"The Professor is right."
"Running away just because you're scared won't help you win. A truly strong knight fights against fear!"
'These lunatics,' Yi Han shook his head in disbelief.
If there had been students from other towers, he might have joined forces with them to say, "Professor Ingeldel, please come to your senses."
Unfortunately, the students of the White Tiger Tower were the type who wouldn't listen to Yi Han no matter what he said.
No matter how you looked at it, how could they so readily agree to fight a summoned beast that had broken free? Shouldn't they be learning how to avoid such dangers?
Sometimes, Yi Han felt like he was the only sane person in this school, and it made him feel lonely.
"I have good students," Professor Ingeldel nodded with a satisfied expression at the White Tiger Tower students' reactions.
If there had been any students who were afraid or wanted to avoid the fight, he would have reconsidered.
But as expected of talented swordsmen, they were ready to face their fears head-on.
Professor Ingeldel's gaze suddenly stopped on Yi Han.
Yi Han reflexively shouted, "What a brilliant idea, Professor!"
"Thank you, everyone," Professor Ingeldel smiled proudly, especially when Yi Han joined in the praise.
It seemed like the idea he had come up with after much deliberation was quite good.
"Alright, everyone, form groups of three."
Fortunately, Professor Ingeldel still had some conscience left.
He didn't ask them to face the monster alone.
But... 'Oh no, I'm doomed,' Yi Han realized.
For people like Nilia, who had trouble making friends, forming groups like this was suffocating.
Yi Han wasn't Nilia, but the White Tiger Tower students wouldn't team up with him either.
'If I can get Derku to join, and maybe force someone else to join, can I avoid the professor's gaze and threaten them?'
"Professor, can we form groups freely?"
"No, I've prepared lots. Each of you will draw one."
Professor Ingeldel gave Yi Han a subtle wink.
The professor knew well that Yi Han, being from the Blue Dragon Tower, wasn't close with the White Tiger Tower students.
That's why he was being considerate.
'Professor...' Yi Han was grateful.
But... 'If you're going to be considerate, why not just have us practice sword forms instead of catching escaped summoned beasts...'
The professor's way of being considerate was truly unique.
Yi Han lined up and drew a lot.
It had the number 4 on it.
"Anyone draw number 4?"
Derku raised his hand.
Yi Han's expression softened.
The White Tiger Tower students glared at Yi Han with concern.
Were they going to use Derku like a chess piece again?
"Anyone else?"
A group needed three members.
At Yi Han's words, someone else raised their hand.
It was Giselle from the Moradi family.
"......"
"......"
Not only Derku and Yi Han, but even the other White Tiger Tower students were shocked.
'Is this going to turn into a bloodbath?'
On one side was Yi Han, the essence of the Wodanaz family, who had mastered all sorts of sinister magical secrets even before entering the academy.
On the other side was Giselle, from the Moradi family, one of the most powerful knight families in the north, who led the White Tiger Tower students with her natural charisma.
And they didn't get along...
But instead of drawing her sword, Giselle quietly raised the corner of her mouth in an enigmatic smile.
Yi Han found that even more ominous.
"We've both made childish mistakes. Shouldn't we forget them this time?"
"You're not serious, are you, Yi Han?" Derku looked at Yi Han as if he was talking nonsense.
Of course, if you thought about it, Giselle had started the trouble.
But in emotional fights, the order didn't matter.
And in terms of who had been more screwed over, Yi Han had the upper hand.
Things like knocking someone out and handing them over to the skeleton principal for punishment, or leading friends to raid the lounge at night and steal flags...
Derku wasn't particularly close to Giselle, but being from the same northern knight family, he knew her well.
She was a bundle of arrogant pride, and even if she didn't show it, she must have been grinding her teeth at Yi Han.
Honestly, he was genuinely worried.
"Yi Han, when we move together, always keep me between you and Moradi. And never turn your back on Moradi."
"Thanks, Derku. That's encouraging."
"Have you all formed your groups?" Professor Ingeldel confirmed before continuing.
"A party always needs a leader. The person who drew the lot with the red mark on the corner will be the leader. The leader will give instructions, and the others will follow the leader's orders to deal with the monster."
"......"
Yi Han remembered that the lot he drew didn't have a red mark on the corner.
"Derku, can you say you drew the one with the red mark?"
"... Sorry."
Yi Han and Derku looked at Giselle.
Giselle waved the lot with the red mark and smiled that same enigmatic smile.
"Call me Captain."
"Captain."
"No, you should add 'nim.'"
"Captain-nim."
At Yi Han's response, Giselle's smile deepened.
"If you don't want to get stabbed in the back, give good orders."
"......"
There's a saying that knights who have witnessed the white ice storms beyond the northern mountains no longer fear anything.
Derku was one of those people, but the way Yi Han and Giselle were looking at each other now was seriously terrifying.
"So, what kind of summoned beast are we supposed to face?"
"I can't tell you that."
"...?"
"?"
The White Tiger Tower students all tilted their heads in confusion.
Yi Han felt a sense of foreboding.
"You're supposed to learn how to deal with an unknown summoned beast. If you know its identity beforehand, it defeats the purpose, doesn't it?"
Professor Ingeldel kindly added an explanation.
Many White Tiger Tower students nodded in understanding, but Yi Han and a few other sane students' expressions stiffened slightly.
"From now on, each group will enter the annex building one by one. There's a summoned beast inside. Deal with it and exit through the other side."
As Professor Ingeldel finished speaking, a few of the sane students cautiously asked, "But Professor, if it's a summoned beast we can't handle, wouldn't we need at least some information...?"
"Right. Could you give us at least a hint on how to deal with it?"
At the students' words, Professor Ingeldel's face showed a hint of concern.
He began to wonder if this was too difficult a training exercise.
'Well, they do need some basic information to figure out how to deal with it themselves...'
Just as his normal human senses, numbed by the antics of other professors, were starting to return, other White Tiger Tower students chimed in.
"Stop talking like cowards!"
"What do you think the Professor thinks of us? He wouldn't think we're weaklings who can't handle this!"
"No, everyone."
"Professor, we're fine!"
"We don't need hints. We'll figure out how to deal with it with our hands, feet, and swords."
'Isn't this a magic school?' Yi Han thought to himself.
Use magic, kids! And if possible, take the hints!
"Stupid trash, really..."
"?"
"What? Why?"
When Yi Han turned his head, Giselle spoke as if to say, 'What are you going to do about it?'
Normally, managing expressions and words was something you did depending on the situation.
There was no need to put on airs in front of someone from the Wodanaz family who knew everything.
"I agree on the stupidity part."
"You do say things I like sometimes. Just follow my orders, and there won't be any problems."
Giselle spoke as if warning him.
"Don't get me wrong, I have no complaints if the orders are fine. Why would I pick a fight for no reason? I don't like picking fights with others."
"......"
"......"
Not only Giselle but even Derku was slightly taken aback.
'For someone who says that, you sure do beat people up naturally...'
"And you're the one who betrayed someone and handed them over to the principal?"
Giselle crossed her arms and spoke in an incredulous tone.
Her eyes looked like she had already drawn her sword several times.
"It's not betrayal if we weren't on the same side..."
"Yi Han, I'm not an expert on rhetoric, but you should probably stop talking."
Derku tried to stop Yi Han.
Derku didn't particularly like Giselle either, but if things continued like this, one of them would fall before they even fought the monster.
"I was trying to clear up misunderstandings."
"No, Yi Han. Some misunderstandings can't be cleared. And you..."
Derku was about to say, 'You have a talent for pissing people off,' but stopped himself.
In any case, Derku was the only one who could mediate between them now.
He decided to muster his courage.
He wasn't good with words, but still...!
"Both of you, think about it. If you act out just because you don't like each other, both of you will lose. Even if you don't like it, since it's a class, you should sincerely..."
"Of course, Derku. Don't worry."
"Stop talking nonsense, Choi. We know that already."
Both of them scolded Derku at the same time.
Derku felt unjustly wronged.
The annex building prepared by Professor Ingeldel looked like a large gymnasium or auditorium from the outside.
Of course, the difference was that instead of fun sports, an escaped summoned beast was waiting inside the closed doors.
'The silence is more unnerving.'
If there had been screams, they could have at least guessed something.
But the silence, as if blocked by magic, was even more eerie.
What did they put in there?
"After opening the door and entering, don't move recklessly. Assess the situation first. If the attack starts immediately after entering, move to the left and right respectively... pass it on, Choi."
"......"
Derku was at a loss for words at Giselle's childish remark.
Yi Han was right next to him.
What was he supposed to pass on?
'Moradi wasn't this childish, was she?'
"If it's dark inside, we'll use light magic first. Don't get startled, pass it on, Derku."
"Don't waste mana and collapse, or we'll leave you behind. Pass it on, Choi."
"I'm the only one who can use light magic, so I'll take the lead. Pass it on, Derku."
"I can use light magic too, don't boast. Pass it on, Choi."
'Someone save me.'
Derku had heard all sorts of stories before entering the magic school.
They said the school prepared harsh trials to immerse students in magic, that the professors were trolls, that knight-born students were bullied for being slow at magic...
But none of those stories included this kind of situation!
Creak!
The door opened.
Inside was not bright but dark.
Yi Han sighed.
'It's scarier that I'm starting to predict this school's patterns.'
Students who expected it to be bright inside would have been startled by the dark interior.
Yi Han could imagine what Professor Ingeldel was thinking when he prepared this darkness.
'Summoned beasts are more likely to roam at night, so he prepared this to make us ready.'
"Light!"
Yi Han's spell rose like the sun, brightly illuminating the annex.
Both Derku and Giselle had to acknowledge Yi Han's magical prowess.
-■■■■■...
The summoned beast inside the annex had the appearance of a mix between a spirit and a bull.
Not only that, but it also had the aura of enhancement magic and potions, something you wouldn't feel from an ordinary bull.
For a moment, Professor Uregeol's face flashed through Yi Han's mind.
'It can't be, right?'