Episode 144

‘Not even surprised.’
Instead of being surprised, Lee Han spoke.
“I see. So you’re planning to shoot fireworks at the students.”
You’re going to shoot fireworks at the students? -› (X)
So you’re planning to shoot fireworks at the students -› (O)
Having already steeled himself, Lee Han wasn’t shaken by this much.
‘I should tell my friends to avoid any event the skeleton headmaster is running.’
No matter how delicious the snacks the skeleton headmaster offered at this festival, if you followed along, you might get hit by fireworks.
Seeing Lee Han’s indifferent reaction, the skeleton headmaster found it boring.
The longer you live, the less fun you have left.
For the skeleton headmaster, the only remaining pleasures were researching magic, running the school, and tormenting his students.
Truly a frugal, monk-like life of austerity.
But with Lee Han reacting like that, the skeleton headmaster couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
Isn’t it a bit too cold to be so indifferent when I say I’ll shoot fireworks at the students?
“No, it’s fine. You can shoot them if you want…”
……
The skeleton headmaster realized once again that this newly discovered student was no ordinary one.
He had taught and tormented many students, but few were as unique as the one before him.
His words were as soft as a willow, but his resolve was firmer than most nobles could ever imagine.
‘A student like that really ought to learn magic properly…’
The skeleton headmaster lamented the state of the empire.
What had magic schools become?
In the old days, master and disciple would sit face-to-face and pass down everything…
Listening to all sorts of nonsense from other magicians only filled students’ heads with useless ideas. It was truly a shame to have to take the long way when there was a shortcut.

• * *
  Lee Han followed behind the skeleton headmaster.
  ‘Is this another professor’s workshop?’
  A uniquely shaped tower a little distance from the main building.
  Since professors each had their own workshop, Lee Han guessed this was another professor’s tower.
  A furnace and bellows. Facilities and equipment you’d expect to see in a blacksmith’s forge were scattered out front, making Lee Han curious.
  ‘A place like this in a magic school?’
  He’d visited places like this occasionally when following Knight Alarrong.
  For knights, their arms and armor were more important than life, so it was important to be on good terms with skilled blacksmiths.
  Of course, the blacksmiths Alarrong visited had some of the best facilities in the empire…
  ‘This place is just as good.’
  It was so professional that it was a bit surprising.
  How is it?
  Seeing Lee Han’s surprise, the skeleton headmaster asked slyly.
  Some of the facilities at this magic school were built with budgets the skeleton headmaster had begged from the emperor for.
  Naturally, he was attached to them.
  “I’m impressed. This is…”
  This is the Artifact Hall. Do you know what it’s for?
  “It’s a place for making artifacts.”
  Right. You’re quick on the uptake.
  Making magic-infused items, artifacts, was not something just anyone could do.
  Who would enchant an item if not a magician?
  So a great artifact maker was not only a great magician, but also an excellent blacksmith, a skilled sculptor, and a talented craftsman.
  “Are you planning to sell artifacts at the festival for profit?”
  …An interesting idea, but no.
  The skeleton headmaster was dumbfounded by Lee Han’s words.
  Of course, selling artifacts was one of a magician’s main sources of income.
  But among magicians who could make artifacts, few tried to sell as many as possible just to make money.
  Magicians obsessed with money and profit rarely reached the highest levels.
  Selling artifacts was always just a means for their own research, not the goal.
  ‘Why not sell them? There seem to be more outside guests than I expected.’
  ‘Why is this kid so interested in money when he’s not even running the school…?’
  Headmaster and student both found each other strange.
  While they were thinking this, a professor appeared from inside the tower.
  Lee Han was startled at the professor’s appearance.
  ‘Incredibly… cute’
  The professor, holding a hammer in one hand and a staff in the other, was a beaver beastkin.
  Even Lee Han, who had seen quite a few beastkin, was surprised at how cute this one was.
  “Why are you here?”
  I need magic fireworks.
  “Okay. I’ll make them. Go.”
  I brought a student to help you.
  “I don’t need help.”
  The beaver professor looked at the skeleton headmaster in puzzlement.
  Then the skeleton headmaster spoke seriously.
  I’m worried about you. You like making things alone without letting students help. You’ll wear yourself out.
  “Why should I make students do something this fun? I don’t get it.”
  The beaver professor grumbled in dissatisfaction.
  But the skeleton headmaster didn’t back down.
  He’d brought Lee Han specifically to make him work on the magic fireworks.
  If he brought Lee Han all this way and Lee Han just lazed around while the beaver professor did all the work, the skeleton headmaster would be truly sad.
  Hey This is an order as headmaster. Make them together with this student
  ‘Persistent, really.’
  Lee Han wasn’t fooled by the skeleton headmaster’s “concern.” There was only one reason for the sudden kindness and gentleness.
  To make Lee Han work, no matter what
  It seemed this beaver professor wasn’t the type to delegate to students.
  The skeleton headmaster was emphasizing it so Lee Han wouldn’t be left out.
  “Fine, fine. I’ll do it together.”
  Good I trust you. Now, Wardanaz. Make all the assigned magic fireworks before I get back.
  “Understood.”
  The skeleton headmaster gave repeated reminders and then floated away humming.
  For some reason, Lee Han was reminded of a fairy tale he’d read long ago.
  Having to fill a leaky jar with water while the skeleton headmaster was out…
  The difference was that Lee Han had no one to help him.
  ‘Better get to work.’
  Despite the cute appearance, Lee Han didn’t let his guard down.
  What kind of person was this beaver professor?
• * *
  “Professor?”
  “Huh? Oh.”
  “…Professor?”
  “Huh? Oh, right. Yes.”
  Professor Bivle Verdus, the beaver beastkin, was not as intimidating as Lee Han expected.
  He wasn’t the type of professor to shoot lightning at freshmen or send undead summons to attack them.
  Instead, Professor Bivle had little interest in his students.
  To be precise, he had little interest in anything except his own magic.
  “I heard you teach enchantment magic.”
  At Lee Han’s words, Professor Bivle fiddled with glass and metal for about thirty seconds before answering.
  “Oh, right.”
  Enchantment magic.
  A broad field of magic in high demand throughout the empire.
  Cast on people, it became enhancement magic; cast on objects, it became artifacts.
  Lee Han was interested in enchantment magic.
  ‘It’s as lucrative as alchemy.’
  Magicians who studied enchantment claimed to care nothing for gold and only pursue the noble path of scholarship, but that was none of Lee Han’s business…
  If he learned how to make artifacts and sold them steadily, it could be a nice side business.
  No matter how stable a job as an imperial official was, you never knew what the future held. Having a steady side income wasn’t a bad idea.
  ‘But with a professor like this…’
  “Uh, wait a moment.”
  “Yes.”
  Actually, as long as the skeleton headmaster wasn’t around, it wasn’t a bad situation.
  If the professor didn’t care about Lee Han, Lee Han could just do his own thing and leave.
  But knowing the skeleton headmaster’s personality, he’d definitely ask about it later.
  And if Lee Han hadn’t done anything, he’d get every kind of mischief thrown at him.
  After about thirty minutes, Professor Bivle finished his work. He put the finished metal plate in a large solution, cast a spell, and started to walk to another room.
  “Professor”
  “Huh What? When did you get here?”
  “I’m Lee Han, here to help you make magic fireworks.”
  “Oh, right. Sorry. I keep forgetting.”
  Professor Bivle approached Lee Han and asked,
  “What year are you?”
  “First year.”
  “……”
  Professor Bivle paused, then spoke again.
  “First year?”
  “Yes.”
  “…Uh… Did Gonadaltes make a mistake?”
  “No, he didn’t.”
  “Really? You must be really talented, then?”
  At Professor Bivle’s words, Lee Han thought to himself.
  ‘It’s more like malice than talent…’
  “Making magic fireworks isn’t that hard. The hard part is making them pretty and varied. Even more so for freshmen.”
  Professor Bivle rolled up a thick piece of paper. Then he cast a spell, sealed the top and bottom, and finally attached a string to the bottom so it could be pulled.
  “There’s magic inside now. When you pull it? It goes pop.”
  “…Sorry, could you do that again?”
  “Huh? Again?”
  Professor Bivle was flustered.
  “Okay, just a second.”
  The professor demonstrated the magic again.
  Roll the paper, enchant the inside, seal the top and bottom, attach the string.
  Done
  “…I’m really sorry. Could you do it slowly, one more time…”
  “Huh? Still again?”
  “Yes. Sorry. I must not have much talent for enchantment magic.”
  “No”
  Professor Bivle was a kind person.
  Of course, that didn’t mean he was a great educator.
  If he were a great educator, he wouldn’t have cast silent enchantment spells in front of a freshman and then said, “Oh? Still don’t get it? Maybe you just don’t have talent” or something ridiculous.
  Both teacher and student were saying ridiculous things, but there was no one around to stop them.
  Professor Bivle picked up his staff again.
  “Okay, so here…”
• * *
  According to Professor Bivle’s teaching (though Lee Han pretty much figured it out himself), the core magic for magic fireworks was the 2nd circle spells ‹Flame Enchantment› and ‹Light Enchantment›.
  “I see. So you enchant the paper with flame and light.”
  “Right. But that’s too plain, so a great magician pursues artistry here.”
  Professor Bivle, apparently hungry, took out some tree bark and chewed on it as he explained.
  “You know how to do elemental shape change or form maintenance, right?”
  “Yes.”
  It wasn’t really a question for a freshman, but Professor Bivle had already forgotten Lee Han was a freshman.
  Lee Han answered without thinking.
  “The principle is similar. You just have to be more careful since you’re engraving it into material…”
  In enchantment magic, the magician’s skill was important, but so was the material being enchanted.
  The weaker the durability, the harder it was to withstand magic and magical power.
  Fortunately, the paper used for scrolls or fireworks was not ordinary paper. It was paper with resistance to magical power.
  Even so…
  “Professor, I have a lot of magical power. Will I be able to do this well?”
  “If not, oh well. You can just do other magic, right?”
  “Thank you for your kind words.”
  Lee Han said sincerely.
  He was a bit disappointed, but even that much encouragement was something.
  If it were Professor Voladi, he might have said, “I won’t open the forge door for you until you succeed.”
  Tap
  After a few tries, Lee Han completed his first light magic firework.
  He’d held back his magical power as much as possible and focused on just making it work, so it wasn’t very pretty or fancy.
  ‘As long as it works, that’s enough.’
  Lee Han didn’t expect much.
  As long as it worked as a firework when the string was pulled, he’d be satisfied.
  “Shall we pull it, then?”
  Professor Bivle put down his tree bark and picked up the firework.
  Then he pulled the string.
  Bang
  A flash filled the room.
  Professor Bivle was startled by the much stronger light than he’d expected.