Episode 1071
Episode 1071
Lee Han pushed Professor Verdus forward with great displeasure.
'Who are you trying to use as a shield?!'
At that moment, Professor Voladi, Alsicle, Yukveltire, and the Death Knights arrived belatedly.
"What... So many escorts?! ...Well, I suppose it makes sense."
Avalkaigen, who had been startled, immediately understood.
Well, it was only natural when escorting Professor Verdus. If anything, the current number of people even felt insufficient.
"Still, the people of Einrogard truly cherish Professor Verdus. They're remarkable."
"I am not an Einrogard mage."
Alsicle clarified his identity with extreme displeasure.
Not only had they mistaken him for an Einrogard mage, but they also thought he cherished Professor Verdus?!
"And I didn't follow to act as an escort—I came to see if he was crawling properly on all fours... No, I came because of the magic."
Only at the last moment did Alsicle regain his senses.
There was no way a mage from the Pengerin Family could admit he had followed just to watch someone crawl on all fours.
"I am an Einrogard mage, but I do not cherish the professor."
"Wait. Isn't that Her Highness the Princess?"
Avalkaigen recognized Yukveltire's face.
As a mage of the Enchantment Magic school, it was impossible for him not to know Yukveltire. Wasn't she the rising star of the Enchantment Magic school, highly anticipated as an Einrogard graduate?
And she had even been Professor Verdus's direct disciple!
"I don't cherish him either."
Professor Voladi also stepped forward to clarify.
Suddenly finding themselves as the last ones who supposedly cherished Professor Verdus, the Death Knights hastily explained.
-We're only following orders!
"...I was mistaken. I didn't realize everyone would dislike him this much."
Avalkaigen reflected on his words.
He hadn't expected the people from Einrogard to react with such disgust.
"More importantly, if he's been assisting since his first year... Is he a fourth-year? Why haven't I heard of him before?"
Shifting his gaze back to Lee Han, Avalkaigen grew puzzled.
If he had accompanied them to assist with magic, he should be at least a fourth-year. And if he had been helping Professor Verdus since his first year, his talent must be undeniable...
Had there really been such a student in Einrogard's Enchantment Magic school?
"He's a bit younger."
"Younger? Ah, you mean in terms of grade? A third-year?!"
"A bit more..."
"......"
Avalkaigen swept his gaze over the Einrogard members with a look of shock and horror.
Some, like Professor Voladi and Yukveltire, maintained indifferent expressions, but others—Alsicle and the Death Knights—averted their eyes out of conscience.
"What in the world are you people doing?!"
"Calm down, Avalkaigen."
When Professor Verdus, still lying on all fours, tried to mediate as if it were none of his concern, Avalkaigen exploded.
"This is all your fault to begin with!"
"Calm yourself. What's the point of getting angry at Professor Verdus?"
As Puyo intervened, Avalkaigen forced his furious breathing to settle.
"And that boy from the Wardanaz Family possesses exceptional skill regardless of his grade. He even assisted me with my work last year."
-That's correct. No one forced him—the Wardanaz student learned on his own.
'Is that so?' Lee Han inwardly wondered.
Honestly, it felt like the Einrogard professors had definitely pushed him into some things...
"You entrusted work to him too?!"
Avalkaigen seemed shocked for an entirely different reason now.
Who would have thought that Puyo, whom he had respected, would do the same things as Professor Verdus?
"Ah, no. I'm different from Professor Verdus. I only assigned tasks appropriate to his level..."
"How long are you going to keep talking? Let's just start the magic."
Professor Verdus, still on all fours, spoke as if annoyed.
As Avalkaigen's attention shifted elsewhere, Puyo sighed in relief. His hard-earned reputation had almost been tainted by association with Professor Verdus.
"Fine... Wait. Did you say the Wardanaz Family?!"
Avalkaigen, realizing belatedly, was shocked once more.
Seeing this, Puyo tried to reassure him that lineage wasn't what mattered.
"Weren't you a fifth-year student?!"
"...Well, I wouldn't know what rumors you've heard."
Professor Verdus grew irritated again at their conversation.
"Let's just start the magic already!"
"Understood!"
Avalkaigen shouted back at Professor Verdus before preparing his magic.
From what he could see, this disciple of the Wardanaz family clearly had the qualifications to be present here.
As for Princess Yukveltire, she had long since proven her exceptional talent—there was no need to even mention it...
"But who's that one?"
"!"
At Professor Verdus's gesture toward his disciple, Avalkaigen stiffened.
In all the commotion over unexpected guests, he had neglected to properly introduce his own disciple.
"...This is my disciple, Abalkarn. Greet them properly."
"H-hello."
The orc mage, who had been standing awkwardly in the corner, too overwhelmed to interject in the storm of conversation, finally spoke up shyly.
His towering physique made it easy for first-time observers to mistake him for a warrior, but this orc was a mage of such exceptional talent that his master cherished him deeply.
Avalkaigen had raised him from infancy after finding him abandoned and swaddled in cloth, so his affection for his disciple ran particularly deep.
"Right. Got it."
Professor Verdus nodded indifferently before turning his gaze away, making it clear he had no real interest.
Truthfully, given Professor Verdus's personality, this reaction was only natural.
Unless someone made a mistake during the actual magic casting, to him, the teapot on the table and this orc mage were no different—just objects in the room.
But that indifference struck a nerve with Avalkaigen's pride.
After all, once you dislike someone, everything they do grates on you.
"He will assist with this magic."
"Fine."
"Aren't you even going to ask what kind of mage he is?"
"Why should I?"
Professor Verdus asked with genuine incomprehension.
Expecting him to inquire about someone else's disciple when he didn't even question his own was simply asking too much.
"......"
"Now, now. Everyone, calm down."
Puyo hastily stepped in, worried that Avalkaigen might impulsively start spreading Professor Ber Mo's personal information to the Empire's bounty hunters and assassins.
"Since we're here, why don't we briefly introduce our disciples before we begin?"
"Why?"
Professor Verdus openly displayed his displeasure.
He just wanted to exchange magic quickly and be on his way—what was the point of introducing disciples he had no interest in?
Puyo shot a pleading look toward the professors' disciples for help.
After some hesitation, Lee Han turned his gaze to Professor Voladi, silently asking for assistance.
"Come with me for a moment."
"Why?"
Ignoring the question, Professor Voladi dragged Professor Verdus upstairs by the arm.
Lee Han could sense the ripple of mana spreading from the second floor—a soundproofing barrier.
A short while later.
"Fine, introduce your disciples..."
Professor Verdus returned, looking noticeably more subdued. Puyo stared at Lee Han in shock.
He had meant for the disciple to persuade him, not—!
'My apologies. I had no confidence in that.'
Lee Han remained unrepentant.
Persuading Professor Verdus with words alone had been impossible.
"Abalkarn. Show them what you've been working on recently."
"H-here it is."
The orc mage bashfully pulled out a strangely shaped mirror.
Its frame was adorned with ancient-style golden embellishments, while the mirror's surface was made of bronze, radiating new magical patterns from within whenever light touched it.
Yukveltire shuddered at the sight of an artifact clearly surpassing anything she had ever crafted.
"H-h-h-how in the...!"
"Senior. That's an ancient artifact, isn't it? He didn't make it—he must have repaired it..."
"Ah."
Yukveltire immediately snapped back to her senses.
Alsicle, who had been listening nearby, asked in confusion.
"Anyone can see it's an ancient artifact... Did you really think he made that himself?"
"......"
After spending so much time around monstrously talented mages lately, her sense of common sense had started to blur.
Yukveltire's fingertips trembled faintly from the sting of humiliation.
"It was repaired by Abalkarn."
"Impressive. Restoring an ancient artifact like this is no easy feat."
Puyo was genuinely admiring. He could see why Avalkaigen treasured his disciple so much.
The current magical system of the Empire was quite different from ancient magical systems. Over time, it had been built up and transformed into its current form.
This made it even more difficult for imperial mages to restore ancient artifacts. Often, they couldn't even guess what some of the broken spells were supposed to be.
Thus, mages specializing in ancient artifacts needed: outstanding magical abilities to substitute imperial magic when necessary, extensive historical knowledge to locate and restore required spells from ancient texts, and the connections and tact to seek out archmages who knew the magic of that era and beg for their help.
"Is this Abalkain's Bronze Mirror? I knew you'd acquired it, but to complete it this quickly..."
"Thank you for the praise."
"Engraving Abalkain's diffraction magic at this level isn't something just anyone can do. You have every right to be proud. Professor Verdus, where are your students?"
After Avalkaigen finished introducing his disciple, Puyo called for Professor Verdus.
From beneath the table, Verdus's voice could be heard.
"Go on. Introduce them."
"...Ah, no. You should be the one introducing them... Why are you making the students introduce themselves? Do you not even know what your own students have been working on lately?"
"Huh? Yeah."
"......"
The old building fell silent with contempt. Avalkaigen felt his wariness toward Verdus's disciples fade away, replaced by pity.
He'd been worried they might surpass his own disciple, but after hearing that, such concerns seemed laughable now.
"...Show me what you've been working on recently."
As the half-tree spirit mage spoke wearily, Lee Han glanced at his staff. 'Isn't this too half-hearted?' Of course, creating this staff was impressive enough, but considering he'd received so much help from the spirits from the very start, he wasn't sure if he should present it.
"Senior, don't you have anything better?"
"?"
Yukveltire, who had been about to take out an adamantite plate, gave her junior a puzzled look at his question.
If asked about recent work, obviously she should mention her achievement of fusing dimensional rods with refraction magic and engraving them. What else was there to talk about?
"Ah. You were going to talk about this? I thought of something else since we got so much help from the professor... No, never mind. Let's go with this!"
Mid-sentence, Lee Han noticed his senior's fingers trembling again and realized his mistake.
Come to think of it, that mage Abalkarn must have also relied on his master's help while working magic—there was no need to be so strict about it.
"Never mind. I'll bring out something I did without help. Just wait a moment."
"Ah, why are you like this, seriously."
Yukveltire stubbornly checked through her list of recently crafted artifacts.
As the two seemed to be arguing, Avalkaigen asked curiously, "What are you discussing?"
"Senior is too embarrassed to show her recent work."
"A mage should never hide their creations. Professor Verdus, didn't you teach them that?"
"No, I didn't."
"...I must be insane for asking. Anyway, show me."
Lee Han snatched the adamantite plate from his senior's hand and placed it on the table.
Avalkaigen's face turned deathly pale as he witnessed the essence of magic.
"Th-this is impossible! The two of you did this!?"
"Right? You think it's impossible too, don't you?"
From beneath the table, Professor Verdus's voice sounded almost gleeful. Even in his shock, Avalkaigen couldn't help but ask in confusion.
"Wh-what is wrong with that person?"
"Ah, don't mind him. The professor once said he'd crawl on all fours if we ever completed this."
For a moment, Avalkaigen almost blurted out, "I'd crawl on all fours too if my disciple completed this," before catching himself.
His disciple was still standing right beside him.