Episode 1124
Episode 1124
'Oh no.'
Lee Han realized his mistake upon hearing the professor's reprimand.
No matter how kind the professor was, they wouldn't look favorably upon a student daydreaming during lecture. This was definitely rude behavior.
Having reflected on his actions, Lee Han refocused on the lecture.
'He must have been really shaken up.'
Elde, a third-year senior from the Blue Dragon Tower and the Markang Family, glanced at Lee Han with slight concern.
After being reprimanded by Professor Kirmin, the junior had been hanging his head low while absentmindedly scribbling with his quill.
'He doesn't need to take it so hard.'
Unlike professors from other schools, Professor Kirmin was an excellent teacher who didn't hold grudges over such matters.
As a member of the Illusion Magic school, Elde knew this fact well.
'Right. I should comfort him.'
Elde made up his mind.
After all, he did have quite a connection with Wardanaz, didn't he?
They'd been caught together during the smuggling incident at the start of last semester, shared prison meals in the Punishment Room...
...come to think of it, it was more of an embarrassing connection than a good one, but Elde still felt a senior's responsibility.
They were in the same tower, same club, and same magic school after all.
Though they didn't talk much because the other was always busy, that made Elde want to offer advice even more.
The more outstanding the student, the more vulnerable they tended to be to such shocks.
"Wardanaz. Don't take it too hard. The professor isn't actually angry. I once stole a cherished artifact of his and—"
"Huh?"
Lee Han, who had been diligently moving his quill, turned his gaze in confusion.
At this reaction, Elde paused and glanced at the junior's notes.
How to cast a soul clone?
1. Soul Perception
2. Soul Interference (current stage)
3. Soul Separation/Extraction
What's the closest existing magic? <Gonadaltes' Downfall>
...Applying Gonadaltes' Downfall to an ice clone...
Send a letter to Senior Pengelin? Could Professor Verdus's composite Enchantment Magic strengthen the clone to compensate? What about the Royal Pure Gold magic?
"......"
Elde looked away with a half-dazed expression and checked his own notebook.
☆My Idea for the Ultimate Illusion Plant☆
-Grows in cold regions, extremely large and freely controls ice elements
-Modified version of Illusion Corroder with strong hallucinogenic properties
-Cross-pollinated with hell plants...
"What's wrong, Senior?"
Snap!
Elde quickly closed his notebook. He couldn't be the one to disgrace the reputation of a Blue Dragon Tower third-year at Einrogard.
'What the hell? Is this guy preparing for graduation?'
Just from that brief glance, he could tell what incredibly advanced concepts his crazy junior was contemplating.
He seemed to have already mastered Soul Perception and Soul Interference. That alone was terrifying, but he also appeared proficient at creating ice clones.
That meant his control over ice elements and shape transformation were already at an expert level.
To already be creating clones with ice elements, which are among the trickiest to control...
And now he was considering Professor Verdus's composite Enchantment Magic and whatever this "Royal Pure Gold" magic was supposed to be.
...Honestly terrifying!
Elde finally understood why students and seniors who were acquainted with Wardanaz often became tight-lipped when asked about him.
-Wardanaz? Well... he's a nice, smart kid. His magic skills? Why do you keep asking about that! Go ask him yourself!
-Wardanaz? Pfft. He's a good kid. You got caught trying to smuggle because of him?... I'm saying this for your own good—don't even think about revenge. I'm dead serious.
"A-anyway, don't feel too down about getting scolded by the professor..."
"Senior!"
Lee Han's eyes sparkled at this unexpected warmth.
He'd never imagined Elde would say something like this.
That prison meal he'd shared in the Punishment Room had really paid off.
"Thank you. It was my mistake though."
"Haha. Right. As long as you're—"
"Oh! Could I ask you something about soul clones?"
"...Wardanaz! No matter how lenient Professor Ku is, if you keep chattering like this, it won't end well!"
Elde sternly reprimanded his junior before quickly putting some distance between them. Lee Han was left speechless, utterly dumbfounded.
What kind of...?
Professor Kirmin, who had been observing their conversation from afar, shook his head in disappointment.
'I should tell him to learn more diligently from Markang.'
What kind of disgraceful behavior was that for a senior!
Though the lecture had ended, the students of the Illusion Magic department remained in the classroom, engrossed in their work.
Professor Kirmin adjusted the position of his sparkling crystal cufflinks as he explained, "These are minor requests. Nothing particularly exciting or grand, but not bad either."
Despite Professor Vol's disparagement, the Illusion Magic department had always been one of the Empire's consistently successful fields.
The demand was diverse—installing illusion labyrinths for guild or mansion security, developing magic for theatrical performances or events, collaborating on requests from other departments...
"Requests from other departments?"
"Ah. Mostly from the Enchantment Magic or Divination Magic departments."
Surprisingly, the Enchantment Magic department, home to many skilled Artifact craftsmen, frequently collaborated with other magical disciplines.
No matter how exceptional a magic craftsman was, mastering all types of magic from various departments was nearly impossible.
Of course, lunatics like Professor Verdus needed no cooperation—they brute-forced their way through everything—but ordinary mages usually just reached out with a simple, "Could you perhaps create this spell for us?"
"More importantly, Wardanaz. You're not actually interested in these requests, are you?"
Professor Kirmin was well aware of how busy Lee Han was.
Currently, the professors of Einrogard fell into two distinct camps regarding Wardanaz.
One side believed, "He's exceptionally talented, so we should assign him more departmental work," while the other argued, "He's exceptionally talented, so we should assign him less departmental work."
The latter group typically consisted of professors who still retained some humanity, while the former... well, that was Professor Verdus.
Naturally, Professor Kirmin belonged to the latter group and had no intention of burdening Wardanaz with additional requests now.
Hadn't he already taken on enough as it was?
'I am interested, though.'
Lee Han kept that thought to himself as he spoke.
"Yes. Well, I was actually wondering if there was a way to figure out Professor Bagrak's intentions."
"I knew this day would come eventually."
Professor Kirmin nodded gravely, as if he had long anticipated this moment.
He had always known this day would come.
No matter how virtuous a student was, being taught by someone like Professor Voladi was bound to breed resentment deep down.
In fact, the more virtuous the student, the more likely it was to happen.
An ordinary student would have fled the department, but a virtuous one would stay and endure, only to accumulate grievances over time...
"Ambushing Professor Bagrak won't be easy, Wardanaz. But it's not impossible."
"...No. Not an ambush."
Though Lee Han was admittedly curious about where that was going, he steered the conversation back on track.
"It's not an ambush?"
"No."
"Not an ambush...? I was certain you were planning to ambush him..."
Professor Kirmin muttered in disbelief.
'Are they really friends?'
"Then why do you want to figure out his intentions?"
"Perhaps you're already aware, Professor, but it's because of the Sanguiros Cult."
"...I'm not?!"
Professor Kirmin was genuinely shocked.
Why was the name of the Sanguiros Cult being brought up here?!
The name of those long-defeated Evil God Worshippers suddenly appearing out of nowhere...
"Excuse me? You don't know?"
Now it was Lee Han's turn to be surprised.
Professors Garcia and Voladi both knew—even Lee Han himself was aware.
'Could Professor Ku also have had some dark history with the Sanguiros Cult?'
"...Damn it. Now I understand the Headmaster's reasoning."
Professor Kirmin's face twisted in rare anger.
"He hid the information, assuming I'd take Professor Bagrak's side."
The Skeleton Principal might seem careless, but he was surprisingly meticulous when it came to handling such matters.
Given that he hadn't even intended to inform Professor Voladi in the first place, it went without saying that he wouldn't tell Professor Kirmin, who was close friends with Voladi.
If Professor Voladi tried to cause trouble, would this person help him or try to stop him?
The Skeleton Principal had judged Professor Kirmin as the former.
"Were you planning to help him?"
"I don't know. But seeing the principal act like this makes me really want to help... Just kidding. I'd stop him."
Professor Kirmin, unable to show his anger any further in front of the students, forced his expression back to normal.
Thinking about the Skeleton Principal's shamelessly grinning skull made him want to strangle someone, but facts were facts.
Professor Kirmin wasn't so old-fashioned as to insist that revenge should be unconditionally forbidden.
But even if one sought revenge, shouldn't it be done calmly and methodically? There was absolutely no need to gamble recklessly with one's life.
Unfortunately, his friend preferred the latter approach.
"Ah. So that's why you were trying to figure it out? Were you curious how Professor Bagrak would react if he knew?"
"No. You already know that."
"......"
Professor Kirmin nearly dropped his teacup. Barely managing to stop himself, he used magic to return the cup to its original position, his voice trembling as he asked,
"Wh-what happened?"
"Huh? He promised not to act recklessly, though."
"And in reality?"
"In reality, he hasn't done anything yet."
"......"
Professor Kirmin carefully set his teacup down on the table. If he kept holding it, he was sure to drop it eventually.
'People really do change when they get disciples...!'
He found himself thinking that if he'd known this would happen, he should have paid students to become Voladi's disciples.
"Rather than that, I'm the one who got put on the list..."
"The list?!"
Crack!
The students nearby, who had been refining their Illusion Magic, all widened their eyes in shock.
The control over all the Illusion Magic they had been crafting was instantly lost, surging toward Professor Kirmin.
"Professor...!"
"...I'm really sorry, everyone. Truly sorry."
Professor Kirmin regretted not just keeping hold of his teacup as he restored the students' magic.
Then he sat back down.
"You're on the list? Why? Did you interfere too much?"
"That's... I'm not sure either..."
"Ah. Is it because of the Ghoul King? Or the Frost Giant King? The Anti-Magic Zealots? Magic Criminals? Or your contract with His Highness Jowurin?"
"......"
Lee Han frowned slightly.
When he heard that his name had been added to the Evil God Worshippers' list, instead of "That's absurd!" the reaction was "What's the reason?"
If it had just been Professor Verdus, he might have understood, but even Professor Kirmin reacted this way—it made him worry that others might think the same.
"Anyway, I think I understand what you're worried about. Even if you don't seek revenge anymore, having your disciple on the list is a different matter."
"Right?"
After a brief moment of contemplation, Professor Kirmin clapped his hands. He'd had a good idea.
"Let's put aside the list discussion for now, Wardanaz. Instead, I'll accompany Professor Bagrak and check things out myself. Whether it's okay to talk about it and whether his condition is truly stable."
"...?"
For a moment, Lee Han didn't understand and tilted his head.
"By 'accompany,' do you mean when I go out to make the request...?"
"Exactly."
"...Uh, is that really okay?"
Even with two professors already, adding one more was... well, let's just say it was fine (though it really wasn't).
Separately, wasn't there the matter of the Illusion Magic department?
Professor Kirmin nodded indifferently and pulled out a Paper Bird. Only professors who worked diligently could wield such a weapon.
"Go."
As the Paper Bird flew off at his command, Lee Han cautiously asked,
"What kind of letter did you send?"
"I asked the principal to take care of the Illusion Magic department for a while. He's been rather free lately anyway."
"......"
Once again, Lee Han was reminded that in Einrogard, the truly kind people were the ones harboring the most dangerous poisons.