Episode 1102

Episode 1102

Imagining it, it didn’t seem very pleasant.

He would have to dodge deadly magic attacks in the carriage or on top of a wyvern.

Besides, in the carriage, space was tight, making it even harder to avoid.

‘I’d better stick to open areas as much as possible.’

As Lee Han was thinking, he noticed Professor Voladi’s gaze and quickly made an excuse.

“Haha. I was touched by the professors’ grace.”

“It’s not that great of a thing.”

“Then are you planning to… err, teach me while on the move?”

Professor Voladi nodded.

He planned to hold lectures during spare moments, so travel time was likely to take up a significant part.

Besides that, he intended to use the time spent on chores, helping friends with homework and explanations, chasing after friends who ran away while doing assignments, tending Professor Thunderstep’s garden, and so on.

“I see… Uh, then, will Professor Garcia teach the same way?”

Lee Han belatedly realized.

Professor Garcia was not the type to tell others to make sacrifices without making sacrifices herself.

If it were Professor Verdus, she would have told the other professors, ‘Let me run my lecture, so you all make some concessions,’ but Garcia wasn’t like that.

Probably, Professor Garcia also chose dynamic lectures rather than regular ones, just like Professor Voladi.

“That’s right.”

“Ah, I see.”

Lee Han pictured going outside.

On the left, Professor Voladi, on the right, Professor Garcia, each talking about magic as they travel—he suddenly felt afraid.

…Would he really be able to endure it?

“Wait. Professor. Will Professor Garcia also accompany us outside?”

Lee Han had a reason for asking.

In reality, it was harder than one might think for professors to accompany students on outings. Professors had their own work to do.

Professor Voladi had no other students or jobs, so tagging along when Lee Han went out on commissions didn’t matter, but Professor Garcia…

‘She’s got to look after the first-year students, and she has a lot of tasks at Einrogard too, doesn’t she?’

Having spent nearly two years at Einrogard, Lee Han had gained some understanding of the faculty’s division of labor.

At Einrogard, the more kind and goodhearted a professor was, the more tasks they received.

Lee Han once saw something like this in the professors’ office:

East wall repair: Professor Verdus, Professor Garcia

Check monsters in desert area: Professor Thunderstep, Professor Garcia

Write an explanation letter to the Empire (about the Alumni Underground Waterway Slime Disaster): Professor Paselete Craer, Professor Garcia

…

Those jerks who scratched their own names and pushed their work onto Professor Garcia, get to the headmaster’s office now!

Just from that, you could guess how much work Professor Garcia was taking on, knowingly and unknowingly.

“Yes.”

“Will that really be okay for her?”

At his student’s question, Professor Voladi briefly recalled.

Before the start of every semester, the professors would gather for a brief meeting.

The topics varied.

Sometimes they discussed the upcoming semester’s lecture content, sometimes they discussed strange, abnormal phenomena occurring at Einrogard, sometimes they talked about how to sneak in desired lectures and tests under the skull headmaster’s nose.

-Right. I heard Student Lee Han got a huge pile of commissions. Would anyone like to help?

-Help with what?

-For example, by teaching during spare time, outside of lecture hours…

-I could use my spare time to make him help with my work!

-Professor Verdus, anyone else?

-Why are you ignoring my suggestion?

-I’ll do it.

-Thank you, Professor Baegrek! Oh, you said you’d go out on this commission? May I join as well?

-Go ahead.

-…Huh? W-wait. Professor Garcia, you’re going too?

-Yes.

-T-then what about your current tasks…

-Someone else will have to do them.

Professor Garcia answered firmly.

Usually, she took the lead in helping other professors, but now was not the time for that. She was just too worried about her student.

It wasn’t just the many commissions Lee Han had, but the fact that he’d be going with Professor Baegrek. Not to mention the Evil God Cultist incident.

She couldn’t count on Professor Baegrek or the Skull Headmaster to be reasoned with. Professor Garcia decided it was better to accompany them herself.

-Professor Garcia. Please reconsider…!

-Can’t we just send Professor Verdus along instead? That’ll just get in the way.

-Do you realize what you just said? Are you trying to provoke Professor Garcia on purpose?

-I can’t hear you. I’m not listening. I’m going with him.

After recalling, Professor Voladi simply replied.

“There was no problem.”

“Is that so?”

Lee Han was honestly a bit surprised.

He thought many people would have tried to stop Professor Garcia if she wanted to go…

…Could it be that Einrogard professors have more conscience than he thought?

‘Maybe I was too prejudiced.’

• * *

The surprises weren’t over yet.

In Direte’s second-semester class, -Forbidden Arts of Black Magic (Not a Teaching Course)-, the exact same announcement was made.

“Professor Garcia asked sincerely. Junior, I’ll teach you separately during free time.”

“Are… Are you coming along on the commission too, Senior??”

Lee Han was shocked.

With Professor Voladi on his left, Professor Garcia on his right, and Senior Direte behind, all talking magic as they went on the road…

‘That really sounds impossible.’

“What? Coming on the commission?”

Direte tilted her head, not understanding what her junior meant.

She just meant she would teach separately during breaks (if her junior even had any) or on weekends.

A commission?

“Ah. That’s not it. I thought you were following along on commissions like the professors.”

“…You’re accompanying him on commissions?!”

Only then did Direte realize what her junior meant, and was appalled.

Even as a senior student at Einrogard herself, she’d never heard of such a bizarre class.

Going so far as to follow outside the school to torment—no, teach—a junior?

“Isn’t that a bit… too much? Is it really necessary?”

“To be honest, there’s a long story behind all this.”

“Okay, got it. Be careful. Good luck out there.”

“…Are you angry?”

When his respected senior cut the conversation short, Lee Han was flustered.

Did he do something wrong?

“No matter the reason, you’d go anyways, right?”

“Well… yes.”

“And the professors are going with you, right?”

“Yes. But, you see, the situation is…”

“Then I don’t want to hear it.”

Like someone used to dealing with troublesome friends, Direte was wise.

Her junior would go anyway, so why bother hearing the reason and suffering unnecessarily?

“……”

Lee Han was crestfallen.

‘Am I that hopeless? But I’m still better than Senior Yukveltire… No. Wait. What am I comparing myself to?’

He was mortified.

Feeling superior for not being as bad as Yukveltire? That was tossing away all dignity as a human being.

“Ugh. Got it, Senior. Next time, I’ll let you know in advance.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

Lee Han trudged out. Behind him, Direte sighed deeply and called out again.

“Junior.”

“Yes?”

“…What’s the ‘long story’?”

“!”

Lee Han turned around, surprised.

And he thought to himself.

‘Isn’t this exactly why she always gets messed with by Senior Yukveltire?’

“What’s up? What are you thinking?”

“It’s nothing. Haha. I was just collecting my thoughts.”

• * *

‘Hmm. If a few more classes offered this kind of flexibility, things really would get easier.’

Lee Han spun his quill in the lounge.

He had honestly worried a lot at the start of the semester. With the extra commissions on top of classes, he literally didn’t have enough hours.

But in the end, he actually had more time left over than last semester.

The caring professors had made things easier, but more than that…

“……”

Lee Han looked at his friends with sympathy.

The second-year lounge, once overflowing with warmth and abundant snacks, now felt more like a haunted house in ruins.

The Blue Dragon Tower students sprawled around with half-lifeless expressions. Gainando muttered and ground his teeth.

“How did they find the magician card? It was hidden in my private room…!”

A lounge where you couldn’t eat or play wasn’t a lounge. It was more like a punishment room.

But ironically, because of these new rules, Lee Han now had a lot more free time.

With all the cooking, cleaning, and helping friends with homework gone, it was actually hard not to end up with spare time.

‘Amazing. I never knew I’d spent so much time on that stuff.’

-Iactus: Does anyone know how the new inspector finds contraband? He’s way crazier than expected!

Complaints were coming out in the Watchman Club as well. It looked like a few unlucky members had gotten caught by Wuman.

-Bulgasari: What did you do?

-Iactus: I can’t tell you everything, but just know that we used forbidden mounts for forbidden hunting to have a forbidden meal. It was in the forest where giants appear, and the guy just showed up. Is being a dragon all that?

-Bulgasari: If it’s the forest where giants appear, that’s the Ironwood Forest! How could you even think of wandering around there?!

-Iactus: Is there anyone other than Bulgasari? I want to talk to someone else.

-Bulgasari: Don’t ignore me—are you even listening to what I’m saying?!

‘Oh dear.’

Lee Han thought to himself.

This Bulgasari member’s popularity had nowhere left to fall. He always ruined everyone’s fun with the truth.

-Baquantalana: Dragon magic is far more profound and secretive than imperial magic. If you go back through its traditions, it’s ancient.

-Iactus: I didn’t ask for an explanation, I want to know how to dodge it. Wasn’t there a second-year who’s friends with a dragon? Wardanaz, right?

“!”

Suddenly seeing his own name pop up, Lee Han panicked. Fortunately, Senior Ellendil was watching too and responded in his place.

-Beaver-Penguin-Fox: The one he’s friends with is a different dragon, so it won’t help. Dragons are especially stubborn about things like this.

-Iactus: Damn. So we’re supposed to just watch as an outside inspector destroys all the school’s traditions and culture? What’s the headmaster even doing?

Usually, these members cursed the skull headmaster for fun, but that was one thing, and this was another.

Iactus refused to back down.

-Iactus: Even if he’s friends with a different dragon, he’s still friends with a dragon. Maybe he knows a dragon’s weakness or a way to deceive their magic?

-Baquantalana: If hearing a secret was all it took to overcome dragon magic, it wouldn’t be so famous.

-Iactus: Shut up. You already lost our club to an outsider last time.

A fight immediately broke out. Lee Han sighed with relief. Luckily, it seemed he had dodged the spotlight.

He didn’t want to get dragged into making an “Anti-Prince Wuman Society” with the seniors.

Lee Han!

“…???”

Suddenly seeing his name pop up, Lee Han wondered if the Watchman Club had broken again like last time.

What the…?

Seeing as other members didn’t react, it wasn’t a new member. It had to be someone contacting Lee Han directly via his artifact.

Who are you?

-Joulin! Joulin! Joulin is trapped right now!

…Uh, by who? The Headmaster?

No! By a mean sibling! Lee Han has to save me!

“……”

After a moment’s silence, Lee Han posted in the club.

-Gonadaltes: Does anyone here know a dragon’s weakness?