Episode 268
Episode 268
'Are all Einrogard students like that?'
Baishada thought in amazement.
Well, considering it's an institution that gathers and teaches the empire's top talents, perhaps that was only natural.
People who would lament, 'Ah, the arrow only went halfway into the rock,' even after embedding half the arrow into stone.
"Tell your friend to stop talking nonsense."
"She's your comrade too."
Baishada didn't hear the conversation between Giselle and Durgyu.
'Come to think of it, I heard there was a young patrol member from another fortress who enrolled in Einrogard recently. Would that patrol member be like this too?'
If all Einrogard students had such personalities, then the young patrol member who enrolled from another Shadow Patrol fortress would likely be similar.
Baishada found herself newly impressed by this unknown young patrol member.
Was this the level required to enter Einrogard?
"If you want more precise aiming, why not try reducing the power?"
"Power, you say?"
"Yes. It seems like you're too fixated on power. You don't need that much."
"But among monsters like the Rakshasa Hungry Ghost, aren't there some with unusually tough armor? To take down those kinds, I thought this level of power would be necessary."
"W-well, that's true, but first-years usually don't encounter such monsters, right?"
Baishada was flustered.
Of course, there were monsters with formidable defenses, but encounters with them were rare.
Especially for a first-year at the Magic School.
Lee Han gave a bitter smile. Baishada couldn't quite understand why the boy before her was like this.
"That's a fair point. Then I'll focus on precision and give up some power."
"Why not try <Lesser Homing> too?"
Giselle said mockingly.
Naturally, it wasn't a serious suggestion.
In Enchantment Magic, the 'Homing' attribute—which makes objects move toward their target autonomously—was quite difficult.
Far more challenging than attributes like 'Acceleration' or 'Increased Weight.'
"Ah. Thanks, Moradi."
But for Lee Han, who had already mastered the 'Auto-Defense' attribute, <Lesser Homing> was within reach.
Since they shared some compatibility, Lee Han managed to successfully apply <Lesser Homing> in one attempt.
"......"
Giselle was at a loss for words. Beside her, Durgyu spoke up, sounding slightly surprised.
"Didn't expect you to give advice."
"Shut up."
"?!"
Lee Han reduced the power of his Enhancement Magic and added <Lesser Homing>.
After a few trials, he arrived at a fairly optimal combination.
'<Lesser Accuracy Boost>, <Lesser Aiming Boost>, two stacks of <Lesser Homing>, and <Lesser Penetration Boost>. This seems decent.'
The best combination he could manage at his current skill level, pushed to the limit.
Drawing the bowstring, the arrow struck dead center on a distant rock.
Baishada clapped cheerfully.
"Excellent!"
"Thank you. I didn't expect it to work this well."
Even Lee Han was slightly dazed.
That archery could be replaced so easily with magic (though it was far from just one spell).
No wonder people resented mages.
"It almost feels unfair how easily I can shoot like this now."
"That's fine."
Baishada spoke with the pride of a seasoned archer.
"Better for beginners to enjoy themselves using convenient and useful tools rather than wasting time and giving up. Do you think skilled archers don't use good bows and arrows? They seek out the best gear."
Archery, when delved into deeply, was an endlessly profound art.
Archers who walked that path didn't care much if mages replaced archery with magic.
Their confidence in their own archery made it possible.
"That makes sense. Thank you for the wisdom."
Lee Han fired several arrows in succession. When one arrow precisely split the shaft of the previous one, Baishada paused briefly.
...Magic really is broken as hell!
"Moradi. Thanks for the advice."
"......"
"I should practice a few more times."
Lee Han picked up an arrow with slight excitement.
One might ask why bother learning archery when magic exists, but bows had advantages that magic didn't possess.
First was their overwhelming range.
Achieving the same distance that a bow could easily surpass 100 meters would require magic of absurdly high difficulty.
For freshmen like Lee Han who frequently faced monsters, preparing ways to attack from maximum distance was essential.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Bishaada looked flustered watching Lee Han enthusiastically embed arrows into the target.
She had recommended it as a light mood-changer, but he was practicing with excessive zeal.
"Don't tell me monsters are descending upon Einrogard or something? Haha."
"......"
"......"
"...S-student, that was just a joke."
Professor Thunderstep puffed heavily on his pipe, blowing out thick smoke.
Students often mistakenly thought, 'Professors assigning homework and exams like this are truly evil creatures,' but in truth, professors didn't particularly enjoy homework and exams either.
When they assigned homework and exams, it was the professors themselves who had to grade them.
Yet students remained oblivious to their teachers' efforts, complaining with remarks like 'Why make it so difficult?'
"These kids are truly problematic! The youngsters these days!"
"You're the one who made it difficult, aren't you?"
"No. But should I make it artificially easy then?"
Professor Thunderstep grumbled as he poured tea for Professor Lightningfoot.
On the table, potion bottles submitted by students lay scattered in disarray.
"This one missed the Setrivi's Dew Potion. This one lacks the proper quantity of low-grade mental enhancement potion. I asked for Blood Drop of Dobruk Potion, but did they scoop water from a sewer? Just smell this foul stench!"
"Keep it down while drinking tea."
"Yes."
An alchemist of Professor Thunderstep's caliber could roughly discern a potion's composition just by looking at it and sensing its mana.
The pre-final exam assignment: Aurum's Golden Potion.
The difficulty itself wasn't exceptionally high, but the requirement to create and combine various potions was extremely tedious.
First, they had to mix a low-grade mental enhancement potion with Setrivi's Dew Potion to create a base. Then add another mixture of low-grade mental enhancement potion and Blood Drop of Dobruk Potion. After that, yet another blend of low-grade mental enhancement potion and Vellezen...
"Isn't this exactly why students hate it?"
"Alchemy has always been this kind of discipline."
Professor Thunderstep felt wronged.
Having endured these spoiled-beer-like trials himself to become an alchemist, he knew hardships forged better alchemists.
If they faltered at something like this, how would they ever create more difficult potions?
"Eh... ehh?"
"What's wrong?"
"This is strange."
Professor Thunderstep held the potion bottle up to the magic lamp. But even upon re-examination, it remained peculiar.
It was just...
Too clean and perfect.
"What's strange about it?"
"It's made too well."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"No. The assignment was designed to be impossible to make perfectly."
"......"
Professor Lightningfoot looked at his nephew as if he were trash, but Professor Thunderstep paid no heed.
It wasn't like students were sourcing materials from suppliers—they had to gather ingredients from around the school grounds, so perfection should have been impossible.
There should have been all sorts of byproducts and residues left behind...
Yet this Aurum's Golden Potion was flawless.
What the hell?
"Th-this... It looks like it was made using potions bought from the Alchemy Guild's workshops?!"
"How resourceful."
"No, this goes beyond resourcefulness! Who made this?"
Lee Han Wardanaz
"......"
Reading the name on the potion label, Professor Thunderstep was at a loss for words.
How on earth did this kid manage it?
"You told them not to discriminate in their methods, so the students didn't discriminate in their methods."
"No matter what, how could you just buy the potion from outside!? How on earth did this kid pull this off!?"
"He probably bought it when he went out last time."
"But how could he have known that Aurum's Golden Potion would be the assignment back then?"
"Right? That's amazing."
Professor Lightning Step watched with interest, since it wasn't his problem.
Of course, Professor Thunder Step felt differently.
Even if this was his prized student, this was a matter of pride.
How dare he not suffer through the hardship he was supposed to endure for the assignment?
"Blame yourself, Wardanaz. Because of you, the final exam difficulty is going to increase."
Muttering darkly, Professor Thunder Step glared, while Professor Lightning Step shook his head at his nephew's behavior.
No wonder alchemists had the stereotype of being gloomy recluses who never left their workshops.
Tuesday.
Professor Alpen Nighten surveyed the students' assignments with a serious expression.
The pre-final assignment for Basic Imperial Geometry and Arithmetic was drafting blueprints for a structure.
And the final exam was the actual construction of that structure.
Since the two were connected, most students had already started building their structures.
With evaluations next week, it would be extremely difficult if they didn't nearly finish this week. Especially since next week had final exams for other courses, leaving even less time.
"Professor Nighten."
"Professor Flüwork. Good day."
Professor Alpen gave a slight bow in greeting to Professor Logine.
Both being former Imperial bureaucrats, they were acquainted.
"The students' assignments look quite impressive! It must be thanks to your excellent teaching."
"They are still lacking in many ways, so it's rather embarrassing."
"This is more than enough for first-years."
"Even if they are first-years, they are mages. I doubt the students would want to be coddled like that."
"......"
The students working in the background pouted.
No, we do!
"Lord Wardanaz. Lord Wardanaz."
Lee Han, who was embedding magic stones into a vermilion pillar, turned his head when Rowena from the White Tiger Tower called him.
"Too busy for snacks right now, Rowena. Tell Her Highness to hold on."
"......"
A short distance away, the Princess, working on her assignment with her followers, shot Lee Han a look of indignation and shock.
"Huh? No, I didn't come for snacks."
"Oh. Really?"
Lee Han set down his hammer and turned his gaze.
"Then why are you here?"
"Could you lend me some mana?"
"......"
"......"
"Th-that's a black mage, isn't it?"
Ashan muttered in horror.
For a mage, spells that siphon another's mana were borderline taboo.
It was a natural reaction, given that it interfered with something more vital than a mage's life.
Gainando vehemently denied it.
"Black mages aren't the only ones who absorb others' mana!"
"Huh? So there are other means?"
"There... probably are."
"Stay back."
"You bastard! Other schools must have similar methods too!"
'Probably not, though.'
Realizing the misunderstanding, Rowena hastily shouted.
"I'm not a black mage!"
"...No, you should say you don't intend to steal mana, not that you're not a black mage."
"I don't intend to steal mana—"
"Right. Sure."
Lee Han grasped the situation.
Just like when drafting magic circles, constructing magical structures consumed a lot of mana due to trial and error.
While Lee Han could tirelessly pour in mana, other students had to rest until theirs recovered.
If he supplied mana in the meantime, the production period could be drastically shortened.
"The payment doesn't have to be barter. Credit is fine too."
"Ah, really?"
Rowena, who had been pulling out a whole chunk of meat, brightened up.
Surprisingly, Einrogard students preferred paying with money outside school over bartering. Lee Han was only grateful for that.
"Wait!"
"?"
When Angrago of the Alpha Family cut in, Lee Han was puzzled.
What's he trying to say?
'Is he trying to interfere?'
Given the White Tiger Tower's temperament, they wouldn't like their own receiving help from another tower, even if they were friends...
"Wardanaz, I'll pay double, so help me first—"
"......"
"......"
"Is that guy really a knight? He's from the White Tiger Tower, right?"
Gainando muttered in bewilderment.