Chapter 1248

Yonair poked Lee Han and whispered.

"Hey. How can you hide that from her?"

"It can't °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° be helped. Nillia has a lot of friends, so the information might leak out."

"I see... Wait."

Yonair felt something strange about her friend's words.

...Was he saying she and Gainando didn't have many friends?

Compared to Nillia, it wasn't exactly wrong, but somehow it still annoyed her.

"And strictly speaking, it's not even a lie. We just have to avoid getting caught."

Even if they secretly followed along, as long as they weren't caught, it was practically the same as having permission.

It was Einroguard logic that would make an outsider ask what kind of insane nonsense that was, but unfortunately, Yonair was an Einroguard student.

"Well, I suppose that's true too."

"Right? There's no point making Nillia worry for nothing."

No sooner had Lee Han finished speaking than Nillia said,

"Then I'll go with you too."

"......"

"......"

Yonair and Lee Han went pale. Gainando, oblivious to what the two of them were thinking, shouted excitedly.

"Ha! You idiot! No taking it back! Now you have to take your final exams early!"

"I know."

Nillia stared at Gainando in disbelief.

She had just watched this prince getting attacked a moment ago.

"W-what? And you still want to come with us?"

Gainando instead looked as though he had heard something impossible to believe.

Why in the world?

"I might want to go with you. Why? Is there some problem? Am I not allowed to come? Is it because I'm from Black Tortoise Tower?"

Nillia knew it was petty, but she even brought up their tower.

Friendship sometimes made people petty.

After missing out on so many of the things her friends had been doing lately, Nillia was itching to join them.

"Well... um..."

Lee Han exchanged glances with Yonair. Yonair's eyes accused him, 'See? Why did you lie in the first place?'

'You're no help.'

Lee Han complained inwardly at his friend, who was wasting time blaming him instead of forgetting the past and focusing on solving the problem.

At this point, there was only one option.

"Of course there's no problem. Come with us."

"!"

Nillia's face brightened considerably. Even the angle of her ears changed from worry to delight.

At the sight, Lee Han and Yonair gave bitter smiles. They realized they hadn't paid enough attention to this friend lately.

"Lee Han. Hurry up and attack her with water spheres! For the exam!"

"No... Nillia takes alchemy and enchantment magic, so there's no need for that. Her exams aren't ones where she has to memorize everything like you do."

"...Wouldn't attacking her with water spheres still help her learn faster?"

Lee Han ignored Gainando and called Nillia over.

"Nillia. I'll explain the alchemy exam first."

"Okay!"

"The alchemy exam is to complete as much as possible of the formula for an alchemical combination that reproduces <Kinis's Purification>. Here's the completed formula and the research material, so read through them."

"?"

Nillia, who had been burning with enthusiasm, froze.

Did I just hear that wrong?

"Didn't you say... the exam question was to complete as much of the formula as possible?"

"That's right."

"But you have the completed formula and the research material?"

"Yeah."

"?????"

Nillia couldn't understand it at all.

Had Professor Thunderwalk perhaps gone insane?

'No. That can't be. There has to be a reason.'

After regaining her composure, Nillia began to speculate.

What possible reason could Professor Thunderwalk have had for setting an exam when his disciple already had the answer?

'...D-did Wardanaz threaten him!?'

Nillia's eyes widened as she stared at Lee Han.

It was hard to believe, but it was also entirely possible for this friend.

If he could go off to fight the true body of an evil god, how difficult could threatening a professor possibly be?

Besides, Wardanaz was also the Skull Principal's favored disciple.

-Hmph. Professor. You'd better start thinking ahead to when I become the next Principal. Do you really think you'll be safe when that day comes?

-Sob, sob. Fine. I'll set the exam exactly as you tell me.

...A conversation like that might have taken place.

"Nillia? Nillia?"

Lee Han was puzzled when his friend stared blankly into space.

Was she simply too shocked by the idea of reproducing <Kinis's Purification> through alchemy?

"The idea of reproducing Kinis's Purification through alchemy is surprising. Lady Meikin really is an incredible alchemist."

"Huh? Who?"

"Lady Yoanen Meikin. She's the one who wrote it."

'The cover story is meticulous!'

Nillia shuddered anew at how detailed and thorough the setup was.

He had even created an escape route in case the Skull Principal conducted an investigation.

"...Are you still tired from your trip to the mountains?"

"N-no? I'm not tired at all?"

"Really? Then that's a relief."

Lee Han was slightly worried by how difficult it seemed for his friend to focus.

The northern mountain range was rough and dangerous enough even for the hunters who roamed it.

If she still hadn't recovered from the fatigue...

"Lee Han, Lee Han. Water sphere."

"Just memorize. I'm testing you again in ten minutes."

Lee Han chased Gainando away when he stuck his head out in front of the solitary cell.

"And next is enchantment magic. It's <Intermediate Essential Enchantment Magic>, right?"

"Right. Ah. Did you take it last year, by any chance?"

"What kind of ridiculous thing are you saying, Nillia?"

Lee Han stared at his friend in disbelief.

They had both been first-years then. There was no way he could have taken a second-year lecture.

Nillia muttered quietly.

"You're taking third- and fourth-year lectures now, so I could've thought you took second-year lectures last year..."

Frankly, both were about equally strange.

"What?"

"N-nothing."

"I haven't taken <Intermediate Essential Enchantment Magic>, but I know all the material. The upper-year students designed the course structure and the exam."

"......"

After hearing one of the enchantment magic school's secrets, Nillia once again felt glad she had chosen alchemy as her main field.

If she had chosen the enchantment magic school as her main field, she would have had to keep dealing with lunatics like that!

"Wait. If the upper-year students designed it, how do you know the material?"

Nillia found the hidden flaw in her friend's explanation.

Maybe this friend really had secretly attended second-year lectures even when he was a first-year.

"Professor Verdus told me to learn every spell used in the lecture because I'd need them when helping with his work."

"......"

"......"

A heavy silence fell over the solitary cell. Nillia hesitated, watching his expression, then apologized.

"Sorry..."

"There's nothing to apologize for. Professor Verdus was the one who ordered me to do it. Anyway, you just have to learn a few spells that might appear on the exam. They'll pick one of them, so in a way, it's easier than alchemy."

"How many? Three?"

"A little more."

"Four?"

"You were close. Twenty. If you learn just twenty, getting a perfect score should be easy."

"......"

For a moment, Nillia wondered whether her friend was actually the one who had come from the Shadow Patrol in the northern mountain range.

No, even Shadow Patrol members weren't actually that bad.

Even the drunkest patrol member would probably be able to tell the difference between four and twenty!

***

Professor Paserlet murmured in wonder.

"Why is Wardanaz suddenly trying to take his exams early again?"

"Huh?"

Professor Verdus, who had been completely absorbed in fine-tuning an artifact on his own sofa, belatedly raised his head.

"Ah. I wasn't talking to you, so you don't need to worry about it, Professor."

"Okay."

Professor Verdus was about to immerse himself in fine-tuning the artifact again. But Professor Paserlet changed their mind and called out to the beaver beastkin professor once more.

"Wait. Professor Verdus."

"Huh?"

"Has Wardanaz perhaps already submitted your final exam too?"

"I don't know."

"......"

Professor Paserlet realized they had asked a stupid question.

If they wanted to know, they should have asked students from the school. There was no chance Professor Verdus himself would remember.

This eccentric mage's intelligence dropped drastically whenever the subject wasn't magic that interested him. Sometimes he even wandered around having forgotten his own name.

"Wait. Is Wardanaz submitting his final exams early?"

That was why Professor Paserlet couldn't help being surprised when Professor Verdus asked the question first.

This professor was actually showing interest in someone else first?

"Yes. Apparently he is."

"No! I need to make him submit <The Eye of Ahrak> and <Living Wall> for the exam!"

"?"

Professor Paserlet felt something was off.

They didn't know much about dark magic, but weren't those spells definitely dark magic?

"Aren't those dark magic?"

"Huh? Yeah."

"Then is it all right to make them the final exam for enchantment magic?"

"It's fine as long as Gonadaltes doesn't find out."

Seeing Professor Verdus answer with complete innocence, Professor Paserlet smiled deeply.

Looking into the future, it seemed that the moment this conversation in the professors' lounge ended, an anonymous report would immediately fly straight to the Principal's office.

"More importantly, if you wanted to do something like that, shouldn't you have taken an interest earli—"

"How am I supposed to know when the final exams are being prepared!"

"......"

Professor Paserlet was grateful Professor Garcia wasn't here.

Professor Garcia's temperament lately had been as violent as a storm. One small verbal mistake could easily result in bloodshed.

Hadn't Professor Paserlet nearly died after trying to make a little use of their disciple too?

At this point, a considerable number of their personalities were so terrified that they refused to come out.

"What's this needle compass? It looks like you're tracking someone."

"Mind your own business. It's nothing impor—"

Before Professor Paserlet could finish speaking, the tip of the needle trembled and suddenly swung around. Professor Paserlet hurriedly hid the compass.

Clack!

The door to the professors' lounge opened, and Professor Garcia walked inside.

After confirming that only the two of them were there, Professor Garcia gave a cold nod.

"Hello."

"Professor Garcia! I don't say things like this often, but I think I can see an exceptionally auspicious aura around you. It's a sign of extraordinary good fortune, with luck flowing through your entire body..."

Professor Paserlet even brought out the flattering personality that hated coming out and desperately tried to soothe Professor Garcia's anger, but Professor Garcia didn't so much as glance at them.

"I'm going to the capital for a while. While I'm gone, don't approach the professors' punishment area without permission."

"I absolutely won't approach it. Please believe me, Professor Garcia. I swear on my soul and honor..."

"If it looks like another professor is going to approach it, report them immediately. I'll be back."

Professor Garcia grabbed only a few belongings and swiftly left. Returning to their original personality, Professor Paserlet felt as though they had aged several years.

"Hah. If it weren't for those bastards from Oculoguard...!"

Muttering resentfully, Professor Paserlet looked to the side and saw that Professor Verdus had already pulled something out of thin air.

It was Wardanaz's final-exam answer sheet, which he had submitted early.

After confirming that his disciple really had submitted it ahead of time, Professor Verdus looked disappointed and was about to toss it aside again.

"I was going to ask him about <The Eye of Ahrak> and <Living Wall>."

"...Aren't you going to grade it?"

"Huh? I did."

Professor Verdus pointed to the mark on the final-exam answer sheet that read 'Perfect score.'

Professor Paserlet asked again in utter disbelief.

"You didn't even open it!"

"It's going to be a perfect score anyway. Why waste time?"

"......"

For a moment, Professor Paserlet found themself slightly impressed by the other mage's genius.

He really was smart, at least!