Episode 194
Episode 194
While the two mischievous students who had squandered the professor's precious opportunity were retracing their steps through the twisted realm, Lee Han bowed politely.
"Then, Professor. I should get going now since I have another lecture to attend tomorrow."
Cough. "Very well."
Lee Han inwardly let out a sigh of relief.
Somehow, he had survived.
'I shouldn't even set foot in this hallway until everything's resolved.'
"You've worked hard, Imirg."
"W-what do you mean I've worked hard...?"
"Something's off—you've been using honorifics since earlier, haven't you?"
Tuesday morning.
Snow lizards flapped about, carving paths here and there.
Following the trails formed between the heaped snowdrifts, students gathered in small groups and headed toward their destinations.
Lee Han also made his way to the Alchemy Hall with his friends to attend the alchemy lecture.
"It's a real relief we're not having class outside."
Lee Han nodded at Yoner's words.
In fact, this was good news for Professor Thunderstep too.
If they held class outside in this weather, the number of people seeking out Professor Thunderstep after graduation would surely increase.
The tower repurposed as an alchemy workshop, the Alchemy Hall, was pleasantly warm thanks to the several greenhouses housed within.
"In a way, this weather is a blessing for alchemists."
"......"
That warm atmosphere instantly froze over at Professor Thunderstep' remark.
Students brushing snow from their hair stared at the professor in disbelief.
"Think about it. Materials you can only gather during heavy snowfall are now easily obtainable. Doesn't that seem like good fortune to you?"
'Well, he is a professor at the Magic School after all.'
Lee Han found this reasonable.
When it came to alchemy, even Professor Thunderstep wasn't quite normal.
"Th-that might be true, I suppose."
The students tried their best to make sense of the professor's words.
It was a bit absurd, but at least the Alchemy Hall's lecture room was warm and cozy.
However, the professor's next words shattered those expectations.
"Here. I'll give you a list—go outside and gather as much as you can. Doesn't it already excite you to think about the potions you'll be able to make?"
Looking at his friends' distorted expressions, Lee Han grew genuinely concerned about whether Professor Thunderstep would be okay later.
The students trudged along reluctantly, reading the thick list they'd received from the professor.
In contrast, Lee Han took a slightly more pragmatic approach.
'I'll start with what seems easiest to find.'
Rather than wandering around aimlessly and returning empty-handed, it made more sense to fill his basket with relatively easy-to-find items first.
If everyone returned empty-handed, Professor Thunderstep might throw a fit...
"Ice Chewer, Snow Pine Flower, Dwarf Willow."
Lee Han prioritized the items that seemed the most manageable among those he could gather.
'I should be able to find these, at least.'
Things like Ice Chewers, which pushed their way up through thick, hardened snow, were relatively easy to collect.
Compared to materials you could only obtain by breaking through the frozen surface of a lake and diving underwater after clearing away snowdrifts...
'Wait. Does he have no conscience? How does he expect us to gather this stuff?'
"Wardanaz. Let's go together."
The friendly priests from the Tower of the Eternally Burning Phoenix called out to Lee Han. Having no reason to refuse, he nodded.
"Sure... Ah! The prodigious successor of the Flemeng Order, Priest Siana!"
"My, if it isn't Lee Han of the Wardanaz family, the top student in this alchemy midterm exam!"
Priest Siana spoke in a voice dripping with icy sarcasm, quite unlike last time.
"......"
"......"
The priests from the Tower of the Eternally Burning Phoenix stood awkwardly between them, unsure what to do.
Dijiling placed both index fingers behind her head—a clear sign to anyone that she was absolutely furious.
'This is unfair.'
All he did was study hard, and now he had to suffer this misunderstanding from a friend.
"But Priest Siana, coming in second is also quite impressive—"
"Lee Han."
Yoner poked him repeatedly before whispering softly.
"Lee Han, I was the one who came in second for alchemy. Priest Siana was third."
"...!"
Come to think of it, Lee Han and Yoner had raided Professor Thunderstep's workshop together.
It was only natural that Priest Siana, who hadn't been able to do the same, was at a disadvantage.
"Sorry, Yoner. I underestimated your skills."
"Why bring that up now? I thought Priest Siana would rank higher than me too."
The two Blue Dragon Tower students quickly wrapped up their conversation. Lee Han changed tactics.
'If the first-place student says third place is also impressive, she'll only get angrier.'
"Professor Thunderstep is an outstanding mage, but he does have his weaknesses."
"What kind of weakness, Lee Han?"
"The weakness of not knowing how to administer a fair exam!"
It was the kind of complaint that would have made Professor Thunderstep feel wronged if he'd heard it, but many students nodded in agreement at Lee Han's words.
Frankly, from the students' perspective, the professor clearing away the ingredients needed for potions was crossing a line.
"If the exam had been fair, someone like Priest Siana would have taken first place. But because the exam was conducted strangely, variables arose."
"That makes sense. If the exam had been conducted properly, something like this wouldn't have happened."
Lee Han and Yoner nodded as they conversed.
Though it was called a conversation, their words were clearly meant for Priest Siana to hear.
In fact, Lee Han could see it—
Priest Siana's expression softening bit by bit!
"Priest Siana, we need to gather ingredients, but we're lacking on our own. Could you perhaps help us—"
"Of course I'll help. Lee Han of the Wardanaz family!"
Priest Siana extended her hand with a relaxed expression. Lee Han nodded and shook it.
Ashan, standing nearby, muttered under his breath.
"Ah, then what rank did the Princess get?"
Lee Han froze mid-handshake.
Now that he thought about it, the top three were all present here.
So then?
Yoner spoke up reassuringly.
"The Princess isn't the type to care much about rankings like Gainando or others."
"Really?"
"......"
Lee Han felt a slight unease.
'We'd better avoid running into the Princess and her group while gathering ingredients today.'
"Look, it's an Ice Chewer!"
"As expected of Priest Siana!"
"As expected of Priest Siana!"
Lee Han and Yoner clapped their hands together enthusiastically. Ashan, looking puzzled, asked,
"It's impressive, but is there a reason you keep clapping like this every time?"
"Be quiet."
"!?"
Lee Han shushed Ashan and prepared to dig up the Ice Chewer.
The plant, firmly rooted in the snow, required considerable effort to extract.
"Dig it out."
But for Lee Han, things were different.
Lee Han cast a 1st Circle Magic spell, <Dig Pit>.
It was an earth elemental spell for digging small holes.
"Wardanaz. It's frozen—won't that not work?"
Ashan looked at him in confusion.
He had learned the same spell during lectures and knew how to use it.
But that spell worked on soft earth—it wasn't very effective against hard, frozen ground.
Just moments ago, a Blue Dragon Tower student had tried and given up...
"Dig it out, dig it out, dig it out, dig it out."
CRACK!
The hard, frozen snow shattered, and a pit formed instantly. Lee Han turned his head and asked,
"Did you say something?"
"N-no. Nothing."
Ashan felt a strange sense of awe.
So that's how it is!
If the magic doesn't work, you just keep casting it until it does!
Nilia wandered through the mountains with her friends from the Black Turtle Tower.
Truthfully, she would have felt more at ease joining Lee Han or Yoner's group, but she couldn't refuse her friends' request.
"See that vine over there? If you cut it, sap comes out—it's really useful when you're thirsty."
"Ooh... I see. That's amazing."
"......"
Her friends' lukewarm reactions left Nilia feeling oddly empty.
If it had been Lee Han, he would've said, 'What? Really?! Wait a second—it's true! What's its name? Where does it usually grow? Are there other plants with similar effects?'...
The Black Turtle Tower friends weren't bad people, but it was true they had little interest in hunting.
"Did you see that magazine we bought last time?"
"Yeah! That horse Blodoha rode this time was amazing!"
"Ah, should I put the Headmaster's card in my deck? I kinda want to try saving it."
"Give up. It's trash tier, I'm telling you."
"......"
Nilia felt an indescribable frustration tightening her chest.
"!"
In the distance, she spotted familiar friends digging up something on the slope. Nilia waved her hand.
"?"
Lee Han, who'd been placing an Ice Chewer into his basket, looked up.
Far away, Nilia was waving at him alongside her Black Turtle Tower friends.
"Nilia's group?"
"No... that's a hand signal."
Nilia used the Shadow Patrol's distinctive hand signals to gesture at Lee Han.
-HELP ME!!
"!?"
Lee Han was startled.
'What? Are the Black Turtle Tower students threatening her or something?'
Nilia had signaled for help thinking her suffocating atmosphere would disappear if her friends came over, but Lee Han couldn't possibly grasp that hidden meaning.
"Something must be wrong. Everyone, ready your wands."
Lee Han and his friends grabbed their wands and began rushing over in a swarm.
Their expressions were more serious than expected, leaving Nilia flustered.
"?!"
Only then did the flustered Nilia realize her hand signal could be misinterpreted differently.
'...S-should I tell them I made a mistake now?'
Nilia seriously pondered whether Lee Han might actually cast a spell at her if she admitted her mistake.
Given his personality, it was entirely possible...
-■■■■■! ■■■■■!
"Monster!!"
"We're saved!"
"What? Nilia?"
"N-no, that came out wrong."
Lee Han and his friends, who'd been running over, were impressed.
To detect a monster sneaking up like that so effortlessly!
"How did you notice it?"
"Must be the Shadow Patrol's secret techniques."
Lee Han spoke with admiration in his voice. The friends beside him all marveled.
"As expected... the Shadow Patrol truly lives up to its name."
"Even our temple's priests can't detect a Snow Hedgehog this early."
"Alright. Let's help out first!"
The Black Turtle Tower students quickly sprang into action.
They erected a circular earthen wall to block the monster's ambush, then took cover behind it to cast spells.
As Magic Missiles flew toward it, the Snow Hedgehog puffed up its body and moved in erratic patterns.
Though it resembled a giant hedgehog, one solid collision could easily snap a few bones—given its massive size, the students had no choice but to be cautious.
"That's a Wardanaz, right?!"
"What do they even want with a Snow Hedgehog?"
"Aren't they just here to help?"
"Do Wodanazes look that simple to you? They never move without a reason! They're definitely here to catch the Snow Hedgehog!"
"......"
Nilia silently apologized to Lee Han.
'Sorry I couldn't defend you better!'
"Wardanaz! If you catch the Snow Hedgehog, we'll yield it to you! Let's cooperate!"
"What do you mean 'catch'? Just drive it away!"
Lee Han retorted, sounding exasperated.
He had come to gather herbs, not hunt monsters.
If they could just chase it off, that would be best...
"Huh? Are we really allowed to just drive it away?"
"Yeah! Drive it off!"
"But..."
"I said drive it away."
"S-sorry."
When Lee Han's expression turned stern, the Black Turtle Tower students backed down.
'Guess we really can just chase it off?'
'Seems so.'
Since the other Tower students seemed unreliable, Lee Han summoned Sharkan.
"Sharkan. I'll need your help. Bind its legs!"
The green leopard nodded as if understanding and dashed forward.
The Snow Hedgehog seemed to notice Sharkan's approach too, jerking its head around sharply.
And then it spotted Lee Han.
-!
THUDTHUDTHUD!
Startled, the Snow Hedgehog immediately burrowed into the snow and fled far in the opposite direction.
Sharkan, who'd been running hard, turned his head to stare at Lee Han in disbelief.