Episode 808

No answer came.

But Lee Han persisted, calling again and again like Professor Verdus whispering at a student’s ear, repeating the summons for the mad clone.

…What is it?

At last, a vague phantom appeared.

The mad clone was as expressionless as usual, but a faint furrow between the brows revealed his annoyance.

“Greetings, Master.”

So, you’ve finished it, huh?

The mad clone tossed the massive thing he was holding to the side. Lee Han asked, puzzled,

“What’s that?”

Instead of answering, a familiar voice came from within the mass. It was Antagondals.

-Stop acting cocky and just… come back… you damn brat…

Lee Han pretended not to hear.

No matter how sorry he felt for the magic criminal, there was no way Lee Han was going to rush to his rescue.

What if he ended up like that?!

Doesn’t matter.

‘I already understand perfectly well.’

So, rabble? Did you summon me just to show me magic?

“Ah. I had a question, so I called you.”

Lee Han proceeded to ask about substitutes for juniper, perilla leaf, and galena in Dobruk’s Supreme Potion.

The mad clone, irritated by the unexpected topic, scowled.

Did I tell you to tamper with ingredients instead of mastering lightning?

“Forgive me. Your foolish disciple got stuck and had no one to ask except you, Master. Sob sob.”

When there were no attack spells flying at him, Lee Han could perform such eloquence as long as he liked.

The mad clone looked very displeased, but eventually opened his mouth.

Hadn’t I already heard before that my disciple liked dabbling in various schools?

He disliked the slow progress, and lack of focus, but at this point, answering would be better.

It was, after all, a question about magic…

What a pathetic trick.

“Sorry?”

Rabble. Must I explain it more?

“Yes, I’d appreciate that.”

‘You haven’t explained anything!’ Lee Han cursed inwardly.

Why was he acting like he’d explained everything with not a word?

He wasn’t the only one cursing inside: the mad clone, on the other side of the vision, looked like he was holding himself back from smacking his disciple.

Dobruk’s Supreme Potion (called something else when the clone lived) temporarily separates the soul from the body, a kind of soul-leaving or astral projection effect.

The formula had changed over time, but the mad clone, upon seeing, instantly realized what kind of potion it was and the intentions behind the new formula.

In spiritual alchemy, juniper could be replaced by locust tree, perilla leaf with Saururus—though all that was pointless.

Back in the clone’s day, he didn’t use juniper or perilla leaf at all.

He favored enhancing the out-of-body effect even if it made things less stable.

But the current formula valued stability, even if the effect weakened a bit.

Swapping for locust tree or Saururus might seem to boost effects briefly, but in truth, stability plummeted.

Strictly speaking, there was no complete substitute. Anyone willing to cut corners here wasn’t a true alchemist.

The real answer: “There is no substitute.”

‘What kind of trick question is that?’

Lee Han was furious at the outside guest.

He looked broke enough already, and then he throws around gotcha questions?

He should have realized it when he saw him with the Baldrogard students; definitely an incredibly rude man.

“Thank you, Master.”

Wasting my time with stupid tricks…

“I’ll report back now. Please wait just a moment!”

After cutting the vision, Lee Han gave his answer.

“There are no perfect substitutes.”

Garal was astonished.

Even seasoned alchemists got tripped up by this question.

In fact, the more you knew, the easier it was to be fooled. Anyone who knew what juniper or perilla leaf did, and what had similar effects, would answer accordingly.

But that was the trap.

This potion’s balance was so precarious and subtle that swapping similar-looking ingredients led to a totally different result.

Only those who remembered the effects of dozens or hundreds of ingredients, and all the minute changes each would bring, could avoid the pitfall.

“Ha! Wrong!”

One Baldrogard student shouted joyfully.

“Juniper can be substituted with locust tree, perilla leaf with prunella! Too bad!”

The other students were amazed at their friend’s knowledge.

Truly spine-chilling brilliance worthy of an alchemy honors student.

‘Wrong, you idiots…!’

Garal was mortified on their behalf.

The answer was incorrect, plus prunella was not even substitutable. Adding prunella would make the soul stick stubbornly to the body.

“Isn’t it Saururus, not prunella?”

An Einrogard student, perhaps aware, asked curiously. Garal felt himself flush deeper yet.

“Saururus? Uh… w-wait, was it Saururus?”

“If you add prunella, the soul clings to the body, doesn’t it.”

“Sa… Saururus. Right.”

The Baldrogard student admitted his mistake at last.

His friends encouraged his honesty and bravery.

“Oh, I’m proud of your integrity!”

“Yeah, buddy! Your answer was practically correct!”

‘How was that “practically” correct at all?’

Lee Han felt like he was losing his grip listening to the Baldrogard students.

The herbs were totally different! Were they counting a partial answer as good enough if just one was correct?

‘Feels like common sense is crumbling…’

Now he understood why the seniors avoided Baldrogard students.

Just talking to them made you feel like your worldview was crumbling.

“That’s not important. What matters is your answer was flat wrong!”

“Excuse me, I was correct.”

Garal, unable to take it any longer, spoke with heavy sigh and mortification.

“Huh?!”

“What nonsense! Juniper can be swapped with locust tree!”

Jandan-ni of the Alzardc family asked incredulously.

He was sure that’s what he’d learned.

Maybe this Garal guy just learned wrong?

“If you swap them, you change the soul-leaving effect. Stability changes, too. Supreme Potion is so precariously balanced, subbing a single thing makes it a whole other potion.”

“But aren’t they about the same?”

“Not to a real alchemist.”

“No way… That’s just not right…”

Jandan-ni and his friends were shocked.

They’d counted on payback, but instead they’d been humiliated.

Seeing this, Lee Han decided to intervene and help them save face. Even though they were outside guests, he couldn’t just abandon them.

“This kind of thing is a brainteaser to test an alchemist’s ingenuity. Even the best can slip up. Your skill is still impressive.”

“…Thank you. Truly noble of you!”

“Not many second-years in Einrogard would know about swapping juniper for locust tree.”

That was true.

The Supreme Potion itself was a high-year potion (if it were a low-level one Lee Han would have memorized it already), and normally not something underclassmen even saw.

“But we’re not second-years?”

“Oh… Are you third years?”

“We’re fourth years.”

“……”

Lee Han was shocked to learn the students before him were fourth years.

So these were students about to graduate doing this kind of challenge?

‘Are they nuts? Well… You can still wander around before graduation, I guess. Maybe they just wanted more practice.’

Regaining his composure, Lee Han gritted his teeth and asked,

“If you’re fourth years, isn’t it time to prepare for graduation? Is it really fine to visit like this?”

“Haha. A true wizard is always ready, you know.”

‘I won’t kill them, I won’t kill them…’

Lee Han steadied himself once more.

“Still… Don’t you have things left to do? Are you already finished with all your tasks?”

“Tasks? Not really… Oh! Maybe you mean the graduation ball!”

Luckily, Garal finally cut in, unable to listen any longer.

Otherwise, Lee Han might have buried a few Baldrogard students right here.

• * *

“…So we came for a fair and honest challenge.”

“Uh-huh.”

After hearing their full explanation, Lee Han looked at the students with utter contempt.

Not only were they slacking off as fourth years, they’d come all the way here for such a pointless reason.

Lee Han resolved that, when the seniors pelted the Baldrogard kids with stones and jeers, he would cast Invisibility and join in.

Garal coughed and spoke up.

“Impressive talent. Are you a fourth year?”

“Second year.”

“…I must be under a curse, I swore you said…”

“Second year.”

“…Please, I beg you, don’t tell them your year.”

Garal pleaded earnestly.

Seeing a wizard older than him beg so desperately, Lee Han’s heart softened.

“Th-that’s not hard…”

“Thank you. Phew. I shouldn’t have taken this job. If second-years are already like this…”

The overall high level at Einrogard made Garal sigh.

It wasn’t easy to break his opponents’ pride in a way that was just right. You couldn’t just jump them or start a sudden attack.

If you picked a fight or challenged too aggressively, you might get mobbed by Einrogard students instead…

Riddles like before were about as soft as it got, and now his confidence was gone since Lee Han got it on the first try.

“Einrogard’s level is generally high, it’s true.”

“Seems that way. Sigh.”

While the two talked, Jandan-ni asked curiously,

“What should we call you?”

“Just Lee Han, please.”

Lee Han deliberately only gave his name, omitting his family name.

Usually you included the family name, so this would encourage a misunderstanding.

“Your family name?”

“??”

Taken aback by the unexpected question, Lee Han was a little flustered.

How did they know he was a noble?

“Wait, there’s the Kalarogard guys!”

Fortunately, before Lee Han could dodge, new guests appeared.

Up ahead, Kalarogard students were loitering around.

“Those brutes. Look at them shamelessly strutting here!”

“What happened?”

“They ambushed us last year!”

“Oh… How, exactly?”

Lee Han pressed for details with interest.

Fortunately, the Baldrogard students didn’t notice his intent.

“They cowardly summoned undead.”

“……”

Lee Han had to bite his tongue to keep from blurting, ‘How is that cowardly?’

So hard.

“And they dumped us in a mud pit—”

“Baldrogard punks!!”

“Attack! Inside Einrogard you can fight all you want!”

The Kalarogard students had spotted them and shouted.

Lee Han had to wonder whether he should ask why fighting was allowed inside Einrogard, or just try to break up the fight…

“Enough! If you attack, we’ll just defend ourselves!”

“Tch. Brought a bodyguard, cowardly punks.”

While Lee Han was puzzling over this, Garal stepped forward. Spotting an outside wizard, the Kalarogard students retreated a step.

But as a dark magic student, Lee Han could sense they hadn’t fully released their spells and were waiting for an opening.

How long is this going to take?

“!”

The mad clone appeared and asked, so Lee Han hastily replied,

“Please wait a little longer. There’s an outside group attacking us right now.”

Outsiders? Attacking?

“Yes.”

Need advice?

“Uh, sure, I’d appreciate it.”

Recalling a useful explanation from earlier, Lee Han responded.

Wipe them all out and bury them in a pit.

“…Any other advice?”