Episode 678

Gawon, a Mage of the Daylily Magic Tower in Plaha City

Gawon was a person with strong self-pride.

To be honest, it was rare to find a mage who lacked pride. Stepping into a discipline that could alter reality through sheer will wasn't something just anyone could do—it required innate talent.

Given that, it wasn't strange for mages to consider themselves the chosen ones.

Even half-baked mages who had no proper teacher and learned magic from spellbooks scavenged off the streets were treated with great respect—how much more so for a mage affiliated with a Magic Tower?

Someone like Gawon couldn't help but have strong self-esteem.

But there was always a higher sky above the sky.

There was one opponent for whom the name "Daylily Magic Tower" held no weight—and that was Einrogard.

The true lineage of imperial magic!

"Thank you for lending it to me. I'm Lee Han."

"P-Please make yourself comfortable. I'm Gawon of the Daylily Magic Tower."

"Thank you!"

Gainando immediately collapsed to the side. Lee Han kicked Gainando's back, and Gainando quickly scrambled back up.

"Everyone's condition... Did something happen?"

"Something did happen."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Lee Han replied with a bitter expression.

Too many things had happened in the Sorrow Mountains.

However, Gawon seemed to interpret Lee Han's expression differently.

"It seems you were conducting quite dangerous and difficult magical research... I won't pry further."

"That's not it, but..."

"Yes. Let's leave it at that."

"......"

Lee Han caught the scent of someone who only said what they wanted to say.

It wasn't particularly surprising. Poor communication was one of the defining traits of mages.

"By any chance, are you all attending tonight's Exchange Meeting?"

"Which Exchange Meeting are you referring to?"

"The Magic Tower Exchange Meeting. The one being held in Plaha City this year."

The study of magic was so vast and boundless that even geniuses found it difficult to delve into alone.

That was why mages formed guilds and built Magic Towers, honing their skills together.

But it didn't stop there—they also shared and exchanged the knowledge and secrets they had acquired.

That was precisely what the Exchange Meeting was for.

Though not on the scale of the Empire's grand magical conferences, regional guilds and Magic Towers frequently held such gatherings. This time, it seemed the Exchange Meeting was being held in Plaha City.

"Ah. No. We weren't invited."

"Invitations don't matter! It's an open event. If you're students of Einrogard, you're more than welcome to attend."

Gawon spoke with sincerity.

It wasn't a rigidly formal gathering, and no one would dare say Einrogard students were unqualified to visit.

They could attend freely.

"From what I've heard, another Einrogard student will also be attending."

"Really?"

Lee Han was puzzled.

Einrogard wasn't affiliated with the local guilds or Magic Towers in this region.

"As I said, it's an open event. Anyone with interest and the right qualifications can attend. That person must also be interested in the magic being discussed at the Exchange Meeting, right?"

'Another senior?'

Lee Han thought it wouldn't be bad to have a conversation with an Einrogard senior if one was attending.

The new semester would start soon, and he'd be meeting many seniors—there was no harm in getting acquainted in advance.

"I'll think about it. By the way, are you presenting anything at today's Exchange Meeting?"

At Lee Han's question, Gawon answered with a proud and confident expression.

"Of course."

"Oh? What are you presenting?"

"Ahem. Would you like to see this?"

Gawon overlapped three magic circles on the carriage floor, placed a reagent, and began chanting an incantation.

Watching from the side, Lee Han remarked with interest—

"You're using water elemental magic to maintain a spherical form and then applying additional attributes to it. By classifying and amplifying the mana—"

"Cough, hack!"

Gawon, who had been chanting the spell, choked as his voice caught in his throat.

He hadn't expected the boy beside him to immediately recognize the magic without any explanation.

"Huh... how?"

"Hm? I'm a mage too."

'This is why Einrogard graduates...!'

If any ordinary mage could understand this at a glance, Gawon wouldn't have struggled so hard.

Gawon suppressed a bitter laugh. Making enemies with an Einrogard-trained mage could lead to lifelong regret.

"Even among fellow mages, not everyone can instantly comprehend such complex magic."

'It doesn't seem particularly complex, though...'

Compared to the spells of the Skeleton Principal or the professors, the magic Gawon was preparing was simple and straightforward.

Of course, saying that outright would be rude, so Lee Han chose his words carefully.

"I've seen similar spells before, so I recognized it quickly. Got a bit lucky too."

"Hah... haha. Do you think it's too simplistic?"

Gawon studied Lee Han's expression.

This spell summoned a water sphere into the air and transformed it into a device that filtered and amplified mana.

It was quite practical and well-received within the Magic Tower, but Gawon was self-conscious that it hadn't progressed much beyond Ota's Light Prism, a spell published five years ago.

Once a similar spell existed, latecomers had to demonstrate something more innovative and exceptional to earn praise.

"I don't think complexity or simplicity matters in magic. What's important is the effect it produces, right?"

"Exactly?!"

Gawon's face brightened.

Encouragement from an Einrogard student filled him with confidence.

"Though, from what I see, this part of the magic circle could be removed."

"Huh? This stabilizes the left quadrant's form—"

"Even without it, the other side's force will hold it in place."

"W-wait—"

Before Gawon could stop him, Lee Han sliced off a portion of the magic circle.

Yet, astonishingly, the spell remained intact.

"!!"

"And this outer rim's mana seems unnecessary too."

"That one's definitely needed! It amplifies and secures the mana required for the spell—"

"Just compress the mana into this section instead."

Lee Han ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠redrew part of the Light Spirit Ink circle and used Black Shadow Sand to instantly compress and store the mana.

The modification took less than a second, yet it reduced the spell's mana requirement by a third.

Gawon blinked in shock.

'E-Einrogard...!'

Terrifying!

"Lady Alsicle, will you be attending as well?"

"Hmm. You should go. You'll learn a lot."

Alsicle strongly recommended the Exchange Meeting after hearing about it.

Mages generally benefited from networking with as many peers as possible.

"What about you, Lady Alsicle?"

"I'll pass."

"You don't have to eat the sardines."

"...It's not the sardines. It's my research. If I go, people will bombard me with questions about ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my progress."

Alsicle shuddered at the mere thought. Lee Han gave her a sympathetic look.

This was a future both Alsicle and Lee Han might eventually face.

'If professors ask about my spell progress every time we meet, I might lose my mind.'

"How was the Sorrow Mountains?"

"I met a unicorn."

"What? Seriously?"

Alsicle was stunned.

Professor Lightning-Step was an exceptional explorer, but unicorns were just as rare.

Meeting one required sheer luck—how had he managed it?

"Wow. Congratulations. Did you get even a single strand of its hair?"

"Got hair, a horn fragment... and Einrogard decided to raise it."

"...What?? Why?!"

Alsicle, who had been lounging sideways, abruptly sat upright.

Unicorns rarely made their nests in places with many people.

Just what could have happened?

"Well, we found the missing professor, and he was taking care of the unicorn."

"Ah. That mi... Professor Bendozol?"

'He's famous!?'

Lee Han was surprised that Alsicle immediately recognized who Bendozol was.

"There were multiple jiangshi, not just one, so the unicorn was in danger..."

"Oh no."

"The Headmaster came, took Professor Bendozol away, and moved the unicorn to Einrogard."

"...Wait. Hold on."

Alsicle was baffled as he listened.

What kind of ancient play was this? Suddenly, the Skeleton Principal appears at the end of the story and solves everything?

"It feels like a lot was skipped in between..."

"Ah. Lord Alsicle. I have to go now."

"O-oh. Right. Have a safe trip. Don't forget to tell me the full story next time."

"It's nothing special."

"Which part of what you just said is 'nothing special'?!"

Alsicle grumbled but still saw Lee Han off.

His friends were too exhausted from mana sickness and fatigue to even come outside. Even Eandurde was fast asleep.

'Is this the place?'

As Lee Han walked to the location he had heard from Gawon, a shabby, run-down mansion came into view.

It was small, with weeds overgrown in the garden, and even a quick glance at the mansion revealed broken sections here and there.

Under normal circumstances, he might have thought he had come to the wrong place, but Lee Han sensed the mana emanating from the mansion and realized he was in the right spot.

'There must be magic cast inside.'

For a mage capable of spatial expansion, such outward appearances meant little.

Lee Han looked around.

Mages, or what appeared to be mages, were each carrying their belongings and entering the mansion.

And among them was a familiar face—a crow beastkin mage with a hat pulled low...

"...Senior Diret?!"

"Who's there?!"

Diret flinched in surprise, fluttering the wings on his back as he turned around. Fortunately, it was a familiar junior.

"Junior. What are you doing here?!"

"I was resting since it's vacation. I just happened to get invited to the Exchange Meeting."

"Ah... Ah. Right, that makes sense."

Diret was puzzled about how Lee Han, who had just finished his first year, had been invited to the Exchange Meeting.

Though it was a free-spirited gathering, first-year students usually weren't invited.

'No. If it's him, it's possible.'

But Diret quickly convinced himself.

This junior was more than capable of receiving an invitation.

"Are you hiding your ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠identity or something?"

"N-no, nothing that grand... I just hoped no one would recognize me."

"Has your research been stuck lately...?"

"?!"

Diret was startled.

How did he know!?

"How did you know!?"

"I heard that when research gets stuck, people often attend these kinds of events."

"Right. You're sharp. That's why I wore this hat—didn't want to get bombarded with questions."

"If it were me, I wouldn't even attend..."

"I got invited, so I couldn't just skip signing the guestbook. Plus, these meetings can be pretty helpful. I was hoping to get some inspiration."

Diret sighed and changed the subject.

"Junior. What did you do over break? Don't tell me you just worked again?"

"Don't worry. Recently, I chased a unicorn with a professor in the Sorrow Mountains."

Lee Han felt quite pleased with how impressive that sounded.

"Cough."

Diret nearly dropped his hat from the shock.

"With a professor?"

"There was a bounty involved."

"On the unicorn??"

"No. On Professor Bendozol."

"...?"

Diret wanted to ask what that even meant, but the sound of a bell from inside signaled that it was time to enter.

"Follow me. You can tell me the rest later."

"Yes."

"...Did you find the unicorn?"

"Yes. The Headmaster took it to Einrogard."

"......"