Chapter 61

I never thought the students would become so distrustful.

But that's one thing, and there was still something I was curious about. Professor Uregeum found Lee Han, who he considered to be his best student.

"Vodanaz."

"Yes, Professor."

"Will you believe what I say?"

Given how much he trusted Professor Ingeldel, he would surely trust Professor Uregeum as well!

Lee Han nodded and said,

"Yes! I believe you! How could I doubt you, Professor!"

"...Just say you don't believe me, you brat."

Professor Uregeum was annoyed.

It was better to have someone openly doubt him than to have someone like Lee Han speak in such a roundabout way, which made him feel annoyed.

"But did you really not meet the bull? That's a shame. I prepared it quite expensively... Why did a mud golem appear?"

"...Wait. What do you mean by that?"

Professor Ingeldel, who had just heard what Professor Uregeum was muttering, frowned.

Professor Uregeum quickly tried to explain.

"Ha ha ha... Professor Ingeldel, it seems there's a misunderstanding. In fact, I prepared both the bull and the mud golem, but it seems the bull went somewhere."

"......"

Despite his explanation, Professor Ingeldel's eyes remained cold.

There's nothing more terrifying than a swordsman with a wild look in his eyes.

Professor Uregeum hastily brought Lee Han over.

"Vodanaz, you tell me. Who do you think prepared the mud golem?"

"......"

Lee Han was taken aback by the sudden reversal but decided to play along, as Professor Uregeum's eyes were too desperate.

"Of course, it was the Professor who prepared it."

"Right? Professor Ingeldel. Look, even the smart Vodanaz says so."

"Is that so? But do you think a mud golem is an appropriate trial for freshmen?"

"......"

Professor Uregeum looked at Lee Han again, but Lee Han had already fled to his friends.

* * *

It was Saturday, but instead of going out for a walk or exploring the school's mysteries, the Blue Dragon Tower students were holed up in the lounge, racking their brains over the mountain of assignments that had piled up during the week.

"Damn... What's the flaw in the logic in this book? Wait, isn't the very fact that I, of such noble birth, have to wrestle with such a book a flaw in itself?"

"Ah, how am I supposed to know how much it cost to make the magic circle? Just use the family's leftover money...!"

The students clutched their heads, struggling with the assignments.

Each assignment was difficult and couldn't be easily solved.

As a result, the snacks Lee Han had stored in his cupboard were selling like hotcakes.

Feeling a bit annoyed, Lee Han filled a basket with various snacks and candies and placed a sign next to the fireplace.

Apple-flavored candy - one silver coin

Apricot jam cookies - two silver coins

The Makin family's sweet chocolate bar - four silver coins

A cup of sweetened black tea - one silver coin

...

...

The prices were high, but the students didn't complain.

It was a happy moment to be able to get them when they could.

If they went out now, the students of the Black Turtle Tower would be making fake snacks, fake candies, and fake gum to get by...

"Huh. You guys only listen to easy lectures, so that's why."

"Are the assignments hard for you? After listening to alchemy, it feels like a sweet dessert to me."

"......"

A few Blue Dragon Tower students who were taking alchemy classes were boasting to their friends who were working on assignments.

Their expressions suggested they had the arrogance of someone who had just caught a dragon.

"Those guys... Vodanaz must have done all the work..."

"Leave them alone. They're pitiful. Meeting a mud golem..."

"Indeed. What a crazy lecture. How can they make us fight a mud golem?"

Instead of telling them to stop, the other friends listened patiently.

It was for the sake of honor and friendship.

'They must think they won't have to go through such things...'

Lee Han shook his head with a bitter smile.

The students who hadn't taken alchemy classes yet were under the illusion that 'since we're not taking alchemy, we'll be fine.'

...But as the basic riding class showed, madness was a virtue that any professor at this school should have.

Even if they avoided one crazy lecture, another would surely come.

They would realize it when the time came!

Bubble bubble bubble-

"Orc bellflower and small feather mushroom. Is that right? I'll add this and..."

"Ugh, the smell is toxic. Is it really right...?"

The students taking alchemy classes were gathered around their cauldrons, scratching their heads.

They had gathered the materials for the assignment, the "Potion of Lesser Elemental Affinity," but they had only just started with alchemy.

Gathering the materials was half the work, and combining them was the other half.

With limited materials, their hands couldn't help but tremble.

Bang!

"Ack!!"

Puff puff puff bang!

"Ugh!"

"Wait."

Lee Han reached out to stop the students.

From what he had learned in class, he knew that a small mistake in movement or timing could cause alchemy to fail.

But...

'Something seems off...'

The current situation was a bit strange.

Even students who had done a decent job were having their cauldrons explode with smoke.

If it were just a minor mistake, the potion's quality would vary, but the results should still be somewhat similar. However, the results were completely different from what was shown in the book.

"Why is that?"

"...Could Professor Uregeum have taught us the wrong method?"

"......"

"......"

A chill ran through the lounge.

A friend working on a different assignment nearby said, "Come on, no matter what, it can't be..."

"No. It makes sense! It will happen 100%!"

"!?"

Friends who would have said 'no way' in the past now doubted the professors more than Lee Han.

They had truly become students of this school.

"Really, it's despicable...! How can he intentionally teach us the wrong method?!"

"Tell us to figure it out ourselves? Are you kidding?!"

While the students were venting their frustration, Lee Han quietly discussed the matter with Yoner.

Anger is one thing, but grades are another.

Even if they wanted to grab the professor by the collar, they still had to submit the assignment.

"We need to experiment by changing one thing at a time from the potion-making method the professor gave us. Yoner, do you have any ideas?"

"The ingredients in the method—Devil's Whisker Flower, Troll Mushroom, Maleine, and Jade Dragon Flower—seem suspicious... Actually, they have no relation to elementals, as far as I know."

"Are they all traps?"

"I don't think so. At most, one or two, right? Even if they have no relation to elementals, they might amplify the power to summon elementals or enhance the user's mental strength."

Lee Han was impressed by Yoner's quick analysis.

Lee Han was a fairly skilled experimenter, but he couldn't match Yoner's extensive knowledge of alchemy materials, which he had read about since he was young.

'Should I have read alchemy books instead of newspapers and economics?'

"Experimenting by removing one at a time is the fastest, but the problem is... then we'll run out of materials."

Lee Han was deep in thought.

What was Professor Uregeum thinking by putting traps in the method?

"Maybe we need to compare it with old methods in alchemy books to find out what's wrong..."

Yoner muttered, sounding dejected.

From that, Lee Han thought he understood the professor's intention.

'Ah, he means we shouldn't rely on methods created by others and should discover things on our own by searching through books.'

Knowledge gained through personal study tends to last longer than knowledge taught by others.

Thinking about this, Lee Han felt a chill.

He was too good at guessing the professor's thoughts.

A person who gazes into the abyss for too long will eventually resemble it.

Lee Han shook his head to dispel the fear.

'I shouldn't be swayed by the professors anymore.'

"Want to go look for books?"

"Yoner, it would take the whole weekend to find it in books, right?"

"Probably..."

"Absolutely not. I need to go out tomorrow."

Lee Han said with a determined look.

His eyes burned with a resolve that no professor could shake.

Yoner felt a moment of admiration for that resolve.

"......"

And then confusion.

'...Should I be so moved by the fact that he's going out?'

"Everyone, stop making potions and gather in one place!"

"??"

"I'll figure out the method through experiments."

"But we don't have enough materials, right?"

"I'll use all the materials we have here to make as much as possible. I'll also need to go to other towers."

"...!"

Ahsan was impressed.

With the materials gathered by one person, it wouldn't be enough for multiple experiments, but with all the students' materials combined, it would be a different story.

The amount of leftover materials would increase.

Yoner nodded.

"If other tower students join, it will be helpful. They might point out things I don't know."

"Sianna would be good."

"But she's from the Phoenix Tower. Will she come?"

"Sianna praises Vodanaz a lot. If Vodanaz asks, she might come."

Leaving the friends' voices behind, Lee Han confidently left the lounge.

His back radiated a determination not to let the holiday be taken away.

"Vodanaz...! I'll ask you!"

"See you."

"By the way, Vodanaz. Can you also bring the princess?"

"Can't you do that yourselves?"

Lee Han asked, sounding exasperated.

"No... We're not close to the princess..."

"You're the only one who's somewhat close."

"Maybe because she's royalty, it's a bit difficult to approach her."

"Alright, I get it..."

It wasn't a particularly difficult task, so Lee Han nodded.

"Ah, Gai Nan! What if you get the multiplication wrong!! You'll make me redo the calculations!"

"I didn't get it wrong! You did!"

"Where are you getting these ridiculous lies! The formula in front of you is wrong!"

"......"

Lee Han was taken aback by the scene.

These guys?

* * *

- Princess. It's Vodanaz.

-!

When Lee Han knocked on the door, the princess looked at his hand with hopeful eyes.

But there were no snacks in Lee Han's hand.

After listening to the explanation, the princess nodded and went down to the lounge, but she felt her shoulders droop.

Lee Han felt a bit guilty.

'I should bring something next time...'

Since the ledger was being written by other friends, giving more snacks would benefit Lee Han.

His conscience was a bit pricked by the thought of taking advantage of his innocent friends.

'Is this the place?'

Upon reaching his destination, Lee Han looked around.

As a member of the Blue Dragon Tower, he rarely had the chance to visit other towers.

The Blue Dragon Tower felt luxurious and ornate, while the Phoenix Tower exuded a solemn atmosphere. Perhaps it was due to the difference in students.

'...Wait. How do I get in?'

Upon arriving at the Phoenix Tower, Lee Han realized he didn't know how to enter.

He decided to try it out.

Thud-

"!"

It felt as if there was an invisible barrier at the main door of the tower, and Lee Han was pushed back.

'A magic barrier to prevent intruders. Of course, it makes sense.'

If non-Phoenix Tower members could enter, it would be chaos.

"Mr. Lee Han of the Vodanaz family?"

A familiar voice called out from behind. A snake sigil student in priest robes was tilting his head.

Upon seeing Priest Sianna, Lee Han instinctively flattered her.

"Sianna, the priest who made that excellent potion last time!"

"Oh, you're really flattering me."

"It's not flattery, it's the truth."

"I made a potion this time. Take some. It will help with fatigue recovery."

Priest Sianna smiled widely and handed over the potion.