Episode 793
Episode 793
Lee Han suppressed his murderous intent as much as possible and asked with restraint:
"What do you mean by that?"
"?"
Professor Voladi was puzzled by his bright student's question.
There was nothing particularly incomprehensible about what he had just said—'I'm worried because it seems like you're pushing yourself too hard.'
"Did your clone get its ears injured?"
"...Ah, no. My ears are fine. So you're saying you're concerned because Eandurde seems to be overexerting herself?"
"Correct."
"Uh... Isn't it the Einrogard way to push students even if they're struggling a bit?"
Lee Han almost said 'the Bagrak way' but held back, realizing it would reveal his true feelings too blatantly.
Professor Voladi thought for a moment before shaking his head briefly and answering:
"That may be Einrogard's way, but it's not mine."
"...So, your way is to carefully adjust things so students don't overexert themselves?"
"Right."
The professor looked at Lee Han with faint pride, impressed by his perceptiveness—truly befitting of a first disciple.
'He's being sarcastic...' Lee Han vowed never to use irony with Professor Voladi again.
'Still, I can't believe it. They say even a butcher can become a Buddha if he throws away his knife, but even Professor Bagrak can change?'
Admittedly, a situation where the number of students increases by 100% could shake even the most hardened professors.
Lee Han hadn't thought Professor Voladi would be among those affected, but...
Who can predict human nature? Maybe the doubled student count had thawed Professor Voladi's frozen heart.
'I shouldn't think like this, but it's so unfair.'
Lee Han struggled to suppress his wicked thoughts as he watched Eandurde groaning in pain.
Hadn't he lamented with his friends during his first year, 'Why do seniors torment their juniors? They're truly wicked people'?
He shouldn't become one of those seniors. He should be happy if a junior's education improved.
But the sense of injustice wasn't so easily dispelled.
'He might have had the same thought when he got his first disciple...'
"By the way, did any other students come?"
"Yes."
"Really? I don't see them. Ah, did they leave early after the lecture?"
"They ran away."
"......"
Then wasn't it the same as not coming at all?
Lee Han almost said as much but gave up. Arguing would only hurt his own mouth.
'So, two in total. None of the seniors would suddenly develop a mania for attending lectures.'
Calculating how many disciples the Bagrak School had was easy—he only needed to bend his fingers twice.
"Still, it's surprising. I never thought Eandurde would attend this lecture."
Meanwhile, Eandurde, who had collapsed backward again, wiped her nosebleed with her sleeve and answered:
"Heard Senior was attending, so I came."
"Ah, really?"
Lee Han felt slightly guilty.
Then a question arose.
"Wait—who told you that?"
Eandurde glanced at Professor Voladi, who nodded in confirmation.
Lee Han was horrified.
'This is an unbelievable scam...!'
By that logic, was there any lecture Lee Han wasn't attending?
Using the fact that Lee Han attended all schools to trap an innocent first-year into lectures—this was beyond despicable.
"...Eandurde, I attend a lot of other lectures too. Did you check those?"
Eandurde nodded knowingly.
"Professor Leji's, right?"
She had joined the Transmutation Magic school, heard Lee Han was studying there, and immediately chosen it.
With a complicated expression, Lee Han asked:
"Did you check with Professor Garcia, Professor Mortum, Professor Milley, Professor Kraer, Professor Lagrinde, Professor Verdus... No, forget that last one. Anyway, did you check with the professors I just mentioned?"
"?????"
Eandurde tilted her head in confusion at the sheer number of professor names Lee Han had listed.
Surely he wasn't attending all these professors' lectures—why was he asking such a question?
"Try using a bit less magical power. Yes. Good job."
Overcome by guilt, Lee Han stepped in to assist Eandurde with her training.
When the orb began circling her instead of attacking, Eandurde beamed with joy.
"It's moving well!"
"No, I just stopped it with telekinesis. Try again. You need to draw the curve more smoothly."
"How?"
"Hmm. Well... concentrate and kind of... whoosh the line this way?"
"......"
"......"
Both Eandurde and Professor Voladi stared blankly at Lee Han.
Fortunately, neither said anything. Feeling ashamed, Lee Han muttered,
"...Sorry. That wasn't very helpful."
"It's okaynimnida."
If anything, Eandurde was the one comforting Lee Han. Professor Voladi chimed in,
"Naturally gifted mages are usually bad at explaining."
"Professor explains wellnimnida."
"???"
Lee Han's eyes widened at Eandurde's remark.
His junior hadn't even completed a semester yet was already mastering flattery to this degree. 'After a full year, she could be an imperial ambassador!'
Perhaps moved by the junior's flattery, Professor Voladi gave a faint smile and replied,
"Thank you."
Lee Han quickly wrapped up the conversation before his anger made him faint.
"Eandurde, this is enough for today. Practicing magic is good, but overdoing it leads to mana exhaustion or rebound."
"But I heard Senior practiced continuouslynimnida."
"......"
Lee Han considered filing a petition to the Skeleton Principal. 'Are they using me to push Eandurde to train until she collapses?' If so, Professor Voladi would rank as the second most evil professor in Einrogard. 'No, Professor Bagrak wouldn't devise such a cunning and elaborate scheme. Even if his disciples increased by 100%, surely he wouldn't change that much.'
"I just have a lot of mana."
"And more talent than you."
"Professor. Please. Just be quiet."
Lee Han wished Professor Voladi would shut up. Eandurde's face had fallen in disappointment.
And he calls that encouragement...!
"Don't worry too much about talent—it's abstract. You never know which aspect of magic you'll excel in."
"But Senior attends all schools of—"
"I don't know what you're talking about. What I mean is, Eandurde, you're doing perfectly fine now. Even Professor Bagrak agrees, right?"
Professor Voladi nodded.
Indeed, Eandurde was performing well enough that pushing further was unnecessary.
"Right. So let's head back and rest. You are eating properly, right?"
"I eat wellnimnida!"
"Ah, really? Must be because of the Black Turtle Tower."
The Black Turtle Tower had the fastest adaptation rate among new students compared to other towers.
"I steal from other tower enemiesnimnida."
"......Here, take this. If there's enough, share some with friends from other towers."
Lee Han handed Eandurde a bundle of food and sent her off before sighing.
It seemed his first-year juniors were enduring harsher conditions than expected.
"Professor. Why do you keep telling Eandurde about me...?"
Once Eandurde was gone, Lee Han couldn't hold back his complaint. This was too much to let slide.
"She kept asking questions."
"Ah."
Lee Han immediately understood.
Now that he thought about it, perhaps Eandurde had been the one persistently questioning Professor Voladi, not the other way around. 'Why didn't this possibility occur to me?' He had only considered that Professor Voladi had slyly leaked information to pressure Eandurde. The alternative hadn't crossed his mind at all.
Lee Han found it quite remarkable when he thought about it.
"Is your body holding up?"
"Yes, I'm fine. The difficulty of the lectures has increased, but it's not in full swing yet..."
'To think he's become this kind just because the number of students increased by 100%. If it were 200%, he'd probably even cook for us himself.'
"I wasn't talking about the lectures. I meant the doppelganger. Earlier, it seemed like you were having trouble with your hearing."
"Ah. That's not it. And as for the doppelganger..."
As Lee Han spoke, he suddenly remembered and immediately tattled on Antagondals.
Though they had been fellow inmates in the Crazy Doppelganger's prison, now that their paths had diverged, there was no need to uphold any loyalty.
'My survival comes first.'
"Indeed."
Professor Voladi listened to Lee Han's accusation with a grave expression.
A magic criminal, now enslaved by the Crazy Doppelganger, was desperately approaching them.
"This is a dangerous situation. It would be best not to wander around recklessly."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Lee Han had no intention of going anywhere near the Einrogard territory mountains or places far from the Main Building.
If he went there again, he might never come back alive.
"As for stronger magic..."
"!"
At Professor Voladi's words, Lee Han inwardly cursed himself.
Now that he thought about it, he had been so focused on defeating Antagondals that he hadn't anticipated this.
The arrow could very well come back to hit him too.
"...For the time being, refrain from training. Even the magic you've completed now was excessively reckless."
"!!!"
Lee Han was genuinely shocked by the unexpected remark.
'Eandurde... Amazing!'
Who knew the effect of a new student would be this tremendous?
Unaware of Lee Han's impudent thoughts, Professor Voladi calmly continued.
"Focus on refining the existing spells first."
The <Wardanaz's Telekinesis> that Lee Han had completed was originally a difficult spell to master.
A spell barely completed under the threat of murder by a deranged archmage.
It was sheer luck—otherwise, the mage could have gone mad or accidentally attacked themselves.
For Professor Voladi, who always ensured only controllable risks in safe environments, this was an unacceptable method.
From the perspective of a talented student who had tasted success once, they might be tempted to challenge themselves this way again...
'But that can't happen.'
Professor Voladi was determined to enforce strict restraint.
A mage must control their magic, not be consumed and burned to death by it.
"Sigh. If the professor insists, then I have no choice."
Lee Han feigned disappointment.
If it was just about refining what he'd learned so far, Professor Voladi's lectures would be relatively comfortable and enjoyable.
'...'
Wait. Now that I think about it, it won't actually be comfortable or enjoyable.'
Upon reflection, even the things he'd learned so far were of high difficulty, so they wouldn't be comfortable or enjoyable.
Just finishing and refining what he'd learned would still be quite exhausting and grueling...
But it was still far easier than risking his life to leap over new challenges every time.
Lee Han silently thanked Eandurde in his heart.
'Thank you, junior.'
"Then I'll continue practicing what I've learned."
"Good."
As Lee Han prepared to slowly wrap up his magic storage, something suddenly occurred to him, and he spoke up.
"By the way, Professor. You'll be preparing Eandurde's next lecture yourself, right?"
Professor Voladi nodded.
Unlike other professors who had many students to delegate to, Professor Voladi was a true professor who always prepared his lectures personally.
'Wait. Then...'
Lee Han recalled the times Professor Voladi had hurled orbs at him during training.
Today, Eandurde had only practiced rotating the orbs, so it hadn't happened yet, but it wouldn't be strange if it started any moment now.
"...I'd like to help you too, Professor."
"!"
At Lee Han's unexpected volunteering, Professor Voladi was once again reminded of this student's keen interest in teaching.
It seemed the Skeleton Principal's words from before had indeed been correct.