Episode 217

Alright. Go get ready. By the way, you’d better prepare to camp inside the dungeon as well.

“No way… Principal…”

Taking advantage of the students being at a loss for words, the skull principal quickly pressed on.

The students, forcibly kicked out of the classroom, stood around staring at each other.

“What should we do?”

“What do you mean… We have to get ready.”

“I-is it really a dungeon? It can’t be that bad, right?”

Someone murmured hopefully, but no answer came.

The quick-witted students sensed it.

If the skull principal said this much, it was definitely not going to be easy.

“Wardanaz. You’re at least close to the principal. Can’t you try saying something… Where are you going? Wardanaz?”

The Black Turtle Tower student, who was about to ask for a favor, looked puzzled.

Lee Han was already walking down the corridor.

“I’m going to get ready for camping.”

“…Let’s go get ready too.”

At Lee Han’s answer, even the students who hadn’t given up all hope cleanly let it go.

…Let’s just get ready!

• * *

“What do you need if you’re going to camp inside a dungeon?”

The Blue Dragon Tower students were flustered after returning to their tower.

They were shocked because of the skull principal, but more than that, it was because they all lacked experience with this sort of thing.

Many students had never even entered a dungeon before, let alone camp inside one.

Just tackling the dungeon itself was tough, but being prepared to camp inside made it several times more daunting.

To make matters worse, most Blue Dragon Tower students had never even experienced ordinary camping before coming to Einrogard…

It was only natural that they were more flustered than the other three towers.

Fortunately, though, the Blue Dragon Tower students had someone they could rely on.

That was Lee Han.

“Wardanaz. Should we take this axe?”

“A dagger is enough. No need to bulk up. Just in case, let’s also pack a chisel, hammer, and rope. Put them in your backpack.”

“Do we really need to take this cloth and oil bottle? We can use magic…”

“It’s not like we have infinite mana.”

At Lee Han’s words, the Blue Dragon Tower students who were busily preparing all stopped and stared at him.

Lee Han answered as if it was absurd.

“Is there any guarantee I’ll be sticking with you the whole time?”

“Th-that’s true.”

“Lee Han. Let me stick with you.”

Pushing aside Gainando, who was quick to line up for a safe spot, Lee Han checked his friends’ backpacks.

Before entering, he had learned from Knight Allarlong.

After entering, from Nillia, a Shadow Patrol hunter.

Having steadily trained with professionals, Lee Han was now at the level where even among seasoned mercenaries or adventurers, people would say, ‘That wizard’s pretty experienced.’

“Just in case, everyone put a can of preserved food in your bag. Don’t forget to fill your leather water bottles. Don’t take tools out just because they’re heavy—you never know when you’ll need them. Gainando, take out the cards. You’ll lose them. Your Highness, you won’t be able to finish all those snacks if you pack that many in your bag.”

“?!”

The princess, who was packing snacks for her followers, waved her hands in embarrassment.

But Lee Han had already turned around to check other friends’ bags.

The princess blinked, full of grievance. Gainando said beside her,

“I get it. I wanted to bring more snacks too… Ack! Did she just step on me?!”

“It’s crowded in the lounge, it must’ve been a mistake.”

“No! She did it on purpose!”

“Is it like the princess to do something so childish? Born to nobility…”

Ahsan, saying that, paused.

Gainando was glaring as if to say, go on, say more.

“…Well, Wardanaz says a person’s value is determined not by their bloodline, but by their actions.”

“Shut up.”

Thirty minutes later.

Seeing the Blue Dragon Tower students return fully prepared, the skull principal smacked his lips.

They were too well prepared.

‘One bad apple spoils the whole tower…’

The skull principal lamented inwardly.

Every year, when the new students went into the library, the Blue Dragon Tower students were always the most hopeless.

Unlike the other three towers, they had grown up protected like hothouse flowers, so it was only natural.

That’s why seeing them cry, roll around, and clutch their starving stomachs in the library was several times more entertaining…

He wouldn’t get to enjoy that this year.

Because of one student!

‘I really don’t know why a Wardanaz family kid has such strong survival skills.’

Why was someone from one of the empire’s top noble families so resourceful?

It was unusual, to say the least.

Fine. Go in and come back safely.

“Yes. I’ll go in and come back safely.”

At Lee Han’s reply, the skull principal felt suddenly spiteful.

Somehow, this student really did seem like he would come back just fine.

‘I hope he gets separated from his group in an accident.’

‘Could he really be hoping I get separated from my group in an accident?’

Lee Han got that feeling for some reason, but doubted the principal would be that petty.

‘But then again, maybe he would.’

“Principal.”

What?

“What about the other tower friends?”

They all went in first. You’re the last.

Lee Han was puzzled by that answer.

It made sense for the White Tiger Tower students to hurry in, thinking, ‘Let’s not get mixed up with that Wardanaz guy,’ but the other towers?

“Weren’t there any friends who waited?”

Is this a picnic? I told them to go in first.

‘Of course.’

Lee Han wasn’t surprised.

With the principal’s personality, it would have been stranger if he’d allowed the students from other towers to enter together.

He probably wanted to split up the current group, too…

‘But it doesn’t matter.’

Lee Han thought to himself.

He had already talked with some friends for situations like this.

-Nillia. You know I’ve always admired the Shadow Patrol. But if we end up entering the library separately, would you meet up and cooperate later?

-Of course I will, and it’s not even hard. But did you start off by complimenting the Shadow Patrol because you thought I might refuse?

-Priest Tijilling. I don’t want to mention that I’ve served you tea every time, but if the tower’s priests…

-If you want to cooperate, just say so. You don’t need to phrase it that way, I’ll gladly accept.

Fortunately, friends from other towers readily accepted Lee Han’s suggestion.

Even Deorgyu did.

-Deorgyu.

-Lee Han. I’ll do my best, but don’t expect too much.

-I haven’t even said anything yet… Anyway, thanks.

‘I can’t handle the deep floors, but the lower floors are doable.’

Lee Han had a plan.

The library was infamous, but students like Lee Han had actually been inside a few times.

During breaks or weekends, he had searched the shelves near the entrance for books.

The lower floors near the entrance had relatively simple and easy-to-understand layouts.

If he met friends on the lower floors…

“……”

“……”

Kuuoooooo—

When Lee Han opened the library doors and went inside, he was appalled at the sight of a vast wilderness.

The familiar library packed with bookshelves was nowhere to be seen, and instead, an unknown dungeon had taken its place.

Even Ahsan, who had seen the library before, gaped in disbelief.

“That… That can’t be. No matter if the monster was defeated, for it to change this much…”

But Lee Han had no choice but to accept it.

He could feel the powerful flow of mana in the air.

He didn’t know what kind of monster it was, but the flow of mana in the library that had been blocked by it had returned to normal, and the surge of mana had caused the interior structure to change dramatically.

…Of course, why first-years had to go in at such a time was a mystery…

“Ahsan. Pull yourself together. Just accept it.”

“B-but…”

“Everyone move! Observe your surroundings carefully.”

Pulling himself together, Lee Han shouted. The Blue Dragon Tower students snapped out of it and grabbed their staffs.

“There’s a bookshelf over there!”

Bookshelves were scattered throughout the vast wilderness. The students hurried to browse through the books.

“No good. Nothing useful.”

“Who the heck stuck their failed test papers in here?”

“I think we need to find the next bookshelf.”

Exploration.

Movement.

Search.

It was a simple, straightforward task, but it took more stamina than expected.

Especially in this otherworldly wilderness.

Because of the flow of mana, visibility was as if dust was in the air, you couldn’t see the sun, but the midday heat blazed down, and when the dry wind blew, several students coughed.

“Lee Han.”

“I know.”

Lee Han nodded at Yoner’s words. No matter how urgent the book search was, if they kept pushing without rest, his friends would collapse first.

“Let’s take a break.”

The students sighed and plopped down. Some immediately went to refill their water bottles.

Though they hadn’t found a water source yet, that didn’t matter to a wizard.

The reason every party wants at least one wizard!

“Spring forth!”

A staff was swung confidently.

And nothing happened.

“???”

“Hey. How could you mess up water creation magic after all this practice? Forget it, I’ll do it. Spring forth!”

But still nothing happened.

“…Was the incantation off? But it worked fine outside?”

“Spring forth! Spri—cough.”

Only then did the students realize.

Droplets of water, like dew, were forming in midair.

The magic hadn’t failed.

Because of the powerful flow of mana in the area, the effect of water creation magic had been greatly weakened.

The students’ faces turned pale as they realized this.

Just last week, they had suffered through an early cold snap.

They knew well how grueling natural mana flows could be.

“How much water do we have left? Anyone with a spare?”

“Not even a sip…!”

“Take out any extra water bottles you brought!”

‘That was a mistake.’

Lee Han clicked his tongue.

He had packed a spare leather water bottle just in case, but his friends hadn’t.

He hadn’t mentioned it because he didn’t want to burden them with extra weight, but he should have made sure they were prepared for this.

Anything could happen in a magic school.

“Can’t Lee Han do it?”

“Is that even a question?”

When Gainando muttered, tilting his head, Ahsan scolded him.

“Don’t waste Wardanaz’s mana. He already has enough to worry about.”

“But it’s not like it’ll hurt to waste it…”

‘He’s got a point.’

The others scolded Gainando, saying, ‘Are you even his friend?’ but Lee Han found himself agreeing.

True, it wouldn’t hurt to waste it!

“Spring forth.”

To be sure, Lee Han swung his staff.

A huge sphere of water sprang forth in midair.

“……”

“…Wardanaz, have I ever told you I always thought you were a genius?”

“Lee Han, don’t give those guys any wa—mmph, mmph.”

The friends quickly covered Gainando’s mouth and lined up.

“Who said Wardanaz would fail at magic?”

“Come on. I’ve never even heard that.”

‘Will their families be surprised when they get home, I wonder?’

As Lee Han filled his friends’ leather water bottles with cold water, he thought to himself.

If their families wondered, ‘What on earth happened at school for their personalities to change so much?’ it wouldn’t be Lee Han’s fault—it would be the skull principal’s.