Episode 19
Episode 19
'I underestimated these guys too much.'
Of course, it was true that the students of the Blue Dragon Tower liked Lee Han and felt indebted to him.
But that alone wouldn't have made them this fiercely agitated.
Fundamentally, the students of the Blue Dragon Tower didn't like those from the White Tiger Tower.
Coming from knightly families with rough and fierce manners completely opposite to the Blue Dragon students.
They already secretly looked down on them, and when the other side provoked them first, they immediately exploded.
Even students from other groups who rarely talked with Lee Han were thoroughly angry and started shouting.
"Everyone grab whatever you can use as a weapon and follow me! Let's head to the White Tiger Tower!"
"Wait!"
Ashan of the Dalkard Family stepped in front of the excited students.
Ashan climbed onto the lounge table and tried to calm his classmates.
"Everyone, calm down!"
'Oh. There's actually someone sane here.'
Lee Han felt slightly relieved at Ashan's words.
At least not everyone had lost their grasp of the situation.
"What is it, Dalkard? Are you scared or something?"
"Our honor has been insulted right now!"
Of course, the students only grew angrier at Ashan's attempt to stop them.
Ashan spoke calmly.
"The White Tower bastards come from knightly families. We shouldn't act recklessly. There's a 95% chance we'd get beaten."
"So you're saying we should just back down like this?!"
"No. We should divide into groups, set up an organized ambush, and attack the White Tiger Tower students when we spot them!"
"Oh...!"
"......"
Lee Han sighed.
I was an idiot for expecting anything!
"Wait, wait!"
Lee Han shouted loudly in Ashan's place.
As the person directly involved in this matter, Lee Han's voice naturally carried more weight than Ashan's. The students unconsciously turned their attention to him.
"First, let's make one thing clear. I have no intention of asking you guys to get revenge for me! This is a matter concerning my honor. I'm not so weak that I'd need others to avenge me!"
At Lee Han's words, the students murmured among themselves.
There wasn't a single student present who didn't care about honor.
They all carried their family names along with their personal honor.
So when Lee Han stepped forward citing his own honor, no one could easily refute him.
"But Wardanaz. Those White Tiger Tower bastards are cunning, despicable, dirty and underhanded. Even if you try to get fair revenge, it probably won't work out."
"......"
Lee Han was slightly taken aback by how fluently one of the students rattled off insults without pausing for breath, but he still responded skillfully.
"Even so, for honorable family members like us to act the same way as them would be like rolling around together in the mud. Let's not stoop to their level!"
Lee Han's voice carried undeniable persuasiveness.
His dignified appearance and attitude certainly helped, as did his usual behavior.
The angry students eventually nodded and returned to their seats.
"If Wardanaz says it like that..."
"Those despicable bastards. They don't even know what honor is."
Once his friends had calmed down, Lee Han spoke again.
This was actually why he'd brought up the topic in the first place.
"Instead, if they start trouble with us, let's cooperate to deal with them. Those White Tiger Tower bastards are likely to attack cowardly in groups."
"Exactly!"
"Right! We should at least do that much!"
The students finally seemed satisfied with Lee Han's suggestion, stomping their feet, clapping and cheering.
'This worked out well.'
Lee Han could finally sigh with relief internally.
Now if White Tiger Tower students picked fights with him around school, he could call his comrades to fight back.
This much was sufficient...
"Come to think of it, our next <Understanding Basic Magic> class is with those White Tiger Tower bastards, right?"
"Perfect. We can show those ignorant, vulgar bastards what's what."
"Honestly, what do dirt-rolling brats who swing around pieces of metal think they're doing learning magic..."
"I've mastered the <Light Creation> spell."
"You too? Me too. Let's show them our magic. I'm curious about their faces. I bet none of them have fully learned it yet!"
"This is the dignified, noble way to do it!"
'...Wait a minute.'
As Lee Han listened to his classmates chattering excitedly after sitting back down, he suddenly felt his stomach drop.
...Don't tell me I'm the only one who hasn't learned the light-emitting spell yet?
The next day.
Yoner stretched and stepped into the common room, only to startle in surprise.
Dark circles had taken up residence under Lee Han's eyes.
"What's wrong!?"
At first, Yoner thought it might be due to the meals.
The dormitory food was barely enough to satisfy the perpetually hungry students.
The day after moving into the dorms, the students' faces had already become gaunt and haggard.
But upon reflection, Lee Han had been the rare exception who adapted perfectly from the very first day.
Moreover, while the Blue Dragon Tower students starved, he was the one who'd gone to Thunderstep's Cabin alone, bringing back smoked meat and freshly picked vegetables to share with his friends (though he did charge a bit). He wasn't the type to be troubled by food now.
Unless it was Gainando...
"Magic practice."
"Magic? You're not supposed to practice separa— Oh. Right, you got permission from Professor Kim last time."
"Yeah. Everyone else said they'd already succeeded with <Light Creation>, so I practiced all night."
"?"
Yoner tilted her head in confusion.
This was the first he'd heard of it.
"What do you mean...?"
"Yaaawn."
Gainando shuffled into the common room with a drawn-out yawn.
Then he pulled a sausage (one he'd bought from Lee Han yesterday) from the pocket of his shabby clothes.
Gainando handled the sausage as if it were a precious treasure.
After glancing around warily as if someone might steal it, he skewered it on a stick and held it over the crackling flames in the fireplace.
The sizzling sound began as the sausage cooked. Made from high-quality pork, its aroma taunted their empty stomachs.
"Heheheh..."
"......"
"......"
Oblivious to Lee Han and Yoner's pitying stares, Gainando pulled a potato (also bought with money) from another pocket.
He carefully placed it beneath the fireplace embers.
"Heheheh..."
"...Gainando. We won't steal it, so just eat normally."
"?!?!"
Gainando jumped in shock. He hadn't realized Lee Han and Yoner were behind him.
"Wh-when did you get here?!"
"Since you were lovingly skewering your sausage."
"N-no I wasn't!"
"Your sausage's burning. You should take it out."
"Gah!"
Hearing that, Gainando frantically pulled out the skewer. Then he shot them a wary look.
"...Gainando. Do you really think Yoner and I would steal your sausage and potato?"
"O-of course not."
Despite his words, Gainando's suspicious expression remained.
Instead of responding, Lee Han glanced at Yoner.
"He's in bad shape."
"Everyone's starving."
It wasn't that Gainando was especially crazy—everyone was just that hungry.
Thankfully, Lee Han had been bringing ingredients from Thunderstep's Cabin to share. Otherwise, the students' condition would've been far worse.
"We'll probably run out of meat by this weekend... We'll need to go hunting again."
"Will that be okay?"
"We should ask Nilia to come with us."
Yoner nodded at Lee Han's words.
Having the skilled dark elf hunter Nilia along would definitely be reassuring.
Of course, Nilia wasn't present, and if she'd heard, she'd probably have been baffled—'Why me all of a sudden!?'—but...
"That Professor Thunderstep is surprisingly stingy, you know."
Lee Han grumbled.
Professor Thunderstep was a rather petty dwarf.
While he allowed them to use the cabin freely, he was extremely strict about Lee Han taking anything from inside.
Eating or cooking something on the spot was fine, but the moment you tried to take anything away, he'd bombard you with endless nagging.
-Wait, that's the bread I baked for my dinner! No! And when did you stuff that jam into your pocket?! Why are you trying to take that?
-But... I tended the garden just like you asked. Can't I even take this?
-You just ate until you were full! Why take more?! If you keep taking everything like this every time you come, my cabin will be ruined!
"There's no opening to sneak anything out either."
"Isn't there any way to create an opening...?"
As soon as he said that, Yoner gasped, realizing what he had just uttered.
Somehow, he had already been tainted by this school.
Professor Troll, Garcia Kim, forced a bitter smile as he watched the students enter.
Being deeply invested in his students, Garcia could immediately pick up on subtle changes.
First.
Since the first week at the Magic School was coming to an end, the students were all starving and ravenous.
Though Garcia didn't fully agree with the headmaster's philosophy, there was no denying that hunger was the most effective way to motivate students.
Starving students would push their limits to overcome their circumstances.
'Hang in there, everyone.'
Second.
Tensions between the towers were already beginning to surface.
Given that students from vastly different backgrounds were gathered, it was only natural for rivalries and hostilities to emerge.
Especially between the <Arrogant Blue Dragon Tower> and the <Tower of the White Tiger that Bites Lightning>—their relationship had always been strained.
Noble heirs born and raised in prestigious great families vs. knightly heirs from the harsh, desolate frontiers of the empire.
There was no way they'd get along.
But according to the headmaster's theory, this too was one of the things that kept the students sharp.
The more they competed, the stronger they became!
"Alright. Everyone, take your seats."
Though not as shocking as their first meeting, Professor Garcia still exuded overwhelming presence.
It was only natural, given his mixed troll blood.
Both the Blue Dragon and White Tower students sat down obediently.
"Last time, we learned the <Light Creation> spell. None of you succeeded, but there's no need to be discouraged. Magic isn't something you can rush. At first, you'll struggle, but once you grasp the trick and get the hang of it, your skills will improve rapidly. Now, by any chance, has anyone managed to succeed with <Light Creation> since then?"
Lee Han stifled a yawn and raised his hand.
'He practiced all night.'
When all the other Blue Dragon Tower students claimed they had mastered <Light Creation>, Lee Han grew intensely restless.
True to his Korean roots, he couldn't stand falling behind in competition.
So, instead of sleeping, he had spent the entire night practicing <Light Creation>.
Anyone else would've collapsed from exhaustion, but Lee Han remained perfectly fine despite the strain—just a little sleepy.
"...?"
Something felt off.
Not a single student around him had raised their hand.
'What the—?!'
"Oooh..."
"As expected of Wardanaz."
"Amazing."
The Blue Dragon Tower students clapped softly, their expressions a mix of admiration and pride.
See that, White Tiger Tower brats?
This is what Wardanaz is made of!
...That was the vibe Lee Han got.
"Hey."
Unable to make sense of it, Lee Han turned to the student beside him—the one who had definitely claimed to have mastered the light spell.
"You said you mastered the light spell, right?"
"Ah. You heard that? Well... I almost succeeded, but not completely. But at that point, it's practically the same as success, so I just said I mastered it."
"......"
He'd been tricked!
'These show-off noble bastards...!'