Episode 344
Episode 344
"That's correct!"
"......"
When Rowena quickly answered in his stead, Lee Han shot her a look of utter shock.
However, Rowena remained oblivious to his glare and continued cheerfully.
"Even though this Wardanaz studies other magic too, he's still favored by the professor."
'These White Tiger Tower folks really have zero awareness.'
Lee Han inwardly lamented.
How could she just blurt out that he was the professor's disciple without even knowing whether Puyo was an enemy or a friend of Professor Verdus? What if things went south?
"I see."
"Do you know Professor Verdus as well, Mr. Puyo?"
"Once, he tried to carve me up and take my body."
"......"
"......"
The atmosphere turned icy.
The Princess and Lee Han simultaneously turned to stare at Rowena.
Their eyes screamed, 'What do we do about this atmosphere?'
Unlike Lee Han, who could swiftly mediate even among the devils of hell, Rowena had no such talent.
Flustered, she eventually blurted out:
"Did... did you get carved?"
"...Hey... that's seriously not it..."
Even Kltran was left speechless by how absurd that sounded.
Unable to stand it any longer, Lee Han intervened.
"What an unbelievable thing to do. No matter how you look at it, attempting to carve up someone's body is unacceptable. Though I study under the professor, I've always believed such actions are wrong."
"Y-yeah! And it's not like Wardanaz wants to be favored either. What kind of lunatic would want to work under the professor during vacation?"
When Kltran tried to explain, Puyo waved his hand dismissively.
"I don't hold grudges against a disciple just because of their master. And it's not like I don't understand Professor Verdus. If I were him, I'd have wanted to carve me up too. A wood spirit half-blood's body is a rare material, after all."
Most spirit half-bloods appeared when an ancestor had formed a contract with a spirit.
The power embedded in their bloodline would manifest in later generations, awakening them as half-bloods.
Because of this, their bodies were indeed valuable materials.
'Hmm. He's a madman.'
Of course, that explanation did little to ease the students' inner thoughts.
The moment Puyo said, 'If I were him, I'd have wanted to carve me up too,' the students had already mentally classified him as at least half as insane as Professor Verdus.
'Are all enchantment mages crazy?'
"More than what happened between me and Professor Verdus, I'm curious about something else. You said you're favored by him?"
"That might be a slight exaggeration."
"Have you met him outside of lectures?"
"Uh... yes."
"Have you worked together privately?"
"Th-that... yes."
"Did he let you work in his workshop?"
"No... well..."
"Isn't this the kind of question you can just answer with 'yes' or 'no'?"
"...Yes."
"Then you are favored."
Lee Han felt genuinely wronged, but he couldn't think of a rebuttal.
"Professor Verdus doesn't usually treat disciples like that. You must be exceptionally talented."
"It's because of my mana."
Lee Han hurried to explain.
I have a lot of mana, so Professor Verdus is shamelessly exploiting it...
Puyo nodded in understanding.
"So that's why!"
"Yes. Professor Verdus—"
"Ah, not that. I sensed a murderous pressure the moment you walked in."
"......"
Only then did Lee Han belatedly recall that Puyo was a spirit half-blood.
He'd thought everything was fine since Puyo hadn't reacted, but...
"Was that so?"
"It was. But don't worry about it. I've dealt with far more dangerous clients than you."
"That's not very comforting."
Lee Han felt bitter.
Being told 'Don't worry! You're not as bad as the Empire's worst criminals!' by someone who looked terrifying himself wasn't exactly reassuring.
"Still, it's a bit odd. Given Professor Verdus' personality, no matter how much mana you have, he wouldn't involve a disciple with no skill in his projects."
"Seems like he needed that much mana after all."
Though Lee Han muttered sarcastically, Puyo didn't take offense and instead grew curious.
"You said you're a freshman? Up to what Circle of Enchantment Magic have you succeeded in?"
"...Four..."
"What was that? I didn't quite catch it."
"Four... Circles..."
A brief silence fell.
From Lee Han's friends to Puyo, everyone stared at him intently.
No matter how they thought about it, that wasn't a level of magic a freshman should already be capable of.
"I see."
"Well, about how that happened—"
"No. No need to explain that part."
Puyo, who wasn't particularly interested in the backstory, cut Lee Han off.
Whether Professor Verdus forced him or Lee Han got lucky, the important thing was that he'd succeeded.
That was all that mattered—why bother with the trivial details of how it came to be?
"If you've been working with Professor Verdus, you must have made a few simple artifacts by now. What have you made?"
Puyo, now thoroughly intrigued, picked up paper and a quill as he posed the question.
Lee Han answered cautiously.
"I made magical fireworks."
"Magical fireworks. That must've been difficult for a freshman."
"??"
Kltran, who had been listening, asked in confusion.
"Was that part of the lectures?"
"I was called in separately to make them."
"......"
'Just how many times has this Wardanaz bastard been summoned?'
They definitely all had the same 24 hours in a day, yet something felt off.
Why did it seem like Wardanaz's days were several times longer than everyone else's?
"Magical fireworks... Was that all?"
"There's the shield, you know. Lord Wardanaz."
Rowena whispered. Lee Han responded smoothly.
"Thanks a damn lot."
"...D-Did I do something wrong...?"
"A shield? What kind of shield?"
"Uh, floating with auto-defense..."
"It reflected too, didn't it?"
"Reflected?!"
As Kltran cut in, Lee Han squeezed his eyes shut.
'Now I understand why the Blue Dragon Tower and the White Tiger Tower are always at each other's throats.'
"The reflection was a separate—"
"Even a reflection attribute... Honestly, I'm impressed."
The faster Puyo's quill moved, the more uneasy Lee Han grew.
Professors often pulled stunts like this, and it rarely ended well for him.
Puyo persistently dug for more details before finally setting down his quill, satisfied.
"Indeed. Now I see why Professor Verdus brought you into the project."
"The professor has never once said anything nice to me, though..."
"That's just the kind of person Professor Verdus is. You have to judge by actions, not words. I've heard much about Einrogard's outstanding students, but this is truly remarkable. Hmm... Would you come this way?"
Puyo pointed toward the inner workshop—the same area he'd denied access to earlier.
Lee Han felt a sense of foreboding.
It was eerily similar to the feeling he got whenever Professor Verdus summoned him.
"Lord Puyo. Would it be alright if the Princess came along?"
"?!"
The Princess, who had been assuming Lee Han would go alone, was taken aback.
"Lord Wardanaz...!"
"See, this guy Wardanaz actually has a considerate side."
Rowena and Kltran marveled at Lee Han's thoughtfulness.
What an opportunity—to tour Puyo's workshop alongside a friend.
But the Princess's thoughts differed from theirs.
She had a strong suspicion that Lee Han simply didn't want to be dragged in alone.
"Do as you please. I didn't ask, but I assume she's competent."
"It's fine. Let's go."
The Princess nodded at Lee Han's words and felt a twinge of remorse.
To doubt a friend's kindness purely based on a gut feeling...
As royalty, such arrogance was beneath her.
"...Thank you for inviting me."
"Don't mention it. Just help me out if Lord Puyo gives us work to do."
"...!!"
The princess stared at Lee Han walking ahead of her with a face full of shock.
Him...?!
"Try refining these staffs once."
Puyo handed them pieces of wood along with papers containing designs.
Lee Han and the princess sat on chairs deep inside the workshop and quietly began their work.
Though Lee Han could feel the princess staring holes into him from beside him, he deliberately ignored it, pretending not to notice.
'I should avoid eye contact until we leave.'
It was always better to bring a friend along when summoned by a professor.
They could split the work, and most importantly, if the worst situation occurred, he could use the friend as a sacrificial lamb while making his own escape.
Of course, there was the minor issue that the friend might resent him afterward.
"Excellent."
Puyo looked satisfied with the two students' work.
In Lee Han's case, not only had he heard about his skills beforehand, but since Professor Verdus had personally vouched for him, expectations had been high—and Lee Han hadn't disappointed in the slightest.
At this level, he was already far superior to mediocre novice enchanters.
The princess was the same.
Puyo had been somewhat worried based only on what her followers had said, but watching her hands move, he could tell she was naturally gifted with magic.
Carving a staff wasn't something you could do just by copying a design exactly as shown.
With each cut, you had to sense the flow of mana around the staff and shape it without disrupting that flow.
Since this was something magic practitioners lacking sensitivity could never replicate no matter how much they tried, the results from both students were all the more satisfying.
Puyo gave them several more tasks afterward, and both completed them flawlessly.
Finally convinced, Puyo spoke up.
"Would you two be interested in learning enchantment magic in my workshop during the remaining vacation?"
"!"
Puyo's offer wasn't just a simple job proposal.
He was an artifact artisan renowned not just in Granden City but throughout the empire.
Moreover, Puyo was notoriously selective—he didn't accept just any mage as his apprentice.
Being offered a chance to work under him was in itself a boost to one's reputation, let alone for two freshmen.
The princess nodded.
"...I'll do my best."
Puyo responded as if grateful.
"I won't say the work will be easy, but you'll certainly learn a great dea—"
Mid-sentence, Puyo realized something was off.
Only the princess had answered.
"Do you have other plans?"
When Lee Han hesitated to respond, not only Puyo but even the princess looked baffled.
How could he drag her along only to back out himself? It made no sense at all.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
Ignoring the princess's kicks from beside him, Lee Han cautiously spoke up.
"Um... I have a question."
"Ask away."
"Will there be payment?"
This was a critical matter for Lee Han.
Professor Verdus was already exploiting him without paying a single copper coin.
No matter how renowned an enchanter Puyo was, Lee Han had no desire to add another exploiter to his life.
"Of course. Are you joking?"
Puyo tilted his head, unable to comprehend Lee Han's question.
It made no sense for a student of Lee Han's caliber to ask something like that.
"Yes. It was a joke. My apologies. I'd love to work here! Please take care of me."
"Likewise."
Lee Han shook Puyo's hand firmly.
As long as he was getting paid, working at Puyo's workshop was a fantastic opportunity.
Most importantly, he'd have unlimited access to rare materials.
Surely, among them, there'd be one or two discarded pieces, right?
'If I say I'm taking them to practice, he wouldn't object, would he?'
Feeling inwardly delighted, Lee Han suddenly remembered something and asked,
"But if Professor Verdus finds out I'm working here, might he complain?"
"No need to worry about that."
Puyo's immediate answer put Lee Han at ease.
Enchanters must have an unspoken understanding about such matters between themselves.
"Ah. As expected, enchanters respect each other's—"
"Only fools let others take what's theirs."
"......"