"The priests who enter the Tower of the Phoenix are all devout and good people, but..."
"Can such a thing really happen in a place where people live?"
"Please be quiet during prayer. After all, among those people, there are still some who have not fully let go of worldly emotions. Emotions like competitiveness or jealousy are of no help to faith."
Last week, a newly arrived priest at the Tower of Phoenix had once made a fatigue-recovery potion for the other priests.
It was an act of using the knowledge gained from temple life for the sake of others.
Truly priest-like behavior.
'If it were me, I would have sold it for money.'
- "Drinking this potion really relieves fatigue. Thank you so much!"
- "Even Priestess Siana of the Flaming Order would be impressed. You’ve made it really well. Perhaps even better than Priestess Siana?"
Amidst the cheerful laughter and chatter, someone joked.
It wasn’t a serious comparison but more of a compliment, praising how well it was made.
Priestess Siana also smiled and nodded, and no one felt any discomfort.
...
However, the next day, Priestess Siana brought a fatigue-recovery potion.
- "??"
- "I made one too. Everyone, please try it."
- "Ah, thank you."
- "It’s really excellent. You’ve made it well, haven’t you?"
The day after that, Priestess Siana brought another fatigue-recovery potion.
- "Thank you...?"
- "It’s really excellent, isn’t it?"
And yet again, the following day, Priestess Siana brought another fatigue-recovery potion.
By then, the priests had realized.
- "Priestess Siana’s potion seems to be the best...!"
- "Who could possibly compare?"
Only then did Priestess Siana stop bringing the potions.
"... She does have a bit of a competitive streak," said Yi Han in a tired voice after hearing the story.
To keep making and bringing potions just because of a single joke, until she was acknowledged as the best.
"That wasn’t the only incident."
"......"
'Was that not the end?'
The priest who had made the fatigue-recovery potion before Priestess Siana.
Later, that priest approached Priestess Siana and complimented her.
- "As expected of Priestess Siana. Not just anyone could make a potion of that level."
Tizling, who was present, clearly saw it.
Priestess Siana pretended not to hear and left the room.
- "...?!"
In the end, it took several days before Priestess Siana acknowledged the priest’s greeting.
'How petty can one be?'
Yi Han, who was listening, was shocked.
If she acted like that over a small compliment about a potion...
'What compliments have I received in the lecture hall?'
From being called an alchemy genius to all sorts of embarrassing praises, it felt like he had heard them all...
Tizling, having said all he needed to, finished his prayer to Freesinga.
Still not fully convinced, Yi Han asked again.
"By any chance, Priestess Siana wouldn’t put poison in someone else’s food, would she?"
"I don’t know what you’re talking about."
Tizling closed his mouth, indicating he wouldn’t say more.
Yi Han made up his mind.
'If I ever end up moving with Priestess Siana, I should never eat any food she offers.'
Even as pain, despair, and assignments piled up like mountains, the sun still rose and set.
'Assignments are one thing, but there’s something else I’m worried about.'
Right now, Yi Han was most concerned about two things.
How to infiltrate the White Tiger Tower?
And, since he had to go to the mountain range behind the school to gather alchemy materials, what kind of crazy traps might be waiting there?
'I don’t know which one is harder.'
But the magic school didn’t give him much time to dwell on his worries.
Immediately, they sent students to the next lecture, squeezing them dry.
In the <Basic Magical Combat Repetition Training> lecture hall, Professor Voladi opened his mouth as Yi Han entered.
"11 seconds late."
"I’m sorry. I was late because I went to the stables early this morning to take care of the horses."
"Don’t apologize. The one losing out from being late is yourself."
'Do professors learn their tone of voice from somewhere?'
Yi Han thought this as he took his seat.
The silent lecture hall had only the two of them.
Professor Voladi flicked his finger.
Yi Han took out his wand and began spinning a metal ball.
The battle with the anti-magic faction had given Yi Han a clear realization.
His control over low-level manipulation spells had reached a level incomparable to before.
The metal ball spun in a near-perfect circle at a constant speed.
'About two years faster than expected.'
Professor Voladi thought with an expressionless face.
It was fortunate Yi Han didn’t hear him.
If he had, he would have been seriously offended.
- "Are you seriously choosing a training that takes over two years just to take the first step as the first lesson???"
"Not bad."
"Thank you."
Yi Han knew well that when someone like Professor Voladi said "not bad," it meant "excellent!"
He hadn’t expected praise in the first place.
"I heard you’ve learned water creation magic."
"Yes."
"Show me."
"Spring forth!"
With the incantation, a mass of water appeared in front of Yi Han.
Thanks to Professor Garcia’s punishment—no, education—he could still maintain its form.
"Reduce it to the size of a ball."
"I’ll try."
Yi Han gripped his wand and focused his mind.
The shape of the water mass in the air distorted, sprouting here and there, and then crumpled.
For Yi Han, who already possessed a massive amount of magical power, reducing the water mass to the size of a ball and shaping it was no ordinary task.
Professor Voladi picked up the metal ball in front of Yi Han.
Yi Han felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.
Whoosh!
With a sharp sound, the metal ball flew toward Yi Han’s face.
'Ah, this crazy professor bastard...!'
Instinctively, Yi Han compressed the water mass into a ball shape.
The massive water mass compressed to the size of a fist, its strength and hardness skyrocketing.
Clang!
The flying metal ball collided with the water ball and lost its momentum, falling to the ground.
"... Professor. Are you going to keep doing this from now on?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The fact that you just threw a metal ball at me."
"Ah. That’s what you meant. Yes."
"... Isn’t that a bit dangerous?"
Yi Han tried to persuade Professor Voladi, just as he had persuaded other students.
But Professor Voladi wasn’t swayed like the students.
"But wasn’t it effective?"
"Huh?"
"Just like in the battle with the Empire’s anti-magic faction, sudden crises sharpen your focus and instincts, enhancing your control over magic. Why take a detour when there’s a method like this?"
"......"
Yi Han was speechless.
Not because he couldn’t argue back, but because he was simply dumbfounded.
When someone says something too absurd, you just get speechless!
"You seem convinced. Now, make it spin."
From the spirit stone ball to the metal ball, and now to the water ball.
Spinning the water ball was definitely the hardest thing he had done so far.
He had to maintain the water in a ball shape while spinning it at a constant speed.
It felt like his nerves were being strained, just like during the battle with the Empire’s anti-magic faction.
A shape that couldn’t quite be called a circle was drawn in the air, and then again.
And Professor Voladi shot another metal ball.
Clang!
Yi Han blocked it immediately.
Even if his control wasn’t perfect enough to draw a flawless circle, as long as he was on guard, he could block one attack.
'I knew this would happen!'
But Professor Voladi had also anticipated that Yi Han would block it.
Simultaneously, another metal ball spun in the opposite direction and flew toward him.
Thud!
"...!"
Yi Han hurriedly spun the water ball, but it was too late.
The metal ball hit him squarely in the back.
Yi Han gritted his teeth.
'Damn it!'
Even though he tensed his muscles and held on, he could feel the impact.
It reminded him of the time he was learning swordsmanship from Alarong.
"Focus."
"......"
Yi Han didn’t even have the leisure to respond now.
He just frantically moved the water ball to avoid the flying metal balls.
One thing was certain.
'I’d rather have a lecture with a lot of assignments.'
"Wodanaz looks really tired."
"It must be because of the assignments. I couldn’t sleep properly because of them either. Besides, Wodanaz isn’t the type to just attend ordinary lectures."
"True, the lectures Wodanaz takes are probably not ordinary. It’s Wodanaz, after all."
"By the way, when will we enter the White Tiger Tower?"
"Well..."
In the <Basic Understanding of Magic> lecture hall, the students of the Blue Dragon Tower whispered among themselves.
Yi Han, who was leaning back with his eyes closed, looked extremely tired.
It was the aftermath of the life-or-death ball fight with Professor Voladi.
It wasn’t just the Blue Dragon Tower students who were talking.
The Black Turtle Tower students were also chattering.
"Anyone taking alchemy classes? I heard we’re going up the mountain tomorrow. Is that true?"
"Has the rumor already spread? Yes. Students from other towers are going up together too."
"Isn’t there a way out inside the mountain?"
'They’re dreaming in vain.'
Yi Han felt sorry for the Black Turtle Tower students.
To think there’s a way out...
They’ll be very disappointed when they find out the truth.
"Wait, so are we going with Wodanaz? If we make a mistake, we’ll be punished..."
"N-no, that won’t happen. We’re from different towers."
"......"
Yi Han sighed deeply inside.
"Hello, everyone."
"Good morning, Professor!"
When Professor Garcia entered, the students all greeted him politely.
By now, the students had realized.
Professor Garcia was one of the few truly conscientious professors in this school.
Scarier than a troll was a professor who didn’t understand human hearts.
"Last time, we did various exercises to familiarize ourselves with elemental magic. But in this Basic Understanding of Magic class, we’ll briefly learn not just elemental magic, but various other types of magic... like illusions, divination, summoning, or transformation magic, and so on. As you advance in your studies, you’ll specialize in these magics."
The world of magic was infinitely vast and deep, with no bottom in sight.
It was impossible for a human to master everything in that world.
Naturally, mages chose specialized fields to study.
Yi Han already knew this, so he wasn’t particularly surprised.
"Today, we’ll take some time to learn about what other fields of magic are like. Instead of me teaching, a professor who is an expert in this field will explain."
At Professor Garcia’s words, the students’ eyes sparkled with anticipation and curiosity.
Everyone had a field of magic they were interested in.
Some were into elemental magic, some into spirit magic, some into enchantment magic...
'I hope it’s a great spirit mage! I want to learn spirit magic...'
'I came here to learn physical enhancement and healing.
I hope they teach enhancement magic.'
"Come in!"
As the door opened, the temperature in the lecture hall suddenly dropped.
The students shivered from the sudden cold.
"Hello, everyone... cough, cough. I am Professor Mortum."
For a moment, Yi Han thought the professor was a dwarf.
But the professor was just short; he was a human.
Professor Mortum coughed so much while speaking that it seemed like he might collapse from a gust of wind.
"Is he okay?"
"Shouldn’t he be in the infirmary rather than giving a lecture...?"
"Cough, cough, it’s fine. It’s fine..."
Professor Mortum spoke weakly while coughing.
One of the students raised their hand and asked.
"Professor, what kind of magic do you teach?"
"I teach dark magic."
"......"
"......"
The atmosphere froze coldly.
Dark magic was one of the most negatively perceived magics.