Episode 809

None.

The mad clone responded as if wondering what more anyone could want after such a “kind” answer.

Just like his advice on alchemy earlier, this mad clone tossed out a single phrase and wanted his disciple to understand the rest on his own.

Maybe that worked in ancient times, but nowadays…

‘Isn’t that a little too old-school?’

While Lee Han was muttering with the mad clone, the Kalarogard students made their move.

They were trying to separate Garal from the group. As long as they got rid of the outsider wizard, it’d be easy to handle the Baldrogard students—

“Come forth, Chiyeon Agui (Blazing Ghoul)!”

An undead monster, ablaze and spewing smoke and blaze from eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, appeared.

Garal was very tense.

Imperial students, after all, were rough and wild.

They would often stir up trouble and duel in nearby cities for fun.

And imperial wizards were no less dangerous or difficult.

Toss in magic accidents and mischief left and right…

Combine both, and you got imperial magic school students—

Wild, tough, dangerous, and tricky!

Garal, as someone who deeply understood just what these students (besides Baldrogard) were capable of when they put their minds to it, was naturally on edge.

“Why did you summon an undead?”

“I wanted it to enjoy the air of Einrogard.”

“Step back two paces.”

“I’ll only step back one.”

“No. O cold, swirl curiously.”

“Tch!”

Garal began chanting a defensive spell. An illusionary spell of cold enveloped him in mist—making him invisible from outside.

Not knowing what effect it might have, the Kalarogard students clicked their tongues.

If you don’t know a trick like that, you’ll fall for it; against an experienced wizard, the disadvantage was real.

“Should we break the spell?”

“No. We could get countered. Stay cool. He won’t escape. Got control of the Chiyeon Agui?”

“I fed it a whole firestone, so it’ll be docile for days.”

“Mana shock? Confusion? Paralysis?”

“The flow isn’t like paralysis. Looks more like interference with mana or soul—”

Though they might look like gravekeepers in gloomy black robes, the Kalarogard students’ magic was not to be dismissed.

Garal, not letting down his guard, prepared his next spell.

It wasn’t even one-on-one, it was one-against-many. He also had to look after the Baldrogard students, so of course he was nervous.

The snowflake mage from outside slipped a vial from his cashmere vest pocket.

He hated to use it, but he just might have to conjure up a blizzard.

‘Interesting.’

Lee Han watched the tense standoff with fascination.

Watching a fight that had nothing to do with him was always thrilling.

Recently, it had always been fights involving him. He’d forgotten how fun it was to just spectate.

‘This was how things used to be. Lately my luck’s been crap, always getting caught up in fights…’

What are you doing, rabble?

“Watching the show?”

The mad clone frowned in pain at Lee Han’s answer.

This disciple, despite his talent, was so coarse and pathetic in manners as to provoke his teacher’s wrath.

I said, wipe them all out. Didn’t I?

“Master, in truth, I said outsiders were attacking, but that was kind of an exaggeration.”

Lee Han quickly changed tack as the clone again commanded him to wipe everyone out.

They were actually guests—‘attack’ was just a figure of speech…

Silence.

The mad clone silenced Lee Han.

It didn’t matter if they were outsiders or not, or if they’d attacked.

What mattered was that they were dueling with magic before himself and his disciple.

“??”

Lee Han was baffled.

“It’s a magic school. Using magic makes sense, right?”

To dare cast such lowly, vulgar magic right in front of us, not even knowing table manners? That kind of arrogance merits execution.

“……”

Lee Han, belatedly grasping what the mad clone was saying, looked dumbfounded.

So he thought casting spells in front of them was ‘arrogant’?

‘Royalty really are something else. Hope Gainando or Adenart don’t end up like that.’

Casting this rude thought toward his absent friends, Lee Han gently changed the subject.

“But, Master, times are different and this is a magic school—using magic here is completely normal.”

If you went around wiping out everyone who cast spells in front of you, even Einrogard students would call you a lunatic.

No one in the world would do that.

This won’t do.

“What won’t?”

With you at a distance, I can’t correct your manners. I have to visit in person.

“I’ll go wipe them out right now!”

Lee Han changed his answer in a flash.

Kalarogard, Baldrogard, outsider mages—none of it mattered.

He just had to survive himself.

“Is that undead’s summon form weak at any point? It looks pretty strong.”

Why don’t you also ask how to breathe properly?

“Oh? Is there an ancient breathing technique, too?”

The mad clone still didn’t realize his disciple was nearly unbeatable save by sheer violence.

Just as so many Einrogard professors had failed, the boy of House Wardanaz was the very best among all disciples.

By comparison, even if the mad clone was an archmage, as a teacher, truly a novice.

After cursing Antagondals again, the clone’s eyes turned cold like burning ice.

There aren’t any. It’s shameful for a disciple to ask how to defeat a mere undead like Chiyeon Agui.

And yet, the mad clone went on to explain anyway.

Usually found in hellish planes, in the realm of the hungry ghosts, this undead burned with cursed souls that could incinerate any nearby enemies—or even incoming attacks.

Of course, you can brute-force its defenses, but that’s not a wizard’s elegant approach.

“Feed it well, then, yes?”

Correct.

If you summoned other fire-surged spirits from another dimension and stuffed Chiyeon Agui full, instead of staying out of stubbornness, it would leave, content.

“Ah! I have a contract with a low-grade fire sprite—looks like a sparrow and is very clever and cute.”

……

The mad clone’s face remained unchanged.

It wasn’t even worth bothering to ask, “So what.”

-Which of us is cuter?

The baby basilisk asked with interest. Lee Han pretended not to hear and went on.

“I’ll summon it and feed Chiyeon Agui properly. Also, Master—do you know how to deal with that mist?”

……

As if undead minions weren’t enough, now he was being asked to solve a spell cast by an outsider mage. The mad clone let out his first sigh of the day.

• * *

“Garal! The mist’s getting weaker!”

“It’s temporary. Doesn’t matter.”

“Oh, is that so? …Wait, it really keeps fading…”

“I said it’s temporary!”

Garal snapped irritably, wiping sweat on his handkerchief and gripping his staff tight.

He just needed more time to get rid of his troublesome clients by tricking those outside.

But why the fuss over such a temporary change?

“Wait—a minute!”

Then Garal realized the mist actually was dissipating fast.

This spell was supposed to block outside approach—how was it fading so quickly?

Had the duration run out?

‘No, my calculations were good!’

Garal traced the magic and checked what was happening—and was stunned.

“..!??!”

Outside, the Wardanaz kid was unraveling the mist with counter-magic.

This high-level magic—analyzing the structure and unraveling it from within. The principle wasn’t that hard, but every spell required lots of information.

Even seasoned magicians often bumbled or messed this up.

Not to mention, the mist Garal had created was a personal improved spell from his own mage tower days—its structure, let alone the effect, should have been indecipherable.

But this second-year was just waving his staff and dispelling it from a distance!

What, were all Einrogard second-years monsters?!

But Garal wasn’t the only one shocked. The Kalarogard students were just as astonished.

“A-argh! The Chiyeon Agui!”

“That guy! He’s betraying us and going back!”

While their attention was elsewhere, Chiyeon Agui let out a satisfied wail and started to return to its original dimension.

Normally always ravenous, it would gobble anything fiery—but now, having eaten its fill, it seemed happy to leave.

Only now did they realize the little fire spirit had sneaked in.

Who would’ve imagined feeding the hungry ghost with a spirit!

Unthinkable! They’d never even imagined such a thing.

Even borrowing a spirit, the mana cost to fill it should’ve been huge—but he’d done it so boldly…!

Both sides, with their master plans unraveled, stared at each other, taken aback.

The Baldrogard students just blinked, not really following what had just happened.

One Kalarogard student protested,

“Why are you interfering with the sacred contest of Kalarogard and Baldrogard?!”

Garal echoed the sentiment.

“The Baldrogard students were winning! Why did you butt in?!”

“?”

Lee Han looked at him in surprise. Garal blushed and averted his eyes, which made Lee Han’s heart ache.

‘So that’s what it means to be a pro adventurer…’

“My reason for interfering—”

Say that you couldn’t stand watching such arrogant trash.

“Watching you all fight as magicians, as a fellow wizard, I simply couldn’t stand by!”

……