‘No, one shouldn't jump to conclusions about someone based on this.’ Yi-Han thought to himself that having a slightly twisted sense of humor was merely a minor flaw in this magic academy. He decided to focus on the positive attributes of the professor before him.
"That was truly entertaining. Like a refreshing breeze for me, weary from academy life..." Yi-Han mused aloud.
As Asan, who had also completed the task, stood up and approached, he overheard Yi-Han's words and paused, thinking to himself, 'What's entertaining about this?' He couldn't find anything enjoyable about the recent exam. Nonetheless, he greeted, "Good day, Professor. I am Asan of the Dargard family."
Upon noticing Asan, Professor Alpen took out his pocket watch to check the time and then spoke, "Hmm. I actually have something to discuss with the students who excelled in their grades... Follow me."
Asan wore a reluctant expression, not wanting to waste time talking with the professor after finally completing the exam.
"I will do so." Yi-Han, however, did not share Asan's sentiments. He interjected before Asan could even make an excuse, and Asan moved along, his steps heavy with reluctance.
"By the way, Asan. How did you solve the last problem?" Yi-Han inquired.
"I tried plugging in from 0 when I couldn't find the answer, and luckily... What about you, Wardanaz?" Asan asked, looking at Yi-Han, expecting he had solved it similarly.
Yi-Han nodded, "Of course, I solved it the same way." He resolved to respond similarly if asked by others, not wanting to appear too understanding of the skull principal.
Professor Alpen's room was quite antique, with dust-free books and everything in its proper place. "Take a seat," he instructed as the students sat down. With a wave of his staff, he filled teacups with tea. "You two students ranked first and second in this exam, quite impressive," he remarked.
"Thank you," they responded.
"Actually, a friend of mine from my time as an administrative officer is visiting the academy next week..." Professor Alpen began, capturing Yi-Han's attention. His eyes widened as he listened quietly. A friend from his administrative officer days likely meant someone of high imperial rank.
"...He wants to see the skills of my students. So, I'd like you to handle a simple magic circle creation. It shouldn't be too difficult, as I've mentioned in lectures," the professor continued. Yi-Han was elated at the opportunity, while Asan was visibly dismayed, wondering why they needed to take on extra work when their grades were already good. 'This is something I can handle,' Yi-Han thought confidently.
Yi-Han nodded, observing Asan's disliking reaction. He realized that he was well-graded and, more importantly, Asan didn't want to do it. It was the perfect opportunity for him.
"I think it would be good if Mr. Dargard took it on," Professor Alpen suggested.
"...?!" Yi-Han was taken aback. Why him?! "Me? Wouldn't it be better for Wardanaz?" Asan questioned, trailing off, his confidence waning. He didn't want to undertake such an extra task. Yi-Han silently cheered for Asan's persistence. 'Hang in there, Asan!' he thought.
"Well, Wardanaz has too much on his plate already," Professor Alpen reasoned.
"..." Both Yi-Han and Asan were left speechless, realizing the truth in the professor's words.
"I've heard he's so fervently focused on his studies that he's taking extra lessons from other professors. We can't disturb such a student," Professor Alpen noted. Asan, in a disheartened voice, accepted the task: "...Alright. I will do it..."
Asan had a conscience too. As a student of the Tower of the Blue Dragon, he couldn't simply ask Yi-Han, already burdened and struggling, to take on the task with a 'But still, you should do it!'
"No, Professor. I will help Asan," Yi-Han interjected.
"Is that alright?" the professor asked.
"Yes," Yi-Han affirmed.
"Wardanaz...!" Asan was so moved by Yi-Han's gesture that he was nearly brought to tears. He was touched that Yi-Han would help with this boring, uninteresting, and tedious task purely out of friendship.
Swoosh - Asan wiped away his tears with his sleeve, reflecting that since entering the academy, he seemed to cry more often.
"Thank you, Wardanaz," Asan expressed his gratitude.
"It's nothing, Asan," Yi-Han reassured him, patting Asan's shoulder. Inwardly, Yi-Han was thinking, 'I will definitely make a good impression.' Regardless of who Professor Alpen's friend was, Yi-Han was determined to leave a lasting impression.
After receiving a brief explanation, the two students bid farewell to the professor and left the room.
Left alone, Professor Alpen muttered regretfully, "What a pity. I originally wanted to recommend Wardanaz..." He pondered Yi-Han's talent and ability. The boy from the Wardanaz family was a candidate he had considered recommending to the imperial officials. With a brilliant mind and strong passion for academics, Yi-Han surely had the potential to become a fine bureaucrat for the Empire. However, Professor Alpen had his reservations. 'Such a talented individual should be left to focus on academics, not a bureaucratic position,' he thought. He knew that a reasonably brilliant mind fits a bureaucratic position in the Empire, but a truly brilliant one should be devoted to academics for the future of the Empire.
Having served a long time in a bureaucratic position before coming to this academy to nurture future talents of the Empire, Professor Alpen felt a mix of regret and joy. As a former official, it was regrettable, but as an educator, it was a source of joy. 'I will assist as much as I can, so you can focus on academics, Wardanaz,' he resolved.
Thursday.
As Yi-Han walked to his alchemy class, he noticed the other students looked exhausted. "What time did everyone leave the lecture hall yesterday?" he asked.
"After midnight... The magic wouldn't dispel," came the weary reply.
"..." Yi-Han absorbed the information in silence.
"What was the answer to the last question?" Yonaire inquired, still looking puzzled. He couldn't think of any other answer than 720 coins, no matter how much he pondered it.
"...0 coin," Yi-Han answered.
"Huh?" Yonaire was taken aback.
"0 coin," Yi-Han repeated.
"Why?"
"Well... it's like..." Yi-Han, despite not being the one who set the question, carefully explained, observing Yonaire's reaction.
Yonaire's eyes flared up with realization, like the flames used in metal refining. "Dead...! ...tard. That was it. Yes." She calmed herself down with difficulty. In this academy, one had to learn not to get upset over every little thing.
Squeak -
"Huh?" Yi-Han turned his head. The passing princess was tearing up a paper covered in various formulas and numbers, her face expressionless. She had been trying to solve yesterday's problem even until today.
"...I feel somewhat guilty," Yi-Han admitted.
"Why? It's not your fault. Don't worry about it," Yonaire comforted him. The girl from the Maykin family changed the topic. "You're making a magic circle with Dargard, right?"
"Yes," Yi-Han confirmed.
"...Wouldn't it be better to just let Dargard do it alone?" she suggested.
"Hey... Maykin..." Asan, passing by, looked at Yonaire with a sense of grievance. Yonaire's words weren't wrong, after all. Even other students from different towers seemed to echo Yonaire's sentiment, suggesting, "Wouldn't it be better to do it alone?" and "Dargard. You should consider Wardanaz."
"..." Asan looked at Yi-Han, as if asking for help. Yi-Han nodded and replied, "I decided to help because I wanted to, so everyone need not worry."
"If that's the case, but..."
"Why not ask that prince for help? He seemed to have plenty of time."
Thud, thud, thud -
Professor Uregor entered the classroom, his footsteps resonating like beating a cauldron. "Good to see you all. You all know what we're going to do today, don't you?" he greeted, his presence immediately souring the students' faces. Even when the test was the same, Professor Uregor had a unique way of making it more irksome.
Sensing the students' gaze, Professor Uregor chuckled heartily. "Alright. Line up and come in one by one," he instructed.
"?!" The students murmured, surprised by this unexpected format of the test. They had anticipated the usual method of making potions in the classroom using a cauldron.
"What's the matter? Line up and come in as I said," Professor Uregor urged.
"..." The students, casting suspicious glances at Professor Uregor, lined up. They were clueless about what lay behind the door of the classroom.
"What's in there?" one student whispered.
"A monster, maybe?" another guessed.
"In an alchemy class?" a third questioned skeptically.
"Then what about the first day when that crazy monster attacked?" another recalled.
"...That was also an alchemy class. Damn. There might be a monster after all," a student concluded.
Quickly steeling themselves and gripping their staffs, the students prepared for the worst. The likelihood of facing a monster now seemed high.
'Surely there won't be a monster... right?' Yi-Han thought, not losing a shred of hope. He handed out candies to his friends.
"What's this?" they asked.
"Beer candies. Eat them if you run low on mana," Yi-Han explained.
His friends nodded solemnly, storing the beer candies. These were essential items, given the uncertainty of how much mana they might need against a potential monster.
"Wardanaz. Come in," Professor Uregor called.
Yi-Han opened the door and stepped inside. To his relief, no monster attacked, but he remained vigilant.
"...You can take your hand off your waist," Professor Uregor said as he looked at Yi-Han as if he couldn't believe it.
It was good to be cautious, but Yi-Han's readiness to draw a sword during an alchemy exam was bordering on the absurd. Was he there for a swordsmanship test? "Professor. I trust you," Yi-Han said, trying to reassure himself.
"I think I've said this before, but those who really trust don't say such things. Now, look at the cauldron and the ingredients beside it," Professor Uregor instructed.
Yi-Han examined the cauldron and the unfamiliar ingredients placed beside it. "I've seen them," he affirmed.
"Now, using only the ingredients in this room, try to make this potion," Professor Uregor challenged, shaking a glass bottle with an unknown potion.
"?" Yi-Han hesitated, looking at the potion he had never seen before.
"Is it a potion you've taught us in lectures?" Yi-Han asked.
"No," the professor replied.
"Could you tell me what kind of potion it is?" Yi-Han inquired further.
"No," Professor Uregor answered again, a broad smile on his face, clearly enjoying the situation.
A skilled alchemist excelled in improvisation, able to make a similar potion using only unknown ingredients without knowing the identity of the potion. This test was about quickly understanding the properties of the ingredients and incorporating their effects in their mind. Professor Uregor didn't expect the freshmen to create a perfect potion but to discern the properties of many potions and create something as similar as possible.
"Come on, better move quickly, right? Time isn't infinite," the professor urged.
"Hmm," Yi-Han mused, engrossed in thought.
As Yi-Han, one of the brightest students in the alchemy lectures, remained motionless and contemplative, Professor Uregor grew puzzled. 'What is he pondering?' It was baffling to see him so deep in thought when he should be quickly identifying the properties of the ingredients and the potion.
"Why is that?" Professor Uregor asked.
"May I use anything from within the room?" Yi-Han inquired, pondering a strategy for the test.
"Planning to use your own ingredients?" Professor Uregor asked, a hint of skepticism in his voice. He snorted, doubting the usefulness of whatever ingredients Yi-Han might have. However, he was prepared to acknowledge them if Yi-Han happened to have something useful. After all, such luck would justify allowing him to do as he pleased.
"Do as you wish," Professor Uregor conceded.
"Understood," Yi-Han responded. With a burst of speed, he dashed like lightning and snatched the potion right from Professor Uregor's hand.
Caught completely off guard by this sudden ambush, Professor Uregor stood frozen in shock for a moment before regaining his composure. "Hey!!!" he exclaimed, surprised by Yi-Han's bold move.
