Before Lee Han could even protest, Professor Willow had already sauntered away.
Of course, even if he hadn’t left, Lee Han wouldn’t have protested.
After all, a professor who would listen to protests wouldn’t have given such a task in the first place!
“Yonell, I’m sorry,” Lee Han apologized sincerely.
He should’ve run away when he had the chance earlier, but he had foolishly tried to impress the professor and ended up paying the price.
“Huh? What for?” Yonell, however, was already digging into the dry soil near the plants, checking to see if they needed watering.
“... Isn’t this unfair labor? Doesn’t it make you angry?”
“Taking care of plants is fun, isn’t it? I thought you liked it too?”
Surprisingly, Yonell didn’t seem to have any complaints.
Since he genuinely enjoyed tending to plants, the opportunity to care for rare species he’d only read about in books was incredibly satisfying.
“I like my own plants well enough, but someone else’s plants, especially the professor’s... No, never mind. As long as you’re happy, that’s what matters.”
Lee Han stopped himself mid-sentence.
Thinking about it, Yonell’s mindset was quite positive.
While it was depressing to think that the professor had assigned this task, considering it as a chance to see rare plants up close...
‘But the depression doesn’t completely go away.’
Lee Han was too much of a realist to be as positive as Yonell.
Still, he got to work.
Emotions were one thing, but work was work.
“Lee Han, the soil’s dry. Should we water it?”
“The leaves are firm... The book said they don’t need much water, so let’s skip it. But this one definitely needs watering...”
“Wait. That plant needs rainwater, not just any water. I read about it.”
“Right. I read that too.”
“Did I just make an amateurish comment?”
“No. We should double-check what we know.”
The two students left in the greenhouse smiled at each other.
Experts recognize each other! If other students from the Blue Dragon Tower were here, they’d probably wonder, “Why do you have to go through so much trouble just to take care of a plant?!”
For young nobles, tending to plants was a meticulous and labor-intensive task.
But for Lee Han, it was different.
‘Plants are better than professors.’
Sure, checking the soil daily, adjusting the type and temperature of the water, removing pests and mold, ventilating the air, and administering potions could be tedious and annoying.
But plants were quiet and reserved.
That alone made them more endearing than professors.
How many hours had passed?
“Think we’re done?”
“Yeah.”
They wiped their sweat and stretched their backs.
Taking care of plants was as grueling as sword training.
Their muscles were screaming.
“You young humans have been watched.”
“...?!”
“!”
Lee Han immediately drew his wand and pointed it toward the direction of the voice.
Surprisingly, the voice came from a nearby pond.
With a bubbling sound, a massive mass of water emerged from the pond.
It was clearly a powerful spirit.
“My name is Paruakis. I am the spirit of this pond. You young humans must be Dwarf’s disciples.”
“... Yes. Do you know our professor?”
“Indeed. I made a contract with Dwarf to watch over this garden.”
The spirit seemed to regard them very favorably, and the reason soon became clear.
“Among young humans, it’s rare to find ones as diligent and meticulous as you in caring for plants...”
‘Ah, so that’s why.’
Seeing Paruakis, Lee Han began to understand why Professor Willow had sent them here.
Professor Willow was a botany professor.
He must have been moved by Lee Han and Yonell’s genuine care for plants and sent them to be evaluated by a spirit who valued such dedication.
If the two truly cherished the plants, they could earn the spirit’s recognition!
‘I’m sorry, Professor.’
Lee Han quickly apologized.
He had thought Professor Willow was just passing off his work, but there was a much deeper meaning behind it.
He was genuinely touched.
The spirit, who usually didn’t like showing itself in front of people, couldn’t remain silent after seeing such sincerity.
After speaking, the spirit looked at Lee Han and asked curiously, “But you seem like someone spirits would fear. How do you have a tree spirit with you?”
“......”
Lee Han was slightly hurt.
Yonell instinctively came to his defense.
“Lee Han may seem like that, but he’s really a kind person.”
“I’m sorry, young human. Lesser spirits don’t have the ability to discern the character of their contractors.”
The weaker and lower the spirit, the less intelligent it was.
To understand a contractor’s character, they needed to spend a long time together, but Lee Han rarely had such opportunities.
Most spirits would flee from the overwhelming magical energy he radiated!
“I received this wand as a gift from the talking oak trees.”
“Ah, I see. Don’t feel too bad. The tree spirit in your wand was scared at first and still is, but it praises you as a good human.”
“......”
Lee Han unconsciously glanced at his wand.
It was scared of me?
Yonell asked sympathetically, “Mr. Paruakis, is there any way for Lee Han to contract with a spirit? Even when we try to contact spirits in the spirit realm, they avoid him.”
“Hmm... This is the first time I’ve encountered such a problem...”
Paruakis splashed around, deep in thought.
“How about this?”
“What is it?”
Lee Han was slightly hopeful.
As a powerful named spirit, Paruakis surely had a wise solution...
“Give up on contracting with spirits and try contracting with other beings? With your level of magical power, most would fear you, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There are beings who would appreciate that.”
“... But I want to contract with a spirit.”
“Hmm. I thought so. Well, beings who like that are usually malevolent. They wouldn’t suit a kind-hearted human like you.”
“?”
Lee Han was confused.
...
Was that so?
But Yonell nodded as if it were obvious.
“That’s right.”
“I don’t necessarily have to contract with a spirit...”
“Hmm... If you’re set on contracting with a spirit, one way is to try with wild and fierce spirits.”
Paruakis offered another solution.
Not all lesser spirits were timid and innocent.
Some were wild and fierce from the start, especially those of unstable and destructive elements.
“That’s a...! Wait, but the professor never mentioned that.”
Lee Han realized something was off.
Could Professor Thunderstep have deliberately withheld this information to mess with him?
It was a plausible theory.
“Well... Even if a lesser spirit is wild and fierce, they’re not so stupid as to act recklessly... They’d probably still avoid you.”
“......”
“......”
Lee Han and Yonell fell silent again.
Yonell’s sympathetic gaze made Lee Han feel even worse.
“Still, the method I suggested isn’t entirely wrong. The stronger and higher-ranking the spirit, the less likely they are to flee immediately. And such spirits might be willing to listen and understand your true nature.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
“Hmm... Not all strong, high-ranking spirits will work. It’s better to approach the wild and fierce ones among them. Of course, not all spirits will flee, but spirits generally dislike meaningless fights...”
“......”
Listening to Paruakis’s explanation, Lee Han wished he hadn’t asked.
It only made things more confusing!
Yonell asked hopefully, “Mr. Paruakis, could you contract with Lee Han?”
“Yonell, it’s fine. Stop.”
“No, I’ll definitely help!”
Yonell wanted to repay Lee Han for his help.
But Lee Han was starting to feel embarrassed.
It felt like a teacher asking, “Is there any spirit who wants to be friends with Lee Han?”
“A young human mage contracting with me would be too much. You’d collapse... Well, maybe not, but I’m sorry. I’m already contracted with Dwarf. It’d be hard for me to follow you around and help.”
“It’s fine.”
Lee Han started to mentally prepare himself to befriend undead instead.
“What about this? There’s a spirit I know summoned in this school. If I introduce you, they might at least talk to you.”
“!”
Lee Han was surprised.
It was an unexpectedly good suggestion.
“Would that really be okay? I don’t want to impose...”
“Seeing you two young gardeners, I really want to help. Don’t worry too much. And...”
Paruakis hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“If that spirit avoids you, don’t be too disappointed. Understand?”
“... Yes...”
Lee Han began to wonder just how strong a spirit he’d have to approach to even have a conversation.
Would he have to seek out a Spirit King?
Paruakis curled up and floated, draining the water from the pond.
Beneath it, a deep cave was revealed.
“Go down here, and you’ll reach where that spirit is.”
Lee Han thanked the spirit for its kindness.
But Paruakis’s kindness wasn’t over yet.
Splash!
Ancient runes resembling the pond appeared on the backs of Lee Han and Yonell’s hands.
“I’ve imbued a bit of my power into these runes. They’ll help you young mages.”
“Thank you.”
“We’re grateful!”
Lee Han and Yonell expressed their sincere thanks.
The spirit before them seemed far kinder than most professors at the school.
“Remember, don’t forget your love for plants.”
As Lee Han and Yonell walked down into the cave, Paruakis quickly returned to the pond.
The passage leading underground fell silent.
“Light.”
Lee Han summoned a sphere of light.
Unconsciously, he glanced at his wand.
He wanted to ask if it was still scared of him, but it felt too awkward.
‘But I really want to ask.’
“Lee Han?”
“!”
Lee Han panicked, wondering if his thoughts had been exposed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Mr. Paruakis was in the pond. Where do you think the spirit we’re going to meet is?”
“... Hmm.”
Yonell’s question was sharp.
Paruakis had forgotten to explain what kind of spirit they were meeting.
“Maybe... somewhere underground, like a lake or river.”
Given that Paruakis was a pond spirit, it was likely his friend was a similar type of spirit—water, river, pond, sea, etc.
‘Surely it’s not connected all the way to the sea.’
In the worst-case scenario, they might end up in an underwater dungeon beneath the ocean.
Lee Han knew this magic school was capable of such things.
“I hope it’s a river spirit. I’ve heard river spirits are usually wise and intelligent.”
“If we can contract with a river spirit, we might gain the wisdom needed for this prison... I mean, school life.”
Lee Han paused mid-sentence.
‘But I’ve heard river spirits are mostly gentle...’
...
Wouldn’t they just run away again?
Clang!
With a sharp sound, the two emerged from the passage and climbed upward.
The dark, silent air greeted them, and Lee Han recognized the place.
...
This was the school’s detention room.
“......”
Lee Han thought to himself.
That spirit is definitely not a river spirit!