Episode 1226
by CristaeLee Han wasn’t surprised. There was no way a magician like Professor Verdus, who had so many enemies, would be taken down by such an attack.
Sure enough, layers of red and blue shields activated and deflected the knife. They were the standard defensive artifacts Professor Verdus always wore.
“W-what the?!”
Professor Verdus shouted in shock. At that moment, Lee Han realized the professor didn’t know who was in the next cell.
If every other professor besides himself disappeared from the school, Professor Verdus probably wouldn’t notice.
“Who knows. Maybe it’s a function of the prison?”
“There wasn’t anything like this before?!”
Professor Verdus was puzzled.
He had been to the professors’ punishment room several times.
Lately, he’d spent more time in regular or deep punishment rooms, but as far as he could remember, there had been no such trap in this one…
“It must have been added recently. You know the Headmaster’s personality.”
“Huh. Yeah, true.”
Professor Verdus immediately accepted this.
The Skull Headmaster was cruel and underhanded, enjoying tormenting good magicians.
No one would be surprised if he installed a trap leading from the punishments room hallway to a pit in the basement.
“Anyway, quickly, let’s cast the spe—”
Another knife flew in. This time there were three.
‘Why three?’
It wouldn’t matter at first, so why three all at once?
Was this just a sign of hatred for Professor Verdus?
But no. Knowing Professor Voladi, he would never waste resources so inefficiently.
Lee Han’s eyes widened.
The first knife struck directly and clashed with the blue shield. The shield deflected the blow and then disappeared.
It wasn’t the attack that made it disappear.
In these auto-defense artifacts, to avoid mana depletion, the shield would vanish after blocking a hit.
A magician like Professor Verdus wouldn’t waste power with shoddy redundancy.
But this time, efficiency left a gap.
The instant the shield vanished after one block, there was a very brief window before it regenerated for the next blow.
Professor Voladi’s second knife slipped into that opening. If it had been any later or earlier, it would have either been blocked by the newly generated shield or stopped by the first.
Ting!
This time, the red shield activated and deflected it. As expected of Professor Verdus—ever vigilant thanks to his many enemies.
But the third knife was already flying. Arriving just after the second, it slipped in as the red shield disappeared.
“Uaaaagh!”
Professor Verdus threw himself aside in panic.
For a non-magical attack to break through his wards—impossible!
Lee Han, amazed, clapped involuntarily. In some ways, this seemed more impressive than a Personal World.
To break through an opponent’s magic with no spells—amazing.
‘Incredible! A monumental achievement.’
When Professor Voladi retired someday, Lee Han wanted to cite this as one of his teacher’s achievements.
Professor Verdus, lying on the ground, shouted as he looked at a handful of chopped-off fur.
“Unbelievable!”
“Seems the Headmaster is quite persistent and underhanded.”
“Looks that way! …Wait, is this why they had me submit a detailed report on my artifact’s specs?!”
Professor Verdus’s face showed deep shock.
No wonder the Skull Headmaster always grumbled, ‘If you submit another artifact with a report saying just “I finished it!” instead of detailed specs, I’ll stake you upside down on a beaver dam.’ It was clearly all part of this plan.
He calculated the artifacts’ weaknesses to attack Professor Verdus!
“Um, professor. Aren’t store-bought artifacts supposed to have specs submitted in detail…?”
“Underhanded! Cruel!”
“…Let’s go with that. Haha.”
As Professor Verdus became ever more convinced of his own ideas, Lee Han just went along with it.
‘Wait, does Professor Baegrek always remember Professor Verdus’s artifact specs?’
That scholarly diligence was just admirable. Lee Han resolved not to overlook anything about Professor Verdus in the future, either.
“Professor. I think this punishment room has some nasty new traps. Maybe it’s best not to talk magic in here.”
“To think talking about magic gets you attacked. I don’t know what Gonadaltes is thinking.”
Professor Verdus grumbled incredulously.
But his student’s words were persuasive. With the Skull Headmaster’s twisted personality, a devious trap like this made perfect sense.
If it was knives now, maybe next would be a trapdoor full of spikes…
“Guess I’ll have to talk after I get out.”
This time, five knives flew in. Professor Verdus shouted in confusion.
“Why this time!?”
“Who knows. Who can understand the Headmaster? Haha.”
Seeing Professor Verdus rolling on the floor, Lee Han forgot his earlier worries over Joulin and felt much better.
Maybe the phrase “just seeing his face is a joy” was made for Professor Verdus.
In the end, Professor Verdus left, grumbling without achieving his goal.
Only after the professor departed did Lee Han realize—
‘…Wait. He never mentioned this semester’s class?’
Normally, when a student is stuck in the punishment room, the visiting professor would say something about this semester’s lecture, wouldn’t they?!
Once the hallway was quiet again, Lee Han refocused on his project.
‘Amazing!’
The previously solid wall now cut like soft cheese, making Lee Han gasp in astonishment.
Was this the power of a dragon’s tooth?
Maybe this tooth would go down in Einrogard legend as the ultimate prison-breaking tool.
‘I must pass this down to my juniors when I graduate.’
Shhk, shhk, shhk—
How long did he dig?
Finally, the other side of the wall gave way to a view of the next cell.
Lee Han let out a cry of joy. He felt even happier than when he’d learned 5th Circle magic.
“Professor! The tunnel’s finished!”
“I see.”
‘Oops.’
Lee Han suddenly felt self-conscious over the time he’d wasted.
Thinking about it, Professor Voladi probably didn’t approve of such antics.
“Heh. Now, if I have any magic questions, I can just ask through here.”
“Indeed.”
‘Oops. I dug my own grave.’
Instant regret seized Lee Han.
Why did I say that!
He couldn’t laugh at Professor Verdus’s foolishness. Lee Han rebuked himself deeply.
“…Would you like some tea?”
When Professor Voladi said yes, Lee Han boiled water and sighed.
Why did I talk magic instead of just offering this as a bribe!
As he boiled water and looked at the magic books lined on the shelves, Lee Han suddenly felt a wave of anxiety.
Could he keep up with classes from the punishment room for the rest of the term…
…no. Even Lee Han didn’t fear stuff like this anymore.
“Professor, Professor.”
“I’m listening.”
“Is Professor Garcia still angry?”
His greatest source of worry was Professor Garcia’s anger.
If it were Professor Verdus or Professor Bendodol angry, Lee Han wouldn’t care, but Garcia was a different story.
He was a mentor he respected, so Lee Han couldn’t help but feel guilty.
“Hmm.”
Professor Voladi took the teacup through the tunnel and mused.
Long ago, Professor Garcia supposedly had an arrogant and rough temper, but as far as Voladi saw, he was a good and diligent junior.
Whether those wild days really existed was doubtful; maybe it was just the Skull Headmaster’s mischievous joke.
“It won’t last long.”
“Do you really think so?!”
Lee Han was overjoyed.
If Professor Voladi said so, he could really trust it. Garcia truly was the most virtuous man in Einrogard.
“Around a year.”
“……”
Lee Han’s joy froze on his face.
Isn’t a year a seriously long time?
“Wait. Professor, where did you get the number a year?”
“In the past, he wouldn’t talk to me for about a year.”
“…!”
At first, Lee Han was baffled, then realization struck.
That must have been when Professor Voladi escaped all those years ago.
Back then, Garcia ignored him for about a year, so this time would be the same…
‘Damn. That makes sense!’
Lee Han shivered at the unassailable logic.
For Professor Garcia to ignore him for a year—just the thought was torture. He’d rather transfer to Baldrogard.
‘…No. There’s a flaw in that logic.’
On reflection, Professor Voladi was Garcia’s senior, while Lee Han was his student.
Whether this was an advantage or not, Lee Han wasn’t sure.
“Is there anything Professor Garcia especially likes? Can I shorten the sentence with flattery or bribes?”
“He appreciates diligence.”
“…I think it’s too late for that, as I’m in the punishment room. Anything else? Would jokes about the Headmaster or gold coins work?”
Professor Voladi shook his head. Lee Han sighed.
He did know a few jokes about the Headmaster!
“How about making notable progress in Professor Garcia’s specialty, Time-Space Magic?”
“That’s not bad.”
For the first time, Professor Voladi looked pleased. Lee Han let out a sigh of relief.
“Great. What kind of achievement would count?”
“There’s ‘Hybris.’”
“Oh. What sort of spell is that?”
“A time-space Small World magic. Professor Garcia uses it often.”
“…Is there something easier?”
Lee Han tried to lower the bar.
He really did want to appease Garcia, but his own proficiency in Time-Space was just beginner level.
He couldn’t just skip everything and jump into Small Worlds.
“There’s nothing easier among the advanced spells.”
The higher the circle, the greater the requirements for magic.
Some spells required one or two Small Worlds as prerequisites, enough to make a magician curse by default.
But right now, none of that mattered to Lee Han.
“…I didn’t mean for you to introduce advanced magic.”
“I see. Understood.”
Lee Han shivered as the teacher tried to sneak in some evil high-level magic while his student’s guard was down.
This punishment room was, in its own way, more dangerous than a classroom.
‘Hmm. I’ll have to ask my other master as well.’
Lee Han decided to ask the Young Prince for recommendations on spells Garcia would like.
The Young Prince would surely remember a spell Professor Garcia favored.
“Wait. The jailer is coming. I’ll close the tunnel.”
Lee Han, now used to the punishment room, recognized the footsteps as his teacher suggested.
It was the jailer’s gait.
‘What is it? It’s not even mealtime.’
The jailer never visited unless distributing food or delivering something.
Soon, the steps stopped. Not at Lee Han’s cell—or Professor Voladi’s—but at another empty one.
There was a clattering sound as the door opened and someone was brought inside.
‘A new prisoner!’
Lee Han ran through all the possibilities in his head.
“Could it be Professor Ku?”
“Why?”
“Well…”
On second thought, there didn’t seem to be any good reason for Professor Kirmin to be locked up.
Lee Han shamelessly bluffed.
“You two are friends. Wouldn’t it be nice if Professor Ku joined you—less lonely.”
A wicked suggestion that would’ve made Professor Kirmin clutch his neck if he’d heard it.
“More likely to be Professor Verdus…”
“Lee Han! Joulin is in the next cell too!”
“……”
“……”
“I’ll write the Headmaster a letter.”
Lee Han whispered, so Joulin wouldn’t overhear.