Episode 393
Episode 393
Lee Han, who had been forced to take a break, looked at Priest Siana and asked,
"By the way, Priest Siana. Weren't you supposed to be off duty this time?"
"Is it really such a hardship to work a little more to spread Lord Flemeng's true teachings?"
"...I-I see."
The quiet yet fanatical devotion the Phoenix Tower priests occasionally displayed was enough to overwhelm even Lee Han.
While students from other towers made all sorts of excuses to avoid coming, they willingly accompanied him solely out of their unwavering determination to spread their faith to others.
"And I heard that Lord Wardanaz wasn't originally assigned to this either, yet you still came?"
Lee Han paused at Priest Siana's words.
"I... have my own reasons."
"Really? It seems quite similar to me..."
"...Should we pray instead?"
Lee Han quickly changed the subject, sensing that prolonging this conversation wouldn't lead anywhere good.
Priest Siana brightened up immediately.
"I've always believed that Lord Wardanaz was the one destined to inherit Lord Flemeng's will."
"Are you saying that just to flatter me...?"
"Huh?"
"Never mind."
Priest Siana carefully laid out the ritual tools one by one. These were the implements used by the priests who served Flemeng in their prayers.
Bowls and cups. Glass vials and lamps.
The manner of worship varied between religious orders, and the Flemeng Order was more formal compared to the Aglataqua Order.
"O Thou who perceives the essence of all things and brings forth their transformation, as we send forth our faith this day, grant this believer the thread of change."
"The essence of all things..."
Lee Han repeated Priest Siana's prayer. Then, just as he had done with Aglataqua, he offered his mana to Flemeng.
Fwoosh!
"!!!"
When divine power manifested just like last time, Priest Siana nearly jumped for joy.
'So it really was just a coincidence with the Aglataqua Order last time!'
It was clear that his brief deviation toward Aglataqua had been nothing more than a fleeting mistake born of coincidence.
How could someone so genuinely devoted to alchemy possibly be a follower of Aglataqua?
Now that divine power had manifested so quickly, it wouldn't be long before he awakened divine magic as well.
After practicing diligently for a while, Lee Han paused and asked,
"Priest Siana. Do you know how to use divine magic yourself?"
When learning a new spell, nothing was more instructive than seeing and experiencing it firsthand.
If he could witness the divine magic of the Flemeng Order, it might help him grasp the essence of it.
"Ah. I should've shown you that first."
"So you can use it. The Flemeng Order really is..."
Lee Han spent about a minute praising them.
White Tiger Tower students passing by gave him odd looks, as if wondering, Has Wardanaz taken some strange potion by mistake?
Priest Siana, looking immensely proud, began preparing the spell.
"It's nothing much, but..."
The serpentine priest pricked his finger with a fingernail, letting a single drop of blood fall into a cup of water.
With an incantation, the water bubbled and transformed into medicine.
"That's incredible!"
This wasn't flattery—he genuinely meant it.
Having suffered through the painstaking process of potion-making all winter break in the workshop, Lee Han knew just how demanding even a single potion could be.
Though divine magic often defied rules and common sense, turning a drop of blood into a potion like this was astonishing.
"It's not that amazing. The potion's effectiveness has its limits... and I've heard that more skilled priests can create far greater potions."
Lee Han listened intently.
If Priest Siana's words were true, then the divine magic of the Flemeng Order was undoubtedly appealing.
At higher levels, wouldn't it be like turning blood into gold?
"Does it have to be blood?"
"Well, spit works too... but considering how the drinkers would feel, blood is better, don't you think?"
Lee Han almost asked if they could just hide the ingredient, but decided it wasn't something he should say to a priest.
"I see. I'll definitely awaken divine magic today."
"Oh, n-no, you don't necessarily have to do it today? And it's not something that can be forced either..."
Priestess Siana waved her hands in flustered response to Lee Han's reaction.
Divine Magic wasn't like other types of magic—it wasn't something you could achieve just by mustering up willpower. Pushing too hard could actually lead to injury.
Naturally, Priestess Siana hadn't expected to see results today either...
"That's correct. Please don't overexert yourself."
"Attempting to forcibly awaken Divine Magic may cause physical harm."
"...What are you all doing here?"
Priestess Siana glared incredulously at the other priests who had somehow gathered behind them and were nodding along while offering advice.
These priests, honestly...!
In the end, Lee Han failed to awaken Divine Magic (he pretended not to notice the collective sighs of relief from the other priests).
On the way back, a sudden thought occurred to Lee Han, and he asked Priestess Siana a question.
"Excuse me."
"Did something pique your curiosity about Lord Flemeng?!"
"...No, that's not it. I was just wondering if you might know what kind of potion this is."
Lee Han pulled out the potion recipe he had received from Yoner's older sister, Yoanen, during the vacation.
She had told him he'd understand what kind of potion it was if he made it himself, so Lee Han still had no idea what this recipe was for.
'It does seem to be an enhancement-type potion...'
"This potion... Wow. This is truly remarkable!"
Priestess Siana couldn't help but exclaim in admiration the moment she saw it.
Regardless of which Alchemists' Guild or workshop had created it, the craftsmanship was extraordinary—the ingredients were arranged without a single gap to maximize effectiveness.
The alchemist who perfected this recipe must have been an absolute perfectionist.
"It's almost miraculous how someone could conceive of this."
After examining it for a while, Priestess Siana nodded and spoke.
"I can't say for certain, but I have a guess. I once assisted in making something similar at the temple."
"As expected of Priestess Siana..."
Priestess Siana stopped Lee Han before he could continue praising her. She still had more to say.
"Wait a moment. The ingredients include Blue Meanil flowers, Donghaso, and Zurran—these are often used in potions related to foresight. I suspect this might be a Foresight Enhancement Potion."
"!"
Lee Han was stunned.
"A Foresight Enhancement Potion...? Does that even make sense?"
There were many types of enhancement potions.
From Mana enhancement to stamina, strength, agility, reflexes, recovery, and more.
But among them, potions that enhanced foresight were exceedingly rare—so rare that even Lee Han had never heard of one.
'Would it even have any effect?'
The issue with Foresight Enhancement Potions wasn't their difficulty but their effectiveness.
Divination Magic itself was already hard to cast, and even if successfully cast, interpreting the results accurately was uncertain. Enhancing foresight seemed even more nonsensical.
Why would anyone develop a potion whose effects were nearly impossible to verify?
"That's true. Foresight-related potions aren't commonly made. But even the temple occasionally makes them... Given the skill of the person who created this, I suspect they must have had some confidence in it."
Even if the effects were hard to observe, sometimes people grasped at straws and made them anyway.
Especially with Divine Magic used by the clergy—since it wasn't systematic, high-ranking priests often poured every possible resource into it when casting.
Hearing about such precedents, Lee Han began to feel a flicker of interest.
'Yoanen's skills are undeniable. If this is a recipe the temple has attempted before... it might be a significantly improved version.'
Strong foresight was akin to heightened intuition.
Lee Han imagined himself taking this potion before facing the Skeleton Principal's tests.
—Gwaaaah! I'm so furious my skull might explode!
'Hmm. Probably not to that extent.'
"Oh, right. Wardanaz?"
"Hm?"
"You can finish that compliment you were about to give me earlier."
"...Hmm."
For a moment, Lee Han thought Priest Siana slightly resembled Gainando.
Morning.
With no morning lectures for once, Lee Han planned to take it easy.
Tend to the crops in the garden, check on the basilisk eggs, visit the stables to see Ponlig's face...
Though it didn't seem particularly relaxing, Lee Han tried hard to believe it was.
"Wardanaz! Wardanaz!"
"Let's go quickly!"
Until Angrago and the White Tiger Tower students came swarming in, calling for him.
"...Couldn't we go after lunch... Fine. Let's go."
Lee Han was about to suggest going later but gave up after seeing the White Tiger Tower students' faces.
Their expressions suggested they'd truly wail and roll around on the floor if refused.
Bang bang bang!
"Ah. You brought the golem."
When they knocked, Professor Verdus yawned and emerged from his tower.
As the professor examined the deactivated golem, the White Tiger Tower students watched anxiously.
"Wardanaz. Will it be okay? Can it be fixed?"
"Why are you asking me that—"
"Don't you have a heart?!"
"......"
"S-sorry. I got too excited. I'm just worried about the golem..."
'Since when were these guys so emotional?'
Lee Han internally revised his assessment of Angrago and his friends.
He'd always thought of them as beast-like brutes who just swung swords while roaring "Uwaaah I swing sword"...
"Well made. It's over ten years old but still in this condition."
"Did your disciples make this, Professor?"
"Dunno? I don't really keep track of what my students make."
Verdus picked up a quill and began scribbling.
Then he handed it to the students.
"Here."
Five bundles of well-polished birch wood, three crates of granite bricks, basalt (in large chunks), one jar of Demon Horse Saliva, two vials of Sebelan Mountain Binding Potion...
"What's this?"
"Materials needed for repairs."
The White Tiger Tower students were flustered.
They'd naturally assumed Professor Verdus would simply fix it.
Moreover, the required materials were more than expected. While obtainable outside, procuring them within the school would be several times harder.
"Professor, don't you have the materials?"
"Me? I do."
"Then, can't you use those?"
"Why? It's your golem."
"......"
Speechless, the White Tiger Tower students looked to Lee Han for help, but he pretended not to notice.
Verdus was right in this matter.
"...Fine. We'll get them! You'll definitely fix it if we bring them, right?"
"Sure! Bring them quickly!"
Watching the White Tiger Tower students burn with determination, Lee Han grew slightly concerned and asked,
"Can you actually get them?"
"Don't worry, Wardanaz. We're knights. Once a knight makes an oath, no hardship can break that vow."
"R-right."
"It seems some students are absent today..."
Professor Ingoldel remarked as he surveyed the students gathered for swordsmanship class.
"I don't penalize absences. Swordsmanship ultimately can't advance without personal dedication. Now, let's split into groups—"
"...Wardanaz."
Giselle addressed Lee Han. He quickly reviewed what mischief he might have caused during break before responding.
"What is it?"
"Those absent... did you... Never mind. Forget it."
"...You can't just say that after starting. I didn't attack anyone."
"What did I say? Moradi. I told you Lee Han wasn't the culprit."
Durgyu answered in an overly relieved voice. For someone firmly believing in his friend, he seemed excessively pleased.
"People can be absent sometimes—"
Lee Han paused mid-sentence.
He realized the missing students were Angrago and his friends.
'...Did these idiots really skip class to gather materials??'
It was a level of dedication Lee Han could hardly fathom.
"...Let's head into the forest. Today we'll practice fighting in woodland conditions."
At Professor Ingoldel's words, Lee Han looked at the two and asked,
"I have a question."
"What is it, Lee Han?"
"...?"
"If Professor Ingoldel enters the forest and finds absent students playing there, will he get angry?"