Episode 970

“What did you mean by that just now…?”

Lee Han started to ask, but realized his surroundings were growing hazy and was startled.

It seems this is where our connection ends for today. We’ll meet again, disciple of Osu.

“Wait! Then, about the Small World…”

The Yaksha King expressed respect for Lee Han’s unrelenting curiosity for magic, even to the last moment.

But Lee Han hadn’t meant to ask about that. Seeing the dimension recede, Lee Han shouted inwardly.

‘…So initiation really had nothing to do with it after all?!’

If I’d just waited, it looks like I would have come out when the time was up anyway…!

• * *

“Gah!”

“What’s going on?”

The junior cried out as he woke from a nap lying on his sleeping bag, startling the seniors.

You had to be careful of nightmares on underground expeditions.

After all, dreams here could be omens or signs of a sinister monster or phenomenon.

“A-ah, it’s nothing. I was just absorbed in magic in my dream…”

“……”

Sigunting and Anfagon admired him inwardly.

Within the Enchantment Magic school, students were aware that they were the most devoted to magic in all of Einrogard.

It wasn’t groundless pride.

Why else would anyone study magic under Professor Verdus?

Just learning under Professor Verdus was proof of the ultimate devotion to magic.

But to be so absorbed in magic even in a dream.

‘He’s no ordinary kid, after all.’

‘Immersing in magical practice even while dreaming must be mentally exhausting. Impressive.’

Meanwhile, Yukveltire quietly stepped up behind Lee Han. Sensing her concern, Lee Han quickly waved her off.

“I’m all right, Senior.”

“Good. I was just researching methods for magical practice in dreams, so could you explain your case in detail?”

“Go away, Senior.”

Lee Han had quickly adapted to the ways of the Enchantment Magic school.

When a senior spoke to you, the only proper response was a sharp, brusque retort.

-It was all for nothing.

-Yeah, no kidding.

“!?”

The party was startled by voices coming from atop the cliff.

“Were we tailed?”

“No! I don’t think they know we’re here. Looks like they found Ironshoe by other means…”

-Who’s there!

Eventually, someone above noticed their presence and shouted sharply.

Anfagon replied, staying alert.

“Enchantment Magic school. Who are you?”

“Ah, the lunatics? We’re the Transmutation Magic sch—wait! Wardanaz! Why are you there?!”

The Transmutation Magic school seniors were shocked—then realized.

“Oh, right, Wardanaz takes Enchantment Magic as well.”

“Yes… Rather, seniors, how did you find this spot?”

The students above hesitated, then spoke.

If it were just the Enchantment Magic school, they’d have ignored them with a “Why tell these little Verduses anything?”—but Lee Han was there.

“Ironshoe borrowed our reagents and never returned them, so we secretly put a tracking spell on him.”

“……”

All the Enchantment students, Lee Han included, were shocked.

They weren’t the only ones who’d put spells on him!

“We had someone who could turn into an Alicanto, so it was easy to get through here. But how did you all get here so fast?”

The Transmutation seniors were curious.

Their team only got here quickly thanks to a lucky teammate who could turn into a local species, but the Enchantments didn’t have that.

“Don’t tell me you fought your way through the upper golem cave…”

“……”

Lee Han’s face twisted at the explanation.

He’d learned another lesson today.

Don’t just accept a senior’s tempting suggestion without checking!

‘Damn. If I’d just checked once with Transmutation, I could’ve had a far easier route.’

Who’d have thought others besides Yukveltire had tracking magic on him.

Lee Han had underestimated the upperclassmen of Einrogard.

“We got lucky. So… seniors, did you find Senior Jarun? Why don’t I see him?”

“We found him, but it doesn’t matter.”

“??”

“If you’re curious, come up here. Wait. Wardanaz, only you come up.”

The Transmutation students looked wary.

If it was Lee Han, fine, but the Enchantment kids weren’t trustworthy.

You wouldn’t be surprised if they bashed your head from behind.

“All right. I’ll come up alone.”

Lee Han used Telekinesis to easily float up the cliff.

Seeing the sight beyond, he was shocked.

“!!”

Inside a large vein of green crystal, a familiar dwarven senior was trapped, his face frozen in shock.

“Did you seniors trap him?!”

“What? No!”

The Transmutation seniors denied it forcefully.

“But it’s a nice thought. Should we say we did?”

“Wardanaz, when we got here, Senior Jarun was already trapped there. We checked the whole area—there’s no real ore vein.”

The Transmutation students had combed the area after finding Jarun trapped in the crystal.

They’d hoped to find traces of orichalcum or any other vein, but found neither.

After some thought, the students concluded:

-Senior Jarun lied about discovering a vein for support, when there isn’t one.

“…Come on, would even Senior Jarun tell a lie like that?”

“He has a history of it. Different kind last time, but still…”

“……”

Lee Han realized, again, he had underestimated the upperclassmen.

Those with something to gain—equipment or funding—wouldn’t hesitate to tell wild lies.

The students, having seen it all, weren’t even disappointed.

Still, Lee Han tried one last defense.

“But orichalcum is on another level, isn’t it? Even the professors are interested—wouldn’t he…”

“Wardanaz, you can’t judge a madman by your own standards.”

‘That’s true.’

Lee Han’s defense was instantly shot down.

At Einrogard, “would anyone really do that?” was a meaningless standard.

“Finding an orichalcum vein isn’t so easy. Would’ve been nice even to find some other vein, but nothing. Looks like Ironshoe called in for support for some future project of his. Otherwise there’d be drill or mining traces. We’ve searched enough, so we’re going back. Wardanaz, coming with us?”

“Uh… aren’t you going to take Senior Jarun?”

The Transmutation students looked at Lee Han like he was speaking nonsense.

“Wardanaz. Ironshoe ignored us when we greeted him and never replied to letters. He just stayed locked in his workshop, mining gold all day. We aren’t sociable, but even we have standards. Even Enchantment Magic maniacs wouldn’t go this far.”

‘No… it’s about the same…’

Lee Han thought to himself.

“I don’t want to spend time trying to free a senior from a crystal vein when I have no idea how to unlock it. He won’t die. If we leave him, the Death Knights or a professor will pick him up eventually.”

The Transmutation’s mood wasn’t as cold as Enchantment’s, but could still be ruthless to certain people—Jarun, for one, due to his past karma.

“No thanks?”

“…I’ve got people I came with. And I’m a little curious.”

“Okay, then. One last thing—don’t get hung up on orichalcum veins. They’re rare as it is.”

“No, I was worried about Senior Jarun.”

“Oh? Then even less reason to care. Just think of it as a weird rock.”

With that, the Transmutation students prepared to leave.

One transformed into an Alicanto, the rest jumped on, and they flew away.

-Wardanaz. Okay for us to come up?

“Yes, go ahead.”

The Enchantment students climbed up one at a time, and Lee Han explained what had happened.

The three seniors said coolly,

“In that case, probably a scam.”

“…Isn’t it possible there’s been a mistake?”

“If he’d been working, there’d be tool or mining marks. He’s probably hidden any important equipment or funding in his workshop, then hid down here.”

Sigunting seconded Anfagon’s theory.

“I bet I know why he went in there. To avoid being hunted by the trackers.”

Lee Han was appalled at the novel and bold conclusion, but the other seniors nodded.

Even Yukveltire did.

“His outfit says he was running.”

“Or maybe he really did find it and had to flee for some reason…”

Yukveltire shook her head.

“If he truly found orichalcum, he would NEVER have left, even if it meant dying.”

“That’s true.”

To walk away and lose it or have someone steal it—such a loss would haunt you forever.

A magician like Jarun would never leave the vein.

The fact that he was found with no evidence around meant there was no vein.

“…Understood. Then let’s get Senior Jarun out and ask him.”

“What?”

“What for?”

“You’ve picked up Direte’s bad habit of wasting time on stupid things.”

The three seniors criticized him in order of seniority.

Lee Han answered firmly.

“I’ve come this far, so I’ll open it up and ask myself.”

If he was trapped for any other reason, it would be worth it.

But the seniors disagreed.

“That’s a waste…”

“If you don’t help, I’ll spray magic everywhere and attract monsters.”

“……”

“…Fine. Let’s help.”

If a normally reliable junior insists, it’s scary.

If someone who worked hard without complaint throws a fit, you have to give in.

…Not because they were scared of threats.

• * *

Fortunately, Yukveltire figured out the property of the crystal trapping Jarun.

“A very peculiar metal. Looks like a naturally forming alloy—you don’t see this often.”

“How do we get him out?”

“It’s extremely tough to outside force. If you just bash it, you’ll break Ironshoe along with it.”

“So, how?”

“I think there’s a bit of black magnetite mixed in. The mana flows strangely, so the absorption property is somewhere…”

“Senior.”

“Hm?”

“Could you skip to the point?”

“Melting it with mana-infused heat is probably best.”

Yukveltire sketched an artifact diagram on the ground.

It would gather ambient mana, convert it to heat, contain the heat so it wouldn’t leak or cause trouble, and slowly melt the crystal.

Looking at the complicated schematic and even more complex materials list, Lee Han nodded.

“I’ll just melt it myself using my own mana.”

“……”

For just a moment, Yukveltire’s usually expressionless face flickered.

But Lee Han was left with no choice.

How was he supposed to collect all those materials, bring them down, and assemble it now?

He had to solve this on the spot.

At least from the explanation, it sounded like Lee Han could brute-force his way through with mana.

‘Radiate fire-attribute mana and melt it.’

It was a much more wasteful, crude method than Yukveltire’s artifact, but given time, the end result would be the same.

From behind, Yukveltire spoke.

“Wardanaz junior.”

“Don’t interrupt.”

“I’m not interrupting…”

“The artifact you’d set up takes too long.”

“That’s not what I meant—”

“Shh. Then please be quiet.”

“……”

Yukveltire shut her mouth.

She hadn’t meant to talk about the artifact.

For some time now, above Lee Han’s head, a hazy vision of a crown had been shimmering.

‘…What is that magic?’