Episode 447

“Wardanaz!”

When Lee Han, who was supposed to be giving orders, paused for a moment, the other students, flustered, called out to him.

Salko felt as though his heart dropped, wondering if something was wrong.

“What’s going on? Is there a problem…”

“Did pirates show up or something?”

At school… where would pirates even…

Tanjuo, who had been trying to keep quiet and just do what was asked, couldn’t suppress himself and interjected.

“Sorry. I just got distracted for a moment. Pull!”

Lee Han and his friends pulled the rope together. Even with all the reinforcement spells in place, pulling in the cabin was no easy feat.

‘Hmm. I should really learn a stronger reinforcement spell.’

-Gonadaltes’ Agile Footsteps- was an incredibly versatile enhancement spell for a 1st-circle spell, given how fast it could be cast.

All the enhancement spells that raised strength, agility, reflexes, and the like usually started from the 3rd circle. The genius of the skeleton principal, who managed to compress this into a 1st-circle spell, was truly extraordinary.

But after spending a long time at magic school, Lee Han started to feel the need for stronger spells.

‘Even if it takes longer to cast and is rougher, I need something specialized.’

Just looking at the current situation, he needed a reinforcement spell that concentrated on strength.

‘An enhancement spell like -Tower-top Celestial Eagle’s Strength- that I read about in books would be good. I wonder if I can master it…’

“Wo… Wardanaz. Isn’t there a stronger spell?”

“Sorry. I don’t have a spell I can use right now.”

“Hey! Don’t say something so stupid! Even this spell leaves you with a lot of aftereffects once it wears off!”

The White Tiger Tower student next to them scolded his friend.

Even -Gonadaltes’ Agile Footsteps- caused considerable muscle pain.

‘Ah. Enhancement spells like -Tower-top Celestial Eagle’s Strength- must have even worse side effects.’

Lee Han realized once again the drawbacks of reinforcement magic.

Magic that directly enhanced the body came with a lot of side effects.

A skilled mage could minimize the shock and the side effects with various kinds of spells, but that was still far off for Lee Han.

Above all, he had so much innate magical energy that he was mostly unaffected by such repercussions.

‘Still, it can’t be helped. You use it when you need to.’

Lee Han ended his worries quickly.

His friends might suffer more pain, but that was just how life was at Einrogard.

Thud, thud—

Even with leather gloves and extra cloth wrapped on the rope, students started slipping and falling on the slippery back of Tanjuo as they pulled.

“Don’t rush!”

Salko shouted loudly.

In situations like this, the most important thing was not to hurry.

When building structures with members of the Mason’s Guild, mistakes were bound to happen.

In times like that, keeping calm was the key.

“Just hold on! Whoever finishes first will help the others!”

Salko planned to rush over to help as soon as his side finished.

But Lee Han was quicker.

Lee Han explosively radiated his magical power through his entire body as if wasting it. The surrounding water droplets evaporated as mana combined with them.

In an instant, the rope was yanked ferociously, and the cabin was dragged close.

“All done! Wait there!”

Finishing up his side, Lee Han threw the rope and rushed over to the side where students had fallen.

Watching this, Salko was impressed.

‘That kid is a natural worker!’

Someone like that should have been born to the Tutanta family, not the Wardanaz family…

• * *

“Wardanaz. Why do you look so down?”

“He’s probably tired.”

In the end, the students who succeeded in hunting a cabin returned to the library with triumphant faces.

But Lee Han’s face had nothing to do with satisfaction.

“Well, it’s just that…”

“??”

“…Never mind.”

“What, that’s no fun.”

Lee Han started to speak but stopped.

This cabin was…

‘It’s Professor Thunderstep’s cabin!’

Since Professor Thunderstep traveled all over the vast grounds of Einrogard collecting alchemy ingredients, even his disciple Lee Han didn’t know how many cabins he had.

But buildings made by the same person had a certain look.

This cabin was definitely Professor Thunderstep’s cabin.

“Why won’t this open?”

“An axe doesn’t seem to work either?”

“Step aside a moment.”

Lee Han approached the cabin.

Zap!

Fortunately, using the method he learned from Baldororn, the defensive spell was broken. The students immediately smashed the door with an axe and entered the cabin.

“Woo… whoaaaahhh!”

“L-look at this! Look at this!”

The students who went in shouted in delight.

Students resting on the other side of the library, drawn by the noise, came over out of curiosity.

“What is it? What’s in there?”

The inside of the cabin was filled with supplies any Einrogard student would dream of.

Dwarven-style smoked ham and salt-brined herring, eggs and rice, onions, wheat, raisins, plums, bananas, figs, and even ingredients like olive oil and salt, as well as beer.

A White Tiger Tower student was moved to tears.

“Wardanaz. This is enough for a feast, right??”

“…Y-yeah, go ahead.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Lee Han quickly nodded at his friends’ request.

Now that it had come to this, he felt bad for Professor Thunderstep, but there was no other choice.

‘I have to destroy the evidence.’

“Let’s split up. Team 1, take out the stuff inside. Team 2, dismantle the cabin completely. Make it so that no trace is left. Use it for firewood.”

“Can’t we just cut it roughly and dismantle it when we need to later?”

“No. We have to do it now.”

“Ugh, such a hassle…”

The students grumbled but didn’t reject Lee Han’s orders.

Lee Han inwardly let out a sigh of relief.

If they finished quickly like this…

“Wait! Wardanaz!”

“?!”

Someone called Lee Han, and he jumped in shock.

“What is it?”

‘Don’t tell me I’ve been caught?’

If someone recognized this as Professor Thunderstep’s cabin…

“We’ll do the dismantling, so you handle the cooking!”

“Yeah! Please!”

“……”

“Do you guys hate our cooking that much??”

The White Tiger Tower students who’d cooked last time stuck out their lips in complaint.

• * *

The students gathered in the library feasted for the first time in a while.

The food, which filled the makeshift tables to the point the legs broke twice, disappeared quickly. Students bit eagerly into the tender meat roasted persistently over the campfire until it melted inside.

Seeing Gainando stuff his cheeks with freshly baked flatbread only to scream because it was too hot, the White Tiger Tower students whispered among themselves.

“Hey, don’t you think the Blue Dragon Tower guys’ table manners aren’t that special after all?”

“Yeah. People say Wardanaz was so impressive at the knight order, but he doesn’t seem any different from us…”

Lee Han set a new dish made by steaming beans, rice, onions, and meat in a small pot on the table and sat down.

‘How satisfying.’

It wasn’t that he was happy because the students were eating well.

Unlike first semester, he noticed that students weren’t putting their books down even during meals.

They had learned after getting burned in the first semester.

“Hey! What’s with the studying during meals!”

“That’s disrespectful to Wardanaz who cooked… Ack!”

A few students (usually the White Tiger Tower ones) started to speak up and got smacked by Lee Han with a bone.

“If you’re not going to help, then read too.”

“W-we have swordsmanship lectures…”

Although they took other lectures too, they specifically mentioned only swordsmanship, a clear sign of their shallow intentions, which Lee Han found ridiculous.

Seeing their friend get hit with a bone, the White Tiger Tower students who were about to play ball quietly put the ball away.

Seeing this, Giselle wondered if she should keep a few bones handy from now on.

“-Direct heir of great magic… No, that sounds too doctrinal…”

Beside him, Yoner was frowning, chewing on a feather pen while lost in thought.

Lee Han asked, curious.

“What course is that?”

“Huh? Advanced introductory literature. We have to create a motto suitable for Einrogard…”

‘Glad I didn’t take that one.’

Lee Han was appalled.

Rumors had been wildly exaggerated that Lee Han took all classes, but actually he skipped quite a few.

Lectures like Understanding Basic Theatre or Understanding Imperial Masterpieces were ones he’d never take unless someone secretly submitted a sign-up form for him.

The best courses were those where you could get an A+ with logic, effort, and reason, not with sentiment.

“Any ideas come to mind?”

“Hmm… Seeking freedom through unfreedom or something like that… No, that’s too gloomy to put on the front.”

“Huh? I like it though??”

Yoner brightened up and took notes. Lee Han was taken aback by this.

“You like it?”

Wasn’t that a phrase fit for an imperial prison?

“Yeah. Can I submit this?”

“I don’t mind, but I don’t think it’s a good phrase.”

“No, I think it’ll be all right.”

Yoner nodded with an expression full of confidence. Lee Han wondered if something was off with his friend’s sensibility.

‘Well, his sister’s sense was unusual too…’

Flap flap—

While the students finished their joyful meal and relaxed, a paper bird flew into the library.

-Students taking Advanced Understanding of Introductory Summoning Magic, please pay attention. Due to changes in Einrogard’s weather, there will be changes to the midterms.

At Professor Millei’s voice, the students taking summoning gathered in front of the bird.

But the bird didn’t stop. Several more flew in.

-Students taking Advanced Swordsmanship, attention…

-Advanced Alchemy…

-…

-I don’t really have any announcements, but I sent this because I was bored. Study hard, Ironheads.

-……

There was even a strange paper bird, but the students were slightly moved by the professors’ warm consideration.

If you’re always treated like dogs, even a little kindness is moving.

“……”

But Lee Han stood in the midst, hesitating.

Because he was taking so many classes, he didn’t know where to stand.

“Wardanaz. I’ll let you know, so just take a rest.”

“Just stay seated!”

His friends quickly stopped Lee Han.

Their eyes were full of sympathy as they looked at him.

• * *

Professor Millei’s test was comfortable and peaceful.

The students gathered in the classroom with a fireplace wrote reports about this -Boltzmann’s Calling- festival in warm and cozy air.

“Some of you might be surprised. Compared to the exams of last semester or what you’ve learned this semester, this might feel too easy.”

Professor Millei said, sitting upright.

“But know that writing such documents is just as important as magic itself.”

The age of mages shutting themselves away in remote towers for research was long gone.

A mage had to communicate and interact with other mages regularly and sometimes even attract investors’ gold.

Otherwise, no matter how excellent the research, it would be hard to progress.

“Once you write it, you’ll realize it’s not easy. Since it’s your first time, one piece of advice—don’t make it artificially fancy, but be sincere. What did you feel at the festival, what was lacking, how will you improve it going forward?”

“……”

Lee Han fell into serious thought as he listened.

‘…What do I need to improve?’

With his limited perspective, nothing really came to mind.