Chapter 1321

The teacher from House Wardanaz, having thrown his disciple into confusion, strode into the captain's cabin.

Then he grabbed the speaking tube and activated it.

CRACKLE!

An enormous amount of mana swirled and was swallowed by the artifact. It was enough that an ordinary mage would have gone beyond mere exhaustion and risked their life from mana depletion.

Jandanni and Alnoev, standing beside him, were startled and asked.

"P-Professor! Isn't that dangerous?"

"This much is fine. If the artifact isn't working because the distance is too great, even pouring in more mana probably won't be enough."

Having handled and repaired all kinds of artifacts under Professor Bivle, Lee Han could roughly calculate how much mana an artifact required to operate just by looking at it.

Of course, from the perspective of the Valdrogard students watching beside him, it was simply nerve-racking.

To their eyes, Professor Wardanaz looked as though he was fearlessly drawing up more and more mana.

CRACKLE-CRACKLE!

Even more mana was poured in.

Lee Han held the speaking tube with one hand and a quill with the other. He intended to make a brief note of the artifact's structure as he had currently determined it.

If there was a problem with the artifact itself or something that could be improved, notes like these were quite helpful. Professor Bivle sometimes even wrote notes on the coats of passing disciples.

"Professor. I was told that when operating an artifact, you have to concentrate completely and mustn't do anything else..."

"Good point. Student Jandanni. You know that very well."

Scratch, scratch, scratch-

Preoccupied with taking notes on the artifact's structure, Lee Han answered absentmindedly.

This new professor had absolutely no idea how he looked right now.

"......"

"...Professor, aren't you the one doing something else right now?"

Alnoev was confused.

Could the artifact safety rules they knew be wrong?

"Ah."

Lee Han's hand stopped for a moment.

At that sight, Alnoev whispered to Jandanni.

"Senior. Didn't the Professor clearly just say 'Ah'?"

"You heard wrong! There's no way the Professor would make a mistake!"

Lee Han cleared his throat and joined the conversation.

"Normally you can't, but occasionally there are exceptions."

"When?"

"...Once you're a professor, you can."

Lee Han realized that the position of professor carried more responsibility than he had expected.

In front of students, a professor couldn't even carelessly drink cold water.

'I'm pretty sure the Einroguard professors did whatever they wanted... Was that actually my imagination, and did the professors feel a sense of responsibility in their own way too?'

Lee Han shook his head after thinking that.

No matter how he looked at it, that made no sense.

Especially for someone like Professor Bivle.

'I've been having such a hard time lately that I'm imagining ridiculous things.'

"If professors can do it... then surely Professor..."

Jandanni became suspicious.

Professor Wardanaz had only just been appointed, yet the sight of him holding an artifact with one hand while taking notes with the other had looked far too familiar.

...It almost seemed as though he had done it before.

'N-no. I mustn't doubt the Professor.'

Nothing was more disrespectful than a disciple doubting their teacher. Jandanni reproached themself.

-Who... wh... who's... cont... contacting...

"!"

At the familiar voice coming through the speaking tube, Lee Han straightened.

It was Ragesa's voice.

"Lady Ragesa! Can you hear me! It's Wardanaz!"

-War... Ward... Wardanaz... which Warda...

"...Lee Han."

-Brat... brat... long time... what have... you been...

"......"

Lee Han hesitated slightly.

Wouldn't saying he was a Valdrogard professor here only make her suspicious for no reason?

Unaware of what Lee Han was thinking, Jandanni immediately tried to shout.

"War... Mmph, mmph."

"Lady Ragesa is very suspicious by nature, so I'll handle the conversation. Student Jandanni. Ahem. Lady Ragesa. I've been doing well lately. Have you heard about the evil-god subjugation?"

-Haven't... haven't heard... you subjugated... an evil god...?

'Ah. Was this a mistake too?'

Lee Han realized his blunder.

In trying to avoid mentioning the Valdrogard professor matter, he had brought up something that could sound even more suspicious.

If Ragesa had heard absolutely nothing about this, it might make her suspicious for no reason.

-Brat... if it's you... sounds like something... you'd do...

"......"

Seeing Ragesa show not even the slightest suspicion, Lee Han made an uncomfortable expression.

'Hmm. Lady Ragesa must really be in serious trouble. Normally she would've been suspicious.'

When people were driven into a corner, they became unable to question even shocking news like that.

Lee Han resolved to help Ragesa as quickly as possible.

She might truly be in danger.

"Lady Ragesa. You're in a very dangerous situation right now. I'll do everything I can to help!"

-What...? It's not... that seri...

'She's even in denial? This is bad. It's serious.'

Downplaying the danger one was facing was another classic symptom.

Lee Han renewed his resolve.

-Right now... I'm trapped... in these waters... so... this works out... you... come and... open a path...

"I have to go there personally for the path to open?! Is that right?"

-You don't... absolutely have to... come... but if you do... brat, it'll be... good for you too...

After giving him the route, the voice from the speaking tube stopped.

Jandanni spoke in a slightly relieved voice.

"Professor. Fortunately, it doesn't sound like the situation is that dangerous."

"No. The situation may be more dangerous than we think."

"???"

'Is it?'

The two Valdrogard students looked at each other.

They had sensed nothing like that from the conversation they had just heard.

Could there have been some sort of code or metaphor hidden in the conversation that only pirates could understand?

'But if that's the case, wouldn't the Professor be unable to understand it too...?'

"We need to meet the other sailors. Let's move!"

***

The captains were overjoyed when they heard that contact had been made with Ragesa and that they had even received the coordinates.

Galvag, the fierce-looking lieutenant with the striking scar, threw his arms around Lee Han and thanked him.

If Lee Han had not been a swordsman capable of using aura, the hug might have displaced a few bones.

"Thank you, Professor Wardanaz! Thank you!"

"We have to set sail immediately. Lady Ragesa may be in serious danger."

"What? Was there part of the conversation we didn't hear?"

Galvag was bewildered.

From what Ragesa had said, it sounded as though she was simply trapped within a certain stretch of sea and was facing no immediate threat.

"There wasn't, but I'm a little worried because Lady Ragesa wasn't nearly suspicious enough after hearing my news."

"You mean she didn't become suspicious even after hearing that you'd been appointed as a Valdrogard professor! That certainly is worrying..."

"No. I'm talking about the evil-god subjugation."

"Ah... well, that..."

Galvag, who had been greatly alarmed, regained his composure.

If Ragesa had heard that Lee Han had been appointed as a Valdrogard professor and still hadn't been suspicious, that certainly would have been a warning sign.

But the evil-god subjugation was, well...

"What do you mean, 'well, that'? What exactly does that mean?"

"It's nothing. Everyone, raise anchor! Prepare to sail!"

Unable to withstand the new Valdrogard professor's sharp gaze, Galvag hurriedly fled toward the stern deck.

Lee Han clicked his tongue in displeasure.

How could these people have so little awareness of safety!

SPLAAASH-

The magic installed on the ships activated, the sails spread wide as they caught the wind, and the water surged.

The ships of the southern privateer fleet, the terror of the archipelago and the terror of pirates, were setting sail.

"Professor?"

Jandanni cautiously called to Lee Han.

Lee Han, who had been criticizing the pirates' lack of safety awareness in his head, turned around.

"What is it, Student Jandanni?"

"Well... I understand that we have to set sail as quickly as possible to rescue Lady Ragesa, but... you haven't forgotten the juniors, have you?"

Jandanni pointed downward.

Several Valdrogard juniors were still locked in the cargo hold below deck.

Jandanni had assumed they would release them, put them ashore at the harbor, and then set sail, so the fact that they had immediately departed was somewhat confusing.

There was no way a mage like Professor Wardanaz could have forgotten them.

Was there some deeper meaning behind it?

"......"

Lee Han's fingertips trembled lightly.

'Being a professor... is really difficult!'

When he had been a student, he had thought, 'If I ever become a professor, I'll be better than those people.'

Yet he had only been a professor for a short while, and he was already making mistake after mistake.

Lee Han was endlessly ashamed by the possibility that he might actually be an even worse professor than Professor Bivle.

A pirate wearing a red bandanna passed by and snorted.

"Obviously your professor used a trick so he could let you join the voyage! You stupid mages. If it weren't for a situation like this, do you think we'd take you along on a voyage?"

"!"

Jandanni and Alnoev's eyes widened.

"I-I see!"

"For pampered landlubbers like you, this is the kind of experience you'll hardly ever get in your entire lives. There won't be many stories better than this one either. And you didn't even realize it before blurting everything out. Stop putting your teacher in an awkward position!"

The pirate in the red bandanna spat sharply to the side and walked away.

The southern privateer fleet normally did not readily take outsiders along on its voyages.

That was even more true for troublesome people with nothing but high status, like Valdrogard students.

But Professor Wardanaz had ordered them to set sail without giving anyone time to think because he wanted to take his disciples along.

Thanks to that, the Valdrogard mages had been able to remain aboard and subtly come along.

It had all been part of the Professor's scheme.

"We're sorry! Professor! We failed to understand your profound intentions!"

"...It's all right... ...Could you explain it properly to the students below as well?"

"Of course! They'll all be delighted!"

"I sincerely hope so."

Watching the two Valdrogard students run off, Lee Han wore a bitter expression.

'...I wanted to become a righteous professor like Professor Garcia.'

It seemed he simply could not become a righteous professor like Professor Garcia.

'Still, let's at least try to become a better professor than Professor Bivle.'

'It seems the Successor is having pointless thoughts again.'

The Death Knight, having returned after checking the threats around the ship once more, thought to itself.

In the past, whenever the Successor stared off somewhere with such a melancholy expression, the knights had wondered, 'Could he be contemplating something worthy of the Master's Successor?'

But recently, the knights had gained experience and knew better.

About ninety percent of the time, it was pointless thoughts like, 'What am I going to do about this exam?' or 'Will I be able to handle this lecture/mission properly?'

***

"We're so lucky!"

"Thank you, Professor!"

"Haha. I'm glad everyone is satisfied. Haha."

Lee Han spoke while enduring the prickling guilt.

Seeing the Valdrogard students smiling so innocently only made him feel even more guilty.

"Then Senior Jandanni, are you going to take the Professor's lecture this semester? You really are serious about magic!"

"That's right. You should all come take it too."

"Ah. I'm planning to focus on theater this semester."

"......"

Lee Han suddenly felt his guilt disappear.

Perhaps his soul had grown enough to endure guilt.

'Hmph. It doesn't matter. Once they attend even once, they won't be able to escape anyway.'

Unfortunately, Lee Han had absolutely no idea that this was the sort of thought only an evil professor would have.

For one thing, a righteous professor like Professor Garcia did not seal the classroom doors.

"Haha. Just come take a look, everyone."

"Of course, Professor!"

"Bring plenty of other students too. Haha. Hahaha."

Standing on the other side of the deck, Galvag was speaking with his subordinate sailors with grave expressions.

"Storm clouds are gathering."

"It seems there's something evil on the horizon."