Episode 266

Episode 266

“It really wasn’t that impressive.”

“Observation is important.”

Professor Voladi did not look down on emotion-sensing type magic.

A duel between mages was a clash of two different worlds.

To gain the upper hand in that clash, one had to be perceptive enough to first read the opponent’s world.

“And you must have also mastered emotion-control type magic.”

“……”

Although he was prepared for it, knowing it was already known felt rather bitter.

“It may not work well on other mages, but it is useful magic for those who cannot handle mana.”

“?”

Lee Han paused.

‘It worked on all the Blue Dragon Tower students, though?’

Lee Han clicked his tongue at his friends.

How lax and off-guard must they have been in their daily lives to fall for such magic, even though they were mages.

“Continue practicing it. Transmutation magic is still focused on steel, I assume.”

“Yes.”

Professor Voladi seemed to know more about the curriculum of transmutation magic than even the students taking the class.

Currently, the transmutation magic class was focusing on the very basics: turning the clothes mages usually wear into steel.

Since these are items one is familiar with and always wears, they were easier to transform, and steel was one of the most accessible and common materials for mages.

Swish!

With a harsh sound, Professor Voladi swung a handkerchief from an unseen angle. The handkerchief transformed into steel and shot out like a whip.

Lee Han, who always kept his guard up when seeing Professor Voladi, reacted instantly. He threw his coat and shouted.

“Into steel, cloak!”

Fortunately, he was just in time. The handkerchief was blocked by the coat and fell to the ground.

Professor Voladi, who had nearly smacked his student’s jaw, spoke calmly.

“Work on increasing your speed.”

“Yes…”

Lee Han almost said, ‘Please stop the ambushes.’

But it would have been no different than talking to a wall in the Blue Dragon Tower.

“Don’t be too greedy with divination or healing magic.”

“Y… yes?”

Lee Han, who had been listening quietly, hesitated.

Was he, instead of being told to ‘foresee a thousand years into the future,’ or to ‘make sure to recover even if several holes get punched through your body,’ being told not to be greedy?

‘Anyone hearing this would think I was being greedy…’

“What do you mean by not being greedy?”

“I mean it literally. Divination magic is unstable and capricious. If you force it, you might pay a heavy price.”

“……”

Lee Han, who had already used divination magic several times, couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

‘Divination magic really must be dangerous.’

Of course, everyone he met had said divination magic was dangerous, but hearing Professor Voladi say it was on a different level.

It really, truly is insanely dangerous magic!

“Huh? Then is healing magic also unstable and capricious?”

Nodding as he listened, Lee Han asked in a puzzled tone.

“It’s different.”

The reason for not being too greedy with healing magic was similar to that of divination, but also different.

Healing magic, at its core, is a type of magic that, unless one has accumulated enough experience to do it properly, only causes side effects if used recklessly.

If one tries to treat their own injuries without real skill, it can just make things worse.

“Aha.”

Lee Han felt grateful toward Professor Garcia for keeping his secret.

That he had already succeeded in using healing magic on a person seemed like something he would have to hide until his grave.

• * *

Although Professor Voladi didn’t assign any separate homework, he gave Lee Han various pieces of advice about other types of magic.

-Make it so that skeletons can move, and enhance them by combining poison and curses.

-Master Ogonin’s illusion magic will be helpful if you learn it. Try to learn up to the fourth circle as quickly as possible.

-I heard you completed the steel shield. Now try casting it without the help of a magic circle.

‘I’d rather you just assigned me homework.’

Of course, Lee Han only thought this. If he said it out loud, Professor Voladi was the type to actually assign it.

“Be careful with fire magic.”

“Excuse me?”

Lee Han looked up.

It was a completely random piece of advice.

Few elemental magics are as widely known as fire magic, but for Lee Han it was a bit different.

Because of the nature of fire elements, mages with abnormally high amounts of mana like Lee Han could become an arsonist in an instant if they slipped up.

Because of that, whenever Lee Han used fire magic, he always wore several cursed—no, fire-dampening artifacts, and tried to use the magic as safely as possible without scaling up the spells.

Professor Voladi also should have known that, so why?

“I am always cautious?”

“It would be better to be even more cautious.”

According to Professor Voladi, traces of fire were being sensed in the mana flow within the school.

Originally, natural mana is heavily influenced by the environment.

The heat of summer brings fire energy.

The cold of winter brings chilling energy.

In Einrogard, where the mana is among the strongest in the Empire, the effects of the seasons were felt even more strongly.

“But summer hasn’t even come yet. Is it still dangerous?”

“It must be because of the festival.”

“Excuse me?”

“Phoenix Festival. The students must be celebrating it.”

Mages are those who change the world with their will.

Naturally, any ritual performed by mages, whether intentional or subconscious, affected the surroundings.

A festival celebrating the phoenix to properly welcome early summer would, of course, intensify the power of fire.

“……”

Lee Han was dumbfounded.

It was already chaotic and unruly thanks to the festival, and now they had to deal with this kind of aftermath too!

He was already starting to hate the festival.

• * *

Swordsmanship class.

…One hour before it began.

Lee Han was mercilessly striking the White Tiger Tower students on the back with a branch he was holding.

“Do you call that calculation? Again! If you mix the potion at this rate, the cauldron will melt through and leak!”

Lee Han had promised to help his White Tiger Tower friends with their studies before swordsmanship class began.

Of course, the White Tiger Tower students were grimacing as if facing death.

“Short break. Rest for five minutes, then we’ll resume. Don’t leave your seats!”

“What’s wrong with Wardanaz? He’s at least several times more ruthless than normal!”

“Did someone pick a fight with Wardanaz?”

“Maybe he heard us badmouthing him?”

“Damn it, I told you not to badmouth him!”

The White Tiger Tower students whispered in shock and fear.

Being nagged with lines like, ‘Your potion is so diluted if you tried to sell it you’d end up in prison!’ was driving them crazy.

They almost preferred the days when Lee Han just used violence.

White Tiger Tower students fundamentally weren’t used to sitting and studying for long periods.

“Wardanaz. You may not know, but we’re knights. It’s in our nature—we’re not suited for studying and…”

“Shut up and sit, or get hit. Your choice?”

“……”

Normally, Giselle would have hated anything Lee Han did, but this time was different.

‘Swear at us more, Wardanaz. More scolding, please.’

Giselle didn’t regret joining White Tiger Tower, but sometimes she had small regrets.

One was that because they were classmates, she couldn’t hit the others as hard as she wanted.

The slackers who always dodged studying were now scrambling under Wardanaz’s scolding…

“What are you all doing?”

Elf professor, Ingeldel, asked in confusion.

In the sacred swordsmanship classroom, students were groaning, hunched over tables.

“Professor!!”

The students were so happy to see the professor arrive 30 minutes early that they almost cried.

“Wardanaz… was forcing us to study…”

“Aha.”

Professor Ingeldel addressed Lee Han.

“You’re doing a good thing for your friends. You’re not even in the same tower. I’m touched.”

“Not at all, Professor. We’re comrades in swordsmanship, after all.”

Professor Ingeldel was moved by Lee Han’s polite response. Sensing danger, a White Tiger Tower student quickly spoke up.

“Since you’re here early, should we start the lesson?”

“No. There’s still time left. Study a bit more. I’ll wait here.”

“……”

“……”

White Tiger Tower students sank into sorrow and pain. Professor Ingeldel said calmly.

“From old times, those who learned swordsmanship often neglected their studies. Don’t be like that.”

“Yes…”

• * *

Having squeezed in a full thirty extra minutes of study, the White Tiger Tower students stretched as they got up.

They hadn’t even been sitting that long, yet their whole bodies felt turned to stone.

Professor Ingeldel waited with his sword drawn, smiling at the students.

“Thank you all for working so hard on your studies. I’m curious—are you preparing well for the final exam?”

“You don’t have to worry!”

“That’s right. The mountain range feels as familiar as our backyard now.”

‘Shameless.’

‘What an absurd bluff.’

Lee Han and Giselle were aghast at their White Tiger Tower friends’ comments.

Last time, when the Curare Lizard appeared, these guys had one foot in the underworld, and now they plaster their faces with bravado.

“That’s good to hear. But I thought you might still need some help… Today, I’ve invited someone to assist.”

“!”

“Is it the White Oak Knights?”

The students wondered if the knights who had come before were returning.

“Do they even help? I doubt they know much about mountains.”

“Let’s take them to where the Curare Lizard appeared last time.”

‘Are these guys even knights?’

Lee Han was speechless at his White Tiger Tower friends, who were plotting after losing last time.

“It’s not the White Oak Knights. Over here.”

At Professor Ingeldel’s call, two unfamiliar outsiders stepped forward.

Even after seeing several adventurers in the village yesterday, these guests looked much more well-equipped.

Their gear looked rough and old, but complex magical energies could be felt underneath. They were obviously artifacts.

Potion vials and tools on their belts, steady steps and posture…

‘Are these famous adventurers?’

“This here is Ms. Baishada of the Shadow Patrol. And here is Mr. Guesse of the Wasteland Stargazers.”

“!”

Lee Han was surprised.

He had heard about the Shadow Patrol all the time from Nillia, so he knew well—their patrols in the northern mountains.

The Wasteland Stargazers patrol the wilds of the Empire’s west.

Both were outstanding groups, but their recognition was very different.

The Wasteland Stargazers had a cool name, operated in the much talked-about western area, and had produced many well-known figures.

Because of this, the Wasteland Stargazers often got mentioned in storybooks and Empire newspapers, giving them far more recognition than the Shadow Patrol.

—Those Wasteland Stargazer jerks really are shameless! They totally bribed the Empire newspapers! We never even go down from the mountains and dedicate ourselves to the village folk! They just wander the wilds, drop by a village and rest! Yet they act like they’re the coolest in the Empire!

‘Hmm. I’d better not tell Nillia about this.’

She was already stressed over finals, and hearing that the Wasteland Stargazers were here might make her faint.

“These two guests will give advice on how to spot monsters and how to tackle them.”

Before Professor Ingeldel even finished speaking, the White Tiger Tower students started moving.

Of course, they headed for Guesse of the Wasteland Stargazers.

Meanwhile, Baishada of the Shadow Patrol stood quietly, as if they hadn’t expected any interest.

“…!”

Baishada was startled.

Three students had gathered in front of Baishada.

“Moradi. We decided by majority, so don’t complain.”

“Deorgyu is on your side, so how is this a majority…!”

“If you’re upset, buy off Deorgyu too.”

“I-I was not bribed. I just thought it would be better to learn from someone in the Shadow Patrol.”