Episode 992
Episode 992
'I didn't think that would happen.'
'That doesn't seem likely,' Yoner thought to herself as she unlocked the tower door with the key.
The door to the darkened tower creaked open with a metallic clank, releasing a warm gust of air from the workshop inside.
"The professor isn't here, right?"
"At this hour, he's probably tending to cacti in the Einrogard desert. Let's go in."
Lee Han's thoroughness in memorizing the professor's schedule down to the hour even surprised Gainando.
"How does Lee Han manage to memorize all that?"
"You memorize every single word on Wizard Cards too."
"W-what does that have to do with anything!"
While the two bickered in the background, Lee Han quickly checked the first floor.
Even if the professor wasn't present, one should never let their guard down inside a magic tower.
He needed to check for any newly added defensive spells or traps first.
'Nothing here.' Lee Han clicked his tongue inwardly.
This was due to Professor Thunderstep's carelessness.
No matter how much he trusted his students with the key, such lax security awareness was unacceptable.
'Honestly, the professor is too careless.' Of course, this negligence was convenient for him right now, but that was a separate matter from his duties as a student.
While scanning the surroundings, Lee Han spotted an envelope on the table. Surprisingly, the handwriting on it looked quite familiar.
'...Wait. This is Professor Bagrak's letter?' Lee Han was surprised on multiple counts.
First, he was shocked that Professor Voladi had written a letter at all, and second, that it was addressed to Professor Thunderstep.
As a loyal student, he should have respected the professors' privacy, but unfortunately, the letter had slipped out of the envelope and was lying openly on the table - another consequence of Professor Thunderstep's carelessness.
'Honestly, professor. You're really too careless. Well, no helping it now.' Lee Han picked up the letter to prevent it from falling and inadvertently read its contents.
Capital. Urgent. Summons. Lord Gonadaltes. Request lecture exchange.
- Voladi Bagrak
"????"
For a moment, Lee Han thought it was some kind of code before belatedly realizing:
'Ah. So the Headmaster urgently summoned him to the capital, and he had to leave?'
This was surprising in its own right.
Several professors were already in the capital with the Skeleton Principal, and now Professor Voladi too?
'...Did a rebellion break out in the capital or something?' Lee Han couldn't comprehend it.
He couldn't fathom why so many Einrogard professors needed to gather in the capital at once.
If he hadn't known about the Emperor's lineage, he might have genuinely suspected the Skeleton Principal of staging a coup.
'It couldn't be because Jowurin caused trouble, could it?' Feeling uneasy, Lee Han shook his head.
The Skeleton Principal and professors had gone to the capital before that incident. Jowurin's escape couldn't be the reason...
Probably!
'More importantly, what's this about a lecture exchange? Surely he doesn't mean canceling now and making it up later?' Unaware that he'd accidentally guessed correctly, Lee Han grew troubled.
Someone rushing to the capital wouldn't have time to worry about canceling lectures...
"Lee Han?"
"Sorry. It's nothing."
Lee Han snapped out of his thoughts at his friends' voices.
Professor Voladi going to the capital was one thing - they had their own tasks to complete.
In a way, this might be fortunate.
If Professor Voladi and the Crazy Doppelganger had to teach together...
"......"
Just imagining that terrifying combination made Lee Han shudder.
"Lee Han's acting weird. Did some magic affect him?"
"But none of the potions or incense here could influence Lee Han..."
As Gainando and Yoner whispered, Lee Han waved his hands apologetically.
"Sorry. I'm really fine. I was just surprised to hear Professor Bagrak went to the capital."
"Gasp. Did Professor Mortum go too???"
"No."
"Aww."
Gainando's face fell in disappointment.
"Why wasn't Professor Mortum invited to this either?"
"More importantly, we need to check what Professor Thunderstep was doing. Can you both help?"
Their friends nodded.
The three cautiously approached the workshop area used by Professor Thunderstep and began piecing together clues.
"High-quality paper, water flask, brush, tobacco leaves, acacia tree sap... What kind of magic is this, Lee Han?"
"...That's just the professor rolling his own cigarettes."
"Ah."
Gainando grumbled.
Why would someone go through the trouble of hand-rolling cigarettes in a workshop area and confuse people?
"He seems to have used poisonweed."
"He made two new potions recently..."
Still, with two top students from the Alchemy School present, their investigation progressed quickly.
The two sorted through recently used materials and potions, separating those likely used for lectures.
"Is the cockatrice venom for lectures or not?"
"That's for lectures. I heard he used it in fourth-year classes."
'Shouldn't have asked...'
Yoner regretted it as she drew a line on the paper with her quill.
Knowing about an unfortunate future somehow made her feel even more miserable than expected.
"Cinnabar, three-year-old crow's wing feather."
"Thunderbird's cry, ghoul giant's claw."
"Crystal golem core, malice mushroom, mandragora..."
"...Vermilion, wait a minute. Isn't this Arlkan's Eternal Severance??"
Yoner exclaimed in shock.
As it was a formula created by her family's ancestor, she recognized it first.
Pulling out the Arlkan family's secret tome she always carried, Yoner quickly flipped through the pages to compare.
"It seems correct."
"Sorry, Yoner. I know about <Maykin Family's Sweet Pan Chocolate> or <Maykin Family's Magical Chocolate Éclair>, but Eternal Severance..."
"...Y-yeah."
Normally, people wouldn't even know about the chocolate or éclair, but Yoner, unfazed, began explaining.
"It's poison. A poison that targets the soul..."
Literally, it was a vicious poison that permanently severs the soul's connection.
Even with high resistance to physical or blood-based toxins, enduring this kind of poison wasn't easy.
'Why would he make this?'
Lee Han wondered why Professor Thunderstep had brewed this poison.
Gainando, suddenly terrified, blurted out,
"D-don't tell me he made it to target Lee Han? Angry because poisons don't work on him..."
"......"
"...No. This probably won't work on Lee Han either. High mana resistance blocks soul-based attacks too."
'Couldn't he have denied it differently?'
Lee Han thought to himself but remained silent.
The most plausible hypothesis was that Professor Thunderstep had made it to counter the Crazy Doppelganger.
The Crazy Doppelganger had issued absurd orders, and Professor Thunderstep, unable to tolerate it, had resorted to poison...
"...For now, let's just learn the antidote. Yoner, can you show me the tome?"
"Here."
"Thanks."
Yoner wasn't the type to hide such things, but even so, readily handing over her family's secret tome wasn't something one could do without deep trust in their friends.
Lee Han accepted the book with gratitude.
"......"
"......"
"...Lee Han, are you... looking at the chocolate éclair recipe right now?"
"S-sorry. It's just so remarkable... I see. Wild strawberries were the secret. I only thought about custard cream..."
"If you're curious, I'll show you later. Look at the antidote part now."
Yoner urged her friend with slight irritation.
While she was honestly proud that her family's secrets were being admired, she couldn't believe he was staring at the éclair recipe like he was bewitched in this situation.
Even if cooking was part of alchemy...!
"Thanks, Yoner. I've checked it."
"Are you going to make it?"
"...I think we'd better make it just in case."
Lee Han spoke with a grave expression.
There was no telling whether Professor Thunderstep would actually use poison or not, but as a student of both mages, Lee Han needed to be prepared.
"Then let's gather the ingredients. We can't make this with what's in the storage room."
"Lee Han. Lee Han!"
"But then they'll find out we came here."
"...Lee Han! Hey! Yoner!"
"Should we just use what the seniors did..."
"Look over here!!"
As the two ignored him and kept talking, Gainando stomped his foot in frustration. Only then did the two realize their friend had been calling them and turned their heads.
"What is it?"
"Isn't this the antidote the professor made?"
"......"
Lee Han examined the potion bottle Gainando was waving around. Surprisingly, it was indeed the antidote.
"Where did you find this???"
"The professor left it on the desk where he was making tobacco."
"...It's not our place to say, but isn't the professor being a bit too careless?"
At Yoner's words, Lee Han unconsciously nodded in agreement.
"Master. You must never accept any food or drink offered to you by anyone."
"...Have you lost your mind?"
In the morning, as they were heading to the <Blood and Flesh of the Empire's Languages> classroom together, the Crazy Doppelganger gave Lee Han a look that clearly said, 'What on earth is wrong with my disciple?'
His disciple had always been hard to predict, but today's statement was truly baffling. He couldn't even begin to guess what had prompted such words.
"Apparently, there's a trend going around Einrogard lately of poisoning food and drinks."
Even as he said it, Lee Han felt like it sounded ridiculous. But surprisingly, the Crazy Doppelganger nodded in agreement.
"That does sound plausible. It's a common occurrence among mages. You, disciple, have never had to worry about poison due to your innate traits, but you still shouldn't let your guard down."
"...Yes!"
As they conversed, the demon Oripulas, who had served as an Imperial Legal Officer for 132 years, approached from the opposite direction.
A reliable assistant who helped the professor with lectures...
Aaaaah! No! No! I haven't done anything wrong yet!
Oripulas suddenly let out a scream and tried to flee in the opposite direction.
Of course, the shackles of the contract didn't let the demon escape so easily. Professor Rosine was startled when the demon, attempting to flee, was yanked back by the contract, coughing and choking.
"Why are you acting like this? You know you can't escape anyway!"
The demon refused to give up. He inflicted severe damage on himself and was temporarily reverse-summoned.
"......"
"......"
When Lee Han gave him a bewildered look, the Crazy Doppelganger replied as if it were no big deal.
"What need is there for a demon's advice when we have royalty present? This is actually for the best."
"...My apologies, Professor."
"Oh, no, no. Lee Han, I had no idea Legal Officer Oripulas would disappear like that either."
"Demons do weird things sometimes, you know."
Lee Han answered shamelessly.
Professor Rosine gave him a reproachful look that said, 'Are you seriously saying that?' but Lee Han pretended not to notice.
Meanwhile, the Crazy Doppelganger swiftly entered the classroom. The second-year students, already accustomed to him, greeted him politely.
"Good morning, Archmage."
"Uh, where's the demon legal officer?"
When someone voiced their confusion, Lee Han answered in a quiet voice.
"Today, Master will be assisting instead."
"...Wardanaz, at this rate, all the other professors might disappear within two weeks!"
His friends whispered excitedly.
Wardanaz insisted it was just a coincidence, but the fact remained that the number of professors had been dwindling unusually this semester.
If only there were a few more of the Headmaster's doppelgangers around, this year might truly become a comfortable one with only Einrogard students left...
"Have you gained any enlightenment regarding the Arcane Geometry we discussed last time?"
"......"
The students all fell silent and quietly averted their eyes. The Crazy Doppelganger expressed dissatisfaction at the dull achievements of his disciple's peers.
"Even after giving you over a day, this is all you've managed? My disciple mastered it on the spot."
"No...!"
Lee Han tried to cover the Crazy Doppelganger's mouth.
Right now, his master was socially burying him in front of all his friends!