Episode 345

Episode 345

The princess, sensing something ominous from Puyo’s answer, tugged on Lee Han’s sleeve.

But Lee Han decided this much was still manageable.

‘He could have used harsher insults, but didn’t. By artifact mages’ standards, this is decent.’

He could have used far worse than “idiot,” but stuck to that.

In a way, it could be called kind.

“Isn’t that right?”

At Lee Han’s explanation, the princess blinked rapidly, seemingly convinced. Since the other party said nothing, Lee Han figured his point got across.

“It seems you’ve understood.”

“Wait a m—”

The princess came to her senses too late and tried to correct him, but couldn’t.

“Then let’s get started.”

Puyo swung his staff.

Shelves, storage, and drawers in the back began to move like living things, spewing out their contents.

Rumble!

The mountain of materials overwhelmed the princess.

Among the Einrogard students, Adenart was a top student in terms of study volume, but Puyo’s materials surpassed her expectations.

Surely, she thought, they both couldn’t be expected to process all these materials.

Without realizing it, the princess glanced over at Lee Han.

Lee Han whispered knowingly.

“If you start pocketing materials from the outset, even Sir Puyo may not overlook it. Let’s focus on the work for now.”

“…What are you even saying…!”

Adenart, who had always maintained her royal composure without wavering, found herself crying out despite herself.

• * *

There was a prejudice that mages would do anything for the magic they pursued.

Of course, that was just a prejudice.

Most mages Lee Han had met did fit that mold, but surely not all mages were like that.

But unfortunately, Puyo fit into that group.

Once the work began, he proved his reputation as Granden City’s best artifact craftsman with an overwhelming workload.

He acted as though it made no difference that they were both first-year students.

-Please finish trimming these staves, too.

-Understood.

-Once you’re done, cast the light-imbuing magic on the ore balls in the box.

-Understood.

-Work done? Well done. Now, rewrite and fill out these blank scrolls.

-Unders…

Lee Han stopped mid-reply when he saw the princess glaring at Puyo.

Her face was blank, but there was unmistakable murder in her gaze.

‘This is bad. She shouldn’t be like this already.’

Admittedly, Puyo was strict, but it had only been three days.

It was too soon to want to murder Puyo.

‘If the princess lashes out and gets expelled, I’d have to do all the work alone.’

To calm her down, Lee Han spoke.

“Your Highness, please endure a little longer.”

“……”

The princess, who had grown more talkative with fewer followers about, went quiet again as the workshop work proceeded.

Even when Lee Han called her, she just silently glared at Puyo.

“Artifact imbument is normally learned through harsh practice like this.”

“…Is that really true?”

The princess, who hadn’t wanted to reply, finally asked after much thought.

Her voice had an icy chill, but Lee Han paid it no mind.

“Yes. There’s just so much to learn and so many materials to handle with artifact magic.”

Honestly, by that logic all magic disciplines should be harsh, but the princess didn’t doubt Lee Han’s word.

By the standards of rigorous training under various mages, Lee Han was the most experienced.

When he said that, she thought, ‘Maybe that’s true.’

“Understood.”

The princess stopped glaring at Puyo and bowed her head toward the materials on the table.

Relieved, Lee Han urged the next task.

“I’m glad you understand. Now, could you draw the magic circles on these papers? I’ll check them while imbuing mana.”

“……”

Asked to inscribe magic circles on a stack of paper nearly as high as her forehead, the princess for the first time in her life felt a sense of hopeless despair.

“Mana…”

“Mana?”

“…Are you not short on mana…”

In addition to massive concentration required to draw circles, checking them by imbuing mana was no small task either.

Especially the latter, which consumed a lot of mana.

A hint of desperation showed in Adenart’s eyes as she looked at Lee Han.

“Ah. You mean my mana? No problem. Let’s get to work.”

“……”

As she drew one magic circle after another with various inks and powders, the princess thought to herself.

She had met countless people in the empire, but never someone as unfathomable as the boy from the Wardanaz family beside her.

• * *

After working for three days with little sleep, Puyo seemed somewhat satisfied.

“You’ve worked hard, both of you. The urgent matters are done. Go get some rest. I’ll call you next time there’s work.”

Of course, the two couldn’t leave immediately.

Exhausted, stifling yawns, they had to work on a mysterious staff assignment.

After devoting half a day to it, they finally finished a decent staff.

The princess handed the staff to Lee Han with careful hands and waited anxiously.

“…This seems fine. Well, shall we head ba—”

Crash!

Before Lee Han could finish, the princess’s chair flew backward.

She had gotten up too quickly.

“……”

Without a word, the princess gathered her chair and set it back up.

“Thank you for your effort.”

“Ah, you too, Your Highness.”

The princess hurried through the workshop doors as if afraid someone might stop her.

Seeing this, Lee Han felt uneasy.

‘She’s not planning to stop coming, is she?’

If the princess stopped coming, Lee Han would have to do all the work alone. That was unacceptable.

Lee Han decided if it came to that, he’d go to the estate and drag her here himself.

“Are you leaving now?”

“!”

Hearing Puyo’s voice from behind gave Lee Han chills.

He hadn’t expected to be stopped after ‘Go rest, you’re done’ had already been said.

But aren’t all artifact mages maniacs?

Maniacs forget what they just said a moment ago.

“Maybe I’ve worked you too hard. My apologies.”

Noticing Lee Han’s pause, Puyo gave a wry smile.

“I don’t really know how to teach with moderation. I learned this way myself.”

‘Someone has to end this chain of hatred.’

Lee Han truly pitied this in his heart.

Those who learned under Puyo would surely create new victims the same way.

“But I can say for sure these tasks are helpful. What do you think?”

“I learned a lot, for sure.”

Not just a platitude—Lee Han had genuinely learned a lot working in Puyo’s workshop.

Preparing the item before imbuing to maximize the effect, aligning it with the flow of mana.

How to inscribe and imbue various 1st to 2nd circle spells on scrolls and items.

He’d had to cast step by step what was only touched on theoretically in school, making it impossible not to gain experience.

In any other case, he’d be elated at his growth, but now he was just too tired.

“Indeed, an enchanter’s skill grows by experience. No matter how gifted, without training the talent cannot shine.”

“You’re right. Well, I shou—”

“I heard you made another staff after finishing.”

Lee Han regretted letting the princess go first.

If only he’d stopped her, she could be the offering, and he’d slip out first.

“Yes.”

“Practicing is good, but at your current level, it’s hard to make a good staff.”

“Yes, I know.”

There was not a hint of arrogance in Lee Han’s manner.

Rare humility for a wizard of such innate talent.

Seeing this, Puyo thought his concern was unnecessary.

‘No need to have said anything.’

“Good, if you know that, there’s no problem practicing. By the way… was that staff given by a tree spirit?”

“Ah. Yes.”

Lee Han nodded.

Magic school students were basically only permitted to use staves provided by the school.

They couldn’t even bring in outside clothes, so why make an exception for staves?

But if made or obtained inside the school, it was permitted. That’s why Lee Han had been allowed to use the tree spirit’s staff.

“I received it from an oak spirit in the mountains inside Einrogard.”

“Impressive.”

Puyo gave a friendly smile—a craftsman’s smile rarely seen in the workshop.

As a tree spirit half-blood, Puyo could keenly sense what kind of staff Lee Han’s was.

The life force unique to a spirit was resonating intensely with the mage owner’s mana, powerfully amplifying it.

The owner hadn’t noticed yet, but that staff had perhaps several times revealed flashes of extraordinary vitality.

“Have you ever used any earth or plant elemental spells?”

“I have a few times, but not regularly.”

“I see. You probably haven’t learned healing magic as a first-year.”

Puyo was about to ask if he’d ever learned to use life force directly in healing spells, but stopped himself.

Thinking it over, surely freshmen hadn’t learned even basic healing spells yet.

“It’s a good staff. I can sense the resident spirit follows you.”

“Is that really true?”

“…Is that so surprising? Has your staff ever rejected you or something?”

“All the spirits I’ve met tend to avoid me…”

“……”

Rather than tear open Lee Han’s wounds with more commentary, Puyo changed the subject.

“By the way, what’s the gem set in the tip? An ice spirit? No, it’s a bit odd to be an ice spirit. What is it?”

Examining the gem at the tip, Puyo felt increasingly puzzled.

Since it was a freshman’s staff, he’d figured it must be a low-grade ice spirit, but the fierce, dominant energy inside had nothing to do with a spirit.

‘Was there a monster among frost or ice monsters like this?’

“I can’t tell. Could you?”

“Frost giant…”

“Ah. That didn’t cross my mind. …Wait, frost giants don’t give their marks like that, do they?”

“…It’s a stone I got from the king.”

“……”

• * *

Because of the frost giant king, Lee Han had to spend another hour explaining, instead of returning home right away despite his exhaustion.

After hearing the surprising and mysterious story from inside Einrogard, Puyo asked the most obvious question.

“Why did you—a first-year—have to face the frost giant king?”

“…There is a story I can’t tell behind that.”

Lee Han deflected.

Seeing Lee Han’s bitter expression, Puyo didn’t ask further.

“This stone’s giving off intense cold. If not for the staff’s inherent life force, it could have been dangerous…”

At Puyo’s words, Lee Han flinched.

He had just embedded something that dangerous without knowing?

‘Shouldn’t a professor have given a warning? Why just let it go because it’s balanced now?’

He was baffled that they’d just let it pass.

Especially since Professor Voladi, of all people, had seen it up close!

“Is it very dangerous?”

“It’s fine for now. But just in case, I recommend adding other gems around it as a safety measure. I can do it for you, if you’d like. It’s fate that we ended up working together like this.”

“!”

Lee Han was moved by the artifact mage’s kindness.

‘Artifact mages really have true bonds of loyalty!’

“The best method is to amplify fire energy to suppress it…”

“Wa—wait, please hold on.”

Lee Han quickly responded.

He couldn’t just stand by while fire energy was added to his staff.