"Go and get ready. And you'd better prepare for camping inside the dungeon as well."
"No... Principal...," a student hesitated.
The skull principal swiftly took advantage of the students' lost words to press on.
The students, forcefully kicked out of the classroom, stood dumbfounded, looking at each other.
"What should we do?"
"What else? We have to prepare."
"Is it really a dungeon? It can't be that bad, right?"
Someone murmured hopefully, but no answer came.
The quicker students had already sensed it.
If the skull principal went to such lengths to say this, it would undoubtedly be no easy feat.
"Wardanaz. You're close to the Principal. Couldn't you say something... Where are you going? Wardanaz?"
A student from the Black Tortoise, who had intended to ask for help, was puzzled.
Yi-Han was already walking down the corridor.
"I'm going to prepare for camping."
"...We should prepare too," the other students, unable to let go of their hesitation, finally gave up neatly.
Well, better just get ready!
"What do we need for camping inside the dungeon?"
The students of the Blue Dragon, back at their tower, were in a flurry.
They were shocked by the skull principal, but more so, they were inexperienced in such matters.
Many had never even entered a dungeon, let alone camped inside one.
Conquering the dungeon was a daunting task, and preparing to camp there was several times more challenging.
Especially since most students of the Blue Dragon had never even camped under normal circumstances before joining Einroguard...
It was natural for them to be more disorganized than students from the other three towers.
Fortunately, the Blue Dragon students had someone they could rely on: Yi-Han.
"Wardanaz. Should I take this axe?"
"A dagger is enough. No need to increase the bulk. And just in case, bring nails, a hammer, and rope. Put it in the backpack."
"Do we really need to carry this cloth and oil bottle? We can use magic, after all..."
"Magic isn't unlimited."
At Yi-Han's words, the diligent Blue Dragon students stopped and stared at him.
Yi-Han responded as if it was absurd.
"Is there a guarantee that I'll always be with you?"
"That's... true."
"Yi-Han. Let me move with you."
Pushing aside Gainando, who was quickly securing a safe spot, Yi-Han checked his friends' backpacks.
Before entering the academy, he was trained by the knight Arlong.
After entering, by the Shadow Patrol Huntress Nillia.
Having been consistently trained by professionals, Yi-Han was now at a level where even among experienced mercenaries and adventurers, he was regarded as a 'pretty seasoned mage.'
"Just in case, everyone put a can in your backpack. Don't forget to fill the leather water bottles. Don't take out the tools from your backpack because they're heavy. You never know when you'll need them. Gainando. Take out the card. You'll lose it. Princess. You won't be able to eat all those snacks you're putting in your backpack."
"?!"
The Princess, who was packing snacks for her followers, waved her hands in dismay.
But Yi-Han had already turned away to check the other friends' backpacks.
The Princess blinked her eyes full of frustration. Gainando spoke from the side.
"I understand. I wanted to bring more snacks too... Ouch! Did you step on me?"
"It's just crowded in the lounge. Must be an accident."
"No! You stepped on me on purpose!"
"Are you the Princess? Doing such childish things? Your noble lineage..."
As Asan spoke, he hesitated momentarily.
Gainando was glaring at him, as if urging him to continue speaking.
"...Well, according to Wardanaz, it's not a person's lineage, but their actions that determine their worth."
"Shut up."
Thirty minutes later.
Upon their return, having finished their preparations, the students of the Blue Dragon were met with the skull principal licking his lips.
They were too well-prepared.
'A single eel can ruin the pond,' the principal lamented internally.
Every year, the students of the Blue Dragon were the most disorganized when entering the library.
Unlike students from the other towers, they had grown up protected, like flowers in a greenhouse, so it was expected.
Their misery inside the library - crying, rolling around, clutching their hungry stomachs - had been a source of great amusement, but not this year.
All because of one student!
'That kid is from the Wardanaz family, yet why is he so resilient?' the principal wondered.
Why was a student from one of the empire's most distinguished families of mages so hardy?
It was more than just unusual.
"Alright. Go in and come back safely."
"Yes. We'll return safely," Yi-Han replied.
The principal felt spiteful, almost certain that this particular student would indeed return safely.
'Hopefully, he gets separated from his group in an accident.'
'He's not thinking that I should get separated from my group in an accident, is he?' Yi-Han thought, but dismissed it, doubting the principal could be so petty.
'But then again, he might just do it.'
"Principal."
“What?”
"What about the students from the other towers?"
“They've already entered. You're the last.”
Yi-Han was puzzled by this response.
The White Tiger students could have quickly entered to avoid mixing with 'that Wardanaz kid', but it was different for the others.
"Aren't there friends waiting for us?"
"Are you going on a picnic? I told them to enter first."
'As expected,' Yi-Han wasn't surprised.
Given the principal's nature, it would have been stranger if he had allowed the students from different towers to enter together.
He seemed to want to divide even the present group...
'But it doesn't matter,' Yi-Han thought to himself.
He had already discussed with a few friends in anticipation of such a situation.
-Nillia. I've always respected the Shadow Patrol. But if we're to enter the library separately, could we meet later to collaborate?-
-Of course, it's not difficult, but did you start by praising the Shadow Patrol thinking I might refuse?-
-Priestess Tijiling. I don't want to mention that I've always offered you tea, but in case the priests of the tower…-
-If you want to cooperate, feel free to say so. You didn't need to mention that to be accepted…-
Fortunately, Yi-Han's proposal was readily accepted by the friends from other towers.
Even Dolgyu.
-Dolgyu.-
-Yi-Han. I'll do my best, but don't expect too much.-
-I haven't said anything yet... but thanks anyway.-
'The deeper levels might be tough, but the initial levels should be manageable.'
Yi-Han had his calculations.
Despite the library's notorious reputation, students like Yi-Han had been inside a few times.
During breaks or weekends, they would search the storerooms near the entrance for books.
The initial levels near the entrance were relatively simple and easier to understand.
If they were to meet with their friends in the initial levels...
"..."
"..."
Kuoooooo-
Upon opening the door and entering the library, Yi-Han was astonished by the vast wilderness before him. The familiar sight of the library, filled with storerooms, was nowhere to be seen, replaced instead by an unfamiliar dungeon.
Even Asan, who had seen the old library, gaped in disbelief.
"It... It's impossible. No matter how monstrous it is, the transformation of its appearance doesn't make sense..."
But Yi-Han had to accept it. He could feel the powerful flow of mana in the air. Whatever the monster was, its obstruction of the library's mana flow had been removed. Now that the blocked flow was bursting forth, the internal structure of the library was undergoing intense changes.
...Of course, why first-year students had to enter at such a time was another question...
"Asan. Snap out of it. We have to accept this."
"But... But how..."
"Everyone move! Keep a close watch on your surroundings."
Yi-Han collected himself and shouted. The students of the Blue Dragon grasped their staffs, coming to their senses.
"There's a storeroom!"
Scattered throughout the vast wilderness were storerooms. The arriving students hurriedly scanned the books.
"It's wrong. There's nothing useful here."
"Who would put their failed exam papers here?"
"We need to find the next storeroom."
Exploration.
Movement.
Search.
It was a simple task, not difficult in theory, but more physically draining than expected.
Especially in such a wilderness, nearly otherworldly, it was even more so.
The flow of mana made visibility poor as if dust-laden, the sun was nowhere to be seen yet the heat of the day scorched down, and when a dry wind blew, many students coughed.
"Yi-Han."
"I know."
Yi-Han nodded at Yonaire's words. No matter how urgent the need for books, if they continued to march without rest, his friends would collapse first.
"Let's take a short break."
The students sighed in relief and slumped down. A few immediately tried to fill their water bottles.
They hadn't found a water source yet, but to a mage, that wasn't a concern.
The reason why parties always wanted at least one mage!
"Spring forth!"
A staff was confidently waved.
And nothing happened.
"???"
"Hey. You've been learning for how long and you messed up the water creation spell? Never mind. I'll do it. Spring forth!"
Still, nothing happened.
"...Was the incantation wrong? But it worked outside?"
"Spring forth! Spring f... cough."
Only then did the students realize.
Droplets, almost like dew, were forming in the air.
The magic hadn't failed.
The powerful mana flow nearby was greatly weakening the effect of the water creation spell.
Realizing this, the students' faces turned pale.
They were the students who had suffered all sorts of hardships due to a blizzard last week.
They knew all too well how painful natural mana flows could be.
"How much water is left? Anyone have a spare?"
"Not a drop left...!"
"Take out the extra water bottles you brought!"
'I made a mistake.'
Yi-Han clicked his tongue.
He had prepared an extra leather water bottle, just in case, but his friends hadn't. Not wanting to increase their burden, he hadn't mentioned it, but he should have prepared them for this possibility.
Anything could happen in a magic academy.
"Can't Yi-Han do it?"
"Is that what you call a suggestion?"
Gainando tilted his head, muttering, and Asan chided him.
"Don't waste Wardanaz's mana for nothing. He's already got enough responsibilities as it is."
"But wasting a bit wouldn't matter, right..."
'It's a valid point.'
While the friends scolded Gainando, saying 'How can you call yourself a friend?', Yi-Han found himself inadvertently agreeing.
Well, wasting a bit wouldn't really matter!
"Spring forth."
Yi-Han, wanting to confirm once and for all, waved his staff decisively.
Then, a giant sphere of water burst forth in the air.
"..."
"...Wardanaz. Did I ever tell you I've always thought of you as a genius?"
"Yi-Han. Don't give those guys water, m... mmmph."
The friends quickly covered Gainando's mouth and started to line up.
"Who said Wardanaz would fail at magic?"
"No way. I've never heard that."
'I wonder if everyone will be surprised when they return to their families.'
As Yi-Han filled his friends' leather water bottles with cold water, he thought to himself.
If his friends’ families were surprised at the change in their characters upon returning home, wondering 'What happened at the academy to change them so much?', it would not be Yi-Han's fault, but the fault of the skull principal.
