Episode 446

Episode 446

“What are you doing bringing that here!”

Even though he was one of the most seasoned explorers in the Empire, Professor Lightningstep couldn’t help but scream automatically when he saw a first-year student dragging a siren by the scruff of its neck.

“Is, is that not allowed?”

Lee Han asked in confusion.

His face was filled with pure innocence, as if saying, ‘Of course, a siren is a water creature, right?’

Professor Lightningstep covered his face with both hands and let out a deep sigh.

“No… No. It is a water creature, after all…”

Thinking about it, Lee Han hadn’t done anything wrong.

Professor Lightningstep had told them to bring back a water creature.

But…

‘Still, to think he would actually bring back a siren.’

It was like being told to bring back something edible from a mountain, where most people would gather mushrooms or wild herbs, or at most, a wild boar at best, but no one would ever try to find and catch a dragon.

Likewise, during a test to catch a rare aquatic creature in the sea cave, no one would…

“…How on earth did you catch… No, just let it go for now. It’s angry, can’t you see?”

-♩! ♬!! ♪♪♪♪!!!

The siren sang in a fierce soprano voice. Even though Lee Han didn’t know much about music, he could tell the other party was angry.

“Oh. I thought getting angry was part of the test too. I apologize.”

Lee Han let go of the siren’s scruff. The siren immediately splashed into the water, leaving just her face exposed while singing menacingly.

-♩♪ ♬♩♩♪!!!!!

“I don’t know what that means, but I apologize.”

“I’ll apologize, so please stop singing now. The students are collapsing.”

Professor Lightningstep apologized on their behalf, speaking to the siren.

The siren seemed quite aggrieved and tried singing to control Lee Han, but only the innocent students seemed to be staggered as if enchanted.

After singing nonstop for a while, the siren finally coughed as if exhausted, then furiously swam toward Professor Lightningstep.

“That is to say, I didn’t do it on purpose… I’m sorry. I didn’t expect to be caught either. And honestly, who would have thought I’d be caught by a first-year mage, underwater at that…”

-♩♪♪♪♪♪!!

“I’ll give you double the promised fee, so please calm down. And please don’t worry, the other first-years are definitely not at this level… Really. Think about it. Have you ever seen a first-year like that at Einrogard?”

Professor Lightningstep tried to soothe the siren while sweating profusely.

Finally, the siren’s anger subsided, and she splashed back into the water. Professor Lightningstep let out a sigh of relief.

‘I managed to persuade her somehow.’

There weren’t many as suitable as the siren as an examiner for the sea cave.

If they got angry and left, he would have to rethink the exam.

“Is it not allowed to catch a siren?”

“Did the siren really leave?”

Professor Lightningstep checked the water’s surface and then spoke.

“Well done. Full marks.”

Once the surprise and bewilderment faded, Professor Lightningstep regained his composure to praise the student.

He still had no idea how he did it, but catching a siren underwater was truly amazing.

If word of this got out, some ship captains might come running with a fire in their eyes.

“Ah. As I thought… So catching a siren was indeed part of the test? I thought so.”

Lee Han looked at the professor with respect.

To feign ignorance in order to soothe a truly furious, prideful siren—what a move.

Indeed, professors couldn’t get by with just half-baked skills.

“…Th-that’s right.”

Professor Lightningstep decided to just let it pass without further explanation.

“Tell me how you caught it. I’m curious.”

• * *

-♪♬♩♩♩♬

After slapping Gainando on the cheek and realizing it was no use, Lee Han moved right away.

‘Siren!’

A hybrid of mermaid and spirit, the ocean’s cruel pranksters—he hadn’t expected to encounter them.

‘So the water creature the professor mentioned was the siren!’

Lee Han tugged the rope tied to his enchanted friends’ bodies three times. Receiving the signal, those above began to pull the rope upward.

Relieved, Lee Han quickly blocked his ears, chanted a spell, and charged at the siren.

Surprised that the mage wasn’t enchanted and was actually swimming towards her, the siren began singing even louder.

-♪♪♪♪♪♪… ?!!

But no matter how loud she sang or how hard she focused the power of her song, Lee Han was completely unaffected. He had blocked his ears in advance.

• * *

“…It’s not about blocking your ears, it’s that your resistance is monstrous. A siren’s song can’t be blocked just by covering your ears. That’s a common misconception.”

“Oh. Is that so?”

• * *

No matter how loudly she sang or focused her power, Lee Han showed no change. It was thanks to his innate magical power.

The siren, witnessing her pursuer approach with a sound mind for the first time in her life, was so shocked she began to back away.

-♬♩♩! ♬♩♩! ♬♩♩!

‘What kind of curse is he casting?’

The siren panicked and sang for him not to come, but unfortunately, Lee Han didn’t understand siren language.

‘Sirens are descendants of ancient spirits. She might use some evil power I don’t know about.’

It only increased Lee Han’s wariness.

Lee Han decided to let the siren play her games, but resolve himself to risk pain for the victory.

-Unleash… Perkuntra’s lightning!

Normally, lightning would shoot straight, but underwater it discharged in all directions, as if casting an area-wide spell.

It was a phenomenon unique to being underwater.

Of course, the lightning struck Lee Han too, but he withstood it with his innate resistance. The siren, feeling numb with paralysis for the first time in her life, became even more flustered.

Zap!

The siren, her tail fin paralyzed, sang to summon water spirits.

She was desperate to borrow their power to speed up her escape.

But the water spirits that had charged forward suddenly caught sight of Lee Han, startled, and bolted away in mad retreat.

-??????

The siren was stunned by her kin’s sudden betrayal. Meanwhile, Lee Han was casting a spell to block the siren’s escape.

-Burn…

-?!

When the opposing mage summoned the power of fire underwater, the siren was confused as to what was happening.

Trying to cast fire magic underwater—what kind of fool would do such a thing…

Fwoooosh!

A masterfully crafted wall of flame appeared, blocking the way.

Lee Han’s eyes prickled with emotion.

The fire magic he had struggled with now succeeded in forming perfectly underwater.

• * *

“I was really moved.”

“That… Shouldn’t you be more surprised by the fact there’s fire burning underwater, not touched? Oh, never mind. Continue.”

• * *

The siren, now in total panic, flailed helplessly. Lee Han easily swam up and grabbed her.

The siren, caught by someone with unbelievable strength for a mage, struggled and tried to meet Lee Han’s eyes.

A siren’s power wasn’t just in her song. She could also instinctively cast illusion magic with eye contact.

It was a powerful ability to read an opponent’s soul and show them visions of what they desired.

Normally, her song sufficed, but as it wasn’t working, she desperately tried to make eye contact.

-!!!!!

But the instant their eyes met, she was so afraid of the magic she felt that she stiffened up like a log.

Lee Han, thinking the siren had finally given up, grabbed her by the scruff and swam upward.

• * *

“They’re hard to persuade, but how could you scare them like that…”

“Pardon? I didn’t threaten or anything.”

“It’s not about verbal threats… Never mind. You did well, take a break.”

Professor Lightningstep looked baffled but praised his admirable student.

Absurd as it was, it was truly an impressive feat.

Who else would actually catch a siren in this weather?

“Yes, understood.”

But contrary to Professor Lightningstep’s expectations, Lee Han didn’t wrap himself in a blanket to rest, but instead went to his friends.

“Guys. Catching a siren is valid. Seems it’s a high-scoring target.”

“Really?!”

“But how do you catch a siren?”

“Wardanaz. I’m really sorry, but would you mind showing us just once?”

At the repeated earnest requests from students of various towers, Lee Han nodded.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to rest, but having finished his test, he could at least show his friends once.

“Alright. Everyone, cast underwater breathing and get in the water. Gainando, why are you clutching your cheek?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I hit a rock earlier.”

Gainando grumbled as he touched his swollen cheek.

While he was briefly unconscious earlier, someone up top must have pulled the rope too hard and he hit something.

“The way to catch a siren is… Hmm. Actually, it might be faster if I just show you how to do it directly. How about you all watch from afar?”

“You don’t have to go that far…!”

“Wardanaz…!”

Professor Lightningstep, who had been listening, gaped in shock.

• * *

In the end, the students gave up on catching a siren and went into the sea cave to seek out rare aquatic creatures instead.

Seeing the water rabbit that Yoner had brought, Lee Han spoke with envy.

“Maybe I should’ve brought a water rabbit instead of a siren. The water rabbit looks easier.”

“……”

-……

Professor Lightningstep and the siren stared at Lee Han in disbelief.

Especially the siren, who glared at Lee Han as if he were a mortal enemy.

Being caught three times in one day by the same mage (Lee Han had to demonstrate again because Gainando didn’t understand) was a humiliation not easily erased.

Sensing the siren’s gaze, Lee Han turned his head. The siren quickly averted her eyes.

She might have cursed him in the water’s depths, but she had no confidence to curse that mage outside the water.

“…Alright. Everyone, let’s thank the siren for her hard work!”

Professor Lightningstep sensed the siren’s displeasure and called the students over.

If you didn’t want Professor Lightningstep’s name on the Blacklist among Einrogard’s mysterious creatures, you had to make peace.

“Thank you! Miss Siren!”

“Your singing was beautiful!”

The students felt no ill will toward the siren.

Rather than unpleasant, being enchanted by the song was more of a dreamy, beautiful memory.

And honestly, the students had been caught and dragged away far more gently than Lee Han had caught the siren.

The siren listened to their thanks, proudly raising her chin as if it was beneath her.

“I thank you too, Miss Siren.”

-…♪♪♪♪!!

The siren, who was usually good at controlling her emotions, exploded and showered Lee Han with song.

Professor Lightningstep hurriedly intervened to calm things down and wrap up the lesson.

“Everyone did well! Thank you so much to the direct descendant of the ocean song spirit! You may all go back now! Oh, Wardanaz.”

“Yes?”

“When you’re walking around Einrogard, it might be best to stay away from areas where sirens appear!”

“Come on… Isn’t that a bit much for a class test?”

Lee Han felt disappointed at the siren’s un-cool reaction.

• * *

“There’s the cabin!”

“Throw the hook!!”

“Got it!!”

Morning.

After resting, Lee Han and the other tower students rode on Tanjuo, engaging in whale hunting—no, cabin hunting.

A hook caught on the drifting cabin and it slowly began to be pulled in.

‘Huh? Haven’t I seen that cabin before?’

Lee Han wondered at the familiar appearance of the cabin.