Episode 167

It was a pity.

Lee Han had only told the White Tiger Tower students because he wanted them to have the fair right to take the exam as well…

But the White Tiger Tower students, still not fully sober, didn’t understand his sincerity.

They just saw him as a crazy guy!

• * *

Professor Thunderstep hummed a cheerful tune as he walked.

In fact, exams weren’t only hard for students.

Professors also had to make problems and grade them.

If you could find joy in that, like the skeleton principal, it was one thing, but for professors who couldn’t, exams were just a painful task.

It was the same for Professor Thunderstep.

‘Heh heh. It’s finally over.’

Professor Thunderstep opened the bottle of mead he’d been saving. Now that he’d finished making the exam, he was in a good mood.

He saw freshmen rolling around drunkenly on the lawn.

‘Those were the days. Those were the days.’

A famous tradition for all magic school freshmen.

The principal’s midterm celebration banquet!

Once they woke up and faced the exam with a throbbing headache, they’d surely break their bad habit of partying before exams.

‘It’s actually better to learn it the hard way. Yep.’

Professor Thunderstep nodded to himself.

At that moment, a familiar disciple ran across the lawn.

“Wardanaz?”

“Oh, Professor.”

“Haven’t you heard yet? On a day like today, you can’t not have a drink! This is my special mead, but I’ll give you a glass.”

Professor Thunderstep, trying to help the skeleton principal, handed the bottle of mead to Lee Han.

Lee Han glared at Professor Thunderstep with an expression full of contempt.

“…Did you figure it out?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

Feeling awkward, Professor Thunderstep took back the bottle of mead.

‘This kid. He’s really sharp.’

For a freshman starved for food and drink not to fall for such a trap.

That was no ordinary feat.

“I have to get to the 4th floor of the main building. Isn’t the principal being too much?”

“He is a bit much.”

Professor Thunderstep agreed.

If nothing else, he could fully sympathize with complaints about the skeleton principal.

“He said to finish and submit it by Friday. What kind of nonsense is that…”

“Uh… My exam also has to be finished and submitted by Friday?”

“!”

Lee Han looked at Professor Thunderstep with a betrayed expression. The dwarf professor reflexively made excuses.

“It’s not wrong to give a generous deadline! Besides, there are a lot of alchemy assignments that can’t be finished in just an hour or two!”

It wasn’t that he was giving a long deadline just to make students suffer with false hope like the skeleton principal.

Alchemy took some time, so he wanted students to have plenty of time to make potions over the next week!

That was Professor Thunderstep’s true intention.

“I see…”

Lee Han was somewhat convinced.

“And you need time to gather materials.”

“……”

Lee Han took back his agreement.

‘They’re all the same breed.’

“Understood.”

“Just now, your eyes looked like you were despising me. That’s just my imagination, right?”

“Why would I look at you like that?”

“Right. I’ll trust you. Don’t drink, don’t do anything dangerous. And don’t try to rob the professor’s workshop.”

“?”

Lee Han paused at the last part.

‘Did the seniors rob the professor’s workshop?’

While they were talking, a few students appeared from the other side.

He thought they’d be drunk, but surprisingly, they were fine.

They were Black Turtle Tower students.

Lee Han spoke in a surprised voice.

“Salko? How did you not drink? You’re a dr…”

“Dr…?”

“Dr…awn to not liking alcohol, I guess.”

He almost said “dwarf,” but quickly stopped himself. Salko looked like a dwarf but was actually an elf.

“Hmph. Wardanaz. What do you take us for? Did you think we’d just get drunk like the others? We stored all the alcohol we got.”

“Hey… That’s embarrassing, keep it down.”

One of Salko’s group tried to hush the boastful friend.

Thinking about it, bringing the alcohol from the banquet and storing it separately was…

A bit pathetic.

But Lee Han was impressed.

“I see. I didn’t think of that. Impressive. To take it and store it.”

“……”

“……”

“What’s with everyone?”

“Ah, nothing. It’s nothing.”

The Black Turtle Tower students suddenly felt a lost sense of shame return after being praised by Lee Han.

‘Aren’t we a bit too pathetic?’

‘Maybe storing it was too much?’

Salko ignored his friends’ reactions and said,

“The principal said the exam is on the 4th floor of the main building. Is that right?”

“That’s right.”

“We’re about to go. Want to come with us, Wardanaz?”

“!?”

The other Black Turtle Tower students were more surprised than Lee Han.

“Is that okay, Tutanta?”

“It’s fine. You all know Wardanaz’s abilities.”

“We do.”

Some Black Turtle Tower students nodded.

They’d been able to survive the outing yesterday thanks to Wardanaz.

But aside from that…

“Wardanaz is kind of scary.”

“If there’s a section where a sacrifice is needed, he might offer us up…”

‘I can hear you.’

“But still, we have to admit Wardanaz’s abilities…”

“Yeah. The exam comes first right now.”

After finishing their conversation, the friends spoke up.

“Let’s go together, Wardanaz!”

‘If there’s a sacrifice section, I’ll definitely offer these guys up.’

“What are you all doing together?”

Nillia walked over from the forest, looking puzzled. She was holding a bow in one hand and a few rabbits in the other.

Lee Han was surprised to see her looking perfectly fine, with no sign of drunkenness.

“You didn’t drink?”

“Drink? Where was there anything to drink?”

“…Wait. How long have you been in the forest?”

“Since dawn yesterday?”

Nillia tilted her head, not understanding why Lee Han was asking.

She had gone hunting in the forest since dawn yesterday to get some meat and hides.

It had been a very satisfying hunt.

No matter how skilled a hunter was, if no prey appeared, it was a wasted effort, so some luck was needed…

Four rabbits was plenty satisfying.

“Look. I caught rabbits. Want one?”

At Nillia’s kindness, Lee Han looked at the Black Turtle Tower students as if they were trash.

‘Leaving a fellow tower mate behind and going to the banquet by themselves?’

The Black Turtle Tower students reflexively made excuses.

“We didn’t hide it on purpose…!”

“She was already out hunting when we woke up!”

“What are you talking about?”

Nillia still didn’t understand the situation.

Lee Han summarized it simply.

“Those guys didn’t tell you about the banquet and went by themselves…”

“That’s not it!”

“We saved the alcohol and cake, so we’ll definitely give you some after! Trust us!”

The Black Turtle Tower students beat their chests in frustration.

Why would they ever leave Nillia out!

“Ah. So that’s what happened.”

After some confusion, Nillia nodded.

“That could happen, right?”

“?!”

Lee Han was flustered.

‘She was so shocked when my friends and I went off on our own…’

“Good thing I didn’t drink. I’ll have some after the exam.”

“Of course, Nillia. We’re always grateful for your hard work!”

The Black Turtle Tower students spoke much more exaggeratedly than usual.

They were always grateful, but for some reason, saying it now made it sound like a lie.

“Nillia. If those guys seem like they’re using you, let me know.”

“That’s not it…!”

• * *

“Have you ever been to the 4th floor of the main building?”

“Not yet. The 3rd floor is so tricky.”

At Lee Han’s words, Salko nodded.

The brave freshmen were constantly trying to get used to the layout of the main building.

But regardless of those efforts, the buildings of the magic school harshly tested the students.

“The 2nd floor is fine, but from the 3rd floor…”

“The 3rd floor is definitely tough.”

Any staircase would get you to the 2nd floor just fine.

But from the 3rd floor, all sorts of weird things popped up.

Hadn’t they encountered the statue of the forgotten beast and the Forest of Polymorph on the 3rd floor?

“Luckily, I know one path through the 3rd floor. I think it’s best to use that path to get to the 4th floor.”

“What path is that?”

Salko was a bit surprised.

He and his friends hadn’t broken through the 3rd floor yet. Every route was blocked by tricky obstacles.

But Wardanaz had apparently broken through one path on the 3rd floor. That was impressive.

“You know the map to the spire stables I gave you before? It’s that way.”

“Hm? That’s odd. Isn’t the Forest of Polymorph there?”

Salko was puzzled.

Since he shared information with Lee Han, Salko and his friends had tried to pass through the Forest of Polymorph several times.

But every time, they’d been transformed into animals and couldn’t get through.

Did Wardanaz know the time when the Forest of Polymorph disappeared?

“Oh. I found a way through.”

“Oh… impressive.”

Salko was honestly impressed.

He’d tried the Forest of Polymorph several times but never found a way. Wardanaz had figured it out.

Wardanaz’s magical ability was truly undeniable.

A genius among geniuses, even at Einrogard!

‘But that’s why he’s so scary.’

If he were just a magical genius, Salko wouldn’t be this wary.

To Salko, Wardanaz was the kind of guy who could be the boss of a thieves’ or criminals’ guild.

“But can I ask how you got through?”

One of the Black Turtle Tower students asked.

“Persuasion.”

“Persuasion?! So it was a place you could talk your way through.”

• * *

“I am the principal!”

Squeak squeak squeak!

The mouse guarding the Forest of Polymorph hurriedly opened the way.

The mist of illusion disappeared, and a straight path appeared through the forest.

“……”

“……”

“The path’s open. Let’s go.”

Lee Han strode ahead with Ratford and Nillia.

The Black Turtle Tower students stared at Lee Han’s back with their mouths agape.

That…

What the hell is that guy???

“Wardanaz, did you just say you’re the principal?”

“Oh. That was just a trick.”

“……”

How is that even possible…?

“No… Wardanaz. Can’t you explain in a bit more detail?”

One of the Black Turtle Tower students couldn’t hold back and asked.

Nillia scolded him.

“Is that important right now? If you think about it, it’s obvious.”

Ratford scolded him too.

“If you think about it, it’s easy.”

“……”

Salko, who was about to ask out of curiosity, closed his mouth. But he was still curious.

‘How did he do it?’

What did he do to make the Forest of Polymorph treat Wardanaz as the principal…

-Stop. Student. I am the statue of the labyrinth.

“!”

At the telepathic voice, Lee Han stopped.

It was an empty hallway, but Lee Han could feel the magic in front of him.

-The moment you enter, you will challenge the labyrinth.

Lee Han wondered why there was a labyrinth on the 3rd floor of the school, but didn’t bother to ask.

-I see.

-But there is a way to pass through the labyrinth. Offer one of your friends as a sacrifice. If you send your friend to the underground punishment room, I will send you to the other side of the labyrinth.

Lee Han unconsciously looked at the Black Turtle Tower students.

The Black Turtle Tower students, knowing nothing, looked at Lee Han with innocent eyes.

What’s wrong with him?