Episode 885

Joulin looked proudly at Lee Han with a gaze that said, “I was right!”

Lee Han wanted to explain that she wasn’t, but right now the senior before him took priority.

“Senior, what is the meaning of this?”

“?”

Yukveltire didn’t understand, even after Lee Han’s firm protest.

What did he mean, what’s the meaning of this?

“You said this was the -Magical Algebra & Arcane Geometry- exam.”

“…No, that’s not what I mean. I mean, why do I have to take the exam first?”

At Lee Han’s objection, Yukveltire lightly furrowed his brow.

He couldn’t understand why his junior was wasting time on such pointless questions.

“I still don’t understand, but I’ll explain.”

“For the record, I’m not the kind of person who enjoys taking exams early.”

“What?”

“I… Just wanted to say that for the record.”

Seeing the other party couldn’t understand at all, Lee Han quickly shut his mouth.

‘So he didn’t hear rumors like Joulin, then?’

Apparently he wasn’t under the same sort of odd misunderstanding as Joulin.

Yukveltire picked up a thick bundle of papers from the table and opened it with his finger. On top was a dreadful title: -Proof of the Magic Emission Space Theorem Using the Magic Emission Plane Theorem-.

Lee Han felt a sense of wrongness.

‘Wait, I didn’t learn this last time, did I?’

“Wardanaz junior. You took a different exam by yourself last year in Professor Knighten’s class.”

“Yes.”

The memories came back, and Lee Han made an unhappy face.

He had thought Professor Alpen, being from outside, was normal—but who could have guessed he would do something so mad?

Even now, the betrayal stung.

“Originally, if you’re taking a different version of an exam, it should be done separately. The time required and materials needed are all different.”

“…??”

As the conversation went off in a weird direction, Lee Han was puzzled.

“What do you mean a different exam? You’re not saying I’m taking this alone again…”

Yukveltire just stared back in silence. From his cold face, Lee Han could read the answer.

“…So I am taking a different exam again!”

“That’s right. Now take out your -Bible’s Drafting Set-.”

Thinking Lee Han now understood, Yukveltire gestured.

Of course, Lee Han did not understand at all and quickly protested.

“You have no authority to make that decision, senior! I will take the exam designated by the professor!”

No matter that Yukveltire substituted for Professor Alpen, teaching and proctoring students, this was crossing a line.

A senior couldn’t just arbitrarily give different exams.

But Yukveltire just tilted his head slightly at Lee Han’s vehement protest.

“This is the exam Professor Knighten assigned you, Wardanaz… What are you saying?”

“……”

Professor Alpen, hailing from the imperial administration, was diligent to a fault.

Even as he rushed to the capital to help the skeleton headmaster, he hadn’t forgotten the student still in his class.

Deeply moved by such special favor, Lee Han sat down at once.

“Can I start the exam?”

“Yes…”

• * *

Three hours later.

“A perfect score.”

Yukveltire said nothing more, gathering up the test papers and simply leaving.

Lee Han slumped in his chair, his face full of exhaustion, frustration, and resentment. He was too worn out to even curse the professors.

Joulin watched Lee Han with concern.

Lee Han. Joulin could have done it for you…

“…No. Even I wouldn’t go that far.”

Lee Han, briefly tempted, quickly shook himself.

True, as long as you didn’t get caught, Einrogard allowed any kind of cheating in its survival-of-the-fittest exams—but having a royal child take the test for you was crossing the line.

Lee Han still had some conscience left.

“Ah, almost forgot.”

Yukveltire, who had left the lounge, came back through the door. Lee Han looked at him questioningly.

“Did you forget something?”

“Hold on… Ah, here it is. You did well on the exam. Impressive, junior.”

Yukveltire pulled out a small note and read it. Joulin gave him a look of utter disbelief.

Was there anyone else in the world who complimented others like that?

But Lee Han didn’t care at all. Objectively, it might seem rude, but if you compared it to Professor Verdus, it was different.

Professor Verdus coming with a thank-you note like that? It was touching!

“Thank you, senior. Please tell Direte-senior I’m also very grateful.”

“Why Direte? He wasn’t involved in this exam.”

“Ha ha. Just because. Here, please take this with you. Have this with you when you study.”

Lee Han put some chocolate-infused coffee in a bottle, added a few snacks to a basket, and handed it over.

After Yukveltire took it and left, Joulin asked, tilting her head,

Lee Han. Joulin has a question.

“What is it?”

Why does Lee Han take care of Yukveltire, who is much more senior? Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?

“…!”

At this sharp question, Lee Han was startled.

The way things were going, after a few more months at Einrogard, Joulin might be the next emperor.

“That’s…”

That’s what?

“It’s one of the mysteries of Einrogard, something no one can explain.”

???

“Well, I need to study. Here, have a book to read.”

Joulin thought Lee Han was dodging, but the fairy tale he handed over was so interesting that she let it go for now.

The story of the great dragon Azirmo was something she never tired of.

Dragons were few in number, and most were isolationist and detached from the world, so it was rare for their names to be remembered.

To have left a name like Azirmo among dragons truly was exceptional.

Joulin vowed she too would become a great dragon and make her name live on in history.

Wicked Osu always cursed that when she got old, she’d turn lazy like the other dragons…

Tap—

Lee Han. I finished reading.

“Ah, just a moment, let me finish this and I’ll get you a new book.”

Joulin wants a fun book!

“There’s a Toberis series Gainando has collected. He found some rare out-of-print volumes in the library—they’re yours.”

Wow!

Joulin let out a delighted sound and crawled over to watch what Lee Han was doing.

…Senior Illeg, I read your letter. Thank you deeply for passing me on the magic music exam. It was a huge help…

‘Hmm. I guess taking midterms early really is best for me after all.’

Joulin nodded to herself in her heart.

Lee Han kept trying to deny it (she still didn’t get why), but objectively the outcome spoke for itself.

Just now, he was talking with a senior about an exam.

…In response to your question about what should be on the magic music exam, I must say, the current difficulty is much too low…

???

Joulin’s eyes widened. Sensing her presence, Lee Han turned around.

“What’s wrong, Your Highness?”

Uh… Lee Han… Um… what letter is that?

Joulin, flustered, forgot even to maintain her usual etiquette.

Unless she was seeing things, Lee Han seemed to be deciding the exam content.

How was he not just taking the test, but deciding what would be on it?

“Ah. You may not know, Your Highness. That’s Senior Illeg.”

Lee Han explained about Senior Illeg, the 5th year from Phoenix Tower.

He was a bear-beastman in glasses, very strong, but a gentle upperclassman who liked books, had an interest in magic music, and designed and ran the class…

“I got lucky and made progress in magic music, so the senior passed me. That’s what you saw.”

Yeah, Joulin saw that… but weren’t you deciding the exam content?

“Haha. Not at all. Senior Illeg decides the exam contents. I’m just answering because he asked me for my opinion.”

Lee Han smiled as he spoke, as if Joulin were misunderstanding.

Even so, Joulin thought the current situation was just strange.

Taking the test early was one thing.

He was just a second-year, yet seniors were asking his opinion on exam content (which seemed even stranger).

…But why on earth was Lee Han seriously writing back about it?

J-Joulin is confused… Isn’t this the professor’s job?

“Your Highness, upperclassmen in their fifth year end up doing half a professor’s job anyway.”

With no fifth-years in earshot, Lee Han spat out something a little impolite without hesitation.

I’m not talking about fifth-years, I’m talking about you, Lee Han!

“Your Highness. This is just advice. Actually making and giving the exam is a whole other matter.”

‘Am I the weird one?’ Joulin felt dizzy.

She resolved to ask the Emperor later, when she returned to the capital, if this was normal.

She nodded for now.

Alright… Still, Lee Han, you seem so serious in your answers… Why does the difficulty need to be increased?

“Ah, that just can’t be helped. Magic music is one of those subjects almost lost for ages because it’s so difficult. And it’s highly dependent on the students’ talents. To even get started, you have to set the bar high, even if it feels tough. Otherwise, it’s just a waste of time.”

When he started the magic music class, Illeg built an entire tower for it.

That’s how difficult it was to take up magic music.

He handed out a sheet of music to each student at the start of the year and made that the year’s goal—again for similar reasons.

Lee Han’s quill didn’t stop for a moment.

…The progress with the sheet music you handed out last time is truly fascinating. Imbuing mana directly into words or sound is still a challenge, but we’re seeing exceptional results based on the mage’s emotional immersion. I think for this exam all students should, at a minimum, be able to play their assigned music magically. It’d be tragic to practice a piece all year and end up with no result. For the sake of the other seniors, too, I think you should be strict about it…

Personally, Lee Han hadn’t yet mastered the -Escape to the Shadow Fortress- score he’d received, but there were at least a few magic songs he could play.

That’s why he could confidently urge stricter standards for others in his letter.

He stopped momentarily as he wrote.

‘Hmm. Am I coming on too strong?’

Come to think of it, the other seniors might have other classes; maybe they couldn’t devote that much time just to magic music.

Maybe he should allow for a bit of leeway…

‘No, this is right. It’s all for the good of the seniors.’

Firmly overriding his brief self-doubt, Lee Han finished writing.

Joulin, watching from the side, thought to herself,

When it comes to being strict with other mages about magic, Lee Han seems just like Osu!