Episode 96
Episode 96
When professors forget your existence, you must quietly hold your breath and wait.
The Forgotten Beast Statue was a being who had mastered such wisdom.
But even so, boredom is inevitable. Thank you for coming to visit me.
"Great Statue... I've heard that you possess the wisdom needed for escaping—no, the wisdom I require."
Lee Han caught himself mid-sentence, changing his words.
There was no telling when the Forgotten Beast Statue might betray him.
Wisdom... You flatter me by calling it that. Though it may not quite be wisdom, I can share what I know. And I may be able to help with certain things.
"Really?!"
Lee Han was grateful that the Forgotten Beast Statue was bored.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have offered such assistance.
Of course, I can't help with matters beyond my capabilities. So don't ask me to rescue a dragon or anything like that.
"By any chance... could you make the Headmaster a little kinder?"
...What color dragon would you like? A dragon would be easier.
"My apologies. That was a joke."
Naturally, Lee Han had no intention of making such an absurd request.
There was only one thing he wanted.
The path to the Spire Stables, located in the upper floors of the main building.
"Do you know the location of the Spire Stables in the main building's tower?"
I know about three of them.
Lee Han's pupils trembled slightly. He had finally found what he was looking for.
"Among them... I'd like to know the easiest path to reach one."
That's not difficult.
"!"
But first, you must defeat me!
"?!?"
The sudden shift in atmosphere left Lee Han flustered.
Gripping his staff, he eyed the statue warily. But instead of attacking, the statue laid out a bronze chessboard before him.
Let's play a game!
"......"
It was clear the opponent was truly bored.
Boredom was the deadliest of poisons. Even the statue, who had loyally served under the professor for so long, couldn't withstand its effects.
The Forgotten Beast Statue loved chess.
The beauty of chess is that you can play it alone.
As it spoke, the statue's tail and other heads swayed.
To gauge his opponent's skill, Lee Han asked,
"By any chance... did you play chess with another freshman before I came?"
I did.
"How many times did that freshman win?"
Not even once.
Lee Han's expression darkened.
'Not a single win against Tutanta?'
He didn't know how skilled Tutanta was, but the fact that he kept challenging the statue without a single victory spoke volumes.
It meant this Forgotten Statue was exceptionally skilled at chess...
'And cunning enough to hide it.'
If the gap had been overwhelming, Tutanta wouldn't have kept coming back. The statue must have barely won each time, letting him cling to hope so he'd return.
To manipulate the outcomes like that required an immense skill difference.
'Can I win?'
Lee Han didn't consider himself particularly good at chess.
Not that he had never played before.
Like any student confined to a lab, he had indulged in meaningless gambling games.
And chess was the most popular.
Though he had never lost against other students...
...that was just a big fish in a small pond. Against the foreign professor from the neighboring lab, he had never won a single game.
That professor seemed to take great pleasure in crushing weaker players, often summoning Lee Han just to defeat him.
If anything, this statue was likely even better than that professor.
'But I only need to win once.'
No matter how he had to shake his opponent or catch them off guard, just one victory would suffice.
Lee Han decided to bet on sheer numbers.
Chess was a game with unexpected variables—if he played a hundred games, he might just win one.
"By the way. I should mention—there's a penalty if you lose."
"...What is it?"
Lee Han flinched.
The shadowed statue suddenly seemed to exude an oppressive aura.
If you lose, you must play another game without any reward.
"...That's it?"
The penalty was lighter than expected. The statue nodded.
And if you lose again on your next attempt, you'll have to play two games. If you lose the following challenge, three games...
'If he's that bored, I might as well just take on work from the professor.'
Thinking this, Lee Han picked up the white pawn.
The king toppled sideways, marking the end of the game. Lee Han was stunned.
'Tutanta...!'
He's really good.
While the statue marveled, Lee Han was slightly dumbfounded.
Surprisingly, Lee Han had won.
And on the very first game, no less!
At this point, he had to question the statue's—and Tutanta's—skill. To think he hadn't won even once against such an opponent.
'No need to have been so tense.'
Here. This is the map I made.
"Thank you."
Lee Han accepted the map the statue handed him and tucked it into his robe. Then he asked,
"Care for another game?"
Now that he realized his opponent wasn't as formidable as he'd thought, there was no reason to hesitate. Hoping to squeeze out a bit more, Lee Han initiated the offer.
But the statue didn't take the bait easily.
No. I'm quite satisfied for today. That was an exceptionally entertaining match.
"......"
Thanks to you, I think I'll sleep soundly tonight. I'm grateful.
Lee Han couldn't fathom what part of the match had satisfied the statue so much.
Surely it wasn't because he'd expected Lee Han to lose, was it?
"Ah... Glad to hear it."
With mixed feelings, Lee Han offered his congratulations and stepped outside.
Salko was waiting in the hallway, chiseling away at a small figurine with a hammer and chisel.
"You're out."
Brushing off the wood shavings, Salko spoke without looking at Lee Han.
Though he didn't care for nobles, he intended to respect Lee Han's pride.
He must have come out without a single win—how humiliating.
"I'll guide you until you win. You can't enter alone, so let me know when you want to try again."
"I won."
"...??!?!!"
Salko doubted his ears.
He couldn't believe what he'd just heard.
That beast of a statue's chess skills were nothing short of monstrous.
Even Salko, who had no equal within the Tutanta Family, had never won a single game against it.
He'd been planning to prepare with Wardanaz and challenge it again later, but...
He just won? Just like that?
"R-really?"
"Yeah. Said he'd sleep well thanks to me."
Salko had resolved to respect his opponent's words without baseless suspicion.
But right now, he couldn't bring himself to believe Lee Han's claim without seeing it for himself.
"Wardanaz. If it's alright, may I verify it myself?"
"Sure. Go ahead."
With Lee Han's permission, Salko repaired the hallway figurine, opened the door, and stepped inside.
He emerged moments later with the expression of a man who'd seen a ghost.
The statue really was asleep.
Lee Han spoke to Salko.
"Thanks. I got the information I needed."
"That's... good to hear..."
For a fleeting moment, Salko found himself looking at Lee Han with undisguised admiration before snapping back to his senses.
To think he'd ever feel such respect for a noble-born in his life!
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Salko turned away.
"Let's head back. I'll lead the way."
Turning his back, Salko failed to notice the subtle shift in Lee Han's gaze.
The way Lee Han looked at him now had changed—resembling the way he looked at Nilia.
Lee Han pushed open the lounge door with an utterly exhausted expression.
Salko, who seemed carved from solid rock, turned out to be far chattier than expected.
"I want to tell you about the 'Dwarf Gambit,' the Tutanta family's signature move—when you advance your pawn to e4 and the opponent counters with e5, you push forward with f4."
"If the opponent takes the pawn, my specialty is sending the knight to f3. About this..."
"There was this one time in a match I played before..."
"Did you know? Those elf bastards say you should advance your pawn to d4 instead of e4 and respond to d5 with c4! Absolute lunatics, I tell you!"
Salko had been rambling about chess nonstop the entire way back.
Lee Han wasn't the type to dedicate his life and passion to chess like Salko was.
Though he had answered as sincerely as possible to avoid upsetting Salko, the mental exhaustion was unavoidable.
"Wardanaz! You're back!"
His friends in the lounge, who had been working on assignments, greeted Lee Han warmly.
Yoner was huddled with other students, examining potions.
They were the same potions Lee Han and Ratford had stolen from the carriage earlier.
Thanks to the reagents they had taken from Professor Thunderstep's lab, they could now conduct various experiments.
"Did you find anything out?"
"Wardanaz. We did it."
"??"
One of the students sitting next to Yoner spoke up excitedly.
"We found the miracle potion!"
"Did you discover a teleportation potion or something?"
Lee Han asked, puzzled.
The students exchanged awkward glances before answering.
"No... Not teleportation."
"But it's still an amazing potion! We'll show you! Gainando!"
They brought Gainando forward. Lee Han noticed Gainando looked slightly different than usual.
A little...
More intelligent.
'What's this? A fake Gainando?'
Gainando nodded calmly at Lee Han with an eerily composed expression—so composed it made Lee Han want to punch him.
"Gainando. Who teaches <Understanding Basic Magic>?"
"Professor Garcia Kim."
"How do you make a Lesser Mana Recovery Potion?"
"Cut off the base of the Galamaldu, then slice the remaining part into segments the size of two finger joints. At the same time, you must tear the Snowscent Herb finely by hand—and you have to do it quickly before the Galamaldu dries out."
The flawless answers made the students from the Blue Dragon Tower erupt in cheers.
"See?? It's the Potion of Wisdom! The Potion of Wisdom!"
Among alchemical potions, there were those that temporarily boosted the drinker's intelligence.
Looking at Gainando now, it was clear.
This reddish-brown liquid was undoubtedly the Potion of Wisdom!
'Wait. Did these idiots test it on Gainando?'
Lee Han had his doubts, but he decided to let it slide. There were more important things to focus on.
"Do you really think this is the Potion of Wisdom?"
Lee Han asked Yoner quietly. Yoner responded with a cautious expression.
"I can't say for sure yet. But judging by Gainando's reaction after drinking it, there's a possibility."
"Didn't you verify it before drinking?"
"No, he just drank it during testing..."
"......"
Lee Han bit back what he was about to say.
'Well, if it really is the Potion of Wisdom, that'd be great.'
Like the cheering students, Lee Han could think of countless uses for the potion.
First, drink a little during Professor Garcia's class, then a bit during Professor Voladi's, some during Professor Thunderstep's, a sip before meeting Professor Mortum, and another before seeing Professor Millay...
Counting on his fingers, Lee Han suddenly caught himself.
Potions weren't harmless. They always demanded a price. Drinking like that would leave nothing left of his body.
But in this school, there were far too many situations where wisdom was needed.
'Should I test it a bit more?'
Lee Han studied Gainando and asked,
"What's 14 times 19?"
"417."
The immediate answer drew another round of cheers from the Blue Dragon Tower students.
But Lee Han, Yoner, Ashan, and the Princess all wore expressions of disbelief.
...Huh?