Episode 553

“Isn’t this a bit… dangerous?”

Lee Han trailed off, not wanting to contract with the opponent.

The other party didn’t seem eager to contract with Lee Han either.

It glared at him fiercely, flickering in an amorphous form.

For now, it was submitting because it had been beaten, but as soon as the chance arose, it would stab you in the back!

…Or at least, that’s how it felt.

And Lee Han didn’t particularly want to get buddy-buddy with the being he had just stabbed repeatedly with a lightning spear.

“Huh?”

Priest Siana looked puzzled by Lee Han’s words.

“It’s dangerous. Just look at what it did—breaking out and causing havoc in the forest.”

Ellendil looked miserable and jumped to defend the spirit.

“It’s not a mean-spirited creature. It was made artificially, so it doesn’t have goodness or evil to begin with…”

Yoner, listening from the side, didn’t quite get it.

“But it broke out, didn’t it?”

“It went berserk because too much dark element was injected… Now it’s come to its senses…”

“……”

“……”

Yoner felt a slight drop in his respect for the senior.

“But Wardanaz.”

Despite the explanation, Priest Siana still looked puzzled.

“I thought you liked dangerous things?”

“…I don’t!?”

Lee Han looked at Priest Siana in shock.

Why on earth would she think something so ridiculous?

Was this the work of those White Tiger Tower punks?

“Well, you keep a basilisk wrapped around your wrist, so I thought maybe you liked dangerous familiars…”

“Basilisk?”

Ellendil doubted his ears and asked again.

A basilisk was not a monster a first-year student should ever be carrying around.

If a first-year had one, they were either crazy or truly extraordinary in skill.

No—maybe both.

“What are you talking about, Priest Siana? The senior’s going to misunderstand.”

Lee Han hurriedly covered Priest Siana’s mouth.

Among alchemists, a basilisk was a much coveted venom generator, so no matter how kind the senior seemed, Lee Han didn’t let his guard down.

‘Yoner.’

‘I got it.’

Yoner quickly covered Priest Siana’s mouth and whispered,

“The basilisk is kind of a special case. Lee Han doesn’t actually like dangerous stuff.”

The basilisk in Lee Han’s sleeve let out a mournful cry.

“Senior, why don’t you make the contract?”

Lee Han quickly changed the subject, turning the attention toward the senior.

It was obvious that Ellendil treasured this dark spirit greatly.

And after all, he had created and raised it himself, so attachment was natural.

On top of that (unlike Lee Han), he was actually friendly with spirits…

“It’s not possible for me.”

The dryad-mixed senior looked dejected.

“I’ve tried over and over, but it just won’t contract with me.”

“Oh.”

Yoner and Priest Siana had thoughts passing through their minds at the same time, but decided to let them be unsaid.

“Hm.”

Lee Han was about to ask, “Want to try stabbing it with a spear?” but stopped, remembering how angry Ellendil had gotten earlier.

Come to think of it, for someone who could bind a dark spirit with trees instantly, Lee Han could easily be wrapped up like that too.

“It’s really a great spirit.”

“Yes…”

“Dark spirits are among the rarest of spirits, did you know?”

“Yes…”

“Originally…”

Ellendil continued wistfully about how dark spirits were so rare and useful, and how raising one had filled him with pride and wonder, and how if left alone now it would just return to its original dimension, which made him sad to think about.

“…Then I’ll just contract with it. I’ll do it now.”

“Really? Thank you!”

Ellendil was deeply moved.

He truly had a very kind junior.

• * *

Once he accepted the symbol, the dark spirit’s form stabilized.

It became a sphere about the size of a small rock.

Ellendil, standing beside him, had tears in his eyes.

“Be happy.”

“……”

Lee Han felt extremely awkward.

“If only I’d done better…”

“I’ll summon it for you if we meet again.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Ellendil clasped Lee Han’s hand with teary eyes.

“You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met.”

“But, senior, isn’t that spirit glaring at me?”

Even though it was just a faceless sphere, Lee Han could clearly feel the dark spirit aiming at him.

Ellendil closed his eyes, as if having a conversation with the spirit, nodding with “Mmm, mmm” sounds.

“No.”

“No?”

“It says thank you for making it come to its senses.”

“……”

Lee Han looked at Ellendil very skeptically.

If it weren’t his senior, “Don’t lie,” would have come right out of his mouth.

‘No matter how you look at it, that’s not a grateful attitude.’

The prickling sensation on his back and neck was oppressively intense, like Gainando after missing snacks for three days.

“Isn’t it like those White Tiger Tower kids?”

Yoner whispered cautiously.

“White Tiger Tower?”

“They say thank you even when they get hit.”

“…No, hey now. Someone might misunderstand if they overhear.”

Lee Han hurriedly silenced Yoner.

But he understood what was meant.

-Hey, don’t doze off. I said don’t doze off, you brat.

-Agh!

-I don’t want to attack you either, you know? Don’t doze off. Why are you on that same page again?

-Kugh…

-Don’t tell me you’re angry at me right now, the one helping you study?

-No, I’m grateful.

…Just like White Tiger Tower students, even while grinding their teeth, a dark spirit could say, “Thank you for helping me come to my senses.”

‘All the more reason I don’t like this.’

No matter how useful and rare, Lee Han resolved never to summon the dark spirit unless he absolutely had to.

Tap tap—

“?”

The squirrel spirit tapped Lee Han’s shoulder and pointed beside him.

Light and a stirring, pure aura began to circle where the spirits had fled earlier.

Lee Han suddenly felt a sense of foreboding from that energy.

“…Senior Ellendil, who’s close to spirits? What’s happening over there?”

“The spirits are going back to their homes.”

Ellendil replied with a voice filled with gentle emotion.

Normally, spirits summoned from other dimensions rarely went back on their own.

Most would only return after expending their strength, often causing conflict in the process. If it could be resolved by persuasion, that was a relief.

But now, without anyone leading, all the spirits seemed satisfied and were trying to return to their own dimensions.

Expressing their gratitude to the magicians who had risked their lives to help.

Like raindrops, the special light the spirits gave off fell from the sky in sparkling beads.

“It’s beautiful…”

“Truly.”

Priest Siana and Yoner blinked, overwhelmed by the radiant symphony of nature the spirits wove.

It was a rare sight, only possible by moving a spirit’s heart, rather than through conflict or negotiation.

Seeing it all made the day’s hardships feel worthwhile at last.

Fwaaaaaaaaaaash!

The last spirit expressed its thanks and vanished beyond to another dimension.

The light droplets flickered out, and the forest returned to its original state.

Priest Siana, Yoner, and Ellendil each inhaled deeply the light the spirits left behind.

It was as though their whole bodies filled with the spirits’ energy.

Thud!

A sound of someone collapsing came from the side.

Startled, Yoner looked over.

Lee Han—crushed—was kneeling on the ground.

“……”

“……”

He looked so utterly devastated, Yoner couldn’t bring himself to say a word.

Tap tap—

The squirrel spirit and basilisk consoled Lee Han, reminding him of their presence.

• * *

Having captured all the impudent students, Professor Thunderstep returned to his original place.

Of course, the first-year students were nowhere to be seen.

Had it been anyone else, he would have panicked and started searching.

Normally, just coming this deep into the forest would’ve been hazardous, not to mention with abominations running wild.

But Professor Thunderstep remained calm.

Because Wardanaz was among their party.

‘He must’ve gotten impatient and moved ahead. That rash fellow.’

Professor Thunderstep followed their traces.

“Hey, you rascals! Why’d you go on without… Why is Wardanaz like that?”

“Professor. The spirits have returned.”

“What?! Such good fortune…!”

Professor Thunderstep was astonished.

When you truly touched a spirit’s heart and sent them off, spirit gratitude would always be repaid someday.

Of course, because satisfying such capricious beings from another dimension wasn’t easy, it was a very rare event for this to happen as it did today.

“You’re all really lucky!”

“Pr-Professor.”

“Wardanaz is…”

Yoner and Priest Siana tried to interrupt Professor Thunderstep’s oblivious comments for Lee Han’s sake.

But Professor Thunderstep pressed on regardless.

“It’s something you might only see once in ten years. No wonder the air is thick with the scent of spirits… This will be a huge benefit for you all. Spirits don’t forget kindnesses, after all.”

“Professor. Professor.”

“??”

Only then did Professor Thunderstep notice Yoner gesturing toward Lee Han.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“The spirits went back.”

“What do you… Ah!”

Only then did the dwarf professor remember why Lee Han had gone through all this today.

After all that trouble, the spirits left after all.

He looked so heartbroken from behind that Professor Thunderstep was lost for words.

“So… how did you manage to impress the spirits?”

“We subdued the troublesome artificial spirit and made it submit.”

“Who???”

Yoner pointed to Lee Han again.

Professor Thunderstep was truly shocked.

He’d heard from the other students earlier, but the rampaging artificial spirit was no easy opponent.

The spirit itself had only just been born, but wasn’t it rampaging from elemental overload?

Even if you’re eager to win the spirits’ approval, to risk your life on something like that…

“You caught it???!!”

“The senior helped too, but…”

“?”

Only then did the professor notice Ellendil.

That diligent student was busy healing the damaged trees and plants nearby.

“…Ellendil.”

“Ah, Professor.”

Ellendil, finally noticing Professor Thunderstep’s arrival, wiped his brow.

“You’re here?”

“Do you have nothing to say about what happened here?”

“I’m sorry…”

Ellendil bowed his head.

Watching his student with a complex mix of feelings, Professor Thunderstep sighed once before speaking.

“…Fine. If you’re sorry, that’s enough. I know you meant well. Don’t do it again next time.”

“?!”

Yoner was shocked.

Wasn’t this the person who was raging earlier about making the other seniors take responsibility, yet with Senior Ellendil…?

“Why?”

Sensing Yoner’s gaze, Professor Thunderstep asked.

“Uh, did you forgive the other seniors too?”

“What kind of nonsense is that? Punishment room, obviously.”

“Then shouldn’t Senior Ellendil go to the punishment room too?”

“No.”

“…?”

Understanding the first-year’s confusion, Professor Thunderstep awkwardly explained.

“Ellendil does so much work every day, he can’t go to the punishment room.”

Ellendil, who spent more time in the forest than in the school building, was among Professor Thunderstep’s most diligent students.

If a student like that went to the punishment room, who would tend the forest?

“Of course, it’s not that I’m keeping him out just for my own convenience. It’s because I respect all the work he does.”

“Oh, right.”

Yoner didn’t believe it but just nodded.

Then he looked at Lee Han.

“…Does that mean Lee Han can’t go to the punishment room now either?”

“What are you talking about.”

Professor Thunderstep snorted.

Then he paused to think.

A moment later.

“…Maybe not…”

“……”