Episode 985

The mad clone nodded at her disciple’s answer.

Just as it wasn’t easy to wipe away the world’s eight sufferings with magic, it also wasn’t easy to pass on her knowledge to her disciple in what little time she had.

In those trials, the disciple’s maturity shone like a guiding light. It was a clear departure from his more immature past.

“You thought well. Then let’s get going. Wizard, you’ll act as porter.”

“Sorry. I’ll carry the luggage, so please don’t worry.”

Lee Han apologized on his mentor’s behalf. Catten, as if not bothered at all, simply smiled.

“The sturdier one should carry the load, hoobae.”

‘Then shouldn’t Teacher do it?’

Of course, no matter how good a mood the mad clone was in, Lee Han wisely kept that thought to himself.

Instead, he waved his staff and summoned a skeleton golem. This mid-class summon had the size to do plenty of porting work.

Of course, it did consume a fair amount of magical power…

“All right, shall we go!”

“…….”

“Senior?”

“Oh, sorry. That summon is quite splendid… Could I learn that someday?”

“…Teacher! Would you open the dimensional gate, please!”

Lee Han quickly changed the topic, pretending not to hear.

• * *

“Mmm. Moradi, isn’t it time to start preparing for finals?”

“…!”

Giselle turned her head in surprise.

She never thought she’d hear such words from a fellow Tower student.

“Am I so tired I’m hearing things? I can’t believe this.”

“…Don’t be like that, Moradi.”

The White Tiger Tower friends flushed slightly.

They recalled how much they’d avoided studying in their first year.

But after becoming second-years and experiencing midterms, even the White Tiger Tower students started facing reality.

Maybe…

Maybe you’re supposed to start preparing for exams in advance?

Not scrambling just a week before, but at least starting two or three weeks out??

Honestly, Wardanaz, who had prepared from the start of term, might have been the normal one—they were the oddballs.

“Maybe Wardanaz finishing all the midterms before the midterm started was actually normal…”

“That’s not normal.”

“It’s not?”

“It’s not. Get a grip.”

Giselle shot back icily.

She felt her White Tiger Tower friends had dropped a few IQ points from fatigue and stress.

No matter how you sliced it, finishing the midterm exams before they even started was not normal. Even among the seniors, no one did that.

“So you want to start finals prep early? Wow. Never thought I’d hear that from you.”

“Sorry, okay…”

“And yet you’re off to play polo?”

“A-at least we never got sent to the punishment room.”

Giselle glared at them as if to say, “Good for you, you idiots.”

Currently, Ang Mo from the White Tiger Tower had snuck out to see a polo match and been dragged to the punishment room.

Among polo lovers, it became a romantic legend, but to Giselle, it was just an embarrassment to the Tower.

“This ball sport should have been banned by Imperial law.”

“H-how could you say that…! You love it too, Moradi!”

“I don’t. And if you say that one more time, I’ll break your polo stick like I told you.”

Giselle held back her exasperation and growled.

Knight family scions couldn’t imagine that someone might not like polo.

And every time she saw that, Giselle wanted to slap some sense into them.

Ugh, that blasted ball game!

“Anyway, point taken about prepping for finals. That’s the most admirable thing you’ve suggested. The moment we’re done here, let’s start.”

“Right away?”

“Right away.”

“…Couldn’t we start a bit later… No, forget it! Right away!”

Afraid Giselle would hit him, the White Tiger student changed his tune.

Then he turned his eyes to the huge ore vein ahead.

Chunks of Froststeel ore were packed throughout the vein.

‘I’d like to finish mining it all this week.’

Lately, Giselle and the White Tiger Tower students had spent a lot of time in other dimensions.

While exploring the dimension given for -The Tragic History of Ancient Artifacts and Summoning Magic- class, they’d stumbled on the Froststeel ore.

To other Tower students, Froststeel wasn’t a particularly attractive material.

Its property was to grow sharp and keen when infused with magic, but there was little use for that among Einrogard students.

But for the White Tiger Tower students, mostly from knightly houses, it was a different story.

Having left their beloved weapons and armor behind, a useful metal like this was a rare treasure.

Not the best, but more than enough to forge a sword to wield during their time at school.

Plus, as second-years, they now had enough skill and experience to refine and craft it themselves…

The problem was, mining it took a lot of time.

Even with all sorts of mining potions and scrolls, it took this long.

“This stuff’s tough as hell.”

“There’s only one way.”

Faced with challenge, the White Tiger Tower students fell back on an extraordinary method.

They would solve it physically.

“Burn, pickaxe!”

“Boil, strength!”

Other Tower students probably would’ve mocked them: “Did these guys actually get dumber as they advanced a year or what?”

But that was always the White Tiger Tower’s strength.

Using their trained bodies as the base and combining that with bold reinforcement or transformation magic might seem crude or simple, but the destructive power was second to none.

“What are you doing here?”

“…!?”

Giselle jerked her head at the voice.

She saw a familiar Blue Dragon Tower friend, a fifth-year senior, the headmaster’s mad clone, and a skeleton golem porter.

“What about you? What are you doing here, Wardanaz?!”

At that, Lee Han appeared sad and depressed.

Seeing that rare unguarded look from a Wardanaz friend, Giselle was startled.

What could have happened?

“Senior Catten came to check out the region for Professor Ingeldel’s final exam, so I came along.”

“……”

That was indeed a legitimate reason to be sad and depressed. Giselle muttered in horror.

“If you haven’t been shot in the head, why are we having finals here? There are dozens of places in the Empire better for swordsmanship testing!”

Just now, the White Tiger Tower students had guessed the final exam would most likely be held at the Granden City fencing guild arena.

All the upperclassmen said so, and it was clearly the best place.

But here, in some remote dimension—why?

Lee Han hesitated for a moment, then replied quickly without pausing for breath.

“My guess? Professor Ingeldel has finally gone mad. He’s gotten addicted to the madness of Einrogard.”

“Kuk. Figures… What can you do? Professors are human too.”

A student from any other magic school wouldn’t have swallowed that load of nonsense, but an Einrogard student had no choice.

Even the sanest ones went a little mad after being at Einrogard long enough.

“No worries. I’ll follow senior Catten and do a detailed investigation about the test. I’ll collect Frost Giant relics while I’m at it.”

“Wardanaz…!”

The White Tiger Tower students looked at Lee Han with a gaze full of awe and reassurance.

How could they have such a dependable friend?

“What’s the hold-up?”

“Ah. Teacher.”

Lee Han stopped moving to talk, and the mad clone came from behind.

After hearing her disciple’s explanation, the mad clone nodded.

“Break.”

Crash!

The huge rock and ore vein shattered instantly.

“Stone to stone, iron to iron.”

The stone reassembled as stone, and the ore with ore. The sorting finished in an instant.

“All done. You wizard students, follow me.”

“?????”

The White Tiger Tower students looked at Lee Han as if staring at the embodiment of nonsense.

Why us??

Even Lee Han had nothing to say.

“I honestly don’t know.”

“…Don’t lie, Wardanaz! As if you don’t know!”

“Is this because we’re playing around instead of studying magic? We were just going to finish mining!”

Their own protests sounded somewhat unconvincing, even to them.

But it was true.

They really had just intended to finish mining!

“No… I really don’t know. Why is she telling us to come along?”

Lee Han was about to ask the mad clone, but Giselle grabbed his arm and shook her head.

“…Forget it. Let’s not provoke her.”

“Moradi, Teacher’s in an unusually good mood today. Maybe it’s OK to ask.”

‘Is that even possible?’

Giselle was doubtful and rejected it again.

“Just drop it. You’ll just end up being the one who gets smacked.”

It was hard to argue.

The mad clone had lately seemed kinder, but few beings were as unpredictable as a mad archmage.

“If you say so. But is it OK for your friends to come along?”

“It’s just checking out the site for finals, so of course it’s fine. Plus, we finished our work early.”

At her reply, the others grumbled behind her.

‘It’s not fine at all!’

Wardanaz and Giselle might disagree on most things, but when it came to bullying and dragging their friends along, they were always in perfect agreement.

Why only in those areas of all places…

• * *

“Senior, what exactly are you checking for in this dimension?”

Giselle nodded, impressed by Lee Han’s question.

In fact, the most important thing during this expedition was Catten’s judgment.

Depending on Catten’s decision, the test site might be switched back to the Granden City fencing guild arena.

“First, I’ll ask the Frost Giants if they can assist with the test, hoobae.”

“……”

“……”

Lee Han and Giselle’s eyes filled with horror. Thankfully, the students behind them hadn’t heard.

“…So that’s what you meant by checking if it’s suitable???”

“What else would I mean? Checking the scenery?”

Catten giggled at her joke, which she found hilarious. The two juniors didn’t find it funny at all.

‘If Frost Giants are part of the test…’

‘Are we supposed to duel them with swords?’

As Giselle’s face stiffened, Catten asked curiously.

“What’s wrong, hoobae? Is there something you’re worried about…”

“It’s nothing. I was just wondering if my swordsmanship is up to fighting Frost Giants.”

Giselle answered, subtly trying to probe the senior’s intentions.

Was she really thinking of having them fight Frost Giants?

“You can do it, hoobae!”

‘Damn.’

Apparently, yes. Giselle groaned internally, wondering why Professor Ingeldel had gone this insane.

“I’m still not quite there with Aura.”

“But you’ve set foot on that path, hoobae. It might come to you tomorrow, or even today. Don’t worry too much.”

A senior’s encouraging advice from someone who had walked the sword’s path first was deeply comforting.

Giselle gave a small nod.

The path of the swordsman is so long and distant you can’t see the end.

There’s no reason to be anxious over how quickly you run a short segment of such a road.

“That’s right, Moradi. Plus, you’ve got plenty to look out for with those other White Tiger Tower idiots.”

“Thanks, Wardan—”

Giselle stopped as she was about to thank her friend.

…For someone who’s awakened Aura ahead of the rest, to be saying this about worrying over all the Tower students?

“…You stay quiet.”

“!?”