Episode 182

As the saying goes, the bird that sings the most beautifully dies the fastest—likewise, it was quite common for exceptionally talented mages to have tragically short lives.

Mages without talent wouldn't harbor excessive greed, but those with talent would inevitably grow ambitions to match their gifts.

The study of magic was like the sun.

A sun that would burn you to death if you got too close.

'Is there no one to warn him?'

Diret bit his lip.

The wicked professors of this magic school only cared about their own fields.

When an exceptionally talented freshman appeared, they'd only say, "You must learn this magic!" without a second thought for what other magics the student might be studying.

By the time the naive freshman came to their senses, it was already too late.

They'd be dragged into an inescapable hell of magic.

'Only eccentrics like Professor Garcia can endure that sort of thing...!'

Moreover, now that the midterm exams were over, wasn't it likely that Lee Han would start delving into even more fields of magic during the remaining time?

Someone had to warn him.

Right now!

"Junior!"

Diret steeled himself and shouted.

"Be careful! You're being tricked by the professors—"

"???"

Startled by the sudden shout from behind, Lee Han turned his head.

Poof!

But when he looked back, there was no one there.

"......"

"Wh-what was that just now?"

"I'm not sure, but it feels ominous."

Lee Han frowned at the faint, familiar trace of mana lingering in the empty hallway.

'This feels like the Skeleton Principal's mana...'

Could it be?

With a bubbling sound, the potion in the cauldron slowly began turning leaden in color.

Lee Han carefully turned off the flame.

Now, only the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠final step of the <Vitality Bone Regeneration Potion> remained.

'All that's left is to add freshly picked thistle flowers.'

"Why is mine blue?! Why is mine blue?!"

"I-Isn't this lead-colored? Doesn't it look lead-colored to you?"

Ignoring the friends around him who were denying reality, Lee Han exchanged a glance with Yoner.

Let's go pick thistle flowers!

"Just one more day, and the exams will finally be over."

At Lee Han's words, Yoner nodded.

Even though it had only been a week, it felt like several had passed.

And to think they had to go through this again...

"That was really tough."

"Yeah. For me too."

"......"

Yoner had to bite back the words, 'Lee Han, didn't you dig your own grave with this?'

He might have said it if it were Gainando, but this was Lee Han.

The guy was already struggling enough.

"Did you do well on all your exams?"

"More or less."

"Huh?"

Yoner was puzzled by Lee Han's answer.

Among the first-years, there were several strong students, but Lee Han stood out overwhelmingly.

Usually, if someone excelled in Class A, they'd be weak in Class B, and if they excelled in Class B, they'd struggle in Class C—everyone had such flaws...

But Lee Han seemed flawless, as if he had no such weaknesses.

And yet he said he did "more or less" well?

"Did you make a mistake in Black Magic? What was your score?"

"No. I got full marks."

"Then in Summoning Magic?"

"No."

"...Illusion Magic?"

"I got full marks in that too... Hmm. Now that I think about it, I did pretty well. Sorry, Yoner. Force of habit."

For the first time, Yoner almost lost his temper at Lee Han.

"What's going on?"

Students ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were gathered where the thistle flower field should have been, whispering among themselves.

Lee Han approached, puzzled.

And then he was horrified.

"...!"

All those thistle flowers—gone without a trace.

"Did you all pick them?"

Lee Han asked as politely as possible.

Of course, just because his tone was polite didn't mean his voice was friendly.

The murderous intent in his voice made the gathered students flinch and step back.

"No. Wardanaz! When we got here, someone had already picked them!"

"And how am I supposed to believe that?"

"Think about it, Wardanaz! You need freshly picked thistle flowers, right? What reason would we have to pick them first? We can't even use them ourselves!"

The White Tiger Tower student gripped his wooden sword, trembling as he shouted.

Due to past incidents, rumors like 'Never face Wardanaz alone—always go in groups of at least four' had already been circulating within White Tiger Tower.

Who would've thought he'd end up facing him alone like this...!

"That... does make sense."

Lee Han reluctantly lowered his staff. The White Tiger Tower student let out a sigh of relief.

'Wait.'

"Move aside."

The ground near the thistle flower patch was covered in chaotic footprints—left by the students who'd arrived earlier.

But Lee Han's attention was drawn to the footprints deeper inside the flowerbed. They looked familiar.

'These are...'

Lee Han carefully examined and measured the shape of the footprints.

A Black Turtle Tower student watching this asked in disbelief:

"Are you seriously distinguishing who entered the flowerbed first just from footprints? How?"

He couldn't comprehend how Wardanaz—who wasn't even from a hunter background—could use such techniques.

Lee Han, in turn, looked at him with genuine confusion:

"Doesn't your tower have Nilia? Why haven't you learned this?"

"...B-because we're not hunters?"

"??"

Lee Han gave him a look of utter incomprehension. The Black Turtle Tower student, who'd done nothing wrong, suddenly felt guilty under that gaze.

'Where have I seen that look before...?'

The Black Turtle Tower student realized belatedly.

It was the exact same look professors gave when regarding someone with pitying disappointment.

'Why on earth ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠would I need to learn hunter techniques...?'

"Yoner."

Lee Han approached Yoner with a grave expression and whispered:

"I think I know who the culprit is."

"Who? A White Tiger Tower student?"

"No. Professor Thunderstep."

"......"

Professor Thunderstep walked with a fine bottle of brandy in hand.

The Einrogard professors who'd arrived earlier were scattered about, relaxing with contented expressions.

With midterms nearly over, it was only natural for the professors' moods to lighten.

"You've worked hard, Professor Garcia."

Professor Thunderstep spotted Professor Garcia and poured him a glass of brandy.

The young half-troll professor—one of the youngest on staff—accepted the glass with a shy expression.

"It was nothing special."

"Nonsense. Who else works as hard as you, Professor Garcia?"

Professor Thunderstep genuinely respected the half-troll before him.

While other professors immersed themselves in their specialized magic fields—or like Os Gonadaltes, indulged in all manner of wicked whims—this man quietly did his duty and cared for the students.

Without Professor Garcia, Einrogard would have been an even deeper hell.

"You're nearly done too, Professor Thunderstep?"

"Yes. The students should submit their work by tomorrow."

"With such a long duration, it must have been exhausting."

The Skeleton Principal would likely have sneered, "Alchemy is the discipline of the lazy—just assign the problems, drink while waiting, and you're done" (Professor Thunderstep privately agreed with this to some extent).

But kind Professor Garcia always found the positive angle.

"You had to continuously monitor the students as they gathered materials and crafted their solutions."

"Indeed."

Though he hadn't actually monitored them that closely, Professor Thunderstep nodded anyway.

No need to embarrass someone by rejecting their compliment!

And there was another point that was correct.

"Just yesterday, I had to go to the flower garden and dig up all the thistle flowers."

"Huh? Why is that?"

"For the students, of course."

Professor Thunderstep, slightly excited, launched into an explanation.

Freshly picked thistle flowers—the final ingredient needed for the <Vitality Bone Regeneration Potion>.

All the students knew the location of this flower garden.

But what if all these flowers suddenly disappeared?

Given the tight deadline, they wouldn't have time to find or procure new ones.

In the end, the students would have to somehow complete the potion without the thistle flowers.

"It is possible to finish the potion without the thistle flowers, though the quality will suffer. That's where the students' ingenuity comes into play."

"......"

Professor Garcia's expression darkened.

Should he praise this or not...?

'Couldn't they just be told to try making it without the thistle flowers from the start?'

Was it really necessary to shock and confuse the students like this?

"W-well... That certainly sounds like an excellent method."

"Thank you, Professor Garcia. It's all for the students' benefit."

Professor Thunderstep took a satisfied sip of brandy.

But there was one thing Professor Thunderstep had forgotten.

A student who's raided a professor's workshop once can raid it twice.

"To the Alchemy Hall."

Though exhausted from a full day of exams, Lee Han didn't hesitate for even a second.

With the submission deadline tomorrow morning, time was tight.

There had definitely been thistle flowers on the second floor of the Alchemy Hall, in Professor Thunderstep's tower.

"If we gather the others..."

"No time, Yoner. Besides, more people means more risk."

Lee Han was well aware this was his second attempt. The stakes were higher now.

Quiet and quick.

"...But let's call Nilia."

"Good thinking."

Yoner nodded.

Saying later, "I didn't call you because it was dangerous," wouldn't mean much.

"Hmm. Let's call Ratford too."

"Sure."

"And Ashan..."

"...Shouldn't we just call everyone?"

"Yeah. That's probably better."

Lee Han gave up and decided to call all his friends.

Thirty minutes later.

Lee Han and his friends, all clad in dark coats, gathered in one spot. Yoner suddenly had a thought.

'Does no one have any qualms about stealing at this hour?'

Everyone was acting so naturally...

"Let's go."

No further explanation was needed. They'd already worked together ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠several times before.

Lee Han took the lead.

Since they'd been here before, it shouldn't be too difficult...

"!"

What caught Lee Han's eye was a group of White Tiger Tower students, wearing masks and clumsily attempting to pick the lock of the Alchemy Hall's main gate.

'What the—?'

At first, Lee Han thought they were other students from the alchemy class who had arrived first.

But upon closer inspection, they weren't alchemy students.

Surely they weren't here to stop Lee Han from securing the thistle flowers by raiding the professor's workshop in the dead of night...

'...No way.'

That would be going too far, even for them.

"Must be here for another class."

Yoner whispered from behind.

"Another class?"

"They're students taking <Basic Dance and Socializing>. Rumor has it there's a potion in Professor Thunderstep's tower that makes you dance better..."

"...!"

Lee Han was stunned.

First, he was surprised that there were more students taking <Basic Dance and Socializing> than he'd thought, and second, that they'd resort to stealing just to dance better.

"Shouldn't they solve it with their own skills instead of stealing?"

"Not really our place to say."

Before Yoner could finish, another group of students emerged from the bushes ahead with a rustling sound.

Black Turtle Tower students.

"Are they taking <Basic Dance and Socializing> too?"

"No. I saw them in... <Basic Music>..."

"......"

Lee Han shook his head in disbelief.

Who would've thought three separate groups with different goals would end up meeting in front of the workshop in the middle of the night?

"Stealing aside, is it even allowed to take potions for exams?"

"I was curious too, so I asked the professor. He said it's fine."

"......"