Episode 430
Episode 430
As Lee Han stepped inside through the ladder, the priests quickly scrambled up after him.
Priest Siana cautiously surveyed the interior.
The spacious room exuded an antique atmosphere.
Vintage furniture, soft velvet curtains, and plush carpeting adorned the space, while a phonograph artifact with trumpet-shaped horns played music from somewhere.
"Ah. The only place this luxurious would be the professor's lounge..."
Priest Siana looked at Lee Han with an understanding expression.
He'd wondered how she knew this was the professor's lounge, but clearly she'd deduced it from the surroundings.
Truly a boy from the Wardanaz family.
"No. It says 'Professor's Lounge' right there at the entrance."
Professor's Lounge
-Absolutely no student entry permitted from founding until the end of the world! -
Osso Gonadaltes
"......"
"Aha."
The priests nodded as they read the brass plaque at the entrance.
It was undeniably the professor's lounge.
"So what do we do now?"
Priest Siana asked in a voice full of disappointment.
What were they supposed to do in a lounge like this, when it wasn't a warehouse or library?
"Huh? We take anything useful. Everyone, get your backpacks out."
Lee Han immediately pulled out his backpack and began sweeping up the professors' snacks.
It took less than a minute for all the tea leaves, coffee grounds, and various sweets in the lounge to disappear.
The priests watched in mesmerized expressions as he packed everything meticulously into his backpack with the skill of an experienced thief.
"Is there spatial magic at work here?"
"No. Just packed it neatly. Now that we've got food, next is reagents and artifacts. Look for anything useful."
"What about this phonograph artifact? Being able to listen to music in the dorm lounge would be an incredible luxury..."
"Nah. Too bulky. And listening to music won't fill our stomachs. Let's find something else."
Priests Nigisor and Siana both sulked simultaneously.
They'd wanted to pray while listening to music!
"I found a reagent box here."
"Excellent work, Priestess Dijiling. You've got a thief's talent."
"...Thank you? Wait, is it really okay to take all this? What if the professors need to use it..."
Holding the bronze box engraved with a small cauldron fragment, Priestess Dijiling hesitated.
She was worried about causing trouble for the professors by taking the entire reagent box from the lounge.
"If they need it, they'll find a way to get more. Just like we're doing now."
But Lee Han mercilessly packed the box into his backpack.
Students had to go out to get reagents when needed—why should professors be any different?
In fact, professors could just go out and buy more.
"If it was really important, they would've hidden it properly."
"Well said, Priest Nigisor."
Smack!
Lee Han and Priest Nigisor high-fived before moving on to search for items to permanently relocate.
"?"
As Lee Han moved through the passageway toward another room, he tilted his head in confusion.
'What's this?'
The room itself was just one of several in the lounge area, but...
There was something peculiar inside.
It was a wooden bulletin board standing alone in the room.
Monday
9:00~11:00
11:00~1:00
1:00~3:00
There's no break time!
Someone teach me how to cast Auto-Defense! I can't make progress like this!
Go eat shit, Vible
Looking for someone to lend me lecture hours.
Let me say it again—there's still no break time. If I see anyone trying to add more, I'm not joking, I'll file a complaint with His Majesty the Emperor.
...Everyone, please respect Professor Garcia's words.
'Is this the professors' class schedule?'
Lee Han fell into thought as he read the notes on the bulletin board.
Given the professors' names appearing, it seemed to be a lecture schedule, but some phrases didn't quite make sense.
'Is it some kind of professor code or slang I can't understand?'
Aside from the written memos, there were also a few erased ones.
Enchantment Magic is severely lacking.
Authentic Illusion Magic? (Not sure if they'll teach it)
Basic Telekinesis Control O
Water Element Advanced O
Lightning Element O
Frost Element O
Wait, you've done ALL of these???
Steel Transformation O
Rotation Attribute Enchantment △
Professor. Let's talk for a moment.
'Must be a list of advanced courses.'
That's what Lee Han thought, but for some reason, it bothered him strangely.
'What is it? It's too early to be preparing for this...'
Click—
With the sound of a turning doorknob, the door at the end of the lounge hallway opened, and Professor Garcia entered, carrying an armful of books.
"......"
"......"
"...I came here on an errand for Professor Verdus."
Had it not been for the priests standing behind him, Professor Garcia might have fallen for Lee Han's words.
That was how skilled the Wardanaz boy was at saying outrageous things with complete seriousness.
"Lee Han... what are you doing here?"
"If you give me time, I can explain."
"Never mind. I think I can guess even without an explanation."
Professor Garcia let out a deep sigh and set down the books he was carrying: <Conversation Techniques to Befriend Others Without Intimidating Them> and <Speech Methods of Fear-Inducing Species>.
"You came here while taking a nighttime stroll, didn't you?"
"Yes..."
"Even so, to barge into the professor's lounge without any fear..."
Professor Garcia didn't scold him too harshly.
Einrogard's eccentricities always exceeded expectations, and even the most skilled mages could occasionally get lost if they weren't familiar with the school.
A student wandering off during a nighttime stroll and ending up in an unusual place wasn't all that surprising.
Though this was the first time someone had made it to the professor's lounge...
"So how did you get here? Did you meet a headless knight in the hallway who offered to guide you? You really shouldn't trust that knight."
"......"
Lee Han silently vowed never to trust a headless knight if he ever met one in the nighttime corridors.
"I came through Spiderweb Lake."
"...You came through Spiderweb Lake!?"
Professor Garcia, startled, nearly dropped the books he had just picked up again.
This was truly unexpected.
"Do you even know what that place is!? Even boats sink there!"
"I made an ice raft with magic."
"Ah."
Only then did Professor Garcia belatedly recall just what kind of student Lee Han was.
Well, with his level of ability, it was entirely possible for him to find a way across Spiderweb Lake.
"How did you find your way? Did you get a map or something? The sirens must have harassed you, right?"
"......"
Lee Han silently vowed to bring earplugs or an artifact to block his ears the next time he visited <Spiderweb Lake>.
"Uh... there were no sirens. Apparently, all the water spirits fled because they're about to go berserk soon."
"Ah. It's already that time of year, huh?"
"?"
Lee Han was taken aback by how casually Professor Garcia accepted this.
"Professor. Um, as far as I know, Einrogard has an extremely powerful mana leyline... which means the spirits here are also incredibly strong, right? If spirits like that go berserk, wouldn't it cause a flood?"
Now it was Professor Garcia's turn to be taken aback.
"Ah. Right. Sorry. That might be inconvenient for students. You'd have to row boats to get to lectures."
"......"
"......"
The students, who had suddenly glimpsed their future, were dumbfounded.
They hadn't even imagined what would happen if a major flood hit Einrogard...
So that's how it would be!
"After spending enough time in Einrogard, you get used to strange things. After seeing a few floods, you just react like this. Sorry for being so nonchalant about it."
"Oh, no, it's fine."
"Wait. But who told you about this?"
When Professor Garcia asked curiously, Lee Han explained his encounter with the Bulsachil.
Professor Garcia's face brightened upon hearing the full story.
"Ah. So you met that Bulsalai? Cute, isn't it?"
"?"
Priest Nigisor and Priest Siana looked puzzled, but Lee Han jabbed each priest in the side with lightning-fast movements.
"Yes. It was cute."
"Eek. It's cute."
"Eugh. It was cute."
As everyone agreed, Professor Garcia seemed slightly excited.
"Normally, it's rare to see a Bulsalai raised to that level."
"Did you perhaps bring it here, Professor?"
"...Ah, no? What are you talking about, Student Lee Han?"
'Guess it wasn't the Professor.'
When Professor Garcia firmly denied it, Lee Han believed her.
Unlike the Skeleton Principal, Professor Garcia wasn't the type to lie.
"Anyway... So you came to gather supplies after hearing about the flood."
Professor Garcia looked at the students with a pitying expression.
Priestess Dijiling fidgeted with her lips, feeling guilty. They hadn't actually come because of the flood.
"The faculty lounge probably doesn't have much to gather anyway."
"That's right. What a shame."
"???"
The priests stared at Lee Han's noticeably heavier backpack.
'Didn't they gather quite a lot already?'
'Doesn't seem like it.'
"Everyone, wait a moment. I remember there were some waterproof fabrics somewhere."
Professor Garcia began rummaging through the lounge closet to find something for the students.
"Would seawater stones be useful? Though they might still be too difficult to use... Never mind. Student Lee Han would probably learn how to use them in no time, right?"
"Huh?"
"Other than that... There are some scrolls... Never mind. Student Lee Han would handle these just fine too."
"Huh??"
Lee Han raised his voice as if asking for an explanation, but Professor Garcia paid no attention.
Click—
When the sound of the lounge door opening came from the opposite side, Professor Garcia swiftly pulled all four students into a hug, stuffed them into the closet, shut the door, and cast a spell to erase their presence.
Even as he was being crammed into the closet at lightning speed, Lee Han couldn't help but admire Professor Garcia's magic.
'Amazing...!'
With just one motion of her staff, she tidied the messy surroundings and cast a concealment barrier over the closet to mask all traces of their energy.
"Th-this isn't bad, is it??"
Priest Siana whispered fearfully. Lee Han shook his head.
"It's fine as long as we haven't been caught yet."
"......"
His friends stared at the back of his head in shock, but Lee Han, preoccupied with what was happening outside the closet, didn't notice.
Professor Garcia. You're having a rough time.
"It's my pleasure."
So stop indulging these little brats' requests, will you?
"......"
Professor Garcia glanced at the closet, bothered by the Skeleton Principal badmouthing the other professors.
It was the Headmaster's hobby to casually insult other professors when bored, but doing so in front of students was somewhat embarrassing.
"Headmaster. Even so, the professors didn't have ill inten—"
No. Vible is evil. Just plain evil, I tell you. No matter how hard he tries to be good, he's evil.
"......"
What the—?
The Skeleton Principal looked puzzled as he noticed the empty tin can that should have contained tea leaves.
Not just that—the coffee grounds were completely gone too.
'Professor Garcia must be under a lot of stress.'
The Headmaster gave Professor Garcia a sympathetic look.
Professor Verdus would have regretted reusing tea leaves even three times, but for Professor Garcia, even gulping down a bucket of tea leaves would be fine.
It felt like just yesterday she was a small, struggling student, and now she's a full-fledged professor suffering under other professors...
Wait. Professor Garcia. Have you seen the Reagent Box? The bronze box with a small cauldron fragment engraved on it.
"Haven't seen it. What is it?"
I prepared it for the upcoming Spirit Flood... Damn it. Got it.
The Skeleton Principal made a bone-clattering sound as if he'd figured it out.
Professor Garcia tensed up.
Lee Han tensed up too.
Vible! That bastard, I swear! I told you not to touch other people's things!
"...Ah, isn't there a chance it's not him?"