Episode 847
Episode 847
"Professor? Professor?"
Lee Han looked at Professor Kirmin with suspicious eyes.
No matter how he looked at it, the professor didn't seem to be listening and was lost in other thoughts.
"Huh? What is it, Wardanaz?"
"Are you listening to what I'm saying?"
"Of course. I'm listening to everything. Why would you ask that?"
Professor Kirmin answered without changing his expression.
True to being a professor who taught Illusion Magic, he was exceptionally skilled at maintaining his composure no matter how shocking the situation.
"My apologies. I thought you were preoccupied with something else."
"Absolutely not, Wardanaz. Anyway, thanks to those incidents, you've gained the ability to perceive souls, haven't you?"
"Yes. That's correct. It wasn't Professor Bagrak's fault."
"Then there's no reason for you to attend this class."
"...What?"
"The goal of this class in the first semester is soul perception."
Professor Kirmin explained to Lee Han that the objective of the <Advanced Illusion Magic and Theory of Ethereal Studies> course in the first semester was precisely that.
Though they had learned various illusion spells and practiced different techniques, the ultimate goal was to perceive the souls of other beings as well as one's own.
"...Uh, then what am I supposed to do now?"
"You can do whatever you want, can't you? You don't have to come to class anymore."
The professor's words were so shocking that Lee Han was utterly taken aback.
"But... I can't just not come to class..."
"Classes are for learning, aren't they? Wardanaz, you've already learned it—why waste time? How about going to Professor Bagrak for some extra duel practice?"
"That doesn't sound right."
"It was a joke. My apologies."
Professor Kirmin immediately apologized upon seeing his student's icy glare.
No matter how much free time one had, going to Professor Voladi for magic combat practice was never a good idea.
'Is this really okay?'
Once the initial shock wore off and Lee Han calmed down, he began to weigh the proposal he had just heard.
Though he had been startled by the idea of not needing to attend class, upon reflection, free time was always a valuable commodity for Lee Han.
Of course, skipping one class wouldn't suddenly make his life leisurely and happy, but still... 'Having extra time isn't a bad thing.'
"Professor, I'm still worried about missing out on something if I don't attend class. And there are exams too."
"The exams are about soul perception anyway, so it doesn't matter. Let's just skip that. As for missing out... Hmm."
Professor Kirmin tapped his fingers on the lectern, lost in thought.
While he could excuse him from the exams, there were still a few things Lee Han might miss from the lectures.
Some illusion spells taught during the course were meant to aid in soul perception.
"Here, take this book first."
Professor Kirmin pulled out a small book from the pocket of his gray linen vest, unfolded it, and watched as it rapidly expanded in size and thickness.
"<Advanced Illusion Magic and Soul Application>?"
"As I said, once you can perceive and manipulate souls, the scope and power of your illusion magic expand significantly. This grimoire is for illusion mages who have begun soul perception, so it'll be useful. It contains quite a few practical spells."
"Thank you, Professor. Are these the spells we would have learned in this semester's class?"
"What are you talking about? I told you—it's a grimoire for illusion mages who've started perceiving souls. How could it be part of this semester's curriculum? The goal of this semester is soul perception."
"...?"
Lee Han tilted his head in confusion, not understanding Professor Kirmin's reasoning.
Then why had he been given this book?
"So why did you give this to me?"
"Wardanaz, I gave it to you because I thought you might get bored with nothing left to learn."
"......"
Lee Han was speechless.
"Just how does one even come up with such an absurd thought? 'If you have nothing to learn, you should feel at ease and happy. What kind of boredom...'"
While his disciple was inwardly cursing, Professor Kirmin pulled out a piece of paper and quickly scribbled on it.
"All done. Take this, Wardanaz."
"What is this?"
"Additional spells to learn separately from this semester's lectures. Honestly, you don't have to learn them, but they're not bad spells."
Lee Han glanced between the single sheet of paper and the thick, heavy grimoire, thinking,
'Wouldn't just giving me the paper have been enough?'
Though Professor Kirmin had coolly let him pass the exams and assignments, he didn't completely neglect Lee Han.
Leaving a student entirely to their own devices just because they were doing well was the kind of thing only Professor Verdus would do at Einrogard.
Instead, Professor Kirmin called over a senior from the Illusion Magic department.
"Sebius. Could you answer any magic-related questions Wardanaz might have?"
Outside of lecture hours, Professor Kirmin could answer or explain things himself, but during lectures, even he had to focus on teaching.
Sebius, a fourth-year hamster beastman student from the Black Turtle Tower, nodded but couldn't help asking,
"Understood, Professor. But I do have one question."
"What is it?"
"...Why isn't he attending lectures and instead asking about magic separately?"
It was a question anyone would ask. A second-year who should've been in class with the third-years had come out with the professor and was now casually saying, "Heh, answer his questions during lecture time for me, will you?"
"Ah, there's a complicated reason for that. Should I explain it in detail or keep it short?"
"Please keep it short."
At Sebius's reply, Professor Kirmin cheerfully explained, as if he'd been waiting for this moment. When else would he get to tease his fussy disciple like this?
"Wardanaz already studied all the first-semester material in advance."
"...Could you explain in detail, please?"
Only after the professor explained "Wardanaz was forcibly taught magic by an ancient entity of the wicked Einrogard" did Sebius finally grasp the situation.
"I see... So that's how it was."
"Fascinating, isn't it?"
'Since when does being forced to learn actually make you learn anything?' Sebius thought to himself.
If magic could be learned just because someone ordered you to, life would've been so much easier. The fourth-years suffering for graduation would've been far happier.
To actually learn just because you were told to...
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Yes, Professor. Though the third-years might be a little discouraged."
"Of course they should be! I'm planning to scold those brats the moment I get back to the lecture hall. How dare they still be this slow when even a second-year is keeping up?"
Sebius inwardly mourned for the third-years who, thanks to having an overly talented junior, were about to face a scolding despite doing nothing wrong.
But what could he do?
Einrogard was a place where misfortune struck at any moment, regardless of one's own will.
'Ah.'
Once Professor Kirmin left and only Lee Han and Sebius remained, the hamster beastman suddenly remembered something.
He had other plans today.
"...Sorry about this, junior. I'll make it up to you next time, but could we call it a day for now?"
"Huh? It's fine, but... is something the matter?"
"I have an appointment."
"Is it related to the Teleportation Club?"
"...Well, yes."
When his junior's eyes began to sparkle, Sebius was at a loss for words.
Just why does a Blue Dragon Tower student love thievery so much?
"You're not thinking of coming along, are you?"
"Professor Kirmin told me to learn from you, Senior..."
Lee Han feigned disappointment.
Of course, Professor Kirmin had assigned Sebius to help him with Illusion Magic prep—not to go around teleporting objects together in their free time.
But that wasn't important.
"Tsk. Fine. Then follow me."
Sebius grumbled with a fussy attitude but ultimately allowed Lee Han to follow him.
After all, Lee Han was both a junior in the Teleportation Club and the Library Club, and it would feel wrong to abandon him when Professor Kirmin had specifically requested it.
"Thank you, Senior."
"Whatever. It's the professor's request anyway."
"Even if it's the professor's request, some seniors would still kick me out if they didn't like me."
"What? Who does that?"
Sebius retorted sharply.
"Senior Yukveltire does that, you know."
"......"
'This guy... pretending not to hear me.' Sebius deliberately ignored the comment and quickened his pace. Then, to change the subject, he spoke up.
"Do you even know where we're going now?"
"Not really."
"...Then why did you say you'd follow me?"
"Anywhere Senior goes must be worth visiting..."
"......"
An awkward silence fell again.
Sebius cleared his throat and began explaining.
"You know about the Empire's Magic Academy, Baldrogard, right?"
"Yes."
"Then you must also know that several Baldrogard wizards visited this week?"
"Yes. I'm aware."
"And do you know about how Baldrogard wizards once stole something from Einrogard?"
"...?!!!"
Lee Han was more shocked than when he'd been kidnapped by the Skeleton Principal's Mad Clone.
How could Baldrogard wizards have stolen something from Einrogard?
"What did you just say? Baldrogard wizards stole something from Einrogard??"
"Guess you didn't know. Yeah, they stole something a long time ago."
"I can't believe it. How in the world did they steal it?"
Sebius turned the corner at the end of the northern hallway and summoned a staircase. As they ascended, he continued his explanation.
"Einrogard often collaborates with Baldrogard students on research projects. The Baldrogard students provide research funding, while Einrogard students handle everything from the initial idea to theory, experimentation, verification, and report writing."
'That doesn't sound like collaboration... More like sponsorship.'
"My senior's senior also conducted research that way. Must've needed funding."
"That... makes sense."
"The research was conducted externally, and at the nearly completed stage, a Baldrogard student who coveted the item committed a vile betrayal."
Lee Han swallowed hard.
What kind of vile betrayal could a Baldrogard student have committed?
"He sent a letter to the Headmaster, reporting that the Einrogard student had violated school rules by going out. The Einrogard student was caught immediately."
"......"
Lee Han paused, taken aback by the nature of the betrayal.
It was certainly underhanded, but not quite what he had imagined.
"I... see."
"With the senior caught, the Baldrogard student monopolized the nearly completed item and used it freely. Before graduating, he passed it down to his juniors. And now, among the visiting students, one of them was found carrying that very item."
The stolen Einrogard artifact had wandered within Baldrogard before finally making its way back.
Naturally, Sebius believed the rightful ownership belonged to them.
'Isn't this blowing things out of proportion because of old grudges?' Lee Han hesitated slightly.
Of course, Lee Han didn't particularly like Baldrogard students either, but was there really a need to pickpocket guests who might not even know they were carrying stolen goods?
The Baldrogard students likely had no idea they were holding something stolen from Einrogard. 'They probably don't know anything...'
"By the way, what was the research about?"
"Improving the Space Expansion Backpack. It was a well-made item, so I heard many seniors coveted it."
"Senior! Hearing that the despicable students of another magic academy shamelessly took away Einrogard's tradition and heritage fills me with rage and sorrow. We must reclaim it as soon as possible."
'Now he sounds like a Blue Dragon Tower student!' Sebius thought to himself, watching his junior passionately speak of the school's honor and pride.