Episode 4
Episode 4
The personal rooms assigned to each student were surprisingly spacious and comfortable.
It seemed the Skeleton Principal hadn't gone so far as to take away their private rooms, even if he hadn't provided anything else.
Of course, this was Lee Han's perspective—by now, the other nobles were likely horrified by the barren, windswept emptiness of their rooms.
-Is... is this where beggars live?
-Did someone ransack the room or something?
Thud.
With nothing but a desk, chair, and bed, the room felt even more spacious.
Lee Han first organized the clothes he had been given, placed his belongings neatly in a corner, and then pulled out a book.
About Einrogard.
It was a thin booklet they had each received before entering, containing a brief overview of the school.
'Mandatory courses must be taken without exception, while the rest are freely chosen. For the first month, you can wander around and decide which lectures seem best...'
The school appeared strict in some ways, yet surprisingly liberal in others.
Once admitted, they didn't care at all what kind of studies a student pursued.
-A mage is one who seeks the truth of the world. Even with the guidance of seniors and teachers, one must choose and walk their own path. - Os Gonadaltes.
'So the Headmaster's name is Os Gonadaltes.'
Having acquired information he hadn't particularly wanted, Lee Han roughly finished his tasks and stood up.
Since they had mentioned earlier that the freshman lounge was accessible, he decided to head there and strike up some conversations.
"I want to learn alchemy."
Yoner had already come down first. Spotting Lee Han's arrival, he waved cheerfully.
"Alchemy?"
"Yeah. I've been interested in alchemy ever since I was with my family. My dream is to set up my own workshop and supply the imperial court."
"That sounds pretty lucrative."
"Want to join me?"
"Hmm. I'll think about it. Alchemy business isn't exactly easy, you know."
Lee Han didn't immediately accept.
Just as Yoner had been interested in alchemy since his family days, Lee Han had always been interested in business.
While alchemy sounded impressive, the imperial alchemy trade was fiercely competitive.
Guilds formed by outstanding alchemists fought viciously to seize market share from one another.
Handing out free potions through Adventurers' Guilds, spreading bad rumors about rival alchemy guilds' potions, monopolizing all medicinal herbs used in potion-making to suppress competitors—the list went on.
Each rumor was so unsettling that it was impossible not to feel intimidated.
'Maybe stability really is the better choice.'
Lee Han's primary goal was to become a royal official—a civil servant.
Whether in the past or now, there was nothing wrong with being a civil servant.
"So, what are you interested in?"
"Me?"
Lee Han was slightly taken aback by the question.
Because...
'I was just planning to pick easy courses with low competition and good grades.'
Whether it was academics or anything else, the grades earned here would count as credentials once they stepped outside.
Naturally, Lee Han couldn't afford not to care.
"I've got a month to look around and decide. It's never good to judge things too hastily."
"Wow... impressive."
"??"
Lee Han stared at Yoner, not understanding what was so impressive.
Was there anything impressive about that?
"Most people come here already knowing what magic they want to learn. Something that suits their tastes. But that's not necessarily the best approach..."
It was hard to know which magic suited one's aptitude before actually trying it.
And forcing oneself to learn magic that didn't match one's aptitude was far less efficient than one might think.
A mage who pursued truth had to know when to let go of stubbornness and choose a better path.
But being human, it was only natural to have desires—and with desires came the urge to walk the path one wanted.
Letting go of those desires wasn't easy.
"Is this another Wardanaz family rule?"
'Why does everything I say have to be tied to the Wardanaz family?'
Lee Han was exasperated.
He hadn't realized it while still with his family, but now that he was outside, he could truly feel the weight the family name carried.
Just like the looks the students from the Black Turtle Tower had given him earlier...
Perhaps the reputation of the Wardanaz family was far more formidable than Lee Han had imagined.
"We're in big trouble!"
"??"
Gainando, who had arrived late, shouted in a fluster.
"What's the matter?"
"I think my room's been robbed! There's nothing left!"
"......"
Understanding Basic Magic.
It was a mandatory course for all first-year students entering Einrogard.
Since it was a course exclusively for students of the Blue Dragon Tower, no students from other towers were present.
"Why does everyone look so out of it?"
"We're hungry, sleep-deprived and drowsy from not sleeping properly, and our rough clothes keep bothering us when we move."
At Yoner's words, Gainando nodded in agreement.
When he woke up early this morning, Gainando had thought yesterday's events were just a dream.
He'd expected to be served freshly baked white bread slathered in butter and piping hot soup simmered with chicken and spices as a matter of course.
But it wasn't a dream, and what greeted Gainando when he rose from bed was hard black bread, stiff rice balls, and a cup of cold water.
'At least it was edible...'
That's what Lee Han thought.
Though he'd lived in luxury since being born into the Wardanaz family, Lee Han had originally come from a life of extreme hardship.
-Uh... Did I see wrong? Senior. If we work from 9 AM to 9 PM, when do we eat?
-Here. Energy bars. Since it's breakfast, lunch, and dinner, make them last.
-...You're joking, right?
-Don't look at me like that. I have to survive on energy bars too. But at least there's a feast waiting when we're done.
-If you say it's cup noodles, I'll kill you.
-...Sorry. It's cup noodles.
-......
-Well, there are triangle kimbap too...
'Hmm. This seems slightly better now.'
But except for Lee Han, all the Blue Dragon Tower students looked completely drained.
This was their state after just one day at the academy.
Creak—
The <Understanding Basic Magic> lecture hall was located on the first floor of Einrogard's main building.
A considerate gesture from the school for its new students.
The higher the floor, the more likely freshmen were to get lost.
"...Uh...?"
"Did we... come to the wrong place?"
"You're in the right place. Come on, everyone take your seats."
As students stopped at the doorway and began murmuring, Lee Han grew puzzled.
Why are they acting like this?
The answer came immediately.
There was a troll inside the lecture hall.
"......"
"......"
"I said come in quickly!"
"Uh... um..."
With expressions mixing terror and dread, the students hesitantly filed into the classroom.
Trolls.
Even students who'd spent their entire lives within noble families had heard of these savage and brutal monsters.
So when they saw a troll dressed like a professor waiting for them, their bewilderment was understandable.
At this point, it was hard to tell whether this was a lecture hall or a troll's buffet.
"Alright. Let me introduce myself first. I'm Garcia Kim. A half-troll. I can see you're all frightened, but there's no need to be. I don't eat people unless I'm extremely hungry."
"......"
"That was a joke. Maybe I shouldn't have said it."
As the atmosphere grew even more awkward, Garcia looked deeply apologetic.
"Now! Our headmaster always says this—time is the greatest treasure. Shall we begin the lecture?"
Garcia swung his staff, and the students who had been standing uncertainly were gently pushed to their seats as if by an invisible force.
"You are all seeds of mages who have earned the title of Steel. A few arrogant or foolish ones among you might have secretly tried using magic already, but most of you probably haven't. This lecture is meant to teach you what magic is and help you find the magic that suits you best. The path of magic is treacherous and narrow, and you must walk it alone—but before you set out, I wish to be your compass."
At the gentle troll professor's words, the students' expressions softened.
'He seems several times better than the Skeleton Principal.'
"Now then, let's start with the very basics. What is magic?"
Princess Adenart answered in a cool voice.
"It is the act of changing the world through a mage's own will."
"Correct. The act of twisting the world through a mage's will. The question is 'how'? How do we change the world?"
"Through the power of mana?"
"Very good. Mana, magical power... borrowing this fundamental force to change the world. Everyone here should already know how to sense mana and be aware of the mana within themselves."
Everyone nodded.
Since this was a place that only accepted those with innate talent, all of them had already awakened to mana.
"But that's just the beginning. To cast magic, you must go beyond that. You must call forth mana through your will, weave it delicately, and ultimately create something with it. People often say magic requires incantations, gestures, or reagents... but what truly matters is will. The mage's own will. Never forget that. Of course, you'll still need incantations and gestures for now. Since you're still very inexperienced. Well, I've been talking too long. Feeling sleepy? Let's try it directly. Everyone take out your wands and gather your mana."
Oooooooh—
The aura of mana began spreading throughout the wide lecture hall.
The young mages each began squeezing out the mana within themselves.
Lee Han also focused and started gathering mana into his wand. The mana within his body flowed out and pooled into the wand.
"Now, while maintaining that mana... don't lose focus! In that state, visualize an image of light. Whatever image of light you imagine—bright, warm, sparkling. Anything is fine."
This time, groans of effort began emerging.
Controlling mana was akin to grabbing the reins of a wildly bucking horse and pulling with all your might.
If you lost focus even slightly, it would just whoosh away and scatter.
"Visualize it more and more intensely... then shout it out. Anything is fine. 'Light!' 'Be bright!' 'Shining light!' Whatever incantation rises from within you is fine."
"Light!"
"Be bright!"
"Light more dazzling than the sun and as beautiful as my glory!"
"Don't make your incantations too long! At your level, overly long incantations will just scatter your focus."
Gather mana through concentration, transform that mana through your will, and finally complete it decisively by shouting the incantation.
Lee Han felt like he understood what magic was.
Of course, understanding didn't mean succeeding on the first try.
Poof! Fwoosh! Poof-poof!
"Ugh!" "Kuh!" "Ow...!"
Groans leaked out from young mages who had failed their spells all around the room. Professor Troll swung his wand with a smile.
When spellcasting failed, the gathered mana would lose its master and run wild, potentially injuring the mage.
Preventing that was the professor's role.
"Now, don't be afraid of failure, don't panic... everyone starts like this. As long as you have mana left in your body, try again!"
Second attempt.
Again, poof-poof sounds accompanied students' groans.
Professor Troll laughed inwardly.
Normally, it took at least a month just to master this simplest 'Light' spell.
Magic was that difficult.
But the professor had no intention of telling them that. That was something the students needed to experience for themselves.
"Again!"
Third attempt.
Now, students who had exhausted their mana and were completely drained began appearing.
Magic consumed far more mana than they'd expected.
Over half the students sat down with exhausted expressions.
"Again!"
Fourth attempt.
This time, nearly all the students had collapsed. Only two or three with good luck or control remained standing.
"Again!"
Fifth attempt.
"Again!"
Sixth attempt.
"Again!"
Seventh attempt.
"Um... Professor. I'm truly sorry for interrupting, but must we continue...?"
Professor Troll, who had been shouting commands without hesitation, finally realized something was odd.
Normally, this would end by the fourth attempt, or at most the fifth—yet someone was still standing after seven.