Yi Han had been trained in swordsmanship by Alarron, a knight from the prestigious Ga family, and had some expertise in martial arts himself.
That’s why he could tell—Yoner’s stance was one of someone about to throw a punch!
“Wait, wait!” Yi Han stepped between them, trying to mediate. “Don’t underestimate alchemy, Gainando.”
“But alchemy is so trivial,” Gainando said, completely oblivious to the tension. “Where’s the wisdom in that?”
Magic was an endlessly vast field of study, divided into dozens of schools—illusion magic, summoning magic, transformation magic, elemental magic, and so on.
Even within elemental magic, there were fire, water, light, darkness, and more.
Choosing just one field and dedicating your life to it wouldn’t even be enough to master it.
The world of magic was that profound.
And yet, in this vast world of magic, alchemy was often looked down upon.
To inexperienced novice mages, alchemy seemed... well, a bit dull.
While others were waving their staffs, summoning angels of light, or tearing the earth apart, alchemists were holed up in their labs, mixing herbs and concocting potions...
“That’s...”
“Wait a second. Wodanaz, step aside for a moment,” Yoner requested of Yi Han. “I won’t do anything.”
“Alright,” Yi Han said, stepping aside.
Yoner walked up to Gainando and stood in front of him.
Gainando tilted his head, confused.
“Why?”
“Don’t you dare go to the infirmary and ask for a potion! That’s made through alchemy too!”
Thud!
With a dull sound, Gainando fell backward.
It was such a clean punch that even Yi Han was impressed.
“Is it really okay to hit him like that?”
“It’s fine as long as you apologize after a day or so.”
Yoner seemed like this wasn’t the first time he’d punched Gainando.
Even though cousins often fought, Yi Han hadn’t expected it to be this acceptable.
‘I shouldn’t have bothered stopping them,’ Yi Han thought, deciding that next time they fought, he’d just watch from the sidelines.
“... Wait. Don’t get the wrong idea. I don’t usually hit people so easily. You know what I mean, right?” Yoner quickly clarified, perhaps worried about being misunderstood.
Nobles, especially those from prestigious and well-established families, placed great importance on etiquette and dignity.
Throwing punches over a verbal spat wasn’t exactly dignified behavior.
“Isn’t it okay to throw a punch or two when you’re really angry?”
“???”
Yoner was even more baffled by Yi Han’s words.
‘Does the Wodanaz family have such rules?’ he wondered.
It was hard to believe that one of the empire’s most prominent families would condone such behavior.
‘Maybe he’s just built differently,’ Yoner concluded.
Indeed, Yi Han stood out even among the other nobles who had just arrived.
While most of them were fresh-faced young adults who had just come of age, Yi Han seemed more mature in both his demeanor and speech.
He truly lived up to the reputation of the Wodanaz family.
Yoner decided to change the subject.
Since Yi Han was letting it go, there was no need to dwell on it.
“Anyway, are you really okay with studying alchemy? If you’re only going because of me, you don’t have to.”
“No, I’m actually interested in alchemy too.”
“Oh... Are you tempted by my offer to go into business together?”
“I’m considering it.”
“!”
Yoner was surprised by the unexpected response.
He hadn’t expected Yi Han’s thoughts to change so quickly.
“What happened?”
“Well, it’s just...”
Yi Han hesitated, unsure how to explain.
-If I say that I’ve realized I don’t have much talent for magic and that I’m seriously considering alchemy as a career, it might sound too petty for someone from a noble family.
“Never mind. It’s fine. I get it. You’ve come to appreciate the value of alchemy, haven’t you?”
“Huh?”
“Alchemy is a fascinating field, isn’t it?”
“Uh... yeah, I guess.”
Yoner seemed unusually excited, so Yi Han decided to play along.
“Most people think alchemists are just shut away in underground workshops, but the world of alchemy is much broader and deeper than that.”
“Uh... sure.”
Yi Han wasn’t fazed.
Listening to topics he wasn’t interested in was a skill he’d honed since his graduate school days.
-You like hiking, right?
-Huh? Well...
-Yeah, hiking is great.
Did I tell you about my trip to Seoraksan last year? Breaking through the morning fog and clouds...
-Yeah, yeah.
-...
You seem really into it.
You must enjoy hiking too.
Let’s go together sometime!
-......
Compared to that experience, Yoner’s ramblings were actually somewhat entertaining.
“Did you study alchemy in advance while you were with the Meikin family?”
At Yi Han’s question, Yoner instinctively glanced around.
“... Yeah. But this is a secret. They didn’t let us learn magic in advance, but they weren’t too strict about alchemy.”
“It’s good to get a head start.”
“......”
Yoner looked at Yi Han with confusion again.
Punching was okay, ignoring the rule about not learning magic before coming of age...
This guy was truly unique.
‘It’s good that he studied in advance,’ Yi Han thought.
He knew how helpful it was to have a friend who excelled in their studies.
If Yoner was knowledgeable about alchemy, he could help Yi Han achieve good grades.
“So, could you teach me too?”
“... Of course!”
At Yi Han’s request to learn alchemy, Yoner beamed and patted Yi Han’s shoulder.
Understanding Basic Alchemy
Having already encountered a troll-blooded professor in Understanding Basic Magic, Yi Han wasn’t too surprised by whoever might show up next.
And indeed, he wasn’t surprised.
‘He looks pretty ordinary.’
The professor was a short dwarf, dressed like a hunter or ranger, with a crossbow at his waist.
“Is everyone here?”
“Ugh. There are students from the Black Turtle Tower too,” Yoner muttered.
Yoner didn’t look down on commoners, but it was still awkward.
If it were just students from the Blue Dragon Tower, they could easily converse without discomfort.
But with students from other towers present, it was hard not to feel self-conscious.
Moreover, it seemed like there were more students from the Black Turtle Tower.
‘Their stares are making me nervous.’
Commoners usually had two reactions when meeting nobles: either they avoided them out of fear, or they showed outright hostility.
Outside the school, the latter was rare, but here, within the school that preached equality, it was different.
The commoners already harbored resentment toward the nobles for their arrogance, and now, seeing the Blue Dragon Tower’s noble freshmen looking down on them, it was only natural for hostility to arise.
“Hey, stop staring. And there’s even someone from the Wodanaz family here.”
“So what? Even the Wodanaz family can’t touch us inside the school.”
“You’re not planning to live in the school forever, are you? What if they retaliate outside?”
“We’ll deal with that when the time comes.”
“......”
Yi Han clicked his tongue.
It wasn’t pleasant to be resented for something he hadn’t done.
‘Trying to be friendly would only backfire,’ he thought.
It seemed he’d have to stick with the Blue Dragon Tower students for a while.
“Everyone, quiet.”
The short dwarf professor spoke up.
Despite his small stature, his voice carried authority.
“My name is Thunderstep Grundar. You can call me Professor Thunderstep. I’m sure you’re all wondering why we’re gathered here on this grassy hill instead of in one of those magnificent school buildings.”
That was true.
The Understanding Basic Alchemy class was being held outdoors on a hill, not in a classroom.
Princess Adenarth raised her hand.
Thunderstep shrugged.
“I wasn’t really expecting an answer, but go ahead.”
“It’s to feel the natural mana.”
There was a common misconception that alchemy was just about mixing reagents and herbs, but magic was also essential to alchemy.
Feeling the natural mana and understanding the forces at play were crucial for an alchemist.
“No.”
The dwarf professor looked at Adenarth as if she’d said something absurd.
Adenarth’s pale face flushed slightly as she lowered her head.
Yi Han, without thinking, asked Yoner, “Isn’t it because it’s easier to gather materials here?”
“You think that’s the reason?”
“Oh. Correct!”
“......”
Yi Han and Yoner stared at the dwarf professor in disbelief.
But Thunderstep looked at Yi Han with admiration.
“It’s rare to see someone with such a sharp mind.”
“I’m not sharp-minded, I’m just a freshman...”
“Right, right. Sharp-minded freshman. Anyway, well done. You’ve got the makings of a great alchemist.”
Yoner looked at Yi Han with envy at the professor’s praise.
Even Adenarth glanced at Yi Han with a hint of rivalry.
‘...
This isn’t something to be jealous of,’ Yi Han thought, feeling a bit exasperated.
Were they really jealous over such a simple answer?
“The reason we’re here is to teach you what’s truly important in alchemy. I’m sure most of you think that alchemy requires exceptional intelligence and precise mana control.”
‘Huh? Does alchemy require precise mana control too?’ Yi Han was taken aback.
“But the reality is different. The most important skill for an alchemist is the ability to gather materials.”
“......”
“......”
The students were stunned by the professor’s words.
It was an ability they hadn’t expected.
Adenarth, unable to accept this, raised her hand.
“Professor, can’t we just grow the materials or reagents ourselves, or hire adventurers to gather them? It seems unnecessary for an alchemist to gather them personally...”
“You naive little brat who knows nothing about real alchemy!”
Adenarth’s already flushed face turned even redder.
Professor Thunderstep clicked his tongue.
“Do you know how much of the materials and reagents alchemists use can actually be grown? Less than 10%! The rest have to be bought. And do you think everything you buy is usable? Why do you think mages join adventurer parties? It’s not because they have too much free time—it’s because adventurers can’t gather herbs properly! They just yank them out by the roots without care!”
Thunderstep ranted, clearly venting some long-held frustrations.
“That’s why an alchemist must know how to gather materials themselves. An alchemist who relies solely on others will never achieve greatness. Who’s going to help you when you’re whining about not having materials for your research?”
The students nodded, some with understanding, others with a defeated look.
“Alright, that should explain it. Now, go and gather the materials.”
“Huh?”
“What do you mean, ‘huh’? Spread out and find the materials.”
Thunderstep waved his staff, and sheets of paper appeared in the air, flying to each student.
On the papers were drawings of bluish-green herbs.