Episode 877
Episode 877
Professor Paselet looked at Lee Han as if asking what he was talking about.
The purpose of this midterm exam was to teach students how to use the <Star Guide> and have them search for stars.
Since it was such a difficult artifact, just mastering its usage was sufficient as an exam.
Lee Han spoke with a calm attitude.
"I heard that contracting with stars isn't as difficult as one might think. Unlike spirits or demons, it's not about conversation, persuasion, deals, or threats, but about exploring and recognizing, then proving qualifications according to rules..."
'Did he read some strange ancient book somewhere?'
Professor Paselet looked puzzled as the brilliant class valedictorian was saying strange things.
Originally, even brilliant mages could sometimes talk nonsense. This was exactly the case when they were so outstanding that they grabbed forbidden ancient books that others would never read and fell into madness.
What the Wardanaz family boy was saying hadn't reached the level of madness, but it seemed to be halfway there.
Contracting with stars was difficult.
Finding stars was difficult, and even learning how to use the <Star Guide> was difficult.
And finding the rules of those stars to prove qualifications was even more so...
"Do you understand?"
"Yes."
Lee Han nodded, then suddenly ran to the window and shouted loudly.
It was hard to understand, but words like 'Yaksha King' and 'bastard' could be heard mixed in his shouts.
"!?"
"???!"
Not only Professor Paselet but other professors were surprised and looked at Lee Han. Professor Bendozol suspected Professor Verdus.
"Isn't it because you've been upsetting him so much?"
"When did I?"
'That is suspicious though.'
Professor Paselet agreed with Bendozol's words.
While his disciple was searching for the artifact, how much must Professor Verdus have upset him? That was something you could know without using prophecy magic.
"Oh."
Professor Paselet, who was finishing checking the <Star Guide>, discovered star marks remaining inside. They were remnants left by intense stellar power.
Remnants that had no reason to exist unless this artifact had been used to contract with stars!
"Did you happen to use the artifact?"
Lee Han, who had been shouting out the window, stopped abruptly and returned. Then he silently nodded.
"Did you find stars too?"
Another nod.
"...Don't tell me you made contracts too?"
Yet another nod.
Professor Paselet looked at his disciple with wonder.
Why would someone with such exceptional talent go and do dangerous things when no one asked him to?
Perhaps that was the fate of those called geniuses.
* * *
The three professors sat down and began an impromptu lecture.
Since he had already found stars and made contracts, there wasn't much to say, but they still needed to inform him of precautions.
"You need to be careful of asteroid clusters."
Professor Verdus said while gnawing on birch bark.
"They look like star clusters, so if you approach them trying to contract, you could get seriously hurt."
Asteroid clusters were traps that mages seeking to contract with stars could easily fall into.
At first glance they felt like powerful stars, but approaching them meant suffering great damage from irregular clusters broken into small pieces.
"Yes... I've encountered them before."
"..."
"..."
Professor Paselet and Professor Bendozol's expressions hardened. Professor Verdus asked in confusion.
"Then is there really a need to learn like this?"
"No one asked for your opinion."
"Be quiet, Professor Verdus."
Professor Verdus closed his mouth again.
For some reason, the other two professors seemed displeased. They were truly emotional people.
"Then... you also need to be careful of dark nebulae. Just looking at them can devour a mage's soul..."
"Yes. I saw those too."
"..."
"..."
Professor Paselet wondered what ancient book he had read and followed to have seen both asteroid clusters and dark nebulae.
Could the magic book's title possibly be <How to Self-Destruct Among the Stars>?
Jowurin tilted her head.
It seemed like Lee Han had nothing particular to learn...
"No! Dragon! Though I didn't mention it, detecting stars requires mastery of all sorts of laws and principles!"
Bendozol, who didn't want to appear as an incompetent professor in front of the dragon, reacted sensitively.
"I was planning to explain them one by one from now. Now! Do you know about the law of preemption?!"
"Yes."
"Why do you know it?!"
Professor Paselet decided to just give up and finish explaining how to operate the <Star Guide>.
* * *
"Like this, when you operate it in this direction, the soul vision's direction moves accordingly. Since stars move quickly, some degree of prediction is essential. Even if the <Star Guide> helps, mages must know how to use prophecy magic for a considerable part."
"Indeed."
"This week is when the Spirit Star comes closest to the continent. Did you happen to see the Spirit Star?"
"Yes."
"Ah. Did you contract with the Spirit Star?!"
"No... it rejected me."
"..."
"..."
The atmosphere instantly became awkward. While the Spirit Star might ignore someone, cases of rejection were extremely rare.
Eandurde, who alone didn't understand, asked.
"Why would a star reject someone?"
Shh. Eandurde. There are wicked stars too.
"With such strong magic power, spirits might dislike it. That probably led to the Spirit Star's rejection."
Professor Verdus nodded as if he understood alone. Lee Han glared at him slightly.
"Well... it's already past. What else should we teach? So what star did you contract with?"
"I heard it was called the guest star Arnara."
Though conversations had stopped several times today with awkward atmospheres, there had never been such a heavy and shocking atmosphere as now.
Professor Paselet and Professor Bendozol looked at Lee Han with their faces contorted in shock. Even Professor Verdus dropped his tree bark.
"...Did I perhaps make a dangerous contract?"
"A 2nd year student contracting with stars is dangerous in itself. More than that... um... catastrophic prophecies... no."
"Arnara is... hmm... fate is... no... it's like superstition. Superstition is part of prophecy but..."
'This isn't helpful at all.'
Even with persistent questioning, the professors wouldn't tell him.
From what Lee Han could guess, it seemed the fate of mages who contracted with Arnara was generally not good.
Well, it was the star the Skeleton Principal had contracted with...
'That is terrifying. To think it's a star that could make you become Einrogard's principal if you contract with it.'
"Ah. Wait. I should teach you one last thing about using this artifact that I forgot to mention."
Professor Paselet called out to Lee Han who was about to get up.
"What would that be?"
"It's best to use this artifact for only a few minutes a day. Viewing the sea of stars is more draining than you'd think."
"..."
Shouldn't that be posted as a warning notice in front of the artifact?
* * *
Jowurin, who had been watching Lee Han's mood after he returned to the tower, cautiously asked.
Lee Han?
"Yes. Your Majesty?"
Are you taking exams early because of Jowurin...?
It was natural for Jowurin to be cautious.
Originally, exams were supposed to be postponed until the last minute and then studied for frantically (Jowurin had a somewhat distorted perspective from learning through books), not going a week early to perfectly complete and submit final exams.
But since Lee Han kept finishing next week's exams ahead of time, Jowurin couldn't help but feel concerned.
From what I heard, it wasn't like this last year...
Lee Han immediately responded to the intelligent dragon's rational speculation.
"What nonsense are you talking about, Your Majesty?!"
!
'Oh no. This is trouble.'
Lee Han was horrified to realize he was increasingly treating Jowurin like Gainando.
At this rate, he might someday be reported to the Imperial Court for lese majeste.
"I'm sorry. I was flustered and spoke the way I usually talk to my friends."
No! Jowurin likes it when you speak the way you usually talk to your friends!
Jowurin flapped her wings and her eyes sparkled.
She had been a little hurt that Lee Han treated his friends differently from how he treated Jowurin, but now the opportunity had come.
"No. Still, given Your Majesty's status, I should maintain proper etiquette."
No! No! I don't want that!
Jowurin threw a tantrum, performing rolling motions left and right.
As the dragon rolled with her massive size, the furniture in the Blue Dragon Tower common room shattered with cracking sounds. Gainando, who had been playing mage cards in the corner, screamed and wailed as his rare winning game was ruined.
Jowurin commands it! Wardanaz must treat Jowurin the same way he treats his usual friends!
"Hmm... If that's really what you want..."
Jowurin's face brightened. Lee Han spoke frankly.
"Then stop talking nonsense."
...
"Maybe it would be better to maintain proper etiquette after..."
No! Jowurin is totally fine with it!
Eandurde thought he saw tears slightly forming in Jowurin's eyes, but kept it to himself.
It was his own way of showing friendship toward his large dragon friend.
"More importantly, Your Majesty. I'm not deliberately taking exams early."
"Is that so??"
Not only Jowurin but Eandurde was also surprised.
"...Why are you surprised?"
"Obviously..."
Eandurde counted on his fingers one by one.
<Staff Materials and Magic Amplification>, <Terribly Beautiful Creatures>, <Poison, Bone, Blood>, <Delightfully Maddening Divination Magic>...
Since it was too many to be coincidence, Eandurde naturally assumed this iron-willed senior was finishing exams early according to a perfect plan.
"It's just accidental incidents."
"Hmm..."
Hmm...
'Did I pair them up for no reason?'
Pairing up two with young mental ages seemed to only teach them to be suspicious of each other.
-Hmm...
"...Aren't you scared anymore?"
Lee Han spoke to the baby basilisk in his sleeve. With her sharp dragon hearing, Jowurin stared intently at his sleeve.
I think I just heard the baby basilisk's voice.
-Ma-ma-master, I'm sc-sc-scared!
"That's why you shouldn't have spoken..."
Wow!
Discovering the baby basilisk, Jowurin rushed over like lightning in delight.
-Master. I did wrong! Help me! Eek...
So cute!
While Jowurin played with the baby basilisk for a while, Lee Han handled his remaining assignments.
'I really do have fewer exams.'
"Wardanaz. Paper bird."
"It's not a paper bird sent by Professor Verdus, is it?"
"If it were, I would have shot it down naturally!"
A Blue Dragon Tower friend laughed as if asking what kind of person he took him for, then passed by.
Lee Han checked the paper bird with relief. It was a paper bird sent by his club seniors.
I heard you took the <Terribly Beautiful Creatures> exam early? Congratulations. If you're thinking of taking the <One Drop of Potion Instead of Complex Magic> exam early too, would you let us know?
Are you thinking of taking the <Elemental Magic and Its Applications> exam early too, junior? If so, I'd really like you to tell us...
...
"..."
The contents of all the letters were similar.
They needed to help their club junior study for exams, but if he was going to take more early, please let them know so they could save the trouble of additional preparation...
'Isn't this too much?'
Lee Han grumbled about Einrogard's coldness.
They should worry about whether it's okay for a junior to take other exams early or tell him not to overdo it, not ask him to let them know if he's taking more early!
"Gentlemen. Is student Wardanaz here?"
"That depends on the professor's purpose for coming?"
A familiar voice was heard from the common room main door.
It was Professor Zorjik of the Benmalpa family, who sported a stylishly grown seagull-shaped mustache.
A friend who didn't know Professor Zorjik well asked curiously.
"Wardanaz. What kind of person is that professor?"
"He's not a bad person. He takes good care of students too."
"Oh..."
"And he's aiming to be the next principal."
The Blue Dragon Tower student who heard Lee Han's answer turned pale and fled upstairs.
'He's a completely crazy professor!'