Episode 393

Episode 393

Forced to take a break, Lee Han looked at Priestess Siana and asked,

“But, Priestess Siana, weren’t you not on duty today?”

“Is it that hard to work a little more in order to spread the true will of Fleming?”

“…I see.”

The gentle madness shown by the Phoenix Tower priests sometimes overwhelmed even Lee Han.

While students from other towers made up all sorts of excuses to get out of things, here she was, joining in just out of a desire to share her faith.

“And wasn’t it the same for you, Wardanaz? I heard you weren’t originally on duty either.”

Lee Han hesitated at Siana’s words.

“I’m… a little different.”

“Really? Seems about the same…”

“…Maybe I’ll go pray.”

Deciding nothing good would come of this topic, Lee Han changed the subject.

Priestess Siana brightened.

“I’ve always thought Wardanaz was the one to inherit Fleming’s true will.”

“Is it because of the compliments…?”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing.”

Priestess Siana began laying out ritual objects one by one. These were tools used by priests of Fleming in prayer.

A bowl and cup. A glass bottle and lamp.

Each order’s prayers involved different practices, and the Fleming Order was more formal than the Agltaqua Order.

“O you who see through the essence of things and bring about their change, as I send my faith today, grant a clue of change to your follower.”

“The essence of things…”

Lee Han recited the prayer along with Priestess Siana. He then offered his magical energy to Fleming, just as he had done for Agltaqua.

Fwoosh!

“!!!”

As with last time, divine power manifested, causing Priestess Siana to jump with joy.

‘So the last time at the Agltaqua Order must have been a coincidence!’

Clearly, her faith in Fleming had strayed due to a momentary mistake.

How could anyone so serious about alchemy be a follower of Agltaqua?

Since divine power had manifested so quickly, it wouldn’t be long before she awakened holy magic.

After practicing for a while, Lee Han paused and asked,

“Priestess Siana, do you know how to use holy magic?”

When learning any magic, nothing was more helpful than observing it firsthand.

If he saw the holy magic of the Fleming Order, it might help him grasp it.

“Oh, I should have shown you that first.”

“So you do know how. In the Fleming Order…”

Lee Han spent about a minute complimenting her.

White Tiger Tower students passing by looked his way, wondering if Wardanaz had taken some weird medicine.

Priestess Siana, now quite proud, began to prepare her magic.

“It’s nothing special, but…”

The snake beastfolk priestess pricked her finger at the tip of a claw, then put a drop of blood in a cup of water.

With a chant, the water bubbled and transformed into a potion.

“Amazing!”

This wasn’t flattery but sincere admiration.

Having spent the whole break struggling in the workshop, Lee Han had come to realize how complicated the potion-making process was.

Holy magic was said to break many rules and conventions, but to make a potion from a single drop of blood like this…

“It’s really not that amazing. The potion’s effectiveness is limited… Apparently the more skilled priests can make even more impressive potions.”

Lee Han listened intently.

If what she said was true, Fleming Order’s holy magic was certainly appealing.

If you reached a high enough level, wasn’t it basically like turning blood into gold?

“Must you use blood?”

“You could use spit, but… thinking of the person who has to drink it, isn’t blood better?”

He almost asked if you couldn’t just secretly hide it, but decided that wouldn’t be appropriate for a priest.

“I see. I must awaken holy magic today.”

“…Ah, no, you don’t have to do it today. It’s not something that happens by force anyway…”

Priestess Siana waved her hands, flustered by Lee Han’s reaction.

Holy magic wasn’t like other magic where willpower alone worked. Pushing too hard could even get you hurt.

Of course, Siana hadn’t expected to see results today…

“That’s right. Don’t overdo it.”

“Forcing it with holy magic can injure your body.”

“…What are you all doing?”

Before they knew it, other priests had crowded round, nodding and giving advice, making Priestess Siana stare in disbelief.

These priests, honestly…!

• * *

In the end, Lee Han did not awaken holy magic (he pretended not to notice the sighs of relief from the other priests).

On the way back, a thought occurred to him and he asked Priestess Siana a question.

“Hey.”

“Did you maybe become curious about Lord Fleming?!”

“…No, it’s just—I was wondering if you know what kind of potion this is.”

Lee Han took out the recipe for a potion he’d received from Yoner’s older sister, Yoanen, during the break.

She hadn’t told him what kind of potion it was, saying he’d know if he made it himself, so he still didn’t know what this recipe was for.

‘It seems like some kind of enhancement potion…’

“This potion is… wow. Amazing!”

Priestess Siana exclaimed as soon as she saw it.

She didn’t know what guild or workshop had produced it, but the way so many ingredients were arranged for maximum effect without a single wasted step showed true mastery.

Whoever had completed this recipe must be a perfectionist with no room for error.

“How did they come up with this? It’s impressive.”

After examining it for a long while, Priestess Siana nodded.

“I’m not sure, but I have an idea. I once helped with something similar at the temple.”

“Knew you would, Siana…”

Siana stopped Lee Han from complimenting her further—she still had more to say.

“Wait. The ingredients: blue meanyl flower, donghaso, jururan—these are often used in precognitive-type potions. I’d guess it’s a potion to enhance precognition.”

“!”

Lee Han was surprised.

“An enhanced precognition potion… is that even useful?”

There was a wide variety of enhancement potions.

From mana, to strength, agility, reflexes, recovery, and so on.

But a potion to enhance precognition was extremely rare—even Lee Han had hardly heard of them.

‘Wouldn’t it be pointless?’

Precognition potions weren’t hard—they just didn’t work well.

Even precognition magic was hard to cast, and it was difficult to interpret the results. A potion to enhance precognition was even more dubious.

Who would develop a potion whose effectiveness was hard to verify?

“That’s true. Potions for precognition are hardly made. But the temple does occasionally make them… Given the skills of whoever made this, I’d think they had a good reason to.”

Even if difficult to see effects, sometimes people would make or use such potions in the hope that it might help.

This was particularly true for holy magics used in the priesthood, which lacked systematic approaches. High-ranking priests would throw every resource at a spell just in case.

After hearing about such precedents, Lee Han found himself intrigued.

‘Yoanen’s skill is certain. If it’s a recipe that’s been attempted several times even in temples… it could be an even more improved version.’

Strong precognitive ability is a kind of excellent intuition.

Lee Han pictured himself taking the bone principal’s test after drinking this potion.

–Kyaaaah! I’m so frustrated, my skull is about to crack!

‘Hmm. Probably not quite that bad.’

“By the way, Wardanaz?”

“Yeah?”

“You can finish complimenting me from earlier, you know.”

“…Uh huh.”

For a moment, Lee Han thought Siana reminded him a bit of Gainando.

• * *

Morning.

With no classes for once in the morning, Lee Han planned to take it easy.

Tend the vegetable patch, check on the basilisk egg, visit Fongrif at the stables…

It didn’t really sound relaxing, but Lee Han tried to convince himself otherwise.

“Wardanaz! Wardanaz!”

“Hurry up, let’s go!”

Angrago and the White Tiger Tower students came rushing in to call for him before he could.

“…Can it wait until after lunch—alright, fine, let’s go.”

Lee Han tried to suggest they go later, but gave up on seeing the faces of the White Tiger Tower students.

If he refused, they looked ready to wail and roll around on the floor.

Bang bang bang!

“Oh, you brought the golem.”

When they knocked, Professor Verdus came walking out of her tower, yawning.

While the professor examined the shut-down golem, the White Tiger Tower students watched with anxious faces.

“Wardanaz. Do you think it’ll be okay? Can it be fixed?”

“Why are you asking me…?”

“You have no heart!!”

“……”

“S-sorry. I got too excited. I’m just worried about the golem…”

‘Were these guys always this sentimental?’

Lee Han reevaluated Angrago and the others in his mind.

He had always thought of them as a bunch of beasts with nothing in their heads but “swing sword, rah,” but…

“Well-made. For something over ten years old to be in this shape.”

“Professor, could your disciples have made it?”

“Who knows? I don’t really know what my students make.”

Verdus took out a quill and began scribbling.

Then handed it to the students.

“Here.”

Five bundles of well-prepared birch wood, three boxes of granite bricks, large chunks of basalt, a sack of jomayeong, two bottles of Severan mountain bonding potion…

“What’s this?”

“Materials needed for repairs.”

The White Tiger Tower students were flustered.

They had thought Professor Verdus would simply fix it.

Plus, the materials required were more than they had expected. Getting them inside the school was several times harder than it would be outside.

“Don’t you have the materials, professor?”

“Me? I do.”

“Then, can’t you use those?”

“Why? It’s your golem.”

“……”

At a loss for words, the White Tiger Tower students looked at Lee Han for help, but he pretended not to notice.

This time, Professor Verdus was right.

“…Fine. We’ll get them! You’ll fix it if we bring them, right?!”

“Yeah! Bring them quick!”

As the White Tiger Tower students’ spirits burned with determination, Lee Han felt a bit worried.

“Will you really be able to get them?”

“Don’t worry, Wardanaz. We’re knights. Once a knight makes an oath, no hardship can break it.”

“O-okay.”

• * *

“Seems some students are absent…”

Professor Ingeldel looked around at the students gathered for swordsmanship class.

“I don’t penalize absence. Swordsmanship is something you can only get better at if you devote yourself to it. Now, everyone, pair up and…”

“…Wardanaz.”

Giselle called out to Lee Han. He quickly ran through his memories of what he’d done over break and replied,

“What is it?”

“Those who aren’t here… did you… never mind.”

“…Don’t stop after saying all that. I didn’t attack anyone.”

“What did I say, Moradi? I told you Lee Han wasn’t the culprit.”

Deorgyu replied in a very relieved voice. For someone who firmly believed in his friend, he sure sounded happy.

“Sometimes in life, people might miss class…”

Lee Han trailed off mid-sentence.

On second thought, the ones missing were Angrago and his friends.

‘…Did those guys actually skip class to gather materials??’

It was a level of conviction Lee Han couldn’t even imagine.

“…Let’s head into the woods. Today we’ll practice assuming a fight inside a forest.”

At Professor Ingeldel’s words, Lee Han glanced at his friends and asked,

“I’m curious about something.”

“What is it, Lee Han?”

“…?”

“If we enter the woods and Professor Ingeldel sees the missing students playing in there, will he be mad?”