Chapter 42

The unrefined explosion of magic dealt a fatal blow to Garakse, who took it head-on, but it also shocked Li Han.

Li Han was thrown backward, his entire body shaking from the impact.

‘Grr...!’

It was a much stronger shock than when he had taken Alarlong's sword strike directly.

Li Han regretted it.

‘Did I infuse too much magic?!’

Thinking he had to decisively end the opponent, he had poured all his power into the magic, but an unexpected result occurred.

The shock made his body immobile.

Fortunately, all the enemies had fallen, but...

"Student Li Han!"

Professor Garcia hurried over from a distance.

Li Han was puzzled by the sight.

‘Weren’t the remaining attackers attacking the professor?’

The answer to his question was soon clear.

Around Professor Garcia, the attackers lay scattered, as if they had been hammered by a giant mallet.

Professor Garcia's fists were stained with blood, but it clearly wasn't his own.

‘Ah... He’s a half-troll...’

Li Han slightly regretted it.

Even if he hadn’t stepped in, Professor Garcia might have defeated the attackers with his fists.

Being of troll origin, he was incredibly strong physically, even without magic.

What kind of scum!

A giant skeleton flew over from the direction of the school, accompanied by a green light.

Normally, the sight of the headmaster would have sent shivers down his spine, but Li Han felt relieved.

‘I can finally rest.’

Li Han closed his eyes and lay down, his entire body aching, and he just wanted to rest deeply.

* * *

The skeleton headmaster rushed over with Professor Boladi.

The imperial anti-magic zealots were like fungi, growing in dark, damp places.

For them to attack a professor at the school...

I'm sorry, Professor Garcia Kim. I failed to protect you due to my incompetence.

The skeleton headmaster bowed his head at the scene of the fight.

"No, no, Headmaster Gonadaltes. If they were from the Twilight Dawn, it would have been difficult for anyone to prevent it."

Professor Garcia was taken aback by the headmaster's sincere apology, which he hadn't seen in a long time.

Professor Boladi, who was standing nearby, spoke up.

"I don't think so. As the headmaster of this school, you should have been able to prevent it."

"......"

......

Professor Garcia looked at Professor Boladi in disbelief.

Who would have thought a professor who couldn't handle social situations would say something like this in such a situation?!

The skeleton headmaster wanted to hit him but held back. He knew it was his fault this time.

He should have thoroughly searched the area. It's embarrassing. Is that... an ancient artifact?

"Yes. It was a powerful artifact that absorbed all the magic around it."

They were thoroughly prepared.

The skeleton headmaster clicked his tongue.

No one was as adept at dealing with mages as the anti-magic zealots.

To find and bring such an ancient artifact...

"This is Garakse."

Professor Boladi pointed to the dying knight.

He was a well-known figure in the Twilight Dawn, known as a "Magic Killer" for his exceptional skills in combat against mages...

He's still breathing. I'll take him to my prison. I need to extract information about the Twilight Dawn from his brain. Still...

The skeleton headmaster looked around the battlefield with renewed interest.

He could tell at a glance that most of the attackers had been fried and charred by lightning and other spells, courtesy of Professor Garcia.

Despite not being skilled in magical combat, he managed to use his magic effectively without destroying the surroundings.

However, there were other noticeable signs.

Signs of cutting and stabbing with a sword, and knocking down opponents with telekinesis.

It was clear at a glance who had done it. The young man from the Vordanaus family, who was now lying unconscious.

‘Why is the Vordanaus kid so good with a sword?’

To knock down Garakse, he must have had both luck and skill.

The skeleton headmaster was puzzled but didn't wake him to ask.

Mages weren't just about magic. They had their own hobbies.

Some were into horseback riding, others into knitting...

It could be swordsmanship too.

Noticing the skeleton headmaster's gaze, Professor Garcia spoke up.

"If it weren't for the help of Student Li Han from the Vordanaus family, it would have been very dangerous. Thanks to him, the other workers were unharmed."

Indeed. He has talent. To remain calm and successfully cast spells in such a situation... He has a talent for magical combat. Professor Boladi, did you teach him? It's impressive.

"It's not that surprising. The young man from the Vordanaus family has a strong focus in times of crisis and possesses a vast amount of magic. It's natural for him to show his abilities in such a situation."

‘I shouldn’t have brought him.’

The skeleton headmaster regretted it.

He had brought him to prepare for any unexpected situations, but he kept rubbing the headmaster the wrong way.

While the vampire professor was saying, ‘Li Han should be able to do this much,’ the skeleton headmaster didn't agree.

Even the stingy skeleton headmaster couldn't deny the impressive feat of a freshman taking on notorious imperial anti-magic zealots.

Especially the way he fought, as described by Professor Garcia, was impressive.

If he had won just by being strong or knowing many spells, it wouldn't have been that surprising.

But the young man from the Vordanaus family had outsmarted his opponents, despite being weaker and at a disadvantage.

That was the talent of a good mage.

I'm envious!

The skeleton headmaster felt an urge to crack his non-existent knuckles.

He wanted to take the young man as his apprentice and teach him personally, in the old-fashioned way.

In the past, mages would pass on their knowledge to a single, capable disciple.

Of course, in this era, such actions were unacceptable.

If he did that to the young man from the Vordanaus family, protests would come from the professors, the Vordanaus family, and even the emperor.

- Headmaster! Mages need to learn more than just magic. Don't you know how harmful it is to have twisted and eccentric mages who only know magic and can't handle social life?

- Grandmaster Gonadaltes. If teaching magic that way was acceptable, I would have done it. Can you do nothing else? You're a pitiful fool.

- Grandmaster. I supported the school to nurture the talents who would become the pillars of the empire, not to raise madmen. What are you doing to these precious talents? Are you protesting to me?

...Teaching one-on-one with a grand mage had a high risk of corrupting the disciple's character and twisting their personality.

‘This era is truly troublesome for me.’

The skeleton headmaster sighed with regret.

What could he do? He had made the rules himself.

Since the young man from the Vordanaus family was now in the school, there would be many opportunities to clash and teach him.

The skeleton headmaster fervently wished that the young man would join him in a few years.

If that happened, he could teach him all sorts of forbidden techniques and knowledge!

Clean up the scene. Reward the workers for their efforts. They deserve it. Don't forget to take the ancient artifact.

The skeleton headmaster gave orders to his summoned creatures.

He needed to clean up the scene to prevent unrest in the nearby villages.

Professor Boladi, what are you doing?

The skeleton headmaster asked with a curious look.

Professor Boladi was carefully examining the fallen attackers.

"I was investigating the unusual attack patterns on some of these attackers."

Hmm. Indeed... How did the Vordanaus kid knock them down?

Professor Boladi and the skeleton headmaster pondered together.

They could easily distinguish between cuts and stabs from a sword or injuries from being hit by metal balls.

However, some attackers had injuries that looked like they had been hammered by a giant mallet.

What could it be?

‘Could he have manipulated rocks with the <Basic Control> spell?? Even with overflowing magic, that would be difficult... Could he have done it?’

"...I, I knocked them down with my fists. Everyone."

Professor Garcia raised her hand, looking embarrassed.

* * *

When Li Han woke up on the soft bed, the first thing he saw was the skeleton headmaster's skull.

‘Is this a nightmare?’

"Student Li Han, you really went through a lot."

Professor Garcia was also there.

"No, no. I just did what I had to do."

Still, credit where credit is due. You did well.

"Thank you."

Of course, trying to leave the school was a separate issue.

‘Damn.’

Li Han clicked his tongue inwardly.

His hatred for the imperial anti-magic zealots surged again.

If it weren't for them, he would be in the village by now!

Professor Garcia looked apologetic.

"I'm sorry, Li Han. You did so much..."

What's there to be sorry about? Rules are rules. Rewards are rewards, and punishments are punishments. More importantly, how did you break into the underground storage passage? It shouldn't be passable in a week.

The skeleton headmaster asked genuinely curious.

The storage room behind the central staircase on the first floor of the main building was a challenge for many freshmen.

Even if it wasn't just for escape, the food storage was a place hungry students would sell their souls to reach.

The skeleton headmaster knew this, so he often left keys to the area behind the central staircase.

But breaking into the underground storage passage directly was unexpected.

Even if he had shown incredible self-control and not touched anything in the vast storage, how did he deal with the storage keeper?

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Li Han kept his mouth shut and played dumb.

Once caught, he had to stick to his story.

The skeleton headmaster smiled, reading Li Han's thoughts.

You're not an ordinary kid. But it's a shame. The underground storage passage can't be used again.

‘Damn!’

Suddenly, the skeleton headmaster's voice became serious.

Listen, Li Han of the Vordanaus family. For your bravery in protecting the workers and professors against the imperial anti-magic zealots, I, on behalf of the school, sincerely thank you.

"..."

As a token of gratitude, I will bestow upon you the famous sword, 'Morning Star.'

"Thank you... Wait, isn't this the sword the enemy was holding?"

Li Han was so flustered that he didn't ask if it was appropriate to give a real sword to an enthusiastic student. He should have asked that first.

Should I break it?

"I guess so. I'll use it well."

Li Han understood in a second.

‘I’ll sell it later.’

Professor Garcia was slightly taken aback by how quickly he accepted it.

She had planned to persuade him if he refused, saying, ‘The sword is not at fault; it was the wielder who was evil. Please guide the sword to the right path, Student Li Han.’

And take this too. An outing pass.

"..."

Li Han was even happier than when he received the sword.

The skeleton headmaster was surprised to see the usually expressionless boy jump with joy.

The sword was much more valuable!

"Thank you! Headmaster. I will serve with all my loyalty!"

Y-Yeah.

The skeleton headmaster was slightly overwhelmed by the boy's enthusiasm.