Episode 281
Episode 281
"What are you talking about?"
"Look at their face."
"I can't see through the smoke?"
"...Are you a first-year?"
At those words, Coholti pulled out a monocle with a gemstone lens from his pocket. It was an Artifact capable of piercing through the smoke.
"Ah!"
Coholti let out an exclamation as he recognized the junior's identity.
That one from last time—
"The poor freshman who got unlucky and got caught by the No-disciple Professor!"
"The grateful junior who cleaned up the mess you caused, you trash."
Diret shot Coholti a disdainful look.
If a first-year had to bail you out, you should be bowing your head in shame for years—and this is all you have to say?!
Coholti seemed to realize it too, coughing awkwardly with an embarrassed expression.
"Of course, I'm grateful. I'm still thankful now. It's just that seeing them with that No-disciple Professor left such a strong impression..."
'Well, that part was definitely something.'
Even Diret couldn't deny that.
He would never forget the day Professor Bagrak pushed a first-year freshman forward to fight the Frost Giant King.
He had seriously debated sending an anonymous complaint to His Majesty the Emperor for days because of it.
Though, the person in question seemed to be doing just fine...
"Anyway, they're just unusual, so don't worry too much about it."
"I knew they were good at suppressing demons, but they're also really skilled in other Black Magic? Professor Mortum would be delighted."
Coholti marveled at the new junior's talent.
A first-year already so proficient in Black Magic?
Professor Mortum, who had been lamenting the lack of students willing to learn, would undoubtedly be overjoyed.
After all, one genius is worth more than a hundred mediocrities.
"Well..."
"??"
As Diret trailed off, Coholti tilted his head in confusion.
"They might not continue with Black Magic..."
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
Coholti couldn't understand.
Sure, Black Magic wasn't as popular as other schools of magic.
But with that level of talent, no matter how unpopular it was, it would be hard for a mage to resist learning it.
Just reading Magic Tomes and practicing spells would bring continuous growth—what mage could resist that temptation?
"That's true, but..."
Diret looked at the junior with a complicated expression.
If they were only talented in Black Magic, it'd be one thing—but the problem was they excelled in other schools of magic too.
'At this rate, they might not even come back next semester...'
Having just finished the last Black Magic exam, Gainando approached Imirg and Lafadell.
"How was it? How was it?? Did you all do well? Huh? Did you?!"
"......"
As Lafadell's face twisted, Gainando's eyes sparkled.
Gainando shouted in delight.
"You didn't do well, did you?!"
'Is that really something to be this happy about?'
"Right? You didn't, right?!"
"Shut up, you princeling!"
Lafadell snapped in anger.
That prince, at least when it came to Black Magic, displayed remarkable skill.
Compared to Lafadell, who didn't particularly like Black Magic, it was only natural he did better.
Of course, that didn't change the fact that seeing him run over so gleefully after acing the exam was downright infuriating.
The same guy who walked around with his head down after every other exam like the world was ending!
"I-I didn't do that well either. The exam was tough."
"Haha. I get it. The Black Magic exam was a bit difficult."
Gainando gave a magnanimous laugh in response to Imirg's words.
"I-I got the Curses and poison spells right on the first try, but the bone magic took me three attempts..."
"...Huh? You got it on the first try?"
Gainando froze.
Imirg had done better than he expected.
"Y-yeah."
"I... I got the bone magic right on the first try too."
Raphael, who had been listening, asked absentmindedly.
"Curse and poison?"
"You shamelessly ask that without even answering how you did! And you call yourself a knight! What kind of madman..."
"W-what about Wardanaz? How did he do?"
At Imirg's question, Gainen straightened his expression and replied.
"It's rude to ask such things."
"......"
"......"
Faced with such despicable behavior—refusing to ask about grades only when the other person clearly did better—the two students could only marvel.
So that's what royalty is like!
"There is currently a spell in this classroom that temporarily nullifies contracts."
Professor Milley spoke in her usual stern voice.
Students awaiting their exam looked at Professor Milley with tense expressions.
"You all remember the contracts you made in the other realms last time."
Most students had contracted in the Spirit World.
Students like Lee Han had contracted in the Undead World.
As part of their pre-final exam assignment, everyone had attempted to form contracts.
"Now, one by one, summon the beings you contracted with."
"...?"
One listening student, not understanding, asked again.
"Professor? Isn't the contract nullified inside the classroom right now?"
Beings from the Otherworld were fundamentally unpredictable, capricious, and dangerous.
Such beings couldn't be summoned recklessly.
Even with strict contracts in place, accidents happened—how much more unruly would they be without any contract?
Of course, the beings first-year students had contracted with were, at best, capable of lighting campfires or refilling empty waterskins...
But first-year students were also weak enough to match, so they absolutely couldn't let their guard down.
"Good observation. The purpose of this exam is to learn how to protect yourselves even without the safety of a contract guarding a mage's body."
"......"
The explanation sounded reasonable, but the students were already growing uneasy.
"Professor Milley, isn't this too much? How is this any different from just throwing us into a monster fight?"
"W-well, we did something similar in swordsmanship class. I just didn't expect summoning magic to be like this too."
While his friends whispered among themselves, Lee Han rummaged in his pocket and pulled out bone fragments.
Then he said to them,
"What are you doing? Aren't you all preparing?"
"...We will, but we're allowed to complain a little, aren't we?"
"Fine, then get moving. If you're underprepared, it's your own loss."
At Lee Han's merciless attitude, his friends grumbled.
To face such an absurd exam without a single complaint—Wardanaz truly was someone who wouldn't compromise an inch when it came to magic.
'This shouldn't be too difficult an exam.'
Contrary to his friends' thoughts, Lee Han was slightly pleased.
The exam's difficulty was easier than he'd expected.
"O spirit of wind. I trust in you."
Ashan tried his best to speak in the gentlest voice possible.
But his tone was thick with unmistakable tension.
"So please listen to my wo—Ghk!"
Thud!
The formless, wavering wind spirit struck Ashan squarely in the abdomen.
'That's unfortunate.'
From Lee Han's perspective, the wind spirit wasn't acting out of hostility or malice.
Having fought numerous monsters that did possess hostility and malice, he knew the attacks would have been far sharper if that were the case.
This was closer to mischief.
As a lower-tier spirit, the wind spirit wasn't particularly strong—it seemed less like it was angered by the mage's commands and more like it was just being playful...
"Gah! Stop! Stop it!"
Ashan, who had dropped his staff, rolled aside to dodge the attacks.
The wind spirit stubbornly pursued him, attempting headbutts.
Unable to watch any longer, Professor Milley swung her staff to separate the two.
"No matter how friendly you are, persistently trying to persuade with words when no contract binds them is a foolish choice. Remember—when words fail, a firm warning is necessary."
"I-I'm sorry, Professor."
Ashan's failure served as a lesson for the other students.
The next student immediately raised their wand, prepared to attack if the spirit refused their command.
"Magic—"
Splat!
Before the spell could be cast, the earth spirit scattered sand everywhere.
The spirit had sensed the mage's hostile intent first.
"Pfft! Puh! Pff-pfft!"
The earth spirit kept flinging sand relentlessly.
Unless one was a student trained to maintain composure and cast spells even while under various attacks, it would be impossible for a freshman to calmly cast magic in such a situation.
The student, failing their incantation due to the sand, fled with tears streaming down their face.
"I-I trusted you...! I trusted you!"
"You were about to attack right away, weren't you?"
At first, the students had approached with confidence, but more were failing than expected.
Professor Millet had the unsuccessful students wait at the back.
She had anticipated that not many would succeed on their first attempt.
'Blindly offering carrots isn't ideal, but mindlessly swinging a whip isn't any better.'
The method for a mage to persuade a spirit when there was no binding contract between them.
The core of it all was ultimately understanding.
How well do I comprehend this spirit?
Even if a mage had somehow formed a contract with a spirit, those who gave thoughtless commands without regular interaction were now exposed for their lack of foundation.
Not knowing the spirit's habits or personality meant not knowing how to approach them at all.
Whether it was a carrot or a whip, understanding the other party had to come first.
The students who failed their first attempt would naturally grow more attentive to their summons through repetition.
"...Don't attack me, okay? Really, don't. I've treated you well, haven't I? Just listen to me this once, alright? If you're unhappy, I'll listen next time..."
The water spirit Nilia summoned was one Lee Han recognized.
Wasn't that the same spirit that had avoided him on the island and contracted with Nilia instead?
Though it had claimed in front of Nilia, "Hmph, I don't like spirits much either," the bitterness in its heart was undeniable.
"Isn't that method a bit too groveling?"
Gainando, watching from the side, looked puzzled.
No matter what, that seemed too pathetic...
"!!"
"It—it worked!"
The students gasped in amazement.
Despite the lack of a contract, the water spirit obeyed Nilia's words without refusal, following her instructions faithfully.
'They're definitely close.'
Unlike the other students, Lee Han could somewhat sense the emotions in the mana displayed by Nilia's spirit.
His innate sensitivity to mana.
Combined with his training in emotion perception through Illusion Magic, it would have been stranger if he hadn't noticed.
The water spirit Nilia summoned treated her far more affectionately than the other spirits did their summoners.
"Indeed. That makes sense."
"What does?"
"Nilia probably summons her water spirit to chat whenever she's bored, so of course they'd be closer."
"...Why would she do something so... lonely?"
Gainando reacted as if he couldn't believe it, but Lee Han had hit the mark.
Professor Millet regarded Nilia's approach highly.
'She's built intimacy over time.'
Though her attitude lacked confidence, a spirit that close wouldn't refuse her commands.
It was an excellent method.
"O Great Spirit! I... ack!"
"Please, just help me this once... ugh!"
Students who failed to recognize the rapport Nilia had built with her spirit, thinking mere politeness and prostration would suffice, rushed forward only to be driven away.
Professor Millet shook her head regretfully.
'That's just...'
"Lee Han. Your turn."
"Ah. Right."
Lee Han began casting various Enhancement Magic spells, floating a Water Orb in midair.
As he worked calmly, the other spirits that had been summoned earlier trembled and hid behind their masters.
Professor Millet felt a different kind of frustration this time.
Of course, that was one way to do it—but this test wasn't meant for that approach!