Episode 1182
Episode 1182
Regardless, Lee Han didn't pay much attention to it. He genuinely felt no interest in black mages.
Instead, he hesitated, debating whether to take out the magic textbooks related to the current lecture.
Titles like <Forbidden Arts of Black Magic>, <Fundamentals of Spirit-Using Doppelgangers>, and <Lectures on Elemental Magic> briefly flashed through his mind.
"Um, I'm not sure if I should make this request. These seem like such trivial spells."
-Not at all, my disciple.
If it had been the Skeleton Principal, he would have said 'Then get lost,' and the Crazy Doppelganger would have scolded him harshly with 'How dare you waste your master's time,' but the Young Prince waited patiently.
He trusted his disciple and waited for him to speak up on his own.
-Your expression betrays your agitation, disciple. Did something happen?
"It's a long story, but..."
-I have time, so speak your mind. Even trivial wisdom might prove useful to you, disciple.
While waiting, the Young Prince personally roasted tea leaves within the painting. After checking the tea's aroma, he nodded in satisfaction.
Lee Han hesitated briefly before pouring out what had happened.
"Well, you see... I clashed with the most vicious scoundrels in the Empire, and as luck would have it, one of them had an old grudge with the professor..."
-Perhaps Disciple Voladi has disappeared?
"?!"
Lee Han was startled by the prince's calm delivery of the correct answer before he'd even finished speaking.
Had he been listening to everything happening outside from within the painting?
"How did you know?!"
-When you're this agitated, disciple, it's only natural to deduce as much. A mage must learn to conceal their emotions.
The Young Prince wasn't particularly surprised even upon hearing that Professor Voladi had disappeared.
For a prince who had traveled across the continent engaging in bloody battles, such news was only worth listening to while sipping tea.
When a disciple is attacked, the master steps forward.
Such was the original meaning of master-disciple loyalty.
Especially if it involved an old enemy of the master...
-Had your skills been more outstanding, you might have accompanied him, but since there are still areas needing refinement, you didn't join him, did you?
"But shouldn't he at least have said something before leaving?"
-Well...
The prince shrugged lightly.
-Masters don't typically explain everything to their disciples. It's the disciple's role to deduce their master's intentions.
"Well, it is a disciple's duty to complete tasks without needing explicit instructions from their professors..."
-...While your understanding seems slightly off, I believe the core message got through, disciple.
The Young Prince was kind and benevolent, but he held unshakable convictions in certain areas.
One of them was regarding master-disciple relationships.
Lee Han didn't stubbornly argue about that point. What would be the point of provoking the Young Prince and making him as angry as the Crazy Doppelganger?
"I was told it's because my magic skills are lacking."
-Whoever said that was extremely rude.
"......"
Though it had actually been the Skeleton Principal who said it, Lee Han quietly kept his mouth shut.
-While it's true your magic skills are insufficient for accompanying him, to focus solely on that without considering the special nature of the master-disciple relationship? How malicious.
"...Ugh. I apologize for my inadequacy."
Lee Han reflected.
Ultimately, wasn't it true that his magic skills were lacking?
The Young Prince comforted Lee Han as if to say it was alright.
-Everyone has moments of inadequacy, disciple. That's why we strive for wisdom. You have excellent masters, disciple. And among them, the finest one is right before your eyes.
"...Ah, I see."
Lee Han nearly found himself enchanted by the prince's words.
-Currently, there are three approaches you can take, my disciple. The superior strategy is to trust in your master's abilities and wait quietly.
"I've already prepared everything for tracking, though."
-I expected as much. In that case, the middle strategy would be mobilizing all possible means to pursue them directly.
"Then what's the inferior strategy?"
-The inferior strategy would be secretly plotting alone without informing anyone—but you wouldn't do that, would you?
"My apologies..."
The Young Prince waved his hand dismissively with a smile, as if it didn't bother him. Strangely, that only intensified the pressure.
'Why can't he just get angry instead?'
At least the Crazy Doppelganger had physically attacked him—there was no lingering resentment afterward.
Lee Han suddenly missed his former master.
-So, what spells have you brought? Must you master all of them before you can begin tracking?
"That's correct."
-Very well, disciple. I shall assist you to the best of my ability. Let us swiftly conclude these childish trifles here.
"Pardon?"
-It was a jest. Merely a jest.
"......"
-You truly have some nerve.
From within the cage placed on Lee Han's desk, the Hamster let out a series of indignant squeaks.
Lee Han froze momentarily at those words.
'What is he talking about?'
Given the sheer number of incidents he'd been involved in lately, he couldn't even begin to guess what the Hamster was referring to.
-...I mean recklessly going to meet that Thought-form without a shred of fear.
"Oh. That."
Lee Han sighed in relief.
Frankly, the things he'd been involved in recently weren't at a level where he could confidently say, "This much is fine," if others criticized him.
"The Headmaster is strict with evil magic criminals like you, but he's quite kind to me."
-What deranged nonsense are you spouting now?
The Hamster squeaked in disbelief.
Not that the Hamster considered himself a righteous person—far from it.
But at the very least, he was certain he was far more sane and reasonable than Gonadaltes's Thought-form.
How could any mage who drew the line between good and evil and fought until they shattered possibly be mentally sound?
If anything, a greedy, selfish bastard like himself was far more stable.
In response to the Hamster's argument, Lee Han simply poured cold water over him.
-Ack!
"Fancy way of admitting you're just self-interested."
-Admitting? I'm not admitting anything! What would I gain from admitting it? I'm saying that Thought-form is terrifying. Think carefully—have you truly never felt fear from him?
"......"
Lee Han unconsciously fell into thought.
If he claimed he had never felt a chill from the Young Prince, that would be a lie.
At first, he had thought the prince was simply a superior version of the Skeleton Principal—flawless in every way...
...but there were moments when a coldness crept in.
For instance, when dealing with the spirit Saratan.
When casting Bakwantalana's Dimensional Rod, the prince hadn't hesitated for even a moment before deciding to sacrifice Saratan.
Of course, Saratan wasn't exactly a benevolent spirit.
Their first meeting had been threatening, and considering his violent past, Lee Han could logically understand why the Young Prince suppressed him.
But that didn't stop the slight chill he felt.
'Ah. I've been influenced by the schemes of an evil magic criminal.'
Lee Han poured ink over the Hamster, who squeaked furiously in response.
"Where do you get off pulling such tricks?"
-You damnable brat! If you don't want to believe me, fine! But what the hell is this?!
The Hamster's fur was now dyed black, his whiskers trembling with rage.
-Do as you please with that Thought-form. It's not like you'd listen even if I tried to stop you!
"That's not it—it's just unpleasant. Besides, the Headmaster is helping me like this. What have you done for me?"
Lee Han shook the densely scribbled magic book.
Though it was utterly absurd for the hamster to criticize him with "What have you ever done for me?" after transforming him and locking him in a cage, the hamster didn't point that out.
From past experience dealing with this mage, he had learned the hard way that arguing would be utterly pointless.
Instead, he asked the first thing that came to mind.
-What's that?
"Advice written for the upcoming midterms. I'm trying to finish early, but preparing everything alone is a bit too difficult."
-......
He had assumed Lee Han was recklessly going to meet the thought-form out of sheer audacity, but to think the reason was something so trivial...
The hamster was so stunned he couldn't even squeak.
"Would you like to take a look?"
-...Fine.
Honestly, he was a bit bored anyway. The hamster nodded.
The title <Advanced Alchemy for Fools> suggested it was an alchemy lecture.
'This mage is one twisted bastard.'
Just the lecture title alone spoke volumes about the mage's temperament. Anyone who would name a lecture like that clearly had a warped mind—just like the hamster himself.
...The following Wisdom Incense is a type of Divination Magic school (strictly speaking, it's more accurate to say it applies alchemical principles rather than belonging purely to Divination Magic).
It enhances a mage's five senses—
(Note: Taste is practically irrelevant.)
—and improves the accuracy of divination...
The method for crafting this Wisdom Incense is as follows: Riding Incense, Cinnabar (even a trace amount is recommended, preferably gold), Sleep Mugwort, bones of a magical beast aged 30 years or older—
(Note: To casually mention obtaining 30-year-old magical beast bones like it's nothing—ridiculous. Typical alchemists. Dark Element can be infused into bone fragments as a substitute.)
-......
The hamster's eyes widened in shock.
True to the ruthless nature of an ancient Great Mage, the notes were mercilessly torn apart.
If the hamster had been the alchemist who wrote this formula, he would've collapsed from sheer rage and humiliation.
'Isn't this too harsh? Alchemical formulas are bound to vary based on personal preference.'
While there was no single "correct" answer in magic, this was especially true for alchemy.
Would you bear the cost for a stronger, purer effect, or not?
Would you suggest a difficult method that could be substituted with a mage's effort, or not?
Most mages would respect differing opinions and leave some room for interpretation, but this Great Mage had torn into the formula like a teacher ruthlessly grading a student's work.
"Quite generous of him, isn't it?"
-For you, maybe. ...You're not planning to show this to the other mage, are you?
"Why would I? I only need to show the finished product."
-Is that so? Good.
The hamster suddenly paused.
Why was he even relieved by that?
What did it matter to him if that Einrogard mage was humiliated or not?!
'...I need to return to normal as soon as possible...!'