"Did we... come to the wrong place? This doesn’t look like the school..."
Yonelle couldn’t accept the reality before her.
Yi Han spoke with a bitter expression.
"This is the school. It’s the Punishment Room."
"...?!?" Although some freshmen had been here before, for most students, the Punishment Room was just a rumor they’d heard about.
- If you fail three subjects, you’ll be dragged to the Punishment Room for the entire vacation.
- The bottom ten students in the midterms get sent to the Punishment Room.
- I heard a senior failed an experiment and got sent there.
- If you try to escape the school and get caught, you’ll be dragged to the Punishment Room.
That’s probably a lie, right??
Most of it felt like nonsense, but rumors always carry a grain of truth.
Clank!
"!" Yi Han, worried, grabbed the doorknob of the private room, but his worries were soon proven unnecessary.
Surprisingly, the door to the room they were in was already open.
‘This is the Punishment Room, but...’ Yi Han realized that this Punishment Room wasn’t currently in use.
The hallway outside was filled with dust and cobwebs, and the private rooms on either side were all empty and open.
"It seems like this place isn’t being used right now."
"That’s not very comforting."
Yonelle muttered in a frightened voice.
A Punishment Room without people was scarier than one with people.
It would’ve been better if there were people here...
"Finding the Punishment Room was pretty difficult. This is going to be a headache."
"How do you know... Ah."
Yonelle looked at Yi Han with an apologetic expression.
She knew he had been to the Punishment Room before.
"It wasn’t as bad an experience as you’d think."
"The headmaster didn’t threaten you, did he?"
"Nope. If the headmaster ever threatens me into saying something, I’ll add ‘I swear’ in front of it."
"That’s a good idea."
After confirming, the two walked to the end of the hallway.
But there was no staircase.
"...???"
"????"
All that was there was a solid brick wall.
Yi Han, flustered, looked back.
There was no other path on the opposite side.
They had to go forward.
‘This is...’ Yi Han instinctively understood what was going on.
Even though he had only been at the magic school for a few weeks, he had already adapted to its ways.
‘A magical passage.’ Just like when he tried to escape through the underground storage, the path was hidden by magic.
There were two ways to deal with it: find it or force it open.
Yi Han pulled out a neatly wrapped packet of charcoal powder from his pocket.
Yonelle asked curiously, "What’s that?"
"I made it with Ratford in case we needed it for escaping."
It worked on a similar principle to using graphite powder to reveal fingerprints on objects.
Yonelle was speechless at Yi Han’s preparedness.
Seeing the strange look in Yonelle’s eyes, Yi Han thought she was envious.
‘I’ll have to teach her later.’ Yonelle would definitely love this kind of skill!
"... It’s not working."
But this time, unlike the underground storage, it wasn’t so easily solved.
No traces were found.
Yi Han didn’t give up.
"Yonelle, step back."
If skill didn’t work, then force would.
Yi Han planned to blow away the magic hiding the passage, just like he had done with the defensive magic at the dorm entrance.
‘Don’t hit it too hard.
Just enough to reveal the passage.’
Stop, you fool!
"!" A booming voice echoed through the hallway.
It was a fierce voice, filled with wildness just from the sound of it.
"Who are you?"
I don’t give my name to the unworthy.
Why have you come to my shadowed domain? Answer quickly, or I won’t forgive you.
"I was introduced by Professor Parakith."
By Parakith? The fierce spirit’s voice hesitated, as if caught off guard.
It seemed unexpected.
You’re quite strong for a professor at this school, but that doesn’t mean you’re qualified to make a contract with me.
I don’t know what Parakith was thinking sending you here, but...
"Uh, I’m not a professor. I’m a student."
Yonelle interjected.
?
"A freshman..."
......
An awkward silence followed.
Yi Han could feel the flow of magical energy through the walls and ceiling.
The spirit was probably double-checking.
A young mage, huh...
Wait.
Are you really a young mage? Are you disguised?
"If you don’t believe me, you can check."
The fierce spirit seemed to ponder for a moment before deciding not to doubt further.
Then it makes sense that Parakith sent you.
That guy is kind to young mages.
But I won’t make a contract with you.
I don’t make contracts with those I don’t know.
"As expected..."
Yonelle said regretfully.
"It’s because Yi Han has too much magical energy, isn’t it? Just like the other spirits."
...
What are you talking about? No!
The spirit was flustered by Yonelle’s words.
To be misunderstood as avoiding someone because of their excessive magical energy—it was an unbearable misunderstanding.
"But you’re not showing yourself. From what I’ve heard from Professor Parakith, Yi Han’s very existence seems to frighten spirits."
"Yonelle... he didn’t say it like that..."
You’re making me sound like some kind of freak!
"So that’s why you’re not showing yourself?"
No, I’m not! Do I look like a spirit who’d hide just because of some magical energy?!
"Then why aren’t you showing yourself?"
This time, Yi Han asked curiously.
The spirit hesitated before speaking.
I...
I just don’t like pointless fights.
I avoid them.
"......"
"......"
Yi Han and Yonelle looked at each other.
Then, as if understanding, they said:
"I see."
"That makes sense."
You little human mages! Do you think I can’t read the meaning behind your words?!
Perkuntra.
That was the spirit’s name, though it wasn’t revealed to the two.
Spirits summoned by mages usually stayed in places prepared by the mage, performing tasks as per their contract, or appearing when called to fulfill their duties.
The key here was the contract.
A mage couldn’t ask a spirit to do anything beyond the initial contract, and the spirit wouldn’t agree to it either.
But conversely, it also meant that the spirit would uphold the initial contract with their honor on the line.
So why was Perkuntra here, in this abandoned Punishment Room?
If it were a Punishment Room with people, it might make sense, but this was a closed-off, empty Punishment Room.
The answer was simple: there was no proper contract.
- I have summoned you, great spirit Perkuntra.
Bow to me.
Submit to me.
I know your true name, and you shall kneel before me!
- Don’t spout nonsense, you stinking lich! No matter how much I respect the strong, I won’t kneel to the likes of you!
The lich headmaster, who had discovered Perkuntra’s name from an ancient relic, summoned the spirit using that name.
Of course, Perkuntra didn’t submit just because the lich knew its name.
It had no desire to make a contract with a lich.
The two fought for a week, day and night.
When no amount of threats worked, the lich headmaster finally proposed a compromise.
- If you hate contracts so much, how about a compromise, arrogant spirit Perkuntra? If you do one thing for me, I won’t give you any further orders.
In return, I’ll offer you regular tributes!
- ...
What kind of thing?
- I’m raising young mages.
There’s a building where these young mages are educated.
I want you to make sure they don’t escape from it!
- Just that?
- Just that!
Perkuntra was swayed by the lich headmaster’s words.
Compared to the usual complex and detailed contracts, simply watching over a building and preventing young mages from escaping wasn’t too difficult.
Besides, since it wasn’t a formal contract, there was no need to get too close to that lich’s soul.
- If you refuse...
- Arrogant spirit.
This is my final offer.
If you refuse, I’ll tear you apart and seal you away, and the books with your name will be buried in forgotten tombs.
Will you enter eternal oblivion, or will you accept my offer?
- ...
Fine.
I accept!
Realizing he couldn’t defeat the lich headmaster, Perkuntra finally accepted the offer.
And it thought, how often could these young mages really try to escape? At most, they’d just miss the outside world, right?
...
But as it turned out, the young mages were more capable than expected, and escape attempts were frequent.
Perkuntra later realized why.
That lich was actually encouraging escapes.
- If they succeed in escaping, isn’t that a skill? Let them try their best to escape.
The madman.
If a young mage did something wrong, he should’ve made rules to prevent escapes.
But instead, if they succeeded, he’d cancel their punishment, so the more daring students kept trying to escape.
As a result, the work in the underground prison was much harder and more exhausting than Perkuntra had anticipated.
The only time it could rest was in this closed-off Punishment Room, alone and in peace.
Though this peace would be shattered the moment students tried to escape...
Still, when there were no students around, this closed-off Punishment Room was truly a good place.
But today, two young mages had suddenly come to Perkuntra’s resting place.
‘Parakith.
That guy!’
It knew he cared for young mages, but it hadn’t expected him to send them here.
Perkuntra squirmed and spoke.
I’m not showing myself out of consideration for you young mages!
"Ah... I see..."
Yonelle didn’t openly provoke the spirit like Gainan would have, but the sincerity in her words only made Perkuntra angrier.
A spirit of Perkuntra’s level could read the thoughts behind a young mage’s words.
Yonelle was thinking that Perkuntra was scared.
It was a ridiculous misunderstanding.
Of course, the young mage next to her had an immense amount of magical energy, but Perkuntra wasn’t the type to run away in fear because of that.
Yi Han, growing tired of the conversation, politely requested, "I understand, Spirit. I know you don’t want to make a contract, but could you open the way for us?"
Wait!
"?"
You two young mages are doubting my strength in your hearts.
Do you know how insulting that is?
"No..."
Yi Han protested, feeling wronged.
"We’ve been polite, haven’t we? Why are you being so paranoid?"
Do you think I can’t read those emotions?!
Yi Han and Yonelle were slightly stung, but Yi Han didn’t back down.
"But we can’t control what thoughts come to mind, can we? Regardless of what we think, we’ve acted with proper etiquette."
Yonelle nodded in agreement with Yi Han’s words.
There was nothing wrong with what they’d said.
Of course, Perkuntra wasn’t convinced.
Then I’ll show you a glimpse of my power.
"If you open that wall, we might be able to see it..."
Be quiet and prepare.
You! Gather your magical energy.
"I’ve only been learning magic for less than a year."
I know.
That’s why I’m going to show you in the simplest way possible.
Use the magical energy you’ve gathered to transform an element!
The spirit showed no signs of backing down.
Yi Han gave up and began gathering his magical energy.
If they wanted to find a way out, they’d have to convince the spirit.
"What element should I use?"
The most destructive one!
"......"
I told you not to doubt me!!
The spirit seemed to have read Yi Han’s thoughts and got angry again.
Yi Han winced.
"Burn!"
The most destructive element was, of course, fire.
Yi Han summoned flames, hoping the insight he’d gained from petting a dog would help.
At that moment, a massive bolt of lightning struck down from the ceiling of the Punishment Room, aiming for the flames.
Boom!!!
"!"
"!!"
Yi Han and Yonelle were startled by the loud noise.
And they were even more surprised by what was revealed next.
The flames Yi Han had summoned were completely unharmed.
"... Uh, what did you do?"