Episode 525
Episode 525
"Indeed, that was a strange question. You wouldn't have it, being a Wardanaz."
"Uh... Well. Yes."
Lee Han quickly recalled the Skeleton Principal, Professor Voladi, Professor Verdus, and others in his mind while maintaining his composure as he answered.
"In a way, it might be a difficult method for a composed student like a Wardanaz to use. This is more of a swordsman's approach than a wizard's."
Both swordsmen and wizards manipulated mana in the end.
However, as evidenced by some extreme wizards mocking swordsmen—"What kind of monster handles mana so crudely by instinct?"—the swordsmen's methods were somewhat more brutish.
Unlike wizards, who built their foundations through theory and scholarly debate, swordsmen were far more closed off.
Their secrets and insights were passed down orally only within their families, and leaks were almost never permitted.
As a result, their methods were inevitably far less systematic and far less theorized.
When explaining a technique to circulate mana within the body to activate functions in the extremities, a wizard would say:
"The minimum required mana is equivalent to the amount needed for a three-cubic-centimeter magic stone or a 1st-Circle Light Creation spell. The most efficient movements to guide this mana are as follows. The incantation is..."
In contrast, a swordsman would convey it like this:
"Take a deep breath and feel the burning flame. Let that flame spread through your arm. Release it like a raging wildfire..."
Yet, despite being mocked, the swordsmen's methods had their own merits.
"As far as I know, no matter how much knowledge and wisdom one possesses, what ultimately changes the world's order is a wizard's will. Swordsmen, too, draw power through will. This intent—imbuing it is akin to amplifying that will."
Will.
No matter how complex the theories, incantations, or reagents, the core of magic was the will to change the world.
The conventional method was to temper this will like steel—unyielding and unwavering.
But Professor Ingoldel was proposing a different approach.
Let this will bloom like a raging inferno and harness its power!
'Interesting.'
While the other White Tiger Tower students listened to Professor Ingoldel's words, intoxicated by their pride in swordsmanship and knighthood, Lee Han had a slightly different thought.
That method reminded him of certain magical traits he had heard about from the Skeleton Principal.
'Primitive Magic?'
Ancient traditions passed down through generations—magic outside the empire's established systems, occasionally still discovered in its outer reaches.
Many dismissed it or paid it no mind, but Lee Han was far from such prejudice.
If it had merits and could be used, why reject it?
Professor Ingoldel stood up and drove a solid steel rod into the ground.
Then, gripping a wooden sword, he swung it lightly—without even channeling aura, the crystallized form of mana.
Swish!
"!"
"...!"
The students' eyes widened at the bizarre phenomenon of the wooden sword cutting through steel.
Unlike the others, who were simply astonished, Lee Han sensed something else.
'Enhancement Magic?'
He detected a flow of mana, as if a <Cutting Power Enhancement> spell had been cast on the sword.
"What did you sense?"
"I sensed the profundity of swordsmanship!"
"...Other than that, I mean."
"Was I wrong?"
The White Tiger Tower student scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"It seemed like the cutting power was momentarily enhanced—am I correct?"
"You observed well."
Professor Ingoldel smiled approvingly at Lee Han's answer.
"The intent to cut altered the nature of the mana imbued in the sword."
"...!!"
'Impressive.'
Lee Han was amazed.
Though the professor made it sound simple, what he had just demonstrated was truly remarkable.
Wasn't this akin to replicating a spell—something wizards cast only after studying theory, memorizing incantations, and using reagents—using nothing but instinct and will?
"Of course, the time it takes to achieve that would be far shorter for the former, but no one could deny the perfection of the latter."
"I know every swordsman dreams of and yearns for Aura. But Aura is merely a passing point on the path of the sword. There's no need to be overly fixated on it. When hunting chickens, draw a sword fit for chickens. When slaughtering cattle, draw a sword fit for cattle. That's all. Now then—"
The White Tiger Tower students, who had been listening to Professor Ingoldel's words with deeply moved expressions, suddenly froze.
"Huh?"
"You've all rested enough. Get up. Normally, when exhausted like this, emotions tend to flare up violently."
"......"
Originally, even when imbuing Intent, once sufficiently skilled, one could stoke emotions while still expertly controlling their direction.
But since the students were incapable of that, they first needed to be roused into emotional fervor.
The easiest method was to push them until they were seething with anger.
"Get up. Come on. Get up."
"Argh! Damn it!"
"W-wait! Just five more minutes!"
Professor Ingoldel struck the sprawled-out students with his wooden sword until they rose.
The students, their limbs drained of strength, rolled and scrambled to evade, but the professor persistently pursued them, striking until they stood.
Lee Han felt grateful for participating in the festival for the first time.
'Saint Iactus, thank you.'
Clang!
"Put more emotion into it!"
Clang!
"More!"
CLANG!!!
"Still not enough. The mana hasn't changed at all."
"GAAAAH! GAAAAH! GGRRAAAAAAH!"
"Good. That's how you stoke your emotions."
"Huff... huff..."
As Durgyu dropped to one knee, panting heavily, Lee Han spoke up beside him in a concerned voice.
"Want me to cast Enhancement Magic on you?"
"N-no... It's supposed to be hard... Huff... Huff... And the professor's doing this... for our sake..."
'That kind of mindset might actually work against him.'
According to Professor Ingoldel's theory, to transform mana by igniting emotions, one had to genuinely erupt with feeling.
Thinking like that would only hinder him.
"Wardanaz."
"?"
When Giselle called out to him, Lee Han turned his head in puzzlement.
Unless the school was flooding or an evil mage appeared, it was rare for Giselle to initiate conversation.
Giselle, too, looked utterly exhausted, fatigue weighing down her entire body. With the tips of her twin swords lowered, she spoke in a rough voice.
"Watch me for a second."
"What? Don't curse me. Cursing me would only backfire on you."
"I'm not trying to curse you. I don't even have the energy for that. Just watch."
Both Lee Han and Durgyu turned their gazes curiously.
After staring piercingly at Lee Han's face for a moment, Giselle closed her eyes and nodded.
Then she swung her sword.
Swiish!
Unlike the other students, this strike gouged into the steel bar, leaving a mark.
Seeing this, Professor Ingoldel applauded.
"Well done! You exploded with anger splendidly!"
"......"
"......"
Lee Han and Durgyu were simultaneously at a loss for words.
"Hey. I should practice too."
"Are you sure you're in any condition?"
"If I don't practice now because I'm not in condition, your friend here will make me even less 'in condition' in the near future."
"M-Moradi wouldn't... Well, actually, she would."
"......"
Giselle, catching her breath nearby, stared at Durgyu as if he were absurd.
This bastard?
'Should I think of the Headmaster, Professor Verdus, or Professor Voladi? Hmm, now that I think about it...'
Lee Han closed his eyes and sank deep into meditation.
There were far more targets for his emotional outburst than he'd realized.
Professor Ingoldel, passing by, watched him with interest.
Still no opponent in mind?
Students from knightly families inevitably grew up amid competition and strife—there was no other way.
"Within their own families, or through continuous interactions between families, they inevitably grew up facing competition and battles."
Given this, it was only natural they developed such strong competitive spirits.
However, those from great noble families like the Wardanaz had no particular reason to grow up amid competition and strife.
While such refinement, etiquette, and social skills were helpful in life, this situation was an exception.
It seemed difficult to find an outlet for his pent-up emotions...
BAM!!!!!
"......"
"......"
Professor Ingoldel and the other students stared at Lee Han in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief as they took in the shattered wooden sword and the completely mangled steel rod.
Just what was this rage about?
"...I get it now!"
"Get what?"
"That Wardanaz bastard! He's clearly still furious because I kept talking about polo last time!"
'That doesn't seem right.'
No matter how he thought about it, this level of anger couldn't possibly stem from something as trivial as not listening to him.
Once all the students had gathered, Professor Garcia greeted them warmly and began speaking.
"Did everyone have a good break?"
"Yes, Professor!"
"The reason we're holding today's lecture here by the lake instead of in the classroom is..."
The students tensed as they glanced at the lake.
Were they really going to have to go into the water?
'It's so cold out, too...'
'Was that why we were taught underwater breathing last time?'
"...It's because things might get a little too chaotic to do this inside the classroom. It's better to practice in a wide-open space."
"So we're not going into the lake?"
"Huh? No, of course not."
The students' faces brightened.
But Lee Han remained skeptical.
"Are monsters going to come out of the lake?"
"No."
"Ah, I see. Wardanaz, the lake itself is the monster! It's a lake monster, isn't it?!"
"...Should we just move somewhere else?"
Professor Garcia, who had chosen this scenic spot to lift the students' spirits, felt a twinge of regret.
It took some effort to calm the restless students before she could finally get to the main point.
"Today's magic is more for self-defense. Some of you may be separately learning magic for duels or combat, but..."
The students all turned their heads in unison to look at Lee Han.
Lee Han spoke in a frosty voice.
"Why are you all looking at me?"
"Ah, no reason, just..."
"...Fundamentally, some of you may not be accustomed to fighting."
The students nodded.
Using magic in combat was harder than one might think. Even the students from White Tiger Tower, who were used to fighting, struggled with it.
Concentrating in a peaceful setting was hard enough—doing so in the middle of a chaotic battlefield would be even more difficult.
"This is defensive magic for those students."
"Ooh..."
'Now this is a proper professor.'
Not just the other students, but even Lee Han was moved.
Honestly, throwing steel balls at them without warning was more like something a thug would do than a professor.
'Is it defensive magic?'
"Alright. First, we have the <Undead Repulsion> spell. It surrounds you with an aura that undead find repulsive—while this spell is active, weaker undead won't easily approach."
"Undead..."
"Repulsion..."
The students scribbled notes with their quills, recording the spells they'd be learning today.
"And one more. The <Undead Detection> spell. It picks up the unique negative energy emitted by undead—if you cast it beforehand, you can detect undead lying in ambush."
"Undead..."
"Detection..."
"What else... Though this is a second-circle spell, let's also learn the <Lesser Undead Reverse Summoning> spell. You can use it to collapse and defeat weaker undead."
"...?"
"???"
The students taking notes began to feel uneasy.
For self-defense magic, this was oddly undead-centric.
Why?
Lee Han, the quickest to pick up on the strangeness, raised a question.
"Professor?"
"What is it?"
"Is the Headmaster planning to ambush us soon?"
"Wh-what are you talking about, Lee Han? Someone might misunderstand if they hear that."
"......"
"......"
Even the White Tiger Tower students, who had been casually jotting things down, suddenly straightened up and started copying their neighbors' notes.