Episode 1000

“Well, I’m off now.”

As both his hands were occupied, Lee Han had no choice but to wave the hand holding the hamster cage as a farewell.

The hamster inside let out a furious series of squeaks.

“W-wait. Wardanaz!”

Giselle, unusually flustered, called after Lee Han.

“You’re not going to whip these idiots into shape!?”

‘That’s too harsh.’

The White Tiger Tower students drooped.

True, their average grades were lower than the Blue Dragon Tower kids, but still…

“That’s too harsh!”

Blue Dragon Tower students bristled.

They might be lacking, but wasn’t that over the top?

“?”

“??”

The students of both towers exchanged confused looks.

And, belatedly, they realized.

‘Uh-oh.’

“I wasn’t talking about you…”

“Moradi.”

Giselle, about to scold the Blue Dragon Tower idiots with a frown, paused at Lee Han’s words.

Amazingly, Wardanaz’s face bore a gentle smile.

“I said there are things more important than exams, didn’t I?”

“…Uh… uh-huh.”

Giselle was overwhelmed by a side of her friend she’d never seen before. When you’re truly shocked, you really can’t react at all.

“Thinking back, I pushed you all too hard. Being forced like that isn’t the answer—everyone has their own path, right?”

“……”

“……”

Not just Giselle, but the other students went stiff in turn.

It was like everyone had been petrified by a basilisk’s stone-gaze.

Whether his friends were frozen or not, Lee Han spoke kindly.

“Don’t push yourselves too hard. See you all later.”

Even after Lee Han disappeared, the others didn’t snap out of it right away. It took several minutes before someone yelled,

“WARDANAZ IS BROKEN!!!!!!!”

• * *

“Thank you, Professor Willow.”

“What are you thanking me for, kid? I ought to thank you instead.”

Professor Willow laughed heartily and handed over a sheet of paper. On its corners, decorated with the Imperial Horticulturist Club’s crest, was a densely written schedule for upcoming club auctions.

On that list was Lee Han’s own mandrake.

Originally, this mandrake was grown for a semester project in the lecture -A Wizard’s Life With Plants-, to be submitted at finals.

But thanks to the mischief of a certain dragon and basilisk…

-……

The baby basilisk drooped gloomily.

It wasn’t its fault!

…and their antics, Lee Han’s mandrake had matured by midterms.

It grew so well that Professor Willow recommended Lee Han submit it to the Imperial Horticulturist Club’s auction.

“If it sells, I’ll buy gifts for you and His Highness.”

-!

The baby basilisk’s tail wagged happily.

“Here’s your invitation. The auction is during break, so you’ll be able to attend in person.”

The Imperial Horticulturist Club was not open to just anyone. Only horticulturists with significant achievements could join—it was an honorable club.

So for Lee Han to even be permitted to enter the auction with his mandrake meant he was now qualified for membership.

It might even prove a greater reward than whatever gold the mandrake fetched.

“And something else not to forget…”

“The Imperial Horticulturist Club Journal, right?”

“Exactly!”

Professor Willow shifted the bark of his face into a delighted smile.

Talking with talented students cheered even the tree-shaped itself.

The professor pulled out a small book labeled -Imperial Horticulturist Club Journal-.

“Don’t forget to take this. With it, you can share plant information all across the empire.”

“Yes. To track trends, price fluctuations, and who can provide quality plants, the -Imperial Horticulturist Club Journal- is a must-have.”

“…Well, you certainly do know. Good for you.”

He was so well-prepared, it startled the professor a bit.

“Starting next semester, we’ll meet as fellow club horticulturists. But don’t get so hooked on plants you neglect your other studies—the other professors will blame me.”

Wizards who knew nothing about plants couldn’t understand it, but nothing was as addictive or fascinating as plants.

Professor Willow knew many who had fallen under that spell and never come back.

If Wardanaz neglected other lectures for the pleasures of mandrake gardening, the Einrogard staff would surely be disappointed.

“I promise. Even if I do get absorbed, the other professors won’t blame you, Professor Willow. It’s not the plants—I’ve just changed the way I think.”

“You’ve changed your thinking?”

Professor Willow was puzzled by the top student’s answer.

“I won’t let tests dominate my life anymore. What does someone else’s evaluation matter on the path of magic?”

“Hm. Usually kids only say that after failing… but for you, I’ll allow it.”

Normally, “You alone walk your own path on the magic road” was something said by failures whining in the punishment room, but when uttered by the top of the year, it sounded far more dignified.

Professor Willow chose to trust the boy before him, rather than worry.

“So… you’re just going to take the exams in stride this time?”

“Yes.”

“All right then. But what’s that?”

Noticing the thick report in Lee Han’s hand, Professor Willow asked curiously.

“It’s my report for the lecture -The Tragic History of Ancient Relics and Summoning Magic-.”

Professor Willow noted he said “submitted” not “to be submitted.”

He glanced sideways—sure enough, Professor Millei had marked it “full marks.”

“…Well, keep up the good work!”

Instead of grumbling, the professor offered quiet praise. That was the mark of a truly refined teacher.

• * *

“What’re you babbling about?”

Professor Thunderstep stared at his disciple over a bowl of chicken noodle soup, as if he’d lost his mind.

Not caring about exams anymore?

It was like a dwarf repenting their mining ways and swearing to plant trees the rest of their life.

Just as dragons are meant to fly and ghouls to devour flesh, Wardanaz was born to obsess over magic.

“I’ve done some reflecting. Decided to change.”

“No… there’s nothing to reflect on, and nothing to change…”

With a grimace, Professor Thunderstep examined the golden potion Lee Han had submitted.

Annoyingly, it was flawless. Hard to believe a second-year had brewed it.

For someone making potions like this to claim not to care about tests—

Was he planning some new way to taunt the rest of Einrogard’s students?

‘He’s terrifying. To think he could overwhelm other wizards like this…’

“Come to think of it, Professor, didn’t you make that poison?”

“…Cough, cough.”

The dwarven professor choked on his noodles.

“W-what… If you mean Arlkan’s Eternal Severance, I had no choice. The headmaster’s clone told me to keep it secret—what else could I do?”

“Hm.”

Lee Han eyed Professor Thunderstep.

That look made the professor wish he hadn’t asked the boy for a snack.

It was well known that a notable cause of death among alchemists was being poisoned by their own apprentice.

And this spicy broth was perfect for hiding a poison.

“…Should I finish up?”

“No, let me do it. I should finish everything while I’m here—then I can help the headmaster, too.”

“N-no, you’ve only just recovered! You should rest—you can leave it to Professor Bendozol!”

Professor Thunderstep, suddenly the loving mentor, tried to keep Lee Han seated so he wouldn’t overexert himself.

As Lee Han sat, Professor Thunderstep nervously asked,

“Aren’t you curious about the potion you just submitted?”

Lee Han sighed and replied in a weary tone.

“Professor. Like I said, I’m not getting too hung up on tests anymore.”

‘He rushes in for a perfect score and then acts like it’s nothing…’

Thunderstep cursed his star apprentice in his heart.

Had the boy somehow gotten even more aggravating?

• * *

Lee Han finished his exams at a much more relaxed pace than usual.

He’d already completed some before finals, such as -Wand Materials & Magic Amplification- (Senior Yukveltire was grading in Verdus’ absence), or -Delightfully Mad Divination Magic-, so not much to worry over.

Of course, he couldn’t ignore everything—there were still classes left even after the exams.

“I know. He ascended.”

“You already knew?”

Lee Han was a bit surprised that Yukveltire knew about the mad clone’s ascension.

“They even built a memorial for him.”

“Oh. Senior Direte made them do it, right?”

“What? No…”

“Senior Direte really is thoughtful.”

“What are you…?”

Yukveltire wanted to correct her absurd junior, but as was tradition in the Enchantment School, Lee Han ignored her and kept speaking.

“By the way, senior, I heard you’re knowledgeable about Small Worlds.”

“I’m not an expert, but I know a bit…”

“Have you ever heard of a Small World in the form of a crown? I happened to use one recently, but the conditions were harder than I thought. If you know a good reference grimoire, could you recommend one? Want to read it over break.”

Yukveltire instantly guessed what kind of magic he meant.

The faint crown hovering above his head in the underground mines—it must have been that.

She’d said nothing for fear of interfering, but it seemed Lee Han had figured it out himself.

“…You used it?”

“Yeah? Yes.”

“How!?”

“Oh, it was a coincidence, but Senior Direte gave me a hint. He said the condition was being good and selfless—it was something like that.”

“You talked with Direte!?!?”

Yukveltire was even more shocked. So much so, she didn’t even point out that her junior had actually used a Small World.

‘I wanted to know so badly—’

Why had those two talked about it but left her out?

Of course, the answer was Lee Han kept his musings to himself and never told Direte, but how could Yukveltire have known?

“You didn’t hear?”

“…No.”

“Well, you seniors have more important magic to think about, I guess.”

Lee Han’s words did nothing to comfort Yukveltire.

“…Did I do something to upset Direte?”

“You do every day, don’t you? What’s new?”

“It’s not that much.”

“It’s about that much.”

Her junior was cold. Driven into mental retreat, Yukveltire decided, for now, to just agree.

“…Could you go ask Direte to stop flying into irrational rages?”

Lee Han firmly refused at the idea of risking Direte’s wrath for another’s sake.

“No. Do it yourself. Anyway, I finished -Wand Materials & Magic Amplification- so I’ll be off.”

“Wai—!”

Before she could finish, her junior coldly departed.

For the first time, Yukveltire pounded the table in frustration.

For the first time, she understood why people sometimes got upset at the attitude of the Enchantment School.