Episode 616

“That’s right. If you dislike fighting, being a magician would suit you better than being a knight.”

Not knowing Lee Han’s true thoughts, Alsicle persuaded Ulgan, sounding pleased.

Truly, as someone who’s never been to Einrogard, he confidently spouted such nonsense.

“Knights shed blood and sweat every day, wielding iron. But a magician—if you want—you can just stay in the workshop and do research all you like.”

“Hmm.”

“??”

When Lee Han, instead of agreeing, just murmured, Alsicle gave him a questioning look.

“Is being a magician truly a good profession for someone who dislikes fighting?”

“!?”

Alsicle was startled by Lee Han’s suddenly odd comment.

“Why, why are you saying that? Aren’t we supposed to persuade this kid?”

“Well, yes, but I’m not sure Einrogard is really the place for someone who dislikes combat.”

“How much fighting could there be! Hey, look here. You might meet monsters every weekend at most!”

“At Einrogard, you’ll probably meet monsters every other day…”

“……”

Alsicle was at a loss for words.

What the…?

After a moment’s thought, Lee Han looked at the prospective junior and asked,

“Are you interested in magic at least?”

“Uh… actually…”

“Just be honest. I’m not trying to drag you against your will.”

“I am, honestly.”

Ulgan looked away as he replied.

Clearly, these two were outstanding magicians, so he wasn’t sure if it was okay for someone like a woodcutter to admit being interested in magic.

But neither Lee Han nor Alsicle mocked or scolded him. On the contrary, they eagerly responded.

“Oh, really? That’s great. What type of magic interests you?”

“You know those magicians who put spells on axes or arms and legs…”

“Imbue magic… maybe with a specialty in buffs.”

“Traditional field. Students from White Tiger Tower are usually skilled in that school, right?”

Lee Han and Alsicle chatted with interest.

Encouraged, Ulgan continued.

“There’s more as well.”

“That’s good. Go ahead, whatever it is.”

“Spirits…”

“Do you want to contract with a spirit?”

“No. I’d actually like to learn exorcism magic for spirits. They get in the way during logging. Also, I’d like to make potions that can kill trees in one blow. Sometimes wandering trees cause trouble…”

“……”

“……”

‘I must never let this guy meet Senior Illendil.’

Thinking of the junior’s potential to devastate Einrogard’s forests, Lee Han made up his mind.

“Ulgan. Let me be honest, as someone who attends Einrogard. It’s not really a place without fighting. It’s as big as these mountains, so monsters roam around.”

“Oh, I heard about that.”

Ulgan nodded.

He’d heard rumors about Einrogard from Shadow Patrol hunters who sometimes visited.

“They said it’s huge!”

“That’s right.”

“A senior who used to be a Shadow Patrol hunter is famous and really popular, and the professors all want to make him their disciple!”

‘Was there such a person?’

Lee Han was puzzled.

“Sorry. I don’t know all the seniors. Anyway, the place is so big that you can’t really avoid fights. You might run into monsters while gathering alchemy ingredients in the mountains. Sometimes the Headmaster attacks, too.”

“I see… Sorry, what?”

Ulgan thought he misheard, or maybe his senior was just joking.

“Understood. Thanks for telling me. Of course, I do hate fighting!”

Ulgan clenched his fists.

Alsicle and Lee Han instinctively leaned back.

“But I will not run away from unavoidable fights. A northern woodcutter is not a coward!”

“Well said, well said!”

Alsicle flapped his wings, clapping.

Seeing this young magician’s resolve, persuading him seemed easy.

“If that’s the case, Einrogard will welcome you!”

“For sure. I made it sound harsh, but it’s not like you can’t avoid fights in Einrogard. If you just focus on your own research, you rarely have to. To be honest, I don’t like fighting much either.”

Eandur, who had been half-dozing by the side, looked over in surprise, but Lee Han didn’t notice.

“I see. You don’t like fighting much either, Senior.”

“I’m a total pacifist.”

“Oh, weren’t you Baeghrek’s… nevermind.”

Alsicle almost mentioned, ‘Weren’t you Professor Baegrek’s student?’ but stopped himself.

It wasn’t polite to bring this up in front of others.

CRACK!

“!”

At the thunderous sound in the distance, Lee Han immediately drew his staff and chanted a spell.

“O earth, bend beneath my step!”

At the same time, he rolled to the side. In case it was a ranged opponent, he wanted to mess up their aim.

“……”

Alsicle watched Lee Han react so strongly to a mere breaking tree with a complicated expression.

“It’s just a tree breaking.”

“Really? I thought it was…”

Lee Han dusted himself off as if this much was routine, like breathing.

“No! It’s really a monster!!”

Ulgan shouted urgently, gripping his axe.

A ghost tree appeared from behind the broken trunk.

A monster created when a vile spirit merges with a tree rather than possessing a spectral form, a ghost tree was always a threat to woodcutters.

Cutting trees, after all, upset the balance and order of the forest, which could manifest such monsters.

“I’ll stand in front. The rest of you support from behind!”

At Ulgan’s words, Lee Han shook his head.

“No. I’ll stand in front, so Alsicle, you support from behind.”

Eandur shook his head in reply to Lee Han.

“No! I’ll go in front!”

“???”

Ulgan was bewildered by the magicians’ excessive eagerness for the vanguard.

Wasn’t it normal for magicians to support from the rear?

“Stay back. Junior.”

“Aw.”

“What do you mean aw. You’ll meet ghost trees plenty at Einrogard. Fight then. For now, leave it to me.”

Being the senior, Lee Han couldn’t let his juniors go first.

He cast -Baegrek’s Instant Divination- and -Gonadaltes’s Boiling Power-, then even chanted -Spatial Perception-.

“O space, be perceived…”

“Do you normally cast all those before a fight?”

“Don’t you?”

Lee Han didn’t see why Alsicle was asking.

Why would a lion fight a rabbit with all its strength? The answer: Because if it’s an Einrogard rabbit, you never know what it might do.

The rabbit could teleport, spew venom, or cast a wicked curse—so maximum preparation was the only way.

‘A guy with a ton of mana is just on a different level!’

Alsicle clicked his tongue mentally.

Any other magician would have fainted at such reckless waste, but Lee Han did it as if it was natural. It really was remarkable.

He’d be praised if he enlisted as a battle mage on the battlefield.

-■■■…

As the ghost tree approached, Lee Han fired a water bullet.

With a thud, the ghost tree staggered. The spinning orb of water sounded savage as it hit, shaking the inside.

At the same time, Lee Han grabbed Morningstar in one hand and rushed in. As the black-violet stone sword slashed through, the spirit inside the tree howled in pain.

‘Mana drain!’

Alsicle was startled to see the Morningstar draining mana from the monster as it bit in.

Then he realized Lee Han was wielding Morningstar and was surprised again.

‘Why does a magician have an artifact like that…’

For magicians, mana-draining equipment was almost taboo.

There were many who avoided even magic items that altered the flow of mana, let alone mana drain.

With a chilling screech, the ghost tree tried to strike back. Its long branches rippled like whips, threatening Lee Han.

But by the time it counterattacked, Lee Han had already widened the distance.

With divination and spatial perception magic, the opponent’s simple movements were as if in the palm of his hand.

Thunk!

Without even giving Alsicle time to help, Lee Han finished off the ghost tree quickly.

After the balance was broken by its counter, he fired another water bullet and finished it with a single blow as it fell.

Sheathing Morningstar and returning, Lee Han spoke with satisfaction as Ulgan stared at him in awe.

“You said you were interested in buff magic? I bet you liked the spells you just saw.”

But the junior replied in a subdued voice.

“Seeing you fight, Senior, I worry whether I’ll even be able to make it at Einrogard…”

“?!”

If even a supposed peace-loving senior was this strong, what could a guy like him possibly do? He suddenly feared he wouldn’t last.

• * *

“And that’s how I succeeded in securing funding for the -Study of Races Preferred by Trolls as Prey-.”

“A-a-amazing.”

‘How boastful.’

The Skull Headmaster chatted with the knights in front of the log cabin, sharing tales of recent exploits.

The knights acted impressed, but doubted him inside.

However you looked at it, it sounded too far-fetched.

Getting a grant for the -Study of Races Preferred by Trolls as Prey-…

He probably inflated another grant to cover it.

“It’s not just because he’s my student, but that one truly deserves the title ‘Bureaucrat-Slayer.’ If you raise talents like this, getting support will be easy for you, too.”

“…We fight with skill, not tricks.”

The knights, though jealous, didn’t show it. Admitting it would wound their pride.

“Skill, my foot. Do you know how much Einrogard has sacrificed for the Empire? While the bureaucrats do nothing but try to snatch our gold.”

‘Doesn’t he realize the damage Einrogard has caused the Empire?’

‘If you really got funding for the -Study of Races Preferred by Trolls as Prey-, you shouldn’t talk like that!’

“That’s right. Bureaucrats!”

Though thinking differently inside, the knights all voiced agreement.

They, too, had plenty of bad memories regarding Imperial bureaucrats.

Especially in the north, where knights faced monsters constantly in harsh conditions, stingy bureaucrats were always a source of grudge.

“That time they made us hold out in the fortress for half a year, those bastards didn’t give aid even once. Claimed our stockpiled supplies would suffice!”

“Exactly.”

“I requested a magician, but they said a magical criminal escaped so that was the bigger priority!”

“Hmm. I suppose the bureaucrats have their reasons, too.”

“!?”

The knights were taken aback by the Skull Headmaster’s sudden change in tone.

“Your Excellency.”

The old knight, who’d been waiting for a chance, spoke up when the conversation paused.

No matter how he heard it, the Skull Headmaster’s intentions were unclear.

“May I ask why you keep sharing your wisdom with us?”

‘Wisdom?’

The knights beside him wondered what kind of wisdom this was, but didn’t say so aloud.

With Lord Gonadaltes’s power, nonsense passed as wisdom.

“We’re too ignorant to understand your true meaning, but I’m really curious why you keep bestowing on us like this.”

“Hmm. Maybe it’s about time I told you.”

The Skull Headmaster nodded and the old knight listened closely.

What possible meaning could lie hidden in this conversation?

At that moment, Lee Han’s group came up from below with Ulgan.

“Headmaster, the junior has decided to enroll at Einrogard.”

“Well done, Bureaucrat-Slayer.”

“Please don’t call me that nickname.”

“Everything’s done here, let’s be off. It was a pleasure chatting, everyone.”

The Skull Headmaster rose lightly, offered encouragement to the knights, and cheerfully departed with Lee Han’s group.

The knights glared at their backs in shock.

‘We’ve been had!’