Episode 273

‘The professor may be right after all.’

On his way back from tending the garden, Lee Han thought so.

The phoenix was ruining everyone’s concentration, but getting hung up on it might be the real mistake.

Trying to stop something truly unstoppable would only bring more frustration.

Maybe it was better to treat the phoenix like Headmaster Skeleton—just accept it and focus on your own work.

“Wardanaz!! Wardanaz!!!”

The White Tiger Tower students came running from near the cabin, calling to Lee Han.

Noticing there weren’t many people around, Lee Han warned them first.

“Wait. Speak from there. Don’t come any closer.”

“This is no time for that! Come quick!!”

“Now that’s even more suspicious.”

“…Ah! Seriously, it’s nothing like that!! Trust me!!!”

The White Tiger Tower student screamed, rolling on the ground.

His antics were so pathetic even his friend beside him recoiled in shock.

“…Fine. Lead the way.”

If that was an act, Lee Han figured it was desperate enough that he’d have to follow even if it was a trap.

• * *

“……”

“……”

Lee Han was so stunned he couldn’t close his mouth.

The students from the other towers already gathered looked the same.

Whoosh!

The storage house where the -Basic Imperial Geometry and Arithmetic- final projects were kept was burning.

“…The storage should’ve been fireproofed, right? How is it burning?”

“They say the phoenix opened the door and went inside.”

“……”

Even with fire enchantments on the outer wall, if it actually opened the door and rolled around inside, nothing could stand up to that.

Lee Han looked around.

Some students had gone insane and were laughing, while others sobbed and beat the ground in despair.

It made sense—the -Basic Imperial Geometry and Arithmetic- final projects were going up in smoke before their eyes.

“Let’s put out the fire first.”

“Huh? Oh… uh.”

“Isn’t it impossible to put it out now?”

The students muttered, but Lee Han acted.

He called forth water from the air and tossed it.

It was a simple spell, but only Lee Han could continually summon such huge masses of water against the phoenix’s flames.

After repeating it dozens of times, the fire died down. Lee Han looked inside the ruined storage, his expression bitter.

‘All that hard work…’

“This can’t go on.”

“???”

“Let’s catch the phoenix first, and study after.”

“Wardanaz…!”

At Lee Han’s words, the students’ eyes widened.

Did he really mean to go after the phoenix?

“I’ll join you!”

“I offer you my sword, Wardanaz!”

“At this point, who cares about the final exam!”

“That’s a bit much.”

“R-right.”

• * *

Of course, no matter how angry he was, Lee Han wasn’t foolish enough to try to hunt the phoenix with just his friends.

“Professor, would you perhaps help us hunt the phoenix?”

“…Excuse me?”

Professor Garcia seemed bewildered, but didn’t try to stop or refuse the students.

“I know these experiences help mages grow, but hunting a phoenix seems awfully hard…”

“I’ll ask the other professors to help, too.”

Garcia hesitated at Lee Han’s words.

‘It won’t work.’

Normally, magic school professors didn’t like helping students.

It was both an old tenet that mages grow by exploring on their own, and, Lee Han thought, because Garcia found it a pain to help students with every little thing.

“Uh, Lee Han. In truth, the professors are actually quite busy…”

Professor Garcia tried not to hurt Lee Han as he gently declined.

But Lee Han already knew.

“I know.”

Professors were there to give work to students, not help with students’ work.

But sometimes, there were exceptions.

Bang!

“Professor Verdus! Please help us freshmen!”

“What? No!”

Inside the Hall of Inscriptions, Professor Verdus was hammering and chiseling away, and instantly refused.

Lee Han didn’t miss a beat.

“If you help, I’ll help you with your work, too!”

“Deal!”

Professor Verdus leaped off his chair.

Professor Garcia, watching, asked worriedly,

“Uh, Lee Han? Professor Verdus is one of the busiest professors…”

As much as Lee Han needed Verdus’ help, it was risky to make that kind of promise lightly.

“Don’t worry.”

“??”

“I never said what work I’d help with. I’ll do something simple, then make an excuse to get out.”

“……”

Professor Garcia blinked.

“…So, you’re tricking them?”

“No, Professor. Not a trick—a clever negotiation. The Headmaster would approve.”

“……”

Professor Garcia had to wonder if character education was really going well.

Bang!

“Professor Baegrek! We’re trying to hunt the phoenix, will you help?”

Seated, Professor Voladi slightly raised an eyebrow, then nodded and stood up.

He glanced at the assembled students with a hint of puzzlement.

“Wasn’t this supposed to be one-on-one?”

“…I’m not quite at that level.”

• * *

At first, Professor Garcia hadn’t been sure, but with Professor Verdus and Professor Baegrek joining in, his mind changed.

Of course, Einrogard’s professors were only supposed to help students to a ‘reasonable’ extent.

If students asked to get rid of the phoenix, the professors couldn’t just get rid of it for them.

But with help from several, that changed things.

And if no one else was around to see, who’d complain if they helped a bit more…

Fine! I’ll join as well!

“……”

“……”

The atmosphere among the cheerful first-years turned ice cold.

The skeleton headmaster asked why everyone looked like that.

What’s wrong with all of you?

“They’re just so moved that the Headmaster is helping.”

That’s all right. I understand.

The Skeleton Headmaster spoke generously. Lee Han cursed internally.

‘Damn. I should’ve gotten rid of the Death Knights.’

There was no way the headmaster showed up just to help.

He clearly heard from the Death Knights that the professors were joining in and showed up to interfere.

So petty!

So. Do you have a plan for catching the phoenix? Tell me. Surely you’re not going to just rely thoughtlessly on the professors, right?

“Nope.”

Shh!

When Garcia opened his mouth, the headmaster quickly covered it.

No secret codes allowed!

“There’s nothing like that…”

Unmoved by Professor Garcia’s flustered face, the Skeleton Headmaster was relentless.

Of all the professors, only Garcia would really help Lee Han.

‘The other professors don’t stop him? …Well, I guess they don’t need to.’

Lee Han glanced at Professor Verdus and Professor Voladi and nodded.

Seeing them, he understood why the headmaster wasn’t stopping them.

“I’ve got a plan, of course.”

Capturing a phoenix, impervious to attack and with infinite regeneration, seemed impossible.

But every being had a weakness—phoenixes included.

First: try to reduce the phoenix’s regeneration and subdue it.

‘A good idea, but that’s beyond me right now.’

He had no idea what kind of high-level spell could diminish the regeneration of something like a phoenix.

Another option: exhaust the phoenix.

More precisely, exhaust its magical energy. Phoenixes, being mystical beasts, operated by a huge reserve of magic power.

If you could drain this power, the phoenix would be forcibly returned to its own dimension.

“…We exhaust its magical energy.”

Not a bad idea, but a bold one.

The Skeleton Headmaster didn’t call it nonsense, but he didn’t praise it as a “good” plan, either.

It was just too simple and brute-force.

Making a beast of such enormous power tire itself out sounded nice, but in truth, the humans would probably tire out first.

Still, among all the things first-years could try, it was about the only option.

“Then let’s proceed. Professor Verdus, please cast fire resistance on the students.”

“Huh? On all of them?”

Professor Verdus, who’d been standing quietly, looked startled.

“No way. That’s a waste of magic.”

A mage’s magic was a precious resource. Especially for someone like Verdus, who spent every available minute working on artifacts.

Magicians who squandered magic like water were the odd ones; strict management was the norm.

“Don’t worry. Professor Garcia!”

“I’m here, Lee Han.”

“Please siphon my magic for Professor Verdus.”

“Okay… I’m sorry, what?”

The students murmured. Even the Skeleton Headmaster gave a look of surprise.

You’ve given magic to someone before, have you?

“No?!”

Professor Garcia was alarmed.

For mages, magical power was their very lifeblood; transferring it freely was bound to get you in trouble.

Even more so with a student.

“I’d never do such a thing!”

Of course. You’re not Bible, after all—sorry for suspecting you.

“I never did that!”

Professor Verdus grumbled. Lee Han suddenly remembered something.

‘Wait. Didn’t Professor Voladi try to siphon my magic once?’

Hadn’t he once tried a mana drain because Lee Han couldn’t control all his magic?

Lee Han looked incredulously at Professor Voladi, who gave him a puzzled expression.

“You want a one-on-one battle now?”

“…No, sir.”

“All right.”

Lee Han turned to Professor Garcia.

“Please siphon my magic and give it to Professor Verdus.”

“Do we have to?”

Professor Garcia looked extremely reluctant.

Is this really the only way?

The Skeleton Headmaster seemed to agree. Was it really necessary to go that far when Professor Verdus wasn’t even running on empty?

Oblivious, Professor Verdus reached out his arm.

“Hurry—give me your magic.”

You, just shut up for once.

• * *

Transferring magic was no easier than transfusing blood.

A mage’s inner world was its own universe.

Because you were giving up the very elements that made up the order of that world, some friction was inevitable.

Of course, a mage like Professor Garcia could soften the shock.

Oooooong—

A sphere of magic formed in midair, about the size of a person’s head.

But the power contained in it was alarming. All sorts of attributes and intentions had been filtered and refined, concentrating pure magic within the orb.

“Lee Han, say something if it’s too much.”

“I’m fine, Professor. Really.”

“…Next time, act tired.”

“?!”

Only then did Lee Han realize his mistake.

“Connecting now.”

A line extended from the orb and linked to Professor Verdus.

“The power, the power…!”

Just be quiet about it.

The Skeleton Headmaster scolded.

“This should be enough, right?”

Already?

“Yup! Plenty.”

Professor Verdus was more likely to ask for more, not less, so if he called it sufficient, it really was.

Headmaster Skeleton and Professor Garcia exchanged glances.

‘The purity of his magic…’

‘…How high is it?’