Episode 84
Episode 84
Yoner quickly picked up on Lee Han's words.
Professor Willow praised the students as if they'd done something remarkably admirable.
"Excellent. To think you were protecting the plants among yourselves without any professor present. Not just anyone could do that."
"Thank you."
As the atmosphere seemed to have improved slightly, Lee Han cautiously inquired about the other's identity.
"Excuse me, but who might you be?"
"Ah. You must be new students who don't know me yet. I'm the professor who teaches Botany at this school. You may call me Professor Willow."
The name matched their appearance perfectly.
Seeing Professor Willow, Gainando seemed reminded of the talking oak trees they'd encountered in the mountains. Raising his hand cautiously, he asked:
"Might you be related to those talking oak trees by any chance?"
"I'm a willow, and those folks are oaks. Little troll."
"Eh? But I'm human?"
"Exactly. I'm a willow, not an oak."
"......"
Lee Han decided he should watch his words around Professor Willow. Apparently, the professor disliked being lumped together with vaguely similar trees.
Professor Willow slowly walked over, swaying their branches, and touched the fallen bull.
Then, deep wrinkles formed in their bark-like face as they spoke.
"This must be the bull Professor Thunderstep was raising. That careless dwarf, honestly."
'Damn. So it really was a professor's bull.'
Lee Han cursed Professor Thunderstep in absentia.
If you're going to feed potions to a monster to make it stronger, at least manage it properly—why let it run loose and cause this mess?
"Did you subdue this bull with a paralysis curse?"
Professor Willow looked at the students with an expression of mild surprise.
For first-year students, this was quite an extraordinary feat. They shouldn't have been capable of casting such a powerful paralysis curse.
"We used a weakening potion first, then cast the curse."
"Still, that must have been difficult. Impressive."
Professor Willow shook their branches. Vines sprouted from the ground, coiling tightly around the bull before confining it within a wooden cage.
"I'll inform Professor Thunderstep about this fellow when he returns."
"Professor... were you taking care of the plants here?"
Priest Siana asked cautiously. Professor Willow replied in their slow, measured voice.
"Yes. My actual garden is elsewhere. Professor Thunderstep asked me for a favor—to look after this Alchemy Hall just for today. A bother, but what can you do when you have to meet with the Emperor's officials?"
"Eh? From what I heard, Professor Lightningfoot said you were going to the market with him..."
"......"
Professor Willow froze in place.
"...Is that true?"
"Yes. You can confirm it later by asking Professor Lightningfoot."
"......"
Though Professor Willow stood perfectly still, the furious rustling of leaves at the tips of their branches betrayed their mood.
"You're from the Wardanaz family, aren't you? Correct?"
"?!"
Lee Han was slightly taken aback when the professor suddenly guessed his name.
What the—?
"Don't look so surprised. I've just heard about you from other professors. In any case, thank you for telling me."
Professor Willow expressed gratitude in their gentle tone.
"Do you need anything? If so, speak up."
"...We were planning to practice alchemy. Would you happen to know where we could find useful materials or reagents?"
"Hmm..."
Professor Willow pondered.
Of course, the vast grounds of the Magic School were teeming with materials and reagents, but most places were still too dangerous for first-year students.
Lee Han observed Professor Willow's expression with extreme care.
It didn't matter that the other party was a tree spirit-like being. As a professor, they couldn't escape Lee Han's sharp scrutiny.
'Now!'
Lee Han took a gamble.
"Would it be possible to borrow from Professor Thunderstep's lab... Ah, never mind. That was far too presumptuous of me."
Lee Han bowed his head as if embarrassed. However, Professor Willow shook his branches as if it were an excellent idea.
"That's quite a good thought."
"Pardon? But..."
"It's fine. When Professor Thunderstep returns, I'll tell him a bull broke in and stole them. I'll pick out things you're allowed to take."
Professor Willow said this and began moving his steps toward the third-floor staircase.
Priestess Siana looked at Lee Han and remarked:
"Lord Lee Han of the Wardanaz family, I truly don't think you should ever join a wicked religious order."
"?"
The moment they set foot on the third floor, pitch-black darkness greeted them. Even light spells were useless.
"Be careful not to lose your way. The paths here are inherently convoluted."
Professor Willow swung a branch. Then something began rushing toward them through the darkness.
It was a door labeled 'Laboratory No. 6.'
Clunk!
Professor Willow turned the doorknob and opened it. Inside the lab, blue smoke was freezing everything solid. The professor swiftly shut the door.
"It would be better to permanently seal this laboratory."
Professor Willow pushed Laboratory No. 6 aside and summoned several more labs. Most were complete disasters. Laboratory No. 17 had distorted space where water falling from desks flowed upward to the ceiling, while Laboratory No. 29 contained a pitch-black darkness that was swallowing everything inside one by one.
Lee Han took out paper and meticulously recorded every action Professor Willow performed. There was no telling when he might return to the third floor again.
'I see.'
Lee Han could roughly grasp the system of the third floor.
The reason the first and second floors didn't have many traps was that the third floor itself was structured like a half-maze.
Unless you knew what was in each laboratory and how to summon them, coming to the third floor was meaningless.
Using brute-force magic to break through such chaotically mixed spaces was also dangerous. There was no telling what catastrophe might occur.
The solution was to learn everything methodically from the beginning.
Just as there were no shortcuts in academics, the same applied to thievery.
'Laboratory No. 6: swing left twice and call six. Laboratory No. 17: swing right four times, up once, and call seventeen. Laboratory No. 29:...'
"Found it."
Professor Willow located a suitable laboratory. Lee Han quickly tucked his notes inside his coat.
This time, the opened lab looked genuinely ordinary, like an alchemist's workspace, filled with various alchemical tools and flasks.
The students entered with slightly frightened expressions after witnessing the previous labs.
"Here, take these."
Professor Willow began sweeping up alchemical tools and flasks, tossing them one by one. Lee Han caught them deftly without panic, carefully placing them into the leather sacks he had brought.
"Did I give too much?"
"Not at all, Professor. I'm only grateful."
As soon as one leather sack filled, Lee Han passed it to his friends and pulled out a new one.
His swapping speed was so fast that Professor Willow wondered, 'Are these artifacts?'
"This should be enough for your practice. I didn't give you anything too dangerous or materials Professor Thunderstep treasures too much."
"That alone is more than sufficient."
Professor Willow shook his branches, tidying the lab that now looked as if thieves had ransacked it.
The scattered tools returned to their places, and open drawers closed themselves.
Noticing the withering potted plants in the corner, the professor frowned and summoned a watering can.
"Let me help."
Lee Han volunteered eagerly.
'I need to make a good impression.'
It didn't seem likely that Professor Willow would report them to Professor Thunderstep, but one could never predict human—or in this case, tree—behavior.
Besides, there was no harm in making a good impression on a professor. Who knew when he might end up taking Professor Willow's class?
Unaware of Lee Han's ulterior motives, his friends rolled up their sleeves to help. But Lee Han shook his head.
"You guys go back."
"Why? Wardanaz? We can also—"
"You don't know when Professor Thunderstep might return. You should take the sacks back to the dormitory."
"!"
His friends were impressed by Lee Han's words.
As expected...!
Ratford spoke with an admiring expression.
"Truly remarkable. I have nothing left to teach you at this point."
"Don't praise me too much, Ratford. I still have much to learn from you."
Yoner suddenly felt the situation was a bit odd, but since the atmosphere was warm, he decided not to intervene.
"Then, Wardanaz. I'll head out first."
"See you at the dorm!"
The students groaned as they carried the sacks downstairs. Lee Han noticed Yoner lingering and tilted his head in confusion.
"Why?"
"Thought you might need at least one helper. They can manage the sacks without me."
"Thanks."
"For something like this? Don't mention it."
"Wait. The silv—"
"...Don't even ask if you need to pay me silver."
Yoner extended a warning finger. Lee Han quickly changed his tone.
"...Just wanted to say thanks properly."
"That a southern dialect?"
As he spoke, Yoner picked up the watering can.
Truthfully, Yoner hadn't expected Lee Han to be skilled at tending plants.
Plant care was more difficult and complex than it seemed. Even something as simple as watering wasn't straightforward.
Some plants needed less water, others more.
Good, hot weather called for more water; bad, humid weather meant less.
Common plants were manageable, but rare and delicate ones? Far trickier.
It required both knowledge and intuition.
Yoner had experience from reading alchemy manuals while growing up at home, but Lee Han...
"You're quite good at this."
Professor Willow spoke with genuine admiration.
Neither Lee Han nor Yoner handled the plants like amateurs.
Noticing Yoner's surprised gaze, Lee Han asked, puzzled:
"What's wrong?"
"Ah... nothing. You're just really good at watering."
"Done it a lot, I guess?"
Yoner wasn't the only one who'd walked the path of plant care. Lee Han had too.
It started as a semi-forced chore for professors, but once a hobby takes root, it doesn't easily fade.
If in his past life he'd tended professors' potted plants, in this life he'd idly cultivated the Wardanaz family gardens.
Yoner stared at Lee Han with eyes brimming with joy and emotion.
People with niche hobbies couldn't help but feel elated when they met fellow enthusiasts.
"You too...! Did your family's servants also ask why you'd do such things yourself?"
'Not really.'
Lee Han hesitated slightly.
The Wardanaz family was so laissez-faire that they didn't care whether he swung swords or nurtured plants.
But he didn't want to disappoint Yoner, who'd gone out of his way to help.
"Of course they did. But I didn't mind. I figured it'd help with alchemy someday."
"Lee Han..."
Yoner looked at him with an expression that said if there were a "Best Friend Award," he'd pin the medal on Lee Han immediately.
He wasn't the only one moved. Professor Willow was too.
"To think I'd meet students who cherish plants like this... Follow me."
Professor Willow led the way downstairs. Lee Han and Yoner wiped their hands and followed.
'Is he going to give us something extra?'
Hearing the professor's pleased tone, Lee Han felt a flicker of anticipation.
Hadn't he stayed behind precisely for this?
At the corner of the second-floor greenhouse, Professor Willow stopped and pointed.
"Here. Water everything from this spot to there."
"?"
Lee Han's face stiffened at the unexpected turn.
Could Professor Willow be one of those exceedingly rare professors who rewarded people with more work?
If so, that was truly terrifying.