Episode 1189
Episode 1189
Lee Han realized the atmosphere was taking an odd turn.
The reason he was collecting gold coins was solely for a stable livelihood and to invest in a golden opportunity that would leave his name eternally etched in the Empire's commercial world.
It was never to make his senior feel deprived.
"It seems there's been a misunderstanding. Senior Zarun, you spend as lavishly as you discard. Just seeing you prepare for magic last time, your gold consumption was quite severe."
"Junior. Saying things like that will only make your senior feel worse. If everyone made excuses while considering every little thing like that, who in this world would be without a sad story? A true miner speaks through the gold he's gathered, not through petty excuses."
"...Get lost!!"
Zarun trembled violently as he shouted. It seemed rare for him to have his pride wounded like this while talking to his juniors.
"Senior. If you forcibly kick me out here, you'll truly become a loser."
"Do you really have a death wish?!"
"Both of you, please calm down. If you don't, I'll report this location to Professor Verdus and hand over all the animals under my care to Professor Bendozol."
"......"
"......"
The two seniors, who had been heating up for a fight, froze as if cold water had been poured over them.
Then they stared at Lee Han with looks full of shock and horror.
To deliver such a terrifying and bloodthirsty threat without even a second's hesitation, so calmly at that???
'Th-that bastard. Does he have no human heart?'
'How can he threaten us so instantly?'
The threat was so lethally sharp it sent chills down their spines.
If Professor Verdus—a greedy and unscrupulous mage—learned of Zarun's mining location, he would immediately interfere.
Other professors might think, 'Well, it's a place discovered by a student, so it'd be a bit much to take it,' but Professor Verdus would reason, 'It's more beneficial overall if I mine it rather than leaving it to an inexperienced student.'
And if all the rare animals currently under Lee Han's care—nominally belonging to the Polo Club—were handed over to Professor Bendozol?
The chances of participating in the polo tournament would plummet. Given Professor Bendozol's personality, would he really send animals under his care into such a perilous event?
"O-okay. I'm calm. You calm down too. Please don't tell Professor Verdus. Especially not to someone like Senior Yukveltire under him."
"What did Senior Yukveltire do... Never mind. Hearing about it won't help anyway."
"I'm calm too, junior. Please don't call Professor Bendozol. If Professor Bendozol takes over, the unicorn, the griffin, and even the basilisk will be miserable."
—W-wait, was I included too?!
The baby basilisk was startled.
It wasn't just the unicorn and griffin he was looking after?!
As the two seniors calmed down, Lee Han nodded. He hadn't planned to call the professors in the first place.
"If the two of you don't fight, I have no intention of causing unnecessary trouble. After all, seniors, isn't gold something that's easily earned and just as easily lost for mages?"
Earned in large sums from a single request, lost in large sums from a single experiment.
Isn't that just how a mage's wealth works?
'No.'
'Only for you. You earn it easily and lose it easily.'
The two seniors thought to themselves.
There was something slightly off about their junior's words.
It was true that gold disappeared easily, but earning it wasn't so simple...
...To be precise, it was only their junior who earned it easily.
Of course it's easy when you get requests pouring in from everywhere like you do!
"Haha. You might be right."
"Yeah. Yeah, junior."
The two seniors found it extremely irritating but forced smiles and gave insincere replies.
The earlier threat still lingered in their minds.
"That sounded a bit half-hearted... but thank you for understanding. Oh, by the way, during this outing, I met a transmutation mage named Garko from the Arjo family. Do you happen to know him?"
"I know him."
"That elf bastard."
Carnella and Zarun, being from the same magic school, immediately recognized who he was talking about.
Lee Han was puzzled by their sour reactions.
While Garko was admittedly a bit fanatical and believed in strange conspiracy theories (like claiming Bakwantalana was a transmutation mage), he hadn't seemed like someone with a terrible personality.
"His personality is bad? He didn't strike me that way."
"Anyone who keeps sending annoying letters has a rotten personality."
"......"
Lee Han made a dubious face.
Two thoughts occurred to him upon hearing that someone who wasn't even an Einrogard graduate was sending letters to Zarun, who never left Einrogard.
One was that it showed just how exceptional Zarun's talents were...
...and the other was that the transmutation magic school at Einrogard really had no manners.
"Did the letters contain... profanity?"
"No. That would've at least been entertaining."
Zarun kept grumbling, completely oblivious to his junior's icy stare.
"He just keeps sending boring daily updates, stories about other transmutation mages, and pointless greetings! Do you know how irritating that is?"
"Honestly, it was pretty annoying, junior."
Carnella agreed.
Though she was relatively more active outside compared to others in the transmutation magic school, that didn't mean she enjoyed it.
She only did it for polo—left to her own devices, she'd much rather stay holed up with her pets.
Lee Han couldn't hold back.
"Even so, calling someone's personality terrible just for that? You two were the ones I asked precisely because you're the most sociable in the school!"
"......"
"...????"
Both seniors' eyes widened.
This was the most shocking and surprising thing they'd heard all day—even more than seeing their junior transform into a dragon.
"Who—what? Are you talking about some evil cult? Junior, even if I were to generously concede that about myself, this senior here would never—"
"What? You little—why are you singling me out?"
Zarun flared up.
Not that he particularly wanted to be called sociable.
But he didn't want this crazy junior thinking, 'At least I'm better than this senior.'
As far as he was concerned, there wasn't much difference between Carnella and himself.
"You live aboveground, senior. Senior Zarun lives underground. Doesn't that settle it?"
"People only listen to you because you walk around with monsters at your back! Without them, no one would give you the time of day!"
"Ha! Listen to this nonsense. If you didn't have magic skills, seniors wouldn't even come looking for you! Instead of arguing, let's just ask the junior to decide."
"Fine! Junior, which of us is more sociable—"
Only then did they realize Lee Han was gone.
The junior had realized it too.
Now that he'd learned the magic, there was no reason to stick around these two useless seniors!
"......"
"......"
The two seniors reflected—just a little.
"Oh right. This stays between us and Jowurin."
-Why would I tell? It's not like I'm turning into a basilisk.
The baby basilisk muttered gloomily.
Lee Han felt oddly guilty and said,
"Once I get used to transformation magic, I'll practice turning into a basilisk first."
-Really?
"Of course. ...And keep it from Ponlig too, for now."
It was a bit of a roundabout promise, but he had no choice. Lee Han figured if he ever managed to transform into a griffin, he'd tell Ponlig then.
Lee Han climbed the ladder from Einrogard's underground back to the surface.
In the distance, he spotted Professor Thunderstep approaching.
"Ah, Professor."
"Hey."
"Have you... recovered a bit from what happened last time?"
"Do you think I'd be fine if it were you??"
Professor Thunderstep looked like he wanted to shove his student right back down the ladder.
After being meticulously tormented by the young skeleton headmaster, how could anyone recover so quickly?
In his heart, he felt like storming into the headmaster's office and spraying it with dissolution potions.
"But Professor."
"What now, why?"
"You clearly said that an alchemist's talent lies in not being discouraged by failures or criticism and moving forward..."
"......"
When his own words to students came back at him like a boomerang, Professor Thunderstep was at a loss for words.
He vaguely remembered puffing himself up while making such remarks when criticizing students' pathetic potions...
"Then why did you crawl back up from that black pit instead of staying down there forever with those vile creatures?"
'Is he talking about my seniors?'
Lee Han brushed off the dust, puzzled. He had no idea how Professor Thunderstep had noticed Senior Zarun and Senior Carnella.
"As I mentioned, I need to preview the exams."
"Tsk tsk. Don't torment the other professors too much."
"Yes."
Lee Han answered immediately without changing his expression.
Professor Thunderstep gave him a distrustful look. He couldn't be sure if this kid had truly understood him correctly.
...Had Professor Thunderstep known what Lee Han had transformed into before coming here, he might have flown into a rage and attacked.
No shameless mage could possibly be that brazen.
"You can torment Professor Verdus though."
"......"
"What, why? So you're saying it's fine to butcher your exam by borrowing the Headmaster's wisdom, but Professor Verdus gets a pass because he's an adorable beaver beastman?"
"I've never had such thoughts... No, more importantly, Professor Verdus's exam is a bit different."
Lee Han began to explain.
If there was one misunderstanding that students of Einrogard's Enchantment Magic school hated hearing most, it was: 'You might act like that, but deep down you don't respect your teachers.'
The moment such words were uttered, even the most cold and rational Enchantment Magic students would immediately turn serious and draw their weapons.
Lee Han wasn't much different.
The days when a beaver beastman's cuteness could sway him were long gone.
"It's the <Magic Architecture and Its Materials> exam, and I've already prepared for it."
Being conscientious, Lee Han didn't pester the ancient and noble archmage for every single exam question.
There was only one reason he'd consulted the Young Prince about Professor Thunderstep's exam:
The professor made his exams so difficult that passing within the allotted time was nearly impossible.
In contrast, the upcoming Transmutation Magic and Enchantment Magic exams were different. He had already prepared enough to pass without needing to ask.
For the Transmutation Magic exam, he'd been practicing consistently, and for the Enchantment Magic exam...
"I plan to submit a commissioned work I completed externally."
"......"
Professor Thunderstep nearly staggered.
To think the reason he'd been targeted was because his exams were too difficult.
Does heaven truly only love wicked students and not virtuous professors?
"Couldn't that still be insufficient?"
"If this isn't enough, I'll seriously consider reporting Professor Verdus to His Highness Uman..."
Lee Han made a conflicted expression.
If they nitpicked over a commissioned work that all the northern knights and mages had approved, then it wouldn't be a matter of convincing Professor Verdus—they'd need to call the inspectors.
'Well, that makes sense.'
Professor Thunderstep had no choice but to concede.
This disciple was far too thorough to haphazardly complete an external commission.
If he'd done a sloppy job, he would never have submitted it for Professor Verdus's exam.
"Can I take a look?"
"Just a moment... Here you go."
"Why are there two volumes?"
"Ah. Ignore the bottom one. Some insane mages forced their way into it."
Lee Han coldly dismissed the sounds of black mages in the North weeping tears of sorrow.
Without much thought, Professor Thunderstep took them and skimmed the bottom volume, his eyes lighting up.
"With this... we can finish off Professor Verdus!"
"Pardon?"
"Ah, misspoke. I meant we can surprise Professor Verdus."
"Your eyes look a bit too murderous for just 'surprising' someone though..."