When Lee Han realized that the potion worked, his reaction became even more intense.
He slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Amazing! As expected of Priestess Siana from the Flamewing Sect! Truly amazing!"
"... Are you feeling unwell?" Yonell whispered in a low voice so that others wouldn’t hear.
No matter how he thought about it, it seemed like Lee Han had eaten something wrong.
However, everyone else was satisfied, especially Priestess Siana, who wore an extremely pleased expression.
"As expected of Lee Han from the Wodanaz family... You have a discerning eye."
"Even a blind person could tell how extraordinary this potion is."
"You flatter me too much," Priestess Siana said, hiding her rising smile with her sleeve as she chuckled softly.
Lee Han also smiled back at her.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Priestess Siana returned to the students of the Phoenix Tower with a very satisfied expression.
Lee Han let out a sigh. 'That was exhausting.' Putting on such an exaggerated reaction, even if it wasn’t genuine, was more tiring than he had expected.
But it was worth it.
Priestess Siana had gone back to the Phoenix Tower students and was now praising Lee Han.
-As expected of someone from the Wodanaz family, how polite and discerning he is...
-Is something wrong, Priestess?
-No, nothing’s wrong.
He truly has a discerning eye...
Seeing that reaction, it seemed the Phoenix Tower students didn’t need to worry.
"Yonell. Even if you get first place in alchemy class, I won’t poison your drink."
"Are you sure you’re not feeling unwell?" Yonell’s eyes were filled with concern.
The students who had finished their emergency treatment began to return.
Those with broken legs were carried by the uninjured students.
Fortunately, no monsters appeared on the way down.
"Bartrek. Did Wodanaz do anything strange to you?"
"Bartrek. Did Wodanaz brainwash you...?"
"Bartrek. Did Wodanaz use forbidden dark magic on you...?"
"I told you, nothing happened!" Bartrek was exasperated.
Even though he had explained that Lee Han had helped him, no one seemed to listen properly.
"And we’re all first-years. How could he possibly use forbidden dark magic?"
"I thought the same at first. I thought it was just a rumor. But have you seen Wodanaz’s magical abilities?"
"I didn’t believe it either, but after seeing Wodanaz, I can’t help but think there’s some truth to the rumors."
The White Tiger Tower students nodded with serious expressions.
Surprisingly, they were half-serious about believing the rumors.
"Probably the Wodanaz family secretly trained him in magic from a young age."
"The Wodanaz family is truly terrifying."
The powerful telekinetic magic Lee Han had shown (even if it missed its mark) and his performance in the basic dark magic class had already been exaggerated and spread as rumors.
Other tower students who had interacted with Lee Han didn’t have such strange misunderstandings.
Even if they did, it was more along the lines of, "As expected of someone from the Wodanaz family, he’s so charismatic," or "I heard he rules the Blue Dragon Tower students with ruthless discipline."
But the White Tiger Tower students were different.
They genuinely thought he was scary!
"Bartrek, as Moradina and others have said, Wodanaz doesn’t seem like such a terrifying person..."
Bartrek tried to clear up the misunderstanding.
Since Lee Han had saved his life, he felt he owed him at least this much.
"Bartrek. Who summoned the magic that took down the golem earlier?"
"... It was Wodanaz."
"Was that fire just ordinary magic?"
Bartrek was speechless.
He couldn’t refute that.
To be pushed into a corner by such ridiculous rumors...!
"Hey."
"!"
While the White Tiger Tower students were chattering, Lee Han approached.
The students instinctively gripped their wooden swords, their eyes trembling as they tensed up.
'...
What kind of herbivores are these?'
"W-w-w-what do you want, Wodanaz...?"
"Nothing much... You all must be tired after all that hard work."
Lee Han pulled out some snacks from his bag.
They were the oldest snacks he had stored in his personal pantry, but they were still tasty.
Flatbread with sweet jam and sugar-coated cookies.
Lee Han decided to clear out the snacks before they expired and show off a little.
The White Tiger Tower students had been the ones to pick a fight earlier, thinking, "Who dislikes me for no reason? I’ll give them a reason," but Lee Han wasn’t the type to enjoy meaningless fights.
"Th-thank you, Wodanaz."
The White Tiger Tower students wore conflicted expressions, torn between "Is it safe to eat this?" and "But I’m so hungry."
In the end, hunger won out.
At an age where they could chew rocks, such hunger was hard for anyone to endure.
"Bartrek from the Bark family? I heard you’re from the east. Here, take this rice ball and rice cake."
"...!"
Bartrek was slightly moved by the food Lee Han offered.
He hadn’t expected Lee Han to know he was from the east and to show such thoughtful consideration.
Given how vast the empire was, students usually weren’t interested in foods from other regions.
Moreover, Wodanaz wasn’t from the east either.
Yet, he showed such kindness.
Perhaps the rumors about Wodanaz were exaggerated.
After Lee Han left, the White Tiger Tower students, who had hastily stuffed the snacks into their mouths, seemed to think the same.
"Maybe we misunderstood him..."
"Did you hear?! I overheard the Blue Dragon Tower students talking! Wodanaz took down a mud golem with a single water magic spell!! They said he summoned a water dragon???"
"......"
"......"
The White Tiger Tower students were shocked.
He’s... truly terrifying, Wodanaz!
Professor Thunderstep, who had been exchanging drinks with others, suddenly realized something.
'Huh? There’s no vegetables?'
He had brought the vegetables his disciple Lee Han had harvested, but when he came to his senses, they were all gone.
The skeleton headmaster wouldn’t have eaten them, so there was only one culprit.
"What’s wrong?" Professor Ingeldel noticed Professor Thunderstep’s gaze and asked curiously.
"Ah, it’s nothing. It’s just... you really like vegetables, don’t you?"
Oh no, Thunderstep.
Just because he’s an elf doesn’t mean he automatically likes vegetables...
That’s a prejudice from ancient times.
As a representative of this school, it’s sad to see.
If that’s the case, since you’re a dwarf, do you like beer?
"I do like it, though?"
"Oh. My apologies."
Professor Ingeldel apologized.
"It’s not that I only like vegetables, but they were strangely delicious, so I kept eating them."
"Is that so?"
You don’t really like vegetables, do you?
"No, I do? I eat them well when they’re served."
At most, you’d eat a little soaked in meat juice.
Why are you scolding Professor Ingeldel over something like that?
"Really, I’m sorry..."
"No! Ah, please stop!"
Professor Thunderstep vowed never to invite the skeleton headmaster to his cabin again.
Since the headmaster couldn’t eat food or drink, he seemed to find joy in tormenting others.
'But I’m curious now.'
Not being able to eat it made him strangely curious.
Professor Thunderstep suppressed his appetite.
The students are returning.
What did I say? That they’d figure it out on their own?
"!"
Professor Ingeldel suddenly stood up and rushed out the door.
The skeleton headmaster shook his head at the sight.
With such a soft heart...
The students weren’t surprised to see Professor Thunderstep and Professor Ingeldel waiting for them.
They had already heard about it from Lee Han.
Instead, they glared at them with resentment.
'When I become the empire’s grand mage, I’ll crush these professors first.'
'When I become the empire’s greatest swordsman, I’ll take these professors down.'
'When I become a high-ranking official in the empire...'
Professor Thunderstep laughed cheerfully.
"You all made it back safely!"
"Yes... Thanks to you, Professor, it was quite enjoyable."
"Since you all don’t seem surprised, you must have figured it out. That’s right. This is what alchemy is like. It’s best not to let your guard down. Danger can strike at any moment, in any situation."
"......"
"......"
The students seriously contemplated their plan to ambush Professor Thunderstep.
They wanted to throw an unexpected crisis at that professor!
Professor Ingeldel apologized with a guilty expression.
"I’m really sorry, everyone. I truly intended to stay..."
"Sure you did."
"Hmph. They’re all the same."
"?!"
Even the White Tiger Tower students glared at Professor Ingeldel, who was taken aback.
"Really! The headmaster appeared and forcibly teleported me..."
"That’s enough, Professor."
"We won’t trust anyone anymore. Isn’t this what the school wanted?"
The students, having gone through the trial, had matured and become rougher.
Regardless of their tower, they had developed a basic distrust of professors.
As the students exchanged soulful glances while holding their swords, Professor Ingeldel felt his heart tear apart.
"......"
Professor Thunderstep pretended not to notice Professor Ingeldel’s glare.
'It’s not my fault, Professor Ingeldel.
Blame Gonadaltes.'
Lee Han tilted his head as he watched Professor Ingeldel’s reaction.
'Huh? Did Professor Ingeldel really not know?'
Of course, that reaction could have been an act, but Professor Ingeldel’s response seemed genuine.
The excuse that the headmaster had kidnapped him was too absurd for anyone to believe, but...
'It’s not entirely absurd.
He’s fully capable of doing something like that...'
Clack clack clack—
A skeletal summon rattled as it pointed toward the cabin.
"!"
A faint magical energy, similar to the one they had felt in the mountains, was emanating from the cabin.
At that moment, Lee Han remembered whose magical energy it was.
It was the headmaster’s.
'It was real?!'
Lee Han was shocked.
No, even so, just kidnapping a professor out of nowhere?
'Thinking about it, it’s not that surprising.
He’s fully capable of doing something like that.'
Lee Han quickly regained his composure and said to Professor Ingeldel, "Professor, I believe you. The headmaster must have kidnapped you."
"Wodanaz...!"
Professor Ingeldel was moved to the point of tears.
After confirming all the students, Professor Thunderstep suddenly grew curious.
How had these students overcome the trial he had prepared?
"So, how did you solve it?"
"Wodanaz used the <Yumidifus’ Water Orb> spell to blow away the mud golem."
"And the other mud golems were burned by Wodanaz’s fire."
"...?"
Professor Thunderstep was momentarily stunned by the unexpected answers.
He didn’t know where to start pointing out the issues.
"Wait... wait. Hold on."
"??"
"Why were there mud golems? Where’s the bull? Where did the bull go?"
"What are you... Professor, please stop. Do you think we’re children?"
The Blue Dragon Tower students scoffed.
Professor Thunderstep was trying to trick them again.
They weren’t falling for it anymore!
"No...! Why were there mud golems? I didn’t prepare any mud golems!"
"Hah. Sure, Professor. They must have 'accidentally' appeared."
"Everyone heard that, right? Professor Thunderstep said they appeared by accident! Let’s believe him!"
"......"
Professor Thunderstep reflected on his life, just a little.