Episode 122

Episode 122

‘No. I can’t judge a person by something like this.’

A slightly twisted sense of humor was merely a minor flaw at this magic school.

Ihan decided to focus on the professor’s positive traits in front of him.

“It was really fun. Like a refreshing breeze to someone worn out by school life…”

Asan, who was the second to finish, approached and stopped when he heard Ihan’s words.

‘What did he find fun about that?’

No matter how you looked at it, there wasn’t a single entertaining factor in this test.

“Hello, Professor. I’m Asan of House Dalkard.”

Noticing Asan, Professor Alpen took out his pocket watch and checked the time, then spoke.

“Hm. I actually had something to say to students with exceptional grades… come with me.”

Asan put on a sour expression.

He’d finally finished the test and earned some free time, and he didn’t want to waste it talking to the professor again.

“Certainly.”

Of course, Ihan was not the same. Ihan answered before Asan could even make an excuse.

Asan smacked his lips in disappointment and moved his steps.

“Come to think of it, Asan. How did you solve the last problem?”

“I couldn’t get an answer, so I started plugging in from 0… Luckily got it right. What about you, Wardanaz?”

With a look that said, ‘Obviously you solved it just like me, right?’ Asan looked at Ihan.

Ihan nodded.

“Of course, I solved it the same way.”

Ihan decided that if other classmates asked, he would answer that way, too.

He didn’t want to seem like he understood the skeletal principal too well.

• * *

Professor Alpen’s office was quite antique.

The books were arranged without a speck of dust, and every object in the room was in its proper place.

“Please, have a seat.”

As the two students sat, Professor Alpen waved his staff and filled the teacups.

“You two are outstanding students, taking first and second place in this test.”

“Thank you.”

“The truth is, next week, a friend of mine is planning to visit the school. A friend I made while working as an imperial administrator…”

Listening quietly, Ihan’s eyes sparkled.

If he was a friend made while serving as an imperial administrator, it was highly likely he, too, was of high imperial rank.

“…That friend wants to see the skills of the students I’m teaching when he visits. So, I’d like to assign you the task of making a simple magic circle. As I mentioned during lecture, it shouldn’t be that difficult.”

Ihan brightened and Asan grimaced.

Why would he want to do extra work?

It wasn’t like his grades were lacking!

‘This is something I can do myself.’

Seeing Asan’s negative reaction, Ihan nodded to himself.

Not only were his grades better, Asan clearly didn’t want to do it.

It was a perfect opportunity.

“I think it would be good if Dalkard took this on.”

“…?!”

Ihan was surprised.

Why?!

“M… Me? Wouldn’t it be better if Wardanaz handled it?”

Asan trailed off, lacking confidence.

Skill was one thing, but he didn’t want to do such extra work.

Ihan silently cheered Asan on.

‘Hang in there, Asan!’

“I’ve heard Wardanaz is already handling so much.”

“……”

“……”

Both Ihan and Asan were speechless.

True enough!

“I’ve heard you’re so devoted to your studies that you make time to learn from other professors as well. I can’t interrupt a student like that.”

“…Understood. I’ll do it…”

Asan spoke in a downcast voice.

Asan did have a conscience.

As a student of the Blue Dragon Tower, he couldn’t just dump the task on the already overworked and tired Ihan.

“That’s all right, Professor. I’ll help Asan, too.”

“Will you?”

“Yes.”

“Wardanaz…!”

Asan was so moved he almost teared up.

To help with such a boring, tiresome, and annoying task out of friendship alone!

Swish, swish—

Asan wiped his tears with his sleeve. He felt like he’d become much more prone to tears since entering this school.

“Thank you, Wardanaz.”

“It’s nothing, Asan.”

Ihan patted Asan’s shoulder and thought to himself.

‘I’ll definitely make a good impression.’

No matter who Professor Alpen’s friend was, he would make himself stand out!

After a simple briefing, the two students said goodbye and left the office.

Left alone, Professor Alpen murmured regretfully.

“Pity. I originally wanted to recommend Wardanaz…”

Judging by talent and skill alone, the boy from House Wardanaz was an asset he would have liked to recommend to the imperial administrators.

A brilliant mind and a strong passion for learning.

He would no doubt become an excellent empire official.

However…

‘Someone that talented should focus on academics, not a public office.’

Professor Alpen knew it well.

A moderately good mind suited imperial office, but a truly extraordinary mind should devote itself to scholarship for the empire’s future.

After years in public service, Professor Alpen had come to this school to nurture as many future pillars of the empire as he could.

As a former official, it was bittersweet, but as an educator, it was a happy thing.

‘I’ll help as much as I can. So that Wardanaz can focus wholly on his studies.’

• * *

Thursday.

On his way to alchemy class, Ihan realized the other students’ faces were covered in exhaustion.

“What time did you all leave the classroom yesterday?”

“After midnight… The spell wouldn’t lift.”

“……”

“What was the answer to the last problem?”

Yonair still looked puzzled.

No matter how he thought about it, there couldn’t have been any answer other than 720 coins.

“…0 coins.”

“Huh?”

“0 coins.”

“Why?”

“Well… that is…”

Though he hadn’t written the question, Ihan carefully explained under Yonair’s gaze.

A fire that looked fit for refining metal flared in Yonair’s eyes.

“Dam—! …Right. That was it. Right.”

Yonair just barely calmed himself down.

If you got mad at every little thing here, you wouldn’t survive at this school.

Snap snap—

“?”

Ihan turned his head.

The princess, passing by with an expressionless face, was tearing up sheets of paper filled with formulas and numbers.

She must have been working on the problem to this very day since she couldn’t solve it yesterday.

“…I actually feel sorry.”

“Why? It’s not your fault. Don’t worry about it.”

Yonair comforted Ihan. The girl from the Meikin family changed the subject.

“I heard you’re making a magic circle with Dalkard?”

“Yeah.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just let Dalkard do it alone?”

“Hey… Meikin…”

Asan, passing by, looked at Yonair with a hurt expression.

Of course, Yonair wasn’t wrong.

Other students from different towers seemed to agree and chimed in.

“It’d be better for him to do it alone, right?”

“Dalkard, you should be considerate of Wardanaz.”

“……”

Asan looked pleadingly at Ihan for help. Ihan nodded and replied.

“I decided to help because I wanted to. You guys don’t have to worry.”

“If that’s how you feel…”

“Couldn’t you ask that prince for help? He looks like he has plenty of free time.”

Tap tap tap—

Professor Uregeoreum, entering the classroom, banged on a cauldron.

“Nice to see everyone. I’m sure you already know what we’ll be doing today even without me explaining, right?”

The students pouted.

Even with the same kind of quiz, Professor Uregeoreum always managed to make it a bit more aggravating.

Feeling the students’ eyes on him, Professor Uregeoreum laughed heartily.

“All right. Line up, one at a time, and come inside.”

“?”

The students murmured at the unexpected exam format.

They had thought it would be a usual group potion-making exam using the cauldrons in the classroom…?

“What’s going on? Why do we have to line up?”

“……”

The students eyed Professor Uregeoreum suspiciously and formed a line.

No one could guess what would be waiting beyond the inner door of the classroom.

“What’s in there?”

“Is it a monster?”

“But it’s alchemy class?”

“Then what about when that crazy monster attacked us on the first day?”

“…That was also alchemy class. Damn. There could be a monster then.”

The students quickly braced themselves and grabbed their staves.

At this point, it really seemed possible that a monster would appear.

‘Surely there won’t be a monster… right?’

Clinging to a little hope, Ihan handed out snacks to his friends.

“What’s this?”

“Beer candy. Eat it if you’re short on mana.”

The friends accepted the beer candy with grave expressions.

You never knew how much mana you’d need facing a monster; it was a must-have item.

“Wardanaz. Come in.”

Ihan opened the door and went inside.

Thankfully, a monster didn’t leap at him, but he didn’t let his guard down.

“…You can take your hand off your waist.”

Uregeoreum looked at Ihan in disbelief.

Being cautious was a good habit, but holding himself ready to draw his sword at any moment for an alchemy exam? Really?

Was this a swordsmanship exam?

“Professor, I trust you.”

“I’m sure I said this before, but someone who really trusts me wouldn’t say that. All right, look at the cauldron and the ingredients beside it.”

Ihan checked the cauldron.

Then he checked the ingredients beside it. They were all ingredients he had never seen before.

“I’ve checked them.”

“Then, use only the ingredients inside the room to make this potion.”

“?”

Ihan paused as he saw the barley-colored potion inside the glass bottle the professor shook.

It was a potion he’d never seen before.

“Is it a potion you’ve taught in class?”

“No.”

“Can you tell me what kind of potion it is?”

“No.”

“……”

Either out of amusement or enjoyment, Uregeoreum grinned widely.

Outstanding alchemists were excellent at improvisation.

Even with ingredients they’d never seen before, they could make a potion similar to one they didn’t even know the purpose of.

That’s because they were able to quickly figure out the properties of the ingredients and keep those effects completely organized in their minds.

Of course, Professor Uregeoreum didn’t expect the freshmen to make a perfect potion.

How many characteristics of the potion could they deduce and how close could they come?

That was the core of the test.

“All right. You’d better get moving. Time isn’t unlimited, you know.”

“Hmm.”

Ihan looked as if he was pondering something deeply.

Of all the students taking the alchemy lecture, Ihan was among the best, so Professor Uregeoreum was actually puzzled that Ihan hadn’t started and was still lost in thought.

‘What is he thinking about?’

He should be quickly figuring out the ingredients and potion properties. Instead, he just sat lost in thought.

It didn’t make sense.

“Professor.”

“What is it?”

“Can I use anything in the room as an ingredient?”

“Are you planning to use something you brought yourself?”

Professor Uregeoreum snorted.

He didn’t know what ingredient Ihan might have, but there was a high chance it would be useless anyway.

If by some miracle he had something usable, Professor Uregeoreum was prepared to acknowledge it.

If you were that lucky, you could do whatever you wanted!

“Do as you wish.”

“Understood.”

Ihan lunged like lightning and snatched the potion from Uregeoreum’s hand.

Caught completely off guard by the sudden move, Uregeoreum froze, then came to his senses at last.

“…Hey!!!”