Episode 660

But Professor Voladi didn’t seem to care much.

He’d realized what Lee Han meant.

“Doesn’t seem like a good fit, huh.”

“?”

Lee Han didn’t get what the professor meant.

‘Is there anyone for whom Professor Baegrek’s class is a good fit?’

No matter how big the Empire was, it was hard to imagine anyone who would “suit” Professor Voladi’s class.

“What do you mean by fit, sir?”

“Isn’t it because your junior’s frail? You did well to hold him back.”

Professor Voladi praised Lee Han.

Einrogard’s lectures could be harsh, and students who weren’t ready or lacked ability often got weeded out.

In Voladi’s view, his own class was in that category. He hadn’t had a disciple in a very long time, after all.

So Lee Han carefully checking before bringing his junior to class was a good thing—he was already fulfilling his responsibilities as a senior quite well.

“For new students who want to join my lecture, I’ll leave it to you. If they’re not ready, send them away.”

“…No, wait…”

The notion was so absurd, Lee Han didn’t even know how to respond.

‘You’re not in a position to turn people away, are you?’

At present, wasn’t Lee Han the only one actually studying battle magic theory from Voladi (if it could even be called a “school”)?

This was the time to realize the situation and revise your curriculum for underclassmen, maybe even go easier on Lee Han too…

Otherwise, you’d get zero students again this year.

The only positive part was that you could claim a 100% increase in enrollment if you brought just one student.

“It’s not really the time to send people away—”

“Rrr!”

“…Why are you acting up, now?”

When his junior bristled and growled, Lee Han covered his face with his hand.

It was bad enough being bothered by a professor—now even his junior?

“I’m not weak!”

Eandurde barked fiercely at Professor Voladi. Being called frail had clearly stung his pride.

The huffing gorgon hybrid glared at Lee Han, as if asking for support.

But Lee Han was merciless.

“Junior. You are weak.”

“?!”

“You’re weak, so hurry up and apologize. Go on.”

Lee Han was genuinely saying this for his junior’s sake.

What would be gained if Eandurde tried to prove he was actually tough or a fighting prodigy?

The only outcome would be Voladi’s class doubling its student body—nothing else.

Everyone except the professor would be miserable.

But the clueless junior, not understanding Lee Han’s intentions, showed a face full of betrayal.

“I’m not weak!”

“Hey…”

“I’ll prove it!”

“HEY!”

Lee Han was shocked.

Eandurde had lunged at Professor Voladi!

‘I failed in my education!’

He’d told Eandurde never to mess with the skeleton principal, but he should have been even clearer about not attacking Voladi!

Eandurde charged down the toyshop aisle, crouching low.

For opponents adept at ranged attacks, narrowing your profile and making it hard to target was key.

At the same time, his cloak flared out—simple, but in a confined space, perfect for blocking line of sight.

Professor Voladi lightly stomped his foot. The shop’s space stretched, and suddenly Eandurde found himself alone in a wide area where the aisle had been. He’d hoped to use the environment, and panicked.

Even so, Eandurde didn’t stop. He tried to circle into Professor Voladi’s blind spot, hidden behind his cloak, and attack.

“I’m stro—!”

In that instant, Eandurde was knocked sideways. An invisible telekinetic force, like a giant palm, had slapped him.

The casting speed was on a different level from any mage he’d seen before. Eandurde couldn’t even process what had happened.

“Junior! Seasoned battle mages cast at a completely different speed!”

Lee Han shouted from behind.

Fundamentally, mages learned magic for the pursuit of truth—not for winning in battle.

Look at the Baldrogard students: there were plenty whose casting speed was slow or who failed spells regularly.

In safe circumstances, you could just try again—so it wasn’t a big deal.

But battle mages, in tense, dangerous situations, had to cast faster than anyone else.

They didn’t care about complex, impressive spells—only about quick, reliable ones.

And Professor Voladi was the perfect embodiment of battle mage philosophy. No wonder Eandurde was flattened before he could react.

‘So hurry up and say sorry, then get out!’

Lee Han locked eyes with his junior, trying to communicate this.

But Eandurde seemed to misunderstand.

He beamed and gestured to Lee Han—a signal for a pincer attack if anyone ever saw one.

“Oh no, I mean FALL BACK—”

Even before he could finish, Lee Han felt a surge of dread and rolled aside.

Grace was the first thing you abandon as a battle mage.

Sure enough, an attack from Professor Voladi came right at him. The professor clearly believed Lee Han planned to join the junior in a joint assault.

‘What an unfair accusation!’

“Waaaah!”

Because Lee Han dodged, Gainando got nailed by the attack and was left hanging upside-down. But even as his friend suffered, Lee Han focused.

Lose concentration in magical combat, and it was over—no matter what happened to your friends, you had to focus.

“Lee Han! I’m dangling! Lee Han!”

“Become swift as the wind!”

No time to prepare more spells. Lee Han quickly cast an enhancement spell on his junior, then rushed ahead.

Closing the distance looked foolish, but it was right this time. If he dodged from a distance, he’d just be a sandbag.

‘I’ve already prepped precognition and quick feet. Next…!’

Lee Han quickly cycled through the spells he’d learned, searching for something that might catch Professor Voladi by surprise.

Music magic was too slow. But—

‘A pocket watch. I’ve got the pocket watch!’

Before he finished the thought, spheres of concentrated mana rained down like a storm.

Professor Voladi had no intention of giving a high-mana student like Lee Han any time to act.

Realizing he was half a beat too slow, Lee Han braced himself to endure the hit physically.

Thanks to harsh sword training, he could do it. Mana surged through his body and his cloak flared.

WHAM!

The defensive cloak from Arsil sensed hostility and deflected the attack. The spheres ricocheted in all directions.

Lee Han almost teared up, moved by thoughts of his elder brother.

Professor Voladi wasn’t fazed at all.

Battle mages always counted enemy artifacts as a constant.

One of the three glyphs on Lee Han’s cloak flashed and dimmed; Professor Voladi realized the artifact was limited to three uses per day.

That meant—one more time.

The mana spheres poured down again. This time, Lee Han advanced.

‘He’s planning something.’

Professor Voladi sensed it in Lee Han’s approach.

Lee Han wasn’t the sort to slack off, even during break, so maybe he’d achieved some new skill.

“Kyahh!”

The gorgon hybrid rookie lunged, his speed hard to track, likely thanks to Lee Han’s enhancement spell.

At the same time, petrification flashed in his eyes.

Though usually forbidden, seeing Lee Han under attack by a mad mage had unleashed his wild side.

Professor Voladi didn’t try to block the evil eye or defend against the curse. He just closed his eyes and moved.

SLAM!

Eandurde was floored in a single hit, chained by polymorph magic, howling in frustration.

Meanwhile, Lee Han closed in.

Professor Voladi let Lee Han’s cloak use its last charge as a show of leniency, to see what his student had prepared.

A good teacher does let a student show what they’ve got.

Pop!

Lee Han suddenly accelerated unnaturally; Professor Voladi’s eyes flickered minutely.

He instinctively realized what spell Lee Han was using.

Suddenly, water spheres appeared everywhere, blocking Professor Voladi’s escape. Lee Han drove his staff, transformed into a spear of lightning, fiercely forward.

Professor Voladi certainly knew all Lee Han’s usual spells by heart, but by overplanning, he’d be more vulnerable to surprises!

But Professor Voladi slipped out of Lee Han’s trap with almost embarrassing ease.

“?!”

The trick was simple.

He accelerated time for himself as well.

‘…Damn it!’

Lee Han cursed Alsicle.

No matter how he looked at it, Professor Baegrek had to be a prime suspect for who made Lee Han’s pocket watch.

Watch that time magic at work!

Five fruitless seconds later, Lee Han realized he’d lost.

When the rebound from -Limited-Time Acceleration- slammed him, he dropped to one knee.

“…Defeated, Professor.”

It was his second time handling the rebound, so it was a bit more bearable.

“Well done.”

“Sir?”

Lee Han wondered why Professor Voladi was complimenting him.

Was he just putting on a show for the many onlookers?

But Professor Voladi pointed to his coat’s lapel.

There was a small tear and scorch mark—Lee Han’s lightning spear had grazed it.

He’d landed a hit!

“P-professor!”

“?”

“I landed a hit on you, Professor!”

“You could say that.”

“I have defeated your coat, Professor!”

“L-Lee Han, that’s not how it sounds…”

His friends awkwardly chimed in.

That’s like when the students who got battered by Lee Han in the White Tiger Tower would say, ‘well, at least I put a hole in his coat, so I guess it was an even match,’—not something Lee Han should be boasting about.

But Lee Han didn’t care at all.

They just didn’t realize what a big deal it was to have even tagged Voladi’s coat.

“I defeated his coat!”

“Has Lee Han gone mad…?!”

“Well done. I didn’t expect you to use time magic.”

High on victory and yelling, Lee Han quickly snapped back to reality.

He pulled the earlier-used artifact from his pocket and showed the professor.

“Professor, did you ever make an artifact like this?”

“No.”

Voladi replied with a blank expression. Still suspicious, Lee Han couldn’t shake the feeling.

‘He wouldn’t lie out of embarrassment…would he?’

“Junior, are you okay?”

“…I am weak…”

Eandurde stood, shamefully, tears streaming down his face.

To be flattened with a single hit!

“Don’t cry. The opponent’s just mad— well, just strong. Professors are all like that.”

“Waaah…”

Lee Han comforted his junior. There’d be time for scolding later—not right after getting creamed by Voladi.

“I’ll learn that move… I’ll learn it and get revenge…”

“Don’t be crazy. We’ll talk once we’re back and you’ve cooled off.”

Lee Han was prepared to break his junior’s leg if that’s what it took to keep him out of that class.

“Are you finished?”

Once things quieted down, the shopkeeper Tatabatz poked his head up from behind the counter.

‘Whoops.’

Images flashed through Lee Han’s mind: -Unauthorized Duel Between Einrogard Professor and Student-, -Does the Gonadaltes Duke Have a Leadership Problem?-, -Anonymous Student A Reports: “The Principal Is Insane”…-—all perfect tabloid headlines.

“Uh… yes, well…”

“Truly amazing!! As expected of the professor!!”

Before Lee Han could finish, the other customers began clapping.

Their faces beamed, having just seen a spectacular show.

“Professor, could you do a regular show of today’s spells here? I’ll pay handsomely!”

“For how much?”

Curious, Lee Han asked quietly, but Professor Voladi, uninterested, refused and strode out.

Lee Han’s group followed him outside. Professor Voladi turned to Lee Han.

“Wardanaz.”

“Yes?”

“I’m looking forward to seeing even more advanced time magic from you.”

“…Professor, I used an artifact.”