Episode 554

“Or maybe not? Maybe I can go?”

“That doesn’t seem like something you need to ponder that hard…”

He’d just asked offhand, not expecting the professor to consider it so deeply.

Yoner looked uncomfortable and tried to help his despondent friend up.

“Lee Han. Get up. I know you’re miserable, but you can’t just stay like this forever.”

“…All spirits are ungrateful bastards.”

The basilisk hissed in agreement.

“Yeah, maybe so. Anyway, get up. You still have the squirrel spirit here.”

The ice-and-frost squirrel spirit tugged at Lee Han’s cheek, insisting on its presence.

Seeing that, Lee Han cheered up a little.

There was at least one spirit left with him, after all.

Tap tap—

“You want to make a contract?”

Nod nod—

“There must be plenty of other great wizards out there.”

“No, Lee Han.”

“That’s right, Wardanaz. Don’t say things like that.”

Afraid the squirrel might run away, his two friends hurried to butt in.

If a spirit, out of sympathy or confusion, wanted to contract, then just do it—what’s with the needless words?

Fortunately, the squirrel spirit didn’t mind. It rubbed its tail against Lee Han in a friendly way.

“See, Lee Han? Spirits don’t forget good deeds done for them.”

“…Maybe.”

Ellendil, having finished his work in the back, walked over to join the juniors.

He smiled with satisfaction at the closeness between the squirrel spirit and Lee Han.

For a spirit to show such favor… It couldn’t be achieved with ordinary devotion or affection.

“Here.”

Ellendil pulled a handful of ice pine nuts—which the squirrel spirit loved—from his pocket and offered them.

The squirrel spirit instantly dashed to Ellendil, rubbing its head against his palm and nibbling the nuts.

Lee Han, who had just taken out his staff to attempt a contract, stared holes into his senior.

“Eats well, right?”

“Why are you still here, senior? Don’t you have lots of things to do?”

“Uh… are you mad at me…? Why?”

• * *

By the time they left the forest, darkness had already fallen. Only the moon and stars glittered above, lighting the students’ way…

“???”

As he stroked his newly contracted squirrel spirit, Lee Han spotted flickering torches in the distance and was puzzled.

In principle, students weren’t supposed to be wandering around at night.

Unless one was on duty or had been assigned a task by a professor, they were supposed to stay in the dormitory.

Of course, some students wandered regardless, but not waving torches around like that.

It was basically a signal for the death knights patrolling Einrogard to come arrest you.

‘What’s going on?’

“WARDANAZ!! You rascal. I thought you were dead!”

“???”

Angrago, looking like he’d been roughed up top to bottom, ran up and hugged Lee Han.

Lee Han grabbed Angrago’s face with one hand and pushed him away, asking,

“What happened? Was it the principal, by any chance?”

“Abominations sent by the principal burst out of the forest and are attacking the dorm!”

“Oh.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Hm.”

Lee Han, Yoner, and Priest Siana hesitated.

They already knew this incident had nothing to do with the skeleton principal.

“We can’t sleep at all. Everybody’s out hunting them down right now.”

“I see.”

Now Lee Han understood why all his friends were out here.

Few students could sleep calmly while abominations kept coming into the dorm.

And if the skeleton principal had done it, then all the more reason not to sleep. They had to find the cause and resolve it as soon as possible.

“Wardanaz. It’s good you’re here. Go and lead the rest to find the source!”

“But Wardanaz isn’t from the White Tiger Tower…”

Priest Siana tilted her head, but Angrago ignored her.

What did that matter right now!

Lee Han yawned widely and said,

“Are Moradi or Salko searching the woods right now?”

“Yeah!”

“Then just tell them to poke around and come back once they’re done. The culprit’s already been caught. We’ll go get some sleep now.”

At Lee Han’s words, Yoner and Priest Siana nodded at once.

They had walked all day and felt exhaustion in every bone. It wouldn’t be surprising if they collapsed the moment they closed their eyes.

“Huh? Wardanaz! Wardanaz! Come back! Are you abdicating your duty as a knight?!”

‘Madman…’

He was too tired to even bother arguing.

Lee Han and his friends just gave a lazy wave and slowly walked back to the dorm.

• * *

Friday.

With some rare free time, Lee Han entered his secret base and focused.

It wasn’t that the lounge or library were bad places to study, just that it was hard to really concentrate with his friends around.

-Wardanaz, do you know about the miraculous incident in the southern empire? And do you know which order caused that miracle? Hint—it wasn’t the Afha Order or the Agaltacqua Order.

-Wardanaz. Why do you think people have to study magic? Not that I’m avoiding studying, but I suddenly got curious…

Lee Han prided himself on being able to accomplish things even in poor conditions, but he couldn’t completely ignore the efficiency of a quiet room.

He had to fill in the content for -On Wardanaz’s Aqua Orb and its Fundamental Principles- and -On the Limits and Future Directions of Aqua Orb Magic-, draft the pocket knife fortress design request Professor Alpen had proposed, and organize the magic spells learned that week…

‘Hmm.’

Lee Han wondered whether he should also record notes about the lightning spear he used against the abominations the day before.

He had certainly accomplished his goal of fixing the lightning element’s form, but the problem was…

‘I don’t remember how I did it.’

He couldn’t exactly go to Professor Voladi and say, “Professor, I cast a lightning spear but I don’t remember how.”

If he did, Professor Voladi would say, “As expected, your abilities grow under life-threatening situations. Allow me to help you,” and then try to put Lee Han in mortal danger.

The safer strategy was to recall it on his own and replicate it before Professor Voladi asked.

He’d briefly thought about hiding it, but…

‘Professor Voladi obtains information suspiciously quickly.’

Despite not seeming particularly sociable like Professor Garcia, he often knew when Lee Han learned magic in other departments.

As if they all shared information in the professors’ lounge.

Junior. Junior.

“!”

When letters appeared in the notebook he used to communicate with Direte, Lee Han grabbed his quill and moved closer.

-What is it?

I’ve heard some weird rumors and need to ask. Mind if I do?

-Sure. What is it?

Is it true the forest spirits love you? They say the spirits liked you so much, they all went back to their own dimension at your request.

-??????

Lee Han nearly dropped his quill.

-What are you talking about?

I just heard your name, and someone said you’re close to spirits. Sounds odd.

Dark magic students usually found it hard to get along with spirits.

Dealing with undead steeped the soul with a certain scent.

Dark magicians had a hard time befriending spirits, didn’t they?

-Oh right. That makes sense now that you mention it. Maybe that’s why spirits avoid me?

No, in your case it’s probably more about your mana. Spirits are very sensitive, after all.

“……”

Lee Han frowned at his senior’s comment.

-Couldn’t it be because of the dark magic…?

That’s unlikely, right?

He figured he’d only get sad if he pushed this further, so he changed the topic.

-It’s probably because of Senior Ellendil. There were abominations in the forest, and I helped deal with them.

Lee Han briefly summarized the recent events.

Direte found himself seriously wondering where to even start questioning Lee Han’s story.

He tried to create an artificial dark spirit? That’s not easy. Of all spirits, dark spirits are especially unstable and tricky.

-It’s true. I don’t get why he didn’t ask the skilled seniors from the dark magic school for help.

Direte went silent for a moment.

Lee Han was inwardly pleased by how well his flattery worked.

It’s not that big a deal.

-That’s how I see it.

Well… In Ellendil’s case, it’s no surprise he didn’t ask us for help. The relationship’s not good.

“?”

Lee Han paused in confusion.

Ellendil hadn’t seemed particularly mean or violent.

-What happened?

Ellendil’s a dryad-mix, right? Loves and cherishes the forest. Some of our students got attacked by Ellendil while gathering reagents in the woods…

-Oh.

Lee Han felt like he understood.

Ellendil was laid-back and seemed kind, but when the forest was hurt, curses flew out of his mouth in a flash.

-It’s unfortunate. Still, I’m glad you heard about what happened yesterday, senior.

No matter the grudge between Ellendil and the dark magic seniors, Lee Han was grateful that Ellendil had spoken well of him to others.

Otherwise Direte wouldn’t have heard a rumor in the first place.

Pleased?

-Yes, isn’t that a good thing? Getting favorable reviews among the seniors…

You might not know this, but Ellendil is kind of… has an eccentric image.

-Is that so? To what extent?

More than the dark magic school?

-……

Lee Han’s face turned pale.

So when Ellendil praises you, it’s not always good for you as the junior…. Even the friend who told me was a little…

Direte wrote with concern.

In truth, the student who passed the rumor to Direte also thought Lee Han was very strange.

-Direte. If it’s Lee Han of the Wardanaz family, you mean that junior, right? The promising one?

-Yeah, that’s right. Why?

-You know Ellendil? He said he finally met a junior just like himself—a Wardanaz he praised… he’s not a weirdo, is he?

“……”

After hearing the explanation, Lee Han slammed his head on the desk in despair.

‘Damn. I thought he was a good person because he was respected by the alchemy school.’

-Direte-senior, please help me. Let them know I’m not weird…

Sorry about that.

Direte apologized sincerely.

I’ll do my best to help, but since I’m also from the dark magic school, it might not be that effective…

“……”

Lee Han couldn’t say anything. He was sad for understandable reasons.

-No, thank you. Just thinking of me means a lot.

Sure. Be careful, anyway. Especially when you go into the forest. Ellendil’s not a bad guy, but if it involves his business, he can get rough.

‘I’ll absolutely start with an invisibility spell next time I enter the forest.’

Lee Han was determined to avoid getting entangled with Ellendil from now on.

Now that he thought about it, as soon as he saw himself getting popular with spirits, he’d instinctively felt uneasy. He must have sensed this could be a problem.

As he finished the conversation and felt momentarily empty, this time his mirror began to vibrate.

Lee Han went over to check it.

I’d like to buy more information on the Wardanaz freshman I mentioned last time.

“……”

Lee Han considered just pretending he hadn’t seen it, but the mirror kept vibrating.

The info from last time was useful. Much appreciated.

But there’s a new rumor I heard.

I heard you’re a crazy eccentric who’s very close to Ellendil from the alchemy school—is that true?

-Absolutely not.

Before Lee Han realized it, he had already written a reply.