Chapter 70

"Professor, you are right."

"Fear alone cannot make us retreat; we cannot win that way. A true knight faces his fears and fights!"

'Such crazy people.'

Lee Han shook his head.

If there were other students from different towers, he would have teamed up with them to say, "Professor Ingeld, please come to your senses," but unfortunately, the White Tiger Tower students were the kind who wouldn't listen to anything Lee Han said.

No matter what, it was still strange to see them so supportive of fighting escaped summoned creatures.

Isn't it normal to learn how to avoid them?

Sometimes, Lee Han felt lonely, thinking he might be the only sane person in this school.

"I have good students."

Professor Ingeld nodded with a satisfied expression at the White Tiger Tower students' response.

He had been considering whether to rethink his approach if any students were afraid or wanted to avoid the task, but as expected, these talented swordsmen were ready to face their fears and fight.

As he looked around, Professor Ingeld's gaze suddenly stopped on Lee Han. Lee Han instinctively shouted:

"Truly an excellent idea, Professor!"

"Thank you, everyone."

Professor Ingeld smiled proudly when Lee Han joined in.

It seemed to be a pretty good idea, considering the various thoughts he had pondered.

"Now, everyone, form groups of three."

Fortunately, Professor Ingeld still had some sense of responsibility. He didn't ask anyone to face the monsters alone.

However...

'Oh no, this is bad.'

Lee Han realized he was in trouble.

For someone like Nilia, who had difficulty making friends, forming groups was suffocating.

Lee Han wasn't like Nilia, but the White Tiger Tower students wouldn't team up with him.

'Should I just use Derkyu and force another student to join? Can I dodge the professor's gaze and threaten them?'

"Professor, can we form groups as we like?"

"No, I've prepared lots, so each of you should draw one."

Professor Ingeld gave Lee Han a slight nod.

Knowing that Lee Han belonged to the Blue Dragon Tower and wasn't close to the other White Tiger Tower students, the professor was already aware of this and was being considerate.

'Professor...'

Lee Han was grateful.

But...

'...If you're going to be considerate, why not just give us sword form training instead of this monster-catching practice?'

The professor's consideration was truly twisted.

Lee Han lined up and drew a lot. It was number 4.

"Anyone who drew 4?"

Derkyu raised his hand. Lee Han's expression softened. The White Tiger Tower students glared at him with concern.

'Not playing with Derkyu like a chess piece again, are you?'

"Is there one more person?"

Each group needed three people.

Someone raised their hand in response to Lee Han's question.

It was Giselle from the Moradi family.

"......"

"......"

Derkyu and Lee Han, as well as the other White Tiger Tower students, were shocked.

'Is this going to end in a sword fight?'

On one side was Lee Han, the essence of the Vodanaz family, who had mastered all kinds of dark magic before entering the school.

On the other side was Giselle, who led the White Tiger Tower students with her innate charisma, coming from one of the strongest knight families in the north, the Moradi family.

Moreover, they didn't get along...

However, instead of drawing her sword, Giselle only smiled enigmatically. Lee Han found this more ominous.

"Since we both made childish mistakes, shouldn't we forget about it this time?"

"You can't be serious, Lee Han?"

Derkyu looked at Lee Han as if he was saying something ridiculous.

Of course, if you traced it back, Giselle was the one who started it.

But in an emotional fight, such details didn't matter.

And in terms of pranks, Lee Han was overwhelmingly dominant.

After subduing her, he handed her over to the skeleton headmaster to be sent to the punishment room, led a group of friends to raid the lounge at night and steal the flag, and so on.

Derkyu wasn't particularly close to Giselle, but as a fellow northern knight family member, he knew her well.

Proud and stubborn, she must be grinding her teeth at Lee Han, even if she didn't show it.

Honestly, it was worrying.

"Lee Han, when we move together, always put me between you and Giselle. And never show your back to Giselle."

"Thanks, Derkyu. It's reassuring."

"Have you all formed your groups?"

After confirming, Professor Ingeld continued:

"Every party needs a leader. The one who drew a lot with a red mark on the corner is the leader. The leader should give instructions, and the others should follow the leader's instructions to deal with the monsters."

"......"

Lee Han remembered that his lot didn't have a red mark.

"Derkyu, can you say you drew the one with the red mark?"

"Sorry."

Lee Han and Derkyu looked at Giselle. She waved the lot with the red mark and smiled enigmatically again.

"Shouldn't you call me 'Leader'?"

"Leader."

"No, it should be 'Sir.'"

"Leader Sir."

Giselle's smile deepened in response to Lee Han's answer.

"If you don't want to get stabbed from behind, give good instructions."

"......"

They say that knights who have witnessed the white ice storm beyond the northern mountains no longer fear anything.

Derkyu was one of those people, but the way Lee Han and Giselle were looking at each other was genuinely terrifying.

* * *

"So, what kind of summoned creature are we supposed to face?"

"I can't tell you that."

"...?"

"?"

All the White Tiger Tower students tilted their heads in confusion. Lee Han felt a sense of foreboding.

"The point is to learn how to deal with unknown summoned creatures, so knowing their identity beforehand would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it?"

Professor Ingeld kindly explained.

Many White Tiger Tower students nodded in understanding, but a few, including Lee Han and those with a clear head, stiffened slightly.

"Now, each group will enter the annex building one by one. There's a captured summoned creature inside, so deal with it and exit through the opposite side."

As Professor Ingeld finished speaking, a few of the clear-headed students cautiously asked:

"Still, Professor, if the summoned creature is beyond our capabilities, we need some information...?"

"That's right. Can you at least give us a hint on how to deal with it?"

Professor Ingeld's face showed a hint of concern at the White Tiger Tower students' words.

He wondered if the practice was too difficult.

'After all, they need some basic information to figure out how to deal with it...'

Just as his normal senses were about to return from the paralysis caused by other professors' eccentricities, other White Tiger Tower students chimed in.

"Stop being such cowards!"

"How will the professor think of us? He'll think we're weaklings who can't handle a single thing!"

"No, everyone."

"Professor, we're fine!"

"We don't need any hints. We'll figure out how to deal with it using our hands, feet, and swords."

'Isn't this a magic school?'

Lee Han thought to himself.

Use magic, kids! And get some hints if possible!

"Stupid trash, really..."

"?"

"What? Why?"

When Lee Han turned his head, Giselle spoke as if challenging him.

Managing one's expressions and words depends on the situation. There was no need to pretend in front of a Vodanaz who knew everything.

"I agree that they're stupid."

"You do say things I like sometimes. Listen to my instructions the same way, and there won't be any problems."

Giselle warned him.

"I don't understand. I have no complaints if there are no issues with the instructions. Why would I start unnecessary trouble? I don't like causing trouble for others."

"......"

"......"

Giselle, as well as Derkyu, were slightly taken aback.

'He seems to be too natural at causing trouble...'

"Would someone who betrays others and hands them over to the headmaster say that?"

Giselle crossed her arms and said in a tone of disbelief. Her eyes already looked like she had drawn her sword several times.

"It's not betrayal if we weren't on the same side..."

"Lee Han, I'm not good with words, but you should stop talking."

Derkyu tried to stop Lee Han.

While he didn't particularly like Giselle, he feared that if left alone, one of Lee Han or Giselle would fall before they even faced the monster.

"I was trying to clear up the misunderstanding."

"No, Lee Han. Some misunderstandings can't be cleared. And you... have a talent for making your enemies angry."

Derkyu almost said, "You have a talent for making your enemies angry," but stopped himself.

In any case, only Derkyu could mediate between them now. He decided to try.

I may not be good with words, but...!

"Think about it. Acting rashly just because you don't like each other will only harm both of you. Even if you don't like each other, since this is a class, you should... accomplish the given goal sincerely..."

"That's obvious. Derkyu, don't worry."

"Don't say unnecessary things, Choy. I already know that."

They both scolded Derkyu at the same time. Derkyu felt unfairly wronged.

* * *

The annex building prepared by Professor Ingeld looked like a giant gym or auditorium.

Of course, the difference was that inside the closed door, instead of fun sports, an escaped summoned creature was waiting.

'The silence is more worrying.'

If there were screams, at least they could guess what was happening, but the silence, as if blocked by magic, was even more chilling.

What did he put in there?

"Once we open the door, don't move rashly. First, assess the situation. If the attack starts immediately, split up and move to the left and right... tell that to the side, Choy."

"......"

Derkyu was at a loss for words at Giselle's childish words.

Lee Han is right next to me, so what do you mean by 'tell that to the side'?

'Isn't Moradi supposed to be more mature?'

"If it's dark inside, I'll cast a light spell first, so don't be surprised. Tell that to the side, Derkyu."

"If you waste mana and collapse, I'll leave you behind. Tell that to the side, Choy."

"Only I can cast a light spell, so I'll do it. Tell that to the side, Derkyu."

"I can cast a light spell too, so don't act superior. Tell that to the side, Choy."

'Someone, please save me.'

Before entering the magic school, Derkyu had heard all sorts of stories.

They said the professors prepared harsh trials to make students focus on magic, that the professors were trolls, and that knights were treated poorly because they were slow with magic...

But none of the stories mentioned this kind of situation!

The door opened. Inside was dark, not bright. Lee Han sighed.

'The school's pattern is becoming predictable, and that's even scarier.'

Students who expected it to be bright must have been surprised by the dark interior.

He could imagine what Professor Ingeld was thinking when he prepared this darkness.

'To prepare us for the fact that summoned creatures are more likely to appear at night than during the day.'

"Light!"

Lee Han's incantation lit up the annex brightly. Both Derkyu and Giselle had to admit his magic skills.

-■■■■■...

The summoned creature inside the annex had the appearance of a mix between an elemental and a bull.

Moreover, it had the aura of enhancement magic and potions, which wouldn't be found in an ordinary bull.

For a moment, Professor Thunderstep's face flashed through Lee Han's mind.

'It can't be, right?'