Episode 851
Episode 851
Sebius was originally the type of senior who treated juniors strictly.
But even he couldn't bring himself to be harsh in the current situation.
"..."
"Let's take a break for now. If you only look for easy paths like that, you won't develop the skills you lack. When you hit a wall in difficult research later, it'll be even harder."
"With that level of wealth, you could just hire a mage capable of solving any blocked parts."
"Shut up."
Sebius, left speechless, ultimately wielded his seniority to make him close his mouth.
Seeing his junior's gloomy expression, Sebius seemed to feel slightly guilty and attempted to change the subject.
"More importantly, that mage Garal thinks you're a sixth-year. Good job. The more you hide your identity and create confusion, the better."
Though it was unfortunate that his Wardanaz family background was known, deceiving them about his grade was the right move.
Thanks to that, even Sebius's identity could remain disguised.
"But Senior. I told them I was a second-year."
"What?"
"We actually talked before."
Lee Han briefly explained how he'd coincidentally visited when the Baldrogard students arrived with Garal, and how he'd accidentally summoned the Black Emperor's Crown. 'If I mention it casually like this, it won't seem strange, right?' Of course, it wasn't very effective. Sebius stared at his junior who'd "accidentally" summoned the Black Emperor's Crown like he was looking at a madman.
Last time he'd clearly said "just showed some magic" - apparently that "just" wasn't the "just" he'd imagined. 'If you make a mistake like this twice, you'll destroy Einrogard.'
"Anyway, when they detained me for questioning, I clearly told them I was a second-year. So I don't understand why they keep saying sixth-year. Ah... could you be helping me?"
Lee Han made a slightly touched expression at the kindness shown by the mage from the Snowflake Magic Tower.
Could it be that to prevent the Baldrogard students from taking ugly revenge, they were calling him a sixth-year?
"Did you get hit in the head with an arrow? Would you lie for some thug who detained you to rob you?"
"..."
"Maybe they felt sorry for an Einrogard student and decided to..."
"No."
"Then what is it?"
As the senior kept picking at him, Lee Han's voice grew curt.
Sebius explained simply.
"They probably thought you were a crazy sixth-year claiming to be a second-year. There are plenty of madmen among Einrogard's upperclassmen."
"......"
Lee Han was appalled at this absurd hypothesis.
"What... how could you see people like that?!"
"If they think you're a sixth-year despite you saying you're a second-year, what else could it be? Accept it. That's being generously considered crazy."
"What do you mean accept it?!"
Being mistaken for a sixth-year was bad enough, but being considered a crazy sixth-year insisting he was a second-year was even more insulting.
"Like I said, it's not bad? Being mistaken for someone else is good. Look at me - I'm deliberately acting rude."
"I'd rather be called Gainando."
"No. Using names of people around you as aliases can get you tracked."
As the two seriously discussed this, Zandanni curiously asked Garal:
"What are those two talking about?"
"Probably discussing whether to use those gems or not."
"Isn't there no reason not to use them?"
"Well... it's true they're quite expensive. Einrogard mages hate inefficiency."
Garal stopped himself from calling it luxury or waste for Zandanni's sake.
Zandanni asked, seeming not to understand:
"Isn't this efficient? It's not like they lack money."
"...Please just shut up for once. Please."
"!?"
"Provoking the already miserable Einrogard students—especially a slightly unhinged sixth-year—wasn't the wisest choice."
* * *
The two returned after concluding their meeting (or more accurately, after Lee Han gave up).
Garal cautiously asked,
"So? Are you going to use it?"
"Use what?"
"This gem here..."
"Ah."
"??"
Only then, as if just remembering, Lee Han nodded, leaving Garal bewildered.
Wait, wasn't this supposed to be a meeting?
"We'll use it. Please proceed, Mr. Zandanni."
"You can just call me Zandanni, Wardanaz. Everyone close to me calls me that."
"Right. Mr. Zandanni."
"Garal shook his head internally."
Zandanni seemed eager to befriend a sixth-year from the Wardanaz family, but it didn't seem like a good idea.
For one, the other party didn't seem interested...
"Let's begin."
"Alright. Here we go!"
"Zandanni pulled out the gem scarab and, with an incantation, tossed it into the bag."
Whoom—
A faint mana ripple spread as part of the spatial labyrinth dissolved. The sheer inefficiency of it made Lee Han's heart ache—even though it wasn't his gem.
"It's working well!"
"..."
"Yes. Let's move to the next one."
"Zandanni took out the next gem and threw it."
Again and again...
Lee Han couldn't take it anymore and offered advice.
"Wouldn't it be better to control it a little instead of just throwing it?"
"Control?"
"Like this."
"Lee Han cast a wordless psychokinesis spell and made a gem-crafted brooch flutter like a butterfly."
The delicate movement drew simultaneous admiration from Garal and Sebius, who were watching.
Psychokinetic spells for small objects were easy enough that even half-baked mages who hadn't properly learned magic could use them. But once the weight increased and precise control was required, the difficulty skyrocketed.
To move something like that, you'd need at least a Circle of...
"Ah. I can't use psychokinesis like that."
"..."
"Haha. I didn't mean wordless casting—just regular psychokinesis. Even a 1st-Circle spell would be enough."
"I haven't learned that either."
"..."
"Why not?"
"Lee Han couldn't help but ask."
Zandanni looked genuinely puzzled and countered,
"Why would I need to?"
"......"
"......"
"Garal deeply pondered whether he should intervene before things escalated."
But Lee Han exercised patience. 'Think of him as Gainando's younger brother. He is Gainando's younger brother.'
"Then let's learn it now."
"Now? But Wardanaz, I'm an alchemist. Do I really need this kind of magic?"
"Haha. Of course you do, you little—"
"Huh?"
"Ah, my apologies, Mr. Zandanni. Anyway, even as an alchemy student, it wouldn't hurt to learn this. Trust me. Haha."
"Garal grew increasingly unnerved every time Lee Han laughed."
A mad mage laughing was never a good sign.
But surprisingly, instead of exploding, Lee Han patiently taught Zandanni psychokinesis.
"Here. This is how you levitate it."
"This... is fun! I've never done anything like this at Baldrogard."
"They didn't teach it in lectures?"
"I only took alchemy courses."
"..."
Haha. Here, try practicing by rotating this spirit stone bead. Go on. Go on!"
"Ah! Ah! It hurts!"
"Oops. My apologies. At Einrogard, the beads sometimes attack too."
"?"
"Sebius tilted his head in confusion."
Professor Garcia wouldn't teach like that, would she?
Garal, equally startled, whispered,
"Does Professor Garcia teach like that these days?"
Sebius tilted his head in confusion.
'Professor Garcia wouldn't teach like that, would he?'
Garaldo also seemed surprised and whispered,
"Has Professor Garcia started teaching like that recently?"
"Hmm... Well, professors are human too. They must have moments when they get angry..."
Though he'd been hit by the Spirit Stone Bead a few times, Zandanni had become completely engrossed in Psychokinesis magic.
Baldrogard's education was originally filled with dignity and freedom.
That was why Zandanni had spent his first and second years learning various magical disciplines like travel, literature, art, drinking rituals, music, theater, philosophy, debate, dance, and horseback riding—only to study gemstone Alchemy in his third year.
But now, hearing about it from a mage of the Wardanaz Family, Psychokinesis magic was more fun than he'd expected. Sure, he'd taken a few hits, but this experience was refreshing in its own way.
"It's fun! So much fun!"
"Haha."
Lee Han forced a laugh while imagining Professor Voladi being invited to teach at Baldrogard.
"I think I can levitate it now."
"Then try sensing the space inside and moving it."
"I... don't think I can manage that yet."
"...Fine. I'll just give you instructions. Move it as I say."
"That much I can probably do."
Zandanni carefully manipulated the gemstone with the Psychokinesis magic he'd just learned, moving it cautiously. Then, a thought struck him, and he asked,
"Wardanaz... Don't you think we make a good team? Like the two who made this bag."
"...Haha. Hahaha. HAHAHA."
"Ow! That hurts!"
Without realizing it, Lee Han had tightened his grip on Zandanni's shoulder.
Sebius intervened, saying,
"Wait. I think I saw something inside the maze just now."
"Did we reach the exit?!"
"Hold on—"
Lee Han tried to calm the excited Zandanni and expanded his senses.
Judging by the maze's size when they first measured it, it was too early for the exit to appear.
"Let me try!"
As Zandanni manipulated the cufflink and sent it flying, a hidden curse within the spatial maze bared its fangs.
It was a trap designed to retaliate against anyone attempting to destroy the maze.
Fwoosh!
When the curse surged out like a reverse tide, Lee Han grabbed Zandanni by the nape and threw him aside, shielding him with his own body.
The curse, unable to pierce Lee Han's defenses, simply bounced off.
"......"
Lee Han gritted his teeth and glared at Zandanni, who shrank back and stammered,
"I-I'm sorry... Thank you for saving me."
"Enough. The curse is gone, so let's keep going."
Zandanni, now wary of Lee Han's mood, carefully picked up the gemstone.
After that, there were no more traps. By the time they used up all the remaining gemstones, the exit finally appeared.
Click!
"It—it's open!"
At Zandanni's shout, the mages in the room all turned tense gazes toward them.
What could possibly be inside the sixth room?
"Congratulations. If you're hearing this, you must have unlocked it. I still vividly remember how weak you were with spatial mazes. I don't understand why Baldrogard refuses to force its students to learn properly."
Lee Han startled at the voice and looked at Sebius, who wore a similarly shocked expression.
"I know you didn't send those letters on purpose. Of course, my friends didn't believe me... How could outsiders know the Headmaster occasionally kidnaps Paper Birds? I should have warned you."
"......"
"......"
"I learned so much from you while we were making this together. Forgive me for underestimating you at first just because you were a Baldrogard student. And for not telling my Einrogard friends about our friendship. Instead, I'll leave this backpack as a token of our bond and secretly leave a message here. If you hear this, stop blaming yourself and come see your friend."
'This is absurd.'
Lee Han couldn't believe what he was hearing.
They had truly been friends?
"Oh, and never complain to the Skeleton Principal. You might get dragged into the Punishment Room for no reason. Plus, the backpack could get confiscated—I stole some of the materials from the Skeleton Principal. Sorry for lying about where I got them. Actually, thinking about it, I stole from Professor Verdus too. Don't show it to him either."
Zandanni, moved to tears, exclaimed,
"It's a miracle! They really were friends!"
"...Indeed."
"In a way, it's fate that we were the ones to open this..."
"No, it isn't."
Lee Han glared at the one trying to spin this into some grand narrative.