Episode 346

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to suppress it by amplifying fire energy.”

“I see.”

Puyo nodded, as if understanding what Lee Han meant.

“You don’t like it because it’s too simple a method.”

“…That’s not it.”

Lee Han almost choked up for a moment.

It wasn’t about a craftsman’s aesthetic sense as an artifact mage at all.

“I’m having trouble controlling fire-related magic.”

“A mage of your caliber?”

Puyo was flustered by Lee Han’s words.

Among all elements, fire was considered relatively easy to handle.

Unlike other elements, fire was something one encountered easily in life.

What Lee Han was saying was akin to someone capable of complex calculus struggling with addition.

“It’s because I have too much mana…”

“Still, to have so much that you can’t control fire?”

“Yes.”

“……”

At Lee Han’s immediate answer, Puyo was once again taken aback, but soon he nodded, accepting it.

“Truly amazing… really amazing.”

‘You don’t have to emphasize it twice.’

“In that case, it makes sense. If you were to amplify fire energy unnecessarily, it could backfire.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“But now it’s difficult. That was the best method. There are others, but…”

Lee Han asked worriedly.

“Is it an expensive method?”

“No. I was concerned because it’s a more difficult technique. It’s not simply solved by enchanting magic—you’d also need the mage wielding the staff to have the necessary skill.”

Puyo drew a simple diagram on a sheet of paper.

The stone left by the king of frost giants.

To control this stone’s power, you either had to place fire, its opposing element, or use another controllable element.

If not fire, the next best option was…

“Dark element. The problem is, can you attach a dark-element gem to a staff for a mage who doesn’t know how to handle it…”

Unlike fire, dark was one of the most difficult elements to control.

Putting a gem of such an element in a staff could later affect the mage when casting spells.

“I can handle the dark element.”

“…I, is that so? Well then, let’s do that.”

Puyo looked at Lee Han with a gaze full of shock.

• * *

Yoner rolled the dice carefully.

If she rolled a three, she’d land on “Magic Exam Failure” and have to skip a turn.

Since she was already at a disadvantage, if that happened, a comeback would be nearly impossible.

“Hehehehehe.”

Gainando snickered ominously from the side.

After losing eight games, it was finally his time to win.

“Hey. Shut up and play.”

“Yeah. Please be quiet.”

Nillia and Ratford scolded immediately.

Both had landed on the “Lost magical reagent to a trickster friend” and “Caught trying to steal an artifact” squares, leaving them extremely on edge.

Gainando shut his mouth and worked out his strategy internally.

‘Once Yoner rolls, I’ll activate the -Necromancers’ Cemetery Gathering-…’

“Oh? It’s Wardanaz!”

Nillia, seeing Lee Han enter through the front gate, stood up in surprise.

At the abrupt movement, the board for Demon-Rising Board toppled and the pieces fell over. Gainando cried out, trying to catch them.

But Ratford and Yoner stood up immediately after. The board was completely flipped, scattering the pieces.

“Wardanaz!”

“Guys, don’t shout. My head hurts. …Why is Gainando crying?”

“Be-because I’m so happy you’re back…”

Lee Han glanced at the scattered pieces on the ground and asked,

“Did you almost win the dice game but then…”

“N-no! Not at all!”

While Gainando pushed the pieces with his foot, Lee Han collapsed onto the sofa.

Ratford asked, looking puzzled.

“Why didn’t you come to the residence for days? Don’t tell me you were locked in the workshop.”

“They did lock me in.”

“……”

“……”

“Well, they didn’t literally lock me in, but it was pretty much the same.”

Lee Han groaned.

He’d been given an inhuman amount of assignments and put on a deadline, leaving no time to come to the residence.

He hadn’t even had enough sleep—so how could there be time to come home?

Nillia was outraged by her friend’s worn-out appearance.

“Isn’t that too much? Locking someone up for days just for work. Even the Shadow Patrol doesn’t—well, they do, but to do that in an imperial city!”

“It’s fine, Nillia.”

“How is that fine?”

“They pay well.”

“……”

“……”

Lee Han took Gainando’s cocoa and drank it. Seeing that, Ratford spoke up.

“The workshop is one thing, but wasn’t it the guys who brought you there in the first place who are at fault? Those White Tiger Tower punks, right?”

“Yeah, White Tiger Tower scum!”

While the White Tiger Tower wasn’t really at fault this time, the two Black Turtle Tower students cursed them anyway.

While this was happening, Lee Han explained his story to Yoner.

“…So while trying to solve that riddle, I ended up in the workshop, and since they said they’d pay me gold…”

“Wait a minute.”

Yoner, who had been listening, tilted her head.

Gainando, too, chimed in as if in agreement.

“No matter how important gold is, a place that works you so hard you can’t see your friends isn’t a good place. Right? That’s what you were going to say?”

“No.”

“…No?”

Yoner was puzzled because of that riddle.

‘It wasn’t about making a staff—it was like an actual riddle…?’

To Yoner, it really seemed like a riddle, no matter how she looked at it.

If her guess was right, it was a riddle about the moon.

She’d once heard Duke Ikaldoren obtained an ancient artifact imbued with lunar power after much difficulty and cherished it, so maybe that was what he was referring to.

But…

“Then what were you going to say?”

“…Never mind. It’s nothing.”

“What?”

Gainando grumbled, but Yoner kept her mouth shut.

The princess’s followers would probably know better anyway, so maybe it really wasn’t a riddle, and above all…

‘It’s too pitiful to tell him now.’

After all the trouble her friend had gone through, what would be the point in telling him he’d misunderstood?

Plus, Duke Ikaldoren had recognized the answer last time anyway. He likely respected the princess’s status, and would accept whatever answer was given.

So it would be fine this time, too.

“By the way, what about Professor Verdus?”

Lee Han asked about what he’d wondered on the way back.

Knowing Professor Verdus, if he didn’t show, she’d have kicked up a huge fuss, but oddly, she’d been quiet.

A silence that was even more worrying.

“She went out.”

“She went out?”

Lee Han was surprised.

“Did you ask where she was going?”

“How could I do that?”

Nillia asked, dumbfounded.

They should just be grateful that Professor Verdus left, not ask where she was going and risk her coming back.

Lee Han saw the logic in Nillia’s words.

‘Yeah, that’s true.’

“Even so, it’s a relief. Now all the professors have left.”

At Ratford’s words, Lee Han replied with a wistful voice.

“Other professors could visit, too.”

“Don’t be ridic—”

“Is student Lee Han here?”

“……”

Ratford turned his head and looked out the window.

A large troll half-blood professor was standing politely at the front door.

“See?”

Lee Han wasn’t surprised or angry. Ratford whispered urgently.

“Should I say you’re not here?”

“It probably won’t work. Since the professor showed up right when I arrived, they likely got information from somewhere.”

“T-there’s no way…”

“Even Professor Garcia?!”

Nillia spoke with utter betrayal.

She hadn’t expected even Professor Garcia would visit and trouble students during vacation.

“Nillia, all the professors are the same. Don’t be too disappointed.”

“Still! I trusted Professor Garcia!”

• * *

“I came to block the other professors from coming and troubling you, since there were rumors about that. I’m glad Professor Verdus understood and left.”

“……”

“……”

“Waaah! Professor Garcia!”

Nillia broke down in repentant tears and hugged Professor Garcia. Professor Garcia, flustered, looked at the other students.

“What is going on…?”

“It’s nothing. Thank you for coming, Professor Garcia.”

Lee Han bowed his head sincerely.

How could he have doubted a professor like this?

He was completely disgusted with himself.

‘Have I lost my conscience dealing with professors?’

“But is it true you won’t make us do anything?”

Gainando asked suspiciously.

Unlike the other friends, Gainando was still wary.

Every professor they’d met had dragged Lee Han off for extra lessons, so it was only fair.

Even Professor Garcia could have softened them up before spiriting Lee Han away.

“You! How can you be so rude to Professor Garcia!”

“What if Professor Garcia kidnaps Lee Han and runs off!”

“……”

Watching the students finger-point and bicker, Professor Garcia’s head began to ache.

Just how badly had the other professors run wild at the Wardanaz residence for the students to be like this?

‘It’s the principal’s fault, really!’

It wasn’t wrong for the principal to tell them where a student was staying on vacation, but, the more she thought about it, the more it was clear the skull principal had evil intentions.

Professors had come by one after another, turning the residence upside down.

Even Professor Verdus had done so.

When Professor Garcia finally finished her backlog of work and arrived, she found Verdus had turned the guest room into her own workshop.

It had taken much coaxing to get Professor Verdus to leave…

“I really don’t plan to make you do anything.”

“Sounds like a lie.”

At Gainando’s blunt words, Lee Han thought to himself.

‘Honestly, same for me.’

A professor not planning to make them do anything? Such a transcendent concept was hard for Lee Han’s mind to accept.

“I just want you to rest a bit, Lee Han. Do as you wish. Before all the professors started bugging you, what did you plan to do?”

“Earn som—”

Before Lee Han could mention working, Yoner poked his thigh.

If he told the truth, Professor Garcia would just worry more.

-Talk about something related to rest!

-I see!

Lee Han caught on to Yoner’s intent.

-…Wait, what’s a restful activity?

-……

While Yoner could answer anything on magic or work, from anywhere, on the subject of rest, she was nearly in tears, her mind blank.

-What about saying you’re out shopping?

-Not bad.

“I was thinking of going around the shopping streets and buying a few things.”

At Lee Han’s model answer, Professor Garcia’s face brightened.

‘Thank goodness!’

At least Lee Han had some idea of what to do for a break.

“Don’t tell me it’s magician cards?!”

“No. It’s not.”