Episode 73
Episode 73
Spirits did not unconditionally welcome all guests. Though they did not speak, spirits had personalities and preferences.
Naturally, there were also guests that spirits feared.
Professor Thunderstep recalled a story he had heard long ago.
About a mage who had no particular interest in spirits until after becoming an archmage, when he attempted to summon one by contacting the Spirit World.
While contacting the Spirit World was easy for someone of his magical ability, the spirits took an instant dislike to the archmage.
The intense aura radiating from his soul terrified them.
Those who lived turbulent lives—veteran mercenaries, swordsmen who had cut down dozens—inevitably had souls that changed color.
From Professor Thunderstep's perspective, he couldn't quite understand why a mage who had mastered countless arcane secrets would be treated the same as those warriors, but...
What could he do?
The spirits simply disliked him.
That's why it was better to befriend spirits while still relatively young. The older one grew, the harder it became.
"But why me?"
"Perhaps the spirits sensed your relentlessly meticulous nature?"
"......"
"Just joking. It must be your mana capacity."
There was no way Lee Han of the Wardanaz family could have killed someone before enrolling, so the only remaining explanation was his mana.
An overwhelming, rampaging mana capacity that would crush even most spirits!
"Fortunately, there is a solution. The archmage from my story eventually succeeded in befriending spirits, after all."
"Oh? What method did he use?"
"He used magic to forcibly capture a spirit, then befriended it."
"...Aren't spirits usually stronger in the Spirit World?"
Just as beasts are more powerful in their own territory, fighting a spirit in the Spirit World was a life-or-death endeavor.
"Well, there is that minor issue. Regardless, do your best!"
"......"
Lee Han wasn't disappointed.
Because showing disappointment would only please Professor Thunderstep.
'I'll steal more food from the cabin next time.'
Fortunately, his friends worried about Lee Han's misfortune as if it were their own.
"This is truly a grave matter, Lord Lee Han of the Wardanaz family."
"??"
The Blue Dragon Tower students were so natural about it that for a moment, Lee Han thought Priest Siana was also from their dorm.
'Since when has she been here?'
'No idea...'
"Occasionally, misunderstandings with spirits cause certain individuals to be feared by them. Our order has had such cases as well."
"Is there no way to resolve this?"
At Yoner's question, Priest Siana fell into deep thought.
"If spirits flee in fear when you enter the Spirit World... one method would be to first meet and befriend spirits in the physical world. Gaining their recognition or friendship and receiving their token could ease their wariness."
Lee Han glanced at the wooden staff in his hand.
...Come to think of it, wasn't this a staff imbued with a wood spirit?
He sighed inwardly. It seemed the Staff of the Tree Spirit wouldn't solve this problem.
"Are there no other methods? Perhaps the Flemeng Order..."
"Our order often uses potions as solutions."
Being an alchemical order, the Flemeng Order naturally turned to alchemy for answers.
At Priest Siana's words, Lee Han brightened.
"Potions can resolve this?"
"Of course."
Even the potion he drank during Professor Thunderstep's lecture was a spirit affinity potion.
A concoction that made contacting the Spirit World slightly easier and allowed longer stays within.
And that was just a low-grade potion—a more potent one could erase the spirits' fear and even make the drinker appear more appealing to them.
"Ooh...!"
"To think such a thing is possible!"
The Blue Dragon Tower students marveled.
The Flemeng Order's reputation was well-earned. Even Yoner spoke with eyes full of anticipation.
"Of course."
The potion they drank during Professor Thunderstep's lecture was also a Spirit Affinity Potion.
A potion that made it easier to come into contact with the spirit realm and allowed them to stay there longer.
If that was just a low-grade potion, then using a more potent one could erase the spirits' fear and even make them appear more attractive.
"Ooh...!"
"To think such a thing is possible!"
The students of the Blue Dragon Tower marveled.
The reputation of the Flemeng Order was not unfounded. Yoner, his eyes brimming with anticipation, spoke up.
"I've heard of it. Among the secret potions of the Flemeng Order, there are those specialized for spirits..."
"You know very well, Yoner of the Maykin Family. I once assisted in brewing one of those secret potions. If you wish, I shall make one for you."
Priestess Siana spoke kindly.
Though it was a secret of the Flemeng Order, they could share it with those who recognized and respected the Order's greatness—like the boy from the Wardanaz Family.
That was the creed of the Flemeng Order.
"If it's completed, could we...?"
"Of course."
Even to the cautious words of the Blue Dragon Tower students, Priestess Siana nodded.
Once completed, distributing it to other students wouldn't be too difficult.
"However, the required ingredients are quite numerous. Here, take a look."
Priestess Siana took out a sheet of paper and began listing the necessary ingredients with a quill.
Even as she wrote swiftly, the list quickly filled up—so much so that it was densely packed in no time.
Galpari
Nysins Flower
Dadu Beetle
Rubyized Obsidian
...
...
...
"Can we really gather all of these?"
"It might indeed be difficult to find them on your own. But there is a way. Professor Thunderstep's laboratory, located on the upper floor of the Alchemy Hall, should have everything listed here."
"......"
"...?"
Lee Han, who had been silently listening, was taken aback for the first time.
...What did that mean?
'Ah. She must mean we should get Professor Thunderstep's permission.'
Lee Han reflected.
Priestess Siana wasn't like him—she wouldn't possibly suggest stealing.
"If your resolve is firm, I shall accompany you to sneak into the laboratory and retrieve the ingredients."
"......"
Lee Han was horrified.
No...
No...!
But the other Blue Dragon Tower students were deeply moved.
"Priestess Siana!"
"I've wondered why the Wardanaz spoke so highly of you—now I understand!"
"You are the light and salt of the Empire!"
Lee Han, trying to calm his frenzied friends, asked cautiously.
"Priestess Siana. I appreciate the offer, but... isn't that method a bit... dangerous?"
"But Lee Han of the Wardanaz Family. This is something even the school encourages."
"......"
Well, that was true!
Lee Han couldn't argue—the Skeleton Principal had indeed encouraged it.
Priestess Siana smiled, her serpentine pupils narrowing into thin slits.
"My, my. Are you worried for me? But it's alright. Lee Han of the Wardanaz Family, you've wandered the school at night countless times without ever getting caught, haven't you?"
"The Wardanaz has done that."
The Blue Dragon Tower students puffed up with pride as if it were their own achievement. Ashan, embarrassed on Lee Han's behalf, wiped his nose.
"Even if we're caught, I won't resent you in the slightest."
"Neither will we, Wardanaz."
"...How very kind of you."
"Don't mention it."
Separate from his friends' camaraderie, Lee Han had to admit Priestess Siana's words were tempting.
It made him understand why bank robbers in stories never just retired—why they always obsessed over that one big score.
Because pulling off that one big heist would make life so much easier.
Professor Thunderstep's laboratory was just like that.
'Considering the coming semester, alchemy classes are likely to become a hell of assignments.'
Not just alchemy—any lecture could suddenly turn into an assignment nightmare at any moment.
If he secured a large stock of alchemy ingredients, he could handle such assignments flexibly.
Just one big heist...!
Poke poke—
"?"
Lee Han turned his head.
Nilia was lightly jabbing his side.
Seeing her, Lee Han snapped back to his senses.
'Ah. Was I getting too carried away?'
"What's wrong, Nilia?"
"...This time, don't leave me out and only take Ratford. Seriously."
"......"
Lee Han raised his head and looked up at the sky.
Regardless of Lee Han's complicated emotions, the magic school's sky was flawlessly blue without a single cloud.
No matter how many Summons escaped within the school or how professors schemed to torment students with assignments, there were a few things that never changed.
And that was Professor Voladi's teaching methods.
Thwack!
'Ugh.'
Lee Han gritted his teeth as another orb pierced through his defenses and struck his back.
Though Lee Han had grown somewhat accustomed to it, he still couldn't fully keep up with Professor Voladi's control.
The way the professor twisted the orbs unpredictably in all directions before striking at weak points carried a terrifying pressure only those who had experienced it firsthand could understand.
Moreover, their penetrating power was anything but ordinary.
The moment Lee Han even slightly loosened the cohesion of his Water Orb, the professor would sense it like a ghost and immediately attempt to pierce through.
"You're not focusing."
"That's not it."
Lee Han was focusing.
It was just that Professor Voladi kept raising the difficulty.
It wasn't that his skills weren't improving—but every time they did, the professor would raise the hurdle even higher, making failure inevitable.
Yet Professor Voladi didn't even consider that Lee Han was being overwhelmed because he himself was giving his all.
'Why is this happening?'
Professor Voladi was baffled as Lee Han, who had been performing decently until now, suddenly began struggling strangely.
If it had been a student who couldn't do it from the start or had given up and run away, he would have understood—but this boy from the Wardanaz family had been doing reasonably well until now.
Of course, what Professor Voladi considered 'reasonably well' would make other professors wonder, 'Shouldn't we report this to the Skeleton Principal and His Majesty the Emperor?'—but to Voladi, that was just how it was.
Plink—
The orb stopped midair.
"?"
Lee Han immediately grew wary, suspecting a trap.
'Is this a new pattern?'
Pretending to pause for a break before suddenly attacking again...
That sounded exactly like something Professor Voladi would do.
"I see why you can't focus."
"!"
Lee Han was startled.
Had the professor somehow found out he was planning to raid Professor Thunderstep's lab?
"You're trying to add the Rotation Attribute to your Water Orb, just like when you defeated that Golem before."
"......"
Lee Han had a pretty good idea where this information had leaked from.
'Skeleton Principal...!'
Professor Thunderstep wasn't particularly close to Professor Voladi, so there was only one person who could have gone blabbing to him.
"No, I don't have such—"
"That's overreaching."
'I know that already.'
Lee Han sighed inwardly at this ridiculous misunderstanding.
Just because he had luckily taken down a Mud Golem didn't mean he was delusional enough to think, 'Ah, I must be a genius—I should start adding rotation to my Water Orbs from now on.'
"Don't be impatient."
Anyone familiar with Professor Voladi would have been shocked to hear him say things like "That's overreaching" or "Don't be impatient."
Fundamentally, Professor Voladi was someone who had been stripped of all conventional teaching concepts and common sense.
-If I can do it, you should be able to do it too. Why can't you? Do it.
...That was the creed Professor Voladi sincerely lived by.
For such a person to say things like "That's overreaching" or "Don't be impatient" was as likely as the sun rising from the west—but Lee Han, of course, had no idea how significant those words were.
'I told you I'm not doing it...'
He genuinely had no intention of trying, so he could only feel exasperated at the professor's reaction.
Honestly, these professors!
"Wait."
"?"
But Professor Voladi raised his hand and fell into thought again.
For the first time, he tried considering things from a student's perspective.
Unbeknownst to even himself, it was a monumental step forward.
-If I were that Wardanaz boy...?
Hearing "Don't be impatient" wouldn't have reassured him at all.
If a path lay before you and you didn't take it, you had no right to call yourself a mage.
"I see."
"What... do you see?"
Lee Han felt a sense of foreboding. Whenever professors reached conclusions on their own, it never ended well.
"From now on, you can be impatient. I'll make sure you focus."
"Wai—!"
Before Lee Han could even finish saying '—t,' Professor Voladi's storm of orbs began anew.