Episode 518
Episode 518
"How Did a First-Year Do That?"
These sinners really do have the audacity.
The Skeleton Principal had even silenced Anpagon's mouth.
The ones about to be sent to the Punishment Room were shamelessly still breathing.
Mages naturally leave behind mana traces wherever they go, like lingering echoes. Of course, those traces are usually so faint that they don't require much attention... but you might need to be careful. Those sensitive to mana might react differently.
Lee Han understood what the Skeleton Principal was getting at.
Hadn't the mana-sensitive spirits all fled screaming "Aah, a monster!" the moment they saw him?
"You mean I should conceal my mana?"
Normally, yes, but...
The Skeleton Principal slowly looked Lee Han up and down.
For now, just start by cleaning up the residual mana after casting spells.
"Is concealing it really that difficult?"
For you? Very. You absurdly mana-dense brat.
"......"
Leaving his disheartened student behind, the Skeleton Principal changed the subject.
From now on, observe the Bracelet of Ten Thousand Demons with even greater caution. I thought it would take much longer, but since one has already awakened... the chances of others waking have increased.
The demons inside were not the same as the lowly, miscellaneous ones seen in Black Magic class—they were a kind of aristocracy.
Even if sealed within the Bracelet of Ten Thousand Demons, they were fully capable of briefly seizing the body of a young mage like Lee Han.
The demon that had emerged today was relatively simple, but who knew what kind of havoc the others might wreak?
"Understood. Even Anpursas was at this level—I won't trust any other demons. He begged so desperately that I reluctantly agreed."
Good. Demons must be ruled by the whip and the whip alone... wait, what?
The Skeleton Principal paused.
Coholti and Anpagon also froze.
Agreed to what?
What exactly did you permit?
"The demon kept pleading for just one chance to fight, so..."
The demon took over your... Ah.
The Skeleton Principal immediately understood.
I couldn't fathom why the demon hadn't forcibly taken control—I'd forgotten about this Wardanaz brat's unique traits.
A body overflowing with absurd amounts of mana wasn't so easy for a demon to seize.
Still, even accounting for that, one oddity remained.
Since when do demons negotiate? If I beg long enough, will you agree to let me go collect donations at the temple?
"Ah... I had no choice. The seniors were in danger."
Is that supposed to be an excuse, or are you just vomiting garbage because your stomach's full of trash? Seniors should worry about juniors—not the other way around!
The Skeleton Principal was even more exasperated.
Seniors should handle their own problems even if it kills them—they shouldn't be saved by a junior's intervention.
Right?
When the Skeleton Principal glared at Coholti and Anpagon, the two—who had been moved while staring at Lee Han—hurriedly nodded.
Good. After writhing in agony for a while, they'll learn firsthand that coddling seniors is a waste of effort.
"Writhing in agony?"
Ah, you didn't know?
The Skeleton Principal summoned a Death Knight to escort the two seniors to the Punishment Room while taking Lee Han to the infirmary.
Every muscle in your body is currently torn apart.
"......"
Lee Han was horrified.
No wonder the Skeleton Principal had been floating him around like a balloon...
'Anpursas, that bastard!'
Now that he thought about it, no matter how exceptional a warrior he was, a mortal body still in training couldn't wreak such havoc without backlash.
The price for wielding such power was severe strain throughout his entire body.
"From now on, I'll never listen to a demon's request. I'll keep them locked up no matter what."
No... Don't go that far... What a waste.
The Skeleton Principal looked slightly flustered.
The reason he had given Lee Han such a precious artifact like the Bracelet of Ten Thousand Demons was so he could learn to handle the demons within and gain wisdom.
Wouldn't it be such a waste to just ignore it?
A full-body muscle tear wasn't even that big of a deal.
"......"
Lee Han almost asked what would constitute a big deal if this was minor, but stopped himself.
"Uuuuuugh."
Lee Han let out a pained groan.
Healing magic wasn't a cure-all.
Especially for severe injuries like Lee Han's, healing magic wasn't used to fix everything in one go—doing so would place too much strain on the body.
Instead, only the most critical injuries were treated immediately, while the rest were left to heal naturally with the help of stimulant potions.
That was the standard treatment method.
Of course, for Lee Han, who still had to walk around, the pain was enough to make him curse Anpursas, the Skeleton Principal, and the Demon of the Infirmary alike.
Every step he took or every time he exerted force, pain surged through his body as if he'd been beaten black and blue.
Priest Nigisor and Priest Sharukal supported Lee Han by his arms as they spoke.
"What in the world happened during the festival...?"
"Shouldn't you be resting more?"
"I already rested for a day."
Lee Han sighed as he replied.
He had learned from experience during his last request outside the academy.
The more he rested, the more he'd have to deal with the consequences himself!
"Thanks for escorting me. I can manage on my own from here."
"Call us if you need anything."
"Thanks. Oh, right."
When Lee Han lowered his voice, the two priests tilted their heads in confusion.
What did he want to say?
"Keep it a secret from the White Tiger Tower guys that I'm injured."
"......"
"Uh... sure."
Though bewildered, the two priests decided to respect Lee Han's wishes.
Once they left, Lee Han sighed and used his staff as a crutch to take a step forward.
His entire body ached from muscle pain, but he had too many things to do.
'First things first.'
The baby basilisk let out a worried whimper. Lee Han patted it reassuringly before stepping inside the secret base.
Though he had originally worked in his dormitory room, ever since acquiring the base, he had been gradually moving his belongings there.
For one thing...
'Doing this in my dorm room would've been too risky.'
Looking at the potion bubbling violently in the large cauldron, Lee Han finally understood why his seniors had gone to such lengths to scavenge the school for storage spaces and secure secret bases.
No matter how comfortable and convenient the dormitory was, there were limits to what could be done there.
And for someone like Lee Han, who studied various schools of magic, the dormitory was even more inconvenient.
If an accident happened, it would cause chaos for the other students too...
'The foresight potion is progressing well.'
Lee Han checked the potion's condition.
Thanks to all the trial and error, it had now stabilized past the initial stage and was boiling steadily into the mid-stage.
'As for reagents...'
After finishing his inspection, Lee Han moved on to the next task.
Beside the drawer where he stored his collected reagents, he was also preparing additional ones.
Even just for black magic alone, reagent consumption was considerable, and black mages had to learn how to craft their own reagents.
Thud.
—Lee Han placed a pouch of bone powder on the balance scale and checked its weight.
The increased weight suggested the process was working as intended.
Just as the potency of bone elemental magic varied depending on the type of bone used, there were also ways to enhance the quality of existing bones.
By adding various reagents, their quality could be improved.
"Hmm. I need to gather more poison."
Lee Han thought he should borrow some materials from Professor Thunderstep's hut.
Last time, he had collected some poisonous mushrooms...
—Squeak.
The basilisk made an apologetic sound. Lee Han tilted his head in confusion.
"Why...?"
—Whoooosh.
"!"
Before he could ask, Lee Han's attention snapped toward the mirror as a message came through.
I'd forgotten—there was an artifact at the base connected to an upperclassman whose face I didn't know.
Using his staff as a crutch, Lee Han slowly made his way over.
Along the path, he spotted the Water Prison Bomb-related books he'd been studying because of Professor Voladi. He deliberately ignored them, closing the covers.
'Later.'
Arriving before the mirror, Lee Han checked its surface.
[Do you know a first-year from the Wardanaz family?]
"......"
Why was he caught?!
Upon calmly reconsidering, he realized he hadn't actually been caught yet.
Lee Han understood why the other party had asked such a question.
'It's because of the Stone-Throwing Festival.'
Clearly, they were curious due to his performance at that forgettably-named Saint Something-or-Other Festival.
Lee Han cursed Anpurseus again internally.
'This bastard better not have given me some weird reputation.'
Right now, he had no reason to interact with upperclassmen, but the moment he became a second-year, those encounters would skyrocket.
And since Lee Han was attending multiple schools of magic, that would be even more pronounced.
First impressions with upperclassmen were crucial, but...
'I'm terrified to imagine how I must have looked to them.'
A junior wildly swinging a sword like a madman—how would that appear in the eyes of upperclassmen?
He doubted it left a favorable impression...
[If you know, I'll exchange the information I have.]
Lee Han refocused.
The immediate problem was this unidentified upperclassman.
How could he navigate this situation?
'If I act like I know too much, it'll seem suspicious. But there are upperclassmen who already know me...'
Fortunately, there were a few upperclassmen familiar with Lee Han.
If he framed his responses based on them, he could avoid suspicion.
While concealing his identity as much as possible, he also needed to...
'...convey that I'm a normal, diligent junior.'
Once his thoughts were organized, Lee Han immediately sought to secure his own interests.
Whoever this was, they surely had friends and acquaintances.
If positive rumors about Lee Han spread, that would only benefit him.
[I know. A few friends have mentioned him.]
[What kind of student is he?]
—A junior who respects his seniors, is polite, and diligently carries out any request with a bright expression.
[That's not what I asked. I meant about his magic.]
Lee Han grumbled internally at the response.
'Isn't character far more important?'
Even if someone excelled at magic, if their character was a mess, they'd just end up a Magic Criminal.
The people of Einrogard were far too indifferent when it came to personal integrity.
—He's decently skilled in magic.
[I've heard rumors he's attending multiple schools of magic. Do you know if that's true?]
'This much should be safe to say.'
The Black Magic and Healing Magic upperclassmen already knew.
And those acquainted with them probably did too.
—Yes. I've heard he's attending multiple schools.
[So the rumors are true. Impressive. Do you know why he isn't studying Enchantment Magic?]
'?'
Lee Han froze at the question.
He couldn't understand what it meant.
'But I am studying it? What's this about?'
Was this some kind of trap question? His mind grew tangled.
Was there any reason to think Lee Han wasn't studying Enchantment Magic?
'Let's think calmly. Why would they ask that?'
Rather than overcomplicating things, Lee Han reset his thoughts.
Why had the other party asked that?
Assuming they suspected his identity was excessive paranoia.
What was more likely...
'They're someone studying Enchantment Magic!'
They must be an Enchantment Magic student who, after seeing Lee Han's performance at the festival, wondered:
"They say he's studying multiple schools—so why isn't he studying Enchantment Magic?"
No other possibility came to mind.
But a question still lingered.
Why did they think Lee Han wasn't studying it?
'But I am...'
After some thought, a plausible explanation emerged.
Enchantment Magic students, like Professor Verdus, generally had little interest in others.
So even if Lee Han was in the same school, they might not realize it.
It was a bit strange that they didn't know, especially since he'd even met Senior Anpagon...
'Maybe the senior forgot to mention it, or they forgot to ask.'