Episode 153

Episode 153
The magical combat practice did not end with just one round.
Yumidihus spotted other third-year students.
“Those students over there are hiding what they stole too.”
‘Are there only thieves here?’
It was impossible to tell whether a lot of thieves had come in, or if the school was making them into thieves.
Yumidihus pointed at the students trying to hide reagents and materials.
“Bring those as well.”
“Yes.”
It was easier to commit robbery the second time than the first.
Lee Han approached again. But this time, it wasn’t as easy as before.
Caw
As he got closer, an annoying bird cry echoed across the mountain.
Because of the alarm magic, the two third-year students panicked and shouted.
“We’re being chased!”
“Reveal yourself, hidden presence!”
“!”
As expected, third-years were not easy.
When the alarm magic they had set in advance warned them of an intruder, they immediately realized someone was hiding nearby and cast a spell to dispel invisibility.
Thanks to this, Lee Han learned something.
‘I’ll have to disrupt the opponent’s alarm magic first next time.’
The two seniors were startled by the sight of Lee Han in a mask.
He was different from the pursuer they had expected.
What is this?
“Did the principal send you?”
“Of course the principal sent him He’s trying to confuse you”
Lee Han didn’t bother to clear up the seniors’ misunderstanding.
“…That’s right”
“Ugh…”
“You’re the one who forced us Fire—”
The third-year seniors tried to resist as if they were wronged, but Lee Han was a step faster.
A water orb flew in a curve from his blind spot and knocked away the seniors’ staffs.
Whack
Surprisingly, the seniors were quite sloppy when it came to magical combat. Their magical skills were excellent, but they had too many openings.
If it had been Professor Voladi, he would have immediately guarded his own blind spot.
To a student like Lee Han, who had undergone harsh magical combat training, the third-year seniors were like hothouse flowers.
“Ugh”
“……”
Seeing the unconscious seniors, Lee Han suddenly came to his senses.
‘…Will I be able to deal with this later?’
Surely the seniors wouldn’t be able to find the culprit, right?

• * *
  A satisfied Yumidihus descended the mountain with Lee Han.
  On the way down, Yumidihus spotted the freshmen from the White Tiger Tower.
  They seemed to have found one of the boxes hidden by the skeleton principal and were hugging it dearly, chattering about where to open it.
  ‘If they’re freshmen… they don’t need it.’
  The Wardanaz boy needed as much magical combat experience as possible, but there were limits.
  In Yumidihus’s eyes, students of the same year as Lee Han were no longer much of a challenge for him.
  A definite high evaluation.
  But Lee Han spoke firmly.
  “Please let me face them.”
  “But you won’t learn much from it…”
  “There’s something to learn no matter who the opponent is.”
  Lee Han said this as he looked at the box the White Tiger Tower friends had from the skeleton principal.
  He hadn’t opened the box he’d gotten yet, since he’d left it at Professor Thunderstep’s hut…
  The more boxes, the better.
  “In that case, go ahead”
  “Yes”
  Lee Han moved more actively than at any other lesson today.
  Whack
  The White Tiger Tower students, ambushed by invisible attacks, collapsed one after another.
  But the first-years were different from the seniors.
  “You… you… you bastard… you’re Wardanaz, aren’t you…? Ugh…”
  ‘Wait. How did they know?’
  Lee Han was startled that his friends guessed his identity without even seeing him.
  He wanted to ask how they knew, but his friends were already unconscious.
• * *
  Wednesday.
  Ahsan yawned as he watched Lee Han draw the remaining part of the magic circle.
  “Come to think of it, Wardanaz. Did you enjoy the festival yesterday?”
  “Yes.”
  “What did you do?”
  “Helped Professor Voladi with his tent… got called by the principal to make fireworks.”
  Ahsan nodded.
  It seemed his friend had worked hard yesterday.
  Well, Lee Han was one of the top students in his year, so it was understandable that he was so busy.
  “Got some instruction from Lord Yumidihus, went to the Afha Order for fire magic training…”
  “…?”
  Ahsan, listening, started to feel something was off.
  Huh?
  ‘If he only did all that, when did he actually enjoy the festival?’
  “About that much?”
  “…Wardanaz. Sorry, but I don’t think that counts as enjoying the festival.”
  “What do you mean? The festival…”
  Lee Han, who was about to answer as if Ahsan’s words were ridiculous, paused.
  Amazingly, Lee Han himself hadn’t realized it until now
  “…I didn’t enjoy it.”
  “…I’m sorry.”
  “No, I’m doing this because I want to…”
  Lee Han said this and continued drawing the magic circle. But his back looked a little dejected.
  Seeing this, Ahsan felt very sorry.
  ‘Because of me…’
  He felt so bad seeing his friend, who had been up since morning making Professor Knighten’s magic circle, with such dark circles under his eyes.
  But in fact, Lee Han’s dark circles were for a different reason.
  ‘If it’s important enough to put in a box, why not just give it out? Why encrypt it?’
  Lee Han had gotten two boxes from the skeleton principal.
  The one he took from the White Tiger Tower students, surprisingly, was a dud.
  All that glitters is not gold
  -Osu Gonadaltes
  He had expected there would be duds, but seeing it in person was honestly infuriating.
  And what was even more frustrating…
  ‘The White Tiger Tower guys wouldn’t believe me even if I told them it was a dud’
  At least the other box contained a magic spell spanning three pages.
  …In complicated ancient script and jumbled code.
  It was common for grimoires to be like that, but the skeleton principal definitely had the ability to write it out kindly, and had deliberately written it this way.
  Thanks to that, Lee Han had to cut down on sleep to decipher the spell.
  With half still left, he’d have to stay up another night.
  “So right now…”
  “Priest, please leave it to me. I’ll use it for the Empire.”
  “No, I…”
  Following Lee Han and Ahsan, who had come early in the morning, new students entered the classroom, chattering noisily.
  Judging by their serious expressions and whispering, something had happened.
  Lee Han was puzzled.
  ‘What is it? Did the skeleton principal unleash undead or something?’
  “What’s going on?”
  “Priest Tijilling found an outing pass in a box.”
  “……”
  “……”
  Lee Han and Ahsan’s faces hardened like stone.
  No…?
  ‘Was luck the best after all, not magic or effort?’
  Lee Han looked at the entering friends with a bitter feeling.
  A crowd of friends was making offers to Priest Tijilling.
  “Priest Tijilling, if you’re not going to use the outing pass, please sell it to me”
  “Are you crazy? Plus cheese and sausage”
  ‘I’d better stop this.’
  Lee Han sighed inwardly and moved.
  Whenever someone found treasure, those around them always reached out with evil claws.
  Lee Han was the only one who could stop it.
  …But before Lee Han could speak, Priest Tijilling spoke first.
  “Please accept this.”
  “”
  Lee Han’s eyes shook.
  It felt like a devil’s temptation.
  It wasn’t because Priest Tijilling was a demon-blooded, but…
  ‘I want to close my eyes and just take it.’
  No matter how much Lee Han used every means to get an outing pass, it felt wrong to take it from an innocent priest.
  Besides, weren’t they both from the Prisinga Order? If he snatched Priest Tijilling’s outing pass, he wouldn’t be able to face the other priests later.
  “…No. It’s fine.”
  When Lee Han refused, his friends were even more disappointed.
  “Wardanaz”
  “Priest, then I’ll take…”
  “Everyone be quiet. You honorless scoundrels.”
  At Lee Han’s words, his friends blushed.
  Their senses had returned after seeing the outing pass.
  ‘What have I done…’
  ‘How shameful’
  While his friends were embarrassed, Lee Han bit his lip again.
  ‘I must endure. I must endure.’
  “But I have no intention of going out.”
  “…It’s fine.”
  “And I’ve already been treated to so much.”
  “It’s really fine.”
  “Still…”
  As Priest Tijilling didn’t give up easily, Lee Han’s firm resolve began to waver.
  But Ahsan helped.
  “No, Priest. Wardanaz would never accept something like that.”
  Ahsan put his hand on Lee Han’s shoulder and spoke firmly.
  “Look at Wardanaz. Does he look like the kind of friend who would do something dishonorable?”
  “…If that’s the case…”
  When even Ahsan said so, Priest Tijilling hesitated and put away the outing pass.
  Lee Han looked at Ahsan and said,
  “Thank you.”
  “For what? It’s nothing. All the students in our tower know that.”
  “Thank you very much.”
  “No need to say it twice.”
  Lee Han sighed.
  It was true that Ahsan had helped. If he hadn’t, Lee Han would have the outing pass in his pocket by now.
  “Priest Tijilling, never give your outing pass to anyone else. Got it? You have to use it for yourself.”
  Lee Han spoke harshly, full of malice.
  If he couldn’t have it, no one else could either.
  “Yes… I understand.”
  Priest Tijilling, hesitating, nodded as Lee Han spoke so forcefully.
  After finishing the conversation, Lee Han looked at the snake beastkin student.
  “Priest Siana, who has been given a great responsibility to help with Professor Thunderstep’s festival.”
  “Hello. Lee Han of the Wardanaz Family, already famous among the wizards from outside.”
  The two freshmen praised each other splendidly. Ahsan was a little impressed.
  ‘That’s how you greet.’
  Among nobles, refined compliments were an important charm. Those who could compliment others elegantly were always well received.
  “By the way, Priest Siana, I had something to ask you. Is that alright?”
  “Ask anything you like.”
  Lee Han glanced around and took Priest Siana to a corner.
  It was something others shouldn’t hear.
  “I picked this up on the road…”
  Lee Han took out the reagents and materials he had taken from the third-year seniors.
  They had been ambushed in different places, but all the third-year seniors had the same kinds of reagents and materials.
  At this point, Lee Han couldn’t help but be curious.
  ‘It seems like an assignment, but what are these materials for?’
  “Do you know what these materials are for?”
  Priest Siana carefully examined the reagents and materials Lee Han took out.
  She thought for a moment, then clapped her hands.
  “I think I know what it is”
  “As expected of Priest Siana”
  “This is a potion for detecting nemesis.”
  “A potion for detecting nemesis…?”
  Potion for detecting nemesis.
  You designate a target, and if that person is nearby, you can pinpoint their exact location.
  “But you picked this up on the road?”
  “Yes.”
  “Detecting nemesis potion isn’t something freshmen would be making, though?”
  Priest Siana said, as if she couldn’t understand.
  No matter how easy it was, detecting nemesis potion wasn’t something freshmen would try to make.
  But to find something like that on the road.
  No matter how you thought about it, it was strange.
  “Maybe the seniors dropped it.”
  “That’s odd…”
  “Yeah. Really odd things do happen.”