Episode 1189
by CristaeLee Han realized things were going in a strange direction.
The reason he saved up gold coins was purely for a stable life and, someday, to invest in that one chance for a lifelong fortune in the Empire’s commercial world.
It was never about making his senior feel deprived.
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding. Senior Jarun, you spend as much as you earn, don’t you? Last time I saw you prepping spells, you went through a lot of gold.”
“Junior, saying it like that will just make things worse for the senior. If we start factoring in every little thing like that to rationalize and stay sane, who in this world wouldn’t have a sad story? A real miner talks with the gold they’ve saved, not excuses.”
“…Get out!!”
Jarun let out a trembling shout. It was rare that talking to juniors hurt his pride this much.
“Senior, if you kick me out here, you’ll be the real loser.”
“Do you have a death wish!?”
“Could both of you please calm down? If you don’t, I’ll leak this location to Professor Verdus, and I’ll hand all the animals I care for to Professor Bendozol.”
“……”
“……”
The two seniors, who’d been about to start a heated fight, froze in their tracks as if doused in cold water.
They stared at Lee Han, full of shock and disbelief.
To threaten them with such a terrifying, ruthless threat without a second’s hesitation???
‘That brat… Does he have no heart?’
‘How can he threaten like that so quickly?’
It was so lethal and sharp it sent chills down their spines.
If the mining location Jarun used were to fall into the hands of a greedy, shameless magician like Professor Verdus, he’d cause immediate trouble.
Other professors might think, “Well, it wouldn’t be right to take what my student found, even if I wanted to,” but Verdus would think, “It’s better overall if I handle the mining than a clueless student.”
And if all the rare animals Lee Han was looking after, nominally for the polo club, ended up with Professor Bendozol?
He’d almost certainly never be able to enter a polo tournament again. No way would Bendozol risk letting creatures under his care enter such a dangerous event.
-…Was I included too?!
The baby basilisk was shocked.
So it wasn’t just unicorns and griffins Lee Han looked after?!
Satisfied that both seniors had quieted, Lee Han nodded. He’d never really intended to call the professors anyway.
“As long as you two don’t fight, I won’t bother with all that. In the first place, for magicians, money is easy to come by and easy to lose, right?”
A single commission could bring in a fortune, and one experiment could wipe it out.
That’s the life of a magician.
‘No, that’s not it.’
‘That’s just you. For us, it’s hard to earn and easy to lose, idiot.’
The two seniors thought to themselves. There were some mistakes in their junior’s way of thinking.
Easy to lose, yes. Easy to earn… not really…
…To be precise, only juniors like him seemed to earn money easily.
If you got commissions from everywhere like he did, you’d earn easily too!
“Haha. I suppose you’re right.”
“Yeah. Yep. Junior.”
The two smiled with gritted teeth, forcing polite faces.
The memory of his earlier threat still lingered vividly.
“It sounds a bit forced, but… anyway, thank you for understanding. By the way, on my last outing I met a transformation magician named Garco from House Arjo. Do you know him?”
“Yeah, I know him.”
“Elven, right? Nasty personality.”
Carnella and Jarun immediately understood; they were from the same magic faction.
Lee Han was puzzled by their dismissive reaction.
Garco was a bit zealous and believed in some odd conspiracy theories (like Baquantalana being a transformation mage), but his personality hadn’t seemed that bad.
“Nasty personality? I didn’t get that impression.”
“If he keeps sending you letters and pestering you, that’s nasty.”
“……”
Lee Han made a sour face.
If someone who hadn’t even graduated Einrogard was writing to a senior who never left the underground, he thought two things.
First, Jarun must be that talented that even outsiders wanted to hear from him…
…and that transformation magic folk from Einrogard seriously lacked manners.
“Did the letter have swear words in it?”
“No. That would have at least been amusing.”
Jarun, oblivious to his junior’s disapproving glare, kept complaining.
“It was always small talk, news about other transformation magicians, greetings—such a pain!”
“Honestly, it was a pain, yeah. Junior.”
Carnella agreed.
She was more active outside than most in her faction, but that didn’t mean she liked it.
It was all just for polo; she’d really rather just hang out with her animals.
Lee Han couldn’t stand it and spoke up.
“But how can you call someone nasty for that? The reason I asked for your help is because you’re the most sociable in our faction.”
“……”
“…????”
Their eyes went wide.
It was the most shocking thing they’d heard today—even more than watching their junior become a dragon.
“Who—what? You mean the evil cult? Junior, even if I let that slide, this senior here is definitely not…”
“What? Hey, why only you?”
Jarun bristled.
It wasn’t like he wanted to be seen as sociable.
But he didn’t want this insane junior to go ‘at least I’m better than you, senior.’
He thought he and Carnella were about the same.
“I live up above; you live underground. That settles it, doesn’t it?”
“You’re only sociable because people are scared of the monsters you drag around; otherwise, no one would talk to you!”
“Ha! That’s a bold face for a guy who only has juniors come see him because he’s good at magic! Let’s just stop arguing and let the junior decide.”
“Fine! Junior, which of us is more sociable…?”
Only then did the two realize Lee Han was gone.
The junior had figured it out, too.
Once you learned magic, there was no reason to hang around useless seniors!
“……”
“……”
Both seniors reflected—just a little.
“Oh. And let’s keep this a secret from Joulin.”
-Why would I tell? Not like you’re becoming a basilisk.
The baby basilisk replied gloomily.
Lee Han suddenly felt guilty.
“I promise, I’ll start with basilisk once I get the hang of transformation magic.”
-Really?
“Of course. …And keep it from Fongrif too, all right?”
It was a promise-for-a-promise, but there was no helping it. Lee Han resolved that if he ever transformed into a griffin, he’d tell Fongrif then.
Lee Han climbed the ladder from the basement up to the surface.
Just then he saw Professor Thunderstep coming from a distance.
“Oh, Professor.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you feeling any better since last time?”
“How could I feel better??”
Thunderstep looked at his student like he wanted to shove him back down the ladder.
Having been tormented point-by-point by the young Skull Headmaster, how could anyone recover so quickly?
He wanted to storm into the headmaster’s office and blast dissolution potions everywhere.
“But, professor.”
“What, what now?”
“You always said an alchemist’s talent is to move forward, without letting failures or criticism get you down…”
“……”
Thunderstep was at a loss for words as his own advice ricocheted back to him.
He’d definitely used lines like that when critiquing his students’ terrible potions…
“Why don’t you just stay down there forever with those wicked things in that dark hole?”
‘Is he talking about the seniors?’
Lee Han dusted himself off, wondering how Thunderstep had guessed about Jarun and Carnella.
“Like I said, I have to take the exam ahead of time.”
“Tsk tsk. Don’t torment the other professors too much.”
“Yes.”
Lee Han answered promptly, without even changing his expression.
Thunderstep stared at him with doubt, wondering if the kid had really understood.
…If he’d realized what form Lee Han had just transformed into, he might have attacked in a rage.
No shameful magician could be that brazen.
“You can torment Professor Verdus, though.”
“……”
“What, why? You’re saying it’s fine if you massacre my exam with the headmaster’s wisdom, but Verdus gets a pass because he’s a cute beaver beastkin?”
“I’ve never thought that… Actually, Professor Verdus’s exam is a bit different.”
Lee Han began to explain.
If there’s one misunderstanding the Enchantment School students hated most, it was the idea that ‘they might grumble, but in their hearts, they respect their teachers.’
The moment you said that, even the calmest, iciest enchantment students would change expressions and draw their weapons.
Lee Han was no different.
The cuteness of a beaver beastkin had stopped working a long time ago.
“It’s -Magical Architecture and Its Materials- for the exam, and I’ve already prepared for that.”
Lee Han had enough conscience not to ask the ancient headmaster for help on every test.
The only reason he’d asked the young prince for help on Thunderstep’s exam—
The difficulty was so high, it was unlikely to even finish in the allotted time.
But the upcoming transformation and enchantment exams were another story. He was already prepared, so there was no need to ask anyone; he was confident he could pass.
He’d practiced for the transformation exam, and as for the enchantment exam…
“I did some commission work outside and plan to submit that.”
“……”
Thunderstep almost staggered.
So, the only reason he’d been trounced was for making the test too hard.
Was there no justice for steadfast teachers and only wicked students prospered?
“Might that not be lacking?”
“If that’s lacking, I’ll seriously consider reporting Professor Verdus to His Highness Inspector Uman…”
Lee Han made a sour face.
If Professor Verdus tried to fault work that had already been vouchsafed by northern knights and magicians, it wouldn’t be a matter for persuasion but a job for the inspector.
‘That’s true.’
Thunderstep had to admit it.
This junior was so meticulous, there was no way he’d submit outside work he wasn’t fully satisfied with.
If he hadn’t done a thorough job, Lee Han would never have turned it in for Verdus’s exam.
“Can I have a look?”
“Just a second… Here it is.”
“Why are there two volumes?”
“Oh, ignore the one underneath. Some crazy magicians forced it on me.”
Lee Han coldly disparaged the northern black magicians, who would have wept to hear it.
Without thinking, Thunderstep glanced at the bottom book and his eyes lit up.
“With this… you could destroy Professor Verdus!”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, slip of the tongue. I meant, you could really surprise Professor Verdus.”
“Your expression seems a bit too murderous for just a surprise…”