Episode 294

‘Oops. What was I thinking?’

Lee Han quickly pulled himself together.

Of course, the educational environment at Baldrogard was just a bit more comfortable than at Einrogard, but that didn’t necessarily have anything to do with magical ability.

A wizard who graduated from Baldrogard could also be highly skilled.

Besides, the opponent was a graduate.

As just a first-year, there was no way Lee Han could underestimate them.

“Wardanaz, I’m ready.”

Ahsan whispered with a determined face.

“Sir Wardanaz, if you ever need pickpocketing, just say the word.”

Ratford whispered too, looking resolute.

Behind them, people were busy clearing tables and pushing chairs back in preparation to watch magic.

“Ratford, sorry, but this is just a magic demonstration, not a duel.”

“But if the opponent’s staff were to disappear, it might go more smoothly, don’t you think?”

Ahsan was tempted by that. Lee Han spoke firmly.

“If you try something like that, it’ll cause unnecessary trouble. Just stick to using magic.”

“But Wardanaz, we don’t know what kind of magic the opponent will use.”

This wasn’t a duel but a demonstration of magical skill.

Usually, rather than both sides flinging spells at each other with full force, one side would pose a challenge and the other would solve it with magic.

In this case, it would be that magician from Baldrogard, Doin, setting a challenge for Lee Han and his friends to solve.

“There’s nothing much to worry about. We’re first-years. The other party will keep that in mind. If they set too difficult a task, it would hurt their own reputation.”

They wouldn’t come to the Dalkard Mansion just to shame the Dalkard Family’s mage. That would backfire.

“So, don’t worry about unnecessary things. Just concentrate so you don’t make any silly mistakes, got it?”

Ahsan nodded.

Ratford nodded, too.

“If by any chance…”

“I said, I won’t steal anything.”

“Yessir.”

• * *

While Lee Han and his friends had strong feelings against Baldrogard, Doin didn’t harbor any particular resentment toward Einrogard.

Of course, it would be a lie to say he didn’t envy Einrogard, which always held the Empire’s top reputation.

But Doin loved and trusted Baldrogard all the more.

-The people of the Empire are stuck in their ways, but if they could actually see the truth, they’d realize Baldrogard is the finest, most outstanding magic school!

If Lee Han or any other Einrogard magicians heard, they’d start a duel right away, but at least, that was how Doin felt.

For that reason, Doin didn’t have any particular grudge against Einrogard.

Right now, his worry was not how to embarrass the Einrogard students, but how to help them save face.

‘Ahsan of the Dalkard Family is a boy with a good reputation, and that other one’s from the Wardanaz Family, so they wouldn’t do anything ridiculous, right?’

Skill demonstrations in occasions like these were more like theater.

The examiner had to pick a challenge that the participants could actually clear.

If the examiner posed a challenge based on an obscure or unfamiliar school of magic?

That would instantly turn the mood ice-cold.

And the magician who set the task would surely be avoided by the Dalkard Family and everyone associated with them for a long time.

Just thinking about it was a dreadful nightmare.

‘What would be a good test…?’

Doin wondered what would be easy for the students to pass, and also impressively clear for those attending.

“Now that I think of it, what schools of magic are the three of you interested in?”

“I’m interested in divination magic.”

“I’m interested in illusion magic.”

“I… um… haven’t decided yet.”

Even a magician who had been training for over ten years might change schools based on need, so it wasn’t surprising that a new student hadn’t decided their specialization yet.

So Doin didn’t notice the two students eyeing Lee Han anxiously.

‘I’ll have to pick the easiest magic either from illusions or divination.’

After some thought, Doin made his decision and swung his staff.

“Illusion, transform into a chain of elements!”

One merit of illusion magic was that it was visually flashy.

That might sound trivial, but it mattered more than one would expect.

Most people, when watching magic, didn’t see the mysterious flow of mana or deep philosophy behind it—they just looked at the spectacle.

Thanks to this, necromancers might be forced to dig graves for lack of patrons, but illusionists could do their research in comfort with the support of nobles.

That advantage showed itself today as well. When the sparkling illusion magic manifested in the wide hall, applause and gasps of wonder erupted throughout the room.

‘Isn’t he kind of slow?’

However, Lee Han was a bit puzzled inside.

Compared to the professors at the magic school, Doin’s casting speed was quite slow.

Of course, from Doin’s perspective, it was an unfair comparison—“If I could cast faster than an Einrogard professor, I’d be teaching there!”—but to Lee Han, it could only look slow.

Chwarureuk!

“Can you see this illusionary chain? It’s connected to the handcuffs on my wrist.”

“We can see it, Sir Doin!”

The magician Doin lifted his wrist, showing the connected illusory cuff and chain to the crowd.

The illusory chain sprawled on the floor, attached in four places; at each end there was an illusory pillar.

“If you cast the right elemental spell on each pillar, the chains will be unbound one by one. Will the mages of Einrogard be able to rescue me? Everyone, give them your support!”

More applause and cheers.

Doin’s flair for entertaining and showmanship outshone even his magical skill.

No wonder he was popular in salons and gatherings. Lee Han was a bit impressed.

‘So that’s how a magician becomes popular at events.’

It was enlightening in many ways.

Lee Han decided to copy that later if needed. As he nodded, Ahsan whispered anxiously.

“Wardanaz, can we succeed on the first try?”

“I don’t think we absolutely have to succeed in one go.”

The illusion magic Doin cast was a kind of puzzle.

Four chains, four pillars.

You just had to cast the right elemental magic for each pillar, and the chain would unlock and disappear.

If you cast the wrong elemental magic, you just cast another until you got it right…

“But my brother and sister are watching. If I don’t get it in one go, they’ll say something.”

“Why don’t you just ask them to try, then?”

Ahsan shook his head desperately, looking close to tears. Lee Han clicked his tongue sympathetically.

‘Just because they were born a few years earlier, he has to put up with that.’

Originally, you were supposed to solve these things through trial and error, but Ahsan was just watching his siblings.

Lee Han said nothing more.

For every advantage to being from a great noble house, there were disadvantages too. It wasn’t for others to judge.

“There is a way to clear it in one go.”

“How?”

“By breaking it with brute force.”

Lee Han briefly explained the method he’d learned from the talented illusionist Baldororn.

Instead of analyzing and unraveling the structure and loopholes of the illusion magic, you could just unleash a surge of mana and blow the whole thing away.

“Is that even possible?”

“Of course, sometimes it won’t work. The sturdier the magic, the better it endures.”

“No, Wardanaz. I mean, do you really have enough mana to do that?”

Ahsan looked at him incredulously.

He understood the theory: if you hit it with that much mana, the magic would have to shake.

But could he really generate that much mana?

“I don’t need to go that far. Just about this much…”

To give Ahsan a demonstration, Lee Han took up his staff and lightly released some mana.

Crack!

He hadn’t even hit it directly—just grazing it, the illusory chain groaned and instantly collapsed.

All of the chains linked to it collapsed next, and the cuffs too…

Pazizik!

“……”

“……”

Lee Han, who had meant only to demonstrate, was surprised; so was Ahsan.

And of course, so was Doin.

‘What the…!?’

He had asked them to solve the illusion puzzle, and Lee Han had smashed it to bits with his staff. Anyone would be shocked.

‘How did he do that? Didn’t look like he cast any special spell. Surely he didn’t just brute force it. Did Einrogard teach some magic I’ve never seen?’

His head spinning, Doin reacted first.

“Excellent! Amazing! As you all saw, the mages of Einrogard dispelled the magic in one go!”

The guests, amazed, began to applaud.

Some who knew a little magic cocked their heads at how different it was from what they’d expected, but they clapped anyway.

It had been solved, after all!

‘What a shock.’

Doin sighed in relief inside.

The Einrogard students did something unexpected, and he almost reacted too late.

If there had been even a slight mistake, who knows how chilly the atmosphere could have gotten…

“Sir Doin! Please show us one more!”

“!”

“!!”

Both Lee Han and Doin were surprised.

One guest, perhaps already slightly tipsy, cried out, excited.

“When else will we ever see such magic!”

“Indeed!”

“It’s incredible to see the greatest mages of the Empire at work, it’s eye-opening!”

People, when excited, always wanted to see more.

Doin realized too late, but by then it was pointless. Everyone was already looking forward to more.

“W-well then. Next, I’ll show you another magic…”

Doin tensed up again.

The onlookers could just raise their glasses and cry “More!” since it wasn’t their problem, but Doin’s mouth was dry.

He couldn’t repeat the same or easier test. It had to be a little harder.

And it had to be visually intuitive for the crowd, and something with a forgiving atmosphere even if the young students made mistakes.

Moreover, the students might have used up a lot of mana already, so he had to worry about that, too…

“You’re not too tired, are you?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“I’m fine too.”

“…Alright then, on with the next spell…”

• * *

Pop!

When Lee Han dodged the fourth summoned illusion beast with his eyes closed and then dispelled it, the crowd erupted in cheers again.

Clapclapclapclapclapclapclap—

‘What the…’

Doin was stunned.

Honestly, during the last spell he’d thought, ‘Oh no! I made this way too hard!’ and regretted it immediately.

But they just solved it like it was nothing.

A noble sitting nearby asked, concerned,

“Sir Doin, even if they are from Einrogard, isn’t that a bit much for first-year students…”

“There’s nothing to worry about! See how well they’re doing!”

“Next spell! Show us the next spell!”

Regardless, the audience was getting more and more excited as Lee Han and friends solved everything so easily.

Doin thought to himself.

‘They’re too good, this is getting out of hand! Do it moderately well!’

He couldn’t tell how long he’d have to keep going.

He needed to stop this somehow…!