Episode 427

Upon seeing Lee Han, who got stuck on -Latent Heat Bestowal- despite already mastering harder spells like -Truth Light Bestowal- and -Purity Bestowal-, his friends were at a loss for how to advise him and felt bewildered.

But as expected, Professor Verdus was different, being a professor. He immediately grasped the situation and gave skilled advice.

“Relax! Dummy!”

“……”

Salko grew slightly expectant upon seeing Lee Han clench his fist.

‘Could he really hit the professor? No way, no matter what… But if it’s Wardanaz… he might actually do it.’

“Mana doesn’t go in or out that easily, does it.”

“You can, uh… do it easily.”

“It’s not that difficult… ah.”

The friends, who answered absentmindedly from the side, glanced about sheepishly and lowered their heads.

If you didn’t have much mana, controlling your mana amount wasn’t all that hard.

Honestly, increasing mana was a lot harder than decreasing it…

“Good grief. Guess I have no choice. I’ll help. Here. Try again. Relax.”

“No, it’s okay. I can practice by myself.”

Lee Han meant it sincerely.

Honestly, practicing alone seemed better than having Professor Verdus help.

“No, Gonadaltes told me to look after you a bit.”

“This isn’t looking after me, though?”

“No, it is.”

“I think you don’t know the meaning of ‘looking after.’”

“I know it well. Here, I’ll help! Relax! Now, reduce the mana by about… 1/14th!”

“How do I do that?”

“Just by feel!”

“……”

• * *

In the end, Lee Han couldn’t fully master just -Latent Heat Bestowal- (the friends who took his time felt sorry as if it was their fault).

But in Lee Han’s view, it wasn’t the friends taking away his time but Professor Verdus being a constant distraction by his side.

Without Professor Verdus, Lee Han really could have mastered everything within the class time.

“…So that’s why I didn’t master it all. Seriously, it was because of Professor Verdus.”

“…Is… is that so?”

Tijilling Priest looked at Lee Han in bewilderment.

She had just politely asked ‘How was today’s class?’ as a greeting, and hadn’t expected such a long answer.

“But Wardanaz, as far as I know, those kinds of spells aren’t meant to be learned all in one go, but rather over several sessions, right…?”

“That’s true.”

“Then isn’t there no need to be so nervous about it?”

“That’s not it. If you get complacent because there’s plenty of time, your friends might get ahead of you.”

“?”

Tijilling Priest, who was stirring a steaming beef stew, paused with the ladle and tilted her head.

“I heard other students only practiced one spell today, though?”

Because of the difficulty, all the students chose just one spell to focus on and polish.

“They did.”

“Then how do you get overtaken?”

“If someone suddenly masters it and learns another spell, or practices while I’m at a different class. And if several people do that, before long I’ll drop from A to B. It happens more than you’d think, Tijilling Priest.”

“…?????”

Tijilling Priest wondered if Lee Han was joking and she just didn’t get his sense of humor.

But Lee Han’s face was completely serious as he chopped ingredients.

“…I… I see.”

Tijilling Priest didn’t really care about grades much, so she couldn’t really relate, but decided to accept it for now.

“Oh right. I don’t think I’ll be able to help with chores today.”

“You’re not even on duty…”

Lee Han’s turn had already come and gone, and it was the other priests’ turn, but Lee Han still helped.

Not because the priests were more dutiful or cuter than the Blue Dragon Tower students (although that was true), but for a more practical reason.

When Lee Han wasn’t there, the priests kept fighting.

-I didn’t expect you to succeed at White Flame transformation so quickly. Hmph… thinking about it, it was silly to worry. There’s no way Afha would neglect a devotee like Wardanaz. Even now, looking back…

-…Nigisor Priest. Do you really have to boast in front of everyone right now?

Lee Han had never considered the Phoenix Tower priests could be troublesome.

But it was surprisingly possible.

When excited, the priests were actually trickier than the Blue Dragon Tower students.

They didn’t know you were supposed to consider place and time before bragging!

Having never bragged, they would boast loudly in front of priests from other orders who hadn’t even awakened their divine magic yet, and those priests, being unaccustomed to being bragged to, would get riled up and challenge each other to doctrinal debates…

“Still, I’m glad some priests have started to be more mindful when they brag in public.”

At Lee Han’s words, Tijilling Priest looked embarrassed.

Priests sent to represent major orders of the Empire, and yet this was so shameful.

“But Tijilling Priest, aren’t you going to teach us anything about the Prisinga Order? It’s your turn, after all.”

“That’s not really how I was taught… My guess is, if Prisinga has something to give, she’d choose her own time. Do you want more curses?”

“No, that’s not it.”

Lee Han denied it right away.

He wouldn’t mind more mana-related curses, but other curses would be a serious problem.

Tijilling Priest, apparently not expecting much, accepted it calmly.

“Honestly, you’re already carrying too many curses as it is.”

‘I’d forgotten.’

The mana-related curses were so meaningless that he honestly forgot they even existed.

The point of the Prisinga order was to endure such curses on your body as an ascetic, but it was to the point that it felt pointless even so.

“If you’re not on chores today, do you have other plans?”

“That’s right.”

Tijilling Priest closed his eyes as if trying to guess.

“Are you meeting with the principal for instruction?”

“…No way?!”

A one-on-one with the principal after dinner break?

Lee Han was appalled.

“I don’t get lectures after dinner! No matter what! It’s free time!”

“Pardon? Oh, I just thought you liked that sort of thing.”

“……”

Lee Han was doubly appalled.

“Then, Professor Verdus…”

“Absolutely not, I’m just going for a walk around the school.”

“Oh, I see.”

Tijilling Priest nodded while moving the finished stew.

Wait a minute?

“But aren’t walks forbidden after dinner?”

“Yeah. I’m sneaking out.”

“……”

Seeing how Lee Han declared “sneaking out” as naturally as breathing, Tijilling Priest debated whether to say something or not.

In any case, the other tower students also snuck out, so stopping him seemed meaningless.

“The principal has increased the patrols, so our routes out are closing off. I need to find some new ones in advance.”

“None of what you just said makes sense to me… Ah. I have a good idea.”

“?”

“Why not go out with our tower’s priests?”

Priests were, by default, allowed out after dinner for prayer or rituals.

That’s why Lee Han had once borrowed a priest’s robe.

Of course, he’d later switched to invisible magic because it was more convenient, but…

“If you’re among the priests, no one will doubt you.”

“But is it really right to use faith for that sort of thing?”

“You’re asking that now…”

Tijilling Priest looked at Lee Han as if suddenly baffled. That gentle gaze stung a bit more than usual.

‘I’d better try looking a bit more devout from now on.’

“Okay. If you’ll come with me, I’d appreciate it. Honestly, it’s best to go with a group when walking at night.”

“Is that so? Why?”

“That way, with some people up front and some in back, it’s easier to respond when something happens.”

Lee Han didn’t say aloud that, in case of emergency, someone might need to act as a decoy to draw attention.

He was afraid that Tijilling Priest might give him a look of contempt.

“It’s best to divide up the roles.”

“Do you divide by magic?”

“No. More like, someone as key or trap expert and someone who should take the hit if something happens…”

Lee Han changed the subject as it was getting a bit too blatant.

“Anyway, it’s just better to have a group, so I’d appreciate it. Wait, but is it okay to call priests who aren’t on duty? Will they understand?”

“No. They wouldn’t. So you’d better ask Nigisor and Siana.”

“Tijilling Priest, you’re not mad at your friends, are you?”

• * *

The good thing about going out with Nigisor and Siana is that there were no other priests in the lounge to glare at them even if they started bragging to each other.

With every step, the two discussed how marvelous and miraculous their faith was.

Instead of looking at the dark hallways ahead, Lee Han watched Tijilling Priest’s reaction.

‘Shouldn’t have brought these guys, maybe.’

-We’ve been caught, run!!!

-You run first!

-Guh! I’ll remember you!

Faint, familiar voices echoed from somewhere in the distance. It seemed other tower students were wandering and had been caught.

“Good evening.”

But the priests didn’t run. Bowing politely as they passed, even the Death Knight in the hallway bowed back and walked on.

‘Guess it really works.’

One priest might be suspicious, but a group of priests walking together would be assumed to be looking for a place to pray.

Lee Han even briefly wondered if he could pass through the front gate disguised as a priest.

‘No, that’s a bit much.’

Tap—

Fortunately, luck was on their side today.

Except for the spinning stairs and the illusions of lava traps, there were no obstacles on the way to the third floor of the main building.

“Huff… huff…”

“Did you see that illusion? Did you SEE IT?!?!”

Nigisor and Siana, sweating, wore frightened faces.

Lee Han, unconcerned, said with relief,

“Today’s a really lucky day. There were only these traps!”

“……”

“……”

The two priests looked at Lee Han as if he were insane, but Lee Han, focused up front, didn’t notice and kept talking.

“Those who go for night walks love the main building’s third floor. The second floor is safer but there’s less to find. The third floor has so much more. Last time, Salko said he and some friends found a room in the corner of the third floor filled with canned food. Can you believe it? A room filled with canned food!”

“I’ve never seen Wardanaz this excited before,” Siana said with a hint of surprise.

He was always so earnest caring for the priests…

“I’ll cast Truth Light on your staves; if you spot anything, tell me right away.”

“Oh! Wardanaz, I think I found something. Isn’t this a fake wall?”

Siana pointed excitedly at a wall.

It was masterfully constructed, but it was a wall with a hidden door.

“Yeah. That’s a fake wall. But be careful if you go in—there’s an underpass behind it. Last time, two White Tiger Tower students couldn’t find their way back and ended up dragged to the punishment room.”

“……”

Siana recoiled in horror.

Just how many times has he gone out at night…!?

“And here, take this. It’s a simple map I made, trading info with students from other towers.”

“Th-thank you.”

“And if you see a place not marked on the map, stop and stand still, no matter what. Last time, someone saw a manticore, but it was just an illusion. Anything medium-sized or bigger is almost certainly a hallucination. Stay put; resistance is pointless at that level anyway.”

Gradually, Nigisor and Tijilling priests began to grow truly terrified.