Episode 409
Episode 409
'Wait. That potion...'
Professor Lightning Step, who had been shaking his head, suddenly felt something was off.
When he sniffed the potion's scent, it seemed to contain royal mint—an ingredient used in rather old-fashioned formulations.
In the old days, potions containing royal mint were used to repel quineae, but nowadays quineae are trained to endure such scents during taming exercises.
It shouldn't work...?
'More importantly, where did they even find such a potion recipe?'
"Waaaaaah!"
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than a student was suddenly lifted into the air.
The excited quineae, delighted to find someone entering the racecourse, had charged forward and wrapped its massive trunk around the student.
Though the monster was just playing around, to the student it was pure terror. Shouting in panic as he was shaken up and down by the invisible force, the student screamed:
"Wardanaz! Wardanaz! The repelling potion isn't working!"
"Duke-ma, you idiot! Repelling potions aren't a cure-all!"
Batrek, a student from White Tiger Tower, shouted from outside.
Coming from a family renowned for alchemy, Batrek was often called upon whenever alchemical expertise was needed in White Tiger Tower.
"Repelling potions only make the enemy uncomfortable enough to avoid you! If you charge in recklessly, they might power through it and attack anyway!"
"You should've—ugh—told us that—earlier—"
"Throw another potion!"
"Wouldn't that be pointless now?"
The black ooze potion they'd brought to track the quineae's position was useless in this pinned-down situation.
The excited monster spun the White Tiger Tower student around like a top, thoroughly drenching him in slobber before finally setting him down.
"Ugh... ughhh..."
"Everyone needs to be careful now."
The students, who had been brimming with confidence thanks to their pre-prepared potions, now wore tense expressions.
Batrek sighed and turned to Lee Han and Yoner.
"People really underestimate alchemy, don't they? Brewing potions is important, but knowing how to use them properly matters just as much. We went through the trouble of making these, and they can't even use them right."
"...True."
"Wh-what a shame."
Batrek failed to notice the subtle expressions on Lee Han and Yoner's faces.
The two were having a silent conversation with their eyes.
-Isn't it way too ineffective? I heard just the scent should make quineae back off.
-Did I mess up while brewing?
-I checked alongside you, and I don't think there were mistakes. No point dwelling on that now... Only one thing left to do.
-What should we do?
-Double down and play dumb.
-...?!
But surprisingly, it worked.
The students who entered afterward acted far more cautiously than the first one had.
They sprayed black ooze potion to track the charging quineae's position, dashed across the racecourse, dodged downhill...
As a result, the quineae grew confused while chasing and made mistakes. The students who saw this cheered.
"It's working! It's definitely working! Did you see the quineae mess up just now?!"
"So that's how you use repelling potions!"
"Wardanaz really knows his stuff."
"???"
Professor Lightning Step, who had been grading Batrek's praise, was dumbfounded.
That had nothing to do with the repelling potion!
'That Wardanaz brat could sell a fake that doesn't work and still...!'
"...Wardanaz. Your turn."
Lee Han cautiously stepped into the racecourse.
Having realized the repelling potion was ineffective, he was naturally tense.
'Track it by sound. If it gets close, spray the black ooze potion.'
Quinee were docile but loved to play. Though their turns were slightly slow, once they built up speed in a straight line, they were hard to evade.
In other words, preventing them from gaining speed was key to dodging.
Which meant...
'Scare it as much as possible.'
Direct attacks were off-limits.
If they angered the normally gentle monster, they'd just get smacked and sent flying.
Just enough to make it hesitate and sense danger.
Whoosh—
As Lee Han summoned flames, Professor Lightning Step let out a chuckle.
Seeing the Wardanaz make a mistake made him think, 'So even this kid is human after all.'
'Quinee aren't particularly afraid of flames, Wardanaz.'
Lee Han, having summoned the flames, focused his attention on the direction the Quinee was approaching.
-Don't come any closer.
An intense will.
Unbeknownst to Lee Han, his mana was naturally transforming into pressure and radiating outward, guided by his focus and will—precisely the kind of presence the Empire's swordsmen referred to as 'fighting spirit' or 'intimidation,' the very thing the Skeleton Principal had demonstrated to incoming students during enrollment.
Of course, it paled in comparison to the Skeleton Principal's seasoned and refined pressure, but the fact that a mere first-year student could emit such a thing was unbelievable.
'How is this possible?!'
Professor Lightning Step was so startled he nearly dropped the pen he was holding.
This wasn't something one could achieve simply by being smart or deeply knowledgeable about magic theory. It required transforming mana itself into a distinct property through instinctive senses—an ability more suited to mercenaries with extensive combat experience than mages.
Yet how could a Wardanaz...?
'Ah. Come to think of it, a Wardanaz might just be capable of that.'
As Professor Lightning Step reflected, he quickly came to understand.
Of course, the speed at which this had happened was absurd, but then again, nothing about what the Wardanaz was currently hearing or doing made much sense either.
Creep, creep—
The Quinee, sensing the pressure, began to retreat.
Not all monsters were equally sensitive to mana.
Some, like spirits, could detect even concealed mana and react warily, while others couldn't sense mana at all.
The Quinee, if one had to categorize it, belonged to the latter—a dull creature.
Yet even this Quinee could unmistakably feel the blatantly radiating pressure.
"It's... retreating!"
"See? It's because Wardanaz knows how to use potions properly that he gets results like this. That's what proper potion usage looks like."
The voice of Batrek boasting to his friends could be heard nearby.
Professor Lightning Step clicked his tongue and wrote down a score of 6 out of 5 on his paper.
Lee Han Wardanaz (6/5)
Next time, bring a tougher one. (Security note: Ensure Wardanaz never finds out.)
The Skeleton Principal's lectures were always filled with tension and novelty.
Even before the lecture had begun, the students sat with stiff faces, gripping their wands tightly, not a single idle word exchanged among them—ready to react the moment the classroom door opened and undead came pouring in.
Welcome, you iron-headed fools.
"Good day, Headmaster."
The students answered in unison.
The floating skull continued with an indifferent gaze.
Today's lecture begins. Repeat after me: I will not ambush visitors from outside and pick their pockets.
"...???"
"?????"
What's this? Am I being too soft and kind in my lectures?
"Uh... I will not ambush visitors from outside..."
"And pick their pockets?"
The students shouted in bewilderment. The Skeleton Principal yawned and spoke.
Again.
"I will not ambush visitors from outside and pick their pockets!"
"I will..."
Good. Now, use your wands to move the quill and write that down. How wonderful—magic training and a lesson in one.
Low curses could be heard scattered throughout the room.
Why waste mana moving a quill with a wand when you could just write with your hand?
Lee Han, however, picked up his wand without complaint. He had already been through far worse since the first semester.
"Headmaster. Why do we have to do this?"
Gainando grumbled as he asked.
The students of the White Tiger Tower looked at him with eyes full of respect.
Though they dismissed this prince as rude, thoughtless, and an uncouth brute who rolled knights in the mud and reeked of sweat, there were moments—like this—when he was worthy of admiration.
He's got some nerve!
Why do you have to write it? To engrave it in your minds, of course.
"It's common sense that you shouldn't ambush visiting guests and pick their pockets."
Yes. Exactly. I thought so too. Until your seniors proved otherwise.
"......"
"......"
A heavy silence swirled among the students.
Having seized control of the atmosphere with a single remark, the Skeleton Principal slowly continued his explanation.
Don't get too angry. Your juniors will be writing pledges that they'll never break the dormitory wards.
"Tch."
Lee Han clicked his tongue in pity.
But he didn't feel sorry.
It wasn't Lee Han's fault that the juniors hadn't arrived earlier.
Now. Write it again. Once you're done, the next part is this: <If I absolutely must ambush a guest and pick their pockets, I will ensure I'm not caught by covering my tracks thoroughly.>
"......"
One of the White Tiger Tower students couldn't hold back and asked,
"Honestly, isn't this something only the Wardanaz need to write?"
"Those shameless bastards—!"
The Blue Dragon Tower students seethed at the malicious slander.
"Have you forgotten how you used to gang up and ambush the Wardanaz?"
"These ambush-loving freaks! Those guys will join the Ambush Club the moment they become second-years!"
The White Tiger Tower students didn't back down either.
"We've been ambushed by the Wardanaz more than we've ambushed them."
"If we join the Ambush Club, that Wardanaz bastard will probably join the Robbery Club, won't he?"
'Since when were the White Tiger Tower students so quick with their words?'
The Skeleton Principal found it fascinating.
Traditionally, the White Tiger Tower had always been full of those whose fists moved faster than their tongues, but strangely, quite a few seemed to have developed sharp tongues—likely because of the Wardanaz.
Enough of this ugly squabbling. And honestly, the Wardanaz don't even need to write this pledge.
"Huh?? Why not?"
A White Tiger Tower student asked, his voice thick with resentment and indignation.
Was it because he was the Wardanaz's favored pupil?
The Wardanaz are already experts at covering their tracks after ambushing others. No need to emphasize it.
"......"
"......"
For a brief moment, the White Tiger Tower students glanced at Lee Han with something resembling guilt.
Lee Han answered with a stern expression.
"That is malicious slander."
After the lecture, the Skeleton Principal called Lee Han aside for a moment.
Planning to ambush someone?
"...No."
Not right now, but do you have plans to?
"No."
Even after seeing the incoming guests, you still don't feel the slightest greed?
"As a student of Einrogard, why would I ever attack a guest visiting our school?"
Lee Han's protests didn't even reach the Skeleton Principal's ears.
Strange... The first-years should be severely lacking in resources by now. Why is he so composed?
"If I don't have something, I'll just live without it. Better that than ambushing guests."
That wasn't true, of course.
Come the weekend, Lee Han planned to slip out and return with his pockets stuffed to the brim.
His confidence came from knowing he had a way out!
Didn't you ignore me when I said the same thing in your first semester?
The Skeleton Principal asked, sounding genuinely puzzled.
When I told you to abandon your friends and live well for yourself, you vomited nonsense like, 'My friends are me and I am my friends! Friendship is my everything!'...
"...I didn't answer like that, though."
Close enough. Anyway, fine. We'll see if any robbed mages show up complaining... Have you been working with bones?
"Bones?"
Lee Han tilted his head before recalling Professor Mortum's lectures.
It seemed word of his undead control and Bone Explosion Magic had reached the Headmaster.
"If you mean Bone Explosion Magic, I've been practicing."
...No. Not that.
"Not that...? Are there others?"
......
The Skeleton Principal stared at Lee Han as if he were insane.
The precious bones from the palace. Surely you haven't forgotten about them?
"Ah."
Only then did Lee Han remember the bones he had extorted from the Ghoul King.
"I've been too busy."
Too busy for what? All students are busy.
"Haha."
Should I kill him?