Episode 426
Episode 426
Professor Verdus stared blankly at the Skeleton Principal.
Seeing his utterly clueless expression about what he'd done wrong, the Headmaster sighed first.
Vible, Vible... How many times have I told you?
"What?"
At least do the bare minimum of preparation. I'm not trying to interfere with your research. Just handle the basics, okay?
"But I did prepare hard?!"
Professor Verdus retorted with an indignant expression.
The Skeleton Principal suppressed his irritation and spoke again.
When I say to do the bare minimum of preparation... I don't mean making first-year students do all the work.
"But the others are all blockheads!"
The "others" Professor Verdus referred to were his so-called disciples—the seniors learning Enchantment Magic under Lee Han!
Normally, these seniors should have been assisting Professor Verdus with lecture preparations and teaching juniors, but...
As you know, in the Empire's magical society, disciples tend to resemble their masters.
The students who remained under a professor like Verdus to continue studying Enchantment Magic could only be... well, similar to Verdus himself.
-No idea what the professor's up to, but I'll just make my artifact.
-The professor got sent to the Punishment Room? No wonder there's an extra chair. Guess I'll use it then.
Since Professor Verdus didn't particularly expect heartfelt respect from his disciples either, their relationship was less like a traditional master-disciple bond and more like fellow mages sharing a workshop.
Actually, it was even worse than that. At least workshop mages would show some concern if one of them disappeared.
There was no way those seniors would help out. If Verdus called them, they'd most likely ignore him without even responding.
They're not blockheads—you just taught them to be that way.
"If they weren't blockheads, they'd have done well on their own regardless of how I taught them. Look at Wardanaz."
......
The Skeleton Principal felt a headache coming on for the first time in a while.
Whether it was Professor Voladi looking at Lee Han and thinking "See, my teaching methods weren't wrong," or Professor Verdus looking at Lee Han and thinking "See, he's doing well on his own, so the other blockheads must be the problem," these guys were truly...
Such people should be left alone to taste bitter failure, but it was utterly galling to see them puffing up with pride just because they happened to get one crazy-talented student.
Shut up and prepare everything for second-years and above by yourself.
"But Wardanaz is capable enough to—"
I know. That's exactly why.
"But why?"
Because I can't stand watching you dump work on your student and relax.
The Skeleton Principal spoke bluntly.
Professor Verdus stared at him, unable to believe he'd harbor such malicious thoughts.
"Professor. Don't change the subject. Do you really think I'd prepare everything alone? Quick, the reagents... Huh? Headmaster? What are you doing?"
Telling him not to make you handle upperclassmen lecture preparations.
"Haha. Don't joke around."
Lee Han scoffed as if the idea was ridiculous.
That reaction made the Skeleton Principal reflect slightly on his actions.
"Huh?"
"Strange?"
Students taking Enchantment Magic were startled by the unusually prepared classroom.
Each seat had books ready in advance, magic circles prepared for indirect spell experience, and neatly arranged reagents and metals perfect for magic testing.
Seeing this, the students logically concluded:
"Did we enter the wrong classroom?"
"But the professor's right there?"
Beaver beastfolk weren't common among beastfolk. The students looked around in confusion.
"Wardanaz. Do you know what's going on?"
As always in these situations, everyone turned to Wardanaz, the fastest source of information. Friends asked hoping he might know something.
Lee Han nodded and explained:
"Today's Enchantment Magic lecture isn't about engraving magic circles—it's about direct spell casting. Since the difficulty spikes, auxiliary magic circles, reference books, and practice materials have been prepared."
The method of directly engraving magic circles onto objects was a kind friend that reduced the labor of mages preparing complex spells.
Of course, memorizing incantations to cast enchantments significantly increased the difficulty level.
Having to manually construct the mana framework—which would normally be carved into a magic circle one step at a time—while simultaneously reciting the spell made it even harder.
"I see... Wait. Wardanaz. How do you know all this?"
"He's a Wardanaz. You can tell just by looking."
"I prepared it."
"......"
"......"
"I said I prepared it."
"Uh, uh-huh."
Lee Han's friends suddenly grew solemn at his words.
No wonder they hadn't seen anything...
'Is it normal for a first-year to prepare something like this?'
'How could it be normal? Even as someone from a knightly family, I can tell this isn't standard.'
'But honestly, isn't this better prepared than what Professor Verdus would've done?'
The whispering White Tiger Tower students had to admit—it was true.
Professor Verdus's style, to put it bluntly, was irresponsible. And to put it nicely... No, there was no nice way to put it.
Had Verdus prepared today's lecture, the students would've had to start by digging through the bookshelves for the right reference material, rummaging through wooden crates in the supply room, pulling out usable magic circles, accidentally setting their clothes on fire in the process, and getting scolded by Verdus...
"Wardanaz. Are you going to be the one preparing things from now on?"
"...What exactly are you implying?"
The White Tiger Tower student who had spoken with hopeful eyes shrank back at the murderous tone.
"N-no! I was just... curious."
As always, the basics began with the elements.
No matter which school of magic, foundational teachings were often intertwined with elemental principles.
After all, elemental attributes were the most familiar and comfortable for mages.
What mage wasn't well-acquainted with fire, water, wind, and earth?
Of course, there were the occasional mages who specialized more in lightning or darkness, but those were truly exceptional cases...
"Watch closely. Like this."
Professor Verdus swung his staff, and a plain wooden board suddenly burned red-hot. When he splashed water on it, a loud hissing sound erupted.
Lee Han spoke up.
"Professor. You didn't recite the incantation."
"Huh? I don't need to recite it."
"...Wouldn't it be better to let the students hear it?"
Professor Verdus managed to infuriate the students in a different way than when he carved magic circles.
He blamed the students' lack of skill for their inability to perform silent incantations and reluctantly recited the spell.
"O heat, conceal thy form and dwell within."
This <Latent Heat Enchantment> was deceptively difficult despite its plain appearance.
It wasn't just about imbuing fire—it required stripping away certain traits from the fire element, leaving behind nothing but pure heat.
And, of course, that heat had to be embedded into an object.
Since all of this had to be done without a magic circle, relying solely on the incantation, the students couldn't help but grimace.
"And once you've done that, next comes this."
Professor Verdus went on to explain additional enchantments that could be cast instantly—without a magic circle.
Just like the <Latent Heat Enchantment> he had just demonstrated, Verdus preferred spells that weren't just simple elemental enchantments but took things one step further.
Not out of consideration for the students' improvement—but simply because he despised boring magic on principle.
After <Latent Heat Enchantment> came <Enchantment of Truth's Light>.
Typically cast on staves, this spell amplified the light element's detection properties.
In other words, it continuously emitted light useful for detecting hidden passages or illusion magic.
"!"
"!!!"
Scritch-scratch-scritch-scratch—
The students' eyes widened, and the speed of their quills increased.
Those who had ever tried sneaking out after dark immediately grasped just how useful this spell was.
Einrogard had so many secret passages and traps that it might as well be renamed Einro-Dungeon.
It was bad enough that students wouldn't go alone to classrooms on the second floor or higher—they'd travel in groups.
Given that, it was no surprise the students were salivating over such a spell.
'Preparing the <Latent Heat Enchantment> was way more annoying. These little brats.'
Lee Han could understand their feelings, but he felt slightly disappointed.
After all, the Latent Heat Enchantment spell required considerably more preparation materials.
Professor Verdus then introduced other spells like <Windproofing Enchantment> (a defensive magic that created a barrier of wind around equipment, deflecting weak projectiles and altering the trajectory of stronger ones) and <Essence Enchantment> (a spell that imbued cloth with the ability to remove toxins from liquids).
"Lord Wardanaz, I have a question about casting this <Enchantment of Truth's Light>. Should I perform elemental conversion first and then apply the enchantment, or—"
"...Uh, the professor is right there, you know."
"Ah. Have you perhaps not learned it yet?"
Rowena looked genuinely surprised, as if the thought had never crossed her mind. Her expression clearly showed she hadn't even considered the possibility that Lee Han might not have mastered it yet.
"I have learned it, but the professor is right there."
'So he has learned it.'
'He has learned it, huh?'
The White Tiger Tower students practicing nearby thought to themselves.
Well, given that he had helped the professor prepare the lesson, it would've been stranger if someone of Wardanaz's caliber hadn't learned it.
"But the professor is a bit..."
Rowena was among the more honorable (self-proclaimed) knights of the White Tiger Tower.
So while she didn't elaborate further, everyone present could read between the lines.
"Mm. Yeah, he is a bit... you know."
Lee Han gave up and decided to just explain it himself.
Truthfully, thanks to practicing while preparing with Professor Verdus, he had reached a point where he could use it to some extent.
"Just keep in mind that my method isn't necessarily the absolute correct way. First, the light element, then elemental attribute conversion, then the enchantment. That order worked best for me. One thing to watch out for when enchanting is that since you're not borrowing the power of a magic circle, the mana consumption might be severe."
"How severe is the mana consumption?"
"No idea. I don't feel it. The book just says it's heavy."
"......"
"......"
The White Tiger Tower students stared pointedly at Lee Han, but he ignored them.
"So don't invest too much mana into the light element or attribute conversion. Spells cast this way are inherently weaker in effect anyway. Think of it as sacrificing power for speed and casting time..."
"Thank you."
Rowena bowed her head slightly.
Clearly, Lee Han's teaching had an effect, as her progress became visibly noticeable. Then, another White Tiger Tower student spoke up.
"Wardanaz. Can I ask you something too?"
"Eh? Then me too."
"...Fine, but let me practice a bit first."
"?!"
"?!?"
The White Tiger Tower students were startled.
Even Professor Verdus was startled.
"What?! You haven't learned them all yet?!"
"...It's possible I haven't mastered some..."
Lee Han suppressed the urge to say 'you little—'.
If it had just been the White Tiger Tower students, he might've let it slip.
"Why haven't you learned them yet?!"
"Just ignore the professor."
"You hold back, Wardanaz."
The White Tiger Tower students desperately tried to calm Lee Han down.
If he lost his temper, they would be the ones to suffer.
Asking Professor Verdus for help would only result in him teaching them like dogs anyway...
"But seriously, what haven't you learned yet? The Wind Barrier spell?"
"I've never seen Wardanaz use wind element, now that I think about it."
"Is it earth element? Wardanaz, if you're curious about something, just ask."
Salko, another Tower student, also turned his gaze curiously.
"<Latent Heat Enchantment>."
"?"
"??"
His friends tilted their heads in confusion.
Professor Verdus also tilted his head.
"That's the easiest one, you dumb—"
"People can struggle with anything, okay?!"
The White Tiger Tower students desperately tried to steer the conversation away from disaster.
"It's surprisingly tricky! Even I had trouble getting it to take! Making it adhere to materials that don't normally hold enchantments is sneakily difficult..."
"But it does adhere."
"Huh?"
His friends looked puzzled.
If heat could be imbued in <Latent Heat Enchantment>, what exactly was the problem?
"Then where are you stuck? Tell me, Wardanaz. Maybe I can hel—"
Lee Han swung his staff.
Then, from within, the staff began to burn with a fierce glow.
Not because he had directly applied flames, but because the heat had grown unbearable until it ignited from the inside.
"...Never mind."
"H-Hang in there!"