Episode 84

Yoner quickly followed up on Ihan’s words.

The willow tree professor praised the students as if they were truly remarkable.

“Wonderful. To think you protected the plants among yourselves, with no professor present. Not just anyone could do such a thing.”

“Thank you.”

Feeling the atmosphere lighten just a bit, Ihan asked for his counterpart’s identity.

“Excuse me, but who are you?”

“Ah, you’re new students, so you don’t know me. I’m the professor who teaches botany at this school. You can call me Professor Willow.”

The name really matched the appearance perfectly.

Gainando, looking at Professor Willow, was reminded of those talking oak trees he’d met in the mountains. He tentatively raised his hand and asked,

“Are you related to any of the talking oak trees by chance?”

“I’m a willow, and they’re oaks, little troll.”

“Huh? I’m a human, though?”

“Right. I’m a willow, not an oak either.”

“……”

Ihan decided to be careful how he spoke in front of Professor Willow. It seemed the professor didn’t like being lumped together with vaguely similar trees.

Professor Willow walked over slowly and prodded the fallen bull with a branch.

Then, deepening the wrinkles around his knotty trunk, he said,

“So this is the bull Professor Thunderstep was raising. Such a careless dwarf indeed.”

‘Damn. So it really was the professor’s bull.’

Ihan mentally cursed Professor Thunderstep for not supervising—why make things strong with potions if you’re going to let them loose and cause a mess?

“Did you subdue the bull with paralysis magic?”

Professor Willow eyed the students curiously.

For first-years, it was remarkable; casting such a powerful paralytic spell was supposed to be impossible.

“We used a weakening potion and then hit it with the curse.”

“Even so, that can’t have been easy. Impressive.”

Professor Willow shook a branch. Vines grew from the ground and coiled around the bull, locking it into a wooden pen.

“I’ll let Professor Thunderstep know about this bull when he returns.”

“Were you… tending the plants here, professor?”

Priestess Siana asked cautiously. Professor Willow replied in a slow voice.

“Yes. My own garden is elsewhere. But Professor Thunderstep asked me for a favor. He said he had to meet an imperial official today, so he wanted me to watch over the Gatekeeper’s Hall. It’s a hassle, but what can you do when the emperor’s officials are involved?”

“Excuse me? I heard Professor Thunderstep was headed to the market with her nephew.”

“……”

Professor Willow froze.

“…Is that true?”

“Yes. You can check with Professor Thunderstep when she gets back.”

“……”

Professor Willow stayed perfectly still, but judging by how the leaves at the end of his branches shook violently, his mood was clear.

“You’re from the Wardhanaz family, aren’t you?”

“?!”

Ihan was a little startled that the professor guessed his name so suddenly.

What was this?

“No need to be surprised. I’ve heard about you from other professors. In any case, thanks for telling me.”

Professor Willow thanked him kindly.

“Is there anything you need? If so, just say it.”

“…We were hoping to practice alchemy. Is there anywhere to get decent ingredients or reagents?”

“Hmm…”

Professor Willow fell into thought.

Certainly, the sprawling school grounds had plenty of ingredients and supplies, but most places were a bit dangerous for first-years.

Ihan watched Professor Willow’s expression intently.

Even if the professor was some kind of tree spirit, it didn’t matter. There was no way a professor could escape Ihan’s keen eye.

‘Now!’

Ihan took a gambler’s chance.

“Could we maybe borrow something from Professor Thunderstep’s laboratory? Ah—never mind, that was rude.”

He bowed his head as if embarrassed. But Professor Willow shook a branch as if it were an excellent suggestion.

“That’s a wonderful idea.”

“Huh? But…”

“It’s fine. When Thunderstep returns, I’ll just say the bull broke in and stole things. I’ll pick out things you can take.”

So saying, Professor Willow moved toward the stairs to the third floor.

Priestess Siana looked at Ihan and said,

“Lord Ihan of the Wardhanaz family, you should never join a wicked cult.”

“?”

• * *

At the moment they set foot on the third floor, pitch-black darkness enveloped them. Even the light spell didn’t help.

“Be careful not to lose your way. The layout here is very complicated.”

Professor Willow swung a branch, and suddenly something began rushing toward them from the darkness.

It was a door labeled ‘Lab 6.’

Clack!

Professor Willow turned the doorknob. Inside, blue smoke had frozen everything. He quickly shut the door again.

“This lab best remain closed forever.”

He pushed away Lab 6 and summoned several other labs. Most were scenes of chaos. Lab 17’s space was distorted—water falling on the desk was flowing upward to the ceiling; Lab 29’s darkness was gobbling up everything inside.

Ihan pulled out a sheet of paper and painstakingly recorded Professor Willow’s every move. Who knew when he’d return to the third floor?

‘I see.’

Ihan got a rough understanding of how the third floor worked.

The reason there weren’t many traps on the first two floors was because the third floor itself was a partial maze.

If you didn’t know what was in each lab, or how to summon those labs, there was no point even making it this far.

In a place where space was jumbled like this, brute-forcing spells was dangerous. Who knew what disaster would occur.

The answer was to learn things step by step from the beginning.

Just as there’s no shortcut in scholarship, so there isn’t in thievery.

‘Lab 6—swing left twice, then 6. Lab 17—right four times, up once, then 17. Lab 29…’

“Got it.”

Professor Willow found a suitable lab. Ihan quickly stuffed the paper into his coat.

This time, the opened lab looked truly normal, just like an alchemist’s workspace. It was filled with various equipment and flasks.

The students, shaken by the sight of the other labs, entered hesitantly.

“Here you go.”

Professor Willow swept up the instruments and flasks and tossed them one by one. Ihan, unfazed, caught them and deftly packed them into the leather bags they’d brought.

“Was that too much?”

“No, professor. We’re only grateful.”

As soon as a bag filled up, Ihan handed it to his friends and produced another empty one.

Even Professor Willow was briefly confused, wondering, “Is that an artifact?” at how fast he swapped bags.

“This should be plenty for you to practice. I didn’t give you anything too dangerous, or anything Thunderstep cherishes too much.”

“That alone is more than sufficient.”

Professor Willow shook a branch and set the lab back in order, as if a thief had rummaged it.

Jumbled instruments returned to their places. Drawers clicked closed.

Professor Willow glanced at some withering pots in the corner and frowned, then summoned a watering can.

“I’ll help.”

Ihan volunteered.

‘Have to make a good impression.’

He doubted Professor Willow would snitch to Thunderstep, but you never know.

It never hurt to impress a professor. Who knew when he’d need to attend one of Willow’s lectures someday?

Unaware of Ihan’s motives, his friends all rolled up their sleeves to help, but Ihan shook his head.

“You all go back.”

“Why, Wardhanaz? We…”

“We don’t know when Thunderstep will get back. You all take the bags and return to the dorm.”

“!”

The friends marveled at Ihan’s words.

As expected…!

Ratford said, impressed,

“Truly remarkable. There’s nothing more I can teach you.”

“Don’t overpraise me, Ratford. There’s still so much I have to learn from you.”

Yoner felt like something was a little odd, but the atmosphere was warm, so she didn’t butt in.

“Well then, Wardhanaz, we’ll go first.”

“See you at the dorm!”

The students heaved the bags and walked off. Ihan noticed Yoner still there and looked puzzled.

“Why?”

“I figured you’d need at least one person to help. Even if I don’t carry a bag.”

“Thanks.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Hold on. Do I give you sil—”

“—Don’t ask if you need to pay me.”

Yoner pointed a warning finger. Ihan changed the subject.

“…I just meant, thanks.”

“Is that a southern dialect?”

With that, Yoner grabbed the watering can.

Actually, Yoner didn’t expect Ihan to be any good with plants.

Looking after plants was harder and more complicated than people thought. Even just watering took care.

Some needed less water, others much more.

If the weather was good and hot, more water. If it was bad and humid, much less.

It was easier with common plants, but the rare, fragile ones made things even trickier.

You needed both knowledge and intuition.

Yoner herself was good at it from reading alchemy books while at her family home, but Ihan—

“You’re good at this.”

Professor Willow spoke with admiration.

Neither Ihan nor Yoner was a novice with plants.

Noticing Yoner’s surprised gaze, Ihan asked,

“What?”

“Ah… No, you’re just really good at watering.”

“I’ve done it a lot.”

Yoner hadn’t been the only one on the path of plant care—so had Ihan.

It started as something forced by professors, but once you develop a hobby, it doesn’t go away easily.

If in the past life Ihan took care of the professors’ pots, this time, out of boredom, he tended the Wardhanaz family’s gardens.

Yoner looked at Ihan with eyes full of joy and emotion.

People with niche hobbies are always delighted to meet fellow hobbyists.

“So you did too…! Did your family’s servants always ask why you did such things yourself?”

‘Not really…’

Ihan was a little flustered.

The Wardhanaz family was so laissez-faire that whether he swung a sword or tended plants, they didn’t much care.

But Ihan didn’t want to disappoint Yoner, who was helping him.

“Of course they did. But it never bothered me. I always thought I’d need it for alchemy someday.”

“Ihan…”

If there were an “Excellent Friend” award, Yoner looked like she’d bestow it right then.

She wasn’t the only one touched; Professor Willow was, too.

“To think I’d meet students who care for plants like this… All of you, follow me.”

Professor Willow took the lead down the stairs. Ihan and Yoner wiped their hands and followed.

‘Maybe he’ll give us something extra?’

Hearing joy in the professor’s voice, Ihan was quietly hopeful.

Wasn’t this why he volunteered to stay behind?

They arrived at a corner of the second-floor botanic garden, where Professor Willow stopped and pointed at some plants.

“Now. Water everything from here to here.”

“?”

Ihan froze at the unexpected turn.

Could Professor Willow be one of those rare professors who give you even more work as a reward?

If so, that was truly terrifying.