Episode 21
Episode 21
-If you keep seeing crazy people around someone, you should suspect that person might be crazy too.
There was a saying like that.
The magic school was similar.
If all the professors seem like lunatics, you should even suspect the sane-looking professors who associate with them!
'Hmm. Right. Professor Garcia was close with that crazy headmaster. As expected, you shouldn't trust a single professor.'
If Professor Garcia had heard this, he would have pounded his chest in frustration.
Of course, maintaining magic until the end of class could feel mentally grueling.
To put it metaphorically, it was like balancing a spinning top on your fingernail and enduring to keep it steady.
But Professor Garcia also had his own reasons for assigning this task to Lee Han.
First, succeeding in Water Creation by the third attempt meant Lee Han was exceptionally talented, even considering his natural affinity with water.
Moreover, his mana capacity was overwhelmingly vast compared to that talent.
A raw gem of this caliber needed to be polished to shine even brighter.
Professor Garcia had given the instruction believing it was a practice Lee Han could definitely handle.
Of course, such sincerity didn't reach Lee Han.
'From now on, I should assume every professor in this school has at least one screw loose.'
Squeezing out his concentration to maintain the water sphere, Lee Han thought to himself.
The remaining time in <Understanding Basic Magic> class passed warmly.
A few more students from the Blue Dragon Tower succeeded in <Light Creation>, and the Princess mastered <Flame Creation> as well.
Yoner was delighted to realize he had a strong affinity with the wind element, while Gainando nearly burned up a wand.
And Lee Han had to keep his mouth firmly shut and focus on maintaining his water sphere for the entire remaining time.
"Don't you think this is really too much?"
"???"
Professor Thunderstep tilted his head at Lee Han's words.
He couldn't quite understand what part of Lee Han's explanation seemed "too much."
"Maybe... Professor Garcia Kim just took a liking to you? That's probably why he gave you that task."
"Are you saying I'm being treated like a garden plot right now?"
'Ah. This kid's really grumbling.'
Professor Thunderstep internally grumbled at Lee Han's pointed remark.
Friday afternoon, when everyone looks forward to the weekend.
Lee Han was tending to the vegetable garden at Professor Thunderstep's cabin.
If other students saw this, they'd whisper, 'That professor is truly ruthless—how could he make a Wardanaz family member do such menial labor?'
But Professor Thunderstep had an excuse.
...Because Lee Han had volunteered to do it.
-Professor. I've come to help manage your cabin.
-Ooh. Thanks.
-In exchange for working, can I eat a little of what's in the cabin?
-...Do as you please. That much is fine...
-Then while I'm at it, can I take a little with me too?
-No. You brat.
"Asking was my mistake. Fine."
Professor Thunderstep shook his head vigorously and raised both hands.
Who would've expected such a response to the simple question, 'How was your first week?'
But aside from his grumbling habit, Lee Han was indeed the most promising among the current freshmen.
Wasn't Professor Garcia Kim giving Lee Han special treatment precisely for that reason?
And in Professor Thunderstep's eyes too, Lee Han's abilities were outstanding.
Not his magical abilities.
'To do menial labor with such persistence. The more I see, the more I'm convinced he's a natural.'
...It was his talent for menial labor.
If Lee Han had heard this, he would've immediately turned serious, but Professor Thunderstep was dead serious.
In Professor Thunderstep's view, the most essential ability for alchemy was precisely that—the ability to tirelessly handle such menial tasks.
Innate mana sensing that can distinguish any reagent?
Spirit affinity that lets you befriend any elemental quickly?
What about the fine mana control needed for delicate processes?
None of that mattered.
What an outstanding alchemist truly needed was ironclad patience—the endurance to silently clean mountains of flasks without running away.
And Lee Han had possessed that ability from the very beginning.
Any other noble brat would have refused to do menial chores like tending the garden or maintaining the hut, no matter how much food they were promised. But Lee Han diligently showed up, did the work, and took his food.
That was precisely the mark of an alchemist's talent.
'Why do I suddenly have goosebumps?'
Lee Han felt puzzled as he dug up potatoes.
The weather was pleasantly cool, yet he'd inexplicably gotten chills.
"Not tired?"
"I'm fine."
Lee Han answered Thunderstep' question without much thought.
He genuinely wasn't that exhausted.
Sure, his stamina helped, but he was already well accustomed to doing such chores under a professor's supervision.
Honestly, tasks like harvesting fresh vegetables from the garden or retrieving fish from the river traps were on the easier side.
"Heh heh."
"??"
When Professor Thunderstep chuckled in satisfaction, Lee Han grew even more bewildered.
What was that about?
'Is he happy seeing someone else work hard? Professors really are...'
"You've got talent, Wardanaz."
"Ah. Yes."
"You just let that go in one ear and out the other, didn't you?"
"No, Professor."
Thunderstep clicked his tongue.
Even if he explained now, that grumbling personality of Lee Han's wouldn't take it seriously anyway.
How on earth did someone like him come from the Wardanaz family, who were like statues carved from granite?
Thunderstep sank deeper into his armchair, packed his dwarven-style long pipe with tobacco, and lit it.
Then, puffing out smoke contentedly, he spoke again.
"So, nothing else going on?"
'Just how bored is this guy?'
Brushing dirt off a carrot, Lee Han found it absurd.
Then again, Thunderstep was a professor—maybe this behavior was to be expected.
A true professor knew how to keep students working while lounging around bored themselves.
"No clashes with students from other dorms?"
"Huh? How did you know?"
"You're neither the first nor the last new student to come here. Easy enough to guess."
Thunderstep' voice was cheerful from the smoking.
"Let me guess. White Tiger Tower students, right?"
"Yes. That's correct."
From Thunderstep' words, Lee Han realized that the Blue Dragon Tower had a long-standing rivalry with the White Tiger Tower.
"Of course they don't get along. One side's imperial high nobility, the other's knightly families. At that age, how could they not fight?"
"What a ridiculous reason, don't you think? To waste time fighting over something like that. We're already busy enough learning magic."
Thunderstep nodded at Lee Han's words.
He was absolutely right—it was utterly foolish.
But then again, wasn't everyone foolish in their youth?
"Still, Wardanaz, you've got a decent head on your shoulders. Right. No need to squabble over nonsense like that. Wouldn't practicing magic be better than pointless fights?"
"Exactly."
"With someone like you around this year, maybe there'll be fewer fights. If the White Tiger Tower brats pick a fight, just ignore them."
"Well... we already fought, though."
"......"
Thunderstep lowered his pipe and stared at Lee Han, dumbfounded.
You dislike fighting over stupid reasons, and yet—??
"Look, what was I supposed to do when they started it?"
Lee Han protested, sounding wronged.
Thunderstep gave a slow nod.
Fair enough—sometimes you couldn't avoid it when they provoked you first.
"Looks like the guys from White Tiger Tower this year are all roughnecks. Normally they don't pick fights this aggressively in the first week. How did you end up fighting?"
"They started trouble when I said I was taking swordsmanship classes."
"......"
Thud.
Thunderstep dropped his pipe again. That's how absurd he found it.
"Aren't they just terrible people?"
"It's you who's strange...!"
Thunderstep was speechless.
Of all the countless lectures available, why would he take swordsmanship?
Now he understood why the White Tiger Tower guys had picked a fight.
"Lucky you got away. Those White Tiger Tower guys usually learn magic late but are good at fighting."
"Yes. It was tough taking down three of them."
"......"
Thunderstep quietly set his pipe aside.
He figured he shouldn't smoke any more today.
"You took them down?"
"It was difficult. I got lucky."
"...You can stop working for today. I'll fix you something to eat."
"Huh? Is that really okay?"
"Of course. Absolutely."
Thunderstep decided to treat Lee Han a little better.
Who knows - the kid might become the empire's greatest swordsman and come assassinate him someday.
The vegetables growing around Thunderstep's cabin were plump and fresh, likely because they were brimming with nature's energy.
The professor washed potatoes, onions, and carrots, peeled them, then chopped them into large pieces.
He threw butter into a pot and sautéed onions and garlic.
"Bring me some of that hanging meat."
"But... this meat belongs to me and Yoner."
"...Am I the only one eating here?"
"Understood."
Resolving to apologize to Yoner later, Lee Han brought over some hanging smoked pork.
Thunderstep sautéed the meat, then generously poured in wine. The rich aroma of red wine filled the air.
Soon after, potatoes, carrots, and onions went in one after another. Thunderstep seasoned with salt as he spoke.
"It's a family stew recipe. This alone needs no side dishes. Just some freshly baked white bread is enough."
Professor Thunderstep had good reason to sound so confident.
The stew was truly delicious.
To Lee Han, who hadn't had warm broth in days, the dwarven stew warmed his stomach comfortingly.
Only the sounds of spoons scraping wooden bowls and them eating stew filled the cabin.
'Ah, this is really good.'
"Tasty?"
"Excellent."
Like a seasoned graduate student, Lee Han responded immediately.
Though Thunderstep didn't say it, his proud expression showed he was very pleased.
"Come to think of it, Professor, were you managing all this alone before I came?"
"Yep."
"What about others?"
"Hmph. They were all lazy and incompetent, so they ran away."
"......"
For a moment Lee Han thought 'Was I tricked?' but it was too late now.
"Seems... quite troublesome."
"Troublesome?! This is basic for anyone wanting to become an alchemist!"
Truth be told, cleaning cabin dust, maintaining the hearth, checking ingredients, tending the garden, inspecting river traps, and checking small traps along paths weren't exactly "basic."
'Now that I list them out, it does seem strange. Why didn't I think this was hard?'
Lee Han lamented his lack of labor awareness.
Working too long under the professor had numbed his senses.
"There's plenty of garden space left - could I try growing something too?"
"Oh..."
Thunderstep was impressed.
Though Lee Han didn't know it, Thunderstep was inwardly marveling 'This born alchemist indeed!'
To not only endure countless chores but seek more work - that was no ordinary talent.
"Of course. What do you want to grow?"
"Maybe Chinese cabbage and leeks?"
"Both should be fine."
As Thunderstep nodded, he suddenly paused.
"...You're not planning to sell those too, are you?"
"Ah! How did you know? Did other students try this first?"
"......"
You're the first one, you little rascal!