30 minutes later.

Professor Garcia returned, panting.

"Sorry, everyone. I kept you all waiting too long."

"???"

Yi-Han was gradually feeling something was off.

Professor Garcia was panting as if she had been in a physical altercation.

'Did she perhaps beat up the people who were causing trouble earlier?'

But that didn't seem to fit Professor Garcia's inherently kind personality.

"P-Professor, please have this at least."

As the students offered her a teacup, Professor Garcia gulped it down. She seemed parched.

"Phew. I'm sorry, everyone. Did you order any snacks while waiting?"

"The tea was enough."

"No, the snacks here are delicious too. The fruit slices are good..."

As Professor Garcia was speaking, she hesitated.

The students hoped it wasn't what they were thinking.

"...I'll be right back."

Whoosh!

As Professor Garcia hurried out again, Yi-Han hardened his expression and said,

"I can't let this go on. I'll go check for a bit."

Not once, but repeatedly doing this, Yi-Han couldn't help but worry as a student.

"Wait. Isn't that dangerous? If you go and end up interfering..."

Nillia was unsure if she should follow.

She understood the desire to help, but the help of someone without the ability was closer to a nuisance.

Nillia had experienced that among the hunters as well.

This situation of the students going to help Professor Garcia could also be like that...

"No. Professor Garcia is clumsy at fighting, so in case of an emergency, she might need help."

"...????"

"???????"

The friends were too flustered to react to Yi-Han's words.

While they were like that, Yi-Han quickly turned around and rushed out the door.

"Wa... Wardanaz! What the hell...?!"

Among the Einroguard professors, Alkasis Lagrinde, who taught healing magic, was relatively easy to find.

If a group passed by with faces equally pale and tired, they were usually undead or Alkasis' disciples.

Professor Garcia panted and said,

"Lagrinde... Professor."

"Professor Garcia."

Professor Alkasis curtly bowed in greeting.

But Professor Garcia had no intention of exchanging greetings with the other.

'How many professors are out here anyway?'

She had just sent one away, and now a new professor appeared.

It was as if there was a secret professor gathering around here that only Professor Garcia didn't know about.

"May I ask what brings you here?"

"I came to find a student."

"Is it by any chance student Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family?"

At Professor Garcia's words, Professor Alkasis' expressionless face moved slightly, seeming a bit surprised.

"That's right. You know, so the story is quick."

"Well, you see, Yi-Han is a first-year, and he's learning many majors, so his skills in healing magic are..."

"He single-handedly provided emergency treatment when the knights attacking the Crimson Lotus Forest had an accident. Isn't that enough qualification?"

"..."

Professor Garcia inwardly shouted at Yi-Han.

'What on earth did you do with the words I said during the semester?'

Even if it was just basic healing magic, the moment it became known that a first-year could use it, the path of hardship would be wide open, so she had emphasized that so carefully!

Professor Garcia sighed.

But she couldn't blame her student either.

When someone was injured right in front of her, she couldn't just stay still for her own comfort.

Seeing Professor Garcia's restless state, Professor Alkasis let out a rough sigh, full of deep fatigue.

"Professor Garcia. I know Yi-Han is a disciple you cherish. But look at my disciples."

Professor Garcia couldn't help but turn her head, regretting it.

There were the most pitiful mages' souls.

The students majoring in healing magic under Professor Alkasis were dozing off while standing, occasionally shaking their heads to regain consciousness.

"My disciples have only slept for an hour in three days. The mages of other schools can plan. But my disciples can't do that. You know, don't you?"

"No... That's..."

Professor Garcia was at a loss for words in the face of the logic.

Unlike the other professors with selfish motives, Professor Alkasis' reason was one that even Professor Garcia as a professor couldn't refute.

To save a human life, they needed help...

"I just need to borrow him for 5 days. I think 5 days will be enough to roughly handle the urgent patients."

"...But even after that, you'll come borrow him again when it's urgent, won't you?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. But if an accident happens, I can't help it. I need at least one more."

Professor Alkasis rustled the swords at her waist as she spoke. There was an unavoidable fatigue in the dark elf professor's voice.

"So where is this student Wardanaz?"

"...I don't know."

"Professor!"

Professor Alkasis glared at her pleadingly.

She had thought Professor Garcia was the one professor she could communicate with, unlike the others, so she was shocked.

"What can I do if I really don't know?"

"I see... Alright, I'll find him."

"Yes..."

The healing magic students had conflicting expressions, torn between thinking 'Can we really drag in a freshman?' and 'If he's a truly outstanding talent, can't we rest a bit?'

"..."

Professor Garcia prepared to send a note to the tea house.

She was planning to tell the students to lock the tea house door and absolutely not come out.

'She can't possibly find…’

"Ah, I found him!"

"...Ah, what are you doing!!! Student Yi-Han!! Are you crazy?!"

Professor Garcia was furious when she spotted Yi-Han right next to the alley, making eye contact with the healing magic major students.

"...I'm sorry."

Yi-Han apologized.

But this was unavoidable. The situation had been too sudden.

Just as he was listening to the conversation between Professor Garcia and Professor Alkasis, the search had suddenly started...

'From now on, I should develop the habit of always preparing an invisibility spell.'

Yi-Han bitterly reflected.

Einroguard wasn't the only battlefield.

The world outside Einroguard was also a battlefield.

A moment of carelessness could cost him his life in this battlefield!

"I've finally found you."

Professor Alkasis spoke in a rough, hoarse voice, worn out.

"Last time, I couldn't finish talking because of Professor Beavle, but grab my hand. I'll help your talent bloom."

"..."

Yi-Han was torn between trusting Professor Garcia and fleeing, or just obediently following Professor Alkasis.

The former risked getting hit by Professor Alkasis' sword if the escape went wrong, and the latter meant being dragged away and possibly having to train in healing magic until the end of the break.

'The latter is the only option.'

Yi-Han decided immediately.

The moment Professor Alkasis' concentration wavered even slightly, he would cast all the magic he had and flee!

"You..."

Professor Alkasis' eyes narrowed, intuitively understanding Yi-Han's thoughts.

Among the students at Einroguard, the skull principal was the best at catching runaways, but Professor Alkasis was also a hidden master.

As a professor specializing in healing magic, she must have the ability to catch and bring back fleeing students, not just healing magic.

That's why she could tell just from the posture.

'Is that really a first-year?'

Professor Alkasis couldn't help but be inwardly shocked by Yi-Han's flawless stance.

A student who wasn't even from the White Tiger Tower, showing such a solid stance without any gaps, what was this?

She had heard the student had exceptional talent not only in healing magic but also in other fields, but to this extent?

Just looking at the aura he exuded, one wouldn't be surprised if he was an experienced combat mage.

'But still...'

Professor Alkasis calmly prepared her magic.

No matter how talented a genius the opponent was, she was still an immature beast.

In a mage's duel, the experienced mage had an absolute advantage.

Professor Alkasis had conserved her mana, ready to subdue the opponent as quickly as possible.

'With his abundant mana, direct suppression magic is unlikely to work. I'll have to summon something from the outside to bind him.'

'I’ll immediately cast a fog and invisibility, then cast an enhancement spell and flee.'

The two mages just stared at each other silently. The air was taut with tension.

Yi-Han instinctively felt he was at a disadvantage.

'Damn. I can't tell what she's trying to do...'

He couldn't tell what kind of magic the opponent was trying to use. Moreover, Professor Alkasis knew Yi-Han had abundant mana.

"...You idiot! What are you doing! Run! Don't even look back, just run! Arm, wither!"

"!?"

At that moment, two of Professor Alkasis' disciples who had been watching nearby rushed out and cast magic at their master.

They were seniors familiar to Yi-Han, Phil and Chill.

Professor Alkasis, despite her disciples attacking her, was not surprised or angry.

She just swatted the magic away with her staff, as if it was annoying and tiring.

"Run! Vitality... Ugh!"

Phil was subdued with a single swing of the professor.

Professor Alkasis had rapidly regenerated the flesh in the airway connected to Phil's throat, causing temporary obstruction.

Phil tried to break free, but the professor's skill was as solid as a master tailor's stitching, and it couldn't be easily disturbed.

"When you wake up, study throat-related things again. Stupid child."

"Eyes, obscure the light!"

Chill, undaunted by his friend's collapse, targeted the professor's eyes again.

After all, the healing magic students didn't get sent to the punishment room even if they tried to escape or rebel, so Professor Alkasis didn't get angry or punish them.

Thud!

The professor blocked Chill's magic with a dismissive gesture.

It was a simple movement, but Yi-Han and Chill could tell how advanced the technique was.

In that brief moment, she had grasped the structure of the incoming magic, then channeled mana into her fingertips to deconstruct the magic.

Chill gritted his teeth and shouted.

"Aren't you ashamed! Taking a freshman to brainwash him like us! Aren't you ashamed of that?!"

"...Damn, you're right, Chill!"

The senior healing magic students, who had been wavering between self-interest and conscience, threw off their cloaks and grabbed their staffs.

Hearing Chill's words, they felt their faces burning.

As Einroguard students, they couldn't do such a thing to a first-year freshman.

Professor Alkasis' gaze grew even darker and more piercing.

"I don't care if you attack, but I'll kill anyone who wastes mana uselessly."

"Don't lie! Instead of killing us, you'll just make us work, won't you, Professor!"

"Attack!"

"How many times?!"

"This time, formation 11! Move in the 11-person formation!"

'How many times have these seniors attacked?'

The healing magic students, having rebelled more than once or twice, quickly formed a formation and charged at Professor Alkasis.

'Alright! This should be enough...!'

Chill was relieved.

Of course, the students would be brutally subdued, but at least they could buy time for the junior to escape.

But Yi-Han didn't run.

"...??!?"

When Yi-Han came and stood next to Chill, Chill was shocked.

"What are you doing! Are you crazy!"

"Senior. How can I just run and leave the seniors behind?"

"...You..."

Chill felt a surge of warmth in his eyes. Tears welled up unexpectedly, overflowing from his eyes.