Episode 821

Episode 821

Still, since they were juniors from the same tower (the fact that Direte was their friend was the main point), Lee Han tried to defend a little.

“He’s not a bad person.”

“What? He’s Bible’s prized disciple. How can he not be a bad person?”

‘Damn. Logical as a pirate.’

Lee Han felt hopeless from the very start of his defense.

How could he defend someone when it was brought up right away that they were Professor Verdus’s disciple!

“…I’m also Professor Verdus’s disciple.”

“You punk. Are you sticking up for him just because you’re a junior from the same school? Let me tell you, that arrogant ‘Little Verdus’ wouldn’t even consider you a junior.”

“Well, I also don’t consider him a senior, to be honest…”

“……”

Lagesa wondered, for a moment, if the Einrogard Enchantment Magic School was really alright like this.

It looked even less united than pirates.

“Then why defend him?”

“I happened to see that bronze golem by chance.”

“Ah. That thing. It was made well, I admit.”

“What did Little Verdus senior say to make you so angry?”

“He brought the bronze golem and came to see me.”

“And then?”

“That’s it.”

“……”

Sensing Lee Han’s bewildered gaze, Lagesa explained in more detail.

“You brat. Knowing that Torgard’s daughter once threw a gold coin chest at Bible, can’t you even imagine what it means for that prized disciple to come to me with a bronze golem?”

“Maybe he just purely wanted to compete with magic.”

“Hmph!”

Lagesa briefly recounted the conversation.

-Greetings, Lagesa. I am Einrogard 5th year Yukveltire.

-I know. You’re Bible’s disciple, aren’t you.

-That’s correct.

-You know well of the ill fate between me and Bible, and yet, as his disciple, you come to me. Do you understand what that means?

-Lagesa. A wizard is judged by their magic alone. There’s no reason to carry on old grudges or past wrongs for long.

-What happened with the master is the master’s business, so it has nothing to do with you, the disciple?

-That’s correct.

-Hmph. Well, I suppose I’m partly to blame too, for being fooled by Bible… To think I’d take it out on the disciple because of that…

-That’s correct.

-…Get lost!

‘Hmm. Yukveltire senior was clearly in the wrong.’

Lee Han immediately regretted trying to defend his senior just before.

Why had he tried to defend such a person?

If it had been Lee Han, he would have said, ‘Of course the one who deceived you is at fault! I’ll catch him at once!’ and put on a show.

“It’s just that Little and Evil Verdus senior lacks tact.”

“Looks that way. That’s why he’s Verdus’s disciple.”

“Could you give him one more chance? That bronze golem really is a well-made piece.”

“…Hey! Fine. I’ll give another chance, if only because you poor babysitting brat are asking. Bring it later.”

“I’m not Yukveltire senior’s babysitter though.”

“I wasn’t talking about Little Verdus, I meant you’re the babysitter for your fellow students in your year?”

“??”

• * *

‘Anyway, I’m worried.’

Even as Lee Han headed to the Healing Magic classroom, he was anxious.

It was because, due to unavoidable reasons, he had missed the last lecture.

While being abducted by a mad ancient wizard was surely an understandable excuse…

‘Still, the Healing Magic School might not see it that way.’

Suffering from severe manpower shortages, the Healing Magic School considered the loss of every single member to be critical.

So much so that even the skeleton headmaster allowed the tyranny of forcing all first-years to attend.

Even so, by the second year, the Healing Magic School showed the highest dropout rate.

Among Lee Han’s friends alone, it was rare to find anyone actually in the Healing Magic School.

“Ah. Senior Phil!”

At a time like this, the only reassuring thing was a senior.

Unlike other 5th year students, Phil from the Healing Magic School was never seen at external activities, presentations, or research events.

Lee Han knew the reason without needing to ask.

‘He’s just always busy working for the professor…’

“You…!”

“Nice to see you.”

“I was finally at ease, thinking you’d really given up on the Healing Magic School!”

“……”

At his side, Lagesa, excited by the interesting conversation, was already taking her snuffbox out of her tobacco pouch.

‘Now this is Einrogard!’

“Why think that? I’m an all-school student, after all.”

“Honestly, even if you skip Healing Magic, you’d still be recognized as all-school, wouldn’t you?”

Phil said with an awkward expression. Lee Han asked, just in case.

“Did I get expelled from the school because I missed last lecture?”

“What nonsense is that? There’s no such thing as expulsion in our school. If you land in imperial jail, they’ll drag you out to work.”

“Senior, um, since there’s an outsider guest, maybe keep your voice down…”

“Ah. Sorry. That was a joke just now.”

“Kihihi. Carry on. Carry on.”

Phil was too tired to ask who Lagesa was, and his junior was more pressing.

“It’s not expulsion, it’s just since you stopped coming, I thought you finally understood the importance of selection and focus…”

“…I was just kidnapped.”

“Oh. Is that so? What about the culprit?”

From his senior’s response, Lee Han realized that this person really didn’t hear much of the outside rumors.

In fact, someone locked up in the punishment room might be better informed.

“If I start talking, it’ll get long. Anyway, senior, since I missed last lecture, I’m worried – will I be able to keep up?”

“You did the second-year curriculum by yourself last year, so of course you’ll be fine.”

“Hey. Tell me more about that.”

Lagesa encouraged him, slipping an imperial gold coin into Phil’s hand. Phil took it, still confused.

“That’s not difficult, but first, we need to go to the classroom. This week’s also the makeshift test week.”

“…..”

It was only then that Lee Han realized this fourth week was the usual mini-test week.

‘No way. They make us test even on club week… I was foolish. Of course they would.’

Scolding himself for wanting to ask such a dumb question, Lee Han asked the senior.

“Will there be a test?”

“Sorry, but I don’t know either. We’ll only find out when we get there.”

“??”

For a moment, Lee Han wondered if his senior was lying, but Phil’s face showed no sign of that.

‘What is this?’

Usually, fifth-year students who helped the professor could not help but know details of the test.

Just last year, even an unlucky first-year heard about the test from the professor while helping with other students…

“But since you missed last lecture, what did you miss… Hold on. Let me tell you a few key points.”

“Ah. Yes.”

As the senior prepared to talk about healing magic, Lee Han focused and listened.

“Anyway, now that you’re a second year and a respectable Healing Magic student.”

“Yes.”

“You need a pseudonym.”

“……”

“Oh, not a pseudonym, a nickname. If you call it a pseudonym, it sounds suspicious, so always say ‘nickname’ instead.”

Lee Han had already learned that nothing good came from making a healing wizard’s identity widely known.

To avoid being dragged out even on off days, it was best to use a common, hard-to-remember nickname.

“What will you use for your nickname?”

“Uh, Gainando…”

“No. Too long and easy to remember. One or two syllables at most.”

“I’ll think about it later. Anything else?”

“Other than that… not really.”

“Really?”

“Like I said, you learned the second-year curriculum by yourself last year.”

Treating wounds like lacerations or cuts usually started from second year onwards.

First year was about practicing the most basic basics.

“Ah, over there, ‘Devil’ and ‘Goat’ juniors are coming.”

“?”

Lee Han turned his head to check out who would think to use such silly nicknames.

It was Tijilling and Angrago.

‘Using Gonadaltes at least seems better on my part.’

-How about Basilisk?

When the young Basilisk asked in a bright voice, Lee Han gently shifted the topic.

“I’ll think about it later. Guys, over here!”

Upon spotting Lee Han, the two made surprised expressions.

And then they said,

“Weren’t you going to quit the Healing Magic School?”

“I thought you’d quit?!”

“……”

When Lee Han looked at Phil, the senior spoke awkwardly.

“I guess I was so happy I talked a bit too much to the juniors.”

• * *

The Healing Magic School’s lecture, -Practical Healing Magic-, had several unique features.

First was that second, third, and fourth years all attended together.

Next was the classroom itself.

Unlike most professors who didn’t like holding lectures at their own tower, Professor Alcassis conducted her lectures at her mage tower, Dogyugwan (Hall of the Sword-spoon).

Some of it was aversion to finding a separate location, but the facilities of Dogyugwan played a part as well.

“!!!”

Lee Han and his friends all looked to the sky, eyes wide with shock.

Dozens of wyverns were flying to and fro at speed.

Anyone who didn’t know better would think it was a raid.

But the wyverns weren’t there for a raid.

Each draped in flags indicating their purpose, wyverns hovered in the sky, dropped off patients onto the ground, then flew away.

Then the mage tower, Dogyugwan, used magic stretched out nearby to suck the patients safely inside the tower just before they hit the ground.

From all over the Empire, starting from the nearby area, patients needing healing magic were flown here to Einrogard as quickly as possible.

The death knights busily directing sky traffic greeted Lee Han cheerfully.

-Oh. Student Lee Han. Didn’t you quit the Healing Magic School?

“……”

“Sorry, truly…”

Phil lowered his head in shame.

“Is it alright to have this many patients at once?”

“When there are a lot, this is normal. Just hope the patients aren’t too sick. That way the test will be easier.”

Only then did Lee Han realize what the Healing Magic quiz was.

The patients that arrived at those times were the tests.

“Puhaha, you all came? Oh, Senior Phil, you’re here too!”

An enormous fellow, Falkrius of the Kitchen Club, was handing out sandwiches he’d personally made at the entrance to Dogyugwan.

Then, upon seeing Lee Han, he was startled.

“Didn’t you quit Healing Magic School?!”

“…Phil senior spread a false rumor.”

“Oh dear! Anyway, that’s good. Though is it not so good for you, Wardanaz? Wahaha! Everyone head up! Quick!”

Pushed along by Falkrius, they reached the upper floors of Dogyugwan, where a huge hall, wider than a banquet hall, was revealed.

Healing Magic School students who had arrived earlier were divided by year, treating patients.

-Where should this patient go?

-To the second years

-This patient?

-To the third years

-This patient…

-If you ask one more time, I’ll turn you into a patient!

-S-sorry, Professor

In the chaotic atmosphere, Lee Han and his friends hurried toward the second-year area.

At that moment, Phil and Falkrius grabbed Lee Han by both shoulders.

“?”

“Uh, well…”

“Puhaha. Phil and I were about to take you to the fourth-year section.”

“No, you idiot!”

“Oh? Not so?”

Falkrius was flustered by Phil’s reaction.

“No matter what, it’d be the third-year section! Why take him to the fourth-year area already! Even third-year is too early!”

“He’s got plenty of mana and can use fourth-circle magic, so he can assist well enough, can’t he? Anyway, assisting is the same for third-year or fourth-year…”

“That’s technically true, but…”

While Phil was being swayed by logic, Tijilling and Angrago quickly whisked Lee Han away toward the second-year area.

“U-uh! You cowards! Come back! Give back Wardanaz!”

“Falkrius, quiet!”

“Sorry, Professor!”

Lagesa watched all of this with satisfaction before quietly heading downstairs.

If she stayed here any longer, Professor Alcassis would definitely make her do some work too!