Episode 482
Episode 482
When the boy from the Wardanaz family, who had been responding gently and kindly to everything until now, asked with chilling coldness, the hunters of the Shadow Patrol were taken aback.
"What do you mean...?!"
"Do we look like that kind of people to you?"
"We did it because we genuinely liked them!"
"Hah... Wait a moment and come back here."
Lee Han called the hunters who had been standing by the ship's railing.
Pressed by the undeniable authority Lee Han displayed, the Shadow Patrol members hesitated before approaching.
"Now. The difference between this arrow and that arrow is..."
Lee Han explained even more enthusiastically than before.
The difference between an arrow he'd just enchanted on the spot and one from the workshop that came pre-enchanted with the Zenbaya Magic Series.
The former, where he'd forcibly layered magic by violently pouring mana, versus the latter, where multiple layers of magic were perfectly calculated and stacked without the slightest instability...
"......"
"......"
Of course, the Shadow Patrol hunters didn't understand a single word.
'Do you understand any of that?'
'No...'
'You can read letters, so why don't you get it?'
'This doesn't sound like Imperial language.'
After finishing his lengthy speech, Lee Han asked:
"Do you understand now?"
"...Yes...No?"
Afraid Lee Han might launch into another explanation, the hunters hastily shouted:
"Magician! We... uh... understand your splendid theory about magic's... luster."
"...It's not luster but mana color application..."
"But truly, we're not lying—these arrows are better. Look carefully! Heavier, faster, penetrates deeper—isn't that what makes a good arrow!"
They hurriedly pulled out an arrow and shot it into a distant reef.
Then they took out one of the Maykin Family's arrows for comparison.
Surprisingly, the arrow Lee Han had just enchanted really did embed itself deeper.
The Shadow Patrol hunters looked at the mage with triumphant eyes.
Surely this would convince...
"Didn't you draw my arrow with more strength and theirs with less?"
"......"
"......"
The Shadow Patrol hunters felt the same absurdity as Nilia.
"Let me try shooting them."
"You know how to use a bow, Magician?"
"I learned from Nilia."
"Pfft... Huh?"
The hunters, about to laugh at what they thought was a joke, were startled when they saw Lee Han's stance.
The distinctive bow-handling posture was identical to how the Shadow Patrol taught it.
Huh?
Wait...?
"Y-you're really close with Nilia?"
"What nonsense... Unless she threatened them with a drawn bow, how could that even happen?"
"I tried that last time I went down to the village—adventurers just ran away. All I did was ask them to drink with me..."
"Maybe I should've aimed more precisely? Nilia probably aimed properly."
As the hunters murmured behind him, Lee Han focused on the bow.
Drawing the string on a rapidly moving ship required absolute concentration, even with enchanted arrows.
Thunk!
"!"
After shooting both arrows, Lee Han was astonished.
Really...?
'The arrow I enchanted went deeper!'
"...Magician! What did we tell you!"
"We said these were genuinely better!"
The hunters cheered as if they'd been waiting for this.
"Hurry up and enchant them!"
"If you can do it, why make such a fuss!"
They grumbled incessantly about Lee Han's theatrics.
Just as they'd thought—mages always pretend they can't do things they actually can.
That mage in the village probably could've enchanted arrows too but made excuses because it was bothersome.
"Normally this doesn't work so well... It's just luck that the spells needed for these arrows happen to be ones I can use, and I'm forcing it with my current power—normally stacking this many spells would cause instability..."
"We completely understand!"
"Thank you, Magician!"
The hunters reached their own understanding.
-Ah, so all mages can do it but pretend to be humble like this.
Professor Thunderstep, who had been intently focused on locating the Sangoria flowers from the bow, glanced back in surprise.
Somehow, Lee Han had already become friendly with the Shadow Patrol hunters and was mingling with them.
He knew the boy had good social skills, but honestly, he was shocked.
'Is that kid really from the Wardanaz family...?'
"Wardanaz. What are you talking about so animatedly?"
"I was enchanting their arrows, Professor."
"I see. ...Wait. Didn't you receive arrows from them?"
"They said my magic was better..."
"......"
Professor Thunderstep, who had been about to bury his nose in the map again, stared at Lee Han with an appalled expression.
What in the world was he doing?!
"Found one. Steer the ship that way."
"Turn the bow!"
The southern coastal area of the city was an archipelago with large and small reefs and islands tangled in complex formations.
As such, there were many monsters lurking about, and a single wrong turn could lead to sudden disaster—getting caught in the currents and shipwrecked.
Fortunately, the sailors piloting the high-speed ships provided by the Maykin Family were all veterans among veterans. They maneuvered the ships without hesitation even at Professor Thunderstep's abrupt request.
"Impressive. To turn the ship so skillfully..."
"Haha. It's nothing compared to the hunters' requests."
"......"
Professor Thunderstep opened his mouth to say something but stopped.
Professor Lightningfoot, who had been watching beside him, asked,
"Is it really on this island?"
"Yes. The Poisonbird is flying overhead. Since it loves Sangoria flowers, it must be hunting for them. If we search through the bushes, we'll find it."
"Understood. We should anchor briefly and ask the hunters to clear the surroundings."
Professor Lightningfoot scanned the area.
Though it seemed calm for now, there was plenty to do.
From the monsters lying in wait beneath the water to those on the island—they all needed to be dealt with so that fishermen and gatherers could come and go safely later.
"Shadow Patrol members... Wait. Wardanaz, what exactly are you doing?"
Professor Lightningfoot was taken aback to see Lee Han mingling with the hunters, practicing archery.
Some hunters were even offering him leather flasks, urging him to try the northern liquor.
Getting along was good, but wasn't this too fast?
"Enchanting arrows and practicing archery..."
"R-right. I don't see how those connect, but... Anyway, everyone. We'll need you to clear the area now."
"!"
The Shadow Patrol hunters, who had been waiting, sprang up from the deck in an instant.
Just moments ago, they had been lounging around in shabby clothes, chatting idly—now they radiated a razor-sharp intensity.
"Let's begin."
"Jalbahr, cover my rear. Andaltan, take the opposite side."
"Hold on."
Professor Voladi raised a hand and spoke.
The hunters, who had been grabbing their bows and spears to leap down, froze mid-motion and turned to the mage.
The Shadow Patrol respected strength, and in that regard, this vampire mage was more than worthy of respect.
"What is it?"
"Don't clear the monsters on the island."
"!"
The hunters' expressions darkened.
"Is there some information we're missing?"
"What's hiding there that we should avoid—"
"Wardanaz will clear them."
"......"
"......"
"......"
The atmosphere turned icy.
Not just Lee Han, but even the Shadow Patrol hunters were bewildered, whispering among themselves.
"What does that mean?"
"That Wardanaz mage over there is saying he'll take care of the island's monsters... alone?"
"By himself? Did we mishear?"
Even the hunters wouldn't send a rookie alone onto an island to die.
That wasn't something a hunter would say—it was the talk of a madman.
Sensing the chill in the air, Professor Thunderstep cleared his throat.
'Damn it. This is why I hate leaving Einrogard.'
Outside Einrogard, every action of other mages had to be scrutinized carefully.
Otherwise, the atmosphere turns icy like this.
"It seems there was some misunderstanding, Professor Bagrak. Isn't that right?"
Professor Thunderstep desperately blinked his eyes while speaking.
He desperately hoped Professor Voladi would understand his intention.
-I know you want to train the Wardanaz boy, but there'll be plenty of other chances! Let's just let this one go—it looks too strange!
But Professor Voladi remained cold.
"Did you hurt your eye?"
"...No... Just... got some dust in it."
Professor Thunderstep quickly gave up.
Well, there was no way that Professor Bagrak would listen to Thunderstep's words anyway.
"And there was no misunderstanding."
"Yes... None at all..."
Beside them, Professor Lightning Step looked at Thunderstep with utter disdain.
Thunderstep thought he would've grabbed the man by the collar if he weren't an elder from his own clan.
"Let's go in."
"Yes."
Lee Han answered with a completely expressionless face.
It was a reaction possible only because he had already resigned himself, but to those present, it looked different.
'He's just accepting it like that!?'
'Just what kind of people are Einrogard's mages...!?'
Not just the sailors or hunters—even Professor Thunderstep and Professor Lightning Step found it bizarre.
'They say students grow to resemble their masters.'
'Has he learned so much from Professor Bagrak that something like this doesn't even scare him anymore?'
Both dwarves thought they would've attacked immediately if Lee Han had said such things.
Once Professor Voladi and Lee Han set foot on the island, one fact became clear to them.
That Lee Han's skills had improved significantly.
"Water, heed me!"
Mages skilled in water manipulation always become more powerful when water is present nearby.
And for someone like Lee Han, who could forcibly wring water from empty space even when none existed, the advantage was even greater.
Lee Han summoned seawater to immediately form a barrier, lowered his stance, then sent illusions to both sides before focusing his mind to spin the water rapidly.
Swishhh!
It still took some time, and the rotation wasn't perfect yet, but he could clearly feel it was much faster than before.
And above all...
'Even if the rotation isn't perfect, the power is more than enough!'
The water orb shot forward lethally and struck the carnivorous plant that had just attacked Lee Han.
The spinning water orb blasted away a wider area than its point of impact, like a cannonball. The carnivorous plant's sharp bud was obliterated in a single strike.
"Well done."
Professor Voladi spoke with faint satisfaction.
"Your skills have improved."
"Thank you."
Even Lee Han himself felt proud of his progress.
He hadn't just been practicing rotation—Professor Voladi had piled on advanced training as punishment for attending other schools' lectures.
"But you must reduce the time further."
"Yes."
"Do all mages train like that?"
"Too horrifying. Why do those Empire bastards scare kids by threatening to send them to the northern mountains if they don't obey? Compared to that, our patrol doesn't seem like much."
"......"
Lee Han averted his gaze.
The hunters on a nearby boat, who had been handling monsters, were whispering among themselves.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
Lee Han almost told Professor Voladi, 'Those outsiders have strange preconceptions,' but stopped himself.
There was no point in saying it anyway.
"Wait."
Professor Voladi went ahead to check something, then returned.
"It's a good opportunity to test <Bagrak's Instant Foresight>. There's a Seed-fragment Vine up ahead."
Seed-fragment Vine.
A plant-type monster Lee Han had only read about in books—one that fired seeds like irregular shrapnel.
Since <Bagrak's Instant Foresight>, a combat-oriented divination spell, worked best when the caster already had some understanding of the enemy...
"...Become steel, my cloak."
Lee Han prepared to take a few hits as he strengthened his defenses.
Though his desperate hope was to at least get hit gently, the Shadow Patrol hunters watching from afar saw it differently.
"As expected, mages who can wield magic don't fight like normal people either."
"That Empire mage who came to the mountains before kept whining about how he couldn't fight—what a liar! I won't fall for that kind of deception again!"