Episode 254

“…Guys! I think I’m okay now!”

“???”

At the words of the student whose ankle had been broken, the other White Tiger Tower students looked at him as if to say, ‘What nonsense is that?’

“Are you just feeling bad about calling Professor Garcia again? Of course, we feel bad too. But once you’re hurt like this, there’s nothing else we can do.”

‘These bastards.’

Lee Han cursed the White Tiger Tower students inwardly.

If you feel bad about always causing trouble and calling Professor Garcia, shouldn’t you think about stopping these reckless sports?

“No, it’s not that. Wardanaz did first aid, and I’m fine now.”

“First aid? Oh. Healing magic.”

The White Tiger Tower students quickly realized what kind of magic Lee Han had used.

Not all the students who came to learn healing magic earlier were from the Phoenix Tower.

There were quite a few White Tiger Tower students interested in healing magic as well.

Especially since there was no one who needed healing magic more than knights who worked on the borders or in battlefields…

“Cltran, that’s not enough.”

“Yeah. What are you talking about?”

Since they were studying healing magic, the White Tiger Tower students didn’t back down easily.

The less experienced you were, the more dangerous healing magic became.

Even if it looked healed, the bone might not have set properly or might have fused in the wrong direction.

“No matter how much it’s Wardanaz… Oh, Wardanaz, I didn’t mean that as an insult. You know, right?”

“For the record, there’s eight of us, Wardanaz. Eight.”

“…Why are you emphasizing the number? What are you trying to say?”

“Ah, nothing. Just, there’s eight of us…”

The White Tiger Tower students’ voices got quieter as they realized how embarrassed they were.

“I also agree on calling the professor. If I’d known you were going to fetch the professor, I wouldn’t have done first aid. It was just a temporary fix anyway.”

“Right? See? Even Wardanaz says so. You need proper healing magic, Cltran.”

“I really do feel fine, though…”

While they were talking, Professor Garcia came running.

Seeing the sticks in the White Tiger Tower students’ hands, Professor Garcia asked,

“Did you get hurt playing polo again?”

“…N-no.”

“We just… tripped while running…”

The White Tiger Tower students stealthily hid their sticks. Lee Han sighed as he watched.

‘Those idiots.’

If you’re going to hide it, you should have done it earlier. How do you expect to survive in Einrogard with such a careless attitude…

“I’m not trying to scold you, I’m just asking.”

Professor Garcia said that, but it didn’t sound very convincing.

There were some people who could terrify others without even getting angry, and Professor Garcia was one of them.

“So who’s the injured one?”

“It’s Cltran here.”

“…He’s not hurt, though?”

Professor Garcia tilted his head.

The White Tiger Tower students hurriedly tried to explain.

“He just looks fine on the outside, but who knows what’s going on inside!”

“His ankle was injured, and Wardanaz only did first aid…”

“Ah.”

After hearing the situation, Professor Garcia waved his staff.

It was to check the exact condition of the fallen student’s ankle.

“……”

Suddenly, Professor Garcia’s expression became serious.

The White Tiger Tower students were startled.

“Is there a problem?”

“Even if it’s Wardanaz, would he make such a mistake?”

“We were told that healing magic can be more dangerous if done carelessly.”

‘If they blame me, I’ll have to bring up the Good Samaritan story and insist on it.’

While everyone was thinking different things, Professor Garcia finished pondering and called Lee Han aside.

“Lee Han, come over here for a moment.”

“Is there a big problem?”

“That’s not it.”

Professor Garcia whispered quietly, so the other students couldn’t hear.

“It healed very well.”

“…Uh, isn’t that a good thing?”

Lee Han was puzzled.

If the bone set properly, there was no need for such a serious expression, right?

“It’s good for that student, but it’s a different story for you, Lee Han.”

Having talent for healing magic and being able to heal an injured friend so perfectly were on a different level.

It wasn’t a serious injury, but the fact that he did it on a living person without any mistakes or aftereffects was an amazing feat.

Even among second and third-year students, there were many who couldn’t do it perfectly on a person…

“??”

Of course, Lee Han was only more puzzled.

He knew that actually using healing magic was much harder than it seemed, but if he managed to do it by luck, wasn’t that good?

“Listen carefully. Students learning healing magic often get called out to help, right?”

“That’s what I heard.”

“You could get dragged along too, Lee Han.”

“…But I’m a first-year.”

Lee Han was shocked by Professor Garcia’s words.

No matter how well he healed an ankle, to be mobilized for something that needed a healing mage?

“Even as a first-year, if you do it once, it’s a different story. If you did it once, you can do it twice, and as you do it, you get skilled…”

‘Is he friends with Professor Voladi?’

Lee Han mentally downgraded his evaluation of Professor Alkasis.

To say something like Professor Voladi would…

“…To be honest, seeing you set the bone earlier, I feel like you could just be trained in practicals.”

“I don’t think so.”

Lee Han denied it very firmly.

Healing a White Tiger Tower student’s ankle and saving the lives of numerous critical patients were different matters.

He wasn’t confident enough to jump into the latter.

…Besides, he was only a first-year!!

“That’s why I’m telling you. Don’t go around saying you healed a White Tiger Tower student’s ankle. Got it?”

“I understand. Thank you.”

Lee Han felt truly grateful for his teacher’s kindness.

Where else in the world would you find a professor like this at a magic school?

“W-what was that, Wardanaz? What happened? What was that all about??”

When Lee Han returned with a happy face, the White Tiger Tower students were terrified.

“It’s nothing. Apparently, the bones inside grew wrong and shattered, but Professor Garcia fixed it.”

“……”

The White Tiger Tower students looked at Lee Han with a mixture of fear and horror.

No matter how you thought about it, that wasn’t something to say with such a happy face.

• * *

You could feel the approach of finals in your bones.

Morning.

Instead of chatting or joking, the friends gathered in the lounge were scribbling away with books and quills in hand as if possessed.

‘Everyone’s working hard.’

Of course, Lee Han was no different.

A book in one hand. A rice ball in the other.

There was a level of composure in his familiar posture that set him apart from the other students.

“Let’s go.”

“Cough, cough.”

Gainando, who believed mealtime should be devoted solely to eating out of respect for the one who made the food, coughed at Lee Han’s words.

“I-I’m still eating. Cough, cough.”

“Alright. I’ll give you five minutes, so finish quickly.”

“……”

Gainando gave him a pleading look, but it didn’t work on Lee Han.

“Ugh…”

“Hurry up and eat. We have to go contract with the undead.”

With all the pre-final assignments piling up, they had to take care of them whenever they had spare time.

If you relaxed just because you had a little time, you could get buried under an avalanche of assignments.

This morning’s assignment was summoning magic.

Since Gainando and the others hadn’t contracted yet, they planned to find an undead from the undead realm to contract with, and though Lee Han already had one, he was thinking of searching for more.

‘I hope I can find a skeleton mage.’

He’d wanted to for a while but hadn’t found one, so he wanted it all the more.

“You already have a contract, so why are you coming with us? What are you scheming?”

Raphadael said bluntly when he saw Lee Han.

Imirg and Gainando tried to stop Raphadael as if to say, what are you talking about?

“H-he’s just trying to help, you don’t have to put it that way…”

“Are you clueless?! What if Lee Han really doesn’t help us then! Go in by yourself, you bastard!”

Raphadael was a bit overwhelmed by Gainando’s fierce reaction and stepped back.

“I-I don’t think I could go in alone if you told me to…”

“Everyone quiet down. Stop fighting.”

Lee Han scolded them firmly.

In truth, Lee Han didn’t care whether Raphadael went in alone or not, but he wanted to bring him along if possible.

‘It’s good to have a sturdy shield in the party.’

He’d felt it last time too—having a vanguard to attract enemies and block up front was very convenient.

If Raphadael wasn’t there, Lee Han would have to do that himself, which made it even more important!

“Lee Han, look at him!”

“Raphadael probably didn’t mean anything bad. His mouth is rough, but he’s not a bad guy.”

Of course, Lee Han thought Raphadael was a mean bastard, but he could say anything before they went in.

“And I understand why Raphadael misunderstood. He must be wondering why I’m stepping up when I could just hand mine in. But Raphadael, I’m not the kind of person who abandons my friends just because my assignment is done.”

‘The best would be a skeleton mage. Or at least a skeleton archer. You have to secure them while you can. Once finals start, you’ll be even busier.’

“Since I got help last time, it’s only right I help now. Does that make sense?”

“…Hmph!”

Raphadael didn’t say anything more, but his attitude had definitely softened.

He couldn’t outright deny that Lee Han’s motives were honorable.

And to even mediate a fight by scolding his close friend Gainando.

It was a generosity Raphadael couldn’t imitate.

‘Maybe just this once, I’ll have to admit it…’

Thirty minutes later.

Raphadael swore with a grim face.

“Evil bastards! Brazen bastards! Cunning bastards!!”

As soon as they entered the undead realm, Raphadael was forced to take the vanguard role and started cursing.

It happened last time, and again this time.

“S-sorry.”

Imirg apologized. Gainando tried to stop him.

“Why are you apologizing? We divided the roles.”

“Hey, like I said, that guy’s better with a sword than I am!”

“Come on, stop making stuff up. Does that even make sense?”

Gainando answered in disbelief, and Raphadael got even angrier.

That clueless guy!

-■■■■■…

A skeleton warrior appeared ahead.

Imirg muttered in surprise.

“Wow… I didn’t think one would show up this quickly…”

“……”

Lee Han pretended not to know.

Even though Professor Millei had put safety measures in place, there was a chance his mana had leaked out and attracted the undead.

‘But the probability of that is really low, right?’

That’s what Lee Han thought.

Like last time, it was possible they just happened to run into the undead. It was not good to jump to conclusions.

“Should we subdue it and try to contract right away this time?”

“Yeah, let’s do that…”

-■■■■… ■■■■…

-■■■■… ■■■■…

“……”

“T-those…”

Raphadael felt his knees go weak and his limbs stiffen at the sight of so many undead appearing before them.

The professor put in safety measures, so how…!?

“H-how is this happening, Wardanaz?! How!?”

“It’s truly a mystery. A stroke of bad luck.”