"You seem to be mistaken..."
"So you did use lightning magic." 'Damn.' Professor Voladi couldn't have missed the traces.
The professor quickly assessed the situation by examining the fallen monster's remains and the faint residual aura of the lightning spirit lingering on Yi Han's arm.
"Interesting..."
Professor Voladi muttered, nodding slightly, and his demeanor frightened Yi Han more than any monster could.
"Wait a minute. Just a moment," Professor Garcia interjected.
Yi Han felt a lump in his throat at the sight.
Professor! "Professor Bagrek, why are you asking about lightning magic? What are you planning to do?" "It's necessary for teaching."
"Teaching? What do you... Wait. Yi Han, are you... no, are you attending Professor Bagrek's class!?" Professor Garcia almost said 'that professor' but quickly changed his words.
However, Yi Han could easily guess what he was about to say.
"Yes..." "......"
Professor Garcia pressed his forehead.
While Professor Garcia was a true gentleman who respected everyone at the magic school, his lectures were a different matter.
Some professors' lectures always made Professor Garcia uncomfortable.
Professor Voladi Bagrek's lectures were one of those.
In Professor Garcia's eyes, they were excessively harsh and cruel! No matter how he thought about it, it wasn't a class suitable for freshmen.
Instead of teaching how to avoid fights, teaching freshmen how to maintain composure and fight in extreme combat situations using magic combat techniques...
The only saving grace was that students didn't attend the class.
Given its difficulty, every year students would come once and then flee.
So Professor Garcia had been reassured, thinking, 'Someday, Professor Bagrek will realize and change his lectures, right?' But surprisingly, there was a student attending.
Professor Voladi spoke as if asking why.
"I believe you saw it last time."
"What?" "The fight with the anti-magic faction. I mentioned then that I had taught him." "...!" Professor Garcia felt a lightning bolt strike his mind.
The iron pellets Yi Han had used.
At the time, he had been too preoccupied with the empire's anti-magic faction to think deeply about how Yi Han handled those pellets...
But now, thinking about it, that was Professor Voladi's method! -He has a talent for magical combat.
Professor Voladi, did you teach him? Amazing. -Not really amazing.
Reflecting on it, the conversation between the headmaster and Professor Voladi afterward had been very meaningful.
He had thought it was just a few coincidental teachings, but it turned out Yi Han had been receiving focused instruction in the class! "Is it okay????" "......"
Yi Han hesitated at Professor Garcia's question.
The 'okay' carried too much meaning.
How should he respond? "It's okay." "......"
Professor Voladi answered for him.
Both Yi Han and Professor Garcia looked at Professor Voladi with bewildered expressions.
"Wodanaz is successfully following the teachings." "... Following?" Professor Garcia was initially shocked, then understood.
Sometimes, exceptional talent could be a curse.
That applied even in this situation.
Yi Han's exceptional talent had driven him to keep up with the class without giving up! 'Such a tragedy...!' Professor Voladi spoke as kindly as he could.
"I believe you now understand why I checked for the manifestation of lightning magic."
"Wait, wait. I get that he's keeping up."
Professor Garcia made a final attempt at resistance.
It was genuine kindness.
"But now, just because his control over basic telekinesis spells has improved, isn't it too hasty to jump straight to lightning elemental magic? At least let him learn other safer elemental magics first..."
As he spoke, Professor Garcia froze with a horrified expression.
Professor Voladi was smiling faintly.
What was this??? "That's why I had him learn water elemental magic first." "... Already?" "Yes."
Professor Voladi's 'yes' carried a faint certainty.
Professor Garcia, as a fellow professor, could sense that emotion. -Seeing a student keep up, I must not have been teaching wrong...
It was a conviction. 'No!!' Professor Garcia screamed internally.
Why, of all things! Even if Professor Voladi's distorted world could be changed later, he had to protect the outstanding disciple in front of him first.
Professor Garcia didn't give up and said, "Actually, quite a few students find it easy to give form to water, don't they?" 'Was that it?' Yi Han, unaware of Professor Garcia's inner thoughts, was surprised.
No wonder...
"It must be because of the nature of the water element, right?" "I don't particularly think so..."
"From that perspective, rather than moving to the next stage just because he succeeded in giving form, shouldn't he expand his range in other forms and become more familiar with the element?" Professor Voladi nodded.
"That's why I had him realize the water shield spell on his own." "......"
Professor Garcia looked at Yi Han in shock.
Yi Han felt somewhat sorry.
If he had realized the water shield spell on his own, it was almost as if he had mastered giving form to the element.
If he had pondered the principles and logic to realize it, he could create other forms as well.
Realizing something on his own was that important.
"Ha, but... even if he mastered giving form, the path to elemental control is still long... At the very least, he should be able to control formed water elemental magic as naturally as controlling iron pellets..."
As he spoke, Professor Garcia's heart sank when he saw Yi Han bow his head deeply.
Could it be? "I've already had him learn what you just mentioned. He even tried to add a rotational attribute, but I stopped him."
Professor Garcia had never imagined, even in his worst nightmares, that Professor Voladi would say something like, 'I care about my students this much.' This was more terrifying than any nightmare.
And the most terrifying part was that Professor Garcia had no more ways to persuade him.
Professor Garcia spoke in a somber, sorrowful voice. "... Please take good care of Yi Han..."
"I always teach consistently, Professor Garcia."
As the conversation between the two professors ended, Yi Han also came to his senses. "...?!!" Is this the end? Aren't you going to stop him?? "Professor...!" "Yi Han, work hard."
Yi Han suddenly felt like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse.
He didn't know what would happen next week, but... it felt ominous! '...
I should tell him to check if there are other professors around when asking for help from now on...'
Asan walked with his friends toward the black market.
"Let's treat ourselves this weekend." 'Do we have to?' Gainando wanted to complain but kept his mouth shut.
He had already complained once and received a scolding.
The current food situation for the magic school freshmen was roughly as follows: The Blue Dragon Tower, thanks to Yi Han, who had secured a large amount of supplies from outside, could enjoy the most luxurious and abundant meals.
The Phoenix Tower, where students quietly accepted whatever meals were served without complaint.
The White Tiger Tower, where students aggressively roamed nearby forests, fields, and mountains, gradually succeeding in hunting.
And the Black Turtle Tower, where students supplemented their insufficient food through periodic foraging, occasional hunting, and bartering with other students.
Among these, the Blue Dragon Tower students were well aware that they were absolutely dependent on Yi Han's help.
Although Yi Han had told them not to worry and just contribute a small amount of money, they couldn't just sit still.
The Blue Dragon Tower students were also finding food through various means.
One of them was the black market.
A bartering place set up by the Black Turtle Tower students near their tower! "Last time we went, there wasn't much to eat..."
"No, I went a few days ago, and the amount of stuff had increased. There's quite a bit of food."
"I heard they made a deal with the White Tiger Tower kids?" Asan nodded at his friends' words.
"As time goes on, the market will naturally have more items. It's not for nothing that I'm going. And..."
Asan carefully pulled out glass bottles from his pocket.
They were the spoils from conquering the Thunderstep Research Lab dungeon.
The participating students had all shared potions and reagents. "... The Black Turtle Tower guys must know how precious these are now. It's better to exchange the extras now before they become less valuable."
"As expected of Dalkard!" The Blue Dragon Tower students smiled brightly as they headed to the black market.
The Black Turtle Tower student standing at the entrance recognized them and his expression changed.
"Nice to see you. Can we come in?" "So... sorry." "??" "There's a new rule. You guys can't come in."
Asan was more baffled than surprised.
"You're only trading among yourselves? The market will shrink!" "We don't care."
A deep, low voice spoke, and someone appeared behind the Black Turtle Tower student.
He was as short as a dwarf but more muscular than the White Tiger Tower students.
His loose coat couldn't hide it. 'A dwarv... no, wait?' Asan was stunned.
He thought it was a dwarf, but upon closer look, it was an elf.
A short, very muscular elf! "I am Salkoda of the Tutanta family."
The Tutanta family.
A fairly famous stonemason guild family in the empire.
He had thought they were a family of skilled dwarf craftsmen...? "Tutanta. Why are you blocking us? Is it because we're from the Blue Dragon Tower?" "No. Of course, it's true that I don't like you Blue Dragon Tower students..." "......" "......" "... But I don't let my personal feelings affect the rules. You can't come in because of the rules."
"What rules?" "You can't bring in anything you didn't earn through your own work!" Salkoda was joined by other Black Turtle Tower students.
From rough-looking guys to well-groomed ones, it was clear Salkoda had leadership.
Asan, holding out the reagents he brought, flared up.
"What we brought now was earned through our work!" "Really? Where did you get it from?" "......"
Asan became like a mute who had eaten honey.
He couldn't say it was from Professor Thunderstep's research lab.
Gainando stepped in to explain.
"We gathered it from the fields!" "You gathered that much from the fields? You must have stolen it. If you can't provide the source, we'll consider it stolen goods. And as long as I'm in the Black Turtle Tower, I won't allow stolen goods in the market. It tarnishes people's sweat and effort and disrupts the market."
The Blue Dragon Tower students were speechless at the undeniable truth.
Gainando cried out in frustration.
"But then where are thieves supposed to trade! What are thieves supposed to eat!" "Hey... Gainando... it's embarrassing, lower your voice...!" The Blue Dragon Tower students, realizing their shame, covered Gainando's mouth.
Just then, Yi Han appeared carrying a basket.
Yi Han was puzzled to see his friends gathered at the entrance.
"What are you doing? Why aren't you going in?" "Yi Han!" Asan explained everything that had happened.
Yi Han listened and then asked Salkoda, "I grew these in my own garden. Can I come in then?" "...!" Salkoda looked at Yi Han in surprise, then nodded.
"See you later."
Watching Yi Han enter, the Blue Dragon Tower friends belatedly came to their senses. "?!?"