Episode 1063
Episode 1063
Yukveltire was astonished when she saw the magic circle her junior had brought back.
Currently, Yukveltire was attempting to fuse two types of magic.
The first was Bakwantalana's Dimensional Rod.
Despite its deceptively simple name, it was an extremely high-level spell. So much so that even Yukveltire couldn't cast it directly and had to rely on the combined power of multiple magic circles to implement it indirectly.
When dimensions shift and overlap, even the sturdiest reality can be torn apart like paper and shaken violently.
This dimensional rod magic temporarily shaped the property of Immutability—which prevents any change or interference—into a rod-like form.
Such stabilizing magic is essential when rapidly summoning and modifying multiple dimensions.
The second was Ahriman's Refraction.
This was just as difficult as the Dimensional Rod. It was a spell that used powerful refraction to connect dimensions that normally wouldn't be linked.
Normally, no one would forcibly combine such difficult spells.
Though Yukveltire was a genius, she wasn't the type of mage to do unnecessarily inefficient things.
But this time, he had to merge the two spells to increase efficiency and use the remaining magical energy to secure an additional dimension, so he was determined to try no matter what...
'How is this possible?!'
Yukveltire's pupils shook with shock as she examined all the magic circles.
He knew his junior was an outstanding mage, far beyond what was expected for his year.
But this was beyond imagination.
To think his junior could instantly propose improvements that even Yukveltire herself hadn't managed.
"How... how did you do this? Ah, I see. It was Professor Garcia, wasn't it?"
Yukveltire, usually so composed, was now flustered, desperately trying to make sense of it.
"No, she already left earlier."
"Then it must have been the Headmaster."
"The Headmaster left even earlier than her."
"That... that can't be?"
Lee Han chose not to tell the truth.
In part, it was consideration for his senior. The truth—that deep in the Spatial Labyrinth's basement, there was a portrait of the Young Skeleton Principal—was too hard to accept.
'If Senior Yukveltire saw it, she might faint.'
"I... I've been... coming up with inferior magic compared to my junior..."
"...What should we do next?"
Lee Han struggled to change the subject.
His senior looked too shocked.
But Yukveltire couldn't recover from the shock. He kept muttering things like, "Am I unworthy?"
"Senior! I'll start drafting the upper blueprint first!"
Realizing this wasn't going anywhere, Lee Han grabbed the blueprint and quickly left.
He hurried off to seek advice from the Young Skeleton Principal.
-Now, repeat after me. I will let go of my lingering attachments and no longer obsess. Of course, I understand your grievances, Mage. But that is your magic. You cannot pass that burden onto my disciple.
-Give... it... back...
'Hmm. Every time I see this, it feels surreal.'
Lee Han shuddered as he entered the basement and saw the ghost wailing inside an old chest while the Young Prince's portrait lectured it.
No matter how many times he saw it, he couldn't get used to the sight. Only someone like Lee Han could endure it—an ordinary Einrogard student would have collapsed long ago.
-Ah! Disciple! You've come again!
The Young Prince smiled more brilliantly than the most beautiful flower in the Empire.
Seeing that, Lee Han suddenly remembered his friends going mad after being hit by Illusion Magic or Black Magic.
'Was this how they felt back then?'
Perhaps this was the karmic retribution for acting so carelessly just because he had abundant magical energy.
"Master, um... if I asked you to treat me harshly, would that sound strange?"
-What in the world are you talking about, Disciple?
"I'm not quite sure what I'm saying either. Please forget about it."
Lee Han quickly changed the subject and pulled out the blueprint.
"It's about the compressed magic circle you helped me integrate earlier. I was hoping to get your advice on where to begin."
"Hmm. Let me see... What kind of beginning would suit you best..."
The young prince in the portrait tilted his head in contemplation. Strangely, the basement seemed to brighten despite no light magic being cast.
Just then, the wailing voice from the old chest resounded again.
"Let... me out..."
Lee Han instinctively nodded in understanding. He could empathize with the sentiment.
Someone should let me out too!
"It seems the difficulty of this magic is excessively high..."
"Ah. Should I tell them not to attempt it then?"
"I wouldn't dream of hindering my disciple's challenge, even if I can't be of much help. There are several approaches, you see."
'Tch.'
"Is this stone mirror what's withstanding the dimensional distortion pressure?"
The current blueprint had Yukveltire's Stone Mirror placed to handle the distortion and pressure generated during magic fusion and casting.
"Yes. Ideally, I'd prefer constructing something like a magic tower to distribute the load, but there's no time for that..."
"Developing wasteful habits is the mark of incompetent mages. It's fine, disciple. This artifact should suffice for now. Though it could use some improvements—shall I explain the key considerations?"
The young prince sought to refine the artifact placed as the starting point of the operation.
If this artifact could handle increased distortion, his brilliant disciple might attempt a few more spells to complete the blueprint's magic.
"...Master, if I may."
Lee Han hesitated.
He didn't want to sound ungrateful before someone so kind and generous, but recalling the senior's earlier shock, he couldn't stay silent.
"How severely would the opposing mage be shocked if they heard these considerations?"
"Hmm?"
The prince in the portrait looked startled but pondered seriously.
After a moment, he replied.
"It should be fine, disciple. A junior researching such remarkable magic wouldn't be shocked by mere considerations. A great mage recognizes another great mage."
The young prince trusted Yukveltire.
Someone researching this level of magic wouldn't be shocked by improvement suggestions—they'd likely be invigorated, diving deeper into their work.
"I see! I'll relay it exactly as you said!"
Thud!
Upon hearing the improvements, Yukveltire collapsed sideways. Lee Han cried out in alarm.
"Senior!!"
"...Don't make a fuss. It's just lingering fatigue from a long journey."
"But your legs gave out..."
Lee Han rushed to the kitchen and brought back hot chocolate. It was originally Gainando's share, but this was an emergency.
'They're family—Gainando will understand.'
"Here, drink this. Something warm will help you recover."
"Chocolate..."
"Chocolate?"
Lee Han blinked when the senior muttered.
This is hot chocolate?
"...I want cream wafer cookies..."
"......"
For a moment, Lee Han wondered if Gainando had shapeshifted. But there was no trace of magic.
Truly astonishing.
"The ones you made last time..."
"No... that was ages ago... And they're surprisingly tedious to make."
Come to think of it, he'd once handmade cookies when the senior refused to eat and spouted non... no, stubbornly insisted.
Back then, they barely touched them, picking at them—and now this?
Yukveltire said nothing, staring blankly with a pale face.
A silent protest, as if only those cookies could restore the strength to rise.
Lee Han suppressed the urge to hit someone and dashed back to the kitchen.
'Damn it. I should've just given Gainando the hot chocolate.'
"Huh? Lee Han, what are you doing?"
Gainando, who had just stepped into the kitchen, looked at Lee Han curiously.
Lee Han answered curtly.
"Making snacks."
"Hmph. So it's for His Highness Jowurin again."
Gainando displayed unexpected sharpness.
There was no way Lee Han would go out of his way to make snacks for him when he hadn't done anything to deserve it.
"Getting treated to snacks just because he's a Dragon? Isn't that too unfair? This isn't some fairy tale. And in fairy tales, those kinds of Dragons all end up... huh? Lee Han. Where did the hot chocolate that was here go?"
"Your sister drank it."
"...Adenart?!?!"
"No. The one above her."
After delivering his answer, Lee Han turned away. Gainando stood there, bewildered and shocked.
-Wh-what kind of person does that?! Stealing from a second-year?!
Ignoring the shouts behind him, Lee Han hurried back and tossed the snacks into the senior's mouth.
"Eat up and get up already. These were originally meant for whoever finished their assignment first."
"Ugh..."
"By the way, do the improvements make sense now?"
"......"
As Yukveltire reread the proposed improvements, the focus in her eyes wavered.
Lee Han gave up and said,
"Actually, the young Headmaster is in my basement. He's the one advising me, so stop being shocked and get up already."
Thud!
Yukveltire collapsed sideways again. Lee Han gloomily stared out the window.
For some reason, he missed Senior Diret.
* * *
-Welcome, mage.
"......"
Yukveltire's pupils displayed the most violent movement they had all day. Lee Han whispered beside her.
"Calm down. I did warn you."
"I am perfectly calm. You're the one who needs to calm down."
"She's on the right, not the left."
Lee Han wore a bemused expression as Yukveltire answered while staring at the left.
Was she too shocked?
The young prince in the painting spread his arms with a smile.
-The proposed magic is indeed excellent. But I'm curious... is it absolutely necessary to fuse these two spells right now?
The young prince had perfectly discerned what kind of magic Yukveltire was attempting.
The fusion of these two spells was just one step in a much larger goal—not the goal itself.
Of course, completing it would significantly shorten the process, but was it worth pushing herself this hard?
-Even without fusing these two spells, there should be plenty of alternative methods if you're willing to take more time.
"Is that so?"
Lee Han looked at his senior in surprise.
He had assumed there was a strict necessity to combine the two spells to increase efficiency and secure additional dimensions—he hadn't considered that other methods might exist.
'Wait, did she deliberately choose a harder method just because I offered to help?'
"There is a reason."
-And what would that be?
Yukveltire began her explanation quietly.
In her academic faction, there was Professor Ber Mo, and their argument had been the catalyst for this whole ordeal.
-You're not skilled enough for this! Try an easier method!
-It's not that difficult...
-Ugh! You're pushing yourself too hard because you're bad at magic! If you actually pull this off, I'll crawl on all fours like Bendozol for the entire next semester!
-......
Of course, Yukveltire had no particular desire to make her faction's professor crawl on all fours.
It was an emotionally draining and utterly pointless endeavor.
"But upon reflection, I decided the efficiency gain was worth the investment..."
-Anyone can see you just want to make him crawl!
The young prince pointed out incredulously.
To think she'd drag her junior into such a difficult spell just for such a petty reason.
-Mage. I understand your vision is clouded by anger right now, but try to be magnanimous. Isn't a mage's time too precious to waste on such trivial arguments? Right, my disciple?
"Actually, I really wanted to try this spell too."
-?!