Imbuing weapons with mana sounded like a testament to a swordsman's exceptional skill. However, it wasn't as challenging as one might expect.
Yi-Han, Dolgyu, and Jijel could all imbue their weapons with a certain amount of mana instantly.
Even a couple of White Tiger students, arguably less skilled than the trio, could manage it.
After over a decade of continuous swordsmanship training in a knight's family and possessing the talent to enroll in Einroguard, it was, in a way, expected.
The real challenge and importance lay in maintaining the stability of the infused mana, not the momentary act of infusion, which was relatively easy.
However, the story changed when it came to thrown weapons.
With swords, maintaining the infused mana was like keeping a part of the body in constant circulation. But thrown weapons, separating from the fingertips at the moment of release, posed a much greater challenge.
Unable to recycle mana through circulation, the consumption of mana was higher, and the difficulty of control multiplied.
Suddenly...
"You used magic, didn't you!?"
"It's a misunderstanding."
Students from the White Tiger, bleeding from their noses, were indignant.
Even trying not to misunderstand, this crossed the line.
Imbue a snowball with mana and throw it?
Even with considerable leeway, that was conceivable.
How much mana would one need to not tire from such continuous throwing?
But then, imbuing a snowball with the attribute of cold and throwing it?
That was simply unbelievable.
Wardanaz, not even from a family specializing in thrown weapons, couldn't possibly know such secrets.
Infusing thrown weapons with mana was hard enough, let alone adding elemental attributes.
It was something neither the White Tiger students nor the knights could believe.
"You used magic! The snowballs are freezing mid-air!"
"I just threw them with mana, and they froze on their own."
"How is that possible!?"
The students from the White Tiger were astounded.
He would have been better off claiming, "In fact, the Wardanaz family possesses the secret of thrown weapons."
Claiming that the cold attribute was added to the magic without doing anything was like saying a magic missile was launched without a staff by just waving a hand!
"Friends! Hear me out! Yi-Han speaks the truth! He didn't use any magic!"
"Dolgyu is being fooled again!"
"Dolgyu, you can't be that gullible!"
Dolgyu, disheartened, sat down again. Jijel clicked her tongue and said.
"He didn't use magic! I saw it."
"What!? Moradi!"
"Don't be fooled. Moradi is just taking his side now."
'These bastards...' Jijel cursed inwardly. Yi-Han murmured sadly.
"None of you trust your friends."
Dolgyu and Jijel, for the first time, agreed on something.
If only they could speak!
"What's going on here?"
Professor Ingurdel approached, looking puzzled.
The students were arguing and bleeding from their noses instead of throwing the instructed snowballs.
"Professor! Wardanaz..."
A White Tiger student, bleeding from the nose, tearfully explained the situation.
Jijel covered her face with her palm at the pitiful sight.
Just when she thought they couldn't embarrass the White Tiger more, they proved her wrong.
"Indeed."
Professor Ingurdel was astonished.
Both the testimony of the White Tiger students and the current situation were surprising.
'It's unlikely for a student like Wardanaz to do such a thing.'
It wasn't so much that Yi-Han was too innocent or kind, but rather it seemed unlikely for a student as talented as Yi-Han to use such an obvious trick and get caught.
Professor Ingurdel had indeed been placing his trust in his pupil.
As expected, Yi-Han spoke confidently.
"Professor, you will see for yourself if you check."
Shortly thereafter.
Having completed his verification, Professor Ingurdel informed the students.
"It's not magic."
"!?"
"No, no. Professor! The snowball really did freeze, it's like a rock now!"
"Hmm... I'm not deeply versed in magic theory, but perhaps the current environment, filled with cold, influenced Wardanaz. He might have unconsciously imbued his magic with the cold attribute."
The students accepted Professor Ingurdel's explanation with understanding 'ohs'.
Indeed, the surrounding environment often affected mages.
It was possible that the unnaturally harsh cold had temporarily influenced Wardanaz's magic.
"How then do we remove the cold attribute?"
"Should we light a fire or something?"
"What are you talking about?"
Professor Ingurdel looked at the White Tiger students with a puzzled gaze.
"Huh? Uh... shouldn't we remove the cold attribute?"
"The purity of a snowball fight requires it, doesn't it?"
The White Tiger students stammered under Professor Ingurdel's gaze, feeling an inexplicable unease.
Could it be?
"Infusing mana into weapons is a knight's skill; there's no need to remove it. Everyone, continue."
The mouths of the White Tiger students fell open in astonishment.
It was easy to forget, given Professor Ingurdel's prohibition of magic, but he was not one to prefer warm and harmonious lectures.
He always sought to provide training as close to real combat as possible!
Yi-Han, Dolgyu, and Jijel peeked out from behind a rock, each holding a frozen snowball in their hands.
"Wha..."
"Yi-Han, how shall we divide the pig?"
"Hmm... Rather than splitting it up, it might be better to serve it to the friends who attended the class."
Dolgyu was surprised at Yi-Han's suggestion.
"Really, is that okay?"
"Yes."
"Yi-Han, your honorable gesture will surely move the others."
'Probably not.'
'I doubt it.'
Yi-Han and Jijel thought to themselves.
Just giving a few pieces of meat wouldn't easily mend feelings...
The White Tiger students had been beaten up too badly.
"You haven't applied enough ointment on your snow injuries."
"You're bleeding from the nose again."
The students from the White Tiger looked like a mess as they descended the mountain, as if they had been beaten up by someone.
Bruised and bloodied, their clothes tattered...
They sat in small groups, forlornly applying the ointment given by Professor Ingurdel.
Yi-Han must have been so moved by their plight that he decided to forgo taking the meat and instead treat them.
Dolgyu and Jijel drew their daggers and skillfully began to carve the meat.
Being from knight families, they generally had ample hunting experience, and if not, a month at Einroguard usually sufficed to gain it.
They carefully gathered even the smaller pieces of meat, such as sirloin and tenderloin, aside. These were ideal for making sausages later.
Dolgyu was surprised to see Yi-Han taking a spice container out of his pocket.
...Why was he carrying that around?
"What's up?"
"Oh, nothing."
Yi-Han set up a pot and started a fire, an easy feat thanks to the severe cold.
He then cut up the fatback to put into the pot, intending to render it into lard.
Despite the pot being on the fire, Yi-Han did not rest. He mixed the remaining meat with spices and promptly made sausages.
Jijel, usually reluctant to acknowledge Yi-Han's abilities, found herself having to admit the proficiency of his movements at that moment.
Yi-Han's proficiency in menial tasks was comparable to the most experienced camping knight in his family.
Why a boy from a noble family, not even a knight, could be so skilled was beyond anyone's guess.
"Come and eat," Yi-Han called out.
"What? Really?"
'These kids have been staring all this time,' Yi-Han thought.
Initially, the students from the White Tiger sat with glum expressions, but as the work progressed, their gazes became increasingly intense and burdensome.
Their eyes conveyed a single question:
-Might we get some too?-
Jijel sighed shallowly and shook her head.
Such transparent behavior.
The White Tiger students had brought every possible embarrassment upon themselves today.
Sinking lower than the lowest...
"Maybe... we could try a little?"
"It wouldn't be knightly to ignore such hospitality, would it?"
Yi-Han, unusually silent, did not respond. He had thrown too many snowballs earlier.
Today, he would let it pass.
Yi-Han topped the hard, black bread with crispy bits extracted from the rendered fat.
With a significant number of students, relying solely on meat to satisfy hunger wasn't feasible.
That's where the bread served as a meal came in handy.
Few among the students would eat this distributed bread as it was. They either tried to alter its taste or used it as a form of currency.
Naturally, Yi-Han, always keen on bartering, had a substantial supply of this bread.
'Sneakily fill them up,' was his cunning plan.
Unaware of such a scheme, the White Tiger students were delighted with the bread and meat.
"Wardanaz, you've done a truly good deed," Professor Ingurdel said, looking as proud as if it were his own accomplishment.
A gift meant for the winning student was being generously shared with others.
Yi-Han, hiding his ulterior motives, simply nodded.
"Not at all, Professor. We're all friends here."
Jijel was internally aghast.
To think he could say such embarrassingly cheesy lines without batting an eye.
Even if simpletons like Dolgyu were fooled, Jijel was not. Wardanaz was of the same ilk as Jijel.
He couldn't possibly mean those words...
"Wardanaz...!"
"Hmph. The smoke is making my eyes water. I'm definitely not moved by your words."
'...These idiots, really.'
Jijel felt the chewed meat stuck in her throat.
Having been beaten up so badly, and now their anger already seemed to have dissipated just because of some meat.
Even though they were fellows from the same tower, there were moments Jijel really wanted to hit them.
"This is my treat," declared Professor Ingurdel, arriving with a jar of fresh milk.
Yi-Han thought the jar looked remarkably similar to the one he had seen in Professor Uregor's cabin.
'...It couldn't be.'
Everyone ate and drank, warming themselves by the fire.
Even Yi-Han felt a bit more relaxed, when suddenly, like a ghost, Professor Boladi appeared from behind.
"Is the class over?"
"Yes, it's finished, Professor Bagrak."
"Can I take him now?"
"Yes, you may."
Yi-Han shot a look full of betrayal at Professor Ingurdel.
Professor Ingurdel looked slightly flustered under that gaze.
What did I do wrong?
"Uh... Professor Bagrak, where is Yi-Han going?"
"To the main building's upper floors."
"Why?"
"To solve the cold."
"…!"
At those words, the students of the White Tiger stirred.
There were rumors that Wardanaz was going to personally resolve the severe cold, but no one expected them to be true.
If he was going to accompany the professor, it seemed he was quite serious.
"Wardanaz...!"
"You really are..."
'I should have thrown that snowball a bit harder earlier.'
The students of the White Tiger, casting looks of awe, were incredibly annoyed.
"Fine! Wardanaz, we'll join you!"
Anglago shouted with a determined expression.
Yi-Han, Jijel, and Professor Boladi all looked confused.
'Has he lost his mind?'
'Is he insane?'
'?'
However, the White Tiger students, perhaps their minds sluggish from eating too much, all agreed.
"Okay! Us too!"
"We will join you, Professor Bagrak!"
"Please lead us!"
Professor Boladi responded earnestly to the enthusiastic cries of the White Tiger students.
"You guys are shaking..."
"Professor, you must be cold from the long journey. Let's have a warm cup of coffee!"
Yi-Han quickly grabbed Professor Boladi's arm and led him to the bonfire.
