Episode 281

“What are you talking about?”

“Look at his face.”

“I can’t see because of the smoke.”

“…Are you a first year?”

At those words, Koholti pulled out a monocle with a jeweled lens from his pocket. It was an artifact that let you see through smoke.

“Ah!”

Koholti exclaimed in recognition of the junior’s identity.

It was that time…

“The poor freshman who got caught by Professor Muze by mistake!”

“He’s the grateful junior who cleaned up the mess you caused. You piece of trash.”

Direte looked at Koholti with a look of disdain.

If a first-year helped you, you should be bowing your head for years, yet that’s all he had to say!

Koholti, realizing this, coughed awkwardly with an embarrassed look.

“Of course, I’m grateful. I’m still thankful, really. It’s just that seeing him hanging around with Professor Muze left a big impression…”

‘That’s certainly true.’

Direte couldn’t deny that.

He would never forget the time Professor Baegrek pushed a first-year freshman’s back, telling him to go up against the Frost Giant King.

He had seriously considered for several days whether to send an anonymous tip to His Majesty the Emperor.

Though the person in question seemed to be just fine…

“Anyway, he’s just a special case so no need to worry too much.”

“I thought he was just good at subduing demons, but he’s really good at other black magic too? I bet Professor Mortum will be happy.”

Koholti marveled at the talent of the new junior.

To be this proficient in black magic as a first-year.

Professor Mortum, who had been saddened by the lack of students wanting to learn, would surely be delighted.

It’s always said one genius is more valuable than a hundred average people.

“Well…”

“??”

When Direte trailed off, Koholti looked puzzled.

“He might not keep taking black magic…”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

Koholti couldn’t understand.

Of course, black magic wasn’t as popular as other kinds of magic.

But with that level of talent, no matter how unpopular it was, it would be hard for a mage not to keep learning it.

Just reading the magic tomes and practicing spells would lead to constant improvement—what mage could resist such temptation?

“That’s true, but…”

Direte looked at his junior with a complicated expression.

If black magic was the only thing he was talented at, maybe—not a problem. But he was too good at other magic as well.

‘At this rate, what if he doesn’t come back for the second semester?’

• * *

After finishing the black magic exam, Gainando spoke to Imirg and Raphadael.

“How was it? How was it?? Did you all do well? Did you do well or not?”

“……”

Raphadael’s expression turned sour, causing Gainando’s eyes to sparkle.

Gainando exclaimed in a voice brimming with joy.

“So you didn’t do well!”

‘How can he be so happy to say that?’

“Right? You didn’t do well, did you?!”

“Shut up! You damn prince!”

Raphadael snapped.

This prince, at least when it came to black magic, had shown considerable skill.

Compared to Raphadael, who didn’t much like black magic, it was only natural he’d do better.

Of course, separate from that, it was deeply annoying to see him so excited and running around just because he did well.

The same guy who would hang his head like the world was ending after other exams!

“I, I didn’t do that well. The exam was hard.”

“Haha. I get it. The black magic exam was pretty tough.”

Gainando laughed generously, answering Imirg.

“I succeeded at curses and poison on the first try, but bone magic took me three tries…”

“…Huh? You got them on the first try?”

Gainando paused.

Imirg had done better than he’d thought.

“Ye-yeah.”

“I… I also got the bone magic in one try.”

Raphadael, who was listening, asked casually.

“What about the curse and poison?”

“You want to ask how I did but don’t answer yourself! Where’s your honor as a knight!”

“Unbelievable idiot…”

“H-hey, how did Wardanaz do?”

Answering Imirg’s question, Gainando replied with a serious look.

“It’s rude to ask things like that.”

“……”

“……”

Seeing his underhanded refusal to ask a friend who clearly did better than him, the two could only marvel.

So that’s how royalty acts!

• * *

“A magic that temporarily nullifies contracts has been cast over this classroom.”

Professor Millei said in her usual strict voice.

The students, about to take the test, looked nervously at her.

“You all remember making contracts in another realm last time.”

Most of the students had done so in the spirit realm.

Students like Lee Han had done so in the undead realm.

For a pre-final assignment, everyone had attempted to form a contract.

“One by one, summon the beings you’ve contracted with.”

“…?”

One of the students, not understanding, asked again.

“Professor? Isn’t the classroom set so contracts are nullified now?”

Beings from other realms were fundamentally unpredictable, capricious, and dangerous.

Such beings couldn’t be summoned recklessly.

Even when bound by strict contracts, accidents happened—without a contract, who knew what havoc they might cause?

Of course, the beings contracted by the first-year students were, at best, ones who could light a campfire or refill a water skin…

But first-year students were weak enough that they absolutely couldn’t let their guard down.

“Good point. The purpose of this exam is to learn how to defend yourselves when there’s no contract protecting the magician’s body.”

“……”

It sounded good, but the students were already anxious.

“Isn’t that too much, Professor Millei? How is this any different from just throwing us monsters and telling us to fight?”

“We did something similar in swordsmanship class before… I didn’t think they’d pull that in summoning magic too.”

While friends whispered among themselves, Lee Han pulled bone fragments out of his pocket.

He then said to his friends,

“What are you doing? Not preparing?”

“…We’re going to, but we can complain a little, right?!”

“Whatever. Just hurry up. If you’re not ready, it’s your loss.”

At Lee Han’s cold, unyielding tone, his friends grumbled.

To not even complain while taking such an absurd test.

Wardanaz surely was uncompromising about magic.

‘This exam won’t be too hard.’

Unlike his friends, Lee Han was faintly pleased.

The exam was easier than he’d expected.

• * *

“Spirit of wind, I believe in you.”

Ahsan tried to speak as gently as possible.

But his voice was filled with unhidden tension.

“So please just list—urk!”

Whack!

The shapeless, flickering wind spirit struck Ahsan squarely in the stomach.

‘Well then.’

To Lee Han, the wind spirit didn’t seem to act out of hostility or malice.

Having fought countless monsters driven by hostility and malice himself, if that were the case, the attacks would have been far sharper.

This was closer to teasing.

As a lower-class spirit, the wind spirit wasn’t especially strong, so rather than being furious at the magician’s command, it just seemed playful…

“Argh! Stop! Please stop!”

Dropping his staff, Ahsan rolled to the side to avoid the attacks.

The wind spirit chased doggedly, trying to headbutt him.

Professor Millei, unable to watch, swung her staff and separated the two.

“No matter how close you are, trying to persuade a spirit with just words when there’s no contract is foolish. Remember, sometimes it’s necessary to issue a firm warning if they won’t listen.”

“S-sorry, professor.”

Ahsan’s failure served as a lesson for the other students.

The next student immediately lifted their staff and prepared to attack if the spirit refused an order.

“Magic—”

Swish!

Before the spell fired, the earth spirit scattered sand.

The spirit had sensed the magician’s hostility first.

“Pfft, pf! Pfpfpf!”

The earth spirit hurled sand without pause.

Unless a student had trained under all sorts of attacks to maintain composure and cast spells, it was impossible for a freshman to calmly cast in such a situation.

Failing the spell thanks to the sand, the student ran out in tears.

“I-I trusted you…! I trusted you!”

“You were about to attack it.”

At first, the students seemed confident, but more failed than expected.

Professor Millei had the failed students wait in the back.

She hadn’t expected many to succeed on the first attempt anyway.

‘Blindly offering carrots isn’t wise, but blindly swinging the stick isn’t any better either.’

How a mage persuades spirits without a binding contract in place.

At its core, it’s about understanding.

How well do I understand the spirit?

A mage who formed a contract somehow, but commanded without any real rapport, would be exposed in such times.

Not knowing a spirit’s habits or personality, you wouldn’t know how to approach.

Before either carrot or stick, understanding the other came first.

Students who failed on their first attempt would naturally take more interest in their summoned beings as they repeated the process.

“…Don’t attack me, okay? Really, don’t attack. I’ve treated you well, you know. Just listen this once. Okay? If you’ve got complaints, I’ll listen next time…”

The water spirit summoned by Nillia was one Lee Han also recognized.

Wasn’t it the very spirit, on the island, who had made a contract with Nillia after avoiding Lee Han?

Even though he’d told Nillia, ‘Hmph, I don’t really care about spirits,’ it still stung inside.

“Isn’t that kind of a pathetic way to do it?”

Gainando, watching from the side, muttered in disbelief.

Surely, that was taking it too far…

“!!!”

“It worked!”

The students gasped in admiration.

Even without a contract, the water spirit did not refuse Nillia’s request and followed along obediently.

‘They really are close.’

Unlike the others, Lee Han could feel the magical emotions emanating from Nillia’s spirit.

A natural sensitivity to magical energy.

Add to that the training in emotional perception through illusion magic, and it would be strange if he couldn’t feel it.

The water spirit Nillia summoned treated her much more familiarly than the others did.

“I see. That makes sense.”

“What does?”

“Nillia probably chats with her water spirit whenever she’s bored, so of course they’d be close.”

“…Why would anyone do something so lonely?”

Gainando responded in disbelief, but in fact, Lee Han’s insight was correct.

Professor Millei rated Nillia’s approach highly.

‘She’s built intimacy over time.’

Her confidence may have been lacking, but a spirit that close would never refuse a command.

It was an excellent method.

“O great spirit! I… urk!”

“If you would just help me this once… ugh!”

Not realizing the closeness Nillia had achieved, several students thought just bowing politely would do the trick, only to be chased off.

Professor Millei shook her head in pity.

‘Oh dear…’

“Lee Han. Your turn.”

“Oh, okay.”

Lee Han cast enhancement spells on himself and began floating water orbs in midair.

Seeing him work so calmly, all the other spirits that had already been summoned quivered and hid behind their masters.

Professor Millei felt a different sort of frustration.

Of course, that’s one method, but that wasn’t what this test was supposed to be about!