‘Well, it must be fun to decorate one's own room,’ he mused.
Lately, his friends had been sharing various stories about how they decorated their personal chambers. He never expected such enthusiasm.
Of course, for Yi-Han, such interests were incomprehensible.
Why, after all?
‘A personal chamber is just for sleeping, isn't it?’
True to his character, Yi-Han, who had his room adorned with an array of skeleton warriors, had little interest in room decoration.
"This is a serious matter... I thought Wardanaz would be pleased with this," he lamented.
"Does this seem too worthless to Wardanaz? It's still a fine piece of pottery..."
"I told you! Wardanaz wouldn't be satisfied with ordinary ornaments. The Wardanaz family's castle walls are made of pure silver, and their mansion's windows are crafted from red and green jade. Of course, such trifles wouldn't suffice!"
"No, that's not it."
Yi-Han listened as the Black Tortoise students boldly spread rumors about the Wardanaz family.
He was aware of the rumors surrounding his reclusive family, but this felt rather unfair.
The family wasn't poor, but Yi-Han himself had never indulged in luxury.
If only he could afford such luxury without feeling guilty!
"This is a dilemma. There's no other way. Can I promise to pay during the vacation?"
"What kind of solution is that? If you were Wardanaz, would work just for some silver coins? Don't you know about nobles' honor and pride?"
Yi-Han gently placed his hand on his friends' shoulders.
"Are you worried because you don't have a proper gift? Then, repay me with silver coins during the vacation."
"Really? Can we do that?"
"Of course. Richmond of your tower did something similar. No need to feel burdened."
"But... why...?"
As the Black Tortoise student mumbled in confusion, his friend elbowed him sharply.
"Idiot. Wardanaz is just trying to save our face."
"Ah!"
"What sort of revelation is that?"
The students seemed to believe Yi-Han was accepting silver coins just to avoid embarrassing them.
To Yi-Han, this revealed the extent of the students' wealth.
‘Rich kids…’
Despite the Black Tortoise being primarily for commoners, the situation changed when it came to money.
The empire's leading merchants had wealth incomparable even to prominent noble families.
Compared to Yi-Han, who couldn't even spend freely on non-educational needs, they seemed capable of squandering silver coins easily.
"Thank you, Wardanaz. I didn't expect you to help like this."
"Think as you wish. Now, sign here. Where should I visit?"
"The Tutanta family would be the place..."
As Salko penned the contract, he was slightly confused.
Yi-Han's expression was too serious.
Could he really be doing this for the silver coins?
"Everyone, drink some water."
"Thank you, Wardanaz."
As they entered the desert region, the heat surged. Similar to the last time in the library wasteland, but much hotter and drier.
"Let the spring flow."
Water didn't fail to appear as Yi-Han summoned it effortlessly into the air.
"Magnetite, show us the way."
Salko tapped the sandy ground, chanting a spell. A pattern emerged on the sand.
"This is north."
"Your magic is impressive. Can you teach me?"
"You joke well. Why would you need such... Oh, you're serious?"
Salko was taken aback by Yi-Han's interest.
Many mages often overlooked these kinds of practical magic spells.
There was no real need to use magic just to find directions. Servants or slaves could handle that task.
"Why is that? It seems like a useful spell."
"It's not that... Teaching it is not hard. It's not a difficult spell, but those not attuned to the earth element struggle with it..."
Salko recalled how Yi-Han had previously shattered the labyrinth walls into dust to forge a path during an academy challenge.
"...But don't worry about that."
"Why?"
"Listen quietly. This spell requires a place rich in earth. It doesn't work well without magnetite dust, so be careful..."
Salko's words trailed off as he glanced at the floating mass of water beside Yi-Han.
The cold water blob maintained its form even under the scorching sun.
"...Never mind that."
"Are you teaching me too casually?"
Yi-Han complained, but Salko ignored him.
Meanwhile, the other Black Tortoise students led the way, checking the path.
"Here. Let's start leaving marks so we can find our way back."
"Be engraved."
In the desert, where the landscape could change with the wind, magic marks were a different story.
Small symbols were etched into the sand, durable enough to last a couple of hours.
"You've done well. I'll summon a breeze."
"Can I call the spirits?"
"Yes. After resting for over three days, the spirits should oblige."
A faint figure of a minor wind spirit appeared, and a gentle breeze began to blow.
Yi-Han admired the cooperation from behind.
'Why can't our tower guys do something like this?'
It wasn't that the kids were bad at magic.
In terms of magic ability, they were among the best of the four towers.
...It's just that most of their spells weren't practical for real-life situations.
Honestly, spells like <Magic Decorations for the Waltz> were of little use during such expeditions.
-Krrrrrrung!-
"Huh?"
Sharakan suddenly made an aggressive sound. Yi-Han thought a monster had appeared.
'There are no monsters, right?'
Suddenly, Yi-Han's instincts issued a strong warning.
A sensation he had felt often recently.
The same sensation of every nerve standing on end, as when Professor Boladi abruptly launched an attack.
"Shield, expand!"
Yi-Han didn't hesitate to cast the spell.
Casting magic without assessing the situation might be foolish, but Yi-Han was different.
A person who could afford to be reckless in such situations!
"Wardanaz?! Why?!"
"Salko, defend!"
"Understood!"
At Yi-Han's command, Salko and the Black Tortoise students readied themselves for defense.
Clang!
A sharp sound rang as an attack struck the water shield.
Yi-Han's expression hardened as he saw the dagger bounce off the thick water barrier.
The attack might have seemed feeble since it couldn't penetrate the water shield, but it was far from it.
'They know how to deal with mages!'
Having been thoroughly vexed by Professor Boladi, Yi-Han knew well how enemies targeted mages in combat.
-Any method will do. Enemies always target the mage first.-
-Indeed... A mage can be a significant variable. How should we prepare?-
-Perfectly.-
-...I'm not fully recovered yet... Urgh!-
Grandiose attacks were noisy and took too long to prepare.
A single dagger was enough to take down an unprepared mage.
The issue was that Yi-Han had sensed the danger first and initiated a defense.
"Shield, expand. Heat, distort the air!"
It was unfortunate for the enemies.
Typically, not many mages excelled in combat.
Especially if they were students at a magic academy.
"Feet, grasp the earth. Arise, warriors of bone!"
The enemies were astonished as Yi-Han, without even allowing them a few seconds, rapidly cast a series of spells for defense.
"What the hell is that guy?!"
"Damn it, he's an upperclassman! Get ready! He's someone who's been properly trained in magic combat!"
"I’ll make you regret encountering a fifth-year student from Einroguard!"
"Damn...! Talk about bad luck!"
“...”
The Black Tortoise students, hiding behind a barrier of water and earth, looked at Yi-Han with stunned expressions.
In the empire, there was a notorious group of adventurers, the <Serpent of the Maple Tree>.
While most adventurers in the empire cared somewhat about their reputation, there were those among them who blatantly accepted illegal requests.
The <Serpent of the Maple Tree> was one such group.
For the right amount of gold, they would take on all sorts of illicit tasks!
Ordinarily, even the <Serpent of the Maple Tree> would not dare to meddle with Einroguard, where the empire's formidable mages gathered.
Even heartless villains had intelligence. Those engaged in evil money-making were quick-witted and sensitive to power.
But this time was different.
A remarkably lucrative offer had come their way.
-There is a relic in Einroguard that I desire.-
-But Einroguard is…-
-I know. It's a place not easily accessible to outsiders. I'll provide a way in. A guide has already entered; follow them to meet up. Detailed instructions will be given.-
The adventurers didn't ask, 'Why do we need to go in if a guide is already there?'
They knew the answer without asking.
'Stealing a mage's treasure and getting away with just a few lives lost is a bargain. Especially if it's Einroguard.'
Despite the dangerous nature of the proposal, the adventurers did not refuse.
After all, the life of an adventurer was about taking risks.
The important thing was how much they could gain.
-Very well. We'll do our best.-
"What are we going to do?!"
The adventurers shouted in rough voices.
Their luck couldn't have been worse.
They had just emerged from the underground passage outside the well, only to encounter a student from Einroguard.
And not just any student, but a fifth-year.
To the adventurers, familiar with Einroguard's reputation, a fifth-year student posed a significant challenge. Such a student might be a rare great mage among adventurers.
And...
"Judging by his reaction, he's trained in magic combat! We can't subdue him. We have to kill him!"
"We agreed not to touch the students of the magic academy!"
"I know, you damn fool! Do you think I'm not scared of retaliation? But we don't have a choice!"
"Damn this wretched fate. Alright! Kill him!"
The adventurer, Geliak, clenched his teeth and nodded.
Looking at the opposite side, it was clear that the opposing mage was no ordinary talent.
It was astonishing enough that he had blocked an unseen ambush in seconds, but he had also nearly completed a fortress-like defense.
Illusions flickered, and walls of water and earth, along with skeletal warriors, shielded the mages.
Geliak, who had encountered students from Einroguard several times, knew how extraordinary this response was.
He had seen students capable of higher-tier magic, but never one who, in a deadly combat situation, managed to cast spells consecutively without faltering.
'Bad luck indeed...'
But Geliak was not the only one plagued by misfortune.
The fifth-year students he had encountered today were equally unlucky.
Did Geliak and his colleagues enter the mages' den without any countermeasures?
Those who feared mages the most were Geliak and his companions.
Naturally, they had gathered as much anti-mage preparation as they could.
For the mages, it was sheer misfortune to encounter them in such circumstances.
"Tear the scroll! Quickly!"
"Shut up! Do you know how much this costs... Here goes!"
As Geliak tore the scroll, a tremendous storm of mana began to erupt.
An ancient magic scroll, now impossible to produce!
It was a scroll embedded with the spell <Magic Disruption Storm>, which obliterated all surrounding magic with its powerful force.
Knowing the scroll's value, Geliak's fingers trembled even as he ripped it.
"Argh!"
"Gasp...!"
Accompanied by pained cries, the students of the Black Tortoise fell to their knees, faces ashen.
Simultaneously, the barriers, illusions, and summoned creatures all vanished.
The forcibly canceled spells rebounded on their casters, striking them as well.
'As effective as ever.'
Although prohibitively expensive, there was no better death sentence for a mage.
Investing all their mana into a spell, only to have it erased and their magic disrupted in one fell swoop.
It exploited the mage's vulnerability of being unable to cast spells without mana.
Furthermore, the more proficient the mage, the more susceptible they were to this tactic.
Geliak had once seen a 5th-circle mage subdued by just one of these scrolls.
"Shield, expand. Heat, distort the air. Feet, grasp the earth. Arise, warriors of bone..."
"...??!?!?"
That's why Geliak could only blink in disbelief when the fifth-year student, as if nothing had happened, once again laid out the spells one after another.
