Episode 904
Episode 904
Crackle!
A heat different from before burst forth.
A flame with condensed destructive power, qualitatively different from ordinary fire.
While normal flames follow the combustion process where matter combines with air to emit heat, Blue Flame was literally a magical flame formed by the convergence of the concept and information of 'burning.'
A flame capable of incinerating everything—from fireproof equipment to substances that normally can't be burned.
As Lee Han passed through the second and third gates, Professor Zorjik's ecstasy reached its peak.
In his mind, he could already hear the voices of meeting participants shouting that they should support Zorjik, who had nurtured such a student, to become the next headmaster of Einrogard.
"Excellent!"
"Is there anything I need to improve?"
Lee Han asked while maintaining his focus.
If there were any areas for improvement, he needed to correct them immediately.
"If there had been any, I would have told you right away. Full marks, Wardanaz student!"
Pop!
Releasing the Blue Flame he had been maintaining, Lee Han let out a sigh of relief.
His practice had paid off. Thanks to that, he had passed the exam as expected.
"Then I'll take my leave now, Professor."
"Ah, ah? Very well."
"See you next time!"
After quickly bowing, Lee Han exited the lecture hall.
He had finished so quickly that none of the other seniors had even arrived yet.
Watching his retreating figure, Professor Zorjik muttered to himself,
"I was going to ask why he finished the final exam in one go, but it seems there's no need for that now."
Come to think of it, asking a student like Wardanaz for a reason might have been laughable in itself.
There's no fool who asks a bird why it flaps its wings, is there?
Just as a mage naturally seeks knowledge, that boy must be charging forward with all his might toward knowledge.
With eyes full of expectation, Professor Zorjik gazed at his student's retreating figure.
He was already excited to see just how much this student would achieve for him this year.
Lee Han, who had been solely focused on finishing the exam quickly, failed to notice the strange unease that had seeped into Professor Zorjik's reaction.
Instead, he immediately poured all his energy into preparing for the next exam.
"Professor, here's the dimensional map."
"Excellent. However..."
Professor Milley adjusted her monocle and frowned slightly.
The exam for <Tragic History of Ancient Artifacts and Summoning Magic> required students to personally visit another dimension and complete a map.
With Arsil's help, Lee Han had naturally completed the map faster and more accurately than any other student in his year.
But...
Frost Giant's Artifact (To be checked)
Frost Giant's Artifact (Do not skip, must check)
Frost Giant's Artifact (Seriously, do not skip and must check)
There were strange notes on the map.
Specifically, notes labeled 'Frost Giant's Artifact.'
And not just once—they were repeated multiple times!
The handwriting looked as if someone who really didn't want to go had pressed down hard while writing.
Recalling how students had previously chattered about 'finding the artifact guarded by the Frost Giant' or 'how to steal it,' the old professor asked suspiciously,
"What is this? Is this the artifact the students were talking about before...?"
"That's correct."
"I asked you to complete the map, not to retrieve any artifacts, didn't I?"
Professor Milley spoke in her usual stiff tone.
She wondered if the boy from the Wardanaz family had misunderstood the exam.
"Yes. These are just personal notes I made. I need to check it someday."
"You noted the location of the Frost Giant's artifact to check it yourself?"
"Yes."
"......"
Professor Milley raised her eyebrows. Then she swiftly began moving her quill.
"Is there a problem with the map?"
"The map is perfect."
As she wrote, Professor Milley thought of Professor Lightning Step.
"People have been saying Wardanaz has been acting a bit crazy lately, and I wondered what they meant—but seeing this, it all makes sense now."
To be so determined to retrieve an artifact guarded by a powerful race like the Frost Giants...
When a student was too brilliant, it inevitably led to worries of a different kind.
Professor Milley recalled the concerns she had when teaching Professor Garcia long ago and briefly removed her pince-nez to rub the bridge of her nose.
'No. This seems even worse than Garcia.'
"Professor, I'll take my leave now."
"Do you have another exam scheduled for today?"
Given that the sun was already setting, she hadn't expected any lectures to have scheduled exams this late...
Professor Milley was puzzled by her student's words.
"Senior Zarun of the Steel Shoe Family said it was fine to submit early if I was confident."
"...?"
Professor Milley took a moment to process this.
Zarun of the Steel Shoe Family was a fourth-year student studying under Professor Yonlamo.
So what Lee Han was referring to was undoubtedly the Transmutation Magic exam.
As for the part about 'if you're confident, you can submit early'...
'He couldn't have actually meant to submit it that quickly, could he?'
Professor Milley was about to point this out, but her student had already bowed and was halfway out the door.
The professor shook her head slightly and sighed.
Though Lee Han was breaking exam records at a pace that would go down in Einrogard's history, surprisingly few people took notice of his exploits.
In fact, unless you were a professor, it was hard to even be aware of them.
From the seniors' perspective, reactions like, 'Why is Wardanaz running around so frantically?' or 'Well, he's taking classes from every school, so it makes sense,' were inevitable.
Only a handful of seniors—like Diret, who assisted professors and took an active interest in their juniors—felt something was off, but Lee Han moved too quickly for them to question him.
"Yukveltire, doesn't this seem strange to you?"
"Mmm."
"It's exam season—why is he running around like this? Did I misremember the schedule? There's no reason for him to go that way."
"Mmm."
"You are listening to me, right?"
"Mmm."
"Would it be okay if I hit you?"
"Mmm."
Whack!
"?!"
As Yukveltire rubbed his stinging back in bewilderment, Lee Han was already sprinting toward his next exam.
While the professors thought, 'Is Wardanaz finally testing the limits of his true abilities?' Lee Han, surprisingly, had his own struggles.
If there were exams he could finish early or quickly, there were also those he couldn't.
Shockingly, even Lee Han had exams that stumped him.
This midterm, Professor Rosine's The Flesh and Blood of the Empire's Languages exam was exactly that.
'What in the world is this script?!'
"Alright, everyone! Your exam is to decipher this by the end of the week!"
"That's too harsh, Professor!"
"■ ■■■■■?"
"Huh?"
"I said I can't hear you! Come on, everyone, let's cheer!"
The exam, which required deciphering a lengthy document written in the script of a minor kingdom so obscure it likely never made it into history books, was something even Lee Han—the mad genius at the top of his year—couldn't solve immediately.
It was the kind of test that demanded time and effort, forcing him to guess each character one by one.
"Wardanaz, let's go to the library together— Wait, where'd Wardanaz go?"
"Uh, I don't know?"
His friends were baffled by the sudden disappearance of the top student.
They had assumed he'd be sitting in the library with them, as usual.
But Lee Han had a reason for leaving.
'It hit me.'
A way to break through this unavoidably time-consuming exam in one go had occurred to him.
And that was to ask someone who would likely know this script well.
-Wardanaz!
The Giant, who had been crouched and guarding the area, sprang to his feet the moment he spotted Lee Han.
"Greetings."
-What brings you here? Come to see the sheep?
"No. I came to ask for your help with an exam."
Now that he thought about it, the most accurate way to decipher an ancient script was to ask an ancient being.
As soon as that thought occurred to him, Lee Han immediately contacted the Crazy Doppelganger.
'Master. I have something to ask you.'
'What kind of magic is it?'
'Can you read this document for me?'
'...'
'I can read it, but the content is strange. It looks like sample sentences that would only appear in some child's exam...'
'That's correct. It's my exam. But it seems difficult, so I wanted to ask... Master? Master?'
The Crazy Doppelganger, who was beyond the [Echoing Stone], mercilessly cut off the connection.
But Lee Han didn't give up. After all, sincerity could melt even the coldest heart.
The Giant was also impressed by Lee Han's idea.
'Wardanaz is smart! Asking someone who knows—how wise!'
"Haha. Thank you."
'Go on in!'
As the Giant stepped aside, Lee Han turned his steps back toward the workshop.
The next to greet Lee Han was Chamberlain Intarendals.
"Young Master Lee Han of the Wardanaz Family. Welcome. What brings you here?"
"I came to ask my master something."
"!"
Intarendals' face brightened.
This disciple from the Wardanaz Family was exceptionally talented, though slightly lacking in enthusiasm.
His master had been concerned about that very point—who would have thought he'd come seeking guidance on his own?
Clearly, the noble character and wisdom of the master Intarendals served had influenced the disciple. After all, a great master naturally shapes a great disciple.
"Please, come in! What is it you wish to ask?"
"My exam has ancient script I don't recognize, so I came to ask about it. I tried using the [Echoing Stone], but he didn't answer me."
"......"
Intarendals made a slightly awkward expression at what seemed like a question more suited for some lowly scribe.
It was good that he came to ask so eagerly, but the level of the question...?
"...Surely you could handle this on your own, no? Someone of Young Master Lee Han's caliber should have no trouble. The sentences look quite simple, too."
"How can you say that? Questions have no hierarchy of importance or difficulty. If you dismiss easy questions, wouldn't it become harder to ask difficult ones later?"
"Even taking that into account, this seems far too simple."
Even Intarendals, who usually let things slide, couldn't help but waver—this question was just too basic.
The content of the document didn't help either.
Once upon a time, there was a kind student at a magic school. The kind student had his staff stolen and cried. Then, a kind professor came out and said...
"Also, Master Gonadaltes has stepped out for a moment."
"By any chance, did he leave because he didn't want to answer me?"
"Would that even be possible?"
Despite the borderline disrespectful question, Intarendals answered without anger. Truly, a considerate chamberlain.
"Master Gonadaltes periodically inspects and maintains the magic in this area. It's just that the magic..."
-'Damn brat's here.'
A voice that sounded like a hamster forcibly mimicking human speech echoed.
When Lee Han turned his gaze, he saw a hamster trapped in a cage glaring at him with murderous eyes.
"What—you learned to speak in the meantime?!"
-'If only I could still use magic, I'd have turned you into a hamster without fail.'
"Wait. I didn't do anything wrong. It wasn't me who did this to you."
Lee Han protested, but the former magic criminal—now hamster—didn't seem inclined to listen.
After all, a disciple often bears the sins of their master.
"I'll give you some grapes, so calm down."
-'And what brings you here this time?'
"I came to ask you something."
-'Magic? If it's magic, I can teach you.'
The hamster spoke in a sinister tone.
Of course, he had no intention of teaching proper magic—only knowledge that would lead a mage to ruin.
"Ah! Really?"
-'...?!'
But Lee Han's reaction defied the hamster's expectations.
"Then, could you interpret this for me?"
-'...'
Once upon a time, there was a kind student at a magic school...
-'What kind of nonsense is this, you damn brat?!'