The spirits did not welcome guests unconditionally. Though they did not speak, the spirits had their own personalities and preferences. Naturally, there were guests whom the spirits feared.
Professor Uregor recalled a story he had heard in the past. It was about a mage who had no interest in spirits until becoming a great mage, then tried to summon one by contacting the spirit world.
While it was easy for a mage of his caliber to contact the spirit world, the spirits did not like this great mage. It was the intense aura emanating from his soul that frightened the spirits.
A seasoned mercenary, a swordsman who had defeated dozens, lived a life so tumultuous that their soul's color was bound to change.
From Professor Uregor's perspective, it was hard to understand why a great mage who had uncovered so many secrets was treated the same as those above...
But what could he do?
The spirits disliked it.
Thus, it was better to befriend spirits from a younger age. As one grew older, it became harder to do so.
"But why me?"
"Perhaps it's your extreme thoroughness that the spirit senses?"
"..."
"Just kidding. It must be because of your mana."
It was unlikely that Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family had killed someone before enrolling, so it had to be his mana.
An overwhelming mana that even the ordinary spirits could not but be overpowered by!
"Fortunately, there is a solution. The great mage in my story eventually succeeded in befriending the spirit."
"Oh. What is the method?"
"He used magic to forcibly capture the spirit and then became friends with it."
"...Aren't spirits usually stronger in the spirit world?"
Fighting with a spirit in the spirit world was as risky as battling a beast in its own yard.
"There's that minor issue. Anyway, hang in there!"
"..."
Yi-Han was not disappointed. Because being disappointed was something that would make Professor Uregor happy.
'Next time I visit the cabin, I should steal and bring more food.'
Fortunately, his friends worried about Yi-Han's misfortune as if it were their own.
"This is serious, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."
"??"
The students of the Blue Dragon behaved so natural that for a moment he thought Priestess Sianna was a fellow student there.
'How long have you been here?'
'I don't know either...'
"Sometimes, due to misunderstandings with spirits, people who frighten spirits emerge. We've had such cases in our order too."
"Is there no way to solve it?"
At Yonaire's question, Priestess Siana pondered deeply.
"If the spirits avoid you in fear when you enter the spirit world... one solution could be to first meet and befriend spirits in our world. If you gain acceptance or friendship from a spirit, receiving a mark from them could soften their wariness."
Yi-Han looked at the wooden staff he was holding.
...Come to think of it, isn't this a staff inhabited by a tree spirit?
Yi-Han sighed inwardly. It seemed the staff inhabited by the tree spirit was not the solution.
"Is there no other way? Perhaps in the Flameng Order..."
"In our order, we often use potions for solutions."
Being an alchemical order, the Flameng Order resolved issues through alchemy.
At Priestess Siana's words, Yi-Han's face lit up.
"Is it possible to solve it with potions?"
"Of course."
The potion he drank during Professor Uregor's lecture was also a spirit affinity potion. A potion that made it easier to contact the spirit world and allowed one to stay there longer. That was a lesser potion, so using a more powerful one could not only erase the spirits' fear but also make one appear more attractive to them.
"Wow...!"
"That's possible?"
The students of the Blue Dragon were amazed. The reputation of the Flameng Order was not unfounded. Yonaire spoke with eyes full of anticipation.
"I've heard about it. The Flameng Order has potions specifically tailored for spirits..."
"You are well-informed, Miss Yonaire of the Maykin family. I have helped in concocting one of those arcane potions. If you wish, I can make one for you," Priestess Siana spoke kindly. Though it was the Flameng Order's secret, it could be shared with someone like the boy from the Wardanaz family who knew and respected the Order's greatness.
That was the Flameng Order's philosophy.
"If it's completed, could we also...?"
"Of course."
Priestess Siana nodded in response to the cautiously raised question from the students of the Blue Dragon. If the potion was completed, distributing it to other students wouldn't be too difficult.
"However, it requires quite a lot of ingredients. Look."
Priestess Siana took out a piece of paper and began to list the necessary ingredients with a quill. Despite writing quickly, the list rapidly filled the page with numerous items.
Galpiri, Nysins Flower, Dadudek Beetle, Rubyfied Aosite, …, …, ...
"Can we even gather all these?"
"It might indeed be difficult to find them on your own. But there's a way. In Professor Uregor's workshop, located on the upper floor of the Gaksu Pavilion, you'll find all the items listed here."
"..."
"…?"
Yi-Han, who had been listening quietly, was suddenly perplexed.
...What does she mean?
'Ah. She means to ask for Professor Uregor's permission.'
Yi-Han corrected himself. Priestess Siana wouldn't suggest stealing, not to Yi-Han or anyone else.
"If you're resolute, I'll sneak into the workshop with you and get the ingredients."
"..."
Yi-Han was astounded at Priestess Siana’s words.
No...
No...!
But the other students of the Blue Dragon were deeply moved.
"Priestess Siana!"
"I was wondering why the Wardanaz praised you so much, but now I understand!"
"Priestess, you are the light and salt of the empire!"
Yi-Han tried to calm his overexcited friends.
"Priestess Siana. I appreciate your words, but isn't that method a bit... risky?"
"But, Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. This is actually encouraged by the academy."
"..."
That's right!
Yi-Han found himself unable to argue. It was true, as the Skull Principal had suggested it.
Priestess Siana, with her serpentine pupils characteristic of her snake mixed-blood, smiled thinly.
"Oh dear. You must be worried. But don't be. Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz, you've roamed the academy at night several times without ever being caught."
"The Wardanaz did do that."
The students of the Blue Dragon felt proud as if it were their own accomplishment. Asan blushed on their behalf, brushing his nose.
"Even if we get caught, we won't hold it against you."
"We feel the same. Wardanaz."
"...Thanks a lot."
"What's this about?"
Despite his friends' camaraderie, Yi-Han considered Sianna's proposal intriguing.
Bank robbers in stories never just retire but always fixate on one big heist. One big score could make life easier.
It was the same with Uregor's workshop.
'Considering the upcoming semester, the alchemy class could turn into a hell of assignments.'
Not only in alchemy classes but also in other classes, there was always the uncertainty of sudden shifts into assignment hell. If one could secure a large supply of alchemy materials, it would allow for a flexible response to such assignments. Just one big score and...!
Chuckle-
“?”
Yi-Han turned his head.
Nillia was poking him in the ribs.
At her action, Yi-Han came back to his senses.
‘Oops. Was I getting carried away with crazy ideas?’
"Why, Nillia?"
“...This time, don’t just take Ratford with you without me.”
"..."
Yi-Han looked up at the sky.
Regardless of Yi-Han's complicated feelings, the sky above the magic academy remained cloudless and blue.
Inside the academy, despite the occasional escape of summoned creatures and the professors pondering over what torturous assignments to give next, some things remained unchanged.
One of those was the teaching style of Professor Boladi.
Thwack!
‘Ugh.’
Once again, unable to block, Yi-Han gritted his teeth as a bead hit his back.
Yi-Han had gotten somewhat accustomed, but he couldn't completely keep up with Professor Boladi's control.
The unpredictable trajectories created by twisting in all directions and then targeting the weak spots were something only those who experienced them could understand, a deadly intimidation.
And the penetrating power was extraordinary.
If Yi-Han even slightly weakened the cohesion of the water beads, Boladi would instantly notice and attempt to penetrate.
"You're not focusing."
"No, I am."
Yi-Han was concentrating. It was just that Professor Boladi was continuously raising the difficulty.
Yi-Han was improving, but every time he did, Boladi raised the bar much higher, making failure inevitable.
However, Professor Boladi, having put his full effort, did not at all think that Yi-Han had been bested.
'Why is that?'
Boladi was perplexed as he noticed Yi-Han, who had been doing quite well so far, starting to falter.
It was one thing if a student had always been poor or had run away, but this boy from the Wardanaz family had been performing fairly well.
Of course, 'fairly well' in Boladi's eyes might have been 'should we report this to the Emperor along with the Skull Principal?' in the eyes of other professors, but to Boladi, it was decent.
Drop-
The bead stopped mid-air.
“?”
Yi-Han was on guard, suspecting a trap.
'Is this a new pattern?'
Was the bead stopping a fake rest before launching a new attack?
It was exactly the kind of thing Professor Boladi would do.
"I see why you're not focusing."
"!"
Yi-Han was startled. Could it be that Boladi had figured out his plan to raid Professor Uregor's workshop?
"Like when you defeated the golem, are you trying to add a spin attribute to the water beads?"
"..."
Yi-Han had an idea where the leak might have occurred.
'The Skull Principal...!'
Since Professor Uregor wasn't particularly close to Boladi, the only person who would have babbled to Boladi was the Skull Principal.
"No, I wasn’t planning any such thing..."
"You're being overly ambitious."
‘I know.’
Yi-Han sighed inwardly at the absurd misunderstanding.
Just because he had luckily defeated a mud golem, he never indulged in fantasies like 'I'm a genius, I should add spin to my water beads from now on.'
"Don't be anxious."
Anyone who knew Professor Boladi would have been surprised to hear such advice as 'You're being overly ambitious' or 'Don't be anxious'.
Fundamentally, Professor Boladi was someone who seemed to have had the concepts of teaching and common sense surgically removed.
-"If I can do it, so should you. Why can't you? Do it."-
This was a belief fervently held by Professor Boladi.
That such a person would say things like 'You're being overly ambitious' or 'Don't be anxious' was as unlikely as the sun rising in the west, yet Yi-Han naturally did not grasp the weight of these words.
'I'm not going to do it...'
He had absolutely no intention of doing so, yet Professor Boladi's insistence was nothing but bewildering.
Such are professors!
"Wait."
"?"
However, Professor Boladi paused, extending his hand and sinking into thought. For the first time, Boladi tried to consider things from the student's perspective. It was an unwittingly great step forward.
'If I were that boy from the Wardanaz family?'
He wouldn't have felt reassured just by hearing 'Don't be anxious'. Those who see a path before them and do not take it do not deserve to be called mages.
"I see." Boladi seemed to understand something.
"What do you mean by 'I see'?"
Yi-Han felt a sense of foreboding. Usually, when professors came to a self-satisfactory conclusion, it seldom led to good outcomes.
"From now on, it's okay to be anxious. I'll make sure you focus."
"Wait...!"
Before Yi-Han could even utter 'a moment', Professor Boladi's storm resumed.
