Chapter 138
The white horse seemed to be in an uproar, as if to confirm a certain suspicion.
Sharakan, having brought a potion, barely resolved a misunderstanding, but upon seeing the two students, it became apparent that a different misunderstanding had taken place.
This could not be left unattended!
However, Yonaire looked at Yi-Han with an expression of, ‘What are you talking about?’ and asked, "Is there really no possibility it's an actual griffin? What do you mean by that?"
"You mentioned earlier there were two distinct bright green potions."
The potions for curse removal and animal transformation, both sharing the same color, had caused confusion when Sharakan rummaged through the potion box and fled, leaving Yonaire unable to distinguish them immediately.
What if the white horse had drunk the griffin transformation potion instead of the curse removal potion?
"But... Yi-Han," Yonaire hesitated, seemingly unsure of where to begin her critique.
Yi-Han's suggestion was absurdly far-fetched.
"Even so, Professor Bungaegor wouldn't transform a griffin into a horse to give to students, right?"
Silence fell upon both Yi-Han and the white horse.
Yonaire's logic was too flawless to dispute.
Yet, Yi-Han refused to back down easily.
'Yonaire might still have some faith in the professors, but I do not.'
The professors of the magic academy were capable of anything, even forcibly giving a transformed griffin to a freshman!
Although it seemed unlikely, Yi-Han felt an unsettling sense of unease.
Moreover, the white horse and Sharakan continued to cause a commotion, adding to the frustration.
"I still want to check."
"If you say so... How do you plan to check?"
"Let's examine the other green potion."
"It's dangerous to carelessly give a transformation potion to an animal."
Yonaire voiced her concern with a worried look.
Unlike sentient beings, animals were unpredictable when their physical form changed.
"Of course, I don't plan to feed it to Niffirg. To Gainando..."
Yi-Han paused mid-sentence, suddenly preoccupied with the white horse's name.
...Could it be?
'Perhaps Professor Bungaegor is reckless enough to just reverse the name of the griffin...'
Yi-Han gazed at the white horse, which returned his stare with deep, large eyes, nodding its head.
Trust me!
"To feed it to Gainando?"
"Yes. Is it too much?"
"Not at all. It's a good idea."
Yonaire agreed without a second thought.
She had wanted to discourage feeding transformation potions to animals, but Gainando was an exception.
"Wait. Yonaire. Now that I think about it, why don't we ask the priests to check again?"
Yonaire's eyes widened at Yi-Han's suggestion.
Right, why not?
"Seems like a good idea..."
"But the priests might be too busy checking other potions. Should we just test it on Gainando?"
"I'll leave it to your judgment, Yi-Han. Whatever you decide should be fine."
The two students from the Tower of the Blue Dragons, scheming their suspicious plan, returned to the tower.
The white horse stamped its hooves on the ground, watching Yi-Han's departing figure with eyes full of anticipation.
Soon this absurd accusation will be cleared!
Sharakan barked as if to say, "Just wait a little longer." The white horse bowed its head in gratitude.
Monday.
The weekend had ended, and a new week began with the spring festival, but Yi-Han's heart was far from warm excitement.
His day started with a lecture from Professor Boladi.
Upon Yi-Han's entrance, Professor Boladi sighed lightly, a sight Yi-Han had never witnessed before.
'What's this? He looks terribly intimidating.'
When a person does something out of character, it naturally instills fear. This was especially true if that person was someone like Professor Boladi, whose actions, when uncharacteristic, were doubly terrifying.
Professor Boladi spoke slowly.
"I believe I mentioned the dangers of overreaching."
"Yes?"
Boladi's manner of speaking, cutting to the chase, was always something new.
Yi-Han tensed up.
It was impossible to predict what his counterpart might do.
"Do you remember when you defeated the golem?"
"Yes."
Caught in Professor Uregor's scheme, Yi-Han had to defeat a mud golem blocking his path to survive. He accomplished this by pouring a vast amount of mana into creating a massive water orb imbued with a spin attribute.
Then, Professor Boladi, having heard about it from somewhere, turned Yi-Han's world upside down with comments like, "Why so greedy? Already experimenting with a spin attribute?"
Yi-Han had no such ambitions in that regard, and even if he did, Boladi should not have made such comments.
Wasn't he the one among the magic academy's professors most eager for progress in magic studies?
"I told you not to be hasty at that time."
"So, I haven't used the spinning attribute since then...?"
"I heard you attempted to control multiple water orbs."
Yi-Han despaired.
Just how much had Professor Ingurdel told others?
'This is maddening.'
There must be times when the magic academy's professors gathered. Otherwise, such detailed information couldn't have spread so effectively.
"The situation was urgent; I had no choice."
"I suppose so."
Professor Boladi nodded, appearing convinced. Yet, Yi-Han remained uneasy.
Boladi was known for forming his own conclusions internally, even when showing an understanding exterior.
Yi-Han's intuition was accurate.
Boladi had other thoughts in mind, 'How challenging it is to teach.'
Those unwilling to walk the path ahead were unworthy of being mages.
And the boy from the Wardanaz family, though young, was more a mage than anyone else.
Yi-Han's cessation of exploring spinning attribute magic wasn't due to Boladi's advice.
A true mage wouldn't stop merely on account of superficial counsel.
Such a decision could only come from within.
That's why Boladi hadn't prepared additional training.
He intended to force concentration.
'But it must be done.'
Professor Boladi stood up.
A look into Yi-Han's eyes revealed everything.
The boy from the Wardanaz family would not stop.
This time, Boladi didn't plan to offer mere superficial advice.
"Take this."
"?"
Yi-Han was puzzled by the bundle Boladi handed him.
What is this?
"Open it."
Inside the bundle was an old cloak, clearly enchanted with magic.
"What magic is cast upon it?"
"Defensive magic."
Yi-Han sighed.
Why else would Professor Boladi give him a cloak imbued with defensive magic?
'He's planning to hit me harder than before.'
But how hard...
Instead of casting magic, Boladi turned and walked out of the lecture hall.
"Follow me."
"??"
Yi-Han followed Boladi with a mix of confusion and curiosity.
The lecture hall corridor on the basement floor was silent and dark, feeling entirely different despite the morning hour.
"Where are we going?"
"Didn't we train in elemental detection last time?"
"Yes, that's correct."
Yi-Han wanted to demand an answer to his question, but he restrained himself. This was typical of Professor Boladi.
"Your ability to detect elements is sufficient. There's no need for further training in that regard."
"Thank you."
For Professor Boladi, that was indeed high praise. Yi-Han gratefully accepted it.
"And I gave you a book on basic lightning magic and its applications."
"I've been studying it diligently, but I haven't mastered it completely yet..."
"I didn't expect you to understand everything at once."
"!"
Yi-Han was surprised.
Not by the statement itself, but because Professor Boladi had made such a remark. It was out of character for him.
'...This isn't a cause for celebration, but rather a sign that the book's difficulty is far greater than I anticipated.'
It wasn't a time for happiness. Yi-Han's mood darkened again.
"Given your abilities in element detection, control, and shape transformation, it wouldn't be unusual for you to attempt controlling multiple water orbs."
"Is that so?"
Yi-Han brightened up.
It was a relief to know that his original attempt was justifiable.
Maybe Professor Boladi's... teachings would be less harsh.
With that, the professor fell silent. Striding through the underground corridor, he waved his wand at a wall, revealing a hidden staircase.
'How many secret pathways are there in this place?'
Yi-Han noted the path as he followed the professor.
After a while of silence, Yi-Han, puzzled, asked again.
"So, Professor... where are we going?"
He had already asked where they were going, but the professor had only brought up past training and said nothing more.
What was going on?
Professor Boladi stopped abruptly and looked at Yi-Han. A faint confusion was evident in his eyes.
Yi-Han, a proficient student, grasped the situation.
'Hmm. He thinks he's explained everything with what he just said.'
Though Yi-Han wasn't sure how that constituted an explanation, he wasn't flustered.
"Could you explain a bit more? Specifically, where are we going right now?"
"We're heading to the dungeon."
"..."
Yi-Han instantly regretted asking.
The Dungeon.
A peculiar space governed by different rules due to the concentration of mana in a specific area.
It could be an ancient ruin, a tower erected by a mad skeletal lich for storing potions, or anything else.
Ideally, it would be peaceful, merely a place where mana pooled and the rules were different. However, dungeons usually harbored monsters, naturally attracted to the mana.
Given the history of the magic academy, it was inevitable that a dungeon, natural or man-made, would exist within its premises...
'But I never wanted to enter it of my own volition.'
How long had they walked through the hidden underground passage?
The bricks underfoot gradually gave way to natural ground, and the mana in the air grew denser.
And from the deep darkness ahead, the ominous sound of monsters could be heard.
Yi-Han looked at the back of Professor Boladi, leading the way.
Would it be easier to overpower Professor Boladi now and escape, or to fight the monsters in the dungeon?
Sadly, the latter seemed more feasible.
"Professor. Don't we have any armor instead of this cloak?"
"Armor interferes with magic."
Professor Boladi spoke firmly.
It was a common misconception that battle mages in dangerous fields preferred armor, but it was just that—a misconception.
A mage had to focus on magic, unencumbered. Heavy and bulky armor restricted a mage's movements and scattered their concentration.
Indeed, the noise and chaos of the battlefield were already disruptive enough for a mage, making it prudent to prepare for such situations in advance.
'...But doesn't this put my life in danger?'
Yi-Han understood Professor Boladi's point, yet there was an unresolved issue.
Not wearing armor might be advantageous for casting spells, but...
Wouldn't it make one more vulnerable to attacks?
"Ah, instead of wearing armor, do we use magic for defense?"
That would make sense.
Yi-Han thought of the water shield magic he could use. More skilled mages would likely have access to a wider array of defensive spells.
Professor Boladi, who had been walking ahead, turned his head to look at Yi-Han again.
"Using defensive magic interferes with other spells."
"Then... how do we defend ourselves?"
"Dodge."
"..."
Yi-Han made up his mind.
Regardless of what Professor Boladi said, Yi-Han decided to fight using defensive magic.
'I always wondered when having a lot of mana would be useful. This seems to be the time.'
