Episode 294
Episode 294
'Oh no. What am I thinking?'
Lee Han immediately snapped out of it.
While Baldrogard's educational environment was indeed slightly more comfortable than Einrogard's, that didn't necessarily correlate with magical ability.
Graduates of Baldrogard could still be outstanding mages.
Moreover, his opponent was already a graduate.
There was absolutely no way Lee Han, a mere first-year student, should look down on them.
"Wardanaz. I'm ready."
Ashan whispered with a determined expression.
"Lord Wardanaz. Please let me know if you need some pickpocketing."
Ratford also whispered with resolve.
The back of the room was quite busy as people cleared tables and pushed aside chairs to prepare for the magic demonstration.
"Ratford. I'm sorry, but this is just a test of magic. Not a duel."
"But wouldn't it be easier if the opponent's wand disappeared?"
Ashan perked up at those words. Lee Han spoke firmly.
"If we do something like that, things will escalate in an undesirable direction. We just need to use magic properly."
"But Wardanaz. We don't know what kind of magic the opponent will use."
This wasn't a duel but an assessment of magical skill.
In such cases, rather than both sides firing spells at full power, one party would present a challenge while the other solved it with magic.
This time, the Baldrogard graduate mage Doin would be the one setting the test, while Lee Han and his friends would solve it.
"Don't worry too much. We're first-years. The opponent will take that into account. If they set an overly difficult test, they'd only be undermining their own reputation."
There was no way a mage visiting the Dalkard Family's estate would deliberately humiliate a Dalkard mage. That would only invite immediate backlash.
"So don't waste energy on unnecessary worries. Just focus on not making careless mistakes. Understood?"
Ashan nodded.
Ratford also nodded.
"Just in case—"
"I said no stealing."
"Yep."
Unlike Lee Han and his friends, who harbored strong resentment toward Baldrogard, Doin held no particular ill will toward Einrogard.
Of course, it would be a lie to say he wasn't at all envious of Einrogard, which always held the reputation of being the empire's top magic school.
But Doin loved and believed in Baldrogard even more.
'It's just that people in the empire are stuck in their ways. If they truly knew how to look properly, they'd recognize Baldrogard as the most outstanding and excellent magic school!'
If Lee Han or other Einrogard mages heard this, they'd probably challenge him to a duel immediately, but at least that was how Doin felt.
Because of this, Doin bore no particular grudge against Einrogard.
What concerned him now wasn't how to humiliate these Einrogard students, but how to preserve their dignity.
'Ashan of the Dalkard Family has quite a good reputation as a young man, and the other is from the Wardanaz Family, so they probably won't make ridiculous mistakes.'
These magical skill assessments were closer to a kind of performance.
The examiner also needed to set a test that the other party could reasonably pass.
What if they presented a test involving obscure magic from an unfamiliar school?
The atmosphere would instantly turn ice-cold.
And the mage who set such a test would undoubtedly be scorned by the Dalkard Family and everyone associated with them for a long time.
Just imagining it was a horrifying nightmare.
'What kind of test would be best...'
Doin pondered what challenge would allow these students to pass easily while still impressing the gathered audience in an understandable way.
"By the way, what fields of magic are the three of you interested in?"
"I'm interested in divination magic."
"Illusion magic for me."
"As for me... hmm... I haven't decided yet."
It wasn't particularly surprising for a novice mage to be undecided, considering even mages who had trained for over a decade sometimes changed schools based on necessity.
The Taoist, lost in thought, failed to notice the two students glancing at Lee Han with flustered expressions.
'Between Illusion Magic and Divination Magic, I should pick the easiest one possible.'
After much deliberation, the Taoist made his decision and swung his staff.
"O illusion, transform into chains of elements."
One advantage of Illusion Magic was its visually spectacular nature.
It might sound like a joke, but this was a more important advantage than one might think.
Most people didn't observe the intricate flow of mystical mana or profound philosophy within magic—they simply judged by outward appearances.
This was why, while Black Mages struggled to find investors and resorted to grave-robbing, Illusion Mages could comfortably conduct their research with patronage from nobles.
That very advantage was on full display today. As the Illusion Magic shimmered into existence across the spacious hall, applause and gasps erupted from all directions.
'Isn't this too slow?'
Yet Lee Han couldn't help but feel puzzled inwardly.
Compared to the professors at the Magic School, the Taoist's casting speed was painfully sluggish.
Of course, from the Taoist's perspective, it was unfair—if he could cast faster than Einrogard professors, he'd be teaching there instead. But regardless, it still appeared undeniably slow.
Whooosh!
"Do you see these illusionary chains? They're connected to the manacles binding my wrists."
"We see them, Sir Taoist!"
The mage, Taoist, raised his wrists to show the crowd the connected illusionary manacles and chains.
The illusionary chains drooping to the floor were tethered at four points, each anchored by an illusionary pillar.
"By casting the correct elemental magic on each pillar, the chains will release one by one. Now, can the mages of Einrogard rescue me? Your enthusiastic cheers would be most welcome!"
Another round of applause and cheers.
The Taoist excelled less in magical prowess and more in the art of charming crowds and showmanship.
He was the kind of mage who naturally thrived in salons and gatherings. Even Lee Han was mildly impressed.
'So this is how mages gain popularity at social events.'
It was certainly educational in many ways.
As Lee Han nodded to himself, making a mental note to mimic this later when needed, Ashan whispered with concern in his voice:
"Wardanaz. Do you think we can succeed on the first try?"
"I don't think we necessarily have to get it right immediately."
The Taoist's illusion magic was essentially a puzzle.
Four chains connected to four pillars.
By casting the correct elemental magic on each, the pillars would release and the chains would disappear one by one.
Meaning even if they cast the wrong element, they could simply try another...
"But your brother and sister are watching. What will they say if we don't succeed immediately?"
"Then why don't you try it first?"
Ashan shook his head vigorously with a pitiful expression. Lee Han clicked his tongue in sympathy.
'Just because they were born a few years earlier, they have to endure such one-sided pressure.'
Normally, one would solve this through trial and error, but having to tiptoe like this...
Lee Han said nothing more.
Great noble houses had their advantages, but also their drawbacks. This wasn't his place to comment.
"There is a way to solve it in one go."
"How?"
"Break it with brute force."
Lee Han briefly explained the dispelling method he'd learned from the exceptional illusionist Valdororn.
Not by analyzing the illusion's structure and finding its weak points, but by channeling overwhelming mana to blast the illusion apart.
"Is that even possible?"
"Of course it might not work. Well-constructed magic can be quite resilient."
"No, Wardanaz. What I meant was—do you even have enough mana to pull that off?"
Ashan replied with an expression of utter disbelief.
The theory made sense. With that much mana, of course the magic would be shaken.
But could he really draw out that much mana?
"There's no need to go that far. This much should be enough..."
To demonstrate, Lee Han lightly channeled mana through his staff and released it.
CRACK!
Even without a direct hit, the illusory chains that were barely grazed let out a creaking sound before collapsing outright.
And the other chains connected to them crumbled as well, along with the manacles...
CRACKLE!
"......"
"......"
Lee Han, who had only meant to give a simple demonstration, was stunned. So was Ashan, who had been watching.
And of course, the examiner was just as shocked.
'What the...!?'
He had expected them to solve the illusion puzzle, but instead, they had shattered it with a single strike of the staff. Any human would be astonished.
'How did he even do that? It didn't look like he cast any particular spell. Surely he didn't just brute-force it with raw power? Did Einrogard teach him some magic I don't know about?'
His mind was in chaos, but the examiner quickly composed himself and reacted.
"Magnificent! Absolutely magnificent! As you all witnessed, the mages of Einrogard dispelled the magic in an instant!"
The spectators burst into applause, amazed.
Among them, those with some knowledge of magic tilted their heads in confusion—this wasn't what they had expected—but they clapped all the same.
After all, the problem was solved!
'That gave me a scare.'
The examiner inwardly wiped his brow.
The Einrogard students had acted unpredictably, nearly making him slow to react.
If they had made even a single mistake, the atmosphere could have turned icy...
"Sir Examiner! Show us one more!"
"!"
"!!"
Both Lee Han and the examiner were startled.
A slightly tipsy man, already a drink in, shouted excitedly.
"Where else would we ever get to see magic like this again?!"
"Exactly!"
"Watching the finest mages of the Empire perform—it's truly eye-opening!"
Excited crowds always want more.
The examiner realized too late that he was in trouble—everyone was already hyped up.
"V-Very well. Then, the next magic..."
The examiner tensed up again.
The seated guests, with no personal stakes in the matter, raised their glasses and chanted, "One more!" But for the examiner, who had to devise the test, his mouth went dry.
He couldn't give them the same or an easier challenge—it had to be slightly harder.
And it had to be something the audience could intuitively understand, while also being a test where, even if the young students made a mistake, the situation could still be salvaged.
Not to mention, the students might have already expended a lot of mana—there was a risk of them running out mid-test...
"Are you feeling tired or dizzy at all?"
"No. We're fine."
"I'm fine too."
"...Good. Then, the next magic..."
BOOM!
When Lee Han dodged the fourth summoned illusion beast with his eyes closed and dispelled it, the crowd erupted in cheers again.
CLAPCLAPCLAPCLAPCLAP—
'Oh no.'
The examiner was stunned.
Honestly, even as he cast the spell, he had regretted it—'This is bad! I made it too difficult!'
But they had solved it that easily.
A nearby noble, looking concerned, asked,
"Sir Examiner. Even if they are mages from Einrogard, they're still first-years. Isn't this too hard for—"
"No need to worry! Look how well they're handling it!"
"Next spell! Show us the next spell!"
Regardless, the gathered guests were now thoroughly exhilarated by how effortlessly Lee Han and his friends were clearing the challenges.
The examiner thought to himself in despair.
'They're too good, and now everything's spiraling out of control! Just perform moderately well!'
He had no idea how much longer this would go on.
He had to cut it off at some point...!