Episode 794
Episode 794
"Originally, second-year students aren't allowed to participate. But I'll make an exception just this once."
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
Lee Han cursed inwardly.
'Anyone watching would think he's granting me some enormous privilege.'
What possible reason could Lee Han have for volunteering to help?
Wasn't it to help Eandurde (so she wouldn't collapse) and to help Professor Voladi (so he wouldn't get summoned by the Skeleton Principal)?
Given that, he deserved praise for being such a devoted student—yet here the professor was, saying things like that.
As expected, professors were fundamentally shameless people.
"So after the Spirit Stone Bead, it's the Iron Ball next, right?"
"That's correct."
"And that includes attacks too?"
Lee Han went over last year's curriculum with Professor Voladi.
First, learning basic control with beads made of reactive materials—the Spirit Stone Beads—then the Iron Balls, then elemental transformation and control again...
And whenever they got stuck, an attack.
'That's the essence of the Bagrak School.'
Without the attacks, it would have just been a school that enjoyed tedious repetitive learning. But thanks to the attacks, it became an insanely thrilling school.
There weren't many schools in the Empire where you'd get attacked by your teacher if you hit a wall in your magical training.
"Hmm."
"?!?!"
That was why Lee Han couldn't help but be startled by the professor's response.
"You don't attack when we get stuck???"
"It depends on the person."
Some metals break under the trial of fire, while others grow harder.
The boy from the Wardanaz family was a typical example of the latter, but there was no telling if Eandurde would be the same.
Of course, Lee Han wasn't particularly convinced.
'Talking about trials of fire. The professor should experience a trial of fire himself.'
Wouldn't a fire spell shot by a student from behind also count as a trial of fire?
The professor could grow harder too.
'...'
But I have to endure. For Eandurde.'
Lee Han gritted his teeth and agreed for the sake of his junior.
"Indeed. Then we'll exclude the attacks. Hah. That's much better. By the way, Professor. What do you think about changing the Iron Balls to rubber balls?"
Professor Voladi nodded amiably at the student's enthusiastic suggestion.
Regardless of the outcome, he intended to respect the student's opinion. Whether it succeeded or failed, wouldn't they learn from it either way?
A good teacher was one who made their students think and reflect for themselves.
"Next is the elemental transformation stage. For that, I plan to prepare some defensive artifacts with elemental resistance. I'll take care of getting them. I can, uh... borrow them from Professor Verdus's workshop."
Professor Voladi nodded again. Encouraged by the professor's support, Lee Han continued to bring up improvements.
He was determined to pour out everything he had learned from last year's struggles!
"And when practicing movements, just doing simple repetitions makes it easy to lose focus, so we should have varied courses and situations... And praise and rewards whenever she succeeds..."
"Hmm."
Professor Voladi agreed to everything while thinking to himself:
He's so invested in teaching—I should've allowed this sooner.
"...So, considering Eandurde's stamina, it might be good to provide simple meals in the classroom too."
"Am I the one making them?"
When Professor Voladi asked, Lee Han hesitated.
Somehow, the lecture had improved so much that asking the professor to handle cooking as well might be crossing a line.
What if he was secretly thinking, 'Let's see how far this student will go,' while nodding along?
"...I'll prepare the meals myself."
"I see."
Professor Voladi erased the Caprese salad recipe he had jotted down.
He had written down a few just in case, but it seemed unnecessary now.
"Is that all?"
"Yes... well... nothing too extreme or arrogant, right?"
Lee Han cautiously asked while gauging the professor's reaction. Fortunately, Professor Voladi nodded.
"Excellent."
"You don't think I'm learning too comfortably or too easily, do you?"
"I trust you."
"......"
Honestly, Lee Han would have felt slightly more at ease if the professor had responded indifferently with something like, 'Let's see how it goes after trying it once.'
But hearing 'I trust you' outright only made the pressure heavier. 'Trust me? If I fail, he won't get twice as angry for betraying his trust, will he?' Lee Han thought he might need to ask Eandurde for a favor later.
After all, Eandurde's progress in magic training could very well determine Lee Han's survival.
"Then I'll begin my practice."
Having milked the lecture time as much as he wanted, Lee Han grabbed his staff and stood up.
Part of him wanted to keep dragging things out with lecture improvements, but if he pushed it, Professor Voladi might catch on. It was time to practice now.
Crackle!
The current assignments Lee Han had received in class included advanced applications of elemental attributes, combat utilization of magic from different schools, and life-or-death battles against evil and powerful monsters—among many others. But the first thing he needed to wrap up was the form manipulation of the lightning element.
Though he had recently gained the ability to safely wield the fire element, the element Lee Han used most in combat was lightning.
The difference in proficiency was incomparable. The fire element was important, but the lightning element required even more consistent refinement.
Moreover, since lightning was particularly difficult to manipulate into different forms, it demanded even more persistent effort.
Currently, he had succeeded in a few forms like <Lightning Spear Enchantment> and <Lightning Cloak Enchantment>, but... 'It'd be much easier if I could at least manage something like a curtain or traps laid on the ground.'
"I heard you borrowed a spirit's power to transform into lightning."
"?!!"
Startled by Professor Voladi's sudden remark, Lee Han flinched violently.
A bolt of uncontrolled lightning struck the spot where he had just been standing, scorching the floor.
"Huh?"
"During winter break. I heard the Pride Duke was summoned."
"......"
Lee Han was horrified to realize that the incident at Yukveltire's exchange meeting had reached Professor Voladi's ears. 'What vile, despicable traitor ratted me out? Was it Senior Yukveltire?' Burning with fury, Lee Han swore to track down the snitch and deal with them.
A damn rat who would ruin trust among mages and bring the Empire to ruin!
"No?"
"Well, not exactly no, but strictly speaking, it wasn't so much a summoning as... depending on how you look at it, the nature of the event could change..."
"??"
Lee Han tried to babble his way out of it, but Professor Voladi countered with the most effective method possible.
Silently waiting.
"...Yes. The Pride Duke was summoned, and I borrowed the power of a spirit I had contracted with."
"You transformed into lightning."
"Yes."
Perkuntra, befitting the title of Thunder King, had displayed formidable Authorities.
One of them was <Lightning Transformation>, where the mage themselves turned into pure lightning.
Mages skilled in transmutation magic could alter their physical bodies into other substances, but even that was a highly restricted and difficult spell.
And among those, transforming into pure lightning was truly...
"So you're trying to practice that."
"Yes... Wait, what?!"
Lee Han, who had been absentmindedly saying 'yes,' jolted in shock and repeated the question.
"<Lightning Transformation> starts at the 5th Circle at the very least. As I said earlier, don't push yourself."
Given that Lee Han had recently forced himself to learn <Wardanaz's Telekinesis>, attempting another 5th Circle spell like <Lightning Transformation> was an extremely reckless endeavor.
"Professor, I have no particular interest in <Lightning Transformation>."
"I see. And yet, you're still practicing the lightning element."
"...It's because the form transformation is difficult and finicky."
"You must have succeeded with <Lightning Spear Enchantment> and <Lightning Cloak Enchantment> by now."
"Those still feel a bit insufficient..."
Professor Voladi shook his head at his student's lie. <Lightning Cloak Enchantment> was particularly tricky among form transformations—unlike a long spear, it required maintaining both the cloak's shape and its fluttering texture.
Yet he'd mastered it in one go and was still saying such things.
It was obviously a blatant lie.
"...My apologies. I won't get greedy about Lightning Transformation."
Lee Han ended up apologizing for a resolution he hadn't even made. It was truly unfair.
Professor Voladi comforted his student.
"Focus on refining your existing spells for now."
'...'
I was already doing that...'
Even as he said this, the professor still seemed suspicious of his student's terrifying talent, so he decided to change the subject.
"How's the Water Prison Bomb book coming along?"
"...!"
At those words, Lee Han regretted not stubbornly insisting he'd rather learn Lightning Transformation instead.
As the professor's attention shifted elsewhere, last year's assignment resurfaced like a bad memory.
<Wardanaz's Water Prison Bomb>, which Lee Han had painstakingly perfected throughout his first year.
Professor Voladi had forced him to write not one, but two books: one about the Water Prison Bomb itself, and another about its developmental trajectory. An absurdly harsh demand for a first-year student who'd just mastered 4th Circle Magic.
"I... I am working on it, but it's not quite finished yet..."
"I'd like to see it."
"......"
Lee Han broke into a cold sweat as he pulled out the manuscript.
He'd been writing whenever he had time, but he wasn't confident it would meet Professor Voladi's standards.
"Hmm."
Taking the book, Professor Voladi focused on reading with an impassive expression.
<On Wardanaz's Water Prison Bomb and Its Fundamental Principles> and <The Limitations and Developmental Trajectory of Water Prison Bomb Magic>.
Lee Han regretted not putting more effort into the titles.
'I should've called it <Professor Bagrak's Guided Water Prison Bomb by Wardanaz>.'
He should've at least buttered him up in the title!
Knock knock knock—
'Who could that be?'
Interrupted from his focused reading, Professor Voladi closed the book momentarily and looked up.
"Fascinating."
"There's a guest at the door, Professor."
"Good. I was just about to introduce you."
Even if the visitor were the Demon Duke, it'd be preferable to Professor Voladi scrutinizing his book right now.
Lee Han brightened and stood up eagerly.
He desperately hoped that after greeting the guest, the professor might forget about the book entirely.
"Come in."
The person who entered was a cantankerous-looking old woman.
She was large-framed and robust—almost matching Professor Voladi's imposing physique.
"Kihihi. Never thought Einrogard would call for me."
"It's a request for the Duel Club students."
"Duel Club? What kind of nonsense is that? Putting 'club' after 'duel'? Does that even make sense to you?"
Professor Voladi didn't respond.
From this exchange, Lee Han realized the visitor had come for next week's Club Week.
Since Professor Kirmin Ku was in charge of the Duel Club and the two professors were close friends...
'It's not strange he'd ask for a favor.'
Though Professor Voladi was blacklisted by most imperial Duel Clubs, he still had plenty of connections.
He'd have no shortage of contacts to invite outstanding duelist mages.
"This is Yumidihus's teacher."
"!"
Lee Han was startled by Professor Voladi's introduction.
He'd never imagined this might be Yumidihus's master.
"A pleasure to meet you. I'm Lee Han. I've also had the honor of learning from Yumidihus."
"Pleasure. I'm a pirate."
"...Is that your name? Or your family name?"
"It's my profession."
"......"
Stunned by this unbelievable revelation, Lee Han wondered if Professor Voladi had finally decided to bring in magic criminals for his lectures.