Chapter 97

Chapter 097

14 times 19 is 266, not 417. Not a single digit was correct.

Lee Han asked with a suspicious tone,

"Kainando, how do you make a low-grade mana recovery potion?"

It was the same question other students had asked earlier.

If it were truly a potion of wisdom, it should have answered correctly, just like before.

"Cut the base of the Garamaldu and slice the remaining part along with the pinky finger. At the same time, tear the sugar grass finely with your hands..."

Although he answered calmly and composedly, just like before, Lee Han was not fooled.

Wasn't the pinky finger being cut off along with the base of the Garamaldu on the chopping board right now!

"It wasn't a potion of wisdom but a potion of confidence."

"......"

The friends from the Blue Dragon Tower were genuinely disappointed.

They could have easily passed all assignments and exams!

"But can't we sell the potion of wisdom to the White Tiger Tower students by deceiving them?"

"Ooh..."

"What 'Ooh'? No, you can't."

Lee Han stopped the students.

The princess was about to stand up with the potion in hand but hesitated and sat back down upon hearing Lee Han's words.

"Why not?! Wodanaz, you know how rude and arrogant those guys are!"

"They insulted you last time too!"

"I know. But... wait. What did they say?"

Lee Han, who was about to let it go, couldn't help but ask.

"You're better at black magic than the upperclassmen."

'Is that not an insult?'

Lee Han thought to himself.

Of course, he understood the meaning behind it, but it was a rather weak insult.

The White Tiger Tower students probably thought it was insulting, but to Lee Han, it wasn't that bad.

Rather, something like "Wodanaz will starve to death after graduation" or "Wodanaz will be dragged away by professors before graduating" would have been much more insulting.

"That's fine. I'll handle my own affairs, so don't get needlessly angry for my sake. The most important thing right now is the lake."

"!"

Hearing this, the students from the Blue Dragon Tower recalled the assignment they had forgotten, or rather, tried to forget.

It was the assignment given by the skeleton headmaster.

"Do we really have to go to the lake?"

"Can't we just give up on this one assignment? Why should we cooperate with those guys? Honor is more important than grades, right?"

Upon hearing this, Lee Han, Yoner, the princess, and Asan looked at the student with shocked eyes, as if he had said something absurd.

How could someone say that grades are not important??

"Grades are honor. What are you talking about?"

"Yeah. Grades are... not success, but honor."

Lee Han hesitated, almost saying, "Grades are important for success," but stopped.

Given the students' attitudes, such as "What's the problem with bad grades? I have a family, so I won't starve," it wouldn't have been very effective.

And...

'Saying that might be dangerous later.'

From what he heard from Professor Vlad and Professor Kyrmin, it felt dangerous to say, "My goal is to become a bureaucrat and succeed," within the magic school.

It might be better to keep it hidden until he was firmly established and ready to leave.

"Sorry. I was shortsighted."

The friend, who had spoken without much thought, apologized, unable to withstand the gazes of Lee Han and the others.

Right!

Grades were that important...!

* * *

'I hoped something useful would come out of the potion box.'

Lee Han looked at the lake with regret.

He specifically wanted a potion for walking on water or a potion for underwater breathing.

No matter how he thought about it, the headmaster's assignment seemed to involve something related to water.

Falling into the water or swallowing water...

But the only confirmed potions from the stolen potion box were the Imperial Western Wine (delicious), the Cantus potion (granted the talent of singing), and the potion of confidence.

Lee Han seriously considered secretly giving the remaining potions to the White Tiger Tower students.

It would be faster to test them directly...

'If there were a potion for strength enhancement or giant transformation, it might be a bit troublesome. They might come to kill me first.'

Considering the risks, Lee Han decided to stop.

After all, testing unverified potions on people was ethically wrong.

"Shield, unfold!"

Lee Han cast a spell towards the lake.

Mages who use water element magic become much more comfortable and powerful when there is water nearby.

The mana and mental energy required to summon water are significantly reduced.

...Or so he had heard, but Lee Han couldn't feel the difference.

'Is it because I'm inexperienced?'

Whether he used the lake water or summoned water, it felt similar to him.

Perhaps it was because he was using low-circle magic.

The difference might not be noticeable at low circles, but it could become more apparent at higher circles...

Lee Han tried various methods, changing the shape of the water he summoned into a shield.

The reason he was alone at the lake on a happy Sunday morning was simple.

He was trying to find a way to cross the lake.

'Now that I think about it, it's really huge.'

It wasn't surprising that some inland students thought, "Wow, there's a sea inside the school."

From where Lee Han was, he couldn't see the end of the lake.

He needed to find a way to cross it by next week. The skeleton headmaster wouldn't show any leniency if there was no way.

"Ferry, appear!"

Lee Han tried to change the shape of the water into a ferry, modifying the spell as he saw fit.

He was attempting to summon a ferry made of water.

If Professor Garcia were here, he would have been shocked by this ridiculous attempt.

- No matter how confident you are, maintaining the shape of a ferry is incredibly difficult.

Maintaining a water shield and summoning a water ferry to cross the lake were entirely different matters.

First, the size and density of a shield and a ferry were different.

Naturally, the required mana was vastly different.

Moreover, even if the structure of the ferry was simplified, it was much more complex than a shield.

And unlike a shield that just needed to float in the air, the ferry needed to maintain its shape on the water...

Lee Han soon realized this.

Indeed, summoning a water ferry was not efficient.

'Clearly, it's ambiguous. Can I maintain it when I put it on the lake?'

There was also the possibility of monsters or the skeleton headmaster attacking from the lake.

Considering that, a water ferry was not feasible.

'It's a shame it succeeded, but I have to give up.'

Lee Han gave up cleanly and released the water ferry onto the lake.

If Professor Garcia were here, he would have been shocked again.

- You succeeded, so you shouldn't just release it!

'Is it a bestowal spell, then?'

If potions and water ferries didn't work, the next option was a bestowal spell.

Spells that directly engrave effects on items, materials, or living beings.

Walking on water and underwater breathing spells were also part of bestowal spells.

The problem was that Lee Han had only indirectly learned bestowal spells.

He had learned how to use them in lectures like "Basic Imperial Geometry and Arithmetic," but he hadn't received formal instruction yet.

Even if he did receive formal instruction, it didn't seem likely that he would learn walking on water or underwater breathing spells in his first year...

'Black magic is useless at times like this. Alchemy and bestowal spells are much more practical in daily life.'

Lee Han thought about Professor Mordum shedding tears.

'The spirit of lightning is also useless. The spirit of ice that Professor Thunderstep uses helps store food and reagents... It could have frozen the water to create a path.'

Lee Han then thought about Professor Perkuntra feeling frustrated.

'Magic, in a way, is quite weak...'

"Be careful!"

"Don't worry. Let's push it slowly."

"?"

Hearing voices from beyond the bushes, Lee Han lowered his stance and approached.

Surprisingly, the White Tiger Tower friends were making something that looked like a ferry. Even Lee Han, who didn't know much, could tell it was almost complete.

"!"

"Can we launch it like this?"

"Of course. I've done it many times."

Aangaro, the goat centaur, answered confidently.

When knights were given long breaks, Aangaro often traveled with his parents to his mother's hometown, sailing around the sea.

He had a lot of experience with small ferries and was confident he could make one himself.

"Let's confirm it and then go back and tell them!"

"Yeah! They're all waiting. Wait... What if we find a way to the island?"

"That's a great idea. Moradi would like it too."

Aangaro nodded.

It would be nice to impress Moradi and other students, but most importantly...

The thought of Wodanaz looking at him with a mix of admiration and envy was already thrilling.

- Huh. Aangaro Alpha. I recognize you. Finding a path I haven't found yet... You are much more impressive than I thought. I was foolish to underestimate you...

Even if Wodanaz had mastered all evil magic, he wouldn't know such wisdom of navigation.

Rustle-

With a rustling sound from the bushes, Lee Han appeared with his staff.

"Hey."

When Lee Han called out, Aangaro and his friend instinctively raised their arms. The staff pointed at them felt like a sword tip.

"Y... You...!"

"Cowardly...!"

Aangaro felt extremely wronged, his horns trembling.

They had spent days making the ferry, even naming it "Baphomet."

They had worked hard, but now it was being taken by a highwayman with a staff.

He wanted to fight back, but remembering the magic Lee Han had shown before, he couldn't move easily.

The staff would swing before he could draw his sword and charge.

"My ferry! My ferry...!"

"Don't move."

As Lee Han warned, he suddenly realized,

'Why am I threatening them?'

He had come to the White Tiger Tower students to ask how they planned to navigate and find a path.

But when they raised their arms like they had met a highwayman, Lee Han instinctively said, "Don't move."

Habits are truly scary!

"No."

Lee Han lowered his staff.

"There seems to be a misunderstanding. I didn't come to take your ferry. I came to ask how things are going."

"R... Really??"

"But you threatened us with your staff, saying you'd curse us if we didn't give you the ferry..."

Aangaro, who was speaking, remembered that he hadn't actually done that. He had been too flustered and mistaken.

"There was a misunderstanding."

The two White Tiger Tower students lowered their arms obediently. Lee Han nodded as if he hadn't noticed.

"There was a misunderstanding."

"You came because you're interested in the ferry I made?"

"Yeah. But..."

Lee Han looked at Aangaro again, surprised.

This guy made the ferry?

'It might be more dangerous than the one Kainando made...'

"Why?"

Aangaro, not noticing Lee Han's rude thoughts, was puzzled.