Episode 448

‘This is bad.’

Deep wrinkles formed on Lee Han’s forehead.

The test question was harder than he’d expected.

In truth, the part about -Boltzmann’s Calling- was fine.

Few students knew as much about this festival as Lee Han.

Having prepared the most, running here and there, he perfectly grasped how everything went.

The problem was the part about what he needed to improve.

What magical shortcomings had he felt during this festival?

‘Honestly, how could I possibly go any further from here?’

He’d done his best with the paper birds, operated golems, and even demonstrated unnecessary black magic.

Lee Han seriously couldn’t think of any way to improve his magic from here.

To advance any further would be fourth- or fifth-year territory.

But to write honestly…

‘Yeah, that doesn’t seem right.’

Professor Millei had said to write sincerely, but Lee Han wasn’t so naïve as to believe every word his professor said.

No professor would look kindly on a student who wrote in their report, ‘I was so amazing there’s nothing left for me to improve.’

‘I have to squeeze something out somehow!’

Lee Han racked his brain desperately.

Even if it was impossible to master more at his current level, he had to find a plausible goal to dress up his answer.

‘That’s odd. What’s up with Wardanaz?’

From his seat behind Lee Han, Salko found his behavior strange.

If it were a student who’d prepared poorly, maybe. But Lee Han had taken on more duties than anyone else.

To think Lee Han would struggle with just writing a report like this.

‘Did I miss something?’

Salko checked over his own report carefully.

Outwardly, there didn’t seem to be a problem, but looking again, some parts did seem too casually written.

‘Can’t be helped. Time to rewrite.’

Scratch scratch—

As Lee Han didn’t finish writing, the students seated around him glanced at him and silently started rewriting as well.

Seeing this, Professor Millei raised his eyebrows.

‘The festival report isn’t supposed to be that difficult, is it?’

What on earth?

• * *

After the test ended and the students left the classroom, Professor Millei immediately began to check the reports.

Normally, he would have taken care of other things first, but today was different.

The students had struggled, rewriting and redoing their work.

Even the top students gifted in summoning magic acted that way, so strict Professor Millei couldn’t help but feel curious.

“Hmmm…”

Professor Millei raised his monocle slightly and focused on the reports.

During this Boltzmann’s Calling festival, I realized that even among the same summoning magic, there are countless branches and corresponding possibilities that exist. The spells of senior magicians who walked the summoning path before me showed me how to make up for my own shortcomings, serving as signposts…

‘Good.’

A smile played around Professor Millei’s lips.

It seemed this student had thought deeply, not just enjoyed the festival.

…After seeing Wardanaz’s magic, I realized golems can be utilized that way. I also intend to try using golems like that…

‘…No.’

Professor Millei muttered under his breath unconsciously.

Of course, challenging oneself is good, but there are some undertakings that anyone can see are hopeless.

And trying to use golems for chores was closer to the latter.

Professor Millei hoped this student would realize and step back or else gain a personal epiphany from the experience.

…After seeing Wardanaz’s magic, I realized that double-majoring in enchantment and black magic makes summoning much stronger. I intend to take some enchantment and black magic courses in the second year…

‘This isn’t it either…’

Professor Millei’s head throbbed a little.

Majoring in multiple paths might look flashy on the surface, but if not handled properly it was a dangerous path that could lead to a mage’s soul collapsing.

The professor sincerely hoped this student would keep things in moderation.

Tap.

Aside from a few unexpected contents, the reports were generally high in quality.

This was far superior to what Professor Millei had expected.

‘It must be because these outstanding students sharpened each other.’

Professor Millei closed his eyes and was pleased at the students’ accomplishments.

Comparing different class years was unprofessional as a professor, but it was undeniable that this year’s first-years were among the best he’d taught.

Clearly, students like Lee Han Wardanaz figured into that result.

True, the other students had only gotten nervous after seeing Lee Han struggle and ended up making unnecessary efforts, but there was no way Professor Millei could know all those circumstances.

Professor Millei unfolded Lee Han’s report. Seeing the meticulous content, his eyes sparkled with renewed satisfaction.

Any scholarly mage knows the joy of reading a report of this quality.

Not only were the festival’s events recorded by exact time and place, with introduction, the magic used and results, reflection—everything was polished…

Thus, I realized that I still have shortcomings in various areas…

‘?’

Therefore, before anything else, I intend to increase the number of undead I can summon and control. Of course, while focusing on quantity, I mustn’t neglect quality, so I also intend to maintain the strength of each unit. On another front, I’ll further improve the paper birds, raising their current lack of durability… (abridged) combining transformation magic… (abridged) directly developing the golems as well…

‘????’

Professor Millei’s composed face crumbled. He blinked and reread again and again. But the content didn’t change.

His expression grew serious.

‘Shouldn’t I try to stop him…?’

Professor Millei was normally not one to meddle in students’ choices; even if they failed, he believed there was value in what they’d learn.

But this report was rather serious.

No matter how you looked at it, these weren’t goals a first-year should be tackling.

He agonized over whether to call Lee Han in for a private talk, but eventually made up his mind.

‘No.’

If it were any other student, he’d have brought them in, but Wardanaz was the exception.

With Wardanaz, he was sure the student only set such goals because he was confident he could do it.

Professor Millei had no intention of becoming the clueless teacher who hindered a genius student from reaching new heights.

‘I’ll just let the other professors know.’

Professor Millei might be strict and not prone to emotional displays, but that didn’t mean he didn’t care for his students.

If the other professors knew of Wardanaz’s goals, they would surely support him behind the scenes.

• * *

“Phew.”

Lee Han let out a sigh of relief.

He had just run into Professor Millei in the hallway, who told him with a single word that he’d earned a perfect score.

‘It was worth setting higher goals.’

At first, while writing the report, Lee Han had wondered, ‘Can I really set my goals this high?’ but once he started, he felt he could pull it off.

After all, just because he wrote it in the report, didn’t mean he had to actually do it all.

And Professor Millei wasn’t the skeleton principal, so it wasn’t as if he’d go back in time and cut his grade for not completing everything.

“Are you Wardanaz?”

“…?!”

Lee Han was startled.

Not because the other person was walking atop the water—Professor Millei had done that too earlier.

What startled him was that the person in front of him was his senior.

‘What’s going on? A third-year? Are third-years even allowed to show themselves to first-years? Is this some trick of the skeleton principal?’

“Tall. Chiseled, handsome face. Huge magical reserves…”

With that, the senior took out a small monocle and tried to see through Lee Han.

Crash!

The monocle instantly shattered. The senior wasn’t surprised and nodded.

“Seems right. You’re Wardanaz, aren’t you?”

“That’s right. What brings you to me?”

“I’m Anpagon. I’ll be overseeing this enchantment magic test on behalf of Professor Verdus. I’m counting on you.”

“…Ah ha!”

Lee Han quickly pieced together the situation even with that brief statement.

So in other words…

‘In the end, the skeleton principal locked up Professor Verdus!’

Given the kinds of things Professor Verdus usually did, there was no way the skeleton principal would have let it slide.

Regardless of what the professor argued, he was almost certainly locked up in the punishment room for “reflection.”

Even if there was special consideration for midterms, Professor Verdus wouldn’t care, so naturally neither would the skeleton principal.

Thanks to that, they needed a substitute to prepare the midterm for Professor Verdus’s class, and it was up to his student.

“…?”

Having figured things out, Lee Han tilted his head.

“But why did you come to me?”

“Because I have to prepare with you.”

“…Pardon?”

Lee Han doubted his ears.

Einrogard was full of unbelievable things.

Whether it was raising basilisks for students to fight, or having first-years take the same exams as second-years…

But being asked to help prepare the exam made even less sense.

“Why would I…? Who decided that?”

“The principal and Professor Verdus.”

“So how am I being graded?”

“You already got full marks.”

Anpagon pulled out a letter and handed it to Lee Han.

Get me out of here!!!!!

-Verdus

“…???”

“Look at the back, not the front.”

Lee Han flipped the letter over.

Due to Professor Verdus’ circumstances, I am assigning you, Anpagon, to prepare the first-year exam. If you slack off, I’ll cancel the experimental permissions I granted last time. To prevent you from slacking off and claiming you did your best, I’ll assign a first-year student to help you. Since that student already has a perfect score, there’s no need to worry if he doesn’t really take the test. Of course, I don’t expect you to care any more than Professor Verdus does.

-Osu Gonadaltes

“…N-no. That’s too much.”

“Is it?”

Anpagon didn’t get angry or argue. He only calmly asked again, as if quickly assessing the current situation.

“Yes. No matter how hard I try, I simply don’t have the skill yet to design a test to evaluate my peers’ abilities.”

“I’m the one making the exam.”

Anpagon looked at Lee Han as if to ask what nonsense he was spouting.

“You’re just my assistant.”

“…Ah!”

Lee Han exclaimed.

Come to think of it, there’s no way even Einrogard would ask a first-year to write up an exam.

‘Just helping and getting full marks? That’s a great deal.’

His expression quickly returned to normal as he said to the talented senior before him:

“I’ll do my utmost to assist you.”

“Thanks.”

But Anpagon was already thinking this junior was a bit strange.

• * *

Once he came to his senses, Lee Han realized this situation was a better opportunity than he’d thought.

There weren’t many chances to talk to seniors at Einrogard.

“May I ask you a few things, senior?”

“Sure.”

“Are you learning under Professor Verdus?”

“Yeah.”

“Does the professor teach well?”

“No.”

Anpagon answered without a moment’s thought.

Lee Han was impressed.

‘Like professor, like student indeed.’

If Professor Verdus’s student had said, “He teaches well,” Lee Han would have been even more surprised.

“So how do you learn enchantment, then?”

“Books, practice, and experiments. The professor is basically useless. Magic, by its nature, is something you have to learn on your own anyway.”

Declaring his professor useless instantly made Anpagon more likable in Lee Han’s view.

Though he didn’t realize it himself.

“Isn’t it difficult having to prepare the test at the last minute?”

“Not really. I just want to get it over with and work on my own experiments.”

“By the way, do you know exactly where Professor Verdus is locked up?”

“How would I know? I don’t care.”

“……”

Lee Han smiled.

If nothing else, the atmosphere among Professor Verdus’s students seemed quite nice.

‘This atmosphere of mutual unconcern. It’s the best.’