Quantity or Quality?
In any field, this was a common debate, but when it came to summoning magic, quality was deemed more important than quantity.
The reason was simple.
The effort required to increase quantity far outweighed the benefits it brought.
Not to mention the immense mana required, a summoner had to focus intensely with each and every summon, risking exhaustion.
Even when summoning from another realm to reduce the burden, one couldn't just summon beings indiscriminately.
Thus, summoning magic pursued quality, not quantity.
If one mastered summoning a skeleton warrior, the next goal was a stronger skeleton warrior, and then, if successful, a higher-tier undead monster.
"But didn't the principal control dozens, even hundreds of summons?" Gainando asked.
Yonaire and Yi-Han looked at him with a mix of pity and disdain, then chose to ignore his question.
"Isn't summoning fifteen too much?"
"Hmm. Did I summon too many? Still, it shouldn't be too overwhelming."
Yi-Han's remark left Yonaire genuinely surprised.
She knew Yi-Han had immense mana, akin to a mad dragon, but she hadn't expected this much.
"I may not know much about dark magic, but... is this how you usually train?"
At Yonaire's query, the princess shook her head from behind.
Given her knowledge of dark magic, she seemed to find Yi-Han's method unusual.
"This isn't the usual way. It's an ancient, more rigorous method."
"Indeed... Wardanaz. So you've revived an ancient, more challenging method because regular necromancy was too easy? A thought befitting your intellect," Asan commented with an understanding nod.
Yi-Han almost lashed out at Asan but restrained himself, wondering if he had done something wrong.
"It might sound grand, but... it's not something like that."
"Still, this seems too reckless."
"True. Progress is a bit slow."
Yi-Han tapped his staff.
Contrary to their previous immobility, the skeleton warriors raised their arms in unison this time and simultaneously threw bundles of paper.
"Ah!"
Gainando was pelted by the flying paper.
"This is the best I can do for now. Even this takes two tries to get right once."
"Wow..."
"The path ahead is indeed long. Still much to learn."
The students, not well-versed in dark magic, accepted this as it was.
However, the princess was horrified.
To think Yi-Han had not only summoned fifteen skeleton warriors using an ancient method but had also achieved coordinated fire.
Tap, tap -
Pointing out the spectacle, Nebren nodded in understanding.
"Ah. This doesn't look good. I'll help Wardanaz clean up. Wardanaz, this private room doesn't seem suitable for practice. Shall I help you move?"
"That would be best. Thank you."
"It's nothing."
The friends from the Blue Dragon began picking up the bones, rolling up their sleeves.
"Sharakan. Thank you."
-Krung.-
Yi-Han expressed his gratitude while loading the burden on Sharakan's back.
"Gonadaltes. Carry this."
"What... What's this???"
Asan looked around in panic.
"Calm down, Asan. It's not the principal. It's just the name of this summon, Gonadaltes."
"Ah... ...Wardanaz. I may not have the right to comment on someone else's summon, but isn't that a bit dangerous???"
As the friends each carried a load and walked away, the princess shook her head in frustration.
Salko of the Tutanta family was walking with his friends.
There was someone they were seeking.
"Wardanaz is currently at Professor Uregor's cabin. Let's go."
"Tu, Tutanta. Isn't it a bit dangerous?"
"Of course, Wardanaz is a fearsome opponent, not to be underestimated. However, he's not as obtuse as those from the White Tiger, incapable of cooperation. If the conditions are right, he might agree to an alliance."
"No, I mean isn't it risky for just us to go? What if Wardanaz suddenly attacks..."
"Was that your concern?"
Salko looked at the frightened student from the Black Tortoise and clicked his tongue.
"I told you, Wardanaz isn't the type to attack recklessly."
"But, still. Ymirg. What do you think?"
The Black Tortoise student turned to his friend, a giant mixed-blood student who attended dark magic lectures with Yi-Han, who was flustered.
"Um, uh..."
Though he attended dark magic classes with Wardanaz, he couldn't quite grasp what kind of student Wardanaz really was.
The prince seemed a bit dim-witted, and Raphael somewhat rude, but Wardanaz...
Apart from being a magic prodigy, nothing else was clear about him.
"He's, he's good at magic."
"Wardanaz is indeed exceptional in magic. That guy... Is he really our age?"
"The Wardanaz family is famous, after all."
"No, I've seen Wardanaz family members from a distance, but I can't believe he's to that extent."
The students from the Black Tortoise murmured among themselves as they walked.
If a student was moderately brilliant, one might think, 'That person is smart,' but faced with someone incomprehensibly gifted, the reaction was inevitably, '????'
Yi-Han was exactly that—a monster who pursued magic and excelled in lectures across all schools of magic.
A monster driven solely by the pursuit of magic!
"By the way, I heard something strange. The guys from the Blue Dragon said Wardanaz prepares meals for them every day."
"Does that even make sense?"
"But didn't Wardanaz cook a vegetable stew for us last time? It was really delicious."
"It's not about him being unable to cook. He's good at alchemy, so cooking should come easy. But preparing meals every single day is a different story. Would you be able to do that?"
The Black Tortoise students pondered.
Considering the scarcity of ingredients in Einroguard, waking up every dawn to wash vegetables, peel them, and mince meat for meal preparations seemed far-fetched.
"It doesn't seem like something Wardanaz would do."
"Right. The Blue Dragon guys are just boasting. Since Wardanaz has cooked before, they're using that to brag."
"Those guys. They're nobility but stoop to such base lies!"
"That's nobles for you. Only a handful of those who boast about their lineage actually possess matching talents. We're here. There it is."
Salko pointed towards a cabin near the forest in the distance.
It was Professor Uregor's cabin.
"Wardanaz! Are you there? We have something to discuss... Aaaahhh!"
"Ughuhuhuck!"
Startled by the scarecrow-like arrangement of skeleton warriors behind the cabin, the students from the Black Tortoises screamed.
"Sorry about that. Didn't know you'd get so scared."
"Wait, wait. We weren't scared."
"Right. We were just startled, that's all."
The students in Salko's group were from rough backgrounds.
They were particularly sensitive to any suggestion that they were 'scared.'
"Anyone would be frightened upon suddenly encountering the undead. I understand."
"No, we're telling you!!"
"Enough. Wardanaz. We came here today to make you a proposal."
Salko glanced briefly at the skeleton warriors standing motionless around the vegetable garden.
Despite his efforts to look away, his gaze kept returning to them.
'I may not know much about dark magic, but is it normal to summon so many?'
"What's the proposal? Oh, Salko. Are you interested in joining the dark magic class?"
"What are you talking about? I have no interest in dark magic."
'There's no need to get serious.'
Yi-Han grumbled inwardly.
It was just a joke!
"...I've found a way out."
Salko spoke in a low voice. Yi-Han was taken aback.
He found a way out?
"Ah. Are you talking about the Rockgrass Underground cave guarded by Gandarva? It's better to give up on that. It seems beyond our level to breach."
"...I've never heard of such a cave. How did you come to know about it?"
Salko was internally shocked.
While the students of the Blue Dragon prided themselves on their family lineage, and those from the White Tiger on their swordsmanship, the Black Tortoise students took pride in their adaptability.
-We are the ones who roam the vast magic academy the most and know it the best!-
It wasn't entirely wrong.
Indeed, students from the Black Tortoise generally had exceptional adaptability, exploring here and there and being the first to acquire necessary information.
But there were exceptions.
"I heard about it while wandering around."
Yi-Han, possessing an adaptability unmatched by any Black Tortoise student, answered nonchalantly, exuding an aura only an experienced student could.
Slightly overawed, Salko hesitantly continued.
"Anyway, it's not that cave."
"Could it be the mountain range path? It's better to postpone that route. Last time, we followed the White Tiger guys and only suffered losses."
"It's not that either... If you walk west along the mountain range, you come across a desert-like terrain. Do you know it?"
He asked out of politeness, but Salko thought Yi-Han wouldn't know.
Who would bother to go that far?
Salko and the Black Tortoise students wouldn't have ventured there without information.
"I know it."
"?!??!"
"How, how do you know?"
"Last time, when Niffirg went berserk... It's not important. So, what about this desert?"
"Look at this map."
According to Salko, one of the Black Tortoise students had a strange experience while wandering the academy at night.
It was a dark, empty room, but when he stepped in, a whisper promised to grant his wish.
The student wished to 'leave the academy'...
"So, you got this map as a result?"
"Yes."
"Interesting. Where's the location of this room?"
"When I went back, it had disappeared."
'Suspicious.'
Since coming to the magic academy, the only thing that had increased was suspicion.
Bluntly put, there was no way to know whether the whispering entity in that room was a spirit granting wishes or the skull principal masquerading as one.
"Anyway, this map shows..."
The map pointed to a desert area on the western side of the academy grounds.
There was a well drawn on it, and if one followed underground from that well...
"An underground passage?"
"Yes. It's a tunnel that goes under the walls."
"The map notes a high monster presence near the well."
"Yes. That's why we need strong combat abilities."
"I'm not that strong in combat..."
"??"
"????"
The Black Tortoise students gazed at the skeleton warriors standing in the garden.
And once again, they looked at Yi-Han.
"Why are you staring like that?"
"Ah, it's nothing. Do you have any ideas, anyway?"
"I always want to secure an escape route. The difficulty is the problem, though. I already have so much to do, and I don't want to waste effort..."
Upon hearing Yi-Han's words, Salko signaled with a nod of his chin.
Then, the students from the Black Tortoise began to set down the chests they had brought.
'The kids from the Black Tortoise seem to know something.'
Yi-Han sent a look of expectation.
Indeed, unlike students from other towers, those from the Black Tortoise knew the art of trading well.
'Materials? Reagents? Magic tomes? Food?'
"Wardanaz. Look at this. Statues and pottery to decorate a personal room. Aren't they beautiful?"
"...Why are you showing these to me?"
"Uh... don't nobles like these things?"
"Who would like such things?"
"The students from the Blue Dragon couldn't buy these because they didn't have them..."
"..."
His friends had been unknowingly purchasing such useless decorations.
Yi-Han sighed inwardly.
