Throughout their journey, the students from the White Tiger, who had been at Yi-Han's side, continuously proposed theories.
-In my view, Wardanaz wasn't swept away; he pursued the Rock Drake to subdue it.-
Of course, this was a radical and extreme hypothesis, one that even the Blue Dragon's Gainando refused to accept.
-Are you just making excuses not to help him?-
-No, no!-
"I told you so! What did I say?"
"Really? He subdued them?"
The students of the Blue Dragon found it hard to believe, exchanging incredulous glances.
Despite some students from the White Tiger and the Black Tortoise believing strange rumors like 'Wardanaz had been secretly studying magic and mastered all sorts of evil arcana even before entering the magic academy,' their peers from the Blue Dragon did not. Their closeness made them immune to such absurd rumors.
The students from the Blue Dragon were calm and clever.
Although Yi-Han was a promising mage, acknowledged by professors in every class as a talent who would bring prosperity to his academy, and harbored ambitions of unraveling the secrets of all magic fields, he was not a person to be taken in by such ludicrous rumors.
Especially something like hunting Rock Drake, which was beyond even a genius like Yi-Han at the moment...
"Wardanaz!"
As Yi-Han staggered out, his friends screamed.
His appearance, emerging from among the Rock Drakes, was so disheveled it seemed he was severely injured.
Yi-Han waved his hand as if to say he was fine, indicating he was not hurt.
"Did you subdue the Rock Drakes?!"
"...What? Nonsense."
"No, I mean... they are lying there..."
Yi-Han looked at his friends as if they were the most pitiful beings in the world.
That look made the students from the Blue Dragon feel incredibly foolish.
"They just fought and collapsed."
"Oh... I see."
The Blue Dragon students glared at the noisy White Tiger students they had encountered on the way.
'Because of those guys!'
However, the White Tiger students continued to mutter nonsense.
"They fought because of a mind control spell?!"
"What's going on? They say Wardanaz subdued them?"
"He made two Rock Drakes fight?"
"Incredible!"
"I knew it since he subdued Dolgyu!"
Had Yi-Han been less exhausted, he might have noticed the White Tiger students murmuring nonsense. But he was too drained, having maintained balance and endured the situation where two Rock Drakes were violently attacking each other.
Even with his overflowing mana, the concentration required was immense.
"Disassemble the Rock Drake. It's large, so just cutting the tasty parts should be enough."
"Alright, alright."
"?!"
Yi-Han was puzzled when, after addressing the Blue Dragon students, passing students from the White Tiger hurriedly rushed to the task.
'Does it matter?'
For the moment, he just wanted to rest.
After a brief nap, Yi-Han got up.
Students were busily moving around, handling the aftermath.
'...I did learn something.'
What pained Yi-Han the most was proving Professor Boladi's theory: 'You learn quickly when thrown into dire situations, so you should continue facing crises.' He felt a sense of self-loathing every time he learned something new in such perilous situations.
...Is this really the right way for a mage?
'Even so, it doesn't seem quite right.'
While Yi-Han could maintain his position atop the emerging Rock Drake using just the <Lesser Control> magic, it was insufficient to withstand the head-on collision of two Rock Drakes.
He had to be firmly anchored to the back of the Rock Drake.
In a desperate measure, Yi-Han clutched the scales of the Rock Drake and emitted mana from his fingertips. This was to enhance his physical abilities, along with strengthening magic.
Yet, it still wasn't enough. His body continued to be violently shaken as if it would be thrown off at any moment.
But he had no choice.
Yi-Han poured out his mana desperately, over and over again.
And then, at some point, he realized something.
-Mana...?!-
Even though they couldn't create sophisticated academic disciplines like mages, knights also wielded mana to perform a variety of techniques.
These techniques, considered secrets passed down in knightly families, were not easily divulged, and knights rarely used them unless necessary.
However, Yi-Han had recently witnessed a unique sword technique utilizing mana.
It was during the visit of the young squires from the White Wood Knight Order.
At that time, Labda of the Engge Family had used a peculiar sword technique.
At the moment of clashing swords, he used the mana flowing through his sword to attract the opponent's blade — a strange technique of sword magnetism.
Other students mentioned that it was a unique sword-absorbing technique particular to the Engge Family.
It was a rare technique, quite famous among knights.
...Now, Yi-Han seemed to have inadvertently discovered the essence of absorption.
With a thud, Yi-Han emitted mana into his hand and pressed it against the Rock Drake.
A sticky attraction was felt between his hand and the Rock Drake.
"..."
'I should be learning mana circulation instead of this.'
Although this change in properties helped him cling to the back of the Rock Drake and barely survive, this wasn't what Yi-Han should be focusing on at the moment.
As a swordsman, he needed to perfect the continuous circulation of mana within his body to maintain his mana efficiently...
Why had he discovered such a peculiar change in mana properties, something to consider only when creating a new sword technique?
'Professor Ingurdel might find it absurd if I tell him.'
In fact, Yi-Han was mistaken.
Professor Ingurdel would have been more delighted than surprised.
-Excellent, Wardanaz. Outstanding swordsmen always discover fragments of their own unique sword techniques in their youth. The sword responds to your seriousness. Now, let's incorporate this realization into your own swordsmanship. It wouldn't be bad to reproduce the moment of realization. What was that moment like?-
...He would say so, and rejoice.
After all, his student, very serious about swordsmanship (at least in Professor Ingurdel's view), had gained an insight towards developing his own sword technique.
"Wardanaz, are you okay?"
"Ah, yes. Thanks."
Yi-Han detached his hand from the Rock Drake and fully stood up.
The realization could be pondered upon later; the immediate task at hand needed to be addressed.
"Try some of this."
"What's this?"
"Roast meat. Made with Rock Drake meat."
A student from the White Tiger offered a thickly sliced, juicy, and moist piece of pinkish meat.
'But if it's Rock Drake meat, it's not really beef, is it?'
Yi-Han thought as he accepted the plate.
Of course, the students from the White Tiger had no qualms about such details.
They were already making coffee by boiling dandelions and acorns; what difference did it make if it was drake meat or beef?
"I appreciate it. Thank...”
"No need to thank me, Wardanaz. You're the one who caught it."
The student from the White Tiger appeared slightly embarrassed, quickly wiping under his nose.
It felt unexpectedly awkward for Wardanaz to be treated to a meal like this.
Before entering the dungeon, or rather the library, who would have expected that there would come a time to offer a meal to Wardanaz?
"This is really..."
"It's fine, Wardanaz. There's no need to thank."
"No. It's dry. Who cooked this?"
"..."
A student from the White Tiger looked at Wardanaz with an incredulous expression.
"This is good enough... isn't it?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Yi-Han walked forward.
Looking around, he saw the students of the Blue Dragon also making subtle expressions.
While it was nice of the White Tiger students to have put effort into cooking...
...their expressions clearly showed something was lacking!
"Yi-Han!! You're up!"
Gainando burst up from his seat.
Then, he blurted out what all the students of the Blue Dragon had thought but couldn't voice due to their conscience.
"You should cook inste... uh-uh."
"Please shut up...!"
"Do you want us to be called the 'Blue Beggars?"
The Blue Dragon friends, driven by shame, covered Gainando's mouth.
But the words had already been heard by those who mattered.
"...Wardanaz. If you want, you can do it."
A student from the White Tiger, standing near the meat, called out to Yi-Han.
Some crossed their arms, looking at Yi-Han with a challenging gaze.
'No matter how great a mage you are, surely you can't be skilled in the art of camp cooking?'
'I've been grilling meat since I could walk. Wardanaz. How many years have you been doing it?'
'These guys never seemed this competitive in swordsmanship...'
Yi-Han stood before the meat with a reluctant expression.
The intense scrutiny was almost laughable.
"Everyone thinks Yi-Han can't do it."
Dolgyu muttered to Jijel, who was beside him, cleaning the dust off her sword.
Jijel gave him a look that said, 'I'm not interested.'
She had no interest in the farce that had been going on.
"But Moradi. Yi-Han's cooking skills are beyond imagination."
'What do I care...'
Not interested!
Jijel shook her head disinterestedly and grabbed her sword again.
Previously, even if Yi-Han managed to defeat his opponents using magic or swordplay, the respect he received was different. But now, some students from White Tiger showed him a level of respect they had never shown before.
The meat was that delicious.
It was a taste of wondrous magic.
'...Maybe I should have just grilled meat on the first day of swordsmanship class?'
Perhaps then, he could have seriously attracted about a quarter of the students from the White Tiger...
"Let's move on if everyone's done eating."
"Hold on. Wardanaz. Wait."
"?"
"We need to gather water. See this grass? If you pull it, the roots are filled with water..."
Before they could continue, Yi-Han immediately cast a spell, "Let water spring forth."
"..."
"Fill the leather pouches with water. Let's go."
The White Tiger students felt like they understood why knights grumbled about mages after a few drinks.
The frustration of knights who had to endure all sorts of hardships, only to see them solved with a wave of a staff!
"Mages really...!"
"You're mages too, aren't you?"
Meanwhile, Yi-Han checked the door leading downward.
"There's a locking mechanism."
"It's a lock that opens by manipulating mana."
"We were searching around for a book."
The White Tiger students shared the information they had discovered.
A locking mechanism that unlocks by creating a specific pattern with mana.
Thus, it was difficult to unlock the mechanism without knowing the specific shape.
However, Yi-Han had a thought.
'I have plenty of mana, so maybe I should try some of the most commonly used shapes.'
"Step aside."
Yi-Han placed his hand on the locking mechanism and infused it with mana.
He began with the most famous and frequently used symbols and patterns...
Crackle!!!
Yi-Han's expression hardened.
The mechanism had a lower limit of mana than he had anticipated; it felt like the inside was shattering under the power he had infused.
'...This is bad.'
Yi-Han sensed the gaze of the White Tiger students looking on from behind.
If he admitted to accidentally breaking the mechanism, they might accuse him, 'Wardanaz, you wicked mage! Showing your true colors!'
"???"
Of course, the White Tiger students, who had not thought of such a thing at all, tilted their heads in confusion.
'Is he doing it?'
'Must be.'
With a clunk, as the mechanism shattered, the part holding it in place broke too, revealing a staircase leading downward.
The White Tiger students' eyes widened in astonishment.
He opened it without taking a breath!
"...How did you figure it out?"
Jijel asked, her voice filled with disbelief.
No matter how much she thought, she couldn't fathom an answer.
Yi-Han, managing his expression calmly, replied.
"With wisdom and insight."
"..."
Jijel bit her lip. Annoyed as she was, she had to acknowledge the brilliance of Wardanaz's mind.
