Episode 778

“Summoners must have essential knowledge and flexibility regarding multidimensional spaces…”

As Professor Millei’s explanation began, several students’ eyes started to waver.

Having reached second year and with summoning magic entering more advanced territory, each explanation was on a much higher level.

And though Professor Millei wasn’t an unkind teacher like Professor Verdus, he also wasn’t someone who would postpone important explanations just for the students’ sakes.

The result…

‘Did someone cast a sleep spell?’

Lee Han looked around in surprise.

Far off, he could see Raphadael stabbing his thigh with a quill to avoid nodding off.

‘Maybe the professor is actually being considerate.’

Millei’s theory had dispelled fear from the students, but it also brought sleepiness.

The students who had moments ago wanted to flee couldn’t bring themselves to get up and were now nodding off.

“What did I just say, Student Raphadael?”

“Y-yes!?”

“Focus! You all need to stay focused. If you can’t concentrate in the classroom, how do you expect to focus in another dimension?”

The old professor rapped his staff on the table and scolded the students sternly.

Any high-level magician took an interest in other dimensions and outer worlds.

Given the ability to access near-limitless resources beyond the continent’s own, it was only natural.

And summoners specialized in drawing on foreign dimensional power.

There were also summoning spells that used solely the magician’s own creations, like the Skeleton Corps Lee Han commanded—but even so, no summoner could stay completely indifferent to other dimensions.

The problem was that the “outer worlds” were not convenient and safe.

With countless worlds just a step away from appearing before magicians at any time, summoners had to be prepared.

Especially unlike well-documented, often-visited fixed dimensions, these indeterminate dimensions…

‘You never know what’ll come out.’

Can you really survive something just by concentrating in a dimension where anything could appear?

Shhhkt—

While Lee Han pondered, Professor Millei projected a huge map onto the blackboard. It depicted a certain unnamed dimension.

Redhot Zone—fire and iron discovered. ?, ??, ????, ???

Frozen Empty Zone—icebergs and sea. Not enough life-sustaining food. ???, ??

Rainforest Zone—giant plants. Plenty of food, but high monster risk. ???

…

The map was missing a lot, but also contained much.

Professor Millei addressed the students.

“These are the dimensions this semester you’ll be investigating and mapping.”

All of the students suddenly snapped awake. Gainando muttered in amusement.

“Lee Han, Lee Han.”

“?”

“Salko thought he only had to dodge today, but that was a mistake! What a fool!”

Gainando looked as delighted as if the semester had ended.

Clicking his tongue at his friend’s schadenfreude, Lee Han took out -Whispers of Einrogard- and left Salko a message.

-Salko. You should come back. It’s not just today you’re going in—they’re sending us in all semester.

-…S-stop lying.

But Salko returned soon enough.

Professor Millei raised an eyebrow, but didn’t criticize. Salko wasn’t the first—nor would he be the last—to try running from class.

“This dimension is quite large, and the characteristics of each region are different. You won’t know which region you’ll land in, so everyone must be prepared for them all.”

The second years thought the professor, adjusting his monocle, looked like an executioner.

One student asked in desperation,

“Uh, can’t we visit a safe dimension like in first year?”

Professor Millei shook his head decisively.

“You learn nothing from visiting easy dimensions over and over. True skill comes from exploring unknown worlds and mapping them.”

“…Would Rainforest Zone be better? Should I hope we end up there?”

“Having plenty of food with a high monster danger sounds far riskier. I’d rather hope for the Frozen Empty Zone.”

As students whispered, Lee Han raised his hand.

“Professor, I have a question.”

“Go ahead, Student Lee Han.”

“If there’s this much information, isn’t this not a truly indeterminate dimension?”

“…Student Lee Han, do you want to visit a truly indeterminate dimension?”

Professor Millei asked with a faint look of horror.

Lee Han’s friends also stared with wide-eyed horror.

“W-Wardanaz. What’s wrong with you?”

“Please, can’t we just take the lecture for once? What did we do wrong this time??”

“…I was just curious…”

He’d merely meant to ask if, by academic definition, a dimension this well-documented counted as “indeterminate,” and this was the reaction he got.

Lee Han was slightly wounded and muttered inwardly,

‘Still, to be precise, that’s not a real “indeterminate” dimension.’

With that much information known, you couldn’t really call it indeterminate.

• * *

“Get your signaling magic ready.”

“Bring cold-resistance items.”

The second years huddled up to prepare their plan.

Professor Millei watched their preparations with a strict face but was quietly pleased inside.

Unlike other classes, these students knew how to cooperate in this kind of situation.

Regardless of magical talent or achievement, their unity was likely their greatest strength.

“Hey, let me have that blanket!”

“Why should I? Our tower made it!”

“What do you mean your tower made it? Don’t you remember who brought the materials? Do you know what we had to do for that leather?!”

“……”

There were minor spats, but they made up quickly.

As soon as Lee Han started slapping some backs, the arguments shut down and everyone started sharing.

“Check your food supplies.”

“Everyone got enough, right?”

“!”

Professor Millei was surprised by how much food the students had stocked.

A second-year couldn’t possibly have gotten so much on their own.

‘No way…’

He remembered letting some kids pass for warehouse workers at the start of semester and had let it slide…

‘…But even then, they shouldn’t have this much.’

Unless they’d been hauling whole wagons behind them, it didn’t add up.

He shrugged. If the students ate well, so much the better.

The skeleton principal would complain, but that couldn’t be helped.

“My food bag feels lighter.”

“Cut the nonsense and keep your hands off.”

“We should’ve made heat-resistance items, too.”

“That was impossible.”

They still had winter gear from last year’s frost giant blizzard, but unfortunately nothing heat-resistant.

The students tried to compensate with as many useful spells as possible.

“People who can cast -Lesser Fire Resistance-, -Lesser Cold Resistance-, gather here.”

“Put it on anything big—blankets, leather, cloth, cloaks. The more we enchant, the more we can bring.”

“Lee Han’s spells last longer, so it’s better if he casts, but…”

“Shut up and take what you get!”

They prepared thoroughly to withstand any region.

• As soon as you land, figure out which region you’re in.
• Then update the map as you approach the center and head for higher ground.
• Signal magic and markings for regrouping as fast as possible.

“Don’t forget—the faster we gather, the easier it’ll be to finish the map.”

“Looks like everyone’s ready,” Professor Millei said, gesturing.

The students walked out with resigned faces.

At the center, the dimensional magic circle was more chaotic and wild than ever.

“Then… let’s depart!”

At the professor’s signal, the students stepped forward.

Professor Millei watched as the students vanished one by one, traveling to other worlds, and nodded.

‘If it goes like this, maybe they’ll finish faster than the upperclassmen.’

Their skills and teamwork made the professor hopeful.

He dismissed the familiar he’d summoned to the back of the classroom.

It was an odorless, colorless, sleep-inducing familiar used as a small training obstacle in 2nd year.

‘Hmm. With students like Lee Han, I may need something even stronger next year…’

• * *

Gainando, having landed on ice, was delighted to spot another Blue Dragon Tower student ahead.

“Lee Han!”

“……”

“…Wait, it’s Adenart!”

Gainando and Adenart stared at each other in mutual disdain.

Given the randomness of where they’d arrive, it was extremely lucky for two tower students to meet up—but did it have to be these two?

‘Hmph. But I should be the mature one here.’

Gainando grumbled internally, then resolved to play nice.

As a far superior royal, he had to set a good example.

“Let’s move together, Adenart.”

“…Fine.”

“Here, take this.”

Gainando broke a sandwich in half and held it out. It was a sign of friendship.

Stuffed with ham, cheese, lettuce, mashed egg, and plenty of mayo, it looked delicious.

Adenart glanced, surprised, then accepted it.

“Thank you.”

“You should be grateful. This is amazing.”

“……”

Adenart almost withdrew his thanks, but he held back—he wasn’t going to stoop to the same level as Gainando.

“How’d you make this?”

“Lee Han gave it to me. Oh, want to know something funny?”

“?”

Gainando was excited to talk about his friend.

“I asked for a snack, and Lee Han said he couldn’t just give me one. So I said I’d get my own ingredients if he’d give me two pieces of bread.”

Contrary to others’ assumptions, Lee Han didn’t cave just because Gainando whined for food.

If you didn’t do something impressive, you didn’t get rewarded.

As the food manager not just for Blue Dragon Tower, but all four towers, strictness was a must.

“You just asked for two pieces of bread?”

“I-I did the chores for him, okay??”

Under his half-brother’s cold glare, Gainando reflexively defended himself.

“It was a fair trade.”

“All right.”

Adenart wanted to say, ‘At Einrogard, buying two slices of bread with chores would take half a year’s work,’ but thought better of it.

“Right before we came here, I asked if I could get my bread, and Lee Han handed this to me. When I unwrapped it, it was this! Get it, Adenart? This is friendship! Lee Han slipped a secret treat into the Einrogard sandwich…”

“!”

Listening quietly, Adenart suddenly exploded in outrage and began hurling attack spells at Gainando.

Fleeing, Gainando wailed without understanding.

“Why?? Why?!”