Episode 267
Episode 267
Truth be told, Giselle also thought it would be better to learn from a scout of the Shadow Patrol rather than the Wasteland Star-Catchers.
'The Wasteland Star-Catchers are far too pretentious.'
Though they were skilled, their excessive embellishment made them hard to stomach.
"Really... you want to... learn from me?"
Baishada stammered as she asked.
Her voice cracked slightly from nervousness.
"Is that not allowed?"
"It's not that it's not allowed... cough. Just a second."
Baishada unscrewed the cap of her water bottle and took a sip.
Then she downed a tension-relieving potion—one she didn't even drink when hunting large monsters.
"Honestly, I thought all of you would go over there."
"The Shadow Patrol is better than the Wasteland Star-Catchers."
At Lee Han's words, Baishada's dark eyes sparkled. Her eyelids trembled as if deeply moved.
"Is that really true? I never thought an Einrogard student would think this way..."
Though it was really because of their friendship with Nilia, Lee Han's group didn't mention it.
The sight of the hunter looking so genuinely happy was just too touching.
Even Giselle stayed quiet.
"Great! I'll make sure to help you find and hunt prey more impressive than what the other students get."
Baishada spoke with a voice full of enthusiasm.
Who would've thought something like this would happen at Einrogard, where she hadn't expected much?
She was already thinking about how she'd tell the other patrol members when she returned to the northern mountains.
Just imagine how happy her comrades would be!
"Uh... wait a second."
"?"
"Actually... we've already finished preparing for our final exam assignment."
"???"
"???"
Baishada was stunned.
Durgyu was stunned too.
"When?!"
"Aren't you guys friends?"
Baishada looked bewildered. The three of them had seemed close.
"When we got chased by that lizard. We met a giant and cut off some of his hair."
"Lee Han. I am your friend, but what you just said is too baffling to just brush off as friendship talk..."
Durgyu rubbed his temples with a pained expression.
The way Lee Han talked about cutting a giant's hair as casually as picking up a pebble on the road left Durgyu utterly confused.
"It's a bit of a long story."
Lee Han briefly summarized what had happened.
Meeting the giant -> failing at chess -> winning the bet -> escaping with the spoils.
"The giant was that bad at chess?"
"Terrible."
"......"
Giselle opened her mouth to say something but held back. There was no point—it would only damage her own dignity.
"Sorry, Durgyu. I should've told you sooner, but I missed the timing because I was worried the other White Tiger Tower students nearby might get disappointed or jealous."
"No, it's fine. I understand. That's really fortunate."
"Wait. Mages."
Baishada, who had been struggling to keep up with the conversation, finally caught up belatedly.
"So you won a bet against a giant... fine, let's say that's true. Some of the other stuff is still hard to believe, but let's just go with it. So you already have the spoils now?"
"Yes."
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
"...Uh... want to go hunting with us? We could use some meat."
"......"
Baishada looked a little down at first but quickly perked up.
More than anything, the students had rated the Shadow Patrol above the Wasteland Star-Catchers—what did a little setback matter compared to that?
"Exactly. And what matters is the result, right? The other students will think we defeated the giant thanks to you, Baishada."
"That sounds good... but is that really okay?"
Baishada tilted his head in doubt.
Of course, she wanted these young mages to know that the Shadow Patrol was superior to the Wasteland Star-Catchers.
But wasn't this a bit like cheating...?
"It's fine. At the Magic School, we're taught that as long as the result is good, everything else is acceptable."
"Really? That's surprising."
"??"
"???"
With some time to spare, Baishada led the three of them while searching for suitable prey, offering various pieces of advice along the way.
"Do you know how to walk on a slope like this?"
"Don't rush, try to plant your entire foot firmly on the ground, and synchronize your breathing with your steps to minimize fatigue."
"Exactly! That's amazing!"
Baishada was genuinely surprised.
Given that he seemed to come from a great noble family, he likely hadn't grown up climbing mountains.
Yet he was this skilled.
If not for his status, she might have suspected he'd learned it from another member of the Shadow Patrol.
'Hmm. This is getting harder to explain.'
Truthfully, the atmosphere made it difficult to admit he'd learned it from a Shadow Patrol member.
The other party was enthusiastically teaching him, and saying, "I've already learned all this," would take some courage.
"Alright. Try walking up once."
"Like this?"
"Perfect! You're doing great!"
"......"
Durgyu, who knew Nilia, stared at Lee Han with a dumbfounded expression.
Lee Han pretended not to notice and ignored him.
Baishada skewered a few birds she'd shot down onto a spit. After removing the feathers and innards, the golden-brown roasted game was a delicacy among hunters.
"Is it because of the Phoenix Festival? The fire's a bit intense."
Baishada adjusted the roaring flames with a crackling sound.
Lee Han, who had already received a warning from Professor Voladi, didn't let Baishada's comment slide.
'The Flame Energy must really be growing stronger.'
"By the way, has a phoenix ever been summoned at the Magic School?"
"A phoenix?!"
The three students were startled by the question.
A phoenix?
Among phantasmal beasts, wasn't that an exceptionally rare one? It was a monster whose origins were unknown.
"I've never seen one, but why do you ask?"
"Ah. I haven't seen one either, but I've heard they occasionally reveal themselves during festivals. I thought if one were to appear, it might be at the Magic School. Since phantasmal beasts prefer places rich in mana, right?"
"Hahaha. If that were the case, the Magic School would've already become a den of countless monsters, Baishada."
Durgyu said with a laugh. Lee Han thought to himself.
'It already feels halfway like a den of monsters.'
The idea that phantasmal beasts appeared in mana-rich places was rather ominous information.
To shake off the unease, Lee Han shook his head once and spoke to Baishada.
"You're quite skilled with the bow."
"Thanks. Want to give it a try?"
"I'm not very confident with a bow."
Though Lee Han was eager to learn just about anything, archery wasn't something he could easily attempt.
He knew how to nock an arrow and shoot at a stationary target—something he'd learned when Knight Alarong had taught him the basics.
But hitting a small, moving target from a distance was an entirely different matter. That required bone-deep effort.
"Well, archery takes a lot of time to get used to. Besides, mages don't necessarily need to master the bow. How about enchanting an arrow with magic before shooting it? There are spells specifically for that, right?"
Baishada suggested this precisely because she wasn't a mage.
An experienced mage would know how absurd that idea sounded.
Instead of relying on an archer's skill and experience, using various enchantments to assist in shooting.
At first glance, it sounded plausible, but in reality, it was putting the cart before the horse.
Applying multiple enchantments to every single arrow before shooting?
Even the simplest enchantments would consume an unreasonable amount of mana.
Moreover, layering multiple enchantments on something as small as an arrow drastically increased both the mana cost and difficulty with each attempt.
But Lee Han, still an inexperienced first-year, had already decided it was a decent idea before recalling that fact.
'Well, I have learned a few usable Enchantment Magic spells recently.'
It was just that Lee Han had been studying ridiculous attributes like 'Levitation,' 'Auto-Defense,' and 'Reflection' lately—there were plenty of simpler ones too.
Attributes that assisted in power, like 'Acceleration,' 'Weight Increase,' or 'Penetration Boost.'
Or attributes that aided in other aspects, like 'Vibration Dampening,' 'Accuracy Enhancement,' or 'Aiming Assistance.'
Lee Han, who already specialized in orb-shaped magic, had been thinking about boosting his power with such enchantments someday.
While applying additional magic to objects he summoned and maintained with mana—like his Water Orb—was far too difficult...
It was relatively easier for objects like arrows, which didn't require him to sustain mana.
'Let's try arrows first. If it works well, I'll test it on iron orbs next.'
Since the difficulty increased in the order of arrows, iron orbs, and water orbs, practicing with arrows wasn't a bad idea.
"Become faster, heavier, sharper."
Durgyu and Giselle, who had been watching while tearing into roasted fowl nearby, looked on with interest.
Though, to be honest, Giselle's expression was closer to 'What the hell is he doing now?'—but interest was still interest.
"Lee Han. Have you already learned <Low-Tier Weight Increase> and <Low-Tier Penetration Boost>?"
"They were covered in class, weren't they?"
To be precise, it wasn't so much that Professor Verdus had taught them—they were just among the many basic enchantments listed in the textbook.
"They were covered, sure. But they were toward the back."
However, those two spells were positioned relatively later, and students already swamped with spells to practice didn't bother touching the ones at the end.
They already had more than enough to work on without those.
"I practiced <Low-Tier Weight Increase> because I had a reason to test it."
"I see. ...Huh? Then what about <Low-Tier Penetration Boost>?"
"That's my first time using it right now."
"......"
"......"
For the first time, Durgyu and Giselle shared the same thought.
This was absolutely ridiculous...
'Ah, oops. What am I thinking?'
Durgyu shook his head, dismissing the thought.
Lee Han was a great friend, but sometimes, when he showed off his talent for magic, it was hard not to mutter, 'Stop cheating already.'
"You're really the worst."
"...Moradi! You shouldn't say things like that to a fellow group member!"
"Why are you suddenly making a fuss? What's wrong?"
Whether his friends were bickering or not, Lee Han cast his next spell.
Accelerated, increased weight, boosted penetration, enhanced accuracy, improved aiming...
'What else was there? Ah. Vibration Dampening.'
"Tremors, be still—"
Lee Han, mid-swing with his staff, suddenly stopped. The incantation fizzled out, rebounding instead of taking effect.
No matter how many times he repeated it, the result was the same.
"What's wrong, Lee Han?"
"Ah. Right. I forgot."
When stacking multiple Enchantment Magic spells on something like an arrow, both mana consumption and casting difficulty skyrocketed.
Given how many he'd already applied, it was only natural that no more would stick.
"......"
"......"
"Shouldn't you usually realize that before casting?"
Baishada tilted her head, addressing the two White Tiger Tower students.
The two students pretended not to hear, turning away.
"Well, I'll test it up to this point."
"Try hitting that boulder over there."
Lee Han steadied his breath and took aim. He could feel the intricate, finely woven structure of mana in the arrow.
Thanks to the enhanced accuracy and aiming, it felt far more comfortable and stable than simply drawing the bowstring normally.
Thwip!
CRACK!
With a sharp, splitting sound, the arrow pierced the boulder, embedding itself about a third of the way in.
Lee Han frowned at the arrow's position—quite far from the center he'd aimed for.
'Is this the limit with just two?'
"It's still difficult."
"What are you talking about...?"
Baishada stared at Lee Han as if he were a monster.
He wasn't even a skilled archer, yet he'd lodged an arrow into solid rock—that alone was impressive. There was absolutely no reason to be disappointed about missing the exact center.
"Still hard, huh..."