Episode 447
Episode 447
"Wardanaz!"
When Lee Han paused momentarily despite needing to give commands, the other students called out to him in confusion.
Salko felt his heart sink, wondering if some problem had arisen.
"What is it? What's wrong..."
"Did pirates show up or something?"
Since when do pirates appear at school...
Tanjuer, who had been trying to just follow orders without speaking, couldn't hold back and interjected.
"My apologies. I was lost in thought for a moment. Pull!"
Lee Han pulled the rope together with his friends. Even though they'd all cast enhancement spells beforehand, dragging the cabin was no easy task.
'Hmm. I really should learn stronger enhancement magic.'
<Gonadaltes' Agile Footsteps> was an astonishingly versatile enhancement spell for a 1st Circle Magic that could be cast extremely quickly.
Most enhancement spells that simultaneously boosted strength, agility, and reflexes started from the 3rd Circle. The fact that the Skeleton Principal had compressed all that into a 1st Circle spell was a testament to his extraordinary genius.
But after spending so long at the magic school, Lee Han was gradually feeling the need for stronger magic.
'Even if it takes longer to cast and is a bit cruder, I need specialized magic.'
Just looking at the current situation, he needed an enhancement spell focused purely on physical strength.
'Something like <Power of the Pagoda-Holding Heavenly Hero> from the books would be perfect. But could I learn it...'
"Wo... Wardanaz. Don't you have any stronger spells?"
"My apologies. I don't have any suitable spells prepared right now."
"Hey! Don't talk nonsense! Even this spell has severe backlash after use!"
A White Tiger Tower student nearby scolded his friend.
Even <Gonadaltes' Agile Footsteps> caused quite severe muscle pain afterward.
'Ah. Enhancement spells like <Power of the Pagoda-Holding Heavenly Hero> would have even worse backlash.'
Lee Han belatedly realized the backlash of enhancement magic.
Spells that directly strengthened the body tended to have considerable side effects.
Seasoned mages used various spells to mitigate the impact and minimize backlash, but that was still beyond Lee Han's current level.
Moreover, his own mana reserves were so vast that such backlash rarely affected him.
'Well, no choice. If it's needed, I'll have to use it.'
Lee Han quickly concluded his deliberation.
His friends might suffer more, but that was just how things worked at Einrogard.
Thud, thud-thud-
Even with leather gloves and extra cloth wrapped around their hands, students began slipping and falling one by two as they pulled on the slippery Tanjuer.
"Don't rush!"
Salko shouted loudly.
In situations like this, the most important thing was not to panic.
Having worked with stonemason guild members on construction projects, he knew mistakes were inevitable.
The key was responding calmly.
"Just hold on! Whichever group finishes first will come help!"
Salko planned to rush over and assist as soon as his group finished properly.
But Lee Han was a step ahead.
Lee Han explosively expended mana, radiating it throughout his entire body to the point where water droplets around him evaporated upon contact with his mana.
The rope suddenly jerked violently as the cabin was pulled closer.
"Done! Hold on there!"
Having completed his group's task, Lee Han threw down the rope and ran toward the fallen students.
Watching this, Salko was impressed.
'That kid is a born worker!'
Someone like him should have been born into the Tutanta family rather than Wardanaz...
"Wardanaz. Why do you look so gloomy?"
"He must just be tired."
The students who had successfully hunted down the cabin returned to the library in high spirits.
But Lee Han's expression was far from satisfied.
"Well, you see..."
"??"
"...Never mind."
"How anticlimactic."
Lee Han started to speak but then stopped himself.
This hut was...
'This is Professor Thunderstep's hut!'
As Professor Thunderstep roamed the vast grounds of Einrogard to collect alchemy ingredients, even his student Lee Han didn't know exactly how many huts he owned.
But buildings constructed by the same person inevitably bear similarities.
This hut unmistakably belonged to Professor Thunderstep.
"Why won't this open?"
"The axe isn't working either."
"Step aside for a moment."
Lee Han approached the hut closely.
Crack!
Fortunately, the defensive magic broke using the method he'd learned from Valdororn. The students immediately smashed the door with their axes and entered.
"Woo... Waaahhhh!"
"T-this...! Look at this!"
The students who entered burst into exclamations.
Students resting on the other side of the library, curious about the commotion, came over.
"What is it? What's inside?"
The hut contained supplies any Einrogard student could only dream of.
Dwarf-style smoked ham and salted herring, eggs and rice, onions, wheat, raisins, plums, bananas, figs, along with ingredients like olive oil and salt, and even beer.
One White Tiger Tower student was moved to tears.
"Wardanaz. With this much, we could throw a feast, right?"
"...Y-yeah, go ahead."
After some hesitation, Lee Han quickly nodded at his friends' urging.
Under these circumstances, he felt bad for Professor Thunderstep but had no choice.
'I'll have to destroy the evidence.'
"Let's divide into teams. Team 1 retrieves the items inside. Team 2 completely dismantles the log cabin. Make it unrecognizable. We'll use it as firewood."
"Can't we just roughly chop it and dismantle it when we need to use it later?"
"No. We have to do it properly now."
"Ugh... What a hassle..."
Though grumbling, the students didn't refuse Lee Han's orders.
Lee Han inwardly sighed in relief.
If they finished quickly like this...
"Wait! Wardanaz!"
"?!"
When someone called him, Lee Han jumped in surprise.
"What is it?"
'Did they find out?'
If someone realized this was Professor Thunderstep's hut...
"We'll handle the dismantling, so you take charge of cooking!"
"Yeah! We're counting on you!"
"......"
"Did you guys hate our cooking that much?!"
The White Tiger Tower students who'd been on kitchen duty last time pouted and complained.
The students gathered in the library enjoyed a long-awaited feast.
Food piled so high that the makeshift table legs broke several times disappeared in an instant. The students voraciously bit into tender chunks of meat, roasted patiently over the bonfire until the insides melted.
When they saw a Gainen student stuffing his cheeks until they nearly burst with freshly baked flatbread, then screaming from the heat, the White Tiger Tower students whispered among themselves.
"Hey. The Blue Dragon Tower guys don't seem to have much better table manners than us, do they?"
"Right. Last time they made such a big deal about Wardanaz impressing the knight order, but they don't seem any different from us..."
Lee Han placed an additional pot of steamed rice with beans, onions, and meat on the table before sitting down.
'How satisfying.'
Not because the students were eating well.
Unlike first semester, he noticed students who didn't put down their books even while eating.
They were students who'd learned their lesson after being thoroughly beaten once during first semester.
"Hey! Why are you studying during a meal?!"
"It's rude to the Wardanaz who cooked... Ouch!"
Some students (typically from White Tiger Tower) spoke up only to get hit with a bone by Lee Han.
"Don't disturb others. You should be reading too."
"B-but we have swordsmanship lectures..."
Though they attended many lectures besides swordsmanship, their transparent excuse focusing only on swordsmanship made Lee Han speechless.
Seeing their friend get hit with a bone, the White Tiger Tower students who had been about to take out a polo ball to mess around quietly put it back away.
Watching this, Giselle pondered whether she should keep some bones handy for later.
"The great magical lineage... No. That sounds too dogmatic..."
Beside her, Yoner was frowning, chewing on her quill pen while deep in thought.
Curious, Lee Han asked,
"What class is this for?"
"Huh? Advanced Basic Literature. We have to draft a manifesto worthy of Einrogard..."
'Good thing I didn't take that class.'
Lee Han recoiled in distaste.
Though rumors had exaggeratedly spread that Lee Han attended every magical discipline, there were actually quite a few classes he avoided.
Courses like Introduction to Theater or Understanding Imperial Masterpieces—he'd never take those unless someone secretly submitted the application for him.
A good class was one where you could earn an A+ through logic, effort, and reason—not one that relied on emotional appeals.
"Got any ideas?"
"Hmm... Something like 'Pursuing freedom through constraint'... No. That's too gloomy to present openly."
"Huh? That's good though??"
Yoner brightened and jotted it down. Lee Han was baffled.
"You think that's good?"
Wasn't that the kind of slogan you'd expect in an imperial prison?
"Yeah. Can I submit this?"
"I mean, you can, but I really don't think it's a good phrase."
"No, it seems fine to me?"
Yoner nodded with absolute certainty. Lee Han briefly wondered if there was something wrong with his friend's sensibilities.
'Well, Yoner's older sister did have rather unconventional tastes too.'
Munch munch—
As students finished their meals and relaxed, a paper bird flew into the library.
"Attention students of Advanced Basic Summoning Magic. Due to weather changes at Einrogard, there will be alterations to the midterm exam."
At Professor Millay's voice, summoning students murmured and gathered before the bird.
But the bird wasn't done. Several more flew in.
"Attention students of Advanced Basic Swordsmanship..."
"Attention students of Advanced Basic Alchemy..."
"..."
"I've got nothing particular to announce, but I was bored so I sent this. Study hard, you iron-headed brats."
"......"
There was one odd paper bird, but the students were mildly moved by the professors' warm consideration.
When people normally treated you like garbage, even the smallest kindness could be touching.
"......"
But Lee Han hesitated, stuck in the middle.
He was taking so many classes that he didn't know where to stand.
"Wardanaz. I'll let you know, so just stay put."
"You stay seated!"
His friends quickly stopped him.
Their gazes were full of pity as they looked at Lee Han.
Professor Millay's exam was cozy and peaceful.
Gathered in a lecture hall with a fireplace, students wrote reports about the upcoming Boltzmann's Call festival in a warm, comfortable atmosphere.
"Some of you might be surprised. Compared to last semester's exams or what we've learned this term, this might seem too simple."
Professor Millay spoke while maintaining perfect posture.
"But you must understand that drafting documents like these is just as important as magic itself."
The era of mages holed up in remote towers conducting research had long since ended in antiquity.
Modern mages needed to consistently communicate and collaborate with others—and occasionally know how to coax gold coins from investors.
Otherwise, even the most brilliant research would struggle to progress.
"You'll realize it's not so easy once you try. Since it's your first time, here's some advice: don't dress it up pretentiously. Write honestly—what you felt during the festival, what was lacking, and how you'll improve in the future."
"......"
Listening, Lee Han fell into deep thought.
'...What even needs improving?'
With his limited perspective, nothing particularly came to mind about what needed further refinement.