Episode 772

Shock and silence.

Direte understood the shock his junior felt and patiently waited for him to recover.

“…H-how is that even possible?”

“What part? The fifth year in White Tiger Tower? Or zero departments?”

“All of it is confusing… How can you move up to the fifth year after failing?!”

The common joke among lower-year students at Einrogard—“If you keep failing, won’t you just end up in fifth year?”—was actually far from reality.

Einrogard was not so friendly and generous as to promote students who failed.

If you failed, you were usually sent to the punishment room.

By spending your break in the punishment room instead of going outside, most failing grades would get resolved.

If you were trying to graduate in your fourth year, it wouldn’t work, but for ordinary cases, fail→punishment room→overcome was the typical process.

But to keep failing and still make it to fifth year?

“Basically, that Jahan guy… stayed in the punishment room literally all break.”

“……”

Lee Han suddenly felt a chill.

Someone never leaving Einrogard and being trapped inside since admission…

That alone would be enough to turn even a regular person into a monster like the skeleton principal.

“Isn’t that a bit cruel?”

“Things like this happen at Einrogard. Junior. We tried—me, Yukveltire, and even the professors tried to teach him…”

Lee Han swallowed unconsciously.

He felt more nervous than when he’d met the skeleton principal’s crazed doppelganger.

“…But it was hopeless. Jahan truly couldn’t comprehend the calculations or logic needed for magic at all. It was like he was cursed by numbers.”

“I see.”

Lee Han nodded.

Magic, at its core, required the ability to sense magic power, control it, and compute and focus in your mind. It wasn’t something that could be done on instinct.

You might learn a few by luck, but you could not progress further than that.

If Catten of the Jahan family really was, as Direte said, “cursed by numbers,” then failing consecutively was to be expected.

“Wait. Then how did he make it to fifth year?”

“His swordsmanship is outstanding.”

Catten’s sword skills weren’t only on par with peers, but also with senior students in White Tiger Tower.

He could generate aura with magic, unleash all sorts of sword arts, and somehow make up for his lacking spells.

-Jahan student. The test was clearly to create a wall of water…

-I did, Professor.

-But this is swordsmanship… Sure, making a wall of water by swinging a sword is impressive—but what kind of sword technique is this?

-It’s a technique I created in the punishment room to pass the test. I spent all day swinging my sword to realize a wall of water.

-…Wouldn’t you be better off just joining the knights?

Moved by his dedication and talent, the skeleton principal and professors suggested Catten graduate early and become a knight, but Catten refused flatly.

Catten had ambitions in magic.

-A Jahan man never gives up on a decision. Principal. Since swordsmanship is also a magic-controlling art, once I reach the peak, maybe I’ll find the link with magic.

-…I know a thing or two about sword arts, but even so, no matter how great your swordsmanship gets, that won’t lead to magical enlightenment…

-Principal, didn’t you say never to set limits on magic?

-Using my own words against me. You scoundrel.

Thanks to Catten’s stubbornness, the skeleton principal allowed him into fifth year.

“If you’re that determined, prove yourself with sword research!”

…And thus, the monster of zero departments, fifth year, was born.

“…Wouldn’t he be better off in the knights?”

“Junior, I’ve had that conversation a hundred times—with myself, his seniors, and his juniors.”

He was said to be a sword talent rivaling even Giselle’s older sister Ziklin, so why was he like this in Einrogard? Wouldn’t letting him focus on swordsmanship be a service to the empire’s sword world?

But in the end, what mattered was one’s own will, and Catten was convinced that if he mastered swordsmanship he’d find the answers to magic.

“I see. But he isn’t a mean or strange senior, right?”

“After hearing all that, you’re still asking if he’s not strange?”

“…But at least he’s not weird like Professor Verdus or Senior Yukveltire, right?”

“No, he’s not that kind of guy. But… hmm… never mind. I don’t think I need to warn you now.”

“……”

Lee Han wanted to say, “There are two ways to make people angry, you know,” but held back.

The senior before him was just too pitiful for Lee Han to get angry at.

“Understood. I’ll listen well.”

“Good, hang in there.”

“Oh, when should I come help with the pseudo-lifeform research?”

“Still a ways off.”

“I’ll come this weekend, then.”

Lee Han said his goodbyes and went outside.

“Did he just not hear me say it wasn’t ready yet?”

Direte grumbled at his junior’s retreating figure.

It was really hard to lie to someone that smart.

‘Oh, right. I should put some gold in.’

After Lee Han left, Direte walked to the treasury alone.

Because the black magic school was so poor, Direte sometimes put some of his own money in the treasury.

He was extra worried this year, as there were likely to be zero new first years, so out of his own wallet…

-!!!!!!

A shrill scream rang out from Blackrock Hall.

• * *

The -Sword and Life- lecture was held in the sixth-floor, Infernal Outskirts classroom.

‘Good thing it was just a toxic swamp on the sixth floor.’

Passing through the miasma pouring from the swamp, Lee Han opened the door to the Infernal Outskirts classroom.

Inside, a searing heat and rivers of lava flowed like water.

“……”

Lee Han was strongly tempted to close the door but held back.

‘Wait. The -Elemental Magic- class was like this too. Einrogard’s lecture halls are all unique. You can’t judge the class by the classroom alone.’

Even though the -Elemental Magic and Its Applications- professor had set Lee Han on fire, he tried to stay positive.

‘…Why is no one here?’

Seeing no one among the lava and volcanic rocks, Lee Han again felt an urge to leave.

‘No, Professor Verdus’s class was like this too. The seniors are just so laid back that maybe they’re running late.’

Seniors in year three and beyond at Einrogard always seemed so laid back. Maybe that was why.

“Oh, are you the junior? Welcome.”

On seeing Lee Han, a short cat-beastkin boy waved enthusiastically.

He had very strong animal features, and Lee Han instinctively flinched.

‘Beastkin with cute appearances… have always been dangerous.’

From Lee Han’s experience, beastkin who looked cuter tended to have more problematic personalities.

He called it his “inverse-proportionality-of-beastkin-cuteness-to-character hypothesis.”

The prime example was definitely Professor Verdus.

If not for his cute, animalistic, pitiful appearance, Professor Verdus would not have survived this long.

‘Of all beastkin with ruined personalities, only those who are very cute and animal-like survive. It’s a convincing theory.’

“Are you Senior Catten of the Jahan family?”

“That’s right! Junior.”

‘Damn.’

Lee Han cursed inside.

A fellow student in the class might have been okay even if a little dangerous, but this was the senior leading the lecture.

“How did you know my name?”

“Other seniors told me.”

“I see. I already know yours too.”

Catten took off his wide-brimmed fedora and grinned with satisfaction. Lee Han paused.

“Excuse me? How?”

“You are Wardanaz Lee Han, right? I heard rumors about someone auditing every department and always wanted to meet him, but wow, that you’d attend this lecture.”

“……”

Lee Han regretted not dragging Direte back in to get more info.

The senior was seriously scary.

‘Is he going to take revenge because I’m taking all departments?’

As luck would have it, Lee Han was in Blue Dragon Tower, his senior in White Tiger Tower.

If any of the younger Blue Dragons ever nagged for revenge…

“When are the others coming?”

“Others?”

“Yes.”

“There are no other students taking this lecture.”

Catten blinked.

“…How do you know?”

“Because, junior, except for you, all the swordsmanship students are from White Tiger Tower, and I’ve already asked them?”

“……”

Lee Han swore he’d grab the White Tiger Tower students by the collar next time.

If a crazy senior is going around asking who’s taking the class, you really should spread the word!

“Should I try persuading them? It’d be a shame to take this class alone.”

“No need, junior. And I’m actually the one who blocked them from coming.”

“Excuse me?”

Lee Han was startled by this unexpected answer.

Can a professor really go around scaring students out of a class?

‘Creative method.’

If Professor Verdus found out, the aftermath would be worrying.

Intimidating students first so they wouldn’t take your class…

“It’s because there are qualifications for this class. I asked and if they didn’t cut it, I told them not to take it.”

“By qualifications, do you mean swordsmanship?”

Lee Han was puzzled.

He was decent at swordsmanship for his year, but if even seniors like Giselle and Deorgyu gave up, why was he here?

“Oh. Maybe I haven’t passed the test yet?”

Lee Han wondered if he could leave if he failed.

Catten shook his head.

“It’s a test, but not of swordsmanship. It’s closer to wisdom. Here, junior. Take this book.”

Catten handed him a book.

-Elementary Flame Magic-, quite old but known for clear explanations—a staple for first years.

“?”

“Back page, third circle. -Lesser Flame Barrier-. Do you know this spell?”

“Yes.”

“Can you explain it?”

“Huh?”

Catten urged him to try.

Lee Han wondered how to explain.

‘Hmm. He probably hasn’t learned many spells.’

According to Direte, aside from a handful of basic spells learned by feel, the rest Catten substitued with swordsmanship.

Lee Han pretended he was explaining to Gainando, who didn’t understand numbers.

“So this -Lesser Flame Barrier- uses the flame element and shape manipulation. You must calculate precisely because the flame element can backfire, but if you have too much magic or can’t calculate, there are alternate methods. I recommend using protection magic first and then this spell. If you keep practicing, you’ll find many things can be replaced by feel…”

“You passed, junior.”

“??”

“Looking forward to it.”

“Eh, for what?”

“I shall teach you swordsmanship. And you’ll teach me magic. We’ll elevate each other.”

“……”

Lee Han started to understand what Direte had tried and failed to warn him.