanwhile, the other ck Tortoise students led the way, checking the path.
"Here. Let''s start leaving marks so we can find our way back."
"Be engraved."
In the desert, where thendscape could change with the wind, magic marks were a different story.
Small symbols were etched into the sand, durable enough tost a couple of hours.
"You''ve done well. I''ll summon a breeze."
"Can I call the spirits?"
"Yes. After resting for over three days, the spirits should oblige."
A faint figure of a minor wind spirit appeared, and a gentle breeze began to blow.
Yi-Han admired the cooperation from behind.
''Why can''t our tower guys do something like this?''
It wasn''t that the kids were bad at magic.
In terms of magic ability, they were among the best of the four towers.
...It''s just that most of their spells weren''t practical for real-life situations.
Honestly, spells like were of little use during such expeditions.
-Krrrrrrung!-
"Huh?"
Sharakan suddenly made an aggressive sound. Yi-Han thought a monster had appeared.
''There are no monsters, right?''
Suddenly, Yi-Han''s instincts issued a strong warning.
A sensation he had felt often recently.
The same sensation of every nerve standing on end, as when Professor Bdi abruptlyunched an attack.
"Shield, expand!"
Yi-Han didn''t hesitate to cast the spell.
Casting magic without assessing the situation might be foolish, but Yi-Han was different.
A person who could afford to be reckless in such situations!
"Wardanaz?! Why?!"
"Salko, defend!"
"Understood!"
At Yi-Han''smand, Salko and the ck Tortoise students readied themselves for defense.
ng!
A sharp sound rang as an attack struck the water shield.
Yi-Han''s expression hardened as he saw the dagger bounce off the thick water barrier.
The attack might have seemed feeble since it couldn''t prate the water shield, but it was far from it.
''They know how to deal with mages!''
Having been thoroughly vexed by Professor Bdi, Yi-Han knew well how enemies targeted mages inbat.
-Any method will do. Enemies always target the mage first.-
-Indeed... A mage can be a significant variable. How should we prepare?-
-Perfectly.-
-...I''m not fully recovered yet... Urgh!-
Grandiose attacks were noisy and took too long to prepare.
A single dagger was enough to take down an unprepared mage.
The issue was that Yi-Han had sensed the danger first and initiated a defense.
"Shield, expand. Heat, distort the air!"
It was unfortunate for the enemies.
Typically, not many mages excelled inbat.
Especially if they were students at a magic academy.
"Feet, grasp the earth. Arise, warriors of bone!"
The enemies were astonished as Yi-Han, without even allowing them a few seconds, rapidly cast a series of spells for defense.
"What the hell is that guy?!"
"Damn it, he''s an upperssman! Get ready! He''s someone who''s been properly trained in magicbat!"
"Ill make you regret encountering a fifth-year student from Einroguard!"
"Damn...! Talk about bad luck!"
...
The ck Tortoise students, hiding behind a barrier of water and earth, looked at Yi-Han with stunned expressions.
In the empire, there was a notorious group of adventurers, the .
While most adventurers in the empire cared somewhat about their reputation, there were those among them who tantly epted illegal requests.
The was one such group.
For the right amount of gold, they would take on all sorts of illicit tasks!
Ordinarily, even the would not dare to meddle with Einroguard, where the empire''s formidable mages gathered.
Even heartless viins had intelligence. Those engaged in evil money-making were quick-witted and sensitive to power.
But this time was different.
A remarkably lucrative offer hade their way.
-There is a relic in Einroguard that I desire.-
-But Einroguard is-
-I know. It''s a ce not easily essible to outsiders. I''ll provide a way in. A guide has already entered; follow them to meet up. Detailed instructions will be given.-
The adventurers didn''t ask, ''Why do we need to go in if a guide is already there?''
They knew the answer without asking.
''Stealing a mage''s treasure and getting away with just a few lives lost is a bargain. Especially if it''s Einroguard.''
Despite the dangerous nature of the proposal, the adventurers did not refuse.
After all, the life of an adventurer was about taking risks.
The important thing was how much they could gain.
-Very well. We''ll do our best.-
"What are we going to do?!"
The adventurers shouted in rough voices.
Their luck couldn''t have been worse.
They had just emerged from the underground passage outside the well, only to encounter a student from Einroguard.
And not just any student, but a fifth-year.
To the adventurers, familiar with Einroguard''s reputation, a fifth-year student posed a significant challenge. Such a student might be a rare great mage among adventurers.
And...
"Judging by his reaction, he''s trained in magicbat! We can''t subdue him. We have to kill him!"
"We agreed not to touch the students of the magic academy!"
"I know, you damn fool! Do you think I''m not scared of retaliation? But we don''t have a choice!"
"Damn this wretched fate. Alright! Kill him!"
The adventurer, Geliak, clenched his teeth and nodded.
Looking at the opposite side, it was clear that the opposing mage was no ordinary talent.
It was astonishing enough that he had blocked an unseen ambush in seconds, but he had also nearlypleted a fortress-like defense.
Illusions flickered, and walls of water and earth, along with skeletal warriors, shielded the mages.
Geliak, who had encountered students from Einroguard several times, knew how extraordinary this response was.
He had seen students capable of higher-tier magic, but never one who, in a deadlybat situation, managed to cast spells consecutively without faltering.
''Bad luck indeed...''
But Geliak was not the only one gued by misfortune.
The fifth-year students he had encountered today were equally unlucky.
Did Geliak and his colleagues enter the mages'' den without any countermeasures?
Those who feared mages the most were Geliak and hispanions.
Naturally, they had gathered as much anti-mage preparation as they could.
For the mages, it was sheer misfortune to encounter them in such circumstances.
"Tear the scroll! Quickly!"
"Shut up! Do you know how much this costs... Here goes!"
As Geliak tore the scroll, a tremendous storm of mana began to erupt.
An ancient magic scroll, now impossible to produce!
It was a scroll embedded with the spell , which obliterated all surrounding magic with its powerful force.
Knowing the scroll''s value, Geliak''s fingers trembled even as he ripped it.
"Argh!"
"Gasp...!"
Apanied by pained cries, the students of the ck Tortoise fell to their knees, faces ashen.
Simultaneously, the barriers, illusions, and summoned creatures all vanished.
The forcibly canceled spells rebounded on their casters, striking them as well.
''As effective as ever.''
Although prohibitively expensive, there was no better death sentence for a mage.
Investing all their mana into a spell, only to have it erased and their magic disrupted in one fell swoop.
It exploited the mage''s vulnerability of being unable to cast spells without mana.
Furthermore, the more proficient the mage, the more susceptible they were to this tactic.
Geliak had once seen a 5th-circle mage subdued by just one of these scrolls.
"Shield, expand. Heat, distort the air. Feet, grasp the earth. Arise, warriors of bone..."
"...??!?!?"
That''s why Geliak could only blink in disbelief when the fifth-year student, as if nothing had happened, once againid out the spells one after another.
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Chapter 233
Chapter 233
"...What''s going on?"
"Snap out of it, you idiot!"
Geliak finally regained his senses upon hearing the fierce shouts of hispanions.
The shock was that intense.
The expensive scroll had no effect?
"We must act quickly before the professors arrive! Subdue him fast and meet the guide!"
"I know. Let''s move!"
Geliak and his colleagues drew their weapons.
Although hispanions were equally shocked, they knew that giving more time here was akin to suicide.
There was nothing more dangerous than a mage with ample time.
''Get in close!''
Geliak, gripping his weapon tightly, stomped the ground. mana surged within him, reinforcing his body with strength.
Currently, Geliak and hispanions were wearing invisibility artifacts.
Scattered, they approached as fast as possible, knowing it was harder for the mage to target them.
"Spring forth."
"!?"
Geliak was startled to see a massive surge of water erupt above the temporary fortress of the mage.
What is this?
Suddenly, the water mass split, scattering into numerous beads.
The beads flew in all directions.
''What''s this?''
It was a negligible attack, neither fast nor threatening in trajectory. One of his colleagues, deeming it trivial, swatted away the water beads with a gauntlet-d forearm.
No matter how much they wanted to dy, such feeble attacks could not hold back the seasoned adventurers.
"sh forth!"
Lightning struck at that moment.
Startled by the sh of lightning, an adventurer leaped back in confusion.
''How!?''
''Has the artifact been neutralized?!''
Their invisibility artifacts were no cheap trinkets.
They were powerful artifacts capable of withstanding most nullification spells.
"Stay away from the water! He''s using it to locate us!"
Geliak was horrified.
Such a simple spell had neutralized the invisibility artifacts.
It was inconceivable.
After all, it was a method he had never seen before.
He had never seen a mage scatter water beads like this, nor one who could detect the altered trajectory of a few among them.
''How on earth...!''
"sh forth, sh forth, sh forth, sh forth!"
"Argh!"
An adventurer who had just collided with the water beads seemed to have been caught by the mage.
Lightning continued to strike relentlessly. Though they were barely managing to defend, the rapidity of the attacks made it difficult.
"Help me, you bastards!"
"...Tch!"
Another adventurer pulled out a sk from within. mes flickered inside the sk, a creation of first-ss alchemists, the .
Geliak began to feel that even if they seeded in this mission, it might still be a loss.
The sk flew swiftly through the air.
At that moment, a spell came from the enemy.
"Freeze!"
Crack!
The adventurers watched in dismay as the expensive ss bottle froze mid-air and plummeted to the ground.
"That mage...!"
"What on earth is he doing?!"
Under different circumstances, the adventurers might have seriously considered scouting their opponent.
A mage couldn''t perfectly respond to every situation.
They could only use the spells they knew and respond to what they could handle.
But now, this unseen mage seemed to be anticipating and countering everything Geliak and hispanions tried.
It was unbelievable.
If a mage of that caliber existed, surely rumors would have spread...
"It''s no use. Abandon defense and charge."
"Abandon defense?!"
Even in this desperate situation, hispanions hesitated.
Such was the recklessness of Geliak''smand.
The standard approach to a mage was to approach as quickly as possible without being detected, dispersed, and fast.
Of course, even in a quick approach, one should never drop their guard.
A mage''s area attack could be fatal in an instant.
Thus, they had to move as quickly as possible while preparing for an area attack, gathering mana around their bodies for defense.
Releasing this would mean they could pour more mana into movement, speeding up significantly...
"Forget him! At this rate, we''ll all die."
"...Charge!"
"Dammit... Ugh!"
An adventurer, struck by the mage, finally fell.
Unable to withstand the onught of dozens of lightning strikes, he copsed.
Seeing this, his hesitatingpanions changed their minds.
If they gave more time to a mage of this magnitude, real disaster could strike!
''May it not be me who dies today.''
''I hope it''s someone else, not me.''
"Charge!"
The adventurers surged forward like fierce winds. Seemingly begrudging the magic used for their invisibility artifacts, they no longer hid their presence. Their speed was iparable to before.
''Damn. Have I been discovered?''
Yi-Han clicked his tongue.
The adventurers thought of Yi-Han as a formidable great mage and feared him, but Yi-Han''s situation was not favorable.
The students of the ck Tortoise had copsed from .
Despite hiding behind various barriers, illusions, and skeleton warriors, if the adventurers got too close, he could be taken hostage.
''I thought my bluff would work...''
Yi-Han, mistaken by them for a fifth-year student, thought bluffing a bit more would make them retreat in fear.
The more time he bought, the better for Yi-Han.
But for some reason, the adventurers suddenly discarded their hesitation and charged like madmen.
Just by their movement, they didn''t seem weaker than Yi-Han in a sword fight.
"Skeleton warriors, move! Gonadaltes, go!"
Yi-Han was neither scared nor panicked.
What mattered now was giving his best.
tter!
Skeleton warrior Gonadaltes, among other skeleton warriors, rushed forward, lifting its bone spear.
The other skeleton warriors also lifted their spears in unison.
"?!"
Thump!
The nearest adventurer instinctively stopped in his tracks.
Not many dared to charge at full strength, abandoning defense, against the undead minions of a powerful mage.
''Damn. How strong is this guy? Surely he''s not immune to physical attacks?''
Barriers, illusions, desperate situation.
The seemingly simple skeleton warrior felt like a powerful undead minion to the adventurer.
And Yi-Han precisely aimed for this moment.
"Strike down, Ferkuntra''s Thunderbolt!"
"Aaaargh!"
The adventurer instinctively activated his shield artifact and fortified himself with magic, but soon realized his mistake.
This wasn''t something to be blocked.
He should have dodged!
The force of the lightning was so intense that the shield artifact shattered, and his body was scorched. The adventurer tumbled down, unable to even scream.
"That...!?"
"Shoot!"
Yi-Han dismantled a skeleton warrior and began shooting bone fragments at random.
The movements of another adventurer, approaching amidst the ferocious barrage of bone bullets, slowed.
"Cloak, engulf me. I hide in the night!"
Simultaneously, Yi-Han whispered a small incantation, casting invisibility. The adventurers, still under the influence of illusion magic, failed to notice immediately.
"Gather, condense, and explode!"
Boom!!
A magic explosion spell detonated nearby, and another adventurer was hurled into the air.
Geliak could hardly determine how many of hisrades remained.
His mind was filled only with the thought that they had seriously messed up today.
To encounter such a battle mage.
He had seen battle mages more experienced than his opponent, and those using higher-level magic, but never one as impregnable as this.
''But I will not just die.''
Geliak pulled out a potion and drank it. Sensations and mana in his body began to amplify wildly.
It was the , known for its severe side effects, but its effectiveness was undeniable.
Geliak could now distinctly feel where the invisible mage was.
No matter how much the visual, auditory, and olfactory senses were deceived, the subtle changes in the sand could not be hidden.
The amplified mana began to condense on his sword de. It was an aura, a crystallization of mana capable of splitting the magics of mages.
The moment he saw it, Yi-Han realized the situation had beplicated.
His opponent was ring at him with bloodshot eyes.
Yi-Han hastily drew the Morning Star and gathered mana. But his opponent had already reached him first.
''Faster!''
Confronted with imminent danger, his instincts exploded. Yi-Han''s sword quickened, colliding with Geliak.
ng!
A collision of mana against mana
The ck purplestone of the sword absorbed Geliak''s mana, but Geliak, already half-spent, paid no heed.
ng!!
Another collision.
Yi-Han felt his grip tearing, bleeding from the tremendous force.
''I need to gather more mana!''
Even if the Morning Star was a renowned sword, it was not more important than Yi-Han''s life.
Yi-Han gathered more mana. Regrettably, unlike his opponent, he couldn''t disy such sophisticated technique.
To counter the sharply refined crystallization of his opponent''s mana, he had to push with a brute amount of energy.
ng!!!
A collision of mana against mana of a different magnitude shook the surroundings, causing some summoned creatures to vanish.
The sh destabilized the area.
This even affected the invisibility magic.
For a moment, Yi-Han''s face became visible.
Geliak mumbled in a foolishly inappropriate voice.
"You''re not a fifth-year...? Cough."
Suddenly, Geliak dropped his sword and clutched his throat.
Yi-Han sighed in relief.
"Principal!"
The skull principal, without a word, exploded with a blue glow and flew rapidly from afar.
Geliak fumbled and twisted open the lid of a ring, pouring its contents into his mouth.
It was a suicide poison, prepared for emergencies.
''What kind of relentless...?''
Yi-Han was shocked at the sight of Geliak, who had just been lively, choosing suicide at the mere sight of the skull principal.
Where do you think you''re running?
The skull principal spoke coldly.
At that moment, Geliak, who had clearly lost his breath, lifted his head and stood up.
Geliak blinked in disbelief, realizing he was still alive.
"What, what...?"
This is my domain. Without the lord''s permission, death is not allowed. You wretch.
Yi-Han was even more astonished than before.
When a person dies, it is the natural order for their soul to disperse from the body. However, thend of this magic academy was defying that order.
The idea that a soul was being prevented from leaving its physical form was iprehensible.
Just what level of magic could achieve this was beyond guessing.
"Principal. This is..."
Ask about the magicter.
"No, it''s not about the magic. I think there are more of theirpanions. They mentioned meeting a guide earlier."
Geliak looked at Yi-Han as if he couldn''t believe it.
He heard that in the midst of the situation?
The skull principal immediately issued amand.
Intruders have entered. Prevent the students from leaving and find the rats.
-Yes, understood.-
Yi-Han wore a surprised expression. The skull principal was puzzled.
What''s the matter?
"No... I might have heard wrong, and you believed me so readily..."
Did you hit your head in the fight? Of course, I should take it seriously. Did you think I would doubt it just because it came from a first-year?
"You are right, of course."
"...What did you just say..."
I didn''t ask you to speak.
The skull principal then devoured Geliak whole. Geliak vanished without even a scream.
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Chapter 234
Chapter 234
Chapter 234
"Save... Save me, please..."
Who said anything about killing?
The revived adventurer cried out in urgency, but the skull principal simply swallowed them whole, gulping them down.
It would have been less terrifying if he had just killed them.
"...Thank you. Sharakan."
Yi-Han turned away, expressing his gratitude to Sharakan.
In truth, Sharakan was the one who had made the greatest contribution in this battle.
At the very start of the fight, upon Yi-Han''smand, Sharakan had summoned the skull principal.
If Sharakan had been even slightly dyed, Yi-Han too might have been in danger.
-Grrrr.-
"Gonaldates, you''ve also done well."
--
The skeleton warrior humbly bowed his head, evidently ttered.
...
The skull principal looked at Yi-Han with the eyes of someone observing a madman.
What was he doing, attaching someone else''s family name to that?
''What kind of person is this...''
The principal restrained himself from hitting Yi-Han on the back of his head, considering the merits he had earned.
No one would believe if it was said that a first-year student stopped the adventurers of the .
Even His Imperial Majesty would have chided, "Gonaldates, no matter how much you want the grant, don''t lie to this extent."
Such an incredible feat had been aplished, so a little rebellion like this was forgivable.
"No, it''s not that, Gonaldates. Thanks to you for buying time..."
...
Should I really hit him?
-Intruders have been detected outside. Students are advised to refrain from leaving the premises outside designated hours. Once again, intruders-
Havingpleted a simple health check and returned to the tower, Yi-Han witnessed firsthand how the academy security responded to an intrusion.
''So they had really let me off easy until now.''
Yi-Han looked down from the window.
A student from the Blue Dragon who had just failed to read the room and opened the lounge door was instantly teleported, likely to the underground punishment room.
-The intruders shoulde out immediately. The longer you wait, the longer your soul will suffer. Once again, we warn the intruders-
Undead were thoroughly deployed around the academy grounds, issuing dire warnings.
Wherever the first intruder was, they were likely wishing for death by now.
''No, they can''t just die rashly.''
If found dead, they would be forcibly resurrected and sent to the torture chamber.
Ironheads. Line up.
"Uhuhuhuk!"
Gainando, standing at the window, threw a pewter cup filled with hot cocoa outside in shock when the skull principal suddenly appeared.
The principal, unfazed, caught the cup and sipped the cocoa.
There are intruders from outside, so be careful.
Pop!
With his words, a shing light burst forth. Gainando tilted his head in confusion.
"What kind of magic is this?"
It''s a kind of detection magic. If you ironheads encounter an enemy, I''ll know.
"Uh..."
No need for thanks.
"No, it''s not that. I have my own private life, you''re intruding too much... Uhuh."
The principal covered Gainando''s mouth and marked the other students.
If they encountered the intruder, they would instantly recognize it.
All set.
"Uh, Principal?"
Yi-Han was puzzled.
The principal seemed to be intentionally skipping over him, after having dealt with everyone else.
What''s going on?
''Don''t tell me, he''s saying that since I fought well, I should handle it myself?''
Ah... You.
"It''s possible that you forget by mistake. You''re always so busy, right?"
"It''s not that I forgot, you''re just immune because of your constitution."
"...No..."
Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
He never expected to be left alone in such a situation due to his abundant mana.
"Take this."
The skull principal tossed a copper ring to Yi-Han.
Throw the ring immediately if necessary.
"But... what if the opponent ambushes? Wouldn''t there be no time to throw the ring?"
"With your skills, you''ll always have time to throw the ring. Trust yourself."
"..."
Yi-Han was about to get angry but then remembered how the skull principal had saved him and restrained himself.
"Thank you, Wardanaz."
Salko spoke with sincere gratitude.
The students of the ck Tortoise were lying in the infirmary.
Unlike Yi-Han, who was unscathed after the ordeal, the ck Tortoise students needed recovery after being hit by the .
"If it weren''t for you..."
"That''s enough, Salko. Focus on getting better."
Yi-Han said this whiledling beef porridge into a bowl.
Salko paused in gratitude, and the other ck Tortoise students also hesitated.
For a moment, they wondered if it was proper to cook freely in the sacred infirmary, but no one could object, owing a favor to Yi-Han.
"Tha... Thank you. It''s delicious."
Salko was the first to express his thanks, causing Ymirg to hesitate.
It seemed insincere to simply echo the samepliment.
"The seasoning is just right, and it''s so tender."
"Really? That''s good to hear."
The next ck Tortoise student was at a loss.
''What should I say?''
"The rice grains are glossy, and the... beef is as chewy as if it was freshly ughtered..."
"Don''t talk nonsense. It''s canned beef."
Yi-Han scolded the exaggerating ck Tortoise student and stood up.
''...Could this situation be my fault?''
Thinking about it, if Yi-Han hadn''t been there, the ck Tortoise students might not have ventured into that area.
If only he hadnt gone...
...Was it really because of him?
"..."
"What''s wrong?"
"It''s nothing, Salko. Have another bowl."
"No, I''m full... Um. Okay."
"Yi-Han, you were here first?"
Professor Garcia entered, carrying a fruit basket.
"I brought this thinking you might be bored lying down..."
"As expected of you, Professor."
Yi-Han was slightly moved.
How many professors would care for their students like this?
It was typical of Professor Garcia.
"Everyone seems alright. There''s some porridge left, have some more."
"We''ve already eaten enou..."
"You need to eat well to recover quickly, especially when a friend has gone through the trouble of cooking for you."
"..."
The ck Tortoise students couldn''t refuse and took their bowls again.
...So full!
"Ah. I should cut the fruit too."
"Wa... Wardanaz..."
Did we do something wrong to you?
Yi-Han left the infirmary with Professor Garcia.
As they stepped into the corridor, a Death Knight walking by nodded.
-Good day, Professor.-
"Good day to you too, Death Knight."-
''Such a surreal scene.''
Yi-Han observed Professor Garcia greeting the Death Knight without any hint of surprise, realizing the professor was ustomed to such situations.
"Do intruders often break into the academy?"
"Not infrequently. About three or four times a year? Usually, they get caught trying to enter, but this time, the intruders were rather unlucky."
The history of Einlogard was longer than even that of the skull principal, tracing back to ancient times and considered a sacred ce by mages, with its end not in sight.
Theyered mysteries were so numerous that even the most outstanding great mages couldn''t fully grasp them all.
"Most of the external entry points are well known, but the paths in a magic academy are half alive, so the protective magic often gets disrupted. New paths open up asionally."
"Even so, it''s surprising how they manage to get in."
"Most intruders are ignorant and daredevil, blinded by gold. It''s foolish, really. One mistake and they suffer for a lifetime."
''I can understand, though.''
Despite the threatening rumors, it would be stranger if no one attempted to enter, considering that a single act of thievery could potentially turn one''s life around.
The saying ''life is a gamble'' must exist for a reason.
"These intruders seem to have been quite skilled... But now that they''ve been discovered, it''s over. Once the principal sets his mind to raise the security, it''s impossible to move around."
Yi-Han nodded in agreement.
Although a new week had begun and the weekend was over, the undead were tirelessly tightening their grip around the academy.
Seeing this, it was unthinkable for the intruders to roam freely.
The fact that the intrusion had been detected meant the end, as the possibility of escape dwindled once discovered.
"Then, are the intruders hiding somewhere?"
"Probably. There are surprisingly many hiding spots in the main building and throughout the magic academy. It''s impossible to know all of them... Of course, they can''t hide there forever, so they''ll have toe out eventually. So, Yi-Han, don''t worry and focus on your studies. I guess this situation has been a nuisance for you, wanting to concentrate on magic?"
"No, not really."
Even though Yi-Han was a student dedicated to his studies, he wasn''t absurd enough to think, ''I want to study magic but this intruder is so annoying,'' in such a situation.
''Sometimes, Professor Garcia can be scarier.''
"Right. I need to stop by the office before heading to the ssroom. You go ahead."
"Understood."
Before leaving, Professor Garcia once again praised Yi-Han''s actions over the weekend and then moved on.
Left alone, Yi-Han headed to the lecture hall for his first ss on Monday.
-You are that Wardanaz, right?-
"...Ah. Yes."
-You are really amazing!-
"..."
-How did you subdue them?-
-The master praised you.-
-May I have a word? I''m curious about how you fought.-
-I heard you handle dark magic. Maybe someday you couldmand a Death Knight like me. What do you think?-
"...I''m not Wardanaz!"
Yi-Han had thought that having more Death Knights around might be bothersome...
...But he never expected it to be in this way.
''Why are they so chatty?!''
-Wait! Just a moment-
-Aren''t you from the Wardanaz family? An ignorant first-year student with so much mana!
"..."
Yi-Han cursed the skull principal as he ran.
Then, up ahead, he spotted a familiar face.
"Gainando!"
"Wardanaz! To have lectures on a Monday in such an unsettling situation. Isn''t Professor Garcia asking too much?"
"...Seems so."
Yi-Han''s expression hardened as he approached Gainando.
Then, like lightning, he threw a punch.
Thump!
"Choke!?"
Without giving Gainando a chance to react, Yi-Han exploded with mana andunched another punch. Gainando fell, beaten to the ground.
"Wait, wait! Why!"
Thud!
Instead of answering, Yi-Han caught a ring and immediately threw it.
Bang!
Suddenly, the skull principal appeared out of thin air.
You intruder, you''vested quite a while! I was contemting how many pieces to split your soul into... Wait... what are you doing?
The fake Gainando, gasping for air, cried out. His voice was soaked with moisture from the sudden blows.
"Principal, please get this student off me."
What was the person teaching transformation magic thinking, getting caught like this?
"I am without excuse..."
"..."
Realizing the situation, Yi-Han''s expression turned as hard as lead.
He had thought it was the intruder disguised as Gainando, but it turned out to be a professor.
"Professor, I am terribly sorry. I havemitted a grave sin!"
That''s too much... The fool who got caught by a student is the idiot here.
"No, I am truly sorry!"
Yi-Han apologized with even more humility than he had ever shown to any other professor.
His posture was almost as if his forehead would touch the ground.
The only way to turn this situation around was a heartfelt apology.
"Oh, no. It''s okay. It''s okay."
You seem to be more respectful than usual...?
The skull principal muttered as if somewhat displeased.
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Chapter 235
Chapter 235
Yi-Han once again offered his apologies.
"I am truly sorry, Professor. The truth is, due to an attack by intrudersst weekend..."
"There''s no need for apologies. And you, stop with the nonsense and transform back," the skull principal interjected.
The fake Gainando stood up and swiftly altered their appearance.
The person who now stood before Yi-Han possessed the most sculpted visage he had ever seen.
''Where have I seen... Ah.''
Yi-Han realized.
That was the living image of the skull principal.
"You. Do you want a beating from me too?"
"With all due respect, I express my regret in the name of Gonadaltes."
The professor apologized and once again changed their appearance.
This time, they transformed into a middle-aged parrot-like anthropomorphic male.
"Hmm... Isn''t this too simr tost year?"
"Is it?"
"Itcks a certain freshness."
The professor transformed again.
Now, a young chameleon-like anthropomorphic female appeared.
"How about this?"
"That''s what you did the year beforest."
"It doesn''t seem like a big issue to repeat... does it?"
Muttering to themself, the professor tried a few more transformations.
-Not impressive.-
-Do youck creativity?-
-Even a first-year ironhead evolves. Why can''t you?-
The reactions were not favorable.
"...What about this?"
This time, the professor turned into a skeleton warrior. The skull principal eximed in admiration.
"Excellent!"
"Kehehe. Thank you."
"..."
"What do you think?" The skull principal asked for Yi-Hans opinion.
Yi-Han quickly contemted the most appropriate response to the situation.
"It''s truly magnificent. The students will surely focus in the lecture."
"Boy, you have an eye for detail, just like your magic skills," The skull principal was satisfied.
Professor Yonramo Reuji, in charge of transformation magic, was surprisingly a doppelganger.
Yi-Han was astounded to see a doppelganger, one of the rarest species.
''Really, this academy has all sorts of people!''
It made sense for a doppelganger to teach transformation magic, given their innate ability to morph.
But how did you realize Professor Reuji was disguised?
"Uh... Gainando doesn''t call me ''Wardanaz''."
"Kehheh. So that was the problem."
Hearing the skeleton warrior''s devious tone, both the skull principal and Yi-Han paused.
...Should I ask for a change?
Someone taught you well.
"Its rare to hear you praise Professor Bagrak."
Professor Reujimented somewhat obtusely.
The skull principal summoned bones to trip Professor Reuji, causing them to fall with a thud.
I''ll be going now. Despite his foolish mistake, Professor Reuji is excellent in transformation magic. Learn well from them.
"Yes."
Now that I think of it, you were studying alchemy, weren''t you? Transformation magic is closely rted to alchemy. It will be beneficial to learn.
"I''ll keep your advice in mind."
After the skull principal disappeared, Yi-Han hesitated.
...Huh?
Somehow, it felt like learning transformation magic was now a certainty.
''Is this strange?''
"Kehehe. I''m looking forward to working with you, Wardanaz. I have high expectations for your skills."
Professor Reuji put an arm around his shoulder, showing friendliness.
Yi-Han looked at Professor Reuji hesitantly, just as a piece of their nose bone fell off.
"Oops. That''s where I was hit earlier..."
"I''m sorry!"
"Kehheh. No, no. It''s the one who was caught who is at fault. The Principal is right."
Professor Reuji snapped the fallen bone back into ce.
Seeing this, Yi-Han was left speechless, unable to utter a word.
How could Yi-Han say, "I''m not sure about learning transformation magic," in front of the professor who had just lost their nose?
"Professor, did you go somewhere and get hit?"
"Kehehe. I just fell."
"But why... a skeleton warrior? Weren''t you supposed to do something else this year?"
"Kehehe. I found this more appealing."
''That doesn''t seem right.''
Professor Garcia looked at Professor Reuji, who had entered the ssroom, with a bewildered gaze.
Although it was a yearly custom for the doppelganger to appear in various forms, the choice of a skeleton warrior seemed ill-advised.
Look!
The students were clearly wondering, ''Why is the professor doing that?''
''But it''s the professor''s choice... let''s respect it.''
Professor Garcia respected Professor Reuji''s preference.
If Professor Reuji wanted to roam around as a skeleton warrior this year, it was their prerogative.
"Today, Professor Reuji is here to teach us what transformation magic is. They are a natural-born transformation mage."
Before Garcia could finish, Reuji had transformed four times.
Into Professor Garcia, Professor Bdi (almost causing Yi-Han to fall backwards), Professor Alpen, and Professor Bungaegor.
The students gasped in amazement.
Even those who were initially bewildered now looked at the transformations with different eyes.
"Transformation magic... is the magic of understanding the mystery within matter and immersing oneself in it toprehend the truth it holds. Exceptional alchemists are adept at transformation magic, and exceptional transformation mages are skilled in alchemy. I rmend students studying alchemy to also take transformation magic. Ah, student Yi-Han... you don''t necessarily have to."
Yi-Han felt resentful towards Professor Garcia.
How could he refuse in front of Professor Reuji?
"Its alright, Professor."
"Are you sure?"
"...Yes, I''m sure."
Gainando, who was beside him, tilted his head in confusion.
"It doesn''t seem okay..."
Professor Garcia continued the exnation.
Fortunately for Yi-Han, transformation magic was useful in many ways.
The ability to change materials was of immense significance to a mage.
Not having to procure expensive materials, but substituting with cheaper ones, was revolutionary.
"Just buy it with gold coins, why not?"
"Right...?"
Yi-Han''s heart ached at his friends from the Blue Dragon spouting nonsense.
They didn''t realize how incredible this was.
Yi-Han shook his head and then locked eyes with Yonaire.
Yonaire was shaking her head too.
Nod!
The two aware students nodded to each other, understandingly.
"...Not only that, but a mage can also transform themselves and even their surroundings. I often ask for Professor Reuji''s help when redecorating my workshop."
Gainando yawned exaggeratedly.
Seeing this, Professor Reuji swung their staff, and with a sh of light, Gainando turned into a white mouse.
Squeak squeak squeak!
"Oh... Wow!"
"Look at that!"
The students'' eyes sparkled anew.
Although they were students dedicated to honor, academics, exploration, and truth, sometimes they harbored the desire to turn their friends into mice.
"Professor Reuji...!"
Professor Garcia growled lowly.
It was a menacing sound, enough to freeze the prankster''s bones.
In a hurry, Professor Reuji swung their staff again.
"Kehehe. It was just a prank. Just a prank. Right? It''s okay, isn''t it?"
-Yes! It''s okay!-
"See, it''s okay!"
Gainando was baffled by Professor Reuji''s imitation of his own voice.
No...!
"Such a remarkable professor."
"I want to learn that magic."
"You barbarians! How can you think of such things right now!"
Gainando scolded his friends, but they were already halfway convinced.
"Damn. We were fooled."
"I had high hopes."
"I told you so!"
Gainando grumbled at theining students.
Students who had hoped to learn the magic of turning a friend into a mouse showed their disappointment as they waved their staffs.
Naturally, magic that could turn a friend into a mouse was not of a low circle.
In fact, it was a spell taught to higher-level students.
''I like this one better.''
Yi-Han swung his staff to practice the magic that Professor Reuji had taught that day.
What good would it do to turn a friend into a mouse?
In contrast, being able to explore theponents of a material with just a staff was quite beneficial.
"Kuk kuk kuk. To transform a material means to understand it to its deepest core. Do you understand, everyone?"
"Yes, Professor."
Yi-Han answered seriously to the sly voice of the skeleton warrior.
The voice was hard to get used to, but the meaning it conveyed was quite important.
Altering the properties or form of a material might seem simple on the surface, but it required deep understanding.
Just as summoning magic seemed to involve simply tossing an ingredient and easily summoning something, but required a lot of preparation behind the scenes, so too did transformation magic.
"Professor, I''ve figured it out."
"I have too."
"Understood."
Students from all around raised their hands, having determined theposition of an iron rod.
''They''re all familiar faces.''
It seemed the students studying alchemy were well-suited for this, as they performed well.
Professor Reuji pped with their bony hands, looking pleased.
"Kehehe. You are all excellent. Shall we try a simple magic then?"
The cape fluttered and then settled gently on the desk. The professor tapped the desk with their hand.
"This cape is made of sheep''s wool. Soft and fluffy."
The staff was waved. In an instant, the cape turned into a solid lump of metal.
"!"
"...!!!"
The eyes of the students gathered around the desk sparkled.
They were all serious about alchemy and transformation magic, showing more enthusiasm for these kinds of spells than for magic that turned friends into mice.
The simple spell demonstrated various possibilities.
What if it transformed into a material other than iron?
Or into a different shape? Or what if it went deeper and changed the properties of the wool itself?
''The fact that transformation magic can''t make money is disheartening.''
Yi-Han pondered to himself.
The magic was too well-known, and there were many countermeasures against it. Making fake silver or gold to be wealthy was practically impossible.
"Hehehe. I like your enthusiasm. Let''s practice then. A piece of advice: start by understanding the properties of the wool before recklessly casting the spell."
Following the professor''s advice, the students began practicing in various ways touching their own capes, smelling them, detecting theirponents.
The princess twirled around, waving her staff. The texture of the cape turned into a solid metal-like consistency and then reverted back.
"The duration seems... too short."
"Transformation magic is inherently like that, student. Think of enchantment magic, and you''ll understand more quickly," the skeleton professor kindly exined.
As a type of magic that involved infusing materials with magic woven willpower to change their form, it was generally difficult for such spells tost a long time.
"There''s no need to obsess over the duration. Once you master the correct way of casting, the duration will gradually increase. The important thing is to urately control and materialize the desired substance..."
Professor Reuji finished their exnation and looked around.
Some students were still trying to identifyponents, while others were attempting the spell.
"How does it look? Like iron?"
"Umm... It seems tock a bit of strength."
"Let''s give it a swing."
Yonaire, holding the cloak in one hand and her staff in the other, cast the transformation spell.
Then she struck hard at the cloak that Yi-Han was holding.
ng!
"It seems better than before."
"Good. I''ll try again. Just a moment. Need to drink a potion."
"Take your time."
Professor Reuji clicked their skeletal jaws in contentment, watching the students help each other practice the magic.
"...?"
Suddenly, they noticed something odd.
Why did striking the cloak produce such a sound?
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Chapter 236
Chapter 236
"Hold on. What is that?"
"Yes?"
"Is that a cloak?"
"Ah. I transformed it."
Yi-Han answered nonchntly. Like the other students, he had seeded in the .
Of course, his result was slightly different from the others.
"When?"
"It seems like a few minutes ago..."
"Didn''t you feel anything strange?"
Professor Yonramo Reuji asked incredulously.
Yi-Han just smiled casually and replied.
"Professor, even during the enchantment magic, the duration was long."
"Right. Yi-Han''s magic duration is long due to his mana."
Yonaire also added,ughing nonchntly beside him.
Professor Yonramo was perplexed.
...The reactions were too calm.
''Am I the only one surprised? Am I the only one who is shocked?''
Both enchantment and transformation magic typically had short durations.
But if one were topare, enchantment magic had a significantly longer duration than transformation magic.
The former involved altering the properties of a material by casting magic on it, while thetter involved changing the nature of the material itself.
Thetter consumed more mana and had a shorter duration.
Thus, maintaining transformation magic for several minutes on the first try was considered an astonishing talent in this magic academy...
"Wardanaz. Can I try a test too?"
"Go ahead."
"Alright. Hold on tight."
"You know what will happen if you miss, right?"
"...Now that you say it, I''m getting nervous."
The other students didn''t seem too surprised.
Some were even testing their own cloaks against Yi-Han''s to see if the magic had worked.
Professor Yonramo turned to the princess and asked.
"Don''t you find student Wardanaz''s magic intriguing?"
"Not really. Is this how it''s done?"
"Counterclockwise might be better than clockwise... Really, you don''t think so?"
"???"
The princess looked at the professor as if they were strange.
Professor Yonramo suddenly felt like the only odd one out.
In thend of fools, the sane man is the fool.
"Professor Garcia... where did Professor Garcia go?"
"Professor Garcia went out for a moment to bring a cloak suitable for magic practice. Professor."
Yi-Han spoke very politely.
Having just identally broken the professor''s nose, he wanted to earn some points with him.
Of course, Yi-Han''s goodwill was perceived somewhat differently by Professor Yonramo.
"I see... Thank you."
Professor Yonramo discreetly increased the distance between them.
The old saying was true.
Birds of a feather flock together.
And the people who associated closely with Yi-Han were...
Characters like the skull principal or Professor Bdi.
Of course, Yi-Han would have angrily retorted, ''What nonsensical propaganda is this? Just because I attend their sses, why does that make us of the same flock?'' But to Professor Yonramo, it seemed that way.
Associating with entric characters like the skull principal or Professor Bdi was a point of concern, and the talent Yi-Han had just disyed was the final straw.
Possessing such insane talent yet being humble and polite?
There was only one exnation.
Immense ambition!
Aiming for something as significant as the principalship of Einrogard Academy was the only logical exnation.
Think about it.
Talented but arrogant geniuses weren''t really to be feared. Such individuals were transparent, inside and out.
But a genius who was talented, humble, and built camaraderie with other professors, including the skull principal of a magic academy
At that point, it could be said that he was ambition personified.
Of course, this wasn''t necessarily a bad thing.
There was nothing wrong with dreaming big dreams from a young age.
The problem was that for Professor Yonramo, whose motto was ''slim and long'', having such an ambitious student was a bit too much to handle!
If they got too close and then they received requests like, ''Professor, please support me in bing an assistant at the magic academy at the meeting,'' ''Professor, please support me in bing a professor at the magic academy at the meeting,'' or ''Professor, please help me in my rebellion to be the principal of the magic academy''...
''Just the thought of it makes me queasy.''
Professor Yonramo resolved not to get too close to this ambitious student.
...Carefully, as getting too distant might breed resentment!
"Didn''t the professor seem to be avoiding me?"
"Did he?"
"Isn''t it just your imagination?"
His friends were puzzled by Yi-Han''s observation.
"It''s probably because you''re doing well. Top of the ss!"
"Right. He must be in awe of you."
"...?"
Despite theirforting words, Yi-Han felt uneasy.
''Could it be because I punched them?''
It was a distinct possibility.
No professor would like a student who had smashed their nose.
"Then, Wardanaz. See you next time."
-Yeah. Wardanaz. See you next time.-
"..."
Yi-Han ignored the friendly greeting from the Death Knight standing in the corridor and waved to his friends.
''Hmm. I thought I had plenty of experience, but... this situation is tough.''
As a student training under a professor, he thought he was prepared for every situation, but this one was difficult for Yi-Han.
How to be friends again with a professor whose nose he had smashed?
"Good day."
Professor Bdi nodded slightly and gestured forward, signaling for him to sit quickly.
Seeing this, Yi-Han suddenly felt wronged.
''I''m even friendly with professors who try to smash my nose.''
Shouldn''t the professor also forgive a student who smashed his nose?
"Did you fight the ?"
"Yes."
"You were lucky."
Yi-Han didn''t deny Professor Bdi''s words.
It was indeed a fight where luck was on his side.
If the opponent hadn''t been under some strange misunderstanding or misconception and had attacked with full force from the start, the oue would have been uncertain.
"I was able to hold on because of luck."
''Wait a minute. He didn''t mean meeting them was lucky, did he?''
"What did you feel?"
Responding reflexively to the professor''s question, Yi-Han said,
"Adventurers who have been through many battles are strong. Aside from theirbat power, I felt the need for a battle mage to be prepared for various situations like them."
The adventurers of the were not strong just because they wielded swords well and emitted aura.
Against a mage, they targeted the mage''s weaknesses.
Against a hunter, they targeted the hunter''s weaknesses.
Adventurers who had experienced all sorts of situations carried various means to prepare for any eventuality.
Yi-Han himself had only survived the attack due to luck; if he had ordinary mana, he would have normally fallen when the first scroll exploded.
"You''ve assessed it well."
Professor Bdi expressed faint satisfaction.
Seeing this, Yi-Han had a sinking feeling.
''Darn. He''s feeling proud.''
Thinking about it, what Yi-Han had just said probably sounded a lot like, ''Professor Bdi, I always thought your educational policy was right. Please continue to teach me like this!'' to the professor.
Professor Bdi should have broken the nose bone
"Mages often be arrogant because of magic. But remember, on the battlefield, enemies target mages first."
"Yes. I realized that this time. I''m lucky that you taught me well, Professor. Thanks to you, I was able to endure."
"..."
Yi-Han was startled when Professor Bdi suddenly fell silent.
''Was my ttery too tant? Did he think I was trying to get an easy lecture today?''
He thought it was okay, but he was caught.
It seemed his ttery skills had rusted from mingling with students of the same year.
"!"
Yi-Han was shocked when he looked up.
Professor Bdi was smiling.
He had seen his faint smiles a few times, but this was the first time he smiled like that.
Although his cold demeanor made it feel more like a warning from a mad mage than a smile...
Nevertheless, a smile is a smile.
''...Did it work?''
"I''m d to hear you say that. Let''s start the ss."
With those words, Professor Bdi swung his staff.
Suddenly, unfamiliar me spears poured out of thin air.
"?!"
"I opened the wrong one. This wasn''t what I meant to bring out now."
Professor Bdi put the me spears back into the pocket of space from where they came.
Of course, it was already quite a frightening experience for Yi-Han.
''Didn''t he just say this wasn''t what he meant to bring out now?''
Then when was he supposed to bring them out?
"I apologize. I made a mistake in my satisfaction."
"No, it''s fine."
Yi-Han resolved never to tter Professor Bdi again.
If he ttered him twice, the professor might take him to the demon realm in his pride.
To organically connect magic from various schools and respond perfectly to all possible situations...
It sounded like nonsense, but it was the goal (forcibly) set by Professor Bdi for Yi-Han.
As such, today''s ss was about transformation magic.
"When an unexpected attackes in, transformation magic, along with enchantment magic, is one of the schools of magic that allow for a flexible response. The difference is, enchantment magic often involves preparation due to the time it takes to cast, whereas transformation magic is the opposite. It requires quick reflexes."
Yi-Han asked while taking notes with a quill.
"Do you know Professor Yonramo Reuji?"
"Yes."
"Do you know what they like?"
"No."
"Then do you know anyone who is rtively close to Professor Yonramo Reuji?"
"No."
Professor Bdi answered and then paused to think.
He then spoke.
"Perhaps the principal might be close to them."
''Hmm. I was wrong to ask him.''
Yi-Han felt as if he had been doused with cold water upon hearing Professor Bdi''s nonsensical response.
He definitely should not have asked him.
"Did you learn or first?"
"I learned first."
Professor Bdi nodded expressionlessly.
Students often learned if they were fast-paced, and if they were slower.
Anyway, that wasn''t the important part...
"You must have mastered it perfectly. Let''s move on to the next."
"How can you be sure?"
Yi-Han was so incredulous that he responded on impulse.
"Haven''t you mastered it?"
"I have, but..."
"Let''s move on to the next then. The cloak."
Yi-Han handed his cloak to Professor Bdi. The professor then shook the cloak, making it disappear.
"!?"
"Don''t always use transformation magic on familiar objects."
A different cloak, one he had never seen before, flew out of thin air.
Professor Bdi began to float sharp dagger-shaped mana in the air.
"...Weren''t they orbs?"
"Orbs are inefficient when dealing with cloaks."
"It seems efficient... Turn into iron, cloak!"
Despite responding, Yi-Han did not let his guard down.
Sure enough, the daggers started flying towards him.
"Don''t dodge, just block."
Even upon hearing Professor Bdi''s words, Yi-Han did not respond.
In fact, he hardly had the leisure to respond anymore.
Swoosh!
''Damn it. What is this cloak made of?''
Transformation mages were fundamentally knowledgeable about the equipment and items they carried.
They had to understand the material of each item to cast transformation spells quickly; it was a matter of course.
However, Professor Bdi desired to use transformation magic based solely on intuition, without such understanding.
His level of shamelessness was almost that of a thief.
"Shield, unfold..."
Yi-Han tried to buy time with a water shield. Professor Bdi immediately dispelled it.
Yi-Han attempted to deceive with an invisible cloak. Professor Bdi immediately interrupted the spell.
Yi-Han tried to summon skeleton warriors. Professor Bdi''s eyebrows rose.
...Had he taught him to be too versatile?
Not blocking with the cloak as instructed...
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Chapter 237
Chapter 237
Professor Bdi, known for his magnanimity, did not fault his pupil for resorting to clever tricks. A true educator always possesses such generosity, guiding students to the right path, even when they opt for shortcuts.
Yi-Han was utterly shocked to see Professor Bdi draw his sword and charge at him. Is this not going too far? he thought, rmed.
"Not bad at all," Professor Bdi remarked as Yi-Hany sprawled on the ssroom floor, too battered to respond. The aches throughout his body were a testament to the professor''s relentless beating. A skilled swordsman excelled not only with the sword but also in punches and kicks. Professor Bdi had continued his fierce assault until Yi-Han seeded in turning not only his cloak but also his other garments into iron.
Yi-Han shook his head to dispel the absurd thought that perhaps violence was, in fact, an effective teaching method. "But you are still too slow. Make it a habit to wear iron items regrly." For a transformation mage like Yi-Han, familiarizing oneself with the color, texture, weight, and even the scent of iron was crucial.
"I will keep that in mind, Professor."
"And do not forget to practice the ."
"Yes, Professor."
"And the advanced transformation of water elements."
"Yes."
Yi-Han, though, internally grumbled about the professor''s uncharacteristic loquaciousness, which seemed to surface only when assigning tasks. While a foolish student would concoct excuses for upleted assignments on the due day, a clever one would start building them from day one.
"But Professor, I am currently attending many sses, which might dy my progress. As you advised, I am striving to integrate various schools of magic to respond effectively to all possible situations."
This wasn''t something Yi-Han had chosen willingly, but it served as a perfect excuse. Even the most heartless professor would relent upon seeing his extensive ss schedule.
Professor Bdi nodded in understanding, prompting Yi-Han to sigh in relief. It worked, he thought.
"There is a way," the professor said suddenly.
"A way for what?" Yi-Han asked, a sense of dread washing over him. He hoped it wasn''t something like ''do not sleep''.
"Professor Verduus mentioned nning a simple artifact as a pre-final assignment."
"Ah."
The professors at Einrogard often assigned weekly tasks as part of their hobby, but there were times when these assignments were given with more gravity. These tasks were more challenging and voluminous, serving as a grim reminder of the impending finals.
So it begins, Yi-Han mused, lost in thought. If Professor Beavle''s pre-final task was to create a simple artifact...
Fireworks would be ideal, he thought. Having (forcibly) made magic fireworks during thest festival, he was confident in his ability to craft them again. Considering the level of illusion magic he had (forcibly) learned then, he was sure to pass.
"Submit the autonomous shield for this assignment."
"What?" Yi-Han was taken aback by Professor Bdi''s unexpected directive.
The professor looked slightly perplexed, as if wondering why he had to exin something so obvious.
Where are you struggling with the '''' spell?
Its the part where the shield autonomously protects the caster.
The '''' was a formidable spell, understandably so, being a 4th-circle magic. Even by 4th-circle standards, it was considered particrly challenging. First, there was the difficulty of maintaining the inherently unstable cold element. Second, sustaining this element in a shield form demanded a considerable expenditure of mana. Andstly, the greatest challenge: imparting autonomy to the shield. In fact, it was odd that Yi-Han had already ovee the first two barriers and only the third remained.
Right. Creating an autonomous shield artifact could help break through this stagnation.
...Ah!
Tired, are you? To miss something so obvious.
Of course, Yi-Han''s "Ah" wasn''t one of enlightenment but of incredulity. Was he now being encouraged to test his limits with an already challenging task?
Has it never urred to him I might fail? he wondered internally. Regardless, Professor Bdi remained indifferent to his silent rebukes.
And
Yes?
Yi-Hans sense of foreboding deepened. Was there more?
Professor Millei is considering a contract with beings from other realms for the pre-final assignment.
Ah, thats true. Ive already made a contract with an undead.
The incident with the intruder over the weekend had been a bit chaotic, but considering the magic circles with various safety measures that Professor Millei had prepared, a contract as an assignment wasn''t unexpected. Yi-Han felt relieved; at least one task was alreadypleted.
I did well to contract with the Skeleton Warrior.
Good. Now find a water spirit from the spirit realm.
...
Yi-Han, who had made a contract with an undead, and Professor Bdi, who had a deal with the skull principal, seemed unfazed by the others choices.
It will aid in mastering the advanced transformation of water elements.
Professor, spirits tend to avoid me. Even if I propose a contract, theyll likely refuse.
Then subdue them and seek their teachings without forming a contract.
Ah
Even students who weren''t overly perturbed by the news of an intruder were gripped with fear as the pre-final assignments began to roll out.
So, do we really have to create a simple artifact?
Yes, isnt it exciting?
But we already have so many assignments?
So? What can I do about that?
But Professor, with so many assignments already, if more are added
Youll still sleep and eat, right? Youll take breaks? Just do it during those times. Itll be fun.
...
Is this a joke?
Dolgyu, standing nearby, whispered in shock.
Yi-Han shook his head with a wry expression. Moradi looked equally shocked, her mouth slightly agape. Even the normally resilient Moradi seemed deeply impacted by the daunting pre-final assignments.
Hmm... Umm.
Ughhh
Many students in the enchantment ss were from the White Tiger, notorious for their dislike of long hours at a desk. asionally, some mages would boast in the Imperial Newspaper about using intuition and inspiration instead of theory, but this was often mere bravado.
Just as the top student of the year iming they focused solely on sses and not on separate study doesn''t make it true, so too is magic not so trivial that one could navigate it solely through intuition and inspiration without theory.
Yet, the students of the White Tiger still staunchly believed in intuition and inspiration.
Ughhh... Ughhh...
Why... Why do we have to do this, Moradi? Why are they doing this to us? What did I do wrong?
I came here to learn physical enhancement magic, not to do menial cksmithing tasks!
...
Jijel pondered whether she should be angry with her friends as they writhed in agony. To an onlooker, it might seem they were being asked to enter the Blue Dragon and capture Wardanaz. Jijel had only asked for something quite simple:
"Since everyone needs to make a simple artifact, at least try drawing a basic design on paper."
At this, the White Tiger students twisted in difort, their foreheads pressed against the desks in torment.
Yi-Han watched this scene and felt grateful.
Thanks to these guys, my ranking is going up.
Yi-Han?
Oh. Sorry, Dolgyu. Where were we?
Hmm. I want to add a light-emitting spell to my shield. What do you think of this design?
It''s mostly good, but there are a few inefficient parts here. And the circuitry along the edge here is tangled. There could be issues with the flow of mana or it might even break.
I see.
Dolgyu looked at Yi-Han with admiration. Yi-Han was always a reliable friend, but as exams approached, his value seemed to multiply. In the storm of assignments, who wouldnt want such a steadfastpanion?
So, if I adjust it here...
Following Yi-Han''s advice, Dolgyu diligently modified the design and then curiously asked, But Yi-Han, what are you going to submit?
"... An autonomous iron shield."
An autonomous iron shield?! You mean one that autonomously protects the mage??
"...Yes."
That''s... incredible!!!
Dolgyu was astounded, but then a thought struck him.
Huh?
He noticed that the top student, his friend, looked as though he had a bitter taste in his mouth.
Is there a problem, Yi-Han?
No... Nothing.
Some students from the White Tiger overheard their conversation and looked shocked.
Did you hear? What kind of artifact is Wardanaz making?
Whats he making? A bone dragon?
That doesnt make sense, does it? Hes making an autonomous shield!
An autonomous shield?!
Isnt a bone dragon even more absurd?
The White Tiger students might havecked some mana, but they werentpletely ignorant about magic. Even those from knightly families, or perhaps especially those, were familiar with certain types of magic, like enchantment or healing spells.
They''re talking about a self-defending one, right?
A shield that autonomously protects its owner was a dream artifact for any knight.
Naturally, the White Tiger students knew how rare and valuable such an artifact was.
Could... Could I get one if it''s made?
...
Wardanaz, do you need anything?
The White Tiger students eagerly approached Yi-Han, their desire evident.
A floating shield artifact was indeed a tempting prospect.
Yi-Han clicked his tongue and said, You guys heard something weird... You misunderstood.
Oh. Is that so?
The White Tiger students looked sheepish.
After all, upon reflection, it did seem a bit far-fetched.
Imparting autonomy to a shield was a spell of immense difficulty.
After all, wasn''t Wardanaz just a first-year student? It seemed improbable for him to undertake such a task.
Where did you even hear such a baseless rumor to spread around?
Exactly. You fool.
I really heard it, though...
While the White Tiger students scolded their misinformed peer, Yi-Han kindly exined.
Look here. What is an artifact?
...
...Wardanaz. Arent you underestimating us too much? An artifact is an item with enchantment magic on it...
Precisely, it''s an item with semi-permanent enchantment.
If the enchantment on an item faded after a few days, it couldn''t be considered an artifact. An artifact, by definition, required the enchantment to be semi-permanently maintained. Hence, enchantment mages specializing in artifact creation devoted immense effort to ensure such semi-permanent sustenance. Naturally, this field itself was incredibly challenging, and certainly not something for freshmen to dabble in.
Do you understand?
Uh, yeah. But why exin all of a sudden...?
What Im attempting is to temporarily impart autonomy to the shield, not to make it semi-permanent. Understand? So, dont spread strange rumors about me making an autonomous shield artifact.
...
...
Listening to the exnation, the White Tiger students, who had been tilting their heads in confusion, paused abruptly.
...So, in any case, he is indeed making an autonomous shield??!
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Chapter 238
Chapter 238
"Those White Tiger students really do love spreading fake rumors."
"I''m sorry, Yi-Han."
"It''s okay. It''s not your fault, Dolgyu."
As Yi-Han and Dolgyu conversed, the White Tiger students standing nearby were left agape and feeling wronged.
No...
No...!
"But youre really making an autonomous shield..."
"It might not be permanent, but it''s definitely a temporary artifact..."
"Ah, stop with the nonsense and go do your own thing. Can''t you see Moradi ring at you over there?" Yi-Han chided his naive friends.
Although he didn''t particrly like Moradi, Yi-Han felt a sense of kinship with people like him and Moradi.
The kind of person who inevitably ends up as the group leader in a project situation!
If one listened well and acted ordingly, like the students of the Blue Dragon, one would have lessened the leader''s stress. Conversely, failing to adhere to the n and spreading rumors, as seen with the students of the White Tiger, left the leader with no option but to be greatly troubled.
"Youre indeed making an autonomous shield..."
"We didn''t even expect it to be permanent either..."
Mumbling and grumbling, the White Tiger students returned to their ces.
"Yi-Han, but... shouldn''t we also increase the duration?" Dolgyu hesitantly asked while working on the blueprint.
Even if it wasn''t a semi-permanent artifact, basic temporary artifacts needed mechanisms or magic circles to extend their magic duration.
The duration of enchantment spells cast by individual mages was short, and various means were required topensate for this.
Otherwise, their hard work would turn into a useless object in just 20 or 30 minutes.
"Yes, once the blueprint isplete, we should add that too. It won''t be too difficult. A light-emitting spell... Magic circles for power amplification and conservation should suffice. The necessary materials include low-grade magic stones, light-attribute magic ink, dawn powder..."
''How does hee up with it so quickly?''
Dolgyu''s mouth fell open just like the White Tiger students earlier.
Yi-Han wasn''t even nning to make a light-emitting shield.
Yet, he listed theponents as if he had memorized them.
"Why are you staring like that?"
"I''m just amazed at how quickly youe up with these things."
"It''s just luck that I know this stuff."
It sounded humble, but Yi-Han was sincere.
Because these were materials he had learned about during a forced magic firework project.
But Dolgyu, unaware of such circumstances, could only perceive it as modesty.
''Really amazing.''
"Yi-Han, since your autonomous iron shield will need them too, I''ll make sure to gather enough materials for your use," Dolgyu said, thumping his chest.
He couldn''t just receive help and give nothing in return.
"That''s okay."
"No, it''s the least I can dopared to your help..."
"No. An autonomous iron shield consumes too much mana. What I mentioned earlier won''t work. We need to find another method."
Yi-Han frowned and responded.
Dolgyu was slightly taken aback by his reaction.
''Maybe he''s in a bad mood, but it must be just my imagination?''
Surely, it was the struggle of a genius.
There was no reason for Yi-Han to be in a bad mood.
"But do you have a way to get the materials?"
Yi-Han asked inquisitively.
From Dolgyu''sments, it seemed he had quite a stash of materials.
Such resourcefulness from the White Tiger students?
"It''s nothing. Just wait a moment."
Dolgyu rose from his seat, whispered something to the other White students, and then approached Professor Beavle Verduus.
"Professor Verduus, we need materials to create a temporary artifact. Could you advise us where to find them?"
There was silence.
Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
''So, asking the professor...''
Upon reflection, it wasn''t such an odd idea.
In fact, it was normal for students to ask their professors when they didn''t know something.
It''s just that Einrogard was the exception.
''I never even thought of asking Professor Verduus. Will he respond?''
He was genuinely curious.
While the skull principal would never have given advice, Professor Verduus might, but then again, he might not...
"Professor?"
Silence again.
Professor Verduus surpassed Yi-Han expectations.
Regardless of the students calling him or speaking beside him, he was engrossed with the artifact he was crafting, peering through a sapphire-made magnifying ss.
"Professor...?"
"What should we do?"
"Light!"
Yi-Han swiftly swung his staff, creating a giant sphere of light.
The sphere, with its brilliance far surpassing that of other students, flickered before their eyes, causing Professor Verduus to startle and look up.
"What''s going on!? What happened!?"
"Sorry, Professor. It was a mistake."
"Is that so? Well, it can''t be helped."
The other students in the ssroom stared at Yi-Han as if he had lost his mind.
It was audacious enough to attract attention even when the professor ignored them.
Jijel also looked at Yi-Han as if he were insane.
''Is that guy really fearless?''
But Professor Verduus, unperturbed, tried to refocus.
Dolgyu,ing to his senses, shouted out.
"Professor!"
"What? Why?"
"We need materials to make a temporary artifact."
"Ah? Oh. Yes."
Professor Verduus bowed his head again.
"Light!"
"What!??"
"Sorry, Professor. It was a mistake."
"Is that so? Well, it can''t be helped."
"Professor! Professor! Professor!!!"
Dolgyu, desperate not to miss the second opportunity Yi-Han had created, shouted out.
"How rude! Why are you raising your voice like that?"
"Sor... sorry..."
The White Tiger students were bbergasted.
''He just exploded a ball of light in front of you...!?''
''What''s the standard for rudeness?!''
"We need the materials!!"
Even the usually gentle Dolgyu''s voice carried a hint of force.
Finally, Professor Verduusprehended the question and answered.
"Yes. I thought as much and prepared them."
"Really? Is that true?"
Yi-Han, who had been trying not to intervene, couldn''t help but respond.
He couldn''t believe it.
Not just directions but prepared materials?
What?
Could it be Professor Reuji in disguise?
"Yes, really. How can you make an artifact without materials? Didn''t you know that?"
"Sorry, Professor."
Yi-Han was not at all perturbed by such ament.
Unlike the novice White Tiger students, such provocation was nothing more than a breeze to Yi-Han.
"By the way, what are you nning to make?"
"I''m still considering..."
"Yi-Han is nning to make an autonomous iron shield, Professor."
"An autonomous iron shield? That''s very clever. You''ve chosen something interesting. Verymendable."
For Professor Verduus, who showed little interest in first-year students, such praise was almost an de.
Dolgyu, who had answered on Yi-Han''s behalf, was beaming with pride. He smiled at his friend.
Of course, Yi-Han''s expression was as distorted as that of the White Tiger students on the eve of an exam.
''Damn. I was hoping to use the professor to change the topic.''
"So, Professor, where do we get the materials?"
Yi-Han asked, intending to gather the necessary materials and sneak a few into his pocket.
"What time is it now? It''s about time they arrived."
"??"
"Ah. Looks like they''re here. Let''s go outside."
"?????!"
Upon stepping outside Professor Verduus''s tower, the students were taken aback by the sight of strangers arriving in carriages.
The strangers, too, appeared awkward, much like the students. Yi-Han quickly realized why.
''If you''re calling people from outside, shouldn''t you at least clear away the Death Knights?''
The Death Knights were ufortably close to the carriages, casting oppressive nces.
"Er... Mage. Why are these Death Knights... behaving like this?"
One of the guests, wiping sweat with a handkerchief, asked, utterly baffled.
Had they made some mistake?
"Oh? Ah. There are intruders in the magic academy, so we''re on high alert."
"What! Why did you call us during such a time!?!"
"Why? It''s actually safer now."
-We''re watching over you merchants.-
"...Fine. Let''s just get this over with."
The strangers who had arrived by carriage turned out to be merchants summoned by Professor Verduus.
Even someone like Professor Verduus, known for being disagreeable, was friendly with merchants, as with most of the talented enchantment mages.
How could they not love a mage who could create artifacts worth a fortress, regardless of his personal qualities?
"I''ll help you."
"No, no... it''s okay."
The merchants were at a loss when Yi-Han stepped forward.
Regardless of his student status, they couldn''t let someone who looked like he was from a noble family do such menial tasks.
"What are you doing? Hurry up and help."
"...Eh???"
"Help, I said."
"Uh... but... why..."
The White Tiger students stuttered and were dragged along. Yi-Han and his friends began unloading the cargo.
''Fools.''
Yi-Han was trying to elicit the merchants'' sympathy.
Objectively, the Einrogard students looked quite pitiable.
A little more sympathy could increase the likelihood of extracting something beneficial from them.
So, standing around indifferently was not an option. They needed to appear as diligent and polite boys and girls.
"That''s right, Dolgyu."
"...Is this not... begging?"
"What! How is this begging?"
"Um. Umm..."
''It does feel like begging.''
Jijel thought so but said nothing.
Honestly, it would be beneficial if they could get something out of this.
...Her pride prevented her from voicing it!
''What''s with that guy...''
"But what are these items?"
"Materials the mage asked us to bring."
"Ah."
"Ah-ha!"
The students were impressed.
Professor Verduus was a professor after all.
Ordering materials for the students from outside.
He must be among the top 5% of Einrogard professors.
''Impressive. Is this really not a facade?''
Yi-Han thought as he finished sorting the materials.
"We''re done."
"Oh, thank you. Young mages!"
The merchants expressed their gratitude repeatedly. The White Tiger students subtly wiped their noses.
"Don''t mention it..."
"As a knight, it wasn''t a particrly difficult task."
"Helping good people is also a duty of a knight. Wardanaz, you made a good point."
"Now, Mage, we would like to discuss the payment."
The merchants extended their hands politely.
They had gathered the materials hastily at Professor Verduus''s sudden request, but they had no intention of asking for more money.
After all, he was an important client and a distinguished mage.
Just receiving the cost price was enough to be considered amodating...
"I don''t have any money?"
"Excuse me?"
Yi-Han could sense the merchants'' voices drop a notch.
"What do you mean? You''re joking, right?"
"It''s no joke. They will pay. It''s for the materials they will use."
"Ah... Ah-ha!"
The merchants breathed a sigh of relief.
So that was what he meant!
Naturally, the students of Einrogard would all be wealthy enough to carry two or three pouches of gold coins.
"Young mages, we request the payment."
"..."
"..."
However, the faces of the students were gradually turning pale.
Sensing this, a feeling of foreboding began to rise in the merchants.
...Surely not?
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Chapter 239
Chapter 239
Chapter 239
The tension among the merchants and students of the White Tiger was palpable.
"Why is everyone acting like this? Surely, you don''t mean to say you''re out of money?"
In an attempt to break the uneasy atmosphere, one of the merchants joked nervously.
"Yes..."
"Sorry... It''s the academy''s rule..."
Silence followed.
The students of the White Tiger responded hesitantly, causing shock among the merchants.
"What kind of rule is that??"
Despite hearing rumors about the academy''s strictness, this was beyond belief.
"How can that be? If you can''t bring money to the academy... How do you manage when you go out?"
Yi-Han nodded, acknowledging the validity of the point.
"This isn''t the main issue right now."
"Yeah, right. It''s like... um..."
The merchants were visibly flustered, prompting a student from the White Tiger to suggest a solution.
"Could we possibly repay during the holidays? We promise on our family''s name..."
-How dare you propose credit in the sacrednd of Einroguard? Do you have no honor or pride? And you call yourself a mage?-
The Death Knight nearby mercilessly criticized the suggestion.
A White Tiger student, having inadvertently made an imprudent remark, shriveled under the usation of shamelessness.
"No... No, Death Knight Sir. We''re fine..."
-Not at all! Indulging students does no good. They must be taught strictly. Haven''t you heard the old tales? Spoiled children squander their family''s wealth, thinking it''s their own.-
"The cost of materials doesn''t necessarily mean squandering wealth..."
The merchants murmured, but the Death Knights ignored them.
''It must be the work of the skull principal.''
Considering the arrival of the merchants, Yi-Han realized the principal''s unlikely approval and anticipated such a scenario.
The Death Knights enforcing a no-credit rule!
"Hmm. May I at least purchase my items first?"
Yi-Han spoke up, sensing the conversation dragging on.
The merchants were startled.
"Do you have money now?"
"Yes."
"How... No... I mean, it''s normal to have it... Thank you!"
Relieved to find at least one student with money, the merchants brightened.
"Huh? If Wardanaz has money, can''t we just borrow from Wardanaz?"
-How dare you attempt financial transactions among friends in sacred Einroguard? Aren''t you afraid of ruining your friendship? And you call yourself a mage?-
"I... I was wrong."
Yi-Han clicked his tongue at the foolishness of the White Tiger student.
If he needed to borrow, he should have done so discreetly, away from the Death Knights'' eyes.
"Why are you all just standing there?"
Professor Verduus approached, puzzled by the students'' hesitancy.
"Professor... We don''t have any money. You might have forgotten."
"Of course. It''s forbidden to bring silver coins into the academy."
The students grew more suspicious at Professor Verduus''s words.
Why would someone aware of this situation allow it?
Was it simply to watch the students despair and suffer?
Considering the principal, it was a usible theory...
"Work it off. Your seniors did."
"Excuse me?"
"Work. You know, work."
"..."
"..."
Both merchants and students were taken aback by this unexpected solution.
It wasn''t entirely unreasonable. After all, mages were among the empire''s most skilled professionals.
it was well known that capable mages were priceless, so mere possession of money didn''t guarantee one could hire their services.
Even the first-year students of Einroguard were far superior to the mediocre talents roaming the markets.
"Are you... really okay with this?"
"It''s fine. Ask for anything."
"No..."
The students, moved by the kindness of Professor Verduus, who even answered on their behalf, trembled at the end of their sentences.
Professor Verduus, upon noticing Yi-Han, was taken aback.
"Why do you have money?!"
''That''s what I''m saying.''
For the first time, the other students felt a connection with Professor Verduus''s sentiments.
"Well, about that..."
"Now that I think about it, I''m not that curious. You pay for it. Hurry up and create the artifact. I''m looking forward to seeing that autonomous iron shield."
"An artifact like that, already?!"
While the merchants were surprised, Yi-Han had no energy left to exin.
And then...
"I''ll just pay withbor."
"What? Why would you...?"
The merchants were puzzled.
The Death Knights kindly exined.
-It''s about friendship.-
-Honorable friendship.-
"Ah...!"
"Wardanaz...!"
Both the merchants and other students were impressed.
Yi-Han, regardless, began to calcte.
''The cost of the materials is roughly...''
If he could settle it withbor, it was definitely a win.
Why waste silver coins unnecessarily?
''Why on earth does this guy want to pay withbor?''
Jijel looked at Yi-Han incredulously.
It couldn''t be just for friendship (Jijel was not as naive as the Death Knights), and it seemed unlikely that someone from the Wardanaz family would be stingy with money...
Then what exactly?
"Is it possible to get a refund if I work more than the cost of the materials?"
"What?"
"..."
"What?! Merchants visited the academy?!"
Gainando, who had been lounging on a sofa, sprang up in rm.
"They''re not the kind of merchants you''re thinking of, Gainando."
"Right. They were only selling materials needed for magic."
"Still, wouldn''t there be at least some snacks?"
"There weren''t any. Ah, but they did sell bait for luring beasts."
By the next day, the merchants'' visit had be somewhat of a topic of conversation.
Given the academy''s insr environment, any outside visitors were bound to draw interest.
Of course, once the students learned the full story, they quickly lost interest.
"There''s nothing useful."
"It would be better to prepare in advance."
Yi-Han advised his friends.
"Soon, other sses will also start assigning the pre-final projects. It''s better to prepare the materials you think you''ll use in advance."
"!"
It was sound advice.
The professors wouldn''t provide the necessary materials when assigning projects.
"Is that so...?"
"Maybe it''s better to go and buy them in advance."
Convinced by the argument, the students of the Blue Dragon hastily got ready and left their seats to visit the merchants.
One hourter.
"...We''ve been tricked..."
"We got fooled by Wardanaz..."
"Others would misunderstand if they heard this."
Yi-Han scolded his friends sitting beside him.
Initially, the merchants were like, ''How could we possibly take advantage of such noble mages?'' But in reality, they exploited the students quite effectively.
After all, true professionals are always thorough.
-These are potions that failed during production. We''d like you to separate them as much as possible to salvage the ingredients.-
-Could you sort through these odds and ends to find any items that still contain magic?-
-We need someone toplete the groundwork for these scrolls. It''s a couple of hundred sheets-
The students from the White Tiger, who had been sitting there since earlier, worked listlessly, their faces drawn and tired.
The menial tasks assigned to the students were not easy, despite their simplicity. Separating potions required the use of mana, finding magically imbued items among misceneous objects demanded concentration, and the preliminary work of drawing lines on scrolls was particrly taxing.
"Was the assignment always this difficult...?"
''The truth is, we haven''t even started the actual assignment yet.''
While his friends staggered from fatigue andck of mana, Yi-Han alone remained energetically active.
"It''s all done."
"Already? Are you serious?!"
"Yes. Give me the next task."
"You should probably rest for a bit."
The merchants tried to dissuade Yi-Han. Although he still seemed fine, they were concerned about making him continue working while the other students were visibly struggling.
"No, I can do more."
"But... after all this work, you must have earned enough to take the materials, right?"
"No, I want to work more just in case I fail."
He nned to take any surplus in silver coins!
Professor Verduus, passing by, asked, "Considering your skills, shouldn''t this be easy for you?"
"No, it''s not enough."
"It seems easy enough..."
"No, it''s insufficient."
"I''m saying it''s easy!"
"It''s not enough!"
"...Please, both of you, don''t fight."
The merchants were bewildered to see a teacher and student arguing over such a matter.
Why were they even fighting about this?
"It seems everyone is struggling with their assignments before the finals," Professor Ingurdelmented, looking sympathetically at the students who resembled the walking dead.
"I have some good news for you. There won''t be any special assignments for my ss before the finals."
"!!"
"Professor Ingurdel, you truly are an educator!"
"I don''t feel particrly good receivingpliments for such a thing... But don''t get too rxed. The final exams are just around the corner. You''ll be getting assignments soon enough."
Yi-Han nodded in agreement.
Once the current storm of assignments before the finals ended, the final exams would likely be upon them.
They couldn''t afford to becent with just 2-3 weeks remaining.
"So, I''m going to tell you about the final exam content now."
"!"
"Professor...! You''re going too far...!"
''This isn''t good.''
Unlike his friends who were moved, Yi-Han felt tense.
Though Professor Ingurdel seemed a bit more reasonable than the other fanatical professors, he was still an Einroguard faculty member, not known for being lenient with students.
"Do you see that mountain range?"
Professor Ingurdel pointed with the tip of his sword toward the mountains behind the main building.
The students nodded. Having suffered there at least once, they were all too familiar with the mountain range within the magic academy''s grounds.
"Your final exam will be to hunt in groups of three in those mountains."
"Oh..."
"What are we supposed to catch? Boars? Bulls?"
"Catch whatever you want. The stronger the prey, the higher your grade."
"..."
"..."
The students'' expressions hardened.
No...?
''Is there no way to collude?''
Yi-Han thought to himself, looking around, but quickly abandoned the idea.
Judging by the expressions of the White Tiger students, they were not the kind to collude with others.
If he joined hands with them, they would likely betray him at the first opportunity, seeking stronger prey for themselves.
Especially since the swordsmanship lecture was a matter of pride for the White Tiger students.
The idea of ''let''s not push ourselves and aim for a good score together'' was unlikely to work with them.
"Friends, think about this. We already have a lot of assignments before the finals and the finals themselves. It''s pointless to unnecessarily fuel ourpetitiveness here... Nevermind, what''s the use of me saying this? You''ll all do as you please anyway."
Yi-Han spoke but then gave up.
The students of the White Tiger were not listening, their attention elsewhere.
The eventful week was drawing to a close, but the sses did not relent on the students.
As assignments for the pre-finals began pouring in from mandatory liberal arts courses like and , the students'' faces were filled with unease.
"By the way, Wardanaz. You''re making an autonomous iron shield?"
Professor Alpen Knighton looked at Yi-Han with a mix of curiosity and interest.
"It just happened..."
"Even though it''s a simple artifact, the calctions won''t be easy. Once it''spleted, do show it to me. I''m curious to see how well you can finish it."
"...Yes."
''The professors at this academy really need to stop talking to each other.''
Starting with Professor Bdi, then Professor Verduus, and now Professor Knighton showing interest in the autonomous iron shield, Yi-Han felt increasingly overwhelmed.
''It''s really time to start working on it.''
By now, the possibility of changing his project topic seemed slim. He imagined the professors saying things like ''Why don''t you try it again?'' or ''It''s a pity, give it another try?'' or ''You seem close topleting it...'' The thought made him dizzy.
...This has to be my top priority, and I must finish it by this weekend, no matter what!
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Chapter 240
Chapter 240
Finally, the weekend had arrived.
Normally, after enduring grueling lectures, they would have celebrated their perseverance, but this weekend was different.
A mountain of assignments awaited them before the final exams.
Even the most audacious students couldn''t ignore these assignments.
Ignoring them meant risking punishment, even during the holidays.
Ango, a student of the White Tiger, yawned.
The morning sun felt unusually harsh.
Ango.
Why are you calling me?
Tired, aren''t you? But isnt there a sense of pride?
Actually, there is.
Ango nodded in agreement with his friends words.
While other White Tiger students slept in their dorms, Ango and his friend were on their way to Professor Verduus Artifact Hall.
Moving for an assignment on a Saturday morning.
Such diligence and sincerity were rare.
Ango couldnt help but feel proud of himself.
The Immortal Phoenix and the Blue Dragon students wouldnt have started this early.
I think so too.
Clunk-
With those words, Ango opened the door to the Artifact Hall.
The first-floor ssroom of Professor Verduus Artifact Hall, opened for students, was dark and silent.
The two White Tiger students mindlessly reached for the luminescent artifact''s string on the ceiling...
Dont turn it on.
Aaaaaah!!!
Ango screamed and stumbled backward.
A human voice in a dark, empty ssroom was unexpected.
It was funny for a mage to fear ghosts or spirits, but it was unavoidable.
And more importantly...
An intruder!!
Thinking of the intruder who had caused chaos in the academy the previous week, Ango quickly drew his wooden sword and brandished it.
Donte closer! I''ll cut you!
Quiet down. Be silent.
...Wardanaz?
Yes.
Yi-Han conjured a light in the ssrooms air with a tired expression.
His face, usually unexpressive, seemed particrly weary today.
How long have you been here?
Since yesterday afternoon.
...
...
The two White Tiger students coughed awkwardly.
Suddenly, their early morning pride seemed foolish.
Why were the lights off?
I was working on a magic circle. Its hard to see when it''s bright.
Yi-Han said, sipping his coffee.
Many professors had been pestering him with questions like ''When will the autonomous iron shield be ready?'' ''When will you show the shield?'' ''I''m curious about the shield.'' So, Yi-Han had been focusing on this, postponing other numerous tasks.
He had been so immersed since the end of the weekday sses that he hadn''t slept...
Thanks to that, there was some progress.
With magic circles, somehow its manageable.
The most difficult and crucial part of the autonomous shield.
It was about instructing the shield to orbit around the owner and automatically protect from any danger.
For a mage, casting such aplexmand solely through staff movements and spells was overwhelming, especially for a beginner.
It wasnt ack of Yi-Hans skill but theplexity of the magic itself.
But Yi-Han didn''t give up and approached it differently.
Like he had done with other high-difficulty magic, Yi-Han broke down the autonomous shield into smaller parts.
Breaking it down for approach.
Yi-Han had done this several times before.
Take, for instance, the , a spell that shoots violently spinning water bullets.
Even for a genius like Yi-Han, executing it all at once was impossible with his current skill level
Astonishingly, Yi-Han seeded in casting the spell.
He had floated a water bead and spun it until it worked.
Such a feat was possible only due to his immense mana!
With power to spare, Yi-Han had no qualms about breaking down the steps in this manner.
For other mages, who would copse from magic depletion after a few attempts, this method was virtually impossible.
Even when broken down, the difficulty of this particr spell remained high.
That''s why Yi-Han employed magic circles.
As they could rece part of the casting process, magic circles were essential for such high-difficulty spells.
The problem was...
"Is this actuallyplete?"
"It has the essentials."
"...Eh, could magic circles bepleted this quickly??"
From their experience during the festival, they knew magic circles weren''t easy to create.
The moreplex and challenging they became, the more errors and variables appeared.
And to verify them, a mage had to continually test them personally.
"That''s why I stayed up all night."
"..."
"..."
Was staying up all night really the solution?
The two White Tiger students felt something was off but couldn''t strongly object.
After all, Yi-Han was the top student of his year, and they were just...
...students.
If Yi-Han said, ''As a student of a magic academy, you should be able toplete an autonomous shield magic circle overnight,'' they couldn''t argue.
''Somethings odd...''
''If Professor Knighton were here...''
Continuously shaking his head in doubt, Ango decided to let it go for now.
"Wait. So, is the autonomous shieldplete!?"
"No. If I cast it now, it''ll fall after a few seconds. The work to amplify the spells duration isnt finished."
Yi-Han''s spell,bined with the supporting magic circles engraved on the shield, could somehow make the shield float and move.
But the issue was its duration.
Such a powerful spell consumed much more mana than lower-circle spells.
Without any countermeasures, casting it as is wouldst only a few seconds.
Hence, amplifying its duration was essential...
Yi-Han rubbed his furrowed brow, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by fatigue.
''Even now, its incrediblyplex. I worry whether its even possible to add duration amplification to this.''
Though he hadpleted it, the magic circles on the shield were precarious.
Yi-Han himself was amazed at how he had managed toplete such intricately intertwined magic circles!
What were the chances of it not malfunctioning when he added the duration amplification magic circle?
''...There''s a 99% chance it will fail. Should I redesign it?''
Even for the tough Yi-Han, the thought of redesigning it from scratch was daunting.
''Directly casting it, without magic circles, would be even harder.''
"Can''t I at least see it in action?"
"See it?"
Ango, sensing Yi-Hans intimidating gaze, spoke in a frightened voice.
"Ah... No, I didnt mean to demand a demonstration. Are you angry? Youre not angry, right?"
"Im not angry."
Yi-Han was simply tired.
"Ive always wanted an autonomous shield. I just wanted to see how it operates..."
"Okay, I get it. I get it."
"...Youre not angry, right?"
"I said Im not."
Yi-Han stood up.
Unlike other mages who had to calcte their remaining mana with every spell, Yi-Han could cast one more spell without any consequence.
Since he had alreadypleted the magic circle, he had to check if it worked well anyway...
"If we''re unlucky, it''ll sink in a second, so watch closely."
"Yes, yes!"
"Ready, Wardanaz!"
The students of the White Tigers spoke with sparkling eyes. Their expressions were visibly filled with excitement.
''Why do these kids love shields so much?''
Yi-Han, who was not from a knight''s family, couldn''t understand the irrational obsession the White Tiger students had with arms and armors.
For knights, swords, shields, and armors were extensions of their bodies and symbols of their pride.
-Look at that knight. Still using a sword from the Aeron Guild!-
-Using such a poorly made and crudely sold cheap sword. Tsk tsk. A knight should have some dignity.-
Pride drove knights to seek more precious and expensive arms and armors.
"Arise and protect your master, O Shield!"
Yi-Han chanted the spell.
In an instant, the iron shield lying on the desk shot up into the air and began to slowly orbit around Yi-Han.
Ango eximed in amazement.
"It really floated!!"
"Wardanaz! Wardanaz! Can I try attacking it? Not that I want to attack you, but Im curious about the shield''s performance..."
"Do it quickly. Who knows when it will end."
The White Tiger student hastily threw a bundle of papers.
The shield spun and deflected the papers.
"I want to try! I''ll throw from behind!"
"Go ahead! Throw!"
''What got into these kids?''
Yi-Han, tired from staying up all night, couldnt keep up with the students'' excitement.
Why were they so thrilled?
Thump!
"It... it blocked it! Even from a blind angle!!"
Yi-Han was about toment on their poor attacking skills but was too tired to speak.
At least the shield seemed to be a partial sess.
Now, if only he could extend its duration...
"Herees the next one!"
"Alright, this time it''s a chair!"
"I''m throwing a wooden sword!"
ng! Thud! Bang!
The two White Tiger students, thrilled, kept throwing objects.
In fact, they might have been excited just to throw things at Yi-Han.
"...What are you all doing?"
"What are you guys up to?"
Students who entered the ssroomter were shocked at the bizarre scene.
White Tiger students throwing junk at Yi-Han was unimaginable.
If it were anyone else but Yi-Han, they would haveined about being harassed by the White Tiger students.
"Wardanaz is helping us test an autonomous shield he made!"
"I think we can stop now."
"Just one more! Let me throw just one more!"
"Fine..."
Yi-Han, too weary to care, sat back down in his chair and then paused.
''Wait. Hasn''t it been more than an hour now?''
Huh?
"Moradi, I hope you''re not too upset. In a way, this is a stroke of luck for us. Compared to other groups, we have overwhelming power."
Dolgyu tried to lighten Jijel mood.
Few people, except some peculiar ones like the Shadow Patrol students, would want to climb mountains on a precious weekend.
Yet, here they were, gathered in the mountains for one reason.
Both Jijel and Dolgyu guessed that Professor Ingurdel final exam would be anything but easy.
Already, several White Tiger students were venturing into the mountains, leaving other final assignments behind, to find worthy prey in advance.
Even if they failed other courses, they were determined to score well in the swordsmanship ss.
Of course, for Jijel, this was maddening.
''Crazy fools, stop dragging down our tower''s average grade! Thats why we''re looked down upon!''
"Moradi, you know we can''t afford to waste time on the weekend, considering the amount of assignments we have to do. Let''s not fight and do well together."
"I know, so stop nagging. How much progress have you made with the enchantment magic assignment?"
"Quite a lot, thanks to Yi-Han''s help. Would you like to join us?"
"..."
Jijel was lost in thought.
Getting involved with Wardanaz was not without its drawbacks, but...
...Yi-Han''s magic abilities were indeed tempting in such circumstances, especially when intellectual advice from other friends in the tower was hard toe by!
"Wardanaz will never agree to it easily."
"Uh-huh. It''s true that Yi-Han... might not help wholeheartedly without something in return..."
Dolgyu, having a conscience, refrained from suggesting that Yi-Han would just help without any conditions.
"Yi-Han hasn''t finished his enchantment magic assignment either. If we work together and ask him questions, he''ll probably answer. He knows that fighting each other won''t do us any good with the final exams approaching."
"You two were already here."
"Yi-Han!"
Upon Yi-Han''s arrival, Dolgyu turned with a weing nod.
Then, seeing the shield orbiting around Yi-Han, he was astonished.
"Ah... No... This cant be real?? This doesnt make sense...!"
"What are you talking about?"
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Chapter 241
Chapter 241
"That shield!"
"Ah, this shield."
Yi-Han stifled a yawn and nodded his head.
True to his diligent student nature, Dolgyu had a keen eye.
"Isn''t it astonishing?"
"Of course it''s astonishing...!"
"Yes. I didn''t enhance the magic duration, yet it''s still maintained. Even I didn''t expect this."
The shield had been spinning for over six hours now.
Originally, it should have been deactivated after he moved around for a bit, but Yi-Han left it to see how long it wouldst.
''I need to see how long itsts before deciding whether to use it or not.''
The fact that the enchantment was maintained without a magic duration amplification process was genuinely surprising.
No matter how much mana one had, this was beyond expectations.
An unforeseen event, even for Yi-Han.
However, even given this stroke of luck, one must not becent. It was crucial to determine the limits of what was possible.
...And if the durationsted about a day, Yi-Han nned to immediately submit it.
''I hope this wraps up here.''
"But that''s impressive, Dolgyu. I didn''t expect you to recognize it so quickly. That I didn''t enhance the magic duration of this shield..."
"...I, I studied enchantment magic diligently, so I guess I was lucky."
Dolgyu, who obviously hadn''t recognized it, stuttered.
He was just surprised by thepleted work...
"More importantly, Yi-Han. I was nning to ask while working together."
"It''s fine to ask separately, Dolgyu."
"Thank you so much. Wait, can Moradi also ask?"
"It doesn''t matter, but I hope you don''t ask me and then disrupt my final exams. A person should have a conscience."
"Of course, Moradi wouldn''t do that."
"But Moradi has no conscience."
"Yi-Han..."
"It''s okay. She probably didn''t hear."
''I think she heard it.''
A student raised in a knight''s family would have heard from this distance.
"Then just ask Moradi directly, Yi-Han."
"That''s a good idea. Moradi. Would you promise, on your family''s honor, not to disrupt me during the finals?"
"...Fine. I promise."
"If even one student from the White Tiger challenges me, will you take responsibility?"
"Why would that be my responsibility?!"
Jijel, about to nod carelessly, was shocked.
Trying to deceive her at an inattentive moment.
"Aren''t you like the leader of the White Tiger students?"
"Many of them don''t listen to me... Do you think our tower is like yours, where they obey?"
"One might misunderstand. Our tower is actually the least obedient of all, Moradi."
''Thank goodness the other friends didn''t see this argument.''
Dolgyu thought to himself.
The students of the Blue Dragon, who trusted and followed Yi-Han, and those of the White Tiger, who trusted and followed Jijel, would have been upset if they heard this conversation, wondering ''What did we do so wrong?''
"Okay. Let''s agree on this."
Having mutual needs, Yi-Han and Jijel each made concessions.
"Don''t forget to lend me the White Tiger guys when I need themter."
Yi-Han secured the right to call upon the White Tiger students when needed.
In exchange, Jijel agreed to let Yi-Han teach the White Tiger students.
Seeing the disastrous midterm results, leaving things as they were would mean only a few, including Jijel, could enjoy the vacation.
"Don''t forget to teach them yourself."
"Is teaching really that difficult?"
...
...
There was a lingering silence from both Dolgyu and Jijel upon hearing Yi-Han''s words.
Yi-Han felt a slight unease at their reaction.
"Still, shouldn''t everyone admitted to Einroguard have at least some basic talent?"
"Yes, that''s true."
"Of course."
"The issue isn''t that our friends are unintelligent; they justck interest in their studies."
Yi-Han''s unease grew. Typically, those who made such excuses proved challenging to teach.
"Let''s focus on the immediate tasks at hand, teaching can wait," Yi-Han said, stifling a yawn.
Jijel was internally puzzled by his demeanor, a stark contrast to his usual self.
''Could he have stayed up all night? No, that seems unlikely.''
Considering Wardanaz''s meticulous nature, it seemed improbable he had stayed up all night given their mountainous expedition nned for noon.
"Yi-Han looks tired. Did he stay up all night?"
"Don''t be ridiculous. Wardanaz wouldn''t do that," Jijel retorted sharply to Dolgyu.
"But what about the enchantment magic assignment..."
"He must havepleted it yesterday."
"Is that so?"
Dolgyu was skeptical, considering the limited time, but...
''If Moradi says so, it must be true.''
"So, let''s share what we know about the monsters in these mountains."
It was doubtful even Einroguard graduates fully grasped the extent of this vast, deep range.
Even theirst foray took hours, and they barely explored the mountain''s outskirts.
However, the students at the magic academy had umted knowledge and rumors.
"Bears, wolves, boars, and crocodiles."
"Crocodiles, really?!"
Dolgyu was visibly startled. Jijel responded with a slight nod.
"There are swamps."
"Swamps, really?!"
"Dolgyu, if you''re this startled now, what will you doter? Anything could appear, even in volcanic areas."
''That would be surprising.''
''It''s only natural to be surprised by that...''
"Slimes and various chimeras."
Yi-Han grimaced at the mention of chimeras.
Why would these artificially fused magic creatures, chimeras, be in such a pristine mountainous area? They must have originated from the experiments of mages, likely from Einroguard...
''Annoying, those seniors who don''t follow safety protocols in their experiments.''
"That''s about it."
"Alright. What about you, Dolgyu?"
As Jijel finished listing known monsters, Dolgyu spoke up.
"Actually, I heard from friends that they''re targeting a giant now."
"A giant?"
Jijel reacted before Yi-Han, disbelief evident in her wide eyes.
"Who''s nning to take down a giant? Tell me."
"That''s a secret... And it''s not just one group."
Giants.
A race with massive stature and formidable defenses, their mere presence intimidating other monsters.
Savage and barbaric, they were considered mere monsters due to their inability tomunicate with other races. An encounter with them meant expecting an attack.
Though seemingly an unlikely target for first-year students, some from the White Tiger were seriously considering it.
The catalyst was finding a book about giants in the library.
-Keep this to yourself. See this map? The giant lives across this mountain ridge.-
-Oh...! Hey, keep this to yourself. I heard that a giant lives somewhere across this mountain ridge.-
"Wow...e here. Don''t tell anyone I told you. This is really valuable information, but there''s a giant across the mountains here..."-
"...Are they seeking their own demise?"
Jijel muttered with a scowl.
She was exasperated by their hushed, exclusive chatter.
They probably thought they were keeping it a secret to avoid others stealing their idea, but who would steal such a thing?
It was absurd to target a giant, even in the name ofpetition.
"Wardanaz wouldn''t attempt such reckless acts."
"That''s true. ...Wait, what do you mean?"
Yi-Han felt something was off and was about to question Jijel, but Dolgyu spoke first.
"Still, there seems to be a way to confront the giant... apparently."
"It wouldn''t be surprising if the book that detailed the giant''s location also contained methods to confront it."
The problem was, reading about methods in a book didn''t mean they were easy to implement, especially against a formidable foe like a giant.
"If it were that easy to apply knowledge from a book, why would mages bother training?"
"Right. That...?"
Dolgyu, about to nod in agreement, suddenly looked at Yi-Han.
For a moment, he wondered, ''Should Yi-Han be saying that?''
"You both might be right. Let me try to talk some sense into them."
"Wait. Just a moment."
"Wait."
"?"
When both Yi-Han and Jijel attempted to intervene, Dolgyu was perplexed.
"Is sincere advice really effective in this situation?"
"I don''t want to agree with Wardanaz, but he''s right. They''re preparing in secret; do you think they''d listen if we tried to stop them? They''d just continue covertly."
"That''s true. Is there a better way?"
"First, let''s confirm their location. Shadowing them seems wise."
"Once we confirm it, we should ensure they can''t approach."
"We should even take the book away. If they keep it, they''ll just waste the remaining weeks with foolish ns."
"Right. Let''s take the book."
There was a stunned silence.
Originally, the n for the weekend was to traverse the mountains and locate the monsters, but suddenly the topic had shifted to a form of banditry, leaving Dolgyu understandably flustered.
"Isn''t taking it a bit extreme?"
"Dolgyu. Don''t misunderstand. This is for our friends'' safety. Do you think I''m doing this because I fear they might catch the giant and outperform us?"
"Think about it, Choi. Imagine seeing your friends hurtter. Wouldn''t you think, ''I should have stopped them then''?"
"...Maybe you''re right..."
Yi-Han and Jijel nodded, then each ced an arm on Dolgyu''s shoulders.
"So, we''re in this together, Dolgyu."
"So who''s the one with the book? Tell me."
...
In the meantime, Katono of the Dk family cautiously surveyed the area outside a cave.
He was checking for any followers.
''After all, who would follow me this far?''
"Who''s there?"
"Katono Dk."
"Come in quietly."
Inside the cave, his team members hastily signaled him.
"Is everything going well?"
"Of course. Here''s Bartreck, you know, from the Bark family."
Bartreck was renowned in the White Tiger for his exceptional talent in alchemy...
Though slightly overshadowed by geniuses from other towers, his skill was undoubtedlymendable.
"Is this it... the thing?"
"Yes. A potion to put even a giant to sleep."
In the back of the cave, over a fire, arge cauldron hung, bubbling with a foul-smelling potion.
Just as Yi-Han and Jijel had feared, the students of the White Tiger were notcking in intelligence.
Their n to confront the giant was, of course, meticulously calcted.
Here, I write about the elixir that puts giants to sleep, so that the juniors do not unnecessarily sh with the enraged giants...
There was no need to kill the giant to subdue it.
It was sufficient to put it to sleep and take its hair or treasures.
By stealthily approaching the vicinity of its dwelling at night and sprinkling the elixir around while it slept...
Bang!
"What was that noise?"
"An intruder! Someone triggered a trap!"
"Could it be... Wardanaz?!"
"Why would Wardanaz be here! Stop talking nonsense!"
"Are we in the right ce?"
"It seems like it."
"Wait. Is that the sound of fighting inside?"
The trio, who had been watching from the bushes near the cave, hesitated.
Indeed, sounds of a fight wereing from inside.
"Hand over the book!"
"You cowards! Do you even deserve to be called knights!"
"Hmph. True knighthood is about conquering with strength. If you can''t protect your treasure, you don''t deserve to have it!"
Jijel and Dolgyu simultaneously hung their heads in shame.
It was a true disgrace to their tower!
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Chapter 242
Chapter 242
"It''s nice to see them sopetitive."
"...There''s no need for constion."
''It wasn''t meant as constion,'' Yi-Han thought, his words were sincere.
Weren''t theypeting so fiercely just to do well on the exam?
He mused that the students of the Blue Dragon Tower could learn a thing or two from them.
-Wardanaz. I''m so sleepy. My brain isn''t functioning. Maybe a sweet cookie will reignite my desire to study.-
-Wardanaz. Will you give me a cake if Iplete my assignment?-
Despite being a business transaction, there were times he wanted to smack the back of his friends'' heads for trying to negotiate desserts for their assignments.
Just study already!
"Sh, shall we go in now?" Dolgyu broke the awkward silence. In his heart, he yearned to dash in and smack the back of his friends'' heads.
"No."
"Really?"
"?!"
In contrast, Yi-Han and Jijel had no intention of going in just yet.
Why intervene now when they''ll tire themselves out fighting?
"Shouldn''t we stop them??"
"It''s better to intervene when they''ve fought enough, Dolgyu. There''s no point forcing them to stop now with emotions still high."
"I have to agree with Wardanaz this time. Right, Choi. Interrupting in the middle of a fight never ends well."
"...You two aren''t thinking of..."
Dolgyu was incredulous.
"Dolgyu. Don''t you trust me?"
"Doubting yourrades-in-arms, Choi? I didn''t think you were that kind of person."
"So... Sorry. I doubted you guys."
Rustle!
"?"
From the path ahead, the sound of someone moving through the bushes reached their ears.
The trio held their breath, faces tense.
"This is the ce, right?"
"Bartreck! We know you''re in there! Come out and fight fair! Hand over the book!"
"..."
Seeing three students from the White Tiger emerge, Jijel and Dolgyu sighed heavily.
All of them, really...!
Yi-Han murmured.
"Did the White Tiger students n to meet here today?"
"Shut up."
"Guess not."
Crash!
With a loud noise, students from the White Tiger tumbled out of the cave.
Thete arrivals were startled.
"How did you know!?"
"What about you?!"
"Then let''s speak with our swords!"
"That''s my line!"
"ze forth!"
"Legs, carry me swiftly!"
''Ah, they fight well.''
Yi-Han admired the fierce battle of the White Tiger students.
It was wise to check their tactics in advance, not knowing when he might have to face them.
Although the White Tiger was infamous for itsck of interest in studies, it was still one of the towers in Einroguard that housed some of the empire''s finest talents.
Surviving the hellish first year, it was strange if their magic abilities didn''t improve.
Thebat style of the White Tiger students was a perfect blend of swordsman and mage.
Even simple spells cast on swords, shields, or bodies significantly amplified their strength.
Their swordsmanship was excellent, not just because of their inherent talent, but also due to their solid foundation from knightly families and rigorous training, making them adapt quickly to enhancement spells.
Adapting to physical enhancement magic was notoriously tricky.
Not many could skillfully control their suddenly lightened limbs and newfound strength.
Even veterans who had spent a lifetime on battlefields struggled.
Such magic favored those with a solid foundation built from a young age.
Watching them sh rapidly and dazzlingly, Yi-Han viewed the White Tiger students in a new light.
Why are those who fight so ardently sockluster in their studies? he wondered.
Caught up in watching the battle, Dolgyu snapped back to reality.
"Yi-Han. When should we go in... Yi-Han? Yi-Han??" Dolgyu eximed in surprise, looking around frantically.
Yi-Han, who had been right beside him moments ago, was nowhere to be seen.
"Mo, Moradi. Yi-Han..."
"He just used invisibility magic and went into the cave."
"..."
While the White Tiger students were fiercely battling outside, Yi-Han, unable to just wait, entered the cave.
After all, he was going to take the bookter, so there was no harm in taking it now.
A pungent smell assaulted his nose.
''Alchemy?''
A bubbling potion in a cauldron and a book beside it.
Yi-Han quickly identified what they were.
''Fortunately, they weren''t nning on a head-on sh with the giant.''
Thinking about it, even the reckless students of the White Tiger wouldn''t dare to confront a giant directly.
Yi-Han felt a twinge of remorse for doubting the White Tiger students.
With so many crazed individuals at the magic academy, it was no wonder he had been skeptical of them.
After pocketing the book, Yi-Han examined the cauldron.
He wanted to check how far the potion had progressed.
"!"
Surprised by the high quality of the potion, Yi-Han realized this wasn''t a simple concoction. It must have taken several trials to reach this level ofpletion.
''I better take some, just in case.''
He opened an empty potion bottle and filled it with the concoction.
Bang!
''What''s that?''
Startled by the noise, different from the ongoingmotion outside, Yi-Han wondered if more White Tiger students had arrived.
Or else, why the sudden...
"It''s a Curare Lizard!"
Bursting out of the cave, Yi-Han realized themotion had attracted nearby monsters.
"Stay low! A hit from it can be troublesome!"
"Keep it at bay!"
The students, who were just fighting each other, formed a defensive formation, shoulders touching.
Arge lizard monster resembling a hefty crocodile, the Curare Lizard.
Its massive weight was a formidable weapon, but more threatening was the paralytic poison it shot from its nds.
Swoosh!
As the students bunched up, the Curare Lizard spat its paralytic poison. A viscous, pulsating mass flew towards them.
The poison sttered on a shield with a thud, causing the White Tiger students'' eyes to widen in horror.
"Over here! You damn lizard!"
Dolgyu and Jijel rushed out, surprising the White Tiger students.
What?
"Dolgyu! Why are you here..."
"Focus!"
Yi-Han shouted firmly from behind, dashing forward.
"Wardanaz too?! Why are they... Uh!"
Despite the warning, one curious student stiffened and toppled forward.
The Curare Lizard swung its front leg savagely, trying to drag the paralyzed student away.
"Didn''t I tell you to focus!"
"How could you, with them suddenly showing up?!"
Dolgyu, Jijel, and even Wardanaz appearing out of nowhere would unsettle anyone.
However, the Curare Lizard was a real threat. The White Tiger students momentarily forgot why the others were there and focused on the monster.
"sh forth!"
With a sh of lightning, a bolt of magic surged between the White Tiger students.
However, the Curare Lizard wasn''t hit. It wasn''t due to its agility, but because Yi-Han''s aim had missed from the start.
"Yi-Han?!"
"Wardanaz!! Are you poisoned?!"
Dolgyu, along with the other White Tiger students, gasped in shock and turned around.
It was unbelievable that Yi-Han had missed his magic.
Unless he was poisoned...
"...Even I can miss, you fools. Focus!"
Yi-Han was incredulous.
Being human, Yi-Han was not exempt from making mistakes.
...Of course, he usually didn''t, but given that he had stayed up all night crafting a makeshift artifact and then scaling a mountain, apse in concentration was inevitable.
''Damn. I never thought I''d experience this firsthand.''
The professors always said, ''Not just a mage''s magic, but their will is also crucial in casting.'' He was feeling that truth in his bones now.
With his concentration wavering, his magic inevitably became erratic.
''Let''s try a different magic than lightning...''
"Bones, bind my foe!"
Yi-Han threw bone fragments, summoning a binding spell.
Even though his initial magic had only managed to grab the lizard''s tail, it didn''t matter.
"Bones, bind my foe. Bones, bind my foe, bones, bind my foe. Arise, warriors! Bones. Strike!"
The White Tiger students, who initially thought it might be dark magic when he first summoned the bone bind, were now aghast at the frantic barrage of spells.
If proper aiming was difficult, he seemed to decide that sheer quantity would suffice, as bone fragments flew in all directions.
"Dolgyu!"
"I got him out!"
As the barrage of bone fragments rained down, the Curare Lizard was forced to retreat.
Seizing the moment, Dolgyu hoisted his fallen friend onto his back.
Boom! Crash!
"!"
Yi-Han turned towards the sound from behind.
Two more lizards were emerging from the cave he had just escaped. One, amusingly, had a cauldron stuck on its head, indicating chaos inside.
"My potion!!!!"
Bartreck screamed, followed btedly by Katono.
"No! My book!"
"You''re insane!"
Dolgyu grabbed Katono''s shoulder, yelling forcefully.
"It was wrong to be so greedy in the first ce! Talking about defeating a giant. Seeking honor is a knight''s duty, but not to the extent of overreaching. Look at yourselves! I don''t know what that book is, but it might be a blessing if the monsters take it!"
Blushing with shame at Dolgyu''s heartfelt rebuke, the White Tiger students lowered their heads.
Yi-Han''s face also turned a shade redder.
''I already have the book...''
"Choi. Lecturing is fine, but save it forter. We need to retreat!"
Jijel sharply interjected.
Another Curare Lizard had appeared from a different direction.
Given the situation, it wouldn''t be surprising if more showed up.
"...Sorry. Dolgyu! Let''s retreat! Friends!"
"I was wrong! Let''s all get out of here!"
"Good thinking, everyone!"
As the White Tiger students rallied with fiery resolve, Yi-Han, holding back his awkwardness, shouted.
"Yes! Let''s all get out of here!"
"Wardanaz...!"
As one student tried to embrace him, Yi-Han gently pushed him away with his hand.
Retreating while surrounded by monsters was more difficult than expected.
They had to keep threatening while moving backwards, as showing even a slight weakness would lead to being caught.
"Gonadaltes, cover them. Sharakan, block the one on the left!"
"What?! Who?!"
"Focus, I said!"
Thwack!
Yi-Han struck the back of a White Tiger student''s head with his staff.
It was not the time to be distracted.
"Bones, strike!"
Yi-Han effectively used the skeleton warriors as projectiles.
Though they couldn''t move, the summoned skeleton warriors were a mass of bones.
In his tired state, whereplex control and aiming were challenging, this sheer volume of attack was extremely useful.
Thud!
-!-
Another attack was blocked by the autonomous shield, causing the lizard to emit a threatening sound.
It seemed quite irritated.
''Thank goodness for the autonomous shield!''
Yi-Han was thankful...not so much to the foresight of the professors, but to his good fortune.
Without the autonomous shield, several more White Tiger students would have fallen.
"Wardanaz."
"?"
"If we send those guys in front to the other side, the lizards will split up too. Wouldn''t it be better to quickly go back and call for reinforcements?"
Jijel whispered softly.
The situation, in Jijel''s eyes, was not good.
Wardanaz''s condition seemed off, and the monsters were relentlessly pursuing them.
A decision had to be made.
If they split up here, the Curare Lizards would likely follow the other White Tiger students instead of pursuing Jijel or Wardanaz.
To the lizards, they were clearly the easier targets.
Jijel didn''t care if it seemed ruthless. She decided it was better to quickly go back and call for reinforcements.
''Wait. Wardanaz might refuse due to pride...''
Yi-Han responded immediately.
"A very good idea. Then you persuade Dolgyu."
"...Choi doesn''t listen to me. You''d better talk to him."
"Damn."
Yi-Han had no counterargument.
"Split up! Dolgyu! This way! The rest of you, go that way!"
"Split up! Dolgyu! This way! The rest of you, take the other path!"
Following the charismatic calls of the two students, the White Tiger students moved without hesitation.
Dolgyu also moved.
...Towards the White Tiger students.
"Crap! Those damn lizards...!"
"Dolgyu! Come here!"
"I can''t break formation!"
Dolgyu, maintaining formation with his friends, missed the timing to break away and moved along with them.
Yi-Han and Jijel sighed.
"We''ll rescue themter."
"That guy. We''ll save himter."
"...Wait. It seems like the monsters areing our way."
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Chapter 243
Chapter 243
Jijel''s voice trembled. "I must have seen it wrong... No."
To her surprise, the Curare Lizards were approaching them. Why? she wondered. These lizards were clever monsters. They usually targeted prey that was paralyzed and slow-moving, not threatening mages like them. Why were they being pursued?
-! !-
-!
The lizards, now more agitated than before, hissed sharply and shot their paralyzing venom.
"Ssh! Stter!" It was evident that they were infuriated, their venomous anger palpable.
"Persistent creatures," Yi-Han muttered,manding his bones to attack. "Bones, strike! Strike! Strike!" His bone shards rained down like a shower, shing the ground and tearing through the bushes. The lizards hastily dodged and howled even louder.
-!!-
"Ah," Yi-Han realized why the Curare Lizards had abandoned the weaker prey and were pursuing them instead. Jijel realized it too.
"They''re chasing us just because we hit them a bit," she said.
"Exactly," Yi-Han agreed, restraining himself from cursing. Arguing with allies would serve no purpose.
"Wardanaz... Moradi..." the retreating students from the White Tiger shouted hoarsely. They clearly misunderstood, thinking Yi-Han and Jijel were sacrificing themselves for them.
"These damn fools," Yi-Han grumbled.
"What?"
"Just ignore them and retreat!" Although he wanted tosh out, he held back, nning to gloat about itter.
"Thud!" One lizard, unable to contain its fury, charged. It collided with a swiftly approaching shield and howled.
"Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!" Yi-Han showed no mercy, bombarding the lizard with bone shards. Dazed, the creature fled.
This isn''t good. Yi-Han knew the lizards'' patience was wearing thin, a bad omen. If the growing number of lizards attacked simultaneously, even he would struggle to fend them off. A sessful attack from just one would mean defeat.
Jijel, sensing the same danger, drew her dual swords and shouted fiercely, "Wardanaz. I''ll buy time! When will your mana recover?"
She seemed to misunderstand that Yi-Han''s mana was temporarily depleted. Otherwise, there was no reason for him, who had easily defeated the White Tiger students, to rely solely on dark magic.
"It''s not a mana issue!" he eximed.
"What?"
"It''s not mana. I''m just too exhausted for precise control after staying up all night."
"Are you insane... Urgh!" Jijel stabbed at the mouth of an attacking lizard and retreated.
"You''re telling me this now? Why did you stay up all night?!" Climbing a mountain was physically demanding; she couldn''t fathom why he would do so without rest.
"Too much homework," Yi-Han replied casually.
...
Jijel was speechless, unable to counter such an unexpected response.
-Come to the riverbank-
...
Amanding voice suddenly instructed, which startled them.
-Come to the riverbank. Those lizards dislike this stream, so they won''t follow you.-
They didnt know who was the one talking, but both quickly headed towards the riverbank. In their current situation, they had nothing to lose.
-... -
"Ssh... Ssh..." As they waded into the river up to their waists, the Curare Lizards, seemingly despising the water, halted and red furiously but did not follow.
Jijel spoke, disbelief in her tone.
"Do you see that? Why are those lizards behaving like that? Wardanaz? ...Wardanaz!"
Jijel''s eyes widened in shock as she saw Yi-Han fall forward.
''Paralyzing venom?!'' She was certain he hadn''t been hit by the lizards'' attack. Why then?
-He''s just copsed from exhaustion.-
"...What?"
-He''s tired, that''s all. Are you a freshman? It''s unusual for freshmen to study until they copse from exhaustion. Quite remarkable.-
"..."
When Yi-Han opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a shield floating in the air.
''Where am I?''
Lying on a soft animal hide, he realized he wasn''t on the street but must have been taken into some sort of cabin.
Turning his head, he saw Moradi sitting on a chair. Yi-Han checked his coat pocket for his belongings first.
''Hm. Nothing''s been taken.''
-Are you checking for lost items? You haven''t lost anything.-
"!" Yi-Han was startled by the voiceing from above and looked up.
A giant he had never seen before was sitting at the cave entrance, facing Moradi.
Moradi had her fingers on her temples, intensely focused on the table in front of her, seemingly unaware that Yi-Han had awoken.
''What''s going on?''
Not sensing hostility from the giant, Yi-Han stood up and approached.
Surprisingly, whaty between them was a chessboard.
''It''s the endgame.''
Yi-Han, observing the pieces and their arrangement on the board, realized the game was in itste stages. And Moradi was in a disadvantageous position.
-Isn''t it about time you make your move? No amount of pondering will change the oue. You can recover from a mistake in the opening during the middlegame, and from the middlegame in the endgame. But in the endgame, there''s no next step.-
''Hmm. He sure knows how to make his opponent feel bad during a chess game.''
Apparently hitting the mark, Jijel bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.
After much contemtion, Jijel finallyid her white king on its side, signifying defeat.
"...I''ve lost."
-Don''t take it too hard. Not all giants are dumb, you know.-
The giant spoke in a gentle tone, but it was no constion to Jijel. Yi-Han understood her feelings.
Losing a game of chess to a giant, notoriously known for theirck of intelligence, must be frustrating. Would it feel the same to lose to Gainando?
"Um... If it''s not too rude, may I ask your name?"
-That''s not hard to answer.-
The giant shared that he had lived in this area for a long time and asionally enjoyed casual conversations or bets with students and professors from the magic academy.
"But, um..."
-You''re curious about the source of my uncharacteristic intelligence for a giant?-
"If my question was impolite, I apologize."
-No, it''s a natural curiosity. But I''m afraid I can''t provide a satisfactory exnation. Think of it this way. Aren''t there particrly unintelligent people among humans?-
The giant''s logic was sound. Yi-Han found it hard to argue.
"I understand."
-Good. I appreciate your understanding.-
"...But why chess?"
Hearing the question, the giant shrugged.
-I mentioned I like bets.-
"A bet at a time like this?"
Yi-Han was astonished by Moradi''s greed.
How much greed does one have...
Jijel shouted irritably, "You copsed, you bastard!"
ording to the giant, while he would talk to passersby, he never forced anyone into a bet.
However, the situation changed when debts or favors were involved.
Since the giant had brought the copsed Yi-Han to his cave and cared for him, the mages owed him a corresponding gratitude, ording to the giant''s logic.
"What kind of repayment are you talking about?"
-There are a few options.-
The giant tapped on the wall, revealing lists written in crooked letters.
-Tasks for the mages who lost the bet--
Clean the cave''s cer (Make sure to throw away all the expired potions and rbel them)
-
Organize the library (Something seems to be hiding among the books)
-Complete one of these, and we''ll be even.-
Yi-Han scanned the list again.
At first nce, the tasks didn''t seem too time-consuming, but Yi-Han knew all too well the cunning traps hidden in the ''simple to-do lists'' provided by the professors.
''The cer might be bigger than the cave itself. The same goes for the library.''
-If you don''t like these, we can settle it with a bet.-
"A bet... Can we do something like a contest of mana?"
Yi-Han asked casually.
The giant chuckled and shook his head.
-A bet must be fair to both sides. What fun would it be if it only favored me? I also don''t ept bets based on physical strength.-
"Oh... I don''t mind..."
-If you have a bet in mind, propose it. If it''s fair, I''ll ept.-
''I thought a contest of mana would be good.''
Yi-Han clicked his tongue.
The giant''s unnecessary consideration made things more troublesome.
''I see why Moradi chose chess.''
The giant was not as easy an opponent as he had thought. Living far longer than the students, he had more experience and knowledge. From his brief disy of wisdom, it seemed he was also superior in intellect.
Yi-Han looked at the chessboard again.
At least in the current situation, he could gauge the giant''s skill in chess.
The problem was, Yi-Han had no confidence in chess.
He had never considered himself particrly good at chess. He had won against a few opponents at the magic academy, but that was more due to their poor skills.
His record against a professor in the past was also dismal...
"May I discuss this for a moment?"
-As you wish.-
"Moradi. Moradi."
"What."
"Why did you move the rook here? You could have just kept it on the third rank and moved the king to avoid check and aim for a draw."
"..."
Sometimes a correct criticism is more annoying than a wrong one.
That was precisely what Yi-Han was doing.
"Why did you move it?"
"Shut up. Just..."
"Was it a mistake? I see. Did the giant use any particr opening?"
-Are you considering challenging me again in chess? Not a bad idea. But think carefully. You might regret it.-
"Could you y without one or two pieces to make it fair?"
-We don''t know each other''s skills, so I can''t do that. But I''ll allow you to take advice from your friend.-
The giant sat back leisurely, waiting with theposure only a true expert could exhibit, making Yi-Han suddenly feel nervous.
''Damn it. He seems to have an aggressive style. Can I manage a draw?''
Yi-Han''s aim was essentially a draw.
Winning would be great if luck favored him, but if not, he nned to aim for a draw and move on to the next bet.
''If his skills are as Moradi described, I should be able to manage that.''
The problem was if the giant was hiding his true skills.
Yi-Han fervently hoped the giant''s abilities were within his expectations.
30 minutester.
Yi-Han was astounded.
"...No..."
-Grooaning-
"...It seems to be over."
-Just a moment. Give me five more minutes.-
"No. It''s over. If you move here, my knight blocks, and if you move there, my pawn blocks."
-...Just a moment. But still, five minutes.-
"..."
The giant''s chess skills were, contrary to expectations...
...remarkably weak.
As Yi-Han firmly held his defense, the giant''s forced attacks led to his own downfall.
Yi-Han looked at Jijel.
''So, it was just that Moradi was bad at ying.''
''Why do I feel displeased...?''
-I''ve lost. Yes, I''ve lost.-
The giantid down his king, conceding defeat.
Yi-Han sighed in relief and asked, "So, can we go now?"
-Not yet.-
"?"
-You''ve just repaid the defeat of your friend here. But the favor of saving you still remains.-
"...Have you ever worked as a professor at a magic academy?"
Yi-Han''s question slipped out involuntarily, astounded by the opponent''sck of conscience.
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Chapter 244
Chapter 244
Ach, what a mistake I''ve made.
Yi-Han regretted his response immediately.
Perhaps still fatigued, his words hade out before he fully thought them through.
Have you ever worked as a professor? What a demeaning question to ask.
-I''m not that wise,- the giant answered, slightly embarrassed.
"...Ah, I see."
Fortunately, the matter passed without issue.
"Understood. Shall we y another game of chess then?"
Even if the opponent seemed a bit professorial, what could Yi-Han do? Grateful for the help he had received, he decided to respect the other''s slightly unreasonable requests.
And the giant did seem quite powerful.
-No. A wager must be fair.-
"A game as fair as chess, where else would you find it..."
The giant ignored Yi-Han''sment as if he hadn''t heard it.
-I''ll need to find another wager. What would be a good one-
"...This seems like a bad bet."
Yi-Han whispered to Jijel, who nodded slightly in agreement.
"Is there no way to overpower him?"
"Moradi. Can''t you see his size?"
Yi-Han was incredulous.
Asking if there was a way to overpower such a powerful giant.
Was he being told to simply die?
"The King of the Frost Giants was bigger, and you attacked him."
"...Then why did you move the rook earlier?"
Cornered, Yi-Han changed the subject cunningly. Caught off guard by the sly attack, Jijel was at a loss for words.
"You call that a conversation...?!"
-What would be good... A ball game wouldn''t have enough yers, riddles were donest time... A drinking contest?-
Jijel, unable to hold back, sharply retorted.
"If a wager must be fair, how can a drinking contest be considered a fair duel?"
-You misunderstand. It''s not about drinking the most.-
"Then what?"
-Alchemists often engage in this kind of wager, but of course, you wouldn''t know, being only a first-year.-
The giant kindly exined what the drinking duel entailed.
Once the contest began, alchemists would use various ingredients and potions to create a drink for their opponent.
The receiving alchemist would drink it, then create a new concoction for the other to consume.
-The one who copses first loses.-
"...Wait. This isn''t about drinking, it''s about potions?"
Yi-Han hesitated upon hearing the exnation.
Using ingredients and potions meant it was essentially a potion, right?
-Right? It''s a metaphor. And as I said, if you think it''s unfair, you don''t have to ept it.-
"Uh... No, it sounds quite interesting."
-Really?-
The giant looked at Yi-Han with a puzzled expression.
In fact, as the student beside Yi-Han had implied, this contest was in the giant''s favor.
While a magic-wielding mage might have strong resistance to potions, a giant inherently had even greater resistance.
-I''ll give you another chance to choose.-
"No, thank you. Even though I look like this, I took the top spot in the Alchemy ss."
"..."
"..."
Jijel and the giant exchanged nces, unsure what to say.
''Wardanaz, this guy... Is he still half-asleep?''
-Hmm. Being top in a first-year ss doesn''t mean you''ve learned everything in Alchemy.-
The giant voiced his concern.
Of course, Yi-Han had a different strategy in mind.
''If it''s a contest of resistance, I surely won''t lose.''
Based on his past experiences, Yi-Han was confident.
Great mana equated to tremendous resistance.
But revealing this to his opponent could change the nature of the wager. So, Yi-Han tried his best to appear like a clueless first-year student.
''Ill just act like Gainando.''
"For a genius like me, almost everything can be understood just by attending the first-year sses. Why bother studying more?"
"..."
-...Yes, right. I understand. Still, objectively speaking, it''s an unfavorable wager... If you win, I''ll allow an additional reward. You may take anything you want from my house.-
"!"
Yi-Han''s eyes sparkled.
''...No, it''s not that great of a deal.''
At first, he was intrigued, but a nce around revealed the giant''s home to be modest and disordered.
What use would Yi-Han have for a rusted, oversized weapon...
"Hey."
Unable to hold back any longer, Jijel jabbed Yi-Han''s side and whispered.
She tried to keep her expression neutral, but she couldn''t stand it anymore.
"Are you doing this on purpose? Why are you acting like this?"
Yi-Han was about to exin, but stopped, fearing the giant might overhear.
"Moradi. Who do you think I am? I''m a genius of a different levelpared to other geniuses."
"..."
Jijel seemed on the verge of losing her mind.
The giant indeed had a profound understanding of alchemy.
He rummaged through the mess and the pile of junk, seamlessly grabbing and pouring ingredients. His movements were unhindered.
Like Gainando''s private chamber appeared as a junkyard but had its own order to Gainando, so did the giant''s cave.
Of course, this was disadvantageous to Yi-Han.
A contest between an alchemist familiar with all the ingredients and one hastily creating potions in an unfamiliar ce.
It was obvious who had the advantage.
''Maybe I should just leave.''
Jijel thought quietly.
No matter how she looked at it, it didn''t seem like Wardanaz would win.
And above all, his current antics were very unsettling...
Thud!
-It''s done! I call this the ''Giant''s Honey Brew.''-
After an hour, the giant finallypleted the potion.
"May I ask about the recipe?"
Yi-Han asked, thinking it might be usefulter. Jijel was beyond speechless.
-I can''t tell you everything, but here''s a brief idea. Honey and rose petals. The herb of sleep and the blood of a two-headed snake. Mud from an acidic swamp. You get the gist, right?-
"...Ah. Yes."
Yi-Han''s expression soured at the mention of these seemingly toxic ingredients far from anything drinkable.
At this point, calling it the ''Giant''s Honey Brew'' was almost a misnomer. It might as well have been ''Giant''s Poison.''
''I have to trust my constitution.''
With that thought, Yi-Han gulped down therge cup of brew.
Gulp, gulp-
Surprisingly, the Honey Brew was tastier than expected. The sweet and refreshing taste flowed down his throat.
And simultaneously, an immense drowsiness surged within him, ready to burst forth.
"!"
It was unlike any status ailment he had experienced before.
Previous ailments had been nullified before he could even be aware of them...
''So that''s it. The potion was consumed directly...!''
Naturally, the effect of a potion ingested directly would be stronger than that of an external attack. Yi-Han concentrated his mind and gathered all his mana.
A torrential flow of his vast mana suppressed the drowsiness induced by the Honey Brew and extinguished its spark.
Once.
Twice.
Three times...
''Huh? Is it over?''
Startled, Yi-Han was slightly confused when the effect of the Honey Brew vanished so suddenly.
The sudden onset had rmed him, but it ended much easier than expected.
''Hmm. Feels like I lost out due to being scared.''
It was clear the potion relied entirely on its initial effect. Once that was ovee, its strength was not so formidable.
With the thought that the giant would weep in humiliation if he knew, Yi-Han spoke.
"Then it''s my turn."
-...-
The giant blinked, scanning Yi-Han from head to toe, too bbergasted to respond, merely nodding.
''How is this possible!?''
He couldn''t believe it.
That this student remained unaffected even after drinking his own concoction, the ''Giant''s Honey Brew''.
He wasn''t some undead or a mage with the power of a dragon...
There was only one usible exnation.
The student must have prepared an antidote in advance to withstand the ''Giant''s Honey Brew''.
''But how could a magic academy student be this advanced?''
Yet, that too was astonishing.
A mere first-year student had created an antidote on the spot for a potion he had never seen before, and in a strange ce, not his own workshop.
The giant recalled Yi-Han''s words.
-No, thank you. Even though I look like this, I took the top spot in the Alchemy ss.-
-For a genius like me, almost everything can be understood just by attending the first-year sses. Why bother studying more?-
Initially, the giant had dismissed these as the impetuous words of a young student. But now, a chill ran down his spine.
Arrogance backed by results wasn''t arrogance but justified confidence.
Could he be the most exceptional alchemist he had ever encountered...
"It''s ready."
-What!?-
"What!?"
Both the giant and Jijel were astonished.
It seemed to have taken less than ten minutes toplete.
"Wardanaz. If you have aint, speak up! Don''t act dumb like those in my tower! I''m already at my wit''s end!!"
Jijel, unable to contain herself any longer, exploded, grabbing Yi-Han by the cor. Yi-Han thought to himself.
''Students of the White Tiger Tower must be quite stressful.''
-The potion has been dered as done, so theres no going back. What is the name of the drink?-
"Uh... something like ''Giant''s Slumber Potion'', I suppose."
-A straightforward name. Let''s give it a try.-
The giant, brimming with confidence, gulped down the entire cauldron.
Then his expression changed.
-...!!!-
An unbearable drowsiness began to overwhelm him.
Despite his best efforts to resist, his instincts told him.
He wouldn''t be able to stay awake for long.
Staggering, the giant looked at Yi-Han and spoke in a faltering voice.
-Such... a genius...! What is your name...?-
"Moradi."
"Not me. He asked you, didn''t he?"
Jijel looked at Yi-Han as if to say, ''What are you talking about?''
It seemed to her that he was still not fully recovered from his fatigue.
"Ah, right. I am Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family."
"I see. I am Ikurusha, the giant Ikurusha."
When Yi-Han had previously asked for his name, the giant had deftly changed the subject.
Giants typically do not reveal their names to those they do not acknowledge.
He had switched topics out of consideration for a mage''s pride...
But a genius of this caliber deserved to know his name.
-...You win... Take... whatever you want and go-
Thud!
With a snore that shook the cave, Ikurusha fell backward.
Yi-Han sighed in relief.
"Thank you, Bartreck."
The ''Giant''s Slumber Potion'' diligently concocted by the students of the White Tiger Tower in their hideout.
Yi-Han had been nervous, uncertain if the students had made it correctly and whether it would work.
"Bartreck of the Bark family? Why is that nameing up now?"
"That friend made the potion."
Yi-Han pulled a potion bottle from his pocket and shook it as he replied.
"...!!!!"
Jijel, who had just been thinking, ''To create such a powerful potion in less than ten minutes, that''s... truly an unbelievable talent!'', cursed herself for her thoughts.
Such a trickster...!
"Ah, I''m sorry for not exining earlier. I was worried Mr. Ikurusha would hear and change the wager."
"...Let''s just leave."
Jijel no longer had the energy to be angry.
"Wait. We won the wager, so we should take our reward."
"Did you see something you wanted...?"
Jijel asked, frowning. To her, it seemed there was nothing of value in this mess.
Snick!
Yi-Han gently snipped off the tip of the giant''s hair, who was still asleep.
He had been thinking about it ever since the topic came up.
"This should finish one of my final exams."
"You''re... really crazier than me..."
"Why suddenly curse at me?"
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Chapter 245
Chapter 245
Chapter 245
As they emerged from the giant''s cave, the dawn star was already rising in the dark night sky.
Yi-Han muttered bitterly.
"I should be doing my assignment, but I''ve wasted time unnecessarily."
"..."
Jijel shivered at the subtle madness disyed by Wardanaz.
Worrying about assignments in such a situation.
Was this level of madness necessary to secure the top spot in the magic academy?
"Why are you staring at me? I''m fine."
Yi-Han, noticing Jijel''s gaze, responded.
Of course, he had stayed up all night because of a magic assignment, but he had recovered somewhat after getting some sleep.
Students should be able to endure nights with their mental strength. Yi-Han was an expert in this area.
"Right... I see you''re fine."
"Thanks for worrying."
Thud-
"...Could you move the shield?"
As the shield circling around Yi-Han approached, Jijel spoke irritably.
"Ah. Sorry. I needed to check its duration."
Jijel shook her head in resignation.
So, even while wandering the mountains, facing attacks from giant lizards, and confronting giants, he was still concerned about his magic assignment.
''Crazy about magic...''
-Wardanaz!!-
-Moradi!!!-
As they walked a bit further, they heard the shouts of the students from the White Tiger along with flickering torches in the distance.
They were still searching the area.
"Here!"
"Wardanaz!"
The students from the White Tiger rushed over. They were dusty and covered in weeds, indicating they had been searching non-stop.
During this time, Dolgyu sighed in relief and said,
"Thank goodness. We were so worried and searching for you."
"Thank you."
"What thanks? Do you know how much you two have done?"
"Hmm."
"Umm."
Yi-Han and Jijel groaned simultaneously.
They had actually intended to use their friends as a diversion to escape...
"A noble should naturally do such a thing."
"A knight should naturally do such a thing."
"Indeed...!"
The gathered students from the White Tiger eximed in admiration.
Even Moradi, let alone Wardanaz, clearly had the dignity of a leader in such moments.
Of course, Wardanaz was a great mage who could subdue others with various evil spells if things went wrong, but one had to acknowledge what deserved recognition.
As things somewhat settled, Jijel asked her friends,
"Wait. How many of you were out here doing this?"
A quick nce suggested not only their group but other friends had also joined.
"Ah. They wanted to help. Isn''t that great?"
"..."
Study a bit...!
Jijel suppressed the rising words inside.
"...Yes. Thank you, everyone."
"There seems to be more over there."
Yi-Han pointed towards the torches approaching from afar.
It seemed like the entire White Tiger had joined the search.
A truly warm friendship.
"Everyone''s so kind."
"Shut up..."
"I bet today''s two ck bread and this chocte pudding."
"What... Really?"
"Why? Got scared?"
"Scared? How dare you! Fine. I bet the snack Wardanaz will give me tonight! That shield will end today!"
"Hmph. It''llst till tomorrow!"
"..."
Back at the tower, Yi-Han looked at his friends with disdain.
The students of the Blue Dragon were fiercely betting on ''how long the spinning shield wouldst.''
The day had certainly passed, and now the friends'' concern was whether they would surpass two days.
"It''s impossible... It can''t be! I read in a book that it''s absolutely impossible tost a day without specific work!"
Gainando shook the book, denying reality.
He had studied for once, but his knowledge had betrayed him.
"Study... Study is useless! What help can these dead letters be?!"
"Stop talking nonsense and sit down."
"Okay."
At Yi-Han''s warning, Gainando sat down again.
"We should finish the assignment today. There are many other final assignments to do. What we need to do now is, the assignment from Professor Millei..."
"What have I done wrong to be tormented like this?"
As Yi-Han listed the assignments, Gainando felt genuinely aggrieved and sorrowful.
Yi-Han ignored him and continued.
"What other assignments are there?"
"We have topose a song for ..."
''Such a variety of assignments.''
Yi-Han had not taken . It was not mandatory.
But was quite popr in the Blue Dragon.
For the scions of great noble families, education in music, dance, arts, and literature held much greater value than expected.
Of course, for Yi-Han, it was less valuablepared to Professor Bdi''s lectures...
"I''ve almost finished everything."
Asan, passing by, joined the conversation, surprising Gainando.
"Already? How?"
"Hehe. Why should I tell you?"
"Would you mind sharing it with me?"
"If Wardanaz asks..."
"Hey..."
Gainando growled, but Asan ignored him as if he hadn''t heard.
A friend who gave snacks every day and one who tried to steal them daily were treated differently.
"Einroguard. Einroguard. It''s so wonderful."
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han and Gainando''s expressions twisted.
"A ce with warm meals and soft beds. Einroguard."
"Uh..."
"Is it okay to spread fake rumors?"
"Soon the juniors wille and enjoy this paradise too. Einroguard."
Asan hummed the lyrics, then paused to exin.
"We can''t insult Einroguard in front of the professor, can we?"
"That''s true."
Yi-Han understood Asan''s feelings.
Sometimes, grades were more important than the truth.
"Do I have to make such a ridiculous song?! I''ll make my own!"
"What are you nning to make?"
"Once there was a noble prince..."
"Stop it."
"That doesn''t seem right."
"Listen before you judge!"
"Are you all working on the assignment?"
Nebren of the Kirak family joined the conversation after overhearing the trio.
Yi-Han thought to himself.
''Does everyone except me take ?''
"Right. Kirak, have you finished yours? You probably made a song praising the princess."
Nebren was one of the students in the Blue Dragon who admired the princess.
But Nebren shook his head.
"No, I haven''t."
"Really? What did youpose?"
"Would you like to hear it?"
"No, let''s study..."
Yi-Han tried to dissuade, but the other two nodded immediately.
"There was always an honorable mage who prepared meals..."
"..."
"..."
"It''s touching, isn''t it?"
Asan admired it.
Other students sitting by the firece nodded in agreement.
Gainando grumbled.
"Hmph. Do you think Wardanaz would like such tant adtion?"
"Well said, Gainando. The song is not very good."
"No... What specifically makes it not good?"
Nebren was taken aback.
He had naturally assumed that Yi-Han would like it.
"If you say it''s not good, I willpose a new one..."
"...Wait."
Yi-Han could not bring himself to say that.
Starting the assignment over would be as bothersome as anything else.
"...On second thought, it''s not that bad."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Now let''s get back to studying."
"Wardanaz! Look over there! Over there!"
"Didn''t you hear me say to study?"
Despite Yi-Han''s words, Gainando pointed outside the window.
Yi-Han sighed and looked, then was shocked.
"...!!"
The grand and majestic main building of the magic academy, one of thergest on the grounds, was writhing as if it were a living creature.
''What...!?''
Its because its the reconfiguration period.
"Aaaahhhhh!"
"Kwaaaaaaah!"
Students screamed at the sudden appearance of a giant skeleton floating above the window.
Yi-Han, unfazed, asked,
"The reconfiguration period?"
The main building is practically half alive.
ording to the skull principal, the building, filled with magic over countless years, could no longer be considered a normal building.
Countless mages who hade and gone to Einroguard had added new spaces and cast new spells, so the main building periodically reconfigured itself, somewhat reorganizing the chaos and disorder.
"Uh... Wait. Does that mean the interioryout changes too?"
Yi-Han, listening absentmindedly, was suddenly rmed.
Hadn''t he just made a map?
The changes aren''t that significant. The skeleton remains, but some rooms that should be there might disappear.
"That''s somewhat relieving."
Be careful when you go for night walks. Some students have gone missing during the reconfiguration period.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Students are not allowed to go out at night. I''ve never broken the rules."
"..."
...
His friends and even the skull principal were slightly amazed by his brazenness.
Right... I understand. Come out.
"Yes?"
You were supposed to learn illusion magic from Ogonin on weekends.
"Ah..."
Yi-Han then remembered the skull principal''s words.
Ogonin, a great mage whose skills had dulled a bit but who had been formidable in his prime, was a pure ssicist among illusion mages.
Yi-Han was privileged to learn from such a person, and even the skull principal had considered it an honor...
"But I''m currently busy with pre-final assignments."
That''s fine.
"Ah. It won''t take long?"
Yi-Han was pleased.
After all, the skull principal, being the head of the academy, wouldn''t be unaware of the academic schedule.
No. I don''t know about that. I meant it''s fine because you''re the one doing the pre-final assignments. Come out.
"..."
Gainando, listening to the conversation, nodded.
''I should write a song about the evil lich.''
You met Ikurusha?
"...No. Is there some kind of bulletin board in Einroguard that I''m unaware of?"
Yi-Han was perplexed.
If there wasn''t a bulletin board shared among professors or people staying on the grounds, such rapid spread of information made no sense.
Yi-Han imagined Professor Bdi sticking a paper on the faculty lounge bulletin board with Exnation of pre-final assignments requested written on it.
Should I sneak into the lounge and destroy the bulletin board?
There is no such thing. But it is an interesting idea.
"No..."
And I already knew Ikurusha. I went to visit, and when he suddenly praised you, I asked him about it.
The magic academy grounds were not only inhabited by professors and students.
Thanks to the powerful flow of mana, many mysterious beings had been living there for a long time.
Usually, that massive being does not praise other students, especially not in alchemy... Did you cheat using magic?
"I don''t understand what you mean. That was a fair bet."
Of course. Hmm... But it''s still remarkable that you defeated Ikurusha, even considering your resistance. Did you know about such a potion? Did Professor Uregor teach you?
"I studied alchemy, so technically, you could say that."
Forget it. But besides alchemy, it seems you''re quite skilled at chess too.
"I was just lucky. Mr. Ikurusha was a bit clumsy..."
???
The skull principal looked at Yi-Han as if he were insane. Yi-Han did not notice his gaze.
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Chapter 246
Chapter 246
"You learn quickly, indeed. I said that if you are a genius, you should rightfully be arrogant, but I didn''t expect you to learn this fast."
"What are you talking about?"
It''s nothing.
The skull principal looked at the floating shield behind Yi-Han and asked.
Is this an assignment?
"Yes."
How crudely and ignorantly crafted... Wait. There''s no duration amplification?
The principal was surprised as he examined the magic circles inscribed on the shield.
The fact that the shield was inscribed with magic circles was not surprising.
It would have been unconscionable to expect a first-year student toplete an autonomous shield without any auxiliary devices.
In truth, even with auxiliary devices, the task of creating an autonomous shield was still quite heartless...
But this too was a path a mage must traverse for growth.
Receiving impossible challenges wasn''t always a bad thing.
Even if one fails a hundred challenges, the experience contributes to a mage''s growth.
And it''s even better if one seeds!
''It''s good that he seeded, but why is there no duration amplification...?''
What an ignorant fellow. Did you just extend the duration with sheer mana?
"Yes. But..."
Yi-Han was about to exin.
It wasn''t due to Yi-Han''s ignorance, but the absurd difficulty of the assignment. In his attempt toplete it, thebination of magic circles turned into a mess. To further increase the duration would have been...
Well, that''s one way to do it. If one has plenty of mana, why bother with such tedious methods? I retract myment about ignorance. It''s a clever approach.
"I didn''t do this intentionally..."
Stop being so modest. Anyway, you did well. The professors will be pleased.
"...Professor Verduus and the others too, don''t you think the assignments are a bit excessive?"
Indeed, they are. But you managed toplete it, didn''t you?
"..."
As Yi-Han trembled with frustration and regret, the skull principal tapped the shield.
It shouldst a couple more days at least. Hmm... Professor Verduus will be envious.
"Why would the professor be envious?"
Comparing Yi-Han and Professor Verduus''s magic abilities was likeparing a firefly to the full moon.
Given Professor Verduus''s nature, wouldn''t he react to this crudely and ignorantly crafted shield just like the principal did earlier?
Though the magic circles were sloppy, the ability to infuse such a volume of mana was beyond even Professor Verduus.
Regardless of skill, there were techniques only certain mages could perform.
This kind of duration increase, possible only with your immense mana, was something even a gifted enchantment mage like Professor Verduus couldn''t achieve.
"It''s not that he can''t, it''s more like he chooses not to. It''s practically a workaround, isn''t it?"
Yi-Han responded nonchntly.
No, it''s different. It''s not possible to engrave an ever-increasing magic circle on every part of aplex artifact.
For a simpler artifact, it was somewhat easier, but as the structure of an artifact became moreplex, the calctions required for a mage became almost insurmountablyplex.
Especially in multiplex artifacts with various enchantments, their intricate structure made it impossible to inscribe duration-increasing circles everywhere.
Inevitably, one had to resort to all sorts of methods to supplement thecking mana...
Sometimes, it''s more convenient to infuse a generous amount of mana at once rather than intricately squeezing out mana here and there. They say it''s semi-permanent, but in reality, mages hardly have any responsibilities after a hundred years.
Customersing to find a mage because an artifact broke after more than a hundred years were rare.
''Well, that makes sense. So, there''s meaning to this kind of workaround.''
Yi-Han, nodding, suddenly paused.
"...Wait. Does this mean Professor Verduus calls upon me whenever such a need arises?"
That would be the case, wouldn''t it?
Yi-Han''s face paled.
Ogonin was startled to see Yi-Han through the mirror.
"What in the world happened for the student to look like that?!"
I haven''t done anything!
The skull principal was furious.
To suspect the principal just because a student is feeling down.
So, if Ogonin''s tower cat is in a bad mood, is it Ogonin''s fault?
"It''s nothing."
Yi-Han said with a bitter smile.
"It''s all my fault."
"No...!"
Aware of the harsh educational environment at Einroguard, Ogonin stared intently at the skull principal.
The principal was beside himself with frustration.
To think, I had given a chance to this festival disrupter, firework destroyer, and relic thief, and this is how I am repaid?
"Your attempts to pressure me are futile. I won''t be fooled."
Though youngpared to the skull principal, Ogonin was a mage who had faced many challenges.
He wasn''t swayed by the principal''s dramatics.
"It''s really okay."
"Is that so? That''s a relief... I was wondering if I should write to His Majesty the Emperor."
Such a has-been, capable of nothing but tattling
Yi-Han pretended not to hear.
"Now. Let''s continue our discussion fromst time."
For mages, time is gold.
Ogonin began his lecture immediately.
"Do you remember the spells I mentionedst time?"
"Yes."
Starting with to , , , these were psychic illusion spells.
And then there was , a wide-ranging illusion mist spell.
While other illusion spells mixed elements from different schools of magic to reduce difficulty and increase versatility, Ogonin was a mage who pursued pure illusion magic.
''Of course, that means increased difficulty.''
"Emotion perception spells are the basics and the beginning. It''s good to learn them as a habit, as second nature."
ording to Ogonin, skilled illusion mages could sense the color of one''s soul without even using emotional perception spells.
To be that adept, one must continually cast, practice, and umte experience.
If you can discern what emotions someone harbors, the power of your illusion spells amplifies ordingly.
"Now, let''s practice."
"...?"
Upon hearing this, Yi-Han paused.
Who should he practice on?
"Whom are you referring to?"
"Ah. Right. Um..."
Ogonin hesitated.
His tower had many practice partners, but who else was there in the principal''s private room?
Practice on me.
"Excuse me?"
"What did you say?"
Practice on me.
"No..."
Ogonin was at a loss for words.
Unlike other magic, the target was very important for psychic illusion spells.
Who would be easier to read emotions from - a great mage or a child?
A novice illusion mage should naturally improve skills against thetter, but...?
"Do it now"
"Understood."
Without much thought, Yi-Han swung his staff.
"Arise, emotions!"
With the incantation, the spell was cast. Ogonin asked from the side.
"How is it?"
"It seems the principal is currently in a bad mood."
"!!!"
Ogonin was so astonished he nearly dropped his staff.
For a newly trained illusion mage to sessfully use an emotion perception spell on the skull principal...
...meant an unprecedented genius in the history of magic.
''A genius to inherit the true lineage of illusion magic...!''
Ogonin. I dont what youre thinking about, but the magic had failed. Its simply that the boy is quick-witted.
The skull principal realized what Ogonin was thinking and sneered.
Magic isn''t a child''s toy to be mastered so easily.
"...Was that it?"
"Ah. My apologies. I suppose magic feels different when it''s sessful."
Yi-Han apologized.
He had simply observed that the principal''s mood was foul, but it seemed to have nothing to do with the magic after all.
"No, that''s not it. It''s originally a difficult magic, especially when the subject is a great mage."
"Thank you for understanding."
Stop talking and start reading already. I am intentionally not defending myself.
The skull principal, being an educator, did not resort to unreasonable justifications.
He didn''t ask to read with various protective spells in ce.
...Of course, considering his inherent magic defenses, it was already somewhat unreasonable.
"Arise, emotions. Arise, emotions. Arise, emotions!"
Following the instructions and casting the spell a few times, Yi-Han began to understand what kind of magic it was.
The originally white skeletal form of the principal began to be tinged with color.
The color of the emotions currently held in his soul was clear.
''Faint red and grey.''
Clearly, it was an emotion of feeling rather unpleasant.
Yi-Han continued casting the spell to read the emotions more urately.
The skull principal, yawning, asked.
By now, you should at least be able to see a glimpse of the emotions, right? Hasn''t it appeared yet?
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?"
Ogonin said incredulously.
He had just started, and the subject was a great mage.
Honestly, there was a high likelihood that he wouldn''t be able to read it even after several years.
He had nned to find a proper subject as an excuse when the principal got bored...
It''s because he can do it, that I say this.
"That''s absurd, no matter how you look at it."
"Im still far from it."
"Look. Even the student says so. To see even a bit of the color in someone''s soul is a difficult task..."
"...Wait. Is it enough to see the color?"
Yi-Han paused.
The yawning skull principal looked at Yi-Han with a ''what''s with this guy'' expression.
Seeing the color means sess, so what did you expect? Words floating above my forehead saying ''I am feeling this emotion''?
"I thought the color had to be more vivid and easier to discern."
Great mages are adept at controlling their emotions. Just because it''s faint doesn''t mean it''s wrong. That''s well done.
"Thank you."
Ogonin, listening to the warm conversation between teacher and student, blinked in disbelief.
What kind of conversation am I listening to?
"No... No... No... No??"
What''s the matter?
"If this isn''t a joke yed on me... then this is... uh..."
Didn''t I tell you he would learn well?
The skull principal had clearly told Ogonin, ''He''ll learn well, given his level.''
Of course, when Ogonin heard that, he never thought the student would be able to read emotions against the skull principal immediately after learning magic.
Was that even possible?
With so much mana, exceptional talent, and quick wit, it''s no wonder he excelled in such magic. Ogonin, it''s time to let go of your preconceptions.
"No, it was just good luck."
Stop with that disgusting modesty.
"Really... astonishing..."
As Ogonin kept muttering, the skull principal grumbled.
So, it''s not surprising anymore when you cast an illusion spell and fail right?
"...Let''s continue..."
Ogonin spoke, still unable to hide his amazement.
He had hoped for a genius to inherit the lineage of ssic illusion magic...
But reality always seemed to be one step ahead of imagination.
To think it would be to this extent...!
However, the next spell, , remained unsessful until the end.
Ogonin was convinced that it wasn''t due to Yi-Han''sck of skill, but because of the skull principal.
How could it possibly seed when cast on the skull principal?
"It''s definitely not because you''recking."
"No, it''s my inadequacy."
"Not at all. It''s the opponent..."
"No, it''s me..."
"No, it''s not!!"
Ah. Why are you getting angry now?
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Chapter 247
Chapter 247
"...I''m sorry. I couldn''t control my emotions," Ogonin said, feeling ashamed.
While all mages dealing with magic had to control their emotions, this was especially true for illusion mages. How could a mage who couldn''t control their own emotions manipte the emotions of others?
"Remember this: it''s not that you arecking," he advised.
"Ah, yes. I understand," Yi-Han replied, nodding seriously at Ogonin''s earnestpliment.
Yet, no matter how much he was told, he still couldn''t quite grasp it.
''How much is enough, exactly?''
Usually, illusion magespared themselves to others, measured the time it took to reach a certain level, or shared some benchmarks. Without such information, it was hard to get a sense of progress. Ogonin''s praise, while well-intentioned,cked sufficient details.
''Notcking, but still...''
"When you return, continue practicing the anxiety magic," Ogonin suggested. Though repetition was important, that wasn''t his sole purpose.
''The chances of sess will increase if the target is changed.''
Ogonin believed that the reason Yi-Han was failing to cast was solely due to the target being Gonadaltes.
The likelihood of sess would be much higher with other students.
''All because of that guy...''
Ogonin was worried. Even talented mages sometimes lost confidence due to initial mistakes.
It was uneptable for a mage destined to carry on the legacy of illusion magic to be hindered by suchmon errors.
Yi-Han, too, was at risk of falling into this trap of distrust.
''I must not let that happen!''
"Um, Mr Ogonin," Yi-Han said.
"What is it?"
"To practice, I''ll need to cast it on my friends, right?"
"That would be the case."
"But making them anxious while they''re studying hard for assignments and exams seems a bit..."
Yi-Han spoke with a hesitant expression. The essence of anxiety magic was to unsettle the target. It seemed unfair to do that to friends who were diligently studying.
"Indeed, that is a concern," Ogonin acknowledged, nodding in understanding. Yi-Han felt relieved at his response.
''Maybe there''s a solution.''
"So, what should I do?"
"We have to take that into consideration, don''t we?"
"Really?"
Yi-Han thought they were joking. But Ogonin and the skull principal were serious.
Wasn''t a little sacrifice by his friends for the sake of magic justifiable?
''...These crazy mages...''
Yi-Han firmly refused. "That''s not eptable."
"Why not? It''s just making them a bit anxious, not stealing their hearts. If they neglect their studies over a little anxiety, they''d do the same with a mere gust of wind."
"I said no."
Yi-Han''s firm refusal left Ogonin flustered and the skull principal grumbling. However, Yi-Han stood by his decision.
Fine. Practice with instead. How about that?
"But anxiety magic would be better for practice..."
"No. I''ll practice with satisfaction magic."
"..."
Yi-Han''s opinion of Ogonin dropped a little further.
''Hmm. Just because he doesn''t get along with the skull principal doesn''t mean he''s a good person.''
Once again today, Yi-Han was reminded that long-serving mages are likely to be a bit mad.
Its already evening. He had taught you for a long time.
"Well... uh..."
Yi-Han, having lost his entire weekend, managed his expression with a bittersweet feeling.
What could he do about the time that had already flown by? He needed to work harder with the time that remained.
Then, go back to the tower and study magic hard
"Wait! Hold on!"
?
From a distance, the skull principal narrowed his eyes at the sight of Professor Verduus running towards them.
Why are you running so frantically?
"Did you say he increased the duration of the temporary artifact with his mana?"
Yes, that''s what happened.
"..."
Yi-Han was so dumbfounded that he couldn''t speak properly.
How had it already been several hours?
''But wasn''t the skull principal with me all this time?''
"How did you know about that, Professor?"
"The Death Knights told me."
"!"
The conversation between the skull principal and Yi-Han had been overheard by a Death Knight, who then told another, and so on...
As a result, while the skull principal had remained quiet, the news reached Professor Verduus.
It was a chillingly efficient rumor-mongering system at Einrogaard.
''This isn''t some kind of hell.''
The gossiping Death Knights gave Yi-Han a headache.
Should he have learned undead purification magic to dispel them whenever they appeared?
You might be excited, but was there a need to run over and ask?
"Huh?"
Professor Verduus looked at the skull principal as if it was obvious why he was asking.
"Well, I''m nning to take him now to test it... thatrge portablepressed magic stone over there..."
Who?
"No, the student Wardanaz."
''Did he just refer to a person as arge portablepressed magic stone?''
Yi-Han felt a chill down his spine at Professor Verduus treating him like some kind of portable mana battery.
"Professor, it''s already evening."
"It''s fine. I''ll turn on the light."
"...I have several assignments to do, and there''s a ss tomorrow."
"No worries! We''ll be done before tomorrow morning!"
...I usually don''t prevent students from essing magic, but this is too much. No way!
The skull principal spoke firmly to Professor Verduus.
Professor Verduus reacted as if he had heard the sky was falling.
"Why!?"
I just told you why! Even if I repeat myself, you won''t understand.
Usually, the skull principal would have pushed the narrative of ''A mage must endure hardships to grow,'' but Professor Verduus was a different story.
Given his nature, he would likely keep him until the morning ss time.
"I''ll turn on the lights and make sure you''re done before the morning ss!"
Right. I always promise His Majesty the Emperor that I''ll always make the students happy and smiling. As if! Go back. And don''t let any strange professors catch you on the way!
"...Yes... Thank you."
Instead of telling the skull principal ''This is all because you summoned me,'' Yi-Han decided to just quietly go back.
He was genuinely afraid of encountering any more bizarre professors.
"Why do the students of the Blue Dragon seem so happy today?"
"Yeah...?"
"Don''t tell me they finished all their pre-final assignments over the weekend?"
"Ridiculous! Are you serious with that suggestion?"
"But there''s Wardanaz. There are rumors that Wardanaz stayed in the dorm all weekend and worked on assignments..."
"Could it be?"
The students of the other towers looked at those from the Blue Dragon with a mix of fear and awe.
Could it really be true that they had finished their assignments over the weekend?
Was that even humanly possible?
"Yi-Han. Yi-Han. Cast it on me just one more time."
"...No. It doesn''t seem like a good idea."
"Please! Just one more time!"
"Me too, just once more!"
As his friends, one after the other, raised their hands and begged Yi-Han to cast on them, Yi-Han made a firm decision.
"No. Not anymore."
"Ugh... Why...!"
"This happiness... Why take it away...!"
His friends wanted to be angry, but they were too satisfied to truly express it.
''The magic did take effect.''
Normally, he should have been satisfied with practicing the magic correctly, but seeing their current state, he realized that further practice might not be a good idea.
''Illusion magic seems a bit dangerous.''
"Wardanaz. Wardanaz."
Salko from the ck Tortoise called out to Yi-Han. Yi-Han nodded, understanding his intent.
"You want to experience the satisfying magic, right? I''ll cast it just once, and not again. It can be addictive."
"What... are you talking about?"
Salko was confused.
"Weren''t you calling me for that?"
"Of course not. I have something to tell you."
Salko began with a word of thanks.
"I''ve said it before, but thank you once again."
"What for. I helped you for money. Just don''t forget to pay."
Salkoughed, thinking Yi-Han was joking to lighten the mood.
"Hahaha..."
"Why are youughing? I said don''t forget about the money."
"Ah... No. Of course, I''ll pay."
Salko was slightly taken aback by Yi-Han''s more serious attitude towards money than he expected.
He had thought the money was just an excuse to help?
"So, what do you want to tell me? If it''s another reckless attempt likest time, forget it. Do you know how many assignments I have piled up?"
"Don''t worry. I''ve just barely recovered; I wouldn''t try anything reckless again."
Salko had learned his lesson well.
Even if one had friends known for their fighting prowess, wandering recklessly into the outskirts could be fatal!
"Have you been searching for a shortcut to the upper levels of the main building?"
"Yes. Isn''t everyone?"
The first-year students who enjoyed nighttime strolls were all exploring various parts of the main building.
Whether descending into the basement or ascending upwards, the hidden rooms, storerooms, passages, and spaces were of great help to the students.
It was not just out of curiosity, but for survival!
"I''ve found a shortcut to the upper levels of the main building."
"...Tell me more."
During the weekend, as the main building shook and rearranged itself, a student from the ck Tortoise, while raiding the food storage, stumbled upon something peculiar.
"The Red Turnip food storage? Where''s that?"
"Is that really important right now?"
"Of course, it is."
''He thinks about food too much...''
Salko thought to himself.
The students of the Blue Dragon were the most well-fed.
While others were calcting their meals, those from the Blue Dragon would have such unfortunate conversations like, "Ah, the dessert wasn''t great today," or "Even Wardanaz makes poor dessert choices sometimes."
And Salko knew very well that all this abundance was thanks to one student risking his life to provide for them.
He personally thought that feeding suchzy brats was a waste, but...
"Here it is. Satisfied?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Just take what you need. We have to take our share too. And in my experience, if you take too much, the storage tends to change."
"Indeed, you might be right. Keep going."
The student from the ck Tortoise, who had been raiding the food storage, saw the back wall open up, revealing a new passage.
Astonished by this discovery, the ck Tortoise student was about to step into the passage when...
Shortcut to the Upper Floors
This path is protected by a barrier. Those without skill, turn back!
Left with nothing but these words engraved on the wall, the student was abruptly repelled outwards.
A barrier to prevent intruders had been set.
Yi-Han listened with an intrigued expression.
''This is certainly interesting.''
Given that it wasbeled a shortcut to the upper floors, this path could be the shortest route among the ones he had recently explored.
He had not expected the reorganization period to bring such a stroke of luck.
"You might have a way to break through the barrier, so I came to tell you. Here, take this map."
"You''re overestimating me, Salko."
"Is that so?"
"But this time might be an exception. I had the opportunity to learn from a remarkable illusion mage."
"Really... I thought so. Incredible! Who is that person?"
"It''s Mr. Baldoorn."
"Of course. Baldoorn..."
As Salko expressed his admiration, Yi-Han, remembering something btedly, added,
"Right. I also learned separately from Mr. Ogonin."
"I see."
People usually don''t pay much attention to things added as an afterthought.
Salko was no exception.
His focus remained on the name Baldoorn, and he paid little heed to Ogonin.
So, when he finally realized who Ogonin was, Wardanaz had already left.
"Wait. Wardanaz. Mr. Ogonin, you don''t mean... Wardanaz?"
"Wardanaz left a while ago."
"..."
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Chapter 248
Chapter 248
"Why? Do you have a message for Wardanaz?"
"No... It''s not that."
Salko shook his head.
He had heard the name Ogonin before, but it seemed likely to be a case of two people sharing the same name.
That Ogonin should be teaching his disciples in the magic tower by now.
Surely, such a person wouldn''t waste time teaching a first-year student.
"Speaking of which, this person called Baldoorn..."
"Oh. Mr. Baldoorn. I met him when I went outst time, he''s truly wise."
A student from the ck Tortoise who had met Baldoorn with Yi-Han during a previous outing casually responded as they passed by.
"Indeed. Impressive."
Seeing his friends react this way, Salko couldn''t help but believe them.
He must be an extraordinary mage!
The barrier created by illusion magic was akin to a lock.
Just as there are weak and loose locks, there are also strong and sturdy ones, some simple in structure and othersplex.
A barrier set by a skilled illusion mage was simr to severalplex, strong locks oveid upon each other.
An intruder needed to understand and unlock each lock to breach this barrier.
Naturally, the attacking side had to be more skilled than the defending side for such a task.
Of course, Yi-Han wasn''t more skilled than the eminent mage of the magic academy, but...
Bang!
''Fortune favors me.''
Yi-Han had a method taught by Baldoorn.
Using a massive amount of mana to smash the lock itself!
Of course, some barriers were designed to resist such brute force, but many were vulnerable in this regard.
To mage, breaking a barrier in such a crude manner was an unthinkable approach.
Why would a great mage with such power use such a brutish method to unlock a barrier?
They could simply discern the structure and unlock it!
It was natural that they didn''t prepare for such crude unlocking. In a way, it was a waste.
With the sound of a curtain tearing, the barrier opened.
Yi-Han was lucky to encounter a barrier he could break.
He was once again thankful to Baldoorn.
...Of course, Baldoorn hadn''t taught him to unlock barriers in such a brute manner!
''But this staircase is quite long.''
The spiral staircase that appeared after breaking the barrier.
It seemed long, yet the end was nowhere in sight.
So far, there were no blockages or obstacles, so it seemed fine...
Creak, creak!
At the end of the spiral staircase, a door leading to a corridor came into view.
Loud noises leaked from the open door, indicating something was happening in the corridor.
''A magic experiment?''
Yi-Han approached the door and surveyed the corridor.
Iplete magic circles were etched everywhere, and materials were scattered haphazardly. It was a familiar sight.
Whether a mage or not, students struggling with numerous assignments looked simr everywhere.
"Is anyone there?"
Yi-Han called out cautiously.
It seemed better to speak first, rather than stepping in without announcing, regardless of which grade the students belonged to.
Besides, the seniors might not even notice Yi-Han...
Crash! Bang!
Before Yi-Han could finish speaking, containers and wooden boxes tumbled and rolled everywhere.
Then, a piece of paper floated into the air.
-How did you get here, junior?-
Fundamentally, there was little difference between a first-year and a fourth-year student in the magic academy.
Of course, fourth-year students were more adept at taking care of their meals than first-year students, knew more about the magic academy, and were more skilled in using magic, but...
Fundamentally, when assignments were given, they had to do them, and when exams were approaching, they had to prepare, which wasn''t much different from the first-year students.
Even Direth and Coholti, who were among the rare few specializing in dark magic among the fourth-year students, were no exception.
"There''s nothing good about wandering around during the reconfiguration period, right?"
"That''s true. It would have been just that, if some damned souls hadn''t released the King of Frost Giants in the corridor, wasting a whole week."
"..."
Coholti found himself speechless, even if he had ten mouths.
The ident that ovepped another realm in the upper corridor was due to a failed magic experiment he and his friends were conducting.
While the first-year students might have been happy and experienced miraculous times with the arrival of spring snow, Coholti and his friends were busy trying to handle the aftermath.
Even after the King of Frost Giants left, the effects of the ovepped realm didn''t disappear immediately. They had to set up various magic circles around, periodically check the situation, and write reports...
And they had to do all this while preparing for their assignments and final exams.
The professors were kind and gentle to the first-year students but were like des to the fourth-year students.
If they failed to submit their assignments or flunked their exams due to their own experimental mistakes, there would be no forgiveness.
"Yeah, whoever it was, it was really bad."
"Yeah. Hope they''re gone. Right?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Shut up and just finish the magic circle. Considering the time we have left, we would have to work even if it were the week of the Great Demon, not just the reconfiguration period."
The task Direth and Coholti were currently working on was a magic circle for controlling powerful entities from other realms.
Beings summoned from other realms always look for opportunities to stab their masters in the back and break free from control.
Lower rank beings could be controlled with rtively simple methods, but as the summoned beings became more powerful, their intelligence and will also strengthened.
Controlling such beings wasn''t simple. High-level magic was required.
The magic circle they were attempting was one of those methods.
Ifpleted properly, it would weaken the summoned being''s power and break its will...
"Did you finish drawing on the wall?"
"Done."
"Check it."
Coholti rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a round bell. It was a bell contracted with a lower rank demon.
Naturally, it was not possible to summon a powerful summoned creature into an untested magic circle. They had to first summon a weak monster to test it.
Boom!
With a puff of smoke, a demon sprang forth.
The demon, initially appearing to be in pain, soon began to look around and slowly tried to run off to a corner.
"The east side is the life gate. We need to block it."
"I''ll block it now!"
Coholti hurriedly ran to block it, hoping his friend would forget about the King of Frost Giants.
"Blocked it?"
"Blocked."
"Check again."
Coholti summoned the demon again. Like before, the demon initially appeared pained, but quickly adapted and attempted to escape.
"Now the north side is open."
"..."
Coholti sighed deeply.
This was the nature of high-level magic circles.
When one part waspleted, another part caused trouble, and when that part was fixed, a previously fine part started having issues...
"Let''s revise it again."
"Yeah... Ah."
"?!"
Coholti flinched, causing Direth to frown.
It was a reaction that anyone could see meant something was up.
"...What''s up? What''s going on?"
"Ah, it''s nothing."
"Nothing? What do you mean nothing? You clearly just said ''Ah'' a moment ago."
"It''s really nothing..."
"Suit yourself. But if you get caught hiding something, I''ll curse you with the ck gue."
"...Actually, the barrier I set up below to prevent intruders has been broken..."
"Are you kidding me?!"
''Ugh, I should''ve kept it hidden.''
Coholti regretted inwardly.
He should''ve resisted Direth''s persuasions and kept quiet until the end...
"And you call that an exnation? Why did it break? Didn''t I tell you to set it up properly?"
"No... I really... set it up properly..."
"Then why did it break?"
"...I must have made a mistake..."
Coholti shrank back as he spoke.
During the main building reconfiguration period, which even created non-existent shortcuts, the upperssmen had to be more vignt.
What if a freshman wandered into their experiments in the upper floors and got hurt?
-You''ve been at this magic academy for how many years, and what have you learned? Leaving a junior injured in this honorable academy? Can you even fathom having an injured person in this academy?-
-That makes no sen... No, I apologize.-
Naturally, Direth and Coholti had taken measures to prevent lowerssmen from stepping into the newly connected shortcuts.
They had set up barrier magic and even written warnings like, This path is protected by a barrier. Those without skill, turn back!
But Coholti might have made a mistake in setting up the barrier, as it suddenly broke.
"Quick, go back and reset it!"
"Alright, alright!"
Coholti hurriedly made his way down.
However, a guest arrived even faster than that.
A familiar-looking first-year student, whom they had seen before, climbed the shortcut stairs and emerged through the door, leaving Direth and Coholti in shock.
"It''sbeled as the upper floor shortcut, isn''t it?"
-That''s true.-
Yi-Han conversedfortably with the unseen Direth.
It was a scene not too surprising for a freshman at the magic academy.
-Wardanaz. I really appreciated your helpst time.-
When another style of handwriting appeared, Yi-Han was puzzled, then realized.
"Ah. Were you there during the King of Frost Giants incident?"
-Yes. Really, thank you-
Unable to contain herself, Direth elbowed Coholti in the back.
"Look at you. Solved it with the help of a junior and now you''re bragging about it?"
"Cough. Cough! Direth, the junior is watching, violence is..."
"He can''t see us anyway!"
Direth resorted to invisible blows.
Yi-Han tilted his head as the seniors abruptly stopped their conversation and disappeared.
"Are you there?"
-I just dropped my quill.-
''Something''s fishy.''
Yi-Han thought so but didn''t probe further. The seniors must have their reasons.
-How did you get up here? Wasn''t there a barrier?-
"Ah. I tried to unlock it... and got lucky."
...
...
Direth looked at Coholti in disbelief, while Coholti''s face turned beet red and he lowered his head.
''Unlocked by a first-year...?''
If this got out among the other students, Coholti''s nickname would surely be ''The One Defeated by Ironhead'' or ''Below Ironhead''.
''But that''s not the important thing now.''
Deciding to ask how it was unlockedter, Direth focused on the more pressing issue.
-Why are you up here?-
"I''m looking for the spire stable you mentionedst time."
Direth was at a loss for words.
Of course, it was Direth who had mentioned the spire stable, but she never expected a first-year student to seriously attempt to pave a way to the upper floor spire.
...Was he really a first-year?
-...Since I told you, I can''t say anything now. The spire stable is close from here. Follow this corridor, then turn and go up the stairs, and you''ll be right there.-
"Really?!"
Yi-Han was overjoyed, almost jumping with excitement.
He couldn''t have imagined that such luck woulde his way during the reconfiguration week.
''Yeah. I''ve had enough bad luck so far, it''s about time for some good luck!''
Considering what had happened during the weekdays and weekends so far, it wouldn''t have been surprising if a shower of gold coins had fallen as he walked.
He had experienced too much misfortune.
-Wait. But you can''t pass through here right now. There''s an experiment going on.-
Direth drew an arrow on the paper.
At the end of the corridor, covered withplex magic circles, there was a crystal prison.
And inside, unmistakably angry and massive in size, a demon was trapped.
-We can''t remove it until the experiment is over.-
Direth briefly exined what the experiment was about. Yi-Han listened and nodded.
"Do I just need to subdue that demon?"
-That''s right.-
"Does magic pass through this crystal cage from the outside in?"
-It does, but why?-
"sh forth!"
Yi-Han unleashed a bolt of lightning at the nameless demon trapped inside the crystal.
The demon let out a scream mixed with pain.
-Junior. It''s nice that you want to help, but demons don''t submit just because they''re hit.-
"Is that so... I''m sorry."
''Huh?''
While Direth was talking to Yi-Han, Coholti, who was standing by, had a clear view of the demon inside the crystal prison.
Didn''t the demon just avoid his gaze?
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Chapter 249
Chapter 249
Uh, what?
As Direth had said, the powerful demons ssified as superior beings did not sumb simply because they were struck a few times. If a few blows were all it took to subdue them, could they truly be considered powerful? They would be no more than wild beasts. However, Coholti seemed certain he had seen a demon avert its gaze.
"Direth. Direth," Coholti called.
"Do you not see I''m busy finding a way back? Can you find it instead?" Direth replied brusquely.
She was preupied with finding an alternative path for her junior, as his intended route was blocked. It was the reconfiguration week, and some paths had vanished, making her task all the more troublesome.
"Should I hit that demon a few more times?"
"Do as you please. Butter, I''ll hit you too."
"Ha, haha. You''re joking..."
Though Coholti said this, it didn''t seem entirely in jest.
"Knock it down!"
With the incantation, magic was cast upon the demon trapped within the crystal cage. The demon, struck by the shockwave Coholti unleashed, screamed in pain and averted its gaze...
...or rather, it simply looked on with a ''what is this mage doing'' expression.
Embarrassed, Coholti asked the demon, "Did I cast it too weakly?"
Of course, the demon didn''t respond. Coholti cast the spell again, this time with more focus and strength.
Bang!
The shockwave hit, and the demon writhed. That was the end of it. It was markedly different from before.
...Did I see wrong? Coholti wondered and cautiously said, "I wonder if I could ask the junior to use his spell again?"
"Do as you wish."
"Really!?"
"Yes! Ask him to do your assignments and take your exams too. Why not ask him to graduate for you as well?"
"...Just this once... just once..."
Direth backed off with a ''how should I kill this guy'' look in her eyes. Coholti, noticing the cue, barely managed to get permission.
"Just cast it?" Yi-Han asked.
-Yeah. Just do itfortably. Comfortably!-
''What''s going on?'' Yi-Han wondered, moving with curiosity. He couldn''t pinpoint the reason, but he suspected the seniors were under considerable stress. It was known that powerful demons wouldn''t yield to violence, but apart from that, mages also umted stress. If words didn''t work, it was only natural to resort to magic.
The seniors needed to manage their mana, so it made sense for them to ask Yi-Han, who had spare mana.
''I understand.''
It was like students grappling with a difficult experiment, battling the urge to smash their equipment.
''Getting closer would be easier.''
Yi-Han moved closer to the crystal cage. He could aim from where he was, but casting up close was more fun.
Swoosh-
"?"
As Yi-Han approached, the demon that had been boldly staring outside the crystal cage suddenly lowered its gaze.
''Did I see it wrong?''
Yi-Han tilted his head, puzzled, looking at the demon. Then, the demon slowly backed away, overtly avoiding his gaze.
"sh forth!"
-! !
With a painful scream, the demon fell to its knees, forehead touching the ground. It was a clear posture of submission.
Coholti and Direth dropped their staffs in shock at the sight.
Powerful beings from other realms defied the order of the world with their mere presence, bringing their own rules.
Having their own rules meant that these beings possessed a strong resistance to magic, a power that could alter the world''s rules.
The magical resistance of such entities was formidable. This exined the ''what is this mage doing'' look the demon gave to Coholti''s earlier spell.
Of course, magic resistance was not invincible. There were various strategies to ovee it, like casting a specialized, high-difficulty pration magic, or simply increasing the amount of mana in the same spell to forcefully break through...
However, thetter was, in reality, an impractical approach. Merely increasing the amount of mana in the same spell was not the essence of skill.
While the spell''s effects did strengthen somewhat with increased mana, it would have been more sensible to learn and cast a higher-circle spell instead. There was no need to foolishly cram excessive mana into a lower-circle spell.
Due to the inherent limitations of the spell itself, there were constraints to enhancing its effects. Moreover, increasing the mana raised the difficulty of casting, and most importantly, a mage''s mana was not infinite.
Acting recklessly in such a manner could easily lead to mana exhaustion.
-You understand, right? Junior?-
Direth and Coholti warned in detail, fearing that their reckless junior might copse from mana exhaustion in some corner of the magic academy corridors.
They knew this talented junior had an innatelyrge reserve of mana. He was progressing through his magic learning faster than other students due to his exceptional magic talent.
However, they couldn''t just watch and do nothing. As seniors, they had to warn him against dangerous practices.
-Mana exhaustion is much more terrifying than you think!-
-How are you feeling right now? No dizziness or cold sweats?-
"Yes... I''m fine."
''You''re over-worrying,'' Yi-Han thought. If that were enough to make him copse, he would have done so long ago. In fact, Yi-Han was already aware that he instinctively overused mana when casting spells. This was evidenced by the extended duration of his light-emitting and enchantment spells.
The fact that he had just prated the demon''s magic resistance was unexpected, but casting the lightning spell hadn''t been a strain for Yi-Han. If it had been, he would have copsed long ago.
"I''m really fine, so don''t worry. So... did the demon submit because of the damage it took?"
-No.-
-That''s not it.-
Direth and Coholti, fourth-year students specializing in dark magic, answered decisively. The powerful magic attack Yi-Han had just demonstrated was indeed impressive, but it was not the reason for the demon''s submission. Superior demons were not so frail.
"Then why?"
"..."
A moment of silence followed.
"??" Yi-Han was perplexed as his seniors didn''t provide a clear answer.
''What?''
-Well... it''s just that-
-This is... not exactly... it''s not precise, but-
The seniors hesitated to give a straightforward answer, instead beating around the bush. It was because what they thought seemed too absurd.
"Was it scared?"
"Does that even make sense?"
"It doesn''t make sense, but... what else could it be..."
"..."
What if the two seniors told their first-year junior, ''The demon might have been a bit weakened after being hit by a few spells, and maybe you, with your abundant mana and cold appearance, scared it''?
Probably, the junior would return to the tower and say something like,
-Hey, it seems you just need to breathe in Einlogard to advance a grade. Today, I saw some crazy seniors, and instead of admitting they didn''t know, they spouted such nonsense-
But what else could be the reason, if not this?
"Seniors?"
-...This is a veryplex and difficult-to-exin, exceptional phenomenon,- one of the fourth-year students exined, circling around the subject.
-It might sound absurd, but don''t think of it asplete nonsense. There''s some academic evidence to back it up-
Starting from ''today''s cloud formation indicates that demons are particrly weak-willed'' to baseless spections like ''that demon might be weak to lightning,'' the exnations flowed incessantly.
"Uh... okay, I understand," Yi-Han replied, though he was actually not very interested.
What did it matter if the superior demon blocking the corridor was frightened by him or not? The important thing was the spire stable.
-Good. You can pass now. That''s great!-
-Yeah! You can go to the spire stable now! Congrattions!-
Yi-Han sensed that the seniors seemed eager to send him on his way, but he didn''t mind and asked, "But seniors, you were working on an assignment. Didn''t my actions disrupt it?"
They were preparing a magic circle to subdue the demon, but now that the demon had submitted, their ns had gone awry. Yi-Han felt a bit guilty.
-Not at all. It''s actually better this way.-
"Really?"
-Since the demon has submitted, we can just take it with us and say we seeded with the magic circle. The professor won''t bother to check in person anyway.-
Coholti was gleefully passing on this tip to the first-year, when Direth firmly smacked him on the back of his head.
Whack!
"Teach good things, always teach good things!"
''This is it!''
Following Direth''s directions, Yi-Han moved towards the distant rumbling sounds. It wasn''t the noise of people, but the low growls of various beasts. These were sounds one would expect to hear in a stable.
''This weekend...!''
It was the week Amur was visiting. If he just brought Niffirg with him, he could fly out proudly.
Yi-Han looked around for any potential dangers.
''No significant threats... but those Death Knights are a problem.''
The Death Knights were stationed near the stable for security. They chatted among themselves, indifferent to anyone passing by, but Yi-Han couldn''t let his guard down.
''Those Death Knights... more troublesome than I thought.''
A casual conversation could be heart-dropping for Yi-Han if one of them decided to strike up a friendly chat.
Suddenly, the wall in front of Yi-Han melted away, revealing a familiar figure from an inner corridor.
The suddenness of it all left Yi-Han unable to cast an invisibility spell.
"!"
The figure, with its mouth wrapped in bandages, was an odd sight. It was the Spirekeeper, a servant of the principal and a volunteer at the magic academy, whom Yi-Han had met before.
The Spirekeeper did not react with shock upon seeing Yi-Han, nor did he call the Death Knights. Instead, he simply greeted Yi-Han lightly.
''Ah, it''s broad daylight.''
Yi-Han sighed in relief internally.
Unlike at midnight when anyone wandering about was apprehended and thrown into the punishment room, it was still daytime, with the sun high in the sky. It was normal for students to roam around, so the Spirekeeper likely felt no suspicion.
Yi-Han hoped the Spirekeeper wouldn''t remember that a first-year student shouldn''t be here, as it would be quite unusual.
Why are you here?
When the Spirekeeper wrote on a piece of paper and showed it to him, Yi-Han responded immediately.
"I was actually preparing for a final assignment and got lost."
Thats unfortunate. May I guide you?
"Thank you. Oh, is that the stable over there?" Yi-Han asked with a look of innocent curiosity.
The Spirekeeper nodded. Yi-Han continued, his eyes still portraying innocence, "May I take a look around the stable? I''ve been struggling to keep up with Professor Bungaegor''s lectures. I think a visit to the stable might help me a little."
The Spirekeeper''s face showed a dilemma. He couldn''t just let a student wander around a facility where students were not typically allowed.
Yi-Han''s expression turned wistful as he spoke, "Never mind. It seems I''ve asked too much. Unlike my friends, who have been riding horses since childhood and are familiar with them, I''ve always been clumsy with physical activities... Maybe I was just being stubborn out of embarrassment. Please understand."
Yi-Han confidently told a lie that would have made students of the White Tiger throw their spears in outrage if they had heard it.
The Spirekeeper looked around cautiously, then with a look of resolve, he nodded.
"Alright. Follow me."
Having previously received help in the warehouse, and seeing a student trying so earnestly to ovee his weaknesses, the Spirekeeper couldn''t just leave him be. Surely, the Spirekeeper''s master would have acted simrly!
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Chapter 250
Chapter 250
Chapter 250
-Why are you doing this?-
-What have we done so wrong?-
The Death Knightsined, but they could not resist when the Spirekeeper dismissed them and had to retreat.
"Thank you," Yi-Han expressed his gratitude, now able to enter the Spire''s stable with ease.
"Be cautious. The beasts are generally ferocious," warned the Spirekeeper. True to his words, the creatures sleeping inside the stables were astonishing.
''Why do the professors ride such things?'' Yi-Han wondered, eyeing the Hippogriffs, Shedus, Bicorns, Human-faced Birds, and Bos (Chinese unicorn) - rare and powerful monsters he had only read about in fairy tales.
Magic users, after all, were known for taming the strange and defining the mystical...
But why tame such dangerous creatures?
''I see why students are forbidden here.''
Fortunately, bringing a Griffin here would not seem out of ce.
''The inner part is where the beasts rest...''
The Spire stables boasted a long structure, magically erged, making the opposite entrance invisible from the doorway.
Along the elongated corridor, sleeping beastsy on both sides, leading to an exit that connected to the main building''s outer wall. It was essentially an airstrip, designed for direct takeoff into the open sky.
''Didn''t they say they check at the entrance?''
Yi-Han recalled the information he had heard. Though there appeared to be no inspection, those entering or leaving were checked at this airstrip.
Then the person in charge of the facility must be waiting...
?
As Yi-Han pondered this, the Spirekeeper walked ahead, and a horse emerged from inside.
?????
While Yi-Han blinked in surprise, the Spirekeepermunicated with the horse using paper and a quill.
-It''s not dangerous, you say? I understand.-
''Ah, I''ve been too narrow-minded.''
If there were centaurs and minotaurs that could speak, a talking horse wasn''t too shocking. Although it was still somewhat surprising...
You have permission.
"Excuse me?"
Yi-Han paused.
Permission for what?
You wanted to practice right? Try riding this Bicorn. It will help.
"..."
Yi-Han vowed never again to deceive kind people for his own benefit.
The Spirekeeper hadn''t rmended the Bicorn to Yi-Han as a harsh lesson for his wicked thoughts. It was purely out of good intentions, although it turned out to be a lesson.
Riding a Bicorn, simr in build to a horse, meant that one could ride any wild horse.
"...Isn''t that too dangerous, though?"
While taming a dragon could theoretically enable one to tame a wolf, no one suggested taming a dragon just to handle a wolf.
It''s okay. This Bicorn is the kindest among these animals.
"..."
Yi-Han wore a reluctant expression.
By that logic, he would be the kindest person in the principal''s office when with the skull principal and Bdi...
''Just don''t fall off.''
Considering he needed to use this stable on weekends, he couldn''t disappoint the Spirekeeper.
Resolved, Yi-Han decided to do his best to ride the Bicorn.
Complicated movements or acrobatics were unnecessary. He intended to approach with the most basic and safe movement, just a slight touch and then return.
"I am Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. I respect your honor, your pride, and the pride flowing in your bloodline," he dered, recalling the words taught by Professor Bungaegor.
Yi-Han carefully stepped forward, aware that the more powerful the monster, the higher its intelligence and pride. This was especially true for fierce and wild creatures like Bicorns.
While Unicorns, with a single horn, were gentle and kind, Bicorns with two horns were the exact opposite. A wrong approach could lead to being impaled on their horns.
Suddenly, the Bicorn approached Yi-Han and rubbed its cheek against his face.
"What?" Yi-Han was utterly baffled and embarrassed by this unexpected, intimate gesture from the beast he had never seen before.
Was this a trap?
Ignoring Yi-Han''s confusion, the Bicorn gently knelt down, inviting him to mount.
"...I respect you. Truly. You understand, right?" Yi-Han reiterated, worried that the Bicorn might show its true colors once he mounted.
The Bicorn snorted lightly, as if amused by his words, but did not reveal its true nature even after Yi-Han mounted. It calmly trotted to the airstrip and soared into the air.
!
At that moment, the vast expanse of Einrogaard came into view. The Bicorn seemed to read Yi-Han''s emotions, carefully navigating the sky.
"Thank you," Yi-Han whispered, stroking its mane, to which the Bicorn neighed nonchntly.
The ride wasfortable and soothing. The Bicorn was much kinder and gentler than he had feared.
''Ah. So this is why it was rmended?''
Indeed, the Spirekeeper''s suggestion was not without thought. Yi-Han inwardly apologized for doubting him.
Did you get some good practice? the Spirekeeper inquired upon his return.
"Thank you. It was very helpful," Yi-Han replied contentedly.
"I''d like to take it with me if I could."
That''s surprising. That creature is known for being notoriously difficult, remarked the Spirekeeper, astonished, as he passed by Yi-Han.
Yi-Han''s gaze seemed to say, ''Lucky to have survived.''
"...Didn''t you say it was the kindest among the animals here?" Yi-Han questioned the Spirekeeper.
Wasn''t that the case?
It''s a bit grumpy usually, but very gentle with its master, the Spirekeeper exined.
"No..."
Yi-Han was incredulous at the biased view. Even the nastiest creatures have their good moments.
''I shouldn''t ride it again.''
He had thought the Bicorn was gentle, but it turned out to be just luck.
"Who is the owner of this Bicorn?"
The principal.
"..."
Yi-Han stared at the Bicorn, which clung to his sleeve as if begging him not to leave.
Was it kind because he resembled the skull principal!?
Im relieved, but somehow, that''s annoying!''
Yi-Han thanked the Spirekeeper and said his goodbyes.
-Please don''t tell anyone about today''s practice. I''m quite shy-
He didn''t forget to ensure discretion.
There was no benefit in letting the skull principal overhear, as it would surely lead to trouble.
"Niffirg, being ordinary is good. Like the other horses, having an ordinary appearance isforting," said Yi-Han, who hade to take care of Niffirg''s lunch, while brushing his mane.
While munching on its meal, Niffirg tilted its head in confusion. It seemed almost like an insult to it. Moreover, was Niffirg''s original form different from other horses?
"You''re eating well, buddy. Eat more. I''ve even brought you some candy," Yi-Han encouraged, offering treats that would make Gainando jealous. Niffirg, excited, shook its head vigorously.
Thud-
"What''s wrong?" Yi-Han asked as Niffirg frowned and looked at him. Niffirg had sensed the smell of a strange beast on its master.
Hee, neighhee! Neighhhh!
...?!
Niffirg then let out the most sorrowful cry it had ever made, causing Yi-Han to panic.
"What''s wrong? Don''t you like it?" Yi-Han inquired as Niffirg stomped the ground with its hooves, imitating the gestures of another animal.
Picking up a fallen cone and cing it on his head, Niffirg''s expression contorted.
"Ah, Bicorn? I didn''t ride it because I wanted to. Trust me, Niffirg."
Neeigh!
Niffirg turned its head away, clearly not wanting to listen. Yi-Han, undeterred, kept trying to soothe Niffirg''s hurt feelings.
How much time had passed?
Professor Bungaegor, who came to the stable, was puzzled to see Yi-Han.
"So you''re calming down Griff, no, Niffirg...? Good job."
"Can you help me?"
"You''re doing well already. It seems halfway soothed. But what did you do to upset it so much?"
Griffin wouldn''t get upset over a trivial mistake. A powerful magic beast has its pride.
Yet, the answer Yi-Han gave was even more astonishing.
"I just rode Bicorn..."
"What on earth did you do to end up riding Bicorn!?"
Thump-
"!!!!"
"The shield! The shield!!"
"??"
When the shield fell to the ssroom floor, students from the Blue Dragon screamed in rm.
Other students from different towers, still grasping the situation, asked, "Is there a problem if that shield falls? Is it rted to some kind of divination magic? Does danger approach when it falls?"
"We had a bet on that shield."
"I thought it wouldst three days... Oh, no..."
"..."
"Pathetic fools..."
''Itsted just over two days.''
Regardless of the Blue Dragon students'' tears over their lost food, Yi-Han coldly noted the time. It seemed like this could actually be submitted as it was.
Of course, some diligent students might say, "Isn''t an assignment supposed to be a learning opportunity for the student? What''s the point if we use shortcuts?"
''What do I care? I need to survive first.''
Even the fourth-year students were using shortcuts. It wasn''t necessarily wrong. Survival first!
"Is everyone doing well with their assignments?"
"Yes, Professor Garcia!"
The students'' voices, calling out to the troll mixed-blood professor, held more affection than usual, begging silently, ''Please, professor, don''t assign any more work.''
"Assignments are a lot, aren''t they?"
"Yes!!!"
"So, my pre-final assignment will be simple..."
The students'' eyes sparkled.
''Skipping?''
''Pass?''
''Deletion?''
"I think I''ll give it to you next week."
"..."
"..."
"It won''t be too hard. Trust me, everyone. It''ll be simple."
That''s notforting.
Yi-Han knew all too well that the simplicity spoken of by the professors was never actually simple.
"Everyone must be feeling the pressure with finals approaching, and I''m sorry, but today I want to introduce another school of magic." With that said, the professor opened the door and a professor entered the room.
Yi-Han was taken aback.
The professor had the look of the most exhausted and weary person in the world.
''Is that even possible?'' Yi-Han thought. He considered himself well-versed in fatigue and exhaustion, but this professor seemed to have transcended those levels.
How many hours of relentless work would it take to umte such fatigue?
Thud!
In front of the students, a small pot appeared for each. They contained freshly cut saplings.
"Hold the pot."
"Pardon?"
Gainando, who had asked for rification, suddenly found a stick materializing above his head and then striking him.
"Ouch!"
"Don''t make me repeat myself. Hold the pot."
The studentsplied and held the pots.
"Close your eyes and imagine the severed sapling reconnecting."
Silence.
The students closed their eyes and concentrated.
"Those who see the sapling reconnecting, raise your hand."
Quite a few students raised their hands. Yi-Han was among them.
"Those of you will learn healing magic."
"...???"
"???!??!"
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Chapter 251
Chapter 251
It was so absurd that it elicited amazement rather than anger.
''Such a method?''
There was no need to convince the students about the advantages of ''my school of magic.''
It was as simple as forcibly abducting them as disciples.
A brilliant solution that would make Professor Mortum p his knees in agreement!
"Professor? I have no intention of learning healing magic."
"I''m already majoring in one field; how am I supposed to keep up if I add another... It''s hard enough as it is!"
"..."
The innocent protests of his friends painfully struck Yi-Han''s heart.
Yi-Han smiled bitterly.
"Everyone quiet. I''ll exin it to you."
Professor Garcia stepped forward.
"You all know about healing magic, right?"
The students nodded.
Healing magic.
If one were to name the magic most familiar to themon people of the empire, it would be healing magic.
It was widely encountered, had many uses, and thus, mages who could use healing magic were respected.
There was no need to exin the different receptions a dark mage and a healing mage would receive when visiting a town.
Naturally, many mages wanted to specialize in studying healing magic.
''Is there a reason to forcibly bring students for something that''s not even dark magic?''
Most priests from the Immortal Phoenix and a significant number of students from the White Tiger would want to learn healing magic...
"There are too few healing mages right now."
The dark elf professor said with a tired and rough voice.
"So, we''re increasing the number."
"???"
Before the students could be more confused, Professor Garcia continued to exin.
Healing magic was a type of magic that took a considerable amount of time for a mage to perform effectively on their own.
Given its connection to human life, unlike other types of magic, it was difficult to mobilize mages who were still learning it when the need arose.
Moreover, the difficulty andplexity of mastering this magic meant that although many students entered to learn it, the dropout rate was exceptionally high.
"Indeed,st year when an epidemic broke out in the Pesian region, there was a problem due to a shortage of healing mages."
Therefore, Professor Alkasis of the Lagrinde family sought direct permission from His Majesty the Emperor and the skull principal to address the shortage of healing mages.
What was the solution to increase the number of healing mages? It was to increase (even forcibly, if necessary) the number of students learning it.
If the number of students was significantly increased, then even if many dropped out, the overall number of healing mages would increase, wouldn''t it?
So today, by conducting a simple test on the students and seeing if they had even a slight aptitude for healing magic...
"...This is why you are given the opportunity to learn magic. Do you all understand?"
"...Uh... if it''s forced, why is it considered an opportunity?"
Professor Garcia pretended not to hear.
Sometimes professors be cowardly.
Professor Alkasis, with a tired and hoarse voice, said,
"Everyone be quiet. We''re busy, so unnecessary questions are forbidden. Only ask if it''s absolutely necessary."
"Professor, I''m currently majoring in summoning magic, so healing magic is..."
The voice of a student attempting to ask a necessary question vanished.
The students realized the professor''s skill in the silencing spell was no ordinary matter and kept their mouths shut.
"Isn''t that too much?"
"Exactly..."
''Isn''t that just average for a magic school?''
While the students whispered in shock, Yi-Han was not particrly surprised.
Just a ''Ah, it''s the professor'' kind of realization?
"What time is it now?"
"It''s three-thirty."
At Professor Garcia''s answer, Professor Alkasis blinked her dry eyes and nodded.
She had to check the time since her schedule was packed even after the ss.
"Are you going out for the same reason asst time? Isn''t it the internal conflict within the Krongduan Guild you mentioned before?"
Too tired to respond verbally, Professor Alkasis simply blinked, causing Professor Garcia to sigh.
"Oh dear... Adventurers fighting amongst themselves, and inside the city, no less. That''s really unforgivable. You''ll be alright without a hand?"
"That''s why I''m taking the third-years with me. Water, please."
"Here you go."
As Professor Alkasis quickly emptied a bottle of water, Professor Garcia continued,
"Taking the third-years with you..."
"The second-years won''t be much help if I take them along."
"...I wasn''t asking why we''re not taking the second-years."
Professor Garcia said with a weary expression.
And Yi-Han listened with a simrly weary expression.
''This ce is its own kind of hell.''
A different kind of hell than what skull principal, Professor Bdi, or Professor Verduus create.
It wasn''t the professors'' fault.
It was the empire''s fault.
With so many people getting hurt or dying, and so few healing mages, the workload on healing mages had skyrocketed.
Hearing now that even the third-year students were being taken along...
"Professor. I really have no interest in healing magic..."
"There are no exceptions."
"Professor. I''m already taking two majors! Two!!"
"As I said, there are no exceptions. Be quiet."
Professor Alkasis spoke with the firmness of a rock, without a hint of wavering.
It wasn''t that the professor didn''t feel sorry for the students who were struggling with other magics and ack of interest in healing magic.
But there was no helping it.
More healing mages were needed for the empire''s sick.
Professor Alkasis resolved once again to be ruthless.
No excuse could sway Professor Alkasis''s heart.
"Professor! Yi-Han here is already studying dark magic, summoning magic, illusion magic, enchantment magic, divination magic, transformation magic... What else was there?"
Gainando, speaking on his behalf, stopped counting and asked Yi-Han. Yi-Han, embarrassed for his friend, turned his gaze away.
"Anyway, he''s taking all these sses! That''s too much!"
"Don''t lie."
"It''s true! Ask the other professors!"
"..."
Professor Alkasis looked at Yi-Han as if she couldn''t believe it.
Yi-Han felt wrongfully used despite not having done anything wrong.
''Anyone would think I''m taking all these sses on purpose.''
After chewing on her lip in contemtion for a few minutes, Professor Alkasis finally spat out,
"...There are no exceptions. Be quiet."
"That''s too much...!!"
"Enough."
Yi-Han silenced Gainando.
''I should learn the silencing curse sooner rather thanter.''
Professor Mortum was known for coughing a lot (probably due to the tower''s environment), but Professor Alkasis was no less prone to interruptions in speech.
She would stumble over words, cough as if her mouth was dry, and even sit down to rest due to breaking out in cold sweats, until Professor Garcia, unable to stand it any longer, stepped in.
"I''ll take over the basic exnation. Is that okay?"
"...Please do."
"Now, everyone. You just connected the saplings in the pots, right? These saplings are a breed that has been gically modified to respond easily to mana. That''s why you were able to heal them easily. But the principle isn''t much different. Repairing and restoring damaged and broken parts like this is a core aspect of healing magic."
Although it was forced upon them, the students listened with unexpected attention.
Truthfully, given the poprity of healing magic, students would have listened intently even if it wasn''t mandatory.
''But adding a dozen more students doesn''t seem like it would solve the shortage of personnel.''
"Of course, the field of healing magic isn''t limited to just recovery. There''s alchemy, to analyze various conditions like poisoning and to create the appropriate healing potions. Enchantment magic, to make patients withstand various treatments and arcane procedures. Divination magic, to foresee oues... It''s characteristic of healing magic to generously learn from other schools of magic as needed."
''Isn''t dark magic excluded?''
Yi-Han was about to point out the omission of dark magic but held back.
It seemed like it would only sadden students studying dark magic if he asked.
"Uh... So do we have to learn all that?"
One of the students asked with a frightened expression.
Professor Garcia kindly replied.
"Of course not. You only need to learn what''s necessary when it''s necessary."
"Ah, I see... That''s a relief!"
Yi-Han, feeling something was off, asked,
"But Professor, given that there are so few healing mages to treat patients, doesn''t it practically mean that we have to learn everything you just mentioned?"
Professor Garcia ignored Yi-Han''s question as if she hadn''t heard it.
This is what makes a clever student!
Meanwhile, Professor Alkasis, having regained her strength, stood up.
"I''ll continue the exnation. As Professor Garcia just mentioned, a healing mage needs a broad, multidirectional understanding, not just focusing in one direction. This applies not only to magic but also to studying other fields. Let''s assume there''s a patient with a broken bone. Can you heal that bone if you don''t understand the bone structure of the patient?"
Professor Alkasis made a gesture as if breaking a rib while exining.
"Even if you manage to heal it, it might heal in the wrong direction, right? In that case, it''s better not to do it at all. A healing mage must have an in-depth understanding of the body''s structure."
The priests of the Immortal Phoenix and students of the White Tiger listened as if enchanted.
It was a natural response, given their heightened interest.
Moreover, the subject was the structure of the body.
The priests of the Immortal Phoenix and students of the White Tiger were somewhat ustomed and confident.
"Bring it in."
As the door opened, two students who looked as tired and troubled as the professor entered.
The two seniors didn''t juste in; they dragged a coffinrge enough for a person behind them.
With a bang!
Surprisingly, when the coffin was opened, there was a person inside, tied up tightly.
"Unchain."
Following the professor''smand, the seniors unlocked the prisoner''s chains and removed the gag, prompting the prisoner to vehemently protest.
"Damn mages! Even if I have killed a few people, to be treated like this... Urgh."
Yi-Han was startled.
Not because Professor Alkasis had inserted swords into the prisoner''s neck and limbs (though that was surprising too), but because of the swift, lightning-like skill disyed.
Summoning swords out of thin air and then one by one impaling them into the prisoner''s body was no ordinary feat of swordsmanship.
The students of the White Tiger also seemed to sense that the professor''s skill with the sword was extraordinary, murmuring among themselves.
''Does bing a skilled healer also make one proficient in swordsmanship?''
The prisoner''s body turned pale in an instant. The swords had absorbed all the blood.
"Open."
The seniors opened up the prisoner''s chest, revealing the vivid organs within.
Thump!
Several students fainted from the shock. Professor Alkasis said cynically,
"Wake them up. I''m going to exin about the structure of the human body. Listen carefully."
"Uh... Ugh!"
Gainando was about to vomit. Yi-Han quickly cast .
"Thanks, Yi-Han."
"Me... Me too. Me too!"
Professor Alkasis possessed remarkable skill in swordsmanship, capable of disassembling a body with speeds invisible to the eye, and a profound understanding of human anatomy to support it. However, this did not lessen the students'' difort.
After Professor Alkasis concluded the lecture and restored the prisoner, the students had expressions as if their heads were about to explode, overwhelmed by the intimate details andplex information of human anatomy they had never seen before.
Professor Garcia opened a window and asked,
"Is everyone okay?"
"..."
"..."
The students looked at Professor Garcia with eyes full of betrayal and hurt.
Professor Garcia felt very sorry.
"The theoretical exnation is roughly over. Now, everyone, pick up the string in front of you."
A string made from nt fibers appeared in front of the students.
"Cut it and then connect it with magic."
"Done."
"Keep repeating."
"..."
The students felt like they were dumbing themselves down as they cut, connected, and then cut the string again.
Although it might have looked somewhat foolish, this was effective training.
If someone couldn''t properly connect even the simplest nt string, how could they connect a person''s severed blood vessels?
Repetition led to mastery, and it also reduced the wastage of mana.
For a healing mage, who must treat all sorts of injuries, wasting mana is a strict taboo.
This repetition ensured that unnecessary wastage of mana was naturally reduced.
"Do it properly."
"?"
Yi-Han, who had been cutting and connecting, was puzzled by the professor''s remark.
Was what he just did incorrect?
"...Ah, right. Professor, could youe here for a moment?"
Professor Garcia pulled Professor Alkasis aside.
It dawned on him that the professors had been too busy to notice when they were discussing among themselves!
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Chapter 252
Chapter 252
"Indeed, that''s the case," Professor Garcia, ever the exemry educator, exined the essence of the matter sinctly, simply, and with precision.
However, there were times when, no matter how well one exined, persuading the other party could be challengingespecially when the content seemed utterly preposterous!
-Yi-Han is a student from the Wardanaz family, and as I mentioned earlier, hes been attending a lot of lectures. The professors seem to really appreciate him because he shows great aptitude in every ss he takes. So, I hope Professor Alkasis doesn''t overburden him with too many invitations to healing magic ss, out of consideration. There are other professors, after all.-
"Really, don''t do this," Professor Alkasis sighed wearily.
"Excuse me?"
"I said, don''t do this. Who put you up to this? The principal?"
Professor Alkasis was convinced that the skull principal was behind this mischievous prank.
In the entire Einroguard, only the skull principal could dare to y such a prank on the busiest and most weary Professor Alkasis.
The other professors wouldn''t dare, as it could literally be the death of them.
"No, no, no... It''s not a joke!"
"..."
Professor Alkasis grimaced with a headacheing on, while Professor Garcia asked worriedly, "Shall I cast a pain-relief spell on you?"
"Magic doesn''t help much with this... So, you''re saying it''s not a prank?"
"Yes."
Professor Alkasis tried to digest the information she''d just received.
A student taking a slightly excessive number of sses?
It wasn''tmon, but it wasn''t unheard of either. Even Professor Garcia had overreached during her student days, only to regret itter.
...Of course, this student was not just slightly overreaching...
"How many courses did you say he is taking again?"
"Summoning magic, illusion magic, enchantment magic, divination magic, transformation magic..."
"And there was dark magic too, right?"
"Oops. That''s a secret, dont tell Professor Mortum..."
"Do you think I have the time to go and tell him? So, all the sses you mentioned, hes performing well in them?"
''Hes the top student...''
Professor Garcia was about to say he was the top student but hesitated, noticing something amiss.
It wasn''t a lie, but it felt like it could be perceived as one.
"Yes..."
"Does that even make sense???"
"Exactly..."
Professor Garcia also felt it anew.
Each ss, when considered individually, hadn''t raised any gs, but summarizing them to someone else made the situation seem quite bizarre.
"The Wardanaz family, you say...?"
"What does the Wardanaz family have to do with anything? Haven''t you met anyone from the Wardanaz family?"
"I have..."
Professor Garcia became downcast, remembering her scoldings during her own academy days with Professor Alkasis.
''It''s not my fault.''
"Alright, I get it. Sometimes a genius does emerge."
"Isn''t that a bit too generous..."
"Quiet."
"Yes, Professor."
"But what do you mean by ''consideration''?"
Professor Alkasis''s brow furrowed deeper. Favoring one student was against her principles, regardless of their lineage.
"Well, it''s just that... if Professor Alkasis keeps him too long or takes him outside... You know."
Healing Magic, like all magic, was particrly time-consuming and demanding, requiring knowledge in various areas. If Alkasis monopolized the student''s time, it could anger the other professors.
Moreover, in cases like Healing Magic, it wasmon to take students outside for practice.
"Is that even a thing to say?" Professor Alkasis was incredulous. Despite the shortage of personnel, she had no intention of involving first-year students in such matters. Their talent was irrelevant in this context. Even with exceptional abilities, would anyone consider involving a first-year in life-and-death situations?
"Professor Garcia, you should be aware. Even the way we''re doing this now..." Professor Alkasis knew that students forced to learn Healing Magic wouldn''t engage unless they had a genuine interest. It was expected; after all, mages are notoriously stubborn, unlikely to study magic they have no interest in. The idea was to teach them, even forcibly, so they could be called upon in times of need. A mage who knew even a little Healing Magic was far better than one who knew none, though expecting them to y a key role was out of the question. That would be utterly conscienceless.
"Forcibly taught students are not even expected to do a single person''s job. Doing half as much would be considered good. But what''s this about holding them for long or taking them outside?"
Professor Alkasis found it absurd to hear suggestions like ''don''t treat him too much like a protege since there are other professors too'', especially when she was just trying to solve the staff shortage by teaching the bare minimum.
"Right? I''m sorry. I guess I worried unnecessarily," Professor Garcia apologized, feeling awkward. Her concern was born from seeing professors frequently pulling Yi-Han aside, as if to im him for their own towers.
People usually got torn apart when pulled in such a manner.
"The professors keep doing that a bit..."
"Don''t worry about it. And sorry, but this Wardanaz doesn''t really have an aptitude for Healing Magic."
"What?" Professor Garcia was puzzled.
''He seemed to be doing well earlier?''
Professor Alkasis gave a slight nod.
"He''s just pretending. His mana doesn''t decrease."
"...Ah, that means..."
Professor Garcia decided to exin the remaining part of her earlier exnation.
"That''s all! Not so surprising, right?" Having already shared the more astonishing details, she hoped this wouldn''t be too much.
But Professor Alkasis didn''t respond.
"Professor?"
"..."
"Professor??"
"How much mana does he exactly have?"
"Professor. You said you weren''t interested earlier..."
"...I was just asking."
Professor Alkasis changed her tune.
"But this seems a bit unfair. I was too busy to be present when other professors were discussing it."
"Oh, why are you like this, really."
Trying to dismiss the image of Yi-Han being pulled apart, Professor Garcia spoke.
"And Yi-Han isn''t that gifted in Healing Magic."
"...Try this."
Professor Alkasis cleared away the string in front of Yi-Han and tossed a bone to him.
While other students were horrified, Yi-Han, already ustomed to Dark Magic, nonchntly caught the bone.
Snap!
Yi-Han promptly broke and then reattached the bone.
The speed was astonishing.
His understanding of bones, innate mana quantity, and delicate maniption skills were all evident.
Though further teaching was needed for a precise assessment, even from what had been observed, it was undeniable that Yi-Han possessed an exceptional talent for Healing Magic.
"Yi-Han is diligently studying Dark Magic, that''s why," Professor Garcia offered a rather imusible excuse.
"Professor Garcia, you know how beneficial it is to have abundant mana."
"That topic was covered yesterday by Professor Verduus, the day before by Professor Kraer, and the day before that by Professor Mortum..."
"...Well, forget what I said earlier."
"Oh, really, why do you have to be like this!"
"Other than the dissection, it was enjoyable, wasn''t it?"
"Actually, wasn''t the dissection kind of fun too?"
"...Yeah, right. Just don''te any closer."
"?!"
When the ss ended, the students'' evaluations were surprisingly positive, considering they were forced to learn and even witnessed a dissection during the ss.
"Anyone who wants to learn more Healing Magic... this way..."
As soon as the ss ended, Professor Alkasis hurriedly vanished to the upperyers of the tower, and senior students under her guidance called the first-years to stay behind. Despite many being forced into the ss, there was a significant number genuinely interested in Healing Magic. It was the seniors'' role to assist these juniors... although, ideally, it was a task meant for the professor, but Professor Alkasis was too busy.
"Thank you, senior!"
"Hey..."
"Yes, yes?"
The energetically greeting student was taken aback by the senior''s lukewarm response.
''Did I do something wrong?''
"Keep your voice down... my head is splitting fromck of sleep..."
"..."
"..."
''I think the students who wanted to learn Healing Magic might run away at this rate.''
"Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
"Priestess Tijiling."
"Are you alright?"
"What do you mean?"
"Even with Healing Magic ss..."
"Ah."
Yi-Han hesitated for a moment. He was more surprised that the students of the Immortal Phoenix knew about his schedule than the ss themselves.
"What difference does one more ss make at this point? And if I don''t study, being forced into it, I''ll be the one at a loss."
"I''m seriously concerned about your health..."
The Immortal Phoenix priests murmured as they walked past Yi-Han.
-Someone should stop him-
-With the honor and pride of nobility at stake, how can he-
-A person''s life is important!-
''These guys should talk quietly if they don''t want to be heard. Makes me uneasy.''
Yi-Han felt unnerved.
The priests'' earnest worries about his lifespan made him feel a sense of foreboding he hadn''t had before.
But it wasn''t just the Immortal Phoenix priests murmuring about Yi-Han.
"That''s him... the one the professor mentioned... right?"
"Yeah... the advantages of Healing Magic... need to be shown and attracted..."
The old strategy of carrot and stick was employed in magic education too. If forcibly making them sit through magic sses was the stick, then showing them the benefits of the magic was the carrot.
The senior students majoring in Healing Magic, already burdened with their workload due to dropouts, were desperate enough to sell their souls to the devil to attract juniors.
And the hasty words left by Professor Alkasis before she left added to this urgency.
-Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. You know him? Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. If nurtured well, he can do the work of ten. Get him interested in Healing Magic.-
-But Professor... how? The first-years these days are too cunning and will have figured it all out."-
With the professor herself appearing as if she might copse from exhaustion, what advantages could they possibly feel?
-It''s alright. Everyone prioritizes different values. From what I see, he doesn''t seem to valuefort or an easy life. He has a personality like Professor Garcia, burning with a zeal for learning. Understand?-
-Ah, I think I do.-
-Good. Convince him well with that. I don''t need to say more-
-Of course, Professor. We desire the juniors even more than you do!-
"Are you... cough cough cough... interested in Healing Magic?"
"Are you alright?"
When the senior approached Yi-Han with a face that looked close to death, Yi-Han couldn''t help but be startled.
"No, no, it''s just dry... just because it''s dry. Anyway! You must be interested in Healing Magic, that''s why you''re here, right?"
"Well... I still don''t know much about it, just curious."
Yi-Han carefully responded, not wanting to offend the other party.
However, the two seniors seemed not to be offended at all and immediately replied.
"That''s exactly what interest is."
"It''s quite astonishing. To have such interest in Healing Magic. I think it''s my first time seeing something like this."
"Really?"
Yi-Han looked back at the priests behind him.
...But no matter how he looked,pared to the interest shown by the priests in the back, Yi-Han''s interest seemed like a firefly in front of a full moon...?
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Chapter 253
Chapter 253
Chapter 253
"It seems like you haven''t had a chance to talk with the students from the Immortal Phoenix yet..."
"We''ll make time for thatter. So, in which area of healing magic are you interested?"
The two seniors bombarded Yi-Han with questions, giving him no chance to rest.
"Oops! You might not have realized yet which area interests you."
"But that''s okay! That''s what we''re here for. Now, what other sses are you attending? Tell us, and we can help you realize your interests."
"Alchemy. Are you taking alchemy?"
Listening to the seniors excitedly talk among themselves, Yi-Han nodded.
"Indeed! Taking alchemy, that''s a field deeply connected to healing magic. Analyzing diseases and concocting potions to cure them. That might be even more significant than an individual mage''s healing."
"What about enchantment magic? How about that?"
One senior questioned, to which another rebuked as if asking what he was talking about.
"He''s taking alchemy."
"Oops... But you can take two, right?"
"Would he really do that?"
"Didn''t the professor say he''s enthusiastic about learning, so he''s taking other sses too?"
The whispering seniors then looked at Yi-Han, who nodded in response.
"I''m also taking enchantment magic."
"Exactly...!"
"Are you by any chance also taking transformation magic?"
"Why. You''re also taking summoning magic, right?"
"I''m taking both, actually."
...
...
The seniors, initially thinking it was a joke and about tough, halted when they saw Yi-Han''s expression unchanged.
...Was it not a joke?
"All... huh? For real?"
"Is something wrong?"
Yi-Han''s voice became slightly harsh.
Being human, when looking at his current ss schedule, even Yi-Han couldn''t help but feel a simmering anger, despite his best efforts to stay calm.
"It''s not that something''s wrong, but..."
"So, you were talking about Professor Garcia..."
When Professor Alkasis mentioned ''taking all the other sses,'' they thought at most it would be one or two more majors, but they hadn''t imagined it would be to this extent.
The seniors looked at Yi-Han with a slightly pale face and asked.
"Are there more sses you''re taking?"
"Yes. Well."
With each additional ss Yi-Han mentioned, the seniors'' expressions turned from pale to horror.
This is...
This is real...
''...Even if we''re short on people, should someone like him be allowed to take healing magic? Isn''t this too much??''
The two seniors started to seriously feel a pang of conscience.
Phil and Chil.
Those were the names of the two seniors who were temporarily in charge of the healing magic lecture.
"Is that a nickname?"
"Yes."
"Why use nicknames?"
"You''ll understand eventually, but when healing mages go out, it''s better not to mention your family or name."
There was nothing good about having a healing mage''s identity specifically known.
If you were good at healing, you would get requests to help out in case of any incident, and if you weren''t, you would receive calls ming you for it.
To avoid being dragged out on your days off, it was better to usemon and hard-to-remember nicknames.
"..."
"..."
The students from the Immortal Phoenix didn''t take the blood-earned advice of the seniors well.
Instead, they looked at the seniors as if they were absurd.
"Trying to avoid helping those who request it as priests seems a bit..."
"Quiet! You''re from the Immortal Phoenix, right? One of my friends is from there too, and he acted just like you in his freshman year. But this is reality!"
If Professor Alkasis had been there, she might have said, "Are you insane? I told you to entice the students, not drive them away!" Unfortunately, Professor Alkasis was not present.
The seniors, possibly infuriated by the recentment from the Immortal Phoenix student, vented their umted frustrations explosively.
"You need to rest to properly cast magic! Is it magic if you''re dragged out even on your days off because someone needs help?!"
"Who said we''re not dedicated to serving the people of the empire?! We just want some sleep! I was like you guys in my first year too..."
The ranting seniors suddenly came to their senses and hesitated.
"...I got a bit carried away, didn''t I? Of course, there are these minor downsides. But healing magic has more advantages."
"Saving people and receiving their heartfelt thanks."
"Being respected wherever you go in the empire."
"And not to mention, rarely going to the punishment room."
Yi-Han thought to himself.
''That''s not an advantage...''
Other students might be fooled, but Yi-Han was not.
Why would the skull principal rarely send someone to the punishment room?
It was clear there was a shortage of hands for healing mages.
"...So, you see how good healing magic is?"
The seniors, having squeezed out every possible advantage, sent desperate looks to the juniors.
Please don''t run away!
Without you, our faction is doomed!
Fortunately, the new students were either kind or naive. Even after hearing such ominous conversations, they didn''t run away.
"Yes!"
"We''ll do our best."
"...Thank you, everyone!"
"Though doing your best might not be enough...!"
''Puppet y, how refreshing.''
The students each received a plush doll to fiddle with.
Of course, they weren''t given the dolls to actually y with them.
Heal.
.
It was a healing spell designed to heal cuts or wounds inflicted by sharp objects.
While healing spells dealing with internal organs or bones required a perfect understanding of theirplex structures, wounds on the skin and muscles were rtively easier to approach.
That didn''t mean the difficulty level was low, however.
Just as enchantment magic directly cast on people is specifically ssified as enhancement magic, and illusion magic directly affecting people is ssified as mental magic, casting spells on living beings was inherently difficult.
Just like first-year students were initially trained with specially made strings, these plush dolls were items created for simr training purposes.
The difficulty has indeed increased.
Priestess Tijiling wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, feeling slightly tired from the mana expended.
Rejoining a string and mending a wound on a plush doll might seem simr at a nce, but they were fundamentally different. The former involved a simple string, while thetter dealt with a doll made to mimic humans.
It''s definitely gotten harder.
Yi-Han nodded, putting down the plush doll.
He had healed not only the cut wounds but also a broken arm (a fracture) on the doll without breaking a sweat.
"..."
Priestess Tijiling stared intently at Yi-Han.
"I believe in Mr. Yi-Han''s goodwill, but... others might not take kindly to suchments, don''t you think?"
"Why would that be?"
Of course, healing fractures was also among today''s objectives.
However, none of the seniors who had set the goals expected the fractures to be healed too.
Healing the cut wounds alone was considered doing well.
But Yi-Han, utilizing his immense mana, control honed in other schools of magic, and understanding of bones acquired from dark magic, advanced to healing fractures as well when the seniors weren''t watching.
"That''s... not it."
"?"
Priestess Tijiling changed the subject.
"By the way, there will be an event at the academy during the holiday. Are you interested?"
"Of course."
Yi-Han was very interested in making a good impression on the clergy of various orders.
So much so that he didn''t limit his faith to just one order but believed in several.
"...Wait. Can I ask what kind of event it is?"
Considering that the Presinga Order specialized in curses, more specifically, they were interested in wearing cursed artifacts.
Yi-Han was willing to wear artifacts cursed with mana afflictions, but he was hesitant about other types of curses.
"It''s a standard event. We invite the faithful, serve meals, pray..."
''Fortunately, it sounds ordinary.''
"...and wear any cursed artifacts brought by the faithful, and destroy those that can''t be worn..."
"..."
Yi-Han, initially incredulous, paused to consider.
''Wait. If they''re destroying them, can I take some with me?''
Of course, lifting curses wouldn''t be easy, but if he could manage to do so, it might be more worthwhile than he thought.
"Would it be alright if I took some of the artifacts that are going to be destroyed?"
"It wouldn''t be a problem... but do you n to wear more?"
Priestess Tijiling looked at him as if to say, ''Even with deep faith, wearing too many cursed items could be detrimental.''
Of course, Yi-Han had no such intention...
"You''ve caught me. My devotion is showing."
"You two, stop talking and focus on your magic."
The seniors, returning from assisting other students, advised Yi-Han and Tijiling.
Yi-Han nodded.
"I''m sorry."
"There''s no need to apologize. You dont feel particrly upset because I gave you advice, right? If I offended you, I would apologize. Please don''t take it the wrong way."
"...Ah. Yes."
Overwhelmed by the senior''s earnestness, Yi-Han nodded. Of course, he wasn''t offended.
"Phew. He seems alright, doesn''t he?"
"Yeah. He still seems interested in healing magic."
The two seniors walked away, talking among themselves, relieved.
They didn''t notice.
That Yi-Han had healed every cut and fracture on the plush doll when they weren''t looking!
Yi-Han yawned as he walked towards the tower. He had been attending sses non-stop, and the sky had already darkened.
''I still have to use the eggs I brought from the cabinst time, should I make an omelet or scrambled eggs... How many pieces of bread are left? Maybe I''ll cut them up and fry them in butter today. And then study summoning magic in the evening.''
"Out of the way!"
"Push through!"
"...Aren''t you guys supposed to be doing your assignments?"
Yi-Han was at a loss for words upon seeing the students from the White Tiger bumping shoulders and ying a ball game.
Originally, it was a game yed on horseback, hitting a ball with a long stick, but in the absence of horses, it was eptable to run with a stick and hit the ball.
Thetter was what the White Tiger students were currently doing.
"Why... Why would you say something so harsh? What did we do wrong to you?"
"...Didn''t I just ask if you were doing your assignments? Didn''t say anything else, right?"
For a moment, Yi-Han wondered if he had insulted the families of the White Tiger students.
"Wardanaz. Usually, the body and mind are connected, so you need to exercise the body for the mind to function."
"Hey... but Wardanaz is top of the ss."
Realizing the w in his friend''s logic, a White Tiger Tower student elbowed him.
"...You wanna y a round?"
"I''ll pass."
Yi-Han declined.
There was no need for him to test the limits of his physique through a ball game.
He was already testing the limits of his body in other ways.
Thwack!
"Ouch!"
As soon as he finished speaking, one of the White Tiger students was sent flying. Yi-Han clicked his tongue and approached.
"Do you guys get itchy if you don''t cause trouble?"
"My... my ankle..."
"Stay still."
Yi-Han checked the fallen student''s ankle. It was clearly in bad shape.
''I''ll have to administer first aid and take him to the infirmary.''
"Stick together!" Yi-Han cast a healing spell.
"Call Professor Garcia! Get Professor Garcia!"
"...Oh."
Yi-Han hesitated.
Was this amon urrence, as the White Tiger Tower students immediately tried to call Professor Garcia?
...Did I unnecessarily use magic?
''If I knew they were going to call the professor, I wouldn''t have bothered with first aid.''
The student with the broken ankle, realizing he had been healed, looked at Yi-Han with an awkward expression.
-Shouldn''t you be stopping them from calling the Professor?-
That was the kind of expression he had.
Yi-Han chose to ignore it.
They''re your friends, so you stop them!
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Chapter 254
Chapter 254
"Friends! I think I''m feeling better now!" eximed the student with the broken ankle. The other students from the White Tiger looked at him with expressions that seemed to say, ''What nonsense are you talking about?''
"Are you saying this because you feel guilty about calling Professor Garcia again? Of course, we feel sorry too. But there''s nothing we can do, given your injury," one of them remarked.
''What fools,'' Yi-Han cursed the White Tiger students in his mind.
If they felt guilty about causing idents and calling Professor Garcia, shouldn''t they stop engaging in such violent sports?
"No, it''s not that. Wardanaz gave me first aid, and now I feel better," the injured student rified.
"First aid? Ah, healing magic," they realized, recognizing the kind of magic Yi-Han had used.
Not all students who hade to learn about healing magic were from the Immortal Phoenix. Among the White Tiger students, quite a few were interested in healing magic, especially those who operated in border regions or battlefields where such magic was essential.
"Ctran, that won''t be enough," they argued.
"Right, what are you talking about?" another added.
The White Tiger students, learning about healing magic, were not easily persuaded. Especially the beginners, for whom healing magic could be dangerous. Even if it seemed to have worked, the bone might not have set properly or could have healed in the wrong direction.
"Even if it''s Wardanaz... Oh, Wardanaz, I didn''t mean to offend you. You know that, right?"
"For your information, there are eight of us, Wardanaz. Eight."
"Why emphasize the number? What''s the intention?"
"Ah, nothing. Just that there are eight of us..."
The White Tiger students'' voices trailed off in embarrassment.
"I agree we should call the professor. If I knew she would be called, I wouldn''t have administered first aid. It was just a temporary measure."
"See? Even Wardanaz says so. We need proper healing magic, Ctran."
"I really am okay, though..."
While they were arguing, Professor Garcia arrived.
Seeing the sticks in the hands of the White Tiger students, she asked, "Did you get hurt ying hard again?"
"No, it''s not that..."
"Just... fell while running..."
The students awkwardly tried to hide their sticks. Yi-Han sighed at their foolishness.
''Foolish idiots.''
If they had to hide it, they should have done so earlier. How could they survive in Einroguard with such a careless attitude...
"I''m not angry, just asking," said Professor Garcia, though she didn''t seem very convincing.
There were a few people who could instill fear without getting angry, and Professor Garcia was one of them.
"So, who is injured?"
"Here, Ctran."
"He''s not injured, is he?"
Professor Garcia looked puzzled. The White Tiger students, in a rush, started to exin.
"It might look fine on the outside, but we don''t know what''s going on inside!"
"The ankle was dislocated, and Wardanaz only gave first aid..."
"Ah, I see."
Professor Garcia swung her staff, aiming to assess the student''s ankle condition urately.
Suddenly, her expression turned grave, startling the White Tiger students.
"Is there a problem?"
"Could Wardanaz have made such a mistake?"
"Healing magic can be more dangerous if attempted recklessly."
''I guess I''ll have to resort to the story of the Good Samaritan if they me me,'' Yi-Han thought.
While they were upied with their differing thoughts, Professor Garcia finished pondering and called Yi-Han aside.
"Student Yi-Han, could youe here for a moment?"
"Is there a significant problem?" Yi-Han asked.
"No, not really," replied Professor Garcia, whispering so softly that the other students couldn''t hear. "It''s healed very well."
"Uh, isn''t that a good thing?" Yi-Han was puzzled.
If the bone had healed properly, why the need for such a serious expression?
"It''s good for that student, but the situation is a bit different for you, Student Yi-Han."
The difference between having a talent for healing magic and being able to heal a friend''s injury so cleanly was substantial. The wound wasn''t severe, but healing a living person so wlessly, without any mistakes or side effects, was an impressive feat, considering even some second and third-year students couldn''t perform wlessly on people...
??
Yi-Han was even more bewildered. He understood that using healing magic in real life was more challenging than he thought, but if he had managed to do it sessfully, wasn''t that a good thing?
"Listen carefully, students learning healing magic often go out to help with external work, right?"
"I''ve heard that," Yi-Han replied.
"You might be taken along for those tasks..."
"But I''m only a first-year student," Yi-Han was rmed at Professor Garcia''s words.
Even though he had sessfully healed a sprained ankle, being deployed for tasks requiring a healing mage seemed excessive.
"Its a different story if youve aplished something like this even as a first-year student. If you can do it once, you can do it twice, and with more practice, you be skilled..."
''Is she friends with Professor Bdi?''
Yi-Han''s opinion of Professor Alkasis plummeted.
Professor Garcia''s casual remarks were something Bdi would say...
"Actually, seeing how you fixed that bone earlier, I think you could be trained in practical sessions."
"I don''t think so," Yi-Han firmly disagreed.
Healing a White Tiger student''s sprained ankle was one thing, but aiding numerous critical patients was quite another. Yi-Han didn''t feel confident enough to dive into thetter task. After all, he was just a first-year student!
"That''s why I''m saying this. Don''t go around telling anyone that you healed the ankle of a White Tiger student, okay?"
"I understand. Thank you."
Yi-Han felt genuinely grateful for his teacher''s wisdom. Where else in the world of magic academy could one find such a professor?
"What''s going on, Wardanaz? What happened??" The White Tiger students were terrified when Yi-Han turned around with a joyful face.
"It''s nothing. The bones inside were growing incorrectly and were shattered, but Professor Garcia took care of it," he said.
The White Tiger students threw fearful nces at Yi-Han. It certainly wasn''t the kind of news to be delivered with such a happy expression.
The approaching final exams were palpable.
In the morning, instead of chatting or joking around, the friends sitting in the lounge were engrossed in their books or scribbling with quills, as if in a trance.
''Everyone''s working so hard.''
Yi-Han was no different. In one hand, a book; in the other, a rice ball. His familiar demeanor exuded a sense of calmness on another levelpared to the other students.
"Let''s go."
"Cough, cough."
During mealtime, Gainando, who firmly believed it was disrespectful not to focus entirely on the meal, choked on his food at Yi-Han''s words.
"I''m still eating. Cough, cough."
"Got it. I''ll give you five minutes, so hurry up and finish."
"..."
Gainando sent a pleading look, but it had no effect on Yi-Han.
"Choke..."
"Eat quickly. We have to go make an undead contract."
As much as the pre-final assignments piled up, they had to be tackled whenever there was spare time.
Procrastinating even a little could result in being overwhelmed by the avnche of assignments.
The assignment to be finished this morning was on summoning magic.
Gainando and the others, still without a contract, nned to find an undead from the undead realm to make a contract, while Yi-Han, already made a contract, was looking to find more.
''I hope I can find a skeleton mage.''
It was a wish unfulfilled sincest time.
"Why are you joining us when you''ve already made a contract? What''s your ulterior motive?"
Raphael gruffly addressed Yi-Han upon seeing him.
Ymirg and Gainando tried to dissuade Raphael, as if asking what he was talking about.
"Do... Do you think it''s too much to ask for help?"
"Aren''t you oblivious?! What if Yi-Han really decides not to help! Go in there alone, you fool!"
Raphael was slightly overwhelmed by Gainando''s fierce reaction and stepped back.
"If you tell me to go alone, I might not be able to..."
"Everyone, quiet down. Stop fighting."
Yi-Han scolded them sharply.
Whether Raphael went alone or not was none of Yi-Han''s concern, but he wanted to bring Raphael along if possible.
''A party is always stronger with a sturdy shield.''
As felt during thest venture, having a vanguard to attract and robustly block the enemies'' attention was indeed convenient.
Especially if Raphael was absent, Yi-Han would have to assume that role!
"Yi-Han. Look at that guy!"
"Raphael probably didn''t mean any harm. His words may be harsh, but he''s not a bad guy."
Of course, Yi-Han thought Raphael was a hot-tempered guy, but he could appease him until they entered.
"And Raphael, I understand your misunderstanding. I could submit my assignment as it is, but I''m not the type to abandon my friends just because I''m done."
''Ideally, a skeleton mage, or even a skeleton archer. I need to secure them before the final exam period gets busier.''
"Last time I received help, so it''s only fair that I offer it now. Does that make sense to you?"
"Hmph!"
Raphael didn''t say anything more, but his attitude had clearly softened.
He couldn''t deny that Yi-Han''s motives were honorable.
Moreover, intervening in the quarrel and even scolding his close friend Gainando showed a magnanimous side that Raphael couldn''t emte.
''Maybe this time, I have to admit...''
Thirty minutester.
Raphael cursed with a grim face.
"Evil scum! Shameless brute! Cunning devil!"
As soon as they entered the undead realm, Raphael was forced to take the vanguard, unleashing a string of curses.
He had been tricked into this role before, and now again.
"I''m... sorry."
Ymirg apologized, but Gainando intervened.
"Why apologize? We''ve distributed roles among ourselves."
"Prince, as I said, that devil is better with a sword than I am!"
"Hey. Stop making strange excuses. Does that even make sense?"
Gainando responded incredulously, further infuriating Raphael.
This ignorant fool!
--
A skeleton warrior appeared before them.
Ymirg muttered in surprise.
"Wow... I didn''t expect it to show up so quickly..."
"..."
Yi-Han pretended not to know.
Although Professor Millei had set up a safety mechanism, there was a chance that Yi-Han''s magic had leaked out and attracted the undead.
''But the probability of that seems very low.''
Yi-Han thought so.
Like thest time, it was possible that they had coincidentally encountered the undead. Making assumptions wasn''t a good habit.
"Should we subdue this one and try to make a contract immediately?"
"Yes. That would be..."
-... -
-... -
"..."
"Th... That..."
Raphael felt a chill run down his spine and his limbs stiffen at the sight of the numerous undead that had appeared.
The professor had set up a safety mechanism, so how could this happen?
"How can this be, Wardanaz?! How?!"
"It''s truly an inexplicable situation. An unfortunate turn of events."
Yi-Han seriously answered as if he truly did not understand.
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Chapter 255
Chapter 255
Yi-Han seriously answered as if he truly did not understand.
"Wardanaz!"
"I said I don''t know."
"That''s not what I mean! I''m asking for directions! What should we do!"
Raphael eximed desperately.
Then, Gainando spoke with a look of incredulity.
"You''re from a knightly family, aren''t you! In situations like this, it''s you who should step forward!"
"Shut up! Prince! Why are you like this despite being royal?"
"No...!"
Gainando was momentarily at a loss for words at such absurdly unreasonable demands.
And then, he became furious.
"Hey! What does it matter that I''m a prince! Are you even sure you''re from a knightly family?! What kind of knight behaves like this!"
"If you''re royalty, then show somepetence worthy of it! The princess in your tower has followers in our tower, and what about you?"
"I am showing my abilities! Everyone in our tower knows my capabilities! Yi-Han! You know my abilities, right?!"
Gainando shamelessly twisted the truth, exploiting the fact that his adversary was unaware of the situation in the Tower of the Blue Dragon.
"Yi-Han??"
Yi-Han and Ymirg were retreating far away from the two.
Startled, Gainando shouted.
"Yi-Han!! We should only leave that guy behind! Why me?!"
"Run faster. I thought you had some leeway, seeing how you were pointlessly fighting."
Gainando and Raphael ran towards them, cursing each other in a panic.
Ymirg whispered in a bewildered tone, watching them.
"I... I shouldn''t be the one to say this... but is it really okay like this???"
"It''s fine. This is how theye to their senses and improve their rtionship."
"...?!"
Ymirg thought Yi-Han''s words made no sense, but Yi-Han''s face was dead serious.
''Wardanaz... he must have some n in mind...?''
''Those guys need to get caught at least once toe to their senses.''
Unfortunately, they did not get caught. They arrived at the hill, panting heavily.
"Hey, huff huff. Is it safe here? Should we just go to the exit... huff huff."
"It''s riskier than you think to just go. Let''s deal with this first."
The true strength of the undeady in their limitless perseverance.
While other monsters might tire and give up the chase, the undead could endlessly swarm.
Any premature attempt to flee could lead to being surrounded, which would only worsen their situation.
"This ce doesn''t look very sturdy."
Raphael surveyed the ruins of the temple with a worried expression.
Even in another realm, it wasn''t a void empty of everything. There were bits and pieces of various items and ruins from different ces.
It wasmon to see graves, cemeteries, or nearly ruined buildings in the realm of the undead.
Now, the four of them had arrived in front of the crumbling ruins of an ancient temple.
This was better than facing the undead in an open field, but even so, the temple ruins seemed too fragile.
"This wall... will it copse if pushed? If the undead push it..."
"It''s not that weak, so don''t worry. I''m also nning to reinforce it."
"How?"
Instead of answering, Yi-Han swung his staff.
"Gather, earth!"
A mound of earth piled up behind the wall of the ruins. Raphael hesitated upon seeing it.
"Stacking mounds of earth behind the wall might help, but this seems insufficient..."
"Gather, earth. Gather, earth. Gather, earth..."
Without a pause, Yi-Han piled up mounds of earth in various ces inside the ruins, reinforcing the walls so they wouldn''t copse.
Then, the once seemingly fragile ruins of the ancient temple transformed into a decent makeshift fortress.
With walls and earth enclosing it, the spacious interior of the makeshift fortress became easier to defend.
Excluding the passage at the temple entrance, it seemed nearly impossible for enemies to enter.
"It''s done."
"..."
Raphael was newly astounded.
Every time he saw it, he couldn''t help but marvel at the abilities shown by this ''Wardanaz'' in magic. It was enough to make one think that this was what a great mage should be like.
"Can''t wepletely block the entrance?"
"It would be troublesome to clear itter, and if we block it entirely, the undead might enter from some strange ce. It''s better to lure them to the entrance and deal with them one by one."
"I see."
"Now, go and lure them here."
"...What?"
"Lure them to the entrance."
Yi-Han waved his staff.
He nned to wait in the inner clearing and cast spells to take down the enemies as they passed through the entrance.
For this n, Yi-Han needed to stay here.
Someone else would have to draw the enemies to the entrance, and naturally...
"You are a knight, aren''t you? Surely you''re not thinking of asking those who can''t even properly wield a sword?"
"..."
Although it wasn''t wrong, Raphael felt a surge of anger. Internally cursing Yi-Han, he walked towards the entrance.
Crack!
"That''s right!"
Another undead stumbled through the entrance corridor and fell.
Raphael, who had been tensely aiming his wooden sword, let out a sigh of relief.
Things were going much smoother than he had feared.
A quick nce outside showed that the number of undead that had swarmed them earlier had reduced to about a quarter.
It seemed they could handle this number.
"...Yi-Han. But didn''t the professor sayst time?"
Gainando, feeling more at ease, whispered to Yi-Han.
Last time, Yi-Han''s mana had inadvertently drawn more undead...
"Gainando. It seems you''re free enough to talk while the undead are pressing outside. Do you want to do the luring?"
"Ah... No. No, I don''t."
Gainando quickly shut his mouth.
Yi-Han thought to himself.
''Surely no more wille.''
Even if the undead were attracted by his mana, the fact that more appeared thanst time was unsettling.
If it was a coincidence, that would be a relief, but just in case...
''If the ones that came closest time have gathered more this time...''
If the undead that had approachedst time but hadn''t seen Yi-Han were now waiting nearby and had gathered again, that changed things.
Each time they entered, more undead might umte.
If entering the spirit realm meant the spirits avoiding them and entering the undead realm meant the undead attacking them, then the use of summoning magic would be increasingly arduous.
Yi-Han resolved that if that were the case, he must bring Raphael and Gainando with him.
"...It seems like we''ve taken them all down."
Raphael said hesitantly.
No more sounds of undead came from outside the passage.
"We should go out and check."
"Stop ordering me ar... Ah. That''s what you meant."
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han and Gainando, about to leave, looked at Raphael with pity.
Raphael''s face turned red.
"I just heard it wrong!"
"Sure, sure."
Yi-Han and Gainando peeked out of the passage.
The horde of undead from earlier had disappeared, leaving behind...
"Uh!"
Gainando recoiled in rm behind Yi-Han. There was still one undead left.
It seemed to have arrivedte because it was positioned at the back.
"Don''t worry. One more is easy to deal with..."
-!-
Before Yi-Han or Gainando had evenunched an attack or any kind of suppression, a skeleton warrior that had approached them suddenly fell prostrate.
At this sight, both Yi-Han and Gainando were at a loss for words.
"Huh. If this was going to happen, couldn''t we have just waited instead of fighting earlier?"
"That''s nonsense. The more undead gather, the more violent they be. They would never have surrendered this easily."
Yi-Han stated firmly.
However, his voice slightly quivered.
After defeating the horde of undead, the four sessfully found and contracted with more undead.
When they returned to the exit, Professor Millei was talking with a few students in the ssroom.
"Good day, Professor."
"Did you by any chance go into the undead realm and return?"
"Ah. Yes. It was for an assignment."
"It would be wise not to enter for about two days."
Professor Millei adjusted her monocle as he spoke.
"The flow of mana in the other realms is unstable. If you go in now, you might encounter trouble..."
"Ah! We did encounter trouble!"
Gainando eximed as if realizing something.
"We were walking around inside, and dozens of undead swarmed us! That''s why..."
"?!"
Professor Millei tilted her head, sensing something odd.
"If the flow of mana is unstable, it may change the nature or behavior of the undead, but for dozens to swarm despite safety measures in ce is something entirely different..."
"Indeed. The flow of mana is truly amazing. We must remember to double-check the safety measures before entering in the future."
Yi-Han spoke decisively.
He quickly changed the subject.
"Professor, could you please check the undead we contracted?"
"Lets have a look then."
Unaware of her pupil''s ulterior motives, Professor Millei nodded.
The pre-final assignment for the Summoning Magic course was to contract with a summon.
While students always wanted to contract with strong and impressive summons, the professors'' criteria were different.
Finding powerful and rare summons was something for higher-level students to do.
The current importancey in how well a student could handle their summon.
Even with the same summon, contracts could vary from absolute loyalty to near impossibility of control, so caution was necessary.
Of course, Professor Millei didnt expect first-year students to control their summons withplex and thorough contracts; that was too much to ask at their level.
What the professor expected was to see how well they could manage with simple, informal contracts.
"Make it turn around."
"Turn around. Turn around. Please turn around. Hey. Please...!"
After about ten attempts by Gainando, the skeleton warrior sluggishly, sluggishly turned around.
Professor Millei nodded knowingly as she manipted her quill.
"It was friendlier before. Maybe it''s having a difficult day today."
Gainando, trying to prove his friendship with the skeleton warrior, draped an arm over its shoulder.
The skeleton warrior pushed his arm away as if annoyed.
"Now, try to make it express the number 4 with its fingers."
"Number 4... Number 4..."
It was the same for Raphael and Ymirg as well. Although they had made the contracts, detailed instructions proved somewhat troublesome for the summons.
When it was Yi-Han''s turn, Professor Millei had to manage her expression to hide her anticipation.
She was curious about how Yi-Han, as the student who had scored the highest on the midterm exam, would persuade his summon.
"Make it lie down."
"Lie down."
Thump!
The skeleton warrior immediatelyy prostrate.
Though it might sound odd to say that the undead was disciplined, at that moment, no other term seemed more fitting.
"...express the number 4 with your fingers..."
"Show the number 4."
The skeleton warrior immediately bent four of its fingers.
Professor Millei was dumbfounded.
As a master of summoning magic, she was well aware of the method Yi-Han was using to control the undead.
So now...
''He''s intimidating the undead into obeyingmands?''
While it wasn''t technically the wrong approach, it was nheless astonishing.
The assignment was given to learn how to handle powerful beings they would meet and contract with in the future, not to simply overpower them.
"...Well done. You get full marks."
Despite her astonishment, Professor Millei didn''t say anything.
After all, it was impressive in its own way.
"Good job. Gonadaltes."
"..."
Professor Millei decided to pretend she hadn''t heard thatst remark.
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Chapter 256
Chapter 256
"Is it that hard to express the number four? Hey! That''s a one!"
"It''s not, Gainando. That''s not a one, it''s the middle finger... never mind."
Yi-Han was about to advise Gainando but then he stopped himself.
Befriending a summoned creature was also a task for a mage.
It would be better for Gainando to realize it on his own than for Yi-Han to give unwanted advice.
''And besides, it''s too bothersome.''
Havingpleted his assignment, Yi-Han quickly turned away. There were still mountains of tasks awaiting him.
"Why do you keep showing one? Keep this up and my fearsome friend, the great mage, won''t leave you alone! Yi-Han? Yi-Han!!"
Yi-Han ran off, pretending not to hear.
"What''s going on?"
Having left Gainando behind and rushed to the alchemy ssroom, Yi-Han hesitated at the scene before him.
In front of the students of the Immortal Phoenix, led by Priestess Siana, other students waiting in a long line for the alchemy lecture.
"Here you are."
"Sob sob. Thank you, Priestess. You are the only one."
"You, there''s no need to be like this."
"No! You are the only one, Priestess! So, could you please give me a little more...?"
"I''m sorry, I can''t."
"Please! Just a little more!"
Boos erupted from the students waiting in line.
"Are you the only one with assignments?!"
"Can''t you just leave already!? You disgrace!"
"...????"
Confused, Yi-Han turned to see Yonaire appearing behind him.
"It''s because of the assignment."
"The assignment?"
"Yes."
Beneath Yonaire''s eyes were the marks of sleeplessness and exhaustion. Yi-Han looked at his friend with a pained expression.
"The alchemy pre-final assignments are trickier than we thought, right?"
"They''re just very tricky."
The kind Professor Uregor had instructed them to create a potion of appropriate difficulty for the pre-final assignment.
-Make an Aurum''s Golden Potion. It''s not too hard, so all of you should be able to make it.-
Of course, the students were not fooled.
The Aurum''s Golden Potion was not too difficult to make in terms ofplexity.
The process was rtively simple and didn''t require many additional steps...
However, the ingredients involved were terriblyplex.
First, one had to mix a Lesser Mental Strengthening Potion and Setribi''s Dew Potion to create the base, then add a mixture of the same Lesser Mental Strengthening Potion with Dobruk''s Blood Drop Potion, and then again Lesser Mental Strengthening Potion with Belezen''s...
Since other potions A, B, C, D, E, etc. were needed to make one potion, this potion was already the nemesis of alchemists.
Even if the difficulty was not too high for first-year students, making a few mistakes was expected, but a single mistake meant starting over from scratch.
Making the Lesser Mental Strengthening Potion again, remaking Setribi''s Dew Potion, and Dobruk''s Blood Drop Potion...
Professor Uregor had said, ''Knowing how to make an Aurum''s Golden Potion will reduce mistakes and improve your skill in making other potions'', but the students were already plotting to toss him into a cauldron.
"I heard that the Immortal Phoenix priests have a lot of ."
"!"
Most of the Empire''s orders were based on virtues like frugality, conservation, and devotion.
Thus, the students of the Immortal Phoenix adapted to Einroghard more quickly than anyone else.
Not only that, but they also shared with their fellow students.
The students of the Immortal Phoenix, who grew up working in the temple, were just as resilient as the students of the ck Tortoise.
-Would you like some dessert? I have a slice of ck bread from the academy and coffee made from dandelion roots.-
-...Well... I appreciate the thought, but Wardanaz must be waiting with dinner. Snacking now would disappoint him!-
And it was in potion making that this resilience shone the brightest.
Having grown up in the temple, even those who didn''t major in alchemy had heard and helped enough to be knowledgeable in potion making.
While the students of the White Tiger scoured the mountains and forests for game, and those of the ck Tortoise gathered various odds and ends for the ck market, the Immortal Phoenix priests, in their spare time, gathered ingredients and made potions.
As a result, they had umted quite a stock of ...
Faced with this situation, they decided to distribute them to their friends without any conditions.
"Oh no!"
Yi-Han sighed upon hearing Yonaire''s exnation.
"I should have gone to the Immortal Phoenix... Ah, sorry, Yonaire. I don''t mean toin about the Blue Dragon Tower."
"Honestly, with the things you do, Yi-Han, no one could me you even if you hadints..."
Yonaire thought if anyone had a conscience, the students of the Blue Dragon Tower should keep their mouths shut.
"And I do feel it''s a waste."
"Right?"
Yi-Han and Yonaire sighed together.
If there were surplus resources, they should be efficiently bartered to increase capital, not distributed for free.
The vile students from the other towers were exploiting the goodness of the Immortal Phoenix priests.
''If I were there, I would have taken charge.''
After sighing, Yi-Han joined the line with Yonaire.
It was regrettable, but if they were offering potions, they had to ept them.
"How many bottles of would be enough?"
"Twenty bottles... No, even twenty might not be enough."
"The finals will be simr, right?"
"Yeah..."
Yonaire''s face darkened.
With the pre-final assignments being so dreadful, she worried about how difficult the final exam potions would be.
But Yi-Han had not yet given up.
''There''s a way.''
Yi-Han had ns to go out this weekend.
If he went out and bought all the useful alchemy ingredients and potions he could find...
It would be like solving half the problem, no matter what difficult task Professor Uregor set.
"Hehehe..."
"Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family?"
The Immortal Phoenix priests tilted their heads when Yi-Han didn''t respond.
Yonaire, slightly puzzled, tapped Yi-Han''s shoulder and called out.
"What''s wrong? Shocked by the assignment?"
"Oh. It''s not that, it''s just..."
"Hurry up and take it!"
A student from the White Tiger behind Yi-Han grumbled. When Yi-Han stared at him, the student averted his gaze.
"Priestess Siana, a brilliant star of the meng Order. It''s a pleasure."
"Compared to Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family, a connoisseur and adept in alchemy, I am nothing."
Priestess Siana greeted him warmly and began cing potion bottles into a basket.
The basket quickly filled up...
And then another bottle for another basket...?
"?"
"??"
Yi-Han and Yonaire looked at each other.
''It seems like she''s giving us more?''
''She is giving more.''
"Here. Take it."
"Uh... thank you."
Yi-Han briefly wondered whether to point out the ''mistake'' of being given too many potions or just ept them as they were.
However, a student who had received his portion earlier eximed in disbelief.
"Priestess! The amount Wardanaz received seems to be at least twice as much as mine?!"
''It looks more like three times as much.''
In truth, even twice seemed a rough estimate.
"Well, what you just received was the potion given by the priestess, and what Wardanaz received was from Siana, the brilliant star of the meng Order."
"..."
"..."
"Do you have anyints? Would you like to return it..."
"No, no."
The student who had just questioned hastily collected himself and stepped back.
"Siana, the Venus-like priestess of the meng Order..." A student tried the ttery method.
"It''s toote now. Next!"
Yi-Han thought to himself.
''Tsk tsk. Should have done it earlier.''
He always felt this way, but preemptive ttery never hurt.
Especially seeing these bted attempts only reinforced this thought.
"Wardanaz...! To have even the priestess in the palm of his hand...!"
"Do you have eyes just for decoration?"
Yi-Han was incredulous at the other tower students'' reactions.
How could they see this as Yi-Han manipting Priestess Siana?
They didn''t do it themselves in advance!
Professor Rosine, who was in charge of the ss, started off by praising the students.
"Wow! Student Shyles! Professor Bungaegor said that the horse you''re taking care of is doing really well!"
"Th-thank you."
"Student Asan! I heard you brought a magnificent spirit. Excellent!"
"I was just lucky. Thank you!"
"And Student Yi-Han! Student Yi-Han is..."
Professor Rosine hesitated for a moment when it came to Yi-Han.
There was so much to praise that it was momentarily confusing what to choose.
"... Anyway, you''re doing well!"
"?!"
Yi-Han was taken aback.
"What did I do wrong?"
"Well... Who knows?"
After praising more students, Professor Rosine stood at the front.
The students, who rarely received praise from the professors at Einroghard, beamed with satisfied self-esteem.
"Professor. Is there no pre-final assignment for ?"
The professor answered cheerily in a bubbly voice.
"Oh! There''s no separate pre-final assignment. Instead, there will be a simple exam!"
"..."
"Ah, never mind. I trust Professor Fluerwerk."
The students'' faces fell at the sudden announcement of a surprise exam.
While some still held onto their belief that ''Professor Rosine is different,''...
"Come in."
"Hello, everyone."
As a giant demon with a voice full of pressure entered, the faces of the students who had just been saying ''Professor Rosine is different'' turned to stone.
Einroghard''s professors were...!
"Do we have to fight? Is fighting part of the exam?"
"Surely not... Even Professor Rosine wouldn''t do that."
"Well, there are professors who do."
"Don''t joke, Wardanaz! It''s not funny at all!"
"..."
Yi-Han slightly regretted not forcefully dragging his friends to Professor Bdi''s ss.
"Here we have Mr. Orifs, an outstanding demon who served as an imperial legal officer for 131 years! What do you think enabled such a powerful demon to work as a legal officer?"
"A contract?"
"Excellent! A round of apuse, everyone!"
The apuse from the students was softer and less enthusiastic than before.
"Of course, Mr. Orifs is a powerful demon. And it''s not easy for a mage to contract with a being more powerful than themselves! How should we proceed?"
"Uh... persuasion?"
"Correct! Everyone, a round of apuse!"
p, p, p.
"Today, you all will attempt a mock contract negotiation with Mr. Orifs! He will seriously consider and evaluate the terms you propose, so please give it your best effort. With such exceptional students as yourselves, I''m sure you can do it!"
"????"
The students disyed expressions of not fully grasping the situation.
At least it wasn''t a fight...
But how to persuade?
"What and how should we persuade? Should we offer our hearts and blood...?"
"Gold?"
"A friend''s life?"
"A friend''s card deck?"
"Wanna die?"
"Maybe start by asking what he likes and engage in light conversation..."
Meanwhile, one unfortunate student was the first to sit before Orifs.
Orifs asked with a serious expression.
Why should I make a contract with you, a green young mage?
"Th... That''s because. If you contract with me, I''ll give you gold..."
Gold? Gold?? Are you in your right mind? Do you really think I''m a being who would help a mage for mere gold? How exactly do you see me?
"I''m... I''m sorry...!"
The student began to tear up under Orifs''s intimidating interrogation.
The rest of the students stirred uneasily.
This...
This is no ordinary task!
-A card deck is-
-If its a joke, then its not bad, but that''s worthless.-
-I''ll supply mana to strengthen you and provide potions if needed-
-That''s something you''d say when contracting with a weaker being. What demon would ept such an offer, thinking a weaker being''s mana or potions would be better than what they can get themselves? Mana? It would be faster and stronger if I got it myself. Potions? Its better if I make them-
-Do you like things like hearts or blood?-
-You need to relearn basic manners.-
''This is bad.''
Watching his friends being swept away like fallen leaves, Yi-Han too felt tense.
Orifs was more fastidious in his tastes than expected.
It was hard to guess what kind of offer would appeal to the demon.
''Carefully throw out suggestions and gauge his reaction. That''s the only way.''
"Good day."
Hmm!
"Let''s start with the basics. As a contractor, I''ll do my utmost to supply mana..."
epted.
"...Excuse me?"
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Chapter 257
Chapter 257
"You passed," dered the demon, motioning for the next student to approach, signaling for the sessful candidate to clear the way quickly.
"???"
The students behind Yi-Han were visibly baffled, whispering among themselves.
"What about that conversation qualified as a pass?" one student wondered aloud.
"Ah! Perhaps it was his polite greeting?" another spected.
Yi-Han, overhearing his peers, thought there might be merit to that idea. Though unintentional, his courteous greeting had evidently appealed to the demon.
"Indeed... I have learned something. It was my polite greeting that made the difference," Yi-Han reflected proudly on his habit of always ttering people politely.
What folly, theres nothing to gain by ttering The demon corrected him.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Your mana was a satisfactory trade condition for your pass," the demon exined.
"Wait a moment!"
Professor Rosine, unable to contain herself, interrupted and pulled the demon aside.
"Mr. Orifs, this is uneptable. You must work diligently."
Am I not being diligent?
"You just did it carelessly," Professor Rosine chided sternly.
Orifs, a powerful demon bound by contract, protested in a wronged tone, "I was told to pass students who bring valid contract terms."
For a mage, rhetoric and eloquence were more crucial than one might think, especially when encountering beings more powerful than oneself. Mages who relied solely on strength andcked wisdom were helpless in such situations. In contrast, a clever mage could turn crises into opportunities, even when facing stronger entities. Learning how to understand and persuade beings from other realms from the first year was vital.
Just passing him like that is wrong!
But the mana is sufficient... Must I make an unreasonable objection?
Rosine had no response to that. After all, it was meant to be a practical exercise.
To species like demons, who subsist on mana, regr supply of mana was always a popr contract term. This supply far exceeded the scale imagined by ordinary mages. mages, made of flesh and bone, could survive without magic, never fully understanding the insatiable hunger of demonic beings.
More. Much more!
This was why deals with demons often involved dark offerings and dark magic - fulfilling a demon''s mana needs by normal means was impossible.
But asionally, a mage possessed exactly what a demon desired, without any special preparations, just like now.
"...Very well. But at least give him a stern warning," Professor Rosine conceded.
Understood.
Orifs called Yi-Han over again, remarking, "Relying solely on one''s mana to make deals with demons is indeed foolish."
"...Who would be so insane?" Yi-Han expressed his astonishment.
Could a mage really approach a demon, saying, ''Let''s make a deal!'' just because they had ample mana? That sounded more foolish than mage-ly...
A guy like that alwayses out every now and then. Remember this well. Underestimating a demon is..."
Orifs seated Yi-Han and began listing ''101 Reasons to Be Wary of Demons.''
Yi-Han wondered what he had done wrong.
Didnt he just give me a pass?
Do you understand now?
"Yes, thanks to Mr. Orifs, it''s crystal clear. I will never hastily attempt to contract with demons solely based on my mana."
Good, that''s enough then.
"But Mr. Orifs,"
What is it?
"Why are you working for the empire under a contract?"
Yi-Han asked out of pure curiosity. Knowing the terms of Orifs''s contract could be useful for future reference.
''Gold? Gems? Mana? Sacrifices?''
I was tricked into this contract.
Yi-Han''s face hardened, his expectations unmet.
So be careful when you make contracts. Understand? They can be this dangerous.
"Ah... yes."
Yi-Han was shocked.
To think that the demon had been deceived into forcedbor...
The imperial officials were no better than the notorious Einroguard.
Thursday.
Yi-Han, yawning, walked down the corridor. Despite it being morning, he felt groggy fromck of sleep.
Hmm!
"..."
Spotting the round, white skull of the skull principal from afar, Yi-Han suddenly felt wide awake.
''Amazing. My mind is incredibly clear.''
"Good morning."
Yes, good morni... Wait a minute.
Yi-Han''s heart sank.
He was nning to leave the academy for the Spire Stables the day after tomorrow, so encountering the skull principal was unnerving.
But if the principal was an esteemed educational expert in the empire, Yi-Han was no less an expert as a student.
Without showing any change in expression, Yi-Han asked, "Is there something you need?"
Have you seen anything around here yesterday?
"No, I haven''t."
This was not a lie. He hadn''t seen anything out of the ordinary around where the skull principal and the Death Knights were standing.
''What''s going on?''
Stop babbling nonsense and stand guard properly.
-Kill me, please! I''m sorry. I''ve dishonored you, my lord!-
Stop asking to be killed over every mistake. When will you abandon these old habits? Knights nowadays don''t die over a single error.
The skull principal reprimanded the Death Knights.
An audacious intruder had recently entered the academy.
In response, the principal had set undead guards throughout the academy to catch the intruder, going as far as searching each building thoroughly.
Butst night, a barrier in this area was found to be broken.
It could have been a coincidence. The main building of the magic academy was ancient and intertwined with countless spells, making it as unpredictable as another realm.
The principal remained vignt, not taking any chances.
Increase the guard here. Start searching from this area. If you find the intruder, tear him to pieces. Understood?
-We shall follow yourmand!-
"The intruder hasn''t been caught yet?"
We''ll catch them soon. Or they might already be dead.
The skull principal grumbled in response.
Just to rify, there''s no issue with our surveince or patrols. That broken barrier is just a minor incident.
''Hmm. I wonder why all professors react the same when they make mistakes.''
Of course, Yi-Han had no intention of provoking the principal''s temper.
A wrong move could jeopardize his ns for the weekend.
The intruder must be
"A great mage?"
Avoiding the eyes of the Death Knights and other barriers was not something just anyone could do.
More likely, the intruder possesses an unknown artifact. Thieves are often known to carry such things.
The skull principal considered, if the barrier''s breach in this vicinity was the intruder''s doing, then it''s highly probable they possessed a powerful artifact of invisibility.
Even with the power of such an artifact, it would be impossible to evade all the Death Knights and magic barriers, so the intruder must have identally broken this corner''s barrier.
"Foolish, isn''t it? If they just came forward, we could end this with minimal pain."
''Even if its me, I doubt I coulde forward in that situation...''
Listening to the principal, Yi-Han casually suggested, "What about increasing the number of Death Knights?"
Increasing their numbers won''t make much of a difference.
The principal was skeptical about adding more knights. Already, Death Knights were stationed throughout the main building.
Their undetected movement implied they had a way to evade the Death Knights'' gaze.
"Can''t Death Knights see through invisibility magic?"
To some extent, but if it''s a powerful artifact, even Death Knights might... But we''ve prepared for that with various barriers.
Expert mages could use invisibility magic strong enough to shield against the gaze of powerful undead monsters.
Naturally, the principal, aware of this, hadid out barriers weakening such invisibility magic throughout the premises.
With the barriers intact, such magic should...
Wait.
The principal, conversing with Yi-Han, suddenly realized something.
If it''s a powerful artifact, it might temporarily suspend the nearby barriers. That must be it.
The intruder could evade the Death Knights'' gaze if the surrounding barriers were momentarily disabled.
The principal clicked his tongue. Yi-Han, seemingly relieved, remarked, "If we''ve found a weakness, we can prepare against it, right?"
Indeed.
The principal looked intently at Yi-Han, who, feeling uneasy, asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
One of the simplest precautions is having an expert mage hold these barrier stones.
Whatever the artifact may be, the principle to stop the barrier is simple: to momentarily disrupt it by shaking the barrier stones with force.
But if an expert mage holds the barrier stones and defends them, the scenario changes.
"I don''t know about that defensive magic."
It''s not about using defensive magic; it''s about using your brute mana.
Having arge amount of mana naturally provides resistance against other magic.
Yi-Han, just by holding the barrier stones, could likely block external forces.
"...Wouldn''t it be better if you did it, principal?"
I will do it too. Didn''t you see I''m already searching? We''ll take turns.
"I''m in the middle of my pre-final project."
Just spend about two hours a day on this. Help the Death Knights with the search.
"..."
Yi-Han, suddenly tasked with searching alongside Death Knights, was speechless.
No...
The principal tried to reassure him.
We''ll finish faster if we work together, won''t we?
"Principal, I''m just a first-year student..."
In times of crisis in Einroguard, students and professors alike muste together.
"It doesn''t seem much like a crisis..."
Thank you. If you achieve results, I''ll make sure to reward you.
"You''re doing this just to save those two hours, aren''t you?"
Now, Death Knights. Are you ready to proceed with the search alongside this bright student?
-Leave it to us! We will redeem our honor!-
I really want to kill him.
Yi-Han walked down the corridor, arms full of stones engraved with barriers, apanied by the Death Knights.
The stones, each of a different size and shape andcking in aesthetic appeal, held magic of suchplexity that Yi-Han could only guess at their high level of difficulty. The structure was beyond hisprehension.
It was said these were spells to weaken the intruder''s invisibility magic, and indeed...
-Really, I''ve always wanted to have a conversation with you. It''s an honor, Wardanaz.-
-Your reputation is quite well-known among our knights.-
"Ah. Yes. Thank you."
The Death Knights, despite being undead, were surprisingly sociable.
Yi-Han found it a bit disconcerting.
"Shall we start by opening each of these doors?"
-Let''s do that! Stand back. We don''t know what might be inside.-
"...Oh, right. Can I check any ces I suspect?"
-Of course!-
The Death Knights, oblivious to Yi-Han''s ulterior motives, nodded readily.
If it meant finding the intruder, what difficulty could there be in searching other floors!
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Chapter 258
Chapter 258
Patrolling isn''t as bad as I thought, he mused.
Initially, the idea of a first-year student patrolling a magic academy seemed absurd, but as his pockets grew heavier, his perspective shifted.
Yi-Han deftly pilfered useful items with cunning hand movements while patrolling two rooms used as food storage and one as an alchemy storeroom.
Ratford would have cried tears of admiration had he seen it.
-Hold on.-
"!"
Yi-Han tensed.
Had he been caught?
''I was sure it was a blind spot.''
-Wardanaz seems hungry. Let''s fetch something.-
-Ah, right. Bing undead makes you forget hunger.-
-Youngsters should eat well. It''s the age to chew even rocks.-
The Death Knights rummaged through a food storage room, returning with hard, long bread, smi sausage, fresh vegetables, and tightly sealed ss bottles.
-I just grabbed these. Hope it suits your taste.-
-It''s been too long since ourst meal.-
"Th-thank you."
Yi-Han was taken aback by the Death Knights, who kindly prepared a bundle of food like benevolent grandfathers.
"Is this really okay?"
-Hahaha! A diligent student indeed.-
-Of course not. But what can we do? It''s food for work.-
The knights from an ancient, unnamed kingdom were lenient with rule-breaking.
After all, if you''re hungry, you should eat, and if you''re thirsty, drink.
Especially when helping with academy chores!
''Wait. This is alcohol?''
Yi-Han was surprised as he opened the bottle.
"Can I drink alcohol while on patrol?"
-Hahaha! Of course not. But we''re working, so Wardanaz can quench his thirst.-
-You''ll have to fill up on ck bread and cold rice ballster. Eat well now.-
''Knights these days should learn from the old ones.''
Yi-Han was moved by the mercy and spirit shown by the Death Knights.
The White Tiger brats should learn from this...
As Yi-Han heartily ate, the Death Knights said,
-Finding a rat that ran into a maze takes longer than you think. Wardanaz is young and ambitious, wanting to find it himself is understandable, but don''t overdo it.-
-Right. Just fulfill the time set by the master and then go about your business.-
"...Wait. I don''t have any ambitions."
Yi-Han paused while cutting the bread and sausage with his pocketknife.
The Death Knights nodded kindly.
-That''s right. True aspirants often im to have no ambition.-
-Those who boast about their ambition are rarely genuine aspirants.-
"No, but..."
Yi-Han wanted to point out the logical w in the Death Knights'' words, but they paid him no heed.
With age, one tends to ignore the words of the young.
''Einrogard needs a rule against spreading false rumors.''
Yi-Han resigned himself and finished his meal.
''Patrolling is definitely not as bad as I thought.''
His initial desire to attack the skull principal had changed, as there were various benefits.
He became friendlier with the Death Knights, borrowed items from several storerooms, and even visited ces he was curious about...
The Death Knights didn''t seem to mind whatever Yi-Han took from the storerooms.
They all seemed to think, ''It''s okay for the young to steal a bit.''
Yi-Han, drawing a map with a quill, nodded in agreement.
To make the most of the remaining time...
"Alright, let''s head downstairs this time."
-We''ll follow anywhere!-
Duke Icaldoren''s confidant, Gduff, struggled to withstand the rising terror.
Anyone would have felt the same.
How could one keep their sanity while hiding alone in the midst of Einroguard, where security was heightened?
Despite being renowned for his calm andposed demeanor, Gduff''s rationality was wearing thin.
''I shouldn''t have trusted those . Yes, trusting them was a mistake.''
Experienced adventurers who would do anything for gold, skilled in dealing with mages.
He had thought they would be capable of infiltrating the interior.
Gduff hadn''t asked for much.
Just to quietly enter,bine forces silently, steal quietly, and leave...
But these mad adventurers, instead of dying gracefully, had done something to heighten the security.
Each night, the sight of the evil great mage Gonadaltes warning, ''You will die if youe out and you will die if you donte out, drove Gduff to the brink of madness.
Click-
Gduff opened the lid of the bronze pendant.
''Three times left.''
A very powerful artifact, it had been one of Gduff''s lifelines, protecting his life thus far.
Once activated, it cleverly disabled the surrounding magic a powerful artifact!
In a magic academy filled with all sorts of magic barriers and patrols. Even a great mage could be caught with one mistake.
Gduff, proficient in stealth magic, knew that alone wouldn''t suffice. Without this artifact, he would have been discovered long ago.
The fixed number of uses was regrettable...
''It''s time to get ready.''
Gduff took out another artifact.
It was a small statue-shaped artifact.
"Great mage Goltineus, I offer my respect, please transform me!"
As he finished speaking, Gduff''s body seamlessly turned into a statue.
A powerful magic that even a high-ranking transformation mage couldn''t easily replicate.
This artifact was another one of Gduff''s lifelines.
He had been disguising himself as a statue, moving positions every few days with the bronze pendant.
Waiting until the heightened security rxed.
''Let no onee in. Let no onee in.''
Bang!
"So there was a hidden path behind the first-floor main staircase entrance?"
Seems so. Remember, don''t tell the master.
"Don''t worry."
Gduff''s heart nearly froze as a group of Death Knights entered.
Had he not been transformed into a statue, he surely would have gasped.
Each of these minions of Gonadaltes, the Death Knights, possessed fiercebat capabilities, ready to summon all nearby foes at a moment''s touch.
Gduff could only hope the Death Knights would leave quickly.
"What is this room?"
-Well... many rooms in the magic academy appear and change if you just close and open your eyes. Of course, I can''t close my eyes!-
-Uhahahahaha!-
-Kuhahahahaha!-
"...Uhahahahaha!"
Yi-Hanughed timely.
Fitting for the joyless undead, the Death Knights took considerable pride in their jokes.
Fortunately, Yi-Han had the exceptional ability tough at whatever nonsense the professors spouted.
-Is this a storeroom?-
-Looks like a ce for storing artworks. Paintings and statues.-
''Damn.''
Yi-Han felt disappointed.
If there were no secret passages, no sideways, no food supplies, nor alchemical ingredients, then wouldn''t that room be just a junk room?
-Don''t be too disappointed, Wardanaz.-
One of the Death Knights seemed to have noticed Yi-Han''s inner thoughts and offered advice.
-Rooms like this, which seem to interest no one, can surprisingly be useful. Since no one pays attention, they''re good for storing things.-
"!"
Yi-Han was intrigued by the Death Knight''s words.
''I do need some spacetely.''
When he first entered the tower, he had never thought about theck of space.
His personal room and even the lounge were more than spacious.
But as time passed, his belongings umted.
Everything from groceries bought outside to various ingredients and papers for assignments, and books...
Recently, Yi-Han understood why his seniors secretly stored stolen materials in a secret warehouse in the middle of the mountain range.
There was no space in the tower, and if left around carelessly, other tower students might steal them (even students from his own tower).
To be a good student of the magic academy, one must have three or four secret storages unknown to others.
''At this rate, I''m not sure if I''m a squirrel hiding acorns or a mage.''
"Indeed, if I throw a few wooden boxes inside, no one will touch them."
-Exactly. There''s an old saying, ''If you want to hide a corpse, hide it in the forest,'' isn''t there?-
"?"
''Wasn''t it about hiding a tree in a forest?''
Yi-Han thought so but refrained from correcting the Death Knights out of consideration.
Maybe it was different in the old days...
-Wardanaz, are you nning to use it as a secret storage?-
"Yes."
Another Death Knight interjected.
-That''s fine, but this room has too much clutter. I rmend removing about half of it. Even if you just pile up light stuff near the entrance, students won''te in.-
"Indeed..."
Yi-Han nodded.
It did seem better to remove the bulky items.
"Can I move the statues and sculptures outside?"
-Wardanaz, as I always say, nothing is impossible in this world. Just do it.-
-There are sculptures around the main building''s entrance. Let''s put them there.-
"Uh... Is that okay?"
-Wardanaz, as I always say-
"Understood. Let''s move them out."
Yi-Han and the Death Knights began moving the sculptures one by one outside.
However, they were unaware of something.
One of the sculptures was secretly screaming inside!
''No... No!''
Gduff felt as if his heart was turning to stone.
To escape, it was essential to transform back in a ce unseen and prepare to use the artifact.
But in front of the main building''s entrance?
A ce watched by all beings of the magic academy.
If he transformed back, he would be dead in less than a second.
''No! It can''t be! It can''t be like this!''
Gduff couldn''tprehend the current situation.
Nor could he understand why the boy among the Death Knights, who looked like a first-year, was wandering with them.
There was too much that didn''t make sense, almost as if this was all a mockery by Gonadaltes.
Was Gduff''s identity already exposed, and this was Gonadaltes'' cruel way of taunting him?
"But what are these sculptures for?"
-Students make them as a hobby, and there are also sses, right? They''re used in magicter on if needed.-
-There might even be a sculpture-making club. But since Wardanaz is a first-year, he wouldn''t have joined any clubs yet.-
"..."
Yi-Han had no desire to join a club like the sculpture-making club, even if he did decide to join one.
"Thank you for today."
-Don''t mention it. We enjoyed it more because Wardanaz did such a good job.-
-Let''s meet again and make sure to study hard when you go back in!-
Yi-Han bid farewell to the Death Knights and went back inside.
Though his mind was heavy with assignments that still needed to be done, his mood wasn''t too bad.
''But where could that intruder be hiding?''
Yi-Han, despite not knowing who the opponent was, thought them to be quite tenacious.
To persist so stubbornly in the heart of enemy territory.
Who could they be?
''I hope we don''t run into each other.''
Yi-Han hoped he wouldn''t identally encounter them while wandering around.
Such an intruder would undoubtedly be a formidable opponent.
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Chapter 259
Chapter 259
!
Startled, Yi-Han nearly stumbled as he entered the ssroom that morning. In fact, his surprise caused him to identally knock over a chair.
tter!
-What''s the matter?-
"Nothing at all," Yi-Han replied.
-Alright then, study hard.-
The Death Knights left the corridor.
Regaining hisposure, Yi-Han read the notice on the ssroom''s chalkboard: ss Cancelled Due to Professor''s Circumstances - Bdi Bagrak.
Professor Bdi Yi-Han mused, deeply touched by the professor''s consideration. He knew of no one more benevolent than a professor who would cancel ss when students were busy with other sses assignments and exams. Had Professor Bdi always been such a thoughtful person? Though Yi-Han wished the message had been conveyed in person rather than on the chalkboard, he appreciated the gesture nheless.
At least this is something.
Yi-Han had a conscience. He didn''t even hope for too much luck.
To have gotten free time like this.
-Why are youing back out?-
"Professor Bdi has some matters to attend to, so ss is cancelled. Is there a problem with Professor Bagerak?" Yi-Han inquired, just to be sure.
Professor Bdi wasn''t someone who would get into trouble, but oddities were not umon in the magic academy, even among the professors.
-I haven''t heard anything.-
-It seems quiet, so it''s probably nothing serious. It''s admirable how you worry about your teacher.-
...Ahaha, its embarrassing.
Yi-Han blushed and nodded, managing his expression.
-Oh, by the way, have you been attending Professor Verduus''s lectures too?-
"Yes, how did you know?"
-Professor Verduus was looking for you, Wardanaz.-
...
Yi-Han checked the time. It was still morning, and there were at least six hours left until Professor Verduus''s extra lecture.
"Could you have mistaken the time?" he suggested.
-I don''t think so. When I asked, he said the ss time wasn''t important.-
''I''ll have to stay out of the Artifact Hall until the ss starts.''
Yi-Han resolved to keep away from the vicinity of Artifact Hall until the time of the ss.
"Why are you sote?!" Professor Verduus eximed with affection upon seeing Yi-Han.
"I''m not? I arrived right on time," Yi-Han responded, feigning ignorance.
"What does the ss time matter? If it were up to me, I''d stay here all the time!" Professor Verduus, who found the Enchantment Magic the most fascinating, couldn''t understand Yi-Han. If he were Yi-Han, he would have abandoned all other sses and devoted himself solely to research in the Artifact Hall.
"That''s not what''s important, Professor. I brought the assignment here."
Yi-Han presented a shield infused with mana that he hadpleted beforeing.
The other students who arrivedte cursed inwardly upon seeing it.
''Wardanaz, that guy. If he finished it, he should have turned it inst.''
''Doesn''t he have a conscience?''
"Oh..."
Professor Verduus, who was always indifferent whether students slept or danced in his ss, showed interest for the first time.
"Is this the crude and clumsy shield you mentioned?"
"Yourpliments always make me happy, Professor," Yi-Han said.
Regardless of whether Yi-Han grumbled beside him, Professor Verduus examined the shield. He had wanted to see it ever since the Death Knights spread the word, but his viewing had been dyed by Gonadaltes, who was malicious and twisted, tormenting students for fun.
"Wow..."
Professor Verduus stroked and tapped the shield, nodding his head. To him, the magic circles and structure were still clumsy and inexperienced, but the sheer amount of mana made these ws negligible, which he found intriguing.
Dozens of artifacts flickered through Professor Verduus''s mind.
If he could overcharge mana in this way, he could finally create the artifacts he had been postponing.
"What year are you in?"
"First year."
"Ah, why!?"
Yi-Han was not flustered, for he already knew well that the person speaking to him was entric.
In contrast, the students behind him looked at Professor Verduus with a mix of fear and astonishment.
"Why so junior in your studies... then you can''t make a spirit sword... nor a lens artifact yet... maybe I should teach you myself?"
Yi-Han sensed something ominous in Professor Verduus''s demeanor as he muttered to himself.
"Alright! Though I really don''t want to, I''ll teach you myself... huh? Where did you go?"
"Wardanaz? He said he went out to fetch something he left in the tower."
Yi-Han had hoped that Professor Verduus might forget about his interest if given some time and distracted by other students'' assignments. However, Professor Verduus''s concentration was more formidable than anticipated. When Yi-Han returned to the ssroom, Professor Verduus immediately eximed.
"80 points."
"Oh. Is it well-made?"
"Huh? No, it''s terribly made."
"...But isn''t 80 out of 100 considered good?"
"No, it''s just that the others made theirs even worse. Ah! Wardanaz!"
Yi-Han lifted his head, cursing inwardly.
"Did you hear earlier?"
"I didn''t catch it properly."
"I''ll teach you a few basic enchantment spells."
Professor Verduus was not one to hold students for one-on-one teaching. Like a shepherd who leaves his flock in the pasture and waits, he let students learn in the ssroom until they got it on their own. Being someone who never did things he found uninteresting, teaching students one-on-one was out of the question for him.
But this time was different.
To even consider having Yi-Han assist with artifact creation, he needed to know at least a few basic spells (by Professor Verduus''s standards). ording to his memory, his disciples usually learned these basic spells around their third year, meaning a two-year wait.
"During ss hours?"
"No, that''s when you learn other things. I''ll have to find separate time."
"But you said it was basic?"
"Yes, basic."
"Then can''t we learn it during ss hours?"
"Aha."
It seemed Professor Verduus finally realized what Yi-Han was getting at.
"It''s basic, but not the kind of magic you''re supposed to learn now."
''Then it''s not basic...''
Yi-Han bit back a curse.
Do you not understand what basic means?
"Professor."
"What?"
"I''m sorry. I''m attending many other sses. It would be difficult to spare more time here."
"What!??!?"
Professor Verduus looked as shocked as if he had been told the world would end in one minute.
"Why?!??!"
''Did I exin it weirdly?''
Yi-Han reconsidered his words.
Was saying that he couldn''t spare more time because he was attending many other lectures that difficult to understand?
"Isn''t Enchantment Magic more interesting?!"
"Maybe?"
"Enchantment Magic will be more interesting!"
"Maybe..."
"Enchantment Magic is more interesting..."
Professor Verduus murmured, clearly shocked. He had not expected Yi-Han to refuse.
"Why is Wardanaz behaving like that?" Professor Verduus asked, grabbing the unfortunate Dolgyu, who was passing by with a box of materials.
"What?"
"He says he can''t make time because of other sses."
"Isn''t that exactly what he meant...?"
Dolgyu wondered why the professor couldn''t understand such a straightforward statement.
"Can''t he skip other sses?"
"Wouldn''t the professors of those sses be upset?"
"Do professors getting upset matter?"
"If they get upset, they might attack Yi-Han, right?"
Faced with the professor''s nonsensical talk, Dolgyu also began to speak nonsensically, though it wasn''t entirely absurd. If the principal could attack students, why couldn''t the professors...
"That''s too much!"
"Exactly."
"How can we make more time?"
"Exactly..."
Dolgyu sent a pleading look to Yi-Han for help. He was stuck with a mad professor and needed to get away to study his magic.
Yi-Han then spoke to Professor Verduus.
"I have a good idea, Professor."
"Oh, you''ve thought of something?"
"No... It''s not about what I want, but theck of time. I need to create time."
"How?"
"To gather materials, I need to get them from the merchants."
Materials were needed for practicing enchantment magic, and they weren''t free. Students had to work to obtain them from the merchants.
"If you provide the materials, Professor, that would save me time."
"Me?"
Considering Yi-Han''s words, Professor Verduus pondered for a moment. His philosophy was that students should work for themselves, including sourcing their own materials...
"Alright, then."
That was Professor Verduus, ready to flip his stance for his own needs.
"So, have you made time now?"
"Its still not enough, Professor."
"Not enough?!"
"Yes. Right now, I and my friends are still experiencing a lot of trial and error. Why do you think that is?"
"Because you''re terrible at magic?"
"..."
"..."
Students passing by with their boxes red at the back of Professor Verduus''s head.
"...But a few words of advice from you could be a big help, couldn''t they?"
"Alright, then."
Professor Verduus nodded.
"Now have you made time?"
Yi-Han was surprised at how easily Professor Verduus agreed.
Huh?
''Maybe I can ask for more?''
Yi-Han was about to suggest that Professor Verduus show off some skills but stopped himself. Suddenly, a question urred to him.
"By the way Professor, you''re not suggesting I cut down on sleep or rest, are you?"
"Oh? Ah. Gonadaltes banned that. It''s really too much, isn''t it?"
"...Haha. Exactly."
With the professor agreeing to provide the materials and personally conduct the lectures, the students were momentarily overjoyed.
"Professor, the magic circle for amplifying power is blocked here..."
"Draw a line here."
"...????"
The student who asked blinked in disbelief as Professor Verduus casually drew a line across the blocked circuit and walked away.
Um... what?
"What does this line mean?"
"What?"
Professor Verduus sent a look of ''How do I exin something this simple?'' and seemed flustered.
The flustered professor called for the person responsible for this situation.
"This won''t do. You exin it.
"No, Professor. If it''s blocked, I wouldn''t know either... Ah, the issue is that too much mana is concentrated at the top, which needs to be dispersed. If left as it is, the lines of the magic circle will break due to overload."
"Oh... I see!"
Pleased that his friend understood, Yi-Han suddenly paused.
''Oops.''
He should have pretended not to know...
Regardless, Professor Verduus seemed satisfied that a student had understood.
And every time someone got stuck, he called for Yi-Han.
"Wardanaz."
"Wardanaz?"
"Wardanaz!"
"..."
Yi-Han pondered whether he should just let Professor Verduus lose interest in the students again.
"Right. I need to inform you about the final exam."
While busily conducting the lecture, Professor Verduus checked the time and spoke up.
"There''s more than a week left, isn''t there?"
"Artifacts take time. You all are so inept that even with this much time, many will fail toplete their tasks."
Everyone was moved by the professor''s encouraging words.
"The final exam assignment is simple. You know the assignments you submitted today? Just upgrade them by one level and bring them. That''s what I''ll evaluate."
"Hmm..."
"Umm."
The students fell into deep thought, wondering how to proceed with Professor Verduus''s instructions.
"..."
And Yi-Han felt a deep sense of despair for the first time in a while.
''Damn it.''
What more could he possibly upgrade here?
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Chapter 260
Chapter 260
As the lecture ended, Professor Verduus approached Yi-Han with an innocent expression on his face.
"Do we now have time for a lesson?" he asked.
"Professor, I fear I don''t have the time right now, as I am preupied with my final exam assignment," Yi-Han replied, pointing to his shield.
Professor Verduus, with a look of surprise, asked back, "What do you mean? There''s so much to be improved in this shield!"
"Indeed, but I must fix it at my level," Yi-Han responded.
"Aha!" Professor Verduus eximed, as if he had just realized something.
Yi-Han felt an urge to strike Professor Verduus.
"It''s challenging, isn''t it?"
"Yes, isn''t it?"
"Hmm... Hmm... Umm... something within your capabilities..."
After a moment of thought with his eyes closed, Professor Verduus opened his mouth and said, "How about adding a magic spell for attack reflection?"
"How is that something I can do at my level?" Yi-Han questioned.
He was still unfamiliar with enchantment magic, but he guessed that incorporating a ''reflection'' attribute wouldn''t be easy. The concept of returning an iing attack in its original direction was certainly not simple, especially whenpared to attributes like levitation, automation, or defense.
"That''s the easiest option, though," Verduus imed.
"Is it...?"
Yi-Han pondered whether he should seriously start studying the reflection attribute or simply paint the shield and im it was upgraded. He thought about the potential impact on his overall grade if he failed his final exam.
As he deliberated, Professor Verduus, still with his naive demeanor, asked again, "So, do we have time for a lesson now?"
"No?"
"?!?!??!"
Professor Verduus looked at Yi-Han with a face one might make when all their collected bark had burned away.
Feeling proud, Yi-Han sat down and smiled, recalling Professor Verduus''s expression.
This was, in fact, a matter of survival for him. If he had agreed to learn from Professor Verduus, the professor would not let him go until he was satisfied. He had to persist, ideally until graduation.
Yi-Han imagined telling Professor Verduus, "I''ll learn from you tomorrow," on the eve of his graduation ceremony. Of course, sustaining this until then might be challenging, but
"Has anyonepleted the assignment for ?"
"Who could have finished that already? ...Wardanaz?"
A student from the Blue Dragon suddenly turned to look at Yi-Han while speaking.
Yi-Han retorted, somewhat incredulously, "I haven''t finished either. Don''t you see the pile of assignments before me?"
While his friends were choosing one or two schools of magic, Yi-Han was taking additional courses in dark magic, summoning magic, illusion magic, enchantment magic, divination magic, transformation magic, healing magic, etc.
His friends quietly looked away, their eyes downcast at the pile of thick books, afraid of making eye contact with Yi-Han and being dragged into extra study.
Yi-Han knew he should start thinking about the assignment soon.
It was Saturday, a weekend when rxation wouldn''t have been unusual, but with the final exams just a week away, a tense atmosphere hung in the tower. The next week would be the hellish pre-final assignments, followed by the hellish final exams the week after.
Some courses evenbined or linked assignments and exams. The assignment for was one such case.
-Create a simple magic structure blueprint and submit it. Once you submit and it''s approved, you can begin manufacturing. Efficiency and saving will be the criteria for evaluation.-
-Um Do we need to procure materials ourselves, by any chance?-
-Regrettably, materials other than those provided are not allowed. You must use only the supplied materials.-
-Thank you!!-
-??-
The assignment wasn''t as absurdly difficult as enchantment magic.
However, it was still a time-consuming task.
Selecting the structure, choosing the appropriate magic for it, picking the necessary materials, estimating the costs tightly, and if approved, making it...
''...I had imagined being a mage would be a bit more mystical.''
Since entering Einroguard, the mystique of being a mage seemed to be fading day by day.
Yi-Han nced out the window. The sun was already high in the sky.
By the time he took Niffirg to the spire stable tonight, the weekend would be over.
He had to finish as much of the assignment as possible...
"Yonaire, what''s the simplest structure we could make?"
"Huh?"
Yonaire, who had been sketching a portable potion storage box, looked up.
"A magicmp or a box? A simple trap?"
"Hmm."
Yi-Han noted down each suggestion, deep in thought.
Was there something simple, easy toplete, low on material costs, and yet could score well?
"If there was something like that, wouldn''t I have done it first?"
Yonaire was worried, wondering if her friend had studied too much.
But Yi-Han was seriously engrossed.
He felt like he was onto something.
"...Yonaire, I''ve got it!"
"What?"
Yonaire nearly snapped her quill in surprise.
Had Yi-Han really found something that met all the criteria?
"Look at this."
Yi-Han sketched a tall, slender magicmp.
It was a glowing structuremonly installed in cities, castles, fortresses, and vige streets, brightening dark alleys and serving as a lifeline for many apprentice mages.
But this also meant there was extensive research on it.
Brighter, cheaper, longersting, more efficient, more splendid, with added features - there were all kinds of improved magicmps.
Professor Alpen Knighton emphasized efficiency and conservation as evaluation criteria, but any design too simr to existing ones would obviously be penalized.
Had Yi-Han managed to create a design that differentiated itself from the existing ones?
"?!"
Yonaire was surprised when she saw the magicmp Yi-Han was pointing at.
It was just a long, slender pole with nothing else.
''Could it be?''
Yonaire recalled the duration of the light sphere her friend had conjured and the autonomous shield''s duration.
"Could it be... you''re nning to strip away all the design and just use magic?!"
A strategy only Yi-Han could employ.
It meant discarding all the power designs and distribution, and just casting the magic himself.
Others might say, ''What kind of design is that,'' but it had its rationale.
As long as the magicsted for days, even without any design, it could still be considered a magic structure!
Of course, whether Professor Knighton would ept such a stretch was uncertain, but the idea was undeniably ingenious.
"...You''re talking nonsense, Yonaire. I haven''t even drawn it yet."
Yi-Han looked at Yonaire as if she were absurd. Yonaire, embarrassed, blushed slightly.
"Really?"
"Really. There''s no way Professor would ept such a stretch."
"Maybe he will ept it..."
Yonaire trailed off, sounding uncertain.
"What I had in mind was this, Yonaire. We ovep an amplification magic circle here to increase efficiency. It''ll take some trial and error, but it should save on material costs."
Yi-Han''s exnation was certainly logical.
The difficulty of creation might increase, but with enough skill, this blueprint could indeed save on materials.
However, Yonaire, still holding onto a sliver of hope, asked, "So, you''re really not considering that other idea?"
"I''m not," Yi-Han confirmed.
With a burst of light, Yi-Han activated the invisibility artifact on Niffirg.
"Niffirg, be good. You need to stay quiet until we get there. Understand?"
Puheee-heee...?
Niffirg sent a worried nce at Yi-Han, wondering why its master was behaving so oddly. Compared to other students, Niffirg''s master was quite unusual.
"Good boy."
Niffirg, tilting its head in confusion, followed behind Yi-Han.
The Death Knights around the main building waved as Yi-Han walked towards the gate.
-Don''t wander around toote, Wardanaz.-
"Yes, I''ll keep that in mind."
-Why do you even say such things? He might wanderte. If someone heard you, they''d think you never go on night walks!-
-Shh, shh! Wardanaz might hear you!-
''How warm-hearted they are.''
Thanks to his previous talks with the Death Knights near the main gate, Yi-Han moved without arousing any suspicion.
Fortunately, the shortcut to the spire stable was still there.
''It''s going so smoothly it''s almost unsettling.''
Arriving near the spire stable in less than thirty minutes, Yi-Han felt a sense of unease.
Having been at Einroguard for a while, he had developed a habit of feeling unnecessarily anxious even when things were going well.
''I need to cover my face with the cloak...''
Yi-Han casually pulled his cloak over his head, like someone who was just about to go back after a visit.
If Amur came from outside, he would pretend to be a friend and leave with him.
''There''s a chance.''
Initially worried, Yi-Han felt hopeful after observing the peopleing and going from the stable.
Surprisingly, it was bustling with visitors - professors, employees from outside, merchants, and errand runners.
With the crowd bustling, shoulders bumping into each other, no one paid attention to Yi-Han.
"Mages are really too much, aren''t they? Asking for the egg of a Fire Phoenix within a week! How can we bring that in just a week?"
"Hey! Be careful with that box! If it breaks, we could all die!"
"Is there a demon inside?"
"No. It''s a ss statue requested by the principal."
"..."
While eavesdropping on these warm conversations, a familiar face flew in from afar.
''Amur!''
After skillfullynding, Amur filled out the entry log.
Then he looked around.
"Over here."
"...Finally!"
Amur, who had not been expecting much, was overjoyed to see Yi-Han.
"Remarkable. I didn''t expect this! I never thought you''d manage it."
"It''s too early to celebrate."
"Don''t worry. Havinge this far, it''s as good as sess. We''ll leave with the merchants when they set off."
Yi-Han nodded.
Although he kept his expression calm, his heart was racing with excitement.
If he seeded, Yi-Han would secure a way to periodically leave the academy.
While Amur was unloading his cargo, Yi-Han fed Niffirg a potion to remove the curse magic.
Boom!
Niffirg, returning to its original form, scratched the ground joyously.
"...I thought it was a joke, but it turned out to be true."
Amur was once again surprised as he watched the griffin, yawning contentedly in a corner of the spire stable.
It certainly didn''t seem like a creature a first-year student could tame.
"The griffin is quite unique. It won''t get noticed, will it?"
"There''s no need to worry. There are far more unusual creatures around here than griffins."
Indeed, the nearby beasts overflowed with unique characteristics, as Amur had said.
Yi-Han tried to avoid the intense gaze of a human-faced bird staring directly at him.
"Our turn ising up. Get ready."
"Yes."
The spire stable was so vast that one couldn''t see from one end to the other. When therge creatures bumped into each other while trying to enter and exit, the vastness seemed trivial.
Naturally, there was an order for such times.
People outside waited to fly in at the entrance, while those inside sat at the exit, waiting their turn.
Yi-Han nced around. Due to the cold weather in the high skies, many people were deeply hooded in cloaks.
-Next group, depart! Depart!-
The stablemaster didn''t stop Yi-Han. He walked slowly, leading the griffin.
Pop!
The griffin kicked off a brick and soared into the sky. Yi-Han felt a tremendous sense of liberation.
"You tamed a griffin."
"...?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?"
Startled by the calm voice of Professor Bdi beside him, Yi-Han almost lost his grip on the griffin''s reins and nearly fell to the ground.
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Chapter 261
Chapter 261
"What are you doing?"
Professor Bdi was puzzled when he saw Yi-Han wobbling on the griffin.
Yi-Han, clenching his teeth, said, "I didn''t realize you were beside me, Professor."
"Work on improving your observational skills."
Professor Bdi lightly admonished Yi-Han for his carelessness.
A brilliantbat mage must never let their guard down, maintaining a certain level of concentration at all times, which includes observational skills.
Even while sitting in the spire stable, one should be able to suspect the person next to them might be a professor.
"...I''ll keep that in mind."
Yi-Han deeply engraved the professor''s advice in his heart.
At the magic academy, one had to identify a person just by their gait.
Those who couldn''t do so had no right to survive!
"But since you were there, why didn''t you speak to me?"
''Or better yet, never speak at all.''
Yi-Han wondered why the professor had chosen to speak only when he was on the griffin.
Was it an intention to make him fall?
Professor Bdi ''s eyebrows slightly furrowed, and he spoke slowly, "You must be quiet inside the stable."
"..."
There were a few at the magic academy who were more annoying when they spoke the truth.
One of them was Professor Bdi.
It was absurd for someone who usually does whatever he wants to talk about manners.
''Isn''t there an etiquette rule against taking first-year students to dungeons in the empire?''
"That... is true."
Yi-Han took a deep breath andposed himself.
The sudden appearance of Professor Bdi was shocking, but upon reflection, the situation wasn''t as dire as it seemed.
Unlike other professors, Bdi didn''t pay much attention to Yi-Han''s rule-breaking.
"Professor, could you keep it a secret that I went outside?"
"Sure."
Professor Bdi answered without hesitation, deeply moving Yi-Han.
''Even crazy professors have their good points!''
Yi-Han hadn''t expected such an easy agreement.
Amur, flying ahead, noticed their conversation and asked cautiously, "Is everything alright?"
"It''s fine, Amur. He''s a close professor who will keep our secret."
"Is that so? You''re lucky to have such a great teacher."
Amur was relieved.
He had feared Yi-Han being caught by another mage, but was d to find it was a mentor who understood the situation.
Even in the harsh and fearsome Einroguard, there seemed to be a glimmer of kindness. Amur wiped his nose with satisfaction.
"Even if not a mage, finding a great teacher is a stroke of luck for any student."
Amur praised Professor Bdi. The professor nodded calmly.
Yi-Han struggled to keep his eyes from bulging.
''You have no conscience!''
Yi-Han could praise Professor Bdi, but to see him nodding to that praise was almost unbelievable.
It would have been better if it had been the skull principal, but Bdi likely genuinely believed in his actions.
"May I ask what brings you outside, Professor?"
"For the final exam preparation."
"Ah."
"Ah. ...?"
Yi-Han, nodding along, suddenly paused.
Wait?
"Indeed, professors must not only focus on magic but also the mentoring of students. It must be tough."
"Hm."
Professor Bdi nodded again.
Yi-Han fought the urge to scream.
No conscience...!!
"Is there something you need? Since we''ve met like this, I''d like to offer help if possible."
A wrinkle formed on Professor Bdi ''s brow. After a moment of contemtion, he opened his mouth.
A creature immune to fire, water, and lightning, possessing strong magic resistance, and capable of speeds over 60 km/h
"Wait, just a moment," Amur interjected, his politeness forgotten in his bewilderment, cutting off Professor Bdi ''s exnation.
"Why would you need such a monster?" he asked.
"For training purposes," came the reply.
"But... didn''t you say this was for the final exam preparations?" Amur questioned, puzzled.
Professor Bdi nodded in affirmation.
A moment of silence ensued as Amur absorbed this revtion, his face turning pale with horror as he realized the truth.
"You don''t mean..." he stammered.
"Your guess is probably correct," whispered Yi-Han.
Amur, in disbelief, asked, "Could it be for the upperssmen...?"
"No."
...No
Yi-Han could empathize with Amur''s shock. In truth, Yi-Han himself should have been the most shocked.
''That exins the unusual luck,'' Yi-Han thought, realizing that rejoicing over the professor''s canceled ss was premature. Bdi was actually preparing to go outside and bring a monster to confront Yi-Han - a situation Yi-Han knew he must prevent at all costs.
Absolutely must prevent it!
He leaned in to whisper to Amur, "May I invite one more guest to your house?"
"Of course," Amur replied, having previously allowed Yi-Han to stay at his ce if needed.
With additional permission granted, Yi-Han''s eyes sparkled as he addressed the professor, "Professor, where will you stay once we arrive at the town?"
"At an inn," the professor responded.
"If it''s alright with you, why not stay at Mr. Amur''s house here? It would save you the trouble of going to an inn," Yi-Han suggested.
One of Professor Bdi ''s notable traits was his tendency to nod in agreement, which he did once again.
''That settles it,'' Yi-Han decided, determined not to let Professor Bdi leave unattended. To an outsider, it might sound sinister, but his intention was merely to keep the professor close.
"We should focus on flying now," Amur interrupted, pointing ahead. Yi-Han looked forward, startled by the sudden appearance of obstacles.
Rings of fire were appearing in the sky.
"What in the world...?" he eximed.
"They''re traps for uninvited guests. Today, we need to pass through the ring on the far left," Amur exined.
As Yi-Han flew through the fiery rings, a sense of unease lingered.
''Did I dream of this before?''
Amur''s house, located near a massive stable, was modest but sturdy andfortable. The only problem was the shortage of food supplies.
"Hmm. There''s enough feed for the animals, but..." Amur pondered.
"That won''t do," Yi-Han quickly dismissed the idea of cooking animal feed for the professor, regaining his senses. He wasn''t that desperate yet.
"I''ll gather the necessary ingredients from nearby. Do you keep chickens?" Yi-Han inquired.
"If we need food, why not just buy it?" Amur asked, puzzled.
"Ah!" Yi-Han realized hispse. They were in a civilized town of the empire, governed by order and rules, not awless wastnd.
''Of course, buying it makes sense.''
The canned beans Amur had for quick meals were hardly suitable for hosting Professor Bdi. While Yi-Han wasn''t exactly sure what constituted an appropriate meal for the professor, he knew it definitely wasn''t that.
''The goal is to keep him eating and drinking.'' A hearty meal and some drinks might just make the professor toofortable to leave the bed.
And when he awoke, there would be another generous and warm meal with drinks...
"I will go buy them," he offered.
"It might be better if we go together..."
Amur looked at Yi-Han with concern.
Despite his appearance, which resembled someone from a noble family, it seemed likely he had grown up without ever having to lift a finger.
Could he even choose the right things they needed?
One hourter.
Amur was more surprised than when Yi-Han had tamed the griffin.
"Ah, no! This is even more astonishing than when you tamed the griffin!"
''That doesn''t seem quite right,'' Yi-Han thought to himself as he busily made sherbets, meringues, pies, and biscotti.
No matter what, it wasn''t more surprising than taming a griffin...
"You both sit down and start your meal."
"But we couldn''t possibly..."
"That would be helping me."
Yi-Han suggested with a wink.
Amur sighed ''Ah!'' in realization and nodded.
He understood the heart of a student trying to appease the temper of a mad professor.
''It seems like a misunderstanding, but it should be alright.''
Even if it was a misunderstanding, it wouldn''t be a major one.
A professor who brings a powerful monster to fight his students couldn''tin about being misunderstood.
"Professor, considering the effort you''ve put in, you should eat first."
Professor Bdi nodded in agreement.
On the wide rectangr table were already arrayed an array of freshly prepared hot dishes.
Large, freshly baked white bread, honey and spices to dip the bread in, a variety of vegetables for stew and soup to soothe the stomach before greasy food, a giant piece of brisket smoked over a fire, simrly smoked firm salmon, and fish steamed with flounder and ms in wine.
Even without the various fruits and sweet desserts that Yi-Han was currently making, the table was abundantly set. Amur, who usually ate meals carelessly, unknowingly salivated.
"Professor, here..."
Amur, about to offer wine to Professor Bdi, was startled.
The professor was only picking vegetables, greens, and fruits from the table.
"Do you not care for meat?"
"I don''t like it."
Yi-Han was not at all flustered.
He had intended to try various things, not knowing Professor Bdi ''s preferences.
''I see.''
Amur couldn''t help but admire Yi-Han, who quickly shifted his cooking approach.
Even an alchemist in Philonae Town who had worked for over a decade could not change directions so seamlessly.
With a lively sound, Yi-Han skillfully cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces and immediately fried them in oil.
As the pumpkin and eggnt were fried, a sizzling and appetizing sound filled the air. Yi-Han lightly fried the vegetables and ced them on a te with sauce.
"How is this?"
"Delicious."
As Professor Bdi enjoyed the food, Yi-Han kept moving.
He chopped tomatoes and green onions, beat eggs, and stir-fried them, peeling the asparagus he had bought earlier, nching it slightly, and then sauting it with butter.
As dish after dish piled up and Professor Bdi ate well, Amur also started to offer wine more confidently. Hearing the sound of the two drinking behind him, Yi-Han gave a meaningful smile.
Thump!
Someone hit their forehead. Yi-Han managed his expression and turned around.
"Would you like some wine sd..."
Yi-Han paused in his speech.
Amur''s face was flushed as he slept soundly, and Professor Bdi was tilting his wine ss with an unchanged expression.
"..."
Yi-Han didn''t curse at Amur. Amur had done his best.
...It was just because Professor Bdi was a madman.
"The food seems to be enough. Let''s start the meal."
"...Ah, yes."
Yi-Han sat down, his mood soured by Professor Bdi ''s sober voice.
He carved the meat, which was moist and tender, likely due to its excellent preparation.
''Even now, the meat is delicious...''
"Skipping meals or eating irregrly is a bad habit."
Professor Bdi lightly admonished Yi-Han.
Yi-Han almost threw his fork in response.
"I will be more careful in the future."
"It''ste, so it would be best to sleep as soon as we finish eating. We''ll leave as soon as we wake up."
"Excuse me? Where are we going?"
"To trade monsters."
Professor Bdi answered, then asked again with a hint of curiosity.
"Wasn''t that why you offered this meal, to see that?"
"...I''m embarrassed that you saw through my shallow intentions."
"Ambition and curiosity are virtues of a mage. There''s no need to be embarrassed. Just say it outright next time."
Although Professor Bdi epted the meal out of respect for his student''s sincerity, he personally preferred not to beat around the bush.
''I''ll be the unreasonable customer no matter what.''
Yi-Han resolved to be a demanding customer, regardless of Professor Bdi''s reputation.
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Chapter 262
Chapter 262
Chapter 262
As the night grewte, Yi-Han immediatelyy down in his bed after finishing his dinner and tidying up.
He thought he wouldn''t be able to sleep due to his troubled mind, but perhaps due to his sheer exhaustion, his eyes closed as soon as his head touched the pillow.
That night, Yi-Han dreamed a nightmare where Professor Bdi brought a dragon.
-This is uneptable. I will petition His Majesty the Emperor.-
-The Emperor has already granted permission.-
-That''s impossible!-
In the morning, Yi-Han sighed and poured coffee from the pot into a cup.
Not long after, Professor Bdi emerged from his room. Yi-Han noticed the professor hesitating at the sight of the coffee.
"Do you prefer tea?"
The professor nodded. Yi-Han, unflustered, promptly added tea leaves to a cup.
He had prepared for every possibility.
Amur also came and then looked at the coffee.
"Are you both up? Ah. As for coffee... no, thank you."
"Not at all. Would you like some warm milk instead?"
"That would be nice, but..."
Amur was surprised to see Yi-Han immediately pouring milk into a cup.
Was it magic?
"Did you use magic...?"
"No, I just prepared everything in advance."
"...??"
As he sipped his tea, Professor Bdi finally spoke.
"Let''s depart."
"Yes."
"Good luck."
Amur said to Yi-Han, who nodded and expressed his gratitude.
"Thank you."
"Good luck."
"...Thank you."
"Sincerely, good luck."
"...You can stop now. Thank you."
As Yi-Han turned to leave with Professor Bdi, his figure seemed inexplicably sad.
"Professor, where do you intend to buy such a rare monster?"
Yi-Han asked Professor Bdi.
Although Philonae Town was not as bustling and vast as a city, it was one of therger and more prosperous towns, especially with the Empire''s top magic academy nearby, attracting various rted people.
Yet, even considering that, ces selling rare monsters were scarce. In a typical town, there wouldn''t even be ces like Amur''s stable.
''Is it somewhere I''m unaware of?''
Having ventured out a few times, Yi-Han had a fair understanding of Philonae Town.
Was there a ce selling rare monsters that Yi-Han didn''t know about?
"I called the seller."
"!"
Professor Bdi had not been merely resting. He had sent out messages across the Empire during his days off, seeking rare monsters.
Among the adventurers and explorers scattered throughout the vast Empire, there were those who specialized in such tasks.
By now, many of them would have arrived in Philonae Town with the captured monsters.
Upon hearing the exnation, Yi-Han cursed inwardly.
''Those adventurers aren''t criticized for no reason.''
Shouldn''t they think about why such a request was made before eagerly epting it?
What if a mad mage throws that monster at his student!
''I won''t forgive them.''
Yi-Han resolved once more to sabotage this deal.
"Hey! Over here, this way! Greetings, mage!"
From a distance, an orc adventurer waved his hands. His attire screamed ''I am experienced''.
Behind him was a huge metal cage, tightly covered with ck cloth, but it was easy to guess what was inside.
"Greetings. I am Kilvedek, as mentioned in the letter. Wait. Who is this beside you?"
"My student."
"Ah."
Kilvedek paused briefly, but seemingly unconcerned, he continued the conversation.
"I shall speak first about the monster I have captured. Please forgive my rudeness for not removing the cloth and exining directly."
The two mages nodded in agreement. The Orc adventurer paused briefly, then raised his voice and eximed, "The monster I have captured is... a Basilisk!"
!
Yi-Han was surprised.
He even considered whether attacking the Orc adventurer right in front of him would constitute self-defense.
"A Basilisk! As mages, you must know. The king of snakes, possessing the vile Petrifying Evil Eye. Unfazed by fire, water, or lightning, it boasts agility to sprint from one end of the earth to the other in the flicker of its tongue..."
"Stop spouting nonsense!"
Yi-Han interjected firmly.
He couldn''t just let it go. He had to offend the other party somehow and drive them away.
"Your intentions are clear as day. Out of all the powerful monsters, why specifically a Basilisk? You need an excuse to keep the cloth covering, iming that removing it could harm those around us! Does it make sense that one who can confine a Basilisk cannot blindfold it? Surely, there''s a fake of simr size inside!"
"What... What are you talking about?!"
Taken aback by the baseless usation, Kilvedek stuttered. Yi-Han felt sorry but did not stop.
"Look at that person''s attire. It looks expensive and well-worn, but the hands cannot lie. Not a single scar or wound on them!"
Yi-Han began to argue absurdly.
In truth, an adventurer could have unscarred hands either healed by magic or simply never injured due to skill.
But the atmosphere was what mattered.
He had to nitpick until the other party angrily dered, ''I can''t do this deal!''
"...I''ve made a mistake! Sob, sob!"
"?!?!"
Suddenly, the orc adventurer prostrated himself on the ground.
"How dare I try to deceive the eyes of the mages... I must have lost my mind for a moment! Please, spare my life! It''s because of my debts...!"
"..."
Yi-Han was at a loss for words. Meanwhile, Professor Bdi praised him from the side.
"Well done."
"...Thank you."
"Dismiss."
Without any further punishment or retaliation, Professor Bdi sent Kilvedek away. Yi-Han, puzzled, asked, "Did you know that person was a swindler?"
"No. But I suspected it was likely."
Professor Bdi had never put much faith in adventurers.
He had sent letters far and wide, requesting the presence of as many sellers as possible for this reason.
After all, nine out of ten would likely be swindlers.
"I see."
"Let''s call the next person."
''Hopefully, its also a fraud.''
Yi-Han suddenly felt hopeful.
If all these adventurers were like this...!
"What do you think?"
"Pardon?"
"I asked what you think."
"Is he not a respectable adventurer in the empire?"
Initially, Yi-Han''s pointing out the Orc adventurer''s suspiciousness seemed too astute, so Professor Bdi expected the same of him with the next adventurer.
Naturally, Yi-Han had no such ability.
''Damn it. It was just a wild guess.''
How could Yi-Han have known his nitpicking would turn out to be true?
"Do you really think so?"
"It''s a bit... suspicious."
"In what way?"
"Given that he brought a rare monster, there should be no reason for this adventurer to look so suspicious or worried. Yet, he continually nces around, disying an unmistakable unease."
Of course, he could simply be nervous facing the mages or urgently need the restroom, but Yi-Han relentlessly picked on him.
"Damn it! This is why I hate dealing with mages!"
...
Another adventurer dropped their belongings and fled hastily.
Following this, three more adventurers were chased away for attempting deceit (one of them even brought a regr rabbit, insisting it was Almiraj, a monster feared even by demons).
It was a good thing for Yi-Han, but by this point, he began to doubt the ethics of the adventurers in the empire.
''Is the Empire really alright?''
He wondered if adventurers should receive ethical training from the skull principal of Einroguard during the academy holidays.
"!"
Yi-Han''s expression hardened.
There was an indescribable sense of unease emanating from the adventurers who had just arrived.
''What is this?''
A strange difort that subtly pricked at his nerves.
Yi-Han couldn''t pinpoint its source and frowned.
Professor Bdi spoke from beside him.
"It''s murderous intent."
"Pardon?"
"What you''re feeling now. That''s murderous intent."
"!"
Yi-Han looked up.
Unlike the previous swindlers, these approaching adventurers exuded a strong scent of blood.
''Are they insane?''
This was not far from the magic academy, and it was obvious how other mages in Einroguard would react if they provoked one.
But the logic of these adventurers was far removed from that.
A mage here to buy rare items must possess considerable gold; their n was to steal it by any means necessary.
Thoughts of ''consequences'' or ''retaliation'' were absent from their minds. Their only concern was to strike it big without getting caught.
"Mage, pleasee here."
"You need toe closer to inspect the monster."
Their slightly hoarse voices trembled with unmistakable greed.
Yi-Han clicked his tongue.
"Foolish fools."
"!"
"Do you even know who you''re dealing with?"
If it were another mage, maybe, but with Professor Bdi as the opponent, the adventurers'' fate seemed predetermined.
"Who are you?"
As the adventurers realized the situation was turning strange, their voices grew rougher.
Thud-
"?"
Professor Bdi ced a hand on Yi-Han''s shoulder and said,
"Handle it."
"Pardon?"
Professor Bdi gestured with his chin. It was an instruction to take action.
Yi-Han suddenly felt embarrassed.
''No...''
After saying, ''Do you know who you''re dealing with?'' he had expected to watch Professor Bdi fight, but now it seemed like he was the one who had to prove himself.
''Do I really have to do this?''
"Didn''t you ask who I am?"
"You don''t need to know."
As he spoke, Yi-Han drew his staff. Simultaneously, the adventurers drew their weapons.
Suspicion was already mutual.
Doig and Gido, the two brothers, feared the power of the mages but were not overly hesitant to confront them.
Speed was crucial.
While magic was the strongest force in the Empire, its might was meaningless if it couldn''t be used.
If they could strike the mage with a de before a spell was cast, that was the end.
The two adventurers drew their weapons, notorious implements crafted by a Dwarf cksmith with a bounty on his head in the Empire.
These weapons, capable of firing deadly poisoned daggers powered by the elements of fire and wind, were no ordinary arms. Not only was the poison potent enough to paralyze a mage''s entire body, but the des of the daggers were also made of turquoise, capable of prating defensive magic.
How many times had they seen mages, even those with defensive artifacts, clutch their chests in disbelief before copsing?
Doig and Gido, fully expecting the same oue this time, were instead thrown into a fiery shock and rolled on the ground.
"!"
Yi-Han was startled to see his opponents simply roll over from a single bolt of lightning magic.
''What''s this? A trap?''
"sh forth, sh forth, sh forth!"
Yi-Han remained vignt.
One lesson he had learned while exploring dungeons with Professor Bdi was never to stop attacking just because a monster seemed downed.
Since there was no need to conserve mana, Yi-Han relentlessly unleashed a barrage of spells.
"That''s enough."
"...Really? They''re truly down?"
Professor Bdi nodded his head.
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Chapter 263
Chapter 263
"Darn it..."
Doig could hardly believe what had just happened. He and his brother had moved simultaneously, yet they were slower than the mage. It was supposed to be a quick job while the mage focused on swinging his staff and chanting spells, they only needed to release their memorized incantations. But then...
Thud!
The two adventurers copsed on the spot.
Unaware of their fate, Yi-Han turned to Professor Bdi with another question. "Don''t you think the protective gear they''re wearing is a bit insufficient?"
"It''s adequate," replied the professor. In truth, adventurers who were properly equipped with anti-magic gear were exceedingly rare. Why risk one''s life in dangerous ventures when one could simply sell such a costly artifact, worth as much as a castle, and retire in peace? The Yi-Han had encountered before was an exceptionally unusual case. It was generally hard toe across adventurers equipped with such gear.
Especially since Doig and his brother had prioritized speed over protection, keeping their gear as light as possible.
''What''s with them? Just some weirdos?'' Yi-Han couldn''t help but be perplexed. He was quite taken aback by the sudden attack of the adventurers, whose circumstances he knew nothing about.
What were they thinking, attacking a mage in such a half-hearted manner?
"These two had bounties on their heads. You''ve done well," the administrator acknowledged.
Since the fight had urred within the town, it couldn''t just be overlooked.
Yi-Han and Professor Bdi sought out the Imperial administrator responsible for Philonae Town. The administrator didn''t suspect or me the two mages. After all, bounty-hunting adventurers were no match for mages affiliated with Einroguard.
"Bounties on their heads?" Yi-Han was taken aback. The Empire was vast, and once troublemakers fled far away, they were not easily caught. The Empire ced bounties on such individuals, but it wasn''t something that just anyone could fall into.
''Too foolish for those with bounties on them. How were they not caught yet?''
''Quite the Einroguard mage,'' thought the administrator, trying to maintain aposed expression amidst his surprise. He knew that the students of Einroguard were among the Empire''s finest geniuses, but he hadn''t expected this level of prowess. The young mage, seemingly unbothered by capturing Doig and his brother, responded with a confidence that was almost admirable.
"Indeed. You are a student of Einroguard, I look forward to your continued contributions," the administrator praised.
"Thank you," Yi-Han responded, then hesitated. ''What contributions does he expect?''
While thepliment was appreciated, it strangely irked him. Was it some kind of curse to encounter more criminals?
However, his mood lifted upon receiving a purse heavy with coins. Yi-Han bowed respectfully and gracefully in gratitude.
"Thank you. Farewell."
The administrator was taken aback again. This humility was a stark contrast to the confidence Yi-Han had just disyed. ''Must be from a prominent noble family...''
Though the administrator couldn''t pinpoint the exact lineage, Yi-Han''s demeanor suggested he was from a distinguished noble family. The administrator found himself deeply impressed.
Magic was aplex field, daunting for the average person. A boy like Yi-Han, confident in his talent yet never forsaking etiquette, seemed the perfect candidate to pursue such a schrly path.
''Keep it up,'' the administrator silently cheered for Yi-Han.
It was his duty to ensure students like Yi-Han could focus solely on their magic studies.
Tedious and boring tasks like imperial administration should be left to officials like the administrator.
"Would you like to share?"
"No."
While weighing the purse of coins, Yi-Han noticed Professor Bdi standing beside him and asked. Fortunately, the professor seemed uninterested in his student''s financial affairs.
''It seems he''s not in a good mood.''
Even without resorting to Ogonins magic, Yi-Han had a remarkable ability to sense the emotions of his professors.
''It''s not about the coin, is it?''
"Is it about the trade?" Yi-Han inquired.
Professor Bdi nodded. It was disappointing for him, having received numerous letters that all turned out to be from scammers. He had hoped that at least one would bring something useful.
Yi-Han struggled to keep a straight face.
''Don''tugh. Laugh and Ill die.''
Though Professor Bdi wasn''t one to take emotional revenge like the skull principal, it was not wise tough while the professor was coping with failure. Besides, Bdi was also an expert in closebat.
"It''s alright. If it were easy to find, it wouldn''t be a rare monster. I can do without it."
Yi-Han said with kind eyes, which slightly furrowed Professor Bdi''s brow.
A faint feeling of frustration welled up inside the professor, a frustration stemming from his failure to fulfill a duty as a mentor. He furrowed his brow more, trying to control this unfamiliar emotion.
''...Is this really okay?''
As Professor Bdi ''s expression grew more severe, Yi-Han felt a sense of foreboding. Surely the professor wouldn''t say something absurd like ''Since there''s no monster, I''ll be one''?
"Professor?"
"Yes."
Relieved as Professor Bdi''s face returned to normal, Yi-Han breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
"But there''s still time until the final exam. So I''ll keep looking."
''Damn it.''
Yi-Han cursed the professor internally.
Why was he so passionate about such pointless things? Couldn''t he rather ponder why his ss was nearly empty?
"Are you mages of Einroguard?"
"!"
Yi-Han looked up.
The neer, though unfamiliar, was clearly a noble of high status. From the ent, mannerisms, attire, jewelry, to the guards surrounding him, it was evident.
''Who is this?''
"Yes, we are. May I ask who you are?"
Instead of the noble, one of his guards replied.
"This is Duke Icaldoren. Please identify yourselves."
"Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
"Bdi of the Bagrak family."
Unlike the Bagrak family, the Wardanaz family was a distinguished noble lineage, not to be trifled with even by the imperial dukedom. The guard''s demeanor became more cautious.
''Duke Icaldoren...''
Yi-Han might not have known all the nobles in the empire, but he was familiar with the more famous ones. Duke Icaldoren was well-known, even to Yi-Han, who had heard rumors and seen him mentioned in imperial newspapers.
''The rumors weren''t exactly ttering.''
Among the nobility, it was rare to find someone not described as cunning or inscrutable. But even considering this, the rumors about Duke Icaldoren were particrly bad.
Given his reputation as a cunning and scheming man, Yi-Han couldn''t help but feel a bit tense. Having Professor Bdi beside him didn''t lessen the tension; in fact, in such situations, the professor was more of a concern.
''Even if Professor Bdi insults Duke Icaldoren, the skull principal will step in, right? After all, we''re part of the magic academy.''
With the thought of the skull principal''s potential scolding in mind, Yi-Han bowed his head.
"It''s an honor to meet you."
Duke Icaldoren appeared to be in his forties, but his actual age must have been twice that, making his youthful appearance remarkable for a human, undoubtedly thanks to various alchemical potions.
"A mage prophesied a few days ago that I would have a significant encounter. I believe this meeting with the distinguished mages of Einroguard might be it."
One of the Duke''s guards red at Yi-Han and whispered to the Duke, "Your Grace, as far as I know, students from the magic academy are prohibited from leaving. Doesn''t that seem suspicious?"
The guards of nobles typically possessed a paranoid nature, assuming that anyone approaching their master could be a disguised assassin.
"Aren''t you embarrassed to spout such foolishness? It''s obviously permissible to leave with a professor. I won''t tolerate any more impertinence. Step back."
Duke Icaldoren reprimanded his guard sternly, who then bowed and retreated.
Yi-Han felt a prick of worry internally. ''That guard is sharp. How did he know?''
"If it''s not too presumptuous, forgive me. But I overheard that the two of you are seeking something? I would like to offer my help."
Yi-Han''s face stiffened. ''The rumors are true after all!''
The Duke was as cunning and scheming as the rumors suggested, plotting to sacrifice an innocent student.
"We are looking for a rare monster."
"Is there a specific requirement?"
"It must be immune to fire, water, and lightning elements, have strong magic resistance, and be capable of speeds over 60 km/h..."
Even after hearing Professor Bdi''s absurd request, Duke Icaldoren''s expression remained unchanged. He called a guard and asked, "Can you find it?"
"We will look into it."
"Do me the favor. In the meantime, may I offer you a drink?"
Realizing the situation was amiss, Yi-Han replied while holding back a sigh, "If possible, I''d prefer tea."
"An excellent taste."
"Your Grace, isn''t it too generous to invest so much in a student, even if hes from the Wardanaz family and an Einroguard professor?"
Duke Icaldoren lightly tapped his finger, prompting his subordinate to hastily shut his mouth. None dared to speak after receiving such a warning.
The Duke muttered coldly, "I know what you''re trying to say."
The monster the mages requested was rarer and more troublesome than expected. The Duke couldn''t determine the two mages'' exact status within Einroguard; one was a professor, but his position''s prominence was unclear, and the other seemed like a lower-grade student...
It was likely that befriending them wouldn''t bring significant benefits. The chances of them being close to the principal were slim.
Nevertheless, Duke Icaldoren decided to invest, considering the necessity to extend his influence within the magic academy, regardless of efficiency.
''I must find out what''s happening inside Einroguard.''
Though his face remained calm, his mind was troubled. Recently, one of the Duke''s confidants had entered Einroguard and lost contact, possibly captured by Gonadaltes. If Gonadaltes realized the truth, he wouldn''t let it pass easily.
Duke Icaldoren had no choice but to tolerate the mages, even if they were not to his liking. He needed to gradually expand his influence.
"Do you find the tea to your liking?"
Duke Icaldoren asked as he stepped into the drawing room. Yi-Han and Professor Bdi were sipping their tea.
"It is excellent, thank you. Your Grace," Yi-Han responded politely, in stark contrast to Professor Bdi who merely nodded his head. Though the Duke let it pass as an unfortunate situation, he couldn''t help but feel annoyed.
''Mages, always such odd fellows.''
They were entrics, immersed only in their areas of interest, often appearing foolish in other aspects. However, Yi-Han''s demeanor was refreshingly different. Coming from the Wardanaz family, one would expect nothing but rudeness from him...
"I apologize for only serving such modest tea to a student who should be focusing on magic."
"Not at all. In fact, I wish I could take some with me when I leave."
"Ha ha ha... I''ll make sure to arrange that."
"I would be most grateful."
''Is he really from the Wardanaz family?''
Duke Icaldoren was pleasantly surprised to meet someone from the Wardanaz family who knew how to engage in agreeable conversation, even making jokes.
It was truly astonishing.
"Speaking of which, since you''re studying at Einroguard, you must have met Lord Gonadaltes."
"Yes, I have met him."
"Are you perhaps close to him?"
"Would that even be possible?" Yi-Han replied with a look of distaste.
To think of having a close rtionship with him was out of the question. It was more a matter of hatred or suffering.
''That''s disappointing.''
Duke Icaldoren felt a deep sense of regret internally. Although he had anticipated it, the confirmation was still bitterly disappointing.
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Chapter 264
Chapter 264
I nearly fell victim to the most terrible misunderstanding in the world, Yi-Han thought, feeling uneasy even after his response.
He was worried that Duke Icaldoren, upon returning to the imperial social circles, might spread false rumors like, "That boy Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family is quite close to Gonadaltes."
What would the skull principal and those bearing grudges against him think of this?
Certainly, there were more than just a few of them.
"How do you find life in Einroguard? Is it satisfactory?" Duke Icaldoren asked, tilting his teacup, inquiring about the life within the magic academy.
Yi-Han felt his nerves tense.
Could this be... a trap?
What if Duke Icaldoren was in close rtions with the skull principal?
Was he trying to extractints from a student he met by chance?
"Utterly satisfactory," Yi-Han replied.
"Is that so?"
"The principal always assists students to focus on their studies. In the magic academy, students are always in an environment conducive to thinking about magic."
...
Duke Icaldoren was confused.
Although Einroguard was a secretive ce difficult for outsiders to understand, no secret in the world was absolute.
Some rumors were bound to leak out.
Naturally, some rumors about Einroguard had reached Duke Icaldoren.
ording to them, Einroguard was not as satisfactory as Yi-Han imed.
''What''s the ulterior motive, Wardanaz? Whats your scheme, Gonadaltes?''
Duke Icaldoren''s eyes sparkled slightly at the unexpected answer, his mind in turmoil.
But, no matter how much he thought about it, the boy in front of him didn''t seem to be lying.
After all, there was no reason for him to lie.
Could it be that Gonadaltes had really changed the rules?
''It''s entirely possible. But why? For what reason?''
Gonadaltes, a great mage famous even in front of the emperor, would not change rules without a reason.
Duke Icaldoren''s reasoning delved deeper.
''Could it be... to gain favor with other great noble families or the emperor?''
The great mage Gonadaltes was known for his audacity even in front of the emperor.
If such a mage was trying to gain favor for some big event...
What was he nning?
Duke Icaldoren felt a chill down his spine.
''Could it be... Gonadaltes is targeting me? Why?''
"Not only that, all the professors are excellent. They go out of their way to teach us more, providing support in every way," Yi-Han continued.
Mid-sentence, Professor Bdi nodded, nearly causing Yi-Han to cough, but he finished his statement.
This firm attitude convinced Duke Icaldoren even more.
Such emphasis in his words meant it was certainly not a lie. There had definitely been changes within the magic academy.
''One must be more vignt.''
"Your Grace," a subordinate approached, bowing low and speaking softly.
"I''ve found what you ordered."
"What is it?"
"A Basilisk."
Professor Bdi put down his teacup. His face was expressionless, but satisfaction emanated from his entire being.
''Duke Icaldoren. I will not forget this,'' Yi-Han vowed to himself, holding back a sigh.
"This isn''t a Basilisk, is it?"
"Exactly. It''s the creature''s egg, Mage."
In response, Professor Bdis mood slightly soured.
"When will it hatch?"
Yi-Han, on the other hand, felt a bit pleased.
"It''s difficult to say for sure. As you know, rare monsters like Basilisks are quite capricious."
The egg,id by a rooster and incubated by a viper for an extended period, had transformed into a Basilisk egg.
Although it was indeed a rare treasure, to Professor Bdi, who urgently needed a challenging opponent for his disciple, the egg was of no use.
After all, one couldn''t ask to fight an egg.
The atmosphere turned peculiar as Professor Bdi remained silent, even the Duke''s subordinates felt slightly offended.
How could a mage not express gratitude upon receiving such a rare treasure as the Basilisk egg without any cost?
Yi-Han, noticing this, quickly stepped in.
"I''m truly grateful. I will not forget Your Grace''s kindness. It seems the Professor is too overwhelmed with gratitude to speak."
"Haha. We are pleased to see you so happy," the Duke''s subordinates finally rxed and appeared satisfied.
"It was hard to acquire. You''d be surprised at the extra price we paid."
''Damn, why not just give us gold.
The Duke''s subordinate, Yi-Han, and even Professor Bdi, all felt the difort of this burdensome transaction.
Yi-Han seriously considered the risk of being targeted by assassins sent by Duke Icaldoren if he was caught secretly selling the Basilisk egg.
After the subordinates left and they were alone, Professor Bdi spoke up.
"This is useless."
"Not at all, Professor. Just take good care of it and hatch it," Yi-Han replied, wanting to wrap up the conversation, fearing Professor Bdi might confront a dragon or something simr.
"Even if it''s just an egg, it''s still a Basilisk egg. If raised well, it will grow rapidly," Yi-Han persuaded.
...
After contemting, Professor Bdi finally responded.
"...I see. If it''s not toote, it could be used in the next exam."
"No, that''s not what I meant," Yi-Han replied seriously.
With the gift exchanged and the Duke assured of their non-affiliation with the principal, Duke Icaldoren prepared to see them off.
"You came to buy materials?"
"Yes."
"Have one of your men apany him. The merchants often don''t readily offer their best goods."
The Duke ordered his subordinate.
Merchants were not clever enough to deceive a mage but not foolish enough to easily give away their best goods.
umting such small favors was Duke Icaldoren''s way, especially when dealing with someone from a prominent noble family.
Nobles'' honory in not easily forgetting a favor received.
Though the fact that the boy was from the Wardanaz family was slightly concerning, he seemed rtively sanepared to the others.
''Is Duke Icaldoren a fool?'' Yi-Han wondered.
Just giving away things like that. It wasn''t as if Yi-Han would feel obligated to repayter, nor was it just a disy of noble generosity.
If that was the case, it was truly astonishing.
Why engage in such meaningless acts
"Please give me as many as you have. Do you have Setribi''s Dew potions? I also need Dobruk''s Blood Drop Potion."
"Wait, just a moment, please."
The alchemists in the guild workshop were startled by the visit of such distinguished guests.
"It will take some time to check the inventory and prepare. But are you really going to buy so much?"
"Yes."
Yi-Han''s strategy was straightforward.
Professor Uregor had stated, "Acquiring ingredients is also a part of your skill, so make them yourselves." With this in mind, Yi-Han was determined to demonstrate his abilities.
He set out to buy useful potions.
Starting with potions needed for the pre-final assignment to all the potions that might be used in the final exams!
Originally, he had nned to buy only the essentials due to limited funds, but since Duke Icaldoren was providing the coin, there was no need to be frugal.
The Duke''s subordinates, watching from behind, exchanged bewildered nces.
-Isnt he buying too much?-
However, no one dared to intervene. Interfering might be interpreted as disrespecting Duke Icaldoren''s reputation.
Though the purchases were more expensive than expected, considering Duke Icaldoren''s intention to bestow favor, it might have been for the best.
"Let''s go to the snack shop next door."
"What?"
"Is there a problem?"
"Uh... No, nothing."
The Duke''s subordinates followed Yi-Han past , adorned with colorful, elongated candies.
Wondering why a mage would enter a snack shop, they spected he might need some unknown ingredient. Perhaps a potion containing crispy creme brulee or a spell requiring sweet eirs...
...Do such things even exist?
"This giant chocte cake seems extraordinary."
"You have an eye for quality. asionally, adventurers who''ve toiled for months buy it to celebrate their victories. It takes a week to make."
"Excellent. I''ll take this too."
"Good heavens! I knew you were an esteemed guest, but to buy this!"
Yi-Han nodded confidently.
The Duke''s subordinates could only respond with increasingly puzzled expressions.
"All done, Professor."
After a frenzied shopping spree, on Sunday evening, Yi-Han met Professor Bdi again at the front of Amur''s stable.
Amur was taken aback by the sight of Yi-Handen with a mountain of goods.
"What in the...?"
Even a porter working in a tradingpany for over ten years wouldn''t handle such a merciless amount of luggage.
"It''s fine. Let''s set off."
"Wait... just a moment."
Amur was flustered.
More critical than escaping from jail, or rather, the academy, was returning undetected.
Naturally, Yi-Han and Amur were prepared for this, nning to sneak in around midnight on Sunday disguised as Amur and his subordinate.
But the amount of luggage was excessive.
A box or two might go unnoticed, but with that much, even the tower''s stablemaster, blind as a bat, would say, "Let''s have a look at that."
"Hmm. Maybe I did buy a bit too much."
"Not just a bit..."
"It''s fine."
"??"
"Just say it''s the Professor''s luggage."
"Are... are you sure?"
Amur was even more bewildered.
Was it really alright to use the name of a revered mentor for smuggling?
Professor Bdi nonchntly nodded in agreement. Yi-Han exchanged a knowing look with him.
"Then let''s set off! Oh, and I brought some dessert. Have it if you get hungry."
"No, students usually don''t have money... Wait a minute...?"
Amur was baffled by how Yi-Han managed to buy so much.
Unless incredibly reckless or brazen, it wouldn''t be easy to exploit one''s family name...
"...Alright then. Let''s go!"
Yi-Han fed the griffin some snacks (giving it the finest jerky made the griffin very happy) and checked the luggage belonging to Professor Bdi.
While wandering the vige with the Duke''s subordinates, Professor Bdi had also acquired a few elongated boxes, eachrge enough to fit a person.
''...Surely not monsters?''
Yi-Han felt a sense of foreboding but steadied himself. Even Professor Bdi couldn''t have acquired more monsters in such a short time.
"What''s inside these boxes?"
"Adventurers."
"...Pardon?"
"Adventurers. Those who resorted to trickery earlier."
Professor Bdi spoke matter-of-factly.
He was so nonchnt that Yi-Han almost mistook the boxes of snacks for the ones containing the adventurers.
Of course, Yi-Han was not deceived.
"Professor, why would you keep such people?"
"I n to use them for the final exam. They''re scoundrels, but with some training, they might be useful."
"..."
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Chapter 265
Chapter 265
"Professor, I may not be well-versed in imperialw, but I believe kidnapping is illegal."
"I had permission."
"What??"
Yi-Han was shocked.
He knew adventurers were crazy, but to agree to such a proposal...
''Ah. No, that can''t be right.''
For adventurers caught in a scam, refusing was not an easy option.
Moreover, Professor Bdi wouldn''t have detained them harshly, so the atmosphere must have been quite intimidating.
''Putting a knife to someone''s throat and asking a question isn''t permission, it''s coercion.''
"But if you had permission, why put them in a box and carry them away?"
"Can''t just let outsiders roam free, they might cause trouble."
"Indeed."
Yi-Han only replied ''indeed,'' but he thought otherwise.
That''s not a reasonable exnation!
Thud!
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower gazed at Yi-Han as if he were a deity descended to earth.
The cake in the center of the lounge was almost reaching the ceiling.
"We''ll eat this together once the final exams are over. Understand?"
"My goodness..."
"Sharakan, bite anyone who touches it."
Sharakan bit Gainando''s ankle. Gainando screamed.
"I didn''t touch it! I only thought about it!"
As Gainando hopped about, Yi-Han added,
"Those who fail won''t get any."
"No...!"
Some students were horrified.
How could he impose such a cruel condition?
"Failing isn''t necessarily wrong!"
''Isn''t it, though?''
Yi-Han ignored his friends'' protests and turned away. Yonaire whispered in astonishment,
"I thought it was for the festival."
"What festival? Ah, the Phoenix Festival?"
In the empire, there were various festivals every season.
Among them, the Phoenix Festival was a celebration where offerings were made to the phoenix to ensure the proper arrival of early summer.
It was said that in the past, the phoenix would bolster the power of the sun, ensuring the seasons cycled correctly.
''It''s just a silly superstition.''
If that were true, the snowstorm at the magic academyst time must have been because the Phoenix was sleeping.
And, separate from the superstition, the Phoenix Festival wasn''t a festival that needed to be attended with such importance.
Moreover, the final exams were right after the next week.
In such a situation, it would be foolish for any students to celebrate the festival...
"...What are you doing?"
"Huh? Making decorations?"
The students of the Blue Dragon, weaving wreaths with red-painted feathers and cockbs, looked puzzled.
Yi-Han sighed internally.
''I forgot these kids can be so foolish.''
With exams looming, even trivial things can be interesting.
With only assignments and exams left, even a minor Phoenix Festival could be immensely entertaining to the students.
"Wardanaz, here''s a wreath. Wearing it during the festival will make you resistant to the heat."
''Thank you.''
"Aren''t you going to study?"
"...I, I''m about to!"
''Oops.''
Yi-Han intended to thank them for their thoughtfulness, but his inner thoughts slipped out instead.
Yi-Han looked with pity at his friends scurrying away.
''Wait. Are these kids actually...?!''
Looking around, Yi-Han btedly realized the oddity.
Everyone was at their desks, but few were genuinely studying.
Asan was scribbling with a quill on paper; Yi-Han thought he was working on an assignment, but he was actually designing ornaments for the Phoenix Festival. Nebren, instead of working on his Enchantment Magic assignment on artifact improvement, was making a ball to y with during the festival.
Yi-Han looked at the princess, thest bastion. In a hurry, she flipped open a book and ced it on the desk.
"...You don''t think the principal created the Phoenix Festival, do you?"
"That, that''s not the case, right?"
Yonaire was flustered by such an absurd conspiracy theory.
It seemed unlikely that a festival celebrated throughout the empire was created by the skull principal.
"Yi-Han. Normally, you need to y a bit to focus better."
Gainando said cautiously, ncing at Yi-Han''s hands as if afraid of being hit on the back of his head.
"Gainando. What are you holding right now?"
"...A, a spinning top?"
"Is it for an assignment?"
"No... um... it might be used for one...?"
Gainando hastily rubbed off the Phoenix design he had drawn on the spinning top.
The new week''s Monday.
Yi-Han had hoped only the students of the Blue Dragon Tower were foolish, but reality was a bit different.
Rolling-
"Wardanaz! Kick the ball here!"
As a leather ball with a Phoenix design came flying, Yi-Han kicked it in the opposite direction.
The students of the White Tiger cursed, pounding the ground.
"What are you doing!"
"Disrespectful! Don''t you know it''s the Phoenix Festival?!"
"Just study."
The students were making all sorts of excuses to y.
ying ball tomemorate the Phoenix Festival.
Spinning tops tomemorate the Phoenix Festival.
ying card games tomemorate the Phoenix Festival...
''Do card games yers really have no conscience?''
"I added a Phoenix card to the deck."
"..."
"No, won''t y it."
Gainando sneaked the deck back into his pocket as Yi-Han red at him.
The Phoenix Festival was such that instead of preparing something grand or shy, it was celebrated by ying with items decorated or drawn with Phoenixes, making it an easy excuse for the students.
The skull principal who entered the ssroom seemed to think the same.
Are youmemorating the Phoenix Festival?
"Prin-principal!"
Students ying chess with Phoenix pieces eyed the skull principal.
But the principal kindly said,
Continue ying.
"Re, really?"
Yes. It''s you, not me, who will end up in the punishment room if you fail the exam for ying like fools.
"..."
The students quietly put away the chessboard. The principal looked pleased.
As you all know, I didn''t assign you extra work out of consideration for you, even though you have so much spare time.
"No! We were really busy..."
Remove that Phoenix decoration before speaking. Foolish boy.
The student who spoke blushed and removed the Phoenix epaulettes from his shoulder.
"We were indeed busy, principal."
Daring to say that after seeing your friend?
The skull principal turned his head to locate the bold speaker, then hesitated as he saw Yi-Han.
...So. Next week is the exam.
"..."
Even the principal couldn''t bring himself to say Yi-Han had too much spare time.
You might doubt me, but the final exam won''t be that difficult.
"Ha!"
"Yeah right!"
The principal''s eyes shed, and the students who had just scoffed were suddenly hanging upside down from the ceiling.
Keep your insults to yourselves, fools. And it really won''t be difficult. I could even give you a hint.
"What is it?"
A student asked skeptically.
A bureaucrat from the empire wille to test your character education.
"..."
"..."
The students were more astonished than when their friend was hung upside down.
"We... haven''t really learned much about character education, principal."
What nonsense. Even if you haven''t realized it, it''s been gradually umting within you. It would be wise to answer well. If you get on the bad side of a bureaucrat, life bes difficult.
''This is somewhat frightening.''
Yi-Han, who had remained calm despite his fear of the final exams being several times greater than the other students, was now truly afraid of the character education test.
Who woulde, and what would they ask?
''Can the situation at the academy be exposed? No, that''s strange. If it were possible to expose, it wouldn''t make sense for the skull principal to still be in his position.''
There''s no need to be too afraid.
The skull principal, noticing the students'' anxiety, spoke gently.
I will help you with a rehearsal.
A curtain of darkness fell in the ssroom, limiting the students'' vision to only their feet.
One by one,e forward!
It was Yi-Han''s turn. He stepped towards the floating blue light in the darkness.
State your name.
"It''s Yi-Han."
Not mentioning your family first. I''ll give you 10 points.
"Uh... Would a real bureaucrat do the same?"
Silence. I ask the questions here. Have you ever wanted to attack someone while attending the magic academy?
"..."
Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
''Damn. Too many to count.''
If the skull principal could detect lies, he would be caught immediately.
"If I said no, that would be a lie."
Honest. Another 10 points.
''Is this really how it''s supposed to go?''
Admitting to having aggressive thoughts seems like it should lead to deductions...
What is the reason you chose to learn magic?
"I thought it was the most useful and versatile among the many disciplines of the empire, ensuring I wouldn''t starve in my lifetime..."
Is that what you call an answer!?
The skull principal retorted incredulously.
Yi-Han was slightly taken aback.
"Is it wrong to answer like that in front of a bureaucrat?"
That''s irrelevant. Unless you''re nning to kill someone or summon fragments of a forgotten ancient evil deity, anything goes. But what''s with thatck of ambition!? You might as well say your dream is to be an imperial bureaucrat!
"Being a bureaucrat seems nice..."
Silence! I don''t want to hear it. No matter how much you tter them, even a bureaucrat would be flustered by such ttery!
Yi-Han grumbled inwardly.
What''s wrong with being a bureaucrat...
Next, talk about the magic you''re learning and why you chose it... Let''s just skip this question.
"..."
Yi-Han felt slightly hurt.
Is there any student in the other towers that you particrly dislike?
"Not really."
That''s unfortunate. I would have given you 10 points if you had said yes.
"No..."
Many more questions followed. Most were about what he intended to do with magic, whether he had thoughts of using forbidden arcane rituals, or if a rampaging magic spell was heading towards a town, would he redirect it to another town with fewer people, and so on.
Surprisingly, it wasn''t difficult.
"Is it really not that hard?"
That''s right. As long as you keep your wits about you, it''s not difficult.
The skull principal grumbled, clearly very dissatisfied. Yi-Han, puzzled, asked,
"Is there a problem?"
You might not understand, being as perceptive as you are, but every year there are students who spout nonsense! And then it''s all med on me.
''Ah.''
Yi-Han immediately understood.
Indeed, if someone responded to a question with ''I''m learning fire magic to burn the world,'' the emperor would likely say, ''Summon Gonadaltes here.''
The students were more innocent than expected, not knowing how to lie.
Make sure to dissuade anyone in your tower who might give strange answers.
"I''ll do my best. But, principal, isn''t there something more dangerous than that?"
What are you talking about?
"Well, I was thinking if the bureaucrat heard about the incidents that urred during the semester, they might be rmed."
Thank you for your concern, but it''s alright.
"?"
The bureaucrating is from Einroguard.
"..."
Yi-Han couldn''t help but be amazed.
He''s really sharp when ites to the bad stuff!
In recent weeks, Professor Bdi''s ss had be physically easier.
However, they had be mentally more demanding.
After finishing the basic course, Professor Bdi, intent onpleting theprehensivebat magic theory, began asking about everything learned in other sses.
"In dark magic, we covered poison and curses. In summoning magic, skeletons. Next."
"In illusion magic, we learned about the structural understanding of illusion."
"You must have learned additional topics from Mr. Ogonin."
"...Ah. I almost missed that. Thank you."
Yi-Han cursed the skull principal.
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Chapter 266
Chapter 266
"It wasn''t really anything special," he admitted modestly.
"Observation is crucial," came the retort.
Professor Bdi never underestimated the value of emotion perception magic.
A duel between mages was like a collision of two different worlds. To gain the upper hand in such a collision, one needed the keen ability to read the opponent''s world first.
"And you must have also mastered emotion control magic ()," he guessed.
...
There was a pause. Though prepared, the revtion that his secret was already known was bitter.
"Mages may not fall for it, but it''s useful against those who can''t handle mana," he pointed out.
"?"
Yi-Han hesitated.
''But it worked on all the students of the Blue Dragon!?''
Yi-Han scoffed at his friends. How carelessly must a mage live to fall for such magic?
"Keep practicing. Your transformation magic is still focused on iron, I presume?"
"Yes."
Professor Bdi seemed to know more about the transformation magic curriculum than the students themselves. The current course was focusing on the most basic aspect: transforming the clothes a mage wore into iron. Familiar objects were easier to transform, and iron was one of the mostmon and essible materials for mages.
Swish!
With a swift motion, Professor Bdi whipped out a handkerchief from an unseen angle. It transformed into iron,shing out like a whip.
Caught off guard, Yi-Han reacted instantly, throwing his coat and shouting, "Cloak, turn into iron!"
Fortunately, he timed it right. The handkerchief hit the coat and fell.
Professor Bdi, who almost struck his student''s chin, spoke calmly, "Increase your speed."
"Yes..."
Yi-Han wanted to say ''Stop the ambushes, please,'' but held his tongue. Speaking out would be as effective as talking to the walls of the Blue Dragon Tower.
"Don''t be too greedy with divination and healing magic."
"Yes... Yes?"
Yi-Han paused, surprised.
''Don''t be greedy? Is he asking me not to divine the future a thousand years ahead or not to heal even if several holes are blown through the body?''
''If anyone hears it, they would think I''m greedy...''
"What do you mean by not being greedy?"
"Just as I said. Divination magic is unstable and capricious. Forcing it might exact a great toll."
...
Yi-Han felt uneasy. He had used divination magic a few times, but realizing its real danger was rming.
''Divination magic is indeed perilous.''
When Professor Bdi said it was dangerous, it carried a different weight.
"Wait, is healing magic also unstable and capricious?"
Yi-Han asked, puzzled.
"It''s different."
The reason to not be overzealous with healing magic was simr yet different from divination. Healing magic, without enough experience, could backfire until one was fully capable.
Acting hastily could only lead to greater harm.
"Aha."
Yi-Han was grateful to Professor Garcia for keeping his secret. Sessfully using healing magic on people seemed like a secret to take to the grave.
Although Professor Bdi didn''t assign any specific homework, he provided numerous pieces of advice on various magics.
-Develop the ability to move skeletons andbine poison with curses to enhance them.-
-Master Mr. Ogonin''s illusion magic. Aim to reach the 4th Circle as quickly as possible.-
-I heard you''vepleted the iron shield. Now, try casting it without the aid of a magic circle.-
Yi-Han thought to himself, ''Why not just give me an assignment instead?'' He kept his thoughts internal, knowing well that voicing them might actually lead to a real assignment.
"Be careful with fire magic."
"Yes?"
Yi-Han looked up, puzzled by the sudden advice. Fire magic was a widely known elemental magic, but for him, it was a different story. Due to the nature of the fire element and his abnormallyrge amount of mana, a moment''s carelessness could turn him into an arsonist.
As such, Yi-Han always wore severalyers of cursedor rather, fire-diminishingartifacts when using fire magic and kept the scale of the magic as safe as possible.
Professor Bdi must have known this, so why the warning?
"Are you always cautious?"
"It''s better to be more careful."
ording to Professor Bdi, a slight aura of fire magic was being detected in the academy mana flow. Naturally, the environment strongly influences the natural mana.
In the hot summer, the aura of fire.
In the cold winter, the aura of cold.
In Einroguard, one of the ces with the most amount of mana in the empire, the impact of seasons was even more pronounced.
"But summer hasn''t even arrived yet. Is it still dangerous?"
"It must be because of the festival."
"Yes?"
"The Phoenix Festival. The students must be celebrating it."
Mages, those who change the world with their will, naturally influence their surroundings, whether consciously or unconsciously. A festivalmemorating the Phoenix, heralding the onset of early summer, naturally strengthened the power of fire.
Yi-Han was speechless. The already distracting and chaotic festival atmosphere was now causing this sort of problem!
He was already starting to dislike the festival.
Swordsmanship ss.
...One hour before it started.
Yi-Han relentlessly hit the backs of the White Tiger students with a branch he was holding.
"Is that what you call calction? Do it again! If you mix potions like that, the pot will melt and get holes!"
He had promised to help the White Tiger Tower with their studies, so he was aiding his friends before the swordsmanship ss.
Of course, the White Tiger students were miserable.
"Take a short break. Rest for just five minutes, but don''t stray far!"
"Why is Wardanaz being like this? He''s several times worse than usual!"
"Who messed with Wardanaz?"
"Did someone get caught insulting Wardanaz?"
"Damn it, I told you not to curse him!"
The White Tiger students whispered in shock and fear.
They were going crazy withments like, ''Your potion is so weak that selling it wouldnd you in jail!''
Some even preferred when Yi-Han resorted to violence over this torment.
The White Tiger students were fundamentally not used to sitting and studying for long periods.
"Wardanaz. You might not understand, but wee from knightly backgrounds, so studying isn''t really our...
"Shut up and sit down, or would you prefer to get hit and then sit?"
"..."
Normally, Jijel would find anything Yi-Han did irksome, but this time it was different.
''Insult more. Wardanaz. Keep insulting.''
Jijel didn''t regret joining the White Tiger, but sometimes there were moments of regret.
One of the reasons was that she couldn''t strike her fellow tower students too hard, given they were from the same tower.
Normally, these students avoided studying at all costs, but the presence of Wardanaz had them suddenly attentive and struggling with their studies.
"What are you all doing?" asked Professor Ingurdel, an elf, in bewilderment.
To his surprise, he found the students in the hallowed hall of the swordsmanship ss, hunched over tables, deeply engrossed in their work.
"Professor!!"
The students, seeing the professor arrive 30 minutes early, were so relieved they almost cried tears of joy.
"Wardanaz... he forced us to study..."
"Aha," responded Professor Ingurdel, looking at Yi-Han. "You''re doing a good deed for your friends, even though you''re not from the same tower. I''m touched."
"No, Professor. We''re allrades in swordsmanship training," Yi-Han replied insincerely, to which Professor Ingurdel seemed genuinely moved. A student from the White Tiger, sensing trouble, quickly suggested, "Since you''re early, why not start the ss?"
"No, there''s still time. Continue studying a bit more. I''ll wait."
"..."
"..."
The White Tiger students were drenched in sorrow and agony. Professor Ingurdel remarked, "It''s beenmon for those learning swordsmanship to neglect their studies. Don''t be like that."
"Yes..."
After enduring an additional 30 minutes of study, the White Tiger students stretched and stood up, feeling as if their bodies had turned to stone from sitting for so long.
Professor Ingurdel, holding a sword, waited for them with a smile.
"You''ve all worked hard studying. I wonder how you''re preparing for the final exams?"
"You don''t need to worry!"
"Yes, it''s like turning mountains into gardens now."
''What shameless braggarts.''
''That''s such an outrageous boast.''
Yi-Han and Jijel were appalled at the remarks of their White Tiger friends. These were the same ones who had nearly met their end when the Curare Lizards appeared, now boasting as if they had irond faces.
"I''m d to hear that. But, thinking you might still need help... I''ve invited someone to assist today."
"!"
"Is it the White Wood Knight Order?"
The students wondered if the knights from the White Wood Knight Order, who had visited previously, had returned.
"Did those guys really help? They seemed clueless about the mountains."
"Let''s take them to where the Curare Lizards appeared."
''Are these guys really knights?''
Yi-Han was dumbfounded by his White Tiger friends, scheming as if they had already lost.
"It''s not the White Wood Knight Order. It''s them."
As Professor Ingurdel called out, two strangers, never seen before, walked forward. They looked far more equipped than any adventurers Yi-Han had seen in the town the day before.
Though their gear appeared rugged and worn, it radiatedplex mana, clearly artifacts. The potion bottles and tools on their belts, their steady gait and posture...
''Are they famous adventurers?''
"Here is Mr. Baishada from the . And this is Mr. Ghetse from the ."
Yi-Han was surprised.
He knew very well about the , often mentioned in his conversations with Nillia - the patrollers of the northern mountains. The patrolled the western wilderness of the Empire.
Both were renowned groups, but their notoriety differed significantly. The , with their intriguing name, active in the more populous western part of the Empire and known for producing famous personalities, were more recognized.
Thanks to their frequent appearances in fairy tales and the Imperial newspaper, the ''s recognition was iparable to that of the .
-Those are so sly! Really, really sly! They must have bribed the Imperial newspaper! We don''t evene down from the mountains but dedicate ourselves to the people of the towns below! Those guys just wander the wilderness and take long rests in towns, all the while pretending to be the coolest in the Empire!-
''Hmm, I better not mention this to Nillia.''
Already stressed about the finals, Nillia might copse upon hearing that the were here.
"These two will advise you on how to spot monsters and how to strategize against them," announced Professor Ingurdel.
Before he had even finished, the White Tiger students began to subtly move, naturally gravitating towards Ghetse of the .
In contrast, Baishada of the stood still, seemingly not expecting much attention.
"!"
Baishada was taken aback.
Three students had gathered in front of him.
"Moradi, it was decided by majority vote, so noining."
"How is it a majority vote when Dolgyu is on your side...!"
"If you feel it''s unfair, then you should have bribed Dolgyu too."
"I wasn''t bribed. I just thought it would be better to learn from someone from the ."
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Chapter 267
Chapter 267
Chapter 267
Jijel had always thought it was better to learn from a member than from a .
The s are just too showy for my taste.
They were skilled, but their excessive ir caused a sense of aversion.
"Really... Are you thinking of learning from me?" Baishada asked hesitantly, his voice cracking slightly due to nervousness.
"Is that not allowed?"
"It''s not that it''s not allowed, but... Cough. Just a moment."
Baishada opened his water bottle and took a sip.
Then he drank a potion for relieving tension, one he wouldn''t normally drink even when huntingrge monsters.
"Honestly, I thought you all would go to him."
"The is better than the ."
At Yi-Han''s words, Baishada''s ck eyes sparkled. His eyelids fluttered as if deeply moved.
"Is that really true? I didn''t expect an Einroguard student to think that way..."
In truth, it was because of his friendship with Nillia, but Yi-Han and hispanions chose not to mention it.
The sight of the hunter before them, so evidently joyous, was simply too touching.
Even Jijel remained silent.
"Great! I''ll make sure you guys can hunt something even more remarkable than the other students."
Baishada spoke with enthusiasm.
He never expected such an event at Einroguard.
He nned to share this with the other patrol members once he returned to the northern mountains.
His colleagues would be so delighted!
"Uh... just a moment."
?
"Actually, we''ve... already finished preparing for our final exam assignment."
"???"
"???"
Baishada was taken aback.
So was Dolgyu.
"When?!"
"Weren''t you friends?"
Baishada looked confused. They had seemed close.
"When we were chased by that lizard. We met a giant and cut off some of its hair."
"Yi-Han. I am your friend, but that''s too cryptic even for friendship..."
Dolgyu spoke with a headache-inducing expression.
Discussing the giant''s hair as casually as picking up a stone on the road confused Dolgyu.
"It''s a bit of a long story."
Yi-Han briefly exined the events.
Meeting the giant -> Unable to y chess -> Winning a bet -> Escaping with the spoils.
"The giant was that bad at chess?"
"Apparently."
"..."
Jijel wanted to say something but held back. It would only hurt her own pride.
"I''m sorry, Dolgyu. I should have told you earlier, but I didn''t want the other White Tiger students nearby to feel disappointed or jealous."
"That''s alright. I understand. It''s really a relief."
"Wait. Mages."
Baishada struggled to keep up with the conversation and finally caught up.
"So you''re saying you won a bet against a giant... Alright, let''s assume that''s true. I''m still confused about the other stuff, but okay. So you have the spoils now?"
"Yes."
"So what am I supposed to do now?"
"...Uh... How about we go hunting together? We need some meat."
"..."
Baishada was momentarily disheartened but soon regained his spirits.
Above all, the students valued the over the , and that was what truly mattered.
"That''s true. And the important thing is the oue, right? The other students will think we defeated the giant thanks to you, Mr. Baishada."
"That''s good, but... Is that okay?"
Baishada tilted his head in wonder.
Of course, he wanted to let these young mages know that the was superior to the .
But this seems like a trick...
"Certainly. If the result is good, then it''s eptable. That''s what we are taught at the magic academy."
"Really? That''s surprising."
"??"
"???"
With some time on his hands, Baishada took the three students hunting and offered various pieces of advice.
"Do you know how to walk on a slope like this?"
"Don''t hurry and try to step with the whole foot, integrating breathing and stepping to minimize fatigue."
"That''s right! Impressive, isn''t it?!"
Baishada was genuinely surprised.
Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be from a noble family, unlikely to have grown up climbing mountains.
Yet, he was so adept.
Had his status not been apparent, he might have thought he was trained by other members of the .
''Hmm. It''s getting harder to speak.''
It was difficult to admit he had been trained by the .
The other party was so enthusiastic in teaching them that to say, "We''ve already learned this," required courage.
"Come on, try walking up."
"Is this how it''s done?"
"That''s right! You''re doing well!"
"..."
Dolgyu, who knew Nillia, looked at Yi-Han with an incredulous expression.
Yi-Han pretended not to notice.
Baishada skewered a few birds he had shot down. After plucking the feathers and removing the innards, the roasted bird meat was a delicacy for the hunters.
"Is it because of the Phoenix Festival? The fire seems a bit strong."
Baishada adjusted the fierce, crackling mes.
Yi-Han, who had already been warned by Professor Bdi, did not overlook Baishada''sment.
''The me''s energy does seem to be intensifying.''
"By the way, has a phoenix ever been summoned at the magic academy?"
"A phoenix?"
The three students were startled by the question.
A phoenix, one of the rarest summoning creatures, a monster of unknown origin.
"Never seen one, but why do you ask about a phoenix?"
"Oh, I haven''t seen one either, but I heard they asionally appear during festivals. I thought if they did appear, it would be at a magic academy, right? They are summons, after all, and would be drawn to ces with a lot of mana."
"Hahaha. If that were the case, the magic academy would have already be a den for countless monsters, Mr. Baishada."
Dolgyu said,ughing. Yi-Han thought to himself,
''It already feels like half a den of monsters.''
The information that summons were attracted to ces with high mana was quite ominous.
Yi-Han shook his head to dispel the uneasiness and addressed Baishada.
"You shoot the bow well."
"Thanks. Want to try?"
"I''m not very confident with bows."
Yi-Han, who usually volunteered to learn almost anything, was hesitant about archery.
He knew the basics of fitting an arrow to the bowstring and shooting at a target, having learned them from Knight Arlong.
But hitting a small, moving target from a distance was a different matter entirely. Such a skill required arduous effort.
"True, it takes a lot of time to get used to the bow. And as a mage, there''s no real need to master it. How about imbuing magic into arrows? There are magics for that, right?"
Baishada''s suggestion stemmed entirely from his non-mage status.
An experienced mage would know such a suggestion was quite absurd.
Instead of shooting with the skill and experience of an archer, the shot was assisted with various enchantment magics.
At first, it sounded usible, but in reality, it was more trouble than it was worth.
Casting multiple spells on a single arrow each time it was shot.
Even the simplest enchantment spells consumed a significant amount of mana.
Moreover,yering several enchantments on a small object like an arrow significantly increased both mana consumption and difficulty with each casting.
However, Yi-Han, still an inexperienced first-year, thought it was a fairly good idea before recalling this fact.
''Certainly, I''ve learned a few useful enchantment spells.''
Recently, Yi-Han had been studying ridiculous properties like ''Levitation,'' ''Automatic Defense,'' and ''Reflection,'' but in reality, there were much simpler ones.
Properties like ''eleration,'' ''Weight Increase,'' and ''Pration Enhancement'' that assisted in power.
And those like ''Steadiness,'' ''uracy Enhancement,'' and ''Aiming Enhancement'' that provided support in other aspects.
Yi-Han, already adept at handling orbs with magic, had been thinking of trying these enchantment spells to enhance power.
Imbuing a water sphere, a conjured object maintained by his magic, with additional spells was too difficult...
But on an arrow, an object that didn''t require Yi-Han''s magic maintenance, it was rtively easy.
''Let''s start with the arrow, and if it works, I''ll try it on iron balls next.''
It wasn''t a bad idea to practice with arrows first, as the difficulty increased from arrows to iron balls to water orbs.
"Speed up, be heavier, sharpen."
Dolgyu and Jijel, who were eating roasted bird and watching, looked on with interest.
Jijel was more in the line of ''What is he doing now?'' but it was still interest nheless.
"Yi-Han, had you already learned or ?"
"They were in the lecture, weren''t they?"
To be precise, it was less about being taught by Professor Verduus and more about being one of the many basic enchantment spells listed in the book.
"They were, but they were towards the end."
However, those two spells were rtively towards the end, and the students, already overwhelmed with spells to practice, didn''t bother with the ones at the back.
There were already enough spells to practice without them.
"I practiced because I had an asion to test it."
"I see. ...Wait, what about ?"
"I''m trying it for the first time now."
"..."
"..."
For the first time, Dolgyu and Jijel were in agreement.
Such an absurd...
''Ah, what am I thinking.''
Dolgyu shook his head, dismissing the thought.
Yi-Han was a great friend, but sometimes his talent in magic made it seem like he was almost cheating.
"Really unlucky."
"...Moradi! You shouldn''t speak like that to a teammate!"
"Why are you making such a fuss? What''s going on?"
Regardless of his friends'' chatter, Yi-Han cast the next spell.
He elerated, increased weight, enhanced pration, improved uracy, assisted in aiming...
''What else is there to add? Ah. Steadiness.''
"Steadiness, be calm..."
Yi-Han, waving his staff, hesitated. The spell didn''t cast properly and rebounded.
It was the same with several repetitions.
"What''s wrong, Yi-Han?"
"Oh. Right. I forgot."
Whenyering multiple enchantments on something like an arrow, both the mana consumption and the difficulty of casting sharply increased.
Havingyered as many spells as he did, it was only natural that there would be furtherplications.
"..."
"..."
"Shouldn''t you have realized this before casting the spell?"
Baishada tilted his head inquisitively, addressing the two White Tiger students.
Both students pretended not to hear and looked away.
"Then let''s try this much."
"Try hitting that fallen rock over there."
Yi-Han steadied his breathing and aimed the bow. He could feel theplex and intricately woven structure of magic in the arrow.
Perhaps due to the enhanced uracy and aiming, it felt much morefortable and stable than just drawing the bowstring.
Thwang!
Crack!
With a cracking sound, the arrow shot through the rock, embedding itself about a third of the way in.
Yi-Han was disappointed by the arrow''s position, quite far from the intended center.
''Is this the extent of what I can do?''
"This is indeed difficult."
"What are you saying..."
Baishada looked at Yi-Han as if he were a monster.
It was already an aplishment to embed an arrow in a rock for someone who wasn''t a skilled archer. Feeling disappointed for not hitting the dead center waspletely unnecessary.
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Chapter 268
Chapter 268
Chapter 268
Baishada marveled in thought, Are all students of Einroguard like this? It seemed only natural, given that Einroguard was a ce where the empire''s greatest talents were gathered and educated.
These were individuals who, even when half their arrows were embedded in a rock, wouldment, "Ah, only half the arrow stuck in the rock."
However, Baishada did not hear the exchange between Jijel and Dolgyu,
"Tell your friend to stop talking nonsense."
"He''s your colleague too."
Baishada wondered about a young patroller who had recently enrolled in Einroguard from another fortress of the . If all Einroguard students shared such a temperament, then this young patroller would likely be simr. Baishada admired the young patroller he hadn''t even met, thinking that such capability was a prerequisite to enter Einroguard.
"If you want more urate aiming, how about reducing the power?"
"Are you talking about reducing power?"
"Yes. It seems like you''re too obsessed with power. That much power isn''t necessary."
"But aren''t there monsters like the Colossal Hungry Ghost that have unusually strong armor? It seems like this level of power would be necessary to defeat those kinds."
"Well, that''s true, but normally, first-year students wouldn''t encounter such monsters, right?"
Baishada was flustered.
Of course, among the monsters, there were those with strong defenses, but usually, such monsters were rare encounters.
Especially for first-year students at a magic academy.
Yi-Han smiled bitterly. Baishada did not quite understand why the boy in front of her felt this way.
"You''re right. Then, I''ll give up on power and focus on aiming."
"Why don''t you try using ?"
Jijel said mockingly.
It was obviously not serious advice.
The ''Guidance'' property, which allowed an object to move towards its target on its own in enchantment magic, was quite a difficult property.
It was a property with a much higher difficulty level than ''eleration'' or ''Weight Increase''.
"Ah. Thanks, Moradi."
However, for Yi-Han, who was already handling the ''Autonomous Defense'' property, was considered manageable.
Since they had quite a bit inmon, Yi-Han was able to sessfully apply on his first try.
"..."
Jijel was at a loss for words. Dolgyu, standing beside,mented with a slight surprise.
"I didn''t expect you to give advice."
"Shut up."
"?!"
Yi-Han reduced the power enhancement magic and added .
After several trials and errors, Yi-Han achieved a well-bncedbination of spells:
'', , twice, and . Thisbination seems alright.''
With this precarious yet optimalbination for his current skill level, Yi-Han drew the bowstring, and the arrow struck precisely at the center of a distant rock.
Baishada, pleased, pped his hands, "Brilliant!" Yi-Han was equally surprised, "Thank you. I didn''t expect it to go this well."
Yi-Han was also somewhat taken aback by how well it turned out.
To think that archery could be so easily reced by a single spell (though it was never just one).
It was enough to make one think that there was a reason why mages were often cursed at for being unpleasant.
"Feels almost too easy to shoot an arrow like this," he remarked.
"It''s fine," Baishada replied, revealing his pride as a skilled archer. "It''s better for beginners to enjoy using convenient and useful tools rather than wasting time and giving up. Wouldn''t even the best archers use good bows and arrows? They actually seek out and use such things even more."
Archery was a profound skill with no end to its depth once one delved into it.
Archers who followed such paths were not overly concerned with mages substituting archery with magic, for they had strong confidence in their own archery skills.
"Indeed, that''s true. Thank you for the good advice," Yi-Han responded as he released several arrows in session. Baishada was momentarily taken aback as Yi-Han precisely split the end of an already shot arrow with another.
Magic really did seem unfairly advantageous!
"Moradi. Thank you. For the advice," Yi-Han said.
"..."
"I''ll need to practice a few more times."
Yi-Han picked up another arrow, slightly excited. One might ask why bother learning archery when magic exists, but the bow had advantages that magic did not.
First, its overwhelming range was an advantage.
If used well, a range of over a hundred meters was something that would be insanely difficult to achieve with magic.
For freshmen like Yi-Han, who frequently encountered monsters, it was essential to prepare methods for striking from as far a distance as possible.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Baishada was bewildered watching Yi-Han earnestly embed arrows into the target. He had rmended it as a light change of pace, but Yi-Han was practicing with intense dedication.
"Hopefully monsters aren''t descending on Einroguard, right? Ha ha," Baishada joked.
"..."
"..."
"...St-Students. It was just a joke."
Professor Uregor drew on his tobo pipe, puffing out smoke vigorously.
Students often mistakenly thought, "The professors are truly wicked for assigning such homework and exams." However, the truth was that the professors themselves were not fond of grading these assignments and exams. After all, the burden of evaluating them fell upon the professors themselves.
Yet, the students, unaware of their mentor''s toil, wouldin, "Why make it so difficult?"
"This is truly problematic! These youngsters, I swear!"
"But isn''t it true that you made the assignment difficult?"
"Does that mean I should deliberately make it easy?"
Uregor grumbled, pouring tea for Professor Bungaegor.
The table was cluttered with potion bottles students had submitted, haphazardly strewn about.
"This one missed the Setribi''s Dew Potion. This one has insufficient quantity for a . I asked them to make Dobruk''s Blood Drop Potion, but it seems like they fetched water from a sewer instead. Just smell that foul odor!"
"Keep it down, I''m trying to drink tea here."
"Yes."
An alchemist of Professor Uregor''s caliber could discern theposition of a potion merely by looking and sensing its mana. The final assignment was Aurum''s Golden Potion. Although not excessively difficult, it required abination of various potions, which was quite a nuisance.
It started with mixing the and Setribi''s Dew Potion to create the base. Then, this base had to be mixed with Dobruk''s Blood Drop Potion, followed by...
"Isn''t that why the students dislike it when you assign such tasks?"
"Alchemy is inherently such a discipline," Uregor defended himself.
He felt wronged, having endured such troublesome tasks himself to be an alchemist. If one couldn''t handle these, how would they craft moreplex potions in the future?
"Uh... what?"
"What''s wrong?"
"This is strange."
Uregor examined a potion bottle under a magicmp. Despite looking again, it remained peculiar.
Too...
clean and perfect.
"What''s strange about it?"
"It''s made too well."
"Isn''t that a good thing?"
"No. I assigned this assignment with the intention of them making it poorly."
"..."
Professor Bungaegor looked disdainfully at her nephew, but Professor Uregor paid her no mind. The students, after all, weren''t getting their materials from a specific supply; they were foraging around the academy grounds, so perfection was hardly expected. The byproducts and residues were supposed to be present, but this Aurum''s Golden Potion was too perfect.
What''s going on?
"This... this seems like a potion bought from an Alchemy Guilds workshop?!"
"Smart move."
"No, this isn''t just being smart! Who made this?"
Yi-Han Wardanaz.
"..."
Upon seeing the name on the potionbel, Professor Uregor was at a loss for words. How did this student manage it?
"You told them to use any means necessary, so they did."
"But how could he buy a potion from outside!? How did he even manage this!?"
"Probably bought it during hisst outing."
"But how did he guess Aurum''s Golden Potion would be the assignment?"
"Interesting, isn''t it?"
Professor Bungaegor was amused, as it wasn''t her concern. Professor Uregor, however, felt differently. Even for a favored student, this was a matter of pride. To not struggle with an assignment meant to be challenging? How dare he!
"me yourself, Wardanaz. The difficulty of the final exam will increase because of this," Uregor muttered darkly. Professor Bungaegor shook her head, thinking how such behavior reinforced the stereotype of alchemists as reclusive, gloomy individuals.
Tuesday.
Professor Alpen Knighton surveyed the assignments created by his students with a serious gaze. The pre-final assignment for was to draft a design for a structure, and the final exam involved its actual construction. Since the two were interconnected, most students were already constructing their structures.
With evaluations scheduled for the next week, anyone who hadn''t nearlypleted their work this week faced significant difficulties. The challenge was exacerbated by the fact that the following week also had final exams for other sses, leaving even less time avable.
"Professor Knighton."
"Professor Fluerwerk. Hello."
Professor Alpen replied, slightly bowing his head to Professor Rosine. As they were both former imperial officials, they were acquainted.
"Your students'' assignments look wonderful! You must be teaching them well."
"I''m embarrassed, as there is still much room for improvement," replied Alpen modestly.
"For first-year students, this is more than sufficient."
"Even if they''re first-years, they''re mages. They wouldn''t want to be treated any differently."
"..."
The students working behind them pursed their lips in disagreement. Not true!
"Mr. Wardanaz. Mr. Wardanaz."
Yi-Han, who was embedding a magic stone into a column made of vermilion wood, responded to Rowena of the White Tiger, shaking his head, "I''m busy right now and can''t make snacks, Rowena. Tell the princess to wait a bit."
"..."
The princess, working on her own assignment with her followers nearby, looked at Yi-Han with a mix of indignation and astonishment.
"What? No, I didn''te for snacks."
"Oh, really?"
Yi-Han set down his hammer and turned.
"Then why are you here?"
"Could you lend me some of your mana?"
"..."
"..."
"Is she a dark mage?"
Asan muttered in a disgusted tone.
For a mage, the magic of absorbing another''s mana was almost a taboo. It was a natural response, considering it involved tampering with something even more vital than a mage''s life.
Gainando vehemently denied the assumption, "Just because one is a dark mage doesn''t mean they absorb others'' mana!"
"What? There''s no such method?"
"It''s not... exactly non-existent."
"Don''te any closer."
"This guy! Other schools of magic might have such methods!"
''But they probably don''t.''
Realizing the misunderstanding she had caused, Rowena urgently eximed, "I am not a dark mage!"
"No, it''s not about being a dark mage. You should say you don''t intend to steal mana."
"I don''t have the intention to steal mana..."
"Yeah. Sure."
Yi-Han quickly grasped the situation. Like the various trials and errors that depleted mana during the creation of magic circles, constructing magic structures was equally draining. While Yi-Han could continuously pour his mana into his work without tiring, other students had to rest until their mana was replenished. Yi-Han''s contribution of mana could significantly shorten the production time.
"You don''t have to pay me back right away; I''m okay with credit."
"Really?"
Rowena, who was about to pull out a whole chunk of meat, was delighted. Surprisingly, Einroguard''s students preferred spending money outside the academy over bartering. Yi-Han was just thankful.
"Wait!"
"?
Ango of the Alpha family interrupted, leaving Yi-Han puzzled. What was he trying to say?
''Is he trying to interfere?''
Given the nature of the White Tiger students, they might not like it if their friend received help from another tower...
"Wardanaz. I''ll pay double, so help me first..."
"..."
"..."
"Is that guy really a knight? From the White Tiger Tower?"
Gainando murmured in confusion.
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Chapter 269
Chapter 269
Chapter 269
Even the students of the White Tiger Tower were restless.
They questioned whether it was right to snatch a proposal made by a fellow tower mate.
But Ango paid no heed.
"This is not particrly dishonorable conduct for a knight," he dered.
"Is he insane?"
Ignoring the prince''s remark, Ango continued, "It''s simply about having an item and paying a fair price for it. That''s all there is to it."
''I shouldn''t be the one to talk, but is this really okay?'' Yi-Han thought to himself.
He knew that the students of the White Tiger were adapting to the magic academy, but this seemed like an overly smooth adaptation.
"Ango. That sounds like something a merchant would say..."
"A knight isn''t forbidden from buying items! If there''s a coveted sword everyone desires, and someone attempts to purchase it first, would you just give up? Is that really the wise thing to do?!"
In his desperation, Ango resorted to specious arguments.
The students of the White Tiger, overwhelmed by his fervor, tilted their heads, pondering, ''Is that so?'' ''It seems like it.''
Gainando muttered, ''That sounds like nonsense,'' but his words failed to reach the White Tiger students.
"Alright, Wardanaz! I''ll pay double, so let me have it first..."
"Wait. I''ll pay triple!"
"..."
Ango had forgotten one thing.
If he entered the bidding by doubling the price, others could join in by raising it even higher.
This time, Shyles Richmond of the ck Tortoise, from the renowned family of carriage transporters, stepped in. Being from a wealthy family, Shyles had no concerns about credit.
''These filthy rich brats,'' Yi-Han grumbled inwardly.
Was it really okay for them to waste money like this, money they didn''t even earn themselves?
"Richmond, you bastard... are you trying to interfere with the White Tiger Tower''s affairs?"
"What nonsense! Didn''t you say it was a legitimate right?"
"Then I''ll raise it to four times!"
"You think I''ll back down? Five times the price!"
"Wait. Everyone,e here!"
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Ango gathered the White Tiger students.
Rowena, who had just spoken, was also pulled into the discussion.
"It''s be difficult to purchase it alone. Let''s pool our resources."
"Pool our resources?"
"Let''s buy it together and share it."
"..."
Yi-Han looked at the White Tiger students in disbelief.
What madness, to think of sharing it?
But the madness wasn''t confined to the White Tiger; it had spread to the ck Tortoise as well.
Shyles had also gathered his tower mates.
"Tutanta. The scoundrels of the White Tiger are trying to buy Wardanaz with money! Help us out!"
"Those despicable cowards. Is that what knights are supposed to be?"
"..."
Realizing the odd turn of events, Asan opened his mouth from the back.
"Wardanaz. The current situation is a bit..."
"Yeah, I didn''t expect this."
"Right? There''s only one way out of this."
"What''s that?"
"Everyone, gather around."
"?"
Asan began to gather the students of the Blue Dragon.
They seriously calcted how much silver each could contribute.
"We must buy it first. Contribute as much as you can..."
"Take the initiative! Make sure they never dare to challenge us again!"
"..."
Yi-Han was frustrated.
Yi-Han had the urge to tear down a castle but ultimately refrained from doing so.
It wasn''t just a matter of conscience; he knew that the longer the tail, the more likely it would get stepped on. He didn''t want to see the Imperial Newspaper headline: Einrogard First-Year Student''s Outrageous Scam... Multiple Victims, Is This eptable for Einrogard?
"Stop raising the price. I''ll help in the order you spoke," he said firmly.
"But Wardanaz, if we do that, the ones at the end might not receive help due to depleted mana."
"That won''t happen," Yi-Han assured.
"But..."
"It won''t happen," he repeated firmly.
Yi-Han was certain of one thing: there was no shortage of mana.
"Wardanaz, I know this may seem a bit chaotic to you, but..."
"Enough with the excuses. Do I just infuse mana here?"
"Uh, yes."
Crackle!
A torch lit up with mana. The student from the White Tiger was amazed by its instant activation.
"Impressive!"
"I thought there would be some trial and error, but it worked on the first try. Is this the final version?"
"It''s supposed to also amplify mana, but seeing how it ignited instantly, maybe this is as good as it gets..."
"Stop the nonsense and do it right."
At Yi-Han''s remark, the student from the White Tiger looked downcast.
Yi-Han then proceeded to examine the other students'' constructions.
"Wardanaz, this device is designed to repel undead creatures that approach..."
"Did you create this targeting the principal?"
"Wardanaz, what do you think of this mana-powered wooden horse?"
"Was that a horse? With eight legs, I thought it was a spider."
"..."
Yi-Han felt relieved after seeing his friends'' constructions.
He had worried that his own creation was of inferior quality, but it seemed it wouldn''t be far behind.
''What?!''
However, his thoughts changed upon seeing the princess''s design.
The blueprint depicted a small fountain, intricately connecting five magic devices, a beautiful piece employing illusion, elemental, and enchantment magic.
Rowena proudly said as if it were her own work, "How is it, Mr. Wardanaz? Her Highness the Princess worked on this design for days without proper sleep. I was worried since she studies three schools of magic, but even in such circumstances, toplete such a design is truly..."
Rowena paused mid-sentence.
The princess''s followers beside her also halted, startled.
It was indeed remarkable to major in three schools of magic, as most studied one or two.
Studying three required exceptional intelligence and fervent schrly passion...
...but in their presence was someone studying twice that number.
"...Even if taking three majors doesn''t seem that impressive to you, this is really remarkable..."
"It is remarkable, so there''s no need to downy it," Yi-Han said, somewhat amused.
In fact, it was just that Yi-Han''s life had somehow gotten twisted, but studying three schools of magic simultaneously was indeed a sufficiently remarkable feat.
"It''s really well-made," Yi-Hanmented.
"Really? Are you pleased?!"
Rowena was overjoyed, as if she could jump with excitement. Yi-Han thought to himself.
''Shouldn''t she be more concerned about her own grades?''
When he had looked earlier, her design was somewhatcking...
Yi-Han didn''t say anything further since he had already expressed his approval. After all, with the Princess''s level of connections, she might be able to secure a position for Rowena after graduation.
A being on a different level than Gainando, who had only money to offer!
After thoroughly reviewing the design, Yi-Han asked, "So where do I infuse the mana?"
"Right here."
"?"
Yi-Han paused.
The ce Rowena had pointed to only had a single round frame, nothing else.
It was supposed to be a fountain that required five magic devices to be intricately connected toplete, but there was only a single round frame?
"Ah... Are the other devices located elsewhere?"
If Gainando had been there, he would have bluntly said, ''Stop talking big and reduce the difficulty,'' followed by a smack on the back of the head. However, given the princess''s influence, Yi-Han asked as politely as he could.
"No, they aren''t!" Rowena replied.
"They aren''t?"
"Yes! They are still being prepared!"
Rowena''s cheerful response momentarily stunned Yi-Han.
With only a week left, not even one device wasplete, let alone the entire apparatus.
...Could this really work?
''It seems risky, no matter how I think about it.''
Even with a generous estimate, the situation seemed perilous given that the other students had alreadypleted more than half of their constructions.
"Isn''t this... too slow?"
"It''s okay!"
"Ah. So there''s a way."
"Yes! This level of challenge is definitely manageable for Her Highness the Princess."
"...?"
Yi-Han tilted his head slightly, puzzled by Rowena''s confidence.
"So, what is the method?"
"Who knows?"
"..."
Yi-Han''s eyes were drawn to the White Tiger emblem on Rowena''s coat.
''That''s right. She''s from the White Tiger.''
Yi-Han nodded, understandingly. Unaware of the implications, Rowena looked puzzled.
''Aren''t there any other followers?''
"Nebren."
Nebren of the Kirak family, belonging to the same Blue Dragon Tower as Yi-Han.
Yi-Han called Nebren over to ask.
"Isn''t this too slow?"
"It might seem a bit slow, but if it''s Her Highness the Princess..."
"No, not about faith. Is there a way toplete all five devices quickly?"
Nebren hesitated. Yi-Han grew more uneasy.
This...?
"Princess. Are you sure this is okay? It seems a bit slow?"
Upon Yi-Han''s inquiry, Adenart fell into thoughtful contemtion.
Although she hadn''t fully realized it, the truth was that time was indeed running short.
"Indeed, a bit..."
"It''s okay. Mr. Wardanaz!"
"Her Highness the Princess can surely do it!"
"..."
The princess, about to speak, hesitated upon her followers'' words and fell silent again.
"You were about to say something, Princess."
"Was I?"
"Probably that you can do it."
The princess fidgeted with her fingers, hesitated, and finally gave up, returning to her seat.
Yi-Han thought to himself.
''She definitely looked like she just realized the problem.''
Though his face was expressionless, Yi-Han had seen many students like her before.
It was the look of a student who, despite feigning calmness, had already sensed their impending fate.
"Right. You guys must be correct! Where should I infuse the mana?"
Growing impatient, Yi-Han decided to just do his part and leave.
The princess looked intently at Yi-Han, trying to signal something with her eyes, but he ignored it.
''Sorry. Your followers are annoying.''
The princess''s followers were more troublesome than he expected. Interacting with them could also be a headache for Yi-Han.
After infusing the mana and turning away, Yi-Han spoke to Gainando, who was passing by.
"Gainando. Maybe it''s better to be like you, without any annoying followers."
"What, what did I do wrong?!"
"Guys, how many suns were there originally?"
"...Finally, someone has lost their mind."
"I knew it would happen someday."
Upon hearing the words of a student from the Tower of the Blue Dragon, the crowd of friends stirred restlessly.
"Look, it''s not that! Look over there!"
Confused murmurs filled the air.
Students from not only the Tower of the Blue Dragon but also from other towers raised their heads.
To their astonishment, there were two suns floating in the sky.
"What... what is that?!"
"It''s the Principal''s attack! It''s the Principal''s attack!"
Gainando crouched down and lowered his stance. Then Professor Alpen spoke.
"That''s not the Principal''s attack."
"It''s not?"
Feeling sheepish, Gainando slowly stood up.
"That''s a Phoenix."
"A Phoenix?"
"You don''t know what a Phoenix is?"
Professor Alpen kindly exined to the students gathered around.
On rare asions, when the magic of the fire attribute strongly converged and certain special conditions aligned, a Phoenix would emerge from the mass of concentrated mana.
"This is indeed a rare and mystical sight. You students gathered here are truly fortunate."
"Wow..."
"That''s a Phoenix?"
The students had been subtly celebrating the Phoenix throughout the week.
The small, newly-emerged sun in the distance was actually a Phoenix.
That realization alone seemed to warm the hearts of the students, previously chilled by assignments and studies.
"It''s like a miracle!"
Psh-psh-psh-
With a soft sound, crimson feathers, glowing in the sky, began to fall like rain.
And wherever a feather fell, mes began to ignite.
Silence ensued.
"Ah! Ahhh! Stop it!"
"That crazy Phoenix! What is it doing?!"
It took less than ten seconds for the miracle to turn into a disaster.
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Chapter 270
Chapter 270
A student frantically tried to extinguish the fire clinging to the cloak by tearing it off and shaking it vigorously up and down.
However, the number of red feathers was greater than expected. As the feathers multiplied like intensifying rain, the students screamed in panic.
"Take cover under the shade!"
"Which shade!? Hiding under a tree won''t help!"
With a swoosh, Professor Alpen swung his staff, creating a massive canopy over the students'' heads.
The red feathers hit the canopy with sharp cks.
"Th-thank you!"
"The phoenix is a mischievous creature in many ways. As much as it enjoys ying tricks, it''s best to stay cautious."
''If it ys tricks twice, we''ll get burned.''
Yi-Han looked up, barely containing his astonishment.
Unaware of the chaos below, the phoenix was shaking off its feathers in the distant sky.
The students, after exchanging nces, threw the essories they had made tomemorate the phoenix onto the ground.
"That''s why I told you to focus on your studies instead of celebrating the phoenix."
"How were we supposed to know this would happen!"
"Cough. A phoenix appeared? What bad luck."
Professor Mortum clicked his tongue upon hearing about the phoenix''s appearance.
The freshmen already had their hands full, and now a phoenix had shown up.
"It did set some fires, but it didn''t do anything more than that. It was just staying still."
Gainando, seeming to have taken a liking to the phoenix, made a subtle excuse.
''Isn''t setting fires a problem in itself?''
"Cough. That may be so for now. But the temperament of mythical beasts is mostly entric. Even if it''s fine now, who knows when it will change its mind?"
Yi-Han had already witnessed the destructive scene of the phoenix''s feathers igniting fires a few times.
Naturally, he was concerned.
"What do you think the phoenix will do?"
"Ahem. You still don''t understand. Mythical beasts are disasters in themselves. They are like uncontroble storms that don''t know how to control their own power. If it flies over and hugs you, won''t your whole body burn?"
As Professor Mortum said, mythical beasts with powerful abilities were beings that brought destruction and chaos wherever they went, regardless of their intentions. As they couldn''t control their own strong power, they couldn''t help but cause damage to their surroundings. On top of that, if they acted on their entric temperament and unpredictable whims...
"Cough. Compared to them, how beautiful are the undead? Controlled and predictable beauty."
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han and his friends fell silent, at a loss for words.
''I''d rather deal with a slightly dangerous phoenix than the undead.''
''Shush. You''ll upset the professor.''
"So, how''s the project going?"
"Yes."
This semester, Yi-Han and his friends were learning about dark magic, specifically curses, poisons, and bones.
They were magic disciplines that seemed unpopr wherever they went.
-Cough. I won''t give any separate assignments for the final exams.-
-Hooray!-
-Cough. Instead, I''ll have you make a simple talisman.-
-...-
A talisman.
Originally, it was a kind of ornament split in half and shared,ter to be matched for identity verification upon reunion...
But in dark magic, a talisman had a different meaning.
-Watch closely.-
Professor Mortum split a bone talisman in half. As he did, a powerful curse energy burst forth from one side.
Click!
However, the curse''s energy quickly disappeared as the talisman was put back together.
-One half contained the power of a curse. The other, a power to dispel it. Separated, they reveal their powers, but together, they are just an ordinary ornament.-
Curse magic was rtively easy and fast to cast, but if the opponent was a skilled mage, there were too many ways to counter it.
The same was true for poison magic. If properly poisoned, it could be lethal, but as the poison was magical, it was difficult to cause severe harm if the opponent was a skilled mage.
Topensate for these drawbacks, dark mages often carried around stronger curses and more potent poisons.
Using these pre-prepared items could significantly amplify their power.
In dark magic, a talisman was an item used for safely storing such potent substances.
The problem was...
"Cough. Cough. Cough."
Raphael coughed, his eyes watering from the pungent smoke.
A lump of curse had leaked out of the magic circle and flown through the air.
"Achoo. Achoo! Achoochoo!!"
"Ah. Can you sneeze quietly? You''re not the only one using the workshop!"
Gainando scolded him, and Raphael red back, upset, but he was too unwell to retort.
"This guy... Achoo! Achoo!!"
"It''s always the less skilled ones who get angry. Isn''t that right, Yi-Han?"
Gainando, who had been smugly untouched by the curse, suddenly turned pale.
"...Ei, Yi-Han. My body... I can''t move..."
"You''ve been poisoned."
Yi-Han said with a hint of sympathy.
Raphael was working on a curse-filled talisman, and Gainando on a poison-filled one. It was by no means an easy task.
They had to steep highly concentrated curses and poisons in the talismans, risking even a mage getting affected.
Ymirg cautiously dipped half of a bone talisman into a bronze bowl. A bubbling sound followed, and he felt the curse transfer from the bowl into the bone.
''Ugh.''
Though Ymirg had higher magic resistance due to his giant mixed-blood, it didn''t mean he wasn''t afraid of poisons or curses.
Being human, fear of poison and curses was inevitable.
"Ugh... Ughhh."
Ymirg shuddered as he extracted half of the bone talisman with thick tongs, afraid that even the slightest contact might transfer the curse to him.
Click!
Only after attaching the other half of the bone talisman could Ymirg breathe a sigh of relief.
"...Aaaaaaah!!"
"?!"
Yi-Han looked at Ymirg in shock.
"What''s wrong? What happened?"
"Bare hands! Bare hands!"
"Ah. I thought it was something else."
Ymirg momentarily wondered if he had misunderstood something, seeing his ssmate so nonchnt about the same magic.
But no, his ssmate from the Wardanaz family was indeed dipping his hands into the curse-filled bronze bowl.
"This much is fine."
"...????"
"It''s okay. I won''t die."
"No, but..."
Ymirg was visibly distressed, looking at Raphael and Gainando sprawled behind the table.
It looked like a situation where death was a distinct possibility...
Regardless of Ymirg staring at him like he was a monster, Yi-Han focused on his work.
Yi-Han wasn''t working barehanded just for show.
Creating a talisman was more difficult than anticipated.
Bone was a good medium for embedding curses or poisons, but just dipping it a few times and stirring wasn''t enough for it to properly absorb them.
Making a proper talisman required meticulous effort.
He had to coat the bone with various reagents to make it more receptive to curses, soak it in the curse, check if the bone was absorbing it properly, and if not, use his mana to force the curse into the bone...
This process ofyering the curse onto the bone, like carefully applying paint, required more persistent patience than brilliant inspiration.
And the more I practice, the more I understand why dark magic is unpopr.
Yi-Han was holding a bone fragment with his bare hands, trying to feel the flow of the curse.
Gloves or tongs made it difficult to sense such a flow.
"Ugh... Yi-Han. My coat, please."
Gainando, barely managing to get up from the workshop floor, pointed to his coat next to the chair.
Lying down in a paralyzed state made him feel three times colder.
"Here."
"Thanks... Ah, I can''t see!"
"Oops. Sorry about that."
When the time came, Professor Mortum opened the door and reappeared in the workshop.
"Cough. Have you all finished?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
Yi-Han and his friends nodded, presenting their talismans. Their faces were haggard as if they had aged years.
"Let''s see..."
Professor Mortum split Gainando''s talisman, and a decently strong poison emerged from it.
With a flick of his finger, the poison circling the talisman returned inside.
"Cough. Quite well made."
"Really!?"
Gainando was so surprised he almost fell backward. He grabbed Raphael''s arm for bnce, who looked at him with disdain.
"Why so surprised?"
"Well, I''ve never been praised in other sses..."
Gainando spoke with an embarrassed face. He was surprised by Professor Mortum''s praise, as he had never receivedpliments in other sses.
Professor Mortum then smiled kindly, a rare urrence.
"Cough. No mage excels in all forms of magic."
"?"
"?"
Ymirg and Raphael nced at Yi-Han, but Professor Mortum continued without noticing.
"Your talent lies in dark magic. As a dark mage excelling in this field, there''s no need to envy other forms of magic. Cough. Right?"
"Yes!"
"Prince, you hardly study at all."
Raphael spoke incredulously.
He knew too well how much Gainando disliked studying, having been forced to learn from Yi-Han along with other students from the White Tiger Tower.
While others reluctantly scribbled with their quills, Gainando had attempted to escape alone.
"Be quiet. Are you jealous?"
"This crazy guy..."
Raphael was dumbfounded by Gainando''s arrogant attitude just because he made one talisman well.
"Cough. This is..."
Professor Mortum split Yi-Han''s talisman.
Then, after a moment of silence, he looked at Gainando. Sensing the situation, an upset Gainando eximed.
"Professor. Don''tpare me to Yi-Han, please evaluate objectively!"
Professor Bungaegor gazed at the mountain peak with a look of wonder.
The phoenix, which had been scattering its feathers while hovering in the sky, seemed to have grown bored and had flown to the top of the mountain range. As a result, a red halo shone behind the peak.
"Interesting. The phoenix is not a creature that can be easily seen," Professor Bungaegor remarked.
Yi-Han red at his friends, who averted their gazes.
"You''re very lucky. The phoenix is not a being you can meet even if you want to," the professor added.
''There''s a logical w in your statement,'' Yi-Han thought to himself.
He found it difficult to ept Professor Bungaegor''s words. By that logic, the King of the Frost Giants was also a being that one could not meet even if they wanted to, yet Yi-Han did not feel particrly fortunate about that encounter.
No matter how rare it was, a mythical beast that rained fire from the sky could not be a good thing.
"Let''s leave the phoenix story here and start today''s lecture," Professor Bungaegor said, pointing her chin towards the enormous cauldrons. The students were puzzled by the sight of the cauldrons, which seemed more fitting for an alchemy ss.
What on earth?
"Today''s task is not very difficult. It''s much easier than what you usually do. I decided to let you have a change of pace because I felt sorry for you suffering due to the final exams..." the professor exined.
Yi-Han refused to be fooled.
''What are you trying to do?''
Thud!
"Come here, Cerberus," Professor Bungaegor called out.
The students froze at the sight of the massive three-headed dog.
The middle head of Cerberus surveyed the students and its eyes twinkled.
-Woof!-
"Do... do we have to defeat it?" Yi-Han asked without thinking, and Professor Bungaegor retorted as if he had said something absurd.
"Don''t make ridiculous jokes. Would I ask you to do such a thing?"
"Of course not? Haha," Yi-Hanughed nervously, inwardly sighing with relief.
I thought we had to fight it!
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Chapter 271
Chapter 271
"In the empire, there are countless beasts. The tame ones, the ferocious ones, the timid ones, the brave ones... Remembering the characteristics of all these creatures is no easy task, even for the most skilled of mages. But a clever mage knows how to act ordingly. It''s all about understanding their habits."
If one knew the behavior patterns or weaknesses of a monster, it was possible to infer to some extent about monsters of a simr type. Outstanding adventurers often prepared in advance by identifying the habits of simr types of monsters in this way.
How am I supposed to figure out the habits of a Cerberus?'' Yi-Han wondered.
Of course, there were times when that method didn''t work. This was one of those moments.
''Can I treat a Cerberus like other dog or wolf-type monsters?''
The thought of the Cerberus snapping at him as he scratched its jaw brought a surge of fear.
"Of course, just because I say this doesn''t mean you can immediately grasp their habits, right? There''s a better way. A method that works for most beasts."
Professor Bungaegor tapped the bottom of the cauldron with the tip of her boot.
"It''s food."
Students gasped from all around. It was closer to bewilderment and worry than joy and realization.
''She''s telling us to feed the Cerberus?''
''Wouldn''t we be the food while trying to feed it?''
"Until now, feeding shouldn''t have been that difficult. Right?"
"What???"
The students who had suffered the humiliation of being headbutted and drooled on by horses every time they went to the stable were startled.
However, Professor Bungaegor ignored them and continued.
"Horses are rtively less picky about food and eat well. But there aren''t only horses in the Empire. If you want to deal with the beasts you''ll encounter next semester, you must learn how to feed them."
Yi-Han couldn''t bring himself to ask what kind of beasts were waiting for them next semester.
"Well then... Begin! Feed the Cerberus in the order ofpletion!"
At the professor''smand, the students hurriedly rushed to the cauldron.
In the center of the courtyard, there were various ingredients, starting from chunks of meat from some beasts, to carrots, potatoes, onions, cabbages, and other ordinary vegetables. There were also rare fruits, mushrooms, and spices that they couldn''t even guess the names of.
The students, each holding a basket, murmured among themselves, undecided on which ingredients to choose.
"What does a three-headed dog enjoy eating? I''ve been good at making onion souptely. Should I try that?"
''A three-headed dog is still a dog, but can I feed it onions?'' Yi-Han wondered as he picked out ingredients.
He naturally gravitated towards ingredients a dog might like: sweet fruits like apples, meats, and fish...
"Are there any sweet potatoes? Gainando, have you seen any sweet potatoes?"
"Why are you asking me?"
Gainando tilted his head, not understanding why Yi-Han was asking him.
"You like sweet potatoes."
"...Wait. Don''t tell me you asked because you thought I took them all?"
Yi-Han didn''t answer and moved to another spot. Gainando, feeling slighted, followed after him.
"Hmm. Seems like there are no sweet potatoes."
"Hey!"
''I guess I have no choice.''
Yi-Han took out a paper-wrapped sweet potato from his coat pocket.
They were sweet potatoes he had dug up from Professor Uregor''s garden, well-roasted, peeled, sliced, and dried.
Professor Bungaegor, who had been watching from a distance, asked in disbelief, "Why on earth are you carrying dried sweet potatoes in your pocket?"
"In case I get stranded and need to eat?"
"..."
While Professor Bungaegor was at a loss for words, Yi-Han moved towards the cauldron.
Since he didn''t know what Cerberus liked, it was difficult to prepare anythingplicated or fussy.
''Keep it as simple and basic as possible, and try various foods.''
When he brought over various ingredients and cooked them, he nned to check which ones the creature reacted to.
While Yi-Han was busy grinding meat into a dough-like shape, a few fearless students stepped forward.
While Yi-Han ground the meat and kneaded it into a stick shape, some fearless students stepped forward first.
"Oh, great three-headed dog! We have brought food for you here!"
-Woof!-
Cerberus'' left head barked in response. The students carefully walked over, cing well-grilled pork ribs on a te.
"Easy... easy..."
"Are you sure it won''t attack?"
No matter how prepared they were, when sixrge eyes stared at them, their whole body couldn''t help but freeze.
The students trembled as they offered the grilled meat to Cerberus.
Snap!
Cerberus'' left head took a big bite of the grilled meat. After chewing a few times, it spat it out to the side.
"?!?"
"Ah, no?!"
Professor Bungaegor, who was standing nearby, chuckled and said, "If you think of that guy as just a wild monster, you''ll get badly hurt. He grew up eating only good things, so he has a picky appetite. Besides, I fed him a snack beforeing here, so his stomach is about half full."
"...Then no matter what we give, he won''t eat it?!"
"Even so, you have to be able to feed him to be a great mage."
"......"
Sizzle-
The students fell silent, and the sound of grilling meat suddenly seemed louder.
Most of the students had thought, ''If we grill the meat well and give it to him, won''t he eat it deliciously?''
''This is a big problem. I thought the same way.''
The use of various seasonings or cooking methods was now out of the question. Anything too fragrant might be outright rejected.
Shyles, a horse mixed-blood from the Richmond family, called out to Yi-Han in a small voice.
"Wardanaz."
"What is it?"
"I have something to tell only you."
Shyles looked around and then ced a small bottle in Yi-Han''s hand. Inside was a powder ofplex colors.
"This is a secret powder used only by our family. A secret powder that animals love when they eat it."
As expected from a family that ran one of the empire''s leading carriage transportation businesses, Shyles was skilled at handling animals.
"You helped mest time, so this time I''ll help you. Take it. If you mix it into the food, he''ll love it.
"Such a precious thing... Thank you, Shyles."
Yi-Han said sincerely.
Moreover, the help he gavest time was actually in exchange for coins!
Shyles winked and got up, putting soup in his bowl. Then the other tower students stirred.
"What is he thinking? Didn''t you see him disliking it just now?"
"No. It''s Richmond. He must have something in mind!"
Shyles'' friends looked on with a hint of anticipation.
As if responding to that anticipation, Shyles put down the bowl. Cerberus approached and sniffed.
Ptui!
Cerberus''s three heads simultaneously spat at Shyles''s face.
Shyles, now drenched in saliva, turned to Yi-Han and said, "...I''m sorry, Wardanaz. It doesn''t seem to be working."
"..."
With even Shyles getting crushed, no more students stepped forward.
However, Professor Bungaegor was strict. When the time came, she began pushing the students forward one by one.
"Now, it''s time. Bring your prepared food ande forward!"
"W-wait a moment, Professor! If you could just give us a little more time!"
As expected, the students were like fallen leaves in the autumn wind. Cerberus knocked over the bowls with its front paws, flipped them over with its breath, and rejected them in various ways.
Before he knew it, it was Yi-Han''s turn. As he held the dishes he had prepared, Yi-Han suddenly wondered why he was doing this.
''This doesn''t seem like the path of a mage...''
-Woof!-
Cerberus''s left head barked. Its reaction was simr to what it had shown to the other students. Yi-Han brought his hand to his staff.
He intended to cast a shield to block any iing saliva.
-Slurp, slurp, slurp, slurp-
"...?"
However, Cerberus''s reaction took a slightly different turn than expected.
It was busily devouring the food Yi-Han hadid out, specifically the dried sweet potatoes he had produced.
With the left head having dived in first, the other two heads were left restlessly fidgeting, looking rather forlorn.
"Wait, you should eat together."
-Growl, woof, woof, woof!-
-Woof!-
-Arf!-
The head that had its food snatched away showed a fierce reaction, but the other two heads were very satisfied.
Yi-Han asked Professor Bungaegor, "Were sweet potatoes the correct answer?"
"...No, they weren''t??"
Professor Bungaegor replied in a bewildered voice.
After all, an ingredient that wasn''t even provided couldn''t possibly be the correct answer.
Cerberus didn''t even like sweet potatoes normally.
"Maybe it got hungry while waiting? That''s enough! Lift your heads!"
At Professor Bungaegor''s words, Cerberus''s three heads simultaneously stopped and straightened their posture.
Yi-Han looked at the bowl he had ced down. Only the sweet potatoes hadpletely disappeared.
"It was grown in the vegetable garden, right?"
"Yes."
"It was delicious, but... was it to this extent?"
Professor Bungaegor was amazed.
As it was her nephew''s vegetable garden, she had asionally tasted dishes made with the vegetables grown there.
They were fresh and plump, and she had thought that the spirits must have helped them absorb a strong vitality...
But seeing Cerberus''s reaction now, she wondered if there was something else.
"Who knows?"
"The other students must have eaten them too, so you would have seen their reactions, right?"
"Well... no matter what I gave them, they ate well."
At Yi-Han''s words, the other students of the Blue Dragon Tower looked somewhat sheepish.
In truth, whatever Yi-Han threw into the pot, they ate ravenously without discerning the ingredients, as if possessed.
It was clear that even if he had put buttons and pebbles instead of potatoes and carrots, they would have eaten them well.
"Fascinating... Alright, let''s test this again. Dig up some sweet potatoes after the lecture and dry them."
"...Professor, I have the final exams..."
Ever since he started living as a student, Yi-Han had learned to express deep sorrow in his eyes.
Seeing those sorrowful eyes, Professor Bungaegor apologized without realizing it.
"I''m sorry. It would definitely be difficult to do it now. Let''s try it next semester."
"Thank you!"
-Woof! Woof, woof!-
Cerberus''s three heads barked in protest beside them.
It was as if they wereining about what they would do during the vacation.
Night.
Yi-Han furrowed his brow, trying to resist the wave of fatigue washing over him.
"Is everyone alright?"
"...Ugh."
"Ugh."
"Seems like they''re okay."
Yi-Han nodded at the responses from his friends sitting around the lounge.
To refresh himself, Yi-Han poured hot coffee into a tin cup, stood up, and walked to the tower window.
Gazing into the dark night of the magic academy, sprinkled with stars, it almost made all this toil seem trivial...
''...Or not.''
Yi-Han sipped his coffee and blinked. Something was off.
''...Isn''t it the middle of the night?''
The surroundings were gradually brightening, despite it being deep into the night.
As if dawn was breaking, the friends who had been nodding off like ghouls turned their heads, sensing the brightening surroundings.
"What''s that?"
"What''s happening?"
It was only after the outside became as bright as morning that the students realized what was happening.
The phoenix hade to rest right in front of the Blue Dragon Tower.
"Wow... Wow!"
The students eximed in awe at the mystical sight.
To make the middle of the night as bright as broad daylight.
The Phoenix was indeed not called that for nothing.
"I was sleepy, but now I''m wide awake. Right?"
"The Phoenix appearing isn''t necessarily a bad thing..."
"...Close the window!"
Yi-Han shouted urgently and started moving. His friends, puzzled, asked.
"What? Why?!"
"Close the window! The phoenix ising this way!"
The phoenix, having noticed the students inside the tower, approached with an innocent look in its eyes.
As a few feathers flew in through the still-open window, mes erupted in the lounge.
"...!!!"
"Ah, no! My assignment! My assignment!!"
"Now''s not the time to worry about assignments! Put out the fire first!"
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Chapter 272
Chapter 272
Fortunately, the incident didn''t lead to a fire. Thanks to Yi-Han''s quick action, the students had time to close the windows and hurriedly extinguish the mes.
"My... my assignment..."
"When I return to the mansion, I''m throwing away all the phoenix fairy tale books!"
The bewildered students exhaled heavily and nced out the window.
The phoenix pped its wings, looking at them as if wondering what was wrong.
Tap tap!
"Why is it doing that? Why is it behaving like that!"
"Isn''t it asking us to open the window? It''s pointing at the window!"
"In, in the fairy tales, didn''t the mage who granted the phoenix''s request receive a great reward?"
"Don''t you dare open it!"
At Gainando''s words, his friends shouted with a growl.
Being fooled twice was one thing, but being fooled a third time meant they weren''t qualified to be mages.
...
Suddenly, the phoenix began to sing. Rather than singing, it was closer to a melodious cry.
The phoenix''s song even quelled the anger of the student whose assignment had just been burned.
"...Wouldn''t it be okay to open it?"
Smack!
"Ah!"
"Get a grip."
Yi-Han struck his friend''s sr plexus with his staff.
Looking around, surprisingly, all the students'' faces had their anger subsided.
''What''s this? Does it have an effect that interferes with the mind?''
No matter how beautiful the song was, it couldn''t soothe the anger caused by a burned assignment. There had to be some magic influence.
Among monsters, there were some that could enchant people''s minds with sound.
If the phoenix''s song had such power...
"Cover your ears."
Yi-Han personally stuffed cotton into his friends'' ears. Then, the student who had just had his anger quelled exploded again.
"Is that damn bird ying with me?!"
''The song was the cause.''
The students covered their ears and waited. When the song ended, Yi-Han spoke again.
"It''s over."
"Wardanaz! Give us orders!"
The student with the burned assignment spoke with fiery eyes.
"Orders?"
"Yes!"
"I''ll do anything!"
At his friends'' passionate cries, Yi-Han also responded solemnly.
"Then... let''s sit down and study again."
"..."
"...Huh?"
"What do you mean ''huh''? I said sit down and study again."
"Ah, no. Weren''t we going to catch the phoenix?"
"How am I supposed to catch the phoenix?"
At Yi-Han''s question, his friends were at a loss for words.
Huh?
''Come to think of it...''
''Indeed, now that you mention it...''
They had thoughtlessly assumed Wardanaz would catch it, but thinking about it carefully, the phoenix wasn''t a monster that first-year students could catch.
"Why did I think Wardanaz would catch it?"
"Me, me too."
"It''s probably because you don''t want to study. Sit down quickly."
The students who were putting on their coats dejectedly hung them back up. The princess secretly put the me resistance potion she had taken out of the box back in.
"But it''s bright now, so it''s good for concentrating. Don''t you think?"
''Even though he''s my friend, he really seems crazy sometimes.''
With that thought, Gainando picked up his quill.
Contrary to the expectations of some friends (actually, there were more than that), Yi-Han had no intention of catching the phoenix at all.
In fact, even if he wanted to catch the phoenix, he had no idea how to do it.
How could a first-year student catch a mythical beast with eternal life that resurrects no matter what attack it receives?
However, when the phoenix blocked their way to the morning lecture, he seriously thought, ''Should I catch it?''
... ...
The phoenix sang and circled in front of the students.
It looked ridiculous, as if it were ying around, but seeing the mes flicker beneath it with each circle, they couldn''tugh.
"Th-this is a divine revtion telling us not to attend the lecture!"
"Don''t talk nonsense. Everyone scatter! Distract its gaze!"
Professors never understood beingte.
Even if the world ended on the way, professors wouldn''t consider it, so there was no way they would understand because of a mere phoenix.
"Freeze!"
"Wait. Wardanaz. Right now, ice magic, because of the phoenix..."
Sizzle!
"...can be considered a very effective choice."
"Were you about to say ice magic wouldn''t work because of the phoenix?"
"Wh-when did I..."
Seeing the ice shards forming in the air, the Blue Dragon Tower student changed his words.
Yonaire whispered urgently.
"Yi-Han. If you provoke it unnecessarily, you might be the only one in danger."
The rtively realistic Yonaire wasn''t even thinking of catching the phoenix.
That was something only friends with sawdust instead of brains in their heads would think...
"You have a point. Wardanaz. Even if we try, let''s set up bait just in case. Bait for the phoenix to chase."
Gainando seemed to think Asan''s words made sense and nodded his head. Then he asked.
"How do we set up the bait?"
"Well..."
"?"
Yi-Han stopped the conversation before the two could argue.
"I''m not trying to attack. I''m trying to distract its gaze."
As he spoke, ice shards began to swirl in the air. The phoenix, which had been blocking the students'' way and whining as if asking them to y, showed interest in the ice shards and chased after them.
"Run!"
The ice shards didn''tst long and melted away. Yi-Han sent the next ice shard to distract the phoenix''s gaze and ran.
Gainando shouted while panting.
"Why, do we have to, go this far, to study!?"
The Blue Dragon Tower students running alongside him unknowingly nodded their heads.
"Everyone, you''ve worked hard throughout the semester. If you learned various schools of magic this semester, next semester you will learn basic and practical magic that doesn''t belong to any school."
Professor Garcia Kim used thest lecture of the semester to receive questions from students instead of cramming knowledge into their heads.
If there was a part they were stuck on in basic elemental magic, they asked about basic elemental magic; if there was a part they were stuck on in basic illusion magic, they asked about basic illusion magic; if there was a part they were stuck on in geometry and arithmetic, they asked about geometry and arithmetic...
She was truly a genuine educator.
"Professor."
"Ask away."
"There''s a phoenix outside the lecture hall. How do we drive it away?"
"I couldn''t sleepst night because of the phoenix!"
The Blue Dragon Tower students weren''t the only victims.
Students from other towers also had bloodshot eyes due to the phoenix''s pranks that officially startedst night.
Even when they tried to sleep, it woke them up with a light as bright as day, and when they went out to attend lectures, it appeared and rushed at them to y...
Cases like Yi-Han cleverly driving it away were rather rare, and the White Tiger Tower students had toe out 30 minuteste because of the phoenix.
Priest Nigisor wondered aloud.
"Why are the other students acting like that? The night has be as bright as day, and the cold has disappeared. Shouldn''t we be grateful to the phoenix..."
"Shh. Be quiet."
"Shut your mouth."
The quick-witted priests covered Priest Nigisor''s mouth.
Just because they had all been in temples their whole lives didn''t mean theycked tact.
"Oh dear... What should we all do? Exterminating the phoenix is probably too much for your level."
Professor Garcia Kim spoke with a face full of pity.
"Even with Wardanaz? Is it too much even if we use Wardanaz?"
At Ango''s question, the Blue Dragon Tower students looked at him in disbelief.
Is Wardanaz your sword or something?
"Even if it''s Yi-Han, of course it''s too much..."
''Thank you. Professor.''
Yi-Han felt gratitude welling up at the sight of Professor Garcia Kim responding in an absurd voice.
Other professors should learn from her.
"Basically, the phoenix isn''t a violent monster, but it''s not an easy monster to exterminate either. Most attacks don''t work on it."
Professor Garcia Kim waved her staff andunched a stone arrow at the phoenix outside the window.
Thud!
With a dull sound, the stone arrow pierced through the phoenix, but the stone arrow instantly burned and disappeared, and the phoenix pped its wings as if nothing had happened.
Seeing it unaffected even after being pierced by an arrow, it seemed like it didn''t feel pain at all.
"Did you see that?"
"Then... do we have to live like this forever?"
"Not, not forever. It will disappear over time. Mythical beasts that appear from other realms can''t stay in reality for long."
"When?"
"When its mana runs out?"
"..."
In just two days, the phoenix drove the first-year students to neurosis.
It woke them up when they slept, rushed at them to y when they went outside for lectures, and burned their papers when they tried to study in the sunlight...
New rules were even created within the towers.
-Forbidden words of the month-
Phoenix
Festival
Bird
Chicken
Fire
Hot
Warm
The phoenix was giving the students a clear lesson.
What kind of disaster can ur just from the thoughtless actions of mages!
Who would have expected it toe like this just for celebrating the festival a little?
"Is there really no way?"
"The phoenix... it''s impossible."
Yi-Han heated up the frying pan, greased it with oil and butter, and threw in the mushrooms he had dug up near the vegetable garden.
Mushrooms that absorbed oil and butter were bound to be crispy and moist.
However, despite this bribe, Professor Bungaegor didn''t give the answer he wanted.
"Tomorrow is the weekend, and if this continues on the weekend, next week''s exam will be a big problem. Isn''t that thing summoned by the principal?"
"It''s an interesting conspiracy theory, but if the principal wanted to interfere with your exams, he would have done it in a cheaper way. Summoning a phoenix. If it was done artificially, it would be incredibly expensive."
Professor Bungaegor said that while eating the mushrooms. Yi-Han suddenly realized that his most genius talent wasn''t magic but cooking.
"But you''ve definitely learned how to avoid the phoenix, haven''t you?"
"That''s true, but will there be another asion in life to use the skill of avoiding a phoenix?"
"There might not be one outside, but in a magic academy, it might happen once or twice more."
"..."
"I''m joking."
When Yi-Han''s face turned serious, Professor Bungaegor spoke as if to appease him.
"It''s not that I''m deliberately not telling you, but there really is no suitable method. The phoenix is a kind of... mythical beast close to a natural disaster. If you ask me to teach you how to prevent a drought or flood, it would be difficult to answer. I couldn''t answer even when Professor Bdi asked."
"I see... What?"
Yi-Han, who was listening, raised his head.
He was startled by the sudden mention of Professor Bdi''s name.
"What did Professor Bdi ask?"
"He wanted to capture the phoenix and use it forbat. That''s probably impossible."
"..."
Yi-Han inwardly sighed in relief.
Without knowing it, he had narrowly avoided a dangerous situation.
"I think so too."
"Professor Bdi also understood. So he asked if he could borrow Cerberus..."
"...What!?"
Yi-Han''s eyes trembled with a sense of betrayal.
He had gone through the trouble of cooking a hearty mushroom dish, and this was the betrayal he received?
"I told him that Cerberus is a bit too precious to be raised forbat."
"...Thank you very much. Would you like some beer?"
"Sure. But why all of a sudden?"
Yi-Han opened the secret trapdoor where Professor Uregor had hidden the beer barrel.
"Ah. Isn''t Professor Uregoring today?"
"Ah... He''ll be a bit busy."
"Is something going on?"
"No. He''s just racking his brain to make the final exam more difficult."
"...Please wait a moment. I''ll bring you some side dishes too."
Yi-Han also opened another secret trapdoor where Professor Uregor had hidden something.
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Chapter 273
Chapter 273
''Perhaps the professor was right,'' Yi-Han thought as he finished his work in the vegetable garden and headed back.
While the phoenix was currently driving the students'' focus on their studies to insanely low levels, getting too caught up in this matter might be a mistake. Trying to stop something that couldn''t be stopped, no matter how hard one tried, would only lead to frustration. It might be better to ept the phoenix as an existence like the skull principal and just focus on one''s own tasks.
"Wardanaz!! Wardanaz!!!"
Students from the White Tiger Tower ran towards Yi-Han as he walked from the direction of the cabin. Due to the rarity of people in the vicinity, Yi-Han warned them first.
"Wait. Speak from there. Don''te any closer."
"Now''s not the time for that!! Follow us!!"
"That''s even more suspicious."
"...Ah! I''m serious!! Please believe me!!!"
The White Tiger Tower student screamed and rolled on the ground. Even his friend beside him was shocked by the unsightly disy.
"...O-Okay. Lead the way."
If that was an act, it was desperate enough to make one feel obligated to follow, even if it turned out to be a trap.
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han was so shocked that he couldn''t close his mouth. The students from each tower who had gathered earlier had simr expressions.
Crackle!
The warehouse where the final assignments for were stored was on fire.
"...The warehouse should be fireproofed, right? How is it burning?"
"The phoenix broke the warehouse door and went inside."
"..."
Even if there was a fireproofing spell on the outer walls of the warehouse, there was no way it could withstand the phoenix entering through the open door and rolling around inside.
Yi-Han looked around. From students who seemed to have lost their minds, bursting intoughter, to those who were crying and pounding the ground with their fists. It was a natural reaction, considering the final exam was burning to ashes in an instant.
"Let''s put out the fire first, everyone."
"Huh? Uh... okay."
"Isn''t it toote to put it out now?"
The students murmured, but Yi-Han responded with action. He summoned water from the air and threw it. It was a simple spell, but summoning a huge mass of water continuously in the face of the mes set by the phoenix was something only Yi-Han could do.
After repeating it dozens of times, the fire subsided. Yi-Han looked at the warehouse, now reduced to ashes, with a bitter expression.
''We worked so hard on those.''
"This won''t do."
"???"
"Let''s catch the phoenix first, then study."
"Wardanaz...!"
The students'' eyes widened at Yi-Han''s words. Did he really intend to catch the phoenix?
"I will join you!"
"I offer you my sword, Wardanaz!"
"At this point, the final exam doesn''t matter at all!"
"That''s not it."
"Uh, uhh."
Of course, no matter how angry he was, Yi-Han wasn''t foolish enough to take only his friends to catch the phoenix.
"Professor, would you please help us hunt the phoenix?"
"...Pardon?"
Professor Garcia was dumbfounded but didn''t stop or refuse the students.
"Of course, these experiences help mages grow, but I think phoenix hunting might be too difficult..."
"I n to ask other professors for help as well."
At Yi-Han''s words, Professor Garcia hesitated.
''It doesn''t seem like it will work.''
Usually, professors at the magic academy didn''t like helping students too much. It was an old belief that mages had to explore on their own to grow, but Professor Garcia suspected it might be because professors found it bothersome to help students with every little thing.
"Um, Yi-Han. Actually, the professors are busier than you think..."
Professor Garcia tried to persuade Yi-Han without hurting his feelings. However, Yi-Han already knew.
"I know."
Professors were originally meant to make students work, not help them with their tasks. But there were asional exceptions.
Bang!
"Professor Verduus! Please help us freshmen a bit!"
"What? No!"
When they opened the door to the Artifact Hall and entered, Professor Verduus, who was in the midst of working with a hammer and chisel, tly refused.
Yi-Han spoke without being discouraged.
"If you help us, I will help you with your work as well!"
"Then I''d love to!"
Professor Verduus leaped from his chair. Seeing this, Professor Garcia asked with concern.
"Um, Yi-Han? Professor Verduus is one of the busiest professors..."
No matter how much they needed Professor Verduus''s help, making such a promise rashly was dangerous.
"You don''t have to worry."
"??"
"We didn''t specify what kind of work it would be. I can just do some simple tasks and make excuses."
"..."
Professor Garcia blinked.
"...S-So, you''re deceiving him?"
"No, Professor. It''s not deception, but a clever way with words. The principal would agree."
"..."
Professor Garcia couldn''t help but question whether character education was being properly conducted.
Bang!
"Professor Bagrak! We''re trying to hunt the phoenix. Please help us a bit!"
Professor Bdi, who was sitting, slightly raised an eyebrow, nodded, and stood up from his seat. Then, noticing the gathered students, he gave them a slightly puzzled look.
"I thought it was supposed to be a one-on-one confrontation?"
"...I''m not at that level yet."
At first, Professor Garcia was hesitant, but when Professor Verduus and Professor Bagrak joined, her thoughts changed. Of course, professors at Einroguard were supposed to help students only to an ''appropriate'' level. They couldn''t just eliminate the phoenix because the students asked them to.
However, if they received an appropriate level of help from multiple people, the story would be different. And who would say anything if they helped a little more when no one was watching...
Alright! I''ll join too!
"..."
"..."
The warm atmosphere between the professors and the first-year students froze. The skull principal asked as if wondering why they were acting like that.
Why is everyone being like this?
"They seem to be moved by the fact that you''re helping, Principal."
Kid... it''s fine. I understand everything.
The skull principal spoke generously. Yi-Han cursed inwardly.
''Damn it. I should have somehow kept the death knights'' eyes away.''
There was no way the skull principal hade to help out of the goodness of his heart. He must have heard from the death knights that the professors were helping and came to interfere.
How petty!
So... how do you n to catch the phoenix? Tell me. Surely a student of Einroguard wouldn''t rely on professors without any n, right?
"That''s not it."
Shh!
When Professor Garcia spoke, the skull principal quickly covered her mouth.
Be quiet. I won''t allow you tomunicate with secret codes!
"There''s no such thing..."
Regardless of Professor Garcia''s bewilderment, the skull principal was thorough. Among the professors here, only Professor Garcia would help Yi-Han.
''He isnt stopping the other professors? ...Hmm. There''s no need to stop them.''
Yi-Han looked at Professor Verduus and Professor Bdi and nodded. Seeing the two of them, he understood why the skull principal wasn''t stopping them.
"Of course I have a n."
At first nce, catching the phoenix, which possessed invincible regenerative powers that could withstand any attack, seemed impossible. However, every creature had a weakness. The phoenix was no exception.
The first method was to reduce the phoenix''s regenerative power and subdue it by dealing damage.
''It''s a good method, but it''s beyond my current level.''
Yi-Han had no idea what kind of high-level magic would be needed to reduce the regenerative power of a being like the phoenix.
The other method was to exhaust the phoenix''s stamina. To be precise, it was the phoenix''s mana. As a mythical beast, the phoenix moved using the vast mana it possessed as its power source.
If this mana was exhausted to the maximum, the mythical beast phoenix would have no choice but to be reverse-summoned to another realm.
"...This is how we exhaust its mana."
You did think about it. It''s reckless, though.
The skull principal didn''t say it was apletely absurd idea, but he didn''t say it was a good method either. It was too crude to be called a good method. Exhausting a mythical beast with immense mana until its strength was depleted. It sounded good, but there was a high possibility of people copsing from exhaustion first.
Of course, among the methods avable to the current first-year students, this was the only viable option...
"Then we''ll proceed. Professor Verduus, please cast fireproofing magic on the students."
"Huh? All of them here?"
Professor Verduus, who had been quietly standing, asked in surprise.
"I don''t want to. It''s a waste of mana."
A mage''s mana was a precious resource. Especially for someone like Professor Verduus, who devoted himself to artifacts without any spare time in a day, it was even more so. It was unusual for a mage to waste it like water; it was normal to manage it meticulously.
"Don''t worry. Professor Garcia!"
"I''m listening, Yi-Han."
"Please absorb my mana."
"Alright... What did you say?"
The students stirred. The skull principal also asked with a shocked expression.
Have you... absorbed mana before?
"No?!"
Professor Garcia eximed in rm. For mages, mana was like life, so the act of arbitrarily absorbing mana could be misunderstood. Moreover, since the other party was a disciple, they had to be even more careful.
"I would never do such a thing!"
Indeed. You''re not the type of person to do that, unlike Beavle. I apologize.
"I didn''t do anything like that!"
Professor Verduus grumbled. Seeing that, Yi-Han suddenly remembered something.
''Wait. Didn''t Professor Bdi try to absorb my mana before?''
Didn''t he attempt mana drain, saying I couldn''t control the iron ball because I had too much mana?
Yi-Han looked at Professor Bdi in bewilderment. Sensing his gaze, Professor Bdi showed a puzzled expression.
"Do you still want to have a one-on-one duel?"
"...No, I don''t."
"I see."
Yi-Han turned his gaze to Professor Garcia.
"You can absorb my mana and give it to Professor Verduus."
"Do we really have to do that?"
Professor Garcia made a very reluctant expression.
Is it really necessary?
The skull principal also wondered if it was really necessary. He didn''t think Professor Verduus needed to be taken care of to the point of dying from mana deficiency.
Professor Verduus held out his arm without paying any attention.
"Give me the mana quickly."
Please just shut up and stay still.
Just as the process of blood transfusion was not easy, the process of transferring mana to another person was not easy either. A mage''s inner world was another world in itself. Transferring the elements that formed the order of that world inevitably led to conflicts.
Of course, a mage of Professor Garcia''s caliber could mitigate those conflicts.
Woooong-
A sphere of condensed mana appeared in the air. It was a sphere about the size of a human head. However, the amount of mana contained within it was not ordinary. It was a spherepressed with pure mana, filtered and refined from various attributes and thoughts.
"Yi-Han, tell me if it''s too much for you."
"It''s fine, Professor. It doesn''t bother me at all."
"...From now on, just pretend it''s difficult."
"?!"
Yi-Han btedly realized his mistake.
"Then I''ll make the connection."
A line extended from the sphere of mana and connected to Professor Verduus.
"The power... the power...!"
Please receive it quietly.
The skull principal reprimanded him.
"I think this should be enough?"
Already?
"Yes! It''s sufficient."
Professor Verduus was the type to be greedy if he was going to be greedy, not someone who would forcibly end it quickly for the sake of his disciple. Knowing this well, the skull principal and Professor Garcia looked at each other.
''The purity of the mana...''
''...How high is it?''
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Chapter 274
Chapter 274
Even with the same amount of mana, the mana was never exactly the same.
Some mana might have a slightly stronger affinity for the fire attribute, some might have a slightly stronger affinity for the negative attribute, and some mana might be murky due to many impurities.
Mana with fewer impurities and higher purity produced much stronger effects even with the same amount.
Naturally, as a mage, one would want to carry only the purest mana in their body, but
...that was practically impossible.
Living meant decaying and dying.
Even just breathing created impurities, so a living being could not possess mana without a speck of impurity.
Therefore, mages polished their mana with various arcane practices and increased its purity with spells.
However, there were asional exceptions.
There were mages who were born with high-purity mana without having to do such things.
The boy from the Wardanaz family in front of them was a bit too high, but
-Don''t tell Beavle.-
-Of course.-
The skull principal and Professor Garcia conversed telepathically.
If Professor Verduus found out about this, it was obvious that he would be even more troublesome.
"What''s wrong?"
Stay still for a bit. Why are you being so fidgety?
The skull principal blocked Professor Verduus''s view and forcefully turned his neck. With a cracking sound, Professor Verduus''s neck twisted.
Meanwhile, Professor Garcia quickly dispersed the remaining mana so that Professor Verduus wouldn''t notice.
Hurry up and cast the spell.
"Wait. My neck hurts a bit."
I''ll heal itter. We need to do it before the received mana disappears.
"Alright. Alright."
Professor Verduus grumbled but did what he had to do.
After waving his staff a few times and tapping it, a me-resistant spell was cast on all the students present.
When the preparations were finished, the skull principal asked with interest.
So, how do you n to exhaust the phoenix''s stamina now?
"First, please help us, you two."
?
The skull principal was puzzled when Yi-Han pointed at him and Professor Bdi.
How dare you?
If you think I''ll kindly help you, you''re greatly mistaken, boy.
''You said you would help...''
The students were dumbfounded, but Yi-Han was not surprised.
He was always like that!
"But you''ll still help to some extent, right?"
Only to the extent that a professor can.
"Yes. That''s all I''m asking for."
So, what is it?
...
The skull principal stared at the phoenix with a dull gaze. Then, he spoke to Professor Bdi beside him.
Why did you ept it then?
"?"
Just now.
This was what Yi-Han requested.
-Please drive the phoenix towards us, you two.-
-What? Drive the phoenix with magic? That''s beyond what a professor can do.-
-I''m not asking you to use magic.-
-Then?-
-Just get close to it.-
-...-
The skull principal had to admit that Yi-Han used his head well.
Unlike driving the phoenix with magic, just getting close to it wasn''t particrly difficult.
Moreover, mythical beasts like phoenixes possessed keen instincts close to extrasensory perception.
A being like the skull principal, who could harm the phoenix, had a high chance of being avoided.
However, the skull principal had said something, so he couldn''t refuse
-Fine. But Professor Bagrak here doesn''t like such things-
''Refuse on my behalf, Professor Bagrak.''
-Understood.-
-!?-
Professor Bdi epted too easily, contrary to expectations.
From the skull principal''s perspective, it was an absurd situation.
Since when was he so cooperative with the magic academy''s affairs??
"It''s necessary for teaching, isn''t it?"
The skull principal''s mouth gaped open.
Although he was a great mage who had abandoned the five desires and seven emotions and reached the realm of enlightenment, Professor Bdi''s words shook the skull principal''s emotions.
''That... that bastard...!''
If Professor Garcia had said such a thing, the skull principal would have fully understood.
Even if Professor Alpen or Professor Mortum had said such a thing, he could have understood to some extent.
However, when Professor Bdi, who was even more self-righteous than Professor Beavle Verduus when it came to education, spouted such nonsense, his anger soared.
Where was he all this time when the skull principal had subtly hinted, ''Even so, don''t you think you should change your thinking a bit if you continue to have 0 disciples?''!
That... that...!
"?"
...It''s nothing.
The skull principal gave up on talking to Professor Bdi.
There was only one thing he felt after being at Einroguard for a long time.
Talking to a wall would only make one''s own mouth hurt.
People like Professor Beavle or Professor Bdi were not the type to be persuaded by the skull principal''s words.
''Should I have prevented that Wardanaz bastard from attending the lecture...''
The skull principal felt a nonexistent stomach ache.
By now, Professor Bdi was probably thinking, ''Since a disciple who passed the curriculum I created has appeared, I was indeed not wrong.''
Thinking about that brought a headache.
Let''s just drive it.
The skull principal approached the phoenix.
Then, the phoenix, who had been frolicking in the sky, was startled and chirped.
! ! !
Shut up. You''re just a bird brain who can only burn well. I allowed you to y in my garden, so don''t be impudent.
The frightened phoenix immediately changed direction and started flying towards the opposite side of the skull principal.
However, Professor Bdi was already waiting there.
Professor Bdi, who was floating in the air with a levitation spell like the skull principal, stared at the phoenix with an expressionless face.
''Will it pass by?''
The skull principal hoped that the phoenix would pass by Professor Bdi.
Unlike the skull principal, who exuded an overwhelming presence from his soul, Professor Bdi was not a monster who had lived since ancient times.
Moreover, Professor Bdi was an enlightenedbat mage.
He was an enlightened mage when it came to controlling and not revealing emotions.
Then, the phoenix might not feel threatened and pass by
Swish!
The phoenix immediately changed direction and flew away.
The skull principal blinked his eyes in astonishment.
...Did you perhaps attack that phoenix before?
"I tried to catch it."
The skull principal let out a deep sigh.
He saw the phoenix that had fled far away entering the main building of the magic academy.
"Close it!"
As the phoenix entered the building, Yi-Han shouted to the students.
Despite the heavy sound of the main gate closing, the phoenix was not flustered.
Rather, it flew towards the students as if asking them to y.
"Wardanaz! What should we do now?"
"We have to catch it."
"And after we catch it?"
"We have to endure until it gets tired."
"...Huh? That, that''s it?"
The glorious imperial bureaucrat, Eunrad Lee, smiled and spoke to his escorts.
"There''s nothing to worry about, everyone. Einroguard is not such a dangerous ce."
"Even, even if you say that..."
"My colleague previously escorted a bureaucrat going to Einroguard, and since then, he never spoke about Einroguard again."
The adventurers hired as escorts were extremely tense.
Experienced and seasoned adventurers knew which ces in the empire were rtively safe and which were dangerous.
...And to adventurers, Einroguard was one of the most dangerous areas in the empire.
It wasn''t because it had a harsh natural environment or the presence of powerful monsters.
It was simply because there were so many entric mages among the mages of Einroguard.
And now they had to enter that Einroguard.
Even if they tried not to be nervous, they couldn''t help but be nervous.
"You''re all worrying too much. I didn''t intend to say this, but actually, I''m from Einroguard."
Eunrad Lee revealed his alma mater to the adventurers.
He judged that it was necessary to alleviate their anxiety.
However, that had the opposite effect.
"...!!"
"He, he''s from Einroguard!"
"Did we ept the wrong request?"
"Still... it''s an imperial request, so they wouldn''t sacrifice us to Einroguard, right?"
"We can''t unconditionally trust an imperial request!"
"..."
The fact that he was a mage from Einroguard made the adventurers even more frightened.
The adventurers trembled, fearing that Eunrad Lee would capture them and hand them over as experimental subjects. Eunrad Lee had to spend several hours persuading them.
"...Do you understand now? I''m not trying to hand you over as experimental subjects, but I''m going to do my job as an imperial bureaucrat."
"That... that''s right..."
"I''ll trust you for now..."
The adventurers nodded their heads timidly. Seeing their appearance, Eunrad Lee held back a sigh.
''It''s hard to work because of false rumors.''
It was a simple task of checking the status of magic academy students as an imperial bureaucrat, but who would have thought the adventurers would be so scared?
False rumors were making thingsplicated.
"Many rumors about Einroguard are false. Don''t rashly believe them. Do you understand?"
"Yes..."
"Then. Was the incident reported inst year''s imperial newspaper, where all the goats in the town near Einroguard turned into demons, also a false rumor?"
"Ah. That was an unfortunate ident."
"..."
"..."
The adventurers looked at each other.
Then, they carefully asked once more.
"By any chance, was the incident reported in the imperial newspaper two years ago, where a dark mage from Einroguard infiltrated a knight''s cemetery and tried to steal corpses, also a false rumor?"
"That actually happened, but there are a few graduates, so isn''t it possible for one person to cause an ident?"
"...That, that''s right!"
"You''re absolutely right!"
The adventurers nodded their heads and whispered behind. Their eyes and faces were filled with fear and terror, but Eunrad Lee didn''t notice.
''We''ll arrive within an hour.''
Eunrad Lee looked around the familiar path and checked the sky. The dawn had not yet broken, but it was almost time for daybreak.
Since the final exams would start this week, they arrived just in time, but
"Come on, everyone! Cheer up."
"Understood. Mr. Mage."
"Since we received silver coins, we will thoroughlyplete our job."
The adventurers nodded their heads and waved theirnterns to open the way.
Although it was a well-maintained imperial road, they had to be careful when it was this dark. Monsters could jump out from nearby bushes.
Kwakwakwakwakwang!
"!??!!"
"Battle formation!"
When a huge monster suddenly jumped out with a roar, the adventurers were startled and drew their weapons.
However, Eunrad Lee stopped the adventurers.
"There''s no need to fight."
"What???"
"Look at the letters engraved on its shoulder. It''s a chimera that escaped from the magic academy. A prohibition has been ced on it so that it can''t attack people."
"..."
"..."
The adventurers stared at Eunrad Lee with eyes filled with intense emotions.
It was surprising that he could recognize the letters engraved on its shoulder in this darkness, but more than that
''Is it something to be so calm about when a chimera has escaped from the magic academy?''
"Mr. Mage. Shouldn''t we call the guards?"
"Haha. There''s no need for that. It''s not that big of a deal."
"...That''s right!"
After some time had passed.
The huge walls and main gate of the magic academy finally came into view.
As soon as the main gate opened, a monster nearby came rolling while roaring.
"! ! !"
"?!??"
"Battle formation again..."
"There''s no need to fight."
"What???"
"It''s a 4th-year student who failed a transformation spell. They''ll return to their original form soon."
"..."
"..."
The adventurers gave up on being surprised anymore.
It seemed like they wouldn''t be surprised no matter what they saw now.
Creak-
The main building''s door opened.
Inside, some young students were panting while pressing down on a phoenix with haggard faces.
The adventurers spoke to Eunrad Lee as if they wouldn''t be surprised this time.
"This must be an event of the magic academy, right?"
"I guess that''s essential to bing a mage?"
"...What, what, what on earth are they doing, Principal?!?!"
Eunrad Lee asked the skull principal in shock.
No matter what, this was too much!
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Chapter 275
Chapter 275
I don''t know what you''re thinking, but it''s a misunderstanding.
"A misunderstanding? You knew I wasing, yet you still did this!" Eunrad Lee eximed in a flustered voice.
In the world of Einrogard, only a mage from Einrogard could truly understand the unique educational culture of its students. This was especially true when investigating the state of the students at Einrogard Academy. Other mages, unfamiliar with Einrogard''s ways, would undoubtedly fail to grasp these intricacies.
...However, even considering that, when an imperial bureaucrat visited, Einroguard should have shown some consideration. While it was true that Einroguard asionally had unbelievable idents, did those idents really need to happen right when an imperial bureaucrat was visiting?
It''s a misunderstanding. I didn''t cause this.
"If the principal didn''t cause this, then who did? Are you saying the first-year students did this on their own?"
That''s right.
"...Don''t say such nonsense."
Then ask them.
"..."
The skull principal was an evil, malicious, despicable, and cruel mage, but he wasn''t the type to make absurd ims. Eunrad Lee asked the student who seemed to be the leader among those holding the phoenix.
"Did you really try to catch the phoenix? Just the first-year students?"
"Yes."
"And you seeded?"
"Yes."
Upon hearing the answer, the adventurers behind them murmured. Eunrad Lee, who usually thought most rumors about Einroguard were baseless, couldn''t deny it this time.
Although he had anticipated it, capturing the phoenix was much more difficult than expected. Trapping the phoenix in the main building was just the beginning.
"First, we catch it. Lure the phoenix in!"
"How?"
"Guide it with magic..."
Fortunately, there was no need for that. The phoenix that entered the main building excitedly rushed towards Yi-Han.
! !
The phoenix seemed to perceive the current situation as a game. Even as the students charged at it from both sides with fierce expressions, it pped its wings and clung to Yi-Han. It was absurd, but an opportunity was an opportunity. They had saved the trouble of enticing the phoenix.
"Everyone, grab it!"
...
"..."
The phoenix chirped. Its cry was much louder and clearer than when it sang in front of the tower before. The friends who had been full of energy until just now all sat down as if enchanted, their mouths agape as they stared at the phoenix.
''Damn it. Should have cast a mental defense spell too!''
Yi-Hanmented inwardly. The phoenix''s deliberate singing was far more powerful than anticipated. It was enough to bury any resolve or determination.
What will you do now?
The skull principal, who had enteredte, asked in an intrigued voice. He seemed overjoyed and at a loss, seeing all of Yi-Han''s friends eliminated except for him.
"...It''s fine. It won''t keep singing, so I just need to endure alone until it stops."
Isn''t that too reckless?
Yi-Han ignored the skull principal''s taunts. There was no point inining about something that had to be done anyway.
"Come forth, Sharakan!"
Yi-Han summoned Sharakan and the skeleton warriors. Then he firmly grabbed the phoenix so it couldn''t escape. The phoenix yfully pped its wings, unconcerned about being caught.
p, p!
"Yi-Han. Unleash your magic! That''s the only way to exhaust the phoenix''s stamina more!"
Yi-Han, who had already nned to do so, swung his staff. As ice and lightning flew, the phoenix became even more excited when hit.
Sharakan bit the phoenix and wed at it, looking dumbfounded. In return, the phoenix cutely pecked at Sharakan with its beak. It looked like someone ying with a pet, if it weren''t for the phoenix''s mes setting the surroundings aze.
Cunning fellow! Enticing the phoenix with mana.
As the phoenix continued to y without any counterattack, the skull principal criticized Yi-Han. Of course, Yi-Han was too busy wrestling with the phoenix to even hear him.
"...I don''t think Yi-Han did it on purpose," Professor Garcia defended him.
Judging by the phoenix''s attitude of epting any attack as y and not leaving, it seemed true that it was deeply immersed in Yi-Han''s mana. It wasn''t surprising for mythical beasts that fed on mana to crave it. That was the only reason the capricious phoenix would stick around and continue ying without leaving.
However, Professor Garcia decided not to tell Yi-Han that fact. Telling the already struggling student, "The phoenix chased after you because of your mana," seemed too cruel.
But cunning tricks won''tst long.
"I really don''t want to ask, but... why is that?"
As you know, phoenixes are fickle. It may be docile now, intoxicated by the mana, but
"It''s not docile at all," Professor Garcia said, watching the phoenix trying to stick a feather into Yi-Han''s ear.
...It will probably get bored and try to leave soon. Do you think they can catch it then? Unfortunately, they were underprepared.
''Indeed,'' Professor Garcia had no choice but to agree with the skull principal''s words. With the other students knocked out by the song, it seemed difficult for Yi-Han alone to stop the phoenix. If the phoenix got bored and tried to fly away...
"..."
The skull principal and Professor Garcia quietly stood and watched Yi-Han and the phoenix y. After some time had passed, the skull principal burst into anger.
Why is that phoenix so patient?!
As time passed, the friends also woke up from the song and joined in.
"I''ll help you, Wardanaz!"
"I already caught it, but!"
"Shh. Be quiet."
Thanks to his friends'' participation, Yi-Han could take a short break...
! !
"Wardanaz! The phoenix is trying to escape!"
"Wardanaz!! What do we do?!"
"..."
Yi-Han, who was about to rest, came back and grabbed the phoenix. The phoenix happily pped its wings.
"Sh-should we feed it a snack?"
"Yeah. Please do."
It was truly a disy of perseverance bordering on ignorance. Seeing him endure and suppress the phoenix, the skull principal constantly grumbled.
If you''re going to catch it with brute force, why be a mage?
After hearing the exnation of the situation, Eunrad Lee finally nodded in understanding.
"Indeed!"
Do you understand now?
"No!"
Why?
"If you knew I wasing, you should have stopped them! You could have driven it away instead! Especially during the final exam period!"
I can''t do that. Principles must be upheld in any situation.
Eunrad Lee was dumbfounded. The one who ignores principles when it''s convenient for him!
''How difficult is it to help the students once during the final exam period?''
"I don''t know either! I will do my best, but I can''tpletely erase what happened."
...Hmph. It doesn''t matter.
The skull principal''s zing eyes slightly wavered. He was undoubtedly calcting how much the budget would be cut in his mind.
"Pleasee in one at a time."
After organizing his luggage, Eunrad Lee sat down to listen to the first-year students'' circumstances. Although Einroguard had students from various years, none were as struggling and miserable as the first-years. As a former student of Einroguard himself, Eunrad Lee knew well how shocking it was for first-years when they first enrolled.
He remembered the daunting experience of having to leave his servants, attendants, and ves outside the gates and enter the tower in shabby clothes. The terrifyingly looking lich archmage was an added bonus. It would have been fortunate if life in the tower wasfortable, but unfortunately, it was harsh and miserable. They had to eat only hard, ck bread and rice balls while dealing with an excruciatinglyrge amount of assignments and studying.
''My heart aches for them.''
Seeing a student from the Blue Dragon Tower enter, Eunrad Lee felt overwhelmed with sadness. As a graduate of the Blue Dragon Tower himself, Eunrad Lee could understand how difficult it must have been for the student in front of him. All first-year students struggled, but among them, the Blue Dragon Tower was particrly more challenging. The students'' noble bloodlines or brilliant minds were of little help during their first year. Moreover, students from the White Tiger Tower and ck Tortoise Tower, being narrow-minded and petty, often disliked the Blue Dragon Tower for no reason. Sadly, the Blue Dragon Tower students,cking talent in hunting or gathering, had no choice but to starve.
"Please have a seat."
As the Blue Dragon Tower student sat down, Eunrad Lee wrote down the name and asked a question.
"It must be very difficult for you."
"Gasp. How did you know?"
Gainando was surprised. Eunrad Lee smiled bitterly and said, "I am also a mage who graduated from Einroguard. And I''m from the Blue Dragon Tower."
"Youre my senior!"
"That''s right. So feel free to speakfortably. I''ll cut out most of it anyway."
The Empire was only interested in whether there were students at Einroguard who wanted to burn the world or summon a great demon to overturn the Empire. They weren''t particrly concerned about whether the students were hungry or not. So the first-year students could freely confide. There was no need to be mindful of the skull principal.
"How are the meals?"
"It leaves much to be desired."
"I understand. That ck bread and cold rice balls are really hard to get used to. I couldn''t adapt to it until graduation."
"What? Oh. I don''t eat that."
"Pardon?"
Eunrad Lee faltered at Gainando''s words. If he didn''t eat the ck bread and rice balls, did that mean he was eating dew?
"Then what did you eat?"
"Well... for breakfast, I had a bacon omelet, and for lunch, I had a sandwich with tuna, eggs, and corn. For dinner..."
"Wait. Wait. Wait."
Eunrad Lee stopped Gainando''s words, doubting his ears.
"Are you joking with me right now?"
"What? D-did I do something wrong?"
Gainando was startled and shrank back at the sight of his senior suddenly getting angry. Only then did Eunrad Leee to his senses and realize what he was doing.
"I-I''m sorry. I got angry for a moment. I thought it was a joke..."
"It''s not a joke! Look, there are even desserts here!"
Gainando took out cookies from his backpack as if to protest. They weren''t cookies baked with mud and grass, but proper cookies made with flour, sugar, and butter. No matter how you looked at it, it wasn''t a snack that a first-year student could dare to eat.
"...Where did you get this?"
"Yi-Han brought it from outside. He also gets ingredients from inside and makes them."
"..."
Gainando began to chatter excitedly. How Yi-Han procured ingredients and cooked to feed the Blue Dragon Tower students. Eunrad Lee''s face gradually distorted as he listened to their luxurious dietary life. It was a reaction he himself didn''t even notice.
"...You... have encountered great fortune."
"Right??"
Eunrad Lee realized one fact. While he was overwhelmed with sadness when his juniors were suffering, anger surged when his juniors were enjoying too much luxury!
''Could this be why those bastards from other towers hated us?''
Even when asking other Blue Dragon Tower students, the answers were simr. Eunrad Lee, who had been suspicious, trembled with rage at the sight of his well-fed juniors.
''How can they improve their skills as mages if they live sofortably? It wasn''t like this in our time!''
Eunrad Lee failed to realize that he was saying the same things as the skull principal. The counseling continued afterwards. At first, he trembled with rage because of the Blue Dragon Tower students, but as he counseled students from other towers, Eunrad Lee''s emotions turned to astonishment.
"So you''re saying this student named Wardanaz is taking summoning magic, illusion magic, enchantment magic, divination magic, transformation magic, healing magic... all of these?"
"Yes. That right."
"And he''s also in charge of the Blue Dragon Tower students'' meals?"
"What? Weren''t the Blue Dragon Tower bastards sharing the work? Are they insane?"
"..."
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Chapter 276
Chapter 276
Eunrad couldn''t refute the words of the White Tiger Tower student. As a senior from the Blue Dragon Tower, this was indeed something to be ashamed of.
"...They''re probably doing it together, divided among themselves," Eunrad said, trying to cover for his juniors as a senior.
The White Tiger Tower student nodded as if he had expected this. "Right? As long as they''re human, there''s no way they wouldn''t help. It''s probably a bit exaggerated. They''ll divide the work. Or maybe Wardanaz gets some special treatment. In our White Tiger Tower, we give special treatment to friends who bring in ingredients."
"..."
How embarrassing, really!
Eunrad changed the subject. "Since you''re from the White Tiger Tower, you must be taking swordsmanship sses?"
"Yes, I am."
"Are there any students who stand out? Or any who want to assassinate someone?"
While it was natural for Einroguard students to want to assassinate the skull principal, if someone wanted to assassinate someone else, it would be a serious problem. An outstanding swordsman was a powerful assassin in their own right, and if they also learned magic, they could bring a bloody storm to an entire city.
"I''m not sure about students who want to assassinate someone. As for those who stand out... Moradi and Dolgyu are excellent, but still, it''s Wardanaz."
"...???"
Eunrad couldn''t believe his ears. There are two students from the Wardanaz family?
"Are you talking about the Wardanaz student you mentioned earlier?"
"Yes."
"He''s taking swordsmanship too?"
"So what?"
Unable to hold back, Eunrad asked in a growl, "...Doesn''t that seem strange?"
The White Tiger Tower student in front of him was saying something absurd while being so nonchnt about it.
"W-well, now that you mention it..."
Only then did the White Tiger Tower student seem to sense something odd.
"Why the hell is that Wardanaz bastard taking swordsmanship too? It can''t be because of his grades."
"I apologize. It wasn''t something to ask a student about."
"No, you''re right. Hearing it now, it does seem a bit strange."
The White Tiger Tower student nodded and said, "Could it be that Wardanaz has some evil n?"
"What kind of n?"
"Like learning all magic and even swordsmanship to defeat the principal and take over the school..."
''That''s not a particrly evil n,'' Eunrad thought, but the White Tiger Tower student seemed to find his own words quite usible and continued passionately.
"He''s getting support from the professors and even bastards from other towers, isn''t he?"
"Well, of course, if he brings in food like that, he''ll get support from other towers too. Even when I was in school, friends who were good at getting food were popr. And professors naturally like hardworking students."
"Oh... Now that you mention it, that''s true too."
"And no matter how hard you study, it''s impossible to defeat the principal."
"Wouldn''t someone like Wardanaz be able to do it? Of course, I''m not saying he''ll do it right now, but in a few years."
"..."
Usually, no matter how outstanding a friend was, people didn''t say things like ''Wouldn''t he be able to beat the skull principal in a few years?''
Eunrad became newly curious about this boy from the Wardanaz family. Just how did he behave and act...
"Are you okay?" his friends asked, and Yi-Han nodded.
It was only natural for his other friends to worry. While everyone else was resting, Yi-Han had almost single-handedly dealt with the phoenix.
The phoenix, exhausted and drained from ying excitedly, left a pattern on the back of Yi-Han''s hand and returned to its realm, satisfied.
Although a powerful force could be felt from the phoenix''s pattern, left on top of the patterns left by other spirits...
"Let''s ask the professor and find a way to remove it."
"Yeah. What if that crazy bird bastard gets summoned again?"
"If it gets summoned this time, it might burn down your room, Wardanaz!"
The Blue Dragon Tower students had be very cold and resolute. The phoenix''s rampage had frozen the students'' hearts.
From now on, students would be suspicious of any festivals that seemed even slightly dangerous.
"No... it''s fine. It''s okay even if it''s not removed."
"No way, Wardanaz! The phoenix might appear in your dreams and kill you!"
"That''s right. That bird bastard won''t even remember gratitude!"
Unlike his friends'' intense reactions, Yi-Han didn''t feel any particr danger from the phoenix''s pattern.
Since the other professors didn''t say much, Sharakan didn''t say much, and Yi-Han himself didn''t feel any ominous energy, this was closer to a spirit''s pattern.
He hadn''t confirmed what effect it had yet, but at the very least, it wouldn''t be a loss.
"Wardanaz. It''s your turn. Come in."
"I''ll be right there."
The ck Tortoise Tower student who had gone in before him came out and called Yi-Han.
Yi-Han, who got up from his seat, felt puzzled. ''What is it?''
The ck Tortoise Tower student was staring intently at Yi-Han.
"Do you have something to say to me?"
"...Wardanaz. Could it be that you really... No, forget it. I shouldn''t have said anything. There''s no way that could be true."
"??"
Eunrad unconsciously steadied his breathing. He had never thought that he, who had graduated from Einroguard and gained some experience as an imperial bureaucrat, would be this nervous when dealing with a mere first-year student.
But it couldn''t be helped. Although Einroguard gathered the empire''s geniuses, even among those geniuses, there were bound to be a few who stood out.
And such geniuses were monsters that were hard to fathom with the eyes of those beneath them.
Eunrad had also seen such a genius before. ''He was two years above me, but he was truly a monstrous person.''
Having seen such a genius, Eunrad''s nervousness intensified. What kind of student would he be?
"Hello."
Yi-Han politely bowed his head as he entered the room.
Yi-Han basically liked people from the imperial bureaucracy. To be precise, he wanted to make a good impression in advance so that he could easily enter itter.
Although outstanding mages were called upon anywhere, it required extraordinary effort to sit in afortable, stable, and good position.
''I must never let my guard down.''
Yi-Han vowed not to make a single mistake. Although his body was tired from the phoenix, his mind was very clear with a strong sense of tension.
He must receive a good evaluation no matter what!
"Please have a seat."
Eunrad said, hiding his surprise. He had expected a very arrogant mage, not only from the Wardanaz family but also with the talents and achievements he possessed.
Specifically, a young version of the skull principal!
There were few mages in the empire who could match the skull principal''s magic skills, but there were surprisingly many who could match his nasty personality.
It was amon belief among imperial bureaucrats that the more outstanding a mage''s skills were, the more inversely proportional their personality was.
However, Yi-Han was very polite. Eunrad asked Yi-Han, who was seated, "What should I ask first... I heard that you are currently studying all possible schools of magic."
"Yes, that''s correct."
"May I ask why?"
Yi-Han didn''t answer, ''Because the professors are crazy.'' With a gentle smile on his lips, he gave an exemry answer.
"I have always enjoyed studying magic. As I became curious about various types of magic, the professors rmended that I learn them. Fortunately, there were outstanding educators like Professor Garcia, so I could take them as my role models."
''Wasn''t it possible for Professor Garcia because she had troll blood?''
Eunrad thought so inwardly, but he decided not to go against the genius''s temper for no reason. After all, it wouldn''t be strange topare the blood of the Wardanaz family with the blood of trolls.
"Were there any inconveniences while taking the sses?"
''A typical trap question.''
Yi-Han wasn''t fooled. The imperial bureaucrat in front of him might be making some evil deal with the skull principal behind the scenes, so it would only be a loss for Yi-Han to speak naively.
Moreover, a disciple who badmouthed his professor could be seen as having some character issues.
"Not at all. The professors are all passionately dedicated to teaching. It''s a luxury for a student like me."
''Oh my god!''
Eunrad felt chills all over his body as if cold water had been poured on him. He didn''t think he was this surprised even when he first saw the skull principal, or when his friend identally submerged the magic academy, or when his senior''s heart stopped while doing club activities.
Just what kind of soul was he born with to be able to react like that while receiving the harsh teachings of this magic academy??
''This student... is not human!''
Eunrad was amazed. Just as scorching hotva felt like mere pond water to a phoenix, the teachings of the magic academy seemed to feel like enjoyment to this boy from the Wardanaz family.
"Amazing... I''m truly in awe."
"Is that so? I''m just embarrassed."
Yi-Han inwardly let out a sigh of relief. It seemed he had broken through the trap question and left a good impression on the other person.
"Then I will ask you about a few things that happened this semester."
"Yes."
Eunrad began to ask one by one about the stories he had heard from other students. Since they were seen from the perspective of other students, there could be some exaggeration.
...No, there had to be exaggeration.
"You encountered a mud golem in the mountain range?"
"Yes."
"And I heard you defeated it."
"That''s right. I was lucky."
"...I see..."
Eunrad took notes with a quill pen.
Einroguard Mud Golem Subjugation (Confirmed three times. Certain.)
"And when the principal attacked, I heard you defended without a single person being taken away?"
"It was thanks to my friends'' cooperation."
"But it''s true that youmanded them, right?"
"Yes. As I said, my friends cooperated."
Eunrad''s quill pen gradually became busy. The questions continued.
Eunrad asked about the vine monster, the spirit bull, the rock drake, and the incidents with the White Wood Knight Order.
Yi-Han answered as carefully as possible so as not to appear reckless.
"I had no choice at that time."
"For the sake of my friends..."
"The phoenix burned the assignment."
Eunrad nodded. He was already so surprised that he couldn''t react anymore.
"Ah, I heard there was a fight with the invaders."
"It was thanks to Professor Garcia''s help."
"...What do you mean? I was talking about the adventurers who infiltrated the school."
Eunrad paused.
''Oops, I made a mistake.''
Yi-Han realized that he had made a mistake. Now that it hade to this, if he didn''t exin properly, Yi-Han would be a delusional person.
"Actually, the anti-magic extremists..."
"..."
Eunrad''s quill pen became insanely fast. When the story of the anti-magic extremists'' attack ended, Eunrad looked at the ceiling for a moment.
And he became lost in thought. ''People won''t doubt this report, will they?''
Of course, Eunrad knew well that there was no way it would be trusted.
The trust Eunrad was receiving was solid, and the imperial bureaucrats were used to geniusesing out of Einroguard.
But this was really a bit... No matter what, this was really a bit...
It was such a dazzling achievement that His Majesty the Emperor might call for him separately.
"Excuse me. Sir Eunrad?"
"Ah, please speak."
"I have always respected the imperial bureaucrats who work day and night."
"Is that so? Thank you! It''s an honor."
Worried about what kind of shock his report would give to the imperial bureaucrats, Eunrad failed to notice the disappointed expression on the boy''s face in front of him.
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Chapter 277
Chapter 277
Yi-Han was disappointed.
''Damn. Imprable as a fortress.''
It wasn''t all that surprising, though. The imperial bureaucrats were known for their integrity and uprightness, so they were unlikely to be swayed by such personal connections.
Still, he had thought that since they were from the same tower, there might be some way to get through, but
"If I were to work in the government, what position do you think would suit me?" Yi-Han asked bluntly, unable to give up.
Normally, he wouldn''t have gone this far, but that''s how much he wanted it.
Of course, Eunrad Lee made a face as if he had heard the most absurd joke in the world. Seeing his expression, Yi-Han quickly changed his words.
"It was a joke."
"Haha. I thought so."
Yi-Han clicked his tongue inwardly.
To think he would be this upright and incorruptible. No wonder he was dispatched to Einroguard.
"Anyway, student Wardanaz... thank you for kindly agreeing to the consultation today."
"No, it was something I had to do."
"As your senior, I''m cautiously worried that you might be carrying too much of a burden on your shoulders, student Wardanaz."
Yi-Han''s face brightened.
"But I have no intention of stopping you, so don''t worry. Isn''t hardship a blessing and a gift for those with talent?"
Yi-Han''s face darkened.
''As expected of a graduate, he can naturally say such crazy things.''
While Eunrad Lee was worrying about the shock the Emperor and the imperial bureaucrats would receive, there were people sweating bullets elsewhere.
The adventurer Kilvedek wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve and looked at hispanion.
"How is it?"
"I think it''s still a bitcking."
"Don''t bullshit me! This is enough! I didn''t prepare this much even when I went to hunt a rampaging cave troll!"
"Don''t get angry. I''m not doing this because I want to either. You know that crazy mage won''t be satisfied with this."
"..."
Kilvedek shut his mouth.
Even if they were adventurers who had never seen each other''s faces before, there were cases where they quickly became close when they got involved in a dangerous mission together.
That was exactly the case for Kilvedek now.
The situation of being caught and dragged here while trying to scam a mage from Einroguard!
-If we had known he was a mage from Einroguard, we obviously wouldn''t have tried to scam him!-
Kilvedek and the other adventurers wailed like that, but it was already toote.
The lunatic mage asked the adventurers who had used trickery whether they would help with his work or receive proper punishment ording to imperialw
And the adventurers naturally said, "We will help with the work!"
The so-called proper punishment ording to imperialw meant nothing to high-ranking mages.
If they had chosen thetter, they could have been buried alive in secret.
-What the hell is he trying to make us do?-
-I heard the grounds of Einroguard are vast, so maybe we''ll have to gather ingredients?-
-Maybe we''ll have to conquer a dungeon-
-Nonsense. Why would a mage belonging to Einroguard call adventurers like us?-
-Th-then?-
-Human experimentation... Maybe he wants to do human experimentation?-
The captured adventurers trembled in fear.
But fortunately, the situation unfolded differently from their expectations.
-Work together.-
-Pardon?-
-Assuming there is one intruder, work together to subdue them.-
-...!-
It wasn''t about collecting ingredients, conquering a dungeon, or offering their bodies for magic.
The lunatic mage wanted the adventurers to work together to subdue one intruder.
-We can do that much right now!-
-I know my reputation isn''t that great, but I''m someone who has solved dozens of requests in the west!-
-I see. Let''s test it out.-
And the lunatic mage effortlessly neutralized their joint attack without blinking an eye and beat the adventurers to a pulp.
-Again. Prepare properly this time.-
-Ugh... Ugh... Ughhh-
The lunatic mage beat up the adventurers, made them prepare again, beat them up again, and made them prepare again.
No pleas, excuses, persuasion, or bribery worked.
He was truly the embodiment of the lunatic mage that adventurers feared.
There was a saying among adventurers, "Don''t get involved with mages."
Having a high-level talent like a mage in the party couldn''t be more useful.
Nevertheless, the saying "Don''t get involved with mages" existed precisely because of beings like this lunatic mage.
Once you got entangled with them, you couldn''t escape until you died!
"...Let''s prepare again."
Kilvedek let out a long sigh. He wanted to spit, but he was too scared to do so.
Since he couldn''t run away either, all he could do was prepare until the mage was satisfied.
"I think it''s a good idea to shoot arrows the moment the basement door opens. But the attack after that is a bit ambiguous."
"What about setting up a trap that activates when someone steps in front of the door?"
"Good. Let''s add a bit more. How about having someone wait on the side andunch an attack?"
"Can we match the timing?"
"Damn... Now that it''se to this, we have to try."
"Okay. Then I''ll also pull the crossbow and charge forward."
"What about the potion?"
"I''ve set it up. It will fly out as soon as I pull it."
The adventurers passionately devised a n to repel the intruder who would open the door and enter the underground workshop.
Not only Kilvedek but also the other adventurers were preparing with their full strength for the first time.
It wasn''t like adventurers receivedcking training in their spare time and prepared for the next mission in advance.
Rather, there were more types who indulged in eating, drinking, and enjoying themselves extravagantly.
It was a dangerous profession, and since they earned a lot and spent a lot, it was only natural in a way.
But today was different.
Thanks to the lunatic mage, the adventurers were all united and bringing out 200% or even 300% of their own abilities with their full strength.
"What about changing the spear? Let''s try increasing the length."
"It might not be bad... Okay. Should we also reinforce the shield a bit?"
"My serrated de and your iron mace. If we swing them together, it will be quite effective. Let''s match our moves."
Bang!
"!!!!"
At the sound of the door opening, the adventurers instinctively flinched.
The lunatic mage had returned.
"Pl-Please give us a little more time!"
"It''s not finished yet!"
Knowing that they would be beaten up by the lunatic mage once the breakthrough started, the adventurers begged and pleaded.
Professor Bdi asked with an expressionless face,
"How long will it take?"
"One hour... No, no. 30 minutes! 30 minutes will be enough!"
"I see. We''ll start in 30 minutes. The opponent is a student."
"Thank y- Who?"
Professor Bdi didn''t answer twice. He gestured as if telling them to prepare and left the underground workshop.
The remaining adventurers'' eyes widened as they clung to the workshop window.
...So you''re saying we have to attack that young, green studenting over there?
It was better than the lunatic mage, but now they were worried in a slightly different way.
Is it really okay to attack?
"A-Aren''t we going to get caught?"
"We''re already caught."
Despite arriving at the gloomy underground workshop following Professor Bdi''s guidance, Yi-Han was not surprised.
''I was prepared for this.''
Final exam week.
If Yi-Han hadn''t anticipated this even after seeing Professor Bdi put the adventurers in coffins and ship them to the academyst time, he wasn''t someone who deserved to survive at Einroguard.
Professor Bdi lightly nodded at Yi-Han''s appearance, not loosening the string of tension throughout his body.
It was the attitude of an excellentbat mage.
"The adventurers are waiting inside. Break through."
"Understood."
Abat mage had to know how to flexibly deal with all kinds of situations.
They had to be able to handle it even when enemies were hiding and waiting inside a building.
...Although he didn''t quite understand why he had to do this in his first year, Yi-Han tightened his grip on his staff instead of objecting.
''I prepare for all possible situations.''
Cast various enhancement spells, disrupt the enemies'' vision with illusion magic, send summons inside
He wasn''t surprised because he knew this day woulde from the moment Professor Bdi brought the adventurers, but his heart was heavy.
He had to enter the basement where experienced adventurers who had gone through all sorts of battles had prepared with determination.
No matter how thoroughly Yi-Han prepared, he could lose.
''Let''s consider it fortunate that there are no phoenixes or Cerberus.''
With that thought, Yi-Han steeled himself.
Suddenly feeling a gaze, he looked to the side and saw adventurers observing him through the window of the underground workshop.
Yi-Han hardened his face.
''As expected of adventurers.''
The experience umted by adventurers was not something to be taken lightly. They were already closely observing Yi-Han''s capabilities.
If he identally exposed his magic here, he would be immediately countered.
''I don''t know if it will work, but...''
"Professor. I''m so scared."
"?"
"Can I really defeat the adventurers inside?"
"Perhaps you have a headache?"
Professor Bdi expressed his bewilderment briefly and simply.
The adventurers who heard the student''s frightened and anxious voice from outside the window became troubled.
They wondered if it was really okay to attack like this.
"We''re not falling into a conspiracy, are we?"
"What kind of conspiracy?"
"Maybe he wanted to kill a disobedient disciple but didn''t want to get his hands dirty, so he called us."
"..."
Hearing that, it sounded usible. The adventurers fell into silence.
That loosened vignce gave Yi-Han precious time.
Bang!
Yi-Han immediately kicked open the door to the underground workshop. Arrows flew in from inside.
Thud, thud-
The arrows stuck into the water shield that Yi-Han had set up in advance. Having pre-cast various enhancement spells, including , Yi-Han knew without looking.
"...Light!"
Instead of entering, Yi-Han intensely released mana towards the inside of the underground workshop and cast the spell.
A bright sphere of light reminiscent of the burning sun rose inside the underground workshop.
"Light, light, light...!"
Normally, there was no need to invest this much mana in a mere 1st Circle spell.
Mana was a limited resource, and distributing that resource was also part of a mage''s skill.
However, Yi-Han ignored such calctions and poured light into the workshop. Although there was a light source, the adventurers who had be ustomed to the darkness had their vision temporarily obscured.
"Rise, skeleton warriors! Heat, distort the air!"
Yi-Han threw bone fragments and summoned skeleton warriors. They couldn''t move properly yet, but they were sufficiently threatening to the adventurers who didn''t know that fact.
"Undead! Dark magic!"
"Prepare!"
Even in that chaos, there was no excess in the adventurers'' movements, and their coordination didn''t break. Yi-Han couldn''t help but admire them.
''I thought they were scammers, but it seems they have real skills. Well, if they didn''t have skills, they wouldn''t have dared to scam an Einroguard professor.''
Inside the underground workshop, bright enough to not see ahead.
The summoned skeleton warriors, under the influence of illusion magic, felt like more than a dozen.
Nevertheless, the adventurers urately swung their weapons and brought down the skeleton warriors.
That''s how much bloody practice they had done inside this underground workshop.
"I-I got it!"
Kilvedek was surprised even after he brought down a skeleton warrior.
"Bones, seize the enemy!"
Yi-Han immediately went for the next attack.
From the beginning, the purpose of detonating the light and sending skeleton warriors inside was not to attack but to draw attention.
It was enough that the enemies couldn''t pour out what they had prepared onto Yi-Han.
Using the bones of the shattered skeleton warriors, Yi-Han recklessly fired bone magic.
"Bones, seize the enemy!"
With a nerve-grating sound, bone fragments gathered from all directions, creating restraints.
The remaining adventurers dodged to blind spots invisible from the entrance and shouted,
"It wasn''t a young student!!!"
"Hold on! If he uses magic like that, he can''tst long! Exhaustion wille soon!"
"Ugh...!"
An unlucky adventurer was hit by the barrage of bone magic and copsed.
The other adventurers endured tenaciously. It was thanks to the lunatic mage''s ordeal that had made them grow.
''The end ising soon!''
''Even a mage''s mana isn''t infinite...''
...But why is it taking so long?
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Chapter 278
Chapter 278
The relentlessly fired bone fragments swept the surroundings like buckshot, turning the area into a chaotic mess. The adventurers, who had been enduring and holding out until the mage''s mana ran out, began to sense that something was amiss.
''...Something''s strange!!''
Thwack!
Even while shielding their bodies with their shields,plete defense was impossible. As one adventurer, hit by the bone fragments, staggered and exposed himself from the blind spot, Yi-Han immediatelyunched a water orb at him.
It was meaningless even if he was fully equipped with sturdy armor. The adventurer copsed on the spot from the heavy impact piercing through the gaps in his armor.
-At this rate, everyone will be taken down! Shouldn''t we move?-
-Are you saying we should charge forward in front of the mage who''s currently casting spells?!-
The remaining adventurers exchanged desperate conversations through hand signals. They couldn''t believe the current situation.
When they had looked outside the window earlier, he definitely seemed like a young master from a noble family who had been preciously raised...
''What kind of potion did he drink beforeing here?''
ording to the original n, the moment the mage entered the basement, all sorts of traps they had prepared would be triggered in session, and taking advantage of that opening, the adventurers would alsounch abined attack.
However, the opposing mage, as if he had chugged down mana-enhancing potions, was relentlessly firing spells without a moment''s rest, devastating the inside of the basement.
Although the mage didn''t know where the traps were located, with him firing spells like that, several traps had already been destroyed.
It was a painful endurance where one second felt like an hour.
Suddenly, the inside of the basement became quiet.
''Is it over!?''
The adventurers felt their hearts racing when the bone fragments stopped flying at them.
Whether the bone fragments had been exhausted or the mana had been depleted, it was clear that the mage''s attack had ended...
Thud, thud-thud, thud-thud-thud-thud-
This time, water orbs flew in like crazy. Although the quantity wasn''t as overwhelming as the bone fragments, it was still a suffocating number.
Moreover, unlike earlier when they were fired indiscriminately, the water orbs urately curved and entered the blind spots where the adventurers were holding out.
It was evident that the mage had roughly grasped the adventurers'' positions from the first attack.
"Aaagh! You crazy mage bastard!"
Eventually, one adventurer screamed and charged out. The wooden shield he was holding had been tattered from receiving the merciless attacks of bone fragments and water orbs.
''Fast!''
Seeing the unexpectedly fast speed of hisrade, Kilvedek momentarily harbored hope that it might work.
There was originally a saying not to rush in front of a mage who was casting spells, but the current situation was slightly different.
The opposing mage was distracted, firing water orbs throughout the entire basement, and the adventurer''s physical abilities had been drastically enhanced by various potions consumed before the battle.
With the speed at which he was charging like a gale, it was sufficient to strike the mage''s weak point.
Wasn''t the casting speed always the weakness of mages?
"sh forth!"
However, as if he had been waiting, the mage swung his staff and chanted a spell.
The huge lumps of water floating in the air continued to transform into water orbs and flew in, and amidst them, lightning shot out and blew away the adventurer''s shield.
"...!"
The adventurer whose shield had been blown away didn''t immediately realize his situation. That''s how fast the mage''s reaction speed was.
"What..."
"sh forth, sh forth, sh forth!"
The adventurer''s physical abilities were enhanced by various potions. With that dynamic visual acuity, he attempted to evade by looking at the tip of the staff.
However, as if he had anticipated it, the mage fired three shots almost simultaneously. No matter which direction he tried to dodge, he would inevitably be hit.
Bzzt!
As his body became paralyzed from the electric shock, the water orbs pounced on him like a pack of wolves.
The remaining adventurers were now more terrified than when facing the previous mad mage.
The mad mage would have simply walked in, dismantling the adventurers'' traps one by one and subduing them, the young monster on the stairs, on the other hand, was relentlessly pushing them without giving them a moment to breathe.
"Sur... Surrender! We surrender!"
Thwack!
When arade who had rushed out with his hands raised was hit by a water orb and copsed on the spot, Kilvedek was horrified.
Even though they surrendered, why!?
''Is he saying he won''t ept surrender?!''
"Ah. I apologize. I didn''t realize you were surrendering. Are you surrendering?"
"...Yes!! Yes!!! We surrender!"
"Drop your weapons, raise both hands, and slowlye out."
The young mage''s voice was so kind that it sent chills down their spines.
Kilvedek cautiously poked his head out. The mage, who had been waiting with an expressionless face, asked, "You haven''t prepared any tricks, have you?"
"We haven''t! There''s nothing like that!"
"Strongly denying it makes it more suspicious... Alright. You can slowlye out."
The adventurer walking in front of Kilvedek nced around and slightly lowered his hands, opening his mouth.
He was curious about how the current situation was unfolding.
"Well, that''s..."
Thwack!
"Ah. My apologies. It was a reflexive action..."
Seeing hisrade who had been hit by a water orb and copsed, Kilvedek raised his hands even higher.
That mage''s words were kind, but his actions were even more terrifying than the mad mage.
Yi-Han could tell that Professor Bdi was very disappointed.
Fortunately, he wasn''t disappointed in Yi-Han but in the adventurers.
"They failed."
"So-sorry. Mage, sir."
"We did our best, but..."
Professor Bdi was so disappointed that he remained silent. After tossing a pouch of coins to each adventurer aspensation, he pointed towards the main gate.
Understanding the meaning of being dismissed, the adventurers began to back away, trembling.
They were afraid that if they turned around, the mad mage mightunch an attack spell at them.
"I will guide you."
On the other hand, Yi-Han, who had aced the final exam, was in a good mood.
Of course, the adventurers didn''t feel reassured just because Yi-Han offered to guide them.
"Th-thank you. Mage, sir."
"You can speakfortably. I''m still a student with a lot to learn."
Despite his humble words, the adventurers never let their guard down.
"I-I see. Which year are you in?"
"I''m a first-year student."
"..."
"..."
The adventurers remained silent. They only showed indescribable expressions.
"Um... What exactly happened today?"
Halfway through their walk, one adventurer couldn''t hold back and asked.
The other adventurers gave him looks that said, ''Do you have two lives?'' ''Why are you trying to get us killed too?'' but the question had already been asked.
"Ah. It was the final exam."
"Pardon?"
"The final exam. Didn''t the professor exin it to you?"
"Ah..."
The adventurers opened their mouths and simultaneously repeated, "Ah..."
Then, as if they had suddenlye to their senses, they eximed, "No! He did exin!"
"I remember now!"
"That''s a relief. I thought he might not have exined. Well, you cane this way. You see the main gate, right?"
As they watched Yi-Han''s back walking ahead, the adventurers simultaneously had the same thought without any prior agreement.
If they could safely exit through the main gate of Einroguard today, they would retire.
''I should settle down in a quiet vige with few people.''
''I need to go to a town without mages.''
Sincerely, they no longer wanted to deal with crazy people.
''It''s a good start.''
Yi-Han drew a line through with a satisfied expression.
Repetitive Training of Basic Magic Combat
Basic Magic Character Education
Of course, there were still many sses remaining, but the fact that he had aced the start of the final exams was a good omen in itself.
"Wardanaz. We''re in big trouble!"
"?"
"I heard that there will be no more deadline extensions for the assignment! We have to submit it as it is today!"
"!!"
When Ango whispered in a flustered manner, Yi-Han''s face stiffened.
This was no ordinary matter.
''That''s absurd!''
.
It was a lecture where they had to submit blueprints as a pre-final assignment and actually manufacture them as the final assignment, but...
...The problem was that the phoenix had broken into the storeroom and burned all the assignments.
How could they submit on Tuesday as scheduled when all the assignments had been burned?
So the students had all been thinking, ''There will be a deadline extension, right?'' ''No matter what, there will be a deadline extension for this,'' but...
''I wascent. This is Einroguard!''
Yi-Han bitterly regretted his carelessness.
Of course, even if he had known, he wouldn''t have had much time to work on it while catching the phoenix, but the painful reality couldn''t be helped.
"Wardanaz. There''s a way."
"What way?"
"Let''s join hands and protest to the professor! If you, the most outstanding student, join us... Hey! Wardanaz! I said let''s do it together!!"
Yi-Han turned around without even pretending to listen.
That was an impossible nonsense.
''To submit, I need to finish it before lunch. The method is...''
Unlike other amateur students, Yi-Han was a prepared professional student.
When assignments are not ready, amateurs give up as they are, but professionals always find a way to submit, no matter what method they use.
Of course, the quality of the assignment couldn''t be guaranteed, but that wasn''t important right now.
With little time remaining, Yi-Han stared at the long pole that was supposed to be the framework of the magicmp, lost in thought.
-Don''t tell me... You''re going to discard all the designs and solve it with magic alone?!-
-...What nonsense are you talking about, Yonaire? I haven''t even drawn it yet.-
Suddenly, a conversation he had with Yonaire came to mind.
The method of discarding the designs and production altogether, and after Yi-Han casts magic, he would shamelessly insist, ''Itsts long anyway, doesn''t it?''
When he talked with Yonaire, he naturally dismissed it as nonsense, but...
''...There''s no time and no other way.''
Yi-Han steeled his resolve.
Sometimes, shameless sophistry was more necessary than skill.
Let''s go with this!
Although Professor Alpen had not yet arrived, the atmosphere among the students gathered in the lecture hall was chaotic.
"Is it true that there''s no deadline extension?"
"I''m telling you, there isn''t."
"We''re doomed...! We''re doomed!!"
"But isn''t it fortunate? We''re all doomed together."
"Do you have no tact?"
Then, Professor Alpen entered. Seeing the chaotic atmosphere among the students, Professor Alpen was puzzled.
"What''s going on?"
"Professor! It''s not our fault that the phoenix burned down the storeroom!"
"Of course, it''s our fault for not setting up a guard! We''ll set up a guard from now on, so please give us one more chance...!"
"Please extend the deadline!"
"Alright. That was my intention from the beginning."
Professor Alpen readily agreed. The students all froze.
Huh?
"Huh? Wasn''t there no deadline exten...sion?"
"How could there be no deadline extension when the phoenix burned down the storeroom? Finish it by this weekend. I can give you 2-3 more days, so those who need more time cane and see me."
"..."
"...Which bastard spread the false rumor?"
The students were relieved for now, but it wasn''t over yet.
Which bastard spread the false rumor??
Thud!
Then, Yi-Han btedly entered, carrying the magicmp. Seeing that Professor Alpen had arrived first, Yi-Han bowed his head.
"Hello, Professor."
"Hello, Mr. Wardanaz."
"I''m here to submit my assignment."
"Wai..."
Ango tried to stop Yi-Han in a panic.
''No, Wardanaz! The situation has changed! It was a false rumor!''
However, Professor Alpen answered first.
"What is this? I apologize if this is rude, but I don''t see any separate design."
"Yes, Professor. I clearly wrote down the amplification magic circle and the corresponding materials on the blueprint. But after thinking about it, I realized that it was also an inefficient method."
"Inefficient?"
"Yes. I realized that I can guarantee a duration of more than 2 days with my magic alone. In that case, I thought that forcibly wasting materials would go against the purpose of this lecture."
"So you submitted it like this?"
Professor Alpen''s eyes sparkled sharply.
It was unclear whether it was a good sign or a bad sign, but Yi-Han remained unwavering.
"Yes."
"You won''t regret it?"
''?''
Yi-Han felt something strange.
''What is it? Is there something I don''t know?''
But it was already done. Yi-Han maintained a confident expression and answered, "Yes."
"Honestly, I''m impressed."
Professor Alpen smiled and said, "Guts and quick thinking are also virtues of a mage. If, as you said, the duration is maintained for more than 2 days, I will give you a perfect score. Go in and have a seat. Ah, since you''ve already submitted your final assignment, you may leave the lecture hall. The other students can start manufacturing again."
"...????"
Yi-Han turned his head.
His friends were looking at Yi-Han with admiring and astonished gazes.
Except for Ango.
"Come out for a moment."
"I-I need to manufacture, Wardanaz."
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Chapter 279
Chapter 279
Ango was eventually dragged out into the corridor.
Grabbed by the cor, Ango apologized. "Cough, cough... Wardanaz. I''m sorry. I was deceived too."
"If you were deceived, you fool, you should have submitted the assignment as well. You didn''t submit it, so how were you deceived?"
Faced with Yi-Han''s growling, Ango thought to himself, ''That''s because it''s you who could submit it...!''
Ango truly believed there was no extension. However, Ango didn''t have the ability to hastily create and submit it like Yi-Han.
So he was just hanging out with the White Tiger Tower students, thinking, ''What''s the big deal about studying? I have my good friends here, so I''m not worried at all
"S-Still, the professor gave a good evaluation."
"It''s a relief that the professor evaluated it well. Otherwise, you would have been dragged to the basement instead of the corridor right now."
What Yi-Han had just submitted was generously called courage and quick wit, but if viewed negatively, it was just forcing it.
It ended well because Professor Alpen looked upon it favorably, but if he had viewed it negatively, wouldn''t Yi-Han alone have been considered crazy?
Yi-Han shook Ango''s cor a few more times before letting go. Anyway, since the assignment was sessful, he ended it at this point.
Otherwise, he would have dragged him to the basement that Professor Bdi had mentioned earlier.
"In the first ce, you White Tiger Tower guys are too swayed by false rumors. Do you know? Originally, when you hear a rumor, you shouldn''t just blindly believe it..."
"..."
As the price for spreading the false rumor, Ango had to listen to Yi-Han''s suffocating nagging as they re-entered the lecture hall.
Wardanaz could have stopped for a moment to catch his breath, but he poured out the nagging without any rest.
"Are you listening?"
"Oh, yes."
"Knights should originally know about honor and act with gravity, right? But to be swayed by rumors like that. It was the samest time too. Some White Tiger Tower student was spouting nonsense about how I had mastered some evil magic."
''I think there''s a basis for that...''
"When you hear such false rumors, as a friend from the same tower, you should firmly cut them off. Got it? Are you listening?"
"Yes, yes. I''m listening."
"Tell me what I just said."
"..."
Ango vowed never to spread false rumors again.
False rumors could destroy a student''s soul.
"Thank you, Wardanaz."
"It''s a matter for which I also bear responsibility."
After returning to the lecture hall, Yi-Han helped his friends with their production again.
Considering the amount of coins he had received, he couldn''t just leave them be.
"You''re talking about your sense of responsibility as the top student of the year."
"No? What nonsense are you..."
"No?"
Asan, who had been touched, scratched his head with an awkward face.
Yonaire, who was assembling a disy case for potions next to them, paused for a moment and asked,
"Wait a minute. Come to think of it, when I asked youst time if you were going to try to solve it with just magic, didn''t you say no?"
"Gainando. Focus a bit."
Yi-Han changed the subject as if he hadn''t heard. Gainando, who had been dozing off with his eyes open while holding a hammer, was startled.
"Oh, how did you know!?"
"..."
Yonaire stared intently from behind. Yi-Han quickly moved his feet.
"What is everyone pondering about?"
Yi-Han tilted his head at the sight of several students gathered and discussing.
Judging by their quite serious expressions as they exchanged words, it seemed they were discussing the assignment.
''It''s a good sight.''
Compared to Gainando dozing off earlier, it was a very good sight to see.
Indeed, the primary duty of a student was to study
"Ah. Mr. Wardanaz."
Nebren and Rowena stopped their conversation and looked at Yi-Han.
Apparently, not only the two of them but also the other students looked familiar. They were the followers of the princess whom he had seen a few times.
"What is it?"
Yi-Han felt a slight sense of unease.
And that unease soon proved to be true.
"We were discussing whether to proceed ording to the original n of the blueprint submitted by Her Highness the Princess or topromise with the current tight situation."
"..."
''I''d rather have Gainando dozing off.''
Yi-Han looked at his friends with a gaze of contempt and pathetic pity.
Regardless, the princess''s followers continued their discussion very seriously.
"Of course we should go with the original n! Are you doubting Her Highness''s abilities?"
"That''s right. If we don''t submit ording to the blueprint that Her Highness has submitted, it will tarnish our honor and pride."
''They''re crazy.''
Yi-Han quickly realized.
Even if you submitted a blueprint, you could change it a bit depending on the situation. Changing it wouldn''t tarnish any honor or pride.
Then, was Yi-Han, who had omitted most of the contents of the blueprint, a shameless person?
Originally, it''s best not to associate with crazy people.
Yi-Han tried to quietly back away.
However, the evil followers of the princess didn''t let Yi-Han escape.
"Mr. Wardanaz. What do you think, Mr. Wardanaz?"
"That''s right. Please say a word, Mr. Wardanaz."
Yi-Han unconsciously nced at Gainando.
Unfortunately, Gainando was concentrating very hard. He couldn''t escape by finding fault with him.
''Damn it. Focus at normal times.''
"I think you guys can decide among yourselves."
"No. If Mr. Wardanaz says something, even those who oppose will be convinced."
Apparently, the princess''s followers preferred to achieve unanimous agreement through peaceful persuasion.
The majority was in favor of ''going with the original n'', but
Surprisingly, there was one follower who was in their right mind.
A student from the ck Tortoise Tower, alone, was arguing, ''Since the situation has changed, we shouldpromise.''
''There was a sane person among the followers.''
Yi-Han asked a rude question.
"What''s your name?"
"Bol, Bolcat."
"I see. Bolcat. What''s your argument?"
"I think it''s unreasonable given the time we have now. I respect Her... Her Highness''s abilities, but Her Highness also needs to prepare for other exams. I worked as a craftsman in a guild before entering the academy. It''s impossible toplete this within the given time."
"Indeed."
Yi-Han admired him.
As expected of a sane person, he was making a reasonable persuasion based on his own experience.
"Bolcat! I respect your abilities and family, but I can''t ept you limiting Her Highness''s abilities like that!"
"That''s right! Her Highness is fully capable of doing it!"
''But the opponents are crazy.''
Yi-Han clicked his tongue inwardly.
Bolcat''s sin was that he had associated with that group of lunatics.
Wasn''t he suffering like this now because of that sin?
There are people who can be persuaded and people who cannot.
"Hmm. I''m not sure. But if opinions are running parallel like this, it might not be bad to decide by majority vote this time..."
He tried to escape like that, but someone lightly tugged on the end of Yi-Han''s coat.
"?"
Yi-Han stopped mid-sentence and turned his head.
The princess was desperately crossing her index fingers under the desk.
"..."
Her face and eyes were expressionless, but desperation was felt in her hand movements.
Even Gainando would have understood the signal there: ''Please help me out!''
As Yi-Han hesitated, Nebren, who had been listening, opened his mouth.
"Anyway, you''re saying we should decide by majority vote, right?"
"You''re wrong, Nebren."
"Huh? Just now, you said it wouldn''t be bad to decide by majority vote..."
"In magic, there is only right and wrong, and majority vote doesn''t exist."
"!?"
Yi-Han used his sculptural face to force it.
When he spoke seriously with an expressionless face, the princess''s followers missed the timing to say, ''But you said it yourself!''
"Did you see me submit a magicmp?"
"I-I did see it, but..."
"And you still haven''t noticed after seeing that? As expected of Her Highness''s followers."
While speaking, Yi-Han was also quickly racking his brain.
What kind of usible sophistry should he spout to deceive these followers like Gainando?
''I should have pretended not to know.''
But he couldn''t just ignore them, considering the hefty sum of coins he had lucratively, or rather, respectfully, received from the Princess.
Even a thieves'' guild would give special treatment to a customer who paid that many coins.
Moreover, the princess had an excessively widework.
If the princess were to go out during the break and casually mention, ''I asked for help, but Wardanaz didn''t help me,'' it could be exaggerated into false rumors.
Yi-Han, who had suffered from malicious nder throughout the semester due to a minor friction with the White Tiger Tower students, was cautious in this regard.
"Please give us your wisdom, Mr. Wardanaz."
"What have we missed?"
"So... Professor Knighton is also evaluating boldness and quick-thinking in this course. Knowing this, I purposely omitted much of the design in my submission."
"!!"
The princess''s followers were surprised.
Indeed, it made sense when they heard it.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for a student like Wardanaz to submit a greatly abbreviated blueprint.
"Do you understand? Originally, Her Highness would have also greatly abbreviated the production to fit the purpose of the lecture. But she was waiting without being able to say it, worried that you guys might be embarrassed."
"That''s... that''s right!"
"We apologize, Your Highness! We should have noticed!"
''It worked out somehow.''
Yi-Han inwardly let out a sigh of relief.
The princess, surrounded by her followers and receiving apologies, slightly bowed her head to Yi-Han.
It was a gesture of gratitude for helping her escape.
Yi-Han smiled and made a small circle with his fingers.
''Please repay me with coinster.''
Seeing that, the princess slightly widened her eyes.
''Is he saying not to worry about it?!''
Even after providing such help, he was letting it go, saying it was fine. She felt ashamed of herself once again for misunderstanding Wardanaz at the beginning of the semester.
The princess made a small circle with her fingers. It meant she understood.
''Indeed. It''s not an empty reputation that she''s known as a genius in the empire.''
Yi-Han was pleased.
Unlike Gainando, the princess was quick to understand.
Gratitude is originally best expressed materially in the most intuitive way!
"Hello, Professor."
The divination magic professor, Parsellet Krair, responded to the students entering to take the exam.
"My personality will change to a violent and threatening one in about 30 minutes today, so try not to talk to me if possible."
"...Yes!"
The students recoiled in disgust and kept their distance.
Sometimes they forgot, but the professors at this magic academy were all abnormal without exception.
"Is everyone seated? Then let''s start the final exam."
Professor Parsellet waved her staff. Then, letters appeared on the ckboard.
For the divination magic final exam, divine what will appear on the final exam.
"??????"
"Begin."
Professor Parsellet sat down.
Naturally, the students fell into great confusion.
The final exam was happening right now, yet they were told to divine what would appear on the final exam.
It was a strange question, like a snake swallowing itself.
''Still, there are some quick-witted students.''
Professor Parsellet looked around at the students.
There were students who were clutching their heads in confusion, but there were also students deep in thought.
It was evident that they were trying to infer the meaning behind this paradoxical question.
''For a divination mage, it''s more important to refrain from divination than to be good at it.''
It sounded paradoxical but it was true.
Being able to glimpse the future even a little had a tremendous addictiveness.
A mage who fell into this pleasure could notst long as a divination mage.
A mage who couldst long as a divination mage was one who knew the fear of divination and refrained from it as much as possible.
And the final exam question was a question that taught that very point.
If they hastily attempted divination magic just because the question said to divine, they would fall into an endless loop and be trapped until the exam ended.
''That Wardanaz seems to have noticed too.''
Professor Parsellet looked at Yi-Han.
From the first lecture, he had shown terrifying potential, so even Professor Parsellet, who didn''t get too attached to students, couldn''t help but pay attention to him.
Indeed, as expected of his potential, the trap hidden in the question
"?!?"
Professor Parsellet was startled.
Yi-Han was attempting divination magic.
And he kept going without stopping!
''He should be trapped, shouldnt he?!''
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Chapter 280
Chapter 280
The loop of misfortune caused by the wrong question.
It was a nightmarish situation for a divination mage.
And the best way to prepare for such a situation was
''To not get involved in the situation in the first ce.''
It was a somewhat absurd answer, but it was the correct one.
Instead of attempting divination magic right away, the key was to recognize the trap hidden in the question and react ordingly.
The professor didn''t expect the freshmen to have advanced techniques like leaving a sign in the divination that only they could recognize to escape the loop, or forcibly twisting the divination''s point in time to the distant future or further ahead.
Just recognizing the trap in the question and reacting was enough to receive a high evaluation.
In contrast, the worst reaction was to attempt divination magic right away.
If a freshman jumped into a trap question unprepared, they would inevitably struggle until their mana ran out and faint, caught in the loop.
That should have been the case, but
Yi-Han casually waved his staff and attempted divination magic again and again.
Even Professor Parsellet was momentarily at a loss, unable to grasp the situation.
''What in the world...?''
Not noticing the perplexed look the professor was sending him, Yi-Han cast divination magic once more.
However, he couldn''t see the future properly.
When nothing appeared before his eyes, Yi-Han tilted his head and canceled the magic.
It was as natural as breathing.
Of course, a considerable amount of mana was consumed in the process, but it had little effect on Yi-Han.
''Was this not the right approach to the problem?''
"Urgh..."
"!"
Yi-Han focused on the painful groansing from beside him.
Although he couldn''t see his friends due to the professor''s curtain of illusion, he could hear them.
No matter how he listened, these were the agonizing sounds made when a magic attempt went terribly wrong.
"Ugh..."
"Ack..."
Thud!
It didn''t end with just painful groans; there were even sounds of people copsing on the floor.
Thanks to the rigorous training from Professor Bdi, Yi-Han could now assess the situation using his other senses even when his vision was blocked.
Judging from the dragging sounds and the absence of further groans
''They failed and were eliminated from the test?!''
Yi-Han couldn''t understand it.
Of course, it wasn''t an easy problem, but it wasn''t to the point of copsing like in Professor Bdi''s tests.
''Could it be...?''
Yi-Han quickly grasped the situation.
It seemed that the divination magic question this time wasn''t a simple test but one that involved recognizing the hidden trap.
If one failed to recognize the trap and just charged in, they could copse like the friends who were just dragged out.
...Of course, Yi-Han had already attempted it a few times!
''I was lucky. It seems I could endure it because I have a lot of mana.''
Yi-Han sighed in relief.
Considering the amount of mana consumed by the divination magic, it wasn''t surprising that the other students copsed.
Now he had to approach it more cautiously.
''Did he realize it?''
Professor Parsellet raised an eyebrow when Yi-Han stopped the magic.
Although he was a beatte, judging from his reaction, he must have realized the true meaning of this test.
''Yes. Now stop the divination magic and point out the trap in this test... No!''
Yi-Han cast divination magic again.
Professor Parsellet was even more flustered than before.
Why!?
He realized it was a trap, so why was he doing such a thing?
''Come to think of it, there''s no need to hold back on attempts.''
The reason Yi-Han resumed casting divination magic was simple.
Upon reflection, there was no need to approach it cautiously.
Because he had an abundance of mana!
Yi-Han repeatedly cast divination magic while pondering how to break through this loop.
In fact, he could have just thought about it without casting divination magic, but Yi-Han naturally repeated the attempts as if breathing, since he had plenty of mana.
Professor Parsellet, who finally grasped the situation, couldn''t help but chuckle in disbelief.
''What a foolish approach...''
It was good that he realized the problem was strange, but then he should have approached it differently, not try to force his way through with power.
What kind of behavior was that?
"Professor, I think I found the answer."
"!"
Yi-Han, who had been continuously attempting, finally spoke.
Professor Parsellet was surprised but prepared to hear the answer.
"Go ahead and tell me."
"I think the answer was to find the trap hidden in the question. One shouldn''t carelessly attempt divination magic with such a question."
"That''s correct."
Professor Parsellet nodded.
It was a good answer.
The problem was
''Then why did he keep casting divination magic?''
Normally, he should have answered immediately when he realized it earlier, but he continued casting divination magic before answering, so she couldn''t help but be curious.
Unable to resist her curiosity, Professor Parsellet asked a question.
"But how did you figure out the answer? Was it a logical deduction?"
"I did make some logical deductions... but I used divination magic."
"So, in what way?"
Professor Parsellet''s voice grew rough, slightly exasperated.
"I thought it would be difficult to find the answer with the given question, so I set the point in time to the distant future. I used divination to see the point after the test ended and figured out the answer."
"..."
Professor Parsellet was momentarily at a loss for words.
She had suspected it, but she didn''t expect him to actually use that method.
Escaping the loop or seeing a future further than the loop and using that as a clue to figure it out was also a method, but
It wasn''t an ability expected of freshmen. No matter how talented they were, this didn''t make sense.
First of all, the uncertainty of divination increased as the time became more distant.
Moreover, finding clues from an unrted future to figure out the answer to the question was no easy feat.
It was a technique that only experienced divination mages knew
''Could it be...!''
Professor Parsellet realized.
She understood why Yi-Han had used divination magic repeatedly even after realizing it.
"Don''t tell me you kept casting divination magic until you found the answer?"
"That''s right."
When the professor figured out the method he used, Yi-Han answered with a purely admiring expression.
As expected of a professor, it wasn''t for nothing.
To guess how Yi-Han found the answer after just a few exchanges.
"..."
Professor Parsellet felt a throbbing headache, not knowing where to begin teaching this absurd student.
What kind of nonsense was this
The fact that the person in question was standing there with an innocent expression, as if asking, ''Did I do something wrong?'' made the headache even worse.
"Sigh... You did well. You did well, but... It seems there are a few more things you need to learn."
"Ah. Is that so?"
"Next week..."
"Next week is the break, though."
Yi-Han suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.
Surely she wouldn''t spout nonsense abouting to the magic academy during the break, right?
''If she says something like that, I might really have to send a petition to His Majesty the Emperor.''
"...Then next semester."
"Ah. Yes. That much is fine."
"You muste."
"Yes. I understand."
"You absolutely muste. Do you understand? Swear sincerely one more time."
"..."
Professor Parsellet didn''t notice, but the look in Yi-Han''s eyes as he stared at the professor was strangely changing.
''Do you not have any disciples?''
Professor Mortum, no, professors with few disciples were very sensitive about their new disciples running away.
If a student simply decided not to take the ss at the beginning of a new semester, there wasn''t much a professor could do.
Of course, they could use various threats and persuasion, but once a mage made up their mind, it wasn''t easy to sway them.
Professors with plenty of disciples could afford to have a rxed attitude, saying, ''If you don''t want to take it, don''t. I don''t care,'' but professors with few disciples could really end up with no one taking their ss if they did that.
Of course, there were asionally professors who would sit confidently in the lecture hall even without a single disciple, but that had to be considered an exceptional case.
''Since I''m going to take it anyway, I should be considerate of her.''
There was no harm in being considerate of the professor''s position since he was going to take the ss anyway.
Yi-Han kindly said, "Don''t worry, Professor. Why wouldn''t Ie?"
"Youre already taking dark magic, summoning magic, illusion magic, enchantment magic, transformation magic, and healing magic."
Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
As expected of an outstanding divination mage, she was very sharp.
''She''s definitely right about that!''
Direth suppressed a yawn as she waved her staff.
She had to make full preparations for the juniors who would soon be taking the dark magic final exam.
Coholti, who was in the same year, also waved his staff.
"Is everything ready?"
"Everything''s ready. But don''t you think there are too few bones? Shouldn''t we bring more? The number of poison bottles seems a bit low too."
"It''s fine. I heard there are less than five freshmen learning dark magic this time."
"..."
At Direth''s answer, Coholti made aplicated expression.
It wasn''t necessary to have many juniors, but when there were too few juniors learning the same magic as oneself, it made one feel conflicted.
"Why isn''t anyone interested in dark magic?"
"Isn''t it because of the King of Frost Giants summoned in the hallwayst time?"
"T-That was a problem with an artifact, not rted to dark magic!"
Coholti''s face turned red.
Of course, Direth knew very well why dark magic wasn''t popr.
''It would be strange if it were popr.''
If Direth saw an article in the Imperial Newspaper titled , she would think, ''Is the empire copsing?''
It''s just that every aspect of that magic was likely to be unpopr
"Ah. They''reing in."
As the first-year students entered one by one, the fourth-year students hurriedly hid behind the lecture hall.
It was a ce with a recognition-lowering magic circle, so the first-year juniors couldn''t see them.
"Hmm. Isn''t the difficulty too high?"
Coholti suddenly seemed worried as he looked at the first-year juniors.
This dark magic final exam was a culmination of what they had learned in the first semester.
Curses, poisons, and bones.
A test that checked the fundamentals of these three areas.
It might sound simple, but such tests were usually more difficult.
Since they had to confront all three areas of dark magic head-on, if they werecking in even one, there was no way topensate for it.
"This should be fine. Why are you saying that now after deciding it together with the professorst time?"
"No... I''m just worried there might be even fewer than five..."
"..."
That was certainly true.
Direth was surprised that Coholti made a valid point for once.
Of course, it was toote to change it now, but
Click-
The door opened, and a student entered.
The student who entered cast curse magic in session at the curse magic dummies, knocking them down, and then threw the bone fragments on the desk to cast bone magic.
In the center of the spacious lecture hall, a storm of bones raged, and the bone magic dummies were scattered about.
tter tter tter!
All of this happened in less than a few seconds.
Coholti watched with wide eyes and a gaping mouth, dumbfounded.
''What the???''
The freshman didn''t stop there. Without a break, he summoned poison from the air and put it into the poison bottles.
The poison bottles, reacting to the properly made poison, emitted smoke. The higher the quality of the poison they contained, the thicker the smoke the bottles emitted, and they released such a foul smoke that it filled the entire lecture hall.
"W-Was it too... too easy? Huh? Strange? The level of the freshmen...?"
"No. It''s just that one person who''s strange."
Direth, who btedly recognized the familiar face of the junior, answered coldly.
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Chapter 281
Chapter 281
"What are you talking about?"
"Look at his face."
"I can''t see because of the smoke."
"...Are you a freshman?"
At those words, Coholti took out a monocle with a jeweled lens from his pocket. It was an artifact that could see through the smoke.
"Ah!"
Coholti let out an exmation as he recognized the identity of his junior.
That one from before...
"The poor freshman who got wrongly caught by Professor Mortum!"
"He must be the thankful junior who cleaned up the mess you made. You piece of trash."
Direth looked at Coholti with a contemptuous gaze. If a senior received help from a freshman, they should bow their head for a few years, but look at what he was saying!
Coholti seemed to realize this as he cleared his throat with an embarrassed look.
"Of course I''m grateful. I''m still grateful now. It''s just that his being with Professor Mortum left such a strong impression..."
''That was certainly true.''
Direth couldn''t deny that much. She would never forget how Professor Bagrak pushed a freshman to fight the King of Frost Giants. She had seriously considered sending an anonymous letter to His Majesty the Emperor for several days.
Well, at least the person in question seemed to be doing fine...
"Anyway, there''s no need to pay too much attention to him since he''s unusual."
"I thought he was only good at suppressing demons, but he''s really skilled at other dark magic too? Professor Mortum will be pleased."
Coholti marveled at the talent of the new junior. To be so proficient in dark magic as a freshman - Professor Mortum, who had been saddened by theck of students wanting to learn, would surely be overjoyed.
After all, one genius was more precious than a hundred mediocre talents.
"Well..."
"??"
As Direth trailed off, Coholti looked puzzled.
"He might not continue taking dark magic..."
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
Coholti couldn''t understand. Of course, it was true that dark magic was less poprpared to other magic. However, with that level of talent, no matter how unpopr it was, it would be difficult for the mage himself not to learn it.
Just by reading grimoires and practicing spells, one''s achievements would constantly increase, so which mage could resist such temptation?
"That''s true, but..."
Direth looked at her junior with a conflicted gaze. The problem was that he was too good at other magic, not just talented in dark magic.
''At this rate, will he evene back for the second semester?''
After finishing the dark magic exam, Gainando spoke to Ymirg and Raphael.
"How was it? How was it?? Did you all do well? Did you do well?"
"..."
As Raphael''s expression crumpled, Gainando''s eyes sparkled.
Gainando shouted in a voice filled with delight, "You didn''t do well!"
''Should he be so happy while saying that?''
"Right? You didn''t do well?!"
"Shut up! You damn prince!"
Raphael exploded in anger. That prince had shown quite outstanding abilities in dark magic, if not in other lectures.
It was only natural that he would do betterpared to Raphael, who didn''t like dark magic that much. Of course, apart from that, it was detestable how he came running so excitedly just because he did well.
The same guy who had been hanging his head as if the world was ending after taking exams for other lectures!
"I, I didn''t do that well. The exam was difficult."
"Haha. I understand. The dark magic exam was a bit tough."
Gainando responded to Ymirg''s words with a magnanimousugh.
"The, the curse and poison I seeded on the first try, but the bone magic took me three attempts..."
"...Huh? You seeded on the first try?"
Gainando faltered. Ymirg had done better than he thought.
"Uh, uhh."
"I... I also seeded at the bone magic on the first try."
Raphael, who had been listening, asked without much thought, "What about the curse and poison?"
"You won''t answer how you did, but you have the nerve to ask me! Are you really a knight?!"
"What the hell is wrong with this crazy bastard..."
"Wa, Wardanaz, how did he do?"
At Ymirg''s question, Gainando replied with a serious face, "It''s rude to ask about that."
"..."
"..."
In the face of their friend''s cunning refusal to inquire about someone who had clearly outperformed him, the two students couldn''t help but be amazed. So this was what a royal was like!
"Currently, there is a magic spread in the lecture hall that temporarily nullifies contracts."
Professor Millei spoke in her usual strict voice. The students facing the exam had tense expressions as they looked at Professor Millei.
"Remember the contracts you all made in the other realmsst time."
Most students had done so in the spirit realm. Students like Yi-Han had done so in the undead realm. Everyone had attempted to make contracts as an assignment before the final exam.
"Take turns summoning the beings you contracted one by one."
"...?"
One of the listening students asked again, not understanding, "Professor? Isn''t the lecture hall in a state where contracts are nullified right now?"
Beings from other realms were fundamentally unpredictable, capricious, and dangerous existences. Such beings could not be summoned recklessly.
Even if they were bound by strict contracts, idents still happened, so if there were no contracts, how much would they run wild as they pleased?
Of course, the entities contracted by first-year students were only capable of simple feats like igniting a campfire or refilling an empty leather water pouch...
But the freshman students were suitably weak as well, so they absolutely could not let their guard down.
"A good point. The purpose of this exam is to master ways to protect yourselves as mages even when there are no contracts to protect your bodies."
"..."
The words sounded usible, but the students were already feeling uneasy.
"Isn''t Professor Millei going too far? How is this any different from throwing monsters and telling us to fight?"
"We, we did something simr in swordsmanship ss before. But I didn''t expect summoning magic to be like this too."
While his friends whispered, Yi-Han rummaged in his pocket and took out some bone fragments. Then he said to his friends, "What are you doing? Are you all not preparing?"
"...We''ll do it, but we can stillin a little!"
"I get it, so everyone get moving. If you''re not fully prepared, you''ll only be hurting yourselves."
Faced with Yi-Han''s merciless attitude, his friends grumbled. To notin even while taking such an absurd exam - Wardanaz truly was someone who made nopromises when it came to magic.
''It won''t be that difficult of an exam.''
Unlike his friends, Yi-Han was slightly happy. The exam difficulty was easier than he had thought.
"O spirit of wind. I trust you."
Asan tried his best to speak in a gentle voice. However, his voice was filled with an undisguisable tension.
"So listen to my words and d... Urk!"
Smack!
The formless, rippling wind spirit urately struck Asan''s abdomen.
''Oh dear.''
In Yi-Han''s view, the wind spirit wasn''t doing this out of hostility or malice. From the perspective of someone who had fought countless monsters with hostility and malice, if it had those, the attack would have been much sharper.
This was closer to ying around. As the wind spirit was also a lower-ranked spirit that wasn''t very strong, rather than being angered by the mage''smand, it seemed to just be showing a yful side...
"Ack! Stop! Stop!"
Asan rolled to the side, dodging the attacks while dropping his staff. The wind spirit persistently chased after him, attempting to headbutt him.
Unable to watch any longer, Professor Millei swung her staff to separate the two.
"No matter how close you are, attempting to persuade with words in a situation without a contract is a foolish choice. Remember that a firm warning is also necessary when your words are not heeded."
"I, I apologize. Professor."
Asan''s failure became a lesson for the other students. The next student who stepped up immediately held their staff, ready to attack if the spirit refused themand.
"Magic..."
Swish!
Before the magic could be cast, the earth spirit scattered sand. The spirit had sensed the mage''s hostility first.
"Puhek, puh! Pupupuh!"
The earth spirit continued to throw sand. If it wasn''t a student who had been trained to maintainposure while casting magic even when receiving various attacks, it was impossible for a freshman to calmly cast magic in such a situation.
The student who failed the incantation due to the sand escaped while shedding tears.
"I, I trusted you...! I trusted you!"
"You were about to attack right away."
At first, the students had charged in with some confidence, but more people were failing than expected. Professor Millei had the failed students wait in the back.
She had thought that not many students would seed on the first attempt anyway.
''Thoughtlessly offering a carrot is no good, but thoughtlessly wielding a stick is the same.''
The way for a mage to persuade a spirit when there was no contract binding them. The core of that was understanding in the end.
How much do I understand the spirit?
Mages who had somehow formed a contract with a spirit but thoughtlessly issuedmands without any special interaction were exposed at times like this.
Not knowing what habits this spirit had or what personality it had, they also didn''t know how to approach it. Whether it was a carrot or a stick, understanding the other party came first.
The students who failed on the first attempt now would naturallye to have interest in their summons as they kept repeating.
"...Don''t attack me. Got it? Really don''t attack me. I treated you really well. Listen to me just once. Okay? If you haveints, I''ll listen next time..."
The water spirit Nillia summoned was a spirit Yi-Han was also familiar with. Wasn''t it that spirit that had avoided Yi-Han and contracted with Nillia on the indst time?
Although he had said ''hmph, I don''t really like spirits either'' in front of Nillia, he couldn''t help feeling upset.
"Isn''t that method too clingy?"
Gainando, who had been watching from the side, was puzzled. No matter what, that seemed too unsightly...
"!!!"
"It, it worked!"
The students let out exmations. Even without a contract, the water spirit didn''t refuse Nillia''s words and diligently followed her instructions.
''They''re certainly close.''
Unlike the other students, Yi-Han could somewhat sense the emotions in the mana emanating from Nillia''s spirit. With his innate ability to respond to mana, and having trained in illusion magic to perceive emotions, it would have been stranger if he hadn''t sensed it.
The water spirit Nillia summoned treated Nillia much more intimatelypared to the other spirits.
"Indeed. I see."
"What?"
"Nillia probably summoned the water spirit to chat whenever she was bored, so they couldn''t help but be closer."
"...Why, why would she do such a lonely thing?"
Although Gainando reacted as if he couldn''t believe it, Yi-Han had actually hit the nail on the head. Professor Millei highly evaluated Nillia''s method.
''She has built intimacy over time.''
Although her attitudecked some confidence, a spirit that had be that close wouldn''t refusemands. It was an excellent method.
"O great spirit! I... Kek!"
"Please help me just once... Kuk!"
There was a surge of students who hadn''t noticed the intimacy Nillia had built with the spirit, thinking that they just needed to politely prostrate themselves, only to be chased away.
Professor Millei shook her head as if it was unfortunate.
''Oh dear...''
"Yi-Han. It''s your turn."
"Ah. Okay."
Yi-Han began casting various enhancement magic and floating water orbs in the air. At the sight of him calmly working, the other spirits that had been summoned earlier trembled and hid behind their masters.
Professor Millei felt a different kind of frustration from earlier. Of course, that was also one method, but this exam wasn''t looking for that!
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Chapter 282
Chapter 282
"...Excellent. A perfect score is deserved."
"Thank you."
The skeleton warrior moved to the left, then to the right. It spun three times in ce before doing a somersault in the air. Finally, it performed an elegant ballet move.
Fortunately, Gonadaltes kindly obliged Yi-Han''s request, which could have been considered unreasonable if pushed too far.
"Thank you, Gonadaltes."
The skeleton warrior hurriedly nodded its head, seemingly wary for some unknown reason.
"You may return..."
Poof!
Yi-Han, who had returned to his seat, tilted his head. "That''s a bit strange."
"A skeleton doing ballet?" Gainando looked at Yi-Han with eyes that seemed to say ''You''re saying this now?''
"No, the professor''s expression."
Just as Yi-Han could read the emotions of spirits, he could also read the emotions of the professor. In fact, the professor was easier to read than spirits, as she was more tant about it.
"Well, that''s to be expected," Gainando said.
"?"
"You named the skeleton warrior that way."
His friends nodded in agreement, implying they understood. Yi-Han was puzzled.
"It''s not the first time you''ve heard it, right?"
"Even if you hear it multiple times, it''s still hard to get used to, isn''t it?"
As they were having this conversation, it was Gainando''s turn.
"Gainando, be careful," Yi-Han said.
"Yeah," Jijel added.
Gainando, who was about to go up with a nervous expression, made a touched face at his friends'' encouragement.
"Don''t overdo it and cause an ident. Just give up appropriately ande over here," Yi-Han advised.
"Don''t try to show off on your own. You''re not a Wardanaz," Jijel warned.
"..."
Gainando snorted at his friends, who were clinging to him and trying to hold him back, as they had already failed on their first attempt.
"Hmph! You losers!"
"Gainando... You will end uping over here..." Yi-Han said ominously.
"Gainando, when you swung your staff, did you swing it clockwise or counterclockwise? Try to recall," Jijel asked.
Yi-Han was impressed. These guys, who couldn''t perform the magic they were supposed to, were first-ss when it came to interfering.
"But I''ve already figured out the method," Gainando dered confidently. Thanks to the hints provided by his friends who went before him, he had some confidence.
Nillia, who had seeded in handling spirits, approached them warmly with friendliness. On the other hand, Yi-Han, who had seeded in handling undead, approached them strictly and decisively.
Since Gainando also dealt with undead, it made sense for him to follow thetter approach.
"Listen up! If you don''t obey mymand, you..."
The skeleton warrior immediately rushed at Gainando and pped his cheek.
Enraged, Gainando swung his staff and started grappling with the skeleton warrior.
"That''s why we told you to give up appropriately ande over here," Yi-Han sighed.
"Gainando! Break its leg! Break the thing''s leg!" Jijel shouted.
During the swordsmanship lecture, the students were not as tense as they were for other final exams. Unlike other lectures, the swordsmanship exam was not taken directly in the ssroom.
"What did you guys bring?" one student asked.
"Why are you asking that? What about you guys?" another countered.
"It''s not like we''ll tell you that easily," a third chimed in.
The students nced at each other, keeping each other in check. The exam involved hunting down the strongest prey possible in the mountains and bringing back proof. Aside from grades, it was a matter of pride if other students hunted stronger prey than oneself.
"That''s why they''re asking each other like that, Yi-Han," Dolgyu exined.
"I see, Dolgyu. But I don''t think we should ignore the grades," Yi-Han said coldly.
It was a final exam, so what nonsense was it to ignore the grades and engage in a pride battle? Grades were more important!
"Well, that''s true, but... it''s a pretty important issue within the White Tiger Tower," Dolgyu said.
"Dolgyu, stop talking nonsense. By the way, no one found out what we brought, right?" Yi-Han asked.
Since Dolgyu and Jijel belonged to the White Tiger Tower, they often shed with other students. Jijel had a personality that ensured she would never let anything slip, but Dolgyu was a bit loose and naive. If his friends earnestly pleaded, he might identally leak information - that was the kind of personality he had!
"Don''t worry, Yi-Han. No one will know what we brought," Jijel assured.
"Good, that''s a relief," Yi-Han said.
In this type ofpetitive exam, not revealing one''s hand was crucial. The moment it was known, thepetition would unnecessarily intensify, and everyone would get tired, wouldn''t they?
Yi-Han did not want that kind of fight where everyone ended up hurting each other.
"You understand, Dolgyu? We''re being considerate of our friends," Yi-Han said.
"That''s right, Choi. Keep that in mind," Jijel added.
"..."
Dolgyu looked at Yi-Han and Jijel with aplicated expression. There was something suspicious about the way the two of them were focusing on persuading only Dolgyu.
Dukma of the Jay family looked around. Gatono of the Dk family scolded him, "Others will notice. Stay still."
"S-sorry," Dukma apologized.
Gulp-
The two tried to maintain theirposure as much as possible and looked straight ahead. Another student from the same party asked, "But isn''t it okay to tell at this point?"
"No! We have to submit it as quietly as possible. There''s no point in provoking the other guys," Gatono said.
"Even so, is it possible to turn things around at this point?"
The White Tiger Tower student asked in disbelief. At most, there were only a couple of hours left, so how could they find and take down new prey in that time?
"That crazy Wardanaz guy might be able to do it," Dukma said.
"Yeah, don''t provoke that Wardanaz guy for no reason!" Gatono agreed.
"..."
The White Tiger Tower student who had asked the question nodded unconsciously. Of course, it was an absurd idea, but there was a sincere intensity in the words of the other two friends.
Gatono reached into his backpack. He felt a solid texture wrapped tightly in cloth. Surprisingly, it was... a shoe worn by a giant.
''No one could have brought prey as impressive as ours!'' Gatono was convinced.
No matter how skilled Wardanaz, Dolgyu, or Jijel were in swordsmanship, this was impossible. The same went for the other students.
Who would have tried to hunt a giant again after experiencing the humiliation and hardship of trying to catch one?
But Gatono and his friends were different. They did not give up.
-"Mr. Ghetse, we want to face a giant. Please help us!"-
Ghetse, a hunter from the Wastnd Stargazers, was moved by the passion of the White Tiger Tower students who kepting to him.
In the first ce, he hade to teach and help the students, so he couldn''t help but find the students who took the time to seek him out admirable.
-"That spirit is very good. Then, just this once, I will help you. However, whether you seed or fail depends on your own abilities. I can''t help you with that."-
-"Don''t worry! We will do anything!"- Gatono and his friends shouted enthusiastically. With their current mood, they felt like they could do anything.
-"Now, if you crawl to that beast pen and bring back the shoes the giant took off, that will suffice."-
-"Uh... we''re not going to fight the giant directly?"-
-"Of course not. There''s no way I would allow first-year students to directly confront a giant."-
-"..."-
-"..."-
-"Why are you like that?"-
-"It''s nothing..."-
-"Back to the point, there''s no need to fight the giant. The shoes the giant wore will be sufficient evidence."-
-"But isn''t the exam about taking down prey and bringing back proof?"-
-"If someone managed to sneak up and take the shoes without the giant noticing, that in itself is as good as a defeat. At least, that''s how it is for us Wastnd Stargazers."-
-"Is... is that so?"-
The White Tiger Tower students were intrigued by the hunter''s logic. In fact, they would have epted an even more absurd idea as long as they didn''t have to fight the giant directly.
-"Wait, Mr. Ghetse. That beast pen over there ispletely muddy."-
-"That makes it even better. The mud will mask your scent, so the giant won''t notice. And if worstes to worst, you can hide under the pigs."-
-"...Is there no other way besides crawling?"-
-"There is none, except for directly confronting the giant."-
The White Tiger Tower students agonized for a long time but eventually took off their clothes and crawled through the mud.
The stench was so foul that it stung their noses for days, even after washing, but it was worth it.
Shoes worn by a giant.
Who else could have brought something like this?
Gatono was so intoxicated with himself that he failed to notice another student approaching from behind.
Smack!
Another student from a different party approached and quickly hit Gatono''s hand.
The giant''s shoe inside rolled out.
"...!!"
"Th-that''s a shoe worn by a giant, isn''t it?! It looks like a shoe worn by a giant?!"
"Friends! These guys broke the promise and faced a giant!"
The White Tiger Tower students who had approached out of suspicion were shocked to see the giant''s shoe.
They had agreed not to target giants together, but what was this underhanded trick?
"You coward! How can you call yourself a knight after doing this?!"
"I have a clear conscience. I can look up at the sky without a shred of shame! The promise we made back then was not to face giants because it was dangerous. We had the confidence to seek out the giant. What''s wrong with that?"
"Liar! You hid it because you were afraid we would target the giant too!"
"If you''re jealous, just say you''re jealous. Don''t be disgustingly envious!"
"Are you done talking?!"
The White Tiger Tower students started grappling and throwing punches at each other, not ending with just a verbal dispute.
Yi-Han, who was sitting a little distance away with Jijel and Dolgyu, clicked his tongue at the sight.
"How foolish. Breaking a promise and facing a giant behind your friends'' backs."
"...B-but Yi-Han, we also faced a giant."
"We didn''t get caught."
"We didn''t get caught."
"..."
Professor Ingurdel expressed his gratitude to Baishada, a hunter from the Shadow Patrol, and Ghetse, a hunter from the Wastnd Stargazers.
"It''s all thanks to you two."
"Ah, no, not at all, Professor."
"As a hunter, it was an honor for me to teach young mages."
''He''s really good with words,'' Baishada admired Ghetse''s eloquence.
It was no wonder he was from the Wastnd Stargazers, who frequently appeared in imperial newspapers. His speech was on a different levelpared to the hunters of the Shadow Patrol.
"Thank you for saying that. Now, shall we take a look at what the students have hunted?"
The two hunters sat with the professor.
The students taking the swordsmanship lecture took turns submitting proof of the prey they had hunted, and each time, the two hunters opened their mouths with fascinated expressions.
"This is a blood shadow bat! They don''t usuallye out of caves during this season, but they managed to..."
"Catching a walking me mushroom. They must be mages indeed. Even hunters avoid that one because it''s tricky."
"Bringing back the fruit of a vine hunter. That''s impressive, isn''t it?"
Then it was Gatono and his friends'' turn.
When the giant''s shoe was presented, even Professor Ingurdel eximed in amazement.
"The shoe that the giant was wearing...! You''ve done well to bring it!"
Gatono, who had a bruise on one eye, said cautiously, "We couldn''t take down the giant."
"It doesn''t matter. It''s even more impressive that you brought it without taking it down."
Professor Ingurdel said that and looked at Ghetse.
"Mr. Ghetse, thank you again."
"Professor, I knew you were wise, but I was really surprised. How did you know?"
"If Mr. Ghetse hadn''t advised them, how could first-year students have thought of facing a giant?"
Ghetse cleared his throat as if embarrassed.
Seeing that, Baishada was envious inside.
Fame, poprity, skill, and even the outstanding ability to advise mages - he had it all.
''Isn''t that too unfair?'' Baishada thought.
Next were Yi-Han and his friends.
When Yi-Han submitted the hair of the giant Ikurusha, Professor Ingurdel and Ghetse spat out the water they were drinking, coughing.
Then they looked at Baishada with shocked expressions.
Baishada cried out in rm, "No, no, no... I didn''t do anything."
"I know, Mr. Baishada."
"You know!"
"Things that seem trivial to the teacher can often feel insignificant. But for the learner, that single phrase can bring great enlightenment..."
"..."
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Chapter 283
Chapter 283
Baishada was dumbfounded by Professor Ingurdel''s misunderstanding.
"I really didn''t give any advice..."
"No, Baishada''s teachings were a great lesson for us," Yi-Han said.
Baishada''s eyes widened at Yi-Han''s words. He was grateful, but also quite flustered. Above all...
''You guys had already cut the giant''s hair before I even taught you anything!''
Of course, it wasn''t that Baishada hadn''t given any advice. He had gone hunting with Yi-Han''s group before and given them various teachings. However, those were teachings necessary for hunting and had little to do with the giant''s hair.
If someone heard this, they would think that it was thanks to Baishada''s advice that they were able to cut the giant''s hair.
"There''s no need to be so humble, Baishada," Professor Ingurdel said.
"That''s right. It''s truly admirable," Ghetse added.
Professor Ingurdel and even Ghetse looked at Baishada with respect. Secretly stealing a giant''s shoes and cutting a giant''s hair werepletely different stories. Thetter could not be easily obtained without defeating the giant.
And yet, the freshmen had aplished it. It was only natural for Ingurdel and Ghetse to look at him with respect.
"..."
Baishada had wanted to receive a look of respect from Ghetse. But definitely not like this!
''I have mixed feelings...''
Baishada didn''t know whether to be happy or not.
After submitting the assignment andpleting the evaluation, Yi-Han tightly tied his bootces. Then, he cast strengthening magic on himself.
"???" Dolgyu was startled by his friend''s sudden spell casting.
"Why are you doing that, Yi-Han?"
"Dolgyu, I''ll see youter."
Yi-Han dashed out like an arrow. He ran so fast that even after he left, Dolgyu and Jijel were slow to grasp the situation.
"What the..."
"Dolgyu! How could you not tell us too!"
''Oops.'' When other White Tiger students approached with faces full of betrayal, Dolgyu finally realized why Yi-Han had run off.
As long as Yi-Han wasn''t from the same tower as the White Tiger students, he could avoid meeting them by leaving.
There was no reason for him to stay and deal with them.
"That son of a..."
"He, he probably didn''t mean any harm."
The final exam week was already half over.
''A little more and they''ll be indistinguishable from the undead.''
That''s what Yi-Han thought as he looked at his friends. Their current state was difficult to distinguish from skeleton warriors if not for their skin.
"Yi-Han, we''re out of coffee," Yonaire whispered gravely, as if saying ''The Empire has fallen and the Great Demon of Hell has arrived at the gate.''
Of course, saying that while holding an empty coffee can didn''t sound so grave.
"I see."
"We''re out of sugar too... There''s a lot more things we''ve run out of than I thought."
"Hmm."
Yi-Han, who also helped manage the food storage of the Blue Dragon Tower, was well aware. Of course, there was still plenty of ingredients for meals, canned meat, various seasonings, and vegetables.
Yi-Han had prioritized managing those as he didn''t want to rely on meals from the school either.
However, it was a different story for luxury foods like coffee or tea, or snacks. Not only were they less abundant than other food supplies, but the students had consumed them recklessly since the exam period began...
Even though he had recently gone out and looted half a snack shop, they were depleted to the point of running out.
''Well, it''s not strange for them to run out when students from all four towers ate them at the same time.''
"Yi-Han, now that it''se to this, let''s take out the cake to celebrate the end of the semester. Those who live must live. We can''t starve to death, right?"
Ignoring Gainando''s solemn words beside him, Yi-Han spoke to his friends.
"We have no choice but to endure it, right? As long as we eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner..."
Yi-Han thought it wasn''t the worst situation, but the Blue Dragon students were half in a state of panic.
"Oh my god!!"
"Dear God! How could this happen!!"
"This must be a conspiracy by the principal!"
''These guys should experience how students from other towers live.''
"Wa, Wardanaz. Coffee? There''s no coffee either? If there''s no hot coffee with lots of sugar, my exams will be doomed."
"What about using chicory or dandelion roots as a substitute?"
If you roasted the roots of other nts and then boiled them in water, you could make a coffee-like beverage. In fact, the ck Tortoise students often enjoyed it that way.
However, Yi-Han''s words came as a great shock to the Blue Dragon students.
"Ca, can we eat something like that?"
"You''re not joking, are you?"
"..."
Gainando asked from the side.
"From now on, do we have to share with students from other towers?"
"But we can''t refuse when they''re paying money, right?"
At Yi-Han''s words, Gainando showed a slightly touched expression. He wondered why they were sharing food with the annoying White Tiger bastards, even if it was understandable to share with the ck Tortoise. Yi-Han was indeed broad-minded, he readily extended his hand even to those annoying bastards.
Gainando wiped under his nose.
''I should learn from him too.''
"Yeah, you''re right, Yi-Han."
"Oh."
Yi-Han looked at Gainando in surprise. Knowing Gainando''s personality, he expected him to throw a fit, saying, ''No matter how much money they pay, don''t give it to those bastards!''
"Then what should we do, Yi-Han?"
"I just told you. Endure it."
"Huh? Endure what?"
"Just endure it and study."
"...Ugh..."
"Wardanaz. I have something to tell you."
"What is it?"
Yi-Han, who had been fiddling with a shield for Professor Verduus''s final exam, was puzzled by Ratford''s visit.
"Is there something you want to ask? Are you stuck in any lecture?"
"Ah, that''s fine."
"Have you already finished studying?"
"No. But there are many things in the world more important than exams."
"?"
Yi-Han tilted his head. Is there such a thing?
"More importantly, take a look at this."
Ratford took out a map from his pocket. It was a map leading to somewhere on the 2nd floor of the main building.
"This is... the kitchen?"
"Yes, it''s the kitchen connected to the food storage."
Ratford''s eyes sparkled as he spoke.
"Let''s raid it together, Wardanaz."
"Ratford..."
Until just now, Yi-Han had thought, ''He''s doing all sorts of things because he doesn''t want to study,'' but he couldn''t help but be moved by Ratford''s consideration.
Knowing that the Blue Dragon was running out of luxury foods anding to find the academy''s kitchen like this.
"Thank you. I appreciate you being so considerate, knowing that our tower''s luxury foods have run out."
"Huh? Have you run out of food?"
Ratford looked at Yi-Han with surprised eyes. Yi-Han was also surprised.
"You didn''t know? Wait, then why did you bring this?"
"Huh? Well... Since we know the location, we should raid it before someone else takes it, right?"
"..."
Yi-Han was impressed in a different way. Just as a true climber climbs because the mountain is there, a true thief steals because there is something to steal.
It didn''t matter whether it was exam period or not. If their fingers itch, they take action!
"2nd floor... Not bad."
If it were the 3rd or 4th floor, Yi-Han would have hesitated a bit. From the 3rd floor of the magic academy, various changes urred every time you visited, tricking innocent students.
But such changes were rtively rare on the 2nd floor. If you knew how to get there, you could quickly go in at night, loot, ande out.
"Alright, shall we go tonight to refresh ourselves?"
"You''ve made a good decision. Someone else might take it."
"Someone else? Who else knows?"
"Ah, Tutanta and his friends know. They''re probably targeting it too."
"Really? Did you find it together? What a coincidence."
"No, I stole what Tutanta found and brought it out."
"...Let''s leave right now."
Yi-Han decided to leave right away instead of waiting until night. He felt that if they ran into the ck Tortoise students at night, they would only build misunderstandings with each other.
Yonaire asked puzzledly.
"Can''t we bring more people?"
"First of all, there''s no need to bring back a lot..."
There was no need to bring back a lot anyway, as the semester was ending.
"...It''s not something that should leak out."
"??"
Yonaire tilted her head in puzzlement..
"Is it over there?"
"Yes."
"Wait, Ratford. Match your stride. The invisibility will be lifted if you go outside."
Yi-Han was currently using an amplified invisibility spell. A method he realized while facing the Rock Drake.
When casting together with the Spirekeeper''s ne, the range of the invisibility spell increased.
Of course, it wasn''t almighty. If you stepped out of the area even a little, the invisibility would immediately be lifted.
Click!
Ratford quickly picked the lock and opened the door. The moment the door opened, Yi-Han realized that he hade to the right ce. A subtle smell of food wafted from inside.
''Lucky.''
A rtively close storage on the 2nd floor of the main building, with no special surveince or defense mechanisms. This was a level of luck that couldn''t be wished for more.
''Well, it''s okay to receive this much after going through so much trouble.''
"Eyes, pierce through the darkness."
Yi-Han cast a dark vision spell and stepped into the kitchen. In the corner, there was a door connected to the food storage next door. Yi-Han quietly opened the door, went inside, and quickly started looting.
Starting with cans of coffee powder, sugar, condensed milk, honey, tea leaves, and other things they needed now were piled up in the backpack.
As he felt the heavy weight in the backpack, Yi-Han could understand Ratford''s feelings.
''It''s definitely more fun to sneak in at night and steal than to buy with money.''
Moreover, thinking that these groceries were bought by the skull principal with money, the joy doubled.
"All done."
"I''m finished too."
"I''m also done."
"Let''s go!"
If there was one thing he learned at the magic academy, it was that once you achieved your goal, you shouldn''t linger.
Yi-Han turned around without hesitation.
"!!"
As they were about to leave the kitchen and walk out into the corridor, familiar faces of friends appeared from the opposite side.
Seeing Salko''s gang, Yi-Han felt a little sorry.
''But it''s okay since there''s still a lot left.''
Thanks to their conscientious thievery, there was still enough food left for Salko''s gang to take. Moreover, under Ratford''s guidance, Yi-Han and Yoner had swept the ce like pros.
Salko, who arrivedte, wouldn''t even notice that someone hade and gone first.
Swish-
Thanks to the invisibility spell, Salko''s gang didn''t notice Yi-Han''s group and went straight into the kitchen.
At that moment, a strong flow of mana was felt from inside.
nk!
"!!"
"?!"
As the kitchen door closed with a heavy sound, they seemed to have noticed something strange inside and hurriedly tried to open it.
However, the door only made a loud noise and didn''t open.
''There was a trap!''
Yi-Han felt a chill down his spine. He had been relieved that there was no special surveince or mana on the 2nd floor of the main building, but he never thought there would be such a trap.
Indeed, one should never let their guard down at Einroguard.
"Why did it activate?"
"It seems to be a trap that activates when the number of intruders exceeds a certain amount."
It was a truly malicious trap. A trap that doesn''t notice when 2 or 3 people enter, but traps them the moment they call their friends!
Yi-Han stopped the invisibility spell for a moment and approached the door. Ratford cautiously asked.
"Will you help them?"
"No, I''m just checking."
Sorry, but if he tried to help now, he could get caught together. Yi-Han just wanted to find out what kind of magic it was before running away.
So that he could respond even if he encountered such magic in the future.
''The flow andposition are roughly...''
nk!
The moment he brought his hand close, the door opened. As a result, Yi-Han''s eyes met directly with Salko''s gang, who had been trying to open the door from the inside.
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han spoke firmly.
"I came to save you."
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Chapter 284
Chapter 284
"Th-thank you," Salko stammered out his gratitude.
"Wardanaz, thank you," the rest of Salko''s gang, who were behind him, also expressed their thanks. Some were even on the verge of tears.
Just moments ago, they had been in despair, thinking they would be trapped here with no way out. But suddenly, Yi-Han had appeared and rescued them, so it was understandable that they were moved.
Although surprised and flustered, Salko thanked Yi-Han in a daze. But then he felt something strange.
''But why is Wardanaz here?''
"By the way, Wardanaz, what brings you here...?"
"Now''s not the time to talk. We need to move quickly! The pursuers could be on our tail at any moment!"
"R-right, you have a point."
When Yi-Han whispered urgently, Salko immediately understood.
Now that the trap had been triggered, it wouldn''t be surprising if the principal''s minions, who were on standby nearby, showed up at any time.
They had to escape as quickly as possible.
"This way!"
"Let''s take the left staircase instead of the central one! There''s nowhere to hide on the central staircase!"
"Got it! Everyone, hurry..."
Fortunately, the first-year students moved swiftly without any hesitation.
They were all students who had wandered around at night, so they didn''t waste time unnecessarily in this situation.
"W-Wardanaz! There''s a sound from ahead! Someone''sing!"
"Get into the lecture room next to us! I''ll cast an invisibility spell!"
When they reached the first floor and heard footsteps and voicesing from the front of the corridor, Yi-Han immediately turned and entered the lecture room next to them.
Fortunately, the inside of the lecture room was dark, but Yi-Han didn''t let his guard down.
"Cloak, engulf me!"
As the invisibility spell was amplified, Yi-Han made everyone huddle close together.
Salko frowned at the sight of Yi-Han cing his elbow above his head, but given the situation, he didn''t say anything.
-Where is this? The kitchen?-
-It''s the second floor.-
-Who touched it?-
-Probably the freshmen. It''s unfortunate. Einroguard isn''t such an easy ce-
The Death Knights moved on, conversing with pity.
The kitchen and food storage on the second floor of the main building, which were rtively easy to ess and had no special security or defense mechanisms.
At Einroguard, one should have been more suspicious.
-Still, after going to the punishment room a few times, they''ll learn.-
-You''re right. Isn''t that how everyone grows?-
"..."
"..."
The atmosphere among the students hiding in the lecture room turned chilly.
They realized that they had just stepped on the threshold of the afterlife.
"I''m really grateful, Wardanaz."
"It''s fine. I didn''t do it to receive gratitude. We should go now, right? It doesn''t seem like a good idea for us to stick together at the moment."
Yi-Han managed his expression to hide the heavy food supplies in his backpack and spoke firmly.
No matter how grateful Salko and his gang were now, there was no telling if they would still feel the same way after finding out that Yi-Han''s group had looted first.
''Once we split up, even if they suspect meter, what can they do?''
"Wardanaz..."
"You''re really on a different level from the other Blue Dragon Tower bastards."
The ck Tortoise Tower students were all deeply impressed by Yi-Han''s attitude of not taking credit even after helping them.
If it had been another Blue Dragon Tower student, they would have bragged for a good thirty minutes, mentioning their family, bloodline, and honor.
''They say that an honorable person does good deeds not to elevate their own honor, but because the deed itself is good. Those words are indeed true!''
Even the roughest and most outspoken student in the ck Tortoise Tower couldn''t deny Wardanaz''s honor.
"Wardanaz, there''s something I want to tell you in return."
"Does it have to be now?"
Yi-Han nced at the door, just wanting to leave quickly.
''These guys are making me ufortable They couldn''t have noticed, could they?''
"It has to be now."
"Alright. Tell me. But make it quick."
"You know Professor Uregor, right?"
"Of course."
There was no way he wouldn''t know, considering he went to the vegetable garden and even did chores there during breaks. Salko nodded at Yi-Han''s answer and continued.
"Yesterday, one of our tower students witnessed something. In the middle of the night, Professor Uregor brought in a hydra."
"...I must be too tired from studying too much. I think I misheard. What did you say he brought in?"
"A hydra."
"..."
Yi-Han frowned and fell into thought.
Hydra.
A monster with nine heads, powerful regenerative abilities, and deadly venom.
Even in the empire, where all sorts of ferocious and dangerous monsters were rampant, the hydra was among the top tier.
And Professor Uregor brought that in??
''Does that make sense?''
Normally, he would have said they saw it wrong, but Yi-Han didn''t.
It was so absurd that it actually made him believe it.
Anything could happen at Einroguard, after all.
"But it wasn''t a fully grown one, apparently. It seemed to be a young one."
"A young one? That''s a relief! If it were fully grown, I''d have no confidence in facing it, but if it''s young, I feel confident."
"Is that true?"
"...Of course it''s a joke."
Yi-Han was dumbfounded.
He had been sarcastic, but they took it seriously.
Salko also seemed to realize that he had said something ridiculous, as his face turned red.
"To be serious, I was mistaken. Anyway, Wardanaz, I know you''re taking the alchemy lecture."
"That''s right."
"And dark magic, summoning magic, illusion magic, enchantment magic, divination magic, transformation magic, and healing magic too."
"...Is there really a need to mention all of that?"
"Anyway, I thought it would be good for you to know in advance. You''ll be preparing for other lecture exams too, so it would be helpful to know at least one thing beforehand."
Yonaire, who was listening from the side, muttered.
"Even if he knows, it doesn''t seem like it would be of much help."
"Hydra... What kind of exam could be rted to a hydra?"
On the way back.
He should have been happy, having obtained everything he wanted, but his heart felt as heavy as his backpack.
Yonaire and Ratford also had serious expressions.
"It could be a potion to put the hydra to sleep."
"It might be a potion to make the hydra go berserk."
"The former, I can understand, but thetter... Surely not."
No matter how much Einroguard was Einroguard, they wouldn''t feed a potion that would drive a hydra crazy at an exam site full of students.
...Probably!
"A potion to suppress hydra regeneration? A potion to neutralize hydra venom?"
"Surely they wouldn''t go that far..."
Yonaire spoke with a sickened expression at Yi-Han''s brutal predictions.
"Rather than that, could it be that he brought it to use as an ingredient? The target potion might require something like hydra''s fresh blood."
"Indeed. That seems usible."
Ratford also agreed, as if it made sense.
However, Yi-Han couldn''t easily ept it.
"Professor Uregor already said he would increase the exam difficulty, but isn''t that too easy?"
"It''s not easy."
"It''s not easy at all."
"No, that seems a bit too easy."
"..."
"..."
Yonaire and Ratford looked at each other.
''You try to exin it well.''
''How should I exin it?''
"Wait."
Thanks to his enhanced hearing from reinforcement magic, Yi-Han noticed the sound of footstepsing from afar.
They entered the lecture room right next to them and held their breath, and the Death Knights passed by the corridor again, chatting.
-Whoever it was, they managed to escape skillfully. It seems they were divided in half and waiting outside. These freshmen seem to be very clever.-
-From what I saw, they didn''t seem to be freshmen. Even if they were waiting outside, the moment they touched the sealed door, their mana would have beenpletely drained.-
-True. Considering they poured mana until the sealed door was released, it''s not something freshmen would do. We should go and see what the upperssmen are up to.-
"..."
Yi-Han made a resolution to himself.
From now on, even if a seemingly perfect opportunity presented itself, he would check thoroughly, at least a dozen times, before proceeding.
"I believe in you, Marronnier."
final exam.
Yonaire hugged the neck of a horse with brown fur and whispered.
"Let''s do our best, Grand Empire Emperor Gainando."
"Just do as we practiced. Okay?"
Other students also started talking to the horses they had been taking care of throughout the semester, one by one.
Their voices were filled with solemnity, as they were about to take the exam.
"Niffirg."
Snort!
When Yi-Han spoke, Niffirg''s eyes sparkled as if in anticipation.
Although its owner was stingy with praise, this time, surely...
"Don''t attack other horses."
...Neigh!!
Niffirg snorted angrily and started kicking up dirt with its hooves.
Gainando, who was passing by, ate a handful of dirt and spat it out.
"See? This is why I''m worried when you act up like this."
Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!
Niffirg neighed in a voice full of resentment.
Griffins were originally noble beasts.
A noble beast cursed to take the form of a horse would naturally be stressed, wouldn''t it?
And above all, of course it would get angry when its owner doubted it!
"Alright, alright. I was wrong. Anyway, don''t attack other horses before I tell you to. Okay?"
''Before he tells it to?''
Yonaire tilted her head and brushed the horse''s fur.
Meanwhile, Professor Bungaegor, who had finished setting up the vast open field, appeared, dusting off her hands.
"You''ve all worked hard throughout the semester. I hope you''ve learned a lot while bonding with the horses. Horses are rare animals that assist mages. Once you be friends, they won''t betray you and will help you no matter what happens. They are the most reliablepanions. After the lecture ends, take them with you and spend time together."
"!!"
"Thank you!"
The students'' faces lit up upon receiving the horses they had bonded with as gifts. Yi-Han looked at Niffirg. Niffirg looked back with gentle eyes as if asking why.
''This one isn''t a horse, is it?''
While Yi-Han was having other thoughts, Professor Bungaegor asked, looking at him.
"How abouting to the stable during the vacation?"
Yi-Han was startled.
"What??!!?"
"I''m just joking, so don''t take it so seriously."
''Oops.''
Yi-Han reflected on himself.
He had failed to control his emotions due to the absurd remark.
"Of course, it was a joke to tell you toe to the stable during the vacation, but as long as you''re taking care of Niffirg, you''ll have some work to do even during the break. Griffins are quite troublesome animals."
Niffirg snorted as if telling him not to worry. Yi-Han was worried about something else from that behavior.
"The curse won''t be lifted during the vacation, right?"
"That''s unlikely to happen. ...Probably. Anyway, if you need help or a spacious ce for Niffirg to y,e to the Einroguard stable. I''ll be at the academy during this vacation."
"Thank you."
Of course, Yi-Han had no intention of setting foot in Einroguard during the vacation.
He wouldn''t even breathe in the direction of Einroguard.
"Well then, shall we begin?"
Professor Bungaegor pointed her riding crop at the seemingly endless vast field.
Obstacles were installed here and there.
If the midterm was just a sprint, the final exam required jumping over these obstacles as well.
The difficulty level seemed quite high, but the students were surprisingly calm.
After taking other final exams throughout the week, they now found this level of exam trivial.
"This is just a change of pace."
"You''re right."
Moreover, many students were confident in the lecture, even if they weren''t sure about other lectures.
Since they had been riding horses from a young age, they all had a sense of pride, thinking, ''I''m better than the others.''
"Yonaire, I don''t think it''s a good idea to rush ahead even when the starting signal is given."
"Why?"
Before Yi-Han could answer, Professor Bungaegor gave the starting signal.
At that moment, the students waiting at the starting line spurred their horses forward like lightning.
Clop clop clop-
Thud!
The student who was riding at the very front was hit by a stream of water that flew from the side and was knocked off.
"..."
"That''s why."
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Chapter 285
Chapter 285
The incident from yesterday, where Yi-Han almost got trapped while raiding the kitchen, served as a lesson for him. At Einroguard, one must be suspicious of everything!
''I didn''t expect a water cannon toe flying,'' he thought. She said to just jump over the obstacles set up obediently. Wasn''t it too easy?
Yi-Han naturally expected there to be additional traps. Thanks to that, only the students who dared to run out carelessly at Einroguard were tasting the bitter consequences.
"Wardanaz! This is too much..."
"It wasn''t Wardanaz who shot it!"
"Ah. Really?"
"..."
"Professor! I think the spirit was summoned incorrectly!"
"Since I set it up, try to dodge it well."
"Pardon? What do you..."
"Rather than chattering, it would be better to focus. If you fall, points will be deducted."
The students who started off with great momentum slowed down and scattered, floundering. They realized that simply running fast wasn''t everything. Recklessly increasing speed only to get ambushed and fall off the horse would be a bigger loss.
"Gather here! Let''s go this way!"
"Are you sure there are no traps?"
"This way was fine just now! If we gather together and go at once..."
Fwoosh!
"Don''t try to memorize it. I didn''t arrange them that easily."
"No... Professor!!"
The student whose hair got singed looked at Professor Bungaegor in disbelief. Why was she so serious about the obstacles? Couldn''t she just set up hurdles they could jump over?
"Everyone,e this way."
Yi-Han called his friends together. He felt itst time too, but in the riding training lecture, it was advantageous to form a group and pass through. Not only was it easier to endure attacksing from outside as the size increased, but more mage hands meant more magic that could be used.
"Let''s not rush and go at a trot. Asan. You take the left. Yonaire. I''ll leave the right to you. Nillia. Please watch the back."
"Am I at the front?"
Gainando asked naturally.
"No. You just stay next to me and use magic when I tell you."
"Indeed. Like a secret card prepared for contingencies. Right?"
"..."
"...Ugh, yes."
The friends were impressed by Gainando''s positive attitude.
"Let''s go. Once we fall behind, it''ll be hard to catch up."
Yi-Han and his friends nodded and set off. Seeing that, Professor Bungaegor highly evaluated them inwardly.
''They put it together well in a short time.''
Matching breathing while riding a horse with other people waspletely different from matching breathing barehanded on t ground. As much as one had to handle a rough horse and match speed with each other, handling the horse well and understanding between one another were important.
To think they harmonized so quickly even though they weren''t from the same tower.
"Right!"
As Yi-Han, who felt the flow of mana, spoke first, Yonaire immediately took out a potion. Casting magic while on a shaking horse could fail. In that case, a pre-made potion was safer.
ng!
With the sound of the potion bottle breaking, the magic missile flying towards them scattered.
''It''s the .''
"Left!"
Asan swung his staff as if he had been waiting. Since he had been preparing for a while, the magic was cast safely. With a strong wind, the lump of mud flying towards them changed trajectory.
There was no need for Yi-Han to even mention the attacksing from behind. Nillia, who noticed first, immediately shot an arrow to bring it down.
''The start is good!''
''At this rate...!''
The friends could feel that their intentions were being conveyed even without exchanging nces. The sense of unity that could only be felt in perfect harmony!
Swish!
But the crisis was only just beginning. Green mist spread and flew in from behind. It was an obstacle that couldn''t be brought down by shooting with a bow or blocked with the magic they had. Nillia''s hand stopped for a moment.
"Evaporate!"
As Nillia seemed unable to respond, Yi-Han immediately swung his staff. The green mist scattered in the air. Seeing that, Professor Bungaegor was surprised.
''Evaporation?!''
The evaporation attribute, an advanced area of the water element attribute. As it was a difficult and abstruse area, it naturally wasn''t something a first-year student could handle. Moreover, to blow away mist at a distance while maintaining bnce on a horse all at once.
It was obvious anew, but it was really surprising every time she saw it. Not only talent, but that studiousness that explored magic without resting at all was really...
Papapapapak!
"!!!"
This time, a crisis struck from Asan''s side. As more than ten spheres of mana flew in simultaneously, he got tense.
"Earth... Cough, cough!"
Using magic inbat required a high degree of concentration, so it was more difficult than one might think. No matter how skilled a mage was, if they didn''t train specifically for magicbat, they could make mistakes at any time.
It wasn''t abat situation now, but it was enough to make a first-year student make a mistake.
"Shield, unfold!"
Yi-Han quickly summoned water and transformed it into an elongated shield shape. The spheres of mana struck down on it, making a dull sound.
"I used up all the potions!"
Gainando shouted urgently. While blocking the other side, attacks were flying in from Yonaire''s direction as well.
"sh forth!"
Only after shooting lightning to block the attack could they catch their breath. As a brief moment to breathe came, Yi-Han spoke to his friends.
"Good work, everyone. We were able to break through thanks to everyonebining their strength."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"What''s with everyone?"
"Ah, it''s nothing."
The friends waved their hands.
...It seemed like Wardanaz could have broken through alone...
As time passed, students who seeded in breaking through starteding out one by one from various ces. No matter how many obstacles there were, if they kept charging, their skills at blocking would inevitably improve.
"Increase the speed more!"
Shyles of the Richmond family waved his arm to signal. He was an excellent rider himself, and the friends moving with Shyles were also among the top in riding skills within the tower.
As they enjoyed polo while riding horses during breaks, to the extent that they were confident in their horses, it was only natural for them to stand out.
While Yi-Han''s group chose a frontal breakthrough by forming a solid formation, Shyles'' group chose to quickly increase their speed and break through. In the process, one or two unlucky ones might drop out, but they intended to take that into ount.
''I will receive the highest score in this lecture!''
With the sound of hooves rapidly pounding the earth, Shyles ran out. In a situation where obstacles were scattered everywhere, increasing speed like this was usually impossible with ordinary skill and guts. Shyles was definitely an outstanding rider.
"It''s the turning point!"
''Finally!''
Shyles'' heart swelled at the thought of reaching the turning point he saw in the distance and returning. At that moment, a huge monster emerged from the ground with a heavy vibration.
"...?!"
Before the dust cleared, a loud cry came from behind.
"It''s a Hydra!"
"What?! A Hydra?!"
The students were startled and shrank back. However, as the dust cleared, what appeared inside wasn''t a Hydra. It was just an ordinary Sand Octopus.
"Th-that''s a relief. It wasn''t a Hydra."
"It''s not a relief!"
The Sand Octopus with a huge build was by no means an easy monster. Of course,pared to a Hydra, it had no deadly poison and was much less ferocious, but in this situation...
Kwak!
The long leg of the Sand Octopus flew in like a whip. With a sharp sound, sand puffed up and obscured their vision.
"It''s a monster I cherish, so don''t attack it!"
Professor Bungaegor said from behind, looking pleased. It was worth raising it by feeding it expensive feed.
"Professor! No matter what, this is, aaargh!"
A student who tried to protest was wrapped in the octopus'' limb and dragged away.
"Rather than protesting, think about quickly reaching the turning point and getting out first."
"It wasn''t a Hydra."
Yi-Han, who arrivedte, muttered as he looked at the chaotic scene unfolding at the turning point. As a huge monster suddenly popped up from below, he first thought of the Hydra he had heard about before.
"Wardanaz! It''s not a Hydra! To think you''d use such a trick!"
In response to the protesting from the other side, Yi-Han was about to answer that it was a mistake. However, Asan and Gainando answered first.
"The foolish one is the one who got tricked!"
"Where are the fools who trust others in apetition! It''s because of thatcent attitude that you lose!"
"Ugh...! These guys!"
"..."
Yi-Han stared at the backs of their heads for a moment, then turned his gaze. Right now, more important than clearing up the misunderstanding was reaching the turning point and getting out.
''I have to do it as quickly as possible.''
The longer it took, the fewer other students there were to draw attention, increasing the difficulty.
"Mirage!"
One of the students from the ck Tortoise Tower seemed to have a talent for illusion magic, as he managed to summon an illusion amidst the chaos. It wasn''t an illusion in a very good state. The shape was blurred and not clear, so anyone could tell it was an illusion if they looked closely.
However, in a chaotic situation like this, it was easy to be fooled at a nce. Moreover, the opponent was a monster.
Swish!
However, the Sand Octopus didn''t even nce at the illusion and stretched out its limb to grab a student and take them away.
"!"
Seeing that, Yi-Han realized.
''It''s not detecting with sight!''
As he had learned quite harshly about illusion magic, Yi-Han knew that illusion magic was also divided into several types. The illusion just now was illusion magic using vision.
It was magic that created illusions by distorting the surrounding air with heat or freezing the air with cold. However, if the opponent didn''t see with their eyes, it was meaningless. In fact, the Sand Octopus had half of its body buried in the ground.
''The detection was too good, as expected...''
It was clear that it sensed the approach of enemies by the vibrations on the ground. In that case, that type of illusion was meaningless.
''Farhait''s illusion magic won''t work. The method is...''
Yi-Han prepared to use and the Invisibility Ne. Unlike Farhait''s illusion magic that created illusions with heat, Gonadaltes'' Cloak of Invisibility and the Invisibility Ne were types of illusion magic that directly manipted perception.
"Cloak, engulf me!"
"Wardanaz. It''s too hard to coordinate while riding!"
"I know. Let''s break through one by one. The rest of you, draw attention!"
Instead of breaking through together at once, Yi-Han chose to break through separately. It would take a bit more time, but it was safer. The range of the invisibility magic wasn''t wide enough to include the friends riding horses.
"Let''s go!"
Yi-Han set off with Yonaire. The other friends scattered to draw the Sand Octopus'' attention, just in case it got suspicious.
Whoosh!
"!"
The Sand Octopus suddenly inted its body. Yi-Han and Yonaire tensed at the unexpected situation.
Swish!
As if sensing something ominous, the Sand Octopus began to spew out a fierce wind. The wind mixed with sand enveloped the students like a storm. It was hard to secure vision in the sudden gust.
''This is bad!''
Even if Yi-Han himself endured, the horse Yonaire was riding was panicking and floundering in the sudden sandstorm. The moment they escaped from invisibility, the Sand Octopus would notice their approach.
Just as Yi-Han was about to restrain Yonaire''s horse by force, help came from behind. It was Gainando.
"Be itchy!!!"
Gainando, who boldly shot a curse magic, charged forward without stopping. Seeing Gainando rushing forward like crazy, the Sand Octopus lost interest in the other students and targeted Gainando intensively.
The impudent curse magic had offended the Sand Octopus.
"Gainando...!"
Yi-Han was truly surprised. He knew Gainando had a talent for dark magic, but to think he would be so active in a situation like this.
"Yi-Han!"
"Got it! I''ll pass quickly while you distract it..."
"Save me!!! This damn horse won''t listen!!!"
Leaving those words behind, Gainando ran forward like an arrow, no, he was dragged away.
"..."
Yonaire, who managed to calm the horse and returned, asked Yi-Han.
"Didn''t Gainando shout something?!"
"He said he would draw attention, so we should break through quickly."
"!?"
Yonaire was surprised.
There''s no way that''s what he said, right?
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Chapter 286
Chapter 286
It was strange. Gainando, sacrificing himself?
No matter how much adversity could change a person, could it change someone to this extent?
Yonaire tilted her head in confusion. Yi-Han didn''t give his friend time to ponder.
"We need to move quickly, Yonaire! There''s no time!"
"Ah... right. Got it!"
Gainando''s charge was far more effective than expected.
Whether it was because the curse magic was particrly effective, or because the arrogant gallop irritated it, the sand octopus began to raise its body, which had been firmly guarding the turning point, and started chasing after Gainando.
At first, even Professor Bungaegor, who had said, "Don''t attack the Sand Octopus!" couldn''t help but exim in admiration.
Somehow, they had managed to lure out that sand octopus!
"Provocation is also a skill. Well done!"
Gainando''s horse ran like it was possessed, dodging the limbs of the pursuing sand octopus.
"Save me!!"
"What is Gainando saying?"
"I can''t hear! Askter and run!"
"Now''s our chance, friends!!"
Not only Yi-Han''s group but also students from other towers who had been waiting for an opportunity spurred their horses with all their might.
In preparation for any unforeseen circumstances, Yi-Han cast magic on his friends'' horses.
"Be fulfilled!"
The horses, under the influence of , maintained theirposure even as sand-mixed winds blew in from all directions.
Puhuhng!
Niffirg grumbled as if asking why Yi-Han didn''t do the same for it.
"Run! It''s dangerous if that thinges back!"
tter, tter!
Dead heats were unfolding from all directions.
Since the student who reached the turning point first would receive a higher score, thepetition was fiercely cutthroat.
Thud!
Yi-Han collided with a student from the ck Tortoise Tower who was running beside him. Niffirg let out an angry growl.
"Endure it, Niffirg."
"Wardanaz. I won''t say it''s cowardly. It''s apetition, so I won''t back down!"
"I understand."
Yi-Han immediately swung his staff andunched a water bead.
The ck Tortoise Tower student, who never expected Yi-Han to be able to cast magic while sprinting at full speed, was eliminated on the spot.
Puhihing...?!
Niffirg was dumbfounded even while running at full speed.
Was it okay for the owner to attack while it couldn''t?
When Gainando returnedte, he shook off his sand-covered clothes and shouted.
"You cowardly bast..."
"I was impressed. To lure the monster alone for the sake of your friends."
Professor Bungaegor spoke in an admiring tone. Gainando immediately replied.
"...It was difficult, but I thought it was a noble duty I had to fulfill as a member of the royal family."
''That definitely seems like something he learned from Yi-Han.''
Yonaire thought to herself as he looked at Gainando.
He wasn''t known for his quick wit.
When she thought about who Gainando could have observed and learned from, there was only one person.
"Thank you, Gainando."
"Thanks to you, we passed!"
"I didn''t know you would sacrifice yourself like that!"
Other tower students also flocked around and expressed their gratitude.
They couldn''t help but be grateful since he had single-handedly lured out the sand octopus. Even students who usually disliked him for being annoying came to express their thanks.
Gainando looked around at his friends with an overwhelmed expression, nodded his head, and replied.
"It wasn''t an easy choice."
"But what were you saying earlier?"
"I said I''ll leave the rest to you."
"Was it such a long sentence...?"
While Gainando was chattering behind, Yi-Han checked his score with Professor Bungaegor.
"It''s a perfect score."
"Thank you, Professor."
"There''s no need to exin in detail, everyone did well... but there''s one thing I''m curious about. Why did you mistake the sand octopus for a hydra earlier?"
Yi-Han flinched.
After pondering for a moment, he said.
"I heard that Professor Uregor brought a hydra."
"What? Really?"
Professor Bungaegor seemed genuinely surprised.
Yi-Han''s mind becameplicated by the fact that even the professor was unaware of it.
''What''s going on?''
"If that''s true, he managed to bring it skillfully. It must be even harder to obtain these days than before. Should I ask him to show it to me?"
"You didn''t know either, Professor?"
"I didn''t hear about it. He probably didn''t tell me because he found it bothersome to listen to my advice."
As a renowned explorer in the empire, Professor Bungaegor was skilled at handling all kinds of monsters and animals.
Naturally, if Professor Uregor had brought a hydra, she would have offered all sorts of advice on how to raise it.
"Do you have any idea why Professor Uregor brought it, Professor?"
"Who knows? I don''t need to know everything about him. Maybe he needed it for his potion research?"
Mages basically had little interest in anything other than their own research.
Even if Professor Uregor had secretly brought a hydra, that was Professor Uregor''s business, not Professor Bungaegor''s.
Of course, she was concerned about whether the hydra was being raised well or not, but...
"Could there be a question rted to the hydra on the final exam?"
As he asked, Yi-Han hoped that Professor Bungaegor would answer, "How could that be possible?" or "That doesn''t make sense."
"Oh! I hadn''t thought of that."
However, Professor Bungaegor looked at Yi-Han as if he had a good idea.
"That could be possible."
"..."
Yi-Han sighed inwardly.
''I should have waited for the day he brought the hydra andunched a surprise attack.''
He never thought he would pay the price for his carelessness like this!
Professor Uregor waited for the students with his arms crossed and a triumphant look on his face.
"You''re here?"
"Hello, Professor."
"The test you''ll take today might destroy your soul."
"..."
"Good luck!"
The student who entered red at him, but Professor Uregor paid no attention.
That''s how intoxicated he was with the test he had created.
It was a painstakingly prepared final exam question, delicately adjusted to the level just before the skull principal would say, "Isn''t this a bit too much?"
With this, he could shatter the souls of the cheeky freshmen who, afterpleting the midterm exam or the pre-final assignment, thought, "I think I know what alchemy is now."
"Hello, Professor."
Yi-Han entered with a stiff face. Professor Uregor also nodded.
His disciple, who had raised the difficulty of the test by getting a perfect score on an assignment designed to prevent him from getting a perfect score, was entering.
Perhaps sensing his own fate, the disciple''s face was also stiff.
"The test will be quite a bit harder thanst time."
"I''m aware of that."
Yi-Han said, holding back a sigh.
He couldn''t understand why the professors were doing this.
Isn''t it a good thing if students do well on the test?
''The students did well because the professor taught well, so why do they feel like their pride is hurt?''
"Yes. That''s right. Hehehe..."
"..."
Professor Uregorughed, too delighted to remember the possibility that his disciple mighte to assassinate him after graduation.
Yi-Han stared intently at Professor Uregor and vowed to surprise him next time by wearing a mask at night.
''How does he intend to use the hydra?''
Even beforeing, he had discussed it with his friends, and even whileing, he had discussed it, but he really had no idea.
-Maybe we have to hunt the hydra and use its venom as an ingredient for potions?-
-Are you crazy?! There''s no way. Even so, at the very least, you''ll have to subdue or persuade the hydra to lend you its venom.-
-That''s crazy enough.-
-M-maybe the test has nothing to do with the hydra? That could be the case.-
-Are you really a mage at Einroguard? How can you have such acent thought?-
-I''m sure we''ll have to get ingredients from the hydra.-
-Maybe the hydra is guarding the ingredients-
"I''m prepared, so please let me know."
"Alright. Shall we begin?"
Professor Uregor walked forward.
The students waited with tense gazes for the professor''s next move.
What kind of test would it be?
Giyo''s Cinnabar Potion
Irjunden''s Night Mist Potion
Aurum''s Soul Amplification Potion
Dobruk''s Sulfur Mercury Potion
...
The names of potions filled the ckboard.
Among them, there were many potions they had heard for the first time.
Professor Uregor enjoyed the overwhelmed reactions of the students and said,
"You''re not choosing one of these. By the end of today''s lecture, submit as many of these potions as possible."
Each and every one of them was a potion that required a lot of effort and was tricky to make.
Among them, there were even potions that couldn''t be made withoutbining other potions.
In short, it was a list of potionsid out with the thought that it would be absolutely impossible to make them all!
It was a test that he had really put his heart into.
Professor Uregor turned his gaze to Yi-Han with a grin. As expected, his excellent disciple was also hesitating, seemingly flustered.
"Professor?"
"What is it? If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
"The hydra won''t appear?"
"Hydra? What... No, wait! How do you know about that?!"
Professor Uregor was startled.
He had secretly brought it at night so that other professors, especially Professor Bungaegor, wouldn''t see it, so how did he know?
"I witnessed it by chance."
"You precious fool... Alright. Since you saw it, it can''t be helped. I bought it with great determination. I might need your help taking care of itter."
Professor Uregor wanted to continuously extract the hydra''s venom, but a fully grown hydra was too expensive and difficult to manage.
So, he had no choice but to buy a baby hydra.
If he raised it properly, it would roughly have a simr effect.
"Is that all?"
"What? Are you suspecting that I deceived others and secretly brought it in? Absolutely not! I got permission for everything I did."
Professor Uregor spoke firmly, worried that Yi-Han might have a strange misunderstanding.
He couldn''t hide it from the skull principal when bringing the hydra from outside.
"That''s not what I meant..."
"?"
"Wasn''t the hydra supposed to appear in the test?"
"Why would a hydra appear in the test?"
Professor Uregor looked at Yi-Han as if asking what he was talking about.
Why would a hydra appear in a first-year alchemy test? That didn''t make any sense.
"...I suppose you''re right."
"Right?"
Yi-Han returned to his seat with a look of understanding.
Professor Uregor realized that he hadn''t heard his thoughts on the test because he was talking about the hydra.
''Oh well. It''s a pity.''
He really wanted to see them kneeling before the profundity and greatness of alchemy, feeling their own inadequacy...
Tak tak tak-
Yi-Han quickly took out potions from his backpack andid them out.
Each and every one of them was a potion that was difficult to make.
Moreover, the quality was not inferior. It was as if they had been made with great care in an alchemist''s workshop.
''No way...?!''
Professor Uregor was shocked.
He had guessed that Yi-Han had used some means to obtain potions from outside, but he thought he would have at most two or three bottles left.
How could a student with no easy way to bring them in and no coins do this?
While Professor Uregor was too shocked to speak, Yi-Han proceeded with the work step by step.
Lighting a fire under the cauldron, making potions that could be made with the ingredients he had on hand first...
''I''m lucky.''
He had been worried about how the hydra would appear and wreak havoc, but it turned out to be unrted.
Thanks to that, the test wasn''t very difficult.
Wasn''t this why he had swept up and brought various potions in the first ce?
Afterbining threepleted potions and waving his staff, Irjunden''s Night Mist Potion was finished.
"It''s quite fortunate, isn''t it? That the hydra won''t appear. I was very worried, but I''m relieved now."
"Yi-Han. The professor is ring at you."
Yonaire whispered, sensing Professor Uregor''s gaze.
The professor was so shocked that even the tip of his beard was trembling.
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Chapter 287
Chapter 287
"This is a true test of skill. I''m sure the professor will understand," Yi-Han said.
Professor Uregor had done his best to create the problem, and Yi-Han had done his best to solve it. It was a fair match between them. In such a match, there should be no lingering resentment.
''He doesn''t seem to have an understanding expression, though.''
Professor Uregor''s expression was definitely not that of a teacher understanding his student''s victory. His frowning, displeased look seemed to say, "I''ll get you back next semester''s exam."
Yonaire felt anew that people could speak with just their expressions, even without saying a word.
''Will it really be okay?''
At this rate, he might have to make a Philosopher''s Stone in the second semester...
Suddenly, Yi-Han muttered, "...But I can''t just fail on purpose, can I?"
"..."
Yonaire looked at her friend with sympathetic eyes. It wasn''t that Yi-Han didn''t grasp reality. He grasped it but was deliberately turning a blind eye to it!
Professor Fluerwerk spoke to the entering students in a slightly apologetic voice, "What should we do about this? Unlike other professors'' exams, mine will be boring."
"Wh-what kind of exam is it?"
Instead of answering, Professor Fluerwerk waved her wand. Test papers, quills, and ink bottles appeared on the students'' desks.
"A very traditional exam where you solve problems and write answers, right?"
"Wo-wow!"
"Thank you, Professor!"
"You''re the only one, Professor!"
"!?"
Professor Fluerwerk was startled by the students'' enthusiastic reactions. Why on earth?
"So this is what Yi-Han meant when he said he''s happiest when sitting and studying," Gainando said in a tearful voice.
Instead of running around here and there, they could sit calmly and only move the quill.
''That''s not what I meant, though.''
As the students took their seats, the test papers flipped over.
Question 1. If the content of the following passage is true, select all the answers from the options that must be true.
-Imperial mage Tadingo tries to summon five demons to make a contract. At this time, the demon Zercluo must sign a contract before the demon Voluda can, otherwise, the contract cannot be made...
Seeing the dense questions, Yi-Han felt his mind calming down. It was the opposite of his friends'' expressions darkening.
''It''s not that difficult.''
"I-I was deceived by Yi-Han. Riding a horse is better, isn''t it?" Gainando sobbed next to him, but Yi-Han ignored him, pretending not to hear.
Muhaddin, a priest of the Ciseners Order who revered knowledge and schrship, prayed lightly and grasped the quill.
Although it wasn''t easily revealed because they didn''t boast, the students of the Immortal Phoenix Tower had a high average grade.
As priests, they mercilessly abandoned lectures they weren''t interested in, but considering this, one could see how hard they studied.
Even among those students, Muhaddin was famous for being well-read and brilliant.
Naturally, for Muhaddin, an exam like wasn''t that difficult, just a rtively easy obstacle to pass.
''If only the other exams were like this.''
Muhaddin had no interest in riding a horse and avoiding spells flying at him. He also had no interest in wielding a staff and subduing summoned spirits.
Muhaddin just wanted to sit, read, and study. For Muhaddin, who hadn''t had such an exam in a long time, it was quite satisfactory.
''This is number 3. Hmm... Ah. Am I solving it too quickly?''
Muhaddin realized he had already solved half of the exam questions and was surprised at himself, raising his head. The hourss in front showed there was plenty of time left.
''I can solve it a little more slowly...''
Tap-
Yi-Han stood up from his seat, submitted his test paper in front, and bowed his head.
"Thank you for this semester, Professor."
"I should be the one thanking you for meeting such an outstanding student like Wardanaz."
Professor Fluerwerk answered in a light and bright voice. Yi-Han was slightly moved.
"The bureaucrats are the ones who take on the hard work of the empire, the pirs supporting the empire."
"Oh my. Why go that far... We''re just menial workers! It''s something student Wardanaz doesn''t even need to be interested in."
Yi-Han left with a slightly darkened face. Thanks to her good mood, Professor Fluerwerk didn''t notice the change in the ssroom atmosphere.
Muhaddin came to his senses with a start and bowed his head.
''...I must be solving it too slowly!''
Dukma from the Jay family, a White Tiger student, exchanged nces with his friend.
-Ready?-
-Of course.-
Their preparation was for the exam. To be more specific, it was cheating preparation, but cheating preparation could also be considered exam preparation in a way.
Cheating in other lectures was meaningless, but it was quite effective for exams like .
''I thought I could cheat in at least one lecture, so I prepared, and finally!''
If Yi-Han had heard, he would have said, "You pathetic bastards, you could have studied in that time," but the White Tiger students were serious.
Fortunately, it seemed Professor Fluerwerk hadn''t prepared much either. It was a golden opportunity.
''I seeded in naturally sitting behind Wardanaz.''
''All that''s left is to peek without getting caught.''
Some time after the exam started, Dukma felt it was about time. He took out a small telescope with a blue lens from his bosom. It was an artifact he had purchased from a ck Tortoise student for arge sum of money.
If he used this, even Wardanaz''s test paper...!
Tap-
Yi-Han stood up from his seat and submitted his test paper.
The two students were dumbfounded and lost for words.
"???"
"???????"
''He finished it all??''
''Already??''
''What kind of guy is he...?!''
''No! Come back!!''
No matter how much they shouted inwardly, Yi-Han didn''t return. Gainando, feeling their gazes, was startled and shouted, "You bastards! Trying to peek at my test paper! Professor! These guys are trying to peek at my test paper!"
"N-no!"
"We were just surprised! We just looked because we were surprised!"
The White Tiger students had to give up their cheating attempt with tears in their eyes. In the first ce, since Wardanaz was gone, the only one left to copy from was Gainando, so there was no point in copying anyway.
"They''re really bad guys! Those bastards tried to steal a look at my test paper!"
"?"
"??"
The Blue Dragon students tilted their heads at Gainando''s words. Rather than being surprised that the White Tiger students tried to cheat, it was a bit strange that the target was Gainando.
"Why him of all people?"
"W-well? Didn''t they study less than Gainando?"
"Is that possible?"
"I don''t know. The White Tiger guys hardly study at all."
"They must have been really desperate..."
"Then I''ll go take the healing magic exam."
"Ah. I''ll go with you, Wardanaz."
"I have to go too."
The students who were (forcibly) taking healing magic moved their steps with Yi-Han. As they headed to the ssroom, the students lightlyined.
"Still, making us take it so forcefully. We have to take exams too."
"It''s unimaginable. Right?"
Instead of answering his friends'' words and getting hurt, Yi-Han only showed a gentle smile.
"Ah. Wait a moment."
"What''s wrong?"
"I have to go to the tower. I left my illusion magic book behind."
"What are you talking about, Wardanaz? The healing magic exam is now, you know?"
"Yeah. The exam right after this one is the illusion magic exam."
"..."
"...W-we''ll bring it for you."
Declining his friends'' consideration, Yi-Han headed to the tower alone.
''Actually, I''m not too worried about the illusion magic exam.''
Among the remaining magic exams, the most feared one was definitely the enchantment magic exam. Being the veryst one to submit also made people''s hearts heavy throughout the final exam week.
Inparison, the illusion magic exam was...
''The epitome of a reasonable exam.''
Yi-Han, who went to the tower and took out the book, headed to the ssroom on the west side of the first floor of the main building. The healing magic exam was waiting there.
''Healing magic doesn''t seem too difficult either.''
ording to what he heard from Professor Garcia, basically, healing magic required a lot of time and practice to actually use on people. As such, there would be limited problems that could be given to first-year students.
Yi-Han expected a test paper format like .
"Wait. What are you doing there?"
"!"
Two familiar senior students walked from the direction of the ssroom. It was Phil and Chil, the two seniors in charge of healing magic.
If seniors who shouldn''t be seen in the magic academy were seen, it meant...
"Are you here for the exam?"
"That''s right."
"I thought you''d be surprised, but you''re not?"
"Excuse me?"
"Don''t new students usually get surprised when they see seniors? It was like that in our time."
Phil said, puzzled. Einroguard students usually got a shock upon seeing their seniors, which started from the second year. Until then, they wouldn''t have seen seniors casually passing by.
"That''s not important right now. Follow me. The exam location has changed."
"Did something happen?"
"A third-year blew up the ssroom during the exam."
"Wasn''t that a different ssroom? I thought a second-year student''s artifact exploded."
"..."
Hearing the spine-chilling stories, Yi-Han followed the two seniors. This crazy academy!
"Come to think of it, your other friends came first, so why are youte alone?"
"I left my book behind, so I went to get it."
"Ah. That''s... Oops. I forgot mine too. Just a moment."
Phil turned back the way he came, apologizing. Chil shrugged his shoulders as if dumbfounded and said, "Let''s wait a bit. Sorry about this."
"It''s alright. There''s plenty of time."
As Yi-Han stood in the hallway and tried to take out his book, Chil looked around and chose a ssroom, opening the door.
"Don''t read while standing. Sit and read."
"It''s fine... Thank you."
"It''s nothing."
Chil''s eyes looking at Yi-Han were full of pity. Having to take all the sses, and even healing magic on top of that. Even if he bore all the curses in the world, it wouldn''t be as painful as that.
If he didn''t show this much kindness to such a junior, that senior would have to fall into the hottest spot in hell.
Grrr...
Squeak...
"?"
Entering the ssroom, Yi-Han was puzzled by the groans of some animals. Looking around, there were cages stacked, and inside them, animals were sitting with bandages or looking sick.
"What is this?"
"Ah. They''re injured animals brought from nearby towns. It''s this semester''s final exam."
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised. Not only the animals but also how coolly the exam question was revealed.
''Is this okay? Is it because there''s not much difference?''
It was a bit confusing, but since the exam was about to start, and considering the nature of healing magic, Yi-Han chose to remain silent.
"Is the exam to heal these animals?"
"That''s right. If you''re interested, you can practice it in advance. I''ll watch over you."
Yi-Han was slightly moved by his senior''s consideration. Letting him practice the final exam in advance.
Damn... No, there was a strong sense of camaraderie among students struggling with difficult subjects.
"Is it really alright?"
"Yeah. The students taking the exam won''t be able to heal them all anyway, so we have to cure the rest. Even if you make a mistake, I''ll be next to you, so it''ll be fine."
There was a reason why Chil gave this special treatment. It was because this wasn''t the first-year final exam but the second-year final exam.
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Chapter 288
Chapter 288
It''s just like him to try and learn all the academy''s magic, Chil thought, looking at Yi-Han with a mixture of pity and admiration.
In fact, when Chil had said, "If you''re interested, you can try practicing it in advance," he hadn''t actually expected Yi-Han to really do it.
Yi-Han would soon be taking his own first-year final exams, so he should be focusing on that. Why would he practice for the second-year final exams?
Even if he was interested, it was something he could doter when he had the opportunity.
However, the way of thinking of a genius was different from that of an ordinary person.
Chil had thought it unlikely, but this junior who wanted to learn all the schools of magic actually stepped up to practice even though his own exams were right in front of him.
Now that it hade to this, there was nothing Chil could do.
He could only silently cheer him on.
"Still, don''t overdo it. You have your own examsing up soon, you know."
"Thank you."
Yi-Han, who still didn''t know it was the second-year final exam, was sincerely grateful.
If he had known the truth, he might have grabbed his senior by the cor, regardless of their status.
''An opportunity kindly bestowed by a senior. I absolutely can''t miss it.''
The cow, which seemed to have injured its leg and couldn''t get up from lying down, looked at Yi-Han with pitiful eyes.
"I''ll give it a try."
"Go ahead."
Chil stood next to Yi-Han.
If Yi-Han identally worsened the cow''s injury, Chil intended to step in immediately and handle the situation.
''Don''t make the cow suffer too much.''
Since he was giving a first-year junior a chance to practice, Chil didn''t expect Yi-Han topletely heal the cow.
It was absurd for a first-year student to treat a living creature in the first ce.
It was the same whether it was a person or an animal. It wasn''t a second-year exam for nothing.
What Chil hoped for was that this outstanding junior wouldn''t worsen the cow''s injury.
At first nce, it sounded strange, but for a lower-year student learning healing magic, it was truly remarkable if they could even do that much.
Worsening an injury wasmon.
Not worsening an injury was remarkable in itself.
If they could even slightly improve an injury, they had to be dragged to the Tower of Healing Magic with shackles on their hands and feet.
That''s how high the initial difficulty of healing magic was.
"It''s swollen and feels hot, so it seems to be a fracture."
"Excellent. You observed well."
Instead of immediately casting healing magic, Yi-Han tried to assess the subject''s condition first, which earned him high marks from Chil.
A healing mage had to possess all the virtues a mage should have. Especially among them, prudence was an absolute must.
"Arise, emotions. Judging by the pain when pressed, it seems this part is fractured..."
When Yi-Han even used magic to find the fracture site, the corners of Chil''s mouth turned up.
It was gratifying for seniors to see juniors with such potential in healing magic, even if it meant difort for the younger mages.
"Yes. Yes. You''re doing very well."
"I''ll give it a try."
After saying that, Yi-Han concentrated his mind.
He had the knowledge learned from books and the information obtained through magic, but he couldn''t let his guard down.
''Imagine the bones fusing together and focus. Calmly. I''ve done it to that White Tiger Tower bastard before...''
Yi-Han thought that treating these animals wouldn''t be that difficult.
Because if it was highly difficult, it wouldn''t have appeared on the first-year exam.
Then Yi-Han should also be able to handle it.
"Fuse together!"
As the concentration ended, the staff was swung and powerful mana was released.
The cow, which had been letting out pitiful cries until just now, blinked its eyes and smiled brightly.
"...????!???!?"
And Chil almost fainted.
''What?!?!?''
No matter how many times he closed and opened his eyes, it was true that the first-year junior had healed the cow''s fracture.
What the???
"Senior? Senior?"
"Huh? Uh-huh?"
"Well, I think you need to check it. Is it done correctly?"
"Per, perfect."
"Is that so?"
Yi-Han''s face brightened.
"If you were to grade it, senior, do you think you would give me full marks?"
"No... of course... it''s full marks... even if you didn''t heal it, it would be full marks..."
When Chil turned pale with shock, Yi-Han also began to feel a sense of difort.
''What''s going on?''
Suddenly, a familiar uneasiness rushed in.
"Even if I didn''t heal it, it would be full marks?"
"It''s considered good if you just don''t make it worse."
"...Ah."
Yi-Han was surprised.
Come to think of it, it wouldn''t be strange to have that kind of evaluation criteria.
''Damn it. Should I have asked that first?''
Since healing magic had so many side effects, it was clear that one could get a high score just by not making it worse.
Still, Yi-Han wasn''t very flustered.
"But there hasn''t been a first-year student who has healed it so far, right?"
"No, there hasn''t."
"Pardon?"
"Well... this is the second-year exam, you see."
"..."
Yi-Han was at a loss for words for the first time in a long while.
''Is he crazy?''
What grudge did he have against Yi-Han to rmend trying the second-year exam?
Yi-Han pondered whether to attack the other person, but held back and asked as calmly as possible.
"Why did you rmend that... to me?"
"Huh? You seemed interested in it."
"..."
Of course, Yi-Han had shown signs of interest.
Because he thought it was the first-year exam!
When a first-year junior shows interest, isn''t it the senior''s role to sternly say, "But this is the second-year exam. Junior, you should focus on the first-year exam"?
''He must have aged incorrectly or spat out the wrong thing.''
Yi-Han gritted his teeth and maintained hisposure. Then, to handle the situation, he opened his mouth.
"I misunderstood."
"But what you did is really amazing..."
"Senior. This is just between u..."
Bang!
Before he could finish his sentence, Phil opened the door and entered. Seeing Yi-Han and Chil standing in front of the cow, Phil asked,
"What are you two doing there?"
"Phil! Look at this cow."
"Why the cow... The fracture is healed? Did you do it?"
"No. This junior here did."
"?!?!?!?!?"
Phil was as surprised as Chil earlier.
He was so shocked that Yi-Han couldn''t find a chance to persuade him again.
"Senior."
"!!!!!!!!!"
"Senior. Senior."
It took about a minute for Phil to regain hisposure.
"If you really did this, you are a born..."
Bang!
The door opened again, and the most exhausted-looking dark elf professor entered.
Professor Lagrinde spoke in a rough, hoarse voice. Each word she uttered was filled with a terrible sense of fatigue.
"What are you doing here instead of preparing?"
"Pro, Professor!"
"We, we were looking at a junior''s magic."
Phil and Chil froze.
Professor Lagrinde was not a violent or cruel person, but she did not like wasting time or using it inefficiently.
And she was as good at cutting and slicing the bodies of patients as she was at cutting and slicing the bodies of enemies.
"A junior''s?"
The irritable professor''s face suddenly rxed. There was a hint of curiosity.
Seeing this, the two seniors thought it was an opportunity and hurriedly exined.
"Yes! He healed this cow."
"It''s truly amazing skill for a first-year, so we were talking for a bit!"
"!"
Professor Lagrinde''s eyes widened.
She was a professor who didn''t like unnecessary questions, but she couldn''t help but ask.
"You didn''t help him?"
"Yes!"
"That''s right!"
"..."
Professor Lagrinde looked at the cow once, looked at Yi-Han once, looked at the cow again, and finally looked at Yi-Han once more before falling deep in thought.
Then she opened her mouth.
"From the second semester, let him observe the practical sessions."
"Professor!?"
"He, he did well, but he''s still a first-year..."
Professor Lagrinde looked at the two seniors with cold eyes.
The two seniors who tried to protect their junior froze on the spot.
"Th, thinking about it, it seems fine."
"Si, since he healed the cow, he should be able to heal patients too, right?"
"..."
Yi-Han looked at the backs of the two seniors with mixed feelings.
''They''re such cowardly people in front of this authority.''
He had trusted them a little, but he was betrayed right away!
Professor Lagrinde was tired, but decided to exin for the sake of her students.
Since it was an exceptional case, she needed to exin it to her disciples.
"If hepletely healed the cow, the next step is real people anyway. There''s no point in just giving him useless training and making him lose interest."
Yi-Han wanted to say that what he was best at was enduring pointless work, but the atmosphere wasn''t right for that.
"If he doesn''t have the ability, I won''t make him do it. But if he has the ability and we restrain him because he''s a first-year, that''s an even more inefficient thing to do. Understood?"
"I understand, Professor."
"We wasted time. We apologize."
"Alright. Start preparing for the exam."
Professor Lagrinde left just like that.
Dazed, Yi-Han suddenly thought of Professor Garcia.
-So don''t ever say you healed the ankle of a White Tiger Tower student anywhere else. Okay?-
''I''m sorry, Professor Garcia.''
"I''m counting on you, junior."
"I''m sorry it ended up looking like we were trying to stop you for no reason. Don''t misunderstand. It''s not that we were trying to pull rank on you because you''re a first-year, it''s just that it''s really hard. Haha. What am I saying... With a junior like you, it''ll be something to look forward to, right?"
Phil and Chil left, turning Yi-Han''s world upside down.
Yi-Han wanted to confront the two seniors but held back.
He still had the real final exams left.
"What is the first-year final exam?"
"Solving test papers. It covers types of injuries and the structure of the human body. It''ll be boring, right?"
"..."
"Doesn''t Wardanaz look really upset right now?"
"You thought so too? I thought the same thing."
"Gainando. What did you do?"
"I didn''t do anything!!"
Gainando red up.
"Did he do poorly on the exam?"
"I asked and he said he got everything right?"
"..."
"..."
The faces of the two Blue Dragon Tower students who brought it up contorted in pain like Yi-Han''s.
They had guessed he would do well, but they didn''t expect him to get a perfect score!
''If you got a perfect score, shouldn''t you be smiling even if your bones are broken?''
''I think so too.''
"Let''s go take the exam."
Yi-Han gave up and started walking.
He decided to worry about the second semester when the time came and go take the remaining exams for now.
"Aren''t you alling?"
"...Wardanaz. We don''t take Illusion Magic."
"I don''t take it either."
"...O, okay. I''ll go alone then."
The Blue Dragon Tower students felt that Yi-Han''s back looked somehow lonely.
.
Fortunately, Professor Kirmin Ku''s exam wasn''t too difficult.
It was a test of observation, distinguishing the illusionsid out in the ssroom and finding the ws if there were any illusions made incorrectly.
''It''s not very difficult.''
Yi-Han had been studying illusion magic separately and had experienced it firsthand a few times, so an exam of this level wasn''t too challenging.
As he focused on the exam, Yi-Han felt the anger he had experienced during the healing magic exam disappear.
"I''m done, Professor."
"Well done, Wardanaz. It''s a shame that your score is lower than the previous midterm exam, though."
"...?"
Yi-Han flinched. Then he asked in surprise.
"My score went down?"
"I''m joking. I''m joking. You got a perfect score on the previous exam, but this time you lost 1 point, so I tried making a joke."
Professor Kirmin Ku naturally thought that Yi-Han wouldugh it off.
Even if he lost 1 point, he was already overwhelmingly in first ce.
What meaning would losing 1 point have when he was scoring dozens of points higher than the average of the other students?
"You mean I made a 1-point mistake?!"
"...Whoa, Wardanaz. Did I say the wrong number by any chance?"
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Chapter 289
Chapter 289
Yi-Han''s shock was so great that Professor Ku was taken aback, as if he had misheard the score.
"One point is really nothing. Why are you reacting like this?" Professor Ku asked.
"...You''re right," Yi-Han replied, but his expression was far from agreeable. He looked like a mage whose mistake had led to the downfall of the empire.
"Thank you, Professor."
"Wardanaz, are you sure you''re alright?"
"I''m fine."
"Wow, you lost one point!" the skull principal eximed, floating over to Yi-Han.
"..." Yi-Han was dumbfounded. It hadn''t even been 30 minutes since the test.
"It''s possible to lose one point," he said.
But was it really? If not for that one mistake, he could have gotten perfect scores on all the tests.
The skull principal was trying to shake Yi-Han''s resolve and provoke his anger. Yi-Han, knowing the principal''s intentions better than anyone, maintained hisposure. Although it stung to lose a point due to a mistake, it didn''t change much in the grand scheme of things.
''Don''t let it get to you,'' he told himself.
Isn''t that mistake still nagging at you?
"Yes. I think there''s a misunderstanding. I never had the arrogant thought of getting perfect scores on all the tests," Yi-Han said.
It wasn''t a lie. Unless he was crazy, Yi-Han wouldn''t have set a goal of getting perfect scores in all his sses. His goal was simply to do his best. The sting of losing a point was just due to his personality...
Aren''t you enraged or hateful towards the professors who dare to test someone like you?
"What kind of crazy freshman would think like that?"
I did.
"..." Yi-Han decided not to answer anymore and ignore the principal.
Realizing that Yi-Han wouldn''t take the bait, the skull principal seemed disappointed.
Needlessly pretending to be humble
"I have never been arrogant, Principal," Yi-Han said.
Few things are as arrogant as trying to take all branches of magic from freshman year.
"..." Yi-Han made a face as if he had been hit. The skull principal, noticing this, was pleased.
Have you realized it now?
"No?"
Denying it will only make it harder on yourself. Are you preparing well for Professor Verduus'' test?
After the enchantment magic test and the transformation magic test, the grueling first semester would essentially be over.
The transformation magic test didn''t seem too difficult, so the enchantment magic test was the biggest remaining challenge.
"I''m doing my best."
It doesn''t seem to be going well.
The skull principal astutely guessed Yi-Han''s inner thoughts. Realizing there was no point in denying it, Yi-Han asked in return,
"How did you know?"
Because Professor Verduus'' test is to take what you made and upgrade it to the next level. Since youpleted such a thing in the first ce, of course it won''t go smoothly.
The skull principal answered as if it was an obvious question. Yi-Han had no choice but to agree.
''Well, that''s true.''
It was amazing enough that he had created an autonomous iron shield, but to upgrade it further in less than a month was asking for the impossible.
It was only natural that it wasn''t going well.
"Then will you tell me the answer instead, Principal?"
No? You should me your past self for doing too well in the beginning. There''s a saying that battle mages should hide three-tenths of their abilities for a reason. Let this be a lesson to you.
"That saying is meant for when you''re fighting..."
I''ll give you one piece of advice.
The skull principal interrupted, and Yi-Han stopped and waited.
What kind of advice would the skull principal give?
''It probably won''t be very useful.''
You made the autonomous iron shield, right?
"Yes."
An iron shield that floats around the caster and automatically blocks iing attacks.
Although it borrowed the power of various magic circles, creating it in the first ce was close to a miracle.
What''s your goal?
"I''m thinking of adding reflection..." Yi-Han said.
That''s right. Get rid of all the other magic circles and just put in reflection.
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised by the skull principal''s words.
So right now...?
"Then it will just be an ordinary shield that only reflects?"
Yes. That alone is enough. It''s still an upgrade in performance, right? Even if some other functions are reduced.
The skull principal was serious.
No matter how much a student wanted to take all branches of magic, there were limits.
Sometimes choices and sacrifices were necessary.
And in the first ce, Professor Verduus was someone who gave tests arbitrarily, so there was no need to take his tests too seriously.
The student could just insist on doing what they wanted.
Focusing solely on the reflective property was already challenging. Completing it would be an achievement to speak of proudly, so there wouldn''t be any deductions for reduced functionality.
It should have been ''impossible'', but considering Yi-Han''s track record, the skull principal deemed it ''barely feasible''.
"But I think Professor Verduus will be disappointed..."
What does it matter if you disappoint Professor Verduus? How is that wrong?
"!"
Huh?
''That''s true.''
Yi-Han felt himself being persuaded by the skull principal''s logic.
Professor Verduus...
It''s okay if he''s a little disappointed, right?
In the first ce, since he was the one who set such a goal, it was almost his own fault if he was disappointed.
"I''m d you want me to disappoint Professor Verduus rather than torment me, Principal."
You really have a talent for illusion magic.
"No, I don''t."
Well, you did lose one point.
"..."
Professor Verduus had put down his equipment and tools and was waiting for the students.
Anyone who knew the professor would know how astonishing this sight was.
Who was Professor Verduus?
He was a natural craftsman who, despite being a professor who had to teach, would throw a few books at the students in the ssroom and tell them to study on their own, while he immersed himself in creating the artifacts he was interested in.
For such a Professor Verduus to be waiting without doing anything...
The merchants who had been called to the school by Professor Verduus felt uneasy and asked,
"Are you alright, Mage? Why aren''t you working on your creations..."
"It''s the students'' test," Professor Verduus replied.
"That''s... true."
The merchants cursed Professor Verduus in their minds.
It was even more annoying that someone who usually only responded with "yeah" or "uh-huh" when the merchants tried to talk to him, and only spoke when it was convenient for him, was acting like this.
Regardless, Professor Verduus waited while humming a tune.
It was because of what the skull principal had told him.
-Wow. This year''s freshmen are quite something. They made some good stuff.-
-No way? They must have only made trash.-
-...Well, if we look at it objectively, there may be some points like that, but some of the works are quite impressive.-
-That can''t be?-
-If it weren''t for your test, I would have thrown you in the punishment room. What a shame.-
-Why?-
-You can think about thatter when you''re in the punishment room... And there really are some excellent works. Like the one Wardanaz made.-
-Ah. Hepleted it?-
Professor Verduus was delighted.
He had advised adding a reflection property to the autonomous iron shield, and it seemed Wardanaz had sessfullypleted it.
-...Don''t you think that was a bit difficult?-
The skull principal asked, trying his best to contain his disdain.
Of course, Professor Verduus answered confidently as if asking what he was talking about.
-No? Why?-
-My mistake for asking. Anyway, since hepleted the reflection property, evaluate it objectively.-
-Wow! I''m looking forward to it!-
Thanks to that, Professor Verduus was excited.
Of course, in Professor Verduus''s eyes, Yi-Han''s enchantment magic still had many shorings (the fact that Yi-Han was a only freshman had not remained in Professor Verduus''s genius brain).
However, if there was one special strength that covered dozens of weaknesses, it was interesting enough.
Yi-Han''s enchantment magic, which skipped several processes of enchantment magic with his characteristic enormous mana, was endlessly fascinating despite its many shorings.
Knock-
As the door opened and the students entered, Professor Verduus eximed with delight,
"Submit as soon as you arrive!"
"H-here it is, Professor."
Seeing Professor Verduus in an unusually good mood, the student submitted with a glimmer of hope.
If he looks so happy, maybe the assignment...?
"It''s still trash. What has improved?"
"...The, the speed has increased a little, hasn''t it?"
"Next!"
The students came up one by one, got scolded by Professor Verduus, and were chased away.
Seeing that, Yi-Han felt at ease.
''Even if I fail, at least we''ll all fail together.''
It''s more reassuring to fail with friends than to fail alone.
When it was Yi-Han''s turn, Professor Verduus was delighted.
"You''re here? I was looking forward to it! Come on, show me!"
Yi-Han carefully took out the iron shield and set it down.
All the previous magic circle techniques had been erased, and a new reflection property had been engraved on the shield.
ng!
As Yi-Han picked up a pebble and threw it, the pebble bounced back in the direction it came from with a lively sound.
It was an sticity that seemed to defy thews of physics.
"!!"
"It reflects?!"
The students were surprised.
They knew Wardanaz had outstanding magic skills as the top student of the year, but toplete a reflection shield following the autonomous shield...
''This...''
''...might work!''
The students who had just been scolded and chased away unconsciously looked at Professor Verduus with hopeful eyes.
No matter how strict the professor was, they thought he would have no choice but to say ''well done'' at this point.
Really!
"Where''s the autonomous defense?!"
Professor Verduus eximed in surprise.
"..."
"..."
The students red at the professor with contempt.
If a freshman hadpleted the reflection property in such a short time, he should be praised. How could he say such a thing?
''He''s not human.''
''Even a mountain range monster would be more merciful than him.''
"I removed the autonomous defense," Yi-Han said.
"Why?!"
"Toplete the reflection."
"You could have done them together?!"
"There wasn''t enough time."
"Why?!"
Instead of answering, Yi-Han just smiled faintly. He didn''t want to argue with a crazy person.
"Should I give you more time?"
"Next week is vacation."
"There''s a room in the Artifact Hall. Do you want to stay there andplete it?"
Unable to stand it any longer, the students rose up at those words.
"Wardanaz has ns with us, Professor!"
"If you keep this up, we''ll really send a petition to His Majesty the Emperor!"
"Why, why?! What did I do?!"
Yi-Han was moved by the friendship his friends showed. The effort he put into making sure they ate meals wasn''t in vain after all.
After the transformation magic test (where they had to turn one of their clothing items into iron) and the enchantment magic test, Friday night arrived, and the students of the Blue Dragon Tower began to shout in frenzy.
"It''s over! It''s over! It''s over!"
"The grades too!"
The friends gagged the prince who was pouring cold water on the mood.
Bang! Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang!
Looking out the window, beautiful fireworks of all patterns were exploding in the dark night sky.
"The seniors must be shooting them!"
"Let''s answer back!"
The freshmen ran to the window and fired magic at random.
It was nothingpared to the magic shot by the seniors, but thanks to the dark night sky, it was clearly visible.
"The fireworks are moving!"
The fireworks adorning the night sky wriggled and moved, turning into letters.
The freshmen''s hearts pounded as they turned their eyes to the message the seniors were sending.
What kind of praise would the seniors, whom they had never even seen, give to their juniors?
Be quietand have funquietly
Seeing the first-years so excitedshows they still have much to learnThe real challenge is the second semester
"..."
"They''re just jerks..."
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Chapter 290
Chapter 290
The students'' mood darkened rapidly.
Seeing this, Yi-Han clicked his tongue inwardly.
''Isn''t it because of the skull principal?'' He thought.
The principal, who enjoyed tormenting others, evidently influenced the seniors'' character...
"Let''s eat cake," Yi-Han proposed, trying to change the mood.
"Right! Cake!"
"Call the other tower kids too."
"...Oh. Do we have to?"
"Yes. Call them properly. Don''t pick fights for no reason."
"Wh-what are you saying, Wardanaz? There''s no way I would."
Caught revealing his true thoughts, the Blue Dragon Tower student stammered.
The students from other towers arrived faster than expected. The White Tiger Tower students, who arrivedst, looked around armed with wooden swords and shields, but upon discovering the cake, they lowered their weapons with sheepish expressions.
"What did I say!"
"S-sorry, Dolgyu."
"Wait. The cake might be poisoned..."
"Shh. Be quiet. Even if it''s poisoned, cake is still cake. We can think about it after eating."
The White Tiger Tower students sliced the cake on tes and took a piece each. The cake was delicious.
"See, I told you Wardanaz doesn''t mess around with food."
"Definitely..."
''Next time I need to set a trap, I should put it in the food.''
Yi-Han thought as he passed by.
As expected, the students all looked very satisfied as they chatted, seemingly bing happy after eating something sweet.
Give me a piece too.
The skull principal suddenly appeared.
"Here you go."
Two students beside him screamed and tumbled, but Yi-Han calmly cut a piece of cake and handed it over without surprise.
The skull principal threw the cake into his mouth with telekinesis and spoke to the students.
Everyone is having a happy and enjoyable time.
"Yes!"
"We''re really happy!"
My, my. I wonder if you''ll be this happy even after seeing your exam results.
"..."
The skull principal seeded in freezing the students'' mood without using a single spell.
The only student among them immune to the attack on exam scores opened his mouth, "Isn''t it because we''re happy the semester is over? Everyone worked hard to get through a semester, so grades don''t matter."
...Says the top student of the year. Everyone, take a good look. You need to be at this level to say grades don''t matter. Understand?
''Oops.''
Yi-Han had no choice but to admit he let his guard down in front of the skull principal.
Befitting someone who enjoyed sowing discord for thousands of years, his skill was impossible to match.
"Indeed, that jerk Wardanaz is the top student but says such annoying things..."
"Want to spit out the cake?"
"Ah, no. Come to think of it, there''s a point to what he''s saying."
However, the grumbling White Tiger Tower student was quickly suppressed.
Yi-Han had done too much for his fellow students for the skull principal''s instigation to work.
"I can''t ept that! I also go around saying grades aren''t important!"
When Gainando shouted that, even the skull principal seemed slightly taken aback.
G-good for you to be so confident.
"Thank you?"
That wasn''t apliment. You''re going to the punishment room soon.
"What?? What did I do wrong?"
Gainando asked in surprise. Then the skull principal summoned white bony fingers in the air and spread them wide.
Do you know what this is?
"Bone... fingers?"
It''s the number of sses you failed.
"..."
"..."
The students suddenly lowered their heads and tried to avoid the skull principal''s gaze.
You think avoiding eye contact will make your failed subjects disappear? Those who failed will stay in the punishment room over the weekend before leaving.
"No! Principal!!"
"It''s vacation!"
To be precise, vacation starts next week. You should''ve done well on the exams. I trust you didn''t let your guard down just because it was the final exam. A mage couldn''t possibly have suchx negligence, right?
The students who thought they would get to leave right after the final exam made faces like they had been hit.
They wanted to happily chat with friends over the remaining weekend, leisurely pack up, and leave with a smile when the sun rose on Monday...
The skull principal folded one of the summoned bony fingers and asked again.
Do you know what this is?
"I... don''t really know."
At those words, the skull principal folded another finger.
And another, and another.
Once all the fingers were folded, the skull principal spoke with a smile.
Those who failed, to the punishment room!
"Principal! I haven''t eaten the cake yet!!"
"No! Tomorrow! Can''t we go tomorrow morning!"
Suddenly, death knights jumped out from all directions and dragged the students who failed away.
The skull principal nodded with a satisfied expression.
The lesspetent students should rest well over the weekend before leaving. You all worked hard for a semester. See you next semester.
There weren''t many times they agreed with the skull principal''s words, but this time they had no choice but to concur.
''We really worked hard.''
Seeing his friends'' faces, it seemed everyone was thinking the same thing.
"Where will you stay during the break?"
"Granden City."
The Empire was so vast it was dizzying. Most students chose to stay in a nearby major city during breaks instead of returning to their hometowns each time.
''As expected, everyone is staying in Granden City.''
Of course, there were some differences in how they stayed.
"The family arranged a mansion."
"You too? That''s great. Same for me."
"I''m going to stay at a close family''s mansion."
"..."
Yi-Han remained silent after hearing the Blue Dragon Tower students'' conversation.
''Hmm. No wonder the other tower kids dislike them.''
The mansions in a major city like Granden were unimaginably expensive.
Moreover, the Blue Dragon Tower students were all from the Empire''s noble families.
Even for the same mansion, there was a big price difference between one in the city''s noble district versus other districts.
Yet they went and bought such mansions to use as vis during breaks.
It was no wonder the other tower students cursed at them.
"Where will you be staying, Mr. Wardanaz?"
"...I''ll also be in Granden City."
Yi-Han answered Ratford''s question with embarrassment.
In fact, it wasn''t Yi-Han''s ce to criticize others.
As a member of the Wardanaz family himself, a mansion in Granden City was prepared for Yi-Han as well.
Originally it would have been Philonae Town, but the academy probably moved everything to Granden City
"Why is that?"
"It''s nothing."
Yi-Han overcame his awkwardness and spoke.
"Ratford, where will you stay during the break?"
"I also n to stay in Granden City. I''m going to board."
"If it''s alright, why don''t you stay at our family''s mansion?"
"Oh. Is that okay?"
"Of course. It might be a bit smallpared to other families'' mansions, but it''s not so small that it can''t amodate a few guests."
The Wardanaz family was known among the Empire''s great noble families for having less greed for wealth or power and focusing only on magic, but that was only rtive to other great noble families.
No matter how frugal a renowned family in the Empire tried to be, how frugal could they really be?
The mansion the Wardanaz family arranged was probably spacious enough to fit all the first-year students.
"Dolgyu. Are you thinking of staying too, by any chance?"
"Thanks for the offer, Yi-Han. But I''m going to stay with my tower friends at the knights'' hall."
The ck Tortoise Tower students used various connections to board at guild lodgings or decent inns.
The White Tiger Tower students, being from knight families, used the knights'' quarters located in Granden City.
The Immortal Phoenix Tower students, being temple priests, used the temple dormitories in Granden City.
''No, it''s only those from the Blue Dragon Tower who are ckers, right?'' Yi-Han mused. While students from other towers earnestly made their own arrangements, it seemed like those from the Blue Dragon Tower were merely leveraging their family''s power.
"Yi-Han. Yi-Han."
Yonaire poked Yi-Han and whispered.
Yi-Han, who had been offering Priestess Tijiling and Priest Nigisor to stay at his family''s mansion (both priests politely declined), was puzzled.
"What is it?"
"Look over there."
Yonaire lightly pointed with her finger. At the end was their friend Nillia.
While discussing with the ck Tortoise Tower students which inn or guild lodging would be good to stay at, Nillia kept ncing over at them with a gloomy expression.
''Oops.''
Yi-Han realized his mistake.
He had naturally assumed Yonaire would offer first, so he spoke to Ratford first
"Let''s go."
"Okay."
The two hurriedly moved their feet.
"Nillia! Why don''t you stay at the Wardanaz family mansion during the break?"
"What are you saying, Yi-Han! Nillia will stay at the Maykin family mansion!"
The ck Tortoise Tower students who were discussing where to stay looked at the two with eyes that said, ''Why are these noble bastards suddenly acting up?''
"It''s the Wardanaz family!"
"It''s the Maykin family!"
When the Yi-Han and Yonaire pushed and pulled with all their might, Nillia''s face brightened.
"Oh, what should I do? Both offers are so kind, but choosing one seems a bit..."
"Then let us help you decide."
"That''s right. Nillia."
The ck Tortoise Tower students who had been listening joined in. Nillia was flustered by the unexpected situation.
Salko took out a map of Granden City from his bosom and frowned.
"Where is the Wardanaz family mansion located?"
"I think I''ll have to go and check."
"I see. Unfortunately, I have no choice but to deduct points, Wardanaz."
"Y-yeah. That''s too bad."
"What about the Maykin family mansion?"
"It''s at the top of the hill street in the central noble district here."
"The transportation is convenient and there''s an alchemy workshop nearby that specializes in nobles. It''s a very good location."
"Th-thanks?"
Salko and the ck Tortoise Tower students seriouslypared the two mansions.
Naturally, Yonaire, whose family had a mansion in the city for a long time, had an advantage over Yi-Han, who didn''t even know what kind of mansion they arranged yet.
"Nillia. It would be better for you to stay at the Maykin family mansion."
"R-really? But I feel bad for Wardanaz..."
"If it''s that hard to choose, do you want to stay at the Gainando mansion? That one will probably be the biggest."
"No! I''ll stay at the Maykin family mansion! Thank you!"
Nillia answered immediately.
Well, it''s good that everyone is chatting, but there''s one thing you need to do.
The skull principal approached them and opened a conversation.
"What is that?"
As you all know, this Einroguard is full of mysteries and knowledge passed down from ancient times.
The students nodded their heads.
The problem is that there are also monsters passed down from ancient times, not just mysteries and knowledge.
And these treasures must not be carelessly leaked.
"I see."
So before you leave, let''s swear. That you won''t leak the mysteries and knowledge of Einroguard to the outside.
Yi-Han, who was listening, felt something strange and asked.
"Wait. If we swear to this, does that mean we can''t talk about the academy''s rules or education either?"
The skull principal ignored him, pretending not to hear.
Now, one by one!
"..."
The freshmen made the oath with the skull principal with reluctant expressions.
"I will protect the secrets of Einroguard with my pride and honor?"
O souls, guard the secrets of the mages.
A prohibition was created along with aplex wave of mana.
It was a powerful prohibition that imprisoned important information about Einroguard within the student''s soul and prevented it froming out.
Yi-Han also stood in front of the skull principal with a reluctant expression like his other friends.
However, instead of casting the spell, the skull principal spoke.
Wardanaz, you keep your mouth shut on your own.
"...Pardon?"
Think about it. How much mana would be consumed to ce a prohibition on you.
Considering Yi-Han''s mana capacity, he couldn''t even imagine how much mana it would take to imprison information within his soul.
The skull principal had no intention ofmitting such a waste.
"Aha!"
If oddly specific rumors about Einroguard start to circte, think carefully about who I''ll suspect first.
"Why would I ever do such a thing?"
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Chapter 291
Chapter 291
''What a shame,'' Yi-Han thought regretfully, as the skull principal saw through his true feelings.
In a situation where there was only one suspect, he could not have talked his way out.
The skull principal narrowed his blue pupils and stared at Yi-Han. It seemed like he was having suspicious thoughts...
"No, it''s not like that," Yi-Han said.
Indeed. He probably wouldn''t have time to spread useless rumors anyway. "Have a good break."
The skull principal gave up cleanly without being clingy, which made Yi-Han feel oddly ufortable.
''What is this? Is he nning to send undead after me during the break?''
Inside the magic academy, sending undead to attack the towers at night could be overlooked. But doing such a thing in a major city could attract the attention of the imperial authorities.
However, even considering that, one couldn''t let their guard down around the skull principal.
Yi-Han stepped back, feeling uneasy.
''Surely not.''
Over the weekend, the students finished their preparations for the break and walked towards the main gate, carrying their heavy luggage.
Despite the weight and inconvenience, the students were all smiling brightly.
"Niffirg, thank you," Yi-Han expressed his gratitude to Niffirg, who had a bundle of books on its back. Niffirg tapped its hooves as if it was nothing.
"Oh, I need to take these too. Would it be alright to put these books on as well?"
-Puhihing.-
"Thank you. Wait, this book too..."
-...-
Niffirg red at Yi-Han slightly.
Meanwhile, a singing voice could be heard from the side.
"Einroguard, Einroguard, it''s so wonderful."
Asan was humming a song he hadposed for his ss assignment.
"A ce with warm meals and soft beds, Einroguard."
"A ce with warm meals and soft beds, Einroguard."
Usually, friends from other towers would have rebuked them, saying, "You Blue Dragon Tower bastards, stop singing fake songs!" But they must have been in a really good mood, as they started singing along.
"Our juniors will soone and enjoy this heaven too, Einroguard."
"Just thinking about it makes me excited."
"The juniors won''t being in the second semester, you know."
"Damn it. Why aren''t theying?"
''Are these the same guys who were cursing the seniors yesterday?''
"There was a noble prince..."
"..."
"What? I''m going to sing the song I want to sing too."
At Gainando''s words, the students looked at each other.
Come to think of it, that made sense too.
"One spirit, two spirits, three spirits, four spirits..."
"There was an honorable mage who always prepared meals..."
"When an evil lich attacked, the knights blew their horns..."
''What a mess.''
The singing that had been in unison until just now became mixed and the rhythm was off, as if it had never happened.
Yi-Han patted Niffirg once and hummed.
"Einroguard, Einroguard, it''s so wonderful."
"A ce with warm meals and soft beds, Einroguard."
The skull principal and professors watched the first-year students heading towards the main gate while singing, with warm gazes.
Professor Garcia Kim, whose eyes were slightly red, looked at the skull principal. The skull principal was talking with Professor Beavle Verduus.
"Why won''t you tell me?" Processor Verduus plead.
If you promise to listen well to what I say from now on, I can tell you where he''s staying.
"I promise!"
Not just roughly!
"Excuse me, Principal?"
Ah, Professor Garcia.
When Professor Garcia approached, the skull principal stopped the conversation he was having.
"What were you just talking about...?"
It was nothing important.
"I only want to wo..."
As Professor Verduus tried to speak, the skull principal summoned a huge piece of tree bark and stuffed it into the professor''s mouth.
So, what brings you here?
"Ah, I wanted to say you worked hard this semester."
The skull principal''s eyes softened.
How could that be my achievement alone? The other professors
When he saw Professors Verduus and Bdi, the skull principal stopped mid-sentence.
...Well, not everyone, but anyway, Professor Garcia worked very hard too.
"Yes, everyone really worked hard."
Eunrad Lee, an imperial bureaucrat who hade for the final exams, spoke as if agreeing.
When he was a student, he just wished the professors would drop dead, but after graduating anding back, he still wished the professors would drop dead, but he could feel that everyone was working hard to maintain Einroguard.
As if reading Eunrad Lee''s thoughts, the skull principal grinned.
Thank you for thinking that way.
"Ah, Principal."
Eunrad Lee carefully brought up the topic, gauging the skull principal''s mood.
Since he seemed to be in a good mood, it seemed alright to mention it.
What is it...?
"Well... I received a message yesterday. His Majesty the Emperor wishes to have a private audience with you, Principal. It seems you should go to the capital as soon as possible."
...
As the skull principal''s soul wavered, the surrounding temperature dropped and frost began to form in an instant.
Eunrad Lee, who thought he might be dragged to the mountains behind Einroguard and buried by the enraged great mage, desperately made excuses.
"I... didn''t say much, Principal."
If you didn''t say much, why does he want a private audience? I don''t understand. Now is not the time to meet? Tell me honestly. Did you really not say anything?
"That''s... Principal! You can''t put me in the punishment room after I graduated years ago! You can''t do this!"
Haha. There seems to be a misunderstanding. There''s no way I would put an imperial bureaucrat in the punishment room.
Despite the skull principal''s kind words, Eunrad Lee never let his guard down.
"It''s not decided yet! He might be calling you to give a reward!"
Reward, my ass. How could that be?
The skull principal was extremely realistic.
Usually, there were only two reasons to meet the emperor: either a mage who graduated from Einroguard caused an incident, or a mage currently attending Einroguard caused an incident.
So what''s this about a reward?
The skull principal let out a deep sigh.
Thinking about which bastard caused what incident this time and how much the budget would be cut made his soul shiver already.
"It... it will be alright."
As the skull principal seemed to calm down a bit, Eunrad Lee carefully spoke.
Do you really think so? Then, if the budget gets cut, donate your sry to Einroguard.
"My... my sry is like a drop in the oceanpared to..."
Enough. How would that change anything?
The skull principal clicked his tongue.
Seeing Eunrad Lee looking truly wronged, it didn''t seem to be because of the report...
He wondered if an Einroguard graduate had caused an incident without him knowing. That seemed the most likely.
I''ll have to go see His Majesty the Emperor.
"Then please also take care of my school of magic''s research budget."
"Me too! I need gems for a new artifact..."
"Monsters are needed forbat training..."
...
Seeing the professors only caring about their own magic in this situation, the skull principal was disgusted.
Who taught these utterly relentless people?
The skull principal''s undead army followed the students who passed through the main gate, escorting them.
Their goal was to safely escort the students to Granden City.
Since there was quite a distance, going without an escort would be reckless...
...but there were already other people waiting in front of the main gate.
"Young Master, over here!"
"You''ve worked hard. Oh my, no matter how frugal you are, you''re wearing such rags!"
"Your face has be half its size!"
The escorts from each family who were waiting for the Blue Dragon Tower students rushed over.
In an instant, they washed, undressed, changed clothes, and even stuffed snacks into their mouths. Seeing this, the students from other towers shook their heads.
"Then why are they attending Einroguard?"
"You''re right. It''s an act that destroys the teachings of Einroguard."
"Young Master Yi-Han, we''vee to escort you."
When the aged knight Arlong called Yi-Han with the escorts, Yi-Han pretended not to hear.
"Young Master Yi-Han?"
"Shh. Don''t call out so loudly, Sir Knight."
Yi-Han covered Arlong''s mouth. Behind Arlong, familiar knights from his family were waiting on horseback.
"Did you bring a carriage too?"
"A carriage, you say? I thought it would be too much, so I didn''t bring one. I apologize. If you want, right now..."
"No, it''s fine. Thank you for not bringing one."
If they went to Granden City with this procession as it was, riding in a carriage would make him stand out too much.
His friends from the same tower might not care, but...
"Yi-Han! Want a ride?"
Gainando, who had already entered a dazzling carriage,id on cushions and gestured to Yi-Han.
Yi-Han ignored him, pretending not to hear.
"Isn''t he a friend of yours, Young Master Yi-Han?"
"I don''t know him. I heard the mansion you secured in the town was moved to Granden City, is that right?"
"Yes, someone from the academy came."
Arlong stroked his mustache as he spoke.
The thoughtfulness of Einroguard, sending all the mansions to the city so students couldn''t get money even if they visited nearby towns!
"It would have been nice if they had informed us beforehand."
"...Right. Einroguard is really something. Can I see the mansion you secured?"
"I apologize, it''s not that great of a ce."
Arlong unfolded a city map and pointed to a location with his finger.
It was a mansion located in the noble district in the center of the city, upying a visiblyrge area at a nce.
''If this isn''t a great ce, then what is Arlong''s standard for a great ce?''
Yi-Han wanted to ask if they could just give him the money they saved on this mansion, but he held back.
It wasn''t Arlong''s fault.
"How was your academy life?"
"It was quite different from what I expected."
Arlong gave a generous smile at Yi-Han''s words.
"Isn''t that the case with any ce of learning, no matter the discipline?"
"That''s true, but..."
Einroguard seemed too different, even if it was different.
Yi-Han didn''t know about all the educational institutions in the empire, but it was hard to believe there was a ce more entric than Einroguard.
"Were there any lectures you particrly enjoyed among the ones you attended?"
"Hmm. I was forced to take many of them."
"Hahaha... I was the same when I was in the knighthood before. I just wanted to swing my sword, but they made me learn the Seven Arts, saying I had to maintain the dignity and pride of a knight."
"That''s a bit different..."
Yi-Han trailed off.
Learning poetry, music, and dance as a knight was a bit different from being forced to learn magic at Einroguard.
"Ah, thanks to what I learned from you, Sir Knight, I was able to take a swordsmanship lecture. Thank you."
"There was a swordsmanship lecture? Well, of course, not only those from knight families but also the children of other noble families would learn swordsmanship as an aplishment..."
''Everyone except me was from the White Tiger Tower.''
"It must have been tough with so many students from knight families."
"No, it was surprisingly alright."
"Indeed... Well, since they''re all from knight families, they must have been considerate of you, Young Master Yi-Han."
"...?"
Yi-Han paused.
Were they considerate?
"..."
"..."
The White Tiger Tower students passing by also paused upon hearing those words.
They weren''t though...
"Well, if I had to say, I guess they were kind of considerate."
"Excellent. That''s how knights should be. If they try to trample others just because they learned a bit more swordsmanship, then they haven''t learned properly."
Yi-Han stared intently at the White Tiger Tower students who were passing by. The White Tiger Tower students hurriedly moved their steps.
"Are they your friends?"
"No, I don''t know them."
"Is that so? Young Master Yi-Han, which school of magic are you thinking of specializing in during your first year?"
"...I haven''t decided on that yet."
Misunderstanding that Yi-Han hadn''t made a decision yet, Arlong said it was alright.
"It''s fine. There''s still plenty of time left, so if you take more lectures you haven''t attended, you''ll be able to make a decision."
"Do I really have to do that..."
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Chapter 292
Chapter 292
"What did you say?" Arlong asked, puzzled.
"No. It''s nothing," he quickly changed the subject, not wanting to worry the kind old knight unnecessarily.
"What are your ns for the break, Young Master Yi-Han? If there''s anything you need, this Arlong will do his best to assist you," the knight offered.
"Well... I''ll have to study," Yi-Han replied, ncing at the stack of books Niffirg was carrying.
Just because they gave them a break didn''t mean he could rx and take it easy. Giving a break was closer to saying, "It''s your choice to rest, but study on your own. If you don''t, you''ll be left behind."
Especially in a harsh school like Einroguard, there was a high possibility that professors would assume, "You must have studied up to this point, right? Then I''ll skip over it, assuming you know it."
Even for students who took fewer sses, it was risky to ck off, but for Yi-Han, who took many sses, studying was not a choice but a necessity.
"Excellent," Arlong said, deeply impressed, unaware of Yi-Han''s desperate inner thoughts.
Not everyone from the great noble families of the Empire was as diligent and hardworking as Yi-Han. On the contrary, there were more who were extravagant orzy. It was only natural, given the solid support their family background provided.
Yet, Yi-Han had never shown a single moment ofxity and had been diligently devoting himself to magic.
''As expected, Young Master Yi-Han is someone befitting the bloodline of the Wardanaz family,'' Arlong thought.
"However, Young Master Yi-Han, when young masters gather in one ce to train and polish themselves, it''s not just for studying but also for getting to know each other and socializing. Studying is good, but wouldn''t it be a waste to spend the entire break studying?"
"Of course, I have ns for that too," Yi-Han reassured him, and Arlong''s face brightened once more.
"I''m thinking of collecting coins. There should be quite a few ces to work part-time in Granden City."
"...?" Arlong was slightly taken aback by Yi-Han''s words. It was apletely unexpected answer.
''What is this...?'' He nced at his subordinate knights, thinking that since they were much younger, they would better understand what Yi-Han meant.
-We don''t know what he means either.-
-Could it be a metaphor only used by mages?-
-Is he really trying to collect coins?
-Don''t say nonsense in front of Sir Arlong. Why would Young Master Yi-Han do such a thing?-
"I... see. Excellent," Arlong said, not wanting to be a tactless old knight who couldn''t keep up with the trends of young mages these days, so he cheered him on for now.
But his inner thoughts were still confused.
"But don''t you have any other ns...?"
"Other ns?" Yi-Han tilted his head. He hadn''t really thought of anything besides studying and coins.
"Like... social activities with your friends..."
"Ah." At those words, Yi-Han btedly realized and nodded.
"I should meet my friends too."
Arlong inwardly sighed with relief.
"You''ve thought well. If you ever want to hold a gathering or a banquet, please let me know anytime. I will prepare it in a way that won''t shame the name of the Wardanaz family."
''I don''t think there''s a need to go that far,'' Yi-Han thought to himself at Arlong''s words.
The reason Yi-Han wanted to meet his friends was to collect the money he had lent them.
Upon arriving at his residence in Granden City (Yi-Han had left early to avoid the crowd of onlookers that had gathered at the city gate due to the procession of luxurious carriages of the Blue Dragon Tower students), Yi-Han first took a rest.
After taking a deep sleep on the soft and fluffy bed and waking up, the events at the magic academy suddenly felt like a long nightmare.
Of course, it wasn''t a dream.
Yi-Han got up and roughly estimated the amount of coins written in the ledger with his eyes.
Even with a rough calction, it seemed like it would be enough for twenty Imperial gold coins.
It was such an impressive amount that it made him have unfounded confidence in his own business skills.
''...No. I need to get a grip.''
For a moment, he even thought he should aim to be an Imperial merchant instead of an Imperial bureaucrat, but Yi-Han quickly came to his senses.
Although earning twenty gold coins in one semester was a tremendous ie, it was thanks to the unique closed situation of the magic academy.
As soon as he became a second-year student, it would be difficult to do this kind of business.
''I need to be humble. If I get cocky, I might lose everything.''
Nevertheless, the amount of twenty Imperial gold coins was enough to make his heart race.
A farmer with a not-so-small piece ofnd had to work hard all year round to get one gold coin...
"I will prepare breakfast, Young Master Yi-Han," a servant said from outside. Yi-Han opened the door and said,
"Something simple to snack on will do. Has Ratford woken up by any chance?"
"Yes. He asked me to let him know when you awake, Young Master."
"I''m sorry. Could you call him? Ah, wait a moment."
Yi-Han stopped the servant who was about to leave and asked,
"Yesterday, when we entered through the west gate of Granden City, do you know the small general store near the city gate? It was quite crowded..."
"Yes. Is there anything you need from there, Young Master?"
"If I were to buy that general store, how much do you think it would cost?"
The servant pondered for a moment and then carefully answered,
"It would cost at least two hundred Imperial gold coins, wouldn''t it?"
Yi-Han had to put strength into his body to avoid staggering.
He didn''t think it would be cheap, given that it was one of the most prominent cities, but for a general store of that size...
''I was being cocky.''
He was ashamed of himself for thinking he could be a merchant just by earning that much.
"Young Master Yi-Han?"
"...I see. Thank you for answering."
Not long after the servant left, Ratford came in.
The old-fashioned atmosphere of the mansion seemed quite unfamiliar to him, so as soon as he saw Yi-Han, Ratford ran up to him with a bright face.
"Mr. Wardanaz!"
"Did you rest well?"
"My body isfortable, but my heart is a bit..."
"You''ll get used to it soon. Let''s have breakfast first."
Although Yi-Han had asked for a simple meal, the breakfast the servants brought was more plentiful than he had expected.
After cutting the slightly spicy seasoned eggs and putting them in his mouth, Yi-Han let out a deep sigh.
"Did something happen?"
"It''s nothing much. I was thinking of buying a small storeter, but the price is not as low as I thought."
At Yi-Han''s words, Ratford, who was drinking cold milk from a bottle, nodded in understanding.
"I understand."
"What do you understand?"
"Weren''t you telling me to secure gold coins for you?"
"...Ratford. Theft is a crime outside the magic academy."
Actually, it was a crime inside too, but Yi-Han thought it could be considered as extenuating circumstances to that extent.
Even among thieves, depending on their motives and purposes, some were called righteous thieves, weren''t they?
In Yi-Han''s opinion, stealing from the skull principal was definitely righteous.
At Yi-Han''s words, Ratford looked confused.
"So... are you telling me not to do it? Or are you telling me to do it well without getting caught?"
"I''m telling you not to do it. Ratford, if I ask you to do something, I won''t use metaphors and will ask very specifically, so never act rashly."
"Yes."
Ratford looked slightly crestfallen.
He didn''t get a chance to show off his thieving skills.
With a ttering sound, Yi-Han cleanly emptied the bowl of rice.
It had been quite a while since he had eaten Eastern-style meals at Einroguard, so it tasted particrly delicious.
Ratford finished a slice of buttered toast and tilted his head slightly.
"Does it not suit your taste?"
"Ah, no, that''s not it."
"It doesn''t seem like it''s not. I''d appreciate it if you could be honest with me since it''s really okay."
"Well... the ones you made tasted better..."
At Ratford''s words, Yi-Hanughed.
He was happy to receive apliment from his friend.
"Thank you. But that''s because of the special situation at Einroguard. In that situation, anything you eat will taste better."
Originally, when you''re starving, anything tastes better.
Otherwise, there was no way Yi-Han''s cooking could taste better than the cooking of the chefs at the mansion.
"Is that so?"
"That''s right."
At Yi-Han''s words, Ratford nodded, but inwardly, he wasn''t fully convinced.
''Objectively, it really seemed to taste better though...''
"I think I''ll go out for a bit after eating. Do you have any ns for today?"
"Where are you going?"
"I''m thinking of collecting the silver coins."
Ratford asked in a slightly expectant voice,
"By any chance..."
"I''m not going to steal them, I''m going to receive them."
"Yes. I''ll still go with you."
Ratford was disappointed.
Asan of the Dargard family was so tense that he couldn''t even breathe properly.
"I heard that a member of your family has been admitted to Einroguard. Congrattions."
"Thank you."
The Dargard family''s mansion in Granden City had a long history, and ordingly, there were many family members and guests staying at the mansion.
On top of that, as luck would have it, there was a gathering today, and people of high status in Granden City were gathering one by one as guests.
Given the situation, it was inevitable that the family''s student who had juste out of Einroguard yesterday would be a topic of conversation.
"Being from Einroguard, the name of the Dargard family will shine even brighter."
"Thank you."
"I''m curious about which school of magic he''s majoring in. May I ask after listening to the performance today?"
"Please do so."
''Save me.''
Asan felt suffocated.
If he made a mistake in front of the famous people of Granden City gathered here, it would tarnish the family''s honor.
"Focus," Daihal, Asan''s older brother, approached him.
Dressed in a wrinkle-free suit, Daihal was the kind of person who wouldn''t sweat a single drop even in the scorching midsummer sun.
"You still make a lot of mistakes. You were a beatte when greeting earlier. And when answering..."
Haidan, Asan''s older sister and Daihal''s twin, also approached.
Like Daihal, she was the kind of person who wouldn''t bat an eye even if a dragon appeared above the city.
"You didn''t notice the dust on your cufflinks. That''s why you make a lot of mistakes. Think about the mistake you made eighteen days and four days ago."
"It was embarrassing because of your miscalction."
"It was really just thest digit that was wrong..."
"Be quiet. It''s that kind ofcent attitude that makes you keep making mistakes."
Asan closed his mouth at the reprimands of his older brother and sister.
If those two made mistakes while saying such things, he would have retorted, but they were so perfect that Asan could only feel intimidated.
Daihal had been selected as an Imperial bureaucrat and was rapidly rising through the ranks, while Haidan had gotten a job at the Bronze Dwarf Bank in the East and was impressing the fastidious dwarves...
"That''s why you couldn''t take first or second ce in the tower."
"It''s not that I couldn''t do it, it''s just that the first and second ce were too good..."
"Be quiet. Stop making excuses."
"Young Master Asan. A guest hase to see you," a servant of the family came to the rescue of Asan, who was being scolded.
Although he didn''t know who the guest was, Asan was happy for now. It was an excuse to get out of this situation.
"Brother! Sister! It seems like a friend hase to visit!"
"Why do you look so happy?"
"Well... how can I not be happy when a friend hase to visit?"
"..."
"..."
Daihal and Haidan stared intently at their unreliable younger brother.
"Since a friend of my younger brother hase to visit, I should go and greet them."
"I''ll go too."
"What?! I can do it..."
"Be quiet. Greeting a guest who hase to the mansion is not your duty, but mine."
Asan followed the two with a tearful face.
''Please, anyone but Gainando. Please, anyone but Gainando.''
Given their personalities, if the visiting friend was not satisfactory, there was a high possibility that they would mercilessly criticize Asan.
Asan prayed that any of his other friends hade to visit first, not Gainando.
"Hello."
"!!!"
Seeing the familiar face entering, Asan let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, his most reliable friend had visited first!
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Chapter 293
Chapter 293
Yi-Han hesitated when someone other than Asan came out as the elder of the family.
''What is this? Is it a trap?'' he thought.
Could it be that Asan was using this tactic because he didn''t want to pay back the silver coins he borrowed?
''No. Asan isn''t that wicked.''
However, he couldn''t let his guard down.
Even if Asan wasn''t like that, other members of the family could use cowardly tactics.
Just because they were nobles didn''t mean they were all upright people.
If there were those who sincerely revered honor, there were also those like Yi-Han who considered honor as just a formality to maintain face.
There were quite a few ways to avoid paying back borrowed money while still preserving a noble''s honor.
For example, if they found fault with Yi-Han''s attitude and dered, "How dare a guestmit such rudeness. Please leave at once!" and issued an order to expel him, Yi-Han would be pushed out before he could even ask for the borrowed money.
If that happened, things would be quite troublesome.
As someone from the Wardanaz family, Yi-Han couldn''t protest in front of the mansion, saying, "The Dargard family, pay back the borrowed silver coins!"
The noble way was to be direct and rough when it was arge sum, and for small amounts like Yi-Han''s case, to spread rumors that damaged the other party''s reputation and honor...
''Whether the Dargard family is disgraced or not, the problem is that not a single silver coin will return to me.''
A mutually unhappy ending.
That absolutely couldn''t happen.
The best method was to avoid giving the other party any reason to find fault in the first ce.
"Greetings. I am Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family," Yi-Han introduced himself with the utmost courtesy, without a single misstep in formality.
Seeing this, the stern expressions of Daihal and Haidan softened ever so slightly before returning to normal.
It was so brief that no one around them noticed, but Yi-Han was different.
A genius of reading people, acknowledged even by the skull principal, capable of discerning the emotions of Einroguard''s entric professors!
''It seems I passed the first impression, at least.''
Although the other party seemed satisfied, Yi-Han didn''t let his guard down.
He still hadn''t figured out their true intentions.
"To meet a mage from the Wardanaz family like this, it''s an honor. I am Daihal of the Dargard family," Daihal said.
"I am Haidan of the Dargard family," Haidan introduced herself.
Yi-Han shook hands with the twins. Their hands were dry and cold.
"As someone from the Wardanaz family, you must be making a name for yourself at Einroguard as well," Daihal remarked.
"No, that''s not the case. The bloodline of a family doesn''t necessarily guarantee ability, and there are so many outstanding students at Einroguard," Yi-Han replied humbly.
The expressions of the twins stiffened slightly again.
For someone from the renowned Wardanaz family of the empire to say such weak words, they suspected his abilities might becking.
"Is that so? Pardon me, but I''m curious about which students are more outstanding than a mage from the Wardanaz family. Who are they?" Daihal inquired.
"Uh..." Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
Of course, it was only natural since he was the top student of the year.
The harm of excessive humility!
''Damn. Did I make a mistake?''
"?"
When Yi-Han didn''t answer, the twins'' brows furrowed slightly.
At that moment, Asan whispered softly beside him, "Brother, Sister. Wardanaz is the top student of the year."
"Is that true?" Daihal asked.
"You''ve made a very excellent friend," Haidan remarked.
Daihal and Haidan''s expressions rxed to the point where one could say they were ''gentle'' for the first time today.
Seeing this side of his strict siblings for the first time, Asan couldn''t help but be surprised.
"...It''s not something to be so happy about that Wardanaz is the top student, is it? You''re not usually like this..." Asan muttered.
"What are you talking about? We''re just happy that you''ve made a good friend," Daihal retorted.
"It''s because you make mistakes all the time, so there''s nothing to be happy about. If you had done things properly in the first ce..." Haidan trailed off.
Listening beside them, Yi-Han thought to himself, ''Hmm. They''re quite crazy people.''
It might be a bit rude, but seeing how they nagged their younger brother, they didn''t seem to be in their right minds.
Judging by their appearance, he could also guess why the two of them hade out. It was to assess what kind of person their younger brother''s friend was.
''It''s a good thing I came before Gainando.''
Yi-Han had the same thought as Asan.
"And this person is..." Daihal asked, looking at Ratford.
As Ratford, overwhelmed by the atmosphere, was about to open his mouth nervously, Yi-Han took the lead.
"This is Ratford. The top student in his tower."
"!"
Once again, the expressions of Daihal and Haidan softened.
"You''ve made excellent friends," Daihal remarked.
"Learn a lot and work hard," Haidan added.
"The first reception room should be empty right now. You can use that. If you need anything, feel free to ask," Daihal offered.
The twins politely bid farewell to Yi-Han and Ratford once more, looking satisfied as they withdrew.
Ratford asked in confusion, "I''m not the top student in the tower, though?"
"It meant the top thief. Let''s go," Yi-Han rified.
"..."
Ratford and Asan looked at Yi-Han in disbelief, but Yi-Han paid no heed.
"...So that''s why they''re like that," Yi-Han said sympathetically after hearing Asan''s detailed exnation.
''Wait. This isn''t the right atmosphere to ask about when I''ll get the money.''
No matter how much Yi-Han wanted to receive the money quickly and move on to the next mansion, he wasn''t the type to bring up his business in front of a friend who was saying, "My life is miserable because of my overly talented brother and sister."
"I''m sorry, Wardanaz. Actually, it''s not just me who goes through this kind of worry. You must be simr, right, Wardanaz?" Asan asked.
Not everyone in a great noble family was happy andfortable.
As the honor and responsibility as heavy as the family''s history weighed on their shoulders from birth, the children of the family had no choice but topete fiercely with each other.
Of course, in Yi-Han''s eyes, it sounded quite like a privilege problem.
It was better topete fiercely within the family than to be among those who didn''t evenpete fiercely without a family...
And above all, Yi-Han''s situation was different from Asan''s.
"No. In our family, we don''t really care about each other," Yi-Han replied.
"Really? Well, the Wardanaz family is a bit unique."
Among the great noble families, it was rare to find a family as uninterested in the empire''s politics or social life as the Wardanaz family.
A stubborn family that poured all their interest solely into magic.
"By the way, Asan. The borrowed..." Yi-Han began.
"Ah! What should I do, Wardanaz? I don''t want to disappoint my brother and sister! Help me, Wardanaz. I''m sure you can give me 100% certain advice," Asan pleaded.
"..."
Yi-Han was flustered but calmly changed the subject.
"You mentioned there''s a gathering in the mansion''s salon today, right? You can showcase your abilities there."
Yi-Han didn''t know the level of students from other magic academies.
But one thing was certain.
They definitely couldn''t be better than the students of Einroguard.
''No matter how I think about it, that''s impossible.''
With Asan''s magic skills, it would be enough to impress the guests who came to the gathering.
Then Asan''s brother and sister would also be satisfied with their younger brother''s abilities...
...and Yi-Han could receive the borrowed money and leave.
"Indeed. At the gathering. That''s a good idea," Asan agreed.
"Actually, it would be even better to just pretend you don''t exist," Yi-Han muttered.
"Thanks for the joke, Wardanaz. Thanks to you, I''ve gained confidence," Asan said, not catching the sarcasm.
''It wasn''t a joke, though.''
Just because famous figures of the city gathered in the salon didn''t mean they did anything extraordinary.
In fact, aside from the refreshments and drinks served, it wasn''t much different from the lounge in the tower.
Musicians yed chamber music (in the tower''s lounge, students sang because they were hungry), well-dressed nobles sat and yed chess or card games (the same in the tower''s lounge), and they talked about interesting things that had recently happened in the city...
"This is the new jeweled staff I acquired. Three others besides me were after it, so it took quite a bit of effort, but it was worth it," someone boasted.
"I''m a bit worried about the rising price of Amad these days. I''vemissioned a workshop, but if they ask for a higher price..." another person shared their concern.
''Familiar.''
Even bragging about obtained items and talking about recent worries were the same as the students in the tower.
"Oh my. Could you be students from Einroguard?" someone asked as Yi-Han, Asan, and Ratford made their appearance.
As it was the vacation period and they had heard that a descendant of the Dargard family had enrolled in Einroguard, they couldn''t help but be curious.
"That''s right," Yi-Han confirmed.
"What an honor! I am Guun, a humble silk and cloth merchant," an elf named Guun introduced himself.
Guun''s words were close to modesty. Someone who ran a small cloth business couldn''t possibly dress like Guun.
The patterned silk and the ornaments on his wrists.
One could guess how wealthy he was.
''A rich man.''
And Yi-Han liked rich people.
"I am Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family. Pleased to make your acquaintance," Yi-Han introduced himself, extending his hand with a fake smile to gain favor, just like before.
And Yi-Han could see it.
The fear flickering like a me in the other person''s eyes.
"Wa... Wardanaz family...! Ple- pleased to meet you..." Guun stammered.
"..."
Yi-Hanmented inwardly.
He just wanted to be friendly, but with just the name of the Wardanaz family, this was the result!
Still, Yi-Han didn''t give up and said, "Although my skills are stillcking, if you ever need assistance rted to magic..."
In fact, this offer didn''t hold much meaning.
Of course, even a first-year student at Einroguard was far more skilled than the wandering mages one could most easily encounter outside.
Mages were an extremely rare profession, and thanks to that, there were quite a few who boasted about being mages just by summoning a single me.
However, someone who could attend a gathering like this would have the ability to call a proper mage, not such a wanderer.
In other words, Yi-Han''s offer wasn''t really about telling them to let him know if they needed magical assistance, but more like saying, "Let''s use this as an excuse to be friendly with each other."
"Yes... I will keep that in mind. Thank you for your consideration," Guun replied.
''Damn. It failed.''
Of course, the other party''s reaction wasn''t very good. Yi-Han felt bitter.
"You''re students from Einroguard?" someone else asked.
Yi-Han and his friends turned their heads.
At a nce, they could tell that the other person was a mage. The flow of mana around them was different from other ces.
"That''s right," Yi-Han confirmed.
"I heard you''re freshmen. Would it be alright to test your skills?" the mage asked.
If it were any other situation, Yi-Han would have crushed them, using his family name or whatever else, saying, "Who are you to presumptuously test me? Have you ever given me gold coins? Are you a professor?"
But now, it was different.
He had already intended to showcase his magic skills in front of the people participating in the gathering.
''Much appreciated.''
Originally, he couldn''t have done this directly.
If Yi-Han had said something like, "Ladies and gentlemen, please look this way. The students from Einroguard will show you something," it would have damaged his reputation and honor.
The correct way was for the other party to say, "I''ve heard about you. I''d like to see your skills," and then reluctantly respond, "Well, just once."
"Although my skills are stillcking, I will do my best," Yi-Han replied.
"What''s going on?"
"I heard the students from Einroguard are going to demonstrate magic."
"What great fortune has befallen us today. To think we''d get to see something like this."
The guests who were nearby also stopped their conversations or games and started to show interest.
A perfectly prepared situation.
''But who is the other person?''
"Let me formally introduce myself. I am Doin from the Valer family. I received advanced magic training at Baldurguard," the mage introduced himself.
"Ah."
"Hmm."
One of the guests beside them let out an exmation of admiration.
"Baldurguard! Isn''t it one of the best magic academies in the empire?"
''Is this how academy pride is born?''
For a moment, Yi-Han almost reflexively retorted.
What kind of magic academy allowed free outings?
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Chapter 294
Chapter 294
''Oh no. What was I thinking?'' Yi-Han quickly came to his senses.
Of course, the educational environment at Baldurguard was slightly morefortable than Einroguard, but that didn''t necessarily corrte with magical prowess. Graduates from Baldurguard could also be outstanding mages.
Moreover, his opponent was a graduate. As a mere first-year student, Yi-Han couldn''t afford to underestimate him.
"Wardanaz. I''m ready," Asan whispered with a determined expression.
"Mr. Wardanaz. Please let me know if you need a pickpocket," Ratford also whispered, looking resolute.
The back of the room was quite busy as people cleared tables and pushed chairs aside, preparing to witness the magic.
"Ratford. I''m sorry, but this is just a test of magic. It''s not a duel."
"But if the opponent''s staff disappears, it might be a bit easier, don''t you think?"
Asan perked up at those words. Yi-Han spoke firmly, "If we do that, themotion will take a strange turn. Just use magic, that''s all."
"But Wardanaz. We don''t know what kind of magic the opponent will use."
This wasn''t a duel, but a setting to confirm the mage''s abilities. In such cases, rather than shing with full force, it usually flowed with one side presenting a challenge and the other resolving it with magic.
This time, it seemed that Doin, the mage from Baldurguard, would give the test, and Yi-Han and his friends would solve it.
"Don''t worry too much. We''re first-years. The other party will take that into ount when presenting the test. Giving an excessively difficult test would be a blow to their own dignity."
There was no way someone who came to the Dargard family''s residence would deliberately embarrass the Dargard family''s mage. Doing so would immediately invite bacsh.
"So don''t fret unnecessarily, and focus on not making careless mistakes. Understood?"
Asan nodded. Ratford also nodded.
"Just in case..."
"I said I won''t steal it."
"Yes, sir."
Unlike Yi-Han and his friends who had a strong aversion to Baldurguard, Doin had no particr resentment towards Einroguard.
Of course, it would be a lie to say he wasn''t envious of Einroguard, which always held the reputation as the empire''s best magic academy. However, Doin loved and believed in Baldurguard, the academy he attended, even more.
''It''s only because the empire''s people arecent. If they could truly see properly, they would think Baldurguard is the most excellent and outstanding magic academy!''
If Yi-Han or other Einroguard mages heard this, they would immediately challenge him to a duel, but at least that''s what Doin believed.
As such, Doin had no particr resentment towards Einroguard. His current concern wasn''t how to embarrass the Einroguard students, but rather how to save face for them.
''Asan from the Dargard family is quite a well-regarded young man, and the other is from the Wardanaz family, so they won''t make absurd mistakes, right?''
Confirming magical abilities in such a setting was akin to a y. The one giving the test had to present it well so that the other party could pass.
What if the test involved a difficult or unfamiliar school of magic to the opponent? The atmosphere would instantly turn as cold as ice.
And the mage who presented the test would undoubtedly be scorned by the Dargard family and everyone associated with them for a while. Just thinking about it was a terrible nightmare.
''What kind of test would be good...?''
Doin pondered over what test he should give so that the students could easily pass and the people present could be impressed in an understandable way.
"Come to think of it, what kind of magic are you three interested in?"
"I''m interested in divination magic."
"For me, it''s illusion magic."
"I... um... haven''t decided yet."
It wasn''t surprising for a mage who had only been learning magic for a short time to not have chosen a school yet, considering that even mages who had trained for over a decade changed schools as needed.
Thinking that way, Doin failed to notice the two students looking at Yi-Han in surprise.
''I should choose the easiest magic possible between illusion magic and divination magic.''
Having made his decision after contemtion, Doin waved his staff.
"Illusion, transform into chains of elements."
One of the advantages of illusion magic was its shy appearance. It might sound like a joke, but this was a more important advantage than one might think.
Most people, when viewing magic, didn''t see the mysterious flow of mana or profound philosophy within it. They just saw what was visible on the surface.
Thanks to that, while dark mages struggled to find investors and had to rummage through tombs, illusion mages couldfortably conduct their research with the support of some nobles.
That advantage was evident in this setting as well. As the illusion magic sparkled and took form in the spacious hall, apuse and exmations erupted from various corners.
''Isn''t it too slow?''
However, Yi-Han inwardly found it strange. Compared to the professors at the magic academy, Doin''s casting speed was too slow.
Of course, from Doin''s perspective, it would be an unfair situation where he could only say, ''If I could cast faster than Einroguard professors, I would be a professor myself,'' but it still seemed slow no matter what.
nk!
"Do you see these chains made of illusion? They are connected to the handcuffs binding my wrists."
"We see it, Sir Doin!"
The mage, Doin, raised his wrists to show the connected illusion handcuffs and chains to the people.
The illusion chains hanging down to the floor were connected to four points, and at their ends stood illusion pirs.
"If you cast the appropriate element on the pirs, the chains will be released one by one. Can the mages of Einroguard rescue me? Everyone, please cheer them on!"
Another round of apuse and cheers.
Doin''s showmanship and eloquence in entertaining people were even more outstanding than his magical abilities. He was a mage who couldn''t help but be popr at salons and gatherings. Even Yi-Han was slightly impressed.
''Is this how a mage should act at gatherings to gain poprity?''
It was certainly educational in many ways. Yi-Han nodded, thinking he should try imitating itter when needed.
As Yi-Han was nodding, Asan whispered in a worried voice, "Wardanaz. Can we seed in one go?"
"I don''t think we necessarily need to seed in one go."
The illusion magic Doin had cast was a kind of puzzle. Four chains connected to four pirs. Now, if they cast the appropriate elemental magic, the pirs would be released one by one, and the chains would disappear.
In other words, even if they cast the wrong elemental magic, they could simply cast a different magic again...
"But my brother and sister are watching. If we don''t seed in one go, they''ll say something."
"Then why don''t you tell them to try it themselves?"
Asan shook his head with a sorrowful expression. Yi-Han clicked his tongue in pity.
''Just because they were born a few years earlier, he has to take it so one-sidedly.''
Originally, these things were meant to be solved through trial and error, but he was being so mindful of others.
Yi-Han didn''t say anything further. As an aristocratic family, there were advantages and disadvantages. It wasn''t something for others toment on.
"There is a way to solve it in one go, though."
"How?"
"By breaking it with force."
Yi-Han briefly exined the dispelling method he had learned from the excellent illusion mage, Baldoorn. It wasn''t about understanding the structure of the illusion magic and finding its weakness to dispel it, but rather using a strong surge of mana to blow away the illusion magic itself.
"Is that possible?"
"Of course, it might not work. A magic with a sturdy structure can withstand it quite well."
"No, Wardanaz. What I meant was, can you release that much mana?"
Asan spoke in disbelief. He understood the theory. If hit with that level of mana, the magic would inevitably waver.
But could they really draw out that mana?
"We don''t need that much. This should be enough..."
Yi-Han raised his staff to demonstrate to Asan and lightly released his mana.
Crack!
Even without a direct hit, the illusion chain that was slightly grazed made a creaking sound and copsed on the spot. And the other chains connected to the illusion chain also copsed, along with the handcuffs...
Crack!
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han, who had intended to demonstrate, was startled, and Asan, who was watching, was also startled. And naturally, Doin was startled as well.
''What the...!?''
They had asked him to solve the illusion puzzle, but he suddenly shattered it with a single wave of his staff. Anyone would be surprised.
''What did he do? It didn''t seem like he cast any particr magic. He couldn''t have just brutally broken it with force. Did Einroguard teach him some magic I''m unaware of?''
His mind was in turmoil, but Doin reacted first.
"Excellent! Excellent indeed! Everyone must have seen it! The mages of Einroguard solved the magic in one go!"
The guests who were watching apuded in amazement. Among them, those who knew a bit about magic tilted their heads, feeling it was different from what they expected, but they apuded nheless.
It was solved well, after all!
''That startled me.''
Doin inwardly sighed in relief. The students from Einroguard had acted unexpectedly, and he had almost beente to react.
If he had made a mistake, the atmosphere would have turned chilly...
"Sir Doin! Show us one more!" someone who had already had a drink and looked slightly intoxicated shouted excitedly.
"!"
"!!"
Both Yi-Han and Doin were surprised.
"When and where else would we get to see such magic!"
"That''s right!"
"Seeing the magic performed by the most outstanding mages in the empire is an eye-opening experience!"
Excited people always wanted to see more, no matter what. Doin realized it was toote. Everyone was eagerly anticipating.
"Al... Alright. Then, for the next magic..."
Doin tensed up once again. The people sitting there could shout ''One more time!'' while raising their sses because it wasn''t their business, but for Doin, who was giving the test, his mouth was dry.
He couldn''t give a test that was the same or easier than before. It had to be slightly more difficult.
And it had to be intuitively understandable to the gathered people, and also be a test where the atmosphere could be salvaged even if the young students made mistakes.
Moreover, he had to keep in mind that the students might have consumed a lot of mana by now, so mana exhaustion could ur midway...
"You''re not tired or dizzy, are you?"
"No. I''m fine."
"I''m fine too."
"...Alright. Then, for the next magic..."
Poof!
As Yi-Han evaded the fourth summoned illusion monster with his eyes closed and dispelled it, the people erupted in cheers once more.
p p p p p-
''Oh, no.''
Doin was surprised. Honestly, even while casting the previous magic, he had regretted it, thinking, ''This is bad! I made it too difficult!''
But they solved it so easily just like that. A nearby seated nobleman asked with concern, "Sir Doin. No matter how skilled the mages from Einroguard are, they''re still first-year students. Isn''t it too difficult..."
"No need to worry! Aren''t they solving it so well?"
"The next magic! Show us the next magic!"
Regardless, the people gathered were excited that Yi-Han and his friends were solving it so well. Doin thought to himself, ''They''re doing too well, and that''s why thismotion is happening! Can''t they just perform moderately well?''
He was at a loss as to how long he would have to keep casting magic. He needed to stop at some point...!
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Chapter 295
Chapter 295
While solving the challenges, had the participants shown signs of hesitation or weariness, others might have suggested, "Let''s call it a day." But the freshmen were performing so exceptionally that everyone was overly enthusiastic, urging them on.
This left Doin feeling utterly miserable.
His mana was rapidly depleting.
"We''re ready."
Yi-Han''s words sounded almost scary now.
Doin wiped the sweat from his forehead and sent a desperate look to Yi-Han.
''What''s going on?''
Yi-Han couldn''t have missed that look. He became lost in thought.
Why was the opposing mage acting like this?
"Sir Doin. Are you perhaps feeling unwell? You''re breaking out in a cold sweat..."
"Ah, no. I''m fine. I''m fine."
Doin gripped his staff and held back a sigh.
Now he couldn''t even think of what test to give.
''What... magic should I...''
Thud!
The staggering Doin finally sat down. It was dizziness from mana exhaustion.
"Are you alright?!"
Yi-Han immediately ran over.
He had been thinking from earlier that Doin might be sick, so his reaction was quick. Yi-Han supported Doin and said,
"You seem unwell, why didn''t you say so earlier?"
"Urgh..."
Doin almost blurted out, ''It''s because you were thoughtlessly doing too well,'' but he held it back.
However, he couldn''t say that. The other party was from the Wardanaz and Dargard families, after all.
"Oh dear. It seems Sir Doin overexerted himself despite not being in good health."
"It''s unfortunate, but it can''t be helped now. Today was truly enjoyable."
The guests rose amicably, offering worried farewells.
Some guests approached Yi-Han''s group separately to shower them with praise.
"That was excellent. I''m sure rumors will soon spread about a great mage emerging from the Dargard family."
"Ah, no. Thank you."
"The Wardanaz family''s reputation is indeed well-deserved. I was truly moved."
"Thank you."
"If you have any thoughts after graduation, I''d like to personally sponsor..."
Among them, there were even people proposing personal sponsorship to Ratford.
Seeing that, Yi-Han felt a bit aggrieved.
''Why only Ratford?''
Of course, he understood.
Such sponsorships were usually offered by wealthy individuals to talented but poor people.
The rich and nobles could pre-emptively bestow debts or favors to someone who might be an outstanding great mage in the future, and in return, the mage could receive gold coins immediately, so it was mutually beneficial.
However, if this was proposed to the young master of a high noble family, it would be a rude usation of "Is your family poor?"
It was truly a regrettable situation.
"It''s, it''s fine."
"You don''t need to decide right now. If you change your mindter,e find me."
Ratford nodded with a dazed expression.
Meanwhile, an elder approached Yi-Han. Yi-Han could immediately tell that this person was not ordinary.
''Two rings. One ne. One bracelet. They''re all artifacts.''
For someone who could keenly grasp the flow of mana like Yi-Han, such discernment was possible just from appearance.
Even among the empire''s wealthy, it was rare for someone to carry around artifacts of that level.
"Did you recognize the artifacts?"
The other party asked with interest.
"Yes. If it seemed rude, I apologize."
"It''s fine. If you have the ability, it''s only natural to recognize them. I am dne from the Greenbel family."
"I am Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family."
dne, a spider mixed-blood, had the impression of a kind grandmother, but her every movement was wless and her posture was unwavering.
"Sir Doin is not such an ipetent mage, so today''s event was surprising."
"We were just lucky."
"I''m not a mage, but... there is no word that suits magic less than luck. Only skill exists. Not only was it surprising that you dispelled Sir Doin''s magic so easily... but to exhaust all his mana as well."
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised.
''Ah. I see.''
Come to think of it, Doin''s condition had been a bit strange.
If his health was that poor, there should have been signs from the beginning.
Naturally thinking by his own standards, he had failed to consider that the opposing mage''s mana could be depleted.
''I did something I need to apologize for.''
However, dne seemed to interpret Yi-Han''s surprise in a different way.
"No need to be surprised. I didn''t bring it up to reprimand you. An excellent mage should have a strong sense of pride. Especially against someone who dared to test your skills. Ending it so gracefully is something Doin should be grateful for."
"...No, that''s..."
Yi-Han wanted to rify the misunderstanding, but dne had already reached her own conclusion.
Even if it was for the gathering''s entertainment, a mage who challenged him without the skills to back it up was unforgivable.
That he had crushed them with the Wardanaz family''s pride!
"It really isn''t like that."
"If you say so, let''s leave it at that. Anyway, I was surprised. It''s not new for mages from Einroguard to be outstanding, but it''s the first time I''ve seen a first-year student this excellent. Even for the Wardanaz family."
"Thank you."
"Since you''re students, you''ll be staying in Granden City during the break. If you ever need help, feel free to visit the Greenbel family anytime. The doors of our mansion are always open to capable individuals."
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised again.
dne seemed to interpret that surprise differently as well.
"Shall I try to guess? You''re probably thinking about what you might need help with right now."
"No... that''s not it."
"Sometimes there are matters that are difficult to resolve even with the power of a high noble family, or things you''d rather not handle in the name of a high noble family. There are definitely times like that. In that case..."
dne bowed and then withdrew.
Asan, who had returned after receiving lots of praise from his older brother and sister, spoke in an excited voice.
"Wardanaz! Did you hear? I was praised! They praised me!"
"Asan... I don''t think you need to attach such great meaning to a single word of praise."
Yi-Han looked at his friend with pity.
It seemed like it would be morefortable to just ignore it and live on, so he felt sorry for Asan going out of his way to do this.
"Right. What kind of praise did you receive?"
Since his friend was so happy, Yi-Han asked out of courtesy.
Asan spoke with a flushed face.
"They said I did well, that I made a good friend, and that I should work hard to follow that friend in the future."
"?"
"??"
Yi-Han and Ratford tilted their heads.
Ratford whispered softly so Asan wouldn''t hear.
"Sir Wardanaz. I don''t know much about nobles, but is that considered praise among nobles?"
"No. That''s not praise. Ratford."
Regardless of what the two thought, Asan was happy. Yi-Han spoke with sympathy.
"Asan. If you''re bored during the break,e to the Wardanaz family''s mansion. No. Even if you''re not bored,e visit often."
"Than... ks?"
Asan answered with a puzzled look, sensing something off.
"By the way, Wardanaz. I can''t just let you go after you helped me like this. Do you need anything? If there is, let me know. I''ll repay you in the name of the Dargard family."
Yi-Han, who was about to say it was fine, paused.
Come to think of it, there was one thing he needed.
"There is something I need."
"Oh. What is it?"
"Pay back the silver coins you borrowed."
"...Ah, no. That''s a given. Anything else?"
"I can''t really think of anything."
Asan was flustered.
Wasn''t repaying borrowed silver coins a natural thing to do?
"Don''t tell me you came directly just for that."
"Of course. I just came to see a friend."
"Right? That''s how it is...?"
Asan nodded, trying to convince himself, but still felt uneasy.
The Maykin family''s mansion located in Granden City resembled a busy and prosperous alchemist''s workshop rather than an elegant noble mansion.
A practical design without unnecessary decorations, workers and alchemists constantly entering and exiting the mansion, the scent of various herbs and potions wafting from inside...
"The scent of herbs is impressive."
"Yeah. The scent of money is impressive."
"Pardon? I said the scent of herbs."
"Ah. Sorry. I was thinking about something else."
Yi-Han apologized to Ratford.
Seeing the numerous workers bringing in ingredients and alchemistsing and going, he could understand why the Maykin family was wealthy.
Moreover, this wasn''t even their main residence but a vi.
"I should get close to Yonaire from now on."
"Aren''t you already close?"
Yi-Han approached the mansion''s main gate.
The gatekeepers guarding the entrance were so busy that they couldn''t even properly look at Yi-Han and shouted.
"Line up and wait! Five carriages just went inside! No matter how much you try to push through, you have to wait!"
"Well. Actually, we..."
"I said no! Whichever merchant group or workshop you''re from, you have to line up and wait! It''s the rule! If you don''t follow the rules, what about all these people waiting here!"
"That''s certainly true."
Yi-Han was convinced by the gatekeeper.
The long line of carriages and workers waiting in front of the main gate.
They were from various ces such as guilds, merchant groups, and workshops.
Of course, Yi-Han hadn''te for business but to see a friend, but that wasn''t a reason to cut in line.
"Let''s go and wait."
"Uh... I think we can just pass through separately..."
"Ratford. What would the people waiting behind us think? Let''s wait so we don''t cause any trouble for the Yonaire family."
Ratford followed behind Yi-Han, tilting his head.
Was this how visiting a noble mansion usually was?
''I don''t think so...''
"What brings you two here?"
An alchemist who was waiting ahead of them spoke to the pair.
With a long robe and various potions and reagents dangling from it, his appearance spoke more clearly about himself than if the words "I am an alchemist" were engraved on him.
"We came to meet someone from the Maykin family."
"I see. I''m waiting here for the same reason."
The alchemist smiled amicably upon discoveringpanions with the same purpose.
ording to the alchemist who was waiting ahead, the people visiting the Maykin family''s mansion here were divided into two types.
One was those who had formally contracted with the Maykin family and came to deliver promised goods.
And the other was those who wanted to catch the Maykin family''s eye to receive sponsorship or make a contract.
The Maykin family was a reliable patron. Whether it was a merchant group, guild, or workshop, if they caught the family''s eye, they could receive generous gold coins and work.
That''s why those numerous people were waiting with herbs or reagents they had gathered, or alchemical potions they had personally made.
"I see."
"But you two... do you need to wait here?"
The alchemist was puzzled after seeing Yi-Han and Ratford''s attire.
After living in the city for a long time, one could usually guess a person''s status just by looking at their clothes.
The two of them clearly seemed to be from noble families.
"If you want something, you have to wait."
"You''re right about that. I spoke unnecessarily."
The alchemist nodded.
Even if they were from noble families, if there was something they wanted, they had to wait.
Of course, it wasn''t that he didn''t think ''If they''re from noble families, couldn''t they send a servant to make an appointment?'' but he let it go, thinking they must have their reasons.
After the person who had brought a suspicious egg in a cage went in, followed by the employee of a merchant group who had obtained reagents from the snowy mountains, it was finally their turn.
"This way! Come this way! What is your purpose foring!"
"We''re alchemists. We came to have our potions evaluated."
"Understood! Please go to the west building! Three new alchemists in the west building! Three alchemists!"
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Chapter 296
Chapter 296
"Let''s go! Time to show our abilities!" the alchemist dered with a determined expression.
Yi-Han was slightly taken aback and asked, "Hmm. I''d like to meet Yonaire from the Maykin family..."
"Ah. What a coincidence. The person evaluating us today is none other than Miss Yonaire from the Maykin family. Just follow me," the alchemist replied.
Yi-Han was delighted by the alchemist''s words. He had felt bad about interrupting the Maykin family''s busy work to call for Yonaire, but it seemed he could meet her just by going along like this.
Ratford tilted his head in confusion. "Mr. Wardanaz. I don''t understand... Isn''t Miss Maykin also a first-year student like us? I know she''s excellent at alchemy, but can she evaluate newly created potions?"
"That''s certainly true. Perhaps other members of her family will be beside her to offer advice?"
Noble families often attributed aplishments to their young members to boost their reputation. It wouldn''t be surprising if the Maykin family''s alchemists provided advice while the evaluation was done under Yonaire''s name.
"Indeed. Noble families are quite interesting."
"Right? Learning about these things will be usefulter, Ratford."
"Thank you... Huh?"
Ratford was puzzled. Useful for what?
''Is he telling me to steal?''
¡ª
"Basic ingredients on the left, additional ingredients in front, leave a note on the right if you need special ingredients, and let us know if you require any alchemical tools! If you cause a major ident inside, we can hold you responsible, so call a supervisor if you''re unsure!" the Maykin family servant rapidly rattled off.
Desperation flickered across his face, eager to finish this task and move on to the next.
"Wait. Aren''t you a nobleman? Why are you here?" The servant finally noticed Yi-Han and Ratford''s attire and was flustered.
If they were from a noble family, there was no need to wait in line with the people outside the residence. Couldn''t they send someone in the family''s name, make an appointment, and meet separately?
The alchemist sternly interjected, "Even nobles must wait their turn if they''re in need."
"What do you...? No, I understand. Please let me know if you need anything!" The servant decided to leave the guests alone rather than risk being rude by meddling in their affairs. Staying quiet was always the safest path.
"Well then. Shall we begin?" The alchemist grinned at Yi-Han.
Until now, they werepanions with the same goal, but now they were practically rivals.
"When is the person from the Maykin familying?"
"Probably after we finish making the potions, no?"
Yi-Han pondered for a moment. Things were gettingplicated. Maybe he should go out now, grab a servant, exin there had been a misunderstanding, and rify the situation.
''Hmm. I''d feel bad though.''
However, doing so could put the gatekeeper and the servant who guided them in an awkward position. Failing to properly receive a guest from another noble family was a significant mistake, and someone had to take responsibility to save face.
"Ratford. I think I should have revealed my identity at the main gate earlier."
"..."
Ratford stared at Yi-Han in disbelief.
No...!
"Was that really the right thing to do? No, something felt off! You''re from the Wardanaz family..."
"That''s what I''m saying. When everyone said to line up, I naturally got in line."
"If you had revealed it when we entered..."
"I missed the chance because that alchemist shouted first. Though even if I had revealed it then, it would have caused amotion."
Yi-Han scratched his cheek and made a decision.
"Let''s make the potion first and call Yonaire. Once we meet Yonaire, it''ll be quietly resolved."
"Understood."
"Hehe. Finally made a decision, I see. What potion did you decide to make?"
"Lesser Vitality Recovery Potion."
"We''ll make a Lesser Vitality Recovery Potion."
"?!"
Kaljunin, the alchemist, was startled by their words.
It was a precious opportunity to be evaluated by the Maykin family. Naturally, one should make an exceptional potion they personally developed at 120% perfection, and even that might not be enough.
"Are you sure about that?"
Ratford looked at Yi-Han as if asking how to respond.
However, for Yi-Han, who had been rigorously trained at Einroguard, this situation was as easy as breathing.
"Sometimes, the most basic thing can be the greatest."
"The most basic thing is the greatest?"
"If there''s an alchemist who made one potion a thousand times and an alchemist who made a thousand potions once, which alchemist would be more outstanding?"
"...!"
Kaljunin was struck by Yi-Han''s words as if lightning had passed through him. It certainly made sense.
''Is that so? Was I being too greedy for no reason?''
Kaljunin had been agonizing over showing more than his actual skills. However, upon reflection, that was excessive greed.
Surely the excellent alchemists of the Maykin family would see through such pretense.
"Indeed...!"
Kaljunin nodded deeply, having gained a profound realization. Rather than making a potion he wasn''t confident in, it might be better to showcase the potion he was most skilled at making.
Ratford whispered with an impressed expression, "The story you just told was inspiring."
"Really? But I just threw it out there, so don''t take it too seriously."
"..."
The three alchemists began busily moving and making potions. With lively sounds, they chopped ingredients, ground them in a mortar, boiled water in a pot, and chanted spells while waving their staffs...
"The color seems a bit murky? Let it boil for about 1 more minute."
"Understood."
After responding, Ratford suddenly felt something strange and asked, "But this isn''t a test, right?"
"If we''re going to do it, might as well do it well. It''s not like studying only benefits others, right?"
"T-That''s true."
Feeling the calm madness of the top student, Ratford shuddered. He thought one had to enjoy studying like that to be the top student.
¡ª
Yoanen Maykin carefully wiped her crystal sses before putting them back on. She then asked the servant, "Currently in the west building?"
"Yes. Three people."
"How did they seem?"
"I dare not presume to evaluate them. Ah. Two of them appeared to be of noble birth."
"Huh?"
Yoanen brushed back her red hair with her hand and asked again, "From which family?"
"They seemed to be of noble birth..."
"Then why are they waiting in the west building?"
"...I don''t know either."
When the servant looked flustered, Yoanen didn''t inquire further. If they simply waited despite being told, what could the servant say?
"Perhaps they wanted to be evaluated based on their skills rather than their family name?"
"Ah! That could be it."
"Good attitude. Let''s go."
"Are you sure? I think you should get some more sleep..."
"One hour of sleep per day is enough for a person."
"..."
The servant followed Yoanen with a doubtful feeling. Opening the door to the west building, Yoanen headed to the guest workshop.
As she entered, the alchemists inside tried to stand up to greet her. Yoanen gestured that it was fine and went straight to check the potions.
"Why did you make this olivine potion instead of bringing a new potion? It shouldn''t be that difficult."
Kaljunin answered with a tense face, "I originally intended to submit a potion of my own creation. However, I realized that rather than forcibly showing you a potion I can''t make perfectly, it would be better to show you the potion I can make the best."
"Indeed. I like that there''s no unnecessary pretense. You made a good decision."
"Thank you!"
"Next is..."
Looking at the next potion, Yoanen was slightly dumbfounded.
"No matter how well you can make it, isn''t this potion a bit too easy?"
"That''s..."
Before Yi-Han could speak, Yoanen opened the ss bottle and examined the potion. Then she was surprised.
''This is?''
The was a famous potion with dozens of recipes. Even those who hadn''t learned alchemy tried to make it based on rumors and knowledge they had heard.
However, just because there were many recipes didn''t mean the quality was the same. The quality varied as much as the diversity.
And this was truly outstanding. A well-refined recipebined with the skill of an excellent alchemist, and...
''How much mana was injected?''
Alchemy didn''t end with simply adding the ingredients urately. The higher the difficulty of the recipe, the more the mage''s mana was included.
An excellent alchemist had to be an excellent mage.
But this potion had several times stronger mana than other potions. It was clear that the mage had injected mana to the limit without disturbing the potion''s bnce.
Mana control ability bordering on art.
"There''s no need to even consider this. Pass. What do you want?"
Yoanen took her eyes off the potion and turned her head. Then she noticed two young students looking at her with a slightly perplexed gaze.
"Excuse me, could you please call Yonaire?"
"...??!"
¡ª
When someone who looked more like Yonaire''s older sister than Yonaire herself entered, Yi-Han asked Kaljunin, "Didn''t you say Yonaire from the Maykin family would evaluate?"
"Ah... I''m sorry. I must have been nervous and mistaken. It was Lady Yoanen."
"..."
If it were Einroguard, he would have immediately thrown a punch, but unfortunately, this was outside the academy.
Yi-Han endured and waited for Yoanen''s potion evaluation.
"...There''s no need to even consider this. Pass. What do you want?"
"Excuse me, could you please call Yonaire?"
Yoanen was startled, then btedly came to her senses.
"Are you perhaps Yonaire''s friend? An Einroguard student?"
"Yes."
"You''re of noble birth... right?"
"That''s correct."
"But you still wanted to receive a proper evaluation?"
Yoanen looked at Yi-Han with very admiring eyes.
Yi-Han firmly replied, "No."
"No?"
Yi-Han briefly exined what had happened since the residence''s main gate.
Yoanen responded with an apologetic expression, "I''m really sorry. No matter how busy the work at the residence is, to treat my sister''s friend so neglectfully."
"No. It was my mistake."
"Thank you for being considerate of the servants. They''re all cherished people."
Yoanen was deeply impressed by Yi-Han''s consideration. It was rare for someone from a noble family to show such consideration for servants of another family.
"Which family are you from?"
"Ah. It seems to be an especially busy day today."
Yi-Han subtly changed the subject. When he mentioned the Wardanaz family name, people''s reactions were usually divided into two.
One was respect as the empire''s top magic family. The other was fear as the empire''s crazy magic family.
He didn''t want to take a 50/50 chance before even meeting Yonaire.
"Today? No. Today has rtively few guests."
"Pardon? The people in front of the residence..."
"When there are many guests, you might have to wait about a day to enter."
Yi-Han was amazed. The Maykin family was undoubtedly wealthier than he had thought.
"It''s a family rule. Since we don''t know what kind of talent a visitor might be, we must treat them with our best. In fact, such outstanding people havee, right?"
"No, not at all."
Seeing Yi-Han''s humble demeanor, Yoanen was even more satisfied. It seemed her sister had made a good friend.
She had been worried that her sister might not be able to make good friends while taking care of that stupid royal rtive.
"By the way. So which family are you from? I didn''t get an answer."
"...I''m from the Wardanaz family."
"Where?"
"The Wardanaz family."
"..."
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Chapter 297
Chapter 297
Yi-Han steeled himself. ''Am I doomed?''
Judging by theck of response, the reaction he feared as a member of the Empire''s crazy magic family...
"Youe from a truly excellent family," Yoanen said.
"!"
Yi-Han was delighted by Yoanen''s reaction.
"I''m just ashamed that I can''t live up to my family''s reputation."
"That can''t be true. Even in the Wardanaz family, a talent like you must be rare."
Although they were having a warm conversation, Yi-Han couldn''t read Yoanen''s true thoughts.
This was what Yoanen was thinking:
''Even though he''s from the Wardanaz family, he''s so considerate.''
It was truly surprising.
She had thought there were only crazy people who knew nothing but magic...
"Then let''s go meet Yonaire. Follow me."
As Yoanen left the workshop first and Yi-Han and Ratford were about to follow, Alchemist Kaljunin called Yi-Han for a moment.
"Um..."
"?"
"Thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to gain a great realization."
Alchemist Kaljunin spoke sincerely.
After making a potion he was confident in and showing it to the Maykin family, he realized anew what he truly wanted to do.
If it weren''t for Yi-Han''s advice about the basics, Kaljunin would never have realized it.
Of course, to Yi-Han and Ratford, Kaljunin was just a somewhat flustered person.
''What is this person saying?''
''I don''t really understand either.''
What realization could he have gained from getting dragged to a strange ce after lining up in the wrong line?
¡ª
''Ugggggggh...''
Nillia growled inwardly, a sound unbefitting a noble, as she received the maids'' attendance.
The maids dressed Nilliayer byyer with skilled hands.
''I''m going crazy, seriously...''
When Nillia was first invited to Yonaire''s mansion, she was thrilled and full of anticipation.
Her first friend''s house to visit during her first break. Wasn''t it also her first time entering a noble''s mansion?
It was something she had dreamed of since her days with the in the northern mountains.
-What would be in a noble''s mansion?-
-Hmm! I visited a mansion once before, and there was a huge monster head and hide. It was a truly stunning taxidermy.-
-...Not that... Something like in fairy tales... Aren''t the nobles here like that?-
-What are you talking about? Nobles all love hunting.-
-That''s right. Nillia, it can''t be just the north, right? Nobles in other regions must also disy their hunting trophies.-
-Not that! Paintings or sculptures! Music or snacks!-
-Didn''t you see it when we visited the mansionst time? ...-
-Wasn''t the hunting horn performance good?-
-Ah! Not that, really!!!-
-Why is Nillia acting like that?-
-It must be because you ate the eyeballs first. You should give them to the kids first.-
The people in the northern part of the Empire had no dreams, but Nillia was different.
Surely somewhere in the Empire, there would be nobles like those in fairy tales.
And that life was...
''Suffocating!''
...more troublesome than she thought.
It was fun at first when she entered the mansion.
Watching all kinds of peopleing and going busily, taking a walk around the mansion grounds with Yonaire, and fully enjoying a dinner filled with dishes she couldn''t even name.
And from the next day, things started to get weird.
-We will attend to your bath.-
-What? No! I can do it alone!-
-Um, what did we do wrong¡-
-...Okay... Just do it¡-
Nillia''s heart wasn''t so cruel as to refuse the maids who looked shocked and asked, ''What did we do wrong?''
But that was just the beginning.
-We will sing to you until you fall asleep.-
-What terrible sound are you making that would chase away any approaching sleep!?-
-Um, what did we do wrong¡-
-...Just do it¡-
Sleep attendance.
-Are you awake? We will attend to your morning wash.-
-Cough cough. Cough cough cough. Cough gasp.-
Dressing attendance.
-We will dress you.-
-It''s not like I''m going to war, why do I have to wear so manyyers?-
-Ahahaha! You''re so good at joking too!-
-As expected of a mage!-
-...-
Meal attendance.
-I will cut it for you.-
-Ah, no. I''ll cut it myself. Besides, you weren''t here like thisst night-
-Miss Yonaire specifically requested¡-
-Th-then can''t you make today special too and not do this?-
-Um, did we do something wrong?¡-
-...-
Nillia gave up and received meal attendance.
The moment she tried to grab the meat with her hands, the maids rushed over in shock; the moment she tried to get up from her seat to pour water into her ss, the maids rushed over in shock again; the moment even a little sauce sttered on her cheek, the maids rushed over in shock yet again...
It was hard to tell if this was a meal or maid training.
-When is Yonaireing?-
-Miss Yonaire is still asleep. If you happen to cough¡-
-Ah, no. Let her sleep.-
And at the end of the meal, dressing attendance again.
-We will change your clothes.-
-We did it in the morning!?-
-Pardon? Your lunch clothes... Um, what did we do wrong¡-
-...-
And now.
Knock knock knock-
Nillia opened the door with a darkened face, staggering. Yonaire was standing there.
"Sorry. I overslept..."
Nillia burst into a pitiful cry and hugged Yonaire tightly. Yonaire was startled.
"?!"
After hearing the exnation of what had happened, Yonaire felt very sorry.
"I should have told you."
"No! I... I enjoyed it in my own way!"
"Really?"
"Y-yeah."
''I should just tell her.''
When Nillia avoided her gaze and said she enjoyed it, Yonaire made a resolution inwardly.
"What''s the n for today? I have things to do."
"!"
Nillia''s ears perked up.
She absolutely did not want to be alone in this heavenly mansion.
"Can... can I join you?"
"Huh? You can, but... it''ll be boring?"
"No! Anything will be fun if I do it with a friend!"
Nillia shouted desperately. Then Yonaire also nodded with a slightly happy face.
"If you say so."
In conclusion, it was indeed a really boring thing.
-I will announce today''s topic. -
"..."
For a moment, Nillia thought the nobles were speaking a differentnguage.
"What... what is this...?"
"It''s something the family does from time to time."
Yonaire kindly exined.
The Maykin family, a high-ranking noble family active inmerce and patronage, pursued constantpetition even internally.
A typical example was this kind of topic.
Anyone working within the family could write and submit a solution to this topic.
"There are rewards for good ideas."
"...Y-yeah."
Nillia looked around.
Everyone was solemnly holding quills and staring at the paper as if to bore holes in it, and it wasn''t the atmosphere to say, ''Can''t we just go hunting?''
Nillia suppressed a sigh inwardly and grabbed a quill pen.
Let''s write something!
There are many idle hunters in the north, so send them to the southern coast... They can attack from a distance, so they''ll be good at dealing with monsters... If monsters are hunted well, people will be happy and political instability will decrease... I''m sorry...
"Yonaire."
Nillia and Yonaire raised their heads at the same time.
Someone who looked like Yonaire''s older sister was calling Yonaire.
"Your friends are here."
"!!!"
Nillia''s face brightened.
"Your friends are here! Let''s go see them!"
"Nillia, you didn''t like doing this, did you..."
"Ah, no. That''s not it..."
¡ª
Yi-Han was a bit flustered when Nillia was so happy to see him after only a few days.
"Did something difficult happen at the Maykin family''s mansion?"
"What?! No! How could you say that... If someone hears, they''ll misunderstand!"
Nillia jumped up and denied it.
''Something did happen.''
"Yonaire''s personality doesn''t seem like she would have tormented you... Ah. Maybe you were ufortable because they were too attentive?"
"How did you know!?"
Nillia was really surprised. Yi-Han smiled wryly as if he understood.
Yi-Han himself had experienced it before.
"Just need to talk to them properly."
"Every time I say something, they start to tear up. How can I speak strongly..."
"You said you weren''t ufortable."
"..."
"There''s a way to say it indirectly. I''ll teach youter."
"You''ll stay for a long time, right? Stay long. Don''t leave quickly."
Nillia whispered in a weak voice, grabbing the sleeves of Yi-Han and Ratford.
Yi-Han felt sorry for inviting Nillia.
"I have to visit other ces... Then will youe together?"
Nillia nodded quickly.
Yonaire, who came out with a silver coin pouch, asked curiously.
"What were you talking about?"
"Let''s go together when visiting other ces."
"Ah. It was boring after all, right?"
"No?! It was fun!?"
Nillia denied it in a startled manner, waving both hands, but Yi-Han and Yonaire looked at Nillia as if they knew everything.
"What were you doing?"
"Presenting solutions to the topics that periodicallye out from the family. Today''s was "
"Indeed. In the end, the reason for the instability would be the decrease in fish catch."
"That''s right. The guilds there overfished excessively, causing the mana of the sea to be rough and angering the spirits."
"It would be good for the guilds to negotiate and take a break, but it won''t be easy. It would be best for the Empire to support mages to restore the mana of the sea to its original state and preferentially win over the pro-Empire guilds there to persuade them."
"I thought the same."
"..."
Nillia, who was listening to the conversation between Yi-Han and Yonaire, kept turning her head in confusion.
Is this really a conversation between students of the same age?
Yonaire, who was talking, noticed something strange and asked.
"Wait. Why did Sister Yoanene?"
Typically, if he hade formally, the servants would havee and said, ''Your friends have arrived,'' but?
"I lined up in the wrong line."
"Huh?"
Yi-Han briefly exined what had happened.
"It''s fortunate that she''s a kind person."
"...Oh. Wait a moment."
Yonaire was unusually flustered. Yi-Han was puzzled by that reaction.
"Why?"
"Did you make a potion in front of my sister?"
"Yeah."
"And she saw it?"
"Yeah."
"Yi-Han. Do you remember Professor Beavle Verduus?"
"Of course I remember."
"My sister is like the kind version of Professor Beavle Verduus."
"...What nonsense are you saying, Yonaire."
Yi-Han felt a chill down his spine as he denied reality.
How could someone who looks so kind be like Professor Beavle Verduus?
And in the first ce, a kind version of Professor Beavle Verduus couldn''t exist.
Isn''t it aplete contradiction?
Like a sociable Professor Bdi, a conscientious skull principal...
Yonaire spoke seriously.
"It would be best to leave the mansion quickly. Let''s go."
"Really?"
"I don''t joke about these things. Quickly. Nillia, get ready to leave too."
Yi-Han and his friends started hurriedly preparing to leave. Nillia wanted to change intofortable clothes, but Yonaire stopped her.
"Sorry. There''s no time for that. We have to leave quickly."
"Hmph."
Knock knock knock-
"Are you done talking?"
"Eek!"
Yonaire almost hupped at the sight of her sister poking her head out after opening the door.
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Chapter 298
Chapter 298
"What''s wrong, Yonaire?"
"Oh... it''s nothing, sis. We were just about to head out..."
Yonaire trailed off vaguely. Yoanen''s eyes sparkled behind her amethyst sses.
"Going out?"
"Yeah."
"Where to?"
"To see some friends."
"When will you be back?"
"Well... I''m not sure...?"
"And this friend from the Wardanaz family?"
"Yi-Han is busy... why?"
"He seemed interested in alchemy."
"Oh, no. He''s not that interested."
"But he''s the top student in alchemy, right?"
"..."
Yonaire red at Yi-Han and Ratford.
How did they manage to mention that in such a short time?
''I''m sorry,'' Ratford bowed his head deeply.
He had just wanted to show Yonaire''s sister how amazing Yi-Han was...
"Yonaire... you didn''t think I would treat your friend the same way as the other alchemists in the workshop, did you? That''s not the case, right?"
"Oh, no, of course not."
"Right? I would never do that."
Yi-Han wanted to ask, ''Then how do you treat the other alchemists in the workshop?'' but he couldn''t bring himself to do so.
"As a magic academy student, he''ll need to study during the break... Is my workshop not a suitable ce to learn alchemy?"
"Oh, no. Your workshop is the best in Granden City..."
"Thank you for saying that."
"But Yi-Han is really busy..."
As Yonaire resisted, Yoanen turned her attention to Yi-Han.
"Would you like to visit the workshop sometime?"
"Thank you."
"When would you like to visit?"
''She really is just like Professor Verduus!''
Yi-Han had to admit, her skill at immediately trying to set a specific schedule was impressive.
Perhaps sensing Yi-Han''s wariness, Yoanen changed her approach to a more enticing one.
"I''m not sure what Yonaire told you, but it''s a bit of an exaggeration. There are times when work gets busy, and unfortunately, that''s when Yonaire happened to visit the workshop and see it."
"I... I see."
Anyone else might have been fooled by Yoanen''s benevolent expression, but not Yi-Han.
Demons always smiled kindly, after all.
"My workshop isn''t a bad ce to study alchemy during the break. You can freely use high-quality ingredients, and the workers are paid generously. Many excellent alchemists from the city frequently visit, so it''s also a good opportunity to build connections."
''Come on, Yi-Han. Just refuse a little more and even my sister will...''
Despite Yonaire''s desperate wish, Yi-Han immediately responded.
"Do the alchemists also receive a sry?"
"Of course. Aha. Are you perhaps interested in the sry? Considering you''re an Einroguard student and my sister''s friend..."
Yoanen discreetly held up three fingers. Yi-Han''s heart raced at the sight of those fingers d in white gloves.
Three times the amount.
"Yi-Han...!"
Yonaire whispered as if in dismay, but Yoanen smiled knowingly, as if understanding what Yi-Han wanted, and raised one more finger.
"...I was just thinking that I really wanted to learn alchemy during the break."
Yoanen elegantly shook Yi-Han''s hand.
"Wee. Come anytime. Oh, and could I have a word with my sister in private for a moment?"
As Yi-Han and his friends left first, Yoanen turned her attention to Yonaire.
Yonaire spoke with a gloomy expression.
"If I lose a friend, it''s your responsibility, sis..."
"I promise I won''t work him to the bone. More importantly, he''s quite an unusual person, isn''t he?"
"Oh. Yeah. He''s an unusual person."
"I thought he would refuse, but he epted because of the sry. I didn''t think he would, being from the Wardanaz family. Could it be that he''s in debt or something?"
"No. He just likes gold coins."
¡ª
"I''m a bit worried about going to meet Gainando."
Although Yi-Han was of a status where he could freely visit most high-ranking noble families, the imperial family was a different story.
Basically, it was best not to get involved with them, as nothing good woulde of it.
The nobles of the Empire were divided into three factions.
The Loyalists, who supported the outstanding members of the imperial family.
The Aristocrats, who scoffed at the idea that the hundred or so members of the imperial family were anything special and opposed them.
And the Neutrals, who belonged to neither of those two factions.
The Wardanaz family was a representative of the Neutral faction. In fact, the Wardanaz family could even be called the Reclusive faction or the Loner faction, to the point of leaving the Neutral faction.
If Yi-Han were to officially visit an imperial residence, it would be perfect for false rumors to spread, like "Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family supports Imperial Prince A?"
"It''s fine. If we go together like this, it''ll just be a visit from school friends."
Yonaire understood Yi-Han''s concern.
In times like these, a suitable pretext was important.
"Actually, that''s not a big issue if I go with you guys. I''m more worried about the people who will be at Gainando''s residence."
After visiting the Dargard and Maykin residences, it became clear.
The differences between noble family residences were surprisingly significant.
At this point, Yi-Han wouldn''t be surprised by any strange urrences at Gainando''s residence.
"What''s the atmosphere like at Gainando''s residence?"
"Gainando''s residence? It''s pretty normal. They don''t have tests or anything like our family does. The number of guests is also rtively small."
The guests visiting Gainando''s residence came more for Gainando''s mother than to see Gainando, the imperial prince.
After all, Gainando''s mother''s family, the Kraha family, was an incredibly wealthy family even by the Empire''s standards.
With such wealth, influence inevitably followed. Naturally, the guests were eager to visit.
However, the number of guests at Gainando''s residence wasn''t that high.
"Gainando''s mother doesn''t really enjoy receiving guests."
"Why is that? Having many guests visit would be good for promoting Gainando''s reputation... No, wait."
While it was said that frequently receiving guests would spread rumors about the family and raise their reputation, sometimes the opposite was true.
The more frequently they received guests, the more likely it was for only bad rumors to spread.
Yi-Han changed the subject.
"What kind of person is Gainando''s mother?"
If she was another kind-hearted Professor Verduus type, he might consider postponing the visit.
"She''s a kind and gentle person. And..."
"And?"
"She''s incredibly beautiful."
"I... I see."
Yi-Han was taken aback by the sudden remark.
"When you first meet her, you''ll probably have a hard time looking directly at her face."
"Why is that?"
"She''s so beautiful that a halo emanates from behind her. To the point where you can''t even look at her."
"...Isn''t that just because she has some spirit or angel bloodline?"
"That''s right. I heard she has some light spirit blood mixed in."
Yi-Han wanted to ask, ''If the light makes it impossible to see her face, how can you tell if she''s beautiful or not?'' but Yonaire seemed to respect her so much that he didn''t inquire further.
What did it matter anyway?
"Oh, by the way. If I get close to Gainando, will he really give me an allowance?"
"Yeah."
"Objectively speaking, I''m the closest to him, right? What do you all think?"
Ratford and Nillia looked at Yi-Han in disbelief.
¡ª
"Please wait for thirty minutes."
"Oh. Is there already a guest here?"
"I... I apologize. Please wait for thirty minutes."
"??"
Yi-Han and his friends tilted their heads in confusion at the front gate of Gainando''s magnificent and luxurious residence.
If a guest had arrived first, it was understandable to wait a bit, but waiting outside the front gate was not amon urrence.
Unless there was something inside the residence that couldn''t be shown...
"What''s going on?"
Bam ba ba ba ba-
Pang! Pa pa pa pang!
Apanied by the sound of a huge orchestral ensemble, magical fireworks adorned the sky.
Passersby were startled, wondering if some kind of festival was taking ce.
"What the..."
"What is this..."
"Wee to the residence!"
"Wee to the..."
"Wee..."
"Wee..."
"Wee...!"
The sound of a chorusing from inside.
Yi-Han suddenly wanted to return to the residence.
"What is thismotion?"
"It seems the imperial prince is weing guests at the Kraha family residence."
"My goodness. Is there a need to make such a fuss?"
"They must be friends he hasn''t seen in a long time."
As people chattered with interest, Yi-Han and his friends'' faces turned red.
"...Cloak, engulf me."
"L-Let''s go in together! Me too!"
The four of them made good use of the magic they had learned at Einroguard to enter.
Gainando, who was standing on the huge marble staircase, waved at them as soon as he saw them.
"Over here! Over here!"
"Hurry up and stop the song!"
"Huh? Why? They''ve only yed the first movement so far."
"It''s noisy, just stop the song!"
"Please stop it quickly!"
As his friends got angry, Gainando was dumbfounded and gestured with his hand.
The musicians who were on standby on the residence grounds then took their hands off their instruments.
"Why? Was the song not good?"
"It''s not about the song. Let''s go inside quickly."
Yi-Han and his friends dragged Gainando into the residence.
Gainando grumbled as he was dragged along.
"You could have waited until the performance was over beforeing in."
"We''ll listen to itter."
"Really?"
"...Someday. Anyway, Gainando. Have you been well? Nothing happened?"
Yi-Han changed the subject. Gainando pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Something did happen."
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised.
Could it be that, just like Asan was harassed by the talented Dargard brothers, Gainando was also being oppressed by the talented imperial princes?
"Did someone pick a fight with you?"
"No. I put a new mage card in yesterday, but I still lost."
"..."
"..."
Yonaire momentarily raised her hand to p the back of Gainando''s head.
If Nillia hadn''t hurriedly grabbed her wrist, a ''smack'' sound would have been heard.
Yi-Han nodded as if he understood and asked again.
"Nothing else happened besides the mage card? No one came to pick a fight or anything?"
"Huh? No one came..."
"..."
Hearing him say that no one came felt a bit sad in its own way.
Yi-Han exchanged a sympathetic nce with his friends.
"It''s fine now that we''re here."
"That''s why I prepared the performance, but you guys interrupted it."
Gainando grumbled again.
As Yonaire raised her other hand that wasn''t being held, Nillia hurriedly grabbed that hand as well.
"Anyway, Yi-Han. Let''s hang out together during the break."
"What do you n on doing?"
"Going around stores to buy some new cards, looking at some toys, buying magazines that piled up while attending school..."
Yi-Han shook his head.
To lead such an extreme consumption-oriented lifestyle.
It was a lifestyle that could easily lead to bing a beggar.
"Gainando. That''s nice, but there''s something more fun."
"What? Really?"
"If you follow me, you''ll find out. Let''s go togetherter."
There was nothing as enjoyable as the silver coins earned through sweat. Yi-Han decided to teach Gainando that joy.
Yonaire whispered.
"I don''t think Gainando will like doing that kind of thing with his personality."
"It''s fine. I''ll tell him in a situation where he can''t run away."
"..."
"Oh, right. I need to pay back the borrowed money."
Gainando called a servant. Yi-Han was surprised by the unexpected behavior.
"I didn''t think you would remember first."
"Mom said if you don''t pay back money, you''re trash."
"I... I see."
Gainando''s room was spacious enough to fit several carriages. They each scattered around and yed with whatever looked interesting.
Yi-Han, who was reading a serialized novel in a magazine with interest (the dog mixed-blood detective Toveris was using divination magic to find the culprit), noticed that it was noisy outside.
"Do you have any appointments today?"
"Huh? Oh... ah. Right. They said other imperial family members were visiting."
"..."
"If that''s not a big deal, then what is?"
Readup tochapter 348for just5$orup tochapter 451for /al_squad
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Chapter 299
Chapter 299
When members of the imperial family met, it held a different meaningpared to when siblings from other families gathered. While siblings from the same family had at least some level of intimacy, the imperial family members rarely had reason to meet each other under normal circumstances. Naturally, they couldn''t help but view one another as rivals...
As a result, when they did meet, a ruthlesspetition would unfold, devoid of blood ties or tears. Each striving to be recognized as the most outstanding member of the imperial family in front of others!
"...At least it''s fortunate that we''re at Gainando''s residence. As guests, they won''t be able to make excessive remarks," Yi-Han said in a reassuring tone.
As guests invited to another family''s residence, there was a limit to how arrogantly they could behave. If they crossed that line, they would bebeled as ill-mannered fools who didn''t know proper etiquette despite being invited.
"Besides, his mother will be there too."
Although Yi-Han hadn''t met her yet, based on what Yonaire said, she was certainly no ordinary person. Considering the power of the family, no one would dare utter nonsense in front of her.
"Mom went out for a moment," Gainando said.
"..."
"...Kids. Gather around for a moment."
Yi-Han put down the magazine and called his friends together. The topic of the meeting was .
¡ª
Contrary to Yi-Han''s worries, the imperial family members actually had no intention of picking a fight with Gainando. Having been invited to another family''s residence, they weren''t foolish enough to insult a member of that house. Moreover, considering the power of the family, there was nothing to gain by making unnecessary enemies.
The ones the imperial family wanted to pick fights with were each other.
"Bogajun. Long time no see. It was a pity about your failure in handling the Cleudran Town gue incident."
Crack!
"Judrantas... Thanks for your concern. I was worried about you too. Who would have thought your escort knight would get involved in a bribery scandal."
Crack!
The imperial family members heading to the residence red and growled at each other from atop their horses. Their followers were the same, fiercely eyeing each other, waiting for any openings.
The imperial family, who had to prove their own worth, always strived to make their reputation known throughout the Empire. The best way was to intervene and resolve the Empire''s matters, big and small.
Of course, such resolutions didn''t always end well. There were many failures, and sometimes, before they could even do anything, their own followers would cause trouble.
Then they would have to endure other imperial family members gleefully expressing their "concern," saying, "Oh my, what will you do?"
''That son of a bitch.''
''Should have diedst time.''
"It''s truly a delightful sight to see you two concerned about each other''s well-being."
"How could the Empire''s future not be bright?"
"...Hahaha."
"Hahahaha."
It wasn''t just the imperial family and their followers visiting the residence. There were also nobles who associated with them.
They yed the role of spectators and judges.
If someone from the imperial family caused trouble at the gathering, they would spread rumors in the Empire''s social circles, saying, "I heard imperial family member so-and-so caused trouble." And if someone from the imperial family achieved an outstanding feat, they would also spread rumors...
If it weren''t for them, curses would have already been exchanged.
"Truly despicable, isn''t it?"
"Indeed. A truly beautiful gem shines even when sunken at the bottom of a swamp. Compared to Princess Adenart, they are insignificant beings."
Adenart''s followers clicked their tongues as they watched the other imperial family members.
As members of the imperial family, they should know to be dignified, but seeing them fighting so disgracefully as soon as they met was pathetic beyond words.
"Ha. Does she have any other achievements besides enrolling in Einroguard?"
"Someone who couldn''t even enroll in Einroguard has no right to say that."
"The prince simply has no interest in magic. He is in a position tomand mages, not use magic himself."
"That''s what you want to im."
"Now, everyone, please be quiet for a moment. We have arrived at the residence."
The nobles who weren''t part of any imperial family faction stepped in to mediate.
Continuing the argument after passing through the main gate would be disrespectful to the residence''s owner.
The quarreling followers closed their mouths and passed through the main gate of the residence.
A luxurious residence, rare even in Granden City...
Whoosh-
"!?"
"!"
The people entering were startled by the illusion of a dragon enveloping the residence and spewing out lights likenterns.
At a nce, they could tell it was done by a fairly skilled mage.
It was the magic that Yi-Han had learned (forcibly) from Professor Verduus.
"Gainando. Hurry up and greet them."
"Wouldn''t it be better if I summoned a skeleton too?"
"If you don''t want to be hit with bones, hurry up and greet them."
"There''s no need to get so angry..."
When Yi-Han growled angrily, the frightened Gainando coughed and shouted.
"Wee. We are delighted to have you at the residence."
"...!"
The sight of Gainando and his friends standing atop the stairs left a strong impression on the guests.
"Come to think of it, I heard Prince Gainando also enrolled in Einroguard..."
"To think he can already use magic to this extent."
"He didn''t cast it alone, did he? He must have borrowed the strength of his friends to cast it."
"Even so, it''s still quite impressive. Look at that illusion magic."
The guests slightly raised their evaluation of Gainando, which they hadn''t even been thinking about.
Even if he didn''t cast it himself, the fact that he cast such high-level magic together with his friends was impressive enough.
Gainando tilted his head.
"But this was cast by Yi-Han alone..."
"Shh. Shut up and stay still."
"..."
Being silenced by his friends in his own mansion, Gainando puffed his cheeks in frustration.
Yi-Han spoke firmly.
"Gainando. Remember? You only say three things. ''Yes,'' ''No,'' and ''Hehe.'' Got it?"
"Yes..."
"There was no need to do it already, but I like your proactive attitude. That''s the spirit."
Yi-Han patted Gainando''s shoulder.
All he had to do was sit still and keep his mouth shut until the end of the gathering. Then he would at least avoid any losses.
"Nice to meet you. I am Bogajun."
"I am Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family."
"...!"
"Pleased to meet you. I am Judrantas."
"I am Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family."
"!!!"
Whenever the visiting imperial family members heard Yi-Han''s family introduction, they would look at him with greedy, shining eyes.
''They look at me even more greedily than when I look at gold coins.''
Of course, Yi-Han knew well why they were acting like that.
As someone from the renowned magic family and a student at Einroguard, it wouldn''t be strange to judge him as a promising future great mage.
And the imperial family members were fundamentally those who enjoyed gathering talented individuals under them.
"I''ve heard a lot about the Wardanaz family. Coincidentally, a new magic book arrived at the residence. If it''s alright with you, how abouting to take a look at it?"
"Thank you for the offer. I will consider it."
"I recently acquired an artifact..."
"Thank you. I will consider it."
Getting involved would only make life tiring. Yi-Han fended off the questions with tact, not showing a single gap.
When Yi-Han showed no openings, the imperial family members turned their attention to Nillia and Ratford.
The Maykin family was almost impossible to win over as they were rted to Gainando, but they didn''t know about the other two yet.
"If there''s anything you desire..."
"This time..."
As the imperial family and their followers surrounded and harassed Yi-Han, Nillia, and Ratford, one of the guests curiously asked Gainando.
"Prince Gainando. I have a question. Who cast that magic? I have some knowledge of magic. That magic doesn''t seem like one where other mages can assist."
"Hehe."
Gainando answered as Yi-Han had instructed.
The guest asked again.
"Did you cast it, Your Highness?"
"No."
"Then, by any chance, did Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family cast it?"
"Yes."
"..."
Yi-Han, who was answering the imperial family''s questions evasively from a short distance away, inwardlymented.
''I should have just sewn his mouth shut.''
"Was it you who cast it, Wardanaz? I would really love to hear about it! When would be a good time for you?"
"We can make time for you anytime. If a mage from the Wardanaz family ising..."
The followers, who had been making proposals somewhat gently until now, began to charge forward with glinting eyes.
Their desire to invite Yi-Han to their follower gatherings at any cost was burning.
Gainando grumbled to Yonaire.
"We don''t even have time to hang out together at the residence, so why do they keep trying to invite people?"
"Please, just shut up and stay still..."
¡ª
After causing amotion in front of the residence, the visiting guests were finally able to enter.
Each of them sat in the hall, calmly sipping their tea, but their eyes were as sharp as could be.
The guest who had asked Gainando unnecessary questions earlier, causing trouble for Yi-Han, was seated in front of Yi-Han.
"I was truly surprised. Wardanaz. Ah. I am Zolbabden."
Seeing the elf extending his hand, Yi-Han cursed inwardly.
Why did he have to say unnecessary things...
"I knew Einroguard was an outstanding magic academy, but for a first-year student to disy magic to that extent... I am sincerely in awe."
"I was just lucky."
"Luck, you say? How could that be possible? Look at the expressions of the other imperial family members."
''It''s because of you.''
If only Zolbabden hadn''t said, "No! This magic was cast alone!" the imperial family members wouldn''t be sending such passionate gazes.
Originally, Yi-Han preferred to associate with wealthy people, but the imperial family was a bit different.
Trying to get some gold coins by hanging out with them would only lead to paying more, wouldn''t it?
There was no need to drink from a poisoned chalice.
''I will earn money with integrity and dignity.''
Yi-Han changed the subject.
"So, what are the imperial family members gathering for today?"
"Ah. The riddle will be presented soon."
There was only one reason for the imperial family members who disliked each other to gather.
To prove in front of other nobles that ''I am better than them.''
Of course, such proof required opportunities.
That''s why at imperial family gatherings, nobles would take turns bringing a small riddle each time.
Thud!
Inside the transparent ss case was an egg with a unique pattern.
The noble who brought the ss case smiled meaningfully and said.
"Now, wise ones gathered here today. Can you guess which creature this egg belongs to?"
Zolbabden, who was next to Yi-Han, eximed in admiration.
"As expected, Lord Brodon, you are full of wit! Don''t you agree, Wardanaz?"
Yi-Han, who had been thinking to himself, ''If you want to do that kind of thing, why don''t you enroll in Einroguard,'' smiled hypocritically and replied.
"It is indeed a witty question."
"Right? Ah. Wardanaz, why don''t you try solving it too?"
''Are you crazy?''
Yi-Han''s fingers twitched.
Of course, Zolbabden''s intention was purely to promote the talented young man from the Wardanaz family in the Empire''s social circles.
No matter how great a bloodline one was born into, no matter how outstanding one''s qualities were, if there was no one to spread their existence, no one would know of them.
Zolbabden was someone who believed that as a noble in the Empire''s social circles, it was his mission to widely spread the names of talented individuals.
Of course, from Yi-Han''s perspective, it was just a nuisance.
The imperial family members were trembling with the desire to solve it themselves, so why get involved?
"I don''t think I have any idea, so it would be difficult."
After answering like that, Yi-Han paused.
Strangely, that egg seemed familiar.
Where had he seen it before?
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Chapter 300
Chapter 300
As Yi-Han furrowed his brow, trying to recall his memories, the imperial princes and princesses began to take action.
Prince Bogajun tapped the table with his finger and said, "Judging by the weight of the egg, it doesn''t seem to be a flying creature."
Princess Judrantas immediately countered, "We can''t be so certain about that. There are heavy flying creatures too."
"I know that. But for the sake of spection, we should consider the most probable options..."
"That''s where you''re wrong."
"What''s wrong is the knight escort being involved in a bribery case... Ahem."
"...Well, you couldn''t even solve the gue in Cleudran Town, so it''s no surprise you can''t even guess this correctly... Hmph."
''No, this is more entertaining than I thought.''
Yi-Han, who had been listening from the side, understood why the nobles followed the imperial family members and participated in these gatherings.
It was surprisingly amusing to watch the imperial family members bicker with each other on a razor''s edge.
Of course, the nobles didn''t follow them around with such ill intentions...
Tap, tap-
"?"
Yi-Han turned his head. Looking behind him, he saw Princess Adenart from the same tower standing there.
Adenart slightly bowed her head in gratitude and handed Yi-Han a well-wrapped pouch.
Seeing this, Yi-Han was greatly moved.
''As expected of an imperial family member, she knows how to show gratitude!''
Last time, when the princess was forced to take on a challenging task due to her followers, Yi-Han had intervened and helped her out.
To think she hadn''t forgotten that favor and was trying to repay it with silver coins like this.
''The future of the Empire is bright.''
"Thank you."
Yi-Han responded and untied the wrapping string.
Then, from inside, instead of shining silver coins...
...a shining medal came out.
"????"
Yi-Han was momentarily taken aback when a medal came out instead of silver coins.
What was this?
''Aha. Since silver coins have limitations in weight and volume, she gave me a highly exchangeable essory instead.''
Yi-Han was once again amazed by the princess''s consideration.
As expected of the top... no, second-ranked student in the year, her intelligence was truly outstanding.
To think she would give an essory that could be sold right away.
"Mr. Wardanaz. That is a token of gratitude."
"..."
At the follower''s kind exnation, Yi-Han''s expression crumpled.
A token of gratitude.
When a member of a family was indebted to someone, the family would give this as a gift to express their gratitude.
If one presented this token when in need of help, they could receive assistance from that family anytime, anywhere.
Adenart''s maternal family was also quite powerful, so the value of this token was immense...
''...Why not just give silver coins.''
However, it was of little use to Yi-Han.
It wasn''t as if Yi-Han was going to seek the support of the imperial family to engage in politics or enter the Empire''s social circles...
Moreover, such tokens were tricky to exchange for silver coins. If he were unlucky and got caught, it would be seen as disregarding the other family''s sincerity.
Yi-Han suppressed a sigh and replied with a pretense, "Receiving something like this... It feels too much for me."
"Haha. Not at all. The princess is deeply grateful for Mr. Wardanaz''s dedication."
"Is it really alright for me to ept this?"
"Yes! Of course."
The princess also nodded, as if urging him to ept it.
When his attempt to receive something else instead failed, Yi-Han suppressed his bitterness and pocketed the medal.
"Thank you."
"Wait. Why are you giving it to him on your own?"
Bogajun spoke sternly to Adenart''s follower.
While Bogajun and Judrantas were arguing, Adenart was trying to take the talented person away on her own.
Judrantas also stopped the quarrel and intervened.
"Trying to forcefully give a token of gratitude. Don''t you know that even goodwill can be a burden if forced upon someone?"
''Surprisingly, they can say sensible things too.''
However, Adenart''s followers were not to be taken lightly.
"Giving it on our own, you say? Prince Bogajun. This is a token of gratitude from Princess Adenart to her friend. The two of them are studying together at Einroguard."
"Ugh..."
"Urk."
Bogajun and Judrantas simultaneously groaned in frustration.
There was no better excuse to build a connection than the fact that they were studying at the same school.
¡®Such a cowardly move...¡¯
''To use the fact that they''re attending Einroguard like this.''
When the two imperial family members were at a loss for words, the follower continued with a triumphant tone.
"Do you understand now? Mr. Wardanaz is a close friend of the princess."
"?"
Yi-Han tilted his head.
Was that so?
''Were we that close... that close?''
Of course, he had prepared meals for her, and since they were in the same tower, they had done various things together, but he was a bit doubtful if that made them close friends.
Even if they were friends...
"Hehe! Hehe! Hehe!"
Gainando seemed to think the same way and was about to strongly protest.
''If it''s about being close, I''m closer to him!''
Of course, since his other words were sealed, it had little effect.
"Be quiet. There are many eyes watching."
Yonaire poked Gainando''s side.
Yi-Han had gone out of his way to help him maintain his dignity in front of the nobles who hade to the gathering today, yet he was trying to kick it away.
This cousin of hers needed to learn some gratitude.
"Hmph. Friendship at school is like a joke. Just because you studied together doesn''t mean you have to serve them."
"Rarely, you''re saying something sensible. That''s right. Isn''t it even stranger to think someone will serve you just because you have a bit of a connection?"
The two imperial family members changed their approach and tried to shake the friendship.
Of course, neither Yi-Han nor Adenart were swayed.
Adenart was originally an expressionless person, and Yi-Han didn''t have any particr thoughts about it.
''It''s not wrong though.''
It was nonsense to say that one would serve someone just because they attended the same school.
By that logic, Gainando would already have followers...
"By the way, how about we try to guess the identity of that egg?"
"I think you''ll be able to do it."
Bogajun and Judrantas suggested the riddle to win Yi-Han''s favor.
Of course, that wasn''t an action that would win Yi-Han''s favor at all.
''I said I don''t want to do it, yet these guys keep...''
It would be better if they just fought among themselves, but they kept trying to involve Yi-Han, which was extremely bothersome.
Just as he was about to refuse nicely, something shed through Yi-Han''s mind.
''!''
A strangely familiar egg.
He felt like he had seen it somewhere before...
''Basilisk''s egg!!''
The memory of Professor Bdi receiving it and being disappointed was vivid. It was to the point where he wondered why he only remembered it now.
"Isn''t that a basilisk''s egg?"
Yi-Han asked in a slightly startled voice.
Of course, as long as it didn''t hatch, it didn''t really matter whether it was a basilisk''s egg or a dragon''s egg...
Wasn''t it a bit dangerous?
''Do imperial family members usually solve this kind of riddle when they gather? Even though it''s not Einroguard?''
The noble who brought the egg, Brodon,ughed as if asking what he was talking about.
"It''s not a basilisk''s egg, Mr. Wardanaz."
"Is that... so?"
When the other party answered confidently, Yi-Han hesitated. He thought he might have seen it wrong.
"Yes. Believe me. There''s no way I would bring such a dangerous egg to this gathering."
"Where did you get it from, if I may ask?"
"I bought it from a merchant, but?"
"..."
Yi-Han''s face stiffened as he tried to believe him.
To think it wasn''t an egg he raised or obtained himself, but one he bought from a merchant.
Suddenly, he had a bad feeling.
''...It should be fine.''
Come to think of it, whether it was a basilisk''s egg or a dragon''s egg, as long as there were no signs of hatching, it shouldn''t be much of a problem.
They would take it back with them after the gathering ended...
Crack!
As the sound of the egg cracking and something trying toe out from inside was heard, Yi-Han immediately reacted.
"Everyone, get down!"
The rigorous training he had received at Einroguard did not betray Yi-Han.
Thanks to that, he was able to draw his staff and cast a spell faster than anyone else.
"Spring forth and unfold!"
A huge mass of water gushed out in midair and transformed into a curtain, enveloping the ss case.
One of the most dangerous things when dealing with a basilisk was its evil eye.
The moment you made eye contact, the curse of petrification would be cast. The basilisk''s eyes were dangerous even for a newborn.
"I will... Ugh!"
"Stay still!"
"No, I..."
"You too!"
Yi-Han grabbed the cors of the prince and princess who were trying to intervene and shoved them behind the table. So that they wouldn''t stick their heads out and make eye contact with the evil eye.
ng, thud!
The sound of ss shattering was heard, and a dull sound bounced off the water curtain.
Yi-Han was surprised by the impact that seemed like it would pierce through at any moment.
"It should be a newborn, but how?"
"Ah! Mr. Wardanaz!"
From the side, Zolbabden, who was hiding under the table, shouted as if he understood.
"Lord Brodon often gives growth potions to his eggs to take good care of them!"
"..."
As expected of an information source in the Empire''s social circles, Zolbabden was excellent at gathering information.
Of course, it wasn''t particrly helpful information in the current situation!
Brodon, who hadn''t fully grasped the situation yet, shouted as if denying reality.
"It might not be a basilisk!"
"Whatever it is, something thrashing around like that is a vicious creature! Everyone, don''te out from behind the table! Sharakan,e forth! Ferkuntra, your power is needed!"
Realizing the situation was serious, Yi-Han tried to make the first move with his strongest cards.
If he hesitated and held back, the situation could only escte.
However, just as Yi-Han was halfway through summoning Ferkuntra, the water curtain was finally torn.
Hiss!
Surprisingly, the sound of sizzling came from the water barrier. Unable to break through with brute force, the monster inside had used poison to tear it open.
Through that torn gap, the monster''s appearance shed.
A vicious monster born from the mixed souls of a snake and a rooster, a basilisk!
Pat!
As if sensing who the most threatening mage in this ce was, the basilisk immediately directed its evil eye at Yi-Han.
Its vertically elongated pupils shed, exuding the wicked curse of petrification.
"...The one who has contracted with you calls upon you with due authority!"
-?????-
However, Yi-Han remainedpletely unfazed even after being hit by the petrification curse.
In fact, he was so focused on chanting the spell that he didn''t even notice the basilisk had cast the petrification curse.
Pat, pat, pat!
The petrification curse was cast in session, but Yi-Han deflected them all.
And Ferkuntra was summoned.
Rumble, boom!
Thunder and lightning struck inside the room, and a huge lightning spirit began to take shape above Yi-Han.
¡°What kind of chaos is this?! You really bring trouble wherever you go!¡±
"...I will exin thatter! The basilisk is trying to escape! Please stop it!"
At Yi-Han''s urgent cry, Ferkuntra quickly grasped the situation.
If a basilisk was trapped inside that water curtain, it was no ordinary matter.
There seemed to be quite a few non-mages present, and it could lead to a major disaster.
¡°Of all the mistakes you''ve made today, summoning me was undoubtedly your wisest decision!¡±
Ferkuntra''s body swelled up greatly and shot out like a thunderbolt.
And it charged into the water curtain.
Whether it was a basilisk or whatever, it would subdue it in one go...
¡°...Didn''t it faint?¡±
"Pardon?"
¡°It fainted. It seems to have copsed from exhaustion.¡±
Ferkuntra removed the water curtain and showed the copsed basilisk. It was lying there as if dead.
Sharakan also poked the basilisk. Nevertheless, the basilisk did not get up.
"Is that... so?"
¡°Yes.¡±
For a moment, an awkward silence hung between Yi-Han and Ferkuntra.
Yi-Han spoke in an embarrassed voice.
"Anyway, thank you foring."
¡°...¡±
Ferkuntra red at Yi-Han.
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Chapter 301
Chapter 301
"Huh? It''s over already?" Yi-Han''s friends, who had been hiding behind the tables preparing their magic, asked in surprised voices.
Checking the mirror, the basilisk was indeed copsed on the ground. Yonaire put away her potion and stood up. Nillia also stopped enchanting her arrow and rose to her feet.
Gainando, along with his summoned skeleton warrior...
"Put it away, quickly!"
"What are you doing, seriously!"
"Ah, but... why...! This is magic too!"
Gainando felt wronged. They had all prepared to fight the basilisk together, so why was he the only one being scolded?
"Dark magic is magic too!"
"I get it, so put it away! Other people will see!"
Gainando sadly de-summoned the skeleton warrior.
''This filthy Empire, discriminating against only dark magic.''
"Summoning me is no trivial matter," Ferkuntra solemnly admonished Yi-Han before being de-summoned.
¡°You are wastefully consuming precious opportunities that, once used, could not be used again for some time.¡±
Surprised, Yi-Han asked, "Besides the time limit, are there other penalties?"
¡°...¡±
For a moment, Ferkuntra nearly forgot its dignity and sincerely got angry at the young mage.
¡°The mana consumption... no. Forget it. Anyway, remember this! If you waste precious opportunities, in the end, it is you who will regret it."
"This time I called you because it was truly dangerous. But why did that basilisk copse?"
"Perhaps it was hungry. How would I know." With those words, Ferkuntra averted its gaze.
However, the basilisk had not copsed from hunger or fatigue. Traces of a powerful petrification curse were felt throughout its body, as if it had been struck by its own evil eye.
¡°Hit by its own evil eye¡¡±
"Pardon?"
"The power of the evil eye is no trivial matter either. If blocked, the damage rebounds onto oneself. Did you have an artifact for evil eye defense?"
"No."
¡°...¡±
Ferkuntra quickly grasped the situation. That young mage had deflected the basilisk''s evil eye purely with the amount of mana.
''What is this...''
"I''ll be going now."
"I''m fine, so could you stay a bit longer?"
"Enough."
Ferkuntra hurriedly prepared for de-summoning, not wanting to praise Yi-Han. Its retreating figure seemed quite sulky.
Yi-Han thought that next time he had to go to the punishment room, he should buy a gift that the spirit liked.
"Is... is it all over?"
"Yes. It''s all over. Just in case, please wait a moment."
Yi-Han called the escorts waiting outside. It was to securely confine the basilisk in case of any eventualities.
The startled escorts rushed over, and the situation was roughly wrapped up.
Thump!
"?"
Prince Bogajun tightly grasped Yi-Han''s right hand. With greedy eyes and tears welling up, Bogajun eximed, "Mr. Wardanaz is my life''s savior."
"No... even if you were cursed with petrification, this isn''t some remote ce. A healing mage would have arrived within an hour."
Yi-Han was dumbfounded by the prince''s fuss. Seeing Gainando make a fuss over receiving a single snack, calling him his life''s savior, perhaps being dramatic was a characteristic of the imperial family.
Thump!
This time, Princess Judrantas grabbed Yi-Han''s left hand.
"Life savior...!"
"No. I said it''s not."
"I shall repay the favor with a visit!"
"Let''s have a gathering sometime!"
"I spoke first! Move aside!"
"Go and resolve the gue first!"
"How dare you be so rude... The bribery case your escort knight received!"
The two royals pulled Yi-Han towards themselves while growling. However, their strength was far inferior to Yi-Han''s, so he didn''t budge an inch.
''But is this okay?''
Yi-Han was puzzled. The royals, who had been maintaining their dignity until now due to the many eyes watching, were now arguing in a rather unseemly manner, perhaps shocked by the basilisk.
Is this level of behavior eptable?
-That''s a bit¡-
-Even though Mr. Wardanaz is refusing, they''re forcibly insisting like that. How impolite.-
''It''s not okay.''
Seeing the nobles whispering, it seemed it indeed was not okay. Yi-Han decided he needed to stop the royals.
"You two. Your current behavior is a little..."
"Yi-Han. Yi-Han."
Gainando scurried over and whispered. Yi-Han threw him a stern look.
"Didn''t I tell you to only say ''yes,'' ''no,'' and ''hehe''?"
"It''s an emergency, so it can''t be helped! Mother has arrived!"
"..."
¡ª
Upon hearing the news of Gainando''s mother''s early arrival, the visiting guests froze.
Normally, even if she arrived early, there would be no reason to freeze, but today was a bit different.
Despite holding a gathering at someone else''s residence, hadn''t they nearly caused a catastrophe by releasing a basilisk?
As the owner of the residence, it was natural to be furious.
Brodon, who had brought the egg, couldn''t raise his head, feeling like a sinner.
"I apologize to everyone."
"No. Lord Brodon. We are also members who participated in the gathering. How can we say it''s only Lord Brodon''s fault?"
Seeing everyone''s nervous state, Yi-Han asked Gainando, "Is your mother that strict?"
"We''re doomed... doomed..."
"..."
Even Gainando was in despair, making Yi-Han flustered. This incident wasn''t Gainando''s fault, was it?
"It''s not your fault, so why are you like that?"
"She told me not to mess up the residence while she was away."
"The others did it, so she''ll probably consider that."
At Yi-Han''s words, Gainando raised his head and looked at him with hopeful eyes.
"Really? You think so? Will you speak on my behalf?"
"No. I''m a guest, so you have to speak."
"...Please speak for me...! I''m not confident!"
Gainando clung to Yi-Han''s sleeve and pleaded. It seemed he thought it would be much better resolved if Yi-Han spoke to his mother instead of himself.
"Lady Kraha is entering."
As the family''s servants announced, the guests hurriedly tidied their attire and stood up from their seats.
Even the royals checked their own appearance for any issues before standing up.
Whoosh!
As the door opened and Gainando''s mother entered, an immense light swept through the hall.
Those who faced that light involuntarily let out exmations of admiration.
"Ah...!"
"Facing Lady Kraha''s beauty, it feels like my eyes will go blind...!"
"???"
Yi-Han was startled. Everyone except him had an enchanted expression.
In the first ce, so much light was pouring from her face that he couldn''t see properly.
Despite that, for them to be like this...
''Is it the power of charm?''
It wasn''t only monsters like subi that possessed the power of charm. Among spirits, there were also those who charmed people.
It was said that Gainando''s mother had mixed spirit blood, so it wouldn''t be surprising if she had such power.
Yi-Han had high resistance to status ailments, so he endured, but...
"Gainando. Don''t you have that kind of ability?"
"What ability?"
''He doesn''t.''
Yi-Han felt regretful. If Gainando had such an ability, he could have also gathered followers like the other royals.
The light subsided. Gainando''s mother had put on a veil.
"So. What happened?"
"I apologize!"
Brodon, the noble with the most responsibility, stepped forward first to exin the situation.
"It''s our fault. Lady Kraha!"
"It''s our fault!"
Gainando''s veiled mother didn''t respond but became lost in thought. Then she asked, "Who resolved it?"
"Uh... Prince Gainando and his friends..."
"Enough with the ttery. Who resolved it? The escorts?"
"Ah, no. It really was Prince Gainando and his friends who resolved it..."
"Didn''t I say enough with the ttery!"
Bang!
As Gainando''s mother struck the armrest, a sharp sound filled the hall. A strong belief that there was no way Gainando could have resolved it.
''Hmm. Indeed, parents know their children well.''
Unlike Yi-Han, who had no responsibility for this incident, the nobles and royals froze even more than before.
"That... well... Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family did take the lead, but Prince Gainando truly participated as well..."
"It''s not a lie... They resolved it together."
The nobles, who had been lying behind the tables as soon as the incident urred, hadn''t urately grasped the situation. They could only guess that Yi-Han had done something while calling his friends.
As such, it wasn''t strange for them to think they had done something together.
"It wasn''t like that. Yi-Han alone... Ack."
As Gainando pointed it out in puzzlement, the three simultaneously pinched Gainando''s back.
Read the mood!
Only then did Gainando''s mother seem to ept that the nobles weren''t just ttering. Slowly turning her gaze to Yi-Han, she spoke.
"I apologize for making you listen to such a harsh conversation despite having no fault. You said the Wardanaz family?"
"Yes."
"Excuse me, but what is your rtionship with Gainando?"
"Oh, we''re friends."
"..."
"...?"
A heavy silence hung in the air. For a moment, Yi-Han wondered if he had answered incorrectly.
''Is the answer "friends" used as a curse in this residence?''
"Is that true?"
"We''re really close! The closest of friends!"
Gainando answered instead, choking up. Gainando''s mother ignored him and asked Yonaire.
"Really..."
"They are friends."
"Why..."
"Because he''s kind?"
"Later, won''t it lead to family issues..."
"Yi-Han isn''t that narrow-minded, so it should be fine."
The nobles and royals couldn''t understand, but Yi-Han roughly understood.
''Hmm. It seems Gainando angered many of his previous friends.''
Gainando''s mother threw a nce at Yi-Han from behind the veil. Although her eyes weren''t visible, Yi-Han somehow felt that she regarded him with pity and gratitude.
''It''s probably my imagination.''
"Thank you for preventing it from turning into a bigger ident."
"I merely did what had to be done."
"It''s a humble offering and I hesitate to present it, but please ept it. Here."
As Gainando''s mother gestured, one of the servants carefully presented a jewel pouch to Yi-Han.
While Yi-Han was thinking, ''Should I refuse once and then ept? What if they really take it back?'', Gainando''s mother spoke again.
"Please don''t refuse. ept not the value of the gift, but the sincerity contained within."
"If you insist, I will gratefully acknowledge that sincerity."
Yi-Han, moved, slipped the jewel pouch into his bosom. Gainando''s mother was truly an extraordinary person.
Consideration on a different level from someone who gave a worthless token of gratitude!
''Is this a true noble?''
"Feel free to stay as long as you wish. Then..."
As Gainando''s mother left, only then could the nobles let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you. Mr. Wardanaz."
"We are truly indebted to you today."
Not only did he stop the basilisk, but he also shielded them from Lady Kraha''s reprimand.
No matter how many times they thanked him, it wouldn''t be enough.
Brodon and Zolbabden vowed that at the next gathering, they must inform everyone of what the young man from the Wardanaz family had done.
Not noticing their inner thoughts, Yi-Han nodded appropriately.
"No. I merely did what had to be done."
"Prince Gainando was also excellent. To think you could stop the basilisk. But what magic did you use?"
"Uh... um... hehe."
"Aha. It''s a secret, I see."
Among mages, there were those who didn''t reveal their area of expertise. The nobles interpreted it positively.
Surrounded by praise, Gainando''s mood instantly improved.
"For me to do that much... Hehe..."
As he spoke, Gainando realized the two royals were ring at him and was horrified.
''Adenart isn''t the sly one; it was this guy all along.''
''Even though you''re close, you were hiding it, huh?''
They had been wary of Adenart because Yi-Han had a friendship with her, but it turned out the one they really needed to be wary of was someone else.
"Y-Yi-Han. Those people are ring at me..."
"Ignore them and pretend you didn''t see."
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Chapter 302
Chapter 302
Gainando whined, "They keep ring at me. What am I supposed to do if they re at me like that every time they visit?"
Yi-Han thought of a good solution. It was something he had already said to Asan before.
"You can just go outside the mansion."
"Huh?"
"What if you wander around outside?"
"Oh... Will you hang out with me?"
"If that''s what you want."
Gainando''s face brightened. Seeing his reaction, Ratford felt sorry for him.
''It''ll probably be a bit different from what you''re thinking...''
¡ª
Since the topic came up, Yi-Han called Asan as well and set off with his friends.
Gainando asked with an expectant face, "Are we going to buy mage cards?"
"No."
"Are we going to buy the newly released magazine?"
"Nope."
"Then where are we going?"
"The Richmond family."
"???"
Gainando and Asan tilted their heads at Yi-Han''s words. It wasn''t a familiar family name, so it took them a moment to process it.
The Richmond family...
"Where was that again?"
"You don''t know the Richmond family?"
Yi-Han looked at his friends as if he couldn''t believe it. His friends shrank back like students who had gotten an easy test question wrong.
"S-sorry. Which family was the Richmond family again?"
"Isn''t it the family that runs one of the most renowned carriage transportation guilds in the Empire?"
"..."
"..."
How do you know that?!
While the two were dumbfounded, Yonaire nodded as if she understood.
"Ah. Right. That''s it."
"See? Yonaire knows. I''m surprised you guys don''t know that."
"..."
"..."
While Asan and Gainando were at a loss for words, the group arrived at their destination.
Located on the outskirts of the city, the building of the Richmond Transportation Guild resembled a huge warehouse.
"Hey, you bastard! Can''t you see the carriage is here right now?!"
"That''s my line! If you don''t move the carriage right away, I''ll send you to the temple!"
The coachmen in charge of the carriages were doing their best to somehow quickly get the carriages inside the warehouse, while the guild employees moved without stopping for even a second, unloading and loading boxes.
"It''s like your estate, Yonaire," Yi-Han muttered.
"?!" Yonaire was startled by Yi-Han''sment.
''Did our ce look that chaotic...?'' Yonaire made a mental note to tell the staff not to let too many people wait in front of the estate when she returned.
"Carriage to Krvalgen City, finished!" someone shouted.
"Departure! Departure!"
"Shyles?"
"?!" Shyles, a member of the Richmond family who had been yelling among the workers, was surprised to see his friends visiting.
¡ª
"I''m really grateful, Wardanaz," Shyles expressed his sincere gratitude and held out a pouch.
Yi-Han was touched by Shyles'' straightforwardness in giving him money without any bothersome process.
''The others should learn from this,'' he thought, ncing at his friends.
"What''s up?" they asked, puzzled by his gaze.
"Nothing. By the way, Shyles, I wanted to ask you something."
"Me? Sure, go ahead."
Shyles was slightly surprised. What could Yi-Han Wardanaz possibly want to ask him? He couldn''t even guess what it might be.
''Could it be some items he needs to transport secretly?''
Perhaps there were important items he had to move without being noticed by his family...
"Do you know of any well-paying short-term jobs in the city suitable for mages?"
"...Uh... Umm??" Shyles was taken aback.
Yi-Han''s question waspletely unexpected. However, Yi-Han was serious.
''Good jobs should be sought out in advance,'' he thought.
Mages were always in high demand, but that didn''t mean there were many ces they could work. To be precise, the cost of hiring a mage was too high.
Even unloading and loading the packed goods from the carriages behind them could be done quickly by a skilled mage, but... Thebor cost would exceed the profit.
There were many ces to work, but few where mages could earn wages matching their value.
Moreover, in Granden City, there were quite a few students from Einroguard besides Yi-Han. Considering the number of seniors, good short-term jobs would disappear in an instant.
''I need to find them as soon as possible,'' Yi-Han thought.
"Are you joking..." Shyles began, but he hesitated upon seeing the fiery determination in Yi-Han''s eyes.
Those were not the eyes of someone joking.
''But why would students from the Blue Dragon Tower want to work...?''
It wouldn''t be surprising for students from the ck Tortoise Tower, Immortal Phoenix Tower, or White Tiger Tower to seek jobs. In fact, many of them did.
The cost of living in Granden City was high, so few students didn''t work during the break.
But the students from the Blue Dragon Tower... Didn''t they not need to?
"Well, I don''t know much either. I''ve only heard from friends and guild staff," Shyles said.
"Anything is fine. Tell me."
"Uh, escorting carriages might not be suitable, right?"
The Empire''snd was vast, and traveling long distances naturally came with risks. From monsters to thieves.
Naturally, carriage processions were apanied not only by coachmen but also by escorts. For cheap goods, it was fine, but when transporting expensive and important items, high-level personnel like mages were sometimes included.
"That''s a bit tricky. We might not make it back in time for the next semester," Yi-Han agreed.
"R-Right. Well, I heard there are jobs teaching magic to those with aptitude..."
Yi-Han nodded and took notes. It was indeed a decent job.
Not everyone had the talent to enter the Imperial Magic Academy. Some people had magical talent but never realized it and just lived their lives.
asionally, some of them decided to learn magicter in life. They came from various backgrounds: adventurers, mercenaries, merchants, sailors, explorers, and so on.
Teaching magic to these people was quite popr among Einroguard students.
"Wait, we''re first-years. Are we allowed to teach?" Yonaire asked.
"I heard being a first-year at Einroguard is enough," Shyles replied.
"I see. What''s next?"
"Oh, no. There''s more?"
Shyles wracked his brain to the best of his ability under Yi-Han''s gaze.
"Ah, this isn''t always avable, but I heard material-gathering requests are good."
"Material-gathering requests?"
Yi-Han paused. Usually, that was a job for inexperienced adventurers or errand runners.
Of course, for high-difficulty materials, huge rewards were offered, and veteran adventurers would take on the task, but... It was unlikely to be popr among students.
"Can''t others do that?" Yi-Han asked.
"Oh, there are materials that only mages can collect."
''Aha.'' Yi-Han understood.
Some materials could only be collected using magic.
"Shyles, if such a requestes up, be sure to let me know," Yi-Han said.
"But... why... A-Alright. I owe you a lot, so I can do that much."
"Is there anything else?"
"..." Shyles desperately racked his brain again.
''He''s not crazy for not working, so why...?''
"Right! There are also jobs assisting mages with their experiments!"
"That''s a bit iffy."
"?!"
Shyles was startled when Yi-Han immediately showed signs of refusal.
"Why? I heard this is a pretty good job too."
"Shyles, you should be wary of unfamiliar mages first. You never know what kind of experiments they might conduct."
Yi-Han spoke very seriously. In fact, as someone who had suffered from meeting the wrong mage, he was very concerned about Shyles'' naive perception.
Even an experiment with an ordinary name like could turn out to be a bizarre experiment where all sorts of attacks were thrown at the subject.
"Ah... No, Wardanaz. Of course, they''re unfamiliar mages, but they''re mages who have built trust and reputation in this city. They''re not wanted criminal mages. There''s no way they''d conduct strange experiments, right...?"
"No," Yi-Han answered firmly.
"They can. Remember that. Got it?"
"Y-Yes..."
Shyles nodded, overwhelmed by Yi-Han''s force. He still couldn''t understand the logic, but Yi-Han''s voice carried a sincerity that transcended logic.
"But assisting mages with experiments is really a good job, Wardanaz. It''s not something you can get right away just because you want it... You can listen to the experiment details and choose a good one, can''t you?"
Not all mage experiments were dangerous. Observing and recording unusual magical phenomena urring near the city also counted as experiment assistance.
"Alright. If you insist, I''ll consider it," Yi-Han said.
"No, it''s really..."
Yi-Han finished summarizing and looked up. "So, Shyles, which of these jobs are you doing?"
"Me? I''m too busy. I have to help with guild work."
Yi-Han was intrigued. Perhaps the work was closer than he thought.
"Does working for the transportation guild pay?"
"No, I don''t get paid, but it''s our family''s business, so I do it."
"Tsk, Shyles. Even if they''re family, working for free is not a good idea. You''re undervaluing yourself."
"...Ah, no... It''s our family''s business, so...?"
As Yi-Han was about to give that advice and stand up, a guild member ran over and said to Shyles, "Young Master, the neighboring merchant group is urgently looking for a mage to organize their potion inventory. Why don''t you go? It pays quite well."
"No, look at our warehouse. We have to finish organizing it today. Can''t you see the coachmen are about to riot?"
"This is perfect timing. We''ll take that request," Yi-Han said.
"?!"
"??!"
Shyles, the guild member, and Yi-Han''s friends behind him were all surprised by his words.
"You, Wardanaz?"
"If it''s a job that requires a mage, the pay should be decent, right?"
"Ah, no. The pay is good, but it''ll be boring and tedious."
"The pay is what matters. So, it''s okay to take it, right?"
"Uh... Yeah."
Yi-Han got up, took the paper, and leisurely left. His friends followed him out.
The guild member, still gaping, finally came to his senses and asked, "Ah... No, Young Master. Those friends are nobles, right? But why?"
Shyles deeply sympathized with the guild member''s words. Exactly!
¡ª
"A mage, and an Einroguard student at that? You''re absolutely wee!" the merchant group employee eximed excitedly, then looked up and was startled.
''They''re nobles!?''
"...You, you know what we do here, right?"
"Rummaging through the warehouse, checking potions, and organizing inventory, isn''t it?"
"That''s, that''s right... But it''ll be boring for you. It won''t be fun..."
"But the pay is good, isn''t it?"
"That''s true... We, we look forward to working with you."
Yi-Han''s group headed to the warehouse. Nillia, Ratford, and Yonaire didn''t think much of it, but Gainando and Asan were still in shock.
"But why are we doing this?" Gainando whispered.
"It, it must be for magic study. That''s definitely it for Wardanaz," Asan replied.
As the two whispered, they saw familiar faces in front of the warehouse. It was Salko and his gang.
"!!"
Salko and his friends were surprised to see Yi-Han''s group.
"Wardanaz! What brings you here?"
"We came to work."
"You..."
Salko was momentarily at a loss for words, then eximed in admiration, "...are truly amazing!"
"Are we really working?" Gainando''s whisper faded away in vain.
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Chapter 303
Chapter 303
Salko was very hospitable. It was theplete opposite of his usual demeanor at the academy, where he would frown and refuse to interact with the students from the Blue Dragon Tower.
"Are you trying not to borrow money from your family?" Salko asked.
"That''s right," Yi-Han replied.
"Wardanaz, you are a true noble."
Although Salko meant it as apliment, it didn''t sound like one to Yi-Han.
''If I could borrow money from my family, I wouldn''t be doing this, you fool,'' he thought.
For Yi-Han, who was trying to raise funds separately and make a profit, the family name wasn''t of much help. If it wasn''t something necessary for his studies, he wouldn''t receive support, and if he asked them to find him a lucrative job, they would likely react with, "Huh? Why would you want such a job?"
"By the way, Salko, don''t you work at the guild? Shyles seemed busy," Yi-Han asked.
"Unlike the transportation guild, our stonemason guild has an off-season," Salko exined.
"I see. So you took advantage of the time to find another job."
"That''s right."
Yi-Han and Salko exchanged nces. It was a sense of kinship that only those obsessed with work could feel.
"Come, Wardanaz. I''ll exin how it works," Salko said as he turned around, and his gang members chimed in.
"Wait a moment, Tutanta," one of them said.
"What is it?" Salko asked.
"I need to pay back the silver coins owed to Wardanaz."
"Me too."
"Me too..."
"..."
Salko looked at his friends in disbelief. Just how much had these guys begged from Wardanaz without him knowing?
¡ª
Sitting on a chair, opening a box, and detecting the amount of mana in the materials inside the box. If the amount or quality of mana differed from the original material, or if there were any other issues, that material would be excluded.
It wasn''t a particrly difficult task. It was just a tedious job that required persistence and patience.
"This could be quite a good training, don''t you think, Gainando? It''s also great for developing the ability to distinguish materials," Yi-Han said.
"..."
Gainando thought his friend had gone crazy. So instead of answering, when Yi-Han briefly left his seat at Salko''s request for help, Gainando desperately whispered to his other friends.
"He''s crazy! I think Yi-Han has gone mad! He''s enjoying this!"
"Huh? Isn''t it pretty decent?" Yonaire said as she tossed a material into the box.
From Yonaire''s perspective, who wanted to run a few businesses on her ownter, there was nothing wrong with collecting silver coins like this.
"...What about you guys?!" Gainando asked.
"What? We should be grateful to work so easily and get paid that much," Nillia said, dumbfounded by Gainando''s question.
When she was in the northern mountains, even if she chased and caught a beast for three days, she would only get a few imperial copper coins after dividing the spoils among the hunters. But in this warehouse, she could earn silver coins just by sitting for a few hours and sorting materials.
''This is why you should be a mage,'' she thought, considering the conditions to be good enough.
"I agree. It''s a pity that we won''t be able to receive any more silver coins once we finish organizing here," Ratford said.
"That''s right. I''m also very disappointed about that," Nillia nodded repeatedly.
It was a shame that such a good job would end after doing it once.
"But it can''t be helped, right? There''s no way such a good job would continue," Ratford said.
"You''re right. They''re probably paying us well because it''s an urgent task," Nillia agreed.
"You... You''ve all gone crazy... Dargard! Dargard!" Gainando called out to hisst remaining friend, Asan.
However, Asan replied with a serious expression, "This is a good opportunity."
"...Have you gone mad too?! Why are you like this! Come to your senses! Why are you doing this too?!"
Gainando didn''t know, but Asan had already been persuaded.
-Asan, think about it. If you earn silver coins with your own strength? How would your older brother and sister think of you?-
-Indeed... If I give them a gift with the silver coins I earned on my own, even if they are my older siblings, they will have no choice but to acknowledge me.-
-...I wasn''t telling you to give them a gift, but anyway, that''s the point.-
"Gainando, how long are you going to rely on your family''s power?" Asan asked.
"What are you talking about! My family''s power is my power!" Gainando shouted, jumping up and down.
While Gainando was making a fuss, Yi-Han returned to his seat. He looked at Gainando and asked curiously, "What are you doing?"
"Just... Just a little exercise."
"I see. Let''s sit down again."
"Okay..."
Gainando''s resistance ended in vain. He sat down again and started organizing.
''Sob, sob. I want to go home,'' he thought.
¡ª
When they came out of the warehouse, the sun was already setting, and the evening glow was approaching. Magicmps began to light up one by one on the city''s streets in front of the warehouse. They could also see night owls getting dressed in their outfits.
"Thank you very much for your hard work, mages," thepany employees said, expressing their sincere gratitude and bowing their heads.
No matter how they looked at it, even when students who seemed to be from noble families came, they were worried, thinking, ''Will it be okay? What if they make a fuss because they don''t want to do such a tedious job?'' However, the studentspleted the work surprisingly quickly and urately.
They wanted to call them again when there was work next time.
''But if we do that, it would be rude,'' they thought.
If they tried to ask the children of noble families, "Can we call you again if there''s work next time?" they might get a response like, "Oh, sure,e visit the mansion, but you won''t be able to leave with your limbs intact."
"Excuse me..." Yi-Han said.
"?"
"If there''s a job like this next time, please contact me," Yi-Han whispered, slipping a precious silver coin into the employee''s hand.
The employee was shocked by Yi-Han''s skilledworking, which was more adept than a worker who had been working for over a decade.
''Who on earth is this person...!?''
Yi-Han winked and turned around.
''It seems to have gone well,'' he thought.
In this era, connections were important when it came to finding a job. If you received a high evaluation from a ce you worked at once, you could get a job again when there was an opening, or you might receive a job offer from a rted ce.
"Good job, everyone. Gainando, shall we go buy some toys?" Yi-Han asked, looking at Gainando.
While everyone else was stretching, Gainando was staring intently at his pouch of silver coins, which caught Yi-Han''s attention.
He wondered if Gainando would go back to the mansion and tell his mother, "Sob, sob, Yi-Han made me sweat healthily."
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Gainando shouted. Yi-Han was slightly taken aback by Gainando''s unusual outburst.
"No, didn''t you want to buy toys? Do you prefer cards?"
Gainando''s eyes widened as he hugged the pouch of silver coins tightly to his chest. He looked like he would immediately swing his staff at anyone who tried to touch the pouch.
"I earned this silver... I can''t just spend it like that! I''ll put it in the deepest vault in my room!"
"...O-Okay, do that."
Yi-Han was surprised by Gainando''s reaction but nodded.
Isn''t it a good thing anyway?
Asan tried to put his hand on Gainando''s shoulder to praise him. However, Gainando growled and tried to bite him.
Smack!
"Hey, you crazy bastard!! What are you doing!"
"I told you not toe near me! I''ll bite anyone whoes close to my silver coins!"
"..."
Yi-Han exchanged nces with Yonaire.
"Did we bring him along for nothing?"
"Ah, no... But he''s still a bit better..."
¡ª
''I think I did my best to this extent.''
At the Wardanaz family''s mansion, Yi-Han was lost in thought as he organized his notes on paper.
He had asked his friends from the ck Tortoise Tower, "Since I''ve treated you, let''s work together if there''s a decent job," and he had asked everyone he met, "If there''s a job, let''s do it together."
To this extent, all the avable jobs shoulde to him.
"Young Master Yi-Han, have you returned?" Arlong knocked on the door of the study. Yi-Han signaled for him to enter.
"If it''s alright with you, I was wondering if you''d like to have a sparring match after a long time," Arlong said.
"Sure, that would be great. Thank you, Sir Knight," Yi-Han replied.
"You''ve been going out frequently these days. Are you sure you don''t need any help? Please let me know if there''s anything," Arlong offered.
"Hmm."
Yi-Han paused for a moment. Then he asked, "Do you happen to know of any short-term jobs where I can earn a lot of silver coins as a magic academy student and a mage?"
"Pardon?"
Arlong was taken aback. He asked again, "I apologize, but... why do you need such a thing? If there''s anything you need for magic, we can support you as much as..."
Yi-Han nodded as if he had expected this. "Let''s go sh swords."
"???"
Arlong was still confused and followed Yi-Han.
In the training yard of the mansion, Arlong drew his sword. Usually, he had the face of a kind old knight, but the moment he drew his sword, a huge rock revealed its presence.
Yi-Han also drew his sword. Although there was no chance of winning against Arlong, a knight who held the title of Master, given only to the most renowned swordsmen in the empire, by shing swords...
''Let''s make the most of what I''ve learned,'' Yi-Han thought.
There were mainly two things Yi-Han had learned about swordsmanship at Einroguard.
One was the technique of infusing mana into the sword.
...To be precise, that technique involved maintaining a stable flow of mana inside the sword, even in the heat of a chaotic battle, merging the sword and the body into one. Yi-Han¡¯s approach was more crude, just forcefully releasing and wasting mana, but it was still technically infusing the sword.
And the other was the principle of absorption.
By altering the nature of the mana infused into the sword, swordsmanship could be as versatile as magic.
"Then, I shall begin," Arlong said.
And an hourter.
Thud-
Yi-Han copsed on the training yard floor, having lost his wooden sword. His mana was still overflowing, but his physical strength was exhausted.
Arlong wiped his sweat and eximed in admiration, "That was excellent."
"It doesn''t seem... that great," Yi-Han said, enduring the aching pain throughout his body. However, Arlong was serious.
"I didn''t expect you to be able to infuse mana to that extent in such a short time. It''s a level that ordinary swordsmen usually have to train for decades to reach. Perhaps you are as talented in the utilization of mana as you are in magic. But I have a question..."
"What is it?" Yi-Han asked.
"Did you use any special method when utilizing mana? The power..."
Arlong asked, spreading his aching palm. If he hadn''t protected himself with mana, the sword wielded by the young master in front of him would have turned his hand into a bloody mess.
As his mentor in swordsmanship, he had to stop Yi-Han if the enlightenment he gained was a method that harmed his body, even if it was good to gain insights on his own.
"Ah, that... So..."
Yi-Han hesitated, trying his best not to sound like a madman.
"..."
Arlong''s expression turned into one of disbelief after hearing the whole story.
"So... you''re not infusing mana into the sword, circting it, and maintaining it... but just releasing it?"
"Well, I don''t usually do that, only when necessary."
"..."
Arlong pondered whether he should stop this or not. Other swordsmen would spit blood from mana exhaustion after swinging once or twice, but Yi-Han had ample mana, so he said it was fine...
"I have faced countless swordsmen in the empire and experienced all sorts of secret techniques and extraordinary methods, but I have never encountered a swordsman who uses a method like the one you just described, Young Master Yi-Han."
"Is it that rare?"
Yi-Han was slightly discouraged. He thought there would be at least one or two...
"For now, it''s alright, but please be careful. No wonder the sword keeps... Ah, there''s one more thing I''d like to ask."
"Go ahead."
"Earlier, you clearly changed the nature of mana... Wasn''t it an absorption sword? Where did you learn the absorption sword technique?"
"Ah, I oncepeted against a swordsman from the Engge family."
Arlong was surprised.
"Are you saying a swordsman from the Engge family taught you their family''s sword technique? Why on earth would they do that?"
"No, they didn''t teach me. After shing swords, some time passed, and I became able to change the nature. So I''ve been trying to make use of it since then."
"..."
Arlong almost copsed.
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Chapter 304
Chapter 304
Yi-Han couldn''t simply imitate swordsmanship just by watching. If that were possible, all the Empire''s sword guilds and swordsmanship instructors would have to put down their swords.
Of course, if one were truly an exceptional swordsman, they could grasp swordsmanship to a certain extent just by crossing swords. However, it was only to a certain level; they couldn''t read all theplex and profound sword techniques.
The Absorption Sword of the Engge family belonged to that category. The swordsmanship that made the opponent lose bnce and get pulled in the moment their swords shed wasn''t just about converting the nature of mana.
Starting from converting the nature of mana, one had to precisely calcte at which moment of the sword technique to use it for the optimal effect. Yet, Yi-Han grasped it through experience and developed it to the point of using it during his spar with Arlong.
''Can magical talent be applied in this way too?'' Arlong was perplexed.
He knew from the family patriarch that Yi-Han was outstanding in magic. As such a genius, perhaps he could do that just by seeing the change in the nature of mana. But to develop it to the point of using it in a spar...
Arlong thought that perhaps the young master should have been sent to the knights'' order instead of Einroguard.
"It was excellent for self-training. If you refine it further, it will be even better," Arlong said.
"Really? That''s encouraging." Yi-Han used his sword to support his weight and stood up from his spot.
Having struggled throughout the semester, he couldn''t help but be pleased that Arlong acknowledged him.
''I guess it''s usable.''
"Lord Wardanaz, a guest has arrived," a servant approached and called for Yi-Han.
"Who is it?" Yi-Han thought it might be one of his friends or someone who hadn''t paid him back yet.
"It''s a priest. They said there would be a temple event soon, and they came thinking Lord Wardanaz would be interested..."
"!" Yi-Han''s face lit up.
Tijiling, the priestess from the Presinga Order, had mentioned it before. There would be a temple event during the break.
It was called an event, but it was a kind of secondhand market where cursed artifacts were collected and destroyed or disposed of. Since the semester, Yi-Han had been determined to participate in this event and make some money.
''Priestess Tijiling, thank you.''
"I''ll change my clothes and go right away. Tell her I''ll attend the event and ask her to wait in the reception room for a bit. Oh, and can you prepare some snacks for me to take when visiting the temple?"
"I will do so."
¡ª
"..."
Yihan had a sullen expression on his face as he walked.
Beside him was not Priestess Tijiling, but Priest Nigisor, who waved the brightly burning mes to the side as he spoke. "As expected of Yihan from the Wardanaz family. I knew you would be interested."
"Indeed... I like the Aphar Order..."
Objectively speaking, the Aphar Order was a good religious order. Especially for Yihan, who had a weakness in handling the fire element, it was an order that had helped him a lot. Maintaining a friendly rtionship with such an order was clearly a good thing, but...
''I thought it was the Presinga Order.''
Originally, when people''s expectations were raised for no reason, they were bound to be more disappointed. Yihan, who had thought of taking a share of the cursed artifacts, couldn''t help but feel let down.
"By the way, what kind of event does the Aphar Order hold?"
"First, there''s the burning of the straw doll. We burn a straw doll filled with the misfortunes and bad luck of the year to call for good fortune."
"I see."
Yihan nodded his head at the surprisingly sensible event.
"Next, we invite the priests and the city''s fire mages to lecture on the empire''s safety regtions."
"...Huh?"
Yihan was taken aback. There was such a thing?
"There was something like that?"
"Fire element-wielding mages can cause great damage even with small idents, unlike priests who are educated from a young age. Self-taught mages often cause dangerous idents."
The Aphar Order was a religious order that worshipped fire, not one that encouraged arson. If it had been, there would have already been a bounty on them in the empire.
On the contrary, the Aphar Order was a religious order that paid close attention to fire safety. This was also the reason why viges of a certain size all wanted to have an Aphar Order temple in their vige.
''...Wait a minute. Didn''t Priest Nigisor want to burn the world?''
Yihan looked at the priest walking beside him with a dubious gaze. It seemed that the Aphar Order should manage Priest Nigisor first before the city''s fire mages...
"But will the mages listen? It doesn''t seem like they''lle easily."
Priest Nigisor shook his head. "After listening to the empire''s safety regtions, we issue a certificate ofpletion in the name of the order. It''s quite a useful item when you want to use fire magic in the city, so quite a lot of mages attend."
"!"
Unlike other magic, even employers didn''t just call anyone for fire magic. If cast incorrectly, it could burn everything around.
"Then I must receive it too."
"...???"
Priest Nigisor looked at Yihan with a strange expression, wondering where he would use it.
¡ª
The Aphar Order''s temple felt hot. Yihan involuntarily grabbed and shook his cor.
The mes rising from the statues installed all over the temple, the mes emitted by the fire mages who hade to the temple...
As Priest Nigisor said, the number of mages was surprisingly high. Most of the city''s fire mages seemed to havee.
"Have you been to the newly opened staff shop? I heard they use magnolia wood as a material. I wonder if it will suit fire magic."
"I still prefer apple tree staffs. What if you change the staff and fail to control it?"
From people who looked like they had never fought before to adventurer-like people wearing metal armor with several daggers hanging from their belts.
"The burns are severe. Did the magic backfire?"
"Yeah. You be careful inside buildings too."
"..."
And there were also ominous conversations. Yihan involuntarily paused.
''...I really need to be careful when using fire magic.''
"Hey."
"?"
Yihan turned his head. Of course, it wouldn''t be strange for a fight to break out in such a crowded ce, but this was a temple.
''What? Is he someone who enjoys going to the city prison?''
"You''re a first-year, right? Keep your head down and follow me."
Surprisingly, the one who spoke to him was another Einroguard student. Showing the Einroguard emblem slightly and then buttoning up the front of his coat, Yihan was puzzled.
"Are you... an Einroguard student?"
"Yeah. Second-year. Lower your voice and follow me."
The unidentified senior pulled Yihan to a corner of the temple. Then, looking around, he said, "It''s not good to show off that you''re an Einroguard mage here. The guys who learned some magic in this city are jealous of Einroguard students or try to use them. It just bes troublesome for no reason."
The senior spat and rubbed it with his boots. "I''m advising you because we''re from the same White Tiger Tower. Got it?"
"...How did you know I''m from the White Tiger Tower?"
Yihan asked curiously. The senior snorted and said, "Anyone can see that your body is screaming ''I''ve wielded a sword.'' I''d be an idiot not to notice. Nice to meet you. I''m Valgaro from the Alpha family."
A second-year White Tiger Tower student, from the same family as Ango. Yihan''s mind quickly turned.
If he mentioned a non-existent family, it could raise suspicion, but if he mentioned an existing family and they actually knew each other...
"...I''m Gainando from the Moradi family."
"Moradi family? You don''t look like you''re from the Moradi family?"
"That''s because I''m from a branch family."
"Huh. You must have had a hard time as a branch family member who doesn''t resemble them. The Moradi family folks must be persistent."
"No. It''s alright."
Instead of a long excuse, Yihan put on a lonely smile. Sometimes, just staying still was easier to exin than a long excuse.
Then Valgaro let his imagination run wild. Being from a branch family and not even resembling them would undoubtedly lead to discrimination.
"Enough. You can just speakfortably in front of me."
"Thank you, senior. But what are you doing here?"
"I came to get a permit from the Aphar Order. What else would I be here for? I mainly use fire magic. But if you don''t have a permit, not only the client but also other adventurers are a bit wary to give you missions."
"Mission? Do you work as an adventurer?"
"I do. What? Didn''t you hear from the other guys? Why don''t you know?"
"Because I''m from a branch family..."
Yihan put on a lonely smile again. Valgaro felt very sorry.
"Don''t mind it. The ones who excluded you are trash. Despicable bastards. No matter what, they shouldn''t have done that."
"I''m fine."
"I''m not fine. The juniors I had expectations for..."
Valgaro was furious that the juniors he had finally met as a second-year were doing cowardly things.
"Originally, the White Tiger Tower often works as adventurers during breaks. Not only for living expenses but also to maintain and train our senses as knights."
"I see. When working as an adventurer, you can choose the missions you want."
In a way, it was a suitable job for the White Tiger Tower. As mages, they had high pay, and as knights from knight families, they had much more solidbat power than average adventurers or mercenaries...
If they only chose missions that could bepleted in a short period, it could be more advantageous in terms of ie.
''There were such advantages. Those despicable White Tiger Tower bastards. Trying to benefit only themselves.''
It wasn''t that the White Tiger Tower students had particrly hidden it, but Yihan was indignant.
"That''s right. And above all, we''re knights. We can''t do trivial jobs like the ck Tortoise Tower guys, no matter how much silver they give us."
''Do knights receive training that lowers their intelligence?''
"Indeed, you are absolutely right."
While Yihan was agreeing with Valgaro, the priests of the Aphar Order appeared, dragging a huge straw doll.
"First, I would like to thank the messengers of fire who have gathered here today. This straw doll is..."
Valgaro yawned and took out his wand. "You prepare too. We all use fire magic together."
"!"
The straw doll wasn''t just burned. The mages and priests gathered at the scene all joined forces to burn it together.
"Don''t underestimate that straw doll. It doesn''t burn well. Last year, there was a guy who tried to do it alone and was humiliated... What are you doing?"
Click, click, click-
Yihan wore severalyers of fire absorption rings, bracelets, and nes.
"I equipped artifacts."
"Hey. No matter how much they say it doesn''t burn, you don''t have to try that hard. If it doesn''t burn, the priests will step up."
Whoosh!
As soon as the priest''s exnation ended, the mages gathered at the temple began to wave their staffs.
"O mes..."
"Burn and devour!"
"mes, in the form of a sphere..."
Valgaro also prepared magic. "mes. Dwell within."
Normally, the enchantment was cast on a sword, but now it was cast on the tip of a wooden pole. As it touched the straw doll, mes erupted.
However, the soaring mes quickly subsided. The powerful mana of the straw doll was enduring the fire magic.
"See? This really doesn''t burn..."
Whoosh!
Yihan summoned mes and unleashed them directly onto the straw doll. The mes engulfed the straw doll and burned fiercely.
''...Just how effective are these artifacts?''
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Chapter 305
Chapter 305
Yi-Han''s summoned mes mesmerized more than just Valgaro. Other fire mages also murmured in astonishment.
"Who is that mage? I''ve never seen him before."
"He''s definitely no ordinary mage!"
Flustered by their gazes, Valgaro whispered, "Hey! I told you it''s not good for other mages to know you''re from Einroguard!"
"I apologize. I failed to control it properly."
"Artifacts aren''t almighty. Keep that in mind. Relying on them too much won''t do you any good."
Valgaro spoke with the reassuring air of a second-year senior. Of course, when Yi-Han said he failed to control it, he meant something slightly different.
''Fire magic is still difficult.''
Due to his innate mana capacity, even a moment''spse in concentration would cause the mes to explode and scatter in all directions. As such, Yi-Han typically used fire magic by narrowing its range as much as possible.
While others would grow the mes to create arrows, spears, or shields, Yi-Han fixed his in the form of a small me. However, its firepower was by no means weak.
Summoned with his immense mana, the me possessed destructive power capable of piercing through considerable fire resistance. In fact, the straw doll, which had withstood other magic quite well, was now burning away.
''I tried to weaken the firepower a bit, but is it too much to handle?''
He had attempted to adjust the intensity of the mes, but it wasn''t easy at all. After all, it required forcibly reducing the amount of mana used when casting...
Considering how others struggled to squeeze out their mana to strengthen their spells, it was a rather absurd concern.
As the straw doll began to burn, a peculiar wave of mana spread out. This mana wave gently and warmly enveloped the people in the temple. It felt almost like a blessing, with not a hint of malice.
"How is it? Do you feel like misfortune and bad luck are disappearing?"
"It seems so."
"You''ll have strangely good luck for a day or two. Since you burned a lot, it mightst even longer for you."
''Oh.''
Yi-Han brightened at his senior''s words. If this blessing had such an effect, it was truly what Yi-Han needed.
''If it''s true, I should receive it before the second semester starts.''
"Now, everyone, pleasee this way. I will exin the safety rules."
The temple''s priests called the mages to gather. Yi-Han moved without much thought. However, that was a mistake.
"..."
"Unfortunately, you''re disqualified."
"Ugh!"
The mage at the front of the line stomped his foot in frustration because, instead of lighting the candle, sparks had flown to the side.
Seeing this, Yi-Han asked in confusion, "Weren''t we supposed to listen to the safety rules?"
"You listen while doing it. You remember better by directly experiencing it than just listening, don''t you?"
''This is why knight family guys are...''
Obtaining the temple''s permit was not as easy as he had thought. The priests strictly judged whether one could control the mes without spreading them to the surroundings in various situations.
Watching this, Yi-Han tensed up, his face stiffening. It was his greatest weakness.
''If I lose focus, this temple will be a sea of fire.''
"Hey, what''s wrong with you? It''s not that difficult. It''s something other mages should be nervous about, but we Einroguard students have no reason to be anxious."
Valgaro spoke as if it were absurd. The priests weren''t interested in the power, speed, orplex techniques of fire magic. They only cared about whether one could control their fire magic or not.
Unless one was self-taught, it was an extremely easy and fundamental task for a mage educated at Einroguard. However, Yi-Han didn''t rx his expression and focused intensely.
Seeing this, Valgaro thought to himself, ''Is he not confident in fire magic?''
Indeed, quite a few students in the White Tiger Towercked confidence in magic. Valgaro felt he should encourage his junior.
"Gainando, don''t worry too much. Magic isn''t everything. You''ll get used to it over time. Don''t be impatient even if students from other towers do better than you. Understand?"
"Uh... thank you?"
¡ª
Fortunately, Yi-Han seeded without incident. The mes precisely floated in the air and set fire to the targets with pinpoint uracy.
Valgaro, who had passed earlier, apuded and cheered for his junior. "Well done! Well done! What, you''re pretty good!"
"Thank you."
Not only Valgaro but also the priests of the Aphar Order approached Yi-Han. The priests looked at Yi-Han and said, "Wow..."
"Thank you, priests! Thank you for always guiding me!"
Yi-Han spoke first to prevent the priests from saying anything unnecessary. "If the priests hadn''t helped me, I wouldn''t have been able to refine my fire magic to this extent."
"We didn''t expect you to say that much..."
The priests were deeply moved by Yi-Han''s sincere gratitude. "The temple''s doors are always open, so pleasee and visit. You''re always wee if it''s to control fire."
"...Uh..."
Yi-Han hesitated. Of course, he had no intention of not studying during the break, but he didn''t want to add to his schedule from the start.
"That..."
"Perhaps..."
"I will definitely visit. Thank you."
Before the priest could say anything unnecessary, Yi-Han put his foot down. Although he felt uneasy about adding to his schedule, he had no choice.
Seeing this from the side, Valgaro looked at Yi-Han suspiciously. "You..."
''Did he find out?''
Yi-Han tensed up, thinking his identity as a non-White Tiger Tower student might have been exposed.
"You like studying magic, don''t you?"
"...Yes!"
"That''s unusual. But why is your skill... Oh, no. That''s not what''s important."
"If Ick skill, shouldn''t I put in more effort?"
Valgaro nodded at his junior''s words. He was a truly diligent fellow. It was a pity his magic skills didn''t keep up...
"Let''s go. I should treat you to a meal."
"Uh... no. It''s okay."
Although Yi-Han liked freebies, it was a matter of conscience to ept a meal from someone from a smaller family than his own.
"No! When other White Tiger Tower guys treat you like that, as a knight and as your senior in the White Tiger Tower, I have a responsibility to treat you to a meal."
"..."
Yi-Han pondered when to slip away.
Crackle...
"?"
Looking to the side, he saw the city''s mages who had received their permits gathering in the temple and casting magic instead of leaving.
"mes, gather in the form of a ring!"
A ring of fire rose into the air. Yi-Han immediately understood the principle behind it. It was closer to somehow modifying a 1st Circle spell to create a ring shape. Although precarious and unstable, as long as the goal was achieved, the magic could be considered sessful.
''It''s quite clumsy, though.''
"Oh... Oh my! To seed in creating a ring of fire!!!"
"This is unbelievable! This is unbelievable!"
"Hahaha! Everyone, hand over the silver coins! Didn''t I say I could do it!"
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han and Valgaro simultaneously lost their words and stared at the mages. The mage who had won the bet boasted with the most arrogant expression in the world.
"What did I say? Didn''t I say I could easily seed with a 4th Circle spell?"
"Wasn''t it differentst time? When did your skills improve so much?"
"Deep contemtion and enlightenment. That''s all there is to it."
Yi-Han inwardlymented. Mages who hadn''t learned systematically under a mentor had very uneven knowledge of magic. To the extent of mistaking the modified form of a 1st Circle fire spell right in front of them for a 4th Circle spell.
''I understand why Einroguard students are weed.''
Magic was already a rare profession, and a considerable number of them were likely such mages. It made sense that people preferred graduates of the Imperial Magic Academy.
"Senior, let''s g... No. Where are you going?"
Yi-Han was startled. Valgaro was striding toward the mages, not the temple door.
"We can''t leave that fraud alone."
"Wait, senior. Didn''t you say it would be troublesome if it''s revealed that we''re from Einroguard to other mages?"
He had said it wouldn''t be good for other mages to know they were from Einroguard, yet he was charging in himself. However, Valgaro spoke seriously.
"But that guy is deceiving other mages, isn''t he?"
"...Indeed, senior, you embody the spirit of the White Tiger Tower."
Valgaro became embarrassed by his junior''s praise. "W-Well, I don''t think it''s to that extent."
¡ª
Otiro, the mage, was a mage from a thieves'' guild. By chance, he had obtained a grimoire on fire magic and seeded in learning magic by bribing a retired mercenary mage...
But his subsequent achievements were not easy. So Otiro changed direction. To use the magic he had learned in a more beneficial way!
"Now, it''s not toote for you all either. You can reach the same realm as me. If you pay a small amount of silver coins, as a fellow mage and out of camaraderie, I will teach..."
"Cut the crap!"
Valgaro growled and moved forward. As a young mage approached with a fierce expression, the gathered mages were startled.
"What did you say?"
"To think you''d try to deceive other mages with a mere modification of a 1st Circle spell. And you still call yourself one who walks the path of magic?"
''This is bad.''
Yi-Han sensed an ominous feeling from the other party''s expression. The guy who should have been flustered was calmly maintaining hisposure. He definitely had something up his sleeve.
"I don''t know what you''re talking about. My magic is 1st C... Then are you saying the eyes of all the mages here are wrong?"
"Don''t try any nonsense."
Valgaro had already realized what the other party was trying to do. Without hesitation, he lowered his coat to reveal the Einroguard emblem.
"I am a student of Einroguard. As a student of Einroguard, I im your magic is a trick!"
"A student of Einroguard?"
Otiro''s eyes trembled with surprise but quickly settled down. "Indeed. You have the qualifications to say such things. However..."
Otiro also raised his coat. A familiar pattern was revealed. ...It was the emblem of Baldurguard.
''What the...''
While Yi-Han was dumbfounded, Valgaro also seemed startled.
"I graduated from Baldurguard."
"What nonsense! It''s fake! Where did you get that fake from!"
"Ha... stop it. As a student, it''s understandable that your eyes are still inexperienced and you make mistakes. I understand. I was like that too."
The other party was definitely a step ahead of Valgaro. Even if the emblem was fake, the other mages had no ability to tell, and above all, Valgaro was inferior in eloquence.
''Should I step in?''
He thought he should help a bit since they were from the same school, but Valgaro took the lead first.
"It''s a duel, you bastard!"
"..."
"..."
"Draw your weapon! If you don''t, I''ll attack!"
''Is he really crazy?''
To request a duel inside the temple. Yi-Han could only admire Valgaro. Naturally, the priests rushed over.
"You can''t duel here!"
"Fine! Follow me outside!"
"W-What kind of barbaric..."
"Calm down, everyone. We can settle it with magic, can''t we?"
The mages and priests tried to stop the two. In the end, Valgaro had no choice but to yield. "Fine. Let''s settle it with magic."
Valgaro didn''t seem to think he would lose to such a fraud. But there was no such thing as absolute in this world.
"If it''s apetition... how about wepete in me control?"
A priest spoke up to mediate. It was one of the games fire mages often yed, where they summoned mes and tried to shoot down each other''s.
It was a simple game, but quite profound if delved into. One had to move faster and more precisely than the opponent''s mes to catch their tail.
"..."
Valgaro''s face turned pale. Yi-Han was puzzled. "Why are you like that? Don''t tell me..."
"...I specialize in enchantment magic."
"..."
Yi-Han clicked his tongue in pity, seeing his senior frozen. "Then I will do it."
"What?"
Valgaro raised his head. "You?"
"Yes."
"No. It''s impossible with your skills!"
"..."
Yi-Han was momentarily startled.
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Chapter 306
Chapter 306
The senior''s specialty might be enhancement magic, but when it came to elemental control and maniption, Yi-Han honestly didn''t think he would lose to a second-year senior.
After all, the second-year senior wouldn''t have learned while being beaten by a crazy professor.
"Senior, I think you misunderstood because I passed the test earlier. It''s not that I''m weak in elemental maniption, but I can burn down this entire temple if I lose focus."
"...Oh... I see. Is that so?"
Valgaro thought he understood a little why this first-year junior had no friends.
What kind of crazy bluff was that?
"It''s fine. If you''re not confident, I''ll just do it. I''ve received advice in many ways, so I should repay it."
"Hey! I said no! I''d rather..."
Before Valgaro could stop him, Yi-Han stepped forward.
"There''s no need for this senior to deal with him. I''ll handle it."
"Very well."
Otiro didn''t back down easily either.
Ignorance was always apanied by courage.
Otiro didn''t know exactly what level the Einroguard students were at.
Seeing that Yi-Han was a junior, and even a junior to Valgaro, he thought it was worth a try.
''I''ve manipted fire elements countless times. I won''t lose to a young student...''
Modifying a 1st Circle spell to imitate a 4th Circle one wasn''t something just anyone could do.
Otiro, who had consistently manipted fire elements, believed he had a chance of winning if it was a match of me maniption, even if his opponent was an Einroguard student.
Whoosh!
...Until dozens of mes instantly floated in the air.
"...I, I was wrong. Imitted a sin worthy of death. Please forgive me!"
Otiro immediately prostrated himself.
The moment he saw it, his mind cleared.
Yi-Han, who had been focusing on the mes with an expressionless face, raised his head.
Controlling dozens of mes wasn''t particrly difficult, but losing focus and causing the mes to explode was a big problem.
That''s why his words were short.
"What did you do wrong?"
"Pardon??"
"Tell me what you did wrong."
Yi-Han focused his mind again on maintaining the power of the mes.
Misunderstanding Yi-Han''s furrowed expression, Otiro hurriedly shouted.
"Tr, trying to deceive other mages... I tried to deceive other mages! I''m sorry. As I gained some petty skills, greed arose in me..."
"That... that bastard!"
"How dare he try to deceive us!?"
Naturally, the mages next to them were furious.
Not only had they bet, but they had almost been greatly deceived, so it would be strange not to be angry.
''I guess it''s roughly wrapped up?''
As the atmosphere didn''t seem like it would be overturned any further, Yi-Han began to dispel the summoned mes one by one.
Being careful not to identally detonate them and turn the surroundings into a sea of fire.
"You... you...!"
While the mages surrounded Otiro with grim faces and threw remarks at him one by one, Valgaro looked at Yi-Han with a shocked expression.
If one saw magic like that just now and didn''t notice anything, it meant they had no talent as a mage.
''Oops.''
Yi-Han clicked his tongue inwardly.
To definitively subdue the opponent, he had summoned as many mes as possible, but to think he would be caught because of that.
"...You were a genius in fire magic!"
"...Senior, you truly embody the White Tiger Tower."
"Huh? Why are you suddenly praising me?"
Valgaro was embarrassed to suddenly receive praise from his junior.
"I thought there was a problem because you were too nervous when using fire magic earlier... But you just had a timid personality. What a pity."
"Haha."
"But so what! Even if you get very nervous, what''s important is your magic skills. I haven''t seen anyone among the second-years who can float dozens of mes simultaneously like you."
Valgaro wasn''t just praising him. He was genuinely happy.
"I was waiting for a junior like you to enter the tower."
"Pardon?"
"A junior who will trample on the noses of those annoying Blue Dragon Tower bastards!"
"..."
Yi-Han suddenly felt sorry.
"Do you know how arrogant those guys acted just because they''re a bit good at magic? Those jerks... Just you wait and see!"
While Valgaro was excitedly chattering away, the mages who had beaten up Otiro came to Yi-Han and thanked him.
"Thank you so much."
"Thanks to you, we avoided being deceived. Just thinking about how we would have been fooled by that scammer makes me dizzy..."
"Wait! Could you be Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family?!"
"?!"
Yi-Han was startled.
A mage he had never met before had guessed his name correctly.
"Is that right? It is, isn''t it? I heard it from Lord Zolbabden! You''re a first-year student at Einroguard, but you subdued a Basilisk with a single blow!"
"..."
Yi-Han regretted not subduing Zolbabden.
Hearing that, another mage pped his knee and said,
"Ah! I heard that too! Didn''t you win the magic duel against Lord Doin of the Valer family at the Dargard family''s residence?"
"He overwhelmed Lord Doin from Baldurguard!"
"Not overwhelmed, but the opponent''s mana was exhausted..."
"You exhausted the opponent''s mana?"
"..."
Yi-Han didn''t know the social circles of Granden City had such a fast rumor transmission speed.
"Uh... Gainando? What are you talking about? You, Gainando of the Moradi family..."
"Oops. I have an urgent appointment. Senior, I''ll see you next time!"
Yi-Han grabbed his permit and quickly left the temple.
The gathered mages surrounded Valgaro and bombarded him with questions.
"If you''re a student at Einroguard, by any chance..."
"Are you close with that person? Could you possibly arrange a meeting..."
"Ah, move aside! I said move! Junior! Wait a moment! Junior!!"
¡ª
"Oh? Yi-Han."
Dolgyu waved his hand in delight.
He had identally spotted Yi-Han on the main street of Granden City.
However, Yi-Han, who was walking from a distance, looked unusually tired.
"Why is that? You look exhausted?"
"...I had some business to take care of. What have you been up to, Dolgyu?"
"I thought I''d rest well after the semester ended, but I was preparing to work with my friends. Oh, right. You probably don''t know. The White Tiger Tower students..."
"They receive missions and carry them out as adventurers to hone their skills in realbat. And they also earn their living expenses on their own, right?"
"How did you know?!"
Dolgyu was surprised.
Usually, noble families hung out with other noble families, and knight families with other knight families, so they didn''t know much about each other''s lifestyles.
Yi-Han smiled softly and said,
"We''re friends, aren''t we? Of course I''m interested in how you''re doing."
"Yi-Han...!"
Dolgyu was touched.
Among the White Tiger Tower students, there were some narrow-minded guys who said things like, "Dolgyu, don''t meet Wardanaz during the break. That guy is dangerous."
He wanted to show those guys Yi-Han''s current appearance.
''How can you say that about a friend so full of consideration?''
"So you''re trying to register as an adventurer for now?"
"Yeah, something like that."
Dolgyu nodded.
Adventurers who received and solved missions.
At first nce, it might seem like there was no need for qualifications or registration. Couldn''t they just find someone who needed a request and make a deal?
However, that was a method that only worked in thewless zones far from the empire now, and such half-baked methods didn''t work in the empire''s major cities.
The Imperial Adventurers'' Guild took charge of management and mediation to prevent unnecessary friction or disputes.
Adventurers registered at the guild after verifying their identities, and clients entrusted silver and gold coins to the guild to guarantee their credibility. It was quite a systematic method.
"I borrowed equipment from someone I know, and other friends are also introducing ces that sell equipment cheaply, so they''re getting it fitted now..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a group of White Tiger Tower students in full armor appeared from the opposite side.
Although there were some scratches or rusted parts, there seemed to be no significant problems with the performance. They must have been introduced to a decent ce through the connections of the knight order or knight families.
"Wa, Wardanaz!"
"Yeah."
"...Wait! Don''t misunderstand!"
"What should I not misunderstand?"
Yi-Han was puzzled when the White Tiger Tower students trembled in panic.
After all, Yi-Han hadn''t really done anything at the moment.
"The debt... I''ll pay it back by earning money!"
"Ye, yeah! I borrowed half of this on credit too! Don''t misunderstand! I didn''t spend the silver coins I have to pay you back first!"
''Ah.''
Only then did Yi-Han understand the situation.
Unlike the generally wealthy Blue Dragon Tower students or some ck Tortoise Tower students from wealthy merchant families, the White Tiger Tower students didn''t have very thick wallets.
There were only a few wealthy knight families, and students from other knight families had no silver coins to spend unless they earned their living expenses themselves.
Lodging and meals could be solved through connections, but they had to handle everything else directly, so it was natural for them to prepare like this.
"Yeah, it''s fine."
"You''ve already made a contract, so even if you beat us to death, there''s no way money wille out... Huh? You said it''s fine?"
"Yeah, I said it''s fine."
At Yi-Han''s words, the White Tiger Tower students hesitated.
"Re... really?"
"Yeah."
"Is it really okay if we pay you back by earning money? You won''t go to the knight order and leave a message insulting our family''s name if we pay you backte..."
"It''s a creative method. But I won''t do that."
"Then, will you send a letter to our family..."
Yi-Han, who had grown tired of it, raised his staff. The White Tiger Tower students shrunk back.
"I said it''s fine, didn''t I?"
"I, I see. Thank you."
One of the White Tiger Tower students, who had been watching the situation, cautiously said,
"Then, we... well... have to go to the Adventurers'' Guild to register."
"Let''s go in together."
"Huh?"
"I said, let''s go in together. I came to register too."
"..."
"...Why??"
"To gather silver coins."
Yi-Han answered, but none of the White Tiger Tower students believed those words.
''He''s probably doing that to maintain his realbat sense, right?''
''That must be it. How can a guy be more belligerent than a knight?''
''I told you, he''s crazy about magic!''
"Come on, everyone, don''t just stand there. Let''s go in."
Dolgyu urged his friends.
The White Tiger Tower students didn''t want to leave Yi-Han behind, but they had no choice but to open the door of the Adventurers'' Guild and enter.
The Adventurers'' Guild didn''t have a particrly special atmosphere. Rather, it was quieter and more businesslike than other buildings.
Except for the people in various outfits sitting and waiting quietly, it was hard to tell that this was the Adventurers'' Guild.
Bang!
"Einroguard first-year, Ango of the Alpha family, confirmed. We look forward to your achievements."
Bang!
"Einroguard first-year, Dukma of the Jay family, confirmed. We look forward to your achievements."
The adventurer registration proceeded much faster than expected.
It was natural, as they had a clear identity as Einroguard students and they all had family backgrounds.
The clerk stamped without even looking and held out the permit and medal.
"Einroguard first-year, Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
"Yes."
"..."
The clerk paused for a moment, then raised his head and looked at Yi-Han. He had a very perplexed expression.
"Are you nning to work together with your friends?"
"Pardon? If it''s a job we can do together, I think we''ll do it together."
"The missions are unlikely to be dangerous, but basically, there is a possibility of getting injured. Please take that into consideration."
"I understand."
Yi-Han understood the clerk''s concern.
There must have been nobles who had nothing to do and were bored, so they came to try an adventure.
It would be fortunate if it ended there, but usually, such nobles were highly likely toin, "How dare you push me into this hellhole of a job!" if they got hurt.
"But really..."
"Clerk, Wardanaz... no, you don''t need to worry about Wardanaz like that."
"That''s right. He really has the ability to protect himself from cra... danger."
"We guarantee it."
"????"
When the knight family students spoke in unison, the clerk became even more confused.
Just who was this student?
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Chapter 307
Chapter 307
The Wardanaz family was clearly a prestigious lineage of mages and a high-ranking noble family, so it was puzzling to the clerk why students from a knightly background were so confidently assuring hisbat prowess. They were neither exceptionally skilled in swordsmanship nor adept at magicbat, especially being first-year students.
"...I clearly informed you. Please remember that," One of them said.
"Understood," the clerk replied.
"Is there anything else you''d like to add to the record?"
"I received a permit for fire magic from the Aphar Order."
"Is that so? I''ll make a note of it."
The clerk looked slightly surprised.
Every break, this clerk weed several students from Einroguard. However, he had never seen a first-year student who came this prepared.
Of course, he had also never seen a first-year student from a high-ranking noble family visit here!
Yi-Han was about to request that his training in magicbat under the mad professor also be added to his credentials, but he refrained. He was afraid it might backfire.
"A permit for fire magic? When did you acquire that?" a White Tiger student asked.
"You foolish lot. We may need to resolve missions within the city, yet you didn''t prepare for that possibility?" Yi-Han chided.
The White Tiger students felt wronged by Yi-Han''s reprimand. How were they supposed to know when it was their first time doing this?
"Enough. It''s your first time, so mistakes can happen. Now, who here has already formed a party?" Yi-Han asked.
About two-thirds of the gathered White Tiger students raised their hands. They had either decided to stick together or had party members introduced through connections.
"I see. The rest of you can join me. I''ll be counting on you," Yi-Han said.
"..."
"..."
"Huh???"
The White Tiger students were momentarily unable to ept reality, then asked in bewilderment, "Wh-what??"
"What do you mean?"
"Uh, um. So. Wardanaz. We''re moving together?"
"That''s right. Any objections?"
"Well, that is. I mean. Wouldn''t it be dangerous?"
One of the White Tiger students beside him thought inwardly, ''Especially for us!''
"Dangerous, you say?"
"Uh... yes."
"Thanks for your concern. But I have the ability to protect myself. I''m prepared for it. So it''s fine."
The White Tiger student wanted to say, ''It''s not fine for us,'' but couldn''t bring himself to say it aloud and nced at his friends around him.
-Help me out!-
However, fewer friends than he expected stepped forward.
"Uh... um. Then. Wardanaz. I''ll work hard and pay you back as soon as I earn some silver coins."
"R-right. Wardanaz. See you next time."
The lucky students who had raised their hands earlier hurriedly left.
Now, only the unlucky students who hadn''t raised their hands remained.
"Let''s think about what mission we should take together," Yi-Han said.
"Excuse me. Wardanaz. By any chance..."
"Come to think of it, how many silver coins do you owe me?"
"...I''ll work hard..."
The gathered students epted the reality with gloomy expressions. When they had equipped themselves, they were excited, wondering what kind of mission they would get, but they already felt like they had returned to Einroguard.
''How reassuring,'' Yi-Han thought.
Yi-Han sipped green tea at an outdoor table of a tea shop, nning with the White Tiger students. He was in a good mood, having unexpectedly secured arrow-catchersno, vanguards for the party.
The textbook partyposition was to have sturdy vanguards blocking in front,batants positioned in the middleunching attacks, and mages or priests in the rear flexibly responding to various situations.
Of course, this was just an ideal example. Things in the world didn''t always go ideally.
In the first ce, high-quality personnel like mages or priests were not easy to recruit, even if one wanted to.
"In that sense, we''re in a very advantageous position. Don''t you think?" Yi-Han said.
Not all adventurers or mercenaries were highly skilled. The outstanding veterans were those who had honed their skills by facing life-threatening dangers several times while struggling at the bottom. Those who weren''t like that mostly had uneven skills without a solid foundation.
In contrast, the White Tiger students here were trained talents who had received over a decade of training as knights, including swordsmanship. This level of skill alone was enough to surpass mediocre adventurers.
"Sturdy vanguards and even a mage."
"..."
"No response?"
"G-good, it seems good!" the White Tiger students hurriedly replied when Yi-Han''s gaze turned to them.
"But Wardanaz. Isn''t our number a bitcking?" Ango cautiously asked.
Dolgyu, Ango, Raphael, and Yi-Han. It wasn''t too few, but it did feel a bitcking. Moreover, didn''t theyck experience?
If Yi-Han could be greedy, he wanted to add two or three experienced veterans.
"No need to worry about that," Dolgyu answered instead.
Dolgyu had thoroughly investigated by asking senior knights beforeing with the other friends.
"I heard we Einroguard students are quite popr. To the extent that we can easily recruit other adventurers."
In a way, it was only natural. The White Tiger students were all thoroughly trained and could even use magic. It was obvious that other adventurers would want to work with them.
"Then it''s settled? Should we go to the guild and request for recruits right away?" Yi-Han asked.
"That''s right. But before that, let''s n what mission we''ll take first," Dolgyu said.
Yi-Han took out a map.
"I heard ghouls areing out of a cave near Burnt Hill. We''ll deal with those undead first."
His friends nodded. They were confident they could handle ghouls. Since the distance was a bit far, it would be a two-day expedition with camping nearby.
"After that, we''ll gather geranium flowers, snow grass, and sleepy mugwort behind the cave. There are missions for all three."
"...Huh? Wait a minute," a White Tiger student said.
"What''s the matter?"
The White Tiger students were confused when herb gathering was suddenly added while they were preparing for an undead hunt.
"Didn''t you say we''re hunting undead?"
"That''s right. But looking at the map, there''s a high possibility those three herbs will be in that terrain. Isn''t it good if we can do multiple missions at once?"
"...T-that''s right!"
"Indeed!"
"I was also thinking that... snow grass and mugwort would likely be in that terrain."
The White Tiger students nodded as if they had known all along, instead of asking further questions. They felt they would look too stupid if they asked, ''How did you know there would be herbs just by looking at the map?''
"Right? I thought you''d know. It was in the books, after all," Yi-Han said.
"..."
"..."
The White Tiger students just sat quietly, smiling meaningfully. It seemed they could get by if they just listened quietly for now.
"And once we finish gathering, we''ll capture Rape squirrels in the nearby forest. There are records of sightings."
"....Ah, no. No. Wait a moment," a White Tiger student said.
When the rare animal capture was added to the undead hunt and herb gathering, the White Tiger students couldn''t hold back and dropped their smiles.
"What''s the matter?"
"That... capturing Rape squirrels doesn''t seem easy, does it??"
"That''s right. Wardanaz. Such animal capture missions are usually difficult. Not just anyone can do it. We need a skilled hunter..."
"That''s true. There''s no guarantee we''ll definitely catch them."
"Exactly! The current schedule is already..."
"But there''s a method with a pretty high chance of sess. First, they like Dobruk''s Sulfur Mercury Potion. We''ll have Sharakan find their traces, then sprinkle the potion along their route and wait. It''ll give us a higher probability of catching them than aimlessly searching the forest. Moreover, with illusion magic at the bottleneck..."
The White Tiger students gaped at Yi-Han''s exnation.
''What...''
''Is he a 10-year veteran adventurer?''
''Is that really the guy who registered with us?''
"This much exnation should suffice, right? You would have read about it in books too," Yi-Han said.
"..."
"...That''s exactly what we were thinking. Wardanaz. Extracting maximum efficiency from a single mission."
The White Tiger students discarded all theints they had. And while they were at it, they decided to discard their brains too.
''We should just do as Wardanaz says...''
"Einroguard! Did you say Einroguard students!" Gubon, the adventurer, was delighted at the clerk''s words.
He was in a bind as the party he had been active with for 3 years had disbanded due to the retirement of two vanguards and the internal strife of two attackers, and then he received this proposal.
"Yes. Mr. Gubon, you have been consistently active and have shown diligence and reliability in most of your missions. That''s why I''m rmending this connection to you," the clerk said.
"Thank you very much. I won''t disappoint you," Gubon said.
Gubon knew well how precious the clerk''s proposal was. There were countless cases of guys who had never even held a sword flowing into the city, strutting around saying, ''I''m an adventurer,'' but Einroguard students who came out for the break were very valuable talents.
Moreover, they would all be from knight families, so they would be outstanding in bothbat and magic, truly versatile talents.
There was only one reason to connect him with such precious talents.
''They must be expecting advice from a veteran,'' Gubon thought.
No one would care if some unknown adventurer rolling around like a pebble on the roadside got hurt, but it would be troublesome for many people if an Einroguard student got injured.
Their skills were certainly outstanding, but theirck of experience was unavoidable. To make up for thatck of experience, they had undoubtedly attached a reliable and experienced adventurer.
"I''ll do my best to cooperate," Gubon said.
"That''s reassuring. I''ll be counting on you, Mr. Gubon," the clerk said.
Gubon finished his conversation with the clerk and headed to the meeting ce with the one remaining colleague in his party.
"Einroguard students... What kind of people do you think they are?" his colleague asked.
"I''ve never met them either. I heard most of them are mages from knight families."
"So they''re knights?"
The two imagined the image of a powerful knight, heavily armed and pushing forward like an unshakable rock. And on top of that, magic.
"They''ll be good at fighting, at least," Gubon said.
"Fighting isn''t the problem. The other things are. They''re inexperienced young students, right? Honestly, I''m a bit worried."
"Then should we have refused the proposal? Such a good proposal?"
"That''s not it, but... Honestly, I did want to work with a mage, too. I''m just worried they might say something absurd."
The two moved forward with a mix of anticipation and worry. They weren''t worried about the students'' skills. They were just concerned that the students might set too grand a goal out of overconfidence or make silly mistakes in strange areas.
"Nice to meet you. I''m Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family," Yi-Han introduced himself.
"I''m Gubon. And this friend here is Bijidek," Gubon said.
Gubon shook hands with the statue-like handsome boy. His tall height and solid build were indeed fitting for a mage from a knight family.
"Wardanaz?" Bijidek muttered.
"What''s the matter, Bijidek? Be quiet. We''re in the middle of a conversation," Gubon chided.
"Uh... it sounded familiar. Sorry," Bijidek apologized.
Gubon cautiously asked Yi-Han after they sat down, "Since our party is much smaller in scale, we intend to y a purely supportive role and follow orders. But do you have any specific requests in mind..."
Gubon swallowed nervously, wondering how he should dissuade Yi-Han if he came up with an absurd n. Yi-Han nodded and took out a map.
"Look. I heard ghouls areing out of a cave near this Burnt Hill..."
30 minutester.
Faced with a wless and meticulous n he had never seen before, Gubon asked Yi-Han with a look of astonishment, "Are all Einroguard students like this??"
"..."
The White Tiger students averted their gazes slightly.
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Chapter 308
Chapter 308
At first, when Yi-Han said he would vanquish the undead inside the cave and collect the ingredients, Gubon tried to dissuade him, saying it was too ambitious.
The mission of vanquishing undead was challenging enough, let alone collecting rare herbs, which were typically hard to find and often the reason adventurers joined guilds.
Gubon feared that attempting both could lead to failure in either or a wasteful exhaustion of energy.
However, Yi-Han attentively listened to Gubon''s concerns and calmly, without any emotional reaction, exined in detail.
ording to the book, the terrain behind the cave was currently suitable for herbs to grow, and if undead emerged from inside the cave, the potency of the herbs would be affected by it, increasing the likelihood of obtaining them...
Although Gubon didn''t know much about magic or herbology, Yi-Han''s words carried a definite persuasiveness.
Moreover, that wasn''t the end of it.
Yi-Han even nned to capture the rare monster, the Rape squirrel.
Ordinary adventurers didn''t do that. There was a reason for solving one mission at a time.
Ordinarily, Gubon would have objected to such a greedy n, given the uncertainty of missionpletion. However, he found himself unable to do so. The n was just too perfect and meticulously crafted.
If not for his face, he would have thought he was someone who had been active as an adventurer for about ten years.
"Einroguard students are usually capable of this much."
Yi-Han humbly spoke for the honor of his friends.
The White Tiger Tower students stared at Yi-Han with wide eyes.
''What are you saying?''
''Only you can do that...!''
"I have nothing more to say. It seems we can proceed right away as it is..."
Gubon trailed off.
Even though he was cautious, there was something he had to say.
"Do you have everything prepared for the journey and camping?"
At Gubon''s words, Ango snorted as if telling him not to worry.
"No need to worry. It''s not like we''ve only camped once or twice."
"It wasn''t a camping trip where you had servants carrying food and various camping tools, was it?"
"..."
At Yi-Han''s question, Ango was at a loss for words.
No, how did he know?
Yi-Han sighed and said,
"It''s best to forget the experience of camping with other knights from your family. At that time, they would have provided convenience for everything from preparing the campsite to preparing water for washing, warm meals, and night watch shifts. If you want to travel alone, you have to prepare as much as possible."
At Yi-Han''s words, Gubon was surprised once again.
He couldn''t believe he was really a first-year student.
How could a first-year student anticipate so calmly andposedly...
"Open your backpack. Let''s check what you have. Even if not nails or hammers, do you not have any rope? In case something happens? And you need cloth too. Preferably one soaked in oil, if possible. Is salted pork the only food? It''ll be insufficient, but that much should be fine. Bring a leather water pouch too. You left out the flint and steel because of magic, but don''t waste mana unnecessarily and bring those too."
"..."
Gubon waspletely overwhelmed.
The sight of him checking the supplies more skillfully than a fairly seasoned adventurer.
Seeing that, Gubon wondered why he was here.
It seemed like it would go well enough without a seasoned veteran...
"Mr. Gubon. I''d like to ask for some advice."
Not knowing Gubon''s inner thoughts, Yi-Han called out to him. Gubon felt very burdened.
Yi-Han was already doing better than Gubon.
''I packed rather carelessly...''
Many seasoned adventurers weren''t that thorough either. Unless they were going to a really dangerous ce, the basic principle was ''Let''s save silver coins and make do with our bodies''.
"It seems excellent."
At Gubon''s words, Yi-Han urged him as if asking why he was saying that.
"Why are you saying that?"
"Surely there must be parts you want to point out. There''s no way there aren''t."
"Ah... no..."
There really isn''t!
Bijidek, Gubon''s colleague, looked at him with eyes that said, ''How can you give advice here?''
¡ª
"Indeed. Is the color of the backpack important too? This is information I didn''t know. As expected, a seasoned adventurer is different."
Yi-Han wrote it down with an admiring expression.
Matching and changing the camouge color of the backpack ording to the terrain. As expected, the advice of an adventurer who had experienced a lot of realbat was different.
Bijidek whispered in a small voice,
"There''s no such thing."
"I... I just couldn''t think of anything," Gubon admitted, hanging his head in embarrassment.
Of course, he had never tried changing the color of his backpack for each terrain he went to.
When he didn''t know when and where he would go, did it make sense to change the backpack every time? Adventurers didn''t have enough money to waste silver coins like that.
Dolgyu, who was walking in front, asked,
"But isn''t it a bit strange? Wouldn''t it be annoying and bothersome to change the backpack every time?"
"They probably camouge it with grass or dirt that can be found nearby."
"Aha."
"..."
Gubon shuddered at the sight of the Einroguard student figuring out ten things on his own without being told one.
What the...
"But since we can use magic, there''s no need for that. It can be reced with the spell."
Dolgyu admired Yi-Han''s words.
"As expected of you, Yi-Han, who took all magic sses like a madman."
"What did you just say?"
"Ah, no. Sorry. It''s a habit of speech from the friends in the same tower..."
"It''s fine. Dolgyu. It''s not your fault, it''s the fault of the other guys."
"We... we didn''t do it."
"We didn''t say anything."
Ango and Raphael denied it, but Yi-Han ignored them.
"By the way, Wardanaz. I remember that the spell wasn''t covered in the lecture. When did you learn it?"
"No. I just saw it in a book too. If I practice, I should be able to do it before we arrive."
"That doesn''t make sense..."
"Colors, change."
With a single attempt, the color of the backpack turned green. Yi-Han nodded.
"It''s simr to iron transformation, but it''s easier. Thanks to that, I seeded on the first try."
"..."
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"It''s nothing..."
The White Tiger Tower students turned their gazes away with a mixture of sadness and resignation.
The veteran adventurers, Gubon and Bijidek, whispered to each other in confusion.
"Isn''t the atmosphere a bit strange?"
"I''m certain... aren''t they friends?"
The dynamic seemed more like a strict hierarchy between superiors and subordinates rather than close friends from the same knightly background.
They should be in the same year...
''It must be a misunderstanding?''
After passing through the city gate of Granden City, following the imperial road, and then deviating onto a path shown on the map and through the bushes, the destination, Burnt Hill, came into view.
Arriving in the early evening meant they had arrived very quickly.
Everyone had good stamina and even had horses, and above all...
"As expected, having two veterans with us allowed us to arrive at once without getting lost."
...thanks to finding the way without getting lost even once.
The two adventurersughed awkwardly without saying a word.
''We...''
''...didn''t really do anything.''
It was Yi-Han who, consulting the map alone, determined the route, muttering to himself, ''Is it this way?'' ''It''s this way,'' ''Let''s turn here,'' and arrived at the destination on his own.
Even when the two of them, who knew this area well, tried to give advice, there was nothing wrong with his directions.
"Now then..."
"We still have enough energy, so let''s go in."
Raphael spoke enthusiastically.
As someone who learned dark magic to exterminate criminal dark mages, he was very proactive in exterminating the undead.
Gubon was delighted.
The time had finallye for him to give advice as a seasoned adventurer.
"That''s..."
"No. Raphael. We might not be tired, but there''s no need to enter a cave infested with undead at dusk. Their power strengthens after the sunpletely sets. Even if we''re not tired now, it''s better to set up camp and wait until tomorrow morning."
After saying that, Yi-Han looked at the two adventurers and asked,
"Is that alright?"
"...Yes, yes. It''s a good method."
"Thank you."
The two adventurers, beyond bewilderment and absurdity, began to feel a deep sense of doubt.
...Did we really need toe?
¡ª
"We''ll take care of the camping preparations!"
"???"
When the two adventurers dered firmly, Yi-Han and his friends tilted their heads.
"Shouldn''t we usually prepare together?"
"No. Originally, people like mages don''t do this kind of work."
Gubon''s words were correct.
In a party, dirty work was shared, but there were always exceptions.
High-level personnel like mages or priests, or those from knight families who did the work of several other adventurers, couldn''t be assigned chores. That was rather a waste.
All the students here were mages and from knight families...
"Indeed. I understand."
"Then we''ll..."
"No."
Yi-Han refused.
"If you two aren''t around, we''ll have to do it ourselves, and if we can''t do it then, it''ll be a problem. We need to learn how to do it too."
"Huh?"
"Th-that much preparation is needed?"
The White Tiger Tower friends, who were just thinking of resting, asked in a hesitant posture.
However, Yi-Han was serious.
"Yes. Think about it carefully. When we have to camp at Einroguard, we won''t be able to get help from other adventurers."
"Why would we camp at Einroguard?"
Gubon asked, not understanding. The magic academy students pretended not to hear.
"Now. What should we do first?"
"First, light a fire and..."
As Gubon tried to take out the flint and steel, Yi-Han immediately swung his staff.
Whoosh!
"The fire is lit."
"...If there''s a water source nearby, it''s good to fetch water. If you secure fresh water, it''ll be useful in many ways..."
Ssh!
"Brought it. What''s next?"
"..."
Seeing the huge mass of water floating in the air, Gubon and Bijidek mumbled and quietly took out a wooden barrel to store the water.
"The surrounding bushes should conceal the firelight and block the cold wind, but it''s slightly insufficient. Just piling up some dirt would..."
Thud thud thud!
In an instant, a pile of dirt was heaped up and became a simple earthen wall.
"Is this enough?"
"...Yes. Now, if an intruderes, we can set up a simple trap to know..."
Yi-Han brought out the magic he had learned while making fireworks with Professor Beavle.
It was a magic that bestowed the illusion of light on paper, and when the paper was torn, the illusion of light would be summoned.
sh!
Ango asked without much thought,
"Did you learn that on the way here too? That''s amazing."
"What nonsense are you talking about? You know magic can''t be learned that easily. It''s a magic I learned directly from the professor during the semester."
"...No... hey...!!"
While Ango was at a loss for words, feeling too wronged and absurd, Yi-Han finished working while going around the surroundings.
"How is it?"
"It seems there will be no problem at all if we just keep watch properly now."
"You all heard, right? Remember the order well."
Yi-Han spoke to the White Tiger Tower students.
The White Tiger Tower students weren''t surprised by this series of magic. They nodded as if it was natural.
"Don''t worry, Wardanaz. We remembered it well."
"If it''s this much, we should be able to do it sufficiently too."
''No...''
Gubon and Bijidek were confused by the feeling ofmon sense copsing.
What should have taken 2-3 hours originally was finished in a few minutes now...
Was this kind of reaction even reasonable?
''Are all mages like this??''
''There''s a reason why mages are expensive...! They''re really worth being expensive!''
Of course, the mages who participated in parties didn''t do this kind of thing.
They had to save mana consumption anyway, so no one used magic for this kind of preparation.
Because they had the misfortune of meeting Yi-Han, the two adventurers''mon sense about mages was strangely changing.
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Chapter 309
Chapter 309
"Let''s eat," Yi-Han said.
The soup in the pot ced over the campfire bubbled vigorously. Fresh vegetables and meat were stir-fried and added, followed by water and seasoning from opened cans, resulting in a properly made soup.
Of course, Yi-Han had cooked it.
"??"
"????"
Gubon and Bijidek missed the timing to ask, "Why are you doing this?" They quietly received the wooden bowls.
The White Tiger Tower students ate very naturally.
"Wardanaz, you haven''t lost your touch," Dolgyumented.
"His cooking skills are as impressive as his magic," Ango added.
"By the way, Mr. Gubon, do adventurers usually eat like this?" Dolgyu asked curiously.
Gubon pondered how to exin it, then scratched his head and answered, "When solving nearby missions or on the first or second day of a mission, we do eat well..."
When the distance was close or the mission seemed to end quickly, adventurers also paid attention to the quality of food. However, for long-distance expeditions orrge-scale ruins and dungeons, it was different. Efficiency andpression were absolute. No crazy person cared about taste when they might starve at any moment.
"I see. So for a mission like today, it''s appropriate to eat like this," Raphael said.
"I thought adventurers only ate dried jerky," Ango remarked.
"It seems there was some exaggeration," Dolgyu concluded.
"...No, even if we eat well, it''s rare to eat this well..." Gubon said, perplexed.
"Eating well" meant consuming fresh fruits, bread, or rice cakes they brought before they spoiled, not preparing such an borate meal. Obtaining water for cooking and using fire for cooking also required energy. Adventurers who spent that much energy on a single meal were rare.
"You don''t eat like this?" Yi-Han asked.
"Yes... Because water and fire are all hard toe by," Gubon replied.
"I see."
Yi-Han nodded and looked at his friends. The White Tiger Tower students protected their soup with their hands, a habit formed at Einroguard.
"I... I won''t give it back," Ango said.
"I had no intention of taking it. I already cooked, so what can I do? Though, without magic, this would all be work," Yi-Han remarked.
Looking at it, Yi-Han also thought that if he had done this without magic, it would have taken quite a lot of time and energy.
"Then from now on, we''ll also have simple adventurer preserved food..." Yi-Han began.
"Hey, there''s no need to decide so hastily, Wardanaz," Ango interrupted.
"That''s true. Mr. Gubon here also said to eat well when we can," Raphael added.
Ango and Raphael desperately tried to persuade Yi-Han. Honestly, this was tastier than the meals from the knights'' quarters.
Gubon''s colleague, Bijidek, tilted his head.
"This soup is surprisingly delicious."
"Isn''t it because the ingredients are good?" Gubon asked.
"I watched while helping with the cooking, and there was nothing particrly special about the ingredients... Could it be the water?"
"Water? What about the water?"
"It''s the water the mage summoned, isn''t it?"
"Oh, indeed. That could be it."
As the two adventurers whispered, Ango scraped his bowl and the pot with adle, only to be hit by Yi-Han.
"Eat in moderation. The two of them need to eat too," Yi-Han scolded.
"Ah... No... It would be a waste if there were leftovers..." Ango mumbled.
¡ª
When the time came, Yi-Han quietly got up. The two adventurers said they would take turns keeping watch, but Yi-Han refused. If he let them developzy habits, it could be troublesometer when there were no adventurers around.
''By the way, the guild really rmended diligent people.''
Their willingness to take the lead in everything left a strong impression on Yi-Han. He had heard that many adventurers had poor personalities, but it seemed the guild had rmended truly reliable talents.
"Eyes, pierce through the darkness," Yi-Han cast.
There was no need to be bored during the night watch. Yi-Han cast a dark vision spell and began reading a magic book. It was a level of madness that would make other White Tiger Tower students shudder.
A true dark mage need not heed the whims of undead from other realms, for they should be able to move the dead with pure will alone. Here, themands for skeletons...
While other dark magesfortably made contracts with undead in the undead realm and summoned them, Yi-Han used old-fashioned dark magic that directly assembled bones, as the skull principal had strongly rmended learning "authentic ancient dark magic." However, it wasn''t without advantages. If there were truly no advantages, Yi-Han wouldn''t have done it despite the skull principal''s insistence.
''I hope the skeleton warriors'' attacks will be perfected within this vacation,'' Yi-Han thought.
Currently, summoning skeleton warriors was possible, but their movements were quite limited, and there were many failures. If the skeleton warriors could reach the stage of attacking enemies on their own, it would be more convenient when facing B... no, enemies.
Rustle-
"?"
Yi-Han raised his head. It seemed like there was a sound of something brushing against the bushes somewhere.
''Is it an animal?''
Pop!
Before his thought could end, a light shed and exploded from below. It was the intruder prevention magic he had set up just in case. Although it had no offensive power, it was enough to startle the intruder and give them time to respond.
As a skilled Einroguard student, Yi-Han moved without any waste.
Thud!
"Wake up! We''re under attack!" Yi-Han shouted, kicking his friends'' backs.
The White Tiger Tower students woke up in a fluster.
"Is it the principal?!" Ango asked.
"It''s not the principal!" Yi-Han replied.
"Th... That''s a relief," Ango sighed.
"It''s not a relief! Everyone, grab your weapons first!" Yi-Han ordered.
The experienced Gubon and Bijidek were very tense. Although the students'' skills were excellent, in such a surprise attack and melee,posure was quite important apart from ability. Of all times, for an intruder to appear in a situation where they were on a mission with students...
''Please let it be nothing serious!'' Gubon and Bijidek prayed.
They hoped the intruder was a shepherd or traveler wandering nearby, or a lost adventurer.
"Raise your shields and lower your heads," Yi-Hanmanded.
"Protect Wardanaz!" Dolgyu shouted.
"!?"
However, the students'' movements exceeded the two adventurers'' expectations. The moment the light burst, they immediately got up, grabbed their weapons and shields, and formed a formation with a level of skill that was not ordinary.
''As expected of those from knight families!'' the adventurers thought.
It wasn''t particrly because they were from knight families, but the two adventurers'' misunderstanding deepened.
"Damn it, what are you doing here?!" a rough voice shouted from below.
It was clear that their vision had been impacted by the light.
''If we''re going to attack, we should attack now...'' Gubon pondered.
If it were a party of hostile adventurers, they would have attacked the opponent first and then figured things out. However, the students here were all from knight families. There was a high possibility they wouldn''t choose such a cowardly act.
"We are adventurers from Granden City who havee to solve the mission in Burnt Hill. If you don''t reveal your identity, we will attack!" Gubon dered.
"We arrived at Burnt Hill two days ago. Get lost!" the voice from below retorted.
The White Tiger Tower students were puzzled by the sounding from below. They were still unfamiliar with the customary rules of adventurers.
"Should we back down?" Dolgyu asked.
"No! Although it''s customary for theters to withdraw, it''s not always absolute, and doing this so forcefully without evidence is..." Gubon began to exin.
"Understood. We will withdraw!" Yi-Han announced.
"!"
His friends and the adventurers were surprised by Yi-Han''s deration, but they didn''t object. They respected Yi-Han''s authority.
"Tsk... There''s no need to amodate such fellows," Ango grumbled.
"Endure it. It''s more shameful to engage in a brawl with such guys," Raphael said.
As Ango and Raphael expressed their regret, Yi-Han spoke again, "We need assurance that you won''t attack us while we''re retreating. Show yourselves!"
"Don''t talk nonsense. How do I know you won''t attack?" the voice retorted.
"One person from each sidees out to confirm. How about it?" Yi-Han proposed.
"...Fine," the voice agreed.
Yi-Han turned to Raphael, "I''m counting on you."
"Alright, I understand... Wait a minute," Raphael''s eyes narrowed as he remembered a past incident with Yi-Han in the undead realm.
"You couldn''t be..." Raphael began.
"Don''t think anything strange and move quickly. If there''s anything suspicious, report it immediately," Yi-Han instructed.
"..."
¡ª
The mercenary, Buldahak, walked out with a frown on his face. Seeing Raphael, the furrows between Buldahak''s brows deepened further.
''What? He''s just a youngster...?''
Buldahak was averse to unnecessary bloodshed, but this seemed different. The youngster was well-equipped, an umon sight among novice adventurers who usuallycked even proper weapons.
This one appeared to be the opposite, likely adorned with family heirlooms or financed by family wealth.
''A party with such a guy in it probably isn''t very impressive,'' Buldahak thought.
His fingers twitched unconsciously. He was strongly tempted to signal his subordinates behind him tounch an attack.
"sh forth," Yi-Han whispered.
With a small chant, a sharp lightning bolt crackled from behind, striking Buldahak''s back.
Bzzt!
"Argh... Huk?!"
Caughtpletely off guard, Buldahak''s limbs stiffened, and his weapon fell. Even Raphael was startled by how unexpected it was.
"Wa... Wardanaz?!"
"sh forth, sh forth, sh forth," Yi-Han chanted.
More lightning bolts flew, and the mercenaries hiding in the nearby bushes screamed and tumbled.
"There''s a mage!!! There''s a mage!"
"Find the mage... Argh!"
The remaining mercenaries finally grasped the situation and looked around, but there was nothing to be seen.
"Light the torches!"
"The target is..."
"You idiot! Mages can see through the darkness! Hurry and light them!"
''I should stop using lightning magic,'' Yi-Han thought as he changed positions.
From the beginning, he had agreed to withdraw and sent Raphael forward to buy time and assess the enemy''s numbers. Once the assessment was done and he had caught them off guard, he immediatelyunched an attack. With precisely crackling lightning magic, he took down the threatening ones first.
Despite being invisible, continued use of lightning could reveal his position and invite counterattacks. Of course, that didn''t mean he couldn''t use magic at all.
"Spring forth," Yi-Han cast.
The water beads quickly divided and moved in different directions. It was an attack that was impossible to discern where it wasing from.
Thud!
"The mage has already used a lot of magic! The mage can no longer use magic... Ugh," a mercenary shouted before copsing.
As a water bead struck another mercenary''s jaw, the remaining mercenaries were terrified.
"We surrender!"
"We surrender, mage! We surrender!"
Gubon finally came to his senses and shouted, "Put down your weapons and raise your hands! Anyone who moves even slightly will be attacked! Bijidek! Go and tie them up!"
"We''ll go too," the White Tiger Tower students said.
The White Tiger Tower students and Bijidek securely tied up the fallen and surrendered mercenaries.
"This guy... It''s Buldahak! It''s Buldahak!" Bijidek eximed in surprise.
"Who is he?" Dolgyu asked.
"He''s a criminal with a bounty in the Empire!" Bijidek replied.
"Oh, how much is the bounty?" Yi-Han asked, dispelling his invisibility and appearing from behind.
Gubon asked curiously, "How did you know he was Buldahak?"
"I didn''t know," Yi-Han answered.
"Pardon?"
"If we were to fight, it''s always advantageous to strike first," Yi-Han exined.
The White Tiger Tower students nodded in agreement with Yi-Han''s words.
"As expected of Wardanaz," Ango said.
"I told you, he never lets his guard down. We should learn from that," Raphael added.
"..."
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Chapter 310
Chapter 310
While the two adventurers were bewildered, wondering, "Isn''t Einroguard a magic academy? What in the world do they teach those from knight families?", Yi-Han approached the fallen mercenaries.
Buldahak, having regained his senses, flinched upon seeing Yi-Han. He realized who had caused the storm of magic just now.
"You..."
"Sharakan."
Yi-Han summoned Sharakan and had it watch over the mercenaries. They were tightly bound, but one never knew what someone might try to pull.
However, Buldahak seemed to interpret Sharakan''s appearance in a slightly different way. He averted his gaze, eyes filled with fear.
"Name."
"Bul... Buldahak."
"Murder, attacking transport wagons, threats... Anyway, you''re the one with an imperial bounty on your head, right?"
Buldahak nodded. Yi-Han spoke to Gubon with glee.
"That''s right."
"...Ex, excuse me, but you seem happy..."
"We just got some extra silver coins, didn''t we?"
"..."
Gubon and Bijidek were shocked by Yi-Han''s way of thinking.
"Well, that''s true, but..."
"Don''t worry. We''ll distribute it as we initially agreed upon."
"That''s not what I was worried about. It''s strange that Buldahak came here."
As an experienced adventurer, Gubon noticed the oddity.
Yi-Han and the students had specifically chosen missions that were close to Granden City and not too dangerous.
Missions that weren''t dangerous but required specialized skills (like a mage''s magic) and were quite lucrative.
These missions paid well, but they weren''t the type where a mercenary with a bounty on his head like Buldahak would appear.
Why would someone aiming for a big score show up here?
"Indeed."
"We need to interrogate him."
"I understand. But will he really spill the truth?"
Yi-Han asked, sounding concerned.
"He seems quite frightened right now. Your magic has greatly shocked him. If you interrogate him now, he might reveal the truth."
While Einroguard students could cast magic in their sleep, magic was still an unknown terror to the people of the empire.
Moreover, the way Yi-Han subdued the enemies was far from ordinary, even by mage standards.
Catching the enemy off guard, securing their rear with invisibility magic. Scattering them in confusion with a barrage of lightning magic, exploiting the darkness. Attacking from unpredictable angles those who tried to counterattack.
It wouldn''t be surprising if the enemy mercenaries'' souls were half-gone after being subjected to attacks that would stun them even individually.
Right now, those mercenaries were trembling, not knowing from where thisbat mage hade.
"Buldahak. Reveal your reason foring here."
"...It''s because of the treasure in the cave."
Buldahak spoke through gritted teeth.
As a seasoned mercenary, he knew well that lying was meaningless in front of a mage of that caliber.
The moment he showed pointless defiance or pride, his skin would be torn, bones broken, and even his soul shredded.
"Hmm. I see."
Yi-Han nodded, pretending to listen.
Then he whispered to Gubon.
"That fellow is quite meticulous. He even prepared a lie in case he was caught."
"Pardon?"
Gubon and Bijidek, who had been wondering what the cave''s treasure might be, were startled.
"That was a lie?"
"Of course it was. There''s no way a wanted man like him would answer obediently after a single question."
"Could it be... that he''s just frightened of you, Mr. Mage..."
Bijidek spoke cautiously.
Considering what had just transpired, and with an emerald-hued predatory summon growling beside them, it seemed even a mercenary with a bounty several times higher than Buldahak''s would resign himself and speak the truth.
"Magic isn''t that all-powerful. Please assist me, you two."
"How do you mean?"
"Interrogate him with an adventurer''s techniques."
"Ooh..."
The White Tiger Tower students looked at Gubon and Bijidek with anticipation.
Although they had trained as knights, this was their first time seeing adventurers conduct an interrogation.
How would they go about it?
"..."
"..."
Gubon and Bijidek nced at each other. A cold sweat broke out on their backs.
''We have to do our best. Understood?''
''Of course.''
¡ª
"Aaaaargh! You son of a demon-consorting father and monster-fornicating mother... Aaaaargh! Aaaaargh!"
"Why don''t you speak the truth already!"
"You can''t deceive the eyes of the mages here!"
Gubon and Bijidek utilized all their veteran adventurer experience to interrogate Buldahak.
Buldahak writhed in agony from the painful torture.
"I told you! I told you! Ask the other guys too!!!"
"Shut up! Hurry up and tell the truth!"
Crack, crack!
Yi-Han and the White Tiger Tower students observed the interrogation with serious expressions.
Ango whispered.
"So that''s how they do it, inserting a rod between the legs and twisting. Seems quite painful."
Raphael responded.
"I have to admit it''s a good method. As our seniors said, there''s much to learn from adventurers."
When Buldahak passed out, Gubon and Bijidek wiped the sweat from their foreheads and caught their breath.
Yi-Han summoned cold water, put it in a pewter cup, and handed it to them.
"Take it easy."
"Yes. Thank you."
Encouraged by Yi-Han''s support, the two adventurers turned their attention to Buldahak''s subordinates.
The subordinates were trembling pitifully.
And thirty minutester.
The two adventurers spoke, looking extremely apologetic.
"We''re sorry. With our skills, we can''t..."
"Mr. Mage. I apologize for daring to ask for magic, but is there no way for you to extract the truth from him?"
"Hmm. Unfortunately, I don''t know such magic either. I did read his emotions, though..."
"Is that so. ...Pardon?"
The two adventurers paused.
If he could read emotions, couldn''t he also discern whether it was the truth or a lie?
"Was he continuously lying?"
"No. His emotions were close to the truth."
"...Uh... M-Mr. Mage. I may not know much about magic, but doesn''t that mean Buldahak was telling the truth?"
Yi-Hanughed as if asking what they were talking about and shook his head.
"One can control their emotions while lying, you know."
"..."
"...Mr. Mage. Buldahak isn''t at that level, absolutely..."
Even if the two adventurers didn''t know much about magic, this much was certain.
If Buldahak were a mercenary of that caliber, it wouldn''t be bounty huntersing after him, but the emperor''s royal knights!
¡ª
"You bastards, may you be cursed forever."
Buldahak shouted, tears streaming down his face, driven by resentment.
He had spoken the truth to avoid the pain, yet he was still interrogated. He seemed genuinely aggrieved.
"Ah. I told you I''m sorry. Shut up a bit, will you."
"..."
Buldahak immediately closed his mouth.
Yi-Han had said it casually, but to Buldahak, it sounded like, "If you keep yapping, I''ll rip out your tongue."
"So there''s treasure inside that cave..."
The original mission was to subjugate the ghoulsing out of a cave near Burnt Hill.
These ghouls were threatening innocent travelers, not only in the cave but also on nearby roads.
It was a troublesome mission for adventurers without knowledge or skills, as it required not only defeating the ghouls but also identifying and dealing with the cause of their emergence...
...Which made it a good mission for Einroguard students, including mages, to take on.
However, Buldahak''s story was slightly different.
ording to the testimony of some fellows who had entered and exited the cave, not to mention the thieves'' guild, there was definitely an undiscovered ancient artifact inside the cave.
"What are you waiting for, Wardanaz? Let''s go in!"
The White Tiger Tower friends were incredibly excited. Even the calm Dolgyu''s eyes shone.
Few professions were as enthusiastic about ancient ruins, ancient dungeons, and ancient artifacts as mages.
Lost magic or knowledge from the past was worth more than a thousand gold pieces.
However, Yi-Han was skeptical.
"Isn''t this guy just stupid?"
Judging from the testimonies, this was the level:
-I got lost inside the cave, and there was this ck light constantly emanating from one side! It must be the light of an artifact!-
-It was a light that absolutely could not ur naturally.-
-When I tried to approach, the ghouls suddenly turned ferocious and attacked, so it has to be an artifact!-
Yi-Han sighed and looked at his friends.
"This is why you guys keep falling into the principal''s traps. Swayed by such groundless rumors."
"Ugh..."
"Y-You don''t need to bring that up now."
''Principal?''
''Traps?''
The two adventurers were puzzled inwardly.
Gubon offered his opinion, gauging the situation.
"But Mr. Mage. Among adventurers, that level of testimony is considered sufficiently valuable."
Originally, even far more vague and absurd rumors would attract many seekers.
If Gubon heard a rumor of that level, he too would have gathered people out of curiosity to explore it.
The mere fact that a mercenary of Buldahak''s caliber hade this far with such preparations proved the value of that rumor.
"This doesn''t seem like the empire''s outskirts, so I doubt there would be any useful artifacts remaining, but..."
"No, that''s not true. Dungeons and artifacts often appear near cities, contrary to expectations."
Due to various natural phenomena, or the mana possessed by the dungeon or ruins themselves, they would frequently pop up while transforming the surrounding environment.
In such cases, the adventurers who discovered them could make a fortune overnight.
"Alright. We had to subjugate the ghouls anyway."
"So we''re going in?!"
Ango shouted, brimming with excitement.
"No. The sun hasn''t fully risen yet."
It was dawn, but it was still too early to enter now.
"...R-Right."
Even in this situation, Ango was at a loss for words at Yi-Han''sposed demeanor.
''This guy isn''t even excited.''
"There''s something to do in the meantime."
"What is it, Wardanaz?"
Raphael listened attentively.
Whatever else, Wardanaz never spoke nonsense when it came to magic.
He must be about to say something necessary before confronting the ghouls.
"Since we''re up, let''s do some gathering missions too. Raphael. You''re on snow grass. Ango. You''re on geranium flowers. Dolgyu. You''re on sleepy mugwort. I need to track the traces of Rape squirrels."
"..."
"..."
As Yi-Han and his resigned friends left, Buldahak asked Gubon.
"What''s with those mages?"
¡ª
Thanks to Yi-Han''s help, his friends were able toplete the gathering missions with ease.
-Is that snow grass? What do you even use your eyes for? Can you tell the difference between a skeleton and a ghoul?-
-Is that how you gather flowers? Do the flowers look like monsters to you? Don''t tell me you''re plucking them like that to im you defeated monsters when you return.-
"Good work, everyone."
"..."
By the time they finished gathering, the day had fully brightened.
It was finally time to enter the cave.
"By the way, Mr. Mage."
Bijidek whispered so the mercenaries couldn''t hear.
"What will you do with those fellows? If we leave them here, they might escape or attack us from behind."
The best option was to take them to a nearby city, but everyone except Yi-Han was blinded by the treasure.
"We''ll take them inside."
"Pardon?"
Bijidek paused.
Take them inside?
He couldn''t mean cooperating with them like when attacking alongside another party...
"They might escape or cause trouble inside. It won''t be easy to control them."
"I''ve thought of that too."
With those words, Yi-Han took out a bone fragment.
Raphael had a hunch.
"Bones, bind my foe. Bones, bind my foe. Bones, bind my foe..."
nk, nk, nk, nk!
Bone restraints were fastened around the mercenaries'' ankles and wrists.
It didn''t end there.
Bone hands were summoned, firmly grasping the mercenaries'' necks. With a mere gesture from Yi-Han, they could immediately strangle them.
"Good. This should do."
"You... You''re really... unbelievable..."
Raphael spoke in a nauseated voice.
A mighty dark mage who could have stepped out of a fairy tale stood before their eyes.
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Chapter 311
Chapter 311
Magic was a field of study that was better understood by those who were knowledgeable about it.
Mages like Dolgyu and Ango, who had no interest in dark magic, were not well-versed in it, but Raphael, who was learning dark magic alongside Yi-Han, could sense just how absurd what Yi-Han had done was.
Even if it was a lower circle magic, summoning that many bone restraints, summoning bone hands, and controlling them all simultaneously was unbelievable.
Bone magic was a type of elemental magic, and as Yi-Han excelled in elemental control, it was only natural for him to be proficient in it, but...
This was truly an impossible feat.
Just how much mana and talent did one need to make this possible?
"Raphael. What are you doing? Aren''t youing in?"
"..."
"Hey, hey! What are you doing?"
"You, you''re telling me you don''t have any thoughts after seeing this?"
Raphael asked Ango.
Ango replied as if asking what he was talking about.
"Wardanaz has always been good at magic."
"..."
''This stupid bastard!''
Seeing his friends, who didn''t know dark magic and couldn''t recognize how amazing this was, Raphael beat his chest.
Just how incredible was this...!
"Mage, sir. How are we supposed to fight like this?"
One of the mercenaries spoke to Yi-Han, sobbing.
It was an attempt to somehow break free from the restraints by appealing to his sympathy.
"Even in that state, you should be able to fight the ghouls just fine, right?"
"If an unexpected situation arises... The cave is dark and the terrain isplex, so we don''t know what might happen."
"Don''t worry. The darkness won''t be an issue since I''ll cast light. As for theplex terrain, Sharakan will go in first and scout it out. There won''t be any surprise attacks, so maintain your formation and fight well."
"..."
The captured mercenary thought to himself.
Mages were truly a detestable bunch to deal with!
¡ª
"Then we''ll head in now."
"Wait. I''ll cast the Agile Steps spell on you."
"Oh...!"
The two adventurers, who had only heard about the mage''s enhancement magic, were delighted to experience it firsthand.
Yi-Han cast . The two adventurers shuddered at the power welling up deep within their bodies.
''This is enhancement magic...!''
''I can see why they try to include an enhancement mage in the party no matter what!''
"Now, let''s go in."
"Wait. I''ll also cast a spatial perception spell on you."
"Ah... Thank you."
As the spell was cast, the two adventurers felt their sense of distance be very sharp and precise.
''This is enhancement magic...!''
''An enhancement mage, no matter what...''
"Alright, let''s go in!"
"Wait. I''ll also cast the Sharp Hand spell on you."
"..."
"Tha... Thank you."
The two adventurers were slowly getting flustered.
A mage''s mana wasn''t infinite, so was this really okay?
It was great, but was it really alright to do this??
''Is this normal for someone from Einroguard?''
"Okay. I''ve cast everything, so let''s go in now. Forward."
Yi-Han tightened his grip on the bone hand that was choking Buldahak''s neck. Buldahak made a choking sound as he walked forward.
-Grrrrr.-
Sharakan, having smelled the ghouls inside, let out a sharp cry.
"Stop for a moment."
Yi-Han once again tightened his grip on the bone hand choking Buldahak''s neck.
Buldahak gritted his teeth and said,
"I can understand if you just tell me..."
"Light, appear!"
As a sphere of light with strong luminosity appeared at the entrance of the cave, the ghouls that had settled near the entrance began to crawl out, making terrible noises.
They felt a strong aversion to the light and were trying to deal with the mage who had summoned it.
-¡ö¡ö¡ö... ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡-
-¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡-
"Block them!"
The mercenaries were more desperate than ever.
Normally, they would have loosely maintained their formation and moved freely to fight, but in the current situation where they were all forcibly bound together, they couldn''t do that.
They maintained a tight formation, shoulder to shoulder, and stabbed the ghouls to knock them down.
Dolgyu couldn''t help but exim in admiration.
"I didn''t know mercenaries could fight with such coordination. It reminds me of the soldiers from noble families."
"...Dolgyu. Don''t you see the bones attached to their necks, wrists, and ankles?"
"Inside! Sharakan, keep scouting out the enemies!"
Yi-Han pushed Buldahak and the mercenaries to the very front, and he followed behind them with his friends, maintaining their formation as they entered.
The cave was wide enough for over a dozen people to pass throughfortably. Yi-Han once again cast a sphere of light.
-¡ö¡ö! ¡ö¡ö!-
The cave, which had be as bright as broad daylight.
The ghouls, properly stimted, charged out once more.
The mercenaries shouted and desperately swung their weapons.
A ghoul hit by a mace fell forward, and another ghoul shed by a thick single-edged sword tumbled.
Yi-Han levitated a water orb andunched it ording to the signals sent by Sharakan. Ghouls that had been hiding behind walls or rocks angrily leaped out.
"Protect Wardanaz!"
As the cave was so wide and the ghouls were rushing in from all directions, some of them managed to break through the mercenaries'' formation and reach the back.
The White Tiger Tower students knocked down the ghouls with swords and shields.
Raphael''s performance was particrly active.
"Where do you think you''re charging, you ghouls? Return to thend of the dead! How dare you!"
"Raphael. You don''t need to go that far. Wardanaz will be fine."
Ango was slightly taken aback by his friend''s overly enthusiastic behavior.
Even if he was worried about Wardanaz, wasn''t this too much? It wasn''t like Wardanaz would be defeated by one or two ghouls.
"What? No! What nonsense are you spouting?! Choi, you exin it to him instead!"
"Uh... Thank you for worrying about Wardanaz, Raphael."
"..."
Raphaelmented the sight of his foolish friends who didn''t know dark magic.
''It''s so frustrating to move together with those who don''t know dark magic!''
In the meantime, the horde of ghouls that had rushed in were all defeated. The mercenaries lowered their weapons, panting heavily. Fighting while forcibly bound made them feel several times more exhausted than usual.
"Da-"
As one of the mercenaries tried to turn his head, Yi-Han reflexivelyunched a water orb and tightened his grip on the bone hand.
"Guh-guh-guh."
"Ah, you crazy bastard!"
"Why are you falling over!"
The other mercenaries, who were also bound together, staggered and lost their temper as theirrade fell over.
"Ah, sorry about that. You shouldn''t have turned your head then. Why did you do that?"
"Rest, rest..."
"Okay, rest then."
"Perhaps something to drink too..."
"You crazy bastard, can''t you read the room?"
The mercenary next to him whispered in horror.
They were caught while trying to ambush others with a bounty on their heads, and now he was asking for something to drink?
If he didn''t want to be dissected before reaching the city, he should just keep his mouth shut. There just had to be such a tactless guy.
The kind of guy who immediately tries to take advantage when the other party shows a little leniency!
It wouldn''t matter if he died alone, but the problem was that he would drag others down with him. The mercenarymented the fact that such a dimwit was part of their group.
"Water?"
Yi-Han summoned water and poured it over the mercenaries. The mercenaries let out screams of joy at the cold, life-giving water that washed away their sweat, blood, and heat.
"Thank you!"
"Thank you, Mage, sir!"
"Do you want more to drink?"
"Just a little more..."
"Hey, you crazy bastard!"
The other mercenaries were horrified, but Yi-Han showed no particr reaction. He summoned another mass of water and poured it over the mercenaries.
Buldahak inwardly cursed at the sight of the mercenaries immediately giving in.
It was said that mercenaries were drawn to silver coins and fell for gold coins, but seeing it happen right in front of his eyes made his stomach churn. It was utterly infuriating.
"Let''s move again."
The group moved again, just as they had done before.
Sharakan would scout the path first, then Yi-Han would cast a sphere of light, and the mercenaries would deal with the rushing ghouls.
Of course, things didn''t always go smoothly.
"The path is blocked!"
"We took the wrong fork. Let''s go back."
The cave was wide, and the terrain inside was moreplex than expected. If they took the wrong path, they had to go back the way they came.
As they emerged from the path, Gubon said,
"It would be best to leave a mark at the entrance so we don''t go in again."
"Is that so? Light, appear!"
Seeing Yi-Han cast a sphere of light at the entrance they had mistakenly entered, Gubon was taken aback.
"You can just use chalk to mark the wall, not magic."
"It could be erased, and doing it this way makes it easier to see from a distance, doesn''t it?"
"But your mana... Are you sure you''re okay..."
"I''m fine."
''It doesn''t seem fine.''
Gubon and Bijidek were in a dilemma.
No matter how they looked at it, it didn''t seem fine, but Yi-Han''s other friends were acting as if it was truly alright.
Was it because they didn''t know magic??
''Even so, it seems like he''s wasting too much mana...''
-Grrrrrrrr!-
"!"
Sharakan roared and rolled on the ground as if telling them to look this way.
Thanks to the sphere of light floating in the air, Bijidek could see clearly and shouted,
"It''s a trap! Everyone, stop!"
"Is it a pressure-activated trap?"
"That''s right."
The mercenaries murmured among themselves.
Normally, encountering traps in caves or dungeons was a very dangerous sign.
Ghouls, whocked intelligence and charged in recklessly, could be dealt with without much trouble as long as they weren''t unlucky, but traps hidden in the dark, dusty depths were difficult for even skilled adventurers to avoid.
However, the situation was a bit different now.
Some crazy mage was making the inside of the cave as bright as broad daylight...
...And above all, the presence of traps also meant a high possibility of treasures.
After all, there wouldn''t be traps in a ce with nothing.
"Could this really be..."
"Shh. Gubon. Now''s not the time to say that."
Bijidek said, rolling up his sleeves.
This was the moment for Bijidek''s abilities to shine when traps appeared.
"Perhaps?"
"Yes. I learned the skills from a thief once."
Bijidek spoke, ncing around slightly.
When conquering ancient ruins or dungeons, having a trap disarming specialist like this was essential, but the people¡¯s perception of these specialists wasn''t very positive.
That''s because these specialists were usually former thieves!
Even if the specialist imed, "I''ve washed my hands of it," "I don''t steal anymore," or "I was a righteous thief," from the perspective of the other party members, it was hard to trust whether that specialist would pick the lock of the ruins or the lock of their own backpack.
So even those from thieves'' guilds would often say they "happened to learn the skills" rather than admitting they were from a guild.
"Oh, I''ve also learned skills from a thief before."
"Yes. Yes... Yes????"
Bijidek couldn''t believe his ears at Yi-Han''s words.
What did he just say?
"What did you say?"
"I said I''ve learned skills from a thief before."
"Are you joking? How is that... possible?"
Yi-Han asked back, as if he found it absurd.
"Bijidek, you learned skills from a thief, so why is it impossible for me?"
"Well... uh... that''s true, but..."
"Right? Then let''s disarm it together."
"..."
Bijidek walked alongside Yi-Han, feeling somewhat entranced.
Thanks to the various enhancement spells cast on him, his senses were sharpened, making it even easier to disarm the trap.
"It seems to be a pressure-activated mechanism. Am I right?"
"That''s, that''s right. How did you..."
"Shall we dig in from the side and disable the mechanism below? Or should we just trigger the trap?"
"It would be safer to disable it. I have the equipment, so I''ll dig in from the side..."
"Dig it out."
As a pit instantly appeared, Bijidek quietly thought to himself,
''When I return to the city, I should save up some money and try learning magic...''
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Chapter 312
Chapter 312
As Bijidek pondered, the trap revealed itself. Bijidek carefully inserted a lockpick into the mechanism buried in the ground.
Click!
With the sound of the device being disengaged, Bijidek slowly removed the pressure te.
"We were lucky," Bijidek said.
"Lucky? It was skill," Yi-Han praised Bijidek''s ability and took the pressure te. Unique patterned letters were engraved on it.
"Why would a pressure te have such a pattern?"
"I have no idea what those ancient folks were thinking," Yi-Han said, dumbfounded by his White Tiger Tower friends'' words.
"This is the ancient script of the Seharin Kingdom."It was a kingdom from a distant past, known for producing many golden artifacts during its time.
As someone who had studied anything potentially profitable while in the Wardanaz family, reading it wasn''t too difficult for Yi-Han.
"...I meant I don''t understand why they engraved letters on a pressure te. Seriously, those Seharin folks."
"What were the Seharin Kingdom people thinking? In a cave like this!"
Raphael and Ango quickly changed the subject.
Yi-Han and Dolgyu tried their best not to look at their two friends with disdain.
"What does it say, Yi-Han?"
"Those who touch the treasure... will face death."
"!!!!"
Dolgyu was genuinely surprised.
Then he whispered, "With this, could there really be treasure?"
"Sigh... Dolgyu."
At Yi-Han''s reaction, Dolgyu felt embarrassed.
"S-sorry. I got too excited."
"If you were to do business, which location in Granden City do you think would be good?"
"..."
¡ª
Yi-Han quickly came to his senses and stood up.
He couldn''t let his imagination run wild with treasure he hadn''t even obtained yet.
"Advance again!"
''No gaps. Disgusting mage bastard.''
Buldahak wracked his brain as he moved his feet.
Normally, he would have found an opening to counterattack or escape, but the mage was thoroughly meticulous to a sickening degree.
Not only were there bone restraints on his wrists and ankles, but a skeletal hand was attached to his neck, ready to strangle him at any moment...
-Do you desire power?-
"?!"
-Don''t show any reaction. If they notice, you''ll die immediately. I asked if you desire power.-
''I... I do.''
-At any cost?-
''...Yes...''
Buldahak unknowingly whispered.
The voiceing from somewhere held a strong, irresistible temptation.
-Good. I shall grant you power! An opportunity will soone to you, so seize it.-
''Th-thank you!''
Buldahak deeply thanked the unknown entity in the cave.
If it were the usual cunning Buldahak, he might have been suspicious of such an offer.
However, Buldahak''s current situation left no room for suspicion.
It was a situation where he had to swallow even poison if offered.
''What opportunity ising? What opportunity?''
Buldahak endured persistently and waited.
And that opportunity soon arrived.
-¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö!-
A massive lump of flesh ghoul, with a buildpletely different from the ghouls that had appeared so far, revealed itself.
Sharakan barked sharply. It tried to sever the creature''s ankles to restrict its speed, but the flesh lump ghoul reacted much faster.
Thud thud thud thud thud thud!
Before the mercenaries at the front could even scream, Yi-Han reacted first.
It was the quickest reaction among those present.
"Excavate."
First, arge pit appeared in front of the path where the flesh lump ghoul was charging. Unable to ovee its speed, the flesh lump ghoul''s foot got caught in the pit, causing it to lose bnce and fall.
"Heat, distort the air."
At the same time, Yi-Han cast spells without rest. Illusions resembling the mercenaries appeared in front of them, surprising them.
"Rise, warriors of bone."
It wasn''t perfect yet, but that didn''t matter. As he threw bone fragments, skeleton warriors appeared.
They were meant to divert the flesh lump ghoul''s attention.
"Hand over the bow."
"Huh?"
Yi-Han snatched the short bow Ango was carrying.
Then he cast consecutive enchantment spells.
"Be faster! Be heavier! Be sharper..."
When facing a sturdy monster.
And when there was no time to prepare.
There was no need to elevate lightning or water magic to a higher level.
As he had learned from Baishada, the hunter from the , it was sufficient to have firepower capable of prating the target.
''Thank you, Mr. Baishada.''
Of course, Baishada had never instructed Yi-Han to stack enchantment spells in such a manner and shoot. It was something Yi-Han figured out on his own.
Yi-Han gave up on aiming-rted enchantments and focused on power-rted ones. He cast as many spells as possible on the bow and arrow.
''The distance is close anyway. With this much...''
, , , and other low-circle spells were rapidly stacked using Yi-Han''s high mana, transforming the bow and arrow into a brutal weapon that vibrated the surrounding air and exuded the power of mana.
-¡ö!-
The flesh lump ghoul roared in anger and lifted its body. It momentarily hesitated at the sight of the illusions spread across the cave''s wide space and the skeleton warriors, unsure which one to crush first.
At that moment, an arrow flew in, shattering the air.
Thwack!
The arrow didn''t just prate a vital point; itpletely blew away the surrounding area. The flesh lump ghoul, with its head blown off, fell to its knees with a thud.
Yi-Han let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he had timed it right.
"Got it."
"Wh... Wha-what...!!"
Not only the mercenaries but also the White Tiger Tower students were stunned.
They hadn''t expected such arge creature to be taken down in one shot.
Ango, the owner of the short bow, repeatedly pointed at the bow and arrow, saying, "Y-you! You you!"
"Did I use the bow well?"
"You!!"
"I''m sorry for borrowing it in a hurry, but it was an unavoidable situation, you know."
"That''s not it! How did you achieve such power with this..."
Ango knew the limitations of his short bow well.
It was a weapon meant for harassment, barely dealing damage to medium-sized monsters and above...
"Sigh. Ango."
Yi-Han looked at Ango as if he were frustrated. Ango flinched, wondering if he had done something wrong. He felt like a student standing in front of a professor.
"It''s enchantment magic."
"...You crazy bastard! I know that too!!"
Ango momentarily lost control of his emotions and red up.
How dare he question his intelligence!
"I''m asking how you achieved such power with just enchantment magic!"
"I quickly cast multiple spells and stacked them."
"But how?"
"Well..."
At Ango''s question, Yi-Han was at a loss for words for the first time in a while.
The answer was really just ''I did it.''
Cast one spell, maintain bnce while casting the next spell so that the previous spell doesn''t disperse, cast the next spell in the same way...
Cast spells as much as possible like that.
"...Forget it..."
Seeing Yi-Han''s expression, Ango bitterly retrieved his short bow.
He felt that hearing the answer would only make him feel miserable.
While the two were conversing, Buldahak wasmunicating with the voice in the cave.
-You idiotic fool. Someone like you wants to receive my power. You''re not even worthy of it. To miss an opportunity like earlier.-
-Don''t talk nonsense! You didn''t even give me a proper opportunity!-
-How dare you?-
-How dare I? If that monster was sent by you, your ability is worse than a single arrow! Sending a monster that falls to an arrow, not even the mage''s magic, and you talk about opportunity!-
Enraged, Buldahak growled.
If you''re going to send something as an opportunity, at least give me a chance to escape. What opportunity are you talking about when it gets caught so stupidly in one go?
-You don''t know your ce. You''re not even worthy of being used as material, yet when I showed mercy¡-
At that moment, the voice in the cave was cut off.
"Wait."
Yi-Han raised his hand and stopped the group.
"I just felt a flow of mana, didn''t I?"
"..."
"I didn''t use any magic."
"Neither did I."
"Did you sense it wrong, Yi-Han?"
Dolgyu was puzzled.
None of the mercenaries or adventurers could use magic.
Moreover, the White Tiger Tower students hadn''t sensed any flow of mana, so it was natural to think it might have been a mistake.
However, Yi-Han remained unwavering.
What he had learned at Einroguard was to trust his own senses.
''Even when crossing a stone bridge, you should tap it first, check if the skull principal is nearby, turn around, and take a different path.''
"I definitely felt it."
The artificial flow of mana that coursed through the cave.
It was absolutely not a natural flow.
"Who''s there? Come out."
The White Tiger Tower students immediately drew their weapons. The two adventurers also drew their weapons. As the air turned chilly, the mercenaries cried out in terror.
"It''s not us! It''s not us, Mr. Mage! How could we!"
"Didn''t someone use a magic item?"
"If we had something like that, we''d exchange it for gold coins, not carry it around!"
"Quiet. If you don''te out, I''ll interrogate you one by one."
Yi-Han looked around at the mercenaries.
Then he called out the one with the most wicked nature first.
Crack!
"Speak. What did you do?"
"Cough, cough. Nothing."
"...?"
Yi-Han, who had been interrogating Buldahak without much thought, was surprised.
The magic revealed that Buldahak''s emotions were hiding something.
''What the hell. Was he really doing something?''
Yi-Han raised his guard.
Even if they couldn''t use magic, activating an artifact or spell scroll hidden in their pockets could create variables.
There was nothing during the body search, but in life, there''s always the possibility of the unexpected.
"If you won''t speak, die."
Yi-Han increased the strength of the skeletal hand. Overwhelmed by that cold voice, Buldahak finally opened his mouth.
"Voi... ce...! Voice! A voice!"
"What voice?"
"A voice from inside the cave...! Offered me a proposal!"
¡°What a useless puppet, unable to fulfill its role properly.¡±
From deep within the cave, an eerie voice echoed, followed by an influx of overwhelmingly strong negative mana.
The mercenaries felt their strength draining away and their will disappearing. Even the White Tiger Tower students, who had resistance as mages, were brought to their knees.
Yi-Han paid no heed and immediately began preparing a spell in a low voice.
"Surge forth, Ferkuntra''s..."
Instead of an instantly fired lightning bolt, condensed lightning discharged around him, creating sparks.
"Ack, cough, hahahaha! No! No!!!"
As the wave of mana ended, Buldahak screamed. His eyes rolled back, and the color of his entire body changed.
Yi-Han and Raphael, well-versed in dark magic, immediately recognized the phenomenon.
''Possession!''
The phenomenon of an evil entity without a body stealing a body.
However, it couldn''t be stolen like this without any signs or contract.
''That conversation earlier was it!''
Yi-Han understood the situation.
He had wondered why the flow of mana was felt, but it was clear that the evil entity in the cave had sensed Buldahak''s existence and tempted him.
Unlike the mages of Einroguard who thoroughly learned about contracts, Buldahak, a mercenary, had no way of knowing how dangerous such temptation was.
If their wavelengths matched and Buldahak even epted...
It would be entirely possible to steal his body like this.
Buldahak''s eyes turned an eerie color, and a deep, evil voice that couldn''t be produced by a human flowed out.
¡°I am the King of Ghouls¡¡±
"...Thunder, strike!"
Yi-Han unleashed the lightning with all his might.
And he didn''t stop there.
"ze up!"
Ten mes were created in the air and flew in fiercely.
Buldahak''s body, rapidly being destroyed by the lightning that no human body could withstand, burned once more and waspletely incinerated.
"...???"
"Is... is it over?"
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Chapter 313
Chapter 313
¡°This is not over. There is no way.¡±
A scream erupted from the depths of the abyss, as if it would be cut off at any moment.
The King of Ghouls, who had thought all living beings would cower in fear at his descent, suffered a huge blow to both his pride and existence.
Some fresh-faced young mage was brazenly preparing an attack.
And what was most humiliating was the severity of the damage.
With the possessed body destroyed, the main body was bound to take a hit as well.
¡°Because. Of. One. Stupid. Creature. I''ve. Lost. A. Lot. I. See.¡±
The King of Ghouls gathered his strength, scorning the dead mercenary.
If that greedy mercenary had done his job well, he could have possessed him at his leisure.
Wasn''t it because he tried to hastily possess him due to the mercenary''s mistake that he took this much damage?
At the spot where Buldahak had been, a dark power began to take shape, rippling.
"Strike down, Ferkuntra''s Thunderbolt!"
¡°You. Think. The. Same. Attack. Will. Work. Twice. Presumptuous. Mage.¡±
The King of Ghouls scattered his form and dodged the lightning.
Then he spoke in a voice filled with cold fury. A grating voice, as ifced with noise.
¡°As. The. King. of. Ghouls. I. Will. Graciously. Give. You. One. Last. Chance. Submit. To. Me. Kneel. Before. Me. And. Swear. Loyalty. As. My. Vassal. Then. I. Shall. Spare. Your. Life.¡±
"Don''t be fooled, Wardanaz! Once the possessed body is destroyed, the creature will soon be summoned back to its own realm!"
Raphael shouted as he drew his sword.
Unlike the swords of other knights, the swords of the Gral family were mixed with true silver and spirit stones.
It was the wisdom of a family that had long fought the undead.
"Begone, undead!"
¡°A. Bug. Dares. To. Thrash. About. Begging. To. Be. Crushed.¡±
Raphael''s sword strike dealt damage to The King of Ghouls. As the de touched, the sound of the form burning rang out.
But the damage was far too meager.
The King of Ghouls struck Raphael without regard.
Boom!
With a roar, Raphael was sent flying.
"Unfold!"
Yi-Han transformed the shape of the water to catch Raphael, then drew his sword.
A sword made of ck purplestone. The Morning Star.
As it was a sword that absorbed mana, it was suitable for dealing with beings from other realms thatcked substance.
''Lightning magic doesn''t work!''
From the brief exchange just now, Yi-Han instinctively felt it.
The enemy was reading the signs of magic.
Moreover, it was a being that could avoid attacks by scattering its form at will.
It would be difficult tond a direct hit with projectile or emission-type magic.
''In that case...''
Whoosh!
Yi-Han was propelled forward.
Thanks to his body enhanced by and exploding mana from his toes, it was a speed more fitting to say he wasunched rather than running.
Even The King of Ghouls did not anticipate that speed. The Morning Star urately sliced through its form.
¡°Ugh.¡±
''Damage went through, but...!''
The power felt from the enemy''s form had clearly diminished.
Yet an immensely powerful strength could still be felt.
To think it was this strong even after the possessed body was destroyed and its mana absorbed by the Morning Star.
It was unbelievable.
Reminded of the strength of the King of Frost Giants he had encountered in the upper levels of Einroguard, Yi-Han immediately revised his strategy.
"Dolgyu. We''re getting out. Get ready."
"...Don''t you dare sacrifice yourself alone, Yi-Han!"
"I have no intention to, so move!"
¡°Where. Do. You. Think. You. Can. Go.¡±
The King of Ghouls''s voice grew even colder and more frigid. The cave''s temperature dropped to the point where breath could be seen.
And ghouls began to rise from all directions.
¡°Even. If. The. n. Is. Dyed. By. Decades. The. Bugs. Must. Be. Crushed. Today.¡±
"Shut up, undead! How dare you act so arrogantly before the name of Wardanaz!"
"..."
Yi-Han, pondering his strategy, was dumbfounded upon seeing his friends'' rebuke.
These crazy bastards, who did they think they were provoking right now...?
¡ª
Beings summoned from other realms, especially evil ones, wanted to remain in this world for as long as possible.
Because the desires and suffering of mortals were a sweet nectar to evil beings.
Of course, mortals did not leave the evil beings summoned from other realms alone either.
As soon as word arrived, they would send forces to summon them back or at least seed in sealing them if it proved difficult.
The King of Ghouls was an evil being sealed in the distant past, long before the Empire.
Originally, he should have been sealed forever with no chance of escape, but the long years and fickle fortune had destroyed the seal on the artifact and awakened The King of Ghouls.
Having barely escaped the seal, The King of Ghouls gnashed his teeth at the enemies of the past who had captured him, but he knew well that it was a meaningless act.
The lifespan of mortals was short, and his foes would have all turned to dust by now.
So The King of Ghouls focused on recovery.
The seal was broken, but his strength at his prime had all vanished, and he was in the pitiful state of relying on the artifact that had sealed him.
If this artifact were to be destroyed, he would be summoned back to another realm as is.
The King of Ghouls summoned ghouls with the few remaining feeble powers he had left and sent them out at night to drain the vitality of travelers.
But it was far from satisfying.
An immense amount of power was needed for him to manifest himself, and a few dozen travelers were woefully insufficient.
Thinking there would be no end at this rate, The King of Ghouls changed his strategy.
He would let a few creatures live to spread rumors.
If rumors of treasure spread, wouldn''t greedy adventurerse seeking it?
If he could cajole such fools and steal their bodies, he could leave this cave without recovering his strength.
But...
A mage stronger than expected hade.
¡°Wardanaz. Was. It.¡±
"That''s right. You should fear that name!"
The White Tiger Tower student''s shout made Bijidek, who had been sweating nervously, finally realize.
The Wardanaz family!
The Empire''s greatest magic lineage!
"...Why are you here!?"
"What are you saying, Bijidek! Get a hold of yourself!"
Gubon grabbed Bijidek''s shoulders and shook him.
As a veteran participating in the party, what meaning would there be if he couldn''t step up when an unexpected situation urred?
He had to somehow find an opening in the enemy.
"R-Right. Sorry."
¡°Empty. Titles. Mean. Nothing. To. Me.¡±
The King of Ghouls was prepared to wipe out all the intruders today, even if it meant consuming all the power he had gathered.
Leaving them be, there was no telling what reinforcements they might call, and above all, the strength of the opposing mage was very tempting.
If he could seize a body of that caliber, it would be a far better choice than that pathetic excuse of an adventurer earlier.
¡°Seize them.¡±
Melee.
The most chaotic and fierce battle among all the fights today began to unfold.
It seemed every single ghoul in the cave was rushing this way.
"Won''t youpromise, King of Ghouls! If you let us go, we won''t attack any further either."
Yi-Han shouted as he attacked indiscriminately, creating a path.
The King of Ghouls let out a sneer-mixed reply.
¡°Trying. To. Deceive. A. King. With. Lies. You. Think. That. Will. Work.¡±
''Damn it. How did he know.''
Yi-Han clicked his tongue inwardly.
He had been prepared to put his family name and honor on the line if necessary, but The King of Ghouls had rejected anypromise.
"Split them with iron, my cloak!"
Tearing apart the charging ghouls with his cloak, Yi-Han shouted again.
"I will warn you onest time. King of Ghouls! If you refuse topromise, we have our ways too."
-¡ö¡ö! ¡ö¡ö!-
-¡ö¡ö!-
-¡ö¡ö¡ö!-
¡°Bluffing. Are. We.¡±
The King of Ghouls paid no heed.
The artifact housing his main body was located elsewhere, and he could read the opponent''s magic before it was fired.
As the battle continued, The King of Ghouls''s power would also be consumed, but the other side would fall first.
The limits of a mortal body were that absolute.
"Fine."
Yi-Han steeled his resolve.
He didn''t want to do this if he could help it, but seeing the enemy''s strength now, the more he backed down, the more dangerous it became.
Even if it was dangerous, he had to bluff.
"ze!"
¡°What. Are. You. Doing.¡±
The King of Ghouls was dumbfounded as Yi-Han chanted the spell.
After making such threats, to think he would use a low-circle me spell at best.
Moreover, it was a pure me summoning without any additional form, speed, or other attributes.
He had read and dodged even lightning-attribute attacks, so there was no way he would be hit by such an attack.
Fwoooooooooosh!
However, the mes Yi-Han unleashed soared madly.
The mes rose as if to pierce the high cave ceiling, and The King of Ghouls was finally startled by their range.
¡°What.¡±
It was a sight The King of Ghouls, who had defeated countless mages in ancient times, was seeing for the first time.
When using a wide-area me spell, it was natural to use a high-circle spell, and if one''s level was insufficient and they used a low-circle spell, they should use a narrow-range, limited me spell...
But right before his eyes was a mage using a low-circle spell to demonstrate a wide-area effect.
It was the epitome of inefficiency, but the effect was certainly impressive. Yi-Han waved his staff, calling forth even more mes.
"ze, ze, ze!"
The mes, imbued with strong mana, ovepped and amplified each other, growing even more intense.
At some point, Yi-Han felt the mes in the cave were no longer under control.
He had raised the scale of the mes to a level beyond his elemental control.
¡°What. Are. You. Thinking.¡±
"Can you run away like before in the midst of the mes?"
¡°You. Will. Burn. To. Death. First.¡±
"Can¡¯t a mage control his own magic? You¡¯re more foolish than I thought."
Though frantically anxious, Yi-Han spoke without blinking an eye.
At that moment, the mes changed direction and struck Yi-Han.
''Damn it!''
Yi-Han circted mana throughout his body and steeled himself.
If it was revealed that these mes were uncontroble, the situation would beplicated.
At that instant, a warm power flowed through his body.
It was the power flowing from the mark left by the phoenix.
"...!"
Yi-Han felt the phoenix''s mark repelling and controlling the surrounding mes.
To the point of being grateful to his past self who had not killed the phoenix (though in reality he couldn''t), it was a power he desperately needed in the current situation.
''I don''t know how much time I have!''
Before the mark''s power faded and ended, Yi-Han swung his staff.
The surrounding mes surged like waves, sweeping away the nearby ghouls.
"See, you undead bastard. This is Wardanaz!"
"It is the power of Mr. Mage!"
The students and adventurers, holding weapons dripping with ghoul blood and bodily fluids, let out a battle cry.
They too had not thought these mes were uncontroble.
''Sweep away the remaining ghouls as quickly as possible and create an escape route!''
While The King of Ghouls hesitated, Yi-Han swung his staff once more, sending mes. The number of ghouls was greatly reduced.
Separate from The King of Ghouls considering Yi-Han a threat, Yi-Han had no intention of seriously defeating The King of Ghouls.
Turning the surroundings into a sea of mes to prevent escape and then engaging in a life-or-death battle was something more suited to Professor Bdi than himself.
Yi-Han just needed to escape somehow.
If the opponent agreed to negotiate, that would be good, and if they didn''t and hesitated, he had to take advantage of that.
''...It''s done!''
Yi-Han almost let out a cheer.
While The King of Ghouls was distracted by the mes, he had burned away all the ghouls gathered in the back.
Now that an escape route had been created, they just needed to flee.
"Wardanaz, I understand!"
"Raphael. I don''t know what you understand, but right now shut up and..."
"I know why it''s acting like that! With that much power, it makes no sense not toe out of the cave! And being that resistant to attacks even without a host! There''s only one answer! That''s an avatar! The artifact housing its main body is somewhere else!"
Yi-Han was about to reply, ''Yes, you''re so great, so let''s go out and talk.''
But Raphael, excited by his realization, shouted to Dolgyu and Ango.
"Let''s go. It''s the chance Wardanaz has risked his life to create for us! We must destroy the artifact!"
Raphael ran like a madman through the gaps in the mes, rushing deeper into the cave.
Ango immediately followed after him.
Dolgyu looked back and forth between Yi-Han and Raphael, flustered like a donkey caught in a haystack.
Yi-Han sighed.
''It''s my fault for bringing along the White Tiger Tower bastards.''
"Go. Sharakan. Help those idi... those guys!"
¡°How. Dare. You.¡±
"You should have let me out then, it would have been good for both of us. sh forth!"
Yi-Han gritted his teeth and unleashed the spell.
Perhaps it was his mood, but the lightning shot out far more violently than before.
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Chapter 314
Chapter 314
The King of Ghouls lightly dispersed his body like before, dodging the lightning. However, the situation was different from before.
Whoosh!
The raging mes that had grown too intense for Yi-Han to control filled the vast cavern.
Even for the King of Ghouls, it was difficult to lightly ignore the fierce mes imbued with the mage''s mana.
If he got caught up in it and burned in his already exhausted state, the damage would be¡
The insects first. Kill them first.
The King of Ghouls changed his mind, deciding to chase and kill those who had just escaped through the back instead of crushing Yi-Han.
"...sh forth!"
However, Yi-Han naturally did not let him do so. He frantically fired lightning along the trajectory the King of Ghouls was likely to move, advancing step by step.
Zzzz, zzzz, zzzz, zzzz!
Even the King of Ghouls flinched at the fierce barrage of razor-sharp spells.
Such a crazed bombardment was close to self-destruction. Wouldn''t his mana be depleted in less than ten seconds?
The King of Ghouls, with extensive experience fighting mages, was once again startled by Yi-Han''s actions.
However, Yi-Han neither ran out of mana nor copsed. Rather, he made very good use of the time the King of Ghouls had stopped.
Whoosh!
He had blocked the passage his friends had just escaped through and filled it with mes.
Only then did the King of Ghouls realize Yi-Han''s intentions and be extremely enraged.
How dare he.
"As I said, you should have negotiated when I offered."
Now that the situation hade to this, Yi-Han no longer hid his true colors. He red fiercely at his enemy and swung his staff.
The pattern of the phoenix, which still had strength left, transmitted energy to Yi-Han''s grip.
The uncontroble mes surrounding them tried to engulf Yi-Han but retreated,ing under control once more.
''Go!''
In the midst of such fierce mes, there was no need for shape transformation or maniption. Yi-Han charged head-on.
Huge waves of mes, severalyers deep, began to surge and rush towards the King of Ghouls.
The master of all ghouls and the terror of mortals faced disrespect.
The King of Ghouls realized he could no longer stall for time. Their positions hadpletely reversed from before.
Although it was regrettable to expend his strength, there was no other choice.
Even death cannot repay this.
Just as when he had tried to possess Buldahak''s body and descend, a deep blue negative energy intensely condensed and shot out towards the waves of fierce mes.
The mes that had been raging so violently began to die down, unable to withstand it.
However, the King of Ghouls still had not urately judged his opponent.
This was not an enemy that could be dealt with simply by binding his magic like other mages.
"ze forth!"
If the King of Ghouls had eyes, one would have seen them widen greatly.
The mes that had been extinguished by the deep blue negative energy reignited, fueled by mana, leaving the King of Ghouls speechless.
And only then did he realize.
It had been a mistake from the beginning to try to conserve strength and engage in a battle of attrition. That in itself had been his opponent''s scheme.
Whatever artifact he possessed, it was clear that his opponent had a means to recover mana.
¡°How impudent¡¡±
The King of Ghouls'' form became distinct and suddenly flew in like an arrow. As he prated the fierce mes engulfing the cave, the sound of burning came from his form.
However, the King of Ghouls endured that damage and got close to Yi-Han.
The mage wielded a sword and charged in.
Yi-Han swung Morning Star with one hand. The King of Ghouls took Morning Star''s attack head-on and got even closer.
¡°I''ll do as you wish!¡±
Kwak!
The King of Ghouls firmly grabbed Yi-Han''s form, just as he had possessed Buldahak.
Although most of his ability had vanished, among the powers the King of Ghouls still retained was this one.
Opening a realm gate filled with void and connecting the captured opponent''s body to it.
The empty void realm endlessly sucked in the mage''s mana like a vacuum.
A mage''s greatest fear was running out of mana.
Moreover, this connection did not end even when the mana was depleted. It continued until the mage''s life force was converted into mana and exhausted.
The King of Ghouls waited, expecting to see the captured mage copse, bleeding from his eyes, nose, and mouth.
However, the situation that unfolded before his eyes was different from his expectations.
"Thank you. For doing as I wished."
Yi-Han spoke coldly and aimed his staff.
At this distance, with the enemy grabbing him, there was no way to miss.
"Gather, condense..."
Zzam¡
"...and explode!"
hit urately at close range.
The King of Ghouls, who had already expended a great deal of strength using the realm connection ability, shattered into pieces with a silent scream.
¡ª
"We have to find it! Quickly!"
Dolgyu shouted urgently.
If they had any leisure time when Yi-Han was risking his life to buy them time, that would be even stranger.
Ango and Raphael knew this too and thoroughly searched every corner of the cave. Sharakan, the summon Yi-Han had sent, guided the way, sharply tearing through everything.
"Here... Damn it! I saw wrong!"
"You blind fool! Even a blind man would be better than you!"
When Ango made a mistake, Dolgyu exploded in anger.
Ango was so startled that he couldn''t even retort.
He had never expected Dolgyu to react like this.
Usually, no matter what mistake he made, his friend would say, ''It''s okay, it wasn''t on purpose,'' but now...?!
"I''m sorry!"
"Instead of wasting time apologizing, shut up and search!"
Raphael, who was in front, was thoroughly intimidated by Dolgyu''s momentum. If he made one more mistake, it seemed like Dolgyu would stab him with his sword.
-Grrrrr!-
Fortunately, Sharakan opened the way.
Sniffing the remnants of mana, Sharakan tapped on the empty cave wall and signaled to the three.
"Here?"
"It must be here!! You think he''s doing that for fun?! Swing quickly!"
Dolgyu gripped his sword upside down and struck the wall like he was using a pickaxe, venting his anger.
"S-sorry!"
"Got it!"
The White Tiger Tower students frantically swung their weapons. With enhancement magic active and being able to infuse some mana, their power was considerable.
On top of that, Sharakan joined in, tearing at the cave wall.
Kang, kakakang, kakakakang-
The sharp sounds repeated, and gradually, the cave wall seemed to be getting thinner.
"Huff, huff. Huff..."
Ango experienced the sensation of sweat pouring from his entire body and his breath catching in his throat.
It was only natural after running at full speed and swinging his weapon without rest.
"Don''t stop!"
Dolgyu roared.
"Y-yes!"
Ango managed to squeeze out a response. Nevertheless, his hands slowing down was inevitable.
"I''d rather you copse from swinging! Don''t stop!"
"Kuh-huff. Huff. Huff."
Dolgyu pushed his friends like a madman.
How much time passed?
Around the time when cracks appeared on the weapons and the White Tiger Tower students'' palms were covered in blood, finally, the sound of cracking was heard.
Crack, crackack!
"Done!!!! We did it!!!!!"
"Get in and break the artifact quickly!!"
At Dolgyu''s shout, the White Tiger Tower students kicked the shattered wall.
Inside, an empty tomb appeared.
There were no other artifacts, but if there was one difference, it was the crystal skull emitting an ominous mana on the tomb.
Anyone could see it was an artifact likely inhabited by an evil being from another realm.
Raphael drew his sword.
"Break it!"
Kang!
However, the sword bounced off without leaving a single scratch. Raphael was horrified by the evil negative energy climbing up his hand.
"Ugh... Ugh..."
As vitality vanished from his hand and strength left him, the sword naturally fell.
Dolgyu swung his weapon with a battle cry.
"If you can''t do it, get out of the way!"
"S-sorry..."
Ango thought for a moment that Dolgyu was going to kill Raphael, given how ferocious his momentum was.
Kwang!
Even though the sword was swung, the crystal skull stubbornly endured. Dolgyu took out bandages and tightly wrapped his hands.
Then he spoke.
"Wrap it! Quickly!"
"Y-yes!"
"Swing! Take turns!"
The three White Tiger Tower students began swinging their weapons in turns.
The weapons cracked and vitality vanished from their hands, but they did not give up.
"Think of Yi-Han!"
"Yes!"
"He must be risking his life against that bastard right now!"
"Y-yes..."
"I said swing faster!"
"Yes..."
And then Yi-Han appeared from behind.
Yi-Han spoke with a very tired and exhausted face.
"Guys. Since I¡¯ve destroyed the avatar, you can break it slowly."
"..."
"..."
"..."
The three White Tiger Tower students, who were about to raise their swords and swing, froze in ce.
What...?!
¡ª
Yi-Han did not know exactly what kind of attack the King of Ghouls had used. Perhaps he had tried to consume mana using some means.
However, that attack had barely dealt any damage. Rather, what had damaged Yi-Han was his own magic.
, which the creator himself insisted was a Magic Missile.
Even though he had cast it with maximum control, the aftereffects of the mana explosion had still struck Yi-Han''s entire body.
A mage taking damage from his own magic like this. If the skull principal had seen it, he would have cackled.
Since the main body was gone, relying on artifacts, and the avatar had been shattered, no matter how powerful the being, it would not be able to do anything for a while, so he could rest assured for now, but¡
...Yi-Han could not do that.
''Let''s never use fire magic again.''
The mes Yi-Han had crazily unleashed were spreading in all directions.
Moreover, the pattern of the phoenix seemed to have lost its power as time ran out and returned to its original form.
In the end, there was only one thing Yi-Han could do.
Crazily and diligently extinguish the fire again.
Yi-Han summoned, summoned, and summoned lumps of water and poured them over the mes.
The mes that hadbined and emitted a terrible heat seemed unable to withstand the persistent attack and finally slowly died down.
Having barely finished extinguishing the fire, Yi-Han moved in the direction his friends had gone.
His friends seemed to have sessfully found the artifact the King of Ghouls had inhabited and were swinging their weapons.
"Guys. Since I¡¯ve destroyed the avatar, you can break it slowly."
"..."
"..."
"..."
While his friends were shocked, Yi-Hanpressed a water orb tightly and added spin to it.
Since he had time, he could prepare a sufficiently destructive magic.
''It''s a shame to break such an artifact, but...''
If he took it lightly, thinking it was a waste, and a problem arose after taking it out, it would be a huge headache.
Wasn''t itmon to defeat all the enemies and then take the evil artifact, only for things to go wrong?
Yi-Han was not foolish enough to leave behind potential trouble.
"Everyone, step back."
"Okay, okay."
Craaack!
The crystal skull shattered with a single blow. The evil being inhabiting it screamed and was reverse summoned to another realm.
Raphael was deeply impressed by Yi-Han''s decision to destroy the evil artifact without a second thought.
"Wardanaz... Excellent."
"Wait. You... What happened to your hand?"
Yi-Han looked at Raphael in horror. The tightly wrapped bandages were covered in blood, and the exposed flesh had turned ck and died.
Dolgyu answered on his behalf from the side.
"It''s like a medal."
"A medal?"
"Yeah. Yi-Han. While you were fighting that bastard, it''s a medal showing that we did our best."
At Dolgyu''s words, the other two friends nodded.
Of course, Dolgyu''s anger from before had left a slight scar on their hearts, but bringing it up now seemed too petty.
"No. Dolgyu. Stop talking nonsense. I asked what happened to your hand."
"Uh... That artifact..."
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Chapter 315
Chapter 315
Yi-Han nodded his head in understanding after hearing the exnation.
"The repulsive force of the negative mana absorbed the vitality from the hand... Why did you swing it so recklessly?"
"We couldn''t help it. We were so focused on the thought that we had to break it," Dolgyu said.
The other two friends nodded their heads, unable to do anything else.
There was much to say, but now was not the mood for it.
"Still, it''s fortunate that it''s not a major injury. Let''s just treat what can be treated."
Yi-Han cast the magic on Ango''s hand.
Then he hesitated.
''Oops.''
Come to think of it, it wouldn''t be good for Yi-Han to use it arbitrarily when there was no trustworthy professor around.
If the healing magic failed, it could result in a more miserable state than if it had not been attempted at all.
"Thank you, Wardanaz."
Not knowing Yi-Han''s inner thoughts, Ango thanked him as the torn wound healed. Yi-Han slightly averted his gaze.
"Raphael, you... um... do you really need to use healing magic?"
"..."
Although Raphael didn''t say it out loud due to his pride, he made the same expression as Gainando when he lost in a card game.
A look of sudden resentment and sorrow!
Yi-Han inwardly sighed.
"Don''t regret it."
"????"
When the magic ended, Raphael tilted his head as he looked at his cleanly healed hand.
What was there to not regret?
"Dolgyu."
"I''m fine, Yi-Han. Stop using magic, it must be tiring for you."
"No. It''s not about the magic..."
Yi-Han whispered softly so only Dolgyu could hear.
"...It''s iplete."
"What did you say?"
"I said the magic is iplete. I was also distracted and realized it btedly."
"..."
Dolgyu looked at Yi-Han with a shocked expression, then nced at his friends'' hands.
If they had been unlucky, wouldn''t the skin on their hands have stuck to the bandages?
"So just endure it for a bit and treat it with a potion."
"...No... Our friends did it, so I alone..."
"Those guys were lucky and healed, so it doesn''t matter. Just treat it safely with a potion."
"What are you two talking about?"
Raphael asked, puzzled.
He wondered if there was some remaining evil in this cave.
"It''s nothing. Ah, right. Raphael. I almost forgot, but thanks for reminding me."
"What is it?"
Smack!
"Who said you could run out on your own?"
"Ack... That... Ugh..."
¡ª
Gubon, who had been waiting where the mes had swept through, sighed in relief when Yi-Han returned with his friends.
It seemed to have ended well.
"You''ve worked hard! It''s truly fortunate."
"We all worked hard together, didn''t we?"
At Yi-Han''s words, Gubon and Bijidek couldn''t help but be moved.
What adventurer''s heart wouldn''t race after receiving respect from a mage who had shown such incredible magic?
The mercenaries must have felt that excitement too, as they came over to express their gratitude.
"Thank you, Mage!"
"We survived thanks to you!! If we had followed that bastard Buldahak, we would have been dead!"
"I really thought I was going to die..."
The attacks of the lump of flesh ghouls and the ghoul army, the descent of the King of Ghouls, the raging mes that seemed to burn everything inside the cave¡
If it had been any other mission, even one of those would have been life-threatening, but they had experienced them all at once.
It couldn''t help but feel like a miracle to have made it out alive.
"Thank you, Mage!"
"We sincerely thank you. Please ept our gratitude!"
Gubon and Bijidek were newly surprised by the heartfelt loyalty of the mercenaries they had only met recently.
Of course, it wasn''t that they didn''t understand. Even Gubon and Bijidek felt a sense of loyalty towards that young mage.
But to think that even those greedy mercenaries, who were practically criminals, would be moved.
Perhaps this was true magic.
"Yes. Thank you. I will also express my respect and ept it. Could you lend me your hand for a moment?"
At Yi-Han''s words, a nearby mercenary quickly held out his hand.
He was ready to carry out any errand withoutint.
nk!
"...???"
The mercenary blinked as bone restraints were locked onto his wrists like handcuffs. Yi-Han summoned more and locked them around his ankles, and summoned a bony hand around his neck.
During the battle earlier, he had unsummoned them all due to the situation, but now that it was over, it was time to put them back on.
"There. Next."
"Uh... No... Mage..."
"Quiet. Next."
Yi-Han tightly bound the mercenaries and formed a formation like when they hade.
Gubon cautiously asked.
"Did the mercenaries do something unpleasant?"
"Pardon?"
"If not, why are you suddenly..."
"Ah. We need to take them and collect the bounty."
"..."
Gubon was at a loss for words.
Aside from someone like Buldahak, the rest of the mercenaries here were essentially petty criminals.
They would probably only receive a few coins, yet he was going to such lengths to capture them thoroughly just to collect that.
What in the world...!
''Is he really an adventurer? Have I been toox and careless in my work until now?''
Gubon suddenly felt remorseful at the madness-driven thoroughness shown by an adventurer on his first mission.
"Outside!!"
Although they were tied up and dragged out, the mercenaries rejoiced and took deep breaths of the outside air.
No matter how much light there was, the damp and eerie air inside the cave had made them weary.
Yi-Han also stretched and said to Gubon.
"Could you please watch over these mercenaries for a moment?"
"Pardon? That''s not difficult, but is something..."
Gubon was worried about Yi-Han.
No matter how great a mage he was, there was no way he could be unscathed after such an intense battle.
His outer robe was already in a mess, making him even more concerned.
Could it be that he was heading to a secluded ce without people due to the side effects of evil magic?
"Ah. I''m going to capture some Rape squirrels."
"...I... I see."
Yi-Han took Sharakan and headed towards the forest.
Gubon nkly watched his retreating figure, and Bijidek spoke with a startled voice.
"Wait. I told you! That mage is from the Wardanaz family! That famous mage family!"
"What did you... No. Wait. Wait, what did you say???"
He had missed it earlier due to the chaos, but what Bijidek had just said was more surprising than the King of Ghouls appearing inside the cave.
Who was from where??
¡ª
nche, the elf receptionist at the Adventurers'' Guild in Granden City, was first surprised by the sight of the mercenaries walking in line with sorrowful expressions.
And she was secondly surprised by the sight of the Einroguard students reporting with very tired faces.
"What... What did you say?"
"There was an evil being from another realm in the cave at Burnt Hill. It called itself the King of Ghouls and seemed to be a being that had been sealed quite some time ago."
nche quickly wrote it down and immediately opened a drawer to take out an urgent contact paper bird.
The paper birds that flew out through the guild window quickly soared away. They carried the contents that would make the imperial officials working in Granden City rush over in a hurry.
"I''m truly sorry. A subjugation team will be formed and head there right away."
nche spoke with sincerity.
They had failed to identify such a dangerous being and sent Einroguard students on their first mission there.
Even if it wasn''t intentional, they couldn''t be free from responsibility.
If an ident had urred, how much would Einroguard have protested?
It was a great relief that they had escaped safely like this.
''It might be fortunate that they were Einroguard students.''
The clever Einroguard students had sensed the presence of that evil being and escaped. Otherwise, they might have been annihted along with their clumsy mistakes.
"You mean the subjugation team?"
"Yes. An evil being that has crossed over from another realm can never be left alone, no matter how weak it may seem."
"Ah... About that. We exterminated it ourselves."
"Pardon?"
"For now, we exterminated it ourselves. We had no choice due to the urgent situation..."
"What do you..."
Bang!
Daihal, the eldest son of the Dargard family whom Yi-Han had seen before, burst through the door.
Then, trying his best to suppress his excitement and worry, he spoke.
"I am Daihal, a special administrative officer from the Dargard family. I rushed here after hearing the news that a being from another realm had been discovered. Could you exin it urately once more... Wait, what are you doing here?"
Daihal was startled to see Yi-Han.
The friend of his younger brother, who was from the Wardanaz family, was sitting with adventurers.
"I discovered it."
"Is that so? It''s a misfortune turned into a blessing that an expert discovered it."
Daihal sat in front of Yi-Han. Then, he calmly took out a quill.
"What did the opponent call itself?"
"It called itself the King of Ghouls."
"The King of Ghouls... About three beings with that titlee to mind, but I haven''t heard any information that all three of them are currently active."
"That''s possible. The one I encountered seemed to be a very ancient being. It wouldn''t be strange if the Empire had no information on it."
"Indeed."
As Daihal conversed with Yi-Han, he regained hisposure.
Unlike other adventurers who ramble on, his younger sibling''s friend from the Wardanaz family was truly afortable counterpart to converse with.
An adventurer who exins the situation in detail, following the 5W1H principle without omitting anything.
''It''s certain that Asan has made a really good friend in Einroguard.''
Daihal resolved that once he returned to the mansion, he would grab Asan and advise him to take his friend as a role model.
Asan would surely appreciate such meaningful advice.
"Are you saying there was an attempt at possession? Oh dear..."
"Yes. And he kept summoning ghouls consistently."
"We must assemble a punitive force as soon as possible..."
"Excuse me, Mr. Special Administrator?"
Clerk nche tried to interject.
It seemed to her that Special Administrator Daihal was missing something important.
"Could you please wait a moment? We''re in a hurry right now, so I''ll gather the information as quickly as possible and then give you a chance to speak."
"That''s..."
"I''m sorry."
"No, it''s..."
"So, what abilities did this self-proimed ''King of Ghouls'' exhibit?"
"Dispersing its form, emitting dark energy, and possibly connecting to another realm, though I''m not certain about thest part."
"That''s sufficient. We''ll send a specialized expert right away..."
Bang!
"They''ve already dealt with it!!!"
Unable to hold back, nche kicked her chair away and shouted.
Daihal, taken aback, asked, "What are you talking about?"
"They''ve dealt with it, I tell you! They''ve taken care of it!"
"What on earth..."
"We did handle it."
Yi-Han pulled out a shattered crystal skull.
The chilling aura emanating from it made nche and Daihal instinctively realize that some entity had been inhabiting this crystal skull.
"It was a being sealed in ancient times, but it seems to have escaped through a crack in the seal."
"So... you''ve really taken care of it?"
"Yes."
"..."
Daihal was at a loss for words.
The tip of the quill that had been writing eloquently stopped.
Bang!
The guild door opened forcefully again, and a knight belonging to the Granden City Knights entered.
"Sir Daihal! I have summoned the avable knights upon hearing the news. I have also contacted the temples, so the priests will join us. We will depart immediately, so I will receive the information on the way."
"Ah, no. It has been exterminated."
"Pardon?"
"It has been exterminated...?"
The knight saw Special Administrative Officer Daihal losing confidence and hesitating for the first time.
It was a truly shocking sight.
And the shocking sights didn''t end there.
"Wait. You guys..."
The knight noticed familiar faces among the adventurers sitting in front of Daihal.
They were young students from other knight families.
"...Why are you wearing something like that around your necks?"
They had signs hanging around their necks that read, "I will never disobey orders again."
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Chapter 316
Chapter 316
Chapter 316
The young students from knight families lowered their heads with embarrassed expressions.
"Why... Ah. That''s not what''s important right now. An extermination, how did this happen?"
Bang!
The lower part of the adventurer''s guild door, which had been kicked too many times today, broke.
The priests who had hurriedly entered apologized in surprise.
"We''re sorry! We were in such a rush to enter... Everything is ready, so we can depart immediately. The extermination..."
"Wait. Let''s all calm down and share information with each other."
Daihal spoke coldly.
It seemed like he needed to sort out this situation.
¡ª
"...So while Mr. Wardanaz was holding down the King of Ghouls, the other students here broke the artifact he was possessing."
Although it was hard to believe, the people gathered at the scene managed to piece together what had happened.
Dolgyu said, "Actually, before we broke it, Yi-Han had already killed the King of Ghouls and returned..."
"Did you say he killed it and returned?"
As the quill danced madly on the paper, Yi-Han stepped on Dolgyu''s foot once and said, "It was an avatar. An avatar. I didn''t kill it, just temporarily incapacitated it."
Ango asked as if he didn''t understand.
"Isn''t that the same as killing it?"
"..."
Yi-Han was about to hit Ango with his staff but stopped.
How much did he sleep during the lectures at Einroguard to say such a thing?
A knight from the Granden City Knights asked with a slightly embarrassed expression.
"Isn''t that the same as killing it?"
"...No, it''s not."
The priest next to him whispered and exined on his behalf.
"In a situation where the main body is in an artifact and an avatar is sent out, it''s not usually called killing it."
"Aha... But isn''t that the same thing?"
"Mages are usually a bit sensitive about terminology. Please be considerate."
Yi-Han felt a headacheing on that he hadn''t felt even after exterminating the King of Ghouls.
It was like there was a wall between them in the conversation.
Common sense being used in such a way¡
"So after Mr. Wardanaz repelled the avatar of the ghoul, the students here destroyed the artifact..."
"Actually, it was Wardanaz who destroyed the artifact too..."
nche, the guild clerk who was listening next to them, asked absentmindedly.
"Then what did you do?"
"..."
"...I''m sorry."
"Ah, no! I wasn''t ming you! There''s no way I would me mere 1st-year students!"
Yi-Han rubbed his brow with a tired expression and said, "If my friends hadn''t found the artifact and broken all the obstacles, I wouldn''t have been able to destroy it."
"That... That''s right! We did that!"
Ango seemed to have regained some confidence. The knight from the order asked Ango in a way only he could hear.
"But why are you wearing such a sign?"
"We... well... ran on our own..."
"When?"
"When fighting the King of Ghouls...?"
"When that friend from the Wardanaz family was fighting?"
"Yes..."
The knight looked at Ango with the most contemptuous gaze, as if looking at the filthiest thing in the world.
They abandoned their friend who was fighting and ran on their own?
"Ah, no! There''s a reason!"
"Don''t talk to me. You reek of something foul."
"I''m telling you there''s a reason...!"
Daihal finished organizing and said, "You''ve really worked hard. Instead of sending an extermination team, we''ll send someone first to check the situation in the cave. For now, it seems you should get some rest..."
Daihal signaled to the people gathered.
It meant not to bother the already exhausted 1st-year students any further, send them off, and handle the work with the remaining people.
"Let''s do that."
"That seems to be the right thing."
At the scene, Yi-Han suddenly remembered something and spoke to the clerk.
"Ah. I have something to tell you."
"If there''s anything..."
Yi-Han carefully put down his backpack and took out what was inside with delicate hand movements.
nche and the others tensed up, wondering if it might be another fragment of an evil being.
"These are geranium flowers, snow grass, and sleepy mugwort. I collected them while keeping the roots and leaves intact, so please check them. And these are Rape squirrels."
"...Ah... yes..."
nche recorded it on the document while feeling confused inside.
''What in the world...?''
¡ª
After Yi-Han and his friends left to rest, the remaining people organized a team and made ns to check the situation in the cave.
"Just in case, we''ll also send a request for support to Einroguard."
"We sent a request for supportst time during the gue incident, will it be okay? Einroguard might be a bit reluctant..."
"No. Above all, it''s a matter involving Einroguard students, and they even directly resolved it, so there''s no way they would dislike it. The mages of Einroguard are not such people."
Daihal calmly spouted words that would make the professors of Einroguard grab him by the cor if they heard.
Meanwhile, nche organized the testimonies of the other adventurers and mercenaries.
In fact,pared to Yi-Han''s cold and specific testimony, their testimonies were quite messy.
Especially the testimonies of the mercenaries who had attacked first and were caught were even more so.
"So Buldahak threatened to kill you if you didn''t follow him?"
"Yes. Sob sob."
"All these people were threatened by a single person?"
"Sob. To that extent, Buldahak..."
"If you keep talking nonsense, I''ll call an interrogator, not me, to interrogate you."
"So... sorry."
nche, who had organized the mercenaries'' testimonies, looked at Gubon and Bijidek with slightly expectant eyes.
Why would the guild rmend the two of them?
It was because they were seasoned veterans.
Of course, they would give a calm and collected report¡
"He tied up the mercenaries with bone handcuffs and took them inside. Ah. And summoned bone hands too."
"When the evil spirit appeared, he fired lightning magic in session, but when it dodged, he immediately switched to mes..."
"With a single staff, that wide cave waspletely aze!"
"The evil spirit tried to suppress the mes in a frenzy, but he swung the staff again and..."
"Wait. Wait."
nche realized something was strange and restrained the adventurers.
"No matter how I think about it, isn''t the amount of magic casting too much? How many potions did he use in the middle?"
"...I don''t think he used any...?"
"What do you mean... No matter how I think about it, it''s too wasteful. If he didn''t use potions, it''s even more so..."
"That, wasn''t the mage always like this? He even lit a fire for us during camping and summoned water..."
"When we entered the cave, he even provided light..."
"He did what???"
nche dropped the quill in disbelief.
What kind of odd jobs were these adventurers making the mage do??
¡ª
Yi-Han woke up from his bed with a groan, still feeling sore despite resting the entire weekend. Considering the intense struggle he had with the King of Ghouls, it was fortunate that he only felt this much pain.
As he thought about his friends from the White Tiger Tower, Yi-Han hoped, ''Except for Dolgyu, I wish the rest of them suffer more from muscle pain.'' They had used several enhancement spells, so they must be lying in bed groaning by now.
"Wouldn''t it be better for you to rest more?" Sir Arlong asked, rushing over as soon as he heard that Yi-Han was awake. He couldn''t help but worry after learning that Yi-Han had fought against an evil being in the cave.
"It''s fine, Sir Knight. I don''t have any issues moving around," Yi-Han reassured him.
"Still..."
"More importantly, how did the cave matter turn out?"
"They say the investigation isplete. The search revealed no traces of any evil magic, so it must have beenpletely reverse-summoned. The mages from Einroguard also joined in support, so it''s certain."
"The mages from Einroguard also joined in support?"
"Yes. It''s a magic-rted matter, isn''t it? Moreover, students were involved too. Of course they had to participate."
"..." Yi-Han tilted his head. ''I don''t think the professors would think that way though.''
"It''s truly... fortunate," Sir Arlong said in a worried voice. "From what I heard, the opponent was not an easy foe. It''s a great blessing that you were able to win without getting injured like this."
"I was lucky. The other friends helped out too." Yi-Han mentioned his White Tiger Tower friends out of courtesy.
"The Adventurers'' Guild sent gifts as an apology and to express their gratitude."
"...Come to think of it, I think my role was a bit more significant. I wonder if the Adventurers'' Guild properly recognizes that?"
"Pardon? Of course they would recognize it." Sir Arlong didn''t understand why Yi-Han said that. Yi-Han regretted it.
''Damn it. I should have exaggerated my contribution more.''
Now that he thought about it, the Adventurers'' Guild was also a ce where people lived. Wouldn''t they give something extra if a job was done much more splendidly than the given request?
If he had known, he should have downyed his White Tiger Tower friends a bit more.
"I should go and check."
"Do you have any appointments today?"
"Ah, it''s the day to go to the Maykin family''s alchemy workshop."
"Not only do you cherish your friendship, but you also don''t neglect your studies. I''m just delighted."
"...Uh... Yes... That''s right. Me." Yi-Han felt a bit embarrassed. He was going because they were giving a lot of silver coins...
¡ª
''It''s heavy.'' Yi-Han was satisfied after checking the silver coins he received forpleting the request before going out.
It was a prejudice that adventurers had to live an extravagant life, earning big and spending big. Soon, a new era of adventurers who earn big and consume efficiently woulde.
''I''ll have to take the White Tiger Tower guys out again once they recover.''
After stacking the silver coins neatly and putting them in the safe, Yi-Han reached out to another box.
The small box made of antique brown wood evoked anticipation just by looking at it. It was a gift from the Adventurers'' Guild.
''Gold coins, gold statues, gold ques, anything made of gold would be pleasing.''
Click!
Inside the box was a ring and a simple manual.
To Yi-Han Wardanaz, who perfectlypleted missions from the valuable to the trivial for the sake of his own honor, we present this ring of with our sincere gratitude.
"Oh..." Yi-Han put on the ring. Then, he cast the magic as written in the manual.
"Ring, summon the lightning."
One of the three gems embedded in the ring lost its color. The manual said it could be used three times a day, and it seemed one of those times had been consumed.
A streak of lightning flew out the window. It was a very useful artifact that could conveniently shoot lightning without any mana consumption, but...
"..."
''It''s a magic I already know.''
Yi-Han was disappointed that it was not much different from what he had done. Rather, it was more inconvenient because the inscribed magic couldn''t be finely controlled.
''What kind of... No.'' Yi-Han, who was about toin, changed his mind.
Come to think of it, lightning-type magic was quite difficult to handle even among elemental magic, and it was inscribed on a ring. This ring would be quite valuable.
''I should sell it.''
Other students might have said, ''Why are you selling such a useful artifact?!'' but Yi-Han was different. There was no need when he already knew how to use the magic and had plenty of mana...
''Ah, right.'' Yi-Han rummaged through the luggage he brought from the academy. Something suddenly came to mind.
''Where was it... Here it is.''
From the dusty luggage, a helmet appeared. It was the sentient artifact, the Helmet of Wisdom, that he had discovered in Einroguard''s underground dungeon.
¡°...You finally called for me¡¡±
The Helmet of Wisdom seemed somehow very angry.
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Chapter 317
Chapter 317
"Could it be that you''re angry?"
¡°How could that be... I am the Helmet of Wisdom. My only purpose is to provide wise answers to the seeker, not such personal¡¡±
''It seems angry.''
Yi-Han thought to himself.
It was rare for someone who spoke in such a long-winded manner to not be angry.
Of course, the Helmet of Wisdom was an artifact, but there was no rule saying it couldn''t hold a grudge.
"Hmm. Helmet of Wisdom... An artifact like you, with self-awareness and the ability to answer questions once a month, must be very rare, right?"
¡°You could say that.¡±
The Helmet of Wisdom answered with delight.
It thought that this young student had finally realized its value.
The purpose of the Helmet of Wisdom was to explore and umte all the knowledge in the world.
For that purpose, it didn''t matter how much danger its owner faced.
In order to pursue its purpose, the helmet''s owner should keep asking questions while relying on the helmet, but...
This impudent student had thrown it into a pile of luggage and only picked it up after a long time.
Still, it seemed he had realized its value now, so it could forgive him.
"Thank you."
¡°Wait... Why aren''t you asking a question? Since you can ask once a month, it would be best to ask as many as possible, right?¡±
"No. It''s troublesome when selling."
¡°Wha...!¡±
Yi-Han carefully packaged the helmet and put it in a wooden box.
He was overjoyed at the thought of exchanging it for silver coins along with the ring.
¡ª
Yonaire sighed as she saw Yi-Han walking from afar.
She felt helpless that she couldn''t stop her friend from walking into the valley of darkness.
"I really told you, right? You can''t me meter, okay?"
Yonaire said worriedly several times.
Yoanen Maykin''s alchemy workshop, located in the western guild district of Granden City.
It was a notorious hell of an alchemy workshop that every alchemist who knew someone knew about.
A ce where not a single mistake or a single second of waste was allowed.
Yonaire had avoided going to this workshop since she was young, after being scared and crying while holding onto her sister''s clothes when she went to y.
"Yonaire. I told you, right? I''ll have nothing to say to youter except thank you."
"...Yi-Han. I like silver coins too, but... life may not be all about silver coins, you know."
Yonaire never imagined such absurd and embarrassing words woulde out of her mouth.
"Silver coins aren''t everything. I know that too. But it''s convenient to have silver coins, isn''t it?"
"That''s true."
Yonaire and Yi-Han''s personalities were too simr to deny what he said. While Yonaire absentmindedly agreed, Yi-Han opened the door of the workshop and went inside.
"Wai..."
St!
As soon as he entered, what Yi-Han saw was an alchemist pouring a potion on another alchemist''s face.
"You made trash. Get out. I don''t need someone like you."
"Wha... What! Do you know where I''ve worked to say such things?! At the Green Pine Guild and ssen Workshop...!!"
"I don''t care where you''ve worked. I only look at your current skills. And you wasted more of my time with useless words."
Before the words were finished, a golem appeared. The golem grabbed the alchemist''s arms and threw him out the door of the workshop.
The alchemist who gave the order didn''t even say, ''Get back to work.''
The alchemists in the workshop were focused on their own work without even ncing at them.
"Is this Einroguard?"
"That''s why I told you..."
Yonaire said in a weakened voice.
She was worried about losing a friend after the break ended.
¡ª
Yoanen greeted the two, fixing her amethyst sses with her gloved hand.
"Nice to see you. I was waiting, but you came earlier than the promised time?"
"Thinking about working in this renowned workshop in the city made my heart race, and I couldn''t wait."
"..."
Yonaire looked at Yi-Han with a gloomy expression.
She knew her friend was good at ttery, but this was really...
Yoanen''s eyes softened behind her amethyst sses at the appropriate ttery.
"To already have this mindset while still being a junior... There''s a reason for the rumors."
"Thank you. Wait. What rumors are you talking about?"
"I heard you overwhelmingly won against a mage from Baldurguard?"
"There''s some misunderstanding about that rumor..."
"You subdued a basilisk at the imperial prince''s residence."
"That''s true, but there''s also..."
"I heard you went and exterminated an evil being from another realm a few days ago."
''Is there something like a professors'' bulletin board in this city too?''
Yi-Han shuddered at the fearsome social circles of Granden City that shared information as quickly as the professors at Einroguard.
Of course, it wasn''t bad for his reputation to spread.
However, a reputation that didn''t match his level would only be poison.
What if they misunderstood him as ''someone who has a hobby of reverse-summoning evil beings from other realms or catching basilisks''?
Yi-Han had already had such an experience once at Einroguard. He didn''t want it a second time.
"I don''t think he exterminated a being from another realm. It must have spread incorrectly."
Yonaire took Yi-Han''s side, looking puzzled. Yi-Han said bitterly, "Actually, I did."
"...When?!"
"With those guys from the White Tiger Tower, after registering as adventurers. Those guys attacked unnecessarily..."
"..."
Yonaire gave up on defending her friend.
At this point, it seemed like it wasn''t Yi-Han''s misfortune but his own doing.
"You don''t have to worry too much. The tasks you''ll do in the workshop aren''t such dangerous things."
"Really?"
Yonaire asked in a worried voice.
She already felt like she was 30 minutes away from losing a friend.
"Of course. Think about it, Yonaire. The alchemists working in this workshop have at least ten years or more of experience and are outstanding alchemists. No matter how talented, they can''t immediately put a 1st-year student to work."
"Is that so?"
Yonaire was slightly convinced by her sister''s persuasion.
Indeed, no matter how talented Yi-Han was, he hadn''t learned all theplex secrets of alchemy yet.
Yi-Han, who was listening next to them, whispered to Yonaire.
"Hmm. Yonaire. I don''t really want to say this, but you can fully exploit someone even if their level doesn''t match."
Just like Professor Beavle Verduus, even if Yi-Han''s magic level wasn''t satisfactory yet, he had one outstanding advantage.
An immeasurable amount of mana.
"So..."
"Ah, right. Yonaire. Could you deliver this letter to Mrs. ? Mrs. will be really happy to see you after a long time too."
Yoanen interrupted their conversation and handed Yonaire a letter.
Yonaire, who received the letter, looked at Yi-Han with a mixture of anxiety and worry. It was as if she was afraid her friend would die if she took her eyes off him.
"Go ande back. I''ll be fine."
"...Be really careful. Yi-Han. Remember what I said earlier."
After Yonaire closed the door and left, Yoanen asked curiously, "May I ask what my sister said earlier?"
"She said life may not be all about silver coins."
"There''s no way she would say that, right?"
Yi-Han was slightly taken aback by her firm trust in her sister.
"Well. Anyway... Now that my sister is gone, shall we start working?"
"Yes."
"Let''s go."
Yoanen got up from her seat and started walking down the corridor of the workshop.
Theplex fragrances pouring out from all over made it clear that this was an alchemist''s workshop.
"Do you know where this is?"
"Is it Maykin''s workshop?"
"You guessed well."
Yoanen waved her staff and summoned ingredients from the cupboard.
The water in the cauldron rose, and the medicinal herbs were ground above it. As the mes of the cauldron were drawn, heat rose.
"The potion I''m trying to make now is . Do you know about it?"
"I only know what kind of potion it is."
Professor Uregor was a mischievous person, but he wasn''t someone who threatened to make an impossible potion right now like a certain crazy vampire professor.
In that sense, was a high-difficulty potion that Yi-Han couldn''t make at his current level.
It required several magics that Yi-Han couldn''t use yet, and the ingredients and methods used were much moreplex...
"Even knowing about it is amazing. Today, what Mr. Wardanaz will do is prepare the main ingredient of this soul amplification potion, Draph, and put it in. In summary, you''ll be taking on the role of my assistant."
At first nce, it sounded quite simple, but Yi-Han never let his guard down.
Things in the world weren''t so easy that you could earn silver coins that easily.
"Is there anything I should be careful about when putting it in?"
At Yi-Han''s words, Yoanen''s eyes lit up.
As expected of Einroguard''s top student, he was quick to understand without needing an exnation.
"Prepare it ording to this picture, but do you know how to use the magic? You probably haven''t learned it yet."
"If you teach me, I''ll learn."
"Learn it within 30 minutes since we have a schedule today."
Yoanen slowly started to reveal her madness.
If Yonaire had been next to her, she would have stopped her, saying, ''Pleasee to your senses, sister, he''s my friend.''
What kind of mage would ask to learn a magic they''ve never seen within 30 minutes?
"I understand."
However, Yi-Han wasn''t surprised or startled.
He had already experienced crazier people at Einroguard.
Yoanen briefly exined the staff movements, incantation, and the flow of mana.
"It''ll be easier if you think of it as an extension of the magic."
"I understand."
"Try it."
Yi-Han waved his staff. And seeded on the first try.
Yoanen was amazed.
She had expected it within 30 minutes, but to seed on the first try.
The anticipation that she had brought a really good talent rose.
"Excellent."
"Thank you."
"Then extract and amplify the liquidponents of Draph."
This was also simple, but it was absolutely not a simple task.
Draph, a nt in which the liquidponents were firmly fixed inside the roots, was not an easy task to extract from the beginning.
If you forcefully applied strength, the liquid would get mixed up messily beforeing out as the roots were destroyed.
To aplish this, not only excellent mana control but also an understanding and experience of the water element were needed.
Squish!
With a sound like squeezing a piece of cloth, the liquidponents were extracted from inside the Draph.
If there had been other alchemists in the workshop, they would have been shocked.
No matter how outstanding, for a 1st-year student to be at this level already.
However, Yoanen shook her head.
"There are impurities in theponents. You''ll have to do it again."
Yoanen''s full-fledged madness that Yonaire had been worried about.
A perfectionist personality that pointed out to do it again even if the other person achieved 99 out of 100.
If there had been other alchemists, they would have stopped her, saying, ''Madam Maykin, this is why you can''t find an assistant, please calm down,'' but unfortunately, there was no one else in this workshop right now.
"I understand."
Yi-Han extracted the liquid again. Yoanen said regretfully, "There''s some waste in the extraction. You''ll have to do it again."
"Yes."
"There was a problem with the amplification. There was a change in quality, so you''ll have to do it again."
"No problem."
Normally, if they were told to do it again for a trivial reason even after seeding in such a high-difficulty process, they would grit their teeth on the second try and run out the door on the third.
However, unfortunately, there was no sane person in this workshop right now.
"How about this?"
"It seems almost done. You''ll have to do it again..."
"Yes."
¡ª
Yonaire opened the door, panting.
"I''m back! Did anything happen?!"
"Not really."
"I told you the work was going well."
Yi-Han and Yoanen greeted Yonaire with a subtle smile that meant, ''Why are you making such a fuss?''
Yonaire found their smiles strangely eerie.
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Chapter 318
Chapter 318
''Is he really okay?''
Yonaire couldn''t understand.
Her sister, Yoanen''s specialty was to drive alchemists who were doing well enough to the point of mental breakdown.
What was even more absurd was that she had no malice towards them.
She was simply devoted to alchemy.
Yonaire had expected Yi-Han''s face to be distorted or filled with pain when she returned.
Even though he was the top student of his year who had shown the madness of taking all magic courses at Einroguard, he might not run away, but...
Still, wouldn''t it be difficult topletely endure Yoanen''s mad obsession?
However, Yi-Han''s expression was too calm. Like ake without a single breeze.
"Did you not start working by any chance?"
"Here. ."
Yoanen shook the potion in the sk, looking at it lovingly.
Yonaire had seen the potion a few times before, but she could feel that it was different from that potion.
''That deep color, is it the color of mana? If so...''
A friend called to work, his mana stronger than usual.
Yonaire couldn''t help but think of Yi-Han.
"Did you help with the work?"
"Yeah."
"Wasn''t it difficult?"
"I only took on the role of an assistant though."
"Wha... What??"
Yonaire was surprised by Yi-Han''s words.
Not just support work or other tasks, but taking on the role of Yoanen''s assistant.
Yonaire knew well what the role of Yoanen''s assistant meant. There was no way her sister would have stayed still.
"Are you okay...??"
"It was difficult. But most of the work was done by Madam Maykin here."
"You don''t need to be so humble. Thanks to you, a good potion was made."
Yoanen had a truly satisfied expression. Yonaire was honestly surprised by that rare sight.
She really didn''t make such an expression unless something extraordinary happened.
An expression that was hard toe by unless dozens of alchemists were reced...
"Are you really okay? No, just tell me what happened one by one."
"Don''t do it here, let''s talk while having lunch."
Yoanen gave her sister and her sister''s friend a break.
Yonaire was surprised again by her generous attitude.
"Is it okay to have lunch?! While working?"
"Don''t do that too much in front of the guest. They''ll misunderstand."
"...!!!!!!"
Yonaire blinked her eyes in frustration.
Who was the one who usually ignored meals and everything else and focused on work if the work wasn''t finished?
When the lead alchemist, Yoanen, didn''t have a meal, the assistant alchemist who took on the support work naturally couldn''t have a meal either.
There were many experienced alchemists in this workshop, but among them, no one wanted to take on the role of Yoanen''s assistant.
Usually, an unfortunate neer would take on the role and run away crying...
"...Forget it. Let''s have lunch. Yi-Han."
"I guess I''ll have to go to the mansion to eat ande back."
"Meals are provided here at the workshop. Don''t worry, they won''t charge the alchemists working."
Yi-Han, who was about to leave, stopped and nodded.
"This is a really good workshop."
"...How can you say that when you saw it when you came in earlier..."
¡ª
Pahuseok, an alchemist who had been working at the workshop for 8 years, didn''t pay much attention even when Yonaire from the Maykin family visited with a friend.
Whether it was Yonaire''s friend or the Emperor''s friend, whoever took on the role of Yoanen''s assistant and worked wouldn''tst long anyway.
Thest record was about 23 minutes, so they would probably make an excuse and leave in about 15 minutes.
That''s why Pahuseok couldn''t help but be surprised to see the red-haired girl and the ck-haired boy sitting at the table in front and having a meal.
''No way!?''
It seemed that Pahuseok wasn''t the only one surprised. Other alchemists were also whispering and looking at Yi-Han.
"What happened?"
An alchemist who was eating t bread dipped in bean soup mixed with spices said in a small voice.
"...It seems the new assistant survived."
"What did you say?!"
"Shh. Your voice is too loud."
"Ah, no... I''m sorry. I was just too surprised."
Pahuseok almost dropped the bowl of fried rice he was holding.
He endured the morning as Yoanen''s assistant.
Moreover, surprisingly, he came out to have lunch.
Didn''t that mean Yoanen allowed him to go have lunch?
"How in the world? Is it because he''s a friend of her sister?"
"You know Madam Maykin isn''t that kind of person."
"Indeed, she''s not that kind of person."
The workshop alchemists quickly understood.
Yoanen wasn''t someone who would go easy on her sister''s friend.
If she was someone who could be flexible and considerate like that, the dozens of people who had challenged for the assistant position wouldn''t have all been driven out.
"Could it be... Could it be... It''s really unlikely, but is there a possibility?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"That he passed as an assistant..."
"Does that even make sense?!"
The workshop alchemists firmly denied it.
There was no way Yoanen would easily pass someone as an assistant.
There must be another reason.
"But another reason... Moreover, as far as I know, that boy from the Wardanaz family won against a mage from Baldurguard this time and bas..."
"Whether he won against a mage or even defeated a basilisk, that''s not important."
"Huh? You knew about it too? News travels fast."
"What are you talking about? No. Anyway, that''s not what''s important. You know an alchemist''s ability ispletely separate. Anyway, there''s no worse habit than hastily judging as an alchemist. Let''s wait until we ask Madam Maykin directly. It probably wasn''t the role of an assistant."
"Is that so..."
Soon, when Yoanen came out, some of the alchemists quickly walked over and asked questions. Pahuseok was one of them.
"Madam Maykin. That person hasn''t left yet, did he do well in the role of an assistant?"
Even as they asked the question, the alchemists were expecting a different answer.
That he did other tasks in the morning, like inventory organization or tool inspection...
However, Yoanen shook the potion with satisfaction.
"...!!!"
"That''s... That''s impossible!"
"Does the blood of the Wardanaz family ovee even Madam Maykin''s madness?"
The alchemists tried to ept reality, but it wasn''t easy.
How could such a young student...?
"He''s really amazing... Is it because he''s from Einroguard?"
"You know it has nothing to do with Einroguard. The mage who ran awayst time was also from Einroguard."
"Ah, right. This isn''t the time for that."
One of the alchemists came to his senses and started putting various foods on a te.
On top of the fresh oysters mixed with seasoning, the alchemist poured a little of the vitality recovery potion he was going to drink.
Another alchemist took out smoked eel and sprinkled the powder of mental recovery he was going to eat instead of spices.
Pahuseok put a concentration potion in the pumpkin porridge. It was a potion he had been saving, but that student deserved to receive it.
Tak-
"??"
"Please eat this too."
"This too."
"This as well."
"...???"
Yi-Han, who was chatting with Yonaire, was surprised to see the alchemists adding food and leaving.
''Is this some kind of initiation ceremony to wee a neer?''
"What does this mean?"
"It means don''t copse and work for a long, long time."
Yonaire said with a sigh.
As the alchemists who worked as Yoanen''s assistants fell like autumn leaves, it was natural for the workshop alchemists to have such expectations.
Of course, from a friend''s perspective, the actions of those workshop alchemists were very unpleasant.
In short, they were telling him to eat potions and work for a long, long time.
At Yonaire''s exnation, Yi-Han said with a slightly touched expression, "This is really a good workshop."
"Yi-Han. I think your standards for what''s good are too low..."
¡ª
Even after the meal, Yi-Han did a great job.
No matter what task he was given, seeing Yi-Hanplete it in one go, Yoanen seemed reluctant to send him back to Einroguard.
"You''ve really worked hard."
"Not at all. I was able to learn a lot."
Yi-Han shook hands with Yoanen after finishing all the work.
It wasn''t that the work wasn''t tiring, but the pouch of silver coins Yoanen gave him made him forget such fatigue.
Wasn''t she a much better person, giving silver coins while making him work simrly to the professors at Einroguard?
"Sister. Let go."
"...When do you think you''lle next?"
"I said let go."
Yonaire whispered. Yoanen wasn''t letting go of the hand she was holding.
"I think it will be difficult to attend this week because I have many other appointments."
"What about next week?"
"I remember next week, Wednesday might be free."
"Then will youe and help on Wednesday?"
"I''ll try."
"In case you forget, should I send someone to the Wardanaz family?"
"No. I''ll remember."
Only after Yonaire stepped on her foot several times did Yoanen let go of his hand.
As Yoanen waved her hand and went into the workshop, Yi-Han muttered in a slightly worried voice, "Madam Yoanen has some aspects simr to Einroguard professors."
"Some? Some??"
"Ah, right. Yonaire."
Yi-Han took out the ring and helmet he had brought. Yonaire was interested in the unfamiliar artifacts.
"Why these?"
"To sell."
"...Huh?"
Yi-Han exined where he got these artifacts and why he wanted to sell them.
If there were other friends, they might have said, ''Still, we''re mages, isn''t it a bit much to sell such artifacts for money? Let''s disassemble and study them instead!''
But Yonaire immediately understood.
"Of course. If it''s like that."
"Right? I''m thinking of looking around the stores in the central district."
The central district of Granden City had stores that traded rare artifacts, as it was a district where the city''s nobles resided.
Yi-Han was nning to go around those stores and ask, ''How much they would offer?''
"Should I introduce you to a store I know?"
"I''d be grateful, but is it okay?"
"Yeah. After being treated like that by my sister, I should at least do this much for you."
"I wasn''t really mistreated..."
Yonaire ignored him and guided the way.
''Greenbel''s Opportunity? Is it a store of the Greenbel family?''
Yi-Han was intrigued by the name, having encountered someone with that family name during hisst visit to the Dargard family''s mansion.
Despite the sun slowly setting, bright light flowed out from the window.
By looking at the color or brightness of the mana light, one could guess the purity of the mana and whether they were using expensive or cheap artifacts.
''It''s definitely an expensive ce.''
"Wee."
A clerk with not a speck of dust on his clothes greeted the two politely, bowing so low that his forehead almost touched the ground.
It was a natural reaction, as the visiting customers were important customers.
There were a few customers who had arrived earlier inside, looking at artifacts while listening to the exnations of other clerks.
"So this bracelet raises luck, you''re saying?"
"That''s right. Sir."
"How much does it raise luck? Can I draw the card I want?"
"I''m not a mage, but as far as I know, luck can''t be quantified like that. Sir."
"Hmm... Don''t you have anything else? Something that can make me win more definitely... Like... Shuffling the cards the way I want... Or being able to see the cards the opponent is holding... Something like that..."
The clerk''s eyebrows rose slightly.
Although it was a store that sold artifacts, it didn''t sell all artifacts.
As a store with ss, it didn''t deal with artifacts for tant cheating.
The clerk''s expression now was close to ''As a nobleman, are you looking for an artifact to use for such trickery?''
"Ah, no. I''m not trying to use it when ying card games."
"Gainando?"
"?!"
Gainando turned his head, discovered the two friends, and was startled.
Then he quickly covered his face with his cloak.
"I''m not Gainando."
"..."
"..."
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Chapter 319
Chapter 319
Yi-Han walked over and pulled Gainando''s cloak instead of answering.
Gainando, whose hidden face was revealed, said with an embarrassed expression, "I, I wasn''t looking for it to use. I was just curious about the principle... That''s right! I need to know in advance so I won''t be fooledter!"
"I didn''t say anything."
"...Why are you here! You''re here to find an artifact that can help you win card games too, right?!"
Yi-Han and Yonaire were momentarily at a loss for words at Gainando''s absurd usation.
Sometimes, when you hear too much nonsense, you can''t react right away.
"Right?! I guessed it, didn''t I?"
"No."
"Stop talking nonsense."
"...No?"
Gainando was slightly discouraged.
He thought they had obviouslye to buy card game-rted artifacts...
"Gainando. If you want to win at card games, there''s another way."
"Huh? Really?"
Gainando''s eyes sparkled at Yi-Han''s words.
No matter what, Yi-Han was the top card game expert with the highest win rate in the Blue Dragon Tower.
"Change theposition of your deck a bit."
"No! They''re all cards I cherish!"
Even though he died every time in the early game because he only put high-cost cards in his deck without a single low-cost card, Gainando tried to believe in his cards until the end.
"Then there''s another way."
"What is it?"
"Don''t whine even if you lose and ept defeat with courage."
"..."
Gainando red fiercely at Yi-Han.
He didn''t mind being scolded for not being good at magic, but he couldn''t stand being scolded over card games.
"Yi-Han. Look at this."
Yonaire, who had been looking around ignoring their conversation, called Yi-Han.
"These sses. Don''t they look useful?"
"Are they alchemist''s sses? They definitely look good."
Alchemist''s sses
These sses, made by refining hoanstone from the Western Ikansel Mine, have a perfectly bnced design adjusted by the Empire''s top artifact craftsmen. Experience the effect of a powerfulponent analysis magic thatsts for 5 years.
''How much?''
Price - 100 Imperial gold coins
Yi-Han momentarily lost his bnce and staggered.
Yonaire was startled by his appearance. She thought the cruel mental attack from her sister had taken effect btedly.
"Are you okay?! Could it be because of my sister?!"
"The, the price... 100 gold coins."
"...You startled me."
"Yonaire. No matter how I think about it, isn''t this strange? How can this be 100 Imperial gold coins?"
Yi-Han couldn''t understand.
Of course, the alchemist''s sses were indeed useful.
Even people who couldn''t use magic could easily analyze theponents of various ingredients or reagents.
But to Yi-Han, who was a mage, it was an excessively expensive price. Moreover, it wasn''t even a permanent artifact, was it?
''If you gather the materials, cast magic, and work on it... The cost wouldn''t even be one gold coin.''
Such an artifact was more expensive than Yi-Han''s entire fortune.
''Am I wrong? Maybe I''m thinking wrongly.''
He had heard many times that artifacts were expensive, but if even such an artifact was this expensive...
Yi-Han''s dream of getting rich quick might not be a dream.
"This is expensive because of the design and decorations, not the magic. Yi-Han."
"Huh?"
"Look here."
Yonaire pointed below the sses.
The names of the craftsmen who participated in the creation of this artifact, their careers, and even the various gems used for decoration were exined in detail.
After seeing that exnation, Yi-Han checked the artifact again.
It was definitely a pair of sses that looked expensive even without magic.
"Why did they do this? They could have just put magic on copper sses."
"Well... Because the people who buy want this kind of thing..."
"Tsk."
Yi-Han bit his lip.
He resented the Empire''s trend of focusing only on appearance and splendor without seeing the true value of magic.
Then, even if Yi-Han worked hard to make them, he wouldn''t be able to sell them at such a high price, would he?
"I get it. Let''s stop analyzing and look at something else."
"Argh! Why is it so expensive?!"
"?"
"?"
Yonaire and Yi-Han were slightly taken aback by Gainando''s exmation.
Gainando wasn''t the kind of friend who usually made such a sound.
He was a friend with a never-drying allowance pouch...?
"You didn''t say that usually. What''s wrong?"
"Ah. That''s."
Gainando said in a slightly discouraged voice.
After the bloody battle with the basilisk at the mansion...
"It wasn''t a bloody battle. It self-destructed."
Yi-Han pointed out coldly.
If he said it like that, others might misunderstand.
"Isn''t that enough to be called a bloody battle..."
"No, it''s not."
"Anyway, after that, I received a lot of praise from my mother. She also praised my friends a lot."
"So?"
"I got excited... I told her about earning silver coins by working together with my friends. Then she praised me even more..."
Yi-Han had a slightly bad feeling.
"Could it be what I''m thinking?"
"...So I said I don''t need an allowance anymore, that I''ll handle it with my own ability..."
Yi-Han and Yonairemented at the same time.
What a foolish thing to do!
Of course, they understood getting excited after being praised, but kicking his own allowance pouch.
It was a very stupid thing to do.
Doing such a thing just for pride...
"But I did well, right?"
Gainando looked at his friends as if trying to mentally win.
His eyes seemed to say this.
-Praise me!-
However, Yi-Han answered seriously, "Gainando. Go back and say you thought wrong. Say that an appropriate allowance seems necessary."
"That''s right. You can''t endure it."
"Why not?!"
Gainando was choked up by the cruel answers of his two friends, whom he thought would cheer him on.
"Well... You don''t really like working, do you?"
"No? No?? I''ll work a lot too?"
Yi-Han and Yonaire looked at each other.
-No matter how I think about it, he''ll probably regret it.-
-Right. But it''s none of our business.-
-...Aren''t we being too harsh on Gainando?-
-He needs to experience it toe to his senses.-
"Yi-Han. I want to work together too."
"You''ll regret it."
At Yi-Han''s words, Gainando tapped his chest.
"I''m also an Einroguard student. A proper mage."
Seeing that, Yonaire thought to herself, ''You''re like that because you''re from the Blue Dragon Tower...''
Listening to the stories of students from other towers, it was literally a series of desperate survival every day.
If it weren''t for Yi-Han, who was in the same tower and took care of his meals, Gainando would havee out half-dead.
"Alright. If I get a job offer, I''ll call you too."
"Really? Thank you!"
"It would be better to say thanks after finishing all the work... Anyway. I need to sell this."
Yi-Han called the clerk. Then he took out the artifacts he had brought.
The clerk quickly recognized the value of the artifacts Yi-Han had brought.
"A ring with the magic of !"
"That''s right."
"It''s a well-made artifact. Do you have the manual from the mage who created it?"
"Here."
Yi-Han handed over the manual he received from the guild.
Seeing that, the clerk was surprised.
"...Could it be a gift offered by the Adventurers'' Guild as a token of gratitude?"
"Is there a problem with that?"
"Are you perhaps Mr. Wardanaz who exterminated the evil being this time?"
"..."
Yi-Han was about to sigh deeply but held back.
No matter how he thought about it, there must be a Granden City information sharing bulletin board.
"That''s right. Is there any discount?"
"Your sense of humor is also amazing. I heard from my friend who works at the Adventurers'' Guild. I knew that the students from Einroguard were outstanding mages, but it''s rare to see someone so active from the 1st year."
"I was lucky."
It wasn''t a joke, but the fortunate thing was that there was no Granden City information sharing bulletin board.
"Anyway, there''s no problem... But I wonder what was wrong with the gift offered by the Adventurers'' Guild..."
The clerk asked cautiously.
If there was a problem with the gift offered by the Adventurers'' Guild, it wasn''t just one person''s problem.
It became a problem for several people, from the artifact craftsman who created it to the person in charge on the Adventurers'' Guild side who trusted that artifact craftsman and entrusted the request.
"There was no problem. It''s just an artifact that I don''t need."
"!"
The clerk was surprised by Yi-Han''s words.
Saying that an artifact was not needed didn''t simply mean knowing how to use that magic.
A mage casting magic required more concentration and time than one might think.
An artifact thatpensated for that being unnecessary meant that the casting speed of the magic was on par with the activation speed of the artifact.
''Indeed... Befitting someone who subdued the Mage of Baldurguard and defeated a basilisk.''
The clerk nodded, thinking something that would make Yi-Han grab the back of his neck if he heard it.
"The guild made a mistake."
"No. The thought behind a gift is what''s important. Actually, I would have been satisfied even if they gave me gold coins."
The clerk couldn''t hold back and burst intoughter. Then he made an embarrassed expression and recovered.
"Your sense of humor is truly amazing."
"..."
"Anyway, please wait a moment. I''ll go appraise it ande back. Is this the only artifact you''re entrusting?"
"Ah. Please take this helmet too."
The clerk nodded and headed to the back of the store.
An hourter.
The clerk returned with the two artifacts. Gainando slightly overturned the card game he was about to lose.
"This ring with the magic of is worth about ten gold coins."
In a remote town''s antique or misceneous goods store, there might be clumsy negotiations, but in this noble-specialized artifact store in the central district of a big city, there was no such thing.
If they did that, they would immediately hear from the nobles, ''Are you ignoring my honor now?''
''Not bad.''
Yi-Han was very satisfied.
Ten gold coins.
To earn that much, he would have had to work at the Maykin family''s workshop several times and take dozens of missions.
It was a gift that conveyed the sincerity of the Adventurers'' Guild.
"Please exchange it right away."
"Yes. And this helmet is..."
Yi-Han was slightly nervous.
''Wouldn''t it be quite expensive? It''s a sentient artifact. Sentient artifacts must be rare. But it has too shabby an appearance. Damn it. Should I have at least decorated it with jewels? No. If an amateur touched it, it would only have the opposite effect.''
"...It''s a cursed artifact."
"Pardon?"
"A cursed artifact. To be precise, it''s an artifact with an evil inclination. It tends to lead its owner to ruin... You managed to avoid getting hurt."
The clerk looked at Yi-Han with a gaze mixed with worry and respect.
The fact that he was fine while possessing such an artifact proved the strength of his mind.
Of course, Yi-Han was utterly absurd.
''It was a cursed artifact?''
"Ah... No wonder Yi-Han met a lot of strange guys."
Gainando pped his hands as if he finally understood.
He had encountered unusually strong enemies many times, and it was all because of that helmet.
¡°It has nothing to do with me! He didn''t even listen to me...!¡±
The helmet tried to protest as if it was unfair, but the clerk quickly covered its mouth with a cloth of silence.
There was nothing good about listening to the words of an evil artifact.
"We can''t purchase this. I''m sure Mr. Wardanaz will handle it well, but please be careful as it''s an evil artifact."
"Thank you."
Yi-Han red at the helmet and took it. The helmet shut its mouth and fell silent at that gaze.
¡ª
After buying Gainando a cotton candy and returning to the Wardanaz family''s mansion together, a servant said to Yi-Han, "Young Master. You have a guest."
"At this hour?"
It was almost night, and a guest hade to visit.
It was a visit that wouldn''t be made unless they were quite close or quite rude.
''It must be the former.''
"Is it Asan?"
"No."
"Dolgyu?"
"No. I don''t think it was your friend. And it was someone I met for the first time."
"What race was the guest, by any chance?"
"A vampire."
"..."
Yi-Han''s face turned as pale as a vampire.
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Chapter 320
Chapter 320
"Did you have a vampire friend?"
Gainando, who hadn''t fully grasped the situation, tilted his head.
Yi-Han seriously considered staying at Gainando''s house tonight for a moment.
"He''s here."
However, Professor Bdi kindly blocked such worries.
Seeing Professor Bdi walking out from inside, Gainando said in surprise, "Why is the professor here? Shouldn''t we call the guards and chase him away?"
Yi-Han was momentarily intrigued but came to his senses.
"Professor! I''m overjoyed that you visited my humble home!"
"It''s not humble."
Ignoring Gainando''sment, Yi-Han threw a question with a hypocritical smile.
"But how did you know toe here?"
"The principal told me."
''Should I really kill him?''
Yi-Han thought about exterminating the evil lich of Einroguard along with the evil King of Ghouls he had exterminated.
"Wait. Did the principal also tell the other professors by any chance?"
Professor Bdi nodded.
Yi-Han felt dizzy.
''This is crazy.''
The professors who might visit the mansion now...
''Professor Garcia Kim is fine. I should rather treat her well. Professor Uregor Gumdar is... well... not impossible to treat. Professor Bungaegor Choidal probably won''te due to her personality. If Professor Ingurdeles, Sir Arlong would be happy.''
After considering, there were about two of the most dangerous and difficult professors left.
Professor Bdi and Professor Beavle Verduus.
And one of them was in front of him right now.
"But why are you here during the break, Professor?"
Gainando asked with an innocent face. Yi-Han thought he did well to buy Gainando cotton candy earlier.
''The cotton candy was worth it.''
"I have something to talk about."
"Can''t you send a letter?"
"It''s difficult with a letter."
"Why?"
"I have a lot to talk about."
"Can''t you write a long letter?"
Professor Bdi gestured lightly. Gainando, who had a silence spell cast on him, waved his hands in anger.
How dare he attack an imperial prince outside Einroguard!
''Protest for me! Yi-Han! For the honor of the imperial family!''
''Sorry.''
Yi-Han avoided his gaze.
As a professor''s disciple, how could he stop what the professor was doing?
"Let''s go inside, Professor."
"Alright."
¡ª
Yi-Han personally carried the teacups and teapot instead of the servants.
"I''ll carry them for you."
"Yi-Han... You''re excellent."
Despite being born with the blood of a great noble family, the servants were all moved by his admirable attitude of personally serving his teacher.
Yi-Han almost threw the saucer.
''Let''s not take out my anger on innocent people.''
Professor Bdi sipped the green tea he poured and slowly opened his mouth.
"I heard you defeat a basilisk."
"Cough."
Yi-Han coughed while drinking green tea together. It felt like hot green tea was hitting his throat.
"That''s... a misunderstanding."
"What''s the misunderstanding?"
"That basilisk wasn''t even an adult..."
"A newborn basilisk. Enhanced by potions. Attempting Petrifying Evil Eye recklessly and exhausted from the rebound. Is there anything wrong?"
"Ah. That''s right."
Yi-Han was relieved to see Professor Bdi grasping the situation more urately than he thought.
He was worried about receiving absurd misunderstandings.
"I didn''t know you could deflect the Petrifying Evil Eye with just mana."
"...Wasn''t it because it was a newborn?"
"Well. The prating power of the Petrifying Evil Eye shouldn''t differ that much."
Professor Bdi carefully lifted the cage he had put down behind him.
Inside, a familiar egg was well-ced in a soft nest.
It was the basilisk egg that Professor Bdi had obtained during hisst outing.
"I was going to use it for the 2nd-semester lecture, but I''m worried."
"...You don''t have to worry too much. That basiliskst time was excessively careless..."
Despite Yi-Han''s persuasion, Professor Bdi didn''t stop worrying.
Yi-Han suddenly felt self-loathing while persuading.
''Why am I doing this to face a basilisk in the 2nd semester?''
The result of persuading the professor well was merely a future of confronting a basilisk.
Thinking about it, it was truly bitter.
But if left alone, Professor Bdi''s personality would bring an even crazier monster...
"I heard you repelled the King of Ghouls."
"Cough."
"Are you not feeling well?"
When Yi-Han choked for the second time, Professor Bdi asked, raising his eyebrows.
"No... I''m fine."
Yi-Han coughed a few more times and regained hisposure.
Just like with the basilisk earlier, Professor Bdi would have grasped the urate truth unlike others.
Then there was no need to be more frightened than necessary.
"I heard you overwhelmed the King of Ghouls, is that true?"
"Cough, cough."
"You really seem to be unwell."
Professor Bdi was genuinely worried.
"Unlike Einroguard, where recovery is possible even if you make mistakes due to haste, it''s impossible outside. Let go of your haste."
"...Ah. Yes."
Yi-Han wanted to say, ''I''m not the kind of person who goes around looking for basilisks and the King of Ghouls to be strong like you think, Professor,'' but he didn''t.
It was a meaningless thing to do.
"I didn''t overwhelm it. It was because the opponent was so iplete..."
"Yes. You overwhelmed it because it was in an iplete state. You did overwhelm it, right?"
Anyone could see that he had overwhelmed it, having defeated the King of Ghouls and cleanlypleted the nearby missions.
If he hadn''t overwhelmed it, he would have copsed near the cave.
Yi-Han, whose words were blocked by Professor Bdi''s logic, regretted it.
''I should have pretended to be sick.''
"The King of Ghouls wasn''t in the records."
Even if they were beings from another realm, those with a reputation were usually recorded, but there were always exceptions.
Beings like the King of Ghouls, who descended long ago and were sealed, couldn''t have records.
"Yes."
"Even so, it''s better to be careful. Such beings are persistent."
Yi-Han naturally knew that too.
If it could generously let it go after being defeated by a greenhorn like Yi-Han and reverse-summoned to another realm, it wouldn''t be an evil being.
It was probably recovering its strength and sharpening its de in its own realm.
However, Yi-Han wasn''t very worried.
''Isn''t it unlikely to meet again?''
After taking such a blow and being reverse-summoned, it wouldn''t dare to descend again for a while as it would be recovering, and then the remaining possibility was for Yi-Han to visit the realm where the King of Ghouls was and directly seek it out...
Unless Yi-Han was quite crazy, there was no reason for him to do such a thing.
"So I prepared a way to deal with such beings."
"...!!"
Yi-Han endured the hot tea water hitting his throat and swallowed. However, he couldn''t hold back his eyes from bulging.
"There''s... such a method?"
"Yes."
Professor Bdi calmly began his exnation.
Originally, the path Yi-Han was walking now was the path of perfectedbat magic that mastered and fused magic from all other schools of magic.
...Of course, Yi-Han didn''t think he was walking that path, but that wasn''t important.
Anyway, this path of perfectedbat magic also valued thepleteness of each individual school, so Professor Bdi never rushed or urged.
The disciple hastened easily due to talent, but Professor Bdi understood as a teacher.
If the teacher didn''t understand that, who would?
However, considering this King of Ghouls extermination battle, it was safer to umtebat magic experience rted to dark magic now.
That way, he could maintain an advantage even when shing with the King of Ghouls again.
"I see."
Yi-Han, who heard the exnation, nodded.
In fact, he only nodded but didn''t agree inwardly.
"Can''t we just avoid it?"
"If you could avoid it by avoiding, it wouldn''t be an enemy. I heard from Professor Mortum. You''ve already mastered the 4 basic areas of dark magic: curses, poisons, bones, and necromancy."
"Yes..."
Yi-Han nodded with a bitter smile.
He wasn''t even surprised by this anymore.
''I hope he coughs moreter.''
"It''s not a bad choice. They''re the basics of the basics in dark magic. But beings like the King of Ghouls are difficult to deal with using the areas I just mentioned."
"That was definitely the case. It dodged lightning elements too easily as if it had precognition, and I had to use me elements for area of effect to make it work."
"The powers of evil beings from other dimensions often surpass the wisdom of mages."
Professor Bdi wasn''t surprised.
Beings summoned from other dimensions often possessed not only precognition but also bizarre powers that made precognition seem trivial.
"But there are ways to deal with them. One of them is dark elemental magic."
"Dark elemental... magic?"
Among the various elemental types, dark elements were in the category of being difficult to learn, like lightning or cold.
If lightning elements were difficult to control and cold elements were difficult to maintain, dark elements were in the category of being difficult for mages to conceptualize, in other words, imagine.
"Such beings enjoy using dark elements based on negative energy. If a mage knows how to handle it, it can also be predicted."
"I see."
Professor Bdi put down a book. The title was written in a familiar handwriting that he had seen many times.
Seeing the familiar handwriting, Yi-Han suddenly realized.
''Wait. Does giving me a book mean he has no intention of teaching me directly?''
"You''re not going to teach me directly?"
"Yes. I have something to do. Master it."
Yi-Han pondered whether he should like this or not.
It was fortunate that he could avoid Professor Bdi''s teaching of chasing him with a knife from behind, but...
Is it okay to learn dark elements, which are already difficult, alone?
''I''ll take it for now, and even if I say I couldn''t master itter, he won''t kill me, right?''
Yi-Han, who received the book, asked without much thought, "May I ask what you have to do?"
Professor Bdi answered while getting up from his seat.
"I''m going to meet Eumidiphos to prepare what I need for the 2nd-semester lecture."
"I see. ...Wait a minute, Professor. Professor! It''s gotten dark, so why don''t you stay the night? There are many rooms in the mansion!"
"No. I''lle next time. Thank you for the hospitality."
Professor Bdi lightly greeted the servants and left the mansion''s main gate.
Yi-Han felt that the sight of Professor Bdi disappearing far away was an ominous sign.
''I should have put sleeping pills in the green tea!''
Yi-Han said to the servant next to him, "From now on, tell the other professors except the one who looks like a troll mixed-blood that I''m not at the mansion even if they visit."
"I understand...?"
The servant found Yi-Han''s order strange but answered.
What in the world?
¡ª
Yi-Han had a slightlyte dinner with Yonaire and Gainando, who had been waiting.
Gainando picked at his food as if he had no appetite.
"What''s wrong? The chefs will be disappointed."
"I ate too much cotton candy earlier..."
Yonaire regretted bringing him to her friend''s house.
Feeling that gaze, Gainando pointed at Yi-Han.
"Yi-Han doesn''t have an appetite either!"
"Does it look the same to you now?"
Putting having no appetite for dinner because of eating too much cotton candy and receiving an additional assignment from a professor during the break on the same level.
In Yonaire''s view, Yi-Han would be innocent even if he attacked Gainando.
"No. We should eat well at times like this. Thank you, everyone."
Yi-Han nodded and picked up the spoon.
No matter how difficult and painful, one should always eat well.
-It''s an intruder. Catch him!-
-Wait, wait! You''ll understand when you hear my identity! I''m Professor Beavle Verduus of Einroguard!-
"..."
Tak! Yi-Han put down the spoon in anger.
Startled by his appearance, Gainando hurriedly picked up his spoon.
"I, I''ll eat well."
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Chapter 321
Chapter 321
Yi-Han looked at Gainando with puzzlement.
"Why are you doing that?"
"Ah... No. Aren''t you angry because I ate too many snacks?"
"No."
Yi-Han sighed and approached the window.
And he shouted, "It''s the professor."
"See! I told you it''s the professor!"
Professor Beavle Verduus, who had his face buried in the ground, struggled and shouted.
The knights under Sir Arlong asked in confusion, "But Young Master. Why would the professor sneak in?"
''I''m curious about that too.''
Yi-Han thought that but held back and said in a good way, "There must have been a misunderstanding."
"What kind of misunderstanding could there be...?"
Yi-Han ignored the knight''s question as if he hadn''t heard it. And he asked the servant, "Is it because you told him I wasn''t here?"
Given Professor Beavle Verduus''s personality, it was highly likely.
Wasn''t he the kind of person who would recklessly break through and enter even if he heard Yi-Han wasn''t at the mansion and wait?
However, the servant''s answer was unexpected.
"Ah, no. He just snuck in without even asking and got caught."
"..."
Yi-Han briefly considered just sending Professor Beavle Verduus to the Granden City guards.
¡ª
Professor Beavle Verduus, who had dusted off the dirt and sat down, said while chewing on tree bark, "So are you ready to make artifacts?"
Even though the knights had caught him and buried his face in the ground at the mansion, Professor Beavle Verduus didn''t care at all.
He only cared about artifact production.
Yi-Han yed dumb.
"Artifact production? I don''t know what you''re talking about."
"Huh? Didn''t we agree to do it together?"
"My memory is poor..."
If it were the skull principal, he would have grabbed his cor, saying, ''Why are you ying tricks?'' but Professor Beavle Verduus was naive in this aspect.
"Ah. Really? You said you wanted to participate in artifact productionst time. You were extremely passionate. It''s good that you can do it now."
"..."
Stunned by Professor Verduus''s tant lie, Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
What kind of person...
''Ah.''
Yi-Han finally remembered the Helmet of Wisdom.
Come to think of it, there was no expert like Professor Beavle Verduus when it came to artifacts.
"Professor. Please take a look at this artifact."
"What is it?"
Professor Beavle Verduus received the Helmet of Wisdom, looked around, and answered immediately.
"It''s an artifact with a nasty disposition. It''s cursed."
"As expected. Is there any way to break the curse?"
"It seems difficult."
There were two types of curses on artifacts.
One was an evil curse ced on a normal artifact.
In this case, the artifact could be used if only the curse was lifted.
The other was an artifact created with an evil structure from the beginning.
In this case, lifting the curse was meaningless. The moment it was lifted, the power of that artifact would disappear too.
The Helmet of Wisdom was a typical example of thetter.
"Sentient artifacts usually have a restriction that prevents them from harming their owner, but this one doesn''t have that. If it wants something, it will put the owner in danger as much as it wants."
"I see. I thought you would have a way, Professor."
Yi-Han muttered without much thought.
Then Professor Beavle Verduus suddenly red up and shouted, "I didn''t say there was no way!"
"No... Why are you angry?"
"Just stay still and watch!"
Professor Beavle Verduus put down the tree bark he was chewing and started ring at the helmet.
Yi-Han was slightly taken aback by the unexpected reaction. Gainando whispered next to him, "Isn''t the professor too weak to provocation?"
"Hmm."
Certainly, if he was being told that by Gainando, he was indeed too weak to provocation.
However, Yi-Han left Professor Beavle Verduus alone.
''Isn''t he going to change it into something useful?''
If that were the case, Yi-Han nned to sell it with a modifier like ''the masterpiece of Beavle Verduus, Einroguard''s top artifact craftsman.''
"There is a way."
"What is it?"
"Eliminate the artifact''s ability to selectively disclose information."
"?"
Yi-Han wondered what Professor Beavle Verduus was talking about.
"But won''t it still have the ability to endanger its owner?"
"You can avoid that on your own."
"..."
Regardless of what the Helmet of Wisdom said, if it didn''t lie or omit information, the listener could make a rational judgment.
That was Professor Beavle Verduus''s argument.
''Is it... Is it correct?''
While feeling that Professor Beavle Verduus''s logic made sense, Yi-Han somehow didn''t want to admit it.
But it was true that it was better than not changing it.
"Hmm. Then let''s change it. What do I need to do to change it?"
"Cast a few spells to release it and change the incantation inside. If we start working now, we''ll finish around sunrise."
"What should I help you with?"
"You? There''s nothing for you to help with."
Professor Beavle Verduus answered honestly.
These were magics that Yi-Han couldn''t do yet, and there was no need to utilize his characteristic of having arge amount of mana.
"I see. Then I''ll go to sleep now."
"Alright. Go to sleep."
Professor Beavle Verduus waved his hand, forgetting his original goal. Yi-Han politely greeted him and left the reception room.
"I should go to sleep. Good night, everyone."
"...Uh... Is it okay?"
"It''s fine. It''s fine."
The servant was taken aback, but Yi-Han said goodbye to his friends and went to his room to sleep.
The servant was left alone in the reception room, looking at Professor Beavle Verduus holding the helmet, feeling confused.
Is this okay...?
Is this really okay?!
¡ª
Morning.
Professor Beavle Verduus hit the Helmet of Wisdom and asked, "Hey. Tell me your purpose."
"My purpose is to increase my wisdom even if it leads my owner to ruin..."
"Good."
It was truly an amazing achievement.
Fixing the performance of a sentient artifact in just one night.
It was a great skill that even decent artifact craftsmen wouldn''t dare attempt.
Despite such an amazing achievement, Professor Beavle Verduus had no particr emotion. He yawned once and asked, "Where''s Wardanaz? We need to make artifacts."
"Uh... Young Master Wardanaz went out with his friends 30 minutes ago. He said he wouldn''t disturb you because you seemed to be concentrating."
"..."
Professor Beavle Verduus frowned.
He wasn''t sure, but he had a strange feeling of being deceived.
¡ª
"Will it really be okay?"
"I just happened to go out early."
Yi-Han answered like that.
If he had to work with Professor Beavle Verduus forcibly someday, it was best to dy that time as much as possible.
Then at least he could endure it using that until then.
Ratford nced back with a worried expression. He seemed to be worried about how Professor Beavle Verduus would react.
"Let''s stay at Gainando''s house today."
"Really?!"
Gainando''s eyes lit up.
Last time, other imperial family members who weren''t even close came and interfered, but this time was different.
He could call his friends and have a proper fun time.
Gainando wriggled his fingers and touched the card deck in his bosom.
Just as Yi-Han, the top student of the year, could easily recite the contents of magic books with his eyes closed, Gainando could also easily recite a list of games to enjoy with his eyes closed.
Mage card game, polo, p¨¦tanque, dice game, climbing the demon tower...
''I shouldn''t y chess because Yi-Han is too strong.''
"Ratford. Did you bring it?"
"Yes."
"Yonaire. You said you have it too, right?"
"I always carry it with me."
"!!"
Gainando was even more excited by the conversation of the other friends.
It was clear that his friends had brought mage cards.
"You brought them?!"
"Of course. We need something to do when we go to your house."
Yi-Han answered and took out a book from his bag.
It was .
"..."
Gainando''s face distorted with sadness and bewilderment.
"What''s wrong?"
"Uh... It''s nothing..."
"You brought a book too, right? Gainando? Let''s study dark magic together."
"I''m also nning to do some studying I''ve been putting off today."
"It''s nice to study together like this."
Seeing Yi-Han, Ratford, and Yonaire talking andughing in a friendly manner, Gainando cried inwardly.
''Magic isn''t everything in life...!''
¡ª
''I understand why dark elements are difficult.''
Yi-Han, who borrowed a private room, closed his eyes and focused on the dark element.
The basis of elemental magic was to feel that element and clearly embody it.
In that sense, the dark element wasn''t that difficult. In fact, this was also a difficult part for other mages, but Yi-Han had a different concrete concept in his head than other mages.
This concept helped with handling the lightning element, and it was the same with the dark element.
The problem was the next step.
''It''s simr to the me element.''
Even if one failed to control the water element, it rarely injured the owner, and even if one failed to control the lightning element, it disappeared before spreading, but the dark element was different.
If control failed, it not only injured the owner but also didn''t disappear.
Just like the me elements, if you make a slight mistake with this element...
Whoosh!
The private room with bright lighting in through the window suddenly darkened.
It wasn''t a natural darkness. It was an artificial darkness created by magic. Inside, negative energy wriggled, and a cold chill lingered somewhere.
Yi-Han threw a leaf he had prepared.
Then the vitality of the leaf withered and instantly turned into a dead leaf.
It was a characteristic unique to the dark element, depleting vitality.
''...If I''m not careful, I''ll copse.''
For dark mages who handle the dark element, idents of depleting their own vitality and copsing are likepanions. First, this point should be paid the most attention to.
Of course, the power of the dark element mastered for the first time is extremely weak. Even staying in such darkness for several hours won''t make one out of breath. So, at first, one should start by strengthening the power of the dark element...
"?"
Yi-Han looked at the leaf that had just died from touching the dark element a little.
And he looked at the part about strengthening the dark element.
''I can skip this part.''
...Thus, once the power of the dark element is sufficiently strengthened, the foundation for elemental magic is now established. The key to operating dark elemental magic is that the mage must be able to control the characteristic of vitality depletion. If one fails to do so, that mage is wielding a sword that can cut oneself...
''It would be nice if he exined like this usually.''
After reading the unnecessarily detailed exnation in the book, Yi-Han summoned the dark element again.
In short, a mage who handles the dark element should not be affected at all even when putting their hand into that element.
''In the end, it means being able to control the characteristics oneself...''
The power of magic increases in proportion to mana.
And what rises together is the difficulty of control.
For Yi-Han, who still couldn''t fully handle the me element and wore various artifacts to handle it, the dark element had an even higher difficulty.
But he couldn''t get rid of the mana he had...
''For now, until I can control it, I can only handle it in the size of a spark like the me element? Unlike the me element, the dark element would be meaningless if I do that.''
"Yi-Han! Yi-Han!"
Gainando knocked on the door of the private room. Yi-Han closed the book and answered, "How many hours have you studied?"
"...That''s not important right now! A good job hase in! They said it''s a job only dark mages can do!"
''...Can that even be a good job?''
Yi-Han was immediately suspicious.
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Chapter 322
Chapter 322
Mages were basically a high-ss workforce that was in short supplypared to demand and were treated well wherever they went, but...
There were sometimes exceptions to that as well.
In fact, there was no need to call them exceptions; they could just be called dark mages. Usually dark mages.
Dark magic was fundamentally unpopr.
''Even I wouldn''t go out of my way to call a dark mage.''
When there were many outstanding mages from other academies, there was no reason to specifically call mages from the dark magic academy.
But a job that only dark mages could do.
It was very suspicious.
"Where did you hear that from?"
"Ratford told me!"
"Oh. If that''s the case."
"...Wait. Something''s strange?"
Gainando seemed to have felt something off about Yi-Han''s reaction changing after hearing Ratford''s name.
"What''s strange? Let''s just go."
"Yeah. I don''t know what we''ll be doing, but it''ll be better than studying... Oops."
"Your studies, not mine..."
¡ª
Ratford wasn''t a dark mage, but he had a friend who was learning dark magic.
It was Ymirg from the same tower.
The friends from the ck Tortoise Tower closely shared any lucrative job opportunities with each other, so it reached Ratford''s ears.
''That''s true friendship.''
Yi-Han couldn''t help but envy the friendship of the ck Tortoise Tower friends.
The Blue Dragon Tower friends at most held parties at their mansions and invited each other...
"Long time no see. Ymirg."
"Long time no see!"
"Ni-nice to see you."
There weren''t many 1st-year students learning dark magic, so the students had no choice but to be close to each other.
"Did you call Raphael too?"
"Why would I call that guy?! We don''t need him!"
...Some students were closer than others.
"I, I told the White Tiger Tower too... but they said they need to rest because of fatigue."
"I see."
"What kind of knight can''t even manage himself? Hmph."
As much as he usually bickered with Raphael, Gainando kept grumbling.
"But he''s not seriously ill, right?"
"Probably not."
Yi-Han, who knew the truth, muttered.
It must be because the fatigue from thest King of Ghouls extermination hadn''t fully subsided.
''But he''s less trained than I thought.''
Yi-Han turned his gaze, thinking that Raphael would grab his cor if he heard it.
"Raphael can''t be helped, so let''s work harder instead. So, Ymirg. Is it this way?"
"Uh-huh."
The ce Ymirg was guiding them to was the southern district of the city, themon district.
This southern district had a different liveliness from the central district where nobles stayed or the western district where guilds were located. It was a liveliness that only emanated when people from all over were mixed together.
A suspicious traveler with his whole body covered in a cloak, a merchant selling a dubious potion called , and a mercenary carrying five swords and even a spear didn''t look strange here.
"You bastard! Carrying a spear in the city. Do you think Granden City is a joke?! Follow me!"
"I, I''m sorry!"
"..."
Of course, it wasn''t apletewless zone.
As they went down the road towards the outskirts of the city, there were fewer and fewer people. Yi-Han suddenly became curious and asked, "By the way, what kind of job is it?"
"Se, security job."
"Security?"
Yi-Han was lost in thought at the unexpected name.
''Is there a reason to hire a mage, and a dark mage at that, for security?''
Mages were expensive. If security was needed, it was better to hire a few more experienced adventurers or mercenaries instead.
Even if they were hired at a high price, surprisingly many mages were not ustomed tobat.
If an ambush orbat situation urred, there was a high possibility that they wouldn''t be worth the price.
If we had to nitpick, there were ways to utilize them such as barrier or detection magic, but...
''Why specifically a dark mage?''
"Do you know where the security is for?"
"Uh-huh. The public cemetery."
"...Aha."
Yi-Han immediately understood.
If it was such a ce, a dark mage might be needed...
"Pu, public cemetery? We''re going to a public cemetery right now???"
Of course, Gainando was different.
When he looked at Ymirg with a betrayed look, Ymirg was also taken aback.
"Why... Why? Is there a problem?"
"The public cemetery is scary!"
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han and Ymirg were momentarily dumbfounded and at a loss for words.
Is that something a dark mage should say?
"Weren''t there a few cemeteries around Professor Mortum''s Darkness Chamber?"
"That''s why it was so scary! Do we have to go to a ce where they''re all gathered?!"
Gainando tried to resist, looking disgusted.
"You''ve summoned skeletons and will summon more undead in the future, so it''ll be better to get used to it in advance."
"I can meet undead separately, why do I have to go to a public cemetery?!"
"Gainando."
"?"
"Life is about doing things you don''t like and getting paid for it. Now shut up and follow me."
"..."
Gainando followed, discouraged. Ymirg asked worriedly, "Is, is it okay to do that?"
"It''s fine. Just buy him a cotton candy or something after the job is done."
¡ª
The gravedigger at the public cemetery on the outskirts of Granden City was very pleased with the arrival of the three.
"Oh my! Mages, wee! I''m really d to see you. I was worried about this."
"What were you worried about?"
"I was worried about what to do if there were no Einroguard students learning dark magic this year. There are already few dark mages in the city."
"..."
The three students made a grim expression.
Even at Einroguard, there weren''t many students learning dark magic.
The easiest way to find a skilled and fundamentally solid mage in Granden City was to hire Einroguard students who came out during the break.
But if there were no Einroguard students learning dark magic this year, it would have been a serious problem.
"But I''m really happy that there are three of you!"
"Ah... Yes."
"But are there really so few dark mages?"
Gainando asked, not understanding.
Even if there were few from Einroguard, it seemed like they could call dark mages from other ces...
"Oh my. You''re saying something that could cause big trouble. Dark mages need to have a much clearer identity and be more trustworthy than other mages."
"Why?"
"Well..."
As the gravedigger hesitated, Yi-Han answered instead.
"In case they take corpses from the cemetery?"
"Ahem. I don''t think that way. I''m just saddened by the prejudice against dark mages."
"That seems at odds with the idents involving dark mages that seem to be consistently reported in the imperial newspapers..."
"Now! I''ll guide you to the cemetery."
The gravedigger quickly changed the subject.
He didn''t want to list the idents caused by dark mages in front of students learning dark magic.
"In the Empire, there are periods when negative energy regrly bes stronger. When negative energy rises in all directions, the power of the dead also bes stronger. Then..."
"Anomalies can ur in ces like cemeteries."
"That''s right. As expected of an Einroguard student."
The mana abundant in nature often caused all sorts of capricious phenomena.
Even if it wasn''t as much as a phoenix suddenly being summoned at Einroguard, it wasn''t umon for the dead to rise or beings from other realms to cross over through cracks due to the strengthened negative mana.
Dark mages were indeed the best at dealing with these problems. No matter how bad the perception was, dark magic was one of the essential magics in the Empire.
"But we haven''t learned theplex secrets of dark magic yet."
"It''s alright. No matter what, we don''t entrust everything to students who havee for the first time. There''s a senior dark mage here to help you. Direth!"
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised by the familiar name.
If it was Direth, it must be...
"I knew juniors woulde... but more came than I thought."
A crow mixed-blood student pping ck wings on her back walked out of the tower of the public cemetery, waving her hand.
It was Direth, a 4th-year student at Einroguard, majoring in the dark magic school.
"Senior! ...Are you okay?"
Yi-Han habitually scanned the surroundings. Direth nodded as if she understood.
"You don''t have to worry about going to the punishment room for having a conversation here."
"I see. That''s a relief."
"And you don''t die from going to the punishment room. You should also learn to get used to the punishment room since you''ll continue to attend Einroguard in the future."
Gainando disliked it as if asking what she was talking about, but Yi-Han took it seriously.
''It''s certainly good to prepare for the punishment room in advance.''
From how to escape when locked up to a n B to at least take afortable rest when escaping is difficult.
The fortunate thing was that he was close to Ferkuntra, one of the prison wardens, but he couldn''t rely on Ferkuntra alone.
And in Yi-Han''s view, Ferkuntra was a bit...
''...prone to making mistakes at important times.''
"Anyway, why did you twoe? Aren''t you from the Blue Dragon Tower?"
Direth was puzzled by the sight of Yi-Han and Gainando.
Usually, students from the Blue Dragon Tower didn''t do this kind of work.
Gainando answered immediately.
"I''m earning the money I''ll use myself!"
"What? Why are you doing such a thing? You should go and receive it if you can."
"..."
Gainando, who thought he would receive praise, became gloomy.
Yi-Han didn''t say, ''I''m crazy about silver coins.''
It seemed highly likely that he would be considered a strange person even if he said it.
"I thought it was an opportunity to train dark magic."
"..."
Direth looked at Yi-Han with a shocked expression.
Come to think of it, this junior was a crazy genius who was taking all schools of magic.
"Uh, uh-huh. I see."
''Huh?''
Yi-Han felt something strange.
The reaction was even more... than Gainando''s.
"But it''s still good that three of you came. There were often fewer. Originally, a 3rd-year should exin this instead of me, but he went to the east to find usable corpses."
"I, I see."
This time, it was Yi-Han and his friends'' turn to stutter.
"The gravediggers begged so desperately, I couldn''t refuse."
It was also true that it was difficult for dark mages to refuse when gravediggers tearfully and earnestly begged.
In the end, Direth ended up attending to give an exnation like this.
"Excellent. Well, if they offer several times thepensation, refusing is a bit..."
"What? No. Thepensation is the same."
Yi-Han was startled by Direth''s words.
"Thepensation is the same?"
"Huh? Uh..."
Direth was flustered by the pressure exuded by her junior.
"The gravediggers deceived you, senior. I''ll go and protest."
"No, no... We originally knew each other, so this much is..."
"No. Especially if you know each other, money transactions should be done thoroughly!"
Seeing her junior being suspiciously serious about silver coins, Direth suddenly had a strange thought.
''This junior couldn''t havee to work because of silver coins, right?''
¡ª
"Basically, this job is more about prevention than post-incident response."
Direth tapped the ground with her staff and said.
"As such, you need to pay attention to the flow of mana. You juniors will be able to sense the negative energy-type mana a bit better as much as you''ve learned dark magic."
While Direth was exining, adventurers passing by on the upper road of the public cemetery in the distance frowned.
-Tsk, they''re grave robbers, aren''t they?-
-Are they trying to steal corpses again?-
"Don''t mind them. They wouldn''t dare say anything to our faces. Now. So... Wait. Where did one of the juniors go?"
Direth was startled by Yi-Han''s disappearance.
When she turned her head, Yi-Han was running towards the upper road.
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Chapter 323
Chapter 323
Before Direth could even call out, Yi-Han had already swung his fist at the jaw of the adventurer who had just blurted out those words.
"Ack!"
"Try saying that again."
Yi-Han drew out Morning Star, still in its sheath, and without stopping, struck another adventurer in the sr plexus. The adventurer, properly hit, foamed at the mouth and toppled forward.
"You crazy b¡ª!"
"I said, try saying that again?"
Thwack! Thwack, thwack, thwack!
As the adventurers fell, Yi-Han pummeled them as if they were students from the White Tiger Tower.
The response came immediately.
"We... we were wrong...!"
"What were you wrong about?"
"That, well..."
"You haven''t been beaten enough."
Yi-Han swung his sword again. The adventurers screamed and curled up their bodies.
Passersby looked on with interest, as if saying, ''Another fight broke out,'' but no one intervened.
Thanks to that, Yi-Han could beat them upfortably.
"Kuh-huk... The Dark Mage Sir, we called you grave robbers..."
"Still not enough."
"Huh? What do you mea¡ª Kuak!"
"Think about it. Why can''t the ones who creatively frame others as corpse thieves apologize creatively?"
When you get beaten up, even nonexistent intelligence tends to emerge.
The adventurers finally realized it.
"The great Dark Mage Sir...?"
"More."
"We, we apologize for framing the great Dark Mage Sir, who protect the city, as something like grave robbers...!"
"That''s right. It''s already hard protecting the city, so how could you frame us like that?"
"We were wrong..."
The beaten adventurers answered, staggering.
"Remember that words carry that much power. Since you''ve reflected, I''ll forgive you."
"Thank you!"
The adventurers inwardly cursed the crazy dark mages.
They wouldn''t even go near the cemetery in the future.
''Sneakily hiding a knight...''
"Follow me."
"Pardon?"
"I said follow me. Since you''ve reflected, you should help with the work."
"..."
The adventurers were taken aback by the logic they were hearing for the first time, but Yi-Han kindly persuaded them again.
When he pointed the sword he was holding at them, the adventurers simultaneously shouted.
"Please let us help!"
"I knew you would."
Direth, watching from below, asked in bewilderment.
"...Does anyone know what he''s doing right now?"
¡ª
"Indeed. In ces with a strong flow of mana, you have to change the terrain to release the umted mana."
The exnation continued.
Yi-Han nodded at Direth''s exnation.
If an abnormal amount of mana gathered in one ce, the possibility of abnormal phenomena urring also increased ordingly, so they had to find such ces first and somehow disperse the mana.
"Now then, dig out that soil, bring new soil, and mix it."
"..."
"..."
The adventurers silently picked up shovels and dug the soil. Yi-Han encouraged them, feeling pleased.
"You''re doing well. Once you finish that work, let''s proceed to the wall base over here."
"Everyone''s working well!"
"Gainando. You too, don''t ck off."
"I, I''m not confident since I don''t use earth magic."
"Then dig with your hands. Here."
"..."
Direth thought this strange sight was quite different from what she had expected.
She had imagined a heartwarming scene where seniors taught, juniors learned, and they worked together to prevent idents, not this sight that resembled thebor of prisoners.
The progress was fast, but...!
"Yi-Han. Is this really a ce with a lot of mana gathered?"
"You found it well. It is a ce with more mana gatheredpared to other ces."
"Wa, Wardanaz. What about here?"
"Wait... It doesn''t seem necessary to touch this ce. Compared to other ces, there isn''t that much mana here, and the mana flow is fluid, so there''s a high possibility it will go back down."
However, except for catching passersby and forcing them to work, Yi-Han was definitely an outstanding junior.
With overwhelmingly superior mana detection abilitiespared to others and a brain that efficiently carried out the work.
Anyone who saw him writing a log on paper and organizing ces where mana was likely to umte would think he was a dark mage who had worked for several years.
''With this much, there''s nothing for me to teach...?''
"Senior."
''Still, as a senior, I should teach him something. What should I teach? What useful dark magic was there?''
"?"
Yi-Han was puzzled when Direth was lost in thought by herself.
What was she thinking about?
"Is there a problem?"
"Huh? When did youe?"
"I was in front of you just now... I came to ask what to do if we discover it toote and can''t disperse the mana."
"Oh no... I should have exined that."
Direth felt sorry.
She had forgotten because the junior handled the work so well.
"In that case, you have to use a somewhat rough method. One way is to use the holy water or sacred objects blessed by the temple here..."
Objects blessed by the religious orders were ipatible with negative energy-type mana. If the two collided, the umted mana could be dispersed due to the conflict.
"Or you could solve it with magic, but that''s a bit of a difficult method. Junior. Do you know how to use dark element by any chance?"
As Direth asked, she thought Yi-Han would not have learned it yet.
Even the scope of dark magic dealt with in the first year was not easy.
It was already overwhelming to keep up with those scopes, so how could he have mastered a high-difficulty elemental magic like dark element?
"I can only use the basics. Perfectly controlling it is impossible, but..."
"Right. Of course... Of course, what???"
Direth was startled after trying to brush it off.
Was Professor Mortum crazy??
"Professor Mortum taught you? Why? When??"
"Ah. It wasn''t Professor Mortum who taught me... Another professor taught me, saying it was necessary."
''What kind of crazy person is it?''
Direth cursed the professor who taught Yi-Han dark element.
No matter how necessary it was, did it make sense to teach dark element to a first-year student?
"That... I see. So that''s how it was."
"As I said, perfectly controlling it is impossible, so I don''t think you should expect much."
"I didn''t expect it! What crazy senior would expect a first-year junior to use dark element!"
Direth shouted as if it was absurd.
Then she recalled the events from the first semester.
Starting from the King of Frost Giants to the final exam task.
That appearance was itself a wretched fourth-year who dragged a first-year into her own work.
"...No. Even if you think that way, junior, I have nothing to say."
"??"
"Dark element... Of course it''s impossible to perfectly control. Even I can''t control it."
"Is that so?"
"That''s how high the difficulty of that element is. It''spletely different from fire element and such."
"I can''t perfectly control fire element either, though."
"...Is, is that so?"
Direth was taken aback.
Honestly, it was surprising that Yi-Han couldn''t control an easy element like fire.
"Since everyone has different elemental aptitudes, don''t worry too much about it. Junior. What elemental magic do you mainly use?"
"First, water and..."
"See. That''s why. Maybe fire element doesn''t suit you. Junior."
"Lightning and cold?"
"..."
Direth looked at Yi-Han as if it was absurd.
Was he joking right now?
¡ª
After a conversation that was longer than expected, Direth could understand.
"Aha. Because of mana... Right. If it''s that, it makes sense. Junior."
The King of Frost Giants and the final exam task of subduing a demon.
If what Yi-Han had just exined was true, it made some sense.
Of course, in a corner of her mind, there was still a thought, ''But how much mana do you need to have for that to be possible?''
"Wait a minute. Junior. Didn''t you say you know how to handle lightning element and cold element? Since you have a lot of mana, the already difficult advanced elements would be even more difficult, right?"
"Ah. That''s true."
"...Is that all?"
"They just happened to suit me well from the beginning... I can only say I was lucky."
"..."
For the first time, Direth wanted to hit her junior.
This was why geniuses were...!
In short, despite having a lot of mana, he was saying he was born with enough talent to control lightning element and cold element, taking that into ount.
It was truly an annoying statement.
Moreover, the two elements were difficult to manifest in the first ce, let alone control. If he could manifest even one of the two, he would be evaluated as having talent in elemental magic, but he easily knew how to manifest both.
"I think lightning and cold elements are enough."
"But I can''t control fire or darkness well."
"Junior... Don''t wish for too much. You can''t have everything. Moreover, those two elements have the property of expanding to the surroundings, so it will be even more difficult. Anyway, dark element... If you know how to handle it, it''s convenient for this kind of work. But it''s difficult."
Direth paused for a moment and waved her staff.
Then, dark shadows began to envelop Direth''s staff and transformed into the shape of a spear.
"Can you see? Answer quickly, it''s hard. Junior."
"I can see it."
In that state, Direth lightly stabbed with the spear tip. The weeds located where it was stabbed lost their vitality and died.
"By the way, this isn''t perfectly controlled. I just roughly shaped it. Look at the end."
As Direth said, the outer appearance of the spear was rough and rippling.
"It would be nice to be able to control it perfectly, but you can still use it even before that. Give up on perfect control and just use the properties of the element. Even if you''re not a master of fire magic, everyone knows how to use a torch. In the end, it''s a knack."
"Indeed..."
"Let''s try it once. Junior. The simplest... Right. A sphere shape would be good. Try shooting it as a sphere."
Yi-Han summoned the dark element as Direth instructed.
And like other elements, he gathered it into a sphere shape.
Bam!
Then, as ifpressed mes were exploding, the dark element scattered in all directions.
"Darkness, gather at this end!"
Direth was startled and waved her staff to control the dark element.
"Why did it explode!"
"It seems... it''s because there''s a lot of mana."
"...My bad. Junior. I was thinking based on my standards."
Direth frowned as if she had a headache.
Unlike herself, rough control was not feasible for this junior.
If he didn''t control it with several times stronger force than other mages, the elements would run wild on their own due to that overwhelming mana.
"I''m fine. It''s not your fault, senior."
"Wait a moment. Still, I''m your senior. Since I brought it up, I should at least give you some advice."
Direth fell into thought, drawing out all the knowledge she knew about the dark element.
What kind of advice should she give to a junior like that to be helpful?
''Should I try to find an easier form to control? No, it won''t make much difference. If he gives up on control altogether and uses it by summoning... That won''t work. Fire is already dangerous, and darkness would be even more so. It would scatter in all directions, and if it scatters wrong, it would be like stabbing himself. Should I apply other magic? Come to think of it, he would have also taken enchantment magic. If he uses it with enchantment magic, it might be a bit safer. But enchantment magic isn''t easy either... What other school of magic was there?''
"Senior! Senior!"
"?"
At Yi-Han''s call, Direth raised her head.
On top of the staff, a sphere made of dark element was maintaining its shape and spinning around.
"Thanks to your advice, I seeded!"
"...Junior. Do you sincerely think it''s thanks to my advice??"
She was at a loss for words seeing Yi-Han lightly oveing the obstacle in the short moment she wasn''t looking, while she was agonizing over whether there was another method.
What in the world...
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Chapter 324
Chapter 324
"Didn''t the senior tell me to do it?"
"If it were as simple as just doing what you¡¯re told... No, never mind. Junior, just be quiet and focus on control. It must be hard enough for you right now."
Direth was right. Unlike the stable form of the water orb, the darkness orb was fluctuating quite unstably. It felt like it could lose its form and scatter in all directions at any moment with a single mistake.
"In this state... sending it flying would be too much, but if we utilize it, it would be suitable for closebat? Junior, are you good at fighting?"
At the sudden question, Gainando and Ymirg coughed simultaneously.
"I only learned it for self-defense," Yi-Han replied.
"Well, you''re from a noble family, so you must have learned swordsmanship to some extent."
Again, his two friends coughed at the same time.
"A mage doesn''t necessarily need to be good at fighting, but sometimes there are instances where you have to engage in closebat. In those cases, this kind of magic can be surprisingly useful. Junior, it would be more stable if you handle it with enchantment magic, but I guess we can''t expect that much right now."
"Wouldn''t the fire element be better for that?" Yi-Han asked.
"There are surprisingly many enemies that can withstand fire well."
Starting with monsters that had resistance to fire, experienced adventurers usually had one or two means of defense against fire. It was an element that wasmonly encountered in real life.
"I see..."
"Junior, how long are you going to maintain the dark element... Hurry up and release it."
Yi-Han, who had been admiring it, came to his senses at Direth''s remark and released the dark element.
"Going back to what we were talking about earlier, when a problem arises because we couldn''t prevent it beforehand, using an item with the opposite attribute is good, but if you know how to handle the dark element, this is also possible."
Direth looked around at the remnants left by Yi-Han''s dark element explosion and grasped her staff.
"Darkness, gather at this end."
It was a magic that controlled existing elements, not summoning elements.
"Are you gathering all the dark elements around?"
"You guessed it right. It''s creating a kind of vacuum state. If the mage preemptively takes control of the dark element, undead or beings of that category be quite vulnerable."
Undead were beings with extreme strengths and weaknesses. When dealing with such beings, it was more effective to target their weaknesses rather than shing head-on with their strengths.
If he had known this method when facing the King of Ghouls, it would have been much more effective than turning the cave into a sea of fire.
''Indeed, knowledge is power,'' Yi-Han thought.
"Isn''t it interesting, Gainando?"
"Huh? Uh, uh, uh."
Gainando, who had been dozing off next to them, was startled by Yi-Han''s question and answered. He had little interest in dark elements or anything else.
"...This guy..."
"Calm down, junior. It''s not something he needs to learn right now. It might just make his head moreplicated while studying other things."
When Yi-Han tried to pick up his staff, Direth stopped him. Gainando was touched inwardly.
''Se-Senior...!''
"Excuse me, mage sirs?"
The captured adventurers holding shovels cautiously spoke to them.
Yi-Han answered in a nonchnt voice, "Ah, I told you I''d let you go today, didn''t I?"
"Uh, that''s not it... There are strange soundsing from inside the tower..."
"!!!"
¡ª
The public cemetery on the outskirts of Granden City did not only have graves. There were several small towers inside, surrounded by a wall.
They were used as resting spaces for the gravekeepers, for storing equipment, or sometimes as the central core when dark mages castrge-scale magic in the cemetery.
Of course, they did not store corpses inside.
''Then...''
"Did you thoroughly check the mana?" Direth asked, shedding the face of a senior teaching her juniors and returning to being the dark mage in charge of managing the public cemetery.
Yi-Han took out a memo and checked it as he answered, "Yes. The towers where they said they heard the sound are either Tower 1 or Tower 2, and both had normal mana levels."
"What about the possibility of a monster hiding among the luggage and entering while the luggage was being moved?"
"To prepare for that possibility, we disassembled and scattered the luggage that obstructed the view. We cast spatial perception magic and dark vision magic to check, and after finishing, we closed the windows, so the likelihood of that is low."
"..."
Direth tried to focus seriously, but she couldn''t help but feel a tingling sense of pride. Among the other schools of magic boasting about having many new students, there wouldn''t be a junior like this one.
Honestly, she wanted to take him out and show him off.
''Ah, but that junior is taking sses from all the other schools of magic too...''
Realizing the reality btedly, Direth felt bitter.
"Senior?"
"Either those adventurers heard it wrong¡"
"Ah, no! We all heard it correctly!"
"Or it came from outside."
"Is that possible?"
Yi-Han was puzzled. He could understand if it was hiding among the luggage, but a monster infiltrating from outside?
Even though this was a remote ce, it was still within the city. If a monster roamed the main road, it would likely be ughtered in less than thirty minutes.
"I''m also curious about that, junior."
"Are you sure those people didn''t mishear it?"
"Uh, could it be something like this?"
Ymirg raised his hand and spoke.
"So-sometimes, the soil underground can move too. Since there are corpses underground here, if the soil underground moves and pushes out of the public cemetery..."
"!"
If the soil underground shifted and moved the location of the corpses, and if mana unfortunately pooled around that area, an undead could be summoned outside the public cemetery, not inside.
"That sounds usible, doesn''t it?"
"Well done, junior."
"Th-thank you."
Ymirg blushed at the praise from Yi-Han and Direth. However, Gainando red at Ymirg.
"Wh-why?"
"...From now on, you''re my rival."
"..."
Gainando, who had already defeated Raphael (at least he thought so) and had decided to exclude Yi-Han, couldn''t let Ymirg''s performance go unnoticed.
"Hmph. Let''s see who is the true number one in dark magic."
"Th-that would just be Wardanaz..."
"We''re going to search. Undead, reveal yourself!"
With the incantation, a wave spread out from Direth''s staff. And then, there was a sh and a sound of something breaking from the upper floor of Tower 2.
"!!"
"It''s over there! Let''s go!"
"Please wait a moment! Just in case, I should go with some defense prepared."
At Yi-Han''s words, Direth hesitated.
''What kind of defensive magic is he going to use?''
Even if it was the same defensive magic, it would be better for Direth, a fourth-year student, to use it, but the other person was no ordinary junior.
Direth was honestly curious about what kind of defensive magic Yi-Han would use. Would he show magic that surpassed expectations again...
"Hey! Adventurers! Take the lead!"
"..."
"Why are you doing that?"
"It''s nothing."
¡ª
Yi-Han and Direth, along with the adventurers, went to the top of the tower. Ymirg and Gainando stayed outside the tower.
As they quickly ran up the stairs, Yi-Han asked, "The creature must know that its location has been exposed, so won''t it run away?"
"The likelihood of that is low, junior. It deliberately entered here from outside the public cemetery to increase its power. It''s aggressive and fearless."
"I see."
Just by the reaction it showed when it was detected, they could roughly grasp the characteristics of that undead.
If it tried to quickly move away from the summoned location, it was a cautious and timid creature, and if it tried to establish its position instead of moving away, it was the opposite.
In this case, since it was trying to absorb the mana flowing in the public cemetery and increase its power, there was a high possibility that it was an aggressive and greedy creature.
-¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö!!-
"Aaaahhhh!"
"It appeared!!!"
The adventurers who were climbing ahead screamed. The huge undead tumbled down the stairs from above as if rolling. Seeing its appearance, Direth let out a groan.
"Damn... It''s an undead chimera."
The result of strong negative manabining with torn and crushed corpses instead of a single corpse.
As the individuality of multiple entities was mixed, it was difficult for mages to predict and troublesome to deal with.
Direth immediately prepared a weakening spell for the undead chimera.
"Decline..."
Bang!
An explosion urred inside the undead chimera''s body, and about 1/4 of it was blown away.
Gaining propulsion from the explosion, the undead chimera, instead of crushing the adventurers in an instant, collided with the tower wall. The weakened part of the wall copsed, creating a hole.
"?!?!"
As the ferocious creature sacrificed a part of its body to break through the tower wall and escape, Yi-Han and Direth were startled.
They hadn''t even fought yet, so why was it suddenly running away?!
"...Senior, please listen without getting angry."
"Why would I get angry at you, junior? You can just say it! What is it?"
"I think that creature ran away after seeing me..."
"..."
For a moment, Direth was about to get angry and ask if this was the time to joke around.
The adventurers standing in front unconsciously muttered, "In-indeed."
"What do you mean indeed?!"
"So-sorry!"
"Among the undead, there are some with excellent mana detection abilities. I think it assessed my mana and ran away."
"...!"
Direth finally understood Yi-Han''s words.
If it wasn''t just a ferocious and aggressive creature, but one with mana detection abilities and enough intelligence to understand and retreat...
"This is going to getplicated, junior."
-It''s running away!! It''s running away!! Hey, you bastard! You can''t stand there! Shoot, bones! Ymirg! Throw something! Throw a rock!-
-If, if I throw it wrong, people might get hurt...!-
¡ª
Aftering down from the tower, Direth and Yi-Han immediately started tracking.
"Contact the city guard and tell them that an undead chimera has appeared. We''ll track it on our own, junior."
"Understood."
"Thank you, mage sirs!" The gravekeepers bowed their heads in gratitude.
Originally, this was the responsibility of the gravekeepers.
They should have checked thoroughly in advance to prevent the urrence of undead.
Of course, the gravekeepers also had a point of injustice.
Who would have known that an undead would be summoned outside the public cemetery due to the moving soil underground?
However, even so, if a problem urred and the damage increased, it was true that they had to take responsibility.
But when the dark mages volunteered to help, they couldn''t help but be grateful.
"There''s no need for everyone to be thankful. This is something that dark mages should do."
"In-indeed..."
As it seemed like the senior was going to suffer a loss too righteously, Yi-Han intervened decisively.
"But I think everyone should know who solved this matter. Make sure to convey the facts properly to the city guard and tell them that there should be treatment befitting the honor."
"Understood!"
Direth looked at her junior with a dumbfounded expression.
What was he talking about when they were in a hurry?
"Senior, even if we''re in a hurry, necessary information should be conveyed."
"No... Is that necessary...? Let''s depart for now!"
Direth tracked the mana left behind by the undead chimera.
The creature that had escaped from the public cemetery was avoiding the main road and fleeing through the alleys.
"If it can sense mana and knows to avoid it, it would instinctively know that it should avoid people. It would be troublesome if it hides."
"We''ll definitely catch it."
"I hope so. In the city, it''s difficult to track if we''re even a littlete... Oh no. Damn it."
Direth clicked her tongue.
They had finally gotten out of the alleys, but of all ces, the creature had entered the guild warehouse district.
"Why are you doing that? Let''s exin the situation and go in."
"It''s going to be difficult, junior."
Guilds were stubborn in this regard.
If they let outsiders in and there was a problem with the supplies or a leak of confidential information, it would be an even bigger issue.
Even if the undead chimera had escaped and entered, there was a high possibility that they would insist on catching it themselves.
"Still, I''ll try to talk to them."
"Alright. Give it a try. But don''t be too persistent. Anyway..."
After a while, Yi-Han returned.
"They said it''s okay. Let''s go in."
"?!?!"
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Chapter 325
Chapter 325
Direth whispered in a startled voice, "Junior, how did you convince them??"
"I have a friend from the ck Tortoise Tower who gave permission."
"Oh. Really? ...Wait, aren''t you from the Blue Dragon Tower?"
"Senior! That mana, isn''t it from the undead?"
Direth, who had been puzzled by Yi-Han''s suspiciously wide connections, came to her senses at those words.
Now wasn''t the time to worry about that.
"Good find. Let''s go!"
Bang!
A wooden crate flew in from the back of the warehouse, apanied by the sound of something breaking. Yi-Han immediately swung his staff. A thick water shield enveloped the flying wooden crate, making a dull sound.
"...!"
Direth gritted her teeth.
Whether it knew what it was doing or not, the actions of that undead chimera were striking at the party''s weakness.
If it tried to destroy all the items in the warehouse like that, it would be quite troublesome for the mages.
They had barely gotten permission to enter, so if the items in the warehouse were broken, the guild members wouldn''t just sit still.
"Salko! Understand if we smash a few things!"
"I got it, so just catch the undead!! You''re good at beating up the White Tiger Tower guys, so why can''t you catch an undead?!"
"!?"
While Direth was surprised, Yi-Han began firing lightning magic.
Crackle!
The undead chimera, sensing the ominous air, leaped behind a crate to avoid it.
However, Yi-Han didn''t care whether it hid behind or inside the crate.
He would smash it with force!
"sh forth, sh forth, sh forth, sh forth!"
A storm of magic.
Direth could only describe the current scene that way.
To think he could create such a deadly density of barrage with low circle magic.
''This is really...''
As the inside of the warehouse was turned upside down, smashed, and there was nowhere left to hide, the undead chimera seemed to realize it wouldn''t work and ran out of thepound altogether.
Salko and the guild members, who had been stealthily approaching outside the warehouse, were dismayed at the sight.
"You should have snuck up quietly, note with such tant killing intent!"
"The guild members here aren''t mages or knights, so what do you expect? This is good enough! Hurry and chase the undead!"
"Anyway, thanks!"
Yi-Han thanked them first, leaving his anger forter.
Thanks to Salko''s cooperation, they were able to chase the creature.
"Let''s go, senior!"
As Yi-Han''s party rushed out, the guild members finally breathed a sigh of relief.
They had been tense when they heard that an undead had run into the guild warehouse.
"Will it be okay? Chasing and catching something fleeing through the city isn''t an easy task. Moreover, the opponent isn''t even human."
"It''ll probably be fine. The one chasing is even more of a monster."
Salko said as he walked to the warehouse.
And he was shocked to see thepletely wrecked interior.
''Wardanaz...!! Even with permission, isn''t this a bit much!!''
* * *
At first, the undead chimera fled upon seeing the mana, and then it fled upon seeing the lightning magic. Now itpletely changed its movement. It moved throughplex and tricky routes, trying to tire out the pursuers first.
"It seems the creature is waiting for us to get tired."
"Hmph. Even if we''re mages, it''s a misconception to think we''ll get tired from this much. We''re all from Einroguard, aren''t we?"
"That''s right."
Yi-Han and Direth nodded, and so did Ymirg.
"Huff... Hah, hah."
Gainando was panting, out of breath. Yi-Han cast a spell on him.
"Feet, grasp the earth."
"Strength...! Thanks! Yi-Han!"
Although it was obvious that he would suffer from muscle pain when the enhancement magic ended, Yi-Han cheered Gainando on.
"It''s nothing. Gainando, hang in there!"
"Yeah!!"
"We''re in trouble, juniors."
Direth spoke in a perplexed voice.
"Why is that?"
"Of all ces, it had to be the Greenbel family''s mansion again..."
The Greenbel family, a city noble family deeply rooted in Granden City, was not an easy family to deal with.
They were quite closed off, and even more so in a situation like this.
''Even if an undead went in, they probably won''t cooperate...''
"Junior, do you happen to know someone in the Greenbel family too?"
Direth asked without much expectation.
No matter how much he was from the Wardanaz family in the Blue Dragon Tower, he couldn''t possibly have connections with every noble family in the empire.
If he didn''t have a connection, they couldn''t just knock on the door and ask to be treated as guests in this situation. That would be rude.
"One moment."
''No way...''
As Yi-Han walked over like before, Direth was perplexed.
Could it really be?
"It''s okay. Let''s go in."
"You had a connection?!"
"Not close, but I met them before... Anyway, it''s a long story, so let''s go in first! Let''s catch the undead."
"R-Right."
Direth entered the mansion with her junior, whose connections were suspiciously wide.
Even after being told that an undead had infiltrated, the chief steward of the mansion had a calm face.
"There''s no need to worry. Actually, even if you mages hadn''te to help, we probably could have caught it."
At those words, Gainando got needlessly fired up.
"You don''t know how strong and clever this undead is!"
"No matter how strong and clever it is, I don''t think it can beat the people currently in the mansion."
"...Tsk! You don''t seem to know, but Yi-Han here is from the Wardanaz family, and recently, he killed a basilisk in one blow..."
"Shut up."
''?????''
Feeling Direth''s shocked gaze, Yi-Han shut Gainando up.
Why were theypeting when they had visited thanks to the other party''s goodwill?
"From the looks of it, there seem to be quite remarkable people here... May I ask who they are?"
The chief steward smiled and answered.
"There are knights from the White Wood Knight Order."
¡ª
Bikelintz, a knight of the White Wood Knight Order, felt a bit sorry seeing the squires wolfing down food as if possessed.
"I apologize. Madam Greenbel."
"Not at all. Why mention such a thing? It''s the age when they should eat a lot, right?"
As dne said, the squires were at an age when they sought a lot of food.
Growing up while living the life of a knight order, they were always hungry.
...But even considering that, the sight of them sticking their noses in the soup bowl held in one hand while grabbing chunks of meat with the other was a bit embarrassing.
''I''ll have to lecture them when we return.''
"I''ve heard a lot about how the White Wood Knight Order squires have been training around the city these days. Is the training going well? Do you need any assistance?"
"Just treating us like this is more than enough to be grateful for."
Bikelintz replied with courtesy.
His answer just now was sincere, but there was also a slight hidden meaning.
Although dne looked like a kind grandmother on the outside, she was by no means an easy person. It wouldn''t be good to needlessly owe her a debt.
"Moreover, thanks to the students from knight families at Einroguarding out for their break, they''re having a good influence on each other. To the point where there''s nothing for me to do."
As always,petition raises each other''s skills.
The students from knight families at Einroguard and the squires of the knight order had a sense of rivalry with each other.
The White Wood Knight Order squires had even directlypeted with them during the semester¡
"Madam Greenbel. There''s an intruder in the mansion..."
At the report from a servant who hurriedly ran over, dne''s expression slightly hardened.
What gutsy thief would dare infiltrate this mansion?
"Did you identify them?"
"The dark mages confirmed it. They say it''s the undead chimera that escaped from near the public cemetery."
"It''s hard to trust the words of dark mages..."
"They''re students from Einroguard."
"Ah. In that case."
dne immediately changed her attitude.
If they were students from Einroguard, they had the qualifications to say such things.
"And one of them is the student from the Wardanaz family that Madam Greenbel mentioned before."
"Oh? That''s unexpected."
dne was surprised.
She hadn''t expected Yi-Han to be learning dark magic.
Well, what magic one learned was a personal freedom¡
"Allow them entry and treat them well. Leave the undead chimera to the students."
"Will it be alright?"
"It should be enough. Not only is he from the Wardanaz family, I''ve directly seen his skills. Plus, think about the reason he chased it here."
"The reason he chased it here?"
Instead of answering, dne just smiled.
Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family was a student with genius-level talent and ambition to match.
The incident where he trampled the mage from Baldurguard who had impudently crawled up, the incident where he defeated a basilisk in front of the royals, and even the incident where he tracked down and defeated an evil being from another world.
Even if a mage had outstanding abilities, it was meaningless if people didn''t acknowledge it.
To fully utilize one''s talent, a reputation to match was necessary.
In dne''s view, Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family was very coldly building up his reputation.
After a few years passed, it wouldn''t be surprising if Yi-Han''s name was at the very top when discussing the empire''s top up-anding mages.
As such, it was best to let Yi-Han catch the undead chimera now.
If she showed consideration to someone of his caliber, he would remember that consideration.
Moreover, if she snatched the prey Yi-Han had chased all the way here, it would be akin to picking a fight. There was no need to needlessly make such a formidable enemy.
"It''s a monster!!!"
"Don''t worry! Madam Greenbel! We''ll take care of it!"
"Wai..."
The White Wood Knight Order squires put down their bowls and drew their swords at the sight of the monster outside the mansion window.
And before dne could stop them, they hurriedly rushed out.
Left alone with dne, Bikelintz wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and gauged her reaction.
"I... I apologize. They''re not usually so rude as to act on their own, but with a monster appearing..."
"..."
dne threw a cold gaze without heeding Bikelintz''s words.
¡ª
Bang!
One of the squires charged in with a hearty tackle. The undead chimera lost its bnce from the mana-infused body m and fell to the side.
"The creature has fallen!"
"Cut off its legs so it can''t run away!"
The squires cheered and quickly surrounded the undead chimera. Having coordinated more than a few times, their movements were swift and precise.
Yi-Han and Direth admired them.
"They''re good?"
"They''re good."
"Ah... No! No way! Those jerks stole our prey!!"
Gainando shouted in dismay.
He couldn''t understand how the two could be so calm in this absurd situation.
"Gainando. Think carefully."
"That''s right. Junior. What''s important isn''t who caught it, but how well we prevented the damage the undead could have caused. Even if no one knows, thanks to the juniors here, no one got hurt. We know that, don''t we?"
Yi-Han, who had been nodding beside Direth at his heartwarming words, flinched and looked puzzled.
"That''s not what I meant."
"Huh? Then?"
"Since they arbitrarily messed with what we were chasing, after they finish hunting, we can get angry and they''ll have no choice but to apologize due to the justification. Then we''ll have seeded in the hunt without lifting a finger. So it''s fine to leave them be."
"...Junior?!"
Direth was shocked at her junior''s political prowess.
She had thought Yi-Han was extraordinary, but she couldn''t believe Yi-Han had finished all those calctions in this short time.
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Chapter 326
Chapter 326
"I thought senior was also yielding with this intention," Yi-Han said.
"What do you take me for, junior?" Direth asked.
"No... if that''s not the case, there''s no reason to yield. We chased it all the way here."
"That''s so like you, Yi-Han."
Gainando nodded as if he had expected this. Not letting go of even a piece of bread without a fight was just like Gainando''s friend.
"Junior, it''s good to be thorough, but if you act too harshly, it might spread bad rumors about dark mages," Direth said.
"But senior, dark mages already have a bad reputation, don''t they?" Yi-Han pointed out.
"..."
Direth''s wings drooped slightly, hit by her junior''s words.
Gainando whispered beside him, "Why did you say that? Only ignorant people say such things!"
"No, quite a lot of people would say that," Yi-Han said.
"...Really?"
"Really. Why else would those guys, who got beaten and dragged here afterward, pick a fight with us while passing by?"
"!"
"We, we have reflected on our actions," the two adventurers said, who had picked a fight, gotten beaten up, done chores in the cemetery, and ended up chasing an undead chimera. They could be called the most ill-fated ones today.
"Senior, you don''t have to be sad about it. Those who know the truth won''t be fooled," Yi-Han consoled.
"...What''s the point if everyone else thinks badly of us?" Direth asked.
"We''ll change that."
Direth''s eyes wavered slightly at her junior''s progressive words. Perhaps her junior was right. Just like how they had dedicated themselves to the city today, if they steadily built up achievements despite others'' suspicions, people''s perceptions would change little by little, even if not immediately.
''To think I''d hear such words from my junior. I should have been the one saying that,'' Direth thought, feeling ashamed as a senior.
"You''re right, junior," Direth admitted.
"Thank you for understanding, senior. From now on, if we see anyone talking nonsense about dark magic, let''s stomp on them like those guys," Yi-Han said.
"...No!! That''s not what I meant!!!" Direth eximed, startled by her junior''s aggressive words, which even a magic duelist would be tongue-tied by. Attacking anyone who spoke nonsense to change their minds, what kind of...
Bang!
With a loud noise, two squire knights flew into the air. The cornered undead chimera had exploded its body, breaking through the encirclement.
As the encirclement was breached, the squire knights shouted in surprise.
"The creature is escaping!!!"
"Be carefu... Ah!! Wardanaz! It''s Wardanaz! Wardanaz!!"
"What?! Wardanaz!? That Wardanaz?"
"Yes! That Wardanaz!"
"..."
When the squire knights who had visited the academyst time recognized Yi-Han''s face and acted friendly, Yi-Han made a displeased expression.
''We''re not that close.''
Wouldn''t someone think they were quite close if they saw this?
"Wardanaz! Catch it!! If it escapes..."
Before the squire knights could even finish their request, Yi-Han was already holding his staff, ready.
How could he let the undead chimera escape after chasing it this far?
-¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö...!-
The undead chimera made a growling sound and red at Yi-Han. Its nine eyes glinted as they stared at him. They were filled with wariness due to the severe beating it had received earlier. It seemed to be looking for an opening to strike Yi-Han and escape.
"Darkness, gather here," Yi-Han chanted.
He didn''t recklessly fire a lightning spell. It wasn''t a good environment to shoot wildly with the squire knights behind him, and the creature''s wariness was quite high.
The advantage of a mage was the ability to flexibly respond to any situation. Having learned how to deal with it from Direth, Yi-Han immediately gathered the surrounding dark elements.
-¡ö!-
The undead chimera didn''t know what Yi-Han was doing, but it seemed to feel its strength draining away. It quickly jumped back, trying to distance itself.
-¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö!?-
However, it was of no use.
''The range...!''
Among them, Direth, the only dark mage who could handle dark elemental magic, could understand what was happening. That junior''s magic was gathering dark elements from a much wider range than Direth had done.
''...Amazing!''
While Direth was admiring her junior''s magic, Yi-Han shouted urgently, "Senior!"
"Huh? Why?"
"A bit too much dark element has gathered! If I make a mistake, please help me!"
"...Hey!"
Direth screamed when she saw the dark elemental sphere gathered at the end of Yi-Han''s staff. At a nce, it was 2 or 3 times the size of the one he had cast earlier.
Because he had cast it over such a wide range, even though he had used a shorter time than before, it had gathered this much in an instant.
"What are you trying to do?!"
Even if he wanted to shoot it as a projectile, it needed to be controlled to some extent. If he forcibly fired it now, it could explode at the end of the staff and injure her junior.
Direth couldn''t understand how Yi-Han was going to handle that dark element.
Poof!
"..."
Yi-Han solved it in a simpler and more straightforward way than expected. He charged forward with his staff and stabbed the sphere into the undead chimera. The creature couldn''t dodge the charge that happened in the blink of an eye.
-¡ö¡ö¡ö?-
Direth was startled.
''Wait, dark elements have the opposite effect on undead...!''
Yi-Han threw his staff to the side and drew his sword. The Morning Star shed its de light and split the undead chimera''s body.
From the beginning, the reason he had gathered the surrounding dark elements was to slow down the opponent''s movements and bind its feet. Once that was achieved, there were several ways to destroy the opponent.
The impact boosted by the exploding mana struck the undead chimera, and the following sword draw shattered its bnce. Afterunching a series of attacks without a moment to breathe, he sliced off its neck, and cheers erupted.
"As expected of Wardanaz!"
"Excellent!! Your swordsmanship is still the same!"
"Your friends?"
To Direth''s question, Yi-Han answered firmly, "Not my friends."
¡ª
Bikelintz, who arrivedte, thanked Yi-Han.
"Thank you. The young knights'' mistake almost made the situation worse, but you helped us."
"I only did what I had to do."
"Indeed..."
Bikelintz spoke with a slightly impressed voice.
"Some people have prejudices and misunderstandings due to dark mages'' magic, but if they saw the dark mages here dedicating themselves day and night like this, they wouldn''t dare say such things!"
"Thank you."
Yi-Han replied like that, but he had a different thought in mind.
''But other dark mages do cause too many idents.''
Even if Yi-Han caught the undead that came out in the city for a hundred days, it wouldn''t be of much use if dark mages were caught stealing corpses from graves.
dne, who arrivedte, looked at the situation in front of the mansion with perplexity and asked, "What happened?"
"Mr. Wardanaz defeated it."
The mansion''s butler answered with a hint of disappointment.
"If it had been defeated by the guests of the mansion instead of someone from outside, it would have given more face to Madam Greenbel."
"..."
dne thought she should admonish the butler once the guests left and shifted her gaze.
The undead chimera was thoroughly smashed. There were traces of being hit by magic a few times, sword wounds seemingly inflicted by the squire knights, and the fatal blow...
"???"
dne thought she had seen it wrong.
''It seems to have been killed with a sword?''
Even when she looked again, thinking she had seen it wrong, nothing changed. It was clearly killed by a sword.
dne became confused, wondering if the squire knights and dark mages gathered here were deceiving her.
Why would they deceive her??
"Madam Greenbel, thank you for your kindness."
"No, not at all. You have stepped up for Granden City like this, and I apologize for not being able to provide more assistance."
''Excessively friendly.''
Yi-Han found dne''s attitude strange. Apart from the rumors of her being thorough and wless, she was excessively favorable.
Was it really because of the Wardanaz family''s name?
''No matter what, is there a reason to go this far?''
Yi-Han couldn''t even imagine it. That dne had mistaken Yi-Han for a formidable schemer.
''Anyway, I should be grateful for the help.''
Yi-Han bowed politely once again and walked away. The squire knights who were acquainted with Yi-Han excitedly gathered around him.
Seeing that, dne asked Bikelintz, "Does the student from the Wardanaz family have a friendship with the squire knights of the knightly order?"
"Ah, that''s about what happened when we visited Einroguardst time. What happened was..."
Bikelintz began to tell the story as if it was a good thing. Meeting an excellent swordsman was always a pleasure.
So, Bikelintz didn''t notice that dne''s expression, who was listening to the story, was turning into shock and absurdity.
¡ª
-Wardanaz, I heard you defeated the King of Ghouls. But do you know? The guys from the White Tiger Tower are actually hothouse (greenhouse) flowers.-
-That''s right, Wardanaz. What''s truly strong are the wildflowers that have bloomed through harsh rolling in the wild.-
-So let''s go defeat the King of Ghouls together!-
Yi-Han thought to himself, ''These guys are crazy.''
Recalling the conversation with the squires, Yi-Han shook his head in disbelief. They had misunderstood the rumors about the White Tiger Tower students and Yi-Han defeating the King of Ghouls, and now they were burning withpetitive spirit.
But since they couldn¡¯t rival the White Tiger Tower as mages...
The squire knights wanted to bring along a more powerful mage and a swordsman friend.
Of course, from Yi-Han''s perspective, it was nothing but nonsense. He immediately reported them.
-Sir Bikelintz. Those squires over there are plotting to hunt prey beyond their level.-
-What...! Those fools!-
Fortunately, Bikelintz was in his right mind. Otherwise, the squires might have copsed in some remote, unknown cave.
Seeing Yi-Han''s expression, Direth asked with concern, "Are you alright, junior? Is it due to the earlier magic usage causing mana deficiency..."
"Ah. No. It''s just the squires spouting nonsense."
"..."
Direth decided not to worry about this junior''s magic-rted issues in the future.
Returning to the cemetery, they spotted a familiar face among the gravekeepers. It was Daihal Dargard, the Imperial Special Administrator, whom they had met before regarding the King of Ghouls subjugation.
"I thought it might be, but really...!" Daihal spoke with a voice filled with reverence upon seeing Yi-Han. "It hasn''t even been a week, and you''re involved in such an incident again. Aren''t you neglecting your own well-being?"
"Junior. What did you do a week ago?" Direth was puzzled. She hadn''t heard the news about the King of Ghouls yet.
Yi-Han surveyed the graveyard and quickly devised a n. Then, he dropped to one knee with a thud.
"Ugh. I used too much magic, so my body..."
"That''s why I told you! No matter how talented you are, it''s meaningless if you can''t manage your own body."
"But... but... as a dark mage... undead roaming Granden City... Cough. Cough."
Direth and Yi-Han''s friends were at a loss for words as they stared at Yi-Han. They couldn''t believe their friend, who hadn''t shed a single drop of sweat until now, was staggering like this as soon as he passed through the cemetery''s main gate.
Ymirg whispered, "Is... is there poison in the cemetery?"
"Poison wouldn''t work on Yi-Han, right?"
"What do you... Ah. Could it be."
As the three whispered, Yi-Han pretended to be even more exhausted in front of Daihal. After the previous King of Ghouls subjugation, he had realized something.
Even when doing the same task, it was better to show that you did it with great difficulty!
It was a trick that easily increased rewards.
"If this senior here hadn''t helped me, I might have died..."
"You must be Miss Direth. I''ve heard a lot about you from the gravekeepers."
"I just did what I had to..."
"The city people are too harsh on the dark mages who are so dedicated. I will make sure to speak strongly about this."
"No, thepensation is already sufficient..."
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Yi-Han interrupted his senior''s words with a fake cough.
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Chapter 327
Chapter 327
Of course, thepensation for the dark mages working in the cemetery was never bad. Dark mages were simply mages who suffered from groundless... or not so groundless rumors and prejudices, but they were certainly not pushovers. If the pay wasn''t good, which dark mages would take on such a job? However, Yi-Han held the belief that ''even if it''s the same job, it''s a good thing if thepensation increases.''
"No, Mr. Dargard. We were just dedicating ourselves to the city, so that''s..."
"If those who dedicate themselves don''t receive rewards, who would dedicate themselves? I will strongly urge the city council to allocate additional budget."
Having obtained the answer he wanted, Yi-Han coughed again.
"Cough. Cough..."
"Oh dear. Please stop talking and rest. It seems like you haven''t recovered the mana you expended in thest subjugation."
"Thank you..."
Yi-Han staggered and ced his arm on Gainando''s shoulder. Gainando was taken aback for a moment, then pretended to support him.
"They are truly excellent mages."
Feeling Daihal''s gaze, Yi-Han left the cemetery.
Direth, who had been quietly watching, unable to bring herself to interfere with her junior''s acting, gently asked.
"By the way, junior. What do you mean by thest subjugation?"
"Cough, cough, cough."
"Tone it down."
"Yes."
¡ª
"...So some crazy squire bastards, unable to know their ce, are saying they want to go subdue that thing again. They''repletely insane, aren''t they? I don''t understand why the knighthood doesn''t provide character education like Einroguard."
Yi-Han criticized the squires, filled with anger, but Direth wasn''t listening.
The previous story had been too shocking.
"No, you should have run away from that, why..."
"I''m telling you, it''s because of those White Tiger Tower bastards!"
"Uh, uhh. Right."
Direth couldn''t say anything more, seeing how wronged her junior looked.
''If Professor Mortum finds out, it''s going to be quite troublesome...''
To think he encountered an ancient evil being not even recorded in history.
If Professor Mortum found out, he would excitedly conduct all sorts of investigations.
And the preparation for those investigations would fall on his disciple, and the subject of the investigations would be the person who experienced it most closely...
That junior fit both criteria.
"Senior. Thank you for your help today. Let''s have a meal together before you go."
"Hmm."
Direth pondered for a moment.
She usually didn''t like visiting noble family''s residences because it made her ufortable, but it was a different story if her junior requested it.
"Alright. I can''t refuse if my junior says so. But junior."
"Yes?"
"Isn''t that person a professor?"
Seeing Professor Beavle sitting and waiting in front of the residence''s main gate, Yi-Han felt a slight twinge of guilt.
¡ª
"Wa, Wardanaz isn''t eating?"
"Yi-Han originally prefers studying over eating."
Ymirg''s question was answered by Gainando''s pretentious remark.
Of course, if Yi-Han had been beside him, he would have smacked the back of his head for saying that.
"...Juniors. Why is Professor Beavle here in the first ce?"
"Oh. He just came to visit?"
"He just came to visit?"
"Yes."
"Well, it does sound like something he would do."
Direth epted it without even questioning it.
It was something Professor Beavle was fully capable of doing.
"But still, no matter what, shouldn''t he at least give him time to rest?"
Direth put down the strawberry madeleine and spoke.
The student had just gone through the trouble of hunting an undead chimera, so wasn''t it a bit too much to take him away without giving him a chance to rest?
"Don''t you think so? No matter how long he waited, it couldn''t have been more than a few hours."
"Oh. No?"
"No?"
"He camest night and waited."
Considering it was evening now, he had waited for nearly a full day.
"He camest night... Wait. Wait a moment."
It was strange for him to visitst night, but it could be because the professor and student were close.
"If he camest night, why did you go to the cemetery?"
"Yi-Han told us to run away in the morning..."
"..."
Direth lost her words and put down her coffee cup.
...Was this a case of reaping what one sowed?
¡ª
"Did you wait long? I apologize."
Yi-Han apologized with a hypocritical expression.
After all, the other person was a professor.
However, as expected, Professor Beavle didn''t mind at all.
"Huh? No. Let''s get to work. Ah. I fixed the helmet."
"Oh! Thank you!"
Yi-Han was genuinely delighted by Professor Beavle''s words.
''I can sell it!''
"How much would this fetch in price?"
"Price?"
"Yes."
"Who would buy something like that? It''s a dangerous artifact."
"...Oh... Now that it''s fixed, if the user is careful, isn''t it safe?"
"Well, that''s true. But it''s dangerous if they''re not careful. People don''t buy things like that."
"..."
Yi-Han red at the helmet. The Helmet of Wisdom cautiously spoke to him.
¡°Now that it''se to this, perhaps it''s time to bring out the wisdom within me¡¡±
"Shut up."
Yi-Han lost interest in the helmet. Once he knew it wouldn''t make money, there was no reason to pay attention to it.
"Professor. I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Can I make artifacts and sell them?"
"That would be difficult."
Professor Beavle answered immediately.
Artifacts were expensive items, so the background of the person who made them was also quite important.
In the case of a novice artifact maker, they had to consistently participate as an assistant in the creation of other artifacts to build up their experience and expand their connections. Then, when the opportunity arose, they had to showcase their own artifacts to make their name known in the Empire.
''That sounds familiar.''
Every industry was harsh on neers. Yi-Han frowned at the words that it would easily take over a decade.
"Wait. What if we do this? Make them cheaply and sell them cheaply."
Even in Einroguard alone, there were imperfect failed artifacts lying around.
They were the remnants that seniors had made, failed, and discarded.
Such artifacts, though not entirely useless, would certainly attract a bounty from the empire the moment they were sold at their real value. However, adventurers, for instance, might be tempted to buy artifacts at a rtively cheap price, even if they were iplete failures.
"What? That''s a waste of mana."
Professor Beavle was negative about Yi-Han''s business n.
A mage''s mana was a limited resource.
Even a handful of mana should be saved to create masterpieces, so why waste it on such things?
And even if you only considered money, selling one masterpiece was better than selling dozens of cheaply made junk.
"Indeed. Other than wasting mana, there are no other problems, right?"
However, Yi-Han selectively listened to Professor Beavle''s words.
So what if he wasted some mana?
And so what if the cost-effectiveness was a bit poor?
''It''s much better to earn little by little in advance than to work for ten years to build up experience and start. And the failures wille out anyway while practicing.''
Yi-Han quickly drew up a blueprint in his mind.
To continuously sell artifacts with the most useful functions possible...
"Alright. Let''s begin!"
Professor Beavle, unaware of Yi-Han''s intentions, startedying out the equipment.
Chisels and rulers, hammers, nes and saws, a small welding staff with extreme heat magic, sses with lenses for various purposes, and so on.
"Professor. There''s something I want to try."
"Oh! What is it? What is it?"
Professor Beavle asked excitedly when Yi-Han showed enthusiasm.
"I want to try making a water creation artifact or a dark vision artifact."
"What? Why would you make such junk? It''s a waste of time, a waste of mana, and a waste of materials!"
Of course, even with his excitement, Professor Beavle wasn''t one to easily heed Yi-Han''s words. When it came to artifacts, the professor was very critical.
Water creation artifacts and dark vision artifacts were uninteresting artifacts that any mage could make if they put in the time and effort, without much difficulty.
There was no way Professor Beavle would prefer such a waste of materials.
"Professor. I''ve realized something while studying magic these days."
"??"
"Since I have so much mana, it seems I need to waste some of it to loosen up my hands."
"Really??"
"Yes. If I try to use other magic, I can''t adapt right away when I switch to enchantment magic. It seems my hands loosen up better when I practice with the same enchantment magic."
"Why are you so untalented?"
"Sob. That''s what I''m saying."
Yi-Han answered with fake sadness. Professor Beavle was genuinely sympathetic to his student''sck of talent.
"What should we do? Will you be able to do enchantment magic well then?"
"Oh! Should I give up then?"
"No, you can''t do that."
''Damn it.''
Yi-Han clicked his tongue inwardly at Professor Beavle''s unwillingness topletely fall for it.
"I understand. If that''s the case. Even if it''s a boring, unrewarding, and time-wasting artifact..."
Professor Beavle grumbled as he began to take out materials from his pocket.
Yi-Han hesitated as he saw Professor Beavle take out a blue gem, an aquamarine, and ce it on top of a spirit whale skin.
Even though Yi-Han wasn''t fully versed in all the materials yet, he knew very well that those two materials were ridiculously expensive.
"Wait. Wait. Professor."
"Why?"
"You''re using aquamarine and spirit whale skin?"
"Yeah."
"Uh... Are those essential for a water creation artifact?"
"Essential?"
Yi-Han felt once again that he had to ask Professor Beavle in a different way.
"I mean, will the water creation magic not work at all without them?"
"That''s not the case. But the efficiency will be trash. It''s already a trashy artifact, but if the efficiency is also trashy, it really has no meaning."
"But it''s too wasteful to use these materials for practice."
''And I won''t be able to recoup the cost.''
There was no way Yi-Han, who was trying to obtain an optimized production method, could make artifacts with aquamarine or spirit whale skin.
"But if you exclude those, the efficiency bes too trashy."
"To what extent?"
"If we consider a leather water bottle of this size, it would take a week to fill uppletely."
"!"
Professor Beavle''s words certainly made sense.
''A week... is too slow.''
To think it would take a whole week to fill up a leather water bottle that could be worn at the waist.
Yi-Han newly realized that a mage''s magic was a miraculous power to those who couldn''t use magic.
That much preparation was necessary for those who couldn''t use magic to utilize it.
"Isn''t there another way? Like infusing a lot of mana."
"That''s possible, but... the lifespan of the artifact will be shorter."
If he used cheap materials and even over-invested mana, the lifespan of the artifact would inevitably be shorter.
Moreover, it was a waste of mana.
"That''s fine! Doesn''t the efficiency improve anyway?"
"That''s true, but..."
Professor Beavle tilted his head as he looked at his enthusiastic student.
Why does he like that so much?
''Does he enjoy making junk?''
¡ª
Deer hide, coyak thread, copper ring.
Those were the materials used in the water creation artifact, a portable leather water bottle.
Yi-Han wasn''t the type to greatly admire his own skills or talents or have self-confidence, but he couldn''t help but feel proud when he made this leather water bottle.
''I did it!''
He had somehow managed to create an artifact that produced water using not-so-expensive materials.
Professor Beavle, who had been drowsily nodding off beside him with a bored expression, yawned and asked.
"Are you done?"
"Yes."
"Your hands are loosened up? Alright. Then."
Professor Beavle unfolded a blueprint he had been eagerly waiting for on the table.
The blueprint was so long andplex that it filled the entire rectangr table.
"...What is this?"
"A flying galleon."
Yi-Han seriously considered feigning illness again at the sight of Professor Beavle confidently bringing out a project with a difficulty level that seemed to require about a hundred years of effort.
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Chapter 328
Chapter 328
''Wait. How many years has this project been going on?''
Yi-Han became curious after seeing the dates and worn traces written here and there, so he asked.
"How many years have you been working on this?"
"Uh... 20..."
"!!"
20 years.
Yi-Han was shocked.
He knew Professor Beavle was a madman, but to think he had been holding onto a single project for 20 years.
"...30... 40...? I don''t think it was 40 years... I can''t remember."
"..."
The numbers kept going up.
Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
"Isn''t this too long to be holding onto?"
"It is."
"Could it be that it''s just taking a long time, but there is definite progress? If that''s the case..."
It would be understandable to pour time into it if it was tooplex or delicate, as long aspletion was possible.
"No. There are many parts where I''m stuck, so it''s impossible in the current state."
"I see."
It was absurd, but also a bit admirable.
To think he kept challenging a project with no progress and many obstacles without giving up.
He was a madman, but a schrly madman was bound to be a little admirable.
"Even if it doesn''t reach actual production, this much must have cost you quite a bit. It seems like you spent a lot of your own money."
"Huh? Uh... Did I? I''m not sure. I think quite a bit of my own money went into it too."
"???"
Yi-Han was surprised again by Professor Beavle''s words.
Of course, judging by Professor Beavle''s personality, it was obvious that he had little interest in gold coins.
However, it made no sense that there was no budget management while proceeding with such a project.
If he didn''t get money from somewhere, it wouldn''t even be possible to proceed, right?
"If you don''t know well, Professor, where did the moneye from?"
"I got investment from Gonadaltes, and that... that. I forgot the name, but I got investment from a duke over a decade ago, and uh... that... Anyway, I got investment from someone else too. I forgot."
"..."
Yi-Han began to seriously worry about Professor Beavle''s life.
''It wouldn''t be strange if an assassin came.''
To think he received investments and has been running away with the money for over a decade. If Yi-Han were the investor, he would have seriously gone to challenge him to a duel.
"Stop asking boring questions! I called you here to let you participate in this fun n."
"Wow..."
"Excited?"
"Ah. Yes."
Professor Beavle couldn''t distinguish well between ''Wow!'' and ''Wow...''.
"But Professor. The parts I can follow here are... um... this, this, this, and this."
Yi-Han pointed to the front sail, mast, bow, and watchtower.
It was filled with magic tooplex to follow, but based on the rough structure, he could guess the principle of gathering and amplifying the wind.
In fact, it was indeed remarkable for a first-year student to grasp this much at a nce. Even the skull principal would have acknowledged it.
However, Professor Beavle was cold.
"That''s because you''re stupid."
"Ah. Yes."
"You can study and catch up on thatter. The important thing now is the hull here. The bottom of the hull is the key. Do you see it?"
Numerous magic circles were engraved on therge keel supporting the center of the hull''s bottom.
They were soplex and numerous that Yi-Han felt dizzy just looking at them.
No matter which magic circle he pointed to, none of them operated separately. The sight of all the magic circles connected like gears and operating organically made his spine tingle.
Obsession.
The mad result of a genius pouring countless years into it was right in front of him.
Yi-Han felt a sense of awe simr to when he saw the skull principal''s unique world.
''Is that... a magic circle possible with human wisdom?''
"I see it."
"This needs to make the weight of the galleon lighter, reverse gravity, gather wind, create lift, and also strengthen the durability of the hull."
"..."
Although Yi-Han still didn''t know much about enchantment magic, he could tell that Professor Beavle was ridiculously greedy.
''I think you''ll have to give up a few of those functions.''
"Wouldn''t it be better to just hire mages and put them on the ship?"
"Then why are we doing this? Are you stupid?"
Professor Beavle grumbled at Yi-Han''smon-sense suggestion.
"Ah. Yes. So?"
"The outer magic circles here are supposed to gather, maintain, and amplify the mana needed for the magic circles, but they seem to becking."
"Of course."
To maintain all those functions, it seemed like mages would have to permanently reside and endure it, not just magic circles.
No matter what, there should be a limit.
"So I had a thought. You see these mana stones ced in the outer magic circles?"
"Yes."
It would be nice if the magic circles could draw all the mana from nature, but in reality, it was often difficult to fully supply mana with just that.
In such cases, gemstones with condensed mana, like mana stones, were used as auxiliary batteries.
Of course, they couldn''t be used or ced as is.
They had to be processed and enchanted to fit the magic circles in order to be used as batteries.
The outer magic circles Professor Beavle pointed to had mana stones densely ced, too many to count.
Whoever made it, it seemed like they would shed tears of blood if they had to make it.
"We''ll make all these mana stones into a mana-oversaturated state and ce them here."
"Will that supply the necessary mana?"
"I don''t know. We''ll have to experiment to find out how much effect it has when oversaturated. It''s tooplex to calcte."
"Indeed..."
Yi-Han, who had been listening, suddenly thought of something and asked.
"But Professor. Who will make them into a mana-oversaturated state?"
"You have to do it, of course?"
"...Anyone other than me?"
"Huh? There isn''t anyone else?"
Professor Beavle answered with an innocent face.
Where else would there be a mage who could overcharge with almost infinite mana like Yi-Han every time he cast an enchantment spell?
"Aha."
Yi-Han nodded and looked around.
''Shouldn''t I kill him now?''
¡ª
Fortunately, Professor Beavle had no intention of making all the outer magic circles needed for the galleon right now.
...The creepy part was that he might make them someday, but for now, Professor Beavle''s basic goal was confirmation.
How much mana could be secured using such a method?
"Carpet. I''ve engraved a makeshift magic circle on this carpet. You just need to prepare the mana stones that will go in here."
"Professor?"
"Yeah?"
"Be quiet, please. It''s noisy."
"Okay."
There was a hint of venom in Yi-Han''s voice as he workedte into the night without even having dinner.
If he cast poison element magic now, it seemed like quite a strong deadly poison woulde out.
The magic Yi-Han had just learned from Professor Beavle was .
When cast on a mana stone, it would gain the property of slowly emitting the mana contained within.
And this magic was a 3rd circle magic.
''Should I have just endured and said I couldn''t do it well?''
Yi-Han regretted his past self who had thoughtlessly waved his staff a few times and ended it with ''Is this how it''s done?'' ''Like this?'' ''Ah, so it''s like this.''
Embedding dozens of mana stones one by one into the magic circle and connecting them by drawing lines with mana ink, he felt like his mental strength was wearing out even though his mana was fine.
Regardless, Professor Beavle was humming beside him, manipting the magic circle on the carpet.
"Do you know why there are many mages riding carpets in old fairy tales?"
"No."
"Usually, mages who ride these rely more on summoned beings they have contracts with rather than using magic themselves. Otherwise, the consumption would be severe."
"Yes."
"But in the past, there were far more people who didn''t know about magic, so riding carpets like this must have looked impressive."
"Yes."
"Interesting, right?"
"Haha."
While Yi-Han mechanically rotated through three responses, someone knocked on the door.
Direth poked her head in with a worried look.
"Isn''t the junior going to sleep?"
"It''s fine. It''s fine."
''What''s fine?''
For a moment, Direth didn''t understand what Professor Beavle meant by it''s fine.
I asked the junior, so why are you...
''Oops. What am I saying to a crazy person?''
Direth came to her senses.
She had spent several years at Einroguard, yet she chose a direct approach against a professor.
"Junior!"
"??"
"Are you okay?! Did your injury worsen?!"
"...!"
Direth conveyed her meaning through her gaze.
Yi-Han was surprised by her actions.
And he was impressed.
''That''s the power of a senior...!''
"Cough, cough. It feels like my mana is suddenly twisting..."
"That''s why I told you not to overdo it earlier! You got beaten up so badly by that undead chimera!"
"I, I apologize. Enchantment magic was just so fun."
"Still, there''s a limit. You even got poisoned by the thorns the undead chimera stabbed you with earlier."
"Cough. Cough."
"Can''t you endure it a bit longer?"
Professor Beavle asked regretfully, but the two students ignored him as if they hadn''t heard.
"You need to rest. Junior. Go lie down quickly."
"Th, thank you. Professor. I''m sorry."
"What time should I wake you up tomorrow?"
The two students left the room, ignoring him again as if they hadn''t heard.
¡ª
Early morning.
As soon as he woke up, Yi-Han checked his surroundings.
Fortunately, Professor Beavle wasn''t waiting for him in the bedroom.
"Young Master."
"Shh. Is Professor Beavle nearby?"
"Pardon? He''s not here, but..."
"I see. Thank you."
"But you have a guest."
"..."
Yi-Han, who was about to escape the residence through the window, hesitated.
"Is it a professor?"
"No... It''s your friend. A priestess from the Presinga Order..."
"Aha."
Yi-Han was relieved.
Fortunately, he seemed to have avoided the worst-case scenario of another crazy professoring.
''Is it the religious event she mentioned before?''
Since Yi-Han had promised to participate in the Presinga Order''s event, he was nning to go.
It also served as an excuse to run away from Professor Beavle...
''Wait.''
Yi-Han became lost in thought.
Come to think of it, there were few people as good as Professor Beavle when it came to artifact experts.
What if he took Professor Beavle to the Presinga Order?
''I could avoid the mad work and might even be able to obtain and purify useful artifacts!''
"Professor! Professor!"
"Huh!? Why!?"
Professor Beavle, who had been sleeping, woke up with a start.
¡ª
"Can''t you cancel the promise?"
"No. It was a promise I made with my honor as an individual, the honor of my family, and my pride as a mage at stake."
"Ugh..."
Although Professor Beavle grumbled, he couldn''t say anything more when Yi-Han put it that way.
He had put his individual, family, and mage honor on the line, so how could he stop him?
"If you help, Professor, the work might end quickly. And if the work ends quickly..."
"We can work on the mana stones!"
"...Yes."
Yi-Han answered while biting his lips hard. Professor Beavle nodded.
"Alright. I''ll help."
"...????"
Priestess Tijiling was perplexed after hearing the conversation between Yi-Han and Professor Beavle.
Was it...
such a heavy promise?
"Was it... that kind of promise? I don''t think it was..."
"Priestess Tijiling. Memories usually change a bit. I think I made that promise with such determination at that time."
"..."
Priestess Tijiling stared at Yi-Han.
It was something she had been feeling these days, but this young man from the Wardanaz family might not be as cold and calcting as he appeared on the outside.
''He seems a bit more soft-hearted than I thought...?''
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Chapter 329
Chapter 329
"What''s the matter?"
"It''s nothing."
Tijiling, the priestess, bowed her head slightly with an apologetic heart.
In that moment, she felt ashamed of herself for having such thoughts.
Thinking about it, the boy from the Wardanaz family had made so many sacrifices for her friends.
Just considering the meals the students of the Immortal Phoenix Tower had eaten, the priests couldn''t even lift their heads in front of Yi-Han.
"I''m sorry."
"??"
Yi-Han was puzzled by Tijiling''s sudden apology.
What was that about?
''Is it because they invited me to the religious order''s event?''
For Yi-Han, who was already going with dark intentions, such an apology made him feel rather sorry.
"No. There''s no need to apologize."
"She must be sorry for interrupting your work."
Professor Beavle Verduus said as if he understood.
How much must Wardanaz want to finish the magic stone work right now?
Having to postpone it because of a trivial promise made before, it must feel like his insides were burning.
"Ah... Then there''s really no need to apologize."
Yi-Han spoke firmly with sincerity.
¡ª
The temple of the Presinga Order was usually visited by many cursed people.
Some were cursed after unknowingly visiting a cursed area, or identally wearing a cursed artifact, and so on.
The priests of the Presinga Order kindly treated all these guests without exception, purifying artifacts and sometimes even wearing them themselves.
Thest part was a bit strange, but anyway, for ordinary people who were cursed, few were as reliable as the Presinga Order.
"Priest, please help me! After wearing this bracelet, my arm turned into an undead''s arm!"
"Priest! My race...! I don''t want to live as a smelly dwarf! Boo hoo!"
"I went on a tripst week, and I must have touched something wrong because my skin turned into bronze..."
The carriage of the Wardanaz family, carrying the three of them, arrived in front of the temple''s main gate. Professor Verduus looked at the people standing in line and said, "Interesting. It would be great for research."
"Professor, I think it might be better for you to keep your mouth shut until we enter the temple."
If he said something like ''You are a great research subject'' in front of people who were already on edge due to being cursed, a knife mighte flying.
"Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family!"
Priest Mehrid came running out in delight. He was wearing a strange helmet dangling above his head, perhaps having worn another cursed artifact since theyst met.
"I''ve heard a lot about you. Thank you so much."
"No, I just did what I had to do."
Yi-Han answered humbly, but in fact, his heart wasn''t as humble.
Considering the dishes he had made for the students of the Immortal Phoenix Tower, Yi-Han had the right to be proud.
"...But why is the professor here?"
Mehrid whispered in a startled voice.
Yi-Han knew that in this situation, he had to be confident.
"He came to help."
"Pardon? That professor, you mean? Ah, no... It''s not that I don''t want him to."
Yi-Han fully understood Mehrid''s reaction.
Even Yi-Han would be quite surprised if Professor Verduus said he came to help.
"As an artifact expert, he will be helpful for this event."
"That may be true, but it doesn''t seem like he would be of much help... Ah, no. It''s not that I don''t want him to."
''He''s quite cold-hearted.''
Mehrid was a priest, but he was never the type to turn a blind eye to reality.
He was a realistic priest, after all.
"Don''t worry. This time, the professor will work hard to help."
"Is that so? What happened?"
"He needs to take me and make me work quickly so he wants the event to end soon."
"..."
Mehrid looked at Yi-Han with aplex expression.
¡ª
Indeed, having one outstanding mage made it easier to help with the religious order''s work.
Professor Verduus sat with his arms crossed, and whenever someone came to him, he abruptly said, "You''re cursed by fire!"
"Pardon?!"
"I said you''re cursed by fire!"
Yi-Han kindly exined on his behalf.
"He''s saying that the essory inside the box you''re holding is cursed with fire. If you wear it carelessly, you may get burned."
"Is, is that so..."
The guest who brought the essory blinked in fear.
"Then what should I do?"
"Professor, can you handle it?"
"Let me see it!"
"Ah, oh my. Thank you, priest."
"I''m not a priest. I''m a mage."
Professor Verduus took the essory and began to remove the curse. The person who brought it bowed repeatedly, expressing gratitude.
Yi-Han got an inspiration from this.
''Hmm. This could be a business opportunity too.''
Hanging a sign saying ''We remove curses''...
The problem was the monopolistic system of the Presinga Order. Moreover, the most threatening aspect of this religious order was that it was free.
Was there any ce without a Presinga Order?
"Look at this. This is the curse of burns. Can you see the pattern engraved here?"
"Even if you say that, I don''t know such magic."
"Memorize it. Memorize it so that you can do it next time when the same magic appears."
"Oh..."
Yi-Han was surprised by Professor Verduus''s shameless words.
It wasn''t ''Memorize it so that it will help youter,'' but ''Memorize it so that you can do it next time.''
Did he seriously intend to entrust the task of removing cursed artifacts to a first-year student?
''He''s really crazy.''
"Try infusing some mana here."
Professor Verduus handed Yi-Han the magic tool he was holding for work. The light flickered as if the mana infused inside had been depleted.
Yi-Han grabbed the equipment without much thought and infused mana into it. Professor Verduus was very satisfied with the surging mana.
"Wow. You''re good at it."
''Oops.''
When Professor Verduus made an expression of ''finding another use for him,'' Yi-Han felt a sense of ''oops.''
It wasn''t helpful for Yi-Han''s life if Professor Verduus discovered more of his usefulness.
Crack, crack, crack!
"It''s done. Take it. The curse has been removed."
"That''s amazing!"
The priest next to them expressed admiration for Professor Verduus''s skills.
Even the experienced priests of the Presinga Order couldn''t solve it that quickly. It was truly remarkable.
"It''s not amazing at all. Even a caterpir could do it."
"In, indeed..."
As the priest was perplexed, Yi-Han thought he should just speak on behalf of the professor.
"Professor, I''ll just speak for you, so why don''t you focus on your work?"
"Huh? Thanks."
¡ª
"This one seems impossible to remove."
Even Professor Verduus couldn''t solve all curses.
The bracelet with ominous patterns engraved on it was likely to shatter if the curse was lifted.
"So it was indeed a cursed item? Damn, I had a bad feeling about it... Thank you, mage. I''ll leave it here."
The person who picked up the bracelet put it down with regret.
They hade to appraise it, hoping there might be something good, but it turned out to be cursed.
Items like this, which were impossible to handle, were usually taken care of by the religious order.
Cursed artifacts were inherently difficult to deal with.
"But what kind of curse is on this item?"
As another guest left, Yi-Han stretched and asked.
"Mana emission suppression."
"Mana emission suppression? Is it like absorption?"
"It''s different from absorption. Are you stupid?"
Yi-Han nodded at Professor Verduus''s gentle correction of his student''s mistake.
"The mechanism must be different."
The curse of mana absorption would suck out the mana of the person wearing it the moment they put it on, while the curse of mana emission suppression would limit the amount of mana that person could release.
Both were curses used to restrict those who could use mana, but the methods were different.
"May I try wearing it once?"
"Go ahead."
Yi-Han put on the bracelet.
''It''s better to experience it beforehand than to suffer at Einroguard.''
If others had heard it, they would have been shocked, but Yi-Han was cold-hearted.
It was better to suffer first than to suffer at Einroguard. He could prepare a solution in advance.
"It doesn''t seem to make much difference."
"Try using magic."
At those words, Yi-Han summoned a water orb.
The water orb that appeared in the air was well-controlled without any problems.
"It works fine, though?"
"Try something moreplex."
"Something moreplex..."
Yi-Han had already mastered the basic applications of water elements.
To go further into more difficult areas, he had to move on to evaporation or spin.
''Let''s go with spin.''
The spin attribute was something Yi-Han couldn''t perfectly control yet. His limit was either spending a lot of time or adding it at an imperfect level.
Swish!
"!"
Yi-Han was startled.
The water orb was rotating with a sharp sound.
He hadn''t poured in an enormous amount of time, yet it was at this level?
''What the...? Could it be!''
Yi-Han grasped the situation.
For example, the curse of mana absorption would continuously absorb 1 at a time.
A person with 10 mana wouldn''tst long, but a person with 10,000 mana could endure much longer.
In contrast, the curse of mana emission suppression would limit the usable mana to 10, regardless of whether one had 100 mana or 10,000 mana.
Normally, it would be a very troublesome curse, but the story was different for Yi-Han.
Usually, he struggled to control his enormous mana, but when he was forced to use only a small amount of mana, the control became much easier.
It felt like changing from heavy armor to light armor.
Swish! Swish!
Yi-Han felt a thrilling sensation as the mana flowed as he intended.
Mages experienced a near-omnipotent thrill at times like this.
Controlling the power to change the rules of the world.
What could be more ecstatic than this?
''Is this how other mages usually feel?''
In fact, it wasn''t.
The reason Yi-Han could use magic rtively easily despite having so much mana was because he had the talent for it.
Now that he unnecessarily removed arge amount of mana, he felt this level of control, but other mages usually didn''t experience such a thing.
"Professor, this is excellent! I didn''t know there was an artifact like this... Why did Professor Garcia Kim give me a mana absorption artifact instead of this?"
"Well, that''s..."
Before Professor Verduus could exin, Yi-Han''s bracelet shattered.
Crash!
"..."
Yi-Han looked down at the remains of the bracelet with a bitter gaze. Professor Verduus nodded and said, "That''s what happens."
"...You could have told me earlier."
Unlike mana absorption artifacts, which rarely broke, mana emission suppression artifacts broke very easily depending on the mage''s capabilities.
Especially in the case of Yi-Han, who had endless mana, it was even more so.
If he used magic incorrectly even once, it would simply shatter.
To find something that could withstand any magic Yi-Han used, it would be faster to search for ancient relics.
"Still, there will be at least one more artifact with mana emission suppression function today... right?"
"Who knows? And it''s not a function, it''s a curse."
''Oops. That''s right.''
At Professor Verduus''s words, Yi-Han came to his senses.
He was too greedy...
Fortunately, three more artifacts with the curse of mana emission suppression appeared afterward.
Crash!
No, make that two more.
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Chapter 330
Chapter 330
Chapter 330
Professor Beavle, upon seeing Yi-Han break another bracelet, asked with a curious tone, "Can I just break them from now on without releasing the curse? Wouldn''t that be faster?"
"No, you can''t," Yi-Han replied firmly while cleaning up the debris.
''I need to save them for when it really matters.''
Yi-Han carefully put away the remaining two bracelets. He nned to use them when there were important exams or when Professor Bdi threatened him with a knife, saying, "If you don''t master the spin attribute perfectly by today, I''ll kill you."
¡ª
Baishada, a hunter from the , waited for Nillia in front of the Maykin family''s residence after making an appointment. As a fellow hunter, he wanted to support the student who had enrolled in Einroguard and deliver the gifts his colleagues had asked him to bring. And...
''Can I ask how she got into the Maykin family''s residence???''
Baishada looked up at the Maykin family''s residence with a perplexed expression. He had no idea what trick she had used to stay inside. Did she threaten them with arrows??
"How the hell is she staying in there?" Baishada muttered.
Ghetse, a hunter from the , replied matter-of-factly, "Doesn''t she have a friend from the Maykin family?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? Why would those arrogant nobles be friendly with the likes of us?"
"Sometimes there are nobles with the soul of a hunter, you know."
"What? Is there such a thing? I''ve never seen one."
"Excuse me...!" Some passing children shyly spoke to them.
The two hunters looked at them, wondering what was going on.
"Are you... are you perhaps from the Wastnd Stargazers??"
"That''s right," Ghetse nodded. Baishada felt a deep envy at the sight.
Apart from the reputation of the Wastnd Stargazers, Ghetse always had a strangely profound and mncholic aura about him, no matter what he did.
''Is it a matter of angle?''
While Baishada was confused and checking his own angle, the children asked Ghetse for an autograph.
"Please write ''Wastnd Stargazers'' here!"
"Here too! Please do it here too!"
"Now, now, calm down. I''m not going anywhere."
"..."
Baishada nced at the children. However, the children didn''t seem to recognize anything from Baishada''s attire.
''Sob.''
"Thank you!"
After the children left, Ghetse said with a slightly tired tone, "I''m grateful that they recognize the name of the Wastnd Stargazers, but it feels heavy when they have such high expectations for me, who still has many shorings."
"That must be damn tiring," Baishada muttered. Ghetse was puzzled.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing. Just that I envy the Wastnd Stargazers."
"Really? I envy the Shadow Patrol more."
"..."
For a moment, Baishada considered grabbing him by the cor. Is this bastard mocking me...
"The Shadow Patrol silently guards the northern mountain ranges without caring about false reputations. Compared to that, we... I understand the higher-ups'' policy, but there are too many unnecessary visits from unrted people."
"I... I see."
Baishada was happy to receive thepliment but also envious. Can''t we just switch?
"Moreover, the Shadow Patrol even produced a student who enrolled in Einroguard. There must be many young hunters with outstanding talent."
"Ahem, ahem."
Baishada tried to manage his expression. Still, it didn''t feel bad to hear him say that.
"Sorry for the long wait!" Nillia came running out from inside the main gate. As they were both from the Shadow Patrol, they could recognize each other at a nce. Baishada shook his head.
"We didn''t wait long. You''re Nillia, right?"
"Yes, that''s right."
"Here, take this first. This is a gift from Pum, who asked me to give it to you. This one is from Banda, who asked me to deliver it to you. And this... was it from Aial?"
"Th-thank you."
Nillia was deeply moved by the hometown gifts sent by her fellow Shadow Patrol members.
"And who is this person?"
"His name is Ghetse, from the Wastnd Stargazers."
"What???"
Nillia gave a look that said, ''Why are you hanging out with someone like that?'' Baishada hastily exined.
"He''s a kind and excellent person. We worked together on a job recently."
"Ah, I see..."
Nillia nodded in understanding but still had a slightly doubtful look. Baishada decided to change the subject.
"By the way, how are you staying here?"
"A friend offered to let me stay with them."
"From the Maykin family?!"
"Yes."
''Oh my god!''
Baishada was surprised. He had no idea there was a hunter from the Shadow Patrol with such skills.
He had always thought that the Shadow Patrol was just a bunch of guys whocked social skills and couldn''t adapt to imperial society!
"That''s... amazing!"
''Is the era changing?''
Baishada hoped that one day, when the era of young hunters arrived, the Shadow Patrol might be as famous as the Wastnd Stargazers.
Frankly, what could they possiblyckpared to the Wastnd Stargazers!
"Anyway, did you receive all the gifts here? Did you check? Then we should get going."
"Ah, please wait a moment. Are you leaving right away...?"
"We don''t really fit in with the city."
Ghetse nodded at Baishada''s words.
This city, where there was no open space, people appeared at every turn, and spires pierced the sky, was a bit too much for hunters.
Every time someone popped out from the side, their hands immediately reached for their bows.
"Still, if there''s anything..."
"I appreciate your consideration. But it''s really fine. There''s nothing we particrly want to do here."
"Ah, wait a moment. If you''re lucky, there''s a ce where you can get useful artifacts."
Nillia recalled the event at the Presinga Order that Yi-Han had told her about.
She was nning to go there today anyway, and seeing the two hunters, she thought it was perfect.
Even if the hunters had little interest in the city, if they could obtain useful artifacts, the story would be different.
In fact, the two immediately showed interest.
"Really? Is there such a ce?"
"The Presinga Order..."
"Aha. They release cursed artifacts, right?"
"Sounds like a good idea."
"But basically, those artifacts would belong to the priests of that order, right? Is it okay if you don''t know anyone...?"
"I know someone there!"
Nillia shouted, hoping that Yi-Han was still there.
¡ª
"You try releasing this one now."
"No..."
Yi-Han was at a loss for words when he saw Professor Beavle throw it to him to try after showing him once.
If it weren''t for the person waiting in front, he might have grabbed him by the cor.
''Endure it. I can''t appear in the Granden City newspaper as .''
Just as Professor Beavle had done earlier, Yi-Han carefully erased the lines starting from the outer part of the curse magic circle, approaching it step by step.
As he gradually released the magic circle without disturbing the umted mana, he could feel the power of the curse weakening.
"I did it."
"Thank you so much!!"
"Well done. Now do this one. I''ll go eat something ande back."
"..."
While he was seriously considering grabbing him by the cor, a familiar face visited.
"Nillia! No, Mr. Baishada?"
"Wardanaz!?"
Baishada was also surprised to see Yi-Han.
Isn''t he the student who showed monstrous performance among the White Tiger Tower studentsst time (although he wasn''t sure why he was there)?
"What are you doing here?"
"I was helping the Presinga Order."
"Ah, so you know each other..."
Baishada looked at Yi-Han, then at Nillia, and then back at Yi-Han before being shocked.
''How the hell does she get along with nobles with his skills???''
Even the Shadow Patrol member with the quickest feet, the one who could shoot arrows the farthest, and the one who caught the most prey would seem insignificantpared to the young patrol member here.
He couldn''t even imagine how she managed to be so friendly with the nobles.
Is it magic?
"How did you be friends?" Baishada whispered to Nillia. Nillia replied in confusion.
"Just, just like that?"
"Just like that...!"
Baishada was thrilled by the answer that seemed profound.
He had once asked an outstanding archer, "How do you shoot so well?"
Come to think of it, that archer had also replied, "Just like that."
''She''s really not an ordinary socialite. Amazing. Truly amazing.''
Baishada looked at Nillia with eyes filled with respect. Ghetse also looked at Nillia with interest.
"Being so friendly with nobles like that. Impressive."
"Someone from the Wastnd Stargazers shouldn''t say that."
"There seems to be a misunderstanding. It''s not like we get along particrly well with nobles. Nobles are always difficult to deal with."
Although the Wastnd Stargazers were widely known in the empire, they were still hunters in the end.
Naturally, they couldn''t be ustomed to mingling with nobles.
At those words, Baishada suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.
"But that social skill is interesting... If it''s okay, I''d like to hear some advice. So that I can deal with them well in the future."
"Ah, no."
Nillia was flustered.
Why did the topic suddenly shift to ''learning Nillia''s excellent social skills''?
And there was no such thing.
"There''s nothing like that. I just put my heart into it..."
"Ooh...!"
"Ooh!"
While the three were chatting, Yi-Han, who had sessfully released another artifact, looked up.
''Was Nillia a socially outstanding person?''
Yi-Han was puzzled but said nothing for the sake of his friend''s honor.
"Oh, right. Nillia. Did youe to get useful artifacts?"
It was a casual remark, but Nillia perked up her ears and was grateful. She was so grateful that tears could be seen in the corners of her eyes.
Yi-Han was rather embarrassed.
''Did she need artifacts that badly?''
It''s not like she''s going to use them for business or anything, so why?
"Is it possible to get something that these hunter gentlemen can use?"
"Aha. So that''s why... It shouldn''t be difficult. Wait a moment. Let''s go find some."
Yi-Han got up from his seat.
And he headed to where Tijiling and Priest Mehrid were.
"Useful artifacts, you say?"
Normally, they wouldn''t allow them to be taken outside, but Priest Mehrid wasn''t the type of person to tly refuse a student who was as dedicated as Yi-Han.
And the order ced importance on cursed artifacts, not the ones that had been released from curses.
"You can pick a few from these and take them with you."
"Thank you!"
Although the two hunters behind her were having conversations like "What kind of connections does she have?" and "Isn''t she a genius of eloquence?", which bothered her, Nillia tried hard to concentrate.
"Nillia. How about this one?"
Yi-Han held up a leather water bottle. He turned it upside down to empty the water inside, then set it upright and waited. The water slowly rose, sloshing.
It wasn''t incredibly fast, but it wasn''t unusable in realbat either.
Moreover, such water bottles were quite useful for hunters. When traversing mountain ranges, it was often difficult to find water.
Nillia asked in amazement, "It''s good, isn''t it? What kind of cursed water bottle is it?"
"I made it."
"..."
While others were struggling to turn a single page of a magic book, her friend was defeating a basilisk, the King of Ghouls, an undead chimera, and even creating artifacts.
Seeing this, Nillia reflected on herself.
''I need to live more diligently starting tomorrow...''
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Chapter 331
Chapter 331
"How is it? Is it okay?" Yi-Han asked.
"I think it''s fine, but how did you even make this?" Nillia examined the leather water bottle up and down in amazement. It was even more astonishing that there were no special gems, unique materials, or reagents visible.
"But it onlysts about two weeks."
"Two weeks? That''s a bit disappointing, but still usable."
"If you were to buy this with silver coins, how much would you pay?"
"???"
Nillia was taken aback by her friend''s sudden serious dive into market research. What was he trying to do?
¡ª
The hunters selected quite useful artifacts and expressed their gratitude.
"Thank you. I never thought I''d be able to get something like this."
Baishada, who found a ring of strength enhancement, was very satisfied. Of course, wearing it would inflict a curse of movement impairment, but it was a curse he could sufficiently endure.
"It''s not me, but the people from the Presinga Order who gifted them."
"That''s true. But if it weren''t for you, we wouldn''t have received them. By the way, priests, I feel bad just receiving these..."
"No, please think of it as the mercy of Lord Presinga and be joyful."
The two hunters pondered for a moment, then asked as if they had suddenly remembered something.
"Come to think of it, I heard a small dungeon was discovered in the forest outside the Bridge Gate. Is the Presinga Order not interested?"
The Bridge Gate was the southern gate of Granden City, meaning the dungeon was discovered in the forest about half a day''s journey south of the city.
It wasn''t arge dungeon or an ancient ruin, so it didn''t be a sensational topic. Dungeons were found more frequently than one might think.
It would be a matter that adventurers could leisurely explore and clear out slowly, but...
...the story was different for the priests in nearby cities.
Just as peddlers targeting adventurers would immediately prepare their goods and rush to the site upon hearing news of a dungeon, priests would be on alert as soon as they heard about a dungeon.
Even if it was a small dungeon, no one knew what curses might emerge from inside. If a cursed person entered the city, it could potentially lead to an epidemic outbreak.
Therefore, religious orders usually sent priests to the vicinity when a dungeon was discovered. It was to prepare for any contingencies.
"We were already nning to go and check it out. We''ll ask the city council for an escort..."
"If it''s alright with you, we will escort you."
And naturally, in such situations, the priests didn''t go alone.
They either had a holy knight from the order apany them or hired reliable escorts to prepare for any eventualities.
From monsters to adventurers gone mad, there were many dangers, so these precautions were absolutely necessary.
Hunters from the Shadow Patrol or the Wastnd Stargazers were more than sufficient forces.
"I apologize for imposing such a favor..."
"No, it would be disrespectful for us to just leave after receiving these gifts. The mountain spirits wouldugh at me."
"Indeed. Please allow us to help."
When the two hunters earnestly requested, Priest Mehrid realized it would be rude to refuse any further.
"Thank you. Then let''s leave the remaining work to the others and go for a bit."
"I will also assist you."
"Thank you, child."
Priest Mehrid expressed his gratitude for Priestess Tijiling''s voluntary offer.
Seeing this, Yi-Han felt a sh of inspiration.
''This is an opportunity!''
"I will also help you."
"Huh? Mr. Yi-Han Wardanaz. Uh... didn''t youe with the professor?"
"It''s alright. The professor will handle the remaining work."
While Professor Beavle was out for a meal, Yi-Han nned his escape.
What could he do if he said he was going out for a bit to help the Presinga Order?
"I''ll help too."
Tap-
Nillia ced her hand on Yi-Han''s shoulder as she spoke.
She couldn''t just stand by when not only the hunters but even Yi-Han were trying to help the order in every possible way.
"But are there that many monsters in that area?"
"Hm? I don''t know either."
"...???"
Nillia tilted her head in confusion.
"Weren''t you going to help because there are monsters?"
"No. I''m trying to run away from the professor. I''ll also check the demand for artifacts among adventurers while I''m at it."
"..."
Hey!
¡ª
The group quickly passed through the city gate. Yi-Han looked back. Fortunately, there was no sign of Professor Beavle chasing after them.
''It seems he hasn''t noticed yet.''
After running along the road past the gate, it didn''t take long to reach their destination. Tents and processions set up by the forest could be seen in the distance.
Swift peddlers had already arrived with their wagons and set up tents. Adventurers sat around them, sharing information.
"So you''re saying mud lizards came out from inside?"
"That''s what I''m telling you. It would be good to bring a bludgeon."
"I don''t want to change weapons just for a mud lizard. Isn''t there another way?"
"Wait. I have a book. Mud lizards, mud lizards..."
"Forget about monsters. Did anything usefule out? Even if we catch and sell monsters, how much would we get? Something useful is what really matters."
"Asura. It''s a naturally urring dungeon. We wouldn''t even recognize anything useful if we saw it."
"Why? Can''t we just dig everything out? Whether it''s minerals or nts, if we take everything inside, there''s bound to be at least one thing that''s worth money, right?"
"Have you ever been inside a dungeon? As if you could do that. In that pitch-ck ce, you don''t know what wille out. And how will you verify it after bringing it out? The mages will toy with you."
"Damn... You have a knack for ruining the mood before we even start."
Yi-Han listened to the conversation with interest. Nillia wasn''t particrly interested in such talks. She had heard plenty of them during her time in the patrol.
"Did you hear that, Nillia?"
"Huh? What? Hear what?"
"Don''t you feel the need arising from that conversation? I smell a business opportunity."
"I don''t know... about that..."
Nillia couldn''t understand her friend''s suspicious obsession with business.
Does he have to do business?
It seemed like Yi-Han would do well on his own even without doing business...
"Oh?"
"Aren''t those the priests?"
The adventurers brightened up when they saw the priests from the Presinga Order arriving.
While the peddlers would charge expensive silver coins for even a simple healing potion, the priests were different.
In this ce, the only people who sincerely cared about and considered the adventurers were the priests.
"Thank you. Priests. Thank you foring!"
"Ah, move aside a bit. The priests need to sit."
"But we arrived first..."
The adventurers tried to secure good seats for the priests by pushing the peddlers aside. The grumbling peddlers were scolded by the adventurers.
"Don''t you have a god you believe in? Won''t you go to the temple if you get hurt?"
''Filthy and petty bastards.''
The peddlers moved their seats while vowing to sell to the adventurers at even higher prices.
"Priests. We will help you set up the tent."
"Ah. It''s alright."
Yi-Han stopped the approaching adventurers and raised his staff.
"Dig it out."
Holes for the tent poles were created, and the surrounding soil was neatly trimmed.
Once the tent work was finished, Yi-Han immediately lit a fire, summoned water into the pot, and satfortably.
The adventurers watched with awe-filled gazes as magicpleted in mere minutes what would have taken others several hours.
"That''s magic...!"
"Was that also possible?"
"Of course it''s possible. It''s magic, after all."
"It''s strange. I was once in a party with a mage. I begged him to summon water because my throat was so dry, but the mage absolutely refused, saying it was impossible. He said he had to conserve mana."
"That guy was lying to you."
"That bastard...! So that''s how it was!"
While the adventurers were misunderstanding, Yi-Han looked around at the nearby peddlers.
''Potions, tools, misceneous goods. Hmm. Thepetition is quite fierce.''
As it was a matter of buying good quality items cheaply and selling them at high prices, thepetition was intense.
But there was always a niche market.
''There are no artifacts.''
It was natural.
What crazy peddler would bring expensive artifacts here to sell? They would be lucky not to get robbed on the way.
''If I were to make artifacts...''
As Yi-Han was pondering with a serious expression, Priestess Tijiling asked Nillia with a puzzled look.
"Is he worried about curses emerging?"
"Well... I don''t know..."
Nillia couldn''t bring herself to tell Priestess Tijiling the truth.
¡ª
"Priest!! My leg!! Is it a curse!?!"
"No. It''s muscle pain."
"Aha."
As expected, nothing major happened.
asionally, adventurers woulde out with tired faces or with a broken limb.
Sometimes, an adventurer woulde out groaning while dragging a huge monster.
Thud!
"That guy has perseverance."
"But butchering is also important."
"Right. Just bringing it out isn''t enough."
Even if you hunted a monster, selling it at a high price required skill.
If a magic stone was found inside, it would be easier, but skinning and obtaining good meat was also a very difficult skill.
Of course, for the hunters from the Shadow Patrol and the Wastnd Stargazers here, it was a task they could do with their eyes closed.
"Oh dear... Tsk tsk."
"The knife work wascking. Just now."
"I know, right?"
The two hunters critiqued the adventurer''s butchering skills with a hatchet and a utility knife.
Yi-Han also nodded and said,
"If he had cut sideways first and pulled there, it would have been easier to skin."
"No way...?!"
Baishada was surprised.
Likest time, that boy from the Wardanaz family was skilled in hunting and butchering as if he had learned directly from the Shadow Patrol.
It was truly amazing.
"..."
Nillia stared intently at Yi-Han. Yi-Han slightly lowered his head.
"Thanks for teaching me."
"No... it''s fine..."
Nillia had a hunch that telling those two hunters, ''Actually, I taught him,'' would only make things troublesome.
She was already misunderstood enough.
''What the hell is social skill? It''s not some wicked cult''s sorcery.''
Rumble rumble rumble!
The ground shook as the underground rumbled.
Everyone present was startled by the sudden change.
"What in the world...?"
"Priest. This way!"
The hunters immediately protected the priests first. Although they didn''t know what had happened, it was clear that something had been triggered in the dungeon.
''What is it?''
Thud!
Fortunately, they could soon find out what had happened inside the dungeon.
An adventurer who had rushed out in aplete mess began to babble.
"P-People have been teleported...! People who were elsewhere have been teleported with monsters...!"
"What? What are you talking about??"
"Out of the way!"
Another person who had the ability to exin properly rushed out.
"I am Burhirg, a knight of the Kerel family! My subjugation team and I, the Crimson Lotus Forest were in the midst of subjugation when we were teleported and thrown here! There are many severely injured, so I request support! In the name of my family and the families participating in the subjugation, I will duly reward those who help... Cough."
The knight knelt down and coughed, likely due to severe injuries.
However, that alone was enough for people to understand what had happened.
"It seems a spatial movement spell was cast during the subjugation, and they were thrown into the dungeon along with the monsters. Let''s contact the city and urgently request them to send healers."
The peddlers prepared toy down the injured, and the priests contacted the city for additional support.
Yi-Han approached Burhirg, first treating therge wounds with magic and giving him potions to drink.
It wouldn''t be feasible to heal everyone with potions alone, either due to the limitations of their bodies or the potion supplies.
"...???"
Priest Mehrid was taken aback, startled by how naturally Yi-Han cast the healing magic.
What are you doing???
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Chapter 332
Chapter 332
"Mr. Yi-Han?!"
"Yes? Huh? Did I make a mistake??"
Yi-Han, startled, looked up and down at the fallen knight.
After first healing the deep stab wounds, he had administered a potion to enhance the knight''s recovery.
It seemed like he had followed the proper order, right?
''What did I miss?''
"No... No. You can use healing magic? If you use healing magic recklessly..."
Priest Mehrid examined the wounds.
Surprisingly, despite being quite deep wounds, they had healed cleanly. To the point where Priest Mehrid had no need to offer any advice.
''My goodness!''
"...I apologize! I had no idea you were this skilled."
"Ah, no. I only used it because it was urgent, but normally..."
Yi-Han wasn''t particrly confident in his healing magic either.
Unlike other magic, a single mistake could worsen the patient''s wounds, so how could he not feel burdened?
It was just that his hands had moved first because it was so urgent...
"Shouldn''t we bring out the people inside?"
"That''s why I''m saying we need to go in with as many people as possible to bring them out."
"I know that, but why are you giving the orders?"
"Then are you saying you''ll do it?"
"Instead of arguing like this, it would be better to go in separately."
"If you guys go in first and make a mistake, it''ll cause damage to those behind. Why are you trying to go in first? If you want to go in separately,e in from the back."
The adventurers murmured noisily.
Since there were many injured people inside, they had to bring them out, but they didn''t really trust each other to do so.
Although most of the monsters that had teleported in were said to be wiped out, a dungeon was still a dungeon.
If they were forced to enter with unfamiliar members, conflicts could arise, leading to heavy casualties.
"Wait. Aren''t you the one who subjugated the King of Ghoulsst time?"
One of the chattering adventurers recognized Yi-Han, who was casting healing magic.
Yi-Han, who was about to make an excuse and stop casting healing magic, paused at the sudden remark.
"No..."
"It is him! It''s the mage! I heard a lot about you from Gubon. He said if it weren''t for you, they would have all died in the dungeon!"
"It wasn''t that much..."
"Mage, please lead us instead! I think that would be better!"
"I agree!!"
Yi-Han was about to retort, asking why they would entrust this to someone who hadn''t even been registered as an adventurer for half a year.
However, Baishada and Ghetse whispered from behind.
"I think it would be better to just ept it."
"If you don''t ept, the adventurers won''t be able to unite. The situation is urgent right now..."
"..."
Yi-Han thought, ''Then why are you asking me?'' but unfortunately, there was no time.
Suppressing a sigh, Yi-Han shouted to the adventurers.
"Listen up! I am the one who subjugated the King of Ghouls, a mage of the Wardanaz family! Everyone, follow me! I will guide you with the power of great magic!"
"Wo... Woooooow!"
"As expected of the mage!!"
"Who is he?"
"Didn''t you see him using magic earlier?"
"Isn''t he too young?"
"Mages originally control their appearance with magic, you know."
Only about 1/3 of them knew what Yi-Han had done, while the remaining 2/3 simply cheered on the side, thinking he must be a great mage since others were saying so.
He must be an amazing mage!
''Well... if he''s a mage, he''ll do well.''
''He''s better than that bastard, at least.''
The adventurers who had heard rumors about Yi-Han had high expectations, but the rest were still in disarray.
Yi-Han knew this too, but he didn''t pay much attention to it.
''I''ll just do what needs to be done.''
"Eyes, pierce through the darkness!"
Yi-Han abruptly cast a dark vision spell on one of the adventurers.
The adventurers were startled by the sudden casting of magic.
He wasn''t going to do it for everyone here, so what was he doing now?
However, that surprise soon turned into astonishment.
"Eyes, pierce through the darkness. Eyes, pierce through the darkness..."
"!!!!"
"C-Crazy!"
No one had expected that he would cast enhancement magic on all the adventurers.
The adventurers now somewhat understood why mages were treated so highly.
''So this is why they treat mages like that...!''
''I think I know why Gubon praised him so much.''
"Let''s go! I''ll cast the next spell while moving! Feet, grasp the earth!"
Yi-Han moved toward the dungeon entrance while shouting.
The adventurers, who had been standing nkly, shouted as if enchanted.
"Follow the mage!"
"Protect the mage!!"
The adventurers, who had been scattered haphazardly, quickly gathered in an orderly manner and followed Yi-Han into the dungeon.
Baishada muttered at the sight.
"This is true magic."
¡ª
"Don''t move! The wound will worsen!"
"Rather than staying here, it''s better to get out..."
The injured tried their best to get up somehow.
Staying here would only mean facing more of the dungeon''s original monsters attracted by the smell of blood.
It would be better to get out first...
"Everyone, stay still! Light!"
"!!!!"
Yi-Han first created a light orb, stuck it to the ceiling, and entered therge underground cavern.
There were traces of copsed rocks everywhere, likely from the teleportation.
The monsters that had teleported in were wiped out, but the subjugation team''s condition didn''t look good. They were all lying on the ground, groaning with broken bones and cuts.
''Damn it. I don''t want to use healing magic.''
Yi-Han gripped his staff with a grimace.
"Arise, emotions! Space, be perceived!"
As he simultaneously cast emotion perception magic and space perception magic, the conditions of the fallen injured systematically entered his mind.
Yi-Han searched for the injured in poor condition and ran to them.
''Please let the wounds be heble!''
Fortunately, most of the injuries were from closebat. If they were broken bones or cuts, Yi-Han could somehow handle them.
"Stick together! Heal!"
After finishing the emergency treatment, Yi-Han shouted urgently.
"Bring the potions!"
"Mage! Can I give this person a potion?"
"Wait a moment! For major injuries, you need to heal them before giving potions!"
Potions like wound recovery potions usually worked by enhancing healing power to heal injuries.
It was a safe and reliable method, but in a situation with multiple severe injuries, drinking potions would disperse the healing power, weakening the effect.
The trick in this case was to first heal the urgent severe injuries with magic and then have them drink the potion. That way, even minor wounds could be healed.
"How did you do it so quickly...?"
"The injured should keep their mouths shut!"
Yi-Han finished the emergency treatment for the injured person and handed them over to an adventurer. The adventurers hurriedly ced the injured on stretchers and ran up like the wind.
''Enhancement magic????''
The fallen knight blinked his eyes.
It was definitely not the movement of an ordinary adventurer. It was the movement of someone wearing artifacts or under the effect of enhancement magic.
''All of them here...?? What''s going on? I''ve never seen them before??''
At first, he thought a famous adventurer party had luckily arrived, but no matter how he looked at it, their equipment and attire had no uniformity.
Then it meant that enhancement magic had been cast on ordinary adventurers, but did that make sense?
Unless dozens of bored mages with overflowing mana hade out for a pic...
"Cough, cough. Wait. Mage."
The knight quickly grabbed Yi-Han''s wrist. Yi-Han, choked up, almost pped his face.
''If you''re injured, just stay still.''
Seeing the injured moving while blood was dripping made him lose his temper.
Was this why Professor Alkasis''s personality had worsened??
"What is it? Let go of my hand."
"Not me, the young knights here... Please heal the young knights first. Mana..."
The knight seemed to have quite a bit of experience, as he knew well that mages had limited mana.
He brought it up out of concern that if he was healed first, the young knights might not receive treatment.
Of course, Yi-Han ignored it.
"Stay still. Heal!"
"No... Cough."
"I said stay still. Hey! The emergency treatment is done, so take him up!"
Yi-Han sent the knight, who kept making unnecessary remarks, up. Two adventurers quickly picked up the knight and ran up.
"Dan... Dangerous... In a dungeon, if you do this...?"
The knight muttered even while in pain.
He didn''t know which dungeon this was, but moving so defenseless in a dungeon was not good.
If there were monsters hiding in the darkness, a major ident could ur.
...But strangely, the path they were taking was too bright.
"????"
The knight looked up at the tunnel ceiling in surprise.
Brightly burning orbs of light were ced at intervals.
"...????"
¡ª
Baishada had liked the boy from the Wardanaz family since he chose the Shadow Patrol over the Wastnd Stargazers, but seeing him now, he couldn''t help but like him even more.
The boy from the Wardanaz family was single-handedly organizing the chaotic scene where dozens of people were sprawled.
He cast enhancement magic on the adventurers to unite their will, made the dungeon tunnel as bright as day, and tirelessly healed the severely injured below before sending them up.
There were many mages with outstanding talent, but Baishada was certain that there was no mage in the empire who would dedicate themselves so fully.
-Grrr!-
At the sounding from the path below the cavern, Baishada and Ghetse immediately raised their bows.
This was the moment they had followed along to shine.
So that Yi-Han could focus solely on healing magic!
"Move, poison!"
Yi-Han extracted the poison from the poisoned knight''s wound.
And then he shot the poison away.
"Shoot forth!"
-Crackle!-
With a burning sound, the monster rolled on the ground.
Baishada, Ghetse, and Nillia looked at Yi-Han in disbelief and shouted simultaneously.
"Focus on healing magic!!"
"You can focus on healing magic!!"
"Focus on healing magic!"
"..."
Yi-Han healed one more fallen knight and sent him up.
Gradually, there was a lot of empty space in the cavern, and only those with injuries like broken bones remained. Yi-Han let out a sigh of relief.
''We managed somehow.''
When they first arrived here, his heart had sunk, but luck was on their side.
If nothing unusual happened, it seemed they could gather the injured and go up.
"Mage! Reinforcements have arrived!"
"Reinforcements? That''s good."
Yi-Han brightened at the report from the adventurer who had brought the injured out and returned.
"Did the priestse? Which order are the priests from?"
"No. It seems that since there are so many injured, it''s difficult to handle with priests from one or two orders."
"Then?"
"They said they called professional healing mages?"
"That''s fortunate. It''s a relief."
Yi-Han nodded.
Indeed, it was much faster to summon healing mages on standby all at once than to contact the orders in the city and find avable priests.
Usually, in such cases, the healing mages called in moved as a group. If there were many injured, a single mage absolutely could not handle it.
Now that the healing mages had arrived, the rest could be considered wrapped up.
Even if Yi-Han had made clumsy mistakes, the healing mages would take care of it.
"Thank you. Mage. Sob sob..."
"Last one! We''re done. Let''s go out!"
After taking care of thest remaining injured, Yi-Han shouted to the people in the cavern.
Everyone burst into apuse and cheers, preparing to go out.
"Good work. Mage!"
"It''s truly thanks to you that the knights here survived!"
As everyone cheered, only Nillia had a pensive expression.
Yi-Han asked, puzzled.
"Is something worrying you?"
"Didn''t they say they called professional healing mages earlier?"
"They did?"
"...Doesn''t anythinge to mind? Really?"
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Chapter 333
Chapter 333
Yi-Han would have normally noticed the crisis right away, but his mind was dull from removing artifact curses during the day and casting numerous enhancement and healing spells on many people in the evening.
So he realized it a stepter than Nillia.
"...Could it be someone from Einroguard?!"
"If it were me, I think it would be."
Nillia muttered in disbelief.
How could someone like Yi-Han fail to immediately notice something that even she could discern?
''No. It''s probably because he used too much magic.''
Nillia suddenly felt worried and looked at her friend. As if sensing Nillia''s gaze, Yi-Han whispered.
"Don''t worry. Even if the professor drags me away, I won''t mention your name."
"...I wasn''t even worried about that! You jerk!!"
What do you take me for!
¡ª
The Dark Elf professor with the most exhausted face in the world dozed off, nodding her head while supporting herself with a sword.
Her appearance looked so utterly fatigued that the adventurers didn''t dare speak to her.
"Professor. We''ve finished over here."
"Professor. We''re done on this side as well."
"Professor. This side too..."
Professor Alkasis nodded her head.
"This time, we handled it among ourselves!"
"If you''ve managed to provide emergency treatment to that extent beforeing up, of course you should handle it yourselves. If you had called for me, you''d be nothing but a bunch of thieves."
"..."
The disciples were moved to tears by the warm encouragement from their gentle mentor.
It was true, but...!
"So. Am I going crazy from overwork andck of sleep? Or are the adventurers spouting nonsense? Or is it what I''m thinking?"
"..."
The disciples kept their mouths shut.
Honestly, they were confused too.
-The ones who were treated areing out now, but are the priests still inside?-
-There''s a mage down there!-
-Just one? Only one??-
-Yes!-
-One person treated this many people like this??-
-Yes!-
-Adventurer, are you sure you''re not hallucinating?-
-...How dare you! No matter how much of a healing mage he is, I won''t stand by if you insult Mr. Wardanaz!-
"The only Wardanaz we know is... that... 1st year student... Could it be a misunderstanding?"-
"That''s right."-
Phil and Chil stepped up to make excuses for Yi-Han.
And honestly, they couldn''t believe it either.
No matter how outstanding their junior was, to save and send out this many people.
And he didn''t even receive help from others.
Securing the dungeon passage, casting enhancement magic on the adventurers, doing all of this while also performing healing magic?
It seemed more likely that another mage from the Wardanaz family happened to pass by, saw this tragedy, and helped out.
"As far as I know, other members of the Wardanaz family don''t help out for such reasons."
"Then, did the adventurers really mistake...?"
Before the sentence could be finished, a familiar 1st year junior came out with the adventurers, looking tired.
The junior looked around at the healing mages and sighed with a resigned expression.
Knowing what that meant, Phil and Chil sighed deeply from their hearts.
''You should have done moderately well...!''
Before the junior could escape, the recovered knights surrounded Yi-Han.
The knight, Burhirg, shouted on behalf of the subjugation knights.
"Here, we have an honorable mage. We express our sincere gratitude to Yi-Han, the mage of the Wardanaz family!"
"Thank you. Mr. Yi-Han!"
"Thank you!!"
The copsed knights shouted as if tearing their throats.
It was a rare sight to see proud and self-respecting knights expressing their gratitude like this. Excited adventurers stomped their feet and whistled.
"If it weren''t for Mr. Yi-Han, we wouldn''t have been able to save our lives. Once again, we are grateful for that amazing magic..."
While the knights were talking, the adventurers had a separate conversation behind them.
"He managed to bring everyone back without leaving a single one behind."
"This is what magic is, I thought. I once admired a mage who shot ming arrows, you know? From now on, I don''t think I''ll ever do that again."
"But why does the mage look so gloomy?"
"Tsk tsk. Do you think the mage is someone like you? He must be ufortable receiving praise while there are so many injured people."
"I-Indeed. He''s truly on a different level..."
¡ª
If there was a difference between Professor Beavle and Professor Alkasis, it was that feigning illness worked in front of Professor Beavle, but not in front of Professor Alkasis.
The moment one imed to be sick, Professor Alkasis had the ability to immediately heal them.
"It was very impressive."
"Thank you."
Yi-Han was sitting, no, tied to a chair in front of Professor Alkasis with a tired face.
It seemed like he was somewhat tied up, but it was just a feeling. No ropes were visible anywhere.
The disciples who had apanied Professor Alkasis, in other words, Yi-Han''s seniors, were divided in half and engaged in a heated debate.
The topic of the debate was Yi-Han''s punishment.
-With that level of skill, we can really take him along starting from the 2nd semester! No, with that level, we should definitely take him along! I vomited several times yesterday due tock of mana! That junior alone is handling dozens of injured people!-
-You conscienceless piece of trash! Can you still call yourself a noble after saying that! No matter what, do you really intend to take a 1st year junior along starting from the 2nd semester? Do you want to see the junior wither away and die?-
"There were many things said about having you participate in the field starting from the 2nd semester."
"Professor. I dislike special treatment."
Yi-Han spoke seriously.
"If it''s something that would be a burden to you, Professor, I''m fine..."
"But if you saw what happened today, those who said that would want to rip out their tongues."
''I don''t think it''s to that extent.''
"You have a genius-level talent in healing magic."
"Yes... I might have vaguely thought that."
"There''s no need to let that talent rot away by taking time. Take my hand. I will make your talent blossom."
"..."
Yi-Han became quite curious about what would happen if he took the professor''s hand.
Specifically, he wondered if he would be like the seniors behind him.
Why were those seniors with the professor during the break?
"I''ll go to the mansion and think deeply..."
"...There''s no need for that. It''s a talent that doesn''t require such consideration."
"Come to think of it, I have something to discuss with the priests..."
"I''ll send my disciples to tell them to wait a moment."
"On second thought, I also had something to tell the hunters."
The professor''s disciples formed a human wall to block the hunters'' approach.
The two hunters were at a loss for words at the absurd interference from the healing mages.
What kind of obscene...?
"What are you doing?"
"S-Sorry. We''re just following orders."
Yi-Han pondered whether he should break through the professor''s pressure head-on.
He would likely be taken by the professor in the 2nd semester anyway, so did he really need to be taken during the break?
''Even if I face some retaliation in the 2nd semester, it''s better to protect the break.''
Yi-Han strengthened his resolve while looking at the swords Professor Alkasis was wearing.
No matter how strong she was, Yi-Han was also someone who had undergone rigorous training.
He wouldn''t back down easily.
"Are you done?"
"..."
Yi-Han turned his head at the familiar voice of another professor.
Professor Beavle was waiting, yawning, as if he had arrived at some point.
"When... did you arrive?"
"I went to check the dungeon after hearing about it at the temple, and I came after the event had ended."
Professor Beavle seemed to have no interest in themotion that had urred near the dungeon.
He didn''t even change his expression despite the injured people lying down with bandages.
"By any chance, did any artifactse out of the dungeon?"
"As far as I know, there aren''t any."
"Really? Then that''s fine. Let''s go. We have work to do."
Professor Beavle naturally dragged Yi-Han to the carriage and departed.
The remaining people were all at a loss for words and could only stare nkly at their retreating figures.
''Seriously...''
''Is he crazy???''
The students of Einroguard specializing in healing magic couldn''t help but shudder at Professor Beavle''s behavior.
Even Professor Alkasis didn''t seem to be to that extent.
The hunters asked Nillia in bewilderment.
"But... shouldn''t he rest? Didn''t he just mention work?"
"Well... yes. He''s a bit peculiar."
"Even so, that''s too much."
''Exactly!''
Nillia shouted inwardly.
No wonder even the priests of the Presinga Order were whispering about it.
¡ª
Yi-Han returned to the mansion, finished his work with Professor Beavle, and copsed.
And then he slept for nearly a day.
"...I thought I slept in the morning, but why is it still morning??"
"You slept for a day."
"..."
Yi-Han looked out the window with a bitter face.
Professor Beavle was struggling on the carpet.
''I should pretend I didn''t see it.''
"But Young Master... another guest has arrived."
Yi-Han momentarily pondered whether he should put up a sign saying "No Guests Allowed" in front of the mansion.
At this point, he couldn''t distinguish between guests and scoundrels.
"Is it a professor?"
"No, it''s not."
"Is it a friend?"
"No, it''s not."
"Could it be a crazy person... No. Then you would have said it was a professor. Who is it?"
"It''s Prince Bogajun."
"Ah. That..."
He was one of the royals whose life was saved thanks to Yi-Han defeating the Basilisk at the previous royal gathering.
They seemed to have talked about many things, but what he remembered was...
''Did he say he tried to solve the Cleudran Vige gue incident but failed?''
Since the royals were so lively in criticizing each other, the only thing that remained in his memory was their criticism of one another.
"Lord Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family! I heard the rumors!"
"Are you referring to subjugating the Basilisk?"
Yi-Han asked, half giving up.
Even if he called it an ident, people would hear what they wanted to hear, wouldn''t they?
"Ah. That''s not the rumor I was talking about."
"Is it about the subjugation of the King of Ghouls?"
"Did you subjugate the King of Ghouls? Please tell me about that story in detail as well."
''Damn it.''
Yi-Han was furious at Granden City.
Why were there so many rumors spreading that the person speaking had to worry about it?
"Then what rumor are you..."
"I heard you saved the knights of the Crimson Lotus Forest subjugation force! I was truly moved."
"..."
"There are many mages in the empire, and among them, there are outstanding ones, but to jump into a dungeon and risk your life to save the injured..."
"I didn''t risk my life. It was a small dungeon where I took all my escorts, and the monsters were almost wiped out."
Prince Bogajun was so intoxicated with himself that he didn''t hear Yi-Han''s words.
"...How many people would be able to save them? Even Professor Lagrinde praised you highly. She said you have the qualities to be a great healing mage."
Yi-Han smiled bitterly.
He wanted to tell the prince, ''Telling a pig on a farm that it has gained weight isn''t apliment,'' but he felt there was no point in saying it since the prince wouldn''t understand anyway.
Yi-Hanposed his emotions and smiled hypocritically. Then he opened his mouth.
"I''m just flustered by the excessive reputation attached to an incident I got involved in by chance."
"What are you saying... Reputation is a reflection of the soul. You have a vessel of a soul worthy of such a reputation."
Prince Bogajun looked at Yi-Han with deep and profound eyes and spoke.
"Lord Wardanaz. I have a proposal."
"Please go ahead."
''I must refuse no matter what.''
"There''s a gathering this time, and with me..."
Knock knock knock-
A servant carefully opened the door and entered.
"I apologize. Young Master. Another guest has arrived."
"Who is it?"
"It''s Prince Gainando."
At the servant''s words, Bogajun showed a deeply shocked expression.
''As I thought...!''
From the moment he saw Gainando hiding his ws at the previous mansion, he felt suspicious, and it turned out to be true.
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Chapter 334
Chapter 334
¡®I must never let my guard down,¡¯ he realized with a sense of urgency.
Trust was a raremodity among the royal family.
The imperial social scene was rife with conspiracies and schemes, with the royals being the most cunning and ruthless yers.
To have fooled and lulled such royals intocency, even momentarily, was no mean feat. Bogajun''s wariness towards Gainando heightened drastically.
¡®Evading suspicion with an act of foolishness¡¡¯ he mused. It was not something just anyone could do. One needed the resilience of steel to endure the barrage of infamy and harsh criticism directed at them. This realization sent shivers down Bogajun''s spine.
It was disconcerting to think that for a long time, Gainando had been dodging the suspicions of other royals, while gathering powerful nobles to support his own cause. Perhaps this young sibling was the most dangerouspetitor among the royals.
"Finally, after much deliberation, I''ve created a new deck... Huh?"
Upon entering the room and seeing Bogajun, Gainando was taken aback.
"Who are you?"
"..."
Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
"How quickly you forget..."
Though it was customary for royals to insult each other, it was usually done within the bounds of decorum. Asking "Who are you?" was far beyond the pale.
Yi-Han was thankful that no other nobles were present.
¡®Lucky it''s just the three of us.¡¯
Bogajun burst outughing at the sight of Gainando revealing his true colors. He thought his sinister and scheming sibling had finally dropped the fa?ade.
Naturally, Gainando was bewildered by thisughter.
"Is he mad?"
"Professor, is that you?"
"...It''s Prince Gainando, isn''t it? Stop joking around."
Yi-Han ced a hand on Gainando''s shoulder. Gainando winced in pain, his brain firing on all cylinders.
"Ah! Ahh! I remember now! The Prince! His Highness!"
"Yes, my apologies, Your Highness. Gainando has a penchant for jokes."
"There''s no need to cover for him anymore, Mr. Wardanaz."
Bogajun stood up, his gaze not betraying a hint of disregard for Gainando. Instead, his eyes zed with the fervor of facing a formidable rival.
¡®This can''t be good,¡¯ Yi-Han thought, sensing trouble.
Leaving Bogajun alone with his thoughts in Gainando''s room seemed unwise. The more Gainando spoke, the lower his reputation sank.
Gainando. Do as you did before.
Yi-Han held up three fingers, signaling for Gainando to respond only with ''yes'', ''no'', or ''hehe''. Gainando nodded, rubbing his shoulder.
"Prince Gainando harbors great ambitions, I''ve realized."
"No..."
Yi-Han sent him an urgent look, signaling him to deny it.
"Deny it quickly!"
"Hehe."
"..."
Gainando misinterpreted Yi-Han''s look.
Bogajun nodded as if he had expected this reaction.
"Mr. Wardanaz. It''s natural for a fellow Einroguard to support a friend."
"I''m not supporting anyone."
"But I know better. A person of your discerning eye, Mr. Wardanaz, will support a more deserving royal when they emerge."
"I have no interest in supporting or anything..."
"Please wait. I will soon prove my worth."
Bogajun dered solemnly.
However, since Gainando couldn''t understand the deration and Yi-Han found it absurd, the statement had little effect.
"Then, let''s meet at the gathering, Prince Gainando."
"Yes."
"..."
Yi-Han sighed deeply within himself.
Narrowing the responses to just three had backfired.
''Should I just sew his mouth shut?''
"Young... Master. Another guest has arrived," announced a servant.
Yi-Han considered hanging a ''No Visitors'' sign at the mansion''s main gate.
"Who is it this time?"
"Princess Judrantas..."
"Hmph. A step toote," scoffed Bogajun, mocking Judrantas.
She would probably be just as surprised as Bogajun had anticipated.
She probably thought her rival was Bogajun¡
But little did she know, the real threaty among the young royals.
¡ª
As expected, Judrantas was just as surprised and behaved simrly to Bogajun.
Even her words echoed his.
"If someone with your discernment, Mr. Wardanaz..."
"Are you saying you''ll support another royal if they prove more worthy?"
"Exactly!"
"I''m not saying I agree..."
"Please wait. I will soon prove my worth."
''Are those two secretly friends?''
Yi-Han grew tired of their identical responses.
"Understood."
"Then, at the gathering..."
After the royals had left, Gainando cheerfully took out his deck.
"I made a new deck, want to try... Ouch! Why are you hitting me!"
Yi-Han started hitting Gainando''s back with a staff, and Gainando ran around the room screaming.
An hourter.
Yi-Han sighed and held a mage card.
He thought about fulfilling the wish of a friend who had endured dozens of blows.
"Hehe. This time will be different."
"Shut up and be quiet."
"Okay..."
Gainando quietly drew a card.
The game, known as Mage Cards, involved summoning minions and casting spells each turn to reduce the opponent mage''s life to zero to win. In the early game, yers could only use weak minions and spells due to limited mana, but in thete game, they could use stronger ones as their mana overflowed. A good deck needed a bnce of both weak and strong minions and spells for early andte game.
Of course, Gainando had always stuffed his deck with strong cards he liked, ignoring any rules.
"Hehe. But this time, it''s different."
Gainandoid down a card confidently.
Yi-Han looked at it, puzzled.
''Wait. Could this be...''
There was another way to win besides reducing the opponent mage''s life to zero: if the opponent''s deck ran out of cards.
And the dark magic spell card Gainando yed discarded three cards from the opponent''s deck.
"Gainando. Did you create a deck destroyer?"
"Oh, no?"
Caught off guard, Gainando avoided eye contact and denied it.
"This is better than that weird deck you had before... But don''t people dislike this kind of y?"
There are always unspoken rules in the world.
The same applied to the game of Mage Cards.
Winning with deck destruction felt like cheating in a cultured and enjoyable gathering.
To Yi-Han, it seemed like a trivial concern...
"Who cares! I''m going to win!"
"Sure, go ahead."
Yi-Han prepared his cards as he spoke.
He nned to barrage the mage with direct damage spells as soon as Gainando finished his turn, ending the game.
Unaware that he was seconds away from defeat, Gainando pondered his move with great seriousness.
"Were you two ying?"
Yonaire and Nillia entered the room, pausing as they observed the Mage Card game.
"Is this a Dark Magic Curse deck?"
"So what if it is?"
"Wow. Gainando. This isn''t right. Really not right."
Yonaire looked at Gainando with a mix of shock and dismay.
She had always sided with Gainando as a rtive, but this was a bit much.
"No, it''s not...! Winning is all that matters! Why!!"
"Winning is one thing, but a Dark Magic Curse deck is a bit of an exception..."
When Yonaire didn''t take his side, Gainando turned to Nillia.
"Is it really such a big mistake?"
"Dark Magic Curse decks are a bit..."
"..."
Gainando felt incredibly wronged.
"In a hunters'' circle, using such a deck would get you shot in the back."
"It''s not that bad!"
"It''s true."
"Seems so."
Yi-Han, taking his turn, unleashed a barrage of spells, knocking Gainando out. Gainando''s mouth hung open, his eyes blinking in disbelief.
"So, Yonaire. What brings you here?"
"Oh. There''s a social gathering in Granden City, isn''t there?"
Organizing a social gathering wasn''t difficult. Yi-Han could call a few friends over for food, drinks, and fun, and it would qualify as a social event.
As such, a city the size of Granden would have dozens of such gatherings daily.
But the gathering Yonaire referred to was of a different caliber. It was essentially a city-wide event in Granden, attended not just by influential families but also imperial bureaucrats.
And the main attendees of this event were first-year students from the magic academy.
''So this is the gathering the royals were talking about earlier.''
Yi-Han understood why the royals had visited earlier.
It made sense they''d want to enter such an event with a promising magic academy student, essentially dering ''we''re friends''.
"I thought it best not to enter with Gainando."
"Ah. I was thinking the same."
Given the attitudes of the other royals, entering with Gainando seemed likely to cause unnecessaryplications.
"Why!? Because I brought a Dark Magic Curse deck?!"
Gainando asked, looking shocked.
"No. If we go together, it might lead to misunderstandings about factions..."
"Just think of it as because of the cards."
Yonaire''s blunt words left Gainando grumbling.
"Everyone''s just jealous because my deck is strong."
"But you lost..."
"Quiet!"
¡ª
"In light of this, there''s no helping it."
Yi-Han spoke to Professor Verduus with a tinge of regret.
He didn''t enjoy attending social gatherings, but if it served as an excuse to avoid the professor, it was worth it.
As expected, Professor Verduus asked, perplexed.
"Why on earth would you attend such a pointless gathering?"
"All first-year students are invited. It seems they want to see how magic academy students socialize."
"Hmm. There was no point in exining."
Professor Verduus continued to grumble, regardless of whether Yi-Han exined or not.
"I don''t understand why there''s a ss on dancing in magic academy. They should be teaching more about enchantment magic theory instead."
"I agree but... wait. Is there dancing at this social gathering?"
"With an event of that size, it''s inevitable," Professor Verduus replied as if it were the most obvious thing.
At small social gatherings, perhaps not, but at an event of this scale, a ball was almost a certainty.
Yi-Han frowned.
''I never thought I''d need to dance in my life.''
While other students of the Blue Dragon Tower had attended social dance sses, Yi-Han had taken an extra magic course instead. It couldn''t be helped.
Even when he was with the Wardanaz family, he had never really practiced dancing...
''I need to quickly learn the basics as efficiently as possible.''
His goal was merely to avoid embarrassment.
Yi-Han looked at Professor Verduus with resolve.
"Professor, are you good at dancing?"
"No?"
"I thought so. Then, I''ll go find someone to teach me."
"???"
Left alone, Professor Verduus tilted his head, feeling somewhat offended.
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Chapter 335
Chapter 335
Yi-Han was lost in thought.
In truth, Yi-Han didn''t need to learn every dance to make a name for himself at the Imperial Ball. It would be enough to learn the basics, dance once with others when they took their turns, and then return to his seat.
Outstanding dancers were said to be well-versed in the subtle differences of the round dances from each region of the Empire, but...
''Is that even possible?''
Yi-Han, who was inwardly amazed, felt a twinge of remorse.
Come to think of it, he, who was taking all the schools of magic, was in no position to say such things.
''The easiest way to learn this is probably...''
It was morefortable to learn with a friend who was as bad at dancing as Yi-Han than to learn alone.
It was good for asking favors and practicing.
''And make preparations in advance so they can''t say anything unnecessary.''
"Gainando is not here?"
"Yes. I apologize."
But surprisingly, Gainando was not at the mansion.
"How...? No. That was a rude question. After all, Gainando can go out and y on his own."
Upon hearing Yi-Han''s words, the head butler thought to himself, ''He might have other friends, you know,'' but didn''t say it out loud.
Gainando had indeed gone out to y alone.
"It seems he went out to test the new Mage Cards he got."
"As expected of the Wardanaz family..."
"That guess has nothing to do with the family. Anyway, I understand."
"Do we have a guest?"
"!"
From inside the mansion, Gainando''s mother, whom he had met before, appeared.
The head butler bowed his head at the dazzling spirit''s radiance. Gainando''s mother recognized Yi-Han''s face and was delighted.
"You''re Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family, Gainando''s fr... fri... acquain... from the same tower... right?"
"Yes. And since we''re friends, please feel free to speakfortably."
Yi-Han could sense the other person thinking, ''Are they really friends? Are they still friends? If I say they''re friends and they deny it, it''ll be awkward for both of us, so I should be careful.''
Gainando''s mother still spoke as if she found it hard to believe.
"I see. What brings you here today?"
"There''s a big social gathering hosted by the city soon, and I came to practice with Gainando."
"..."
Gainando''s mother looked at him again with an amazed expression.
It was a look that seemed to ask why he was going to such lengths to take care of Gainando.
''I should pretend not to notice.''
"That''s really... kind of you. If I had known in advance, I would have locked him up so he couldn''t go out."
"It''s fine. I can wait until he returns."
The head butler cautiously opened his mouth.
"If you need any assistance with your practice, we will dly prepare it."
At that question, Gainando''s mother frowned.
A noble with strong pride might take offense at such a suggestion.
Offering to help with etiquette between noble families could be seen as disrespectful and looking down on the other party at first nce.
"How rude. A young master from the Wardanaz family should be able to do such a thing on his own, shouldn''t he?"
"I, I apologize."
"..."
Yi-Han felt embarrassed.
''I was going to ask for help.''
"He''s someone who can''t do such a thing on his own, so it would be better if you helped him."
"!!"
A nobleman Yi-Han had seen somewhere appeared from inside the mansion.
A cold-looking handsome man, wearing a ceremonial robe made of dark blue silk and holding a cane with the unique elegance that only a nobleman could disy.
His eyes glinted with a wicked mischief.
"Skull pr...! No, Principal!"
"I think you were about to address me casually just now, but I''ll let it slide as a sign of friendliness."
The skull principal tapped the floor lightly with his cane as he spoke.
Maybe it was just his imagination, but Yi-Han thought the skull principal looked very tired.
''Strange.''
The skull principal was one of the most powerful mages Yi-Han knew.
A mage of that caliber wouldn''t get tired from using a few spells.
"Did something happen to you, by any chance?"
"...What''s the reason for your question?"
"You look a bit tired."
"It must be your imagination."
The skull principal red at Yi-Han with a scowl on his face.
As a result, there was no persuasiveness at all in what he had just said.
''You said it was my imagination.''
Yi-Han pondered if he had done something wrong.
"Is it because of the King of Ghouls? But that wasn''t my fault, it was because the Adventurers'' Guild didn''t investigate properly..."
"Wait. What do you mean by the King of Ghouls?"
The skull principal interrupted Yi-Han''s words.
His foresight magic-enhanced instincts were warning him of something ominous.
It was telling him that nothing good woulde from hearing it!
''I was harassed by the Emperor until dawn, and don''t tell me...''
The skull principal had faced the Emperor alone at the Imperial Pce from after the break until dawn today.
It was closer to a reprimand and criticism than a one-on-one meeting.
-Os... I respect your policy. But there are clearly some parts that are too much. I heard that a mage who graduated from Einroguard caused another incident recently¡-
-Mages are basically crazy, so it''s not that Einroguard is particrly unusual... The higher proportion at Einroguard is because there are more capable mages there, so the incidents naturally increase ordingly¡-
-Stop making excuses. I didn''t summon you to hear that. I heard an outstanding student from the Wardanaz family enrolled this time?-
-Yes.-
-Seeing you agree so readily, it must be a truly outstanding student. Well, it is the Wardanaz family.-
-I will take responsibility and teach him well.-
-Don''t try to change the subject. I heard that student is receiving harsh teachings beyond the normal level. Is it true that a freshman is learning magic from all the schools of magic?-
-...It''s not unprecedented¡-
-That kid was a troll mixed-blood, wasn''t she? Even then, there was a lot of talk about dismissing you. This time, there''s no such talk since it''s the Wardanaz family, but.-
-That just shows how little insight the bureaucrats have, doesn''t it? No, do you think a troll mixed-blood would endure well, or a pure human would endure well?-
-Well, if they''re from the Wardanaz family, one can''t help but expect some level of extraordinariness... Stop beating around the bush. There''s only one thing I want to say. Teach that student well.-
-Yes.-
-Os. When I say teach him well, I don''t just mean magic. I mean guide him so he doesn''t be twisted.-
The Emperor''s words were not entirely unreasonable.
Mages were fundamentally dangerous beings.
And outstanding mages were even more dangerous beings, and outstanding yet twisted mages were extremely dangerous beings.
Considering the abilities of the mages Einroguard produced, it was only natural for the Emperor to speak so gravely.
However, the skull principal still felt wronged.
Why was it the skull principal''s fault that mages learned magic and caused idents?
He wanted to argue for hours, but the skull principal endured.
There was no point in saying such things to the Emperor, who was tired from overseeing the Empire''s affairs, as it would only be disadvantageous to himself.
And the skull principal had too many weaknesses that the Emperor could exploit.
-I will do my best.-
-I''m telling you this in advance in case you try to y clever word gamester... Here are some examples of what I mean by guiding him well. If there''s a situation where he has to fight a Rock Drake, make him avoid it. If he''s already taking ten sses, dissuade him from taking an eleventh. If there''s an intruder from outside, avoid having the freshman fight. Simrly, if the King of Frost Giants is summoned, avoid having the freshman resolve it¡-
-...I swear, I didn''t intentionally push for any of those things.-
-Is that so?-
-But Your Majesty won''t believe me, will you?-
-That''s right. Don''t resent me too much, Os... It''s all because you''ve deceived me too many times.-
-...-
The skull principal couldn''t say anything because it was his just deserts.
This was the consequence of alwaysmitting misdeeds and then making excuses, saying, "It wasn''t me."
But the incidents rted to Yi-Han were truly not something the skull principal had forcibly pushed.
Most of them were things he had volunteered for!
-From now on, I will be careful not to let the freshman go through too harsh of trials.-
-Hearing that answer satisfies me... I''ll trust you, Os. Even though I suspect that after saying this, in 3 days, you''ll harshly pass on your mantle as you please¡-
-No, Your Majesty. What era do you think this is?-
-Gathering just the disciples who ran away from you, one could establish a magic tower. Anyway... I''ll trust you.-
After enduring the barbaric nder of the Emperor, who insulted an innocent Great Mage based on unfounded rumors and hearsay, and returning, the very person who was the cause of all this was saying something ominous, so he couldn''t help but be afraid.
"Let me guess. Undead rising from the cemetery? It is about time for that. Idle nobles like to give them grandiose nicknames."
"Ah. How did you know? But that wasn''t the King of Ghouls, it was an undead chimera. I tracked it down and caught it with Senior Direth."
"..."
The skull principal felt phantom headaches from his nonexistent body.
He had been away for just over a month, and he was afraid to even ask what had happened during that time.
"...Then did the noble brats cause an incident? They''re the kind who don''t know what''s dangerous and buy this and that to y around with."
"Oh. You heard? But that was a Basilisk."
"...What the hell is wrong with you!"
In the end, the skull principal exploded.
"Other Blue Dragon Tower brats are wasting their family''s wealth and indulging in debauchery during the break, but why are you doing this! Acting like you have multiple lives when you''re not even a lich!"
"..."
"..."
Not only Yi-Han but everyone else in Gainando''s mansion was dumbfounded.
"My friends are all working during the break though..."
"You must have influenced them!"
"That''s not... Or is it?"
When Yi-Han agreed, the skull principal became even more spiteful.
Gainando''s mother stepped forward to defend Yi-Han.
"Lord Gonadaltes. Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family ispletely different from those lunatics who do dangerous things unsuited to their abilities for the sake of false reputation. There was an incident where members of the Crimson Lotus Forest subjugation team were unfortunately teleported, and they were very grateful that Yi-Han saved their lives."
"..."
Originally, he should have been happy about a student''s achievements, but instead of being pleased, the skull principal sighed even more deeply.
What he feared most was the lingering unease that there were still more of Yi-Han''s aplishments left.
After sighing a few more times, the skull principal decided to ept reality.
''At least there''s an alibi, fortunately.''
Even if the Emperor askedter, it was possible to make the excuse that he wasn''t in Granden City at that time.
He didn''t know how effective that would be, but...
"Enough... If he were someone who could be stopped, he wouldn''t have had that level of capacity in the first ce. Just learn to dance. Lady Kraha. This kid didn''t take the social etiquette ss, so it would be good if you could teach him."
"Really?"
Gainando''s mother looked at the skull principal as if asking if it wasn''t too much.
The skull principal immediately realized what misunderstanding she was having.
"No... Lady Kraha! I didn''t prevent him from taking it!"
"Then he just didn''t take it?"
"That''s right!"
"I see... I understand..."
"The sacred cab will break...! You exin it!"
The skull principal called Yi-Han while enduring his headache.
"Yes? What should I say?"
"It was your choice not to take the dance ss, wasn''t it!"
"Yes. It was my choice, but."
"Do you see...!"
The skull principal, who was about to speak, faltered when he saw the shocked look Gainando''s mother was giving him.
At that moment, the skull principal realized that no matter how he exined it, it was impossible to clear up the misunderstanding.
"...Just teach him to dance."
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Chapter 336
Chapter 336
Yi-Han felt a twinge of guilt.
In fact, it was Yi-Han''s choice not to take the dance ss at the academy.
But the skull principal was getting unnecessary misunderstandings because of him.
"I apologize."
"Enough."
"It seems like a misunderstanding because of the things you usually do."
"You apologize and then say something like that, do you think it sounds like an apology?"
The skull principal was dumbfounded.
Whoever taught him, his skill at turning an apology into an insult was not ordinary.
"But why did youe here?"
"What other reason would I have for meeting high nobles?"
The skull principal ced an Imperial gold coin on his palm with a tired expression.
Yi-Han unconsciously tried to take the gold coin. The skull principal immediately took back the gold coin and looked at him as if dumbfounded.
"Were you just trying to take my gold coin?"
"I thought you took it out to give it to me."
"...Seeing you now, it seems that what His Majesty said wasn''t entirely wrong... I came to receive sponsorship."
Mages were a race that couldn''t help but be wasteful.
They burned precious gems and ground up rare materials just to try developing a reagent, so there was no way they could be frugal.
And then they would nonchntly say things like, ''I used up the whole box of diamonds you provided, but there were no results. Can''t you provide me with better diamonds again?'' and make their sponsors grab the back of their necks!
And since Einroguard was a ce that gathered only the most outstanding among such mages in the Empire, the wastefulness was also among the worst in the Empire.
Even though the Emperor supported Einroguard despite the opposition of the Imperial bureaucrats (the Imperial treasurers trembled at the mere mention of Einroguard), the budget was always tight.
As such, one of the skull principal''s duties was to secure additional sponsorships.
"Indeed. You must be working hard."
Yi-Han deeply empathized.
A professor''s job wasn''t just researching their own magic and teaching disciples.
Securing a budget was also one of a professor''s abilities.
In that regard, the skull principal was indeed an amazing person.
''Wait. He''s not extorting them through threats, is he?''
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"It''s nothing. By the way, when will you visit our family?"
"The Wardanaz family?"
The skull principal looked at Yi-Han as if he had heard the stupidest thing in the world.
"There''s no reason to visit the Wardanaz family. Do you think a mage busy with his own experiments would give gold coins to another mage to experiment?"
Mages never gave gold coins to other mages.
They might use it themselves, but giving it to another mage was not something a mage would do.
"I-is that so? Did you receive sponsorship from Lady Kraha?"
"Not yet. Receiving someone else''s gold coins is not an easy task. I''ll have to visit a few more times and persuade her."
The skull principal''s expression was serious.
It was a much more serious expression than when he used the grand magic of the Unique Worldst time.
In fact, securing a budget was a much more difficult realm than magic.
"It seems persuasion is difficult."
"Of course it is. Lady Kraha is by no means an easy person."
"You must have already talked about Gainando... Do you have any other excuses to receive sponsorship? Like the schedule for the second semester."
Yi-Han casually asked.
It was easier to prepare if you knew in advance.
However, the skull principal was not easy to deal with.
"Even if I do, I won''t tell you. And are you telling me to talk about how her own son was dragged to the punishment room?"
The skull principal looked at Yi-Han suspiciously.
He suspected that Yi-Han might be trying to get back at him for the grudges umtedst semester.
"No, that''s not it... You know, Lady Kraha. Did you know that Gainando has talent in dark magic?"
"Is that true?"
Gainando''s mother asked back in amazement.
"Not Mage Cards?"
"He doesn''t have much talent in Mage Cards, but he''s outstanding in dark magic. We take the ss together, and he''s one of the best."
''In the first ce, the number of freshmen taking it can be counted on one hand.''
The skull principal was dumbfounded but didn''t intervene.
"Lord Gonadaltes. I haven''t heard about this."
"Lady Kraha. I cannot disclose the secrets of the students."
"..."
This time, Yi-Han looked at the skull principal as if dumbfounded.
''Trying to avoid talking about sending him to the punishment room with such tricks...''
"I will consider the sponsorship positively."
"Really? I sincerely thank you! I was just in need of new corpses."
Gainando''s mother nodded with a generous smile.
The skull principal looked at Yi-Han with a different expression than before.
"I''m proud of you."
"...Principal. I don''t want to brag about myself, but I''m the top student in my year."
"Yes. Top student. I''m proud of you. But I have other families to visit."
"I''ll be going to learn to dance now."
Yi-Han turned his steps as if he hadn''t heard.
¡ª
Dancing was not that difficult.
Gainando''s mother was a skilled dancer, and Yi-Han had risked his life to perform movements several times more difficult than this.
In fact, if Gainando''s mother hadn''t kindly taught him, he might have learned a little faster.
''It''s awkward that there''s no attacking when I make a mistake in the beat.''
Not knowing what ominous thoughts Yi-Han was having, Gainando''s mother kindly emphasized.
"The most important thing in dancing is the beat. If you can just feel the beat, you can somehow follow the rest of the movements. One, two, three. Once again, one, two, three."
Seeing Yi-Han''s movements, Gainando''s mother was satisfied like a teacher with a talented student.
It was an excellent result to achieve this much in such a short time.
"With this level of talent, it''s a waste to let it rot... How about taking it in the second semester?"
"Actually, I''m taking many other sses."
Yi-Han quickly made an excuse.
Even Professor Bdi acknowledged the excuse, ''I''m actually taking all the magic sses,'' so one could see the power this excuse held.
"Is that so? That''s unfortunate."
Gainando''s mother didn''t insist any further.
If he was the top student in his year, he would probably do well on his own without much effort.
''I should just say a word or two to Lord Gonadaltes when delivering the sponsorship money.''
Gainando''s mother thought she should still say something to the skull principal.
It could be because of the skull principal that he couldn''t take it.
"By the way. Is there anything I should be careful about at the ball?"
Yi-Han asked for advice.
His other friends were also young andcked experience attending social gatherings, but Yi-Han was even worse.
In fact, he had no interest in social gatherings in the first ce.
As such, advice from someone like Gainando''s mother was valuable.
"First, it''s best not to get involved with the royals."
"...Uh..."
Yi-Han was slightly flustered.
''Is she telling me not to hang out with Gainando?''
"I''m grateful that you''re ying with Gainando, but the royals attending the gathering are likely to be jealous. They''re the kind who make things tiring one way or another."
As if reading his inner thoughts, Gainando''s mother kindly advised him.
The royals basically aimed to build their achievements, raise their reputation, and let the Imperial social circles know, ''I''m this great of a person, so please push me as the sessor.''
As such, they took great interest in gatherings where new talents entering the magic academy gathered.
If an ambitious student joined hands with one of the royals and took sides, it wasn''t bad, but if they had no intention of doing so, it was better to avoid them.
"If you politely refuse to dance or converse, they will also understand and respect your intentions. They have very strong pride, you see."
"???"
Yi-Han tilted his head.
''They don''t do that though?''
Even when Yi-Han declined, the royals kept pestering him.
They even openly dered in front of Gainando, ''I will take Wardanaz away''...
''Were the royals I met unusuallycking in pride?''
"I, I see. I''ll be careful. Besides people who be troublesome when you get close, are there any good people to get close to?"
"The city nobles of Granden are generally not bad to get close to. You''ll be staying here for the next few years, so you''ll be able to get help from them in some way or another."
"Ah. I received help from themst time when chasing the undead chimera."
Gainando''s mother pretended not to hear the story of a freshman chasing and catching an undead chimera.
It was indeed the skill of someone who had experienced all sorts of things in the Imperial social circles.
"Among them, the people who are especially good to know are..."
''Oh.''
Yi-Han had high expectations for the summary of the core of Granden City''s social circles that Gainando''s mother was about to impart.
"In the case of Grime from the Bood family, he oversees the materials and reagents of the guild, so it''s good for a mage to know..."
"!"
Just hearing the exnation, it felt like the sound of clinking gold coins could be heard.
"Ah. Wait. That won''t work."
"Pardon? Why do you say that? Is it because I''m from the Wardanaz family?"
Yi-Han was flustered.
He was already imagining in his head getting close, monopolizing various jobs, and happily working with his friends until the end of the break.
"It''s not because of the Wardanaz family. Grime has spirit blood mixed in him, so he''s likely to get scared if he talks closely with Yi-Han."
"...????"
Yi-Han was flustered again.
What does this mean?
"Uh... La... Lady Kraha, aren''t you talking to me right now?"
Yi-Han asked, hoping Gainando''s mother would answer, ''That''s true'' or ''Well, I was fine, so Grime might be fine too.''
Of course, the spirits didn''t particrly like Yi-Han, but it didn''t make sense for the spirit mixed-bloods to dislike...
"I have a strong mental strength, but Grime is timid and has quite thick spirit blood..."
"..."
Instead of denying it, Gainando''s mother confirmed it.
Yi-Han asked in a dejected voice.
"Am I that intimidating?"
"Yes."
"..."
"I''m sorry. But I can''t sugarcoat it."
Gainando''s mother apologized very regretfully.
Yi-Han suddenly became curious and asked.
"Then does Gainando also not feel much pressure from me because he has strong mental strength?"
"He just doesn''t feel it because his spirit blood hasn''t manifested."
"I, I see."
¡ª
The huge hall located in the center of Granden City was originally one of the city''s prides, where city nobles and bureaucrats gathered when there was an important matter.
However, today it was being used as a venue to wee new students of the magic academy. Students arriving one by one marveled at the splendid exterior of the grand mansion.
Yi-Han, who had arrived, greeted the students from other towers who hade earlier. Friends who were acquainted with Yi-Han either greeted him together or avoided his gaze.
"Why are you avoiding my gaze?"
"Oh, it''s a misunderstanding. Wardanaz."
Even minor misunderstandings between them were not forgotten and resolved.
"Nillia."
Seeing that the dark elf friend''splexion wasn''t good, Yi-Han spoke as if he understood.
"You don''t want to attend the ball. I understand. I don''t really want to attend either."
"That''s not why."
"It''s not? Then why?"
"Because I ranked first at the Maykin mansion..."
"?"
Nillia sighed deeply and took out a piece of paper.
There are many idle hunters in the north, so sending them to the southern coast... They can attack from a distance, so they''ll be good at dealing with monsters... If monsters are caught well, people will be happy and political instability will decrease... I''m sorry...
"Why did I submit this..."
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Chapter 337
Chapter 337
"It''s not bad?"
"!?!"
At Yi-Han''s words, Nillia was startled and raised her head.
For a moment, she thought her friend was teasing her, but Yi-Han''s expression was very serious.
"Sangoria flowers are easy to obtain in seasons other than winter. The Shadow Patrol has rtively more free time in seasons other than winter. You chose well. I was thinking of negotiating with the guilds to have a vacation period and support the mages, but mobilizing the Shadow Patrol seems like a much better method than that."
"No... Why... Are you cra...?"
Nillia wondered if her friend, who even ranked first in the year, had gone mad from excessivebor and training.
To solve the political instability in the southern coast of the Empire, one should use some... what... anyway, some clever methods, so why call the northern hunters?
"Yonaire. Look at this."
"Hey!!"
Nillia screamed.
Yi-Han had called Yonaire instead of looking at it alone.
''This is why they all said not to trust noble brats!''
"What do you think?"
"It''s not bad? Mobilizing mages is too expensive, and above all, there''s no certainty that it can be done right away."
"That''s right. The Shadow Patrol is much more reliable inparison."
"There might be adaptation issues since the area of activity is different, but will that be okay?"
"If there were such problems, Nillia wouldn''t have written it in the first ce."
"True."
"...Huh?"
Nillia flinched while listening.
...She had just written it without much thought...
"That''s not it."
"Looking at this, it seems I was thinking too much. The most intuitive method is the best method."
"Definitely. I agree too."
"Guys? Guys??"
Whether Nillia called them or not, Yi-Han and Yonaire were absorbed in their own world,plementing Nillia''s n.
"When persuading the local guilds, the hunters might be better."
"When mana bes rough and spirits be angry, many people feel more ufortable if mages visit for no reason."
"..."
Nillia was appalled by her two friends adding things she hadn''t even mentioned.
"I''ve seen it all. Nillia. You truly deserve to rank first in the Maykin family."
"I''m proud that you''re my friend."
"But I... didn''t do anything..."
At Nillia''s words, the two friends smiled knowingly.
"So humble."
"Originally, a drop of humility makes a genius stand out even more."
"But don''t be too humble, Nillia. If the first-ce is too humble, it''s hard for those below."
Nillia was dumbfounded by the brazen words of the year''s top student who was always being humble.
She was so dumbfounded that she couldn''t retort, and in the meantime, the two friends finished the conversation on their own.
"What happens if it''s adopted by the Maykin family?"
"A method this good has a high possibility of actually being tried out. They''ll probably call Nillia and ask."
"Indeed. I''m looking forward to the results."
Nillia, who had been listening nkly, whispered like a growling beast.
"...Both of you, help me."
"Us?"
"Will our help be necessary? I don''t think we''ll be of much help."
"Right."
Nillia unconsciously tried to take out the bow on her waist, but btedly realized that she hade in attire suitable for a social gathering.
''This outfit is really annoying!''
"It feels really awkward. Am I wearing it right?"
"I''m not sure either. Wow. Wait. Look at Nillia. How did she wear it so perfectly?"
"Nillia has many friends here and there. She probably attends many gatherings, so she''s good at wearing theseplicated clothes."
"????"
At the sound of ck Tortoise Tower friends chattering and passing by behind her, Nillia sharply turned her head.
''What are these jerks saying?!''
¡ª
"Huh? Isn''t that professor over there?"
Yonaire pointed ahead, looking puzzled.
Yi-Han answered as if asking what she was talking about.
"What are you saying, Yonaire? No, it''s not."
"Huh? It''s a beaver mixed-blood... right? It''s Professor Beavle!"
"It must be someone who looks simr."
Professor Beavle spotted Yi-Han and walked over with a dejected expression.
Yi-Han clicked his tongue tantly. Yonaire looked at her friend as if dumbfounded.
''You recognized him, didn''t you!''
"Professor. What brings you here?"
"Because of an unreasonable order."
Professor Beavle waved his staff with a dejected expression.
Then, the wrinkles caught on a passing student''s clothes were smoothed out, and the knots were perfectly tied.
"An unreasonable order?"
"The principal must have told him toe out and help the kids."
Yi-Han guessed it right away.
With the skull principal''s personality, there was no way he would let Professor Beavle fool around nearby.
"Why dancing... time... cost... artifact..."
Professor Beavle grumbled and waved his staff. Yi-Han gestured to Yonaire with his eyes.
''Let''s get away quickly.''
However, the bored and idle Professor Beavle didn''t let Yi-Han go easily.
"Want to try this?"
"What is this?"
"Shoes that make you dance well."
Professor Beavle held out shoes that emanated mana.
Yonaire asked in amazement.
"There''s an artifact like that?"
"Shh. Yonaire. If it''s a proper artifact, there''s no reason to give it to us."
Yi-Han saw through Professor Beavle''s true intentions.
Surely, he must have made the artifact because this ce was too boring and dull, so the artifact was unlikely to be ordinary and proper.
It probably had something strange or a drawback.
"Have you made an artifact like this before?"
"Why would I make a crappy artifact that makes you dance well?"
''Hmm. It''s dangerous as expected.''
No matter how much the shoes made you dance well, it was dangerous to wear an artifact that you couldn''t handle.
Just like a person who had never swung a sword would only injure their muscles if they held a sword that allowed them to use ancient swordsmanship, those shoes were likely to be the same.
"What''s that?"
Gainando, who arrivedte, threw a question.
Yi-Han checked the time and asked.
"Why are you sote?"
"Hehe. I won against three people."
"Did you have a dark magic duel?"
"It was a Mage Cards match!"
Gainando snapped.
After making a new deck, Gainando was literally intoxicated with power.
To the point of pondering to himself if this was what being omnipotent felt like.
"They''re shoes that make you dance well."
"Ah. Thank you."
Gainando promptly took Professor Beavle''s offer.
Yi-Han frowned and said.
"They look dangerous. Wouldn''t it be better to dance without them?"
"I can''t. I didn''t practice."
Yi-Han didn''t say, ''You should have practiced instead of ying cards.''
It felt like he was nagging too much.
"How about making an excuse and leaving?"
"If Mom hears about it, I''ll get scolded."
"You should have practiced instead of ying cards."
1 second after making up his mind, words different from his thoughts spilled out of his mouth.
¡ª
Not only the Blue Dragon Tower students who enjoyed social gatherings, but also students from other towers greatly enjoyed the banquet.
The people of Granden City weed them with a soft and pleasant atmosphere instead of suffocating the freshmen with a stiff and formal atmosphere.
Thanks to that, even students who were unfamiliar with such asions sat and chatted happily and danced.
"Mage. How is life at Einroguard?"
"Uh... um..."
"Hahaha! You seem to be having an amazing time! Well, you''re learning at the Empire''s best magic academy, so there can''t be anyints! If I could enter and learn there, I would have no regrets."
"..."
Of course, there were asionally people who hurt the students'' feelings, but it wasn''t intentional.
''It''s not bad?''
Yi-Han was relieved by this atmosphere.
If it was this atmosphere, even Yi-Han, who had little experience with social gatherings, could get through it smoothly...
"Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. I was truly amazed by the magic you showed against Doin from Baldurguard. Would you like to dance?"
"Ah, yes."
"Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. I heard Lady Yoanen of the Maykin family praising you. Would you like to dance?"
"...Yes."
"Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. His Highness Prince Bogajun..."
"The Basilisk..."
"The King of Ghouls..."
"The undead chimera in the cemetery this time..."
"I heard you saved the knights."
Yi-Han felt like it was better when he learned swordsmanship under Arlong or Ingurdel.
At least then, he didn''t have to be so nervous about stepping on the other person''s feet.
''This is driving me crazy.''
The excuses for dancing at the Imperial Ball were simr to the reasons a drunkard drank alcohol.
If the weather was good, they danced because the weather was good, if the weather was bad, they danced because the weather was bad, if the other person aplished something, they used that as an excuse to dance again...
And Yi-Han was an excuse in itself just by walking around.
Thud-
Only after dancing to thest excuse could Yi-Han sit on a chair.
''What?''
When Jijel, who was already sitting next to him, stared at him, Yi-Han was puzzled.
"Were there any mistakes in my dancing?"
"No."
"Were there any good requests?"
"No."
"May I ask why you''re staring at me?"
"...I heard there''s a guy among the freshmen who says he''s Gainando of the Moradi family. I''m wondering if you know anything about it."
Jijel spoke coldly. Yi-Han answered immediately.
"I''ll give Gainando a stern talking-to. Mistaking his own family, what a ridiculous mistake."
"I heard he has ck hair."
"Gainando has been interested in hair color conversion magictely."
"They say he uses magic better than the second-years."
"Gainando has talent in magic, you know."
"Are you confident you won''t meet him for the rest of your life?"
Jijel asked as if threatening.
It meant that she would bring Valgaro from the Alpha family, a second-year senior from the White Tiger Tower, to meet him.
So Yi-Han didn''t even blink an eye.
"I don''t know what you''re talking about."
''I can just avoid him.''
If he was intimidated by such things, he couldn''t have survived under the professors.
Even if the lie was exposedter, he had to be able to insist without blinking an eye right now in order to survive as a disciple.
''What kind of jerk is this, really?''
Jijel was at a loss for words.
A descendant of an Imperial high noble family was insisting more brazenly than a street thug, so she had nothing to say.
What the hell was this jerk?
"Wardanaz?"
"Ah. The professor is calling me. I''ll get going."
"You rea..."
The one who called Yi-Han was Professor Kirmin Ku, who taught illusion magic.
Professor Ku looked at Yi-Han and blinked.
"Sorry for calling you when you must be having a great time."
"Not at all."
Yi-Han was sincere.
In fact, even if Professor Ku sent him back, he was nning to return to the hall as slowly as possible.
"I called you because I need your help. It seems a bit difficult to do alone."
"Do I need to move some luggage?"
It wouldn''t be surprising if there were a few more professors from the magic academy at this ce, since even Professor Beavle was here.
If there were any chores, Yi-Han was nning to call Professor Beavle as well.
He couldn''t bear to leave a bored professor alone.
"No, no. It''s not that..."
"Then what is it?"
"I need to scare the students."
"...????"
¡ª
For a moment, he thought a crazy professor had finally appeared (it might not be the first time), but Professor Ku was very sane.
"It''s an annual event. We surprise the students and see how they respond."
"Why on earth at the ball?"
"Wardanaz. A mage must always be on guard. ...That''s what the principal said."
''No wonder the donations aren''ting in.''
Yi-Han realized who the culprit was and sighed inwardly.
"Huh? But do I not have to participate?"
"The principal said to exclude you no matter what?"
"..."
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Chapter 338
Chapter 338
Yi-Han was about to argue why only he had to be excluded, but he stopped.
It was absurd, but honestly, if asked whether he wanted to participate in that gathering, the answer was no.
''I don''t want to be among them.''
Of course, his friends would want to ovee the sudden ordeal together with Yi-Han, but...
Yi-Han didn''t really want to do that.
"What can I help you with?"
"Wow."
"?"
When Professor Ku eximed, Yi-Han was puzzled.
Why was he doing that?
"Ah. The principal said that if it''s you, Wardanaz, you would dly help."
"..."
Yi-Han, whose true feelings were read by the skull principal, feltplicated.
"To have such a diligent disciple. As I said before, it seems too much for Professor Bagrak."
"Haha. Not at all."
"Bdi probably thinks the same. But it shouldn''t be like that."
''It''s scary that it seems that way.''
While Yi-Han was thinking to himself, Professor Ku waved his staff.
Then, a huge me beast revealed itself.
If an ordinary person saw a huge, fiercely burning beast ring at them with fierce eyes, they would have screamed, but Yi-Han didn''t even blink.
"It doesn''t seem to suit the ballroom."
"Definitely. A sharp student would notice."
Professor Ku admitted his mistake and readily dispelled the illusion.
Yi-Han slowly opened his mouth.
"If you need an illusion that can surprise the students, I think you need a usible monster, not just a threatening one."
"usible?"
"Yes. A monster that wouldn''t be strange to appear in the ballroom."
"Is there such a thing?"
Professor Ku was taken aback.
It seemed like any monster appearing in the ballroom would feel strange.
"If you attach a good reason, even a strange monster can be usible. For example, if you say the principal released the monster, most students will believe it."
"Indeed..."
Listening to the conversation, Professor Ku suddenly had a question in his mind.
In a way, it was a task to trouble Wardanaz''s friends, so was it something to put this much sincerity into?
''Indeed, he''s worthy of being Bdi''s disciple.''
In Wardanaz''s unwavering refusal topromise when it came to magic-rted matters, regardless of his friends'' difficulties, Professor Ku was reminded of Bdi.
In the end, a disciple couldn''t help but resemble their master to some extent.
Unaware of Professor Ku''s musings, Yi-Han pulled out a list of monsters.
"How about a demon-type monster? It seems easy to believe that the principal summoned it."
"What about this one?"
A demon with four wings, exhaling a breath mixed with mes and sulfur, appeared.
"It seems good. Its threatening appearance suits the principal well."
"Indeed. Then let''s prepare."
"Yes. ...Wait. What do you mean?"
Yi-Han was slightly taken aback when Professor Ku said to prepare right away without any exnation.
What did he mean by preparing?
"The demon''s illusion, of course?"
"I haven''t learned that yet."
"Ah. It''s okay if it''s not an illusion that can move on its own and control senses. It''s fine if the appearance is simr."
"...That''s what I''m saying, I haven''t learned that yet."
Yi-Han was starting to fear how Professor Ku thought of him.
Did he think he was a fourth-year student?
"What?!"
Professor Ku was startled.
Then, as if it was a new realization, he spoke again.
"Right. Wardanaz, you''re a first-year, so it wouldn''t be strange if you didn''t know."
Yi-Han was about to ask, ''You just realized that now?'' but he held back.
The other person was a professor.
"Yes... No matter how crude, I don''t think the magic I can do is at the level of creating an illusion of a monster on the level of a demon."
"But Professor Beavle said you mastered , which is 4th Circle magic. That''s also in the illusion magic category, right? If you can do that, you can roughly do a demon''s illusion..."
A magic that summons the illusion of a dragon made of light.
Even with the help of a magic circle, it was definitely an impressive feat.
Enough to even attempt a demon''s illusion.
Yi-Han, who was at a disadvantage, changed the subject as if he hadn''t heard.
"So what can I help you with?"
"I was going to assist you on the side when you summoned the demon''s illusion... How about learning it now? I think you can do it, Wardanaz."
''Hmm. Indeed, he''s a friend of Professor Bdi.''
The saying ''birds of a feather flock together'' wasn''t for nothing.
If a crazy person''s friend seemed too normal, one had to think again.
There was a high possibility that madness was hidden behind that normal exterior.
But apart from Yi-Han''s rude thoughts, this matter wasn''t Professor Ku''s fault.
It was originally because Professor Beavle and other professors had raised the difficulty level by saying things like ''Wardanaz did this much'' and ''Wardanaz could probably do this much''.
Hearing such words, it was natural to suggest learning a spell to summon a demon''s illusion.
A suggestion born from pure consideration without any malice.
Of course, even if you throw a rock with no malice and a pure heart, a person can still be hit and die.
"I''m currently practicing many spells..."
Yi-Han was gradually learning the knack of dealing with Einroguard''s professors.
A kind of deflection, using Professor B as an excuse against Professor A, and using Professor C as an excuse against Professor B.
It could be troublesome if caught, but what could he do?
If he didn''t, he was about to die right now.
"Right."
Professor Ku wasn''t surprised at all.
Just looking at the lectures he took in the first semester, it was easy to guess that Wardanaz would be practicing many spells right now.
"What are you practicing? I''m curious. Is there any illusion magic?"
"Illusion magic... I am practicing Ogonin''s illusion magic."
Yi-Han hesitated after speaking.
Professor Ku was listening with too much interest.
"Ogonin''s? What magic have you mastered and to what extent?"
"It''s not that impressive."
"It''s a different story if it''s Ogonin''s illusion magic. It''s ssic and orthodox. The difficulty level has drastically reduced the number of people learning it these days, but I''m d to hear you''re practicing it, Wardanaz."
"So, it''s not that impressive..."
No matter how much Yi-Han tried to speak, Professor Ku didn''t listen.
He even called a passing mage.
"Daruachi. My disciple here is directly learning and practicing Ogonin''s illusion magic?"
"What? Aren''t the students here today first-years?"
"He''s a freshman. Isn''t it impressive?"
"That''s impossible."
When a mage he had never seen before came, Yi-Han wanted to hit Professor Ku.
What was so great about learning from Ogonin that he even called a passerby?
"Professor. Why even another person..."
"Ah. This is Daruachi from the Valer family. He''s also a mage who came to help with today''s event."
Unlike Professor Bdi, Professor Ku had a widework. The other mage seemed to be Professor Ku''s friend.
''Valer family?''
Yi-Han was surprised that the other person''s family name was familiar.
Where had he heard it?
"Nice to meet you. I''m Daruachi from the Valer family."
"I''m Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family."
"...?"
Daruachi stopped in the middle of the greeting and stared at Yi-Han.
"Why are you doing that?"
"Ah... I heard the rumors, but I didn''t think you were a first-year."
"..."
"Doin owed you a favor."
"!"
Yi-Han finally remembered what kind of family the Valer family was.
Doin from Baldurguard, who had a light duel with Yi-Han at the gathering.
Doin''s family was the Valer family.
''They were from the same family!''
"What happened at the gathering wasn''t me winning, but Doin making a mistake..."
"You don''t have to be so considerate. The idiot is the one who made such a mistake whilepeting in magic with a first-year student."
Yi-Han wanted to somehow restore Doin''s honor, but it wasn''t easy.
And it was also quite hard to believe that Doin identally fell into a state of exhaustion because Yi-Han had too much mana.
While Yi-Han was feeling sorry for Doin in his mind, Professor Ku and Daruachi had a conversation.
"If the rumors are true, it''s notpletely nonsense that he''s learning Ogonin''s magic."
"Daruachi. It''s not because he''s my disciple, but Wardanaz doesn''t make false ims when ites to magic."
"I''m not saying I don''t believe it. Ogonin''s illusion magic is so difficult that even if you try to learn and master it, it''s not easy. Even if you have the will, you might not see results."
"We''ll know the results when we hear them. Have you mastered any magic?"
"I''ve mastered and the series of magic, and now I''m practicing ..."
"Ooh!"
"That''s impossible!"
The two illusion mages were startled.
He was already practicing .
Any proper illusion mage in the Empire couldn''t be unaware of .
A defensive magic that spreads an illusory fog to make urate aiming impossible for external enemies.
Of course, there were many illusion spells that created such effects. Among them, there were many spells that were easier to master than .
However, the reason was highly regarded was because of itspleteness.
Illusion magic using heat didn''t work properly in ces filled with cold, and illusion magic using hallucinogenic clouds had a sharp decrease in effectiveness if the sense of smell was blocked.
However, pure traditional illusion magic like didn''t have such weaknesses.
It took a long time to master and was inefficient, but once mastered, it was a highlyplete magic without weaknesses.
It wasn''t for nothing that Professor Ku and Daruachi highly evaluated it.
"He''s already mastered and . Impressive."
"I told you, Daruachi."
"With that level, it seems he''s fully prepared to master ."
"You''re right. Wardanaz. You said you''re practicing now? Try practicing again. We''ll watch."
"No... Professor... Aren''t we preparing?"
"It''s okay to do that a bitter."
"Professor Ku is right. What''s so important about such a prank? Let''s see ."
"..."
Is this really okay?
¡ª
"Something is strange."
The skull principal frowned and spoke.
Professor Beavle, who was next to him, asked with a brightened face.
"You finally realized! The futility of this useless nonsense..."
"That''s not what I meant."
"It''s not?"
"Why are the number of illusion mages gradually decreasing?"
The skull principal didn''t entrust the task only to Professor Ku.
Considering the size of the hall and the number of freshmen, it was something that couldn''t be assigned only to Professor Ku from the beginning. The mana possessed by Einroguard''s professors wasn''t that cheap.
He had called and put on standby several illusion mages in Granden City, including Daruachi, but...
The number of illusion mages in the ballroom was decreasing one by one.
At first, he thought they had deserted because they didn''t want to do it, but no matter what, this was a bit strange.
Unless someone was kidnapping them...
"..."
The skull principal took his gaze off Gainando, who was stirring up the center of the ballroom like a storm, and went out to the corridor.
And he moved his steps to where the life force was gathered.
''No way...''
If life force was gathered, there was only one answer, but the skull principal denied it.
No matter what, how could the illusion mages irresponsibly leave their posts and act on their own?
"It seems difficult..."
"No! Mr. Wardanaz. Please try a little more."
"That''s right! is a magic too precious to give up like this. I also tried to learn it once, but I failed in the end. I''m sure you can do it, Mr. Wardanaz!"
"I agree. I don''t want to highly evaluate failure, but justpleting it to this extent is impressive. It would be a shame to stop here."
"Come on. Just one more time!"
"Just one more time!"
"..."
Seeing the illusion mages surrounding Yi-Han and apuding, the skull principal truly felt a headache.
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Chapter 339
Chapter 339
"Ah. Lord Gonadaltes."
"Look here! This Mr. Wardanaz is on the verge of mastering ! And he''s only a first-year!"
"..."
The skull principal mustered up as much patience as possible to not curse at the faces of the illusion mages who spoke so innocently.
"That''s truly an amazing feat."
"Right? I knew you would agree!"
"Of course you would be happy as the one responsible for Einroguard! Hahaha!"
The illusion mages burst intoughter, but Yi-Han had a slightly different thought.
''He seems extremely pissed off.''
The expression of the skull principal in human form was not just icy cold, but looked like he wanted to attack the illusion mages right away.
However, the illusion mages were so overjoyed by the fact that Yi-Han, who was only a first-year, might master that they failed to notice the skull principal''s expression.
"How about Lord Gonadaltes giving a few words of advice as well?"
"That''s a really great idea!"
Listening to that pure conversation, Yi-Han thought to himself.
The rumor that illusion mages were skilled at reading other people''s emotions might be false.
"But there''s one thing I''m curious about..."
"What is that?"
"Didn''t I ask you all to do something?"
The skull principal asked as kindly and gently as possible.
If his true intentions were revealed, the mages might all run away.
"What was it?"
"Was it to help himpletely master ?"
As the illusion mages murmured, the skull principal''s anger deepened even further.
"The students... in the... ballroom..."
"Ah. Right. I remember now. Lord Gonadaltes."
"It was to surprise the students, right?"
"Not just... surprise them... but make them all... flee in fear..."
"Huh? Why do we need to make them flee in fear?"
The skull principal regretted calling these illusion mages for nothing.
He thought he had brought some decent ones from Granden City, but to think they would be this clueless.
"...Forget it. Everyone, get ready."
"Ah. Wait a moment. Lord Gonadaltes."
"What is it?"
"We want to finish watching Mr. Wardanaz master before getting ready."
"..."
The skull principal thought about how nice it would be if this were Einroguard.
Then he could have shoved all those mages upside down into the punishment room.
But this was Granden City, and if he did that to the illusion mages, reports and petitions would immediately fly to the Imperial Capital.
The reputation of Einroguard built in the city would be tarnished with violence and fear.
He had to endure.
"Now... since the ball is past the halfway point, shouldn''t we prepare quickly...?"
The skull principal spoke as nicely as possible.
However, the illusion mages were more clueless and persistent than expected.
"Please, Lord Gonadaltes."
"We''re almost there! If he doesn''t master this time, who knows how much longer it will take."
"I''m fine. I can practice again next time..."
Yi-Han, who grasped the situation, tried to stop them, but the illusion mages didn''t back down easily.
"Lord Gonadaltes! Please!"
"Lord Gonadaltes, you should know how important this opportunity is..."
"...Do as you wish."
The skull principal let out a very deep and dark sigh.
It was so deep and dark that it seemed to pierce through the corridor floor and reach the evil spirits deep underground.
"As quickly as possible."
"We will do our best to finish it quickly."
Yi-Han read the skull principal''s feelings and spoke sincerely.
Then the illusion mages threw advice from the side.
"There''s no need to rush."
"That''s right. Haste is a dangerous enemy when mastering magic."
"..."
The skull principal red at the illusion mages as if he would kill them.
¡ª
When Yi-Han finally mastered and returned to the banquet hall, the ball was already in its final stages.
The skull principal sent a suspicious look, wondering if Yi-Han had deliberately mastered itte, but he didn''t dwell on it.
Honestly, even from the skull principal''s perspective, he had mastered it quickly, so he couldn''t conscientiously say anything.
''Fortunately, I wasn''t caught.''
Yi-Han let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
At the end, he had mastered but deliberately twisted the flow of mana to pretend to fail a few times.
Roughly looking at it, it was time for the ball to end, so he didn''t really want to return quickly.
"Gainando... Did you go swimming or something?"
Yi-Han was surprised to see Gainando looking like he had taken a bath in sweat.
Gainando sat on a chair, panting as if his heart would stop at any moment. He was so out of breath that he couldn''t even speak properly.
"The, huff, shoes, huff, crazy professor, huff..."
"Don''t trust shoes given by a crazy professor. Got it."
Gainando kept nodding his head. Yi-Han noticed that Gainando was barefoot.
He must have had a problem with the artifact and barely managed to break it and escape.
''I told you not to wear them.''
While Yi-Han was feeling sorry for him, a few city nobles passing by saw Gainando and eximed in admiration.
"It was truly an amazing dance."
"A dancer of that level is rare even in the capital. If His Highness the Prince shows his face in high society, everyone will be amazed."
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised.
Who would have thought that Professor Beavle''s cursed artifact would turn into such luck?
He didn''t know how Gainando had danced, but it was clear that he had shown a dance impressive enough to amaze even the city nobles who were ustomed to social gatherings and balls.
"But His Highness the Prince has a big w, doesn''t he?"
"Ah. Right... If he doesn''t fix that w, he might not be weed in high society."
"!?"
Yi-Han was surprised in a different sense.
''What? What kind of trouble did Gainando cause?''
Even though Gainando was a bit of a troublemaker, he didn''t have many opportunities to cause trouble in the first ce.
He had spent most of this year at the magic academy, and before that, he probably didn''t have many asions to attend social gatherings, so how?
''Did he misspeak? Did he insult someone?''
"To think His Highness won with a dark magic curse in a Mage Cards game. Truly, really..."
"Who would have thought he would pull out such vulgar cards in a friendly game that respects each other''s honor?"
"..."
Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
No, what...?
''Isn''t it too much to say that just because he yed a few cards?''
"Mr. Wardanaz."
While Yi-Han was amazed, two friends from the White Tiger Tower approached him.
He had heard so many honorifics from the illusion mages today that his ears were numb, so Yi-Han flinched without realizing it.
"Rowena. Ctran. Good to see you."
Rowena was one of the Princess''s followers, a knight from the East, and Ctran was a knight who had broken his ankle while ying ball and had received Yi-Han''s help before.
Ctran asked as if puzzled.
"But Wardanaz. Where were you from the middle of the ball? I didn''t see you."
"I met some city mages and had a brief conversation."
Yi-Han made an excuse. Anyway, it wasn''t a lie.
"Oh... As expected, you''re amazing."
Ctran took it in a different sense.
Since Wardanaz had such a reputation, he thought the city mages hade to him on their own and had a heartwarming conversation.
It wasn''tpletely wrong.
Of course, it wasn''t something Ctran should envy either.
"Mr. Wardanaz. This seems a bit unfair."
Rowena grumbled in a sulky voice. Yi-Han didn''t understand what that elf friend was talking about.
"What do you mean?"
"The Princess is also your friend, Mr. Wardanaz, but you only gave such shoes to Mr. Gainando."
"..."
Listening to Rowena''s words, it seemed that thanks to Gainando stirring up the ball like a storm, Princess Adenart, despite having excellent dancing skills, didn''t get a chance to show her abilities.
Ctran, who was listening from the side, spoke as if he couldn''t understand.
"But if she was beaten by Gainando, isn''t it just that her dancing skills arecking..."
"How dare you?! That dance only had shiness that drew attention! A true dance should have elegance and meaning in silence..."
"Ah, no. I don''t know much about dancing."
Ctran sent a pleading look to Yi-Han for help.
"Rowena. I didn''t give those shoes. Professor Beavle..."
"I heard from the professor that he originally intended to give them to you, Mr. Wardanaz, but you refused, and he gave them to Mr. Gainando... Is that wrong?"
"...I didn''t give them, Gainando just took them on his own. And those are cursed artifacts."
Yi-Han exined that Professor Beavle was crazy and that the artifact was cursed, but Rowena, although convinced, couldn''t let go of her regret.
"Then it would have been better if I had worn them instead..."
Ctran looked at Rowena once, then at Gainando lying on the floor far away, and shook his head. Then he moved his lips and spoke to Yi-Han.
-I don''t know why she''s so loyal. They all seem crazy.-
-Isn''t she your tower friend?-
-...Don''t talk as if it''s someone else''s business. Wardanaz, you''re the babysitter of all four towers.-
"...What nonsense is that?"
Yi-Han, who was also moving his lips, blurted out in surprise at Ctran''s absurd words.
Rowena apologized in embarrassment.
"I, I''m sorry. Was it too rude of me to say I would wear them?"
"That''s not it... Rather, Rowena. Do the White Tiger Tower guys call me a babysitter?"
Rowena felt a threatening tone in Yi-Han''s voice and hesitated.
"I... I don''t know... Ah! Princess! Princess! Over here!"
Rowena spotted Adenart and hurriedly called her. Yi-Han thought to himself.
''Is her loyalty weaker than I thought?''
Without realizing that her loyalty as a knight was being doubted, Rowena gestured to the Princess. Adenart was holding a te for snacks and was dragged over without knowing why.
"I will fill the te for you."
"She has hands and feet, so why bother? Just let her eat what she likes..."
Whether Yi-Han spoke or not, Rowena hurriedly took the te and moved.
Ctran, who was next to him, snatched the te like lightning and also got up.
He keenly grasped that if he stayed here, he would have to face the angry Wardanaz alone. He wasn''t a knight for nothing.
''Hmm. This is awkward.''
Yi-Han thought about calling Gainando, who was lying on the floor.
Even among friends, there were some who were morefortable and some who were awkward because they hadn''t talked much.
The Princess was a typical example of thetter.
"Did you have a good break?"
Nod.
The Princess lightly nodded her head and opened her mouth.
"This time..."
''Basilisk? Valer family? King of Ghouls? Undead Chimera? Crimson Lotus Forest knights?''
For a moment, Yi-Han anticipated what the Princess would ask and fell into self-loathing.
"...I heard you had a meal with His Highness Gainando."
"Pardon?"
At thepletely unexpected words, Yi-Han paused for a moment.
''What? Is she trying to keep me in check, thinking I''m part of Gainando''s faction?''
If that was the case, Yi-Han was nning to say, ''I''m not part of Gainando''s faction, haha, feel free to fight with Gainando as you please, I won''t care.''
However, instead of speaking, Adenart threw a gaze filled with subtle emotions in her blue eyes.
Yi-Han felt like he had seen that look somewhere before.
To be precise, when Gainando had a pile of assignments, he would look at Yi-Han with pitiful eyes, unable to say it out loud...
''No way. It can''t be.''
Yi-Han wondered what he was thinking. The Princess wasn''t someone who would ask for help because she couldn''t do her assignments. Comparing her to Gainando was an insult.
"I brought it."
Rowena returned with a te filled with snacks.
Yi-Han was puzzled by the sight of the healthy te filled with vibrant green.
"Uh... Is this for the Princess to eat?"
"This is the te, isn''t it?"
"..."
Yi-Han could clearly see the Princess making a dejected expression for a moment.
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Chapter 340
Chapter 340
"Will that be enough? It doesn''t even look tasty."
"It''s, it''s delicious though..."
Rowena spoke with a slightly discouraged voice at Yi-Han''s harsh criticism.
Not all elves insisted on being vegetarian, but some elf families were crazy about vegetables. Yi-Han knew that too, so he didn''t me Rowena.
"I take back what I said about it not looking tasty. But considering the remaining schedule, it would be better to eat something more filling."
With those words, Yi-Han snatched Ctran''s te.
When the te, which had thick pancakes soaked in honey and syrup, three types of fruit tarts, and a crispy threeyered meat pie stacked up like a work of art, was taken away, Ctran made an expression more painful than when he broke his ankle during thest ball game.
However, the Princess''s face brightened slightly.
Yi-Han ced the te in front of the Princess and held out the green te to Ctran.
"Ctran. You eat this."
"...Can''t I just go and get it again? Wardanaz?"
"Then do that."
Ctran anxiously got up from his seat again, praying that the pancakes wouldn''t be all gone. Rowena, seeing that there was no te in front of Yi-Han, said,
"Wouldn''t it be better to eat at least something?"
"I''m fine with this, so you should go and fill your te instead."
"I''m also fine..."
"What did you say? Princess? You''re worried? You''re the one I''m worried about."
The Princess looked at Yi-Han in astonishment while putting a pancake in her mouth, but Yi-Han ignored it as if he hadn''t seen it.
Rowena got up from her seat as if she understood.
"By the way. Are you really okay with that te?"
"It''s fine."
Yi-Han didn''t particrly like Rowena''s vibrant green te, but he wasn''t hungry, and above all, Yi-Han was used to rough food.
Even when his friends from the Blue Dragon Tower wereining about the hard ck bread, Yi-Han could swallow it down his throat without any problem.
"As expected, Mr. Wardanaz, you like vegetables."
"That''s not... No. Just go and fill your te. The break is almost over."
Yi-Han sent Rowena away from her seat as well. Then he said to the Princess,
"Are the followers bothering you?"
The Princess coughed and choked while eating. Yi-Han handed her a ss. The Princess took a sip of fruit juice and slowly answered,
"...No, they''re not."
"Are you sure? I''ve been thinking about it since we were at the academy, but I think they''re kind of bothering you."
The Princess was silent for a moment. She seemed to be choosing what to say.
"They don''t have bad intentions... They''re just a bit... overly enthusiastic..."
''Gainando should see this.''
Yi-Han admired the Princess''s efforts to not badmouth her followers as much as possible.
If it were Gainando, he would have immediately blurted out, "These jerks won''t let me eat when I want to eat, won''t let me y when I want to y, and force me to study when I don''t want to. What kind of followers are they?"
"Can''t you tell them to restrain themselves? They would understand with just a word."
At Yi-Han''s words, the Princess shook her head.
The princess shook her head and exined that acting arbitrarily towards her supportive followers would be irresponsible as a royal and would shatter their expectations.
As a royal receiving support, there''s a responsibility to meet the followers'' expectations.
Rather than saying "I''m not the kind of person you think I am" to each and every one of them, a person who silently nods their head without saying anything tends to be perceived as more charismatic.
''No, what?''
Yi-Han was not just amazed, but appalled.
To think she had such thoughts.
Of course, there could be people among the imperial family members who had such a sense of responsibility, but it was surprising topare her to Gainando, whom he had been hanging out with.
''Could she be about five years older than Gainando?''
"But the number of your followers shouldn''t be that many yet, so wouldn''t it be better to persuade them from now on? How many followers do you have?"
Yi-Han thought of the followers of Bogajun, Judrantas, and, though slightly embarrassing topare, Gainando''s followers as well.
ording to the city''s rumors, those considered as Bogajun''s followers were a medium-sized earth element mage guild, a fairly well-known adventurer party, three merchant groups, two banks, a ball game team, and about five city noble families. Those considered as Judrantas''s followers were a tower established by mages from Baldurguard, arge leather guild, a magic tower specializing in carnivorous nt research, two swordsman guilds, and about three knight families.
If he had to forcibly pick out those considered as Gainando''s followers, it would be the owner of a candy store or a toy store in Granden City?
Of course, the Princess''s followers would be more than Gainando''s, but if it was at the level of Bogajun or Judrantas, it would be worth trying to persuade them one by one and gain human support.
"The Palm Tree Knight Order, the umted Rain Mage Tower, the Western Imperial Union Merchant Association, the Cross Brothers Swordsman Guild, the Ollodo Party..."
"..."
However, from the Princess''s mouth flowed a listpletely different from Yi-Han''s expectations.
The Palm Tree Knight Order was an honorary knight order formed by the great nobles of the Empire. Although their military power was weaker than real knights, their reputation was enough to crush several knight orders. The umted Rain Mage Tower was a magic tower established by mages from Einroguard.
The Western Imperial Union Merchant Association was a huge capital group formed by the merchant groups and merchants of the western region joining forces. The Cross Brothers Swordsman Guild was a prestigious swordsmanship guild that had produced many excellent swordsmen. Some knights even went there to learn swordsmanship, so there was no need to say more. The Ollodo Party was an adventurer party that even Yi-Han had heard the name of a few times.
''Was it to this extent?''
He had thought that their names frequently appeared in the imperial newspapers, but he didn''t expect such big shots to already be supporting her.
Moreover, that wasn''t the end, and there were more left.
Yi-Han understood why there were so many people among the freshman friends who supported the Princess.
''Even I would want to support her.''
To that extent, wasn''t she the most likely to win in the Empire? Even Yi-Han felt like supporting her.
The Princess stopped talking and looked at Yi-Han.
As the top student of the year who had aplished numerous things even during the break, she expected him to give brilliant advice on the current situation as well.
"Princess."
"!"
"Hang in there."
"..."
The Princess red at Yi-Han.
His words had changed from before.
"...Didn''t you tell me to try persuading them?"
"Hmm. On second thought, sometimes dignity might be better than persuasion. There''s a saying that silence is more precious than gold. Look at Gainando over there."
When he cunningly used Gainando as an example, the Princess couldn''t refute.
¡ª
Until the very end of the event, Yi-Han didn''t let his guard down, but there were no unusual attacks.
Seeing the skull principal exchanging greetings with the city nobles with a gloomy look in his eyes, Yi-Han let out a sigh of relief.
''I survived somehow.''
"By the way. Mr. Wardanaz. There''s something I''d like to ask you before you leave."
Yi-Han was puzzled by Rowena''s words.
"Is it a proposal to do an adventurer mission together?"
During the break, some of the White Tiger Tower students who heard the rumors would always propose to Yi-Han whenever they saw him, saying, "I found this mission, and if we seed, we can all sit on a pile of gold coins."
However, in Yi-Han''s view, most of them were all absurd requests. They were so unlikely to seed that no one had touched them to the point where the color of the mission papers had faded.
"Ah. I''m sorry. I haven''t heard any new missions about subjugating an existence on the level of the King of Ghouls."
"...Rowena. First of all, I''m not someone who only goes around looking for beings like the King of Ghouls."
"You''re being humble."
Rowena smiled as if she would let it go for now. Yi-Han thought that the White Tiger Tower guys were really all annoying.
"So what did you want to ask?"
Rowena took out a thin booklet from her bosom. The cover of the booklet read:
To the honorable Princess Adenart, may this riddle alleviate your boredom.
"Isn''t this truly rude?!"
"Uh... huh?"
Yi-Han couldn''t keep up with Rowena''s indignation, so his reaction was a beatte.
Rowena btedly exined.
Among the Princess''s followers, there were those who actively believed in and supported her like Rowena, but there were also those whopared, tested, and probed her.
These were individuals with considerable power in the empire, powerful enough to indulge in such bncing acts.
The riddle received this time was sent by one of the imperial dukes. It was called a gift, but from the receiver''s perspective, if they couldn''t solve it, their reputation could be damaged, so they had to be very cautious.
"That''s definitely rude..."
"The Duke has sent such riddles before too! Doing it repeatedly when once should be enough! No matter how much he rewards with gold coins, if he keeps doing this..."
"Gold coins?"
"Pardon?"
"Didn''t you just say gold coins?"
"Yes. I did, but?"
Of course, since the other party was an imperial family member, they didn''t just send such riddles and end it there.
If the riddle was solved correctly, it was the nobility''s honor to send a huge gift as a celebration, along with an apology for testing them.
Hearing that exnation, Yi-Han felt immense jealousy towards Adenart.
''I''m envious!''
Yi-Han could also diligently solve such riddles, so why didn''t other great nobles send them to him?
In fact, Yi-Han knew the reason well too. It was okay to send such things because she was an imperial family member and one of the Empire''s sessors, but sending such things between fellow great nobles was just the provocation of a madman.
"Wait. Gainando is... No. Forget it. I almost asked something unnecessary. Anyway, so you''re all pondering over this riddle together?"
"Yes."
"Did you all ponder togetherst time too?"
"Yes."
"Did the Princess keep all the gold coins received?"
"No. She shared them with us, but?"
"..."
Yi-Han seriously contemted whether he should have befriended the Princess instead of Gainando.
Of course, he was quite satisfied even now, but hearing the stories of the Princess''s followers, he had a bit of regret...
"Isn''t this the mage from the Wardanaz family?"
Yi-Han, who was lost in thought, raised his head. The owner of the familiar voice was surprisingly Duke Icaldoren.
"What a pleasant coincidence. It''s been quite some time since west met. To meet like this."
Of course, it was a lie.
The reason Duke Icaldoren appeared in this area today was to make contact with valuable students from the magic academy.
And if it was the boy from the Wardanaz family, he could be considered the most valuable card.
''To be together with Princess Adenart. Could it be that he supports the Princess? I heard he was close with Prince Gainando?''
Duke Icaldoren had numerous thoughts and concerns even in that short moment.
"It''s a pleasure to see you. Your Grace."
"If it''s alright, shall we have a brief conversation?"
Rowena openly showed a displeased expression. Yi-Han poked Rowena''s back, signaling her to manage her expression.
-What''s wrong?-
-That Duke is the one who sent the rude riddle!-
-Really? Come to think of it,st time, he also sent a huge Basilisk egg¡-
-Pardon?-
-It''s nothing.-
Whether the Duke kept trying to test the Princess or not, it wasn''t important to Yi-Han.
And if it was the Duke who gave the riddle, he had to approach him even more. That way, he might be able to find out some hints.
Right at that moment, an eerie energy flowed out from the alley. It was a dangerous energy mixed with tant murderous intent.
Duke Icaldoren''s escorts were startled and rushed forward.
"Please step back, Master!"
"It''s fine. I will handle it."
Yi-Han sighed and picked up his staff.
At that absurd confidence, the escorts were a beatte in reacting, not knowing whether to be shocked, stop him, or get angry.
"What on earth... Mr. Wardanaz. I know you''re a mage from Einroguard, but this is absolutely not a joke..."
"I said I will handle it."
Yi-Han looked at the alley.
Then he shook his head. He thought the skull principal''s prank was going too far.
He should have ended it inside the banquet hall. Doing this outside would cause outsiders to get involved like this.
"...Wait."
Yi-Han felt something strange.
The energy emanating from the alleyway was growing stronger, decidedly not feeling like a mere prank.
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Chapter 341
Chapter 341
''Strange.''
The skull principal had a nasty personality, but he wasn''t a foolish person.
He must clearly know that the banquet hall was located in the middle of Granden City, so would he harass the students while ignoring the possibility of outsiders getting involved?
''Could it be that this enemy is not mine, but the Duke''s?''
Yi-Han nced at Duke Icaldoren.
The Duke, with his arms crossed, waited without a hint of emotion on his face. His demeanor exuded arrogance, as if nothing emerging from the alley could concern him.
If it were an enemy attacking the students, he would have shown more surprise or a different reaction.
''It''s definitely the Duke''s enemy!''
Yi-Han inwardly regretted.
It would have been over if he had just left it to the Duke''s escorts, but he unnecessarily intervened.
''The skull principal is not helpful at all.''
Yi-Han tried to call the escorts to cooperate, even if it was now.
However, the attack of the enemy in the alley took precedence. The energy that had been growing stronger was refined like a de and leaped out with murderous intent.
¡ª
As Yi-Han had guessed, Duke Icaldoren was not surprised.
Of course, it wasn''t because he specifically knew who the enemy was. Duke Icaldoren was so used to such attacks that he was sick of them.
A Duke of the Empire inevitably made enemies, and Duke Icaldoren, who had been the most aggressive among them, had made foes ranging from great noble families to criminal guilds.
Most of the enemies didn''t even dare to touch him and lowered their tails, but when there were too many of them, he would experience such attacks two or three times a year, like a regr event.
Of course, true to his arrogant personality, Duke Icaldoren was neither intimidated nor cautious in his actions.
Instead, he raised his guard tremendously.
The defensive artifacts Duke Icaldoren was currently wearing were worth easily surpassing a dozen or so castles, and the escorts on standby around him had thebat power to ughter a guild or so.
He was like a walking fortress, so there was no reason to fear the attacks of petty assassins. The ones who should be afraid were the attacking assassins.
That''s why Duke Icaldoren was truly, not even a bit surprised.
By the attack, that is.
''Truly amazing!''
Duke Icaldoren made countless spections in that short moment about what Yi-Han''s actions meant.
The reason for intervening in this situation?
It could be to raise his value in front of Princess Adenart, or it could be to raise his value in front of Duke Icaldoren.
''Or it could be both.''
The Duke leaned towards thetter.
The actions shown by that boy from the Wardanaz family were very energetic for a freshman. Many geniuses entered Einroguard, but it was rare for a genius to establish their position and build a reputation like that from their first year.
''I will respect your ambition. Boy from the Wardanaz family. But there''s one thing you''re missing.''
Having grasped the situation, Duke Icaldoren noticed a gap in Yi-Han''s n.
''That means you have to handle the attack alone in the end.''
Since he had stepped forward saying he would handle it, he couldn''t receive help from the Duke''s escorts.
And most of those who tried to attack Duke Icaldoren were strong individuals who had thoroughly prepared to attack the Duke in their own way.
¡®You might not know how strong my attackers usually are. No matter how much of a genius you are, it will still be difficult for a freshman to deal with the attackers, right?''
It was easy to misunderstand because a mage''s magic possessed world-shaking power, but thebat power of mages was actuallyckingpared to expectations.
Magic is powerful whenpleted, but it is nothing before it ispleted.
Those who knew this well easily toyed with mages. There were many ways to interfere with magic, from disrupting spells to breaking concentration.
Duke Icaldoren estimated that it wouldn''t be easy for Yi-Han to win against the attackers.
If he said that and then received help, it would greatly damage the face of that ambitious boy, but the Duke intended to intervene immediately if Yi-Han seemed to be pushed back.
If Yi-Han was severely injured, it would be troublesome for him too.
''Even if I help, don''t resent me. It''s something you chose yourself.''
"Be careful, Master. It''s poison!"
"Stop whining. If you''re shouting in earnest, then either your eyes or your brain must be broken."
The Duke spoke to the escort in a nonchnt voice. The escort''s face turned red.
With the detoxification performance of the artifacts the Duke currently possessed, even if the entire surroundings melted away with poison, the Duke wouldn''t be harmed in the slightest.
In fact, despite the escort''s shout, the Duke hadn''t moved a single step.
"What kind of monster is it? It doesn''t seem like a slime. Perhaps a summoning of spirits or realm beasts mixed with poison."
The Duke and the escort roughly guessed the identity of the attacker as soon as it crawled out of the alley.
Having experienced so many attacks, they could now estimate just by looking at the appearance.
Seeing the amorphous movement while oozing poison, it was likely a slime, spirit, or realm beast, but it moved too fast for a slime...
It was likely a summoning of spirits or realm beasts, contaminated or fused with deadly poison.
Perhaps the attacker obtained information that the Duke would pass by this area and summoned that poisonous contaminated being in time.
The culprit could be tracedter by mages after the situation was settled, and now...
''It will be difficult.''
Duke Icaldoren concluded.
The situation was too unfavorable.
If it were an assassin usingplex magic or techniques, it would be different, but it was impossible to deal wisely with an enemy who roughly pushed through like that.
It had to be suppressed with force against force, but the poison emitted by that poisonous contaminated being, although not enough to kill the Duke, could easily melt the surrounding walls. It was too strong of a poison for a freshman to detoxify.
Moreover, it wasn''t slow or weak in strength either, so if a fight broke out, the oue would be decided with a single sh.
"If you fall, I''ll immediately res..."
Bang!
"?!"
Duke Icaldoren''s eyes trembled for the first time in a long while.
Surprisingly, the boy from the Wardanaz family had pounced first!
''He''s crazy!!''
No matter how arrogant due to youthful vigor he was, that was an act of a madman.
The reason the poisonous contaminated being hadn''t attacked immediately was because there were many people other than Yi-Han present, but he had narrowed down the target to himself by attacking first.
It wasn''t just digging his own grave, but also making the coffin and getting in.
¡ª
''Fortunate!''
Yi-Han inwardly let out a sigh of relief.
It seemed he could avoid the embarrassing situation of having to borrow help from the Duke''s escorts.
Fortunately, the opponent''spatibility was very good.
Whoosh-
The poisonous contaminated being, enraged by Yi-Han who suddenly rushed in andnded a blow, spewed out a thick poisonous fog.
Another mage would have used magic to take control of the poison, but Yi-Han just left it alone.
As expected, the poison had little effect on Yi-Han. Even when he breathed, the enormous mana diluted the poison like an ocean.
"Fog, spread."
Thanks to his poison resistance, Yi-Han used the precious time he gained to cast the newly learned .
Yi-Han''s form lost focus and wavered, shaking. The poisonous contaminated being was greatly startled by the series of iprehensible events.
If the opponent were a cold and experienced enemy, it would be different, but such a summoned being, although physically superior, was weak to such unexpected situations. Yi-Han immediately cast the next spell.
"Bones, bind my foe."
It wasn''t a powerful force, but it was enough to hinder the movements of the poisonous contaminated being.
The bone binding orb was created at the ankles of the poisonous contaminated being at a speed several times faster than other ordinary mages.
"Shoot forth!"
Sharp bone fragments were embedded into the body of the poisonous contaminated being like bullets.
It wasn''t a body with a typical structure, so it wasn''t a fatal wound, but the pain was still there. The poisonous contaminated being roared and shot out poison around it.
Sizzle!
''Ugh.''
Yi-Han clicked his tongue, seeing his cloak and clothes melting away. Fortunately, they were clothes bought with his family''s money, not his own.
''I need to be careful.''
If Duke Icaldoren had heard Yi-Han''s inner thoughts, he would have been appalled.
In the midst of such a fierce battle, he was worried about his clothes first, not his life.
''It''s not a case where the defense or evasion is exceptional like the King of Ghouls. It has a physical form, so inflicting damage should suffice.''
Having finished his calctions, Yi-Han immediately took action.
Summoning an illusion clone, casting invisibility magic, circling behind, casting a 5yered enhancement spell on an iron ball in session, and firing!
Thud!
His movements were so swift and decisive that the reactions of the Duke''s escorts were about half a beatte.
The escorts were shocked by Yi-Han''s appearance, casting magic in session at a speed far beyond their expectations in an intensebat situation.
For a freshman to cast magic in session at that speed in a fierce battle situation.
From the perspective of the escorts, who should never be surprised by predicting and preparing for any situation, it was close to humiliation.
"I''ve brought down the enemy. Finish it off for certain!"
He wanted to set it on fire himself, but Yi-Han called the escorts, worried that the fire might spread around or react with the enemy, causing unexpected events.
The escorts drew their swords and swung them as if they had been waiting.
mes erupted from their swords, the poisonous contaminated being, which had already been critically hit in the chest and couldn''t move, was engulfed in blue mes.
The magic mes instantly incinerated the poison and devoured the contaminated being as well. Yi-Han inwardly cursed, seeing the swords the escorts possessed.
''They were just watching with those level of artifacts?''
Of course, Yi-Han had stepped forward saying he would handle it, but couldn''t they have helped a little?
It''s not like Yi-Han was narrow-minded enough to pick a fight over that!
"Exc... Excellent."
Duke Icaldoren spoke, btedlyposing his expression in the unexpected situation.
Seeing that, Rowena felt pleasure. It was the first time the Duke, who always acted arrogantly without any change in his expression, showed such a reaction.
"I didn''t know you could yield credit to my escorts."
''Ah.''
Yi-Han btedly realized the Duke''s implication.
Usually, there was quite a difference between "Yi-Han caught it alone" and "Yi-Han and the Duke''s escorts caught it together" for such an achievement. And everyone liked to monopolize.
But Yi-Han didn''t particrly care.
''It''s not like there''s a bounty on it. It doesn''t matter.''
Since they weren''t sharing a bounty, it wouldn''t change anything even if he shared some credit.
The Duke would reward them anyway, right? If he reduced the reward because Yi-Han yielded to his escorts, then he wouldn''t be a duke, but a thug.
"I thought it was more important to quickly subdue that enemy and ensure the safety of the surroundings, rather than credit."
His friends apuded with emotion, but Duke Icaldoren wasn''t fooled.
There was no way such an ambitious fellow would yield for that reason.
That was a signal sent to the Duke.
-I have ambitions as much as your ambitions. We ambitious ones can make a deal with each other.-
Duke Icaldoren felt like he could hear Yi-Han saying that.
There was no other reason to show favor.
Ambitious people recognize each other.
Age didn''t matter.
Duke Icaldoren elevated his perception of Yi-Han from simply a talented freshman to a young ambitious person worthy of sitting across the table as an equal.
"...I understand. I will think positively about the proposal."
It wasn''t bad.
Duke Icaldoren also needed to obtain information within the magic academy.
Whatever ambitions the boy from the Wardanaz family had, a mutually beneficial deal was sufficiently possible.
"...No. Your Grace! Your Gra... What the hell is that guy??"
Yi-Han muttered at the Duke''s receding back, but Rowena pretended not to hear that Yi-Han had cursed at the Duke.
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Chapter 342
Chapter 342
''Such a conscienceless wretch!'' Yi-Han was inwardly furious.
He had treated the Duke with the utmost courtesy, yet the Duke had done such a thing.
Who was the target of the summoned poisonous contaminated being?
It wasn''t Yi-Han or his friends, but Duke Icaldoren.
Then, if he had blocked the poisonous contaminated being, shouldn''t he have naturally said, "Thank you. As expected, the spirit of Einroguard student is high," and rewarded him first?
Of course, Yi-Han had stepped forward knowing it was the skull principal''s doing, but that wasn''t important. Only the result mattered.
But suddenly, the Duke was trying to leave, spouting nonsense about thinking positively.
No matter how much he thought about it, there was only one answer.
The Duke was trying to save on the reward money.
''Unforgivable.''
If he were a poor man, it would be understandable, but for someone whovishly showered gold coins on Adenart for useless riddles to be stingy with gold coins for saving his life...
"There can''t be a more brazen and unscrupulous noble than him in the Empire. Disgusting."
"...Ah, no. Mr. Wardanaz. Duke Icaldoren is rude, but... that...?"
Rowena, who was initially happy that Yi-Han cursed together with her, gradually became perplexed.
Duke Icaldoren wasn''t that bad.
He was rude, but he was ultimately one of the Princess''s supporters and didn''t cross the line, so...?
"Rowena. I think I understand a little why you consider Duke Icaldoren a lifelong enemy."
"Pardon? I, I didn''t say that much."
Ignoring Rowena''s exnation, Yi-Han moved his feet.
The Duke had already gone far away, but a few of the Duke''s escorts remained to clean up the surroundings.
Their actions, thoroughly eliminating the burned poisonous contaminated being, checking for any contamination around, and calmly gathering traces and evidence of the summoning of the poisonous contaminated being, showed a familiarity that came from having done it more than once or twice.
Seeing that, Yi-Han became even more certain.
''It''s definitely targeting the Duke.''
He had a bad taste in his mouth.
He should have just watched, but he unnecessarily intervened and lost his clothes...
"Did His Grace the Duke leave any message?"
Yi-Han asked the escorts just in case. The escorts stopped cleaning and tidied their clothes.
It wasn''t simply because Yi-Han was from the Wardanaz family.
Just based on the performance he had shown, Yi-Han was worthy of the escorts'' respect.
If he had that level ofbat power as a mere first-year student, it was certain that he would be a prominent mage who would make a name for himself in the Empire as time passed.
Moreover, their master, Duke Icaldoren, also seemed to highly regard Yi-Han.
Didn''t he just say he would think positively about the proposal?
The Duke never spoke empty words.
"Mr. Wardanaz."
"Yes. Did he leave..."
"There was no such message."
"..."
Yi-Han''s expression turned serious.
Not knowing his inner thoughts, the escorts spoke with subtle nces.
"There''s no need for that."
"That''s right. You''ll probably talk separately soon."
"...?"
Yi-Han thought the escorts had gone mad.
Why were they suddenly speaking like that, as if they were ttering him?
''Is the entire household of the duke also collectively insane?''
¡ª
"You''ve worked really hard, Wardanaz."
After the security guards came and finished cleaning up, and the Duke''s escorts left, Ctran praised Yi-Han.
Although he didn''t have as much experience as the Duke''s escorts, Ctran also vaguely felt how well Yi-Han had fought.
"Yeah. Thanks."
Yi-Han held out his hand. Ctran grasped that hand.
Then Yi-Han withdrew his hand and took Ctran''s cloak.
"I meant to borrow your cloak for a bit."
"...Uh, ugh."
Yi-Han''s top and cloak had be tattered from fighting the poisonous contaminated being. Yi-Han put on Ctran''s cloak and said,
"Ctran. You''re from the White Tiger Tower, so you''ll often receive missions during the break from now on."
"I guess so?"
"Don''t ept any missions from Duke Icaldoren. He''s a very stingy person."
"Is... that so? But Wardanaz. The riddle..."
"What riddle? Even if you solve it, you might not get anything."
Yi-Han grumbled like that, but he knew it wasn''t true.
Even if Duke Icaldoren didn''t give Yi-Han the reward he deserved and ran away, he was definitely giving the Princess the reward she deserved.
Since gold coins came outst time, they woulde out this time too.
''Thinking like that makes me even angrier.''
"If we solve it together, will I also get a share?"
"That''s true, but gold coins aren''t particrly important to you, right? Unlike someone like me."
At Ctran''s words, Yi-Han was about to rebuke Gainando as well but held back.
He held back once because Ctran had lent him the cloak.
"Alright. Princess. Let''s solve it together."
"I knew you''d say that, Wardanaz."
Ctran grinned.
He felt like he was gradually understanding what kind of person Wardanaz was.
Wardanaz often acted warmly even though he spoke coldly on the outside.
''It''s not for nothing that Dolgyu said that.''
He thought Yi-Han would definitely participate this time too.
Even if he grumbled on the outside, there was no way Wardanaz would just let it go when it was a matter rted to his friends.
As expected...
"What do you know, you brat? I''m already pissed off because of the Duke, and you want to provoke me?"
"S-sorry."
Ctran flinched for a moment.
Even though he knew it in his head, he couldn''t help but be scared.
tter-
Yi-Han and his friends entered a nearby cafe and sat down.
Rowena ordered a juice made by grinding five kinds of vegetables, Ctran ordered eggnog with a bit more rum, Yi-Han ordered coffee, and the Princess hesitated between chocte and vani before ordering a chocte cake. Yi-Han ordered an additional vani cake and quietly pushed it in front of the Princess.
"So the riddle... Hmm..."
Here is a staff. When a mage walked with that staff, the stream opened a path. After crossing the stream, the wind cleared the wall blocking the way. As the wall disappeared, night fell. Then, a shing light illuminated the way. I''m curious about what kind of staff this is.>
"????"
Yi-Han raised his head after reading it all.
"Is it asking to guess what kind of artifact it is?"
Yi-Han thought that just as the Duke was stingy, he alsocked skill in riddles.
Isn''t it not a good riddle to guess what kind of artifact it is?
If that was a riddle, Yi-Han could also make a riddle.
Something like ''What is the 3rd card from the top of Gainando''s card deck''...
"Ah. No. It''s closer to saying to try making a staff like this directly."
"...No, why is that a riddle... Nevermind. That''s not important."
Yi-Han newly realized how good the riddle of the talking oak tree he had met in the mountains was.
This wasn''t a riddle, but just ''Can you make a staff like this?''
"A staff with at least 3 elements: water, wind, and light. Is it asking to make an artifact staff? Not only the difficulty level, but the power it requires is too much?"
"Ah. No. That''s closer to a metaphor, and in reality, it''s fine even if the power is much weaker."
"..."
Even though it wasn''t his business, Yi-Han felt the urge to point it out.
''If you wrote that the stream opened a path, it should at least be able to part the stream. What the hell is this...''
While grumbling inwardly, Yi-Han realized that he was saying the same thing as the professors at Einroguard and flinched.
There was no reason for Yi-Han to ruin the mood when both the person giving the riddle and the person solving it were satisfied.
''Yeah. There''s nothing bad about ending it nicely for each other. Let''s just take the gold coins.''
"If the power can be weak, then it''s justpleting a staff with 3 enchantments... Oh. Isn''t it easy?"
Yi-Han, who had been considering the conditions, was puzzled.
If the power could be weak, the difficulty level was much lower than he thought.
Of course, it wasn''t an easy task to cast 3 enchantments, and with different elemental magic at that.
Because every time an enchantment wasyered one by one, the casting difficulty increased, and if it was a different elemental type, it increased even more.
However, for Yi-Han, who had already experienced the hellish Beavle course in the first semester, that level was quite manageable.
Wasn''t it much better than making a shield that floated, moved, attacked, and defended on its own?
"..."
"..."
At Yi-Han''s words, Rowena and Ctran became gloomy.
The subtle madness of the top student made them dejected.
"Ah, no. On second thought, it''s difficult."
Yi-Han noticed their reactions and changed his words, but it was already toote.
"No. Mr. Wardanaz. You don''t need to consider us."
"That''s right... Wardanaz. You don''t need to consider us too. It wouldn''t be strange even if we look like monkeys in your eyes."
"It''s a misunderstanding. Ctran. I''ve never thought of you as monkeys. Maybe worse than Gainando... No, never mind. Anyway, it doesn''t seem that difficult."
At Yi-Han''s words, the Princess, who had finished her second cake, raised her hand and said,
"Even if you ovep only two, the casting difficulty increases as they conflict with each other, so three seems absolutely impossible."
"You can use a magic circle as an auxiliary tool."
"A magic circle... on an artifact like a staff?"
The Princess slightly raised the end of her eyebrow and asked.
The smaller the size and volume of an artifact, the more difficult it was to engrave magic on it.
In that sense, a staff wasn''t a good tool for engraving enchantments.
Of course, truly outstanding enchantment mages would skillfullypress the magic circle and use techniques to engrave it on the staff, but that level of technique was absolutely impossible for a freshman.
Then Ctran answered instead.
"If it''s Wardanaz, I''m sure he can do it. Right?"
"No?"
"...No?"
"Of course, unnecessary parts should be omitted. I''ll remove all the parts rted to maintenance or duration."
"???"
The Princess tilted her head.
Rowena and Ctran also tilted their heads, but they just tilted their heads because they couldn''t follow the conversation, while the Princess tilted her head because there was a part she couldn''t understand.
If all the parts rted to maintenance or spell duration were removed, wouldn''t the magic disappear a few seconds after being cast on the staff?
"Then the time..."
"You can make up for it with the amount of mana. If you pour in mana, the maintenance and duration will naturally increase."
"..."
The Princess became confused about whether she should agree with this crude method or not.
It was clearly logically correct, but was it okay to do it with such a loophole?
The Princess turned her gaze, curious about the opinions of the other two.
"What do you two think..."
"I think Mr. Wardanaz''s opinion is correct."
"Me too."
"..."
Seeing the two immediately agreeing because they didn''t want to be caught not following along, the Princess let out an inaudible sigh.
Yi-Han shook his head back and forth, seeing that.
''It can''t be helped if there''s only Gainando around.''
The despair of being the only one who understands the task in a group project.
This despair could only be understood by those who had experienced it firsthand.
There was no way to persuade the others to participate by any means, and it was a situation where he had to solve it alone!
Yi-Han nodded as if he understood. Adenart met his gaze with slightly emotionally charged eyes and nodded back.
Sipping his coffee, Yi-Han suddenly became curious and asked Rowena,
"But even if you try to practice, a staff will be quite expensive, so how do you n to obtain one? If it''s difficult to obtain, you can ask the professors to get damaged staffs and recycle them..."
"Ah. I can get them if I ask the sponsors."
"..."
Yi-Han slightly pulled his chair back, seeing the Princess''s group, whose way of thinking was different from his own.
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Chapter 343
Chapter 343
"Why are you doing that?"
"It''s nothing."
Yi-Han regained his senses.
Although the Princess''s group''s luxurious sense of money was dizzying, it was definitely helpful in the current situation.
''Well, there''s nothing good about asking the professors.''
Even if he asked Bea... no, the professors, there was a high possibility they wouldn''t readily agree.
In that case, it was better to receive the favor of the sponsors.
"Then let''s go get the staff."
However, Yi-Han''s face was distorted.
Seeing that, Rowena whispered in a worried voice,
"I''m worried that the impact of the earlier battle might still be affecting him."
"Well, given Wardanaz''s personality, he doesn''t seem like the type to say anything even if he''s struggling."
"We should have him get examined on the way."
¡ª
Arriving at the staff shop, Yi-Han asked, not understanding,
"Why did we meet the healing mage just now?"
"J-just because my body was a bit unwell, so once..."
"Your body is unwell? Wouldn''t it be better to rest?"
Yi-Han thought Rowena might have overworked.
So he spoke slightly, only for Ctran to hear,
"Does the Princess make you work too hard?"
"?!"
The Princess''s eyes widened with a sense of injustice.
"T-that''s not it."
"Seeing you stutter, it seems suspicious."
"I said it''s not?!"
The healing mage they met earlier had examined Yi-Han and confirmed that he couldn''t be healthier.
Even if Rowena or Ctran said, "He fought a poisonous contaminated being!" "That''s right, please examine him more closely!" it was of no use.
There was really nothing wrong, so what could they do?
Rather, the other three got an earful.
-It seems you''ve overused magic recently. You''ve reached the point of mana exhaustion, so there''s still some damage left.-
-It looks like you practiced alchemy all night, but even if you''re a mage, you can get poisoned if you handle reagents without proper venttion, so be careful.-
Ctran quickly opened the door, feeling like he would only receive strange misunderstandings if he said anything more.
The sign that read spun around as the door opened.
"Mr. Puyo is the most outstanding staff craftsman in Granden City."
Located in the central district of the city, the shop''s exterior also looked quite old-fashioned, so it didn''t seem to have a short history.
Just from that, one could tell he was an artifact craftsman with a lot of experience.
"Would he know Professor Beavle?"
"Well...? I''m not sure about that."
Rowena also tilted her head.
The reason the Princess''s group could visit Puyo''s shop was because the sponsors were acquainted with Puyo, not because they were close to Puyo.
In fact, Puyo was far from the type of person freshmen could easily get close to.
An artifact craftsman with a lot of experience meant a seasoned enchantment mage.
It wasn''t easy to be friendly with mages who were decades older than oneself.
"Is this perhaps your first time meeting him?"
"I greeted him once outsidest time, but this is the first time visiting like this..."
"Is everyone here?"
A tree walked out from inside.
To be precise, Puyo was a tree spirit mixed-blood. His face, hands, and arms were like tree branches, so they had mistaken him for a tree.
"It''s an honor to see you again, Mr. Puyo."
"Enough with the unnecessary greetings."
Puyo disliked bothersome formalities.
In the first ce, if it weren''t for the earnest request of the sponsors, he wouldn''t have let young students into his workshop.
"You said you needed staffs with no magic cast on them?"
"Ah, yes, that''s right."
Overwhelmed by Puyo''s force, Rowena slightly stuttered.
Of course, Yi-Han didn''t particrly care.
Among the professors, there were far more insane people than Puyo.
In fact, even if someone was blunt like Puyo but directly said what needed to be said, they would be in the top 5% in terms of personality.
Rustle-
As Puyo gestured, a few boxes stacked on the shelves opened, and long staffs poured out.
They were staffs that had no magic cast on them yet, purely made of wood.
"Do the work only here. Don''te inside. Don''t touch anything in the shop carelessly, and as Einroguard students, you should have learned the basics of enchantment magic."
The students nodded.
"Then I trust you won''t cause any unnecessary idents."
With those words, Puyo went into the inner part of the workshop.
Only then could Rowena and Ctran let out a sigh.
"That was nerve-wracking."
"I know. I thought I couldn''t breathe. ...Wardanaz. What are you doing?"
"Huh? Ah. I was looking to see if there were any usable staffs."
Yi-Han had been looking around, regardless of whether the two talked about Puyo or not.
He was thinking of taking one if there was a good one.
"Did you have any thoughts about Mr. Puyo?"
"Not really. Didn''t he only say what was necessary?"
Do the work here, don''t cause idents, don''t touch anything else.
He really only said what was necessary, so there was no reason to be unnecessarily scared.
"First, let''s ssify the staffs. The long ones go here. The short ones go there."
"Got it. Oh. But Wardanaz. Why are we ssifying these?"
At Ctran''s question, Yi-Han stared at Ctran as if looking at Gainando.
Then he answered with a smile,
"The longer the staff, the stronger the effect tends to be, right?"
"Ah... T-that''s right!"
The staff, the artifact that most directly assists a mage''s spellcasting.
As such, even a slight change in the material of the staff could greatly affect its performance.
In general, the longer the staff, the greater its power, and the higher the strength, the more stubborn the magic became.
Naturally, someone who handled staffs had to memorize these general tendencies likews.
Of course, Ctran didn''t particrly know, but he answered as if he knew.
"I think that was the case!"
"Ctran. If you don''t know, just say you don''t know."
"...Sorry. I didn''t know."
"Did you sleep during enchantment magic ss? It''s in the textbook."
"..."
Ctran felt a surge of injustice.
''You told me to say it...!''
If he were a student of the Blue Dragon Tower, he wouldn''t have fallen for such a simple trick, but the inexperienced Ctran had no choice but to fall for it.
¡ª
Puyo put down his tools, trying to focus on his work.
After all, with other people in the workshop, it wasn''t easy to concentrate.
Although he couldn''t refuse as Puyo''s sponsors had earnestly requested, he did regret it.
It wasn''t simply that he felt ufortable with other people entering the workshop.
No matter how much they were Einroguard students, they were freshmen.
Even if they had learned enchantment magic, the time they had learned it was short, and they were likely tock experience.
Giving high-quality staffs to such students was close to a waste.
Thinking that the potential of the staffs, which had not been properly processed yet and had infinite potential, would be chipped away by the students'' clumsy magic and be failures, his heart ached.
''I really can''t stand it.''
Puyo approached the door and peeked at how the students were working.
No matter how much the Princess and the sponsors had requested, if they were working too absurdly, he had no intention of staying still.
He would stop the work and send them out with any excuse...
"Now. Ctran. Since you said you understood, tell me now. A mage who specializes in fire elemental magic and summoning magic hase here. This mage''s race is a dwarf, and the staff he previously used was a maple staff with a fire spirit stone embedded in it. Then what kind of staff would you rmend?"
"Uh... Uh..."
"Start with the length."
"F-first, since it''s fire elemental magic, prioritizing power, make it long..."
"Wrong. Even if it''s fire elemental magic, power isn''t always important. Rather, control might be more important. Above all, since the person is a dwarf, rmending a long staff will only make it inconvenient to carry around. Did you really learn enchantment magic?"
"Ugh..."
Ctran waspletely discouraged. Rowena, who was next to him, was also terrified and stuck close to the Princess. She felt like she would be bombarded with questions like Ctran if she moved even a little.
''????''
Puyo, who was watching, was surprised by the unexpected situation.
He thought the students would carelessly handle the staffs and waste them unnecessarily, but they were preparing rather systematically.
It was surprising.
"But can''t we just try one by one and get a feel for it..."
Smack!
Yi-Han hit Ctran once with the staff.
"Do you think we have extra staffs?"
''We do have extra...''
Ctran grumbled inwardly but couldn''t say anything more, afraid of Yi-Han''s staff.
"You have to calcte perfectly before doing it. Now. Ctran. Answer me. Among water, wind, and light elements, which one should be enchanted first? And which staff among these would be suitable?"
"...C-can''t you ask Rowena too?"
"!!"
Rowena was so surprised that her long ears stood up.
She looked at Ctran with eyes full of betrayal, but Ctran had no mind to care about that now.
''I need to save myself first!''
"Uh, w-well, Princess?"
"..."
Adenart stared at Rowena. Rowena lowered her head, feeling embarrassed.
Instead of saying anything more to her followers, Adenart picked up a staff.
"An elm staff. You chose well, Ctran. The reason water element should be enchanted first is that it''s more stablepared to other elements..."
"Ugh...! I should have just said it! I could have gotten it right! Really!"
"Just listen."
Hearing the students'' conversation, Puyo pondered whether he should change his thoughts from earlier.
He had heard a lot from the followers about how outstanding the Princess''s talent was, but seeing it like this, she was indeed exceptional even among the outstanding geniuses gathered at Einroguard.
Moreover, the boy over there was also remarkable.
It wasn''t simply knowledge about enchantment magic.
As an outstanding craftsman, Puyo could tell a person''s skill by seeing the various preparations they made before work.
In that sense, that boy looked as if he had done this kind of work more than once or twice.
No matter how much he had learned at Einroguard, it didn''t make sense to be familiar with it so quickly. Wouldn''t he have learned the same as the other students?
It was clearly an innate talent.
''Truly amazing. To think such a thing is possible with talent.''
Not knowing that Yi-Han had been overworked under other professors, Puyo was purely amazed that such a thing was possible with talent.
"Now. This is the magic circle we''ll use for the water element today."
While Puyo was admiring, Yi-Han flipped through a book and chose a magic circle.
Ctran timidly asked,
"Wardanaz. Is there a reason you chose this among the water elemental magic?"
"It''s a magic circle I''m familiar with because I''ve done it a lot."
"I see. ...Huh? This wasn''t given as an assignment, right?"
"I did it separately with Professor Beavle."
At those words, Ctran was amazed.
To work separately with a professor.
As expected of Wardanaz.
"That''s amazing, Wardanaz. I''m envious..."
"Ctran. Before saying you''re envious, think again about what you''re saying and then speak."
"..."
Ctran thought about it again.
And upon thinking about it again, he wasn''t particrly envious.
Even if not as much as Yi-Han, the students learning enchantment magic had all felt Professor Beavle''s madness to some extent.
Rowena asked, puzzled,
"But when did you find the time during the semester?"
"I did it together during the break..."
"Ah..."
Suddenly, a heavy silence lingered.
Even the Princess, who was usually ustomed to silence, was flustered, not knowing how to resolve this atmosphere, and looked around.
"Were you Professor Beavle''s disciple?"
The one who broke the silence was Puyo.
As Puyo walked out from inside, Yi-Han flinched.
''...I won''t be attacked if I say I''m his disciple, right?''
No matter how he thought about it, if someone knew Professor Beavle, there was a high possibility they had a bad rtionship.
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Chapter 344
Chapter 344
"That''s right!"
"..."
When Rowena quickly answered instead, Yi-Han looked at her with a shocked gaze.
But Rowena didn''t notice Yi-Han''s gaze and continued speaking with a cheerful expression.
"Wardanaz here is also studying other magic, but he is receiving the professor''s favor."
''The White Tiger Tower guys really have no sense at all.''
Yi-Hanmented inwardly.
Without even knowing whether the other person was an enemy or a friend of Professor Beavle, to immediately say he''s a disciple, what was that supposed to mean?
"I see."
"Do you also know Professor Beavle, Mr. Puyo?"
"He tried to cut up my body before."
"..."
"..."
The atmosphere turned icy.
The Princess and Yi-Han simultaneously looked at Rowena.
It was a look that said, ''What are you going to do about this atmosphere?''
Unlike Yi-Han, who could quickly intervene even among the demons of hell, Rowena didn''t have that skill.
Rowena was at a loss for what to do and finally blurted out a sentence.
"Were... were you cut?"
"...Hey... That''s really not it..."
Ctran was also dumbfounded by the absurd statement.
The exasperated Yi-Han interjected.
"It''s truly an unbelievable thing. No matter what, to try cutting someone''s body, that''s just wrong. I''ve always thought Professor Beavle''s actions were not right, even though I''m learning under him."
"Y-yeah. And Wardanaz isn''t receiving the favor because he wants to. What kind of madman would want to work under a professor during the break?"
When Ctran made an excuse, Puyo waved his hand as if satisfied.
"I don''t hold a grudge against the disciple just because the master and I have a feud. And I don''t fail to understand Professor Beavle either. Even I would have wanted to cut if I were him. A tree spirit mixed-blood''s body is a precious material, you see."
Normally, spirit mixed-bloods appeared because there were ancestors who had made a pact with spirits.
The power embedded in the bloodline manifested inter generations, awakening as a mixed-blood.
As such, the body of a spirit mixed-blood was a precious material.
''Hmm. He''s a madman.''
Of course, that exnation didn''t convince the students'' inner thoughts.
The moment Puyo said, "Even I would have wanted to cut if I were him," the students had already regarded him as at least half as crazy as Professor Beavle.
''Are all enchantment mages mad?''
"I''m more curious about something other than what happened between me and Professor Beavle. You''re receiving Professor Beavle''s favor?"
"There''s an element of exaggeration."
"Have you met separately outside of ss?"
"Uh... Yes."
"Have you worked together in those separate meetings?"
"Th... Yes."
"Did he let you work in his workshop?"
"No... That''s..."
"Isn''t this just a question that can be answered with a simple ''yes'' or ''no''?"
"...Yes."
"So you are indeed receiving his favor."
Yi-Han was genuinely wronged, but no words of rebuttal came to mind.
"Professor Beavle doesn''t usually treat his disciples that way. You must have exceptional talent."
"It''s because of my mana."
Yi-Han tried to exin.
I have a lot of mana, so Professor Beavle is like a thug, eyeing that mana...
Hearing the exnation, the amazed Puyo nodded.
"I see!"
"Yes. Professor Beavle..."
"Ah. That''s not what I meant. I felt a fierce oppressive aura from you when you came in."
"..."
Yi-Han btedly remembered that Puyo was a spirit mixed-blood.
He thought there was no problem since Puyo didn''t say anything.
"Did you feel that way?"
"I did. But don''t worry about it. I''ve met much more dangerous guests than you."
"That''s not veryforting."
Yi-Han felt bitter.
Telling someone with an ugly appearance, ''It''s okay! You''re better than the Empire''s top criminals!'' wasn''t reallyforting.
"But it''s a bit strange. Given Professor Beavle''s personality, even if you have a lot of mana, he wouldn''t have a disciple with poor skills participate in the work."
"He must have needed that much mana."
Yi-Han grumbled cynically, but Puyo epted it and became curious instead.
"You said you''re a freshman, right? How many circles of enchantment magic have you sessfullypleted?"
"...4..."
"What did you say? I didn''t hear properly."
"4... circles..."
A brief silence fell.
From Yi-Han''s friends to Puyo, everyone stared at Yi-Han.
No matter how they thought about it, it was unthinkable for a freshman to have seeded at that level of magic.
"I see."
"What happened was..."
"No. You don''t have to tell me the details."
Puyo, who wasn''t particrly curious about the backstory, cut off Yi-Han''s words.
Whether Professor Beavle had forced him or Yi-Han had seeded by luck, the important thing was that he had seeded.
That was enough to know, so what was the point of getting involved in the circumstances?
"If you''ve been working with Professor Beavle, you must have made a few simple artifacts. What did you make?"
Puyo seemed to have be genuinely interested, picking up paper and a quill to ask questions.
Yi-Han answered carefully.
"I made magic fireworks."
"Magic fireworks. That must have been difficult for a freshman."
"??"
Ctran, who was listening, asked puzzledly,
"Was there something like that in the lectures?"
"I was summoned separately to make them."
"..."
''Just how many times was this bastard Wardanaz summoned?''
It was clear that everyone had the same 24 hours in a day, but something was off.
Why did Wardanaz''s day seem to be several times longer than others?
"Magic fireworks... Was that all?"
"There''s the shield, isn''t there, Mr. Wardanaz?"
Rowena whispered. Yi-Han answered gently.
"Thank you so much."
"...Did I do something wrong..."
"A shield? What shield?"
"The floating one with automatic defense..."
"And it reflected too, right?"
"Reflected?!"
When Ctran interjected, Yi-Han tightly closed his eyes.
''I think I understand why the Blue Dragon Tower and White Tiger Tower are always fighting.''
"I didn''t do the reflection on top of them..."
"Reflection attribute too... Honestly, I''m impressed."
The faster Puyo''s quill moved, the more anxious Yi-Han became.
Professors usually did such things, and there was rarely anything good that came out of it for Yi-Han afterward.
Puyo persistently asked further, and then put down the quill with a satisfied expression.
"I see. I understand why Professor Beavle worked with you."
"The professor has never said anything good to me, though..."
"That''s just Professor Beavle''s personality. You have to look at his actions to understand. I''ve heard a lot about how outstanding Einroguard students are, but this is truly amazing. Hmm... How abouting this way?"
Puyo pointed to the inner part of the workshop, which he had not allowed earlier.
Seeing that, Yi-Han felt a sense of foreboding.
It was simr to the feeling when Professor Beavle had summoned him.
"Mr. Puyo. May the Princess alsoe with me?"
"?!"
The Princess, who had been thinking that Yi-Han was going to the inner part of the workshop, was flustered.
"Mr. Wardanaz...!"
"See, this bastard Wardanaz has some consideration."
Rowena and Ctran were amazed at Yi-Han''s consideration.
To have the opportunity to tour Puyo''s workshop together with a friend.
But the Princess''s thoughts were different.
She had a strong feeling that Yi-Han had called her because he didn''t want to be dragged away alone.
"Do as you please. I didn''t ask, but I''m sure your skills aren''tcking."
"Okay, let''s go."
The Princess nodded at Yi-Han''s words and felt a slight regret.
To have doubted the good intentions of a friend who was being kind, just based on a feeling, was an arrogant act unbing of a royal.
"...Thank you for calling me."
"It''s nothing. Just help out a bit if Mr. Puyo assigns us any work."
"...!!"
The Princess looked with a shocked expression at Yi-Han, who was walking ahead.
What...?!
¡ª
"Try refining these staffs."
Puyo handed them wooden materials along with papers with drawings.
Yi-Han and the Princess sat silently on chairs inside the workshop and began working.
Yi-Han ignored the Princess''s intense gaze on him.
''I have to avoid her gaze until we leave.''
Originally, when a professor summoned him, it was better to go with a friend.
They could divide the work, and most importantly, in the worst-case scenario, he could use the friend as a scapegoat to escape.
Of course, there was a minor problem that the friend might resent him.
"Excellent."
Puyo was satisfied with the work of the two students.
In Yi-Han''s case, in addition to the facts he had just heard, the fact that Professor Beavle had vouched for him raised expectations, and he had not disappointed those expectations at all.
This level was far superior to mediocre novice enchantment mages.
The Princess''s case was the same.
Although he had been worried based on the words of the other followers, watching her hands move, he could feel her natural talent for magic.
Shaping the staff was not something that could be done just by looking at the picture and copying it.
One had to grasp the flow of mana around the staff with each shaving, and shape it without disrupting that flow.
Magescking in sensitivity couldn''t follow the instructions no matter how much they were told, so the results of the two were even more satisfactory.
Puyo gave them a few more assignments after that, and theypleted them excellently.
Finally, the confident Puyo spoke.
"How about learning enchantment magic in my workshop during the remaining break?"
"!"
Puyo''s offer was not just a job offer.
Puyo was an artifact craftsman recognized not only in Granden City but also in the Empire.
Moreover, Puyo had the fastidiousness of not even epting most mages as disciples in his workshop.
The fact that he was offered to work under such a Puyo was itself a boost to his reputation. Moreover, they were still freshmen.
The Princess nodded.
"...I will do my best."
Puyo answered gratefully.
"I can''t say the work will be easy, but you''ll definitely learn a lot..."
As Puyo was speaking, he realized something strange.
Only the Princess had answered.
"Do you have other ns?"
When Yi-Han hesitated to answer, not only Puyo but also the Princess were perplexed.
To bring her along and then leave her behind, what kind of nonsensical act was this?
Tap tap tap tap tap!
Ignoring the Princess''s tapping next to him, Yi-Han carefully opened his mouth.
"I... have a question."
"Ask."
"Is there also pay?"
It was an important issue for Yi-Han.
Professor Beavle, for example, was already exploiting him without paying a single gold coin.
And no matter how outstanding an enchantment mage, he didn''t want to add more exploiters like that.
"Of course there is. Are you joking?"
Puyo tilted his head, not understanding Yi-Han''s question.
That a student like Yi-Han would ask such a question didn''t make sense.
"Yes, it was a joke. I''m sorry. I want to work too! I look forward to it."
"I should be the one saying that."
Yi-Han shook Puyo''s hand.
If there was pay, Puyo''s workshop would be a really good job.
Above all, the ability to freely ess rare materials was the biggest draw.
Among these, there would surely be a few that were discarded.
''I wonder if he''ll say anything if I say I want to take them to practice?''
While rejoicing inwardly, Yi-Han suddenly remembered something and asked.
"But won''t Professor Beavle be upset if he finds out I''m working here?"
"You don''t have to worry about that."
At Puyo''s immediate answer, Yi-Han was relieved.
It was undoubtedly that enchantment mages tacitly overlooked such matters among themselves.
"Ah. As expected, among enchantment mages, they respect each other in this aspect..."
"A fool loses what he can''t keep, after all."
"..."
Readup tochapter 442for just5$orup tochapter 592for /al_squad
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Chapter 345
Chapter 345
The Princess, sensing something ominous in Puyo''s answer, tugged at Yi-Han''s sleeve.
But Yi-Han judged that it was still within an eptable range.
''He could have cursed much more severely, but he didn''t. That''s rtively decent among enchantment mages.''
Puyo could have cursed much more severely than just calling Beavle a fool, but he only called him a fool.
In a way, it could be considered kind.
"Isn''t that right?"
At Yi-Han''s exnation, the Princess blinked her eyes repeatedly, seeming to understand. Seeing the other party''s silence, Yi-Han judged that his message had gotten through.
"It seems you understand."
"Ju..."
The Princess was about to point it out btedly, but couldn''t.
"Then, let''s get started."
Puyo waved his staff.
Thereupon, the shelves, storerooms, and drawers inside moved as if alive, spewing out the items they contained.
Rumble!
The overwhelming amount of materials piled up made the Princess feel overwhelmed.
Among the Einroguard students, Adenart was one of the top two in terms of study volume, but the materials Puyo brought out exceeded her expectations.
Could it be that they had to process all these materials themselves?
The Princess unconsciously turned her gaze to look at Yi-Han.
Sensing that, Yi-Han whispered as if he understood.
"If you start by embezzling materials, even if it''s Mr. Puyo, there''s a high chance he won''t overlook it. Let''s focus on the work for now."
"...What on earth are you talking about?!"
Adenart, who had always been praised for maintaining the dignity of a royal without wavering, found the exmation involuntarily escaping her lips.
¡ª
There was a prejudice that mages would do anything for the magic they pursued.
Of course, this was a prejudice.
Most of the mages Yi-Han had met were indeed like that, but not all mages were the same.
But unfortunately, Puyo fell into that category.
As the work began, he showed an overwhelming amount of work, as if it was no wonder he was called the best artifact craftsman in Granden City.
He didn''t care at all that they were first-year freshmen.
-Refine these staffs further.-
-Understood.-
-Once you''re done, enchant the ore beads in the box with a luminescence enchantment.-
-Understood.-
-Looks like you''re done. Good job. Rewrite and fill these nk scrolls here.-
-Unde¡-
As Yi-Han was answering, he hesitated, seeing the Princess ring at Puyo.
Her face was expressionless, but there was a clear murderous intent in her eyes.
''This is bad. It''s too soon for this.''
Of course, Puyo was piling on the work relentlessly, but it had only been about 3 days.
It was too early for the Princess to want to attack Puyo.
''If the Princess charges at Puyo and gets kicked out, I''ll have to do all this work alone.''
Yi-Han tried to soothe the Princess.
"Princess. Please endure a little longer."
"..."
The Princess, whose word count had increased a bit since her followers had decreased, fell silent again, ring only at Puyo.
No matter how much Yi-Han called, she remained silent, only staring at Puyo.
"Enchantment magic is usually learned this rigorously."
"...Is that really so."
The Princess, who had been reluctant to answer, asked after some contemtion.
There was a cold chill in her voice, but Yi-Han continued undeterred.
"Yes. Enchantment magic has so many spells to master and so many materials to handle."
In truth, all magic required such rigor, but the princess did not doubt Yi-Han''s words.
Among other mages, Yi-Han was known for his extensive experience in rigorous training.
Hearing it from Yi-Han, she thought, ''It might really be like that.''
"I understand."
The Princess stopped ring at Puyo and lowered her gaze to the materials on the table.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Yi-Han urged the next task.
"I''m d you understand. Well then, please draw the magic circles on all these papers. I''ll imbue them with mana as we go."
"..."
Faced with Yi-Han''s request to engrave magic circles on the towering stack of papers, the Princess felt a sense of overwhelming despair for the first time in her life.
"Mana..."
"Mana?"
"...Are you notcking in mana?"
Engraving the magic circles was already an act that consumed tremendous concentration, but imbuing them with mana while verifying them was also no easy task.
Especially thetter part was also very draining on mana.
There was a hint of desperation in Adenart''s eyes as she looked at Yi-Han.
"Ah. You mean my mana. I''m fine. Please proceed with the work."
"..."
As the Princess silently drew the magic circles on the papers with various inks and powders, she pondered.
She had met countless people in the Empire, but the boy from the Wardanaz family next to her was the first one she couldn''t fathom.
¡ª
After working through the nights for about 3 days, Puyo seemed somewhat satisfied.
"You all worked hard. The urgent matters have been taken care of. Go back and rest well. I''ll call you when it''s time to work again."
Of course, they couldn''t leave immediately.
Stifling yawns from fatigue, they had to focus on the staff work that came as a riddle.
After investing half a day, they were able toplete one reasonably good staff.
The Princess handed the staff to Yi-Han with a careful touch. Then she waited with a tense expression.
"...This seems good enough. Then, let''s go ba..."
Boom!
Before Yi-Han could finish speaking, the chair the Princess was sitting on flew back.
The Princess had stood up too hastily.
"..."
Without a word, the Princess hurriedly picked up the chair and set it upright.
"Good work."
"Ah, the Princess also worked hard."
The Princess quickly passed through the workshop door, as if afraid someone might hold her back.
Seeing that, Yi-Han felt uneasy.
''She''s not going to stoping next time, is she?''
If the Princess didn''te, Yi-Han would have to do all that work alone. That was absolutely uneptable.
Yi-Han resolved that if such a situation arose, he would visit the mansion and bring her back.
"Are you leaving now?"
"!"
Hearing Puyo''s voice from behind, Yi-Han felt a chill.
Of course, he didn''t think Puyo would hold him back after saying they were done and could rest.
But enchantment mages were all mad, weren''t they?
Mad people usually forgot what they had just said.
"I might have given you too much work. I''m sorry about that."
Puyo, sensing that Yi-Han had hesitated, gave a wry smile.
"I don''t know how to properly adjust and teach. I was taught this way as well."
''Someone needs to break this chain of resentment.''
Yi-Han was genuinely saddened by Puyo''s words.
Those who learned under Puyo would also create victims in a simr way.
"But I can say with certainty that these tasks have been helpful. How was it?"
"I''ve learned a lot, for sure."
It wasn''t just empty words. During the work in Puyo''s workshop, he had truly learned a great deal.
The method of refining the target to best match the flow of mana before casting enchantments and maximizing the effect.
The method of engraving various 1st and 2nd Circle spells on scrolls and enchanting items.
Since he had to personally cast all the things that were only briefly touched upon in theory at the academy, the experience couldn''t help but umte.
Normally, he should have been bursting with pride and satisfaction at his own growth, but he was too tired for that.
"Yes. After all, an enchantment mage''s skill grows through experience. No matter how much talent one has, it''s difficult to reveal that brilliance without training."
"That''s right. Then I''ll be..."
"I heard you made a staff separately after finishing."
Yi-Han regretted sending the Princess first.
If he had stopped her, he could have used the Princess as a sacrifice and left first.
"Yes."
"It''s good to practice, but at your current level, it will be difficult to make a good staff."
"Yes, I know."
There was not a hint of arrogance in Yi-Han''s attitude.
It was a rare humility for a mage with such innate talent.
Seeing that, Puyo thought he had worried needlessly.
''I made an unnecessary remark.''
"Well, if you know that, there''s no problem with practicing. But... Is that staff by any chance a gift from a tree spirit?"
"Ah, yes, that''s right."
Yi-Han nodded.
Essentially, Einroguard students were only allowed to use the staffs provided by the academy.
They weren''t even allowed to bring in their own clothes, so there was no exception for staffs.
However, if they obtained or made it within the school, it was permitted. That was why Yi-Han could use the staff from the oak tree spirit.
"I received it from the oak tree spirit in the mountains within Einroguard."
"Excellent."
Puyo smiled benevolently, a rare smile of a craftsman in the workshop.
As a tree spirit mixed-blood, Puyo keenly felt what kind of staff it was.
The life force inherent to the spirit was resonating and amplifying the mana of the mage who was its owner.
The owner didn''t seem to have noticed it yet, but that staff had likely revealed glimpses of its extraordinary vitality many times.
"Have you tried using any earth or nt-based elemental magic?"
"I''ve done it a few times, but I don''t use them as my main."
"I see. As a freshman, you probably haven''t learned healing magic yet."
Puyo was about to ask if Yi-Han had learned any healing magic that directly utilized life force, but stopped.
Now that he thought about it, as a freshman, he probably hadn''t even learned the basic healing magic yet.
"It''s a good staff. I can feel the spirit dwelling in the staff following its owner."
"Is that really true?"
"...Is that such a surprising thing? Have the spirits you''ve encountered always avoided you?"
"The spirits I''ve met have all kind of avoided me..."
"..."
Instead of borating and reopening Yi-Han''s wounds, Puyo changed the subject.
"But what kind of gem is embedded at the end of the staff? A frost spirit? No, that''s a bit strange for a frost spirit. What is it?"
As Puyo carefully examined the gem, he became more and more puzzled.
Since it was a freshman''s staff, he had thought it might be a low-level frost spirit, but the energy was rough and tyrannical, distant from a spirit.
''Is there a monster that wields cold and frost like this?''
"I''m not sure. Can you tell me?"
"The King of Frost Giants..."
"Aha. I didn''t think of that. ...Wait, the King of Frost Giants doesn''t leave a mark like this, does he?"
"...It''s a stone I received from the King."
"..."
¡ª
Because of the King of Frost Giants, Yi-Han had to stay an extra hour at the workshop exining, even in his exhaustion, instead of returning to the mansion.
Puyo, who had heard the surprising and mysterious stories that had urred within Einroguard, asked the first question that came to mind.
"Why did a first-year like you have to face the King of Frost Giants?"
"...There are unspeakable circumstances behind that."
Yi-Han changed the subject.
Seeing Yi-Han''s bitter expression, Puyo didn''t ask any further.
"This stone is constantly emitting cold energy. If it weren''t for the staff''s own vitality, it could have been a bit dangerous..."
At Puyo''s words, Yi-Han flinched.
So he had just embedded something that dangerous?
''No. The professor saw it, so he should have warned me, right? Why...?''
It was absurd that he just let it go, saying it was well-bnced.
Especially someone like Professor Bdi, who had seen it up close!
"Is it very dangerous?"
"It''s fine for now. But just in case, it would be better to add some other gems as a safety measure. If you don''t mind, I can do that for you. Since we''ve ended up working together, it''s a connection."
"!"
Yi-Han was touched by the enchantment mage''s kindness.
''As expected, enchantment mages are people of integrity!''
"The best method is to amplify the energy of fire to suppress it..."
"P-please wait a moment."
Yi-Han hastily interjected.
The idea of adding the energy of fire to his staff was something he couldn''t just ept without consideration.
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Chapter 346
Chapter 346
"Why not?"
"I don''t want to amplify the energy of fire to suppress it."
"I see."
Puyo nodded, as if understanding what Yi-Han meant.
"So you''re not satisfied with such a simple method."
"...No."
Yi-Han almost burst out for a moment.
The unique aesthetic sense of an enchantment mage had nothing to do with the current situation.
"I''m having difficulty controlling fire magic."
"A mage of your caliber?"
Puyo was taken aback by Yi-Han''s words.
Fire element was considered one of the easier elements among the various elements.
Unlike other elements, fire was something one encountered easily in daily life.
Yi-Han''s statement was simr to someone capable of advanced calculus having difficulty with addition.
"Because of my abundant mana..."
"Even if it''s abundant, is it really that difficult to control fire?"
"Yes."
"..."
Puyo was taken aback by Yi-Han''s direct answer, but soon nodded and epted it.
"That''s truly an amazing thing... Truly amazing."
''There''s no need to emphasize it twice.''
"I see. If I carelessly amplified the energy of fire, it could have the opposite effect."
"Thank you for understanding."
"But it''s be difficult. That was the best method. There are other methods, but..."
Yi-Han asked worriedly,
"Is it a costly method?"
"No, it''s not the cost that''s making me hesitate. The difficulty level is high, you see. It''s not just a matter of enchanting, but also requires the skill of the mage who wields the staff."
Puyo drew a simple diagram on the paper.
The stone left by the King of Frost Giants.
To control the power of this stone, one would need to ce an opposing attribute like fire, or perhaps another controble attribute.
If not fire, the next best attribute would be...
"Dark element. The problem is, even if I put a dark element gem on the staff, if the mage doesn''t know how to handle the dark element, wouldn¡¯t that be dangerous..."
Dark element was one of the most difficult to handle, unlike fire element.
If you added the power of a gem with dark element attributes to the staff, it couldter affect the mage when casting spells.
"I can handle dark element."
"...I-I see. Then let''s work on it that way."
Puyo looked at Yi-Han with a gaze filled with astonishment.
¡ª
Yonaire carefully rolled the dice.
If a 3 came up this time, she would be stuck in the ''Fail Magic Test'' square and have to rest for a turn.
Given her current unfavorable situation, that would make aeback nearly impossible.
"Hehehe."
Next to her, Gainando let out a sinister chuckle.
After losing 8 rounds, the time to win had finallye.
"Hey. Shut up and y quietly."
"Yes. Please be quiet."
Nillia and Ratford immediately scolded him.
They were stuck in the ''Tricked by a Friend and Had Potion Stolen'' square and the ''Tried to Steal an Artifact but Got Arrested'' square, making them highly irritable.
Gainando kept his mouth shut and strategized inwardly.
''When Yonaire rolls, I''ll activate the ''Dark Mage Gathering at the Graveyard'' card to...''
"Huh? It''s Wardanaz!"
Nillia jumped up, startled to see Yi-Han entering the main gate through the window.
At her sudden movement, the game board was tilted and the pieces fell over. Gainando cried out and tried to catch the pieces.
But Ratford and Yonaire also stood up in session. The board waspletely overturned, and the pieces were scattered on the floor.
"Wardanaz!"
"Guys. Don''t shout. It''s giving me a headache. ...Why is Gainando crying?"
"He... he''s crying because he''s happy you''re back..."
Yi-Han nced at the scattered pieces on the floor and asked,
"Were you about to win the dice game and lost?"
"No, no, no!"
As Gainando pushed the pieces on the floor with his foot, Yi-Han plopped down on the sofa.
Ratford asked, puzzled,
"Why didn''t youe to the mansion for days? Surely he didn''t imprison you in the workshop."
"He did imprison me."
"..."
"..."
"He didn''t physically imprison me, but it was essentially the same."
Yi-Han groaned.
If he gave him an amount of work that a human couldn''t do and set a time limit, he couldn''t go to the mansion.
He hadn''t even slept properly, so where would he have the time to go to the mansion?
Nillia was outraged at the sight of her disheveled friend.
"Isn''t this too much? No matter what, keeping someone imprisoned for days and just making them work, even the Shadow Patrol doesn''t... Well, they did do that, but to do this in the Empire''s city!"
"It''s fine, Nillia."
"What''s fine about it?"
"The pay is good."
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han snatched the cocoa Gainando was drinking and gulped it down. Seeing that, Ratford spoke up.
"It''s one thing about the workshop, but weren''t those who took you there, the ones from the White Tiger Tower, the bad guys?"
"Those White Tiger Tower guys are the worst!"
This time, it wasn''t really the White Tiger Tower''s fault, but the two ck Tortoise Tower students cursed the White Tiger Tower.
While they were doing that, Yi-Han exined to Yonaire what had happened.
"...So I ended up going to the workshop while trying to solve that riddle. But he said he would pay me if I worked there..."
"Wait."
Yonaire, who had been listening, tilted her head.
Gainando also spoke as if agreeing.
"No matter how important gold coins are, a ce that doesn''t even let you meet your friends while making you work like that isn''t a good ce. Right? That''s what you were trying to say, right?"
"No, that''s not it."
"...It''s not?"
The reason Yoner was puzzled was because of the riddle.
''A riddle about making a staff? It seems more like a real riddle...?''
In Yonaire''s view, it really seemed like a riddle.
If her guess was right, that was a riddle alluding to the moon.
She had heard that Duke Icaldoren had obtained an ancient relic imbued with the power of the moon with great difficulty and treasured it, so she thought he might be referring to that.
But...
"Then what were you trying to say?"
"...Nothing. It''s nothing."
"What?"
Gainando grumbled, but Yonaire swallowed her words.
The Princess''s followers would probably know better if it was really a riddle or not, and above all...
''Saying it now would be too pitiful.''
It would be so heartbreaking to tell the friend who had worked hard and returned that it wasn''t actually that.
From what she heard, Duke Icaldoren had acknowledged the answerst time. Probably out of respect for the Princess''s reputation, he would acknowledge whatever answer she gave.
So this time would be fine too.
"By the way, what about Professor Beavle?"
Yi-Han asked on his way, curious.
Given Professor Beavle''s personality, it would be strange if he didn''t raise a ruckus if Yi-Han didn''t return, but he was surprisingly quiet.
And that made it even more unsettling.
"He left?"
"He left?"
Yi-Han was surprised.
"Did you happen to ask where he was going?"
"How could I do that?"
Nillia asked back, as if it was absurd.
They should be grateful that Professor Beavle left, let alone ask where he was going, in case he came back.
Yi-Han understood Nillia''s words.
''She''s right.''
"At least the professors have all left now."
At Ratford''s words, Yi-Han answered in a mncholy tone.
"Other professors maye."
"That can''t be..."
"Is student Yi-Han here?"
"..."
Ratford turned his head and looked out the window.
Arge troll mixed-blood professor was standing politely at the mansion''s main gate.
"See?"
Yi-Han was neither surprised nor angry. Ratford whispered urgently,
"Should we say he''s not here?"
"It probably won''t be effective. Judging by the time she arrived, she must have obtained the information from somewhere."
"But even Professor Garcia...!"
Nillia spat out, full of betrayal.
Among the professors, she didn''t expect even Professor Garcia toe during the break and harass the students.
"Nillia. All the professors are the same. Don''t be too disappointed."
"Even so! I believed in Professor Garcia!"
¡ª
"I came to help stop other professors from visiting and harassing student Yi-Han. I''m d Professor Beavle understood and left."
"..."
"..."
"Ahhh! Professor Garcia!"
Nillia burst into tears of repentance and hugged Professor Garcia. Professor Garcia looked around at the other students, flustered.
"Why are you...?"
"It''s nothing, Professor Garcia. Thank you foring."
Yi-Han bowed his head sincerely.
To have doubted such a professor.
He was utterly ashamed of himself.
''Have I lost my conscience while dealing with the professors?''
"But you''re really not going to ask for anything?"
Gainando asked with a suspicious gaze.
Unlike the other friends, Gainando had not yet let go of his suspicion.
Since every professor he met took Yi-Han away for additional lectures, it was only natural.
Professor Garcia could also calm his guard and secretly take Yi-Han away.
"You! What arrogant words are those to Professor Garcia!"
"What if Professor Garcia secretly kidnaps Yi-Han and takes him away!"
"..."
Seeing the students pointing fingers and fighting with each other, Professor Garcia''s head throbbed.
The professors must have caused such a ruckus at the Wardanaz mansion for the students to be like this.
''It''s all the fault of the principal!''
Telling the professor where the student was staying during the break was not inherently wrong, but no matter how she thought about it, the skull principal had clearly done it with malicious intent.
Each professor who heard it came to visit the mansion one by one, turning it upside down.
Professor Beavle had done the same just now.
It took so much coaxing and persuasion to get Professor Beavle to leave, as he had settled in the guest room and immersed himself in work as if it were his own workshop.
"I really have no intention of making you do anything."
"That sounds like a lie."
At Gainando''s blunt words, Yi-Han thought inwardly,
''In fact, I feel the same way.''
A professor with no intention of making him do anything?
It was such a transcendent concept that Yi-Han''s mind couldn''t ept it.
"I just want student Yi-Han to rest and do what he wants. Before the professors came to harass him, what was he nning to do originally?"
"Earn gold..."
Before Yi-Han could say that he was nning to work, Yonaire poked his thigh.
If he told the truth here, Professor Garcia would likely worry unnecessarily.
-Talk about something rted to rest!-
-Right.-
Yi-Han understood Yonaire''s intention.
-...Well, what is there to say about rest?-
-...-
The top student friend who could answer any question about magic or work without hesitation couldn''t immediatelye up with something rted to rest, making Yonaire feel like she was about to cry.
-What if you say you went to buy something?-
-Not a bad idea.-
"I was nning to wander around the marketce and buy some things."
At Yi-Han''s exemry answer, Professor Garcia''s face brightened.
''Fortunate!''
At least Yi-Han had some nned rest in mind.
"Could it be Mage Cards?!"
"No. That''s not it."
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Chapter 347
Chapter 347
"But can''t we at least stop by once..."
Ignoring Gainando''s muttering beside her, Professor Garcia turned her gaze towards Yi-Han.
"If you all n to explore the marketce, let me treat you."
"Is that really okay?"
Yi-Han looked at Professor Garcia, puzzled.
Judging from the atmosphere at Einroguard, it was notmon for a professor to treat their students.
Is this really allowed?
"I usually don''t do that. But there are exceptions sometimes. This time, I''ll treat you."
At Professor Garcia''s wink, Nillia spoke as if she understood.
"So it''s because he''s an exceptional student that he''s an exception?"
"No. It''s because he''s a rather unfortunate student that he''s an exception."
"..."
Yi-Han became gloomy and followed behind Professor Garcia. Nillia patted Yi-Han''s shoulder, feeling a bit guilty.
¡ª
Even in the bustling streets of Granden City, mixed with countless races, Professor Garcia stood out.
Of course, the people of therge city of Granden did not flee in a bumpkin-like manner or shout "A troll! A troll has appeared in the city!" upon seeing Professor Garcia.
Instead, they nodded their heads calmly.
"Hmm. A walking troll."
"Probably a mage who underwent a troll transformation experiment."
"Hey, you''re not getting scared, are you? Your legs seem to be trembling."
"What are you talking about? Why are you the one avoiding eye contact?"
Even if they didn''t flee or shout, people''s bodies still stiffened involuntarily.
"Professor."
Yi-Han whispered, and Professor Garcia answered as if it was fine.
"Student Yi-Han. You don''t have to worry. I''m used to people reacting like that."
"Ah. That''s not... I was going to ask if I could make those people shut up."
Instead of worrying about the professor, the real disciple might be the one who wanted to silence those who insulted the professor.
But Professor Garcia didn''t let it slide.
"...You can''t."
"I can''t?"
"No. Take your hand off the staff."
Professor Garcia spoke sternly.
Bea... No, whoever it was, it was worrying to her that the student was relying on power too much.
"But they''ll keep bbering."
"I said it doesn''t matter. Come, the steak sandwiches at this restaurant are really delicious. I''ll treat you all."
Professor Garcia pointed a finger at the 3-story brick building on the side of the street.
The old brass sign with a food illustration hung at the entrance, and a long line was waiting in front of it.
''Seems like a famous ce.''
And when Professor Garcia joined the end of the line, the people in front suddenly started kindly yielding their ce.
"Oh, I... suddenly remembered an appointment. Please, go ahead."
"I owe a mage a favor, so now I always give up my ce when I meet one."
"..."
"..."
The students were at a loss for words, stunned.
What nonsensical...
But Professor Garcia just shrugged her shoulders. She didn''t seem very surprised, having seen it many times.
"They all yielded so nicely. Great. Shall we go in?"
''The professor also has a bit of an Einroguard vibe at times.''
Thinking the professor might be hurt, Yi-Han took a step forward.
The steak sandwich was as delicious as Professor Garcia had said. The crispy bread was filled with a thick, well-grilled steak, onions, tomatoes, and sauce, giving a substantial sense of satisfaction with each bite.
Gainando looked at Professor Garcia, who had easily entered the popr restaurant without waiting in line, with eyes full of admiration.
"Professor, you''re amazing."
''This guy has no sense.''
Yi-Han thought about sshing the drink in front of him.
Fortunately, Professor Garcia didn''t get angry or anything, justughed and answered.
"It''s one of the few advantages of being a troll mixed-blood."
"Can I also be a troll mixed-blood?"
"If you practice transformation magic diligently, it''s possible."
Professor Garcia encouraged Gainando.
As long as a student was trying to study magic, even if they were a bit strange, Professor Garcia always cheered them on.
"But I don''t n to learn transformation magic."
"Won''t that be difficult then?"
"Is it really impossible for me to learn other magic?"
Professor Garcia pondered for a moment.
She was trying to recall what kind of magic Gainando had learned.
Eventually, remembering dark magic, Professor Garcia spoke again.
"Even if you''re not a troll mixed-blood, as a dark mage, people will avo... Ah, no."
Professor Garcia realized she had misspoken.
There was no need to tell a student learning dark magic about the sad reality of dark mages.
Gainando didn''t notice, but Yi-Han had already caught on.
''I understand, Professor.''
Yi-Han gave a look that said he understood. Professor Garcia felt very apologetic.
"...Eat the sandwich, student Yi-Han. Have a drink too. Do you want a vani egg cream or a soda float?"
"I''m really fine, thank you."
Yi-Han felt sorry that Professor Garcia was apologetic.
The mistake was made by the other professors, so why was Professor Garcia like this?
Of course, one couldn''t say Professor Garcia had no responsibility at all, butpared to the other professors, Professor Garcia was like an angel.
"I''m enjoying this so much right now. Aren''t you, Nillia?"
"Huh? Uh, yes. Enjoying, enjoying. Wow, really enjoying it."
Nillia, who was drinking a milkshake, answered hastily, almost spilling her ss.
Suddenly, Professor Garcia''s expression changed.
"Everyone, please continue eating. I''ll be right back."
"?!"
As Professor Garcia quickly walked out of the restaurant, the friends looked at Nillia and said,
"How could you answer like that!"
"I-I suddenly got asked, so I couldn''t think!"
"Isn''t the professor angry?"
"...Yo, Yonaire. Let''s switch seats. I want to sit next to Yi-Han."
"Shut up and just sit still, Gainando."
Yi-Han was curious.
Why did Professor Garcia suddenly walk out?
''Did she find someone she knows?''
But her expression was a bit stiff, not like that.
¡ª
"Professor Krair. Come on. Huh? Hurry up."
"If you keep nagging, I''ll just shove tree bark down your throat instead of the deal, you know!"
Professor Krair, who taught divination magic to the students at Einroguard, spoke in an irritated voice.
She wasn''t particrly fond of Professor Beavle even on a normal day, but now Professor Krair was in a foul mood, her irritable personality fully on disy. She had no patience to tolerate Professor Beavle''s whining.
But Professor Beavle was not one to be easily dealt with.
"I got it, so hurry up. You can shove it if you want, just find it quickly."
"..."
Professor Krair gritted her teeth and tried to draw a counting rod from the abacus.
Judging by the way the range was narrowing, they were almost there.
Just one or two more times...
"What the hell are you two doing here?"
"..."
"..."
Even Professor Beavle flinched and shrank at the voice that came from behind. At that voice, Professor Krair''s irritable personality quickly fled down below.
The timid personality that had been forcibly dragged out cursed the other personality and made excuses.
"P-Professor Garcia..."
"Are you not going to show your other personality?"
"..."
Once again, the irritable personality emerged.
Professor Garcia red at the two and asked,
"What were you doing here?"
"We were divining..."
Professor Beavle answered evasively.
"What kind of divination?"
"Abacus divination..."
Abacus divination was a method of reading the future by pulling branches from an abacus, and outstanding diviners could read all kinds of omens with this abacus divination.
As a master among masters, Professor Krair would certainly be able to find the location of a single student.
"I was wrong! I was wrong! Forgive me this once, Professor Garcia! Aren''t we friends?"
"The friend I have is the other personality, not you, so shut up."
Professor Krair shut her mouth. She was afraid of Professor Garcia''s tightly clenched fist.
"Were you perhaps trying to find a student in exchange for a reward?"
Professor Garcia had already guessed the situation.
Professor Beavle was one of the people at Einroguard who had the most artifacts, so it was quite possible that he had requested Professor Krair''s help by offering one of them as a reward.
While Professor Krair''s stable personality might not have epted such a dangerous proposal, the other personalities could not be the same.
It was probably the irritable personality that eagerly epted the proposal.
"Uh..."
"What did I tell youst time when I sent you back?"
"To meet after the semester starts..."
"Then why?"
"I don''t know how it happened..."
"..."
At Professor Beavle''s shameless answer, Professor Garcia was at a loss for words.
Well, what use would threats be against a madman who spoke his mind even in front of the skull principal.
It was fortunate that at least Professor Beavle was pretending to listen to her words.
"Go back. You can meet when the semester starts."
"But then the others will try to share the time..."
"It''s not ''others'', it''s other professors, and it''s only natural to share time."
"But my magic is more important than the others''..."
"Please just shut your mouth."
The irritable personality of Professor Krair whispered desperately.
While Professor Beavle''s life might not be precious, the irritable personality of Professor Krair''s life was very precious.
"I really ask you, please. Go back quickly."
With the permission granted, Professor Krair quickly turned and left with Professor Beavle.
The fear that Professor Garcia might change her mind and unleash her wrathful fist was evident.
Professor Garcia sighed, watching their retreating backs.
She had thought Professor Beavle wouldn''t listen, but to move so quickly, in just a few days...
''...Surely the other professors aren''t doing the same thing.''
¡ª
"Ah. You''re back, Professor Garcia. What happened?"
At the students'' worried looks, Professor Garcia lied.
"I just ran into someone I knew and had a quick chat."
"Wow, Professor really does have a lot of friends."
Nillia marveled.
Could it be that a professor of her standing would find an acquaintance among the passersby on the streets of Granden City?
"Not quite that much. Shall we get up and leave? What would you like to drink? Wine? Coffee? Tea?"
"Tea would be nice."
"Great. I''ll introduce you to a nice tea house."
Professor Garcia led the students to a regr tea house.
Unlike the restaurant earlier, it was located deep in the alley, giving a rtively quiet atmosphere, and the fragrance of tea wafted through the ivy-covered wooden walls.
"I particrly enjoy the green tea here. Everyone should try... Wait a moment. Please continue eating. I''ll be right back."
"???"
As Professor Garcia got up and headed outside again, the students looked at her with suspicion and bewilderment.
What could possibly be going on?
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Chapter 348
Chapter 348
30 minutester.
Professor Garcia returned, panting.
"Sorry, everyone. I kept you all waiting too long."
"???"
Yi-Han was gradually feeling something was off.
Professor Garcia was panting as if she had been in a physical altercation.
''Did she perhaps beat up the people who were causing trouble earlier?''
But that didn''t seem to fit Professor Garcia''s inherently kind personality.
"P-Professor, please have this at least."
As the students offered her a teacup, Professor Garcia gulped it down. She seemed parched.
"Phew. I''m sorry, everyone. Did you order any snacks while waiting?"
"The tea was enough."
"No, the snacks here are delicious too. The fruit slices are good..."
As Professor Garcia was speaking, she hesitated.
The students hoped it wasn''t what they were thinking.
"...I''ll be right back."
Whoosh!
As Professor Garcia hurried out again, Yi-Han hardened his expression and said,
"I can''t let this go on. I''ll go check for a bit."
Not once, but repeatedly doing this, Yi-Han couldn''t help but worry as a student.
"Wait. Isn''t that dangerous? If you go and end up interfering..."
Nillia was unsure if she should follow.
She understood the desire to help, but the help of someone without the ability was closer to a nuisance.
Nillia had experienced that among the hunters as well.
This situation of the students going to help Professor Garcia could also be like that...
"No. Professor Garcia is clumsy at fighting, so in case of an emergency, she might need help."
"...????"
"???????"
The friends were too flustered to react to Yi-Han''s words.
While they were like that, Yi-Han quickly turned around and rushed out the door.
"Wa... Wardanaz! What the hell...?!"
¡ª
Among the Einroguard professors, Alkasis Lagrinde, who taught healing magic, was rtively easy to find.
If a group passed by with faces equally pale and tired, they were usually undead or Alkasis'' disciples.
Professor Garcia panted and said,
"Lagrinde... Professor."
"Professor Garcia."
Professor Alkasis curtly bowed in greeting.
But Professor Garcia had no intention of exchanging greetings with the other.
''How many professors are out here anyway?''
She had just sent one away, and now a new professor appeared.
It was as if there was a secret professor gathering around here that only Professor Garcia didn''t know about.
"May I ask what brings you here?"
"I came to find a student."
"Is it by any chance student Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family?"
At Professor Garcia''s words, Professor Alkasis'' expressionless face moved slightly, seeming a bit surprised.
"That''s right. You know, so the story is quick."
"Well, you see, Yi-Han is a first-year, and he''s learning many majors, so his skills in healing magic are..."
"He single-handedly provided emergency treatment when the knights attacking the Crimson Lotus Forest had an ident. Isn''t that enough qualification?"
"..."
Professor Garcia inwardly shouted at Yi-Han.
''What on earth did you do with the words I said during the semester?''
Even if it was just basic healing magic, the moment it became known that a first-year could use it, the path of hardship would be wide open, so she had emphasized that so carefully!
Professor Garcia sighed.
But she couldn''t me her student either.
When someone was injured right in front of her, she couldn''t just stay still for her ownfort.
Seeing Professor Garcia''s restless state, Professor Alkasis let out a rough sigh, full of deep fatigue.
"Professor Garcia. I know Yi-Han is a disciple you cherish. But look at my disciples."
Professor Garcia couldn''t help but turn her head, regretting it.
There were the most pitiful mages'' souls.
The students majoring in healing magic under Professor Alkasis were dozing off while standing, asionally shaking their heads to regain consciousness.
"My disciples have only slept for an hour in three days. The mages of other schools can n. But my disciples can''t do that. You know, don''t you?"
"No... That''s..."
Professor Garcia was at a loss for words in the face of the logic.
Unlike the other professors with selfish motives, Professor Alkasis'' reason was one that even Professor Garcia as a professor couldn''t refute.
To save a human life, they needed help...
"I just need to borrow him for 5 days. I think 5 days will be enough to roughly handle the urgent patients."
"...But even after that, you''lle borrow him again when it''s urgent, won''t you?"
"Yes, I''m sorry. But if an ident happens, I can''t help it. I need at least one more."
Professor Alkasis rustled the swords at her waist as she spoke. There was an unavoidable fatigue in the dark elf professor''s voice.
"So where is this student Wardanaz?"
"...I don''t know."
"Professor!"
Professor Alkasis red at her pleadingly.
She had thought Professor Garcia was the one professor she couldmunicate with, unlike the others, so she was shocked.
"What can I do if I really don''t know?"
"I see... Alright, I''ll find him."
"Yes..."
The healing magic students had conflicting expressions, torn between thinking ''Can we really drag in a freshman?'' and ''If he''s a truly outstanding talent, can''t we rest a bit?''
"..."
Professor Garcia prepared to send a note to the tea house.
She was nning to tell the students to lock the tea house door and absolutely note out.
''She can''t possibly find¡¡¯
"Ah, I found him!"
"...Ah, what are you doing!!! Student Yi-Han!! Are you crazy?!"
Professor Garcia was furious when she spotted Yi-Han right next to the alley, making eye contact with the healing magic major students.
¡ª
"...I''m sorry."
Yi-Han apologized.
But this was unavoidable. The situation had been too sudden.
Just as he was listening to the conversation between Professor Garcia and Professor Alkasis, the search had suddenly started...
''From now on, I should develop the habit of always preparing an invisibility spell.''
Yi-Han bitterly reflected.
Einroguard wasn''t the only battlefield.
The world outside Einroguard was also a battlefield.
A moment of carelessness could cost him his life in this battlefield!
"I''ve finally found you."
Professor Alkasis spoke in a rough, hoarse voice, worn out.
"Last time, I couldn''t finish talking because of Professor Beavle, but grab my hand. I''ll help your talent bloom."
"..."
Yi-Han was torn between trusting Professor Garcia and fleeing, or just obediently following Professor Alkasis.
The former risked getting hit by Professor Alkasis'' sword if the escape went wrong, and thetter meant being dragged away and possibly having to train in healing magic until the end of the break.
''Thetter is the only option.''
Yi-Han decided immediately.
The moment Professor Alkasis'' concentration wavered even slightly, he would cast all the magic he had and flee!
"You..."
Professor Alkasis'' eyes narrowed, intuitively understanding Yi-Han''s thoughts.
Among the students at Einroguard, the skull principal was the best at catching runaways, but Professor Alkasis was also a hidden master.
As a professor specializing in healing magic, she must have the ability to catch and bring back fleeing students, not just healing magic.
That''s why she could tell just from the posture.
''Is that really a first-year?''
Professor Alkasis couldn''t help but be inwardly shocked by Yi-Han''s wless stance.
A student who wasn''t even from the White Tiger Tower, showing such a solid stance without any gaps, what was this?
She had heard the student had exceptional talent not only in healing magic but also in other fields, but to this extent?
Just looking at the aura he exuded, one wouldn''t be surprised if he was an experiencedbat mage.
''But still...''
Professor Alkasis calmly prepared her magic.
No matter how talented a genius the opponent was, she was still an immature beast.
In a mage''s duel, the experienced mage had an absolute advantage.
Professor Alkasis had conserved her mana, ready to subdue the opponent as quickly as possible.
''With his abundant mana, direct suppression magic is unlikely to work. I''ll have to summon something from the outside to bind him.''
''I¡¯ll immediately cast a fog and invisibility, then cast an enhancement spell and flee.''
The two mages just stared at each other silently. The air was taut with tension.
Yi-Han instinctively felt he was at a disadvantage.
''Damn. I can''t tell what she''s trying to do...''
He couldn''t tell what kind of magic the opponent was trying to use. Moreover, Professor Alkasis knew Yi-Han had abundant mana.
"...You idiot! What are you doing! Run! Don''t even look back, just run! Arm, wither!"
"!?"
At that moment, two of Professor Alkasis'' disciples who had been watching nearby rushed out and cast magic at their master.
They were seniors familiar to Yi-Han, Phil and Chill.
Professor Alkasis, despite her disciples attacking her, was not surprised or angry.
She just swatted the magic away with her staff, as if it was annoying and tiring.
"Run! Vitality... Ugh!"
Phil was subdued with a single swing of the professor.
Professor Alkasis had rapidly regenerated the flesh in the airway connected to Phil''s throat, causing temporary obstruction.
Phil tried to break free, but the professor''s skill was as solid as a master tailor''s stitching, and it couldn''t be easily disturbed.
"When you wake up, study throat-rted things again. Stupid child."
"Eyes, obscure the light!"
Chill, undaunted by his friend''s copse, targeted the professor''s eyes again.
After all, the healing magic students didn''t get sent to the punishment room even if they tried to escape or rebel, so Professor Alkasis didn''t get angry or punish them.
Thud!
The professor blocked Chill''s magic with a dismissive gesture.
It was a simple movement, but Yi-Han and Chill could tell how advanced the technique was.
In that brief moment, she had grasped the structure of the iing magic, then channeled mana into her fingertips to deconstruct the magic.
Chill gritted his teeth and shouted.
"Aren''t you ashamed! Taking a freshman to brainwash him like us! Aren''t you ashamed of that?!"
"...Damn, you''re right, Chill!"
The senior healing magic students, who had been wavering between self-interest and conscience, threw off their cloaks and grabbed their staffs.
Hearing Chill''s words, they felt their faces burning.
As Einroguard students, they couldn''t do such a thing to a first-year freshman.
Professor Alkasis'' gaze grew even darker and more piercing.
"I don''t care if you attack, but I''ll kill anyone who wastes mana uselessly."
"Don''t lie! Instead of killing us, you''ll just make us work, won''t you, Professor!"
"Attack!"
"How many times?!"
"This time, formation 11! Move in the 11-person formation!"
''How many times have these seniors attacked?''
The healing magic students, having rebelled more than once or twice, quickly formed a formation and charged at Professor Alkasis.
''Alright! This should be enough...!''
Chill was relieved.
Of course, the students would be brutally subdued, but at least they could buy time for the junior to escape.
But Yi-Han didn''t run.
"...??!?"
When Yi-Han came and stood next to Chill, Chill was shocked.
"What are you doing! Are you crazy!"
"Senior. How can I just run and leave the seniors behind?"
"...You..."
Chill felt a surge of warmth in his eyes. Tears welled up unexpectedly, overflowing from his eyes.
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Chapter 349
Chapter 349
"...Don''t make me cry."
Not only Chill, but the other senior healing magic students also struggled to hold back their tears blurring their vision.
In this situation, the junior running away might have been the better choice.
But by not running away, this junior had touched their hearts.
"Did you see that? Today is the day!"
"The junior is in front of us! Show him properly!"
The healing magic students charged forward, shouting.
''Is today the day?''
''If it''s not the day, we''ll make it the day!''
The day.
Among the healing magic students, it was known as ''the day they overthrow Professor Alkasis and seed in escaping to rest.''
They had never actually managed it before, but one day, that day woulde!
"If you want to rest."
Professor Alkasis swung her staff.
The charging student read the professor''s intent and desperately defended.
"Harden like steel, nerves!"
Despite the enhancement magic, Professor Alkasis simply took control of the student''s nervous system.
Losing control of the nerves that connected and transmitted signals throughout the body was fatal in such a duel. The student immediately fainted.
"Train your magic skills!"
At the same time, the swords at the professor''s waist levitated.
As Professor Alkasis lunged forward, the sword, sheath, and all, swung fiercely, blowing away the students who were focused on defense.
"That way, you can rest early."
"How does it make sense for the same people to keep getting hurt?!"
At the anguished shout of his disciple, the professor slightly swung her staff.
The student panicked, trying to protect their nervous system, but this time it was somewhere else.
A student, robbed of control over his blood flow, turned pale and copsed.
''...I should have just run.''
Watching Professor Alkasis subdue the charging students with a single staff motion, Yi-Han suddenly felt regret.
The prejudice that healing mages were weak was wrong. Healing magic itself could be used offensively if one was determined.
Moreover, in the case of a master like Professor Alkasis, she could precisely take away the opponent''s physical control to subdue them.
To take control of the entire body would require an extraordinary mage to pour in mana, but taking control of a specific part was much less difficult.
Of course, other mages, even if they could take control, would have difficulty utilizing or applying it.
It was abat method only possible for Professor Alkasis, who had a perfect understanding of the human body.
''Enough with the regret.''
Yi-Han steeled his resolve and prepared.
Not running away and abandoning the seniors was half calction, halfpassion.
In this situation, if he abandoned the seniors and left, there was a possibility they would resent himter.
Now, it was because of their resentment towards the professor, butter, when their minds returned and they were doing additionalbor under the professor, they mighte to hate the absent junior.
The human heart wasplicated like that.
Moreover, seeing the seniors who had been constantly subdued, if Yi-Han left, the seniors might not be able to drag out the time as long.
The seniors knew Professor Alkasis well, but Professor Alkasis knew the seniors even better.
And...
''...I just couldn''t leave them behind.''
Yi-Han was usually the type to look after his own interests, but the healing magic majors were truly too pitiful.
How could he just run away and leave such people behind?
Yi-Han had a conscience too.
"Seniors. Please support me!"
"!"
The seniors were surprised by Yi-Han''s shout.
Surprisingly, the junior was rushing forward with a sword.
''Closebat?!''
Like the other friends, Chill was appalled.
A mage in closebat?
''I understand, junior, but what you''re doing now...!''
Fighting a mage with overwhelming abilities was absolutely disadvantageous in magic, so engaging in closebat to prevent the mage from using magic was also a viable choice.
But...
''...We''ve all tried that!''
Of course, the healing magic students had already tried that.
Since they couldn''t win with magic, they had each cast transformation or enhancement magic and charged at the professor.
The result, of course, was disastrous.
Professor Alkasis'' sword at her waist was not just for show. She subdued the students like a rampaging patient.
"Wasting mana."
Professor Alkasis frowned as she swung her staff at the charging Yi-Han.
She had tried to subdue him by taking control of his body, like the other students, but btedly realized.
''His mana is really insane.''
Thud!
Professor Alkasis lightly tapped the wall of the nearby alley.
The wall then undted as if alive and rushed towards Yi-Han.
"Water!"
As the wall came crashing down, Yi-Han strengthened his legs and explosively elerated by infusing them with mana.
Not only that, he summoned water in the air.
"Be a tform!"
"!"
Professor Alkasis was surprised by the magic Yi-Han disyed.
She wasn''t surprised by the summoning and transformation of water.
Of course, the fact that a first-year could do it so skillfully was already impressive enough, but what surprised Professor Alkasis was...
''He could immediately be a battle mage right now without any oddity.''
Amidst the chaos and confusion, the speed at which he selected and cast the magic.
It was the innate talent of abat mage.
Moreover, with such abundant mana, he would be a nightmare for other mages.
ng!
Not wanting to waste any more mana, Professor Alkasis grabbed the hilt of her sword.
Rather than engage in a magic battle, she intended to go in directly and subdue him.
It seemed he was charging with enhancement magic, but Professor Alkasis was confident she could subdue him.
''Here hees!''
Yi-Han tensed his entire body.
He had provoked the closebat, but actually engaging in it with the professor made his heart race.
He was several times more tense than when facing an excellent swordsman.
Swordsmen only swung their swords, but the professor could use both swords and magic. With bad luck, he might not evenst a few exchanges before being blown away.
''...Pierce through!''
Boom!
Yi-Han''s sword and Professor Alkasis'' swords shed powerfully.
And Professor Alkasis was shocked.
"You!"
Yi-Han''s sword, Morning Star, was momentarily absorbing the professor''s mana.
They both had covered the swords with sheaths, so it went unnoticed, but Yi-Han''s sword was made of a special ore called ck Purplestone, capable of absorbing mana.
For a mage sensitive to mana control like Professor Alkasis, it was an annoyingly troublesome sword.
''Given the professor''s personality, this will definitely work.''
Yi-Han never intended to truly defeat the professor.
With this gap in ability, how could he win?
What Yi-Han aimed for was apromise.
From the professor''s perspective, she would say something like ''You despicable, filthy brat, I don''t need the likes of you.''
With Morning Star in his hand, Yi-Han was an irritating existence for the mana-controlling Professor Alkasis, no matter how she dealt with him.
If she tried to subdue him with the sword, the mana consumption would be excessive.
If she tried to subdue him with magic, the mana consumption would be excessive.
"..."
"Junior, be careful!"
As Professor Alkasis'' eyes shed, the other students frantically waved their staffs.
The wood that had been surging from the ground immediately withered away. Yi-Han felt a chill down his spine.
To have taken advantage of that brief moment when Yi-Han let his guard down, if the seniors hadn''t been there, he would have been hit.
Even a moment of carelessness in front of the professor was fatal.
Professor Alkasis clicked her tongue disapprovingly and said,
"Alright, go."
"!!!!!"
The seniors were shocked.
They had never seen Professor Alkasis give in like this.
''Impossible!''
''Is this real? Not a dream??''
Professor Alkasis spoke in a rough, hoarse voice.
"You''re quite persuasive..."
"Thank you."
It was clear the professor had the same thought as Yi-Han.
To subdue him here would require an excessive use of mana, and it was counterproductive to expend so much of the professor''s mana just for one first-year student.
Regrettable, but what could be done.
"But you won''t be able to keep avoiding me."
"...I''ll work hard next semester."
At Yi-Han''s words, Professor Alkasis nodded slightly, as if understanding.
It meant she would ept thepromise.
"Go."
"Professor."
Looking at the professor like a ferocious beast baring its fangs, Yi-Han carefully spoke.
It felt like his life was on the line with the one sentence he was about to utter.
"Please let the seniors rest as well."
"..."
"..."
The air turned icy.
The watching seniors were so tense they couldn''t even breathe.
''That... That madman!''
''You''re going to get yourself killed!''
Professor Garcia, who had been controlling the passersby from approaching the scene of the fight, also swallowed her saliva.
"Have you forgotten what I said? Clearly in the lecture..."
"I know. But Professor, there must be other ways. Calling in mages from other regions, or even asking the principal..."
Listening from the side, Chill was worried that the junior was truly insane.
The skull principal wasn''t some summoning beast, and there was no way he could summon more healing mages just because they were short.
"...I think I can at least buy enough time for the seniors to rest."
"What will you do if I refuse?"
Yi-Han brandished his sword.
Seeing the intention to go down together, Professor Alkasis eventually sighed and answered.
"I hope my disciples haven''t learned any bad habits from you. Alright. ...I''ve been overworking you all. Go rest. I can somehow buy that much time."
"Professor...!!!"
"Don''t cry, just scram. Rest ande back."
The students hurriedly fled, fearing the professor might change her mind.
"Are, are you okay?"
The watching Professor Garcia asked worriedly. Professor Alkasis replied tersely, her voiceced with annoyance,
"Do I look okay? Huh? Do I seem okay to you?"
The respectful demeanor she had shown to his student in front of others was now gone.
Professor Garcia, reverting to a student, hung her head low.
"I''m sorry..."
"It''s fine. It''s not your fault. The disciples need to rest too. They''ve worked too hard..."
"I, I''ll help too."
"If you have a conscience, you should naturally do that."
"I was wrong."
"And... I should contact the principal. He''ll help at least once."
"That''s a good idea. He''s in Granden City right now."
"Is he? Even better."
Professor Alkasis'' authority, who was saving all the patients in the name of Einroguard throughout the nearby regions, was so high that even the skull principal couldn''t easily refuse.
He absolutely couldn''t refuse a request for help.
...Of course, from the perspective of the skull principal, it would be absurd.
The usually uncooperative Professor Alkasis suddenly contacting him, saying ''Please help my disciples rest.''
"By the way, please don''t tell the principal that Yi-Han brought it up."
"Understood."
¡ª
"Junior! Isn''t this exciting? Aren''t you excited?!"
"Look at this! Look at this!"
The healing magic students were excited, pointing their fingers.
What they were pointing at was a fountain in the middle of the city square.
"...Uh, is there someplex magic hidden in that fountain? I''m not sure..."
"There''s nothing like that, it''s just pretty, right?"
"That''s right. Sitting and watching the fountain all day long was our wish."
"This peaceful watching... Wait. Junior. Why are you crying?"
"I''m not crying. Something got in my eyes."
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Chapter 350
Chapter 350
Yi-Han wiped his tears with a handkerchief. Strangely, his vision was blurry.
''Is it raining?''
"...It would be better to eat something. I''ll go buy it."
"No, we should buy it for you."
"It¡¯s hard enough to get juniors to join, if we take your silver and buy ice cream, even fewer will join."
The seniors sat Yi-Han in front of the fountain and walked towards the ice cream stand.
-...I said I don''t want to¡-
-...I can''t give in either¡-
"??"
Yi-Han was startled to see the seniors arguing with the ice cream vendor.
''What''s going on? Did they fail to haggle the price?''
If that was the case, Yi-Han thought he should go and help.
"Why are they doing that?"
"Ah... The merchants we know don''t want to take silver from us."
"!"
-I can''t ept it. I won''t take it.-
-Haha. You healing mages are mistaken. How much do you think we owe you in gratitude, and you''re trying to give us silver?-
-That''s right. Oh, I made some crepes here, have some.-
-What? The healing mages from Einroguard are here?-
As the argument dragged on, merchants nearby began to flock over.
Recognizing the students from Einroguard, the merchants brought armfuls of their snacks and piled them up neatly.
The seniors were at a loss, flustered.
-It''s okay¡-
-You''re all skin and bones!-
-That''s a prejudice¡-
-It''s true! You need to eat more!-
-We''re healing mages, why are you saying such nonsense¡-
-Take this too!-
The seniors, overwhelmed by the swarming merchants, returned with half-dazed faces.
And theyid out a mountain of snacks on the table.
"Eat a lot, junior."
"...You''ll eat with me, right?"
"Yeah. But we''ve worked too much and lost our appetite. You need to eat a lot."
"..."
Yi-Han thought he should eat even if his stomach burst.
''At least you''re popr, so that''s fortunate.''
Even dark mages sometimes had merchants refusing to take silver, but that had a slightly different meaning.
The merchants here, however, genuinely refused to take the healing mages¡¯ silver.
The seniors each held an ice cream cone, watching the fountain, ying mage card games, or rolling dice on aid-out board for a horse race.
Everyone''s faces were filled with tranquil happiness and peace...
Rumble!
"What''s that sound?"
"There must have been an ident in the guild district! That''s the new building they were constructing, right?!"
"Smoke is rising, is there a fire?!"
"..."
The seniors silently stared at the ground, then stood up from their seats.
"Seniors. Don''t tell me..."
"Sorry, Wardanaz."
"You never know. The professor might need our help."
"Thanks to you, today was so much fun. We''re lucky to have a junior like you."
"No...!"
Before he could stop them, the seniors bit into a donut each and ran towards the scene of the ident.
"The principal is there, so it''ll be fine...!"
Yi-Han cried out in dismay, but the seniors just waved their hands and left.
With only a mountain of snacks remaining, Yi-Han sighed.
''If they live like that for a few more years, even the kindest person would turn foul-tempered.''
The square became quiet as even the merchants went to see the ident scene.
At that moment, a voice came from behind.
"Why are you eating alone like this?"
"...!"
Yi-Han turned his head at the familiar voice.
An old mage with a kind, grandmotherly impression was standing behind him.
"Lady Eumidiphos...!"
"It''s been a while."
Eumidiphos, a renowned water element mage in the empire, sat in front of Yi-Han and pointed at the waffle.
"Of course you can have it."
"Thank you."
Without any motion, the syrups on the table rose and gently covered the waffle.
Taking a bite, Eumidiphos asked Yi-Han,
"Why are you so tense?"
"Well..."
Eumidiphos herself was a moderately crazy mage, but the mage who would appear after Eumidiphos was a different story.
"...Didn''t Professor Bagrak go looking for you to prepare for the second semester''s lecture?"
"Aha. He did."
Eumidiphos nodded.
"You were worried Bdi Bagrak might not find me."
"...Ah, yes."
Yi-Han answered, managing his facial muscles.
Eumidiphos continued as if it was fine.
"He found me well, so no need to worry."
"Yes..."
Crunch.
"By the way, I want to see some water element magic. Can you show me?"
Yi-Han gripped his staff. Eumidiphos spoke in a gentle but strict voice.
"Lift it up."
"Spring forth!"
"Transform."
"Be a wall!"
"It''s about time you do it all at once. Try it."
Yi-Han''s spell casting speed was one of the fastestpared to other mages.
It was natural, as he was being rigorously trained as abat mage.
As such, there was no problem with casting water element magic in separate steps.
But Eumidiphos was telling him to graduate from that too.
All at once, like an excellent mage.
Yi-Han nodded.
''Well, it is time.''
Of course, if other friends heard, they would have said, ''Get a grip, Wardanaz, you''re still a first-year, what do you mean it''s time,'' but Yi-Han''s standards had also slightly crumbled because of the other professors.
"Water, be a shield!"
He neatlypressed the actions of lifting the water and transforming it into a shield into a single spell and motion.
"Excellent."
"I was lucky. It''s the element I''m most familiar with..."
"That familiarityes from your effort, so don''t call it luck."
Eumidiphos waved her hand, and the water from the fountain surged up and turned into a wall.
"Let''s see some spin properties. Can you pierce this wall?"
"I''ll try."
Among the advanced properties of water elements, the spin attribute was something Yi-Han had been consistently practicing since the first semester.
Of course, it wasn''t that easy.
He had used it a few times in a limited way when facing the Colossal Hungry Ghost, but it was inevitable that it would take time.
At Yi-Han''s current level, to properly handle the spin attribute, he had to either give up some power and settle for a moderate spin or pour in a lot of time.
Eumidiphos was curious to see how far Yi-Han had ovee this problem.
Of course, for an average student, it would take more than two or three years of effort, but the student in front of her was a bit different, wasn''t he?
Swish!
"?!"
Eumidiphos was surprised.
Yi-Han had summoned dozens of water orbs.
''What is he thinking?''
"Spin!"
With the spell, a few of the dozens of water orbs lost their shape and disappeared.
Due to the clumsily applied spin attribute, they couldn''t maintain their form, and the magic was canceled.
Yi-Han focused his mind on the orbs that had proper spin among the surviving ones.
As the spin sped up, a few more orbs were canceled. Yi-Han elerated the remaining orbs without minding.
"..."
Eumidiphos was honestly impressed.
She wasn''t impressed by Yi-Han''s magical talent. She had already been impressed by that before.
What impressed Eumidiphos was Yi-Han''s way of thinking.
Even with abundant mana, mages who could utilize it in such a way were rare.
Using dozens of other spells as sacrifices toplete a single spell.
It was an absurd waste in the eyes of mages, but it wasn''t a difficult task for Yi-Han.
In less than a few minutes, a single fiercely spinning water orb waspleted.
Thud!
As the orb easily prated the barrier Eumidiphos had erected, the old mage apuded.
"Well done. I''m honestly surprised."
"Is that so?"
Yi-Han was delighted.
Honestly, while doing it, he was worried that Eumidiphos would say, ''You''re still only at that level.''
But seeing her so satisfied was a relief.
"Of course you did well. Why are you surprised?"
"I still have many shorings..."
"Bdi Bagrak is making you unable to make a proper assessment of yourself. You''re doing well."
"Thank you."
Hearing Bdi''s name cursed was always pleasant.
Yi-Han bowed his head.
"I was going to give you advice if you were stuck, but with that method... I have nothing to advise."
"Pardon? No, please give me advice."
Yi-Han felt wronged.
Surely lifting dozens of orbs like that wasn''t a good method, was it?
The excellent advice of a great mage like Eumidiphos would be much more effective than such a crude method...
"No, you''re doing well."
Eumidiphos thought Yi-Han''s method was very good.
Originally, there was no shortcut in magic.
Especially for magic where delicate senses were important, like the spin attribute, it was crucial to keep experiencing and umting.
The method of lifting dozens of orbs like a madman and applying spin to all of them, as Yi-Han was doing now, was unexpectedly very effective.
If he continued like this, he would soon be able to grasp the spin attribute.
"I''mte. My apologies."
As Professor Bagrak walked over, Yi-Han''s heart sank.
The professor''s attire was tattered as if he had just walked out of a battlefield.
''What in the world did he bring?''
Since he would face it directly in the second semester, fear couldn''t help but rise in Yi-Han''s soul.
"Why are youte?"
"The other professors asked me to help with the ident scene."
"It''s surprising that you didn''t refuse."
"I couldn''t refuse because Lord Gonadaltes also requested it."
"Gonadaltes?"
Eumidiphos was startled.
The skull principal wasn''t the type to personally step in to solve such things.
Usually, he would have the disciples or professors do it...
"Was it that serious?"
"It wasn''t. I think it was to let the students rest."
Yi-Han, who had been listening, couldn''t help but ask.
"Did the students end up participating?"
"No. Professor Garcia made them rest."
Yi-Han was touched.
Eumidiphos nodded and said,
"Rest is important too. Honestly, the young healing mages at Einroguard are overworked."
"Yes. Rest is important."
"???"
Yi-Han stared intently at Professor Bagrak.
Was the person who knew that acting like that until now?
"Now that Bdi Bagrak is here, let''s get to the point. I came because I heard you have an aptitude for the cold element."
Yi-Han looked at Professor Bagrak again.
As if understanding the meaning of that gaze, Professor Bagrak nodded slightly.
Yi-Han had no idea what the other party meant by nodding.
"Not quite an aptitude..."
"If you can summon cold, it''s an aptitude. Rare elements are hard to summon if you don''t have an aptitude. Anyway, the cold element is closely rted to the water element, and applying them together is educational in many ways. So for the second semester... Ah. I''m not supposed to say that, right?"
Professor Bagrak nodded again.
Yi-Han stared at the professor''s cor. He suddenly wanted to grab it.
"I came looking for you after catching that."
"Thank you."
Yi-Han had no majorints about Eumidiphos'' proposal either.
Unlike other professors, Eumidiphos taught rtively sensibly.
Staying at the mansion and learning about cold element magic wouldn''t be bad either.
''Besides, it''ll be an excuse when other professorse.''
"Shall we depart then?"
"Ah. Aren''t we learning at the mansion?"
"Learning at the mansion is a bit tricky. There''s a tower where a mage who owes me stays."
"Your disciple?"
"Not a disciple, but he did receive some teachings from me."
''Isn''t that a disciple?''
As Yi-Han was thinking to himself, he paused.
Come to think of it, wasn''t Professor Bagrak also not Eumidiphos'' disciple?
"Is that person like Professor Bagrak?"
"No."
"Ah. I see."
Yi-Han was relieved.
Until Eumidiphos'' next words came out.
"He''s even more rude."
"..."
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Chapter 351
Chapter 351
"Someone more rude than Professor Bagrak is possible..."
Yi-Han, about to speak his mind, btedly realized that Bdi was right next to him.
"...Isn''t it natural? Most people in the empire would be more rude than Professor Bagrak."
"Are you crazy?"
Eumidiphos was dumbfounded.
She was so dumbfounded that she even looked at Professor Bagrak with a gaze that said, ''You try saying it.''
However, Professor Bagrak answered without batting an eye.
"Thank you for that evaluation."
"Haha. I only stated the obvious."
"..."
Eumidiphos was speechless at the sight of this twisted master-disciple rtionship.
"No matter how much he''s your teacher, you should say things that make sense objectively... Forget it. Let''s depart."
Eumidiphos summoned a carriage in front. It was a carriage pulled by water spirits with huge builds.
As befitting a mage''s carriage, opening the door revealed a spacious interior, different from what was seen outside.
As expected of an excellent water element mage, the interior consisted of a sea with winding rivers flowing above it.
Eumidiphos casually walked into the sea and leaned her bodyfortably. The water parted and supported the old mage''s body.
"Why are you doing that?"
"Uh, Lady Eumidiphos. So in what specific way is that disciple more rude than Professor Bagrak?"
Seeing Yi-Han whispering in a small voice, Eumidiphos actually suspected that Yi-Han was judging Bdi quite coldly.
¡ª
Nillia and Yonaire ate lollipops and whistled. Then, a beautiful mermaid''s singing voice flowed out.
It was clear why this was the most popr in the candy store.
"Gainando. You try it too."
"No. Yi-Han isn''t here."
"Didn''t Professor Garcia say he had no choice because something came up?"
"Why does he get kidnapped wherever he goes?"
Gainando grumbled and pushed away the candy Ratford offered.
He wanted the candy, but was willing to resist to show his displeasure.
"That''s because Lord Wardanaz has a widework and is favored by the professors..."
"If they favor him, they should cherish him, not kidnap him!"
As Gainando huffed indignantly, the other three friends unconsciously agreed.
''Well, that''s true.''
If it was a cherished disciple, they should let him rest and have fun during the break and give him a chance to recharge, not constantly attempt to kidnap him on the streets.
As a result, Gainando, who had gone out to y only to have his friend taken away by the professors again, was sulking.
"But this time, he''ll be back soon."
"Right. Didn''t Professor Garcia say it was nothing serious this time?"
"Hmph. How can we trust that? When it''s over, they might change their promise and kidnap him again."
Gainando uttered words that Einroguard seniors would have said, ''What a remarkable junior, already realizing the truth.''
Professors were fundamentally liars.
"If that happens, let''s go rescue him."
"Rescue?"
Gainando was intrigued by Yonaire''s words.
"Yeah. The professors have a conscience, so if we go to get him, they''ll let him go, right?"
"Certainly... Besides, they''ll be mindful since it''s in the city, won''t they?"
Gainando''s face brightened.
If it was inside Einroguard, a professor could send him to the punishment room with a single finger, but this was outside the school.
If they made a scene, shouting, ''People of the city, this crazy mage is exploiting a noble of the Wardanaz family,'' wouldn''t they let him go because it was dirty and underhanded?
Yonaire, who hadn''t yet realized Gainando''s extreme thoughts, nodded.
"Yeah. Let''s go rescue him."
"Right. I''ll pick the lock."
"Then I''ll shoot fire arrows and burn it down."
"...Wait. I said let''s rescue him, not fight, right??"
As Yonaire was flustered, Gainando screamed.
"That, that!!"
"What?"
"That carriage! That carriage!!"
"What about that carriage?"
"Yi-Han has been kidnapped! He''s being dragged away in that carriage!"
"...!!"
"Such nonsense...!"
Nillia was shocked.
The professors weren''t professors for nothing.
Since they could be tracked if they stayed in the city, they kidnapped him and were trying to leave the city to shake off pursuit.
Sometimes, criminals of the empire fled to the cold northern mountains to avoid pursuit...
''This isn''t the skill of someone who''s only kidnapped once or twice!''
"Chase! We have to chase, Nillia!"
"What? That?"
"You''re the... that... that! Right! The proud Shadow Patrol!"
Gainando was so desperate that he even praised Nillia, which he never did.
Ratford chimed in from the side.
"That''s right! If not the Shadow Patrol, who will track the traces of that carriage?!"
"...Hmph. I have no choice. Everyone, follow me!!"
''Should I stop them now?''
Yonaire followed the three friends, pondering when to stop them.
¡ª
Alcicle Pengerin.
Eumidiphos'' disciple (though she denied it) and someone more rude than Professor Bdi Bagrak.
Yi-Han couldn''t believe it.
''Is that even possible?''
"From the first time he came to me, Alcicle said he was interested in ice magic."
"I see."
Yi-Han nodded and listened.
He still couldn''t quite grasp it.
"So he wanted to learn water element magic."
"Certainly, unlike other element magic, those two have a close rtionship."
"Yeah. So he told me to teach him water magic to serve as a stepping stone."
"Yes. ...Pardon?"
Yi-Han, who had been listening, paused.
''Did I hear that wrong?''
"What did you say?"
"To be exact, he said he would grant me the honor of being a stepping stone to help the great ice magic he would one dayplete."
"..."
''Is he crazy?''
Yi-Han was startled.
If you wanted to learn magic from someone, you bowed your head and said, ''I''ll be in your care,'' not ''I''ll give you the glory of teaching me.''
Even Gainando knew thatmon sense.
"Is he from Einroguard, by any chance?"
"No. And surprisingly, those from Einroguard don''t do such things."
"Ah... That''s true."
Yi-Han agreed.
If he had entered Einroguard with that personality, he might still be locked up in the punishment room without graduating.
There was a harshness that taught manners even to disrespectful students.
"That''s startling. You taught magic to such a person?"
"He wasn''t without talent... Magical talentes first, and personality is next."
''No wonder she''s Professor Bagrak''s teacher.''
Yi-Han''s evaluation of Eumidiphos slightly dropped in his heart.
Indeed, old sayings were never wrong.
The saying ''birds of a feather flock together'' didn''te out of nowhere...
"Of course, I did subdue him so he couldn''t say arrogant things in front of me."
"Well done. So, perhaps reflecting on the past, he might have changed..."
"Not at all."
"..."
Some people''s nature didn''t change no matter how much they were beaten.
And Eumidiphos'' disciple they were going to meet now was such a case.
¡ª
Not all the geniuses of the empire entered Einroguard.
Some geniuses entered other magic academies for various reasons, and some chose to self-study instead of entering a magic academy.
Alcicle of the Pengerin family was one such case.
Instead of enrolling in a magic academy, he invited teachers in the name of his family and learned separately!
If he had entered a magic academy, his personality would have been somewhat corrected, but learning separately like this, he couldn''t even do that.
Moreover, even more unfortunately, Alcicle''s talent was objectively outstanding.
Not only did he not enter a magic academy, but he was also only praised for every magic he learned, so it was natural for him to be arrogant and haughty.
It wasn''t for nothing that he went to Eumidiphos and said, ''I''ll give you the chance to be my stepping stone.''
Of course, he got beaten up for it...
Anyway, Alcicle learned water magic from Eumidiphos at the cost of being beaten and, after achieving some results, moved on to the next stage.
Like many mages who wanted to immerse themselves in research, he built a tower in a ce abundant with nature''s mana and set up his own workshop.
A tower built deep in a snowy mountain valley.
The transportation was the worst, but it was perfect for magic research.
"What brings you here, Lady Eumidiphos?"
Alcicle asked, somehow pushing back his hair that had grown annoying from not being cut for a long time.
The water spirit Eumidiphos sent as a messenger wrote letters in the air.
"You said you have a disciple I need to teach?"
The water spirit nodded.
That answer seemed to please Alcicle a bit.
"Well, there''s no mage like me. I understand Lady Eumidiphos'' feelings too."
The water spirit emitted waves of unpleasant emotions, but Alcicle, intoxicated with himself, didn''t notice.
To be rmended as a teacher by an excellent great mage like Eumidiphos.
This was something he couldn''t help but be happy about.
"Alright. Bring them in! But you should keep this in mind. My teachings are very difficult and abstruse, so it''s not my fault if they can''t keep up. It''s not my fault if the disciple Lady Eumidiphos brought isn''t as much of a genius as me!"
The water spirit made a disgusted face once and then went back.
Alcicle burst intoughter towards the valley, then btedly came to his senses and summoned a mirror made of ice in the air.
"Ugh. It''s aplete mess. I need to brush it."
¡ª
"He''s surprisingly agreeing readily."
Yi-Han was surprised to see the ice blocking the front of the valley making a path.
''Do people really need to be beaten?''
How badly was he beaten by Eumidiphos that he was opening the way as soon as he received such a request?
"Alcicle himself is having a hard time these days."
"Having a hard time?"
"He hasn''t made progress in his current magic research for several years. I haven''t heard any news from the Imperial Society."
Many mages built towers and set up workshops in deep mountains because they wanted to immerse themselves in research, but not many of them actually produced proper results.
Most of them struggled with absurd goals and ideals, then closed their workshops or, very rarely, went mad and tried to dominate the nearby territory.
That''s how much pressure there was for a mage to research magic.
For a mage with great pride like Alcicle, the pressure would be even greater.
"If he teaches another mage, it will be a good change of pace to some extent."
"Greetings, Lady Eumidiphos."
A penguin mixed-blood came out from inside, brushing his hair.
Yi-Han was momentarily startled by the cute appearance of him waddling over.
''Why are the crazy ones always cute races, like Professor Beavle?''
They looked harmless and cute on the outside, making them even more vicious beings.
How many people must have been fooled by that impression?
"Nice to meet..."
Before Yi-Han could even greet him, Alcicle looked down at Yi-Han and said,
"I''ll say this first. It will be impossible for you to keep up with my teachings. I''m telling you in advance not to despair. Understand?"
"..."
Yi-Han was dumbfounded but nodded instead of getting angry.
Since he already knew he was crazy, there was no need to get angry.
''There''s no need to engage with him.''
"By the way, I had already mastered 3rd circle magic at your age. Understand?"
"This one here mastered 4th circle."
"Lady Eumidiphos. Don''t make such absurd jokes."
"It''s the truth."
"...???"
Alcicle looked at Professor Bagrak, urging him to tell the truth.
However, Professor Bagrak nodded.
"It''s true that he mastered 4th circle."
"...Actually, the circle isn''t what''s important."
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Chapter 352
Chapter 352
At her disciple''s trashy words, Eumidiphos clicked her tongue.
Of course, it didn''t reach Alcicle''s ears. Alcicle had the ability to ignore words that insulted him.
''Such ugly words.''
Of course, magic wasn''t all about circles.
Circles were the most convenient unit, not the most urate one.
But the audacity of him bringing up circles first, then changing his words when he was losing...
''That''s why he still hasn''te to his senses.''
If it were someone else, they would have been shaken by embarrassment, but Alcicle was as solid as an iceberg.
He immediately changed the subject and threw a question.
"What''s more important than circles is the breadth of that magic. At your age, I had mastered not only cold element magic but also transformation magic and summoning magic. Understand?"
"I think it''s best you stop, Alcicle."
Eumidiphos spoke up for her disciple.
She wanted to make Alciclee to his senses, but she didn''t want to do it too harshly.
What if Alcicle threw himself off that cial cliff out of humiliation?
However, Alcicle misunderstood Eumidiphos'' words.
"No. Lady Eumidiphos. We must address this. Otherwise, the young mage of the empire might get his feelings hurt."
"..."
It was even more surprising that the other party sincerely thought that way, not just putting on an act.
''He won''t be hurt to that extent.''
There were many more hurtful things after entering Einroguard.
"I''m saying this because Wardanaz here has mastered a wider range of magic than you, Alcicle."
"...Don''t lie!"
Alcicle shouted, waving his short penguin mixed-blood arms.
However, when Eumidiphos red at him, he immediately corrected his posture and changed his words.
"D-Don''t lie, please."
The memory of being beaten was still vivid in his body.
"How can he have mastered a wider range of magic than me? It''s impossible. What has he mastered?"
"Let''s see. Dark magic, summoning magic, illusion magic, enchantment magic, divination magic, transformation magic, healing magic..."
"So which one of those has he mastered?"
Alcicle asked in a slightly curt voice.
"I''m telling you what he has mastered now."
"...Pardon?"
Alcicle was so shocked that he stood still for a few minutes.
Unable to watch any longer, Yi-Han whispered,
"Is it okay to leave him like that?"
Professor Bagrak nodded silently and answered,
"Penguin mixed-blood are resistant to cold."
"No... That''s not what I meant."
It wasn''t a question of whether he would freeze to death, but whether he was mentally okay.
Fortunately, Eumidiphos stepped in to sort things out.
"Alcicle!"
"..."
"Do you want to get beaten up again?!"
"No! No!"
The dazed penguin mixed-blood mage''s face regained his senses.
"What does it matter who was better when young? What''s important is what magic you''re doing now. Wardanaz here hase to learn cold element magic from you. So stop saying useless things and teach him cold element magic."
"But who was better when young is a very important issue..."
"..."
Eumidiphos suppressed her subtle anger at Alcicle, who was deliberately holding her back even when she was trying to move on in a good mood.
Professor Bagrak spoke up.
"I''ll give you the answer."
"What?"
"Wardanaz here is better. That should be enough now."
"..."
"..."
Seeing Bdi adding fuel to the fire in a burning tower, Eumidiphos thought to herself,
''I should have left Bdi Bagrak behind.''
"B-Better than me? Bdi Bagrak, are you serious? Seriously!? Haven''t you gone crazy from overworking at Einroguard?!"
Yi-Han was slightly surprised at the penguin mixed-blood unexpectedly hitting the truth.
How did he know?
"In both circles and breath, Wardanaz is better, isn''t he?"
"Uh... Uh... Application! Advanced application attributes will be different!"
Alcicle shouted after pondering for a while.
Since he couldn''tpete in breadth or circles, he was going topete in the mastery of applying magic.
"At that age, I had mastered shape transformation of water elements! Bdi Bagrak!"
"...Can''t I just say I lost?"
Yi-Han, tired of this fight, whispered, but Professor Bagrak ignored him and answered.
"Wardanaz has mastered shape transformation."
"He''s currently mastering spin and evaporation attributes."
"..."
Shocked by the two mages'' ruthless truth attacks, Alcicle covered his head in disbelief.
Then he tried to run towards the cliff, wailing.
"Impossible! A genius greater than me... It can''t be!"
"He''s at it again!"
Eumidiphos summoned a water whip, grabbed Alcicle''s ankle to make him fall, and then bound him.
Once the situation was sorted out, Eumidiphos apologized to Yi-Han.
"I''m sorry. Alcicle is a bit emotional."
''It''s alright.''
"I think it''s more than a bit."
His true thoughts identally came out the opposite way. Eumidiphos sighed as if she understood.
¡ª
The inside of Alcicle''s magic tower was filled with cold.
It felt even colder due to the barren appearance with no particr furniture or equipment.
Yi-Han was puzzled by the sight, which was a bit different from the workshops he had seen at Einroguard.
"Does one need to minimize belongings to master cold magic?"
"No. He probably sold the things inside to cover research expenses because his research is stuck. It''s amon sight in magic towers built by mages."
It wasn''t for nothing that mages who built towers to see the end of magic sometimes went mad and tried to dominate the surroundings.
That''s how tough and difficult magic research was.
If the research ended quickly as expected, that was fortunate, but if it dragged on, the costs piled up, the mind became exhausted, life became difficult...
It became even more painful when fellow mages sent letters asking,
Then, thoughts like ''Can''t I just upy the nearby viges? If I do it well, no one will find out, right? If I upy them and justplete the magic...'' would creep up.
"Sob sob sob sob sob."
Alcicle wept sorrowfully, shedding chicken poop-like tears.
Sitting inside the magic tower, bound by Eumidiphos'' magic, he looked like a mage subdued by bandits.
"To think there was a mage more talented than me. I was nothing."
"Alcicle. Didn''t I say it''s not about early achievements, but..."
"Lady Eumidiphos, who rose up with effort without talent, doesn''t understand my feelings!"
"..."
"..."
Eumidiphos gestured for Yi-Han to go outside for a moment. Yi-Han nodded and tried to go out.
"Professor. Come out."
"Why?"
"...Juste out for a bit."
Yi-Han tried to grab Professor Bagrak''s cor but grabbed his wrist and dragged him out.
Then, dull sounds echoed from inside.
-I was wrong! I was wrong, Lady Eumidiphos!-
"You cane in now."
"Yes."
Yi-Han came in and stood as if nothing had happened.
"Sob sob sob..."
"Now that you''ve been beaten a lot,e to your senses and teach cold element magic."
"Waah waah waah! Waah! Waah!"
Normally, Alcicle would have listened here, but today, perhaps because the shock was particrly great, he just kept crying and ignored Eumidiphos'' words.
Seeing that, Eumidiphos regretted giving him too much of a shock.
Alcicle had an immense pride in his own talent.
These days, with his magic research being stuck, his stress must be high, and now even his remaining pride was shattered, so the shock to Alcicle''s personality would be several times greater.
"This won''t do. Go out again."
"...Uh, are you going to beat him again?"
Yi-Han was slightly startled.
Yi-Han didn''t know Alcicle well, but he knew that the problem now couldn''t be solved by beating him.
"It''s not beating. I prefer the expression of magical teachings."
"...Whatever it is, I think we should try to persuade him with conversation now."
"Wardanaz."
Eumidiphos looked at Yi-Han with pity.
"Sometimes in the world, there are people you can''tmunicate with."
As she spoke, Eumidiphos nced very slightly at Bdi.
Yi-Han also nced very slightly at Bdi.
"Still, will you give me one chance to persuade him?"
"Well. You are learning under Bdi Bagrak too."
"...I don''t think that has anything to do with it..."
Yi-Han was slightly concerned that Eumidiphos seemed to think of him as some kind of .
"Mr. Pengerin."
Alcicle didn''t answer, crying and sobbing.
"Whether you mastered 3rd circle magic or 4th circle magic in your first year, what does it matter? Even Lord Gonadaltes said what''s important is not the circle of magic, but..."
"You''re only saying that because you''re more talented than me! Right? You''re looking down on me!"
"..."
Shocked by Alcicle''s condition, which was more severe than he thought, Yi-Han was appalled.
However, Yi-Han was someone who had dealt with many people crazier than Alcicle.
He never wavered at such provocations.
"Mr. Pengerin. I''m so sad."
Yi-Han suddenly covered his face with his hands and reddened his eyes.
If the other party came at him with tears, he was going to fight back with tears too.
"Do you know why Lady Eumidiphos brought me here? It''s because I earnestly begged her several times that I wanted to learn from you, Mr. Pengerin."
"????"
"?"
Eumidiphos and Bdi looked at him as if asking what nonsense he was spouting, but Yi-Han continued,ying down an iron te.
"I heard about Mr. Pengerin''s amazing achievements many times. Do you know how I mastered 4th circle magic? It was in an attempt to follow even a fraction of what you''ve achieved, Mr. Pengerin."
"T-Then that magic too?"
"Yes."
Alcicle, who had regained his energy and was listening intently, tilted his head.
"...Isn''t that too much, even so?"
"..."
Yi-Han hesitated to p Alcicle''s fluffy cheek once while he was tied up, but he endured.
"I thought I had to do at least that much to reach you, Mr. Pengerin."
"But it still seems like you''re learning too much."
"...Anyway, that''s how much I respected you. But to think you''d use such a trick because you don''t want to teach me."
"A trick?"
Alcicle asked, dumbfounded.
"If it''s not a trick, there''s no way Mr. Alcicle would show such a sight, is there? It must be because you don''t like me."
"...I''ve been found out!"
Alcicle blurted out without realizing it, his energy fully restored.
Eumidiphos had to hold back her desire to p her brazen disciple''s face.
"It''s really amazing. To see through my acting."
"No matter how much you act, Mr. Pengerin, it''s not easy for a genius to act like a fool."
"Alright. Since I''ve been found out, it can''t be helped. Wait there! I''ll teach you some cold element magic."
As Alcicle regained his energy, stood up, and waddled inside, Eumidiphos quietly said to Yi-Han,
"I see why you can be Bdi Bagrak''s disciple."
"...Did I make a mistake?"
¡ª
Alcicleid out reagents on the floor and had Yi-Han stand on top of them.
Eumidiphos, who had been watching without much thought, was startled to see the reagentsid on the floor.
Each one was too expensive.
No matter how she looked at it, it seemed like they were prepared for research...?
"Is it okay to do that?"
"Pardon?"
When Bdi asked back, Eumidiphos pointed out the price of the reagents.
"Alcicle needs to do research too, so if he uses all those reagents..."
"It''s fine."
"Ah. Did you check the stock? Using those..."
Professor Bagrak shook his head and answered,
"It''s Alcicle Pengerin''s business, isn''t it?"
"...Wait! Wait!"
Regretting that she was foolish for even listening to Bdi Bagrak''s words for a moment, Eumidiphos tried to stop Alcicle.
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Chapter 353
Chapter 353
"Why are you doing this?"
Alcicle stared at Eumidiphos with a nk gaze.
"Alcicle Pengerin. What kind of reagents are these here?"
"Lady Eumidiphos..."
At his mentor''s absurd question, Alcicle trailed off as if it was regrettable.
"You can''t recognize what these reagents are...?"
"..."
Eumidiphos considered beating her disciple like a dog for pitying her, but she held back.
"...I''m not asking because I can''t recognize them. It''s frost deer horn, ice cold powder, thousand-year snow, and snow emperor pill, isn''t it?"
"Then why are you asking?"
"I''m asking if it''s okay for you to use these when your financial situation isn''t that good. You need to do research too."
The biggest problem when learning cold element magic was the attribute of the cold element itself.
Life was fundamentally a being that emitted heat and rejected cold.
No matter how cold and harsh the surrounding environment was made, it wasn''t easy for a living mage to ept cold into their body.
So cold element mages often used reagents to transform the attributes of cold.
Into a cold that retained the chill but didn''t harm the mage''s body.
Of course, it wasn''t an easy task and required expensive reagents.
The more expensive and rare the reagent, the better the performance, so it wasn''t a bad choice for Alcicle to take out such expensive reagents.
...It''s just that it looked like Alcicle''s entire fortune.
''Oops!''
Alcicle seemed to have btedly realized his situation.
Seeing him hesitate and look around, Eumidiphos sighed at his pathetic appearance.
"Even now..."
"Surely it''s because Mr. Pengerin doesn''t need such reagents much."
"..."
"..."
Eumidiphos and Alcicle simultaneously looked at Yi-Han.
However, Yi-Han continued speaking without changing his expression.
"An excellent mage doesn''t choose their staff, right?"
"That''s true, but what Alcicle is trying to do..."
"Right? Mr. Pengerin?"
"O-Of course."
Alcicle nodded at Yi-Han''s question.
"For me, such reagents are just... like decorations. I should say I can just go out and pick up a snowke without needing such things..."
"I knew you''d be like that. Now, please proceed."
"..."
Eumidiphos thought she should never leave Yi-Han alone with Alcicle in the future.
At first, she was worried that Alcicle might bully Yi-Han, but now it seemed it wouldn''t be surprising if Yi-Han just devoured Alcicle when left alone.
¡ª
Whooosh!
Despite being inside a sealed magic tower, a snowstorm colder than the snowy mountains outside began to rage.
What was amazing was that this cold snowstorm had no effect on Yi-Han''s body.
Snow that was cold but not cold.
It was a phenomenon that only magic could create.
"Originally, cold elements are difficult to use unless in a specific environment."
Alcicle waddled and pointed to the ceiling.
The huge magic core ced on the tower''s ceiling was scattering cold.
As cold elements were one of the most difficult to maintain naturally among the elements, the reality was that it was inconvenient to use unless in a specific natural environment or with such a magic device.
It wasn''t a problem at all for mages who had reached a high level, but the problem was for mages who were newly learning.
Alcicle rummaged through the corner and took out a staff. His expression was full of pride.
"Now, look at this. See it?"
"This is..."
"Yes. It''s a Frostagon egg."
The huge insect egg embedded at the end of the staff emitted a strange light, scattering blue cold energy.
Such a staff with cold attributes was a great help to mages who were newly learning.
"This staff is so rare that at an auction gathering of cold mages in the north where it appeared, three people were seriously injured and seven were hurt."
"...?"
Listening, Yi-Han thought to himself.
Why were there casualties at an auction gathering?
"I''ll lend you this staff, Wardanaz. For a talented person like you who is m... not as g... ugh... well, it will suit you well."
Alcicle couldn''t bring himself to say that Yi-Han had more talent than him, nor could he say less, so he ended up expressing it indirectly.
"Thank y-"
"Wardanaz. You should have a stone given by the King of Frost Giants."
"..."
Yi-Han cursed himself for not sending Professor Bagrak out.
''Damn. I wascent. I shouldn''t have let my guard down.''
Professor Bagrak had a knack for ruining the atmosphere not only in his own lectures but also in others''.
Alcicle, who hadn''t grasped the situation yet, blinked and asked,
"A stone given by the King of Frost Giants?"
"That''s... um..."
No matter how eloquent Yi-Han was, he couldn''t find the right words in this situation.
The kind Professor Bagrak answered for him.
"He has a stone from battling the King of Frost Giants on his staff. It''s better than a Frostagon egg."
"..."
Yi-Han could see tears welling up in Alcicle''s eyes.
Alcicle turned his head for a moment and sniffled, then turned back. His expression was noble, but his eyes were red.
"Then... you won''t need the staff."
"That''s right."
"...Can''t you go out for a bit? Bdi Bagrak?"
Alcicle spoke to Professor Bagrak in a very sulky voice.
However, Professor Bagrak answered seriously.
"If there''s a wrong part in the education, it should be pointed out."
"Ugh..."
Alcicle couldn''t refute Professor Bagrak''s words.
Unlike Bdi Bagrak, who had a lot of experience teaching students as a professor at Einroguard, Alcicle had no teaching experience.
Of course, Yi-Han found it absurd.
''I knew you had no conscience, but you''re really amazing!''
To tell such a tant lie when there was no one to testify about Einroguard.
"...First, call the cold."
"Freeze."
With Yi-Han''s spell, cold energy began to gather at the end of the staff.
The surrounding air became even colder, and goosebumps formed on Yi-Han''s skin.
"You have the basics down. Let''s start with shape transformation. Cone shape."
"Cold, into a cone!"
"Arrow shape."
"Cold, into an arrow!"
"...Shield shape."
"Cold, into a shield!"
"..."
When Alcicle suddenly fell silent, Yi-Han thought he had made a mistake.
"...Are you learning cold magic for the first time now?"
"Pardon? No. I''ve learned it from Professor Bagrak before."
"What?!"
Alcicle shouted with a brightened face.
"Then you should have said so! You startled me!"
Alcicle had been shocked, thinking Yi-Han had mastered it in one go.
When he heard that wasn''t the case, he suddenly felt warm inside.
Professor Bagrak, who was watching from the side, spoke up.
"He doesn''t do such diverse shape transformations..."
"Now, what''s the next teaching?"
"Firing."
Alcicle swung his staff.
Then, the piece of ice floating in the air flew quickly with an ear-splitting sound.
ng!
"It''s probably because of this that Lady Eumidiphos had you learn cold element magic. Water isn''t a suitable element for firing."
"But isn''t it fine if you use control?"
Yi-Han asked as if puzzled.
''Firing'' and ''control'' looked simr but had different principles.
What Alcicle had just shown was firing a piece of ice afterpleting precise trajectory calctions and inputting a strong force at once.
In contrast, the water orbs or iron orbs that Yi-Han often used were a method where the mage directly aimed at the target and controlled each one individually.
It allowed for delicate control, but it required immense effort to be skilled enough to use it.
"Why bother doing that? You can just learn another element and learn firing magic."
"...To quickly respond in emergency situations?"
At his disciple''s words, Professor Bagrak nodded.
However, Alcicle couldn''t understand Yi-Han''s words.
"There aren''t many situations where you''d encounter that, right? In the first ce, I think you can just act in a way to avoid getting into such situations. If you try to prepare for everything like that, you have to prepare for everything. Above all, it would take too long to achieve a usable power with control."
"..."
Yi-Han unconsciously looked at Professor Bagrak. Professor Bagrak looked puzzled as to why.
"If you want to use it forbat, it''s better to learn attributes suitable forbat. Let''s take a break and practice firing."
"Ah. I''m fine though."
"No. Even if you seem fine now, there will definitely be mana consumption."
Alcicle pulled the cork stopper of a mana recovery potion and took a sip. Then he threw the potion to Yi-Han as well.
"Drink it and recover your mana. Cold elements consume more mana than you think. If you think of it like other elements, you can get seriously hurt. Hehe. You didn''t know this, did you?"
Alcicle seemed very excited to be able to teach Yi-Han.
"Usel-"
"Thank you. I''ll drink it well."
Before Professor Bagrak could lower the room''s temperature further with useless words, Yi-Han cut him off and drank the potion.
Of course, it had no effect.
¡ª
Firing was a concept used in many elemental magics.
me arrows, ice arrows, rock arrows, etc. To form something and shoot it, one had to master this firing attribute.
Of course, mastering this wasn''t simple.
Basically, one needed a sense of distance and direction, and had to learn how much mana to input to obtain an appropriate force...
ng!
"Did it hit?"
The piece of ice Yi-Han shot precisely prated the target.
The firing attribute wasn''t easy, but for someone who had achieved control, which was much more difficult, it had to be rtively easy.
Alcicle''s mouth gaped.
He said he had already practiced shape transformation, but he definitely hadn''t practiced the firing attribute...
"Av-Average. It''s average."
"Is that so?"
Yi-Han was puzzled.
It didn''t seem like he had made any mistakes, but it was average.
"What should I fix?"
"...I said water elements and cold elements have a pretty close rtionship, right? This is one of them."
Alcicle pushed on, unable to take back the words he had uttered.
Sizzle!
As he swung his staff, the piece of ice stuck in the wall evaporated, strongly absorbing the surrounding heat.
Then, the cold energy spread around the piece of ice exploded and expanded.
"You have to at least use an exploding ice arrowbining the evaporation attribute to receive a high evaluation."
As he spoke, Alcicle nced at Bdi Bagrak.
Even he thought what he was saying was too much nonsense.
An ice arrow firing magic was already 3rd circle, but adding the evaporation attribute to it...
Considering the difficulty of the evaporation attribute, it was one of the most difficult even among 4th circle magics...
Sizzle!
As Yi-Han cast the magic, the piece of ice that flew hit the wall and evaporated, dealing damage.
Seeding on the first try, Yi-Han was very happy.
He had mastered the evaporation attribute with water elements, but he didn''t expect it to be applied so easily to cold elements as well.
"I seeded!"
"Ah... ah... it''s s-still a littlecking?"
"Is that so?"
Yi-Han started to be a bit suspicious.
This seemed above average...
''Aren''t the standards for cold element mages too high?''
"Professor. Is cold element magic originally this stri... ah, no."
"?"
Yi-Han, who was about to ask Professor Bagrak, quickly gave up.
There was no point in asking someone meaningless.
"I understand. What should I fix this time?"
"You have to be able topress each process and cast it all at once!"
Alcicle shouted with a bright face.
He hade up with a pretty usible condition.
Certainly, to prove proficiency, one had to be able to cast the magic all at once, not by dividing the process step by step.
"That will definitely take some time."
"Right? Right?! Right??!"
Alcicle nodded repeatedly, very happy.
''Is this something to be so happy about?''
Professor Bagrak spoke up from the side.
"I''ll help."
"Haha. It''s fine."
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Chapter 354
Chapter 354
Of course, declining didn''t work.
Professor Bagrak, who understood his disciple''s refusal as admirable humility to avoid inconveniencing his mentor, picked up his staff.
Yi-Han also picked up his staff as if he had been waiting.
"???"
Alcicle, who hadn''t grasped the situation, looked at the two in confusion.
They were ring at each other tensely as if they were about to duel.
"What are you doing now? What are you doing?"
Instead of exining, Professor Bagrak showed it through action.
Swish!
Water droplets from the water orbs floating in the air began to transform into needles and fire.
Professor Bagrak properly demonstrated how the ''firing'' attribute was different.
Even withoutplex trajectory changes, each water droplet made a brutal sound as it shattered the walls and pierced the floor.
"What is it?! What are you doing?!"
However, Yi-Han was no pushover either. The moment Professor Bagrak picked up his staff, Yi-Han was already chanting a spell from his mouth.
"...Grasp the earth!"
Casting possible enhancement spells, Yi-Han dashed through the inside of the magic tower. If he stopped even for a moment, the water droplet needles would pierce through him.
Fortunately, he had pre-cast the spell. Yi-Han aimed at the orbs summoned by Professor Bagrak while gaining distance.
"Ice, be arrows and shoot forth!"
Professor Bagrak''s brutal pressure sharpened Yi-Han''s instincts even further.
The spell was chanted quickly, and cold energy condensed at the end of the staff, transforming into the shape of an arrow and firing out.
Even while Professor Bagrak was destroying the surroundings, Alcicle was startled and widened his eyes in surprise.
''Again in one go?!?!''
He thought it would take time topress those processes and achieve it, but he did it again in one go.
From Alcicle''s perspective, who didn''t know how rigorously Yi-Han had trained during the first semester, it was bound to be surprising.
Sizzle!
''Toote!''
The magic seeded, but the orb summoned by Professor Bagrak leisurely changed its position and dodged the ice arrow.
Yi-Han clicked his tongue, having failed to shoot it down.
''With this...''
He had just seeded in bundling several processes together at once, but in terms of time, it took a bit long.
Professor Bagrak had moved the orb after seeing Yi-Han chanting the spell.
''...Faster. I need to cast faster to shoot it down.''
To ovee this situation, he had to shoot the arrow faster than he had just cast to bring down the orb.
"...Stop it, you crazy bastards!"
Alcicle swung his staff and began scattering cold energy everywhere.
The magic core summoned on the ceiling controlled the surrounding mana with a powerful force.
The orb summoned by Professor Bagrak lost power and dispersed, and the ice arrows shot by Yi-Han also lost power and disappeared.
"What the hell are you..."
"Why are you interfering?"
"...What are you saying?! Fighting with your disciple in someone else''s magic tower!"
"It''s not fighting."
At Professor Bagrak''s words, Alcicle was dumbfounded.
If what just happened wasn''t fighting, then what was it?
Was he saying it was education?
"What is it?"
"Teaching."
For a moment, Alcicle thought Bdi Bagrak had finally lost his mind and looked at Yi-Han.
"It is teaching."
"..."
''Should I send a petition to His Majesty the Emperor?''
¡ª
Alcicle sat on a chair with Eumidiphos and watched Bdi and Yi-Han''s du... no, teaching.
"...No matter how I think about it, that''s a bit much, isn''t it??"
"But it''s effective. At least that''s what Bdi Bagrak ims."
''I knew he was crazy, but I didn''t know he was this crazy.''
Since they had both learned under Eumidiphos, Alcicle thought he knew Bdi Bagrak to some extent.
Although he wasn''t from a prestigious family like Alcicle, as a renownedbat mage and duelist in the empire, Alcicle thought he would act withinmon sense, but...
"Ugh!"
Yi-Han was hit by a water droplet and tumbled. He had been constantly moving and finally got surrounded and hit.
However, Professor Bagrak didn''t give him a chance to rest andunched another attack at the fallen Yi-Han.
Despite being knocked down, Yi-Han didn''t show any openings and immediately bounced back to gain distance.
''...Is that really teaching? Is it really okay to teach like that?''
"Short break."
When Professor Bagrak dered a break and returned, Alcicle unconsciously asked in a cautious voice,
"Bdi Bagrak. Do you have to teach in such a way?"
"Do you have something to say?"
"Well... I mean. It seems too dangerous, violent, and primitive."
Alcicle tried to say it in a roundabout way, but it didn''t really work out. Eumidiphos, who was listening from the side, clicked her tongue and tutted.
However, since the listener was Professor Bagrak, he didn''t get angry or react to the rudeness.
"It''s effective."
"There''s no way such a method can be effecti..."
Alcicle''s words were cut off.
Certainly, the achievements of that boy from the Wardanaz family were truly remarkable.
To the extent that it was doubtful whether it was possible with just talent, no matter how outstanding his talent was.
''...Really? Is it true?''
Alcicle became frightened, wondering if Bdi Bagrak''s teachings were really effective.
"Compare it to yourself."
"There''s no need to say that, Bdi Bagrak!"
Alcicle red angrily.
Wasn''t he being too harsh for a guest visiting another mage''s magic tower?
"...Do as you please. You''re a professor too, so you must have your own thoughts."
''Alcicle doesn''t know well because he''s not from Einroguard.''
Eumidiphos clicked her tongue inwardly.
If he were from Einroguard, he would never think, ''Since he''s a professor, there must be meaning in his actions.''
Tat-tat-tat-tat-tang!
When the break ended, Professor Bagrak summoned orbs again and began shooting at Yi-Han like crazy.
What was amazing was that the speed of Yi-Han''s spell casting was getting faster and faster.
Alcicle was appalled, feeling himself swayed by Bdi Bagrak''s teaching method, which he was seeing for the first time in his life.
''...No, no, no. That must be because of talent...''
"??"
Thinking about it, when he acknowledged the talent possessed by the boy from the Wardanaz family, tears welled up in Alcicle''s eyes.
To think there was really a talent superior to his own in the world.
Of course, from Eumidiphos'' perspective next to him, Alcicle just looked like he suddenly had teary eyes.
"Are you worried about Wardanaz? Don''t worry. Bdi Bagrak won''t make a mistake in that regard."
"Sob... I''m just sad thinking there''s really someone with talent superior to mine, so tears are..."
"..."
Eumidiphos threw a contemptuous gaze and turned her head.
As Alcicle kept sniffling, he felt something strange.
Professor Bagrak, who was unleashing attacks, was asionally drinking mana recovery potions, but Yi-Han, his disciple, wasn''t drinking anything.
''What is it?''
"Lady Eumidiphos. Why is only Bdi Bagrak drinking mana potions?"
"Wardanaz has a lot of mana, so he doesn''t need to drink them."
"Still, shouldn''t he at least give him one bottle?"
"No, he really doesn''t need to drink it."
"No matter how much he has, there''s no way he won''t be burdened at all engaging in such an intense battle..."
As he spoke, Alcicle flinched.
Eumidiphos was telling him with her eyes.
"Is it true?"
"Yes."
Alcicle quietly walked to the back.
Then, a pitiful wailing sound burst out from the back.
-Why didn''t the world give me such talent¡-
Crash crash crash!
Yi-Han, who had broken through the autonomous ice shield and rolled to Eumidiphos'' feet, coughed and made eye contact with the old mage.
"Ah. Lady Eumidiphos. Where did Mr. Pengerin go?"
"...He went to the restroom for a bit."
"I see. Cold, be fog!"
Yi-Han cast the 2nd circle magic .
It was one of the elemental magics he had learned from Alcicle. The cold fog spread around lowered the speed of the iing water droplets and cooled them.
Seeing him spamming fog-type magic, which consumed a lot of mana, with cold elements that already consumed a lot of mana, Eumidiphos unconsciously admired him.
"Damn it. It''s not hitting properly. Lady Eumidiphos. I''ll borrow this for a bit!"
As Professor Bagrak''s orbs kept dodging the ice arrows, Yi-Han kicked and shattered the wooden chair Alcicle was sitting on, then cast on the fragments.
"Cold, infuse!"
Yi-Han manipted the wood pieces scattering cold energy with telekinesis spells andunched them.
Just ice pieces would shatter after prating a few water droplets, but the wood pieces wouldst a bit longer.
However, Professor Bagrak wasn''t flustered and calmly concentrated his attacks, shattering the wood pieces in the air as well.
"This doesn''t work either... Lady Eumidiphos. I''ll borrow that too!"
Seeing Yi-Han trying to break the table too while Alcicle was away, Eumidiphos momentarily pondered whether she should stop him.
He was definitely achieving rapid progress, but...
¡ª
When the sun set and the training concluded, Alcicle brought over the frozen sardines he had put in the corner.
"...I''ll do the cooking."
"Yeah? These are delicious even if you eat them as is?"
Thanks to the habit of preparing some food before going anywhere, which he had developed from his experience at Einroguard, Yi-Han was saved.
Yi-Han prepared mushroom and vegetable stir-fry for Professor Bagrak and cream stew for Eumidiphos.
Alcicle was amazed as he chewed on the frozen sardines.
"Why are you cooking?"
"It''s to show respect for the mentor. You should learn too."
"If I had servants, I would have had them serve Lady Eumidiphos..."
"..."
Eumidiphos didn''t know where to start pointing out.
Alcicle, who had swallowed a whole sardine, asked Eumidiphos,
"So how many of the magics taught today did he master?"
Alcicle had taught several more magics besides ice arrows.
Lesser Cold Fog (the moment he taught it, Professor Bagrak pushed him aside and started attacking), Lesser Cold Infusion (likewise, as soon as it was over, Professor Bagrak intervened)...
It seemed he had taught everything he could teach among the low circle magics possible with cold.
Despite it not being his specialty, Alcicle was definitely a mage who had reached a high level in cold magic, being able to teach various things like summoning, illusion, infusion, and transformation.
"He mastered all of them."
"..."
"Ah. Except summoning."
The magic to summon a cold spirit was one of the easiest among what he learned today.
Hearing that, Alcicle''s shoulders drooped even more.
"Was it perhaps too easy that you didn''t even want to do it?"
"That''s not it."
"It seems to be the case... Gulp."
"Just eat your sardines."
Eumidiphos, who became toozy to exin, threw a sardine into his mouth.
"He stillcks a lot in speed."
Professor Bagrak spoke up.
In fact, it was natural.
Compared to the simplest 1st circle magic, the magics he mastered today were 2nd and 3rd circle.
As there were more processes, it was difficult to keep up with the casting speed.
However, that was Professor Bagrak''s dissatisfaction.
''Is that so?''
"That much is enough, you crazy bastard. Do you want to be called a disciple-killing demon...?"
Although Alcicle maintained his dignity as he was from a noble family, his true thoughts slipped out because there were too many shocking things today.
Of course, Professor Bagrak ignored whatever Alcicle was babbling.
He thought Alcicle''s teaching skills were inferior to his own.
"The food is ready. What were you talking about?"
"We were talking about how you worked really hard today."
Eumidiphos spoke kindly.
No matter what, it was undeniable that this boy from the Wardanaz family had done well today against the two lunatics.
What mage could perfectly master the basics of cold magic like this under Alcicle and Bdi?
Bang bang bang!
"Wardanaz!! Wardanaz!!!"
"?!"
Someone pounded on the door of the magic tower and called Yi-Han''s name.
Realizing it was Nillia''s voice, Yi-Han was startled and stood up.
"Nillia? How did you get here... What''s the matter?"
"The... uh, the prince is in distress!"
"What?!!"
Alcicle was also startled and stood up.
"The prince is in distress. This is no ordinary matter! I''ll go search for him myself. Tell the other followers to stay inside the magic tower!"
"Are there other followers?"
"There aren''t..."
Nillia and her friends avoided eye contact with embarrassed expressions.
It seemed that penguin mixed-blood mage was misunderstanding something.
It''s not like the empire''s nobles would thank them for saving Gainando...
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Chapter 355
Chapter 355
"Yes. Tell the other followers to stay inside the magic tower."
"No, there aren''t any..."
When even Yi-Han started spouting nonsense, his friends became more flustered.
"Mr. Pengerin. Let''s hurry and go find the prince! If the prince goes missing, the empire''s high noble families who are close to him will be very worried."
"O-Okay! Wait!"
Alcicle waddled and hurriedly walked out.
As Alcicle himself was from a prestigious family in the empire, he could imagine how renowned a royal family member would be to be close to the empire''s high noble families.
How troublesome would it be if such a royal family member went missing near Alcicle''s magic tower?
He absolutely couldn''t ignore it.
Yonaire whispered to Yi-Han while brushing off the snow stuck to her hair.
"Are there high noble families close to Gainando?"
"Hmm. If I had to say, maybe the Wardanaz family and the Maykin family?"
"..."
Yah!
Yonaire was dumbfounded seeing her friend skillfully deceiving the mage with wordy in a short moment of less than a second.
¡ª
"So how did Gainando end up in distress? Wait. More importantly, why are you guys here?"
"...We thought Wardanaz, you were kidnapped..."
Nillia hesitantly exined what had happened.
Now that she thought about it, it didn''t seem like he was kidnapped.
Hearing the exnation, Yi-Han tried to rify.
"I wasn''t kidnapped."
"That''s right."
When Professor Bagrak agreed from the side, Yi-Han momentarily flinched.
''Wait. Was I kidnapped?''
Sometimes, when a disciple stayed under a professor for a long time, they would develop Stockholm syndrome.
Then, even when being kidnapped and dragged away, they would say things like, ''Haha, the professor must need my help. It''s no big deal, so don''t worry everyone.''
"...No? Was I kidnapped?"
"To be honest, we''re not that different from other professors."
Eumidiphos spoke with a slightly remorseful face.
However, Eumidiphos also had an excuse.
"I knew the professors at Einroguard were vicious, but I didn''t know they harassed students by chasing them around during the break. If I had known, I would have left you alone to rest."
"Yes. They should let them rest during the break."
When Professor Bagrak agreed with Eumidiphos'' words, Yi-Han unconsciously widened his eyes.
"Professor?"
"Why are you doing that?"
"No... It''s nothing."
Yi-Han swallowed the shout he was about to make.
Professor Bagrak must have thought that his teachings were different from the teachings other professors chased students around to give.
Maybe he thought it was like a restful teaching...
Of course, it was a ridiculous delusion. The two were the same.
"This way! He disappeared from here!"
Hearing Nillia''s shout, Eumidiphos swung her staff and stopped the carriage.
As the water spirits pulling the carriage stopped, Alcicle immediately jumped out.
Pat!
The falling snow suddenly began to rise back up as if time had rewound.
Alcicle swung his staff to clear away the snowstorm and immediately stepped on the air. Then, an ice tform appeared in the air, and Alcicle''s body soared upward.
Mages didn''t need to rummage through the valley below while being hit by a snowstorm.
Moreover, for a mage like Alcicle who had reached a high level, even more so.
"Ice, disappear! Snow, hide your appearance!"
Alcicle cleared away the ice and snow covering the valley below the snowy mountains.
The mountain that had been so white instantly turned dark gray.
''Amazing!''
As a fellow mage, Yi-Han couldn''t help but admire Alcicle''s skills.
To clear away ice and snow of this scale at once.
"Spirits, find the living being! Is it this way?"
"Yes!"
"This is big trouble! Big trouble! If the prince gets hurt, what will the people of the empire think of me? They''ll think I''m a fool who can''t even properly take care of a guest who visited the front yard of my magic tower!"
"Calm down, Alcicle. Prince Gainando is a mage, so he has the ability to protect himself."
Eumidiphos tried to soothe Alcicle, but Alcicle shook his head as if he didn''t want to hear it.
Meanwhile, Yi-Han talked with his friends.
"He disappeared from here?"
"Yeah. When I looked back, he was gone."
Nillia and her friends had ridden horses to chase after him for a quick pursuit.
If Professor Bungaegor had seen it, she would have been pleased, saying, ''You all learned properly in the first semester,'' at their excellent horsemanship.
However, Gainando, who was in the rear, had disappeared by the time they arrived at the magic tower.
"Why did he disappear?"
"Could it be that a monster appeared or he was possessed by an evil spirit?"
"If a monster or evil spirit had appeared, you guys would have noticed... Could it be that he found someone copsed?"
At Yi-Han''s words, all his friends answered at the same time.
"There''s no way that''s the case."
"Mr. Wardanaz. Does that make sense?"
"It would be more likely to say he found a mage card dropped on the ground..."
"..."
Seeing his friends'' cold-hearted reactions, Yi-Han felt a little sorry for Gainando.
"This won''t do. Doppelganger, help me!"
Alcicle took out the magic he had been saving due to mana.
The ice doppelganger took shape and transformed into a form that looked exactly like Alcicle.
Among doppelganger magics, one that created a doppelganger indistinguishable from the mage was of a very high level and difficult.
Seeing himplete such a doppelganger with the already challenging ice element, Yi-Han was amazed once again.
"Amazing..."
"Do you like that magic?"
"Pardon?"
Yi-Han was startled by Professor Bagrak''s question.
He had let his guard down by mistake when the professor was next to him.
"No..."
Before he could stop him, Professor Bagrak approached Alcicle and said,
"Teach the magic you just used."
"...What are you babbling about?! Why should I teach this?!!"
Of course, Alcicle jumped up.
He was busy as hell, and suddenly he was told to teach his secret doppelganger magic.
What mage would agree to that?
"He wants to learn it, doesn''t he?"
"Do I have to teach everything someone wants to learn?!"
"I taught everything though?"
When Eumidiphos spoke from the side, Alcicle flinched.
Indeed, Eumidiphos had taught everything without hiding it from people who came to learn.
"T-This magic is difficult, so it''s not time for him to learn it yet. He needs to build a stronger foundation..."
As he spoke, Alcicle recalled the magic Yi-Han had shown today.
There didn''t seem to be any foundation that needed to be further strengthened.
"...He needs to master more intermediate magic instead of the basics..."
"Didn''t I say earlier that he needs a challenge?"
"Is this what you meant by that?!"
They had definitely had a conversation when only Eumidiphos and Bdi Bagrak were present.
-He''s learning a bit faster than I thought.-
-A bit??-
-Eat your sardines. If he masters it this quickly, his motivation might weaken, so I should consider giving him a task with some difficulty. Mages tend to be stronger when they have a desired goal.-
The basics were certainly important, but it was also dangerous to have a mage with outstanding talent practice only the basics.
They might lose interest.
After all, mages needed a grand goal.
A strong goal for which they could cross any thorny path!
...So he had been pondering what cold element magic to set as a goal, but this wasn''t it.
This was a magic he really cherished...
"It''s alright, Mr. Pengerin. You must not find me satisfactory in your eyes."
Yi-Han smiled bitterly while pretending to stop him.
Feeling guilty at that smile, Alcicle hesitated and eventually shouted,
"Fine! This can be the next goal! Bdi Bagrak, you bastard!"
"Why are you getting angry?"
"Shut up!"
While the two kept arguing, Nillia shouted,
"It''s nice that you''re all fighting, but there''s smoke rising over there!!"
"?!"
As Nillia said, smoke was rising from a ce far from the valley.
¡ª
"Th-Thank you, Your Highness."
"It''s something I should naturally do as someone born with the duty to be noble."
Gainando still didn''t know what ''noble'' meant, but he had no hesitation in using it.
The noble with a broken ankle nodded with a moved expression.
"If it weren''t for Your Highness, I don''t know what would have happened... Moreover, I was surprised that Your Highness knew how to do even this."
"...It''s something any Einroguard student can do."
"And humble too!"
"It''s not humility."
Gainando put a splint on the noble''s broken ankle and pushed him into the cave.
Although he couldn''t perform healing magic like Yi-Han, Einroguard students had no choice but to learn at least how to put on a splint.
When Gainando rummaged through his bag and took out cookies, the noble declined, saying he was fine.
"I''m fi-"
Crunch crunch-
"Huh? What did you say?"
"N-Nothing at all."
It was close to a miracle that Gainando found the unconscious noble.
He had fallen off his horse, rolled down next to the valley, and lost consciousness, and a snowstorm was falling.
If it weren''t for the mage card the noble had dropped, Gainando wouldn''t have even nced over.
"By the way, Your Highness. Moving to a cave to avoid the snowstorm was... a wise decision, but... um... will yourpanions reallye to find us?"
"Ah. You don''t need to worry."
Gainando tapped his chest confidently.
"I told them before I left. They''ll definitely call others ande to help."
Of course, Gainando''s shout of ''Just a moment'' wasn''t heard at all because the snowstorm was fierce and the sound of horse hooves ovepped.
"Gainando!!!"
"See?"
Gainando nodded proudly. The noble''s face also brightened.
"That''s a relief..."
Smack!
"Ack!!"
"Why did you disappear without saying anything and make your friends worry?"
The noble was startled and blinked, seeing the prince''s friends hitting and scolding him as soon as they arrived.
''Are they not... friends?''
"I-I did say it! I did! Those guys are lying!"
"Did you perhaps just say something, then change direction without checking?"
"..."
Gainando, at a loss for words, fidgeted.
Yi-Han sighed and said,
"Still, it''s a relief you''re not hurt."
"D-Did you really save someone?"
"Shh. Ratford. Gainando will hear."
His friends were very surprised.
To think he really got into distress while trying to save someone.
Gainando asked, not knowing his friends'' wicked thoughts.
"You followed the markings I left, right?"
"What markings did you leave?"
"I drew arrows on the ground as I came."
Yi-Han sighed, wondering how to scold this friend who drew arrows on the ground while a snowstorm wasing.
"Your Highness! Are you hurt...!"
Alcicle, whonded after Yi-Han, hurriedly ran over.
Then, seeing Gainando''s face, he tilted his head.
"I''m seeing you for the first time. Who are...?"
"I''m Gainando."
"Uh... You don''t seem to be even twenty years old...?"
Alcicle looked at Yi-Han in confusion.
He definitely thought the prince would be in his 30s or 40s...?
"He''s our friend. Thank you, Mr. Pengerin."
"Uh, uhh? Y-Yeah. That''s true, but... um..."
Alcicle felt he had been deceived but tilted his head, not knowing exactly how he had been deceived.
Meanwhile, the copsed noble got up from his spot.
"Alcicle Pengerin. It''s an honor to meet you like this."
"...Hic!"
Alcicle huped and avoided eye contact.
Yi-Han was curious to see Alcicle so surprised.
''What is it? Is the other person an assassin?''
"Who is it?"
"Ah... This is bad."
What was surprising was that even Eumidiphos had a worried expression.
"Judging by the attire, he''s an inspector."
"An inspector?"
"An inspector sent by the investors who invested in Alcicle''s magic research. He came to check the progress."
"..."
Yi-Han could sincerely empathize with Alcicle''s pain.
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Chapter 356
Chapter 356
''This is bad.''
For a struggling researcher, there was no more terrifying phrase than ''Let''s take a look at how your research is going these days.''
In fact, Alcicle was trembling so much that his teeth were chattering.
"Alcicle Pengerin. Get a hold of yourself. Are you going to show weakness in front of the inspector?"
"I... I know. If we kidnap the in-inspector..."
"I said get a hold of yourself."
"Y-Yes, I understand."
"You may have been a bit losttely, but you''re an outstanding researcher. You can do well. Just urately exin what you''ve been attempting."
"Yes..."
As an experienced old mage, Eumidiphos was not shaken even by the inspector''s visit. She calmly soothed Alcicle and headed out of the cave.
Gainando asked, looking at the inspector.
"Could it be that I saved a viin..."
"I''m not a viin!!"
The inspector felt wronged.
Of course, he knew well that mages were wary of people like inspectors.
-Ahhh! It''s an inspector!-
-You think you''ll be safe after this?! When this magic ispleted, I''ll cast it on you first! You won''t be able to get drunk even if you drink alcohol!-
-What does someone like you know about magic?! Great magic is supposed to be born by wasting enough gold to fill a castle!-
Mages who received investments for their research couldn''t possibly like inspectors.
However, people like inspectors were also necessary for the empire.
Without these watchful eyes, who would protect the investors?
"It''s just that mages are a bit wary."
"Gasp. I''m a mage too."
Gainando thought he might have saved an enemy. The inspector was flustered, but Gainando was already slowly backing away.
"Stop it, Gainando. He''s just doing his job."
"Th-Thank you."
The inspector was moved by Yi-Han''s words.
No one had even said that much for him.
However, Yi-Han''s true feelings were different.
''This is serious.''
Come to think of it, Yi-Han had recklessly used Alcicle''s rare, high-quality ingredients when his research was already at a standstill.
He didn''t know how the situation would unfold, but he couldn''t help but worry.
''Even if bribery is impossible...''
Now that it hade to this, there was no choice but to pull the inspector to their side.
If they became friendly, wouldn''t he look at things in a way that was slightly favorable to them?
"Ah. Your Highness. Thank you again for saving me."
Before leaving, the inspector politely thanked him. Gainando looked at Yi-Han with a proud face.
"See?"
"See what? Don''t disappear without saying anything and make your friends worry from now on."
"Hmph."
Gainando grumbled and followed behind Yi-Han, then suddenly remembered.
''Wait. Come to think of it, Yi-Han also often disappeared without a word and made us worry!''
"Yi-Han did the same thing too!"
"Is that the same as this?"
"Don''t talk nonsense."
"..."
¡ª
Alcicle, who had returned to the magic tower, cleared his throat and formally weed the inspector.
Of course, his eyes were slowly avoiding the inspector.
"Alcicle Pengerin. I havee here today as a representative of four people, and this letter bears the seals of those four."
"I... I see."
Alcicle red at the letter as if he wanted to swallow it.
"Yes. If it''s not too much trouble, regarding the magic research currently in progress..."
"Wait! Do you see that boy from the Wardanaz family over there?!"
Alcicle suddenly pointed at Yi-Han.
Yi-Han was puzzled.
''Has he gone crazy from the pressure?''
"Yes? I see him, but..."
"I had the opportunity to teach that boy this time. And that boy is truly amazing!"
"Is that so."
The inspector who hade from the capital had not yet heard the rumors of Granden City.
As such, he simply reacted with ''As expected of the Wardanaz family, he must be good.''
"It''s not just that. He... He has more outstanding talent than me."
"Is that so?!"
Even the inspector was a bit surprised by this.
To think Alcicle of the Pengerin family would say such a thing.
In fact, Alcicle''s pride was hurt, and he was so upset that his eyes welled up with tears.
"T-Take a look..."
Yi-Han understood what Alcicle was trying to do.
He was trying to change the subject somehow to avoid the inspector.
''My heart aches.''
As a fellow mage, and as someone who had ruined Alcicle''s magic tower warehouse while learning cold element magic, Yi-Han vowed to do his best to help.
"Cold, be a shield and float!"
Yi-Han summoned an autonomous ice shield along with fog.
"Fog, spread out! Darkness, gather here!"
"Oh... Ohhh!"
Although the inspector was not a mage, he had seen and verified numerous magics, so he knew well that Yi-Han''s continuous casting of magic was remarkable.
Moreover, he was still a young student!
"Bones... No. Not that. Shine!"
Yi-Han rapidly fired off the magic he had.
The inspector constantly eximed in admiration.
"Truly amazing..."
"How much have you mastered?!"
"Alcicle Pengerin?"
"Ah, s-sorry."
Alcicle shouted without realizing it, then came to his senses at the inspector''s words.
Yi-Han had drawn attention well, but he had drawn it too well, causing even Alcicle to be distracted.
''What in the world is Einroguard...?''
At this point, rather than being amazed by Yi-Han''s talent, it was suspicious whether Einroguard was teaching too harshly.
Is this okay?
"Einroguard''s education... No... Anyway, isn''t it amazing?"
"Yes. It''s amazing."
"Today, while teaching..."
"Alcicle Pengerin. But I want to see the research..."
"R-Right. Did you happen to enjoy the scenery on the way here?"
"I didn''t have the leisure to enjoy it because I fell off my horse and broke my ankle."
"S-Sorry. I should have had spirits on standby. I was distracted because of the guest."
"It''s alright. His Highness saved me."
"R-Right? Do you know how amazing His Highness over there is? He has many followers, and even the empire''s high noble families support him!"
"..."
Yi-Han and Yonaire blushed and lowered their heads.
Gainando himself was standing there nkly, not even knowing they were talking about him.
"Huh? Wait. Are you talking about me?"
"...Probably not...?"
The inspector was startled.
"Is that so? Indeed, judging by the appearance you showed, I didn''t think you wouldck fame."
"R-Right! That''s right!"
"But Alcicle Pengerin. I want to see the research..."
Alcicle was on the verge of tears. His eyes were brimming with tears.
Unable to bear it, Yi-Han fake coughed.
"Please wait a moment. Everyone must be exhausted from wandering around in the snowstorm, so I''ll bring out some warm drinks."
"Ah. I''m fine."
"Inspector. No, you''re not. I know you''re robust, but you need to rest a bit after tumbling like that. Besides, the other students too..."
Yi-Han gestured with his eyes.
Then, Yonaire, Ratford, and Nillia hurriedly coughed.
"Cough cough."
"Ahem! Ahem!"
"I can''t feel my fingertips..."
''I shouldn''t ask Nillia to do this in the future.''
Her frostbite acting was too realistic, making it stand out instead.
"Look. Even the professor here has turned pale from the cold."
"..."
Eumidiphos was dumbfounded seeing Yi-Han say such things to Bdi Bagrak.
She knew he was fearless, but...
What was surprising was that even Bdi Bagrak was quietly standing there and going along with it.
"I-I understand. It would be better to rest a bit."
"Yes. I''ll bring out the drinks soon."
¡ª
Having bought some time, Yi-Han asked Eumidiphos,
"By the way, what kind of research is Mr. Pengerin doing?"
"Alcicle Pengerin is challenging the extreme cold."
Eumidiphos tapped the floor with her staff. Then, the ice fragments covering the magic tower floor soared into the air.
"Do you know that, surprisingly, even cold element mages often don''t know the true characteristics of the cold element?"
"Is that so?"
"Yes, it is. Originally, when all magic delves into the extreme, it shows a different appearance. Although he hasn''t reached the true extreme cold yet, when he reaches a simr level, he can see unique phenomena."
By the standards of mages, even the flesh-cutting snowstorm raging outside was considered ordinary cold.
When one descended to a level of cold that made such a snowstorm feel like a warm spring breeze, then one could see unique phenomena.
Mana freely moving without any consumption or loss, or matter losing its viscosity and transforming into peculiar forms...
"Or time stopping... You don''t seem very surprised?"
"Ah. I was listening in amazement."
In fact, Yi-Han wasn''t particrly surprised by such things.
Whenever one reached the extreme, a world that surpassed human imagination always unfolded.
Moreover, even more so with magic.
"Of course, to challenge this, it''s impossible with just the mage''s power alone, so he''s attempting it in various ways..."
When Eumidiphos said that, Yi-Han, who had taken Alcicle''s reagents, felt quite sorry.
Those reagents would probably be included in those various methods.
"Still, if he has been diligently researching, it would be difficult for the inspector to say anything, right? There should be records too..."
"Given Alcicle''s personality, I don''t think he would have recorded the research journal in such detail out ofziness."
"..."
Yi-Han asked Professor Bagrak,
"Professor. Do you have any advice you can give to Mr. Pengerin?"
"Hmm."
Professor Bagrak pondered for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth.
"When escaping, it''s best not to leave traces."
"..."
Yi-Han was about to ask what kind of experience he was giving such advice based on, but stopped himself.
"I mean other than that."
"In the current situation, that seems to be the best method."
Professor Bagrak gestured forward with his eyes.
Yi-Han turned his gaze and was shocked.
Alcicle was looking around and hurriedly packing his belongings.
"What are you doing?!"
"Uh, uhh? This? It''s nothing. I-I just suddenly wanted to gather some things..."
"No matter what, escaping is not allowed!"
"E-Escape. What are you talking about? I''m not trying to escape."
However, Alcicle''s eyes were rolling around restlessly from side to side.
Yi-Han persuaded Alcicle.
"The inspector doesn''t know much about magic anyway, right? It would be better to prove that you have diligently researched and haven''t wasted anything else."
"I did buy a lot of sardines though..."
Yi-Han ignored it as if he hadn''t heard.
"Do you have any journals? Any data?"
"Over there."
"...Wasn''t that a trash pile?"
At Yi-Han''s words, Alcicle made a slightly hurt expression.
"Gainando will be dealing with the inspector, so let''s find it as quickly as possible."
Yi-Han began rapidly sorting through the trash pile, no, the warehouse where the journals and data were piled up.
Dusting off, separating by the dates written on the papers, and quickly organizing, Alcicle watched with a moved expression.
"Can''t I take you as my disciple instead of sending you to Einroguard?"
Eumidiphos gave an ambiguous smile at Alcicle''s question.
If he did that, the professors at Einroguard might raid Alcicle''s magic tower.
"It wouldn''t be bad to try if you want to."
"No. You''d want to happily and enjoyably spend time with your friends at Einroguard. I didn''t need such things, but still."
Alcicle decided to be considerate of Yi-Han.
Of course, Alcicle had learned magic alone because he didn''t need things like friends, but among nobles, there were many who considered it happiness to hone their friendship together with friends.
Yi-Han was probably such a case too.
"Happily and enjoyably?"
"Pardon?"
"It''s nothing."
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Chapter 357
Chapter 357
"It''s all done."
"What?!"
Alcicle was startled.
While he was talking with Eumidiphos, Yi-Han had finished organizing.
"Already?! All of that?!"
"What have you been doing?"
Eumidiphos looked at Alcicle disapprovingly.
To think he had just piled up and neglected an amount that a first-year student could organize so quickly.
"Ah, no... I was going to organize it too, but... it had that kind of impossibleplexity..."
"Stop talking nonsense and follow me. Let''s prepare together."
Eumidiphos and Alcicle sat on chairs and began reviewing the organized data.
The data was important, but it was also crucial to show the experiments to the inspector.
Among these, they had to directly show the inspector the experiments with the highest potential and the best ones.
"This 23rd experiment looks good."
[23rd experiment. Why did I start cold element magic? Should I have just done fire element instead? To form extreme cold, I cast magic on all the nearby heat sources. Don''t forget to order three boxes of sardines. Observed phenomenon: Confirmed objects falling nearby slowing down.]
''He sure scribbled a lot.''
"If you confirmed objects falling slower, that''s quite an achievement too."
"But that requires frost deer horn."
"...Then what about this 44th experiment? The fact that bricks lost their shape and transformed freely is quite a meaningful result."
"But that requires thousand-year snow."
"...Who told you to waste ingredients?!"
Enraged, Eumidiphos created a water club and whacked Alcicle''s back.
Alcicle groaned and made excuses.
"Who knew the inspector woulde... And even if I had them, there''s no guarantee those experiments would seed. They failed more often."
"Now you''re saying good things when we need to show results soon. How great."
Eumidiphos sighed.
Even though she said that, Eumidiphos wasn''t entirely without responsibility for Alcicle''s predicament.
"If we don''t have them, we''ll have to make do. This snow emperor pill was probably added to increase stability when controlling the surrounding moisture to maintain the cold. I''ll handle it."
"Th-Thank you."
"The thousand-year snow... was probably to amplify the cold element attribute, right?"
"Yes."
"Can''t be helped. Wardanaz. Can I borrow some of your mana?"
"???"
"Yes. It''s alright."
"?????"
Alcicle was flustered by the conversation between Yi-Han and Eumidiphos.
Huh?
"No, Eumidiphos..."
"Be quiet for a bit, Alcicle. We don''t have time."
"But that''s..."
The thousand-year snow ced in the magic circle was a powerful reagent that amplified the power of the cold element dozens of times.
It wasn''t impossible to substitute that with mana, but even with a rough calction, it was definitely not an amount a young first-year student could handle.
''Is she tormenting him?''
"The thousand-year ice was probably used to fix the amplified cold... Bdi Bagrak."
"Yes."
When Eumidiphos called Bdi Bagrak, Alcicle felt relieved.
Unlike Yi-Han, he didn''t feel too sorry about exploiting that guy.
"I''ll control the amplification, so can you fix it using Wardanaz''s mana?"
Professor Bagrak nodded.
Of course, Alcicle''s eyes widened.
"Eumidiphos!! This is really not..."
"Shut him up. We don''t have time."
Eumidiphos, who became toozy to exin how much mana Yi-Han had, gave an order to Professor Bagrak.
¡ª
"My goodness! I can see why Your Highness has so many followers!"
"Hoho."
Gainando was having a pleasant time with the inspector.
"I''m telling you, lightning spirit cards are overrated. Avoiding fights and depleting the mage''s stamina. That''s cowardly!"
"You''re right. I''ve always thought the same."
The two mage card enthusiasts had a heartwarming conversation, evaluating each other''s cards.
"By the way, Your Highness, what deck do you use?"
"I use the Dark... Ack?!"
Gainando screamed.
His friends had stepped on both his feet from either side.
"Why are you doing that?"
"Gainando mainly uses honorable knight cards."
"Ooh. As expected."
Gainando wanted to say, ''Why would I use such boring cards,'' but his feet hurt too much to shout.
"Inspector. The experiment is ready."
"Ah. Time has already...! I''m sorry. The conversation was so enjoyable..."
"It''s alright."
"?"
The inspector felt something strange.
Yi-Han didn''te out from inside the tower and was just standing still.
''Focus.''
Yi-Han shuddered, feeling the flow of enormous mana.
The movement of mana flowing in theboratory inside would inspire awe in any mage.
Even Alcicle, who had initially resisted roughly, was now desperately cooperating with a determined face as the magic circle was prepared and the mana began to move.
"Are you okay? You''re really okay, right? You''re not just saying you''re okay because you''re being threatened, right? Really?"
"..."
Yi-Han couldn''t answer because he was concentrating.
Rather, Alcicle talking to him made him lose focus.
Feeling the unstable flow of mana around Yi-Han, Professor Bagrak kicked Alcicle''s leg. Alcicle screamed.
"I told you to focus, Alcicle!"
"Y-Yes..."
At Eumidiphos'' shout, Alcicle turned his gaze.
Currently, Eumidiphos was on Yi-Han''s left, and Bdi Bagrak was on Yi-Han''s right, each absorbing mana and transmitting it to the magic circle.
When they said they would substitute a first-year student''s mana for thousand-year snow or thousand-year ice, Alcicle thought Eumidiphos had gone crazy without him noticing, but surprisingly, the magic circle was functioning properly.
''Is it okay? Is it really okay? It seems okay for now. Does it make sense? Will he cough up blood and copse?''
"Alcicle Pengerin?"
"Ah, yes. I''ll begin."
Alcicle, who had been worrying internally, waved his staff at the inspector''s words.
The neatly organized research journal flew in front of the inspector. The inspector admired it.
"Amazing! It''s rare for mages to organize it like this."
"O-Of course, it''s something that should be done responsibly."
When Eumidiphos and Bdi stared at him, Alcicle blushed.
"The observed phenomena... Ooh! Remarkable. The progress is substantial."
Alcicle didn''t mention that those phenomena would barely ur once even if the same experiment was repeated dozens of times.
"With this much, the investors will surely be satisfied. What phenomenon will you show?"
"I-I think it would be better to see it with your own eyes."
Alcicle avoided giving a specific answer.
Since they had removed all the necessary ingredients and were improvising, he couldn''t know exactly what phenomenon would ur.
"I understand! Please show me."
"Mana, circte and amplify as determined. Circte and amplify. Circte and..."
Alcicle began chanting in a deep and intense voice.
Whilebat mages valued fast and concise chants, most mages didn''t really care about that.
The purpose of mages was thepletion of magic, notbat.
uracy was more important regardless of how long the chant was.
"Cold, swell. The price is thousand-year snow. The amplification of that power."
''Was there thousand-year snow?''
The inspector tilted his head.
He didn''t seem to see it in the magic circle?
"Cold, linger. The price is..."
Kwajijijik!
In the center of theboratory''s magic circle, dense mana began to distort space as it waspressed.
It reminded him of when the skull principal scattered mana to pressure the iing students.
However, the purpose was different today.
The mana was converted into cold, and the temperature inside began to drop to near extremes.
Tuk tuk tuk, tuk tuk-
"Ohhh!"
The sword-shaped icicle formed inside the magic circle.
That icicle was imbued with pure mana without any loss.
Seeing the vivid mana flowing along the icicle''s de, the inspector nodded excitedly.
To think it would ept the enchantment magicpletely without a single loss of mana.
It was a material that all enchantment mages dreamed of.
"This is what you wanted to show!"
"This absurd thing!!"
"???"
"Ah, it''s nothing."
Alcicle was startled and shouted next to the inspector, then btedly came to his senses.
The result was better than any experiment he had done so far.
''What in the world?''
Swish-
"Look over there! The snowkes aren''t falling!"
"Are you kidding me?!"
"??!"
"I-I developed an illness from researching magic alone for a long time."
"Oh... I see."
From phenomena without mana consumption to time-stopping phenomena.
Originally, he had to throw in reagents just to observe them one by one, even briefly.
But to have two phenomena ur simultaneously, and for several seconds at that.
It was joyful and moving, but at the same time, it was confusing.
''What in the world?! What?!!''
p p p p p-
The inspector apuded. Alcicle was now starting to feel frightened.
"Could it be..."
"Look at the water droplets inside! The properties of the water droplets are changing!"
"..."
"Alcicle Pengerin, you are a genius of magic! To manifest three phenomena for this long!!"
"I... I''m nothing."
"And humble too!"
"I''m telling you I''m nothing..."
¡ª
The inspector recorded the results in great excitement. To maintain three phenomena simultaneously for 7 seconds.
If the investors saw this, they would say, ''As expected, a genius is different,'' and decide on an additional investment out of admiration, and the Cold Element Mage Society would decide on an admiring field trip, saying, ''The genius has done it.''
However, the genius who achieved that great feat was lying inside, groaning.
"Are you alright? You overexerted yourself for the experiment..."
"It might be a mental illness."
"Pardon?"
"It''s nothing. Anyway, I''m d you''re satisfied."
"Yes! I truly had an eye-opening experience today. I already knew Alcicle Pengerin was a remarkable mage, but to think he was this amazing! If someone asks me who the best among the empire''s young mages is, I will definitely answer Alcicle Pengerin!"
From inside, Alcicle''s mournful coughs burst out continuously. Eumidiphos decided to send the inspector away quickly for her disciple''s sake.
"Yes. Thank you. It would be nice to meet again."
"Yes! Take care!"
Eumidiphos and Yi-Han approached the penguin mixed-blood mage lying down.
Alcicle turned his body with a gloomy face.
"To think something this simple until now..."
"It wasn''t simple, Alcicle. It''s because of those countless trials and errors that you were able to do it today. Think positively. You could have struggled even more."
Even with Eumidiphos'' constion, Alcicle burst into tears.
"Enough! The cold element must have been dissatisfied with my research too. If that Wardanaz had researched it, he would have shown the truth much faster."
"What nonsense are you spouting about? The cold element is not a person."
"As soon as I get up, I''ll send a letter to the cold element mages... saying that I''ve wasted my life and Wardanaz will continue my research."
"...?"
Yi-Han, who had been silently listening, flinched.
What?
"What kind of do... No, what absurd words are you saying, Mr. Pengerin?"
Yi-Han had remained silent, thinking Alcicle woulde to his senses on his own if left alone, but if it flowed like this, it was a different story.
"My research should be done by a genius like you..."
"No, Mr. Pengerin! What kind of nonsensical words are you saying?! Wasn''t it you who prepared this magic circle and magic? If I had topare, we just sprinkled some salt on an already made soup at most!"
"Is that analogy correct...?"
"Honestly, who can''t blow in this much mana?! It''s possible with magic stones too!"
"It''s impossible."
"Impossible."
"..."
Yi-Han choked up seeing Eumidiphos and Bdi, who were supposed to beforting Alcicle, arguing about whether it was magically correct or not.
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Chapter 358
Chapter 358
"Magic stones are ultimately just substitutes. To replicate the purest mana a mage can create with magic stones..."
"Is that important right now?"
Yi-Han pointed at the penguin mixed-blood mage lying face down and spoke to Eumidiphos.
He wasn''t particrly curious about how difficult it was to replicate high-quality pure mana with magic stones.
It was much more important whether the crazy mage was trying to pass his research task onto him or not.
"Mr. Pengerin. Come to your senses. Even if it''s difficult to do with magic stones, that part can be substituted with other methods anyway. What part is impossible to substitute? It''s the brain of the mage who designed this experiment and devised the magic."
"..."
Yi-Han clearly saw Alcicle flinch.
Feeling hopeful, Yi-Han grabbed Alcicle''s back skin and began shaking him back and forth.
"Mr. Pengerin! If you give up here, what will happen to the countless cold element mages who entered the field of cold element magic after seeing you?! Will you disappoint all of them?!"
"Ow, ow! It hurts!"
It should have been a situation where he felt pleased, but Alcicle screamed.
Yi-Han''s strength was too good.
"Ah. I''m sorry. Anyway, disappointing these mages..."
"I-I got it. Calm down. Calm down. I''ll think about it again."
When it seemed like Yi-Han would grab his back skin again, Alcicle hurriedly stopped him and spoke.
Seeing that, Eumidiphos thought to herself,
''It would have been fine to just attack him.''
¡ª
In the end, Alcicle calmed down and regained hisposure.
In fact, what Yi-Han said was urate.
When a magic experiment seeded, the credit went to the mage who designed the magic experiment, not to the people who assisted on the side.
Alcicle, who had implemented the extreme cold to this extent, was definitely a remarkable mage.
...The problem was that the reason the experiments that had failed until now suddenly seeded was due to Yi-Han''s mana.
Unless Alcicle was a fool, he naturally analyzed the cause.
Why did the reckless improvisation seed when it had failed even when using various top-grade rare reagents like frost deer horn, cold jade pill, thousand-year ice, thousand-year snow, and snow emperor pill?
"The answer lies in the quality of mana. No matter how much you try to maintain mana with various reagents and magic circles, its purity and quality are inferior to directly infusing a mage''s mana."
"Indeed..."
Yi-Han, who was listening in front of Alcicle, suddenly asked in puzzlement.
"But why are you telling me this?"
Yi-Han didn''t understand why a first-year student like him had to hear this when it would have been enough for Eumidiphos or Bdi to hear it.
"Where did the mana that just seedede from?"
"It came from me."
"Then how should one obtain that mana?"
"Should I go to other cold element mage gatherings and post a notice?"
"...No. It''s not that simple."
If the mana of all mages had such high purity and excellent quality like Yi-Han''s mana, Alcicle wouldn''t have had to suffer like this.
"It''s difficult to obtain such mana."
"Oh dear. That''s unfortunate..."
"Help me!"
When Alcicle tried to cling to Yi-Han''s hand, Yi-Han lightly dodged.
He had been taken advantage of by professors so much that he was on guard while Alcicle was opening his mouth.
"I''m sorry. That''s too much."
"Why?!"
"I have a life too, so working here 24 hours a day during the entire break is a bit..."
"...I wasn''t thinking of that?!"
Alcicle was shocked by Yi-Han''s terrifying idea.
Not only did he have to invest mana, but if he overworked like that, even a remarkable mage would quickly copse.
Moreover, the other person was a first-year student.
"In the first ce, I don''t do that many experiments. It would be about two or three times a year."
"Ah. Is that all?"
"...That''s plenty?"
If it was that much, he could help since he owed him.
When permission was given, Alcicle''s face brightened. Alcicle nodded his head repeatedly and said,
"Thank you! In return, I''ll pass on my visionary cold element magic to you. To the point where you can take over my research task someday!"
''I''m not particrly happy about that.''
Yi-Han cursed inwardly at Alcicle, who was trying to pass on his own research when it was already difficult now.
He was the embodiment of an evil mage.
"Yes, well... Thank you."
"That''s good. Let''s start right away."
"There''s no time, so hurry up and pass it on. I was nning to return to the city on the weekend."
At the urging of Bdi Bagrak and Eumidiphos, Alcicle grumbled.
"Unlike basic magic, my visionary magic can''t be learned quickly..."
As he spoke, Alcicle looked at Yi-Han and changed his words.
"...Well, you might be able to do it, Wardanaz."
"No, I can''t."
Yi-Han firmly denied it, but the three mages didn''t even pretend to listen.
¡ª
was a 4th Circle magic.
Unlike other doppelganger magics, it had an appearance so simr to the owner that it was indistinguishable from the outside, shared vision with the doppelganger, and even allowed close-range attacks using the cold element in case of emergency.
Considering the magic''s efficacy, it was strange that it was in the 4th Circle.
Of course, the difficulty of the cold element doppelganger magic was also in the upper ranks among 4th Circle magics.
It was just that Yi-Han''s sense had be strange after seeding in a few 4th Circle magics, but originally, it was definitely not a difficulty level that a first-year student should challenge.
"Although you''ve mastered low-circle cold element magic well, I don''t think you''ll quickly master this magic."
"That''s a relief."
Unlike earlier, Alcicle was calm, so Yi-Han felt relieved.
"Ah. Of course, I''m not ignoring your skills! You should be able to do the doppelganger up to the previous stage."
"...? Isn''t that sufficiently difficult too?"
Yi-Han became afraid, thinking that even Alcicle was being influenced by Professor Bagrak and Eumidiphos.
The lowest stage in the doppelganger series of magic was a doppelganger with a noticeable form and no movement.
Yi-Han could currently replicate this simrly with illusion magic.
If he cast and , it would appear as if there were multiple Yi-Hans from the outside.
To go to a higher stage from here, he had to adjust the doppelganger''s form and add movements to make it more usible...
Seeding in both of these was the magic.
In other words, this previous stage meant that at least one of the form or movement waspleted.
Even that alone was at least 3rd Circle.
"This magic applied many magics from other schools to avoid casting it at a high circle. That''s why it has more difficulty..."
''Did he ignore what I just said?''
"...You said you''re learning transformation magic and enchantment magic too? You''re very lucky."
"Yes..."
"One regrettable thing is that dark magic is quite helpful when practicing this doppelganger magic. Unlike other summons, undead summons have noints even if you cast cold element magic on them. So it''s good for practice."
One of the best ways to practice handling the movements of multiple doppelgangers was to practice with undead summons.
Undead summons had fewints and didn''t greatly refuse even if they were given weapons with cold elements or had cold elements wrapped around their bodies.
Casting cold element magic on these undead summons and delicately moving them as desired was good practice.
"I''m learning dark magic too."
"What?!"
Eumidiphos also spoke as if it was strange.
"Didn''t I say I was learning dark magic?"
Yi-Han had definitely mentioned dark magic when talking about the magic he had learned.
"Did you? Huh? Why does it feel like I didn''t hear it?"
"...A-Anyway, are you saying that summoning undead with dark magic and practicing is very helpful?"
Feeling sorry for the dark mages for no reason, Yi-Han hurriedly changed the subject.
Alcicle nodded.
"The more magic you cast and the more you try to move them directly, the better. Can you summon undead by any chance?"
"Yes. I can summon skeleton warriors."
"Good. Skeleton warriors. The more, the better. Can you do up to three?"
"Yes."
"Oh! Can you do more? How many?"
"They can''t move yet, but up to 15..."
"...???"
Alcicle was surprised in many ways.
First, it was surprising that the summoned creatures couldn''t move, and it was also surprising that he could summon up to 15 skeleton warriors.
Even a decent summoning mage would have their soul shattered, mana exhausted, or brain burned...
"I''m learning a bit of an old-fashioned dark magic."
When Yi-Han exined that he was learning old-fashioned dark magic from evil dark mages, Alcicle was very interested.
"So it''s more difficult to handle..."
"It would be even better for practice! You''re really lucky!"
"..."
Yi-Han felt like he knew why Alcicle was Eumidiphos'' disciple.
''I''m the crazy one for having expectations.''
¡ª
Surprisingly (Eumidiphos, Bdi, and Alcicle were all surprised), Yi-Han did notplete the magic in the remaining time.
Of course, Yi-Han wasn''t surprised.
In fact, only the three mages were surprised.
"Did I teach it wrong...?"
For the first time in his life, Alcicle began to have healthy doubts about his own abilities. Seeing that, Eumidiphos was amazed.
''I didn''t expect it to go this far!''
"I''m sorry if I taught it wrong."
"It''s alright."
"As long as you know."
"..."
Yi-Han red at Professor Bagrak once and spoke again.
"I won''t forget what you taught me. I''ll practice it even after I return."
"I hope youplete it quickly. I''ll prepare the next magic too. It will be a bit more difficult, but you''ll be fine."
"...Yes."
Yi-Han pondered whether to practice cold element magic a bitter.
"Ah. Can I call you this fall?"
"Fall is during the Einroguard semester, Alcicle."
"Uh... When does the semester end?"
At Eumidiphos'' answer, Alcicle counted on his fingers and calcted.
If he stayed in the academy until the end of this year...
"You can''te out?!"
"Did you think a first-year student could freely leave the academy?"
At Eumidiphos'' disapproving tone, Yi-Han flinched.
''How did she know?''
"Can''t I visit?"
"For an outsider to visit, they would need permission from Lord Gonadaltes. It wouldn''t be an easy task."
"Eh... A great mage like Lord Gonadaltes wouldn''t bother with such matters. He''ll generously allow it."
"?"
"?"
Yi-Han and Eumidiphos were puzzled at the same time.
"That..."
"Well... Try your best. He might allow it if you ask nicely."
"Yes. I''ll be waiting for your visit."
At Yi-Han''s words, Alcicle smiled brightly.
"Yes! I''ll visit in the fall!"
"Yes."
As he got into the carriage and left the magic tower, Yi-Han looked back. The sight of Alcicle waving his hand somehow left a deep impression on him.
"...He won''t be dragged to the punishment room after meeting the principal, right?"
"It''ll probably be fine. ...Probably."
¡ª
Direth moved her steps towards the Wardanaz family''s mansion with her friends.
"Senior. I heard a strange rumor... They said professors fought on the street to take away a first-year student from the Wardanaz family during the break. Is that true?"
"Does that make sense?"
"Say something that makes sense."
Direth''s juniors learning dark magic rebuked their friend.
"But why is the Wardanaz family''s bloodline trying to learn dark magic?"
"Are you ashamed of dark magic?"
"A little...?"
"...Actually, me too..."
"Everyone, be quiet."
Direth silenced her juniors.
Unlike other schools with many disciples, the dark magic school at Einroguard was so small that seniors and juniors all knew each other''s faces and names.
That wasn''t a bad thing.
Dark mages already had a hard time making a living. If they didn''t stick together, it would be even more difficult.
So, whenever Direth had time, she would gather her juniors, introduce them to each other, and have a time for conversation.
"I''m worried that the Wardanaz family''s junior might take dark magic lightly. I heard he''s a genius and is learning many other types of magic, so he might use dark magic as a formality to add a line to his reputation."
"I told you he''s not that kind of person."
At Direth''s warning, the grumbling junior shut his mouth.
However, the dissatisfaction didn''t disappear.
''Hmph. How do you know he''s not looking down on dark magic...''
"!!!"
The dark mages who arrived at the Wardanaz family''s mansion were startled.
In the front yard of the mansion, skeleton warriors were standing with bone swords emitting cold energy.
"...See? I told you."
"He''s really serious about dark magic."
"I''ve never seen someone summon undead in a mansion of that level."
"Is he crazy? How is he going to clean..."
The juniors quickly acknowledged that the Wardanaz family''s freshman was serious.
However, they couldn''t be sure if the freshman was in his right mind.
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Chapter 359
Chapter 359
The dark mages didn''t stay near the cemetery because they liked cemeteries.
Of course, some peculiar dark mages did like cemeteries, but it was rare for a mage to choose a cold and gloomy cemetery over a warm and cozy firece.
The reason dark mages stayed near cemeteries was because it was advantageous for dark magic.
By bing familiar with the energy of death, they could be closer to undead summons, gain additional mana for various dark magic, and above all, conduct magic experiments without worrying about others'' eyes...
...In fact, thest reason was quite important.
Most people didn''t want dark mages to conduct research next door.
Even the dark mages themselves didn''t want to research in their own mansion''s front yard.
If all kinds of poisons were sprayed on the flowers and undead trampled on thewn, even the most beautiful front yard would turn into a cemetery.
Let alone the mansion of a renowned and historic great family...
"Ah. Senior, you''re here?"
Yi-Han, who was controlling the undead in the front garden of the mansion, was delighted to see Direth.
The undead bowed their heads with slow and awkward movements. Seeing that, Direth was surprised.
''He''se this far already?!''
She knew that Yi-Han was having difficulty controlling the undead.
In a way, it was natural.
A mere first-year student was trying to control undead in the ancient dark magic style.
Rather, it was remarkable that he had made them move like that.
"How did you make them move?"
"Ah. I''m still far from it. They should move elegantly..."
The truly elegant and orthodox way was to intricately weave dozens or hundreds ofmands into one.
Walking was as easy as breathing for a living creature, but making a skeleton warrior with no will of its own walk required dozens or hundreds of detailed instructions like ''put strength in the foot bones,'' ''put strength in the shin bones,'' ''transfer it to the thigh bones,'' and so on.
Of course, one couldn''t do all of this one by one, so the mage had to weave these dozens or hundreds ofmands into one and order ''walk.''
Thatplex flow and understanding of mana was definitely not something a first-year student could achieve through trial and error. Numerous experiences were essential.
So Yi-Han resorted to a shortcut.
"I just infused more mana."
"...!"
Instead of giving detailed instructions one by one, he poured an enormous amount of strong mana into themand ''walk.''
Of course, the effect was miserable.
In fact, the undead were extremely slow.
If he had given detailed instructions one by one, they would have been much faster.
But the important thing was that they moved.
Once he made them move, it was possible to adapt sensibly by repeating it. Moreover, that junior had so much mana left over even after such an absurd waste.
It might be a much faster path than calcting eachmand and overworking the brain.
"That''s a very good method?"
"Senior..."
Yi-Han looked at Direth with a slightly hurt expression. Direth was flustered.
"Why?"
"I''m not a fool, and I can understand words that don''t match your feelings. You don''t have to force yourself to praise me like that."
"No... Hey!"
Direth felt very wronged.
Of course, it was a crude method, but she had said it was good because the result was good, but this junior!
"I told you it''s not like that!"
"Yes. If senior says so, then it must be so."
At the junior''s words that made her look like a ''mean senior who oppresses juniors with authority,'' Direth pped her wings in frustration.
Meanwhile, Yi-Han snatched the luggage Direth had brought.
"I''ll carry it for you. What is this?"
"Ah. That''s a visiting gift..."
Yi-Han nced inside the box. It was full of unidentified bones.
When he probed the mana, he clearly felt the negative energy.
"Thank you so much, senior. I never expected to receive such a gift..."
"Really?"
Direth made a slightly embarrassed expression. She had thought about it and chosen the gift, but she didn''t know the junior would like it this much.
"Please sit here. I''ll prepare something to drink."
"Ah, I''ll also..."
"You came as a guest, so you can''t do that. But the others..."
"These kids are also juniors learning dark magic."
"Indeed!"
Yi-Han''s eyes shed for a moment.
Seniors from the same school.
...Come to think of it, Yi-Han had no choice but to meet seniors from all schools, but anyway, it was never bad to make a good impression on seniors from the same school.
"Please sit down, everyone. I''ll bring something to drink soon."
"O-Okay."
"Cough. Well... It''s not bad."
The dark magic school students did their best to show that they were ''very ustomed to this treatment.''
Of course, they all looked awkward, making Yi-Han think differently.
''Are they not feeling well?''
As Yi-Han politely bowed his head and disappeared, the dark magic school students, who were sitting in an awkwardly arrogant posture, immediately rxed their posture and whispered.
"What''s this? Did you curse him?"
"Was it a threat?"
"..."
Direth regretted bringing these brats for nothing.
"What kind of talk is that..."
"It''s already surprising that a student from the Blue Dragon Tower, and from the Wardanaz family at that, is learning dark magic! Why is he so polite?!"
"It''s creepy that a Blue Dragon Tower student is acting like that???"
"He''s not from the Blue Dragon Tower, right?"
The dark magic school students whispered among themselves.
Basically, Blue Dragon Tower students didn''t learn dark magic.
Why would those who had to worry about many external things like honor, reputation, and family learn dark magic?
Even if there was a really peculiar Blue Dragon Tower student, the problem still remained.
Why was he being so polite?
''Indeed.''
Direth could understand her juniors'' bewilderment.
Basically, the students of the magic academy didn''t go out of their way to be so polite if they weren''t seniors from their own tower.
Inside the magic academy, they could be beaten up like a dog, so they at least didn''t act rudely, but outside, there were many cases where they ignored others, saying, ''Do you know who I am?''
Especially the Blue Dragon Tower students were even more so.
Inside, they bowed their heads in fear, but why would they do that outside?
In the first ce, they rarely met each other, and even if they did, the Blue Dragon Tower students were the type to just ignore them and do their own thing.
And that was even more annoying.
It would be better if they growled and snapped at each other like the White Tiger Tower...
"It''s because we met in the punishment room. We became close while he was taking care of me in the punishment room."
"You, senior?"
"Uh... No... He did take care of me though."
"..."
"...????"
The juniors looked at Direth with a mixture of shock, suspicion, and bewilderment.
How did she make a Blue Dragon Tower student from a great family serve her in the punishment room?
No matter how much they tried to believe her, only one thing came to mind.
''It''s a curse. 100% a curse.''
''No. It''s poison. Poison is cleaner and less detectable than a curse. On the condition of giving an antidote every week...''
''Shouldn''t we stop Senior Direth? If another article appears in the Imperial Newspaper...''
"I don''t know what you''re thinking, but it''s all a misunderstanding, you brats."
¡ª
When Yi-Han personally brought a teapot and a ss bottle filled with juice so cold that dew formed on it, the dark magic school students looked at Yi-Han with pity.
"?"
"Junior... Please exin. These bra... These kids think I''m ckmailing you right now."
"What nonsense... I''m not being ckmailed."
Even with Yi-Han''s words, the dark magic school students nodded their heads with a pitiful look, as if to say, ''Yes, that must be the case.''
"...It seems meaningless no matter what exnation I give?"
"I''m the crazy one for bringing them. What''s so good about these guys... Did you invite other first-years?"
"Yes. I invited them."
Hearing the purpose of today''s gathering, Yi-Han had also invited other friends.
Come to think of it, there was even a prince among them.
''...Senior will clear up the misunderstanding.''
Yi-Han passed it off as Direth''s job to figure it out. Honestly, it was bothersome.
"Can I ask a few questions?"
"Yes."
Yi-Han felt that not all the seniors present were favorable to him.
It was natural.
In any world, if there were people who viewed a new member favorably, there were also those who viewed them adversely.
What the neer was thinking, how sincere they were, and so on.
At this time, one had to show the right attitude to make things much easier in the future.
''I''m ready.''
Yi-Han also knew his own weaknesses.
He was learning magic from too many schools at the same time.
...Although this wasn''t intentional, it could be seen in a slightly negative light anyway.
However, Yi-Han was confident that he could make up for it sufficiently.
Honestly, where would there be a first-year student who worked as hard at dark magic as Yi-Han?
"I saw earlier that you summoned skeletons. Is it okay to do that in the front yard of the mansion? The front yard will get dirty?"
"If it gets dirty, it''s even better. It will help when practicing dark magic."
"...I noticed earlier that you seem to summon undead in a slightly different way?"
"Yes. I''ve always had a great interest in dark magic, and now I have the ambition to personally research dark magic that isn''tmonly used and make new discoveries. Fortunately, Professor Mortum positively evaluated my ambition, so I was able to practice like this."
What the skull principal and Professor Mortum had forced was portrayed as Yi-Han''s own voluntary choice.
The dark magic school students, unaware of this, only looked at Yi-Han with admiration.
Why would such a talented person choose dark magic?
"Hmph."
However, unlike the other students, the senior who asked the question didn''t easily let it go.
As if to show that he was different from others, he shook his head a few times and threw more persistent questions.
"Anyone can have ambition. The important thing is how you achieve it. I''m curious if you''re good at the basics. Do you know how to curse?"
"Yes."
"Poison?"
"I can make acidic poison."
Direth intervened from the side.
"He also knows how to handle the dark element."
"...!"
At those words, the senior made a surprised expression and heavily nodded his head.
Although he didn''t say it out loud, it was a sign of surrender, indicating that he had no more questions to ask.
"I''m sorry, junior. Ogoldos isn''t usually such a prickly guy."
While the other students were drinking their beverages, Direth took Yi-Han aside for a moment and apologized separately.
"He''s quite serious about dark magic. So he dislikes it when new juniors touch it for a bit and then disappear."
"I understand. He has every right to feel that way."
In fact, seniors like Ogoldos weren''t particrly unpleasant in Yi-Han''s eyes.
The real crazies were among the professors, not the seniors. No matter how wild they got, seniors couldn''t be as mad as the real deal.
"...Sometimes I wonder if I''m really poisoning and ckmailing you. For such a remarkable junior like you to choose dark magic..."
"But I''m also learning all other types of magic."
"I know, so be quiet."
Direth exined a bit more about how often these gatherings were held and why they were held.
Dark magic students exchanged information and shared job opportunities or chances they could use during the break...
"Ah. I heard a rumor that professors fought on the street to take you away. That''s fake, right?"
"No. It''s true. But where is Professor Mortum?"
"Professor Mortum? When we have a gathering, he''s usually in Granden City. ...Wait a minute. Did you say it''s true?"
"He''s in Granden City? Why?"
"He tells us to invite him to the gathering without hesitation if we need help with magic research. But usually, we don''t talk about magic research even at the gathering. Hey. Junior. But earlier..."
"...Senior. Wait a moment."
Yi-Han felt something off and stopped Direth from speaking.
Professor Mortum wasn''t around, but strangely, it felt like he could hear his voice.
A voice saying, ''Invite me too''!
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Chapter 360
Chapter 360
"Actually, doesn''t Professor want to participate in the dark magic gathering?"
Not all professors in the world were like Professor Bdi.
Among professors, there were more cases than one might think where they wanted to (tactlessly) mingle with students.
Especially if it was an unpopr school like dark magic, it was even more so.
It would be difficult to get along with other professors at Einroguard, so the loneliness would be even greater.
"What?"
However, Direth reacted with surprise at Yi-Han''s words.
"That''s not it. He''s not the type to do that."
"Is that so?"
"I''ve also invited him a few times, but he refused, saying it''s fine."
"Hmm."
Yi-Han fell into thought while making a humming sound.
Direth was an outstanding dark mage and an excellent senior, but she wasn''t a cunning disciple like Yi-Han.
Especially when it came to professors, there were often cases where they said A with their mouth but said B with the rest of their body.
One had to understand thenguage of these professors to be a cunning disciple.
"How did he refuse, by any chance?"
"Huh? He said, what would he do by participating there, and that it would interfere with the student gatherings."
"Indeed."
Yi-Han nodded his head as if he understood.
It was a typical fake statement.
"Did he happen to add that if you need help with magic research, you should call him?"
"...!"
Direth''s eyes widened.
"Did you just use divination magic?!"
"Not divination magic, just a prediction. Senior, if it''s alright with you, I''d like to visit Professor Mortum''s workshop now and invite him."
"I don''t mind, but... Will it be okay? Professor might get angry, saying you''re unnecessarily bringing up something he kept refusing."
"Don''t worry."
"Want to go together?"
"No."
Yi-Han stopped Direth.
If a disciple who had worked under Professor Mortum for a long time, like Direth, was beside him, he might stubbornly refuse out of embarrassment.
"I''m enough alone. Then I''ll be back."
"O-Okay. Be careful ande back. ...Wait a minute! Hey! Junior! What was that about professors fighting on the street?!"
Direth shouted as she btedly recalled, but Yi-Han had already disappeared down the street.
¡ª
As professors at Einroguard, they were mages who had reached a certain level, so they each had a mansion or workshop in Granden City.
And Professor Mortum''s workshop was located in the central noble district.
...Next to the cemetery in the district.
''Is it really okay?''
Of course, it was a much more dignified space than the nameless public cemetery on the outskirts of the city.
As it was a noble family''s cemetery, beautifully carved marble tombstones and beautifully tied flowers were refreshingly ced here and there, but...
...Nevertheless, the gravedigger''s tower used as a workshop gave off a somewhat eerie feeling.
At this point, it seemed that the problem was not the cemetery but dark magic.
"Professor Mortum, are you there?"
"Cough. I clearly told you. I said I''d finish it by next week. If you rush me one more time, I''ll mix up your organs... Is it you, Wardanaz?"
Professor Mortum, who had opened the door while speaking fiercely, was surprised to find an unexpected disciple.
"This is a surprise."
"Do you have another appointment?"
"Cough. I''m not surprised because of that... There were so many professors who went to catch you that I thought you''d be torn into pieces by now."
"..."
For a moment, Yi-Han almost cast a curse spell on the professor.
If you knew, you should have stopped them!
''Stay calm. Professor Mortum is still better.''
From Yi-Han''s perspective, a professor who did his own thing and asionally invited him, like Professor Mortum, was better than a professor who came to find him and drag him away.
Both were like immature children, but thetter was a bit more...
"Who were you talking to just now?"
"Ah. Cough. I took on a request, but they keep bothering me to rush it."
It seemed that a noble from a family had died, and they hade to Professor Mortum wanting to find the inheritance that noble had hidden.
They had entrusted it to a few divination mages, but due tock of clues, it had failed.
They had to at least salvage a fragment of the dead person''s memory through dark magic.
"Even such requests are possible!"
Yi-Han newly realized that a mage''s job was truly broad.
Perhapster, it might not be bad to try controlling skeletons to sweep up the work of a transportation guild or attempt street performances.
"It''s not a good request. Cough. But it''s good for dark mages to ept such requests."
"Is it because of connections with noble families?"
"No. Cough. Such expensive requests don''te often."
"..."
"So... What brings you here? If you want me to stop other professors from chasing you, it''s impossible. I''m not in a position to stop them."
''I know that.''
"How could that be? And it''s an honor for professors toe looking for me. I''mcking, so it''s more than I could ask for them to personallye to me."
"Cough. You have a really good personality for a dark mage. If it were me, I would have released all the poison. During a student''s break..."
Yi-Han almost nodded for a moment but clenched his teeth and endured.
"I came today because I wanted Professor to participate in the gathering."
"...What gathering?"
Professor Mortum answered a beatte. That was enough. Yi-Han was convinced that the other person knew today was the gathering day for dark magic school students.
"The gathering where seniors learning dark magic gather to pass on knowledge to juniors."
"Ah. Ah...! Cough. That one?"
"Yes."
"I''ll pass."
Professor Mortum waved his hand and spoke.
"Cough. If you have something you don''t know while researching magic, you cane and ask... Well... They don''t ask much anyway."
A sh of disappointment appeared in Professor Mortum''s eyes and disappeared.
Yi-Han spoke firmly.
"Professor!"
"...W-Why are you suddenly shouting?"
"The seniors always want to ask you questions. But they had no choice but to hesitate, knowing that you are always suffering from heavy workload and overwork."
"...!"
"Even if you say it''s okay, if you don''t directly participate in the gathering, the seniors won''t be able to ask."
"What kind of cowardly..."
"I''m sorry. But please understand."
Although his words were blunt, Professor Mortum''s face was slightly rxed.
"Gainando, Raphael, and I were all curious about the golden experience you have umted as a dark mage. We couldn''t hear it during the semester because of busy lectures, but we went expecting to hear it at the gathering during the break, but we were all disappointed that you weren''t there."
"Is... Is that so?"
"Yes. When we were disappointed, the seniors asked us why. So when we spoke honestly, the seniors said, ''We also want to invite him, but we can''t because we''re sorry.''"
"That...!"
Professor Mortum let out a sigh.
He knew his disciples were timid, but he didn''t know they were this timid.
There was no need to be that afraid anywhere.
"So I gathered the courage toe. I thought you might be a little lenient since I''m a first-year."
"Cough. Of course, it should be like that. What mage would get angry at a first-year''s mistake?"
The skull principal immediately came to Yi-Han''s mind, but he stayed quiet.
"...Alright. Cough. If you say that much, I have no choice. I can''t let the already few new students disappear."
"That''s right. If Professor participates in the gathering, would the new students drift to another school?"
Professor Mortum picked up his staff and stood up.
And he patted Yi-Han''s back and walked.
"Cough. Wardanaz. I have a really good disciple."
"No, Professor. I''m just embarrassed."
Yi-Han swallowed the smile of a sessful hunter inwardly.
''It would be nice if other professors were this easy too.''
How convenient would it be if everyone became happy like Professor Mortum?
Why were there only professors who said, ''Since I''m in a good mood, I''ll teach you more magic'' when they were happy...
¡ª
"Oh my god. This is the first time I''ve seen Professor Mortum so happy."
"Did he poison him?"
"No. It''s a curse. What else would he have to mix to make him that happy, aughter curse and an intoxication curse?"
Some seniors were shocked to see Professor Mortum, who usually frowned, coughed, and was full ofints, looking satisfied.
Of course, Direth was the same.
"H-How..."
"Senior. The professor just wanted to participate in the gathering."
"...!"
Direth looked at Yi-Han with a thrilled gaze.
The first-year junior who hadn''t been here for long suddenly felt like a reliablerade.
To the point where she felt she could entrust her back to this junior when dealing with crazy professors.
''Am I crazy? To a first-year...''
"Cough. The thieves were stubbornly holding out in the fortress. So I turned the captured thieves into undead and had them charge. In the meantime, I turned the newly captured thieves into undead and had them charge again. And again... Then they surrendered."
"Truly an educational story!"
"I want to try it too!"
Without Yi-Han even needing to set the mood, the dark magic school students showed deep interest in Professor Mortum''s speech.
Thanks to that, Professor Mortum was greatly satisfied, finished his speech, and took a break.
"So... You''re saying you''re a prince?"
"Yes!"
In the meantime, the seniors'' attention turned to the other juniors, excluding Yi-Han.
"Wouldn''t a royal family member be criticized for being interested in dark magic?"
"Huh? Is that so?"
"..."
Yi-Han casually intervened.
"Remember to mention when I used ck magic in front of the nobles during the basilisk incident."
"That''s because you stopped midw..."
Yi-Han pinched the back of Gainando''s hand. Gainando immediately understood.
"When the basilisk appeared, I protected the nobles with dark magic!"
"!"
"Oh..."
The seniors were surprised by those words.
To think he would take out dark magic in front of nobles without much thought.
"The idea that there is no ss distinction in magic, and if one is confident in oneself, the gaze of the world isn''t that important, right?"
"ss distinction? The world?"
Yi-Han pinched Gainando again. Gainando understood again.
"Yeah!"
"The first-year juniors this time are really amazing."
The seniors whispered in amazement.
However, their gazes had changed to be very favorable.
Because if they weren''t sincere about dark magic, they couldn''t show such an attitude.
"So. White Tiger Tower junior... Why are you learning it? The White Tiger Tower is also quite rare in dark magic."
"You''re not learning dark magic destruction techniques, are you?"
"..."
Raphael felt cold sweat running down his back.
"That, well, it''s..."
"There''s no one as sincere about dark magic as Raphael, despite the misunderstanding he receives for being from a knight family."
"Really?"
"Yes. Because every time we explored the undead realm, he was always at the forefront."
"Isn''t that just... a pervert?"
The seniors looked at Raphael with a bit of a different meaning, surprised.
What''s so good about the undead realm?
"He just likes undead and takes the initiative."
''That''s being a pervert, right?''
Raphael stood still with a flushed face, unable to do this or that.
Perhaps understanding it differently, the seniors didn''t ask any further.
"I-I see. You''re all unique, but you''re sincere about dark magic."
"I''m d to have juniors like you. ...Of course, one person''s taste is a bit strange, but I''ll respect it."
"You''re not going to ask about Ymirg?"
"He''s from the ck Tortoise Tower."
"Right."
"..."
Gainando''s mouth gaped open in disbelief.
What kind of petty seniors...?
When the seniors'' barrage of questions ended, Yi-Han lightly tapped Raphael''s shoulder.
Raphael red at Yi-Han for a moment and then opened his mouth.
"...I suppose I should say thank you."
No matter what, it was true that Wardanaz had covered for Raphael.
Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to escape unscathed from the earlier situation.
"Yeah. Forget the thanks and pay back the silver coins."
"...No, you crazy bastard, seriously!"
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Chapter 361
Chapter 361
"What a shameless guy. Now that you''ve escaped the crisis, you''re saying you can''t pay?"
Yi-Han looked at Raphael as if he couldn''t believe it.
"There''s such a conscienceless guy in this world... Are you really a knight?"
Gainando also looked at Raphael as if he couldn''t believe it. Raphael exploded and shouted.
"Who said I won''t pay! I''ll pay! I said I''ll pay!"
"Strongly denying it like that makes it even more suspicious."
"Shut up!"
Raphael snapped at Gainando and turned away.
"As expected, those White Tiger Tower guys have a temper..."
"They even beat up seniors if things go wrong."
At the dark magic school seniors'' whispers, Yi-Han flinched.
He recalled the time when he went with Eumidiphos to learn water element magic behind the mountain range and ambushed the third-year seniors to take their belongings.
"...The White Tiger Tower students aren''t that bad."
"Are you covering for them because they''re your friends? How kind."
"But Wardanaz, howe you, a Blue Dragon Tower student, are close with the White Tiger Tower?"
Yi-Han answered with a hypocritical smile.
"We all came here to learn magic, so there''s no reason to fight each other just because we''re from different towers, right?"
"...Is this kid really an Einroguard student?"
"Strange? Did the rules change starting this year?"
Yi-Han gave a textbook-perfect answer, but it didn''t work on the seniors.
Unfortunately, the seniors were already thoroughly twisted due to their life at Einroguard.
''How unfortunate. They''re all twisted.''
Yi-Han sincerely felt sorry for the twisted seniors, unlike his very normal self.
¡ª
When Professor Mortum''s speech (which started with a life story that would make any dark mage shed tears and ended with the tragedy of the Mound Fortress, where countless dark mages'' tears were buried) ended, the dark magic school students began their own stories.
"I''m trying to summon a Hroekal this time, but it''s difficult. After all, it''s an undead that lives in the water."
"Underwater undead are even more difficult. Their poison is strong, so it''s hard to defend against. What are you using as bait?"
"I''m throwing rotten meat, but this bastard just eats it and never tries to make a contract with me. Ah. Should I find another undead realm..."
"Senior Direth. Are you going to the fifth year?"
"I''m considering it. I think it would be better to stay at Einroguard if I want to continue my current research."
Direth answered and turned her gaze to Yi-Han.
She had been curious since earlier but hadn''t had a chance.
"By the way, junior. About professors fighting on the street..."
"Senior Direth! I have a concern. Should I stay at Einroguard next year too?"
"...Shall we have a separate counseling sessionter?"
"My original goal was to take over as the gravedigger near the town. But I think I can sufficiently take over with my current level, and my parents seem to want me toe and settle down... I can still do research there, but... Ah. It''s difficult. Really."
Direth swallowed her regret andforted the junior who was worrying about his career path.
"Think about the magic research you''re trying to do now once more..."
"Senior. I received a somewhat suspicious offer this time. They''re looking for a dark mage skilled in curse magic, but they won''t tell me where to cast the curse. Should I ept this offer?"
"No. You shouldn''t ept offers that don''t specify the details. Especially for dark mages..."
"Senior. I''m in urgent need of silver coins to buy a new staff, and the adventurers of Langyen are looking for a dark mage. Is it okay for me to participate here?"
''Interesting.''
Yi-Han listened attentively to the conversations between the seniors.
Next to him, Gainando was ying Mage Cards with Ymirg and was getting beaten up senselessly, his face pale.
"T-This is cheating, right?! You cheated, didn''t you?!"
"I-If I had cheated, you would have lost even more miserably..."
"Yi-Han! Yi-Han! Be the judge! This is cheating, right?"
"No. You lost because you''re bad at it."
"You didn''t even look!"
Yi-Han ignored Gainando''s words and yed with his quill.
Seeing Yi-Han diligently writing, Professor Mortum asked with a puzzled expression.
"Cough. Wardanaz. It''s not like you''ll be taking missions during the break, so why are you writing those down?"
"I am nning to take them."
"..."
Professor Mortum looked at Yi-Han with a gaze that said, ''You''re really a strange fellow.''
"I think I know why the principal likes you... Cough. You''re simr."
"No, your words are much...!"
Yi-Han shouted in anger without realizing it.
It was an insult that even Yi-Han, who was good at controlling his emotions, found hard to endure.
"Too much?"
"...It''s an overstatement!"
"Is that so? Cough. I thought you might feel bad... But even considering that, Lord Gonadaltes is indeed a great mage."
Professor Mortum seemed to already know the skull principal''s entric personality well.
''Well, anyone who''s with him can''t help but know.''
If they had eyes, no, even without eyes, they had no choice but to know his personality.
"Cough. If you like working during the break... There will be an ovep phenomenon soon, so how about participating in that together?"
"Professor?!"
The dark magic school seniors were more surprised than Yi-Han.
"Professor! He''s a first-year!"
"A first-year who faced the King of Frost Giants and survived... Cough. It''s fine for him to participate."
"The King of Frost Giants?"
"Why did a first-year face that... How did he face... Has Einroguard gone crazy...? No, it was already crazy, but..."
Seeing the juniors murmuring, Direth lowered her head in embarrassment and covered herself with her wings.
She vowed to bury Coholti and Kumandas upside down in the cemetery when she returned to the academy!
"Is the ovep referring to the phenomenon where realms ovep?"
"That''s right. Wow. You''re really amazing."
One of the seniors eximed in admiration and began to exin.
Originally, for mages to visit other realms, quiteplex magic was required.
The magic circles installed by Professor Millei, who taught summoning magic, may have looked simple, but they were magic circles that contained advanced wisdom.
Even after visiting like that, the restrictions were considerable. In the first ce, it was natural since they were forcibly visiting a world that wasn''t their own.
However, there were moments when such means and restrictions disappeared.
When the other realm ovepped and mixed with this realm.
Yi-Han also had something in mind.
''Is it an ovep like when the King of Frost Giants appeared?''
At that time, the upper corridor of Einroguard was a ce that was the academy but not the academy.
The realm of the frost giants had ovepped, so the de-like cold had spread to the surroundings.
This phenomenon could also ur in the undead realm.
"Recently, we found a ce where the undead realm will soon ovep. The mana was really pooled there."
"Shouldn''t you release it if it''s pooled?"
Yi-Han asked, recalling what he had experienced while performing the gravedigger''s requestst time.
The fact that mana was pooled meant that abnormal phenomena were more likely to ur.
"In principle, that''s true, but if it''s umted to that extent, it''s a waste to just release it. That''s also an opportunity."
"..."
Yi-Han looked at the seniors suspiciously.
The seniors understood the meaning of that gaze and hurriedly exined.
"It''s all done with the Empire''s permission!"
"Ah. If that''s the case..."
Professor Mortum coughed and continued the exnation.
"For dark mages, opportunities like this where the undead realm oveps are very good opportunities."
"Is it a chance to make a contract with a powerful summon?"
"Huh?"
The dark mages gathered at the ce showed an unexpected reaction to Yi-Han''s words.
"Hahaha. You can''t just go in and make a contract with a powerful summon like that. Preliminary investigation is necessary."
If it was a low-level summon, it was fine to just go in and sweep the surroundings, but it was difficult to do that with a renowned powerful undead in a rough manner.
First, they had to gather information about that undead, carefully investigate how to make contact, and how to make a contract.
''Isn''t Ferkuntra such a powerful being?''
"Something else is more important than a contract."
"What...?"
"Everything."
Professor Mortum moistened his throat with juice and spoke.
"The soil, the bones stuck in the soil, the mushrooms growing on those bones, the bugs eating those mushrooms, the trees those bugs grow on... Everything in the undead realm is a good material and reagent. Cough. Normally, there are many restrictions, so it''s not easy to collect them, but it''s different during an ovep."
"Of course, it doesn''t mean you can dig up just anything. You need a discerning eye."
"If you''re really lucky, you can take a break for a year with just one item."
"!"
Yi-Han''s eyes shone at the suddenly interesting topic.
"To that extent?"
"Yeah. A considerable number of the things thate out are reagents that only dark mages use, but asionally, there are also reagents used by other mages or materials coveted by nobles. The price of those skyrockets. Senior Direth here is a legend. In her second year, she found the Sunless Grass..."
Yi-Han looked at Direth with several times stronger respect than usual.
Of course, Direth was more dumbfounded than pleased.
''He''s looking at me like that because of this?''
"...Anyway, even though it looks good, it''s quite dangerous to enter the ovepped undead realm. After all, it''s difficult if you''re not a dark mage who knows how to deal with undead. It''s usually a bit tough for first-years..."
"As Professor also said, if you give me the opportunity, I will do my best."
The seniors nodded at Yi-Han''s words.
Above all, there was no reason to stop him when Professor Mortum had vouched for him.
"Will he really be okay...?"
"But what exactly happened with the King of Frost Giants? Was it the one that caused the snowstormst time?"
"I thought Senior Coholti resolved it after being cursed out."
Yi-Han, who was listening, suddenly became curious and asked.
"By the way, seniors. Have you heard anything about... the basilisk, or the mage from the Valer family, or the King of Ghouls... Anyway, things like that?"
"Huh? I came here 3 days ago."
"I don''t really go around the city much."
"I only read books in the dormitory. Did something happen?"
Yi-Han was moved.
There were few people as simple andfortable as dark mages!
¡ª
"...I don''t usually say this. I hope you don''t misunderstand."
Yoanen cautiously brought up the topic.
"Aren''t you doing too many things right now?"
"Pardon? Is that so?"
Yi-Han, who was carefully melting and extracting a white-gray metal with a green me next to her, asked back in surprise.
"Rather, I thought I had some free time in the past few weeks because the professors didn''te..."
"...R-Right. Please continue the extraction."
When a person meets someone crazier than themselves, they rtively be normal.
Yoanen was originally the type to say, ''Let''s focus on work a bit'' when an assistant spoke, but...
''Honestly, I''m curious...!''
Just from what she directly heard from Yi-Han, he had magic studies, work at Puyo''s staff workshop, and visits to the undead realm scheduled, and if she included the rumors she heard, there was a professor brawl in broad daylight and even the subjugation of the King of Ghouls.
Yoanen was originally the type to not have any other thoughts while working, but in this case, it made even her nonexistent curiosity spring up.
"Shall we stop here? We can also call the alchemists of the workshop and have a meal together..."
"Ah. There are impurities in theposition. We''ll have to do it again."
"...This much might be fine?"
It was a statement so surprising that Yonaire would have fainted if she heard it, but Yi-Han shook his head.
"No, it''s not."
"Can''t we do it after having a meal..."
"No. If we do that, there will be waste in the extraction."
Yoanen red at her past self who had thoroughly taught him all of that for a moment.
Then she walked back and called a servant.
"Excuse me?"
"Yes. Lady Yoanen."
"Call Yonaire."
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Chapter 362
Chapter 362
When Yonaire arrived at the workshop after receiving the message, Yi-Han was still frowning and ring at the sk.
"It''s still not done."
"Yi-Han. Let''s eat lunch and then do it."
"No. There are still impurities left."
"It''s fine to have that much left, so just give it."
"It needs to boil enough to bepleted, not just bepleted."
"The person who ordered it says it''s fine, so why...!"
Yonaire was dumbfounded, but Yi-Han didn''t back down and red at the sk.
Having no way to handle it, Yonaire decided to sit next to him and watch what Yi-Han was doing.
Yi-Han shook the sk, turned it this way and that, slightly exposed it to fire, and focused with a stubborn attitude.
Seeing that, Yonaire recalled how her older sister Yoanen had evaluated Yi-Han''s workst time.
She had made a fuss about how neatly and well he had done it, and was excited that he was several times better than the previous assistants.
Yoanen had said that alchemists these days were so impatient andcked persistence that even with the same extraction, the results often turned out unsatisfactory.
If the fire was too strong, the undissolved dregs would make the liquid cloudy, and if the fire was too weak, the properties would change midway. It was rare to find an alchemist who could handle the work just right like this.
Recalling that, Yonaire''s heart softened a bit, and she regretted her own attitude toward Yi-Han...
...Not really, she just got up and forcibly dragged Yi-Han out.
Yonaire had no intention of ying along with the crazy perfectionists like her sister and Yi-Han.
"Stop it. Eat and then do it."
"No! Yonaire! Just once! If I do it just once more...!"
"This is the Maykin family''s workshop. Not the Wardanaz family''s workshop."
Yonaire took out the workshop key stuck next to the furnace and put it in her pocket, then pushed Yi-Han''s back.
¡ª
"By the way, Mr. Wardanaz. I have something I''m curious about."
Not only Yoanen but also the other alchemists working in different parts of the workshop had many questions for Yi-Han.
Seeing her subordinates asking curious questions on their own, Yoanen inwardly smiled with satisfaction.
As expected of her subordinates, their work skills were not ordinary.
"Ah. I also have something I''m curious about."
"Ask anything."
"I''m currently preparing the ingredients needed for Dobruk''s Sulfur Mercury Potion, but I''m stuck at the process of melting and liquefying the Silent Spirit Silver. It seems that the impurities haven''tpletely disappeared..."
"Ah. That can sufficiently happen. The Sulfur Mercury Potion is quite tricky. The color of the solution is a murky mud color even after melting silver, right? There''s a limit with a mage''s mana, so you need to change the me. There''s jade fire y in the workshop, so try sprinkling that and changing the properties of the fire."
"Thank you. Ah. But it''s not a mud color, it''s silver."
The alchemist was surprised by Yi-Han''s words.
"Huh? Then it''s well melted?"
"There are a few grains left..."
"That much is fine."
"No, it''s not. If youpromise carelessly and there''s a problem with the potion, it''s hard to fix."
"..."
"..."
The workshop alchemists stared intently at Yoanen.
Although they didn''t say it out loud, it was a subtle reproachful gaze that said, ''Didn''t Lady Maykin just ruin a young mage?''
Of course, Yoanen was not swayed by such gazes.
If she was someone who would be swayed by such gazes, she wouldn''t have been able to run this workshop with madness and obsession in the first ce.
''I clearly taught him not to be too obsessed with perfection and that it''s okay to do it moderately, but it''s because Wardanaz''s personality is too perfectionistic.''
Thinking thoughts that would have made Yonaire clutch the back of her neck if she heard, Yoanen opened her mouth.
"By the way, I''m curious, about the professors fighting on the street..."
"Ah. Lady Maykin. May I ask about the magic you used earlier when making the test solution? It seemed simr to the solution rotation magic but different."
"The magic I used earlier wasn''t solution rotation magic but magic that inverts it up and down..."
Yoanen, who was exining, came to her senses and realized that the topic had gone far again before returning.
Before going back, Yi-Han grabbed another alchemist and threw a question.
"But... Gulp. About this."
"No, how can you say that while eating all the food? Yes. What are you curious about?"
After Yi-Han asked about three more questions, the dishes on the table were all emptied, and lunchtime was over.
The alchemists got up from their seats and stretched.
"Time has already passed like this..."
"Let''s not take a walk today and start right away."
"Let''s go. Lady Maykin. We need to finish the work we couldn''tplete in the morning."
Yoanen walked after them with a slightly sulky expression.
¡ª
As work piled up, Yoanen put aside the questions and focused on work as usual.
Yonaire was terrified by Yoanen''s appearance of making people work obsessively like a madman.
Even at Einroguard, her friend was someone who could live without thew, right?
Yonaire flinched, worried that her friend might grab her by the cor and summon water orbs right away.
However, Yi-Han solved all the nitpicking as if he was used to it, without anyints.
"Good work."
"Thank you."
"Ah. Now that it''s time to slowly prepare to return to the academy, is there any potion you want to learn?"
The manufacturing method of potions was not something that could be easily obtained.
Of course, the manufacturing methods of basic and easy potions that were widely spread throughout the Empire could be obtained at any bookstore in the city.
Basic potions and their manufacturing methods, such as .
However, the manufacturing method of potions that involved the individual efforts and research of alchemists, such as , could not be obtained even if gold coins were offered unless the alchemist side allowed it.
In the case of alchemists'' guilds or workshops, they were even more thorough.
They considered the manufacturing method of these potions to be more important than their lives, so if they were mishandled or copied, an assassin would immediatelye.
As such, it was clearly a favor for Yoanen to teach Yi-Han the manufacturing methods of various potions at the Maykin family''s workshop.
Although it didn''t feel like a favor...
Yoanen rmended Yi-Han to name one potion that would be useful as a student returning to Einroguard for the second semester.
Since there would be many things to do once he entered the academy, it would be quite helpful to know a useful potion in advance.
Yi-Han cautiously asked back.
"Is it really okay?"
The offer was so generous that it made him wary.
''Surely she''s not nning to withholdpensation in exchange for the manufacturing methods...''
"You''re Yonaire''s friend, so I can give you a gift like this. And you''ve also done a good job to that extent."
Yoanen''s words were sincere.
Compared to other assistants, Yi-Han deserved such a gift.
"Yonaire. What potion do you think would be good?"
"W-Well... Sister Yoanen is thorough with me about this too."
Even if she was a cherished younger sister, she didn''t teach her all the secrets of the workshop.
Work was work, and personal matters were personal matters.
"You probably don''t need a transparency potion. You have magic and artifacts for that."
"How about a thought eleration potion?"
"That''s not bad either. I''ll write it down for now. A potion that can prevent tracking or interfere would be good too."
"A magic enhancement potion wouldn''t be bad either."
"Should I also write down a smoke screen potion to throw at pursuers?"
"...Yi-Han. Haven''t you been talking about potions for rather limited situations?"
"Is that so?"
Yi-Han was puzzled.
They seemed like potions that could be used in general...
"Can''t you rmend one, sister?"
"You''re leaving it to me?"
Yoanen smiled as if dumbfounded but also seemed to not dislike her younger sister''s clinginess as she fell into thought.
"A mana enhancement po..."
"It''s fine."
"It''s okay."
"...R-Right. If not that, this would be better."
Yoanen picked up a quill and began to write down the list of ingredients and manufacturing method in a single stroke.
In an instant, neat handwriting filled the white paper.
"Here. Take it."
"What kind of potion is this?"
"You''ll find out when you make it yourself. It''s a potion that uses rtively easy-to-obtain ingredients, so it won''t be difficult."
"Thank you. Lady Maykin."
Yi-Han received the paper and fell into thought.
''What is it? It seems like an enhancement type... It won''t be mana enhancement...''
"By the way, can you tell me about the rumor of professors fighting on the street? Now that work is over, slowly..."
"Ah. Was that what you were curious about?"
It seemed like Yoanen had been trying to ask something since earlier, and it was this.
Yi-Han prepared to spill the story of the crazy professors.
"Lady Maykin! I think you need toe right now!! Cauldron No. 7 ispletely boiling over!! At this rate, we''ll have to throw away all the ingredients that went in!"
"...Let''s see each other next time. Go!"
Yoanen quickly said goodbye and walked into the inner part of the workshop, following the alchemist.
Yi-Han somehow felt that her back was filled with anger.
"Is she perhaps angry?"
"Yeah. But Yi-Han, you don''t need to worry about it. It''s all her own fault."
¡ª
"Eeeeuuuuggghhhh..."
Nillia let out a painful groan that seemed to be pulled from deep within her body.
Gainando asked worriedly.
"Are you okay? Why are you doing that?"
"Why did I have to rank first... Sorry. I wasn''t listening because I was thinking about something else. What did you say?"
However, Gainando had already turned away after ring at his friend with a look mixed with contempt.
''You tried to deceive me to show off!''
"Were you all studying?"
Yi-Han, who had finished work at Puyo''s magic staff workshop and returned, was puzzled to see his friends rolling around in the spacious reception room.
Gainando held up a textbook to cover a magazine and said.
"Yeah."
"Why are you always on page 1?"
"..."
"I see... Eat some snacks. More importantly, what''s wrong with Nillia?"
"She''s being harassed for ranking first. Hmph. There are people like that."
Gainando grumbled while biting into a cream puff.
"Ah. Has there been progress on what we talked about at the mansion?"
Yi-Han spoke as if he understood.
At that time, Nillia''s opinion was quite excellent, so it wouldn''t be strange even if it actually proceeded, not just ending with ranking first.
"I thought so..."
"What do you mean you thought so?!"
"What''s going on?"
Yonaire, who came inte, asked with her head tilted.
"Are they actually trying out the answer Nillia gave?"
"Ah. That? Yeah. It seems like they''ll give it a try."
"Wow..."
"Impressive, right?"
"Impressive indeed."
Yi-Han, Yonaire, and Ratford looked at Nillia with eyes full of respect.
Of course, Nillia was so anxious that she couldn''t even sleep.
"What if I fail! What do I do?!"
"The Maykin family has a lot of money, so it doesn''t matter, right...?"
"That''s right. A failure of that degree doesn''t matter. It''s okay."
"If Yonaire gets in trouble...!"
"I won''t get in trouble. Even if it fails, it''s the fault of the people who were chosen."
Yi-Han nodded in agreement with Yonaire''s words.
"If it seeds, shouldn''t the Maykin family give something as a token of gratitude?"
"Right. I should mention it."
"...Stop it before I shoot you both."
Nillia''s stomach stung at the sight of her friends assuming sess even before it started.
Of course, the Maykin family wasn''t rude enough to make Nillia take responsibility and proceed.
In any case, it was the Maykin family''s practitioners who would directly do it after taking Nillia''s opinion.
There was really no need to feel burdened, but unfortunately, the anxiety didn''t go away.
''If it fails, it''s because of the opinion I gave... If it fails, it''s because of the opinion I gave...''
As Nillia became too anxious, Yi-Han asked Yonaire.
"If it''s really the Maykin family, they would have done it well on their own... Right?"
"Yeah. Ah. There was also talk about inviting Einroguard professors."
"Oh. Nillia. Did you hear that? Even Einroguard professors..."
"Huh? Then can I skip one lecture in the second semester?"
"How could that be possible?"
Listening to the conversation between Gainando and Yonaire, Yi-Han flinched.
''Wait. Even if they prepare now, the work will start during the semester, so can they go out arbitrarily? Will the skull principal allow it?''
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Chapter 363
Chapter 363
It didn''t seem like the skull principal would allow the professors to arbitrarily take a break from lectures and go out due to his personality.
''What is it? It''s not like they''ll take students with them... Hm?''
Yi-Han, who was lost in thought, suddenly felt an unidentifiable anxiety rushing in.
It was an anxiety that he himself didn''t know why he felt it.
"Is anyone there?"
"!"
The friends on the second floor looked out the window beyond the front gate.
They saw the familiar face of a friend. It was Rowena, a follower of the princess.
"It''s suspicious. Aren''t the professors hiding behind her?"
"No way... Could it be possible?"
"Tell her to raise both hands ande in slowly. So we can close the door right away."
Yi-Han''s heart ached at the sight of his friends having an ominous conversation.
The professors of Einroguard were corrupting his friends.
"Raise both hands ande in slowly!"
Of course, that was that, but Yi-Han epted his friends'' advice.
It was really possible that the professors were hiding behind her.
"What?! Mr. Wardanaz. Why..."
"Don''t try anything funny! My staff is pointing at you!"
Gainando shouted loudly.
He was ready to cast a curse at any moment.
Rowena was confused, wondering what she had done wrong.
"What on earth did I do wrong..."
"I''ll go and check."
Ratford hurriedly went down and cautiously poked his head out the front gate.
"No professors!"
"???"
"Ah. I''m sorry. We were worried that the professors might be hiding behind..."
At Ratford''s serious exnation, Rowena was confused whether they were joking with her or not.
"Are you joking?"
"No. I''m serious."
"..."
¡ª
Rowena hade to visit the Duke Icaldoren''s mansion together with them.
"Even me?"
Yi-Han was puzzled.
He knew that the princess had received a riddle (packaged as a bribe) from Duke Icaldoren.
Didn''t they work together at the staff workshop to solve that riddle?
If his memory was correct, they made it well, so why visit together?
"Yes. Mr. Wardanaz, you helped with the solution, right? Of course, the honor should be shared..."
"I''m fine with just sharing the reward."
Rowena showed an awkward expression at Yi-Han''s words. It was a joke that was hard to react to.
"I''m not good at jokes..."
"It wasn''t a joke, but anyway, I understand why you came. But there won''t be any trouble for me, right?"
If the answer to the riddle was wrong and it flowed to ''Wardanaz gave advice but it was wrong!'', things would be troublesome.
Originally, when the results of a group project are bad, the one who takes the most responsibility is the group leader with good grades, right?
"How could that be!"
Rowena was startled and denied it.
Adenart was never the type to shift responsibility to her followers.
"Yi-Han. Isn''t it suspicious that she''s denying it so strongly?"
"I can even swear on my honor as a knight!"
"Isn''t it more suspicious that she''s going that far?"
Gainando''s ability was to be shamelessly nitpicky without hesitation.
Rowena red at Gainando, feeling angry and wronged. She couldn''t understand what kind of ill-natured motive he had for interfering with the princess''s work.
''He''s really too much!''
''If no one was here, he would have been hit.''
"Calm down. Visiting Duke Icaldoren''s mansion isn''t a difficult task."
In fact, it was a task where they just had to go, eat some food, drink some drinks, say ''The mansion is really pretty, haha,'' and greet the duke.
When Yi-Han seemed to ept, Rowena''s face brightened.
"It''s not the first time for me."
"Have you been there before?"
Rowena tilted her head.
During the break, the boy from the Wardanaz family was so busy that he needed several more bodies.
He said he had visited the duke''s mansion before, did he visit in the past?
''I don''t think they had a close rtionship?''
"Not the city mansion here..."
Yi-Han slightly changed the topic.
There was no point in revealing that he had visited the Duke''s mansion during the semester with Professor Bdi, as it would only bring trouble if the Skull Principal ever found out.
"There''s no need for any special preparation, right? We just need to visit?"
"Yes! The duke will also be waiting with amemorative gift prepared!"
"That''s... Wait, a gift?"
Yi-Han was surprised.
"What gift?"
"Ah. The duke always gives gifts to students who visit the mansion, saying they are the pirs who will be responsible for the Empire''s future..."
"So what is this gift?"
Rowena, slightly overwhelmed by Yi-Han''s force, stammered.
"L-Last time, he gave an essory like this... Is there a problem?"
When Rowena took out a small medal made of pure gold, Yi-Han''s eyes wavered.
The number of the princess''s followers would be quite a lot, and he was scattering such things whenever those students came.
''Amazing!''
That wealth was surprising, and it was also surprising that despite having such wealth, he didn''t give any reward when Yi-Han defeated the venomous pollutant that attacked the dukest time in his ce.
In fact, thetter was mostly the case. Yi-Han still held a grudge against the duke.
''Only taking care of the royals like that, he must be a cowardly fellow who sumbs to power.''
"He''s a kind person."
But apart from such a grudge, if he scattered such gifts, it was impossible not to receive them.
"Is it okay to bring other friends too?"
At Yi-Han''s question, Rowena nodded as if she had been waiting.
"Whoever is here, the duke said he wees them."
Even if they weren''t the wicked prince or of the Maykin family''s bloodline, Duke Icaldoren weed any student from Einroguard.
In fact, when inviting the princess, he said to bring friends as she wished if she had any.
"There''s no limit to the number of people?"
"Yes. He said the more people you bring, the happier he will be."
"I see."
Yi-Han nodded and began to write a letter with his quill.
To my dear Salko of the Tutanta family,
I know you don''t like getting involved with noble families, but even considering that, I''m contacting you because a really good job hase up. Surprisingly, you can earn one or two gold coins just by having a meal...
¡ª
The first-year students of Einroguard gathered at the city square were surprised.
"Today''s not the first day of school, right?"
"For a moment, I thought it was Einroguard."
To that extent, students from various towers were mixed and gathered.
Even priest students from the Immortal Phoenix Tower were invited and present.
"I hope everyone has a hearty meal at the duke''s mansion."
"...W-Wait. Mr. Wardanaz. The reason you invited us today isn''t because of the meal, right?"
"Of course not."
The priests were relieved by Yi-Han''s words.
Yi-Han had sent a letter saying, ''There is a ce where you should participate as an Einroguard student to grace the asion,'' so they were a bit flustered when he brought up the meal.
After all, there was no way he would call the priests and take them to the duke''s mansion just to have a meal.
''There must be another reason, of course.''
There must be a reason for the priests to be in the banquet hall of the mansion. The boy from the Wardanaz family didn''t do useless things.
"But why aren''t the White Tiger Tower guys here?"
"I sent an invitation, but they all said it was difficult because they had a schedule. I think they''re too absorbed in adventurer missions, even though they''re good."
"...?"
"???"
Nillia and Ratford looked at Yi-Han as if he were a thief.
Wasn''t he the one most engrossed in adventurer''s missions?
"I-I never thought you would gather this many people."
Rowena blinked in surprise.
She newly felt Yi-Han''s widework.
Adenart did have followers, but there was a limit after all.
When they received an invitation saying, ''Please bring the princess''s friends,'' the followers reacted like, ''Can we dare call ourselves her friends?''
The followers, who were seriously contemting, eventually said, ''It would be better for the princess to invite friends separately instead of us,'' but Adenart, not wanting to disappoint the followers, said she would take Rowena as a friend instead of calling friends.
Everyone was moved and let it pass, but Rowena was worried that Adenart had no friends.
As a knight, if the person she served had no friends, it was loyalty to forcibly make friends for them, so Rowena had been worrying a lot about this part recently.
"Mr. Wardanaz. How do you make friends?"
"Fri... Friends?"
Yi-Han flinched.
Of course, he was close with some students, but the students from other towers were a bit...
''Can I call them friends?''
"I''m not sure if I can call them friends."
''He''s even humble.''
Rowena admired Yi-Han''s generous attitude. It was indeed the attitude of someone with a widework.
If it were the wicked prince, he would have boasted, saying, ''Because I''m great.''
"Then I''ll change the question. How can you call people like that?"
"Uh... Um... That''s... I think it''s sincerity."
"Sincerity...!"
Rowena trembled at the textbook-like yet difficult answer.
"If I sincerely cross swords and then sincerely propose to recruit them as the princess''s friends, will it work?"
"I''m not an expert on friends, but I don''t think that will work."
¡ª
Duke Icaldoren regretted his own decision to invite Einroguard students indiscriminately.
''It was a mistake to call those filthy, vulgar, and stupid knights.''
The duke originally didn''t like knights.
Even if they were nobles of the same empire, the rough appearance shown by knight families felt closer to barbarians rather than nobles.
He thought it would be fine if they were students who could enter Einroguard, but their actions were just the same.
"Drink! Drink! Drink!"
"This ss is for the duke who prepared today''s banquet!"
"This ss is for the monsters we hunted!"
"This ss is... I don''t know! I''ll just drink!"
ng!
The White Tiger Tower students, who were drunk and excited, threw the sses they were holding on the floor, threw the dishes, went out to the banquet hall corridor, headed to the kitchen, brought the wine barrel directly, and chugged it down.
The White Tiger Tower students staying in the knights'' quarters had to eat only rough and solid food instead of greasy and abundant meals.
Of course,pared to Einroguard, it was edible food, butpared to the luxurious feast in this banquet hall, the food in the quarters was garbage.
St!
"This bastard?!"
"Who threw the pie?!"
"I''ll throw it too!! Me too!!"
Duke Icaldoren, who was sitting at the head table, maintained a calm expression. Of course, he was cursing inside.
''There''s no way these idiots have any information to dig up.''
"Long live the duke! Long live the duke!"
"Duke! Thank you for inviting us!"
"Hahaha. I''m happy that everyone is eating and drinking happi?..."
A cake that someone threw by mistake flew towards Duke Icaldoren''s face.
The guard immediately deflected it, but the duke''s eyebrows couldn''t help but twitch.
''...I''m going crazy.''
When everyone is crazy, only the sane ones suffer.
Students like Jijel Moradi and Dolgyu Choi put down their forks and were watching the duke''s reaction.
No matter how much he had a smiling face, they couldn''t help but be conscious of the mess being caused in the banquet hall right now.
"M-Moradi. Is this really okay?"
"Is it okay? What do you use your eyeballs for? Did you sell them along with your head?"
"Don''t say that to me! We should stop them first, shouldn''t we?!"
Even though a cake flew at the duke, these crazy students were drunk and couldn''te to their senses, causing a mess.
But if the two of them stood up and put on a serious face, the atmosphere would be chilly in its own way.
It was the same as spitting on the face of the White Tiger Tower.
Creak-
Meanwhile, the door to the banquet hall opened.
A White Tiger Tower student, who was too engrossed to notice the door opening, identally threw a roasted turkey with sauce towards the door.
"?"
Yi-Han tilted his head and dodged. Gainando, who was behind him, screamed and fell.
"Are they crazy?"
"W-What the hell is this...?"
While the students outside the door were whispering in shock, Yi-Han walked with big strides.
And he struck the sr plexus of the closest White Tiger Tower student with his staff.
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Chapter 364
Chapter 364
"Ugh."
The White Tiger Tower student who was properly ambushed copsed on the spot.
Another student next to him shouted in surprise.
"Wardanaz!!!"
"Yeah."
"Wha... What are you doing! Why are you attacking us! Are you crazy?!"
"You guys threw the turkey at me first."
"We... We were ying around! It was a joke!"
"It was a joke, huh."
"Yeah!"
"I see."
Yi-Han chanted a spell while swinging his staff.
Then, wine gushed out from the wine barrel and formed into orbs.
Seeing that, the White Tiger Tower student''s face turned pale. Even while heavily drunk, the drunkenness seemed to disappear.
Yi-Han''s water element magic that every White Tiger Tower student knew!
"Everyone, dod... Ugh!"
"What are you dodging, you crazy bastards."
"Wardanaz is here! Wardanaz is here, hey! Hey!! Stop chugging alcohol! I said Wardanaz is here!"
The White Tiger Tower students sitting near the banquet hall corridor noticed the anomaly and screamed, but it didn''t get through because the banquet hall was too noisy.
The White Tiger Tower students who were happily throwing food at each other in the spacious banquet hall btedly discovered Yi-Han.
"Wha... Ugh!"
"Thi... Ack!"
"Why the hell... Cough!"
"Help Wardanaz!"
Salko, who came to his senses btedly, shouted fiercely.
The ck Tortoise Tower students rushed in and attacked the White Tiger Tower students.
No matter how skilled the White Tiger Tower students were in closebat, their hands and feet didn''t match in this heavily drunk state.
"You... You cowardly bastards...! When we were drunk and off guard... Hup!"
"..."
Jijel got up from her seat and moved her position towards the duke.
She didn''t want to get involved in that pathetic mess.
¡ª
"I apologize. Duke. It seems like everyone''s jokes went a bit too far."
Yi-Han apologized after pushing the White Tiger Tower students aside.
In fact, he realized that Duke Icaldoren was sitting at the head table a little after the fight started.
The White Tiger Tower guys were ying around so freely that he didn''t even think the duke would be in the banquet hall.
''Are they really crazy?''
Throwing wine sses and food while ying around in front of the duke.
It was a gut that surpassed Gainando.
Anyway, since the duke was present, he had to apologize, at least for courtesy''s sake, for causing this brawl in front of him. Yi-Han bowed his head.
"No, it was enjoyable to feel the boiling passion of young talents."
Duke Icaldoren''s face looked really happy.
Seeing that, Yi-Han thought to himself.
''He has unique tastes.''
To think he would like the White Tiger Tower students making a mess by throwing pies and cakes at each other like that.
If he went to see a pigsty, he might even give a standing ovation.
''I feel so refreshed.''
Duke Icaldoren looked at Yi-Han with great pleasure.
He had been eyeing him as a talent, and today''s disy was very impressive.
How satisfying it was to see him firmly subduing the piglets grunting in the banquet hall...
"The cleanup is all done."
The banquet hall, which had been a mess, was cleaned up in an instant. Yi-Han and his friends came in and took their seats in the banquet hall.
"..."
"Should we not wake them up?"
The White Tiger Tower students were lying down and snoring in the corner of the banquet hall.
Both Yi-Han and the duke ignored them, pretending not to see.
"To think this many Einroguard students would visit... I''m really happy."
"If you wish, I will invite more and bring them next time."
"!"
At Yi-Han''s words, Duke Icaldoren''s eyes shed sharply.
That boy from the Wardanaz family was an ambitious person who caught the venomous pollutantst time and tantly hinted at his own value to the duke.
Such an ambitious person wouldn''t act like this without any thought.
The reason for bringing so many Einroguard students...?
''Connections...!''
Even among Einroguard graduates, there weren''t as many people with wide friendships as one might think.
The duke also knew that Einroguard was divided into towers and they didn''t mix with each other.
But for Wardanaz, who belonged to the Blue Dragon Tower, to bring students from other towers like that (although his rtionship with the White Tiger Tower seemed very bad).
It was an amazing capacity that couldn''t be shown to just anyone.
An appearance that could only be shown by someone born with the dignity of a great noble!
''He''s only a first-year... His future is frightening.''
The duke had upgraded Yi-Han from simply being a talented new student to a young ambitious person worthy of sitting across the table as an equal at theirst meeting.
But at today''s meeting, he felt a very faint sense of wariness.
He was genuinely afraid of his future appearance.
"Shall I bring something to drink?"
At the servant''s question, Yi-Han firmly said.
"Please prepare some food."
"...Yes."
The servant had cautiously asked if he should only bring drinks because of the students who had caused that mess earlier.
He was a bit worried for nothing, but what could he do?
The servant withdrew to contact the kitchen.
''Refusing drinks and asking to prepare food? Is he trying to buy time instead of talking right away? Why?''
Duke Icaldoren was lost in deep thought alone.
Seeing that, Dolgyu asked Jijel in an anxious voice.
"Is he angry?"
"Are you going to keep asking what you can know even with just eyeballs? If you''re going to do that, pay silver coins and ask."
Yi-Han whispered to Salko.
"Eat as much as possible. Salko. This is free."
"Wardanaz. You really should havee to the ck Tortoise Tower."
¡ª
It was fortunate for the servants.
The meal of the three tower students was much more peaceful and quiet.
The priests carefully used knives to cut the steak and thanked the duke with a polite attitude after each bite.
Duke Icaldoren, who usually didn''t get emotionally moved by such greetings, couldn''t help but feel pleased after seeing the White Tiger Tower students'' mess earlier. The duke thought he should send some donations to each temple when this banquet was over.
The meal of the ck Tortoise Tower students was noisier than the priests, but it was only to the extent of being friendly. Considering they were students, it was rather good because it was fresh.
"How do I eat this?"
"Give it to me. I''ll cut it for you. You don''t cut it with force, but cut the joint part here and then peel off the shell."
"Nillia...!"
"As expected, Nillia is different even if she''s different, right?"
"There''s dignity in her actions. It''s not for nothing that she can mingle with nobles."
"..."
Ratford stopped Gainando, who was trying to stick his nose into the te, by pulling the back of his head, and Yi-Han lifted the te and ced it in front of the princess.
Adenart, who had been looking at the terrine made by hardening venison with seasoning but couldn''t reach it due to the distance, slightly bowed her head in gratitude.
Seeing that, Rowena asked in surprise.
"How did you know what she wanted?"
"She kept ncing at it."
"Is that so? I thought she was contemting the riddle today..."
''I don''t think anyone would contemte while looking at a te.''
Rowena pondered for a moment and asked.
"If you take care of her like this, wouldn''t you already be friends?"
"Is that what you call a friend?"
"More like a servant."
"A nanny."
"A butler would be better."
When other Blue Dragon Tower students coldlymented, Rowena became gloomy.
After taking care of everyone around him who needed to be taken care of, Yi-Han turned his gaze to the duke.
The duke was waiting with a smile on his face without any change in expression.
Such behavior showed the true nature of people, excluding their usual stinginess towards those not of royal blood.
"Duke. I have something I''m curious about regarding the riddle."
"Ask me anything."
When Yi-Han spoke, the duke brightened up like a person who had skipped a meal and received food.
"I thought the riddle you gave was a metaphorical riddle for something. For example, the moon..."
"You guessed it perfectly!"
"..."
"..."
Suddenly, Yi-Han''s face froze.
Yonaire''s face next to him also froze. The two quickly exchanged nces.
''...Was it really a metaphorical riddle?''
''I thought it was a bit strange...!''
Not knowing that the two''s expressions had stiffened, the duke continued.
It was natural for the person who gave the riddle to feel embarrassed when the person who was supposed to solve it couldn''t and brought a strange answer.
The duke had been contemting whether he should make it easier for them to understand because the princess''s followers kept forcibly bringing answers to the riddle he gave.
Although the possibility was slim, there could be rumors like ''Duke Icaldoren acknowledged the wrong riddle as correct out of consideration,'' so he had been quite troubled...
But to think they brought the correct answer like this.
"That''s right. That was the correct answer."
"I-I see."
Yi-Han unconsciously nced at the princess and her followers.
It seemed like they hadn''t heard the conversation between the duke and Yi-Han yet because they were eating.
"Rowena?"
"Yes?"
"Put the staff you brought down and never take it out."
"Pardon? Why do you say that?"
"...Just don''t take it out."
When Yi-Han spoke seriously, Rowena was startled and nodded. Yi-Han thought he should apologizeter.
¡ª
After the meal, the duke threw questions at the students.
They were mainly questions about Einroguard.
"How are you doing at Einroguard?"
"Ter-... ...We are doing satisfactorily."
"Li-... ...I''m also doing alright."
Even the students who initially tried to tell the truth gave up and chose a safe answer when their tongues stopped due to the oath.
''What does the meal have to do with keeping secrets and knowledge!''
''Damn that oath!''
"I heard that the teachings of mages are very harsh."
"T-... ...I think that''s because of the rumors from the past."
"That''s right... Those rumors tend to leave a strong impression, so even more so..."
"...?"
The duke was very confused.
He clearly obtained information that life inside was quite difficult, but why was nothing matching, bothst time and this time?
The more he knew, the more he felt like he was falling into abyrinth.
"Still, thanks to Wardanaz here... We were able to lead a fairly good life."
"That''s right. If it weren''t for Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family, it might have been a little more difficult..."
When the story of Yi-Han came up, the duke listened with interest.
He already knew that he had a high reputation among the students, but still, hearing it like this allowed him to obtain information from a different perspective.
"He saved my life several times. Some crazy bastards attacked..."
"I was lucky."
At Salko''s words, Yi-Han answered as if it was nothing.
However, at that moment, the duke received a shock as if struck by lightning.
He was instinctively convinced.
''No way!''
The people the duke had sent into the academy.
The crazy bastards that the ck Tortoise Tower student was talking about now could only be them.
In an academy like Einroguard, there couldn''t be anyone else who would attack students, right?
''...Does that make sense?!''
Duke Icaldoren was not easily shaken, but this incident crossed the line.
It wasn''t that he had sent some random people, but those expensive guys.
They weren''t novices either. They were guys who were used to dealing with mages.
Even if it was inside a magic academy and there were professors, does it make sense that they couldn''t subdue a single new student??
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn''t understand.
In the end, the duke lost his patience and brought up the question.
"By any chance, that attack..."
"Pro-... No, it''s not."
"Sk-... It''s nothing."
The other students ended with a bitter expression, saying no. The duke could only be more confused.
And the most confusing thing was...
''Isn''t it too coincidental to be a coincidence! The person who stopped the attack is now approaching this Duke Icaldoren...''
The duke suddenly felt suffocated.
It felt like he was a puppet being yed on someone''s palm.
It was a profound pressure, unfamiliar except when facing the Emperor.
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Chapter 365
Chapter 365
Duke Icaldoren felt cold sweat running down his spine.
To think that the young boy hade not to make a deal with him, but to manipte him.
"..."
"Are you alright?"
The escorts shouted in surprise when their master''s condition suddenly changed.
It was extremely rare for the duke, who was protected by all kinds of expensive magic, to show such an appearance.
What on earth happened?
"It''s nothing. I''m... feeling a bit unwell."
"We will call a priest right away."
"No need. I''ll feel better after resting for a bit. I''m sorry. I''ll take my leave first."
Duke Icaldoren got up from his seat.
He needed some time to go over this confusing situation.
It was truly unbelievable.
For he himself, the duke, to be so frightened and be the first to back away like this.
He had never been like this even in front of the Patriarch of the Wardanaz family...
''What kind of monster have you created, Wardanaz!''
When the duke got up from his seat and left the banquet hall, Yi-Han frowned.
"Why is he doing that?"
"Strange. Someone of the duke''s status couldn''t suddenly feel unwell."
He was in a position where he could pour potions and magic scrolls on his body just by moving a finger.
Duke Icaldoren, who wore artifacts worth more than a castle, wouldn''t skimp on magic either.
"Th-That''s certainly true."
Rowena was amazed by Yi-Han''s insight.
She had simply thought the duke was feeling unwell, but this boy from the Wardanaz family had noticed something.
"There''s only one reason."
"What is that!"
"He''s pretending to be sick because he doesn''t want to give souvenirs."
"...Pardon?"
Rowena, who had been listening with great anticipation, was taken aback.
"There''s no other reason than that."
"...I don''t quite understand...?"
No matter how much Rowena respected Yi-Han''s insight, this hypothesis was a bit hard to ept.
¡ª
Not knowing that Yi-Han was making a very rude misunderstanding in the banquet hall below, the duke took a rest.
The magic circles installed in the study refreshed his mind and boosted his energy, but as long as the cause remained, his troubled heart did not disappear.
''Should I withdraw from Einroguard?''
At this point, he felt like he shouldn''t have touched Einroguard in the first ce.
He had poked it, trusting his own power, but the more he put his hand in, the more he felt like he was sinking into a bottomless swamp.
If only he had definitely retrieved the subordinates he had sent, he would have seriously contemted it...
"Master."
A cautious voice was heard from outside.
Those who had served the duke for a long time could tell that the duke''s mood had turned rough.
Everyone was being extremely careful, afraid of being scolded for no reason while delivering a message.
"The knight order has arrived."
"...What does that mean?"
The duke''s voice dropped even lower. It was cold enough to feel a chill.
"Was there a knight order scheduled to visit this residence today?"
"Well, that... It seems the knight order mistook the date and visited..."
"..."
A sound of something breaking came from the armrest of the chair the duke was sitting on.
"Eek!"
"Are all those knight bastards idiots? Can''t they even count numbers?"
Originally, this wasn''t something to get so angry about.
Because mistaking the date and visiting wasn''t such a big mistake.
As long as the invited party was important, the duke didn''t care if they visited a few days earlier orter.
However, the events that happened today were wearing down the duke''s patience.
In the morning, the beast-like students from the knight families created a mess, and in the afternoon, the knight bastards couldn''t even count numbers and came on a different date than they were invited.
"Sh-Should we send them back?"
"...Forget it. Those idiot bastards won''t be fixed even if I scold them. Prepare to entertain them. I''ll rest for a bit ande out."
Still, the duke coldly calcted.
Rather than shaming the knight bastards and chasing them away, creating unnecessaryints, it was better to feed them well and send them off, then turn it into praise.
Treating invited guests well was also the duty of a great noble.
A momentter.
The attendant came to the duke again, who was resting with his eyes closed.
The attendant was trembling all over and spoke as if he really didn''t want to deliver the message.
"The knights say they want to meet Duke directly and express their gratitude..."
"...Tell them to sit still and eat before I kill them."
"..."
The attendant couldn''t bring himself to deliver the message and waited. The duke sighed shallowly and said.
"Tell them clearly that I will rest more ande out. If anyonees to call me again, I swear I will bury them. Understood?"
"...Yes!"
¡ª
The White Wood Knight Order was a gathering of knights who traveled throughout the empire, helping the weak, jumping into danger, and pursuing knightly honor, but in fact, the White Wood Knight Order belonged to a unique category among knight orders.
Who would enjoy traveling throughout the empire without any reward? No matter how knightly they were, it was a difficult and painful task.
Most of the knight orders in the empire were much morefortable and profit-oriented gatherings formed by the local knight families to protect the region or for friendship.
The Chestnut Tree Knight Order also belonged to thetter.
The knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order, who were active in the area a little far from Granden City, were very excited about the duke''s invitation.
"Not just anyone can receive an invitation from His Grace Duke Icaldoren, one of the great nobles of the empire. It is possible because of the glory that the name of Chestnut Tree holds."
"Those good-for-nothing bastards..."
"They''re talking about glory. They probably just gathered and yed mage cards."
"Shh. Be quiet."
The young squires of the White Wood Knight Order, who were moving together with the Chestnut Tree Knights, grumbled.
The knight who brought them along gave a warning as if to be careful.
"I will not forgive you if you are rude to the knights of another order."
"But those guys are too arrogant..."
"I told you to stop!"
When the knight showed his anger, the squires shut their mouths tightly.
The knight also understood their feelings.
The Chestnut Tree Knight Order, as was often the case with wealthy knight orders, tried to act more like nobles than knights.
If they were to act together with the squires of the White Wood Knight Order, they should respect each other and show courtesy, but they kept looking down on them based on their attire and weapons, so the squires couldn''t help but be angry.
"Wait. Why are you guiding us this way?"
One of the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order noticed something strange and asked.
The duke''s residence in the city wasrge and spacious, so there were several spaces that could be used as banquet halls.
However, among them, the most central banquet hall was obviously the hall located in the center.
But the ce the servants were guiding them to now was the banquet hall located on the left, wasn''t it?
"There are other guests present."
"Other guests?"
The knights murmured.
It was surprising that there were guests who had arrived before them, but it was also surprising that they had taken the better banquet hall.
They didn''t feel very good about it.
"Who are they?"
"They are students from Einroguard."
"..."
Dissatisfaction rose on the faces of the knights.
If it had been the heads of other families visiting, that would have been understandable, but to have their seats taken by mere students from a magic academy.
Of course, if they thought about it coldly, they could calcte what the average status of these magic academy students would be, but instead of calcting, the knights started to argue.
"Did Duke assign it to them?"
"How could that be possible?"
From the servants'' point of view, they couldn''t use the duke as an excuse for such a question. Even if they had several necks, it wouldn''t be enough.
"Then what happened?"
"We don''t know either..."
"It seems the students went in first."
The knights understood the servants'' cautious answer in a different way.
"They''re still young, so they might have misunderstood."
"Can''t we just use the left banquet hall?"
The knight of the White Wood Knight Order cautiously spoke up.
Considering the status and position of the Einroguard students, he didn''t want to make a fuss over a single banquet hall.
Then the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order answered with a start.
"Why should we yield the banquet hall that we should rightfully use?"
"Just because they''re students doesn''t mean we should leave them be! We have to tell them when they''re wrong. The squires of the White Wood Knight Order may be satisfied with this treatment, but we are not."
"..."
At the remark that tantly disregarded the squires, the knight''s eyebrows twitched.
When the fierce-looking knight exuded his force, the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order also seemed to realize their mistake and changed the subject.
"Go and deliver the message. It seems there has been a misunderstanding."
¡ª
"That Wardanaz bastard ruined the fun party."
"Yeah. It was a truly unrestrained and joyful time..."
"If anyone keeps muttering, I''ll shove them upside down into the wine barrel, so shut up and eat."
When the awakened White Tiger Tower students grumbled and ate, Yi-Han warned them.
Just thinking about what they had done earlier, it was a waste to even give them food.
"Excuse me, Mr. Wardanaz."
"??"
When a servant ran over and whispered with a pale face, Yi-Han was puzzled.
What was it?
''They''re not asking me to take silver coins, are they?''
It was a truly absurd thought, but the duke''s evaluation within Yi-Han had already fallen that much.
"The knights..."
"...?"
Yi-Han tilted his head in confusion after hearing the exnation of the situation.
His friends, who realized that something was wrong, also gathered around and murmured.
"Why are the knights here? And today of all days?"
"It''s strange."
Students from noble families knew well that they wouldn''t invite multiple groups on the same day.
"Could it be that they mistook the date and came?"
"No way. They can''t be that crazy."
"Look at the White Tiger Tower guys. They''re stupid, but not that stupid."
"Tutanta. Do you want to die!"
"Shut up. You guys who copsed drunk in someone else''s banquet hall."
"We didn''t copse, we passed out after being hit by that Wardanaz bastard!"
"Hey... keep it down, it''s embarrassing..."
While his friends were chattering, Yi-Han asked the servant.
"So now they want us to yield the banquet hall?"
"Absolutely not! Wardanaz!"
"That''s crazy!"
The White Tiger Tower students reacted the most fiercely.
They had a lot of experience gathering with knight families, so they couldn''t help but be sensitive.
Unlike the gatherings of noble families, the gatherings of knight families often had violent confrontations.
Trying to enter a banquet hall that someone else was already using, like this, was one of them. As someone from a knight family, they absolutely couldn''t yield.
"Can''t we just yield? We''re done eating anyway."
"I said no, Wardanaz!"
"Come to your senses! You''re not usually like this! You''re the kind of guy who would crush the bones of anyone who picks a fight!"
"...I can see how you think of me."
Not only the White Tiger Tower students but also other friends showed a negative reaction.
Then Yi-Han readily agreed without saying more.
"Alright. If you don''t want to leave. I''ll tell them we refuse."
The servant, who was unfortunately caught in the middle, bowed his head to the point of pity and ran out.
And he came back and said.
"Excuse me, Mr. Wardanaz. The knights are asking if we could lightly test our skills to decide..."
''Is the banquet hall coated with honey or something?''
Yi-Han couldn''t understand the knights who were obsessed with the banquet hall like crazy people.
Is there some kind of magical vein flowing here?
Why are they going this far?
"Mu... Muhahaha! They''re digging their own graves, those idiots!"
"Chestnut Tree Knight Order bastards. You still don''t know how vast the empire is! You''re dead today!"
"????"
The servant who delivered the message was taken aback by the reaction of the White Tiger Tower students.
He had expected them to refuse the absurdly rude suggestion.
''What on earth...?''
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Chapter 366
Chapter 366
The Chestnut Tree Knight Order was not a knight order that engaged in intense realbat, but still, there had to be a difference in skill between a formal knight of the order and students who were still learning magic at Einroguard.
Of course, the Chestnut Tree Knight Order also had many eyes watching, so they naturally had to hold back, but even considering that, the students seemed too disadvantaged.
The servant couldn''t understand at all why the students were happy about it.
"Let''s trample on those arrogant bastards, Wardanaz! Don''t forgive them at all!"
"They won''t know that you can use a sword. Let''s hide it and finish them off at once!"
"They''ll be so surprised when you take out a sword after attacking with magic, they''ll fall for it!"
At the vulgar shouts of the White Tiger Tower students, students from other towers looked at them with perplexed gazes.
Salko muttered.
"Are those guys really knights?"
Some White Tiger Tower students couldn''t lift their heads out of embarrassment for their friends.
They were acting so high and mighty, not even stepping up themselves but leaving it to Wardanaz...
"Excuse me, are you really sure about this?"
The servant asked hesitantly.
"Don''t worry! Wardanaz is here!"
"Uh... Isn''t it the mage who''s going out?"
"..."
"..."
The servant''s innocent question brought the White Tiger Tower students back to their senses.
"We... We''re weaker than Wardanaz..."
"Ah, aha. I see."
When they became awkward with each other, the servant shouted to change the mood.
"I think if I were a friend, I could go out instead! Isn''t that what friendship is about?"
"We''re not really friends though..."
"..."
When the atmosphere became very awkward, the White Tiger Tower students unconsciously looked at Yi-Han.
"You... You''ll go out, right? Wardanaz?"
"We can''t exclude you from the White Tiger Tower''s power."
"Hey. You crazy bastard. Wardanaz is from the Blue Dragon Tower."
"Ah, oops. Out of habit..."
¡ª
Regardless of the White Tiger Tower students'' foolishness, Yi-Han took the opponent''s provocation quite seriously.
Before the match, he called Dolgyu and Jijel to thoroughly confirm the opponent''s strength.
"The Chestnut Tree Knight Order isn''t that powerful or renowned."
"Are you sure?"
"I''m sure."
"Are you really sure?"
"...What do you mean by asking again?"
Jijel held back from adding ''bastard'' or ''jerk'' at the end and asked.
Instead of answering, Yi-Han looked at Dolgyu. Dolgyu nced at Jijel and nodded.
"It''s certain. Yi-Han. They''re not that great of a knight order."
"That''s a relief."
"But Yi-Han... Even if they''re not masters like Mr. Bikelintz or Professor Ingurdel, if they''re representing the knight order, their skills won''t be easy to deal with at all."
Dolgyu spoke with a worried tone.
Unlike the other White Tiger Tower students who had a strange illusion about Yi-Han''s strength due to being beaten up so much (some White Tiger Tower students seriously argued that if Yi-Han took out the forbidden magic he had hidden and fought against the skull principal, they might be evenly matched), Dolgyu and Jijel were quite realistic.
Although Yi-Han was strong, he was still a student, wasn''t he?
Inparison, the opponent was a knight with experience. It was always the knight who caught the mage.
"Don''t worry. Dolgyu. I have it all figured out."
Now that things had flowed this way, Yi-Han had no intention of letting it go smoothly either.
No matter how crazy they were about the banquet hall, there had to be a limit, right?
Regardless of what the opponent was thinking, he intended to show them what he was made of.
"What are you nning to do?"
Jijel asked out of genuine curiosity.
She knew that Yi-Han was a cunning, despicable, and meticulous strategist, but she couldn''t even guess what he would do in this situation.
"Just watch."
Yi-Han approached the servant and whispered.
"It seems too harsh for the students to face the knights in this situation. I think we should make some more concessions. Try to say this well."
The servant was more surprised than moved by the silver coinsing into his sleeve.
No way, even this?
"Of-Of course it''s something I should do. You don''t have to give me silver coins. I''ll do my best."
"Oh no. No. Keep it. Keep it."
Yi-Han grabbed the resisting servant and stuffed the silver coins into his pocket.
The servant, who finally gave up and took the silver coins, went out and returned after a while.
"They say you can prepare magic in advance."
"Thank you."
Jijel thought she understood now.
It was a simple but effective method.
Of course, it was absolutely not a method that someone from a great noble family would use.
''Is he really crazy?''
"Here, one more."
"What!? It''s really oka-"
"Go back and tell them that it seems the students are in the mood to just refuse the suggestion, so they should make more concessions."
"..."
The servant went out with a dazed face, not knowing what he was doing.
And he came back and said.
"They say they can do three against one."
"I see. Wait. Don''t go yet. The students ate a lot today and their bodies are heavy, so more concessions..."
"Wardanaz, this is big trouble!"
At the sudden shout, the three students turned their heads.
"It''s not just the Chestnut Tree Knight Order! The White Wood Knight Order is here too! They''re the guys who came to the academyst time!"
"!"
Yi-Han was startled.
This was definitely a big blow.
If the squires of the White Wood Knight Order were to tell what had happened...
''It bes difficult to make them let their guard down by pretending to be weak!''
"But we had the friendship of crossing swords togetherst time, is there no possibility they''ll keep it a secret?"
At Yi-Han''s question, Dolgyu and Jijel shook their heads and answered.
"I don''t think those guys would do that."
"If those bastards do that, I''m not from the Moradi family, I''m from the Wardanaz family."
''Isn''t that too much?''
While Yi-Han was thinking that, someone opened the back door of the banquet hall and carefully entered.
It was a familiar squire from the White Wood Knight Order.
"Slu-Slur-!"
"Shh! Be quiet. I came in secretly. I came to give you information."
The squire hid his body among the students while looking outside.
"But what did you say just now? Slur?"
"...Didn''t you mishear the sound of slurping?"
"Is that so?"
The squire turned his head and looked at Yi-Han as if he had no interest.
Then he quickly poured out his words in a very small voice.
"Right now, the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order are off guard outside. Those guys don''t know how evil you are, Wardanaz..."
"Evil?"
"...I misspoke because I was in a hurry. They won''t know how skilled you are in both swordsmanship and magic and how deep your schemes are. The guy who''s stepping up as the representative uses a sword and shield together, and he uses his left hand for the sword, right? His swordsmanship is..."
At the friendship of the squire who was directly telling him the weaknesses, Yi-Han looked at Dolgyu and Jijel. The two avoided his gaze.
¡ª
The duke, who had finished resting, opened the door and came out.
The escorts and attendants were waiting in front of the study without even breathing.
It was an unnecessary action, but the duke walked ahead as if it was natural.
"...?"
There was a noisymotioning from the center of the first floor located below the grand staircase.
At first, he thought it wasing from the banquet hall, but upon thinking about it, the direction was different.
"What''s going on?"
"..."
"..."
The attendants held their breath without grasping the situation.
While the duke was resting, they had told the servants not to disturb him and had been waiting in front of the study as if a mouse had died, so they weren''t fully aware of the situation.
"I''ll go check ande back."
One attendant hurriedly went down. He went down so fast that he almost slipped and fell several times.
The attendant who went down felt his heart sink at the sight of the knights and students huddled together on the first floor, having something like a duel.
"What on earth is going on?"
"The-There was a problem with which banquet hall to use..."
The servant also grasped the situation from the attendant''s serious face and made excuses with a tearful expression.
"You told us not toe up, so we had no choice..."
"You should have mediated, not let them engage in swordy inside the residence!"
"It''s not swordy, it''s a practice match..."
It was fortunate, but the situation was still not good.
If a knight and a student fought, wasn''t it obvious who would win?
Even if they won nicely, the students would be dissatisfied with the duke''s handling of the matter, and if the knight used his skills roughly, just thinking about the aftermath was dizzying.
The attendant ran to the duke as quickly as possible and exined the situation.
After hearing everything, Duke Icaldoren froze coldly. He had crossed the threshold of anger.
"So?"
"..."
"So why are you telling me that as it is? Are you saying that I have to solve it myself? Huh?"
"I will go and resolve it right away!"
The attendants and escorts immediately shouted and ran downstairs.
They intended to stop this matter even if they had to beat up the knights.
"This... This is against the rules!"
"I don''t know why it''s against the rules."
"You were hiding magic!"
"Didn''t you say we could cast magic in advance?"
"...???"
However, the sight unfolding before the escorts'' eyes was the exact opposite of their expectations.
¡ª
Yi-Han, Dolgyu, and Jijel walked out after casting reinforcement magic as much as they could.
While pretending to be as weak, scared, and nervous as possible.
"Dolgyu. Rx your eyes. You look strong."
"So-Sorry. Yi-Han. It''s hard to act..."
"Think of yourself as Gainando."
"I-I am Gainando. I am Gainando."
"..."
It didn''t end there.
Yi-Han boldly asked for time toplete the spin by floating water orbs.
The opposing knight lightly agreed without even knowing what magic Yi-Han was preparing. He had already judged that he had won based on the three''s tense appearance.
Bang!
As a result, the opposing knight was sent flying through the ss window into the garden next to the residence.
"..."
"Tell them you didn''t send him flying on purpose. Yi-Han."
"Sorry. I failed to control my strength."
The knights, who came to their senses btedly, strongly protested.
"This... This is against the rules!"
Originally, they had nned to fight somewhat evenly and give the opponent the excuse of ''Haha, I let my guard down because they''re young students,'' but now that they had identally sent him flying with a single blow, Yi-Han didn''t have many options left.
Brazenly go out!
"I don''t know why it''s against the rules."
"You were hiding magic!"
"Didn''t you say we could cast magic in advance?"
Yi-Han insisted with a face that said ''I know nothing.''
In fact, the knights had nothing to say.
It was something that had already been permitted beforehand.
"This cunning trick...!"
"Enough."
"Duke!"
The knights were delighted by Duke Icaldoren''s visit.
"We were just having a simple match, so if it''s alright with you, could you judge..."
"Why?"
"Pardon?"
"I asked why you''re having a match in someone else''s residence."
"..."
"...Well, there was a small dispute..."
"If a small dispute arises, is it okay to have a match in someone else''s residence? Is that the way of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order?"
Only then did the knights of the knight order realize that the atmosphere was unusual and shut their mouths.
They used to walk around with their shoulders back as members of a knight family on their ownnd, but if the duke unleashed his anger, they would be blown away.
"Du-Duke. There seems to be a misunderstanding."
"Do you think I''m an idiot? To the point where I can''t even understand your words?"
"N-No. That''s not it..."
"I generously overlooked your mistake, and now you''re trying to insult me!"
The duke spat out coldly restrained anger.
Seeing that, Yi-Han thought to himself.
''He seems different from the rumors.''
The person who wasughing happily when the White Tiger Tower students were making a fuss was getting so angry over a match.
Contrary to the rumors, he had quite a fickle and entric personality.
And he was also stingy...
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Chapter 367
Chapter 367
It was rare for Duke Icaldoren to lose hisposure and erupt in anger in such a disgraceful manner.
Even if he was furious, the duke''s way was to prepare a dagger in his heart and stab with it rather than exploding outwardly.
The reason why the duke was unleashing his anger like this was partly because the knights had continuously gotten on his nerves today, but above all, it wasrgely due to falling into suspicion and delusion because of Yi-Han.
No matter how cold-hearted the duke was, it was inevitable when fear and confusion filled his head.
"It''s strange."
"What is?"
"I''ve never heard of Duke Icaldoren acting so emotionally."
Jijel tilted her head beside him.
"Rumors are often wrong. The duke is more emotional and stingy than you think."
"Is that so?"
Jijel was honestly surprised.
Weren''t the two words Wardanaz just said the least suitable words for Duke Icaldoren?
But there was no way Wardanaz would make a mistake in such aspects...
"Perhaps the reason why Duke is so angry is because he cherishes the students that much."
Rowena added.
From Rowena''s point of view, there was no other reason.
Jijel also seemed to agree, thinking it wasn''t wrong.
"He wouldn''t get that angry just because they caused a ruckus in the residence."
"Ah. Right. He was extremely mindful of the royalty."
"...?"
Rowena, who was listening beside them, felt something strange.
It was Yi-Han and his friends who had a confrontation with the knights, not Adenart.
Then, wasn''t he getting angry because they messed with Yi-Han, not because they messed with the princess?
"I... I apologize. Duke."
The knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order seemed to have fully grasped the situation now.
They had been mistaken because the duke had treated them generously, but the difference in power between them and the duke was like a firefly and a full moon.
It was fine when the other party let it slide, but if he wielded his sword with determination, there was no way out.
"Why did youe in mistaking the date? Does the appointment seem that trivial to you?"
"We-We really didn''t know. It wasn''t on purpose!"
"Is that so? Are you saying my judgment is wrong again? That you''re right?"
"That''s not it..."
"Then shut up! If you act arrogantly one more time, I''ll behead you on the spot!"
"..."
The duke scolded them so harshly that even the knight of the White Wood Knight Order was taken aback.
He had hoped that the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order would be humiliated, but he didn''t expect it to be to this extent.
"Mr. Wardanaz. Is there any way to calm Duke''s anger?"
"Pardon?"
Yi-Han looked at the knight as if he was saying something absurd.
What method could Yi-Han have when someone like Duke Icaldoren was making a fuss?
In the first ce, Yi-Han wasn''t even close with the duke. If Yi-Han said ''Please calm down,'' there was a high possibility that the duke would react with ''Who are you to butt in?''
"There''s no way..."
"I-Is that so?"
"...Come to think of it, there is a way."
"!"
The knight widened his eyes and whispered.
"What is it?"
"But those knights caused all kinds of trouble, do you really have to save them?"
At those words, the knight red at the other knights.
These guys who call themselves knights have such loose tongues...
"I won''t deny that it was rude. But they are knights who moved together with us. We can''t just abandon them, can we?"
''Why does it seem like only good people always suffer in this world?''
Looking at the knight of the White Wood Knight Order, Yi-Han was reminded of Dolgyu.
The White Tiger Tower guys cause trouble, but Dolgyu cleans up...
"If you tell me the method, I will definitely repay you."
"!"
He didn''t think much of it, but to think the other party would go this far.
Originally, he would have taken gold coins, but Yi-Han also had a conscience.
He knew what kind of knight order the White Wood Knight Order was and had been indebted to them before, so he wasn''t heartless enough to extort money.
"Then lend me your sword just once next time."
"Do you need an escort?"
"Something like that."
"I''ll dly do that for you."
The knight readily epted.
Borrowing a knight''s sword wasn''t actually an easy request.
In the worst case, what if he asked him to kill someone?
However, the knight trusted Yi-Han.
Judging from the character he had shownst time and the things Bikelintz had said, Yi-Han was definitely not someone who would make a request that went against morality.
''I''ll have to use it during the swordsmanship lecture in the second semester.''
Professor Ingurdel wouldn''t even imagine that the knight of the White Wood Knight Order was already being bribed.
And the knight himself was the same.
"But what is the method?"
"Just watch."
Yi-Han stepped forward with confidence.
Due to the duke''s anger, the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order couldn''t even breathe, but Yi-Han was certain.
It wasn''t because Yi-Han was particrly brave or ignored the duke. Yi-Han had a special card.
"Princess. Come here."
"??"
Adenart, who had been quietly standing and watching, hesitated when Yi-Han suddenly called her, not knowing what he was thinking.
Still, thinking there must be a reason, she approached.
"Duke. Please calm down."
Yi-Han spoke in a clear voice that everyone could hear.
''Since he can''t refuse royalty, if I use the princess as an excuse, it will definitely work.''
If he added reasons like the princess wants to show mercy, the princess wants to forgive them, even the duke would have to pretend to be defeated and let it go.
"Pri-"
"...Alright. I went a bit overboard with my words."
"???"
As soon as Yi-Han brought it up, Duke Icaldoren stopped his anger and regained hisposure.
The princess tilted her head beside him.
"Uh, no..."
"Their rudeness was too much, and they even acted roughly towards the students I invited, so I couldn''t control my anger. Alright. I should stop at this point. I apologize to everyone for ruining the pleasant asion."
The duke quickly wrapped things up and left. The attendants and servants, who hadn''t expected his reaction, were startled and chased after him.
"...?"
Yi-Han couldn''t understand why the duke was acting like that.
He was truly the most entric and fickle person he had ever seen.
''Fortunately, he''s not a professor at the magic academy.''
Of course, the duke had quickly withdrawn, thinking there might be a trap when Yi-Han intervened like that in a situation where he was confused about Yi-Han, but Yi-Han couldn''t know that.
"Th-That''s amazing!"
The knight of the White Wood Knight Order eximed in amazement, blinking his eyes.
When Yi-Han said he had a method, he didn''t doubt it, but he never imagined it would be such a miraculous method.
To calm the duke''s anger with just a single sentence.
How on earth?
"How did you do it?"
Yi-Han was curious about that too, but he couldn''t show it.
Instead, he gave a meaningful smile and smoothly passed over it.
If he didn''t say anything, the other person would interpret it on their own.
"I''m really d it was resolved well."
"Indeed."
As Yi-Han and the knight walked away, the princess stood still and looked at their backs with a dumbfounded expression.
Then why did he call...?
¡ª
The students who returned to the banquet hall talked about what had happened.
"Yi-Han. Be careful. Those knight bastards are cowardly and persistent, so they might take revenge for today''s eventster."
"That''s right. Wardanaz. Knight bastards are all equally vicious and evil."
"..."
At Gainando and Salko''s words, the White Tiger Tower students beside them red.
When did we ever!
''Did the White Wood Knight Order handle it well?''
Curious, Yi-Han opened the door of the banquet hall and stepped out into the corridor.
Unlike the noisy and lively atmosphere of the students, the atmosphere of the knights who had caused a big incident was bound to be very gloomy, but...
Still, the situation had ended somehow, so they must have taken care of it.
Yi-Han moved his steps to see how it turned out, show some concern, and ask if they had ns toe to Einroguard during the second semester.
A diligent student always starts preparing for the next term during the break.
"!"
Yi-Han was startled to see Jijeling out. Jijel also had a surprised expression, just like Yi-Han.
"Don''t tell me you..."
"You too?"
"Yeah."
"...You''re really amazing. I''ll give you that."
Jijel said as if surrendering with both hands.
The reason Jijel came out was to get acquainted with the knights.
Especially in the case of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order, even though they had caused a big incident in front of the duke, they still had influence among knight families due to their wealth.
For a family like the Moradi family, which frequently interacted with other knight families, there was no harm in getting friendly with them.
It was human psychology to feel more grateful to someone who approached them when they had suffered a major disgrace rather than when they were doing well.
Right now was the opportunity.
"You''re amazing too. Moradi."
"Stop saying things you don''t mean."
"No. I''m serious. Trying to find out the lecture content for the second semester in advance. The other White Tiger Tower guys should learn from you."
"...What? Hey, wai-"
While Jijel was dumbfounded, Yi-Han said what he had to say and walked forward.
He didn''t want to be disturbed by Jijel if he waste for no reason.
"!"
However, before he could even go halfway, he noticed people loitering near the corridor pir.
They were the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order.
Their appearance of wandering around, waiting for someone, was very suspicious.
''No way!''
The words Gainando and Salko had said earlier quickly shed through Yi-Han''s mind.
"They''re already waiting to take revenge. They''re not just petty, but knightly petty!"
"What? Revenge?"
Jijel was taken aback.
No matter how much the Chestnut Tree Knight Order had been humiliated, they weren''t crazy enough to attack again in the residence after receiving the duke''s forgiveness.
"There''s no way that''s possible."
"Didn''t you say earlier that there was no way the knight of the White Wood Knight Order would help me, Wardanaz?"
At Yi-Han''s words, Jijel was at a loss for words.
This bastard, arbitrarily changing the family name of...
"If you''re so confident, why don''t you take the lead? Wardanaz."
"I''ll admit you''re right, so don''t change the family name as you please. You crazy bast-"
While the two were talking, the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order spotted them first.
As the knights approached, Yi-Han stopped the argument and raised his staff.
"Damn it. There won''t be enough time to cast reinforcement magic! I''ll summon undead, so step back! I''ll spread fog and buy time!"
Jijel was curious about how he could even use undead and fog despite being in the same year, but instead of asking, she grabbed her dual swords.
Yi-Han''s momentum was so serious that she unconsciously went along with it.
Later, when she thought about it, she would think ''Why did I go along with it?'' but when Yi-Han spoke with a serious face, most people would waver and think ''I... guess so?''
"I''ll block the front, so focus on your magic. Got it?!"
"Moradi. You finally have a consci-!"
"Focus on your magic, you do-"
"Thank you!!!"
"???"
"???"
The knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order bowed deeply and shouted in unison.
"We missed the opportunity to say it earlier because things were chaotic. Once again, thank you sincerely."
"..."
Jijel quietly put away her half-drawn sword and red at Yi-Han as if she would kill him.
Yi-Han whispered without changing his expression.
"It could be a trap, you know."
"Shut up."
The knights continued, not knowing what misunderstanding the two had.
"We reflected on our actions. It was truly rude behavior. But to think you would cover for us despite that..."
The knights couldn''t believe they were the same people who hade earlier and acted arrogantly about changing the banquet hall.
If it were Einroguard, they would have suspected it was the skull principal''s magic.
"I can''t believe it."
Yi-Han muttered.
"People don''t usually change so easily like that. Why are they doing that? Isn''t it a trap?"
"..."
Jijel honestly agreed with Yi-Han''s words.
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Chapter 368
Chapter 368
Originally, people didn''t change so easily like that.
If they changed that easily, why would Jijel suffer so much in the White Tiger Tower?
No matter how much the White Tiger Tower students were beaten and locked up in the punishment room, they always chose the joy of the outdoors over studying. Even baby beasts would listen better than them.
"Moradi. What do you think?"
"...It does seem sincere."
Unlike the two who were very suspicious, the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order were truly sincere.
Yi-Han didn''t feel it, but the fear felt by the knights who directly faced Duke Icaldoren''s anger was on a different level.
It was a fear that made them think they could really die here.
Such fear had the power to make one reflect on their own actions and repent.
The knights who barely escaped the crisis were sincerely ashamed of their actions.
"Well... It was nothing. I''m d everyone is okay."
Unable to know the other party''s intentions, Yi-Han gave an appropriate answer for now.
He nned to keep a distance after going along with them.
"Is the knight who was hit and flew... No, fell back quite far earlier, alright?"
"Some bones were broken, but he''s fine."
''Doesn''t seem fine.''
Yi-Han subtly stood behind Jijel. It was to prepare for any unexpected situation.
"It was truly amazing magic. I knew the students of Einroguard were skilled, but..."
"No..."
"That''s..."
Yi-Han and Jijel simultaneously tried to deny it.
Not only did they cast all the reinforcement magic before the duel started, but in the case of Eumidiphos''s Water Bullet, didn''t they stall for time until the start toplete it?
In fact, if Yi-Han hadn''t cheated, it would have been a foul that wasn''t allowed, but they were packaging it as magic skill.
"There''s a hidden story behind it..."
"You''re being humble."
"Originally, magic that takes this long isn''t acknowledged as being properly mastered..."
"You''re truly humble."
"..."
There was a limit even if they were knights who didn''t know magic.
Yi-Han tapped Jijel''s shoulder. It meant for her to speak on his behalf. Of course, Jijel ignored it.
''Wait. When did he move behind?''
Realizing that Yi-Han had moved behind her, Jijel turned her head and frowned.
This guy...
"We want to repay you."
"What repayment?"
"We''ll teach you swordsmanship!"
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han and Jijel looked at the knights with great surprise.
¡ª
It was moremon than one might think for knights to teach swordsmanship to nobles.
There were quite a few nobles who learned swordsmanship for education, hobby, or light self-defense, and naturally, only knights could teach them.
No matter how skilled they were, not many nobles would learn from adventurers or mercenaries whose identities were unclear.
It was a good opportunity for nobles to learn swordsmanship and for knights to make connections with nobles, but...
...In Yi-Han''s case, it was a little different.
Didn''t he properly learn swordsmanship intensively in realbat, beyond just education or self-defense?
The fact that he had one of the top skills in Einroguard''s swordsmanship lectures meant that he wouldn''t fall behind even whenpared to squires of the same age throughout the empire.
To develop swordsmanship skills like Yi-Han''s, one shouldn''t teach lightly with education or self-defense in mind.
One had to dig deep with determination and make them directly break through and ovee obstacles...
''No matter how I think about it, it doesn''t seem like they said it with that level of resolution.''
Yi-Han''s thoughts were the same as Jijel''s.
No matter how they looked at it, it felt closer to teaching lightly.
If they carelessly crossed swords and found out about Yi-Han''s skills, it would be an embarrassing situation for both sides.
Yi-Han decided to trust and leave it to his friend.
"You reject it for me. Moradi."
"What kind of crazy talk is... What should I say to reject it!"
"How about saying I''m too weak to learn swordsmanship because I''m sickly?"
"..."
Jijel looked Yi-Han up and down as if he was crazy.
If she said he was sickly, Jijel might be known as a blind person.
"You usually make up lies like breathing... Don''t you have any other lies?"
"There''s no way I can think of something like that right away. You have a better rtionship with knight families than me, so try rejecting it for me."
"Are you spouting nonsense right now?"
It was quite burdensome to tly reject the sincere offer of the knights who were speaking like that now.
Yi-Han might not be from a knight family, but wasn''t Jijel from a knight family? They might hold a grudge, saying, ''The bloodline of the Moradi family prevented repaying the favor...!''
"...It seems we made another rude request. We just wanted to repay the favor somehow..."
The knights seemed to have noticed Yi-Han and Jijel whispering to each other, and suddenly became gloomy.
"You probably don''t want to learn swordsmanship from knights like us. I understand."
"Ah, no. That''s... It would be nice to learn swordsmanship. I want to learn."
"Is that true!?"
"Yeah."
Yi-Han gave up.
Rather than Yi-Han bing a bad guy, it seemed better for the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order to be embarrassed.
"It''s resolved well. Then I''ll..."
"Moradi will also learn together."
"..."
¡ª
As expected, the knights became embarrassed in less than 30 minutes.
"Ahem."
"Ehem."
"Your swordsmanship is... excellent."
Yi-Han silently nodded his head.
Yi-Han did his best.
It was almost their own fault that the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order were embarrassed.
"Do you know how to infuse mana into the sword..."
"I haven''tpleted the cirction, but I at least know how to infuse it."
"..."
The knights became even more awkward and exchanged nces.
They were sending each other looks of ''What should we teach now?''
-If it''s like this, there''s nothing to teach, right? What should we teach?
-To go further from here, it''s impossible with what we teach today...
-How about teaching other swordsmanship?
-He has already mastered one swordsmanship and is digging deep into it, so what''s the point of teaching other swordsmanship...
-More importantly, wasn''t he a mage? Why is he so into swordsmanship...?
The knights were feeling the same emotions that the White Tiger Tower students had felt.
...Why is he so sincerely into swordsmanship?!
No matter how they thought about it, it wasn''t a hobby that a mage born into a great noble family would have.
While the knights exchanged nces without a word, Yi-Han waited while managing his expression.
It was awkward for both sides, but eventually, when there was nothing more to say, the other party would also be embarrassed and send him off.
Then Yi-Han could also say, ''It was fun today,'' and leave...
"There''s no choice. I''ll have to teach you one of my secret techniques."
"A secret technique?!"
There were countless swordsmanship styles in the empire, and quite a few techniques of the famous ones were well-known.
Right now, techniques like that Yi-Han learned from Azure Rock Style were quite famous to the point where those who had properly learned swordsmanship would know about them.
As swordsmanship became famous, the swordsmen who learned that swordsmanship also became famous, so naturally, the techniques they used would also spread.
However, swordsmen didn''t reveal all their techniques.
Revealing all the techniques was like asking others to exploit the weaknesses of one''s swordsmanship.
Experienced swordsmen tried not to show some techniques unless it was absolutely necessary.
Those techniques were secret techniques.
''Even if he teaches it now, can I learn it right away?''
It was surprising that he was going to teach a secret technique, but it was also questionable whether Yi-Han could learn it.
Even in the case of Arlong, who taught swordsmanship to Yi-Han, he didn''t bother teaching secret techniques or difficult techniques until Yi-Han waspletely proficient in Azure Rock Style.
It was Arlong''s belief that a swordsman who faithfully followed the basic forms was much stronger than one who used difficult andplicated techniques that they couldn''t handle well.
"I doubt I have the skills to learn it. Is it really okay?"
"It''s sufficient. With that genius talent, surely..."
"...I don''t think it''s to that extent."
The other party was grateful, but it was hard to endure as they kept praising him with every word.
The knight took Yi-Han to the courtyard.
It was a technique he hadn''t shown to other knights either. He couldn''t teach it where everyone could see.
Yi-Han slowly began to feel intrigued by the knight''s cautious attitude.
No matter how much the Chestnut Tree Knight Order wasn''t known for their strength, weren''t they still knights?
For a knight to cherish a technique to that extent...
''What is it?''
Yi-Han felt a moment of rising anticipation.
A technique that helps with mana cirction, or a technique that helps with infusing mana into the sword, or if not, a technique that condenses mana...
"Watch closely."
Swish!
The knight drew his sword and thrust quickly. It was an ordinary thrust with nothing special.
However, at that moment, the tip of the sword lengthened.
Yi-Han eximed in surprise.
"Did you create a sword de with aura?!"
When one goes beyond the stage of infusing mana into the sword and stably circting it to the point of being able to condense it, the mana contained in the sword bes not just an aid, but a deadly weapon in itself.
Just as mana woven by a mage''s will bes the miracle called magic, mana woven by a swordsman''s will bes the invincible spear called aura.
But to go a step further from that stage of aura and even disguise its appearance as a de...
It was enough to astonish the opposing swordsman.
An aura that pierces through ordinary armor like cutting butter, and it even changes its appearance like that...
It might look like nothing special, but it was a tremendous technique.
Unlike when there was only an aura, if its appearance was indistinguishable from the sword, the opponent couldn''t let their guard down.
Facing a sword that slightly lengthens and slightly shortens, one would not only have to worry about the sense of distance but also whether an aura was being used or not. It was fatal in a fight between equals.
''What? Was he a truly amazing swordsman?''
"Oh, it''s not an aura."
"...It''s not?"
"That''s right."
The knight seemed a bit embarrassed by Yi-Han''s fuss, so he cleared his throat and thrust the tip of the sword into the wall.
Surprisingly, nothing happened. If it were an aura, a hole would have been made in the wall with ease.
"...Is it an illusion?"
As a mage, Yi-Han realized the identity of the de that had formed at the tip of the sword.
It wasn''t an aura, but just an illusion.
A very limited illusion realized through swordsmanship, not magic.
In terms of magic, it was nothing special, but it was a different story for swordsmanship.
After all, even Yi-Han was about to be fooled.
"That''s right. Of course,pared to something like an aura, it might seem like a slightly shabby technique. But this is quite useful..."
The knight started making excuses as if he was unnecessarily concerned.
Wouldn''t he want to use an aura if he could?
But there were things in the world that one couldn''t do even if they wanted to.
Rather than giving uppletely, even a technique close to a trick like this...
"This is a really good technique!"
"...You think so?"
The knight''s face brightened a little at Yi-Han''s reaction.
The reaction was much more enthusiastic than he had thought.
¡ª
"Thank you so much. To think you would teach something like this."
"I thought it wasn''t that great of a technique, but hearing you say that makes me embarrassed..."
"No. It''s a really good technique. Thank you."
Yi-Han spoke with sincerity.
It wasn''t difficult to learn, and it was a good technique to confuse the opponent by applying it, right?
It was a technique that perfectly suited Yi-Han''s taste.
Satisfied with the mood, Yi-Han said something the other party would like to hear.
"I knew the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order were excellent, but I didn''t know they were this excellent. Truly splendid."
"..."
The knights watching from the side looked at theirrade with slightly envious eyes.
He was receiving far too much praise than they had thought.
Thinking about how he would receive praise from others with that anecdote after returning to the knight order, they couldn''t just stand by.
"Uh, wait a moment..."
"?"
"There''s one more secret technique that might interest you."
"...Aren''t secret techniques not supposed to be revealed to others like this in the first ce??"
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Chapter 369
Chapter 369
Of course, Yi-Han''s question was meaningless.
In the first ce, if they were people who acted sensibly, they wouldn''t have engaged in a duel at the duke''s residence.
"I''ll teach you my secret technique, sopare it with the secret technique you just learned."
"..."
Yi-Han was already starting to feel bothered by how he should respond.
''From now on, I really shouldn''t get involved with knights.''
¡ª
Regardless of finding it bothersome, surprisingly, the knights'' secret techniques were more useful than he thought.
From a technique of quickly drawing out a hidden knife inside the cloak to instantly thrust (not only quickly drawing it out but also cleverly hiding it in the cloak was important), to a technique of momentarily making the sword stic like a whip to confuse the opponent.
Of course, if a knight like Arlong saw it, he wouldment, ''You don''t need to learn such misceneous techniques!'' but Yi-Han''s way of thinking was different from Arlong''s.
Of course, when reaching a higher level, such misceneous techniques wouldn''t be needed, but wouldn''t they be useful before that?
"So whose secret technique is the best...?"
"Hmm. Everyone can be called the winner."
"Ohhh!"
The knights, who had been waiting for Yi-Han''s evaluation with tension, apuded and respected each other.
When it seemed to have ended satisfactorily, Yi-Han opened his mouth to finally leave.
"Then, I''ll be going..."
"Ah. Please wait a moment."
"?"
When the knights called him again, Yi-Han hesitated.
Now, he was almost scared whenever the knights called him.
What are they going to say again...
"There will be a gathering of knight families soon, and we want to invite Mr. Wardanaz. If we tell them about what happened today, everyone will be truly amazed."
"..."
This was the first time he disliked attending a gathering so much.
Yi-Han almost turned serious for a moment.
''Why would I go there?''
In the first ce, he wasn''t even from a knight family!
Of course, it was a pure goodwill of the knights to let other knights know about what happened today and widely spread Yi-Han''s generosity, but...
From Yi-Han''s perspective, it was a nuisance.
"Oh dear. Unfortunately, I''ll be inside Einroguard at that time."
"Oh no!"
The knights were genuinely disappointed.
If they listened, the knights from other families would want to see Yi-Han in person...
"Ah! We''ll directly ask Principal Gonadaltes for permission."
"Haha. Go ahead and try."
"What did you just say...?"
"I''ll be grateful if he allows it. As a student, I can''t say I''ll go out arbitrarily, but if an outsider rmends it, the principal''s thoughts might change."
"Understood!"
The knights promised to visit and tell him during the second semester.
Finally freed from the knights, Yi-Han let out a deep, dark sigh. Jijel, who was watching from the side, asked as if she couldn''t understand.
"You don''t want to go to the gathering?"
"...?"
Yi-Han stared nkly at Jijel, wondering what she was talking about.
Why would he want to go to that gathering?
In the worst case, the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order might be lying in ambush, saying, ''Tsk tsk, he hasn''t learned enough at Einroguard to fall for such tricks!''
"Is there a reason to want to go?"
"...It''s an opportunity to build friendships with families, isn''t it?"
The Chestnut Tree Knight Ordercked strength a bit, but it was a knight order with other strengths.
Considering the names of the knight families attending the hosted gathering, there was no harm in getting acquainted with them.
Moreover, judging from what the knights said, there was a high possibility of bing the main character of the gathering that day, not just a mere participant.
If it was a position where she could receive that much attention, Jijel would crawl to escape from the magic academy even if both her legs were broken.
"What would I do by participating?"
"You can use it if there''s a need."
"...Where would I use that?"
If it were a mage family or even a guild family like construction, transportation, or baking, Yi-Han would have been tempted.
-A family renowned for baking... Do you happen to have any short-term job openings suitable for a top mage from Einroguard, confident in firepower, and with a permit from the Aphar Order?-
But Yi-Han really had no business with knight families.
They weren''t wealthy, and Yi-Han didn''t need a swordsmanship instructor...
At Yi-Han''s question, Jijel was unusually flustered.
It was such an obvious question to Jijel that she couldn''t grasp his intention for asking.
"What...? You can intervene in the empire''s affairs or get involved politically when there are necessary rights and interests, can''t you?"
"To-To that extent?"
"..."
Jijel was angry when the other party suddenly pretended to be innocent, thinking they would naturally have the same thoughts.
"Why are you pretending not to know?"
"...I was just joking."
Yi-Han decided to just let it go because it seemed the other party wouldn''t believe whatever he said.
"I knew it."
''What did you know?''
While returning to the banquet hall with Jijel, Yi-Han suddenly thought of something and asked.
"By the way, do knight gatherings also give out highly cashable souvenirs like here?"
¡ª
"Good work, everyone."
"What work?"
"We ate deliciously and even received these, what work?"
"Wardanaz. You... should start a merchant group."
The ck Tortoise Tower students praised Yi-Han with a very satisfied face for the first time in a while.
And they each handed over a silver coin.
"Yeah. Have a safe trip, everyone."
The ck Tortoise Tower students, who had eaten their fill and even received gold essories, happily left.
"..."
"..."
Seeing that, the Immortal Phoenix Tower priests were flustered and said.
"We don''t have silver coins..."
"I don''t know what you''re talking about. I just invited you, you know?"
"You just received silver coins, didn''t you?"
"You must have seen wrong."
"In your coin pouch..."
"Maybe you mistook it for returning borrowed money? Come on. Hurry up and go back. The temple will worry if you return toote."
The priests hesitated, thinking they were the only ones who received the treat for free, but Yi-Han quickly pushed them out.
''The earnings are quite good.''
Not only the ck Tortoise Tower students but also the gold souvenirs.
Yi-Han slightly raised his evaluation of the duke.
Although he acted entric and strange in many ways, he didn''t forget to treat the visiting students with sincerity.
''Maybe I thought too badly of him. Still, he might be a person with the basics.''
"Mr. Wardanaz."
"Ah."
Spotting Rowena, Yi-Han held out his hand first.
"???"
The ck-haired elf tilted her head and shook his hand.
"Good work..."
"No. Give me the money you received from the duke."
"Ah."
The answer to the riddle was the gold coins the duke offered to the princess as a gift.
She participated because she could share and keep those gold coins among the followers, otherwise there was no reason to join.
"But the princess was curious about why you called her earlier..."
"What? I don''t know. Did that happen?"
"You called her earlier..."
"Wait a moment. Let me check."
Yi-Han focused intensely on the gold coins in the pouch Rowena handed over, simr to when he dodged Professor Bdi''s attacks.
''It''s an amount that soothes the rage.''
The sum was sufficient to respect all the riddles and tedious formalities as ''meaningful imperial customs.''
Yi-Han put the pouch inside his cloak and nodded.
"Thank you. You worked hard too."
"I didn''t do much. But why didn''t you really take out this staff...?"
Yi-Han lied, thinking the followers would be hurt if he told the truth.
"The duke developed a phobia of staffs. So I only exined to him what kind of staff it was."
"...It''s really hard to believe!"
"Indeed. That''s how things in the world usually are."
"I thought hisplexion seemed a bit off earlier... But you still ended it so calmly, it''s truly amazing."
"The duke is embarrassed, so don''t spread rumors. Understood?"
"Of course."
Rowena nodded, moved that Yi-Han trusted and told her.
Among the many followers of the princess, the fact that he only told Rowena meant that he thought she was the most trustworthy!
¡ª
"Do I really have to wear this outfit?"
Gainando asked with a sorrowful face.
The undead realm ovep phenomenon invited by Professor Mortum.
The seniors were very concerned about the first-year students participating and gave some advice.
-Participate in the following attire. And what else do you need... A backpack, and bring a lot of fresh water.-
-(Yi-Han) Can''t I summon water?-
-You''ll have a hard time summoning water due tock of mana, and it will quickly spoil due to the mana spread throughout the realm. It takes several times more mana to purify that.-
-Ah. Then I guess I don''t need to bring it.-
-Are you rebelling against your senior now?-
-?!-
There were many useful pieces of advice, and one of them was about the attire.
To be specific...
"I look like a farmer."
"It''s not bad."
In fact, when walking around the city, it was better to look like a farmer than a dark mage.
If a farmer walks around, people will think, ''He must havee to the city with rice and wheat,'' and feel pleased, but if a dark mage walks around, people will be horrified, thinking, ''He must havee to the city with corpses.''
"There''s a reason for all the attire."
Direth walked over from behind, yawning.
Wearing a shabby hat and dragging a magically moving cart behind her, she looked like a farmer with twenty years of experience.
"The moment you reveal yourself as a dark mage inside, the undead will immediately start attacking. We won''t use dark magic as much as possible until the necessary moment."
The undead in the realm they were about to enter didn''t like intruders.
As such, it was advantageous for dark mages to hide their identities as much as possible.
The reason for entering the undead realm was to gather useful materials and reagents ande out, not to engage in a life-or-death battle with the undead.
"But why like a farmer?"
Yi-Han asked, puzzled.
There seemed to be many other harmless-looking outfits.
"The clothes are cheap. It''s good for carrying heavy things, and it''s okay if they get dirty."
"Indeed."
"What do you mean indeed?!"
Gainando grumbled, but Yi-Han and Direth ignored him.
"By the way, this is an exceptional permission for you guys... Only enter up to Area 1 and gather things. Got it?"
"Yes."
Originally, first-year students weren''t taken into the undead realm when it opened.
It was a special permission from Professor Mortum since the opportunity was unpredictable, but still, he couldn''t take them deep inside.
"How far is Area 1?"
"Well? It''s a bit difficult to exin in words... You''ll know when you go in. You can definitely feel it."
ording to Direth''s exnation, mages could definitely feel it.
The changing atmosphere when passing through the outermost region of the realm and entering further inside.
For convenience, dark mages ssified that as Area 1 and Area 2.
"Aren''t you scared?"
In response to Direth''s question, Gainando answered confidently.
"Why would I be when Yi-Han is here?"
"..."
"...Ye-Yeah. Wait a minute. This junior here will enter Area 2 as well."
"What?"
Gainando was startled.
"Yi-Han is a first-year, isn''t he? Gasp. Don''t tell me...?"
No wonder he was so good at magic!
"Didn''t I say this junior received special permission from Professor Mortum?"
"What about us then?"
"That''s why I''m telling you to stay in Area 1..."
"..."
When Gainando looked at her with teary eyes, Direth sighed and said.
"Alright. I''ll watch over you guys until youe out."
"Thank you!"
Seeing that from the side, Yi-Han handed a piece of chocte to Direth.
"...?"
"Please have it. You''re really working hard."
"...I''m only doing it this time, so don''t misunderstand."
''I don''t think so.''
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Chapter 370
Chapter 370
Of course, people like Direth who suffered losses always said it was just this once and their hearts softened.
Yi-Han looked at his senior pitifully.
"I brought snacks, so tell me anytime if you need them."
"Chocte tart? Where did you buy it?"
"I made it myself."
"...Uh, uhm."
¡ª
The dark mages gathered at the city''s main gate boarded the pre-rented carriage and departed.
It was like going on a pic.
Creak creak creak creak-
If only it weren''t for the old carriage that creaked as if it would break down at any moment.
"Cough. I''ll have to recast the magic."
"Stop for a moment!"
The seniors stopped the carriage and rushed out to cast magic on the wheels, axles, and doors in turn.
Seeing that, Yi-Han felt ominous as if he had glimpsed an unfortunate future with divination magic.
''I heard that dark magic doesn''t receive support, but to see it directly like this.''
"I think this should do it."
"It''s still creaking though?"
"If we cast magic to the point ofpletely fixing it, the mana waste would be too severe. We have no choice but to endure this much."
"Hehe. If we dig up some decent mushrooms in the undead realm this time, we can change the carriage too. Aren''t you excited?"
"...Yes!"
Yi-Han resolved to learn magic to eliminate the creaking sound first when the second semester began.
As they took the imperial road and moved away from the city, the number of houses gradually decreased, and only forests and fields began to increase.
Gainando munched on a tart while looking outside the carriage. Raphael, who was sitting by the window, annoyingly pushed Gainando''s head away.
"Stop!"
At the end of the quiet road, armed soldiers and a knight were seen. They stopped the carriage, wary of it.
"What is your purpose foring?"
"Cough. We are mages who havee to study this phenomenon."
Professor Mortum took out a permit and handed it to the soldiers.
Seeing the document stamped with a seal, the knight''s face rxed considerably.
"So you were mages."
As the empire''s territory was so vast, controlling the unusual phenomena urring in various ces was no easy task.
In the case of the undead realm ovepping phenomenon, if not properly controlled, it could lead to a situation where undead waves urred in all directions.
Even if it was discovered first and barely controlled, they still couldn''t bepletely relieved.
As the empire''s territory was so vast, there were also many crazy people who would rush in to try to take advantage of that phenomenon.
It was natural for the knights and soldiers controlling this remote and quiet ce to be on edge.
"Cough. You''re all working hard."
"Seriously... I don''t know why the undead realm had to ovep. Our luck is rotten... It would have been better if it were the nt spirit realm."
"The nt spirit realm would have caused quite a bit of damage too."
"Still, wouldn''t it be better than the undead realm?"
"Well..."
"By the way. Which school are you mages from..."
"Cough cough cough."
Professor Mortum suddenly coughed as if he had choked on something.
The disciples beside him patted their teacher''s back and said.
"Professor. Here''s some water!"
"His health is quite poor..."
"Oh dear. I apologize. I kept an unwell person for too long. Hey. Let them pass."
As the soldiers stepped aside, the carriage sped off.
Professor Mortum stopped coughing and raised his head.
"Cough. Are they gone?"
"They''re gone."
"..."
The first-year students watching inside the carriage looked at Direth with shocked eyes.
"...The permit was properly obtained, right?"
"I told you we got it!? Junior! Of course, what just happened was a bit unsightly, but we''re not reckless enough to handle this without permission or forgery!"
Direth began to exin.
When such unusual phenomena urred, the nearby passages were ced under control by deploying troops to block crazy people from approaching.
There was a high possibility that they were forming a siege using the nearby military camps or a few small viges to prevent ess.
"What does that have to do with what you just did...?"
"Listen till the end."
In other words, not only the soldiers they just saw, but quite a few people were staying in this area!
It wasn''t just soldiers standing guard, but an ecosystem of sorts had formed in this area, with people helping them stay in the vige, people bringing them food and drink, and people buying mage cards for them to do while staying still.
"??"
Of course, Yi-Han didn''t understand.
What does that have to do with ''I''m a dark mage'' just now?
"If it bes known that we''re dark mages in this situation, we''ll be the first to be suspected when an incident urs. That''s why I avoided answering a bit."
"..."
"..."
When the first-year students didn''t respond, the seniors asked in an anxious voice.
"We didn''t deceive them. The professor just coughed a little, that''s all."
"That''s right. I told you we properly obtained the permit."
"Juniors, you''re not thinking of changing schools because of this, are you??"
''I should go around saying I''m a nt element mage.''
Yi-Han nced at his staff.
Who knew the staff of the tree spirit would be helpful at times like this!
¡ª
The dark magic school students who got off the carriage were divided into the pre-rented inn.
As Direth had said, the vigers weren''t surprised even when a group of travelers visited. Apparently, some people were already wandering around the vige.
There were curious people who heard the rumors and came to directly confirm the truth, mercenaries who seemed to havee to solve suspicious missions, and mages dressed like me element mages for anyone to see.
"Cough. Good work, everyone. Let''s rest well today and start working inside from tomorrow. Wander around the vige moderately. Can I have some hot green tea?"
"Yes. Mage."
Thanks to renting the entire inn, only the students were on the first floor. The owner handed Professor Mortum a steaming cup of green tea.
The respect that imperial people usually showed to mages could be seen in that gesture.
"How does it taste?"
"It''s alright."
"That''s a relief. I used quite good green tea leaves. I''m d it''s not another guest but a mage drinking it. Anyway, the guys who came to the vige because of this incident are all suspicious and unpleasant... The empire says they''llpensate us when it''s over, but how gloomy will the vige atmosphere be in the meantime? It would be nice if only people like you mages came."
"...Cough cough."
As Professor Mortum coughed, the students quickly threw down their luggage and scurried out of the inn.
It would be troublesome for both sides if they stayed and were asked what magic they used.
"There might not be much to see in a vige like this, but don''t wander around too much."
"Don''t drink alcohol. It affects your magic tomorrow."
"Don''t talk to suspicious people for too long."
"Actually, we look the most suspicious. Avoid talking about magic as much as possible. Rumors spread quickly in a small vige."
The seniors gave strict instructions as if they had experienced it a few times.
Even if they were dressed like farmers, as long as they were holding staffs, people couldn''t help but be curious about what kind of mages they were.
"Where are you going, senior?"
"I''m going to meet the merchants to check what materials are needed and the market price."
"I''m going to meet the knights. If we ask the knights, they can drive away suspicious guys."
Yi-Han admired the surprisinglypetent seniors.
"You can go and look around a bit."
"No. I''ll help too."
At Yi-Han''s words, Gainando pulled on the edge of his clothes with a disgusted look.
He wanted to wander around and y.
"It''s really okay..."
"You said it''s okay. Yi-Han."
"What''s there to do anyway?"
"There''s plenty to do. Yi-Han."
"You go over there and look around."
After chasing away Gainando, Yi-Han followed Direth and approached the nearby merchants.
"It''s not that difficult. There are merchants here to sell goods, but there are also merchants who havee to obtain materials."
Merchants also knew that materials woulde out when an ovep phenomenon urred.
As such, quick-witted merchants swiftly rushed over and waited in front.
Tired adventurers didn''t take all the materials out with them.
"It''s good to know in advance which materials are expensive or have bounties on them right now."
"Will the merchants readily tell us?"
"They usually tell mages well. They often need help."
There was an imperial proverb that said, ''If you''re not a fool, don''t make an enemy of a mage.''
It meant that there were many asions when one would be indebted to a mage.
Merchants also had no reason to fight with mages as they came here to do business...
"I''m sorry. I can''t tell you."
"...Huh?"
Direth was taken aback.
Did they find out they were dark mages?
"What''s the reason?"
"Hmm. Mage. I''m telling you this out of respect for you. There... There''s an adventurer who made a contract first. Other merchants will probably be simr to me."
''Oh no.''
Direth clicked her tongue inwardly.
If there was an adventurer who received a mission from a merchant, the story would be different.
It would be troublesome if they carelessly revealed the expensive materials now and someone else took them...
"Does this happen often?"
"No. They don''t usually hire anyone. There''s a higher possibility of not finding them even if you send one or two parties."
From a merchant''s perspective, it was more convenient to just buy what anyone brought, rather than hiring a party and sending them in, which was risky in many ways.
If that party returned empty-handed, they would spend silver coins and gain nothing.
"I don''t know what material it is, but there must bepetition. I didn''t know they would invest that much."
"Hmm."
Yi-Han was lost in thought, wanting to help his hardworking senior, but no method came to mind.
If they were knights, it would be possible to deceive them with a single word, but merchants weren''t that easy.
''Wait. That pattern...''
Yi-Han realized that the pattern on the merchant''s carriage was familiar.
It was the pattern of the Richmond family.
The family of Shyles Richmond from the ck Tortoise Tower, which operated one of the top transportation guilds in the empire.
"Are you perhaps from the Richmond family?"
"Ah. Yes."
"I''m really close with Shyles."
"...Oh, i-is that so? You know Mr. Shyles..."
"Yes. I can say he''s my closest friend."
The merchant was flustered and hesitated at the sudden appearance of the close friend of the family''s young master.
In the meantime, Yi-Han talked about how close he was with Shyles and the things that happened during the lecture.
"Due to the sudden heavy snowfall, we were all isted. Shyles shouted at me to leave him behind. I couldn''t just leave Shyles, so I threw my cloak to him. I did receive silver coins, but that''s not important, and Shyles thanked me with tears in his eyes."
"I... I see."
The listening merchant felt something strange.
Why was there heavy snow at the school?
"Just as I helped Shyles, Shyles also wanted to help me with anything if it was my business."
"..."
"He''s such a kind friend, isn''t he?"
"..."
"When I go back, I''ll tell Shyles that I met a merchant from his family here by chance..."
"...I''ll only tell you two. You really can''t tell anyone else."
"Thank you."
Seeing that, Direth put her hand on her forehead and shook her head.
The other juniors should have directly witnessed this...
¡ª
"Why is the mountain ring mushroom so popr?"
Direth tilted her head after hearing the list.
In fact, the mountain ring mushroom wasn''t a very popr ingredient.
Popr ingredients were usually good for health or versatile ingredients that all mages could use well.
Inparison, the mountain ring mushroom was an ingredient mainly used by dark mages.
It was an ingredient frequently used as a reagent when making curses that reduced or consumed the opponent''s mana, or poisons.
"Isn''t it important that it''s expensive?"
"...You''re really a first-year, aren''t you?"
While talking, other dark magic students could be seen talking to the knights up ahead.
It didn''t seem to be going well, as the students kept making requests with troubled expressions, but the knights firmly shook their heads.
"It seems they''re not having much luck either."
"Senior."
"Yeah?"
"By any chance, are there any knights over there who are rted to the Choi, Moradi, Alpha, Gral, or Bark families, or are there any knights rted to the Chestnut Tree Knight Order or the White Wood Knight Order?"
"..."
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Chapter 371
Chapter 371
Surprisingly, there was.
"My family does belong to the Chestnut Tree Knight Order..."
"What a coincidence! I happened to receive an invitation from the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order!"
"You received an invitation?"
The knights were quite surprised by Yi-Han''s words.
It was rare for mages to be invited to gatherings of knight families unless they were greatly indebted...
"The knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order were truly excellent knights. They were so insistent on repaying the favor to me..."
"Our knight order is indeed like that."
The knight who heard Yi-Han''s praise said with a rxed face.
Of course, Yi-Han inwardly cursed that knight.
What do you mean it''s like that!
"I didn''t know you were a mage who was so close with the knight order."
"I know, right? If we had known, we would have invited you as soon as you arrived at the vige."
Bing close with one knight allowed one to be close with the other knights around him.
From the knights'' perspective, there was no reason not to wee Yi-Han, who seemed to have a great friendship not only with their colleague but also with the Chestnut Tree Knight Order.
After a moderate amount of conversation, Yi-Han casually asked his seniors.
"By the way, what were you trying to request?"
"Ah. To deal strongly with the suspicious guys in the vige and drive them out..."
''As expected.''
Even if it sounded like a bit of an unreasonable request, it was something the knights could sufficiently do if they put their minds to it.
The reason the knights didn''t drive away the travelers flocking to the vige wasn''t because theycked the ability or authority, but because they didn''t want to create more disturbance than necessary.
If the driven-away travelers spread bad rumors or caused amotion here and there, it would be troublesome for nothing, so they let those who had permission pass for now.
As such, it was easy to find an excuse and drive them away if they wanted to.
The seniors didn''t ask to drive away all the other travelers, and only asked to drive away the obviously suspicious people, so to this extent...
"...And asked them to block other travelers from entering while we go in."
"...Let''s ask again without that part?"
Yi-Han was appalled by the shamelessness of these seniors.
¡ª
Surprisingly, the knights even granted the shameless request.
"You''re a benefactor of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order, so we should at least do that much for you."
"What is a knight''s honor for?"
''This seems more like corruption than honor...''
Yi-Han thought so but kept his mouth shut as he was in a position to benefit.
I can''t believe they even granted that request.
"From your perspective as mages, you can''t help but be concerned if there are suspicious travelers."
"We''ll escort them out of the vige and adjust the order of entry for you."
The knights escorted Yi-Han''s group to the vige square. Seeing the knights waving their hands and shouting to be careful going in, the seniors said.
"The Wardanaz family student didn''t bribe those knights, did he?"
"Even if he bribed them, I don''t think it would be to that extent..."
"No. We''re just acquaintances."
"That''s being acquaintances...!?"
"Oh, acquaintances were this powerful?"
The seniors were confused by Yi-Han''s excuse that didn''t sound like him.
If that was being acquaintances, then what had they been doing all this time?
"Anyway, you did really well. Junior. Thanks to you, we can enterfortably."
"Why don''t you y around in the vige like the other first-years? We should be the ones doing this originally, so I feel bad that you''re doing it all..."
-How dare you use a dark magic curse deck!? Are you looking down on me!?-
-What does it matter to you what cards I use! Don''t make excuses after losing!-
"...Don''t y around like that."
"Hurry and go stop them!"
At Direth''s shout, the seniors rushed out.
¡ª
Bagdugul, dressed like a curious traveler enjoying a trip, was sitting on the first floor of the inn.
Like other mages or travelers, Bagdugul had also rented the entire inn.
It was convenient for activities, and...
...anti-magic extremists were usually not wee guests in the empire.
Such Bagdugul was sitting there, bewildered.
"They were expelled?"
"Yes..."
"Exin it again."
"So, well."
The subordinate was also quite flustered and calmly exined again.
First, two parties were expelled from the vige by the knights for being suspicious, and another party was driven out after a big fight broke out while ying a mage card game.
Bagdugul''s mouth opened wide.
He had gone through the trouble of hiring parties and obtaining permission for these parties to enter the realm, and now they just had to wait and go in...
Three out of four parties were expelled.
It was so absurd that he couldn''t believe it.
Bagdugul scratched his cheek and lowered his voice.
"We weren''t found out, were we?"
"Th-that''s absolutely not the case."
The subordinate hurriedly denied it.
Because he knew well that inside the appearance of a loitering wealthy idler, there was a cold-blooded person who could kill a subordinate at any time.
"If we were found out, there would be no reason for them to drive away only the other party guys without touching us, right? They would only raise suspicion unnecessarily!"
"Indeed..."
Bagdugul thought the subordinate''s words made sense.
If their identity as anti-magic extremists was discovered, they would have immediately surrounded the inn instead of unnecessarily driving away other underlings and raising suspicion.
It must have been a coincidence.
"Either the superior of those knight bastards came, or there must be another reason they''re picking on us. Damn it..."
Bagdugul closed his mouth and pondered what to do.
The top priority for Bagdugul''s gang right now was to gather as many mountain ring mushrooms as possible.
For the grand n, they needed a mountain of these rare mushrooms.
So he brought adventurers and mercenaries, but before they could even start, their manpower was reduced.
"We have no choice. First, send a message to the people waiting outside."
"What should I send?"
"Tell them to retrieve the gold coins from those who were expelled."
"Mr. Bagdugul. Considering the temperament of the hired guys, I don''t think they''ll readily hand them over in this situation..."
Usually, those who took on such missions were a bit shady and rough, so even if they failed the mission due to their own mistake, they often didn''t readily return the contract money.
"Of course, you shouldn''t tell them to hand it over with words. Tell them to kill and take it."
"I-I apologize."
"We can only enter with one party... Rather than the knight bastards picking on us, I can understand that, but what the hell is that bastard who got expelled for ying a mage card game doing? Tell them to kill him especially painfully."
"I think he got angry because the opponent used a dark magic curse deck and won."
"...Goodness... Our luck is really rotten. To encounter such a foul bastard in this remote vige."
"Yes. It''s truly unbelievable."
"Enough. Then just tell them to kill himfortably."
Bagdugul retracted his previous words.
If he encountered such an opponent, he could understand themotion a little.
"You know that I won''t forgive you if things get moreplicated, right? No more mistakes can happen now."
"I... I keep that in mind. Don''t worry! I''ve already grilled the knights properly. They''ll let us know at least a day before the others!"
¡ª
"Shh. Everyone,e out quietly. The realm is getting closer. It will open within an hour."
When the knights carefully knocked on the inn door and enteredte at night, whispering, Professor Mortum was bewildered.
Then he looked at the dark magic school students and asked.
"Cough... How much money did you give them? You didn''t use all the public funds, did you?"
"No. Professor."
"This junior here persuaded them."
Professor Mortum looked at Yi-Han like he was a monster and nodded.
"It''s good that they informed us in advance. Cough. Let''s go in."
As the mages came out, the knights said confidently.
"We''ll try to hide this fact from others as much as possible. If we do it well, we can buy you more than two days."
"...Is this really okay?"
Yi-Han tried to hold back, but he couldn''t help but ask.
Is this really okay??
"For the sake of honor, this much is nothing."
"Have a safe trip."
"..."
Yi-Han moved his feet, pondering what a knight''s honor was.
As it was not even dawn yet, the students yawned and walked along the trail.
"!"
Yi-Han''s expression hardened first. Seeing that, Professor Mortum spoke as if admiring.
"You already detected mana? Even I haven''t yet!"
"Ah. Gainando ate all his share of snacks..."
"..."
Professor Mortum felt awkward for nothing.
And the group walked again.
"!!"
"...Could it be that you really detected mana..."
"Yes."
"Cough, excellent!"
Professor Mortum praised Yi-Han. Fortunately, this time he really did detect mana.
"Negative mana is gathering, is this the ovep?"
"That''s right. The stagnant mana is explosively causing abnormal phenomena under the influence of the surrounding environment."
Professor Mortum pointed ahead.
It was already dark, but the mages could feel an even darker darkness settling over that darkness.
"It''sing."
"Juniors, stay in the back. Don''t get hurt by being in the front for nothing."
Bang!
A powerful wave of mana that only mages could feel burst out.
It was so strong that the nearby seniors staggered, stumbled, or knelt down.
Direth barely maintained bnce and looked back at the first-years.
"Is everyone alri... alright."
"Only Yi-Han is alright...!"
Gainando, who fell over Raphael, grumbled and got up.
Everyone except Yi-Han was rolling on the ground.
"It''s open. Let''s all go in!"
"Yes!"
"For gold coins! For abundant dark magic research!"
Shouting a slogan that was embarrassing to shout in front of others, the seniors began to run.
The knights tilted their heads and asked.
"What magic was that just now..."
"Then I''ll see you next time!"
Yi-Han also took his friends and hurried in.
¡ª
"Damn it. It''s a cave."
"Our luck sucks."
"Think positively. Mushrooms actuallye out more often in caves."
The dark magic school students who passed through the realm gate grumbled.
Originally, the terrain of other realms didn''t turn out as the mages wanted. Luck had to be on their side to some extent.
The best was open, easy-to-move terrain...
Terrain like dark, narrow, andplex caves wasn''t very good.
"Cough. Everyone, keep in mind what you learned. Use magic as carefully as possible. Be even more careful when using dark magic. Avoid fights if possible..."
With those words, Professor Mortum waved his staff. The dark vision magic was cast on everyone present.
"...Move slowly. Don''t make loud noises. Don''t warm your body."
"Professor. I have a question."
Yi-Han carefully asked.
"Cough. What is it?"
"Is my mana okay? Because I have a lot of mana..."
At Yi-Han''s words, a senior next to him said it was fine.
"It gets a bit more twisted if you have a lot of mana, but it''s okay. I''ll buff you."
"Cough. That won''t work for him."
"..."
"..."
"And it doesn''t matter. With your level of mana, the undead in Area 1 will run away."
The seniors were shocked.
Of course, they learned that having an overwhelming amount of mana beyond just a little gave off a threatening aura, but...
...To think they would actually see it!
"Senior?"
"Wh-why are you calling me, sir junior?"
"..."
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Chapter 372
Chapter 372
Yi-Han slightly frowned.
"Please call me informally."
"I am, I am calling you informally?"
"..."
"What I just said slipped out by mistake."
The senior btedly tried to regain their dignity.
Of course, it was surprising that Yi-Han''s mana was at an unheard-of level, but weren''t they the seniors who entered Einroguard first?
They couldn''t abandon their dignity as seniors.
"But exactly how much do you have?"
"Even if there aren''t strong ones among the undead in Area 1, does it make sense for them to run away just by sensing mana? Wasn''t the professor exaggerating?"
¡ª
It made sense.
The seniors who witnessed the ghoul hound that appeared in the opposite passage whimpering and running away looked at Yi-Han with eyes that had seen something unbelievable.
"How many times is it?"
"S-six times."
"Isn''t it much more effective than an undead repelling potion? We won''t need it, right?"
Originally, exploring the undead realm was a lonely and suffocating task.
Mages had to cast a dark vision spell and carefully take slow steps, even minding their breathing.
Loud noises, heavy breathing, sweat, or body odor attracted the undead, and while fighting the undead, more undead would flock to themotion.
At this point, gathering or exploring became meaningless, and they had to focus solely onbat.
To avoid this situation, they had to thoroughly avoid enemies from the beginning.
Using an undead repelling potion to prevent their approach was also a good method, but it had the disadvantage of consuming a lot of potions.
However, today they discovered a new method.
A living human undead repellent!
"This way. Junior."
"I detected undead. Junior. Walk quickly in that direction! Yes! That''s it! The undead are running away!"
"Stand here for a bit! So they can''te!"
Seeing Yi-Han standing still, Direth apologized in a sorry voice.
"Sorry. Junior. Are we overworking you?"
"Huh? No. Honestly, this much is easy."
"...I-I see."
"Ah. There are shadow bugs here!"
"I''m going to get the collection now!"
Seeing her juniors running over with equipment at Yi-Han''s shout, Direth thought to herself.
''...I wonder if the positions of seniors and juniors will be reversed in about half a year...''
¡ª
About two days after Yi-Han''s group entered, Bagdugul, who was in the vige, slowly began to feel something strange.
"...It''s strange?"
It was rare for there to be a two-day deviation from the scheduled ovep date.
Other parties in the vige seemed to have felt it too, as they could be seen chatting and murmuring in the square.
"What do the knights say?"
"They keep saying it hasn''t opened yet, and that they''ll let us know first as soon as it opens..."
"...Those bastards couldn''t have?"
Bagdugul felt an ominous feeling creeping up.
In the empire, people with some brains didn''t trust knights.
Knights had their own solid internal logic, so they often arbitrarily broke promises.
"Check the surroundings first. See if any parties have disappeared or not!"
"U-understood!"
"And keep probing the knights! If they show a strange reaction, push them hard! Even the knight bastards won''t be able toe on strong if they have something to feel guilty about!"
As they sent people to poke around here and there, a clue quickly emerged.
A group of mages who had arrived a few days ago hadn''t been seen for a while, and one or two of the knights avoided eye contact.
As the answer became clear, Bagdugul became so furious that his face turned red.
"How dare these knight bastards?!"
"I-I''m sorry!"
"Go and call all the guys that have been resting. We''ll depart now!"
Bagdugul gritted his teeth, vowing to repay this debt someday.
The goal was more important, so he let it slide, but these knights were truly infuriating.
"Sir Knight! Is it true that the realm has opened?"
"What is this! Why were you hiding it!"
Other adventurer parties gathered in the square were already confronting them first.
Those who heard the rumorste shouted in great anger.
"Answer us!"
"It seems to be a misunderstanding."
"What!?"
"The realm opened an hour ago today."
"...What does that... We heard! Two days ago, something ck was spreading in the forest! Isn''t that when the entrance opened!"
"It''s a false rumor."
"It''smon for false rumors to spread along with such unusual phenomena."
''These bastards are really shameless!''
The adventurers were amazed by the knights'' iron wall, never admitting their faults even in this situation.
It wasn''t for nothing that not just anyone could be a knight.
"Then why are you telling us now that it opened an hour ago?"
"If we had announced it right after it opened and let you enter, how much damage would there have been from fighting each other? Look at the situation now."
"At times like this, an orderly entry is necessary."
"..."
The adventurers realized that arguing further would only be a loss for them.
''Damn it.''
''Curse them.''
They grumbled and obediently moved their feet toward the realm''s entrance. Bagdugul also followed behind with his party.
He wanted to start a sword fight right away, but he couldn''t cause amotion.
"I-I''m sorry."
"..."
"I will definitely find and secure the mushrooms."
"Of course you should if you don''t want to die. Properly scout the other parties. If there are guys who found the mushroom location..."
At the superior''s words that seemed to reek of blood even when spoken quietly, the subordinate nodded while trembling.
¡ª
"Found it! I found it!"
"Quickly dig it out!"
"Should I help too?"
"No. You can just stand still."
"Don''t waste your energy. Your mana will be consumed."
Gainando and Raphael grumbled as they pulled out the mushrooms from the ground and put them in a basket.
''I''m good at standing still too!''
Unlike Yi-Han, the other first-year students received no special treatment. They had to work as much as they came.
"It was huge that we came before others. It seems we swept up everything in Area 1."
"Right? It seems we obtained everything we could get now."
The seniors put their heads together andpared the maps they each drew.
Although it was a winding andplex cave, thanks to the mages wandering around for two days, it was fairlypleted to some extent.
"We checked everything here."
"This side is all done too. We dug out all the shadow stones stuck on the walls."
"Maybe we should slowly head towards Area 2 now."
When Gainando gave a pitiful look, the seniors spoke as if they understood.
"We''ll let you guys out and go in, so don''t worry."
"Unlike other times, we bought a lot of time, so it''s enough."
¡ª
"You opened it two dayste?"
"Hehe. It wasn''t very difficult."
The students who came out, having bought a lot of time andpleted the map, were surprised to hear the exnation from the knight.
To think they would buy them two days.
"I thought it was strange that I didn''t see other people..."
Hearing that, Yi-Han suddenly thought of something and asked.
"Wait. Then the people who enteredte won''t have anything to take from Area 1, right?"
"That''s right. But what can we do?"
"If they''re upset, they should havee early."
"Or go into Area 2."
At the shameless response of the dark mages, Yi-Han thought he understood a little why dark mages were cursed in the empire.
"You don''t have to feel sorry at all. Junior. We did what we had to do. Let''s rest and organize the materials a bit before going in."
"It''s nice to be able to rest a bit before entering Area 2."
The seniors spoke with joy.
Of course, since they had to save on expenses, resting only meant eating some rough food from the inn and lying down, but it was much morefortable than wandering around in the gloomy undead realm with nerves on edge.
"Uh, what if I ask the merchants to bring more food? If you only eat whates out of the inn, you''ll probablyck energy... The merchants will also wee it if we trade them a little, as they''re short on mountain ring mushrooms now."
"...Junior, can''t you just move up a grade ande to our year??"
The students were moved to tears at the sight of a junior presenting such a tempting suggestion that was music to their ears.
¡ª
"I was going to kill them anyway, so this is perfect. Kill them!"
"H-how dare you?!"
As Bagdugul''s subordinates began swinging their swords, the other side was startled.
They thought at most it was a young master who heard the rumors and came to watch, so they picked a fight, but it was such a sudden ambush.
"Kill them!"
"These bastards took what we were going to take first! Destroy them and take it!"
The parties that entered the empty Area 1te were suddenly embroiled in internal strife.
At first, the parties wandered around thinking it was just bad luck and that something useful woulde out soon, but they became on edge and began to suspect other parties.
-Those bastards must have taken it first and came out, right?-
-I thought it was suspicious that they moved first, but could it be¡-
The air was taut with tension.
The one who burst this situation first was none other than Bagdugul.
He had no intention of taking these unnecessarypetitors with him anyway, as he had to gather materials.
Bagdugul''s subordinates, who were going to kill them anyway, thought it was perfect when they even picked a fight, so they rushed at the other adventurer party, swinging their swords.
"Block them!! It''s an ambush!!"
"Lower your heads! Raise your shields! Arrows areing!"
"Don''t let those bastards use potions!"
"Scrolls! What about scrolls?!"
Shouts flew here and there, and other parties who heard it from afar also began swinging their weapons, swayed by it.
"If you approach, I''ll kill you! Don''te near!"
"You''re the guys who were fighting earlier, aren''t you? Don''te close! If you don''t want to be suspected!"
The atmosphere was on the verge of exploding, ready to mercilessly swing weapons if they shed.
Bagdugul didn''t care.
"Now that it''se to this, get rid of them all."
"W-will it be alright?"
"Looking at the situation now, it''s better to deal with them all than to leave them alone. Even if it''s a bit tiring, let''s endure it and handle them. Area 2es after that."
¡ª
The students who finished recharging entered again.
This time, the number of people was reduced by about half. Because the target was Area 2.
"You''ll feel the difference as soon as you enter too."
"Cough. The undead in Area 2 will attack even if they''re scared of mana. They''re that ferocious."
"Of course, if you avoid them well, you won''t encounter them, so you don''t have to worry about that."
"Rather than that, junior. Should I carry your luggage for you?"
The seniors were worried that Yi-Han might get tired if he carried luggage.
If Yi-Han got tired, his mana would also decrease, and then the undead repellent of Area 1 would also weaken...
"Wait."
Professor Mortum frowned and spoke.
"A fight broke out."
"You mean inside here?"
"How long has it been since it opened?"
It wasn''t a rare urrence, but it wasn''t that frequent either.
The students were already puzzled by the sight of other people fighting.
"Cough. Normally we don''t intervene, but this time..."
The fight Professor Mortum saw with his remote viewing magic showed one side unterally attacking the other.
"Should we prepare to fight?"
"No. Cough. Their skills are quite decent, so there''s nothing good about fighting them."
"Can''t we send the undead to drive them away instead? They''re people too, so won''t they get tired if the undead keep flocking?"
At Yi-Han''s question, Professor Mortum was about to say what nonsense that was, but he hesitated.
"...It seems like it could work. It''s not dangerous either."
"We have an undead repellent here, so it''s sufficiently possible!"
"Hey. You idiot. The junior is listening."
"..."
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Chapter 373
Chapter 373
Direth gently brought her palms to both of Yi-Han''s ears. Yi-Han pushed her away, feeling displeased.
"Uh, wouldn''t it be dangerous to lure the undead from another realm?"
"Cough. It usually is."
Professor Mortum readily agreed with Direth''s point.
One of themon mistakes made by talented mages was entering another realm and acting as usual, only to meet a miserable death.
Using dark magic and summoning undead in the undead realm was simr to smearing honey and approaching a swarm of starving insects.
No matter how much dark magic was used outside, there was no particr resonance, but in a realm with different rules, the mage wouldn''t know what changes might ur.
Bluntly put, with bad luck, using a curse just once could attract a great demon who felt a special displeasure from the mana''s vibration.
And besides that, gathering undead in one ce was just a dangerous act.
An undead army gathered in one ce would grow in scale on its own like a snowball rolling down a slope until it became toorge for anyone to stop.
"But there is a method."
"What...?"
"Using this Wardanaz... No, borrowing the power of Wardanaz."
Yi-Han gave a bitter smile at the sight of Professor Mortum speaking like Professor Beavle.
''You reveal your true colors after I went through the trouble of having you attend the gathering.''
"Cough. The fact that the undead avoid Wardanaz... In other words, it means we can also guide the movement of the undead. Without the need to useplex magic to lure the enemy."
Professor Mortum intended to use only a few very simple spells.
Just detecting the location of the enemy and the undead and conveying it to Yi-Han through telepathy.
With Professor Mortum''s skill level, he couldpletely hide the flow of mana leaking out, and it wasn''t dark magic, so it could be considered safe to this extent.
"What about the risk of undead gathering in one ce?"
"It''s alright. Senior."
Yi-Han answered instead. Direth was puzzled.
"Why?"
"The enemies will end up fighting each other first anyway, so if it seems strange, we can stop then, right?"
"...Y-yeah."
Direth wondered if the junior was angry.
"You''re not angry, are you?"
"Huh? No, I''m not?"
¡ª
"Chase them and finish them off."
"Yes!"
As the enemy''s vanguard, who had persistently endured with shields and heavy armor, finally copsed, Bagdugul gave a fierce order.
The frightened enemy party turned their backs and fled in a fluster.
Now all that remained was the time for ughter...
Screech-
"Damn it, how many undead were there around here?"
"Ghouls from the side!"
The subordinates who were about to chase shouted in frustration at the sight of undead rushing out from the side passage.
The undead had beening out since earlier, prolonging the fight, and now they wereing out again.
"Deal with them. If we let them chase from behind, it''ll be annoying."
"I know!"
The subordinates tried to sweep away the undead like before and pursue.
However, before that fight even ended, a new group of undead appeared from the back.
"Zombie lizards!"
As huge monsters resembling long-legged crocodiles approached from the back with heavy footsteps, the subordinates let out sighs mixed with irritation.
Dealing with suchrge monsters alone was no ordinary task.
"Allow us to use potions!"
"You think we have potions to spare?"
"But..."
"Tsk. Use only one!"
Bagdugul finally allowed the use of potions.
He had tried to limit the usage because there was still a lot of work left to do, but he could see that the subordinates were gradually getting tired.
ng!
Whoosh!
As a potion bottle was thrown into the passage, blue mes erupted. The approaching undead hesitated, not daring to approach.
Bagdugul and his subordinates had naturally prepared ordingly to enter the undead realm. The was worth its expensive price.
"Deal with... No, what!!"
The subordinates shouted.
The undead, who normally wouldn''t even be able to approach the mes, suddenly started rushing in as if they had eaten something wrong, even enduring being burned by the mes.
As if something more terrifying than the mes was chasing them from behind.
"I''m going to kill that alchemist bastard!"
"Split in half and respond!"
Shouting curses and yells, the subordinates confronted the monsters with all their might.
An hourter.
Bagdugul''s subordinates moved their feet, drenched in blood, filth, and sweat.
"...This won''t do. Let''s go out for a bit ande back in."
"Thank you!"
Normally, there would be no time to spare due to beingte, but the battle was too intense.
If they kept pushing forward like this, even the most loyal subordinates would inevitably rebel.
Bagdugul gave up and decided to go out for a while.
"Rest..."
"Drop your weapons and raise your hands, adventurers! If you don''tply, we will attack!"
"?!?"
Bagdugul and his subordinates were startled by the brutal siegeworkpleted near the entrance.
Not only the knights but also the nearby soldiers seemed to have been called, forming a tight siegework near the entrance.
''This is...!?''
The sight of crossbows and bows sharply aimed and ready to fire was not ordinary.
This was on a different level from a typical arrest.
"I-I don''t know the reason!"
"You are suspected of arbitrarily attacking others inside the realm. Drop your weapons!"
"It''s a misunderstanding! It was purely self-defense..."
There was a reason for Bagdugul''s frustration.
Attacking another party inside a realm or dungeon was indeed a clear crime.
However, in practice, it was a meaningless statement.
How would they prove what happened inside?
Even if they investigated or inquired, parties that caused problems in this way often cleverly provoked the other side.
They would push until the other side attacked and then im self-defense.
As such, even if they heard testimony that a fight broke out inside and they were attacked, the response was usually lukewarm at best.
Giving a warning or expelling both sides, that sort of thing.
But for some reason, these knights seemed to have eaten something wrong this time, bringing all the nearby soldiers to make a definite arrest.
This was not a typical situation.
''Should I kill them all?''
Bagdugul felt his murderous intent squirming.
It was hard to endure the knights constantly picking fights without knowing their ce.
Why were these knights acting like this?
"This is the final warning. If you don''t drop your weapons, we will attack!"
"...Let''s drop our weapons."
Bagdugul spoke while gritting his teeth to the point of bleeding.
The siegework was so tight and solid that if a fight broke out, half of his subordinates would die.
It was better to be arrested and pay gold coins to be released as quickly as possible.
"Take their weapons and tie them up tightly! Keep them separately so they can''t collude with each other and keep a close watch!"
"Uh, Sir Knight. I have a question... Why are you imprisoning those guys to that extent?"
A soldier who had been called from guarding another area asked, tilting his head.
Hearing what had happened, they didn''t seem to be the type to respond this strictly.
At most, there were only one or two testimonies that they had acted violently or started a fight inside the realm...
"You still don''t know justice. We must subdue suspicious individuals in advance to protect innocent imperial citizens. In my eyes, they are very suspicious!"
"I-is that so?"
''They don''t seem that suspicious though...''
The soldier thought so but didn''t ask further.
As knights to some extent, he believed they must have some insight.
¡ª
"You even asked the knights for a favor?"
Direth asked in a surprised voice.
"Yes. They seemed to be quite violent individuals, and I thought nothing good woulde from being with them, so I asked the knights."
"You did well. But it won''t have much effect. They might inform us in advance, but there''s a limit to holding them."
There was a limit with just testimony that they started a fight.
In most cases, trying to determine who was at fault first in a ce like this was fruitless.
"They''ll probably be questioned for a few hours and released."
"I thought even that much was okay. If they keep being annoying, they might get frustrated and back off."
At Yi-Han''s words, Direth chuckled.
"Yeah. That would be nice."
The two never imagined that the knights outside would have deliberately held them.
"It''s Area 2. Is everyone ready?"
At Professor Mortum''s words, the students nodded and took steps forward.
Whoosh!
From the sudden change in the feeling of the air, Yi-Han understood why the seniors said, ''You''ll know when you feel the area inside the realm change.''
Even the color of the soil on the ground was different. The soil that had been white until now had turned gray.
"The mana with strong dark elements will gradually be darker in color."
"Wow, it''s wide!"
The student who passed through the passage first eximed with joy.
The narrow and winding cave path ended, and a wide-open wilderness came into view. The sky without a single starlight was rippling with ck turbidity.
Crack!
The sound of a bone fragment being crushed under someone''s foot was heard. Bones were scattered like weeds everywhere.
"Cough. Fortunately, it''s bones."
"Is there something unfortunate?"
"If there''s a lot of poison instead of bones, it bes quite troublesome."
"Aha."
Yi-Han understood and then hesitated.
''Isn''t poison more convenient for me?''
"Why are you like that?"
"Ah. I was thinking it''s fortunate that it''s bones."
"Cough. Don''t think it''s too fortunate. Bones can also be troublesome in their own way. Then, let''s each move."
Professor Mortum stuck his staff into the ground. Then the staff grew like a giant tree and transformed into a marker.
"Everyone will remember, but I''ll say it again. Don''t move in a hurry, don''t move noisily, cough. Don''t use a lot of magic, don''t go far."
"I''ll keep that in mind."
The seniors began to move, each holding a staff and basket as if they were used to it.
The seniors who had entered not just Area 1 but Area 2 were students with some confidence and experience.
Unlike the group action in Area 1, they had the confidence to take care of themselves, so they began to move in search of the ingredients they each wanted.
"Let''s go together with me."
"Thank you."
Yi-Han expressed gratitude for Direth''s kindness.
To think she would try to protect her junior like this.
''...I wonder if I can really protect him...''
Direth was momentarily confused by Yi-Han''s words.
She wondered if she had the skill to block enemies that the junior couldn''t handle.
"...I''m not sure about protecting, but I can teach you how to find your way in the undead realm. Just trust me. Junior."
"Wait, why are you not sure about protecting...?"
¡ª
"Oh my! Look at that, junior! It''s a bone tomb! We''re really lucky, right??"
"I suppose so."
"A poison swamp!! There''s even a poison swamp next to it! Does this make sense!?"
"Is that so?"
"That...! That terrain itself is cursed!"
Direth, who had been shouting excitedly alone, came to her senses btedly.
In the eyes of the junior who didn''t know what that was, she probably looked like a strange person.
"Ahem. What that is..."
"Senior. There''s a monster over there."
Yi-Han stretched out his finger and pointed across the poison swamp.
A poison predator the size of a troll, seemingly made by entangling several types of undead, was mumbling and swallowing poisonous mucus.
''Even such a thing appears.''
ording to what he heard, the poison predator was quite a strong monster, but to think he would see it like this.
It wasn''t another realm for nothing.
''How do the seniors deal with such things?''
"What should we do?"
"It''s..."
"?"
"It''s a big problem...!"
Direth whispered with a pale, frightened face.
It wasn''t a monster that should have appeared in Area 2.
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Chapter 374
Chapter 374
As there were no rules in the realm, there were cases where stronger monsters appeared in ces where much weaker monsters would normally appear at other times.
But a poison predator in Area 2.
It meant that not only the appearance of that thing but the entire Area 2 was so dangerous that it was brutal.
"Lower your voice and quietly slip away. It doesn''t seem to have noticed us yet."
"Ah. I see it''s not the type of monster that usually appears."
"...Of course not!"
Direth almost raised her voice for a moment.
If it was an area where such things appeared frequently, how could she have brought a junior?
If that were the case, the students wouldn''t have entered either.
-¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡-
The poison predator mumbled, turned its head, and spat something into the bone tomb.
Then it grabbed another squishy lump and put it back in its mouth and started mumbling again.
"...?"
Direth was puzzled.
What was it doing now?
"Senior. As far as I know, predators eat and swallow other beings to increase their size and strengthen themselves. If such a thing spits it out like that without swallowing, we should see it as an intention to offer it to a stronger being than itself."
"T-that''s..."
Direth, who was surprised by those words, suddenly felt curious.
But how did this junior know that...?
"How do you know that?"
"I learned it from the professor."
"You learn such things in your first year?"
"No. During additional lectures."
"..."
Direth had to hold back to avoid suddenly feeling sad in the midst of this.
"Ugh."
"Why are you turning your head...?"
"It''s nothing. Anyway, if what you say is true, junior..."
If the poison predator was regurgitating food to offer it to a stronger being than itself, that was a creepy thing in its own way.
Because it meant there were many more dangerous monsters in this area.
"Let''s go back quickly and report."
"Yes."
Yi-Han and Direth quietly lowered their postures and turned around.
However, new undead were already wandering on the way back. It was a group of Colossal Hungry Ghosts.
Direth frowned.
"We have no choice."
"Yes. Prepare to fight..."
"What!? No! I''m saying let''s go back!"
"Ah, is that so."
Yi-Han lowered his staff with an embarrassed expression.
He had automatically prepared to fight out of habit.
¡ª
"Senior! You''re back!"
"Did you encounter them too?"
Direth, who had returned to Professor Mortum''s staff marker, was surprised that the juniors had arrived first.
"What do you mean?"
"Predators. We encountered a poison predator on our side. And Colossal Hungry Ghost too..."
"A poison predator?! That must have been really serious."
The junior''s reaction was not the reaction of someone who was frightened by the appearance of a strong monster.
It was the reaction of someone whose mind was distracted.
Yi-Han whispered in amazement.
"Seeing that you''re not afraid of a poison predator, you must all be confident inbat..."
"How could that be! What''s going on with everyone? Why is everyone excited as if they''re drunk?"
"Senior. The professor discovered ruins!"
"!!!"
Direth was startled.
Ruins.
Finding intact ruins on the outside was already difficult and rare, but discovering ruins in another realm was truly a rare urrence.
So many mages went their entire lives without discovering ruins in a realm even once, so there was no need to mention its rarity further.
"R-r-really?"
"Yes!!!"
"...Senior. Didn''t you say it was dangerous when you came earlier..."
Yi-Han was puzzled.
Direth''s eyes were suddenly flickering with a strange light.
Specifically, it was a bit like the eyes of Professor Bdi or Professor Beavle.
"But other realms are usually dangerous."
"..."
Yi-Hanmented inwardly.
Even the normal Direth had be strange.
''Is the foundation of Einroguard bad? Does it corrupt even pure people?''
"Senior. You clearly said earlier that we should prepare to leave quickly when we arrive..."
Direth had said this on the way.
-There''s no benefit in wandering around here now that Colossal Hungry Ghost and even predators have appeared. We''ve gathered enough in Area 1, so it''s okay to leave Area 2 alone. It''s sufficiently profitable.-
-But won''t the other seniors who couldn''t find what they wanted be dissatisfied?-
-I''ll make them listen even if I have to hit them, so don''t worry. Junior.-
But to change like this.
"That''s when there were no ruins. Ruins are worth taking the risk."
Not only Direth but the other seniors also whispered in an enchanted voice.
"Think about it, junior. What kind of artifacts might be inside the ruins."
"It''s certainly intriguing if it''s a dark magic artifact, but..."
"Ah. Dark magic artifacts are no good."
The students reacted firmly.
"Dark magic artifacts aren''t expensive and are difficult to sell, so the professor will use them for research. It has to be other magic artifacts. That way, they''re good to sell."
"..."
"Soon the professor will return and tell us what kind of ruins they are..."
Just then, Professor Mortum came riding a skeletal pony from afar. The professor coughed and coughed even after being gone for a short while.
"How is it, Professor!?"
"How is it?!"
"Cough. Everyone... can rejoice. It''s proper ruins."
"O-oh my...!"
"To have such luck in life!"
"Do I even need to return for the second semester? Can I throw my withdrawal letter in the principal''s face!?"
"Let''s throw it together!"
Professor Mortum grinned at the sight of his happy disciples.
Even Yi-Han, who didn''t have much expectation for the ruins, started to feel slightly excited seeing the seniors like that.
Joining the seniors and throwing a withdrawal letter in the skull principal''s face.
Just thinking about it made him happy...
"Junior. What did you like about what was just said?"
Direth was puzzled by Yi-Han''s changed reaction.
He had been worried until just now, but why suddenly?
"I admired how cool it was when you said you''d throw the withdrawal letter. The professor is really generous too."
"Ah."
Direth understood what he meant.
"He doesn''t care much whether the disciples he doesn''t cherish withdraw or not, and he prevents the disciples he cherishes from withdrawing."
"...I-I see."
Yi-Han nodded and suddenly became curious.
''...I wonder if I''m included among the cherished disciples? Probably not yet?''
¡ª
Even among ruins, there was bound to be a difference in their grade.
The ruins that mages liked were ''intact'' ruins.
Regardless of the type of ruins, there were usually many things to salvage in ruins that had no external intrusion, looting, or weathering.
Inparison, ruins that were half-destroyed and devastated were mostly difficult to expect much from. Such ruins made sighs naturally escape from the mouths of mages.
In that regard, the ruins of the realm discovered by Professor Mortum were amazing.
Surprisingly, the pce-shaped ruins remained intact as a whole!
The pce, built in an unknownplex style, stood silently in the realm.
"Cough. From now on, you can use any magic you want. If you think it''s dangerous, use it unconditionally."
Professor Mortum spoke to the students.
Although there was a risk of stimting the beings of this realm, considering the danger around here, they had to be prepared for that much.
"Mana, lose your power. Walls. Widen... Let''s go in."
Professor Mortum cast a great magic to prevent the remnants of the magic used by the students from leaking out and took the lead.
Then the students also began to prepare for their own exploration.
"Come out, doggy!"
"Ulkas, protect me."
"Fog of poison, engulf."
"Curse, detect hostility..."
From those who summoned undead to those who prepared curse magic or poison magic.
Direth even took out a small crossbow.
"It has a surprisingly goodpatibility with poison element magic... Wait, junior."
"Yes?"
Direth, who hadn''t seen Yi-Han for a moment while preparing poison magic, was shocked.
From a leopard monster with a body made of mchite solution to over ten skeleton warriors.
She couldn''t believe he had increased them to that extent.
"Is this enough?"
"Ah. Of course not."
"Yeah. If you think it''s too much, you can reduce the number..."
"I need to cast enhancement magic on the weapons of the undead. Enhancement magic is essential because their movements are slow."
"...That''s not what I meant. Junior."
Thebat styles of dark mages who controlled undead were diverse, but they basically followed the principle of sending undead forward to lure the enemy.
In the meantime, the dark mage in the rear would strike or confuse the enemy in various ways.
Thud-!
-¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡-
"They''re here. Sentinels."
"Everyone be careful."
As soon as they passed through the entrance of the pce, human-sized golems walking out from both walls attacked.
Despite being surprised, the students used the summoned undead as shields and slowly caught their breath and prepared magic.
A third-year student spoke to Yi-Han.
"Look. Even when enemies appear, never panic and calmly from the back..."
Many mages failed their magic due to the tension when they found themselves in abat situation, but it was a bit different for dark mages.
They couldplete their magic while the summoned undead bought time.
However, there were exceptions.
Someone who had undergone rigorousbat mage training from the beginning and could quickly cast magic even in this situation!
Thwack!
Yi-Han fiercely sent out spinning water orbs, knocking down golems and pounding their torsos. The golems that were constantly hit copsed, revealing their cores.
"Thank you for the advice. Senior."
"...Y-yeah. My advice was very helpful, right?"
Direth inwardly thought the third-year junior was a really shameless guy.
¡ª
-¡ö¡ö¡ö.-
-¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö!-
A summoned skeleton great warrior shed with a golem in strength and crushed it.
As Professor Mortum lightly waved his staff, dark elements permeated the skeleton''s body, and its power was further amplified.
Grateful for the professor''s help, the disciples immediately chanted spells. Then, a corrosion curse was cast on the body of the golem next to them, and its bnce copsed.
"Bones, shoot forth. Bones, explode!"
Another dark mage student managed to drive bones into the solid body of a golem and made them explode.
At the loud noise, Professor Mortum admonished.
"Cough. Attacking is good, but refrain from noisy magic."
"I apologize."
It was very powerful when bone element magic, poison element magic, and curse magic werebined and burst out.
Moreover, the undead summons that the mages had summoned in advance left no gaps.
Thud thud thud thud-
"..."
"..."
And Yi-Han was alone, taking care of the right side and knocking down the charging golems.
There was no need for others to help him.
Yi-Han''s skeletons shot bone arrows, inflicting frostbite and poisoning on the approaching golems.
It didn''t matter if their movements were slow. The over ten skeleton warriors were threatening in their own right.
"Bones. Shoot forth!"
Yi-Han used bone element magic like the other mages.
''Certainly, the power of magic...''
He seemed to understand the reason for the undead realm. Even though it was the same bone element magic, the power was much more brutal.
"Q-quickly defeat them. The junior is taking them all."
"I know. Don''t rush me!"
It was just Yi-Han doing his thing, but it was a different story for the seniors.
The seniors, who were desperately catching up while muttering under pressure, managed to finish slightly ahead of Yi-Han.
When Yi-Han finished and turned his gaze, the seniors nonchntly pretended as if nothing had happened.
"Finished catching them all?"
"Yes."
"We finished catching them all a while ago... Well, it''s still impressive."
"Is that so? You''re amazing!"
When Yi-Han genuinely admired them, the seniors felt a bit guilty.
...Do we have to go this far to maintain the dignity of a senior?!
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Chapter 375
Chapter 375
"Cough. How strange."
While the seniors struggled to maintain their dignity, Professor Mortum was examining the inner passage of the ruins.
Sentinel golems appeared and blocked the way, but that wasn''t really a significant obstacle.
Considering the ruins he had seen so far, it wouldn''t be surprising at all even if there were many more dangerous traps.
"Why is that?"
"There''s nothing special inside."
Direth nodded at the professor''s words.
Certainly, the resistance was weak for ruins this intact. No notable enemies were seen except for the sentinel golems ced at the entrance.
"Darkness, spread out and resonate... Even with this, nothing. Cough. It''s really strange."
Professor Mortum, who cast various exploration magic by extending it toward the inner passage of the ruins, stared into the darkness and became lost in thought.
"Could it be... No."
"What were you thinking?"
"I was wondering if these ruins have an owner. Cough. If the ruins have an owner, they wouldn''ty unnecessary traps."
Most of the ruins that mages in the empire could discover had owners who had disappeared long ago.
However, there were asionally ruins where the owner remained.
In that case, the mage found themselves in a quite difficult situation.
It was almost like trespassing on someone else''snd...
"If there was an owner, we wouldn''t have been able to enter this easily, right?"
Direth tilted her head.
If it were ruins properly managed with a living owner, there should have been some signs before entering.
Not only warnings to prevent outsiders from approaching but also subordinates patrolling the surroundings to prevent ess.
With the outer area of the ruins empty like this and entering through the entrance without any signs of people, there was a low possibility of an owner being present.
"Cough. That''s right. You''re correct. If there was an owner, it wouldn''t be managed like this. Unless the owner is trapped somewhere or recovering from serious injuries..."
Ripple!
"!"
Professor Mortum and Yi-Han were the first to feel the change in the flow of mana inside the pce ruins.
Yi-Han looked around. The walls, floor, and ceiling around the pce entrance began to ripple as if they were mucus.
Although transformation magic could change the properties and shape of matter, to think he would directly witness magic on this scale.
"Everyone, don''t move!"
Professor Mortum, who felt something ominous about the current situation, immediately took action.
Gone was the sickly appearance of his usual coughing, and Professor Mortum''s eyes shone as he swung his staff.
"Imand, open the path of yin (TL: As in yin and yang)! The ropes of darkness shall bind!"
Instantly, a door connected to the yin realm appeared behind the students, and ropes made of dark elements shot out from inside.
Originally, it was a magic that temporarily pulled enemies into the yin realm by opening a door using dark elements, but Professor Mortum adapted this magic to use it as a spatial movement magic.
If adapted, it became a powerful defensive magic that could temporarily protect the students.
The students who passed through the yin realm popped out next to Professor Mortum. The students felt dizzy as if they were about to vomit from the sudden contact with dark elements.
Gurgle!
However, it was quickly revealed that Professor Mortum''s judgment was correct.
The floors that had been fine until now began to ripple and descend below, and the walls approached each other as if they would collide, erasing and changing the space.
If he had tried to move directly and bring them, a few would have fallen along the way.
"P-Professor!"
Creak!
Professor Mortum extended his palm to calm the frightened students and began to bring the surrounding bones under his control.
A huge bone tform appeared in the dark void where a solid floor had been until now. The remaining bones enveloped it like walls.
Only then could the students let out a sigh of relief.
"Professor!"
"Calm down. A trap like the floor disappearing isn''t even that dangerous. Seeing this kind of reaction, this ruin isn''t that dangerous either..."
"No, the junior disappeared!"
"!!!"
¡ª
At first, when the seniors moved to the yin realm through teleportation, leaving only himself behind, Yi-Han thought he had done something wrong to Professor Mortum.
''Did I do something wrong?''
However, seeing the dark elements and the cracks between realms bouncing off as they tried to envelop his body, he understood what had happened.
''Professor...! This is what happens when you adapt attack magic to everything...!''
As Professor Mortum''s magic bounced off, just like the poison or other curses had, it was more absurd than frightening.
As he felt the sensation of the floor disappearing and falling downward, Yi-Han immediately levitated an iron orb.
"Move!"
It wasn''t originally a magic meant to endure falling, nor was it a magic capable of supporting Yi-Han''s weight, but Yi-Han''s crude mana fixed the iron orb in the air as if it were nailed.
A strong impact rose to his shoulders.
Yi-Han endured by infusing mana into his body.
"Feet, grasp the earth... Space, be perceived!"
He cast enhancement magic and spatial perception magic in case of unexpected situations. The surroundings were still rippling, but thanks to the magic, his sense of distance returned.
''There''s a floor!''
Yi-Han levitated a sphere of light. Then, changing the position of the iron orb, he began to descend, while vowing to definitely learn slow fall magic as soon as he returned to the magic academy.
''I should have learned it right after the incident with the Rock Drake... I''m suffering like this because I didn''t study.''
Yi-Hanmented.
It wasn''t for nothing that the professors said, ''Are you studying to give it to others? It''s all for your own sake.''
He would study more diligently in the second semester.
Thud!
"?!"
As something swiftly fell beside him while he was safely descending, Yi-Han was startled and turned his gaze.
"What..."
"Arm, my arm..."
"Senior!"
Ogoldos, a second-year senior, was rolling around next to him with a painful groan.
Unlike Yi-Han, Ogoldos wasn''t bold enough to chant spells while falling in the void.
It was fortunate that he hadid out his pre-summoned undead as a cushion; otherwise, not just his arm but his entire body would have been shattered.
"Are you alright?"
"I''m, I''m fine. It''s okay."
Ogoldos waved his hand, sweating with a pale face.
As a senior by one year, he didn''t want to show weakness in front of his junior.
Moreover, hadn''t Ogoldos suspected that juniors like Yi-Han or Gainando weren''t sincere about dark magic?
He couldn''t receive help from a junior to whom he had said such things.
"Your arm is broken, right?"
"I said I''m fine. A splint..."
By the second year at Einroguard, students were capable of emergency treatment for injuries to a certain extent, excluding instant death.
Ogoldos tried to chant a spell while holding his staff. However, it wasn''t easy due to the pain. The spell went astray several times, and the mana scattered.
"Senior. Just let me do it."
"It''s fi..."
Yi-Han, who was getting annoyed, thought for a moment and grabbed Ogoldos''s shoulder, overpowering him with strength.
Even if he got on the skull principal''s bad side, he would have a hard time at the magic academy for several years at most, so how hard would it be to get on the bad side of a second-year senior from another tower?
"What are you doing... Aargh!"
"Stick together!"
Surprisingly, instead of applying a splint and performing emergency treatment, the junior swung his staff and cast a spell.
Ogoldos screamed at the sudden healing magic.
"Stop! What are you doing! No!"
Ogoldos, who remembered a second-year priest failing a healing magic and rotating his friend''s slightly sprained finger by 360 degrees, desperately tried to stop him.
A sprained finger was already dangerous, but a broken injury was even more...
"Try moving it."
"...???"
Ogoldos moved his arm, dumbfounded.
Surprisingly, there was no pain.
Yi-Han silently nodded and said,
"I had no choice but to cast it first due to the urgent situation."
"..."
Ogoldos pondered and pondered, then tried to open his mouth.
"Tha... Tha..."
-Growl.-
"Sharakan. There''s a path over there? Thank you. Senior. There''s a path over there... What were you trying to say?"
"It''s... It''s painful."
"Oh dear. Your injury must have been severe."
-Growl.-
"Sharakan. You shouldn''t treat him like that. It''s not like the senior wanted to get hurt."
"..."
¡ª
Ogoldos had never sat on a bed of nails.
A third-year senior imed to have sat on a bed of nails in the senior''s room in the basement of the Punishment Room (Ogoldos was still confused whether it was a bluff or not), but fortunately, Ogoldos didn''t have such an experience.
However, right now, Ogoldos felt like he was sitting on a bed of nails.
"...Da-damn it. The magic..."
Mages were delicate creatures.
Not only the shock of failing magic but also the shock of the surrounding walls dancing and the floor disappearing, causing them to fall, could shake their mana and make them unable to use magic for a certain period.
No matter how hard Ogoldos tried to concentrate, the flow of mana inside his body was twisted and wouldn''t move.
"Senior. It''s alright. I can use magic."
"...I said I''ll do it. Just a moment... Ugh."
"Gonadaltes. Support the senior."
"It''s fi... What? What did you say?"
"Huh? What is it?"
"No... That... Never mind. It''s fine."
Ogoldos tried to say something about the name of the skeleton warrior but stopped.
It was a mage''s freedom to name their summons whatever they wanted, but...
...Isn''t that a bit too free?!
-¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö.-
"..."
Yi-Han walked forward.
Except for Sharakan and Gonadaltes, he had unsummoned all the other skeletons. They were too slow and hindered movement.
Of course, from Ogoldos''s perspective, it was perceived a bit differently.
''Because of me...!''
Thinking that the junior was canceling the other undead to support him, his face felt hot.
"That''s..."
Yi-Han stopped walking.
An eerie scene caught his eye at the other end of the underground passage.
Ogoldos, who still had the dark vision magic remaining, blinked and said,
"A prison..."
"Punishment room... Ah, a prison. Out of habit."
"..."
Surprisingly, the ce connected at the end of the passage was an underground prison. Yi-Han was amazed that such a ce existed underground in the ruins.
''I thought ruins were all broken and damaged ces.''
Walking through the passage, there were cells arranged in a circr pattern.
One peculiar thing was that there were no iron bars. The walls that should have blocked the prisoners froming out were nowhere to be seen.
For a moment, Yi-Han thought someone hade first and ripped off the bars.
-Who is it? Which fearless intruder is wandering the king''s prison?-
"!"
Yi-Han was startled by the fact that he hadn''t noticed the other party who was this close to him.
Unless the other party was a more skilled mage than Yi-Han, he would have definitely sensed their mana first.
-You''d better hide quickly. If you''re caught, you won''t be able to stay unharmed.-
The one who spoke was an undead mage inside a nearby cell. Yi-Han realized why he hadn''t noticed the other party. When the other party removed the cloak they were wearing, only then did he feel their mana.
Seeing no hostility unique to monsters, Yi-Han carefully asked,
"Who are you?"
-Who am I? I''m a sinner who couldn''t keep the king''smand.-
"Then who is the king?"
-...What are you saying... How did you enter here? Did youe in without knowing that this is the pce where the King of Ghouls reigns? What about the soldiers outside??-
"...?!"
At the somewhat familiar name, Yi-Han hesitated.
It couldn''t be, right?
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Chapter 376
Chapter 376
Yi-Han threw questions at the undead mage to extract more information.
The undead mage, also very curious about the situation outside, readily answered Yi-Han''s questions.
Originally, this pce was used as a residence by the King of Ghouls, and the king''s royal guard protected the throne, while the king''s soldiers patrolled around the pce, firmly blocking the approach of wandering intruders.
Although the King of Ghouls was a violent tyrant, his power was real, so even when chaos erupted nearby, the king''s pce burned with darkness, lofty without a single flicker...
"There was nothing like that."
-What??-
"There was nothing like that. No burning darkness... It was just an ordinary building. We could easily enter."
Although the undead mage had no flesh or muscle on his face, he could still express shock with just bones.
-Impossible! The mes of omnipotence have been extinguished! The arrogant king wouldn''t have just watched that happen!-
"Shouting at me is pointless..."
The undead mage was confused for a while, not knowing how to react to this unbelievable news from outside.
At that moment, a nking sound came from the opposite passage.
-This is bad! The prisoners areing!-
"Aren''t you a prisoner too?"
-Our circumstances may be the same, but our status is different. Those guys enjoy struggle and pain.-
Those imprisoned in the dungeon of this pce had the same circumstances but different statuses.
Some, like the undead mage, were imprisoned for refusing the orders given by the King of Ghouls, while others, like the ones walking from the opposite side, were caught and thrown in for violently enjoying fights.
In thetter case, rather than despairing about being trapped in an inescapable prison, they tried to maintain their hobbies even inside.
They attacked and tried to defeat fellow prisoners inside the prison.
Anyway, even if the undead prisoners in this underground prison were shattered and copsed, they were set to recover and resurrect after just a week. It was a ce of unparalleled happiness for battle maniacs who loved to fight.
-Do you know why there are no bars here? It''s because the king wants the prisoners to fight each other.-
"I understand. So what should we do?"
-What should we do? Don''t resist and ept it. They''ll like it more if you pick a fight.-
The undead berserkers in the underground prison were fascinated by fighting itself.
Unless they hid and luckily avoided it like the undead mage, confronting them would only stimte the opponent.
Of course, for Yi-Han, the undead mage''s words were nonsense that couldn''t be epted.
''I can''t resurrect.''
"Let''s fight together."
-What do you mean fight together? Why should I?-
"If the enemy approaches, I''ll definitely draw them in anyway. Don''t regret itter and fight together from the beginning."
-...I don''t know where you came from, but you must have been born with a vile bloodline!-
The undead mage spat out curses and walked out of the cell.
Still, the mage seemed to dislike the undead berserkers who caused trouble every time more than an intruder like Yi-Han, so he gave sincere advice as soon as he came out.
-They are tough and numerous.-
As a result of attaching the flesh of strong ones and grinding muscles while wandering this prison for an uncountable long period, the defense of the undead berserkers was so persistent that ordinary magic couldn''t prate it.
Moreover, they didn''t wander alone but formed groups, so from the undead mage''s perspective, no matter how much he tried topete with magic, there was no answer.
-To counter this, one magic is not enough... So what magic can you use?-
Instead of answering, Yi-Han cast a spell.
As there was no time, he couldn''t wait and exin one by one.
When over ten skeleton warriors took their positions in the corridor, the undead mage looked at Yi-Han as if it was quite impressive.
-I don''t know which kingdom you came from, but you seem to be at least a chief mage.-
"..."
Ogoldos, who was being supported next to him, felt it was so absurd that he couldn''t even speak.
-But their movements are too slow. It seems you haven''t practiced undead summoning much.-
"Yes. I''m still verycking."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yi-Han cast cold magic on the spears and bows held by the skeleton warriors.
When the cold magic he learned from Alcicle was cast, a chilling cold air emanated from the blunt bone spears and arrows.
-Indeed. You focused more on other areas than undead summoning... Cold magic is a good choice.-
"Fog, spread."
When Yi-Han even used illusion magic, the undead mage was amazed.
-Even illusion magic? It''s rare for a dark mage to use illusion magic¡-
"Hands. Tear the enemy apart."
-???
When enhancement magic appeared, the undead mage was not only amazed but also puzzled.
-Wait, which kingdom did you say you were from?-
¡ª
If there was time, the undead mage would have wanted to ask in detail where Yi-Han worked in which kingdom, but there was no time for that. As soon as he roughly heard Yi-Han''s magic, the undead mage began preparations.
-If that entrance is breached, consider it a definite defeat. There''s no chance of winning if we engage in closebat with the berserkers.
The undead mage set up a barricade made of bones at the end of the prison corridor and positioned Yi-Han''s skeleton warriors there.
Then he began to summon his own undead summons.
"!"
Two undead knights wearing armor appeared, emitting a blue light from their eyes.
Just by looking at the strength of the summoned creatures, one could gauge the skill of the mage.
-Even if they look strong, there''s a limit to blocking with this. If you don''t support me with other magic, it will be breached right away.-
"I''ll do my best to block them."
Yi-Han picked up the bone bow of a skeleton warrior and began casting , , and .
The low-durability bone bow creaked and screamed, but Yi-Han precariously cast the spells with the determination to just get through this time.
The undead mage was too distracted by reinforcing the path ahead to notice Yi-Han casting continuous enhancement magic.
If he had seen it, he would have been surprised and asked why he was wasting magic in such a strange way.
-They''re here!-
"!"
Along with the undead mage''s low shout, Sharakan began to growl.
A flesh berserker who seemed to easily exceed 2m in height shed his eyes and let out a roar.
-¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö!-
It seemed like he was happy that a worthy opponent had appeared. Yi-Han didn''t wait and immediately shot.
Swish!
-What...?-
While the undead mage was surprised by the trivial attack, the bone arrow was half-stuck in the berserker''s chest.
Both the undead mage and the berserker were amazed by the attack that tore through the tough muscles and tenacious skin.
-...Explode!-
The undead mage was the first toe to his senses and seized control of the bone arrow and detonated it.
The gas inside the bones reacted with mana and exploded, dealing damage to the berserker.
-¡ö¡ö¡ö¡-
With a growling sound, the berserker tried to pull himself together. The undead mage immediately cast the next spell.
-Bind him and drag him out!-
Bone fragments covered not just one part but the entire body of the berserker. As his movements slowed, the undead mage took a deep breath and drew up mana.
-Come forth, fangs of deadly poison, melt him away!-
Unlike other spells, from the unusually long and strong spell casting, Yi-Han could tell that the undead mage''s specialty was poison.
A poison of aplex mana form that he had never seen before appeared and transformed into the shape of an arrow and was shot out.
In terms of hardness or speed alone, it should have bounced off without prating the berserker''s muscles, but the deadly poison arrow melted the flesh and muscles, creating a path.
However, as if not feeling any pain, the berserker began to shake off the bone fragments while bursting intoughter. Two nearby skeleton warriors were blown away by the brutal motion of swinging a club.
"Stab!"
But other skeleton warriors remained. Yi-Han issued amand while infusing mana to the point of bursting.
The bone spears couldn''t prate the berserker''s body like the arrows Yi-Han had directly shot, but the cold imbued at their tips made the berserker slightly slower. As continuous attacks came in, the berserker was annoyed and tried to swing his club again.
"Cold, be arrows and shoot forth!"
Yi-Han swung his staff and shot out ice arrows. As the ice hit, the cold burst out, and the berserker''s movements stopped once again.
Sharakan charged forward with a war cry.
Persistently aiming for attacks that would sever the ankles, the berserker gave up his offensive and tried to deal with the surrounding enemies first.
Creak!
As about half of the skeleton warriors were annihted with a single attack, the undead magemented.
He knew undead summoning wasn''t the junior''s main specialty, but to think he was this clumsy.
If he had known, he would have just told him to save mana and use it for other elemental magic...
"Rise, warriors made of bones!"
Yi-Han chanted spells quickly without even breathing. It was an urgent situation where things could go wrong with a 1-second difference. He couldn''t let his guard down at all.
The shattered skeleton warriors rose as if nothing had happened. The berserker red at Yi-Han as if it was absurd.
-Don''t waste mana like that!-
"I''m calcting it myself, so you don''t need to worry!"
-Is that true? If so¡-
The undead mage honestly didn''t believe it, but he decided to acknowledge Yi-Han''s words for now and move on.
There was no time to question the truth in the current situation.
He seemed to be a mage with a fairly high position in the kingdom, so he probably wouldn''t tell such an absurd lie.
-Poison, poison that melts bones and burns muscles, rise again from within¡-
Mages who used poison had various tricks.
One of them was the technique of pre-summoning poison and storing it somewhere in the body.
It was a very dangerous method, but it utilized the characteristics of the poison element to quickly respond in an emergency, so outstanding poison element mages were skilled in this technique as well.
The undead mage spat out the stored poison and simultaneously consumed mana to refill the poison.
Just by doing that, he felt his mana gradually running out.
-Bones, offer your mana to your master¡-
As ast resort, the undead mage was absorbing the residual mana left in the bones he had shot earlier to recover, but he was shocked when he looked to the side.
Yi-Han was recklessly firing ice arrows like a madman.
Papapapapapapapak!
Ice arrows raged to the point where frost formed on the berserker''s body.
Although there were no attacks prating the body, the cold prated as the skeleton warriors were already holding on and clinging, noticeably slowing the berserker''s movements.
In the anxious situation, Yi-Han quickly calcted while gathering his thoughts.
''Should I go with arrows? Not only is time an issue, but there''s a limit to the damage. Jade bullets... That''s too much. If it''s the lightning element...''
As lightning began to gather, shing from Yi-Han''s staff, the undead mage shouted.
-Don''t use lightning! It''s a waste of mana. They have a strong resistance to lightning!-
"Is that so!?"
Yi-Han cursed Ferkuntra.
What a useless spirit.
-Listen carefully to what I''m about to say! I''ll teach you my secret multi-poison. You create and use the poison!-
"I''m not very familiar with poison element magic!"
-A chief mage of a kingdom should be able to master it quickly. The theory itself is not that difficult! It''s thebination that''s difficult!-
"I''m not a chief mage of a kingdom, and I''m not familiar with poison element magic..."
Ignoring Yi-Han''s words, the undead mage immediately began exining poison element magic.
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Chapter 377
Chapter 377
The poison of dark mages was closer to creating non-existent, imaginary poisons with the mage''s power rather than ordinary poisons found in nature.
Outstanding dark mages oftenbined and fused multiple of these imaginary poisons to create even moreplex and vicious poisons.
Naturally, the undead mage was also a mage of that level.
-Toplete the multi-poison, you need to start with fifteen basic poisons.-
"..."
-First, mix three poisons...-
The undead mage was definitely saying something, but it wasn''t registering in Yi-Han''s mind.
That''s how high the level of poison element magic was.
-...You heard it all! Try it!-
"...Poison, bloom and boil. The blooming poison is..."
Although he didn''t understand even half of it, Yi-Han tried chanting the spell first due to the urgent situation.
Poisons appeared, gathered, and changed colors while swirling in the air.
-Shoot as soon as it''splete! There''s no time!-
"...Move!"
The poison took shape and flew much faster than the one the undead mage had shot earlier.
The undead mage couldn''t keep up with Yi-Han''s bizarre elemental control.
While the undead mage practiced higher-level magic without bothering to learn such techniques, Yi-Han had trained rigorously.
-Excellent!-
However, the undead mage misunderstood Yi-Han''s peculiar magical ability in a different way.
He judged that such movements were possible because he was an inherently outstanding mage.
With such high expectations, the undead mage was very disappointed when Yi-Han''s multi-poison failed topletely melt the berserker''s body and only burned the muscles.
Sizzle-
-Ah... What?! Why are you even doing dark magic if you''re slow at undead summoning and can''t handle poison!-
The undead mage stomped his foot in disbelief.
Judging by the fields of magic he handled, his ability to chant magic, and his elemental control, he seemed to be a more outstanding mage than himself, so why were there so many mistakes?
"I apologize."
Although it was iplete, honestly, it was still remarkable to have seeded to that extent in the current situation.
Objectively, it was a situation where he could get angry, but...
Yi-Han apologized.
He was already used to the unreasonable demands of crazy professors.
Instead, the one who got angry was Ogoldos.
"Don''t apologize! Why should you apologize! You crazy undead bastard!"
-What did you say!?-
"I don''t know how many hundreds of years old you are, but is it right to teach incorrectly and then get angry at a young mage! The principal wouldn''t do that!"
-Wha... What...?-
The undead mage was confused.
Judging by the way they spoke, these two mages felt quite young.
Whoosh!
In the meantime, mes erupted in front.
The undead berserker spat out bodily fluids and ignited them through friction.
"..."
Yi-Han was shocked by the madness of setting himself on fire to drive away the cold. It was a brutal tactic that only the undead could do.
''He''sing!''
The undead berserker swung his burning body and pushed back the skeleton warriors once more.
His movements were still slow, but anyone could tell that he would soon break through and charge.
"Senior. Do you have any ideas!"
"Even if I did...!"
Ogoldos felt like his chest would burst from frustration.
He himself was only a second-year, so how could hee up with a clear solution?
The curse magic, bone element magic, and poison element magic he knew how to use were likely to be ineffective against that berserker.
Didn''t that undead berserker show terrifying stamina in the earlier battle?
The barricade was broken, the cold element magic was destroyed, and it was difficult to restrain his steps with mediocre bone or poison magic...
''Summons... If I can somehow use summons to buy time...''
If Sharakan, who was left alone to target him, was ignored and he charged this way, there was no way to stop him.
They needed to ce a sturdy summon in between.
Ogoldos, who was desperately racking his brain, suddenly thought of something and asked,
"Can''t you reduce the number of skeleton warriors andbine them!?"
"Pardon?"
"I said, can''t you reduce the number andbine them!"
Now was not the time to summon multiple weak summons.
Even if it was just one, they needed a summon that could somehow endure.
Usually, summons that were contracted and summoned couldn''t be arbitrarilybined or fused by the mage, but Yi-Han''s dark magic was a method where the mage directly summoned them.
If the number was reduced andbined, their power would increase and control would be easier.
"Return, and... Rise, warriors made of bones!"
Yi-Han swung his staff as his senior said for now.
The skeleton warriors copsed and returned to their original reagent, bone fragments. Those bone fragmentsbined again and rose as a single skeleton warrior.
Because he poured in dozens of times more reagents than ordinary magic, the amount of mana used in the spell and the amount consumed for maintenance was enormous, but the result was clearly visible.
A skeleton warrior with a stiff and sturdy body, as ifpressing over ten skeleton warriors, was born in front of them.
''It... It really worked?!''
Ogoldos was startled.
He had shouted in a hurry, but upon reflection, reducing the number andbining them wasn''t an easy task.
Ogoldos also knew well what it meant to over-invest reagents and mana into a set magic.
Yet, that junior seeded in a magic close to gambling, befitting his reputation as a genius. Just by looking at the size of the summoned skeleton warrior, it was evident that he hadbined quite a lot.
Ogoldos let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.
"Thank goodness... Wait! If you could do this, why did you summon over ten and fight?"
Ogoldos couldn''t understand.
If he could do this, shouldn''t he have done it from the beginning?
The undead mage also seemed quite curious about that question and turned his gaze to Yi-Han.
"I forgot."
"What??"
"I summoned a lot while practicing and fought like that because I was distracted. I apologize!"
"..."
-...-
The undead mage and Ogoldos wanted to scream at him, asking if that was something to say, but they couldn''t.
The berserker was charging.
Bang!
The berserker had taken all kinds of damage, from pration to poison to cold to mes, but his strength was brutal.
The skeleton warrior blocking the passage creaked and was pushed back. Yi-Han swung his staff.
"Shoot forth!"
Along with Yi-Han''s spell, bone fragments were fired from the skeleton warrior''s torso.
It was a method possible because Yi-Han had directly assembled it, not a contracted rtionship.
However, the berserker pushed the skeleton as if he didn''t care even if bone fragments were embedded in him.
As creaking sounds continuously erupted, Yi-Han gritted his teeth and reinforced the skeleton.
"By Beavle''s rule, mana, be emitted. Cold, be imbued! Poison, bloom and boil. The blooming poison is...!"
Yi-Han cast mana emission enchantment, which he learned from Professor Beavle, on the skeleton warrior''s bone fragments and imbued them with cold and poison.
Amplified mana. Cold. Poison.
As these three elements collided, the skeleton warrior became unstable as if it would copse at any moment. Yi-Han injected more mana and somehow performed emergency treatment.
As bone fragments mixed with poison and cold were continuously fired, the undead berserker also became impatient and drew up all the strength in his body to somehow overpower them.
Ogoldos suddenly thought of something and shouted,
"Wait, you said you know how to use the dark element! Why aren''t you infusing dark elements!"
"...I forgot!"
"...Hurry up and do it, please!!!"
Unable to bring himself to get angry at a junior who learned too much magic, Ogoldos screamed again.
As the dark element was infused into the skeleton warrior, the skeleton''s bones turned ck, bing sharper and sturdier.
"Shoot forth, shoot forth, shoot forth!"
Papapapak!
Bone fragments were embedded like buckshot into the berserker''s already tattered body.
-Can I detonate it?-
"Pardon?"
-That skeleton, I mean!-
"Please do!"
When he asked for Yi-Han''s permission, the undead mage nodded and drew up the mana he had barely recovered.
The gases imbued in the bone fragments reacted with the mana, causing a chain explosion reaction.
Kwakwakwakwakwang!
As the reinforced skeleton exploded, the undead mage shoved Yi-Han and Ogoldos into the room next to them. The air in the passage swirled madly due to the aftershock of the explosion.
Yi-Han was impressed by the undead mage''s skill.
"I didn''t expect it to be this powerful..."
-How much crazy mana did you pour in!!!-
The undead mage shouted and stared at Yi-Han.
He definitely didn''t intend for it to be this powerful.
¡ª
There were countless things to say, such as the situation in the outer passage, the secret to maintaining such a reinforced skeleton, and why he didn''t stop him when he said he would detonate the skeleton, but the undead mage''s first choice was Yi-Han''s age.
-...You''re not even twenty?!-
"Can''t you tell by looking?"
Ogoldos replied sullenly.
-Do you know how many years I''ve been an undead?-
"...I, I don''t know?"
-Just as you can''t guess my age, naturally, I can''t guess your ages either. You all look the same.-
The undead mage shook his head andmented.
He thought he might be the chief mage of a kingdom because he used a variety of magic and had overflowing mana, but he turned out to be a greenhorn not even twenty years old.
Indeed, there were too many clumsy parts here and there.
-Wait, you''re not even twenty, but how did you follow the multi-poison...-
Rumble!
As the sound of copsing came from outside again, the undead mage slightly poked his head out.
-!!!-
Yi-Han also poked his head out and said,
"Senior. I have good news and bad news."
"Wha... What is it?"
"Thanks to that explosion earlier, the ceiling was blown away. It seems we can go up if we step on the debris."
"Re-really?! Wait. What''s the bad news?"
-More undead berserkers areing.-
"..."
Ogoldos could be certain of one thing about Yi-Han.
That junior had the worst sense of humor.
-How much mana do you have left?-
"I haven''t consumed any."
-You haven''t consumed any?-
"I said I haven''t consumed any."
-...Wha... What... No. Okay. Then can you summon skeleton warriors again like before?-
"I used up all the bone fragments as reagents..."
"Ask for them! Aren''t they here!"
Ogoldos shouted and ced a reagent pouch in Yi-Han''s hand.
Yi-Han spoke with a slightly touched expression.
"Thank you for your help, both now and earlier."
"You call that help... Damn it. It''s fine. Summon them quickly! Before they get close!"
-But that was just luck that it ended like thatst time. If we do it again, I can''t guarantee safety.-
"Of course it''ll be dangerous to fight! But we can''t not fight!"
Ogoldos shouted, dumbfounded by the undead mage''s words.
However, the undead mage shook his head and replied.
-I''m talking about detonating the reinforced skeleton.-
"..."
"Can''t we use it and avoid it like before?"
-I said we were just luckyst time. Can''t you finely control the mana to match the detonation?-
"I tried it for the first time today, so how can I control it delicately?"
The undead mage clicked his tongue at the reasonable argument.
It was certainly a difficult statement to refute.
''Why is he not even twenty...''
Thud-
A rock suddenly flew in. It was a rock thrown by the berserker. The undead mage hurriedly pulled back his skull.
"...?"
When there was no attack after that, the undead mage poked his head out again.
The berserkers gathered in front of the ceiling debris were murmuring and pointed upward with their hands.
"What are they saying? An offer to surrender?"
To Yi-Han''s question, the undead mage spoke as if it was hard to believe.
-They''re telling us... to go up first...?-
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Chapter 378
Chapter 378
Yi-Han gritted his teeth at the detestable enemy''s suggestion.
"Those despicable bastards. They want us to take the traps above first."
-There are no traps above.-
"Pardon?"
-I said there are no traps above. Why would there be traps above when it''s not a prison?-
"...?"
Yi-Han became confused.
"Then why are they telling us toe out? Is it a trick to prevent us from using magic?"
-They''re not that kind of guys.-
"Then what is it?"
-...I don''t know.-
The undead mage honestly admitted it.
It was the first time he had seen the berserkers of that prison behave so obediently.
Yi-Han slightly poked his head out.
The undead berserkers who were watching gestured for them toe out with blunt movements.
''It''s too tant for a trap.''
Feeling uneasy about just going out, Yi-Han waved his hand.
It was a signal to back away.
Surprisingly, the undead berserkers backed away.
"...?!"
-They''re backing away?!-
Both the undead mage and Yi-Han were surprised.
Were they really the same group as the berserkers who had charged at them like madmen earlier?
"I''ll go and check."
Ogoldos spoke while supporting his body with his staff.
He couldn''t stand the guilt of only holding back his junior since falling here.
At least doing something, even if it was like this...
"Pardon? It''s fine. Let''s approach together after spreading fog."
"..."
Ogoldos felt his determination crumble.
¡ª
Although they approached cautiously, the undead berserkers really didn''t charge at them.
They just watched Yi-Han''s group climb up to the ceiling.
-Entangle and be stairs... They really didn''te.-
"Could it be that magic is needed to go up?"
-The magic has already been dispelled. Originally, the ceiling couldn''t be breached.-
The undead mage spoke while climbing up the ramp made of bones.
The underground prison where prisoners were confined was protected by powerful mana. Originally, to the extent that it couldn''t be breached no matter what.
Although the explosion earlier was tremendous, if the underground prison had been normal, the ceiling would have been intact.
The undead mage now had no choice but to acknowledge what Yi-Han had said.
Something happened to the owner of the pce!
-It''s really surprising. To think something happened to the king.-
"..."
Yi-Han broke out in a cold sweat. Ogoldos saw that and worried inwardly.
''Is he really okay? Did he use too much mana after all? If I ask, will it seem like I''m saying something unnecessary?''
"So... You''re still loyal to the king? From what I see, he seems to have a lot of personality issues."
He spoke to sow discord, but the undead mage readily answered as if he hadn''t noticed Yi-Han''s ulterior motive.
-Kings are originally violent.-
"Is... Is that so?"
''If he''s violent enough to imprison people when he''s bored, shouldn''t his head be cut off?''
-Of course, whether you resent the king or not is a separate issue. I resent him for ignoring my loyal advice, but I''m loyal because he''s my king. Originally, the strong have the right to reign.-
"...Wait, then what happens if he bes weak?"
-Then he should die. A weakened king has no right to be king.-
There was a sound of nodding from behind.
Yi-Han''s group turned their heads. The undead berserkers had stopped following them and were nodding their heads.
Ogoldos made a choking sound.
-When did they... What the...?-
"They don''t seem to be attacking now. Right?"
-It seems so. Don''t provoke them.-
Despite the undead mage''s words, the berserkers followed quietly.
When Yi-Han''s group stopped, they also stopped, and when Yi-Han''s group started walking, they also started walking.
When fear is repeated, one bes ustomed to it.
Yi-Han began to wonder what actions those undead berserkers would tolerate.
"Could you please pick up some bone fragments for me?"
-I told you not to provoke them...-
The undead mage was about to shout, but the berserkers surprisingly picked them up willingly.
-!-
"Oh..."
-This... We need to experiment.-
The undead mage''s eyes also changed. The mage spoke to Ogoldos.
-You try asking too.-
"...Please pick up some bone fragments."
At Ogoldos''s request, the berserkers stood still, dumbfounded.
It was as if they were asking, "Who are you to give orders?" Ogoldos red at the undead mage with an embarrassed face.
-This is...-
"What is it?"
Yi-Han hoped for the undead mage''s wisdom.
-It seems they''ve epted you as one of their own.-
"..."
For a moment, Yi-Han thought he had misheard.
Passing a test, being acknowledged after winning a fight, or at the very least, not being touched because of too much mana.
There were many other good things, so why did he say they epted him as one of their own?
"Does that make sense?"
-Since they''re guys who like to fight and have gathered together, it''s not that nonsensical...-
"When do I like to fight?"
-Didn''t they misunderstand that you were the one who caused the undead explosion earlier?-
Yi-Han protested in anger.
"This mage did it!"
However, the undead berserkers gave him a dumbfounded look as if asking what he was talking about.
The undead mage spoke as if telling him to give up.
-If they were the type to listen when told, there would have been no reason to suffer until now. They''re not the type tomunicate with.-
"But what..."
Yi-Han, who had suddenly be one of them, looked at the berserkers with a displeased expression.
-It''s not urgent now, so let''s move. Actually, being treated as one of them isn''t bad, right? If not, we would have had to fight to the death down there earlier.-
"If it''s not bad, you can be one of them, Mr. Mage. Go and tell them."
At Yi-Han''s words filled with hostility, the undead mage backed away, slightly intimidated.
-I told you they don''t listen...-
"Hah... I understand. So, how much further is it?"
The undead mage''s goal after escaping the underground prison and ascending into the pce was one.
To check the throne in the depths of the pce and find out what happened to the king.
Yi-Han didn''t strongly object. He also had to find other people and get out anyway.
If the undead mage, who was familiar with the geography of this pce, reached the throne in the depths, he would be able to find the others scattered throughout the pce using the pce''s power.
''The king is not here.''
And Yi-Han had a conviction that the king would not be there.
...Because Yi-Han had defeated him!
-We''re almost there. It''s really surprising. I can''t believe it''s like this. Has the king really left...-
The mage muttered and tapped the wall with his staff.
Then the wall opened, and a path appeared. The ce that had been a path until now disappeared underground.
"!"
Yi-Han''splexion changed.
From a certain point, the quality of mana felt in the air had changed.
The undead mage noticed the change in Yi-Han''splexion and said,
-You''re sharp. You must feel the pressure due to the powerful mana. Even more so since you''re still a young mage.-
''I don''t feel it.''
Due to the immense amount of mana, he never felt pressure from something like this, but Yi-Han roughly went along with it.
"Yes."
-It''s because of the mana emanating from the king''s space. It''s the power and core that sustains this pce. When the king was sitting inside, it was to the point where you couldn''t even breathe.-
Creak-
A huge stone door opened, revealing a vast audience chamber. When it was confirmed that no one was inside, the undead mage made a tsk-tsk sound by cking his bones.
-It''s really surprising...-
¡°Get out.¡±
"!?"
The undead mage was also surprised by the voiceing from the throne, but Yi-Han was the most surprised.
The King of Ghouls he had defeated before.
The voice was exactly the same as that king''s.
''Has he already fully recovered!?''
He knew that the king had been driven out of the continent and returned to the realm where he originally was, but to think he had already recovered from that blow.
Yi-Han bowed his head deeply. Ogoldos didn''t understand and was puzzled.
-Are you the king?-
¡°That''s right. How dare you enter my audience chamber? Even the most terrible punishment would not be enough, but I will forgive you this time. Get out.¡±
"Let''s get out."
Yi-Han whispered.
Fortunately, it seemed that the other party had not noticed Yi-Han''s identity.
If he got out when he said he would forgive him...
However, the undead mage replied in a sarcastic voice.
-It doesn''t seem like you''re the king.-
¡°What did you say?¡±
-The king''s subordinates have all disappeared, the mes that illuminated the pce have been extinguished, and the walls that guarded the prison have vanished. What kind of king is a being without subordinates, a pce, or authority?-
"Do you have to provoke him?"
Yi-Han tried to persuade the undead mage, but it was meaningless.
The logic pursued by the beings of the undead realm was the logic of power.
It was okay for the King of Ghouls to be a tyrant because he had the power to match it.
However, in the current situation where he had be weak, that logic was applied in reverse.
¡°A weakling like you dare to say this?¡±
-It seems you''ve been greatly injured. I don''t know how you ended up like this, but...-
¡°If you want to die, I''ll kill you.¡±
-Try it.-
Not only the undead mage but also the berserkers behind him suddenly walked forward.
There was not a hint of loyalty in their eyes. Only the desire to test how strong the one above them was.
And the berserkers patted Yi-Han''s shoulder and pointed to the throne.
"...No, wait. Don''t tell me..."
Were they telling him to fight together as one of them?
Yi-Han pondered how to convey the message, "I am human, and you are undead."
In the meantime, the undead mage initiated the attack.
-Now, fake king! Why don''t you show your abilities again!-
''Damn it. Why are mages all different from their appearance?''
The undead mage, who had been cold, calm, and rational until now, immediately turned hostile upon seeing the King of Ghouls weakened.
It was the logic of power that only the undead could understand.
The mana in the vast audience chamber began to gather toward the throne. The King of Ghouls, who had forcibly absorbed the mana inside to recover his strength, growled.
¡°Do you think I''ll lose to a mage like you even if I''m seriously injured and recovering?¡±
As the undead mage spected, the King of Ghouls was drawing in all the resources of the pce to recover from the severe damage he had suffered on the continent.
From the mes outside to the subordinates.
The damage was severe as he had been sealed for a long time and had just been released only to be defeated.
However, he never even thought he would lose.
He was confident that he could sufficiently deal with those prisoner bastards with just the strength he had recovered in this pce.
-Poison...-
As the berserkers charged, the King of Ghouls looked at them with annoyance.
Those prisoner bastards from the underground prison were not dying and crawling out, making things bothersome.
He had left them alone because he found it admirable that they attacked other prisoners...
¡°Die.¡±
Kwajik!
The King of Ghouls concentrated his flickering form and appeared in front of one of the berserkers.
And he delivered a brutal blow. The thick body of that berserker was prated.
"...!"
It was a spine-chilling attack, but the undead mage and the berserkers were not intimidated at all as if they had already expected it.
"...Spread as fog!"
A vicious poison cloud spread around the throne. The King of Ghouls distorted his form and tried to quickly escape the poison cloud.
Then the berserkers chased after him and unleashed attacks. The King of Ghouls nimbly transformed his body to avoid the attacks.
"ze forth!"
At that moment, mes flew in pursuit of the King of Ghouls. The size was not great, but the heat emanating from those small mes was tremendous. The King of Ghouls instantly felt threatened and pulled his body back.
¡°You...?¡±
The King of Ghouls felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity and displeasure rising. The opposing mage had his face covered with a bone mask.
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Chapter 379
Chapter 379
''Just a worthless piece of trash.''
When no follow-up attacks came, the King of Ghouls lost interest in the masked mage.
Ogoldos and Yi-Han were not much of a threat to the King of Ghouls at the moment. There were many more guys in this ce that needed to be dealt with first.
¡°Let''s see how much value you have.¡±
Avoiding the attack of the charging berserker, the King of Ghouls inted his body like ck fog.
And that fog enveloped the berserker. With the sound of shattering, a terrible feast unfolded.
''He has recovered quite a bit more than I thought.''
While the berserker was being devoured, the undead mage calmly thought.
He did not regret drawing his sword against the King of Ghouls.
It was thew of the undead realm that if you don''t trample on the enemy when they are weak, the opportunity will nevere again.
However, the King of Ghouls had recovered well in that short time.
He must have recovered quite a lot of strength by devouring the subordinates around the pce and absorbing theid out mana.
It would have been better if they hade a bit earlier...
Regardless of the regret, the undead mage''s spells continued smoothly. Poison fog continuously erupted and began to fill the space.
¡°Do you think just scattering poison will make a difference?¡±
The King of Ghouls snorted and grabbed another berserker and devoured him.
The King of Ghouls, who had risen to his current existence through numerous battles and victories starting as a ghoul, possessed various powers befitting his achievements.
The power to dissolve his own body and move as fog, the power to directly absorb the existence of the opponent, the power to summon contracted undead...
Despite being unable to use a considerable number of powers due to not being fully recovered, the King of Ghouls still disyed a brutalbat power with just his remaining strength.
Kwajik!
Another berserker melted away. The King of Ghouls, who had been spinning and evading to maintain distance, charged in to take advantage of an opening and sank his fangs.
Even that formidable berserker was toyed with like a scarecrow when directly confronted by the King of Ghouls.
However, the undead mage remained calm.
It was because it didn''t matter even if the opponent had recovered faster than expected. From the beginning, the mage had assumed that the King of Ghouls possessed a more powerfulbat ability than them.
The reason mages are feared is because they can create schemes that pierce the gaps in the situation regardless of the strength or weakness ofbat power.
The undead mage had been preparing magic that could pierce the King of Ghouls since the time he was submitting under him.
"Are you sure this is okay?"
Yi-Han spoke in a startled voice as he watched the King of Ghouls roaming the hall and tearing apart the berserkers.
Unfortunately, he had be much stronger than when theyst met.
''Wouldn''t it be better to retreat?''
-Don''t worry. I''ve been preparing a way to pierce the king since I was submitting as his subordinate.-
''...Then don''t say you''re loyal in the first ce...''
It was absurd that he said he was loyal when asked earlier, but now he said he had been preparing from the beginning.
Themon sense of the undead realm was too difficult for Yi-Han to understand.
"What is that method?"
-You''ll find out when you see it. Buy as much time as possible.-
With those words, the undead mage grabbed a berserker and began absorbing mana.
Hecked the mana needed for the magic.
"Uh, if you need mana, would you like to absorb some?"
-Isn''t it better to absorb the berserkers? Those guys...-
The undead mage, who thoughtlessly extended his bony hand to grab Yi-Han, was startled.
The mana that had been depleted from using magic until now instantly rose.
"How is it?"
-Excellent! When I signal, run back here and fill up my mana again! With this, I''ll be able toplete it much faster!-
''Did I tell him for nothing?''
¡ª
The King of Ghouls defeated more than half of the berserkers and let out a joyful roar.
Then the undead mage standing in the corner caught his eye.
¡°Hmph!¡±
If it were the King of Ghouls'' original personality, he would have swept away all the berserkers first and then dealt with the mage.
Because these berserkers were the most powerful among the prisoners in the underground prison.
And the undead mage had not dealt any significant damage to the King of Ghouls.
Although he was a powerful poison element mage, hispatibility with the King of Ghouls was not good, and with just his innate elemental resistance and powerful movement powers, the King of Ghouls could neutralize the undead mage.
Rather, from the King of Ghouls'' perspective, the guy iling around with low-level elemental magic on the side was more annoying.
Even though the level of magic was low, its movements were fast and urate beyond prediction, and its firepower was strangely powerful.
Originally, he would have left such an insolent guy who climbed up despitecking abilities until the very end to instill fear while dealing with him, but...
Strangely, he felt irritated.
The King of Ghouls himself didn''t know, but the recent defeat had changed his arrogant personality.
His thoughts had changed.
-!-
The undead mage was startled.
The King of Ghouls had started moving to target the mage before the preparations were finished.
-What... Stop him!-
The remaining berserkers shouted and blocked the way. The King of Ghouls tried to pass through the berserkers by lightly transforming his body into ck fog.
"Cold, like fog!"
A bright blue ice fog spread out in the air.
For someone of the King of Ghouls'' level, he could tell the level of magic just by looking at the structure in which it was created.
What had just been cast was .
It was a low-circle magic at a level that made one yawn. The King of Ghouls tried to ignore it and break through.
However, at that moment, an eerie chill flowed out from the fog.
!
The King of Ghouls hurriedly twisted his body to avoid the fog. In the meantime, the undead mage fired another poison cloud and gained distance.
-I don''t understand why the fake king is acting like this!-
"Has the n gone awry!?"
Yi-Han also shouted while gaining distance. The undead mage spoke as if he couldn''t understand.
-If it were his original personality, he wouldn''t have attacked me first because of his pride. He would have thought it would hurt his pride to do so. That''s why I thought it would be okay, but why is he... Could it be that his personality changed due to the defeat he suffered?-
"..."
Yi-Han cursed his past self.
No matter how much he liked silver coins, this is what happens when he recklessly enters caves!
¡°How long are you going to run away? Huh? If you charged in to take the throne, shouldn''t you at least swing something! If you keep running away like that¡¡±
The King of Ghouls inted his body to blow away the poison cloud and tried to chase the undead mage again but hesitated.
He felt something strange.
¡°...Wait.¡±
The King of Ghouls turned his gaze to the floor.
Without him noticing, a magic circle with a bizarre pattern was densely filling the floor of the hall.
¡°This bastard¡¡±
The king''s eyes glowing in the fog shone brutally.
He btedly realized that the undead mage, who had been acting pathetically, was actually preparing a grand magic.
-Things have gottenplicated. He wasn''t this perceptive. I apologize in advance.-
"...No, it''s not."
Originally, he should have gotten angry at the undead mage, saying, "Because of you, I''m about to die too!" but Yi-Han didn''t.
Because he had some responsibility!
¡°Do you think you can die safely after doing this? I''ll grind you to pieces.¡±
-Undead, return to your original positions!-
Although it was notpleted, the undead mage had no choice but to activate the magic circle.
Surprisingly, a holy power erupted from the magic circle. It was a holy magic series used by religious orders.
-The holy judgment shall bind and banish you!-
Both Yi-Han and the King of Ghouls were surprised.
Of course, an existence weaker than the king needed extraordinary methods to pierce the king, but to think that the mage, who was also an undead, would bring out holy magic.
A holy radiance began to linger in the ce where a dark sh between undead had urred until now.
''How can an undead!?''
Yi-Han was surprised.
No matter how much he borrowed the power of the magic circle, for an undead to manifest holy magic.
It was no ordinary obsession.
With a flood of light, the King of Ghouls began to scream as if burning. The other berserkers couldn''t even move and were rolling around.
The undead mage also seemed to have taken damage as he knelt down and staggered. If it weren''t for the pre-cast magic barrier, he would have been shattered long ago.
¡°Ugh... How dare you!¡±
-!-
The undead mage threw a shocked gaze. The King of Ghouls charged out and mmed the undead mage against the wall.
-You shouldn''t be able to move...-
¡°I knew your shallow tricks from the beginning.¡±
The King of Ghouls spoke, revealing the armor embedded in his form.
It was thanks to this armor, sewn together from the flesh of heroes, that he was able to endure and charge through the flood of holy magic.
-Fake king. You have be much wiser. You weren''t like this before...-
¡°Shut up. You scheming rat bastard.¡±
The King of Ghouls gathered strength with the intention of quickly disposing of the undead mage and dispelling the magicid out in the hall.
At that moment, Yi-Han swung the Morning Star. As the ck de cut the King of Ghouls, the king let out a fierce howl at the sensation of mana being absorbed.
¡°Wha...!¡±
Rather than anger at being struck, confusion came first. The King of Ghouls was perplexed, unable to identify the identity of his opponent.
Could it be...
Could it be??
"When will the magic bepleted!"
-It''s impossible...-
The undead mage''s voice was weaker than before.
He had been seriously injured just from the blow the King of Ghouls had dealt.
-Instead... Complete...-
"Does that make sense!?"
-Contract... Summon...-
The undead mage spoke while alternately pointing his fingers.
Originally, he would never make a summoning contract with a young mage from another realm, but in an urgent situation like this, he had no choice.
"I understand!"
-My true name is... Verduus. Summon me now...-
Even in this startling situation, Yi-Han almost lost his concentration for a moment.
What kind of name is that!
Paaaaat-
As the spell was chanted and the contract was formed, powerful mana was infused into the undead mage.
With that mana, the undead mage caught his breath and squeezed out thest of his mana toplete the magic circle.
¡°You bastard!¡±
The King of Ghouls, who hade to his senses, charged with the most vicious anger he had ever unleashed.
He had finally realized Yi-Han''s identity.
It was so presumptuous that it couldn''t be expressed with the word ''insolent''.
To chase him all the way here to bring him down, despite having just luckily repelled him.
¡°On second thought, this is better. Here¡¡±
As the undead mage blocked the way, the King of Ghouls brought him down with a single blow while consuming his existence.
While being unsummoned, the undead mage poisoned the King of Ghouls as ast struggle. And he thought to himself.
''This is the first time I''ve seen him this angry!''
It was clear that the holy magic the undead mage had prepared had properly scratched the king''s temper.
Satisfied with that fact, the undead mage copsed.
¡ª
¡°Die¡¡±
The King of Ghouls tried to kill Yi-Han first, regardless of the consumption of his existence or the poisoning.
That''s how deeply his resentment was ingrained in his bones.
Kwaaaaaaaa-
However, a holy magic power of a different realm than before engulfed the King of Ghouls.
The King of Ghouls knelt down under the pressure that made it impossible to move any further.
Ogoldos muttered without realizing it.
"Did... Did we get rid of him?"
"Senior. Please don''t say such things..."
¡°Get rid of me? In your dreams!¡±
The King of Ghouls red at Yi-Han while kneeling.
¡°Do you think you''ve won? Do you think this magic circle is some kind of omnipotent sword? This magic circle can do nothing more than bind me! If I stay inside, I will be weak. But that''s all. How long do you think you can maintain this magic circle! You must be out of breath already.¡±
"...Ah."
Yi-Han had been listening to the King of Ghouls'' words with tension, but then he let out a sigh of relief.
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Chapter 380
Chapter 380
"It seems to have settled for now."
"Settled? What exactly has been settled?"
"What do you mean settled!"
Ogoldos shouted in surprise at his junior''s words.
Normally, he wouldn''t have paid attention to the words of an unfavorable enemy, but what the King of Ghouls said now was not wrong.
A magic circle of that level could notst long.
It seemed to be maintained solely by the mage''s mana without any other supporting devices...
"We need to get out before the magic circle ends! I''ll take care of it, so get out!"
"..."
For a moment, Yi-Han was startled by his senior''s words.
No matter how he looked at it, the moment Ogoldos took charge of this magic circle, there was a high possibility that he would turn pale and die instantly within a few seconds.
"That..."
"Hurry!"
"Well..."
"I saide out! You''ll copse!"
When Ogoldos tried to pull Yi-Han out and take his ce, Yi-Han also became desperate.
Thoughts came out of his mouth without going through his head.
"...If someone like you takes charge of this, you''ll copse right away!"
"..."
An awkward silence.
Ogoldos bowed his head deeply, having nothing to say. Yi-Han felt very sorry.
"That''s..."
"...You''re right. You''re a better mage than me."
"Ah. Why are you saying that, senior? You have the years of experience you''ve umted."
''It''s a 1-year difference, you bastard...''
Ogoldos was dumbfounded.
Of course, one year at the magic academy had an iparable densitypared to one year elsewhere, but it wasn''t to the extent of expressing it like that.
Moreover, it was even less something Yi-Han should say.
"It''s fine. I''m sorry. I couldn''t even help and kept getting in the way... But are you really okay?"
"Yes. The recovery rate is faster than the consumption rate."
"..."
¡°...Don''t bullshit me!¡± The King of Ghouls was dumbfounded.
"Isn''t hecking dignity for a king?"
Yi-Han threw a contemptuous gaze at the King of Ghouls trapped in holy magic.
Even if they were both kings, the King of Frost Giants had dignity, but the King of Ghouls was like a street thug.
"The king that summons speak of... It''s like a title given to the strong."
At Ogoldos''s words, Yi-Han nodded in understanding.
"Indeed. It''s like a self-proimed title, right?"
Gainando also sometimes referred to himself as the ''Mage Card King of the Blue Dragon Tower''.
"How dare you!"
Yi-Han ignored it and said, "Senior. I have a favor to ask."
"Yes! Tell me!"
Ogoldos shouted with delight.
Then, realizing that he had shouted too excitedly, he became embarrassed.
"Ah, no. Tell me."
"Please give me some water. I''ve been thirsty for a while..."
"...Okay!"
Come to think of it, this junior was in a situation where he had been fighting and climbing up from that underground prison.
It wouldn''t be strange if he copsed from exhaustion right away.
Ogoldos held his staff and tried to summon water.
"Water..."
However, the lump of water that formed in the air, a few finger-widths in size, emitted a sour stench.
Seeing that, Ogoldos btedly recalled.
''Oh no...! It was the undead realm!''
The realm itself was filled with dark elements and negative mana, affecting the use of other elemental magic.
It was the worst in a situation like now when they needed to create drinking water.
"Senior?"
"Wa... Wait a moment."
Ogoldos concentrated more desperately than when taking the dark magic final exam.
To purify this water now?
''The types of poison I can purify... Bacterial poison might be difficult to handle. Can dark elements be removed with magic? Ah. Right. I had a purifying handkerchief.''
"Senior?"
"Just a moment! Just a moment!"
"No. I just summoned it myself."
"?!"
Ogoldos turned his head.
Yi-Han had summoned arge lump of water and was drinking it.
"Don''t drink it!!!"
"Pardon?"
"There''s poison in the water!!"
Ogoldos ran at the fastest speed of his life. He ran so fast that he lost his bnce and fell over.
Thud!
"...I said there''s poison!"
"There''s no poison. I checked."
"Even if you can''t see it, there could be..."
"I even usedponent separation magic to check. It''s the undead realm, after all."
Ogoldos, who was lying face down on the floor, tapped the lump of water floating in the air.
It was waterposed of pure water elements, without any trace of the undead realm''s dark energy.
"Would you like some?"
"...I... I''m fine."
"Aw. Senior. Why are you being like that?"
When it was visibly clear that Ogoldos was dejected, Yi-Han tried to appease him.
"You must not have water to drink either..."
"No. I have plenty of water."
He really wasn''tcking as he could summon water with mana as much as he wanted.
"...I''m really sorry for not being helpful."
"Ah. Why are you saying that? Your help was so great. You helped me earlier too, didn''t you?"
"...?"
Ogoldos tilted his head.
"With what?"
"Uh, reducing the number of undead."
"..."
Ogoldos felt an indescribable feeling.
The biggest self-loathing was that his junior was considering his feelings in this situation.
''This can''t go on.''
Ogoldos made a resolution to at least maintain thest bit of dignity he had left.
Let''s do what we can!
"For now, I''ll try to find the way around here."
"Be careful, senior."
Only three remained in the vicinity of the throne in the pce where the fierce battle had ended.
From the undead mage to the berserkers, everyone had been swept away, and only the King of Ghouls was trapped in holy magic, constantly grinding his teeth.
There may not be any direct danger, but the paths in this pce were like a maze and not easy to find.
"Don''t worry and rest."
''I''m really worried.''
Yi-Han was very worried about not being able to leave his spot to maintain the magic circle.
"Wait. Senior. Just a moment."
"Why?"
"Just a moment..."
Yi-Han took out colored pebbles from his pocket.
They were divination stones learned in the 1st-semester divination magic ss.
''Let''s be careful.''
Although Yi-Han was confident in tackling most magic, divination magic was a little different.
It would be strange not to be nervous when the professor kept scaring them whenever she spoke.
''Finding a way to escape with divination magic... It would be dangerous. If it''s something easier and simpler...''
After pondering, Yi-Han made a decision.
"Stones, is it okay to let my senior out?"
At that moment, an image of negation shed by.
Yi-Han looked at Ogoldos and said, "It doesn''t seem okay?"
"Is... Is that so?"
Originally, he would have gotten angry and been stubborn, but Ogoldos had no intention of doing that now.
Rather, he was curious about something else.
"Can you... Can you already use divination magic? Isn''t it dangerous?"
"It should be fine if I use it carefully. ...Probably."
''Crazy bastard.''
Ogoldos was disgusted by Yi-Han''s answer.
He thought that a true genius of magic should be at that level.
The madness of throwing one''s own life into magic without any concern!
"Senior?"
"Ye, yes? Why?!"
"I''m going to prepare a meal, is there anything you''d like to eat?"
"..."
¡ª
The range in which the magic circle could be maintained was wider than expected. Yi-Han walked around the hall, scanning the surroundings.
In the meantime, Ogoldos rummaged through the backpack Yi-Han had been carrying.
Surprisingly, it was packed with various emergency rations, seasonings, and even tea leaves, coffee powder, and sugar.
"You, you''ve been carrying this around?"
"Pardon? Oh. Don''t all Einroguard students do that?"
"Not to your extent..."
"Is that so? That''s interesting."
"..."
Ogoldos quietly shut his mouth and searched for the rations that seemed to spoil the fastest and took them out separately. Then he moved the intact rations to Yi-Han''s portion.
"Would you like coffee? Tea?" Yi-Han offered him.
"Water is enough for me."
"Senior, by any chance..."
"Wha, what is it?"
Feeling like his inner thoughts had been exposed, Ogoldos hesitated. Yi-Han silently brewed another coffee and held it out.
"If you don''t drink it, I''ll give it to the King of Ghouls over there."
"...Thank you."
"Why are you being like this over something like this?"
Ogoldos, who was sipping the coffee, spoke with a flushed face.
"I''m sorry. For suspecting that a junior like you who entered wasn''t sincere about dark magic."
Actually, it wasn''tpletely wrong.
Yi-Han''s interest in dark magic was due to the possibility of a stable job with lesspetition.
"Anyone can have such suspicions. I''m just happy that you''re apologizing like this."
Yi-Han answered hypocritically.
Ogoldos was greatly impressed once again by that answer.
Where else would there be a junior with such a great capacity?
"...If you need helpter, let me know. I don''t know what help I can be, but I''ll do my best to the extent possible."
"Ah. Then, when we go back to school and enter Einroguard, could you please bring in some supplies for me?"
Ogoldos chuckled at Yi-Han''s joke.
Although his sense of humor was strange for a junior, this joke was definitely funny.
''It wasn''t a joke.''
Yi-Han secretly cursed a little.
¡ª
After having a simple meal, Ogoldos began to search the hall further.
Although they were trapped, the ce they were trapped in was the center of the pce and where the throne was located.
If there was treasure, it was the ce with the highest possibility.
Of course, doing it tantly in front of the owner made the owner furious.
"You bastard..."
"Ah. Shut up."
Yi-Han threw a pebble even though he knew it wouldn''t work.
The magic circle operating with holy magic burned the pebble as it was. Seeing that, Yi-Han suddenly had a thought and picked up a pot.
"What are you doing now..."
"Ooh."
Chiiiik!
Yi-Han poured the remaining trash in the pot onto the King of Ghouls and eximed in admiration.
Surprisingly, it cleanly burned even the remaining trash!
"Verduus... Thank you."
Although it was unfortunate that they had the same name, which made it sound unpleasant, the undead mage Verduus was an iparably good personpared to the professor.
It was evident just by the fact that he sacrificed himself toplete such a magic circle.
Yi-Han hoped that Verduus would recover quickly and respond to the summoning.
"You ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö-"
Ignoring the King of Ghouls'' creative curses unique to ghouls, Yi-Han called out to Ogoldos.
"Senior. Did you find anything good?"
"Just a moment..."
Click!
Ogoldos, who had been diligently investigating while even taking out the dark magic book he had been carrying, opened something on the wall and shouted with joy.
"I found it!!! I found it, junior!!!"
"Do you mean treasure!?"
Yi-Han, who had been ying around by throwing trash at the King of Ghouls, was also startled and got up.
"Yes! It''s treasure!!"
"Wha... What kind of jewels are attached to it?"
Yi-Han asked, suppressing his excitement.
Then Ogoldos answered as if asking what he was talking about.
"It''s bones?"
"...Pardon?"
"I said it''s bones! I''d like you to have this. You''ll have many asions where you''ll need it!"
Ogoldos returned excitedly, holding an armful of bones mixed with purple and ck colors.
Although it was unclear exactly what kind of being the bones belonged to, just by looking at the color and mana pattern, it was evident that it was a considerably powerful being.
For dark mages who enjoyed using bone element magic, bones used as reagents were very important.
The quality of the bone fragments used as reagents not only simply enhanced magic but also increased the limit of usable magic itself.
"..."
Of course, such knowledge was meaningless to Yi-Han. Yi-Han became gloomy and threw trash at the King of Ghouls again.
''Well. This person is also a dark mage.''
Wouldn''t it be dark mages who think of bones as treasures instead of jewels?
"Thank you. I''ll make good use of them."
"Yes. This is really great. When we return to Einroguard, take a closer look at them."
Yi-Han, who was picking up the bones with a bitter smile, suddenly thought of something and shouted.
"Senior!!!"
"Ye, yes?!"
"If we keep staying here, won''t we bete for the start of the semester?!"
"That... That''s true, but is that important now?"
When Yi-Han asked with a pale face, Ogoldos was startled.
He didn''t make such an expression even when the King of Ghouls was rampaging...
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Chapter 381
Chapter 381
"No, isn''t it obviously important?" Yi-Han spoke with a serious expression.
Until now, the junior who had been polite no matter what Ogoldos said suddenly became serious, making Ogoldos feel like he had made a huge mistake for some reason.
"Is... Is that so?"
By Ogoldos''s standards, wouldn''t it be better to enter Einroguardte?
Even if he entered early, the skull principal would only harass him more.
"Ah. Is it because of the punishment room? Of course, I understand that you, as a 1st-year student, fear the punishment room more than necessary, but as you attend Einroguard for a long time, you''ll get used to the punishment room too. The punishment room isn''t as bad as you think. When you get used to it, it can be morefortable than the dormitory at times."
1st-year students tended to fear the punishment room more than necessary, but that was all a trick of the skull principal.
If you fear the punishment room too much, you can''t survive in Einroguard.
"I''ve been to the punishment room a few times. What I was worried about was missing lectures."
"..."
"I guess it can''t be helped, senior."
"Ye, yes?"
"Please help me study a bit."
When Yi-Han took out a book, Ogoldos was shocked.
''Crazy bastard...''
Ogoldos trembled at the sight of a junior who was worrying about his 2nd-semester grades first while being trapped with the King of Ghouls in the depths of the undead realm.
He had seen many people who seemed crazy at school, but that wasn''t crazy.
The truly crazy person was here in front of Ogoldos.
¡ª
"How many days do you think have passed?"
"Well. It''s often hard to trust your sense of time in other realms. A week?"
"We should be able to catch up in about a week, right?"
"It''s enough for someone like you."
"What do you mean enough! Don''t say it so easily!"
Yi-Han suddenly got angry.
And then he immediately apologized.
"I''m sorry, senior. I shouldn''t have gotten angry at you."
"Ah, no. I''m fine."
Ogoldos inwardly shook his head at the sight of the junior, who had been polite no matter what insulting words he heard in other aspects, bing very sharp when it came to lectures.
What kind of 1st-year students did Einroguard ept?
"So, senior. Going back to bone element magic..."
At first nce, bone element magic seemed to have less potential for developmentpared to other elemental magic, but this was also a type of magic that could be delved into as deeply as one wanted if explored deeply.
Basically, in addition to summoning bones to shoot or bind the opponent, there were many aspects rted to alchemy or enchantment magic, such as strengthening, transforming, and fusing the bones themselves.
"One of the characteristics of bone element magic is that the more pre-preparation you do, the stronger it bes, right?"
"That''s right."
If the bones themselves were pre-strengthened with curses, poisons, or dark elements, the power of the magic itself would be greatly amplified.
"You can think of bone element magic as magic that deals with corpses. The core of a corpse is ultimately the bones. A mage who has mastered bone element magic can create a monster capable of facing several imperial knights with just one skinny corpse."
"Yes. What I''m curious about is that I want to pre-infuse the bones with cold curses, paralytic poisons, and dark elements, but the bones can''t withstand it. Is there a way?"
"..."
Ogoldos wanted to cry at the sight of the junior asking a question that even 4th-year Direth would say, "Wait, let me call the professor," so naturally.
The most distressing thing was that the junior was asking purely without any malice.
"I... I don''t know much about that."
"Is that so? That''s a shame."
Yi-Han turned the page with disappointment.
Ogoldos nced at the page.
The dark magic book clearly stated, "Bones can be strengthened with additional magic," not "Let''s try strengthening them with cold curses, paralytic poisons, and dark elements."
''Could it be that if I tell this guy to summon an undead, he''ll summon a bone dragon?''
"Senior."
"Ye, yes?"
Now, when Yi-Han called him, he became a little scared.
"This bone element magic can bebined to strengthen summoned undead, right?"
"That''s right."
Putting additional bone armor on summoned undead or giving them weapons was the most basic method, and skilled mages often strengthened them in various ways, such as with blood, poison, flesh, and spirit bodies.
"I''d like to see and learn how you do it, senior..."
"...Wait. I think I need to search this ce a bit more."
Ogoldos hurriedly got up from his seat.
When he saw Yi-Hanbining skeleton warriors into one before, there was a high possibility that he would be very disappointed if he saw Ogoldos''s undead summons.
"Are you going to search again? Aren''t you pushing yourself too hard?"
"What''s so hard about this? Don''t worry."
When Ogoldos got up from his seat, Yi-Han closed the book with disappointment.
''I should read another book while he''s searching.''
Yi-Han took out and studied how to increase the power of lightning element magic.
Contrary to Ferkuntra''s im that "lightning element has the most powerful strength among elements," he had recently felt ack of power frequently.
"...Are you nning to be trapped here for the rest of your life?" The King of Ghouls asked.
"The more you condense lightning... I don''t understand. I think I''ve condensed it quite a bit. Do I need to condense it more here?"
"...You must also feel it. The fear rising from within your heart." He continued to goad Yi-Han.
"Next page... No. Shape transformation?"
Yi-Han was amazed.
Contrary to the misconception many mages have, shape transformation of lightning elements is not impossible. Of course, I won''t deny that the difficulty level is higher than other elements. The mostmon mistake novice mages make is attempting shape transformation of lightning elements poorly and running out of mana...
Professor Bdi was a really kind person in his books. Instead of forcing difficult magic, he advised to solidly build the foundations.
While reading the book, Yi-Han suddenly fell into doubt.
''How can a person like this be like that to me?''
Anyway, shape transformation of lightning elements was theoretically about stronglypressing lightning with mana to give it mass and then transforming its shape like other elements.
Considering the mana consumption and difficulty level, it was understandable that mages didn''t perform shape transformation with lightning elements.
Magic was a miracle of omnipotence, but mages were always those who pursued efficiency.
"Don''t deny it. Your fear! You must also feel it!" The voice didn¡¯t stop
"Like this... Oops."
Bzzt!
"It''s harder than I thought."
The lightning that lost control flew towards the King of Ghouls. Yi-Han licked his lips and concentrated again.
Since it was written in the book, there was a high possibility that Professor Bdi woulde out saying "Do it or die" during the 2nd semester.
"Do you think it will change if you pretend you didn''t hear me!"
"Hm?"
Yi-Han put down his staff and turned his gaze.
"Ah. Sorry. I was unconsciously ignoring you because you were so noisy. Okay. Why did you call me?"
Although he was the King of Ghouls who had cut off the breath and brought countless enemies to their knees in the undead realm, he had never met anyone who gave him a sense of humiliation like this young mage.
The King of Ghouls was suffocating with anger.
"Fear! You will! Be trapped here for the rest of your life! Let''spromise now..."
"Are you still saying that?"
Yi-Han looked at the King of Ghouls as if it was absurd.
"I think you''re misunderstanding something, but my situation is different from yours."
"What''s different?"
"If I stay here quietly, there are people who wille to take me away."
It was "take away," not "rescue," but the King of Ghouls didn''t notice due to his anger.
"That''s your misconception. Does my pce look that ridiculous to you? This pce located in the depths of the realm is absolutely not easy to..."
''He''s full of bluster.''
Although the King of Ghouls was speaking sincerely, it didn''t resonate with Yi-Han.
Honestly, the skull principal seemed stronger.
If Professor Mortum couldn''t find him, he would tell the skull principal, and if the skull principal heard, he woulde to find him on his own.
And the punishment room...
"Thinking about it makes me angry."
Yi-Han threw the snack wrapper he was holding at the King of Ghouls.
Come to think of it, wasn''t this mess caused by this bastard sitting on the throne without any tact?
If it weren''t for this bastard, he could have peacefully explored the pce and sold it for a high price...
"You''re finally revealing your true colors. I know you''re also anxious!"
"Think whatever you want."
"Compromise. Let''spromise. Stop denying it!"
"Thepromise is to offer you to the principal and negotiate how many days to reduce from the punishment room... Ah. Wait."
Yi-Han suddenly became curious.
The King of Ghouls had nothing to offer Yi-Han right now.
What was he trying to do?
"Hmm. Tell me. What kind ofpromise do you want?"
"Of course, it''s to undo this magic circle."
Thinking that Yi-Han was finally interested, the king''s voice became soft and cunning.
Although he didn''t use it often after gaining power, the King of Ghouls was a being who could show such cunning schemes whenever necessary.
"Why would I trust you?"
"Of course, you would think that. But think carefully. If we keep arguing like that, we''ll only run parallel lines forever. If you don''t want to be trapped here for an infinite amount of time, you have to trust me to some extent. Of course, it won''t be easy to just trust me. I swear on my honor as a king. Even if I get out of here, I will never touch you!"
''Even Gainando wouldn''t fall for such trickery.''
Yi-Han looked at the King of Ghouls as if he was pathetic.
What meaning would there be in putting his honor as a king on the line? From what he said earlier, it didn''t seem like he had much of it anyway.
Yi-Han was also someone who could put anything on the line if necessary, starting from his honor as the top student of the year to his family''s honor, so it didn''t resonate with him at all.
However...
"That, that''s..."
Yi-Han pretended to seriously consider it for now.
There was something he wanted to ask.
"Really?"
"Yes!"
"But it''s hard to believe..."
"Believe me!"
"Then if you show a little more sincerity, I might be able to believe you."
"What is it?"
"Are there any more treasures left here?"
¡°...¡±
The King of Ghouls instinctively felt uneasy, but he intentionally ignored it due to his impatience.
"Are you hiding them? Even after saying we should trust each other?"
"...Fine. I''ll tell you one."
"Yes. That''s a good idea. I''m starting to trust you."
¡ª
''Hmm. But I need to find something.''
Ogoldos carefully read the patterns on the wall. If he had known this would happen, he regretted not taking more ancientnguage lectures at Einroguard.
''The professor said that all studying would be useful someday, and it turned out to be true.''
"Senior!"
"I, I''m looking for it now! Just wait a little longer!"
Ogoldos shouted hurriedly.
He suddenly became scared, not knowing what Yi-Han would ask while studying dark magic.
"Let''s search behind the third pir from the left."
"What?"
Ogoldos was startled.
"Why?"
"I heard it from the King of Ghouls."
"That... Wait. Did you have a conversation? While I was gone?!"
Ogoldos was surprised.
Having a long conversation with a powerful being from another realm was not a good thing.
In the case of an inexperienced and young mage, they could be deceived by the other party and make a huge mistake.
Although the King of Ghouls was trapped in a magic circle, he was still a dangerous beast. Rather, being trapped inside could make him even more dangerous.
He would try to persuade more desperately...
¡°...But you should be fine.¡±
''Didn''t this person''s answere out a bitte just now?''
Yi-Han looked at Ogoldos with a suspicious gaze.
It seemed like he had unnecessary thoughts...
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Chapter 382
Chapter 382
nk!
As the wall behind the pir was touched as instructed by the King of Ghouls, a hidden space was revealed with the sound of a mechanism moving.
Seeing that, Yi-Han suddenly became anxious.
''It''s not bones again, is it?''
Come to think of it, the concept of treasure for the undead could be a little different.
Still, since he''s a king, at least a few jewels...
"Junior!!!!"
Ogoldos, who had entered first, shouted with a voice full of joy. Yi-Han asked excitedly.
"What''s in there?"
"It''s bones! Bones!!! I said bones!!!!"
"..."
Yi-Han became serious for the first time in a while.
¡ª
"Don''t you know what treasure is?"
"Don''t you know what kind of item those bones are? How dare you be so brazen..."
The King of Ghouls was enraged by Yi-Han''s attitude.
He finally revealed the treasure he had hidden, and yet he was met with such a brazen attitude.
"Those bones are a treasure to dark mages, not to me."
"Nonsense! You are clearly a dark mage..."
Yi-Han summoned lightning elements and tried topress them, but failed again and threw them at the King of Ghouls.
Not only that, but he also drew out the Morning Star.
"Look at this. Do I still look like a dark mage to you? Recall when we foughtst time."
¡°...¡±
Yi-Han could argue as much as he wanted to get what he wanted.
And from the King of Ghouls'' perspective, he couldn''t help but waver.
Recalling when Yi-Han foughtst time, he wasn''t a typical dark mage.
"If you want us to trust each other! You should bring out something proper, shouldn''t you!"
Yi-Han harshly reprimanded the wavering King of Ghouls. It was like a professor reprimanding a student who didn''t do their homework properly.
Ogoldos looked at that scene as if he was looking at a madman.
''What the hell is he doing...!''
Although he had learned a lot about "points to be aware of when dealing with undead beings from other realms" in dark magic lectures, he had never seen anything like this before.
"...Wait a moment. I''m thinking."
"Are you trying to hide the treasure you have now?"
"Shut up and stay still. Do you think I, as a king, will remember every single treasure in the pce?"
The King of Ghouls snapped, annoyed by the disturbance while concentrating.
''Doesn''t he remember everything?''
Yi-Han was surprised.
If Yi-Han were the king, he thought he would have memorized the entire list of treasures...
"I remembered one."
"I knew it! I had faith in you."
"But before that, swear on your honor."
Originally, he wanted to bind him with a proper contract, but now that they were separated by the magic circle, the only thing they could trust was each other''s words.
"Swear you won''t find fault anymore and will open the magic circle!"
The King of Ghouls had no intention of keeping his promise, but he didn''t think the other party would break their promise.
It was because he believed that only he himself was wicked and vile.
However, there was an even more vile being right in front of the King of Ghouls.
"Of course. I swear."
"...There is one more hidden warehouse on the opposite side."
''Do undead have a habit of creating warehouses around them?''
To install several secret warehouses in the space where the throne is located.
It was very clear how little he trusted his subordinates.
"...?"
Yi-Han, who revealed the hidden warehouse as instructed by the King of Ghouls, hesitated.
A huge door he had never seen before was guarding the warehouse.
The metal door, engraved with unique patterns, was emitting a strange mana, though it was unclear what material it was made of.
Ogoldos, who was next to him, let out a groan.
"This is going to be tough."
People without experience often thought of exploring dungeons or ruins as a skilled technician (suspiciously close to thieves'' guilds but definitely not a thief) skillfully unlocking locked doors and disassembling devices.
However, most explorations did not go so smoothly.
Usually, locked doors or devices were much sturdier than the skill of the person unlocking them, and most of the time, they had to turn back or avoid them.
"Hey. King of Ghouls! What''s the meaning of this?"
"I clearly told you. It''s just that you can''t open it. Originally, that door can only be opened with my power imbued in it."
The King of Ghouls spoke, trying not to let his cunning show.
In fact, the door to that warehouse was made by the top undead sculptors and cksmiths in the realm under the orders of the King of Ghouls.
A door made by gathering eight metals, mixing them, feeding them the blood of thirteen tribes, and tempering them with the mes of six realms.
As it was a masterpiecepleted during the heyday of the kingdom, it was not a door that could be opened by a few mages trying hard.
"If you let me out, I will open that door for you."
"I see. Alright. I''ll try my best to open it."
"Didn''t you swear not to find fault anymore and open it!"
"That''s when I have the treasure in my hands."
Yi-Han ignored him.
Even if he got it, he had no intention of keeping his promise, so if he couldn''t even get it, he had no intention of even pretending to listen.
The King of Ghouls cursed from behind, but it didn''t reach Yi-Han''s ears.
"Senior. Please step aside for a moment."
Yi-Han made Ogoldos step aside and poured out magic.
Kwakwakwakwang!
From water bullets to arrows oveid with enhancement magic.
He unleashed the maximum firepower he could, but the door was unscathed.
"Shouldn''t we just give up on this and wait?"
"Hmm. It can''t be helped... Wait a moment, senior. Please look at the side here."
Yi-Han pointed to the huge rock next to the door guarding the warehouse.
One of the water jade bullets that had just missed had left a small mark on the huge rock.
"Should we try digging through this side?"
"...Are you serious?!"
Ogoldos was dumbfounded.
If they went through the door and entered, they coulde out right away, but if they dug through the rock on the side and took a detour, he couldn''t even estimate how much they would have to go around.
"We have nothing else to do anyway."
"...That''s true, but..."
Seeing his junior trying to dig through the rock when he couldn''t break through the door, Ogoldos thought to himself.
''He would be really popr in the punishment room.''
If other students trapped in the punishment room saw him, they would swallow their saliva and attempt to recruit him.
¡ª
"Is that something you should be saying now!"
When Professor Garcia roared, Professor Mortum shrank back.
"If there are such dangerous ruins, you should send the students out first!"
"That... That''s a bit overprotective..."
The saying that a person who doesn''t usually get angry is scary when they do get angry was a perfect fit for Professor Garcia.
Professor Mortum couldn''t meet Professor Garcia''s eyes and crawled away.
"And why did you take a 1st-year student into the undead realm!"
"Well... I thought it would be fine since he had faced the King of Frost Giants."
"..."
Even Professor Garcia, who had been angry, was momentarily at a loss for words.
Thinking it was an opportunity, Professor Mortum quickly sent a request for help to the skull principal.
"Mr. Gonadaltes. Please help me. It''s not good to always protect the students, is it? To be a great mage, they need to ovee hardships..."
As the skull principal was someone who usually tried to forcibly give students a crisis, Professor Mortum thought the skull principal would take his side.
-Protecting students is meaningless.-
-They need to be thrown into a crisis to improve their magic skills.-
Wasn''t this the theory that the skull principal usually argued for?
However, the skull principal coldly refused.
"No matter what, there''s a limit. Taking a 1st-year student into the undead realm was a bit too much."
"!??!"
Professor Mortum looked at the skull principal with eyes full of betrayal.
He could understand Professor Garcia getting angry. She was originally someone who cherished her students.
But the skull principal acting like this was very hypocritical.
"Isn''t this too much!"
"The one who went too far is you for taking a 1st-year student in. Don''t you have any sense? That''s why the number of students wanting to take dark magic is decreasing."
The skull principal coldly cut off Professor Mortum.
He had already been warned by the Emperor of the Empire. In such a situation, even if he couldn''t stop Professor Mortum from causing an ident together, there was no way he could look favorably upon him.
Rather than taking his side and getting scolded by the Emperor together, it was best to put the me on Professor Mortum.
''I''ll remember this!''
Professor Mortum gritted his teeth at the betrayal of his respected mentor.
He had no intention of ever giving out useful undead when asked for themter.
"So... Is that all for the current situation? You''ve organized it quite neatly, better than I expected."
The skull principal spoke while floating around and looking at the surroundings.
In fact, Professor Mortum had made the best choice.
When Yi-Han and Ogoldos went missing inside the pce, he immediately took the remaining students out and went in alone with the undead to search.
If he had found him well like that, he would have been told "Well done" by other professors, but unfortunately, reality was different.
The pce was protected by such powerful magic that the search took a lot of time.
As the start of the semester approached, Professor Mortum swallowed his tears and sent a message to the skull principal, who then ryed it to other professors...
Thanks to that, the professors of Einroguard gathered like this in a town near the realm gate.
"I was going to get rid of the other adventurers if they were here. I didn''t know the knights had such a sense of work. Could it be you?"
"No, it wasn''t."
"Then I won''t praise you. Call the knights. I should praise them a bit."
"..."
To break through the defense of the profound ruins inside the realm gate, it was best to minimize variables.
If there were adventurers wandering around and making a fuss that the way to another realm had opened, he was going to catch and devour them all to drive them away, but the knights had already done it.
The skull principal was quite impressed.
The knights epted the skull principal''s praise with the most polite attitude possible.
While the professors could joke around with the skull principal, the knights absolutely could not.
If they did that to the notorious grand mage Gonadaltes, they could end up being turned into frogs and trapped in a cage for the rest of their lives.
"Thank you, Mr. Gonadaltes!"
"Yes. Keep doing that in the future."
"Uh... But the adventurers are strongly requesting to be released. What would be the best course of action?"
"Keep them locked up. Nothing good wille from releasing those noisy adventurers."
The skull principal spoke indifferently.
From now on, he had to concentrate on breaking through the realm ruins, so he didn''t want to release the annoying adventurers.
If he released them and they sneaked in again, how bothersome would that be?
Professor Garcia cautiously asked.
"Won''t they protest?"
"Let them do it. If they want to die."
The skull principal ignored it as if he would no longer pay attention to such trivial matters.
Saving his students was important, so what did it matter if a few adventurers were locked up for a few more weeks?
They would be well-fed anyway...
Of course, it was a bolt from the blue for the anti-magic extremists who were locked up.
-No! Why can''t you release us! Is this how imperial knights should behave!?-
-ording to imperialw, I have the right to be protected! Call an administrator!-
¡ª
Day 1.
"How much progress has been made?"
"I''ve found about half of the rules."
"That''s a relief."
Professor Mortum answered with relief.
No matter how old they got, the mentor was always a reliable presence in front of their students.
Day 2.
"How much progress has been made?"
"There were some traps in the rules."
"Oh no..."
"That''s really unfortunate."
...?
When Professor Garcia sat next to him, the skull principal tried to say something but stopped.
Day 3.
"How much progress has been made?"
"I removed the defensive magic and reinforced it so the pce wouldn''t copse... Wait. Why do you guys keep increasing in number?"
The skull principal was displeased with the increasing number of professors in the town.
The semester had already started, so who was going to teach the lectures?
"I just stopped by after doing it."
"Professor Garcia is fine... But the other professors don''t seem to be that diligent. Do I really have to evaluate you seriously? Professors who abandoned their lectures and came here, go back immediately."
At the skull principal''s petty threat, the professors grumbled and got up from their seats.
However, there was also someone who didn''t get up.
The skull principal spoke to Professor Bdi as if it was absurd.
"...Professor Bagrak. Before I hang you upside down and chase you out, go back quickly."
"??"
"Why are you dumbfounded? The one who should be dumbfounded is me!"
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Chapter 383
Chapter 383
After chasing away Professor Bdi, who had stayed until the end, the skull principal grumbled.
"How nice would it be if everyone was like Professor Garcia?"
"You''re giving me too much credit. By the way, when are you going to start the next task?"
"...Just, just taking a little break."
"I see..."
1 minuteter.
"By the way, when are you going to start the next ta..."
"I''m going now. I''m going."
The skull principal flew away, shuddering.
Although it was often forgotten due to her normal appearance, Professor Garcia was also someone who had tried to take all the school''s lectures at Einroguard.
''If only we could bring a sane professor to the school.''
It was really hard to find a professor who was both excellent in magic and mentally sound.
The skull principal could onlyment the unfortunate state of imperial education.
¡ª
"Phew..."
"..."
"Ha..."
"..."
"Geez..."
"...Could you please stop, Professor Garcia?"
"Pardon?"
"You''ve been sighing dozens of times since earlier."
"Ah. I''m sorry. I''m just worried."
The skull principal hade out to rest for a bit after finishing today''s work until the next path opened, but Professor Garcia didn''t spare even that short moment and sighed.
The skull principalmented the fact that Professor Garcia was diligent.
Even if he wanted to send her back to Einroguard, there was no excuse to do so.
"Wardanaz should be fine. That''s what the divination magic showed as well."
"Ah. I was worried about student Ogoldos."
The skull principal gave Professor Garcia a dumbfounded look.
If a 1st-year student and a 2nd-year student were trapped together, one should worry about the 1st-year student...
Realizing that, Professor Garcia also made an excuse with an embarrassed face.
"Of course, I was also worried about student Yi-Han."
"It doesn''t seem like you were that worried..."
"Of course I''m worried. If they''re trapped inside the ruins, the first thing is food..."
The skull principal thought, ''If they''re trapped inside the ruins, shouldn''t they be more worried about traps or attacks from sentries rather than food?'' but didn''t bother to ask.
"You don''t need to worry about that. Wardanaz always carries quite a lot of food wherever he goes."
"...Ah, yes. I see."
Professor Garcia was at a loss for words.
What the...
"Excuse me, Mr. Gonadaltes. The adventurers are demanding a meeting. What should we do?"
When the knights came and asked, the skull principal answered as if it was bothersome.
"Tell them that if they bother me one more time, I''ll bury them upside down until the work is finished. Keep a close watch. Adventurers have a knack for making things bothersome because they don''t understand rules."
"Understood."
After the knights left, Professor Garcia asked again.
"Still, won''t they run out of food since the two of them have to endure?"
"Well, considering the amount they carry, they should be able to endure sufficiently until I go in..."
At the skull principal''s words, Professor Garcia''s face brightened slightly.
"Then that''s a relief. Student Ogoldos will also be fine since student Yi-Han is with him."
"...Haven''t you noticed anything strange while talking since earlier?"
¡ª
"Senior. To prepare for any unforeseen situations, we need to save some food, so today''s dessert is one slice of cake."
"...Hey, I''m also an Einroguard student."
Ogoldos was dumbfounded as he received the chocte cake.
By Einroguard student standards, this was a luxurious feast.
Regardless of that, Yi-Han started tapping on the rock again.
The King of Ghouls, who had been mocking him at first, seemed to be getting impatient and tried to interfere with all sorts of tricks.
"You''ll never be able to break through like that in your lifetime."
"Think again! What if it copses!"
"Doing that is useless..."
Ogoldos was newly impressed by Yi-Han.
He had been impressed by this junior several times so far, but this time was a little different.
How could he so thoroughly ignore someone''s words?
If it were Ogoldos, even if he pretended to ignore, he would have been bothered and responded or refuted.
However, Yi-Han truly ignored the King of Ghouls as if he didn''t even exist.
So much so that the King of Ghouls was screaming as if he was having a fit.
Papapak-
Seeing the falling rock powder, Yi-Han carefully checked the distance he had dug.
Thanks to spending most of his waking hours madly pounding magic in front of this rock, he had dug in quite a distance.
''The saying that a water droplet can pierce a rock is not wrong.''
Float the water orb, spin it, and shoot it.
While repeating this simple process over and over again, Yi-Han was also gradually bing more skilled.
Although he still couldn''t immediately summon a perfect spin...
Bang!
''Oops. I was too hasty.''
Yi-Han clicked his tongue when the water orb burst out as soon as he tried to spin it at high speed right after floating it.
He still had to either spend more time or lower the speed and be satisfied with an imperfect spin.
"Fine. I''ll tell you what''s inside!"
The King of Ghouls shouted, getting impatient as Yi-Han kept digging.
Of course, Yi-Han ignored him as if he didn''t hear. If he put his mind to it, Yi-Han had the ability to hear someone shouting next to him as if it were nothing.
''Let''s think of it as the professor''s words.''
"Ten thousand demons are sleeping in there. So stop! Even if you keep trying to open it, it won''t be good for you either."
In the undead realm, as well as in realms overflowing with violence and struggle, the loser had to kneel before the winner and beg for mercy.
The King of Ghouls had also cruelly trampled on those who had been defeated by him on his way to his current position.
One of those traces was the space sealed by that door.
A space sealed so that the defeated, whose only souls remained, could not be resurrected with power.
Ogoldos''s face became serious.
If those words were true, opening it like this was quite dangerous.
Since it wasn''t opening a properly sealed door, but blowing up the rock itself in a crude way, it was hard to predict where the trapped ones would fly out.
"Junior. I think we need to think about this for now..."
"Do you think he''s telling the truth?"
"Honestly, it sounds quite usible for a lie."
Trapping threatening rivals like that was exactly the kind of thing a powerful undead would do.
Yi-Han growled in anger.
"How dare he... deceive me by calling that a treasure!"
''It is a treasure though.''
Ogoldos thought to himself.
Such powerful souls could be used to create grand magic or artifacts, so it was no exaggeration to call them treasures.
Of course, it was because Yi-Han wasn''t trying to open the door properly now...
"Why are you like that, senior?"
"Th, that''s right. Calling this a treasure. Ghoul bastard! You''ve really gone too far!"
Ogoldos answered hurriedly.
There was still a subtle anger left in Yi-Han''s voice.
"If that''s true, it''s really the worst, senior."
"It''s, it''s not the worst, is it? We can just wait for rescue..."
"Having to study without being able to salvage more treasures in the remaining time..."
"..."
Ogoldos couldn''t really empathize, but he stayed still because he was scared of his junior.
Kwajijijijik!
At that moment, the mana enveloping the entire pce shook like crazy and started to shatter.
The mana guarding the depths also screamed as it swirled around in all directions.
"Kuhuk...!"
Ogoldos fainted and copsed due to the too strong wave of mana.
Although it wasn''t a direct attack, the turbulence of mana rushing in like this was powerful in itself.
Kwaaaaaaang!
"Isn''t that method too rough?!"
"Wardanaz will be fine, so stop worrying, Professor Garcia. Wardanaz! If you''re alive, prepare to go to the punishment room..."
"No, it''s about student Ogoldos."
"Ah."
The skull principal was silent for a moment.
"He won''t die."
"You ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö!"
"The student is listening, Professor Garcia. Stop cursing."
"Professor. I''m here."
When she found out that Yi-Han was there, Professor Garcia stopped cursing and ran over. Just by looking at her expression, one could tell how worried the professor had been.
"Student Yi-Han...!"
"I''m sorry for making you worry, Professor."
"No, it''s the fault of the person who took a 1st-year student in."
''I was the one who said I would go.''
Since he was the one who had insisted on the dream of making a fortune, Yi-Han felt a little sorry for Professor Mortum.
"Student Ogoldos... He''s fine. That''s a relief."
Although he had fainted for a moment, hisplexion looked good, indicating that he had been safe and well until then.
Professor Garcia sighed in relief and looked around.
There were all sorts of trash, starting from the fact that they had eaten well, as well as a table and a magic book carved out of stone.
If it were other people, they would have been shocked, but the skull principal and Professor Garcia weren''t very surprised.
It was only natural to study during break time.
"You''ve set it up quitefortably."
"Thank you."
"But what''s that?"
The skull principal pointed to the King of Ghouls trapped in the magic circle and asked.
The King of Ghouls seemed to have instinctively sensed what level of grand mage the skull principal was, and lowered his body.
"That, that''s the King of Ghouls."
Yi-Han, who had spoken, added an exnation in case he looked too weak now to be the King of Ghouls.
"Although he looks much weaker now, he was a bit more powerful before being trapped, and also, since the title of King of Ghouls can be self-proimed..."
"...What the hell are you trying to exin??"
The skull principal was dumbfounded.
If he had eyes, he could tell that was the King of Ghouls.
¡ª
After hearing the exnation of what had happened, the skull principal sighed.
''I should tell Mortum to avoid Professor Garcia for a while.''
He thought they were just trapped, but they had fought the King of Ghouls and were trapped.
Professor Garcia''s fists were already clenched as if they would burst, and the veins next to her temples were bulging and wriggling. If there were no students, a few staffs would have been shattered.
''But that''s his own problem to deal with.''
The skull principal decided to worry about Professor Mortum only to that extent.
If he was that old, he should be able to take care of his own life.
"That bastard is really vile and evil."
Yi-Hanined as if his teeth were chattering.
The skull principal was puzzled by that.
Wasn''t Yi-Han someone with strong guts, enough to calmly ovee even when harassed by guys like Bagrak or Verduus?
But he wasining like that.
Was the King of Ghouls that threatening and violent to that extent?
"He told me the location of the treasure and made me do all this work for nothing!"
"..."
The skull principal was dumbfounded when he saw the almost pierced rock.
He knew Yi-Han had a lot of mana, but trying to pierce that huge rock with the remaining time by making the most of that mana was a different story.
Who would have imagined such a thing? Itpletely surpassed themon sense of mages.
"He is indeed an evil bastard. Undead are usually like that."
"Even the torments of hell wouldn''t be enough for him."
"Why are you, as a member of the Wardanaz family, so greedy...?"
The skull principal seemed to have given up and made the King of Ghouls, who was spewing curses, shut up, and flew away.
Then he finished piercing the rock and swallowed the souls of the demons inside in one gulp.
"...!"
"!!!"
It was such an intense scene that even Yi-Han and the King of Ghouls were shocked.
The skull principal emitted a blue light from his eyes and directly bound the swallowed souls. Then hepressed them into a single bone and trapped them.
"Take it."
The skull principal made a bracelet out of the bone and threw it to Yi-Han.
It was a rare and unusual artifact containing the evil souls defeated by the King of Ghouls.
He usually didn''t give such special treatment to students, but this much should be fine.
Yi-Han looked at the skull principal with a slightly impressed face.
"Principal...!"
"Yes."
"But shouldn''t this kind of artifact originally have jewels in it? I''m not asking this with any particr intention, I''m just curious in terms of stability..."
"..."
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Chapter 384
Chapter 384
Yi-Han quickly backed off after noticing the skull principal''s shocked gaze.
"I just asked. In an academic sense."
"What kind of bone is that, and what are you saying about jewels?"
The skull principal spoke bluntly.
Unless it was a weak bone that couldn''t withstand such souls, the bracelet made by directly carving the skull principal''s bone couldn''t be escaped by ten thousand demons even if they raged.
Of course, jewels weren''t necessary either.
''What a pity.''
''This guy is thinking it''s a pity.''
The skull principal cursed while looking at Yi-Han.
That shameless bastard...
If it were Professor Mortum, he would have shed tears of gratitude!
"Are there any precautions when using this bracelet? Like absorbing a lot of mana?"
"If it''s a bracelet that absorbs your mana, I don''t even want to fathom what level of curse it would have to be. It''s not such a dangerous item."
"Tsk."
"...But it''s not that easy either. Think about the beings inside it."
Yi-Han pondered deeply after hearing the skull principal''s words.
ording to what the King of Ghouls said, the beings embedded in this bracelet were those who had been defeated by the King of Ghouls.
Then...
"Do you understand? Strong..."
"Weak... Oh. Are they strong?"
"Then why would he bother trapping such weak bastards like that?"
The skull principal was dumbfounded by Yi-Han''s words.
If they were weak beings, there would have been no need to trap them like that, and the skull principal wouldn''t have woven them into a bracelet.
Wasn''t it made like that because they were quite useful?
"I thought they were weaker than expected since they lost to the King of Ghouls."
The skull principal was a dark mage who was usually ruthless to the undead, but this time, he sympathized with the King of Ghouls.
How hurt must his pride be to receive such disregard from a young 1st-year student?
"You''d better watch your words. The ones inside might be listening. They may be too busy fighting each other now... but someday, one of them might pop out."
The inside of that bracelet was like a miniature version of the underground prison Yi-Han had gone through.
Fierce and noble beings never cooperated even if they were trapped together in defeat. Rather, they tried to relieve their inescapable resentment by trampling on each other.
Although it wasn''t visible to Yi-Han, countless souls were fighting inside the bracelet right now.
However, if Yi-Han''s skills improved further and he became qualified to attract the interest of the trapped souls...
The souls might stop fighting and attempt tomunicate with Yi-Han.
"Communication... You mean they''ll obey my orders?"
"Well. I don''t know about that. The ones trapped inside are probably all fierce and stupid."
''You just told me to watch my words.''
"But one thing is certain. You are the owner of the bracelet. They are enved prisoners. Make sure they recognize that. Then they might listen to your orders."
"Indeed. Like Einroguard students..."
The skull principal ignored it as if he hadn''t heard.
Meanwhile, Professor Garcia lifted Ogoldos as lightly as a straw.
"Let''s take him out for now."
Yi-Han''s respect for the professor suddenly rose at that sight.
It was because of how she took care of the student, not because she lifted Ogoldos lightly.
"It would be better to let him rest here for a day rather than moving him right away. If we make him move unnecessarily, it might get worse."
"Principal..."
Yi-Han was slightly touched.
He didn''t expect the skull principal to take care of him like this.
No matter how much they disliked or liked each other, there was no one else but Einroguard people.
"I''m talking about Ogoldos, not you. You''re perfectly fine."
"..."
¡ª
While Ogoldos was snoring and resting well at the inn, Yi-Han asked Professor Garcia about the missed sses.
The fact that he had missed two weeks of sses made Yi-Han more distressed than the fact that he had been trapped for two weeks.
"Two weekste! I''m finished!"
"Yi, Yi-Han. I don''t think it''ll be like that..."
"How can I catch up in two weeks!"
''Can''t he sufficiently catch up...?''
Professor Garcia thought so inwardly, but she couldn''t say it out loud seeing Yi-Han''s face distorted with sorrow.
"Since it''s the start of a new semester, no one taught much. The other professors all taught only basic things."
In Professor Garcia''s view, the progress other school professors were making now was the part Yi-Han had already achieved.
Honestly, it seemed like he could catch up even if he took a break for two months, not two weeks.
"Come to think of it, what are you teaching this semester, Professor Garcia?"
"This semester, I''m teaching magic that is useful in real life."
Since she had introduced other school magic and taught the basics in the 1st semester, she was nning to teach magic that wasn''t part of any particr school but would be useful for young mages to know in the 2nd semester.
Knowing these would be advantageous for surviving in Einroguard.
"...To miss such lectures for two weeks!!"
"I, I''ll teach you now, so calm down."
The magic Professor Garcia had taught for two weeks were and .
was a magic that separated specific mixtures with the power of magic, which was essential for mages preparing potions or reagents, and was a magic that allowed one to see even in the dark, although with unclear vision.
And both were magic that Yi-Han had already learned beforehand.
"Oh. I know both of those spells."
"..."
Professor Garcia found Yi-Han annoying for the first time in a while.
"...I''ll exin the 2nd-semester lectures. Since you haven''t heard them."
"Thank you."
Unlike Professor Garcia, who taught , most lectures hadn''t changed much.
Professor Uregor was still teaching .
Likewise, , , , etc., were all lectures that were an extension of the 1st semester.
"Fortunately, none of the professors went missing, so it was maintained as it was."
"..."
Yi-Han got goosebumps at Professor Garcia''s smile.
Is it okay to say that so innocently now?
"Wait. Professor. In my case, I couldn''t register because I waste, so what should I do?"
"But Yi-Han, don''t you take almost all of them anyway?"
"..."
Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
Professor Garcia felt a little sorry and quickly changed her words.
"Th, that doesn''t mean you don''t need to register. It''s just that I registered on your behalf since you weren''t there."
Yi-Han received the paper Professor Garcia handed over.
Lectures almost identical to the 1st semester were written.
"Professor. Why is the principal''s included?"
"What? It''s a mandatory lecture... You took it in the 1st semester too, right?"
Yi-Han turned his gaze away as if he was disappointed that she didn''t understand.
"..."
Professor Garcia red at him, but Yi-Han looked at the paper as if he hadn''t seen it.
''Wait.''
Yi-Han felt puzzled when he saw the list of lectures written under his name.
Basic Practical Magic - Garcia.
Understanding Basic Alchemy 2nd Volume in Depth - Uregor.
Repetitive Training of Basic Magic Combat in Depth - Bagrak.
Magic Character Education!
...
"Why are the handwritings all different?"
"Ah. Some professors came in person, wrote, and left."
"..."
Yi-Han''s eyes widened.
Putting aside Professor Garcia writing on his behalf, the professors came, added their lectures, and left.
Is that even allowed?
"Is that even allowed?!"
"We, well, weren''t you going to take them anyway?"
"That''s true, but I might not take them...!"
"Is there anything you want to remove?"
"There isn''t, but..."
"??"
Professor Garcia tilted her head, not knowing what the problem was.
''I have a bad feeling for no reason.''
It was fine now, but the fact that it was possible made Yi-Han afraid.
Of course, she said she had to take over as a proxy due to an emergency situation, but don''t the professors at Einroguard tend to think everything is an emergency situation when they are in a hurry?
Yi-Han vowed to submit his registration while avoiding the professors during the registration period in his 2nd year.
"...Huh? Wait a minute, Professor. Why is here? I''ve never taken this."
"What? I didn''t write that either?"
"??"
Both Yi-Han and Professor Garcia were puzzled.
An elective lecture that neither of them had heard of nor written was included in the list.
"...I added it."
"No...!"
Yi-Han looked at the skull principal as if he had been betrayed in the most vile way in the world.
The skull principal was dumbfounded by the sense of betrayal as if he had stolen his disciple''s soul.
Is adding one more lecture something to react to like that?
"Why would I take that?!"
"The Emperor¡ No, you are too engrossed in magic. You need to have other hobbies too."
Professor Garcia almost unconsciously nodded her head.
"That''s why I''m taking swordsmanship, riding training, geometry, andnguage."
"Young people in the Empire generally don''t call those hobbies. Anyway, it''s already decided, so I can''t change it. Take at least that much."
"Don''t lie. With the principal''s magic, you should be able to change it."
The skull principal wanted to hit the disciple who was talking back without knowing his ce, but he held back.
If he met the Emperorter and said, "The principal hit me," he might fly over saying, "Come to the capital immediately."
"Wait, the knights are calling me outside!"
"Principal!! Principal!! I can seriously send an anonymous letter to the imperial capital!"
The skull principal flew away, snorting.
"I''ve heard all sorts of threats, but that''s the most absurd threat I''ve ever heard! Go ahead and try your best!"
¡ª
The knights really did call the skull principal.
"Mr. Gonadaltes. The adventurers were making such a fuss that we investigated, and among them, there were criminals with bounties. What should we do with the others..."
When one of the party members was a criminal, the disposition of the others became quite ambiguous.
Although there was circumstantial evidence, there was no physical evidence, so it was clean for the highest-ranking person at the scene to make a decision.
And the person in charge of this ce was the skull principal.
The skull principal resolved it cleanly.
"Do you know each other?"
"No!"
"You stupid bastard!! Don''t answer the mage''s question..."
"You''re lying. You know each other. Send them to the capital''s prison!"
"No! No!!"
Amidst the screaming anti-magic extremists, Bagdugul was shocked.
He couldn''t believe how the grand mage of Einroguard knew and arrested them.
Putting aside grudges, his terrifying ability was frightening.
''How...! How did he do it! Did he foresee it with magic!? That''s absurd!''
While the skull principal was praising the knights'' clean handling of the matter, Yi-Han came out and spoke to him.
"Principal. Senior has woken up."
"Alright. Let''s depart soon."
"But about that dance and socializing..."
"Ah. You have one serious problem."
Ignoring Yi-Han''s words as if he hadn''t heard them, the skull principal changed the subject.
"What is it?"
Although he should have been trembling in fear, Yi-Han looked at the skull principal with a gaze of distrust.
It was enough to startle the knights next to him.
''No matter what, is it okay to act so arrogantly in front of Mr. Gonadaltes?''
''How much favor does he receive...?!''
"Because you stayed too long in the undead realm, an evil aura is strongly emanating from your soul."
When you spend a long time with spirits, the scent of spirits emanates from your soul, but when you spend a long time with the undead, the scent of the undead emanates from your soul.
It wasn''t for no reason that dark mages were unpopr.
However, Yi-Han was puzzled by the exnation.
"Doesn''t it not matter?"
Anyway, he was unpopr with spirits, and if he was going to learn dark magic, it didn''t matter much if he had an evil aura.
It was a bit sad, but...
"Originally, it doesn''t. What problem would there be if the scent of the magic you''re learning emanates a bit from your soul? The problem is that your mana is more than expected, that evil aura is greater than expected, andstly, there are undead who hold grudges against you."
A mage who emanates the scent of spirits often receives visits from spirits, while a mage who emanates the scent of the undead often receives visits from the undead.
On top of that, if you have a lot of mana like Yi-Han, strongly emanate an evil aura, and even have undead holding grudges...
It was unknown what kind of dangerous undead might take an interest ande looking.
Yi-Han''s face hardened as he realized the seriousness of the situation.
''Dark magic really has too many disadvantages!''
Learning magic diligently leads to visits from the undead.
What kind of magic is this?
"But you don''t need to worry too much. There''s an easy way."
"Taking dance and socializing?"
"No. Stay in the Immortal Phoenix Tower. The aura of the priests will drive away the evil energy. This semester should be enough."
The skull principal spoke as if it was no big deal. In fact, it was no big deal.
Just staying with the priests would quickly reduce that evil aura.
However, Yi-Han spoke in a serious voice.
"Principal."
"What?"
"Then my friends might starve to death, right?"
"...People don''t starve to death that easily. Probably."
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Chapter 385
Chapter 385
Despite the skull principal''s words, Yi-Han started to worry about his friends in the Blue Dragon Tower.
It had been about two weeks, but were these friends eating properly?
''Wait. If I go to the Immortal Phoenix Tower, I can''t do business.''
Realizing that fact, Yi-Han¡¯s anger toward the King of Ghouls erupted once more.
Of course, he could sell food to students from other towers, but doing business with the same tower was the most profitable.
To cut that off.
"That King of Ghouls is a truly evil bastard. He should be imprisoned forever for the peace of the Empire!"
"Why all of a sudden...? I''ve alreadypletely imprisoned him without you saying that."
The skull principal was puzzled when Yi-Han suddenly shouted in rage.
The King of Ghouls was already in the skull principal''s grasp.
As a powerful undead, he was struggling to escape, but once properly trapped like this, it had to be considered impossible.
If he continued to resist and finally sumbed, he would be reborn as the skull principal''s servant.
"But if you think about it, student Yi-Han was the one who captured the King of Ghouls, so shouldn¡¯t you give him a reward?"
"Gasp. Is that so? I didn''t know. If you give one, I''ll gratefully ept it."
"..."
The skull principal blinked his eyes in annoyance, looking at the mentor and disciple.
¡ª
''A leave pass...''
Yi-Han was lost in thought over the leave pass inside the skull principal''s carriage.
For other students, a leave pass would have been a huge reward worth risking their lives for, but for Yi-Han, it wasn''t that big of a reward.
The escape route, no, the leave route he had made in the 1st semester was still there.
The path to escape through the sky using the stable at the spire.
This was a path that even the skull principal hadn''t noticed yet. Even the skull principal probably didn''t expect that Yi-Han would have gone outside in such a short time with the cooperation of outsiders.
''But I still have to use the leave pass.''
Yi-Han calcted coldly.
If the skull principal saw that Yi-Han was still using resources abundantly without even using the leave pass?
He would definitely notice, ''That guy is going out!''
Someone like Gainando might say, ''Why do you have to pay attention to that?'' but Yi-Han was different.
The devil is in the details.
The moment he made a mistake in a trivial part, the devil woulde to put Yi-Han in the punishment room.
"What are you thinking about so amusingly?"
"Ah. I was so happy thinking about the lectures I''ll take in the 2nd semester that I couldn''t contain my excitement."
"Right? I felt the same way."
"It''s a time to have fun."
"..."
Yi-Han got goosebumps at the sight of the two professors epting his bullshit so naturally.
Am I the only sane person in this carriage?
"We''re here."
As the carriage passed over the walls of Einroguard, Ogoldos''s body next to him became transparent and disappeared from Yi-Han''s sight.
"..."
While Yi-Han was watching it with mixed feelings, the skull principal stopped the carriage in front of the tower.
"Go in and bring out the rest of your luggage. No, it would be better to go together."
"Huh? Are there traps inside or something?"
"The ironheads of the Blue Dragon Tower might grab you and not let you out."
"...They''re not that kind of friends. Probably."
¡ª
-It can''t be! It''s a lie! It must be a lie spread by those White Tiger Tower bastards!-
Denial.
-Gainando, you bastard! You should have gone in, why!-
-I tried to go in too, but I couldn''t! It''s Professor Mortum''s fault!-
-Didn''t the White Tiger Tower bastards hide and ambush him?-
Anger.
-Fi, fine. If Yi-Hanes back now, I''ll forgive the professor.-
-Me, me too.-
-If he justes back within this week, I''ll donate to the Empire''s dark mages. I''ll donate, so...!-
Bargaining.
-Why do these things only happen to us? Is God jealous of our bloodline?-
-It''s because of those White Tiger Tower bastards.-
Depression.
"They''re repeating the following process."
At the skull principal''s words, Yi-Han made an expression that was hard to describe.
''If I go in, will I really not be able toe out?''
The skull principal seemed to think the same, so instead of sending Yi-Han in, he cast a spell.
Yi-Han''s luggage in his room flew out one by one through the tower window.
"This should be all, right?"
"Ah, yes. Roughly..."
"Okay. Then... Ironheads!!!"
The skull principal shouted in a resounding voice.
At that, the 1st-year students of the Blue Dragon Tower were startled and stood in front of the window.
Seeing that, Yi-Han clicked his tongue in pity.
''They immediately stick their faces out when the principal calls. Even after being treated like that.''
If it were Yi-Han, he would have first checked if there were any traps outside the window before sticking his face out.
"Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family has returned!"
"!!!!"
"Re, really?!"
"Wardanaz! Wardanaz! Over here!!!"
His friends opened the window and waved their hands. They all looked haggard and worn out.
"Principal, thank you! I knew you would save him!"
"Of course. It took a bit long, but who am I?"
For the first time in a long while, the students of the Blue Dragon Tower started cheering, calling the skull principal''s name.
It was unimaginable how long it had been since the skull principal received such voluntary praise mixed with respect.
But there was one more surprising fact.
"Did Yi-Han bring in chocte cake?"
"Wardanaz currently needs treatment until the evil energy disappears."
"Oh, no!"
"Dark magic is really...!"
Gainando cursed dark magic, fuming.
"So it seems he will stay in the Immortal Phoenix Tower during this semester. Then, goodbye! Have a good evening, everyone!"
The skull principal grabbed Yi-Han and flew away.
"???"
"??????"
"??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?"
A scream that even the demons of hell would have a hard time making erupted from the back tower.
¡ª
"Please take good care of me, everyone."
Yi-Han was surprised by the quiet atmosphere when he opened the door and entered the Immortal Phoenix Tower.
While the ces in the Blue Dragon Tower gave a luxurious and splendid feeling, the Immortal Phoenix Tower gave a serene and solemn feeling.
In fact, the students inside greeted Yi-Han but didn''t raise their voices very loudly.
"Wee, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
"We were worried that you camete."
Perhaps because they were from a priestly background, the students of the Immortal Phoenix Tower didn''t bother Yi-Han further after greeting him.
It meant that anything more than that could be bothersome after hearing the exnation.
Each of them sat in their seats, reading books, praying, or talking about doctrines with other students.
Yi-Han was touched by that sight.
''This is what students should be like.''
What kind of students are obsessed with chess or mage cards and y around? Seeing the diligence of the Immortal Phoenix Tower students, he was touched for no reason.
"Priestess Tijiling."
"Yes. Please speak."
Priestess Tijiling, who was preparing to pray next to him, turned her head.
"Can you tell me about the rules of the Immortal Phoenix Tower?"
Although Yi-Han was acquainted with most of the priests here and quite close with a few of them, he was a student who came to the Immortal Phoenix Tower midway.
If he didn''t know in advance, there were definitely parts where he could make mistakes unintentionally.
"Of course. However, the rules are not that strict..."
"I''d appreciate it if you could tell mefortably."
ording to Priestess Tijiling, the rules of the Immortal Phoenix Tower were basically focused on respecting and helping each other.
If someone is doing a difficult task, help them. If someone is stuck on an assignment, help them. If someone is sick, find a way together...
Yi-Han, who had seen his friends from the Blue Dragon Tower grabbing each other''s cors over a single card yed wrong, shook his head bitterly.
''My friends should see this and learn.''
"...Prayer times are as follows, and dinner time is... Oh my. It''s almost dinner time."
"There won''t be many ingredients since I came in a hurry, but I''ll do my best to make it."
"There''s no need for that."
"Huh?"
"We prepare it together here."
Not only the priests sitting in the lounge but also the priests in their rooms came out and started gathering the ingredients they each had.
There weren''t many ingredients, but the priests washed the vegetables and peeled the skins with a serious face as if they didn''t mind.
Yi-Han took out the seasonings and spices he had brought. Two priests came to ask about the recipe and took them, saying they would do it instead.
"Do you always prepare together like this? Uh... the amount of food each person has will be different, right?"
"Yes. It may be different, but if you give, you can receive it again someday."
"..."
"Here, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. I''ve peeled all the potatoes."
"You must be tired from the long journey, so wouldn''t it be better to rest a bit?"
Yi-Han suddenly started to feel veryfortable in the Immortal Phoenix Tower.
''What is this? Thisfort?''
¡ª
"Yi-Han must be feeling lonely by now."
"...?"
The weekend ended, and a new week''s morning dawned.
Yonaire tilted her head at Gainando''s words, but the other students reacted intensely as if they sympathized greatly.
"Of course he would be! He went to another tower!"
"The principal isn''t evil for nothing. How could he do such a ridiculous thing?"
Even the princess was nodding her head. Yonaire doubted her eyes when she saw that.
"Let''s all go and greet Wardanaz! He must be lonely in the Immortal Phoenix Tower."
"That''s a good idea!"
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower headed to the Immortal Phoenix Tower to soothe Yi-Han''s homesickness.
Even when trapped in another tower and feeling lonely, true friendship helps ovee it.
If they conveyed that Yi-Han''s friends from the Blue Dragon Tower hadn''t forgotten him, Yi-Han would also feel a bit better.
"Wardanaz! Wardanaz!!"
"We''re here! Wardanaz!"
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower shouted loudly as they climbed the hill below the tower.
However, the sight that entered their eyes was different from what they expected.
Yi-Han wasughing and having breakfast with the priests in the courtyard in front of the Immortal Phoenix Tower.
"You''re really amazing, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family!"
"It''s nothing. It''s not that great."
"No, it is. To make such a soup with just these simple ingredients."
"Please have some more cheese, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
"Shall I pour you some more soup?"
"..."
"..."
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower stared at the breakfast scene with a greatly betrayed look on their faces.
Tears welled up in the eyes of some students.
"Can, can priests do that? Can priests be so vile like that??"
"Hey, don''t curse at the priests... Damn it. That''s not what''s important right now. This is too much."
"Just you wait...!"
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower gritted their teeth and turned around.
They were determined to let the students of the Immortal Phoenix Tower know which tower Wardanaz originally belonged to.
Just you wait!
"That was a really good meal."
"No, it seems we are indebted to you."
While the students of the Blue Dragon Tower indulged in luxury with food from outside in the 1st semester, and the White Tiger Tower and ck Tortoise Tower gathered ingredients within the school, the students of the Immortal Phoenix Tower showed the knack for using the received food frugally.
The frugality of boiling and dissolving hard bread or cold rice balls to make them more filling.
Seeing them trying to give more, Yi-Han made a firm resolution.
''I must make sure they eat their fill.''
"By the way, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
"Hm?"
"I apologize if this is rude, but do you have a religious order that you believe in?"
It might have been his imagination, but for a moment, Yi-Han felt the air among the priests, who had been soft and kind, burning with a sense ofpetition.
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Chapter 386
Chapter 386
''This must be an illusion.''
Despite his reluctance to believe it, Yi-Han couldn''t deny what he had just witnessed.
These were the priests of the Immortal Phoenix Tower who, until just moments ago, had been trusting and caring for each other, making him believe that there was a glimmer of hope even in this hellish ce.
Surely such priests wouldn''t fight over which religious order Yi-Han believed in, would they?
"I''m currently interested in a few orders."
"!"
"Does that mean... you haven''t chosen a true faith yet?"
"How does it sound like that?"
He clearly said, ''I''m interested in a few orders,'' but to the priest next to him, it sounded like, ''I''m wandering around, unable to find a true faith.''
"I''m not wandering around unable to find a faith. It''s more like I''m supporting temples, as ismon for nobles in the Empire."
To persuade the priests, Yi-Han did something he normally wouldn''t do.
He imed to be a typical noble of the Empire.
Of course, it was of little use to do that now.
"But Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family, while there are many nobles who support temples, there aren''t many who directly visit temples and participate in prayers. I think your sincerity is different from other nobles."
Nigisor of the Aphar Order spoke as if puzzled.
Yi-Han gritted his teeth and said, "Thank you for the kind exnation."
"I''m embarrassed."
When they heard that Yi-Han had visited the temples of the Aphar Order or the Presinga Order and participated in events, the eyes of the other priests sparkled even more.
To the priests right now, Yi-Han looked like a wanderingmb.
"Please visit our order as well. You will surely find the true faith you have been seeking."
"So without any of that, just with a pure heart of support... No, your order doesn''t allow multiple faiths, does it?"
Among the Empire''s orders, there were those that allowed having multiple faiths together, and those that insisted on only their own faith.
Since Yi-Han was trying to gain benefits by visiting the former, he couldn''t get close to thetter.
"That''s not important right now. If you just find a true faith, you will forget about other faiths."
"Wait. I can''t ept that. Forget the faith of the Aphar Order? There are few people in the Empire as faithful to the Aphar Order as Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family here."
''You''re just saying that because of mana.''
Yi-Han cursed Nigisor inwardly.
The guy who thinks of Yi-Han as a huge fuel tank for mes!
"You seem to be interested in other orders, but it''s the meng Order after all. Look at your alchemy grades."
"Even if you say that, my grades in other lectures are all..."
Siana ignored him and changed the subject.
"Since you''ve been consistently working in the alchemy workshop even during the break, you can''t help but be satisfied if you visit the meng Order."
"Not all alchemists believe in the meng Order. In my opinion, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family, you are very interested in swordsmanship. In other words, our order that worships the sword..."
"You''re all wrong! I heard from Mr. Gainando that Mr. Yi-Han likes mage cards the most. Worshipping luck..."
The priests sat at the table and began a heated debate.
Their attitude was polite, but the force contained within was unyielding and upromising.
The priests gradually raised their voices as if they would never back down. Passing students looked their way, wondering what was going on.
"Wait, everyone calm down!"
At Priestess Tijiling''s shout, the students of the Immortal Phoenix Tower flinched.
Yi-Han was touched by that sight.
''As expected, Priestess Tijiling was sane.''
Even if the other priests were blinded by their desire for faith, only Priestess Tijiling didn''t lose her mind.
Priestess Tijiling spoke quickly.
"Let''s all draw lots and decide the order. If we consider each other, we can create a schedule that satisfies everyone."
"Indeed!"
"As expected..."
"..."
Yi-Han suddenly wanted to return to the Blue Dragon Tower.
¡ª
"Hey. Your Wardanaz has retur..."
"If you talk to me, I''ll kill you."
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower growled in a voice full of murderous intent.
The students of the White Tiger Tower, who had tried to talk to them without much thought, were naturally flustered.
"Wh, what...? Ah, no. I just wanted to ask! If Wardanaz had returned!"
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower, without exception, grabbed their staffs with a fierce look on their faces.
There was a firm determination that they would not hesitate to fight if they were spoken to any further.
The students of the White Tiger Tower were overwhelmed by the spirit that seemed to be shown by a knight order that had been abandoned by their lord and returned from a ce of death.
"What... what''s with them? Are they crazy?"
"Wait. Are you going to leave those guys alone?"
The students of the three towers, except for the Immortal Phoenix Tower, didn''t get along well with each other.
Usually, they would exchange a few sharp words, but if they openly picked a fight like just now, they had no intention of backing down either.
Whoever won, it was a matter of pride to have a fight.
But...
"Let''s leave them alone today."
"Why!?"
"I think Wardanaz was seriously injured."
"!"
The students of the White Tiger Tower made a startled expression.
No wonder...!
"I see. That''s definitely why they reacted like that..."
"The guys from the Blue Dragon Tower are arrogant and rude, but it''s not an honorable thing to mess with them when they''re so sad because of their friend. Let''s let it go today."
"You''re right. We''re knights."
The students of the White Tiger Tower sniffled and looked at each other with satisfaction.
They couldn''t be more proud that they were each other''s friends.
"But Wardanaz was injured. Why was he injured?"
"Didn''t he challenge the principal to a duel?"
"Yesterday, a guy from the ck Tortoise Tower said that the principal was flying around carrying Wardanaz. Could it be that?"
"Wardanaz... That guy, I knew he was fearless, but to that extent."
The students of the White Tiger Tower suddenly fell silent.
"...Will that guy be okay?"
"What''s with you? Don''t tell me you''re worried about him?"
"I... I''m not. Not worried? You''re the one who''s worried, aren''t you?"
"I, I''m not worried either?"
While chattering like that, the students of the White Tiger Tower arrived in front of Professor Garcia''s lecture hall.
Creak!
"Every... Wardanaz!!"
"??"
Yi-Han was puzzled to see the students of the White Tiger Tower startled.
"Didn''t you know I came back on the weekend?"
"We, weren''t you injured?"
"No? What nonsense... Did you hear some strange rumor?"
Yi-Han looked at the students of the White Tiger Tower as if they were pathetic.
Knights being swayed by such false rumors.
"...Then why the hell did these Blue Dragon Tower bastards go crazy?"
"I don''t know. I guess they''re crazy."
The students of the White Tiger Tower gritted their teeth and sat down.
Just you wait!
Meanwhile, the students of the Blue Dragon Tower also starteding in groups of three or five.
They looked at Yi-Han''s side with a gloomy face.
And then they widened their eyes, realizing that the students of the Immortal Phoenix Tower were not there.
"Wardanaz! The pri... the priests?"
"They''re sitting over there."
Yi-Han pointed to the area where the students of the Immortal Phoenix Tower were gathered. The priests waved their hands in greeting.
"Wi, with us... will you sit with us?"
"Not sitting with the Immortal Phoenix Tower over there?"
"...Did you guys eat something wrong?"
Yi-Han was flustered, thinking his friends from the Blue Dragon Tower had gone crazy.
However, the crazy behavior of his friends from the Blue Dragon Tower was just the beginning.
"Wahhh! Wardanaz!"
"I thought you would leave us!"
"Even if you''re in another tower, we''re still friends!!"
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower clung to Yi-Han''s arms and legs and started bursting into tears.
Yi-Han seriously considered hitting them with his staff.
''These guys are embarrassing me in front of all the students from other towers.''
"We''ll do better! Don''t leave us again!"
"We''ll clean the lounge on time from now on!"
"Didn''t those bastards not even clean the lounge separately?"
A student from the ck Tortoise Tower next to them was shocked.
What kind of trash are they?
"Every... Oh. Student Yi-Han. Shall we give you some more time?"
"It''s fine. Professor."
Yi-Han peeled off his friends who were clinging to him like leeches one by one. Gainando, who remained until the end, was pushed away after being hit on the head.
"I''m d student Yi-Han is back. As you all know..."
"It''s because he waste recovering from the duel with the principal, right?"
A student from the White Tiger Tower spoke as if he knew everything.
Yi-Han thought to himself as he saw that.
''Do those guys believe all rumors?''
If he spread a rumor that ''if you bury all your wealth in the courtyard, a spirit that grants wishes will appear,'' would they fall for it?
"No?"
"Oh. It''s not?"
The students of the White Tiger Tower were abuzz. A student from the ck Tortoise Tower next to them spoke as if it was pathetic.
"I told you. Pathetic guys. It¡¯s dragons."
"Tsk."
"...It¡¯s not dragons either. He was just trapped while exploring, so everyone stops your strange imaginations."
At Professor Garcia''s words, the students were abuzz.
Just getting trapped while exploring.
Does that make sense?
"Are you hiding it?"
"Shh. Let''s acknowledge it. If we keep prying, he might get angry."
Professor Garcia gave up on speaking further and sighed.
"Today''s lecture will be in the next lecture hall. Everyone follow me."
The students followed behind Professor Garcia and moved.
Yi-Han asked Yonaire.
"Was thest lecture held somewhere else too?"
"Yeah. The professor made the lecture hall like a cave."
No matter how much it was for the dark vision magic, to think she would change the lecture hall into a cave.
Yi-Han was amazed by Professor Garcia''s scale.
''It would have been nice to see it in person.''
...Until a hugeke appeared before his eyes.
"...?!"
Gainando, who almost fell into theke after opening the wrong door, staggered and tried to grab Asan''s clothes.
Asan dodged as if to say where he was grabbing. Gainando cursed profusely.
While grabbing the back of Gainando''s neck as he was about to fall, Yi-Han asked.
"Professor. Is the magic we''re learning today by any chance..."
"You noticed, student Yi-Han."
"...Eumidiphos''s Water Bullet or Evaporation?"
"...Look at the name of the lecture again?"
¡ª
Of course, didn''t teach Water Bullet or Evaporation.
The magic they were learning today was underwater breathing magic.
"Ah... Indeed."
Yi-Han was visibly relieved.
He was worried about what kind of monster might be in thatke.
"Everyone gather in pairs. First, try casting the magic on yourself, and when you''re somewhat familiar with it, try casting it on your partner as well."
As soon as the professor finished speaking, the students of the Blue Dragon Tower started pushing and shoving each other.
"Move, you bastard."
"You move. If Wardanaz is disappointed because of you and transfers to the Immortal Phoenix Tower, will you take responsibility?"
"Shall we do it fairly in order of grades? Huh? Who had good grades in enchantment magic?"
"We should do it with water element magic!"
"I''m the closest, so I..."
"If you take one more step, I''ll throw you into theke, Gainando!"
While the students of the Blue Dragon Tower were fighting over ''who will firmly grasp Yi-Han''s wavering heart and bring him back to the Blue Dragon Tower,'' a shark mixed-blood priest from the Immortal Phoenix Tower spoke cheerfully.
"Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. Let''s do it together!"
"Alright."
Since there was no reason not to, Yi-Han readily nodded.
"But why? There should be other priests too."
"Ah. I drew the first lot."
"..."
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Chapter 387
Chapter 387
Yi-Han couldn''t help but be amazed by the diligence and cooperation of the Immortal Phoenix Tower students, who had made lots and decided the order in that short moment when he wasn''t looking.
If it were the Blue Dragon Tower students, they would still be fighting over who would draw the lots first.
"Sharukal, was it?"
"Yes."
Those who worshipped Agltakwa, the god of the sea and storms, were usually sailors or marine creature mixed-bloods.
In a way, it was natural for Sharukal, a shark mixed-blood, to believe in Agltakwa.
"I think this is fate."
"What?"
"There''s no better ce to show the teachings of Lord Agltakwa. Look at this sea!"
"It''s ake..."
"When I see this sea, I think of Lord Agltakwa."
"Uh-huh."
Yi-Han decided to listen for now.
Even if the priests were usually taciturn, it was different when it came to talking about faith.
Before, Yi-Han had once said to Priestess Tijiling while feeding her a snack, "But why is Lord Presinga sacrificing himself to support the world?" and had to listen to an exnation for three hours.
At times like this, he had to act as carefully as possible. If he stimted them carelessly, the conversation could be several times longer.
"So Lord Agltakwa got drunk and spilled his drink, and that became the sea... Ah. Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. I heard you are the most interested in magic among the students."
"You can call mefortably without being stiff and formal. And I think there''s a bit of a misunderstanding about that."
"You''re humble."
"Misunderstanding..."
Yi-Han tried to exin in detail but gave up.
If Yi-Han were Sharukal, he would have said, "What nonsense is that?" if someone who took all the school lectures said, "I''m not that interested in magic."
"...So why?"
"Ah. I was thinking about how to make you interested in Lord Agltakwa. Wealth? Power? Such things would be meaningless to you."
''No, it''s not.''
Yi-Han was dumbfounded by Priest Sharukal''s words.
If any religious order dered, "If you believe in our order, we will give you one gold coin every time you pray," Yi-Han was confident that he would be a fervent, hardcore believer of that order from then on.
"That''s when I realized it. Ah! The only thing that would interest you, who has no interest in wealth or power, is magic. So I prepared to show you the holy magic of Lord Agltakwa."
"Oh."
Yi-Han suddenly felt intrigued by Sharukal''s words.
''But I won''t be able to learn holy magic.''
There were words left by excellent mages Yi-Han knew about holy magic.
Principal A.
-I also have little interest in faith. Because I''m too smart to believe in gods.
Head of Family B.
-Learning holy magic is a good idea. If you want to waste your time in vain, that is. Compared to real magic refined with forms and theories as a background, holy magic is just the act of savages intoxicated by belief and emotion, howling.
Even if he didn''t go to that extreme, Yi-Han agreed with the principles of holy magic argued by those two mages.
The magic of the Empire was based on long-umted theories and knowledge.
What is the most efficient and urate magic to embody a certain phenomenon?
And when this magic is repeated, will the same resultse out? Does it have reproducibility even when used by other mages?
These histories and principles were the driving force that allowed the mages of the Empire, which was so vast that the end was not in sight, tomunicate, interact, and develop together.
Without these, the mages of the Empire would still be ying separately in their own regions with their own rules.
However, even the magic of the Empire, which was like this, could not exin everything in the magical world.
Primitive magic found in ces untouched by human feet, ancient magic whose lineage had long been cut off, psychic powers instinctively triggered by people who had not even systematically learned magic, holy magic that ran on belief rather than theory...
Such magic that ran on individual ability and sense rather than theory and knowledge still remained. Some imperial mages even made it their job to analyze and exin such magic.
''holy magic... because belief is essential.''
Among the magic that ran on individual ability and sense, ''belief'' was important in holy magic.
Intense belief in God.
That belief made it possible for peculiar phenomena that were different from the magic of the Empire to ur.
However, Yi-Han did not have such belief. In the first ce, wasn''t he a fake believer who was only interested in benefits?
''Honestly, I think the skull principal''s argument is right.''
It''s not that God really exists and borrows his power, but the will called belief sent by countless believers is influencing reality, right?
Since mages also change reality with their will, it wouldn''t be strange for the will sent collectively by many people to create an intense force that shakes reality.
"So what kind of magic is it?"
Yi-Han couldn''t guess what magic Sharukal would use.
Since holy magic had arge difference in individual ability and sense, the magic that appeared was not consistent but varied.
Of course, there were general tendencies depending on the characteristics of the order and the god they served, but...
"Agltakwa, who sees through the deep abyss. Send your limbs to me."
Sharukal chanted the spell in a low and heavy voice.
It was different from concentrating the mind or arranging the flow of mana while waving a staff.
Swish-
There was a sound of something moving under theke, and fish began to gather near Sharukal''s feet.
Yi-Han was amazed by that sight.
"Is it summoning marine creatures?"
"That''s right, Mr. Yi-Han."
Seeing the other priests also eximing in admiration, Sharukal''s holy magic was clearly at a remarkable level.
''Well, it''s not an ordinary thing to summon creatures from such a far ce when they''re still 1st-years.''
Yi-Han was also amazed, forgetting that he was also a 1st-year.
To show such power to reach creatures in such a distant ce, and even in the adverse condition of being underwater, with the magic of the Empire,plex processes, theories, and preparations were needed.
However, if there was belief, it could be solved at once in such a way.
Although it was not as diverse and versatile as magic, it was so effective in certain situations that it was unmatched.
"How is it, Mr. Yi-Han?"
Sharukal asked, sweating profusely.
Even though he had seeded in magic with belief, there was bound to be a consumption of mental power or mana.
To quickly relieve Sharukal''s burden, Yi-Han answered.
"It''s admirable. To summon creatures from so far away like this. And it''s very useful. I''ll catch them right aw..."
"Haha. These creatures are like my friends, so if I ask them, they will do their best to listen. I''m always grateful."
"...That friendship truly shines like gold! I''m envious!"
Yi-Han quickly changed the subject.
Sharukal continued speaking, not even suspecting that Yi-Han had thought of his friends as fresh sashimi ingredients.
"When I was young, I once drifted after encountering a storm while riding a small boat out to sea. I prayed and prayed to Lord Agltakwa. Fortunately, Lord Agltakwa must have thought highly of me and gave me this magic. I was barely able to return with the help of my sea friends."
Listening, Yi-Han spoke with a serious face.
"Indeed. Then should I also ride a small boat and encounter a storm?"
"...What!? There''s no need for you to do that!"
Sharukal answered in a disgusted voice at Yi-Han''s extreme remark.
What kind of absurd asceticism was that?
"Huh? Really? But if there''s no set method, following someone else''s experience as it is has the highest possibility..."
"That''s too dangerous... I just wanted to say to pray with that much sincerity."
"I see."
''That seems too weak.''
Apart from Yi-Han''s own faith, he was a bit skeptical of prayers in such a way.
Why would so many priests awaken holy magic in crisis or urgent situations?
People''s beliefs naturally be stronger when they fall into extreme situations.
Putting that aside, Yi-Han''s own magic skills had also increased dramatically when his life was threatened by Professor Bagrak...
''...Oh my god. I''m thinking like Professor Bagrak!''
Yi-Han was startled by his own madness.
It must have been because of Professor Bagrak.
They say when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you...
"Okay. Then I''ll try praying."
Yi-Han was going to do his best to pray to repay Sharukal''s sincerity.
Whether he seeded or not, it wouldn''t hurt to leave a good impression on the priests.
Even if he couldn''t use holy magic, a diligent believer was usually rewarded with something from the religious order.
''What will the Agltakwa Order reward me with? Sashimi ingredients?''
"Why is that guy not practicing underwater breathing and doing something else?"
"Stupid guy. It''s Wardanaz. He must have already mastered something like underwater breathing."
Yi-Han raised his head at the chattering voices of the White Tiger Tower students next to him.
"Sharukal?"
"Yes?"
"Let''s practice underwater breathing first."
"Ah, oops!"
¡ª
30 secondster.
"I seeded."
"..."
"..."
The two White Tiger Tower students practicing next to him red, but Yi-Han didn''t notice.
"Sharukal, you don''t need to practice?"
"I can originally breathe in water, but?"
"..."
"..."
The two White Tiger Tower students practicing next to him red even more sharply than before.
"Okay. Then, uh... how do I pray?"
"Try praying with the thoughts you usually have towards the sea. That''s how those who believe for the first time usually start."
Sharukal was very excited and grinning from ear to ear at the sight of Yi-Han acting sincerely towards Agltakwa.
In contrast, Yi-Han had a lot on his mind.
''I have no thoughts about the sea.''
If he had to say, he had considered investing when there was a herring craze in the southern part of the Empirest year, thinking it might be good.
"Lord Agltakwa... Hmm..."
Yi-Han tried to somehow draw out faith that he didn''t have, but gave up.
It seemed right to try it his own way, whether it worked or not.
Imagining the beliefs of the many people who believed in Agltakwa.
Envisioning that vast ocean of energy.
And...
''I can''t just ask for it.''
Yi-Han thought rationally.
Since he didn''t have the faith and devotion that other priests offered, Yi-Han decided to think of it as just magic.
I''ll offer my mana, so please let me borrow a little from that ocean of energy aspensation.
At that moment, Yi-Han''s mana moved and was consumed. The offered mana had disappeared.
''As expected, nothing happens.''
Although nothing happened, Yi-Han was not disappointed.
This was usually normal.
Not every phenomenon urred as the mage wished just because they consumed mana and wished for something. The order and rules of the world were basically tougher and more solid than the will of mages.
Still, conscious of Sharukal''s gaze, Yi-Han offered his mana a few more times.
Anyway, unlike other mages, it didn''t matter much even if he wasted mana...
Squirm.
Sharukal''s eyes widened.
A heterogeneous mana different from ordinary mana began to be felt from Yi-Han''s body.
Mana that any priest could recognize.
It was holy power.
"That''s it!! That''s it!! Mr. Yi-Han! As expected, you had a genuine faith in Lord Agltakwa deep in your heart! More! Pray more! That''s the start... Wait. Why is everyoneing this way?!"
Sharukal shouted urgently, realizing the gazes felt from behind.
The priests of the Immortal Phoenix Tower had gathered at some point and were making very anxious expressions.
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Chapter 388
Chapter 388
Before Sharukal could finish his words, the holy power that had been spreading from Yi-Han''s body disappeared without bearing fruit.
Although he had seeded in creating holy power, he had failed to manifest it into magic.
However, that alone was remarkable enough. Originally, most believers couldn''t even create holy power.
holy power was the foundation and origin of holy magic.
A person who had once created holy power would eventually reach holy magic someday.
"Phew..."
"Hah..."
Sighs of relief escaped from here and there.
They were sighs that meant ''thank goodness'' to anyone who heard them.
"...You''re not happy about this, are you??"
Sharukal spoke in a slightly sulky voice.
Shouldn''t priests pray for the awakening of holy magic for believers of other orders, no matter what?
Even if they served different gods, they wererades walking the same path!
"Ah, no, we''re not."
"How could that be?"
"Actually, a little..."
The other priests stopped Nigisor, who was about to admit it honestly.
In fact, if it were another believer, they could have sincerely congratted them, saying, "Congrattions on awakening holy magic."
However, Yi-Han was a bit different.
If Yi-Han awakened the holy magic of the Agltakwa Order, wouldn''t he cut off his interest in other orders, thinking, ''My faith was actually in Agltakwa''?
From the priests'' perspective, it would end without even having a chance to show their faith.
Moreover, there was one more reason.
The fact that he had awakened holy power itself meant that he had the talent for faith and belief.
Since ordinary believers couldn''t even awaken holy power, it was indeed an extremely rare talent.
In other words...
If they took him now and persuaded him well, there was a high possibility of awakening the holy magic of other orders!
In fact, in the case of Priest Nigisor, he said what he wanted to say even though the other priests stopped him.
"Since you''ve awakened holy power now but holy magic hasn''t manifested, isn''t it faith in another god, not faith in Agltakwa?"
"Let''s be quiet."
Priestess Tijiling made him shut his mouth.
While they were chattering like that, Professor Garcia approached, puzzled.
It was rare for the students of the Immortal Phoenix Tower to gather like this and do something else during ss.
"What are you all doing? Is there a part you''re stuck on?"
"Ah. Professor. We were just talking about which order''s holy magic Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family would awaken."
"...Is my lecture not interesting?"
¡ª
After that, the students diligently focused on the underwater breathing magic.
It was definitely not because they were afraid of Professor Garcia. It was because they didn''t want to disappoint the always kind Professor Garcia.
"Yi-Han. You''re going to our tower''s lounge, right?"
"No?"
"...You, you''re going to the Immortal Phoenix Tower''s lounge. Ye, yeah. Of course."
Gainando spoke, avoiding his gaze.
"I''m going to the vegetable garden to work."
"Ah!"
Gainando''s face brightened.
"Good. Youe and help too."
"Ah."
Gainando''s face darkened.
"Actually, I have something to do..."
"That guy Gainando has nothing to do. He said he was going to make a new card deck this afternoon."
Yi-Han''s friends from the Blue Dragon Tower kindly informed him. Yi-Han nodded.
"If you have nothing to do, you cane and help."
"...I was on duty yesterday too...!"
"??"
Yi-Han was puzzled by Gainando''s words.
Duty?
"Did you guys divide the work among yourselves while I was gone? How admirable..."
Honestly, it was a touching thing.
Of course, if the students from the ck Tortoise Tower heard it, they would say, "Why is Wardanaz touched by that?" but the students from the Blue Dragon Tower were basically guys who had never washed their own clothes in their lives.
Guys who knew that the messy lounge would clean itself up without Yi-Han giving instructions one by one.
Hearing that such students had decided on duties by themselves and worked hard since the 2nd semester started, he was touched for no reason.
''So this is where the positive function of Einroguard was.''
"Ah. That''s not it..."
"?"
"I''ll exin it to you," The skull principal¡¯s voice was suddenly heard.
A few students from the Blue Dragon Tower almost fainted, screaming.
The skull principal hade down floating, not from the side or back, but from above.
The skull principal never scared students in the same way.
"You probably don''t know since it happened while you were gone. As you know, you ironheads spent a semester here. Even in their empty heads, some wisdom must have grown. Of course, it would be a lighter amount than fluff."
"..."
"..."
The students frowned at the skull principal''s heartwarming praise.
"So I decided to give you guys a little more freedom in the 2nd semester."
Although the skull principal spoke in a kind and gentle voice, no one was fooled.
Yi-Han, who still didn''t understand, asked.
"What freedom? Perhaps permission to go out on weekends..."
"Did you lose your mind because you came two weekste? Anyone who hears you will think you''re the professor."
"...Then what is it?"
"The freedom to take responsibility for the school''s work and do it on your own."
The skull principal kindly exined.
While Yi-Han was gone, the other 1st-year students had all been given an exnation.
Each tower was given the responsibility to take turns handling the school''s chores.
Cleaning the alchemy workshop''s waste disposal area, organizing the kitchen warehouse on the 1st floor, tidying up the lecture hall that had be a mess due to experiments, cleaning near the stable, and so on.
Considering the vast grounds of Einroguard and the almost infinite interior of the buildings, there was an endless amount of chores for the students to do.
The skull principal had bestowed upon the students the freedom to do these chores.
"Wow."
"Sometimes there are students who misunderstand the magic academy, but this magic academy is not a ce like a prison. It just grants freedom befitting one''s qualifications. If I let them loose without qualifications and they get hurt, how much would my heart ache?"
"Truly amazing."
"Right?"
Thinking he had sufficiently ruined the students'' joy, the skull principal flew back into the air.
Gainando looked at Yi-Han with a gloomy face.
"I couldn''t even y yesterday because I was cleaning up the spontaneously generated slimes."
"I see. Come and help."
"...?!"
Gainando was startled by the sight of Yi-Han mercilessly taking him along, even though he clearly seemed to be in a forgiving mood.
Wasn''t he going to let it go?
"So what''s the Immortal Phoenix Tower''s assigned work?"
"Ah. We''ll probably get a new assignment this evening."
"I see. Since I didn''t do anything for two weeks, I want to participate."
At Yi-Han''s words, the priests'' faces suddenly hardened. Seeing that, Yi-Han flinched.
''Did I make a mistake?''
"Can I participate too?" One of the priests suddenly said.
"What are you saying... You worked hardst week, so you should rest this week. I decided to do it this week."
"What does the order matter when helping with work? Haha."
"You''ll get sick if you overdo it. Rest."
Yi-Han shook his head and turned around at the sight of the priestspeting to work.
Gainando, who didn''t know the inside story, was very envious.
"Wow. The priests are volunteering to work. I''m really envious."
"Be quiet and let''s go to work."
¡ª
The vegetable garden behind Professor Uregor''s cabin had be quite messy while he was gone.
Yi-Han cleaned up the surroundings with Gainando and fed the chickens.
The chickens, who recognized Yi-Han returning after a few months, clucked happily.
Gainando swallowed his saliva.
"Are you going to catch them?"
"They''re for getting eggs."
"Hmph."
Gainando tried to pet the chickens, thinking that eggs were better than nothing.
However, the chickens didn''t leave the mage with evil intentions alone and immediately pecked him with their beaks.
"Ack! These bastards!"
"Gainando. Stop ying around ande here to clear some weeds. I need to nt new seeds here."
Gainando, who was panting while doing chores, suddenly thought of something and asked.
"Wait. Can''t you summon undead? They can work too!"
"It''s a good idea, but undead aren''t suitable for this kind of work. Bad mana sticks to them."
"..."
Gainando cursed dark magic inwardly.
It was a magic that really didn''t help much in life.
After sweating for nearly two hours, it was roughly finished. Yi-Han packed vegetables, mushrooms, eggs, canned food, pickled meat, etc. into a basket and gave it to Gainando.
"Take it and share it."
"Gre, great! I''ll cook it well!"
"No. Don''t cook it yourself. Just deliver it."
"..."
Gainando pouted.
"I can cook well too..."
"No. Just deliver it."
"...Okay."
Gainando tilted his head as he received the basket. The vegetables were one thing, but the rest of the food was unfamiliar.
"But isn''t this from the professor''s cabin...?"
"Go back quickly. I''ll finish up here andeter."
Yi-Han sent Gainando away as if chasing him out.
Then, Professor Uregor and Professor Bungaegor were seen walking from afar.
"No wonder it felt clean, you cleaned it up. Good work."
Professor Bungaegorughed heartily and praised Yi-Han.
"You worked hard inside. How did you find such a ruin?"
"I was lucky."
Professor Uregor, who was listening next to him, spoke as if dumbfounded.
"Is that being lucky?"
"That much is being lucky. He found it and came out safely."
"What do you mean... Ah. Earlier, the prince came out, and the canned food in his basket, was it mine...?"
"Anyway, I''m d to see both of you like this!"
Yi-Han immediately changed the subject.
"Yeah. You''re a bitte, so to catch up, you have to work hard... No. Work a little hard... No. Just take it easy. You''ll still catch up."
"..."
Yi-Han was dumbfounded by Professor Uregor''s half-hearted words.
"How can I catch up if I take it easy instead of working hard?"
"You''re the kind of guy who will work hard even if I tell you to take it easy."
"Ah. Did you go see Professor Bagrak?"
Professor Bungaegor asked while putting down the sack she was holding with a thud. The sack had written on it.
"...I haven''t gone yet, but why do you ask...?"
"Huh? Didn''t you decide to raise the basilisk? Didn''t you hear?"
"..."
Yi-Han became gloomy upon hearing the name of the monster he had forgotten.
Didn''t Professor Bagrak bring the basilisk egg during the break and say, "If you raise this well, it will try hard to kill you"?
Of course, the exact words were a bit different, but the meaning was roughly the same.
''Later, if I catch a basilisk, I should throw it into the duke''s mansion or something.''
Yi-Han cursed the duke and said.
"Yes... I knew he was trying to hatch the egg."
"Yeah. He''s trying to hatch it this semester. It seems possible since it''s an egg in good condition. It will be a good experience for you too."
"Yes... Well..."
It could be a good experience to diligently care for and hatch a basilisk that was trying to kill him.
When Professor Bungaegor brought something to drink from inside the cabin, Professor Uregor asked.
"He''s going to hatch a basilisk?"
"Yeah."
"Professor Bagrak? I don''t think he can hatch it, even if he can kill it. It requires a lot of care."
Hatching a basilisk from an egg was no easy task either.
Even if Professor Uregor wasn''t close to Professor Bagrak, he knew well that Professor Bagrak was ustomed to killing basilisks, not raising them.
It would be difficult even if he got advice from Professor Bungaegor, right?
Professor Bungaegor sipped her beer and answered as if it was fine.
"We have a disciple here. He''ll do well."
"Aha. Indeed."
"..."
Yi-Han wanted to argue what was ''indeed,'' but he held back.
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Chapter 389
Chapter 389
''I had also vaguely guessed it.''
Yi-Han had also felt it.
Since Professor Bagrak was not an expert in raising basilisks and probably didn''t have other disciples...
...There was a high possibility that Yi-Han would end up taking care of the basilisk!
However, that didn''t mean his heart wasn''t aching.
"Do your best. It''s a really valuable experience."
"Ah, yes."
"Good experience, valuable experience, why do you have to do that kind of experience?"
Professor Uregor grumbled as if it didn''t make sense. Then Professor Bungaegor was dumbfounded, asking what he was talking about.
"Think about it. When and where else will you get the experience of caring for and raising a basilisk egg? And how helpful will that experience be? After doing that well, other snake monsters in the Empire will feel like babies."
''As if.''
There were countless monsters in the Empire, so there was no need to prepare for snake monsters in advance.
Couldn''t he just not go where they appeared?
"I think it''s right to avoid dangerous ces or leave it to snake experts..."
Professor Uregor said that while holding out a basket with food to Yi-Han. It contained bread, rice cakes, arge chunk of meat wrapped in a bag, cheese, salt, sugar, a bottle of fruit pickled in honey, and a few cans.
"What is this?"
"Take it and eat some. You''ll be busyingte anyway."
Although Yi-Han could sufficiently catch up with the progress of other students even if he came two weekste, that didn''t mean it wasn''t hard.
Considering the things to do in the 2nd semester, he had to at least eat well.
Yi-Han was honestly touched.
There weren''t many professors who did this kind of thing.
"Professor...!"
"Hmph. Don''t misunderstand. I''m giving it to you because you work well."
"Thank you."
Yi-Han bowed his head and then took out the cans he had hidden in his bosom and put them back in the basket.
Seeing that, Professor Uregor red at Yi-Han.
¡ª
Evening.
Yi-Han prepared a simple dinner using the food he had brought from the cabin and the vegetable garden.
It was more abundant than the meals provided by the school, but since he hadn''t been able to properly bring supplies from outside yet, there were clearly empty corners on the table.
The priests weren''t the type to actively hunt or gather either.
''Hmm. It''s a bit of an eyesore.''
Yi-Han skewered rice cakes, meat, and asparagus, roasted them over the fire, and then held them out to the priest.
"It''s still a bitcking, but please bear with it until the next outing. I''ll bring it back packed full when I go out."
"What... This is more than enough already!"
"That''s right! If we eat more luxuriously than this here, we''ll be punished."
The priests said while gobbling down the soup made by boiling potatoes, vegetables, spices, and rice.
Seeing their admirable appearance, Yi-Han unknowingly felt pleased.
''The guys from the Blue Dragon Tower should see that and learn.''
Just a moment ago, while preparing, he had thought, ''I wonder if the guys from the Blue Dragon Tower are eating well,'' but seeing the priests, his thoughts changed to ''Well, they''ll do well on their own.''
"Ah. Mr. Yi-Han. Will you go with me to get the assignment?"
"It''s already that time. Sure."
Yi-Han nodded at Sharukal''s words. Sharukal hurriedly started to drag Yi-Han down, worried that the other priests would notice.
"Why are you in such a hurry?"
"If the other priests notice, it will be troublesome... No, I was originally supposed to go and get the new duty, but I''m a bitte."
"It doesn''t seem thatte..."
-Where did Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family go?-
-Who knows? Didn''t he go into the tower for a bit?-
-Wait, didn''t Priest Sharukal go to get the assignment? I think he went together?-
-Chase after them!-
"..."
Yi-Han stared at Sharukal. Sharukal ignored his gaze, pretending not to see it.
"Let''s go quickly!"
"Don''t priests dislike lying...?"
When they arrived in front of the main building, the undead waiting there greeted Yi-Han and Sharukal.
-You arrived quickly.-
"..."
-But why is the bloodline of the Wardanaz family among the priests?-
"There are circumstances. If you ask the principal, you''ll know."-
-Ah. Does the master want to torment the students of the Blue Dragon Tower?-
"...It''s not for that reason... No. Is it?"-
-Indeed, the 1st-years of the Blue Dragon Tower had it toofortablest semester. The master cursed them several times.-
"..."
Yi-Han decided to pretend he didn''t hear it.
While they were talking like that, students from other towers arrived one by one.
Unlike Yi-Han and Sharukal, the faces of the other tower students were full of tension.
Yi-Han waved his hand and called his friends.
"Did you have a good dinner? Did Gainando properly deliver the ingredients?"
His friends noticed Yi-Han and started crying instead of waving back.
"Wa, Wardanaz...! Sob! Pleasee back!"
"...Did Gainando cook?"
"No. I told Gainando not to cook, but..."
A student from the Blue Dragon Tower said, sobbing.
Yi-Han had tried to be careful in his own way, but there was a w in that thought.
Even if he told Gainando not to cook, it wasn''t like his other friends were particrly good at cooking!
The students from the Blue Dragon Tower made all the mistakes beginners would make, such as burning, seasoning incorrectly, and mixing ipatible ingredients.
No matter how much an outstanding student in alchemy like Yonaire tried to control it, there was a limit.
-Reduce the heat! I said reduce the heat!-
-Why? Isn''t it better if the fire is strong since the cooking will be done faster?-
-Measure the salt properly and put it in!! Don''t just sprinkle it!!-
-Huh? Wardanaz just sprinkled it? Isn''t it done by feeling?-
-What feeling when you''re doing it for the first time!! You there! Don''t add more water! I told you there''s enough moisture in the vegetables!-
"Why don''t you change the tower name to the Hungry Blue Worm Tower?"
"We''re not that bad. Hoho."
The students from the White Tiger Tower, who were listening next to them, suddenly became arrogant.
Of course, it was an absurd thing to say in Yi-Han''s eyes.
''What are these guys who can only grill saying...''
They were better than the students from the Blue Dragon Tower, but that was something that should be obvious for a human being, and the students from the White Tiger Tower weren''t particrly good at cooking either.
He knew it well from hearing it from Jijel and Dolgyu.
-I caught a rabbit!-
-Oh... Let''s grill it!-
-I got some bread!-
-Oh... Let''s grill it!-
-I bought some fish!-
-Oh... Let''s grill it!-
-I got some spices and sugar, can''t we make something with this? Like the dish Wardanaz made. That was delicious.-
-There''s a good thing. Let''s sprinkle it after grilling.-
Guys who only know how to grill!
''Well, at least they grill.''
"You guys just eat it raw. Don''t bother cooking."
When it was confirmed that all the students had gathered, the undead opened its mouth.
-Attention. Everyone has gathered. Then I will exin the things to do this week. First... The 3rd-year students tried to raid the kitchen on the 4th floor but failed and a fire broke out inside, so this needs to bepletely cleaned up.
A student raised his hand and asked.
"Uh... But why aren''t the 3rd-year seniors cleaning that up?"
-Good question. The 3rd-year seniors are cleaning up the idents caused by the 4th-years.-
"..."
"..."
-And next is... Has anyone been to the forest stream south of the main building?-
"I have been there."
A student from the White Tiger Tower answered. Seeing that, Yi-Han felt a bad premonition.
-I see... I haven''t told you to go there yet, so you went in secretly? I''ll remember your name.-
"Ah, no...!"
''As expected.''
You absolutely couldn''t let your guard down when answering either.
-Anyway, I heard it''s swarming with pests. They''re not that strong, so you can just go and deal with them. Next is... Organizing the 2nd floor warehouse. It seems to take a long time because there''s so much junk.-
"!!"
When his friends flinched, Yi-Han asked, puzzled.
"Why are you surprised?"
"Ah. That came outst week too. The White Tiger Tower members were in charge of it."
"I see."
Yi-Han looked at the students from the White Tiger Tower and asked.
"How was that?"
"Hmm. It wasn''t that difficult. Wardanaz."
"But there was too much, so we couldn''t finish it..."
Yi-Han immediately noticed from their shaking eyes.
''It must have been hard.''
Judging from the reaction of the White Tiger Tower guys, it was clear that the workload wasrge and difficult.
If not, those guys would have tried to do it again.
-Well then. Let''s divide it.-
The undead hurriedly made lots and threw them one by one. Sharukal grabbed Yi-Han''s wrist and spoke seriously.
"Mr. Yi-Han. How about praying to Lord Agltakwa?"
"Uh... Wasn''t he the god of the sea and storms?"
Yi-Han had never heard that Agltakwa also presided over drawing lots.
"Yes. But Lord Agltakwa''s power is great, so if you believe and pray..."
Yi-Han unfolded the lot.
Organizing the 2nd floor warehouse.
"..."
"...Come to think of it, he doesn''t preside over drawing lots."
¡ª
"I''m sorry for no reason. It seems like you drew a difficult one."
"No. How can there be easy and difficult things in this kind of work?"
"That''s right. Difficult work is more rewarding."
''I can''t get used to it.''
Yi-Han was distressed by the priests'' words.
If it were the students from the Blue Dragon Tower, they would have been tantly shameless, but the priests here were too kind, so it was a bit distressing at times.
Creak-
When the door opened, a huge garbage dump greeted the students.
It was a warehouse where all kinds of junk were tightly stuffed in, though it was unknown who had piled it up.
The terrain inside Einroguard changed frequently, and as a result, spaces like this that many students had secretly used as a warehouse would suddenly pop up.
And now, if it was left here, this space could suddenly explode and scatter garbage in all directions.
Once discovered, it had to be cleaned up as quickly as possible.
"...Wait."
Looking around the mountain of junk, Yi-Han noticed a cloth covering the corner next to it.
When he removed the cloth, there was a new pile of garbage inside.
That in itself wasn''t so surprising, but...
''This pile of garbage doesn''t seem to have been created long ago.''
Yi-Han felt suspicious and checked the top of the pile of garbage.
Then, the broken wooden swords frequently used by the White Tiger Tower students appeared.
"..It seems the White Tiger Tower guys gotzy while cleaning and hid the garbage here."
"Oh my..."
"We have no choice but to work harder."
The priests spoke as if it was unfortunate.
Yi-Han stared at the priests for a while, then thought for a moment and said.
"Can I go to the tower for a bit?"
"Of course. Go ahead ande backfortably."
¡ª
"You don''t have to worry about the stream forest. There are no dangerous ones. I''ve been hunting there many times."
"Really?"
The student from the White Tiger Tower who had been in the forest spoke confidently.
"Yeah. There are absolutely no dangerous monsters here- Ack!"
Thud!
Yi-Han subdued one of the White Tiger Tower students by shooting magic from behind, then pointed his staff at another student.
"Raise your hands. The moment you move your fingers, one of your bones will break."
"Wa... Wardanaz!! You bastard! Earlier, you made fun of us by calling us the hungry worm tower..."
"What are you talking about?"
"...No?"
"The guys who cleaned the warehousest week. Did you do it properly or not?"
At Yi-Han''s question, the White Tiger Tower student flinched.
Anyone could see that he had something to feel guilty about.
"We... We worked hard."
"I see. Move two steps to the right."
"Wh, why?"
"If you faint there, you might fall into the stream. You wouldn''t want your clothes to get wet."
"...Actually, we used a little... trick..."
"I see. Two steps to the right..."
"A, a little! It was really just a little!"
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Chapter 390
Chapter 390
"Alright. I''ll forgive you."
"Phew!"
The White Tiger Tower students let out a sigh of relief.
Until Yi-Han said his next words.
"Then let''s go."
"?"
The students looked at each other in confusion.
"Where to?"
"To the warehouse. Since you did the work carelessly, you have to do it again."
"..."
"..."
The students, who btedly realized what Yi-Han meant, stammered and asked.
"We, we have to do this too."
"Yeah. You cane backter and do it. You cane during the day."
"It''s not just us who used tricks, other guys used tricks too..."
"Even better. Call those guys too."
"..."
The White Tiger Tower students nced at the stream next to them and then at Yi-Han''s staff.
It was getting cold enough to fall into the stream.
¡ª
"You came to help like this...!"
The priests were surprised when the White Tiger Tower students came to help.
"You didn''t need toe like this."
"That''s right. It''s our job."
The priests didn''t notice the gloomy and sad expressions of the White Tiger Tower students.
Yi-Han whispered from behind.
"Hey. Manage your expressions."
"..."
"Come to think of it, it seems like too much for the priests to handle... So we came to help..."
"That''s right... If we... had done well...st week... the priests wouldn''t have had a hard time in the first ce... Sob!"
"White Tiger Tower is really not just a tower of knights."
"I was really moved."
At the priests'' sincere gratitude, the White Tiger Tower students inwardly made a tearful face.
It was hard to even get angry when they acted like that instead of exploiting them.
"That''s why I told you not to hide the garbage. I said you''d get caught and go to the punishment room."
"We didn''t get caught! It''s because Wardanaz found it."
Tap tap tap tap-
The White Tiger Tower students started clearing the piled-up garbage in the warehouse with skillful movements, as if they hadn''t done it a week earlier for nothing.
An eight-legged chair (two of the legs were definitely octopus legs), a half-burned magic book (the cover read ''It''s fully cooked! Die!''), a coat with three colors of blood on it (not only red, but also green and blue blood) and so on.
"Impressive. Ango."
"What?"
Ango asked back in a nonchnt voice at Yi-Han''s praise.
He couldn''t be in a good mood after being called in the middle of the night when he could restfortably.
''This guy is trying to pick a fight.''
"The warehouse organization. Your knack is amazing. Do you have anything to teach me?"
Yi-Han''s praise was sincere.
Even though the priests were notzy orcking in skill, the speed of the White Tiger Tower students overwhelmed the priests.
It was thanks to the knack they had umted over time.
"Hm... Hmph! Well... There''s nothing I can''t teach."
Ango seemed to not dislike it, as he grumbled but started exining.
"First of all, do you know what to clean up first?"
"Rtively light garbage, right?"
Since it was piled up like a mountain, it was also important to reduce the amount as much as possible.
Clearing the light things first and then the heavy things...
"Wrong. We thought so at first too."
"?"
"The first things to clean up are the garbage that doesn''t look dangerous. You can just pick it up and drag it out. The dangerous ones are the ones that look obviously dangerous or the ones whose identity is unknown. The ones that look dangerous are rather better. You can just attack them first. The garbage with unknown identity is really dangerous..."
Ango let out a deep sigh.
It felt tiring just talking about it.
"There''s no choice for these. The person in front has to approach with a shield, and the people behind have to provide support."
"..."
Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
''Well, the school''s work can''t be easy.''
Even when magic collided with each other, there were conflicts and unexpected phenomena urred, so if a ce where more than a thousand rted items were piled up was fine, that would be even stranger.
Of course, among the tasks assigned to the 1st-year students this week, organizing this warehouse was one of the most difficult, but that was no constion to Yi-Han.
"There''s no choice."
Yi-Han waved his staff and threw bone fragments. Sharakan popped out and skeleton warriors rose up in droves.
"It will be too much for this. I''ll have tobine them."
Yi-Hanbined the skeleton warriors with each other andpressed them, as he had learned in the King of Ghouls''s Pce before.
Just having arge number didn''t really help with the current organization.
"And... I''ll have to call Gonadaltes too."
"What?!?!?"
"Ah. Don''t be surprised. It''s the name of my summon."
''Isn''t this guy crazy?''
Undead appeared in the warehouse along with an eerie mana.
Seeing that, some priests coughed ufortably.
"Oops. Sorry. I needed more hands."
"No. We also know well that dark mages are not actually trying to insult death, but are trying to understand death andfort the deceased."
"???"
Yi-Han tilted his head.
Was... was that so?
''I don''t think so.''
The priests attending Einroguard had less prejudice than other priests because they seriously learned magic other than holy magic.
Naturally, they tried to understand dark magic rather than blindly hating it.
...But as expected, there were misunderstandings since they didn''t directly learn it.
"Okay. Now that the preparations are done, let''s divide the work. White Tiger Tower students,e this way. I''ll cast enhancement magic on you."
"Oh...!"
The students were delighted at Yi-Han''s words.
Regardless of whether they disliked him or not, everyone acknowledged Yi-Han''s magic skills.
If they worked with enhancement magic, it would be several times easier.
"Thanks. Wardanaz."
"What are you even saying? We have to help each other when working together."
"...Wait, Wardanaz. Why don''t you cast it on the priests?"
"The priests will be doing the work of pulling out the luggage here and taking it outside."
"...Then what about us??"
"You guys now have to go in and clean up the unidentified garbage over there."
"..."
"..."
The White Tiger Tower students red at Yi-Han.
"I''ll go in with you."
"That doesn''t change the fact that you''re mistreating us."
"...Should I make you something to eat when the work is done?"
"What kind of offer is that..."
Ango answered furiously at Yi-Han''s question, which seemed to imply that all would be well with just a good meal.
"Gasp. What will you make?"
"..."
"So, sorry. Ango."
"Honestly, the food Wardanaz made was delicious. It was hard eating only jerky for two weeks."
Yi-Han asked, puzzled.
"Can''t you exchange with the ck Tortoise Tower? What have you been doing all this time?"
"Last time we went to their ck market and got into a fight..."
"Those guys didn''t apologize first..."
Yi-Han looked at the students as if dumbfounded.
No matter what, wasn''t it a loss to fight each other for two weeks?
''Don''t tell me these guys won''t try to reconcile first if I''m not here?''
The White Tiger Tower students looked at Yi-Han with hopeful eyes.
Since they were also suffering from a shortage of supplies, they secretly hoped that Yi-Han would mediate.
"Yeah. Alright. Let''s clean up."
"Wardanaz...?!"
"Th, that''s it?! Don''t you have more to say?!"
"I don''t know."
¡ª
"What the hell is this used for?"
A White Tiger Tower student muttered, holding a wing that looked like a hang glider.
"They probably tried to use it like a bird''s wing. It might have been pretty good if you flew from a high ce."
"Why this?"
"To escape?"
"Ah..."
The White Tiger Tower student looked at the unknown senior''s attempt with a mixture of awe and reverence.
"Can''t we repair this and try using it?"
"You''re... going to try it?"
"Huh? Is it dangerous?"
"Wouldn''t it be dangerous if you did?"
Yi-Han was about to tell him to just try it, but he stopped. He was worried that the other person might really do it.
"I see. Then can I try it?"
''Should I hit him?''
-Move. Move. Move.-
"!?"
As if reading Yi-Han''s inner thoughts, a golem''s hand suddenly shot up from the pile of garbage. And it immediately tried to p the White Tiger Tower student.
''It''s a good thing I had Spatial Perception cast in advance!''
Yi-Han read the trajectory of the golem''s attack and shouted urgently.
"Turn into iron, O cloak!"
He was worried because it wasn''t his own cloak, but fortunately, the White Tiger Tower student''s cloak turned into solid iron.
Yi-Han immediately threw the student back. The student who rolled over the pile of garbage let out a groan and rolled away.
"Everyone, prepare for battle! It''s a golem! How did you deal with itst time?"
"There... there was no golem!!!"
"What?"
"I said there was no golem, you crazy bastard! Why is there a golem?!"
The White Tiger Tower students shouted in a panic.
No matter how many unidentified pieces of garbage there were, there had never been a golem.
Only then did Yi-Han btedly realize and said sheepishly.
"I see. I thought there must have been one."
"If it were such a ce, we wouldn''t havee even if you beat us to death...!"
-Golem has moved. Executingmand.-
"..."
"...The seniors definitely made it."
Everyone couldn''t help but admire the golem''s name, which felt like hatred towards someone.
The golem, made of granite, basalt, two unidentified rocks, and birch wood, was half destroyed but slowly moving.
"Sharakan. I will strengthen the skeleton warriors. Let''s attack together."
Yi-Han prepared for battle as he had done before.
Explosively strengthen the skeleton warriors and then fire elemental magic.
Although the golem''s strength looked quite solid, it was advantageous for them since it was half-shattered. If they kept shooting, the golem''s weak point, the core, would inevitably be hit.
-Starting cleaning.-
However, instead of preparing for Yi-Han''s attack, the golem silently started picking up the garbage and throwing it outside.
Ango, startled by the suddenly flying garbage, threw himself to the side.
"It''s an attack!!"
"It, it said cleaning?"
Yi-Han and the White Tiger Tower students were amazed, staring at the golem suddenly doing the work for them.
Despite having one leg blown off, the golem cleared the garbage at a fast pace.
''But it won''t be able to move for long.''
Yi-Han read the mana felt from the golem''s entire body.
The amount of mana emitted with each movement was considerable, and the amount lost from the damaged parts was also significant.
Then it would need to be additionally healed or filled, but seeing the golem''s mana itself gradually weakening, it seemed difficult for it to move for a long time.
''Well, if it could move for a long time, it wouldn''t be here like this.''
It must have identally touched something wrong and reactivated.
"You... You''re amazing! It would have been great if we had met youst week!"
-Did not understand.-
"You don''t have to understand!"
-Executingmand. Explosive potions have been found. Please step back.-
"Th, thanks."
However, contrary to Yi-Han''s thoughts, the White Tiger Tower students quickly became friendly with the golem.
"Can''t we somehow make a new leg for it with this?"
"Rather than that, let''s find the fallen leg. It might be in the garbage dump."
The guys who had been whining that they didn''t want to clean up until just now were rummaging through the warehouse, trying to outdo each other.
"It''s good that you''re working hard, but it''s time. Let''se back tomorrow and do the rest."
"Is it already that time?"
"The golem will clean it all up by itself while we''re gone, right?"
At the White Tiger Tower students'' words, Yi-Han answered as if asking what they were talking about.
"That won''t happen."
"Why?"
"Because it will stop after about half a day?"
"..."
"..."
The White Tiger Tower students looked at Yi-Han with eyes that said, ''How can you say such harsh things?''
"No... It''s damaged and there''s mana consumption, so it''s hard for it to operate for a long time. Look. If it were intact, would it be operating like this now?"
"Ah, even so, you shouldn''t say that in front of the golem!"
"Wait. Is that important now? Wardanaz. Then can it be fixed? There''s a way to fix it, right? If you fix it, it''s fine."
The White Tiger Tower students spoke earnestly, but it was impossible to say that the impossible was possible.
Yi-Han was also a 1st-year, so how could he fix a golem?
"Can it be done?"
"Sigh. He says it can be done."
"That''s a relief."
"As expected of Wardanaz."
"..."
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Chapter 391
Chapter 391
Yi-Han felt a headacheing on for the first time in a long time.
It was the same headache he felt when he was contemting where to start exining to Gainando before an exam.
"Alright. Listen carefully. You White Tiger Tower guys."
Yi-Han did his best to exin how excellent the level of this golem was.
At first, the White Tiger Tower students listened, thinking, ''That guy Wardanaz, he really beats around the bush to say his magic skills are excellent,'' but they must have felt something strange as their faces darkened.
"Don''t... don''t tell me."
"You''re saying you can''t do it? Wardanaz??"
"I''ve been saying that since earlier."
The White Tiger Tower students were too shocked to answer.
Their staggering and dejected appearance was so lifeless that even the priests were worried.
"Are you sure you''re okay?"
"I''m worried about them..."
"It''s fine. They''ll regain their energy soon."
¡ª
However, contrary to Yi-Han''s expectations, the White Tiger Tower students were still gloomy the next day.
They were more into the golem than he thought.
''They''ll regain their energy soon.''
Yi-Han didn''t pay attention to it.
Until the White Tiger Tower students suddenly started treating him well.
Thud-
"Wardanaz. I heard autumn rabbits are delicious."
"?"
Thud-
"Wardanaz. Here''s a deer''s hind leg."
"??"
Thud-
"Wardanaz. Here''s the highest quality imperial ham aged for over a year."
"Where did you get this from?"
"The kitchen... Shh."
''I thought two people were missing, did they get dragged to the punishment room?''
It was fine to just keep receiving gifts, but Yi-Han''s conscience wasn''t that bad.
Yi-Han sighed and called Ango and his friends together.
"I appreciate the gifts, but what can''t be done can''t be done."
"...If we catch a whole wild boar next time...?"
"It''s not that I''m not doing it because I have the ability, you bastard, it''s because I can''t do it."
"Ack!"
Yi-Han finally exploded after holding back and hit Ango''s head with his staff.
"It would be better to ask someone else."
"Who?"
"Like Professor Verduus..."
"There''s no way that professor would listen to our request."
Ango spoke as if asking what he was talking about.
They also knew, of course, that Professor Verduus was an outstanding master of enchantment magic.
But no matter how excellent his skills were, what was the point if he had no intention of helping?
"Indeed."
"Ah. Perhaps if it''s Wardanaz who asks..."
"That''s right, you''re his cherished disciple!"
When a White Tiger Tower student spoke in a hopeful voice, Yi-Han shook his head firmly.
"Don''t talk nonsense."
"...No?"
"Yeah. We don''t have that kind of rtionship. I''ll try asking since I received something, but don''t expect too much."
Since there was a meeting with Professor Verduus in the afternoon anyway, Yi-Han decided to at least mention it.
If he received this much, at least mentioning it...
"A golem? Bring it next time."
"!"
Not only Yi-Han but also Ango and the White Tiger Tower students were surprised.
Yi-Han was so surprised that he couldn''t speak carefully as usual.
"Professor. Are you perhaps unwell??"
"Wa, Wardanaz. The professor said it''s okay, so why are you doing that...!"
The White Tiger Tower students were startled and tried to stop him.
Why on earth was he trying to provoke Professor Verduus?
"I''m fine. Except that Gonadaltes is making me work a lot. More importantly..."
Professor Verduus hesitated and looked at Yi-Han.
At that, Yi-Han suddenly felt fear.
It was always scarier when a usually rude person suddenly became polite.
Professor Verduus, who usually said what he wanted without hesitation, was hesitating and being mindful, giving Yi-Han goosebumps.
What the hell was he trying to ask for?
''Don''t tell me he''s trying to extract blood or bones?''
"I heard you''re raising a basilisk?"
"...Yes."
Yi-Han answered while holding back a sigh.
He wasn''t even curious about how he found out anymore.
''I should think that the professors are all connected by telepathy.''
"Can I go see it with you?"
"Pardon? Why are you asking me that?"
"You''re going to raise it in Professor Bagrak''s lecture hall, right?"
"Probably."
"If I go alone, Professor Bagrak might attack me."
"Why... What did you do to make him...?"
"I don''t know. He just attacks."
Professor Verduus answered with the face of an innocent beaver.
However, Yi-Han was not fooled by the appearance of a cute animal. Professor Verduus had done too many things for Yi-Han to be fooled by that.
''Rather, I think he''ll attack even if we go together.''
Yi-Han thought that but didn''t say it.
In the end, the one getting hit would be Professor Verduus anyway.
"Anyway, if we go see it together, will you help the golem?"
"Huh? A golem is a golem. Seeing it is seeing it. What are you talking about?"
Come to think of it, Professor Verduus was not a smart enough person to make a deal like that.
He just epted the golem because it looked interesting, and the asking to see the basilisk was a separate matter.
"It''s nothing. Then let''s go together after it''s over. I had to visit you before the evening lecture anyway."
Professor Verduus''s face brightened.
"Yeah! Then tell Professor Bagrak not to attack me!"
"Oh... um... well, I''ll try mentioning it."
¡ª
After the enchantment magic lecture was over (a few students were carried to the healing room for taking out heated stones from the bonfire with fire resistance magic cast on their hands), Yi-Han moved his steps together with Professor Verduus.
"Professor. In the 2nd semester, you''re teaching mainly enhancement magic, right?"
In the 1st semester, they learned the basics of enchantment magic and practiced casting it on inanimate objects, so in the 2nd semester, it would be in order to practice enchantment magic that is directly cast on living beings.
"Huh?"
"...No?"
"Did I? I just followed the order in the book. Maybe I did."
Yi-Han smiled faintly at the sight of Professor Verduus treating students like rolling stones on the street.
There was nothing to be surprised about anymore!
"Then what did you teach for the past two weeks?"
"What did I dost week... Hmm... Ah. That''s it. That. Blocking arrows."
"Pardon?"
"Blocking flying arrows. It''s good for checking enhancement magic, right?"
''Should I havee eventer?''
"Then there''s a high possibility that you''ll mainly teach enhancement magic until the midterm exam."
"Is that what''s written in the book? Then probably?"
"...Is the midterm exam artifact production likest time?"
"No. For the 1st-year freshmen''s 2nd semester midterm exam..."
Professor Verduus frowned and thought deeply, then said.
"That''s it. Preparing traps and throwing each other in."
"...Pardon??"
"Wait. Gonadaltes told me not to say this. It''s a secret."
"Ah. Yes. That...?"
Yi-Han was rather flustered even though he finally got a hint.
What kind of midterm exam was ''preparing traps and throwing each other in''?
"We''re here. Professor."
Yi-Han knocked on the door and entered.
Professor Bagrak was sitting next to the desk as always.
The only difference from usual was that a familiarrge egg was located in the center of the lecture hall.
"Is that the basilisk?"
Professor Verduus asked, his eyes sparkling. Instead of answering, Professor Bagrak immediately raised his staff and attacked Professor Verduus.
The beaver mixed-blood professor screamed and threw himself to the side.
"Stop him!"
"With what ability... More importantly, Professor. Why are you attacking Professor Verduus?"
"He tried to steal the basilisk."
"...Professor..."
Yi-Han looked at Professor Verduus with a sense of pity
"No, I didn''t!"
Professor Verduus shouted, squawking.
"I just wanted to touch it because I was curious!"
"What are you saying?"
Yi-Han snorted.
Professor Verduus, who was rolling next to the corridor, looked up, wondering why Yi-Han was acting like that.
"There''s no way you came with such pure intentions, Professor."
"...I''m telling you it''s really not!"
Professor Verduus felt wronged for the first time in a long time.
"Of course, I was going to take some materials when the basilisk was born!"
"Without permission?"
"With permission!"
"Nah..."
At Yi-Han''s suspicious gaze, Professor Verduus felt wronged for a truly long time.
Professor Verduus, who usually had an iron will and didn''t care what he heard, felt strangely wronged when Yi-Han acted like that.
Was it okay for a disciple to doubt his teacher like that?
"I''m telling you it''s true!"
"Alright. Get up."
Professor Verduus grabbed Yi-Han''s outstretched hand and got up from his spot.
At that moment, Professor Bagrak''s magic shot out from inside the lecture hall again. Professor Verduus was hit directly and rolled to the other end of the corridor.
Although he wasn''t injured at all thanks to the amazing artifacts he was wearing, the impact must have been great as Professor Verduus coughed.
"I told you to stop him!"
"No... I''m not someone who can stop him even if I try."
"Try it before you say it!"
Yi-Han shrugged as if there was no choice and said.
"Professor. Can you stop attacking Professor Verduus for a moment?"
"Alright."
Professor Bagrak lowered his staff.
"..."
"..."
Professor Verduus red at Yi-Han.
Didn''t he just get hit by an attack he didn''t need to get hit by?
¡ª
Even with the basilisk egg, Professor Bagrak''s lecture didn''t change.
"How proficient are you in the dark element?"
"I can do basic casting, but..."
"The lightning element?"
"Practicing shape transformation."
"The water element? Summoning magic? Enchantment magic?"
Professor Verduus sat next to them and silently watched their conversation.
If it were another professor, they would have reacted, ''Isn''t that a bit too much?'' but fortunately, it was Professor Verduus, so he had no thoughts.
"We''ll have to catch up on the parts where progress iscking."
At Professor Bagrak''s words, Yi-Han nodded and slowly moved to the side.
If an attack flew, he was thinking of using Professor Verduus as a shield.
''He won''t attack right away with the professor here.''
As soon as the thought ended, Professor Bagrak started shooting bullets made of dark elements. Professor Verduus, who was sitting next to him and suddenly got hit, screamed and fell to the side.
"You said you''d stop!"
"I didn''t attack him."
"Ah. I see."
Yi-Han wanted to retort but was too busy dodging.
Fortunately, even though Professor Verduus fell, he was ying the role of a solid obstacle thanks to the artifacts he was wearing.
Yi-Han quickly grabbed the fallen Professor Verduus and lifted him up like a shield. The bulletsposed of dark elements bounced off mercilessly.
"When will this end?"
"I think you''ll have to wait a bit!"
30 minutester.
Professor Bagrak, who had enhanced Yi-Han''s sense of the dark element through simple basic training, dered a break.
"Utilizing the environment is good, but basic skillse first."
"I''ll keep that in mind."
"Then take care of the basilisk."
"...?"
Yi-Han was slightly taken aback by Professor Bagrak''s words.
"Uh... what... You''re not going to teach me?"
Usually, when telling a 1st-year student to take care of a basilisk egg, don''t they teach them things like ''You have to do this and that, don''t do this''?
Of course, Yi-Han had asked Professor Bungaegor this and that beforeing, but...
"I was going to tell you anyway."
"Thank you."
Thud-
Professor Bagrak threw a book. Yi-Han thought it was rather fortunate.
Professor Bagrak was a person who was better at exining with books than with words.
"I wrote it based on the Blue Dragon Tower''s standards, but it shouldn''t be much different for the Immortal Phoenix Tower."
"...Pardon?"
Yi-Han was about to skim through the book but stopped.
What did he mean?
Professor Verduus next to him said.
"If it''s hard to move the egg, should I help?"
"..."
Realizing that he had to raise it in the dormitory, not in Professor Bagrak''s lecture hall, Yi-Han seriously considered transferring to the White Tiger Tower.
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Chapter 392
Chapter 392
"Professor. No matter how I think about it, it''s impossible to take care of the basilisk egg in the dormitory. If it hatches by mistake..."
"By mistake?"
"...Anyway, if it hatches, an ident could ur."
Yi-Han wanted to step on Professor Verduus''s foot, but the distance was a bit far. Yi-Han felt regretful.
"But I received advice from an expert that it''s better for you to take care of it."
"Which crazy expert...? No, I''m sorry. Excuse me, but who is it?"
Yi-Han wondered if the skull principal had said such nonsense.
"Professor Bungaegor."
"..."
Yi-Han tried his best to stay calm and listened carefully to Professor Bagrak''s exnation.
ording to the exnation, it seemed that Professor Bungaegor had answered Professor Bagrak''s question as sincerely as possible.
However, no matter how hard one takes notes, raising and nurturing something requires interest and sense that goes beyond theory.
Worried, Professor Bungaegor said this.
-Wouldn''t it be better to just entrust it to your disciple?-
-Indeed.-
Professor Bagrak decided to respect the expert''s opinion.
"Indeed... But Professor. Professor Bungaegor''s words don''t mean for me to take it to the dormitory and raise it."
"Is that so?"
"Let''spromise and raise it in a third space. You''ll need to prepare a lot of things to take care of the basilisk anyway..."
Yi-Han pondered where would be good.
Professor Uregor''s cabin was also a pretty good option.
It was located away from the surroundings and good for additional work...
''Hmm. It wouldn''t be good to anger the food supplier.''
Indeed, given Professor Uregor''s personality, if Yi-Han said he would take care of the basilisk egg in the cabin he cherished, there was a high possibility of him sulking.
Yi-Han gave up and opened his mouth.
"I''ll find a ce, then you will build it."
"Huh? Me?"
"...You said you''d take the materials."
"What does that have to do with it?"
Professor Verduus asked, genuinely not understanding.
Yi-Han smiled at the sight of the genius trying to transcend the concept of a deal.
And he asked Professor Bagrak.
"Professor. Please persuade him."
"Alright."
1 minuteter, Professor Verduus was persuaded.
¡ª
"Hot during the day, cold at night... In addition to a firece, we''ll also need a space to enhance cold magic."
"Heat enhancement and cold enhancement. Both are magic with no fun at all."
Ignoring Professor Verduus''s words, Yi-Han moved his steps.
''We''ll need a lot of water, so near a stream would be good. Since it''s a basilisk, we''ll have to go to a ce with few people... Professor Verduus will take care of materials and such.''
This was the good thing about constructing with a mage, especially an excellent enchantment mage.
Yi-Han went north from the main building, thoroughly searched the forest at the entrance of the mountain range, and made a decision.
"Please build it here."
"Alright."
Professor Verduus swung his staff without a word. In an instant, the ground was firmlypacted and deeply hollowed, and logs were stacked up, starting to take the form of a house.
A quite cozy log cabin, although not spacious, was quicklypleted. Professor Verduus cast a me enhancement spell at the location of the firece and even cast a cold enhancement spell at the opposite location.
''After raising the basilisk, should I store food here?''
It seemed a waste to just abandon such a solidly built building.
Yi-Han carefully ced the basilisk egg in the center of the log cabin. The energy of life could be felt wriggling inside.
"Oh right. We have to prevent intruders froming, right?"
"Pro, Professor...!"
"Why?"
"I''m surprised. I didn''t expect you to think of that."
Yi-Han was honestly surprised.
Of course, since it was a cabin for raising a basilisk, he was going to ask for detection interference or direction confusion magic to be cast around it so that other students couldn''te.
But for Professor Verduus to do that himself.
Professor Verduus answered smugly.
"Of course. What if someone else steals the basilisk?"
"...Th, that''s right."
Yi-Han canceled his surprise just now. Professor Verduus cast magic without minding.
"If you don''t follow the red-marked trees to enter, you won''t be able to find your way."
"Indeed."
"What are you doing now?"
"I''m making a meal for the basilisk."
Yi-Han poured the basilisk feed made by Professor Bungaegor into a pot and boiled it with water. A foul smell spread inside the log cabin.
To hatch a basilisk, a considerable amount of nutrition is needed. ording to ancient texts, it is written that ''seven chickens, four sheep, five pigs, two oxen, and sixteen fish must be caught and fed to the egg every day,'' but if feed mixed in the correct way is given, it''s not necessarily so...
Yi-Han was sincerely grateful to Professor Bungaegor.
Otherwise, Yi-Han would have had to catch all of that.
"The smell is bad, do you really have to make this?"
"You can catch and give seven chickens, four sheep, five pigs, two oxen, and sixteen fish if you want."
"Alright. Work hard."
"...I won''t. I''m going to give this."
"Why?!"
Ignoring Professor Verduus''s words, Yi-Han started feeding the egg.
The basilisk egg absorbed the boiled feed porridge like a sponge absorbing water.
''Does it like it?''
The egg slightly trembled, and the flow of mana waves could be felt. It wasn''t certain, but it seemed satisfied with the meal.
Yi-Han, who had been carefully feeding the egg, called Professor Verduus to prepare for the next task.
"Professor. Please feed it for a moment."
Professor Verduus grumbled about the smell and picked up thedle.
Then the egg trembled again and emitted waves. This time, it was a considerably negative reaction.
"...Professor. I''ll just do it."
Yi-Han snatched thedle, thinking it couldn''t be. Then the egg reduced its negative reaction.
''To be hated by a basilisk that hasn''t even been born yet.''
Honestly, it was surprising.
That was also a skill if it could be called a skill.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"It''s nothing. Professor. Next is... mana."
The task of periodically infusing mana.
For other mages, it was an annoying task of having precious mana taken away regrly every day, but...
For Yi-Han, it was the easiest task.
Whoosh!
The egg seemed to be even happier than before. Perhaps it was because Professor Verduus had moved away.
''I might have to keep Professor Verduus at a distance.''
If he kept stressing the basilisk for no reason and its personality became strange, only Yi-Han would suffer.
Knock knock knock-
"Are you here?"
Yi-Han opened the door of the log cabin. Professor Bagrak was standing with an armful of groceries.
"What did you bring... canned food? There''s still basilisk feed left?"
"These are for you to eat."
"!"
While Yi-Han was touched, Professor Bagrak came inside.
Then he pulled Professor Verduus out of the armchair he was lying on and stacked the groceries in that spot.
Various canned meat, fish, and pickled fruits. And things like coffee and sugar were also neatly stacked on top.
"Professor...!"
"You''ll need food if you''re going to stay here and take care of the basilisk."
"...Professor. I''m going to return to the dormitory in the evening."
Yi-Han answered with a serious face.
¡ª
Evening.
Yi-Han called the White Tiger Tower students likest time and started cleaning the warehouse.
The only difference was that the White Tiger Tower students were sighing with each task.
"Sigh..."
"..."
"If the golem was here..."
"..."
"Oops... there''s no golem now..."
"...We can repair it tomorrow. I was busy today."
Even at Yi-Han''s words, the White Tiger Tower students didn''t stop grumbling.
"What were you so busy with? It''s just studying anyway, right?"
"Magic is important, but you don''t know what''s really important. Wardanaz doesn''t understand people''s hearts."
"...I spent time preparing for the basilisk egg hatching under the professor''s orders. Satisfied?"
"..."
"..."
The White Tiger Tower students suddenly became solemn.
''I told you Wardanaz must have his own circumstances too.''
"By the way, Mr. Wardanaz."
"What is it, Priestess Siana?"
When Siana, the snake mixed-blood priest from the meng Order, spoke to him, Yi-Han turned his head.
"Since you workedst time, you don''t have to work today."
"Ah. But I camete and also came from another tower, so I''m trying to do more."
If it were the Blue Dragon Tower, he would never show such kindness, but the Immortal Phoenix Tower priests deserved this kindness.
However, Priestess Siana firmly shook her head.
"There''s a problem."
"What is it?"
"Originally, it was your prayer time, but you''re being robbed of that time because of this work."
"That... that''s true."
"Now it''s my turn... Did those White Tiger Tower people perhaps ask you to work together, so you had no choice but toe out?"
"Wh, what...!"
"No way!"
The White Tiger Tower students were upset by the absurd misunderstanding.
If Yi-Han had dragged them out, that would be one thing, but for them to have dragged him out.
It was so upsetting that they couldn''t even speak properly.
"But there aren''t many reasons to keeping out for unnecessary work... And it seemed like you were pressuring him to fix the golem earlier..."
"It wasn''t pressure, it was a request!"
"Yes... Many people say that."
Priestess Siana spoke as if she didn''t believe it at all.
The White Tiger Tower students couldn''t believe why they were being suspected like this.
If Yi-Han and the White Tiger Tower students were together, who would have beaten up whom?
One hundred out of one hundred times, the culprit would be Yi-Han.
"You know how strong Wardanaz is!"
"But I heard that mages are usually slow at casting, so they often lose to knights."
"...That''s true, but such disadvantages are meaningless to Wardanaz! He''s someone who can ambush first as much as he wants!"
"There''s no way Mr. Wardanaz would do that. He''s such a polite person."
"..."
"..."
Not only the White Tiger Tower students but also Yi-Han felt a bit embarrassed.
Who knew thepliments he gave every time they met woulde back like this?
What was surprising was that the other priests also agreed with that.
"That''s right. There''s no way Mr. Wardanaz would do such an ambush."
"No... I do it though."
"Are you telling a white lie so that the White Tiger Tower people won''t feel embarrassed?"
"That''s not it, I really do it..."
Yi-Han exined as kindly as possible.
"They really came out to work together, not because they threatened me. The golem was their request."
"Yes. Well. If you say so."
"If you say it like that..."
Yi-Han realized that exining now would have little effect.
He could hear the other priests working next to him whispering.
-Did the White Tiger Tower people forcibly drag out Mr. Yi-Han Wardanaz?-
-Well... I don''t want to hastily specte, but judging by their current attitude¡-
"...Hey. Wardanaz. You go and rest."
"But I called you guys, so I''d feel a bit sorry if I rest alone."
"Is this the time to say such things?!"
The White Tiger Tower students learned one fact.
Being called someone who threatened Wardanaz could be even more upsetting than being called someone who was threatened by Wardanaz!
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Chapter 393
Chapter 393
Forced to take a break, Yi-Han asked Priestess Siana.
"By the way, Priestess Siana. Wasn''t it not your turn this time?"
"Is it that difficult to do a little more work to convey the true meaning of meng?"
"...Th, that''s right."
The subtle madness shown by the Immortal Phoenix Tower priests sometimes overwhelmed even Yi-Han.
While students from other towers made all kinds of excuses and tried to skip because they didn''t want to go, they came together with the sole intention of spreading their faith to others.
"And I know that Mr. Wardanaz originally wasn''t supposed toe either, right?"
At Priestess Siana''s words, Yi-Han hesitated.
"I''m... a little different."
"Really? It seems simr..."
"...Shall we pray?"
Feeling that it wouldn''t be good to talk about this topic for long, Yi-Han changed the subject.
Priestess Siana''s face brightened.
"I''ve always thought that Mr. Wardanaz is the one who will inherit meng''s will."
"Is it because of thepliments...?"
"Pardon?"
"It''s nothing."
Priestess Sianaid out the ritual tools one by one. They were tools used by priests who served meng for prayer.
Bowls and cups. ss bottles andmps.
The attitude of serving the gods differed from order to order, and the meng Order was more formal than the Agltakwa Order.
"O One who sees through the essence of things and brings about change, as I send my faith like this today, please give the clue of change to this believer."
"The essence of things..."
Yi-Han recited Priestess Siana''s prayer. And just like he did to Agltakwa, he offered mana to meng.
Whoosh!
"!!!"
When the holy power manifested just likest time, Priestess Siana was overjoyed.
''As expected,st time with the Agltakwa Order must have been a coincidence!''
meng''s faith must have briefly strayed off course due to coincidence and misunderstanding.
How could someone so sincere about alchemy be a believer of Agltakwa?
With the holy power manifesting so quickly, it wouldn''t be long before holy magic awakened.
Yi-Han, who had been practicing hard, paused for a moment and asked.
"Priestess Siana. Can you also use holy magic by any chance?"
There was no better teaching than seeing and experiencing the magic one was learning beforehand.
If he could see the holy magic of the meng Order, it might help him get a sense of it.
"Ah. I should have shown you that first."
"As expected, you can use it. In the meng Order..."
Yi-Han praised for about 1 minute.
The passing White Tiger Tower students looked at him with an expression that said, ''Did Wardanaz take the wrong medicine?''
Priestess Siana prepared the magic with a very triumphant face.
"It''s nothing much, but..."
The snake mixed-blood priest cut her finger with her fingernail. Then she put a drop of blood into the water in the cup.
With an incantation, the water bubbled and turned into a potion.
"Impressive!"
This wasn''t ttery, but sincere.
Yi-Han had painfully realized how demanding the process was to make a single potion while suffering in the workshop during the vacation.
Although holy magic often broke rules andmon sense, to make a potion with a single drop of blood like this.
"It''s not that impressive. The potion''s performance also has limits... I heard that outstanding priests make even more amazing potions."
Yi-Han listened very intently.
If what Priestess Siana said was true, the holy magic of the meng Order was definitely attractive.
If one reached a high level, wouldn''t it be like making gold with blood?
"Does it have to be made with blood?"
"You can spit, but... considering the feelings of those who drink it, isn''t blood better?"
Yi-Han was about to ask if it couldn''t be hidden, but he held back, thinking it wasn''t something to say to a priest.
"I see. I will definitely try to awaken holy magic today."
"...Ah, no. You don''t have to do it today? And it''s not like you can do it by forcing it..."
Priestess Siana waved her hands in embarrassment at Yi-Han''s reaction.
Unlike other magic, holy magic couldn''t be done just by being motivated. One could get hurt by being too eager.
Of course, Priestess Siana also didn''t expect to see results today, but...
"That''s right. Don''t overdo it."
"If you try to forcibly awaken holy magic, you can hurt your body."
"...What are you all doing here?"
Seeing the priests who had gathered behind him at some point, nodding their heads and giving advice, Priestess Siana red at them as if dumbfounded.
These priests, really...!
¡ª
In the end, Yi-Han failed to awaken holy magic (Yi-Han pretended not to hear the sighs of relief from the other priests).
On the way back, a thought suddenly urred to him, so Yi-Han threw a question at Priestess Siana.
"Hey."
"Did you perhaps be curious about meng?!"
"...That''s not it. I was just wondering if you know what kind of potion this is."
Yi-Han took out the potion recipe he received from Yonaire''s sister, Yoanen, during the vacation.
She didn''t tell him what kind of potion it was, saying he would know if he made it himself, so Yi-Han still didn''t know what kind of potion this recipe was for.
''It seems to be an enhancement type, but...''
"This potion is... Wow. It''s really amazing!"
Priestess Siana eximed as soon as she saw it.
Regardless of which alchemist guild or workshop made it, the skill of arranging various ingredients without a single gap to maximize the effect was not ordinary.
The alchemist whopleted this recipe must be a perfectionist with no ws.
"It''s amazing how they came up with this idea."
After examining it for a while, Priestess Siana nodded and said.
"I''m not sure, but I have a guess. I helped make something simr at the temple."
"As expected, Priestess Siana..."
Priestess Siana stopped Yi-Han, who was about to praise her. She still had more to say.
"Wait a moment. The ingredients include blue myanil flower, donghaso, and jurran, which are often used when making divination-rted potions. I think it might be a potion that enhances divination."
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised.
"A divination enhancement potion... Does that have any meaning?"
There were various types of enhancement potions.
Starting from mana enhancement to stamina, strength, agility, reflexes, recovery, and so on.
However, among them, potions that enhanced divination were extremely rare. So rare that even Yi-Han had never heard of them.
''It probably won''t have any effect, right?''
The problem with divination enhancement potions was not the difficulty, but the effect.
Even divination magic itself was difficult to cast, and even if cast, it was hard to be sure if the results were properly interpreted, so a potion that enhanced divination was even more absurd.
Why would anyone develop a potion that was difficult to judge whether it was properly enhanced or not?
"That''s true. Divination-rted potions are not often made. But the temple asionally makes them... Seeing the skill of the person who made this, I think they must have had some confidence to make it, right?"
Even if the effect was difficult to see, there were cases where they were made and used as ast resort.
Especially since the holy magic used by the orders was not systematic, high-ranking priests often poured in the maximum possible resources when using holy magic.
Hearing about such precedents, Yi-Han started to be slightly interested.
''Miss Yoanen''s skills are definitely excellent. If it''s a recipe that has been attempted several times even in temples... It might be a much more improved version.''
Strong divination was simr to excellent intuition.
Yi-Han imagined himself drinking this potion and taking the skull principal''s exam.
-Kwaaak! I''m so frustrated that my skull is going to shatter!-
''Hmm. It probably won''t be to that extent.''
"Oh. Mr. Wardanaz?"
"Yeah?"
"You can finish the praise you were giving earlier."
"...Uh-huh."
For a moment, Yi-Han thought Priestess Siana was a bit like Gainando.
¡ª
Morning.
Since there was no morning lecture for once, Yi-Han was going to spend it leisurely.
Go to the vegetable garden and tend to the crops a bit, check on the basilisk egg, go to the stable and see Niffirg''s face a bit...
Actually, it didn''t seem very leisurely, but Yi-Han tried to believe it was leisurely.
"Wardanaz! Wardanaz!"
"Let''s go quickly!"
Until Ango and the White Tiger Tower students came rushing in and called him.
"...Can''t we go after lunch... Alright. Let''s go."
Yi-Han was about to say they could goter, but he gave up after seeing the faces of the White Tiger Tower students.
If he refused, they looked like they would really wail and roll on the floor.
Bang bang bang!
"Ah. You brought the golem."
When he knocked on the door, Professor Verduus came out of his tower yawning.
While the professor was examining the deactivated golem, the White Tiger Tower students watched with anxious faces.
"Wardanaz. Will it be okay? Can it be healed?"
"Why are you asking me that..."
"You have no heart!!"
"..."
"So, sorry. I got too excited. I''m worried about the golem..."
''Were these guys always this emotional?''
Yi-Han inwardly changed his evaluation of Ango and his friends.
He had thought of them as a pack of beasts who only swung swords and went ''Roar, I swing the sword''...
"It''s well-made. Even though it''s over ten years old, it''s still in this condition."
"Could it have been made by your disciples, Professor?"
"Who knows? I don''t really know what my disciples make."
Verduus picked up a quill and started scribbling.
Then he handed it to the students.
"Here."
Five bundles of well-groomed birch wood, three boxes of granite bricks, basalt (inrge chunks), a bundle of jomayeong, two bottles of Ceven mountain binding potion...
"What is this?"
"Materials needed for repair."
The White Tiger Tower students were taken aback.
Of course, they thought Professor Verduus would just fix it.
Moreover, there were more materials required than they thought. It would be several times more difficult to obtain them inside the school than outside.
"Professor, don''t you have the materials?"
"Me? I do, but?"
"Th, then you can use those, right?"
"Why? It''s your golem."
"..."
The White Tiger Tower students, at a loss for words, looked at Yi-Han as if asking for help, but Yi-Han ignored them, pretending not to see.
Professor Verduus was right about this.
"...Alright. We''ll get them! If we bring them, you''ll definitely fix it!"
"Yeah! Bring them quickly!"
Seeing the White Tiger Tower students burning with passion, Yi-Han asked with a bit of worry.
"Will you be able to get them?"
"Don''t worry. Wardanaz. We are knights. Once a knight makes a pledge, no hardship can break that vow."
"Al, alright then."
¡ª
"It seems there are absent students..."
Professor Ingurdel said, looking around at the students gathered for the swordsmanship lecture.
"I don''t give disadvantages or anything to those who say they won''t participate. In the end, if you don''t put in the effort yourself, you can''t go higher in swordsmanship. Now, let''s split up..."
"...Wardanaz."
Jijel spoke to Yi-Han. Yi-Han quickly reviewed what he had done during the vacation and answered.
"Why?"
"Do you think those who didn''t show up... No, never mind."
"...What''s never mind after saying everything? I didn''t attack them."
"What did I say. Moradi. I said Yi-Han isn''t the culprit."
Dolgyu answered in a very relieved voice. For someone who firmly believed in his friend, he looked too happy.
"In life, there are times when you can be absent..."
Yi-Han, who was speaking, hesitated.
Come to think of it, the ones who were missing were Ango and his friends.
''...Don''t tell me these guys skipped the lecture to gather materials??''
It was an amazing determination that was hard for Yi-Han to even imagine.
"...Let''s go into the forest. Today, we''ll assume a situation where we fight in the forest."
At Professor Ingurdel''s words, Yi-Han asked the two.
"I''m curious about something."
"What is it? Yi-Han?"
"...?"
"If Professor Ingurdel goes into the forest and sees the absent students ying in the forest, will he get angry?"
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Chapter 394
Chapter 394
"????"
The two White Tiger Tower students were taken aback by their friend''s sudden question, but they answered anyway.
"He probably won''t react well. Maybe."
"Even though Professor Ingurdel is a lenient person, I don''t think it would be good to meet him. Yi-Han."
"Hmm. I see. There''s a high possibility that Ango''s gang is currently skipping the lecture and ying in the forest."
"?!"
The two couldn''t believe how that made sense.
"Yi-Han. Even though Ango doesn''t like studying that much, to skip the swordsmanship lecture..."
"To fix the golem."
"Ah. If it''s that, it makes sense. I can understand."
Dolgyu immediately understood.
Ango and his friends had been whining inside the tower, saying ''The golem is broken, how can you not fix it?''
So much so that Jijel couldn''t stand it and swung her dual swords.
"We should tell them to avoid it well. I don''t want to see an angry professor."
"...How?"
"Uh... Don''t you guys have a means ofmunicating with each other? Like a secret sign..."
At Yi-Han''s question, the two students looked at him as if asking what nonsense he was talking about.
Why would they have such a thing?
"Are you being serious? Yi-Han? Does the Blue Dragon Tower have that?"
"Yeah. I learned it from someone from the Shadow Patrol and we''re using it. When entering ces like forests, we leave signs before going in."
"..."
"..."
The two were overwhelmed by the unexpected crazy talk.
Jijel inwardly vowed that from now on, she should tell the White Tiger Tower students to leave signs like that too.
¡ª
Ango swung his wooden sword and cut down the bushes blocking the path.
Kiiiiit-
"de flies again?!"
"Duck!"
A sparrow-sized insect flew in with a sharp sound. The continuously vibrating wings were sharper than expected, so if hit wrong, it could inflict a deeper wound than a de.
However, unlike before, the White Tiger Tower students'' senses had been sharply honed through rigorous training.
Not to mention the missions theypleted during the 1st-semester break...
"Burn!"
As the burning wooden sword brushed past, the insect crashed down.
"Hmph. Compared to that guy Wardanaz''s magic, you''re nothing."
"Hey. Do you have to say that?"
"So, sorry. I didn''t mean to."
"...No. I''m sorry."
Ango and his friends looked at each other passionately.
The close friendship formed while facing an evil great mage could not be destroyed by a trivial argument.
"ording to the map, it should be around here..."
"The ck Tortoise Tower guys didn''t trick us, right? Those guys have no conscience."
"No way. Even so, would they do that? Wardanaz also deals with them."
"...Even if they can''t trick Wardanaz out of fear, they can still y tricks on us, right?"
"..."
Ango suddenly started to feel suspicious of the forest map he was holding.
Thud!
"!"
The White Tiger Tower students were startled.
A heavy sound echoed from inside the forest.
"...What is it?"
"Be careful. Strength, dwell in me!"
"Sound, linger in my ears."
The White Tiger Tower students cast enhancement magic and raised their guard.
Although they were mocked by other tower students, saying ''If you''re going to fight with your body, why did you enter Einroguard instead of joining a knight order?'' the White Tiger Tower students also had areas they excelled in.
Especially for enhancement magic, which required a skilled sense of the body, their progress was faster than other tower students.
The magic they just cast was not as high-level asprehensive enhancement magic like , but even this much had a substantial effect.
...And the magic Wardanaz cast for them had too many side effects.
"I don''t see it..."
The White Tiger Tower students walked forward with tension.
It would have been a scene that Yi-Han would havemented if he saw it.
If a strange sound was heard and the identity of the enemy was not visible, one should explore in as many ways as possible and gather information, not just recklessly go in.
And that carelessness immediately paid the price.
Swish!
Thick branches shot up from the ground and grabbed the White Tiger Tower students'' ankles, lifting them upside down.
"!!!!"
"It''s a ghost tree!"
It was a monster where an evil spirit, instead of forming a spiritual body, merged with a tree.
The ''thud'' sound heard earlier must have been the sound of the tree waking up.
"Burn... Ugh!"
The White Tiger Tower student who tried to chant a spell dropped his staff from his hand.
The monster, instinctively sensing mana, suppressed him by applying force.
Ango, left alone, was in a dilemma.
''What I can do now is...''
Ango suddenly thought of Wardanaz.
What would Wardanaz have said if he were here?
-If you don''t have the ability to catch it alone, you should at least call for support, what are you doing?-
"My friends! If we wait, support will..."
"Ango! Save us quickly!"
"What are you doing! Attack!"
"...Ah, no. Support..."
"What are you saying! You''re going to leave us?!"
"...Damn it. I''ming!!"
Ango changed his mind and gripped his weapon tightly.
But he couldn''t help feeling ufortable in a corner of his heart.
¡ª
"Yi-Han. Then in a situation like now where there are no signs, what should we do?"
"Huh?"
Yi-Han looked at Dolgyu as if asking what he was talking about.
Dolgyu was slightly taken aback.
''Did I say something strange?''
"That... If what you said is true, didn''t Ango and his friends enter the forest first? I think we should quickly send a message and make theme out now. The professor might get angry, and above all, it''s not right to skip the lecture and search for them."
Dolgyu pondered the methods they could use now.
If it was a mage like Yi-Han, he could send a paper bird, or maybe tame a messenger pigeon and send it...
"I can''t do that?"
"You, you can''t? Then is there another way?"
"There isn''t."
"...There isn''t?"
Yi-Han nodded. Dolgyu was at a loss for words and just blinked.
"Dolgyu. I appreciate you highly evaluating me, but I''m not skilled in all magic. Now that there are no signs or ways to contact them, what we should do is something else."
"What...?"
"Insist that we don''t know even if those guys are discovered. In that sense, I''m at an advantage since I''m from the Blue Dragon Tower, but you two will have to cut ties quickly."
"..."
Dolgyu''s mouth gaped in absurdity, but Jijel agreed.
"That''s right. There''s no need to take joint responsibility for no reason."
"Dolgyu. The living must live. There''s no need to get points deducted for nothing, right?"
"Ah, no..."
"What are you all doing there?"
While they were talking, Professor Ingurdel, who had gone ahead, called the three of them. Yi-Han and Jijel immediately answered.
"We''reing now!"
"Come up quickly. Oh. Wardanaz. I received a message from the White Wood Knight Order and was very surprised. What did you do to receive such praise?"
"...I think it''s because the knights of the White Wood Knight Order were kind."
"I don''t think they had that kind of personality..."
Professor Ingurdel tilted his head.
Thwack!
"Ack!"
"!"
A student who was walking ahead screamed and tumbled.
A human-sized wooden puppet with a weapon had popped out from the side.
"Pro, Professor! There''s a strange guy here!"
"Ah. I prepared that for today''s lecture."
"...We, we''re surrounded!!!"
Another student btedly realized the situation and screamed.
He realized that Professor Ingurdel had not just set up one, but densely ced them around the forest.
"Don''t fight with strength, fight cleverly using the terrain. Fighting in the forest is different from fighting in an open space."
Professor Ingurdel gave advice to the students.
Fighting in a forest packed with bushes and branches, with slopes and rocks that could bind your feet at any time, was a fight against yourself.
Only a swordsman who could save stamina, calm down excitement, calmly grasp the surrounding terrain, and flexibly utilize the situation could fight for a long time in the forest...
"This way! Break through the encirclement!"
"Break through the side!"
"Scatter! Scatter!!"
Professor Ingurdel was taken aback for the first time in a long time at the sight of the students scattering in groups of three or five, trying to break through the encirclement and run away.
"Ah, no. If you all fight together..."
He had prepared for everyone to fight together in the forest, but they were trying to escape leaving their other friends behind?
Professor Ingurdel didn''t know that the students who had been dealt with by the skull principal had be ustomed to this situation.
When caught in an encirclement of unknown scale, the most strategic choice was not to fight together and get caught, but to scatter and survive as many as possible!
''Professor. I''m sorry.''
Yi-Han, of course, knew that principle, so as soon as the wooden puppets appeared, he was breaking through the encirclement at the shallowest point.
"Space, be perceived! Dolgyu. This way! Moradi! That side might be weak!"
"Is this the time to y tricks?!"
Jijel got angry. Yi-Han was ying useless tricks.
Who was he trying to use as bait now?
If caught, one should be a bit embarrassed, but Yi-Han didn''t even blink an eye.
He shouted at another White Tiger Tower student.
"I think that side is weak!"
"Thanks! Wardanaz... Ugh!"
"Let''s go!"
Yi-Han, who sent another student first to shake the encirclement, hurriedly ran out.
As the wooden puppets rushed in, Yi-Han drew his wooden sword and chanted a spell.
"Cold, dwell in me!"
The strength of cold magic was that even if you couldn''tnd a direct hit, you could still damage the opponent.
Frost swirled and stopped the wooden puppet''s feet.
Yi-Han thought it was enough for the open space ahead.
''I broke through!''
Although there were still many wooden puppets left, they were far away and many students had scattered.
If they suppressed the other students first, they wouldn''t chase after Yi-Han''s group...
"I underestimated you all. I should have thought of it as a real battle."
Professor Ingurdel''s serious voice was heard from behind.
Yi-Han suddenly became uneasy.
It was rare for things to go well when professors spoke seriously.
Swish!
With the sound of tearing a scroll, a powerful wave of mana spread out.
And the number of wooden puppets started to increase like crazy.
"Although it''s different from the n, a chase in the forest will also be a good experience. Everyone, try your best to avoid them!"
''Damn it.''
Yi-Han vowed that from now on, he must stop the students if they try to ignore the professor''s curriculum and act on their own.
"Turn into iron! O cloak!"
ng!
The cloak, turned into iron, blocked the wooden puppet''s attack and made a dull sound.
Five wooden puppets popped out at the same time and tried to beat Yi-Han. Yi-Han defended against the attacks with his cloak and rolled his feet. The footwork he learned from Arlong saved his life.
''Too many!''
He newly realized that numbers were a formidable weapon.
Seeing that the numbers were still increasing...
Yi-Han gritted his teeth and nced at Professor Ingurdel in the distance.
"Wardanaz, you can''t fight with magic other than enchantment or transformation magic!"
"...Tsk."
How did he know?
Yi-Han, who was trying to secretly use other magic, clicked his tongue.
Jijel twisted the wooden puppet''s legs with her dual swords, knocking it down, and shouted.
"Let''s scatter too!"
In a situation where the enemies had be several times more than before, it was a luxury for the three of them to stick together.
Yi-Han nodded and raised his hand. Jijel also raised her hand.
Dolgyu looked at the two in confusion.
Why were they raising their hands...?
"...I won! I won!!"
Jijel shouted with a highly excited face. It was the first time Dolgyu saw Jijel so happy.
"Damn it."
"...Did, did you just decide who gets to choose the direction to escape first...?"
"What. You didn''t know? It can''t be helped. Dolgyu, you choose first."
Yi-Han yielded the second turn.
Dolgyu had many things he wanted to say, but there was no time left now. He had no choice but to hurry and run out. Yi-Han, who was leftst, looked at the wooden puppets rushing from behind and took out an iron orb.
"Move!"
It wasn''t taken out to use in battle.
The method he thought of earlier but postponed.
Yi-Han ran towards the cliff with no path, grabbed the iron orb, and hung his body in the air.
Thud!
However, the wooden puppets were more persistent than expected.
They started jumping into the air together to grab Yi-Han.
''Which professor''s summons are these!?''
Yi-Han cursed inwardly and swung his staff.
Although it was a confusing situation, it wasn''t unexpected.
"Water..."
With the incantation, water quickly took shape and gathered from below.
Even in a desperate situation where he was holding the iron orb with one hand, supporting his body, and wooden puppets were jumping down in front of him, the incantation waspleted without wavering.
"...Unfold!"
Professor Ingurdel had no choice but to admire it honestly.
He wanted to see only swordsmanship, but how could he criticize a student who cleverly escaped like that?
Ssh!
Yi-Han, whonded on the water, rolled to the side and quickly took a stance.
The wooden puppets shattered as they fell behind, but he couldn''t let his guard down. They might resurrect.
''Quickly escape and go down...''
"Wardanaz!!"
"...What are you guys doing??"
Yi-Han was genuinely taken aback when he saw Ango and his friends hanging upside down.
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Chapter 395
Chapter 395
Ango and the White Tiger Tower students were too ashamed to answer right away.
However, Yi-Han immediately grasped the situation.
"You stupid fools were caught by a monster while skipping the lecture!"
"The, the lecture doesn''t matter..."
The White Tiger Tower students were perplexed because it seemed like Wardanaz was angrier about them skipping the lecture.
tter!
Suddenly, there was a sound of trees colliding behind them.
Yi-Han clicked his tongue.
The broken wooden puppets had split and new wooden puppets appeared.
''Which professor made these?!''
To be able to increase the numbers like this even after being destroyed.
As a fellow mage, he couldn''t help but admire the skill, but as a student taking the lecture, it was a persistence that made his teeth chatter.
Yi-Han took a deep breath.
There weren''t many options as long as the ghost tree was behind them.
''Finish it as quickly as possible and deal with the ghost tree!''
Thwack!
''Impressive!''
Ango admired while hanging upside down.
Although he had many problems with his personality, Wardanaz''s swordsmanship was undeniable.
Solid swordsmanship reminiscent of a walking fortress!
The Azure Rock Style that Wardanaz had mastered did not have many forms, nor were its variationsplex or peculiar.
Compared to all kinds ofplex and abstruse ascending swordsmanship, the Azure Rock Style seemed like a low-level swordsmanship at a nce.
However, conversely speaking, there had to be a good reason for the Azure Rock Style, which did not have many forms orplex variations, to gain fame in the empire.
Although it was a simple swing, there was nothing more powerful than that attack if it couldn''t be avoided once unleashed.
The simplest attack is the most powerful.
Only those who could achieve this easy but difficult style with patience and dedication could be called true swordsmen of the Azure Rock Style...
"What are you doing?!"
Ango shouted, forgetting that he was hanging.
While he was admiring, Yi-Han was using some strange trick.
Suddenly, the length of the wooden sword increased, and the wooden puppet flinched and retreated. It was fine up to that point, but seeing that there was no damage even when it hit...
That was a real trick that deceived the opponent with an illusion, not a real sword.
"Don''t talk to me. You''ll break my concentration."
"Ah, no... Why are you using such a technique..."
He was admiring the pure swordsmanship just now, but it was a bit of a letdown when he used a strange trick together.
He wanted to see the beautiful Azure Rock Style that was perfectly polished without a single gap...
Of course, Ango''s expectations meant nothing to Yi-Han. Yi-Han generously poured out the tricks he had recently learned and knocked down the wooden puppets.
The wooden puppets couldn''t react and crumbled at the sudden tricks that came out of nowhere.
''As expected, tricks are the best.''
Of course, using such sudden tricks against a truly outstanding swordsman would not only be ineffective but also a suicidal act...
In the first ce, Yi-Han had no intention of facing a truly outstanding swordsman.
If they were truly outstanding swordsmen, he should avoid them, what else!
"Wardanaz! Be careful!"
Before Ango''s shout ended, Yi-Han had already kicked off from his spot.
Branches shot up from under the spot where Yi-Han had been until just now. It was an attack from the ghost tree.
"Ho, how?!"
"Of course I was on guard."
Yi-Han said while dusting off the dirt.
Fortunately, thanks to quickly finishing off the wooden puppets, he didn''t end up in the worst situation of being attacked from both sides.
"With the magic... Wait. You guys didn''t use magic?"
"..."
"..."
magic was not only difficultpared to its circle, but it was not a magic that could be wasted like Yi-Han did.
Even if the White Tiger Tower students seeded, the duration would not easily exceed 10 seconds.
''For a moment, I almost cheered for the ghost tree.''
Swish!
An attack flying from behind.
Yi-Han dodged it by rolling his feet to the side as if he had already anticipated it. The ghost tree made a crying sound as if annoyed.
It realized that the surprise attack didn''t work on the opponent.
Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack-!
Branches swung like whips and attacks burst out again.
Yi-Han dodged while keeping his distance. The ghost tree made a mocking sound as he skillfully threw his body and rolled.
-¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡-
It seemed to be mocking a warrior with a sword who couldn''t even attack, let alone keep his distance.
Yi-Han was slightly taken aback by that mockery.
''Isn''t that guy misunderstanding something right now?''
Now was not the time for the ghost tree to be at ease.
Because...
"Burn."
More than a dozen mes bloomed in the air.
They were vicious mes, small in size but containing powerful mana.
He didn''t use long-range magic when dealing with the wooden puppets because it was Professor Ingurdel''s lecture, but the ghost tree didn''t fall into that category.
The moment he gained distance, he nned to immediately chant a spell and cast magic, but it was being leisurely.
Rather, the ghost tree should have rushed in and prevented Yi-Han from gaining distance.
-¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö!-
Realizing that btedly, the monster started to rush in a hurry.
But it was already toote.
The mes that Yi-Han had conjured up crackled with a fierce trajectory toward the exposed trunk of the ghost tree.
¡ª
Ssh!
Yi-Han poured a lump of water on the White Tiger Tower students.
He was worried that the fire that had spread to the ghost tree might ssh onto the students.
"Are you okay?"
"...There was no need to pour water on us."
The students, who had be like drowned rats, got up with a groan.
It was no ordinary dizziness after being hung upside down and swung back and forth like a pendulum.
"Is everyone alright?"
"!!!"
When they heard Professor Ingurdel''s voice from above, the students were startled.
"Why is the professor here?!"
"Wa, Wardanaz. Don''t tell me you... sold us out...?!"
"...You crazy fools. You were fooling around at the lecture site."
Yi-Han was dumbfounded.
After all the trouble of saving them...
"We, we have to run away!"
''They''re not entirely thoughtless.''
No matter how thoughtless Ango and his friends were, they at least knew that it wasn''t a good idea to face the professor when they had skipped the lecture.
"Forget it. Stay still."
"Why?! Do, don''t tell me you''re trying to sell us out..."
"...Shut up before I hit you."
In Yi-Han''s view, the White Tiger Tower students had fallen into such paranoia because of the skull principal.
He had dropped them into traps at night and made them run here and there...
"This is all a misunderstanding because of the principal."
"The principal? No, it has nothing to do with the principal..."
"Be quiet."
Ango wanted to say, ''We''re suspicious of you because of what you''ve done, not because of the skull principal,'' but he was at a loss for words.
"What is everyone doing?"
Professor Ingurdel, who hade down, looked at the situation and spoke with a puzzled face.
Yi-Han answered as if he felt sorry.
"Ango and his friends here were caught by a ghost tree. Because of this, they couldn''t even participate in the lecture, what a pity..."
"???"
"...Th, that''s right!"
Ango was the quickest to catch on. He btedly realized and matched his words.
"You were caught by a ghost tree? What were you all doing here?"
"We were practicing swordsmanship in the forest."
"Oh my..."
Professor Ingurdel''s expression was filled with emotion.
He knew that the White Tiger Tower students were sincere about swordsmanship, but to this extent.
"Everyone, stay after today''s lecture."
"Pardon?"
"You must be very frustrated now. I understand. I will help you not to lose to the ghost tree."
"..."
The White Tiger Tower students stared at Yi-Han, but Yi-Han ignored them and looked over the ghost tree to see if there was anything to salvage.
"Wardanaz..."
"Work hard."
"Our golem repair..."
"You can do that and this. Work hard."
Yi-Han patted Ango''s shoulder. However, the ungrateful Ango frowned.
"Wardanaz, you did well. You handled the wooden puppets well."
"Thank you."
"Oh. Wardanaz. About the White Wood Knight Order. They said they would visit the school once..."
"What??"
Yi-Han was startled.
The knights'' actions always surprised Yi-Han.
When you say ''let''s have a meal together sometime,'' the knights actually visit for a meal!
"Of course, they need permission, but..."
"It will be difficult, right?"
"...Fortunately, the principal also gave permission this time."
"What??"
"If they were a ragtag bunch, it would be one thing, but the White Wood Knight Order always makes generous donations. It seems to have worked out well."
Professor Ingurdel nodded his head as if his deduction was highly likely.
And this time, Yi-Han''s face frowned.
¡ª
"Why do we have to move this..."
"me your friends."
After the lecture ended and while Ango and his friends were receiving supplementary lessons, Yi-Han moved the lumber together with the White Tiger Tower students.
Ango had also whined and insisted, ''We finally found it, if we don''t take it now, we might not be able to get itter,'' but...
''If the golem is repaired, it might be useful.''
At first, it seemed too unlikely, so he didn''t pay much attention to it, but now that this many people had gathered, Yi-Han''s thoughts gradually changed.
If they had a golem of that level, how convenient would work be?
Now that Einroguard was giving him more and more tasks, that golem would be a reliable helper.
"Yi-Han. I heard about the warehouse. How about searching the warehouse more?"
Dolgyu asked while wiping the sweat from his forehead.
To obtain the materials needed for the golem, they had to search every corner of the school.
The warehouse, which was now piled with junk, might look like a garbage dump at a nce, but if they searched well, they might be able to salvage something good.
Originally, garbage and junk were not much different.
Yi-Han admired.
"Dolgyu. You bastard. Are you trying to take advantage of the White Tiger Tower students being deceived to quickly finish the chores we have to do at night? You''re a genius."
"...Ah, no! That''s not it?!"
"It''s a good idea. White Tiger Tower guys! Let''s go! There''s a ce to get more materials!"
Yi-Han shouted at the White Tiger Tower students who were putting down the lumber.
The White Tiger Tower students were fooled by the atmosphere and mindlessly followed Yi-Han.
Yi-Han was pleased to see that.
Whatever else, this loyal innocence was the strength of the White Tiger Tower students.
''It would be nice if we could finish everything before the weekend.''
If they could do that, he would be able to study leisurely on the weekends to catch up.
tter tter bang bang!
The White Tiger Tower students who had flocked to the warehouse took out the packages one by one, just likest week.
"How much of this garbage is there that there''s no end to it?"
"Oh. This is basalt, right? I think we can use it if we trim it?"
"That''s monster poop."
"..."
Thud-
"?"
Yi-Han felt something hit his foot and lowered his head.
A heavily rusted bronze handle was connected to the floor door.
"Wait, everyonee here for a moment."
"Wa, Wardanaz. We weren''t ying around!"
"...I''m not scolding you, soe quickly."
Yi-Han vowed to treat the White Tiger Tower students a little more gently.
"Have you seen this before?"
"...What?!?"
''They haven''t.''
From the reaction of the White Tiger Tower students, Yi-Han realized that this floor door leading underground had never been discovered before.
It must have been discovered as the mountain-like piles of junk were cleared away.
"Th, this... Wardanaz... Isn''t this that?? That???"
"What is it?"
Yi-Han asked with a bit of anticipation at the White Tiger Tower student''s reaction.
Did they know something by any chance?
"An underground passage created by the seniors that can escape outside...!"
"...It doesn''t seem like there would be an underground passage connecting the 2nd floor of Einroguard to outside the school walls."
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Chapter 396
Chapter 396
"But it''s Einroguard."
Yi-Han couldn''tpletely deny the White Tiger Tower student''s words.
Even if such a passage seemed structurally impossible, there was nothing absolute in Einroguard.
It was a ce where you could descend a few steps from the upper spire and end up in the basement of a vige outside the school.
It was filled with old magical legacies that even the skull principal found difficult to grasp...
"No. Even considering that, it can''t be."
After pondering, Yi-Han firmly denied it.
Of course, there was a possibility, but wasn''t that possibility like the possibility of Gainando ranking first in the year this time?
"Stop talking nonsense and move aside."
"Sob sob."
Tap tap tap-
Yi-Han carefully cast magic to check theposition, detected mana as much as possible, and tapped on the floor door to see if there were any mechanisms or traps inside.
''It doesn''t seem like there are any.''
Still, he wasn''t confident checking it alone, so Yi-Han called his friends.
"Anyone confident in detecting or disarming traps or mechanisms here?"
"..."
"..."
The White Tiger Tower students looked at Yi-Han with a perplexed face.
How could they be skilled in such techniques when they were from knight families?
However, Yi-Han mercilessly criticized them.
"No one?? What have you guys been doing without learning any skills?"
"No... We''re knights... Hey...!"
"Forget it. I''ll do it alone."
Yi-Han grumbled and checked the door again with the techniques he learned from Ratford.
How great would it have been if Ratford were here!
The White Tiger Tower students felt wronged, but they couldn''t even refute at the sight of Yi-Han checking.
Where did that guy learn that from?
"It doesn''t seem like there''s any... Alright. Let''s open it. Before that, let''s pick three of you."
"For what?"
"Three people to open the door together with me. The rest, just in case, stand by the door over there and if there''s a problem, immediately run out and escape."
"..."
10 minutester.
The three unluckily chosen ones (Ango, who had returned after finishing supplementary lessons and was wrongly chosen, was on the verge of tears) stood in front of the door with Yi-Han.
"Open!"
Thud thud thud-
With a heavy sound, the door opened upward.
As the dust cleared, thick enough to cause coughing, a dark staircase leading underground was revealed.
"Cough, cough... Es, escape route?"
"No way. You all have dark vision on, right? Let''s go in!"
Yi-Han, who had cast possible enhancement magic on his friends before opening, lowered his head and stepped forward.
No matter how much dark vision was cast, walking in the darkness was bound to be limited in vision and stuffy.
He wanted to turn on the light if he could, but Yi-Han endured.
Because he didn''t know what was inside.
"Potions, Wardanaz!"
"Quite a lot!"
After descending the stairs and walking a little along the passage, ss bottles swaying on the side shelf caught their eyes.
The White Tiger Tower students whispered in a happy voice, thinking they had found something.
However, Yi-Han shook his head.
"I don''t feel any mana. It''s alcohol."
"..."
"Isn''t that even better?"
"Shh. Wardanaz is right in front of us."
When one of the White Tiger Tower students spoke in puzzlement, the one next to him gave a hint.
No matter how much he liked alcohol, it wouldn''t be good to say ''Oh! It''s not a potion, it''s alcohol! I''m excited!'' in front of Wardanaz.
How ignorant and vulgar would he look?
"...Yeah. Alcohol is quite a good thing too. We can even exchange it with the ck Tortoise Tower."
"Th, that''s right? I thought so too."
Ango answered while hiding his drool.
Regardless of exchange, he was thinking of drinking his own share.
''Was it the seniors'' secret storage?''
Yi-Han was lost in thought as he looked at the alcohol on the shelves.
In Einroguard, new rooms appeared and disappeared every moment. It wasn''t strange for a room that had been used well for several years to suddenly fly to another ce.
Among these bottles of alcohol, there were some withbels bought from outside, but there were also some that anyone could see were homemade.
[Cursing the crazy skull as Iplete this alcohol here.]
[Does it make sense to fight each other over the midterm exam? I''ll report it to His Majesty the Emperor someday!]
[Junior who may one day find this empty bottle, be wary when outsiderse in! They are invited to trample on you!]
[If I don''t graduate next year, I won''tin even if I be an undead!]
''It seems like they worked hard to make it...''
Regardless of theints, Yi-Han wondered why the seniors left these bottles of alcohol.
Of course, it wouldn''t be easy to find them again, but seniors who had spent several years at a magic academy would have experienced the location changing more than once or twice.
There was no reason for skilled mages to just give up on this...
"Wa, Wa, Wa, Wardanaz."
When Ango''s frightened voice was heard from the side, Yi-Han immediately reacted.
He pointed his staff and finished preparing to chant a spell immediately, then turned his gaze.
''What is it?''
A huge statue was walking towards the party.
The statue, about twice the height of the gathered students, approached, barely grazing the ceiling of the passage.
Yi-Han hesitated whether to chant a spell at the opponent''s appearance, which didn''t feel any pressure or murderous intent at all.
The one who broke the hesitation first was the opponent.
-Wee, challengers.-
Suddenly, one of the White Tiger Tower students'' wooden swords teleported into the statue''s grasp.
Yi-Han was startled.
''Spatial magic so easily!?''
Among magic, the most notorious for its difficulty was space-time magic.
No matter how magically special Einroguard was, for a statue to cast spatial magic like that.
It was a sight that was hard to believe in reality.
"My... my sword!! Give me back my sword!!"
-This is the price of the challenge. Now, when shall we begin?-
The statue asked emotionlessly.
"...What are wepeting in?"
-What else? When mages meet, of course it''s magic.-
''Damn it.''
Yi-Han clicked his tongue.
If it wasn''t magic but something else, it would be fine, but if it was magic, it was a match of pure skill.
A mage who could snatch a wooden sword without even a reaction from the sword owner using spatial magic just now...
"Alright!"
"If it''s magic...!"
"...You crazy fools."
"?!"
The White Tiger Tower students, who were rejoicing and then got scolded, were very surprised.
Why?!
¡ª
"...So you were looking for useful things in the warehouse?"
Jijel, who arrivedte at the warehouse, frowned when she saw the White Tiger Tower students gathered.
Of course, she understood wanting to repair the golem, but no matter how she thought about it, this was...
''Isn''t Wardanaz making them do his work instead?''
"That''s not it. Moradi."
"...Why do you think that?"
"The priests are also doing this together. He couldn''t possibly use such a trick."
"...Oh... I see."
Jijel held back the curses that wereing out.
"So where did that Wardanaz go?"
"He went down to the underground here."
"...?!"
Before even hearing the exnation of the situation, someone came running up the stairs with a ttering sound.
The pale-faced White Tiger Tower students screamed.
"Wardanaz is dying!!"
"What?!?!"
"What kind of nonsense is that?!"
The waiting White Tiger Tower students were startled and rushed over.
"I''m not dying... You stupid fools..."
Yi-Han, who was carried on a stretcher made by his friends, muttered irritably.
As expected, the skill of the mage statue was truly amazing.
As soon as the duel began, it teleported a few pieces of rock right where Yi-Han was.
-No, the mana... It''s amazing!-
Of course, the direct teleportation was blocked by the great mana due to Yi-Han''s abnormal mana.
However, the strength of the statue was revealed after that.
Even though the magic was blocked, the attacks continued to flow like water without panic.
If direct teleportation was impossible, then indirectly!
Swish!
In an instant, pieces of rock appeared surrounding Yi-Han and rapidly pummeled him.
He tried to defend urgently with transformation magic, but the impact was inevitable.
Yi-Han tumbled down. The attack utilizing spatial magic was relentlessly wless.
-Since the leader has fallen, this challenge ends here. The room of knowledge cannot be entered so easily.-
"The room of knowledge??"
The students who heard the exnation were perplexed.
"What''s the room of knowledge?"
"I asked... They said it''s a ce where the things the seniors studied are umted."
"What? There''s such a thing?"
"Even if there is, it''s meaningless! We can''t go in there!"
Ango said in a trembling voice.
There was a strong pressure that only the students who directly faced the opponent could feel.
To think that Wardanaz was knocked out in one go.
"For now, let''s take Wardanaz to the healing room. We need to check just in case."
"Ye, yeah."
Dolgyu and Jijel grabbed Yi-Han''s shoulders on both sides. Jijel mindlessly supported him and then red at Dolgyu in disbelief. Dolgyu bowed his head as if begging her to look at him just once.
"Why am I..."
"What did you say? Moradi?! You''ll support Yi-Han! As expected, you''re an honorable knight!"
Dolgyu shouted loudly for everyone to hear.
Jijel opened her mouth wide in shock.
To think that Dolgyu would do something like Wardanaz!
"This crazy bi..."
"So, sorry. Honestly, those guys don''t seem trustworthy."
Before leaving while being supported, Yi-Han called Ango.
"Ango..."
"Sp, speak. Wardanaz! Should I close the door?? Do you have any orders?"
"No... Bring out the alcohol inside..."
"..."
¡ª
-He got hit quite hard.-
-Is... is it a dangerous condition?-
-No. He got hit well, so he''s not very injured. If he just recovers from the shock, he''ll get better soon.-
-Yi-Han! Did you hear? He must have protected his body with mana. To show such wit in that situation!-
-Dolgyu... I feel nauseous, so please speak quietly...
After resting for a few hours and recovering, Yi-Han shook his head and moved his steps to the ck Tortoise Tower.
''I let my guard down and got hit hard.''
In Einroguard, one should never let their guard down, but he got hit hard after a moment of carelessness.
He could guess what the situation was.
A few seniors found the room and used it as an alcohol storage and reading room, and then some crazy statue guy got mixed in as the school''s space was rearranged.
It was natural that the seniors couldn''t break through since it challenged anyone who approached to a duel.
Moreover, the level ofpletion of his magicbat skills was brutally high...
''I shouldn''t even think about going underground and should just repair the golem.''
If it were manageable, he would have tried to break through and see what the seniors left behind, but honestly, there was no answer to this.
"Wardanaz!"
Some familiar ck Tortoise Tower students who were sitting on the ck market chairs waved at Yi-Han when they saw him.
"We missed you. The market only bes active when there''s a big shot like you."
"Sorry. I''ll bring some goods from outside soon, so don''t worry."
"Hehe..."
"Hehehe."
The students exchanging evil conversations and nces looked just like seasoned smugglers.
"Instead, I brought something else today."
Yi-Han ced the alcohol that the White Tiger Tower students had taken out while getting hit in the underground room.
The ck Tortoise Tower students were surprised by that liquid of life.
"So much alcohol...?! Wardanaz, you... How did you get it?!"
"Why are you asking such a tacky question?"
"Heh... Heheh. I asked something unnecessary."
"You two, why are you talking so strangely...?"
Ratford, a real expert, was puzzled by the unnecessarily suspicious atmosphere.
They didn''t talk so suspiciously in the ck market.
They just had a friendly conversation, but...?
Yi-Han handed five bottles of alcohol to the ck Tortoise Tower students and received various supplies.
After finishing the negotiation while gauging the weight of the cheese wrapped in paper bags, Yi-Han nodded his head in satisfaction.
"This should be enough for a week."
"You''re exaggerating too much. Wardanaz. It''s enough tost a month. Oh. Did you know that the imperial alchemists havee?"
"...Who came?"
"The imperial alchemists havee? Some other friends saw them earlier."
"I see."
Suddenly, Yi-Han remembered the phrase he had seen in the underground room.
[Junior who may one day find this empty bottle, be wary when outsiderse in! They are invited to trample on you!]
"...No, it''s not even the midterm exam yet... It can''t be."
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Chapter 397
Chapter 397
However, ominous premonitions always turned out to be urate.
"That''s right? How did you know?"
"..."
Yi-Han, who had gone to ask Professor Uregor just in case, was dumbfounded.
If it were Professor Bagrak, he wouldn''t have been so surprised.
There was already a precedent in the 1st semester.
Even if it were Professor Ingurdel, he would have understood, but for even Professor Uregor to do this!
"Why are outsiders needed to learn alchemy?"
"Well, the world of alchemy is vast and endless... There is a need to learn not only the secret methods recorded in Einroguard but also the secret methods of other alchemists?"
Professor Uregor asked back as if asking why he was asking something so obvious.
Yi-Han had nothing to say to that answer.
''Well, that''s true.''
It was something he felt while working at the workshop during the vacation, but magic was endless in any field.
Just in alchemy alone, there were secret methods and manufacturing methods that Workshop A had professionally developed, and there were spells that only Guild B used.
If they could learn these, it was right to invite anyone from outside.
"I''m sorry, Professor. I think I had a prejudice because other evil people kept inviting outsiders and forcing them to duel."
Yi-Han apologized sincerely.
Then Uregor avoided his gaze with a slightly embarrassed expression.
"...Professor??"
"Uh... To say it in advance, I didn''t invite outsiders because I wanted to torment you like the principal."
"I said evil people, not the principal..."
"But to say it as a result, it is a duel."
"..."
When Yi-Han stared at him, Professor Uregor hurriedly continued.
"It''s not because I wanted to!"
"Yes, well... The principal also often says that..."
"Alchemists are entric! Do you think you can just learn secret methods without any price? Even if Einroguard''s name is high, that''s not it!"
In fact, not only alchemists but all mages were entric in their own way.
However, it was human nature to see the crazy people in one''s own field as the craziest.
The imperial alchemists that Uregor invited this time were not easy people who could be persuaded with money, honor, or even the skull principal''s threats.
The only way to obtain secret methods from them was to directly convince them with skill.
"In the end, it''s a duel, isn''t it?"
"That''s true, but strictly speaking, it''s a bit different from other professors..."
"But it still seems like a duel."
Professor Uregor cursed Yi-Han inwardly.
¡ª
Not long after, Professor Uregor announced the truth in the alchemy lecture.
-Inviting the alchemists from the Empire''s Paragranum Guild today will be a very precious opportunity for you all.-
-The Paragranum Guild!! Is it the guild that developed a cure for the blue blood disease 2 years ago?-
-That''s right.-
-It''s truly an honor!-
-Yes. It would be, right? So everyone, work hard and give them a blow.-
-Pardon?-
The students didn''t understand at first.
It wasn''t even the exam period, but they had to show something to the renowned alchemists of the empire and be recognized for their skills.
They had been diligently learning alchemy since the start of the 2nd semester, so what kind of bolt from the blue was this?
-Can''t we just take an exam?-
-You''ll take an exam during the midterms, so why already?-
-If we don''t get recognized, it won''t be included in the lecture evaluation, right?-
-How could that be?-
The students who chose the alchemy lecture had to walk out with a gloomy expression.
In fact, it wasn''t just the students taking the alchemy lecture who were gloomy. Students taking other lectures were simrly gloomy.
As the 2nd semester passed for more than 2 weeks, the professors slowly started to reveal their true colors and raise the difficulty level.
The majority of students denied it in disbelief, but the professors in the 1st semester had indeed kindly taught the new students in consideration of them.
"Who are you looking for?"
"Ah. Priest Nigisor."
Yi-Han looked around and waved when he spotted the fire spirit mixed-blood priest.
"I was thinking of asking the kids from the Blue Dragon Tower who are taking alchemy what they''re going to do. I talked for a bit and came out, but they already disappeared."
"Ah... The Blue Dragon Tower people went back earlier. I heard them say that if they stand, their stomachs will empty quickly, so they''ll go back and lie down."
"That''s a funny joke."
"?"
"...It wasn''t a joke¡ I should go to the dormitory."
Yi-Han thought he should stop by the Immortal Phoenix Tower to grab some snacks before visiting.
And Priest Nigisor followed Yi-Han closely.
"Uh, do you have something to say?"
"Ah. It''s my turn to act together this time."
"...Al, alright then."
Yi-Han packed his bags together with Priest Nigisor and headed to the Blue Dragon Tower.
During the walk, Priest Nigisor asked for help in creating mes that could burn the world, and Yi-Han ignored him, pretending not to hear.
¡ª
Asan Dargard was lying in the lounge, staring nkly at his friends and writing with a quill.
[Before I knew it, the third weekend of the 2nd semester was approaching. If I finish today''s assignment, I n to eat a piece of bread I had been saving.]
[At first, I thought it was the principal''s plot that the semester started without Wardanaz. I thought the principal couldn''t stand to see us livingfortably and y tricks.]
[But I didn''t know. When faced with cruel despair, one can discover their true self.]
[Now, the Blue Dragon Tower is filled with the intense passion and fighting spirit of a sharply honed life. Ah! The nobles of the empire will never know this true life¡]
In front, they were arguing over a single potato in a game of chess, but Asan pretended not to see.
[Perhaps this is the real li¡]
"Dargard. Yi-Han is calling."
"Why are you telling me that now?!"
Asan threw the book he was holding on the floor and ran out in a hurry.
The Blue Dragon Tower students taking alchemy had already gathered outside.
"Still, everyone taking alchemy looks a bit better."
Having talent in alchemy meant knowing how to find edible things among the nts spread around.
Even if the Blue Dragon Tower studentscked a bit of life skills, at least those taking alchemy were a little bett...
Thud!
As soon as he finished speaking, a student copsed to the side. Yonaire said indifferently.
"I guess he got dizzy."
"...Let''s all eat a little first and then talk."
Yi-Han cut the bread and spread jam and butter generously, then held it out to his friends.
Suddenly, the surroundings became quiet.
Not because magic was cast, but because everyone was too focused on eating.
Yi-Han felt a bit overwhelmed by that sight and asked Yonaire.
"Was it... this bad?"
"Everyone was quite hungry."
Fortunately, Yonaire didn''t look very abnormal except for looking tired.
In fact, being tired was the same for any Einroguard student who didn''t give up on studying.
"Even those taking alchemy?"
"Uh... um... well... Finding it directly is different."
Yonaire changed the subject, not wanting to criticize her friends'' skills, but Yi-Han understood right away.
"Don''t tell me you had servants gather the ingredients when you were at the mansion?!"
"...Ahem."
"Cough cough."
The surroundings were so quiet that Yi-Han''s shout sounded particrly loud. The students coughed as their throats choked up.
"I, I won''t use servants... Wardanaz... sorry..."
"...No. I''m sorry. Drink some milk."
Yi-Han poured a ss of milk. Looking to the side, the princess was staring at the jar of milk with an indescribably desperate look in her eyes.
"..."
Yi-Han poured some for the princess too. The other person''s face brightened up.
"Doesn¡¯t her followers give her food?"
"She¡¯s not Gainando, she¡¯s not someone who would take food from her followers."
"Oh my... It would have been morefortable if she was Gainando."
"Right."
The princess wanted to say something in response to Yi-Han and Yonaire''s whispers, but nothing came to mind, so she just endured and drank the milk.
"Priest Nigisor. Will you listen for a bit?"
"It''s alright. Rather, I want to pray."
"Pray?"
Yi-Han recalled the prayer of the Aphar Order.
As an order that worshipped fire, the priest''s prayer required fire.
"I was going to light a fire to prepare for alchemy anyway, so it''s perfect. Let''s prepare together. What should I do?"
At Yi-Han''s words, Priest Nigisor smiled brightly.
As one could tell from how he visited the temple during the vacation and helped with the order''s work, this genius from the Blue Dragon Tower was the person most suited for Aphar.
"Just do as I say in order. Now, first take out the charcoal powder..."
Although a mage''s staff alone could light a fire, the priests of the order did not do so.
Not only was it sincerity to prepare directly, but they could also control the intensity and nature of the mes in the preparation process.
Mixing charcoal powder and several metal powders, they piled it up on the ground, and Priest Nigisor lit it.
Then, mes emitting a different color than usual were born. Yi-Han admired it and called his friends.
"Isn''t this fire strange? The attribute of mana I feel..."
As he spoke, Yi-Han realized that all his Blue Dragon Tower friends were not paying any attention to him, busy eating bread, and he felt embarrassed.
"I, I''m watching with interest."
"Yonaire..."
Yi-Han almost shed tears.
Priest Nigisor, who had finished lighting the fire, asked.
"Would you like to offer a prayer?"
"Sure."
It wasn''t difficult, so Yi-Han stood in front.
When he offered mana and concentrated, it returned, transformed into holy power.
Originally, he should have asked Priest Nigisor about the holy magic of the Aphar Order, but this time he didn''t.
After failing a few times, he was convinced that holy magic wouldn''t seed so quickly.
However, at that moment, the holy power left Yi-Han''s control and started moving on its own.
In a way, it was simr to instinct.
Just as the hand reaches for the sword before thinking when facing an enemy spewing murderous intent, the holy power began to flow ahead of Yi-Han''s will.
''What...?!''
Before Yi-Han''s surprise ended, the holy power intertwined like warp and weft like magic and changed reality.
Pop!
The mes in front of Yi-Han suddenly turned white and rose fiercely. Seeing that, Priest Nigisor widened his eyes and shouted with joy.
"As expected!!! I knew it would be like that!"
"Don''t tell me this is..."
"That''s right!! Is everyone watching?"
Priest Nigisor was so excited that he trembled and turned his head.
He wanted to share this beautiful miracle with someone else.
"...Look! Look at this!!!"
"???"
The friends who were eating bread were startled when the priest suddenly shouted.
Why was he doing that?
"This miracle??"
"It''s... it''s fire, right?"
"It''s white fire!"
"Is it magic?"
"It''s not magic...!"
While Priest Nigisor was tapping his chest and trying to exin in frustration, Yi-Han stared at the mes with a dazed expression.
Unlike magic, even though holy magic had manifested, he had no idea how he had done it.
It was simr to throwing a stone and putting it perfectly into a crossed-out circle.
A sensory magic that was impossible to exin exactly how it was done, even though he had done it himself.
''Did the attribute of the mes change?''
Yi-Han felt a strange wave of mana from the white mes.
As mes with their attributes converted by holy magic, they were by no means ordinary.
"...Oh. Wait. Priest Nigisor. Are the mes changed by holy magic a bit easier to control?"
"I''ve never heard of such a thing?"
"Thanks..."
Yi-Han was bitter.
Honestly, he wanted the power to control the mes rather than the power to strengthen them.
As for strengthening, even now, it wasn''t really...
"Yi-Han. But is it okay to seed like this?"
When Yonaire asked, tilting his head, Yi-Han was puzzled.
"Why?"
"I thought you were deliberately failing."
"Can you deliberately fail? Besides, there''s no reason to do that."
"Well... I thought you were doing it because the other priests of the Immortal Phoenix Tower would feel left out if you seeded in just one."
"Haha. The priests aren''t that narrow-mind..."
Yi-Han''s face stiffened as he spoke.
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Chapter 398
Chapter 398
"...There''s no way."
"Didn''t you hesitate a bit just now?"
"It must be your imagination."
Yonaire tilted her head.
She was sure Yi-Han had hesitated, but?
"Priest Nigisor. By any chance..."
Yi-Han, who was trying to silence Nigisor, sighed when he saw the priest passionately shouting at the Blue Dragon Tower students.
Now that he was shouting like that, even if he silenced him, the other priests were bound to hear it.
"Do you understand???!"
The Blue Dragon Tower students, faced with Priest Nigisor''s zing eyes, were startled.
In fact, they still hadn''t fully grasped the situation because they were busy eating bread.
"Do you understand what I''m saying!"
"It seems like... an outstanding me magic..."
The princess hesitantly opened her mouth.
Although she didn''t know the identity of that magic, judging from the unique change in the nature of the mes, she guessed it was a difficult and tricky secret magic among elemental magic that was hard to master.
It wasn''t a magic that 1st years would learn, but it wouldn''t be surprising if Wardanaz learned it.
"It''s not me magic, it''s holy magic!! I''m saying it''s holy magic!!"
Priest Nigisor stomped his feet and felt wronged. The princess shrunk a little even though she hadn''t done anything wrong.
Asan asked, not understanding.
"But isn''t holy magic something only priests can use?"
"Many people think that way. But even if they''re not priests, sometimes there are people who awaken to holy magic. It''s possible because they are very devout believers."
"Oh. But Wardanaz isn''t particrly devout..."
Asan didn''t think Yi-Han was particrly deep in faith.
When they lived together in the dormitory, he didn''t diligently pray or show signs of faith.
Of course, he did periodically give meals to the Immortal Phoenix Tower priests, but that was the same for students from other towers...
"Ho, ho, ho, how can you say that...!"
Nigisor was literally foaming at the mouth with anger and trembling. Asan hurriedly shouted in surprise.
"No, no! Priest. Come to think of it, Wardanaz seems to have been devout! He gives meals to the priests every time!"
"??"
The princess, who was listening next to them, tilted her head.
"How is giving meals..."
"Everyone thinks that way!"
"Oh, oh! Of course!"
Only after the Blue Dragon Tower students nodded their heads did Priest Nigisor finally calm down. The princess didn''t understand, but she couldn''t help it because the topic had already passed.
"So... did everyone think about what to bring to the Paragranum Guild?"
"Paragranum Guild?"
"...What do you think we gathered for now?"
"Wasn''t it to give us sna, snacks?"
Yi-Han ignored the Blue Dragon Tower student whose intelligence had dropped due to hunger and continued.
The reason he had gathered his friends like this was to ovee the tricky challenge of being recognized by the imperial alchemists.
If they put their wisdom together, it would be several times better than doing it alone.
"To satisfy them, ordinary potions won''t do, right?"
"That''s true."
Asan answered.
"The alchemists of the Paragranum Guild are always thirsty for new manufacturing methods."
"Oh. Asan. Have you met them before?"
"No. I haven''t met them in person, but I remember when I was young, the alchemists there upied a capital building and went wild, saying they would burn it down if they didn''t support their research funds."
"...I, I see."
He ended up learning additional information about the other party that he didn''t particrly want to know.
"For now, let''s write down the potions we can make now, and also write down the potions we haven''t made yet but are worth trying. Then let''s discuss with each other."
At Yi-Han''s words, his friends nodded.
"What I''ve made are , ..."
"I''ve made . I think I can make it."
"You said it didn''t workst time, but you finally seeded?"
"Yeah. The magic I used when adding the powder was iplete."
The students, who were writing down in order, were puzzled when they saw what Yi-Han had written.
"Wardanaz. I think you wrote it wrong. Is it ?"
"That''s right. I learned it this vacation."
"..."
The student next to Yi-Han looked at him with a disgusted face.
What kind of crazy workshop would entrust the manufacturing of to a 1st year student?
''Shouldn''t we report this to His Majesty the Emperor?''
Once the list was organized to some extent, Yi-Han and his friends went over each one.
"How about trying to make a new recovery potion? I happen to have a few medicinal herbs I obtained, so if we experiment with them..."
"I''m thinking of challenging with enhancement potions. I''ve been practicing enhancement a lot these days."
There were two ways to develop a new potion.
One was the method of creating something from nothing.
It was a method of developing bybining unused ingredients and creating new magic in a novel way that had not existed before.
Of course, it was something that only the masters among masters could do after putting in a lot of effort for a long time, and a potion developed like this once became a textbook and guideline for countless alchemists.
The other was to delve into existing methods and improve them.
Instead of white spirit mushrooms, use male and female mushrooms.
Instead of kaltakal mucus, use a griffin''s broken beak.
Changing not only the ingredients but also checking by changing all kinds of factors such as the magic cast in the middle was something that countless alchemists in the empire were still doing.
The difficulty level was also much easier than the first method, and if wisdom and luck were on their side at the same time, they could achieve quite good results.
Of course, what the 1st year students were focusing on now was also the second method.
''It would be good to try to improve Dobruk''s potion.''
, which he had practiced to the point of being sick of it during this vacation.
Although the difficulty level was really high, itspletion was also great enough for Yi-Han to know.
If they could improve it even a little here, it would definitely be an outstanding achievement.
The ingredients were a bitplicated, but he could borrow them from Professor Uregor...
"Yi-Han. Yi-Han."
"?"
"How about making the potion you got from my sister?"
"Huh? Is that okay?"
Yi-Han was surprised.
The potion recipe he received from Yoanen was not an ordinary potion, but a potion she had personally developed.
"From the beginning when she gave it to you, she shouldn''t have anyints about you passing it on to anyone. And my sister isn''t that kind of person. She would have already forgotten after giving it."
"Really?"
"What does it matter? It''s okay if my sister loses a little."
Yonaire spoke as if telling her to get hurt for once. It sounded like she had a lot of built-up resentment.
"Did Yoanen do something wrong?"
"Not to me. She usually did a lot of wrong things to the friends I brought."
"Oh my... I was lucky."
"..."
Yonaire looked at Yi-Han as if looking at a crazy person and gave up trying to say something.
"Forget it, let''s just make the potion."
¡ª
White me.
That was what Priest Nigisor called the mes Yi-Han had summoned with holy magic.
"Please wait a moment. Among the holy magic recorded in the order, something simr... 41 years ago, green mes, had the property to absorb and condense poison, no, ah! Here it is. White mes, White me. The property to burn impure contamination and drive out negative energy. I think it might be these mes."
''Is it okay for me to learn dark magic too?''
For now, it wasn''t bad that they were mes of exorcism, but it was also true that he felt a bitplicated.
"I won''t be able to use it when making dark magic potions, but it will be quite useful in other situations."
"There are potions for dark magic too?"
Priest Nigisor''s innocent question without malice hurt Yi-Han''s heart.
"There are..."
"Ooh."
While the priest was surprised, Yi-Han shook his head bitterly.
"The priest who imparted wisdom to me when I was young knew how to use as many as three holy magics. If Wardanaz also diligently strives, you will be able to receive even more blessings."
"I doubt I can increase it more here."
"It''s sufficiently possible."
Priest Nigisor spoke with a gaze that sparkled with firm trust.
If it were another friend, he would have been moved, but Yi-Han felt a bit ufortable.
It was because he also felt a suspicious expectation of ''If it''s someone who can create mes with crazy firepower like you, you will definitely reach a higher level and be able to create mes that can burn the world''.
"Wa... Wa... Wardanaz''s Yi-Han...!!!"
A vulgar scream was heard from the side.
"Priestess Siana?"
"It''s... it''s unbelievable, right? Tell me it''s a lie. Did you really use the holy magic of the Aphar Order...???"
"It''s true!"
''Oh, this insensitive bastard.''
Yi-Han wanted to hit the back of Priest Nigisor''s head, who was shouting proudly.
Even when he should show a bit of an apologetic look!
"Priestess Siana. Just because I awakened to holy magic doesn''t mean my faith in the meng Order will disappe..."
"Just once!"
"??"
"Give me just one more chance!"
Priestess Siana''s reaction was different from what Yi-Han expected. The priestess was almost prostrating and ready to cling to his ankles.
"What chance?"
"Before you go back to the dormitory, just one more prayer...! You''ll be able to awaken to holy magic! Really!"
''Is the priests'' faith okay like this?''
To think that they would consider the holy magic close to a miracle as ''If we do a little more, it will work!'' like the skull principal''s education.
Next to them, Priest Nigisor spoke calmly.
"Holy magic doesn''t work by rushing it like that..."
"Be quiet for a bit. Just once! If I miss this turn, I''ll have to wait for a long time again!"
"I understand, so please calm down."
Yi-Han decided to pray before going in to appease Priestess Siana.
Priestess Siana looked around and kept watch as if worried that someone mighte and interfere.
"The one who sees through the essence of things and brings about their change, as I send my faith like this today, give that believer a clue to change..."
Pop!
"?!"
Yi-Han was startled and raised his head.
The holy power he had emitted moved again likest time, turning into warp and weft and weaving each other.
This is...?!
"Ah, no!"
Priest Nigisor, who was watching leisurely, shouted in surprise.
This was clearly a sign of awakening to holy magic.
If there was such a sign, he should have saved it and made him awaken to the holy magic of the Aphar Order, but to give it to another order!
"What do you mean no! Be quiet and stay still!"
"Priestess Siana?"
Yi-Han was startled by the brutal conversation and threw a question, but the reaction that came back was even more intense.
"Concentrate!! Please concentrate!!!"
"Al, alright then."
Regardless of Priestess Siana''s concern, the holy power safely turned into a miracle.
As the potion in the sk turned transparent, Priestess Siana pped and jumped up and down.
"I knew it would work! I knew it! It was the moment of awakening, but it passed because the turn was over!"
"I don''t think holy magic works like that...?"
As far as Yi-Han knew, holy magic wasn''t like a gambler''s facy.
It wasn''t a structure where the probability of sess gradually increased after failing several times, but a structure where faith and will had an influence...
But Priestess Siana didn''t listen to Yi-Han''s words. She was too excited.
"I''ll go to the dormitory for a bit!"
"Wait! Priestess Siana! Wait a minute!"
Yi-Han hurriedly stopped her, thinking that if she went to the dormitory, a dozen other priests would rush out saying ''Aha! Now''s the chance''.
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Chapter 399
Chapter 399
However, the excited Priestess Siana ran off without hearing him.
Not long after, priests from the Immortal Phoenix Tower started rushing out in a hurry.
"Is it true?!?!"
"Ah... what a pity! If only I had drawn the right lot, you would have definitely awakened to the holy magic of our order!"
"Ugh!"
Yi-Han was dumbfounded by the priests who no longer hid their true intentions.
Can they treat holy magic like that?
"Treating holy magic like that..."
"To me! Give me a chance this time! If we try today, it might work!"
At the priest''s words, Nigisor and Siana shook their heads and answered.
"Holy magic puts quite a strain on the body, and you''ve already cast it twice today."
"That''s right. Do it next time."
"...You''re saying that when you seeded!!"
"Ah, no... doing it in order..."
"Isn''t it like stealing the true glory that Wardanaz could have received!"
"What are you saying!"
The Immortal Phoenix Tower priests started arguing, raising their voices at each other.
Of course,pared to the Blue Dragon Tower or the White Tiger Tower, it was a much more gentle and polite argument, but the fact that the priests were arguing to that extent was quite shocking.
The skull principal, who was flying over from afar, thought the same.
¡°No...! How on earth!!!¡±
The skull principal, who had flown over without much thought and saw this unbelievably interesting scene, waspletely captivated.
¡°How on earth did you do it?¡±
"..."
Yi-Han inwardly cursed that if the skull principal wasn''t a great mage, he would have attacked him right away.
¡°Traditionally, the sheep of the Immortal Phoenix Tower never fought with each other no matter what they did! Wardanaz, I''m truly proud of you!¡±
He received a sincerepliment from the skull principal, but he wasn''t happy at all.
Yi-Han sighed and said,
"Why have youe?"
¡°Ogonin is waiting for you. It''s understandable that he''s waiting since you came several weekste.¡±
"Ah."
The illusion mage Ogonin was teaching Yi-Han illusion magic from a distance.
Since he came a few weekste after the start of the 2nd semester, he would have been waiting for quite a while.
"I''ll go now."
¡°Let''s watch them fight a little more before going. When will we see this again?¡±
"...Can''t you just stop them?"
Yi-Han said, unable to bear it.
However, the skull principal answered seriously.
¡°Fighting like that is good for those priests too.¡±
"Pardon?"
¡°Priests of the empire, even if their orders are different, often grow up being forced into simr vices. Devotion, sacrifice, patience¡¡±
"Not vices, but virtues..."
¡°Priests who are forced into these vices have their way of thinking and values hardened, making it difficult for them to think freely. I have always wanted the priests to break out of that shell and think beyond their world.¡±
"..."
Yi-Han was honestly impressed by the skull principal''s words.
Indeed, the priests of the empire had all lived in temples since childhood, knowing only the world of their order.
No matter how virtuous their faith was, growing up like that would inevitably harden their way of thinking.
¡°Why should they fight? To learn how to reconcile with each other. Not fighting may sound good at first, but it means enduring without revealing what each other wants. If they can''t even reveal what they want, how can they talk about faith? They need to learn to express their own will and sh with others in order to continue living as priests.¡±
"Principal..."
Yi-Han called the skull principal with a slightly watery voice.
He was truly moved for the first time...
¡°Grab the cor! Yes! I said grab the cor! Ah, since you''ve never fought before, your hands keep trembling! I said grab the cor! Grab it!¡±
"..."
''I was moved for nothing.''
Yi-Han immediately regretted it.
¡ª
-I''m sorry. I''ve been busy¡-
-Ah, no worries. You''re learning fast enough now.-
Ogonin was indeed benevolent.
When Yi-Han said he couldn''t practice illusion magic much because he was busy, Ogonin kindly answered that it was understandable.
-I''ll work harder.-
-...I''m telling you it''s already amazing that you''ve learned Light Fog! You just need to refine what you''ve learned! Don''t overdo it!!-
Yi-Han felt unnecessarily apologetic at Ogonin''s kind words.
If he worked hard when other professors grabbed his cor and attacked him for not learning, and half-heartedly learned when Ogonin kindly taught him, that wouldn''t be right.
What fault did the kind Ogonin have?
''I need to work harder.''
¡°It''s over. Good work.¡±
When the lecture ended, the morning star was already rising. Before he knew it, a week had passed and Saturday had already arrived.
''This is serious. I haven''t finished preparing for alchemy yet.''
"Thank you."
¡°What thanks? Ogonin is the one who taught. By the way, a lot of the smell has left your soul.¡±
The skull principal described the energy of the undead as if it were a foul odor, even though he was an undead himself.
¡°It''s not easy for it to leave this quickly... Did you do group prayers with the priests every day?¡±
"Something like that. I practiced holy magic."
¡°What? Such a waste?¡±
"...It''s not systematic andcks a bit of theory, but it''s not a waste, is it?"
Holy magic definitely had its uses.
The power to ovee through faith the much moreplicated and difficult path of realizing with magic.
Of course, to a great mage like the skull principal, it was an indifferent remark.
¡°That''s a waste... Wait a minute. Don''t tell me the priests were fighting earlier because of that?¡±
The skull principal was shocked.
He was curious about what he had done to make the priests fight, but if that Wardanaz had awakened to holy magic, it made sense.
It was bait on apletely different level from simple donations or visits.
¡°You awakened to it? Is that it?¡±
"Yes."
¡°Unbelievable! Were you that stupid?! No, if you were that stupid, you wouldn''t have been able to learn magic until now?¡±
"...Isn''t it too much to say that just because I awakened twice? I guess I was lucky."
¡°If holy magic could be awakened by luck, why would priests go through such hardships? It takes a level of fanaticism to the point of being relentless for even a slim possibility to arise. Huh? Twice?¡±
The skull principal, who was speaking, felt something off about Yi-Han''s number.
"By the way, Principal. I have a question."
¡°Now''s not the time to talk about something else, is it? Twice, you said?¡±
"I did it once, but I can do it twice too. Is that so important..."
¡°What are you saying when you don''t even have faith?¡±
The skull principal was truly surprised.
To awaken two holy magics.
He could understand why the priests were going crazy with enthusiasm. In their eyes, that Wardanaz''s faith would seem like the real deal among the real deals.
Come to think of it, there was no one as faithful and diligent as him, judging by his outward actions...
¡°It''s still unbelievable when I think about it again... Holy magic. And from the Wardanaz family at that.¡±
The priests from various orders were already very fond of Yi-Han, a descendant of the Wardanaz family, visiting the temples regrly and showing interest.
Among the renowned noble families of the empire, there was no family as indifferent to faith as the Wardanaz family.
But to awaken two of them.
If this became known, not only the Immortal Phoenix Tower priests but also the outside priests were likely to go crazy with enthusiasm.
At the very least, if Yi-Han had unwavering faith, he would say, ''Yes, your deep faith and stupidity seem to have brought about several holy magics,'' but no matter how much the skull principal thought about it, Yi-Han was far from that.
It was truly a mysterious thing.
¡°The evil energy of the undead realm will leave quickly. So what did you want to ask earlier?¡±
"Do you know about spatial magic?"
¡°I know. I can use it too. But no matter how outstanding you are, it''s impossible for you to learn it now. It''s physically impossible. Professor Garcia would say the same thing.¡±
"...I''m not saying I want to learn it."
Yi-Han was dumbfounded.
Why was the conversation flowing that way?
¡°It wasn''t? I thought you wanted to learn it.¡±
"Just because I ask about magic doesn''t mean I want to learn it all, does it?"
¡°Is there any other reason to ask?¡±
"Yes. There is. Why did you mention Professor Garcia?"
¡°It''s Professor Garcia''s main research field. So if you don''t want to learn it, why did you ask?¡±
"I was walking around the school and got beaten up and chased away by some enemy using spatial teleportation magic..."
The skull principalughed.
The skull principalughed loudly.
The skull principalughed until the principal''s office shook, the windows shattered, and finally,ughter resounded and shook the main building itself.
Only afterughing for a long time, as if a new world had been created, could the skull principal open his mouth with a joyful voice.
¡°Oh my! That''s unfortunate!¡±
"...Yes. Well, anyway."
Yi-Han wasn''t shaken by the skull principal''s ridicule. It was because he had no expectations for the other person from the beginning.
"Is there a way to deal with such a guy?"
¡°There is.¡±
"What is it?"
¡°Go to Professor Bagrak and ask for help.¡±
"..."
Yi-Han stared at the skull principal with a serious face.
At the fierce gaze, the skull principal exined as if frustrated.
¡°This time, I''m not teasing you.¡±
"Then earlier, you were teasing...?"
¡°Listen carefully. If you got beaten up to that extent, it must have been a guy who cast quickly without giving you a chance to react, right? With Einroguard''s mana, that level of casting speed is sufficiently possible.¡±
The skull principal evaluated Yi-Han''sbat power quite highly.
Thanks to enduring the teachings of that crazy vamp... no, Professor Bdi Bagrak and his innate mana, he had quite a few advantages over other outstanding mages when it came tobat power alone.
Combat wasn''t decided by who could use moreplicated and difficult magic. It was decided by who could stab a dagger into the opponent''s heart faster.
Wardanaz was specialized in thetter in both constitution and teachings, so it would be difficult to subdue him with ordinary spatial magic.
Whoever the opponent was, it must have been someone who overcame slow andplex casting.
"Yes."
¡°With the magic you currently have, it''s not easy to counter such a strategy.¡±
Originally, mages became stronger when given time to prepare, but this was an exception.
The power of spatial magic that had ovee the weakness of casting time was so tricky that even a mage like Yi-Han, who had learned all kinds of magic, found it difficult to counter.
No matter what strategy he prepared, it wouldn''t be easy.
¡°But there are always gaps. Even if magic seems wless, there are always gaps in the mage.¡±
No matter how wless the magic was, there were gaps in the mage.
The flow of mana shown before using spatial magic. The habit of choosing the location when casting spatial magic...
If he thoroughly analyzed these things and prepared, he could block one attack.
Moreover, since Yi-Han had an aptitude for all kinds of magic, this crude method had quite a possibility.
¡°You have an aptitude for divination magic too, so it''s fortunate. You''re lucky.¡±
"I understand, but... Why do I have to ask Professor Bagrak for help with that?"
¡°Well, to be familiar enough with spatial magic to defeat such a thing, you need someone who will continuously attack you, and there aren''t many people like that, right? Professor Garcia is too soft-hearted to do such a thing.¡±
Get continuously hit by Professor Bagrak to feel the signs of spatial magic to some extent and learn how to read the patterns (there was a high possibility of getting hit again in this process too), then go back underground and grasp the gaps of the statue.
Yi-Han was impressed by this wise advice.
And he made a decision.
''I just shouldn''t go to the underground room.''
¡°Should I tell him for you if you''re embarrassed?¡±
"Haha. It''s alright."
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Chapter 400
Chapter 400
Yi-Han tly refused.
"I think it''s a privilege that you keep doing me such favors, Principal."
¡°...Are you drunk by any chance?¡±
Ignoring the skull principal''s absurd rebuke, Yi-Han threw another question.
"By the way, Principal. Do you know a lot about the Paragranum Guild?"
''He refuses the privilege, but...'' The skull principal asked back in a dumbfounded voice at Yi-Han''s brazen question right after what he had just said,
¡°I do know a lot. But why should I tell you?¡±
"Aren''t the Immortal Phoenix Tower priests fighting because of me? Answer me as a reward."
¡°...You piece of trash! I give up.¡±
The skull principal was honestly impressed.
Such shamelessness.
¡°What do you want to know?¡±
"I''m worried if I can pass the test of those people invited by the Professor."
¡°They are quite picky fellows.¡±
The skull principal acknowledged.
The alchemists of the Paragranum Guild were so stubborn that their test criteria were bound to be quite strict.
It would be difficult to pass with a mediocre level ofpletion.
¡°But as I said earlier, even if magic has no gaps, there are gaps in the mage.¡±
"?"
¡°You don''t understand. I''m saying to impress those alchemists in other ways.¡±
"...Uh, like dropping them in ake and then saving them?"
For a moment, the skull principal almost reflected on his educational policy.
''No. That must be because of the other professors.''
Having quickly finished rationalizing, the skull principal answered.
¡°Not such a crazy method... but soft and gentle methods. Like how you impressed the other students.¡±
"...Oh, by any chance..."
Before Yi-Han could ask, ''You mean impress them by hitting them with a wooden sword and then saving their life?'', the skull principal quickly said,
¡°Not the White Tiger Tower, but the Immortal Phoenix Tower!¡±
"Aha¡ But is it okay to do it that way? We should do it fair and square with alchemy..."
¡°What nonsense are you talking about? How can a 1st year beat an alchemist from Paragranum in a fair way? It''s a victory if you extract the secret method by any means necessary.¡±
"..."
¡ª
''Did I bring them for nothing?''
Professor Uregor thought while having a meal with the alchemists.
Come to think of it, there weren''t only Paragranum among the empire''s alchemist guilds.
Wouldn''t it have been better to have guilds that didn''t have a history of upying a capital building and trying to set it on fire?
"Ahem. They are all outstanding students."
"Yes. The students of Einroguard are indeed remarkable."
The alchemists of Paragranum brought their forks to the ceviche dish with sauce, frowned, and pushed the bowl aside.
However, Professor Uregor was too distracted by the evaluation of the potions made by the students to notice it.
"Re, really?"
"Yes. There are no residues, and the colors are neatly separated. It''s a well-made potion."
"Then there will be students who pass?"
"No, there won''t be."
"..."
''Did I really bring them for nothing?''
Professor Uregor made a displeased expression.
In front of the students, he sternly said, ''If you do well, you will be able to satisfy the alchemists from that guild!'', but from a professor''s perspective, it was natural to favor the students'' side.
If the students achieved some results, it would save face as a professor and make him proud, but if the students were all eliminated, he would inevitably get upset, wouldn''t he?
However, the alchemists of Paragranum were stricter than expected.
"If they made it this well, you should acknowledge..."
"No. Professor, you know the rules of our guild well. Only those who create a new potion can enter."
''You crazy bastards, that''s your guild''s entry requirement...!''
Hearing that they were testing 1st year students with the actual guild entry requirements made him dizzy.
"Then what about this potion? Hasn''t it been improved quite well?"
"It''s an excellent potion, but changing silver grass to dewdrop flowers is too... ordinary. It seems tock a spark."
"..."
Knock knock knock-
"Professor?"
"Come in."
When a student taking the alchemy lecture knocked on the door, Professor Uregor hurriedly put away the potions and answered.
"I prepared the potion as you said... Ah, were you having a meal?"
"No. Since you brought it, let me see it."
Professor Uregor took the potion the student held out.
It seemed to be based on the Night Mist Potion with twoponents changed, but unfortunately, it was a bit obvious.
Changing a specific ingredient to an ingredient with simr properties was something anyone could do.
Still, it''s quite well made...
"It''s not good."
"This will be difficult to pass."
"It''s impossible."
"...I''m sorry!! I''ll make it again!!"
"Wa, wait! Wait a minute!"
When the student shouted and turned around to run out, Professor Uregor tried to stop him somehow.
But the student was already far away.
"...From now on, tell me first."
"Yes. I will do that."
The most frustrating thing was that the alchemists of Paragranum didn''t feel anything strange about what had just happened.
The alchemists only talked about alchemy among themselves, whether the student ran out or not.
"So using a new ingredient there..."
"I think it''s better to redesign it from the beginning."
"It would be an inefficient method, so why..."
"Ahem. Ahem."
"Ah. Are you trying to give advice?"
"...Not that, don''t you have any advice for the student who just came?"
The alchemists were lost in thought for a moment.
And they spoke in unison.
"Make it again ande back?"
"...Forget it."
Even after that, students who made potions came one by one and were eliminated.
When the visits suddenly stopped, Professor Uregor realized that the rumor had spread.
''Ugh...''
It was understandable that the students were scared and didn''te.
But if it continued like this, the students would suffer a big blow to their pride, and Professor Uregor''s own pride would also...
Knock knock knock-
"Are you there?"
"!!!"
At Yi-Han''s voice, Professor Uregor''s eyes widened.
The most reliable card had arrived.
"Is it Wardanaz!"
"...Yes? It is, but why..."
"Come in! Come in!"
Professor Uregor personally opened the door.
At the sudden wee, Yi-Han gave a very wary look.
Just as raines when swallows fly low, when a professor acts kindly, something bad happens.
"Here, the top student in the alchemy lecture!"
"Oh."
"Indeed."
"Amazing."
"..."
The alchemists of the Paragranum Guild were very clumsy at pretending to be interested.
Yi-Han thought inwardly.
''Even Gainando would show more interest when hearing the test content than that.''
"...Forget it. Take out the potion you brought."
"Pardon? I didn''t bring it."
"What?"
Professor Uregor was startled.
"Why didn''t you bring it?"
"I didn''te to submit a potion, but to help you with your work, Professor."
To be precise, it was closer toing to figure out the alchemists of Paragranum, but Yi-Han said that out of consideration for the professor.
Professor Uregor was touched.
No matter what, there was no other student like Yi-Han.
What other student would actively think of the professor ande to find him like this?
"You...!"
"Were you having a meal?"
"Meal... I don''t know if I even ate anything. Those alchemists over there are draining people''s energy."
"Then why did you invite them?"
"Don''t say annoying things that are true."
Yi-Han, who entered the workshop with Professor Uregor, looked around the table where the alchemists were sitting.
It seemed they had barely touched the meal and only talked about alchemy. Surprisingly, it was a sight often seen among professors, so Yi-Han wasn''t surprised.
"Shall I prepare something?"
"Forget it. Don''t do that."
"It''s alright."
"No. Really, don''t do that. I don''t want to feed those guys anything more. If they''re hungry, they''ll ask to bring something from the kitchen."
"..."
At Professor Uregor''s narrow-minded words, Yi-Han was impressed.
No matter what, inviting them and then acting like that. It was something an ordinary person couldn''t do.
"But what''s that?"
Professor Uregor asked, looking at the luggage Yi-Han was holding.
"Ah. I tried making meatless meatloaf with friends from the ck Tortoise Tower. I was going to give it to friends from the Blue Dragon Tower on the way..."
If meatloaf was a dish made by mixing meat and various ingredients to increase the quantity and then baking it well into a lump, the Einroguard-style meatloaf was a dish made by removing the meat and baking the remaining ingredients.
Outside, the Blue Dragon Tower students would say, ''Is this even food?'', but inside, they would say, ''So this is food'' and devour it.
"If you really want to serve something, you can serve that."
"Pardon? I don''t want to."
"I''ll let you take as many ingredients as you want when you leave."
"Feel free to use it."
Yi-Han held it out without hesitation.
Professor Uregor, who said it himself, was dumbfounded and asked back.
"...Is it okay to ignore the effort and heart put into making it together?"
"Professor, do you think about such things one by one when making potions?"
"Whoever taught you did a really good job."
Professor Uregor grumbled and took out the meatless meatloaf, cut it, and held it out.
"It seems like everyone ate too little, so have this while talking."
"Thank you."
''Isn''t this cursing?''
Yi-Han was slightly worried inwardly.
If people who had been eating delicious food outside came and ate this, they might react, ''Is Einroguard looking down on us?''
"!"
As Yi-Han worried, the alchemists showed a surprised reaction. Yi-Han whispered in a low voice.
"Then why did you serve something like this?"
"It''s very interesting."
"...?"
"????"
Yi-Han and Professor Uregor looked at each other at the unexpected reaction.
The alchemists continued, showing interest.
"To deliberately put in ingredients that are rarely used. It''s a new attempt."
"It''s much more interesting than the previous dish."
"...??"
Yi-Han tried a bit of the ceviche dish left on the side.
Professor Uregor was an outstanding alchemist, which meant he was also an outstanding brewer and chef.
The ceviche, made with a perfect process without sparing ingredients, was fresh and refreshing. It was iparable to the fake meatloaf.
"...?????"
''Is their tongue broken?''
"Is there a reason for choosing these ingredients?"
"Uh... yes. Well, the professor taught me that an alchemist should always make new attempts even when making food."
The alchemists of Paragranum let out low exmations and looked at Professor Uregor and Yi-Han.
And Professor Uregor also looked at Yi-Han as if dumbfounded.
"But is it really delicious?"
"Food is not eaten for taste, but to take in nutrients."
"It''s not about enjoying the taste, but enjoying the new attempts contained within it."
''I made food for those kinds of guys.''
Professor Uregormented.
He regretted not just pouring beer into a boot and giving it to them as a new dish.
"If it''s not rude, may I ask the student''s family and name?"
"I am Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
"Yi-Han!"
The alchemists showed a surprised look.
Yi-Han thought they were surprised to hear the name of the Wardanaz family.
''Do they have a connection with the Wardanaz family?''
"I heard a lot of praise about you from Yoanen Maykin. Didn''t you work at her workshop two months ago?"
"...I did, but..."
"It''s amazing to meet you like this. I wanted to see you after hearing what Yoanen Maykin said."
"...What on earth did she say?"
''Honestly, I''m curious too.''
Professor Uregor thought that while listening from the side.
What on earth did this guy do during the vacation?
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Chapter 401
Chapter 401
"Come to think of it, that''s not what''s important right now."
"Then what''s important..."
Professor Uregor, who was about to listen, grumbled dissatisfiedly.
He wanted to hear from his student''s mouth exactly what he had done.
"When we had a conversation with Yoanen Maykin, she said this: ¡®What if we tried manufacturing with his help?¡¯ But I didn''t know you were a 1st year student."
"Is that so?"
"Of course it is."
Professor Uregor grumbled.
What kind of guy would think he was a 1st year student just by hearing that?
"Will you help?"
"Of course."
Yi-Han hade to tter anyway. There was no reason to refuse.
"Professor, may I borrow the workshop for a moment?"
"Do as you please."
The alchemists bowed their heads with a very grateful expression.
And they got up from their seats with Yi-Han and headed to the workshop.
"...?!"
Professor Uregor realized btedly.
''Isn''t that learning the secret method!?''
Just like that, as if water was flowing?!
¡ª
"But I don''t have much experience in alchemy."
"Is that so? I thought you had a lot of experience since you said you worked at Yoanen Maykin''s workshop."
"About half a year..."
At Yi-Han''s answer, the alchemists of Paragranum looked at Yi-Han with a shocked expression as if they had heard something unbelievable.
When the alchemists, who had shown no particr change in emotion until now, did this, Yi-Han felt a bit of pressure and said,
"...I think it was a bit longer than that."
"As expected? How much longer?"
"About 1 more month?"
"..."
The alchemists suddenly started whispering among themselves. Yi-Han suddenly regretted saying something unnecessary.
"Yi-Han. Are you interested in the Paragranum Guild by any chance?"
Fortunately, the alchemists made a pure proposal without saying anything else. Yi-Han answered with relief.
"I have always respected the Paragranum Guild. Isn''t it the guild among the empire''s alchemist guilds that is always dedicated to new discoveries? I still remember when they developed a cure for the blue blood disease two years ago."
"That''s an overestimation."
The alchemists were not the type to be swayed by a few suchpliments, but they took the fact that Yi-Han had goodwill towards the Paragranum Guild quite highly.
If he had goodwill towards the guild, there was a high possibility that he would try to join after graduation.
"However, it''s hard to deny that our guild has a few advantages that other alchemist guilds don''t have."
"Is that so?"
Yi-Han suddenly became interested.
Isn''t the evaluation of those working inside more urate than the rumors heard outside?
What advantages did these alchemists think of?
The alchemists of Paragranum spoke with a faint sense of pride.
"First of all, once we start a research, we don''t stop with excuses like rest."
"...?"
Yi-Han felt something strange, but the alchemists continued.
"And dangerous research that other guilds don''t do is conducted in our guild."
"Oh... By any chance, is thepensation the alchemists receive also less than other guilds?"
"You know that as well? That''s right. Instead of unnecessarily taking gold coins, we can use them for research."
"It''s really a great guild."
"Indeed."
After the conversation ended, Yi-Han nodded with a smile.
And he thought inwardly.
''I shouldn''t even go near the Paragranum Guild building.''
It was a crazier guild than he thought.
"So what kind of potion is ? I don''t remember hearing about it..."
If it was a potion released to the public, there was a high possibility that Yi-Han would have heard the name, but strangely, it was a name he heard for the first time.
"Since it has never been released, of course you haven''t heard of it."
"I see... Wait. Then isn''t it a secret method?"
Yi-Han was startled.
If it''s a potion that hasn''t been released outside, it''s a guild''s secret, but is it okay to reveal it like this?
"Yes. That''s right."
"Is it okay for me to know?"
"Isn''t it necessary for research?"
The alchemists looked at Yi-Han as if saying, ''Why are you asking such an obvious question?''
Yi-Han had to feel like he had be a strange person.
''Hmm. I should have brought Professor Uregor.''
"...I understand."
"I knew you would. is a kind of invisibility potion."
"An invisibility... potion?"
Yi-Han was amazed.
Invisibility-type potions were quite limited in their effects.
''Other than the principles of transformation magic or enchantment magic, is there more? Improvement is possible, but...''
Although the method and principle could be changed and the duration or effect could be increased, it was quite a trivial potion for the Paragranum Guild to research.
"Yes. But it will be a bit different from what you think. What we want to hide is not the form or shape, but a specific energy."
"!"
The energy emitted by an existence.
It could be the pressure from mana, the energy of attributes emitted by spirits, or the killing intent emitted by knights.
Cutting off only this specific energy was an idea he had never thought of.
"Is that possible?"
"Theoretically, it''s somewhatpleted. All that''s left is experimentation. There are two things we want help from you, Yi-Han. One is mana. We heard that you inject an abnormal level of mana when magically processing ingredients."
"...I wouldn''t say it''s an abnormal level..."
Yi-Han muttered, but the alchemists ignored it.
"Originally, it''s not a methodmonly used in alchemy."
Alchemy was a discipline of thorough calction without a single error.
If the calction was urate, there was no reason to over-inject mana at an abnormal level like Yi-Han.
Moreover, if done that way, the alchemist might copse before the potion waspleted.
"However, the case is a bit different with this time. We expect that over-injection of mana mightplete the effect of this potion."
"I see... Wait. What''s the other thing if there are two?"
"We heard that you emit an overwhelming pressure from mana and scare spirits, so we want to erase that pressure when the potion ispleted. Will you allow it?"
Among various energies, the energy sensed by sensitive beings like spirits was the most difficult to hide.
If the potion sessfully worked on someone who scared spirits, this potion was practically a sess.
"...I don''t mind, but where did you hear that?"
"Yoanen Maykin told us."
''Yoanen!''
Yi-Han inwardly called out to Yonaire''s sister.
Why did she have to say such a thing...
¡ª
"Again." "Again." "Again." "But you have a lot of mana." "Again." "Again." "Again." "Again." "Again."
Professor Uregor, who came to watch, was impressed by Yi-Han''s patience.
In the old days when Professor Uregor was learning, if taught this way, five out of ten would give up, three would run away, one would punch the master in the face, and one would endure to the end.
And Yi-Han belonged to thest case.
Even though the alchemists of the Paragranum Guild shouted ''again'' like crazy, Yi-Han measured the ingredients, waved his staff, and adjusted the intensity of the fire without any change in expression.
"Is everyone doing well?"
"Yes. Thanks to Yi-Han''s outstanding talent. Wait a minute. Please do it again."
Professor Uregor nced at Yi-Han. Fortunately, he wasn''t clenching his fists.
Since he had heard about Yi-Han''s swordsmanship skills from Professor Ingurdel, Professor Uregor couldn''t help but be concerned.
"Still, it''s the weekend, so wouldn''t it be better to rest a bit?"
Although he told the students to work hard and learn, Professor Uregor also had a conscience.
He couldn''t help but pity the student who stood in front of the cauldron for about 12 hours without rest, listening to ''again'' and repeating.
"Professor, do you know one of the things Yi-Han highly values about the Paragranum Guild?"
"...Uh... Setting fire to the capital?"
"No. He highly values that once research starts, it doesn''t stop with excuses like rest."
"..."
Professor Uregor could see Yi-Han, who had been stirring thedle with a nk face, clenching his fist for the first time.
...He won''t get hit, right?
"Ah, I see. I did try to warn him. You know that, right? I definitely tried."
"??"
The alchemists, who didn''t know who Professor Uregor was talking to, tilted their heads.
It was at that moment.
"Ahhh!!"
When one of the alchemists screamed, Professor Uregor hurriedly turned his head.
He was worried that Yi-Han, unable to endure it, had pushed the alchemist into the cauldron. It was something that used to happen often in the old days.
However, fortunately, it wasn''t such an ident. Silver smoke was rising from inside the cauldron.
"Is itpleted?"
"Yes! Finally!"
As an outstanding alchemist, Professor Uregor felt with his intuition that the potion in front of him waspleted.
He hadn''t figured out what kind of potion it was yet, but this was something to celebrate.
"Congrattions. You worked so hard."
"No. It would have been difficult toplete with our strength alone."
"I can''t believe over-injecting mana to this extent was the answer. Everyone will be surprised to hear it. Don''t you think so, Yi-Han?"
It was natural for the alchemists to be surprised.
The potion kept failing just beforepletion, but the answer was to crazily increase the mana put into the magic on the ingredients.
Not just at a normal level, but injecting it to the point of thinking, ''Do I really need to pour this much mana?'' was the hidden answer.
"It seems you''re tired from consuming too much mana."
"I don''t think that''s the case...?"
Professor Uregor denied it, but Yi-Han didn''t say anything. He just stood there quietly with a tired face.
''I am tired.''
It was impossible not to get tired after repeating the manufacturing of a potion with an incredibly long process without rest.
No matter how much the alchemists helped with their best efforts, the burden was bound to umte.
But still, it was definitely a good opportunity. Yi-Han could understand why Professor Uregor invited external alchemists.
''From the way they handle ingredients to the magic they use. It was different from Einroguard''s method.''
Just watching other alchemists work made him feel like his boundaries of thought were expanding.
If he remade some of the potion recipes Yi-Han already knew by mixing in a few of the Paragranum Guild''s secrets, he would probably get a slightly better result than now.
This might be why guilds kept their know-how strictly as secrets.
''Yes. Since I learned this, I should definitely be grateful...''
"Yi-Han. Are you alright?"
"Yes."
"What about your mana?"
"Yes."
"I told you so."
Professor Uregor retorted as if to show him.
"Then we will call a spirit and proceed with testing the potion."
"..."
While Yi-Han was at a loss for words, the alchemists made a decision among themselves and headed outside.
It was to call a spirit in a wide space and have it face Yi-Han.
Left alone, Professor Uregor made an excuse again without realizing it.
"...I will never call the alchemists from the Paragranum Guild next time."
"No. Please call them as much as possible."
"Really?"
"Yes. How can I take away the opportunity for juniors to learn?"
"..."
In Professor Uregor''s ears, for some reason, ''learn'' sounded like ''suffer''.
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Chapter 402
Chapter 402
"It will take some time."
When the alchemists from the Paragranum Guild who returned said that, Professor Uregor asked back as if asking what they were talking about.
"What... are you trying to summon that it takes so long?"
"Based on the calctions after hearing from Yoanen Maykin, we thought that even if the overwhelming pressure is reduced, the lower spirits might just get crushed."
"It''s not to that extent. ...Probably."
Yi-Han timidly refuted.
He had never seen a spirit get crushed in front of him until now.
"Since it will take time, it''s better to check something else first."
"Something else?"
"Please wait a moment."
One of the alchemists got up and went outside.
Yi-Han and Professor Uregor looked at each other.
What are they doing?
"What is it?"
"Who knows...? I don''t know either..."
After a few minutes passed, the alchemist returned with Professor Bdi.
"This person said he will help with the verification. Thank you again."
"It''s something I should do as a professor."
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han and Professor Uregormented at the same time.
Out of the many professors at the academy, why on earth!
¡ª
When a mage cast magic, it always left traces.
The moment they wove mana with their will to change reality, mana was emitted around the mage.
The mana emitted like this remained to some extent even after the magic ended, and sharp mages could catch such traces.
And one of the goals the alchemists of Paragranum wanted to achieve with this potion was to hide such emission of mana.
"It will be useful inbat."
Professor Bdi revealed a rare faint satisfaction in his voice. Yi-Han felt fear.
"Why such a potion?"
"There are rare nts and animals that are affected when they sense the lingering effects of magic. This potion will be of great help when dealing with such nts and animals."
"Also when training disciples."
Professor Bdi added from the side, but the alchemists didn''t understand.
''This is driving me crazy.''
Until now, there were roughly three ways Yi-Han could detect when Professor Bdi was about to attack.
Emission of mana, killing intent, and visible movements.
However, in the case of killing intent, Professor Bdi not only skillfully controlled it but also used it for deception, so Yi-Han, whocked experience, was at a disadvantage.
He was barely grasping it with the emission of mana and visible movements, but now one of them was disappearing.
Thwack!
When Professor Bdi, who drank a sip of the potion, swung his staff, Yi-Han barely blocked it. Fortunately, he was concentrating, so it was several times more difficult than usual.
Professor Bdi seemed to feel it too, as he nodded and requested.
"I want to receive a few bottles of this potion."
"We will send them to you when they arepleted."
"..."
Yi-Han thought he should secure some for himself too.
He didn''t know when he would have to fight with profess... no, other people.
What he felt while fighting with Professor Bdi was that it was quite difficult to aim for the gaps of skilledbat mages.
''Normal surprise attacks don''t work instead.''
If it was normal, there was no way an invisibility magic and surprise attack wouldn''t work.
However, it was different forbat mages.
Since the method of using invisibility magic for surprise attacks was so well known, everyone had one or two countermeasures.
To pierce the weakness of abat mage, a creative method that could surpass the opponent''s ideas was needed.
could be one such method.
If an opponent who was revealing their presence right in front suddenlyunched a surprise attack without any signs, even a skilledbat mage would be flustered.
"The spirit is ready!"
"Finally?"
Yi-Han grumbled while rubbing his sore arm.
If it had been summoned a little faster, there would have been no need to call Professor Bdi.
"Now, this way..."
When he opened the door and went out, a refreshing breeze shook Yi-Han''s face and passed by.
Looking at the empty air, the form of a spirit in the shape of a bird wavered. Anyone could tell it was a spirit of the wind.
"Ah. If we be friends, is it possible to make a contract?"
Yi-Han asked with a brightened face.
The spirit Yi-Han could currently call was Ferkuntra, who was known for having poor cost-effectiveness in Einroguard.
Once called, it couldn''t be called again for a while, so it was often the case that he couldn''t call it when he really needed it, like an ultimate skill.
And even if called, it was questionable whether it could really be of help.
But that wind spirit looked really useful.
If he had such a spirit right away, he could have asked it to find the White Tiger Tower guys when they disappearedst time...
p p!
As soon as Yi-Han came out, the wind spirit suddenly pped its wings like crazy and returned to the spirit world.
"..."
"..."
An awkward silence fell.
The one who broke that silence was Professor Bdi.
"It couldn''t deceive the eyes of the spirit."
"We will try to improve it further!"
The alchemists spoke with enthusiasm.
Such failure did not hurt the alchemists at all.
New discoveries were only possible with hundreds of failures.
Rather, small trials just beforepletion like now were only something to be grateful for. It could further increase thepleteness.
"..."
Of course, it was inevitable that it would hurt a student.
¡ª
Although it was the weekend, Yi-Han studied outside instead of returning to the tower.
In the garden in front of the main building, many 1st year students could be seen ying in groups of three or five.
"Wardanaz. Is it okay not to stop by the Immortal Phoenix Tower?"
"Don''t ask stupid questions. It''s obvious who Yi-Han considers as real friends. Right?"
Gainando answered on his behalf, feeling proud.
''It''s because I feel sorry for watching the priests fight.''
Right now, the priests of the Immortal Phoenix Tower were sitting in the lounge like a conve, determined to settle it.
-The next holy magic will be from our order¡-
-No! We should respect the will of the person involved the most! Since he''s learning enchantment magic, it should be our order!-
-Since he''s learning divination magic, isn''t it our order?-
-I heard he''s trying to raise a Basilisk, so our order¡-
Seeing that, even Yi-Han couldn''t help but feel burdened.
If it was just luck that he awakened the holy magic of the two orders by chance, and he couldn''t awaken it the next time...
The priests wouldn''t show it, but they would be very sad inside, wouldn''t they?
"I don''t want to go back to the tower right now."
"Right?! See, see!"
"But Gainando. Are you doing your assignments properly? Open the book."
"I... I didn''t bring it out."
"Go and bring it."
Gainando walked towards the tower with his head drooping and muttering. The Blue Dragon Tower friends hurriedly opened their books and lowered their gazes.
Of course, there were people who didn''t do that.
In the case of the princess, she was staring intently at the open book regardless of whether Gainando walked or not.
"Why is she doing that? Does she have overdue assignments?"
"Ah. Because of the alchemists from Paragranum."
"We simply cut ties, but it seems the princess pointed out a few areas for improvement and sent it back to them."
Yi-Han had already passed, but the other students hadn''t.
Most of the students gave up on the merciless evaluation, but some of them received specific points and were clinging to it.
''Wait a minute. Did those guys, who are like Professor Bdi, exin properly?''
In Yi-Han''s view, the alchemists of the Paragranum Guild were the alchemist version of Professor Bdi.
Wouldn''t they be Professor Bdi if those people became a bit more proactive and aggressive?
[...It''s a good idea, but there are still many unresolved issues in the details. It would be better to supplement a way topletely conceal the energy. The method written here cannot conceal the energy. If youe back with a way to conceal the energy¡]
"..."
Yi-Han was shocked to see the potion the princess was researching.
Surprisingly, she was researching a potion simr to !
Of course, there were many gaps due to the difference in skills, but it was sufficiently amazing to havepleted it to that extent.
Yi-Han carefully asked.
"Did the alchemists not say anything strange?"
"??"
The princess, who was concentrating, didn''t notice Yi-Han''s call at first, but btedly realized and was flustered.
"What are you... talking about?"
''They didn''t say anything at all.''
Given the alchemists'' personality, there was no way they would advise, ''Actually, we arepleting this all right now, so try this and that.''
But at the very least, couldn''t they say, ''Currently, this has too many parts to fill and is too difficult for a 1st year student toplete, so how about trying a different potion?''
Even Professor Uregor would show that much consideration.
But they just said nothing and went, ''Oh, keep trying.''
''They really are less fierce Professor Bdis.''
Yi-Han felt sorry for the princess''s continued suffering, so he casually said.
"Didn''t the alchemists seem a bit strange?"
"...?"
The princess tilted her head.
Honestly, all mages were strange. Compared to the professors here, the alchemists weren''t particrly strange.
''I asked the wrong question.''
Yi-Han regretted it.
The other person was also an Einroguard student, so they probably wouldn''t have been particrly strange.
"Like the alchemists seem to know too well about this potion..."
"They did answer right away...?"
The princess stared nkly at Yi-Han, not knowing what he was trying to say.
It seemed like he was trying to say something, but she couldn''t quite grasp it.
"Doesn''t that remind you of something?"
"...Ah. The alchemists of Paragranum are skilled? So... since they have a high probability of receiving the potion supply project for the capital''s knights that the alchemy guilds in the capital are trying to get... the power structure of the future capital''s alchemy guilds could be shaken!"
The princess looked at Yi-Han with an admiring gaze.
Yi-Han had a lot to say, but he held back and answered.
"...That''s also correct, but just try adding water lily, golden pheasant flower, and white rose quartz here."
Yi-Han, who became toozy to speak indirectly, just told her the ingredients needed right now.
It was a part of the manufacturing method for .
"!!!!"
The princess looked at Yi-Han with several times more surprise than before.
Toe up with the manufacturing method just by reading it once.
It was a sh of inspiration just like the alchemists of Paragranum.
The realm of innate talent that she couldn''t even dare to follow with her own skills!
"How on earth..."
"Friends! The professor is calling! Let''s go!"
When someone suddenly ran over and shouted, the Blue Dragon Tower friends threw their books and jumped up.
The students from other towers next to them also hurriedly gathered their belongings and started running.
Yi-Han, who hadn''t fully grasped the situation yet, ran along and asked.
"What? What''s the situation?"
"To help the professor prepare for the lecture!"
"...Do you all voluntarily run like this for that?"
"He''s giving us food!"
"Ah..."
Yi-Han was impressed by the sight of the Blue Dragon Tower friends running without exception.
If it were during the 1st semester, they would have lounged around saying, ''What, we have a lot of food anyway...'', but seeing them like this made him feel proud for no reason.
"Should I just stay in a different tower in the 2nd year too?"
"?!?!?"
The princess, who heard Yi-Han''s muttering alone next to him, turned pale and waved her hand.
¡ª
The one who called the students was Professor Bungaegor.
"From here to here, dig a ditch and a path, and dig very deep here. Dig it so that even if somethinges out, it can''t escape from inside."
"Yes! Professor!"
Seeing his friends smiling brightly, Yi-Han was shocked.
"You guys, do you know what this preparation means... No. Forget it."
Yi-Han decided to keep it to himself.
What''s the point of finding out that a terrifying thing will appear in next week''s lecture?
"Professor Millei will also use it, so you have to dig well."
"..."
Even the Summoning Magic lecture?
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Chapter 403
Chapter 403
''What on earth are they trying to summon by doing this?''
Yi-Han felt uneasy looking at the spot Professor Bungaegor had instructed.
Dig the ground deep in the shape of a jar.
Doesn''t it mean that something fitting this size wille out at the very least?
"Wardanaz?"
"Yes."
"Supervise your friends'' work a bit."
"...Professor. I''m also a 1st year..."
Yi-Han protested, but Professor Bungaegor didn''t listen.
"We''ll bring it, so don''t touch it. No matter what soundes from inside, never open it. Got it?"
"Do you have to put such a thing here?"
Professor Bungaegor ignored him again.
¡ª
"Huff, huff..."
"Hey. Don''t y around."
"I''m out of mana!"
"Who told you to waste magic like that? At least move your hands."
"This guy..."
Thendscaping work instructed by Professor Bungaegor wasn''t difficult, but the workload was considerable.
They had to create new paths for beasts to roam on the field and dig deep pits without knowing what would go in.
Unless they were skilled mages, it wasmon for 1st year students to run out of mana beforepleting it all.
Of course, running out of mana didn''t mean they could rest. The ck Tortoise Tower students urged their friends.
"Pick up the shovel quickly!"
"I''m a knight, so if I pick up a shovel, my honor..."
"Whether you''re a knight or not, if you don''t pick up the shovel, I''ll report to the professor."
"I''m a noble, so if I pick up a shovel, my honor..."
"Hey, Wardanaz! These guys are talking nonsense!"
"Ah, no! No! Don''t call Wardanaz!"
The only one who could continue using magic was Yi-Han, but there was a limit to the amount he could do alone.
"Dig, dig, dig..."
"Wardanaz."
"?"
When a few White Tiger Tower students called Yi-Han, he stopped his staff and responded.
"What is it?"
"Isn''t this the moment?"
"...What moment? Stop talking nonsense and work."
Yi-Han was wary, thinking the other person was trying to avoid work somehow.
Then the White Tiger Tower students protested with a very resentful face.
"The golem, the golem!"
"Ah. That ?"
"Shh!!"
The White Tiger Tower students weren''t as brave as Yi-Han. They hurriedly stopped Yi-Han''s words and looked around trembling.
''These guys are too cowardly for knights.''
"We''re going to change that name first. Anyway, that thing... it''s quiteplete now. If you just allow it, we can call it."
Ango and his friends poured their passion into repairing the golem day and night.
They even ignored other lectures to repair it.
"...Couldn''t you have done it while attending lectures?"
"Wardanaz. What''s important in life? It''s not lectures, but true wisdom..."
"Usually those who say such things don''t have true wisdom either. Anyway, I got it. If it''s repaired enough to move, you can bring it."
Indeed, if they had the golem now, the work would be finished much faster.
Not only for night shifts, but if it could be used for such tasks, it would be very useful in the future too.
"Knowing you would say that, we''re bringing it now!"
"Do you want to get hit?"
"Ah... no... look at the workload. At this rate, it will be difficult to finish today."
The White Tiger Tower students muttered, avoiding eye contact.
"Wardanaz! We''re here!"
Ango was pulling the golem on a wide cart with his White Tiger Tower friends, sweating profusely.
Come to think of it, Yi-Han wondered how they would bring it, but they seemed to haveid a te on the ground and attached wheels.
"Did you all speak well to Wardanaz?"
"Uh? Uh-huh."
"Mmm. Of course."
When Ango, who returned, asked, his friends stammered. However, Ango didn''t notice that and asked vigorously.
"Alright. Then. Wardanaz! Activate the golem!"
"...Me?"
"...Uh, uh? Th, then who else would do it?"
At Ango''s innocent question, Yi-Han was about to ask, ''You know I''m also a 1st year, right?'' but stopped.
It was a meaningless question.
"I''ve only read about handling golems in books."
"That should be enough for you, right?"
"...Hey. Come here."
"Wh, why?"
Ango seemed to sense something ominous in Yi-Han''s voice and slowly stepped back. It was different from Gainando''s sense.
''Where was the core when it brokest time? Was it this side?''
Golem.
This artificial summon created by mages was used by mages of various schools.
Not only summoning mages but also dark mages imed, ''We handle golems well,'' so there were more than dozens of ways to operate this golem.
Among them, the mostmon point was...
''Infuse mana into the core.''
Usually, a sleeping golem would wake up when mana was infused into the core.
Some golems had to recite a specific spell or recognize their master to wake up, but seeing that it performed cleaning on its ownst time, this golem didn''t have such restrictions.
Pat!
Even though quite a bit of mana was infused into the core, there was no change.
Yi-Han didn''t know, but the golem''s core was old and damaged, so mana leakage was quite severe.
The repair materials for the core were overwhelmingly rarepared to other materials, and the White Tiger Tower students first repaired the rtively easy-to-obtain arms and legs of the golem.
As a result, even when consuming mana, more than half of it leaked out.
An ordinary mage would think, ''There''s something wrong with the golem. I should repair the core,'' but...
Paaaaaat!
-Golem, activated. Executingmand.-
"It''s done, it''s done!!"
"It''s done!!!"
Yi-Han just forcefully injected mana.
''Do golems originally consume this much mana? It''s not normal.''
Yi-Han was amazed to see the golem''s glowing eyes.
Looking at what other mages used, there should be a certain level ofmon sense no matter how much mana it consumed...
Is this how it originally is?
"What can you do?"
Yi-Han asked about the possiblemands for the golem. A golem couldn''t do more than themands a mage had pre-programmed.
-I was born to eliminate all the chores in Einroguard.-
"Oh my!"
"What a remarkable...!"
The White Tiger Tower students, who had diligently gathered and rebuilt the golem''s limbs, shed tears as if feeling a new emotion.
Other tower students who came after hearing the sound were also amazed at the golem''s appearance.
"The White Tiger Tower guys made this? How on earth??"
"I heard Wardanaz made it."
"Ah. Then that makes sense."
"Wardanaz didn''t make it!! He just helped repair it!!"
"Ah. Stop it. You ugly guys. What could you have been in charge of for that golem? At most, you were probably in charge of painting."
While his friends were fighting, Yi-Han concentrated.
A golem wasn''t a smart spirit that would handle themand well on its own once given.
If given themand ''Dig the ground to make a pond,'' a person would dig appropriately, but in the case of a golem, it might keep digging until the end of the world.
Yi-Han gave amand along with the subtle sensation of being connected to the golem he had infused mana into.
"Dig the pit over here."
-Understood.-
"...Ahhh! Aaaaah!"
A White Tiger Tower student who was standing absentmindedly screamed and rolled to the side when the golem suddenly tried to hit and pass him.
Yi-Han apologized.
"Sorry."
"So... sorry is enough?! Wardanaz!"
"Then will you control it?"
At Yi-Han''s question, the other friends immediately poured out rebukes.
"Wardanaz can make mistakes too, you jerk!"
"Do you know that if Wardanaz doesn''t control that golem, we have to stay here until tonight? If you want to curse, curse after we return to the dormitory!"
''I can hear everything...''
Yi-Han concentrated and gave anothermand to the golem.
Fortunately, without idents like before, the golem slowly started digging the pit.
"Huh? Where did the goleme from?"
Professor Bungaegor, who returned, was surprised to see the golem working.
No matter how she thought about it, it wasn''t a summon that 1st year students could make.
"Wardanaz..."
"Aha. Did Wardanaz make it? You''re really talented too."
"...We repaired it."
"Ah."
Professor Bungaegor was embarrassed.
Hearing it now, she felt a bit strange for thinking a 1st year student made it.
Why did she think that?
"Controlling a golem isn''t as easy as you think, but you''re givingmands well."
Yi-Han answered while focusing to concentrate.
"It''s possible... because they''re rtively simple tasks."
"Well, that''s true."
Thud!
Professor Bungaegor swung her staff. Then, cages covered with cloth were stacked up behind her.
¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö...
When a cry that was difficult to identify as any beast echoed from inside, Yi-Han was very concerned.
''What the hell is it?''
"Ahem. Are you currently controlling the golem?"
"Ah. Professor Mortum."
Professor Bungaegor stopped her work and politely greeted him.
"Professor Bungaegor... Ahem, are you controlling the golem now, Wardanaz?"
"That''s right."
Professor Mortum''s eyes sparkled upon hearing the answer. Yi-Han became anxious about what misunderstanding the professor was having.
"Wardanaz. You already controlled a golem with dark magic...! Ahem, remarkable! I understand why Professor Garcia was trying to kill me! Leaving behind such a student..."
"Pardon? Who''s trying to kill...?"
Yi-Han tried to ask back in disbelief, but Professor Mortum continued to chatter in an excited voice.
"Seeing this, Direth will be really happy. Direth is also a golem''s..."
"Oh... Professor Millei."
Professor Bungaegor flinched when she saw Professor Millei, who came to check thendscaping.
For some reason, she felt that the two professors shouldn''t be left together.
The old professor, who was walking, noticed the golem that stood out from afar and was surprised, thenposed herself and calmly asked.
"Wardanaz. Did you seed in summoning a golem with summoning magic? Amazing."
"Uh..."
Yi-Han nced at Professor Mortum next to him.
Professor Mortum''s eyes were shaking with desperation.
Those eyes were begging him to say that he did it with dark magic, not summoning magic.
"It would be fine to show this at the summoning mages'' festival next week."
Unable to watch any longer, Professor Bungaegor loudly cleared her throat.
Then Professor Millei was surprised and turned her gaze, noticing Professor Mortum''s presence.
"Ah. Perhaps with dark magic?"
"It was repaired. Both of you. I mean repaired."
"..."
"..."
The dark magic professor and the summoning magic professor were very embarrassed.
"Ah... well."
"Indeed, that must be it."
The embarrassed professors nodded and gave Yi-Han a few words of encouragement.
What to be mindful of when controlling a golem, what materials are advantageous for mana efficiency (Professor Mortum seemed to want to nitpick Professor Millei''s words but endured it), how to givemands...
After the two professors left, Professor Bungaegor said to Yi-Han.
"...You worked hard. Really."
"Professor."
"What is it?"
"Are outsidersing again next week by any chance?"
The summoning mages'' festival mentioned by Professor Millei somehow seemed like it would be held inside Einroguard, so there was an edge in Yi-Han''s voice.
There was no reason to be angry when thinking about the festival the priests woulde and hold, but Yi-Han had a conviction that it wouldn''t be like that.
Why would magese for no reason!
"...Are you angry by any chance?"
"No? Why would I be angry? What do you mean?"
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Chapter 404
Chapter 404
No matter how she looked at it, Yi-Han seemed angry, but Professor Bungaegor was different from Professor Uregor.
The experience of an adventurer who had traveled from one end of the empire to the other and gone through all sorts of trials and tribtions was bound to be on a different level.
If you ask an angry person, "Are you really not angry?" even the anger that was about to subside would re up.
Professor Bungaegor skillfully changed the subject.
"They''ll probablye."
"The summoning mages?"
"Wait a moment..."
Professor Bungaegor calcted while folding her fingers.
Seeing that, Yi-Han was shocked.
Counting them meant that at least two teams or more would visit!
''Those trashy bastards!''
Unlike the priests who came to do good deeds, the mages'' visits had very impure intentions.
Wouldn''t theye to check the students'' skills and steal their magic?
Even the demons of hell wouldn''t be this heartless.
"Are they visiting to see the students'' magic?"
"Probably?"
"How can people do that?"
"...Huh?"
Professor Bungaegor was slightly flustered by Yi-Han''s anger.
Why is he getting angry about this?
"Anyway, next week will be the summoning mages. And don''t worry too much. They''re not crazy... no, skilled ones like the Paragranum Guild. There will be quite a few mages whose skills are inferior to yours."
The summoning mages'' festival next week, , was a festival and a gathering tomemorate Boltzmann, the great ancient summoning mage.
Festivals where only mages gathered were a bit different from the empire''s general festivals.
It was a ce where mages who usually had no chance to meet each other showed their magic, received evaluations, and exchanged techniques.
However, if they wanted to be serious, they could put their pride on the line, but if they wanted to enjoy it lightly, they could enjoy it as much as they wanted.
Thanks to that, surprisingly many mages with inferior skills participated.
Einroguard''s 1st year students were treated as ironheads within the school, but it was a ce that gathered the empire''s top talents and inherited the empire''s best legitimate magic lineage.
Among the mages who were self-taught outside or exploited under entric mages, there were many cases where their skills were inferior to 1st year students.
Since such mages would also participate in the festival, a situation like the Paragranum Guild wouldn''t happen...
"When theye from outside, won''t they bring anything? The priests always brought us food."
"...Just finish your work."
"Yes."
Yi-Han increased the work speed while controlling the golem.
Even while grumbling, his appearance of bing more and more skilled at controlling made even Professor Bungaegor admire him.
''But what is he muttering?''
When Yi-Han muttered on top of the golem, Professor Bungaegor became curious.
Was he gaining insight from the parts the professors advised earlier and reciting additional spells?
When Professor Bungaegor focused on hearing it more clearly, what she heard was:
"Summoning mages. If theye, I won''t let them off easily."
"..."
Professor Bungaegor was shocked to see Yi-Han skillfully controlling the golem while saying other things when he should be focusing on controlling it.
¡ª
Returning to the tower after finishing the hardbor, there was a subtle silence in the lounge.
It was different from a tense silence. It was an atmosphere of reflection somehow.
Yi-Han asked Priestess Tijiling in puzzlement.
"Did something happen?"
"Everyone is reflecting."
"!"
The priests who rarely fought and shouted at each other.
But as expected, the priests were different from other tower students.
After continuing a heated discussion, they decided to understand, consider, and respect each other''s positions.
Hearing that exnation, Yi-Han was moved.
''Even the skull principal''s poison doesn''t work on the priests!''
In fact, the priests'' fight this time had nothing to do with the skull principal, but Yi-Han thought so.
"Then can I now ask about the orders with peace of mind?"
"Pardon?"
Priestess Tijiling stared nkly at Yi-Han as if asking what he was talking about.
"...No? Uh... since they reflected, now faith is a personal freedom...?"
"No. This time, everyone judged that the dissatisfaction arose from deciding the order by leaving it to luck. So we changed the method."
"...To what?"
"We decided that the winner would have the right to rmend faith to Wardanaz."
"..."
Yi-Han turned his head and looked at the priests.
Looking closely, the priests who he thought were just being silent were gathered in groups of three or five and devising strategies.
-Of all things, had to be thepetition subject.-
-Don''t worry. We have a priest from the Ciseners Order, don''t we?-
-I had never been interested in other orders before, but I was impressed by the Ciseners Order''s abilities.-
-Haha, I''m just embarrassed¡-
"???"
-Even if the Ciseners Order is over there, we don''t care.-
-That''s right! Let''s share information and discuss how to beat them.-
-Our order¡-
"..."
In apetition with many participants, the possibility of winning with one''s own strength alone was low.
Clever ones would gather and cooperate even if the reward was reduced a bit.
The priests gathered with those who had the same beliefs or whose orders had simr tendencies and were actively devising strategies.
It was a sight that anyone could see the skull principal would like.
"...What have I done?"
"Pardon?"
At Yi-Han''s words, Priestess Tijiling tilted her head.
Priestess Tijiling didn''t think the current situation was bad.
Weren''t the priests, who usually focused only on their own tasks, talking with other priests and having discussions about faith?
The priests themselves were enjoying conversation topics they wouldn''t have had normally and getting to know each other.
"I need to go in and rest... Thanks. Priestess Tijiling. See you tomorrow."
When Yi-Han went upstairs with a gloomy face, the other priests stopped talking and asked.
"Wardanaz''s face seemed dark. Is it just my feeling?"
"I heard from the Blue Dragon Tower people earlier that the White Tiger Tower people kept bothering them while working..."
"What an unfortunate thing. I will go to the White Tiger Tower people next time and make a request."
"I should go together. But who did you hear it from?"
"Gainando told me."
"I''ll have to remember that."
The next day, the angry White Tiger Tower students threw a ball made of crumpled paper at Gainando as soon as they found him.
¡ª
"Like any magic, precision is a special virtue in summoning magic. Excellent summoning mages must be able to control any situation. The great summoning mage Boltzmann said this: ''The easiest summoning magic seeded by calction is more valuable than the most difficult summoning magic seeded by chance.'' As such..."
Professor Millei, who was talking about how to further develop the summoning magic covered in the 1st semester, raised her eyebrows at the distracted atmosphere.
"Does anyone have something to say? Student Raphael. Speak up."
Raphael, a dark magic major who disliked dark magic, was flustered when he was called as a representative.
When Yi-Han''s eyes met Raphael''s, he advised in a small voice.
-Tell her honestly.-
Given Professor Millei''s personality, if he admitted his mistake, she wouldn''t torment him like the skull principal and would let it go cleanly.
"Th, they were talking about whether the summoning mages are reallying."
"..."
Yi-Han let out a deep sigh. Seeing that, Raphael asked back in bewilderment.
"Wa, wasn''t this what you told me to do?"
"I told you to apologize honestly, you idiot..."
"You may sit, Student Raphael. It seems everyone is concerned because of the festival. It''s natural for everyone to be excited about the summoning mages from outside visiting the school."
''Are they excited?''
Yi-Han was puzzled.
At least Yi-Han and his friends reacted like, ''Ah, what crazy bastards wille from outside to torment us again?''...
A student from the ck Tortoise Tower courageously raised his hand and asked.
"Will they bring food by any chance?"
"No. It''s not that kind of festival."
At the firm answer, the atmosphere stirred.
Whispers like ''Then why are theying?'' ''Is the school a joke?'' ''Isn''t it rude to visit the great Einroguard without manners now?'' were heard from here and there.
Professor Millei stopped the students'' whispers with a light gesture and said.
"I''m sorry I can''t meet everyone''s expectations, but the festival is not a festival to enjoy eating and drinking. It''s a festival where summoning mages see each other''s magic andmemorate Boltzmann. Of course, I don''t expect much from the students."
"That''s a relief."
"Right?"
"..."
Yi-Hanmented inwardly when he saw his friends still showing a naive appearance.
When a professor said, ''I don''t expect,'' there was no possibility of it being sincere.
No matter how kind Professor Garcia was, she couldn''t help but be disappointed if her students didn''t produce results.
That was an inevitable shackle for a professor.
"But showing an embarrassing appearance in front of mages from outside will hurt the students'' own pride."
"That''s right!"
"I''m d you know. Let''s focus on summoning magic. looks simple at a nce, so many summoning mages learn it once and don''t pay attention to it anymore. But the empire''s excellent summoning mages never underestimate the potential in this magic."
Professor Millei summoned a paper bird in the air.
The paper bird circled the lecture hall once. Professor Millei spoke while looking at the White Tiger Tower students.
"Think about golem repair after the lecture."
"...!"
The White Tiger Tower students covered their books with reddened faces.
They had been caught while pondering how to make the golem cooler.
''It''s remote viewing magic.''
Yi-Han realized that Professor Millei had looked around the lecture hall through the paper bird''s vision.
It looked in on the outside, but connecting the summon''s vision with one''s own vision to explore like that was a very advanced technique.
Summoning, connecting vision, making the summon fly while simultaneously concentrating on the main body''s consciousness.
"There''s no need to go to such lengths..."
-Consider the golem''s center of gravity!-
When the paper bird opened its mouth and chirped, the students were startled.
Although it had a lower difficulty than remote viewing magic, recording and delivering voice to the paper bird like that was also a very useful magic.
''I want to learn that.''
Yi-Han definitely felt the need for it.
He needed a way to contact students from other towers.
To check the current prices with the managers of the ck Tortoise Tower''s ck market, or to check how many meals the Blue Dragon Tower friends had skipped...
"...There''s also this method."
As soon as the professor''s words ended, the paper bird charged into the lecture hall wall and collided.
Then the paper bird disappeared with a sh of light, and a magic engraving was left on the wall.
Using the paper bird as a medium, magic was engraved on the wall.
"Excellent mages don''t obsess over shy and difficult magic. No matter how easy the magic is, its effect varies greatly depending on how it''s used. Everyone, keep that in mind. Now then... let''s each modify the paper bird. I''ll see how you all modify the paper bird during this semester."
The simpler the magic, the more the mage''s individuality who modified it was revealed.
Professor Millei hoped that the students would gain many insights through the experience of modifying the paper bird this semester.
''To put in a voice...''
Yi-Han started flipping through the book to try putting in a voice first.
Professor Millei looked at Yi-Han and asked, raising her monocle.
"What will you do, Student Yi-Han?"
"I''m trying to put in a voice, but..."
"Hmm..."
"?"
When Professor Millei looked at Yi-Han with a stern expression, Yi-Han was puzzled.
Did he make a mistake?
"It would be better to raise the difficulty."
"...Professor. I haven''t even tried this yet..."
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Chapter 405
Chapter 405
At Yi-Han''s protest, Professor Millei pondered for a moment and epted the objection.
"Alright. Give it a try."
"..."
Despite receiving the professor''s permission, Yi-Han felt uneasy.
It was because Professor Millei was closely observing Yi-Han''s every move without any change in expression.
As she was an upright and strict professor, he couldn''t help but feel nervous.
''Didn''t you not pressure other students like this when they were practicing?''
Comining about the unfair treatment, Yi-Han unfolded the paper with the magic engraved on it.
While great mages who had reached the pinnacle could easily create summons on the spot without such aids, for most mages, preparation was a more important process than one might think.
Reagents, scrolls, artifacts, and so on.
belonged to the category of magic that required prior preparation.
If there was no scroll with a magic circle engraved, the mage had to fill in the structure of the summon one by one, so in a way, engraving this magic circle could be said to be the most important process in the magic.
Swish swish swish-
The quill elegantly raced across the paper. was a very famous magic in the empire, and its magic circle was also quite widely known, but reproducing it was the mage''s ability.
If one could use magic just by tracing the magic circle, why would countless aspiring mages cry and hit the wall?
The magic circle of was by no means simple. Even Einroguard''s students usually made mistakes several times.
''...The suffering from Professor Verduus is helping in this way?''
And Yi-Han was surprised.
Even he could see that the magic circle was too neatly done.
He didn''t notice it because he drew it during the 1st semester and didn''t draw it during the break...
When did his skills be like this?
Seeing that, Professor Millei slowly opened her mouth as if she had expected it.
"Let''s add a voice."
Yi-Han started inserting letters with even more attention than before.
Modifying an alreadypleted magic circle didn''t end with simply adding lines and letters.
One had to understand the principles of the magic circle and anticipate the changes ordingly.
If forcibly modified, the paper bird might stab the mage himself instead of spitting out a voice.
''Engrave it here... I need to add more ink. Is the circuit running properly? A short circuit will ur here, so I''ll remove this...''
While concentrating with all his heart, Yi-Han didn''t even notice that he hadpleted it. Professor Millei spoke first.
"You''vepleted it."
"Ah. Yes. But we need to check if it works properly..."
"No need. It would be better to raise the difficulty."
Professor Millei turned around as if there was no need to say more.
At the same time as that action, the makeshift scroll Yi-Han made bloomed into a paper bird.
The bloomed paper bird rushed to the White Tiger Tower students and shouted loudly.
-Focus on the lecture!!!-
"Ahhh!"
"I, I was focusing!! What is it! What!"
The White Tiger Tower students, who were suddenly ambushed, were startled and looked around.
It was a perfect modification.
The Blue Dragon Tower friends next to him said to Yi-Han.
"It would be better to raise the difficulty."
"Raising the difficulty seems right, Wardanaz."
"...You guys won''t have dinner."
"!??!"
¡ª
Professor Mortum still seemed a bit embarrassed, as his face slightly reddened in embarrassment when Yi-Han came.
"Ahem. Did you control the golem well?"
"Yes. Professor. Is Senior Ogoldos alright?"
"He''s fine... Normally, it''s not you but Ogoldos who should be worried about you."
Although he was being worried about by a junior as a senior, Professor Mortum didn''t me Ogoldos.
It wasn''t because he didn''t want his already few disciples to be even fewer.
It was because he understood Ogoldos''s situation.
Honestly, even if there were other students, it wouldn''t have made much difference!
"Today''s lecture is on the dark element, right? What should I prepare?"
Despite the strange situation where the student who came 2 weekste was grasping the lecture content better than other students and even preparing in advance, Professor Mortum wasn''t surprised.
What''s there to be surprised about at this point? Professor Mortum answered with a calm mind.
"Other students will continue with the dark element... Ahem. You will do bone element magic."
"??"
Yi-Han was startled.
"Uh. Is there something I missed in the curriculum?"
"No. You already know how to use the dark element, don''t you?"
"But there are still manycking parts..."
Professor Mortum ignored Yi-Han''s answer.
It was nonsense not even worth answering.
"Ahem. By the way, I heard from Ogoldos... It was so unbelievable that I waited to confirm it myself."
"Ah. You mean the King of Ghouls?"
Yi-Han answered as if he had been waiting.
"Surprisingly, he was indeed the owner of that pce. Despite his actions, he was really..."
"...Cough, cough! Who was curious about that?"
Professor Mortum retorted as if it was absurd.
He already knew that the King of Ghouls was the owner of that undead pce.
Who else would be the owner if not him?
"Then what do you find unbelievable?"
"I heard from Ogoldos that you summoned more than ten undead and struggled to control them, then when you reduced it to one, you were surprised that you could control it..."
"..."
Yi-Han felt embarrassed for the first time in a long while.
"That''s because when practicing, out of habit..."
"Ahem. How can that be a habit?"
No matter how much it was for practice, the moment the mage summoned more than ten, he should have felt the precarious sense of crisis just before his mana was exhausted.
Just breathing would make him want to reduce the undead, so howfortable must he have been to forget the simple truth that ''it bes easier if you reduce them''?
"Anyway, I learned that it bes a bit easier if I reduce it to one."
"That''s... not something you learn... it''s something you naturally know if you''re human... Ahem. Forget it. Anyway, let''s get back to the point."
Professor Mortum kindly embraced his disciple who had missed a truth that even the empire''s biggest fool knew.
"As the principal agreed, the reason I gave you the book is because I thought you had the ability to continue the progress of ancient necromancy."
"I see...? I see."
Yi-Han was about to say, ''Wasn''t it to torment me?'' but stopped.
While other friends were summoning undead they had contracted with in the undead realm, Yi-Han was being forced by the skull principal and Professor Mortum to summon undead in the old way.
The method of ancient necromancy meant creating undead with the mage''s own ability.
Of course, it was several times more difficult. There was a reason why the old methods were old.
"Ahem. You''ve be somewhat ustomed to control, and you know how to attempt various enhancements..."
"There are still manycking parts..."
In addition to being able to smoothly control only whenbined into one, the enhancement of that summon was also limited to the simple method ofbining other bones to amplify it.
He was still far from being an excellent dark mage.
Of course, Professor Mortum ignored it again like before.
"...It''s time to progress a bit further. Ahem."
Originally, the goal for this year was to control about one undead summon, but since it had already been achieved, there was no reason to stay still.
Instead of exining to Yi-Han what the original goal was, Professor Mortum brought the next goal.
The reason why other enemies feared dark mages skilled in bone element magic was because of the tenacity unique to bone element magic.
Unlike other summoning magic, it could be quickly restored after destruction, and even if shattered, the shattered debris itself became the mage''s means again, an infinite power source.
If one was caught by a mage skilled in this technique, it was like being dragged into a swamp.
"In other words, it means that bone element mages must continue to cast magic even after summoning, instead of staying still."
"I understand."
"Ahem. The bone element magic you can use now is?"
The bone element magic Yi-Han could use was limited to fragment shooting, summoning armor, shields, or restraints.
For a 1st year student who took all the magic of other schools, it was sufficiently excellent with the 1st~2nd circle bone element magic he could use, but for a mage who could summon skeleton warriors with ancient necromancy, itcked a bit of shiness.
"You should learn bone explosion magic."
Bone explosion magic, which ignited the gas inside the bones with mana to detonate it, was an essential process for dark mages who wanted to specialize in it, as it could satisfy firepower in the easiest way.
"Huh? Doesn''t that start from at least the 3rd circle?"
"Right? Is there a problem?"
"...Nothing at all!"
When Professor Mortum asked back as if it was too natural, Yi-Han gave up on the question.
There was no point in asking such a madness-filled face, as he wouldn''t get a useful answer.
"Ahem. Of course, it won''t be easy. Do you know what you should be most mindful of when learning bone explosion magic?"
"Hmm. Isn''t it the connection of mana?"
The farther the mage and the object were apart, the more difficult it became to directly apply mana to that object.
A mage who summoned and handled bone elements had to control the bones while shooting them far away, simultaneously casting magic on those bones.
To do that, one had to pay even more attention to the connection of mana...
"Wrong."
"Is that so?"
"What you should be mindful of is controlling the power of the explosion. Ahem. So that the explosion doesn''t hurt you too."
"..."
Yi-Han was at a loss for words at the all-too-realistic advice.
No...
"I''ve set up a defensive magic circle here, so practice inside it. If the magic circle seems to break, call me right away. Ahem. Don''t destroy the workshop because it''s bothersome."
"Yes..."
¡ª
Gainando, Raphael, and Ymirg wondered what the hell they were doing inside that loud booms kept erupting from a while ago.
"I hope Yi-Han isn''t being tortured..."
"Hey. You stupid prince. Why would the professor torture Wardanaz?"
"You''re the stupid one, you jerk. Then why does the principal attack us?"
"..."
"Ahem. Everyone, focus."
At the professor''s words, everyone was startled and turned their gazes.
However, the loud boomsing from inside kept making them concerned.
"Ah. Professor."
Raphael cautiously raised his hand. Professor Mortum turned his gaze as if telling him to speak.
"I heard that the summoning mages are visiting this time. Is there anything we should do?"
It might be puzzling why dark mages were concerned about the summoning mages'' festival, but their domains ovepped more than one might think.
Wasn''t one of the domains of dark magic undead summoning?
Of course, there were also dark mages among those participating in the festival.
Given Professor Mortum''s personality, he probably wouldn''t want to show dark mages being pushed back in front of other summoning mages.
"Ahem. It''s fine. Don''t worry about it."
"Ah. Is that so?"
"Yes. Just enjoy it freely to your heart''s content."
Raphael was slightly surprised.
He thought the professor would give detailed instructions rted to the festival.
Gainando criticized him from the side.
"What do you take the professor for to say such a thing? There''s so much magic to progress through, do you think he''ll care about the festival too?"
Ymirg also nodded as if agreeing.
No matter how strong the professor''s pride was, he wouldn''t send his disciples to the summoning magic festival to prove...
"Ahem. Wardanaz will take care of the proof there. You guys can just y around."
"..."
"..."
For some reason, it felt like the loud boomsing from inside had stopped.
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Chapter 406
Chapter 406
"Ahem. Why did the sound stop?"
Professor Mortum left his disciples and went inside.
He was worried that Yi-Han might have made a mistake.
If it were any other magic, he wouldn''t have been too concerned, but this bone explosion magic was especially dangerous for Yi-Han...
Fortunately, the inside was intact.
The prepared shock absorption magic circle and explosion dispersion magic circles were still maintained, and the bone fragments filled in the box for practice were still plentiful.
Professor Mortum asked, not understanding.
"Did your mana run out by any chance?"
"That''s not it."
"Well, that can''t be."
"...It''s not that, but I heard that I have to prove something at the festival..."
Yi-Han couldn''t believe it.
In the first ce, isn''t this rted to the summoning magic lecture?
Whatever Professor Millei makes him do, the standard probably won''t be easy, and he''ll have to invest quite a bit of time and effort...
On top of that, Yi-Han had too much to do to bear the pride of dark magic as well.
"Ah, you mean that. Ahem."
"Professor. I have too much to do right now."
Although Yi-Han enjoyed lying in front of the professor, he was upright at times like this.
Even now, he had to go take care of the Basilisk''s egg right after the lecture.
"I know. All the professors probably know."
"Is that so? It seems to me that there are more who don''t know..."
"Ahem. And you don''t really have anything to do at the festival."
"??"
Yi-Han was startled by the professor''s words.
He told him to prove the pride of dark magic, but he doesn''t really have anything to do?
''What is it? A trick?''
"I don''t quite understand, but..."
Professor Mortum answered as if asking why he was asking such an obvious thing, coughing.
"That''s because you''ll try to prove it on your own without being told to do anything, given your personality. Ahem. I trust you."
"...No, I won''t!"
Yi-Han shouted in anger for the first time in a while.
Why this misunderstanding!?
¡ª
If there are professors who try to make a promising disciple continue the legitimate lineage of their studies, there are also professors who want to devote themselves only to their own research without such ambition.
Professor Yonramo Reuji, who taught transformation magic, was such a professor.
While the crazy bastards... no, professors within Einroguard were fighting over Wardanaz, Professor Reuji acted the opposite.
Thew of melting when approaching the sun.
There was no need to drag Wardanaz. Professor Reuji hoped that his peaceful daily life would continue.
"...We studied iron transformation in the 1st semester. You must have touched and tried to understand iron a lot during that time. Everyone probably did."
Professor Reuji exined slowly with his fingers interlocked.
When in professor mode, Professor Reuji exuded a dignified atmosphere that wouldn''t lose even whenpared to the great nobles of the empire.
It was an unimaginable appearancepared to when he transformed into a fake Gainando and was hit by Yi-Han.
"Even if you haven''t fully understood it... it''s okay. You don''t need to be too discouraged. It takes time to master any material."
''...Wasn''t it supposed to be mastered before the start of the 2nd semester?''
Yi-Han, who had mastered iron transformation while being hit by Professor Bdi, was inwardly perplexed.
"As you continue to learn other magic, the parts that were blocked will gradually unravel. Don''t forget. The goal of this semester is... to find your aptitude by dealing with the transformation of various materials."
If they learned the easiest and most popr iron transformation and its applications in the 1st semester, in the 2nd semester, they deal with all kinds of materials and select substances that suit the mage''s aptitude.
Excellent transformation mages used to carrypressed reagents and transform them into materials they were good at handling in case of emergency.
Transformingpressed reagents into mercury and then explosively increasing the volume for offensive use, or transforming them intopressed fine sand and using them as a solid sand shield.
It wasn''t used only for thisbat method. It could also be used to transform ingredients needed for alchemy or transform one''s appearance to deceive the eyes of monsters.
Professor Reuji, who finished the lecture with a sense of pride today, said goodbye to the students with dignity and turned around.
...Until Yi-Han followed him.
"Professor?"
"Ugh."
At the unexpected visit of the monstrous disciple, Professor Reuji huped.
"Are you alright?"
"Of... course I''m alright."
Professor Reuji said with overflowing dignity while hiding his hups. When in professor mode, Professor Reuji could always maintain hisposure.
"What brings you here?"
"I have something to ask you, Professor."
In addition to receiving holy magic rmendations from the priests of the Immortal Phoenix Tower, Yi-Han was also doing something else while attending lectures and doing chores.
It was taking care of the Basilisk''s egg.
However, the Basilisk''s egg was as difficult to take care of as per the monster''s notoriety.
Building a dedicated hut to take care of it was just the beginning.
After feeding it and adjusting the temperature, he had to move on to the next task right away.
After feeding the egg abundantly for several days until it no longer eats, prepare a new nest that suits the egg''s taste. Basically, Basilisks found in the western part of the empire prefer soft bird feathers, and Basilisks found in the eastern part prefer hard rocks, but it''s not absolute. The safe thing is for a transformation mage to stand by and cater to the Basilisk''s whims...
At the absurd request, Yi-Han asked Professor Bdi, who came to the hut.
-Professor. There''s a limit to the materials I can get right now, so how do I cater to its whims?-
-Learn transformation magic. You''re lucky. You needed to learn more transformation magic anyway.-
-...-
It was nonsense, but a transformation mage was definitely needed.
Yi-Han looked at Professor Reuji and asked.
"Can you help me take care of the Basilisk''s egg by any chance?"
"It''s... not impossible."
"Thank you!!"
Although he didn''t want to get involved if he could help it, Professor Reuji couldn''t refuse.
There was a sense of responsibility as a teacher, but above all, he was worried that this overly ambitious monstrous disciple might hold a grudge for refusing the request.
Even now, he was already like this, so by the time he graduated, he might be appointed as a professor or even a principal.
''He''s really a kind person.''
Not knowing Professor Reuji''s inner thoughts, Yi-Han was impressed.
Poof!
When Professor Reuji transformed his appearance with the ability of a doppelganger, Yi-Han was slightly startled.
Because the other person was...
Gainando.
"Uh... Professor? Why Gainando?"
"Just because."
"Ah. I see."
Although Yi-Han didn''t understand, he decided to just ept it.
When the professor was helping, what did it matter whether it was Gainando''s appearance or the skull principal''s appearance?
...If it were the skull principal''s appearance, it might bother him a bit.
''The other professors won''t be able to tell even if they see him.''
Professor Reuji didn''t want to get involved in the disputes of other professors.
What if he went to the professors'' loungeter and someone said, ''Where was Wardanaz that day? I think Professor Reuji was with him''? How troublesome would that be?
If it was Gainando''s appearance, the other professors wouldn''t notice even if they saw him from afar.
¡ª
"Hey. Gainando. Stop fooling around and let''s go quickly. There''s a lot to do. We have to finish the assigned tasks today."
"Don''t worry. Don''t worry! We can finish even if we go a bitter!"
Seeing Gainando insisting on staying in the main building instead of going to do the assigned dormitory chores, his friends clicked their tongues.
"That guy really doesn''t listen without Wardanaz around."
"Gainando. You''ll get in big trouble if you keep doing that."
"Hmph. Who''s going to scold me when Wardanaz isn''t even here..."
Gainando, who was talking, widened his eyes at the sight of himself passing by in the distance.
"A gho... ghost! It stole my appearance! Sha, shapeshifter!? When did it steal my appearance!?"
"What are you suddenly talking about?"
"Over there! Look over there!!"
Gainando shouted, but Yi-Han and Professor Reuji had already passed by.
His friends looked at Gainando as if he was talking nonsense.
"Hey. Stop ying around and let''s go."
"Don''t make strange excuses."
"I''m serious! Really...!!"
Gainando shouted in a voice full of injustice, but his friends didn''t believe him.
"I''m telling you, a monster that stole my appearance was definitely passing by over there...!"
"Does a monster have nothing better to do? To steal your appearance?"
¡ª
"I''m curious about something."
Gainando, no, Professor Reuji cautiously asked a question.
"Yes. Ask anything."
"...Why are you taking care of the Basilisk egg in the first ce? It''s not something a 1st year should do, right?"
"There''s a long and sad story behind it..."
Yi-Han trailed off and sat down after opening the door to the hut.
Professor Reuji stared intently at the Basilisk''s egg ced in the center.
The professor wasn''t an expert on rare animals, but he could guess what state this Basilisk''s egg was in.
''It''s in a very good condition.''
Thanks to properly supplying nutrients and building a strong bond with the caregiver, the Basilisk was very psychologically stable.
Honestly, it was surprising that a 1st year student raised it so well.
''The Blue Dragon Tower students probably wouldn''t be good at taking care of it.''
Although they always showed excellent grades in magic, the Blue Dragon Tower students also had weaknesses.
When it came to taking care of animals or nts, they were as clumsy as the White Tiger Tower students.
"You took very good care of it. Now let me check it out."
''My goodness. Gainando can look reliable!''
Yi-Han was surprised by the trustworthiness Professor Reuji exuded while speaking in Gainando''s appearance.
It was extremely awkward to hear such words in Gainando''s face.
Swish!
Professor Reuji''s magic began with a spell. In the blink of an eye, the Basilisk''s nest was transformed into dozens of different materials.
Copper, y, sand, maple tree branches, hot amorphous liquid (Yi-Han couldn''t even guess what potion this liquid was), gold,va...
Seeing the shing golden light passing by, Yi-Han asked without realizing it.
"Wouldn''t the Basilisk like it if we made a nest out of gold?"
"I already checked, but no. Basilisks don''t like gold as much as humans do. And fortunately so. If gold was the answer, it would have consumed a tremendous amount of mana to maintain it."
''Tsk.''
Yi-Han was disappointed, but he had no choice but to admit that the professor''s words were not wrong.
The rarer and more valuable the material, the higher the difficulty and the harder it would be to maintain.
"Found it."
Professor Reuji stopped his movements and said. Yi-Han asked very happily.
"What is it? Which material seems to be the best, Professor?"
"Mercury."
"...Ah. Will you do it, Professor?"
"I''ll do it once, but from the next time, you''ll have to keep casting it to maintain it, so you need to learn."
Professor Reuji calmly stated the current situation.
Transformation magic didn''t stay fixed forever.
Moreover, if it was a task like raising a Basilisk this way, the mage had to persistently endure by its side.
"But mercury isn''t something I can handle with transformation magic, right?"
"That''s true... You probably haven''t even mastered iron yet."
"...Hmm... Well..."
Yi-Han slightly avoided answering Professor Reuji''s words.
"Then I will..."
The moment Professor Reuji was about to say that he would visit and help each time, the door opened and Professor Bdi entered.
Professor Bdi raised his eyebrows when he saw Gainando and asked.
"Professor?"
"...Yes. That''s right..."
Poof!
Professor Reuji returned to his original appearance, feeling gloomy.
Of all people, he had to be caught by Professor Bdi.
Wasn''t he a stubborn and upromising opponent?
"What were you talking about?"
"Wardanaz... wants to learn mercury transformation, but he says it''s difficult. Since there''s a level of difficulty, he should probably master iron first before moving on to it..."
"He already knows how to handle iron."
"Is that so?!"
"Yes."
Professor Bdi looked at Yi-Han as if to say his words were correct.
This time, it was Yi-Han''s turn to feel gloomy.
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Chapter 407
Chapter 407
"Then let''s... try handling mercury."
Professor Reuji said, suppressing his reluctance.
"Wow... Thank you."
Disciple Yi-Han also said, suppressing his reluctance.
A hut where no one was happy. Only Professor Bdi was satisfied alone.
¡ª
Professor Bdi was not originally a talkative person.
But standards are rtive.
When he was with Yi-Han, Professor Reuji, and the egg-state Basilisk in a remote hut, Professor Bdi became the most talkative person.
"Transformation magic is important forbat mages."
"Yes."
"As I said before..."
Professor Bdi exined how useful transformation magic was inbat.
Fast casting and low mana consumption.
It was much more convenient to transform the bushes on the roadside into iron des and stab the opponent than to individually enhance defense and attack power with enchantment magic. The core of magicbat was in its efficiency.
That wasn''t all.
Some transformation mages who had reached a certain level used to transform surrounding objects into living beings or transform themselves into monsters without even using summoning magic.
Professor Bdi poured out a long speech, telling them to imagine all these levels.
Of course, he spoke calmly, but it sounded like that to Yi-Han''s gloomy ears.
''If I can transform into a Basilisk, will it be considered extenuating circumstances if I identally swallow a professor?''
"But Professor. Doesn''t mercury have toxicity?"
"That''s right."
Transformation mages didn''t recklessly create all substances in the world.
Rather, the more one was a transformation mage, the more careful one had to be to know the types of substances that could be poisonous.
If one identally transformed a substance incorrectly without knowing and poisoned oneself...
"You need to learn how to handle it... but you should definitely learn poison resistance first."
Professor Reuji, who was answering Yi-Han''s words, suddenly had a good idea.
It was thew to handle mercury, but it was safer to learn poison resistance before learning that.
And the best way to learn poison resistance?
"Poison resistance is more rted to dark magic than transformation magic..."
"He learned poison resistance in the 1st semester, Professor. Wardanaz is also taking dark magic."
"..."
"..."
At Professor Bdi''s answer, Professor Reuji and Yi-Han became gloomy again.
The atmosphere inside the hut became awkward. Even the Basilisk''s egg seemed to feel awkward.
"Then... let''s just... learn how to handle mercury first."
Professor Reuji said, holding back a sigh.
"Then he''ll be in your care."
"?"
When Professor Bdi said that while getting up from his seat, Yi-Han was surprised and turned his gaze.
Huh?
"Are you leaving?"
"Yeah. I have something to do."
"Oh no..."
Yi-Han disguised his hypocritical disappointment. Professor Bdi nodded as if he understood.
"Don''t be hasty."
"Haha. I understand."
Yi-Han even saw Professor Bdi off as he stepped out of the hut. Only then did he feel a little relieved.
''Wait. Professor Bdi doesn''t have that much to do, right?''
Come to think of it, Yi-Han was probably the only disciple Professor Bdi had right now, right?
When an ominous future came to mind, Yi-Han firmly pushed it away. Perhaps because he learned divination magic, he strangely felt like ominous futures kept disturbing his mind.
"Phew."
When Yi-Han let out a bitter sigh of relief, Professor Reuji was slightly puzzled.
He didn''t understand why he was sighing in relief like that.
Wasn''t Wardanaz an ambitious person aiming for the principal''s position and beyond from the 1st year?
Why was he sighing in relief like that?
''Did I see it wrong?''
Professor Reuji thought so and took out a reagent from his pocket.
Brass was a metal that was easier to obtain and handle than mercury, but it was a metal that was easily transformed because it had goodpatibility with mercury.
It was quite convenient for beginner transformation mages to handle.
"Oh no. I left the brass behind."
Yi-Han''s face brightened.
"I''ll synthesize it for you now..."
Yi-Han''s face darkened.
When simr things were repeated twice, Professor Reuji couldn''t believe it.
...No way?
"You don''t really want to learn mercury transformation, do you?"
"What do you mean, Professor? I want to learn it. Is it that you''re not in the mood to teach today, Professor? If that''s the case, I''ll wait as long as it takes."
An exemry answer popped out as if he had been waiting.
But Professor Reuji wasn''t fooled. That answer was exactly the same as the one Professor Reuji showed to the skull principal''s bothersome orders.
-Professor Reuji. I heard that suspicious transformation mages have appeared in some of the northern noble families'' territories these days, so could you go there for a bit during the break? Oh my. Your expression doesn''t look good. You don''t really want to go?-
-What do you mean, Principal? I want to go. Is it that you don''t want to send me, Principal? If that''s the case, I''ll understand as much as it takes.-
-Thank you. Have a safe trip.-
-...-
Originally, the same kind of people recognize each other.
Professor Reuji felt a strong intuition from his disciple that he couldn''t exin logically.
...No way?
"Yi-Han. Answer honestly... no, it won''t mean much. Then just listen. I''m thinking of skipping mercury transformation today."
Yi-Han didn''t object, saying, ''What are you talking about when I don''t have enough time to devote myself to the path of magic?''
Instead, he remained silent.
Professor Reuji, who gained conviction, was really surprised.
To think that the other person had a simr personality to himself!
Then...
The culprit was none other than the principal.
''My goodness. This is too much, even for him.''
He knew that the principal was originally a person who harshly pushed his disciples, but to force them to take all of the schools of magic.
Wardanaz was clearly enduring that cruel process just because he was born with talent, regardless of his own will.
It was a surprising and truly unfortunate story.
"I misunderstood. I thought Yi-Han wanted to be the lord of Einroguard as the principal''s sessor."
"...Pardon???"
Although Yi-Han tried not to answer unless it was something significant, an answer inadvertently popped out.
What the hell?
"You must have had a hard time because other professors pressured you like that even though you didn''t want to do it."
"I don''t really understand what you''re talking about. But I''m just grateful that you''re worried about me, Professor."
The two had a meaningful conversation. When Yi-Han was happy, the Basilisk''s egg also wriggled excitedly.
¡ª
When they heard the news that this festival would be held at Einroguard, ignorant mages were delighted.
Wasn''t it Einroguard, the legitimate lineage of imperial magic?
It was a ce they might never enter in their lifetime.
However, mages with wide connections or a lot of experience were very displeased.
-Why Einroguard of all ces?-
-I won''t even be able to breathe properly.-
Unless they were innocent ordinary people who knew nothing, the master of Einroguard was not kind even to other mages.
It was easy to think of a mage''s workshop.
Originally, a mage''s workshop was like a mage''s territory, so there were quite a few precautions when visiting.
As it was full of all kinds of secrets and mysteries that the mage had researched, one had to avoid doing anything suspicious as much as possible.
The more fastidious the owner of that workshop was, the stricter the rules became.
And the master of Einroguard was an annoyingly fastidious great mage.
-Please do not visit any ce without permission. Also, even if it''s an ownerless item, never...-
"I got it. I got it. I got it."
Dark mage Kutang, who had heard the Death Knight''s warning until he was sick of it, shuddered and moved his steps.
''Did Ie too early?''
Mages from nearby who were interested in summoning magic wereing to Einroguard to participate in the festival, but among them, Kutang arrived a step earlier.
It wasrgely because he himself was a dark mage.
It was because if he moved together with other mages and talked to them on the way, it would be bothersome for each other.
-I''m Tadingo, researching summoning magic. I''ve been learning magic for about seven years, and I learned from a teacher from the Untara Guild.-
-Nice to meet you, Tadingo! I''m also researching summoning magic! I learned by myself for about five years after coincidentally obtaining a grimoire. By the way, what is your esteemed name, Mage?-
-...I''m Kutang, researching dark magic.-
-...Uh. Hmm. Oh.-
-Da, dark magic! I was also very interested in dark magic. Well... anyway, isn''t it amazing magic?-
It would only be painful to have awkward conversations with mages who weren''t usually interested in dark magic.
It wasn''t for no reason that dark mages avoided interacting with other mages.
''I should avoid contact until the festival starts.''
Kutang thought so and looked around for a ce with few people.
The academy was so vast that it seemed sufficient to wait in a suitable forest or mountain until it started.
Boom-
"!"
Kutang was startled.
Surprisingly, students who still looked young were controlling a golem in an empty lot in a corner of the forest.
''As expected of Einroguard! They look less than half my age, but they''re already controlling a golem...!''
It was even more surprising to see them moving the massive golem to do chores.
Usually, among mages, no one tried to do chores with golems. Why would they do chores with a summon that was difficult to make and control like a golem?
There was only one reason.
''It''s training.''
Not only did they make a golem, but they also trained to move it.
"Amazing!"
"An, an outsider!!"
A White Tiger Tower student screamed in surprise at the muttering voice from behind.
Kutang was even more surprised by that.
"Ca, calm down. I came in with permission! Here''s the permit given by Lord Gonadaltes..."
When the White Tiger Tower students flocked together and surrounded him in a circle, Kutang felt a huge pressure.
''Why? Do they not trust me? Was it revealed that I''m a dark mage?''
Kutang was nervous, worried that he might be attacked by Einroguard students.
"By any chance..."
"???"
"Do you have something to eat?"
"..."
¡ª
Kutang and the White Tiger Tower students quickly became close. Kutang was slightly moved by the students'' consideration of not forgetting their sense of humor to relieve the tension of the outsider.
"Take your time eating. I understand your sincerity."
The White Tiger Tower students ate the sweet food voraciously, regardless of what Kutang said. They even fought over the cream on their friend''s finger.
''...Are they starving at the academy?''
Without even thinking that he had hit the nail on the head, Kutang asked a question.
"You were controlling the golem earlier..."
"Cough."
"Ack. Cough cough."
The White Tiger Tower students started coughing like crazy.
"Did... did you give us this because we controlled the golem well?"
"Pardon? No."
"Phew..."
"That''s a relief."
"??"
When the White Tiger Tower students sighed in relief, Kutang was puzzled.
What?
"I have a few questions about the control, is that okay?"
"Well, um."
"We have received the food, so we want to answer, but, um."
The White Tiger Tower students hesitated.
Surely he wouldn''t tell them to spit it out, right?
"The one who controlled this is another friend."
"...Pardon? You mean he controlled it without being at the scene?"
"So, uh... he leftmands and went..."
The White Tiger Tower students exined to the best of their ability.
Usually, when controlling a golem, it was standard for the mage to directly control it one by one next to it, but once Wardanaz got the hang of it, for simple tasks, he would givemands to the golem to ''do this much'' and then go to another ce ande back.
Hearing that exnation, Kutang was genuinely surprised.
''Not only did he make a golem, but he also maintainedmands??''
Kutang was originally far from being sociable, but there was an exception.
That exception was when he saw something magically interesting.
"Thank you. It was really fun."
"We also ate really well!"
Kutang, who even heard Yi-Han''s name, thought he should tell this interesting story to the dark mages he knew and moved his steps.
And after a while, Yi-Han returned.
"Nothing happened?"
"A mage who came from outside for the festival took a look and left."
"Nothing else happened."
"I see."
Suddenly, Yi-Han was puzzled by the creeping ominousness.
''What is it?''
A situation with absolutely nothing strange.
''Could it be that the principal is plotting something strange?''
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Chapter 408
Chapter 408
At the current situation, there wasn''t really anything to plot...
Yi-Han clicked his tongue while pondering.
''Anyway, there''s no answer even if I think about it.''
"Alright. Everyone worked hard... What did you eat?"
"So, some cake..."
"I told you to leave some for Wardanaz."
When the White Tiger Tower students whispered, Yi-Han waved his hand as if it was okay.
"It''s fine. You can eat first if you''re hungry."
"Wardanaz...!"
"Then, since we''re full, let''s do some more work on the opposite side before going. The priests are on duty this week, so it must be hard for them."
"..."
The White Tiger Tower students followed behind Yi-Han, pouting their lips.
Someone muttered.
"There''s no such thing as cake without any price."
"Even if you try to imitate him, you won''t be like Wardanaz."
"I, I was just trying it out. Just."
¡ª
"Ratford. Can you help me a bit?"
"Of course."
Ratford, who was picking the lock of the box his friend brought from the ck market, stood up without hesitation.
A ck Tortoise Tower student who recognized Yi-Han''s face waved his hand. Yi-Han also lightly greeted him as if thanking him.
''...If someone sees, they''ll think he''s a ck Tortoise Tower student!''
Salko, who was watching from afar, was dumbfounded.
Usually, when students from other towers came, the ck Tortoise Tower students would nag them, saying, ''Why are you here?'' ''What are you looking around for?'' ''Are you a thief? If you''re going to buy, buy, and if you''re not, don''t just stand there.''
But when only Wardanaz came, they treated him like a close friend.
Salko wasn''t in a position to say anything to anyone, but...
"But what do I need to help with? Is there something you want to steal?"
"I shouldn''t ask for such a thing so easily."
"You can easily ask for it, but..."
"Today, it''s just checking."
At Yi-Han''s words, Ratford was curious.
Checking.
What was he going to check?
"Checking the animals Professor Bungaegor prepared for the lecture. No matter how I think about it, I''m worried."
After the 2nd semester started, Yi-Han became a bit more mature.
He started preparing for lectures in advance.
''No matter how I think about it, if I just trust the professor and stay still, I feel like one of my limbs will break. I''ll check first.''
Yi-Han was already realizing a truth that other seniors only realized in their 2nd or 3rd year.
"As expected... You are indeed Wardanaz."
Ratford admired him.
Is that why he''s the top student of the year?
"Given Professor Bungaegor''s personality, she must have mixed barriers and devices, so I''ll take care of the barriers and you take care of the devices."
"Wardanaz, you are actually at a level where you can call yourself a proper thief anywhere..."
At Ratford''s praise, Yi-Han was embarrassed for the first time in a while.
"I''m not at that level yet, am I?"
"No. Honestly, that level is enough. Since it''s the result of bloody practice, you can be proud of it."
"Hehe. Is that so?"
Yi-Han was happy.
It was worth diligently picking and fiddling with locks ording to Ratford''s instructions.
The open space a little away from the main building, which was used as the festival venue this time, was a field with two forests on either side.
On one side, there was a summoning magic test site that the 1st year students had worked hard on over the weekend, and on the other side, there was a winding racetrack where Professor Bungaegor''s lecture would take ce.
"Seeing the racetrack, it might be a riding lecture."
Professor Bungaegor emphasized the importance of taming and riding animals in the 1st semester as well.
If it was about taming and riding a new monster, there was a high possibility of it being rtively safe.
"Or it might be a lecture on running away from monsters."
"..."
It was sad that he couldn''t deny Ratford''s words. Certainly, the winding racetrack looked good for running away from monsters chasing from behind.
"Ratford. Please check the surroundings."
"Yes. There''s no one. Goodness... The security is sox. It seems a bit careless."
"The professors are usually like that. Theyck a sense of crisis because they make the students do it."
Yi-Han approached the cage while amicably cursing the professor.
'' won''t be necessary.''
He was very nervous just in case, but he could approach it more easily than expected. Yi-Han carefully approached.
¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö...
Swish-
When he tried to remove the covering cloth, as expected, it stuck tightly and wouldn''te off. Yi-Han immediately swung his mana like a hammer. With a silent boom, the cloth fell off.
And what awaited was an amazing sight.
"...?!"
There was nothing inside the cage. Ratford was startled, but Yi-Han quickly realized it.
"It''s a monster with invisibility."
"Invisibility?"
"It''s a Quineae."
"!"
Ratford was startled by the voiceing from behind.
He was momentarily distracted because the inside of the cage was empty. It was a mistake that hurt his pride as a thief.
"Ugh... To make such a mistake..."
"Shh. Ratford. It''s okay, so manage your expression. We haven''t been caught yet."
The naive mage who didn''t know what intentions the two students had presented a permit and said.
"Here''s the permit given by Lord Gonadaltes. I came to visit because of the summoning magic festival. I''m sorry for bothering you when you must be busy taking care of the Quineae."
"No. We wee you to Einroguard."
The mage smiled at Yi-Han''s polite hospitality. Just by looking at the intonation and gestures, it was clear that the other person was from a great noble family.
"It''s indeed a really good ce. I didn''t know the mana of nature would be this strong... The mages studying here must feel like they''re dreaming every day."
"...Yes. Well."
"The dream might be a bit different depending on what kind of dream it is..."
"Pardon?"
"It''s nothing."
The two quickly changed the subject because they didn''t want to break the outsider''s illusion.
"But what is that?"
"Ah. You mean the Quineae? It''s a gentle and cute fellow."
Quineae.
It was a monster with invisibility, slightly resembling a small elephant.
"Does it eat people?"
"What? No. I said it''s gentle and cute, right?"
"Ah. I''m sorry. Even if it''s gentle and cute, it can still eat people."
"Hahaha. That was a funny joke."
The two students were exchanging meaningful nces, but the mage didn''t notice.
"When I was young, my teacher brought this fellow. I kept losing the invisible monster, so he wanted to teach me how to find it. I was so scared back then."
"...You said it''s gentle and cute?"
"But it likes to y tricks. When it chases loudly from behind, it''s so scary! Hahaha!"
"..."
"...Do you also train to ride the Quineae?"
"The Quineae? It doesn''t have that kind of personality. I''ve never heard of it liking to carry someone."
When Ratford''s guess among his and Yi-Han''s guesses turned out to be correct, their faces darkened.
Do they really have to engage in an escape from an invisible transparent beast?
"The ce is well prepared. As expected of Einroguard. Three years ago, during the festival, the preparation was poor due to the uncooperative attitude of the local families, so we had a hard time... Do you see thatrge pit over there? That''s where the mages who will summon creatures will gather."
Ratford inadvertently asked.
"Why is such arge pit necessary?"
"Sometimes, there are always mages who summon strange things... If they summon inside such a pit, it''s easy to bury them, right?"
Ratford was flustered and whispered to Yi-Han.
"Is he joking?"
"No. That''s serious."
Yi-Han changed the subject to the Quineae because he thought he would only feel depressed if he heard about the terrible festival in advance.
For now, the transparent giant beast that would trample him was more dangerous.
"Do you have any tips for dealing with the Quineae?"
"Magic that leaves traces is good. It''s also good to prepare potions with strong colors in advance."
Yi-Han shook his head at the mage''s appearance, teaching the orthodox method.
Of course, Yi-Han already knew that much.
"I mean a way to make it run away."
"...Well... that''s true, but... Quineae is a gentle beast, so why are you asking for such a method?"
The mage asked, slightly on guard.
Noticing that, Yi-Han answered softly.
"I have to keep taking care of it, so I''m worried that I might make a mistake."
"Aha. I was worried for nothing..."
The mage readily spilled the information. Fortunately, there was a potion to repel the Quineae.
After hearing enough, Yi-Han nodded gratefully.
"Thank you. I will take good care of this fellow."
"Wait, wait a moment."
"??"
The mage called out to the two.
"Do you happen to know a student named Wardanaz? A student whose specialty is golem control?"
"I don''t know?"
"I''ve never heard of him before?"
"Is that so... Is it because the academy is big? Anyway, thank you."
The mage thanked them and walked away.
As soon as the other person disappeared, Yi-Han asked Ratford with a shocked look.
"What is it? How?"
"Could it be because of those White Tiger Tower bastards? Most problems are because of them, right?"
"No... Not this time. How could the White Tiger Tower bastards spread such a rumor? What is it, really? Is it the principal??"
Yi-Han was confused, not knowing that the answer hade out.
¡ª
"...Wardanaz!"
"Yes?"
Professor Bungaegor called out to Yi-Han when she saw the gathered students all holding potion bottles containing ck ink.
"You''re the culprit, right?"
"I don''t really know what you''re talking about."
"Don''t y dumb. Oh my... 1st years are only getting sharper."
Professor Bungaegor looked at the students as if it was absurd. The students avoided her gaze, sneaking away.
Not even worn-out 3rd years, but 1st year students figured out the lecture content in advance.
''It''s different when there''s a lion among the sheep.''
"I''ll praise you. You figured it out well. Preparing in advance like this is also an ability."
The students let out a sigh of relief, but Yi-Han maintained a clueless expression until the end.
"But just because you prepared in advance doesn''t mean today''s lecture will be easy. This monster is called Quineae..."
Professor Bungaegor exined the appearance of the invisible monster in as much detail as possible.
A student cautiously raised his hand.
"Any questions?"
"Yes. Professor. Do we really have to run away from that invisible monster? Isn''t it about figuring out the location of the fellow who''s just standing still?"
"Wardanaz figured that out too? It''s really amazing."
Professor Bungaegor looked at Yi-Han as if he was amazing.
It wasn''t easy to figure out the lecture content of running away from the Quineae in advance, even if he could notice that the Quineae was prepared.
How?
"..."
"...Ah, no... Isn''t figuring out the location of the invisible monster the goal of the lecture?"
"That''s the purpose of the lecture. Originally, monsters don''t stand still, so of course, you have to practice against a moving one. Quineae is rtively easy. From here to there, don''t go outside and avoid it inside the racetrack. You just need to endure until this hourss runs out, so don''t worry too much."
Yi-Han took out the potion he had made without being surprised at all. He was already prepared.
"Wa, Wardanaz. Can I buy the potion even now?"
"The price has gone up a bit now."
"I don''t care! Sorry for doubting you!"
''...Wardanaz, that guy shouldn''t bepared to 3rd years.''
Professor Bungaegor shook her head.
Looking at that appearance, 3rd years were rather innocent inparison.
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Chapter 409
Chapter 409
''Wait. That potion is...''
Professor Bungaegor, who was shaking her head, felt something off.
Smelling the scent of the potion, it seemed to contain royal mint, but thatbination method was quite an old one.
In the past, potions containing royal mint were used to repel Quineae, but these days, Quineae are trained to endure such scents during training.
It won''t work, right?
''More than that, where did he find out about such a potion?''
"Uwaaaaah!"
Before her thoughts could end, a student flew up into the air.
The Quineae, excited by a person entering the racetrack, rushed in and wrapped its huge trunk around the student.
For the monster, it was just ying around, but for the student, it was sheer terror. The student, bound by an invisible force and shaken up and down, screamed.
"Wardanaz! Wardanaz! The repellent potion has no effect!"
"Dukma, you idiot! The repellent potion isn''t all-purpose!"
Bartreck, a White Tiger Tower student, shouted from outside.
As he was from a family skilled in alchemy, Bartreck was often called upon whenever alchemy was needed within the White Tiger Tower.
"The repellent potion only makes the enemy feel disgusted by you and avoid you to some extent! If you go in too tantly, it can endure it and rush at you!"
"You should have, ugh, told me that, earlier..."
"Throw another potion!"
"Isn''t it meaningless to throw it now?"
The ck liquid potion brought to figure out the Quineae''s location was meaningless in a situation where he was caught like that.
The excited monster spun the White Tiger Tower student around, made him covered in saliva, and only then put him down.
"Ugh... Ugh..."
"Everyone needs to be careful."
Tension crept onto the faces of the students who were overflowing with confidence due to the potion they had prepared in advance.
Bartreck sighed and spoke to Yi-Han and Yonaire.
"Everyone really looks down on alchemy. It''s important to make potions, but it''s also important to know how to use them correctly. They can''t even use it properly even though you two made it for them."
"...Right."
"It, it''s unfortunate."
Bartreck didn''t notice the subtle expressions on Yi-Han and Yonaire''s faces.
The two were conversing with their eyes.
-Isn''t the effect too weak? I definitely heard that Quineae would back off just by smelling it.-
-Did I make a mistake while making it?-
-I also checked next to you, and it doesn''t seem like there was a mistake. It''s meaningless to look for mistakes now... There''s only one thing we can do now.-
-What should we do?-
-Let''s pretend we don''t know.-
-...?!-
However, surprisingly, it was effective.
The students who entered after that acted much more cautiously than the first person who entered.
They sprayed the ck liquid potion to figure out the location of the approaching Quineae, raced on top of the racetrack, and avoided the slope...
As a result, the Quineae also made mistakes while chasing, feeling puzzled. Seeing that, the students cheered.
"I think it''s working! It''s definitely working! Didn''t the Quineae just make a mistake??"
"So that''s how you use the repellent potion!"
"Wardanaz does make it well."
"???"
At Bartreck''s praise, Professor Bungaegor, who was grading, was dumbfounded.
That has nothing to do with the repellent potion, though?
''That guy Wardanaz, even if he sells a fake that doesn''t work...!''
"...Wardanaz. Go in."
Yi-Han carefully entered the racetrack.
Realizing that the repellent potion didn''t work, Yi-Han was naturally tense as well.
''Figure out the location by sound and spray the ck liquid potion when it gets close.''
Quineae was gentle but liked to y. Although its direction change was a bit slow, once it gained speed, it was difficult to avoid in a straight line.
In other words, it was advantageous to make it not gain speed when avoiding.
Then...
''Scare it as much as possible.''
He shouldn''t directly attack it.
If he angered the gentle monster for no reason, he would be caught and thrown away.
It was about making it feel enough danger to hesitate.
Whoosh-
When Yi-Han summoned mes, Professor Bungaegor chuckled.
Seeing that Wardanaz making a mistake, she thought he was also human.
''Quineae doesn''t fear mes much. Wardanaz.''
Yi-Han, who summoned the mes, focused his mind on the direction the Quineae was approaching from.
-Don''te near.-
Intense thought.
Yi-Han didn''t notice, but ording to his concentration and thoughts, his mana naturally transformed into pressure and was emitted.
It was the same thing the skull principal had shown to the students when he was entering the academy, which the empire''s swordsmen called momentum or intimidation.
Of course,pared to the skull principal''s experienced and skilled pressure, it was farcking, but it was unbelievable that a mere 1st year student was emitting such a thing.
''Does that make sense!?''
Professor Bungaegor was so surprised that she almost dropped the quill she was holding.
It wasn''t something that could be done just by being smart or well-versed in magic theory.
One had to convert mana itself into a separate property with an instinct-like sense, and this was an ability that mercenaries with a lot of realbat experience had an advantage over mages.
But how did Wardanaz...
''Ah. Come to think of it, it might be possible for Wardanaz.''
Professor Bungaegor, who was surprised, quickly understood when she traced back her thoughts.
Of course, it was an unbelievably fast speed, but what Wardanaz was listening to and doing now didn''t make sense either.
Sneakily-
The Quineae, feeling the pressure, began to back away.
Not all monsters were sensitive to mana.
Some, like spirits, sensed mana that wasn''t revealed and showed wariness, while others couldn''t even detect mana.
Quineae belonged to thetter category of dull fellows, if it had to be ssified.
However, even such a Quineae could feel the tantly emitted pressure.
"It''s... backing away!"
"See? Wardanaz knows how to use potions properly, so that''s why such an effect urs. That''s the proper way to use a potion."
Bartreck boasted to his friends.
Professor Bungaegor clicked her tongue and recorded 6 points out of 5 on the paper.
Yi-Han Wardanaz (6/5)
Next time, bring a tougher fellow (be careful with security. Absolutely don''t let Wardanaz know)
¡ª
The skull principal''s lectures were always filled with tension and freshness.
The lecture hadn''t even started yet, but the students were holding their staffs with stiff faces without even the usual small talk.
So that they could respond even if undead barged in as soon as the lecture room door opened.
¡°Wee. Ironheads.¡±
"Hello. Principal."
The students answered in unison.
The floating skull continued with an indifferent look.
¡°Let''s start today''s lecture. Repeat after me. .¡±
"...???"
"?????"
¡°What are you doing? Am I giving lectures too softly and kindly?¡±
"Uh... I will not attack guests from outside and..."
"Rob their pockets?"
The students shouted with puzzled faces. The skull principal said with a yawn.
¡°Again.¡±
"I will not attack guests from outside and rob their pockets!"
"I will..."
¡°Good. Now move the quill with the staff and write that. It''s good training for magic and also a lesson, right?¡±
Curses flowed from here and there in low voices.
They could just write with the quill using their hands, but they had to move it with the staff while consuming mana.
Of course, Yi-Han picked up the staff without any particr emotion. He had already been overworked since the 1st semester.
"Principal. Why do we have to write this?"
Gainando asked, grumbling.
The White Tiger Tower students sent gazes filled with respect at that.
Although that prince guy rudely and thoughtlessly despised knights as mud-covered, sweaty ignoramuses, his asional appearance like this was admirable.
He has no fear!
¡°Why do you have to write it? To engrave it in your heart.¡±
"Isn''t it justmon sense not to attack guests from outside and rob their pockets?"
¡°Yes. Right. I thought so too. Until your seniors did that.¡±
"..."
"..."
A heavy silence lingered among the students.
The skull principal, who dominated the atmosphere with a single word, slowly continued his exnation.
¡°Don''t be too angry. Your juniors will have to write that they will never break the dormitory barrier.¡±
"Oh no."
Yi-Han felt sorry.
But he wasn''t sorry.
It wasn''t Yi-Han''s fault that the juniors didn''te in early.
¡°Now, write it again. When you''re done, the next one is this. ¡±
"..."
A White Tiger Tower student couldn''t hold back and asked.
"Honestly, isn''t this something only Wardanaz needs to write?"
"How dare those brazen bastards?"
The Blue Dragon Tower students were outraged by the malicious nder.
"Did you forget that you guys always gathered to attack Wardanaz?"
"You attack-loving bastards! Those guys will join the attack club when they be 2nd years!"
The White Tiger Tower students didn''t back down either.
"Wardanaz attacked us more than we attacked him."
"If we join the attack club, that guy Wardanaz will join the robber club?"
''Were the White Tiger Tower originally that good at talking?''
The skull principal was amazed.
The White Tiger Tower was traditionally filled with guys whose fists were faster than their words, but perhaps because of Wardanaz, there were several guys whose eloquence had strangely improved.
¡°Everyone, stop this ugly fight. And Wardanaz doesn''t even need to write that.¡±
"Pardon?? Why is that?"
The White Tiger Tower student asked, filled with disappointment and injustice.
Is it because Wardanaz is his beloved disciple?
¡°Wardanaz is the type of guy who will naturally disguise himself well if he attacks and robs others. There''s no need to emphasize it.¡±
"..."
"..."
The White Tiger Tower students momentarily looked at Yi-Han with apologetic expressions.
Yi-Han answered with a serious face.
"That''s malicious nder."
¡ª
After the lecture, the skull principal called Yi-Han for a moment.
¡°Are you going to attack?¡±
"...No."
¡°You don''t have ns now, but do you have any?¡±
"I don''t."
¡°You don''t seem like you''ll ever show greed toward the visiting guests?¡±
"I''m an Einroguard student, so there''s no way I would attack guests visiting the academy."
Yi-Han''s protest didn''t even enter the skull principal''s ears.
¡°Strange... The 1st years must be quitecking in supplies now. Why are you so calm?¡±
"Even if we don''t have it, living without it is also a way. That''s better than attacking guests."
That wasn''t actually the case.
As soon as this weekend came, Yi-Han was nning to go outside and return with supplies packed tightly.
Because he had a reliable corner, he had leeway!
¡®Didn''t you ignore me when I said that in the 1st semester?¡¯
The skull principal asked as if he couldn''t understand.
¡°When I told you to abandon your friends and live well alone, you said something nauseating like ''My friends are me and I am my friends, friendship is my everything''...¡±
"...I didn''t answer to that extent."
¡°It''s roughly simr. Anyway, I got it. I''ll find outter if there are any mages who got their pockets robbed... Did you try handling bones?¡±
"You mean bones?"
Yi-Han tilted his head and recalled Professor Mortum''s lecture.
It seemed that the undead control and bone explosion magic had reached the principal''s ears.
"If it''s bone explosion magic, I''m practicing it."
¡°...No. Not that.¡±
"Other than that... Is there more?"
¡
The skull principal looked at Yi-Han as if he was crazy.
¡°The precious bones you brought from the pce. You couldn''t have forgotten, right?¡±
"Ah."
Only then did Yi-Han recall the bones he had extorted from the King of Ghouls.
"I was too busy."
¡°What are you so busy with... All students are busy.¡±
"Haha."
Should I kill him?
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Chapter 410
Chapter 410
"You''re making a fuss, but I don''t know what Mortum did."
"Ah. That''s..."
Yi-Han hesitated.
Even Professor Mortum looked at Yi-Han like he was crazy when he said, "Haha, I thought the undead were being controlled a bit strangely, but when I reduced the number, they''re being controlled well. As expected, controlling more than ten was too much."
"I think he forgot because he was focusing on the fact that I was being greedy with undead control and ran into difficulties by increasing the number."
"Focused on that? Right. What did Mortum advise?"
"To reduce the number of undead controlled at once..."
The skull principal admired the all too obvious words.
"Really useful advice. Why don''t you present it at the Dark Magic Society?"
"If the principal helps me, I''ll prepare for it."
"If controlling a dozen or so undead is difficult, reduce it to one."
The skull principal grumbled, thinking that if he presented it, the society would be turned upside down.
"If you reduced the number, of course control would have be easier... Ah. So you were practicing bone explosion magic."
If he cast something like bone explosion magic on a skeleton summoned from the undead realm, he could get stabbed in the back, but a summon called by ancient necromancy was different.
Because he couldbine it with all kinds of bone magic and show off his skills.
"Enough. Mortum must be busy these days too. I''ll teach you."
"Is something going on?"
"Nothing much, just avoiding Professor Garcia... To cool down, I''ll have to avoid her throughout this semester, so it can''t be helped. Take out the bones."
Yi-Han took out the bones.
There were two types of bones obtained from the pce in the undead dimension.
One was a bone engraved with a strange pattern mixed with purple and ck. It was a bone that senior Ogoldos found in a corner and packed for him.
And the other was a white bone. It was the bone the King of Ghouls offered.
"This one is easy to recognize. It seems to be around a viscount."
"...Ah, how do you know that?"
When the skull principal immediately recognized the bone mixed with purple and ck, Yi-Han was shocked.
Is collecting the bones of the empire''s viscounts your hobby?
"You don''t think I''m talking about the empire''s viscount now, do you? I meant a demon."
"Of course I thought so too. Why would an imperial viscount appear here?"
Yi-Han inwardly sighed in relief.
Demons appearing from other unstable realms had a rather strict hierarchy and fought fiercely to climb up that hierarchy.
If it was the bone of a demon with a rank around a viscount, it would be quite valuable.
"You''re a remarkable fellow. To secure such a bone as a trophy."
"If you want it..."
"Hmph. Are you trying to make me a despicable fellow?"
The skull principal returned the bone to Yi-Han with a snort.
"A great mage may drive his disciple crazy, but he never takes away his disciple''s magic."
"...I was going to suggest exchanging it for gold coins?"
''Why the hell is he so obsessed with gold?''
The skull principal couldn''t understand.
A mage like Yi-Han wouldn''t be collecting gold to live well, and a 1st year wouldn''t need funds to run a guild or academy...
Is he preparing for a great magic experiment?
"Never sell this. It''s an order."
"Pardon? No... I understand."
"I''ll check every month, so don''t try anything. Don''t say you lost it either. Don''t say someone stole it either."
"..."
Yi-Han was surprised.
How did he know?
"This is the reagent you need right now."
Why are dark mages obsessed with bones?
It was because high-quality bones were the easiest way to enhance the power of magic.
Summoning a skeleton with some random bone found on the roadside and summoning a skeleton using such a high-ss demon viscount''s bone were on different levels.
Especially for a dark mage like Yi-Han who was learning ancient necromancy, he had to be familiar with using and handling strong bones.
If he adapted in advance, wouldn''t it be easier to handle even stronger bonester?
"Too strong bones won''t be easy to handle, so this level is just right for you now."
"Is that so. ...A demon viscount?"
Yi-Han nodded and felt something off.
Is it really appropriate for a 1st year dark magic student to use a demon viscount''s bone to control a summon?
"What''s the problem?"
"Yes, well... I understand. Then what is this bone? Is it around a demon cactus?"
"Hmm."
The skull principal examined the white bone with no patterns.
Yi-Han didn''t have high expectations for that bone.
First of all, it had no patterns, it was white in color, and unlike earlier, the quantity was small...
He suspected that the King of Ghouls had yed a trick.
"Demon private? Demon hound?"
"Be quiet for a moment. This... I don''t know."
"Is it that insignificant? Where is the King of Ghouls now?"
"No. It''s not an insignificant bone."
The skull principal''s voice became serious.
Even in the eyes of the skull principal, who prided himself as the empire''s best bone expert, it was a bone he couldn''t recognize.
It definitely wasn''t an insignificant bone.
"It''s definitely the bone of a powerful being... but I can''t recognize it. Did it seal and erase its power..."
The skull principal, who was pondering, said to Yi-Han.
"I''ll take it and investigate."
"Wouldn''t it be faster to directly ask the King of Ghouls?"
"Well. Judging by his level, I don''t think he knows what this is... but I will ask him. After the torture, no, interrogation is over."
Yi-Han pretended not to hear.
"Take it."
"Alright. Practice with this viscount''s bone... Ah. How was the bracelet of ten thousand demons? Did any of them react?"
The bracelet where all kinds of demons trapped in the pce were sleeping.
It didn''t easily react to a considerable shock, but the skull principal thought that if it was Yi-Han, he would awaken at least one within a rtively short period of time.
Because he was a fellow who lived such an intense daily life, of course...
"There wasn''t any?"
"Oh. Is that so? I see."
The skull principal wrote a letter behind him while seeing Yi-Han off.
[To Bdi Bagrak
Yi-Han Wardanaz is frustrated after being defeated by a statue using spatial magic. Help him out.
Os Gonadaltes]
Looking at the letter flying to Professor Bagrak, the skull principal smiled brightly.
How fortunate is a disciple with such a teacher!
¡ª
"Do you happen to know a student named Wardanaz?"
"...We don''t know such a person!"
"Do you happen to know a student named Wardanaz..."
"Who is that?!"
The Blue Dragon Tower students feigned ignorance at the questions from the mages who came from outside.
And they immediately sent a paper bird to Yi-Han. Although they couldn''t make the paper bird chirp, they could engrave a few letters on the paper bird.
[Danger. Outsider. Question.]
Yi-Han, who was with the students attending the summoning magic lecture, frowned.
"I don''t know why dark mages from outside are looking for me..."
"..."
A White Tiger Tower student huped, but Yi-Han didn''t notice.
"Everyone, please do me a favor. If someone asks if there''s a Wardanaz, just say you don''t know."
"It''s not difficult. Wardanaz."
"You don''t have to worry. Yi-Han."
"Tr, trust us. Wardanaz."
"?"
When the White Tiger Tower students answered too readily, Yi-Han was puzzled.
"What''s wrong with you guys?"
"Wh, what?"
"Normally, you would nag, saying, ''Why should I help you?''"
"Wh, what do you take us for? When did we ever do that?"
The ck Tortoise Tower students next to them added.
"You guys originally did that?"
"Right. You guys did that."
"...When outsiderse, Einroguard students should unite their strength."
The White Tiger Tower students were bing more and more skilled at making excuses.
Perhaps it worked quite well, as the students from other towers didn''t inquire further.
"The paper bird keeps spinning to the right, does anyone know why it''s doing that?"
"Paper bird, please, just go straight. Paper bird. Paper bird. ...Hey, you little bird bastard!"
There was a more urgent task in front of them.
Soon, the festival of summoning mages (mixed with some dark mages) would be held, and to receive points from Professor Millei, they had to show something with the paper bird.
Summoning a paper bird was now something that all students taking summoning magic could do, but...
Improving it was no ordinary feat.
What many students chose was mand recognition''.
Originally, a paper bird summoned with a magic circle only followed setmands, but if that function was added, additionalmands could be given.
What a small number of skilled students chose was ''voice addition''.
They made it possible to have conversations even from a distance by putting voice information into the paper bird.
...And Yi-Han was alone studying remote viewing magic.
The trick Professor Millei had shown with the paper birdst time.
This trick of moving the paper bird and sharing its vision with the mage himself looked simple, but the principles behind it were extremelyplex.
Summoning the paper bird, creating vision for the eyeless paper bird, connecting consciousness so that the mage could see that created vision, and by this point, it was more convenient to directly control it, so control was also needed...
"Wardanaz. Isn''t it too difficult?"
"Last time, when I tried to add voice, you sided with the professor, right?"
"..."
The friend who spoke wrongly and received Yi-Han''s murderous intent quietly shrank back.
The sin of agreeing when Professor Millei said it was better to do something more difficult had not disappeared yet.
''I just agreed because the professor said so...!''
"I, I didn''t do anything?"
Nillia whispered from the side, and Yi-Han nodded approvingly.
"But Nillia."
"Yeah?"
"It would be better to redraw that line in the magic circle. It''s crooked, so if you circte mana three times, the line will probably break."
"..."
Nillia muttered inwardly, ''You''re the one who should be doing something difficult,'' and fixed it.
Meanwhile, a few external dark mages timidly approached Professor Millei.
Professor Millei, who was having a conversation, pointed to Yi-Han. The dark mages bowed their heads several times and thanked her.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
"Damn it. I thought dark mages couldn''t ask such things."
"??"
Nillia was puzzled next to him, wondering what he was talking about.
Even if dark mages weren''t sociable, surely they wouldn''t be unable to ask questions.
...Right?
"Are you student Wardanaz?!"
"Yes... well..."
"I want to ask about golems!"
"Ah... is that so?"
Yi-Han began to guess why the dark mages hade to find him.
Seeing them talk about golems...
"Wait. The fact that you came to find me because of golems... could it be that the guys who carried wooden swords on their waists mentioned me?"
"Pardon? Uh... I think they did."
"..."
"..."
"Hey. Let''s go prepare somewhere else."
"Get up quickly. That Wardanaz guy is going to beat up the White Tiger Tower guys soon."
"Priest. Please get up quickly."
"Wa, wait. Where are you going?!"
The White Tiger Tower students desperately tried to hold onto their friends from other towers, but their friends coldly shook them off.
Fortunately, Yi-Han did not carry out bloody revenge. It was because the dark mages were still in front of him.
"That golem, I just repaired it, I didn''t make it."
"Pardon? I know."
"...??"
Yi-Han was slightly taken aback by the dark mages'' reaction.
Huh?
"If you repaired it instead of making it, isn''t it not that amazing?"
''It''s amazing, you crazy bastard...''
A student next to him thought inwardly.
Even just repairing it was amazing.
The dark mage seemed to think the same way, as an answer came back immediately.
"That''s also amazing... but what we''re curious about is golem control."
"Golem control?"
"Yes!"
"I just did chores to some extent..."
"Yes. But ordinary mages can''t really do chores with golems."
"..."
Ah!
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Chapter 411
Chapter 411
Yi-Han smoothly changed the subject, realizing his mistake.
"But you don''t make golems do tasks that require a lot of strength?"
However, as if proving theirck of sociability, the dark mages reacted coldly.
"No... Why golems...?"
"Isn''t it a waste of mana? Do Einroguard mages use golems for that?"
"Wouldn''t it be better to just hire workers with money?"
''Dark mages reallyck consideration.''
Yi-Han cursed the dark mages inwardly.
Not knowing that the student in front of them was grumbling inside, the dark mages continued their questions.
"Anyway, we don''t do chores with golems, so we were greatly impressed to see chores being done with golems at Einroguard."
"That''s right. To think of doing chores with golems. It sounds absurd, but if you think about it, isn''t it the most effective training?"
"I just did it because there was no other way..."
Yi-Han tried to exin that there was no other choice but golems if he wanted to finish all the work within the set time and secure food.
However, the dark mages admired him once again.
"You mean there was no other way for golem training?!"
"...No. I''m saying there was no other way to do chores and receive food."
The dark mages ignored Yi-Han''s additional exnation as just a joke and admired him on their own.
"Oops. We were so surprised that we didn''t exin ourselves... We are dark mages who came to participate in this festival. Don''t be too surprised just because we''re dark mages. There are many dark mages who are quite skilled in summoning magic."
The dark mages hurriedly exined that they were not strange people, worried that Yi-Han might run away screaming, ''Ahhh, dark mages!''
However, it was meaningless. The student in front of them was an outstanding dark mage from the beginning.
"We specialize in golem research... We''d like to hear a bit about how student Wardanaz controls golems. Most rumors about dark mages are malicious false rumors, so please don''t believe them too much..."
Seeing the dark mages rifying that ''dark mages are actually okay'' with every word, it was a bit pitiful.
''I should end it simply.''
"Yi-Han is also learning dark magic, so you don''t have to keep saying that."
Gainando, who was listening, intervened.
He was upset because it seemed like the dark mages were constantly disrespecting Yi-Han.
However, the dark mages were startled and asked back.
"You''re learning dark magic?"
"Huh? Yes."
"Th, then you''re a dark mage?"
"Uh... in a way?"
"Don''t tell me that golem was also with dark magic?!"
"I don''t know about that... Yi-Han. Yi-Han?"
Gainando, who was calling Yi-Han, flinched.
Yi-Han was staring at Gainando with eyes colder than the eternal snow of the permafrost.
"...Di, did I make a mistake?"
Yi-Han didn''t answer.
"...Will it be resolved by skipping dinner?"
Yi-Han didn''t answer.
"...Then until the next morning??"
"Enough, I''ll see youter."
Gainando, who was trying to somehow resolve it by skipping two meals, made a tearful face.
''It''s all because of the dark mages!''
Why did theye to the summoning festival and cause thismotion out of nowhere!
¡ª
"Inanimate object summoning this way!"
"Living creature summoning, pleasee this way."
"Let mepare it with the documents you submitted. Open your reagent pouch."
The senior disciples of Professor Millei, the summoning magic major students of Einroguard, worked hard to manage the mages who came to the festival.
Unlike otherrge festivals in the empire, the festival was a small festival where only mages gathered, but in a way, that made it more dangerous.
If mages caused idents even with ordinary people around, how many idents would they cause without ordinary people?
"He... here."
"Three containers of Negelep seeds, one container of peace grass, one pentagonal bead with a fire spirit trapped inside, tentacles of Gkalman... Wait. Tentacles of Gkalman weren''t in the documents. What is this?"
"...Please overlook this. It''s essential to summon something stronger. If you think about how powerful a being the tentacles of Gkalman can call..."
"Are you crazy?? Were you trying to summon a giant sea monster behind our backs just now??"
"N, no. What are you saying? It''spletely controble."
"Put down the reagent pouch and throw the staff on the ground! Know that if you move, one of your limbs will break."
"Wh... why are you doing this! I thought Einroguard mages would naturally understand this much!"
"Shut up and get down!"
"Ugh! Why my magic...!"
Those who tried to deceive Einroguard or other mages and make dangerous attempts were caught and dragged away.
Seeing that, the summoning mages shook their heads and said.
"Such people appear every year."
"That''s right. I understand the greed to prove one''s magic at the festival, but magic that one can''t control is no different from a disaster."
"Ah. Professor Millei. Hello."
The summoning mages showed respect-filled greetings to Professor Millei''s appearance without exception.
Among the summoning mages gathered here, there were many whose specialties didn''t ovep.
Some specialized in artifacts with self-awareness among inanimate objects.
Some specialized in giant golems among inanimate objects.
And some specialized in spirit-type creatures among living beings...
They all had their own specialties, but Professor Millei''s skills were outstanding enough to be respected by all such summoning mages.
The senior Einroguard students, who reconfirmed their teacher''s position among mages, looked at each other with satisfied eyes.
Outstanding professor, many new students entering every year, diverse and interesting curriculum, a bright future for the school.
The summoning magic school was a textbook-like and exemry school within Einroguard with no ws.
"The 1st years are doing well, right?"
"I heard they''re doing well."
"We should treat them well. The teacher will be secretly disappointed even if she pretends not to be."
When it was time for a short break during the organization, the senior students whispered.
Unlike the 1st year students, the seniors who had learned under Professor Millei for several years could guess their teacher''s inner thoughts to some extent.
Although Professor Millei seemed not to be swayed by the students'' grades due to her strictness, she unexpectedly took pride in her students.
If the 1st year students showed a performance that fell short of expectations in front of the mages from outside, how disappointed would Professor Millei be inside?
The senior students hoped that the 1st years would show outstanding performance, even if only to not disappoint their teacher.
"It''ll be either a paper rat or a paper bird, right?"
"I took a peek, and it was a paper bird."
"Ah... a paper bird will be difficult?"
"Should we help them even now?"
"Leave it. It''ll backfire if we get caught. It''s the punishment room."
The other seniors stopped a senior student who was trying to write various tips on paper and pass them on.
Magic bloomed from the effort of steadily researching and training on a regr basis, not just by listening to others'' advice.
"But there''s a good 1st year, I heard? From the Wardanaz family."
"The Wardanaz family! ...Even so, aren''t first-years usually too overwhelmed? They''ll be so hungry that they won''t have the mind to study magic or anything."
The students recalled their own 1st year.
Honestly, in the 1st year, it seemed like they searched for things to eat more than studying.
Memorizing all the types of weeds and wild grasses rolling on the roadside, memorizing the appearance and how to deal with monsters appearing near the academy, desperately learning magic that helps secure food first...
...When did we really study magic?
"Ah. That first-year from the Wardanaz family?"
"You know him?"
"...I heard from Direth and Coholti, but it''s a bit strange. Even if I don''t know about Coholti, Direth isn''t someone who would talk nonsense. But..."
"What did you hear? That he''s not a person but a transformed dragon?"
"First of all, I heard he''s taking lectures from all the schools of magic."
"Oh no."
"Why is he doing such a crazy thing?"
"There are sometimes guys who want to destroy themselves."
The seniors reacted with pity rather than surprise.
It wasn''t that mages couldn''t take lectures from various schools of magic, but they didn''t.
Because they would die if they took them all!
"So is he still alive?"
"I heard he''s taking them all together in the 2nd semester too, ranking first in all the academy lectures."
"..."
"..."
A silence filled with horror.
"...Could he be a rtive of Professor Garcia?"
"He''s from the Wardanaz family. You crazy bastard. How can he be a rtive of Professor Garcia?"
"It... it doesn''t make sense."
The seniors were agitated.
Although Einroguard was the ce that gathered the most outstanding talents in the empire, even so...
"There were rumors of a monster entering in the 1st year, but it''s not a rumor, it''s a real monster."
"But in a way, isn''t it fortunate? If there''s such a guy in the 1st year, the teacher won''t be disappointed."
"Right. He''s someone we can trust in terms of summoning magic skills, right?"
The senior student who heard from Direth and Coholti hesitated and opened his mouth.
"That''s true, but..."
"Why? What, do you still have something to say?"
"So when the King of Frost Giants was summoned in the 1st semester, he..."
From the King of Frost Giants incident to what happened during the break.
It was a considerably reduced and summarized incident, but the seniors'' expressions distorted.
"...You were fooled by Coholti."
"That guy exaggerates a lot."
"Re, really??"
The student who conveyed the story also had doubts from the beginning, so his voice gradually weakened.
As expected, it felt too absurd...
"Wait. Why are dark mages gathered over there?"
"I''ll go check just in case."
"Yeah. Even if they insist on summoning strange undead, never allow it. If a strong one is summoned, it''ll be troublesome... Huh??"
"Huh??"
The summoning magic students who were talking hesitated in bewilderment.
There was a 1st year student among the dark mages.
...Why are you there!?
¡ª
"Wow... it''s really amazing."
"I know, right?"
The dark mages who saw Yi-Han controlling the golem sent gazes of admiration.
To think that such detailed control is possible.
"Even if you consume a lot of mana, you wouldn''t just consume raw mana, so how do you save mana?"
"...I just use it while consuming raw mana."
"I see that the core of this golem is quite damaged, so how are you moving it?"
"...The core was damaged!?"
"..."
The dark mages were so perplexed that they didn''t know whether to admire or be dumbfounded by this student.
His appearance of controlling the golem was like a skilled dark mage who had reached the realm, but his knowledge was like a novice dark mage who had only learned for a few years.
"What is everyone doing?"
While they were murmuring, mages from other ces approached.
At that sight, the dark mages frowned. They were those who specialized in golems among summoning mages.
Even within the same school, there waspetition if they had the same research topic, and if they were from different schools, thepetition was even more fierce.
"Get lost. Don''t spy on someone else''s golem."
"Ha. Why would I spy on a golem summoned with dark magic? Pure summoning magic is enough."
"Enough, my ass. Was it because it was enough that the leg of the golem you summonedst time flew off with a single magic spell?"
"Th... that was a temporary phenomenon that urred because I reduced the armor and changed the material for mobility! Your golem that copses and rolls with a single holy magic... Uh?? Wh, what is that?"
The golem summoning mages were shocked to see Yi-Han controlling the golem to do chores.
What the hell did those dark mages do?!
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Chapter 412
Chapter 412
"What?! How with a golem?!"
"How in the world!"
At the reaction of the golem summoning mages, the dark mages were puzzled at first, but btedly realized the situation.
It was clear that they had misunderstood after seeing Yi-Han, an Einroguard student, controlling a golem.
"Ah. That wasn''t done by us..."
"Quiet! Be quiet. We... we can figure it out."
"No..."
The dark mages were flustered.
They tried to exin, but the summoning mages refused due to their pride and started pondering among themselves.
"What is it? How is he enduring such waste with a golem? The mana consumption must be extreme?"
"Isn''t he collecting the emitted mana and recovering it?"
"How efficient is that! It would be difficult to recover even a tenth of it. Co, could it be that he developed a magic circle of a method we don''t know?"
"Dark magic... Is there something like that in dark magic? The rare properties of negative mana..."
"I''ve never heard of such a thing! If there was something like that, we would have known too!"
"Other methods? Other methods??"
"Don''t stare too directly. Isn''t it obvious! Take a peek."
The summoning mages groaned and whispered.
They were peeking at the golem due to their pride, but they couldn''t figure it out at all.
It wasn''t a new magic circle they didn''t know, it wasn''t using new materials, and it was an ordinary golem on the outside...
How the hell is he operating it to repeat such delicate movements while maintaining mana?
"Could it be that he just put in a lot of mana?"
"...Even if you can''t find an answer, do you want to make such a nonsensical joke?"
There were no magic stones or potions around the golem, so such a crude method couldn''t be the answer.
"Hey."
"Wait! Just wait a moment."
"No... just exin..."
"Wait!! I said wait a moment!! Ugh!!"
"..."
The dark mages had a displeased expression.
They couldn''t feel good about the behavior of those who used to fight every time they saw each other''s faces.
They were just trying to inform them...
"Ugh... Ugh... Ugh."
"Ugh... Ugh... Ugh."
"Ugh. Ugh."
The summoning mages kept pondering.
Some summoning mages were so frustrated that they had tears in their eyes.
Not only were they falling behind the dark mages in golems, but they couldn''t even guess how.
When the summoning mages sent a gaze of defeat, trembling with humiliation, the waiting dark mages suddenly felt their hearts pounding.
Huh?
"Actually, what happened was..."
"Shh. Wait a moment."
"Why?"
"Let''s not tell them. Those guys said there''s no need to exin."
"...!"
Not knowing that the dark mages were ying a wicked trick, the summoning mages said, gritting their teeth.
"It''s not... it''s not over yet. I don''t know how you did it, but I will definitely give you an answer before this festival ends. Just wait!"
The summoning mages couldn''t stay there any longer, so they hurriedly turned around, enduring the humiliation.
The dark mages had no particr answer, so they justughed.
"...Kekeke! Kekekeke!"
"Wahahaha!"
"...Just you wait!!"
After the summoning mages left, the dark mages looked at each other with exhrated faces.
When was thest time they felt this refreshed!
"...Excuse me. Dark mage sirs?"
"..."
When Yi-Han, who was watching what happened from behind, called out, the dark mages finally realized their mistake.
¡ª
"Why aren''t the golem guys preparing and doing that?"
"Who knows? Did some problem ur?"
Other summoning mages were puzzled by the atmosphere of the golem summoning mages.
Among inanimate objects summoning magic, mages specializing in golems had loud voices and great pride.
It was natural since golems were intuitively powerful summons and in high demand in the empire.
But today, the atmosphere was as if someone had died...?
"Are you okay? If you don''t prepare, should we go first?"
"...Do as you please..."
"!?"
When the guys who would have normally jumped up and down, saying, ''How dare you covet someone else''s turn!'' yielded with a paleplexion, everyone was startled.
"Can we really go first?"
"Yeah..."
"You guys who usually look down on sentient items, are you really okay?"
"Yeah..."
"...No. Are these guys really okay?"
"I''m worried about this..."
At first, the summoning mages tried to just pass by, but they started murmuring.
They were starting to seriously worry about the golem summoning mages.
Even ordinary people who didn''t know magic had a hard time getting out of the swamp of depression, but mages were especially more dangerous.
Because an exploding mage was several times more dangerous than an exploding ordinary person.
If an ident urred...
"Hey. I know you''ve hit a wall. But nothing will change by being gloomy like that."
"That''s right. Come here. At times like this, it''s better to not think about anything and watch other mages'' magic. Right. Einroguard students will show summoning magic, so let''s watch that. It''s not often you get a chance to see the most orthodox magic. They''re disciples of the famous Professor Millei."
"Even if they summon something small..."
"...Can''t we just throw these bastards in a pit and leave?"
"Shh. Endure it."
Other summoning magesforted and soothed the golem summoning mages with the friendship of fellow summoning mages.
In the end, the golem summoning mages got up, pretending to be defeated.
"Phew... How the hell did he do it?"
"I don''t know what it is, but stop worrying about it! Let''s watch the students'' magic."
"Is it a paper bird?"
"Already at that age?!"
"You still can''t summon a paper bird?"
"I, I''m not suited for it..."
The summoning mages sat in the spectator seats, chattering this and that.
Among the summoning mages participating in today''s festival, there were quite a few who could use higher circle magic than Einroguard students.
However, there were very few mages who had solidly built up all the basics of summoning magic like Einroguard students.
Magic was a narrow and difficult path even for those with chosen talent.
There weren''t many mages who could endure and build other foundations while holding back the things they could do right in front of them, and there weren''t many environments where that was possible.
As such, the 1st year students of Einroguard didn''t look like juniors at all to the mages participating in today''s festival.
They looked like the precursor of a huge wave that started rushing in from the distant vast ocean, still small but easily able to cover a small boat once it gained momentum.
"They''re starting. It''s a paper bird!"
"Clean! Summoning it in one go!"
Admiration and apuse leaked out among the summoning mages.
However, some summoning mages were just watching without much change in expression.
They were among the most skilled mages participating in this festival.
As they knew the level of Einroguard, they didn''t admire it that much.
"Juniors, please..."
"Shh. The teacher will hear."
The seniors anxiously watched. They could feel Professor Millei getting nervous while pretending not to be.
"Stop right there!"
Swish-
When the paper birds that were flying straight stopped, the apuse and cheers intensified. However, the seniors let out a small sigh.
They noticed the minor mistakes made by their juniors.
"They should be able to stop immediately upon hearing themand, but they were a bitte."
"The movements weren''t clean either..."
"There was waste when making the magic circle. Mana is leaking, so the movements are shaky like that."
As expected, the skilled summoning mages remained expressionless.
The next paper birds that flew in spat out voices.
Apuse and cheers erupted, but the expressionless faces of some summoning mages still didn''t change.
"They should have made it sing! They should have made it sing instead..."
"You couldn''t even seed, and you''re telling the 1st years to do that??"
"If they had just seeded, there would have been a standing ovation!"
"Let''s just go and threaten them to stand up now. It''s better than going to the punishment room."
While the seniors were chattering, a 1st year student btedly flew a paper bird. It was the student whounchedst because the preparation took the longest.
"...Oh, isn''t that Wardanaz? The one who was with the dark mages earlier."
"Why was he with the dark mages?"
"Who knows...? Is there anything in dark magic that helps with paper birds?"
The paper bird Yi-Han sent out was ordinary.
It flew up into the air in circles like other paper birds and slowly glided in the air.
Many summoning mages apuded but were puzzled.
''Is he justte?''
''I should apud so it''s not embarrassing.''
Even the seniors were startled and didn''t notice right away.
"Is it because he couldn''t prepare in time?"
"Did the dark mages hold him back? These dark mages...!"
"No. He''s originally a guy who takes dark magic..."
Whoosh!
One of the expressionless summoning mages suddenly stood up from his seat and sent a gaze to Professor Millei.
Professor Millei nodded with a blunt gesture. It meant she allowed what he was about to do now.
Suddenly, a spirit hawk appeared in the air. The spirit hawk that popped out flew fiercely and tried to tear the paper bird apart.
Yi-Han controlled the bird while holding back a curse.
''Are you crazy?!''
Attacking someone else''s summon out of the blue while they were demonstrating.
If it were Professor Bdi, he would have immediately shouted, ''Attack the main body.''
It was a rudeness that would have broken a few bones of the opposing mage if it weren''t for the festival venue.
Yi-Han gritted his teeth at the opposing mage''s vile act of attacking while many eyes were watching and concentrated.
''Evade, evade, evade...!''
Swish!
The paper bird showed unbelievable maneuvers and avoided the attacks.
Once, twice, thrice.
"...!!"
"Th... that?!"
Then, the summoning mages who couldn''t recognize it also started to be surprised.
"What''s wrong? What happened?"
"Look at the movements! Those movements!"
The movements of a paper bird summoned with a pre-recorded magic circle had to be limited.
Even if it tried to evade, it was impossible to endure the attacks of a fierce and swift summon like a spirit hawk.
But now, the paper bird was avoiding it with surprising uracy.
It was clear that the mage was directly connecting his consciousness and controlling it.
Whoosh-
''...Are you really crazy!?''
Yi-Han was enraged when some unknown mage sprayed vision-obscuring fog.
Not only attacking the paper bird but also spraying fog to prevent proper control.
Vowing to see him after it was over, whether it was the punishment room or not, Yi-Han focused on remote viewing.
If he couldn''t see with the mage''s vision, he would just see with the bird''s vision.
''Just endure a little... Done!''
Fortunately, the remote viewing magic worked properly. The paper bird avoided the spirit hawk''s attack once again.
Realizing that there was no need for further confirmation, the summoning mage sent the spirit hawk back to its original realm.
And with a dignified gesture, he reached out his hand.
"Congrattions. Professor Millei. You have an excellent disciple."
"I knew Einroguard students were outstanding, but I didn''t know it was to this extent."
When the seated summoning mages all stood up and left congrattions, a subtle joy lingered in Professor Millei''s eyes. The seniors also let out a sigh of relief upon seeing their teacher''s reaction.
"There are still many shorings. That magic was also just imitating my magic. He will have to create his own magic soon."
"There''s no need to be too hasty. A young mage with that level of skill will soon find his own path."
''Our teacher is really too much sometimes, isn''t she?''
''I know, right.''
The seniors clicked their tongues at the sight of their teacher saying her disciple wascking even in this situation.
She''s really too much, no matter what!
Bang!
"Which mage sprayed the fog just now..."
"Ah. This is the mage who impressed us."
"I was moved."
Yi-Han, who was about to vent his anger, quickly grasped the situation after seeing the atmosphere of Professor Millei and the surrounding mages.
"Thanks to the consideration of spraying it, I was able to ovee the crisis."
"What. I never had any ulterior motives. Hahaha!"
''...Didn''t that junior look angry just now? Was it just my imagination?''
"No way!!"
"!?"
They thought themotion was over, but suddenly there was a loud shout from behind.
The golem summoning mages were looking at Yi-Han with a shocked gaze.
"He, he wasn''t a dark mage?!"
"Then how the golem... no... what the... paper bird... uh... both...?!"
"Hey. You guys right now..."
The summoning mages next to Professor Millei frowned.
It was good to be confident, but what rudeness was this in someone else''s territory?
"No! Please wait a moment! He controlled a golem! A golem! I saw it clearly with my own two eyes!"
"He can also control golems! He controls them amazingly..."
The summoning mages who didn''t know the reason frowned, thinking the golem summoning mages were talking nonsense.
What are they saying to a 1st year student who is tired from controlling a paper bird?
Noticing that, Yi-Han whispered to Professor Millei.
"I think it would be better for you to mediate appropriately, Professor."
"You''re right. Student Yi-Han."
Professor Millei adjusted her monocle and opened her mouth.
"Let''s show golem control as well."
"..."
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Chapter 413
Chapter 413
Meanwhile, the summoning mages next to Professor Millei warned in a stern voice.
"If you continue to disgrace the summoning mages attending the festival, I''ll let you know that the pit over there is still empty."
"It, it''s true...!"
"Please let him control the golem just once! Then you''ll know that we weren''t talking nonsense!"
"What kind of absurd thing are you saying...!"
Before the anger poured down like lightning, Yi-Han opened his mouth.
"I''ll just show you."
"...Huh?"
"I did control it earlier."
"Really?"
The nearby mages were startled.
"The paper bird must have been quite difficult just now..."
"It''s fine."
"Professor Millei. Shouldn''t you stop him?"
The mages were worried that the outstanding talent might get injured due to overconfidence.
However, Professor Millei slowly shook her head as if it was alright.
"I appreciate your concern... but it''s not good to stop someone who wants to try it themselves. Just watch for a moment. If it''s dangerous, we can stop right away."
''...The teacher seems really excited now. Am I seeing it right?''
''I think she''s definitely expecting it now.''
The seniors were dumbfounded by Professor Millei''s appearance of hiding her anticipation and pretending not to know.
Was she pretending not to know to subtly brag about something that could be simply exined to outsiders right now...?!
¡ª
Golems had an innate charisma that made it natural for golem summoning mages to take pride in them.
The sight of a mere 1st year student controlling a golem with innate skill turned the seated summoning mages into a crucible of enthusiasm.
-Wooooow! Did you see that? He moved the legs!-
-Uooooh! Did you see that? He moved the arms!-
-Kyaaaah! Did you see that? He turned the head!-
"Ugh. If I were a golem, I''d receive such praise too."
"..."
While Gainando was talking nonsense, the golem summoning mages watched as if enchanted.
The mages next to Professor Millei who had praised Yi-Han''s magic earlier asked with genuine curiosity.
"How in the world does he control it like that?"
Other mages focused their ears while pretending not to.
How in the world?
"I just controlled it with mana."
"Just with mana? Then the consumption would be too severe, are you okay?"
"Yes."
"..."
"..."
While the mages at the scene were trembling with shock and awe, the golem summoning mages who were also surprised flinched.
Huh?
"...Wait. Dark mage bastards. What you said earlier is different, isn''t it?"
"What are you talking about?"
"That there''s a secret method..."
"When did we say that? You misunderstood."
"..."
The golem summoning mages red at the dark mages as if to kill them.
However, there was nothing particrly wrong with what the dark mages said. In the end, the golem summoning mages loosened the strength in their eyes and epted it.
"Fine. I admit it."
"Surprisingly, you admit it readily?"
"Well, that student is a summoning mage. If you think about it, it''s something a summoning mage aplished, so there''s no reason to stubbornly deny it."
"What nonsense are you talking about!? He''s a dark mage! He''s learning dark magic!"
The golem summoning mages and dark mages fiercely argued for over ten minutes about ''which school of magic is Wardanaz?''
Yi-Han, who had finished the golem summoning, saw that conversation and was disgusted.
''I must never get involved.''
Why such a pointless conversation?
"Alright. Let''s bothpromise."
"Yeah. Let''s acknowledge that both sides have some stake."
Seeing them even reconciling, Yi-Han shook his head.
"Why suchpetition..."
"Ah. There''s a reason for it."
"?"
A mage kindly exined.
"Doesn''t it determine which academic society or gathering you can invite them to depending on which school of magic they belong to? That''s why they''re doing that."
"...???"
The infinite study of magic was often out of reach for even outstanding individuals to explore alone.
At such times, what helped were other mages of the empire who majored in the same school of magic.
The new opinions shown by mages with different perspectives in academic societies or gatherings often awakened mages who had hit a wall.
One of the most important things in these academic societies or gatherings was...
"Inviting outstanding mages."
"I see... Wait. Then if the two sidespromise like that, what happens?"
"Both of them get to invite?"
"..."
Yi-Han''s face contorted in agony.
"Isn''t it a bit... presumptuous to invite a 1st year student?"
"Haha. It''s the skill that matters. Not inviting a mage who has demonstrated such magic, even if not from Einrogard, would beughable to any school."
Unaware of Yi-Han''s difort, the mage continued to press the point. Yi-Han endured the pain with patience.
"Good work."
''Those detestable...''
Yi-Han choked up at Professor Millei''s words, feeling a surge of indignation.
After making him do it!
Thanks to that, Yi-Han was set to continuously receive invitations from both the golem specialist summoning mages and dark mages who participated today.
''Endure it. The other party is a professor.''
Yi-Han slowly tried to back away.
For now, he had done everything he had to do today.
He showed summoning magic at the festival, and even showed the golem that he didn''t need to show...
It was safe to say he had exceeded a perfect score.
Right then, a familiar face appeared from behind.
It was Professor Mortum.
"Ah. Professor Mortum!"
The dark mages recognized Professor Mortum''s face and were delighted.
The disciple of the notorious grand mage Gonadaltes, and the great dark mage who inherited the advancement of the empire''s ancient dark magic!
"Ahem. Did Wardanaz show any undead?"
"He didn''t show any?"
"Oh well."
Professor Mortum was disappointed.
Of course, in front of Yi-Han, he had prophesied something like, ''Your skills will be revealed even if you stay still,'' but Professor Mortum was a dark mage, not a divination mage.
Even Professor Mortum couldn''t know whether Yi-Han would really show his abilities as a dark mage or not.
''Did he just pass by?''
Professor Mortum looked around and searched for Yi-Han.
And after finding Yi-Han, he shouted.
"Ahem. Mr. Wardanaz. Summon some undead!"
"...!"
"!!!"
¡ª
Yi-Han had to put on a skeleton warrior summoning show for a while.
Only after the dark mages showed a sea of tears, saying, ''Is the new grand mage only appearing now?'' did Professor Mortum apologize.
"Ahem. Sorry about that. I didn''t know you had already shown it with a golem."
"..."
"But while golems ovep with the realm of summoning magic, undead are pure dark magic. So it wouldn''t have been bad to do it."
"..."
"...Are you perhaps angry?"
"Me? No."
"Ahem. That''s a relief. Even after the festival ends, the dark mages will stay in a nearby town for a few more weeks, so how about visiting once? It will help with dark magic."
"Isn''t going out prohibited?"
"...Ahem. Ahem."
Professor Mortum felt a strange pressure and coughed.
It was as if the pressure he felt when the angry Professor Garcia stared at him intensely was rushing in.
"Th, that''s right. I made a mistake."
"Wardanaz. They''re summoning spirits over there, want to go together? You could summon spirits, right?"
At the voice of other friends passing by and calling Yi-Han, the mages participating in the festival pricked up their ears.
Professor Mortum quickly intervened and dissuaded them.
"No, that''s not it! He can''t summon spirits. You guys seem to be very mistaken!"
"Huh? Is that so? Wardanaz, before, you su..."
"Now! Hurry up and go watch! The spirit summoning is starting now!"
Only after sealing the students'' mouths could Professor Mortum let out a sigh of relief.
His disciple''s sulky expression seemed to have softened a little bit too.
"Excuse me. Professor Mortum."
"What is it?"
"Can he really not summon spirits? Can''t you make him try once?"
"...Ahem. Get lost."
¡ª
As a tough week ended and the weekend approached, smiles and anticipation appeared on the students'' faces.
Although it was a cold and hungry school life, at least on weekends, rtively pleasant things remained.
If they finish today''s lecture, it''s the weekend!
''Once this is over, it''s the weekend.''
''Although there''s still ss duty left.''
''Although there are still assignments piled up.''
''Although we have to go secure food.''
Thinking like that, the students who were moving their feet paused.
Huh?
"...?"
"Wardanaz, why are youing this way?"
The lecture they were going to attend now was .
They knew that in the 1st semester, Wardanaz didn''t attend this lecture. The Blue Dragon Tower students spected, ''This lecture must be too easy for Wardanaz.''
"I''m going to attend starting from the 2nd semester."
"Why? Didn''t you say you weren''t interested?"
Gainando asked without much thought. Then Yi-Han asked back with a serious face.
"Did you finish all the assignments for other lectures?"
"...Wh, what did I do wrong??!"
Yi-Han was forced to attend the lecture due to the skull principal''s evil cheating.
Naturally, he wasn''t in a good mood.
''The summoning magic festival would have been better.''
At the summoning magic festival, every mage he saw harassed him to show magic, but at least there was a sense of fulfillment that he was getting closer to an A+.
Inparison, the dance and socializing lecture...
"Yonaire. What kind of person is the professor?"
Yonaire, who was covering her mouth and yawning, wiped the slightly gathered tears and answered Yi-Han''s question.
"A very famous person in the empire''s social circles. Have you heard of Crinbal Greenbel?"
"I don''t really read the social section in imperial newspapers..."
"Actually, I didn''t read it either, so I heard about it for the first time in the 1st semester."
Both Yi-Han and Yonaire were the type of people who would read the economics section of imperial newspapers over and over again, but skim through the social section.
Articles like a new club opening in the capital, a new social gathering being formed, or a socialite starting a trend with a shy dance made them drowsy if they read more than one line.
"What I''m curious about is the personality... Anyway, it''s not a mage from Einroguard, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then the personality should be fine?"
"...Huh?"
Yonaire tilted her head.
Something was strange with the logic.
"Is... is that so? I don''t think so?"
"Ah. Does the personality seem strange?"
"Ah, no... The personality is good."
"Then it''s right, isn''t it?"
"???"
Yonaire couldn''t refute Yi-Han''s oddly logical argument and missed the timing.
"Now! Everyone,e in. Open the door wide ande in! Light footsteps! Dignified expression! No matter how tired you are, you must forget your worries at least when dancing!"
In the middle of the lecture room decorated like a ballroom, a spider mixed-blood dancer in a shy tailcoat was waiting.
It was Professor Crinbal Greenbel, who was in charge of the lecture.
p p p!
Professor Crinbal continuously pped and weed the students.
"Student Gainando! Why do you have such a gloomy face! Now! Walk in while stepping as we learnedst time!"
"Sob. I keep losing in Mage Cards, so I''m angry."
"Even if you lose in Mage Cards, dancing willfort you! Now! One, two! One, two!"
Yi-Han, who was relieved by the professor''s hearty and kind appearance, suddenly remembered something and asked Yonaire.
"Does this professor give good grades?"
"Huh? Yeah, this professor is quite generous with them."
"..."
Yi-Han suddenly recalled his past self who went to Professor Bdi''s lecture room that others didn''t attend in the 1st semester to get grades easily.
"...Sigh. I should not have looked for shortcuts..."
"??"
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Chapter 414
Chapter 414
In a moment of revtion, Yi-Han turned away, suddenly understanding why the path of wickedness could never triumph over the path of righteousness.
The students who entered the lecture room did not immediately practice dancing, but all sat on chairs in the corner and started picking up cups.
"?!"
Yi-Han was shocked.
What is this?
''Are they rebelling against the professor?''
However, instead of sending the students who were rebelliously acting up to the punishment room, Professor Crinbal personally poured coffee and tea that he brewed with a very careful and kind hand gesture.
"Yo... Yonaire. What in the world is this?"
"Ah. The professor thinks ''dancing is no good if forced.''"
Yonaire said while pulling a chair and sitting down.
Professor Crinbal disliked forcing students who didn''t want to dance to dance.
Dance was something that flowed from the heart.
If one didn''t dance when one truly wanted to dance, that wasn''t dance.
"...????"
Yi-Han was confused whether this was Einroguard or a tavern in an outside town.
''Could such a sentiment really exist in Einroguard?''
"What do students who don''t want to dance do during the lecture?"
"Huh? Sit... and watch?"
"..."
Yi-Han looked around at the students.
Surprisingly, as Yonaire said, the students were chatting in a familiar manner as if it was nothing.
Squeak!
"Did you just grind your teeth?"
"You must have heard wrong. Anyway, Yonaire. Even if others y around, I missed the 1st semester."
Yi-Han tried to quickly catch up on the missed lessons.
If it were other lectures, he was confident he could catch up even if he fell behind, but dance and socializing were a different story.
As he had continuously neglected it, Yi-Han didn''t know much about dance, etiquette, and social skills.
For dance, all he had was what he learned intensively during thest break, and for etiquette and social skills, all he had was what he learned from the Wardanaz family...
"He evaluates a few dances during the exam, right? The dances that are popr these days are roughly..."
"The professor doesn''t strictly judge one by one like that."
Yonaire tried to dissuade Yi-Han, who seemed to be misunderstanding something.
Professor Crinbal really didn''t evaluate that strictly.
He always said things like ''What is dance,'' ''It''s not how many dances you can do that determines a dancer, but how joyful a dance you can do,'' ''A dancer who dances one dance ten thousand times is more beautiful than a dancer who can do ten thousand dances''...
"I understand for now. I''ll teach you what I know..."
"Professor!! Professor!!"
While the two were talking, Gainando, who was discussing Mage Cards with Professor Crinbal up front, suddenly shouted.
"What is it that you''re calling me like that, student Gainando? Did you think of something fun?"
"I will teach Yi-Han!!"
"Good enthusiasm!"
Professor Crinbal unconsciously praised him since the student was saying something enthusiastically, but then he flinched.
"Wait. I heard student Yi-Han is quite an amazing dancer, but you''re going to teach him?"
"?"
Yi-Han, who was listening, flinched.
Where did that misunderstandinge from?
''What is it? Did the White Tiger Tower guys spread false rumors to screw me over?''
"But there must be dances he missed because he couldn''t attend the lecture! I will teach him!"
"No... Can''t I just learn from Yonaire?"
Yi-Han called out, but Gainando ignored him.
No matter how you looked at it, objectively, in Gainando¡¯s mind, Gainando himself was a much better dancer than Yonaire.
"...Alright! Even if there''s nothing to learn, friendship is great. Go ahead and teach him!"
As Gainando ran over excitedly, Yi-Han suddenly became anxious.
A faint fragment of truth was felt in Professor Crinbal''s words.
''This guy''s dancing skills don''t seem very good...''
Yi-Han stared at Gainando with doubtful eyes but decided to endure it for now.
At least he had attended more lectures than Yi-Han, and seeing him step up like that, he must be confident in teaching.
There must be something to learn from anything.
¡ª
When Gainando stepped on Yi-Han''s foot for the thirteenth time, Yi-Han kicked Gainando''s shin.
What learning!
Bam!
"Hey. Go over there and do your homework."
"Hmph."
The students from other towers who were watching from the side couldn¡¯t help but admire him.
"To exceed ten times. Damn it. I thought he would explode after five times."
"I told you Wardanaz is surprisingly lenient to those from the same tower. Come on. Hand it over. It exceeded ten times. The bet is my victory."
"Ha! So there was a way to get revenge on Wardanaz like this."
"Anyone want to apply to dance together next time? I want to step on him too."
"..."
When Yi-Han turned his head, the chattering students lowered their gazes.
Professor Crinbal spoke with genuine apology.
"I''m really sorry, student Yi-Han! I thought it would be fine since student Gainando has talent even if his steps are clumsy!"
"I, I see."
Yi-han''s opinion of Professor Crinbal slightly diminished.
"But I''m d to see that student Yi-Han is an outstanding dancer as rumored!"
"Are you talking about me?"
"Yes!"
"I don''t know many dances though..."
"The number of dances isn''t important, student Yi-Han! What''s important is here."
Professor Crinbal tapped his chest and then stomped the floor with his heel.
"The amount of mana?"
"Of course I''m talking about the heart! And student Yi-Han already has a sincere heart for dance!"
Yi-Han really couldn''t understand.
Of course, he knew that Professor Crinbal was a kind professor who believed in the students'' potential, but what did Yi-Han do to be praised like that?
"Why do you think that, Professor...?"
"I heard from Lady dne!"
"!"
Yi-Han finally recalled that Professor Crinbal''s family was the Greenbel family.
A traditional family in Granden City where he spent his break.
If they were from the same family, it wouldn''t be strange for him to have heard some of the things that happened during the break.
''Wait. Something''s strange.''
He recalled, but the question wasn''t easily solved.
In good conscience, Yi-Han didn''t deny all the things he did during the break.
Defeating the King of Ghouls, saving the knights, repelling the Basilisk¡ªall those things really happened.
But did Yi-Han ever do anything with dance?
''There was nothing like that?''
"Professor. No matter how much I think about it, I hardly danced during the break."
"Student Yi-Han, dance isn''t important. Dance is just a way to convey sincerity!"
"No, I mean I didn''t dance..."
"But those who have set foot in Granden''s social circles want to invite student Yi-Han again! Are you going to refuse these invitations? Are you going to disappoint them?"
Yi-Han was about to thoughtlessly answer ''yes,'' but he barely held onto his sanity and tried to think about what the professor said.
''What...?''
Professor Crinbal kindly exined for Yi-Han.
The Dargard family''s twins, Asan''s older brother and sister, the royals he met, the Aphar Order, Yoanen from the Maykin family, the knights that were indebted to him, and so on.
Even if just one of these people talked about the things he did, rumors were bound to spread quickly.
"I understand there are many rumors... but what does that have to do with dance..."
"Student Yi-Han. A true dancer captivates people even without dancing!"
"What kind of nons?"
"In that regard, student Yi-Han is doing very well right now! Don''t be too obsessed with dance, think of the people at the asion first. That''s true socializing!"
Yi-Han''s mind became hazy at the professor''s logic, iming that receiving many invitations to social circles by any means necessary made one an outstanding dancer.
"...I understand."
Yi-Han thought he should step back for now and study dance separately.
However, Professor Crinbal didn''t let Yi-Han go easily.
"Student Yi-Han. I''ll give you an assignment for your sake! Go to the gatherings that call for student Yi-Han and converse with them! So that I can hear student Yi-Han''s fame and praise!"
''Heavens, I miss Professor Bdi.''
Yi-Han was shocked at the professor''s absurd assignment.
"Can''t I just memorize dance moves and practice in the lecture room?"
"Dance isn''t like that! And student Yi-Han''s dance is sufficient as it is now. What''s important is captivating people''s hearts!"
"That''s right. Wardanaz. Dance isn''t a technique, it''s about moving people''s hearts."
"Your technique is enough! You have to prove it directly, Wardanaz!"
Friends who were inspired by Professor Crinbal''s dance theory tactlessly intervened from the side.
And they flinched upon meeting Yi-Han''s gaze.
"Ah... no. If you don''t want to prove it, it can''t be helped..."
"Ri, right. Actually, it seems like you''re already sufficiently moving hearts now."
¡ª
"Phew... Bandur. Have you been well?"
"Of course. You don''t look well though."
"Everyone''s like that. It''s always tough managing the ck market. One piece of pork, two bundles of rye bread, please."
Weekend.
Yi-Han, who came to the ck Tortoise Tower''s ck market to prepare meals for the priests, sighed and held out a bottle of alcohol.
Unlike other lectures where he was somewhat trained, the shock of encountering a new lecture still lingered painfully.
A White Tiger Tower student who was bartering with an ink bottle and paper next to him was startled and confronted him.
"Wait, why does that Wardanaz bastard have so much meat?! We also exchanged with the same bottle of alcohol!!"
"Well, when I exchanged with you, I was Bandur, and when I exchanged with Wardanaz, I was Bandur who worked hard managing the ck market. Got it?"
"What a petty bastard...!?"
Whether the two fought or not, Yi-Han finished the trade, wrapped it in paper, and prepared to return.
"Wardanaz."
"!"
Salko, a dwarf-like elf student, called Yi-Han in a small voice.
It was obvious that he had something to discuss secretly, so Yi-Han also checked his surroundings and walked over.
"What is it?"
"I have some useful information. I heard the White Tiger Tower guys are attempting to escape this weekend."
"Really?"
Yi-Han wasn''t very surprised.
Originally, Einroguard students wanted to escape when they stayed still, then they calmed down a bit when they entered the punishment room, and after some time, they wanted to escape again.
Just as hamsters instinctively tried to get out of their cage, Einroguard students also instinctively attempted to escape.
"Aren''t you intrigued? Wondering what route they''ve found?"
"...Ah. You want to rob them with me?"
"Of course. Why else would I call you?"
Salko looked at Yi-Han as if it was absurd.
Would he call the busy Wardanaz to chat?
Of course, he wouldn''t call him if it wasn''t for an official reason.
''What''s so obvious, you crazy bastard...''
Yi-Han cursed Salko inwardly.
If someone heard, they might think Yi-Han was a professional robber.
"I''ll pass this time."
"What!?"
Salko was genuinely surprised.
To think that beast-like Wardanaz would yield.
"Are you sick somewhere? Could your injury be severe??"
"...It''s not that, I have a lot of things to do, and the information the White Tiger Tower guys brought was often ureliable, you know."
"Hmm!"
Of course, Yi-Han said that because he was nning to go out briefly through the spire stable, but it was quite persuasive, so Salko flinched.
He clearly remembered the bloodshed they''d suffered in the first semester, having trusted the White Tiger Tower''s intel.
"Is that so? They were indeed a bit stupid... Thanks, Wardanaz. I''ll think about it."
"Yeah. Make a careful judgment."
"Alright. If you change your mind and want to rob them together, contact me."
Yi-Han nodded.
"It doesn''t matter even if it''s in the middle of the night, so make sure to tell me if you change your mind."
"...I said I won''t."
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Chapter 415
Chapter 415
After finishing the trade and returning, Yi-Han quietly did the things he needed to do without making a fuss and prepared to go out.
He made meals for the priests and served them, listened to the winner''s doctrine lecture this time (surprisingly, thepetition event the priests chose this time was polo), and in the remaining time, he studied and did homework in advance...
Thus, when it was past midnight and around 2 a.m.
Yi-Han had arrived in front of the Amur stable.
"May luck rain upon you."
"Thank you as always."
Seeing Yi-Han quickly changing into civilian clothes, Amur thought anew.
''He seems too skilled for a 1st year.''
Who would guess that this student was an Einroguard freshman?
¡ª
Objectively, the number of times Yi-Han went out was not that many.
However, Yi-Han set out to work so skillfully that even the picky Einroguard seniors acknowledged, ''I couldn''t do it better than that even if I did it myself...''
A prepared freshman.
That was Yi-Han.
As soon as dawn arrived and it was time for the town stores to open, Yi-Han quickly ran along the new road and purchased the necessary supplies as he encountered them.
Rice, barley, rye, lentils, onions, potatoes, peas, garlic, goat''s milk, olive oil and coconut oil, peaches, grapes, melons, bananas...
''I should also get some luxury items.''
A few sauces in jars, peanut butter, slightly spicy tomato sauce, coffee powder and tea leaves, maple syrup, t cookies, and chocte.
''It would be better to bring meat too? There''s a limit to what can be secured internally.''
Although he couldn''t bring much due to the volume, he got salted herring or sardines,mb and pork sausages with the innards removed, canned beef, and even duck meat.
Before the morning was even over, Yi-Han finished preparing all the supplies.
Boxes packed so tightly that not a single strand of hair could fit in.
Seeing that, Yi-Han suddenly felt a bit of remorse.
''Hmm. Did I buy too much like a madman?''
If someone saw, it would look like a person evacuating due to a rebellion rather than a student returning to a magic academy.
"Were you still resting? If you haven''t started preparing yet, let''s have a cup of tea together..."
Amur, who woke upte, saw Yi-Han standing outside and thought he hadn''t started preparing yet.
However, when he opened the door, boxes piled up like mountains came into view.
"...Are you done?"
"Yes."
"...Th, then let''s go have a cup of tea."
Amur opened the door to the Jackdaw Teahouse in Philonae Town, ordered two cups of tea, and sat down.
Instead of sitting by the scenic window, Yi-Han went to the innermost seat.
It was a position where passersby couldn''t easily see his face due to the partitions.
Also, if he threw himself there, he could jump out the window or back door. Yi-Han carefully checked the escape routes in case of emergency.
"Do, don''t tell me you''re worried someone might chase you now...?"
"I''m just being cautious."
Yi-Han spoke as if it was nothing, but Amur pondered whether he should send a secret letter to the capital.
No matter how strict the academy was, did it make sense to send pursuers because he secretly went out on the weekend?
''Could student Wardanaz be misunderstanding?''
While having such thoughts, tea and snacks were served. Yi-Han pondered how he could take some of the dasik (tea cakes) made by kneading rice and honey.
"Ex, excuse me..."
"??"
In the quiet teahouse.
When a new customer who looked tantly suspicious entered, both Yi-Han and Amur flinched.
In the big city of Granden, it wasmon for people to cover their entire body with a cloak like that, but it wasn''t thatmon here in Philonae Town.
"What is it? Did any strange customers happen to visit the town recently?"
"There was no such thing... Hmm... Ah. A group of strange people who kept talking among themselves, ''We should also repair golems like that,'' dide to the town."
"...I''m sorry. Those people are mages invited for the festival."
"Is that so? Oh, there were dark mages too?"
"Dark mages can also be invited..."
Yi-Han corrected Amur''s prejudice.
Amur was surprised that dark mages could also receive invitations.
"Anyway, other than the mages, there were no other visitors, right?"
"As far as I know, that''s right."
Yi-Han and Amur stared at the newly entered customer with suspicion.
From the outfit to the behavior, anyone could see it was tantly suspicious.
However, the misunderstanding was quickly resolved.
Swish-
"Ple, please don''t tell anyone that I came here. If you keep this wooden sword, can I get some food and drink?"
"...What are you doing there, Ango?"
Yi-Han asked in shock upon seeing the White Tiger Tower student.
At Yi-Han''s call, Ango almost fell over with a startled scream.
"Wa... Wardanaz!"
"Yeah."
"Did youe to catch me on the professor''s orders! You bastard!"
"...No. I came out first."
"!?!"
¡ª
Yi-Han and Salko evaluated it negatively, but surprisingly, the escape route the White Tiger Tower students found this time was real.
Even an elephant can step on a mouse if it keeps walking backward.
''Amazing!''
Yi-Han was honestly surprised.
These guys actually found it.
"What method did you use?"
"There was a summoning magic festival this time, right? Because of the festival, quite a few merchant carriages came in..."
The carriages that entered when the main gate was open.
The White Tiger Tower students targeted those carriages.
Since the surveince would be rtivelyx with peopleing and going, let''s secretly enter those carriages and escape!
It was a brilliant method that took advantage of the situation''s weakness, although it couldn''t be used regrly.
''I got attacked by anti-magic extremists when I tried something simr, but these kids are lucky.''
Yi-Han grumbled inwardly.
"Wait. Did only one or two of you escape? You guys move as a group."
"Yeah. We moved as a group."
"Then how did you manage to hide in a carriage?"
Yi-Han, moving alone, had no trouble getting on a carriage.
Not only he has invisibility magic, but adding one more person didn''t stand out much.
"...We didn''t hide."
"What?"
At Yi-Han''s question, Ango answered with a flushed face of embarrassment.
"I said we didn''t hide."
"Then...?"
"...We caught the merchant employees, locked them in the carriage, and rode together."
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han and Amur stared at Ango in shock.
That''s...
Carriage robbery!
"You..."
"Don''t say it! Wardanaz, I know too, damn it!"
"You''re not a knight, but a robber..."
"Sob."
Ango bit his lip, feeling ashamed even in his own thoughts.
"But there was no other way! How do we persuade the merchant employees! Anyone would..."
Ango, who was talking, suddenly looked at Yi-Han and changed his words.
"...At least we had no other way!"
''Didn''t this guy just look at me?''
"Right. It''s not my ce to say anything. I might have done the same in your position."
At Yi-Han''s words, Ango''s face brightened a little.
He didn''t expect Wardanaz to say that.
"Once you miss an opportunity, it''s hard to seize it... Anyway, I understand that each of you seized an easy carriage and squeezed in. Then you seeded, but why do you look so wretched?"
"Well, about that..."
"??"
"After passing through the academy gate and going out a bit... we... released the employees."
"...Don''t tell me..."
Yi-Han was shocked again.
"Don''t tell me you released them near Einroguard? You should have released them after getting far from the academy, apologizing for what happened today, appealing to their sympathy about how painful the harsh rules of Einroguard are, and promising topensate them with your family''s name, right?"
"...Were you with us?"
Ango grumbled with a pout.
How convenient would it have been if Wardanaz was in the same carriage!
"No, wasn''t there a single person among the White Tiger Tower guys who thought of this?"
"Well... we only released them from our carriage."
"..."
"..."
Amur, who was listening quietly, tapped his forehead.
This was why it was difficult to act as a group.
There was always one loach that turned the situation into a mess.
"This is a secret, okay? The others still don''t know which carriage had the staff released first..."
"You''re bragging, you bastard."
Yi-Han sighed.
It must have been a disaster for the other White Tiger Tower students who didn''t know the situation.
"What did the released employees say?"
"They thanked us for releasing them, so I thought it was okay. We also apologized."
"Weren''t their eyes perhaps burning with anger?"
"Uh... they immediately ran to the main gate and reported us..."
"..."
He could guess what happened next without hearing it.
The Einroguard summons waiting at the main gate must have popped out and started chasing the carriages, so the White Tiger Tower students had no choice but to flee in all directions, startled.
Most of them would have been caught...
"How did you manage to escape?"
"..."
"I asked how did you escape?"
"...I, I hid in a box."
"In a box? In a carriage box?"
"Uh..."
Ango spoke with an even redder face.
No wonder there was a strong scent of moth repellenting from Ango, he must have been inside a reagent box.
"Yeah. Good job... What can you do now? Wait. I understand you''re worried about getting caught, but why are you bartering with a wooden sword?"
"Because I don''t have silver coins!"
Ango spoke as if he was truly aggrieved.
Students who were thoroughly scammed in the 1st semester prepared for the 2nd semester.
Since silver and gold coins were confiscated when entering the magic academy, it was easy to have difficulties when going out.
So some clever students went to a merchant group in Philonae Town and entrusted money along with a certificate.
And the even cleverer skull principal disguised himself as a student as soon as the semester began and withdrew all the entrusted money.
"...Did you think entrusting it to a merchant group wouldn''t get caught? You should have entrusted it to a ce that seems unrted to you. Or carried it around by exchanging it for artifacts with high liquidity."
"...Ugh..."
Ango was distressed by Yi-Han''s point.
If only he had done a little better...!
"Enough. You''ve had a tough time. I''ll buy this, so drink up."
"Re, really???"
"...Yeah."
Yi-Han ordered dasik because Ango''s face looked so pitiful. Ango stuffed the snacks into his mouth until his cheeks burst.
Amur whispered from the side.
"Einroguard students don''t seem to be all the same."
"...Haha. Students are all different."
Yi-Han fell into thought while Ango was gobbling.
''Things have be annoyingly unsettling because of these guys.''
Since he didn''t know how far the pursuers would chase, he couldn''t wander around with peace of mind.
There was nothing more unfair than getting caught together for no reason.
Fortunately, he had finished all the necessary preparations in the morning, but...
''I need to secure more silver coins.''
Yi-Han had secured a certain amount of gold and silver coins now, but looking at Einroguard, the more funds, the better.
He was nning to go around the stores and exchange this and that in the remaining time today, but the situation had be annoyingly unsettling.
If the skull principal''s death knights were waiting...
"Excuse me, aren''t you a mage?"
"!?"
Yi-Han btedly realized that he had let his guard down due to the conversation with Ango.
He immediately grabbed the back of Ango''s neck, pushed him forward, and prepared to escape through the back exit.
However, there was no need for that. The other party was a familiar face.
It was Gubon and Bijidek, the adventurers he had done a mission with during thest break.
The two greeted Yi-Han with very delighted faces.
"It is you, Mage! But... the person in front... why...?"
"My hand slipped."
Yi-Han let go of the back of Ango''s neck and dusted off his hands. Ango red at Yi-Han.
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Chapter 416
Chapter 416
"What brings you here?"
"Ah. It''s because of a mission. Oh, let me introduce you. Hey. Everyone. This person is a grand mage. The one I mentioned before. Do you remember?"
"..."
"..."
When Gubon and Bijidek introduced Yi-Han to the adventurers behind them, both Yi-Han and Ango froze.
"I''m not a grand mage..."
"Oh. You''re not?"
"You''re... not?"
While it was understandable that adventurers rarely met mages, even Ango tilted his head, making Yi-Han consider hitting him.
"Who are you talking about? Gubon, if it''s the mage you mentioned... Gasp!"
One of the adventurers widened his eyes as if he remembered. Gubon looked at his teammate with an expression that said, ''You finally remembered.''
"Th, that story about the mage who joined the party, kept watch with magic, lit fires with magic, summoned water with magic, cooked with magic, and conquered the cave with magic, is that what you''re talking about!?"
"I thought Gubon was underestimating me and talking nonsense..."
"..."
As the adventurers murmured, Gubon''s face turned bright red.
What a disgrace in front of the grand mage, no, the mage infinitely close to a grand mage, to whom he owed a great debt.
"Why would I talk nonsense!! Are you disrespecting me!?"
"Ah, no. Sorry. It sounded too absurd."
"I may not know much about mages, but I know enough to tell that what you said, Gubon, is strange."
"Ugh...! These stupid guys, in front of whom...! Re, recently, have you heard about the mage who subjugated the King of Ghouls!? That''s this person!"
"The King of Ghouls!?"
The adventurers were even more shocked.
Adventurers who traveled around the empire had many opportunities to hear rumors.
When they recently returned to Granden City, they heard stories about the King of Ghouls a few times at the tavern, and that was?
"No, why would such a mage be with you, Gubon...?"
"I''m not disregarding your skills, Gubon, but you''re not an adventurer capable of serving a grand mage, right?"
"..."
As Gubon trembled, Yi-Han thought he should intervene, if only to quell themotion.
¡ª
"Ah. So you''re from Einroguard. That''s why..."
The adventurers nodded their heads in understanding.
Of course, not all students who attended Einroguard could demonstrate magic like Yi-Han, but the adventurers didn''t know that much.
They just epted that he was a great mage because he attended a great magic academy.
"I''m stillcking in many ways as a student. And many things about the subjugation are exaggerated too."
"Aha. So what Gubon said also had a lot of exaggeration?"
"That part is true."
"..."
"...???"
The adventurers were confused but epted it for now.
"By the way, what mission did youe here for?"
The reason Gubon and the adventurers came here was because of a mission they recently received.
-There have been reports of unusual phenomena urring frequently in the ck Boulder Forest near Philonae Town. It seems there has been a change in the flow of mana, so please check the forest and investigate thoroughly.
It wasn''t an extremely dangerous mission, but it wasn''t something just anyone could do either.
The mana scattered in nature flows and gathers, causing various changes, and sometimes, anomalies ur that can surprise even experienced adventurers.
''The connection to the undead realmst time was also such a phenomenon.''
The experience to assess the situation and investigate, and thebat power to escape and report when something happens were essential for this job.
Gubon and the adventurers had that level of ability, so they were recognized as qualified to carry out the mission.
''Oh.''
Yi-Han looked at the mission the adventurers received with a slightly admiring gaze.
Just from the exnation, he could feel that it wasn''t something just anyone could do, but a mission that only experienced adventurers with quite a bit of experience could handle.
''The reward must be good too. I should have received such a mission.''
The mission he received during the break was too much of a loss no matter how he thought about it.
If he had known the King of Ghouls would appear, he wouldn''t have gone around collecting in that area.
Yi-Han also wanted to do a mission where he just investigates and receives gold coins.
"But we encountered a problem... We''re currently debating whether we should back out or not."
While investigating the ck Boulder Forest, the adventurers realized that the terrain of the forest kept changing.
The gathered mana was creating illusions to confuse the intruders.
Right now, it was just the terrain changing, but if the illusions intensified, their lives could be in danger.
The adventurers were pondering what to do.
"Ah. Can''t we ask for Mage''s help? Meeting like this is also fate."
"Don''t say stupid things. Would Mage be interested in such a trivial mission? It would be mere pocket change for him."
''That''s not true.''
Yi-Han almost turned serious.
The adventurers seemed to have a huge misunderstanding about mages.
"Butst time, the Mage worked together with Gubon..."
"That must have been because of the King of Ghouls. Gubon probably just yed the role of a guide."
Gubon was dumbfounded by his teammates who tantly spoke in front of him.
But he couldn''t refute it.
Because that was the extent of his role!
"...It''s not like I''m only interested in things like the King of Ghouls. I''m the type to be interested in any mission."
"Huh? Is that so?"
"But why...? It can''t be because of the gold coins...?"
"It must be for the acquisition of knowledge."
"Aha."
Instead of pointing out the adventurers'' misunderstanding, Yi-Han returned to the main point.
"If it''s alright, I''d like to help. I have a connection with Mr. Gubon here."
Gubon had a touched expression.
"As for the reward..."
"Please make sure to ept it, Mage!"
"That''s right. Of course, this level of reward may not mean much to you, Mage, but it''s a principle as an adventurer. If you help with the work, you should receive the reward."
"...Ah. Yes. Well."
Yi-Han was about to say ''You must make sure to give me the reward'' but felt embarrassed.
''Not bad.''
To think he would obtain gold coins so easily. Yi-Han thought for the first time that he did well to be a mage.
Other adventurers had to umte all sorts of experience and results, but mages could participate just with that title.
He did well to be a mage!
Moreover, if he traveled with adventurers, he could avoid the eyes of potential Einroguard pursuers.
"Hey. Wardanaz..."
Ango, who was listening from the side, whispered in a dumbfounded voice.
"We''re 1st years. Are you confident you can solve it?"
"Ango. Do you think I would have brought it up without thinking that much?"
At Yi-Han''s confident words, Ango had an ''oops'' moment.
Come to think of it, although Wardanaz was also a 1st year, he was a mage on a different level from Ango.
''Right. This guy was from the Wardanaz family.''
Ango nodded his head as if he understood.
"I asked a stupid question. Indeed, if you''re confident, it''s best to ept unconditionally in this situation. We''ll attract much less attention if we go together. With your level of skill, it''s enough..."
"Yeah. I''ll ask Ms. Baldoorn toe with us."
"...????"
Weren''t you going to solve it?
¡ª
Baldoorn, the illusion mage of Philonae Town.
She was close to an ordinary mage without outstanding skills, the kind you could see if you traveled to various towns.
Those who studied on their own by obtaining magic books, or tried to learn by finding a guild or a mentor but had limits to their skills, often stopped like this and used magic as a means of livelihood.
Naturally, Baldoorn had long lost any ambition to see the end of truth and the other side of the world through magic.
"..."
"Doesn''t Mage''s expression look a bit strange? Is she displeased?"
"Were we too rude?"
"...N, no. That''s not it."
Baldoorn quickly exined to the adventurers.
It seemed her frustrated emotions were all showing.
''Why does an Einroguard student keeping here...''
Baldoorn, who went out without much thought at the sound of someone knocking on the door, was so startled that her heart sank.
The familiar Einroguard student hade again.
-Ms. Baldoorn. Could you perhaps help?-
-...Why... No... Alright¡-
Baldoorn couldn''t bring herself to refuse Yi-Han''s coercion, no, mission.
How could she refuse when doing business with magic in a town near Einroguard?
The students were acting kindly now, but who knew what kind of retaliation she might faceter.
"Ms. Baldoorn is not the kind of person to act like that."
Yi-Han firmly told the adventurers.
"We apologize. We misunderstood."
"We''ve heard a lot that mages are all difficult to deal with..."
The adventurers apologized with a sincere attitude. That made Baldoorn even more burdened.
''If we can''t solve the forest problem, will they get angry?''
Mages from ces like Einroguard had an innate aura.
Even if such mages made mistakes, the people of the empire didn''t protest much.
-Ah, if Mage failed, it must have been a really difficult task!-
However, mages like Baldoorn didn''t have such an aura.
If she made a slight mistake in control, she would immediately receive this kind of reaction.
-Failed? A mage? Is that mage really a mage? Isn''t she a fraud?-
They seemed to be experienced adventurers with some career. Thinking about what might happen if she failed, her stomach was already starting to ache.
"It''s an illusion."
Yi-Han warned first. He felt an unusual flow of mana in the hazy fog.
"Oh no!"
"The range... has expanded to the entrance of the forest."
The adventurers frowned.
The range of the illusion''s influence had expanded to the entrance of the forest.
It wasn''t a good sign.
"Ms. Baldoorn. Can I try blowing it away with the method I learnedst time?"
"Yes. ...Yes?"
"Then I''ll blow it away."
Baldoorn, who was answering absentmindedly, was startled and tried to ask again.
''What did he learn? I don''t remember teaching him?''
However, Yi-Han, who received the answer, didn''t hesitate and immediately swung his mana like a hammer to blow away the fog.
A destruction method that breaks the structure itself with a strong impact instead of reading and interpreting the structure.
"..."
Baldoorn gaped at that crude solution.
''He''s actually using that????''
It was a method that existed in theory, but it was only used for very weak or small-scale illusion magic. To blow away the entire fog enveloping the entrance of the forest, he couldn''t even imagine how much mana would be consumed.
The adventurers who didn''t grasp the situation nkly watched and asked.
"Is it solved?"
"Yes."
"That''s amazing!"
"...I didn''t do anything."
"And humble too!"
"..."
Baldoorn really wanted to go home now.
¡ª
After that, Baldoorn and Yi-Han continued to break the illusions in the forest and find the right path with outstanding observation and amazing magic.
Baldoorn handled the observation, and Yi-Han handled the resolution.
When Yi-Han asked a question, Baldoorn reliably confirmed it.
The adventurers could only admire that perfect coordination.
"But why is that mage just staying still?"
"He''s conserving mana."
"..."
Ango was also very wary.
He wanted to help if he could, but...
''I have no idea even if I look!''
From the outside, it just looked like he was crudely wielding mana to blow away the fog.
Of course, it wouldn''t be like that, and there must be some extraordinary principle behind it...
But he had no idea what it was.
As Yi-Han blew away another fog, Ango let out a deep sigh as if frustrated.
"Phew."
And Baldoorn also let out a deep sigh.
"Pheeeew..."
"...???"
Ango wondered why this great mage was acting like this.
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Chapter 417
Chapter 417
''Could it be that Wardanaz''s magic is unsatisfactory? Even so, this is too much.''
Ango thought inwardly.
Even so, if the Einroguard professors saw Wardanaz now, they would have no choice but to acknowledge that he did well.
But to show such dissatisfaction.
It was too strict, even for being strict.
"Mage. Would you like to take a short break?"
"Pardon?"
Baldoorn, who was sighing, was startled by the adventurers'' question.
A break when she hadn''t even done anything.
How could she rest when she had to be mindful?
"It, it''s fine."
"Gasp... Is that so? Alright."
The adventurers epted it with a surprised look. Baldoorn wondered if she had made some mistake.
''Oops...!''
Come to think of it, the adventurers suggested taking a break not because of Baldoorn, but because of Yi-Han.
A mage''s mana wasn''t infinite, and if he kept using magic consecutively like that, it would be right to take a break.
"Th, that''s not it!"
"The mage is stricter than I thought. Even so..."
"Shh. Don''t upset him. Be quiet."
Baldoorn, who realized it btedly, tried to quickly resolve the situation, but the adventurers were already murmuring, ''Heavens! She''s so strict it''s terrible.''
Baldoorn, who had suddenly be a strict and terrible person like the mages of old, made a tearful face.
"Excuse me... Let''s rest for a bit before going."
"Huh? I''m fine though."
"I''m not fine."
"Haha. Ms. Baldoorn. If you''re saying that out of concern for me, I''m really fine. I have plenty of mana."
"..."
¡ª
The summoning mages and dark mages who had participated in the festival folded their arms and red at the ck rock.
"Hmm."
"Hmmmmm."
"Hmph."
"Hmmmph."
"Can we not just stop this and acknowledge each other? It''s hard to say..."
"Quiet! Be quiet!"
"Who admitted to not knowing? It''s not over yet!"
Mages who had put their heart and soul into an academic society or festival tended to temporarily be idle once it ended.
Few were as bored as these mages.
The mages who gathered in a nearby town after the festival to chat excitedly heard the rumors circting around and became intrigued.
-I heard unusual phenomena are urring in the ck Boulder Forest due to mana?-
-Then, shall wepete to see who solves it first?-
Curiosity was a virtue that mages naturally had to possess.
The mages who heard the interesting rumor flocked to the forest in droves.
There were illusions blocking the entrance, but they were no match for the experienced mages.
After thoroughly searching the surroundings, what the mages discovered was that the mana in the forest was concentrating on one spot.
-The mana is concentrating on this ck rock... It''s strange. I can''t figure out why it''s concentrating.-
-Not only that, but isn''t it also strange for such an ordinary rock to continuously withstand this much mana? There seems to be something, but¡-
-I heard from the vigers that this rock has been here long before the forest was named. If the forest''s mana has been continuously umting, it exins why it''s so sturdy.-
-Even if that''s exined, what''s the reason for the forest''s mana flow to gather here?-
-Hmm.-
-Hmmmmm¡-
Even if a peculiar phenomenon urred, the mages gathered here thought they could sufficiently solve it, so they rushed over, but unexpectedly, it wasn''t being solved and they were stuck, so beads of sweat started to flow on the mages'' faces.
Originally, they should have put their heads together, exchanged opinions, and solved it, but the mages gathered here weren''t from the same school or guild.
Until a few days ago, they were in a rtionship where theypeted against each other at the festival.
It was difficult to readily acknowledge it, if only for the sake of pride.
''I can''t be the first to acknowledge it. If those guys acknowledge it first...''
''I absolutely won''t acknowledge it first! If those bastards acknowledge it first...''
While the mages were groaning and pondering around the ck rock, Yi-Han''s group appeared from afar, opening a path.
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised to see the ck rock where the forest''s mana was thickest and the mages surrounding that rock.
"There are people who arrived first."
"Oh, no!"
The adventurers eximed with a change inplexion.
They looked more surprised than when the forest''s fog intensified.
"This is bad, Mage."
"It doesn''t seem... that serious?"
Yi-Han was startled because the adventurers seemed too surprised.
Of course, if the mages there now were those who had sold their souls to evil magic, it would be understandable to be surprised.
However, the mages there weren''t that kind. Moreover, seeing from afar, they looked familiar.
They were definitely the mages who had participated in the Einroguard festival not long ago.
''They must havee after hearing the rumors.''
It was natural for mages to gather like this when they heard a strange rumor while staying in a nearby town.
"Is it perhaps because there are dark mages? Contrary to rumors, dark mages don''t necessarily raise undead and ruin the surroundings."
"Huh? No. It''s not because of that, but because of the mission."
Peoplemonly thought that most of the difficulties adventurers faced whilepleting missions were rted to the mission''s content.
But unexpectedly, there were also many external difficulties unrted to the mission.
The current situation was like that too.
They had to approach the ck rock in the middle of the forest and investigate the surroundings, but there were mages who had already taken the spot.
Naturally, there was no need or reason for the mages to yield.
Moreover, in such situations rted to mana, mages never yielded.
Gubon and his colleagues already felt a headacheing on, thinking about how to persuade the mages.
"Can''t we just ask?"
"Hah. That won''t be easy. Mages don''t readily yield in situations like this, right? They won''t yield until they''re satisfied themselves."
Baldoorn, who was listening from the side, also opened her mouth as if she sympathized.
"That''s right. Mages are a race that absolutely won''t yield in a situation they''re so interested in."
"Indeed! Ms. Baldoorn sees through everything."
''Stop it, you bastards.''
Baldoorn cursed inwardly and turned her gaze.
Considering that she hadn''t been able to do anything so far, she wanted to somehow persuade those mages well, but...
No method came to mind at all.
''If I talk to them, they''ll probably tell me to get lost right away.''
The mages of the empire weren''t so generous that they would listen to a mission from a lowly mage they had never seen before.
''Reagents... What reagents do I have? Sulfur powder is too cheap... Will they get angry if I give this as a bribe?''
Baldoorn, who was pondering, raised her head at the movement she felt in front of her.
Yi-Han was walking towards the mages.
"!"
Baldoorn was startled.
Even if he was an Einroguard student, it was unknown whether those mages would tolerate it...
"I got permission. I think you can investigate."
"..."
"..."
Baldoorn and the adventurers looked at each other with nk gazes.
¡ª
"Wow, there was a lot of talk that it would be difficult for you toe out, so I didn''t have high expectations!"
A summoning mage pushed a dark mage aside with his shoulder and approached Yi-Han.
"Ha. Of course he cane out! No matter how strict Einroguard''s rules are, they can''t be that unreasonable. Students are human too."
The dark mage retorted like that and tried to step on the summoning mage''s foot.
As the mages approached Yi-Han while clumsily pushing each other aside, pressure fell on Yi-Han, who was trapped between them.
"...Everyone. Did I do something wrong?"
"Ah, no. It''s because those dark mages are pushing so rudely!"
"You shouldn''t listen to the summoning mages! Those cunning fellows!"
Yi-Han slowly pushed the mages aside to the left and right. Yi-Han''s strength, trained at Einroguard and in swordsmanship, was not something the mages could handle.
"I''m also d to meet you all. But if I waste my short outing time on unnecessary things, it would be too regrettable."
''It''s not an outing.''
Ango thought inwardly.
He escaped together, yet he had such a confident attitude!
Right now, Ango was anxious to death, not knowing when they might get caught...
"...You''re right."
"We showed an unseemly side of ourselves."
As the mages reflected on themselves and reconciled, Yi-Han had a pleased expression.
"Now then, could you perhaps tell me about your investigation of that ck rock over there?"
''I''m lucky.''
He had the ulterior motive of taking advantage of the friendship while he was here, but unfortunately, the situation was different from Yi-Han''s expectations.
"Not yet..."
"Pardon?"
"We were still investigating."
"...All of you gathered here??"
The mages suddenly coughed and avoided his gaze.
They now felt embarrassed that they hadn''t properly exchanged opinions because they werepeting with each other.
"Th, that can happen. The investigation could be very difficult..."
Yi-Han''s constion felt even more painful. The mages hurriedly started sharing information.
-The mana flowing through the forest is all gathering here, but the flowing mana isn''t all at the same level. I summoned a sound spirit earlier to find the path, remember? There were paths where the illusions were rtively weak and paths where they were strong. The eastern path over there has very powerful illusions, making it impossible to pass through, but the southern path we passed through is much easier.-
-...Wait. Mr. Wardanaz here came from the east?-
-I had Ms. Baldoorn''s help.-
-Oh. Is that so? How did you break through? I''m curious¡-
-Ple, please. Please just proceed with the analysis? Let''s talkter¡-
-Huh? Alright. Anyway, seeing this asymmetry, I thought the ck rock might not be the cause of the situation.-
-What? Could it be that the cause is outside, and the ck rock just happened to be where the flow was most concentrated?-
-That''s right.-
-It sounds absurd... but for now, it sounds the most usible! Let''s calcte it.-
The mages did some quick calctions and showed surprised expressions.
The calction really showed that the cause could be separately outside the forest.
"Let''s go and check it out!"
"Stuck problems get solved so easily when Mr. Wardanazes. As expected, you''re a talent who will shine in the dark magic school."
"Why are you mentioning dark magic here?"
"If you''re dissatisfied, you guys mention summoning magic too."
When the mages solved it among themselves and praised him, Yi-Han spoke to Baldoorn as if dumbfounded.
"They solved it all by themselves and praise me... I''m grateful for the sentiment, but isn''t it too absurd? It''s embarrassing."
"...Exactly!!!!!!!"
Baldoorn answered with a voice full of sincerity.
Few people understood that feeling as well as Baldoorn.
¡ª
"A knight order?"
The mages who came out of the forest in droves frowned at the campsite visible in the distance.
Even if it was the same campsite, its outward appearance allowed them to guess its identity.
If it was simple, it was travelers; if there were traps and fences set up around it, it was mercenaries; if it was somewhat shabby and had a murderous aura, it was bandits...
And the only ones who would build wooden walls and finish it like a fortress even for a simple campsite like that were knight orders with strict discipline and the capacity to do so.
Just as the adventurers made a tearful face earlier, not wanting to approach the mages, the mages also grimaced, not wanting to approach the knights.
"Of all things, it had to be those guys who use their heads as helmet decorations."
"I''m worried about having to ask them to let us check inside the campsite for a moment. They probably won''t even understand what we''re trying to say."
"..."
At the mages'' sharp words, Ango felt a surge of emotion for some reason.
That''s too much!
''They''re not that stupid!''
"Is there a reason for knights to be in this area?"
"Huh?"
"I asked if there''s a reason for knights to be in this area. There was no news of monsters appearing either."
"...Huh? That''s true. Just... hunting?"
Yi-Han looked at Ango as if he was pathetic. Ango felt like he had be one of those guys who used their heads as helmet decorations.
"You saw the forest earlier, there was nothing to hunt."
"Ri, right. What is it?"
The answer came out right away.
As they got closer, the g of the knight order hanging over the campsite became visible.
It was the Chestnut Tree Knight Order.
"..."
Yi-Han stared at the g in shock.
Could it be that they really came all the way to Einroguard to invite Yi-Han to the knights'' gathering?!
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Chapter 418
Chapter 418
"Are knights usually this persistent?"
At Yi-Han''s question, Ango answered proudly.
"That''s right. Knights don''t forget favors."
"How annoying."
"!?"
Ango, who suddenly heard a harsh remark, was startled.
What did the knights do?!
''I really don''t want to go in.''
Yi-Han thought with a frown.
Since it wasn''t an official outing, it wouldn''t be good to meet many other people.
The adventurers would disappear from here once this mission was over, so they would have no reason to contact Einroguard, and the mages wouldn''t return to Einroguard since the festival was over, but...
If he met the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order here, he was worried about maintaining secrecy.
Even if he made them keep their mouths shut, secrets tended to leak out the more people knew about them.
''If I step back and have someone else do it...''
"Let''s at least talk to them first. I don''t know if those knight bastards will understand though."
"Just in case, it would be better to summon a golem too. Those knight bastards might throw a fit if they''re in a bad mood."
"Then how about secretly sprinkling some poison? There are a few mages who can use paralytic poisons."
"...I''ll just go myself."
Yi-Han said, giving up.
If he left it to the mages gathered here, a fight that didn''t exist might break out.
¡ª
Jijel spoke to Bartreck, a dwarf student from the same tower.
"Which crazy bastard released the employees right away?"
"We... well."
"...Look me in the eye. Bark. I said look me in the eye. Why are you avoiding my gaze? Not raising your head?"
"Mo... Moradi. Don''t do this. You''re misunderstanding now. I don''t know anything."
Jijel had already half-confirmed her suspicions from her friend''s reaction.
To think she attempted an escape with these crazy bastards!
''Should I really abandon them next time?''
She could understand if they did their best even if they were stupid.
But was it reasonable to forcibly take along those she didn''t want to because they were stupid, saying ''But they''re from the same tower''?
The White Tiger Tower students believed that escaping together increased the chances of sess, but in Jijel''s view, escaping alone seemed to have a higher possibility of sess.
"St... still, it worked out well thanks to the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order here..."
Bartreck carefully brought it up while gauging her reaction.
The White Tiger Tower students who scattered to avoid the pursuers.
Not many were lucky. Jijel and Bartreck''s side was one of those cases.
They discovered the campsite of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order while escaping on horseback.
Naturally, the Chestnut Tree Knight Order weed and epted these students from knight families...
...And the two students were pondering how to leave the campsite.
"Can''t we borrow some silver coins while we''re here?"
Bartreck made a remark that was unbelievable for someone from a knight family, to the point that he seemed to have no pride.
It was because the environment of Einroguard had changed Bartreck.
Fortunately, Jijel was still in her right mind. Jijel tapped the table with her finger and looked at Bartreck with contemptuous eyes.
"Borrowing silver coins from a knight of a family you have no regr ties with, putting your family''s name on the line... What a great idea."
"I knew it, right?"
"..."
Jijel was frustrated. And a curse that Jijel, as someone from a knight family, wouldn''t normally use flowed from her mouth.
Bartreck was perplexed.
"Is, is it that bad?"
"Why? Are you going to sell your family name and go around?"
"That''s a bit different from..."
Before Bartreck could further upset her, a knight of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order entered the tent.
"Is everyone doing well?"
"Yes."
"Thank you for your kindness."
"What are you saying? I only did what I had to do."
Jijel thought inwardly while exchanging conversation.
Now that they were out of the academy, they had to go to the town and buy necessary items to make it meaningful. They couldn''t keep being held up here.
The problem was what excuse to use.
If they said they were going to the town, the knights here would escort them due to their personality, and if they followed like that, they would stand out too much and likely get caught.
But if they told the truth, the knights would react like ''Even so, how could you escape?'' due to their personality.
"Oh. Your friends are here outside."
"Friends?"
The two were surprised.
Some time had passed since they scattered, so they didn''t think there would be friends who would find their way here btedly.
"Who could it be?"
"I wonder. Could it be Dolgyu? In that situation, Dolgyu..."
The two who walked out of the tent discovered Yi-Han and Ango and froze simultaneously.
"..."
"..."
Why is that bastard there?
¡ª
-You want to investigate here? Why should I allow that?-
-Actually, I''m Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family.-
-...!!! Pleasee in! Everyone,e out and see!-
-I appreciate the wee, but there''s no need to shout like that¡-
-Everyone gather!! Gather!! Ah. What am I doing? The trumpet was here.-
-...-
The wee from the Chestnut Tree Knights was honestly not surprising.
Since they made quite a fuss when they metst time, he naturally thought they would wee him.
What surprised Yi-Han was the fact that Jijel and Bartreck were at the campsite.
"Don''t tell me... Moradi. Did you know in advance that this campsite was here and used your friends as sacrificial pawns?"
"...?!"
Bartreck, who was next to her, was startled.
''Was that it?!''
"Why would I do such a meaningless thing? Wouldn''t it be more difficult to match the timing?"
"Ah. Indeed."
"..."
Bartreck red at Wardanaz.
This guy keeps sowing discord among the White Tiger Tower friends...
"And you, why are you showing your face here? Why do you have Ango with you?"
"Ah. It''s a bit of a long story."
At Yi-Han''s words, Jijelughed.
No matter how long, how long could it be?
"It''s fine even if it''s long, so tell me if you can."
"That''s right, Wardanaz. Don''t make strange excuses!"
Yi-Han shrugged his shoulders and told them what had happened as briefly as possible.
...And it was really longer than expected.
"Th... that''s how it is."
"..."
The two had no choice but to acknowledge it.
No wonder there were mages and adventurers wandering behind him, making them wonder ''What''s going on?''...
"Wait. Wardanaz."
Jijel asked with a frown.
"You must be in a situation where you secretly came out too. Is it okay to make such a big deal out of it?"
"Moradi. Wardanaz may not know about other things, but he''s thorough in these aspects, that ba? no, that guy."
"Hmm. I''m also worried now."
"..."
Bartreck red at Wardanaz again.
This bastard, really!
"But we can''t just leave those mages fighting. Oh. Are these knights really visiting Einroguard?"
"Yeah. They seem to have skillfully obtained permission. It''s a good thing."
Jijel spoke with sincerity.
As she said before, the Chestnut Tree Knight Order was a knight order with other strengths even if their military power was a bitcking.
Considering the names of the participating families, if they built friendships, it would be easier to intervene in the empire''s affairs or act politically when necessary rights were involved in the future.
Moreover, judging from what happenedst time, Yi-Han wasn''t just a mere participant in the gathering, but the main guest of honor that day.
Yi-Han''s face contorted with sorrow and pain. Unaware of his inner thoughts, Jijel spoke again.
"No matter how great a mage you are, it''s rare to be invited to a gathering of knight families, so think of it as a good opportunity and gratefully..."
At Jijel''s provocation that relentlessly scratched his insides, Yi-Han became furious.
Even if he tried to let it slide, this was unbearable.
"Sir Knight."
"Yes? What is it?"
"Could my friends here also participate in the gathering together?"
"Hmm! That''s..."
The knight hesitated.
Of course, the qualifications of the other students weren''tcking.
The other students here were all from the White Tiger Tower. They were from renowned knight families.
However, that didn''t mean just anyone could participate in a knight order''s gathering.
If participation was possible just by being from a good family, even kids would be participating in the gathering.
Yi-Han was invited as a guest to express gratitude for what happenedst time, but the others were still at the level of squires if they had to be strict about their status.
If he took them to the knights'' gathering for no reason, it could make both sides ufortable.
Yi-Han read the other party''s hesitation but didn''t back down easily.
''I absolutely won''t go alone.''
With the determination to drag the White Tiger Tower bastards here like water ghosts, Yi-Han opened his mouth again.
"Since I''m from a mage family, I''m not confident about attending the knights'' gathering alone. If close friends go with me, I think I''ll feel less nervous..."
"???"
Ango tilted his head.
Whoever the close friends were, it wasn''t him.
Bartreck also tilted his head.
Likewise, it wasn''t him.
The two turned their heads and looked at Jijel. Jijel spat out in a voice full of murderous intent.
"Turn your eyes before I gouge them out."
"Ah, no."
"We, we were just wondering... It was Wardanaz''s nonsense."
The knight eximed, tapping his chest at Yi-Han''s mission.
"...Alright! If we can''t even provide such convenience when inviting someone we owe a debt to, the name of a knight would beughable! I will strongly rmend it!"
"Thank you. Sob."
Yi-Han thanked him, pretending to be weak. The knightforted him, saying not to worry, then suddenly had a thought.
''Wait. I heard the boy from the Wardanaz family is no less skilled in swordsmanship than knights...?''
Huh?
After the confused knight left, Yi-Han spoke to his White Tiger Tower friends.
"Congrattions. You guys get to go together too."
"Wa, Wardanaz..."
"Thank you."
"...What are you thinking? Why are you doing this?"
At the three''s reactions, Yi-Han flinched.
It was different from the reaction he expected.
''What? Is this pretense?''
"You''re thanking me?"
"Huh? Yeah. Well..."
"Going out in the middle of the semester, not being able to bring any other useful items, just having pointless conversations with knights and having to return? Homework and studying will pile up?"
"...It''s not pointless, you bastard!"
"What do you think a knight family gathering is!"
The White Tiger Tower students red up, but Yi-Han ignored them.
"Even if you pretend it''s not now, your true feelings will be revealed when it''s time to goter. Yeah. Keep pretending to be happy. I''ll understand that much."
"..."
As Yi-Han turned around and walked away, the White Tiger Tower students were very confused.
"Why is that guy taking us with him?"
"Isn''t he doing that because he''s shy?"
"Moradi. What do you think?"
But Jijel couldn''t answer.
This time, even Jijel was so confused that she couldn''t understand.
Why invite them too?
¡ª
It was the mages who called out to Yi-Han, who was sternly punishing his evil White Tiger Tower friends and returning.
"Mr. Wardanaz. We have results! We found the source of the mana!"
"Oh...! That''s great!"
Yi-Han felt like he could hear the sound of gold coins jingling in his ears.
"Do you see this spring? There must have been a realm ovep phenomenon below this spring."
"Indeed."
A collision phenomenon urred around the spring, causing the mana to explosively flow out to the surroundings, and that mana circted through the forest, creating strange phenomena.
"Then how should we solve this spring?"
At Yi-Han''s question, the mages smiled as if to wait a moment and began their calctions.
And then their faces stiffened.
"Uh..."
"What''s the matter?"
"ording to the calctions, the collision is quite severe. It seems creatures from another dimension will appear from the spring soon."
"I see."
Yi-Han wasn''t very surprised.
Since it was near Einroguard anyway, he could easily handle it by telling the professors.
"How much time is left?"
"30..."
"If it''s 30 days, it''s not that difficult..."
"...It seems about 30 minutes are left... Wait, let me calcte again..."
Yi-Han''s face also stiffened like the mages.
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Chapter 419
Chapter 419
The danger of realm invasion phenomena was that it was difficult to predict what would happen.
From an extreme perspective, there could be an ovep or collision but nothing might happen at all...
Or countless beings from another realm could pour out.
One of the main tasks of the empire''s mages was to confirm and prevent such natural phenomena in advance.
If they were lucky enough to block it in advance, they could quickly resolve the situation, but if they missed it, they didn''t know how beings from another realm would encroach on reality.
In that sense, the current situation could be said to be somewhat fortunate.
After all, they found it before it exploded.
If they had more time to spare, they could havepletely closed it or resolved the collision, but they didn''t have that luxury...
"Let''s prepare first!"
"Wa, wait. It could be wrong..."
"I learned at Einroguard that usually ominous calctions aren''t wrong. Trust in your skills, everyone!"
"Mr. Wardanaz..."
The dark mages looked at Yi-Han with a slightly touched expression.
Yi-Han had to hold back his fists from flying out first at the sight of the dark mages wasting time when he was anxious to death.
''If it were Einroguard, they would have been hit on the back of the head or shin at least once.''
"Of all things, a collision. I thought it was a temporary mana pooling phenomenon."
"I''ll prepare for summoning."
As it was a gathering of summoning mages, the mages tried to summon various forces to prepare for the situation.
Yi-Han was slightly startled by that sight.
"Wait. Wait. Everyone. Aren''t you forgetting something?"
"Pardon?"
"Ah!"
One dark mage looked at Yi-Han with a grin.
"Are you saying you''ll prepare together? Alright."
"...That''s not it, there are knights here, you know."
The mages then eximed ''Ah'' as if they realized it.
Yi-Han could imagine how much of a headache it would be for the empire''s bureaucrats to manage the rtionship between mages and knights.
"But wouldn''t it be inconvenient to coordinate with those idiots for no reason?"
"They''re not idiots, they''re knights. And since it''s a knight order''s campsite, we should naturally inform them, shouldn''t we? I''ll tell them."
¡ª
"But wouldn''t it be inconvenient to coordinate with those mages for no reason?"
"..."
When the knights repeated exactly what the mages had said, Yi-Han was dumbfounded.
"Ah. Of course, I''m not talking about Mr. Wardanaz. Since Mr. Wardanaz is from a knight family..."
"Hey. What are you talking about?"
"Ah, oops. I mistook you because you''re so close with the other students."
The knight of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order demonstrated an amazing ability to infuriate both Yi-Han and the White Tiger Tower students.
"The mages who came here are different from ordinary mages. They are people who know how to respect and honor knights. Do you know what the mages said when this situation urred? ''It''s a blessing in disguise! There are reliable knights by our side!''"
"?"
"???"
The White Tiger Tower friends looked at Yi-Han as if he were crazy, but the knights of the order were pleased with those words and slyly wiped under their noses.
"Well... it''s not quite like that..."
"Wasn''t it always the knights who protected the mages when enemies appeared? The shield of the weak, the shield of the empire, and also the shield of civilization..."
1 minuteter.
The knights ran off with happy faces to prepare for battle individually.
And as soon as the knights disappeared, Yi-Han returned his expression to normal and muttered in a cold voice.
"What a bunch of annoying people."
"..."
"..."
"But Moradi. The Chestnut Tree Knight Order is... you know."
"?"
Jijel frowned, wondering what he was talking about. Yi-Han checked that no one was listening around and whispered.
"Their skills. Are their skills decent?"
"Ah."
Jijel immediately understood what he meant.
Indeed, if you looked at the Chestnut Tree Knight Order after seeing the practical White Wood Knight Order, you might be confused whether they were knights or nobles.
"This much should be enough. Even so, they''re knights after all."
"...Don''t you have any other reliable reason besides that?"
"Hey, you bastard! What do you think knights are!"
The other friends who were listening from the side red up, but Jijel understood more than enough.
''Perhaps the current situation of unconditionally trusting them because they''re knights might be strange.''
"There''s one more thing. The vice-captain is here. It''s Jangcliff from the Jangclin family, a renowned knight."
"...In what sense of renowned?"
"...Renowned for wielding a sword well, you bastard."
Even Jijel, who had been holding back, let out a harsh remark.
How much are you disregarding knights?
Only then did Yi-Han let out a sigh of relief.
''If he''s at the level of a vice-captain, he must be a skilled knight.''
"But where is the vice-captain?"
"...He must be somewhere. Don''t tell me."
"?"
When Jijel showed an anxious expression, Yi-Han called out to a passing knight with a puzzled look.
"Where is the vice-captain?"
"The vice-captain went out to visit Philonae Town for a brief greeting."
"..."
Yi-Han turned his gaze to Jijel as if demanding an exnation.
Jijel sighed deeply and said.
"He''s a bit... sociable."
"Fortunately, he''s not too sociable."
¡ª
Fortunately, those present seeded in repelling the incursion safely.
Monsters that looked like a mixture of amphibians and fish appeared, which even experienced adventurers, knights, and mages had never seen before, but they couldn''t break through the solidly prepared encirclement.
The summons, golems, artifacts, and armaments prepared by the summoning mages shed and spewed out firepower, and the undead summoned by the dark mages alsounched fierce attacks along with eerie mana.
That wasn''t all. Mages with spare capacity firmly bound the monsters'' feet with other elemental magic, poison, or curse magic.
And Yi-Han was also busy using magic...
...Rather than using magic, he was busy going back and forth.
-No! Are you spraying poison fog now? Even so, the poison is a bit... Please tell them it''s unnecessary!-
-...They say they are truly sorry for insulting the honor of the knights, but this is the only magic they can use now! If you don''t let them use this, the dark mages have no choice but to charge with their staffs...-
-We, well... Alright.-
Blocking the mages'' protests.
-Those knight bastards are too much of a hindrance! They keep getting close to the summons, making it ufortable to cast magic... Could you perhaps tell them to get lost?-
-The knights say they are truly sorry and have no face for disrupting the practice of the noble study of magic! But this is the limit of the techniques the knights have learned, so they ask for the mages'' broad magnanimity...-
-Hmm. If you put it that way... Alright!-
And blocking the knights'' protests.
Yi-Han desperately blocked each other''s ims by running back and forth between the two groups.
And he could learn one thing.
''...I should never do this again!''
Even if he received an imperial post, he should never ept a position that mediates between groups!
It was exhausting enough to manage this small group together, and it was terrifying to imagine what would happen if the scale grewrger.
Absolutely, he had to find afortable position without such annoying tasks.
"Good work, everyone."
"But fewer came out than expected. We won''t even need to use potions."
As the realm dwindled, those who participated in the battle spoke to each other with favorable evaluations.
Their hearts had softened a bit because they felt how much the other side respected them while conducting the battle.
Of course, Yi-Han, who was in between, waspletely exhausted and tattered.
"Have you finished investigating?"
"Huh? Uh, yes, but..."
Gubon and the adventurers were startled by Yi-Han''s utterly exhausted expression.
"Are you oka..."
"I''m perfectly fine. Then, since the mission is wrapped up, I''ll be on my way."
Yi-Han quickly prepared to leave after urately receiving the reward.
"No, why don''t you stay a bit longer..."
"No. Oh. Please keep the fact that I was here a secret, everyone."
"Why do you say that?"
"No matter how humble you are, you shouldn''t be too humble, it''s not good!"
When not only the mages but also the knights mored, Yi-Han got a headache.
"That... I don''t want to tarnish Einroguard''s name with my still iplete skills. Please understand."
"Oh my..."
"Is that so...!"
"Then, I''ll be going!"
As Yi-Han tried to leave as quickly as possible, the White Tiger Tower students whispered, not understanding.
"Wardanaz. Of course, we need to prepare to return, but the sun hasn''t even set yet? Why are you in such a hurry?"
"...You stupid bastards. A realm collision phenomenon urred, do you think people from Einroguard won''te? We need to get out quickly."
"...Horse!! Please lend me a horse!!!"
"?!"
¡ª
While Yi-Han hurried back to the town, packed his belongings, and prepared to return to the spire through Amur''s stable, the skull principal flew over and arrived at the campsite.
¡°...Why is this here?¡±
-Yes. It seems the knight order set up a campsite.-
¡°...So why did the knight order set up a campsite here instead of staying in the town?¡±
The Death Knight, a loyal servant of his master, answered faithfully.
-Since they are allowed entry into Einroguard, they probably did so to arrive as quickly as possible.-
¡°...Damn it. This is why I hate sponsors.¡±
The skull principal grumbled.
Come to think of it, a knight order had said they would visit and interact with the students.
Those bastards created this loophole.
¡°The White Tiger Tower students who weren''t caught must have escaped here, right?¡±
-It''s highly likely.-
¡°Anyway, the problem with knights is that they unconditionally side with fellow knight families. By the way¡¡±
The skull principal looked around the campsite with burning eyes.
It looked to be in very good condition.
¡°It seems it wasn''t a big deal. Since they blocked it well on their own, it just needs to be checked and locked.¡±
-Yes. I will do so.-
The skull principal, who had flown over after feeling the energy of a realm collision while catching the escaped students, was relieved that the situation didn''t seem as urgent as he thought.
''Indeed, if it were urgent, I would have been contacted right away.''
¡°Open the door. The lord has arrived.¡±
"Oh. Mr. Gonadaltes!!"
?!
The skull principal was as startled as the surprised mages.
The mages who had participated in the festival were with the knights.
¡°You were here too?¡±
"Yes!"
¡°You blocked it together??¡±
"How did you know?"
¡°How did you block it together?!?¡±
"Is, is that so surprising?"
¡°It''s damn surprising! You guys cooperated with the knights?? No, if you knew how to cooperate so well, why did you vite the precautions I told you so crazily during the festival?!¡±
"...I don''t think it was to that extent..."
"Are, are you angry?"
¡°I''m not angry. I''m just amazed.¡±
The skull principal was truly amazed.
The mages here were typically the kind without any social skills, the kind who would go to knight families for investment and say, ''You probably won''t understand because you''re not very smart, but please invest.''
Of course, the knights weren''t easy either.
To think those two groups cooperated and blocked it together.
¡°Was a being that could destroy the empire trying toe out?¡±
"No."
¡°It''s really amazing... Truly amazing.¡±
The skull principal first finished confirming the situation. The mages had finished the follow-up on their own, all the beings that appeared were dealt with, and no one was particrly injured.
It was clear that they had properly coordinated and cooperated, not just cooperated in name.
The skull principal''s eyes spun around and around.
¡°It''s really amazing¡¡±
-Master. You need to find the students too.-
¡°Ah. Right. Did anyone happen to see the students here?¡±
"Pardon?"
¡°It''s nothing... I have an urgent message to deliver to the students. Did the students ask you to hide them? Don''t worry. I also turn a blind eye to asional deviations. I''ll just deliver the urgent message and go back.¡±
"...I don''t quite understand what you mean."
''You see?''
The skull principal''s eyes flickered strangely.
Usually, everyone would have answered by now, but the atmosphere here today was oddly suspicious.
What on earth happened?
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Chapter 420
Chapter 420
-It''s truly amazing. I don''t know what happened.-
When the Death Knight muttered in a curious voice from the side, the skull principal made a sound of bones cking instead of clicking his tongue and said.
¡°You still have a long way to go. I figured it out right away.¡±
-Is that so?-
The Death Knight was amazed.
To think he figured out the secret hidden in this mysterious scene.
It made him think that his master truly deserved to be called the empire''s greatest sage.
The name Gonadaltes was renowned enough that even the printing guild that produced the empire''s most popr magazine, Dog Mixed-Blood Detective Toveris, sought his advice every time.
¡°It must be that Wardanaz bastard.¡±
-...?-
The Death Knight looked at his master with a perplexed gaze.
Of course, he knew that the more his master cherished a disciple, the more he tormented them, but wasn''t thispletely unreasonable?
If he tormented him so unreasonably, it would be difficult to deal with the aftermath if the disciple became twisted...
¡°It''s not unreasonable, you empty-headed bastard.¡±
-Understood. I trust you, Master.-
¡°Those who truly trust don''t say such things. Now. Think about it. Even you must be guessing that the 1st years came and went here.¡±
-That''s...-
The Death Knight nodded his head.
Although the knights and mages didn''t acknowledge it, judging from the atmosphere, it seemed clear that the 1st year students hade and gone.
But among the 1st year students, the only one who''s somewhat close with both the mages and the knights is that Wardanaz bastard.
-But the ones who escaped are the White Tiger Tower students, so how... And even if they''re close, is that even possible...?-
¡°There must be some inside story. Remember it well. When you exclude all the impossibilities, what remains, however strange it may seem, is the truth.¡±
The skull principal spoke in a voice full of admiration. The Death Knight bowed his head with an impressed gaze.
¡°I knew they were close, but I didn''t know he could mediate between the two. He''s really talented.¡±
-Yes. It''s still amazing. Those two bastards...-
¡°Ahem.¡±
-I apologize. For the rude expression.-
¡°No. You can lower your voice and continue. They are bastards indeed. If they don''t listen to words, are they human?¡±
The skull principal was truly amazed.
There were many geniuses in the vast empire.
Of course, Yi-Han was a bit more outstanding among those geniuses, but anyway...
Even among Yi-Han''s seniors, weren''t there several who showed amazing talent in their major schools?
But such geniuses were usually only interested in their own studies, they didn''t take care of their friends'' meals, help professors with their work, and even mediate outsiders if they had time.
But Yi-Han made that possible.
Now that he looked, it was clear that he had also mediated between the knights and mages.
This was not an easy task even for a veteran imperial bureaucrat...
¡°Come to think of it, it''s absurd. Originally, that''s what the professors should do. Does it make sense? How can they have less social skills than their disciple?¡±
The Death Knight thought inwardly, ''Aren''t they the professors you brought, Master?'' but remained silent.
Instead, he changed the subject.
-You must be truly happy to have a disciple with such outstanding talent.-
¡°That''s true. Now that I know he''s capable of that much, I can have him do more things in the future. What should I have him do next¡¡±
-...-
The Death Knight thought it might be a bit too much for a 1st year, but he remained silent.
A loyal summon knew when to be silent.
¡°Oh. I almost forgot. Take care of it.¡±
-What do you mean? A reward?-
The Death Knight thought the skull principal might give a reward since he was giving additional work to his disciple.
Honestly, mediating between mages and knights to handle a situation was more difficult than defeating an evil demon archduke.
¡°Are you crazy? What reward? Does Einroguard look easy enough to give a reward to someone who ran away?¡±
-...Yes. I apologize.-
¡°It meant to find out how that Wardanaz guy escaped.¡±
-Didn''t hee out with the White Tiger Tower bastards?-
¡°I thought so at first too, bute to think of it, that Wardanaz guy isn''t that sloppy. Didn''t you say they released the employees? He probably came out separately. Try to find out.¡±
The skull principal was unexpectedly strict about the rules he set.
Unless caught at the scene or leaving physical evidence, he didn''t confine students based on suspicion or testimony alone.
If he confines them, he''ll catch them for sure so they can''t refute it!
-Since he''s a 1st year student, wouldn''t it be difficult unless it''s an exceptional situation like this?-
¡°Yourcency is truly arrogant! I told you so many times not to underestimate the opponent. Keep this in mind! Erase the thought that he''s just a 1st year. Think of him as a worn-out 4th year!¡±
-...Yes. I understand...-
¡ª
Yi-Han, who had spent a crazy weekend and barely returned at dawn, took a short nap and woke up right in the morning.
The priests didn''t show it, but they were stirring at the suddenly changed breakfast menu.
"Is today some special day...?"
"No. Originally, you should eat this much for nutrition."
Yi-Han said, spreading a generous amount of jam on the surface of the bread and pushing it to the skinniest-looking priest.
One of the priests suddenly remembered and asked.
"Did the students from the Blue Dragon Tower eat like thisst semester?"
"Mostly, yes."
"Ah...!"
The priests nodded their heads as if they understood, thinking ''I see!''
Somehow, during the 1st semester, the Blue Dragon Tower students weren''t desperate for snacks, and even when the priests tried to share what they had, they said, ''Haha, it''s fine, priests, you eat it,'' but recently, their eyes looked sunken, which was concerning.
"No wonder..."
"But I thought if those who ate like that don''t eat, they might be hungry, so if we take some to them..."
When a priest tried to get up with a te filled with egg custard, pumpkin pie, egg rice, and aged duck meat, Yi-Han immediately warned.
"Those who take food to other towers will definitely fail when drawing lots."
"Ah, no!"
"Why...!?"
The priests who were about to take it were startled.
They couldn''t afford to be pushed back in that order, as they wanted Yi-Han''s next holy magic to be awakened with their denomination''s holy magic.
"I don''t think we should eat so luxuriously..."
"I heard from the denomination that it''s not good to eat like this..."
Yi-Han ignored the priests'' grumbling and fed them.
"Priestess Tijiling. You put too little on your te. Put more."
"This is already the third te you''re giving me... No, it''s too much...!"
Priestess Tijiling hurriedly refused, but it didn''t work.
After contentedly looking around at the priests eating their fill, Yi-Han turned his gaze outside.
''Something is strange.''
Although he had only attended for one semester, Yi-Han had adapted very sensitively to Einroguard.
Thanks to that, he could feel the changed atmosphere.
There were many Death Knights wandering around the towers and the fortress walls, and undead summons he had never seen before were flying in the sky...
The reason was more than obvious.
''Anyway, those White Tiger Tower bastards are of no help.''
Of course, Yi-Han, who participated in the mission during that short weekend to earn some money, also had some responsibility, but it was the White Tiger Tower bastards who greatly amplified themotion.
Despite that, they even picked a fight with Yi-Han, saying ''It''s a good thing we met the knight order,'' they were really unhelpful bastards.
''Was I caught?''
Yi-Han red at the spire.
He had strongly urged those who were present to keep it a secret, but there were too many people. Even Yi-Han didn''t have high expectations that the secret would be kept.
Judging from the fact that he wasn''t immediately dragged to the punishment room, it seemed the skull principal couldn''t catch him at the scene, so he fortunately let it slide...
''He''s definitely not the type to just let it go.''
It would be fortunate if he believed Yi-Han went out with the White Tiger Tower students, but it didn''t seem like he would be that sloppy. It seemed best to be careful for a while.
''I need to go out about 3 or 4 times a semester to have ample supplies...''
Despite the search, Yi-Han''s soul was very peaceful.
He had brought in a lot of supplies, and since he had outing permits, the situation was much better than he had anticipated.
There wouldn''t be another mage''s festival likest week, so if he just worked hard on the assignments given this week...
Kwadangtangtangtang!
Yi-Han, who entered Professor Bagrak''s lecture hall, rolled around.
The lecture content had changed without him noticing.
"...Are you attacking as soon as I enter now?"
"It can''t be helped."
Yi-Han wasn''t really curious about the reason, but he endured and asked.
"Why is that?"
"Because at your level, the only way to block spatial magic is through repetitive training."
"Huh? Why spatial magic all of a sudden...? We need to practice lightning magic form changes, and there are many things to do..."
Yi-Han was confused as to why the diverse and rtively safe curriculum, such as taking care of the basilisk egg and lightning magic form changes, had suddenly changed to training for countermeasures against spatial magic.
Then Professor Bagrak showed him a note.
[To Bdi Bagrak
Yi-Han Wardanaz is frustrated after being defeated by a statue using spatial magic. Help him out.
Os Gonadaltes]
"..."
Yi-Han''s expression contorted.
''Is this because I went out? Really?''
Of course, it was a note sent before he went out, but Yi-Han didn''t know that fact.
Just confine me in the punishment room instead!
"...So now it''s countermeasures against spatial magic?"
"That''s right. It''s better to prepare in advance since you might encounter it someday."
Professor Bagrak spoke in a serious voice.
The skull principal''s point was valid.
Wouldn''t Yi-Han''s life be in danger if heter wandered around the empire''s most remote and eerie ces and encountered abat mage who had spent his entire life specializing only in spatial magic?
"..."
Yi-Han had to hold back the words ''Why don''t you also teach me how to deal with dragons?'' froming out of his throat.
If he said that, Professor Bagrak might say, ''I see, alright,'' and start preparing him to be a dragon yer from that day on.
All Yi-Han could do was be slightly sarcastic.
"I''m really happy to learn in advance how to deal with a spatial magic specialistbat mage that I might encounter once or twice in my lifetime..."
"Is that so?"
Professor Bagrak was satisfied when Yi-Han was happy.
As a teacher, it was a matter of pride to provide the teachings that the disciple wanted.
"Tell me directly from now on."
Professor Bagrak thought that Yi-Han couldn''t speak directly out of respect for his teacher as a disciple.
"...I''ll tell you directly, so please don''t listen to other professors. Originally, when words are passed through one or two people, misunderstandings ur each time."
"That could be the case."
Professor Bagrak nodded his head as if he understood. Yi-Han let out a sigh.
"Spatial magic, when used offensively, is one of the most difficult magic to deal with. Because there are no signs."
Space-time magic was one of the most abstruse and difficult magic among the schools of magic.
As such, there were few mages who could use spatial magic, and even fewer who could cast it quickly and urately enough to use it inbat.
Moreover, what about the mana consumption? If you wanted to kill the opponent, an arrow would suffice, so there was no need to use suchplicated magic.
"Professor. Do we really need to prepare for such things as you said?"
"But you encountered it now, didn''t you? What happened once can happen twice."
"..."
The moment when he felt the most self-loathing was when he was defeated by Professor Bagrak''s words.
To think he had to lose to such logic.
"There are few countermeasures, but they do exist."
As the skull principal had said, spatial magic had no gaps, but there were gaps in the user.
If one could predict the opponent''s pattern in advance, even the most powerful magic could be avoided.
"It''s divination magic."
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised by the unexpectedly sensible method.
Indeed, divination magic was suitable for the current situation.
"Oh. Then there''s no need to learn by getting hit, right?"
"No. You have to get hit a lot to use divination magic."
Yi-Han instinctively threw his body to the side without realizing it. As expected, a chair appeared where Yi-Han was and flew at him.
Before he could feel relieved, a desk appeared from behind and hit Yi-Han as it passed by. Yi-Han rolled around on the lecture hall floor.
"The first evasion just now was excellent. You have talent."
"That wasn''t divination magic, just lu..."
Yi-Han had no time to answer. The attack started again.
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Chapter 421
Chapter 421
The lecture hall furniture appeared and flew without any signs.
The kind Professor Bagrak exined why Yi-Han had to get hit while attacking him.
Divination magic had the most mysterious and difficult image to learn among magic, but in fact, even non-mages could perform divination.
Just as one could divine that it would rain if the weather was cloudy, and that the world would end if the skull principal became good-natured, divination was originally the ability to predict the future by looking at the past and present.
Divination magic was a discipline that developed this ability to the extreme.
One of the development methods was to umte a lot of experience and knowledge in the field one wanted to predict.
Want to divine the location of spatial magic in advance?
The more one got hit by spatial magic, the higher the uracy of divination magic.
"That''s how it is."
"I see, ugh!"
Yi-Han was hit in the chin by a chair that appeared from the floor and attacked upward. As a result, his vision shook and his bnce copsed.
"...Professor. Can''t we practice divination magic right away?"
Yi-Han, who had copsed on the floor and got up, asked seriously.
Professor Krair had warned that if he recklessly attempted divination magic, he might have to pay a price, but he already felt like he was paying a sufficient price.
"No, you can''t."
"Why is that?"
"Because it''s dangerous."
"..."
Yi-Han looked at the lecture hall that had turned into a mess.
About 30% of the shattered furniture now had been broken by directly colliding with Yi-Han''s body...
''If I die from getting hit by furniture, the skull principal will be extremely delighted.''
Yi-Han got up, putting strength into his whole body.
Somehow, it seemed he was getting the knack of getting hit well rather than predicting.
When the furniture swung at him, if he instantly gathered mana in his body to block it, the impact was rtively less.
Yi-Han didn''t know, but this was a trick used by veteran mercenaries who often engaged in melee on the battlefield.
"Wait."
"?"
Professor Bagrak gestured for Yi-Han to rest, then took out a potion from his bosom and drank it.
An intense wave of mana was felt.
"Is that a mana recovery potion?"
"That''s right."
Originally, Professor Bagrak would beat Yi-Han throughout the lecture time without breaking a sweat, but spatial magic was an exception.
It was because mana consumption was much more extreme due to the difficulty of that magic.
That was the case even though most of the magic Professor Bagrak used wasbat-oriented, modified for quick casting and low mana consumption.
"Oh no. Professor. You can rest for a bit..."
"No. Don''t worry."
"Drinking too many mana recovery potions is bad for your body, isn''t it?"
"This much is fine."
"..."
Yi-Han nced at the mana recovery potion box.
''If I approach that side and smash it...''
"Can we start again?"
Instead of answering, Yi-Han immediately jumped to the side. He realized it was Professor Bagrak''s trap.
As expected, an attack flew in. It was a vicious attack that aimed for the moment the opponent let their guard down when answering the question.
''If I just break that box...!''
Yi-Han somehow approached while avoiding about half of the attacks and enduring the other half with his body.
And he rolled over the mana recovery potion box.
Crash!
"Oh no! Professor, I''m sorry!"
"Don''t mind it."
"But since there are no more potions, this lecture..."
Bam-
The lecture hall door opened and Professor Uregor appeared with arge chest.
"I brought mana recovery potions. Should I put them here?"
"Thank you."
"Did a dragon appear? Why so many potions..."
Only then did Professor Uregor realize that the lecture hall waspletely shattered and Yi-Han was sprawled over the potion box.
''Hmm. I shouldn''t get involved.''
"I''ll leave them here and go. Wardanaz, hang in there!"
Professor Uregor quickly closed the door before Yi-Han could say anything.
Yi-Han red at the door with a gaze full of hatred.
¡ª
It was only near the end of the lecture that Professor Bagrak brought up the topic of divination magic.
"I''m not an expert in divination magic."
"...?"
Yi-Han thought it was nonsense, but Professor Bagrak was serious.
In general perception, types like Professor Bagrak were not called experts in that school.
Since he only learned the school of magic as much as necessary, modified it, and used it only forbat, in a way, it was close to being a zealot.
The experts of a school of magic were those who delved deep into their field, explored new mysteries, and never forgot to publish a few rted papers to the Imperial Magic Society every year and pay the annual membership fee on time.
"Don''t show the magic I''m teaching you now in front of divination mages."
"??"
Yi-Han was shocked, thinking Professor Bagrak was teaching him some forbidden, evil magic.
''Should I report him to the skull principal? Will Professor Bagrak retaliate against me?''
However, contrary to such worries, the magic Professor Bagrak brought out was very decent.
.
It was a magic of thebined system of divination magic and enchantment magic that, when cast on a mage, granted them future sight to see about 1 second ahead inbat.
Naturally, due to the nature of divination magic, to increase the efficiency of the magic, the higher thebat experience of the target, the better.
It meant that if you wanted to see spatial magic first, you had to get hit that much, but...
''I understand it in my head, but it''s hard to ept it in my heart.''
Yi-Han grumbled inwardly and suddenly became curious and asked.
"But why is this a magic that shouldn''t be revealed in front of divination mages?"
Yi-Han wondered if Professor Bagrak had stolen it from a famous divination mage.
Since he was someone who could live well without imperialw, it wouldn''t be surprising.
"Because it''s not a magic they would like."
Divination mages despised those who only thought of divination magic as a means of wealth.
These people ruined the empire''s economy and drove citizens to ruin in order to satisfy their own greed.
The magic Professor Bagrak taught wasn''t a magic with such evil purposes, but it didn''t change the fact that it was a magic that had been stripped of all other parts to be used only forbat.
It wasn''t a magic that divination mages would like.
"No, isn''t it too much to say it can''t be used forbat at all?"
Yi-Han rather red up, feeling pricked.
It was because he had once pondered using divination magic to gain small financial gains in the future.
Compared to that, wasn''tbat a practical method that really didn''t harm anyone?
"You don''t need to mind if divination mages pick a fight. The person using this magic will know how good it is."
Professor Bagrak stared intently at Yi-Han. When the professor suddenly fell silent, Yi-Han had a bad feeling.
''Is he attacking again?''
Yi-Han pondered whether he should throw an ink bottle or something he could grab to disrupt the professor''s spell casting.
However, Professor Bagrak did not attack.
"Thank you. I will definitely make you able to use this magic before the end of this semester."
"No..."
Yi-Han trembled at the sight of Professor Bagrak making a death threat after he had sided with him.
''I should never side with him again in the future!''
¡ª
Yi-Han walked up from the underground to the surface, suffering from motion sickness.
As if wasn''t divination magic for nothing, it shook and consumed Yi-Han''s mana every time it failed.
Fortunately, he had a lot of mana, otherwise he might have vomited blood from exhaustion.
''Ugh. Motion sickness...''
ording to Professor Bagrak, it was very fortunate that it ended with motion sickness.
Just as a spring shakes mercilessly when a storm blows, but the ocean does not shake easily, it ended with minimal shaking despite the rough shaking because the amount of mana was sorge.
Of course, it was a story that didn''t resonate at all with Yi-Han, who was suffering from motion sickness. Yi-Han walked up, cursing Professor Bagrak.
"Wardanaz!"
Ango spotted Yi-Han and ran over. Yi-Han red at him with eyes twice as murderous as usual.
"I was looking for... Wh, why are you ring? What did I do?"
"I have motion sickness... Nevermind. What''s the matter?"
"The professor is looking for you! He told me to bring you as quickly as possible... We have to hurry!"
"I see."
Yi-Han nodded his head.
When the relieved Ango turned around to guide the way, Yi-Han strongly pped his own cheek. Then, the pain brought him back to his senses.
Not missing the brief opportunity, Yi-Han ambushed Ango from behind.
Thud!
Yi-Han knocked Ango down from behind and quickly grabbed his arm to subdue him. Ango cried out in shock.
"Wha... What are you doing?! What are you doing!? Do, don''t tell me it''s because the school search has increased now... I didn''t tell! I didn''t tell, Wardanaz!"
"You didn''t tell? The vignce has already increased several times. Why drag others down when you''ll get caught alone... No. That''s not the problem now. Ango. Are you going to deceive me until the end?"
"????"
Ango had no idea why this crazy bastard was acting like this.
What is it?
"Is, is it because of what you saidst time, Wardanaz, that it would be perfect if I followed the principal and tormented the students? Was that a joke..."
"...Did you say that too?"
Yi-Han put strength into his hand holding the arm.
He could overlook other things, but he couldn''t easily let go of the words telling him to seed the skull principal.
These bastards are so unlucky!
"Aah! Aah! Th, then what is it!"
"Huh. Ango. If a professor was going to call me, they would have sent a paper bird with magic. Why would they send you? I can see through your scheme. Since I have a lot of supplies, you''re trying to catch me and take them, right?"
"That''s because Professor Ingurdel sent it...! Professor Ingurdel isn''t a mage, you crazy bastard!"
Ango shouted desperately because his arm hurt.
He hadn''t even thought of plundering supplies, so he had no idea what kind of creative nonsense this was.
"I see."
Yi-Han nodded at those words and released his arm.
"You''re right. Sorry for the misunderstanding."
"..."
Ango was so dumbfounded that he was at a loss for words. Taking advantage of that gap, Yi-Han quickly changed the subject.
"Guide me quickly. Didn''t you say the professor is waiting?"
"You shameless..."
"Hurry! Or should I go somewhere else?"
"..."
¡ª
Professor Ingurdel was far from being sociable. It was natural since he was someone who wielded a sword and roamed the battlefield in the first ce.
In that sense, the atmosphere of Einroguard made Professor Ingurdelfortable.
A free atmosphere where professors focused on their own tasks.
It was so free that there were professors who ignored the principal''s call for a meeting.
"At that time when Ipeted with Sir Bikelintz, I thought like this. Ah, I might have met the strongest knight among the knights I''ve met. Perhaps he might be the strongest knight I''ll ever meet in the future. Sir Bikelintz must have thought the same, as he looked at me with eyes of respect. Speaking of eyes, it reminds me of something. When knights exchange nces, there seems to be a characteristic unique to knight orders. When the knights of our order exchange nces..."
Professor Ingurdel put down the teacup with trembling fingertips.
Jangcliff of the Jangclin family, the vice-captain of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order, was chattering away as if determined to destroy Professor Ingurdel''s eardrums.
"Sir Jangcliff... I''m worried that I might be taking too much of your time since you visited like this..."
"No. It''s not often that I get to meet a swordsman like you, Sir Ingurdel."
"Perhaps a swordsmanship match?"
"Are you saying that after the conversation is over?"
"No, right now..."
"I''m so happy. Now, going back to the story I was telling earlier..."
Professor Ingurdel closed his eyes tightly.
Now that it hade to this, he could only pray that his most sociable disciple woulde quickly.
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Chapter 422
Chapter 422
While Yi-Han was running, other sociable students in the White Tiger Tower received simr messages.
"Professor Ingurdel is asking us toe?"
"Tell him my leg is broken."
Jijel said nonchntly, buried in an armchair.
Dolgyu asked with a worried face.
"But Moradi. What if the professor needs our help?"
"Then you go."
"..."
Dolgyu hesitated.
Honestly, he was a bit reluctant to deal with Vice-Captain Jangcliff.
Any student from the White Tiger Tower who had met Sir Jangcliff at a gathering knew. How difficult of an opponent Sir Jangcliff was.
Once caught, it was impossible to escape even if one''s arm was cut off, so he might be a more terrifying opponent than an ogre.
"Still, Sir Jangcliff is a great knight, wouldn''t there be a lot to learn from talking to him?"
"Then you go."
"You go, man. Don''t send Moradi."
"..."
A student who had never met him tried to chime in but was collectively scolded by his friends and shrank back.
Is... is it that bad?
Jijel frowned and bit his lip.
"Just thinking about it gives me a headache... I have to go out to a gathering I was invited to this week anyway, there''s no need to get tired by meeting him already."
"Moradi. Can I ask you one thing?"
Dolgyu carefully opened his mouth.
"Go ahead."
"It might be a rude question..."
"Then don''t ask?"
When Jijel said sarcastically, Dolgyu fake coughed.
"You know... the invitation Yi-Han mentioned."
Jijel nodded with an expressionless face and pulled out a dagger to stab it into the side table.
"??"
"I''m thinking of stabbing one every time you''re rude. It''s too many to memorize one by one."
"..."
I only said his name!
Still, Dolgyu endured and said.
"I was wondering if there was some... friction between you and Yi-Han."
"What do you mean by that?"
Batreck, who was next to them, was puzzled.
As someone who was also invited, he didn''t understand the meaning behind the question.
"Friction?"
"Well... that''s it."
"That must be it then."
Jijel said, twirling her hair with her fingers.
"That bastard Wardanaz invited us, but there''s no way he would invite us without a reason. There must be some trap. Then why would that trap exist? There must have been friction. That''s what you''re saying, right?"
"Not necessarily... ahem. Ahem."
As Dolgyu looked embarrassed, Batreck protested as if it was unfair.
"There was no friction at all... um... well. Although Wardanaz almost got caught because we escaped, that''s like an unavoidable natural disaster!"
"..."
"..."
All the White Tiger Tower students in the lounge, the student reading a magazine, the student peeling and eating sweet potatoes with a knife, the students wrestling, the student reading a ball game strategy book, etc., all flinched.
"Hey. It would be better to avoid Wardanaz for a while when we see him..."
"He must be really pissed off."
"Damn it. I was going to do some bartering."
"That guy needs to release the supplies quickly for the market to stabilize."
Jijel, who shook her head while looking at the whispering friends, sighed.
"Who cares if that Wardanaz bastard is pissed off or not. He''s always pissed off anyway."
''That''s because you try to suppress him first, Moradi...''
Dolgyu thought so but quietly endured for the sake of Jijel''s dignity.
"The important thing is that once we''re invited to the knight gathering, we can''t not go. Choi, could you not go if it were you?"
"That''s... no."
It was a great honor for them, who were still just squires, to be invited to a gathering of knights.
If it were Dolgyu, he would have gone even if the skull principal was there.
"Then... just remember this."
Instead of answering, Jijel prepared to stab another dagger into the table and gave a signal to speak.
"Go and keep your distance from Wardanaz as much as possible, avoid him until the end of the gathering, and stick with other knights..."
"...Why don''t you just tell me to carry a white g?"
Jijel was dumbfounded, but Batreck honestly felt tempted.
If other knights were by his side, wouldn''t that Wardanaz bastard restrain himself a bit no matter how pissed off he was?
¡ª
When learning under Professor Bagrak, Yi-Han thought how nice it would have been if the professor talked a bit more.
Instead of exining the material with words, he exined with attack after attack, wasn''t that a beast?
But after meeting a really talkative person, that thought changed a little.
"I''ve heard a lot. I wanted to meet you in person and hear your story since then, it''s actually amazing. The Wardanaz family is the empire''s top magic family, isn''t it? I remember seeing the head of the Wardanaz family visiting on official business quite a long time ago from afar. When a drought urred in the western part of the empire due to a mana backflow, the head moved the seawater entirely, removed the salt, and created a reservoir. Do you know that reservoir still remains? The name of the reservoir is..."
''I''m going crazy.''
Yi-Han looked at Professor Ingurdel with eyes full of betrayal.
He was called so urgently that he came!
Are professors beings that fundamentally betray students?
''I''m sorry.''
Professor Ingurdel also apologized with his eyes.
He couldn''t think of any other way.
"Come to think of it, you''re from the Alpha family, right? How is it? What do you think?"
"Uh... uhh."
Ango, who was brought along and ended up sitting and listening to the conversation, was startled after dozing off.
What conversation were they having?
''Help me...!''
When Ango looked at him with tearful eyes, Yi-Han sighed and intervened in the conversation instead.
"By the way, Sir Jangcliff."
"Oh. Is there something you''re curious about?"
Jangcliff stopped talking for a moment and tidied his attire.
As a parrot mixed-blood, Jangcliff had colorful and splendid feathers, and his attire was no less bright and varied.
Anyone who saw him would think he was a dancer, not a knight.
"We''re going to attend the knight order''s gathering this week. As it''s a gathering of knights, it seems I shouldn''t show an embarrassing side with swordsmanship."
At Yi-Han''s words, Professor Ingurdel nodded his head with a pleased expression.
He thought they were finally moving on to swordsmanship after chattering for hours.
"You have nothing to worry about. Why? Above all, aren''t you from the Wardanaz family? Originally, the Wardanaz family is a renowned magic family, so just showing this level of swordsmanship is enough for the knights present..."
"But I still want to prepare!"
Yi-Han hurriedly cut him off.
If he let his guard down even a little, Jangcliff would take over the conversation.
Just like an outstanding swordsman monopolizing the initiative and unleashing a barrage of attacks, Jangcliff was the same.
"Then I will exin the swordsmanship of each participating knight one by one..."
"Wouldn''t it be better to show it directly, Sir Jangcliff!"
Professor Ingurdel also shouted desperately as if this was his chance.
Jangcliff hesitated for a moment. Professor Ingurdel didn''t notice, but Yi-Han could tell what that meant.
''He''s regretting not being able to talk more!''
Sometimes there were people like that among professors.
Those who wanted to chatter more one-sidedly but regretted not being able to...
"Alright. Let''s do that."
Fortunately, Jangcliff stood up, holding a luxurious longsword with pure gold decorations.
Seeing his back, Yi-Han suddenly became curious.
''Is he really a skilled swordsman?''
Although Moradi said so, Yi-Han basically doubted what Moradi said.
Moreover, all the skilled swordsmen Yi-Han had met so far looked like they were crazy about swordsmanship.
If they were wearing a shabby coat with a sword at their waist and their eyes were shining brightly, they somehow seemed like a great master, but seeing the splendid ceremonial attire without a speck of dust and the sword with decorations, he strangely couldn''t trust him...
¡ª
"Ugh!"
Yi-Han flew backward.
Just like when he was hit by Professor Ingurdel, Jangcliff broke through Yi-Han''s rock-like swordsmanship and came in.
Surprisingly, Jangcliff was a powerhouse on par with Ingurdel or Arlong.
Jangcliff pped his hands in surprise.
"Amazing! I didn''t know you were this skilled!"
Yi-Han coughed and wheezed. He threw his body back, exploded mana into his sword as much as possible, and finally infused mana into his body to block, but the impact was no joke.
''What kind of strong sword...!''
Contrary to his appearance, Jangcliff was a swordsman who wielded an extremely strong sword.
A swordsmanship that abandoned all feints or deceptions and only poured out attacks in the shortest distance.
Each of those attacks contained a terrifying level of power.
If these attacks were blocked, it was dangerous for the swordsman too, but Jangcliff didn''t seem to care about that at all.
"Even among knights, it''s extremely rare for someone to get hit and get up quickly like you, Mr. Wardanaz. The squires should see this. Oh. Do you know this? Mana isn''t simply used for magic, it can also be used topletely control one''s own body. Like how you blocked the attack just now..."
Yi-Han immediately kicked his foot up. As the dirt rose, Jangcliff looked at Professor Ingurdel with admiration.
To think a young man from a great family like the Wardanaz family would use such tricks.
There was only one reason.
"To think you teach even this!"
"Ah, no..."
Professor Ingurdel was flustered.
He didn''t particrly teach that?
Jangcliff sent Yi-Han flying again. Yi-Han rolled and immediately prepared to counterattack.
"I''m well aware of Sir Arlong''s Azure Rock Style. I don''t think there''s another heavy sword like that in the empire. Mr. Wardanaz, you must have learned the first five forms? Since you haven''t perfectly mastered the aura."
Compared to other swordsmanship in the empire, the Azure Rock Style had a small number of simple forms.
Arlong didn''t even teach the intermediate or advanced forms. The gist was that it was dangerous before mastering the aura.
"That''s right."
"The Azure Rock Style has quite a lot inmon with my swordsmanship. So seeing you, Mr. Wardanaz, reminds me a lot of the old days..."
Yi-Han tensed up.
Was he going to start talking about the past now?
Fortunately, Jangcliff didn''t.
"If it''s alright with you, I''d like to rmend a technique. Now. Watch."
Jangcliff condensed the muscles in his entire body, drew up mana, and executed a thrust as if shooting out.
The attack burst out with a roar that tore through the air. The technique itself was simple, but the flow of mana contained within was as fierce as it could be.
"You might be wondering why I''m showing you this form now. That''s right. There''s no need to learn techniques from other swordsmanship separately when you''re already learning the Azure Rock Style well."
''Last time, I learned all the misceneous techniques.''
"But the reason I''m rmending this form to you is because you already know how to draw up mana to a considerable level."
Jangcliff was surprised to find out that Yi-Han knew how to draw out mana when their swords shed.
Not just simply drawing it out and containing it, but to the point where the mana was visible.
If one used it like that without skill, they would quickly be exhausted and turn into a cripple. Only swordsmen who knew how to circte mana to some extent could do that.
If one went a little further from here, they could reach the level of materializing aura!
At that age, to that extent.
''Truly amazing!''
...Of course, Yi-Han wasn''t on the verge of enlightenment before aura, he was just recklessly wasting mana and infusing it, but Jangcliff didn''t realize that.
"This form will greatly help not only in drawing up mana but also in gaining the sense to turn it into aura."
"Can... can I really receive such a thing?"
Yi-Han was slightly flustered.
There was nothing more frightening than a favor without a price.
ording to Jangcliff''s words, it seemed he had taught one of his swordsmanship techniques, and this was by no means a light favor.
"Of course. Shouldn''t any knight wholeheartedly devote themselves to raising the empire''s young knights? Be an excellent knight! I hope to meet you someday after you''ve built a reputation!"
Jangcliff spoke solemnly, caught up in the atmosphere, and turned around.
Now that he had passed it on splendidly, it was time to leave splendidly.
Yi-Han and Professor Ingurdel, who were nkly watching Jangcliff''s back as he walked away, finally came to their senses and spoke.
"But..."
"This is... Einroguard, where mages are raised...?"
No matter how diligently they taught swordsmanship, knights wouldn''te out of here.
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Chapter 423
Chapter 423
Feeling awkward, Professor Ingurdel changed the subject.
"Still, as Sir Jangcliff is an outstanding knight, his teachings will be of great help. But when did you be able to draw up mana to such a high level?"
"It''s not a high level, I''m just using mana considering the waste..."
"...Anyway, as Sir Jangcliff is an outstanding knight, the form you just learned will be helpful!"
Yi-Han looked at Professor Ingurdel with slightly suspicious eyes.
He felt like the professor was just glossing over it because he didn''t know how to handle the situation.
"He was indeed very strong."
"Although the Chestnut Tree Knight Order is often said to be too obsessed with formalities, Sir Jangcliff is an exception."
"?"
Huh?
''Didn''t he just naturally insult them just now?''
Professor Ingurdel didn''t seem to realize that he had insulted them. Yi-Han decided to just let it go as a disciple.
"Moreover, as he is well-versed in all kinds of swordsmanship in the empire, he will definitely be of help..."
"But not as much as you, Professor."
"Ah, no, that''s not true."
Professor Ingurdel denied it unexpectedly firmly.
Yi-Han was surprised because Professor Ingurdel never spoke empty words when it came to swordsmanship.
"Is that so?"
"It''s because I''m not as sociable as Sir Jangcliff."
"...Aha."
Yi-Han immediately understood.
Indeed, it was natural for someone who visited and investigated imperial swordsmen one by one to have broader knowledge than someone who wielded a sword while roaming the battlefield.
''Although he misunderstood my level.''
Yi-Han was doubtful whether the form Sir Jangcliff taught him would really be helpful.
It was already enough to forcibly learn high-difficulty magic that didn''t match his level.
Was he really at the level to learn this?
"...That''s why I''m worried."
Yi-Han confided honestly to Professor Ingurdel.
It was better to ask an expert than to overdo it and get hurt.
"Is that so? I understand. I''ve been through that too."
Professor Ingurdel readily epted Yi-Han''s concerns.
"You''ve been through that too, Professor?"
"Yes. I was distressed because my skills didn''t improve as quickly as I thought."
"?"
Yi-Han wondered what he was talking about.
"No, Professor. It''s not that I''m distressed because I want to use the technique but my skills aren''t improving, it''s whether I should forcibly learn a technique that doesn''t match my current ski..."
"But skills don''t improve quickly just because you''re impatient. I understand your desire to use the technique as soon as possible."
Professor Ingurdelughed heartily.
Yi-Han regretted asking for nothing.
"In the end, there seems to be only one answer."
"Consistent training?"
"That''s too obvious, I was talking about a life-or-death duel..."
"..."
"You don''t have to be too impatient, you''ll have plenty of opportunities if you''re at Einroguard."
"Hearing you say that makes me even more impatient."
¡ª
After finishing a pleasant conversation with Professor Ingurdel and returning to the tower, Yi-Han realized that the priests had already left for the lecture first.
''Oh no. I''m a bitte.''
The priests usually arrived before the start of the lecture, earlier than the students from other towers.
Yi-Han grabbed his books and left the tower to catch up quickly.
''Is the part covered in healing magic today the liver? No, was it the stomach?''
While the academic aspect was important for all magic lectures, it was especially so for healing magic.
One had to understand the various body structures of all races, memorize the possible diseases, and learn the most efficient healing methods in advance.
Even the White Tiger Tower students who had firmly decided to learn healing magic to help knight orders were shaken to the point of thinking, ''Can''t they just hire separate healing mages?'' due to the amount of knowledge they had to learn.
For students like Yi-Han whocked time, they had no choice but to squeeze in and learn during their spare time.
Yi-Han moved his feet while organizing his thoughts in his head.
But...
"?"
There was no one in the lecture hall.
''What''s going on?''
For a moment, Yi-Han thought he hade to the wrong ce.
[Basic Healing Magic Additional Advanced - If you walk about 15 minutes southwest from the main building, you will see two rock pirs. Turn right there and follow the trail to reach the de and Keystone Hall where the lecture will be held.]
''That''s correct, isn''t it?''
Yi-Han, who looked at the note written by the skull principal, tilted his head.
He had definitely followed the note he received from the principal when he entered Einroguard.
''Strange. Although the principal is a crazy mage, he''s not the type to y pranks with this.''
"Sit down."
"!"
Yi-Han was startled by the rough, hoarse voiceing from inside the lecture hall.
Professor Alkasis Lagrinde was standing inside the lecture hall, using a sword as a cane.
"Uh... have the other students not arrived yet?"
"They''re all sitting over there."
The dark elf professor sat back down as if she was tired just from standing up and pointed forward with the scabbard.
"You just can''t see them."
"...???"
Yi-Han felt chills for the first time in a long time.
What the hell is this...
''It''s not good to learn one-on-one with a professor.''
From personal experience, a professor who taught one-on-one without other students was likely to be a bit crazy.
Yi-Han thought that Professor Alkasis might have fallen into a slight mania due to fatigue.
"...They''re your seniors, so you can''t see them. Sit down. Don''t make me say it twice."
"..."
Only then did Yi-Han realize what she meant.
So this ce is...
''It''s not the 1st year lecture hall!?''
Surprisingly, it was a lecture hall where 2nd year and above students gathered, not 1st years.
Yi-Han looked at Professor Alkasis, dumbfounded.
Even Professor Bagrak didn''t do this.
''No. He probably doesn''t have any disciples in 2nd year or above.''
"Professor. I''m actually a 1st year..."
"Should I embroider ''1st year'' on your coat? Sit down."
Professor Alkasis''s words carried a strong weight that if he made her more tired, she would make him a dissection subject.
Yi-Han sat down for now.
Looking again, the lecture hall was chilling in a different sense.
A lump of meat was ced on each seat, and that lump of meat was moving around, bing the target of magic. Invisible mages were practicing.
-Wee. Junior.-
As Yi-Han sat down, letters were engraved on the desk. Yi-Han epted it half-heartedly.
"...Nice to meet you too..."
Although he thought he had be somewhat familiar with Einroguard, who would have known he would learn in such a ghost lecture hall?
"Sorry for stopping in the middle of the lecture. Everyone, listen while cutting."
Slice slice slice-
Hearing the sound of cutting meat, Yi-Han sighed.
"You might find it strange for a 1st year student to listen... You all know, right? Did you hear? Yes. I''m d I don''t have to exin..."
Professor Alkasis spoke in a sincere voice.
However, Yi-Han couldn''t help but be puzzled.
''How do they know what?''
He couldn''t help but be curious about what conversation had taken ce between the 2nd year and above healing magic seniors without his knowledge.
"Then I only need to exin to you. You know you don''t need to learn with the 1st years."
"No..."
"Be quiet. Don''t make me say it twice."
"..."
Yi-Han cursed Professor Alkasis inwardly.
"It''s more of a waste to group you with the 1st years. From now on, practice with the seniors."
"What about the parts I haven''t studied yet?"
"Catch up through self-study. As the top student of the year, that should be enough."
"..."
Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
He didn''t be the top student of the year for this!
-Sorry our professor is a son of a bitch.-
Letters were engraved on the next desk.
¡ª
At first, it was a bit creepy that he couldn''t see or hear the seniors, but Yi-Han adapted quickly despite hisints.
In fact, when he thought about it, this kind of lecture wasn''t necessarily bad.
''It''s enough that desks or chairs don''t fly at me.''
Except for disliking being told twice, Professor Alkasis was a pretty decent person.
When asked, she answered properly and didn''t scold him even if he made mistakes.
Bang!
A scabbard flew behind Yi-Han and strongly struck the desk. Then it returned to the professor''s grip.
After that, the sound of cutting meat became incredibly fast and precise.
''You don''t directly attack students. How kind.''
Yi-Han decided to ept what happened in front of him as positively as possible.
Today''s practical lecture was about finding and excising a tumor hidden inside a lump of meat (a slime made for healing magic practice).
There were various ways to find the tumor.
One could use a search spell, rely solely on the sensation of the fingertips, or even find it while making incisions.
The important thing was that the slime must not die.
''Was the scabbard flying because the slime died?''
"I told you not to kill it, are you not focusing!"
Professor Alkasis shouted and threw her sword.
''Hmm. If you kill it, a sword flies.''
Yi-Han''s hand movements became even faster and more precise.
The tense atmosphere that he could die if he killed it made Yi-Han utilize everything he had learned.
¡ª
"With the vignce gone, he''ll probably run away..."
"I think so too."
The seniors whispered while watching the professor.
There was an old saying about the carrot and the stick.
It was a very ssic method of drawing in the other party by alternating between rewards and punishments...
...Professor Alkasis preferred the stick and the stick.
Look at that 1st year junior now!
Isn''t he sitting alone in a lecture hall where no one can be seen, dissecting a slime?
If they thought they were in that situation, it seemed like they would develop non-existent trauma.
"Shouldn''t the professor get permission from the principal and lift the magic only during the lecture?"
"As if he would allow that. Why don''t you also ask him to open the school gates and allow outings?"
"You bastard..."
Bang!
A scabbard flew in. The seniors hurriedly focused again in fright.
-Still, shouldn''t we at least give him some advice?-
-Indeed.-
The seniors weren''t Einroguard students for nothing. Theymunicated with each other using magic letters, avoiding Professor Alkasis''s eyes.
It was a convenient magic for secretlymunicating during lectures, where the letters written on the desk with ink would wriggle and fly to the other person.
-I''m close, so I''ll do it.-
-Thanks. Phil.-
Phil slightly turned his gaze to help the junior.
Fortunately, there was time left thanks to getting a decent slime.
'' or ... too difficult? Something easier... it would be easy if there was a vitality amplification potion, but there won''t be one.''
While pondering what method would be helpful, Phil suddenly felt something strange and looked up.
Yi-Han was already holding a knife and cutting the slime.
"!??!?!"
Phil almost screamed.
The junior was going in too boldly.
''No!''
This was a mistake that quite a few students had made before.
Trusting the slime''s vitality, roughly figuring out the location, then boldly cutting in and trying to excise the tumor.
However, most of them failed and had to be severely scolded by Professor Alkasis.
This wasn''t easy enough to seed just by roughly figuring out the location. This slime died more easily than one might think.
Poke-
But Yi-Han reached the tumor without any difficulty. At the same time, he threw colorful stones with his other hand.
"Hmm."
And then he corrected the direction again and carefully began to excise the tumor.
"..."
Phil was shocked.
To think he would use divination magic here.
It wasn''t like he was wielding a dragon-ying sword to catch a slime...!
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Chapter 424
Chapter 424
-What are you doing?-
Phil desperately wrote the letters in a hurry and sent them.
However, the focused junior didn''t notice the letters.
"Hmm."
Seeing him constantly using divination magic and correcting the direction, Phil was terrified.
''Does that guy have no fear?''
If divination magic was used incorrectly, one could vomit blood and copse, yet he was taking such bold actions.
"It''s all done."
Professor Alkasis approached with big strides.
And then she nodded her head after seeing what Yi-Han had excised.
"Well done. Rest for a bit."
"Thank you."
"Professor. Excuse me."
Phil couldn''t hold back and raised his hand. Professor Alkasis red at her disciple with eyes that said she wouldn''t let it slide if he said something unnecessary.
"Of course, as long as you seed without being picky about the means and methods, it''s fine, but I''m a bit worried about the junior."
"...Mind your own business. Your slime is still intact."
Professor Alkasis looked at Phil with a very pathetic gaze.
In some schools where talented individuals were scarce, situations often arose where seniors became anxious when juniors entered.
That wasn''t a good situation for either the juniors or the seniors. Fundamentally, one''s skills in magic improved by doing it oneself.
"I can solve my slime right away! But the junior is using a very dangerous method for healing!"
Surprisingly, Phil didn''t back down.
At that sight, other students whispered and sent worried gazes.
''Aren''t you going to draw your sword?''
"I told you... if it was really dangerous, he would have failed on his own. Why do you keep wasting time unnecessarily for a junior who seeded well..."
"Still, excising that with divination magic is not right!"
"...Divination magic?"
"Yes!"
Professor Alkasis frowned and looked at Yi-Han.
And then she asked.
"Did you excise it with divination magic?"
"Uh... I used it as an aid."
"Why?"
"...Because I couldn''t think of any other method?"
"..."
Professor Alkasis fell into deep silence. Then she looked at the seniors and asked.
"Didn''t I teach you or ?"
"Yes."
"You didn''t teach us."
The seniors spoke in unison. The dark elf professor muttered while ruffling her hair.
"I forgot..."
"..."
"..."
Not only the seniors but even Yi-Han looked at the professor in absurdity.
What would happen if she forgot that?
"I made a mistake because it''s magic learned in the 2nd year. Tell me next time if something like this happens. Divination magic is not suitable for repeated use in situations like this."
Yi-Han red at the professor. New letters appeared next to him.
-You endure it. She''s the professor.-
¡ª
After the lecture ended, Yi-Han vowed to avoid Professor Alkasis as much as possible until the next lecture.
Judging from what the professor said during the lecture ("Phil, keep your nights free during the weekdays. A patient ising."), it seemed like Yi-Han would also be dragged along if he was unlucky.
However, despite such a resolution, Yi-Han had to urgently call out to Professor Alkasis who was passing by.
The basilisk had started to get sick.
After the lecture ended, Yi-Han had gone to the hut and fed the basilisk as usual and took care of its egg.
But suddenly, as if the egg had eaten something wrong, it started shaking and rolling around inside the hut.
Startled by the unexpected situation, Yi-Han immediately ran out to seek help.
When he saw Professor Alkasis in the distance, Yi-Han called out to the professor without hesitation.
"Professor! Professor!"
"Don''t shout so loudly..."
Professor Alkasis, who was already suffering from a headache due to insomnia and overwork, didn''t like her disciple calling out loudly.
"What''s the matter? Why did you call me?"
"Please help me for a moment!"
"I have to prepare some medicine now..."
Professor Alkasis took out a pocket watch to check the time and raised her eyebrows.
"If it''s not a big deal, you know you''ll have to pay with your body. What is it?"
"The basilisk is sick!"
"...It is indeed a big deal."
Professor Alkasis changed her evaluation of the disciple.
This young man from the Wardanaz family truly didn''t speak empty words.
"Why on earth a basilisk..."
"It''s a long story."
"Then don''t tell it."
"Thank you."
Yi-Han was grateful for Professor Alkasis''s consideration. Although Professor Alkasis found Yi-Han''s gratitude absurd, she let it slide because it was bothersome.
"Oh. You have to enter this way."
"..."
Seeing that he had evenid out an illusion magic to avoid the approach of outsiders just in case, Professor Alkasis became curious about who had ordered such a thing.
Was it the principal?
"The path is narrow."
"Professor Verduus made it ording to his own standards..."
Yi-Han brushed off the leaves stuck to his hair and clothes. Professor Alkasis did the same.
Dark elves were basically a slender race, and Professor Alkasis, being female, was even thinner among them, but even considering that, she had to be bigger than Professor Verduus.
Yi-Han watched the professor''s reaction. Although he had asked for help in a hurry, it wasn''t good to get dirt on the professor.
If dirt got on the professor, there was a high possibility that the disciple would end up under the dirt.
"Hurry up and go. If I can''t make the medicine because of you, will you take responsibility?"
"I''m going now!"
Yi-Han hurriedly opened the door of the hut.
Professor Alkasis looked surprised to see the basilisk''s egg rolling around. Although she had heard about it, she couldn''t help but be surprised to actually see it.
"You were really raising it... and you raised it really well."
"Several professors helped me. Professor Uregor or Professor Reuji..."
Yi-Han unintentionally left out Professor Verduus. Professor Alkasis didn''t bother to ask again.
"If Professor Uregor helped you, you could have asked Professor Uregor..."
"..."
Yi-Han realized his mistake.
Come to think of it, that was a safer method.
Although he had called Professor Alkasis, who he saw first, because the basilisk suddenly got sick, Professor Alkasis was definitely not a kind professor.
''I should have stayed calm in any situation.''
Yi-Han learned another lesson.
"I thought it would be most urate to ask you about disease-rted problems, Professor."
"Thank you for thinking that way."
Professor Alkasis readily epted her disciple''s praise.
Except for wasting time unnecessarily, making mistakes when using healing magic, and things that weren''t helpful when a patient needed to be saved, Professor Alkasis might unexpectedly be a kind and easy-to-deal-with person.
''Hmm. Come to think of it, that''s really a meaningless thing to say.''
Yi-Han shook his head inwardly.
If you put it that way, there was no professor who wasn''t kind. Even Professor Bagrak was a kind professor if you excluded the beating.
"It''s a growth fever. It seems the basilisk is growing too fast and the fever is rising a bit..."
"It''s a symptom I haven''t seen in books, so I must have missed it."
"No... originally, basilisks don''t have things like growth fever."
Professor Alkasis said as if it was interesting.
Although not to the level of being well-versed in all the rare animals of the empire, Professor Alkasis knew quite a bit about useful monsters like basilisks.
It was a creature that grew very slowly and required a lot of mana and food, so growth fever wasn''t amon symptom.
Among monsters, those that suffered from diseases like growth fever were mostly the ones that grew rapidly to the point of being abrupt...
"Oh no. Is it because I gave it too much food?"
Yi-Han pondered whether he should divert some food to the ck market in the future.
The basilisk''s egg next to him made a sound while swaying left and right, but Yi-Han ignored it.
"If growth fever could be caused by food, the owners of the empire''s ranches would cry tears of joy. There must be other factors besides food. Look for them."
Yi-Han scanned the inside of the hut and asked about various suspicious factors.
Was it a venttion problem, or a problem with the flow of mana where the hut was set up, or was the basilisk stressed because of Professor Verduus...
Professor Alkasis, who had been listening quietly, stared intently at the basilisk''s egg.
The way it rolled towards Yi-Han and tried to stick to him even while inside the egg was unusual.
Monsters had an imprinting phenomenon where they regarded the first person they saw after hatching from the egg as their owner, but it was rare for them to chase after their owner like that before evening out of the egg.
It could be because he took really good care of it, but rather than that...
"You''re the cause."
"Pardon?"
"That basilisk keeps sucking your mana. Even now... wait. You didn''t notice? Really?"
Every time the basilisk''s egg stuck to Yi-Han, it could be felt that it was sucking up mana.
Does that make sense?
"It did that?!"
Yi-Han pushed the egg away with a betrayed expression. The egg rattled and tried to stick to Yi-Han, but Yi-Han firmly held it back.
"Didn''t you feel your mana being consumed?"
"No."
Professor Alkasis''s eyebrows twitched at the sight of her disciple answering without a second of hesitation.
"...I see."
What could she do if he said he didn''t feel it?
Although absurd, Professor Alkasis epted it.
"I''ll make a fever-reducing potion for the basilisk to consume, so give it one drop a day. It would be best not to allow other people to approach it until it recovers. Basilisks are more sensitive monsters than you think. And stop indulging its whims."
"I didn''t indulge..."
Yi-Han felt wronged, but the professor didn''t listen.
Professor Alkasis, who quickly finished the preparation, looked at Yi-Han. It was the gaze of a wicked merchant visiting a ve market, assessing ''how much work can this fellow do?''
Yi-Han quickly eximed.
"I''m always grateful for the professor''s kindness. It''s just that I have assignments to do and this week is also..."
"Don''t worry, I won''t make you do it."
Professor Alkasis said in a slightly hoarse voice as she got up from her seat.
"We are indeed short on manpower. That''s true. But... the disciples have a point too. No matter how urgent, if we keep pushing a first-year student into real situations, in case an ident..."
Professor Alkasis, who was speaking, watched the basilisk''s egg stick to Yi-Han again and suck up mana.
The professor decided to pretend she didn''t see it. She felt like her resolve would waver if she saw that sight.
"...might happen. It''s enough that you''re keeping up with the lectures now. If you continue like this for 1 or 2 years, you''ll be a decent healing mage."
The dark elf professor showed a slight expectation for her disciple in her gaze, even in the midst of being exhausted.
Normally, it should have been a situation where one would be moved by the sincerity shown by a professor who rarely expressed her emotions, but Yi-Han didn''t.
Yi-Han wasn''t someone who would be easily swayed like the other healing magic seniors.
''The words sound moving, but if you think about it carefully, it''s just saying let''s die together in hardship.''
Of course, Yi-Han didn''t reveal his true feelings. He nodded his head and expressed deep gratitude.
"Thank you for understanding. I will study healing magic diligently and strive to do my part as quickly as possible."
"Do that."
Professor Alkasis smiled and tried to open the door.
At that moment, Professor Verduus, who arrived from outside with the sound of footsteps, called out to Yi-Han.
"Are you inside?! I need mana to make an artifact now! Come out quickly! Quickly! Quickly! Quickly!"
"..."
Professor Alkasis looked at the door and Yi-Han alternately with confused eyes.
...Do the other professors just order him around?
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Chapter 425
Chapter 425
"What are you doing now?"
Yi-Han carefully answered Professor Alkasis''s question.
"Professor Verduus has asked for my assistance."
"...With what?"
"Artifact... production?"
"..."
Professor Alkasis looked outside once in disbelief, then at Yi-Han, and then outside again.
And she opened the door.
Professor Verduus, who was waiting with innocent eyes, tilted his head when the door opened and looked up at the two.
"Oh? Professor Lagrinde! Nice to see you!"
"Nice to see you too. ...So what are you doing now?"
Professor Alkasis''s voice was as cold as ice.
In fact, it was closer to ''Do you know what you''re doing right now?'' rather than a question.
"Making an artifact?"
"Is it a low-difficulty artifact by any chance?"
Professor Alkasis tried her best to understand Professor Verduus by gathering thest remaining faith.
If it was a practice artifact for lower-year students, it would be natural to take Wardanaz and have him practice.
"No? It''s my research project."
"You mean your research project as a professor?"
"Yep!"
Professor Verduus nodded his head. Despite his inherently cute appearance as a beaver mixed-blood, Professor Verduus was good at provoking other people''s anger.
''Will a fist fly?''
Yi-Han habitually looked at Professor Alkasis''s hand.
Usually, when other professors dealt with Professor Verduus, it was easy to read their emotions by looking at their hands.
If it clenched tightly, it meant they were about to hit him, and if the tendons twitched, it meant it was still okay...
Surprisingly, Professor Alkasis showed no movement at all.
"If it''s a high-difficulty artifact that you, Professor, will work on, there''s a high possibility of an ident if a 1st-year student works on it, and you know that in that case, it will definitely lead to injury, right?"
"Just be careful! Although this kid isn''t good at magic, he''s quite meticulous, so it''ll be fine!"
Yi-Han showed a slightly hurt expression.
Except for Professor Verduus, he had never been told he was bad at magic anywhere.
"And if he gets hurt, we can just heal him."
"What if it''s beyond the healing room''s ability to treat?"
"We can call the healing mages at the academy to treat him, right?"
"Is that so? ...Kid. Go out for a bit."
Professor Alkasis pointed at the basilisk''s egg and gestured to Yi-Han.
It meant to take the egg and go outside for a moment.
Professor Verduus tilted his head.
"If the conversation''s over, why not just take him along?"
"Professor, you stay for a moment."
Yi-Han, who understood the situation, quickly took the basilisk''s egg and closed the door of the hut.
Despite the sound being blocked by magic, it seemed like Professor Verduus''s screams could be faintly heard.
As the egg trembled, Yi-Han patted it as if to say it was okay.
"It''s because it''s Professor Verduus. She doesn''t do that to other people."
¡ª
After the conversation ended, Professor Verduus spoke in a very dejected voice.
"You don''t have to help."
"Say it more maturely."
"I realized that asking a 1st-year student to help with artifact production at a professor''s level is not only dangerous but also puts too much of a burden on the student."
"Well done."
Professor Alkasis nodded her head with a tired expression.
Suddenly, a sense of futility came over her as she wasted her little remaining time because of Professor Verduus.
''Even wasting time in the most trashy way at Einroguard would have been better than this.''
"Professor. At least have some of this."
Yi-Han offered wild strawberry juice with a very polite attitude.
It was juice made from wild strawberries that he had stolen, no, picked near Professor Uregor''s vegetable garden.
Professor Alkasis didn''t understand why Yi-Han was suddenly sending a gaze full of respect, but she epted her disciple''s goodwill for now.
"Thank you. If Professor Verduus says something strange, let me know."
"You are the best professor at Einroguard, Professor."
"Don''t tter me unnecessarily. It''s not a good habit for a mage."
After Professor Alkasis left, Professor Verduus grumbled. The basilisk''s egg wriggled as if it didn''t want to hear it.
Yi-Han ignored it as if he hadn''t heard and said.
"Can''t you do something else?"
"What else? A new research project? Gasp. Do you have an idea?"
Yi-Han smiled gently at the sight of a professor asking his 1st-year student for ideas for his new research project.
"I mean lecture preparation."
"Ah... lecture..."
Professor Verduus openly showed a reluctant expression. Yi-Han wanted to call Professor Alkasis back.
"I don''t want to do it."
"You''re saying that confidently, are you really a professor?"
''Even if you say that, you''re not actually like that, are you?''
Yi-Han was slightly flustered when his thoughts and words were suddenly reversed.
However, Professor Verduus didn''t seem to mind much as he had be gloomy.
"I don''t want to do it, but Gonadaltes is forcing me to do it. Why do I have to do it?"
"Was that the case? ...Wait. You received a gold coin investment from the principal, right?"
"I did?"
Yi-Han looked at Professor Verduus with a contemptuous gaze. Professor Verduus didn''t notice.
"Just prepare for the lecture."
"I said I don''t want to."
"I''ll call the principal."
"...!!!"
Professor Verduus looked at Yi-Han with an expression like a great mage betrayed by his best disciple.
He was so shocked that his beaver mixed-blood characteristic whiskers trembled.
"Hurry up and prepare."
"Okay..."
Professor Verduus,pletely discouraged, moved to prepare. His back looked somehow miserable.
''Fortunately, it''s Professor Verduus.''
If it were another professor, he would have felt bad for no reason, but since it was Professor Verduus, he didn''t feel bad at all.
Yi-Han pushed Professor Verduus''s back and headed towards the tower.
.
Professor Verduus''s workshop and tower.
As soon as he arrived, the professor grumbled again as if he was bothered by the preparation.
"Here''s the ck iron ingot... and... some coal... and... a furnace and bellows... I need charcoal... ugh... bothersome... instead of charcoal, something else..."
"Find the charcoal."
Professor Verduus grumbled twice as much and looked for the charcoal.
"So what lecture is this?"
"We''re going to directly transform the shape of the iron ingot to make it suitable for artifact production."
An outstanding enchantment mage was not only skilled in magic but also in understanding the properties of materials and shaping them.
One of the most representative methods of enchantment magic was to engrave magic on a substance through a magic circle, and at this time, the shape and structure of the substance also influenced the magic.
Even with the same armor, a skilled craftsman would create a structure that could draw out the power of the magic circle to be engraved on it from the beginning.
Of course, it wasn''t an easy task.
One had to understand the magic circle to be engraved, understand the principles of that magic circle, and be able to calcte in advance what structure the equipment should be made into.
It couldn''t be calcted after making it.
Even after the calction, various magic materials had to be shaped very finely, so one had to be skilled not only in transformation magic but also in various metalworking and crafting.
Yi-Han, who had extracted the list of materials from Professor Verduus, rummaged through here and there and gathered the necessary items.
"But Professor. I understand that you have high standards, but isn''t this too difficult? Can 1st-year students do this?"
"This is a 2nd-year lecture?"
"..."
Yi-Han almost threw the materials he was holding but held back.
For 2nd-year lecture preparation, he should have picked the most pitiful 2nd-year student and made them do it, so why was he making Yi-Han do it?
"Prepare for the 1st-year lecture."
"Why do you like preparing so much?"
"I''m just saying let''s do the basics that need to be done... no, nevermind. Just hurry up and find them."
¡ª
The skull principal was disappointed with the Death Knights'' search that yielded no significant results.
''What''s this? Did he receive help from an outsider? There shouldn''t be any rted outsiders.''
The skull principal was not an amateur. He had already checked all the outsiders rted to the students.
If there was anyone helping with the escape, no, unauthorized outing, they would get to see the punishment room together.
-Could it have been a misunderstanding?-
Instead of answering, the skull principal covered the Death Knight''s mouth.
The Death Knight, whose mouth was covered just for being kind-hearted, felt wronged.
¡°He might have bribed someone.¡±
-What crazy person would help someone go in and out of Einroguard? No matter how good silver coins are, if you get caught...-
¡°You never know in this world. Besides, that guy has quite an evil tongue. He can easily persuade them if he wants to.¡±
The skull principal believed that if Yi-Han put his mind to it, he could easily deceive a few nearby suppliers.
With the wealth of the Wardanaz family and his own evil eloquence, it wouldn''t be too difficult to deceive a clumsy employee or two and borrow a carriage to ride.
¡°Good, good. Even if there are no immediate results, keep searching. If we keep pressuring them, the students will show gaps. Oh. Did the mages leave well?¡±
-Yes. Even thest remaining mages left the town.-
¡°Were there anyining brats?¡±
-No. Everyone was satisfied.-
The skull principal nodded his head.
Above all else, the evaluation of the mages who visited the school was quite important.
If bad rumors spread among the empire''s mages, there would be many bothersome things such as various invitations, events, investment attraction, research support, etc.
Getting called by the emperor and being scolded was an added bonus.
¡°What a ridiculous bunch. When I show them Einroguard''s perfect education, theyin so much, but when I throw them a student, they quietly be excited!¡±
-What a ridiculous bunch indeed.-
¡°Yes. Anyway, those bastards are gone... are the knights still here?¡±
-Yes. As permitted, they will have a knight gathering on the weekend...-
¡°It must be a gathering of brainless ones. Since I allowed it, I have no choice. Send Death Knights to monitor them. Make sure no one secretly slips out and goes to the city or town.¡±
The Death Knights nodded their heads.
Monitoring for any possible deviations by students was their role.
After receiving a rough report, the skull principal floated away.
It was a fact that always surprised students when they heard it, but the skull principal regrly checked the professors'' education curriculum.
It wasn''t that he checked and it was this much, but rather, it was only this much because he checked.
¡°Whose turn is it?¡±
-It''s Professor Millei''s turn.-
¡°Millei is fine. She''ll do well on her own.¡±
-Then it''s Professor Garcia''s turn.-
¡°Garcia is even more fine. She''s too enthusiastic, that''s the problem. Students grow well even if she teaches roughly.¡±
-Next is Professor Verduus''s turn.-
¡°...Let''s go check. I need to see that guy with my own two eyes.¡±
Even the skull principal, who usually let things slide, couldn''t let Professor Verduus slide.
No matter how much he let things slide, there were still professors he had to see with his own two eyes.
A representative one was Professor Verduus.
He was the type to throw a carnelian, a box of processed maple wood, two bags of ice-cold powder, and an ogre''s tendon at students and say, ''Make an artifact with these during this ss and show me,'' so one absolutely couldn''t let their guard down.
The skull principal''s belief was that geniuses grow well even if left alone, but Professor Verduus always tried to cross that line, so he was a problem.
¡°...What is this?¡±
-It''s the lecture hall.-
¡°I''m not asking because I don''t know it''s the lecture hall... I''m asking what this is.¡±
-Isn''t it what he prepared?-
¡°That guy??¡±
Seeing the measured materials and sample magic circles ced at each student''s seat in the lecture hall, the skull principal doubted his eyes.
¡°Was Professor Verduus kidnapped and other enemies of Einroguard secretly disguised themselves and entered?¡±
-...We, well. It is a bit strange.-
¡°A bit?¡±
-Very strange.-
Before he finished speaking, Yi-Han opened the door and entered the lecture hall.
And after looking around inside to check, he went back out.
The skull principal, who realized what had happened, was dumbfounded.
¡°That guy is now preparing together with even a 1st-year disciple?!¡±
No matter how smart the disciple is, how can he entrust the preparation of lecture content to a 1st-year disciple?
¡°What if he makes a mistake?¡±
-Master.-
¡°What? What is it now?¡±
-Well... this seems to be 2nd-year lecture preparation...-
¡°...This won''t do. Call Beavle.¡±
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Chapter 426
Chapter 426
The summoned Professor Verduus stared nkly at the skull principal.
The skull principal sighed first at his attitude of not knowing at all what he had done wrong.
¡°Beavle, Beavle... How many times have I told you?¡±
"What?"
¡°To do the minimum preparation. I''m not trying to interfere with your research. I''m just saying let''s do the basics. Okay?¡±
"I prepared diligently?!"
Professor Verduus retorted as if he was wronged.
The skull principal endured once more and said.
¡°Usually, when I tell you to do the minimum preparation... it doesn''t mean to exploit a 1st-year disciple.¡±
"But the others are idiots?"
The ''others'' Professor Verduus was referring to were his so-called disciples.
Yi-Han''s seniors learning enchantment magic!
Originally, these seniors should have helped Professor Verduus with his work, prepared for lectures, and taught the juniors, but...
As you know, in the imperial magic world, disciples usually took after their masters.
The disciples who remained under a master like Professor Verduus to continue enchantment magic were naturally bound to be students simr to Professor Verduus.
-I don''t know what the professor is doing, but I''ll make my own artifact.-
-The professor went to the punishment room? No wonder there was an extra chair. Then I should use this chair.-
Since Professor Verduus didn''t expect any deep respect from his disciples, their rtionship should be seen as just mages using the same workshop rather than a traditional master-disciple rtionship.
In fact, it was even worse. At least mages in the same workshop would show some concern if one of them disappeared.
There was no way such seniors would help with the work. If Professor Verduus called them, there was a very high possibility that they would just ignore him without any response.
¡°They''re not idiots, it''s because you taught them that way.¡±
"No matter how I taught them, if they''re not idiots, they would have done well on their own. Look at Wardanaz."
¡°...¡±
The skull principal felt a headacheing on for the first time in a long time.
Professor Bagrak, who looked at Yi-Han and was convinced that ''my teachings were not wrong,'' and Professor Verduus, who looked at Yi-Han and was convinced that ''since he''s doing well on his own, it''s the fault of the other idiots,'' were really...
These guys should be left alone to suffer the consequences, but they were smugly meeting a crazy disciple by luck.
¡°Shut up and do the preparation for 2nd year and above by yourself.¡±
"Wardanaz is capable of doing it too..."
¡°I know that too. I can see it.¡±
"Then why?"
¡°I can''t stand the sight of you leaving it to your disciple and gettingfortable.¡±
The skull principal spoke honestly.
Professor Verduus looked at the skull principal, wondering how he could have such bad thoughts.
"Professor. Don''t keep going elsewhere. Do you think I''ll prepare alone if you say that? Quickly, the reagents... oh. Principal. What are you doing?"
¡°I''m telling him not to make you do the preparation for higher-year lectures.¡±
"Haha. Don''t joke around."
Yi-Han snorted as if it was absurd.
At that attitude, the skull principal reflected on his actions a little.
¡ª
"Huh?"
"Strange?"
The students taking enchantment magic were surprised by the lecture hall''s appearance, which was different from usual.
Books were prepared in advance at each seat, magic circles were prepared for indirectly experiencing magic, and reagents and metals were neatly arranged for testing magic.
Seeing that, the students logically concluded.
"Did we enter the wrong lecture hall?"
"But the professor is over there?"
Beaver mixed-bloods were not amon race. The students looked around in confusion.
"Wardanaz. Do you happen to know what''s going on?"
Wardanaz was always quick to get information in such situations. His friends asked, wondering if he might know something.
Yi-Han nodded his head and answered.
"Today''s enchantment magic lecture is not about engraving with magic circles, but directly enchanting with spells. As the difficulty increases, auxiliary magic circles, reference books, and practice materials are prepared."
The method of directly engraving magic circles on objects was a kind friend that reduced the effort of mages preparingplex magic.
Naturally, the difficulty of magic that was cast with spells increased greatly.
Even more so, the mage had to directly weave the mana structure that was engraved one by one with magic circles along with the spell.
"I see... Wait. Wardanaz. How do you know this?"
"It''s Wardanaz. You''ll know when you see it."
"I prepared it."
"..."
"..."
"I said I prepared it."
"Uh, uhh."
His friends suddenly became solemn at Yi-Han''s words.
No wonder he wasn''t seen...
''Is it normal for a 1st-year to prepare like this?''
''How could it be normal? Even if I''m from a knight family, I know this isn''t normal.''
''But honestly, isn''t it better prepared than Professor Verduus?''
The whispering White Tiger Tower students thought it was definitely the case.
Professor Verduus''s style was irresponsible, to put it badly, and to put it nicely... no, there was no nice way to put it.
If Professor Verduus had prepared today''s lecture, the students would have had to find the necessary books from the shelves from the beginning, rummage through the wooden chests in the material warehouse, take out usable magic circles, identally burn some clothes while taking them out, get scolded by Professor Verduus a bit...
"Wardanaz. Will you be preparing from now on?"
"...What do you mean by that now?"
The White Tiger Tower student who spoke with expectant eyes shrank back at the murderous voice.
"Ah, no. Just... curious."
¡ª
The basics are always the elements.
Regardless of which school of magic, when teaching the basics, it was often taught in conjunction with the elements.
That''s how familiar and ustomed mages were to elemental attributes.
What mage wouldn''t be familiar with fire, water, wind, and earth?
Of course, there were asionally mages who dealt more with lightning and darkness, but those were really exceptional cases...
"Watch closely. Like this."
Professor Verduus waved his staff. Then, the in wooden board heated up. When water was sprinkled on it, a sizzling sound was heard.
Yi-Han asked.
"Professor. You didn''t chant the spell."
"Huh? I don''t need to chant it, right?"
"...Wouldn''t it be better to let the students hear it?"
Professor Verduus made the students angry in a different way than when engraving magic circles.
The professor med the students'' inability to even do silent chanting and chanted the spell again.
"Heat, hide your form and dwell within."
This magic had quite a high difficulty despite its in appearance.
It wasn''t simply enchanting mes, but removing some characteristics from the fire element and leaving only pure heat.
Of course, that heat had to be made to dwell within the object.
Since all of this had to be done with a spell without a magic circle, the students couldn''t help but frown.
"And once you''ve done all this, the next one is this."
Professor Verduus exined additional enchantment spells that could be cast instantly without magic circles.
Just like the he had just shown, Professor Verduus preferred ones that were twisted one step further from simple element-based enchantment magic.
It wasn''t out of consideration for the students'' skill improvement, but simply because he abhorred boring magic due to his personality.
After was .
This magic, usually cast on a staff, was an enchantment magic that amplified the exploration attribute of the light element.
In other words, it was a magic that continuously emitted light that was useful for detecting hidden passages or illusion magic.
"!"
"!!!"
Scribble scribble scribble-
The students'' eyes widened and the speed of their writing quills increased.
For students who wanted to go out a bit after dinner, they immediately sensed how useful that magic would be.
Einroguard had so many secret passages and traps that its name could be changed to Einrodungeon.
So much so that if the lecture hall was on the 2nd floor or above, students wouldn''t go alone but together in groups.
As such, students couldn''t help but covet such magic.
''Thetent heat enchantment magic preparation was much more troublesome. Those annoying guys.''
Yi-Han understood their feelings but felt a bit disappointed.
Thetent heat enchantment magic required more preparation materials.
After that, Professor Verduus introduced (a defensive magic that surrounded the equipment with a barrier of wind, deflecting weak projectiles and changing the trajectory of strong projectiles), (a magic that enchanted a cloth with a magic that removed toxicity from liquids), and so on.
"Mr. Wardanaz. I have a question about casting this . Should I do the elemental conversion first and then the enchantment, or..."
"...Uh, the professor is right there."
"Ah. Have you not mastered it yet by any chance?"
Rowena was surprised as if she truly never thought of it.
She had an expression that she never even thought Yi-Han hadn''t mastered it yet.
"I have mastered it, but the professor is right there."
''So he has mastered it.''
''He has mastered it, huh.''
The White Tiger Tower students practicing next to him thought inwardly.
Indeed, considering that he helped the professor prepare to that extent, it would have been more strange if someone of Wardanaz''s skill level hadn''t mastered it.
"But the professor is a bit."
Rowena was a rtively honorable one among the White Tiger Tower (self-proimed) knights.
So she didn''t say any more, but everyone present could tell.
"Hmm. He is a bit like that."
Yi-Han gave up and decided to just exin.
In fact, it was true that he had be able to use it to some extent thanks to practicing while preparing with Professor Verduus.
"The method I use isn''t necessarily the correct answer, so just keep it in mind. First the light element, then elemental attribute conversion, and then enchantment. This order seems to be the best. The point to be careful about when enchanting is that since you''re not borrowing the power of a magic circle, the mana consumption may be severe."
"How severe is the mana consumption?"
"I don''t know. I don''t feel it. The book said it was like that."
"..."
"..."
The White Tiger Tower students stared intently at Yi-Han, but Yi-Han ignored them.
"So don''t invest too much mana in the light element or attribute conversion. In the first ce, magic cast with such spells can only have weak effects. Think of it as reducing the effect in exchange for increasing the speed and casting time..."
"Thank you."
Rowena bowed her head.
Yi-Han''s teachings clearly had an effect, as progress was noticeably visible. Then another White Tiger Tower student asked.
"Wardanaz. Can I ask you too?"
"Oh. Then me too."
"...It''s all good, but let me practice too."
"?!"
"?!?"
The White Tiger Tower students were startled.
Even Professor Verduus was startled.
"What?! You haven''t mastered it all yet!?"
"...I might not have mastered it..."
Yi-Han held back from saying ''you brat.''
If only the White Tiger Tower students were present, it would have slipped out.
"Why haven''t you mastered it?!"
"Ignore what the professor says."
"You endure it, Wardanaz."
The White Tiger Tower students desperately appeased Yi-Han.
It was their loss if Yi-Han got angry.
Asking Professor Verduus would only result in him teaching like a dog...
"But what haven''t you mastered? The wind barrier magic?"
"I haven''t seen Wardanaz use the wind element though."
"Is it the earth element? Wardanaz. If you have any questions, ask me."
Salko, a student from another tower, also turned his gaze as if he was curious.
"."
"?"
"??"
His friends tilted their heads.
Professor Verduus also tilted his head.
"It''s the easiest, you stu..."
"You, you might not be able to!"
The White Tiger Tower students desperately changed the trajectory of the conversation.
"It''s unexpectedly difficult, right! It doesn''t dwell well for me either! It''s quite hard to make it dwell in a material that doesn''t usually dwell..."
"It does dwell though."
"Huh?"
His friends were puzzled.
If he could make the heat dwell in , wasn''t there nothing particrly difficult?
"Then where are you stuck? Tell me, Wardanaz. I can help..."
Yi-Han waved his staff.
Then the staff started burning from the inside.
It wasn''t that the mes were directly lit, but rather, the heat couldn''t be endured and it caught fire from the inside.
"...doesn''t seem to be."
"Ke, keep it up!"
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Chapter 427
Chapter 427
Yi-Han¡¯s friends were baffled on how to advise him, who had already masteredplex spells like and but was struggling with .
However, Professor Verduus was different as expected of a professor. He grasped the situation as soon as he saw it and skillfully advised.
"Rx your strength! You fool!"
"..."
Salko saw Yi-Han''s fist clenching tightly and slightly anticipated.
''Could he hit the professor? No. Even so, he wouldn''t. But if it''s that Wardanaz guy... he might be able to.''
"Mana isn''t something that can be put in and taken out so easily."
"It can be done eas... ily."
"It''s not that diffi... cult."
The friends who unintentionally answered next to him bowed their heads after reading the atmosphere.
If one didn''t have a lot of mana, adjusting the mana amount wasn''t that difficult.
Honestly, increasing the mana amount was more difficult than reducing it...
"Sigh. It can''t be helped. I''ll help you. Come on. Try it again. Rx your strength."
"No... it''s fine. I can practice alone."
Yi-Han said that sincerely.
Honestly, it seemed better for Yi-Han to practice alone than for Professor Verduus to help.
"No. Gonadaltes told me to take care of you a bit."
"This isn''t taking care of me?"
"No. It is taking care of you."
"You don''t seem to know the meaning of taking care."
"I know it well. Come on. I''ll help you! Rx your strength! Now. Roughly reduce the mana amount to 1/14 there!"
"What do you mean? How?"
"Just intuitively!"
"..."
¡ª
In the end, Yi-Han couldn''t perfectly master only (the friends who took his time were sorry as if it were their own business).
But in Yi-Han''s view, it wasn''t because his friends took his time, but because Professor Verduus was distracting him next to him.
If only Professor Verduus wasn''t there, he could have really mastered it all within the lecture time.
"...So that''s why I couldn''t master it all. It''s really because of Professor Verduus."
"...Is, is that so?"
Priestess Tijiling looked at Yi-Han with a perplexed gaze.
She just normally greeted him with ''How was today''s lecture?'' but she didn''t expect such a long answer toe back.
"But Mr. Wardanaz. As far as I know, such magic is not meant to be learned all at once in a single lecture, but to be learned over several lectures..."
"That''s true."
"Then you don''t need to be impatient, do you?"
"That''s not it. If I take it easy because there''s ample time, I might get overtaken by other friends."
"?"
Priestess Tijiling stopped stirring the hot beef stew with thedle and tilted her head.
"From what I heard, the other students only practiced one magic today?"
Due to the difficulty level, the friends all chose one magic and diligently refined and practiced it.
"They did."
"But how would you get overtaken?"
"Suddenly mastering a different magic or practicing while I''m taking other lectures. And if there are several such friends, if I''m not careful, I''ll go down from A to B. It happens quite often, Priestess Tijiling."
"...?????"
Priestess Tijiling turned her head, thinking that Yi-Han was joking but she couldn''t understand because shecked a sense of humor.
However, Yi-Han''s face, who was chopping ingredients with a knife, was very serious.
"...I, I see."
Priestess Tijiling, who wasn''t particrly interested in grades, didn''t understand well, but she decided to ept it for now.
"Oh right. I don''t think I can help with today''s duty."
"You''re not on duty today anyway..."
Despite Yi-Han''s turn having ended before and it being the turn of other priests to take over, Yi-Han was helping.
It wasn''t because the priests were cuter and more precious than the Blue Dragon Tower students (although that was true), but for a more practical reason.
It was because the priests kept fighting if Yi-Han wasn''t there.
-I didn''t expect you to seed in the white me conversion so quickly. Heh...e to think of it, I was worried for nothing. There''s no way Aphar wouldn''t cherish a believer like Mr. Wardanaz. Thinking about it again, really...-
-...Priest Nigisor. Do you have to brag in front of others now?-
Yi-Han had never thought that the Immortal Phoenix Tower priests could be annoying beings.
But surprisingly, it was possible.
The excited priests were unexpectedly more demanding than the Blue Dragon Tower students.
They didn''t know that when bragging about something, they had to be aware of the situation and ce!
They bragged like that in front of the denomination priests who hadn''t awakened holy magic yet because they had never bragged before, and the priests who had no immunity to such bragging red up and suggested settling it with a doctrine debate...
"But I''m d that the priests seem to think a bit before bragging in front of others now."
At Yi-Han''s words, Priestess Tijiling was embarrassed.
They were priests from denominations representing the empire, what a disgrace this was.
"But Priestess Tijiling, don''t you have any ns to teach something rted to the Presinga Order? Now that it''s your turn."
"What I''ve been taught isn''t like that... If Lord Presinga wants to give something, I think it''s closer to my belief that he would set the time himself. Do you want to increase your curses more by any chance?"
"No, that''s not it."
Yi-Han immediately denied it.
Mana-rted curses were fine even if he got more, but other curses were quite troublesome.
Priestess Tijiling readily epted it as if she didn''t have high expectations.
"In fact, you''re already carrying too many curses now."
''I had forgotten.''
Mana-rted curses were honestly so meaningless that he forgot their existence.
The meaning of the Presinga Order priests was in enduring curses with their own bodies and practicing asceticism to the point where one wondered if it was okay to do this.
"If you''re not doing duty today, do you have another appointment?"
"That''s right."
Priestess Tijiling closed her eyes tightly as if she was going to guess and opened her mouth.
"Are you going to receive teachings from the principal?"
"...No?!"
Receiving one-on-one teachings from the principal after dinner and during break time.
Yi-Han was shocked.
"I don''t receive teachings after dinner! Even so! It''s break time!"
"Huh? Oh, I thought you liked it."
"..."
Yi-Han was doubly shocked.
"Then Professor Verduus..."
"Absolutely not, I''m going for a walk around the school."
"Ah. Is that so."
Priestess Tijiling nodded her head while moving the finished stew.
Huh?
"But walks are prohibited after dinner, aren''t they?"
"Yeah. I''m sneaking out."
"..."
Priestess Tijiling pondered saying something at the sight of Yi-Han dering he would sneak out as naturally as breathing, but stopped.
She thought there was no point in stopping him since other tower students were sneaking out anyway.
"Due to the principal increasing the search personnel, the means of going out are being blocked. I need to find them in advance."
"Everything you just said doesn''t make sense to me, but... ah. Right. There''s a good way."
"?"
"How about going out with the priests of our tower?"
The priests were basically allowed to go out even after dinner for prayers or rituals.
Wasn''t that why Yi-Han borrowed priest robes before?
Of course, he switched to using invisibility magic because it was more convenient, but...
"They won''t be suspicious if you''re among the priests."
"But is it okay to exploit faith like that?"
"Now that you say that..."
Priestess Tijiling looked at Yi-Han as if asking why he was suddenly acting like this. It hurt a bit more because it was the gaze of Priestess Tijiling, who was always kind.
''I should show a more faithful side in the future.''
"Yeah. I''d be grateful if you go with me. Actually, it''s better to go for night walks with several people."
"Is that so? Why?"
"First, it''s easier to respond to problems when you have a vanguard and rearguard."
Yi-Han didn''t mention the fact that someone had to y the role of a sacrificialmb to draw attention in case of an emergency.
He was afraid Priestess Tijiling would give him a contemptuous look.
"It''s better to divide roles after all."
"Do you divide roles with magic?"
"No. Rather than that, someone who specializes in keys and traps and someone who has to take hits with their body if something happens..."
Yi-Han felt the topic was a bit too explicit, so he changed the subject.
"Anyway, it''s good to have several people, so I''ll ask you a favor. Wait. But is it okay to call priests from other orders when it''s not their turn? Will they understand this?"
"No. They won''t understand, so it''s better to ask Priest Nigisor and Priestess Siana."
"Priestess Tijiling, you''re not angry at your friends, are you?"
¡ª
The good thing about going out with Priest Nigisor and Priestess Siana was that there were no lounge priests to re at them even if they bragged to each other.
The two of them talked about how amazing, wonderful, and miraculous their faith was with each step.
Instead of looking at the dark corridor ahead, Yi-Han watched Priestess Tijiling''s reaction.
''Did I bring those guys for nothing?''
-We''re caught, run away!!!-
-You run away first!-
-Sob!! I''ll remember this!-
Faintly familiar voices were heard from afar. It seemed other tower students were also wandering around and got caught somewhere.
"Good evening."
But the priests didn''t. When they bowed their heads in greeting, the Death Knight walking down the corridor also bowed his head and passed by.
''It really works.''
If it were just one priest, they might find it a bit suspicious, but when several priests walked together, they seemed to let it slide, thinking they were looking for a ce to pray.
Yi-Han had a futile thought of whether they would let him pass through the main gate if he disguised himself as a priest.
''That''s probably impossible.''
Tak-
Fortunately, luck was on his side today.
Except for the spinning stairs and the trap that showed ava illusion the moment you stepped on it, there were no obstacles to reaching the 3rd floor of the main building.
"Huff... huff."
"Did you see the illusion just now? Did you see the illusion just now!??!"
Priest Nigisor and Priestess Siana were drenched in sweat and had frightened expressions.
Regardless, Yi-Han said with relief.
"Today''s luck is very good. To think there are only these traps!"
"..."
"..."
The two priests were looking at Yi-Han as if he was crazy, but Yi-Han, who was concentrating at the front and didn''t notice, continued.
"Friends who go for night walks quite often like the 3rd floor of the main building the most. After all, the 2nd floor of the main building is a bit safer, but there''s less change, so there''s less to find. Inparison, there''s much more to find on the 3rd floor of the main building. Last time, Salko said he saw a room full of canned food in the corner of the 3rd floor with his friends. Can you believe it? A room full of canned food!"
"This is the first time I''ve seen Mr. Wardanaz so excited."
Priestess Siana spoke in a slightly surprised voice.
He was so solemn when taking care of the priests...
"I''ll have everyone cast the light of truth on their staffs, so if you find something while walking around, tell me right away."
"Ah. Mr. Wardanaz. I think I found something. Isn''t this a fake wall here?"
Priestess Siana pointed at the wall in amazement.
It was a wall with a hidden door, although it was intricately made.
"Ah. That''s indeed a fake wall. But if you go in there, it leads to an underground alley, so be careful. Last time, two people from the White Tiger Tower went in there and couldn''t find their way, so they were dragged to the punishment room."
"..."
Priestess Siana took a step back in fright.
Just how much night walking have you done...!?
"And take this. It''s a simple map I made. I made it while exchanging information with other tower students."
"Th, thank you."
"Oh. If youe across a ce that''s not on the map, always stop and stand still. Last time, someone saw a manticore, but it was an illusion, so if it''s a mid-level monster or above, it''s likely to be an illusion. It''s better to stand still. There''s no point in resisting anyway if it''s to that extent."
Even Priest Nigisor and Priestess Tijiling were starting to get frightened.
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Chapter 428
Chapter 428
"Is there anything to gain by going that far?"
"What are you saying, Priest Nigisor? Of course there''s a lot. Where do you think the stew that came out for dinner came from? Could you make something like that with the ck bread and cold rice balls given by Einroguard?"
The priests who had eaten deliciously had nothing to say even if they had ten mouths.
No matter how frugally and humbly the priests had lived, if they kept eating warm and greasy meals, they would naturally adapt to it.
At first, the priests who said, ''You shouldn''t do this,'' ''We don''t eat such meals,'' ''If you say that much, I''ll just eat a little of this bread,'' were now naturally responding with ''I''ll eat well,'' ''Thank you always.''
"Th, then I''m sorry. You didn''t have to go out of your way to prepare it..."
"No. You don''t need to be sorry. I prepared it because I wanted to."
Yi-Han had already made them feel sorry, but he continued.
"But what I want to say is a different point. You have to act rather than just sit still. What if Gainando from the Blue Dragon Tower copses from starvation?"
"I would share my bread."
"Yes. But what if there are two people? Three people? The entire tower?"
Priestess Siana, who was listening next to them, tilted her head.
"What happened to the Blue Dragon Tower that all the students are starving to death?"
Yi-Han ignored it as if he hadn''t heard.
"The important thing is that such situations are difficult to ovee with the kindness of individual priests."
If it were the ck Tortoise Tower or the White Tiger Tower, they would have ignored it, saying, ''What nonsense,'' but perhaps because the priests were kind, they listened quite intently.
Moreover, it was a quite rtable topic.
"Indeed..."
"That makes sense."
"Right? What would be the solution to this problem?"
"Well... since it''s difficult for an individual to solve, if all the priests join forces and share a little of what they have to eat..."
Unlike his usual confident attitude, Priest Nigisor spoke a little hesitantly.
The madness Yi-Han had shown today had made Priest Nigisor a little scared.
"No, that''s not it."
"Oh, it''s not?"
"Then if the White Tiger Tower and ck Tortoise Tower guys are also on the verge of starving to death, it can''t be solved."
"???"
Priestess Siana, who was listening, became even more confused.
What on earth happened that the students of all three towers are starving to death...?
"Then?"
"The answer is to raid Einroguard''s warehouse in advance and bring in supplies from outside to stock up. Then even if such a crisis hits, we can ovee it."
"..."
"..."
The priests were perplexed, but Yi-Han continued seriously. Then, a voice filled with strong persuasion began to captivate the priests.
"It''s not that you''re raiding the warehouse and smuggling from outside for your own luxury. You can also raid the warehouse and smuggle from outside to help your friends."
"Indeed... listening to it, it seems to make sense."
"It''s certainly not easy to help if you have nothing even if you want to help. It''s difficult because of ingredients even if you try to make potions and distribute them right away."
Priest Nigisor, who belonged to the radical faction, and the pragmatic Priestess Siana were quickly persuaded.
Priestess Tijiling next to them looked at the two priests with a very perplexed gaze.
Even so...
Is that okay?
"I understand."
"Tell the other priestster too. That it''s not for luxury, but for doing good deeds. It would be good if everyone does it in advance."
"I''ll definitely tell them!"
The three mages exchanged nces with a firm resolve.
''If the Immortal Phoenix Tower priests help, Einroguard''s ck market will be a bit more abundant.''
Since they were more advantageous for night walks than other tower students, if they actively stepped up, supplies would circte better in the ck market, prices would be controlled, and students would be smiling.
Of course, there was an ethical issue of whether it was okay to make priests steal, but Yi-Han judged that part was fine.
''This is self-defense. The gods will acknowledge it too.''
Everything is self-defense in Einroguard!
¡ª
Priest Nigisor slightly set fires here and there to check, Priestess Siana poured acidic solution to check if the walls were real or fake (even though they had already checked with the light of truth, Yi-Han regretted bringing them because they were enthusiastically clinging to it, saying they would search)...
As a result of repeating the search like that, the one who caught the luck was Priestess Tijiling. Priestess Tijiling, who was checking beyond the wall with the cursed artifact she was wearing, immediately called the three.
"There''s a path here!"
"We finally got one!"
Yi-Han, who was watching from behind in case Priest Nigisor and Priestess Siana caused an ident, ran over with a bright face.
Priest Nigisor was disappointed.
"Ah... I should have set fire there."
"Ugh. I didn''t check because I was saving the potion."
"..."
Yi-Han ignored it as if he hadn''t heard and pushed the wall.
Creak-
Fortunately, the wall opened without anyplicated mechanism, and the hidden underground stairs appeared behind it.
"Eyes, pierce through the darkness..."
As Yi-Han tried to cast the dark vision magic, Priest Nigisor spoke as if he understood.
"That''s the magic, right? The one that greatly increases overall physical abilities, but after using it, you get severe muscle pain..."
"Ah! That''s the one! I know it too!"
At the words of Priest Nigisor and Priestess Siana, Yi-Han was flustered.
"No, it''s not?"
"...It''s not?"
"That''s a different magic... no. More importantly, how do you two know that?"
"The people from the White Tiger Tower often talked about it?"
"..."
Yi-Han thought that the next time he met other White Tiger Tower guys, he should grab their cors and call them ungrateful bbermouths.
Even though Gonadaltes'' enhancement magic had quite strong side effects, it was all cast for the sake of the White Tiger Tower guys, but they were badmouthing behind his back like that!
''Ungrateful bastards. Unforgivable.''
"That''s a physical enhancement magic, so there''s no need to cast it now, and above all, the muscle pain is quite severe, so it''s a bit..."
"Oh my..."
"I was prepared for it."
"..."
When the two priests showed noticeable disappointment, Yi-Han and Priestess Tijiling exchanged nces.
''Are the two priests excited?''
''...It seems so.''
Whether their self-rationalization was done properly, the two priests were very excited about the permanent relocation of items they had never done in their lives.
Yi-Han understood.
''Certainly, being a righteous thief is a bit fun.''
If you think about it, it was closer to doing something to make a living, but it would be a lie to say that it wasn''t fun.
The joy of finding the principal''s warehouse and raiding all the usable supplies.
If you even think that you''re resisting an evil great mage, the joy doubles.
''Is this why righteous thieves were born?''
Yi-Han moved his steps with such thoughts.
Through the green vision piercing the darkness, humid air began to rush in.
It was the smell of water.
"...There''s water. Everyone be careful."
"You don''t have to worry. We won''t fall in."
"No. In case monsterse out."
"!!"
Priest Nigisor immediately tensed up and hardened his posture.
Yi-Han had tightened the mind that had been carelessly let down because it was inside the academy.
Priestess Tijiling whispered softly.
"Do they reallye out? You''re lying, right?"
"No... they reallye out."
"..."
Yi-Han was worried that Priestess Tijiling woulde to dislike night walks, but he couldn''t hide the truth.
If there was that much water, there was a high possibility that monsters were hiding.
"Ake...!"
"Oh my god!"
The priests let out exmations without realizing it as they descended the stairs.
As the stairs leading underground ended, a dark blueke was vastly spread out in the darkness.
It was sorge that one couldn''t even guess where the other side of theke was connected to.
"Why is this inside the academy...?"
''Why are you surprised now?''
It was really surprising.
Whether this was inside or outside Einroguard, whether it was an external space or an expanded space, that was unknown, but anyway, it wasn''t something to be surprised about.
The important thing was only what was in thiske and where the other side was connected to.
If it was connected to the outside, it would be so joyful that tears woulde out, but Yi-Han, who had attended more than half of the 1st year, didn''t have such absurd expectations.
''I hope there''s a hidden warehouse somewhere.''
Priestess Siana scooped up some water from theke with a cautious attitude, put it in a potion bottle, and checked the water quality.
There was no detectable toxicity or residual mana.
"The water is fine... what are you doing!??!"
"Huh?"
Priestess Siana screamed in fright at the sight of Yi-Han entering the water with a ssh.
"I''m going into the water..."
"Poison check!! You have to check for poison!! What are you doing!!"
"Ah. I checked by putting my hand in."
"..."
"..."
The three priests'' eyes were filled with shock at the ignorant answer.
Realizing the strange atmosphere, Yi-Han quickly made an excuse.
"...I''ve be ustomed to such crude methods from hanging out with the White Tiger Tower guys. I should be more careful in the future."
"Ye, yeah."
In fact, the White Tiger Tower had nothing to do with it, and it was Yi-Han who went in thinking, ''Even if there''s poison, it''ll be fine,'' relying only on his own mana, but there were no White Tiger Tower students present.
Yi-Han chanted the underwater breathing spell and immersed his body in the water.
Bubble bubble-
"Light!"
As a sphere of light filled with mana hung on the staff, light began to spread through the darkke water.
Even with the dark vision magic, there were many limitations to seeing through the pitch-ck water.
''Wait, there are no monsters?''
Yi-Han was surprised.
There were no monsters even though it was this wide.
And he was surprised again.
''I''m surprised there are no monsters...''
There might not be any!
He seemed to have adapted too much to Einroguard.
As Yi-Han came out of the water, Priest Nigisor immediately lit a fire. Although it wasn''t cold weather, after immersing his body in the water, a chill was bound toe.
"I can cast ."
"No. Let''s save mana. We don''t know what might happen. I''ll cast..."
"Wait!!"
"Please wait!"
"I''ll just cast it!"
"..."
Yi-Han stopped his actions while grumbling.
It was the first time he was distrusted like this regarding magic.
"Since there are no monsters at the bottom of theke, I think we can make a boat and go a little further."
"A, a boat...!"
"That''s...!"
The faces of Priest Nigisor and Priestess Siana brightened.
Even if they pretended not to, an undisguisable expectation could be seen in their eyes.
"Shall we get some wood?"
"I saw some reeds near thekeshore earlier, so if we weave those...!"
Yi-Han drew up the overflowing water from theke and grasped its shape.
The water element was one of the elements he dealt with the most, so he could easily transform and fix its shape even with his eyes closed.
Then he cast the cold magic he had learned from Alcicle.
"Freeze!"
The power of the 1st circle cold generation magic was limited to freeze the water the size of a small boat.
In fact, only the edges of the boat were frozen.
However, Yi-Han cast the magic continuously without rest. In an instant, the cold was continuously ovepped, and a boat made of ice began to form.
Crack crack crack-
Yi-Han, who lightly checked the strength, nodded his head.
"This should do. Will everyone get on?"
"...Alright."
"Hmph."
"???"
Yi-Han was puzzled when the two priests became gloomy.
"Is it because it''s an ice boat? Even though it looks like this, it''s quite sturdy, so you don''t have to worry about safety?"
"That''s not the problem right now..."
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Chapter 429
Chapter 429
Yi-Han quickly understood the situation from Priestess Tijiling''s whisper.
''Oh my.''
Indeed, it was natural to be excited if one had little experience with such night walks.
If it were Gainando, he would have given them a flick on the forehead, but he had no choice but to be lenient with the priests.
"Don''t worry, everyone. I made this temporary boat because we were in a hurry. If we keep going on night walks, we''ll often have to crosskes like this, so let''s make a proper boat next time."
At those words, the faces of the two priests brightened.
Priestess Tijiling, who was listening next to them, thought inwardly.
''Is there a next time?''
Everyone was making ns for the next night walk too naturally.
¡ª
Swish-
The ice boat cut through the calm undergroundke. After confirming there were no monsters, Yi-Han acted more boldly.
He floated a sphere of light on the boat.
''If there are any monsters we haven''t discovered yet, they mighte with this.''
If that happened, Yi-Han was ready to rain down a magic bombardment and finish them off in the water.
However, theke remained quiet. There was no sound of monsters moving.
"Strange."
Yi-Han felt strangely uneasy.
He never thought he woulde to expect monsters to pop out every time he set foot in a corner of the academy...
But now that they kept not appearing, he felt uneasy instead.
Why?
"It''s strange."
Priestess Siana opened her mouth.
"In my opinion, ake of this size should have fish or something?"
"!"
Yi-Han''s eyes widened at Priestess Siana''s words.
That was certainly true.
He had been focusing only on monsters, but it was natural to see fish or something in ake of this size.
Even if it was an undergroundke...
"Priestess Siana. So..."
"That''s right."
Priestess Siana nodded her head. Her appearance was very reliable, so Yi-Han stared at her as if enchanted without realizing it.
What kind of deduction would Priestess Sianae up with?
"Isn''t it really amazing?"
"It is. To think there''s ake like this. It''s really amazing. I knew there were various ces in Einroguard, but."
"..."
Yi-Han regretted having expectations for nothing.
The two priests were too excited to be of much help.
Priestess Tijiling felt sorry for no reason and tried to make a guess herself.
"If it''s a closed artificial facility, there might not be any living creatures."
"For something like that, there''s quite a bit of vegetation and soil visible, and the flow rate is also considerable. It''s definitely connected somewhere."
"What if there''s a powerful being at the bottom of theke? If everything was eaten or ran away?"
"If there was such a hostile being, it would havee out when we drew attention like this."
The two seriously came up with hypotheses and gauged the possibilities.
In the meantime, Priestess Siana and Priest Nigisor also did what they could do.
"Wow! There''s a sculpture over there!"
"Look at the water strider here!"
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han and Priestess Tijiling stared at the two, but they didn''t notice.
"Wait, it''s an ind!"
Yi-Han, who was staring at the two, raised his head and shouted.
Thanks to his enhanced vision, he was able to discover it one step ahead of his friends.
A small ind the size of a reef, which was not visible due to the deep darkness, revealed itself on the horizon as the distance got closer.
The two priests became even more excited and asked.
"Maybe there''s a forgotten magic book!"
"Or it could be a history book! A very rare one that can''t be found outside!"
Einroguard had many precious books as old as its long history.
Of course, whether one could take out and read those books as desired was a separate issue. Finding the whereabouts of a book that had disappeared once was difficult even for professors.
As such, discovering rare books in such a remote ce was a romantic and joyful asion.
"What nonsense are you saying. Be quiet, or you might catch a curse."
"..."
"..."
Except for Yi-Han.
For Yi-Han, who was trying to secure necessary supplies by any means, romance was a luxury.
What book!
''I hope it''s a warehouse built by seniors. Or professors. Or the principal. Please be one of the three.''
While the priests were gloomy, Yi-Han docked the boat andnded.
What upied most of the small ind''s area was a huge rock.
Yi-Han spected that if there was anything on this ind, it would be hidden inside the rock.
''The light of truth...''
As if realizing what Yi-Han was trying to do, Priest Nigisor and Priestess Siana also picked up their equipment.
Let''s find hidden paths with fire and acidic solution!
-Is it you, Mr. Gonadaltes?-
"!!"
Suddenly, a resounding voice echoed from inside the rock.
Only then did Yi-Han realize that what he thought was a giant rock was actually a monster.
A monster whose size matched that of the small ind!
Yi-Han''s brain quickly turned. Judging from the situation and location, a head-on battle was not the answer.
"I am the evil..."
-It''s not Mr. Gonadaltes. You''re a student.-
"..."
-Huh? What were you trying to say?-
"I am the disciple who inherited the legitimate line of evil imperial magic from Mr. Gonadaltes."
-Ah. So that''s why your mana is like that. I almost mistook you.-
The giant rock continued in a slow and gentle voice.
Although the eyes were not visible, it was clear that it wasn''t just perceiving the other party with mana.
"Are you perhaps a rock spirit?"
"I don''t think it''s a spirit."
Yi-Han answered unintentionally.
Then the giant rock answered in a voice that sounded like it found him remarkable.
-That''s right. I''m not a spirit. That''s amazing. Students usually think of me as a spirit. How did you know?-
"...With experience and knowledge?"
Yi-Han was about to answer ''Because spirits usually dislike me out of habit,'' but he twisted his words.
-I am an immortal eater.-
"!"
Immortal eater.
An amorphous monster that eats metal and grows.
Since it doesn''t have a fixed appearance, it takes on a myriad of forms depending on what metal it eats and in what environment it grows.
Judging from its size and gentle personality, the immortal eater upying this small ind had clearly eaten well and grown without fighting.
"Why is an immortal eater in Einroguard?"
-When was it... It''s such an old story that I can''t remember well. A student secretly brought me in when I was just born and raised me. He seemed to think this was a good ce to raise me.-
The immortal eater spoke leisurely.
Of course, it was a shocking story for Yi-Han, who was listening.
''These irresponsible bastards!''
Even if it was Einroguard, how could they bring in a harmful creature from outside as they pleased.
No wonder the academy was in this state.
Priestess Siana, who was listening, asked cautiously.
"Then, Immortal Eater, you don''t have any intention of getting angry or harassing students, right?"
-Yeah. Why would I do such a thing? The student who brought me is even working as a professor.-
"..."
Yi-Han''s face stiffened.
Even the culprit was a professor.
"Was it a beaver mixed-blood by any chance?"
-Uh-uh? No.-
"A vampire?"
-No... Wait. Stop asking.-
The immortal eater drew a line, slow but firm.
It shut its mouth for fear of causing harm to the student, no, the professor who brought it.
-If you think I don''t respect that professor for bringing me, you''re mistaken. Anyone can make mistakes when they''re young.-
"That''s true."
Priest Nigisor deeply sympathized.
He himself had yed with fire quite a bit at the temple, trying to make stronger mes when he was young.
It was a fresh prank done when he was young.
"I don''t think I would secretly bring in a monster that could grow as big as the academy no matter what mistake I made... mmph."
"Shh. Priestess Siana. Let''s not provoke him."
Yi-Han quickly covered Priestess Siana''s mouth.
Although it was disappointing that it wasn''t a warehouse of seniors, professors, or the principal, this was an opportunity in itself.
It wasn''t often that one encountered a being friendly to students and knowledgeable about the academy.
Most beings wouldunch a preemptive strike upon seeing students. Just look at the statuest time...
''I need to extract as much information as possible.''
"Those words are correct. No matter what truth there is, our respect for the professor will not change in the slightest."
Yi-Han wasn''t lying.
Even if he brought in a newborn immortal eater, his respect wouldn''t change.
Because it was 0 from the beginning!
-Is that so? That''s a relief.-
The immortal eater answered leisurely as if satisfied.
Yi-Han asked, watching the other party''s reaction.
"Then are you staying here?"
-Yeah.-
When asked a question, the immortal eater slowly revealed information.
Theke where the immortal eater currently resided, swam, and ate prey was called the .
It had nothing to do with spiders, but the name was given because of theke''s terrain.
Located deep underground in the main building, so deep that it was difficult to even count the floors, thiske had be very firmlybined and connected with some areas of Einroguard over a long period of time.
To the extent that even when Einroguard periodically twisted its body and mixed the spaces inside, the spaces connected to this Spider Web Lake would note loose.
Professors who knew this fact well used this Spider Web Lake as a kind of shortcut.
"!!"
Yi-Han held back his pounding heart and asked cautiously.
"Then... where are the ces connected around here?"
-I don''t know about other ces, but there''s one below me. I heard it''s a ce used by professors.-
"!!!"
Upon hearing that it was a ce used by professors, Yi-Han''s eyes wavered.
Priest Nigisor and Priestess Siana also seemed excited, as they slightly nodded their heads and exchanged nces with Yi-Han.
''A warehouse?''
''Maybe a library for professors?''
Priestess Tijiling, who was listening quietly, carefully raised her hand and asked.
"May I ask one thing? You seem to be close with the professors or the principal, so is it okay to tell us such things?"
-Huh? Of course. If you''vee this far, you must be a senior, so you''ll be able to find out soon even if I don''t tell you.-
"..."
"We''re 1st years..."
-What??-
The immortal eater was startled. The rock trembled and flinched.
-How did 1st years cross theke?-
"I froze the water and made a boat."
-Wow. That''s amazing. Has the level of new students risen these days?-
''No, it hasn''t.''
''No, it hasn''t.''
''No.''
ording to the immortal eater, magic was needed to cross this Spider Web Lake.
If one tried to cross by non-magical means, theke water would immediately push them back to the shore.
''Damn cunning professors.''
Yi-Han clicked his tongue.
Even if he tried to use thiske as a shortcut right away, if he didn''t know the locations of the exit and entrance, he couldn''t use this wide andplexke as a shortcut.
On top of that, they even put such restrictions.
"Was it Mr. Gonadaltes after all?"
-Huh? No. It''s a natural phenomenon. The mana kept umting and umting, and it became like that.-
"...Oh my."
Yi-Han reflected a little.
"Then is theck of life in theke also due to that mana?"
-That''s because it¡¯s the time for the water spirits to go on a rampage. All the creatures ran away in advance because a great flood would ur soon.-
"..."
"...????!"
Yi-Han''s group was shocked at the sight of the immortal eater casually mentioning such a huge event.
¡ª
"Uh... if a huge flood is going to happen, shouldn''t we hurry and go tell...?"
Despite hearing the shocking fact, Yi-Han moved through the passage below the immortal eater to the professors'' exclusive space.
Priestess Tijiling was perplexed by his unwavering appearance.
Shouldn''t they go back right now and prepare?
"Priestess Tijiling. At times like this, we need to secure more. If it''s the professors'' warehouse, there will be useful things for when the flood hits."
"That''s definitely right!"
"I agree."
The other two priests were very excited and nodded their heads while holding thedder.
"It won''t make a big difference if we go back a littlete. Above..."
Yi-Han, who was climbing down from the very top of the passagedder, stopped moving.
And then his face stiffened.
"Why are you doing that?"
"...It looks like the professors'' lounge...?"
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Chapter 430
Chapter 430
As Yi-Han stepped inside through thedder, the priests hurriedly followed.
Priestess Siana carefully looked around the interior.
The spacious room had an antique atmosphere.
Vintage furniture, soft velvet curtains, and plush carpet rugs decorated the room, and a horn-equipped recording artifact yed a song from somewhere.
"Ah. Only the professors'' lounge would be this luxurious..."
Priestess Siana looked at Yi-Han as if she understood.
She wondered how he knew this was the professors'' lounge, but it was clear he deduced it from this scenery.
As expected of a boy from the Wardanaz family.
"No. It''s written ''Professors'' Exclusive Lounge'' on the entrance over there."
Professors'' Exclusive Lounge
-Absolutely no student entry from the founding until the end of the world!-
Os Gonadaltes
"..."
"Aha."
The priests saw the brass namete on the entrance and nodded their heads.
It was clearly the professors'' exclusive lounge to anyone''s eyes.
"Then what do we do now?"
Priestess Siana asked in a voice full of disappointment.
What was there to do in a lounge like this, not a warehouse or a library?
"Huh? We need to take useful things. Everyone, take out your backpacks."
Yi-Han immediately took out his backpack and started sweeping in the professors'' snacks first.
It didn''t even take a full minute for the tea leaves, coffee powder, and various snacks in the lounge to disappear.
The priests had an enchanted expression at the sight of him filling the backpack tightly without gaps with the skill of a seasoned thief.
"Is there space magic on it??"
"No. I just packed it well. Now that we''ve secured food, next are reagents and artifacts. See if there''s anything useful."
"How about this recording artifact? If we could listen to music in the dormitory lounge, that would be a truly immense luxury..."
"No. It''s too bulky. And listening to music won''t fill your stomach anyway. Let''s find something else."
Priest Nigisor and Priestess Siana became gloomy at the same time.
They wanted to pray while listening to music!
"I found a reagent box here."
"Excellent. Priestess Tijiling. You have the talent of a thief."
"...Thank you? Wait, is it okay to take all of this? If the professors need to use it..."
Priestess Tijiling hesitated while holding a bronze box engraved with a small cauldron piece.
She was worried that if they took the entire reagent box from the lounge, the professors might be in trouble.
"If they need to use it, they''ll find a way to get it. We''re also finding a way to get it ourselves."
However, Yi-Han mercilessly took the box and put it in his backpack.
If students also need reagents, they have to go outside to get them, so how would professors be any different?
Professors could even just go outside and buy them.
"If it''s really important, they would have hidden it themselves."
"Well said. Priest Nigisor."
p!
Yi-Han and Priest Nigisor high-fived each other and looked for the next item to permanently relocate.
"?"
Yi-Han, who was about to move to another room along the passage, tilted his head.
''What''s this?''
The room itself was just one of the many rooms in the lounge, but...
There was something peculiar inside.
It was a bulletin board made of carved wood, ced alone in the room.
Monday
9:00~11:00
11:00~1:00
1:00~3:00
[There''s no break time!]
[Someone help me teach automatic defense enchantment! I''m not making progress!]
[Eat shit, Beavle]
[Looking for someone to lend lecture time.]
[Once again, there is no break time now. If I see someone trying to add more, I''m seriously going to send a petition to His Majesty the Emperor.]
[...Everyone, please respect Professor Garcia''s words.]
''Is this the professors'' lecture schedule?''
Yi-Han was lost in thought as he read the memos written on the bulletin board.
Judging from the professors'' names appearing, it seemed to be a lecture schedule, but there were a few phrases he couldn''t understand.
''Is it the professors'' code or jargon that I can''t understand?''
In addition to the written memos, there were also a few erased memos.
[Enchantment magic is toocking]
[Orthodox illusion magic? (Not sure if they''ll teach)]
[Lesser telekinesis control O]
[Advanced water element O]
[Lightning element O]
[Cold element O]
[Wait, he did all this???]
[Iron transformation O]
[Spin attribute enchantment ¡÷]
[Professor. Let''s talk for a moment.]
''It must be a list of senior-year lectures.''
That''s what Yi-Han thought, but for some reason, it bothered him strangely.
''What is it? It''s too far ahead to preview...''
Click-
With the sound of the doorknob turning, the door at the end of the lounge passage opened, and Professor Garcia entered carrying an armful of books.
"..."
"..."
"I came on an errand for Professor Verduus."
¡ª
If it weren''t for the priests behind him, Professor Garcia would have almost been fooled by Yi-Han''s words.
To that extent, the boy from the Wardanaz family had a talent for saying absurd things seriously.
"Student Yi-Han... What are you doing here?"
"If you give me time, I can exin."
"It''s fine. I think I know even without an exnation."
Professor Garcia sighed deeply and put down and that she was holding.
"You came in here while on a night walk, right?"
"Yes..."
"Even so, how could you fearlessly enter the professors'' lounge..."
Professor Garcia didn''t scold him too much.
Einroguard''s whims always exceeded expectations, and even outstanding mages who were unfamiliar with the school would sometimes get lost.
It wasn''t so surprising for a student to get lost while on a night walk and end up in a strange ce.
Of course, it was the first time she saw someonee to the professors'' exclusive lounge, but...
"So how did youe? Did you happen to meet a headless knight in the corridor who said he would guide the way? You shouldn''t trust that knight."
"..."
Yi-Han vowed to never trust a headless knight if he met one in the night corridor.
"We came in through the Spider Web Lake."
"...You came in through the Spider Web Lake!?"
Professor Garcia was so startled that she put down the books she was about to pick up again.
This was truly unexpected.
"How could you go in there!? Even if you float a boat, it would sink?!"
"I made an ice boat with magic."
"Aha."
Professor Garcia finally btedly recalled what kind of disciple he was.
Indeed, with that level of ability, it was fully possible to find a way to cross the Spider Web Lake.
"How did you find the way? Did you get a map? The sirens must have harassed you?"
"..."
Yi-Han vowed to definitely prepare an artifact to block his ears the next time he went to the .
"Uh... there were no sirens. It said they all ran away before the water spirits go on a rampage."
"Ah. It''s already that time."
"?"
Yi-Han was puzzled when Professor Garcia epted it too calmly.
"Professor. Uh, as far as I know, Einroguard is a ce with very powerful mana veins... and thanks to that, the power of spirits is also strong. If such spirits go on a rampage, won''t there be a flood?"
This time, it was Professor Garcia''s turn to be puzzled.
"Ah. That''s right. I''m sorry. It might be inconvenient for the students. You''ll have to row a boat to go to lectures every time."
"..."
"..."
The students, who suddenly got a glimpse of the future, were dumbfounded.
They had no idea what would happen if a big flood hit Einroguard...
So that''s how it turns out!
"When you stay in Einroguard for a long time, you keep getting used to strange things. After seeing floods a few times, I started reacting like that. I''m sorry for speaking thoughtlessly."
"Ah, no, it''s fine."
"Wait. But who told you?"
When Professor Garcia asked in puzzlement, Yi-Han revealed the encounter with the immortal eater.
Professor Garcia''s face brightened after hearing the full story.
"Ah. You met that immortal eater? Isn''t it cute?"
"?"
Priest Nigisor and Priestess Siana had questions in their eyes, but Yi-Han poked the priests'' sides once each with lightning-fast movements.
"Yes. It was cute."
"Ugh. It''s cute."
"Ouch. It was cute."
When everyone agreed, Professor Garcia seemed a little excited.
"It''s hard to see an immortal eater raised to that extent."
"Was it you who brought it, Professor?"
"...Ah, no? What are you talking about, Student Yi-Han?"
''So it wasn''t the professor.''
When Professor Garcia firmly denied it, Yi-Han believed her words.
Unlike the skull principal, Professor Garcia was not someone who would lie.
"Anyway... you came to secure supplies after hearing there would be a flood."
Professor Garcia looked at the students as if they were quite pitiful.
Priestess Tijiling fidgeted her lips, pricked by her conscience. It wasn''t really because of the flood that they came.
"There won''t be much to take from the professors'' lounge."
"You''re right. It''s quite disappointing."
"???"
The priests looked at Yi-Han''s heavy backpack.
''Isn''t that a lot to take?''
''I don''t think so.''
"Everyone, wait a moment. There were some waterproof cloths somewhere."
Professor Garcia started rummaging through the lounge''s closet to give something to the students.
"Would it be good to have a sea crystal too? I think it might be too early for you to use... No. Student Yi-Han would quickly learn to use it, right?"
"Pardon?"
"Other than that... there are scrolls too, but... No. It should be fine for Student Yi-Han."
"Pardon??"
Yi-Han raised his voice as if asking to be heard, but Professor Garcia paid no heed.
Click-
When the sound of the lounge door opening was heard from the opposite side, Professor Garcia quickly embraced the four students, shoved them into the closet, closed the door, and then cast a magic to erase their presence.
Even while being shoved into the closet at ultra-high speed, Yi-Han couldn''t help but admire Professor Garcia''s magic.
''Amazing...!''
With a single staff motion, she tidied up the messy surroundings and cast a barrier to conceal various energies outside the closet.
"Is... isn''t this big trouble??"
Priestess Siana whispered, terrified. Yi-Han shook his head.
"We haven''t been caught yet, so it''s rtively okay."
"..."
His friends looked at the back of Yi-Han''s head in shock, but Yi-Han didn''t notice as he was focused on what was happening outside the closet.
¡°Professor Garcia. You must be tired.¡±
"It''s my pleasure."
¡°Then stop listening to the requests of that evil brat.¡±
"..."
Professor Garcia nced at the closet, bothered by the skull principal badmouthing other professors.
It was originally the skull principal''s hobby to badmouth other professors whenever he was bored, but it was a bit embarrassing to do it in front of students.
"Principal. Even so, the professor didn''t have bad intentions..."
¡°No. Beavle is evil. I''m telling you, he''s just an evil brat. No matter how much you try to be kind, he''s evil.¡±
"..."
¡°What''s this?¡±
The skull principal looked puzzled to see the tin can of tea leaves empty.
Not only that, but the coffee powder was also empty.
''Professor Garcia must be under a lot of stress.''
The skull principal looked at Professor Garcia with pitiful eyes.
Even if Professor Verduus brewed tea leaves three times, it was a waste, but it was okay for Professor Garcia to pour a bucket of tea leaves and drink it.
It seemed like yesterday when she was a tiny student, but now she had be a proper professor and was suffering from other professors...
¡°Wait. Professor Garcia. Have you seen the reagent box by any chance? A bronze box engraved with a small cauldron piece.¡±
"I haven''t seen it? What is that?"
¡°I prepared it to use during this spirit flood... Damn it. I got it.¡±
The skull principal made a bone-ttering sound as if he understood.
Professor Garcia tensed up.
Yi-Han also tensed up.
¡°Beavle! That son of a bitch, really! I told him not to touch other people''s stuff!¡±
"...Ah, could it possibly be someone else?"
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Chapter 431
Chapter 431
Professor Garcia tried to defend Professor Verduus out of a sliver of conscience, but the skull principal paid no heed.
"Who else could it be if not him? Did studentse in and take it? The culprit is definitely Beavle. I swear on my skull, I will definitely put this bastard in the punishment room!"
"..."
"That''s all then! Suffer justly, Professor Garcia. Don''t neglect your health as you did in your student days.¡±
As the skull principal swiftly flew out, Professor Garcia let out a deep sigh.
Although it was a short time, she was so tense that cold sweat flowed profusely down her back.
"Come out quickly. Everyone. Why did youe into the professors'' lounge like that!"
Professor Garcia pulled out the students stuck in the closet one by one.
Priestess Tijiling asked worriedly.
"If Professor Verduus suffers because of us..."
Then Yi-Han answered instead.
"It''s okay. Professor Verduus will understand."
"...??"
Priestess Tijiling was slightly flustered when Yi-Han answered instead of the professor she asked.
"Huh?"
"How do you know that?"
"Priestess Tijiling. It''s embarrassing for me to say this, but I''m one of Professor Verduus''s closest disciples. I can easily know what the professor would think. Professor Verduus will understand."
"...Is... is that so...?"
When Priestess Tijiling hesitated, not understanding, Professor Garcia hurriedly intervened.
"Student Yi-Han is right. The professor will understand."
In fact, Professor Garcia also didn''t know whether Professor Verduus would understand or not, but now was not the time to fuss about such things.
She had to send the students out of the lounge as soon as possible.
"Everyone, go out quickly. And nevere to the professors'' lounge again!"
"Even if we don''t get caught?"
"...Student Yi-Han, let''s talk separatelyter. Oh, right."
Professor Garcia turned her gaze as if she almost forgot.
"Take the items you took earlier with you. You went through the trouble of taking them."
When she piled up and handed over waterproof cloths, sea crystals, and scrolls, Yi-Han was flustered.
"But Professor, from what I heard earlier, these aren''t things I can use..."
"Learn and use them. When did anyone know from the beginning?"
"Professor, are you perhaps angry that I came into the lounge?"
¡ª
The students, who had barely returned to their tower, finally caught their breath.
Priest Nigisor and Priestess Siana, still not over their excitement, whispered quickly.
"It was truly excellent!"
"Shall we go tomorrow too?!"
"...Ah, no. I have to study tomorrow."
"Then the day after tomorrow??"
"I have work to do the day after tomorrow."
Priestess Siana''s face was filled with disappointment.
Yi-Han felt sorry for no reason and said.
"If you need a guide for night walks, there are other friends too. I''ll introduce them to you."
"That''s...! There was such a way."
Priestess Siana nodded her chin as if she had never thought of it.
Certainly, there was no rule that they had to go out only with Yi-Han.
"I should rmend it to other priests in the tower too."
"It wouldn''t be bad to go together."
Since the death knights treated the priests kindly, there was no harm in going out with many people.
Priestess Tijiling, who was listening to the conversation, carefully tugged on Yi-Han''s sleeve.
"What is it? Aha."
Yi-Han looked at Priestess Tijiling as if he understood.
"You want to go together but are shy."
"...No."
Priestess Tijiling almost lost herposure, which was really rare to see.
"Not that, I mean the box..."
"Ah. That."
Yi-Han took out a small bronze box from the pile of luggage.
It was the reagent box engraved with a small cauldron piece that the skull principal was looking for.
"I''ve been worrying about this box the whole time."
Priestess Tijiling said with a soft sigh.
Yi-Han looked at Priestess Tijiling again as if he understood.
"I was also worrying about how to use this box to gain an advantage during the flood."
"...That''s not it, we should return it to the principal..."
"The problem is how to use it."
Yi-Han was lost in deep thought.
Judging from what the skull principal said, this reagent box was definitely an item that could harass students more during the flood.
Increasing the amount of floodwater or controlling its direction...
"Or it could be poison in the water."
"...No, that''s definitely not it."
Priestess Tijiling answered unintentionally.
No matter what, it didn''t seem like poison in the water.
At that point, he should be considered a crazy mage, not the principal.
"Is that so? I thought it was a possibility."
Yi-Han said regretfully as he grabbed the lid of the bronze reagent box.
He had done as much inspection as he could, so he was going to open it and check directly.
Click!
Fortunately, the curse the skull principal had ced on the box didn''t attack Yi-Han when he opened it.
Inside the box were ordinary reagents.
"Reagents... I see."
"It''s a box for storing reagents after all."
"But they''re ingredients I haven''t seen before. Priestess Siana?"
Priestess Siana, who was making ns to go on a night walk with other priests tomorrow, turned her head at the call.
"What is it? I have to make ns now, so if you ask a littleter..."
"I was wondering if you knew what these ingredients were. I thought Priestess Siana, who excels in alchemy, would know. If you''re busy, it can''t be helped..."
Priestess Siana threw her quill and paper and ran over.
And then she looked inside the reagent box and was amazed.
"This is a devouring-ship fish horn!"
"!"
Devouring-ship fish.
As the name ''devouring-ship'' suggests, it was a huge sea monster reminiscent of a whale.
Of course, if it only had a size simr to a whale, it wouldn''t have been given such a name.
The devouring-ship fish was a monster with abilities that, if only considering its abilities, had a strong lineage of other realms such as demons or spirits, freely controlling the storms of the sea and piercing through the waves and clouds.
And the horn of the devouring-ship fish...
"I''ve only seen it in books, this is the first time seeing it in real life. It''s really rare..."
"What? How expensive is it?"
Priestess Siana ignored Yi-Han''s question, thinking it was a joke, and continued.
"The power of the devouring-ship fish is fully contained in this. With just this horn, you can summon a devouring-ship fish. Although it''s in spirit form..."
Even if it wasn''t a body of flesh and bone like when it was alive, if it was a monster of the level of a devouring-ship fish, it could wield tremendous authority.
Yi-Han seemed to know what the skull principal was thinking.
"The rest of the ingredients are also ingredients that assist summoning. Summoning a devouring-ship fish..."
Priestess Siana and Priestess Tijiling nodded their heads at the same time.
Given the principal''s personality, it was obvious that he would harass students by controlling storms.
"...He was probably trying to attack the towers where the students are."
"???"
"...Huh? To that extent?"
"Isn''t it a possibility?"
Yi-Han said as he closed the box.
The priests were too kind and underestimated the skull principal''s malice, but Yi-Han did not.
When heavy rain pours, the field of vision naturally narrows.
The death knights sent by the skull principal might ride the devouring-ship fish and attack the towers.
"Anyway, that''s not what''s important."
"You''re right. What''s important is that the box is in our hands."
"Ah. That''s important too... What I was trying to say was that after we notify the other towers to prepare for the flood, let''s prepare these cloths."
"..."
"..."
"We can do it together, right? Oh. Priestess Siana. Can I ask a little more about summoning the devouring-ship fish?"
"The summoning itself isn''t difficult. All the ingredients are gathered here, and if you just follow the process urately, it should work?"
"No, I was going to ask how expensive it is... Thanks."
Come to think of it, it seemed quite difficult to sell.
Even if he took it outside and sold it, would they keep the secret in front of the skull principal?
"Ah. Mr. Wardanaz. There''s one more problem."
"What is it?"
"It will require quite a lot of mana, is that okay?"
"..."
Yi-Han felt a little sad that his friends thought of him so naturally as a walking mana container.
¡ª
The skull principal, who had entered to conduct the lecture, frowned his skull when the students whispered.
"So there''s really a flooding."
"In this weather? It doesn''t seem like weather for a flood."
"But that Wardanaz guy wouldn''t lie about such a thing."
"Then what do we do?"
"For now, let''s make a raft first. Can you get more wood?"
"The ck Tortoise Tower guys keep calling it expensive. We might have to give some of the stored meat."
"Those despicable bastards! Trying to take advantage of a friend''s misfortune!"
"You''re swayed by fake rumors of a flood breaking out. Can you still call yourselves Einroguard students?"
"!"
"!!!"
The 1st year students widened their eyes at the skull principal''s rebuke.
And then they whispered again.
"I guess a real flood ising!"
"This is crazy...! Honestly, I thought it wouldn''te!"
¡°¡¡±
The skull principal realized his mistake and clicked his tongue inwardly.
Unlike other years, the boy from the Wardanaz family had a strong influence on all four towers.
Whether they liked it or not, there weren''t many people who would ignore the boy''s words in the end.
Moreover, in a situation where he was in opposition with the skull principal like this!
''As expected of Verduus''s disciple, his actions are truly despicable.''
The skull principal thought very rudely and insultingly as he floated in.
"Do as you please. Even if you suffer, it''s only your loss."
"Hey. It''s really a flood."
"I can bet my family on this."
"Shut up."
A silence spell was cast on the clueless students.
The skull principal looked around at the students and asked.
"Where did we leave offst time? Did we finish ''I will not attack and rob guests from outside''?"
"Yes! Principal!"
"Did we also do ''If I inevitably had to attack and rob a guest, I will disguise myself well so as not to get caught''?"
"Yes! Principal!"
"Is that so? We made quick progress. Then today, we need to bring the teaching materials."
With a clicking sound, the sound of death knights hurrying down the corridor was heard.
At that sound, the students became extremely tense.
Some students hid their bodies under the long table, and some students gathered next to Yi-Han.
"Wa, Wardanaz. What monster ising? What monster ising?"
"Be quiet. You''re being frantic."
The door opened and the death knights entered.
However, contrary to the students'' worries, there was no monster attack.
Among the death knights was an ordinary mage.
"???"
"What..."
"Begin."
The mage cleared his throat and opened his mouth.
"Dear juniors, I am sure you are all thinking this right now:..."
"!!"
Yi-Han was shocked by that title.
Surprisingly, the other party was an Einroguard graduate!
''What the...!?''
The students, who were seeing a senior for the first time, looked at the mage with great curiosity.
"I am learning at Einroguard, the best magic school in the empire. So I am the best in the empire. I can do whatever I want. I can steal livestock from the vige and use them for transformation magic experiments, and I can borrow the property of city guilds and use it for alchemy."
"..."
All the 1st years turned serious.
No one had thought that way.
"That thought is a very big misconception. Dear juniors. If you have such a misconception, you will unknowingly fall into the swamp of evil crimes and have an imperial bounty ced on you."
"Then why did you take other people''s property as you pleased and use it for experiments?"
"Principal, please... It''s in front of the juniors..."
"If you''re caught, what face do you have? I got it. I won''t say more."
The skull principal grumbled but didn''t open his mouth anymore.
While the senior mage in front of him was rambling on about ''Why did I forget the glorious opportunity of Einroguard and fall into crime,'' Yi-Han thought inwardly.
''I wonder if that senior left something behind at the academy after graduating?''
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Chapter 432
Chapter 432
A leaky bowl inside is bound to leak outside as well.
A mage who stole vige livestock for transformation magic experiments and borrowed city guild property for alchemy was likely to have umted assets in various ways even when he was in Einroguard.
''I covet that legacy.''
While Yi-Han was inwardly harboring such sinister thoughts and making his eyes shine, the senior looked around at the juniors and said.
"You juniors are still 1st years, right? Most of you probably don''t know about night walks or outings."
"No... um... no. Keep talking."
The skull principal was about to say ''The 1st years of your time and the 1st years of this time are quite different'' but stopped.
"That time is very good. Dear juniors. Once you break a rule, you break it a second time, and when you break it a second time, you break it a third time... You must not ignore the school rules! Sometimes friends who ignore the school rules may look cool, but that''s a misconception."
The juniors reacted fiercely to the senior''s sincere sermon.
"What is he saying? Is that really a senior?"
"He''s a puppet bought by the principal!"
"After graduating and living a luxurious life, he can''t remember his own 1st year days!"
"Boo! Get lost! The principal''s puppet!"
Telling the 1st year juniors, whose temperament had be sharp from eating only rough and hard food, to ''follow the school rules'' didn''t work.
Rather, it only had the opposite effect.
"Dear juniors! Calm down! You may not believe what I''m saying now, but as time passes..."
"Get lost! Get lost!"
Gainando excitedly crumpled up a wad of paper and threw it.
The skull principal looked at him as if he was pathetic.
''What a dimwit.''
Moreover, it wasn''t even something the skull principal had ordered. The skull principal didn''t forbid students'' deviations.
Of course, he did get angry when students asionally raided even the skull principal''s warehouse, but...
Even considering that, such a creepy spirit of self-discipline was the source of improving magic skills.
''It''s enough if they don''t do it outside the academy. ming the academy when they can''t restrain themselves.''
"Dear juniors! Dear juniors! Please listen to me!"
"Boo! Get lost!"
"My words..."
"Get lost! Get lost!"
Bang!
The senior tapped the floor with his staff.
Then, Gainando''s coat transformed into dozens of birds and began to peck at Gainando like crazy.
"Ahh! Ahhh! I''m sorry! I''m sorry!"
"..."
The friends who were booing immediately shut their mouths at the sight of Gainando.
No matter how weak he looked, the senior in front of them was also a monster who had gone through the hell called Einroguard.
¡ª
The senior btedly came to his senses and released Gainando, but the atmosphere had already turned chilly.
"...Principal. Is this okay?"
"Who knows. How would I know?"
At the skull principal''s cold tone, the senior broke out in a cold sweat.
As he was dragged here as a price for causing trouble outside, this mage from Einroguard had to do a job befitting of that.
-Participate in the lecture. Clearly teach the ironheads why they shouldn''t cause trouble outside.-
-Principal! Even so, I''m a mage who graduated from Einroguard...-
-Then stay locked up in the punishment room.-
-...Thank you so much for entrusting me with such a task!-
The senior was desperate as he had received an offer to reduce his imprisonment period in consideration of his merits if he did well in the lecture.
However, the atmosphere of the 1st years was chilly.
Although they no longer booed out of fear, their eyes were filled with distrust.
"...Dear juniors. I got a little excited just now. But I''m really not a dangerous person."
"..."
Gainando sobbed and plucked out feathers. His friends red at the senior.
"...Does anyone have any questions? Ask me anything."
"I have one. Senior."
In a situation where no one raised their hand, only Yi-Han raised his hand alone.
The senior was delighted at the sight.
"Ask away!"
"It seems youmitted a crime and got caught, so where were you imprisoned?"
"Uh... in the Einroguard punishment room. Juniors may not know, but here in Einroguard, there is a punishment room..."
"Isn''t the punishment room only for students?"
"Good question. You see, there are several punishment rooms. At first, when you''re in a lower year, you only go to the outer punishment room, butter when you''re in a higher year, there''s a hidden inner punishment room. There, even mages caught from outside..."
"Hey, you dimwit. Is that something to talk about in a lecture now?"
When the skull principal expressed annoyance, the senior was startled and shut his mouth.
Yi-Han looked at the skull principal as if he was disappointed.
"Principal. I was only asking how poor and painful the punishment room is for the sake of my friends. If they know that the punishment room is such a ce, won''t my friends also be careful not to go there?"
The senior admired those words.
Among the 1st year students, there was a model student who was trying to help him.
Of course, the skull principal was so dumbfounded that he couldn''t even speak.
"That''s very excellent. Your friends will surely understand your intention."
"Since we''re on the topic, could you tell us about the location of the punishment room? I''m curious about how deep and imprable it is that students have to be careful."
"You''re forbidden from asking questions."
The skull principal couldn''t stand it and made Yi-Han shut his mouth.
The senior looked at the skull principal as if he was resentful.
''He was finally helping to create a good atmosphere...''
"Look away. You dimwit. You don''t even know what you''re going through."
At the sight of the foolish graduate looking at him with an absurd attitude, the skull principal clicked his tongue and gave an order.
"Stop doing useless things and just show them magic. Magic that shouldn''t be used outside. Then you''ll at least do the basics."
"Ah, I understand."
The senior cleared his throat and raised his staff to create a space.
The desks in the lecture hall disappeared, and the students gathered in a circle to prepare to watch the magic.
"Now. Everyone, watch."
A spell was cast, and a chair transformed into a sheep.
The 1st year students eximed at the high-level transformation magic.
Although it was hard to agree with the senior''s opinion, his magic skills were certainly impressive.
"As you can see, this is one of the transformation magics that turn inanimate objects into living things. But there''s a very dangerous point in this magic."
"What is that?"
"It''s that you shouldn''t sell something made with magic like this without saying so."
"..."
"..."
The 1st years looked at the senior coldly, but the senior eagerly exined why it was wrong to make and sell fake livestock.
"And there''s more. Look. You see this magically created gem, right?"
"Are you saying we shouldn''t sell that?"
"Very good, juniors! Now. Let''s all take notes."
The 1st year students muttered curses under their breath and picked up their quills.
They thought they would learn interesting magic, but it was a nonsensical lecture.
''Hmm. That senior will probably go back to the punishment room.''
Yi-Han, who still had things to ask, approached the senior while his friends grumbled and took out paper.
"Senior."
"Aha."
The senior treated Yi-Han very favorably.
He was a junior who had been trying to help with the lecture from earlier. He couldn''t help but find him remarkable.
"I know what you''re trying to ask."
"Oh. Is that so?"
"Of course. You''re trying to ask how to use the magic I showed earlier, right?"
"..."
"But junior. It''s too much for a 1st year to use this magic. If you really want to learn it, master iron transformation first ande back."
"I''ve mastered... No, that''s not what''s important right now. Senior."
Yi-Han whispered as quickly as possible, taking advantage of the students being distracted.
They had to finishmunicating with each other before the skull principal noticed.
"Did you leave anything behind at the academy?"
"...!"
Only then did the senior realize that Yi-Han hadn''t approached him with pure intentions.
"Something I left behind at the academy?"
"Yes."
"Not much, but not nothing."
"Let''s make a deal."
Yi-Han didn''t ask for it for free out of the bond between senior and junior. The senior was surprised by Yi-Han''s words about making a deal.
To think a 1st year student had grasped the essence of Einroguard to this extent.
In Einroguard, even siblings didn''t make deals empty-handed.
"What deal? Junior. I don''t think you have anything to give me."
"Senior. You''re going back to the punishment room, aren''t you?"
"Are you provoking me now?"
"No. Just tell me the location. I''ll bring you food."
"...!"
The senior was amazed for the first time in a long time.
To think a mere 1st year could propose a deal so skillfully.
Certainly, for someone who had to reflect in the punishment room for a long time, the junior''s proposal was indeed tempting.
However...
"How can I trust that? If you''re a 1st year, you''llck food for yourself to eat. And above all, you won''t be able to break through the punishment room ande."
"It doesn''t matter. Senior. When Ie, you can tell me then. Even if I fail, there''s no loss for you."
"Are you... really a 1st year?"
The senior was genuinely surprised.
Judging from his actions, he seemed like a 4th year or above no matter how you looked at it...
"Okay. Take it."
Thinking there was nothing to lose, the senior handed over a note. In a short time, letters were engraved with magic.
"The letters will be visible if you put it in a dark ce. Find me using that."
"What are you two chattering about so much?"
When the skull principal, who sensed something suspicious, approached, the senior and Yi-Han were taken aback.
They had aroused suspicion because the conversation had gotten too long.
"Uh... I was teaching him because he asked about magic."
"Magic?"
''Damn it!''
The senior gritted his teeth.
Perhaps because it had been a while since he graduated, his lying skills seemed to have gotten rusty.
What a terrible lie.
Who would believe that he was teaching such transformation magic to a 1st year student?
"You too? You at least have discerning eyes... It''s not time to teach magic, so teach appropriately."
"??"
The senior couldn''t believe his ears.
However, even more surprising words had not even begun.
"You were doing other things during lecture time, so as a price, you must learn at least one. I''ll check after it''s over," the skull principal addressed Yi-han this time.
"That''s impossible!"
"What nonsense are you saying about it being impossible? You can learn one. Learn it."
"????"
The senior became confused, not knowing what kind of conversation was going on.
¡ª
"Wa, waterproof cloths at this price? Really?"
"...Then don''t buy it, you bastard."
"Ah, no... If it''s cheap, I''m grateful. Thank you. Wardanaz."
The White Tiger Tower student bowed his head and purchased the cloth.
Yi-Han sighed at the sight.
''Damn it. I also want to make huge profits like the ck Tortoise Tower guys.''
The ck Tortoise Tower friends, who usually stockpiled a lot of materials, were excitedly selling in anticipation of the flood.
Other tower students had to purchase various lumber, leather, and reagents while using up their stockpiled food.
However, Yi-Han couldn''t raise the price like that.
Because the priests were next to him.
The sight of the priests looking at Yi-Han with sparkling eyes.
In front of them, he absolutely couldn''t say things like ''How many times will a floode, we have to make a lot of money at this time.''
"What did Wardanaz say?"
"He said he''s not raising the price?"
"What? I was sure he would raise it... Last exam period, he doubled the price of coffee powder, saying that free market price formation develops Einroguard''s economy."
"But what''s this market... price... economy thing?"
"I don''t know either. It must be the Wardanaz family''s vision."
"That Wardanaz guy is from a high noble family. It must be something that goes against his own dignity to make money from this crisis."
"Huh. We have no choice but to acknowledge that..."
"Hey. If you''re done buying, get lost."
Annoyed, Yi-Han shot a water orb to chase away the other tower students.
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Chapter 433
Chapter 433
"Everyone is helping each other to prepare for the flood."
"??"
Yi-Han, who was listening next to them, couldn''t believe his ears.
"Uh... those ck Tortoise Tower folks... the price... no."
Yi-Han stopped himself from saying, "They''re the bad guys for raising prices because of the flood, and I''m the good guy for not raising mine."
This wasn''t like tattling in front of the skul principal; it was disgraceful.
"Yeah. Everyone is diligently helping each other."
"What are you saying, Priest!"
"The ck Tortoise Tower guys are ripping us off!"
The White Tiger Tower friends protested while shaking off the water, but Yi-Han ignored them as if he hadn''t heard.
"Are you guys preparing well?"
"Of course. Who do you think we are?"
"..."
Yi-Han hesitated and couldn''t answer the White Tiger Tower students'' question right away.
Then the White Tiger Tower students shouted in anger.
"Hey, you bastard. Why are you hesitating!"
"Sorry. I couldn''t think of what to answer for a moment."
"Knights! We''re knights! What''s so difficult about this!"
The young knights were furious at the sight of Wardanaz, who answered difficult questions amazingly but couldn''t answer the easiest question.
As they were from knight families, the White Tiger Tower students had the ability to respond to such situations to some extent.
Lifting the luggage piled up outside, digging drainage ditches around the tower, preparing rafts and oars in case the water overflows...
The ck Tortoise Tower students were naturally skilled at such preparations, and the Immortal Phoenix Tower priests were notcking in ability as they had grown up in temples.
The problem was the Blue Dragon Tower.
''I wonder if they''ll be okay.''
Although Yi-Han had given instructions to some extent, he was worried if they were doing it properly.
After roughly finishing his business, Yi-Han said to the White Tiger Tower students.
"This is perfect timing. Come with me for a bit."
"Huh? Are we going hunting?"
"No. I''m going to the Blue Dragon Tower dormitory to do some work."
"..."
"...Why should we do that?"
The White Tiger Tower students asked as if it was absurd.
Unless they were shot with an arrow in the head, there was no reason to help the Blue Dragon Tower guys.
What''s so pretty about them...
"I bought expensive magic items at cost. Shall I start selling them now?"
"No, what the...!"
At the short but powerful threat, the White Tiger Tower students trembled.
One of them made a face as if he had gained enlightenment.
''So this is the power of monopoly that Wardanaz guy was talking about!''
Last time, when he said ''If you monopolize essential goods in the market, you gain great power,'' I dismissed it, thinking ''What nonsense? Is it a ck magic spell?'' But experiencing it directly, I understood right away.
"You can just help. If you help..."
"Wardanaz."
"?"
"At least tell the Blue Dragon Tower guys that we came to help them honorably as knights."
"...Ye, yeah. I got it."
¡ª
Gainando yawned as he watched Princess Adenart use spirits to dig deep drainage ditches.
''Why is she working so hard...''
"Gainando. Stop ying and move the shovel quickly."
"I, I''m recovering mana."
"Even if your mana is depleted, you can still move your body."
Gainando grumbled and grabbed the shovel at his friends'' scolding.
Yi-Han wasn''t there, but there were too many friends who had only learned bad things from Yi-Han.
"Gainando. Think carefully. Do you know the story of the ant and the grasshopper?"
Asan opened his mouth to boost Gainando''s motivation.
"If you don''t prepare in advance, that''s what happens."
"Can''t we just persuade the ant and live together..."
"Would you ept it if you were the ant?"
"If I prostrate myself and say I''ll serve as a servant, wouldn''t they ept..."
"..."
Asan was almost convinced by the strange logic.
Indeed, if Gainando prostrated himself and said he would serve as a servant, Asan would probably ept him and torment him for a long time.
The ability to make even enemies surrender out of contempt!
''Is this also an ability?''
Asan looked at Adenart.
Just as she was showing her innate dignity as royalty, Gainando''s innate contemptibility...
''...But what''s the point of having the ability to look contemptible? Where do you use it?''
"What is it? What were you thinking about?"
"Your innate ability as royalty."
"!"
Gainando''s face brightened.
"What is it? What is it??"
"Uh? Oh."
Asan was unusually flustered.
"That''s... uh..."
"It must be the ability to unite the hearts of other friends. Right?"
"Wardanaz!!"
At the voiceing from behind, Asan turned his head with a bright face.
''But did he have such an ability?''
"Everyone is preparing well..."
Yi-Han looked around the tower and let out a deep sigh.
At that sight, his friends avoided his gaze as if they hadmitted a sin.
The drainage ditches were uneven, 2/3 of the pre-made rafts were unbnced, and the supplies to be moved up remained as they were...
Since theycked experience, there were bound to be many trials and errors and slow work.
Even while everyone was discouraged, the princess alone maintained her posture upright. She had some confidence in the work.
Evenpared to what other friends had done, the part the princess was in charge of had overwhelmingly higherpletion!
"We should start working right away."
"?!?!?"
However, Yi-Han didn''t even check the part the princess was in charge of and immediately started working.
The princess stared at Yi-Han with greatly shocked eyes.
The White Tiger Tower students behind him whispered as if puzzled.
"Why is that princess ring like that?"
"It''s obvious. She''s keeping Wardanaz guy in check. Think about it from the princess''s perspective."
"Ah. Indeed. It''s hard to have two suns in one tower."
The White Tiger Tower students nodded their heads, recalling Jijel.
How mercilessly were the friends who challenged Jijel''s authority trampled?
As royalty, they had to be even more sensitive to power.
When Wardanaz was in the tower, he was so overwhelmingly dominant that they were only looking for an opportunity, but now that he had disappeared from the tower, the story would be different.
She would definitely try to bring the power of the tower back into her own hands.
In such a situation, it was natural for Wardanaz''s return to not look good.
"Hehe. This will be fun. If the Blue Dragon Tower guys also fight among themselves... Moreover, that Wardanaz guy seems to bepletely off guard."
"Let''s not tell Wardanaz. Hehehe."
There was nothing more enjoyable than watching hateful guys fight among themselves.
The White Tiger Tower students nodded their heads, making sinister eyes.
"What is it? You guys. Why are you making such suspicious eyes?"
"Ah... it''s nothing?"
"Wh, why are you doing this to us, who came to help?"
"Hmm. It''s strange... I got it. Oh. These White Tiger Tower friends came to help."
At Yi-Han''s words, the Blue Dragon Tower students were startled.
"What? Why?"
"Is it a trick?"
"Oh my. Be quiet. They came to help as fellow friends, as knights."
The Blue Dragon Tower students were even more startled at Yi-Han''s exnation.
"Wardanaz! It''s definitely a trick...!"
"Be quiet."
Yi-Han shut his friends'' mouths with force and started working.
¡ª
Jijel moved her steps with Ango and Bartreck.
The three had very tired faces.
It was because Jangcliff from the Jangclin family was raving like crazy next to them.
"So, young knights... Ah. That''s right. I forgot something while talking, so again..."
''It feels like blood is flowing from my ears.''
For Jijel, who absolutely hated talkative people, the vice-captain of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order was the devil incarnate who had descended to the present world.
His title would probably be something like Eloquent or Chatterbox.
Papapapapapapak!
Jangcliff momentarily shut his mouth at the sight of the dirt wildly gushing up and the path being created in front of him.
The three felt their lost senses returning as Jangcliff became quiet.
"It''s over... Wait. What are you guys doing there??"
The three were surprised to see their friends helping with the Blue Dragon Tower construction and asked.
Why on earth?
Their friends also seemed to think the same way, looking very perplexed, and btedly answered.
"...For, for the sake of honor?"
"Ex... excellent!!"
Jangcliff shouted, moved to the point of tears.
"Actually, I heard that Einroguard students don''t get along well with each other since theye from all over the empire, but the knights here are different! I''m really touched!"
"...Th, that''s right."
"We''re a bit like that."
The White Tiger Tower students holding shovels admitted it by chance.
Next to them, the Blue Dragon Tower students looked at them with eyes saying ''What nonsense.''
"When were we ever close..."
"Hey. Give us some face."
"We helped you! Give us some face!"
"..."
Meanwhile, Jijel frowned and turned her gaze.
She was curious why her friends were doing this, but she had no intention of asking.
The headache that had already risen because of Jangcliff would only get worse.
"Wardanaz. Let''s go slowly."
"What? Where?"
"...What are you pretending for, you bas..."
Jijel was about to curse but realized there were many people watching and decided to maintain her dignity.
"...The gathering. You remember, right? We all agreed to attend together."
"We''re leaving already? What about Friday''s lectures?"
"I''ll tell them and take them next time. There will only be one or two lectures on Friday anyway."
"No, there aren''t."
"..."
Jijel was at a loss for words at Yi-Han''s remark.
Come to think of it, that Wardanaz guy was different.
"Anyway, I understand. Indeed, it will take time to get there, so we should leave now. I''ll ask other friends to tell the professors."
"Yeah. Prepare quickly."
"Wait. Moradi."
"...What. Again."
Jijel asked back in an annoyed voice when Yi-Han called her.
"A flood ising soon, is it okay for me to go out?"
"What can we do? It''s fate."
Then suddenly, a fierce reaction erupted.
"That evil White Tiger Tower bastard!"
"He''s going out!"
"Moradi! No matter how much you go out, Wardanaz is also needed by us! How short-handed will we be without that guy!"
Even the White Tiger Tower students reacted, and Jijel was dumbfounded.
These crazy bastards...
"Figure it out and prepare, you dimwits! Do I have to spoon-feed you that too! Is Wardanaz your nanny?"
Yi-Han was hurt by Jijel''s sharp retort.
"Calling me a nanny is too much..."
Huh?
Am I a nanny?
Yi-Han recalled what he had done and was slightly shocked.
"Wardanaz! Don''t be fooled by an evil person like Moradi! Our friendship isn''t like that!"
"That''s right. Wardanaz! You''re not like a nanny! What nanny beats us up like that!"
"...Ye, yeah."
Yi-Han answered like that for now, but he thought he should prepare to leave right away.
Friends of this level will do well on their own!
¡ª
"Horses are really amazing."
"...Th, that''s right?"
When Niffirg neighed in protest, Yi-Han quickly stroked his mane, meaning to be quiet.
In any case, it didn''t seem like a good idea to say ''I ride a griffin transformed into a horse'' in front of the knights.
Jangcliff looked at the young, or perhaps more appropriately described as still childlike, knights following behind him with a joyful expression.
To be able to move together with the talents who will shoulder the future of the empire.
That alone was an honor and joy.
"To be able to pass through the night road with the empire''s talents like this..."
''Oh my god.''
''Dear god.''
''I should have prepared something to put in my ears.''
"...By the way, everyone. Are you performing well in your studies at Einroguard?"
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han and Jijel were rtively confident, but the other two began to sweat.
Jangcliff smiled mischievously as if he understood.
"I understand. Numbers and letters can be difficult for those from knight families. But since you all are excelling in horseback riding or swordsmanship, there''s no need to feel discouraged at all."
"..."
This time, even Jijel began to sweat.
Surprisingly, in all the lectures mentioned so far, other tower students had been taking the top spot away from her.
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Chapter 434
Chapter 434
''Oh dear. Did I bring up an unnecessary topic?''
Jangcliff was quick-witted, unlike a typical knight.
As an oddball who actively participated in all kinds of social gatherings, he had to be different from other knights.
Of course, even with that wit, he couldn''t realize that others wanted him to shut his mouth a bit, but he could notice that the students were ufortable talking about their studies.
''I should change the subject!''
"Don''t worry too much. Being good at arithmetic ornguage doesn''t make you a great person. The top student in such lectures is surely a narrow-minded person with no social skills at all."
"..."
This time, Yi-Han became gloomy.
¡ª
Bagdugul, the empire''s evil anti-magic extremist, gritted his teeth and inspected his de.
"I heard the knights are gathering."
"Very well done. Very well done."
Not only Bagdugul but also the eyes of the other anti-magic extremists sitting around him shed with venom.
"To think our grand n would be ruined because of those guys who only know how to act pompous at gatherings, calling themselves knights...!"
One of Bagdugul''s strengths was his innate dignity.
Even wearing shabby clothes, his movements and intonation that couldn''t be hidden made Bagdugul respected wherever he went and helped him infiltrate easily.
However, right now, Bagdugul had thrown off his mask to the point where such dignity couldn''t be felt at all.
It was natural.
Their n had beenpletely destroyed because of the knights.
''I will never forgive them.''
Rockgrass mushroom.
This mushroom, which had the property of dispersing mana, was the root of everything.
Originally, it was a mushroom used by dark mages for curse potions, but one of the anti-magic extremists found a way to enhance the effect of this rockgrass mushroom and make it easy to use.
Naturally, the anti-magic extremists were excited about this new discovery and gathered as many rockgrass mushrooms as possible.
If a sufficient amount was gathered, it would be a dagger that could attack mages.
However, it was not easy to obtain arge quantity of rockgrass mushrooms.
In the first ce, a reagent used only a little by dark mages couldn''t be released inrge quantities. If they openly recruited arge amount, it could arouse the suspicion of mages.
That was why Bagdugul hired mercenaries and headed to the undead realm.
To gather a sufficient amount of rockgrass mushrooms.
No one thought Bagdugul would fail in such a simple mission, but...
Surprisingly, Bagdugul failed.
It was because of the local knights.
They cited regtions that Bagdugul had never even thought of, arrested and imprisoned the mercenaries including Bagdugul, and while they couldn''t grasp the situation, they called the mages of Einroguard to prevent them from escaping.
Before he knew it, Bagdugul was arrested and dragged to the capital''s prison.
Fortunately, he wasn''t discovered to be an anti-magic extremist and was able to escape, but he couldn''t bring out the mercenaries under him.
On top of that, all the secured rockgrass mushrooms were confiscated.
The anti-magic extremists, who were only waiting for the rockgrass mushrooms Bagdugul would secure, had wasted the opportunity, and Bagdugul''s reputation was ruined.
Burning with a desire for revenge, Bagdugul went to confirm how this absurd situation had happened.
And he found the culprit.
Surprisingly, the culprit was the Chestnut Tree Knight Order.
These damn bastards had some unknown grudge against the mercenaries, so they caught them for ridiculously strict reasons and called the Einroguard mages!
"What the hell were these cursed dimwits thinking, doing such a thing?"
"It''s obvious. They must have looked down on them because they were mercenaries. They probably just wanted to hand them over to the mages since there was a bounty."
"They will pay the price. Those worthless knights."
The anti-magic extremists gnashed their teeth and threw their gazes out the window in the dimly lit log cabin.
In the distance, on the hillside shrouded in darkness, brilliant lights could be seen. It was the ce where the Chestnut Tree Knight Order''s gathering was being held.
Since they had destroyed the anti-magic extremists'' grand n for such a trivial reason, they would pay the price today!
"Another carriage is passing by."
"Those knight bastards are even riding carriages..."
"They''repletely off guard!"
"Don''t underestimate them. They''re still knights, after all."
Bagdugul restrained his subordinates.
Although he confirmed that the knights were off guard, there was no point in being arrogant.
No matter how much the knights were just for show and far from actualbat, a knight was still a knight.
Their basicbat power was iparable to ordinary people.
"The signal wille soon. Wait for that signal."
Bagdugul''s eyes burned sinisterly as he waited for the signal to be sent by the spy he had sent to infiltrate.
¡ª
"...Uh, isn''t this too extravagant?"
Yi-Han asked, looking at Jijel.
The carriages around them were adorned with all kinds of luxurious decorations as if they belonged to noble families, the temporary camp set up on the hill was brilliantly decorated with various gs and banners, and...
''No. Wait a minute. Those are merchant carriages.''
In addition to the knights'' carriages, there were also many merchant carriages.
Looking around, porters were sweating and piling up chests like mountains. Judging from the clinking sound of bottles inside, it was definitely alcohol for the knights to drink.
There were even porters bringing live fish in arge copper tank.
Although Yi-Han was from a high noble family, he had never lived so extravagantly, so he was even more surprised.
"..."
"..."
Jijel and her friends turned their gazes and shut their mouths as if they were embarrassed.
"Moradi? Moradi? Didn''t you hear me? Isn''t this too extravagant?"
"...Shut up!"
"No. Why are you getting angry? I just asked."
The White Tiger Tower students also felt it.
The Chestnut Tree Knight Order''s gathering was quite different from a typical knights'' gathering!
Even the Moradi family, a powerful family in the north, never held such an extravagant gathering. It was the same for Ango and Bartreck.
"Is this how knights'' gatherings usually are?"
"That... Wardanaz. Stop provoking Moradi."
Ango whispered in fear.
At first, Jijel was grinding her teeth, but at some point, she had passed a threshold and became coldly quiet.
"Ango. I''m really just asking out of curiosity. Have I ever attended a knights'' gathering?"
"I''ve only attended gatherings of my peers or family, not a knight order''s gathering... Uh..."
"It''s not for nothing that there are rumors of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order being rich."
Yi-Han looked around with an admiring expression.
The more he saw, the more favorable it seemed.
How much money could he get if he became close to them?
''I heard that obtaining investment and sponsorship is also an ability of a mage.''
Of course, there were some bad pre... precedents of receiving investment and not being able to repay, but basically, investment and sponsorship were positive systems.
Mages could conduct research they wanted to do but had given up due tock of funds, and investors and sponsors could gain appropriate profits and honor.
In Yi-Han''s case, he was more interested in business than research.
''Isn''t it fine as long as it looks like research?''
Jangcliff, who had guided the group, had gone ahead to meet the knights.
After looking around roughly, Yi-Han called his friends.
"Shall we go in?"
"Ye, yes."
The White Tiger Tower students seemed a bit discouraged by the overly extravagant appearance of the gathering.
Yi-Han didn''t pay much attention and stopped in front of the main gate. Then he dusted off his shoes.
A knight who was about to enter next to him saw Yi-Han and quickly dusted off his shoes with an expression of ''I see!''
Creak-
The inside was as splendid as the outside. Judging by how much gold coins they had poured into a single gathering, from the carpet on the floor to the furniture they brought, it seemed like they could live here.
When Ango and Bartreck were about to carelessly throw their coats on a chair, Yi-Han said.
"Wait. You can''t put them there. This isn''t Einroguard."
"Uh... Then where?"
"There should be a space used as a reception room. Put them there."
The two knights sitting in front flinched. They quietly got up, quickly looked around, picked up the coats they had thrown on the floor, and patted them.
"...?"
At that point, even Yi-Han began to feel something strange.
"Wardanaz. Can I just sit anywhere?"
"Don''t sit at the head table near the firece."
A knight dressed splendidly flinched and got up from his seat.
"Can I take off my gloves?"
"No. Keep them on."
A knight wearing lots of essories quickly put on his gloves.
"...Uh, sirs. I''m sorry. You can sitfortably, but..."
"No!"
"I was originally going to do this, I was just taking a short break!"
The knights waved their hands and strongly insisted, "I''m not usually this rude person, I just made a slight mistake."
"It''s a knights'' gathering, and knights can act a bit morefortably, can''t they?"
"Hey. We''re also knights..."
The White Tiger Tower friends whispered as if it was unfair.
Why are you only pointing it out to us??
"Will you act the same way when you attend a nobles'' gatheringter? You should learn in advance."
"Ah, no... That''s true, but..."
When hit with a valid point, the friends couldn''t refute.
While the White Tiger Tower students were being tormented, the knights hurriedly tidied their attire and began checking.
"Do I look okay? Wait. Is this the right order for the vest?"
"You said you know etiquette well!"
"I, I do know well, but I''m just asking in case."
The knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order, who had prided themselves on acting nobly before Yi-Han arrived, began to waver in that belief when the real deal appeared.
"Can I... wear the sword here?"
"Wa, wait. Could I wear this many essories? I don''t think I could."
"What''s the fuss about? Why?"
"Actually, the boy from the Wardanaz family..."
"Ah! He said he wasing! But why?"
"I had thrown my coat on the floor."
"You can''t throw it on the floor??"
"You originally can''t! Do you know how much nobles ridicule that!"
"No, then why did you throw it on the floor? You originally said it was okay to throw it, so I believed..."
"Shut up and hurry up and clean it up! Don''t nitpick!"
Even the knight who had been praised among the knights for being dignified and well-versed in etiquette blushed with embarrassment.
Jangcliff, who returned btedly, was startled by the hall''s appearance, which was different from the usual loose and sloppy atmosphere.
''What on earth happened?!''
¡ª
"Ah. So that''s what happened."
Jangcliff admired.
There was no one among the knights who excelled in etiquette like the Chestnut Tree Knight Order.
But just like swordsmanship, there was always a sky above the sky.
"It must have been a very good experience to learn from the real thing. They will also grow to another level. Haha!"
"...What the hell are they growing in..."
Jijel, who had been gritting her teeth and trying to endure, couldn''t hold back and blurted out.
If you''re a knight, you should just swing a sword, what the hell are you doing...
"Shh. Moradi. This is a gathering of other knights."
"..."
When Yi-Han made a valid point, Jijel trembled with a sense of humiliation.
She almost lost control of her emotions and made a mistake...
Why did it have to be that Wardanaz guy!
"It''s alcohol!"
"Can''t we take some of that?!"
Jijel felt dizzy at Ango and Bartreck''s dignified conversation.
''I never thought I''d miss Einroguard.''
"Wow. It''s really expensive alcohol."
"Right? Wardanaz?"
"Let''s take a few bottles togetherter."
"Hahahaha! What a joke... ...It''s not a joke."
"Yeah."
"..."
"Wardanaz... Please... Unlike you, I''m from a knight family, so if rumors spread..."
Ango pleaded.
Even if they got caught together, Yi-Han might be fine, but wouldn''t Ango get a title like "alcohol bottle thief" among the knights?
"No... I wasn''t saying to steal it, I was saying to tell them and take it. They''ll give us that much."
"Ah. Is that what you meant?"
Ango''s face brightened. Bartreck also swallowed his saliva.
Jijel closed her eyes tightly because she couldn''t stand the sight.
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Chapter 435
Chapter 435
Meanwhile, the knights uncorked the wine bottles and frantically poured the alcohol into their sses.
When servants appeared with tes of steaming roasted whole boar, the knights couldn''t wait and stood up from their seats to snatch the tes.
"???"
Before Yi-Han could even be surprised, the knights who snatched the tes drew their daggers and deeply cut the meat. The knight swallowed a chunk of meat dripping with grease in one bite.
''Huh?''
Yi-Han was taken aback.
The order was different from a typical gathering.
Usually, at a gathering, the people who gathered would greet each other a bit, chat, enjoy some games, and then share the prepared meal together...
But here, they were going straight into the meal and alcohol.
Looking to the side, Ango and Bartreck were also hurriedly taking tes and piling food on top.
"Moradi. Don''t get angry and listen to me. I''m really asking because I don''t know... Are knights'' gatherings usually like this?"
"...Yeah. Why."
"No. I was just surprised. They eat heartily."
"..."
Although Jijel didn''t show it, she felt embarrassment rushing in.
The Chestnut Tree Knight Order, who acted like dignified nobles to some extent, couldn''t help but reveal their true colors as knights when it was time to eat.
She had never been ashamed of herself as a knight, but the behavior of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order, who had been pretending to be nobles, made Jijel embarrassed.
''If they were going to eat thisfortably, why did they do such annoying things earlier?''
Yi-Han thought inwardly.
If the knights had acted thisfortably from the beginning, Yi-Han wouldn''t have needed to follow those unnecessarily numerous etiquette rules outside, would he?
"Then do you chat after eating and drinking?"
Jijel nodded.
"This is much better. It would have been nice if it was like this from the start."
"...?!?!?!!"
While Jijel widened her eyes and looked at Yi-Han, Jangcliff returned.
Jangcliff, who had finished greeting the knights, was holding a bottle of wine in one hand and a ss in the other.
"I''d like to treat you to a drink! For the one who helped the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order!"
"Ah. Thank you."
Yi-Han received the ss. The swirling wine filled the ss to the brim.
Jangcliff''s ss and Jijel''s ss were also filled. The three tilted their sses together.
At that moment, Jangcliff''s face contorted and a shout burst out.
"It''s poison!!!!!"
ng!
Jijel reacted the fastest. As soon as she heard Jangcliff''s words, she threw the half-drunk ss to the floor.
''Impossible!''
Jijel''s eyes were filled with shock.
It was surprising that poison was put in this gathering of knights, but it was even more surprising that Jijel didn''t sense the poison at all.
Unlike the knights here, weren''t Jijel and the White Tiger Tower students being educated as mages?
Considering the heterogeneous nature of the poison, there was no way they couldn''t have noticed.
How on earth?
''What kind of poison is it?''
Jijel quickly turned her gaze for a moment. She saw Ango and Bartreck, who were already drunk and shaking empty wine bottles, frozen in ce. Jijel quickly gave up and turned her gaze to Yi-Han.
''If it''s Wardanaz, he might have noticed...!''
However, Yi-Han''s ss waspletely empty. Jijel was dumbfounded and let out a sharp scream.
"You drank it all!!"
"I had no choice because of etiquette..."
"Are you joking now? Are you loosening up because you''re outside the academy or what?!"
Yi-Han honestly felt wronged.
If the poison was well-made and well-administered by the maker, it was much more disadvantageous for the drinker.
"Everyone, don''t move and put down the alcohol! You there, put down the alcohol!"
Jangcliff threw a knife on the table to shatter the wine bottle. The knight who was about to drink it whole was startled.
"Sir Jangcliff! What''s going on?"
"Isn''t it a misunderstanding? Poison... There''s nothing wrong with our bodies."
The drunk knights were perplexed by Jangcliff''s shout.
They also knew about poison to some extent.
But they had never heard of a poison that had no effect on the body like this.
Could Sir Jangcliff have been mistaken?
"Damn it, I heard from an alchemist I met in the capital. Right now, there''s no effect, but when the reagents put in the food and the reagents put in the alcohol mix and time passes..."
Jangcliff, who had a widework, had been introduced to a recently created poison when he went to the capital.
It was a poison based on rockgrass mushrooms, and the alchemist excitedly introduced it as a very unique poison.
-The various reagentponents have no effect when they are separate, but when they mix and time passes, they turn into poison, so it''s rare to find such a clever poison.-
To detect such a poison that mixes inside the body in advance, one had to be familiar with all kinds of reagents or know about thebination of poisons.
Fortunately, Jangcliff had heard the story from the alchemist and remembered the tastes of all the reagents.
''He remembered all that?''
Yi-Han was dumbfounded by the knight''s crude method.
It would have been less surprising if he had known about all the reagents that went in and felt something off.
"I''ll call a healing mage!"
The knights, who realized the situation was no joke, shouted with pale faces.
Poison was a race against time.
If they were even a littlete, there could be arge number of casualties.
However, Yi-Han was calm.
''Such a poison won''t have a strong effect.''
A poison made to avoid being detected by knights or mages had to beposed of weak ingredients.
There was a high possibility that it wasn''t a life-threatening poison.
"Sir Jangcliff. What is the effect of the poison?"
"It temporarily makes you unable to use mana."
The knights let out a sigh of relief for a moment.
If it was just mana being dispersed, it wasn''t that dangerous.
"Who could have...?"
"Servants, don''t move! I''ll investigate one by one!"
"I''ll check the porters too."
"Who would put such a poison here? Could it have been mixed by mistake?"
The entrance was closed off and the investigation began, but the situation was chaotic due to the circumstances.
The anti-magic extremist disguised as a porter sneered inwardly.
''No matter what, they won''t be able to find it.''
Their preparation was truly meticulous and persistent.
A few weeks ago, they had checked the ingredients and alcohol for the gathering and divided and injected theponents of the poison based on rockgrass mushrooms.
It was a fitting revenge for the knights who had ruined their grand n.
''The signal has already been sent!''
The porter had sent the signal as soon as the knights started eating and drinking.
Although it was unexpected that a knight named Jangcliff noticed, it didn''t matter since they had already drunk it...
There were a few students invited besides the knights, but they were still green rookies.
Moreover, they were mages who had also consumed the poison and had their mana dispersed.
In a way, they were even easier targets than the knights.
The n could already be considered 80% sessful.
"Arise, emotions."
"???"
One of the students suddenly waved his staff and cast magic on a servant.
The anti-magic extremist almost snorted in absurdity.
''He''s digging his own grave!''
As mages were the most versatile talents in the empire, naturally, such interrogation was also possible.
However, even such magic was not almighty. The anti-magic extremist knew well what kind of magic it was.
It was a type of magic that had to be used on a narrowed-down suspect of one or two people because it consumed a lot of mana and mental strength.
Using it recklessly in a hurry like this, he was indeed a student.
"Arise, emotions."
"Arise, emotions."
"Arise, arise, arise..."
"????"
The anti-magic extremist was puzzled.
What the?
''Is it a trick? Ah. I see! The guy is bluffing! The cunning...''
Pretending to chant fake spells to gauge the other person''s reaction.
He was quite clever for a student.
However, the anti-magic extremist was not shaken.
''Go ahead and try.''
Sneering inwardly, the anti-magic extremist managed his expression.
"Arise, emotions... ??"
Yi-Han looked at the porter. And then he said as if it was absurd.
"It''s this person."
"Seize him!!!"
The enraged knights rushed in like mad. The anti-magic extremist screamed.
How on earth!?!
¡ª
The knights were masters of interrogation. The tattered anti-magic extremist spilled everything about the gang waiting outside.
"What nonsense...!"
"ming us for doing our duty as knights! This is why mercenaries are...!"
The knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order, who didn''t know the details, were very angry.
If it was an understandable grudge, they would at least respect them as enemies, but wasn''t this venting an unrted grudge on them?
"Anti-magic extremists are always like that! The seeds of evil that taint the empire!"
"..."
Yi-Han broke out in a cold sweat.
Not because of the poison, but because he grasped the situation.
''...Was it a mistake to ask the knights for help?''
He had sought the knights'' help to make things easier, but it seemed to backfire like this.
If the knights got hurt, Yi-Han wouldn''t feel at ease.
"Now is not the time to be doing this. We need to prepare for the attack."
"I know."
Jangcliff''s face turned serious.
"It''s dangerous. The knights here are not used to such chaotic battles."
''He knew?''
Yi-Han was surprised to see Jangcliff coldly evaluating the knight order he belonged to.
The Chestnut Tree Knight Order was bound to be even more disadvantaged in this situation, as their main purpose was friendship and socializing.
"Wardanaz. Mana is..."
"Not gathering."
Ango and Bartreck''s faces were also dark. The other knights were the same. The poison of the rockgrass mushroom was slowlypleting and starting to spread.
Jangcliff was also fiercely circting his own mana to endure, but hisplexion didn''t look good.
"I see. I understand. Wait. I''ll make an antidote. I don''t know how many I can make before the attack starts, but..."
"...What?"
"What did you say?!"
Not only Jangcliff, who was pondering how to prepare for the fight, but also his friends were shocked.
He knows how to make an antidote?!
"Ho, how!? Did you know about this poison?"
"No... I don''t know. And it''s not aplete antidote either. I''m making it with holy magic, so I''ll have to see how effective it is."
Yi-Han picked up his staff and prepared holy magic.
He never thought that Priestess Siana''s half-coercion would be helpful in this situation.
If the holy magic Yi-Han had awakened from the Aphar Order was white me transformation, the holy magic of the meng Order was antidote creation.
"Holy magic... Were you a devout believer... No... Wait... You''re from the Wardanaz family...? That''s not important right now... Wait, wait. You shouldn''t use it forcibly when youck mana!"
Jangcliff, who was muttering, hurriedly stopped Yi-Han in a fluster.
No matter how urgent it was, it was dangerous to use magic with high consumption like holy magic in a situation where there was no mana.
However, before he could stop him, Yi-Han had already created the antidote. The wine inside the wine bottle had turned transparent.
"Sir Jangcliff first!"
"Al, alright."
Sir Jangcliff gulped down the colorless and transparent antidote.
Then, surprisingly, the mana that was about to disperse was felt to be maintained again.
"Then I''ll make the next antidote."
Ango stood next to him to drink the antidote as soon as it waspleted.
Then Yi-Han slightly pushed Ango away and pulled Jijel.
In this situation, the vicious Moradi was much more reliable.
Ango shouted in surprise.
"Moradi drank less, so her condition is still fine, right?!"
"...No. Ango. As the top student in alchemy, I think Moradi''s condition looks worse."
"??!"
Is... is that so?
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Chapter 436
Chapter 436
Jijel knew her condition was better than her friends'', but she remained silent.
In Jijel''s view, she thought she would be more helpful than Ango or Bartreck.
"Sir Jangcliff. I don''t think I''ll be able to give the antidote to everyone in time. Could you select the necessary people?"
"Don''t worry about that! I''ll prepare right away."
"This is absurd... Impossible! How!!"
The anti-magic extremist lying on the side shouted.
He had a face that was hard to believe.
"How are you using mana!!"
Sir Jangcliff was about to get angry at the evil anti-magic extremist for interrupting, but he suddenly agreed, thinking ''That''s true.''
Indeed?
"But are you really okay?"
"I have a lot of mana by constitution, so I don''t get easily poisoned."
"What kind of bullshit is that!!!"
"Shut up."
Thwack!
The knight next to him kicked the anti-magic extremist.
It was hard to forgive him for interrupting the conversation when he had ambushed them with poison.
"What do you mean by not getting easily poisoned because you have a lot of mana? Originally, when mana meets external substances like poison, it reacts intensely and resists, but in the case of rockgrass mushrooms, it''s a special one that disperses mana, so it doesn''t give a chance to resist..."
"Sir Jangcliff, now is not the time for that. You need to prepare! You can askter, can''t you!"
Jijel shouted without realizing it.
Strictly speaking, it was a rudeness she would never do normally as she was still an apprentice knight.
Moreover, Jijel was someone who valued reputation and influence among knight families very much.
''Oops.''
After blurting it out, Jijel immediately regretted it.
If Sir Jangcliff found it unpleasant, Jijel''s reputation among the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order would be...
"You''re right. I''m sorry! Everyone, move. Knights whose mana hasn''t recovered,e this way! Reinforce the doors and windows so the enemies can''te in. Knights whose mana has recovered, go that way!"
Fortunately, Sir Jangcliff moved right away instead of getting angry.
Jijel let out a sigh of relief.
Chuk-
"???"
The knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order secretly gave Jijel a thumbs up, thanking her.
Jijel looked at them as if it was absurd.
"Moradi. Thank you."
"..."
At Yi-Han''s words, Jijel was at a loss for words and couldn''t speak.
To receive such a good evaluation with a single irrational action.
It just felt like the whole situation itself didn''t make sense from beginning to end.
¡ª
Bagdugul fiercely ran up the hill.
As soon as the signal was given, the anti-magic extremists rushed out.
"They can''t use mana! But don''t let your guard down. They''re still knights after all!"
"Don''t worry!"
The shouts of mercenary-turned-anti-magic extremists could be heard everywhere.
Experienced mercenaries knew the fear of knights well, so they also knew their weaknesses well.
In a situation where they had consumed poison, a muddy battle was bound to be advantageous for the mercenaries.
Swish swish swish swish-
At the sound of arrows flying, Bagdugul shouted without being surprised.
"Block them!"
The sound of arrows bouncing off shields was heard. The anti-magic extremists seeded in blocking without taking any damage.
"I guess they noticed."
"They would since we poisoned them. We were expecting this."
No matter how meticulously they prepared, they never thought the knights wouldn''t notice until the end.
Once they had consumed the poison, it was natural to expect an attack.
The mercenaries were not careless at all.
"Surround and go in. Don''t leave a single one alive!"
Bagdugul activated the artifact. Even in the darkness, the area around the camp set up by the knights was clearly visible.
As expected, there were no traps around. No matter how much they noticed, there wouldn''t have been time to set traps around the camp.
Then it wasn''t difficult.
"It seems they''re trying to hold out inside the building."
"Ridiculous bastards."
The tent set up for the banquet was much sturdier and stronger than a typical tent, but it was still a hastily built tent. It was a structure reinforced with wood and cloth, not iron and stone, so it could be easily destroyed.
"Shall we break the door?"
"There''s no need for that. Why should we y along with the knights'' tricks?"
Bagdugul snorted.
They could break through the tightly closed doors and windows and go inside, but why should they fight at a disadvantage?
They had alreadye fully prepared.
"Set it on fire."
"Yes!"
Setting fire to arge tent was not as easy as one might think. The fire didn''t spread just by throwing it.
However, if they were prepared, it wasn''t difficult. Fire arrows rose in the darkness and flew towards the tent.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Knights! What are you going to do! Are you going to burn to death? Come running out!"
The mercenaries shouted and stomped their feet to scare and confuse the people inside. The tent caught fire in various ces and smoke rose. Anyone could see that the knights woulde running out soon.
nk!
"???"
"What the?!"
Suddenly, the fires in the tent began to go out. Along with the nking sound from inside, the tent became soaking wet.
As if someone was pouring a massive amount of water from inside.
The mercenaries were shocked.
"Wh, what should we do?"
"Shoot the fire arrows again! They only blocked it once."
Fire arrows flew again, but nothing changed.
''Was it an artifact?!''
At first, they thought they had used an artifact or scroll to put out the fire. They thought it would be fine since it would only be used once or twice at most...
Bagdugul frowned.
Surprisingly, the mercenaries'' fire arrows were running out first.
"...It seems they prepared a lot of water. Break the door."
"Understood! Hey. Break the door!"
One of the mercenaries tore a scroll. Then, a fierce wind was released and struck the blocked door of the tent.
Bang!!!
"Enter at the same time. Break the other parts too!"
"Yes!"
Another scroll was torn and the thin wall of the tent was shattered.
And a huge pile of dirt was revealed.
"...????"
"What the?!?"
The mercenaries were shocked at the pile of dirt revealed beyond the wall, as if it were a fortress.
In that short time, they had piled up an earthen wall behind the tent wall?
Unless there was a mage...
"Isn''t there a mage?"
"If there was, the guy inside would have said so. Don''t be fooled. Break through the other side! The knights are struggling."
Bang!
A hole was made on the other side of the wall. However, a thick earthen wall was waiting there as well.
At this point, the mercenaries'' eyes began to waver. Bagdugul red at the tent with hatred-filled eyes.
Not all the mercenaries were thorough anti-magic extremists. Some had participated out of desire for gold.
Such people would not hesitate to run away if the situation twisted even a little.
Bagdugul felt the need to give a strong order.
"The fact that the knights are poisoned doesn''t change. To the door! After shooting the remaining scrolls at the door, enter!"
Fortunately, the inside revealed beyond the main entrance of the tent had no earthen wall. It seemed the knights couldn''t build it that far.
When the remaining scrolls exploded, a roar spread around the main entrance. It was a shock that would have blown away the knights waiting behind the door.
The mercenaries rushed in with a war cry, holding their shields in front.
At that moment, the floor sank below.
"!!!"
Everyone was shocked at the pit trap, not just ankle-deep, but deep enough for the entire body to fall.
When did they make such a deep trap?!
"Shoot!"
Arrows flew in from inside. The fallen mercenaries screamed for help, but theirrades were too busy blocking the attack to do so.
"Make a foothold and go in!"
Bagdugul had no intention of saving them either. Now was not the time for that.
Siege equipment they had brought in case of unexpected situations flew over the pit. As the mercenaries tried to rush in again while blocking the arrows with their shields, lightning flew in from inside.
"!!!"
The mercenaries, without even the chance to breathe, fell into the pit without even screaming at the lightning that flew toward them.
Lightning magic had a particrly vicious power even among elemental magic. Even if blocked with a shield, the mercenaries flinched and retreated from the magic that prated and tore their muscles.
"I think there really is a mage!"
"Isn''t he fine?!"
"Shut up and go in."
Bagdugul said brutally.
At this point, Bagdugul also realized that the situation was strange.
Something had gone wrong with the n.
The guy who went inside must have misunderstood something, but there was a mage who hadn''t consumed the poison!
"Isn''t this different from what we were told... Ugh!"
Blood sttered from the neck of a mercenary who was arguing. Bagdugul looked coldly at the mercenaries, holding a skewer-like sword dripping with blood.
"Anyone else want to die?"
"Uw... Uwaah!!"
The mercenaries began their charge again. In the meantime, Bagdugul said to his subordinate.
"While the mercenaries are buying time, we need to break through the weak earthen wall."
"Yes!"
The subordinate also understood right away.
The entrance that looked like it could be broken through was now a trap.
Even if it looked like they could easily enter with that level of preparation, they didn''t know what was inside.
It was unbelievable that they had prepared so quickly, but to avoid being yed by the knights any longer, they had to seize the initiative.
Thwack, thwack, thwack-
Bagdugul''s subordinates began to break the weak earthen wall.
It was a crude method of striking with mana infused, but the effect was certain. The thick pile of dirt copsed and a hole was revealed.
"Go in... Ugh!"
Jangcliff, who was hiding behind the pile of dirt, began to ughter the mercenaries.
The zing aura burning from his sword cut through the mercenaries'' metal equipment like paper.
Anyone could see that he was a lively knight who had reached a realm and was not tired.
Both Bagdugul and his subordinates were shocked.
How???
"You damn anti-magic extremist trash. Where do youmit sins and arrogantly hold a grudge!"
"Surround him!"
Bagdugul''s subordinate shouted while taking Jangcliff''s attack.
He was certainly a great knight, but the elites Bagdugul had brought were also veteran mercenaries. If they just surrounded him, they wouldn''t lose easily.
However, there were other knights waiting next to Jangcliff. In an instant, the fight turned into a group versus group battle.
The knights, who were well-equipped and in formation, were masters of group battles. The mercenaries were suffocated by the oppressive feeling as if a steel wall had been erected.
At most, there were only about twenty knights, and they were supposed to be poisoned...!
Bagdugul rushed in with his sword. He wasn''t aiming for Jangcliff.
''The fact that the knights moved like that means, conversely, that the main entrance is empty!''
Piercing the reverse of the reverse!
Bagdugul gathered mana and kicked the ground. With a ''pak'' sound, the ground cracked and Bagdugul''s body flew over the pit.
Lightning flew out. Bagdugul dodged by rolling his body.
Lightning flew out again. Bagdugul blocked the lightning with an artifact bracelet of seven intertwined snakes made of ck spirit wood.
"You damn mage bastard! I''ll kill..."
Bagdugul, who was shouting, widened his eyes.
The mage in front of him was too young.
This mage was the one who put out the fire, built the earthen wall, and summoned the lightning?
''Moreover, why does he look familiar?''
Even with Bagdugul''s murderous intent, the opponent was not shaken and waved his staff.
Then, a huge skeleton warrior rushed from the side and blew Bagdugul away.
Bagdugul gritted his teeth and prepared to use a secret technique. With this level, he couldn''t underestimate the young mage.
When facing a mage, speed was life.
He had to kill as quickly as possible.
''I''ll rush in with a single blow and...''
But at that moment, a green leopard summon rushed in and struck Bagdugul. Bagdugul regained his posture once again and gritted his teeth.
"Two summons..."
Finally, a griffin jumped out from the ceiling and dug its ws into Bagdugul''s back.
Bagdugul threw away his dignity and wailed.
"You damn mage bastard! I''ll tear apart and kill you!"
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Chapter 437
Chapter 437
In fact, even two summons was going too far.
What kind of reckless things was he doing for a mage who looked so young?
Moreover, it was right after he had summoned a tremendous amount of lightning. Even if he squeezed mana out of his blood, it wouldn''t have been that much.
But now that even a griffin appeared, Bagdugul''s patience ran out.
"I''ll kill you!"
As murderous intent-filled crimson aura flickered and condensed on the skewer-like sword, Yi-Han shouted to Niffirg.
"Fall back, Niffirg!"
The opponent''s swordsmanship skills were not ordinary. It seemed to be on a simr level to Jangcliff''s. If he got caught by such an opponent, even a griffin''s neck could be cut off.
Sharakan and the skeleton warrior Gonadaltes, who didn''t care about damage, rushed in.
"Gonadaltes. I''m counting on you!"
"What, who...!"
Crack!
Even in his surprise, Bagdugul urately pierced through the skeleton warrior with his aura.
The swordsman''s aura, created through endless painful training, was the crystallization of endurance and at the same time a spear that could pierce through anything.
To pierce through a reinforced skeleton made by ovepping more than ten skeleton warriors, even with its shield.
Yi-Han couldn''t help but be surprised by the destructive power that exceeded expectations.
''What the...!''
But there was also something Bagdugul didn''t expect.
Bagdugul''s eyes widened as the skeleton warrior clung on without caring.
No matter how manyyers of bone armor were added, it endured without being immediately unsummoned by the aura.
"What the...!"
Taking advantage of that gap, Sharakan bit into Bagdugul''s ankle with a vicious sound.
Bagdugul cursed and tried to kick Sharakan away, but Sharakan didn''t get greedy and immediately retreated.
"Huff, huff..."
The skeleton warrior was unsummoned btedly. Bagdugul moved away from the skeleton warrior without giving even a moment''s gap.
The true attack of a dark mage began after such summons were defeated.
Even the corpses of summons had to be watched out for.
However, despite being careful, an explosion urred on Bagdugul''s coat.
Bang!!
Bagdugul instinctively concentrated mana into his muscles to block the attack, but he couldn''tpletely block the impact.
"What the... damn...???"
Bagdugul couldn''t understand.
He had definitely moved away from the corpse of the summon, so how could there be an explosion of this level?
At most, only bone fragments would have stuck to him...
''That''s fortunate at least.''
Yi-Han let out a sigh of relief.
If the opponent had stayed close, he wouldn''t have been able to use it for fear of a huge explosion, but when he shook off all the bone fragments, it became easier to use.
Because even considering that, there was a limit to how much it could explode!
Of course, even taking that into ount, the power exceeded expectations, but...
The arrogant face of the opposing mage entered Bagdugul''s eyes.
It was as if he was dering, ''I still have many things hidden.''
''...This won''t do.''
Bagdugul ignored Sharakan and the griffin.
The mage''s summons were certainly threatening, but the mage was not easy enough to defeat while keeping them in check.
He had to escape from the opponent''s palm.
Bagdugul took a deep breath.
Along with his murderous intent, the color of the crimson aura became even deeper and burned strongly.
He intended to directly attack the mage even if he had to lose an arm or a leg.
''Damn it.''
Yi-Han clicked his tongue inwardly.
The situation was gradually going beyond expectations.
If they were blocked to this extent, he thought the enemies would also retreat...
''Why aren''t they retreating?''
Most of the prepared means had been blocked, and even frontal and nking attacks had been stopped.
Wouldn''t they normally retreat at this point?
''Do they hold such a deep grudge against the knights? Did the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order insult their parents or something?''
Yi-Han didn''t realize that he had pushed the enemies too hard.
Having suffered this much, let alone getting angry, it was not easy to retreat.
With a mage like this, there was no telling what kind of traps he had prepared in case of a retreat.
The only path left for Bagdugul was to cut off the mage''s head. That was the only certain path left.
"...Let''s see you try."
"?"
"Why. What are you waiting for?"
Bagdugul spoke to Yi-Han.
It was to gauge the opponent and distract his mind.
What kind of traps did that mage leave behind?
''There aren''t any now?''
Yi-Han was slightly flustered.
The summons were all used up, and now only a pure battle of strength remained.
The moment the opponent charged, he nned to immediately cast illusion magic and invisibility magic, and then bombard with magic.
He was worried if there would be enough time since the swordsman could even use aura, but there was no choice in this situation.
''Wait. No.''
When it seemed like the opponent was misunderstanding, Yi-Han decided to y along with it.
Anyway, he could buy time.
"I''m waiting for you to charge."
"I see..."
Bagdugul red at Yi-Han with a low snort.
"There must be a magic circle on the floor."
Magic that activates an invisible magic circle the moment you step on the floor was often used defensively.
Yi-Han nodded.
"That''s right."
"On the ceiling too."
"That''s right."
"On the walls too."
"That''s right."
"..."
Bagdugul suddenly became confused.
He was even more confused because it seemed like the opposing mage was calmly telling the truth.
What?
''No, no, again... I almost got yed by the mage again.''
Bagdugul put aside his pride.
For now, he had to acknowledge that the opposing mage was definitely a step ahead of him.
It was humiliating to the point of his heart burning to be experientially inferior to such a young mage, but there was no choice.
Because he had beenpletely yed in the mage''s grasp until now.
''I''ll kill him!''
At that moment, a dagger flew in from behind Bagdugul. Bagdugul sensed the presence and quickly dodged.
"What... was this! Ha!"
Bagdugul shouted as if he finally understood.
The White Tiger Tower students who were fighting on the knights'' side had rushed to help Yi-Han.
"No..."
Yi-Han was flustered.
Why are you guysing??
"I told you to fight together with the knights!"
"You''re clumsy at acting!"
Bagdugul openly sneered.
Seeing how flustered he was, he became even more convinced.
These young knights were definitely the mage''s hidden card.
"Let''s see you try!"
Ango aimed his short bow.
His skills were quite proficient, but in the eyes of a swordsman like Bagdugul who had been through all kinds of battles, there were still many shorings.
''What? I won''t let my guard down. The trap...''
Bagdugul didn''t pay much attention, but for a moment, he felt strong mana from the short bow.
Swish!
"...!"
The arrow made a vicious sound as it passed by, as if it were some kind of artifact. If he got hit even once, he would copse with that power.
''As expected!''
"Hey! Because of the power, the control is..."
"Endure it! You have no choice but to adapt on your own!"
''Was that magic cast by that mage!?''
At this point, Bagdugul became curious.
Among the magic shown here, how many did that mage cast?
ng!
At that moment, a potion bottle flew in. It was a potion thrown by Bartreck. Judging from the energy inside, it was definitely poison.
Bagdugul had no choice but to stop the attack again and deflect the potion bottle.
''It doesn''t seem like such a strong poison. Did I block it for nothing? No. I shouldn''t judge by appearance. It''s a trap set by that mage!''
''His movement stopped.''
In the meantime, Yi-Han grasped his staff andpleted the spell.
Honestly, the attacks of the White Tiger Tower friends were not that great, but for some reason, Bagdugul was overly wary and wasted time.
That gap gave Yi-Han another chance.
Bzzzzzzt!
"Ugh!"
When a much thicker lightning bolt than before flew in, burning the wide tent, Bagdugul instinctively dodged.
''This bastard, the distance!''
The opposing mage didn''t even expect to hit him in one shot, so heunched continuous attacks. The distance gradually widened as he dodged those attacks.
It was a method rarely seen from ordinary mages.
Since there was mana consumption, they usually tried to hit in one shot, and the moment they dodged, their weakness was exposed, but...
"Are you guys okay?!"
"We''re fine! Isn''t it a knight''s role to protect the mage?!"
"Are you confident you can block?"
"..."
The White Tiger Tower friends didn''t answer. Yi-Han felt a heavy sense of responsibility.
''I have to block it somehow.''
Meanwhile, Jijel stood in front of Bagdugul, wielding her dual swords.
The enemy''s sword with burning aura.
It was a technique with tremendous destructive power, but that didn''t mean aura was almighty.
Jijel avoided contact with the opponent''s sword and tried to thrust while keeping a distance as if to keep him in check.
"...The Moradi family!! Wait, you guys... Wait... Wait...?!"
Bagdugul widened his eyes when he saw that swordsmanship.
So many confusing things had happened today that it felt like fog had settled in his head, but seeing that swordsmanship, something came to mind.
''That''s the emblem of the Alpha family, and that''s the emblem of the Bark family... Wait... Wait...?''
They were all families unrted to the Chestnut Tree Knight Order and had no reason to be here.
Moreover, the knights were unusually young.
A realization shed in Bagdugul''s mind.
"Could it be that you were students?!?!"
"..."
"..."
The White Tiger Tower students were even more flustered.
''He didn''t know we were students? Why is he making such a fuss?''
"This crazy mage bastard tricked...!"
"Huh? No, he''s also a student..."
Realizing that he had been fooled once again, Bagdugul became furious like a demon from hell.
Deceiving him with students disguised as knights to hinder him.
That enemy was not only cunning but also vicious.
"Magic or whatever..."
Bagdugul prepared to charge, trusting his body trained as a swordsman, whether summons rushed in or he was torn apart by magic.
"...Try and blow me away!"
Along with a murderous voice, the air vibrated.
Crash!!
And then the skull principal''s death knights broke into the tent with glowing blue eyes.
¡ª
The death knights heartily trampled the mercenaries outside, drained the energy of the mercenaries inside, and finally engaged in a wheel battle against Bagdugul.
At the sudden attack of the death knights, Bagdugul angrily swung his aura, but the death knights eerilyughed and immediately recovered whether they took damage or not.
-Stab more, living one! I said stab more!-
-Living one, I knew how to handle aura since you were wriggling in your father''s scrotum. Did you think that skill would be enough? Hahaha!-
-The most evil and terrible magic is protecting us!-
"These cursed undead!"
Bagdugul was terrified.
A sense of helplessness he had never felt since he became able to handle aura came crashing down.
Even the undead dwelling in the darkest and most viciousnds of the empire couldn''t recover and rolled on the ground when hit by aura...! But these dead knights were not!
Swish!
Every time he was grazed by the death knights'' swords, his blood froze, his bones became numb, and the vitality of his body disappeared.
Bagdugul tried to draw up the mana in his body, but his body stiffened and his legs copsed.
Thud!
"I''ll... remember you...!"
-???-
-Who are you holding a grudge against now?-
The death knights, who were tightly sealing Bagdugul with all kinds of artifacts, were dumbfounded by Bagdugul''s words.
Was he a fool who didn''t even know whose de he was cut by?
"Mage... Today... I admit... I was yed by your hand... But... Never again...!"
-...-
-...-
The death knights, who grasped the situation, became a bit awkward.
They hade to secretly follow the students, and when a battle broke out, they came to help, but they had unintentionally be a strategically meticulous ambush.
-That''s right. You were yed.-
-Hey!-
-Why. Isn''t this better?-
-Indeed, that''s true. The master''s disciple will also be satisfied since this will make him more notorious.-
"????"
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Chapter 438
Chapter 438
Yi-Han, who was listening next to them, asked in confusion despite his exhaustion.
"What''s good about me bing notorious?"
-Isn''t it cool?-
-Notoriety is also fame. Young Wardanaz.-
The death knight who yed the role of a senior knight among the death knights spoke kindly as if exining, but the content was not kind at all.
-Think about it! When enemies encounter Young Wardanaz, would it be better for them to tremble just by hearing Young Wardanaz''s name, or would it be better for them to be surprised, saying they heard that name for the first time?-
"I prefer thetter..."
Yi-Han just wanted to surprise unsuspecting opponents.
-No mage would wish for thetter. Of course, Young Wardanaz may think he can easily gain notoriety at the current pace without using such methods, but...-
-Originally, fame always has a bit of exaggeration mixed in, doesn''t it?-
-That''s right. Indeed!-
The death knights, perhaps because most of them were famous knights when they were alive, had no aversion to mixing in a bit of exaggeration.
Moreover, if enemies knew their name, it was something to be proud of, so why would they fear it?
A truly strong person was bound to trample even traps prepared by enemies.
"...I think I have enough now..."
-Are you satisfied with exterminating the King of Ghouls in Granden City during the break?-
-You shouldn''t be.-
-Yeah, yeah! Just as you have to strike when the iron is hot, you have to spread fame even more when it has spread!-
Yi-Han began to get a headache from the chattering of the death knights gathered together.
He was already tired from the bloody battle...
"I''ll... remember you...!"
From afar, Bagdugul was still gritting his teeth at Yi-Han, unable to grasp the situation.
Irritated, Yi-Han sharply retorted.
"Please shut up, a bit."
The death knights nodded their heads contentedly as if that was how it should be done.
¡ª
The skull principal, who was watching the students being swept away by the rapids while screaming,ughed out loud, but was startled by the report of the death knights.
¡°What did you say!?¡±
-The anti-magic extremists attacked the knight order! It seems Bagdugul from the Twilight Dawn Brigade was the mastermind!-
¡°Uh... is that true?¡±
The skull principal asked the death knight again in surprise.
Because there was really no reason for the anti-magic extremists to attack the knight order.
Moreover, Bagdugul, who led the Twilight Dawn Brigade, was a rather notorious criminal whose name the skull principal had seen in documents.
He was persistent and sinister in nature, skilled in schemes, and his swordsmanship had reached the realm of aura, so several imperial mages had lost their lives at the tip of his de.
Why would such a guy leisurely attack a worthless knight order like the Chestnut Tree Knight Order?
The Chestnut Tree Knight Order had no particr characteristics other than abundant gold coins...
''Was he short on money?''
The death knights next to the skull principal were startled and shouted after hearing the report from the scene.
-You have to go right away!-
¡°What? Aren''t the death knights around?¡±
-The Chestnut Tree Knight Order...-
¡°Are you saying those guys can get hurt?¡±
The skull principal looked at the death knights as if saying, ''Why should I make a fuss and care about even those guys?''
Then the death knights shouted as if it was frustrating.
-...They took the students with them! Even your disciple, Master!-
¡°Ah. That''s even better. At most, with an attack of that scale, he would have sufficiently taken care of his own life.¡±
-????-
The death knights were puzzled by their master''s arrogant attitude.
¡°The death knights at the scene will arrive soon, so there''s no need to hurry. Shall we leave slowly?¡±
-Master. I respect your confidence, but I think excessive confidence leads to arrogance and carelessness...-
¡°Tsk tsk. Those who have eyes but cannot see, and have a head but cannot think. Well, that''s why you are death knights and I am the master.¡±
The skull principal flew away with a confident back.
The death knights chased after him in a rush. But their eyes were filled with anxiety.
-Didn''t he make a mistakest time despite acting like that?-
-I''m worried...-
But surprisingly, this time the skull principal''s prediction was correct.
The death knights were amazed at the sight of the camp where suppression was perfectlypleted without a single death.
-No way...?!-
-Really?!-
¡°Look! What did I say? Dull subordinates. What more do you need to believe me?¡±
The death knights felt wronged.
Hadn''t their master been wrong quite a few times too?
-What exactly happened?-
-So that''s...-
While the death knights gathered and chattered, the skull principal flew to the knights.
Originally, this was a good time to show off after a battle ended.
It was a good time to be called the great grand mage by healing a few wounds from sword cuts and stabs.
¡°Ah! The knights of the great Chestnut Tree Knight Order, the people of the empire will not forget your dedication.¡±
"Lord Gonadaltes!!"
The knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order, who were sitting and wrapping bandages, shouted fiercely.
The skull principal was slightly taken aback by the much hotter reaction than expected.
''What?''
"That foresight to have summons on standby in case of emergency, I can only admire it!"
"Thank you for your grace!!"
¡°Ah.¡±
The skull principal realized what misunderstanding they had.
They mistakenly thought that the death knights assigned to monitor the students'' escape were prepared in case of unexpected rampage by anti-magic extremists.
¡°As the grand mage of the empire, the lord of Einroguard, the mage of His Majesty the Emperor, and the guardian of the magic barrier¡¡±
A quick-witted death knight ran over and listed the skull principal''s titles instead.
¡°...it''s just something that should be done. Moreover, think about the gold that the Chestnut Tree Knight Order has donated to Einroguard. Where do you think the reagents that raised these summons came from?¡±
When the skull principal winked with glowing eyes, the knights burst intoughter.
Yi-Han thought the knights'' sense of humor might have been paralyzed from losing too much blood.
"I now understand the deep meaning hidden in your action of sending your disciple. It wasn''t simply to attend the gathering, but to prepare for the intelligence that anti-magic extremists would cause a disturbance!"
¡°...Haha. You caught me. Can you think of any other reason?¡±
"..."
Yi-Han stared nkly, but the skull principal lightly ignored him.
¡°Your disciple must have been quite active.¡±
"Not just quite!"
"Even after being poisoned, he didn''t waver..."
"He reinforced the tent with earth..."
"He caught that leader alone..."
''What did this guy do?''
The skull principal concentrated to maintain hisposure.
He had expected some level of activity, but it exceeded that several times over.
¡°No, why was he dealing with someone like Bagdugul himself?¡±
Was he crazy about fame or just crazy...
"Pardon?"
¡°It''s nothing. Anyway, I''m really d everyone is safe.¡±
"Of course."
"To think that the donation we sent is being used to nurture such outstanding pirs of the empire!"
The knights were very impressed and proud of the level of Einroguard''s 1st years.
With this level, it was truly a level where they didn''t regret the gold coins they sent.
"..."
"..."
The White Tiger Tower students had to feel guilty as if they had deceived the knights even though they did nothing.
¡°Hahaha! That''s right, that''s right!¡±
The skull principal alsoughed, revealing his bones.
It seemed that a generous donation woulde from the knight order again at the end of this year.
"Hey! Since this banquet ended so quickly due to the attack of evil ones, how about donating the remaining gold coins to Einroguard instead of holding another banquet?"
"That''s a really good idea!"
"I agree too!"
¡°Very good¡¡±
The skull principal tried to agree on the side, but shut his mouth in case it ruined the atmosphere.
The knights gathered the remaining gold coins in one ce as a price for receiving help from the magic academy. The skull principal looked happier than ever.
¡°Come here, my cherished disciple!¡±
"?"
Yi-Han was momentarily flustered and looked around.
Huh?
''Me?''
-It is Mr. Wardanaz.-
-It''s Mr. Wardanaz.-
-Who else would be the cherished disciple?-
"You mean me?"
¡°I want you to talk about Einroguard in front of the knights.¡±
"Pardon??"
Yi-Han was startled and looked at the skull principal.
''Is he serious?''
Of course, the skull principal also noticed the emotion contained in Yi-Han''s "??".
¡°You can do it ''well''.¡±
"Aha."
Yi-Han looked at the skull principal. The skull principal also looked at his disciple. The two of them established a deal with just their gazes.
"What surprised me when I entered Einroguard was the consideration of the principal who showed us magic from the moment we passed through the school gate, making us familiar with magic..."
"What the hell is Wardanaz doing?"
"Leave him alone and get some rest."
Jijel copsed on the nket as if lying down.
¡ª
The knights, after hearing the whole story, shed tears in admiration of Einroguard''s teachings.
The skull principal watched his disciple, who had increased the donation more than three times, with affectionate eyes.
¡°I''m proud of you!¡±
"I also always respect the principal. Did you figure out the information about the anti-magic extremists in advance, principal?"
¡°...That''s right.¡±
"...?"
Yi-Han felt something was off.
"Don''t tell me you assigned them to monitor our escape..."
¡°What nonsense are you talking about! There are many ears listening, and it can cause misunderstanding!¡±
The skull principal gestured with his eyes that there were still many knights resting around the tent.
Yi-Han noticed and nodded.
"There are many boxes left over from preparing for the banquet, can I take some in?"
¡°...The knights might want to take some with them when they return to their families, don''t you think?¡±
"Then I''ll ask and take them."
The skull principal cursed his disciple.
How could someone from the Blue Dragon Tower be so greedy?
¡°More importantly, you did well dealing with such a formidable enemy.¡±
"I was lucky."
There was plenty of time to prepare, the enemies didn''t know about Yi-Han, and there was a powerful knight on this side.
Of course, the skull principal looked at Yi-Han with disdain as if he was a madman.
¡°No one would call that luck.¡±
"No..."
¡°Be quiet. More importantly, do you know why these guys attacked the knights?¡±
"Ah. About that."
Yi-Han exined the unfortunate misunderstanding between them.
Hearing that, the skull principal muttered.
¡°Dear me. I should have been more thorough. My choice wasn''t wrong, but I was too lenient!¡±
"Is... is that so?"
¡°Don''t worry. Since everyone from the leader to the remnants has been caught, the Chestnut Tree Knight Order won''t need to be careful of the night streets.¡±
"I guess the same goes for me?"
¡°As for you... you''re a mage too, and you''ve already half-destroyed two anti-magic extremist groups, so it''s a bit much.¡±
"..."
Yi-Han looked around.
He only saw people who loved to spread rumors, from the knights to the death knights.
''To control everyone, you need to be at least at the level of the skull principal...''
¡°Don''t be afraid of your notoriety rising among enemies. The ones who should be afraid are the enemies, not you. Rather than such useless things, there''s something interesting. Look.¡±
The skull principal took out the artifacts he had taken from Bagdugul, not caring at all about Yi-Han''splicated feelings.
¡°Do you know who made these artifacts?¡±
"I don''t know?"
¡°These are the artifacts. Artifacts made by the evil magic criminal Antagon.¡±
"Ah. I see. ...Wait, by any chance, was this person also from Einroguard?!"
At Yi-Han''s sincere question, the skull principal red at his disciple.
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Chapter 439
Chapter 439
"I knew it... It seems to be true."
Yi-Han, who misunderstood the skull principal''s gaze, nodded as if he had expected it.
¡°No!¡±
"Pardon?"
¡°Do you think all the magic criminals in the empire are from Einroguard!¡±
"Huh? Aren''t they?"
¡°...¡±
The skull principal was momentarily at a loss for words.
He was even more dumbfounded because he felt that the disciple in front of him was speaking seriously, not joking.
What the...!
¡°Seriously, no.¡±
"Is that so... Uh, you''re not saying no because there are knights outside, right?"
¡°I swear on my magic that it''s not. Satisfied?¡±
"Ah..."
Only then did Yi-Han understand.
The skull principal wanted to punch him, but he held back, thinking of the donation his disciple had just received.
"If it''s a magic criminal, then..."
¡°Yes.¡±
In the empire, there were enemies who instilled fear and hostility just by their names.
¡°Anti-magic extremists, evil god worshippers, separatists, dark mag... No, not dark mages. I misspoke.¡±
"..."
¡°I meant to say magic criminals, not dark mages. Anyway, since they are wanted criminals of this level, even if your four seniors at Einroguard are troublemakers, it''s very rare for them to be stigmatized as magic criminals.¡±
''It''s not nonexistent though.''
Yi-Han wasn''t surprised.
It would have been more surprising if there were none at all.
Anyway, the skull principal''s logic was valid.
Surprisingly, not just anyone could be a magic criminal.
A mage who flooded a valley due to a failed magic experiment and destroyed all the crops in a vige?
Interesting, but not a magic criminal. That just fell under a crazy mage.
A mage who tried to sneak into another knight order''s cemetery to steal corpses but was caught on the spot?
Really interesting, but not a magic criminal. That also fell under a crazy mage, no, a very crazy mage.
To be stigmatized as a magic criminal in the empire, one had to maliciously cause incidents iparable to the ones mentioned above and repel the pursuit of imperial bounty hunters and knight orders dozens of times.
Only then would the words ''In the name of the Emperor of the Empire, this mage can no longer even be called a mage, deal with him dead or alive''e out.
It was one of the highest notoriety a mage of the empire could receive.
No matter how crazy Einroguard was as a magic academy, it couldn''t easily produce such the best of the best.
Moreover, seeing that seniors were dragged to the punishment room even after graduation, the skull principal seemed to care about his reputation and status in the empire to some extent and manage them afterward.
"I thought he was just an outstanding mage from Einroguard."
¡°Many make that mistake.¡±
The skull principal nodded as if he understood.
If outstanding mages in the empire cause trouble, are they unconditionally from Einroguard?
What was more annoying was that 95% of this misconception was not wrong.
¡°Going back to the story of Antagon, he''s not from Einroguard and he''s a young mage who hasn''t even lived for five hundred years, but¡¡±
''Calling a mage over a hundred years old young seems a bit strange.''
¡°He has been notoriously gaining infamy to the point of being annoying for a long time.¡±
The skull principal raised the artifact and the ck spirit wood bracelet artifact with seven snakes intertwined, in an irritated voice.
¡°When the empire''s enemies appear with shabby artifacts, about three out of ten times, it''s something he made¡¡±
"Does a mage sell artifacts to anti-magic extremists?"
¡°The enemy of the enemy is always an easy partner to join hands with. And in the first ce, would corrupted ones be picky about their counterparts? They''re the kind of people who would swallow their own bodies whole if it benefits them.¡±
The skull principal''s voice was filled with contempt.
Yi-Han understood why the skull principal showed such emotions.
Artifacts were items that rtively easily helped even those who didn''t know magic to cause anomalies.
He couldn''t look favorably upon magic criminals who made and sold such artifacts to anti-magic extremists and various enemies of the empire.
¡°The most arrogant point is the theft and mocking use of an ancient kingdom''s noble title! How dare he!¡±
"...Uh... th... that''s true."
When important reasons were being mentioned and suddenly a trivial reason came out, Yi-Han was slightly flustered.
¡°You''re too young to know how important this is.¡±
The skull principal grumbled.
For the skull principal, who inherited the legitimate line of the now-vanished ancient kingdom, the other noble families of the kingdom were honorable titles, each with a different meaning.
And yet, some young bastard who wasn''t even from Einroguard was arrogantly stealing and iming such a title...
"I understand. If I ever meet Antagon in the future, I will definitely point out the arrogance you just mentioned."
¡°Yes. Make sure to remember.¡±
Seeing the skull principal taking a joking remark seriously, Yi-Han was dumbfounded, then suddenly remembered something and asked.
"By the way, why did you tell me about Antagon? Ah. Is it because you have some teachings to give me rted to this artifact?"
¡°Ah. Did you want to learn about this artifact? I understand. I''ll keep that in mind.¡±
Yi-Han cursed his light tongue. He couldn''t stand hating himself.
"Wasn''t it?"
¡°The reason I told you about Antagon is because, as you just said, I think you might meet him in the future.¡±
"..."
¡°He''s afraid of me and avoids me, but he doesn''t know much about you yet, so he might approach you. Above all, you sliced up the anti-magic extremists like that.¡±
"I didn''t slice them..."
¡°If you see a suspicious mage, don''t hesitate and summon me with the ring I gave youst time. Understood?¡±
Yi-Han was about to summon him right away but held back.
¡ª
With the help of the skull principal and the death knights, the camp that had been devastated by the battle was quickly restored.
The knights who were lying down with serious injuries also finished their recovery, got up, and expressed their gratitude to the principal.
The skull principal spoke to the students in a generous voice.
¡°If you want, you can stay a little longer before returning.¡±
"Huh? Really?!"
Ango was startled.
He didn''t know the skull principal would show such kindness.
Bartreck blinked in disbelief, looking only at his friend.
¡°Of course! How much merit have you earned here? Of course you can stay!¡±
At the skull principal''s words, the knights also smiled warmly and spread their arms as if weing them.
In the heartwarming atmosphere that couldn''t be experienced at Einroguard, Ango and Bartreck already had a drunk expression.
''The principal is human too!''
''Yeah. Since we fought so hard, it''s okay to stay a little longer...''
There was nothing good about returning quickly.
They would only have to roam the mountains and forests to hunt for food with their friends.
In contrast, this was a ce where food and drink overflowed in abundance.
"Principal."
Yi-Han called the skull principal.
The skull principal looked at Yi-Han warmly as if asking why.
"Are the spirits causing amotion inside by any chance?"
¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about. Why don''t you stay a little longer?¡±
Yi-Han sighed deeply and called his friends.
"...Hey. Let''s go back."
It was clear that a flood had broken out at the academy.
¡ª
The White Tiger Tower friends, instead of obediently returning to the tower, rolled on the floor and iled.
"Maybe the flood didn''t happen!"
"I''m telling you it did."
"Let''s say it did, giving you the benefit of the doubt a hundred times! But do we have to go back?! Wardanaz! You don''t want to take care of those guys either, right?!"
"..."
It wasn''t that they didn''t believe Yi-Han''s words, but it was a struggle mixed with denial of reality, not wanting to return to Einroguard.
It was already hard, but now that a flood had urred, they couldn''t even imagine how difficult it would be if they went back.
Yi-Han thought about punching them, but even though they had no discerning eyes, he held back, thinking it was a bit much to beat someone from a knight family at the knight order''s camp.
Instead, he called Jijel.
"Moradi. It''s your tower, so persuade them and bring them back."
Jijel persuaded the two tras... no, friends, with an irritated gaze.
"Just die there like that."
"..."
"..."
The two stopped rolling on the floor and stood up in an awkward posture. If they resisted when Jijel was like this, the aftermath would be scary.
But they didn''t fully stand up. That''s how much they didn''t want to go back to Einroguard.
¡°Haha. It seems you''re misunderstanding something.¡±
It was the skull principal who helped Yi-Han.
¡°If Wardanaz goes back, you guys go back with him. That''s what friends are.¡±
"What?! We''re from a different tower?!"
¡°What do you want me to do? Stamp ''different tower but friends'' on your forehead?¡±
The skull principal was in a very grumpy mood when he heard that Yi-Han was returning to Einroguard.
Sensing the grumpiness in that voice, the two White Tiger Tower students gave up and jumped to their feet.
"Let''s go... We have to go."
"Wardanaz... Later, if other friends ask, will you tell them that we also took the lead in returning?"
Jijel couldn''t hold back anymore, exploded, and started beating her friends with the scabbard. The two students screamed and ran away.
Yi-Han, regardless of that, packed the boxes to carry back.
"Moradi. Stop beating them and help me a bit?"
"...Wait. There are too many."
Jijel, who recovered after taking a deep breath, slightly frowned and counted the number of wooden boxes.
No matter how she thought about it, it was too much for the four of them to carry back. Even if they brought a horse...
"Ah. From here to here, I''ll carry."
"What? How?"
"I''ll carry this on my back, load this on Niffirg, and float the rest with magic."
"..."
Jijel was at a loss for words at the method that was too crude than expected.
"Hmm. I received this box too... Isn''t the southern-produced whirlpool m too much of a luxury item? Moreover, it spoils quickly."
Yi-Han, who saw the high-quality ms harvested from the southern coast of the empire filling the chest, fell into a dilemma.
Jijel also agreed and said.
"It would be better to leave that behind."
"It''s a waste... Principal. Would you like to barter?"
¡°Get lost.¡±
Jijel was so startled that her heart sank when she saw Yi-Han calling the skull principal.
The skull principal was an exception to Jijel, who usually didn''t get scared. Even after a considerable time had passed since enrollment, the skull principal was still a difficult opponent.
But to call him like that...
''Is he really crazy?''
"Wait a moment. Merchants who came from the guild. Did you bring any food separately? You did? Would you like to trade?"
Yi-Han went to the workers from the merchant guild who remained in the camp and exchanged the preserved food with the perishable high-quality ingredients they had brought.
Since there were many workers who came to work, the amount of food was surprisinglyrge. Moreover, they were foods that were small in volume and didn''t spoil easily, making them easy to move.
"Wow, can you really give us this for free?"
The merchants were astounded.
"We value frugality as a virtue, so we don''t eat such luxurious foods well."
Yi-Han spoke without even licking his lips. The workers readily epted, thinking it was a good opportunity to have a feast after a hard work.
"Is that the remaining food? It seems there''s still quite a lot left?"
"Yes. We brought enough for us to eat in case the work took longer."
Yi-Han fell into deep thought, looking at the canned boxes that were still left.
How to take that?
"Hey. Bring the alcohol."
"Ah... No! Wardanaz!!"
"Now is not the time for you guys to indulge in expensive alcohol."
"We may never have the chance to drink that''s over 20 years old in the future!!"
Yi-Han snatched the luxuriously decorated wine bottles from his friends'' grasp and exchanged them with the workers. The workers were happy and the friends shed tears of blood.
When the trade was roughly finished, Yi-Han looked at the luggage with satisfaction.
Except for the mountain-like pile, theposition was quite solid.
''With this much, even considering what was lost in the flood, we can easilyst a month.''
"Oh. Mr. Wardanaz?"
The knights came and called Yi-Han.
Thanks to the performance shown in this attack, the knights'' eyes and attitudes were filled with respect.
"Yes?"
"This is originally a gift given to the knight who most honorably shined in the gathering."
"!!"
Yi-Han widened his eyes.
Could it be?
''Gold coins? A golden statue? Or maybe armor made of gold.''
"Although this gathering was canceled midway, there will be no one who will shine as honorably as Mr. Wardanaz in the future. We are happy to give this to you unanimously."
"It''s truly an honor!"
Yi-Han epted the gift with gratitude.
It was a wine bottle decorated several times more luxuriously than the one he had snatched earlier from his friends.
"..."
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Chapter 440
Chapter 440
Yi-Han struggled to maintain his face from turning gloomy.
"Thank you..."
"When a tough day ends and you sit on the wooden chair in your quarters, sit quietly facing this wine bottle and tilt the ss. Then you will think of us."
The knights spoke in a gentle voice.
The White Tiger Tower students who were listening from behind already had a drunk expression at those words.
Wasn''t this the aesthetics of knights?
Loving both swords and alcohol...
''Can I sell this? Will I get caught if I sell it? Should I barter it?''
Of course, it didn''t really resonate with Yi-Han, who was a mage.
¡ª
"Hmm. From here, we''ll have to take a boat."
"..."
"..."
-...-
Yi-Han and the White Tiger Tower students, of course, and even Niffirg looked at the skull principal in disbelief.
They hadn''t even reached the walls of Einroguard yet, but the flood was already so bad that the water was up to their waists.
"I''ve prepared a bone boat for you."
"Thank you very much."
"Yes. Of course you should be thankful."
"This is really too much... Mmph."
"Shh. Be quiet. Ango."
Covering Ango''s mouth, who was about to explode from holding back, Yi-Han got on the boat.
Nothing good woulde from falling for the skull principal''s provocation.
Swish-
"Row! Ango! You''re the helmsman! Open the way towards the gate!"
Ango, who had the most sailing experience as he was from a coastal area, became the helmsman.
Ango trembled at the sudden heavy responsibility.
Whoosh!
''What kind of storm is this onnd!?''
The waters that had risen onnd were raging fiercely, as if the spirits had thrown a tantrum in some way.
The boat, shaking like a leaf in the wind, felt very precarious.
"Wa... Wardanaz. I, I''ve never steered a boat in this kind of weather...!"
"Ango. Don''t be weak. You have to do it!"
"I''ll be going now."
The skull principal ran across the water with the death knights and passed through the gate.
Yi-Han ignored him and cheered for Ango.
"Ango. I believe in you!"
"But with waves this rough..."
p!
"I said believe, you bastard. Do you believe or not?"
"I, I believe!"
"..."
Bartreck, who was rowing next to them, was about to be slightly moved but stopped. And he rowed hard, watching Yi-Han''s expression.
"I can''t see because of the fog...!"
"I''ll cast light, so focus!"
"Waves! Waves areing! The water is...!"
"I''ll scoop out the water, so focus!"
"Oh no! Even rain..."
"I''ll put up an ice barrier above! Go forward!"
"There''s a hole in the boat!"
"I blocked it! Steer again!"
"..."
Jijel and Bartreck quietly shut their mouths and rowed.
Every time a conversation took ce, they somehow ended up rowing harder.
"Aren''t you guys rowing too hard without rest? Why don''t you take a break and take turns?"
"Ah, no. Wardanaz. We can row more!"
Yi-Han, who had barely caught his breath, was puzzled by the sight of his friends rowing too hard next to him.
It was good that they were rowing hard, but was it okay?
"It''s the gate!"
-Why are freshmen wandering around in this weather??-
The death knight guarding the gate was flustered and let Yi-Han''s group pass.
Since the forest, garden, and paths that originally guided the direction were not visible, Yi-Han headed towards the main building.
"To the left. Ango! Turn to the left!"
The boat advanced forward, cutting through the rough currents.
In the distance, a tower stood tall even in the water. It was a building protected by magic, so it remained elevated without shaking even in the flood.
When the entrance came into view, hope returned to the faces of the exhausted White Tiger Tower students.
"More! Faster!"
"The evil lich captain shouted to the crew with magic..."
"Is this the situation to sing that sea shanty? Seriously??!"
"So, sorry."
Ango, who was about to sing a song used by the sailors when rowing in his hometown, stopped in embarrassment at his friends'' pointing out.
"Open the door!!"
Yi-Han shouted loudly. Then, friends inside the tower hurriedly opened the door.
"Get in! Quickly! The boat won''tst long!"
The boat the skull principal had made was creaking for a while. If Yi-Han hadn''t reinforced it, it would have copsed in no time.
The White Tiger Tower friends followed Yi-Han and rushed into the entrance of the tower.
"We''re alive...!"
When they felt the solid ground under their feet, the White Tiger Tower students felt touched like sailors who had finished a long voyage.
Until they noticed the Blue Dragon Tower students staring nkly at them.
"..."
"..."
"Wa, Wardanaz... Yo, you''re abandoning us like this after we fought together risking our lives...?"
"...What nonsense are you talking about? We just came to the closest tower for now."
Yi-Han red at the White Tiger Tower friends with an irritated voice.
These guys, after he went through the trouble of saving them, they''re talking nonsense...
¡ª
While the White Tiger Tower students were resting in front of the firece in an awkward posture, Yi-Han first grasped the situation.
"I prepared quite a bit, but it was all meaningless..."
"Mother Nature is great...!"
"All the luggage left outside was blown away..."
"The tower lounge is also filled with water, we barely got it out..."
"Can you please speak one at a time?"
Yi-Han was flustered when his friendsined as if saying, ''Einroguard, I wish they would fix these things.''
Yi-Han was not the principal.
"The lounge is also filled with water? Isn''t it protected by magic?"
"When the wind and rain hit hard, some wateres in."
"..."
Yi-Han somehow felt the malice of the skull principal.
Of course, it could be that holes formed as magic umted over a very long time, but...
''He wouldn''t deliberately let in some external inconveniences that don''t threaten lives, right?''
"We were dividing into groups and scooping out the water that had risen in the tower."
"You must be tired."
Just then, the Blue Dragon Tower students who had finished their work on the other side appeared.
Gainando, who was at the front, lookedpletely like a drowned rat.
"This school is cursed."
"You fell because you misstepped..."
"I''m telling you, this school is cursed."
"Honestly, the princess did all the work..."
Even while saying that, the friends brushed Gainando with towels as if catching a rat.
Gainando, who was screaming like a rat being brushed, saw Yi-Han and shouted.
"Yi-Han!!"
"Oh. Good work."
"It''s apletely cursed school! I..."
Pushing away the towel, Gainando passionately gave a speech about how much he had suffered, yet why he didn''t back down, and thus he deserved to eat snacks.
It seemed he wouldn''t be able to give such a passionate speech even if he had a ce to give a speech rted to the imperial session.
"We, well. Good work."
"???"
Adenart, who arrivedst after swinging her staff to scatter the water she had scooped out the window, looked at Gainando in surprise.
He only fell, rolled, and dog-paddled while working?
"I also worked..."
"Let''s organize the luggage we brought first. Who has the ledger of the lost supplies?"
"Here it is."
"Thanks. Yonaire."
"..."
As the topic changed in an instant, the princess red at Gainando with resentful eyes.
Gainando, who noticed btedly, asked his friends in surprise.
"Why is Adenart ring at me?"
"How little work did you do for that kind-hearted princess to do that? Tsk."
The friends scolded Gainando. Gainando felt very wronged.
"Ah, no. I did my best... And if she res at me like that for not working well, isn''t she unfit as the future ruler of the empire? There will be people among the citizens who can''t work well, right?"
''You''re also royalty, you crazy bastard...''
The Blue Dragon Tower students were at a loss for words at the sight of their friend naturally giving up his right to session and speaking.
"It''s okay. Gainando. The princess is kind, so if you work hard next time, she will forgive you."
"What if I make a mistake next time too?"
"It''s okay. If you make a mistake next time too, we''ll throw you out the window."
"...No, no need. No need."
Gainando vowed to definitely work hard in front of Adenart next time, stumbling.
Adenart had a gullible personality, so she would surely forgive him!
"Food here. Drinks there. Fabric in the back. Don''t put the reagents on the floor. It''ll be a headache if they get wet. Oh."
Yi-Han moved to the inside of the lounge. And he took out a bundle of luggage he had stored in the highest cab.
Gainando''s eyes sparkled when he saw the bundle wrapped in oiled paper and waterproofed leather.
Is it something to eat?
"Fortunately, the books are intact."
"..."
Gainando''s face became as sad as the rainy season.
"It was... books...?"
"Yeah."
"No... the books... had to be... stored like that...?"
Gainando felt empty as he remembered the past when he had done his best both mentally and physically to protect that bundle.
He used to check even while sleeping at night, just in case...
"When the rainy seasones, books are naturally the first to get damaged. Do you want to rewrite the books if you lose them?"
"That''s..."
"No, but..."
The Blue Dragon Tower students rarely agreed with Gainando on a regr basis, but this time they somewhat agreed.
Isn''t it okay to lose some textbooks??
If you lose them, you just don''t study a bit...
Swish-
"Water ising in from below again!!"
"!!!"
The students''plexions changed.
Again, after they had barely scooped out the water?
As the princess was about to get up, Gainando blocked her and shouted.
"I''ll go alone this time!"
"..."
While the princess was so dumbfounded that she was at a loss for words, Gainando sent a wink.
The princess began to suspect that this half-brother was provoking her.
She had no intention of engaging in petty checks and quarrels, but it was a different story if the other party provoked her like this.
"This is happening too frequently. It''s a big problem."
"Is it too much even for your ability, Wardanaz?"
Ango asked, looking disgusted.
Yi-Han had scooped out water like an ocean on the boat earlier.
To the point where sailors would have shed tears and tried to scout him if they had seen it.
If even Yi-Han found it too much...
"No. I can solve it, but it''s meaningless if it happens repeatedly in other towers like this. I can''t block everything."
''...Is he crazy...?''
Ango thought inwardly at the sight of Yi-Han naturally assuming to take care of all four towers.
But he couldn''t say it out loud.
If he did, his friends would shove Ango under the water, excluding only the White Tiger Tower, for the crime of being spiteful.
"Are the individual rooms intact now?"
"Huh? Yeah."
"Everyone, leave important items in your individual rooms ande out. Let''s evacuate with only the necessary luggage."
"...To where??"
¡ª
The skull principal burst intoughter as a realm gate opened on the 3rd floor stairs of the main building.
As expected, a waterfall poured out and sent an unfortunate 3rd year student down like a slide.
-Damn ¡ö Einrogua¡ö cursed¡ö...!-
It seemed like he was shouting something, but the skull principal ignored it and nodded his head contentedly.
¡°Can''t even block that water. Still a long way to go! Haha!¡±
-Master?-
"What is it?"
-Your disciple is moving with the 1st year students.-
"...Huh?"
The skull principal was slightly taken aback by the unexpected report.
Moving with students in this weather.
He thought he would diligently scoop out the water as if blocking enemies rushing in from inside the tower...
The tower would be the best ce to be in?
Currently, the only ces that were intact in the great flood were the school buildings protected by magic.
However, the protection was only for the buildings, not the students. It was evident from the 3rd year student who had just been blown away.
At least the tower was the dormitory for the students, so the individual rooms were protected...
The death knight looked at the skull principal''s expression and reported cautiously.
-Uh... he seems to be going to the library with students from other towers. It seems he will stay in the library for a while...-
"..."
The skull principal, honestly, was beyond anger and instead felt admiration.
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Chapter 441
Chapter 441
¡°That crazy bastard!¡±
''That''s quite apliment.''
The death knight thought inwardly.
It was a rarepliment for the skull principal to say that.
¡°He''s roaming the school in such a filthy way!¡±
''Even such high praise?''
Certainly, he deserved such praise.
In a situation like this, the safest ce would be the library where Einroguard''s collection of books was stored.
Even during the flood ten years ago, some clever students used to do their assignments in the library.
...Of course, there was no one who packed their luggage and came to live there...
¡ª
Yi-Han mobilized all the rafts and boats he had made in advance to move the students from the four towers.
It looked like a fleet migrating to find a new ind.
"Wardanaz. I respect your judgment, but..."
Salko carefully brought up the topic.
Salko was originally a bold character who didn''t care about Yi-Han''s mood, but today was different.
-Water! The water is rising!!-
-Don''t worry, I scooped it out!-
-There''s a hole in the boat...!-
-Don''t worry, I blocked it!-
-The boat capsized in the waves!!-
-I''munching an ice boat now! Switch over right away!-
Sailors tend to respect the captain after going through a storm.
Even Salko had no choice but to acknowledge the favor of this incident.
"...Is staying in the library really a good idea?"
"Even if it''s not the best choice, let''s at least avoid the worst for now."
Actually, Yi-Han was also anxious.
Choosing the library as the safest ce from water was not wrong.
But the library was not that easy of a ce either.
Since the interior geography changed periodically, if they were unlucky...
''We''re alive!''
Yi-Han let out a sigh of relief.
As they entered the library, a familiar sight caught his eye.
A cozy lounge full of chairs, sofas, and tables, and a long corridor extending behind it.
It didn''t seem like they were being dragged into the wilderness right away likest time.
"The rain stopped!"
"Wardanaz! We''re alive! We survived!"
The students who found a new home were moved to tears, kissing the floor and lighting fires. Gainando tried to pull out a book from the shelf to use as firewood, but was attacked by the book and screamed.
"This is not the time."
"You''re right. It''s a dry ce without a hint of moisture, but we can''t just sleep on the floor. We need to make quarters..."
"No. Salko. That''s urgent too, but there''s something more urgent."
Yi-Han gathered the students from the four towers. The students who were trying to light a fire and boil something grumbled and ran over.
"Tables, desks, bookshelves... Be careful with the bookshelves. There will be magic to protect the books. Anyway, gather anything useful around and set up a barricade first. We need to build a fortress."
"..."
"...Uh, why?"
A friend who hadn''t fully grasped the situation asked in confusion.
"You idiot. The principal might attack, you know."
"Right. The lounge has a fixed entrance, but this ce is wide open and difficult to defend."
"Aha. So..."
Yi-Han cut off his friends'' words as if it was absurd.
"No. It''s not because of the principal, but there were originally a lot of monsters in the library, remember?"
"Ah..."
"Wait a minute, Wardanaz. Wasn''t that because we wandered into the wilderness and deep areasst time? This is the lounge area, so shouldn''t it be fine?"
Yi-Han and Yonaire shook their heads at the same time.
"Monsters sometimes appear in the lounge area too."
"Last time, they attacked while I was studying."
"..."
"Come on. Everyone must be tired, but let''s just do this work. Otherwise, we might have to keep waking up at night."
"Wardanaz. I think it would be good to dig deep trenches on the outside as well. Can I work with the ck Tortoise Tower friends?"
At Salko''s words, Yi-Han readily epted.
The ck Tortoise Tower friends, who suddenly had more work, red at Salko. It was a very rare sight.
"But it seems difficult with just you guys. We should ask the White Tiger Tower to help too."
The White Tiger Tower friends, who suddenly had more work, red at Yi-Han. Of course, it wasmon, so Yi-Han didn''t mind.
The princess, who was sitting among her followers, immediately stood up.
This time, she was going to show something.
"Oh, by the way. I''ll go out for a bit. There''s something I need to bring."
"Be careful."
"Can you go alone? Should I go with you?"
"Gainando. Please don''t talk nonsense and stay here. Don''t make it harder for Wardanaz."
"...Is, is it such a wrong thing to say I''ll help???"
An hourter.
Yi-Han returned carefully holding arge egg.
The friends who were working looked at the egg with curiosity.
"What kind of egg is that?"
"A basilisk egg."
The friends all burst intoughter at Yi-Han''s joke.
Nothing was funnier than a friend who usually didn''t joke well making a joke.
"Let''s get back to work."
"A basilisk egg... Hahaha!"
"..."
Yonaire thought about what to say, but decided to just let it go.
It seemed there was nothing good about friends knowing the truth.
Tremble tremble-
The basilisk egg trembled and clung to Yi-Han. Yi-Han, who had to work, said as if it was troublesome.
"I have to work..."
Tremble tremble tremble!
"Okay. Okay."
Yi-Han soothed the egg, wrapped it tightly in cloth, and carried it on his back.
It was understandable that it was scared, given how much the cabin was flooded.
"Wardanaz! Our side! Our side is urgent!"
"These guys are talking nonsense... Digging the ground is something you guys can do if you work a little harder! Wardanaz! We need to build the barricade here first! This is more urgent!"
"You''re all wrong! Wardanaz. You know your talent well too. You know my family is a chef family, right? You should help with meal preparation!"
"..."
Before he could take a single step, his friends rushed over and tried to drag him away, leaving Yi-Han at a loss for words.
The basilisk egg on his back rattled as if dumbfounded.
It seemed to be saying, what kind of guys are they?
¡ª
Evening.
The friends who had finished migrating built a fairly solid fortress in the lounge area at the entrance of the library.
Of course, the reading rooms had all disappeared, but instead, sturdy barricades and trenches were created to protect the students.
"Here, take it."
"Hmph. Not bad."
"Just eat it, you bastard."
Even the students from other towers who used to tear each other apart whenever they met didn''t fight today and showed consideration for each other.
In the face of overwhelming crisis, even those who had bad rtionships and growled at each other tended to unite.
The great flood covering the outside had brought a sense of crisis to the 1st year students that they needed to unite.
Yi-Han wiped the bottom of the wooden bowl with a piece of bread, scooping up the remaining tomato soup in one go (Salko, who made eye contact, gave a thumbs up), and checked his surroundings.
''Not bad foring in a hurry.''
They had wasted the weekend, but it was still impressive that they had settled like this.
The food that was swept away by the water seemed to be roughly receable with what they brought from outside...
''Important reagents and books were all distributed and stored in individual rooms, and the books that need to be read now were brought to the library, so it should be fine.''
Yi-Han untied the bundle again and checked the books needed for studying.
Gainando, who was checking mage cards next to him, looked at Yi-Han with disgust.
Crackle-
"The red-haired swordsman shouted, Skull Principal, your end hase! Here is the sword that will defeat you! Tempered with the tears of students and sharpened with quills..."
Other students were also lying loosely on nkets around bonfires, singing parody songs (originally a song about a swordsman who defeated an evil dragon), or talking about the events of the day.
"So you''re saying that when you went outside, the anti-magic extremists attacked, and that Wardanaz guy caught their leader??"
"It may be hard to believe, but it''s true!"
"What did I say? That Wardanaz guy has mastered all the evil divination magic of the Wardanaz family even before entering the academy..."
"Are you going to keep spreading unconfirmed rumors? Do you know how much I got beaten up for asking Wardanaz about that?"
"Ha! Someday you''ll know that I was right!"
Yi-Han, who was enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, felt strangely uneasy for some reason.
"Did I forget something?"
"The horn of the devouring-ship fish? Didn''t we say we''d try using it when the flood starts?"
"I was thinking of preparing it and trying it out as soon as the day breaks tomorrow."
"Then it seems you didn''t forget anything?"
Even at Yonaire''s words, Yi-Han was lost in thought.
And finally, he realized.
"...Yonaire. Isn''t the midterm exam next week?"
"...Ah!"
¡ª
Morning of the new week.
The students walked to the entrance of the library with dark faces.
No one had the delusion of ''Will they postpone the exam for a week since the flood is like this?''
That was something only a newly admitted amateur would think.
"Those going to the lecture, this way!"
"Hey! That guy is the one who capsized the boat yesterday! How can you trust him to be the helmsman!"
"Friends taking the lecture on Monday! Come this way! Wait. Where did everyone go?!"
"I''ll take the Wednesday lecture. I think it''s safer to move with Wardanaz!"
The front of the library had be a temporary dock.
The students boarded boats divided ording to the lectures they had to attend. There was also a phenomenon where students refused to board boats with a helmsman they didn''t like.
"Yi-Han. What are you doing?"
"Preparing for summoning."
"What kind?"
"Devouring-ship fish."
"What''s that?"
"Gainando. I''m a bit busy right now, so go over there for a moment."
"!!!"
Gainando was shocked and ran to the Blue Dragon Tower friends.
And then he tattled.
"Those priests...! Those priests!!"
"What are you talking about?"
The friends usually ignored Gainando''s words, but this time it was a bit different.
They clearly saw Yi-Han preparing for summoning together with the priests.
"Gainando is right about that. That''s something we can help with too."
"Right?! They pushed me away..."
"Even if Gainando is not helpful, we can be helpful."
"Right. Right."
"..."
Ignoring the ring Gainando, the Blue Dragon Tower students crept closer.
"Wardanaz. We can help too."
"No... it''s okay."
Yi-Han declined.
This devouring-ship fish summoning ritual had already been practiced several times with the priests, so there was no need to receive help from the Blue Dragon Tower friends.
"Gi, give me a chance! A chance to prove myself!"
"???"
Yi-Han was puzzled by his friends'' nonsense.
''Did they have a bad breakfast?''
Why are they talking nonsense after eating well?
"Proving or whatever, this is just about preparing reagents as determined and putting in mana... Ah. Wait. Where did Priestess Siana go?"
"Right now, Priestess Siana is preparing drinking water..."
"Right. I forgot. One person is free. Princess. Can you help?"
Yi-Han noticed the princess and called her.
Since she was also well-versed in alchemy, he could trust and entrust her even without Priestess Siana.
"Understood."
Adenart nodded calmly and ran over.
And before the other Blue Dragon Tower friends could react, she joined the summoning team.
"..."
"..."
The Blue Dragon Tower friends looked at the princess with eyes full of betrayal.
Only by herself...!
"I humbly pray to the one who devours ships, we intend to summon you with the following offerings. Sea shadow sand, eightyered water..."
Yi-Han began to chant the spell in a clear voice.
The devouring-ship fish summoning ritual was quite simple except for the fact that the reagents were very difficult to obtain and it consumed a lot of mana.
The priests scattered the ingredients into the magic circle as determined. The mana swirled violently, and suddenly the flow of the surrounding water became faster.
"The horn of the devouring-ship fish, a piece of the keel of an eighty-eight-year-old sunken ship..."
"It''sing!!!!"
The students screamed.
The sea, no, the water that had risen in the school was splitting in half, and a huge being was rising.
With the sound of the water gurgling, a huge whale-like being opened its mouth.
Every time it uttered a word, it felt like it was sshing and swaying.
-Thank you... for calling me back... to the sea¡-
''It''s not the sea.''
''Should I point that out?''
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Chapter 442
Chapter 442
Yi-Han gestured to his friends with his eyes.
Since they didn''t know what kind of personality the huge being in front of them had, they had to be as careful as possible.
Didn''t they learn in the lecture that quick-witted and well-spoken mages survive longer than mages with a lot of mana and excellent magic skills?
"Yes. It''s the sea. The sea."
-The water... doesn''t seem salty¡-
"It seems the salinity has decreased due to the spirits going wild."
-ording to the contract... your request, mage¡-
The sound of the water gurgling kept getting cut off, but a look of relief returned to the students'' faces.
Seeing the devouring-ship fish saying it would listen to the request like that, it was clear that the summoning had seeded properly.
"Quickly! Wardanaz!"
"Make it stop this flood!!"
"I know. Of course we have to stop it during the exam period."
"...Ah, no. We have to stop it even if it''s not the exam period!"
Yi-Han''s madness slightly flustered his friends.
"O devourer of ships! Do you see the rampage of these spirits now?"
-I... feel it¡-
"Stop the rampage of these spirits and make the rain cease! Block the flood and send the water back to the underground where it originally was!"
Gulp-
The sound of one of the students swallowing was heard loudly.
The devouring-ship fish was quietly silent.
-...-
When only the sound of the water gurgling was heard again, Yi-Han carefully asked.
"O devourer of ships! Is my voice perhaps too small..."
-No... I heard¡-
The devouring-ship fish answered slowly.
-But... it''s a difficult task... my power is notplete¡-
''Oh no.''
Yi-Han clicked his tongue.
It was unexpected, but thinking about it, it was possible.
The devouring-ship fish summoned now was in a spiritual state.
It would have lost most of the power it had when it was alive, so it wasn''t surprising that it couldn''t fulfill Yi-Han''s request.
''Then...''
Yi-Han calmly modified his request.
"O devourer of ships. Then I won''t ask you to block this flood. Instead, please change the direction of the rain clouds and storm!"
Currently, the rising water was a problem in Einroguard, but the rain clouds and storms that raged from time to time were a bigger problem.
1st year mages could cross a calm sea, but there was no way when rain clouds and storms struck.
-That much... is possible... where to¡-
"Please send them all to the upper floors of the Einroguard main building over there."
"..."
"..."
The friends listened quietly and then were shocked.
Hey...!
''Is it okay?''
''Shouldn''t we stop him?''
Isn''t the upper floor of the main building the domain of the principal and professors?
Isn''t sending rain clouds and storms there a deration of war?
"No. Wardanaz''s choice is right about that."
Salko spoke in a heavy voice.
"What are you talking about, Tutanta?"
"Who do you think caused this flood?"
"...!"
The students thought of one person''s name.
Who else could have caused the flood if not the owner of this academy?
''Huh? No?''
Yi-Han, who was concentrating on the devouring-ship fish, tilted his head.
This incident really wasn''t the skull principal''s fault.
The spirits just periodically became stronger and went out of control...
"Principal!"
"That''s right. It can only be the principal. Then are we going to keep getting hit one-sidedly? Do you think the principal will be satisfied with doing that?"
"No! Absolutely not!"
"That Tutanta guy is right. We can''t keep getting hit anymore. Let''s show them that we can retaliate too!"
The 1st year students who had a lot of pent-up frustration shouted in unison.
Sending water to the skull principal''s residence.
Just thinking about it was thrilling.
"Devouring-ship fish! Please send all the water over there!"
"That''s right!"
In response to the students'' shouts, the devouring-ship fish slowly responded.
-...Rather... I will try to block the flood... and make the rain stop¡-
"..."
"..."
¡ª
The devouring-ship fish was more timid than expected.
Rather than sending water to the residence of the grand mage who dominated this area, it dered that it would somehow block the flood.
''Isn''t the former better?''
Yi-Han thought so, but since the devouring-ship fish chose thetter, there was no way to do anything about it.
"How are you going to block the flood and make the rain stop when your power is notplete?"
-It''s difficult... but temporarily¡-
The devouring-ship fish exined with a gurgling sound.
Even if it was difficult to permanently put the spirits to sleep and send the water back, it was possible to temporarily put the spirits to sleep and block the water.
-Of course... power will be consumed... so I have to keep recovering¡-
Every time it did it, power would be consumed, so it would recover, and then temporarily block it again next time.
The devouring-ship fish said it would try to repeat this as much as possible.
"..."
Yi-Han was dumbfounded.
''No, really, isn''t the former better?''
Once summoned by a contract with a mage, the summoned being usually wanted to fulfill the contract as quickly as possible and be free.
Then it should choose the faster method, but it refused and said it would stay until it ran out of power.
How scary was the skull principal...
"If you can do that, I don''t mind."
The devouring-ship fish spewed water as if it was finally relieved.
"Then will you do it right now? We need to move."
-Okay¡-
"While you''re at it, can you give us a ride? We need to go to the lecture hall, and we might bete."
-...-
The devouring-ship fish nced at Yi-Han with eyes filled with annoyance.
However, it couldn''t refuse.
It was afraid that the mage would bring up what he had said earlier.
-Okay¡-
¡ª
Professor Rosine Fluerwerk, who was teaching the lecture, was standing in the lecture hall with a slightly troubled face.
"Sigh..."
The demon Orifs, who had served as an imperial legal officer for 131 years, said as if he couldn''t understand.
-Mage. I don''t think this is a good environment for education.-
"..."
-I''ve seen a demon duke training young demons before, and even there, they didn''t deliberately cause natural disasters like this.-
"Be quiet."
Professor Rosine silenced the demon next to her.
What she had heard from the skull principal over the weekend was quite shocking, so it still rang in her ears.
-Professors. The spirits have gone wild and caused a flood in Einroguard. It''s a periodic phenomenon, so don''t be too surprised, new professors¡-
Seeing that the experienced professors were not surprised at all, it was indeed an exnation considering outsiders like Professor Rosine.
In fact, Professor Ingurdel, who taught swordsmanship, asked several times in bewilderment, "No, shouldn''t you block the flood?"
-Professor Ingurdel. Calm down. This flood originally urs once every ten years or so, and it unfortunately happened¡-
-But don''t you have to drain the water for the students toe and take the exam?-
-Why?-
-No... for the students to take the exam¡-
-Why?-
-...-
-Why?-
The skull principal strongly expressed his intention to absolutely not do it.
Professor Rosine epted it for now, but she was worried if the students would be able toe properly.
Looking out the stained ss window, the wind and rain were raging like crazy, and high waves were rushing in session...
''If students are absent, should I have only the attending students take the exam separately? No matter what, isn''t it too harsh?''
-After preparing so hard¡-
Orifs pointed to the center of the lecture hall in a slightly disappointed voice.
The midterm exam this time was for the students to directly make simple and trivial contracts with powerful beings.
Of course, 1st year students couldn''t summon and face such evil and powerful beings without any help, so Professor Rosine and Orifs had worked hard to gather such beings, weaken and seal them, and then cage them and disy them in the lecture hall.
The students would talk and converse with these various beings, understand the other party well, and if they could make a contract with at least one, it was a sess.
-Do you know how expensive that demon knight is? The imperial bureaucrats giving that demon¡-
"I know. I know. You worked hard to borrow it."
-That eight-headed beast was also quite difficult. It was so rough and fierce¡-
-Mage, demon. I''ll kill you! Grrr! I''ll rip out your heart and devour it! Release me! You lowly and stinking creatures!-
The monster trapped in the cage made a vicious threat in a boiling voice. Orifs, tired of it, took a spear and mercilessly stabbed the monster.
-Kraaah!-
-Didn''t I say I''d release you if you stayed still! Why are you doing this? Is it hard to endure even that short time? I''ve been keeping a contract for over a hundred years!-
-Demon. Kill. Demon. Kill. Kraah! Kraaah!-
-I don''t want to use violence, but I have no choice for the young mages. Reflect and speak.-
Orifs kept stabbing the monster without stopping. Such powerful and violent beings had to be firmly grasped from the beginning, because if they were released even a little, they would climb up.
"...Mr. Orifs."
-Why? Should I stab harder? But if I stab too hard and the guy gets annihted¡-
"No. That''s not it..."
Rosine couldn''t finish her words and pointed outside.
Orifs also turned his gaze out the window. And he dropped his spear with his mouth wide open.
In the distance, a huge summon was approaching, splitting the sea and suppressing the rain clouds.
-A devouring-ship fish?! We''re seeing something rare! Which professor summoned it?-
"The students are on top of it."
-...-
"..."
The mage and the demon were silent.
Orifs recalled the young student he had metst semester who was able to make a contract with a demon without any special conditions.
As expected, that student was sitting on the devouring-ship fish, approaching the lecture hall.
¡ª
"Wait, Wardanaz! Won''t the school building be damaged if such arge creature goes inside?"
"The principal will fix it. O devourer of ships! Please go inside!"
Yi-Han had no intention of getting off the devouring-ship fish despite his friends'' worries.
As expected, waves and rain clouds were raging fiercely even inside the main building.
''I can''t let my guard down just because it''s inside the building. It''s even more dangerous if you get swept away here.''
If you got swept away by the currents and pushed into the punishment room, there was nowhere toin.
Yi-Han had no intention of ever getting off the devouring-ship fish.
Swish-
As the devouring-ship fish pushed through the door and entered, the entrance of Einroguard suddenly widened and the corridor expanded.
A student riding next to him eximed in admiration.
"Ah...! I see!"
"Indeed, a building like Einroguard wouldn''t be damaged by this! Wardanaz. You trusted this, right?"
"No. I just thought the principal would fix it even if it was damaged. To the right!"
The whale-like devouring-ship fish raced on the calm water surface where the waves and rain clouds had stopped.
The students cheered, forgetting the current difficult situation.
Swish!
Suddenly, the wall on the side opened and a waterfall began to pour down fiercely.
The water from somewhere had connected and flown here.
Yi-Han shouted urgently.
"O devourer of ships! Now..."
-I know¡-
"If you can''t block it, you have to send the water to the principal''s room!!"
The devouring-ship fish hurriedly blocked the waterfall with a gurgling sound.
The waterfall flowed back up and re-entered the wall.
"Thank you!"
The devouring-ship fish was too exhausted to even answer.
Seeing that from inside the lecture hall, Orifs shouted loudly without realizing it.
-Perfect score... Perfect score!-
"???"
The students were startled by the sudden shout from the lecture hall.
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Chapter 443
Chapter 443
"What did you say?"
Yi-Han, who was sitting on the devouring-ship fish, asked in puzzlement.
-Perfect score...-
"It''s not a perfect score! It''s not, so everyonee in!"
Professor Rosine hurriedly covered the demon''s mouth and called the students.
The exam hadn''t even started yet, and he was arbitrarily giving a perfect score!
-Why are you doing that?-
"That''s for me to say! The exam hasn''t even started yet!"
-But with that level, there''s no point in taking the exam...-
Orifs was genuinely upset.
He was trying to reduce the work for Professor Rosine''s sake!
"We have to take the exam."
-Don''t tell me, mage. Are you also someone who follows unnecessary formalities just because it''s customary?-
"...There are still many unconfirmed parts."
Professor Rosine didn''t waver.
Of course, she understood to some extent why Orifs had shouted perfect score just now.
Just being able to control such a devouring-ship fish without hindrance and arrive in front of the lecture hall was already quite remarkable.
But the evaluation criteria for the midterm exam were not just one, and various aspects had to be consideredprehensively.
"First, where and in what situation did you find it..."
-Where did you meet it?-
"Yi-Han summoned it with the prie... priests."
-Perfect score!! Perfect score!!!-
Orifs apuded in admiration.
Even though he had been working for over a hundred years bound by the empire''s mages, such an amazing sight was rare.
"I told you to stay still!"
Professor Rosine gritted her teeth and covered Orifs''s mouth. The contract binding the demon activated, and Orifs''s tongue stuck to the ceiling.
-Mmph! Mmph!-
"...How did you all make the contract?"
Professor Rosine tried to move on but couldn''t resist asking.
Honestly, she was too curious.
Let''s say it was possible to summon it just by being really lucky.
Of course, this was still hard to understand right now, but...
But how did they really make the contract?
''What kind of contract would it be to control the devouring-ship fish like that?''
"Yi-Han asked, do you want to attack the principal''s room? Or will you help us? Then it said it would help."
-p p p p p p p!-
Orifs apuded with a moved expression, his mouth covered.
To think a student who had learned for a semester would use such an advanced technique.
The advanced technique of proposing a choice that the summoned being can barely make but is reluctant to choose, and then guiding them to the real choice.
It was that technique where inexperienced andcking beings from other dimensions would be so scared after being tricked once that they would develop a mage phobia.
"...Yi-Han, you don''t need to take the midterm exam, so just observe from the side."
"Pardon? What did I do wrong?"
Yi-Han, who was wiping off the moisture, was flustered.
Professor Rosine, who always praised students in a lively voice, looked so exhausted.
''Did I make a mistake?''
¡ª
Fortunately, he didn''t.
After grasping the situation, Yi-Han sympathized with Professor Rosine''s instructions.
"The principal is really too much."
"Of, of course the principal has his own thoughts!"
Professor Rosine, who was exhausted, came to her senses at Yi-Han''s words.
The role of a professor was to stop students when they cursed the principal, not encourage them.
"He must have his own thoughts, yes. Thoughts of giving pain to the students."
"..."
Professor Rosine wondered if Yi-Han had been hit by the skull principal.
-Grrrr mage! Grrrr kill!-
"I... I didn''t even trap it, why are you doing this to me! I, I''ll call Yi-Han!"
Gainando shouted at the monster trapped in the cage, turning pale.
Of course, the monster didn''t understand Yi-Han''s name and roared fiercely.
-Hmm... Threatening is a good choice, but you should have used a name the other party knows.-
Orifs gave advice and scored from the side.
-If it''s a name the other party doesn''t know, you should at least exin it so the other party can guess.-
"Be, behind me is a crazy friend who takes all magic courses at Einroguard!"
-Grrrr kill! Grrrr!-
Unfortunately, the monster didn''t understand. Orifs finished scoring in disappointment.
-Next!-
"It seems you like jewels. I brought some jewels. If you make a contract with me, next week, the same amount of jewels as this..."
-Quickly grasping the other party''s likes and dislikes is also important. You''ve improved a lot.-
"Th, thank you."
-But such beings are greedy and don''t like promises of periodic rewards. Of course, they sometimes ept, but then it''s even more dangerous. Some try to kill the contractor and cut open the goose''s belly to take out the gold.-
"..."
While the students were taking the exam, Yi-Han approached the devouring-ship fish, which was sshing and drinking water in the corridor in front of the lecture hall.
And then he asked.
"Are you alright?"
-...-
The devouring-ship fish didn''t answer. It seemed slightly sulky.
"Uh, when this exam is over, we need to move to the next lecture location."
-...Need to... recover strength...-
The devouring-ship fish made a gurgling sound as if it was really unwilling and spewed water to the side.
It seemed to be subtly hinting that it wanted to rest somehow and wanted Yi-Han to understand.
"Recovery. Mr. Orifs. Is there any way to recover the devouring-ship fish?"
Orifs, who was evaluating the students, quickly ran over at Yi-Han''s call.
Most of the tasks requested by the imperial mages were boring, so he had to fully enjoy it when there was such a fun task.
When would he see a young mage making a devouring-ship fish work through a contract again?
As a demon, suchical moments were sweet happiness.
-Recovery! It''s easy but difficult. A corpse from when it was alive would be good, or do you have any reagents left that you used for summoning?-
"We used them all during the summoning."
-That''s a shame. But it can''t be helped.-
It would be more surprising if there were reagents left after summoning such a huge monster like a devouring-ship fish.
Orifs was not surprised.
''Huh?''
Professor Rosine, who was listening from the side, was puzzled.
Where did the 1st year students get the reagents for summoning a devouring-ship fish?
''It wouldn''t be easy to obtain?''
-It''s a bit delicate to bring this up... but what about mana? I remember you had a lot of mana...-
Orifs was cautious like a gentlemanly demon.
Mana was like life to a mage.
No matter how much mana one had, it was not easy to have enough to recover the strength of a huge monster like a devouring-ship fish.
"Mana will do?!"
Yi-Han was startled.
No way, with such an easy method?
-I don''t know why you''re surprised, but if the quality and quantity are sufficient, it''s possible.-
"Is it possible to recover it even more? Right now, in an iplete spiritual state..."
The devouring-ship fish suddenly started coughing and spewing water from its mouth and back.
As an outstanding spiritual beast, it instinctively sensed danger.
-That''s impossible. Recovering beyond the state when it was summoned goes against the rules.-
"That''s a shame."
-More importantly, are you really okay? Right now, it seems we should talk about general recovery, not recovery beyond the limit...-
Even general recovery seemed difficult, but he was saying such things.
Orifs was worried.
What if this young mage copsed and the devouring-ship fish was freed from the contract? How disappointing would that be?
"It''s alright. O devourer of ships. I am grateful for your dedication, and to recover you, I will offer my mana."
-Don''t do that...-
Before the devouring-ship fish could finish speaking, the mana began to move.
The bones of the devouring-ship fish, which were exhausted and stretched out, gradually began to glow, and the color of the bodyposed of spiritual body also regained vitality.
-...-
"You''re recovered, right?"
The devouring-ship fish didn''t answer. Instead, Orifs answered.
-You will be an excellent summoner. Please torment other beings for a long, long time.-
¡ª
When the exam was over, the students lined up to ride the devouring-ship fish.
The exhausted devouring-ship fish kept its mouth shut and didn''t respond to the students'' words of gratitude.
"You all did really well!! If you did this much even in such a difficult situation, you will surely do better in other situations!!"
Professor Rosine energetically sent off the students who had finished the exam.
The students who were struggling deserved such a greeting.
¡°Professor Fluerwerk. Did you take the box from Spirit Warehouse 47?¡±
"Yes. I needed it to trap the heart predator in a cage..."
¡°I think it''s a waste to use such an expensive one for the ironheads¡¡±
The skull principal, who was floating down, was shocked to see the devouring-ship fish summoned and waiting miserably in front of the lecture hall.
¡°Oh my skull! What is that!!¡±
"???"
"??????"
The students who were lining up were startled by the skull principal''s scream.
"Principal. That''s... a devouring-ship fish. Don''t you know what a devouring-ship fish is?"
The skull principal hung Gainando upside down with just his gaze. The upside-down Gainando let out a scream filled with injustice.
¡°Who the hell obtained a devouring-ship fish and where!¡±
"...We don''t know!"
"We don''t know anything about it!"
The students bravely confronted him.
One of the things they learned at Einroguard was ''If there''s no evidence, insist stubbornly.''
But the skull principal wasn''t asking because he didn''t know in the first ce.
¡°Wardanaz!¡±
"Yes?"
¡°How the hell did you obtain it?¡±
"I don''t know what you''re talking about?"
¡°...¡±
For a moment, the skull principal almost grabbed his disciple''s cor, breaking the principle of ''innocent if not caught'' that he had repeatedly told the students.
Just like his disciple...
¡°I''m not angry, so tell me honestly. I''m asking out of pure curiosity.¡±
"I don''t know what you''re talking about. We just met the devouring-ship fish while it was drifting."
¡°...Beavle? You must have obtained it through Beavle, right?¡±
The skull principal asked questions as if leading.
However, the disciple in front of him was not easy. He answered again with no change in expression.
"I don''t know what you''re..."
¡°...¡±
The skull principal red at Yi-Han with suspicious eyes.
It wasn''t because the devouring-ship fish was taken from him now.
No, of course that was absurd too, but...
''How the hell did he enter the professors'' lounge and steal it?''
What the skull principal wanted to know was the method.
If he couldn''t figure that out, the professors'' lounge could be breached again.
¡°Beavle... It must be Beavle. There''s no one else but Beavle.¡±
The skull principal spoke as if half convinced and half probing.
Yi-Han didn''t say anything. At times like this, it was best to stay as still as possible.
¡°Very impressive. But remember. The devouring-ship fish is a very fierce beast¡¡±
The skull principal, who was about to curse something out of frustration, saw the devouring-ship fish waiting dejectedly.
It was doing all sorts of odd jobs, as if properly bound by the contract.
¡°You stupid thing! You call yourself a spiritual beast of the sea after doing that?!¡±
The devouring-ship fish spewed water with a sad expression at the sudden insult from the grand mage.
It was already miserable...
¡°Yes. I''ll acknowledge it this time. But someday... Someday you will fall into a trap too. Understood?¡±
"I will keep that in mind."
¡°Hmph. Let''s see then. I''ll prepare the most boring and tedious spot in the punishment room for you!¡±
The skull principal disappeared into the distance, making an eerie sound.
The students behind thought inwardly.
''...The professors'' lounge...''
''...He stole from it??''
While the friends were shocked, thinking it couldn''t be, Orifs opened his mouth.
-Two perfect scores, two perfect scores...!-
"Shh. Be quiet."
Professor Rosine silenced Orifs, watching the skull principal fly away.
Provoking the skull principal, who was in a very grumpy mood, was not a good idea.
''I just had wondered where he got the materials needed for summoning the devouring-ship fish...''
Professor Rosine quietly added another + next to the A+.
It was a sign of respect for an outstanding student.
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Chapter 444
Chapter 444
Just as the students were struggling to get through the stormy Einroguard, the professors were also having a hard time.
Of course, the professors themselves were not drifting away in the currents like the students.
A mage of a professor''s level would not be affected by a flood of this level.
The problem was...
"..."
Professor Bungaegor looked down at the waves with a troubled face.
The sea hade in where there should have been a racetrack that the students had worked hard to create.
"Well... I''m sure the principal didn''t do it on purpose either."
Professor Uregor spoke up, watching the expression of the elder of his family. Of course, Professor Uregor''s words were not veryforting.
"Forget it, just think of a way. What about your cabin?"
"My cabin is a bit different..."
Professor Uregor answered hesitantly.
Unlike Professor Bungaegor, who had been an adventurer outside and then came here, Professor Uregor had been at Einroguard for a long time and was quite experienced.
Naturally, the cabins ced here and there to prepare for such natural disasters also had magic on them.
In case of a flood, instead of enduring the fierce power of water, the cabin, basement, and attached livestock pens were made to naturally flow away.
Then,ter, when the flood was over, they could just find and move them.
In contrast, such arge racetrack was different from a cabin.
To prepare it now...
"We need to summon something to block the water, evaporate the water that has already entered, dry the damp ground, and maintain it continuously during this week''s exam period."
"Can you do it?"
"..."
Professor Uregor looked at her as if asking what she was talking about.
To perform suchrge-scale magic, it was difficult with the magic of one person.
Not only the extreme mana consumption, but also all kinds of rare reagents andplicated techniques...
It was impossible to do such a thing just to take one exam.
"I also have to take the exam..."
"Sigh. I see. We''ll have to change the exam. After preparing so hard."
"Use it for the final exam."
"Then what about what we prepared for the final exam?"
"Have them take both together?"
Professor Uregor casually blurted out something that Yi-Han would have stabbed him for if he had heard.
Professor Bungaegor looked intrigued by those words.
"Certainly, it''s a waste to just let it go..."
"That''s right."
Professor Uregor agreed like a sycophant. It was truly fortunate that the elder of the family seemed to be in a good mood.
"But I''m a bit hesitant to change the exam content. The students aren''t familiar with aquatic creatures."
"Nah. No, they are. The students are so smart."
Professor Uregor kept encouraging her from the side, fearing that Professor Bungaegor might change her mind and torment him.
As an Einroguard student, one should know how to be friendly with aquatic creatures in the suddenly created sea, even if given such a task.
"I heard from Professor Garcia that the students also learned underwater breathing magic."
"Still... Hmm..."
While Professor Bungaegor was lost in thought, the skull principal flew by in the distance, spinning round and round.
Seeing that, Professor Uregor was surprised.
''No. He must be really angry!''
The person who usually flew normally was flying round and round like that.
It wasn''t just a usual grumpiness.
What on earth happened?
"What''s the matter?"
¡°Ah! Professor Uregor! Listen to me!¡±
The skull principal exined what had happened, venting his resentment.
¡°If you haven''t decided on the exam content yet, raise the difficulty several times! Avenge my devouring-ship fish!¡±
"Ah, yes. That''s really unfortunate."
Professor Uregor just agreed roughly and let it flow in one ear and out the other.
Honestly, for the professors of Einroguard, the skull principal being tricked by a student was not something they could sympathize with.
First of all, it was a very rare urrence...
...And honestly, it was close to being his own fault.
''For whose benefit?''
Professor Uregor had no intention of changing the exam content at all. Above all, it was bothersome.
"But how did he get his hands on the devouring-ship fish reagents? Did you drop them on the street?"
¡°No! I put them in the professors'' lounge, and that guy took them.¡±
"Wow! That guy is really amaz..."
The skull principal red at Professor Uregor. Professor Uregor quickly changed his words.
"...ingly bad guy! Ha! Where did he learn such bad things!"
¡°If you find out what method he used to take them, please report to me.¡±
"Hmm... He may have made a deal with Professor Beavle."
Professor Uregor said whatever came to mind.
Among the professors, the only one who came to mind who would make a deal with Yi-Han was Professor Beavle.
¡°I knew it!? This Beavle, really¡¡±
As the skull principal disappeared, grumbling, Professor Uregor called Professor Bungaegor again.
"Don''t mind what the principal said too much."
"The students are riding around on a devouring-ship fish?"
"Huh? Oh. It seems so. Those guys, really. They''re quite skilled. I wonder who they learned it from, haha."
"Hmm..."
Professor Bungaegor nodded as if she had made up her mind.
"Alright. They should be able to do it with that level, right?"
"..."
Professor Uregor was slightly shocked by Professor Bungaegor''s words.
No way...?
''Is it really appropriate for all students to take an exam of a difficulty level matching Wardanaz just because he''s riding around on a devouring-ship fish?''
"Why aren''t you answering?"
"It''s appropriate!"
Professor Uregor quickly epted to avoid the bothersome task.
In any case, it was the students who would suffer.
¡ª
"Is the only thing left today the exam?"
"It''s evening, right? Let''s rest a bit first!"
The students who had returned to the library ran to the bonfire, shivering.
No matter how much protection they received from the huge spiritual beast, the devouring-ship fish, they couldn''tpletely block the water.
Moreover, the rainy and stormy weather made the autumn even chillier and colder.
"Hey, but is it okay to burn this?"
"The firewood is fi..."
Rumble rumble-
Before the words were finished, Yi-Han and the ck Tortoise Tower students poured new wide pieces of wood in a corner.
Seeing the dry wood without a hint of moisture, the friends were startled.
"Where did you get it from!?"
"We brought the lecture hall desks and chairs!"
Ratford shouted proudly. At that sight, Yi-Han suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.
''Is there really a need to say where we got them from?''
Although Yi-Han could maintain the fire to some extent with mana instead of firewood, Yi-Han couldn''t always be there.
Moreover, the number of students was also a factor. No matter how much firewood they secured, it was not enough.
''Should we raid a few more lecture halls?''
"Wardanaz. I saw something strange earlier..."
"What is it?"
"A cabin was floating. But the shape was very intact, and it seemed to be under the protection of magic."
"There''s something like that?? Interesting. It must be a cabin that was somewhere in the academy..."
Yi-Han made a decision without hesitation.
"Let''s get that cabinter. We''ll have to dismantle it and use it. If it''s protected by magic, there will be a lot of useful things inside."
"Can we bring it?"
"It should be possible with the devouring-ship fish''s ability."
In the distance, the devouring-ship fish spewed water pitifully.
"Wardanaz. Come and eat."
The White Tiger Tower students who had arrived first and were preparing the meal called Yi-Han.
Yi-Han lined up with the Blue Dragon Tower friends and received the soup. The thick soup in arge tin pot boiled appetizingly, giving off a delicious smell.
"...Ugh! It''s poison!"
When Gainando, who had taken a sip, screamed, the Blue Dragon Tower friends were startled.
"Hey, it''s not poison."
"It justcks ingredients, so it''s tasteless. And the White Tiger Tower guys can''t cook originally."
"..."
"..."
The White Tiger Tower students red at their friends.
They had cooked with the vision they had learned while staying at the knight order building during the break, but how dare they...!
"Aristocrats are just luxurious."
"Their tongues are coated with oil."
"If you want to eat deliciously, why did youe to Einroguard? Hmph."
"Ah, no. Don''t misunderstand. Gainando was talking nonsense."
"We ate it quite deliciously. Of course, it''s meager, but that can''t be helped because of the ingredients."
The Blue Dragon Tower students appeased the White Tiger Tower students.
There was no point in fighting when they were dividing the work. And above all, Gainando was at fault this time.
"Originally, if the ingredients arecking, no matter how excellent the chef is, it can''t be helped."
"That''s not true?"
Renjid, a ck Tortoise Tower student from a chef family, added as he passed by.
"Look at Wardanaz. He makes it taste good even while saving ingredients. That''s what a real chef is. Making excuses as a chef..."
"Hey... you insensitive bastard...!"
"Are you Gainando? Are you Gainando??"
When the Blue Dragon Tower students criticized him, Renjid was flustered.
He was just telling the truth about cooking!
But fortunately, thanks to the two of them being scolded, the White Tiger Tower students calmed down.
"We may not be as good at cooking as Wardanaz. Wardanaz is from a high noble family."
"?"
The Blue Dragon Tower students tilted their heads.
''We are also...''
''From high noble families...''
''But can''t cook?''
''Shh. Be quiet.''
Meanwhile, Yi-Han took the soup he received and checked the barricade.
"How is it, Wardanaz? They won''t be able toe this way, right?"
"Yeah. You did well."
"...Can''t we increase the rations a bit? There''s so much piled up..."
"No. What are you talking about? We don''t know how long the flood willst."
Yi-Han cut him off firmly.
"Instead, I''ll prepare a bit more for dinner today since we have an exam."
"!"
The faces of the White Tiger Tower students standing next to Yi-Han brightened.
"By the way, is the riding exam really about ming puppies?"
"I''m telling you, it is. I''m really sure."
The White Tiger Tower students strongly insisted.
There was a rumor circting among the students since yesterday.
-This semester''s midterm exam is about ming puppies!-
ming puppies, which they had dealt with in the 1st semester as well.
Some students who were wandering around the school at night witnessed Professor Bungaegor moving a cage containing these ming puppies.
Of course, to be precise, they had grown quite a bit to be called ming puppies.
"They said there were ming puppies the size of horses ying in the cage!"
"That level doesn''t seem like puppies... Anyway, I got it. I''ll keep that in mind."
Yi-Han tilted his head.
Can we really take an exam with ming puppies in this rain?
"Could it be training to rescue ming puppies that have fallen into the water?"
"That''s too cruel. What if the puppies die?"
"...Wardanaz. Worry about us going into the water in this weather first..."
¡ª
A dock that they had never seen before had been created on the sea. It was a dock made by Professor Bungaegor.
The students got off the devouring-ship fish one by one. The devouring-ship fish spewed water pitifully.
"Good work, everyone."
"Sob sob..."
"Professor..."
The students nodded their heads with a choked up expression.
Of course, that was that, and the exam was the exam, so the students prepared to take out the me resistance measures they had prepared with a determined expression.
Moreover, in this weather, wouldn''t it be even more difficult for me monsters to exert their strength?
"Today''s exam will be about how you handle aquatic creatures."
"?"
"...?"
"Are ming puppies aquatic creatures?"
"Ah. Were you expecting ming puppies?"
Professor Bungaegor looked a bit apologetic.
"It seems a bit difficult because of the heavy rain. So the exam has changed."
"...What do we have to do? Fishing... It''s fishing, right?"
Gainando looked at her as if begging for the answer to be fishing.
He didn''t want to go into that pitch-ck water where the rain and darkness were rushing in.
"Fishing is also a method."
"I knew it...!"
"I released aquatic creatures, so catch any one of them. Don''t hurt them."
As soon as Professor Bungaegor finished speaking, a huge fin brushed past the surface of the water.
The students looked at each other with sorrowful faces.
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Chapter 445
Chapter 445
Gainando, who still hadn''t grasped the situation, asked in puzzlement.
"Didn''t you say fishing is also allowed?"
"...Do you think that''s possible?"
The students were not fools.
In this weather and situation, Einroguard was not so easy that they could bring back the necessary aquatic creatures with fishing.
And in fact, even in normal weather, most aquatic creatures were difficult to catch with fishing. If they carelessly threw the bait, the monster would drag the fisherman in.
"If I catch a fish..."
-There are no fish... in this weather.-
The devouring-ship fish, resting in the back, answered as if dumbfounded.
It usually didn''t want to intervene in the mages'' conversations, but Gainando''s words were too absurd.
"Go into the water in this weather? Really?"
"I told you. Never trust the professors."
"Even so, this is too much..."
"Can''t we just insist that we caught this devouring-ship fish?"
The devouring-ship fish squirted water at the student who had just spoken.
Ssh!
The student who was hit by the water fell into the sea. The students became quiet.
"Sigh..."
"What can we do? Let''s prepare."
If you stayed at Einroguard for a long time, instead of going through the stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and eptance over several days, you could quickly go through them in 30 seconds.
The students, who had epted it in an instant, sighed deeply and pondered how to enter the water.
"Underwater breathing and... what else do we need?"
"We need light to brighten the view. Even if waterproofing is difficult, we need something that generates heat so we don''t freeze to death."
"It''s a good thing we learned the magic."
The students who had sessfully mastered the magic proudly raised their staffs.
Yi-Han became gloomy. Yonaire, who was listening next to him, hurriedlyforted him.
"...Yi, Yi-Han. You''re good at other things."
"Maybe it won''t be so bad since it''s raining?"
Yi-Han swung his staff along with the spell just in case. Then, mes erupted from his cloak.
"Fire!!!"
"Wardanaz! Put it in the water!!"
They quickly put the cloak in the water, but the fire did not go out easily. The students were shocked by the mes burning even underwater.
"..."
"..."
Sizzle-
Yi-Han took out the cloak with a bitter expression. The friends around him spoke urgently.
"I, I''ll cast on you. That magic isn''t really that important anyway."
"You can cast other things! We can help each other!"
The students from various towers, who usually fiercely mocked other tower friends when they made magic mistakes, were of one mind this time and quickly stopped him.
¡ª
"Damn it!! Is it my turn again?!"
"Sorry. Go in ande back quickly."
"Ugh..."
The student who lost the drawing tied his body with a rope and jumped in with a ssh.
''The 1st years here are quick-witted.''
Professor Bungaegor looked around at the students with a satisfied expression.
Originally, since it was an individual exam, the students could move separately without any problem.
However, now the students were gathering in groups of three or five and cooperating without anyone telling them to.
They were students who already knew wisdom more precious than difficult magic spells.
"You bastard... You bastard! You manipted the drawing!?"
"No, nonsense! How did I manipte the drawing!"
"Wardanaz! Come here! Come and judge! This guy manipted the drawing!"
"Why are you calling Wardanaz! Wardanaz! Don''te!"
Of course, there were ces where there were quarrels, but where people gathered, there were bound to be quarrels.
It was already quite remarkable even at this level.
Ssh, ssh, ssh!
Students were diving anding up here and there. Thanks to the light orbs Yi-Han had floated, the dock was as bright as broad daylight.
''...Let''s overlook that.''
It was also an ability for the students to have an outstanding 1st year friend. Professor Bungaegor decided to let that slide.
"Do you see anything?"
"I don''t see anything? I think we need to go down further."
The students who hade up exchanged information with perplexed faces.
Something should have appeared if they went this far, but perhaps because the sea was chaotic, nothing alive could be seen.
"It''s my turn."
Yi-Han chanted the underwater breathing spell and prepared to go in.
and too.
And and ...
''How many are you casting?''
Professor Bungaegor was dumbfounded watching.
It seemed like someone was infiltrating not the water but the inner castle of a demon duke!
"I''m going!"
"Wa, wait a minute."
Gainando, who had the same turn, shouted hesitantly.
"Why?"
"I need to prepare my mind..."
Ssh!
Yi-Han kicked Gainando and pushed him in, then jumped in.
''Going deep down.''
Even though his body was tightly tied with a rope, it shook violently as he entered the water. The aftermath of the spirits'' rampage was affecting even the underwater.
The students who hade down with him were also unexpectedly tangled up and floundering in the fast current.
-Everyone, stay calm.-
Yi-Han first gathered his friends.
They had to adapt here and go down since they had to go further.
-The current is faster than expected, but we can ovee it with magic. We learned water element magic in the 1st semester. Those who are confident in water element magic here, raise your hands.-
Three of his friends raised their hands. Yi-Han nodded.
-Control the water element. Like this... Move!-
Yi-Han cleverly applied the magic.
Originally, it was a magic that moved water to create a shape or move it, but underwater, it became a fairly good means of propulsion.
Swish-
As the currents parted and Yi-Han was pushed forward, his friends nodded their heads.
They understood the principle.
-I got it, Wardanaz.-
-I''ll try it. Move!-
-...-
-...???-
The students were puzzled by theck of any change.
-Move! Move! I said move?? ...Ugh!-
Theplexion of a friend who was chanting the spell suddenly worsened.
''Acute mana depletion!''
Yi-Han quickly grabbed his friend and went up. As Yi-Han emerged from the water, the waiting students asked.
"What happened?!"
"Help this guy rest a bit!"
"???"
Yi-Han threw the copsed friend onto the dock without answering. And he went down again.
-Let''s try again...-
-Ugh...-
''Damn it.''
As another friend copsed, Yi-Han grabbed him and went up again.
"Take care of this one too!"
Ssh!
"..."
"...Ah, no, what''s happening?"
As Yi-Han went down together and threw his friends up one by one, the students waiting above gradually became frightened.
Could it be that he was angry because of the earlier?
"I told you not to show off magic in front of him!"
"I didn''t think showing magic in front of Wardanaz was showing off...! Would you think that''s showing off in front of Wardanaz?!"
"Is he angry because you manipted the drawing earlier?"
While they were whispering above, Yi-Han was grasping the situation.
''Using magic underwater is no ordinary feat.''
A mage''s magic, even if it looked easy, was a mental process that required a high degree of concentration.
Just as mages who were not trained asbat mages could not cast spells if they fell into a battlefield full of murderous intent, sudden environmental changes interfered with a mage''s magic.
A cold, dark, and rough underwater environment like now would be enough to interfere with a mage.
''...Wait. I cast it though?''
Yi-Han suddenly had that thought but decided not to say it out loud.
-It seems that the probability of failure increases when chanting spells underwater. Everyone, be careful.-
-But you''re using it well... No. I think I asked something unnecessary. Wardanaz.-
The friend who was about to ask something quickly understood.
Indeed, it seemed like Wardanaz could cast spells even if he was hung upside down aboveva, not just underwater.
-Instead, I''ll push you, so let''s go down again.-
Yi-Han floated light orbs and slowly went down.
How far down did they go?
The dirt floor that had settled in the sea came into view. It was a familiar ce that he had seen a few times.
''...Isn''t this the racetrack we made...''
It was absurd, but Yi-Han tried not to lose focus.
He had to find something alive.
-Wardanaz. Here. Here.-
A friend tapped Yi-Han''s shoulder and pointed down.
Surprisingly, a pattern indicating the direction was engraved on the floor.
''What is this? Did the professor engrave it?''
-Let''s go. Follow me.-
-Okay.-
Yi-Han slowly swam in, following the signposts engraved on the floor. The path led to an underwater cave.
-...-
No matter how you looked at it, it was a cave that you really didn''t want to enter.
''The professor must have prepared it?''
He wondered how the professor had prepared it, since the aquatic creatures would scatter all over Einroguard if they were just released into the sea, but to think she released them inside an underwater cave like this.
It was very much like Professor Bungaegor, but it made him sigh.
''What kind of dog-like thing will be in there again...''
-??????-
''?''
Yi-Han flinched.
A clear and pure singing voice began to be heard from afar.
''...This is underwater...''
Gainando''s eyes next to him suddenly turned murky, and he began to make a happy expression as if enchanted.
Yi-Han was shocked and pped Gainando''s cheek.
¡ª
"Professor!!!!"
A ck Tortoise Tower student who had entered from the other side ran out in terror.
He was so startled that he couldn''t even think of wiping off the moisture.
"What is this!! That... that... what is that in front of the cave!!"
"Oh. You found it now?"
Professor Bungaegor, who was sitting, answered with a slight joy.
"You have to let us go into the cave!!"
"No matter how rough the sea is, there''s no way the exam is to just go into the cave and quickly bring one out. Of course you have to ovee it."
Professor Bungaegor rather spoke as if asking what he was talking about.
In preparation for this exam, Professor Bungaegor had released various aquatic creatures that were difficult to catch in the underwater cave.
The more agile, better at hiding, and better at running away the creature they caught, the higher the score.
Of course, it wasn''t that easy to catch them. Naturally, there were also beings that interfered with the students.
"If... if I hadn''t entered from the back, then...!"
The ck Tortoise Tower student, who was excited thinking he had found the underwater cave before others, was still dumbfounded.
Sirens!
The friends who had tried to enter the underwater cave after finding it were all enchanted and unable toe to their senses now. If it weren''t for the ropes, they would have been captured.
"Wait. Calm down. You were caught off guard because you didn''t know, but now that you know their identity, there will be a way to deal with them. If they''re sirens..."
Sirens, hybrids of mermaids and spirits, carried ancient magic in their voices.
Mages had quite a bit of resistance to the unique abilities of monsters since they handled mana, but...
The singing voice of sirens was powerful enough to break through that.
However, once their identity was known, there was always a way to defend.
"Let''s try going in with our ears plugged."
"Th... that''s right! That should work."
Professor Bungaegor grinned. The students who saw that smile suddenly felt an ominous feeling.
...Is it not?
"The singing voice of sirens is not something that can be blocked out by plugging your ears. It enters through your whole body."
Ango, who was from a coastal area, said.
Everyone was surprised by his intellectual appearance, which was unbelievable for a White Tiger Tower student.
"Th, then? Alpha. What should we do? How should we defend?"
"Huh?"
Ango was flustered.
"Uh... the sailors do tie themselves to the deck of the ship, but..."
"...We have to go inside."
"Is conversation or persuasion impossible with them? What do sirens like?"
"As far as I know, they like to trick people..."
Ssh!
Meanwhile, there was a sound of someoneing up from behind. Ango and his friends unconsciously turned their heads.
Yi-Han wasing up holding a siren.
"..."
"..."
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Chapter 446
Chapter 446
"Why did you catch that!"
Even though Professor Bungaegor was one of the most experienced adventurers in the empire, she automatically screamed when she saw her 1st year disciple grabbing the back of a siren''s neck and dragging it up.
"Is, is it not allowed?"
Yi-Han asked back in confusion.
His face was filled with innocence, as if thinking ''Of course sirens are also aquatic creatures, right?''
Professor Bungaegor covered her face with both hands and let out a deep sigh.
"No... no. It is an aquatic creature..."
Come to think of it, Yi-Han did nothing wrong.
Professor Bungaegor had told them to catch an aquatic creature.
However...
''Even so, to think he would catch a siren.''
If you told someone to go to the mountains and catch some food, they would appropriately bring back mushrooms or wild vegetables, or at most a wild boar if you were very generous. No one would go find and catch a dragon.
Simrly, in an exam where they had to enter an underwater cave and catch a rare aquatic creature, no one would catch a siren...
"...How the hell did you catch it... no, first let it go. It''s angry right now, isn''t it?"
-?! ?!! ????!!!-
The siren sang in an intense soprano voice. Even though Yi-Han was not well-versed in singing, he could guess that the other party was angry.
"Ah. I thought even getting angry was part of the exam. I apologize."
Yi-Han let go of the siren''s neck. The siren immediately went into the water with a ssh and then poked its head out, singing fiercely.
-?? ????!!!!!-
"I don''t know what it means, but I''m sorry."
"I, I''ll apologize, so please stop singing. The students are copsing."
Professor Bungaegor apologized on his behalf and spoke to the siren.
The siren must have felt so wronged that it kept singing, trying to control Yi-Han somehow, but only the innocent students were staggering as if enchanted.
After singing nonstop for a while, the siren finally seemed tired and coughed. Then it approached Professor Bungaegor, panting.
¡°It''s not that I did it on purpose... no. I''m sorry. I didn''t know you would be caught either. And honestly, who would have thought a 1st year mage would catch you underwater¡¡±
-??????!!-
"I''ll give you double the promisedpensation, so please calm down. And other 1st years are definitely not at that level, so don''t worry too much... I''m serious. Think about it. Have you ever seen a 1st year student like that at Einroguard?"
Professor Bungaegor appeased the siren, sweating profusely.
Finally, the siren''s anger subsided, and it went back into the water with a ssh. Professor Bungaegor let out a sigh of relief.
''I persuaded it somehow.''
There was no one more suitable than sirens as exam proctors for the underwater cave.
If they got angry and left, she would have had to rethink the exam.
"Is it not allowed to catch sirens?"
"The siren is definitely gone, right?"
Professor Bungaegor checked the water surface and then spoke.
"Well done. It''s a perfect score."
Once the surprise and absurdity faded, Professor Bungaegor regained her senses to praise her disciple.
She still didn''t know how he caught it, but catching a siren underwater was truly remarkable.
If this fact became known, some adventurer ship captains mighte running with fire in their eyes.
"Ah. I knew it... Catching a siren was also part of the exam content, right? I thought so."
Yi-Han looked at the professor with a gaze of respect.
When the proud siren really got caught and got angry, the professor pretended not to know to appease it.
As expected, a professor could not be half-hearted.
"...Th, that''s right."
Professor Bungaegor decided to just let it slide instead of exining.
"Tell me how you caught it. I''m curious."
¡ª
-??????-
Yi-Han, who had pped Gainando''s cheek, realized it had no effect and immediately took action.
''Sirens!''
The cruel pranksters of the sea, hybrids of mermaids and spirits, had appeared.
''Were the aquatic creatures the professor mentioned sirens?''
Yi-Han pulled the rope tied to his enchanted friends'' bodies three times. Those above began to pull up the rope upon receiving the signal.
Feeling relieved, Yi-Han immediately plugged his ears, chanted a spell, and rushed at the siren.
As the mage rushed at it without being enchanted, the siren was startled and sang louder.
-??????... ?!!-
However, no matter how loudly it sang and concentrated the power of the song, Yi-Han did not change at all. It was thanks to plugging his ears in advance.
¡ª
"...It''s not because you plugged your ears, but because your resistance is monstrous. Plugging your ears doesn''t block a siren''s song. It''s amon misconception."
"Ah. Is that so?"
¡ª
However, no matter how loudly it sang and concentrated the power of the song, Yi-Han did not change at all. It was thanks to his innate mana.
The siren, witnessing a pursuer approaching in their right mind for the first time in its life, turned pale and began to distance itself.
-???! ???! ???!-
''What curse is it casting?''
The siren sang in a panic, telling him not toe, but unfortunately, it did not reach Yi-Han, who did not know the sirennguage.
''Sirens are beings who inherited the bloodline of ancient spirits. They may be able to use sinister abilities that I don''t know about.''
Rather, it only heightened Yi-Han''s vignce.
Yi-Han decided to give everything he got instead of ying on the siren''s palm.
-Drive them away... O lightning of Ferkuntra!-
The lightning that would have normally been fired in a straight line was cast as if it were a wide-area magic, discharging in all directions.
It was a unique phenomenon that was only possible underwater.
Of course, the lightning also struck Yi-Han, but he endured it with his innate resistance. The siren floundered even more at the tingling sensation of paralysis it felt for the first time in its life.
Pak!
The siren stopped its paralyzed tail fin and sang to mobilize the water spirits.
It was trying to borrow strength somehow and increase its speed.
However, the water spirits that came rushing suddenly flinched upon seeing Yi-Han and ran away like crazy.
-??????-
The siren was shocked by the sudden betrayal of its kin. Meanwhile, Yi-Han cast a magic to block the siren''s path.
-ze forth...-
-?!-
As the opposing mage summoned the power of mes underwater, the siren was flustered, not knowing what he was doing.
Trying to cast me magic underwater.
No fool of a mage would do such a thing...
Whoosh!
A meticulously created wall of mes unfolded and blocked the way.
Yi-Han felt his eyes redden for a moment.
To think the me magic that had been troubling him so much would bepleted so neatly, even sessfully transforming its shape.
¡ª
"It was truly moving."
"That... right now, you shouldn''t be moved but find it strange that the fire doesn''t go out underwater... no. Forget it. Continue."
¡ª
The sirenpletely panicked and floundered. Yi-Han could easily swim and catch the siren.
Caught by a strength unbelievably trained for a mage, the siren struggled and tried to meet Yi-Han''s eyes.
The ability engraved in the siren''s bloodline was not just singing. Sirens could instinctively cast illusion magic by making eye contact with each other.
A powerful ability to read the other person''s capacity and show them an illusion of what they desire.
It was an ability that was usually not used because of the singing, but since the singing did not work, the siren desperately tried to make eye contact.
-!!!!!-
And the moment their eyes met, it felt the mana and froze stiff like a log, frightened.
Yi-Han thought the other party had finally given up, so he grabbed its neck and swam up.
¡ª
"How can you scare them like that when they''re difficult to persuade..."
"Pardon? But I didn''t threaten them or anything?"
"Threatening with words is not... no. Forget it. Good work and get some rest."
Professor Bungaegor praised her remarkable disciple while feeling absurd.
It was absurd, but it was truly a remarkable feat.
Who would catch a siren in this weather?
"Yes. I understand."
However, instead of wrapping himself in a nket and resting as Professor Bungaegor expected, Yi-Han approached his friends.
"Guys. Catching sirens is the right answer. It seems to be a target that definitely gives high points."
"Really?!"
"But how do we catch sirens?"
"Wardanaz. I''m really sorry, but could you show us just once?"
At the earnest request of his friends from various towers, Yi-Han nodded.
It wasn''t that he didn''t want to rest, but as someone who had already finished the exam, it was something he could demonstrate once for his friends.
"Now. Everyone, cast underwater breathing ande into the water. Gainando. Why are you holding your cheek?"
"I don''t know. I think I hit a rock earlier."
Gainando grumbled, holding his swollen cheek.
It seemed that while he was unconscious for a moment, the guys above pulled the rope hard, and he hit something.
"The method to catch sirens is... hmm. No. It will be faster to show you catching one directly. I''ll try catching one again, so how about you guys watch from afar?"
"To that extent...!"
"Wardanaz...!"
Professor Bungaegor, who was listening, opened her mouth wide in shock.
¡ª
The students eventually gave up on catching sirens and entered the underwater cave to find rare aquatic creatures.
Seeing the water rabbit Yonaire brought, Yi-Han spoke as if envious.
"I should have brought a water rabbit instead of a siren? The water rabbit looks easier."
"..."
-...-
Professor Bungaegor and the siren looked at Yi-Han as if dumbfounded.
The siren, in particr, red at Yi-Han like a mortal enemy.
The humiliation of being caught by the same mage three times in one day (Yi-Han showed it one more time because Gainando couldn''t understand) did not easily disappear.
Yi-Han felt the siren''s gaze and turned his head. Then the siren quickly avoided his gaze.
It had no confidence to curse at that mage now outside the water, let alone before going into the water and running away deep.
"...Now. Everyone, let''s say thank you to the siren who worked hard!"
Professor Bungaegor noticed the siren''s unpleasant mood and called the students.
If she didn''t want her name to be on the cklist among Einroguard''s mysterious creatures, they had to make peace.
"Thank you! Siren!"
"Your singing was really good!"
The students had no particr ill feelings toward the siren.
Being enchanted by the singing was closer to a dreamy and beautiful memory rather than being unpleasant.
And in fact, the students were caught and dragged away much more gently than the siren.
The siren listened to the students'' praise with an arrogant chin raised, as if it was unbelievable.
"I was also grateful. Siren."
-...????!!-
The siren, who was good at controlling its emotions, exploded and poured out a singing voice at Yi-Han.
Professor Bungaegor hurriedly intervened and stopped it, wrapping up the lecture.
"Good work, everyone! The direct descendant of the sea song spirit also worked hard! You can go back now! Ah. Wardanaz."
"Yes?"
"When wandering around Einroguard, it would be best not to approach ces where sirens appear!"
"No... it was just a ss exam, isn''t that too much?"
Yi-Han was disappointed by the siren''s uncool reaction.
¡ª
"There''s the cabin!"
"Throw the hook!!"
"Got it!!"
Morning.
Yi-Han and students from other towers, who had taken a break, were riding on the devouring-ship fish and hunting for whales, no, hunting for cabins.
The hook caught on the drifting cabin, and it slowly began to be pulled.
''Huh? I feel like I''ve seen it somewhere?''
Yi-Han was puzzled by the familiar-looking cabin.
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Chapter 447
Chapter 447
"Wardanaz!"
When Yi-Han, who should have been giving orders, paused for a moment, the other students called out to him in confusion.
Salko felt his heart sink, thinking there might be a problem.
"What is it? What''s the problem..."
"Did pirates appear or something?"
-Where would there be pirates at the academy...-
The devouring-ship fish, who was trying its best not to speak and only do what it was told, couldn''t resist interjecting.
"Sorry. I was thinking about something else for a moment. Pull!"
Yi-Han pulled the rope together with his friends. Even though they had cast all kinds of enhancement magic before going, pulling the cabin was not easy.
''Hmm. I should learn stronger enhancement magic.''
was an enhancement magic with remarkably high versatility for a 1st circle magic that could be cast very quickly.
Other enhancement magics that immediately increased strength, agility, reflexes, etc. all started from the 3rd circle. It was the skull principal''s extraordinary genius topress that into a 1st circle.
However, after being at the magic academy for a long time, he gradually felt the need for stronger magic.
''Even if it takes longer to cast and is a bit more crude, I need a specialized one.''
Just looking at the current situation, an enhancement magic that focused on strength was needed.
''An enhancement magic like that I saw in a book would be good. Can I master it...?''
"Wa... Wardanaz. Don''t you have any stronger magic?"
"Sorry. I don''t have a spell to use right now."
"Hey. Don''t say stupid things! Even this magic has a severe bacsh if we use it all up!"
A White Tiger Tower student next to him scolded his friend.
Even had quite a severe muscle pain.
''Ah. An enhancement magic like would have an even more severe bacsh.''
Yi-Han newly realized the bacsh of enhancement magic.
Magic that directly enhanced the body had quite a lot of bacsh ordingly.
Experienced mages used various magics to reduce the impact and minimize the bacsh, but it was still a distant story for Yi-Han.
Above all, he himself had so much mana that he was far from such bacsh.
''But it can''t be helped. If I need it, I have to use it.''
Yi-Han quickly finished his contemtion.
His friends might suffer a bit more, but it was unavoidable at Einroguard.
Thud, thud-
Even though they wore leather gloves and even added cloth to hold the rope, one or two students fell over while pulling on top of the slippery devouring-ship fish.
"Don''t rush!"
Salko shouted loudly.
The most important thing in this situation was not to rush.
When stacking buildings with stonemason guild members, mistakes were bound to happen.
At that time, the most important thing was to respond calmly.
"Just hold on! Whoever finishes first wille and help!"
Salko was going to run over and help as soon as his side was properly finished.
However, Yi-Han was one step faster.
Yi-Han radiated mana explosively as if wasting it throughout his body. The surrounding water dropletsbined with mana and evaporated.
In an instant, the rope was pulled like crazy, and the cabin was dragged closer.
"It''s all done! Wait there!"
Yi-Han, who had finished his side of the work, threw the rope and ran towards the fallen students.
Seeing that, Salko admired him.
''That guy is really a born worker!''
Such a guy should have been born into the Tutanta family, not the Wardanaz family...
¡ª
"Wardanaz. Why do you look so gloomy?"
"He must be tired."
The students, who had finally seeded in hunting the cabin, returned to the library with a triumphant look.
However, Yi-Han''s face was far from satisfied.
"Well. So..."
"??"
"...It''s nothing."
"What. How nd."
Yi-Han was about to say something but stopped.
This cabin was...
''It''s Professor Uregor''s cabin!''
As Professor Uregor traveled all over the vast Einroguard grounds to collect alchemy materials, even Yi-Han, his disciple, did not know how many cabins there were.
However, buildings built by the same person were bound to show.
This cabin was Professor Uregor''s cabin.
"Why won''t this open?"
"The axe doesn''t seem to work either?"
"Step aside for a moment."
Yi-Han approached the cabin closely.
Crack!
Fortunately, the defensive magic was broken using the method he learned from Baldoorn. The students immediately broke the door with an axe and entered the cabin.
"Wo... wow wow wow!"
"Th, this...! Look at this!"
The students who went inside let out a cheer.
Students resting on the other side of the library also approached, curious about the sound.
"What is it? What''s in there?"
Inside the cabin were supplies that any Einroguard student would dream of.
There were not only dwarf-style smoked ham, salted herring, eggs, rice, onions, wheat, raisins, plums, bananas, figs, but also sub-ingredients like olive oil and salt, and even beer.
A White Tiger Tower student even shed tears.
"Wardanaz. With this much, we can hold a feast, right??"
"...Ye, yeah."
Yi-Han, who was contemting, quickly nodded at his friends'' call.
Now that it hade to this, he felt sorry for Professor Uregor, but it couldn''t be helped.
''I need to destroy the evidence.''
"Let''s divide into groups. Group 1 takes out the items inside, and Group 2pletely dismantles the log cabin. So that not even a trace can be recognized. Let''s use it as firewood."
"Can''t we just roughly cut it and dismantle itter when we use it?"
"No. We have to do it in advance now."
"Ugh... it''s bothersome..."
The students grumbled but did not refuse Yi-Han''s words.
Yi-Han inwardly let out a sigh of relief.
If they quickly finish it like this...
"Wait! Wardanaz!"
"?!"
When someone called Yi-Han, he was startled.
"What is it?"
''Could it be that we were caught?''
If someone had realized that this was Professor Uregor''s cabin...
"We''ll do the dismantling, so you take care of the cooking side!"
"That''s right! Please!"
"..."
"These guys, did they dislike our cooking that much??"
The White Tiger Tower students who had been in charge of cookingst timeined with their lips pouting.
¡ª
The students gathered in the library enjoyed a feast for the first time in a long time.
The food piled up so tightly that the temporary table legs broke several times and disappeared in an instant. The students eagerly bit into the tender chunks of meat grilled over the bonfire until the insides melted.
Seeing Gainando stuff his cheeks with freshly baked t bread until they burst and then scream because it was hot, the White Tiger Tower students whispered.
"Hey. Don''t you think the Blue Dragon Tower guys'' table manners are not that great, contrary to expectations?"
"I know, right? Last time, I heard Wardanaz was so amazing when he went to the knight order, but they don''t seem much different from us..."
Yi-Han ced an additional dish of beans, rice, onions, and meat steamed in a small pot and sat down.
''How satisfying.''
It wasn''t satisfying because the students were eating well.
What caught his eye were the students who, unlike in the 1st semester, did not put down their books even while eating.
They were students who had learned after being harshly punished once in the 1st semester.
"Hey. Why are you studying while eating!"
"It''s rude to Wardanaz who made it... ouch!"
When some students (usually White Tiger Tower students) spoke up, they were hit by a bone from Yi-Han.
"Don''t disturb others and read too."
"We, we have swordsmanship ss..."
Yi-Han was dumbfounded by their shallow scheme of only mentioning swordsmanship ss even though they took many other sses.
Seeing their friend get hit by a bone, the White Tiger Tower students who were about to take out a ball game quietly put the ball back.
Seeing that, Jijel pondered how many bones she should prepare in the future.
"The great legitimate line of magic... no. It seems too dogmatic..."
Next to him, Yonaire was frowning with a quill in her mouth, lost in thought.
Yi-Han felt curious and asked.
"What ss is it?"
"Huh? . We have toe up with a motto befitting Einroguard..."
''Good thing I didn''t take it.''
Yi-Han was disgusted.
Although there was a strangely exaggerated rumor going around that Yi-Han was taking all magic courses, in fact, there were quite a few sses that Yi-Han did not take.
sses like or were absolutely not taken unless someone secretly submitted an application.
A good ss was a ss where you could get an A+ with logic, effort, and reason, not a ss thatpeted with emotion.
"Do you have any ideas?"
"Hmm... something like pursuing freedom through unfreedom... no. It''s too gloomy to reveal outwardly."
"Huh? It''s good though??"
Yonaire took notes with a delighted face. Yi-Han was startled to see that.
"It''s good?"
Doesn''t it sound like a phrase that would suit an imperial prison?
"Yeah. Can I submit this?"
"I don''t mind, but no matter how I think about it, it doesn''t seem like a good phrase."
"No. I think it''ll be fine?"
Yonaire nodded with a face full of confidence. Yi-Han slightly pondered if there was a problem with his friend''s sensibility.
''Come to think of it, Yonaire''s older sister also had a rather unique sensibility.''
p-
While the students were taking a break after finishing their enjoyable meal, a paper bird flew into the library.
-Attention students taking . There will be a midterm exam change due to the weather change at Einroguard.-
At Professor Millei''s voice, the students taking summoning magic gathered in front of the bird, murmuring.
However, the birds did not end. A few more flew in.
-Attention students taking ...-
-...-
-...-
-I don''t really have anything to tell you, but I sent this because I was bored. Study hard, you ironheads.-
-...-
Although there was a strange paper bird, the students were slightly moved by the professors'' warm consideration.
When they usually treat you like a dog, you''re bound to be moved even by a small kindness.
"..."
However, Yi-Han hesitated in between.
He didn''t know where to stand because he was taking too many sses.
"Wardanaz. I''ll let you know, so just rest."
"You just sit still!"
His friends quickly stopped Yi-Han.
The eyes of his friends looking at Yi-Han were full of pity.
¡ª
Professor Millei''s exam wasfortable and peaceful.
The students gathered in the lecture hall with a firece were writing reports on this semester''s festival in afortable and warm atmosphere.
"Some of you may be surprised. It may feel like too simple an exampared tost semester''s exams or what you learned this semester."
Professor Millei spoke while maintaining an upright posture.
"However, you should know that writing such documents is just as important as magic."
The era of mages who shut themselves in their towers built in remote ces and researched had long ended in ancient times.
Mages had to constantlymunicate and interact with other mages and sometimes even bring investors'' gold coins.
Otherwise, no matter how outstanding the research, it became difficult to proceed.
"Once you try writing it, you will feel that it is not easy. Since it''s your first time, if I were to give one piece of advice, it would be better to write sincerely without trying to pretentiously embellish it. What did you feel at the festival, what wascking, and how will you improve it in the future?"
"..."
Yi-Han, who was listening, fell into serious thought.
''...What more needs to be improved?''
Yi-Han couldn''t think of anything in particr that needed further improvement with his limited experience.
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Chapter 448
Chapter 448
''This is serious.''
A deep frown formed on Yi-Han''s forehead.
It was because the exam question was more difficult than he had thought.
In fact, the content about was fine.
There were few students who knew about this festival as well as Yi-Han.
As he had prepared the most by running around here and there, he perfectly understood how it had flowed.
The problem was the points he had to improve on his own.
[Whatck of magic did you feel at this festival?]
''No, honestly, can it be improved further from here?''
The paper birds were really done to the best of his ability, the golem was controlled, and even unnecessary dark magic was shown.
Yi-Han seriously couldn''t think of how to improve the magic from here.
To improve further from here, wouldn''t it be almost 4th or 5th year level?
If he wrote honestly...
''Hmm. No matter how I think about it, that doesn''t seem right.''
Although Professor Millei told them to write sincerely, Yi-Han was not naive enough to fully believe the professor''s words.
No professor would overlook a student who wrote in the report, ''I was too amazing, so there are no more points to improve.''
''I have toe up with something somehow!''
Yi-Han fell into desperate thought.
Even if it was impossible to master at the current level, he had to find a goal that could be packaged usibly somehow.
''Strange. Why is Wardanaz acting like that?''
Salko, who was sitting behind, was puzzled by Yi-Han''s appearance.
If he were a student who had prepared the festival carelessly, it would be understandable, but Yi-Han was the student who had taken on the most work among the students.
To think that Yi-Han would be so flustered over a report like this.
''Did I miss something?''
Salko carefully looked over his own report.
It seemed to have no particr problems on the surface, but looking again, there seemed to be some parts that were written too easily.
''This won''t do. Let''s rewrite it.''
Swish swish-
When Yi-Han didn''t finish writing, the students sitting around him nced at each other and started rewriting.
Seeing that, Professor Millei raised an eyebrow.
''The festival report shouldn''t be that difficult?''
What is it?
¡ª
After the exam was over and the students left the lecture hall, Professor Millei immediately started checking.
Usually, she would have done it after finishing other tasks, but today was a bit different.
The students were unusually groaning and rewriting and writing anew.
Since even the top student who showed talent in summoning magic showed such an appearance, even the strict Professor Millei couldn''t help but be curious.
"Hmm..."
Professor Millei slightly raised her monocle and focused her gaze on the report.
[At this Boltzmann''s Call festival, I learned that even within the same summoning magic, there are countless factions and possibilities befitting them. The magic of the senior mages who are walking the path of summoning magic ahead of me became a signpost for how I should fill my shorings¡]
''Good.''
A smile lingered on Professor Millei''s lips.
It seemed that they had not simply enjoyed the festival but had deep thoughts.
[...Seeing Wardanaz''s magic, I realized that golems can also be utilized in such a way. I will also try to utilize golems in such a way¡]
''...No...''
Professor Millei muttered without realizing it.
Of course, it was good to challenge, but there were also challenges that anyone could see had no answer, generally speaking.
And the research of attempting misceneous tasks using golems seemed closer to thetter.
Professor Millei prayed that this disciple would realize it on his own and back down or gain his own enlightenment.
[...Seeing Wardanaz''s magic, I realized. The double major in enchantment magic and dark magic makes summoning magic even more powerful. I''m thinking of taking a few sses rted to enchantment magic and dark magic in my 2nd year¡]
''This is not it either...''
Professor Millei''s head ached slightly.
Of course, majoring in multiple fields might look shy on the outside, but if touched wrongly, it was a dangerous path where a mage''s soul could copse.
The professor prayed that this disciple would control it at an appropriate level.
Tak-
Except for some unexpected content, the overall level of the reports was high.
This was much better than Professor Millei''s expectations.
''It must be because the outstanding students polished each other.''
Professor Millei closed her eyes and was satisfied with the students'' achievements.
Comparing different years wasn''t usually a good practice for a professor, but it was hard to deny that this year''s freshmen were among the highest achievers Professor Millei had taught.
Students like Yi-Han Wardanaz surely contributed to this reason.
Of course, the other students might have panicked and made unnecessary efforts after seeing Yi-Han''s struggles, but Professor Millei couldn''t have noticed such details.
Professor Millei opened Yi-Han''s report. Her eyes slightly sparkled with satisfaction again at the wless content.
A mage well-versed in academics knew well how pleasant it was to see such a report.
[Not only recording the events that urred during the festival with urate times and locations, but also the introduction of this festival, the magic used and the results, and the consideration were all neatly¡]
[Thus, I realized that I am stillcking in many aspects¡]
''?''
[Therefore, first of all, I will try to increase the number of undead that I can summon and control. Of course, I can''t neglect the quality while focusing on quantity, so I intend to maintain the strength of each individual as well. On the other hand, I will further improve the paper birds to increase the durability that is currentlycking... (omitted) Bybining transformation magic... (omitted) Directly developing golems as well¡]
''????''
Professor Millei''s calm face crumbled. Professor Millei blinked and read it several times. However, the content did not change no matter how many times she read it.
The professor''s face became serious.
''Should I stop him... right?''
Professor Millei was someone who really did not interfere with students'' choices unless it was extreme, and even if they failed, she respected that they would learn from it, but this report was quite serious.
No matter how she thought about it, it was not a goal that a 1st year should aim for now.
Professor Millei pondered whether to call him separately and counsel him, but eventually made up her mind.
''No.''
If it were another student, she would have really called and counseled them, but Wardanaz was an exception.
She was convinced that if it was Wardanaz, he must have submitted such a n because he was confident he could do it.
Professor Millei had no intention of bing a tactless teacher who unnecessarily hindered a disciple with genius talent.
''I''ll just have to tell the other professors.''
Although Professor Millei was strict and rarely expressed her emotions, it wasn''t that she didn''t love her disciples.
If the other professors knew about Wardanaz''s goal, they would surely help him implicitly.
¡ª
"Phew."
Yi-Han let out a sigh of relief.
Professor Millei, whom he met in the corridor, had briefly told him that he got a perfect score.
''It was worth setting a higher goal.''
At first, while writing the report, he thought, ''Can I set the goal this high?'' but once he started writing, he thought he could do it.
In any case, there was now that Yi-Han had to do everything he wrote in the report.
It wasn''t like Professor Millei was the skull principal and would go back to the past and deduct points for not keeping his word.
"Are you Wardanaz?"
"...?!"
Yi-Han was startled.
It wasn''t because the other person walked on water. Professor Millei had also walked on water earlier.
Yi-Han was surprised because the other person was his senior.
''What is this? Seems like a 3rd year? Can a 3rd year reveal themselves in front of a 1st year? Is it a trap set by the skull principal?''
"Tall height. Sculptural handsome face. Enormous mana..."
With those words, the senior took out a small monocle and looked through Yi-Han.
ng!
Then the monocle immediately shattered. The senior nodded without being surprised.
"Seems right. Aren''t you Wardanaz?"
"That''s right. What brings you to me?"
"I''m Anpagon. I was put in charge of this semester''s enchantment magic exam in ce of Professor Beavle. Nice to meet you."
"...Aha!"
Yi-Han demonstrated the trick of grasping the situation with just those short words.
So now...
''In the end, the skull principal got Professor Beavle!''
Considering the things Professor Beavle usually did, there was no way the skull principal would be lenient.
No matter how the professor argued, there was a very high possibility that he was thrown into the punishment room as a sign of reflection.
Even if he was considerate because it was the midterm exam period, Professor Beavle wouldn''t care at all, so the skull principal probably didn''t care either.
As a result, now Professor Beavle''s disciple had to prepare the exam in his ce like this.
"...?"
Yi-Han, who finished grasping the situation, tilted his head.
"But why did youe to me?"
"Because I have to prepare with you."
"...Pardon?"
Yi-Han couldn''t believe his ears.
There were many absurd things at Einroguard.
Like raising a basilisk and telling them to face it directly, or taking the exam together with 2nd years...
But being told to prepare the exam was an even more absurd thing.
"Why would I...? Who decided that?"
"The principal and Professor Beavle."
"Then what do I take the exam with?"
"You already have a perfect score."
Anpagon took out a letter and handed it to Yi-Han.
[Get me out of here!!!!!]
[-Beavle]
"...???"
"Look at the back, not the front."
Yi-Han flipped the letter.
[Anpagon, you will prepare the 1st year exam due to Professor Beavle''s circumstances. If you prepare carelessly because it''s bothersome, I will cancel the experiment I approvedst time. To prevent the dog-like behavior of preparing carelessly and insisting that you did your best, I will assign a 1st year student to prepare together with you. That student originally has a perfect score anyway, so you don''t have to worry about that. Of course, you won''t care as much as Professor Beavle.]
[-Os Gonadaltes]
"...Ah, no. This is too much."
"Too much?"
Anpagon did not get angry at his junior or question him.
He just asked back as if trying to quickly grasp the current situation.
"Yes. No matter how much I do my best, I don''t have the skills yet to create an exam that can check my friends'' abilities."
"I''m the one making the exam."
Anpagon looked at Yi-Han as if asking what he was talking about.
"You''re just ying a supporting role."
"...Ah!"
Yi-Han let out an exmation.
Come to think of it, no matter what, Einroguard wasn''t a mess to the point of telling a 1st year to create exam tasks.
''If I just help and get a perfect score, it''s a very profitable deal.''
Yi-Han''s expression quickly returned. The talented 1st year junior said to Anpagon.
"I will do my best to assist you."
"Thank you."
However, Anpagon already thought that Yi-Han was a slightly strange junior.
¡ª
When he came to his senses, Yi-Han realized that this situation was a better opportunity than he thought.
There weren''t many opportunities to talk with seniors at Einroguard.
"Senior. May I ask a few questions?"
"Go ahead."
"Are you learning under Professor Beavle?"
"Yeah."
"Does the professor teach you well?"
"No."
Anpagon answered immediately without any hesitation.
Yi-Han was slightly amazed.
''As expected, the disciple is just like the professor.''
If Professor Beavle''s disciple had said ''he teaches well,'' Yi-Han would have been more surprised.
"Then how are you learning enchantment magic, senior?"
"Through books, practice, and experiments. The professor is useless. In the first ce, magic is something you learn on your own."
By saying the professor was useless, Anpagon gained Yi-Han''s favor.
Although he himself did not realize it.
"It must be difficult for you to suddenly be put in charge of preparing the exam."
"It''s not difficult. I just want to finish it quickly and prepare my own experiment."
"But where exactly is Professor Beavle trapped?"
"How would I know? I don''t care."
"..."
Yi-Han smiled.
He didn''t know about other things, but the atmosphere among Professor Beavle''s disciples seemed really good.
''This atmosphere of not caring about each other. It''s the best.''
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Chapter 449
Chapter 449
The atmosphere among disciples studying in a professor''s workshop varied from ce to ce.
Some ces were friendly and close-knit, while others had a dry atmosphere where they only did their own work.
And Yi-Han didn''t dislike thetter at all.
''Honestly, it''s hard to believe Professor Beavle''s disciples are seniors.''
Yi-Han vividly remembered Professor Beavle visiting the mansion during the break and looking puzzled.
If there were seniors among Professor Beavle''s disciples who resembled their teacher, the number of people looking puzzled during the break would have multiplied several times.
That absolutely couldn''t happen.
"Come this way."
Anpagon entered the twelfth lecture hall located on the west side of the 1st floor of the main building and stacked desks to create stairs.
Then he tapped the red sculpture engraved on the ceiling three times.
Swish-
A hidden path appeared. Yi-Han saw it and took diligent notes.
''So there was a ce like this.''
"Where is this?"
"My workshop."
Anpagon said with a yawn. The human race was not exceptionally bad in terms of physical strength among the races, but they were not good either.
As such, Anpagon, who was human, couldn''t help but feel fatigue from overwork.
Yi-Han took out a thermos containing coffee from his backpack and handed it to him. Anpagon received it with a short thanks.
And he felt something strange.
''...How does a 1st year have coffee?''
"You work in a workshop, not a personal room."
"Yeah."
Even if they were just 2nd or 3rd years, Einroguard students would search all over the school to set up their own workshops.
Because...
"In the 1st year, it''s fine to practice in the dormitory room. But."
"After a while, the scale bes toorge to practice in the dormitory room."
"!"
Anpagon looked at Yi-Han with slightly surprised eyes.
He didn''t expect a 1st year junior to know this.
"That''s right. How did you know?"
"Ah. That''s..."
Yi-Han recalled the magic he had practiced.
Numerous skeleton warriors.
Lightning elements, me elements, and other destructive elements that destroy the surroundings.
And even dangerous reagents and magic from other schools of magic.
Many of them were a bit difficult to practice in the dormitory room.
If he made even a small mistake, the lounge could be in chaos.
"...I also felt inconvenience while practicing magic and had to find a new ce."
Anpagon raised his evaluation of his junior a bit more in his mind.
As expected of a junior assigned by the skull principal, he seemed to be progressing quite fast despite being a 1st year.
"Can you handle 2nd circle magic by any chance?"
"Pardon? Oh. Yes."
''He can handle it, but he doesn''t seem confident.''
But it didn''t matter.
Just being able to handle 2nd circle magic in the 1st year was quite excellent.
In any case, most of the work would have to be done by Anpagon.
Anpagon was not stupid enough to entrust most of the work to a 1st year junior.
"Now. Here."
Anpagon stopped in front of the entrance to the workshop that looked like an attic.
Then he took out a long coat hanging on the wall next to it. It was a cloak that covered the whole body with a hood attached.
"Wear this."
"What is this?"
"Protective gear. It prevents idents that may ur during artifact work."
"Ah. Do you wear this when attending lectures as a senior?"
When the grade was low, the risk was low, so it was not necessary, but the higher the level of the artifact, the greater the amount of mana and the risk of magic that went into it.
It was not surprising to work wearing such equipment.
"No. We made this ourselves. The professor usually asks why this is necessary."
"..."
In Yi-Han''s mind, Professor Beavle''s voice was reyed, innocently saying, ''Why is this necessary? You just have to not make mistakes, right?''
"Sit down."
"Yes."
Anpagon took out chests containing reagents and tools andid them out on the table, then turned on the light in the attic.
A makeshiftntern made by engraving a magic circle on a magic stone flickered and withered.
Anpagon clicked his tongue.
"Its lifespan is up. I''ll have to work on this first..."
"I''ll do it."
"Can you handle it?"
Considering the work that needed to be done in the future, he had to save mana, but Anpagon was worried whether a 1st year junior could newly engrave a magic circle on a magic stone.
Although the magic had a rtively low difficulty level, it was a different story for a 1st year.
Moreover, the makeshiftntern Anpagon had made now was small, so the size of the magic stone was also that small.
Naturally, engraving a magic circle on this became even more difficult.
"Light!"
"..."
However, instead of grabbing the magic stone and engraving a magic circle, Yi-Han simply summoned a light orb inside thentern.
Anpagon was dumbfounded.
''No...''
Basically, not only Anpagon but also Professor Beavle''s disciples were the least sociable ones at Einroguard.
As such, when a 1st year junior made such a cute mistake, it was hard to think of what to say to him.
If he directly summoned a light orb, it wouldst only a few minutes at best...
''...It''s bothersome to point it out, so I''ll just work on it again when it disappears.''
Rather than wasting time now, Anpagon thought he would have to work on it again when the light orb disappeared.
"The exam won''t be that difficult."
Although it sounded grand to say they were making an exam, it was not as difficult as they thought.
In the first ce, it was not an exam to create something out of nothing.
As a 3rd year student, Anpagon remembered the exams he had experienced in the 1st and 2nd years, and for this exam, he just had to bring those exams.
It was just a bit time-consuming and bothersome to prepare.
"Do you see the artifacts here?"
Anpagon took out a small iron rod artifact.
When he swung it once, the end of the iron rod turned white-hot and spewed mes. It was a me generation type artifact.
"Yes."
"Now this..."
Bang!
Anpagon swung the iron rod and stuck it into the wall. Then the middle of the iron rod bent slightly.
"...This is how you break it. Do you know why we break it?"
"For repair?"
Anpagon grinned, showing his teeth.
As a student of the enchantment magic school at Einroguard, there were fewer things to smile about, so it felt like he hadn''t smiled in quite a while.
"That''s right. Repair is the exam."
An excellent enchantment mage had to know not only how to make artifacts but also how to repair artifacts made by others.
One might think that creation is always more difficult than repair, but repair had a difficulty that direct creation did not have.
Since it was an artifact made by someone else, they had to first figure out how this artifact worked.
This figuring out was unexpectedly difficult.
Even for artifacts with the same effect, each mage made them in their own way.
Some mages prioritized stability and paid attention to the durability of the mana circuit of the magic circle, while others prioritized firepower and paid attention to the limit of the mana output of the magic circle.
Some mages also ignored efficiency and injected arge amount of mana as if protesting that they had a lot of mana...
Since they had to figure out these points and urately fix what was broken, repair had a difficulty that creation did not have.
"To break it, we first need artifacts."
"I''ll make them."
"No. I''ll make them."
Anpagon thought once again that this junior was a bit strange.
Who would make a 1st year do this?
"You just check."
"Is it really okay?!"
Yi-Han was startled.
Anpagon answered, dumbfounded.
"Of course it''s okay."
"I understand."
"The ones I made in advance are in that chest over there, so check those first."
"Yes."
Yi-Han opened the chest and took out the artifacts one by one.
Meanwhile, Anpagon picked up work tools and started making additional artifacts.
Given the number of students, he might have to stay up all night to finish it today even if he started now.
Chik, chichik, chichichik!
Thud, thud, thud-
For a while, the attic was quiet.
There were no words, only the sound of work echoing.
"Uh. Senior."
"What."
Anpagon turned his head with a slightly irritated voice.
He thought he was a talented junior, but did he call because he couldn''t even check one artifact?
''I hope he wasn''t bribed by the skull principal.''
"I''m done."
"..."
Anpagon blinked.
At first, he thought the junior was lying, but looking at the mana residue left on the artifact, it was clear that he had used each one once, not joking.
"Alre... already?"
"Yes. Shall I help with the production?"
"...Sure."
Anpagon handed the tools to Yi-Han.
Now he wanted to see his skills.
"Do you see the magic circle pattern here? Complete the mana flow and activate it."
"Yes."
It seemed that the amplification and maintenance parts of the circuit were missing.
Since it was a test artifact, not a permanent artifact anyway, Yi-Han boldly removed the maintenance part.
And he injected excessive mana to operate the magic circle pattern.
"It''s done."
"???"
Anpagon, who heard Yi-Han say he had activated it in less than 10 seconds, turned his head in surprise.
"Already?"
"Yes."
Surprisingly, the artifact was indeed operating.
Anpagon was startled to see the pattern Yi-Han had worked on.
Instead of constructing aplex circuit, he removed unnecessary parts and reced them with mana.
This was a kind of work that professors who were confident in both the quantity and quality of their mana and control would do.
What was even more surprising was that there was no noticeable smudging or cracks around the pattern.
Inexperienced mages oftenpleted the magic circle but damaged the artifact itself because they failed to consider the impact on the surroundings while doing this kind of work, but this junior had none of that.
As if he had repeated this kind of production hundreds or thousands of times.
Anpagon bowed his head several times to check, as if he was going to bury his head in the artifact.
Then he looked around.
"What are you looking for?"
"No. Nothing."
For a moment, Anpagon thought the skull principal was hiding next to him and teasing him.
After taking arge budget for an experimentst time, the skull principal had been scolding Anpagon whenever he saw him.
-Wow. Isn''t it Anpagon, the golden extortionist of Einroguard! You took my gold like thatst time, and there are still no results?-
-...-
-What? You want to take more? You submitted a research proposal to His Majesty the Emperor behind my backst time, didn''t you? Asking to let you use the gold in my secret warehouse!-
-...I''m sorry...-
However, the skull principal was nowhere to be seen.
Anpagon had no choice but to acknowledge that this junior had really made this.
''It''s really amazing.''
Students learning enchantment magic were not very interested in each other.
Anpagon also didn''t know what his new 2nd year juniors were interested in or what they were making.
What mattered was what he was making, not his juniors or seniors.
However, this junior was enough to forcibly create interest that didn''t exist before.
"How is it?"
"It''s excellent. But..."
"?"
"We can''t use this."
"Oh. Did I make something wrong?"
Anpagon nodded.
"If you make it like this, it won''t break."
"..."
The moreplex and sophisticated the magic circle pattern and circuit, the more prone it was to breaking.
If it was finished as simply and solidly as possible like Yi-Han did, it was difficult to break it.
Since they needed broken artifacts, they had to make them less sturdy.
"Th, that''s right. I missed that. As expected of you, senior."
"...Is this something I should be praised for?"
Anpagon asked back, genuinely not understanding.
It seemed like the praise should be given to what the junior had just made...
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Chapter 450
Chapter 450
Regardless of that, Yi-Han sent a gaze of respect to Anpagon.
"Isn''t the basics always the most important?"
"This doesn''t seem to have anything to do with the basics..."
While Anpagon was muttering, Yi-Han fixed the magic circle again.
After adding back the parts that were removed for being inefficient andpleting the pattern, it became an artifact that was roughly easy to break.
"How is it?"
"Excellent. You can keep going."
The two students resumed their work.
Anpagon changed the estimated work time after seeing Yi-Han''s speed.
''We might finish before it gets dark.''
If they didn''t have to stay up all night, he could resume working on the magic amplification waterwheel artifact at dawn. Anpagon''s face brightened.
Tap tap tap tap tap-
"Aren''t you taking a break?"
"Pardon? Ah. I have enough mana left, so it''s fine."
"Okay."
Anpagon was about to tell his junior to take a break, but he didn''t want to meddle, so he just stopped himself.
However, he couldn''t help but be concerned.
''It''s dangerous to consume mana too excessively.''
Thud thud thud thud thud thud thud!
"...?"
However, the junior produced artifacts with tireless stamina.
Anpagon was amazed. And he changed the estimated work time once more.
''...Maybe we''ll finish by dinner?''
If they finished by dinner, he might be able to stop by the ck Tortoise Tower student cafeteria for a simple meal before working on the magic amplification waterwheel artifact.
"Senior."
"You want to rest now?"
"No. I used up all the materials here, so where is the new chest?"
"..."
Anpagon''s heart, which had rusted due to Einroguard''s eventful environment, began to beat slightly.
Could it be...
Could it be that they would finish before dinner?
¡ª
They really finished before dinner.
Anpagon had an expression of not being able to believe this reality beyond joy.
"I think we''re all done. Senior. Then I''ll get going."
"O, okay."
"But senior."
Yi-Han, who had a bit of free time since they finished earlier than expected, threw a question.
"Aren''t there other people learning enchantment magic? Why only you, senior?"
"I''m the most sociable one."
"..."
For a moment, Yi-Han wondered if he shouldugh, thinking the senior was joking.
"...I, I see."
"You canugh. Our school is known to be the least sociable at Einroguard anyway."
"What''s the need for social activities? The important thing for a mage is magic."
"Isn''t the important thing for a mage the ability to secure funding?"
"Which stupid fellow says that?"
"The principal?"
"I knew it. Let''s not mind him."
Yi-Han countered without being flustered.
Anpagon couldn''t help but admire again at the wisdom of seeing through the skull principal''s true nature despite being a 1st year.
Anyone who saw him would think he was at least a 4th year.
"Indeed, ignoring him is the best..."
"Yes. Then I''ll get going."
Yi-Han finished his greetings and left, carrying two chests that were in the attic. They were chests where Anpagon had collected unused reagents.
It was quite a rare sight for a 1st year junior to diligently take two chests, but Anpagon was too shocked by what had happened today to pay attention to that part.
"...Did I dream..."
While Anpagon was muttering, the door to the attic opened again.
Other students majoring in enchantment magic were waiting downstairs.
"Is it all done?"
"Yeah. It ended early."
The students came up to the attic.
There were 2nd years, 3rd years, and 4th years, but they all had one thing inmon: they didn''t pay much attention to each other.
If it weren''t for this spirit flood, they wouldn''t have borrowed another student''s workshop like this.
"Why did it end early..."
"I''m not curious."
"Sorry, Senior Anpagon. Can we start working right away?"
"..."
Anpagon was about to say something but stopped.
Although he didn''t usually like to chat, being blocked like this made an unfamiliar emotion slightly rise in his heart.
It was anger.
"...Sure."
Instead of speaking, Anpagon thought he should know it alone.
Thinking that he alone knew an amazing fact that the other students didn''t know made him feel strangely refreshed.
"...Wait!! The light!!!"
Anpagon, who was about to sit down, screamed when he saw the light orb still floating without going out.
Then the other students stared nkly at Anpagon.
"Senior Anpagon. I''m sorry, but..."
"Let''s be quiet."
"...Okay."
Anpagon vowed that he would never tell these guys.
¡ª
"Principal. Where did Professor Beavle go?"
-I told you he''s trapped.-
The skull principal answered Gainando as if it was bothersome.
Gainando nodded his head in understanding, then came back and asked the skull principal again.
"Principal. Where did Professor Beavle go?"
-I told you he''s trapped! You ironhead. Why do you keep asking the same question? Are you provoking me?-
"Ah, no. It''s just that I feel good hearing that the professor is trapped over and over."
-...-
The skull principal hung Gainando upside down and swiftly left.
Yi-Han, who had returned after finishing his work, saw the hanging Gainando and asked.
"But you don''t even take enchantment magic?"
"I just like hearing that the professor is trapped..."
"I, I see."
Yi-Han dropped the hanging Gainando. Gainando, who fell into the water with a ssh, groaned.
"And Professor Beavle keepsing to bother people during the break."
At Gainando''s grumbling, Yi-Han sympathized for the first time in a while.
''For once, he''s saying something that makes sense.''
Thinking about when he came during the break, it seemed like Professor Beavle could be trapped a bit longer.
"Where did you go? Gasp. Wait. I think I know."
"Oh..."
Yi-Han had a slight expectation when Gainando showed a sharp appearance for once.
Indeed, looking at Yi-Han''s current appearance, there were many elements to deduce.
The gloves stained with various reagents, the metal debris stuck on the cloak, etc.
Anyone could tell that he had been working on artifacts.
"You went to rescue Professor Beavle, right?! Hey. Don''t go! What''s the point of rescuing him!"
"...I didn''t go. I just prepared for the enchantment magic midterm exam instead. The professor isn''t here."
"Oh. Really?"
Gainando just epted it.
Other friends would have said, ''Hey, you idiot, don¡¯t just let it slide! You should ask more!'' but Gainando just let it go.
"Don''t rescue Professor Beavle. There''s nothing good about rescuing him."
"Are you saying this just because of the one time he visited the mansion during the break?"
"Yeah."
Gainando nodded his head confidently without any shame. Yi-Han was slightly amazed.
"Okay. Don''t worry, I have no intention of rescuing him."
"Don''t go even if Professor Beavle piles up gold for you."
"...Hmm."
"Yi-Han...!"
Gainando felt sorry for his friend who was trying to forgive the professor who took away the joy of the break with gold.
Wasn''t self-esteem more important than gold?
Screech-
The two who returned to the library scattered to do their own things.
Gainando sat down sneakily among his friends.
It looked like a study group with thick magic books open, but in fact, it was a fun group secretly ying card games underneath.
"Where have you been?"
"I went fishing and got hung by the principal."
"Oh dear."
The students from other towers didn''t care whether Gainando was hung or not.
One of them asked in puzzlement.
"How did you get free?"
"Yi-Han passed by and released me."
"Can''t you do anything by yourself?"
"Hey. Isn''t it more amazing to have someone next to you who can do it for you?"
"..."
"..."
The Blue Dragon Tower students next to him threw cards at Gainando''s face. Gainando let out a bird-like scream.
"It is amazing! It is amaz..."
"Stop before you get hit."
"Why did Wardanaz pass by?"
"He wasing back from preparing for the enchantment magic exam."
Gainando answered roughly and stared at the deck.
To y as many rounds as possible before dinner was served, he had to quicklyplete the deck.
If he took out the curse deck, his friends wouldn''t y against him, so he sneakily put one deck he could deceive and the curse deck underneath...
"What? He prepared for the enchantment magic exam?"
"Why did he prepare outside? He could have studied inside."
When the students tilted their heads, Gainando answered as if annoyed.
"You idiots. He directly made the exam, not studied. Be quiet, I need to put in the mage card."
"..."
"..."
When the students fell silent, Gainando nodded his head with a grin.
It seemed these friends had finally learned to respect the imperial family.
Bang!
"What nonsense are you saying?!"
One of the students jumped up. The table shook greatly at the force. The stack of cards Gainando had painstakingly organized scattered on the floor.
Ignoring the prince''s scream, the students talked among themselves.
"Does that make sense? Ah, no. Wardanaz is an absurd guy, but the same year?"
"What did I say? Wardanaz''s family vision from before admission..."
"My cards are scattered! You guys!"
"Is that important now?!"
"We''ll clean it up for you, so talk about the enchantment magic exam! We have to take the enchantment magic exam!"
Of course, Gainando didn''t have the ability to properly talk about it. While the students were noisily chattering, Yi-Han arrived nearby.
"What are you all doing?"
"Wardanaz! Is it true that you made the enchantment magic exam?!"
The students stared at Yi-Han with trembling eyes of shock.
"What nonsense... The senior made it. I just helped with some chores on the side."
"...Ah!"
The students, who finally understood, let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately,mon sense had not copsed.
"I knew it was just the prince''s fuss."
"See. What did I say?"
It seemed to be wrapping up nicely, but unfortunately, it didn''t.
Yi-Han saw the piles of mage cards that had fallen on the floor and asked.
"What are these?"
"..."
"...Uh... that''s..."
"Lift up the book."
Yi-Han''s voice was even, but there was a chilling warning in it.
The White Tiger Tower student froze like a bird red at by a snake.
"Wh... wh... why?"
"Lift it. Before you get hit."
When he lifted the book, the mage cards that were hidden by hollowing out the inside came out. Yi-Han hit his head with the staff.
"Ouch!"
"Next. You..."
The student who became the next target hurriedly opened the book. There was nothing.
"Put down your coat and open the inner pocket."
"..."
¡ª
After stopping the illegal mage card gathering, Yi-Han shared the exam content with the students taking enchantment magic.
When they heard that the exam would be about repairing broken artifacts, the students murmured.
"Exactly which part is broken, Wardanaz?"
"I don''t know."
"How long is the artifact?"
"I don''t know."
"You guys, don''t bother Wardanaz! There''s no way he can tell you such things!"
Nillia shouted as if warning.
Yi-Han was slightly moved by his friend''s help.
Indeed, in a situation like this, the only thing he could trust was his friend.
Swish-
As the students reflected and backed away, Nillia quickly put a bar of chocte in Yi-Han''s hand.
Then she whispered.
"Which artifact is advantageous to choose?"
"...Nillia..."
"I, I was just joking."
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Chapter 451
Chapter 451
''Has he adapted too well to Einroguard?''
The lone wolf-like hunter from the Shadow Patrol had disappeared, and only the seasoned Einroguard student remained.
The ck Tortoise Tower students were very disappointed when Nillia backed off.
"Ah... I thought it might work if we did it well...!"
"Wouldn''t silver coins have been better?"
"An offer that doesn''t work on us wouldn''t have worked on Wardanaz because of money."
"I thought there was a high possibility of it working since Nillia is close with the Blue Dragon Tower kids."
Twitch!
Yi-Han clearly saw Nillia twitch and scan her friends'' expressions.
"...Nillia. Wait a moment."
"Huh? Why? What is it?"
"The Blue Dragon Tower kids were looking for you. They seem to be having a hard time without you."
"...Huh? Really¨J?"
Even if she tried to hide it, she couldn''t hide the rising tone of her voice and her ears slightly perking up.
"Of course. Without you, half of the Blue Dragon Tower kids would starve to death. I know you''re busy because of the ck Tortoise Tower friends, but pay some attention to them."
Nillia nodded her head with the most dignified expression possible.
"Ha. Darn! I didn''t think of that."
"It can happen."
Behind them, the ck Tortoise Tower students stared at Nillia with admiring faces.
Nillia, whom even the high noble family students from the Blue Dragon Tower relied on and respected, was an object of admiration among her friends.
The aloof hunter from the Shadow Patrol who came down from the distant northern mountains, on a different level from them!
Hearing the conversation just now, their respect only grew.
"She didn''t even blink an eye at the ballst time. She didn''t even flinch."
"To Nillia, who has been through all sorts of trials, something like a ball must have seemed like child''s y?"
"..."
Nillia listened to the conversation with her ears perked up, then sneakily whispered to Yi-Han.
"But did the Blue Dragon Tower kids really look for me?"
"Uh..."
"...Anyway, thanks."
Nillia nodded her head as if she knew it would be like this and expressed her gratitude to Yi-Han.
¡ª
Wednesday morning.
Yi-Han, who had finished helping Anpagon with the students taking the enchantment magic midterm exam, went outside to prepare for the next exam.
"Hmm..."
"What''s wrong? Did something happen?"
"What the senior said was a bit strange."
Yi-Han exined what had happened to Yonaire, who was casting a fishing rod next to him.
It wasn''t surprising that Yi-Han had helped Anpagon and supervised the enchantment magic exam since all his friends knew about it, but what Anpagon said after the exam was a bit strange.
"What did he say?"
"He said it would be better to be careful because it would be bothersome if rumors spread among other seniors about an outstanding junior..."
Yi-Han didn''t understand.
First of all, Yi-Han had already made a name for himself among the seniors since the 1st semester.
Just looking at what Senior Direth or Senior Ogoldos saidst time, there were quite a few seniors who knew Yi-Han''s name.
''Isn''t it already toote? Oh? Is it not toote yet?''
"If that''s the case, could it be that only the dark magic school seniors know about it?"
Yi-Han made a slightly hopeful prediction.
It wouldn''t be strange if the dark magic school seniors, who basically had unfortunate social rtionships, didn''t tell others about Yi-Han.
''Hmm?''
Yonaire, who had caught a trout and thrown it into the, was puzzled.
ording to what she had heard, the enchantment magic school seniors also seemed to have quite unfortunate social rtionships.
In Yonaire''s view, the enchantment magic school seniors seemed to have even narrower human rtionships than the dark magic school seniors.
At least the dark magic school seniors had enough social skills to cooperate with friends from other schools and summon the King of Frost Giants to the academy, right?
Whether that was a positive thing or not, she wasn''t sure...
''Could the enchantment magic school senior be mistaken?''
"Yonaire. Yonaire. Are you listening? I think only the dark magic side seniors know. Then, unexpectedly, other seniors might not have much interest."
Yi-Han was delighted.
He didn''t want to receive unnecessary attention beyond what was needed.
"Yeah... Hmm."
Yonaire couldn''t bring herself to tell her friend what she was thinking when she saw him happy.
"Wardanaz! Come down quickly!"
"?"
Yi-Han, who was sitting on the devouring-ship fish, turned his head.
The White Tiger Tower friends, who had left earlier to take the swordsmanship exam, were sshing and swimming in the water.
"Why are you guys doing that there?"
"What are you talking about? We have to take the exam!"
"...??"
Yi-Han was momentarily flustered.
''Shouldn''t swordsmanship be tested on solid ground?''
Since it was a swordsmanship ss, he naturally thought it would be done on solid ground.
"Don''t tell me the exam is taken in the water?"
"Yeah. We heard we have to steal a ship."
"Hurry up ande in! It''s hard without you!"
"You have to get rid of things like the devouring-ship fish or ships. Get rid of them ande in."
"...How do I know you''re not deceiving me?"
At Yi-Han''s suspicious gaze, the White Tiger Tower students shouted, choked up.
"Would we all be doing this here just to deceive you?!"
"Juste in quickly!"
Some of the White Tiger Tower students who were shouting angrily suddenly thought inwardly.
''Huh? Wouldn''t it be worth trying to deceive Wardanaz once?''
Come to think of it, it was a sufficiently profitable deal.
¡ª
The knights of the White Wood Knight Order who hade to help with the exam were startled by the sight of Einroguard, which hadpletely turned into a sea.
"First, we need to stop the rain and drain the water, right?"
"Unfortunately, the principal said it''s difficult."
"Pardon? That can''t be. I know that in the past, Lord Gonadaltes once dried up seawater, so for just this level of flood..."
Professor Ingurdel quickly changed the subject.
Talking about this topic for a long time would only lead to the knights from outside cursing Einroguard.
"Turning a crisis into an opportunity is also a knight''s virtue. You don''t have to worry. We can take the exam even in this environment."
"Aha. Are you taking the exam indoors?"
The knights looked at the professor as if it was a very good idea.
If they took it indoors, they could see proper swordsmanship skills even in this flooded situation.
"The inside is also heavily flooded right now... We have prepared a ship here."
Professor Ingurdel pointed behind him.
A sleek warship with a quite agile appearance was waiting behind.
"Aha! Having the students duel with swords on top of that...!"
"I''m thinking of having the students swim and try to steal this ship."
"..."
The knights were momentarily at a loss for words.
The young squires behind them whispered.
-Isn''t this too much?-
-Telling them to swim and steal a ship in this weather is a bit¡-
Professor Ingurdel himself didn''t notice, but in the eyes of outsiders, Professor Ingurdel was already a sufficiently excellent Einroguard professor.
¡ª
"...First, let''s alle up with a n."
Yi-Han talked with the White Tiger Tower students while floating on the water.
Three in a group, without using magic, swim with bare hands, and steal one warship located in a designated ce.
It was a simple but unbelievable exam.
''Has Professor Ingurdel finally beenpletely absorbed into Einroguard?''
Yi-Han felt sorry.
Professor Ingurdel was someone who had maintained a line to some extent...
"Wh, what? Why are you all in the water?"
"Come in. Quickly."
The students who enteredter than Yi-Han were dumbfounded when they heard the exam content.
"Where is the ship?"
"Do you see the reef and peak over there in the sea?"
"It''s not a reef, it''s a stable, and it''s not a peak, it''s a tower..."
"Anyway, if you go around there, there''s a warship."
"Then why are we doing this here?"
"...To hear Wardanaz''s n?"
"What are you talking about!"
Dukma shouted as if he couldn''t believe it.
"Of course it''s every man for himself. Do you think we''ll take orders from Wardanaz?! Wardanaz is also apetitor!"
"Hey. Wait a minute! At least listen to what he says..."
"You guys stay here! Let''s go! We''ll be the first to nt the g!"
Dukma took his team members and started swimming vigorously. Yi-Han looked at their backs and felt sorry.
''They left without even deciding how to use it!''
After Dukma and his friends disappeared around the stable, no, the reef, there was a moment of silence.
Swish swish swish swish ssh!
And fierce water spears began to fly above the water surface.
"!!"
"Ugh! Ack! Bleh! Bleh bleh!"
Although not sharply honed, the thick water spears had the power to push students deep into the sea with each hit.
Dukma and his friends screamed and dived deep into the water. Then they hurriedly distanced themselves and returned to their friends.
"What happened????"
"The, the knights on the ship... so underhanded...!"
They had expected interference from the deck once they climbed onto the ship, but they didn''t think they would immediately fire water spears with crossbows before they even approached.
Dukma and his friends coughed and spat out water.
"Thanks, Dukma. Thanks to your sacrifice, we were able to know what happens."
"...Wardanaz."
Dukma reflected a little.
Even though Wardanaz wasn''t from the White Tiger Tower, he was focusing on the problem at hand, putting aside personalpetitiveness or emotions.
But Dukma himself had rebelled against that and ended up like this.
"Since you''re already going, let''s try once more. This time, let''s spread out in threes..."
"...Get lost!!"
Dukma turned his head away, grumbling in anger. Yi-Han felt sorry.
"Was I too hasty?"
"I, I think so."
Even Dolgyu couldn''t take Yi-Han''s side.
When Yi-Han failed toe up with any special n, the students began to murmur.
"Wardanaz. Do you really have no n?"
"It seems difficult if we can''t use magic."
"Really?"
"...Do you think I can''t beat you guys if I can''t use magic right now?"
The White Tiger Tower students, who were about to doubt him, flinched and backed away at Yi-Han''s serious question.
"Damn it. Is it too much even for Wardanaz..."
"Well, it''s apetitive exam in the first ce. Okay. Let''s try to break through on our own."
As the students scattered on the water, Yi-Han also fell into thought.
''Can''t use underwater breathing, can''t use illusion magic, can''t use cold magic... It''s certainly difficult.''
Yi-Han realized that he relied on magic much more than he thought.
Perhaps Professor Ingurdel threw the students into this extreme situation to teach them this.
Or maybe he just wanted to see the students suffer like the other Einroguard professors.
"Wait. Dolgyu. Where did Moradi go?"
"Wh, why are you asking that now?"
"I didn''t notice earlier because there were many White Tiger Tower students."
"Moradi said she would do some scouting before you came and moved."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a small ssh from the opposite side, and Jijel raised her head from the water.
Yi-Han shouted as if he had realized it.
"Did you go around the opposite direction and approach? You saw through their carelessness thinking the path was too long for you toe this way! But there still would have been someone watching... Ah. I see. If you go around the opposite direction, it''s near the Logging Tower, so there would be a lot of debris drifting in the water. If you disguised yourself among that debris, you could approach without being noticed. Well done, Moradi! Let''s leave right away!"
Now that the other students were distracting attention by floundering from the front, it was the perfect opportunity.
In order not to waste even a little time, Yi-Han began to swim in the direction Moradi hade from. Dolgyu quietly followed behind, taken aback.
"..."
Jijel, who had swum far and returned, gasping for breath and about to exin, was dumbfounded to see the two of them.
That guy...
...What the hell is he??
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Chapter 452
Chapter 452
"Yi, Yi-Han. Wouldn''t it be better to hear Moradi''s exnation?"
Dolgyu, who noticed Jijel''s gaze, called out to Yi-Han, who was swimming ahead.
"Ah. Right. There might be something I missed. Sorry, Moradi. I was in a hurry. Exin it."
"...If you go around the opposite direction and approach, there''s a lot of debris drifting in the water near the Logging Tower... Forget it. Screw you. You bastard."
"?!"
Yi-Han, who suddenly got cursed at, was dumbfounded.
"Why is she doing that? Could it be because I punched the White Tiger Tower guys a few times yesterday for not studying?"
"I think you did the right thing..."
Dolgyu muttered.
The White Tiger Tower students grumbled, ''Why does Wardanaz hate us so much?'' but in Dolgyu''s view, this wasn''t Yi-Han''s fault.
If they didn''t want to be nagged, they shouldn''t have done things to deserve it.
"By the way, Moradi. There''s one thing I''m curious about."
"Speak. I''m listening."
"Shouldn''t you tell the other friends too?"
"?"
"?"
Yi-Han and Jijel looked at Dolgyu as if asking what nonsense he was spouting.
Then the two exchanged nces separately.
"Shall we leave?"
"Let''s leave."
"Let''s go, Dolgyu."
"Ah, no... to the friends...?"
Yi-Han and Jijel started moving in the opposite direction, pulling and pushing Dolgyu.
¡ª
"The students have amazing stamina."
The knights of the White Wood Knight Order on the warship admired the students swimming from far away on the horizon.
When people heard that someone was studying at Einroguard, it was easy to imagine a sickly mage who locked themselves in a room and indulged only in magic books, but as expected, the students were tough as they were from knight families.
"It seems they are not forgetting to train their bodies even at Einroguard."
"Hmm."
Professor Ingurdel didn''t bother to mention Einroguard''s harsh environment where the body was trained even when standing still.
"Fire."
"Ge, General. If we keep shooting like this and they drown..."
"Tsk. Since when do you sympathize with the enemy? Did I teach you that way?"
"Ah, no. I''m sorry."
Originally, the young squires of the White Wood Knight Order were not on good terms with the White Tiger Tower students.
Starting from the difference between being purely affiliated with the knight order and being affiliated with the magic academy, they hadpeted several times this year, so there was bound to be apetitive spirit.
However, even those squires felt too sorry for the White Tiger Tower students to coldly attack them now.
''This is too much...!''
''Do we have to go this far?''
The White Tiger Tower students swimming in from the stormy sea in the rain looked precarious like leaves drifting here and there.
"But can the students climb onto the warship with their bare hands without using magic?"
One of the knights suddenly became curious and asked.
It would take time for them to scatter and approach, but climbing the slippery outer wall of the warship in this rainy weather was no ordinary feat.
Knights who had broken through the wall of aura could climb the outer wall using superhuman physical abilities and mana, but it was still too much for students.
"Of course it will be difficult. But this exam was not prepared to simply test physical abilities."
Professor Ingurdel pointed around the warship.
There were pieces of equipment floating among things that looked like fragments or debris.
"Aha! You scattered boarding equipment!"
"That''s right. The students will surely be able to find them."
"I also misunderstood, thinking the professor would just tell them to climb with their bare hands! Haha!"
"...Did, did I seem like that?"
Professor Ingurdel was slightly flustered.
Unlike other professors at Einroguard, he thought he was teaching quite rationally.
Ssh!
"?"
Hearing a sounding from behind during the conversation, the professor and the knights turned their heads.
Yi-Han''s group, soaked in water, was ring at them from the deck of the warship.
¡ª
"Wait. Is it possible to climb up without using magic?"
"...!"
While the friends were ying the water spear dodging game from the other direction, Yi-Han''s group seeded in approaching close to the warship.
However, the outer wall of the warship was not as easy as they thought. Without using magic, it didn''t seem easy to hook fingers or support weight.
Dolgyu whispered cautiously.
"No matter how I think about it, I don''t think the professor would have told us to just climb this. Isn''t there something else somewhere? Aren''t we missing something?"
"Dolgyu. I respect you, but you''re thinking like a 1st semester student right now."
"That''s right, Choi. Get a grip. Does this look like a knight''s quarters to you?"
Yi-Han and Jijel sharply rebuked Dolgyu.
Dolgyu felt wronged but kept his mouth shut, thinking they must be right.
"I think... climbing using mana utilization is the answer."
"Mana utilization?"
"Yeah. Do you remember the swordsmanship of the Engge family?"
"Wardanaz. Even if you don''t know, Choi and I are from knight families."
Jijel threw a dumbfounded gaze.
The Engge family.
They were famous among knight families for using absorption-type swordsmanship.
Didn''t Yi-Han also learn the principle of using this absorption property in a duel and use it quite usefully?
"Although it''s not perfect enough to use it skillfully in swordsmanship, it''s enough to climb with that level. They must have told us to steal the warship with this in mind."
"But... mana utilization isn''t that easy."
Jijel''s eyebrows curved roundly.
It was called mana utilization, but that was a conversion that peculiarly changed the properties of mana.
Since it was a knight''s technique that had to be converted with instinct and sense, not a mage''s magic studied with logic, reason, andws, the difficulty level was much higher.
"Is that the goal of this exam? Is it really?"
"Moradi. Think carefully. This is Einroguard."
"..."
It was infuriating, but Jijel had no choice but to agree.
Come to think of it, they had swum all the way here, so what couldn''t the professor make them do?
"...Okay, Wardanaz. Try exining it."
Yi-Han did his best to exin the principle of absorption to his friends.
Draw out mana from deep within the center of the body and circte it, while thinking of the property of viscosity, convert it and simultaneously release the mana...
"The principle is simr to elemental magic. It''s about changing the properties with imagery, but you have to maintain it while circting it. And you also have to release some at the same time."
"..."
"..."
The two were appalled at the exnation of the absurd difficulty level. Dolgyu carefully asked.
"Isn''t there a knack or something?"
"Uh... well. You can focus on just converting and releasing, giving up on circting."
"Really? Wait. Then wouldn''t the mana consumption be too severe?"
"Yeah... that''s right."
"..."
"..."
Another awkward silence lingered. Jijel gave up and said.
"Just climb up. I''ll try to follow somehow."
After that, there were several attempts.
Jijel and Dolgyu seeded in converting mana with absorption properties, as they were top talents in their year, but they couldn''t maintain it long enough to use it.
They had to maintain it at least until they climbed onto the warship.
"This won''t work. We''ll get caught like this. Take this."
Yi-Han took off his coat and made a rope. Then he threw it to Jijel.
Jijel looked at Yi-Han with a gaze full of wariness.
"What are you thinking?"
"...I''m thinking of tying each other and supporting."
"Ah."
Jijel was embarrassed but didn''t show it and tied the rope around her body. Dolgyu next to her blushed slightly.
''It''s a good thing I didn''t say anything.''
Actually, Dolgyu also thought Yi-Han was going to tie up Moradi and use her as bait.
"Let''s try again. Three, two, one... let''s go!"
Thwack!
Yi-Han chopped his hand like an axe and stuck it to the outer wall of the warship.
In a normal situation, it would naturally slip, but the mana released from his hand firmly fixed his body.
''It works!''
It was the most stable among the attempts they had made so far.
Yi-Han slowly and carefully climbed the outer wall of the warship.
Creak-
"..."
Yi-Han was startled when a piece of nk fell off, perhaps because he released mana too strongly.
Although he didn''t have to worry about mana depletion, seeing this made him feel the need to pay attention to cirction.
''I need to reduce the force.''
Yi-Han took a deep breath and circted mana inside his body. With a stable flow, the amount of mana released from his fingertips began to be controlled.
Yi-Han felt amazed.
''Have I improved?''
It was a much more stable flow than what he had done in the swordsmanship ss before.
Come to think of it, it wouldn''t be surprising if he had be ustomed to this cirction since he had gone through countless real battles since then.
Moreover, at some point, Yi-Han had given up on cirction and relied only on a crude amount of mana, just releasing it...
"...!"
Jijel, who was climbing up below Yi-Han, was startled.
A faint mana light was flickering all over Wardanaz''s body above.
To think that a boy of Jijel''s age was showing a phenomenon that was only seen when knights gathered their breath and drew out mana before using aura.
If she wasn''t mistaken about that phenomenon, Wardanaz was now in a situation close to the wall of aura.
A situation where he could break through the wall once he gained enlightenment!
Jijel had to feel an endlesslyplicated feeling.
She was jealous, but at the same time, she couldn''t help but cheer him on as a knight.
Falling into such a state of immersion was a tremendous fortune. Depending on how long he stayed in that state, the time it took to break through the wall would differ...
Thud!
"It''s done! Come up!"
As soon as he arrived on the deck, Yi-Han released his mana and threw his body, then pulled up the rope.
He had to hurry and pull up his friends since he didn''t know when they would be discovered.
Of course, the mana light he had shown earlier had long disappeared.
"Hey...!!! You crazy bi...!!"
Jijel almost fainted for real.
What kind of opportunity did this crazy mage boy just throw away?
"You right now...! You...!"
"What''s wrong with you? Are you crazy?"
"¡ö¡õ¡ð¡ñ¡î¡ô!!!"
"Be quiet. We''ll get caught! Dolgyu. Come up."
Yi-Han quickly pulled up Dolgyu as well.
Then he lowered his posture and approached. Fortunately, it seemed the people on the deck hadn''t noticed yet because of the distance.
''Thank you. White Tiger Tower guys.''
Yi-Han was grateful for friendship and tried to approach closer...
"...scattered boarding equipment..."
"...the students will surely be able to find..."
"?"
"???"
Yi-Han, Jijel, and Dolgyu fell silent at the same time.
Dolgyu looked at his friends with a resentful gaze.
Ssh!
Yi-Han threw off his coat. He had to make his body light anyway since he had to fight the squires on the deck.
"Ah, no, why from that side?"
"...Going around was not the proper... Ah. Forget it. Moradi. Take the left. Dolgyu. I''m counting on you for the right!"
Yi-Han started the attack right away, thinking that if he talked more, it would only lower his friends'' morale.
Jijel must have had a simr thought as she moved immediately.
''Wasn''t going around the right answer?''
''I thought it was obvious to tell us to go around...''
Yi-Han ran out, feeling bitter.
The squires of the knight order, who were aiming crossbows at the bottom of the warship, were startled and took a stance.
"How the hell did you guyse around?! No, how did you climb up? You don''t even have equipment!"
"..."
Instead of wasting unnecessary emotions, Yi-Han decided to approach as efficiently as possible.
"Cou... cough. Cough, cough! Cough cough!"
Yi-Han coughed like a patient with lung disease. He looked like a patient with hypothermia from staying in the sea for a long time.
"Wardanaz! Are you okay? I told you this was dangerous..."
"You fool! Turning your back on the enemy!"
The squire turned around to call the knight but was startled by the shout and turned his head.
Yi-Han, who had been coughing as if he was about to die until just now, was fiercely rushing in.
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Chapter 453
Chapter 453
"Ugh, you... you bastard! I was worried about you...!"
"Sorry."
Yi-Han knocked down the screaming squire.
The squire couldn''t withstand it since it was already difficult to win in a sh of swordsmanship skills, let alone being ambushed.
"Choi! Even you!"
"So, sorry."
Dolgyu quickly took down the squire.
"Moradi, you... I see! It''s a trick you ordered?!"
"..."
Jijel frowned and kicked the fallen squire with her foot, pushing him off the deck. The squire fell into the sea with a ssh.
"It''s an ambush! Come and help quickly!"
"Put down the crossbows ande here! Wardanaz is attacking!"
"What? We can''t use magic!"
Dolgyu protested without realizing it.
"We didn''t use it!"
"Now''s not the time to answer that, Dolgyu."
Yi-Han quickly scanned the deck.
They had knocked down a few with the ambush, but there were still remaining squires. As expected of those who trained together in the knight order, they quickly gathered on the deck and formed a formation even in the sudden situation.
In contrast, Yi-Han''s side not only had fewer numbers but alsocked stamina from swimming for a long time. It would be dangerous to fight for long.
"Yi-Han. They''re trying to surround us!"
"I know. Let''s move to the side!"
Yi-Han ran away from the center of the deck towards the bow. The narrow passage next to the cabin connected to the bow was quite cramped, making it difficult to surround them.
The squires trying to surround them from behind shouted in surprise.
"Hey! Why are you running away! You have to upy the warship!"
"Will you fight one-on-one?!"
"Th, that''s not possible, but..."
As the squires persistently chased after them, Yi-Han suddenly stopped and turned around.
Then he pointed his sword.
Thinking he finally decided to fight, the squires also carefully grabbed their swords.
They had suffered several times after being deceived by the name of the Wardanaz family. They absolutely didn''t let their guard down.
"I''ming."
"Come, Wardanaz. We won''t back down easi..."
Whoosh!
Yi-Han turned around again and started running back.
"..."
"...Ah, no. Are you really from the Wardanaz family?!"
The squires chased after him again, shouting.
They couldn''t figure out what this guy was up to.
There was no point in running around the warship like this...
"He might be aiming for divide and conquer. Moradi is over there! Be careful!"
"Got it. Everyone, don''t let your guard down! Even if the path is narrow, don''t get too far apart!"
Jijel, who was running in front of Yi-Han, cursed the squires inwardly.
Fools who couldn''t see the proper truth because of the family''s image!
A chase ensued, and when Yi-Han''s group''s steps gradually slowed down, the squires finally caught up from both sides.
"Huff... huff huff."
"Phew, phew."
A situation where only rough breathing could be heard as they were all exhausted.
"Wa... Wardanaz. There''s nowhere to run now. Let''s duel."
"Yeah. Okay."
Yi-Han readily nodded.
Of course, the squires didn''t believe him.
"Don''t fall for it."
"That Choi guy is the same. You saw him calmly using tricks with an innocent face, right?"
"..."
Dolgyu blushed slightly in embarrassment.
Suddenly, Yi-Han pointed behind him and shouted.
"Behind! Look behind you!"
"Wardanaz... do you think we''ll fall for that?"
The squires spoke with a prideful expression.
They felt like they had be skilled at dealing with all sorts of tricks while facing Yi-Han''s group.
Seeing that expression, Jijel clicked her tongue and muttered.
"Is being deceived a lot something to be proud of..."
"Do whatever you want, Moradi. We won''t fall for your schemes any... ugh!"
One of the squires fell forward.
The White Tiger Tower students, who had climbed up with hooks from behind, were ring at the squires, panting.
"Shoot again, you dirty bastards! I dare you to shoot!"
"Ah, no...! We didn''t shoot because we wanted to..."
"Throw these guys into the sea! Throw them into the sea and make them climb up directly!"
"What kind of bastards are they?!"
The squires were furious at the response of the White Tiger Tower students who showed no gratitude at all.
¡ª
Although there was a messy fight, fortunately, it was quickly resolved thanks to Professor Ingurdel and the knights.
While some knights were talking about ''it''s an interesting training, what if we switch it up and make our knights do it,'' Professor Ingurdel evaluated the students'' exam.
"Good work, everyone. Alpha. It was excellent to find the hooks among the pile of trash and hook them onto the ship."
"I was lucky."
Ango scratched the back of his head, feeling proud.
"Jay. It was excellent to block the water spears. But blocking the water spears with your own body is dangerous. Even if you''re wearing armor, you can get seriously injured in realbat, so be careful."
"Don''t worry! I''m sturdy!"
''No, that ignorant bastard.''
While Yi-Han was clicking his tongue, it was finally Yi-Han''s group''s turn.
Professor Ingurdel spoke, looking at the three of them.
"Finding a path that others didn''t think of..."
"Professor. Wait a moment."
Yi-Han, who was waiting for a perfect score, flinched at Jijel''s sudden remark.
"I have something to tell you."
"Moradi. Why are you doing this? We''re on the same team."
Yi-Han, sensing something ominous, tried his best to appease Moradi.
Moreover, this exam was really unfair. Unlike other situations, it''s not like he had deceived Moradi in any way.
"Is it because you were misunderstood for using the trick I used earlier? That wasn''t my intention. Let''s not unnecessarily lower each other''s scores."
Yi-Han thought Moradi was going to lower his score even if it meant lowering her own score.
However, that wasn''t why Moradi brought it up.
"Wardanaz briefly showed mana light all over his body while climbing the warship earlier."
"?!!"
Professor Ingurdel was startled.
The knights next to him also stopped talking about ''what should we do, should we throw him now'' and were startled.
"Mana light?! Is that true?!"
"Is it true?! Wait. Why didn''t I see that?"
"Because Wardanaz had already climbed up the warship by then."
"Ah...!"
"Oh no...!"
"We should have made the height of the warship higher..."
Professor Ingurdel and the knightsmented in unison.
That''s how much they regretted the opportunity Yi-Han had missed.
Of course, to Yi-Han, it sounded like nonsense.
''What do you mean by making the warship height higher? Are they crazy?''
He somewhat understood why the skull principal disliked outsidersing in.
"Wardanaz. This is a really important opportunity. Do you know that?"
Professor Ingurdel eagerly exined how important it was that mana light had flickered.
In the extreme situation of climbing the warship while carrying his friends, Yi-Han had fallen into a state of selflessness.
All unnecessary strength disappeared, and the experiences he had gone through in all sorts of trials naturally melted into his body, precisely controlling an annoyinglyrge amount of mana...
"What did you just say?"
"Just ignore it."
Professor Ingurdel casually brushed off the curse that came out in excitement. Yi-Han felt slightly hurt.
"Anyway, it was an opportunity."
"That''s right!"
"Indeed!"
Professor Ingurdel and the knights were much more regretful than Yi-Han.
The more mana one had, the more difficult it was to control.
Even with Wardanaz''s level of talent, that amount of mana was difficult, so this opportunity felt particrly more regrettable.
Of course, Yi-Han didn''t think much of it.
''There will be another opportunity next time.''
First of all, the opportunity came and disappeared too briefly, so it wasn''t well perceived, and above all, Yi-Han didn''t pick up the sword with the conviction of a warrior to walk the path of the sword to the end.
It was to learn it to make a healthy body and for self-defense when bored...
Rather than what was at the end of the path of the sword, he was more curious about this year''s final grades.
"I understand. It''s really unfortunate. So, Professor. About the midterm exam grades..."
"It might not be over yet."
One of the knights of the White Wood Knight Order spoke seriously.
Professor Ingurdel threw a gaze as if he would listen attentively with a prudent face.
"Please speak. I''m listening."
"If a lot of time had passed, it would be different, but now, not much time has passed. We could recreate the same situation and try again."
"...!"
Professor Ingurdel was surprised.
"...!"
And Yi-Han was also surprised.
''What kind of nonsense is he saying so seriously?''
"Professor, the exam is over..."
"Wardanaz. This is a really important issue. This might be even more important than the exam."
"That''s just absurd..."
A White Tiger Tower student behind him blurted out without much thought.
"Wardanaz doesn''t need to study more for the exam, right? He''ll get a perfect score anyway."
Yi-Han red at that student as if he would kill him. Ango avoided his gaze in terror.
''Wh, what did I do wrong...!''
"And recreating the exact same situation as before is unreasonable. My friends are all exhausted and need to prepare for the next exam."
"Hmm."
Professor Ingurdel felt sorry, thinking that was certainly true.
The White Tiger Tower students were tired now...
"There are young knights here."
The knights of the White Wood Knight Order stepped forward.
They pointed to the squires and said.
"He can climb up while carrying them."
"..."
While Yi-Han was at a loss for words, Professor Ingurdel was moved.
"Everyone...! Thank you. I knew the honor of the White Wood Knight Order, but I didn''t expect it to be to this extent..."
"How could we, as knights, abandon arade who walks the same path of the sword?"
The faces of the squires turned pale.
Yi-Han let out a deep sigh as he saw them.
The White Tiger Tower students thought inwardly.
''I''m so d I''m not Wardanaz.''
''Being the top student of the year isn''t always a good thing!''
Seeing that, happiness might not necessarily be rted to grades.
¡ª
"Moradi... I''ll curse you."
Yi-Han returned several hourster than the other students.
He had to swim with the squires in the sea and climb the outer wall of the warship tied to each other with a rope.
Of course, the phenomenon he felt earlier didn''te back. Professor Ingurdel and the knights were very disappointed.
-It''s really unfortunate.-
-I think he should have carried his close friends after all...-
Yi-Han was grateful for the first time that this week was the midterm exam period.
Otherwise, the knights would have shown him hell until he gained enlightenment.
''Are the knights bing like Einroguard, or was the world originally Einroguard?''
With such thoughts, Yi-Han moved his steps.
Beyond the darkening waterway, a familiar white skull was seen.
"Principal."
-What is it? Why are youing back sote? And alone?-
Yi-Han decided not to mention what Professor Ingurdel had made him do.
He didn''t want to increase things that would make the skull principal happy for nothing.
"I was a bitte because I was studying to prepare for the exams."
-If it were other students, I would have praised them, but for you, it''s a waste of time. Stop doing useless things and quickly master the magic you haven''t mastered yet.-
The skull principal gave kind and gentle advice. Yi-Han nodded, grateful for that warm advice.
"Ah. Yes. What are you doing, Principal?"
-I was looking around the submerged scenery of Einroguard and feeling sorry for the students'' suffering.-
"...Ah. Yes. I see."
Yi-Han pretended to leave after greeting him.
And immediately, he cast all the invisibility magic and underwater breathing magic he had and jumped into the water, approaching the direction where the skull principal was.
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Chapter 454
Chapter 454
''Undoubtedly, he is preparing some vile test.''
Yi-Han didn''t trust the skull principal at all.
He would rather believe Gainando studied for a whole week than believe the skull principal was looking around the submerged scenery of Einroguard and feeling sorry for the students'' suffering.
What kind of exam was he preparing for?
Crackle crackle-
¡°What are you doing?¡±
The skull principal looked at his disciple, who broke through severalyers of magic barriers he had set up around him, as if dumbfounded.
It was already absurd that he had just said goodbye and immediately swam over to approach...
''What an ignorant fellow.''
It was even more absurd that he had crudely broken through the intricately woven magic curtain by swinging his mana recklessly.
With that much mana, such a crude method became an effective method.
Einroguard professors wouldn''t have taught such a crude method (if someone had taught him, they would have to be locked up in the punishment room), so he must have learned it on his own, but he was really an absurd fellow.
¡®Is he really from the Wardanaz family?¡¯
"I went for a swim because the night air was nice."
¡°While breaking my magic?¡±
"There was something in the way, so I used a bit of force, but I didn''t know it was the principal''s magic."
Yi-Han stuck his head above the water and answered shamelessly.
Unfortunately, the skull principal was much more thorough than expected.
He had set up severalyers of magic curtains over a fairly wide area around himself to prevent intrusion.
It felt like a thoroughness that would prevent even watching from afar.
¡°Isn''t it too early for you to attack me? Well, I guess you could try it around now.¡±
"What nonsense are you talking about? I have never thought of attacking the principal! If a disciple thinks of attacking his teacher, is he even human?"
¡°Your second greatest strength is that very loyalty to respect your teacher. Well, if you were going to attack, you wouldn''t have done it so sloppily.¡±
The skull principal nodded as if he understood.
¡°You must have followed me because you coveted the treasure hidden in my warehouse, right? Students are all thieves. The moment I turn my eyes away, they''re desperate to raid my warehouse!¡±
''Then provide some meals, bedding, and experimental materials...''
Yi-Han cursed inwardly.
He induced it himself and then!
¡°Unfortunately, I didn''te to manage the warehouse today.¡±
"Then why did youe?"
¡°I told you. I was looking around the submerged scenery of Einroguard and feeling sorry for the students'' suffering. I came to help the students.¡±
"..."
Yi-Han had to grit his teeth to hold back the scornfulughter that was about to burst out.
''He''s really telling lies without sincerity.''
"Then I will help you by your side."
¡°Really?¡±
The skull principal turned his gaze to Yi-Han as if he had heard an unexpected remark.
Yi-Han asked as if testing him.
"Would it be inconvenient if I''m here?"
¡°It''s not inconvenient, but there are times when I want to punch you.¡±
"..."
¡°I''m joking.¡±
It didn''t sound like a joke, but Yi-Han nodded.
¡°If it were other students, I would have told them to stop wasting time and study, but for you... it should be fine. Okay. Help me by my side.¡±
The skull principal readily epted.
Come to think of it, Yi-Han didn''t have to study separately for the exams anyway, so it wouldn''t be bad to see what he was going to do in advance.
Yi-Han was slightly flustered by that eptance.
''What? He''s not refusing.''
Even if he didn''tpletely refuse, Yi-Han thought the skull principal would grumble about being disturbed.
But he epted so easily.
''Is there another trap? Something I won''t be able to notice even if I watch from the side? Or something that would be meaningless even if I noticed...''
As Yi-Han was deeply immersed in thought, the skull principal spoke from the side in a dumbfounded voice.
¡°What are you doing when you said you would help?¡±
¡ª
The skull principal hooked a telekic hook on the raft Yi-Han was riding and made it follow him quickly.
The raft, which originally moved by rowing, chased after the skull principal at a fast pace.
¡°The people of the empire think this territory is protected by a great magic barrier.¡±
"Isn''t it?"
¡°It''s not entirely wrong.¡±
Einroguard itself was a huge existence of magic.
It was the origin and legitimate line of ancient magic that had existed longer than the history of the empire, in a ce where the flow of mana was one of the strongest in the entire empire.
It had never sunk during that long history, so it was natural for the people of the empire to have illusions about it.
¡°But if magic was that easy and convenient, mages wouldn''t have dedicated their lives to it.¡±
The magic cast on Einroguard was soplex, numerous, and powerful that even the skull principal couldn''t fully grasp it.
These magics sometimes collided with each other, creating unexpected phenomena, and more rarely, creating holes.
¡°Nothing goes well if left alone without doing anything. Everything needs management. If a sword is not polished, it rusts, and if clothes are not cared for, they wear out and tear. Einroguard is the same.¡±
Therefore, one of the skull principal''s duties was to patrol and check every corner of the vast Einroguard and fix problems before they urred.
¡°Sometimes catching runaway students too¡¡±
Moreover, when a huge phenomenon like the current spirit flood urred, the magical order of Einroguard became even more chaotic and entric.
These patrols and repairs were especially essential.
¡°If you see a building that is broken or cracked, or if you find something different from usual, let me know.¡±
"..."
Yi-Han looked at the skull principal very suspiciously.
The exnation was so usible that it was even more suspicious.
''Logically, it makes sense. But it''s suspicious.''
Was it really a coincidence that he was floating around and glowing his eyes ominously during the midterm exam period?
Yi-Han didn''t think so.
¡°Why are you doing that?¡±
"I thought it was a pity that outsiders look down on the principal''s dedication like this."
¡°Your words are truly right. They are fools who don''t know what''s important.¡±
The skull principal agreed and his eyes shed.
Then, bricks began to attach themselves in the water, and a tower waspleted in an instant.
¡°These stupid 3rd years. If you summoned a being from the dark element realm, you should have kept it locked up properly. It escaped.¡±
"..."
Yi-Han couldn''t believe his ears.
¡°It can''t be helped. It''s a waste to lose a building that was built with effort, but... the next students will make good use of it. Oh, right. If you want to lock up your summons too, remember this sealing tower.¡±
The skull principal kindly advised Yi-Han as he was helping with the work.
Of course, the content wasn''t very kind.
¡°But don''t lock up weak ones here. Four wings, six legs, weight about eight pairs of foundation stones of the castle wall? It''s better to lock up only those above this level.¡±
"Ah. Yes."
¡°You can try fixing that one. Try fixing it.¡±
"?"
Yi-Han looked in the direction the skull principal was pointing and blinked.
There was nothing.
"What was originally there?"
¡°Ah. Sorry. You won''t be able to see it with your eyes.¡±
The skull principal spun three times in the air and shouted, ¡°All students are ironheads.¡±
Then, a ssic and t stone house appeared out of thin air.
¡°You''ll see the crack there, right? Try repairing it.¡±
"What building is this?"
Yi-Han asked, bringing the raft close to the stone house.
The buildingsmonly seen at the academy were usually towers (built by many professors) or huts (built by many students).
This type of low-rise building that required a lot of materials was not very popr at Einroguard.
It was ssic and beautiful, but practicality was more important than that.
Even a hut hastily built with wood and leather was not a big problem for a mage who could use magic.
¡°It was a building built by a smart student who wanted to raise a monster¡¡±
"Uh, it doesn''t look very good for a monster to live in."
It was a pretty building, but what was important for a monster was a wide space that was good for running around.
¡°That''s right. So he didn''t use it much after building it.¡±
''Isn''t he not very smart?''
¡°Since then, junior students have been using it for different purposes for generations. It must have changed several times. Ten years ago, the ball game club used it as their clubhouse, and five years ago, the mage card club held a tournament... or not? Did a fire break out in a duel before the tournament? It''s not very important. Now it''s being used as a dormitory for guests who are properly ''invited'' from outside.¡±
The skull principal emphasized ''invited''.
He seemed to really hate guestsing from outside.
¡°Anyway, since it''s being used as a dormitory, it needs to be properly repaired. You''ve mastered all the earth, wood, and rock elements among elemental magic, right?¡±
"No?"
Yi-Han was dumbfounded.
Knowing that Yi-Han was suffering from advanced elements like lightning, dark, me, and cold, he still said such things?
-Oh dear. I''ll have to tell Bagrak.-
"..."
¡°I''m joking, so don''t re at me like that. You probably didn''t learn wood or rock professionally. You won''t need them in the 1st year. What about earth?¡±
"I only know the basics."
¡°Shape transformation, maintenance... can you dpose by any chance? Dposition is important.¡±
"Yes."
Thankfully, he had learned from Salko before.
He hadn''tpletely mastered it, but he could use it thanks to his mana.
¡°Then it''s not basic, you ironhead.¡±
The skull principal scolded Yi-Han.
Humility was not a good habit for a mage.
¡°Now you may be busy eating, sleeping, and ying like a beast, but when you be a 2nd year, you''ll have quite a lot of construction work to do. It won''t hurt to learn it now. But this requires some knowledge of transformation magic... Ah. I was worrying for nothing.¡±
The skull principal recalled the schools of magic Yi-Han had been learning and canceled what he had just said.
"Uh, I''m not confident in transformation magic yet..."
¡°Just listen quietly.¡±
The skull principal decided to dismiss 95% of what Yi-Han said from now on as an exaggeration.
¡ª
Earth elemental magic had a fairly easy difficulty level.
Since every mage lived with their feet on the ground, they couldn''t help but be familiar with it.
Moreover, unlike fire or water, earth was the easiest to call from the closest proximity.
Magics like calling earth, shaping it, and fixing it firmly were things that other students could also do.
However, to repair a building made withplex materials, one had to know how to control not only earth but also various other elements.
The skull principal pushed Yi-Han to be able to transform rock into sand and sand into rock.
Although Yi-Han had somehow mastered transforming cloth into iron, transforming solid rock into sand was still not easy.
To help his disciple who had hit a wall, the skull principal threw gravel and sprinkled sand.
¡°Feel it! Feel it! Thest transformation was slow to react. Thest transformation lost focus! Pour more mana into it. You can waste some mana for this magic anyway!¡±
Yi-Han desperately learned magic to escape from the gravel and sand hitting his face even for a moment.
And he really seeded.
"...!"
When he quickly transformed the damaged part of the stone house and made the cracks disappear, Yi-Han suddenly felt doubt about himself.
Why do I only seed after getting hit?
''Is it right to keep seeding this way? It''s efficient, but...''
¡°Well done. Those magics wille in handy. Rock is quite bothersome to knead as it is¡¡±
''I could definitely earn some pocket money at any stonemason guild.''
The two mages had different thoughts.
"Where to next?"
¡°Hmm. There was a pier by thekeside, and I think there will be damage there too. Let''s go there.¡±
"Yes. ...?"
Yi-Han, who was about to nod and go, felt something strange.
Huh?
''Is he really only doing repairs?''
Was he not preparing any wicked plots or exam preparations?
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Chapter 455
Chapter 455
"There are often fools who think everything will be solved if they can just recite spells well. I won''t say who specifically, but I''ll give you a hint: it''s one of the imperial family members in your year."
"Just say it''s Gainando."
"Knowledge is more important than spells. Think of a tower built by a mage who thinks he can just stack rocks and it will be a building. It may maintain its shape for a while thanks to mana, but how long will that manast?"
"Hmm."
Yi-Han recalled the magic he had used so far.
Unlike other mages, Yi-Han often greatly increased the duration with his overwhelming amount of mana.
''How long can itst?''
"...That was a rhetorical question. I wasn''t telling you to calcte it. You absurd fellow."
The skull principal looked at his disciple as if dumbfounded.
The question he had just asked meant ''Since magic is an act of overturning the order of the world with will, don''t be arrogant and try to understand and follow the order as much as possible,'' not ''How long can youst by ignoring the order and relying only on the amount of mana?''
"Ah. I see."
"Sand, rock, wood... The elements you are dealing with now are basic, and going further, even when using the same earth, it is divided into gravel, sand, or y, and granite, limestone, or basalt..."
The earth element magic and sand-rock transformation Yi-Han was dealing with were basic magic in magical construction, and going deeper, one had to understand the properties of various materials and know how to understand load and stress.
How to grasp the inner space, put in the main beam, distribute the weight of the roof...
Yi-Han, who was nodding and listening, suddenly became curious and asked.
"But will there be an asion to apply what you just told me today?"
It was too professional to be just a casual conversation.
"Not today, right?"
"?"
"But you''ll learn it all anyway when you be a 2nd year. Things like or ..."
"No, I won''t."
Yi-Han stopped making the tree sprout and became serious.
¡ª
After repairing the cracked parts of the stone house, recing the blown-away supports of the pier with newly sprouted trees, and diligently repairing other damages...
The skull principal stepped in forrge-scale repairs, and Yi-Han handled the small ones.
"It''s all done."
"..."
Yi-Han had a veryplicated expression.
At this point, he was starting to realize.
''Damn it. He really came out to do maintenance work.''
There were no wicked plots, suspicious exams, or hidden treasure warehouses.
The skull principal saw Yi-Han''s expression and chuckled.
"You arrogant fellow. Don''t make that face just because you failed a few spells."
The earth element magic and transformation magic Yi-Han had learned today were sufficient achievements.
The skull principal knew well how much the other professors were squeezing Yi-Han.
Even if he didn''t push him further here, the other professors would torment him on their own.
''I''ll have to write it in the lounge.''
"Yes... thank you..."
"Since you worked hard, take some food."
The skull principal summoned food from thin air with a single nce.
Round wooden barrels full of beer and mead, and piping hot feasts freshly made from the kitchen.
Yi-Han nodded with a smile.
"Thank you."
''I must never eat it now.''
One of the rules of Einroguard was to never eat the food the skull principal gave during the exam period.
It was very suspicious that the hearty feast was piping hot.
There was clearly an intention to make hungry students eat it even though they knew it was a waste.
The skull principal clicked his tongue when he realized Yi-Han wasn''t falling for it.
"Don''t tell me you''re thinking of monopolizing it without sharing it with the students?"
"If there are any wronged students, I will tell them to settle it with a duel."
"..."
The skull principal cursed Yi-Han.
Oppressing other students just because he was good at magic.
''That wicked fellow!''
Meanwhile, a death knight came running from afar.
-Master.-
"Yes. Since the work is finished, I''ll be going back soon. Are the professors preparing well?"
-Yes.-
It wasn''t only the students who suffered during the exam period.
The professors also had unexpected hardships while preparing for the exams.
The skull principal ordered some professors with prior convictions to be called to the lounge separately to have their content inspected by the skull principal first.
"Nothing unusual happened?"
-Professor Ingurdel is very discouraged. Perhaps if you give him gold coins as a reward tofort him?-
"Who says such old-fashioned things like an ancient knight? Mages these days don''t rejoice when given gold coins."
''?''
Yi-Han thought it was nonsense, but the skull principal was confident.
"So why is he discouraged? Tell him not to worry too much since the flood will end someday. The students won''t die just because their hands get a little wet."
"..."
Yi-Han had to hold back from attacking the back of the skull principal''s head.
-That''s not it¡-
The death knight pointed at Yi-Han as if it was a good thing and exined what had happened.
When he exined that Yi-Han had fallen into a state of selflessness and climbed the warship again to recreate that state, the skull principal literally burst outughing.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
"..."
"..."
The death knight and Yi-Han stared nkly at the skull principal, but the skull principalughed without caring.
Heughed andughed andughed again.
And as if he wouldugh until the end of the world...
"Ah. Sorry. It was too funny. No wonder you looked tired, you did such a thing. Professor Ingurdel is really a diligent person. If I had been there, I would have helped."
"It''s really unfortunate."
"Be careful on your way back. If you want to try again next time, let me know."
''The opponent is the principal. The opponent is the principal.''
Yi-Han endured while cursing Moradi and the skull principal.
He must never fall for that provocation.
''Is it because Ick strength? Do Ick strength?''
¡ª
"..."
Flip flip flip!
The faintly heard sound of pages turning. The unfamiliar scenery unfolding before his eyes.
The ck book the skull principal had given was floating in the air with its pages exposed.
"No..."
Yi-Han felt a slight throbbing in his head.
No matter how much Yi-Han thought he cked strength'' before falling asleep, he didn''t expect it toe like this.
"I''m sorry, but I need to rest a bit today."
It wasn''t an exaggeration, he really needed to rest.
Hadn''t he just swam in the sea all day and followed the skull principal around doing maintenance work on Einroguard?
Rest was essential as there were exams waiting tomorrow as well.
Flip!
However, no matter what Yi-Han said, the ck book didn''t care.
3rd circle magic, .
It was an enchantment spell, specifically in the enhancement magic category.
Since it was a magic cast on living beings, not inanimate objects, it had a higher difficulty level, and above all...
''I know that concentrated types have a high risk of failure or side effects.''
Enhancement magic had to be cast even more carefully than enchantment magic.
If enchantment magic failed, it ended with the artifact or material being destroyed, but if enhancement magic failed, arms and legs could be broken.
And among them, concentrated enhancement magic was even more dangerous.
Instead of raising the overall physical functions, it was a magic that focused on raising only specific functions.
Naturally, the performance was much more powerful, but there were risks ordingly.
Since it was concentrated to obtain such effects, the side effects were not insignificant if it failed.
Of course, there were side effects even if it seeded...
"But since it''s a magic created by the principal, is it different?"
?
"..."
The book had no mouth, but Yi-Han could feel the intention of ''What are you talking about?'' from the book''s fluttering motion just now.
"...Let''s just practice. There might be an asion to throw a punch at the principalter."
¡ª
Morning.
Yi-Han woke up from his sleeping bag. The ceiling of the library gradually brightened, and the light pushing away the darkness beyond the barricade caught his eye.
His arms and legs still felt the phantom pain of being torn apart, showing how much he had been tormented by the ck book.
showed pain hotly as expected when it failed.
''I really shouldn''t touch enhancement magic.''
Yi-Han understood why enhancement mages received expensive silver coins.
And he also understood why enhancement mages sometimes got grabbed by the cor.
No matter how much mercenaries or adventurers were in a hurry to receive magic, they couldn''t help but have their eyes rolled back with these side effects.
People were originally different when they were in a hurry and when they were not.
"Gainando. Wake up. We have to eat breakfast."
Yi-Han tapped Gainando, who was rolling around next to him, with his foot.
Gainando, who usually woke up at the mere mention of breakfast, was deeply asleep today without even pretending to hear.
''What''s going on?''
Yi-Han frowned. Something felt off.
Tap-
When he flipped Gainando over with his staff, there was chocte on the corner of his mouth.
Among the feasts the principal gave yesterday, there was definitely...
''Chocte cake.''
Yi-Han called his friends.
And he told them to hang upside down anyone who couldn''t wake up now.
"Should I write ''I stole and ate food that I was told not to eat at night'' at the bottom?"
"Yeah. Don''t let them down right away even after they wake up, let them stay a little longer."
"Don''t worry, Wardanaz. I''m very skilled at this kind of punishment."
Salko winked as if to leave it to him.
In a guild with strict discipline, thieves were not forgiven.
"Punish one to warn a hundred. Don''t feel bad, Wardanaz."
"I didn''t particrly feel bad..."
"Those who have exams in the morning,e out quickly! The devouring-ship fish is waiting!"
The voices of his friends shouting from the pier outside the library could be heard.
Yi-Han nodded and finished preparing to leave.
"Isn''t everyone ready? Let''s leave soon."
"Wait. Wardanaz hasn''te."
"Doesn''t he have no exams in the morning?"
"No. Wardanaz definitely has them. His schedule is always packed."
"..."
Yi-Han suddenly felt bitter when he heard the conversation at the pier.
It was even more so when he saw his friends stop talking when they saw Yi-Han.
"Let''s go."
"Y, yeah. Wardanaz."
"You worked hard yesterday, are you okay? Moradi was worried about you."
Yi-Han nodded and pushed the White Tiger Tower student who had just spoken off the devouring-ship fish.
Ssh!
"Puhah! Wh, what are you doing?!"
"Sorry. I slept less, so my foot slipped."
¡ª
Yi-Han thought if there was anyone more bitter than him at Einroguard as he pushed the lecture hall door with his staff.
Then surprisingly, there was someone who looked even more bitter than Yi-Han waiting.
It was Professor Bagrak.
''What?''
Yi-Han was surprised.
To think that the crazy professor, who looked like he would kill people expressionlessly even when killing, was making such a bitter expression.
"Professor?"
Yi-Han called out to Professor Bagrak on the raft. Professor Bagrak, who was standing on the water, saw Yi-Han and opened his mouth.
"This midterm exam is..."
"..."
Even the top student of Einroguard, who had ovee all kinds of dangers and trials, couldn''t help but be nervous now.
What the hell is it?
"...canceled."
"!!!!!!!!!!!"
Yi-Han was startled.
He would have been less surprised to hear that Einroguard was closing its doors.
"Is that really true?!"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Because of the flood."
Professor Bagrak exined slowly as if it was quite painful and agonizing.
Originally, there was an underground dungeon prepared for the midterm exam.
It was a very fun and beneficialprehensive underground dungeon made bybining all the magic of the schools Yi-Han was learning.
''O spirit of water. Thank you.''
Yi-Han vowed to thank the water spirit when he met one in the future.
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Chapter 456
Chapter 456
In fact, the notion that midterm exams must be taken was a kind of fixed idea.
If there were unavoidable circumstances or the professor had a thought, the midterm exam could be reced with another assignment orbined with the final exam.
Of course, the skull principal didn''t easily allow it.
Basically, there were so many unscrupulous bas... fellows among the professors at Einroguard that if they were let loose, exams like ''I know it''s annoying, but should I give the student who threw his staff and flew the furthest an A+?'' coulde out.
But in a situation like now, wasn''t it really unavoidable?
The prepared dungeon was flooded!
"It''s truly regrettable, Professor."
"It must be."
''What do you mean it must be?''
Professor Bagrak thought Yi-Han would also be genuinely agonized.
Of course, Yi-Han wasn''t very agonized.
However, when the professor was agonized, the disciple showing a happy face next to him was equivalent to dering ''I am a reckless fellow.''
Yi-Han tried his best to make an agonized expression.
''Imagine losing the top spot in the year. The skull principal is sneering next to me.''
"What about the basilisk?"
Rattle!
The sound of the basilisk egg trembling in fear inside the backpack Yi-Han had put down next to him could be heard.
These days, Yi-Han had to take care of it a lot, so he carried it in his backpack, and because of that, it ended up meeting a crazy mage.
"...Doesn''t it still need more time?"
"I asked Professor Bungaegor for advice. She said there''s a secret medicine that promotes growth."
"But there are side effects of bing violent and entric."
Yi-Han had also heard about it since he was close with Professor Bungaegor.
-You handle animals well and are skilled in alchemy, so you might have this thoughtter.-
-Do I handle animals well?-
-You scare animals well and are skilled in alchemy, so you might have this thoughtter.-
-...-
-Buying rare baby animals at a cheap price, promoting their growth with all kinds of secret medicines, and selling them¡-
-There is such a method?! Magic is truly amazing!-
-...Listen till the end. Originally, magic is about changing the rules and principles of the world. Recklessly doing that won''t end well.-
Professor Bungaegor then told the story of a foolish dwarf alchemist who had tried to mass-breed manticores at a ranch and sell them to knight orders.
Feeding growth-promoting drugs to monsters that already had a fierce wild nature was an overly dangerous thing to do.
If the monsters exploded at some point, where would that anger be directed?
-By any chance, are you referring to Professor Uregor?-
-...No! Did you think of Uregor that way?!-
Anyway, since it was such a dangerous thing, Yi-Han had no intention of feeding secret medicines to the basilisk.
The basilisk egg stuck close to Yi-Han. It clearly felt who would protect it.
"Isn''t it good to be violent and entric?"
Professor Bagrak tilted his head.
They''ll fight anyway, right?
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han felt like the egg was ring at Professor Bagrak in anger.
He couldn''t be sure, but somehow it felt that way.
"Shouldn''t it be cold and calm to be a more powerful match?"
"Indeed... Do you prefer that kind of fight more?"
"It''s not that I prefer that kind of fight more... Damn it. I do prefer it."
Yi-Han admitted it because he couldn''t bring himself to throw away the basilisk egg.
The egg was too scared.
''I need to change the subject.''
"Don''t be too discouraged, Professor. There will be many ways. Like casting underwater breathing magic and going down..."
"I did think about it."
At Professor Bagrak''s blunt answer, Yi-Han felt his heart sink.
He had joked about it without much thought!
''If I fail to control my tongue one more time, I will curse myself.''
Yi-Han reflected very deeply.
"But the damage was severe."
"Oh no."
Once again, Yi-Han was deeply grateful to the water spirit.
If it weren''t for the great flood, he would have had to endure that with his body.
"Then is today''s lecture over?"
Yi-Han asked with a slightly expectant voice. If it ended early, he was thinking of going and catching up on his studies.
The skull principal and the White Tiger Tower students spouted nonsense like ''You don''t need to study,'' but Yi-Han didn''t fall for such words.
They were clearly trying to keep Yi-Han''s grades in check.
"If it''s over, I''ll get going..."
Professor Bagrak slowly shook his head. Then he walked on the water and got on Yi-Han''s raft.
Yi-Han, who suddenly had his raft taken away, was dumbfounded but couldn''t say anything.
''My goodness, a robber with a staff.''
Professor Bagrak swung his staff without caring.
Then, as if someone invisible was pushing from behind, the raft began to move quickly.
Swish-
"?"
At first, Yi-Han sat without much thought, but as the raft gradually moved away from the main building, he became slightly flustered.
''What''s going on?''
If they kept heading north like this, they would reach the Hell Mountains that Einroguard boasted of (actually, they were just mountains, but Yi-Han and his friends called them the Hell Mountains).
He thought they would just do some simple practice or training since the prepared dungeon was gone, and then it would be over...
Thud-
Even with the great flood, not all the mountains were submerged. As they approached to some extent, drynd and dense forests came into view.
Professor Bagrak looked at Yi-Han. It meant to get off.
"Professor, I have a question..."
Instead of answering, the professor raised one finger. It meant to be quiet.
At that, Yi-Han suddenly had a bad feeling.
Although Professor Bagrak was a crazy mage, he was a crazy mage who at least answered questions.
The reason he suddenly didn''t answer the question was?
''Is it a dangerous situation if I make a sound now?''
Yi-Han quickly checked the monsters that appeared in the mountains in his head.
Having taken the lecture from Professor Bungaegor whenever he had free time, numerous monsters came to mind.
''Damn it. There are too many.''
Come to think of it, there were too many monsters that were dangerous if he made a sound.
Yi-Han was nervous and pondered whether he should memorize magic in advance.
It was good to memorize magic in advance, but in a situation where he had to be quiet, chanting spells could also be dangerous.
-Did youe?-
The voice came from above.
Yi-Han unconsciously looked up. Among the tall and dense trees of the forest, a familiar giant''s head was looking down at Yi-Han.
The hair that was shorter thanst time.
It was Ikurusha, the giant of the mountains who had a bet with Yi-Han and gave his hair.
"Mr. Ikurusha!"
-It''s nice to see you again. But please keep your voice down a bit.-
Ikurusha gestured as if to be quiet.
-The other giants are currently pairing up the mountain goats, and it''s a sensitive time for the mountain goats.-
"?"
For a moment, Yi-Han didn''t understand.
Even if the mountain goats became sensitive, weren''t they just mountain goats?
-Ah. Sorry. Mages don''t call them mountain goats. The name is a bit different.-
"What is it?"
-Was it mountain-destroying goat? Mountain-devouring goat? Mountain-copsing goat?-
"..."
Professor Bagrak answered instead.
"It''s mountain-destroying goat."
-Ah. That''s right.-
The mountain-destroying goat looked like a goat but had a huge size rivaling giants and was arge monster that pierced through rock cliffs.
Calling that a mountain goat was as shameless as calling a devouring-ship fish a goldfish.
¡ª
Ikurusha guided Yi-Han and Professor Bagrak to a newly built house.
The cave house had a crude exterior as if giants had built it with their fists, but the interior was truly cozy.
As soon as Yi-Han and Professor Bagrak sat down, Ikurusha brought a chessboard.
-Since we met after a long time, let''s y a game.-
"Ah. Yes."
Yi-Han was reluctant but put it down for now.
The opening started with d4 and Bf4, and after solidly defending and castling on the queenside, he strongly pushed on the kingside, causing Ikurusha to self-destruct in vain.
-Oh no!-
"Mr. Ikurusha."
When Professor Bagrak called, Ikurusha pleaded in an earnest voice.
-Can we y one more game? I''ll y quickly with blitz.-
The professor nodded.
Ikurusha excitedly organized the pieces quickly.
Seeing that, Yi-Han had a realization.
''Wait. If I drag out the time...!''
He didn''t know why Professor Bagrak had brought him to Ikurusha, but if they just yed chess until time ran out, they could just go back.
Last time, he saw that Ikurusha liked the opening that started with e4 Nf3 Bb5 when ying white.
Then Yi-Han could also put the knight on f6 and create a solid ck wall.
''Drag it out and induce a draw.''
Ikurusha and Professor Bagrak didn''t notice Yi-Han''s wicked inner thoughts.
Not knowing that, Ikurusha was deeply immersed in thought, diligently knocking on Yi-Han''s wall.
"Mr. Ikurusha."
-Ah. Sorry. I should stop.-
"..."
Seeing the giant who gave up without hesitation when an excuse arose in an unfavorable situation, Yi-Han was dumbfounded.
In other aspects, he was a gentleman-like person, but why was he like this regarding chess...?
''I yed with him for nothing. I should have made a bet.''
-You probably know, but after the impressive confrontationst time, I talked about you to the professors a few times.-
"Pardon???????"
Yi-Han cried out in horror without realizing it.
Why the hell did he do such an ungrateful thing?
''Are all giants filthy bastards??''
Perhaps people should cut off heads, not hair, to prevent betrayal.
-Why are you so surprised?-
"...It''s embarrassing for a mage to have false rumors spread."
-How humble.-
Ikurusha looked at Professor Bagrak as if praising him. The professor had a nk expression but nodded as if agreeing.
-Some professors showed interest. In the case of Professor Bagrak here, he asked if he could get some help with his lectures, so I epted.-
"Oh..."
Yi-Han held back the words ''Why the hell did you do that?'' that were about toe out.
-Unlike other giants, I try to fulfill the requests made by Einroguard''s mages. Living in these mountains, I end up owing favors to mages whether I know it or not... Come to think of it, is the grand mage doing well?-
"He is."
-That''s a relief. Tell him I''m grateful again forst time. The giant hunters are vicious and wicked fellows, so if the grand mage hadn''t helped, the damage would have been great.-
The professor nodded.
Unable to endure the heartwarming conversation any longer, Yi-Han carefully asked.
"But what kind of help are you providing?"
-I was asked to create various situations that abat mage might face. Listening to it, I thought the giants here might be a bit stupid, but they could do that well.-
Bang!!!!!!!
As soon as he finished speaking, a world-ending roar was heard from outside.
It sounded like the mountains were copsing.
-Oh dear. A mountain goat escaped. We''ll have to catch it by today.-
"..."
-What were we talking about? Ah. It was about helping with lectures. Giants can do it well, but the problem is that these fellows are a bit stupid... They might not understand things like strength control or exams. So I thought I should call you first.-
Telling the giants ''Test that mage with difficulty adjusted so he doesn''t die'' could be too difficult for them.
It was better to build some rapport and familiarity with the giants in advance.
If the giants thought of him as their friend, they would control their strength on their own.
"Above all, even if a mage is outstanding, it seems a bit dangerous and sudden to throw them into a crisis without checking first. Don''t you think they need time to get used to it?"
Ikurusha shrugged his shoulders.
-It''s fine.-
"Is that so?"
-If you can''t believe it, try it now.-
"Professor. On second thought, I think the flooded underground dungeon will also have a sense of aplishment in its own way."
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Chapter 457
Chapter 457
Of course, they couldn''t challenge the flooded dungeon. Professor Bagrak didn''t allow his cherished disciple to dangerously challenge an iplete dungeon.
"Of course, as a professor, you''ll teach better than me. But since it''s a matter rted to giants, it''s hard to concede this."
Ikurusha thought that if Yi-Han was to be tested by the giants, he should get used to it in advance.
If they shed in an unprepared situation, unexpected idents could ur.
If a young mage like Yi-Han harbored hatred towards giants due to such a mistake, how dangerous would that be?
If a grand mage with a title like appeared in the future...
''I think I''ll already harbor hatred.''
Yi-Han felt like hatred would bloom just from what Ikurusha had told the professors now.
"I will respect that."
Professor Bagrak conceded very graciously. He had no conscience.
-Then let''s go meet the other giants. Are you ready?-
Ikurusha winked to ease Yi-Han''s tension.
Of course, since he was a giant, it didn''t have much effect.
Bang!!!!!!!!
"Hmm. It would be better to wait a bit more before going out."
It seemed another mountain goat had escaped outside.
¡ª
Only after all the mountain goats were caught could Yi-Han go outside.
Behind Ikurusha, who was walking unsteadily, Professor Bagrak advised Yi-Han.
"Don''t lower your staff in front of giants."
"..."
''I really want to hit him.''
Calling that advice now...
"Any other advice?"
"Giants are generally hard to predict."
Wise and intelligent giants like Ikurusha were rare, and it was difficult to figure out what most giants were thinking.
It wasn''t for nothing that explorers traveling to remote areas of the empire feared giants talking to them.
If they got involved wrongly, they would be forced to participate in unreasonable bets...
"?"
Yi-Han tilted his head.
Professor Bagrak''s words ended there.
"Nothing more?"
"Didn''t I just say it?"
"...Aha."
So ''Giants are generally hard to predict'' was the advice.
Yi-Han closed his eyes.
''I''d rather have giants.''
Giants whose thoughts he couldn''t understand would be better than the professor next to him.
Bubble bubble-
When they arrived at the sloping pasture located on the mountain ridge where the giants were resting, a huge pot first caught their eye.
The giants were cutting rock chunks with tired faces and throwing them into the pot.
"?"
Looking again, it wasn''t rock chunks but cheese. Yi-Han had never seen such huge chunks of cheese before.
-It''s mountain goat cheese. Are you interested?-
"Pardon? Yes."
Yi-Han nodded for now.
Living in Einroguard, he couldn''t help but be interested in ingredients.
Ikurusha approached a giant and gestured to give him the cheese.
-Hand it over.-
-Why...?-
-We have to treat the guest.-
-Why...??-
-Just give it!-
Smack!
Ikurusha got angry and snatched the cheese from the giant''s hand. Then he cut a small piece and held it out to Yi-Han.
The giant behind him red at Yi-Han with eyes mixed with sorrow, anger, and resentment.
"...Ah, no. You don''t have to snatch it and give it to me..."
-Don''t mind it. They originally get sulky easily. They''ll get over it soon.-
Although Ikurusha said that, the giant''s eyes staring at Yi-Han contained too deep emotions.
Yi-Han received the cheese with an uneasy feeling.
ng!
"?"
The cheese that looked like a rock was as hard as a rock.
...Then isn''t it just a rock?
"Isn''t it a rock?"
-Hmm? Wait a moment.-
Ikurusha checked the cheese.
It wasn''t a rock, nor was it cheese that had hardened from age, but it was indeed freshly made cheese.
-It''s cheese.-
''Can''t use it as an ingredient.''
Yi-Han gave up and returned the cheese to the giant. The giant snorted and blew his nose so hard that Yi-Han almost flew away as he took the cheese.
"Mr. Ikurusha. Uh, isn''t it a bit dangerous to start like this when we need to build rapport with the giants?"
-It''s fine. It''s okay.-
''It doesn''t seem okay.''
Yi-Han quickly grasped the situation.
Ikurusha was a wise giant, but as a giant, he wasn''t very worried about getting along with other giants.
He believed that even if the giants got a little angry and sulky, they would soon be friends.
However, in Yi-Han''s view, that was too optimistic.
''I''ll have to approach them as much as possible.''
"Hello."
-...-
-...-
The giants sitting around the pot made an obviously displeased expression when Yi-Han came and hid theirrge brass bowls in their arms.
It was a face that said they didn''t want to give food to Yi-Han.
''They look just like Gainando...''
"I didn''te to receive food. Everyone. I came to greet..."
-Give him some!-
Ikurusha ran over again and shouted.
Yi-Han covered his face with both palms and was frustrated.
-This... the human race can''t eat it.-
-They can''t even eat it well.-
The giants protested, but Ikurusha sternly scolded the young giants who were indulging in their appetite.
And he scooped arge amount of porridge from the pot with adle and put it in a bowl for Yi-Han.
"Th, thank you."
-He can''t eat it anyway.-
-It''s a waste of food.-
The giants grumbled andined. Yi-Han felt even more ufortable.
''I must eat it deliciously no matter what.''
Now that the atmosphere had flowed like this, he had no choice but to eat it deliciously.
Yi-Han looked down at the bowl.
"..."
''Isn''t itva?''
Seeing the bright red liquid boiling and bubbling, he couldn''t tell if it was porridge orva.
"...I''ll eat well."
Yi-Han cursed the professors of Einroguard and brought the porridge to his mouth.
''Ugh.''
It was a taste that made him scream for the first time in a while.
A spicy taste that seemed to have condensed all the vors of spicy, salty, bitter, and sour.
Yi-Han concentrated all his mind and maintained a smiling face. And he scraped the porridge bowl clean.
"It''s really delicious."
-Amazing. A human ate that.-
-I can''t believe it.-
The giants murmured and were amazed.
Other races didn''t eat the giants'' food well.
Even seasoned explorers would say ''I''d rather cut off my arm and eat it than eat this'' and be disgusted by the giants'' food...
The giants'' eyes changed slightly favorably. Yi-Han let out a sigh of relief.
''Somehow, I took a step.''
It seemed he had barely regained the lost favor.
Actually, if only Ikurusha hadn''t snatched the cheese...
Rattle-
"You want some?"
When the basilisk egg rattled, Yi-Han scooped a spoonful of the remaining porridge and poured it on the egg.
Then the basilisk egg convulsed like crazy.
Rattle rattle rattle rattle!!!
"...You said you wanted to eat it..."
He said he wanted to eat it himself, but who knew he would hate it so intensely.
After finishing the meal, one of the giants pulled out a densely grown tree, wiped his mouth, and called Yi-Han.
-You. Follow me. I''ll guide you.-
"Ah. Yes. Thank you."
The giant moved his steps slowly. Yi-Han tried to check the location and terrain while looking around.
He had to avoid this area as much as possible even after the flood ended and the water receded.
''I''ll have to write on the map.''
In the distance, Professor Bagrak, who was sitting with Ikurusha, pointed at something with his finger.
It was the staff.
"..."
Yi-Han cursed the professor and picked up the staff again.
If it was going to be like this from the beginning, he should have just been with the giants...
-Here pasture. We raise. Goats.-
"Isn''t there a fence?"
-They break it.-
The giant answered, shaking his head. Yi-Han could quickly understand what he meant.
''Well, with that sound earlier, they would easily break the fence.''
No matter what kind of fence they made, with the size of a giant, they would easily break it.
"Where are the goats now?"
-...-
The giant looked at Yi-Han with a reluctant gaze.
Other mages might have been flustered by the giant''s iprehensible behavior, but not Yi-Han.
He had seen simr gazes somewhere many times.
When he asked Gainando, ''Where did you put the cake I gave youst time?''...
"I hate eating goats. I have no intention of eating them at all."
The giant looked at Yi-Han with a satisfied gaze. A satisfied smile hung on the corner of his mouth.
-They''re over there. Inside the cave. We lock them up.-
A huge rock was ced at the entrance of the cave.
It was an excessivelyrge rock to lock up mountain goats, but to Yi-Han, who had heard the sound earlier, that rock felt like a sheet of paper.
"They can''te out with that rock?"
-Theye out. Sometimes. So we have to catch them.-
The giant grumbled.
He seemed sad that the mountain goats didn''t listen to him.
''Things I can do...''
Yi-Han followed the giant and checked the surroundings and the daily routines of the giants.
1. Taking care of mountain goats.
2. Catching mountain goats if they escape.
3. Preparing meals, etc.
Helping with these tasks was very important as it could make him close with the giants...
''No. Can I even help?''
No matter how much he thought about it, they weren''t tasks that Yi-Han could help with.
Moreover, Yi-Han was more concerned about the fact that he had to face these giants during the final exam.
He might have to fight mountain goats, giants, or perhaps giants riding mountain goats.
-We caught themst time too. But we caught them this time too.-
"Oh dear."
Yi-Han spoke without much thought tofort the grumbling giant.
"I''ll ask Mr. Ikurusha to give you some snacks."
He didn''t know if the giant had snacks or if Ikurusha would allow it, but Yi-Han said it anyway.
It was a habit fromforting the whining Gainando.
-Really?!-
However, the giant''s reaction was too intense than expected.
-Really?!-
"...Uh, no. Uh, please wait a moment."
¡ª
-Okay. Take it.-
When Yi-Han asked, Ikurusha epted as if it wasn''t very difficult.
He could sufficiently help Yi-Han, who was working hard to get close to the giants, to this extent.
Thud-
When Ikurusha held out a dark, lumpy stick, Yi-Han was flustered.
"What is this?"
-Dried jerky. They all like it because it''s made with a special blend of spices.-
"...Thank you."
Yi-Han also learned how to make it from Ikurusha for now.
Since the giants liked it, he might have to learn how to make it.
''But I don''t know how far snacks can go with giants who are not all like Gainando.''
1 hourter.
-Human legs hurt. I''ll carry you.-
-Get out of the way! I''ll carry you!-
The giants grabbed each other''s cors and fought over who would carry Yi-Han on their back.
Seeing that, Yi-Han thought inwardly.
Getting close to the giants might not be as difficult as he thought!
¡ª
"Sage, parsley, cloves, turmeric, geranium... five spoonfuls each... boil thoroughly... grind the meat... hmm... what vor is this supposed to be..."
As Yi-Han sat at the table, muttering ingredients and reagents, lost in deep thought, other alchemy students nced at him.
They couldn''t help but be interested since it was a potion-making method studied by the top alchemy student.
"What is it? What kind ofbination is that?"
"Priestess Siana. Do you happen to know?"
"...It''s too dangerous a potion to tell the purpose... ahem. Ahem."
When a question was thrown at her, Priestess Siana slyly changed the subject.
Then the other students were even more surprised.
"Is it a highly toxic potion?"
"Something rted to dark magic?"
"Why is Wardanaz preparing that? Is it rted to this exam? Does Her Highness happen to know?"
"..."
Adenart blinked her eyes in surprise.
Then her friends interpreted it for her.
"As expected, it must be a dangerous potion."
"He must be doing that so other students don''t recklessly attempt it and put themselves in danger."
"But why is Wardanaz researching that?"
Just then, Yi-Han closed the book and got up.
His friends carefully asked.
"Wardanaz. What are you going to use that for?"
"Hm? I''m going to feed it to the giants."
"...!!"
"!!!!"
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Chapter 458
Chapter 458
Poison to feed the giants.
Why on earth?
"Is the opponent for the alchemy exam possibly a giant?"
"That must be it."
"What are you guys talking..."
Yi-Han asked back in puzzlement.
"It has nothing to do with the exam."
"Got it, Wardanaz."
"Trust us."
His friends waved their hands as if telling him not to worry, understanding Yi-Han''s answer differently.
"No, really, it has nothing to do with the exam..."
"Yeah, yeah."
"I said I got it."
Regardless of what he said, his friends opened alchemy books and started reading .
Since the exam opponent was a giant, it was best to prepare the strongest and most prating potions possible.
The princess nced around slyly, tilted her head, pondered for a while, and eventually closed the book she was reading and opened the same book as her friends. Priestess Siana, who was sitting next to her, had already opened the book long ago.
Bartreck, an alchemy major student from the White Tiger Tower, was surprised to see that as he passed by.
''The exam opponent must be a giant!''
Bartreck turned around and ran off to inform his friends of this secret information.
A whileter, Yonaire, who had finished her duty, asked Yi-Han.
"Is it true that the opponent for this alchemy exam is a giant?"
"..."
¡ª
"This exam is about making ."
was a defensive potion that preserved the vitality of life even in ces filled with negative and dark energy.
It was a very useful potion for dark mages who worked in such ces for a long time, as well as adventurers or mages who had to enter such ces.
"Are the giants going to drink it?"
"Does it have to be effective on giants too?"
"??"
Professor Uregor was flustered by the students'' questions that suddenly raised the difficulty level several times.
''What''s going on? Did it spread from Wardanaz?''
As far as Professor Uregor knew, students never wanted to raise the difficulty of the exam on their own.
Except for a certain student from a family whose name started with War and ended with danaz.
"No?"
"Huh? It''s not? To the giants..."
"If not giants... Aha! It must be another race with high resistance. Wardanaz is a crazy guy, so he deliberately practiced with giants."
"I''m right behind you."
"S, sorry. It''s a habit."
Professor Uregor realized that a false rumor had spread without his knowledge.
It was amon urrence.
Einroguard was a ce where strange rumors arose in the blink of an eye.
"I don''t know what you heard, but you will test the performance of the potion you made yourself. After drinking the potion,e out here and walk."
Professor Uregor opened the back of the lecture hall and pointed to the pre-made dark blue shade.
It was a space where vitality was rapidly consumed just by walking a few steps due to the mixture of the dark element and negative energy.
"Ah. Wardanaz, you... you''re an exception."
"Pardon?"
Yi-Han was surprised.
Why?
Behind him, the White Tiger Tower students nodded their heads as if they knew it would happen.
"The giant was exclusively for Wardanaz."
"Indeed, it''s reasonable..."
''What''s reasonable, you crazy bastards.''
Professor Uregor looked at Yi-Han as if asking what was so obvious.
"You''ll be fine even without drinking the potion, so the test won''t work, right? Don''t drink it and submit it to me."
"..."
Yi-Han clicked his tongue, missing out on an easy opportunity.
"Professor. But I have to go outside to get ingredients now, and it''s raining too much. If you give me more time..."
"Take the reagents from the cab next to you."
"?????"
"...Why are you surprised? Did you really think I would make you go outside to get reagents in this weather?"
Surprisingly, the alchemy exam proceeded in a sensible manner.
The students were flustered by the sight of Professor Uregor, who had prepared all the reagents and tools.
-Isn''t it a trap?-
-It''s a trap. Be careful. The tools might suddenly break.-
-The reagents might be spoiled.-
However, surprisingly, nothing unusual happened until the end.
Yi-Han, who worked with the mindset of ''If there''s a trap, it wille out as I work'' while his friends were buzzing,pleted the potion first.
Professor Uregor carefully checked the potion and tasted a sip.
"Full marks."
It was always nice to hear no matter how many times he heard it.
Yi-Han nodded.
"Thank you."
"Ah. I heard you''re hanging out with giants? Do it well on your own, but be careful when making potions for giants. You have to make it much more potent."
"...But why...!"
How many hours had passed?!
¡ª
Ogoldos, a 2nd-year student in the dark magic school, checked his back with an irritated motion.
"I told you it''s not there, Ogoldos."
"Hmph. How can I trust you?"
"I said I''m sorry... I''ll stop teasing you."
Coholti apologized.
After Ogoldos disappeared with a 1st-year junior during this vacation and returned, Coholti had attached a note saying on Ogoldos''s back several times.
Because of that, Ogoldos now growled and showed wariness whenever Coholti approached him.
"Nice job. Really nice. Reducing our already few juniors. If he quits, you''re telling the professor, got it?"
"Ah, no. Ogoldos also said he forgave me!"
"Hmph. I don''t know."
Although Ogoldos said he forgave him with his mouth, his face was full of dissatisfaction. Direth pped her wings and kicked Coholti''s shin.
"Ouch!"
"You also got help to solve it in the first ce."
"Th, that''s a bit different..."
Ogoldos, who was listening next to them, perked up his ears.
It seemed his mood would improve a bit if he heard the story of Senior Coholti''s ugly failure.
"I want to hear it, Senior Direth."
"Okay. If this makes your mood a bit better."
Direth red at Coholti as if he was pathetic and started exining what had happened in detail.
When she told them why winter hade to the Einroguard corridor in early summer and what lunatics had summoned the King of Frost Giants, Ogoldos looked at his senior with contemptuous eyes.
"...It wasn''t a mistake I made alone, Ogoldos."
"Yes..."
"There were other guys too! I have less responsibility!"
"Yes..."
"Stop chattering and prepare, everyone."
Direth opened the chest, took out intact bones, and scattered them around.
It was to prepare for this midterm exam.
Other schools drove 1st-year students hard from the beginning to temper them for what they would learn in earnest in the 2nd year, but dark magic was a bit different.
If the dark magic exams in the 1st semester of the 1st year served to sort out the wheat from the chaff, the dark magic exams in the 2nd semester of the 1st year were...
"But honestly, if they''ve learned this much, they won''t quit even out of resentment, right?"
"All my ssmates quit except me."
"...Th, that''s right."
...a kind of enticement.
Dark magic is this great, dark magic is this fun, dark magic can do this too.
So please, don''t quit!!
Even the freshmen who somehow endured in the 1st semester, when their bodies and minds became tired in the 2nd semester, they thought, ''Ah, should I quit the worst one first?''
And usually, dark magic was likely to be included in ''the worst one''.
"This should be enough, right?"
"An undead wave is enough."
Ogoldos answered with a confident voice.
Ogoldos himself had experienced something simr in the 2nd semester of the 1st year, so he could be sure.
The appearance of amander pushing numerous undead like waves.
Few things were as intense as that.
"Uh... Direth. If we use up all these reagents, what will we use for our experiments this semester?"
"...I''ll tell the professor and somehow replenish them."
Direth said, holding back a sigh.
Even though they had replenished like that during the vacation, the budget of the dark magic school was far from abundant.
The skull principal was stingy with dark magic even though he was the grand master of dark magic, and the empire was particrly picky about dark magic research and experiments.
-What reason would the study of the defense of a flesh golem benefit the empire?-
-Uh, so, uh, with a stronger summon, the empire''s enemies¡-
-There are many other golems, so why does it have to be a flesh golem? Can''t it be reced with summoning magic?-
-...May I ask your name, examiner?-
Coholtiforted Direth, who was sighing.
"Don''t worry too much. Still, few things will leave as strong an impression on the juniors as this."
"It should be."
"Except for that guy Wardanaz."
"..."
When Direth red at him, Coholti hurriedly made an excuse.
"Ah, no. But honestly... if he had a tug-of-war with the King of Frost Giants, he wouldn''t be moved by an undead wave...! He''s the principal''s cherished disciple!"
It wasn''t the seniors'' fault.
If he had followed the skull principal and directly witnessed the secrets of all kinds of wicked magic, how could they give him a more intense impression?
"And he''ll keep attending even if he''s not impressed. He''s taking magic from all schools. He''ll take dark magic too."
"I wonder. Will he really?"
Ogoldos spoke cautiously.
"No matter how outstanding a mage is, there is a limit to human ability. When I talked to himst time, he seemed to be barely managing. It wouldn''t be strange if he quit dark magic..."
"This guy, why are you being so annoying now... Then you should have done well! What kind of senior gets carried out after being trapped together??"
When Coholti scolded him, Ogoldos also got upset.
"Why are you bringing that up now..."
"Hey. Stop it. Stop it."
Direth made everyone shut up with an irritated face.
However, she couldn''t help but feel anxious.
Among the 1st-year juniors, none were unimportant, but among them, losing Wardanaz would make her stomach ache several times more.
"...Did Wardanaz mention his favorite food when you were trapped together?"
"..."
"..."
"What. You bastards."
¡ª
When the lecture hall door opened, beyond it was a pitch-ck alternate realm.
Normally, he would have been surprised, but since it was the midterm exam period, Yi-Han responded calmly.
''Hmm. It must be an exam.''
The dim ins rippled with wicked and ominous energy. It seemed that a grand spell from the dark magic category was being prepared.
And in the distance, a white wave began to appear. Gainando, who was yawning and rubbing his eyes, opened his eyes wide and rubbed them again.
"Th, th, th, that...!"
"..."
It wasn''t a white wave but an army of undead.
The 1st-year students were shocked to see the army of undead suddenly rushing towards them.
"Let''s use Raphael as bait!"
"You bastard!"
Raphael, who was next to them and suddenly became bait, red up.
Yi-Han''s mind spun quickly as he saw the army of undead approaching densely from afar, leaving no ce to escape.
How to deal with that now?
''Think. There must be a way.''
"Uh... maybe it''s not an exam but just a demonstration?"
Ymirg cautiously suggested an opinion.
Honestly, it seemed too difficult to be an exam.
"It''s probably an exam."
"Don''t escape from reality!"
However, both Gainando and Raphael answered negatively.
It seemed quite possible at Einroguard.
Meanwhile, Yi-Han took action.
"I call upon you from the abyss..."
"Are you summoning that cheeky spirit?!"
When Yi-Han chanted the spell, Gainando asked, turning pale.
Yi-Han shook his head. Ferkuntra was unlikely to y a big role in the current situation even if summoned now.
Since the number of enemies wasrge, Ferkuntra''s firepower was overkill.
"Mage of the ancient pce, servant of the king, piercer of tyrants, I, the one who has contracted with you, call upon you with the qualifications of a blood alliance!"
The undead mage who had resisted the King of Ghouls together during this vacation slowly revealed himself.
-If it weren''t an urgent situation, I would have scolded you, but it really is a critical situation!-
"The exam... no, please help us!"
Yi-Han shouted urgently, deciding to exinter.
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Chapter 459
Chapter 459
-I understand your pursuit of glory, but the habit of only facing excessively strong opponents is also not good!-
At the undead mage''s advice, Gainando unconsciously nodded his head.
Yi-Han smacked the back of Gainando''s head and said.
"It''s not like I wanted to be in that situation..."
-I''ll hear the exnationter. I''mcking mana now! I need help!-
The undead mage spoke while looking around at the students.
Since he was not originally an existence of thisnd, the undead mage consumed a tremendous amount of existence each time he was summoned from the realm.
Moreover, the damage he had taken when he faced the King of Ghoulsst time had not yet recovered.
No matter how outstanding the undead mage was, it was difficult for him to y a proper role without help.
-Serpent, run, gather the energy of the eight directions, from Qian to Kun, from Kan to Dui!-
[TL: Directions in Bagua : Qian (Ǭ) - Represents the northwest direction. It is associated with the sky, and its element is metal. Qian symbolizes heaven, strength, creativity, and the father figure. Kun (À¤) - Corresponds to the southwest direction. It represents the earth, with its element being earth as well. Kun symbolizes motherhood, receptivity, nurturing, and care.
Kan (¿²) - Linked to the north direction. Its element is water, and it symbolizes danger, the moon, the abyss, and trials to be ovee. It is also associated with the middle son.
Dui (Ħ) - Represents the west direction. Its element iske or sometimes metal, and it stands for joy, pleasure, and the youngest daughter.]
He hurriedly drew a magic circle around him and scraped together mana, but it was still insufficient.
The undead mage shouted at the students.
-Each to your position! Face your position and add strength to the magic circle!-
Yi-Han didn''t ask about the principle of the intricate magic circle drawn with snakes, bones, and dark elements.
Instead, he quickly moved as the undead mage told him to. There was no time to waste with the army approaching from afar.
"His recovery is iplete..."
"Yi-Han. Wouldn''t it have been better to summon the cheeky spirit?"
"Still, in the current situation, it will be better than Ferkuntra."
"Indeed, right?"
-You, dawdling there! Move quickly!-
When the undead mage shouted, Gainando was startled and tried to run.
But there was no need for that.
As soon as Yi-Han stepped into the concentric circle inside the magic circle, the magic circle emitted light as if burning and began mana cirction.
-There''s too little mana! In the current state, forget about grand magic, I might not be able to endure and be reverse summoned... Oh. It''s all done.-
"..."
"..."
Gainando and his friends, who were rushing over, paused.
"It''s all done?"
-Ah... right. He had a lot of mana.-
The undead mage had no facial muscles but expressed embarrassment through his actions.
Come to think of it, this mage he had contracted with had genius-level talent for his age and an unbelievablyrge amount of mana that would make even the lords of other realms gasp.
Thanks to that, the required mana was achieved in an instant without the need to scrape together mana from other students bit by bit.
With this much mana, he could summon undead abundantly without worrying about reverse summoning.
-Thank you.-
"I summoned you, didn''t I?"
-Then... appear, my armies!-
The undead mage began summoning the undead he had contracted with, along with amand.
From the space connected to the magic circle, a realm gate opened, and skeleton warriors formed a neat formation.
Seeing their appearance clearly different from ordinary skeleton warriors, Yi-Han asked in disbelief.
"Could they be dragon tooth soldiers??"
For undead summons whose strength varied depending on the quality of the bones, skeleton warriors made from dragon teeth were a symbol of strength and fear.
With that size and such a lively spirit...
-Are you crazy? Do you know how proud summons made from dragon teeth are?! They can never bemanded like this. Of course, these warriors are not ordinary either, but still.-
"Ah. Could it be demon bones..."
-Dragon teeth are mixed in very slightly.-
"..."
-Even that is really amazing!-
"R, right."
It did sound a bit shabby when he said it, but the undead mage''s words were not wrong.
Even with just a tiny bit of dragon teeth mixed in, the skeleton warriors were exuding an overwhelming spirit.
The summoning didn''t end there.
After the skeleton warriors with shields formed a formation andpleted an iron wall, banshee mages lined up behind them.
The banshee mages were tapping the ground, trying to secure mana somehow, and when they spotted Yi-Han, they bowed deeply.
"...It''s because I contracted with that mage."
"Uh, okay."
Ymirg was puzzled when Yi-Han answered something he didn''t even ask.
-...I offer all my remaining mana, so the king of horses and the king of kings, aid me ording to the contract!-
As the undead mage squeezed out his mana and finished thest summoning, centaur ghouls sprang out from one side.
The huge monstrous cavalry, the centaur ghouls, initiated a charge following their leader.
-Now, the preparations areplete! Intercept the enemies! Don''t worry about mana!-
"Isn''t that too reckless?"
When Yi-Han asked worriedly, the undead mage nced down at the magic circle to check.
And he shouted again.
-Don''t worry about mana and pour it on even more!-
"..."
¡ª
"Phew. It''s all done."
Coholti, who had finished summoning the undead, plopped down.
Summoning that many numbers was indeed not an ordinary task even for the outstanding students of Einroguard.
He had used up all the reagents and over a dozen magic circles, but the fatigue was inevitable.
"Is it going well?"
"Yes. It''s going well."
Ogoldos answered while looking at the undead army running in the distance.
Although he had seen itst year, seeing it again with more knowledge after bing a 2nd-year student made him realize anew how amazing it was.
It was surprising to summon that many undead, but the strong control over those ferocious undead was also impressive.
Even though countless undead were running as if they would sweep away everything, making the earth tremble, the juniors among them didn''t get a single hair hurt.
Ogoldos was reminded of old memories.
''I also decided to devote myself to dark magic after seeing that.''
At first, it was really scary.
He entered the lecture hall, and suddenly a different realm unfolded before him, and an army of undead was rushing towards him. How could he not be scared?
He was trembling, thinking this was the end, but suddenly the army of undead scattered to the side without touching a single hair of the students and passed by.
Only then could Ogoldos realize.
All of this was a splendid y by the seniors learning dark magic!
''Seeing it again, it''s really amazing...''
"H, hey! Hey!!!"
"Why are you doing that? Wait. Don''te near my back."
Ogoldos looked at Coholti with eyes full of wariness.
Coholti showed that both his hands were empty as if it was unfair and shouted.
"Look at the undead army over there!"
"Why... gasp."
The two let out a gasp.
No matter how they looked at it, the scene in the distance looked like a fight.
Why???
"Wh, what''s going on? C, could it be that the control was iplete? Did they not understand not to attack the juniors?"
Coholti turned pale and trembled.
In his mind, ''All 1st-years quit the dark magic school'' was circling.
Even if Professor Mortum was lenient, if something like this happened, he might lock Coholti in the punishment room forever.
"...W, wait a moment, senior. Doesn''t something seem strange?"
"Why? What? Did I see it wrong? I saw it wrong, right? R, right? I saw it wrong, right?"
"That''s not it! Right now, that side is... that side is pushing forward!"
"???"
Coholti blinked his eyes.
Come to think of it, something was strange.
If themand to the undead was wrong, the juniors should have just been trampled and it would be over, but now they were fighting, weren''t they?
Fighting meant it was even.
And now it wasn''t even, but this side was...?
"!!!"
Coholti, who hurriedly sent an undead bat to secure vision, froze at the sight unfolding before his eyes.
Some undead army was orderly pushing back the undead on the ally''s side.
When elite skeleton warriors, who seemed several grades higher than ordinary skeleton warriors, formed a defensive wall and blocked the way, centaur ghouls from behind relentlessly hit and run, copsing the army.
Moreover, the banshee mages used some secret technique, and mana gushed out like a spring as they fired magic one after another. As a green specter cloud spread like fog, the undead melted away.
''What is this...!''
The undead army on the ally''s side was not prepared forbat in the first ce, so there were no tactical movements and no defenses against attacks.
Since they were inferior in everything except numbers, they were bound to lose if they shed like this, but...
But...!
''No, does this make sense!?''
Putting that aside, how could 1st-year students summon an army of this scale!?
Coholti kept observing because he couldn''t believe it no matter how much he looked.
It seemed like it would take a lich who had lived for hundreds of years to make this possible.
Not only the undead summoning but theposition, deployment, andmand were like...
"...nior! Senior!!!"
"Huh! What!?"
When Ogoldos called from behind, Coholti hurriedly came to his senses.
He had been unconsciously captivated by the battle that was too thrilling.
"I don''t know what the situation is, but shouldn''t we quickly contact them and stop the fight?! At this rate, all the summoned undead will be destroyed!!"
"...Ah!"
Only then did Coholti fully return to reality.
The important thing now wasn''t how the 1st-year students summoned that many undead.
Ah, of course, he was really curious about that too, but...
''No!!''
The important thing now was the enormous amount of reagents used to summon the undead army.
If the undead were reverse summoned rtively unharmed, at least some recoverable reagents woulde out, but if they were destroyed and reverse summoned like this, there would be none of that.
Direth was already preparing to recover the reagents in the next lecture hall after the demonstration was over...
If he left it like this, the sight Direth would see when she came would only be a miserable ruins.
And the possibility that Coholti would also be buried upside down next to those ruins...
¡ª
-Junior! Misunderstanding! Misunderstanding! Midterm exam! y!-
An undead bat flew over and shouted desperately.
It was so urgent that it shouted with sentences missing here and there.
Fortunately, Yi-Han quickly understood.
"Ah. So it was a demonstration before the midterm exam? No wonder it seemed tock aggression..."
-Yes! Stop! Stop!-
"Isn''t it a trap?"
"It might be a trap. Yi-Han. Let''s destroy them all. We can think about it after that!"
Raphael and Gainando whispered from behind, but Yi-Han didn''t waver.
First of all, the dark magic school seniors weren''t the kind of people who would set a trap with something like this, and above all, the circumstances made sense.
"I overdid it for nothing. I should have just stayed still."
-...What...?-
The undead mage next to him looked at Yi-Han as if dumbfounded.
He thought it was an urgent situation where Yi-Han''s life was threatened, but something was strange.
"It was an exam. You know? Being tested by the teacher..."
-¡ö ¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö!-
The undead mage threw a fit in another realmnguage.
He brought his unrecovered body, thinking Yi-Han''s life was in danger, and organized an army, but what??
-And what kind of stupid dark mages show off something like this?! The army of the undead is a hammer and an axe to crush the enemy, not a tool for boasting!-
-...-
Coholti, who was listening through the bat, had nothing to say even if he had ten mouths.
"I''m sorry. Next time, I''ll call you when it''s really dangerous."
-You must keep in mind that if you waste a precious opportunity like that, it''s your loss!-
The undead mage admonished him several times as if it was really absurd.
Powerful beings from other realms were difficult to summon again until their strength recovered once summoned, and moreover, the undead mage was also injured...
Gainando, who was next to him, asked in puzzlement.
"But you took a lot of mana earlier, so isn''t your injury healed?"
-...-
When the undead mage red at Gainando with a blue light, Yi-Han quickly made him shut his mouth.
"No, Mr. Verduus. It was my fault. Please go back now."
-Hmph!-
The undead mage red at Gainando once more and was reverse summoned.
Then, the ins became so quiet that it was hard to believe there were so many undead just a moment ago.
Ymirg, who was next to him, hesitated and then cautiously asked as if he couldn''t hold back any longer.
"Wa, Wardanaz. Did you turn Professor Verduus into an undead?"
"...No!"
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Chapter 460
Chapter 460
Yi-Han was dumbfounded by the absurd misunderstanding.
Turning Professor Verduus into an undead.
Wasn''t it worse than the nonsense spouted by those White Tiger Tower guys?
"Huh? It wasn''t?"
Yi-Han smacked the back of Gainando''s head again and said.
"It''s just a person with the same name."
"That''s too pitiful! Of all people, to have the same name as Professor Verduus!"
When Gainando sympathized with a sincere voice, Yi-Han was slightly flustered.
"It''s... not that bad, is it?"
"No, it''s too pitiful."
In the distance, two familiar seniors were seen running over in a hurry.
Yi-Han greeted them cheerfully.
"Hello."
"Huff. Huff... Wh, what were you doing?"
"We were feeling sorry for the undead mage Yi-Han summoned because he was Verduus."
At Gainando''s answer, Coholti was shocked.
"You, did you turn Professor Verduus into an undead?!"
"..."
¡ª
After figuring out the truth, Coholti wanted to crawl into a mouse hole.
Ogoldos whispered next to him.
"Senior. There are many holes here where the undead went in. I think you can go in there."
"Shut up..."
To make such a ridiculous mistake not as a 1st-year but as a 4th-year.
But Coholti also had an excuse.
"I heard that Professor Verduus suddenly disappeared. Because of that..."
''Even if the professor disappeared, isn''t it quite strange to associate it with me?''
Although he had that thought, Yi-Han didn''t say anything out of consideration for his senior.
However, Yi-Han didn''t know.
To Coholti and a few others, Yi-Han was already treated as the direct crazy... no, the direct disciple who would inherit the skull principal''s legacy!
"The professor went to the punishment room."
At Yi-Han''s exnation, Coholti understood with a face that said ''Of course.''
"Right. I was wondering where he went."
"Couldn''t you have asked the other seniors?"
At Gainando''s question, Coholti answered in an embarrassed voice.
"The guys learning enchantment magic all said they didn''t know and weren''t interested."
"..."
"..."
Silence lingered.
Yi-Han opened his mouth to change the subject.
"By the way, senior. Since we blocked the undead, is the exam over?"
"Huh? No. The exam is something else. is the exam."
A curse-type magic that induces intense drunkenness in the target.
Although it was a 2nd circle magic, it had a rtively low difficulty level and could be cast even if not mastered, so it was often used as the next textbook for novice dark mages who had learned a few curse spells.
"...Uh, then the undead attack had absolutely nothing to do with the exam?"
Yi-Han was slightly flustered.
Of course, he had heard that it was a demonstration before the midterm exam, but he still thought it would have a little to do with the exam.
If it had nothing to do with it, then why?
"..."
"..."
Coholti and Ogoldos looked at each other.
Ogoldos lowered his head, pretending not to see.
Wasn''t the person in charge of such things usually the senior?
"...Wa, Wardanaz, should I take responsibility and give you full marks?"
"No..."
Yi-Han was flustered by the senior''s sudden strange words.
¡ª
After the exam was over (Gainando and Raphael were drunk and dazed because they identally cursed each other), Yi-Han was about to leave but paused.
Coholti was sighing while looking around the ins where the undead were shattered.
"What''s the matter, senior?"
"Huh? Ah, it''s nothing. Go back quickly. If you stay too long, the principal will find fault."
''No matter how I look at it, it seems like something happened.''
Coholti had a face like a senior who had caused an ident behind the professor''s back.
Yi-Han asked again just in case.
"Senior. I''m also a student taking dark magic. If something happens, I''d like you to tell me."
"Ah, no. This isn''t something a junior should worry about."
Ogoldos, who was next to them, muttered while scraping together dirt.
"I know who dealt with the King of Frost Giants."
"..."
Coholti kicked Ogoldos and pushed him into the hole.
"Senior?"
"Ah, no. My foot slipped. I''m not usually like this. Don''t misunderstand. You won''t misunderstand, right? Our school isn''t usually like this!"
Coholti was very worried that Yi-Han would see this and misunderstand, ''Do the seniors in the dark magic school beat their juniors?''
If he had such a misunderstanding, the professors and ssmates of the dark magic school would beat up Coholti!
"I think if you tell me honestly, there won''t be any misunderstandings."
"That''s... well... sigh."
Coholti honestly confessed, fearing that this junior would run away if he hid it any longer.
But while speaking, he couldn''t help but have this thought.
''Isn''t this too miserable? Is it okay to be like this?''
How pathetic would it look if the school''s reagent stockpile was shaken just by showing an undead wave once?
However, Yi-Han sympathized deeply with Coholti''s pain more than expected.
"Oh no...!"
Yi-Han''s heart ached.
Theck of reagents was due to Professor Mortum''sck of ability, not the seniors'' fault.
He should have brought in support funds through skillful politics or even stolen them, but he made the students suffer by not doing that.
"The professor is really too much!"
"Ah... no. It''s not that bad? Honestly, our professor is better than someone like Professor Verduus..."
Yi-Han felt even more sorry.
The seniors must have had a certain part of their brain that controlsparison degenerated from being at Einroguard for too long.
"No. I''m sorry. I didn''t know the seniors'' situation and shattered all the undead."
"That was unavoidable... no... that''s... Wardanaz, I''m grateful that you''re taking my side, but..."
Coholti was even more flustered.
The emotion this 1st-year student was showing was too sincere and heartfelt.
As if he had studied in the dark magic school for several years...
He was grateful, but it was also true that he was flustered.
And honestly, if a 1st-year countered an undead wave, it should be something to be praised for, not apologized for wasting reagents.
If Coholti had achieved such a feat in his 1st year, he would have bragged to his friends once a week until graduation.
"I''ll try to get reagents."
"Huh? No. No. You can''t steal this."
Coholti stopped Yi-Han.
Although it was easy to think that Einroguard students had nows or rules, surprisingly, Einroguard also had implicitws and rules.
One of them was prohibiting plunder and theft among students.
The principal''s property was considered a kind of studentmon property, so it was fine, but if students started robbing each other, it would be difficult to handle the aftermath.
It''s okay if you don''t get caught, but originally, there are no secrets in the world.
"Especially the reagents used in dark magic are noticeable."
"I didn''t mean stealing, but asking and bringing them."
"..."
"..."
Ogoldos, who crawled out of the hole, looked at Coholti pathetically.
Coholti kicked Ogoldos again and pushed him in, saying,
"Asking would be even more difficult, right? If you were me, would you just give away the school''s hard-earned property?"
"Since I have nothing to lose, I''ll try asking."
Originally, many professors had their sense of money numbed because they didn''t directly earn gold coins and received ample support funds for research.
As such, if someone with a close rtionship asked, there was a good chance they would readily give it.
Moreover, in Yi-Han''s case, he knew many professors, so if he went around begging, he could gather a considerable amount.
Yi-Han was confident.
"No... um... I''m grateful, but... don''t overdo it. Even if the professor treats you coldly, don''t feel too resentful. If you feel like you can''t do it halfway, just give up, okay?"
"Yes. Thank you for your concern. Then let''s go."
Yi-Han said to his friends.
Ymirg grabbed the cors of the copsed Gainando and Raphael and lifted them up.
"...Sorry."
"Ah, no. I''m happy to help."
"Should I just throw those guys in the water and go?"
"Ah, no! It''s not heavy! I can carry them!"
Ymirg shouted hurriedly, fearing that Yi-Han would really throw the two into the water and leave.
Coholti looked at the backs of the 1st-year juniors with a satisfied face.
The curse magic (the two copsed from casting it at each other) and their strong friendship.
The 1st-year juniors were all reliable.
Especially in the case of Wardanaz, he was even more so.
To worry about his senior like it was his own business even though it wasn''t.
He didn''t have high expectations for the result, but just the fact that his heart was warmed was enough.
''There is such emotion even in the heartless Einroguard.''
While Coholti was taking out a handkerchief to hide his reddened eyes, Direth appeared from behind with her subordinates.
She had finished preparing the subordinates customized for reagent recovery and came to find them.
"Is the exam already over?"
"Huh? Yeah."
"It ended faster than expected?"
"Uh..."
"...But why are all the undead in this state?"
Direth asked expressionlessly.
That expressionlessness was even more frightening to Coholti.
"That''s... well..."
Coholti exined the situation as quickly as possible.
But he couldn''t help but have his eyes drawn to the subordinates Direth had summoned.
If those subordinates attacked, Coholti was not properly prepared to defend himself now.
"...Hah."
After hearing the full exnation, Direth let out a deep sigh that seemed to sink into the ground.
"How can things get so tangled even when they get tangled?"
"R, right?"
Coholti nervously looked at Direth''s staff.
Fortunately, Direth showed no signs of attacking.
"It can''t be helped... Let''s at least gather what we have."
"...I, is it okay?"
"It''s not okay, but what can we do? No one expected a 1st-year junior to shatter everything like this."
"Right?!"
Coholti''s face brightened as he became certain that Direth wouldn''t attack.
"That''s what I''m saying. It was an unpredictable, truly unfortunate disaster. In a way, should I say it''s amazing?"
"...You''re not excited now, are you?"
As Direth''s voice turned chilly, Coholti quickly made a sad face.
"Ah, no. Just... just saying. Of course I''m sad too. Moreover, a junior went to visit other schools to get reagents. It''s admirable, but how sad it is again."
"...A junior went to visit other schools to get reagents?"
"Yeah."
"And you didn''t stop him and told him toe back?"
"...Uh... that''s..."
Coholti tried to make an excuse, saying, ''I did try to stop him in my own way,'' but sensing that it would only provoke Direth''s temper, he looked around.
Thud!
Ogoldos weed Coholti, who fell on top of the hole he was in.
"Wee."
"Shut up..."
Feeling the pile of dirt flying over the hole, Coholti prepared a breathing magic.
¡ª
"Principal!"
???
The skull principal was startled when Yi-Han called him too enthusiastically.
Yi-Han was not originally a student who approached him so familiarly.
When he saw the skull principal, he would be disgusted, and the skull principal also liked that reaction...
¡°Wh... what is it?¡±
"Last time, I worked hard on the school''s maintenance work, didn''t I?"
¡°You did...?¡±
"I also discovered and protected the secret passage that the academy''s visitors had missed. The donation was a bonus."
¡°...¡±
"And during the festival, the mages too..."
¡°Just tell me what you want.¡±
The skull principal was dumbfounded but intended to respect Yi-Han''s request.
Just considering what he had mentioned, he had indeed aplished a lot.
Although he was annoying, the skull principal didn''t deny that much.
¡°Are you asking for leave passes? How many have you checked if you have left?¡±
"I still have some left."
¡°Your friends need to use them too.¡±
"They''lle out on their own."
''This guy.''
The skull principal missed the old Yi-Han who cherished his friends.
"The dark magic school within the academycks reagents to use, so could you possibly provide some support?"
¡°...¡±
The skull principal was so surprised that he couldn''t even close his jaw.
"Principal?"
¡°...Don''t tell me those crazy guys made you beg?!?!?¡±
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Chapter 461
Chapter 461
Although Einroguard was often described as hell, and the skull principal liked that description...
Even hell had rules.
The skull principal had never seen bastards who made their junior beg for the materials they needed.
Were they insane?
¡°This is perfect timing. Verduus had been whining, so I''ll have to make some friends for him. Show them in!¡±
"They didn''t make me do it."
¡°What did you say?¡±
"I volunteered."
¡°Ha! Of course. All Einroguard students ''volunteer'' to live like that.¡±
"..."
Yi-Han looked at the skull principal with a dumbfounded gaze.
How can you say that!
...Come to think of it, there''s something strange.
The skull principal noticed the oddity with his brilliant mind.
Come to think of it, even if they were seniors, it didn''t seem like they could threaten this young kid.
¡°You''re not the type to be threatened anywhere.¡±
"No... I can be threatened too..."
Yi-Han protested, but the skull principal ignored him.
¡°Then what is it? Don''t tell me you came to help the seniors. What are you trying to summon? Are you trying to test the bone you tookst time?¡±
"To help the seniors..."
¡°It''s quite an ambitious idea, but it won''t be easy. To draw out the power of that bone at your current level. But a challenge is always good... What? Who are you helping?¡±
"I''m asking for support to help the seniors."
¡°...¡±
The skull principal red at Yi-Han with a gaze mixed with shock, horror, contempt, and disgust.
¡°Why the hell are you doing that?¡±
"Just give it to me."
Yi-Han, who had be annoyed, decided to go out boldly.
In the first ce, Yi-Han didn''te to beg, but to receive it as a reward for his work, right?
The skull principal was silent for a while, and when he realized that he couldn''t persuade Yi-Han, he clicked his tongue and said,
¡°...Follow me.¡±
"Thank you."
Death knights appeared on boats made of bones next to the corridor. It was to carry the luggage.
¡°Guide him to the eastern warehouse. The Sparrow Warehouse. You know?¡±
-Which Sparrow Warehouse are you referring to? The 4th floor Sparrow Warehouse? Or the 7th floor¡-
Smack!
The skull principal hit the death knight''s helmet, making a clear sound.
¡°Watch your mouth, you idiot! Making a slip of the tongue at that age!¡±
-Pardon...? Ah, no. How can we find the warehouse by listening to what you just said?-
¡°That guy is more than capable of that. I told you several times not to let your guard down!¡±
Yi-Han shook his head with an innocent face as if to say no.
Of course, inwardly, he was thinking,
''4th floor, 7th floor Sparrow Warehouse. Remember that.''
If he had a chanceter, he was thinking of raiding the skull principal''s secret warehouse.
¡°Go.¡±
"Yes. Thank you."
¡°You''ll regret it.¡±
"Yes. Thank you."
¡°Do you think the seniors will remember that you helped them? They won''t even be able to meet you in the first ce.¡±
"Yes. Thank you."
¡°If you think you''ll meet them next year, you''re greatly mistaken. The seniors are all busy with their own research, so they don''t even have time to meet¡¡±
"Yes. Thank you."
-Master. The more you do this, the more pathetic you seem¡-
The skull principal sent the death knight who spoke to another realm.
¡ª
"Professor. Professor."
"Yeah. Come in."
Professor Uregor was drawing a map on the 1st floor of the Gaksu Pavilion when Yi-Han entered, and he gestured.
"What were you doing?"
"Ah. Because of the flood, the cabins were all swept away... I put up defensive magic, but I need to find them and retrieve them quickly. There are all kinds of monsters at Einroguard, so it''s dangerous."
Professor Uregor was calcting the flow of the flood damage and how far the cabins might have been swept away.
Seeing that, Yi-Han paused.
"...Come to think of it, I think I saw sirens surrounding and attacking a cabin. I couldn''t see clearly because of the heavy downpour."
Professor Uregor let out a sigh.
"Oh no...! That was worth so much...!!"
"I''m sorry. I wanted to stop them too, but as you know, sirens are..."
"It''s fine. It''s too much for 1st-year students to deal with sirens."
Professor Uregor, who was speaking, paused.
"But it seems like you could handle them..."
"Ah. Professor. I came because I have a favor to ask."
"Huh? Yeah. Tell me."
Professor Uregor pushed aside the map, picked up a teacup, and sipped.
"The dark magic school within the academycks reagents to use, so could you possibly provide some support?"
"Cough cough!"
Professor Uregor spat out the tea onto the map and coughed.
After coughing for a while, the professor waved his staff to clean up the tea, calmed his throat, and shouted,
"Did the seniors make you do it?!!"
"No. I just felt sorry for them and wanted to help."
"Hmm. I understand your feelings, but... I don''t think this is right."
Professor Uregor tried to persuade Yi-Han.
If the seniorscked reagents, it was right for the seniors to gather them with their own abilities, not for the junior to go around and do it for them, no matter how outstanding the junior was.
Even if it was Wardanaz...
Hmm...
Hmm...
"Right. Even if it''s you, Wardanaz, it''s not right."
"Why did you hesitate just now?"
"You must be mistaken."
"Hmm. Professor. Actually, this is partly my fault too."
"Your fault?"
Professor Uregor snorted.
No matter how he thought about it, it didn''t seem like the junior could be at fault.
Even if a 1st-year junior made a mistake, what kind of mistake could he have made?
Even if he did, it was natural for the senior to take responsibility.
"What, did you spill a reagent bowl while experimenting? That''s a misconception. It''s natural for the senior to take responsibility for such a small mistake."
"No. The seniors made an undead wave, but I misunderstood and annihted it."
"..."
"..."
For a while, an awkward silence lingered.
Professor Uregor was lost in thought silently, then downed the teacup next to him in one shot and opened his mouth.
"What do you need?"
¡ª
"Professor Willow?"
Yi-Han knocked on the door of the greenhouse where Professor Willow, who was in charge of botany, was staying.
Although it wasn''t a lecture that 1st-year students took, Yi-Han was thinking of asking for a favor since he had gotten to know her by chancest time.
''Considering the personality of Einroguard''s professors, she belongs to the upper ranks.''
"It''s been a while. Isn''t the troll kid who called me an oak treest time here?"
"Gainando is not here. I apologize again."
"No. I was just joking because I was happy to see you after a long time."
Professor Willow put down the watering can and slowly walked over to Yi-Han.
"So, what brings you here? Do you need a nt?"
"Ah. The dark magic school within the academycks reagents to use, so could you possibly provide some..."
"!!!"
As Professor Willow was about to shout slowly, Yi-Han shouted urgently.
"I wasn''t threatened, I genuinely wanted to help the seniors. And I annihted the undead wave."
"!!!!!!"
The exnation was too hasty.
Professor Willow let out a scream that only those with tree blood could understand.
10 minutester.
"...That''s what happened."
"I see. I''m surprised. If that''s the case, I''ll give you as much as you need."
Professor Willow readily nodded and began putting the necessary reagents in a chest.
Yi-Han was moved by how readily she gave them.
''They say those who have more give more, Professor Willow is indeed different.''
There was a reason why Yi-Han went to the skull principal, Professor Uregor, and Professor Willow first.
The skull principal was notorious for having hundreds of hidden warehouses in the school, and Professor Uregor and Professor Willow had to have arge amount of reagents secured due to the nature of their lectures.
Professor Uregor could be excused since Yi-Han was doing chores for him, but Professor Willow...
"Thank you so much."
"It''s nothing. I can do this much for a disciple who will learn from me starting next year."
"...?"
Huh?
¡ª
Coholti gently brushed off the pile of dirt and lifted his head.
And he checked his surroundings.
"Ogoldos. You cane out."
"What is this because of you, senior?"
"You didn''t stop me either, so you''re an aplice."
The two crawled out of the hole and dusted off the dirt. Coholti spat out the dirt that had gotten into his mouth.
"Do you think Direth''s anger has subsided a bit?"
"No..."
"Hey. Why are you so negative?"
"Even the most positive person wouldn''t say that Senior Direth''s anger has subsided in this situation."
Ogoldos said, looking at Direth, who was walking around the ins and scraping together reagents in the distance.
Her wings were soaring upward, and her feathers were standing up stiffly. No matter how you looked at it, she was in a state of extreme anger.
"Then quickly pretend to scrape together reagents."
"I''ll just scrape them for real. Not pretend."
"..."
Coholti briefly considered throwing him back into the hole.
But of all times, the controversial junior returned.
"I''m back."
"!"
When Yi-Han returned, Coholti hurriedly threw down the reagent bag and ran over.
"Wahhh! You must have had a hard time! I''m sorry! I''m a bad guy!"
"Pardon? Why are you suddenly doing this?"
Yi-Han was flustered.
Could it be that Senior Coholti was also hit by in the meantime?
"I should have stopped you more! No, I did stop you, but I should have stopped you more strongly! You must have had a hard time! The guys from other schools are all bad! Yeah!"
Coholti nced at Direth behind him and hugged Yi-Han tightly.
"Don''t be too sad even if it didn''t work out. The guys from other schools are all like that originally."
"No... senior."
"Huh?"
Yi-Han pushed Coholti away and said,
"I brought it."
"...Huh?"
Death knights that looked familiar from somewhere came in and put down chests with leisurely movements.
-Is this enough?-
"Thank you! Please convey my gratitude to the principal as well!"
-Uh... the master won''t like it very much.-
"Then convey it even more."
The death knight smiled brightly and nodded.
Seeing that, Coholti was dumbfounded.
What the hell was happening now?
"...Th, this is what you brought?"
"Ah. There''s more."
The death knights went outside and stacked the chests neatly.
Coholti thought that even if he brought it, it would be about one or two leather bags worth, but he just blinked his eyes at the amount stacked in chests.
This was enough to use abundantly for a year.
"That... uh... junior. Don''t misunderstand what I''m saying... I''m not doubting you, but how did you get this?"
"First, I asked the principal and received some."
"Cough. Cough."
Coholti and Ogoldos coughed at the same time.
It was too unexpected from the start.
"Are you okay?"
"Ah, no. I think some dirt remained in my mouth because I went into the hole earlier."
"You went into the hole?! Why?!"
"Dire... No, we just like holes sometimes... We sometimes just go into holes."
Ogoldos red at his senior with a contemptuous gaze.
If he was going to act weird, he should have done it alone. Why did he drag him along?
"In the hole? Is it one of the dark magic training methods?"
"Uh... well... you could say that. That''s not important. You asked the principal?"
"Yes."
"And he agreed to it?"
"I persuaded him."
"..."
"..."
The two newly felt that Yi-Han was receiving the skull principal''s favor.
What student would receive such love?
"Amazing. Really. What else?"
"I asked Professor Uregor for this."
"Wasn''t that professor a bit... stingy?"
Professor Uregor was known among students as a miser.
He just gave it to you?
"I persuaded him."
"..."
"..."
The two began to feel dizzy, not knowing in what sense this junior was using the word ''persuade''.
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Chapter 462
Chapter 462
"...Could it be that he¡¯s using ''persuade'' in a different sense?"
Ogoldos whispered to Coholti.
Originally, there were quite a few words used in a different sense at Einroguard.
For example, ''Let''s go borrow something from the principal''s warehouse'' meant...
"It''s possible."
Coholti nodded his head.
Indeed, Ogoldos''s point was sharp.
"Ju, junior. Did you perhaps attack the professor..."
Thud!
Direth, who had returned at some point, swung a reagent bag and smacked Coholti.
Coholti screamed and fell into the hole.
"Is that something you should say? Is that something to say? To the junior who went around getting reagents for you?"
"Th, that guy also suspected..."
"No, I didn''t!"
Ogoldos desperately denied it, but Direth mercilessly swung the reagent bag.
With a dull sound, Ogoldos also fell next to Coholti.
''Hmm. So that''s why they were in the hole.''
Yi-Han realized the truth after seeing the seniors enter the hole.
And he thought to himself,
''I shouldn''t let my guard down even when breathing in front of Senior Direth.''
Without even realizing that she was considered the scariest senior in the dark magic school, Direth looked at Yi-Han with very apologetic eyes.
"...I''m sorry for making you hear nonsense. I mean it."
"No. I always consider the seniors'' words as golden rules."
The two in the hole had a satisfied expression.
How could he say the same thing so nicely?
"Don''t value it too preciously, there are words like trash rocks... So, you persuaded and received this? Did the professor make any unreasonable demands?"
Direth was worried about Yi-Han.
As you know, the professors at Einroguard were not kind enough to show kindness to students without anypensation, just by persuasion.
''Did they take your blood or something?''
Considering the mana possessed by the junior in front of her, it wouldn''t be surprising if some crazy professor did something crazy.
"No. I''m also learning under Professor Uregor."
"Ah."
Direth finally realized.
She had forgotten because it felt so natural for him to talk with the dark magic school seniors, bute to think of it...
''He was taking several lectures.''
Well, if it was a disciple of this caliber, it was understandable for the professor to grant a request.
Even if professors didn''t pay much attention to their disciples, it still depended on the disciple.
If they didn''t grant a request and the disciple went to another school, how bitter would it be?
"I see..."
"And this is from Professor Garcia, this is from Professor Knighton, this is from Professor Fluerwerk, this is from Professor Millei, this is from Professor Ku, this is from Professor Krair, this is from Professor Reuji, and this is from Professor Lagrinde."
"..."
Direth covered her face with both hands.
At the moment when she was trying to ept reality, her head felt dizzy.
"And this is borrowed from Professor Verduus."
"?"
Coholti, who was in the hole, felt something strange.
''Didn''t he say Professor Verduus went to the punishment room?''
"Are you okay?"
When Direth silently lowered her head without saying a word, Yi-Han asked in a worried voice.
"Did I make a mistake..."
"No... no. What mistake? Junior. You really, truly, I swear on all the meals and outings of the students learning dark magic, you did an amazing job. I''m sorry that you did too well."
Direth pulled herself together and lifted her face.
Although she had alreadymitted all kinds of disrespect as a senior, she had to do her job as a senior now.
She couldn''t make a junior who had achieved such a feat worry.
"Thank you so much."
"No. I just did what I had to do."
"And I can''t ept this..."
"No!"
"Please reconsider!"
When screams burst out from inside the hole, Direth poured dirt on top of the hole.
Yi-Han unconsciously distanced himself from Direth. Direth didn''t notice.
"...Uh. How can we ept this when you worked so hard?"
"But senior. Now that I''ve received it like this, I can''t return it to the professor, and I can''t use it either."
"That''s right. He''s saying this much. Direth."
"Please reconsider just once more."
At the words of Coholti and Ogoldos, who had dug through the ground and crawled out from the other side, Direth sighed and kicked them, saying,
"...Thank you. Really. I''ve never been more embarrassed while learning dark magic than today. I mean it."
"Nah. It was more embarrassing when you caused a zombie incident in the capital the year beforest."
Direth covered the hole she had put the two in again, summoned a summon on top of it topletely block it, and then said to Yi-Han,
"Thank you so much for joining the dark magic school. And..."
Direth hesitated and carefully said,
"If it''s hard or you don''t think it''s right, you don''t have to take it. I mean it."
"I understand. Thank you."
"...Don''t tell the professor that I said this."
"The professor won''t withdraw his trust in you over something like this."
"No, he will."
Direth said very firmly.
Although Professor Mortum trusted Direth, the issue of Yi-Han''s affiliation was a major matter that could not be forgiven even for his top disciple.
"I, I see."
Yi-Han was slightly flustered by Direth''s sharp answer.
¡ª
Yi-Han, who had returned with a snack basket packed by the seniors, realized that the atmosphere at the camping site at the entrance of the library was chaotic.
There were no students sitting, and everyone was gathered here and there with serious expressions, whispering.
"What''s going on? Did something happen?"
"Wardanaz!"
The students who spotted Yi-Han ran over with urgent faces.
"Why are youing sote?! Something big happened!"
"The dark magic sch... no. Nevermind. What happened?"
"There must be a monster outside the palisade. A student from the ck Tortoise Tower was kidnapped."
"!"
Yi-Han was startled and turned his gaze.
Currently, the camping site at the entrance of the library was quite solidly protected by a deeply dug moat, a palisade, and temporary towers.
Moreover, above that, there were lights that the students had made, no, mainly Yi-Han had made, ced here and there, shining beams of light in all directions even in the darkness of the library.
It was a situation where it was difficult to intrude or approach, but to break through that and take away students.
"Are you sure they were kidnapped? Could they be somewhere else..."
"No. They were on watch but disappeared. The next shift came and no one was there."
Deep wrinkles were etched on Salko''s forehead.
The exams weren''t even over yet, and now this happened.
Thinking about how the ck Tortoise Tower students would be too scared to focus made his stomach ache.
Jijel was simr.
Seeing the White Tiger Tower guys, whose concentration was already low, muttering things like ''Let''s send a search party'' and ''Let''s hunt and see what kind of monster it is'' and subtly closing their books, she wanted to hunt her friends more than the monster.
"We need to organize a search party and send them out, Wardanaz."
"What is this, your family''s front yard? A search party, really."
Jijel coldly cut off Salko''s words.
The library was abyrinth, which the students were fortunately forgetting due to their current luck.
If they messed around trying to search this area, who knew what would happen?
"Are you interfering because the White Tiger Tower guys didn''t disappear, Moradi?"
Salko growled, but Jijel didn''t even blink an eye. Rather, she red coldly and retorted.
"I would have said the same thing even if the White Tiger Tower guys had disappeared. Of course, the White Tiger Tower guys didn''t disappear."
"Moradi. I should tell you that I suspect you."
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting so confidently?"
"If you listen, it will be convincing. You White Tiger Tower guys have very bad heads. Guys like that can only think of one thing, right? Dragging down and holding back others."
"Ah. So you''re saying our tower did this?"
Jijel answered as if she couldn''t even breathe. Salko nodded.
"Who would benefit if the ck Tortoise Tower students disappeared?"
"Then why is the Blue Dragon Tower out of the line of suspicion with that logic?"
"There are two reasons, Moradi. One is that the Blue Dragon Tower guys are young masters who can''t do anything properly without Wardanaz."
"..."
Yi-Han, who was listening, looked at Salko with a dumbfounded expression.
"No..."
"What if Wardanaz led it?"
"Look at Wardanaz''s daily schedule."
Even Jijel, who usually wanted to trick Yi-Han, had to admit that this was a strong piece of evidence that was honestly hard to refute.
"Indeed. What''s the next reason?"
"The Blue Dragon Tower guys have better grades than the ck Tortoise Tower students. No idiot would keep the ones below them in check for no reason."
"Aha. I see. Why? Are you going to draw your weapon and charge at me?"
"I''m already thinking of doing that. If you keep interfering with the search party."
As the representatives of each tower red at each other, openly emitting murderous intent, the priests fidgeted and looked worried.
"Wa, Wardanaz. Can''t you stop them?"
"Uh, wouldn''t it be easier to let the winner choose?"
Yi-Han pondered who would win between the two and was puzzled by the priests'' words.
Isn''t it honestly intriguing?
However, the priests didn''t seem interested in such a duel.
"Please!"
"They won''t listen to me anyway..."
Yi-Han muttered like that, but surprisingly, the two called out to Yi-Han.
"Wardanaz. You judge."
"Wardanaz. What do you think?"
"...Since when did you two respect my opinion so much that you''re calling me?"
Yi-Han looked at the two with irritated eyes.
The guys who usually ticked him off were now asking Yi-Han to be the judge at a time like this.
They could just fight each other and hate each other...
"If we don''t send a search party now, the remaining students will be more anxious. The next student to disappear could be from the Blue Dragon Tower."
"It would be better to raise our guard. You want to push more people into a ce we don''t even know where it is? Do you know what they call that in the north?"
"A brave and noble act?"
"They call it the act of a moron and an idiot, but if you want to call it that, go ahead. Should I call it the nobility of the brave family from now on?"
''If I leave them like this, will they fight and make a decision for me?''
"Wardanaz. Hurry up and answer."
"What are you doing? Answer."
Yi-Han originally didn''t want to get involved in their fight.
It was more convenient to make them fight and then clean up afterwards.
The winning side would be satisfied, and the losing side would harbor resentment towards the winning side if heforted them separately, so Yi-Han could be the good guy.
But now, if Yi-Han made a decision here, the responsibility and resentment would fall on him.
He didn''t want to go through such hardship dealing with the guys from other towers who didn''t listen and grumbled anyway.
''I''ll buy time. I need to make them decide on their own.''
"I think you''re both wrong."
"?"
"??"
The two looked at Yi-Han with surprised eyes.
It was apletely unexpected answer.
"Why, Wardanaz?"
"Do you have another good method?"
"Think about it carefully. This monster broke through such thorough defenses and kidnapped a friend. What does that imply?"
Of course, Yi-Han didn''t really know the implication either.
How could he know what kind of monster it was with just the current clues?
It wasn''t even certain if it was a real monster.
However, when Yi-Han spoke with such weight, Salko and Jijel stopped what they were doing and became lost in thought.
Yi-Han wasn''t the type to make empty words in this regard.
"Hmm. It''s difficult, Wardanaz."
"Just say it directly."
"No. Both of you think about it more."
Bang!!!!!
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a sound of the outer fortress gate being shattered.
And the student who was on watch on top of it screamed.
"It''s an attack!! The monster is attacking!!"
"...!?"
"Th, that''s right! Monsters are generally arrogant. Having easily seeded in such a thing, they will look down on us and attack again!"
"...That''s exactly it. That''s what I was talking about."
"?"
Jijel felt something strange and asked.
"But why didn''t you say that and told us to think about i..."
"Everyone gather at the main gate!! The monster is attacking!!"
Instead of answering, Yi-Han ran towards the main gate and called the students to gather.
Readup tochapter 600for just5$orup tochapter 826for /al_squad
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Chapter 463
Chapter 463
"Be drunk, like a drunkard!"
"Slip!"
"Dig deep!"
By the time Yi-Han arrived, the battle was already taking ce at the main gate.
The students were standing on the barricade, firing magic at the monster ramming into the main gate.
''Tapir!''
At a nce, it looked like arge bear, but it had the trunk of an elephant, the eyes of a rhinoceros, the feet of a tiger, and the tail of a cow, giving it a unique appearance.
Yi-Han recalled the characteristics of the monster he had learned from Professor Bungaegor.
Why was a monster that enjoyed eating the nightmares of others here?
''Well. The Einroguard library is indeed a ce full of nightmares.''
Come to think of it, there were no beings who had nightmares as frequently as the studying Einroguard students.
¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö...
The tapir rammed into the main gate with slow but heavy movements.
The students bound its ankles with magic, but its determination to enter the fortress was clearly felt.
The White Tiger Tower students were dumbfounded to see the magic-imbued javelins bouncing off.
"What grudge does that bastard have to do this? Why is it trying toe in here?!"
"Well. We did sweep all the library furniture and use it as a barricade."
"...Bring more spears! Wardanaz! Come quickly! Wardanaz!!"
"Hey. Don''t call so loudly, it''s embarrassing! He''sing anyway!"
Upon arriving, Yi-Han immediately headed to the top of the barricade. At that moment, Jijel spoke with a serious expression.
"Wait. Wardanaz. A tapir wouldn''t have the ability to sneak in and kidnap a student."
"!"
It was a valid point.
Just looking at the creature''s current behavior, it was clear that it wasn''t a monster that would sneak in secretly and kidnap a student.
Jijel nced around and lowered her voice so that others couldn''t hear.
"...Actually, there''s a ce I suspect."
"Is that true? Why didn''t you say it earlier?"
"There''s nothing good that woulde out of saying it. You saw Salko, right?"
Jijel shrugged her shoulders sarcastically.
Even if she mentioned the ce she suspected, that guy would have just instigated to go there.
"I think the culprit is..."
Yi-Han focused on Jijel''s words.
Eventually, the lips of the northern elf opened, and the awaited words flowed out.
"...I think it''s the principal."
"..."
Yi-Han unfocused and looked at Jijel with the expression of someone who was looking at conspiracy theorist.
However, Jijel didn''t notice and continued whispering.
"No matter how much Einroguard is a ce swarming with monsters, do you think they could just break through a ce with this many mages and take someone away? The opponent must be a mage."
''It''s scary how convincing it sounds when you listen to it.''
The scary thing about conspiracy theories was that they sounded quite usible when you listened to them.
And the skull principal conspiracy theory was surprisingly convincing. Yi-Han felt himself wavering.
''Is it really the principal? He''s certainly someone who would do that. But...''
It hadn''t been long since he had gone to the skull principal to borrow dark magic reagents.
If he had intended to take a student, he would have been grinning with joy, but there was no such sign at all.
Had Yi-Han been deceived?
"Ahhh! Wardanaz! Wardanaz!"
A White Tiger Tower student screamed.
He had leaned his body outside the barricade, and the tapir had stretched out its whip-like trunk and wrapped around him.
"I''ming. sh forth!"
When lightning crackled, the tapir flinched but that was it.
As a fellow magic resistance expert, Yi-Han immediately realized that the opponent was not to be taken lightly in terms of magic resistance.
''Then...''
"Be paralyzed, fractured, and darkened. Bones, seize the enemy!"
If the dark magic school seniors were there, they would have given a standing ovation to the textbookbat method.
Against an opponent who is not easily affected by magic, stack curses to reduce their defense and restrain their movements with bone element magic.
"Cold, be arrows and shoot forth!"
It didn''t end there, and cold arrows flew.
Since the tapir had endured even lightning magic, it wasn''t greatly affected by the cold arrows, but as ice and frost piled up inyers, it couldn''t help but slow down.
As the opponent slowed down, Yi-Han immediately summoned water orbs.
''Even if it can''t prate, the impact...''
Although not perfect, the impact of the spinning water orbs was on a different level from conventional magic.
The tapir, which had been trying to break through the main gate until just now, flinched and started to run away.
"The creature is fleeing!"
"Let''s chase it!"
"No!"
"..."
When opinions were immediately divided again, Yi-Han had a headache.
Moreover, the situation was different from before.
''If it''s instigated by the skull principal, the story changes.''
Yi-Han basically preferred the safe method, but if this whole series of events was because of the skull principal, the story changed.
He had to act contrary to the skull principal''s expectations.
"Wardanaz. Keep in mind that the moment we chase it, a few more students may disappear."
"But we can''t not chase it either. Especially if it''s the principal''s doing. Moradi. Take care of this ce. I''ll go with Salko ande back."
"..."
At Yi-Han''s words, Jijel paused as if she hadn''t expected it.
She didn''t think Yi-Han would ask her.
"Yi-Han. Wouldn''t it be better to go with Moradi?"
Dolgyu said worriedly.
Of course, Salko''s gang''s skills were good, but there was no one as vicious and ruthless as Moradi in the White Tiger Tower.
And such qualities tended to be advantageous in dangerous pursuits.
"...There''s no one as vicious, cruel, and fierce as Moradi. Going together..."
"Dolgyu. Did Moradi hit you?"
Yi-Han was startled.
For Dolgyu to speak such harsh words...
"And the reason for not going together is because of Salko. If they go together, they''ll fight, won''t they?"
"Ah."
Dolgyu immediately understood and made an embarrassed expression.
"I thought you trusted Moradi''s skills and left it to her."
"Huh?"
Yi-Han paused and answered a littlete.
"Haha. Of course, that''s why."
"...Yi-Han..."
¡ª
Sharakan skillfully tracked the tapir''s trail.
The tapir was a threatening monster when attacking, but it wasn''t very difficult to chase when it was running away.
In the first ce, it had arge build and wasn''t particrly good at hiding.
The problem was...
"It''s a swamp!"
"Why is there such a ce in the library..."
"What''s so surprising now?"
''Indeed, it''s really not surprising anymore.''
Yi-Han thought to himself upon hearing the conversation from behind.
Well, it was a bit funny to be surprised by what appeared in the academy at this point.
"It would be nice if this swamp is the creature''s base."
Salko spoke with a worried face.
He was in a state of great concern because a student from the same tower had disappeared.
Putting other things aside, such an attitude towards his friends was worthy of respect. Yi-Han nodded and replied.
"Let''s hope so. Salko. You must be working hard. Taking care of your friends."
"It''s nothingpared to you."
"Yeah. ...Huh?"
Yi-Han, who had answered absentmindedly, felt something strange.
"What did I take care of..."
"The creature has stopped!"
"I didn''t particrly take care of..."
"Mr. Wardanaz. Lower your posture!"
Ratford hurriedly pressed down on Yi-Han''s shoulders. Yi-Han wanted to protest, saying, ''I don''t take care of my friends that much,'' but he didn''t have the leisure to do so.
The tapir, which had stopped in the middle of the swamp, stretched and then submerged its body deeply. Then, the bone fragments and ice attached to its body fell off.
''I don''t see the student it took.''
At that moment, there was a sshing sound from behind the tapir, and someone appeared.
Surprisingly, it was a siren.
"...Those cowardly bastards!"
Yi-Han muttered softly.
The siren was the culprit.
Although there was friction between the two, it was only rted to proper exams.
If they had a grudge, they should have taken it out on Professor Bungaegor, not an innocent student.
Of course, Yi-Han had also shifted responsibility regarding the cabin, but seeing what they were doing now, it seemed he had done well to shift it.
"Everyone, step back. It''s dangerous to get close to the siren."
"G, got it."
"Let''s go, Sharakan!"
-??????-
The siren recognized Yi-Han and Sharakan and sang in a startled voice.
Then, pointing alternately at the tapir and Yi-Han, it sang.
-????!-
"Water..."
Yi-Han immediately took a stance to attack the siren.
At that moment, the tapir grabbed a log floating on the swamp with its long trunk and threw it at the siren.
"??"
The siren hurriedly dodged.
The tapir threw objects continuously as if to definitely drive away the siren.
The siren sang and attacked the tapir, but the tapir staggered and swayed but caused amotion to push the siren away.
''What''s going on? Is it a deception tactic?''
Yi-Han was puzzled.
He thought the siren was controlling the tapir, but the current situation looked as if the two were fighting over territory.
The tapir, which had been causing amotion, turned its head and spotted Yi-Han and Sharakan.
Discovering the mage who had been pounding on it on the barricade, the tapir let out a cry and prepared to attack Yi-Han as well.
"...Rotate!"
Yi-Han hurriedlypleted the spell and changed the direction of attack.
With a dull impact, the tapir staggered.
"Sharakan. I''m counting on you!"
Yi-Han summoned bone binding orbs in preparation for the tapir''s possible charge.
''Bone explosion... Will the siren get involved? Even if it does, will it understand?''
Not knowing that Yi-Han was having such a wicked conflict, the siren hurriedly swam across the swamp, ran over, and gestured to Yi-Han.
"Into the swamp?"
The siren nodded.
Yi-Han looked at the siren with the same gaze he used for the skull principal.
It was a clear gaze of distrust.
-Grrr!-
Sharakan warned Yi-Han with a sharp roar.
The tapir was ignoring other restraints and prioritizing Yi-Han. Its momentum was unusual.
"I''ll say this, butst time..."
Before he could make an excuse, the siren hurriedly lifted Yi-Han with both arms and swam quickly to the opposite side.
Boom boom boom!
At that moment, the tapir rolled its body, trampled the surrounding debris, and charged straight ahead. It was a spine-chilling sight.
"Wardanaz. We''ll join you!"
Salko, who confirmed that the siren was not an enemy, shouted, unable to wait any longer.
At this rate, Wardanaz looked too precarious.
With the sound of a click, an enchanted crossbow was fired. The tapir became enraged at the appearance of other mages.
"Bones..."
Along with the ominous spell, Yi-Han''s mana boiled.
The siren carrying Yi-Han was startled by the concentration of that mana.
"Explode!"
With a roar, the bone fragments attached to the tapir burst out.
Although the amount was notrge, it was enough to make the tapir panic.
¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö...
The tapir turned around in the opposite direction and fled as if it was too dirty to deal with.
At that sight, Yi-Han''s party let out a sigh of relief.
Continuing to engage inbat with a monster of that size and defense was a nightmare for mages.
"Somehow it worked out..."
-???-
The siren sang as if thanking Yi-Han''s party for now.
Of course, the other mages except Yi-Han immediately showed enchanted expressions.
"As expected, it reveals its true colors!"
-???!-
When Yi-Han pointed his staff and shouted fiercely, the siren was startled, stopped singing, and shook its head.
Since a single word of song thrown out carelessly could enchant mages, it wasn''t easy for the siren to be aware of it and be cautious.
The siren gave upmunicating with song and left letters on the shore.
''The handwriting is really bad.''
''The handwriting is really terrible.''
Yi-Han stared at the letters with a serious face.
Although it was difficult because the handwriting was like worms, the gist was that even though they didn''t have good memories of each other, it was grateful that Yi-Han helped fight the tapir first.
"?"
For a moment, Yi-Han wondered what it was talking about.
''Ah. It understood that I was trying to attack the tapir, not attack it.''
Come to think of it, it must have looked that way from the siren''s perspective.
Since he had twisted the attack andunched it at the tapir.
"As a mage of Einroguard, it''s only natural to act that way."
"?"
Salko looked at Yi-Han as if asking what nonsense he was spouting.
Even the siren tilted its head.
It didn''t seem like the mages of Einroguard were particrly like that...
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Chapter 464
Chapter 464
"Wardanaz is a bit different in this regard since he''s from a high noble family."
Salko spoke bluntly.
Upon hearing those words, the siren looked at Yi-Han in amazement.
Would someone from a high noble family of the Empire usually grab a siren by the back of the neck and drag them up?
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
At Yi-Han''s question, the siren slightly averted its gaze and started writing again.
ording to what it said, this swamp was originally ake with clear water flowing.
It was one of the resting ces for the sirens wandering through Einroguard''s underground waterways, but this time, it had turned into a swamp due to the spirit flood.
On top of that injustice, the tapir, which should have been deep inside the library, suddenly got angry and crawled out, destroying and roaming around.
Marking its territory in the swamp, which was originally the siren''ske, was an added insult.
"..."
"..."
The ck Tortoise Tower students looked at Yi-Han with a lukewarm gaze.
That gaze contained the meaning, ''Could it be angry because we broke the library furniture and made a fortress to upy it?''
Yi-Han answered firmly.
"It must be angry because of the spirit flood."
"..."
''The flood wouldn''t affect deep inside the library, would it?''
While the students were flustered, Yi-Han immediately continued with what he had to say.
"I didn''t save you to show off, but you won''t forget today''s favor, right? I heard the honorable descendants of spirits are always clear about favors and grudges."
''I''m so embarrassed.''
Salko suddenly felt his face burning up.
Even Salko, who had learned that ''you have to learn to be shameless'' as someone from a stonemason guild, had to admit that he was still far behind when he saw Yi-Han.
The next time he got a construction request, he was thinking of definitely using what he had learned from Yi-Han.
"Let''s go, Salko. We need to check how far the creature''s territory extends."
As long as the skull principal was suspicious, they couldn''t leave it like this.
Yi-Han was nning to chase it to the end and check how far the tapir''s territory extended.
"But Wardanaz... If the tapir is angry because of the fortress, the story is different. Moreover... I don''t think the tapir has the ability to secretly kidnap a student. Especially in such an enraged state."
Although his head was full of worries, Salko was also thinking of a simr point as Jijel.
The tapir was far from a being that would quietly and secretly kidnap someone.
"It can''t be helped, Salko. Actually, I suspect that the tapir might be instigated by someone."
"Wh, who?"
"None other than the principal. But it''s not certain..."
"I knew it!"
Salko shouted with fiery eyes. Yi-Han was slightly startled.
"Ah, no. This is just a possibility, and there''s no proof, so I''m saying we should chase the tapir to the end and check..."
"Wardanaz. Do you know a dwarf''s intuition?"
''You''re an elf though...''
"That intuition is telling me. The principal is the culprit. It can''t be anyone else. If he was going to take someone, he would have taken the White Tiger Tower guys!"
"...Anyway, you agree that we should chase and check, right?"
"Yeah. Sorry. For taking your time."
-????...-
"Again, revealing your true colors!"
Yi-Han shouted and spun his body. And he pointed his staff.
Then the siren angrily pped the ground with its hand.
Tap tap tap!
It had been writing and calling them for a while, but the students had been ignoring it, chattering among themselves.
"Ah. Sorry."
The siren red at Yi-Han with a fierce gaze, all the gratitude from earlier gone.
It looked like it wanted to sing several songs of anger in a row if it could.
¡ª
The siren''s suggestion was simple.
It said it would help track the tapir.
The recently changed swampy terrain had many ces where one could sink deeply if they stepped wrongly, and the paths wereplicated, so even if they followed the tracks, there was a high possibility of losing it.
"Indeed... Wait. You''re not thinking of repaying the favor with this, are you? I''m asking just in case."
"Wardanaz... Couldn''t you just say thatter..."
"Salko. What are you talking about? Originally, important things should be said in advance."
The siren shook its head vigorously, pulled an old raft, and put the students on it.
Then it started swimming while pushing the raft. The raft quickly gained speed and traversed the swamp swiftly.
''Sirens had this kind of ability.''
Yi-Han inwardly admired.
He thought they were only good at singing, but in this kind of underwater terrain, they served as a reliable means of transportation.
Meanwhile, Sharakan skillfully jumped on drynd and took the lead. Finding the tapir''s tracks first while not slowing down was not something any summon could do.
The siren looked at Sharakan with renewed amazement.
It was unbelievable that a young student was controlling it.
It wouldn''t be strange if mana exhaustion hit right away...
-Grrr!-
Sharakan, who had been running well, suddenly stopped moving, extended its ws, and showed wariness.
"...!"
The students widened their eyes.
A small ind located in front of the swamp was covered with a ck, undting curtain as if a curtain had been drawn.
-???!!-
When the siren sang a short song, Yi-Han immediately turned his gaze. The siren hurriedly stopped singing and wrote.
Although it was really terrible handwriting like Gainando''s, Yi-Han frowned and caught it.
"...Ah. The tapir''s ability is activating?"
The siren hurriedly nodded.
The tapir cherished the nightmares it fed on, but asionally, when it really needed to, it would spit out the swallowed nightmares to threaten others.
The pitch-ck curtain spread over the ind was a sign of that.
The curtain of nightmares spewed out by the tapir!
"No way. Why would the tapir do that?"
-...-
-...?-
The siren and Sharakan looked at Yi-Han simultaneously.
Although they were different species, their eyes were saying, ''Because you chased it...''
Yi-Han retorted firmly.
"It''s strange for a creature to do that just because a 1st-year student chased it. And in the first ce, I didn''t chase it with bad intentions. I came to check what happened."
The siren tried its best to write, ''That''s not important right now, just tell the tapir directly,'' but the tapir''s reaction was one step faster.
It began to expand the curtain.
"Light, reveal the truth! Thin fog, spread!"
Yi-Han quickly cast and .
The former was to counter the spreading nightmare.
Thetter was to stop the spreading nightmare.
However, the tapir''s nightmare curtain was more powerful than expected. It surged like water, swallowed the light and fog, and directly hit the students.
"Ugh!"
"Kuh...!"
Groans flowed out among the students.
They had fallen into the nightmare that the tapir had gathered and spewed out.
"...Uh."
Yi-Han was slightly puzzled.
Not because of the nightmare, but because the nightmare had no effect at all.
He knew his resistance was strong due to mana, but he thought he would at least see an illusion for a moment...
Seeing the nightmare curtain just brush past without being able to see anything was a bit embarrassing.
''This is not the time.''
He had to stop the tapir as quickly as possible.
Although the appearance of being caught in this kind of illusion attack didn''t look that dangerous, the damage umted inside was considerable.
The longer they were held, the more dangerous it was.
''To approach, I need to wake up the siren. Can I wake it up? Will it wake up if I give it a strong shock?''
Yi-Han looked at the siren, pondering what magic to cast.
However, the siren was staring at Yi-Han with a nk gaze.
"..."
-...-
Come to think of it, it was natural for the siren to have strong resistance to such nightmares, as it had the powerful blood of a spirit that enchanted other beings with its song.
Yi-Han slowly lowered his staff.
The siren looked at Yi-Han suspiciously.
"Hurry! Guide me to where the tapir is! We need to save our friends!"
At Yi-Han''s shout, the siren hurriedly nodded and started pushing the boat again.
The tapir roared even though they broke through and entered after it had spread the nightmare.
¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö...
"What is it saying?"
The siren hurriedly wrote on the boat.
Whyareyoubotherme...
"...It''s absurd for it to say such a thing after tormenting innocent people first! But let''s take a step back as the good ones. If it stops the nightmare and the attack right now, tell it that the students will leave the library as soon as the flood is over!"
-???-
The siren wanted to ask what it meant for the students to leave the library, but there was no time for that.
For now, the siren conveyed it as it was.
-????...-
"How dare you!"
Yi-Han instinctively reacted when he heard the singing voice.
And he realized that all his friends had fallen into the nightmare and it had no effect.
"Ah. Sorry. Keep singing."
-...-
The fingers of the siren holding the raft tightened.
¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö...
The siren diligently interpreted.
The tapir was asking, ''Is that true?''
"I swear on my family''s name."
The siren was greatly surprised by Yi-Han''s sincerity.
He''s even swearing on his family''s name.
Isn''t that a bit much?
"But tell it that I need to check too. In case it received instructions from the principal."
Whatnonsense...
"...Anyway, tell it to let me check! If we both want to avoid a fight!"
¡ª
The students freed from the nightmare cautiously approached the tapir''s nest.
Surprisingly, there was not a single trace of the skull principal.
No traces of death knights or other magic.
Salko whispered with a serious expression.
"Could it be a disguise?"
The tapir looked down at Salko with contemptuous eyes.
Yi-Han spoke with a disgruntled expression.
"A student suddenly disappeared and we''re looking for them, do you know anything?"
¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö.
The siren hesitated and interpreted.
"...At this time, the professor often takes students for the divination magic exam? What kind of absurd nder... There''s no way Professor Krair would do such a thing, let alone the principal...!"
Yi-Han, who was speaking, hesitated.
Come to think of it, there was now that Professor Krair couldn''t do such a thing.
''What do I know about Professor Krair?''
The one principle to keep regarding professors was solely ''Do not underestimate them''.
¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö...
Itsaiditdirectlyexperiencedithelpingprepareforthedivination magicexastyear...
"...Let''s ept that opinion for now. I''ll check."
Yi-Han immediately took out paper and a quill pen.
"Tell me the details. When and where did you help prepare for the illusion magic exam? Did you help this year too? And if it''s for the divination magic exam, where did they keep the students? Tell me."
The tapir hesitated.
The professor didn''t forbid it, but it wondered if it was okay to say such things.
Yi-Han pressed strongly.
"Tsk tsk! Do you want to see the students continue living in the library?"
Tears welled up in the tapir''s eyes.
In the end, the tapir gave up and spilled out the information it knew.
¡ö¡ö¡ö...
The siren''s expression gradually became subtle as it interpreted next to them.
Clearly, the tapir who had barged into their territory and caused amotion was the bad guy, but strangely, it felt more and more like it was the viin.
Objectively, it would be a good result for the tapir to return to its territory and the sirens to reim their territory, but why...
Amidst the flickering light, the sculptural face of the young mage boy seemed to sh even more wickedly.
''...It must be my imagination!''
The tapir''s
ability is
activating!
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Chapter 465
Chapter 465
"There''s less useful information than I thought."
"?"
At Yi-Han''s words, Salko, who was next to him, made a puzzled expression.
The gist of what the tapir had just said was...
-Professor Kirmin Ku stored the nightmares eaten by the tapir in ss bottles to prepare for the illusion magic exam.-
-Professor Parsellet Krair mainly hides the student she takes to confuse their divination around Professor Kirmin Ku''s workshop.-
...Wasn''t this quite substantial?
"Wardanaz. I think this much is quite useful..."
Salko asked in a hesitant voice, different from his usual rough attitude.
It was because he was unconsciously intimidated by Yi-Han''s madness.
Yi-Han rebuked Salko as if asking what he was talking about.
"Salko. Are you being deceived by the tapir''s teary eyes? Are you really an Einroguard student?"
"..."
-...-
Not only the ck Tortoise Tower students but even the siren looked at Yi-Han, but Yi-Han didn''t waver.
"If it stored its nightmares in ss bottles, it should tell us how to deal with them. What''s the use of just saying it stored them? And anyone can guess that they''re hidden around the workshop. It should also tell us how to get in."
Salko was not only amazed but also shuddered at Yi-Han''s shamelessness.
How could a high noble family of the Empire have this level of shamelessness?
"Uh... Mr. Wardanaz. I have a question about the nightmares hidden by the tapir."
"Oh. Ratford. Did you think of a good method?"
Yi-Han asked with a brightened face.
The nightmares swallowed by the tapir were a powerful ability that was difficult to deal with easily.
Since he had tried to stop it earlier but failed, Yi-Han was thinking ofing up with a countermeasure even if he had to torment the tapir.
If they were nightmares it had swallowed, there must be a way.
"That... Mr. Wardanaz, you''re not affected by nightmares anyway, so do you really need a countermeasure?"
"..."
¡ª
p p-
"?"
The students waiting at the fortress at the entrance of the library were puzzled by the paper bird that suddenly flew in.
"What is it? Did Wardanaz send it?"
"No. It came from the opposite direction."
''Shouldn''t you first think about whether Wardanaz can send a paper bird from that distance...''
[To the students taking Divination Magic
Shyles, a student from the Richmond family, has moved locations for the exam. Find the student''s location and submit it by this week.
Parsellet Krair]
"..."
"..."
The faces of the students who read the letter distorted.
What the hell was going on?
"...I forgot that all the professors are bastards."
Jijel''s sense of betrayal was particrly great.
She had suspected the skull principal, but it turned out that another professor was the culprit.
"Wait. Then why did the tapir barge in earlier?"
"Isn''t it because we upied this ce and made it angry?"
"Nah. Would it be for such a reason? What''s so bad about borrowing this ce for a bit?"
Jijel wanted to tell the White Tiger Tower student, ''That''s enough reason for a monster to get angry,'' but there were many things she had to do first.
"You two. Go to the pursuit team and tell them toe back quickly."
"Uh... Moradi. Wouldn''t Wardanaz have figured it out on his own?"
The White Tiger Tower students made excuses as if they were reluctant to break through the fortress with just the two of them.
Then the Blue Dragon Tower students jeered.
"Is that something you should say?! No matter how much it''s Wardanaz, how would he figure that out?!"
"Would you have done that even if it was a friend from the same tower?! The food Wardanaz fed you is wasted on you!"
"Coward! Boo! Spit out what you ate!"
At Gainando''sst jeer, the White Tiger Tower students'' faces turned red.
"We''ll go, we''ll go!"
"Boo! Boo!"
"...I''m definitely not going out until that guy shuts up. Make him shut up!"
The Blue Dragon Tower students stopped Gainando''s jeering.
And just as the White Tiger Tower students were about to leave while grumbling, the pursuit team returned from afar.
"!!"
"They''re back!"
"Wardanaz! Come back quickly! It wasn''t a monster, but a professor who kidnapped them!!"
Yi-Han, who heard his friends'' shouts from afar, answered.
"I know! It must be Professor Krair who kidnapped them!"
"..."
"...???"
The friends inside the fortress looked at each other with confused expressions.
How in the world?
"...Didn''t I tell you?! I said Wardanaz would figure it out on his own!"
The White Tiger Tower student who had made excuses earlier suddenly shouted as if he had remembered.
Jijel tapped her friend''s shoulder and then crooked her index finger, telling him toe closer.
"Why? Moradi?"
"Shut your mouth, it''s embarrassing."
"...Okay..."
Yi-Han, who passed through the fortress gate, briefly exined what had happened with the tapir.
"Anyway, when I said we would vacate the library after the flood was over, it understood."
"..."
"..."
"...Wait, you need to exin a bit more for us to understand..."
When a student tried to ask how he had negotiated with the rampaging monster from earlier, Yi-Han stopped him.
"That''s not important right now."
"If that''s not important, then..."
"What''s more important now is that the illusion magic exam and divination magic exam areing up soon. Everyone gather by each school if you have something to tell."
Ratford, who was taking illusion magic, nodded and naturally tried to pull Yi-Han''s arm to the illusion magic side.
Asan, who was taking divination magic, also nodded and naturally tried to pull Yi-Han''s arm to the divination magic side.
"...Both of you, let go."
"Oops!"
"I''m sorry."
The two friends let go, looking embarrassed. Yi-Han exined the information he had obtained, feeling bitter.
"The tapir''s nightmares?"
"Yeah. Unfortunately, I couldn''t extract a method to break them from the tapir. That vicious bastard."
"...?"
"Ah, no. The tapir probably doesn''t know that much either."
The friends were puzzled by Yi-Han''s words.
Just as a snake with venom doesn''t carry an antidote, the same would apply to the tapir.
An antidote wouldn''t appear just because you caught a snake and demanded, ''Give me the antidote.''
"So I think we''ll have to figure out the method to break them on our own... The divination magic exam is the problem. I found out that it''s around Professor Ku''s tower."
"What?!"
"How in the world?!"
The students taking divination magic were startled by Yi-Han''s words.
No matter how genius-like Wardanaz''s magic abilities were, it seemed impossible to narrow down the location like that without any clues.
Could it be that Wardanaz had proven the old saying that nothing is impossible with magic?
"Oh. I asked the tapir."
"..."
"..."
The listening students gradually became curious about how Yi-Han had asked the tapir.
Did he hang the tapir upside down and torture it to make it spill that much?
"Hey. Salko. Was the tapir okay?"
"It did cry a bit, but overall it was fine, so don''t worry."
Salko said it to defend Yi-Han in his own way, but it wasn''t very effective.
The ck Tortoise Tower friends whispered in horror.
"It was really fine. Honestly, the siren looked in worse condition..."
"What? Why is the siren being mentioned?"
"Well, it took on the role of pushing the boat."
"You caught the siren and used it as a rower???"
"Hey. Be quiet over there."
Yi-Han was annoyed by his friends who kept making unnecessary remarks.
Why were they chattering so much during this sacred exam preparation period?
"We know it''s around the tower, but we''re still far from figuring out the exact location. Since weck clues, let''s all cooperate and find it."
Gainando, who was listening next to them, spoke in a serious voice.
"I think it might be in the basement."
"Why?"
"In thest issue of the magazine, Toveris found the kidnapped person in the basement."
"..."
"Wait. You don''t take divination magic."
"Huh? Yeah. But I thought everyone would need my help..."
The divination magic major students grabbed Gainando''s arms and dragged him back.
Yi-Han ignored it and continued.
"Bring a map. Let''s divide the areas. Asan. You''re from this tall elm tree to the brick wall. You''re..."
-A letter has arrived!-
When a death knight appeared at the entrance of the library and shouted, the students were startled.
-Why are you all like that?-
"Ah... it''s nothing."
"A friend disappeared."
The students slightly changed the subject in front of the principal''s subordinate, as it was awkward to answer, ''A kidnapping incident urred, and we were suspecting the skull principal the most, so we were startled for no reason.''
-The master kidnapped them! I know nothing!-
"...Ah, no. It wasn''t the principal, but another professor who kidnapped them."
-Oh. Is that so?-
The death knight was embarrassed.
-I thought the master had kidnapped them again.-
"..."
"..."
-Anyway, here''s the letter.-
When the death knight handed over the letter, Yi-Han absentmindedly received it.
At that moment, the letter burned ck, and a strong wave struck Yi-Han.
"?"
¡°Today''s lesson is not to easily open suspicious letters!¡±
The skull principal''s cheerful voice echoed in the air.
¡°You''ll keepughing, but think of it as the price of the lesson. It will disappear in about an hour.¡±
"..."
More terrifying than the letter with a forcedughter curse was the awkward situation where the recorded voice flowed out even though the curse didn''t work.
The students were looking at each other, not knowing how to react, and the death knight had its head bowed deeply, feeling embarrassed on its own.
"Well... maybe... he forgot because the probability of me receiving it was low."
-Please keep it a secret from the master.-
¡°I''ll make the exam simple tomorrow morning. You''ve all worked hard, so shall we go on a pic?¡±
"?"
"???"
"?????"
The students were startled by the unexpected words.
What...
"A, a pic?"
"Isn''t that good?"
"Hey. Look at the weather outside..."
"St, still, it seems better than an exam."
The students were confused between ''A pic in this damn weather?'' and ''Is this still fortunate to this extent?'', unable to grasp the situation.
¡°Ah. Pic preparation is also included in the score. Pack your lunch boxes well. It''s absolutely forbidden for others to pack them for you. Wardanaz. Are you listening?¡±
The students'' gazes focused on Yi-Han. Yi-Han felt slightly wronged.
¡°Then prepare well and see you tomorrow!¡±
The voice faded away.
"Where is the pic location?"
-I don''t know. Won''t you be guided tomorrow?-
"..."
"..."
-I really don''t know! Believe me!-
The death knight appealed with sincerity at the students'' sharp gazes.
¡ª
"Flip it now. No. Flip it gently. Don''t you know the meaning of gently? Lower the heat. Lower the heat. Lower the heat!"
Gainando shook the frying pan, inwardly crying that from now on, he would cherish every bite when eating pancakes.
Who knew there was such a huge struggle behind the food he ate without much thought...
"I need to prepare for the divination magic exam, but this is taking too much time."
Yi-Han clicked his tongue, looking at the students gathered in front of the temporarily built stove.
There were still remaining exams, but he had to have his time taken like this.
"Isn''t it a bit underhanded?"
-Uh... um... isn''t student Wardanaz taking too many?-
The death knight answered absentmindedly and then covered its own mouth.
What grudge was it trying to hold against the future great mage by talking back like this...!
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Chapter 466
Chapter 466
Fortunately, Yi-Han did not send the death knight to the punishment room in anger at a single word like its master.
Instead, he answered with a calm expression.
"I certainly do take a lot of sses."
-!-
The death knight was slightly moved.
To listen to the words of a subordinate like that.
That boy had the qualities of a wise ruler, unlike the skull principal.
Of course, he could be like the skull principal when he got older, but for now...
"But some of the lectures were forced on me by the principal."
-The master did such a thing?-
The death knight was startled.
It knew the skull principal was a crazy great mage, but to think he was crazy enough to arbitrarily add student lectures.
It was truly surprising.
-What lectures did he add?-
"The Basic Dance and Socializing lecture."
-That much is...-
Dance and socializing were quite enjoyable and pleasant lecturespared to other lectures. Even more so since the study load wasn''t high.
-What other lectures are there?-
"...Hmm. Come to think of it, that''s all."
-...???-
The death knight was slightly flustered.
If the only lecture the skull principal forced him to take was just one...
Then did he just sign up for the rest on his own?
''Oops.''
The death knight sessfully shut its mouth this time.
If it messed with him and his temper turned foul like the skull principal''s, it would only be their loss.
¡ª
A gloomy morning without a glimpse of the sun arrived, and the students moved their steps to the pier while yawning. Each of their backpacks contained the lunch boxes they had prepared all night.
"Gainando. So what did you put in besides pancakes?"
"I only put in pancakes?"
"...Huh? You only put in pancakes? Really?"
"Ah. I did put in other things too."
"What did you put in?"
"Honey, whipped cream, and strawberry jam."
"...So in the end, you only put in pancakes, right?"
Of course, each person''s lunch box varied greatly.
Even using the same ingredients, it was an individual''s skill difference in what dishes theyposed and packed.
"Princess. As expected, you''re excellent."
"These diverse and bnced meats!"
Adenart''s followers praised the various meat dishes packed in a sturdy wooden box.
In their view, the lunch box that urately cooked and packed various types of meat by grilling, steaming, marinating, frying, and boiling without a single error seemed perfect.
However, Yi-Han, who saw it while passing by, was startled.
''What kind of crazy lunch box is that?''
A lunch box packed with only meat without any special side dishes or dishes.
Beef, pork, poultry, rabbit meat, etc. A lunch box doesn''t be bnced just by having a variety of meats.
"Hey. Rowena."
"What is it?"
"There''s bread, rice, and fruits left inside, so tell the princess to take out some meat and fill it in."
"Pardon? Why should I do that?"
Yi-Han newly felt that even though Rowena looked fine, she was from the White Tiger Tower.
The diet of the White Tiger Tower students was to the extent that it wouldn''t be strange if they got scurvy...
"Rowena. Do you trust me?"
"Pardon? Yes..."
"You know that I have a lot of contact with the principal, right?"
"Yes. You''re close with him."
Yi-Han momentarily wanted to grab Rowena by the cor but held back.
"...Yeah. Anyway. What do you think it means when someone like me says this?"
"...Ah!"
Rowena made an expression of realization. And she quickly nodded.
"I understand. The principal dislikes meat!"
"No, that''s not it... No. Nevermind. Go and tell her quickly."
Rowena hurriedly ran off. The princess tilted her head at the words but changed the lunch box as told for now.
Swish!
In the distance, eerie rafts made of bones began to swarm like a fleet.
Floating on top of that fleet was a familiar undead great mage.
Eek...!
Feeling the skull principal''s energy, the devouring-ship fish shuddered in disgust.
It was clear that it was terrified, taking on all sorts of menial tasks to avoid direct confrontation with the skull principal.
¡°Everyone prepared for the pic, right?¡±
"Yes..."
"But do we have to go on a pic on a day like today?"
When Gainando asked, pointing to the pouring rain, the skull principal shot a water gun and sprayed it on Gainando''s face.
¡°Pics are originally meant to be taken when it''s raining, a typhoon is raging, and the gates of hell have opened. Everyone, get on the boat. I''ll take you there.¡±
Listening to the skull principal''s unique pic theory, the students moved their steps.
Of course, the skull principal didn''t let them on easily.
¡°Wait.¡±
"???"
Open your lunch boxes.
A White Tiger Tower studentughed and took out the lunch box from his backpack.
"Principal. You don''t think I wouldn''t have prepared, do you? When you said that? We have plenty."
Despite the skull principal''s interference and oppression, the students'' food situation was quite abundant.
Of course, from the skull principal''s point of view, it was absurd.
Those bastards are being arrogant because they''re eating well thanks to that Wardanaz bastard...
¡°Who would think you gathered it if they heard? You annoying bastard. Just open it.¡±
"Yes..."
Click-
The White Tiger Tower student opened the lid. It was packed with toasted bread and pickled meats.
"How is it? Practical and easy to eat..."
The skull principal pushed the student and made him fall into the sea.
Ssh!
¡°Are you going on a pic or to war? Do you not know what a pic is? 20 points.¡±
"..."
"...Huh? Weren''t we supposed to just prepare things to eat?"
The other White Tiger Tower students were slightly flustered.
Wasn''t it good that they brought food despite the unreasonable Einroguard food situation?
¡°This is why you ironheads are... What if you end up going on a spring pic with imperial bureaucratster and bring a alone, saying it''s practical, and make the atmosphere chilly?¡±
Basically, mages tended tock social skills.
Moreover, the mages of Einroguard often evolved their social skills in a slightly unique way, making it even more dangerous.
''Isn''t that because of the principal?''
Yi-Han thought to himself while waiting in the back.
Theck of social skills might be one thing, but the strange evolution of social skills seemed to be because of the skull principal...
¡°I said we''re going on a pic and told you to prepare lunch boxes, so you should prepare a proper lunch box that fits the social customs of the Empire. What is this? This? Next!¡±
"Well... my lunch box has various pickled meats..."
¡°Are you going crazy because you can''t eat meat? 15 points. Next!¡±
"..."
Seeing the White Tiger Tower student who submitted a simr lunch box to hers being mercilessly crushed, the princess was startled and looked around.
Was it not enough to just have what was delicious to one''s own taste?
¡°There are a lot of vegetables, but this isn''t bad either. Well done.¡±
¡°Not only those from the East but also those from other regions will find dishes using rice refreshing. A good choice.¡±
¡°What about you, did you fill it with sugar?¡±
"Gasp. Is that okay?"
The skull principal pushed Gainando, who had packed only pancakes, into the sea and said,
¡°Listen well. Of course, a pic is a time to rx and enjoy. But at the same time, isn''t this the lecture? Even if you rx and enjoy, you must follow the basics of the lecture.¡±
"...Can''t you just remove the word pic?"
"What kind of pic is this..."
The students'' faces darkened at the sight of the skull principal unfolding a harsh etiquette theory from the start.
Of course, they didn''t expect much, but this felt like breaking through the bottom of that expectation.
¡°Now. Then next¡¡±
Yi-Han calmly opened the lid.
Since he had to reduce preparation time andpose it like a pic, the main menu was sandwiches with various ingredients cut and put in, such as lettuce, sliced ham, chopped eggs, mayonnaise, and cheese.
The ck tea filled in the side water bottle was still piping hot, exuding a rich aroma...
¡°...These tea leaves are from the professors'' lounge!¡±
''Oops.''
Yi-Han med his owncency.
He had forgotten because he had stolen so many things from here and there.
¡ª
Whooosh!
With an eerie sound, the wind began to blow stronger and stronger.
When he spotted a tiny piece ofnd that was even embarrassing to call a small ind, the skull principal nodded satisfactorily.
¡°The wind spirits must be very angry. It''s a good day for a pic.¡±
"..."
"..."
¡°Everyone, get off the boat! Let''s unpack here.¡±
The students got off the boat in a half-wet state.
At that moment, a gust of wind rushed in and made a few students fall into the water.
"Hey. Everyone, take out the ropes and tie each other."
¡°What kind of pic¡¡±
The skull principal grumbled, but Yi-Han ignored him and distributed ropes to his friends.
And so, the students sat on the ind, spreading out cloth and nkets. Yonaire muttered next to them.
"This is the first time I''ve been on such a gloomy pic in my life."
The friends nodded their heads.
There was only one thing the students wanted right now.
They hoped this pic would end quickly!
"Let''s at least start a fire first."
"Yeah."
As the students took out fire starters and were about to wave their staffs, the skull principal smiled brightly.
As expected, the fire was quickly extinguished by the fierce wind and rain.
"Everyone, step aside a bit. I''ll start it."
When Yi-Han waved his staff, mes fiercely devoured the firewood and rose up. The skull principal frowned.
''Ruining a fun pic.''
¡°Everyone, listen while eating your lunch boxes. The next n for today''s pic is... Hmm. A treasure hunt.¡±
"?"
Gainando, who was grilling pancakes, tilted his head.
"Where is the treasure?"
"..."
"...Heh."
The friends, having already experienced it once, were preparing underwater breathing magic with their staffs in a resigned expression.
¡°Ah. This is also included in the score.¡±
"Can''t you really just remove the word pic?"
¡ª
...
The treasures weren''t bad.
The problem was the weather.
ck ck ck ck ck ck-
"Un, undead summoned?"
"No. That''s the sound of Gainando''s teeth chattering."
The students, who had been wandering around with the help of the devouring-ship fish, were feeling the true face of the spirit flood to the bone.
In front of nature, the magic of mages was too weak.
Magic that preserved body temperature like disappeared in an instant...
"Yonaire! Did you see? Did you see?! seeded! It doesn''t burn in fire!"
"...Yi, Yi-Han. I don''t think now is the time to be happy."
Yonaire pulled Yi-Han''s clothes and stopped him.
The other students were looking at Yi-Han in astonishment.
"...Ahem. I''m sorry, everyone. I failed so many times."
"Ah, no. Wardanaz. That can happen."
"Right. It''s natural to be happy about a sessful magic."
"Right? I should try it a few more times."
Yi-Han rarely excitedly cast and walked around. The friends watched with an indescribable expression.
"Don''t you know Wardanaz''s heart? There''s no way Wardanaz would act like that just because of a single magic."
Asan rebuked his friends.
"Then?"
"You guys must be shivering so much from the cold, so he''s doing that. How worried he must be."
"Ah!"
"That''s...!"
Gainando tilted his head.
''He just looks excited though?''
Of course, he didn''t say anything because it seemed like he would be pushed into the sea by his friends if he did.
While Yi-Han was casting warming magic on his friends, the skull principal waited calmly.
Of course, it was true that the sight was unpleasant to him, but the pic had only just begun.
¡°It''s about time for them toe¡¡±
"...What else did you do?"
"It can''t be the sirens again, right?"
The ck Tortoise Tower students muttered in disgust.
Then the skull principal asked in surprise.
¡°Who used the sirens first?!¡±
"..."
"..."
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Chapter 467
Chapter 467
The skull principal was genuinely perplexed.
Clearly, among the exams the professors had mentioned, there were no sirens.
¡°Who was it?¡±
"It appeared in Professor Bungaegor''s exam..."
¡°Professor Bungaegor wasn''t the type to give such an unreasonable exam to 1st-years.¡±
''Then what about you, principal...''
The students were dumbfounded at the sight of the skull principal confessing to being trash himself.
¡°Ah!¡±
The skull principal felt a realization brush past his mind.
-If you haven''t decided on the exam content yet, raise the difficulty several times! Avenge my devouring-ship fish''s grudge!-
Hadn''t he instigated to raise the exam difficulty while passing by?
Moreover, with the exam sites all flooded due to the spirit flood, it wouldn''t be strange for Professor Bungaegor to change the exam content while raising the difficulty.
But still, to think it would ovep like this even so.
¡°Well, mages tend to think alike.¡±
"?"
"I don''t think that''s it..."
¡°It doesn''t matter. Sirens are originally difficult to block even if you know.¡±
-Uh, master. The sirens are running away.-
?!
The skull principal turned his head at the death knight''s words.
The sirens were pointing at Yi-Han''s face, whispering, then turning around and running away quickly.
¡°...¡±
"..."
The master and disciple both watched the backs of the fleeing sirens with distorted faces.
¡ª
"Qu, quickly."
"Wait... wait a moment. My hands are stiff and won''t move."
As the sirens left, the students took a breather and poured boiling hot coffee into tin cups.
No matter how excitedly Yi-Han cast on all the students, it wasn''t easy to repeatedly dive in this cold weather for less than an hour.
Everyone''s stamina was rapidly declining, and they were suffering from the cold.
Fortunately, they could start a fire and had brought coffee powder and tea leaves.
As the boiling coffee entered his throat, Gainando felt the warmth spreading through his body and the sensation of his fingers, which had been numb from the cold, loosening.
Gainando unconsciously muttered.
"This might be a pic..."
"Are you crazy?"
"Do you want to spout nonsense after drinking expensive coffee?"
"Ah, no. That... to find the positive side in any situation..."
While Gainando was being scolded, some students were still preparing to enter the water without giving up.
It was the White Tiger Tower or ck Tortoise Tower students with crazy stamina, and Yi-Han, who was just crazy about grades.
"Heh, heh, Wardanaz... Don''t give up. You may not be able to follow us in knightly training, even if you don''t know swordsmanship."
''Shouldn''t you not gloss over swordsmanship like that?''
The ck Tortoise Tower student listening next to them thought to himself.
If you''re from the White Tiger Tower, you shouldpete in swordsmanship, but to say you don''t know swordsmanship...?
Yi-Han answered with a nonchnt face.
"No matter what you say, I''ll go in more."
"Goo... Good! Let''s have a match!"
The White Tiger Tower students, perhaps understanding it as a stamina match, were fired up.
Of course, Yi-Han had no interest in a match between such students.
''I''ll keep finding until time runs out.''
Having suffered this much, he was determined to get 1st ce out of spite.
Ssh!
The students jumped into the water again. Yi-Han checked the underwater breathing magic and dark vision magic that were still active, then skillfully went down.
How had he be so ustomed to diving in such a short time since the school flooded?
''Is it true that trials make a person grow?''
As Yi-Han was having such useless thoughts, someone approached him.
Tap tap-
"!?"
Yi-Han was startled and pointed his staff. Then the other party was also startled and shouted as if telling him not to shoot magic.
-??! ???!-
-Viinously setting a trap... Were you pretending to leave and ambushing?!-
The siren took out a te with angry eyes and quickly wrote on it.
Youdamnbastard...
-Ah. Wait. Could it be that you stayed to help?-
Looking closely, it was the siren who had taken on the role of pushing the boat when dealing with the tapir.
Moreover, it showed no intention of attacking. Yi-Han was doubtful.
Nod-
The siren nodded its head up and down. Of course, even though it answered, its eyes were filled with resentment and contempt.
It had stayed to help because it had received help rted to the tapirst time, but to suspect it like that...
-I''m sorry. Being in Einroguard, I''m starting to have a hard time trusting people.-
At Yi-Han''s words, the siren crossed its arms, thought for a moment, then nodded as if acknowledging it.
From the siren''s perspective, the students of Einroguard also lived quite harshly.
Click click-
The siren clicked its fingers as if telling him to follow.
Having watched the skull principal''s work from the side, it knew where the most valuable treasures were hidden.
''This way.''
As the siren stretched out its finger and pointed in a direction, Yi-Han hesitated and asked.
-Why don''t you go first? It''s not that I don''t trust you.-
-...-
The siren firmly resolved to repay the favor quickly, even if it had to be dirty and underhanded, and never associate with this boy again.
¡ª
Passing between the submerged tower pirs and avoiding the suddenly spewing deep-sea hot springs, the destination the siren pointed to appeared.
Seeing the palisade fragments scattered in a jumbled mess to make it difficult to approach, Yi-Han was inwardly appalled.
''Did he really put it here for us to find?''
It seemed like the skull principal had put it here just to sayter, ''I put it here, but you couldn''t find it? How boring.''
No matter how you looked at it, it wasn''t ced for them to find.
Tap tap tap!
The siren, having been in a bad mood for a while, hit the floor with its fins.
It meant to quickly take what he needed to take and part ways.
''The principal''s unreasonableness must have put it in a bad mood.''
Yi-Han thought so and approached the floor. Then he felt a familiar mana.
Woong-
Seeing the skull principal''s manaposed in an borate structure to protect the treasure, Yi-Han was so dumbfounded that he couldn''t even speak.
If you''re going to ce it here, do you really need to put up a barrier magic in good conscience?
''He''s really a crazy person.''
Yi-Han clicked his tongue and concentrated his mana.
Cursing aside, he had to dispel it first...
The charged mana became a breaking hammer and strongly struck the barrier, as Baldoorn had taught him.
Bang!
The siren looked at Yi-Han as if asking what he was doing.
Although not a professional mage, the siren was also a being that inherited the blood of spirits and possessed high intelligence. Having stayed in Einroguard for a long time, it knew enough about magic.
And what Yi-Han was doing now was not themon method used when dispelling barrier magic.
What kind of crude...
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
However, when he swung that hammer of mana several times, the siren''s expression changed.
It was an absurdly crude method, but if he could repeat that method like that...
-Hmm. As expected, it doesn''t work.-
Yi-Han gave up regretfully.
It was clear that the skull principal had intricately designed it to withstand external shocks.
-Why are you looking at me like that?-
Yi-Han looked at the siren, puzzled.
The siren had been watching with a nk expression as if enchanted.
-???! ??!-
''...Could it be trying to subtly enchant me?''
Yi-Han thought something that would anger the siren if it heard and turned his gaze.
Meanwhile, the siren came to its senses from the shock of the crude method and gave proper advice.
Dontjustcrudelyforceitbuttheweaklinkbelow...
''My, my. It doesn''t know how amazing the method I just showed is because it''s not a mage.''
Yi-Han newly felt that the siren was not a mage.
To disparage the breaking method taught by Baldoorn as crude.
''But the direction it taught is correct.''
Yi-Han carefully explored the direction the siren pointed and realized that the point was correct.
The mana of the lower link was slightly weaker, although the difference was very subtle.
In magic, such parts were usually structural weaknesses.
-Certainly, the mana here does feel a bit weak.-
-?-
The siren looked at Yi-Han as if asking what kind of nonsense he was saying.
Theoretically, all magic had weaknesses, but the magic cast by a great mage was bound to have even those weaknesses concealed.
Right now, the siren knew the weakness because it had directly seen the skull principal casting it, but it couldn''t feel the difference in mana at all.
-It was reinforced inside with wood elements.-
Yi-Han felt branches intertwined throughout the barrier magic. It seemed to be an arrangement to disperse and absorb the force applied to the weaknesses.
The siren nodded, agreeing that Yi-Han''s analysis was correct. And then it diligently drew a picture on the te.
It was also an exnation of the order in which to connect the mana starting from the weak link to dispel it.
However, Yi-Han immediately ignited mes and set fire to the structure.
-!!!!!-
The siren threw the te with a silent scream and raised a water spray to extinguish the fire.
But the mes that had bloomed underwater were not easily extinguished. The siren was barely able to put out the fire before it spread by drawing out the power of the spirits.
-?¨K??¨J?!-
Although he didn''t know what it meant, Yi-Han could tell that the siren was angry. Yi-Han apologized.
-Since it was made of wood elements, I thought I could break it right away if I set fire to it well inside.-
Howcanthatwork!!!
-It worked...-
-...-
The siren looked at the barrier that had burned and disappeared.
Originally, the flood caused by the spirits was still a flood, and the barrier had its own resistance, so it shouldn''t have been easily burned and should have died down...
But the mes summoned by this mage had such good firepower that theypletely burned the barrier.
If the siren hadn''t hurriedly extinguished it, even the treasure inside would have been burned together.
Tap tap tap!
The siren left a long message on the te to exin how clumsy Yi-Han''s actions were.
Yi-Han showed a repentant attitude as the other party seemed very angry.
''I think I could have controlled it even if it was alone.''
He had such thoughts inwardly, but Yi-Han held back.
Honestly, unlike other magic, he was still not confident in me element magic.
¡ª
Swish-
As Yi-Han came outst, his friends ran over with curious expressions.
"Did you find anything?"
"Ah. Wait a moment."
He hade up without even checking what the treasure was while bickering with the siren.
Yi-Han opened the box and checked the note inside.
"Nothing special."
"...!!!!"
"!!!!!!"
-!!!!!!-
Even the death knight next to them was appalled.
To be so nonchnt about a leave pass...
Was this really a 1st-year student?!
''How can this be??''
The skull principal, who had been tormenting the other students, turned his head at the murmuring sound and flew over.
¡°What''s going on?¡±
-Master. The student who found the leave pass...-
¡°What? Someone found that?¡±
The skull principal was startled.
He was going to tease the students, saying, ''You couldn''t find it even though it was here?'' if they couldn''t find it, but they found it.
¡°Why did you find that again?¡±
"..."
"..."
The students were silent at the sight of the skull principal rebuking Yi-Han without even asking who it was.
"I didn''t say I found it."
¡°So you didn''t find it?¡±
"I did find it, but..."
¡°Of course.¡±
The skull principal grumbled and snatched the box from Yi-Han''s hand.
-Aren''t you curious about how he found it?-
¡°I decided not to be curious because I felt like it would only scratch my insides if I asked. He probably threatened the siren to find it.¡±
The skull principal answered curtly, not realizing that he had unintentionally guessed the correct answer.
-That seems a bit unreasonable...-
¡°Can''t you take a joke? Can''t you?¡±
-I, I''m sorry.-
¡°Anyway, it seems like you found everything, so let''s move on to the next event.¡±
"There''s more?!"
"When will it end??"
The skull principal silenced the students and said,
¡°It''s a talent show. Each of you show one magic that suits a pic.¡±
"Hmm."
¡°Wardanaz, you get a perfect score. Go sit over there.¡±
"No..."
Feeling a bit left out as if this wasn''t really a pic, he felt slightly disappointed.
Readup tochapter 606for just5$orup tochapter 835for /al_squad
[Select the $10/month n or the Foundation Establishment tier to ess the chapters]
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Chapter 468
Chapter 468
The pic ended with the talent show as thest event.
The one who received the most attention was the princess. Despite the spirits being fierce due to the flood, the princess skillfully soothed them and showed a magicbination, making Yi-Han sullen.
''Why do those spirits, who usually listen so well, go crazy like mad undead only when they see me?''
¡°Everyone enjoyed the pic, so go back and study harder.¡±
"..."
"..."
¡°Why is there no answer? Do you want to have more pics?¡±
"We are grateful for your grace!"
"We will study hard!!"
Yi-Han was slightly amazed to see the students'' eyes burning with murderous energy.
No matter how much Yi-Han said, ''Please study a bit, you have to avoid failing,'' it was much more effective when the skull principal threw out a single word.
''Could it be that you prepared today''s pic with this in mind?''
¡°Kekekekeke!¡±
The skull principalughed merrily, perhaps because his mood had improved with the students'' anger.
Seeing that, Yi-Han canceled the thought he had just had.
''He must have just been bored.''
¡ª
The exam took ce in a dry ssroom.
The students, sitting at their desks, were moved to tears by the mere ability to write with quill and ink.
"This is an exam...!"
"If it''s an exam like this, I can take a few more!"
Of course, the joysted only until they received the questions. The faces of the students who received the questions distorted.
[Imperial mage Tadingo decided to urately calcte the area of the tower to receive research funding¡]
"Damn Tadingo. He''s bringing it upon himself."
"Damn Empire. Acting so arrogant over a single research fund. Why do we need to calcte the area?"
"Everyone, be quiet."
Professor Alpen warned the muttering students.
The students focused on the questions while groaning.
[What are the areas of the following shapes?]
[What are the areas of the circles as shown in the following figure?]
While his friends were suffering, Yi-Han was quickly solving...
...instead, he was puzzled.
''Isn''t this too difficultpared to what I expected?''
Unlike other lectures, this arithmetic-rted lecture was one of the fields Yi-Han was confident in.
Naturally, even while his friends were hastily studying, he had clicked his tongue, thinking, ''You should have studied regrly,'' but...
[Imperial mage Tadingo is watching a fireball flying from 1m away from the target. If the differential coefficient specified in the figure is 20m/s, the ratio of the movement angle of mage Tadingo''s pupils is¡]
"????"
No matter how he thought about it, the difficulty level was too high.
It was to the extent that he doubted if his friends could solve it.
''Did the skull principal possibly instigate this?''
If the angry skull principal had threatened with a knife from behind, even Professor Alpen might have had no choice.
Yi-Han decided to stop worrying for now and solve the questions first. The time was limited, and even Yi-Han could make mistakes since it had been a while since he had solved such difficult questions.
''It''s been a while since I''ve touched such difficult questions...''
But the umted knowledge didn''t go anywhere. As he started calcting while scribbling with the quill, he somehow grasped the clues.
"Ugh."
"Damn that Tadingo bastard... Just live quietly..."
"How are we supposed to solve this..."
Even when Professor Alpen warned them, groans periodically burst out among the students.
Yi-Han understood.
If it was this difficult for Yi-Han, how much more difficult would it be for his friends?
''The questions are a bit too difficult. The results of this exam will be downward standardized.''
It wasn''t easy even for experienced professors to adjust the exam difficulty.
Yi-Han predicted that after this exam, Professor Alpen would reflect and lower the difficulty of the final exam.
"I will submit."
"Hmm... Excellent. I was worried, but you did well."
Professor Alpen, who received Yi-Han''s answer sheet, the first to be submitted, nced through it and nodded with a satisfied smile.
If it were the usual Yi-Han, he would have noticed the sense of incongruity felt from ''I was worried,'' but Yi-Han, who had already consumed mental strength from the tiring pic and solving difficult exam questions, failed to notice the incongruity.
"Enough. Everyone, submit."
While waiting seated, the exam ended, and the students submitted their answer sheets with gloomy expressions.
The friends who submitted their answer sheets rushed to Yi-Han without exception.
"Wardanaz. What was the answer to question 1???"
"Hey. Question 1 was easy. How can you ask about that? It''s three, right? Wardanaz?"
"It was three?! Damn it. I was debating between two and three... Why is that Tadingo guy so gluttonous? He should have just eaten what he was given!"
"???"
Yi-Han, who had been listening to his friends'' noisy questions, felt something strange.
Huh?
"Two, three... What are you talking about? What was the question?"
"The maximum number of high-quality white bread that the poor mage Tadingo can eat while saving research funds as much as possible?"
"When the distance between the pegasus and the ground stable specified in the figure is changing at a rate of differential coefficient of 400km/h, the altitude of the pegasus is... Wait. Number of bread?"
Yi-Han definitely felt something strange.
The exam papers his friends had solved were very different from the ones he had solved.
He thought the order of the questions might be different, but that wasn''t the case either. For now, none of his friends seemed to have solved the questions Yi-Han had received.
"What kind of magic is this?"
"What is that?"
"...Professor. Professor??"
Yi-Han quickly caught up with Professor Alpen, who was about to leave, and asked.
"I think there was something wrong with the exam."
"Strange. Mr. Wardanaz. You must have gotten a perfect score, right? In what aspect was there a problem?"
Professor Alpen took out the answer sheet, puzzled.
Yi-Han calmly said,
"It''s not that the exam questions were strange, but I think I took a different exam from my friends."
"Ah. Is that what you meant? Yes. Mr. Wardanaz received different questions."
Professor Alpen spoke naturally as if saying, ''It rained this morning.''
Of course, Yi-Han couldn''t ept it naturally. Confused by the professor''s words that shatteredmon sense, he asked again.
"It wasn''t a mistake?"
"Why do you think it was a mistake? To be clear, it was definitely not a mistake."
"...Uh, Professor. That... If you take the same lecture, don''t you take the same exam?"
Yi-Han asked, enduring the feeling of bing a fool saying something too obvious.
"Originally, yes. But there are exceptions. If you receive questions that are so easy that you can solve them with your eyes closed, it won''t be any challenge, right?"
"..."
''Is he a crazy person?''
Yi-Han was very flustered when he faced the calm madness of Professor Alpen Knighton, whom he had thought would be somewhat sane as a former imperial bureaucrat.
''I underestimated Einroguard again!''
Even though he had vowed not to underestimate it again, he had been unintentionally deceived.
Yi-Han med his owncency.
"I see... I see. So the difficulty of my exam increased because I solved the problems well during lecture time..."
"Rather than that, I decided after seeing you teach other students well. I thought it would be meaningless to that extent."
Yi-Han unconsciously nced at his friends leaving the lecture room.
Suddenly, they looked like enemies rather than friends.
"But Professor. That... Learning and challenge and whatever... It''s all good, but there are scores included in the evaluation, right?"
Professor Alpen nodded.
"It will bepared with other students, so won''t there be an issue of fairness?"
"You don''t have to worry about that."
"Ah. As expected, you had a method."
Yi-Han was slightly relieved.
Even if Professor Alpen wasn''t the skull principal, he wouldn''t have given only Yi-Han difficult questions without any thought...
"Anyway, since Mr. Wardanaz got a perfect score, you''ll be the top student."
"..."
''Is he really a crazy person?''
Yi-Han had to make an effort to hold back the rebuttal crawling up his throat.
No, I got a perfect score because I worked hard and was lucky, but if I had made a single mistake, it would have been deducted right away, so what were you going to do if that happened...
"During the final..."
"You''ll get a perfect score then too. Now you know you don''t have to worry, right?"
Professor Alpen cut off Yi-Han''s words and continued his own. His tone was unrelenting.
"No, logically speaking..."
"I thought Mr. Wardanaz wouldn''t care about grades..."
"Pardon?"
It was the most insulting misunderstanding he had received since entering the academy.
"Well, since you care about your friends so much, it''s natural to ask like this, wondering if you received special treatment."
The wrinkled old professor looked at Yi-Han with a satisfied gaze as if looking at a future great mage.
Usually, mages with even a little talent tended to fall into the path of arrogance and dogmatism because of that talent, but this boy from the Wardanaz family had an ocean-like talent yet didn''t lose his altruism.
If all mages were like this, how much more at ease would the imperial bureaucrats be?
"There was no such special treatment, so you don''t have to worry. Solving more difficult questions than others is not special treatment. Ah, of course, a diligent and fair-minded boy might think it''s special treatment."
"...Yes. Well, anyway, I''m a bit ufortable with special treatment..."
"But no one except Mr. Wardanaz would think it''s special treatment. Above all, it would be a greater loss for Mr. Wardanaz, who has to take numerous lectures when he bes a 2nd-year student, to waste time in vain. For all the people of the Empire as well."
Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
Not because it was logical and reasonable, but because he was appalled by the professor''s eloquence, attaching the people of the Empire to Yi-Han solving more difficult questions.
''Is he really, really a crazy person?!''
Professor Alpen concluded the conversation with a benevolent face.
"The reward of putting down the writing brush and stacks of paper and teaching students at Einroguard must be something like this... Oops. I talked too much. I''ll get going now. Ah. Mr. Wardanaz?"
"Yes?"
Yi-Han answered absentmindedly, his mental strength exhausted.
"I''ll make sure the remaining lectures of this semester be a solid foundation for Mr. Wardanaz''s research."
"..."
In Yi-Han''s eyes, the face of the kind old professor looked like the skull principal.
¡ª
Richmond of the Shyles familyy sprawled in his room.
At first, it was nice to be able to rest on a soft and dry bed while his friends were suffering, but after some time passed, he started to worry about his friends for no reason.
"Professor. Have my friends note back yet?"
"It will take a while."
"I see."
10 minutester.
Richmond closed the book he was reading and asked outside the door again.
"Professor. When will my friendse?"
"Ah. Can''t you just shut your mouth and stay still?!"
Unfortunately, Professor Parsellet''s other personality popped out from inside and shouted loudly.
Richmond was startled and bowed his head.
"I, I''m sorry."
"No. I''m sorry. My temper is bad..."
"...What''s bad about it!! If you came in leaving your friends behind, just enjoy it!"
Before the words were finished, a voice with apletely different tone flowed out of the professor''s mouth.
Then Richmond''s guilt multiplied several times.
''Damn it. I shouldn''t have epted the professor''s offer, right?''
At first, when Professor Parsellet came and proposed with fortable rest, cozy warmth, soft bed,'' he thought it was luck and thoughtlessly epted...
As time passed, he missed his friends.
And above all, Professor Parsellet, who went back and forth as if multiple people were talking alone, was too scary.
''If I somehow throw a clue out the window... Huh?''
Richmond was startled to see a familiar friend''s face below the high window.
Surprisingly, Wardanaz had urately found the bottom of the tower and was pacing around.
''Over here! Wardanaz! Over here!''
Richmond wanted to shout, but there was no way to convey the sound.
If Wardanaz left like this...
''Right. Let''s make a rope using the nket and bedding. With transformation magic...''
Bang!
With a fierce sound, the window flew away. Richmond, who had been making a rope, was appalled and only blinked his eyes.
Wardanaz was riding a griffin and flying in the sky.
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Chapter 469
Chapter 469
"Wa, Wardanaz?"
"Yeah. Have you been well?"
Yi-Han scanned the room.
From the looks of it, it was far from a punishment room.
''Well, Professor Krair isn''t the skull principal, so she wouldn''t have tormented a student recruited for the exam.''
"Uh... that... well..."
Richmond''s eyes darted around in confusion.
If he returned to his ck Tortoise Tower friends like this, it seemed like he would be scolded.
-You bastard, have no loyalty? Trying to survive alone!-
-Do you know how worried we were because of you! You should have left at least one clue!-
"Don''t worry. I''ll tell the other friends that you had a hard time."
Yi-Han read Richmond''s inner thoughts and spoke.
Richmond sobbed with emotion.
"Wardanaz...!"
"If I need to borrow a carriage from the Richmond familyter during the break, give me a discount."
"What a joke. I can even lend it to you for free."
"I''m not joking though?"
"...Is, is this also a joke?"
Niffirg growled, making a fierce sound.
It was a question asking if it should drop this clueless boy.
Richmond, being a horse mixed-blood himself and having cared for many mounts due to his transportation guild family''s characteristics, felt an ominous feeling and trembled.
"Why, why is it doing this?"
"It seems to like you."
"That... that doesn''t seem to be the case."
Richmond knew well what kind of monster a griffin was.
Evenpared to themonly mentioned hippogriffs or pegasi, griffins had a very high difficulty to tame due to their fierce temperament and cunning intelligence.
With the griffin acting like that, from Richmond''s perspective, he wasn''t sure if Wardanaz had really tamed the griffin or if the griffin was deceiving Wardanaz.
"Wardanaz... that... you know. It''s not that I absolutely ignored you... Griffins are originally fierce and good at deception, you know?"
Niffirg let out a low growl.
It was very irksome that the master it had finally pledged loyalty to was btedly trusting it, but some boy was instigating.
"Hmm."
At Richmond''s words, Yi-Han looked down at Niffirg.
Since it was urgent, he had used a curse-lifting potion to temporarily lift the curse and bring it, but hearing Richmond''s words again, Niffirg suddenly looked particrly fierce.
It might be because he usually saw its horse form.
Niffirg clicked its beak loudly with eyes full of injustice.
Although it had been a bit prickly at first, it had always been loyal since then, but to doubt it because of some young bastard''s words!
"No. Niffirg is kind. ...Probably."
Niffirg nodded its head pleasantly, then paused. Something felt suspicious.
"Anyway, get on quickly. I need to prepare for the next exam."
Richmond nced at Niffirg and hurriedly got on.
The griffin was scary, but in fact, Wardanaz was also a frighteningly scary person. If he kept talking back aftering to rescue him, Wardanaz could be scarier than the griffin.
"By the way, Wardanaz, how did you find out where I was?"
"With divination magic."
"...Huh? Is that possible?"
Richmond tilted his head.
Divination was basically difficult to the point that the difficulty increased exponentially if there was little information or clues and the target was protected by magic.
Richmond naturally thought that Wardanaz had found this area with a few clues and then used divination magic to find out which floor of the tower he was trapped in.
"I didn''t have time because of other exams, so I just repeated it infinitely until it worked. Then it showed here."
"..."
Richmond made a horrified expression behind Yi-Han''s back.
It was an unexpectedly crude method.
There were side effects and reactions every time divination magic was used, but he had just repeatedly mmed it until it worked.
"Is... is that okay??"
"I don''t have time because I have to take other exams too. I have no choice. Let''s go quickly."
"No, doing this because you don''t have time..."
Studying for exams was one thing, but acting so aggressively because there was no time was another.
If he had been a little morecking, it was frightening to imagine what he would have done.
"Wait. Then where did the griffine from?"
"I temporarily transformed a horse the professor lent me."
"...Jo, joking? This too?"
Click-
The door to the room where Richmond had been trapped opened, and Professor Parsellet entered.
The professor, who had opened the door to give a snack, was dumbfounded by the half-shattered window and asked,
"...Why, why did you break it?"
"..."
Yi-Han was slightly flustered by that question.
Huh?
''Wasn''t breaking and rescuing part of the exam?''
Come to think of it, the professor had told them to locate and submit, not to rescue.
He had just habitually broken the window and entered.
''Hmm. If I say it like this, I''ll sound too crazy.''
Yi-Han thought about a good excuse and made eye contact with Niffirg.
"Perhaps..."
Niffirg cried as if pleading for him not to use it as an excuse.
¡ª
"Anyway, you did well... you did well."
Embarrassed by breaking the exam site when he was supposed to solve the exam questions, Yi-Han bowed his head.
However, Professor Parsellet didn''t seem to mind much.
''Fortunately. She''s a kind professor.''
"Then I''ll get going..."
"That''s why I said I have to teach differently!!!"
"!?"
"!"
Yi-Han and Richmond were startled by the professor suddenly shouting in a different voice.
Niffirg growled lowly with eyes full of wariness.
"Professor?"
"Ah. Don''t mind it. Don''t mind..."
"How can you not mind it!!!"
"..."
''I want to go home.''
Richmond thought to himself.
Being caught between two professors (actually one) arguing was an unexpectedly ufortable situation.
"Just leave him alone since he''s still a 1st-year student..."
"A genius should be taught differently! That''s why he''s protesting like that because you teach him like that now!"
"That, that... divination magic is dangerous, so..."
Even the timid personality joined the argument.
Yi-Han paused at the sight of the professor''s three personalities arguing with each other.
''Wait. This is dangerous.''
It wasn''t dangerous that the professor had a split personality and was fighting. In fact, this much wasn''t even considered dangerous in Einroguard.
What was dangerous was the content of the conversation.
The professor''s aggressive personality was advocating for stronger teaching than now.
"Look! How bored must he have been to protest like this?!"
"...No. It''s my fault for breaking it. I misunderstood the question..."
"Don''t worry too much. It''s not because you broke it. It''s an ongoing argument sincest time."
Professor Parsellet''s words weren''t veryforting.
The professor''s personalities had discussed how to teach in Yi-Han''s absence.
From experience, it was right for the student to participate in the student''s educational process.
No, why were they discussing and deciding among themselves without the person involved?
"Then... apromise..."
''What kind ofpromise are you talking about?''
Yi-Han cheered for Professor Parsellet''s normal personality.
Since the aggressive personality and the timid personality were saying ''Let''s teach a bit more strongly,'' the only one he could trust was the normal personality.
"If we forcefully teach, it might have the opposite effect."
Yi-Han nodded.
"That''s for ordinary people! Do you think he''s ordinary?"
Yi-Han shook his head.
"Certainly, a bit..."
''That personality is not a timid personality, but just a weak personality.''
Yi-Han secretly resented the professor''s timid personality for being gradually swept away by the aggressive personality.
If you''re a personality, you should clearly push forward your own opinion. What if you lose to another personality?
Fortunately, the professor''s normal personality was holding out...
"Think about it. While other sses are advancing quickly, learning advanced and in-depth topics, would anyone find it fun if we were just throwing stones with divination magic? Or will they quit? No matter how much you don''t want to lose a disciple, there are exceptions! Even a stubborn old man like Professor Knighton is changing after seeing other professors!"
"??????"
Yi-Han couldn''t believe his ears.
What did she just say?
"I understand. I understand."
"I''ll acknowledge it..."
"..."
Yi-Han looked at the professor with a bitter gaze.
In the end, it ended like this.
Even now, the difficulty of divination magic wasn''t low, but thinking about how it would increase after the midterm exam made his heart feel chilly.
''Is it my fault? Is breaking the tower''s window such a big mistake?''
"Wardanaz."
Richmond, who was next to him, spoke.
"That... cheer up."
"...Let''s just go."
The way back with Richmond was dark and gloomy like Yi-Han''s heart.
The two put Niffirg on a raft (Niffirg had returned as the transformation was undone) and slowly glided over the water.
Richmond suddenly remembered and asked,
"Wardanaz, don''t you have to take the illusion magic exam too?"
Come to think of it, wasn''t the ce where Richmond was trapped Professor Kirmin Ku''s tower?
Richmond didn''t take illusion magic, but Wardanaz was different.
"I took the exam and came to rescue you."
"Huh?"
Richmond was puzzled.
"Isn''t the exam in progress now?"
While Richmond was trapped, 1st-year students were challenging the illusion magic exam at the bottom of the tower.
Professor Kirmin had ced the nightmares received from the tapir throughout the tower and pushed the students to ovee them.
What was important for an illusion mage was not only the ability to cast illusion magic but also the mental strength to not be consumed by illusions.
Since how they overcame those nightmares was important, the students were still enduring while screaming, but...
Wardanaz said he took the exam and came to rescue him??
"I had expected it to end quickly. Fortunately, it ended quickly. Then go in, Richmond. I have to go take the remaining magic exams."
"Wardanaz. I don''t want to interfere, but I think you should reduce the number of lectures you''re taking..."
¡ª
"It''s over! Hooray!!"
"It''s finally over!"
"Hey. Wardanaz is watching. Quickly pick up the book, you bastard."
When they returned to the library, the students who had finished all the midterm exams this week were throwing books and cheering.
Yi-Han threw the White Tiger Tower student who had thrown a book to the side and clicked his tongue.
''After all, the ones who didn''t study are worse.''
Looking now, the Blue Dragon Tower and Immortal Phoenix Tower students were sulking and regretting how they could have done better, while the White Tiger Tower students were just excited that it was over.
"Wardanaz... co, could there be any exams left on the weekend?"
"There aren''t."
"Yay!!!! It''s over!!!! Hooray!!!!"
Yi-Han''s friends, who confirmed that the exams were over, threw books without worries.
Some friends yed joyful music by beating crude drums.
''...Won''t the tapir get angry?''
Yi-Han suddenly felt sorry for the tapir as he watched his friends go wild.
If they caused such amotion, the tapir might get angry and rush over...
"Wait... I think there''s one exam left."
At Yi-Han''s words, his friends, who were about to unpack the stored food and open the lid of the liquor barrel, paused.
Huh?
"Wha, what''s left?"
"Dark magic?"
"I know dark magic endedst time?"
"Then enchantment magic?"
"Enchantment magic must have endedst time too."
"What about summoning magic?"
"Summoning magic too..."
The friends who tried to guess gave up and looked at Yi-Han.
It meant for him to just tell them.
"Isn''t the lecture exam still left?"
At Yi-Han''s question, his friends were still for a moment, then burst intoughter.
"There''s no exam for that!"
"Right. You just have to go tomorrow, dance happily, ande back, and it''s over."
"..."
Yi-Han frowned and looked at his excited friends.
"Why are you like that? Yi-Han?"
"Shouldn''t the difficulty of the dance and socializing lecture exam be raised a bit too..."
"..."
Yonaire, who had brought lemonade in a cup, looked at Yi-Han with disgust.
What nonsense was he saying about one of the few rxing lectures!
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Chapter 470
Chapter 470
"Is it not possible?"
"Of course it''s not possible."
Yonaire usually affirmed Yi-Han''s words, but this time was different.
The dance and socializing lecture was one of the few lectures at Einroguard where one didn''t have to focus on studying.
''This is not allowed, even for Yi-Han.''
Yi-Han grumbled, saying, "It mightck discrimination," and "A good lecture should have clear evaluation criteria," while preparing dishes for the banquet.
Many ingredients had been lost due to the flood, but there were also new ingredients. Yi-Han ced the fish and shellfish his friends had caught on the charcoal fire.
He also prepared to grill vegetables like green onions and asparagus from a cabin whose owner was unknown.
"Yonaire. Did you mix it all?"
"Here."
Yonaire held out the bowl in which she had mixed egg yolk, milk, and flour. Yi-Han took it, checked the condition, and ced it next to the cookies. Custard cream went well with any dessert.
''Grill more fish... How much flour and rice were left? There''s soup I made yesterday, so I''ll add some ingredients to that. It would be good to serve pudding and cake generously. Should I make it with apples and sponge cake? The skull principal said to let those who will eat the food with sleeping pills eat it. It would be convenient to grill other fish and chicken on skewers, right? Ah. How much paste was left? I should make more. Should I make it with red pepper powder and garlic? The White Tiger Tower bastards like it a bit spicy... No. Do I need to take care of those guys separately? Nah. Let''s just make it for them.''
Renjid, who was from a famous imperial chef family, saw Yi-Han simultaneously progressing several dishes and spoke out of concern.
"Wardanaz. The friends will eat well anyway because they''re hungry, and even if you put in so much effort, they won''t know what''s what, so don''t put in too much effort and do it moderately..."
"What are you saying!!!"
"Renjid, you bastard. Who are you to tell Wardanaz to do this or that?"
The Blue Dragon Tower students shouted in outrage.
The Blue Dragon Tower friends, who usually maintained their dignity, were jumping up and down like the White Tiger Tower, so Renjid was very flustered.
"Ah, no. I''m also from a chef family..."
"Just because you''re from a chef family, you can say anything? Is that it?!"
"No matter how much you''re from a chef family, Wardanaz has been cooking in realbat at Einroguard for a year! Can you follow that realbat experience?!"
The Blue Dragon Tower students were extremely sensitive, fearing that the rare opportunity to eat a feast prepared by Yi-Han would disappear.
Even other ck Tortoise Tower students slightly agreed.
"Renjid. I respect your family and skills, but let''s not interfere when someone else is cooking."
"Right. And Wardanaz originally enjoys challenging high-difficulty tasks like that."
"..."
Renjid looked at his friends with doubtful eyes.
They were friends from the same tower, but in this case, Renjid was on Wardanaz''s side.
As a chef, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of kinship when seeing such an unreasonable task.
''These guys aren''t just blurting out nonsense to get one more dish, are they?''
¡ª
Saturday morning.
The spider mixed-blood professor Crinbal, who taught the dance and socializing lecture, cheerfully greeted the students again today.
"Now! Good job, everyone. Come in while stepping! The exams are all over, right? Huh? Why don''t I see student Gainando?"
"He''s eating and sleeping."
Despite the warning, the students who had eaten the skull principal''s snacks at yesterday''s banquet were still fast asleep.
Professor Crinbal spoke regretfully.
"How tired must they have been from the exams to even give up dancing and sleep!"
"It''s not particrly because of the exams..."
"Since the exams are over, today is a really good day to dance. Don''t you all think so?"
"Yes!"
"Forget all about the exams!"
"Yes!!"
''Is that okay?''
When Professor Crinbal cheerfully shouted, the students responded loudly.
"How is everyone? Joyfully!"
Yi-Han unconsciously turned his head and looked out the window outside the lecture room.
The water that had risen up to the bottom was swaying and scattering gloomy fog.
''Hmm. I shouldn''t look out the window.''
"Then, let''s dance again, continuing fromst time! Students, change partners clockwise every time I ring the bell. You have to meet many partners to be a good dancer!"
Ding-
"Wardanaz."
"Ango. ...Why are you looking at my feet?"
"Ah, no? It''s just that dancing is difficult?"
"Are you perhaps thinking that you can step on them now? Do you want to die?"
"Ah, no?? I didn''t think that at all??"
Ding-
"Nillia."
"Wardanaz. Wasn''t thest pic really too much?"
Nillia must have had a lot of pent-up feelings because as soon as she held Yi-Han''s hand, she poured out her grievances.
''Hmm. She must have felt really wronged.''
Her eyes and voice were filled with a sense of injustice.
"The principal is originally a bit crazy."
"That''s one thing, but everyone only admired the princess''s spirits during the talent show, even though I also summoned spirits!"
"...That... I see. That''s what you meant. Well, you..."
Yi-Han was about to say, ''You had the spirits do fish pration shooting, and the princess had the spirits show an illumination parade,'' but he held back.
It was clear that Nillia was telling this to Yi-Han because she couldn''t tell her other ck Tortoise Tower friends.
Well, these days, both Yi-Han and Yonaire were busy, so Nillia probably had nowhere toin...
"You?"
"Since you''re from the Shadow Patrol, ordinary imperial people don''t notice that extraordinariness. Only people who know a bit would notice."
"...Nah. It''s not to that extent."
Nillia denied it while feeling shy, but it was true that she felt much better. The angle of her ears had changed.
Yi-Han exchanged nces with Yonaire, who was stepping next to him. Yonaire gestured with her eyes as if telling him to leave it to her.
''If two people praise her in a row, she''ll fully recover.''
"You understand. Originally, the students here have no eye for..."
Ding-
"Dolgyu."
"Yi-Han. Is your arm okay?"
"Why the arm all of a sudden?"
"You hurriedly grabbed the pot the prince knocked over earlier. It must have been quite heavy."
"Ah. I grabbed that using mana, so it''s fine. I was wondering who it was for a moment when you said prince."
"..."
Dolgyu hesitated, not knowing whether to admire his friend''s skills, which had be proficient enough to use mana on his body in such a short time, or to be flustered by his attitude of not knowing who the prince was.
"Did you do well on the exams?"
"I did well thanks to your teaching. Thank you again, Yi-Han."
Yi-Han nodded with satisfaction at Dolgyu''s smiling face.
"Those other White Tiger Tower bastards who studied together at that time..."
"..."
"Dolgyu? Why is there no answer?"
"..."
Ding-
"Dolgyu? Dolgyu? Are you ignoring me now..."
"Oh. Did you fight?"
Jijel looked at Yi-Han with a rare expectant gaze.
"No. When I asked if those White Tiger Tower bastards did well on the exams, he suddenly became mute."
"..."
Jijel silently remained silent, then suddenly tried to step on Yi-Han''s foot. Yi-Han moved his foot as if he had expected it.
"Ango already tried to do that. Moradi. You''rete."
"That guy really has no helpful side at all."
"I think he has at least one."
"Try saying the same thing to the prince of your tower."
"Gainando? Gainando has a helpful side..."
Yi-Han hesitated while speaking. Jijel smirked as if she had expected it.
"What side are you talking about? Tell me."
"Gainando is... hmm..."
"What is it?"
Yi-Han chose the strategy Dolgyu had used earlier.
Silence.
"..."
"...Hey."
"..."
"Hey, now that you''re at a disadvantage...!"
Ding-
"Ah. Asan. Thank you for helping mest time."
"It was nothing. But Wardanaz. Why is Moradi cursing next to you?"
"She''s probably doing it to Ango, not me. Don''t mind it."
"It seems like she''s doing it to you... Hmm. It''s probably not important. Ah. I received a letter, and my brother mentioned you."
"What did he say?"
Daihal of the Dargard family, Asan''s brother.
Since he worked as an imperial administrator in Granden City, Yi-Han had also met him during the break.
"He told me to be at least as good as you."
"...I''m sorry."
"Why are you apologizing? The letter''s content was good?"
"That was good...?"
Asan was genuinely satisfied with the letter''s content.
Unlike the usual content expressing disappointment, this time he was quite happy to receive some recognition and be told to work hard.
"If he had told me to emte Gainando, I would have been 100% angry. But if it''s you, well..."
"Ye, yeah. If you''re satisfied, it doesn''t matter. But Asan. Later, won''t you have a serious talk with me about your family?"
"Ah. Speaking of family, my sister also mentioned you. She said to invite you this break and have you record your life."
"...Why?"
"This is my guess, but could it be to use as a textbook for those working at the Bronze Dwarf Bank?"
"Asan. Let''s just have a serious talk about your family tonight."
Yi-Han pondered how to tell Asan, ''Your family is a bit strange.''
Ding-
"Princess."
Adenart bowed her head with the most dignified movement among the students.
Evenpared to the Blue Dragon Tower students from high noble families, it was difficult to match the princess''s experience in attending balls.
Gainando was a bit of an exception...
"Wardanaz."
The princess lightly cleared her throat, then prepared to praise Yi-Han''s dedication and sacrifice toward his fellow students this year, apologize for misunderstanding him at first, and talk about the political structure and situation of the imperial noble families these days, which everyone liked.
"Was breakfast to your liking?"
"Ahem, yes."
''Didn''t he just say ahem?''
The princess, who was about to speak but had her turn taken, suppressed her cough and nodded.
It was an acquired ability trained through rigorous practice.
"Which fish did you like?"
"...The angler...?"
"Ah. It was properly fattened, right? I think I grilled it well with charcoal. How was the apple pudding?"
The princess''s face brightened as she recalled the taste. Yi-Han spoke as if he had expected it.
"The appl... No, the apples salvaged from the cabin were quite fragrant. The sponge cake was a bit unsightly when I first made it, but as I kept making it..."
Yi-Han eagerly exined how he made it.
The princess, who had been listening with great interest, suddenly wondered why she was listening to this.
''Why is he telling me?''
Someone like Wardanaz never acted carelessly. Every action had meaning.
"By the way, I''m worried that my friends will be a bit hungry in the 2nd semester. When the flood ends, they will return to their respective towers, but will they eat their meals on time?"
"They will ovee it...?"
The princess tilted her head even after answering because she couldn''t grasp Yi-Han''s intention.
Of course, after Yi-Han went to the Immortal Phoenix Tower, the Blue Dragon Tower students screamed, "The level of our diet has dropped! It''s the end of the tower!" but the princess didn''t think it was such a big problem.
Of course, it was difficult to be hungry and lose appetite, but shouldn''t Einroguard students face it withposure?
Although it was difficult to be hungry and lose appetite, the princess was also facing it with dignity.
"Ah. If it''s a request to help other students while you¡¯re gone..."
The princess thought Yi-Han was making such an honorable request and was about to ept it right away.
"No. It''s not that. Rather, are you alright, Princess? Can you take care of yourself well when you return?"
"...!"
The princess was finally appalled.
Could it be...
Was Wardanaz thinking of her as someone obsessed with food?
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Chapter 471
Chapter 471
''No, it can''t be...''
The princess tried to deny reality.
However, the signs were clear.
The incidents where Wardanaz had strangely offered her food whenever he saw her.
Originally, she had brushed it off, thinking, ''Wardanaz respects me like other people,'' but now that she thought about it, that was also a bit...
Where on earth did this misunderstanding start?
Adenart frowned and became lost in thought.
Of course, she had unintentionally done some actions that could be misunderstood. And she had also eaten the breakfast, lunch, and dinner Wardanaz had prepared very deliciously.
But that was self-discipline as an imperial family member who valued ingredients and didn''t waste them, not gluttony. It was truly unjust.
''Could it be because of Gainando?''
The princess, who had never med others in her life, med others for the first time today. That''s how shocking it was.
When Adenart only frowned without saying a word, Yi-Han nodded as if he knew everything.
"I understand even if you don''t say it. Don''t worry, I''ll pack some for you when you return. Your followers have no sense in this aspect."
Yi-Han was quite generous when it came to Adenart.
Since the princess''s followers were quite widespread from top to bottom in the Empire, it wouldn''t hurt to treat her well.
Later, when he got a job as an imperial bureaucrat, he¡¯d want a reaction like ''Ah, you''re the one the princess praised!'' rather than ''Eek! The Wardanaz family''s...! Why are you here?!''
And humanly speaking, the princess''s followers had no sense.
When the princess was starving, they should have thought, ''Ah, I should bring her some food,'' but instead, they just stared nkly and said, ''Your posture doesn''t waver at all,'' what was that...
''Honestly, when ites to the princess, her followers be a bit like Gainando.''
"What should I focus on packing for you? The butter cookies and tarts I broughtst time were quite good."
Adenart, who had been trying to firmly rify the misunderstanding about herself and regain her dignity, hesitated.
As an imperial family member excelling in all fields, she couldn''t resist her curiosity.
"What tarts..."
Ding-
Yi-Han let go of the princess''s hand without hesitation and grabbed the next friend''s hand.
Raphael Gral from the White Tiger Tower grabbed Yi-Han''s hand and hesitated.
Then he stomped his feet.
Yi-Han was flustered, not understanding what bizarre act Raphael was doing.
"What are you doing? Do you want to step on my feet, so you''re doing a preliminary step?"
"N, no. Over there, the princess... Isn''t this how it''s done?"
Raphael looked around again, checked the atmosphere, and stopped stomping his feet.
The princess next to him was stomping her feet as if she were angry, so he thought, ''What? Was there originally a step like this?'' and followed along since it was the princess''s action...
It seemed like that wasn''t the case.
Yi-Han chuckled.
"You fell for it, Raphael. When dancing, you should do the moves you know, not look at others'' moves. The princess did that to trick guys like you who try to imitate others'' moves."
"Ugh...!"
Raphael, who had been hit where it hurt, gritted his teeth.
After all, those guys from high noble families of the Blue Dragon Tower had every single action connected to schemes and tricks, so he couldn''t let his guard down.
"Wardanaz. Just wait and see. I mayck skills now, but I will soon break your dark magic and defeat you."
"Yeah. Work hard and defeat the principal too."
Nillia, who was dancing while holding the princess''s hand, stopped and tilted her head.
"Without preparing countermeasures against summoning magic, illusion magic, enchantment magic, divination magic, transformation magic, and healing magic?"
"Shut up!"
"What? You shut up. Do you want an arrow stuck in your back?"
Ding-
"Ah. Priestess Siana. Your dancing skills are not ordinary. I shouldin to the meng Order."
"What? Why?"
"Didn''t they take away one of the Empire''s dancers?"
There were few friends as effective at ttery as Priestess Siana. Yi-Han also felt satisfied seeing his friend''s face brighten up.
Of course, in the meantime, Priestess Siana did step on Yi-Han''s feet a couple of times...
''If it were those White Tiger Tower bastards, I wouldn''t have forgiven them, but since it''s the Immortal Phoenix Tower.''
"Did you know a new warehouse was discovered on the 3rd floor of the main building?"
"Oh my! What kind of warehouse?"
"It seems like a potion warehouse, but it''s not the principal''s warehouse, but a warehouse used by the seniors. So I''m conflicted..."
"It''s okay. It''s okay. The seniors will all understand."
"Really?"
"I had a conversation with some seniorsst time, and they all said that."
Yi-Han spoke without even wetting his lips.
Regardless of whether it was the seniors'' warehouse or not, they had to survive from the 1st year, right?
"I hope you''ll always tell me if there''s anything happening among the priests in the future. Since I have deep faith, my heart aches when priests have problems."
Priestess Siana was the most sociable among the quiet and unsociable priests of the Immortal Phoenix Tower.
Since she always reliably brought information, ttery was not wasted at all.
"But you still like the meng Order a bit more, right?"
"...Well..."
Ding-
"Priest Sharukal."
The shark mixed-blood priest, Sharukal, was the only one who liked the spirit flood.
Not only his own race, but the order that served Agltakwa, the god of the sea and storms, had no choice but to be advantageous in this situation.
"Mr. Wardanaz. Thanks to this flood, we gained five new believers!"
"Oh... I see."
"It''s all thanks to you, Mr. Wardanaz."
"?"
Yi-Han was puzzled.
If people gained faith because of the spirit flood, why was it thanks to Yi-Han?
"What did I do? Do you think I caused the spirit flood..."
"What kind of idiot would think that?"
Priest Sharukal burst intoughter, revealing the teeth unique to shark mixed-bloods.
Yi-Han nced at the White Tiger Tower bastards in the distance.
"Over there... No. Then why is it thanks to me?"
"Everyone was very interested in holy magic. Can they learn it, how long will it take, and so on. So I told them about your case, Mr. Wardanaz."
"..."
Isn''t this a scam??
Ding-
"Priestess Tijiling. Are you eating well these days? What did you have for breakfast? What about dinnerst night? You didn''t fast or anything, saying you''ll live ascetically, right? You know there''s no mention of fasting in the doctrine even though I''m also a believer of the Presinga Order, right?"
"...I, I ate well. You don''t have to worry."
Tijiling was flustered by Yi-Han''s behavior, worrying like a mother.
Of course, even among the priests, Tijiling did tend to act more ascetically, but why...?
"Priest Mehrid was so worriedst time. Actually, I don''t want to worry either, but I heard you skipped dinner against time and were absorbed in prayer."
"How do you know that? ...Priestess Siana!"
However, Priestess Siana, who was stepping on Ango''s feet with an innocent face far away, couldn''t hear.
"I''m not usually someone who worries excessively or bothers others, Priestess Tijiling. I''m just saying we should pay attention to the basics."
"It was just once in a while..."
Tijiling tried to refute, which was rare, but Yi-Han ignored her and said what he wanted to say.
"It''s not that difficult to say we should eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, right? Actually, there''s a story like this in old tales too. A priest who had been fasting and practicing austerities for a long time copsed, while the priest next to him who had been eating three meals a day attained enlightenment..."
"..."
Priestess Tijiling gained two realizations.
One was to never skip meals again.
And the other was that when the boy from the Wardanaz family had made up his mind, there was no choice but to listen quietly without unnecessarily refuting.
Ding-
"Richmond."
"Wardanaz. Thank you again."
"The Richmond family won''t forget the favor, right?"
"...Huh? Our family doesn''t have such a family motto... Don''t people usually not forget favors?"
"I''m not saying this to show off, butst time, I invested quite a bit to bring Niffirg. That curse wasn''t ordinarily potent..."
"Th, thanks? Wardanaz, if I''m not misunderstanding, are you perhaps indirectly saying it in case I forget..."
Ding-
"Rowena. I''m asking this lightly, but have you ever missed a meal recently?"
"No. As a knight, it''s also an ability to take care of the necessary food."
Rowena, who was from the White Tiger Tower and a follower of Adenart, spoke with confidence.
Yi-Han asked again patiently in a roundabout way.
"Have you ever had a meal with the princess?"
"No. Originally, it''s not good for the imperial family to frequently have meals with other people as they can be exposed to danger."
"..."
Yi-Han considered stepping on Rowena''s instep once but stopped.
''Well, taking care of the princess''s meals isn''t something followers have to do.''
Followers have their own lives too, right?
Of course, if they didn''t even take care of her meals, it was iprehensible why they were following her...
"Aha. I understand!"
Rowena shouted in a bright and cheerful voice as if she had realized something.
Yi-Han asked with a nonchnt expression.
"What do you understand?"
"You want to have a meal with the princess. Am I right? Hehe. Mr. Wardanaz, you were also amazed by the princess''s talent. Since you''re from the Wardanaz family... Ouch!"
"Sorry. It was a mistake."
Yi-Han stepped on Rowena''s instep once.
Ding-
"Priest Nigisor. You don''t look well."
"It''s because the spirit flood is prolonged..."
Nigisor, who was always burning brightly, had been getting more and more gloomy these past few days.
''He''s being affected because he''s a spirit mixed-blood.''
Having spirit blood mixed in didn''t simply end with having a unique appearance and bing an asexual being.
Even if the spirit''s characteristics were greatly diluted, due to the nature of spirits being sensitive to mana, they couldn''t help but be affected by such external environmental influences.
"But thanks to you, Mr. Wardanaz, I got somefort."
"Huh? What did I do?"
"Didn''t you beat up the siren and start a fire underwater?"
Priest Nigisor didn''t particrly like water-rted beings.
But that was that, and Yi-Han had never beaten a siren.
"I didn''t beat it?"
"Really? The White Tiger Tower students said so..."
"Hmm. I see. Do you remember who they were?"
Yi-Han remembered a few names to dunk upside down in the water.
"The spirit flood needs to end quickly... Ah. Do you have a n by any chance?"
"?"
Yi-Han was slightly flustered by the all-too-natural question.
"What n? Dinner n?"
"No. I mean a n to end the spirit flood."
"...How am I supposed to end that?"
Priest Nigisor looked at Yi-Han with eyes that said, ''You know, but you''re pretending not to.''
"You said that, but you solved the snowstorm incidentst time too."
"No, that was a coincidence..."
"I see. Another coincidence this time?"
"..."
Ding-
"Did someone make you angry? Why do you have that expression?"
"Yonaire... Priest Nigisor isn''t a fire spirit mixed-blood for nothing."
His skill in igniting fire in people''s hearts was also extraordinary.
Yonaire held Yi-Han''s hand and spun around. Yi-Han was unconsciously surprised by her skillful manner.
"You dance well, huh?"
"...Of course I dance well. What did you take me for? Did you think I couldn''t dance?"
Yonaire was dumbfounded.
Even though she was a descendant of the Maykin family?
"I thought you''d be like me, not attending balls and reading the business section of the imperial newspaper."
"...It''s notpletely wrong, but I did attend to some extent."
Yonaire, whose weak point was poked, lightly pinched the back of Yi-Han''s hand.
"And it''s important to participate in these events to receive investments or support, you know?"
"Well, you have a point. Hmm. Can''t we just use Gainando''s face?"
"I think it would be better for you to practice ande out."
Yonaire gave a firm answer to her friend''s attempt at taking the easy way out.
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Chapter 472
Chapter 472
"As expected."
Yi-Han had considered, then abandoned, the idea of employing Gainando to secure investment funds for a future business venture.
No matter how he thought about it, the possibility of it backfiring seemed higher.
"Actually, you''re dancing well enough now."
"Really?"
Yi-Han looked slightly pleased.
The assurance from Yonaire, who had attended numerous balls, was quite reliable.
If that was true, it would be a bit easier when participating in balls or banquets to find sponsorster.
"You did step on my foot once earlier, but that''s a mistake anyone can make, right?"
"..."
Yi-Han couldn''t bring himself to say that he had intentionally stepped on Rowena''s foot, so he remained silent.
"This much is enough, right? You didn''t think it wascking, did you?"
"It''scking in new dances to change to when waltzes or round dances are yed, and it doesn''t suit concertos either..."
"...Are you trying to make a living by dancing?"
It''s not like he was a professional dancer invited to liven up the atmosphere of a ball, so why would he need to go that far? One or two dances would be enough.
Yonaire made a disgusted expression at her friend''s absurd goal.
"Ah. A letter came from the family."
"Is it sent by Lady Yoanen?"
"...Don''t say such terrible things!"
Unlike usual, Yonaire strongly denied it with great disgust.
Yoanen was a good older sister, but she wasn''t a good letterpanion.
If Yoanen had sent a letter, she would have filled dozens of pages with stories about new potions that Yonaire had no interest in.
What was even more terrible was that if Yonaire didn''t read them all one by one and faithfully reply, Yoanen would sulk.
''Wouldn''t information about newly developed potions be good...?''
Yi-Han thought of something that would get him pped by Yonaire.
Of course, it would be bothersome, but the production methods of newly developed potions were that precious.
"Then who sent it?"
"Remember what Nillia submittedst time?"
"Ah. That."
In the periodic discussions held by the Maykin family about the Empire''s political issues and their solutions, Nillia had presented an excellent answer.
It was a truly clever measure that took advantage of the season when the northern Shadow Patrol had free time and the season when Sangoria flowers could be obtained.
It was also good that it didn''t additionally mobilize local mages.
Mages were basically expensive manpower, and there were many imperial people who felt ufortable with mages visiting in certain situations.
Looking at it again, it was such an intuitive and efficient measure!
''Nillia is too pessimistic.''
Yi-Han thought to himself.
If she hade up with such a measure, she could have been confident, but she kept groaning and saying things like ''This isn''t it.''
''Well, that personality might make the n more perfect.''
"Why is that?"
"The family said they finished preparing and are proceeding with it? They said they''reing to Einroguard."
"Really?"
Even if they borrowed the strength of the northern hunters, they couldn''tpletely entrust such a task to them.
Going together to advise on which monsters to hunt, directly collecting Sangoria flowers, and mediating a bit if the southern coastal guilds got angry...
Naturally, the practitioners from the Maykin family had to apany them.
It would be the icing on the cake if a few more outstanding mages participated.
He knew that there had been talk of ''How about inviting professors from Einroguard?'' at the Maykin family during the break, but he was a bit surprised that they were reallying.
''They managed to get permission even though it''s during the semester. Did they make arge donation?''
Yi-Han thought the possibility was quite high. With the skull principal''s personality, he wouldn''t miss this opportunity even if he had to take up the teaching position himself.
"Then which professor is disappearing?"
"Who knows? It wasn''t written that far."
"Could the principal disappear?"
"Probably not. Rather than disappearing, Yi-Han, it''s inviting..."
"Could Professor Bagrak disappear by any chance?"
"..."
Yonaire was about to say something but felt sorry for her friend and just endured it and answered.
"Professor Bagrak doesn''t seem to being since he''s not a specialist in alchemy."
"No. Since they''re going that far, they might need an escort."
"Uh..."
"What about Professor Verduus? Professor Verduus is also an expert in enchantment magic, so wouldn''t he be likely to go?"
"The professor is in the punishment room."
"They can let him out, make him work, and put him back in the punishment room."
Yonaire inwardlymented how difficult it must have been for her friend to be like this.
Indeed, it was true that the students of all four towers were overly dependent on Yi-Han.
After that, Yi-Han continued his happy imagination of ''Which professor will disappear? Can multiple professors disappear?''
Yonaire felt strangely apologetic and just kept her mouth shut and stepped.
Bang!
Gainando, who had woken upte, hurriedly opened the door and entered with his friends.
"So, sorry! I overslept! Because of the principal''s scheme!"
"Student Gainando! If you''rete, you should admit it with dignity and apologize, not make such excuses!"
"It''s really a scheme..."
"Tsk tsk!"
¡ª
"The rain has decreased a bit."
"But it''s still raining too much, right?"
"What do you think, Mr. Devouring-ship fish?"
The students gathered at the temporary dock in front of the library, as the exams were over, looked up at the sky where rain was pouring and whispered.
The weekend hade, and they wanted to rest a bit, but the flood showed no signs of ending.
At this rate, will it really not stop until the end of the semester?
-Stop... tormenting me¡-
"I''m just asking?"
-That''s... tormenting me... Quickly... release me¡-
"We have to release you when the flood ends."
-Why... are you tormenting me like this¡-
The devouring-ship fish shed pearl-like tears.
The students would have normally felt heartbroken, but the empathy of the students who had been in Einroguard for more than half a year had deteriorated more than expected.
"Nothing will change even if you do that."
"That''s right. I heard it in lecture. Even if the contracted being appeals with tears, never waver."
-You trashy... mages... Release me¡-
While such conversations were taking ce outside, simr discussions were happening inside.
"If we don''t empty it quickly, the tapir might attack again. Moreover, there must be many other monsters in the library."
"I hate to admit it, but Moradi is right about this. Wardanaz. What do you think?"
"Hmm... If Professor Bagrak disappears... No. Professor Verduus... No. Isn''t there a possibility of the skull principal too..."
"Wardanaz? Wardanaz?"
Jijel and Salko were flustered when Yi-Han was lost in other thoughts.
Few things were as disconcerting as a friend who didn''t usually do this.
"Ah. Sorry. I was thinking about something else. What were we talking about?"
"It was about how long the flood wouldst. The seniors'' exams are over too, so won''t they resolve it soon?"
Yi-Han immediately answered Salko''s question.
"Oh. Probably not."
"...No? Why?"
"Well, the seniors..."
It was easy for a student who had just entered Einroguard to think like this.
-There are many senior students in the school, so if a problem arises, the seniors will solve it, right?-
However, surprisingly, it was the opposite in Einroguard.
Whether it was a snowstorm, flood, orva in the school, the senior students had no need to solve it since they had the ability to get around on their own.
It was unfortunate that the lower-year students had to step up.
And there was a practical reason too. As the year increased, they became busier, so they had less room to solve such things.
"..."
"..."
The faces of Jijel and Salko, who had heard Yi-Han''s logical exnation, distorted.
Even though Yi-Han hadn''t used mental magic, he felt like he could hear their inner thoughts.
''They''re cursing the skull principal.''
"Then do we have to solve it?"
"That''s what it means."
Yi-Han was slightly flustered while listening to Salko and Jijel''s conversation.
The content was too extreme.
''No, do we have to solve it?''
Of course, it would be nice to solve it, but most of the things in Einroguard were things that couldn''t be solved by human power.
At times like this, it was wisest to entrust it to time rather than wasting effort.
"Wardanaz. I heard you have a wise helmet among your possessions. Can we ask that helmet by any chance?"
Salko threw out a question cautiously.
Since it was using someone else''s artifact, there was nothing he could do if Yi-Han refused.
It would also be true that it would be a waste to use a precious number of uses here.
"There was something like that?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"..."
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.
Jijel''s mind becameplicated when Yi-Han denied it.
''What? Did Tutanta talk nonsense? Or did Wardanaz lie? What kind of helmet is it?''
Salko''s mind also becameplicated.
''Did I hear it wrong? I''m sure I heard there was such a helmet? Could it be the principal''s false rumor?''
"Ah. I know what you''re talking about."
Yi-Han btedly realized it from the flustered appearance of his friends.
"There''s a strange helmet. Are you talking about the one I picked up in the school''s underground dungeon before? I tried to sell it to a store because it wasn''t very useful, but I was rejected."
"..."
"..."
Why are you selling that!
The two shouted inwardly.
"It doesn''t seem very useful, but if you want it, Salko, let''s try it. But be careful since it''s a cursed artifact."
"I, I see. So that''s why you didn''t seem to use it."
"No. It''s not because I''m concerned about the curse, but because there''s no use for it. It wasn''t helpful."
"..."
Yi-Han rummaged through his backpack and took out the helmet. The helmet, which had been trapped in a pitch-ck pocket, eximed with joy as it escaped.
-Finally! Has the timee to lend my evil wisdom? I know what you want. You want to be the top student of the year? With my potion of vision¡-
"Huh? Really?"
Gainando threw a nce with interest. Yi-Han pped the back of his head and said,
"No. We''re going to ask something else."
-Finally!!!-
The helmet vibrated back and forth with joy.
Seeing that, Yi-Han suddenly felt a bit sorry.
''Did I abandon it too much?''
If he wasn''t going to use it, he should have at least found it a new owner, but he might have neglected it too much.
-Ask! Ask!-
"How do we end this flood?"
-...Huh?-
The helmet blinked its light in confusion.
Surprisingly, the school was in chaos due to the spirit flood.
"You don''t know?"
-Ah, no. I know. I know, but... Although my goal is to increase my knowledge regardless of whether the owner dies or not, isn''t this too dangerous¡-
The helmet, which had been modified by Professor Verduus, rambled on without hiding the truth.
Yi-Han made a bitter expression.
Come to think of it, even a helmet that put its student owner in danger had lived a life dangerous enough to think, ''Uh, isn''t this a bit too dangerous?''
A life where he was made to reflect by a cursed helmet!
-The best method is a sacrifice.-
"Sacrifice?"
-Yes.-
The anger of spirits basically dissipates over time, but there were several ways to quickly appease it.
One of them was sacrifice.
-If it''s enough to cause a flood of this magnitude, there must be a spirit with a name! Then, of course, there will be a sacrifice it wants.-
"What kind of sacrifice should be made?"
-How would I know that? I don''t even know what kind of spirit it is¡-
"Aren''t you the helmet of wisdom?"
Yi-Han made a genuinely disappointed expression.
The helmet was dumbfounded.
-In the first ce, there is only one question at a time! I answered, so I will go and recharge my power.-
"..."
-Next time, I hope you call me as soon as my power is restored!-
The light of the helmet went out.
Yi-Han looked at it and asked his friends,
"Is there anyone who wants to buy it?"
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Chapter 473
Chapter 473
"Ah, no."
"What are you looking at? Do you think I''ll buy it?"
Salko and Jijel immediately expressed their refusal.
No matter how brave and fearless the leaders of each tower were, they didn''t have the guts to buy a suspicious artifact that even an outstanding mage like Yi-Han reacted to like that.
And that was actually close to being stupid.
"Hmm. That''s a shame. It''s a pretty good helmet."
"..."
"..."
The two were dumbfounded inwardly.
Whether they liked Wardanaz or not, no one could deny the sense of responsibility Wardanaz had, but...
That was that, and that helmet was definitely a scam.
"Can''t we sell it to other seniorster?"
"That''s not what''s important, Wardanaz."
"Ah. To juniors when new studentse in?"
"...No! I mean the sacrifice. The sacrifice."
Jijel crossed her arms with a cautious expression at their conversation.
Certainly, the story that this situation could be ended by offering a sacrifice was a bit tempting.
"Wardanaz. Listen without misunderstanding."
"Usually when someone says that, it can only be misunderstood... Well. Go ahead."
Jijel nced at where Gainando was and spoke.
"A bloodline like that friend''s could be a satisfactory sacrifice for the spirits. What do you think?"
"That''s a good idea."
Salko also eximed in admiration.
For Salko, who originally considered the noble family guys an eyesore, a friend like Gainando who only relied on his lineage and acted up was someone he wouldn''t miss no matter when or where he disappeared.
"...Did you two perhaps eat the principal''s alcohol? What nonsense are you spouting?"
Yi-Han asked back in shock.
"Think about it carefully, Wardanaz. You''re also objectively a good sacrifice, but we''re making this suggestion because you can''t be left out."
"Wardanaz. Honestly, weren''t you also annoyed when that prince was ying around without working? Those who don''t work shouldn''t eat either..."
For a moment, he was almost tempted, but Yi-Han held onto his reason.
No matter how much he wanted to end the flood, he couldn''t send a friend to an angry spirit.
What if Gainando, who would have grown up in the spirit world if he were to be sacrificed, returnedter and dered revenge on all the people of the Empire?
"No. And I have one question. You two..."
"?"
"Why are you only thinking of students as sacrifices to offer? We can find other proper sacrifices, right?"
"...Oh."
Salko was at a loss for words.
So was Jijel.
That''s true?
Yi-Han clicked his tongue at the two.
''They''ve be too immersed in Einroguard.''
His friends, who were originally kind... No, even if they weren''t originally kind, they weren''t this extreme before, but they had changed so radically.
It was a pity.
"For now, think about it a bit more. Other than offering students. Since it''s the weekend, I need to bring one more cabin. Mr. Devouring-ship fish! Please take me out for a bit!"
-It''s... break time...-
"I checked the break time. Your strength should be fully recovered by now. Don''t make excuses. Mr. Devouring-ship fish, you are stronger than you think you are."
-I want to rest...-
"Then will you attack the principal?"
-...I''ll go...-
The devouring-ship fish answered with sad eyes like being dragged to a ughterhouse while holding back tears.
Salko and Jijel clicked their tongues at Yi-Han.
''I''m not going to do it, but...''
''...Wardanaz seems to have be too immersed in Einroguard.''
¡ª
The reason Yi-Han went out with his friends and the devouring-ship fish on the weekend was simple.
He was thinking of fishing for another of Professor Uregor''s cabins and borrowing it.
"Listen carefully! To the one who finds the cabin first, I''ll give five of the Maykin family''s fancy choctes, to the one who hooks the cabin first, I''ll give three bottles of honey wine and three smi sausages, and to the one who unlocks the door and enters first, I''ll give the right to take anything from the cabin''s food supplies first!"
"Hooray! Long live Captain Wardanaz!"
"We are the pirates of Einroguard!"
-Crazy... bastards...-
The devouring-ship fish muttered, but the students blinded by greed paid no attention.
The pirates, no, the search party consisting of students from the Blue Dragon Tower, White Tiger Tower, and ck Tortoise Tower went around Einroguard, checking the floating objects.
"?"
Yi-Han, who was also checking, discovered a strange phenomenon and hesitated.
A ss bottle was floating and being pushed towards him from far away.
''What is it?''
The bottle itself wasn''t strange, but among all the floating objects, it being pushed straight towards him without a single scratch felt like some kind of magical phenomenon.
Yi-Han carefully fished out the ss bottle. Inside was a single rolled-up paper letter.
[Help me!
Beavle Verduus]
"..."
Yi-Han looked around once and put the paper letter back into the ss bottle.
Then he threw it far away.
-What... did you throw...?-
"It''s nothing."
-A ss bottle... or something...-
"Mr. Devouring-ship fish. Would you like to raid the principal''s office once?"
The devouring-ship fish shut its mouth.
A momentter.
"..."
A ss bottle flowed in from a different direction than before. This time, his friends also noticed it.
"Wardanaz. What''s that?"
"Co, could it be a treasure map?"
Yi-Han frowned and opened it.
[Help me! Wardanaz!!
Beavle Verduus]
"..."
"..."
An awkward atmosphere flowed among the students who were watching from the side.
Yi-Han put the paper back into the ss bottle with a steel-like expressionless face and threw it away.
"It''s a letter sent to the wrong person."
"Uh... uhh?"
"Wasn''t Wardanaz written on it...?"
"You saw it wrong."
The students fell silent at Yi-Han''s words.
There were many things they wanted to say, but this was a ship, no, on top of the devouring-ship fish, and the captain''s authority was absolute.
"That''s right! I think we saw it wrong!"
"These days, such fake letters are bing a big problem in Einroguard!"
Yi-Han nodded satisfactorily at his friends'' solid support.
"Now. Let''s find the cabin again..."
Plop plop-
This time, several ss bottles were being pushed in a group.
Yi-Han, thinking it couldn''t be, went down under the devouring-ship fish and ran on the water to gain distance.
Then the ss bottles turned towards where Yi-Han was and slowly flowed.
[Come quickly! It''s hard to make artifacts because I have to be wary of the guard''s eyes!]
[Is it because there''s no reward? Okay! I''ll lend you my tools! This is a real privilege!]
[I''ll yield a bit more! You can use my workshop when making artifacts! I won''t tell you to get lost even if you stay up all night next to me!]
Seeing them follow like this, it was clear that Professor Verduus was designating Yi-Han and sending the letters.
''Magic can be this terrible!''
Yi-Han felt like he understood the feelings of the Empire''s anti-magic extremists.
To think that such a good technology could be abused like this.
''Moreover, he has a talent for draining motivation.''
Actually, Yi-Han was a bit worried about Professor Verduus too.
The situation where the professor was in the punishment room was clearly a joyful situation, but...
...If it was a situation where the professor was bearing the sins of the students instead, the story would be a bit different.
About half of the reasons why Professor Verduus went to the punishment room were Yi-Han''s responsibility.
''The other half is his own karma, though.''
So he had been thinking of visiting the punishment room on the weekend to check if he was okay, probe to see if he had noticed the truth, and meet the senior he had met during thest lecture to bring him some food.
Although Professor Verduus''s portion was a bit small, it wasn''t that he hadn''t thought about it at all.
But seeing these letters, even the desire to go hadpletely disappeared.
What kind of crazy negotiation condition was this, saying he would make him work if he saved him?
"Guys. I''m sorry. I''ll go save Professor Verduus ande back."
Yi-Han''s friends weren''t surprised at all.
"Okay. Have a safe trip."
"Negotiate well when saving the professor. You have to get as much as possible."
"If it seems difficult to save him, just tell him to stay there! He''ll be able toe out on his own!"
No one found it strange that Yi-Han was going to save the professor, leaving the other students behind.
The devouring-ship fish muttered in a low voice.
-Crazy... mage bastards...-
¡ª
The air in the punishment room was dark and gloomy. It felt like students'' screams could be heard from somewhere far away.
Moreover, the water that had risen up to the knees but hadn''tpletely submerged made the atmosphere even more eerie.
The darkest and most painful ce in the dark and painful Einroguard, the punishment room!
Even a fairly crazy student wouldn''t voluntarilye here.
It wasn''t simply because the air was stale, but because thisbyrinth located underground was that dangerous.
If you entered by mistake, you could lose your way in theplex paths that changed every moment and be a new prisoner...
"Mr. Ferkuntra! Mr. Ferkuntra! Mr. Ferkuntra!!"
Yi-Han knocked on the wall and called for the guard.
He put strength into his voice by pouring mana into his throat, even though he had mana left.
"Mr. Ferkuntra! Mr. Ferkuntra! Mr. Ferkuntra!!"
"You''re a 1st year?! How are you walking in the corridor?!"
"Awesome, ironhead! Set Einroguard on fire!"
As Yi-Han walked down the corridor while shouting, the prisoners inside cheered.
"Shout louder! Make the guardse!"
"No! Lower your voice! If the guardse, they''ll take you away!"
"Give us some food before you get caught!"
"You idiot, where would an ironhead have food?! We''re at a point where we''d chew on shoe leather!"
-Quiet, quiet, quiet, quiet!-
Thunder and lightning were heard from far away in the corridor, and an avatar in the form of a warrior came running.
The avatar spewed lightning from all directions and cast magic at the students trapped inside.
-I told you to be quiet!-
"My aspiration for freedom will not be silenced by the spirit''s whip, argh!"
-Shut up, you who cheated during the exam!-
"It was just self-defense in Einroguard, ugh!"
"..."
Yi-Han, who was watching the seniors'' unsightly resistance, was caught by the warrior and dragged to the other side.
The seniors trapped inside whistled, stomped their feet, and shouted.
"Newbie, wee to the club!"
"Everyonees to the punishment room once or twice! Don''t be too scared! You''ll get out quickly in your 1st year!"
Yi-Han felt a bit sorry and answered.
"I''m not trapped!"
"Yeah! That''s what you want to think!"
"Actually, we''re not trapped either, we''re just here to contemte... Argh!! Stop zapping me, you lightning bastard!"
¡ª
Ferkuntra, who had been resting in the closed punishment room while having other spirits do the work, looked at Yi-Han with a displeased face.
Why was heing here and causing amotion when the punishment room was already crowded due to the exam period?
"I have a favor to ask."
-This flood is not something I can stop. Even if I could, I have no intention of doing it.-
Ferkuntra arrogantly refused.
Yi-Han understood his feelings.
Since he had contracted with such a powerful spirit at a young age, it was natural for him to want help when faced with such a difficult situation.
However, a contract with a spirit was not omnipotent.
It was only possible within reasonable terms, so Ferkuntra had no intention of agreeing to such a huge task as stopping this spirit flood...
"Huh? No, I came here because I wanted to visit someone trapped in the punishment room."
-...-
Ferkuntra was dumbfounded.
It was embarrassing, but more than that, a 1st year student came to the punishment room for the purpose of a visit.
''Is this guy fearless??''
Well, of course he would havee believing in his contract with Ferkuntra, but...
-...Okay. Who do you want to visit? What''s the name?-
"Beavle Verduus."
-Beavle... Beavle Verduus...-
Ferkuntra checked the names of the trapped students.
But something was strange.
-Are you sure you said it correctly? It''s strange? Among the students...-
"Ah. It''s not a student, but a professor."
-...What are the other disciples (of that professor) doing, and why did youe!?-
In the end, Ferkuntra couldn''t hold back and shouted.
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Chapter 474
Chapter 474
"Oh."
Yi-Han looked at Ferkuntra with a surprised expression.
Ferkuntra was even more dumbfounded by that reaction.
Isn''t it natural for seniors toe looking first if something happened to a professor?
Why is a 1st yearing and acting surprised?
"Well, there were seniors too."
-That''s right!-
"But the seniors probably won''te even if I call them..."
-...-
Ferkuntra was dumbfounded, but Yi-Han was serious.
Of course, Yi-Han didn''t know all of Professor Verduus''s disciples, but he had a rough idea of what kind of people the seniors were.
''The only people who can endure under Professor Verduus are people like Professor Verduus.''
People who walk their own path of enchantment magic, regardless of what Professor Verduus barks.
Such people would never react like ''My master has disappeared! I''ll go save him!'' just because Professor Verduus disappeared.
If someone was that soft, they wouldn''t be able to endure under Professor Verduus in the first ce!
"What can I do since I''m the only one?"
-...How does that grand mage who takes care of you guys manage the professors?-
If the skull principal were here, he would have fiercely refuted, ''I did my best to filter and filter,'' but unfortunately, the skull principal wasn''t present.
Ferkuntra once again piled up prejudices against imperial mages and the skull principal.
''He''s not just an ordinary madman! He should manage the professors instead of making time to expand the punishment room!''
"Anyway, is Professor Verduus here?"
-He''s not here.-
"Ah. Did he already escape!?"
-No...-
Ferkuntra expressed his dumbfounded feelings with crackling discharges and slowly exined.
Einroguard''s punishment room wasn''t the only one.
From Ferkuntra''s punishment room, which managed students who had made mistakes, to the punishment room for other races within the school located in the western desert, to the underwater punishment room for aquatic creatures located under theke...
"Why are there so many punishment rooms?"
-Well, you can''t put external felons and students together...-
Ferkuntra had a slight suspicion that designing the structure of the punishment room and building new ones might actually be the skull principal''s hobby, but apart from that, it wasn''t a good choice to lump students together with other criminals.
-The felons imprisoned from outside are in a deeper ce. I don''t manage there. The grand mage''s subordinates directly manage it.-
"I see... Ah. Then where is the professor?"
-In the ce I just mentioned.-
"..."
Yi-Han was dumbfounded.
''You said you can''t put them together with external felons...''
Students can''t, but professors can be imprisoned together?
Of course, professors at Einroguard''s level could probably subdue external felons with a single nce even if they were together, but...
"This is a big problem. If it''s a ce managed by the principal, it will be even more strict andplex."
Yi-Han was lost in deep thought.
Originally, he had nned to meet Professor Verduus with Ferkuntra''s help and somehow bring him out, but now that he heard he was in a more dangerous ce, his thoughts becameplicated.
''Can I bring him out?''
-...-
Ferkuntra looked at Yi-Han with a subtle gaze.
''...Isn''t he going to ask for help?''
Why do mages make contracts with beings greater than themselves even though they know it''s dangerous?
It''s to aplish tasks that they can''t handle on their own.
Anyway, when a problem like this arises, it''smon to ask the contracted being for help.
But this boy with an absurdlyrge amount of mana seemed to have forgotten about Ferkuntra''s existence and was lost in thought alone.
Ferkuntra asked in a disgruntled voice.
-Aren''t you missing something?-
"Huh? Uh... Did the principal perhaps set traps around?"
-No. Not that.-
"?"
Yi-Han tilted his head at Ferkuntra''s words.
What am I missing?
-The way for you to bring out your professor! There must be something you''re missing?-
A slightly angry tone could be felt in Ferkuntra''s resounding voice.
"Ah. Perhaps Sharakan?"
-That rat-like summon!-
"No, isn''t that too harsh?"
Yi-Han protested.
How loyal of a summon is Sharakan to say such harsh words?
"Sharakan works so hard..."
-Shut up, next!-
"Niffirg?"
-What can you do with a single griffin!-
"Uh, Gonadaltes? Not the principal, but the other Gonadaltes. The skeleton warrior I contracted with."
-...Next!-
Yi-Han took out a few magic spells and items, but Ferkuntra kept refusing.
Only then did Yi-Han realize.
"I understand."
-...Finally? Speak!-
"You mean I don''t have the skills to save him yet, right? But the situation is urgent now..."
-What do you think of my contract with you! Do you think the mark is a decoration!-
¡ª
Ferkuntra was so angry that he thundered for 30 minutes.
Yi-Han, who had been listening because it seemed like the other party was being wronged, asked a question when Ferkuntra took a short break.
"But you said you wouldn''t help with the flood earlier..."
Ferkuntra wanted to hit this boy who had a good memory in useless parts.
-Really!-
-...That''s the flood. Going to the punishment room to save a professor is a different story.-
"It seems simr..."
-I said it''s different!-
When Ferkuntra growled, Yi-Han decided to acknowledge it.
"I see. It seems different. But are you willing to help?"
-Yes!-
"Really?"
-I said yes!-
Ferkuntra, who was getting angry while shaking his lightning-like beard, suddenly felt something strange.
Why was he begging to help first?
When the mage should politely say, ''Please lend me your strength ording to the contract''?
-Wait! Why are you doubting...-
"Ah. As I thought, you''re not going to help..."
-I said I''ll help, didn''t I!!-
Ferkuntra shouted and immediately regretted it.
How did things turn out like this!
¡ª
Ferkuntra, who had consumed his power to create an avatar, constantly grumbled as he guided the way.
-Keep in mind that consuming my power to help like this is by no means amon situation!-
''Does he have bipr disorder?''
Of course, from Yi-Han''s point of view, Ferkuntra only seemed like a strange spirit who got angry on his own, saying he would help, and then grumbled.
Of course, Ferkuntra was indeed a powerful spirit, and it was true that it would be reassuring if he helped, but he couldn''t understand at all why he was helping so capriciously.
-Step back! It''s dangerous if you carelessly touch it.-
A huge door with a strong magic barrier could be felt after passing through a maze-likeplex path.
[Intruders are strictly forbidden!]
[If there are any outsiders who touch this door, I will specially let them taste a more terrible fate!]
[Thief-students who havee this far, keep this in mind. This is not my warehouse, not the kitchen, and a ce where vicious criminals are kept! Don''t regret it by acting up!]
The skull principal''s writing was scribbled all over like graffiti.
Yi-Han saw it and shook his head.
Rumble!
Ferkuntra inted his body like a cloud. On top of that, he borrowed Yi-Han''s mana to replenish his strength.
If he were in his original state, he could have opened it with a breath, but he had no choice in a situation like now where his main body was tied up in the punishment room.
-This much should be fine, right?-
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
-...-
Ferkuntra felt embarrassed when the mage himself didn''t even notice even though he thought he had taken quite a bit of mana.
If he had a human face, it might have turned red by now.
-Open...!-
Lightning became a huge de and pierced the gap between the doors, making a roaring sound.
''Wow.''
Ferkuntra didn''t know, but Yi-Han was quite impressed from behind.
The fixation and transformation of the lightning element that Professor Bagrak had recently emphasized for Yi-Han to aplish.
Ferkuntra was easily performing that violent and difficult process.
And on a tremendous scale at that!
Just watching this process provided a lot of inspiration and lessons to a mage.
''If I see it a few more times, I think I''ll get the feeling.''
Yi-Han discovered a new path in lightning element magic training, where he had been stuck.
Now, if he just walked this path, he could ovee the wall of lightning element magic and challenge the dozens of other advanced magic theories that Professor Bagrak had assigned.
...Remembering that, the realization that was about toe suddenly disappeared.
''Oops. Let''s focus.''
Yi-Han decided to stop thinking gloomy thoughts and only think happy thoughts.
Creak!
Finally, the door began to open with a roar. Ferkuntra exhaled roughly as if satisfied.
-It''s open!-
"...Uh. Mr. Ferkuntra?"
The mage and the great spirit froze.
Beyond the opened door, a huge torrent of water began to rush in like crazy.
-What...? Did this crazy mage bastard trap all the water here!?-
Ferkuntra hurriedly drew up his strength again with curses.
The vessel of the created avatar screamed as it reached its limit, but there was no choice.
If he didn''t hurry and block it, the young mage would be swept away beyond that torrent, and after that...
-Hmph. I will never trust you again.-
-Hmph. I''ve learned that rumors are always exaggerated. What kind of fight did you have with the principal? You must have just surrendered.-
...It was obvious that he would show such a cynical reaction.
He''s already indifferent now!
-By using the faith of the bell tower keepers, I summon my subordinates! Attendants, reach as quickly as possible!-
Ferkuntra hurriedly summoned other spirits,cking in strength.
The spirits summoned for something unrted to them would harborints, but he had no choice because it was urgent.
Cracks connected to realms appeared in the air, and other spirits created a strong wall ording to Ferkuntra''s instructions.
-By using the fear offered by the lookouts on the small boats, I borrow my authority! Thunder, be a wall and strike the water!-
Ferkuntra converted the roar into physical force and strongly pushed it away.
The torrent rushing in from beyond the prison right now wasn''t just an ordinary natural phenomenon.
It was clear that the angry spirits were constantly summoning water to submerge this area.
Ferkuntra, who had barely blocked the water by mobilizing all means and methods and caught his breath, shouted beyond the underground punishment room passagepletely submerged in water.
-The owner of thunder and lightning, the fear of the bell keepers and lookouts,mands! Stop the water right now!-
Yi-Han, who was behind the wall set up by the spirits, asked in puzzlement.
"Will the spirits obediently listen when they''re angry enough to cause a flood?"
-The mage''s words will not be heeded. But they will listen to the words of this Ferkuntra.-
Ferkuntra''s words were arrogant, but there was not a single waver in them. It was because he was that confident.
Even if the spirits had caused a flood, if it had grown to this scale, they must have summoned a high-ranking spirit from another dimension, and a spirit of that level had intelligence and refinement in proportion to their strength, so negotiation was naturally possible.
They wouldn''t ignore it after hearing Ferkuntra''s name.
Ssh!
However, no answer came back, and the torrent began to intensify.
Realizing that someone was blocking it, the spirits in the invisible ce created even more torrents and poured out intense pressure.
-...-
Ferkuntra was so furious that his entire body was distorted and discharged to the point of breaking down.
-How dare you?!?!-
"Uh, I heard it''s difficult to negotiate when spirits are angry enough to cause a flood. Let''s just ignore it and go find the professor?"
Yi-Han shared his knowledge as a mage, but Ferkuntra had already lost his reason.
-I swear by my true name, achievements, and fear! I will stick lightning in your chest and end this petty water y!!!-
"No... Uh... Mr. Ferkuntra. I came to find the professor..."
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Chapter 475
Chapter 475
Yi-Han didn''t want to escte the situation.
This was the punishment room directly managed by the skull principal, and there was nothing good about staying here for long.
He just wanted to quietly, while being mindful, take only Professor Verduus and leave, but...
Ferkuntra was jumping up and down, saying he would finish off the spirit that would be somewhere underground here.
"Mr. Ferkuntra. You need to calm down. This seems to be the enemy''s main base."
The torrent was so strong that it was on a different level, and when Ferkuntra blocked it, it immediately struck back even stronger, so it was clear that the main base of the spirits that caused the flood was around here.
When a spirit from another dimension stayed for a long time, reality also changed to match it.
It was an even more disadvantageous environment for Ferkuntra, who had to fight with only the restricted power of an avatar.
"Don''t fight and just find the professor and leave."
-Lend me your power!-
"No..."
-Just this once! If you listen to my request this time, I will listen to your request next time!-
"...Aren''t you being too determined just because the other party pretended not to hear you once?"
Yi-Han realized it was impossible to dissuade Ferkuntra.
It was an exchange where Yi-Han had nothing to lose if he lent his overflowing mana and received helpter, but...
''No, why is he so angry?''
To Yi-Han, who didn''t know much about honor, pride, and self-esteem among spirits, Ferkuntra only seemed to have bipr disorder.
"I understand. But don''t overdo it..."
-By promising rewards for opening the seventy-two golden chests, attendants shall reach even further!-
"..."
-I will additionally open the doors of the inner treasury! Warriors, assemble!-
"..."
Seeing Ferkuntra mobilizing spirit armies by spending his wealth because the attendants he had called earlier were not enough, Yi-Han felt the situation gradually escting.
-Strike! The roar will be the trumpeter, so advance forth! Avengers, there shall be thunder gold for those who repay in kind to the enemies who insulted me!-
The spirit army formed a formation and began to charge with a fierce spirit.
The spirit''s torrent, which had been pushing through the passage until just now, evaporated and scattered, quickly being pushed back.
"..."
Yi-Han followed behind Ferkuntra''s avatar with a disgruntled expression.
Now that he had entered, he couldn''t just stay still.
"Hee... Heeek!"
"It''s a crazy mage...! A crazy mage!"
The imperial felons collected by the skull principal, who were imprisoned deep in the punishment room, were terrified when they saw Yi-Han, burying their heads between their knees and trembling.
Outside, they were people who hadmitted all kinds of atrocities without the slightest fear, but sinceing to the punishment room, they had long felt how insect-like they werepared to the greatness of magic.
In the midst of that, some crazy mage was leading a spirit army and engaging in a battle that would only happen on the day of the continent''s destruction in the passage, so they couldn''t help but be afraid.
''Is it a new crazy mage who came to condemn us?''
"Excuse me, may I ask..."
The moment Yi-Han spoke, one of the criminals strangled his own neck with all his might and copsed, foaming at the mouth.
"..."
The other criminals acted simrly.
Yi-Han took a deep sigh and hurriedly ran after the spirit army.
¡ª
Professor Verduus diligently wrote a letter, put it in a ss bottle.
Then he cast magic and threw it outside the bars.
Originally, there would have been no way to deliver a message outside, but the story was different now.
The spirit flood that urred in Einroguard.
The skull principal, who encouraged rather than prevented the prisoners in the deep punishment room from suffering from the flood.
These few factors ovepped, creating a situation where he could deliver it outside by riding the torrent just by throwing a ss bottle.
Professor Verduus diligently tore the next paper and prepared a letter.
"Ah. Stop it, Professor. As if anyone wille."
Kettle from the Doduk family, a graduate imprisoned in a cell on the opposite side of the corridor, was annoyed.
"Which of the professor''s disciples wille to save the professor?"
Another professor with strong self-esteem might have been provoked by a disciple''s provocation, even if he was a graduate.
However, Professor Verduus was a person with an extraordinary mental world.
Kettle''s sarcasm had no effect at all.
"Why wouldn''t theye to save me?"
"...Well, because the professor is... Ah, forget it. Anyway, stop it. They absolutely won''te. If they do, I''ll live as a goat for a week."
"No. They wille."
"Ah, really, how did I end up imprisoned in front of Professor Verduus... Wait. Did the principal deliberately arrange this? He''s really too much. How hard did I work in the lecture on personality education?"
Kettle tapped his chest as if he was resentful.
How hard had he worked in the personality education lecture to wash away his sins?
Not knowing such efforts and imprisoning him in front of Professor Verduus like this.
"Professor, you should also stop the nonsense and quickly make an artifact of repentance. If youmitted a sin, you should pay it back withbor."
"I told you I''m not guilty."
"Ah. Yes. Of course you''d say that."
Kettle chuckled.
He could believe anything else Professor Verduus said, but he couldn''t believe the words ''I''m not guilty''ing from Professor Verduus.
"I also didn''t steal and transform the vige livestock. I didn''t receive guild investment and lose it either. It''s all a misunderstanding, but I was unlucky and got imprisoned!"
"Huh? Then quickly tell Gonadaltes."
"...Guard! Guard! Please change my room!!"
Kettle tapped on the bars, but no one came.
Well, even though the rising water from the spirit flood reached the top of his head, no one came, so there was no way they woulde.
"Grrgle... Grrgle. Mage. Mage. Please help me."
The voice of a prisoner on the verge of drowning in the next cell could be heard.
Kettle and Verduus were mages, so they could block the iing water, but ordinary criminals couldn''t.
Kettle muttered nonchntly.
"You won''t die anyway."
"Die... Grrgle. Die... You crazy mage bastards..."
"Yeah, yeah. Don''t you have more creative curses?"
The sounding from the next cell was cut off. It seemed to bepletely submerged.
Kettle stopped paying attention and called Professor Verduus again.
"Professor. Stop tormenting the disciples who absolutely won''te, and let''s think of another way. Isn''t there a way to escape?"
Although Professor Verduus was a crazy beaver mixed-blood mage, no one could deny the professor''s skills.
As an Einroguard graduate, Kettle remembered the skull principal''s maxim, ''There is a loophole in all magic.''
Professor Verduus would be able to find that loophole even better.
"It''s impossible."
"No, you''re not even trying to find it... What if you create a crack in that wall with enchantment magic and somehow make a gap?"
"Gonadaltes put on this wall."
Baqwantana.
A great enchantment mage from hundreds of years ago whose name every enchantment mage knew.
And the field where Baqwantana was renowned was none other than thebyrinth that imprisoned mages.
One of the magics that decorated thatbyrinth was .
It was a magic like a solid iron wall that nullified all kinds of magic attempts.
"That... That much? No, if you have that much gold, give it to us as research funds!"
Kettle was furious.
How could they waste , which was so expensive, on a cell like this?
Einroguard students were struggling to secure support funds for research like ...
"But you can still solve it, right?"
"I can somehow break through that itself if given time. But the wall behind it is entirely ."
"...No, this is really too much!!"
Paldar Lji.
Just as all enchantment mages knew Baqwantana''s name, all transformation mages knew Paldar from the Lji family.
The mage who developed , which was known as ''No substance can be more perfect than this here''!
...And they wasted that on a cell!
"I wanted to obtain even a piece of that, so I participated in several imperial auctions and requested sponsorship, but you pretended not to know!?"
"You should have stolen it?"
"I need to know it exists to steal it!"
Kettle was fuming.
Despite having graduated, there was still something about Einroguard that made students angry.
"This can also be broken through, but behind it..."
Professor Verduus recited the magics arranged in this cell without changing his expression.
Kettle waspletely overwhelmed by the magnificent and grand lineup of magics.
''This crazy...''
As he said that there was a loophole in all magic, the skull principal knew very well how topensate for it.
The more intricately the magics were linked together, the more the loophole shrank like a pinhole.
Kettle newly felt how great of a grand mage the skull principal was.
...Although he didn''t know why he was showing it in the punishment room...
Bang!!!
"???"
The roaring from outside.
Kettle tilted his ear, wondering what was going on.
It was a sound that ordinary imperial people couldn''t hear, but Kettle''s ears, as a skilled mage, heard the silent screams of spirits mixed in with the roar.
¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö! ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö-¡ö¡ö¡ö!
¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö!
''What? Are the spirits fighting?''
He knew that the spirit flood was happening outside, but he couldn''t understand why the spirits were fighting among themselves.
It was rare for spirits to have differing opinions in such a huge flow.
"I see."
Professor Verduus nodded and opened his mouth. Kettle unconsciously turned his gaze.
No matter what, wasn''t Professor Verduus a professor?
He must know about this situation...
"What is it?"
"They came to save me."
"...Ah, seriously, nonsense..."
"Professor Verduus! Professor Verduus, are you there!!"
"?!?!?!?!!!!"
Kettle thought he had gone crazy after being imprisoned in the punishment room.
In the distance, he really heard the voice of a student looking for Professor Verduus!!
''Has Einroguard fallen????''
Kettle was the kind of person who genuinely believed that the possibility of Einroguard falling was higher than a discipleing to save Professor Verduus.
"Professor Verduus!"
"I''m here! I''m here!"
"Professor!"
"Yes! Quickly open it!"
The disciple even seemed to really care about Professor Verduus.
Kettle just blinked his eyes and tried to grasp the situation.
"Please wait a moment! I will confirm the location and open the door next time!"
"Why?"
Yi-Han didn''t need to answer.
Before he finished speaking, the cell corridor expanded sideways like crazy, and spirits fiercely rushed in from both sides and began a power struggle.
Ferkuntra''s subordinate spirits wielding thunder, lightning, and thunderbolts as weapons.
The flood spirits who confronted them, shooting storms and rain as arrows to block them.
It was such a fierce battle that even the sturdy cell creaked.
Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwakwakwakwakwa-bang!
"Ah, be careful!! I''m next to you!"
-Don''t worry! Do I look so sloppy that I would hurt the contractor!?-
''Yes...''
-Come out, the leader of the petty thieves! I need to see the face of the one who insulted and ignored my proposal!-
Ferkuntra drew out Yi-Han''s mana once again.
Drawing out the contractor''s mana was something that had to be done carefully unless one had made a fraudulent contract with some crazy demon, but just like humans, spirits tended to be a bit brazen after repeating it a few times.
Yi-Han looked at Ferkuntra in bewilderment.
''No, even if I have leftover mana, can you just take it like this?''
Yi-Han made a mental note to strongly protest after the battle was over.
"You... you... you...?!"
"Ah. Senior!"
Kettle made a suffocating sound like the prisoner trapped in the next cell.
Not knowing what state the senior was in, Yi-Han shouted urgently.
"I will bring you food after the battle is over!"
"What... what the hell... are you doing...? Gah. Can''t breathe, can''t breathe...!"
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Chapter 476
Chapter 476
Professor Verduus looked at him with disdain.
"Can''t even breathe? Baby?"
"Gasp, huff. Shut up!"
Kettle snapped at Professor Verduus and regted his breathing.
To think he would have difficulty breathing like a new student who just entered Einroguard.
It was a shameful thing, but Kettle also had something to say.
''Anyone who saw what just happened would have had difficulty breathing.''
A 1st year student who was listening to the skull principal''s character education was waging war with a spirit army in the deep punishment room.
...No matter how everything was possible in Einroguard, this was too much.
"Aren''t you surprised by that, Professor!? A 1st year! A 1st year ironhead came all the way here!"
"I''m not surprised? I told you they came to save me?"
"...!"
Only then did Kettle recall that the 1st year student had recognized and called for Professor Verduus.
It was so shocking that he had erased the previous scene from his mind.
"I told you. They woulde."
Professor Verduus spoke as if it was as natural as the sun rising and the moon setting.
Seeing that, Kettle nkly stood there, then came to his senses and thought.
''I see.''
He finally seemed to understand.
That new student was...
''Being deceived!''
He didn''t know how he was being deceived by Professor Verduus, but Kettle made a resolution.
Perhaps it was fate that Kettle was imprisoned in this cell even after graduating.
To prevent a new student with outstanding magical talent from being deceived by Professor Verduus and having his life twisted!
''I will definitely stop it...!''
Kettle gritted his teeth.
When the new student returned to the front of the cell, he was going to persuade him somehow.
That there was no need to save Professor Verduus.
That he was being deceived right now!
This was a sacred duty that he had to do as a graduate.
¡ª
-Come at me more! Keuha-ha-ha-ha! I saide at me more!-
Perhaps because he had umted resentment for a long time while working under the skull principal, Ferkuntra mocked the fleeing spirits.
Then, one of the spirit attendants summoned by Ferkuntra, who was wielding a refined thunderbolt, hesitated and looked back.
And then he charged forward again, swung, hesitated again, and looked back.
"?"
-?-
Both Yi-Han and Ferkuntra were puzzled.
"Why is he doing that?"
-Why are you doing that?-
¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö.
-...-
Ferkuntra suddenly became quiet like a mute who had eaten honey.
Yi-Han asked out of curiosity.
"What did he say?"
-...That it''s undignified as a ruler to be so high-spirited after borrowing the contractor''s mana to win...-
"..."
Yi-Han decided to help instead because Ferkuntra seemed too embarrassed.
He was a spirit contracted with him after all.
"No, isn''t that too harsh! Borrowing the contracted mage''s mana is something a contracted being can naturally do!"
Of course, taking his side didn''t make Ferkuntra''s shame disappear. Ferkuntra resolved to be a little moreposed and not mock his enemies.
"Just tell such an impudent spirit to go back?"
-Stop it... It''s my fault.-
Ferkuntra, who had be slightly humble, dered calmly.
-You should know by now. No matter how much you nested here first, this is a situation you can''t win! My mana is infinite...-
¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö.
''It''s not you, but the contractor?''
Yi-Han somehow felt like he had learned a little bit of spiritnguage.
-...My contractor''s mana is infinite... Resisting with the advantage of terrain is meaningless. Come out! There''s no need to overwork other subordinates anymore.-
Suddenly, the surroundings became quiet.
At the end of the punishment room passage, which had been so fiercely flooded with water that it was hard to believe, an intense power gushed out.
At a nce, an existence that looked like arge mass of water slowly revealed itself.
Even just standing still, the slow flow of fluid shown inside it contained extraordinary power.
''It''s the leader of this flood!''
Yi-Han could instinctively tell.
That the spirit in front was the one who caused this flood.
-You''re out.-
Ferkuntra stared coldly ahead and spoke.
-Are you satisfied? The world is a sea of water. You''ve poured out enough.-
-Not at all...! The spirits who summoned me want more!-
The opposing spirit answered in a slow and wet voice, resounding.
-The anger umted by the mages here... summoned me! How can someone who is being enved and worked like a ve by a mage understand that anger?-
-...I was trying to show mercy, but how dare you!-
Ferkuntra was extremely furious at the spirit who had poked his sore spot.
In an instant, his body swelled up, and lightning began to sh with clouds above the punishment room ceiling.
Then, as if the opposing spirit wouldn''t just take it, he summoned rain and wind to push away Ferkuntra''s clouds and submerged the floor of the punishment room corridor.
-Everyone, step aside. I will handle this!-
Ferkuntra pushed the summoned spirits to both sides as if he didn''t need their help.
The space of the punishment room corridor expanded and expanded, stretching as if it couldn''t be any wider. It was a sight as if space itself was screaming.
However,pared to the fight that was about to unfold, even this expanded space felt narrow.
Thunder and sea shed in the underground of Einroguard.
-Where does a nameless bastard who can''t even be named refuse my generous offer?-
-Did you think I would fall for your trick... ve of the grand mage!-
"?"
While Yi-Han was thinking, ''Did Ferkuntra use a trick? When did he use it?'' the spirit shouted.
-To hide the grand mage next to you and babble about negotiation... Even if I were the most insignificant spirit, I wouldn''t fall for such a trick!-
-...-
"..."
Ferkuntra and Yi-Han simultaneously lost their words.
-No...-
-You miserable fool who can''t see even with eyes and can''t hear even with ears, he''s a student!-
"I¡¯m a student!"
However, even when the two shouted, the other party didn''t listen.
Ferkuntra was dumbfounded.
To think that his great reputation was being ignored because of the skull principal''s notoriety.
No, it wasn''t even because of the skull principal''s notoriety.
The other party was just a fool who stupidly misunderstood!
-Shut up... It''s no use!-
''This is driving me crazy.''
-I, the protector of the great sea and rain, will summon a storm with my name and authority!-
-Summoning a storm in front of the owner of thunder and lightning?-
The two spirits shed again.
The opposing spirit transformed its round shape into the form of a wrestler.
-The mages... continued to pollute the water and defile thend... They will pay the price for their anger!-
"..."
Yi-Han felt remorseful even though it wasn''t something he had done.
How much of a mess did the seniors experiment in Einroguard for the spirits to umte such anger?
''Well, considering the chimeras and slimes roaming around, there''s no way the seniors managed properly.''
Ferkuntra snorted and struck down the opponent''s weapon, then thrust in lightning.
-Such petty tricks!-
Then, the opponent''s form rippled, and a powerful wave of force burst out. Even from a distance, one could feel that it had taken a heavy blow.
Ferkuntra didn''t stop the attack.
The fight shown by transcendent beings from other realms waspletely different from the battles of mages. Ferkuntra struck a nearby wall once, tore out the metal, and wove it with lightning toplete a boiling vajra.
With a barrage of attacks, the spirit''s form was brutally torn apart.
The beaten spirit split and transformed his body to barely escape.
"!"
And his eyes met Yi-Han''s.
"..."
The spirit, who had initially tried to take a defensive stance thinking it was the skull principal, hesitated when he felt that Yi-Han''s appearance was somewhat different.
-...Oh...-
"I''m a student."
Yi-Han answered firmly.
-No... a trick...-
"I''m not undead."
-Die!-
Bang!
Ferkuntra mmed the confused spirit into the wall.
A cell was smashed with a crunch, and the spirit was deeply embedded.
"Wait! I was in the middle of persuading!"
-What? Persuading what. Just force him to return!-
"He¡¯s already heavily injured, so we should be able to resolve it with words."
-I''m the one who got hurt!-
The words about being the skull principal''s ve left a deeper wound on Ferkuntra than any attack.
Ferkuntra grumbled and crackled, but stopped attacking and didn''t pour out any more attacks.
-...I apologize for ignoring the proposal.-
The opposing spirit, who had been deeply embedded, came out and apologized.
He finally came to his senses and epted the fact that the other party was not the skull principal.
Yi-Han also responded kindly.
"I think we were a bit too harsh too."
-What was!-
Ferkuntra was about to have a fit, but Yi-Han ignored him and continued.
"If it''s alright with you, how about ending the spirit flood and returning now? Of course, I understand the spirits'' anger, but the longer the floodsts, the more desperate methods the mages will use. It''s better to wrap it up here..."
The opposing spirit silently nodded.
Once defeated, the loser is not allowed to say anything. They were just grateful for the mercy.
Yi-Han let out a sigh of relief.
It seemed to be well resolved.
There was no need to offer Gainando as a sacrifice, and there was no need to forcibly return the spirits who were angry because of Einroguard''s students.
Of course, the principal''s punishment room was a bit destroyed, but...
''This wasn''t done by me. It was an inevitable part.''
-I''d like to know the mage''s name.-
The spirit asked with respect.
No matter how violent and angry a spirit was, in a situation like this, he couldn''t help but feel gratitude.
To think he would refrain and step in to mediate in a situation where he could have been finished off.
"Yi-Han."
-Yi-Han... Yi-Han. I will remember that name. Do you have any water-rted spirits among your contracted spirits?-
"...No."
Yi-Han became slightly disgruntled.
Who are you kidding?
''They run away when they see me...''
-You don''t like water-rted spirits?-
"...No, the spirits avoid me when they see me."
-Ah.-
The spirit immediately understood.
For weak spirits, the pressure of such mana was an aura that was difficult to endure, unless it was a powerful being like Ferkuntra or himself who had umted many achievements and feats.
"..."
-...-
-...-
When the air became awkward, Ferkuntra red at the enemy.
-Such a tactless bastard...-
The spirit also felt it and changed the subject.
-If it''s alright, I''d like to give you a gift.-
"Oh. Anything is fine."
Yi-Han gave an expectant look.
The powers of spirits were always precious gifts.
Moreover, if it was a spirit that could cause a flood of this magnitude...
-What would be good... For a mage, and a young mage at that, how about the power to freely change the shape of water?-
"...It''s fine."
Yi-Han declined.
Because he could already do it!
If you were going to give it, you should have given it before I got hit by Professor Bagrak...
-Oh, is that so? Then the ability to turn water into steam...-
"I know how to do that too, but..."
-...-
The spirit was noticeably embarrassed.
After pondering a few times, the spirit finally seemed to think of something good and opened its mouth again.
-Paaah-
A new spirit pattern was engraved on the back of Yi-Han''s hand. The spirit spoke in a friendly voice.
-My true name is Upinum. Upinum. I will never forget the mercy the mage showed today.-
"Wait, tell me what power it is before you g..."
Before Yi-Han could finish speaking, Upinum returned with self-satisfaction.
Yi-Han slightly suspected that the other party had given it and quickly ran away in case it ovepped with something.
¡ª
"Professor? Professor, are you there?"
When Yi-Han returned, Verduus shouted as if he had been waiting.
"Quickly open it!"
"Yes. Please wait a moment."
"Wait!!"
Kettle shouted loudly.
"Wait, you''re being deceived!"
"Pardon?"
"I''m saying you''re being deceived by Professor Verduus! Professor Verduus is not someone worth saving like that! You''re being deceived right now!"
"..."
Yi-Han was at a loss for words.
Because...
''I''m the one who stole but he got imprisoned instead...''
"I can see that you have unbelievably outstanding magical talent. I can also see that you''re unbelievably kind. Bute to your senses! You''re being deceived right now!"
"He¡¯s not being deceived!"
Professor Verduus protested as if asking what nonsense he was talking about.
Yi-Han and the professor were a disciple and teacher who respected each other.
How could he say that?
"What will you do for him if he releases you!"
"Huh?"
"I''m asking what you will do for him if he releases you! For that new student!"
"A chance to work in my workshop?"
"...Hey, you little shit!"
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Chapter 477
Chapter 477
Kettle couldn''t hold back any longer and poured out curses.
Professor Verduus protested against the disciple''s rude behavior.
"Rude!"
"You''re the one being rude! What kind of reward is that!"
"It is a reward!"
"Strictly speaking, it''s not really a reward..."
When Yi-Han muttered beside him, Professor Verduus shouted in surprise.
"It''s not a reward?! Why!?"
"Uh... um..."
Yi-Han pondered how to exin.
If it were a normal person, it would have been easy (in fact, there would have been no need to exin separately), but Professor Verduus was someone who would never understand if spoken to normally.
"Rewards are originally divided into whether the recipient needs it or not. No matter how good an item is, if it''s useless to the recipient, it''s not a reward."
"But everyone likes the opportunity to work in my workshop?"
Kettle was seen grabbing the back of his neck and copsing.
However, Yi-Han''s innate patience was not shaken by such words from Professor Verduus. Yi-Han calmly replied.
"Even if I work in the professor''s workshop, it''s not easy for me to utilize it right away because my abilities arecking."
"Ah! That makes sense!"
Professor Verduus immediately understood.
Indeed, although Yi-Han was a little more outstanding than other stupid students, he was still a pitiful disciple who had a lot to learnpared to Professor Verduus.
Even if Professor Verduus lent such a disciple the workbench he used, it would be difficult for him to utilize even one-hundredth of it.
"I forgot that you were stupid."
"It''s alright."
Kettle foamed at the mouth at Professor Verduus''s answer.
Is that something to say in front of a disciple who came all the way to the underground punishment room to save him?
''Why do evil people live more happily in the world? People like the principal and Professor Verduus live happily, but why do good people have to suffer like that?''
Kettle felt like his heart was being torn apart at the sight of the kind 1st year junior suffering.
"Can''t you just give me something else?"
"Something else... Hmm, what can a stupid person do..."
When Professor Verduus was about to fall into contemtion, Kettle hurriedly shouted.
"The underground warehouse of the Spirit Festival Hall! Ask for the key to the underground warehouse of the Spirit Festival Hall!"
Professor Verduus made a very tant expression of dislike. Seeing that, Yi-Han suddenly became interested.
"Where is that?"
"The ce where Professor Verduus keeps his precious reagents and materials!! The ce he never opened even when my friend knelt and grabbed his ankles!!"
"It''s a waste."
Professor Verduus grumbled as if it was natural.
Kettle shouted, filled with anger.
He was so afraid that Yi-Han might just open the prison.
"Hey! If you don''t get that key, don''t pretend to know me. Don''t even say you''re my junior anywhere! Don''t even say you graduated from Einroguard! Einroguard doesn''t need a pushover like you!!"
''Being called a pushover is really unfamiliar.''
Yi-Han felt very awkward when he heard the senior say, ''Why are you so kind and a pushover?'' after only hanging out with his friends.
If his friends were here, they might have doubted their ears.
"I''m sorry, Professor. The senior said I must get the key."
"But it''s a waste..."
"But as a junior, I can''t not listen to the senior. Then I can''t open it. The professor will continue to be imprisoned here."
"But it''s still a waste..."
Professor Verduus groaned and suffered, but Yi-Han firmly endured by using the senior''s name.
In the end, Professor Verduus conceded.
"Alright. I''ll give it to you."
"Thank you. I''ll use it well."
"Wait!!"
Kettle shouted again.
There was a desperation that he absolutely couldn''t leave him alone even after receiving the key.
"Make him swear that he will let you choose the time when you work separately outside of lecture hours! And make him clearly specify what he will give you as payment when you work separately!"
"Why is payment necessary when work is enjoyable?"
Kettle ignored Professor Verduus''s question and said what he had to say.
"Did you hear that!? Think carefully now! Do you think there will be another chance for Professor Verduus to readily concede and swear!? How much you extract today will determine your future life at Einroguard!"
When Kettle recalled his friends who had studied under Professor Verduus, his eyes reddened.
Kind and considerate friends were all dropped, and only a few geniuses overflowing with madness could endure under him.
When he thought that this pushover new student would suffer such a fate, he couldn''t just sit still.
"Make him swear no matter what! Even if you have to point a knife at his throat!"
"I''m sorry, Professor. The senior said I must make you swear."
"Why is he doing that?"
Professor Verduus grumbled.
He couldn''t understand why such oaths and contracts were necessary.
With just passion for magic and respect for each other, Einroguard''s enchantment magic school was running well enough.
"I swear that from now on, when I make my disciple Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family work, I will give him the right to choose first..."
Professor Verduus, who was swearing, looked at Yi-Han and asked.
"But it doesn''t really matter, right? You like working."
"That''s right, Professor. Actually, it doesn''t really matter. Even if I have the right to choose, would I refuse? Haha."
Yi-Han spoke inwardly, thanking Kettle.
Thanks to that senior imprisoned in the punishment room, Yi-Han was getting rid of the things he wanted gone one by one without even touching them.
"...If by chance I make you work, I will pay you proper wages... The wages will be negotiated before making you work, and the disciple, not myself, will..."
Kettle took out a handkerchief and wiped the corners of his eyes. Yi-Han asked in surprise.
"Are you crying?"
"You''re mistaken because the air is humid from the spirit flood!"
"That doesn''t make any sense..."
"Focus on the oath! Don''t miss a single word Professor Verduus says! And don''t trust the professor!"
"Hmm."
Yi-Han felt sorry.
If only Professor Verduus didn''t have ears, he wanted to say, ''Senior, do you think I''m crazy to believe the professor?''
But since it was in front of Professor Verduus, Yi-Han had no choice but to act like a kind disciple.
"The professor didn''t have any bad intentions..."
"Gah, cough."
Kettle almost copsed again.
¡ª
Still, thanks to Kettle, Yi-Han was able to make a few more oaths.
After finishing the oath not to visit during vacation without permission, Yi-Han looked at Kettle with eyes dripping with respect.
''As expected, he''s not a senior for nothing!''
It was the first time Yi-Han had met an Einroguard graduate, but he didn''t expect him to be so reliable.
Yi-Han now somewhat understood why Einroguard was considered the best educational institution in the Empire.
"Huff... huff. Okay... now go. Never trust the professor."
Kettle gestured with a tired face.
"Senior, shouldn''t I help you escape too?"
"I can''t. Professor Verduus was just caught stealing the principal''s belongings at most, but..."
"I said I didn''t steal!"
Professor Verduus protested while jumping up and down, but Kettle ignored him.
"...I was caught after causing an ident outside. If I escape, they''ll chase after me right away. If I get caught then..."
Kettle trembled.
He didn''t finish his words, but it was a gesture that made it clear how afraid he was.
"Should I try talking to the principal?"
"You''re quite the joker."
Kettle chuckled.
The joke made by the 1st year junior was unexpectedly bold and funny.
To think he would make such a joke to the heavenly skull principal.
"While you''re at it, tell him to improve the environment inside a bit."
"Yes. I understand. By the way, senior. I brought the food I promised outside."
Yi-Han opened his backpack and started taking out food items one by one.
He had generously prepared preserved foods such as canned beef and canned fruits that were easy to eat in the cell, as well as luxury items such as sugar, tea leaves, and coffee powder.
"This bread was baked this morning, so it''s best to eat it right away. I also brought some honey."
"...Wh, where did you steal this from?"
Kettle asked back in surprise.
No matter how he thought about it, they weren''t items a 1st year student could obtain.
If he had obtained such things, it would be insufficient for him and his friends to eat, but he brought them here.
Isn''t this too much, even if he''s kind?
"Hey. If you give this to me, what will your friends say! Just take it back."
"Huh? It''s fine because we have plenty."
"...???"
Kettle was confused.
Plenty?
''It doesn''t seem like he''s lying, but what the hell?''
It was to the point where he thought the 1st year students might have collectively raided the kitchen.
But even if they did, it wouldn''t be to this extent...
"Senior. Please tell me what you left at the school as promised."
"Ah. Right."
Kettle, who had been confused, came to his senses.
Come to think of it, this junior had been contacting Kettle since the character education lecture.
At that time, he never thought that he would break through to the punishment room here and sessfully make a deal...
"Why do you trust the professor so much when you''re so thorough? I told you not to trust the professor."
"Haha. But he''s still a professor."
Professor Verduus nodded from behind as if agreeing.
Kettle let out a short sigh.
No one can be perfect.
This junior had outstanding magical talent, but he also had a very fatal weakness in Einroguard.
To think he trusts the professor like that...
"Take this. It''s the location of the room my friends and I used. There should be some useful things left."
Yi-Han bowed his head and received the map Kettle handed over.
It was a reward worthing all the way here for.
"Thank you!"
"I should be the one thanking you. Thanks for the food. I''ll eat well. I have to stay here for a while..."
Kettle licked his lips and spoke to Yi-Han.
"Don''t be like me."
"I understand. I''ll be careful when using magic outside."
"No. You can cause idents with magic outside, but don''t get caught. I got caught."
"..."
''I don''t think he''s reflecting...''
Yi-Han thought inwardly. Professor Verduus, who was listening next to him, spoke.
"You should transform."
"Pardon?"
"You should transform. You promised. If he came to save me, you''d live as a goat for a week."
"..."
Kettle inwardly spewed curses at Professor Verduus and cast magic.
Poof!
"Then we''ll get going!"
Meh-eh-eh!
''When the principales, I''ll definitely me that bastard!''
The goat, no, Kettle red at Professor Verduus''s back as he left, burning with a desire for revenge.
If the skull principal came and asked, ''Why is the punishment room in this state?'' he was going to shout, ''It''s because of Professor Verduus! Meh-eh-eh!'' no matter what.
¡ª
"Everyone. The flood is over."
-Ah... then release me...-
When Yi-Han returned to the library and dered with a tired face, the students were all surprised.
"No, no way...!"
"Wardanaz, did you solve it?!"
"Hey. Don''t you remember what Wardanaz saidst time? He told you not to involve him."
Ango scolded the ck Tortoise Tower student.
"This time, I did solve it."
"..."
Ango red at Yi-Han.
This guy had scolded himst time, saying, ''Do you think I solved all the problems in Einroguard? Don''t involve me!''
"How did you solve it!?"
-Release me and then you can talk, can''t you... mages...-
"Wait!"
Salko looked around.
Then, as if he understood, he made an expression of admiration.
"I respect you, Wardanaz. You sacrificed the prince?"
"No, I didn''t."
"It must have been a painful choice, but it was an inevitable sacrifice. You''ll be fine soon."
"I said I didn''t sacrifice him."
-Release me... you can talk after releasing me...-
"Yes. If you say so, I respect..."
Gainando, who had secretly eaten snacks and returned, red at Salko.
Who are you telling to sacrifice?
"No!?"
"Why are you surprised? What?"
"Then who did you sacrifice...?"
Yi-Han spoke in a voice filled with fatigue.
"I just confronted them head-on. I found the spirits and persuaded them."
-Relea...-
The devouring-ship fish, who was about to plead to be released, shut its mouth with a look of disgust at Yi-Han''s words.
-What a crazy mage!?-
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Chapter 478
Chapter 478
"Oh. I''m sorry. What did you say?"
Yi-Han, who btedly noticed the devouring-ship fish calling from behind, spoke to it.
Perhaps it was his imagination, but the devouring-ship fish''s voice was not the usual dissatisfied voice, but a polite and respectful one.
-It''s... nothing...-
"Anyway, thank you for your hard work. For helping us during the flood."
Yi-Han conveyed his gratitude with sincerity.
It was thanks to the devouring-ship fish''s hard work that the students were able toe and go to Einroguard despite the raging storm and rain.
If it weren''t for the devouring-ship fish, a few of the students would have gone missing.
And since Yi-Han was also human, he felt a little sorry for overworking the devouring-ship fish.
"I will release you from the contract now."
-Uh... I can... work a little more... I didn''t do much... during the flood...-
The devouring-ship fish spoke hesitantly.
Yi-Han was slightly taken aback by the unexpected reaction.
''What''s going on? Did it eat something wrong?''
The devouring-ship fish, which always cried desperately, saying, ''Send me back,'' suddenly acted like this.
"You''ve worked a lot. You can go back."
-Are you... really sure...?-
The devouring-ship fish hesitated and looked at Yi-Han''s expression.
It knew that he wasn''t an ordinary mage, but to think he would threaten the spirits rted to this flood and force them to return.
That wasn''t just guts, but it required overwhelming power to dominate the spirits.
Especially when recalling how tremendous power the spirits had gained during this flood...
It only thought that it wasn''t for nothing that he was considered the disciple of the lord here.
"Of course it''s fine. Go back."
-Thank... thank you.-
The devouring-ship fish looked at Yi-Han''s expression onest time and slowly began to disperse.
"I hope we meet again."
-...-
Although Yi-Han said it out of courtesy, it was a startling thing for the devouring-ship fish that was returning.
The devouring-ship fish shuddered.
''Didn''t you hear me?''
When the other party returned without answering, Yi-Han tilted his head.
¡ª
"The school is...!"
"Returning to normal!"
The water that had filled Einroguard began to drain away at a visibly fast pace.
The students sat on the library dock and looked at Einroguard''s forests, paths, various buildings, and facilities.
Usually, they didn''t think much of it, but seeing it again like this, it felt more touching and moving for some reason.
''It''s mostly intact even after such a flood.''
Yi-Han nodded his head when he saw that the paved paths connecting each building were intact.
Since he had done repair work following the skull principal, he knew that this school was protected by powerful magic.
Still, seeing it intact without a single shake even in this flood, he couldn''t help but admire it.
''The vegetable garden will have to be rebuilt though...''
To this extent, it could be said that they had done rtively well.
The really important items were kept in the personal rooms of the dormitory, and although some of the food was blown away, there were supplements brought from outside...
''I also have leave passes. Next time, I''ll have to go out using the leave passes.''
In the current situation where the skull principal was looking at Yi-Han with eyes full of suspicion about how he went out, it was an amateur''s job to recklessly attempt unauthorized outings.
While lost in thought like that, Yi-Han''s eyes caught sight of smoke rising from a pipe in the distance.
Professor Uregor was walking with a pipe in his mouth, trudging along.
"Professor!"
"Hello!"
"Yeah. Hello to you too. You all had a hard time because of the flood. But it seems like the seniors did something this time."
"Huh?"
"That''s..."
The 1st year students realized that Professor Uregor had misunderstood and were flustered.
It wasn''t the seniors, but...
However, Professor Uregor didn''t notice that and said what he had to say.
"I have something to say to the students taking the alchemy lecture. Everyone gather around."
"...What are you trying to do again!"
"..."
The students who had endured the midterm exam and the flood were very rough and sharp.
The students looked at Professor Uregor with eyes full of suspicion.
"It''s not an additional test?"
"Hey. Tell him I''m not here. Okay? I didn''t hear anything at all."
Professor Uregor exhaled smoke deeply and spoke.
"Did I seem like such a stingy professor?"
"You''re just an ordinary professor at Einroguard, Professor."
"Right? Look at Wardanaz."
Professor Uregor stroked his beard and smiled brightly at Yi-Han''s words that took his side.
''Huh?''
Bute to think of it, it was a bit subtle.
Is being an ordinary professor at Einroguard apliment?
"Anyway, even those who are hiding,e out. I''m busy right now too, but I had no choice but toe. Because of the flood, the cabins flew away... They didn''t do that during thest flood, but I don''t know where the cabins went. I searched everywhere I could go."
"...Could it be that the angry spirits destroyed them?"
"Maybe. Anyway, is everyone gathered?"
"Yes."
When the students taking alchemy gathered, Professor Uregor began the main topic.
"Starting tomorrow, students taking the alchemy lecture will be going out for 3 nights and 4 days. A request came in from the Maykin family outside... Do you know about the Sangoria flowers? Students who studied hard should know, but there is a shortage in the southern coastal region of the Empire right now, causing problems in many ways. Devoting oneself when such problems arise in the Empire is also one of the duties of a mage. Remember that well."
After speaking, Professor Uregor exhaled smoke. Then he muttered softly.
"Damn it, I really don''t want to go..."
"..."
"..."
The students pretended not to hear.
"You will also be going together. It''s not often that you get the opportunity to watch and learn how to solve such requests. It''s only in your 1st year that you go together like this, but originally, you should be able to solve it on your own. Go and learn a lot."
''Isn''t that too shameless to say?''
"So..."
"We''re going out, right?"
"Yeah."
The students taking alchemy cheered.
Although they were going out for official business, they were leaving the academy!
Professor Uregor grumbled and said.
"There''s nothing to be happy about. I told you, you''ll only be working when you go. You probably won''t even have time to y. Persuading the local guild members,forting the residents, getting rid of monsters, checking and ssifying materials... Are you listening?"
Of course, the students didn''t think about the aftermath at all. They were just excited and shouting.
At least the princess was the only one who was lost in thought and pondering carefully. The princess cautiously asked a question.
"I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"As far as I know, the current shortage of Sangoria flowers is not at a level that can be solved by the alchemists here alone."
The shortage of Sangoria flowers in the southern coastal region of the Empire was not simply a matter of insufficient materials.
Since various factors such as monster appearances, spirit disturbances, local residents''ints, and guild work conflicts were intertwined, even if Professor Uregor was an outstanding alchemist, he could not solve it alone.
Even if 1st year students went together, the work they could do was only supportive at best.
What was Professor Uregor thinking?
"While everyone is going crazy, you made a good point alone. I heard from the Maykin family that someone gave a very good suggestion. Let''s skip theplicated procedures and mobilize the Shadow Patrol from the north to sweep away the monsters first. It''s probably to show action to appease the public sentiment."
"Th, that''s right!"
The princess was surprised.
It was a radical method that suited the saying ''swift as lightning.''
Ignoring various procedures and interests and dealing with the monsters first.
However, when she reconsidered that method, she couldn''t deny the fact that it was effective.
In a situation where everyone was just watching and waiting to avoid losses, if they hunted the monsters, the local residents would be greatly moved, and the forces entangled in that area would have no choice but to be cautious.
"Surprised? I understand. It''s a radical but effective method. It would have been difficult for the great noble families or guilds who value face or procedures toe up with this method, but they cleverly thought of it."
As Professor Uregor spoke, he suddenly seemed to be filled with resentment.
"It''s not the time to praise. Thanks to that, even I have to go down! They should have just negotiated as usual, why are they doing something they didn''t do before..."
"Hic."
Nillia, who was listening next to him, suddenly started huping. Yi-Han and Yonaire felt sorry for her and handed her warm ck tea.
"We''ll depart at dawn tomorrow, so everyone prepare."
"What about the lectures we''re taking?"
"The professors will provide supplementary lessons."
"..."
Yi-Han suddenly frowned.
''Can I attend all the lectures through supplementary lessons?''
"Anyone else have questions?"
"Professor. Will you provide travel supplies?"
"No? You have to prepare them yourself. Did you leave it to me?"
The students were moved by Professor Uregor''s warm words.
Yi-Han let out a sigh.
''I thought only the professors would disappear, but it seems the students will too.''
He had thought only the professors would be temporarily absent, but now the students were going as well.
It wasn''t necessarily a bad thing. Any opportunity to get out was precious.
''Even if the principal or Professor Bagrak don''t go out, it''s the same if I go out.''
A student next to him raised his hand and asked.
"Is Professor Uregor the only professor going with us?"
"Professor Bungaegor is also going. We''ll be flying on mounts."
"I see."
"Professor Bagrak will also be going with us. Since we''re going outside, we need an escort."
"..."
Yi-Han dropped the ck tea bottle he was holding.
¡ª
Morning.
Gainando cried and clung to Professor Uregor''s ankles, but the professor coldly shook him off.
"You''re not an alchemy student."
"Waah! I''ll study alchemy hard from now on! Please take me with you too!"
The alchemy students shook their heads.
''It''s a relief they''re not taking him.''
''If he acts like that outside, we''ll have to say he''s from another school.''
Professor Bungaegor, who was riding on thergest and fiercest-looking wyvern, shouted.
"Everyone, slowly get on the wyverns. They''re trained, so they won''t be violent, but they won''t like it if you act rough. Wait! Wardanaz, you go and make eye contact with the wyvern. Blink and show them that you have no hostility so the wyvern doesn''t misunderstand."
"No, why only me..."
Yi-Han grumbled but exchanged nces with the wyvern.
The wyvern looked at Yi-Han with eyes full of wariness. It was a gaze as if it was suspecting Yi-Han of being a predator approaching to kill it.
"I''m not an enemy."
-Grrr...-
"I''m not an enemy."
-Grrr...-
"...I said I''m not an enemy? Hey."
-Grrrrrr!-
Professor Bungaegor said from the side.
"This one has a strong pride and only carries those it acknowledges, but the ones you''re riding are all docile. There won''t be any troublesome issues during the trip."
"Uh. Professor. But why is this one bleeding from its nose?"
"I guess I hit it a bit too hard earlier."
"..."
Yi-Han was slightly shaken about whether he could really trust the wyvern.
''It should be fine.''
Seeing Professor Bagrak walking from afar, Yi-Han suddenly felt reassured.
Although he was usually such a threatening person, he couldn''t be more reassured to travel with the wyvern.
"Professor. I''m d to be riding the wyvern together."
"Unfortunately."
"Pardon?"
"The wyvern is an excessively safe mount."
Professor Bagrak raised his eyebrows once as if he was disappointed and got on the wyvern.
"..."
The basilisk egg in Yi-Han''s backpack made a sound full of wariness.
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Chapter 479
Chapter 479
"Don''t worry."
Yi-Hanforted the basilisk egg.
At the owner''s words, which were as reassuring as mana, the basilisk egg stopped vibrating.
"Objectively speaking, you''re still weaker than the wyvern. Even if they pay attention to you, they''ll pay more attention to the wyvern."
-...-
The egg made a sound full of wariness again.
"Wardanaz. Catch these gs."
Professor Uregor ced two gs on top of the wyvern.
One was a banner with the emblem of Einroguard engraved on it, and the other was a banner with a sword drawn on top of the Empire''s emblem.
Yi-Han asked in puzzlement.
"The Einroguard g is to let them know we belong to Einroguard... What is this one for?"
"It means that we are carrying out the Empire''s official business in the name of His Majesty the Emperor."
"I see. But why is there a sword drawn on it?"
"It means that anyone who obstructs our path will be immediately dealt with."
"...Uh, are you joking?"
"It''s not a joke?"
Professor Uregor answered as if asking what he was talking about.
Being inside the school, it was easy to forget, but mages were always high-level personnel, and among them, the mages of Einroguard were the most important personnel.
Since they didn''t know what kind of danger might approach outside, it was natural to warn them in advance with gs.
-If you approach recklessly, we will attack immediately!-
Professor Bagrak also nodded his head.
"Attack immediately if an enemy approaches."
"...Are you talking about me too?"
"Yes."
"Professor. I''m still a student..."
Yi-Han spoke with the intention of saying, ''You''re the one assigned as an escort, and I''m a student who came on a field trip following the professor''s guidance,'' but it wasn''t conveyed to Professor Bagrak.
"You''re a student, right?"
The professor''s voice carried the emotion of ''So what do you want me to do about it?''
Yi-Han gave up and sat next to Professor Bagrak.
Seeing Yi-Han and Professor Bagrak sitting on the narrow and shaky neck area instead of the wide and t back of the wyvern, his friends were already gossiping.
"Is that the professor?"
"I didn''t know there were students studying under that professor. Didn''t they all leave?"
"Originally, Wardanaz''s goal is to take all the lectures."
"Ah. Right. Is that why he''s taking it?"
''No. You bastards.''
Yi-Han inwardly cursed his friends who were spreading false rumors about him.
"Look ahead."
"Yes..."
Professor Bagrak immediately started a practical lecture on ''How should a wyvern rider fight in the air?'' to Yi-Han.
"...So the diagonal rear and lower blind spots are the most vulnerable for the rider. If you''re a mage, you canpensate with magic. Make sure to secure your field of vision first. Fighting in the air starts with the field of vision."
"Uh, Professor Bagrak..."
Professor Uregor, who was passing by, noticed Yi-Han being harassed and asked.
"Do you really need to have Wardanaz sit next to you?"
When they arrived, the students would have to deal with quite a lot of misceneous tasks, and among them, the amount ofbor that Wardanaz, who had a lot of mana, would have to take on was easily calcted to be several times more.
Considering that, there was no need to harass Wardanaz from the start.
And in the first ce, escorting was Professor Bagrak''s job, not the student''s.
Yi-Han was slightly moved.
''Indeed, Professor Uregor is truly the average of Einroguard!''
He thought it was good enough to be like this.
Professor Bagrak answered Professor Uregor''s question with a calm expression on his expressionless face.
"He said he wanted to learn."
"Ah. Is that so?"
"..."
Yi-Han was so dumbfounded that he lost his words.
What kind of nonsensical lie is this without even wetting his lips?
Even the basilisk''s egg seemed dumbfounded.
''If I deny it here, will Professor Bagrak push me and make me fall?''
"Then it can''t be helped. Wardanaz. Hang in there."
Professor Uregor gave encouragement without getting further involved, as if to prove that he was the average of Einroguard, and left.
Yi-Han inwardly cursed Professor Uregor.
¡ª
Swooooosh-!
The wyverns that had finished preparing and departed cut through the air like lightning.
The students screamed with joy.
"It''s my first time riding a wyvern, Professor!"
"Because it''s a rare creature! Taming them is more difficult than you think. You can''t even imagine how much trouble I went through to obtain these eggs!"
When Professor Bungaegor shouted cheerfully while wearing flight goggles, the students let their imaginations run wild.
The outskirts of the Empire, the majestic peaks and canyons that seemed to pierce the sky.
And Professor Bungaegor, who explored that ce alone, stole the wyvern''s eggs, and came out.
"That''s right! How angry was the count?"
"He''s crazy! He got angry even though he bought them from the ck market. I saved his life! If they had hatched as they were, the wyverns would have destroyed the mansion!"
Professor Bungaegor exined how she stole the wyvern eggs from the count''s mansion.
The students looked at each other with perplexed gazes at that exnation.
"Yi-Han. Yi-Han. What do you think? Is it okay to do that?" Asan asked.
Yi-Han couldn''t answer his friend''s question. Professor Bagrak kept harassing him.
"What was the monster that just flew by below?"
"Wasn''t it a ghost... a ghost eagle?"
"Wrong. It''s an eagle ghost. Remember the difference between the two. Eagle ghosts are..."
"..."
Asan took a step back with a disgusted expression.
When the students who were reading books and ying card games on the wyvern''s back were getting bored, and Yi-Han, who had to keep watch on the sky and shout out the names of the monsters he saw around him, was about to copse from exhaustion, Professor Bungaegor sent a signal.
"That''s it for today! We should let the wyverns rest. Landing! ¡ö¡ö! ¡ö¡ö¡ö!"
At Professor Bungaegor''s shout, the wyverns began to descend.
A few towns with lights scattered here and there could be seen in the darkening area below.
''Is that the destination? We''ll arrive before lunch tomorrow.''
In the distance, a port city burning with brilliant lights, located where it met the sea, could be seen.
It was Isran, one of the most beautiful cities among the southern coastal cities of the Empire.
Since it was a ce they would normally visit as a resort, the students also whispered in excited voices.
"But we''ll have some time to look around, right?"
"Can''t we escape? We can just go to the punishment room, right? Wardanaz. What do you think? You know the most about the punishment room."
"Don''t ask such questions..."
Yi-Han, who was already exhausted by Professor Bagrak, answered in a voice full of fatigue.
As the wyvernsnded on the grassy hill near the town, the townsfolk ran out from inside, holding torches.
And then, seeing the gs of Einroguard and the Empire, they were surprised and shouted.
"Mages! The mages havee!"
"That''s right. Everyone."
Professor Uregor politely greeted the town head.
Inside Einroguard, even if he cursed at the Imperial Duke, the skull principal would take care of the aftermath, but outside, he had to act as gentlemanly as possible.
"We came here in a hurry on wyverns because of urgent official business. These wyverns are fully trained and won''t pose any threat, so please trust us. I promise on the honor of Einroguard and the mages."
Yi-Han witnessed Professor Bungaegor punching the bridge of the wyvern''s nose, which had been grumbling since earlier, and quietly moved to cover it up.
"Of... of course. We trust the mages. Absolutely!"
The town head shouted in a tense voice, feeling both respect and fear. And to hide the fact that he was feeling fear as much as possible, he bowed with exaggerated gestures.
"Pleasee to the vige! We have prepared a ce for you to rest! You, you, you can bring the wyverns with you too!"
The students were ready to move right away.
Although Einroguard students sometimes went out and were misunderstood as ''Do Einroguard students like sleeping outside in the cold dew?'' it was definitely not the case.
Of course, sleeping in a warm inn. On a soft and smooth bed...
"No. We will stay outside."
Professor Uregor firmly refused.
"We have already prepared everything. We don''t want to cause trouble for the townsfolk."
"Ah, no. It''s not a bother! Above all..."
"No. If this many people, and even the wyverns, go in, you won''t be able to help but be concerned."
There were a few reasons why Professor Uregor was doing this.
Even if the mages of Einroguard were respected by all the people of the Empire, the townsfolk who didn''t know them well could be frightened.
And that was even more so for the wyverns. If they identally caused a disturbance, Professor Uregor would have to take responsibility.
Lastly...
-Don''t bother people unnecessarily on the way there and back. Don''t call the townsfolk and do things like ''We came from Einroguard, so if you could give us some warm bread and drinks...'' or something like that.-
-Don''t worry. It''s not like we''re doing this for the first or second time.-
The skull principal didn''t really like the magesing into contact with themon people of the Empire on the way.
"Hmph."
"I thought we would be staying in the town."
The students were sad as they prepared to camp.
If they had just entered the academy, they might have said, ''How can a person sleep outside?'' but now, even the students from the Blue Dragon Tower were not very surprised by the idea of sleeping outside.
"Spread some more nkets here."
"Wait. Get rid of the bugs first."
"Spray this potion. It will help repel the bugs."
"Priestess Siana...! Thank you. Wow. The effect is amazing! All the grass died at once!"
"Wait. I gave you the wrong one. Spray this one."
"..."
Yi-Han poured the travel rations his friends had brought into a pot and boiled it.
Hard bread and cheese, salty jerky, and still fresh carrots, onions, potatoes, etc. were added.
"Thank you."
"You''ll have to pay me backter for as much as you eat."
"..."
Professor Uregor was dumbfounded but nodded his head.
Indeed, how precious would such rations be to an Einroguard student?
''But the vegetable garden was swept away by the flood, so where did they get the vegetables from?''
Professor Uregor pondered as he gulped down the hodgepodge soup.
Judging by how fresh they were, it didn''t seem like they brought them from outside...
Yi-Han separately scooped out the soup boiled with only vegetables for Professor Bagrak and then asked Professor Uregor.
"But Professor. Didn''t the Maykin family invite us?"
"That''s right."
"Couldn''t we have just gone with the Maykin family''s procession?"
"Then it would be too slow. You have to attend lectures too."
The students were very disappointed.
If they had moved together with the Maykin family, they might have been able to y for a week or two!
Yi-Han tilted his head and asked again.
"Still, shouldn''t the Maykin family at least provide the necessary supplies for the trip?"
"Nah, a family as big as the Maykin family doesn''t bother with such trivial things. We''ll take care of it ourselves from thepensation we receiveter."
"I see. Do we receive thepensation as soon as we finish?"
"Yeah. But it''s better not to have high expectations."
"Is thepensation low?"
"No. For this kind of task, the Maykin family is quite generous. However, you won''t be able to indulge in luxury with that. Even if you save and save, you''ll probablyck research funds for next year''s experiments."
No matter how much Einroguard robbed the Emperor''s treasury for support and twisted the beard of the Imperial Treasurer to extract a budget, it was impossible to satisfy the greed of the mages.
Mages were a bunch who would shout for more even if all the Empire''s gold was offered to them for experiments.
In the end, in order to practice and experiment with the magic they wanted to their heart''s content, they had to directly secure investments, extract sponsorships, and earn gold coins themselves.
''It''s terrible.''
Yi-Han felt a heart-wrenching pain at the fact that thepensation he would receive for this job would be a gem that would be meaninglessly wasted on experiments.
What kind of waste is that?
¡ª
Morning.
As soon as they woke up, they rode the wyverns and arrived at the port city, where people from the Maykin family came out to greet them.
"I''m sorry for calling you so urgently. Students. Did you sleep wellst night?"
"You don''t have to worry!"
"Camping is nothing..."
The students boasted in front of outsiders.
It was something that all Einroguard students ended up doing.
"...Did you camp?"
"Huh? Yes."
"..."
The people from the Maykin family looked at each other with great perplexity.
And then they opened their mouths.
"We, we earnestly requested the nearby towns where you couldnd the wyverns since you said you wereing on wyverns, but did you not say anything at all?"
"We even paid all thepensation and asked them to treat the students well if they happened to stop by..."
"..."
"..."
The students all turned their heads at once and red at Professor Uregor.
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Chapter 480
"...I''m sorry. Everyone. It wasn''t intentional."
Professor Uregor apologized with sincerity.
Of course, the Einroguard students were not so easy to forgive just because he apologized sincerely.
It was all thanks to them faithfully learning the teachings of Einroguard.
"Do you think this is something you can just gloss over with an apology!"
"That''s right! Professor, did you perhaps pocket the money separately?!"
"You, you little..."
Professor Uregor looked flustered as he nced at the people from the Maykin family.
It would have been fine inside the school, but outside the school, he couldn''t help but be conscious of his reputation.
If a strange misunderstanding spread and a rumor like ''I heard Professor Uregor of Einroguard embezzles the students'' silver coins'' reached the ears of the skull principal...
"Do you think I would do such a thing!? As you can see, I didn''t enter the town either. There was even less of a chance to pocket the silver coins!"
"Then why did you stay outside!"
"Because that''s the original rule!"
The people from the Maykin family, who were watching the unsightly quarrel between Professor Uregor and the students, were perplexed.
"Um, people from Einroguard. Please calm down."
"That''s right. It''s our fault for not clearly specifying. We should have clearly told you to take a break in any town on the way."
"...Let''s get back to talking about work."
Professor Uregor cleared his throat.
The people from the Maykin family nodded their heads and quickly exined the situation.
"The hunters from the north arrived a week ago and are currently hunting. They are really fast!"
"Because of their name, Shadow Patrol, we thought they wouldn''te out of the north, but they agreed more readily than we expected. We are truly grateful."
When a person from the Maykin family greeted Nillia, Professor Uregor tilted his head.
"What are you thanking her for?"
"They must be thanking us for flying here quickly."
Yi-Han answered without blinking an eye.
"No, they just thanked..."
"So, what are the remaining problems now?"
"Ah. You must be from the Wardanaz family, right?"
"Yes. Have we met during thest vacation?"
"No. I heard about you from Lady Yoanen Maykin a few times. She said you were a talent she definitely wanted to hire for the workshop."
"Oh. Did she also mention the conditions?"
The people from the Maykin family burst intoughter at the witty joke made by the boy from the Wardanaz family.
When everyone justughed, Yi-Han slyly spoke again.
"So about the conditions..."
Yonaire grabbed Yi-Han''s sleeve and shook her head.
Professor Uregor took notes on what the people from the Maykin family were saying and asked.
"It''s truly fortunate that the hunting is progressing quickly. Then, the things we have to do are...?"
"First, please confirm the location of the Sangoria flowers. Since the harvest has been cut off for a long time and due to the disturbance of monsters and spirits, we need to create a new map."
Professor Uregor stroked his beard, indicating that he understood.
"Currently, the stock of Sangoria flowers is piled up in the warehouses of the nearby alchemy guild and fishermen''s guild, but due to the prolonged chaos, we cannot trust the quality of this stock. We would like an outstanding and credible alchemist to newly establish standards and ssify the stock."
The students behind let out a shallow sigh.
Just listening to it made it feel like the work was piling up.
Who would do that ssification?
"I understand. What else?"
"As friction has grown due to this incident, conflicts have escted between guilds and between guilds and residents. We would like you to mediate this issue."
Professor Uregor flipped to the next page of the paper densely filled with text.
"The hunters belonging to the Shadow Patrol are showing excellent performance, but since their numbers are limited, they cannot fight indiscriminately. After identifying the routes and locations, please separately designate the monsters that need to be taken down. We will drive away the remaining monsters in a way other than hunting."
"If it''s alright with you, we would also like you to provide education on how to collect Sangoria flowers. Due to the decrease in skilled fishermen, there are quite a few inexperienced people."
''There''s a reason they''re giving a lot of gold coins.''
Yi-Han felt overwhelmed by the dense list of tasks.
Indeed, gold coins cannot be earned easily!
"Wait. Professor."
Yi-Han, who had been calcting, suddenly had a part he couldn''t understand, so he asked.
"Can we finish all those tasks within the remaining days?"
"What a foolish question."
Professor Uregor lit his pipe and exhaled.
"We have to finish them no matter what."
"..."
It was no joke.
As soon as the conversation ended, Professor Uregor started working the students like a madman.
"This is the western gate of Isran City, which is the pride of Isran. It''s a gate made ofpiszuli, and there''s a romantic legend that it was made with the tears of mermaids..."
"We don''t need such exnations, just guide the students to their amodations."
"Oh. The Kwadma family, one of the city''s families, has lent their mansion. This mansion is located on a hill, so if you step out of the mansion''s main gate, you''ll see the Water Statue Street, which is one of the prides of Isran City..."
"You don''t need to exin. They won''t have time to go out anyway. Bring the tools I''m about to mention right now. We will head straight to the workshop."
The servants were perplexed by Professor Uregor''s words.
"But a meal is prepared at the mansion..."
"Just pack the meals that can be eatenfortably and bring them to the workshop."
"..."
"..."
The students looked around Isran City with gloomy faces.
The southern city that had been so beautiful earlier now suddenly seemed dull.
"Everyone, take a seat. I will now teach you how to ssify the quality of Sangoria flowers. First, the color of the leaves..."
\x3C!--sse-->\x3C!--/sse-->
A skilled alchemist had a tenacious attention to even the smallest details.
Once he started working, Professor Uregor drove the students so hard that they couldn''t even breathe.
"I said light red! That''s dark red!"
"You failed to notice the traces of insects eating the stem!"
"Is this the time to stuff bread crumbs into your mouth? I said I would give you time to eatter!"
''He said that an hour ago too.''
Yi-Han thought inwardly as he moved his hands.
The students became haggard, but fortunately, progress was made quickly.
Thanks to the harsh instructions, the students who started to get used to the work ssified the flowers urately.
"This should be enough. Alchemy ranks 5 to 10. Follow me."
Professor Uregor got up from his seat, giving the next instructions without stopping.
The students who were designated by the professor stood up with puzzled expressions.
"Where are we going?"
"Perhaps to rest...?"
"Don''t say nonsense. You will learn how to collect flowers. You will have to teach the collectors and adventurers."
"..."
"..."
Professor Uregor, who had taken the unfortunate students out, soon returned.
"Alchemy ranks 2 to 4. Follow me. I will give you the old collection map and routes, so put them in your head. You need to draw a new map."
"..."
"..."
Yi-Han, who was watching Professor Uregor leave, suddenly felt puzzled.
''Wait. What about me?''
Shouldn''t he have been included when they went to make the map earlier?
The returning Professor Uregor immediately resolved Yi-Han''s question.
"Wardanaz. Let''s go directly with me to confirm the location of the Sangoria flowers."
"...No...!"
Yi-Han walked to the port with the professors with a disgruntled expression.
While working earlier, he had thought, ''I want to get some fresh air,'' but this wasn''t what he had wished for.
"To confirm the location of the Sangoria flowers... are we going out to sea?"
"Yes. We will be going out on a boat. Don''t worry too much. With this lineup, there won''t actually be much danger."
"...Then can''t I just stay inside?"
At Yi-Han''s words, Professor Bagrak shook his head as if to say no.
"This is a good opportunity."
"!"
Yi-Han realized why Professor Uregor had deliberately brought him out.
Could it be...
''Was it this person who suggested bringing me out?''
Come to think of it, even though Professor Uregor squeezed the students, he didn''t have the hobby of deliberately bringing out a student who was doing well inside to experience thrills outside.
Realizing the truth, Yi-Han looked at Professor Bagrak with eyes filled with shock and fear.
''There really is no one to trust in this world!''
Not only did he give him a hard time inside Einroguard, but even outside like this...
"Oh. Are you the mages?"
At the port, there were people inpletely different attire from the sailors.
Anyone could guess that they were hunters from the north.
It was the Shadow Patrol.
"That''s right. You must have had a hard time."
"No... well... there was nothing to do in the mountains, so it was good. Thepensation is generous, and the support is generous..."
"To be honest, we can''t really use such expensive arrows in the mountains. When will we ever use something like this again?"
The hunters were very satisfied with the generous support from the Maykin family.
Each arrow was enchanted with magic, or potions were generously distributed just before battle.
All of this was an abundance that could not be seen in the cold northern mountain ranges.
"Can we keep these magic arrows if there are any left over?"
"Tsk. Have some dignity, don''t say such things."
"What dignity... I''ve seen you pick up and use arrows before."
''It''s a good thing Nillia didn''te.''
Yi-Han thought it was fortunate that Nillia didn''te.
If Nillia hade, she might have jumped into the sea out of embarrassment.
The hunters, who were chatting about what they had caught on the boat, suddenly pped their hands and asked.
"Ah, right. Professor. I have something to ask."
"Go ahead and ask."
Professor Uregor wondered what the other party was going to say.
"That... isn''t there a student from our Shadow Patrol? Was it Nellia?"
"Nollea. You''re even more stupid than this crow."
"It''s easy to get confused. She''s not from our area but from the eastern area, so I got confused!"
Yi-Han quietly answered.
"It''s Nillia."
"Ah. Right. Nillia! Yes. It was Nillia!"
"Is Nillia doing well?"
The Shadow Patrol hunters asked the question as if they were trying to show as little interest as possible.
However, their eyes burned with a desire for praise.
Since she had entered Einroguard as someone from the Shadow Patrol, the hunters had high expectations even if they didn''t show it.
\x3C!--sse-->\x3C!--/sse-->
"Uh... she''s an excellent student."
Professor Bungaegor also noticed the hunters'' intentions and gave the answer they wanted.
"She''s in the top ten in the alchemy lecture."
"Ooh...!"
"Amazing!"
The hunters were impressed.
Honestly speaking, the hunters didn''t have high expectations for Nillia''s grades.
How advantageous would Nillia be, who went there after holding a bow in the mountains,pared to the others who went there after holding books in the city?
But to hear such an answer.
"How are her rtionships with friends?"
"Uh... I think it would be better for Wardanaz here to answer that. Wardanaz. Tell them."
''Cowardly passing it on to me.''
Yi-Han inwardly cursed the professor and opened his mouth.
"Nillia is very popr in the tower."
"Ooh...!"
"I told you. She''s a bit different from us, she''s sociable. I said she would get along well."
"I''ll have to ask herter how to make friends outside. When I go down to the town, the guys run away."
"That''s because you go down covered in blood."
As the hunters'' reactions were good, Yi-Han continued a bit more.
"Not only the students from the ck Tortoise Tower but also the students from the Blue Dragon Tower really like Nillia. Last vacation, she was invited to stay at the Maykin family, and the Maykin family was so moved that they asked her to stay longer..."
"..."
"..."
The hunters listened nkly and then chuckled.
"The mage here must be saying such things to make us feel good!"
"Thank you for this. But still, don''t make such nonsensical jokes!"
"Hahahahaha!"
"..."
Yi-Han suddenly felt sorry for Nillia, whose actions had turned into lies.
Chapter 481
Chapter 481
"Actually, it was Nillia who told the Maykin family to entrust the request to you."
Although he felt that the atmosphere was not conducive tomunication, Yi-Han still spoke.
That way, he could make excuses to Nilliater.
-I clearly told them, but the hunters ignored me.-
"Wahahahaha!"
"Puhahahaha!"
"..."
As expected, the reaction of the Shadow Patrol was even more intense.
Those who were impressed by Yi-Han''s jokeughed so hard that they were gasping for breath and tears welled up in their eyes.
Yi-Han somewhat understood why Nillia disliked the Shadow Patrol.
"...Please make sure to ask and confirm with the Maykin familyter. Definitely."
"Wait."
Professor Uregor, who was listening next to him, felt something strange and tilted his head.
"What do you mean the Maykin family entrusted the request because Nillia told them to?"
"...Professor Bagrak! Before boarding the ship, I have something to ask about fighting on the sea!"
Professor Bagrak, who was already on the ship, flew over without a sound as soon as he heard Yi-Han''s shout.
It was at a speed that surprised even the Shadow Patrol.
¡ª
The people of Isran City had a strong pride in their city.
From the gate with a romantic legend of being made from mermaid tears to the water statues left by ancient mages, there were many things to boast about in the city, but among them, the city''s port was especially indispensable.
Located in the south, the port was filled with all the vitality, reminiscent of the city''s heart.
Sailors who had just arrived disembarked from the merchant ships that filled the vast docks to the brim, and the Imperial tax collectors who were waiting for them ran around, checking the goods and shouting to see if there were any smuggled items.
Looking further back, various races could be seen running along the port''s main street. The road was wide enough for eight carriages to pass, but there were so many people that shoulders would bump into each other after just five steps. Here and there, peddlers in suspicious attireid out their mats and threw enticing words to rob the pockets of curious travelers.
The workers and tax collectors who had been working at the port for a long time passed by this breathless scene as if they were used to it.
asionally, when a ship with a strange shape,pletely different from other vessels, was newlyunched by dwarf or elf craftsmen, they were not surprised.
"..."
"...Ugh!"
However, the hunters from the north riding on sleek speedboats were different.
They surprised even the experienced sailors.
"Let''s turn 90 degrees to the right and chase after it!"
"Hunter, sir. The ship can''t move like that!"
"Ah. Really? I''m sorry about that! Then let''s turn 270 degrees to the left and chase after it!"
"..."
The hunters on the sleek speedboats with the Maykin family''s g unfurled a fierce hunt on the deck.
"This won''t do. Throw me!"
One of the hunters tied his body with a rope, connected it to the mast, then grabbed a spear and jumped into the sea.
Then, after a while, he climbed back up with a shark-like monster skewered on his spear.
"Hunter, sir! There''s no need to hunt the Balsark Shark! That monster doesn''t target ships of this size!"
"But it could target small fishing boats, couldn''t it?"
"...That''s for those people to deal with, isn''t it!"
''Hmm. I think I know why Professor Uregor came.''
Yi-Han thought to himself as he listened to the conversation between the hunters and the sailors.
The Shadow Patrol was a capable group of hunters, but they were not without ws.
First of all, they loved hunting too much.
Since there was a limit to manpower, they should have only dealt with the necessary amount of monsters when confirming the location of the Sangoria flowers and going there, but whenever they saw a monster, they rushed in recklessly, wasting time unnecessarily.
"Everyone, please calm down. We will confirm the monsters that need to be caught for you."
Professor Uregor sent a nce to Professor Bungaegor, asking for her help.
Professor Bungaegor nodded and gave instructions.
"For now, there''s no need to bother with the Balsark Shark..."
An unmistakable disappointment was etched on the faces of the Shadow Patrol.
For the hunters who had spent their entire lives in the northern mountain ranges, the logic of ''that monster is not dangerous, that monster is dangerous'' did not resonate well.
In the northern mountain ranges, even monsters that were not dangerous could be dangerous at any time.
If you see a monster, you catch it.
Since they were people who had lived their entire lives following this principle, it was not easy for them to just sit still.
"They tell us to hold back until orders are given."
"Can''t we secretly catch them?"
"I see de squids over there...!"
As an experienced adventurer, Professor Bungaegor knew well about the ecology of such hunters.
Just because she gave orders didn''t mean they would obediently listen; their reputation wouldn''t be so high if they did.
Their tenacity and persistence as hunters were closely rted to their stubborn personality.
In such cases, persuasion was necessary.
"Wardanaz. You''ll have to take care of the hunters while we search for the flower fields. Stop them from recklessly going out to hunt."
"..."
Yi-Han found it absurd that she was making him do it, but he couldn''t deny that he was the only one who could do the job right now.
Professor Uregor had to focus on finding the flower fields, and Professor Bungaegor and Professor Bagrak had to focus on understanding the ecology of the surrounding monsters...
"I understand."
''I don''t know if it will go well.''
Although Yi-Han had heard a lot about the Shadow Patrol from Nillia, he was still not confident.
Could he get along well with these stubborn hunters from the northern mountain ranges?
"Oh. Aren''t you Nillia''s friend?"
"No. I asked earlier, and he said he''s from the Wardanaz family. He''s probably just in the same year, not a friend."
"I am her friend."
"Yes. Haha. ''Friend,'' I see."
Yi-Han nced at the deck.
Should he push them off?
''Even if I push them off, they''ll climb back up anyway.''
Considering the physical abilities shown by the hunters, it seemed pointless to push them off.
Yi-Han decided to endure it himself.
"Is there anything I can help you with as a mage? Please feel free to tell me anything."
To appease the hunters'' dissatisfaction, he had to divert their attention.
Yi-Han nned to have a conversation with them until Professor Uregor found the flower fields.
"Oh, there is one thing."
"What is it?"
The hunter lowered his voice and slyly said.
"I want to take these magic arrows back to the mountains..."
"..."
The other hunters looked slightly embarrassed but had expressions of ''I want to take them too if possible.''
The arrows distributed by the Maykin family were of very high quality.
The shaft made of 7-year-old high-quality forsythia wood, the fletching made of pegasus feathers, and the various enchantment spells activated by the densely engraved patterns.
"If there are any left, I will ask the Maykin family to let you take them."
That much wasn''t very difficult. Considering the generosity of the Maykin family, there was a high possibility that they would give the remaining arrows as a gift after all the work was finished.
"The thing is..."
However, the hunters hesitated at Yi-Han''s words.
"I don''t think there will be any left."
"At the current rate of use, it seems like they will all run out and more..."
''Then you should reduce the hunting.''
That''s what Yi-Han thought, but he maintained his kindness and said.
"How about mixing in regr arrows?"
"That''s not possible. The monsters of the sea have quite thick shells and hides, so it''s difficult to cut off their breath without these arrows. If we receive a request and cause problems by saving arrows, it would be putting the cart before the horse."
As experienced hunters, the Shadow Patrol was thorough in this regard.
There was nothing more foolish than underestimating the enemy and getting injured while saving arrows.
''So reduce the hunting...''
Of course, from Yi-Han''s perspective, it was an absurd thing to say.
If they reduced the hunting, that problem would also be solved!
"If that''s the problem, I also have a way..."
"Can''t you enchant regr arrows with magic, Mage?"
"!"
The hunters finally brought up the main point.
It wasn''t something they said without any thought; they had it all nned out.
The reason for using these expensive arrows was to use magic even when there were no mages around.
Conversely, if there was a mage, there was no need to use such expensive magic arrows. They could just enchant regr arrows with magic.
The problem was...
''It doesn''t work that way.''
Yi-Han was slightly taken aback.
Those who didn''t know much about magic oftencked the concept of magic schools, so they would sometimes go to a dark mage and say, "I got food poisoning, can you heal me?"
Of course, it was impossible for dark mages who hadn''t learned healing magic. At best, they could revive them after they died.
The current situation was simr.
Yi-Han didn''t know where the Maykin family had purchased the arrows, but they had probably purchased them from a workshop established by outstanding enchantment mages.
Carefully selecting high-quality materials for each part, from the shaft to the fletching, and meticulously engravingplex magic circles on them so that the magic could be maintained semi-permanently...
Even just a nce from the side was enough to elicit admiration for the skill and expertise.
And now, Yi-Han, a 1st year student, was trying to rece those arrows with a few enchantments on regr arrows.
There was bound to be a big difference in performance.
''The only thing I''m better at is that I enchanted them on the spot, right?''
Since the only advantage was that he cast them on the spot, Yi-Han exined this point to the Shadow Patrol hunters.
"So, this was done by a great mage, and I''m still a student..."
"No!"
"???"
What do you mean no?
"Mage, sir. I don''t know anything about magic, but I''ll dare to say one thing. When ites to work, you never know until you try."
"It''s simr for our work. The neer always thinks they can''t take down the prey. But when you put a bow and arrow in the neer''s hands and have them face the prey one-on-one, the neer realizes that they have hidden abilities within themselves."
"..."
Yi-Han was so dumbfounded that he was at a loss for words.
''Could they be Einroguard hunters? Were they bribed by the skull principal?''
What kind of absurd logic were they spouting?
ording to that logic, Yi-Han also had a chance of winning if he faced the skull principal one-on-one.
"In our eyes, you are fully capable, Mage!"
"Don''t be discouraged just because they were made as luxury items using expensive materials. Believe in yourself, Mage!"
The Shadow Patrol, who knew nothing about magic, was very brave.
They urged Yi-Han, pushing him to try it once.
"No... alright. I will show you directly."
Yi-Han decided to just show them, holding back a sigh.
If he didn''t show them, it seemed like they would keep pestering him, saying, "You''re a mage and the person who made these arrows is also a mage, so why can''t you do it!"
"The magic on the arrows... wow, this is really... amazing."
Yi-Han couldn''t help but exim as he looked over the arrows purchased by the Maykin family.
These were the spells he had seen while studying in Professor Verduus''s workshop.
, , ...
Compared to the beginner enchantment spells Yi-Han knew how to use, such as , , and , these were advanced spells that were on apletely different level in terms of sophistication.
Beautiful works that solved the weakness of enchantment spells, where the effect rapidly weakened over time, with the brilliant wisdom of the mage!
As a fellow mage, Yi-Han had no choice but to stop and admire them for a moment.
"You can do it, Mage!"
"You can do it too, Mage!"
"...Yes. Well."
Yi-Han prepared the magic with a very embarrassed feeling.
It felt like drawing a crude sketch in front of a masterpiece.
Paaah!!
"I tried enchanting pration, weight, and uracy for now, but the level ofpletion is too different and roughpared to..."
Yi-Han tried to exin the difference in magicalpletion between this arrow and that arrow, but the hunters just nodded their heads as if they were listening.
''I don''t know what he''s talking about.''
And as soon as they received the arrows, they nocked them on the bowstring and pulled.
Swish!
The hunters'' eyes widened as they looked at each other.
"This is better, Mage!"
"Are you trying to take the arrows now by any chance?"
Readup tochapter 622for just5$orup tochapter 859for /al_squad
[Select the $10/month n or the Foundation Establishment tier to ess the chapters]
Hi, if you like the story, please rate and review this novel onnovelupdates.Thanks!
Chapter 482
Chapter 482
When the boy from the Wardanaz family, who had been answering softly and kindly no matter what was said until now, asked coldly, the Shadow Patrol hunters were taken aback.
"No, what do you mean...?!"
"Do we look like people who would do that?"
"We said that because we really liked them!"
"Hah... Come here for a moment."
Yi-Han called the hunters who were out on the deck.
Overwhelmed by the undeniable authority shown by Yi-Han, the Shadow Patrols hesitantly approached.
"Now, the difference between this arrow and that arrow is..."
Yi-Han exined more eagerly than before.
How the arrow he had just enchanted on the spot was different from the arrow that came out of the workshop with the Zenbaya magic series enchanted on it.
The former, where mana was poured in crudely and magic was forcibly ovepped, and thetter, where magic was ovepped in multipleyers with perfect calctions, yet without the slightest instability...
"..."
"..."
Of course, the Shadow Patrol hunters didn''t understand a bit of it.
''Do you understand what he¡¯s saying?''
''No...''
''You can read letters, so why don''t you understand?''
''It doesn''t seem to be the Imperialnguage.''
After finishing his long speech, Yi-Han asked.
"Do you understand now?"
"...Yes...no?"
The hunters spoke and then, fearing that Yi-Han would exin again, hurriedly shouted.
"Mage! That... the good theory of magic''s... hue, we understand well."
"...It''s not hue, it''s the application of mana color..."
"But it''s really true that this arrow is better, not a lie. Look closely. It''s heavier, faster, and prates deeper. Isn''t that a good arrow?!"
The hunters hurriedly took out an arrow and stuck it into a distant reef.
Then they took out the Maykin family''s arrow andpared it again.
Surprisingly, the arrow that Yi-Han had just enchanted was indeed stuck deeper.
The Shadow Patrol hunters looked at the mage with a triumphant gaze.
Surely with this, he would be convinced...
"Didn''t you pull my arrow hard and that arrow weakly?"
"..."
"..."
The Shadow Patrol hunters had to feel the same absurdity as Nillia.
"I will pull it once."
"Do you know how to shoot a bow too, Mage?"
"I learned from Nillia."
"Puhah... Huh?"
The hunters, who were about tough at the joke, were surprised to see Yi-Han''s posture.
The unique posture of holding the bow was exactly the way the Shadow Patrol taught.
Uh...
Huh??
"A-Are you really close with Nillia?"
"What nonsense... If it''s not that she threatened him with a bow, how could that be possible?"
"I also tried thatst time when I went down to the town at the inn, and the adventurers ran away. I just asked them to have a drink together..."
"Should I have aimed the bow more urately? Nillia might have aimed urately."
While the hunters were having an ominous conversation behind him, Yi-Han focused on the bow.
Pulling the bowstring on a fast-moving ship was something that required concentration even with enchanted arrows.
Thwack!
"!"
Yi-Han, who had shot both arrows, was surprised.
Really...?
''The arrow I enchanted is stuck deeper!''
"...Mage! What did we say!"
"We said this is better because it''s really better!"
The hunters mored as if they had been waiting.
"Hurry up and enchant it for us!"
"You can do it, so why are you making such a fuss!"
The Shadow Patrol hunters grumbled constantly about Yi-Han''s exaggeration.
As expected, mages could do it but didn''t.
The mage in the town must have also been able to enchant the arrows but made excuses because he waszy.
"This doesn''t usually work out so well... It just so happens that the spells I need to cast on the arrows now are the ones I can use, and it seems like this because I''m forcibly suppressing it with my current strength, but originally, if you ovep this much, it bes unstable..."
"Completely understood!"
"Thank you! Mage!"
The hunters understood in their own way.
-Mages are all like that, saying such humble things even though they can do it.-
Professor Uregor, who was concentrating on finding the location of the Sangoria flowers at the bow, nced back and was surprised.
At some point, Yi-Han had be friendly with the Shadow Patrol hunters and was ying with them.
He knew Yi-Han had good sociability, but he was honestly surprised.
''Is that guy really from the Wardanaz family...?''
"Wardanaz. What are you talking about so much?"
"I was enchanting arrows for them."
"I see. ...Wait. They must have received arrows, right?"
"They said my magic is better..."
"..."
Professor Uregor, who was about to bury his nose in the map again, looked at Yi-Han with a shocked expression.
What the hell are you doing?!
¡ª
"Found one. Steer the ship that way."
"Turn the bow!"
The southern coast of the city was an archipgo terrain withrge and small reefs and inds intricately intertwined.
As such, there were many monsters popping out, and if you took the wrong sea route for a moment, you could get caught up and shipwrecked.
Fortunately, the sailors steering the speedboats procured by the Maykin family were all veterans among veterans. They steered the ships without panicking even at Professor Uregor''s sudden request.
"Excellent. To be able to turn the ship so skillfully..."
"Haha. It''s nothingpared to the requests of the hunters."
"..."
Professor Uregor tried to say something but stopped.
Professor Bungaegor, who was watching next to him, asked.
"Is it really on this ind?"
"Yes. The poison predator is flying above, right? That creature likes Sangoria flowers, so it''s doing that to eat them. If we search through the bushes and go in, we''ll find them."
"I see. We''ll have to dock for a moment and ask the hunters to clear the surrounding area."
Professor Bungaegor looked around.
The surroundings were still quiet, but there was quite a lot of work to be done.
From the monsters waiting in the water to the ones on the ind, they had to be dealt with so that the fishermen and collectors coulde and go easily in the future.
"Shadow Patrol members... No. Wardanaz, what the hell are you doing?"
Professor Bungaegor was startled to see Yi-Han mixed with the hunters, practicing archery.
Some hunters were offering Yi-Han a leather water bottle, urging him to try the northern liquor.
It was good to be friendly, but didn''t they be friendly too quickly?
"Enchanting magic and practicing archery..."
"Y-Yeah. I don''t know how those are connected... Anyway, everyone. It seems we need to clear this area now."
"!"
The waiting Shadow Patrol hunters jumped up from the deck.
The people who had been wearing shabby clothes and chatting leisurely until just now exuded a de-like energy.
"Let''s begin."
"Zalbar, you take my back. Andaltan, you take the opposite side."
"Wait."
Professor Bagrak stretched out his hand and opened his mouth.
The hunters, who were about to grab their bows and spears and jump off, stopped and looked at the mage.
The Shadow Patrol hunters respected the strong, and in that regard, that vampire mage was a strong one worthy of respect.
"What is it?"
"Please don''t clear the monsters on the ind."
"!"
The hunters'' faces turned serious.
"Is there some information we don''t know?"
"What kind of creature is hiding that we have to avoid..."
"Wardanaz has to clear them."
"..."
"..."
"..."
The atmosphere became very chilly.
Not only Yi-Han but also the Shadow Patrol hunters were startled and talking among themselves in low voices.
"What is he talking about?"
"It seems that the mage from the Wardanaz family is going to subdue the monsters on the ind...?"
"Alone? We must have heard wrong, right?"
Even the hunters didn''t send a neer alone to the ind and tell them to kill everything.
That was something a madman would say, not a hunter.
Sensing the chilly atmosphere, Professor Uregor cleared his throat.
''Damn it. This is why I hate being outside Einroguard.''
After being inside Einroguard anding out, he had to carefully observe the actions of other mages one by one.
Otherwise, the atmosphere would be chilly like this.
"I think there was some misunderstanding. Isn''t that right, Professor Bagrak?"
Professor Uregor spoke while desperately winking his eyes.
Hoping that Professor Bagrak would understand his intention.
-I know you want to train Wardanaz, but there will be many opportunitiester, so let''s just let it go this time! Doesn''t it look too strange?-
However, Professor Bagrak was cold.
"Did you hurt your eyes?"
"...No... Just... some dust got in."
Professor Uregor quickly gave up.
Indeed, there was no way Professor Bagrak would listen to Professor Uregor''s words.
"And there was no misunderstanding."
"Yes... there wasn''t..."
Next to him, Professor Bungaegor looked at Professor Uregor as if he was pathetic.
Professor Uregor thought that if it weren''t for the respect due to being his family elder, he would have grabbed her by the cor.
"Let''s go in."
"Yes."
Yi-Han answered with no change in emotion.
It was a reaction possible because he had already given up, but it looked different to the people present.
''He''s just epting that?!''
''What the hell are the mages of Einroguard...?!''
It looked very strange not only to the sailors and hunters but also to Professor Uregor and Professor Bungaegor.
''The disciple takes after the master.''
''Has he learned a lot from Professor Bagrak that this level is no longer very scary?''
Both dwarves thought that if Yi-Han had heard them, he would have immediately attacked.
¡ª
Yi-Han and Professor Bagrak, who set foot on the ind, could realize one fact.
It was that Yi-Han¡¯s skills had improved a lot.
"Water!"
A mage skilled in controlling the water element tends to have even greater power when there is water nearby.
Moreover, in the case of Yi-Han, who forcibly squeezed out water from space even when there was no water, it was even more advantageous.
Yi-Han called the seawater, immediately created a barrier, and lowered his stance. Then he shot illusions to the sides and focused his mind on the water to spin it.
Whirlll!
It took some time, and the spin was stillcking, but it definitely felt shortenedpared tost time.
And above all...
''Even if the spin is not perfect, the power is sufficient!''
The water orb flew out fiercely and struck the carnivorous nt that had just attacked Yi-Han.
The spinning water orb blew away a wider area than the surface it touched like a shell. The sharp flower bud of the carnivorous nt was blown away in one blow.
"Well done."
Professor Bagrak expressed a faint satisfaction and said.
"Your skills have improved."
"Thank you."
Even Yi-Han thought he was proud of himself.
During that time, he didn''t just train spinning alone, didn''t Professor Bagrak add all the advanced courses as punishment for taking other schools?
"But you need to shorten the time further."
"Yes."
"Do all mages train like that?"
"It''s too terrible. Why do the Imperial bastards threaten to send the kids to the northern mountain ranges if they don''t listen? Seeing that, our patrol doesn''t seem like much."
"..."
Yi-Han turned his gaze.
The hunters who were dealing with monsters on a small boat next to the sea were muttering.
"Why are they doing that?"
"It''s nothing."
Yi-Han tried to tell Professor Bagrak, ''Those outsiders have strange preconceptions,'' but stopped.
There was no point in saying it anyway.
"Wait."
Professor Bagrak went forward to check something and came back.
"It''s a good opportunity to check . There''s a seed fragment vine ahead."
Seed fragment vine.
It was a nt-type monster that Yi-Han had only seen in books, a monster that shot seeds irregrly like a shotgun.
Since thebat divination magic basically needs to be familiar with the enemy to have its effect properly...
"...Turn to iron, O cloak."
Yi-Han raised his defense, prepared to take a few hits.
It was a desperate thought to get hit lightly since he was going to get hit anyway, but it looked a bit different to the Shadow Patrol hunters watching from afar.
"As expected, mages are not ordinary when ites to fighting, as they know how to use magic."
"The Imperial mage who came to the mountains before kept saying he couldn''t fight because he was weak, but it was a lie after all. I won''t be fooled by such lies again!"
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Chapter 483
Chapter 483
Although one unfortunate student suffered, the progress of the work was definitely fast.
Professor Uregor found the location of the Sangoria flowers in an instant, and the Shadow Patrol hunters subdued the monsters on the sea route as if they were drying seeds.
And Professor Bagrak and his outstanding disciple dealt with the monsters hiding on the inds or reefs.
"...Let''s stop here for today and go back to rest."
Professor Uregor spoke to the sailors.
The sailors were slightly puzzled but nodded their heads.
"Understood."
''It seems like we could do more...''
''The mage must have something in mind. Indeed, since they rushed here, they might not have recovered from the fatigue yet.''
Since the work was done quickly, the sailors were less tired.
They could still steer the ship more, but since it was the mage''s order, they judged that there must be a reason and turned the bow without hesitation.
Professor Bungaegor asked as if she didn''t understand.
"Are you tired or something?"
"Ah, no."
"Then why? If we push a little, it seems like we can finish this area today?"
"I feel sorry for Wardanaz..."
"..."
Professor Bungaegor looked at Yi-Han, who was walking out of the ind with Professor Bagrak.
And she nodded.
"You''re right!"
¡ª
Among the outsiders in Isran, there were many who were so suspicious that it was difficult to guess their identity.
It would be stranger if there were no such suspicious people in a port open to all ces.
However, the suspicious person currently in the shabby and fishy-smelling inn located near the western dock of the port was a bit special.
A mage-turned-wanted magic criminal of the Empire, who had reached the pinnacle of notoriety that an Imperial mage could achieve, so to speak.
The magic criminal Ianop was sitting in the corner of the inn, listening to rumors.
"The Einroguard bastards havee... It''s not a false rumor, is it?"
"Oh my. Mage, sir. With what guts would I deceive you?"
The retired sailor rubbed his palms together and bowed his head as if ttering.
Mages were a wee profession anywhere in the Empire, and that was the same in the dark alleys of the Empire.
Even to those living in the shadows, a mage like Ianop was an object of respect and fear.
It didn''t matter that Ianop''s identity was uncertain and suspicious. In the first ce, most of the people around here had one or two suspicious things about them.
"I guess so. If it''s a false rumor, I''ll pluck out your eyeballs and tongue."
"..."
A cold sweat ran down the retired sailor''s spine.
He knew well that this mage was not joking.
In fact, what happened to the mercenaries who had attackedst time, aiming for the mage''s thick gold coin pouch?
They dried up like a withered old tree and died.
''He must be a dark mage.''
The sailor didn''t know much about magic, but he was convinced that Ianop was a dark mage.
Otherwise, how could he use such evil curses?
"I knew there was a fuss because of the Sangoria flowers... but I didn''t expect the Einroguard bastards toe too. Could it be that calling the Shadow Patrol was also their idea?"
"Huh? How do you know that?"
At the sailor''s question, Ianop threw a light contemptuous nce.
"Then do you think the guild bastards here would have hugged each other and called the Shadow Patrol?"
"They could have called..."
The sailor trailed off.
Ianop didn''t exin further.
What was the point of exining that the guilds in this city couldn''t choose the bold method of calling the Shadow Patrol and solving the problem first due to the power struggles and conflicts between them, and theplex interests rted to the Sangoria flowers?
They wouldn''t understand anyway.
"Anyway, are you going to curse the Einroguard bastards? If you''re going to curse them, I''ll get the necessary items."
The retired sailor smiled deeply, making the wrinkles etched on his face even deeper.
In that greedy smile, there was a shing desire to make a big profit.
"Curse the Einroguard bastards... How many guts and lives do you have? Even if you''re an idiot and a moron, stuff some straw from the roadside into your head and walk around."
Ianopughed as if it was absurd when the sailor suggested attacking the Einroguard mages.
Sometimes, the recklessly rampaging anti-magic extremists could be forgiven for being crazy and wanting to die, but Ianop was very rational and sane.
And a rational and sane mage wouldn''t touch the mages of Einroguard.
"You were a sailor. When you were catching fish in the distant sea, what did you do when a storm was approaching?"
"Well... we avoided the storm..."
"Yes. You can think of the Einroguard bastards as a storm. After the storm passes, it''s not toote to take a share of what''s left behind."
Ianop leaned back leisurely. The retired sailor looked dissatisfied that the opportunity to make a profit had disappeared, but he couldn''t open his mouth anymore out of fear of the mage.
"Don''t be so dissatisfied. Should I pluck out your eyeballs?"
"Ah, ah, no!"
"I have a job for you. If you do this job, I will greatly reward you."
"!"
"Tell all the mercenaries around you too. If the Einroguard mages havee out, there must be students too, so if there are any outstanding ones among them, tell them to let me know."
"Outstanding ones... you say."
The retired sailor hesitated.
He wondered if he could distinguish the skills of mages.
"You don''t have to worry too much. It will spread through rumors. The achievements of mages tend to spread through rumors even if you stay still. I don''t need mediocre ones. If it sounds absurd to you, let me know. Einroguard produces one or two such geniuses."
"Yes... I understand."
The sailor couldn''t understand Ianop''s thoughts.
If Einroguard was a storm to be avoided, why was he asking to be informed of outstanding students?
Was he trying to kidnap them?
''But... isn''t that the opposite of what he just said?''
Ianop poured cheap liquor into a tin cup and chuckled.
There was no way someone who didn''t know about magic could guess Ianop''s thoughts.
''The more outstanding, the easier it is to fall.''
Ianop was not from Einroguard, but he had seen magic criminals from Einroguard before.
It was a long time ago, decades ago, but the memory was still vivid.
A genius whopletely surpassed Ianop''s level, which he thought was not inferior in magical talent, and inherited the essence of Imperial magic.
Just making eye contact was intimidating.
Each spell he spoke was ingenious, the structure of his magic was perfect without any shorings...
And he was more arrogant than anyone else.
Ianop didn''t understand, so he asked the great and evil Great Mage Antagondal like this.
-What iscking that an Einroguard graduate is doing that?-
-What a foolish question. Originally, the more outstanding a mage is, the easier it is to fall. Well, you wouldn''t know that since you''ve never been outstanding.-
The more outstanding one was in magic, the more trivial reality seemed, and all the rules and shackles that hindered oneself felt fleeting.
What did it matter if a few hundred insects died when trying to see the end of noble truth and reason?
No matter how much the glory and fame of the Empire awaited the mage, the greatest temptation for an outstanding mage was truth itself.
-Ianop. Think about it. The sight of that shining... great magical intellect that cannot even bepared to the likes of you falling.-
-An... Antagondal, sir.-
-Was it too vague? Alright. How about this? If you seed even once, I will make you my disciple.-
-...!!!-
For a mage like Ianop who had hit a limit, the temptation of bing a disciple of a Great Mage like Antagondal was irresistible.
Even after decades had passed, that desire had not disappeared.
''I don''t have high expectations, but...''
Since then, there had been a few opportunities toe into contact with mages from Einroguard, but unfortunately, they were not as outstanding as Ianop wanted.
No matter how much they were from Einroguard, a moderately outstanding genius would not easily fall for Ianop''s temptation.
Only an arrogant genius who could do anything for the sake of truth would fall for such temptation.
Ianop fervently prayed that there would be such a genius among the Einroguard bastards this time.
¡ª
Evening.
The faces of the students sitting at the mansion''s dining table were haggard and pale.
Yi-Han was startled to see the princess next to him dozing off while holding a spoon.
''Oh my!''
He had seen a simr phenomenon before.
Even Gainando, who disyed extraordinary abilities when it came to food, couldn''t ovee fatigue and dozed off once at the dining table.
Gainando was so shocked by that fact that he tried his best to maintain his sanity at the dining table afterward, even if he had to prick his thigh with a needle.
As one could see from this, the fact that a royal was dozing off at the dining table meant that they were that tired.
"Princess. Wake up."
"...!"
Adenart opened her eyes wide.
"You have to eat. You''ll regret it if you fall asleep and can''t eat."
"Thank you..."
The princess, who was about to express her gratitude while still half-asleep, felt something strange.
...No, she wouldn''t regret it just because of one meal, right?
"Wardanaz..."
She was about to confront him about what was going on, but Yi-Han was already talking to someone else.
"Wardanaz. I heard you swept away all the monsters on the ind."
"...What? How do you know that?"
When Bartreck from the Bark family of the White Tiger Tower spoke, Yi-Han was startled.
How did those guys who were constantly trapped in the mansion''s workshop know?
"The servants told me?"
"...No. No. Wait."
Yi-Han couldn''t understand.
"Can youe here for a moment?"
"What is it..."
The servant who was attending to them ran over in a panic.
"Is the drink not to your liking? It''s a southern-style drink..."
"No. That''s not it. Where did you hear the rumor that I swept away all the monsters... I didn''t do it alone, but anyway, where did you hear that rumor?"
"There''s a fishmonger I deal with at the port, and I heard it from that fishmonger."
"..Do you know where that fishmonger heard it from?"
"He said he heard it from the fishermen who went to set thes today... The hunters told the fishermen, didn''t they?"
"..."
The transmission speed was faster than themunicationwork among Einroguard professors.
While Yi-Han was catching monsters on the ind, didn''t the Shadow Patrol catch the sea monsters around and spread the rumor to the passing fishermen, saying, ''That boy from the Wardanaz family catches monsters so well''?
It was an unbelievable multitasking ability.
''Indeed, they''re not called hunting masters for nothing...''
"Did I make a mistake?"
"Ah, no. Actually, the reason I called you was because the meal was so delicious. Can you bring one more te of the sandpiper dish for the princess here?"
"Understood."
The servant withdrew happily.
The princess, who had woken up and was eating, looked at Yi-Han once again as if it was absurd.
No...!
"What...?!"
Of course, she did think about wanting one more te, but that was just a thought.
Adenart grabbed Yi-Han''s shoulder with the intention of protesting firmly and with dignity.
"...Wardanaz. How was the Shadow Patrol today?"
However, there was another interruption.
Nillia asked a question with a very worried face, ncing around.
It was evident that she was worried that he might have caused an ident.
Yi-Han refrained from saying, ''The hunters kept not believing that I was close to you and thought you threatened me with a bow. And they kept offering me hard liquor, not listening when I exined magic, and were as annoying as Gainando.''
And for the sake of his friend, he opened his mouth.
"...It felt like an honor to meet the most outstanding and capable hunters in the Empire. I wonder if I''ll have another opportunity like this."
Yonaire, who had heard the story roughly from the Maykin family, looked at Yi-Han with pity, then grabbed the te of apple tart in front of Bartreck and swiftly pushed it in front of Yi-Han.
Bartreck felt wronged but endured it.
If Wardanaz brought up the amount ofbor, there was nothing he could say.
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Chapter 484
Chapter 484
"Ha."
Professor Uregor scooped a spoonful of rice, put it in his mouth, and sighed.
"Hoo."
Professor Uregor chewed on the salted radish and sighed.
"...Why do you keep sighing? It''s making me lose my appetite."
Professor Bungaegor asked her nephew as if it was absurd.
If he had worked hard all day, shouldn''t he eat with a good mood?
The mansion''s chefs had even prepared a separate meal to suit the tastes of those from the East...
Professor Uregor answered with a groan.
"It''s because there are so many things to do."
The students were exchanging harsh words like ''Today was really tough'' and ''Professor Uregor enjoys tormenting us, just like he''s close with the principal,'' but Professor Uregor also had his own troubles as a professor.
The students just had to work hard on the tasks they were given, but Professor Uregor had to manage the overall schedule and finish the request within the given period.
What if they couldn''t finish the request within the set period?
-Professor Uregor. Did I perhaps overestimate you too much? Not being able to finish the request within the set period. Will you take responsibility for the students'' academic loss caused by that?-
It would be fortunate if it was just a littlete.
What if they couldn''t perfectlyplete the request?
-Professor Uregor. Do the students perhaps dislike studying magic? Even if you work hard from now on, they will steal from my treasury with the excuse ofcking research funds, so why are you hindering them from receivingpensation?-
...Although the skull principal respected the professors very much unlike the students, there were asional exceptions.
Just look at how Professor Verduus went to the punishment room...
"My. But I know today''s work went quite well."
"That''s true, but the problem is that the schedule is quite tight."
Professor Uregor red at the paper with the list of things to do and shoved a dumpling into his mouth.
Fortunately, thanks to the Shadow Patrol actively working hard today, whether it was hunting or magic, the identification of the routes and the creation of the map were almost finished.
If things went as expected, it would be done by tomorrow.
''Ah. I unconsciously thought of Wardanaz as a member of the Shadow Patrol.''
Professor Uregor had a thought that Yi-Han would have shouted if he had heard it.
He had unconsciously grouped the two together because they got along so well.
The students currently in the mansion''s workshop were diligently working on stock ssification, standard setting, and collection education...
''This will be finished by tomorrow, or the day after at thetest.''
Although he didn''t tell the students for fear of them losing their tension, the current 1st year students were above average.
Even excluding the exceptionally crazy guy like Wardanaz, there was at least one student excelling in alchemy in each tower, so they could flexibly respond to any situation.
It seemed like the work would go smoothly even if he let the students rest for a bit, but...
''No. That''s not for the sake of the students.''
Professor Uregor decided not to tell the students until everything was finished.
If they loosened up and the schedule was dyed, wouldn''t the students suffer?
Being strict in this aspect was also part of a professor''s job.
''The remaining problem is mediation.''
The friction between the guilds in this area, and the conflict between the guilds and the residents.
If they wanted to stably harvest the flowers, they had to mediate their problems before leaving.
In a way, it could be an even more annoying problem than creating the routes and clearing the monsters.
''We need to resolve it by tomorrow if possible so that the schedule doesn''t get messed up.''
If they finished the clearing and route creation by tomorrow and contacted the rted parties to hear their demands and consider solutions...
Professor Uregor unconsciously raised his head and looked at the professors next to him.
After looking at Professor Bungaegor and Professor Bagrak in turn, Professor Uregor let out the deepest sigh among the sighs he had exhaled today.
"Hoooo..."
"What? Thatst sigh felt a bit unpleasant. Did you perhaps curse me in your mind?"
"Ah, no."
Professor Uregor was startled, his inner thoughts exposed.
But it was clear that the two professors would not be of any help in this mediation.
Professor Bungaegor would only be helpful if monsters were released at the negotiation table, and Professor Bagrak would only be helpful if assassins barged into the negotiation table...
As Professor Uregor was pondering over what demands the guilds and city residents would make and what solutions they would ept, he noticed Yi-Han passing by and spoke to him.
"Wardanaz."
"Yes?"
"I''m d you''re here at least."
"...What are you trying to make me do?"
At Yi-Han''s distrustful gaze, Professor Uregor slightly reflected on behalf of Einroguard.
¡ª
The next morning.
Yi-Han left the mansion with the professors to finish the route creation and clearing.
The Shadow Patrol hunters seemed to havee out since dawn, riding small boats and nimbly traversing the sea, knocking down monsters one by one.
"They say that when a Shadow Patrol hunter enters a mountain peak, the monsters on that mountain peak go extinct. Indeed, the rumors are not wrong."
Professor Bungaegor admired them, but Yi-Han had a different thought.
Judging by how the Shadow Patrol hunters were slightly flustered and avoided eye contact when their eyes met with Yi-Han''s, they...
''They came early to catch the prey before we arrived and told them to catch only what was necessary.''
Everyone was fooled by the atmosphere exuded by the Shadow Patrol hunters, but Yi-Han was not.
The Shadow Patrol hunters had a subtle side simr to Gainando.
"I will finish checking this side, so Professor Bagrak, please take care of the opposite side."
Professor Uregor headed towards the area where the route creation was not yetpleted, along with Professor Bungaegor.
Professor Bagrak sent a gaze to Yi-Han with an expressionless face. Yi-Han resigned himself and said.
"Let''s go clear the remaining monsters on the reef."
"Yes. Don''t rush."
Yi-Han thought about pushing Professor Bagrak off the small boat, but he refrained since there were many hunters watching.
Swooosh-
As the boat moved, Yi-Han recalled the conversation he had with Professor Uregor yesterday.
-What are you trying to make me do?-
-...No! That''s not what I meant...!-
-Yes. That''s not what you meant.-
-I swear on my beard that''s not what I meant! Listen!-
Professor Uregor was so wronged that he rambled on about things Yi-Han didn''t even ask.
He said that in order to cleanly resolve everything in the remaining two days, maintain Einroguard''s reputation, allow the students to receivepensation, and make Professor Uregor happy, the remaining tasks were quite tight.
The tasks assigned to the students had quite some leeway (Yi-Han conveyed this fact to his friends as soon as the conversation ended), but considering the matters that needed to be mediated, it was a headache, ording to Professor Uregor.
At first, Yi-Han thought, ''What does that have to do with saying you''re d to have me?'' but after seeing Professor Bungaegor and Professor Bagrak, he immediately understood.
''Hmm. Indeed. Compared to those two, I''m better.''
Yi-Han was not a confident person, but he was confident that he could win if he went up against those two professors in the social realm.
Apart from that, he was worried about whether Professor Uregor could mediate well.
Since the other two professors wouldn''t help, Professor Uregor would have to think about it with the people from the Maykin family, and if things gotplicated...
''Thepensation will decrease, and if thepensation decreases, the students'' research funds will also decrease, and then the angry students will rebel and Einroguard will be destroyed.''
"What are you thinking about?"
Professor Bagrak asked, perhaps because Yi-Han was thinking too deeply.
"Ah, I was pondering over the mediation n."
"You don''t need to worry about that. It''s something Professor Uregor will take care of."
"..."
Originally, it should have sounded like a good meaning of ''Students should do students'' work and leave the professors'' work to the professors,'' but strangely, it sounded more like a bad meaning of ''Is it my business?''
''It must be my imagination.''
"Let''snd."
"Yes."
"This time, try utilizing ice magic."
"Yes..."
The Shadow Patrol hunters next to him asked.
"Are you sure you don''t need help? If the vanguard doesn''t block in front..."
Professor Bagrak nodded.
"It''s not necessary. We will ovee it with magic."
"With magic! Indeed...!"
The hunters'' eyes shone.
They had thought that mages would have a hard time moving recklessly if there was no one blocking in front, but seeing this, it was truly a prejudice.
¡ª
Fasher, the head of the city''s fishermen''s guild, red at the sea with a dissatisfied gaze.
"I won''t yield even a bit. You guys should keep that in mind too."
"Yes!"
"If there are any young ones thinking of negotiation orpromise, keep that shallow thought in your own stomach!"
Although his hair had turned white and his physique was skinny, this old fisherman still knew how to exude authority.
The young fishermen nearby couldn''t dare to talk back and bowed their heads.
"The alchemist bastards, adventurer bastards, and city council bastards are all no different from thieves. Where did the license for fishing rights bestowed by His Majesty the Emperore down to? It came down to our guild!"
The issue of ''who should harvest the Sangoria flowers'' was an older problem than one might think.
Long ago, the fishermen''s guild had been granted a license for fishing rights by the Emperor of the Empire, allowing them to harvest nearly dozens of types of marine products.
At that time, there was no problem. The city people respected the rights of the fishermen''s guild and purchased the marine products caught by the fishermen''s guild.
However, as time passed and the Sangoria flowers suddenly began to appear in the surrounding area, the story becameplicated.
The alchemists who recognized their value argued that they should collect the Sangoria flowers, and in the process, the fishermen''s guild received help from the alchemists to learn about the flowers they were seeing for the first time.
Naturally, there was bound to be a dispute over who had the right to harvest the flowers.
On top of that, the city''s adventurers'' guild, which had set out to collect the flowers at the request of the alchemists, also began to interfere.
They continued to argue about who was greedy and who was shameless, and then they reached apromise by paying a certain amount to each other whenever they harvested the flowers...
But the situationpletely changed when the harvest of Sangoria flowers was about to be cut off due to this coastal disturbance.
The Imperial bureaucrats were disgusted by these guilds that only checked each other and wasted time when they should have joined forces to solve the problem.
-In the end, this temporary measure has escted the situation like this. Make sure to sort out this problem too!-
Since the order came from above like this, the guilds were also firmly determined.
They would never back down.
They would definitely persuade the people who came from outside and prove that their guild''s logic was reasonable!
And that was the same for the fishermen''s guild.
"It''s because those bastards who don''t even know such history shamelessly interfered that this whole situation erupted."
''I think we should negotiate orpromise...''
Some young fishermen showed a troubled expression.
The attitude of the Imperial bureaucrats was unexpectedly stubborn.
How ipetent were they that the Maykin family, an outsider, stepped up to resolve it?
It was natural for the bureaucrats to be angry since they did that even though they had no direct benefit.
Then the city''s guilds should also reconcile with each other for now and show that they won''t do that in the future, but everyone was saying, ''The moment we propose negotiation orpromise, we''re showing weakness, don''t do anything that can be used against us''...
"Those are the Shadow Patrol hunters who came from outside."
Fasher nodded at the fisherman''s words.
Although he was angry and spiteful, there was no point in showing a bad side to those who came from outside.
Fasher was going to go and greet them and confidently assert his im.
"...Why aren''t theying up and doing that?"
"I don''t know? Ah. The mages areing down over there. It seems the mages hunted. Come to think of it, the fishermen said ''Even the mages are hunting,'' so I think that''s..."
"...Isn''t he still a student?!"
Fasher was startled to see Yi-Haning out while shaking off the blood of the monsters.
Considering the number of monsters and the vastness of the sea, there couldn''t be enough manpower, but still, for a student to fight like that.
Was the shortage of hands that severe?
"That... seems to be the case."
"Why?? For what reason?"
"Well, I think it''s probably because the other guilds in the city refused to help..."
"..."
Fasher suddenly felt his face getting hot.
It was shame.
A student who came from outside was doing his best to solve the problem like that even in a situation where he couldn''t get any help from the city...
What was he himself doing, having lived in this city all his life?
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Chapter 485
Chapter 485
"Despicable scum!"
"!"
The subordinates thought Fasher was angry at the other guilds, but in fact, Fasher was angry at himself.
He was only thinking about winning thepetition with the other guilds, staying still while a young student was risking his life fighting.
Fasher trembled and shouted.
"Let''s go!"
"Huh?"
"I said follow me!"
''Why is he doing this?''
When the old fisherman burst out in anger, the people below were worried.
There was no point in picking a fight with outsiders.
Even though there was a lot of friction with the other guilds, the people who came from outside wouldn''t understand that, would they?
When they should be persuading them as politely and courteously as possible...
"?"
Yi-Han, who wasing out of the reef with Professor Bagrak, was puzzled to see the fishermen rushing over with angry faces in the distance.
"What is it?"
"They''re fishermen."
Professor Bagrak answered as if it was nothing.
Yi-Han asked with a displeased expression.
"They seem very angry... Did something happen?"
There were too many things that came to mind, which was the problem.
As he had heard from Professor Uregor, the guilds in this area had be sensitive due to prolonged friction, and naturally, they were looking at the outsiders withplicated feelings.
Moreover, the Shadow Patrol hunters were not kind and gentle gentlemen, were they?
''I hope they didn''t steal the fishermen''s prey or something.''
Since they were so obsessed with hunting, he suspected that they might have secretly crossed the permitted area and hunted other things as well.
"Maybe."
"What should we do?"
"Prepare yourself."
Professor Bagrak spoke to Yi-Han as if he had climbed onto the reef to clear the monsters.
Yi-Han didn''t understand what he meant at first, but he realized it btedly.
''No, this crazy...!''
Was he telling him to prepare to fight the fishermen?!
"...Professor, we shouldn''t fight the fishermen! What will the city people think?"
"They''ll think it''s self-defense."
"..."
That was true, but that wasn''t the important thing right now.
They had to quickly resolve the situation and return, so what would they do if they increased unnecessary conflicts?
In a situation where they should avoid even the existing conflicts...
"Be careful of the fishermen''ss. If your feet get tied up even once, it can be dangerous."
"Have you fought fishermen before too?"
It was a casual question Yi-Han asked without much thought, but Professor Bagrak affirmed it.
"Yes. They''re especially threatening on ships."
"..."
''At this level, didn''t you immediately attack just by making eye contact while traveling?''
While Yi-Han was pondering, the fishermen arrived.
An old fisherman who seemed to be the leader suddenly bowed his head and shouted in a loud voice.
"As the representative of the officially recognized guild of Isran City, and as a member of the Isran City Council, I sincerely apologize!"
"?"
"?"
Both Yi-Han and the hunters were puzzled.
"Why is he doing that?"
"Could it be that he''s trying to stop the hunting from today? If he does such an atrocious thing, the curse of the mountains..."
"This is the sea."
"He''ll receive the curse of the sea!"
While the hunters were flustered, Fasher continued.
"As the head of the guild, I failed to provide any assistance to those who came from outside to resolve the city''s difficulties. In the meantime, a young student from Einroguard risked his life to clear the monsters!"
"?"
Yi-Han was wondering what he was talking about, but he understood btedly.
''Ah, so now...''
Did it look like a student stepped up due to ack of manpower when Professor Bagrak was holding a staff and threatening to clear the monsters?
Of course, it was a misunderstanding.
The people from the Maykin family were neither fools nor poor, so they didn''t hire such ack of manpower.
"I will duly reflect on this, so I ask for a generous disposition."
The old fisherman said his piece in a resonant voice, bowed his head once more, then got on a boat and left.
The Shadow Patrol hunters, who couldn''t understand, asked.
"What does that mean, Mage?"
"So he''s saying he''ll punish himself?"
Usually, hunters whomitted a crime in the northern mountains atoned for their sins through trials.
Like going deep into the snowy mountain peaks with only one arrow and bare hands and bringing back a designated monster...
Is it the same here?
"It''s not like that, he''s just saying he''ll reflect."
"Shouldn''t reflection be more painful..."
Ignoring the hunters'' words, Yi-Han turned his gaze.
Although it was a bit difficult to understand because there was some political rhetoric in what he just said, he could roughly understand what he meant.
He was wrong, he was reflecting, and he would unconditionally respect the will of the Einroguard group in future negotiations.
It was a good thing from Yi-Han''s perspective, but...
''What did he eat wrong? Why all of a sudden?''
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn''t understand it well.
Next to him, one of the hunters said.
"Isn''t it because he felt sorry after seeing you hunting alone, Mage?"
"...No..."
Yi-Han thought it couldn''t be.
But when he thought about it, it was quite a usible story.
Nothing else came to mind at all.
When he threw a nce at Professor Bagrak, the professor looked at him as if asking why.
"It''s nothing."
One of Professor Bagrak''s strengths was that he didn''t say unnecessary things.
If the skull principal had been here, he would have turned Yi-Han''s stomach upside down, saying, ''You were able to persuade them thanks to me, be grateful''!
¡ª
The rumor that Fasher and the people from the fishermen''s guild had contacted the Einroguard group from outside spread quickly.
The adventurers'' guild, upon hearing the rumor, felt perplexed.
"Those stubborn guild people already..."
"Shouldn''t we move too? Like preparing a bribe or something."
"Shh. If you offer a bribe to the Einroguard mages recklessly, you might turn into a maggot."
In fact, the adventurers'' guild was the farthest away from the conflicts within the city.
While the fishermen''s guild and the alchemists'' guild actively tried to obtain the right to collect Sangoria flowers as much as they contributed, the adventurers'' guild was not to that extent.
First of all, the guild''s unity was not that high, and since they started as employees, their perspective was bound to be different.
The adventurers'' guild didn''t care who won as long as they guaranteed that the adventurers could collect an appropriate amount. That was enough.
The problem was that the other two guilds were so poisoned that this kind of negotiation wouldn''t work.
The only ones they could talk to were the outsiders, but...
''The Einroguard mages are scary anyway.''
''What if it backfires if we contact them recklessly?''
The adventurers'' guild feared the Einroguard mages much more than the other guilds.
Unlike those who lived as craftsmen in the city all their lives, adventurers who had to travel a lot had a deep understanding of how dangerous mages were.
Moreover, if it was Einroguard, it was even more so.
"We should at least send our greetings first. We need to at least leave a good impression."
The head of the adventurers'' guild took the clerks and moved to the port.
Just then, the mages and hunters who had finished hunting and were returning were seen.
"H-Hello?"
His voice cracked from how nervous he was.
Yi-Han quickly recognized where they were from by looking at the guild people''s attire and emblems.
''The adventurers'' guild hase out too?''
Since the adventurers'' guild was also involved in this conflict, it wouldn''t hurt to gain their favor to resolve it.
Yi-Han smiled brightly and greeted them.
"Hello! Nice to meet you. Are you perhaps the ones who devote yourselves while traversing the most remote and secluded valleys of the Empire?"
"!"
The Shadow Patrol hunters grumbled inwardly.
No matter how figurative the expression was, wasn''t it too much?
What do you mean adventurers traverse the most remote and secluded valleys of the Empire?
They don''t evene to the northern mountains often...
"That''s right!"
The faces of the adventurers'' guild people who received the praise brightened, and their tension loosened a bit.
"As expected of mages from Einroguard, your eyes are full of sharpness."
''It looks like murderous intent.''
Yi-Han nced at Professor Bagrak and himself. There was still some blood on their outerwear.
"By any chance, which family are you from..."
"Ah. I''m from the Wardanaz family..."
"Gasp!"
The sound of someone inhaling could be heard.
Although they tried their best to manage their expressions, Yi-Han could feel the fear shing across the guild people''s eyes and faces.
"..."
He had forgotten for a while after meeting people who didn''t care about the great families or the Wardanaz family, but the name of the Wardanaz family had more intimidation than he thought.
''Did I make a mistake? Should I have left it to Yonaire or someone else?''
He had to be a friendly and kind mage to persuade the guild, but he scared them first.
Professor Uregor might have shed tears of sorrow if he knew about this.
''But this is not my fault.''
No matter how much he thought about it, it was the karma of the Wardanaz family, not Yi-Han''s karma.
"...I''m Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family."
Yi-Han finished his words for now.
Then one of the clerks asked in a surprised voice.
"By any chance, did you subjugate the King of Ghouls with adventurers in Granden Cityst time?"
"...The story is a bit different, but it''s simr."
"I heard you also helped investigate the anomaly in the ck Boulder Forest..."
"That''s also true."
"Were you still a student?!"
The clerk was genuinely surprised.
Although the distance was far, interesting things tended to spread as rumors anyway.
When they heard rumors that a mage named Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family helped adventurers solve missions, that he was still young, that he took good care of adventurers even though he was a mage, etc., they naturally thought they were false rumors.
But seeing it like this, the rumors surprisingly felt usible.
"Yes."
"You''re a student at Einroguard... Why did you work with adventurers...?"
"..."
Yi-Han was dumbfounded.
''It''s for money, why else...''
Wouldn''t they not ask adventurers, ''Why do you solve missions?''
Still, it was difficult to say to their faces that he did it to earn money, so Yi-Han answered as evasively as possible.
"I thought it was something I had to do."
"Wow...!"
"That''s unbelievable...!"
The people from the adventurers'' guild were so surprised that they couldn''t even whisper.
But it was a different kind of surprise than when they heard the name of the Wardanaz family earlier.
Yi-Han sighed in relief as he felt the guild people''s eyes softening and the fear disappearing.
''At least it won''t interfere with the conversation.''
"Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family. We have something to say to you briefly regarding this matter."
"I''m all ears."
"Ah, we were so flustered that we didn''t even ask about this professor. I apologize. May I know your esteemed name?"
The people from the adventurers'' guild asked, looking at Professor Bagrak.
Professor Bagrak answered indifferently.
"Bdi of the Bagrak family."
"Hiiieeeek!!"
A groan filled with even more fear than when they heard the name of the Wardanaz family earlier flowed out.
"..."
Yi-Han red at Professor Bagrak with a resentful gaze.
What the hell have you been doing...
¡ª
Professor Uregor, who had returned to the mansion earlier, tilted his head as he looked at Yi-Han.
"Did something happen?"
Although he originally had a tired face, he looked several times more tired than usual.
"Well..."
Yi-Han pondered over where to start exining.
Then Professor Uregor asked with a suspicious face.
"Did Professor Bagrak perhaps suggest going to catch the Sea Serpent?"
"Huh? Is there a Sea Serpent around here?"
"I found traces of it earlier."
"...Please keep it an absolute secret."
Yi-Han spoke with sincerity.
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Chapter 486
Chapter 486
"O-Okay. I understand."
Professor Uregor was unknowingly overwhelmed by the earnest sincerity in Yi-Han''s voice.
"What were you doing, Professor? Don''t tell me you were taking a break..."
The disciple looked at his mentor with a suspicious gaze.
If he had finished work and returned first, he should be doing other tasks, but he was suspicious that he might have been resting.
Seeing that gaze, Professor Uregor reflected on whether he had been working his disciples too hard.
"...No. I was also doing my work. Look."
Professor Uregor gestured and pointed outside the mansion''s window.
In the garden, arranged in a typical southern style, several fruit trees were hanging abundant fruits, and two servants were clearing the fallen leaves and cutting the grass below.
Seeing that, Yi-Han asked in puzzlement.
"Were you securing fruits?"
"..."
Professor Uregor was at a loss for words because it was such an Einroguard student-like idea.
"Not the trees, next to it! The opposite window!"
"Aha. You were talking about there."
Yi-Han could finally see the window Professor Uregor was pointing at.
In therge room located on the opposite side of the mansion, people from the Maykin family and the city''s alchemists were shaking hands.
Judging by their expressions, it was clear that the negotiation had ended satisfactorily for both sides.
"I was persuading the people from the Alchemists'' Guild. They''re the ones who are the most reasonable, at least."
"Are the alchemists here good-natured?"
To Yi-Han''s question, Professor Uregor answered immediately as if asking what he was talking about.
"No. Guild people are all bad-tempered. Where can you find good-natured guild people? Good-natured people don''t join guilds."
"..."
Since a guild was a group of people with the same purpose and direction, they didn''t easilypromise or yield.
The Alchemists'' Guild was no exception.
"Then why did you say they''re reasonable..."
"It''s because of the situation. First of all, this request was entrusted by the Maykin family, and I''m also an alchemist from Einroguard."
Professor Uregor said while lighting his pipe.
The Maykin family was a high-ranking noble family that upied arge portion of the Imperial alchemy world, and Professor Uregor was also a famous alchemist in the Empire.
If they acted arrogantly or threatened these people''s proposals, they could face severe retaliation.
"Of course, since there are also city people, the Maykin family won''t retaliate by cutting off the distribution of materials or reagents, but they''ll still be conscious of it, won''t they?"
"I see. Can you also retaliate, Professor?"
"Me? I can too."
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised.
If one had to ssify, wasn''t Professor Uregor a renowned schr type?
Since he was far from power or wealth, it seemed like he didn''t have the power to retaliate in this situation.
"Could it be that you''ll ask the principal or Professor Bagrak to raid them?"
"...What kind of crazy talk is that!? It''s to the extent of blocking their invitation to the Imperial Alchemy Society!"
"Ugh..."
Yi-Han was disappointed.
It was a bit petty for retaliation.
Of course, from Professor Uregor''s perspective, Yi-Han seemed like a madman.
''Shouldn''t he reduce the time he spends with the principal?''
If he''s like this in the 1st year, what will he doter...
"That doesn''t mean I made an unreasonable proposal. The Maykin family agreed to supply some rare reagents, and I also agreed to improve the production method of three types of potions. Anyway, the Alchemists'' Guild said they would cooperate with our mediation proposal."
"I see. That''s a relief."
"Now the other guilds are the problem."
Professor Uregor said while puffing out smoke.
"The Fishermen''s Guild... As it is everywhere, the stubbornness of seafarers is well-known. Due to the deep emotional rift, it may not work even if we persuade them with benefits. It''s a matter of pride..."
"About that."
"And I don''t know what the Adventurers'' Guild people here are thinking. Adventurers'' Guild people are usually confusing, going back and forth, but here they''re especially like that... No matter how small the scale is, shouldn''t they present a clear opinion? They should tell us what they''re thinking so we can..."
"So that''s..."
Professor Uregor, who had been passionately talking for a while, finally noticed Yi-Han and asked.
"What? Do you have something to say?"
"The Fishermen''s Guild said they would cooperate."
"...What? Why??"
If it had been another student, the reaction would have been ''Did you take out alcohol from the warehouse and drink it while I wasn''t looking?'' but because it was Yi-Han, the reaction was different.
Professor Uregor first believed him and then asked.
What happened?
"Well... It''s not certain yet, but the Fishermen''s Guild said they were moved by seeing us working hard."
"...Did the Shadow Patrol hunters perhaps risk their lives to save a fisherman who fell into the water or something?"
Professor Uregor was very perplexed.
It seemed unlikely that the stubborn fishermen would be moved unless it was to that extent.
"It''s not that, but they were moved by me risking my life to subdue monsters. They were touched by an Einroguard student not sparing his body and subduing monsters..."
"..."
Professor Uregor was at a loss for words.
Hearing it, it sounded usible.
''Indeed, it looks normal because it''s Einroguard, but it would be seen differently outside!''
"O-Okay. I''ll check. Anyway, thank you."
"And the Adventurers'' Guild..."
"You talked to the Adventurers'' Guild too!?"
Professor Uregor almost dropped his pipe.
He had been hunting and subjugating all morning, and he had just returned to the mansion to have lunch, so when did he persuade them?
"Yes. It seems there was some misunderstanding with the Adventurers'' Guild. They said they don''t want confrontation, and they''re satisfied as long as they can receive an appropriate reward and participate in the collection request, regardless of which side wins. They didn''t have any particr greed."
"Really? That''s surprising. Why didn''t they say anything?"
"I think they were a bit intimidated by the reputation of Einroguard and the Maykin family."
"Ah... That can happen. Damn it. I made a mistake."
Professor Uregor clicked his tongue.
Come to think of it, this was his own mistake.
He should have judged more coldly how the people who came with him would be perceived.
"I unnecessarily intimidated them. But it seems you resolved the misunderstanding well?"
Professor Uregor looked at Yi-Han as if he was impressed.
It was really rare for a student at Einroguard to show that level of sociability.
Especially for someone from the Wardanaz family to clear up the misunderstanding of the intimidated people and gain friendliness.
"Yes."
"As expected, misunderstandings can only be resolved when a young student directly talks to them. Even Einroguard mages are human."
"..."
Yi-Han didn''t mention that the people from the Adventurers'' Guild were trembling when they greeted them because of the Wardanaz family and Professor Bagrak.
Anyway, they sessfullymunicated with each other.
"Then I should talk to both of them right now. Thank you so much. Wardanaz! You''re the only one!"
"Yes. Professor. And..."
"?"
When it seemed like the disciple still had something to say, Professor Uregor turned his gaze.
"If Professor Bagrak hears about the traces of the Sea Serpent, the mission and the negotiation will turn into a mess."
"...O-Okay. Calm down."
¡ª
After finishing the negotiations with the two guilds who camete, Professor Uregor was so happy that his mouth reached his ears.
"Well done! Wardanaz! Well done!"
"I was just lucky."
"You can rest! Rest well until we return. Do you have anything else you want?"
"Uh... Can''t you give my friends some time to rest too?"
Professor Uregor hesitated.
"The work isn''t finished yet."
"If you calcte the schedule, there''s some leeway, right?"
"That''s true. But you know well too, don''t you? If something happens, that leeway..."
Professor Uregor, who was about to speak, smacked his lips and nodded.
"Alright. I should grant a request like this."
"Really?"
Yi-Han was slightly surprised.
He didn''t have high expectations.
"Yeah. Honestly, I thought the persuasion might not work even if I did it until tomorrow... But you resolved it like this, so how can I not grant such a request? Even if the schedule gets messed up, if the other professors sit together, it will be more than enough."
Since there was no need to go around persuading, if Professor Uregor also sat and worked together, it would be more than enough.
Moreover, Professor Uregor was not a cold person to the extent of not granting the request of a disciple who had made such a contribution.
And he was seriously worried about what would happen after graduation if Yi-Han held a grudge against him.
Someone like Professor Verduus probably wouldn''t even think that he would be stabbed, but Professor Uregor was different.
"Let''s go together to deliver the news."
"Yes."
Professor Uregor and Yi-Han walked down the corridor and headed to the workshop.
The professor flung open the door and shouted.
"Kids. There''s good news...!"
"...?"
Yi-Han and the professor were slightly startled.
The workshop was almost empty.
Only a few students were sitting in their seats, and the other students were nowhere to be seen.
"Where did everyone go? Maykin?"
Professor Uregor asked, looking at Yonaire.
Yonaire slightly avoided his gaze and answered.
"I don''t know. Professor."
"..."
"..."
Both Yi-Han and Professor Uregor could immediately grasp the situation.
The students had gone out to y!
Yonaire and a few top students stayed behind thinking, ''We should at least finish what we have to do''...
"I''ve never seen such punishment room-worthy kids!"
Professor Uregor was jumping up and down.
They secretly ran away when the work wasn''t finished!
Meanwhile, Yi-Han secretly asked Yonaire.
"Yonaire. What were they thinking when they left? The work isn''t finished..."
"Well... You said there''s leeway in the schedule, Yi-Han."
"Ah."
Yi-Han finally remembered that he had conveyed the schedule to his friends.
The students who found out about it must have thought, ''Huh? Then we can go out ande back?'' and attempted to go out.
''I should keep this a secret from the professor.''
"Wait. Yonaire. I have one more question. Where did everyone get money from? They shouldn''t have money."
This was also why Professor Uregor let his guard down.
Since the students didn''t have silver coins, there wouldn''t be much for them to enjoy even if they went out.
"A few borrowed it. They asked people from the Maykin family."
"Ah. Did the students from the ck Tortoise Tower borrow it?"
Yi-Han thought it made sense.
Since they were practical and didn''t care about saving face, even if they borrowed saying, ''I''ll pay it back with the reward from the missionter''...
"No. The students from the Blue Dragon Tower."
Yonaire answered, slightly blushing as if embarrassed.
"...Huh? Really?"
"Yeah. In the first ce, it''s not easy to bring up the topic of borrowing money unless you have a close rtionship with the family..."
How could the students from the ck Tortoise Tower easily make such a request when they had no connection with the Maykin family?
It was something only possible for the students from the Blue Dragon Tower.
However...
"But the other kids wouldn''t be able to ask because of their pride, right?"
"Yeah. It''s a bit unexpected, right?"
Yonaire swallowed the words, ''I think there are a few kids who gained courage after seeing what you do, Yi-Han.''
It was to respect his friend''s honor.
"Then the rest?"
"The rest just went out because they were happy to go outside."
"..."
Yi-Han suddenly thought of the healing magic seniors and became sad.
Professor Uregor finished jumping around and sighed, then said.
"Wardanaz. Go out and tell them to y appropriately ande back. Tell them toe back before tonight."
"Thank you."
"!?"
The remaining students were startled when Uregor suddenly gave permission.
Moreover, it didn''t end there.
Professor Uregor took out his wallet and threw it to Yi-Han.
"Buy something delicious to eat. Don''t buy any strange artifacts or potions."
"Thank you."
"...!!"
Shock.
Murmuring.
While the students were startled and getting up, Priestess Siana approached Yi-Han and whispered in a low voice into his ear.
"C-Could it be..."
"Yeah. I seeded in the negotiation..."
"Did you threaten the professor?!"
"...No."
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Chapter 487
Chapter 487
Yi-Han became serious for the first time in a while.
Priestess Siana, who still hadn''t realized the strangeness, tilted her head while blinking her vertically-shaped pupils, characteristic of a snake mixed-blood.
"Didn''t you threaten him?"
"How could I threaten the professor..."
Suddenly, Yi-Han remembered what he had said earlier, "If Professor Bagrak hears about the traces of the Sea Serpent, the mission and the negotiation will turn into a mess."
''That wasn''t a threat. It was closer to an earnest request.''
After quickly rationalizing, Yi-Han exined the situation.
"The task of persuading the other guilds ended quickly."
"How?"
"...Because I helped?"
"..."
Priestess Siana briefly said with her eyes, ''That seems even less likely than threatening...''
Yi-Han noticed the suspicious look in her eyes and asked back.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Aren''t you mistaken?"
"Just get ready to go out. Let''s all stop what we''re doing and go out."
At Yi-Han''s words, the princess, who was taking out a new bnce scale from the corner, nodded her head with a bright face.
"Huh? She didn''t go out?"
Yi-Han asked Yonaire in surprise. Yonaire was rather dumbfounded by that reaction.
"Then you thought she went out?"
"Huh? Yeah."
"...Why?"
The princess was also one of the top students among the students.
How could such a person go out on their own?
"Uh, because there are a lot of snacks sold outside?"
"..."
Yonaire was shocked.
"Yi-Han, do you perhaps think of the princess the same as Gainando..."
Yonaire couldn''t finish the question.
While asking the question, the other friends had all gathered.
"Then shall we depart? Is anyone missing?"
"Wait. Wardanaz. Wouldn''t it be better to first check where the guys who left earlier are before departing?"
Asan raised his hand and asked.
Then Yi-Han asked back as if asking what he was talking about.
"We should y first and then find the guys who left. We don''t have time."
"Huh?"
When Asan was startled, the other students opened their mouths.
"That''s right."
"I think so too."
"Me too..."
"R-Really?"
Asan felt hismon sense slightly shaken by the firm answers of his outstanding friends.
¡ª
Ratford pondered seriously and opened his mouth.
"I think we should move the location of the wallet at least once..."
"No, no!"
"If you get caught, it''ll be big trouble!"
His friends hurriedly stopped Ratford, who was trying to pickpocket.
Of course, they were short on silver coins, but they couldn''t make their friend steal.
"We can y even if we have a little."
"But what if the professor gets angry?"
"It''s okay. Even if he gets angry, he can''t do anything."
"But what if Wardanaz gets angry?"
"..."
"You bastard, why are you saying such ominous things while ying?"
The friends all scolded the White Tiger Tower student who brought it up.
"Then let''s all find a way to earn money."
"That''s a good idea. Wardanaz also earned money every time he went out."
At Ratford''s words, the students stirred.
"With what? Did he threaten with a staff or something?"
"I think I heard he ran errands..."
"While going out? In such a short time?"
"That''s impossible for us... Let''s find something else."
Renjid from the ck Tortoise Tower suggested a realistic idea.
"If we go around the stores, there will be ces that need magic. When I worked at the Chef''s Guild, I often called mages. If we say we''re from Einroguard, they''ll dly ept."
Since most of those who imed to be mages and acted arrogantly were suspicious and ipetent, there was no guarantee as certain as being from Einroguard.
The problem was...
"So Renjid. Are you saying that we, who came from Einroguard, should go around the stores on the street and say, ''We''re from Einroguard, please give us work''?"
When the students from the Blue Dragon Tower and the White Tiger Tower asked in a sharp voice, Renjid was slightly discouraged.
"I-Is it a bit like that?"
"No. It''s a very good idea."
"Let''s do it quickly."
"..."
The students from the ck Tortoise Tower muttered as they watched the students from the Blue Dragon Tower and the White Tiger Tower hurrying away, afraid of losing a good spot.
"Are those guys really from noble families?"
The main street that started from the water statues, the pride of Isran City, and led to the port was so noisy that even the sound of the person next to you couldn''t be heard due to the long-established stores and buildings.
The stalls connected in front of the stores were full of seafood brought in from the port and cookies baked with sugar unique to the south, and next to them, customers sitting at the tables of cafes and teahouses were basking in the sun and watching people.
These stores were bright enough for even the city''s children toe and go, but they weren''t the only stores.
The alleys connected to the taverns and inns were full of suspicious antique shops that dealt with shady goods and shops that sold artifacts that may or may not work.
Travelers entering these alleys were only a minority among the many crowds, and the atmosphere was so dark and gloomy.
"Why are we doing this even though we''re from Einroguard? Uh... well... it''s... to improve our magic skills."
"Th-That''s right. The skills of magic are from the small actions experienced in daily life..."
The students came up with the best excuses for the store owner''s question.
Fortunately, the store owner was impressed by those words.
"My goodness...! Mages are really amazing! Not avoiding such menial tasks. Is this silver coin really enough? I''m sorry..."
"No. What''s important to us is training."
After persuading the store owner, Renjid asked Bartreck.
"Hey, you have good quick-wittedness. How did youe up with that?"
"I just followed what Wardanaz said."
"..."
Anyway, the students who found a ce worked hard.
Casting fire resistance magic inside the furnace, fixing scrolls that could be fixed among the scrolls...
ng!
"Thank you. Mage."
The store owner bowed politely and held out a pouch of silver coins.
The students received the pouch with dignity and turned around, shouting.
"It''s money!!"
"With this money, we don''t need Einroguard! We don''t have to go back! Let''s start a new school!"
"That''s a great idea!!"
"...???"
The students, intoxicated by the charm of the silver coins, ran out while saying crazy things.
"Gasp...!"
"What? What''s going on?"
"Over there, Wardanaz! Next to the redhead!"
"Gasp!"
The students let out a gasp.
They saw Yi-Han and his friends walking from far away.
''They came to catch us!''
They had barely earned silver coins, so they couldn''t just end here.
The students gritted their teeth and lowered their stance.
"Hey. Shouldn''t we call Wardanaz..."
"Hey! Cover Ratford''s mouth!"
"Mmph! Mmph mmph!"
"In the opposite direction! In the opposite direction!"
The friends hurriedly ran away. Thanks to therge number of people, running away wasn''t very difficult.
"We survived...!"
"We can''t get caught yet! We have to y more!"
"Yeah. Even though we''re from different towers, this time we''ll join forces."
''Is this something to be so determined about?''
Ratford was puzzled as he watched his friends making a determined resolution with solemn voices.
They only do this when taking exams at school...
"You seem to be mages."
"!"
The students were startled by the voiceing from inside the alley.
A long robe that even covered the face. The voiceing from inside was so strange that it was impossible to guess the race or gender.
In front of the foreigner sitting on a chair, there was a table made of paulownia wood, and strange, unfamiliar patterns were engraved on it.
"Don''t you want to see the future once?"
"..."
"A primitive mage?"
"Probably a scammer. What else."
In the border regions of the Empire, there were still peculiar magics that had not been exined by the principles of Imperial magic or were not even known to exist.
In the Imperial magic world, such magics were called primitive magics.
However, in a ce like this, someone offering to tell the future was much more likely to be a scammer than a primitive divination mage.
"Khuhu... I understand that you can''t believe me. Then how about this? I won''t take any money. And if I can''t guess correctly? I''ll give you a silver coin in return."
"Oh...!"
If it were Yi-Han, he would have stopped them, saying, ''In this world, those who do this for free are even more suspicious,'' but the students were now very thirsty for silver coins.
Bartreck stepped forward first and said.
"Let''s try it once. What family am I from?"
"There''s no need to be hasty. Now, try cing your hand on this."
The mage, Ianop, shed his eyes from inside the robe.
The wooden table that looked ordinary now had eight spells cast on it, making it an extraordinary artifact.
Of course, just because eight spells were cast on it didn''t mean this artifact was powerful or expensive.
Surprisingly, this artifact with eight spells cast on it had no effect at all.
It was just that the eight spells were intricately ovepped with each other to make it look like no magic was cast at all.
In a way, one might think, ''Why are you doing such a prank with that ability?'' but truly outstanding mages were different.
At the level of an ordinarily excellent mage, they wouldn''t notice anything even if they put their hand on the table, but...
If it was a mage with an exceptional talent that could be counted on one hand in the Empire, they would be surprised first by the fact that magic was cast on this table, and then they would be surprised again by the intricacy that made it feel like there was no trace at all despite that.
Yes.
This table was an artifact made by Antagondal.
''To be able to distinguish the good from the bad with a single artifact.''
Ianop admired the Great Mage''s ability once again.
If it was an exceptional and outstanding mage, the moment they realized this artifact, they couldn''t stop their curiosity.
Who made this artifact?
Why did they make it with this idea in the first ce?
What else does the mage who made this know?
Such curiosity was like a curse that inevitably came with innate talent, and it was impossible to resist.
"I ced it."
"Did you ce it all?"
"Yes. I ced it, but?"
Ianop made a disappointed expression inside the robe.
The dull dwarf in front of him didn''t seem to know what was what.
Ianop threw out a rough answer to make him leave after giving him a silver coin.
"You... are from a knight family."
"Gasp! How!"
"..."
"Just a little more! Guess a little more! Do I have an aptitude for any magic?"
"..."
Ianop really hated Bartreck, who wouldn''t leave when he wanted to quickly check the other students.
"I''m currently learning alchemy, but there are so many students who excel in alchemy that I''m worried. Moreover, I''m also from a knight family. While I wonder if alchemy is the right path for me, my family has a deep knowledge of alchemy, so I''m also reluctant to give it up... Ah. It''s difficult."
"...Yes... But this is the future, you see, Mage. It''s not something that can be guessed so urately..."
Ianop''s roundabout words seemed to give Bartreck more trust.
Don''t scammers usually say they can guess what they can''t?
The opposite of that, Ianop...
"An omen! Please give me an omen! What should I do?"
''Why is this talentless bastard keep...''
Ianop held back his curses and threw out another rough answer.
"...I see a dragon, a noble, and a Great Mage. Follow these omens."
"...Gasp. Isn''t that Wardanaz?"
"It seems like Wardanaz???"
The students whispered in shock.
When it came to nobles and Great Mages, they could only think of Wardanaz.
Moreover, he had a lot of mana like a dragon...
"Follow Wardanaz?"
"It certainly seems like it would be helpful in the future..."
"But you''ll get beaten up."
"Were you guys there?"
At the familiar voice, the students screamed in a hoarse voice.
Outside the alley, Yi-Han and his friends were standing, each holding a cotton candy.
"Wa-Wardanaz...! Pl-Please. Please have mercy! Please have mercy!"
''What are these guys doing?''
Ianop was puzzled.
They seemed to be fellow students, but they were trembling as if a runaway criminal had met an executioner.
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Chapter 488
Chapter 488
Yi-Han held out the cotton candy he was holding.
The White Tiger Tower students screamed and threw their bodies to the side. It was trulymentable that it wasn''t easy to dodge in the alley.
''Damn it! That Wardanaz guy. How cunning!''
It wasn''t for nothing that he was one of the topbat experts among the 1st years.
A perfect tactic that targeted their most vulnerable moment!
...However, no magic flew. Yi-Han and his friends looked down at the White Tiger Tower students as if they were crazy.
"What are you doing?"
"..."
Bartreck, who had rolled on the muddy alley floor, quietly closed his mouth and got up from his spot.
Then he brushed off the dirt on his outerwear and said as dignifiedly as possible.
"...We were ying a game of catch."
"Here?"
"We usually do it in alleys."
The White Tiger Tower students behind him hesitated for a moment and then nodded.
Yi-Han acknowledged with a perplexed expression.
"O-Okay. I see. You liked ying catch in alleys... Take this."
"???"
Bartreck, who received the cotton candy Yi-Han handed over, was puzzled.
"What is this?"
"The snack I bought for you guys?"
"Where did you get the money...? Gasp. Did you steal it?"
"Why is stealing the first thing thates to your mind? I got it from Professor Uregor."
"!?"
The students were more surprised than when they heard about stealing.
How?
"Gasp. He threatened...!"
"No. You crazy bastards."
Yi-Han briefly exined what had happened.
The students who heard the exnation were convinced...
...Not, and were inwardly shocked.
''How did he persuade him...''
''How on earth did he persuade him?''
Because Yi-Han exined it simply in one line, the students had no choice but to let their imagination run wild even more.
"Huh? Wait. Then why did we sneak out?"
"Right."
"..."
"..."
The students fell into self-loathing.
Especially those who had mud on their clothes fell into self-loathing as deep as the mud.
"Well. We can y now. I left silver coins for your share."
Tap tap-
Adenart, who was quietly listening to the conversation next to them, pointed to the cotton candy Bartreck had received.
Because he was standing there nkly, the cotton candy was melting.
Yi-Han was slightly surprised and asked in a small voice.
"...Are you telling Bartreck to hand over the cotton candy again?"
"H-Here it is."
Bartreck, still dazed by the situation, held out the cotton candy to the princess again.
Adenart felt anger welling up inside her.
"No!"
"But who is that person?"
"Ah. He''s a really amazing divination mage."
Bartreck exined while ncing at the princess.
The princess was ring at the two of them fiercely.
''I heard there was a power struggle between Wardanaz and the tower, is that true?''
"...He guessed my family like this too."
"Isn''t it just a lucky guess?"
Yi-Han was puzzled.
As far as Yi-Han knew, divination magic of that method had a considerably high difficulty and cost.
Of course, there were primitive and ancient magics outside the system that Yi-Han didn''t know about in the Empire, but even so, there were principles that ran through those magics, right?
In short, it was too unprofitable to use divination magic that could guess someone''s family while sitting here in this back alley.
"I''m telling you, he''s really amazing."
"Hoo... Hoho. If you don''t believe it, why don''t you try it once? I won''t take any price."
Ianop thought it was just in time.
That talentless dwarf bastard kept pestering him, so it was an opportunity to change the subject.
Moreover, if what Ianop had just heard was correct, that boy was...
''The Wardanaz family!''
If it was the Wardanaz family, there was a high possibility that the talent Antagondal wanted would emerge.
Ianop suppressed his excited heart and called out.
"Wardanaz. You try it too. He says he''ll give you a silver coin if he''s wrong."
"What? Is that true?"
Yi-Han was startled.
Was he perhaps someone afflicted with a disease that made him waste silver coins in vain?
"Please guess this friend''s family once!"
"Isn''t it the Wardanaz family?"
"Oh my goodness...!"
Bartreck was surprised once again.
"...You kept calling him Wardanaz..."
"Are you an idiot?"
Yonaire and Priestess Siana asked seriously. Bartreck came to his senses btedly.
"Ah. Right. Sorry. I got excited."
"Hmm."
However, Yi-Han was too preupied with other thoughts to pay attention.
''I was going to insist that it''s the Moradi family and take the silver coin.''
He had thought about insisting that his name was Wardanaz but he was actually from the Moradi family and taking the silver coin, but the opportunity flew away because his friends reacted too quickly.
Now that the chance to earn a silver coin for free was gone, Yi-Han''s interest also quickly disappeared.
"I''m good. Let''s all go look at the stores. Bartreck. You need to buy a set of clothes."
"I have clothes I brought from school."
"Those aren''t clothes, they''re patched rags. I''ll buy them, so change."
The White Tiger Tower friends were slightly moved by Yi-Han''s straightforward words.
''Thank you. Wardanaz.''
''For getting rid of Bartreck''s rag pieces...!''
Of course, Ianop was flustered.
"Wait a moment...! Aren''t you curious about the future?"
"I already know my future well."
Yi-Han was cold.
In exchange for graduating from Einroguard a little more difficultly than others, after graduation, he would expand his assets dozens of times with his connections and outstanding business sense, gain fame as the Empire''s emerging entrepreneur, and live a life of leisure.
And when he was bored, he would go find the skull principal and throw gold coins at his face.
It was too clear of a future.
"Rather, I think you should manage that table well. If the corner falls off, the magic circle inside will also be shaken."
"Huh? It was a magic table?"
"Yeah."
"I had no idea at all...!? Really?!"
"It''s a useless artifact with no effect. Someone who was bored must have made it."
Yi-Han took his friends and left the alley.
Ianop was too shocked to even answer and nkly watched their retreating figures.
''Just now...?''
Did he mean that he noticed the hidden secret from that far distance without even touching the table?
That fact alone was unbelievable, but what was even more shocking was the reaction that followed.
What was that cynical reaction?
When Ianop heard the secret of this table from Antagondal and urately felt the structure of the magic circle, he had stared at the manifestation of such beautiful and perfect magic without even blinking.
After that, for over half a year, he had skipped meals and sleep, embracing only this table and exploring its interior.
But that boy had grasped the structure just by ncing at it from a distance, so why did he show such a reaction?!
''Why? Isn''t he curious about this? Why isn''t he curious about this?!''
It seemed like he had found the talent Antagondal had spoken of, but at the same time, Ianop instinctively felt goosebumps at the iprehensible behavior shown by that talent.
It was the same goosebumps he had felt long ago when he saw mages whose level he couldn''t even dare to follow with his own abilities.
"Mage. Mage. I brought what you asked for."
The mercenaries who had been given a task ran up to Ianop.
"Among the students, there is a famous student. He''s from a prestigious family in the Empire, and his skills are already very impressive..."
"Is he from the Wardanaz family?"
"That''s right! As expected, you see through everything, Mage!"
Although they were mercenaries exuding a brutal and vicious atmosphere, they maintained a polite attitude in front of the mage, afraid of being caught.
They were thrilled by the mysteriousness of Ianop, who seemed to see through things a thousand miles away while sitting in his spot.
"This book... somehow deliver this book to that boy."
"..."
The mercenaries were silent.
Although they were mercenaries who stayed near the port and did all kinds of rough work without discrimination, there were things they feared too.
They didn''t want to get involved with mages.
Moreover, if it was a mage from Einroguard, even more so.
Ianop thought about intimidating one of them by making them skinny to death, but soon changed his mind.
Now was not the time to wield the whip.
''If I scare them unnecessarily, they might run away.''
"Look. There is no magic cast on this book at all. It''s a pure grimoire."
"We''re blind, so we don''t know even if we look at that..."
"What will happen if we get caught by the mages while handing it over?"
"Ask a merchant around here or hand it over to a servant. Surely the Empire''s mages won''t torture them?"
A low threat was gradually mixed into Ianop''s voice.
Feeling that threat, the mercenaries hurriedly nodded and stuffed the grimoire into their rough leather outerwear.
"O-Okay."
"We''ll try to deliver it somehow."
"I''ll give a gold coin to the one who seeds."
"...!"
"We''ll do our best!"
Only then did the mercenaries'' eyes sh with greed.
Although it was unsatisfactory, Ianop judged that he needed the mercenaries'' help for now.
''They''re still useful guys.''
The grimoire Ianop had handed over to the mercenaries was a grimoire written by Antagondal.
It was thin and didn''t have much content. It was a book that recorded only one magic.
However, that one magic was a magic personally developed by Antagondal. This grimoire had also given Ianop a tremendous shock.
If the wisdom contained in this light and thin book was like this, what would Antagondal''s own wisdom be like?
If he could obtain even a drop of that wisdom, Ianop could do anything.
''He will surely... be tempted when he reads it too!''
A heretical and brutal magic different from Einroguard''s magic.
An arrogant genius would surely find it interesting.
¡ª
While the students were sitting on the second-floor terrace of a brick cafe, enjoying chocte cake and coffee, Yi-Han threw a question at Nillia to satisfy his curiosity.
"Nillia. The Shadow Patrol hunters..."
"Huh?! Why?! What?! Did they make a mistake?! They made a mistake, right?!"
"...No... I''m just curious. Is there a rule they follow when chasing their prey? Like they absolutely can''t let it go."
"There''s no such rule, but they tend to never let go of their own prey."
Nillia took a bite of the cake and frowned.
The cake was too sweet for Nillia, who was used to rough and bitter food in the mountains.
"If you don''t like it, you don''t have to eat it."
"Ah, no? I''m totally good at eating sweet things? I''m a dignified Imperial citizen?"
"..."
While Bartreck was distracted by other snacks, Yi-Han sneakily snatched the tiramisu Bartreck had ordered and ced it in front of Nillia.
Nillia, who hadn''t noticed yet, continued.
"If they let it go, they lose face. As a hunter, their pride..."
"I see."
There were often sayings that ferocious monsters had strong pride and never let go of their prey and chased after them, but the Shadow Patrol scoffed at such sayings.
If you put it that way, the ones with the strongest pride and persistence in the mountains were them!
Once the hunters dered to the mountains that they would catch a monster, they never let that target go.
Some hunters would stay in the mountains for twenty years without returning to the outpost, searching for their prey.
''Is that why their eyes always rolled back whenever they saw a monster?''
Yi-Han thought that he should treat the Shadow Patrol hunters a little better the next time he met them.
Wouldn''t it be troublesome for life if he was marked as an enemy for no reason?
"Mage!"
"Cough."
Yi-Han almost spat out the coffee he was drinking.
It wasn''t from the cafe stairs behind him, but a Shadow Patrol hunter had jumped up from below the terrace.
Nillia was so embarrassed that she quickly went under the table and covered her body with her cloak.
"Wh-What is it?"
"We''re trying to catch the Sea Serpent and need help. Can you assist us?"
"...Did Professor Uregor perhaps tell you?"
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Chapter 489
Chapter 489
"Huh?"
The hunters looked at Yi-Han as if asking what he was talking about.
Yi-Han quickly changed his words.
"It''s nothing. More importantly, a Sea Serpent. What''s going on?"
The Shadow Patrol hunters exined what had happened.
Since Professor Uregor''s group found traces of the Sea Serpent, the sailors and Shadow Patrol hunters had been keeping a close eye on the Sea Serpent''s movements.
Theserge monsters could cause great damage to the city if they made one wrong move.
If it came close to the port, they had to catch it before it approached. If it caused amotion near the port, dozens of ships would...
"But it seems like the creature ising close."
"Damn it."
"Pardon?"
"It''s nothing. So... is the approach confirmed?"
Yi-Han had to hold back a sigh.
Now that things hade to this, he had to call Professor Bagrak, inform the port, evacuate the people, and gather the city guards.
He didn''t mind the other things, but he really didn''t want to call Professor Bagrak.
"It''s not certain yet. I think we need to observe its movements a bit more..."
"But we still need to prepare."
An excellent hunter finished all the hunting before starting the hunt.
The Shadow Patrol hunters naturally nned to make perfect preparations in case the Sea Serpent came.
"So please cast some magic for us."
"...Wouldn''t it be better to receive it from other mages in the city rather than me..."
If it was rted to Sea Serpent preparations, other mages in the city would unconditionally cooperate.
Of course, the Shadow Patrol didn''t listen to Yi-Han''s words.
"Yes. Yes. The magic of other mages is better?"
"Understood. Mage. Please cast some magic for us."
"...I''m serious..."
Yi-Han felt wronged but couldn''t persuade the Shadow Patrol hunters.
In fact, it was natural.
Even if you told someone who knew nothing about magic, "Look, this magic has better effects and is easier to cast, but it''s a worse magic," the only reaction you would get is "Are all mages crazy?"
After the Shadow Patrol hunters had Yi-Han cast magic on the equipment they brought, they jumped down from the terrace again.
After seeing them off, Yi-Han suddenly had a thought.
''Can''t they just use the stairs?''
Looking down, the passersby didn''t seem to pay much attention to the Shadow Patrol hunters'' entricity.
Yi-Han gained a little respect for the people of this port city.
''How many strange things must happen...''
"Are they gone?"
"Yeah. Come out."
Nillia crawled out from under the table.
"Why don''t they use the stairs..."
"They must have had no choice because it was urgent. Nillia. The Shadow Patrol hunters are also doing their best for the safety of the city."
"R-Really?"
Of course, Yi-Han was also thinking, ''Why don''t they use the stairs?'' but when a friend was feeling embarrassed, one had to step up first.
Nillia seemed intrigued by Yi-Han''s words, stayed still for a moment, and then tilted her head.
"But what does that have to do with not using the stairs..."
"Oh. The bread is here."
Yi-Han quickly changed the subject while personally receiving the brioche the waiter brought.
"Wardanaz."
"?"
When the princess quietly spoke to Yi-Han, he wondered why she was doing this.
"Ah. Would you like to have this?"
"...Let''s talk for a moment."
Adenart thought she should properly clear up the misunderstanding this time.
She wondered why Wardanaz had this misunderstanding, but no matter how much she thought about it, it was definitely because of Gainando.
Since Gainando was the only imperial family member who was close to Wardanaz, from Wardanaz''s perspective, he had no choice but to misunderstand that ''all imperial family members are obsessed with food.''
Adenart quietly exined with her best effort.
Gainando likes food, but she doesn''t.
There seems to be some misunderstanding.
So she hoped he would clear up the misunderstanding from now on!
"Ah... I''m sorry about this."
''It wasn''t particrly because of Gainando.''
Yi-Han thought that inwardly but didn''t say it out loud.
He was afraid of the princess''s power.
"You don''t need to apologize."
"Then from now on, when foodes out, don''t call..."
"..."
Adenart made aplex expression between ''I don''t like that'' and ''But if I say I don''t like it now, won''t I be like Gainando?''
Yi-Han nodded as if he understood.
"Princess. I think you''re the one who has a misunderstanding."
"Pardon?"
Adenart opened her eyes wide.
Wardanaz''s words were unexpected.
"Basically, when there''s food, I call all my other friends. Isn''t everyone hungry at Einroguard? I don''t think the princess is particrly obsessed with food."
"I didn''t say that..."
She said she liked food, but she didn''t say she was obsessed with it...
"You probably misunderstood because of Gainando. Isn''t Gainando a bit obsessed?"
That...
Is that so?
Adenart was suddenly thrown into confusion.
Wardanaz was just taking care of her like he would take care of any other friend, but Adenart was unnecessarily being conscious because of Gainando?
"...I''m sorry. Wardanaz."
"Haha. It''s alright."
''Hoho. This is easy.''
Yi-Han tasted victory inwardly.
He was confident enough to have never lost in persuasion against the imperial family members he had met so far.
"Then please restfortably."
Yi-Han spoke to the waiter, looking at the tray he was carrying as he walked over.
It was a panini sandwich, appetizingly baked with thinly sliced smi sausage, cheese, lettuce, etc. between baguettes drizzled with olive oil.
"Oh. Give this to that side. We''ve already eaten enough here."
At Yi-Han''s instruction, the waiter nodded and ced the tray in front of Adenart.
Adenartpared the number of empty cake tes in front of her with the number of empty cake tes in front of Wardanaz.
No matter how she looked at it, Wardanaz had eaten less.
...Then shouldn''t Wardanaz be the one receiving it?
''Why me?''
While Adenart stared at Yi-Han with a gaze mixed with suspicion and doubt, the White Tiger Tower students approached Yi-Han with an expectant face.
"Wardanaz. We support you."
"That''s right! Ability is stronger than bloodline!"
"But Wardanaz''s bloodline is also..."
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Yi-Han was puzzled, holding a coffee cup.
"Huh. Didn''t you fight with the princess?"
"Who are you to give orders..."
"...What nonsense are you really talking about?"
At Yi-Han''s reaction, the White Tiger Tower students became even more convinced.
''Judging by how he''s ying dumb, it''s clear they fought.''
''Isn''t there an internal conflict among the Blue Dragon Tower guys?''
Thinking that way, they suddenly had a concern.
Originally, they would have said, "Haha, Blue Dragon Tower guys, kill each other!" but recently, they had received so much from Wardanaz that they were a little drawn to him.
''Even if she''s an imperial family member, what I received from Wardanaz is...''
"Do you want to get hit with a coffee cup?"
"...N-No. I was just asking."
When Yi-Han asked while holding a coffee cup, the White Tiger Tower students cursed inwardly.
They cheered for him, but this is what they get!
"Excuse me. Mage."
"?"
"Could you take a look at this book?"
The waiter held out an old book to Yi-Han.
It was a strange book with no cover or title.
As soon as Yi-Han received it, he started checking.
''There''s no particr magic. No. Just in case.''
"Wait. Don''t move. Arise, emotions!"
Not only that, Yi-Han used on the waiter.
The waiter spoke in perplexity.
"Did I do something wrong...?"
"Have you ever been involved with a skeleton Great Mage? Lich Great Mage, skeleton Great Mage, the lord of Einroguard, etc.?"
"What are you talking about..."
''Hmm. No connection at all.''
Yi-Han wondered if the waiter had handed over the book at the request of the skull principal.
Knowing the skull principal''s personality, he might have prepared it to torment the students who went out!
But it didn''t seem to be the case.
"Why this book?"
"The customer said it was too difficult and wanted to ask a mage what kind of book it is."
"What kind of person? Bring them here."
The waiter went downstairs and came back with a flustered face.
"The customer is not visible, maybe they went somewhere for a moment? Uh... Mage. If it''s an inconvenience, you don''t have to look at it. I also opened it, and there''s nothing much..."
''How fearless.''
Even if he confirmed there was no magic, opening it like that wasn''t a good habit.
"Is there a prophecy written in it or something?"
Bartreck opened the book with curiosity next to him.
"..."
p!
"Ouch! Why?!"
"Do you always pick up and eat food that falls on the street?"
"Geez..."
While Bartreck felt wronged, the waiter spoke again with a nce.
"Well... the customer left some money to ask the mage a favor, should I just return it to the customer?"
"No. Curiosity is a virtue a mage should rightfully have."
Yi-Han immediately grabbed the book.
[Where lies the secret of true magic?]
[A talented mage would have felt a suffocating frustration with the Imperial magic system.]
''Hmm. I guess I have no talent. I''ve never felt it.''
He felt it a lot from the Einroguard professors, but does this not count?
[The Imperial magic system helped even stupid mages not die in vain, but in return, it made them lose the opportunity to encounter all kinds of great magic beyond the veil. To find more powerful magic, we must go outside the system and beyond the veil¡]
"It''s a trash book."
Yi-Han returned the book to the waiter in disbelief.
"When the customer returns, tell them it''s a trash book, so don''t believe it. What nonsense..."
The mage who wrote that book probably didn''t even know what "safety rules" were.
Whining that they can''t learn magic because of safety rules.
What kind of nonsensical bullshit is that?
''I''d rather have Professor Bagrak''s blood magic book.''
Even Professor Bagrak, who wrote a radical theory book about using mage''s blood as a reagent to amplify mana, started with safety rules!
The mage who wrote that book was inferior to Professor Bagrak.
"Yes. I apologize for taking your time, Mage. I will convey that."
¡ª
"...That''s what he said."
"Don''t talk nonsense!"
Ianop threw away the mysterious and dangerous attitude he usually showed in front of the mercenaries and growled fiercely.
The mercenary screamed at the sudden sensation of his cor choking his neck.
"It''s... it''s really... it''s true!"
"No mage can read that and say it''s a trash book! Do you know who wrote that book?!"
Only when the mercenary''s face turned pale did Ianope to his senses.
Come to think of it, there was no way the mercenary would lie.
"Tell me exactly without leaving out a single letter! I said tell me!"
However, no matter how much he lost his temper, nothing changed.
Ianop, who had vented all his anger, fell into a sense of helpless despair.
He knew well that it was not easy for a genius to understand a prodigy, but today it particrly pierced deep into his bones.
He had no idea what the boy was thinking.
''Still... still, I can''t give up.''
Now that he hade this far, it was a matter of pride, not just Antagondal''s wisdom.
What does that boy see that makes him treat the magic Ianop has built up so insignificantly?
''But if I approach more here, he might find it suspicious. If he feels suspicious before gaining favor, the Einroguard professors will block me...''
Just thinking about it sent chills down his spine.
"Mr. Ianop!"
"What is it?"
Another mercenary came.
"I think you should leave the port for a moment. They say the Sea Serpent is approaching. The city guards and nearby adventurers are all gathering here."
"What a nuisance... Wait."
Ianop suddenly had a thought.
If it was a Sea Serpent subjugation, surely the Einroguard mages would participate, right?
A young mage would inevitably feel a thirst for power.
What if he witnessed an unknown magic he didn''t know about at that time?
"I will also participate."
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Chapter 490
Chapter 490
"Pardon...?"
The mercenaries felt the greatest perplexity they had felt today.
Participating in the subjugation itself wasn''t a problem.
The port would be crowded with not only the city guards and adventurers but also nearby guilds participating as self-defense forces.
A few suspicious groups mixed in wouldn''t stand out.
However...
''Could it be that he''s trying to approach the Einroguard mages again?''
''If we recklessly poke the ho''s nest...''
There was no way a mage like Ianop would participate in the subjugation out of pure goodwill for the city.
Naturally, he must have had the ulterior motive of approaching the Einroguard mages.
Chiiik!
With a creepy sound like burning flesh, strange patterned ropes appeared on the necks of the mercenaries in the room.
Feeling a sudden choking sensation, the mercenaries made gagging sounds.
"Ma... Mage..."
"Mage, please spare us! We, we have been loyal!"
"Of course. I naturally trust you too."
Ianop swung his staff and hung ropes around the mercenaries'' necks.
Now that the mercenaries might run off somewhere, he had to pay proper attention.
"Cough... I apologize for not recognizing the great dark magic... Please spare us!"
"..."
Ianop was momentarily annoyed at the mercenary bastards who recognized this beautiful bestowment magic as dark magic, but he endured it.
Now was the time to focus solely on the raw gem that came from Einroguard.
¡ª
"Don''t you think this quill is nice, Wardanaz?"
"Hmm... But it seems a bit expensive."
"Still, it''s pretty. Aren''t you tired of getting goose feathers at Einroguard and making quill?"
"I should ask them to lower the price."
"...Really? Truly?"
Asan whispered with a shocked face. But Yi-Han was serious.
"Hello. I saw that in the next store..."
"..."
Asan respected Yi-Han more now than when he defeated the King of Frost Giants or showed his abilities in front of the Dargard siblings.
However, the students'' enjoyable market tour ended there.
The Shadow Patrol hunters hade again.
Seeing them, Yi-Han let out a deep sigh.
There was only one reason they woulde back now.
"The Sea Serpent is definitely approaching."
"I understand."
Yi-Han really didn''t want to go, but he prepared to tell Professor Bagrak.
Now that it hade to this, they had to prepare on a city-wide scale.
"...Sorry."
Nillia apologized with a very sorry face.
It was a rare sight from her usual self.
"It''s not your fault, it''s just the Sea Serpent''s fault... Guys! Gather around! Stop ying and it''s time to go back to the mansion! If you have something to buy, buy it quickly!"
Yi-Han shouted like that and slyly asked the quill store owner.
"If we subjugate the Sea Serpent approaching the port, is there any discount or something?"
"..."
"..."
Nillia briefly considered just leaving first.
Meanwhile, the friends gathered, each with a bundle of purchases tucked under their arms.
Yonaire, who had picked up a new small bronze pot (much thicker than the ones used at Einroguard, so it could hold harsh ingredients), Ratford, who was pleased to have bought slightly bloodstained lockpick equipment cheaply, Bartreck, who grumbled about whether the fracture healing ointment he bought was effective or not...
Adenart was slightly flustered.
Everyone had bought something.
Noticing that, Yi-Han kindly said.
"You don''t have to buy anything. Princess. Nillia here didn''t buy anything either."
"...!"
Nillia nced around and then stuffed the book she had purchased to read earlier deep into her bosom.
"Th-That''s right. It''s more tacky to try to buy something aftering all the way here. Right?"
"It''s not tacky... If everyone''s here, let''s go."
When they returned to the mansion, they saw Professor Bagrak also returning from the opposite direction.
Yi-Han greeted him and asked.
"Where have you been, Professor?"
"To find something useful."
Professor Bagrak answered indifferently.
The professor gave a short answer, but Yi-Han had to let his imagination run wild.
''What does he mean by something useful? Could it be that he was looking for a new opponent for me to face in the 2nd semester? He didn''t kidnap some criminal from a back alley, did he?''
They were all things Professor Bagrak was fully capable of, making it even scarier.
For some reason, it seemed like there was some blood on Professor Bagrak''s outerwear...
"Ah. Professor. I have something to tell you."
"What is it?"
"Well... they say the Sea Serpent ising."
Yi-Han exined the information the Shadow Patrol hunters had asked in as much detail as possible.
So that he wouldn''t be misunderstood by Professor Bagrak as ''Did you deliberately not tell me?''
"The Sea Serpent?"
"Yes."
Professor Bagrak''s facial muscles, which were as hard as granite, loosened very slightly.
Yi-Han realized that Professor Bagrak was feeling pleased right now.
"...Ah, no. Professor. I''m not saying let''s go subjugate the Sea Serpent together right now, it''s just that procedurally..."
When arge monsteres to the port, the procedure is to first inform the people at the port and also inform those who can participate from the city, right?
Of course, it was also the procedure to tell Professor Bagrak.
But if he interpreted it as ''What a remarkable disciple,ing to find me to subjugate the Sea Serpent,'' it would be very troublesome for Yi-Han.
"I see."
''I don''t think he understood.''
"So the Sea Serpent is finally approaching?"
Professor Uregor, who had heard the news, walked out with a frown.
"We''ll have a hard time at night."
"Professor. Here''s your wallet."
"Oh. Thanks."
Professor Uregor took it without much thought when Yi-Han returned the wallet.
The wallet was empty.
"..."
What a thrifty kid!
"The monster has no tact when we''ve finished all the work."
"I know, right."
The people from the Maykin family also clicked their tongues.
If it hade out before the negotiations were all resolved, they could have used it for something, but now that the negotiations were neatly finished, the Sea Serpent hunt was close to a bothersome extra work.
"Let''s think positively. The Sea Serpents have always provided useful things... The professors will have to work hard."
At Professor Uregor''s words, the professors nodded.
Now that arge monster like the Sea Serpent had appeared, it was natural for the professors to take the lead at the forefront.
"You guys wait in the rear. There won''t be any danger, but don''t let your guard down. We don''t know when we might need your help."
The students might be 1st years within Einroguard, but outside, they were mages properly carrying on the legitimate line of the Empire.
Considering the uneven and unstable skills of the magesmonly seen outside, the students from Einroguard were more than worthy of respect.
"Yes!"
The students stood up from their seats with determined faces.
Although they had experienced all kinds of trials and tribtions at Einroguard, experiencing this outside felt different.
Yi-Han tried to move together with his friends.
Then Professor Uregor looked at Yi-Han as if asking what he was doing.
"Where are you going?"
"Huh? You said to wait in the rear..."
"Aha!"
Professor Uregor burst intoughter as if he had forgotten.
"Of course not you!"
Professor Bungaegor also roared withughter.
"Why would you go to the rear!"
"..."
The people from the Maykin family were confused and flustered by the dwarf professors''ughter.
Yi-Han didn''t find it very funny either.
''Annoying dwarves.''
¡ª
"Light!"
Yi-Han swung his staff.
A sphere of light that seemed to be burning rose up.
The professors had roared withughter, but it wasn''tpletely without reason.
In a situation like this where they had to hastily prepare for arge monster, there was no way they would leave behind a mana source close to infinite like Yi-Han.
The first thing Yi-Han started working on was preparing light sources.
The sun had already gone far beyond the horizon, and darkness was creeping into the port.
Naturally, they had to prepare light because it would be advantageous for the monster if a melee broke out in the dark.
The city people also had expectations like ''Won''t it be resolved somehow with magic?'' since the mages hade, but...
This was...
"...What the hell is this?"
"Did I mistake the time?"
The city guards who had rushed over were shocked by the dazzling appearance of the port.
They wanted light, but wasn''t this too bright even if it was bright?
Even so...
Is this okay??
"Is magic originally capable of this?"
"Since they''re mages from Einroguard..."
However, even the guard who said ''It might be possible because they''re mages from Einroguard''cked confidence in his voice.
Honestly, they were still dumbfounded.
"Light, light, light, light, light..."
Yi-Han went around the port without rest, floating all the spheres of light.
The adventurers waiting with bows in hand muttered in amazement.
"Isn''t he... a student?"
"Can students at Einroguard use magic to that extent? No, the mage who participated in the partyst timeined terribly while creating a light the size of antern..."
Unaware that he was leaving a very strong impression on the port people, Yi-Han went around and around.
Although he had an abundance of mana, it was hard work to install the spheres of light one by one because the port was so wide.
''They say if you''re not smart, your body suffers.''
Yi-Han sighed inwardly.
He felt like he understood why the skull principal urged people so much to learn magic.
If he knew how to use higher-level magic, he could have filled this entire area with light with a single flick of his finger!
"I''m done."
"Good work."
"Then I''ll cast enchantment magic on the equipment."
"...O-Okay."
Professor Uregor was about to say ''Take a break'' but was flustered.
Yi-Han didn''t notice the professor''s inner thoughts and immediately set off to do the next task.
The Shadow Patrol hunters had already received it earlier, but now there were many people at the port holding bows and crossbows without magic cast on them.
Considering the installed ballistae and such...
"Uh, shouldn''t he rest a bit?"
The people from the Maykin family hesitated and spoke.
It could be seen as quite rude toment on the education policy in the presence of an Einroguard professor, so they were cautious, but it wasn''t easy to hold back their words this time.
Professor Uregor nced at the outsiders and made an excuse.
"For Wardanaz, this level of work is just like taking a walk."
"...Pardon?"
The people from the Maykin family looked at the spheres of light floating all over the port and were dumbfounded.
What kind of bullshit is that...
However, Professor Uregor was confident and brazen. Once he pushed through, he tried to maintain the lie to the end.
"Rather, telling him to rest is an act of hurting Wardanaz''s pride. Please never mention it."
"Aha..."
"I see."
If Yi-Han had heard it, he would have kicked Professor Uregor in the back and made him fall into the sea, but Yi-Han was now busy casting magic on the equipment of the city guards.
The people from the Maykin family were newly impressed by what they had just heard.
It made them think that he was indeed from the Wardanaz family.
''Come to think of it, with that kind of personality, it''s no wonder Lady Yoanen took a liking to him.''
The people from the Maykin family respected Yoanen for her outstanding abilities, but that didn''t mean they didn''t notice Yoanen''s shorings.
Objectively speaking, Yoanen was indeed a crazy workaholic.
Being told by such a person, ''I really like you, I want to invite you to my workshop after graduation,'' might be a dangerous signal in terms of personality, even if not in terms of ability.
The other person might also be a bit crazy about work...
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Chapter 491
Chapter 491
"The people from the Wardanaz family all have some surprising aspects."
"They are all unique."
When the people from the Maykin family understood on their own, Professor Uregor felt a bit sorry.
He had lied to make his work easier, but seeing his disciple being misunderstood as a crazy workaholic wasn''t afortable feeling either.
"Wardanaz is not crazily obsessed with magic like people from other families..."
"I heard he is simultaneously taking all the school of magic courses that can be taken in the 1st year."
"It''s truly amazing."
"...Yes. He''s a guy who''spletely crazy about magic."
Professor Uregor quickly gave up on making excuses and changed the subject.
''This is his own fault.''
No matter how he thought about it, it was indeed his own fault for hearing all that.
¡ª
"The creature ising!"
On the other side of the port that was as bright as broad daylight, the waves surged and a huge tentacle wriggled.
The Shadow Patrol hunters riding on speedboats bit their fingers, smeared blood on their arrows, and sharply aimed at the Sea Serpent.
"Your servant, who started tracking in the shadows, now intends to begin the hunt. May the Lord of the Mountains have mercy on us."
The Shadow Patrol hunters made a short oath and raised their fighting spirit.
Such an oath was unnecessary for an opponent that could be easily caught with a single arrow, but for a formidable foe warned by the hunters'' instincts, this oath often served as the beginning of the battle.
The blood-stained arrows of the patrol never broke or bent like an unbreakable curse.
They would deeply pierce the prey''s body and remain as a symbol until the long hunt was over.
Thwack!
"..."
"..."
The bow and arrow reinforced with magic.
The strength of the Shadow Patrol member further enhanced by potions and additional magic.
Even the determination to focus all the mana in the body to pierce through the thick and tough skin of the Sea Serpent.
All those thingsbined prated straight through the massive body of the Sea Serpent.
Seeing the tentacle of the Sea Serpent being cut off in an unrealistic burst, the hunters were startled for the first time in a long while.
"Why... why isn''t it stuck and prating..."
"How hard did you pull?!"
"Begin firing! Begin firing! Start the hunt!"
Although the Shadow Patrol hunters were traditionalists, they weren''t fools to stop moving in this situation just because tradition flew away.
In an instant, a brutal rapid-fire began. Dozens of arrows flew from the speedboat to the Sea Serpent''s body as if fired from a crossbow.
Thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack!
"..."
"...Th-This...?"
The Shadow Patrol hunters were startled even after firing.
The Sea Serpent began to thrash about as if it were a stuffed doll filled with cotton, riddled with holes.
"Who made the oath?! Isn''t it just at the level of a fish?! Don''t you know that the mountain spirit will be angry if you make an oath recklessly?!"
"No, why are you talking nonsense now after everyone agreed! If such arge monstrous creature isn''t a formidable foe, then who is?!"
"Just finish it off, you idiots!"
Fortunately, the conversation between the hunters on the ship was not heard by the people on the port.
The soldiers on the port were simply amazed.
"Oh my, I''ve heard a lot about the Shadow Patrol''s name, but I didn''t expect it to be to this extent...!"
"Huh? If it''s like this, doesn''t it just end over there?"
Yi-Han, who was casting magic on the soldiers, was surprised by the scene unfolding on the sea.
Right now, the soldiers were diligently receiving potions and Yi-Han''s magic, but wouldn''t it just be caught over there?
''It feels like I worked hard for nothing...?''
While he was contemting whether to be grateful or feel wronged if it ended like this, a huge water column erupted far away.
The water column erupted from a ce much farther than where the fierce battle was currently taking ce.
"There''s one more! There''s one more, Mage!"
A soldier who had drunk a vision-enhancing potion screamed from the port''s watchtower.
Yi-Han also concentrated mana in his eyes to confirm the creature''s movements. A Sea Serpent that looked like a giant swordfish was twisting its body towards this direction, shing its de-like jaws.
"...!"
"It''s flying!!"
Swooosh!
With a sound of tearing through the air, the Sea Serpent flew like an arrow.
The soldiers, who didn''t expect it to fly through the air like that instead of swimming and approaching from the sea, screamed in horror.
"Damn these ancestor''s beards!"
Professor Uregor cursed at the top of his lungs, took out a potion bottle from his bosom, and quickly threw it towards the sea.
Kwajik!
Then, the seawater filling the port suddenly surged up and turned into a thick wall of ice.
"ording to Article 3, Section 1 of the contract, I summon the following demons. The iron-fisted demon diator Betrug, the swift demon spearman Ihil..."
Professor Bungaegor also took out a scroll from her waist, tore it apart, and summoned the contracted summons.
The demons that popped out spewed crimson smoke and pounced on the Sea Serpent that had collided with the ice wall.
Chwaak!
The Sea Serpent swung its huge de-like upper jaw like a famous sword.
With a single swing, a sailing ship on its trajectory and the port facilities were cut off. The demon summon avoided the attack but cried out in pain as if it had suffered a deep injury.
"You useless thing! You took the contract fee!"
-S-Sorry.-
The demon answered with a face full of humiliation at Professor Bungaegor''s reprimand.
"Begin firing."
"Begin firing!"
As the Sea Serpent''s feet were tied to the front of the ice-covered port, the city guards began firing.
When the installed siege weapons started firing along with the fire arrows, a sharp sound rang out on the Sea Serpent''s scales.
¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö!
The one currently causing amotion at the port was much more intelligent than the one being hunted by the Shadow Patrol hunters far away.
Thetter was justrge in size andcked any special abilities or cunning, so it was being beaten up, but the former immediately noticed the danger the moment it was attacked and responded.
Kwajik!
It broke through the frozen water surface and dived deep below.
"It will leap out again!"
"I know, I know!"
Professor Uregor made a tearful face and took out the next potion.
Having to use two potions worth enough tofortably buy a few houses in the capital.
He knew there were Sea Serpents with unique qualities, but he didn''t know there would be such a troublesome one.
Tak-
Professor Bagraknded on the ice wall, flying through the sky. Professor Uregor almost cried.
"Professor Bagrak!"
Dozens of light bullets instantly appeared in the air and pummeled the Sea Serpent.
The Sea Serpent, who was preparing to fire underwater, screamed and performed evasive maneuvers.
''Shallow.''
Professor Bagrak quickly drank a mana recovery potion and searched for the Sea Serpent''s movements.
He hadunched the fastest attack to prevent it from firing, but that had alerted the creature.
"Professor!"
Yi-Han arrivedst while casting magic on the soldiers.
"Freeze ording to the master''smand!"
The iplete magic was cast.
Originally, he wanted to use a different doppelganger magic, but it was difficult to even replicate the movements with other doppelganger magics.
Even if iplete, only the higher-level magic could replicate the movements.
''Move!''
Originally, the 4th Circle magic should have been able to perform close-range attacks using cold elements, share the doppelganger''s vision, and have an appearance indistinguishable from the master when viewed from the outside.
Yi-Han discarded the unnecessary parts and chose only the appearance and movement. An ice doppelganger that looked like Yi-Han swiftly ran across the sea.
Stimted by that, the Sea Serpent became enraged and swung its sharp jaws.
"Cold, be arrows and shoot forth!"
The moment the Sea Serpent revealed itself, Yi-Han began firing ice arrows with sharp concentration.
Only one or two prated the scales, but it didn''t matter. As the ice stuck to it, the Sea Serpent roared as if annoyed.
Professor Bagrak immediately cast a spell.
"Evaporate!"
"!"
Yi-Han was shocked to see the ice stuck to the Sea Serpent evaporate and deal massive damage.
''To apply it in such a way!''
It was no wonder that Professor Bagrak, who was crazy aboutbat, had learned under Eumidiphos.
"Are you crazy!?"
"Why are you interfering!?"
The two dwarf professors shouted as if dumbfounded.
Only then did Yi-Han ask back in bewilderment.
"Huh? Wasn''t I supposed to participate too?"
"You crazy bastard! Is that something to say?!"
Professor Uregor shouted in shock.
He was so flustered that it seemed like Yi-Han was rebelling against being told not to wait in the rear.
He had told him to respond flexibly at the front because he had an abundance of mana, but who told him to directly participate in the frontlinebat?!
The people from the Maykin family were so shocked that they fell backward and screamed.
''Hmm.''
Seeing the atmosphere at the port, Yi-Han btedly realized that he had done something quite crazy.
It seemed like hismon sense had crumbled a bit because of Einroguard.
''Damn it. Because of the habit I had inside the school.''
Yi-Han looked at Professor Bagrak, the biggest person responsible for this, with resentment.
Professor Bagrak said sternly.
"Directly participating is reckless."
"...No... No...!!"
Even if it was the same words, it sounded different depending on who said it.
Yi-Han felt so wronged that his heart almost stopped for a moment.
However, Professor Bagrak was very cold.
Inside Einroguard, he could do such reckless things as he pleased, but outside, acting recklessly could endanger his life.
''Should I really bury him in the sea along with the Sea Serpent?''
Grrr-
"Summon a doppelganger."
As the Sea Serpent persistently tried to move despite being hit, Professor Bagrak shouted.
Yi-Han immediately created an ice doppelganger.
"Add vision sharing and elemental attack."
"That''s not easy right now..."
Yi-Han wanted to retort, ''If it were that easy, I would havepleted this magic a long time ago,'' but the Sea Serpent red at Yi-Han and Professor Bagrak with murderous eyes even while injured.
Yi-Han gritted his teeth and added the magic.
Normally, the doppelganger should have dissolved, unable to withstand the magic.
However...
''It worked?!''
Surprisingly, waspleted, perhaps because the pressure from the Sea Serpent stimted Yi-Han''s instincts.
Professor Bagrak instructed with an expressionless face as if he had expected it.
"Advance it."
Yi-Han''s doppelganger immediately rushed out. The Sea Serpent instinctively pounced to cut the doppelganger.
Crack!
The moment it cut the doppelganger, the power of the cold element burst out, instantly freezing the Sea Serpent''s upper jaw.
Thwack!
Professor Bagrak immediately evaporated the ice and blew it away. The Sea Serpent rolled to the side once again.
"Stall for a moment."
"Huh? Uh... Uh..."
Leaving the Sea Serpent, whose venom had risen to the fullest, Professor Bagrak turned around defenseless.
Yi-Han was flustered but couldn''t even argue right now.
''With the cold element? No, it''s toote to slow it down with the cold element now! To deal damage... to deal damage...''
Instinctively, water orbs surged around Yi-Han and began to spin.
The spin became sharper and more ferocious, making a brutal sound as it flew towards the Sea Serpent.
''...Did it work!?''
The heavy sensation felt at the end of the magic was different from when he hastily added spin and used it.
Yi-Han couldn''t believe it.
Boom!
The moment it hit, the Sea Serpent''s scales shattered and were deeply dented. It was as if it had been directly hit by a boulder.
At that moment, Professor Bagrak turned his body. A red line of mana shed and split the Sea Serpent in two.
"Your spin has improved."
"...Actually, it was always fine."
Yi-Han emphasized that it was definitely not thanks to the Sea Serpent.
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Chapter 492
Chapter 492
"Is that so."
Professor Bagrak didn''t pay much attention to Yi-Han''s excuse and took out a ss bottle containing a red potion from his bosom and took a sip.
At first, Yi-Han thought it was a mana recovery potion, but...
''It''s blood, isn''t it?''
Yi-Han realized that Professor Bagrak had used blood magic to amplify his mana.
Indeed, considering the power of the blood sword he had just shown, even for Professor Bagrak, it would have been difficult to cast it so quickly without any cost.
"Is your mana alright?"
Yi-Han asked out of concern for the professor.
It was easy to forget when seeing the otherworldly appearance asionally shown by the Einroguard professors, but the professors were also ultimately people made of flesh and blood.
...Of course, there was also a lich...
Magic was not a convenient discipline that could only gain rewards without any cost, and naturally, after such an intense battle, there was a burden on the mage as well.
"It''s fine. It doesn''t seem like something you should worry about."
It was understandable for a teacher to worry about a disciple, but there was no need for a disciple to worry about a teacher.
Professor Bagrak nced over Yi-Han.
Despite engaging in a quite intense battle, there seemed to be no abnormality in his mana.
It was truly an overwhelminglyrge amount of mana, which was newly impressive.
"Do you remember the magic you just used?"
"Huh? Do you mean
?"
Professor Bagrak slowly shook his head.
Of course, sessfully casting
was also impressive, but that wasn''t what the professor was trying to say now.
"The magic you used after that."
"Ah, the one where I added the spin attribute to the water orbs..."
"Yes. I think it deserves a name."
"...!"
Yi-Han was surprised.
Naming a magic was never a light matter.
It was possible when that magic had a distinct value that clearly distinguished it from other magics.
If Gainando looked at the Magic Missile magic written in a book, cast it, and said, "My magic is much slower and weaker than the magic written in the book, so I''ll name this ! It''s a magic that anyone can easily use!" who would listen to him?
Since it wasn''t something that could be done by the insistence of a single mage, it was quite surprising for Professor Bagrak to say that.
"A name, you say? I don''t think it''s a magic of that level."
It wasn''t that he wasn''t proud.
The joy of sessfully casting a magic that he had been forcibly casting by dividing the casting process was a sense of aplishment that only mages could feel.
It was simr to the feeling of perfectly fitting together aplex puzzle that was scattered into dozens of pieces.
However, just because he seeded in a difficult magic didn''t mean he could name them all...
"You don''t have to create something out of nothing to name it. Improvements can also be named."
"That''s true, but..."
As Yi-Han hesitated, Professor Bagrak exined in a bit more detail.
"The magic you just used looks simr to Lady Eumidiphos''s Water Bullet, but it''s clearly different."
Although it was a water element magic that was evaluated ascking destructive power, the one who reversed that evaluation was none other than Eumidiphos.
A mage who maximized the destructive power bybining various advanced attributes with the water element!
One of them, , was a magic that fused the spin attribute to the extreme with the water element.
The prating power and destructive power concentrated on this one point were famous for the anecdote of Eumidiphos, the creator of the magic, directly using it to instantly kill a demon duke.
As Professor Bagrak had learned under Eumidiphos, it was natural for him to teach this magic to a brilliant disciple who eagerly sought the advanced wisdom of elemental magic.
And this disciple, who had greedily demanded, eventually reinterpreted and improved the Water Bullet in his own way toplete it.
Cutting out unnecessary processes from the original magic and intuitivelypensating for the missing parts using mana.
The power was weaker than when Eumidiphos directly cast it, but this was enough. If it could deal damage to the Sea Serpent and bind its feet, it was excellent in terms of power.
Above all, the significantly reduced casting speed was impressive.
What was needed in magicbat was the minimum urate force to defeat the enemy, not a show of strength.
"It would be much more suitable for person-to-personbat."
"Isn''t the mana waste a bit severe?"
Yi-Han was pleased with the unexpectedly big praise but approached it realistically.
By hastily omitting unnecessary processes, the cut-off parts were used close to wasting mana.
"Every magic has its pros and cons."
"...Thank you. I will consider it an honor."
Yi-Han expressed his gratitude honestly and decided to enjoy it.
''Not bad.''
Of course, he didn''t think this magic would be a widely spread magic throughout the Empire.
It would be nice to be able to live a life of leisure with a single magic, but Yi-Han didn''t have such vain expectations.
''Objectively, the ws are a bit big, but...''
First of all, water elementbat magic itself was a bit minor, and adding the spin attribute made it even more minor, and if the disadvantage of mana overconsumption was added here...
The mages who could use it were too limited.
However, even considering that, it was true that he was happy to have his own magic named.
Wouldn''t it look much more usible if he added a line like "I havepleted the 4th Circle magic " when submitting a proposal or receiving investmentter?
Professor Bagrak nodded in satisfaction as his disciple was pleased.
Then he opened his mouth again.
"When you return to Einroguard, write a book organizing the water element magic you realized this time."
"...Pardon?"
Yi-Han, who was happy, hesitated.
''What did he just say?''
It wasn''t umon for mages to organize their realizations about magic and make them into books, like or .
Einroguard students also often made books by organizing their realizations for training and learning.
...Usually the senior students!
While Yi-Han was shocked, thinking ''Is this person crazy right now?'' the professor continued.
"Ah. Wait. I was mistaken."
"I knew you would say that."
Yi-Han inwardly hoped that Professor Bagrak would tell him to try again when he was in his 4th year.
''No? Since he''s an unscrupulous person, he might make me do it in my 3rd year. Then I''ll avoid taking his ss in my 3rd year...''
"Write two books. One about the magic you realized, and the other about the direction of improving the magic."
If one was about organizing the magic, the other was for the purpose of contemting how to further develop that magic.