Episode 204
Episode 204
Honestly, I was curious what would come after "those leftovers"...
But hearing it would only make the atmosphere more awkward.
Lee Han poured hot coffee into the crumpled pewter mug and handed it to Professor Voladi.
"Delicious."
"Thank you."
Watching Professor Voladi sip his coffee, Lee Han suddenly came to his senses.
'Wait. Thinking about it, I didn't even need to intervene.'
Whether Professor Voladi treated the White Tiger Tower students as leftovers or not had nothing to do with Lee Han...
It was just his instinct to step in and resolve things whenever a professor caused trouble, even without realizing it.
"Wardanaz. Are we heading out now?"
"You're really planning to come along? It'll be dangerous."
"Hmph. For a knight, danger is merely a virtue that should be rightfully bestowed."
'What nonsense.'
Lee Han briefly considered throwing the snowball harder but stopped himself.
Well, if they were willingly seeking hardship, who was he to stop them?
Even if he didn't say anything, they'd inevitably face the consequences themselves.
"Alright, then let's go!"
"Moradi. Why didn't you bring your sword?"
"????"
Giselle, who had been eating grilled pork belly sandwiched between bread, froze.
What?
"What are you talking about?"
"We all agreed to go to the upper floors together."
Giselle was horrified.
She'd let the other White Tiger Tower students spout nonsense, and now the arrow had come flying at her.
"Why would I—"
"Are you scared, Moradi?"
"What kind of ridiculous— Do I look like the kind of person who'd back down? Moradi should be the one leading us since it's dangerous. Don't make me angry for no reason."
"......"
Giselle regretted not shutting Angrago's mouth earlier when he started this conversation.
She should've silenced him right then!
As Lee Han walked ahead with Professor Voladi, he muttered under his breath,
"This isn't my fault."
"Shut up..."
Coholti glanced at Diret's expression and whispered to Kumandas.
"So, when do you think that freshman will arrive?"
"Well, I'm trying to get closer to him first..."
"You can't afford to be this slow! Don't you see Diret right now?!"
Even if they didn't know much about crow beastfolk, anyone could tell that feathers standing on end meant they were furious.
And Diret was exactly like that right now.
Having to patrol the halls every day for something he didn't even do!
At this rate, even a friendship between classmates could turn into a murder case.
"This isn't working. I'll go send another note."
"Isn't that dangerous? The Headmaster might..."
"Don't you realize we might end up as corpses before we even reach the Punishment Room?"
"W-well, that's true, but..."
Footsteps began echoing from afar—from the opposite direction of the dimensional accident.
Coholti lifted his head, even though he knew it was impossible.
But then, a miracle unfolded before his eyes.
"!!!!"
The freshman from the Wardanaz family, the very one they'd been trying to summon, was walking down the hallway toward them.
"It's that freshman!"
"What?! Really?!"
"See? Sincerity works— Wait."
The two, who had been overjoyed, suddenly froze.
Huh?
At first, they'd only noticed the Wardanaz freshman and been thrilled, but behind him...
"......"
"????"
Not only were there professors, but a whole crowd of freshmen swarming in. Their expressions stiffened.
'What in the world is this situation?'
'More importantly... isn't that Professor Bagrak?'
There was a joke that even the Skeleton Principal didn't know the exact number of professors at the Magic School.
And the students knew even less.
If a professor wasn't related to their major, many students could go their entire graduation without ever speaking to them.
But these students were fourth-years. They knew a fair number of professors.
And Professor Bagrak was...
'A No-disciple Professor.'
The "No-Disciple Professor."
It meant a professor without any students—even among Einrogard's eccentric faculty, these were professors who required special caution.
Just think about it.
There were professors who made you wonder, 'What kind of madman would study under them?'—yet even those had a few disciples.
Even the unpopular Black Magic had students learning it.
Yet if a professor had no disciples at all...
...it meant they were truly, utterly, extremely dangerous.
The faces of the fourth-year students who recognized Professor Voladi were stained with fear.
Even as fourth-years, someone like Professor Voladi was still terrifying.
'Didn't a third-year collapse from mana exhaustion just trying to attend his class last time?'
'What kind of lecture could possibly...'
"G-good afternoon, Professor."
The fourth-years swallowed their terror and greeted him. Professor Voladi nodded.
"You're the ones in charge?"
"Yes."
"Understood."
Professor Voladi made to walk past them without another word.
Naturally, the fourth-years were flabbergasted.
"???"
"Professor, allow me to explain."
Watching Professor Voladi converse with invisible seniors, Lee Han barely suppressed a sigh.
To be honest, that hadn't even been a conversation.
It was a one-sided declaration!
When Professor Voladi temporarily dispelled the Skeleton Principal's magic on the seniors, the fourth-years became visible.
The White Tiger Tower students behind them gasped in shock, but Lee Han remained impassive.
After everything he'd been through, this was hardly worth reacting to.
"Seniors, I'll explain."
"Uh... sure."
Lee Han gave a brief explanation.
Professor Voladi was here to resolve the cold weather issue.
And he'd brought the first-years along to assist.
"!"
Kumandas's pupils trembled with emotion upon hearing this.
'So he was seriously considering our proposal after all!'
They'd been ignoring it so blatantly that he'd worried the message hadn't gotten through, but this junior had already caught on.
He must have pretended not to notice to evade the Skeleton Principal's ruthless surveillance.
"Junior, thank you! I knew you'd accept our proposal!"
"Huh?"
"...What do you mean, 'our proposal'?"
Diret, listening nearby, asked sharply, his expression darkening.
Don't tell me these bastards...?
"Ah, no. It's nothing."
"You didn't—"
"We didn't! We never contacted him! Seriously!"
Diret paralyzed Kumandas with a curse and turned to Lee Han.
"These bastards really didn't contact you? Honestly?"
"No, they didn't."
Diret scrutinized Lee Han's pupils.
Not a single trace of deceit was visible.
'Guess it's true.'
Diret tilted his head, puzzled. The other fourth-years' behavior was oddly suspicious for this to be nothing.
Were they just feeling guilty for no reason?
'Junior... thank you...! I'll repay this favor someday!'
Paralyzed, Kumandas conveyed his gratitude to Lee Han with his eyes.
Not only had he helped, but he'd even lied to cover for them under Diret's murderous glare.
What an admirable junior.
'I have no idea why he's acting like this.'
Of course, from Lee Han's clueless perspective, it was just baffling.
These fourth-years are kind of weird...
...Is it because they've been at the school too long?
"A-anyway, let's get started. Here, junior. Do you know what this artifact is?"
Kumandas pulled out an ancient artifact shaped like a massive harpoon.
Currently, the fourth-years were drilling holes throughout this distorted dimensional corridor, leaking mana outward.
No matter how many layers of dimensions were folded inside, how twisted the space was, or what had been summoned—if the mana sustaining the domain itself was drained, it couldn't last.
Once all the mana was exhausted, the distorted dimension would collapse, and the corridor would return to normal.
...The problem was that it would take far too much time.
"This artifact is an extremely valuable ancient relic with built-in space-piercing magic. It consumes an enormous amount of mana, but once activated—"
"Get to the point."
"...Anyway, we'll use this to pierce through the corridor's spatial layers and increase the leakage rate."
Kumandas finished his explanation while glancing at Diret's reaction. Lee Han nodded.
As expected of fourth-year students—their explanation was skilled and their method logical.
In fact, the fourth-years seemed better at explaining things than the professors.
'Not bad.'
"Understood. I get it now."
"!"
Kumandas felt a lump form in his throat.
No matter how much mana one possessed, activating an ancient artifact of that caliber as a freshman required tremendous resolve.
The resolve to squeeze out every last drop of one's mana.
And to step forward with such responsibility, even though this wasn't even his mistake.
'What an outstanding freshman we've got...'
Diret glared at Kumandas with a look that screamed he was utterly pathetic. If not for the professors and freshmen present, a few choice curses would have undoubtedly slipped out.
Kumandas, sensing that gaze, cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Ahem. Shall we begin, then?"
"Hold on."
"Huh?"
When Professor Voladi spoke up, Kumandas was taken aback.
'Did I miscalculate something?'
"If we proceed with that method, most of the monsters inside will disappear."
"Y-yes... That's correct. Without mana to sustain it, the dimension will collapse, right?"
"In that case, I cannot permit it."
"......"
Lee Han tightly shut his eyes.
Called it!
"Let's go."
Professor Voladi turned his steps toward the twisted dimensional corridor. Lee Han and the White Tiger Tower students followed closely behind.
Kumandas was left utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend the current situation.
"Uh... D-did I do something wrong?"
"Obviously, you idiot. What professor would allow a first-year to borrow mana to activate an artifact right in front of them? Just follow along."
Diret scolded his friends as he picked up his staff. The others trailed behind him with ashamed expressions.
Professor Voladi prioritized real combat experience, but that didn't mean he lacked safety awareness.
He cast various Enhancement Magic spells in preparation for the battle within the twisted dimension.
Lee Han pointed at the White Tiger Tower students and whispered.
"I think you should cast it on them too."
"Why?"
(Why should I waste it on) "Why" (those stragglers?)—though that was what it sounded like, Lee Han calmly provided his reasoning.
"...Without Enhancement Magic, they might scatter chaotically and disrupt the fight while trying to flee, right?"
"I see."
Professor Voladi cast the spell. The White Tiger Tower students brimmed with confidence as their strength surged.
"Don't worry, junior."
"Thank you."
Lee Han gave a slight bow at the fourth-years' words.
Who would have thought he'd ever feel reassured by upperclassmen in this magic school?
Professor Voladi turned to Lee Han and asked.
"Have you mastered <Floating Frost Shield> yet?"
"...I haven't completed it yet."
"I see. Be wary of projectiles, then."
"?????"
The fourth-years doubted their ears.
Did he just say <Floating Frost Shield>?
...Isn't that a 4th-Circle spell?
"Wait, what did he just—"
Kumandas wanted to ask what that exchange meant, but he couldn't.
Monsters had begun appearing ahead.
A massive Winter Wraith, its form hazy like mist, scattered sleet with every movement.
"Just how much mana did it consume to grow that big?!"
At Diret's muttering, the fourth-years bowed their heads in shame.
"We'll handle it."
"Of course we will. Don't act all dramatic like it's some grand sacrifice."
Diret raised his staff. The fourth-years did the same.
But before they could even prepare their spells, countless small flames erupted above the Winter Wraith.
Whoosh!
"...??"
"????!"
Junior?!