Episode 968

Rest time.

The magicians were all busy restoring what they’d used up.

After drinking a mana potion, Sigunting inspected the tips of his crossbow bolts. If he found any spells had weakened, he reapplied magic.

He sprinkled a little reddish-purple powder from his reagent pouch into the grooves of the crossbow, then sprayed it with a specially made liquid…

‘Impressive.’

Lee Han watched closely and learned with great interest.

In truth, within the Enchantment Magic school, he’d learned more by watching seniors than by Professor Verdus’s lessons directly.

“Senior Sigunting.”

“Why?”

Sigunting, who’d answer Yukveltire with a curt, “What, senior?” at best, still acknowledged Lee Han’s words since he was at least a junior.

“I’d like to learn some magic from you.”

Currently, each senior in the Enchantment Magic school had their own specialty.

Sigunting, for example, had performed impressively in the southern cave battle with just a crossbow.

At first, Lee Han had thought, “Did you open a pawn shop with your crossbow?” but after watching, he became interested.

If he could make a weapon like that, Lee Han wouldn’t have to cast magic for every single ranged attack—he could just pull it out and fire at will.

“I see. Makes sense.”

The dwarf senior pushed his crossbow over as if he’d expected this.

Then he brought out an old, rusty, cheap crossbow.

“You want to make this kind of crossbow as a disposable artifact, right?”

“…????”

Lee Han was startled when the senior brought up something he’d never mentioned.

“Disposable artifact?”

“That’s your research topic, isn’t it?”

“…?”

Lee Han was even more confused.

Research topic?

He certainly hadn’t chosen one of those…

‘Don’t tell me Professor Verdus registered a research topic under my name and drew funding from the imperial capital without telling me??’

If it was Professor Verdus, that wasn’t impossible, but Lee Han trusted the imperial clerks more than her.

If Professor Verdus was involved, he was sure there would have been at least a double or triple check.

“You made one last year.”

Sigunting looked at his confused junior and explained.

Last year, under Professor Verdus, Lee Han had shown great interest in disposable artifacts.

When Professor Verdus told them to use aquamarine or spirit whale leather to fashion a water bottle artifact, Lee Han had insisted cheaper materials could be just as useful, and made an artifact using stag hide, koyak thread, and just a copper ring.

He’d compensated for the lack of power by pumping in raw mana.

The artifact’s lifespan was short, but if you were deliberately making it disposable, durability didn’t matter.

Given it was more of a makeshift artifact anyway, there was nothing to worry about.

“I think it’s a pretty interesting topic, too. Good choice. That’s why I’m answering you like this…”

Sigunting liked Lee Han’s research topic.

Artifact craftsmen always obsessed over durability and permanence, but sometimes breaking away showed you a bigger world.

If it’s single-use, you could break free from many artifact constraints and unleash huge firepower and output.

It was a bold idea poor artifact makers couldn’t dream up—only a great house noble would ever attempt it.

“……”

Lee Han was more shocked now than when he’d been fighting back waves of monsters alone.

‘All I wanted was to make them cheap so I could sell them…’

He’d made the water bottle artifacts last time just to afford his initial expenses for Club Outing.

Professor Verdus’s advice to use aquamarine or spirit whale hide meant nothing to him.

Sure, famous imperial craftsmen with their support and pay could use those, but Lee Han was still an unknown.

He just picked what was practical—how could that be some bold new noble idea?

“But how did you know about that? Professor Verdus… No, there’s no way Professor Verdus would have said anything.”

“Smart of you. Of course not. Professor Garcia told me.”

‘…Could Professor Garcia have bugged our uniforms with surveillance artifacts…?’

Lee Han nervously looked around.

“Now, watch. If you want to make my crossbow as a disposable artifact—”

“But what if my research topic isn’t disposable artifacts, Senior?”

“Huh?”

Sigunting stopped mid-explanation, looked up at Lee Han, then looked at Yukveltire.

Even without words, the message was clear.

-If you’re not working on research I care about, I treat you like a random rock on the ground!-

Lee Han really didn’t want to end up like Yukveltire for Sigunting, so he answered immediately.

“Actually, disposable artifacts are my research topic. Please go on.”

“Knew you weren’t an average junior. You’re extraordinary.”

Sigunting started suggesting ways of making his crossbow as a disposable artifact.

The selection of base material should focus on firepower, output, and explosiveness (and instability), not stability, longevity, or permanence.

“…Can’t you use something cheaper?”

“What? Why? Cheaper than this and it’ll be more unstable and dangerous.”

“…I like that sort of danger. I like the thrill of controlling that risk with my magic.”

“Knew it! You little crazy bastard!”

Sigunting grinned, even more pleased.

It seemed he’d judged Lee Han’s character correctly.

So he tailored the spell array and magic to his junior’s preference.

He stripped out all functions related to stability or user aids…

“Whew. This is the kind of thing that could blow up in your face if you’re not careful. Wardanaz. If you make one, come back and tell me what it’s like.”

Sigunting requested seriously.

He himself didn’t have the skill or pedigree to manage such a project, but he was very curious to see how Lee Han would develop the idea.

“Yes… thank you…”

For whatever reason, Lee Han seemed slightly more deflated than before.

Sigunting assumed it was because of Yukveltire.

Because he’d wasted time and given her a potion…

“Any final advice, Senior?”

“I have some.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Don’t give Yukveltire your potions. Waste of effort.”

“…I meant magic advice.”

• * *

“Advice?”

Anfagon, stacking a small tower of mud on the ground, looked up.

“Yes.”

“Don’t share food with Yukveltire. Waste of time.”

“I got that already. I mean magic advice.”

“Hmmm.”

The third-year, who was also in the same tower as Lee Han, considered.

He was the most social of the Enchantment Magic school seniors and wanted to help his junior (Yukveltire excluded) since they were both in the same tower.

“We’re working on pretty different topics though.”

“…Disposable artifacts?”

“Is there any other topic? Impressive. You really can tell when someone studies every school…”

‘Do these people not communicate with each other at all??’

Lee Han was speechless.

Why did rumors like this always get around, but not what actually matters?

“If our topics differ, then—is it about that structure you summoned in the fight earlier?”

“Yeah.”

Anfagon’s specialty was architecture.

But unlike Salko, not in permanent structures—he was skilled at summoning magical structures and sending them back to another dimension.

The portable fortress he tried to summon in the battle (but Lee Han finished things first) was one such spell.

So maybe not super relevant to single-use artifact research, but to hell with it…

“Actually, if I think about it, there are ways to simplify even these, almost like disposables.”

“Don’t force yourself; you don’t have to…”

Lee Han was more interested in standard structure summoning, but Anfagon insisted on adapting things.

All Lee Han could do was grumble internally and listen.

• * *

Yukveltire, instead of a meal-replacement potion, had to eat a chocolate cream wafer biscuit.

She thought it was inefficient but quietly ate and refueled.

“……”

“Do you have something to say?”

Lee Han asked as his senior stared. He also tightened his grip on his staff, just in case.

If someone so much as muttered, “Meal-replacement potion is better than this,” he’d have a hard time holding back.

“Which family makes this?”

“Excuse me?”

“This snack. Is it a new product from the Meikin family?”

“I made it myself.”

“…!”

Yukveltire was shocked.

That level of magician, spending their spare time running an oven, mixing flour and butter…

…The rest was a blur, as Yukveltire had no interest in cooking.

“You wasted time on something like that?”

“Next, coat it with cream or chocolate. That’s the usual way. Why? What’s your problem?”

Lee Han’s voice was full of murderous intent, grumbling, threats, menace.

Yukveltire shook her head and replied,

“It feels like a more logical way to take in sugar, so I was thinking of buying some later.”

“…Please, have more, Senior!”

Lee Han beamed as if he’d never grumbled. Yukveltire, however, answered right away.

“I’m full.”

“…Do you two want any?”

“I’m fine after chugging potion.”

“I don’t like snacks.”

“……”

Suddenly, Lee Han missed his friends.

• * *

Disciple of Osu. It’s been a while.

Not many people called Lee Han that insultingly.

During break, Lee Han dozed off and realized he was in the Yaksha King’s palace.

“……”

Lee Han glared at the black book.

So now it wasn’t even sending him into alternate dimensions, just straight into the Yaksha King’s palace?

The black book hopped as if protesting its innocence.

It wasn’t the book’s doing this time.

Since this world has summoned you, disciple of Osu, you must have accumulated considerable merit.

“…Huh? No, I haven’t?”

Lee Han flatly denied it.

“Some crazy senior found an orichalcum vein, and now everyone’s trying to snatch it…”

Outward appearances do not matter, disciple of Osu.

“……”

The Yaksha King spoke with mysterious wisdom, but Lee Han, already cranky, was unmoved.

‘He’s just spouting nonsense to try and sound mystical.’

The world does not differentiate between the ten directions or three times. Don’t trust your own eyes, trust the world.

“Can I go back now?”

When it’s time to return, you can do so naturally. Hm, disciple of Osu, I see your dissatisfaction today comes from the disrespect this king has shown your master.

“……”

But to restrain Osu’s madness, I had no other choice. It’s commendable that you respect your master.

Lee Han gnashed his teeth.

No point in denying it—the other would just twist his words with will-distortion magic.

What a formidable opponent.

“What spell do I need to learn to go back?”

So you reveal your ambition and greed for magic, disciple of Osu.

“…Yeah, that’s me. I’m a magic nut.”

Having given up in front of Sigunting, it was easier now.