"No, no… just think about it," Professor Thunderstep began, sensing the sadness in his student’s gaze.

"I’m only trying to prevent the spirit from entering, not make it my enemy."

Wizards who summoned spirits generally fell into two groups: those who intimidated and controlled them through force, and those who bonded with them to form contracts. 

The former was not common in the empire; threatening spirits often brought more trouble than it was worth. Even dark sorcerers, notorious for commanding undead, knew better than to provoke spirits.

This hostility spread quickly in the spirit world, so any wizard known to bully spirits would soon find their reputation ruined, making it difficult to interact with any spirit in the future. Such wizards often hid in the empire’s shadows.

The other group, however, forged contracts by building relationships with spirits. Those wizards often formed close ties with spirits, benefiting from a good reputation that extended to other spirits as well.

"Professor, Professor," I-han interrupted, puzzled. 

"Yes?"

"Why are you telling me all this?"

Professor Thunderstep paused, caught off guard.

"You don’t think I fall into that first category, do you?"

"No, of course not!" the professor quickly replied, realizing he might have implied as much. 

"You've never intimidated or forced a spirit into submission. Right?”

“Yeah… but it’s not like sparring with a spirit is wrong, right? It was practically self-defense.”

Professor Thunderstep took a small step back before continuing, “The important thing is that I’m trying to keep spirits out without antagonizing them.”

For someone like Thunderstep, maintaining a positive relationship with spirits was essential. If mischievous frost spirits turned up in his cabin, he’d simply block their entrance rather than retaliate, to avoid offending the spirits.

"…??"

I-han frowned, still not understanding.

"So, you’re saying to keep the spirits out peacefully?"

"Exactly."

"But how is that related to why I can’t try to contract with one?"

"Well… if you went around trying to contract with them, it might come off as threatening or intimidating…?"

"......"

I-han fell silent, clearly stung by the remark. Professor Thunderstep felt a pang of guilt.

"Don’t look so glum. Not every wizard needs the approval of spirits. Look at the principal—spirits seem to dislike him, yet he’s a great archmage."

"But I’m not as powerful as the principal."

"Well… maybe it won’t take you long…”

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." 

A wise professor, Thunderstep knew better than to risk alienating a promising future archmage. 

"Anyway, didn’t you mention you recently contracted with a spirit?"

“Yes… a spirit marked with the titles *Guardian of the Oceans and Storms.* It took every bit of energy I had to seal the contract.”

"..."

Thunderstep regretted bringing it up, especially given that I-han had only managed it with the help of a spirit lord. There was no need to remind him of how difficult that contract had been.

"Remember, if it happened once, it can happen again. Trust me, Wardanaz. The spirit realm is infinite."

"So… if I see a spirit that doesn’t flee, can I try to contract with it?"

"No."

"......"

---

Despite doubling the food reward, Professor Thunderstep couldn’t quell I-han’s grumbling.

“A teacher stifling a student’s potential…"

"......"

Siana, the cleric, and Yonir exchanged uneasy glances as they followed along.

*What happened?*

*I think the professor banned him from contracting with spirits.*

*Why would he do that?*

*Because if spirits got the wrong impression, it’d cause problems for the professor when he tries to summon them.*

*But why would they get a bad impression?*

After a brief pause, Yonir deftly changed the subject, finding it difficult to explain without casting I-han in an unflattering light.

*Bubbling—*

"Do you think it’s ready?” 

"Magnificent," Siana said, glancing at the simmering pot in admiration.

The priests of the Flameg Church deeply respected skilled alchemists, especially those who donated generously to their order. The pot held eight herbs, three lumps of shaded clay, and two clumps of beast hair—no poison, but a concoction spirits loved.

Troublesome spirits were known to leave satisfied after a hearty meal.

“Could you call a spirit now?” 

Yonir nodded, summoning a spirit shaped like a flying squirrel, which cautiously approached the pot.

“Looks like it’s enjoying it. I-han, would you like to watch?”

Yonir offered as a friendly gesture, hoping that witnessing his own spirit’s enjoyment might cheer I-han up.

“Just a moment.” 

Obliging, I-han brought out his staff to summon his own spirit, a faint glimmer of happiness on his face.

*Whoosh—*

A fiery sparrow spirit appeared, its intense gaze sweeping over the students in the cabin. Siana and Yonir exchanged glances, instinctively sensing each other’s thoughts.

*Now?*

“Wow! Amazing!”

“It’s adorable!” 

“Is it?” 

Pleased by their enthusiasm, I-han couldn’t help but admire his spirit. After the struggle to form the contract, he felt genuine pride.

“It's pretty smart, too. Last time I asked it to fly between my bookshelves, and it did so without burning anything.”

“That’s really impressive!”

“Remarkable!”

I-han, basking in their praise, nodded with satisfaction.

"Want to try some?" he asked, pointing to the pot with his finger.

The sparrow spirit nodded in a disciplined manner, flapping to the pot, picking up a piece of firewood, and setting it ablaze with a quick peck.

*Fwoosh!*

Without a moment’s pause, it quickly flew back to its original spot, standing firm as if awaiting further orders.

"... I meant, try the soup…”

The sparrow spirit fluttered its wings, as if to ask if it was really allowed to taste the soup.

“…Go on, just try a bit.”

Reluctantly, the spirit took a modest sip and returned to its place. I-han glanced at Yonir’s squirrel spirit, still puffing its cheeks with gusto, showing no hesitation.

In contrast, his sparrow spirit seemed like a seasoned soldier, cautious and unrelenting.

“Looks like it’s a bit nervous…”

“Shh!”

Yonir quickly nudged Siana, who clamped her mouth shut.

"......"

"......"

An awkward silence fell over the group.

“Let’s just get back to work.”

“Agreed!”

“Good idea!”

---

Though Thunderstep’s task was simple, the wisdom behind it was remarkable.

Around the cabin and garden, he’d drawn basic magic circles, placing spirit-repellent concoctions at entry points and enticing mixtures at exit paths. Knowing how to draw such circles, as well as which potions would attract or repel spirits, took a high level of expertise.

Impressed, Yonir and Siana jotted down notes.

"Quite impressive. I used to think you could just chase spirits away.”

“So did I. I never thought to use potions like this."

Pleased by his students’ enthusiasm, Professor Thunderstep stroked his beard.

“An alchemist’s true learning happens not only in the classroom but also outside it. Did you record the recipes?”

“Yes.”

The dwarf professor expertly filled bowls with the concoctions, placing the spirit-repellent brew in bone bowls and the spirit-friendly mixture in wooden ones.

“Hmm. I may be a bit short on the repellent brew.”

“I’ll fetch more.”

“No, no need. I already used up the last of the Tarasque scales inside. A true alchemist finds substitutes when resources run low.”

Eyes shining, Yonir and Siana were eager to hear the solution.

Indifferent to the lesson, I-han silently finished drawing his magic circles, placing the potions in their designated spots.

“Now, let’s brainstorm. How might we replace the Tarasque scales?”

Tarasque scales, known to be an unsettling ingredient for spirits, were challenging to substitute.

“I’d try flame tree cloves. Wouldn’t ice spirits find it unpleasant?”

“Good thinking. But you’ve missed two points. First, it’s not just ice spirits we’re dealing with. As they grow in number, other spirits may join. Second, adding cloves would neutralize the waterspout stone’s effect.”

“Oh!”

“Oh, I see…”

Yonir and Siana sighed, disappointed.

After some contemplation, Siana suggested, “What if we use acarna leaves? They’d create enough confusion for the spirits…”

“In a pinch, perhaps, but in this situation, it’s not ideal. Confused spirits might turn aggressive.”

Professor Thunderstep chuckled, then motioned to I-han.

“Wardanaz, come over here.”

“?”

Now that he’d finished setting up the circles, I-han approached, looking curious.

“Yes, Professor?”

“Would you lend me a strand of your hair?”

Puzzled but obliging, I-han handed him a strand. The professor dropped it into the pot, where it turned the potion a new shade, completing the mixture.

“There. It’s not as potent as Tarasque scales, but it’ll do. Do you all understand now? How to find clever solutions?”

"......"

I-han simply stared at him.

Chuckling, Thunderstep caught himself and cleared his throat.

“Come now, you’re not upset, are you? It was all for education. Surely you’re not that sensitive?”

"......"

"All right, all right. You can have the pickled barrel I left in the

 cellar! That’s a rare one!"

---

After finishing the setup, I-han gathered his friends by the garden to monitor the spirit activity.

“Just to clarify, I wasn’t really upset. You all know I wouldn’t get upset over something like this.”

“Uh, sure.”

“Of course.”

“With all the spells I need to learn, there’s no way I’d get frustrated over a single setback.”

In the distance, an ice squirrel appeared, emitting a faint but distinct spiritual aura. Following the magic circles, it traced a path around the repellent potion, sniffing it cautiously before scurrying off.

“It works.”

“Nice work, both of you.”

Yonir complimented I-han and Siana.

Feeling the need to reciprocate, Siana added, “Actually, it’s all thanks to you two. Especially your hair, Wardanaz… ah, oh…”

"......"

"......"

Despite the roaring fireplace, a sudden chill filled the air.

*Thud—*

“?”

As Yonir sipped ginger tea, he noticed a bulky, blurry figure charging from afar, ignoring the magic circles.

*Should I stop it? But we were told not to harm spirits…*

“Flash!”

I-han’s staff flared, and a bolt of lightning struck the figure, sending it crashing to the ground. Now that it lay motionless, Siana exclaimed in shock.

“It’s an undead!”

“What? It’s undead?”

“I-han?”

“Oh, I misspoke. I *knew* it was undead.”