Episode 349
Episode 349
"...Don't make me cry."
Not only Chil, but all the senior Healing Magic students struggled to hold back their tears as their vision blurred.
In this situation, it might have been the better choice for the junior to simply run away.
But by not fleeing, this junior had moved them deeply.
"Did you see that? Today is the day!"
"It's in front of our junior! Show them what we're made of!"
The Healing Magic majors roared and charged forward.
'Is today that day?'
'If it's not that day yet, we'll make it that day!'
That day.
Among Healing Magic students, it was known as "the day we defeat Professor Alkasis, successfully escape, and finally get to rest."
It had never come before, but someday, that day would arrive!
"If you want to rest."
Professor Alkasis swung his staff.
The charging student desperately tried to defend himself upon reading the professor's intentions.
"Become as hard as steel, oh mind!"
Despite the Enhancement Magic, Professor Alkasis effortlessly seized control of the student's nervous system.
Losing control over the nerves that connected and transmitted signals throughout the body was fatal in such a duel. The student collapsed unconscious.
"Go train your magic skills!"
Simultaneously, the swords sheathed at the professor's waist floated into the air.
As Professor Alkasis thrust forward, the swords—still in their scabbards—swung down, sending the students who had been focused on defense flying.
"Then you can finish early and rest."
"How does that make sense when more injured idiots keep popping up every time?!"
At the student's furious shout, the professor lightly flicked his staff.
The student panicked and tried to protect his nervous system, but this time, the target was different.
Losing control over the blood flowing through his veins, the student's face turned deathly pale before he collapsed.
'...Should I have just run away?'
Watching Professor Alkasis subdue charging students with a single motion of his staff, Lee Han suddenly felt regret.
The notion that Healing Mages were weak was pure prejudice. Healing Magic itself could be aggressively utilized if one was determined enough.
Moreover, someone like Professor Alkasis, who had reached the pinnacle of his craft, could precisely seize control over an opponent's body to subdue them.
While even a high-ranking Archmage would need to pour out vast amounts of mana to seize full control of someone's body, selectively taking over specific parts like this was far less demanding.
Of course, any other mage would struggle to utilize or adapt such control even if they managed it.
This was a combat style only possible for Professor Alkasis, who possessed perfect understanding of the human body.
'Enough regrets.'
Lee Han steeled himself and prepared.
His decision not to abandon his seniors and flee had been half calculation and half sympathy.
If he abandoned them now, he risked earning their resentment when they met again later.
Right now, they might send him away out of their grudge against the professor, but once they regained their senses and endured additional labor under him, they might grow to resent the junior who wasn't there.
Human hearts were complicated like that.
Moreover, seeing how the seniors—who had been subdued repeatedly—fared, it was highly likely they wouldn't last long if Lee Han left.
Professor Alkasis probably knew the seniors far better than they knew him.
And...
'...I just couldn't leave them like that.'
Though Lee Han was usually someone who prioritized his own gain, he couldn't help but pity the Healing Magic seniors—no matter how much they suffered.
How could anyone just run away and leave people like that behind?
Lee Han had a conscience too.
"Seniors! Support me!"
"!"
The seniors were startled by Lee Han's shout.
To their shock, the junior was charging forward with his sword drawn.
'Close combat?!'
Like the others, Chil was horrified.
A mage engaging in close combat?
'Junior, I get it, but what you're doing now...!'
Fighting a mage with overwhelmingly superior skills meant that battling with magic was an absolute disadvantage.
"Then getting in close to prevent the opponent from casting spells might actually be a viable option."
However...
'...We've all tried that before!'
Naturally, the Healing Magic majors had already attempted this.
When magic alone couldn't secure victory, they'd cast Transformation or Enhancement Magic on themselves and charged at the professor.
The results, of course, had been disastrous.
Professor Alcasith didn't carry that sword at his waist for nothing. He'd subdued the students as effortlessly as restraining a frenzied patient.
"Wasting mana like this."
Professor Alcasith swung his staff at the charging Lee Han, then suddenly grimaced.
He'd instinctively tried to seize physical control like he did with other students, only realizing belatedly...
'This kid's mana reserves are monstrous.'
Clang!
The professor lightly tapped the alley wall beside him.
Immediately, the wall rippled as if alive and lunged toward Lee Han.
"Water!"
As the wall came crashing down, Lee Han channeled mana into his legs and explosively accelerated.
Not only that—he summoned water midair.
"Become my foothold!"
"!"
Professor Alcasith was startled by Lee Han's magic.
Not because summoning and reshaping water was impressive—though a first-year performing it so skillfully was remarkable enough—but because...
'He could jump into battle as a Combat Mage right now and no one would bat an eye.'
The way he instantly selected and cast spells in this chaotic, frantic situation...
It was innate talent for Combat Magic.
And with that absurd mana capacity? He'd be a nightmare for other mages.
Schwing!
No longer willing to waste mana, Professor Alcasith gripped his sword's hilt.
Better to charge and subdue directly than engage in a pointless magical tug-of-war.
The kid seemed to be stacking Enhancement Magic, but the professor was confident he could handle it.
'Here he comes!'
Lee Han tensed his entire body.
Though he'd provoked close combat, his heart pounded now that he was actually facing the professor blade-to-blade.
This was several times more nerve-wracking than crossing swords with a master duelist.
A swordsman only wielded steel—the professor could use both blade and magic. A single misstep could send him flying before exchanging three blows.
'...Pierce through!'
Clang!
Professor Alcasith's sword clashed violently with Lee Han's Morning Star.
And the professor froze in shock.
"You—!"
Morning Star had instantly siphoned the professor's mana upon contact.
Sheathed earlier, its true nature went unnoticed—Lee Han's blade was forged from Black Magnetite, a rare ore that absorbed mana.
For a mana-sensitive mage like Professor Alcasith, this was an infuriating weapon.
'With the professor's temper, this should work.'
Lee Han never intended to actually win.
The skill gap was insurmountable.
His goal was compromise—to make the professor snap, "I don't need a cheating little bastard like you."
Against a mana-conservative like Alcasith, Morning Star's wielder was a lose-lose scenario:
Subdue him with swords? Heavy mana drain.
Subdue him with magic? Heavy mana drain.
"......"
"Junior, watch out!"
When Professor Alcasith's eyes flashed, the other students panicked and brandished their staves.
The trees erupting from the ground instantly withered. Lee Han felt his spine tingle.
To exploit that split-second when he relaxed tension—without the seniors' warning, he'd have been caught.
Against the professor, even momentary carelessness was fatal.
Professor Alcasith clicked his tongue in clear displeasure before speaking.
"Fine. Go."
"!!!!!"
The seniors were astonished.
This was the first time they'd seen Professor Alkasis back down.
'This can't be happening!'
'Is this real? Surely I'm not dreaming??'
Professor Alkasis spoke in a rough, hoarse voice.
"You're quite persuasive..."
"Thank you."
It was clear the professor had reached the same conclusion as Lee Han.
To subdue him here would require expending even more mana, and wasting a professor's mana reserves just to deal with one additional first-year student would be putting the cart before the horse.
Annoying, but what could he do?
"But you won't be able to keep avoiding it forever."
"...I'll work harder next semester."
At Lee Han's words, Professor Alkasis gave a small nod of understanding.
It meant he was willing to compromise.
"Go."
"Professor."
Lee Han studied the professor like one would a baring-toothed beast, then cautiously spoke.
He felt like his very life hung on this next sentence.
"Please let the seniors rest too."
"......"
"......"
The air turned icy.
The watching seniors held their breaths in tension.
'You... you crazy bastard!'
'You're going to get yourself killed!'
Even Professor Garcia, who'd been controlling bystanders to keep them away from the confrontation, gulped audibly.
"Have you forgotten everything I told you? During lecture, I clearly—"
"I remember. But Professor. There must be other solutions. We could call mages from other regions, or ask the Headmaster for help..."
Listening nearby, Chil grew genuinely concerned that his junior might actually be insane.
The Skeleton Principal wasn't some random summon—there was no way he'd come just because they were short on healing mages.
"...I believe we can at least buy enough time for the seniors to rest."
"And what if I refuse?"
Lee Han shook his sword.
Understanding the implied threat of mutual destruction, Professor Alkasis finally sighed and replied.
"I hope my students don't pick up bad habits from you. Fine. ...I have been overworking them. Go rest. I'll manage the time somehow."
"Professor...!!!"
"Stop crying and scram. Go take your break."
The students hurried away, afraid the professor might change his mind.
"Is... is this really okay?"
Professor Garcia, who'd been watching, asked out of concern. Professor Alkasis answered irritably.
"Does it look okay? Huh? Does it seem okay to you?"
All traces of his earlier professorial dignity before the students had vanished.
Now addressed as a student again, Professor Garcia bowed his head deeply.
"I'm sorry..."
"Enough. Not your fault. The students need rest too. They've suffered enough..."
"I-I'll help too."
"Of course you should, if you have any conscience."
"My apologies."
"And... I should contact the Headmaster. He'll probably help once."
"That's a good idea. He happens to be in Granden City right now."
"Oh? Even better."
Professor Alkasis's authority was such that even the Skeleton Principal couldn't lightly refuse him—not when he'd been saving every patient in neighboring regions under Einrogard's name.
If he asked for help, refusal was impossible.
...Though from the Headmaster's perspective, it would be absurd.
Professor Alkasis, who never made such requests, suddenly contacting him to say "Please help so my students can rest."
"Oh. And absolutely do not tell the Headmaster that Lee Han suggested this."
"Understood."
"Junior! Isn't this exciting?! Aren't you excited?!"
"Look at this! Look at this!"
The healing magic majors pointed excitedly.
What they indicated was none other than the fountain at the very center of the city square.
"...Um, is there some complex magic hidden in that fountain? I can't quite tell..."
"No, nothing like that—it's just pretty."
"Right. I've always wanted to just sit and watch a fountain all day."
"Sitting here peacefully like this is... Wait. Junior. Why are you crying?"
"I'm not crying. Just got dust in my eyes."