Episode 52
Episode 52
"Is it really that dangerous?"
"This mountain range is teeming with dangerous monsters. In the deeper regions, there are likely creatures even the professors don't know about. And since it's spring now, more and more monsters will awaken with each passing week..."
Professor Ingoldel gazed at the mountain range with a worried expression.
Given that Einrogard, this magic school, was located in an area abundant with mana, it was inevitable that the surrounding regions would be infested with monsters.
Especially the mountain range behind the school—in Ingoldel's eyes, it was a hazardous zone where nearly every conceivable monster could exist.
The deeper parts of the range seemed like the perfect habitat for powerful giant monsters, from ogres to mountain giants, trolls, and wyverns...
With such creatures present, even monsters that wouldn't normally live on the outskirts would be pushed outward, avoiding the central areas.
"No matter how reckless the students might be, venturing into these mountains isn't a wise choice. Only a madman would do such a thing."
"It's not that I want to go in—it's just that the assignment requires us to enter the mountains and gather materials."
"......"
Professor Ingoldel coughed awkwardly, looking embarrassed.
He hadn't realized it was another professor's assignment.
"Is that so? Well, in that case, the situation might be different."
"Doesn't... seem all that different to me..."
Strictly speaking, Professor Ingoldel was a swordsman, not a mage.
Because of that, there was bound to be a difference in mindset between him and the other professors at the school.
Especially the professors' cool-headed way of thinking—like, "Well, if you're studying magic, a few deaths here and there are to be expected"—left Ingoldel utterly horrified.
But just because he disagreed didn't mean he could badmouth a colleague in front of the students.
Suppressing his true feelings, Ingoldel chose his words carefully.
"If another professor instructed you to enter the mountains to gather materials, they must have had their reasons."
"Really, though?"
Lee Han was already staring at Ingoldel with eyes full of skepticism.
Just moments ago, this man had been saying, "Only a madman would do such a thing," but the instant he heard it was a professor's assignment, his tune changed...
It was hard not to suspect he was just covering for a colleague.
Professor Ingoldel coughed again and changed the subject.
"By the way, your breathing has stabilized. That's impressive. Have you completed the circulation?"
Noticing that Lee Han, who had been panting heavily just moments ago, now spoke with ease, Ingoldel brightened.
This kind of effect only happened when one successfully completed mana circulation within their body.
"Huh? Oh, this is..."
Lee Han made an awkward face.
"Sorry. I lost focus, so I just released the mana."
The proper method was:
1. Draw out mana from the body's core →
2. Focus that mana and circulate it throughout every part of the body.
Just like blood, if mana flowed smoothly through every part of the body, it could strengthen the physique without any waste.
The key here was maintaining a smooth, uninterrupted circulation!
...But when Lee Han lost concentration and the circulation became difficult, he simply coolly skipped the circulation part and sent the mana directly to different parts of his body before releasing it.
After all, he could always draw out more mana later.
"...???"
Professor Ingoldel stared blankly at Lee Han, completely unable to comprehend what this Wardanaz family student was saying.
"Hmm..."
After hearing Lee Han's detailed explanation—and even the events that occurred during his fight against the Anti-Magic Zealots—Professor Ingoldel fell deep into thought.
Under normal circumstances, he would have warned Lee Han that such a method could get him killed.
Fighting by wasting mana like that? It was like pouring one's own blood onto the ground.
But Ingoldel had a flexible way of thinking.
If there were a hundred swordsmen, there would be a hundred different swordsmanship styles.
Considering the sheer amount of innate mana the Wardanaz boy possessed (if one could even call it innate), such wastefulness might actually be a viable strategy.
After much deliberation, Professor Ingoldel finally made up his mind and spoke.
"I won't tell you to outright ban that method. However, it would be best to avoid using it casually and focus on completing your cycles under normal circumstances."
"Understood."
Lee Han nodded obediently.
Truth be told, Lee Han wasn't having any delusional thoughts like 'Heh heh... the most important virtue of a swordsman is power... even if forbidden techniques burn my life away, I shall obtain overwhelming strength...' as if chasing some glorious ambition.
If something seemed dangerous, his attitude was simply 'Ah, so this is dangerous? Then I won't do it.'
"And with such an enormous mana capacity, completing the Cycle of Recurrence internally will prove even more challenging for you."
"......"
Why did that sound so familiar?
"Therefore, Wardanaz student, I'll be increasing your training volume."
"...Oh. Oooh..."
Lee Han managed to maintain his composure through sheer force of will.
He had to pretend to be happy!
'Don't show it. Mustn't show it.'
Compared to other professors here, Ingoldel still retained a human heart, and he practically jumped for joy at Lee Han's reaction.
"Is that so? I was worried you might dislike it, but this is truly wonderful."
"Yes... I'm so delighted... As you know, I'm deeply committed to swordsmanship..."
At Lee Han's words, Professor Ingoldel's scarred face broke into a radiant smile.
"I've been aware of Wardanaz student's serious dedication to swordsmanship for quite some time now."
"......"
"Oh yes. When you venture into the mountain range to gather materials, I'll accompany you as well."
"...Didn't Professor Thunderstep say it should be fine since he'd already considered the matter?"
"Yes. But I happen to enjoy mountain hikes."
It seemed unlikely that Professor Ingoldel—with his prosthetic leg and arm—would genuinely enjoy trekking steep mountain trails, but Lee Han had no choice but to nod.
Frankly, if even Ingoldel was this concerned, Lee Han started genuinely worrying about what might emerge from those mountains.
Evening.
Lee Han headed toward Professor Thunderstep's hut.
Despite the day's exhausting events, the menial tasks assigned by professors cared little for such circumstances.
Of course, from Thunderstep's perspective, this might feel slightly unfair.
He'd never demanded daily visits, explicitly stating that students could skip if busy.
Moreover, Lee Han had his own ulterior motive.
'Gotta gather all possible intel while I can.'
"?!"
<Had some business. Steal whatever you want while I'm gone! -Thunderstep>
"Oh..."
Lee Han was startled by the handwritten note.
Then again, Thunderstep was human too—he couldn't possibly stay cooped up in his hut like a recluse forever. He had other students to teach and his own affairs to attend to.
Nodding, Lee Han peeled off the note.
He immediately returned to the tower, fetched Yoner, and brought him along.
"You want me to find useful items in this hut?"
"Yeah. I need to verify the potions inside that chest we found last time."
The chest of potions that professional thief Ratford had stolen from the carriage.
Even if Lee Han wanted to identify them, doing so alone as a first-year was nearly impossible.
If they could scavenge something useful from Thunderstep's hut, it'd be a huge help.
Especially with Yoner—a student well-versed in alchemy—who'd be far more adept at identifying things.
'Wait. This is Professor Thunderstep's hut, isn't it?'
Having once grilled meat here, Yoner instantly recognized the location.
'...Should be fine.'
Yet Yoner decided to let it slide.
In this insane academy, something like this barely registered.
"Wait. What's that?"
"What? Oh. The garden?"
When Yoner—walking ahead—suddenly spoke in surprise, Lee Han replied nonchalantly.
"I'm cultivating it, but it's far from ready. Needs several more months to grow."
"...Huh? Looks fully grown to me."
"?"
Now it was Lee Han's turn to be puzzled. Wondering what Yoner meant, he turned to look back.
"...!!"
Yoner's words were true.
'No. What the...?'
Lee Han was startled to see that the vegetables he'd planted had already fully grown.
No matter how he thought about it, they had grown way too fast.
"Professor Thunderstep must have sprayed something, huh? He's really impatient."
At Lee Han's explanation, Yoner nodded.
Using a growth-accelerating potion just because he wanted to eat them sooner...
'He really has quite the appetite.'
And so, the absent Professor Thunderstep was wrongfully framed.
"Since it's come to this, we might as well harvest them. Yoner, can you check inside the cabin?"
"Leave it to me."
Lee Han picked up farming tools and began expertly pulling out the vegetables.
Yoner watched, momentarily mesmerized, as Lee Han dug up potatoes with flawless precision—movements so perfect they could've come from a farmer with decades of experience.
Now Yoner understood why Professor Thunderstep favored Lee Han.
"What are you doing?"
"Ah, nothing. I'll go find something useful."
While baskets filled generously with vegetables, Yoner busily searched the cabin.
How much time had passed?
Lee Han's arms were now full of baskets of crops, while Yoner's arms were laden with boxes filled with unidentified potions and alchemy tools.
"Done?"
"Yeah!"
"Let's go!"
The two Blue Dragon Tower students turned their backs on the cabin and ran off energetically.
Only a freshly pasted note from Lee Han fluttered on the cabin door:
<Thank you, Professor. I left some of the harvested crops behind—please try them. -Lee Han Wardanaz.>
Lee Han and Yoner greeted the morning sunlight with dark circles under their eyes.
They had spent the night testing alchemy in the freshman lounge.
"So, this is the Cantus Potion?"
"Yeah."
The results of their efforts were as follows:
<Empire's Western Wine (Delicious)>.
<Cantus Potion>—When consumed, allows the drinker to sing beautifully like a mermaid for a while.
That was it.
"......"
As Yoner's expression began to darken, Lee Han quickly reassured her.
"This is a decent result for our first try. We couldn't have figured everything out right away."
"Yeah, but... where are we even supposed to use a singing potion...?"
"I'm sure we'll find a use for it."
Creak—
Just then, Ashan Dalkard entered the lounge. He brightened upon seeing them.
"Wardanaz, are you ready to head into the mountain range today?"
"Pretty much."
Lee Han already had a plan in place.
He'd leave with the other students on Friday, make sure to return by Saturday, and on Sunday...
'Use the Outing Pass to go out.'
He tried to stay composed.
It was best not to get his hopes up too much. Until he actually left, there was no telling what traps might be waiting.
"Oh, right. Wardanaz, want to stop by the Black Market before heading to the mountains?"
"...The what market?"
Lee Han was baffled by Ashan's words.
Black Market?
'What kind of school has a Black Market?!'
No matter how he thought about it, Ashan's claim was unbelievable...
...except it turned out to be real.
'This is ridiculous.'
To be precise, it wasn't exactly a Black Market—just a small marketplace.
A market set up by the Tower of the Black Turtle freshmen near their own dorm!
Initially, they had gathered to trade necessities among themselves, but since it turned out to be surprisingly convenient, they started holding it regularly.
Lee Han was at a loss for words.
'What exactly is this school trying to teach its students?!'
"Step right up, bread for bread! Find His Majesty the Emperor! Among these three cards lies His Majesty. Where could His Majesty be? Guess right and double your bread... Ah. Lord Wardanaz."
Ratford, who had been swiftly shuffling three cards in a shell game, abruptly stood up upon spotting Lee Han.
As the surrounding students turned to stare, Lee Han suddenly wanted to turn around and leave.