Episode 444
Episode 444
Just as the students were struggling to navigate through the storm-ravaged Einrogard, the professors weren't having an easy time either.
Of course, the professors weren't being swept away by the currents or left adrift like the students.
A mage of professor-level skill wouldn't be affected by a flood of this magnitude.
The problem was...
"......"
Professor Lightning Step stared down at the waves with a troubled expression.
Where the racecourse the students had painstakingly built should have been, there was now only open sea.
"Well... I'm sure the Headmaster didn't do this on purpose."
Professor Thunder Step cautiously spoke up while gauging the elder's mood. Of course, his words weren't much of a comfort.
"Enough. Let's just think of a solution. What about your cabin?"
"My cabin is... a bit different."
Professor Thunder Step hesitated before answering.
Unlike Professor Lightning Step, who had spent time as an adventurer before coming to Einrogard, Professor Thunder Step was a seasoned veteran who had lived at the academy for a long time.
Naturally, he had prepared for natural disasters like this—his cabins were enchanted accordingly.
In the case of a flood, rather than resisting the force of the water, the cabins, basements, and attached livestock pens were designed to float away naturally.
Once the flood subsided, they could simply be retrieved and relocated.
But a massive racecourse was an entirely different matter.
If they tried to prepare it now...
"We'd need to summon something to block the water, evaporate what's already flooded in, dry out the soaked ground, and maintain all of that throughout this week's exam period."
"Can you do it?"
"......"
Professor Thunder Step gave him a look that said, Are you serious?
Pulling off large-scale magic like that would be difficult for a single mage.
The extreme mana consumption alone would be staggering, not to mention the rare reagents, complex spell formulas...
There was no way they could do all that just for one exam.
"I have exams to take too, you know..."
"Hmph. Fine. I'll just have to change the exam. After all that preparation."
"Save it for the finals."
"Then what about the material I prepared for the finals?"
"Just test them on both at once?"
Professor Thunder Step casually suggested something that would have made Lee Han stab him in the back if he'd heard it.
Professor Lightning Step's expression shifted, intrigued.
"It would be a shame to just let it go to waste..."
"Exactly."
Professor Thunder Step eagerly agreed, playing the sycophant. He was relieved that the elder's mood seemed to be improving.
"But I'm still hesitant about changing the exam content. The students aren't familiar with aquatic creatures."
"Oh, come on. They're plenty smart."
Professor Thunder Step kept egging him on, afraid that Professor Lightning Step might change his mind and make him suffer instead.
Any Einrogard student worth their salt should be able to handle a sudden assignment on befriending underwater creatures in a newly formed sea.
"I heard from Professor Garcia that the students have already learned Underwater Breathing Magic."
"Still... Hmm..."
While Professor Lightning Step was lost in thought, the Skeleton Principal spun rapidly through the air in the distance.
Seeing this, Professor Thunder Step was shocked.
'Wow. He must be furious!'
For someone who normally flew with dignified grace to be spiraling through the air like that—he wasn't just mildly annoyed.
What in the world had happened?
"What's going on?"
Ah! Professor Thunder Step! Listen to me!
The Skeleton Principal vented his grievances and explained everything that had transpired.
If you haven't finalized the exam yet, multiply the difficulty several times over! Make them pay for what they did to my Tanjuer!
"Ah, yes. How unfortunate."
Professor Thunder Step half-heartedly nodded along, letting the words go in one ear and out the other.
Honestly, the professors at Einrogard didn't have much sympathy when the Skeleton Principal got outplayed by a student.
For one, it was an extremely rare occurrence...
...and frankly, he usually had it coming.
'Who's this supposed to benefit?'
Professor Thunderstep had absolutely no intention of changing the exam content. Above all, it was too bothersome.
"But how did you get your hands on the Tanjuer reagent? Did you spill it on the roadside or something?"
No! I left it in the faculty lounge, and that brat took it!
"Wow! That kid's really impressive—"
The Skeleton Principal glared at Professor Thunderstep, who quickly changed his tune.
"—ly terrible! Ha! Where did he learn such wicked tricks?!"
If you find out how that brat managed to take it, do report it to me.
"Hmm... He might have made a deal with Professor Verdus."
Professor Thunderstep spoke whatever came to mind.
Among the professors, Professor Verdus was the only one he could think of who might strike a deal with Lee Han.
I knew it! That damn Biblle—!
As the Skeleton Principal grumbled and disappeared, Professor Thunderstep called for Professor Lightning Step again.
"Don't pay too much attention to what the Headmaster said."
"The students are riding around on Tanjuer?"
"Huh? Oh. Seems like it. Those kids, really. Quite resourceful. Wonder who they learned it from, haha."
"Hmm..."
Professor Lightning Step nodded as if he'd made up his mind.
"Right. They should be capable of that, shouldn't they?"
"......"
Professor Thunderstep was slightly taken aback by Professor Lightning Step's words.
Wait...?
'Just because that Wardanaz kid is riding Tanjuer around, does it really make sense for all the students to take an exam of matching difficulty?'
"Why aren't you answering?"
"It's perfectly reasonable!"
Professor Thunderstep quickly agreed to avoid further hassle.
After all, it was the students who'd have to suffer through it.
"So the remaining test today is the advanced mount training exam?"
"It's evening now? Let's rest first!"
The students who had returned to the library shivered and rushed toward the fireplace.
Even with the protection of Tanjuer, the massive spirit beast, they couldn't completely block out the water.
Moreover, the stormy weather made the autumn chill even more biting.
"Hey, is it okay to burn this much?"
"The firewood's fine—"
Crash—
Before the words could even finish, Lee Han and the Black Turtle Tower students dumped a fresh pile of large wooden pieces into the corner.
Their friends were startled at the sight of the perfectly dry, moisture-free lumber.
"Where did you get that?!"
"We brought the classroom desks and chairs!"
Ratford proudly declared. Lee Han suddenly felt a twinge of embarrassment.
'Did we really need to specify where we got them?'
Lee Han could sustain the fire with mana instead of firewood, but he couldn't always be around.
Besides, there were just too many students. No matter how much firewood they secured, it was never enough.
'Should we raid a few more classrooms?'
"Wardanaz. I saw something strange earlier..."
"What is it?"
"There was a floating cabin. But it looked completely intact, like it was protected by magic."
"There's something like that?? That's amazing. Must be a cabin from somewhere in the school..."
Lee Han made his decision without hesitation.
"Let's go get that cabin later. We'll dismantle it for parts. If it's magically protected, there must be plenty of useful stuff inside."
"Can we even take it?"
"With Tanjuer's abilities, it should be possible."
From afar, Tanjuer let out a sorrowful spray of water.
"Wardanaz. Come eat."
The White Tiger Tower students, who had arrived earlier and prepared the meal, called for Lee Han.
Lee Han lined up with his Blue Dragon Tower friends to receive soup. A thick, bubbling stew in a large iron pot emitted a mouthwatering aroma.
"...Gah! It's poison!"
When Gainen screamed after one bite, the Blue Dragon Tower friends panicked.
"Hey, it's not poison."
"It's just that there aren't enough ingredients, so it's bland. And you know the White Tiger guys can't cook to begin with."
"......"
"......"
The White Tiger Tower students glared at their friends.
After spending the break at the knight order's building, they had cooked using their hard-earned secret techniques—and this was the thanks they got...?!
"Typical nobles, always so spoiled."
"Must be all that grease coating their tongues."
"If you wanted tasty food, why'd you even come to Einrogard? Hmph."
"N-no, don't get the wrong idea. Gainando was just talking nonsense."
"We actually enjoyed it. Sure, it's a bit meager, but that's because of the ingredients—can't be helped."
The Blue Dragon Tower students hurried to placate the White Tiger Tower students.
They had their own tasks to handle, and fighting wouldn't do any good. Besides, this was mostly Gainando's fault.
"Even the best chefs can't do much when ingredients are scarce."
"That's not true, though?"
Rengid, a student from the Black Turtle Tower and from a family of chefs, chimed in as he passed by.
"Look at Wardanaz. He makes things tasty even with limited ingredients. That's what makes a real chef. Excuses are just—"
"Hey... you tactless bastard...!"
"What, are you Gainando now? Huh? Are you Gainando?"
As the Blue Dragon Tower students berated him, Rengid floundered.
He was just stating the truth about cooking!
Still, thanks to the two taking the heat, the White Tiger Tower students calmed down.
"Of course we can't cook better than Wardanaz. He's from one of the great noble houses, after all."
"?"
The Blue Dragon Tower students tilted their heads in confusion.
'But...'
'We're also from...'
'Great noble houses...'
'And we can't cook either?'
'Shh. Keep it down.'
Meanwhile, Lee Han inspected the barricade while holding his bowl of soup.
"How's it look, Wardanaz? Think they can get through here?"
"Yeah. Good job."
"...Can't we increase the rations a bit? There's so much piled up..."
"No. Don't even think about it. Who knows how long this flood will last?"
Lee Han shut it down immediately.
"But since we have exams tonight, I'll make sure dinner's a bit more generous."
"!"
The White Tiger Tower students standing beside Lee Han brightened up instantly.
"Speaking of which—are we really riding Burning Puppies for the mount training exam?"
"That's what I heard. Absolutely certain."
The White Tiger Tower students insisted firmly.
A rumor had been circulating among the students since yesterday:
—The midterm exam for mount training is going to be on Burning Puppies!
They'd handled Burning Puppies during the first semester too.
Some students had spotted Professor Lightning Step transporting cages containing these creatures late at night.
Though, to be precise, calling them "puppies" was a bit of a stretch now.
"There was a Burning Puppy the size of a horse playing in its cage!"
"At that size, it's hardly a puppy anymore... Anyway, got it. I'll keep it in mind."
Lee Han tilted his head in confusion.
Could they really take the exam on Burning Puppies in this downpour?
"Maybe it's training to rescue Burning Puppies that fell into the water?"
"That's too cruel. What if the puppy dies?"
"...Wardanaz. Worry about us going into the water in this weather first..."
A pier had appeared on the water while no one was looking—one conjured by Professor Lightning Step.
The students disembarked from Tanjuer one by one. The spirit creature let out a mournful spray of water.
"Everyone's had it rough."
"Sniff..."
"Professor..."
The students' expressions twisted with emotion as they shook their heads.
But exams were exams, so they steeled themselves and prepared to pull out their carefully prepared flame-resistant gear.
Besides, in weather like this, flame monsters would be even weaker, right?
"Today's exam will test how well you handle aquatic creatures."
"?"
"...?"
"Burning Puppies are aquatic now?"
"Ah. Were you expecting Burning Puppies?"
Professor Lightning Step looked slightly apologetic.
"The heavy rain made that impractical. So the exam was changed."
"...What do we have to do, then? Fishing... it's fishing, right?"
Gainando stared pleadingly, as if begging for it to be fishing.
No one wanted to dive into that pitch-black water with the storm and darkness closing in.
"Fishing is one way, yes."
"I knew it...!"
"I've released aquatic creatures into the water. Catch one—any one. Just don't hurt them."
No sooner had Professor Lightning Step finished speaking than a massive fin sliced through the water's surface.
The students exchanged sorrowful glances.