Episode 138

The white horse made a huge fuss, as if to say it was exactly that.

Just when it seemed the misunderstanding was finally cleared up with the potion Sharkan had brought, seeing the two students’ behavior, the horse sensed another misunderstanding.

This couldn’t be left alone!

But Yoner looked at Lee Han as if he had no idea what he was talking about.

“You’re asking if it could actually be a real griffon? What are you talking about?”

“You said earlier there were two bright green potions, right?”

The curse removal potion and the animal transformation potion.

Both potions were the same color, so when Sharkan rummaged through the box and ran off, Yoner hadn’t been able to tell at once.

But what if the white horse drank the curse removal potion, not the griffon transformation potion?

“But… Lee Han.”

Yoner hesitated, not even sure where to start with his criticism.

Lee Han’s idea was simply preposterous.

“No matter what, as if Professor Uregeoreum would turn a griffon into a horse to hand out to students.”

“……”

-……

Both Lee Han and the white horse fell silent.

Yoner’s logic was just too flawless.

But Lee Han didn’t back down so easily.

‘Yoner still places a bit more trust in the professors, but I don’t.’

The professors at the magic school were capable of anything.

Even turning a griffon into a horse and forcing it on a new student!

It was highly unlikely, but Lee Han still felt uneasy, and it was irritating how the white horse and Sharkan kept getting worked up.

“I still want to check and make sure.”

“If you really want to… How will you check?”

“Let’s check the other green potion.”

“It’s dangerous to carelessly feed transformation potions to animals.”

Yoner said with a worried look.

Unlike people with reason, you couldn’t predict how an animal would react when its body suddenly changed.

“Of course, I wasn’t going to give it to Ponrig. To Gainando…”

As Lee Han spoke, he suddenly stopped.

He was starting to wonder about the horse’s name.

…No way, right?

‘Professor Uregeoreum is just the type to reverse a griffon’s name for a horse… I guess that fits.’

Lee Han looked over at the white horse.

The horse nodded with its big, deep eyes.

Trust me!

“You’re going to give it to Gainando?”

“Yeah. Or is that too much?”

“No, it’s a good idea.”

Yoner agreed without hesitating even a second.

He wanted to avoid giving transformation potions to animals, but Gainando was fine.

“Wait. Yoner, now that I think about it, couldn’t we just ask the priests to check again?”

Yoner opened his eyes wide at Lee Han’s words.

Oh, right?

“True…”

“But they’ll probably be busy checking the other potions too. Should we just have Gainando test it?”

“I’ll leave it to your judgment, Lee Han. Whatever you want’s fine.”

The two Blue Dragon Tower students plotted their next suspicious scheme as they walked back to the tower.

The white horse tapped its hoof excitedly as it watched Lee Han’s back.

At last, this ridiculous accusation would be cleared up!

Sharkan barked as if saying, just wait a little longer. The white horse bowed its head gratefully.

• * *

Monday.

A new week began with the spring festival after the weekend, but Lee Han’s mood was far from warm and cheerful.

There was Professor Voladi’s class from first thing in the morning.

When Voladi saw Lee Han walk in, he sighed lightly. It was the first time Lee Han had seen that expression from him.

‘What’s this? That’s seriously scary.’

When people did something out of character, it was frightening. Even more so when it was someone like Professor Voladi.

Voladi spoke slowly.

“I told you not to get greedy.”

“Pardon?”

Starting in the middle as always, Professor Voladi’s speaking style was ever surprising.

Lee Han tensed.

There was no telling what this person would do.

“Remember when you defeated the golem?”

“Yes.”

Lee Han, having fallen victim to Professor Uregeoreum’s trickery, defeated the mud golem blocking his way just to survive.

He had poured a massive amount of mana to create a giant sphere of water with rotational properties.

And then, when Voladi randomly caught wind of it, he asked, ‘Why are you so greedy? Rotational properties, already?’ and drove Lee Han up the wall.

Lee Han wasn’t particularly ambitious about such things. Even if he was, Voladi shouldn’t be the one to say such things.

Wasn’t he, of all the staff at this school, the greediest about pushing ahead with magic progress?

“I told you not to be anxious at the time.”

“So since then, I haven’t used any rotational properties…”

“I heard you tried controlling multiple water orbs.”

“……”

Lee Han was in despair.

Just how much was Professor Ingel Dell blabbing around?

‘This is crazy.’

There was no doubt the professors had some secret meeting time. Otherwise, how could word spread this efficiently?

“It was a dire situation, so I had no choice.”

“I’m sure.”

Voladi actually nodded with understanding. That didn’t reassure Lee Han.

Voladi was the type to put on a convincing face while privately forming completely different conclusions in his mind.

Lee Han’s guess was dead-on.

Voladi was thinking something else entirely.

‘Teaching is such a difficult thing.’

If there was a road before you and you didn’t walk it, you had no right to be a mage.

The Wardanaz boy, still so young, was nonetheless the mage-iest of all mages.

The fact that Lee Han had stopped pursuing rotational properties last time wasn’t because of Voladi’s admonition.

A true mage would never halt just because of such shallow advice.

Only a mage’s own conviction could sway them.

That’s why Voladi also prepared further training.

To force Lee Han’s focus.

‘But it must be done.’

Voladi rose from his seat.

He could tell by merely looking into Lee Han’s eyes.

This Wardanaz boy wouldn’t stop.

Just as before, Voladi wasn’t planning to offer shallow advice again.

“Take it.”

“?”

Lee Han was caught off guard by the bundle that Voladi handed him.

What’s this?

“Put it on.”

Lee Han unfolded the bundle to find what looked like an old cloak. He could sense some magic, so it clearly had spells cast on it.

“What kind of magic is on it?”

“Defensive magic.”

“……”

Lee Han sighed.

What possible reason would Voladi have to hand him a cloak with defensive magic?

‘He’s planning to hit me even harder than last time.’

Just how hard was he planning to hit me…

However, instead of firing off a spell, Voladi turned around and left the classroom.

“Follow.”

“??”

Lee Han followed, feeling a little bewildered.

The corridor outside the classroom, located on the first basement level, was deserted and dark. Despite it being morning, it felt like a completely different place.

“Where are we going?”

“We did elemental detection training last time.”

“Yes.”

Lee Han wanted to scold Voladi for not actually answering his question, but held back out of patience.

That was just who Voladi was.

“Your elemental detection is sufficient. No more training needed.”

“Thank you.”

By Voladi’s standards, that was an incredible compliment. Lee Han thanked him honestly.

“And I gave you a book on basic lightning magic and its applications.”

“I’m working hard to read it, but I’m still not perfect…”

“I didn’t expect you to master it at once.”

“!”

Lee Han was surprised.

It wasn’t the comment itself, but that Voladi had said something so normal.

Professor Voladi, a normal comment?

‘…I shouldn’t be happy. The book must be much harder than I thought.’

Now wasn’t the time to be pleased. Lee Han’s mood sank again.

“Elemental detection, control, and transformation—all good enough. It’s actually not odd for you to try multiple water orbs simultaneously.”

“Is that so?”

Lee Han perked up.

So it really was fine to attempt it.

Voladi’s t… teachings might be a little less harsh now.

The professor fell silent at those words. Striding along the underground corridor, he waved his staff at a wall. A hidden staircase appeared.

‘How many hidden passages does this place have?’

Lee Han took notes as he followed his professor down the path.

When the silence continued, Lee Han asked again in curiosity.

“So, professor… where exactly are we going?”

He’d just asked where they were going, yet after that all he’d gotten was a recap of previous training.

What gives?

Voladi came to a halt and looked at Lee Han. In his eyes was a faint hint of embarrassment.

Sensing the situation like a skilled disciple, Lee Han figured it out.

‘Hm. He must think what he just said was a perfectly clear explanation.’

Lee Han had no idea how, but he didn’t show it.

“Could you please clarify a bit more? For example, where exactly are we going right now?”

“We’re going to a dungeon.”

“……”

Lee Han instantly regretted asking.

• * *

Dungeon.

An abnormal space with different rules from the outside, created by stagnant mana in a particular region.

It could be ancient ruins, or a tower built by a mad skeleton lich to store potions—anything, really.

It would be nice if all a dungeon did was hold mana and change the rules, but usually there were monsters. Monsters, naturally attracted by concentrated mana.

Given the school’s history, there was no way there wouldn’t be either a natural or artificial dungeon on campus…

‘I just didn’t want to go in one on my own two feet.’

How far had they walked down the hidden underground passage?

Gradually, the bricks gave way to natural rock, and the mana in the air thickened.

And from deep in the darkness ahead, Lee Han thought he could hear the eerie noises of monsters.

Lee Han looked at Professor Voladi’s back as he led the way.

Would it be easier to take out Professor Voladi here and escape, or fight dungeon monsters instead?

Sadly, the latter.

“Professor. Is there any armor besides the cloak?”

“It interferes with magic.”

Voladi was adamant.

One might think battle-mages would favor armor in dangerous situations, but that was a misconception.

A mage had to be able to focus on magic above all else. Thick, heavy armor restricted movement and hampered concentration.

Battlefield noise and chaos were already enough of a distraction, so it was best to prepare against these things in advance.

‘…But won’t that risk your life?’

Voladi’s point made sense, but something still unsettled Lee Han.

Sure, no armor meant freer magic…

But if you got hit, wasn’t that much more dangerous?

“Ah. Are you saying you defend with magic instead of armor?”

If so, that would make sense.

Lee Han recalled the water shield spell he could cast. A true master could probably use an even wider range of defensive spells.

As they walked, Professor Voladi turned to look back at Lee Han.

“Using defensive magic interferes with other spells.”

“Then… how do you defend yourself?”

“Dodge.”

“……”

Lee Han made up his mind.

Whatever Professor Voladi said, Lee Han would fight while using defensive magic.

‘So this is when all my extra mana finally comes in handy.’