"No, that can't be," Yi-Han mused as he left. There could be several reasons for a thumbs-up gesture. The most likely was to praise a junior for doing well on a recent test. Yi-Han figured this was probably the reason.
Another possibility was gratitude for defeating a professor, but surely his senior wasn't that kind of person... right?
"Are you alright, Professor?" Direth asked cautiously once the other juniors had left. Professor Mortum, coughing, nodded his head.
"Cough. I was careless... the poison was better made than I expected."
"You were too reckless," Direth chided. While regular people might find a little dispersed mana merely inconvenient, it was different for mages. A shortage of mana during spellcasting could be life-threatening in the worst case.
Even though Professor Mortum had a strong resistance to poison, the proper protocol would have been to disable his ongoing spells before ingesting it.
'It feels strange to talk about protocols with a poison made by a first-year...'
"Cough. You're right. Relying too much on magic isn't good," Professor Mortum admitted honestly. The higher a mage's mastery, the more they tended to depend on magic. Even Professor Mortum himself maintained several spells like <Energy Detection>, <Undead Summoning upon Impact>, and <Floating Shadow Shield>, constantly draining his mana.
With his mana depleted, it was no wonder he suffered such an embarrassment...
"I'll be more careful when testing the other first-years."
"Yes, that would be wise."
"Cough. Could you check on the students outside?"
Direth obliged Professor Mortum's request, opening the classroom door and stepping outside. It was about time for the next students to arrive...
"?"
Direth sensed something odd. The very junior he had admired earlier was heading towards the summoning magic test room.
'Where is he going?'
"Raphael."
"Wardanaz."
As there were relatively few freshmen studying dark magic, they could easily recognize each other's faces. That didn't necessarily mean they were friends.
Raphael Gral from White Tiger, learning dark magic to combat the dark mages.
Ymirg from Black Tortoise, who feared Yi-Han due to absurd rumors.
'Rumors are ruining the magic academy.'
Gaidando, having already taken his test, smirked arrogantly.
"Heh heh. Good luck."
"...What will come out?"
Even a proud knightly student couldn't help but feel nervous about their upcoming test. Gaidando's smile stretched almost to breaking.
"What did you say? Repeat that!"
"It's nothing! Shut up!"
"Say it again! Politely!"
"Shut up!"
"Stop it, Gaidando. We're all students of dark magic here. There's no need to fight. As someone who's already taken the test, I can offer some simple advice."
"Yi-Han...!"
Gaidando wanted to retort 'Why listen to this guy,' but Yi-Han silenced him with a hand gesture.
Raphael looked at Yi-Han with surprise.
"The test is about curses. Don't worry about summoning undead."
"...Thanks, Wardanaz."
"It's nothing."
With a nod, Raphael swiftly walked away. Gaidando watched Yi-Han with a look of admiration.
"Ymirg, the test topic is poison."
"...?!"
The giant mixed-blood student asked, confused.
"But, you just said it was about curses?"
"It was a lie," Yi-Han declared boldly before turning away.
"Let's go, Gaidando. We have to take the summoning magic test."
Watching Yi-Han's retreating figure, Ymirg looked on with a mix of fear and admiration. He wasn't sure what kind of person Wardanaz was, but he seemed truly formidable!
"As we discussed last time, the test topic is <Summoning a Paper Bird>," announced Professor Millei, a bespectacled, elderly academic. Hearing this, Yi-Han felt an unexpected surge of emotion.
'The professor kept his word about the test. I shouldn't be moved by such a thing, really.'
Yi-Han shook his head calmly.
The students who arrived before Yi-Han stood up, their expressions mostly gloomy or distressed - typical faces seen in an examination hall.
"...?"
Yi-Han sensed something off.
'Why does everyone look so beaten?'
"Please take your seats," the professor instructed.
Once seated, magic scrolls with peculiar symbols appeared before them. These were magic circles designed to assist in summoning magic. For first-year students, such assistance was essential to successfully perform summoning spells.
"Now, begin," Professor Millei said as he flipped an hourglass, signaling the start of the task to summon a paper bird within the time limit.
One student muttered, "Can't we just fold and toss it?"
Yi-Han saw other students nod in agreement.
<Summoning a Paper Bird>.
It was a somewhat embarrassing spell to be called 'bird.' More precisely, it was akin to a 'controllable paper airplane.' A spell used by mages to send short messages to nearby recipients.
'This won't be difficult.'
Yi-Han read the magic circle and ran several simulations in his mind. He had crafted far more complex magic circles before; this should be easy, as long as he didn't overflow the magic circle with too much mana. Even a slight mistake could destroy the fragile scroll.
'This is a much more lenient test compared to the others...'
Pararararararak!
"..."
However, Yi-Han soon realized there was an unexpected trap in this test - his fellow students.
All around, oddly shaped paper summons began popping up, causing chaos.
"What are you doing, you idiot! Your failure messed up my spell too!"
"It would've failed anyway! Why blame me!"
"That White Tiger jerk!"
"Bring it on!"
'Summoning magic can be quite problematic.'
Unlike other spells that quietly failed, summoning magic was different. A failed spell resulted in uncontrollable, misshapen summons wreaking havoc.
Yi-Han shot down a paper book flying towards his face with a water bead. He couldn't afford to let the magic circle scroll get damaged.
"Shoot!"
"Burn up!"
Not just Yi-Han, other students also began casting spells. They had no choice, as paper attacks kept slapping their faces.
Professor Millei watched the chaos with a stern expression. This too was a part of what a mage must endure.
The students who had taken the test earlier had faced the same tumultuous situation.
"Maintaining calm is key," was a realization anyone could come to if they thought about it rationally. Getting hit in the face with paper wouldn't kill anyone. Therefore, even if chaos erupted around them, the priority was to focus on their own tasks.
"Everyone, stop!" a student from the Wardanaz family, affiliated with the Blue Dragon, shouted. Professor Millei glanced at him, slightly puzzled. The professor had been rather strict with Yi-Han, recognizing his talent but wary of his overconfidence in summoning magic, which could invite disaster.
It was unclear to the professor why such a student would shout like that. Did he really believe his command would halt the pandemonium?
"I said stop!" Yi-Han shouted again.
But nothing changed with his repeated command.
Professor Millei adjusted his monocle, curious about what the student intended to do. How would he handle it if they continued to ignore him?
"I warned you. Spring forth!" Yi-Han quickly began duplicating water beads.
His skill in elemental magic control was astonishing for a first-year, surprising Professor Millei. But this was just the beginning of his amazement.
Swiftly, the paper summons flying around the room began to be shot down one by one. While other first-year students were casting various spells, hitting the irregularly flying paper summons in the vast lecture hall was not easy. Their spells often collided, exacerbating the chaos.
Yi-Han, however, was different. Every shot brought down a target.
"I told you to stop, didn't I?"
"Shut up, Wardanaz! Who do you think you are..." A heated White Tiger student gesticulated angrily.
In an instant, a water bead accurately struck the student's solar plexus.
"Cough..."
Yi-Han began ruthlessly attacking the students who did not cease their magic.
Thump! Thud! Thud-thud-thud!
Students hit by the water beads dropped their wands and knelt. Around Yi-Han, like ripples spreading from a stone dropped in water, students quickly came to their senses.
"I... I've stopped."
"Me, me too."
"Put down your staffs! Those who don't will face the consequences."
The students, frightened, lowered their staffs, and Yi-Han calmly cast his spell following the magic circle.
Tararack!
A paper bird blossomed and began to leisurely fly around the classroom. However, Professor Millei was not surprised.
He had been impressed when Yi-Han passed the midterm exam on his first try, but what he had just witnessed was far more astonishing. Yi-Han had single-handedly subdued and dominated the chaotic students.
'...I don't like to admit it, but he certainly has the right to be arrogant.'
Professor Millei believed it was his role to sternly warn arrogant or conceited students, ensuring they didn't harm themselves in summoning magic.
But the boy in front of him had shown a talent that made even the professor momentarily forget his role. Such talent demanded recognition from any mage.
"Excellent work," Professor Millei nodded.
It was a perfect score, with not a single flaw to point out.
"Thank you, Professor."
"?!"
Professor Millei found it odd that Yi-Han did not leave the classroom.
'Why isn't he leaving?'
Instead, Yi-Han stood before his classmates and spoke.
"Pick up your staffs again. And for those who didn't stop when I told you to, be prepared."
The students picked up their wands again, their faces tense.
Once again, poorly created summons popped up here and there, but Yi-Han quickly subdued them.
"Again." "Wait!" "Again." "Don't stop. Continue." "Wait!"
"..."
Watching Yi-Han voluntarily take charge of directing the classroom for his friends, Professor Millei felt a sense of confusion about his earlier judgment.
'Was he not an arrogant student?'
"You've worked hard, Professor."
Direth stretched and stepped out of the classroom. The expressions of the freshmen passing through the corridors were already half-dead.
At this sight, Direth smiled a satisfied smile, one that any senior student at a magic academy would inevitably wear.
Thud-
"?”
Seeing that exceptionally admirable junior leaving the classroom, Direth thought, 'Huh?'
It was fine to leave the classroom after a test, but...?
'Isn't that the Illusion Magic classroom? Why is he entering that?'
Direth revisited what she had seen today. So that junior had attended classes in Dark Magic, Summoning Magic, and now Illusion Magic...
...???
Direth was incredulous. Could it be that this junior...?
'No! You're being deceived by the professors! You'll end up dead!'
