Kumandas was initially flustered, but he quickly regained his composure. There was much he needed to do at the moment. In place of Professor Verduus, who had been taken somewhere, Kumandas had to teach enchantment magic. Additionally, he needed to covertly persuade the new student before him to come to the twisted realm corridor.
"Senior! How are you?"
"Senior! We..."
"Wait a moment!"
The freshmen, chirping like birds, were sternly silenced by the fourth-year seniors. Having once been freshmen themselves, the seniors knew exactly what the new students were about to say.
"Don't ask any questions about academy life! Don't ask where the food storages are, which floor has exam-related information, where in the library to find useful books, or how to escape! We will only discuss enchantment magic!"
The freshmen looked dejected at the senior's firm stance.
But the seniors were desperate too. One mistake could lead them to be dragged off to the punishment room.
'So they're wary of the skull principal,' thought Yi-Han, understanding why the seniors were acting this way. The skull principal's temperament wouldn't allow the seniors to help the juniors just like that.
"Let's not trouble our seniors too much. They have their own circumstances," Yi-Han said, sweeping butter cookies into his coat while speaking. His friends nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, the seniors must be cautious."
"Do you think they'd be scolded even for teaching us?"
"You never know."
Inwardly, the fourth-year students wept at the innocent conversation of the freshmen.
'So naive!'
'But isn’t anyone going to comment on that Wardanaz guy sweeping up the cookies?'
"Ahem. Let's begin with enchantment magic, shall we?" said one of the fourth-year students, clearing his throat before starting the lecture.
Enchantment Magic.
A type of magic that enhances, inscribes, or blesses a person or object. Successfully enchanting an object permanently would create an artifact, and mastering it on people would earn one the title of an Enchanter. Enchantment magic's utility was vast compared to dark magic's wide-ranging study (assuming Professor Mortum's claims were true) and its limited applications.
"Juniors, don't try body enchantments for now," a senior warned.
"If you're not confident and enchant incorrectly, you can be seriously injured."
While a failed object enchantment only resulted in a broken object, a failed body enchantment could have severe consequences.
"Until you get skilled, focus on enchantments targeting objects."
'Indeed... Huh?' Yi-Han paused while listening to the senior's explanation.
...Didn't the book the skull principal gave me start with enhancement magic?
Though it was a thing of the past, Yi-Han felt strangely aggrieved.
This darn black book...
"I heard you juniors started with <Lesser Cold Resistance>. But truthfully, mastering <Lesser Cold Resistance> is quite challenging now. It's somewhat easier due to the cold weather, but it will get harder as it warms up. Don't be greedy and slowly learn other magics first."
Upon hearing the senior's words, the friends stared intently at Yi-Han. Yi-Han, pretending not to notice, ignored them.
"Now, let's begin."
<Strengthening the Rigidity of Paper>.
It was a basic spell that beginners of enchantment magic learned as a stepping stone to more complex magic. The principle behind the spell was simple – to make soft paper hard. Junior students often used such strengthened paper beneath their coats as makeshift armor.
"Paper, become hard!"
"Paper, turn as strong as steel."
"A spell is a tool to focus the will, but don't be too specific or impose unnecessary restrictions on yourself. Otherwise, you'll be hindering your own progress."
The seniors proved to be better instructors than Professor Beavle. They efficiently divided and taught the students in an orderly manner, noticeably improving the learning process.
In fact, if Yi-Han had been teaching, he probably would have been better than the professor too.
Kumandas asked his friends, "Can I teach him?"
"Do as you wish. But why?"
"It's nothing, really."
Kumandas couldn't tell his friends the truth.
-I actually made a mistake earlier. To rectify that mistake, I need the abilities of a freshman.-
-You were suspicious when we were doing the assignment, but now you've really gone mad. Tsk tsk.-
...He anticipated such reactions.
"Go ahead, cast it."
Kumandas stared intently at the students in front of him, focusing particularly on Yi-Han.
"...?"
Yi-Han whispered to Yonaire beside him, "Did I do something wrong?"
"I don't think so?"
"Was I too blatant when I grabbed the snacks earlier?"
"If the seniors are glaring over something like that, it's a bit too much. They were freshmen once too."
"Right? I can't figure out the reason."
After quickly accepting this, Yi-Han tilted his head in confusion.
If not that, then why?
"Paper, become hard."
Yi-Han easily succeeded in casting the spell. Having already forcibly learned spells several times more difficult, strengthening the rigidity of paper was not much of a challenge for him.
"Really impressive," Kumandas casually praised.
In truth, he hadn't even looked at the magic Yi-Han had cast. Since other students were also succeeding, it couldn't have been a difficult spell.
But something else was more important.
'I must convey the message somehow!'
"You know it worked without even knocking on it?" inquired Anglago, who was puzzled. Kumandas casually replied, "Once you gain more experience, you'll be able to do it too."
"Wow...!"
Anglago, amazed, knocked on Yi-Han's paper. Before the spell, it had been a fluttering sheet, but now it sounded solid like hardwood. Anglago had succeeded in his magic too, but it wasn't as solid as Yi-Han's.
In enchantment magic, success was recognized once a certain standard was met, but there were still variations in quality even among successful spells.
"How can I make it this solid?"
"Try infusing more mana."
Kumandas, without even looking at Anglago, advised him to infuse more mana. Anglago waved his staff with more mana than before.
"Wow...! It's really become harder!"
"That's good."
Kumandas answered nonchalantly and then whispered to Yi-Han, "Are you having any troubles?"
"?!"
Yi-Han was startled.
'What's with this person?'
Why such an unexpected question?
'Is it a trap?'
The devil is always in the details.
Yi-Han was not easily swayed.
"I don't understand what you mean."
"Just in case you need to talk about something..."
While Kumandas was whispering, another fourth-year student came over and was surprised to see the magic Yi-Han had cast.
"Wow, you managed to infuse so much mana? The paper could have melted if you weren't careful."
"Really? Have you learned enchantment magic before?"
"No way. It's not time for that yet."
The seniors were amazed and discussed among themselves.
Enchantment magic was not about forcefully applying strong mana. Overloading an object with too much mana could destroy it. Balancing mana at its edge required not just talent but experience.
"Kumandas. Kumandas. Did you see this?"
Kumandas, who had been continuously whispering to Yi-Han with questions like 'Are you having any troubles?', 'I can help you', 'Trust me', turned his gaze towards his friends with apparent annoyance.
"What? Why?"
"Did you see this?"
"I saw it. He succeeded earlier."
"That's not what I mean. Look at the mana imbued in it. Doesn't it feel stronger than wood?"
"What's all the fuss about... Oh!"
Kumandas was startled upon examining the mana in the paper.
His friends looked at him incredulously.
'You said you saw it...'
"I think there’s a strange one among the seniors," Yi-Han remarked.
"Really? We should be careful."
The students of the Blue Dragon in the lounge were surprised by Yi-Han's comment.
Even seniors couldn't be trusted in this magic academy.
'Such overtly suspicious questioning.'
Had he answered honestly, he might have been sent flying to the skull principal's punishment room.
"Are you going out today?"
"No."
"Then how about car..."
"I've been roaming around at night for the past few days, so I should catch up on some reading and studies today."
"..."
Gainando, who had been pulling out a deck of cards, recoiled with a look of disgust.
He knew he could be dragged into studying together if caught on a bad day.
"?!"
While reading, Yi-Han spotted a paper bird flying in through the open window.
'What's this?'
Come to the lower grounds as fast as possible!!!
-Beavle Verduus
'Wow. I really don't want to go.'
Yi-Han grimaced immediately upon reading the note.
He would have preferred a note inviting him to the twisted realm corridor.
He didn't even want to imagine why the professor was suddenly calling him.
'Regrettably bound to respond...'
A student had no choice but to heed a professor's call.
That was the cursed destiny of a student.
'This is a place I've never seen before.'
The map pointed to the forest west of the main building.
Stepping into the forest, Yi-Han frowned. It was understandable, given his recent encounter with a mad artifact.
Though the forest was quiet, Yi-Han remained vigilant.
'Pull the tree branch, circle the stump thrice...'
Yi-Han followed the instructions from the map.
Suddenly, the illusion blocking his view dissipated, revealing a building.
The main building, a complex and massive structure symbolizing the magic academy.
Workshop towers erected by various professors across the extensive grounds, each reflecting their personal tastes.
There were dozens of other buildings scattered around the magic academy, but...
'I've never seen such an overt prison before.'
The black, rusted metal exterior emitted an even more ominous aura than the punishment room.
"Professor?"
"Shh. Be quiet!"
With the clanging of iron bars, Professor Beavle Verduus poked his head out.
The beaver mixed-blood professor looked at Yi-Han and gestured with his hand.
"Quickly! Come this way!"
"What's going on, Professor?"
"I don't know! Gonadaltes suddenly came, raged, and locked me up!"
Yi-Han roughly guessed the situation.
The artifact that had gone berserk in the storeroom couldn't have been placed there by the skull principal himself. Someone else must have done it...
'It was this person.'
And because of him, he almost died!
"Quickly, open the door."
"Um... Professor. Aren't there other disciples?"
Yi-Han was puzzled.
He had seen older students earlier, so why call for him?
"They are probably being watched by Gonadaltes. That's just his character. Anyway, hurry up and open the door. I'm bored to death here making uninteresting artifacts!"
Yi-Han glanced inside the iron bars.
'Hmm. Living better than a first-year, I see.'
A plush bed, various fruits, and tree barks.
Even though the skull principal was angry, he seemed to have maintained a minimum standard of care.
...Upon reflection, it did seem ridiculous.
'Should a freshman be doing this?'
"Wardanaz? What are you doing? Aren't you going to open it?"
"Professor, if I open this... won't the Principal suspect me as the culprit?"
"Just say I opened it!"
"But would he really believe that?"
"...What's with you!? Aren't you going to open it?!"
Professor Verduus was baffled, tilting his head in confusion.
His disciple had come all this way only to talk nonsense.
"Professor, I do want to open it, but... maybe it would be nice to have some sort of compensation, so I won't regret it later even if the Principal finds out."
Yi-Han casually dropped the hint.
Professor Verduus did not react with anger or surprise to the notion of his disciple trying to extort or trick the imprisoned professor.
There wasn't even the concept of such a thing. He just thought, 'What's with him? What does he want?'
"Alright! I'll definitely reward you once I'm out! Just open it!"
"Don't worry, Professor. I was going to open it anyway. As if I'd do it just for a reward..."
"Hurry up and open it!"
Professor Verduus, uninterested in Yi-Han's excuses, cut him off.
