Meanwhile, Professor Voladi and Ikurusha, waiting below, started to grow concerned at how long it was taking for I-han to return.

“He’s late,” Voladi remarked.

- Hmm.

Ikurusha’s expression also grew dark with worry. 

After all, with the giants as his companions, I-han should have been quite safe, even in the rugged terrain of these mountains. But Ikurusha was well aware of how unpredictable giants could be. If they spotted a behemoth along the way and thought, “That looks tasty!” and all rushed off together, a young student like I-han could easily get swept up in their impulsive behavior.

- But then, if there was a problem, that student would have surely sent word. I think he’s probably fine.

“It seems you might be misunderstanding something.”

- ??

Ikurusha turned, wondering what the professor meant.

“It’s more likely that Wardanaz is leading the giants around, rather than being dragged by them.”

- Are you serious…?

Ikurusha was baffled. Was he really suggesting that a young student was dragging the giants around? 

The giants, wanting to return, pleading, “We want to go back now,” while the student insisted, “No! On to the next spot!” It just didn’t seem possible.

“He’s the type who enjoys a challenge.”

- Even so, having him lead giants around isn’t just a challenge; it’s… unprecedented.

Even a mage who loves challenges would probably reconsider their choices after spending time with giants and think, “Actually, I’d rather live a peaceful life.” Ikurusha was convinced of this. That’s how rough and wild the giants’ daily lives were.

- We’re back!

- !!

The conversation stopped as Ikurusha looked up in surprise to see the giants returning from afar. Their bodies were caked with swamp mud, specks of debris, and covered in various minor injuries. 

For giants to sustain those kinds of injuries, there weren’t many creatures in this mountain range capable of it.

- What exactly did you do?

- We went with old Yacha to take down a Ghoul Dragon.

- We weren’t going to, but the mage convinced us to.

- !

Ikurusha looked at I-han in shock. Under normal circumstances, he would have understood that “Yacha asked, and the student helped, so the giants agreed.” But, thanks to Professor Voladi’s earlier comments, Ikurusha momentarily misunderstood the situation.

- Seriously?!

- Uh, yeah.

‘What’s going on?’

Seeing Ikurusha’s unusually stunned expression, I-han felt puzzled. Then again, he could see how his unexpected success would come as a shock.

“Sorry, it was all because of old Yacha…”

“It’s fine.”

Professor Voladi, seeming almost to expect this, interrupted I-han’s apology.

“What’s done is done.”

“Oh. Right.”

“But do avoid taking on overly reckless challenges in the future. I think I’ve mentioned this before.”

“...”

I-han looked at his professor in disbelief.

Who was he to be giving that advice?

* * *

Seeing I-han unusually exhausted, Ratford asked, “Didn’t get much sleep?”

“No… I just went through a lot on the mountain this morning…”

“Oh dear. Was it because of the White Tiger Tower?”

A White Tiger Tower student passing by flinched.

‘Gah! Was it really because of us?’

“No, it was the Ghoul Dragon and the giants…”

‘Oh, thank goodness.’

The White Tiger Tower student, momentarily relieved, took a few more steps before gasping.

“What?! A Ghoul Dragon? And giants?!”

“Why are you eavesdropping! That’s so nosy!”

“N-no, I just overheard! Just overheard!”

As Ratford argued with the White Tiger Tower student, I-han was busy stuffing a thick chicken sandwich with pickles into his mouth, feeling the need to recharge before the illusion magic class.

Crunch!

Beside him, Imirgh tore into a huge drumstick. Noticing I-han’s gaze, Imirgh hesitated and then asked, “D-do you want some?”

“No, I’m good with this. But… never mind.”

I-han was about to ask why Imirgh wasn’t sitting with the other Turtle Tower students but thought better of it. While Ratford was always friendly, Imirgh was a bit more reserved.

‘Heh. All that feeding during the flood paid off.’

I-han felt a surge of satisfaction, seeing how his efforts to befriend people had overcome the reputation of the Wardanaz family. He still remembered how, even when he’d helped the Black Turtle Tower students when he first arrived, they’d nervously reacted with, “Ack! It’s a Wardanaz… monster, I mean, clan!” 

“Hey! Why’s Imirgh sitting over there?”

“Oh no… I missed it! I should have sat next to Wardanaz!”

The Black Turtle Tower students suddenly realized the nature of the illusion magic class and lamented their seating choices.

When illusions scrambled one’s senses, having someone like Wardanaz, who remained unshaken, was incredibly helpful.

Realizing this in advance proved why top students were a cut above the rest.

“Darn. I’m sitting in the back!”

“Move! I got here first!”

“You White Tiger Tower guys are cowards! You mock Wardanaz but use him as a shield when it suits you?”

“Uh… no, it’s not like I was planning to use him as a shield…”

“...”

Listening to this, I-han felt a twinge of betrayal.

‘What ungrateful people.’

“All right, everyone, good to see you!”

The classroom door opened, and Professor Kirmin entered, dressed in a fashion so stylish he could proudly call himself one of the academy’s most fashionable professors.

Kirmin pulled a small stone from the pocket of his navy velvet vest and threw it at the nearest student.

Poof!

“Ugh… Ahh!”

“Stop panicking! Stay calm; you have to stay calm.”

In the first semester, Professor Kirmin had taught basic and entertaining spells, but starting this semester, he had been instructing on how to counter illusion magic.

And, of course, to learn how to counter illusions, one had to experience them firsthand.

“Not just at Enroguard; throughout the empire, you’ll encounter illusions. If you aren’t prepared, it can cost you dearly. Didn’t I tell you about that poor dwarf Gurigum who fell for illusion magic last time?”

“Yes!”

“Now, vulnerable one!”

Professor Kirmin cunningly blew smoke from a glass vial toward the student who had just answered.

The smoke scattered the student’s mana, temporarily paralyzing their resistance and drawing them into an illusion.

“Principal! Ahhh! It’s the principal!!”

Watching the student panic as the skeleton principal appeared in the illusion, Professor Kirmin gave an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, but that’s how you learn.”

There were two main ways to counter illusion magic.

One was to prevent the illusion from affecting you in the first place.

With strong resistance, like I-han’s, one could defend against it, or wear multiple artifacts for protection, or avoid direct contact with the illusion altogether.

Illusion magic couldn’t be cast without some form of contact, so if you could block it at the source, you were already ahead.

“Holding… my breath…”

Seeing the professor approaching, one student held his breath and closed his eyes.

Professor Kirmin chuckled and waved his staff, casting a spell that plunged the student into an illusion.

“Oh, Wardanaz, would you mind running an errand?”

“Yes, Professor.”

I-han stood up cautiously. Professor Kirmin waved him off reassuringly.

“You don’t need to be so tense; you’re naturally resistant. I’m not some Professor Bagreg.”

“Well, the principal always tells us to be on guard.”

Professor Kirmin put on a genuinely hurt expression.

“Hey, I’m trying to teach you how to deal with illusions, and you compare me to the principal?”

I-han carefully took the note from the professor and stepped into the hallway. Thankfully, there was no ambush.

‘What’s this errand?’

Apparently, it was just to keep him standing in the hallway while the students inside got attacked.

Professor Kirmin was having a field day, casting spells left and right.

- Argh! Wardanaz, you fool! How could you just leave us?!

- Haha! You can’t afford to let your guard down! Have you forgotten that illusionists are always vigilant?

While I-han was out, Professor Kirmin wiped out the students who’d been relying on him. 

As they came out of their illusions, sweating and dazed, Professor Kirmin shook his head sympathetically.

“It’s practically impossible to never get caught in an illusion, especially at lower levels. So…”

At that moment, he made eye contact with I-han.

“Yes, except for Wardanaz.”

“Professor, I didn’t say anything.”

“When caught in an illusion, you need to calmly find your way out.”

The second way to counter illusion magic was to break free once you were caught.

It started with realizing you were in an illusion.

Once you were aware, you had to amplify the sense of wrongness around you, and as you accumulated enough of these oddities, you could understand the structure of the spell and break free.

Knowing more about various magic types made this process easier. Identifying magic by instinct was harder than recognizing it by its characteristics.

“Illusion magic is a field where seasoned mages have the advantage, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t practice. Wardanaz, just so we’re clear, no using brute force to break things today, right?”

“

Professor, I sincerely apologize for destroying the entire magic array last time. It was an honest mistake…”

I-han still held a grudge against Professor Kirmin’s pettiness for constantly bringing up that incident.

How was he supposed to have known?

“Yes, mistakes happen. But you would have known better.”

“Huh?”

“You knew exactly what you were doing, didn’t you?”

The students around looked at him with respect and admiration.

Had Wardanaz really destroyed the magic array to protect them?

“Of course not, you idiots.”

“Oh, come on…”

Seeing I-han’s serious expression, the students quickly looked disappointed.

Boom!

With a wave of his staff, Professor Kirmin conjured a mountain of chests before the students.

Though they were crudely carved wooden boxes, each lock was sharp and intricately designed.

Sensing the magic emanating from the chests, the students groaned.

They had a pretty good idea of what today’s task involved.

“When exploring ruins or dungeons, you’ll often encounter illusion magic combined with mechanisms. A skilled mage can disable the device just by understanding the structure of the illusion.”

“Professor, I’m never going into a dungeon in my life…”

“Oh, confident, are you? But that confidence might be best kept in check. At Enroguard, dungeons aren’t a choice.”

After his complaint brought a dire prediction for his future, the student reluctantly reached for a chest.

Fwoosh!

“Argh!”

The student triggered a trap, causing a cloud of smoke to engulf him, leading him into an illusion.

The other students looked even more disheartened.

Who would enjoy tedious tasks like this?

Most mages adored the glamorous side of magic, not its annoying intricacies.

“Hey, this is fun! Ratford, would you mind checking? I think I got it right.”

“You did wonderfully.”

“How skilled would I need to be to go into dungeons without a technician?”

“I’d say you’re good enough as is…”

“Oh, don’t flatter me too much, Ratford. That’s one thing you always do, you know.” 

“I’m serious, though…”