Episode 244
Episode 244
'Oops. What a blunder.'
Lee Han regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth.
Perhaps because he hadn't fully shaken off his exhaustion, his tongue had moved faster than his thoughts.
Asking if the giant had ever worked as a professor...
What an insulting thing to say...
-I'm not that wise.
The giant answered, slightly embarrassed.
"...Ah. I see."
Fortunately, it didn't seem to be a big issue, and the conversation moved on.
"Understood. Then, would you like to play another round of chess?"
Even if his opponent seemed a bit like a professor, what could he do?
Given the debt of gratitude he owed for being saved, Lee Han resolved to respect the giant even if he acted a little unreasonable.
...And also because the giant looked very strong.
-No. A wager should be fair for both sides.
"Where else would you find a game as fair as chess...?"
The giant pretended not to hear Lee Han's muttering.
-I'll have to think of another wager. What would be good...?
"...I think we've made a mistake here."
Lee Han whispered to Giselle. She nodded slightly in agreement.
"Is there no way to overpower him?"
"Moradi. Do you not see that massive frame?"
Lee Han was dumbfounded.
How could she even ask if there was a way to overpower such a powerful Frost Giant?
Might as well just tell them to die.
"The Frost Giant King was even bigger, and you still charged at him."
"...Then why did you move the rook earlier?"
At a loss for words, Lee Han cowardly changed the subject. Giselle was left speechless by his cheap shot.
"Are you seriously saying that now...?!"
-What would be good...? Polo requires the right number of players, riddles were done last time... A drinking contest...
Giselle, who had been listening quietly, couldn't hold back and snapped sharply.
"You said the wager should be fair, so how could a drinking contest possibly be a fair match?"
-You seem to misunderstand. It's not about who can drink the most.
"Then what is it?"
-It's a common wager among alchemists, though I suppose first-years wouldn't know about it yet.
The giant kindly explained what the drinking contest entailed.
Once the match began, the alchemists would use various ingredients and potions to craft a drink for their opponent to consume.
The recipient would then have to drink it and, in turn, create a new concoction to pass back.
-The first one to collapse loses.
"...Wait. That's not alcohol—it's a potion, isn't it?"
Lee Han, who had been listening, paused.
If they were using ingredients and potions to make it, wasn't it essentially just a potion?
-Isn't it? It's a metaphor. And like I said, if you think it's unfair, you don't have to accept.
"Uh... No. Now that I hear it, it sounds doable."
-Really?
The giant looked at Lee Han with skepticism.
Truthfully, as the student beside him had pointed out, this contest favored the giant.
While mages who wielded mana had strong resistance to potions, giants were naturally even more resistant.
-I'll give you another chance to choose.
"No need. Despite how I look, I took first place in my alchemy lectures."
"......"
-......
Giselle and the giant stared at Lee Han, unsure how to respond.
'This Wardanaz bastard... Is he still half-asleep?'
-Hmm. Just because you took first place in first-year lectures doesn't mean you've learned everything about alchemy.
The giant spoke with concern.
Of course, Lee Han had a different plan in mind.
'If it's a battle of resistance, I won't lose.'
Given his past experiences, Lee Han was certain of this.
Immense mana meant immense resistance.
But if his opponent caught on, the terms of the wager might change. So Lee Han did his best to act like a clueless first-year.
'Think of Gainando.'
"A genius like me can learn almost everything just from first-year lectures. What's the point of studying more?"
"......"
-...W-well. I see. Alright. Still, objectively speaking, this is an unfavorable wager... So if you win, I'll give you an extra reward. You can take anything you want from my home.
"!"
Lee Han's eyes sparkled.
'...No. It's not that great after all.'
At first glance, he'd thought, 'Huh?' but upon looking around, it was more like, 'Uh...'
The giant's home was far more modest and chaotic than he'd imagined.
Even if Lee Han struggled to lug away something like a rusted giant weapon...
"Hey."
Giselle couldn't hold back any longer and jabbed Lee Han's side, whispering urgently.
She was trying her best to maintain her composure, but she couldn't take it anymore.
"Are you doing this on purpose? What the hell is wrong with you?"
Lee Han almost explained the situation but held back, worried the giant might overhear.
"Moradi. Who do you think I am? I'm a genius on an entirely different level from the others."
"......"
Giselle looked like she was about to lose her mind.
The giant was undoubtedly skilled in alchemy.
Rummaging through the piles of clutter and junk, he pulled out ingredients and mixed them without hesitation, his movements smooth and practiced.
Just as Gainando's personal room might look like a garbage dump but still had its own order to him, the giant's cave clearly operated the same way.
Of course, this only worked against Lee Han.
An alchemist who knew every ingredient at his disposal versus one who had to improvise in an unfamiliar place—the advantage was obvious without even saying.
'Should I just abandon him?'
Giselle quietly considered it.
No matter how she looked at it, there was no way the Wardanaz kid could win.
And above all, the way he was acting now was just plain unsettling...
THUD!
-It's done! I call this <Giant's Mead>.
After an hour, the giant finally completed the potion.
"May I ask about the recipe?"
Lee Han, thinking it might be useful later, casually inquired. Giselle's patience had already evaporated beyond recovery.
-I can't tell you everything, but I'll give you the basics. Honey and rose petals. Sleep Herb and twin-headed serpent blood. Mud from an acidic swamp. Just that much should give you an idea, right?
"...Ah. Yes."
Lee Han's expression soured as he stared at what was clearly more poison than mead.
At this point, calling it <Giant's Mead> was an understatement—<Giant's Deadly Poison> would've been more accurate.
'I believe in it.'
With that thought, Lee Han downed the entire large cup.
Gulp, gulp—
Surprisingly, the mead tasted better than expected. Somehow, the combination resulted in a sweet, refreshing flavor that slid smoothly down his throat.
And at the same time, an overwhelming drowsiness surged up from within, threatening to burst out.
"!"
This was nothing like any status ailment he'd experienced before.
Previous ones had been nullified before he even registered them, but...
'Right. Since I drank the potion directly...!'
Naturally, the effects of an ingested potion would be far stronger than an external attack. Lee Han focused his mind and channeled mana throughout his entire body.
A torrent of immense mana suppressed the drowsiness brought by the mead, snuffing it out like a flame.
Once.
Twice.
Thr—
'Huh? Is it over already?'
Lee Han, who had braced himself, was slightly taken aback when the mead's influence vanished in an instant.
He'd tensed up when the effect hit so suddenly, but it ended far more easily than expected.
'Hmm. Feels like I overreacted and lost out.'
The potion must have front-loaded all its potency. Once past the initial surge, the effect wasn't that strong.
Lee Han smirked at the thought of how humiliated the giant would be if he knew and spoke up.
"Then it's my turn."
-......
The giant blinked rapidly, scrutinizing Lee Han up and down.
He was so stunned he couldn't even respond, only nodding dumbly.
'How?!'
He couldn't believe it.
How could someone drink his <Giant's Mead> and remain completely unaffected?
'That student couldn't possibly be some undead or a mage with dragon-level mana...'
There was only one logical explanation.
He must have prepared and consumed an antidote in advance to withstand the <Giant's Mead>.
'There's no way the students at the Magic School have improved to this level already.'
Yet even that was astonishing in its own right.
For a mere first-year student to analyze an unfamiliar potion on sight and immediately prepare a counteracting antidote—and in an unfamiliar workshop, no less.
The giant recalled Lee Han's earlier words:
"No, despite appearances, I ranked first in Alchemy lectures."
"A genius like me can grasp almost everything just by attending first-year lectures. What's the point of studying?"
At first, he'd dismissed it as the brash talk of an immature student, but given the current situation, a chill ran down his spine.
When arrogance is proven by results, isn't it no longer arrogance but justified confidence?
Could he truly be the most exceptional alchemical genius I've ever seen...?
"It's done."
"What!?"
"What!?"
Not only the giant, but even Giselle was stunned.
Hadn't it been less than ten minutes? And he'd already finished?
"Wardanaz! If you have complaints, say them outright! Don't act stupid like the idiots from my tower! I'm already on the verge of losing it!!"
Giselle finally exploded, grabbing him by the collar. Watching this, Lee Han thought:
'Seems the White Tiger Tower students are under a lot of stress.'
"I've already declared it, so there's no turning back. What's the name of this potion?"
"Uh... I suppose you could call it 'Giant's Sleeping Draught.'"
"A straightforward name. Let me give it a try."
The giant grinned confidently and downed the entire cauldron in one go.
Then his expression changed.
"...!!!"
An unbearable drowsiness suddenly began to overwhelm him.
He resisted as much as he could, but his instincts were clear:
He wouldn't last much longer before succumbing to sleep.
Staggering, the giant fixed his gaze on Lee Han and spoke in a faltering voice:
"I... I had no idea you were such a genius...! Your... name...?"
"Moradi."
"Not me. He's asking you."
Giselle glared at Lee Han as if to ask what nonsense he was spouting.
It seemed she hadn't fully recovered from her exhaustion.
"Ah, right. Lee Han of the Wardanaz family."
"I... see. I am Ikurusha. The giant Ikurusha."
Earlier, when Lee Han had asked for his name, the giant had deftly avoided answering.
Giants traditionally don't reveal their names to those they don't acknowledge.
He'd changed the subject out of consideration for the mage's pride, but...
...for a genius of this caliber, he was worthy of knowing it.
"...Your... victory... Take... one thing... you desire..."
THUD!
With a snore that shook the cave, Ikurusha collapsed backward.
Lee Han let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks, Batrek."
The White Tiger Tower students had been laboring over a giant-sleeping elixir in their hideout.
Though Lee Han had assumed they'd made it properly, he'd been tense, worried it might not work.
"Batrek of the Bark family? Why bring him up now?"
"Because he's the one who made this potion."
Lee Han pulled a vial from his pocket and shook it as he answered.
"...!!!!"
Giselle cursed herself for having thought just moments ago, 'To create such a potent potion in under ten minutes—that's... truly unbelievable talent!'
That damn swindler...!
"Ah, sorry I couldn't explain earlier. I was worried Ikurusha might hear and change the terms of the wager."
"...Let's just get out of here."
Giselle no longer had the energy to stay angry.
"Wait. We won the bet, so we should take our reward."
"You saw something you wanted...?"
Giselle frowned as she asked. No matter how she looked, there didn't seem to be any usable treasures in this mess.
SNIP!
Lee Han carefully snipped off the very tip of the slumbering giant's hair.
He'd been considering this ever since the topic came up earlier.
"That's one final exam down."
"You... are genuinely crazier than me..."
"Why the sudden insults?"