Episode 456

Episode 456

In fact, the idea that you absolutely had to take the midterm was a type of fixed notion as well.

If there was an unavoidable circumstance or if the professor had certain ideas, the midterm could be replaced with another assignment or combined with the final exam.

Of course, the skeleton principal didn’t easily grant permission.

Basically, because there were so many truly shameless professors at Einrogard, if things were loosened up, you might get an exam like, ‘It’s bothersome, should I just throw my staff and give an A+ to the student whose staff flies the farthest?’

But in a situation like this, wasn’t it really unavoidable?

They said the prepared dungeon had been flooded!

“How unfortunate, Professor.”

“So it would seem.”

‘What does “so it would seem” mean.’

Professor Voladi thought Lee Han must be suffering sincerely as well.

Of course, Lee Han wasn’t particularly suffering.

But when a professor was suffering, for the disciple to look happy nearby was basically the same as declaring, ‘I have no fear.’

Lee Han tried his best to put on a pained expression.

‘Imagine losing top honors in the class. The skeleton principal is sneering next to me.’

“How’s the basilisk?”

Clatter!

A sound of the basilisk egg shaking in terror came from inside the backpack Lee Han had set down next to him.

Because he had needed to take care of it a lot lately, Lee Han had carried it with him in his backpack, which was why he met the crazy magician.

“…Won’t it take some more time?”

“I asked Professor Lightningstep for advice. He said there’s a potion that stimulates growth.”

“Doesn’t it have the side effect of making the temperament wilder and nastier?”

Because he was close with Professor Lightningstep, Lee Han had heard about it before.

-You’re good with animals and skilled in alchemy, so it may cross your mind one day.

-Am I good with animals?

-You’re good at scaring animals and skilled in alchemy, so it may cross your mind one day.

-……

-To buy the young of rare animals at a low price, then accelerate their growth with every kind of potion and sell them off…

-What a method! Magic truly is amazing!

-…Listen until the end. Magic is about changing the rules and principles of the world. If you do it without thought, the end won’t be good.

Professor Lightningstep once told the story of a foolish dwarf alchemist who tried to breed manticores in bulk at a ranch and sell them to the knights.

Giving growth potions to monsters already wild and fierce by nature was almost recklessly dangerous.

If the monsters exploded at some point, where would that rage be directed?

-By any chance, are you Professor Thunderstep?

-…No! Did you think Thunderstep was like that!?

Anyway, because it was such a risky thing to do, Lee Han had no intention of giving the basilisk the potion.

The basilisk egg clung tightly to Lee Han. It clearly sensed who would protect it.

“Wouldn’t it be good if it became wilder and nastier?”

Professor Voladi tilted his head.

They’d have to fight anyway, right?

“……”

……

Lee Han felt the egg glaring at Professor Voladi with rage.

He couldn’t be sure, but he just felt that way.

“If it’s calm and collected, isn’t it a stronger opponent?”

“I see… So you prefer that kind of fight.”

“It’s not that I prefer that kind of fight… Damn. I do prefer it.”

Lee Han admitted it, since he couldn’t bear to abandon the basilisk egg.

The egg was just too frightened.

‘I have to change the subject.’

“Don’t be too discouraged, Professor. There are plenty of ways. Like casting a water-breathing spell and going down…”

“I did think about that.”

At Professor Voladi’s blunt reply, Lee Han felt his heart sink.

He had just made a joke without thinking!

‘If I fail to control my tongue one more time, I will curse myself.’

Lee Han reflected deeply.

“But it’s too badly damaged.”

“Oh dear.”

Once again, Lee Han deeply thanked the water spirit.

If not for the great flood, he would have had to endure it with his body.

“Then, is today’s lecture finished?”

Lee Han asked, mixing a bit of hope in his voice. If it ended early, he was thinking of catching up on his studies.

The skeleton principal or students from the White Tiger Tower blabbered, ‘You’re fine even if you don’t study,’ but Lee Han didn’t fall for that nonsense.

They were definitely trying to hold down Lee Han’s grades.

“If it’s over, I’ll just…”

Professor Voladi shook his head slowly. Then, walking on the water, he stepped onto Lee Han’s ferry.

Suddenly deprived of his boat, Lee Han was flustered, but couldn’t say a word.

‘Goodness, a robber with a staff.’

Professor Voladi, not caring, swung his staff.

Then, as if pushed by an invisible someone, the ferry began to move rapidly.

Shwaa—

“?”

At first, Lee Han sat without thinking, but as the ferry began moving away from the main building, he started to feel a bit nervous.

‘What is this?’

If they kept heading north like this, they would reach the ‘Hell Mountain Range’ that Einrogard was proud of (it was really just a mountain range, but Lee Han and his friends called it Hell Mountain Range).

He thought they’d just do a simple practice session, since the carefully prepared dungeon had been lost…

Tap—

Even after the great flood, the mountain range hadn’t completely sunk. As they got closer, dry land and a lush forest came into view.

Professor Voladi looked at Lee Han. That meant to get off.

“Professor, I have a ques—”

The professor raised a finger instead of answering. That meant to be quiet.

Seeing that, Lee Han suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.

Even though Professor Voladi was a mad magician, he was at least a mad magician who answered questions.

Why wasn’t he answering questions now?

‘Is it a dangerous situation if I make a sound right now?’

Lee Han quickly reviewed the monsters that appeared in the mountain range in his head.

Having taken numerous lectures titled -What Might Emerge on Einrogard’s Back Mountain?- under Professor Lightningstep in his spare time, countless monsters came to mind.

‘Damn. There are too many.’

Thinking about it, there were too many monsters that could be dangerous if you made a sound.

Lee Han was on edge, wondering if he should pre-memorize a spell.

Pre-memorizing a spell would be good, but in a situation where you had to be quiet, even chanting a spell could be dangerous.

-Are you here?

The voice came from above.

Lee Han looked up without thinking. Among the tall, lush forest trees, a familiar giant’s head was peering down at Lee Han.

Shorter hair than last time.

It was Ikurusha, the giant of the mountain range who had lost a bet with Lee Han and given his hair.

“Mr. Ikurusha!”

-Good to see you again. But lower your voice a bit.

Ikurusha gestured as if to say be quiet.

-The other giants are currently pairing up mountain goats, and the goats are in a sensitive period.

“?”

Lee Han didn’t get it at first.

Even if the mountain goats were sensitive, weren’t they just goats?

-Oh. Sorry. Magicians don’t call them goats, do they? The name is a bit different.

“What are they called?”

-Was it mountain range destroyer sheep? Mountain range devourer sheep? Mountain range collapse sheep?

“……”

Professor Voladi answered in his stead.

“Mountain range destroyer sheep.”

-Oh. That’s right.

The mountain range destroyer sheep looked like sheep, but were massive monsters as big as giants, able to bore through bedrock.

Calling that a goat was as shameless as calling a tuna a goldfish.

• * *

Ikurusha led Lee Han and Professor Voladi to his newly built house.

The cave house looked rough on the outside as if the giants had built it with their fists, but inside, it was actually quite cozy.

As soon as Lee Han and Professor Voladi sat down, Ikurusha brought out a chessboard.

-Since it’s been a while, let’s play a game.

“Ah. Okay.”

Lee Han wasn’t enthusiastic, but played anyway.

Starting with d4 and Bf4, he set up a solid defense, castled queenside, and pushed strongly on the kingside, causing Ikurusha to fall apart in vain.

-My!

“Mr. Ikurusha.”

When Professor Voladi called, Ikurusha pleaded with a desperate voice.

-Can we play just one more? I’ll play it fast, blitz.

The professor nodded.

Ikurusha, excited, quickly reset the pieces.

Seeing that, Lee Han had a revelation.

‘Wait. If I drag this out…!’

Although he didn’t know why Professor Voladi had brought him to Ikurusha, if he just played chess and time ran out, he could go back home.

From last time, Ikurusha, when playing white, liked an opening starting with e4 Nf3 Bb5.

So, Lee Han could put his knight on f6 and build a solid black fortress.

‘I’ll drag it out and go for a draw.’

Neither Ikurusha nor Professor Voladi noticed Lee Han’s malicious internal scheme.

Ikurusha, oblivious, diligently battered at Lee Han’s wall, deep in thought.

“Mr. Ikurusha.”

-Oh. Sorry. I should stop now.

“……”

Seeing the giant quit without regret as soon as an excuse appeared after falling into a disadvantage, Lee Han was dumbfounded.

Why was someone so gentlemanly in other ways like this about chess…?

‘He actually played. I should have made a bet or something.’

-You probably know, but after that impressive match last time, I’ve mentioned your story a few times to the professors.

“What???????”

Lee Han exclaimed in shock without realizing it.

Why would you do such a treacherous thing?

‘Are all giants shameless bastards??’

Maybe people had to cut off a giant’s head, not just their hair, to stop them from betraying you.

-Why are you so surprised?

“…Having my reputation spread is embarrassing as a magician.”

-So modest.

Ikurusha looked at Professor Voladi as if to compliment Lee Han. Though the professor was expressionless, he nodded as if agreeing.

-A few professors showed interest. Professor Baegrek here asked if he could get some help with his lectures, so I accepted.

“Oh…”

Lee Han barely suppressed a ‘Why on earth did you do that?’

-Unlike other giants, I try to accommodate the requests of Einrogard’s magicians. Staying in these mountains, I end up owing them one way or another… By the way, is the Archmage well?

“Yes.”

-That’s a relief. Once again, thank him for his help last time. Giant hunters are tough and vicious—if the Archmage hadn’t helped, there would have been much more damage.

The professor nodded.

After listening to the heartwarming conversation for a while, Lee Han couldn’t endure any longer and asked cautiously,

“By the way, what kind of help are you giving?”

-They asked me to create various situations that a battle magician might face. Hearing that, I thought the giants here, even if a bit slow, could at least do that.

Boom!!!!!!!

As soon as he finished speaking, a thunderous roar as if the world was ending came from outside.

It was like the mountain range was collapsing.

-Oh my. A sheep has escaped. I must catch it before the day is out.

“……”

-What were we talking about? Ah, about helping with the lecture. The giants can do it, but the problem is they’re a bit slow… They might not understand things like control or tests. That’s why I thought I should call you first.

Telling a giant, ‘Test that magician with just enough danger not to kill him,’ would be too difficult.

It was better to befriend and get to know them in advance.

If the giants thought of someone as a friend, they’d control their strength themselves.

-Above all, no matter how outstanding the magician, throwing them into a crisis without at least a checkup feels a bit dangerous and abrupt. You should have time to get used to it, right?

Ikurusha shrugged.

“That’s fine.”

-Is that so?

“If you don’t believe it, try it right now.”

“Professor. Come to think of it, even a waterlogged underground dungeon sounds rather fulfilling.”