Episode 1246
Episode 1246
'Huh?'
Nilia felt something was off.
Her friends' reactions were somehow awkward.
It was as if they didn't know where to begin explaining, showing an awkward hesitation...
'Am I too shabby?'
Nilia quickly glanced down at herself.
After wandering around the northern mountain ranges, it was only natural for someone to start looking a bit like a beggar.
"Um, Nilia. Professor Bagrak has returned."
"?!"
Nilia's eyes widened into circles.
What?!
"He's back?! Did... did the Moonless Night Knights find him? Or was it the Voig Knights who... no, that's not important right now. Hmm. That's good."
Mid-sentence, Nilia managed to regain her composure and succeeded in maintaining at least a bare minimum of conscience.
If a friend's teacher had returned, she should be purely happy for them—she couldn't just ask whether some knight order had found him.
"The professor made the right decision. Evil God Worshippers should be subjugated by pooling everyone's strength together—he shouldn't have acted alone."
Having learned much from this mountain expedition, Nilia spoke sincerely.
Though they hadn't caught the Evil God Worshippers they'd hoped for, she had still gained valuable lessons.
By working together, they could defeat even stronger enemies!
"......"
"Well... um..."
"???"
When her friends still seemed awkward, Nilia grew confused.
"Nilia. Professor Bagrak has returned. And, well... the subjugation is already over."
"What?! Did the knight orders participate?!"
'Why does she keep asking about knight orders?'
Though puzzled by her friend's strange questions, the students answered first.
"Not sure about knight orders, but Wardanaz participated too."
"Wardanaz did?! ...Well, since he was hunting Evil God Worshippers..."
"Apparently, it wasn't Evil God Worshipper subjugation but an Evil God Subjugation."
"......"
Nilia dropped the leather she was holding with a thud.
It was such an unbelievable story that her long ears nearly shot up in shock.
What in the world???
"What... what kind of nonsense is this? No matter how capable Wardanaz is, how could he participate in an Evil God Subjugation? There's no way the professors would allow that!"
"They say Wardanaz secretly followed along."
"Ah."
Nilia had no choice but to accept it.
It was just too much like something her friend would do.
"...Could you explain in detail?"
Her friends complied with Nilia's request and explained everything thoroughly.
A subjugation force had been organized to hunt the Evil God directly, and Wardanaz had accompanied them...
Dumbfounded, Nilia muttered as she listened,
"I just can't believe it."
"Nilia. We felt the same way. But we believed through the power of friendship."
"Right. We didn't harbor even a shred of doubt."
The Black Turtle Tower students shamelessly replied.
Anyone watching would think they were completely different from the people who had initially reacted with, 'What kind of trouble did they cause to come up with such an unbelievable lie?'
But unfortunately, Nilia, who hadn't been present at the time, fell for it completely.
'Ugh. I'm trash.'
She couldn't introduce any knight orders or royalty, the hunters she went with only caught other Evil God Worshippers, and on top of that, she couldn't even trust her own friend.
"...You're right. I should've believed right away. I'm really pathetic!"
"Ugh."
"Urgh."
At Nilia's words, the Black Turtle Tower students let out pained groans.
For some reason, they felt guilty.
"What was that just now?"
"Nothing. I don't know what you're talking about."
"Really? I thought I heard everyone groaning... So where's Wardanaz now? Is he in the infirmary?"
"No. He's in the Professor's Punishment Room."
"Why!??!"
The Punishment Room was the last place anyone who had participated in an Evil God Subjugation should be.
Why on earth would he be there?
"Well, he did sneak in..."
"......"
That makes sense!
Once again, Nilia had no choice but to accept it.
"Professor! I have a request!"
"...What is it? If you're asking me to help you escape, I won't listen."
Professor Thunderstep, who had come to the Punishment Room at his student's request, looked at Lee Han with suspicious eyes.
Ever since he'd been misunderstood as trying to exploit students in the Punishment Room, Professor Garcia had been giving him doubtful looks every time.
In this situation, one more mistake might genuinely put his life in danger.
Creak—
"?"
Professor Thunderstep turned his head.
From the adjacent cell, a familiar vampire professor was walking out through the open door.
With his face turning pale, Professor Thunderstep shouted:
"Y-you wicked junior! Did you call me here to set a trap?!"
"Huh?"
Lee Han had no idea what he was talking about.
Ignoring the other's words, Professor Voladi trudged along and set up a magic circle beside the corridor.
It was preparation for when Eandurde would come to attend his lecture.
"...Never mind."
Realizing the situation, Professor Thunderstep let out an awkward cough mixed with embarrassment.
He'd been certain this violent junior was about to launch a joint attack.
"That doesn't seem like 'never mind' to me, Professor. Surely you didn't think I'd attack you alongside Professor Bagrak—"
"Why did you call me?!"
Professor Thunderstep swiftly changed the subject. Lee Han gave him a dubious look before speaking.
"I want to take the Final Exam early."
"......"
At his insane genius student's words, Professor Thunderstep looked at him as if genuinely disgusted.
Was he going to start pestering to graduate early next year?
Noticing the professor's expression, Lee Han hastened to explain.
"There's a reason, Professor. It's not that I'm being arrogant—"
"I'm not curious. I'm really not curious, so please don't say it."
Professor Thunderstep pretended to cover his ears.
Whatever the reason was, hearing it would only make him more uneasy.
"If you want, I'll let you take it early. ...Wait, did you somehow find out what's on the Final Exam?"
"Huh? How would I do that?"
"There are plenty of ways. The Headmaster's clone could've told you, or upperclassmen might've—"
This student was far too resourceful and cunning to be trusted.
Even stuck in the Punishment Room, he could easily find a way to check the exam contents in advance.
Lee Han protested incredulously.
"After setting up such traps last time, you're saying that?"
Though Einrogard was a harsh place where everyone fended for themselves, it wasn't unheard of for seniors to help juniors.
Sometimes it was for money, bartering, or simply because they were from the same club.
Even Lee Han, being part of multiple clubs, had tried to get a preview of Professor Thunderstep's exam at the start of the year with help from his club seniors...
...But Professor Thunderstep had laid out vicious traps. It was clear he was determined to make sure students couldn't prepare in advance.
"That's rich coming from the one who broke through those traps!"
Professor Thunderstep scoffed.
He could understand students complaining about the traps being cruel.
But it was absolutely not something the guy who brute-forced his way through them with sheer magic resistance should be saying!
'Where does he get the nerve to say that?!'
Swish—
"!!"
When Professor Voladi suddenly approached, Professor Thunderstep flinched and braced for an assassination attempt.
Having finished his lecture preparations, Professor Voladi silently retreated back into his cell. Professor Thunderstep let out a sigh of relief.
'Walk louder, damn it...!'
This is why Combat Magic professors!
"That was when I was still outside. Right now, I can't even leave. What kind of senior would go through all that trouble just to spoon-feed me the answers?"
"Hmm..."
Professor Thunderstep was at a loss for words.
"Indeed, among the senior students currently taking Alchemy, there isn't a single one with enough free time to neglect their own work and dig up exam contents for <Advanced Alchemy for Fools>."
At least there was a genius like Ilendil, but...
'That guy wouldn't even listen to my requests—no way he'd help out a junior.'
"Fine. I'll take your word for it. And since the final exam content has been changed, even if you've figured it out, just give up."
"What? Why would you change it again?"
Lee Han stared at Professor Thunderstep in disbelief.
If the topic had been changed to something completely unrelated to the lecture material, he'd feel a bit sorry for his friends.
To think they'd have to take an even harder exam because of him!
"Hah! I knew it! You were already trying to figure it out, weren't you?!"
"...Professor, has something been bothering you lately?"
Lee Han grew concerned as Professor Thunderstep seemed to be developing a slight paranoia.
But the stubborn dwarf professor only snorted in response.
"I won't be fooled this time. I'll repay the humiliation from the midterms."
"That was the Headmaster's doppelganger, not me!"
"A master's grudge is naturally inherited by their disciple!"
'Can't he just take it out on the person responsible?'
Lee Han wanted to tell him to go vent at the Skeleton Principal but held back.
Even if he were in Professor Thunderstep's shoes, he probably wouldn't have been able to do it either.
"Understood, Professor. I hope you resolve your grudge... Oh, here, take this."
"What is it? I hope it's pancakes."
Due to his disciple being stuck in the Punishment Room, the quality of provisions in the garden hut had severely declined.
The first-years were working hard, but there was still a natural gap in talent.
"It's Fire-repelling Herb. The Alchemy Hall's supply has run out, hasn't it?"
"......"
Professor Thunderstep was momentarily speechless.
This reagent, more commonly used by Black Mages than alchemists, had been the reason he'd recently gotten into trouble with Professor Garcia.
He'd tried to coax Wardanaz into helping when his workshop ran out of materials—only to get caught.
And now, the very person involved was handing it over so casually.
Inside the Punishment Room, no less!
Professor Thunderstep didn't ask how he'd obtained it. That would've been too uncool a question.
"...Thanks. I'll put it to good use. Your juniors will be happy."
"Then how about giving all of them generous extra credit? Like full marks or so..."
"Are you insane? What kind of nonsense is that?!"
Professor Thunderstep was horrified. For a moment, he thought Wardanaz was joking.
No matter how liberal Einrogard's academic culture was, if he started handing out full marks arbitrarily, he might have to answer not just to the Skeleton Principal but even to the Emperor himself.
"That's a bit disappointing. I went through the trouble of gathering herbs for you even while stuck in the Punishment Room."
"...Just ask me to help you escape instead! Don't make insane requests!"
Professor Thunderstep huffed for a moment but, feeling guilty, spoke up again.
"Fine. Instead, I'll give you a hint about the final exam—one day early."
"Tch. You're just setting another trap."
Ignoring his disciple's sarcasm, Professor Thunderstep continued seriously.
After all, revealing this wouldn't change the difficulty much.
Because it was a recently announced alchemical breakthrough!
"Tomorrow, I'll have you derive the formula for recreating <Purification of Kinis> through alchemy. Spend the day thinking it over carefully."
"???"
Lee Han froze.
The name of the reagent sounded familiar.
'Huh?'
Wasn't this the exact topic Yoner's older sister had come to research together...?
"Professor, wait a second. Actually, this is—"
"Heh. Wardanaz. You've already caught on, haven't you? To the difficulty of this exam. Let's see how far you can complete the formula."
"No, that's not it—I've already heard the complete—"
"Enough! Your tricks won't work on me!"
Professor Thunderstep covered his ears, humming a tune as he walked away.
Lee Han could only watch his retreating back with pity.