Episode 851

Episode 851

Originally, Sevius was strict with juniors.

But even in a situation like this, he couldn’t bring himself to act coldly.

“…Let’s just take a short break for now. If you keep looking for only the easy way out, you won’t be able to develop the skills you lack. Later, when you’re doing difficult research, you’ll hit a wall, and it’ll be even harder then.”

“With that much wealth, couldn’t he just hire a mage with the ability to solve the parts he’s stuck on?”

“Quiet.”

Stumped for words, Sevius ultimately wielded his senior authority to silence the conversation.

Perhaps feeling a little sorry upon seeing his junior so dejected, Sevius tried to change the topic.

“By the way, that mage called Garal thinks you’re a sixth-year. Good job. The more you hide your identity, the better, and the more confusion, the better.”

It was a pity that it became known he was from the Wardanaz family, but faking his year was a good move.

Thanks to that, even Sevius’ identity could be disguised.

“But, Senior. I told him I’m a second-year.”

“What?”

“Actually, we talked about it last time.”

Lee Han casually explained to Sevius about how he happened to visit when the Baldrogard students arrived with Garal, and even about accidentally summoning the Black Dark Hall.

‘If I just mention it in passing like this, it won’t seem too strange, right?’

Naturally, it didn’t really work. Sevius looked at his junior, who said he accidentally summoned the Black Dark Hall, as if he were insane.

Last time, Lee Han clearly said, ‘I showed them some magic,’ but that “some” wasn’t the “some” he’d imagined.

‘If he makes two mistakes, he could destroy Einrogard.’

“In any case, during the Q&A, I clearly said I was a second-year. So I still don’t get why he keeps calling me a sixth-year.
Ah. Is he maybe helping me out?”

Lee Han put on a slightly touched expression in response to the kindness shown by the mage from Snowflake Tower.

Was Garal calling Lee Han a sixth-year to prevent the Baldrogard students from carrying out ugly revenge against him?

“Did you get hit in the head with an arrow? Would you, in your right mind, lie for someone who tried to rob you?”

“…Maybe he feels sorry for the Einrogard student, so he could…”

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

As his senior kept nitpicking, Lee Han’s tone grew brusque as well.

Sevius explained simply.

“He probably thinks you’re a crazy sixth-year who goes around claiming to be a second-year. There are a lot of crazies among the upperclassmen at Einrogard.”

“……”

Such an absurd theory left Lee Han appalled.

“What… How do you people see me?!”

“If you said you were a second-year and he still thinks you’re a sixth-year, what else could it be? Just accept it. That sort of thing is harmlessly crazy.”

“What exactly am I supposed to accept!”

Being mistaken for a sixth-year was bad enough, but being taken for a crazy sixth-year who claimed to be a second-year was even more insulting.

“Like I said, it’s not a bad thing, alright? It’s good to be mistaken for someone else. Look at me. I’m acting rude on purpose.”

“I’d rather just be Gainando.”

“No. Using a name of someone around you as an alias can make you traceable.”

As the two had a serious discussion nearby, Jandanni asked Garal out of curiosity.

“What are those two talking about?”

“They’re probably discussing whether to use those gems or not.”

“Is there any reason not to use them?”

“Hmm. It’s true it’s very costly. Einrogard mages hate inefficiency.”

Garal held back from calling it extravagance or waste for Jandanni’s sake.

Jandanni, seemingly confused, asked further.

“Isn’t this efficient? It’s not like they’re lacking in money.”

“…Please, just keep your mouth shut. Please.”

“!?”

Provoking already sufficiently miserable Einrogard students, especially a slightly crazy sixth-year, was not a good choice.

• * *

Once the meeting ended (to be precise, once Lee Han gave up), the two returned.

Garal cautiously asked,

“How did it go? Are you going to use them?”

“What?”

“These gems…”

“Ah.”

“??”

When Lee Han nodded as if he had just remembered, Garal was perplexed.

Weren’t they just having a meeting about this?

“Yes, we’re using them. I look forward to working with you, Jandanni.”

“You can just call me Jandanni, Wardanaz. All my close friends call me Jandanni.”

“Yes, Jandanni.”

Garal shook his head inwardly.

Jandanni seemed to want to become friends with the sixth-year from the Wardanaz family, but it didn’t seem like a very good idea.

First of all, the counterpart didn’t seem to want that…

“Let’s get started.”

“Very well, here we go!”

Jandanni took out a jeweled scarab and, chanting an incantation, threw it into the bag.

Wooooong—

With a faint ripple of magical power, a portion of the spatial maze erased itself. Despite it not even being his gem, Lee Han felt a pang in his chest at the inefficiency.

“It’s going well!”

“…Right. Let’s move to the next one.”

Jandanni took out and threw the next gem.

Threw, and threw again…

Lee Han couldn’t stand it and advised,

“Wouldn’t it be better to exercise some control rather than just throwing them?”

“Control?”

“Like this.”

Lee Han cast a telekinesis spell without incantation and made the gem brooch move like a butterfly.

Garal and Sevius, watching from the side, were simultaneously impressed by the delicate motion.

Telekinesis magic for moving small objects was so easy that even half-baked mages could use it without much training, but once the weight increased and delicate control was needed, it was a different story.

To move something to that extent, the circle would have to be at least…

“Oh. I can’t use telekinesis magic.”

“…Haha. I didn’t mean to use it without incantation, just a regular first-circle telekinesis spell would suffice.”

“I haven’t learned even that though?”

“…Why not?”

Lee Han couldn’t help but ask.

Jandanni, rather baffled, replied,

“Because there’s never been a need?”

“……”

“……”

Garal deeply contemplated whether he should intervene between the two.

But Lee Han exercised patience.

‘Just think of the other person as Gainando’s younger sibling. He’s Gainando’s younger sibling.’

“Then let’s learn it now.”

“Right now? But Wardanaz, I’m an alchemist. Do I really need this sort of magic?”

“Haha. Of course, you do, you punk.”

“Pardon?”

“Ah. Sorry about that, Jandanni. Anyway, even alchemy majors should master it. Trust me. Haha.”

Garal became ever more nervous with each word Lee Han uttered.

A crazy mage smiling was not a good sign.

But, surprisingly, Lee Han did not explode but instead patiently taught Jandanni telekinesis magic.

“Here. You just levitate it like this.”

“This… is fun! I’ve never done this sort of thing at Baldrogard.”

“Did they not teach you in class?”

“I only attended alchemy lectures.”

“…Haha. Here, practice spinning these spirit stone beads. Come on. Come on. Come on!”

“Ah! Ah! That hurts!”

“Oh no, sorry. Sometimes, at Einrogard, the beads attack too.”

“?”

Sevius cocked his head.

Professor Garcia wouldn’t teach like that…

Garal, also surprised, whispered,

“Does Professor Garcia teach like that these days?”

“Hmm. Professors are people too, so maybe they get angry sometimes…”

Jandanni got hit a few times by the spirit stone beads but was completely absorbed in telekinesis magic.

The education at Baldrogard was essentially full of elegance and freedom.

So in the first and second years, Jandanni studied various magical arts like travel, literature, art, celebration (drinking), music, theater, philosophy, debate, dance, horseback riding, and so forth.

In third year, he studied gem alchemy.

But now, hearing it from a Wardanaz family mage, telekinesis magic was more fun than he’d expected. He got hit a few times, but even that experience was novel.

“This is fun! So much fun!”

“Haha.”

Lee Han smiled insincerely. In his mind, he imagined Professor Voladi being invited to teach at Baldrogard.

“I think I can levitate this much.”

“Now sense the space inside and try moving it.”

“I don’t think I can manage that much.”

“…Then I’ll just give directions, and you move it.”

“I think I can handle that much.”

Jandanni, using his freshly learned telekinesis spell, carefully moved the gem.

Then, suddenly remembering something, he asked,

“Wardanaz. Don’t you think we work really well together? Like the two people who made this bag.”

“…Hah. Hahaha. Hahahaha.”

“Ow! That hurts!”

Without realizing it, Lee Han’s grip on Jandanni’s shoulder tightened.

Sevius intervened and said,

“Wait. I just saw something in the maze.”

“Could it be we’ve reached the exit?!”

“Wait…”

Lee Han calmed the excited Jandanni and tried to expand his senses.

Given the area he measured at first, it wasn’t yet time for the exit to appear.

“Let me try!”

As Jandanni controlled and shot a cufflink into the maze, a hidden curse in the spatial maze bared its fangs.

It was a trap, designed to retaliate in case an intruder tried to destroy the maze.

Fwush!

When the curse poured out of the bag in a torrent, Lee Han grabbed Jandanni by the nape and threw him aside, blocking it with his own body.

The fiercely surging curse bounced off, unable to penetrate Lee Han’s body.

“……”

Lee Han gritted his teeth and glared at Jandanni. Jandanni, intimidated, spoke up.

“S-sorry… Thank you for saving me.”

“It’s fine. The curse is gone, so let’s keep going.”

Jandanni, watching Lee Han’s reaction, resumed placing the gems.

There were no further traps after that. When all the available gems were used up, the exit emerged.

Clack!

“It-it opened!”

At Jandanni’s exclamation, all the mages gathered there cast nervous glances.

What would be inside the sixth room?

Congratulations. If you’re hearing this, it means you’ve unlocked it, right? I still vividly remember how weak you looked in the spatial maze. I don’t know why Baldrogard doesn’t force students to learn this.

When he heard the voice coming from inside, Lee Han was startled and looked at Sevius. Sevius was similarly surprised.

I know well that you didn’t intentionally fail to send the letter. Of course, my friends didn’t believe me… How would outsiders know that the headmaster sometimes kidnaps paper birds. I should have warned you.

“……”

“……”

While making this together, I learned so much from you. Forgive me for looking down on you at first just because you were a Baldrogard student. And also for not telling my Einrogard friends about our friendship. Instead, take this backpack as a token of friendship; I’m secretly leaving a message here. If you hear this, stop blaming yourself and come visit your friend.

‘This is unreal.’

Lee Han couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

To think they were really friends.

Oh, and never go petition the skeleton headmaster. You might get dragged to the punishment room for no reason. Also, the backpack might get confiscated. I stole some necessary items for the backpack from the skeleton headmaster. Sorry for lying about where I got them, when he asked. Come to think of it, I also stole from Professor Verdus. Don’t show it to Professor Verdus either.

Jandanni spoke in a voice full of awe,

“It’s a miracle! To think there really was friendship!”

“…Indeed.”

“In a way, maybe it’s fate that we’re the ones opening this…”

“That’s not it.”

Lee Han, facing a contriver, answered sternly.