Episode 1071

Chapter 1071

Lee Han pushed Professor Verdus forward with great displeasure.

Trying to use someone as an arrow shield!

At that moment, Professor Voladi, Alsicle, Yukveltire, and even the Death Knights arrived belatedly.

“No way. This much escort?! …Well, I suppose it makes sense.”

The surprised Avalkaigen immediately understood.

It was only natural since it was an escort for Professor Verdus. In a way, even this number felt too few.

“Still, people from Einrogard really care about Professor Verdus. They’re impressive people.”

“I’m not an Einrogard mage.”

Alsicle, feeling very displeased, revealed his identity.

As if it wasn’t enough to be mistaken for an Einrogard mage, now to think he cares about Professor Verdus?

“And I didn’t come along for the escort, but to see if you’d actually crawl on all fours… No, I mean, I came because of magic.”

Only at the last moment did Alsicle regain his composure.

There was no way a Pengerine family mage could admit to following along to watch someone crawl on all fours.

“I’m an Einrogard mage, but I don’t care about the professor.”

“Wait. Aren’t you the princess?”

Avalkaigen recognized Yukveltire’s face.

As a magic enchanter mage, there was no way he wouldn’t know Yukveltire. A new star highly anticipated from Einrogard’s Enchantment Magic School.

…And also Professor Verdus’s top disciple!

“I don’t care either.”

Professor Voladi also stepped in to clarify.

Suddenly, the only ones left seeming to care about Professor Verdus were the Death Knights, who hurriedly excused themselves.

-We’re just following orders!

“…I was wrong. I had no idea everyone disliked him so much.”

Avalkaigen reflected.

He hadn’t expected those from Einrogard to be this averse.

“Rather than that, if he started working from first year… Is he a fourth year? Why haven’t I heard of him?”

Turning his gaze once again to scan Lee Han, Avalkaigen was puzzled.

If he was accompanying to help with magic, he must be at least a fourth year, and if he had helped Professor Verdus since his first year, his talent was certain…

Was there such a student in Einrogard’s Enchantment Magic School?

“A little below that.”

“Below? Oh. You mean in grade? Third year?!”

“A bit lower…”

“……”

Avalkaigen looked over the Einrogard people with eyes full of shock and terror.

Some, like Professor Voladi or Yukveltire, maintained muted expressions, but Alsicle and the Death Knights avoided his gaze, their conscience pricked.

“What are you guys doing?!”

“Calm down, Avalkaigen.”

When Professor Verdus below tried to break it up as if it weren’t his problem, Avalkaigen shouted loudly.

“If you look at it, this is your fault!”

“Calm down. What good is it to get angry at Professor Verdus?”

As Puyo intervened, Avalkaigen calmed his turbulent breathing.

“And that Wardanaz family boy over there is outstanding regardless of year. Last year, he even helped with my work.”

-That’s true. It wasn’t forced—Wardanaz student learned it himself.

‘Is that so?’

Lee Han felt puzzled inside.

Honestly, it seemed clear that the Einrogard professors had forced him a bit…

“Even you assigned work?!”

Avalkaigen seemed shocked in a different way.

To think that Puyo, whom he somewhat respected, would do the same as Professor Verdus?

“Ah, no. I’m different from Professor Verdus. I only give work fitting the level…”

“How long are you all going to chatter? Let’s start the magic already.”

Professor Verdus, down on all fours, spoke as if annoyed.

As Avalkaigen’s attention was diverted, Puyo breathed a sigh of relief. His reputation had nearly become tainted by Professor Verdus.

“Okay… Wait. Wardanaz family, you said?!”

Avalkaigen, realizing late, was startled again.

Puyo tried to reassure him that family wasn’t important.

“Weren’t you a fifth year?!”

“…Well, how should I know what rumors you’ve heard…”

Professor Verdus snapped again at their conversation.

“I said, let’s start the magic already!”

“Understood!”

Avalkaigen shouted back at Professor Verdus, then prepared his magic.

Judging by their reactions, that student from the Wardanaz family seemed worthy to participate.

The princess Yukveltire had proven her prodigious talent long before this, so there was nothing more to say…

“But who is that, though?”

“!”

At Professor Verdus pointing to a student, Avalkaigen stiffened.

They had been so busy chattering about unexpected guests that he had forgotten to introduce his own student.

“…this is my student, Avalkarn. Say hello.”

“H-hello.”

Having stood awkwardly in the corner, unable to butt into the whirlwind conversation, the orc mage finally opened his mouth, shyly.

With his imposing physique, it’d be easy for a first-timer to mistake him for a warrior, but this orc was a mage talented enough to be cherished by his mentor.

Avalkaigen’s affection for his student was deep, having discovered and raised him after he was abandoned as a swaddled baby.

“I see. Got it.”

Professor Verdus just nodded and turned away. Looked as if he didn’t care.

In fact, given Professor Verdus’s personality, this was expected.

Unless a mistake was made during the actual magic, up until then, the kettle beside them and the orc mage were all the same “object” to him.

Yet that response still hurt Avalkaigen’s pride.

You just can’t help but dislike someone you dislike.

“He’ll be helping with this magic.”

“Got it.”

“Aren’t you going to ask? What kind of mage he is?”

“Why should I?”

Professor Verdus asked, genuinely not understanding.

Even for his own students, Professor Verdus didn’t bother to ask questions—expecting questions about someone else’s student was too much.

“……”

“Come now, everyone, calm down.”

Puyo, worrying that Avalkaigen might leak personal info of Professor Verdus to Imperial bounty hunters and assassins, quickly moved in.

“Since it’s come to this, let’s all give a brief introduction of our students and start.”

“Why?”

Professor Verdus openly displayed his distaste.

He just wanted to swap magic and go their separate ways—why bother with these introductions to students he had no interest in?

Puyo looked appealingly to the professors’ students for help.

Lee Han, after hesitation, looked to Professor Voladi for assistance.

“Come with me for a moment.”

“Why?”

Ignoring the question, Professor Voladi dragged Professor Verdus up to the second floor.

From above, Lee Han could feel magic power waves spreading—a sound-buffering magic.

Shortly after.

“Introduce the students…”

Professor Verdus returned, noticeably downcast. Puyo stared at Lee Han with an appalled look.

She had meant for him to persuade the professor as his student!

‘Sorry. I’m not capable.’

Lee Han was justified.

Trying to persuade Professor Verdus with words was impossible.

“Avalkarn. Show us what you’ve done recently.”

“H-here it is.”

The orc mage, embarrassed, pulled out a strangely shaped mirror.

The frame was adorned with ancient style golden embellishments, and the face of the mirror was bronze—in the shimmering light, new magical patterns spread from within.

Yukveltire shuddered at the artifact, which was clearly of a higher caliber than what she herself had made.

“H-how did y…”

“Senior, isn’t that an ancient relic? It’s not made, but repaired…”

“Oh.”

Yukveltire immediately regained her senses.

Alsicle, listening, asked incredulously,

“Anyone could tell that’s an ancient relic… Did you think he made it himself?”

“……”

After spending so much time with monstrous mages recently, her sense of normalcy had eroded a bit.

Humiliated, Yukveltire’s fingertips trembled.

“It was repaired by Avalkarn.”

“Incredible. To repair an ancient relic like this is no easy task.”

Puyo truly admired this. Now he understood why Avalkaigen cherished his student so much.

The Empire’s current magic system is quite different from the ancient one—having evolved over time.

So, when an Imperial mage attempts to restore an ancient relic, the difficulty is even higher. Sometimes it’s hard just to guess what the original magic was meant to do.

That’s why mages specializing in ancient relics must possess: outstanding magical power that can substitute with Imperial magic in a pinch, vast historical knowledge to find what’s needed from archaic tomes, and connections, and skills to entreat a great mage who knows the magic of that period.

“Is this the bronze mirror of Avalkaine? I knew you obtained it, but I didn’t expect you to complete it so soon.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“To inscribe Avalkaine’s diffraction magic at such a high level is no small feat. You should be proud. Professor Verdus, your student?”

After Avalkaigen’s student introduction ended, Puyo called on Professor Verdus.

From under the table, Professor Verdus’s voice was heard.

“Go ahead and introduce yourselves.”

“…Wait, no. You should introduce them… Why do you have the students introduce themselves directly? Don’t tell me you don’t know what your students have been up to lately?”

“Huh? Hm.”

“……”

-……

Inside the old building, everyone went silent with contempt. Avalkaigen felt his wariness of Professor Verdus’s students vanish, replaced by sympathy.

He’d worried they might be better than his own student, but after hearing this, that anxiety vanished.

“…You guys, please take out what you’ve worked on recently.”

At the words of the tree spirit hybrid mage, Lee Han glanced at his staff.

‘Is this too half-hearted?’

Of course, the staff he’d made was impressive, but considering the help he’d gotten from spirits and others, he wondered if it was right to bring it out.

“Senior. Anything good?”

“?”

Yukveltire, about to take out her adamantite plate, looked at her junior with a questioning look.

If it’s work done recently, of course she should talk about her achievement of fusing dimensional rods and refraction, not anything else.

“Oh. Is that what you want to talk about? I was thinking of something else because I got so much help from the teacher… No, let’s talk about this!”

As Lee Han spoke, he realized he’d made a blunder when he saw his senior’s fingers tremble again.

Thinking logically, that Avalkarn mage must have gotten help from his master as well, so there was no reason to draw strict lines.

“Not needed. I’ll just take out something I didn’t get any help with, so wait a moment.”

“Ah, why are you like this, seriously.”

Yukveltire insisted, checking her list of artifacts she’d recently made.

Seeing the two argue, Avalkaigen asked curiously,

“What are you two talking about?”

“My senior is embarrassed about what she worked on lately and doesn’t want to show it.”

“A mage shouldn’t hide their own work. Professor Verdus, did you not teach them that?”

“Didn’t teach them.”

“…I must be crazy for even speaking up. Anyway, just bring it out.”

Lee Han snatched the adamantite plate from his senior and placed it on the table.

Witnessing the essence of magic, Avalkaigen’s face turned pale.

“Unb… unbelievable! The two of you did this together!?”

“Right? Don’t you think it’s unbelievable too?”

From under the table, Professor Verdus’s voice sounded as if he was pleased. Amid his astonishment, Avalkaigen asked, unable to understand.

“Wh-why is he like that?”

“Ah, you can ignore him. The professor said he’d crawl on all fours if we completed it.”

For a moment, Avalkaigen almost blurted out, ‘If my student finished this, I’d crawl on all fours too,’ before regaining his senses.

His student was still right there.